Chargrilled Mighty Oak

My father-in-law is famous for always having a Costco-sized variety pack of Sam Adams in his garage fridge.  And while Sam Adams is by no means my favorite brewer, my father-in-law's habits do allow us to sample nearly all the Sam Adams flavors without having to commit to an entire 6-pack.  Because quite frankly, one or two bottles of any Sam Adams flavor is usually enough.

Today, I selected the Mighty Oak Ale (5.7% ABV) by The Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts (i.e. Samuel Adams).  I picked this because I had never seen it before and figured it was worth a go.

According to the brewer, "Samuel Adams Mighty Oak Ale is the winner of our 2011 Beer Lover’s Choice® campaign. This brew combines the malty sweetness of an ale with the complexity of oak aging for an overall well-balanced beer.  The aroma has a subtle earthiness from the English hops, while distinct notes of oak come through in the flavor of this amber brew.  The vanilla and caramel oak character is balanced by the sweetness and subtle roastiness of our blend of malts for a smooth dry finish."

My tastebuds detect the vanilla and caramel immediately.  Woah --- this beer is very very sweet.  I drink some water and then taste it again.  Yup, still sweet.  I don't think I've ever had a beer this sweet before.  The carbonation is minimal which I think makes it taste even sweeter and more like a syrup than a beer.  I would compare it to a sweeter version of a Newcastle Brown Ale.  I would drink this beer again if I found it in an icy cooler at a BBQ, but I would not buy more with my own money. 

My rating:  2 of 5.

Celebratory Suds

If you look back over the past few posts, you'll notice a theme: life was uninspiring, busy and consumed work-related stress and frustration.  Well, today I made a change.  Today I quit my job (well, I gave them my 2.5 weeks notice).  After 4.5 years with the same company and nearly 8 years total in the environmental consulting field, today I hung up my hat and it feels fan-freaking-tastic.

I know that I will truly miss many of my wonderful co-workers, daily laughs and friendly Clients.  But it was time.  It was time for a change.  I have no idea what my next step will be, but I can only hope that it will be something I am passionate about and enjoy doing everyday.  In the meantime, I look forward to spending time with my Husband, our two wonderful kids, the giant puppy and my butterfly-covered bike.  In addition, I hope to get back to exploring springtime in Arizona from behind the lens of our trusty Nikon D60.

To celebrate, we had a former co-worker of mine and now good friend of ours over along with his wife and son (pictured below reaching across the counter for more chips) for happy hour and dinner.  On tap, the Black Jack Porter from Left Hand Brewing Company in Longmont, Colorado.  I didn't pour it in a glass so I can't comment on the color or appearance of the beer.  But as with most dark beers, I got the creamy chocolate and coffee mix of flavors that I was hoping for and expecting.  It is a pretty solid porter in my book and I will absolutely purchase it again sometime.

Black Jack Porter (6.4% ABV) from Left Hand Brewing Company in Longmont, Colorado

Obsidian Stout

Obsidian Stout (6.4% ABV)
Deschutes Brewery
Bend, Oregon

Bohemian Tuesday

Tonight is not an especially interesting beer, but we can't have a grand slam winner every night.  At least not in Arizona without an unlimited budget.  So none-the-less, tonight I opened a Bohemian Black Lager from Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas.  I always thought Shiner was the name of the brewery....not the town.  So hey - I guess I learned something tonight.

Better than a regular Shiner, but nothing to write home or get too excited about.  Husband has not jumped on the recent trend to make a black version of every kind of beer (except the black IPAs, which he has embraced) and after trying this one, I haven't either.  Don't get me wrong...it is by no means a bad beer, it's just really not that super.  I would drink it again but if I'm going to drink a dark beer, I'd prefer a dark creamy beer.  This one lacks the creamy nature of a good dark beer and is a bit bubbly for a dark beer.

Bohemian Black Lager (4.9% ABV) from the in Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas

Monday prose

No beer to report tonight.  There is currently a bit too much going on for both of us in our work lives.  Oh, and it's allergy season here in Arizona so we wouldn't be able to taste anything anyway.

My favorite little 9 month fingers reaching for banana pieces and Cheerios in her high-chair.

Hectic schedule:

work and home balance is off.

Must make a change soon.

Trail beer

The Husband and I have started trying to go for a mountain bike ride together every Sunday.  We typically drop the kids off with Grandpa and Gramma and then ride around for a few hours on the Hawes trail system in Mesa.  But today, Grandpa decided he was going to ride with us!  What a surprise!!!  In addition, we already planned to meet my brother in law and 11-year old nephew at the trailhead.

So we all rallied at our meeting point and off we went...

After 6.5 miles of me trying very hard to keep up with my fearless nephew and a small wreck by my brother in law, the crew was nearly ready to head back to the car.  So while we stood around enjoying the awesome weather and beautiful scenery after watching my nephew go off a jump a few times, The Husband cracked the beer he had stashed away in his pack.  The beer of choice?  A rare find by my brother in law: the Camelback IPA (6.1% ABV) from The Phoenix Ale Brewery in Phoenix, Arizona.

If I had a choice, every beer would be consumed with these surroundings.

My brother-in-law has requested that I add his input. He rates the beer a 4.5 out of 5 and would like to spread the word that this "pretty darn tasty" beer is available at his local Costco.  Well done Phoenix Ale Brewery.