Beer Hiatus... Sadface!

It looks like Lily has a yeast sensitivity.  So no more beer tasting for me until she's done breastfeeding.  Super sadface!  I will work on guest blogger Pako hooking me up with some tasting notes for the time being, and I'll get the hubby to submit some tasting notes as well.  I'll work on posting a lot more recipes and parenting thoughts.  Maybe I'll start talking about gardening... or maybe I'll finally get to work on some of my craft projects so I can share those with you.  But sadly, for now, my beer posts will be limited to what I can glean from the menfolk.  Oh, the things we do for our children... :)

Cheers, have one for me while I'm on hiatus!



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Beer Tasting Notes {Shipyard Double Old Thumper ESB Ale} by GUEST BLOGGER Pako!

My good friend Pako had this to share on this fine Friday afternoon:

Shipyard Double Old Thumper ESB Ale

"Old Thumper ####ed the #### out of me at 11.4%.  It starts with molasses and heaven... but finished with testosterone, licorice and a beating in the head with a wiffle ball bat." 

Thanks for the colorful review, Pako.  I'll take this as a compliment and positive review for Old Thumper.  Hopefully you will be kind enough to share more guest reviews, my friend.  Next time, quit flirting with the bartender and take a picture of your nectar so I don't have to borrow images from the internet abyss, will you please darling?  Kisses!

Pako's interpretation of Old Thumper's affect on his psyche this afternoon...

Cheers all!

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Beer Tasting Notes {New Belgium Lips of Faith: Grand Cru and Super Cru}

Last night Jim and I joined our friends at Alley Katz in Sacramento for some happy hour love.  We were lucky enough to be treated to an exclusive sampling of two new Lips of Faith brews from New Belgium - we shared 1/2 of each bottle between 5 of us, so it was a very light sampling, but enough to get a good taste of each.  Good company, interesting beer... what more can a girl ask for on a Thursday night? :)

New Belgium Lips of Faith Super Cru

Super Cru is a 10% ABV sour Belgian Style strong ale that pours a lovely reddish orange.  I wish the flavor had been as pretty as its color.  It has a pretty overwhelming sour pear and cherry flavor mixed with the unmistakable earthiness of the Saison yeast, sweet maltiness and a soft alcohol warmth.  The first sip was a little off-putting with the sourness; it has the rotten sour cherryish characteristics of a very tart Flemish sour or Lambic, not the clean light citrusy Belgian sour flavor that I adore.  After a few more sips, it grew on me some, but then toward the end I didn't like it so much anymore and actually gave up the rest of my sample.  They should have marketed this as a Flemish sour.  Not something I'd drink on the regular (at all), but it was interesting to try.  Glad I didn't pay for it.

New Belgium Lips of Faith Grand Cru Abbey Ale

Grand Cru is a 9.5% ABV Abbey ale that pours a light cola-brown color.  The nose holds some sweet malty sugar and fresh bread.  It is very malty, slightly smokey and has a lightly sour banana-clove Belgian yeast flavor hiding at the edges.  It's a very chewy beer, like a nice fresh yeasty brown bread.  I'd drink this again.

 

Check out Alley Katz on twitter: http://www.facebook.com/AlleyKatzPubNGrub
I'm so happy to have a beer bar in Midtown!  Love it!

And a quick shout out to the AGG... pffft, you know who you are!  Tushy!  Kisses!

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Beer Tasting Notes {Allagash Curieux}

The heavens hath opened...  On Thursday of last week, I met my hubby for a dinner date at The Shack in Sacramento (if you love beer and you haven't been, you haven't lived), and since the end of the world was supposed to be coming (ha!) I decided to indulge in a truly spectacular beer... on TAP no less!  Woo hoo!  I am definitely taking a bottle of this beer on my next camping trip.  This has just rocketed to #1 on my favorite beers list.  Hands down.  I truly don't see any other beer topping this one.

Allagash Curieux

This 11% ABV Bourbon Barrel Aged Belgian Style Tripel is truly heaven sent.  I watched at the bar as it poured a beautiful golden orange, with a fleeting foamy head.  The nose is filled with clove, light honey, sweet floral orange blossoms, Belgian yeast, and sunny grain and wheat fields on a hot summer day.  Yes, it is that complex and wonderful.  The flavor matches the amazing scent - with an added bonus of a faint bourbon alcohol heat surrounding your taste buds, but no where near overpowering them. 

Dear Allagash, I wish you were in California, not Maine, so I could come thank you in person for brewing this gem of a beer.  Cheers!

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Photo taken with Vignette for Android, using "Vintage Summer" effect.

Beer Tasting Notes {Anchor Summer Beer}

Anchor Summer Beer

Sunshine in a bottle!  This 4.6% ABV Pale Wheat Ale pours a hazy golden honey color like a lazy sunshiney day, with a perfectly clean white head of foam like a single perfect cloud in the summer sky.  It has a light citrusy wheat flavor and is very light bodied, which makes it very sessionable and thirst-quenchingly perfect for a hot summer night (or day).  It has a very faint hint of honey, as if a bee dipped its toes in to cool them off for a spell.  Bliss.

Photo taken with Vignette for Android, using "Vintage Summer" effect.

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Beer Tasting Notes {Stone Brewing Cali Belgique IPA}

Stone Brewing Cali Belgique IPA

This 6.9% ABV Belgian Style IPA pours a hazy sunny yellow-orange with a light white head of foam.  The nose is filled with floral and grapefruit citrus hops paired with sour Belgian yeast.  The hop flavor mixed with some light coriander spice and a faint malty sweetness makes for a very tasty beer.  It is crisp and thirst-quenching, and paired very well with a Bacon Kobe Beef Burger.  Cheers!

Photo taken with Vignette for Android, using "Vintage Summer" effect.

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Recipe of the Day: Chili Egg Puff

This is a perfect recipe for Mother's Day Brunch!

I wanted to quickly write this up to share before tomorrow.  It's SO GOOD! 

Ingredients
10 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted

8 oz cottage cheese
1 lb pepper jack, shredded
1 small can diced green chilies
8-10 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients.  Pour into buttered 9x13 dish.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until set and golden brown at the edges.  Serve with fresh salsa.


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