I Just Want to Taste Good Beer Again

When I started the day things were looking pretty good.  Number 1 daughter was going to a party.  So I expected Number 2 and 3 to sleep in the car.  That way, their mother would stay in the car and I could go enjoy a beer at the Craft Ale House in Limerick.  Well...Number 2 stayed awake so I had to take her in with me.  She had a lemonade while I enjoyed a Big Eye IPA from Ballast Point.   Actually I didn't enjoy it all that much because of the throat issue I've been dealing with.  Poor me.  Anyway, after killing some time and picking up daughter #1 I dropped them off at home and went to the Sly Fox in Phoenixville for a beer or two.  I started with a Pikeland Pils which was OK.  Then I moved on to a cask-conditioned Gang Aft Agley '10 which was OK.  I ended with an Ichor which was OK.  Did I mention I've been dealing with a throat infection?  Imagine putting about 20 pennies in your mouth and then trying to enjoy a beer.  That's what I've been dealing with.  Again, poor me.

Sore Throat and Bad Choices

I went to TJ's Restaurant and Drinkery in Paoli today for lunch.  I have been working my way through a sore throat for the past week and have been drinking more Scotch than beer.  In fact, beer (and certain other drinks and foods) has tasted kind of funny lately and I'm not sure if it is the sore throat or the lozenges I've been consuming.  Regardless, it was time for a beer.  I started with an Avec Les Bons Voeux from Brasserie DuPont.  I think this was a pretty good Saison but again with the throat thing I'm not sure.  I thought I should try something dark to see if it would eliminate the off taste my malady was giving me.  I had a Cappuccino Stout from Lagunitas.  This was 9.2% abv in something you would never expect.  It actually tasted a little light to me.  The flavors were good but not intense and the mouthfeel was lighter than I expected.  Regardless, I did enjoy it.  It was a poor choice on my part to have an Imperial Stout with a Buffalo Chicken wrap but so be it.  The wrap was awesome as usual. 

A Victory for My Tastebuds

We had a party of 11 at the Victory Brewing Company for lunch yesterday.  We were seated at the big round table which is pretty cool.  It was easy hearing anyone seated at the table thanks to some weird acoustics that take a minute or two to get used to.  But the restaurant was loud and we could all hear each other using our normal speaking voices.  I had the Dietrich sandwich.  It's pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on rye bread.  If you like Reubens you will love this sandwich.  It was awesome.  I also had a couple of beers that were also awesome.  I started with the Prima Pils and then on to the Hop Wallop.  I ended my visit with a Storm King from the hand pump.  It doesn't get any better than this.

I Don't Like Coconut

I went to the Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern tonight after work.  I only had time for one and it was a Cuvée Series Three from Southern Tier Brewing Company.  This was a dark copper colored malty big beer.  It had a coconut flavor right out front.  I'm not a big fan of coconut and didn't really care for this beer.  The 11% abv was its salvation.

Still Learning How to Drink Beer

I had the opportunity to stop in at the Sly Fox in Phoenixville today for a beer.  I was in a mood to have something I haven't had in a while.  Ichor was on the menu so that's what I got.  Ichor is a Belgian-style quadruple.  Because of the alcohol (10%) I usually get these at the end of the night after having (probably) a lot of hoppy beers.  I was never a big fan of Ichor.  However, today it was my first beer of the day and I had time to drink it slowly.  For some reason it was a lot more enjoyable.  So I learned how I need to drink Ichor today.  First beer of the day...check.  Time to kill...check.

Not as Good as We Think?

So there I am reading travelandleisure.com and I'm looking at America's Favorite Cities 2010 in the category of "Microbrew Beer".  Considering all the hype those of us in the Philadelphia area give ourselves for great beer and beer events (Philly Beer Week etc) where do you think we ranked?  Well if you are from Philadelphia you probably said 12th.  That is where Philly residents ranked ourselves.  That surprises me.  I would have thought we would vote ourselves #1 whether deservedly or not.  Interestingly enough, visitors to Philadelphia voted us #17.  That's right, Portland, Maine and Portland, Oregon and a lot of cities in between all ranked higher than Philadelphia.  I'm thinking about moving.  Both Portlands seem a little cold.  I'm thinking somewhere warmer like Denver.

Unrealistic Expectations?

Saturday was a bit of a blur to me.  I made my way to Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny and I took my oldest daughter in with me as her sisters slept in the car under the watchful eye of their mother.  I had a Kentucky Breakfast Stout (the cool people call it KBS) from Founder's Brewing Company.  Yeah this is the real deal.  As I have said before, it is nothing like the regular Breakfast Stout but it is every bit as good.  Later in the evening my sister Gin and her husband Dave and my Mom all watched our kids so I could take my wife out to celebrate her birthday.  We went to Funky Lil' Kitchen in Pottstown.  I took a bottle of 2007 Pinot Noir from AP Vin (I can't remember which vineyard at the moment).  The wine was good but I had expected great.  Same can be said for the dinner.  Don't get me wrong, the dinner and the wine was very enjoyable it's just that I had higher expectations, perhaps unrealistic expectations.

After dinner we stopped in at the Craft Ale House since we were in the neighborhood.  I had a Rude Elf's Reserve from Fegley's Brew Works.  This is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale.  It is pretty good for an American brewer but the alcohol started to get to me.  We left to head back towards Phoenixville but there was one stop left.  Someone opened a bar in the Sly Fox's original location and they call it Joe's American Pub.  We had to go.  After all we have a million memories of the place including family get-togethers upstairs etc.  Once inside we didn't recognize the place.  That's OK.  Someone spent a lot of money to re-do the joint.  My problem was the beer.  They advertise 7 craft beer taps.  The best of the 7 was Sierra Nevada Celebration.  Not that it's a bad beer but come on!  I am pulling for them.  I'd love to have another great beer bar in town.  I'll check in with them every now and again to see how they are doing.  And if the folks at Joe's All American Pub need advice on what beers to serve I know a great resource for them to use.  The beer blog the whole world is talking about...kegchaser.blogspot.com.

Thanks to Mom, Gin and Dave for killing a Saturday night watching my kids.

A Dark Mood...Again

I had a quick beer at the Sly Fox tonight in Phoenixville.  I was in a dark mood and to my delight discovered that they had two different porters on.  I asked JP for a glass of their "finest porter".  He asked "Which one, the Kimberton Coffee Porter or the Prometheus"?  I repeated, "your finest porter".  He poured me a Prometheus.  This is a nice smokey, roasty porter.  I enjoyed it but I wish I had time to have a Kimberton Coffee Porter also.  Tomorrow is another day.

The Usual...for a Sunday Afternoon

On Sunday we went out for our normal ride in the country and ended up at Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny.  The 3 kids were asleep and I went in for a quick one...er...not so quick one.  I had a Victory at Sea from Ballast Point Brewing Company.  This is a Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter and an excellent one at that.  It was worth the $7 price for an 11 oz glass.

Shoveling Snow and Drinking Beer

After shoveling the snow yesterday I worked up a thirst so I headed out to the Craft Ale House in Limerick.  I had an Angler's Pale Ale from Uinta Brewing Company.  I had never heard of this brewer before.  Apparently they are located in Utah.  This was a pretty good pale ale.  I then asked for a taste of Belgian Freeze from River Horse Brewing Company.  This is another brewer that I have never tried.  To my surprise I liked this Belgian Dark Ale.  I asked for a full glass and enjoyed it all the way down.  Finally I had a Broad Street Barleywind from Appalachian Brewing Company.  I haven't had one of these since the last time I visited the brewery in Harrisburg.  That had to be 5 or 6 years ago.  I always liked this barleywine.  And I really like the fact that it is one of their flagship beers.  That's right.  It's available year-round.  I have had these on 90 degree August afternoons.  As usual, when I got to the bar tonight there was only one seat at the bar and I felt lucky to get it.  When I left the bar was pretty much empty.  Go figure.

I amost forgot.  We were supposed to go to dinner to celebrate my wife's birthday but we cancelled due to the snow.  So when I got home I opened a bottle of 2006 Zepaltas La Cruz Pinot Noir.  It was a nice enough Pinot.

A Couple of Dogs

I had lunch at the Flying Pig in Malvern yesterday.  The cheesesteak was great as usual.  I also had an OMG Pale Ale from Dock Street Brewing Company.  It was a good example of a pale ale.  It took a while for the cheesesteak to come out so I had time for another beer.  Next up was a Flying Dog Fresh Hop IPA.  I'm not a big fan of this beer.  It was OK.  It was not hoppy and even if you called it a pale ale it would not have been a really good pale ale.

In the evening I stopped in at the Drafting Room in Exton.  First up was a Regal Pilsner from Breckenridge Brewery.  I didn't care for this Imperial Pilsner at all.  It may be because I am spoiled.  I live between Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown and Sly Fox Brewhouse and Eatery in Phoenixville.  These guys both brew great pilsners that I have routinely at their pubs and at my house.  Back at the Drafting Room I ordered another Imperial Pilsner.  This time it was Alpha Dog from Laughing Dog Brewing.  I thought this one tasted pretty good but the question is, 'Did it taste good in comparison to the one before it, or did it simply taste good'?  I'll need another one in the future to know for sure.

How Could I Forget?

Yesterday I posted a list of the kegs that I tapped at home for 2010 and it seemed to me that I must be forgetting some because 14 kegs seemed a little low for last year. Then, last night I returned to Victory to pick up a new keg. I was lucky enough to get a sixtel of Helios. This is a really good farmhouse ale. I knew I had a keg of this last year and enjoyed it quite well so it seemed like a good idea to get it again. Then I checked yesterdays post and saw that Helios was not on my list. I wonder what else I am forgetting from last year.

One Last Look Back at 2010

I made my way to Downingtown this evening to return an empty keg of Yakima Glory and hopefully get a full keg of something equally good.  Tonight was not my night.  I entered the parking lot steeling myself for that long cold walk from the outer reaches of the parking lot to the retail shop carrying my empty.  Then I rejoiced when the lot was virtually empty.  Then the reality set in.  Something is wrong.  The parking lot is never empty when the pub is open.  The lights were out and the depression set in.  I was not getting my replacement keg tonight.  As I found out later, they were having their staff party tonight.  Happy Holidays Victory folks.

I thought tonight would be a good opportunity to look at the kegs I tapped at my house in 2010.  Here they are in chronological order:

Victory - Prima Pils
Ithaca - Flower Power
Victory - Mad King
Terrapin - Rye Pale Ale
Founder's - Red's Rye
Victory - Hop Wallop
Dock St. - Saison DuPotts
Victory - Gassy Jack's
Founder's - Red's Rye (again)
Great Lakes - Burning River
Victory - Braumeister Pils
Sierra Nevada - Celebration
Victory - Yakima Glory
Dock St. - Hop Garden