Game 5 Beer Blog!

Note:  Blue typing was added five days later when John Dooley brought another bottle up and we reeveluated this one.

World Series Game Five! What better way to watch then with a new beer and a new blog?  So far, not so good.  Fourth inning and we are down 1-0.  Double play for the Cards.  Out of the inning.  Wainwright looks good but Lester looks really good again.  Maybe Wano should use a pound of goop in their glove as well.  I hear you get a better grip when you combine rosin, stickum' and superglue.  If you see Jon Lester, ask him.

On to the beer and the bottom of the fourth.

Brewer: 4 Hands Brewing Company.
Beer Name: Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown
Beer Style: Brown Ale
Price: $4.99 for a pint bottle at Friar Tuck's.

IT'S A HOLLIDAY!!!!!!!!!  Home run!!!!!!  Tie game in the fifth!!!!!!!!  Cue the Madonna 80's jam!  Lets celebrate!!

Ummm, a nice long drink after that blast!  AND BELTRAN flies out to the wall.  Shit.  Thought we went back to back.  Come on Yadi...  Not happening this inning.

On to the rating:
Appearance:  Ummm, dark brown with a reddish tint.  Clear enough to see light through but barely.  Not cloudy at all; just dark.  A perfect pour with a great head and lacing.  Looks delicious in the glass.

Aroma:  You can smell the chocolate in this ale.  Think bitter chocolate; not sweet.  A little alcohol undertone as well.  Definitely a real beer in the glass.  It smells good.

Mouthfeel:  Very crisp; smooth feel in the mouth.  Tingly and light but still substantial.

Crap.  Boston has two on and one out.  We need a DP with Lester the stickum molester at the plate.  0 and 2.  He might be the worst bunter ever.  Maybe he just needs more pine tar.  Sweet K for Wainwright! Jacoby Dingleberry is up.  2 on, 2 out.  Come on Wano...

Taste:  This is the first beer I have tried from 4 Hands.  1 and 2.  COME ON WANO!!!  YES!  Tackleberry struck out!!!  Still 1-1.  Back to the beer, this is the first beer from 4 Hands for me.  It is excellent.  Think a smooth brown ale with a heaping of bitter chocolate on top.  Complex yet very smooth from start to finish.  It is definitely more bitter then the average brown ale but it works with the chocolate flavor accompanying the bitterness.  This is an excellent alternative for people who like chocolate but would prefer something lighter then a stout.  This beer is really good.  John says this tastes like a brown ale to start with with plenty of chocolate at the end.  Which is good.

Overall Rating:  4.5 out of 5.  I'm going to have to buy another bottle and retry this.  I may be improving the rating.  Truthfully, I'm not sure why I'm taking a half point off.  Maybe just slightly too bitter but I'm really being picky.  SIDENOTE:  I swear to God I'm going to jam that stupid helmet on Jonny Gomes' head if he doesn't stop waggling it around for 10 seconds between pitches.  Has there ever been a more annoying pre-pitch ritual then Johnny Gomes head massage?  HAHA, he struck out!  1,2,3 Pedroia, Ortiz, and Jonny rubbing his Domes.  We need to pick up a couple of runs and put this one to bed.  I like having to win one of two in Boston with Wacha and Kelly against Lackey and Peavy.  Back to the beer, if you like chocolate at all, try this beer.  It is delicious.  I absolutely agree with my rating from Monday.  This beer is delicious.  Dooley likes this one as well.  He is throwing out a 4.25 for this one.  I am thinking this is a solid 4.5 with a legitimate chance to move up.  I'm going to have to head down to 4 Hands and have lunch over XMas break for sure.  By the way, I like beer.  I'm going to crack a new bottle and go ahead and get a little crunk up in herr.  I'll add the new beer to the blog for Friday with the Smaltz Reunion Beer.  

I'm going to post this as I am assuming the Cardinals will win.  If we don't, I don't want to type about it anyway.

By the way, I love Matt Carpenter.  I nicknamed him MC because he gets the party started.  Can't call him Carp obviously.  Going MC.

Until next time (Wednesday most likely- I have two more bottles of 4 Hands plus a bunch of others in the Fridge.  Viva La Friar Tucks!!!

GO CARDINALS!!!!

Return of the beerblog!  Bringing back John D. to guest rate some oatmeal stout!  From St. Louis go to brewery Schlafly no less!  Enough with the exclamation points.

We have a live GnR concert in the background.  Ritz Carlton in 1988.  They are rockin' it.  And Axl doesn't give an f-bomb.

And off to the rating:

Brewer:  Schlafly
Beer Name:  Oatmeal Stout
Beet Style:  Ditto
Price: $7.99/ six pack

APPEARANCE:  As the picture shows, this beer is slightly darker then average.  If the average is pitch black with the shades drawn on a moonless night twelve miles underground.  It looks slightly syrupy during the pour.  All in all, it looks like a stout.

AROMA:  Black licorice with a hint of coffee.  Black, freshly ground coffee.  And LOTS of licorice.  Think black licorice ropes from the skating rink.  3 foot ropes swizzle-sticked in your beer.  Use those babys as straws and you are getting close.

MOUTHFEEL:  Fizzy at the end; definitely a mouth-full.  Tingly on the back of the tongue.  And I can no longer spell or type.  The spellchecker just gave out so beware.

TASTE:  John and I think they left the oatmeal out and replaced it with a triple pack of Good N Plentys.  This beer is licorice with a whole lot of coffee in the background.  The malt is slightly present as well.  If you like a good, dark beer this will be right up your alley.  John says it tastes like it has been smoked on a slab of beef ribs for the last 8 hours.  I think it is a little too bitter for my taste.  I like a stout with flavor; not just bitterness and this one seems to fall just a little bit short.  I would prefer something other then Folgers flavored Twizzlers.  Axl just said he doesn't give a f-bomb either.  

OVERALL RATING:  John is giving it a 3.5.  He says not his favorite stout or dark beer but it is drinkable (especially since I brought it over).  I am going 2.5.  Its not bad but it has too little flavor for me.  

New Beer Fight! Battle of the Blondes!

OK. So my wife has deserted me to go cut up pictures at some lakehouse. Do I sit around and mope, dejectedly pondering where we could have gone for dinner tonight? Do I sit around, thumbing through photo albums, relishing memories of special days gone by? NOPE!!!! I watch Manchester United destroy Arsenal first thing this morning, take my son to his soccer game and then head for Friar Tucks!!!!! Which leads to the next topic: Saturday Night Beer Fights!



And off we go... BEER #1 Brewer: Cathedral Square (Their slogan is turning sinners into saints) Beer Name: Iglesia Agave Golden Ale Beer Style: Blonde Ale Price: $3.99 for a pint Before I begin, I want to say this was a big stride for me as I hate tequila. As in wouldn't drink it unless a lot of $ was on the table; like a briefcase full... and not ones either. That being said, I was in the mood for light beer tonight as I have the kids (as mentioned in the opening paragraph). I almost saved it for the second beer so my taste buds would be slightly dulled but I decided to man up. OK, that being said, I can continue.

AROMA: Beery with a hint of tequila. Really, if it would have been overwhelming, I couldn't have done it but luckily, this isn't Cuervo with bubbles... Not too strong but you can tell the Agave plant is hiding in the bottom, ready to lash out and get you.

MOUTHFEEL: Good actually. It has a pleasant buzz on the tongue which feels like beer and not the thick syrupy nasty tequila feel. I am actually surprised that I am enjoying this so far. As in SHOCKED.

TASTE: I was expecting to vomit as soon as I tilted the glass past the 90 degree level and the first drop touched my bottom lip so when that didn't happen, i actually had to pay attention to the taste. And, it isn't bad. Definitely a hint of tequila there but that is it. Just a touch, a hint, an intimation if you will bear with my poetic rambling here. I don't know if I would say this is good; just a little different and I can't complain. I'm going to have to get someone who likes tequila to drink this. It may be the next Lime-A-Rita!!! Easy Weable! Not insinuating it will take a small chunk of InBev's market share. Overall, I'm impressed that the brewer didn't overdo it as so many do. Now, if only they could do the same thing with Pumpkin beer, I might find one I like... Oh well, another day.

OVERALL RATING: I'm going a solid 3.0 with a disclaimer. I don't like Agave so finding one I could drink and not belch vomit is a huge success. This probably deserves higher for the skill the brewer showed but I'm going with my opinion over logic. By the way, I just finished the entire pint. In about 45 minutes. Is it time for the boys to go to bed yet? Started the first fire of the season tonight. The basement is toasty. Whoever invented fire should be president.

Another side note, the Swish and I are going to see Chevelle at Pops on December 7. Talk about a throwback for me. I haven't been to Pops and am not sure if they will let me drink with an over 40 discount. Our wives, who know nothing about Chevelle are going too. I'm betting by the fourth song, they are waiting in the mini van while Lonnie and I rock the F out of the place. And chances are, I may have enough in me to not worry too much about that... One can only hope. Anyway, on to BEER #2.

Brewer: Bat Creek
Beer Name: Midwest Farmer's Daughter Blonde Ale (slogan is "I wish they all could be that good")
Beer Style: Blonde Ale
Price: $4.99 pint

AROMA: Wow. Sent shivers down my spine. Very fruity with something else. Not sure yet. Maybe the hops? Not a very traditional hop smell though.

MOUTHFEEL: Very light. Although quite a feeling in the aftertaste. The burn lasted at least 20 seconds after the beer was gone. Quite an impression. Ahhhh. Just read the label. 7%. Now its becoming clearer, or foggier... In the words of the immortal Big Daddy Kane, "Imma play like Roy Rogers and slooooooooow dooowwnnn."

TASTE: Surprisingly light for 7%. Surprisingly good for a 7% blonde ale. Usually the two don't go together. Had I read the label before buying, I may not have purchased this as I'm home alone with the kids. Remember, this is all in the name of research!

OVERALL RATING:  2.5 here.  Not a lot too it besides the alcohol.  I'm slightly disappointed.  Just a touch of cough syrup infused with some fruity flavors.  Not a repurchase by any means.

Off to play some Halo Reach with Kevin.  Can't wait for Halo 4 Tuesday.  Until next time...

SEC Opener Beer Blog! Go Tigers!

Ahhhh, after the busiest summer I have ever had, things are finally settling down. I found leaves in the swimming pool today and the temperature never got out of the 70's. Football starts in earnest this weekend and it feels like a good excuse to drink some beer. Mizzou is opening up their SEC schedule against 7th ranked Georgia and I decided to get the blog going again. Life is returning to normal...

On to the beers: I picked two dark beers to mirror the black jerseys that I hoped Mizzou would wear (and they wore yellow of course). I like the new unis; much different unis then we have ever seen:



The football references don't stop there though. The first beer is a stout- as in Mizzou's defense. STOUT. It is a Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat Oatmeal Cream Stout to be exact. I have had it on tap before and enjoyed it so I thought it would be good to blog about. The second beer is new to me. It is a Green Flash Double Stout Black Ale. DOUBLE STOUT. Like Mizzou's DEFENSE!

The game is about to begin as is the beer competition as well. I am going to drink one of the Buffalo Sweat cans first.

Brewer: Tallgrass
Beer Name: Buffalo Sweat Oatmeal Cream Stout
Beer Style: Cream Stout
Price: about $8 for four 16 oz cans at Schnucks in Wentzville

Appearance: Dark, creamy, looks like coffee with some black food coloring dumped in. Looks like a stout should.

Mouthfeel: Very prickly; buzzes in your mouth. A lively, bubbly feel. Definitely not watery or boring.

Aroma: Not much actually. I tried to smell it during Mizzou's 2nd 3 and out but never got anything. Weird for a beer with this much flavor.

Taste: Absolutely delicious. I remembered being a fan of this when I had it at ITap. If this beer was a chick, it would look like Halle Berry (ten years ago), sing like Beyonce, and score goals like Alex Morgan. It is a cross between black licorice, carmel, and coffee dumped in your favorite black ale. Outstanding. A super beer here. 16 ounces of love.

Overall rating: 4.75 with the only drawback being I haven't drank enough to go 5 even. It may get there by the time I finish this entry.

By the way, Mizzou's offense looks terrible and the defense looks dominant. 0-0 in first quarter.

On to the next beer.

Brewer: Green Flash
Beer Name: Double Stout Black Ale
Beer Style: Stout
Price: About $8 for a four pack of 12 ounce bottles at Schnucks in Wentzville.

Appearance: Dark, darker, darkest. Almost pitch black. Picture Cory's last three girlfriends; just a little lighter.

Mouthfeel: Very bubbly as well; a small avalanche of effervesence on your tounge.

Aroma: Smells very bitter; almost a sour smell; possibly yeast but not sure. Very pungent.

Taste: A completely different beer. It is a stout, very distinct taste, way more bitter then the first, not nearly as smooth but still good. It has gotten much better as it warmed up. More coffee and less licorice for sure. Not nearly as complex as the Buffalo Sweat but not bad overall.

Overall rating: 3. Could be a little less bitter with a littlebut more taste. Glad I tried it but I probably won't buy again.

Go Tigers!!!

Look for more blog entries as the weather cools and my pool project draws to a close.

Oatmeal Stout AND I MEAN STOUT

Well, I started out spring break getting pretty ripped and I plan on ending it that way as well. It is 5:30 and I have had three Bud Light Limes as I housecleaned and I am now sitting down to do another blog. Tonight, we have some beer that I bought back at the end of January but haven't drank yet (obviously). Two Oatmeal Stouts.



The first (pictured on the right) is from Mikeller Brewery in Norway. It is called Beer Geek Breakfast as it is an oatmeal stout with coffee in it as well. As I was pouring it, I think I was a little frightened as it looks like motor oil after about 10000 miles. I immediately called Kerry over for backup.

Here is the rating:

BREWER: Mikkeller (Norway)
BEER NAME: Beer Geek Breakfast
BEER STYLE: Oatmeal/ Coffee Stout
PRICE: 9.99/ pint (ouch!)

Appearance: As previously stated, it looks like Pennzoil after 10000 miles or so in the old farm tractor out back or maybe liquid charcoal. To say this beer looks imtimidating may be like saying Cristiano Ronaldo dates attractive women. The foam on top is darker than most beer I have seen. This is not messing around.

Mouthfeel: Have you ever swallowed molten lead? This is somewhat similar (I imagine).

Aroma: Smells like a combination of black licorice, coffee, and alcohol. Actually it is quite pleasing.

Taste: On first taste, you really get ran over by the coffee bitterness. After that subsides, the warmth of the alcohol takes over and leads you into the actual oat taste of the beer. This is quite a complex beer with a definite beginning, middle, and end. For supposedly being only 7.5%, this beer packs a punch on the alcohol end too. I am half way through the pint and am feeling a little more warmth then before. Looks like I'm going to need some aspirin in the morning...

Overall Rating: 4.0. Too much coffee for me but I can appreciate the taste complexity and the balance that the brewer was going for. This would be the perfect -15 degrees day on the ski slopes when you want a pint or two before bed. A word of warning, for those of you who think Guiness is a strong beer, you may want to skip this one. It is one of the most powerful beers I have ever drank. Good stuff. A definite trophy beer.

NEXT: Samuel Smith's (my boy!) Oatmeal Stout. (this is the one that most drinkers say is the most accessible if not the best Oatmeal Stout on the market). I have very high hopes for this.

BREWER: Samuel Smith, England (Might be the best brewer on the planet)
BEER NAME: Tadcaster Oatmeal Stout
Beer Style: Ummm, oatmeal stout
Price: Maybe $5.99/ pint? Around there at least.

Appearance: Dark, somewhat clear although you can't see through it due to the darkness. Good, strong head with excellent lacing. A nice looking beer. Looks like a stout that won't decrease the years off your life.

Mouthfeel: Very foamy, malty beer with a smooth feeling as it goes down. A very nice, clean stout. This is a beer that has been perfected and not messed with.

Aroma: Not a whole lot there; a slight hint of nuts maybe? Some black licorice as well? Just a good clean beer scent more then anything.

Taste: I was expecting a nice beer and I'm not disappointed. This is a beer that is dominated by the grain involved; the oat. While not resembling oatmeal that I have tasted, it makes you feel like you dipped your hand in the oat barrel and chewed on some. Very smooth with a great finish. This is about half the beer that the first one was which isn't necessarily a bad thing. This is smooth enough to drink a few pints of without feeling like you just conquered the neighboring tribe by brute force. I fully recommend it. Per the usual Sam Smith output, it is perfectly balanced and a great entrance into this particular beer style.

Overall rating: 4.75. Excellent beer. Period. I love Sam Smith. He hasn't let me down yet. I need to buy stock. Or move to Yorkshire, England and rent a room above the brewery. How many quid is that I wonder? Anyone have an extra pence or two lying around?

2012 Oscars!!! Here is my review of the films nominated for best picture!

This years Oscars look to be more low key with less big name movies nominated then I can remember in a long time. The nominees for best picture are:

The Artists
The Descendants
Extrememly Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

I have seen four of these films so far. The first one I watched was "The Help." The film chronicled the struggles of the servants in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960's. Emmas Stone plays an author who wants to write a book from the perspective of a black housekeeper. Interweaving the fiction with reality, the film does a very good job of expressing just how dismal things were back then even as the civil rights movement hit full stride. I thought it was a very good film overall; the acting was good, the story superb, the cinematography was adequate. I look for this to be a front-runner at this year's awards. Io bet this has a 1/2 chance to win.

The second film I saw was "The Tree of Life." This film was directed by Terrance Mallick and pushed the boundaries of what a film can be. With very little discernible plot or timeline, the film focused more extensively on the emotions of the characters and the themes presented by the plot. It will not give anything away to say that a family finds out one of their sons has passed away and the film then shows what has led up to this and what feelings are expressed as a result of the death. The actual event is never shown, I don't even remember finding out how the son died. The plot and actual events are truly secondary in this film. Even as this film challenges the traditional beginning/ middle/ end of traditional film making, it does a great job addressing the themes addressed by the screenwriter and director. Using some of the most beautiful cinematography to date, it captures each characters moods, emotions, and beliefs without truly filming a conventional scene. It is almost a series of impressionistic paintings shown in conjunction with a central idea to express the ides the director wants us to see which are quite open to interpretation even after the film ends. It was a very interesting (and slightly tedious- especially then middle 25 or 30 minutes with no humans appearing at all) look at how a film can get its message across while still managing to be called a film. I don't think it will win; it is too avant-garde for the academy to pick and rightfully so. I give this a 1/10 chance to win.

The third film I have watched was "Moneyball." It starred Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the Oakland A's general manager who changed the thinking in baseball by embracing the ideology of Bill James, the Godfather of statistics. While it was slightly entertaining, I have no idea why it was chosen for best picture. The cinematography was repetitious, the acting was OK if you buy Brad Pitt's interpretation of Billy Beane as a charismatic, swashbuckling, GM who didn't seem to care about his paycheck or his livelihood (which I did not). The screenplay was overwrought with Hollywood shtick and reeked of conventions best left in the 80's and 90's (can we have another close-up of Brad Pitt brooding in his pick-up truck? Please just one more.) I will say Jonah Hill did a great job of playing the anti-Jonah Hill assistant GM; Peter Brand. His performance saved the film. In short, this is a mildly entertaining look at the Hollywood version of baseball culture that somehow didn't ring authentic to me at all. I wouldn't recommend watching it to be honest and if you do, please do so with a grain of salt and a bottle of Pepcid AC as it may upset your stomach. Not a chance to win.

The fourth film I saw was "Hugo." It is about a boy, Hugo, who lives in a train station as he has been orphaned. Directed by Martin Scorcese, the cinamatography was excellent as was the story. Hugo meets one of the pioneers of filmmaking, Goerges Melies (portrayed by an outstanding Ben Kingsley) and the story unfolds from there. While serving as a film history lesson, the script manages to maintain its focus on being a "kid movie" while not overtly feeling like one. This is the first "kids movie" that has been nominated that actually should have been. I recommend it to everyone, young and old for the script, beautiful special effects, perfect period costumes and makeup, great performances by Kingsley and Sasha Baren Cohen, and the fantastic lesson in early filmmaking and the pioneering effects that Melies and the Lumiere Brothers had on filmmaking. Had the Oscars not alreay taken place, I would have moved this right next to "The Help" as my front-runner for the Oscar. Next up, I am watching "The Descendants" tonight and am expecting an outstanding film. I have heard nothing but good and am really looking forward to it.

Friday 2/2 BLOG!

In honor of Valentine's Day, Clark Dooley and I have decided to do some candy flavored beer research so Clark bought a bottle of Boulevard Chocolate Ale and I picked up two bottles of Chocolate Stout. We decided to drink the Boulevard Chocolate Ale first.

Brewer: Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City
Beer: Boulevard Smokestack Series Chocolate Ale
Style: Ale albeit 9.1% alcohol
Price: $12.99 for a pint bottle- not cheap

Clark claims that all of his KC homies are going crazy for this so he had to try it. Here are the ratings:

Appearance: Amber Caramely Smoky- not clear at all.

Mouthfeel: Kind of prickly, very bubbly.

Smell: surprisingly weak- can't really smell anything. Clark smells malt but it is not strong.

Taste: Definitely malty; the label says it is a malt beverage so I guess that makes sense. As for the chocolate, it is very apparent at the beginning of the drink but disappears quickly. I am not a fan to be honest; especially for $13 a pint. Not a real good start. Amy said it was like McEwans with sugar. John says that the four pale ales may have dulled his taste buds but he wants to know where the chocolate is. Clark says his homies can keep it in KC.

Overall rating: I say a 2.5 Clark says a 1.75. Not a stellar start.

Sidenote: Michelle is putting lip gloss on right now. Watch out TP holders. By the way, if you ever invite Michelle over, hide the wine.

On to the second!!!

Brewer: Rogue Brewery (usually a solid brewer- haven't had a bad one yet)
Beer Name: Rogue Chocolate Stout
Beer Style: Chocolate Stout
Price: $6.99 if memory serves correctly

Appearance: Looks like beer. Very dark. Almost black. Slight head; good lacing on the glass.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth but substanial. A nice feel.

Smell: Again, not a very strong smell. I'm starting to wonder if I have a cold. What I can smell is a slight chocolate smell with a hint of some kind of nuts.

Taste: Ummmmmmmmmmm. Now we have a beer. This is good stuff. Definitely more chocolaty and beery. Very smooth and the chocolate starts strong and fades into a slightly bitter aftertaste. The stout taste is smooth and not too bitter. It is a balanced beer which tastes good from start to finish. I recommend it highly for your Valentine's Day drinking. Clark says very choclatey, not cocoaey... Good beer.

Overall Rating: I say 3.5, Clark says 3.5 also. Good stuff.

And the last Chocolate beer for the night...

Brewer: Wells and Youngs Brewery, England
Beer Name: Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Beer Style: Chocolate Stout
Price: Want to say $5.99 but not for sure.

Appearance: Dark, choclatey, can't see through it at all.

Mouthfeel: Tingly, somewhat flat feel to it.

Smell: Smells like black licorice to me; sort of an anise smell.

Taste: Very smooth as well here. This is a professionally made beer as well. A little more bitter then the Rogue and slightly more malty. Clark doesn't care for the malt. We both agree that it is good but not quite as good as the Rogue.

SIDENOTE: Manchester United beat Chelsea in the 94 FA Cup final. Cantona scored twice from the spot. Programming note: United beats Chelsea Sunday AM on Fox. Better then the Super Bowl. Tune in.

BONUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My bro in law, Erick has decided to brew his own beer. He gave me a sample beer of each kind tonight and I told him I would review both on the blog tonight. Here goes!!!!

BREWER: Erick Todd brewing company
BEER NAME: Bo Pellini sucks nuts brown ale
Beer Style: Nut brown ale
Price: Ask Erick

Appearance: Ummm brown, cloudy, very bubbly

Mouthfeel: Smooth with a bubbly undertone, kind of champagney

Smell: Somewhat sweet in a mixed vegetableish way; can't say I've ever smelled this smell before- not necessarily bad- just very different

Taste: Very smooth- somewhat bland but we have been drinking chocolate stout for the last two hours as well so anything beneath paint thinner is going to be bland at this time. I think this would make Bo Pellini proud; if he wasn't a walking vagina... which he is. Go Penn State! And Michigan, Ohio St., Minnesota, Northwestern etc. Clark says go Illinois and Wisconsin and anyone we forgot.

Overall rating: Not bad. I'm going to have to shorten the name of the beer to retain blog space. From here on out, we are referring to it simply as "Bo Pellini sucks nuts". I give the "Bo Pellini Sucks Nuts" a 3.0. A good effort for a first time brewer. Gives me hope for future offerings. Clark says a good Newcastle feel; 3.2 overall.

BREWER: Erick Todd Brewery
BEER NAME: Erick's Wheatholer Ale
BEER STYLE: Wheat Ale
PRICE: Ask Erick (less then the Boulevard chocolate- that Clark can gaurantee)

SIDENOTE: CLark and I love to say Peter "SCHMIECHEL" Say it a few times-"SCHMIECHEL, SCHMIECHEL, SCHMIECHEL" See, I told you. And try to sound German. Makes it even funner.

Appearance: Light golden and very clear. Looks like a very summery beer.

Mouthfeel: Clark says slightly resembles alka seltzer. I think it is bubbly also. But only up front. Smooths out as it goes down. A good feel to it overall.

Smell: Clark says enticing. Very fruity. I say bubblegummy with a hint of baby poop. Or bananas; whichever.

Tatse: Clark says OOOhhh, ummm, and nothing else. Waiting... waiting... nothing. Clark says it tastes bubbly. Maybe the four pale ales have gotten him after all. Oh wait, he says it needs to sit a couple, two years. After a few drinks, I am pleasantly surprised. This doesn't taste like it smells. It is good. I could drink this all summer long. Has a hint of Belgium in it; especially the aftertaste. A very complex wheat beer that is light enough to please most palates but complex enough to keep your interest. File this away under "keeper" (unlike Taylor Martinez to the NFL scouts).

Overall rating: I'm going 3.5 with the potential to increase given a 6 pack in the driveway at a later date. Clark says the Stroh's factory farted out a 3 for this one. Obviously, I'm not making that up...

Good job Erick. Looking forward to the new one that you are brewing tonight. Hope you have as much fun making it as I had drinking these. And listening to Clark's pearls of alcohol wisdom...

Until next time, thanks for reading. Two oatmeal stouts coming next unless I finish the Scotch Ale blog I started last weekend. I LOVE SCOTCH ALE...