A post all about beer (now there’s a concept).
Casey Hughes’ not-so-secret plans to take over the world continue apace: Exit 4, just out in 12oz bottles, will be a year-round release. Are you listening, Dan Weirback, are you listening? All that Zotten momentum and still no move to the year-round list? Tsk-tsk.
I always check out the beer selection at Wegmans when I shop but, as best I can, I try to support the local guys. I must admit, though, that bottles of Orval at $5 and change have been hard to resist. It’s been all sold out the last few times I looked, so I am in a temptation-free zone at present. I had forgotten what a great beer this is. The Big Guy had a nice posting about the various “stages” pf Orval just shy of two years ago, one which inspired Stan Hieronymus to put this post in response, wherein Vinnie Cilurzo expounded eloquently on the topic. I do believe the esteemed Tom Peters once cited it as his favorite beer as well.
I’m always leery of writing too often here about Sly Fox, given my relationship with the company (doing their web content primarily), but I have to note that the Royersford location, which is a distant second to the Phoenixville one in the hearts of most beer geeks, has been featuring some prodigious tap lists of late, generally 16 beers strong. If you don’t believe me, check it out here (and note that Phoenixville is no slouch either). Growlers of Schwarz Bier and Vienna Lager have been of great comfort to me during my snowbound days. Also, The O’Reilly has been engaged in brewing a trio of interesting one-offs in recent weeks; look for a story about that coming soon to a Beer Yard site near you.
The day I grabbed the Schwarz Bier at Phoenixville, I also popped over to Iron Hill and got me a growler of their fine and most drinkable Belgian Pale Ale (after being sorely tempted by the excellent Strong English Ale which was also on). I do love me some Belgian Pale. I repeat, are you listening, Dan Weirback?
I mentioned several posts back that I’d had lunch with a friend at TJ’s Restaurant & Drinkery in Paoli. After he’d left, I took advantage of TJ’s extremely reasonable take-out prices to pick up three bottles to take home, an eclectic selection of Sprecher Black Bavarian (not as exciting as it is on tap), He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A (right tasty, these guys don’t as much credit and ink as they should) and Sierra Nevada Torpedo. I’ll be drinking SN more regularly than usual throughout the year as my own celebration of their 30th anniversary; I had a Glissade Golden Bock with lunch, my first, and was most pleased.
For a goodly portion of January, Victory St. Victorious Dopplebock served as my house beer (12oz division, Saison Vos in 750s is my de facto homeboy brew) and I don’t believe that St. Vic has ever been better than this year. There’s a sixpack still smiling at me in the ‘frig but I’m transitioning over to Weyerbacher Fireside Ale for February; this year’s version strikes me as a tad less smoky that last year’s debut, but it’s fine drinking, it is.
Finally, I’ve been putting off posting some tasting notes for and impressions of De Proef Witte Noir for a while now and that’s just plain not right. I’ll try to rectify the situation before day’s end.
So, what have you been drinking?
“So, what have you been drinking?”
Personally, I’ve mostly been dipping into my homebrew; a 3.7% Dubbel-esque Belgian Mild, and a fresh IPA. Queue the homebrew mockery.
I did try the Sly Fox Schwarz last Saturday Snowy night at Jose Pistolas and it was fantastic. I seem to like American versions of that style much more than, say, Kostritzer. The Bells Berliner I tried that night, though, was kind of stale.
Last night I tried the PBC Oaked Philabuster wheat wine at SPTR but left most of the glass behind - was kind of rubbery tasting
Had an Orval last night at CAH, mighty tasty.
Glissade at TJs, a bunch of West Coasties at The Drafting Room, Belgian-inspireds at Iron Hill, and Gang Aft Agley at Sly Fox.
and at home on tap: Saison Vos and Prima Pils. oh, and some cans of Monk’s Blood.
btw, congratulations on a well-written posting with nary a mention of dogs, snow, or teabaggers!
i was going to do a post about running and/or going or not going to San Francisco, or all that stuff, but that seemed pretty much covered elsewhere.
I miss my kegerator.
Oh, Jack, if you haven’t had Monk’s Blood yet - Bryan is right, that stuff is great.
If Jack ever surfaces again, I might be inclined to share a can with him
What have I been drinking? 5 words…Left Hand Fade to Black. Get it before it’s gone…you won’t be disapppointed. Post-shoveling never felt so good. I have also been working my way through a gift-case of Stone IPA…slowly…and for good reason. Speaking of Stone, their Smoked Porter is stellar. And speaking of smoked beers…my latest homebrew, a smoked Scotch/Old/Strong Ale came out much better than I could have ever imagined. Snow and beer is a match made in heaven.