Lagunita''s Sucks

Last night at TJ's in Paoli I had a Lagunita's Sucks.  That's not an opinion, but rather the name of the beer.  This is a very good IPA (borderline DIPA).  I also couldn't resist having a Breakfast Stout from Founder's, especially since it was a kegkicker special at $3 a pint.  What a deal!

Getting Around This Weekend

Friday after work I went to the Flying Pig in Malvern for a couple of beers.  First up was Scrimshaw Pilsner from North Coast Brewing Company.  This was a pretty unremarkable pilsner.  Perhaps because our local pilsners from Victory and Sly Fox are so good my expectations are skewed.  I followed that with a Cape of Good Hope Imperial IPA from Yards Brewing Company.  Again, I found this to be an unremarkable beer.  Later that night I made it to the Craft Ale House in Limerick.  I started there with a Mongo DIPA from Port Brewing Company.  Now that's more like it.  This is a very good DIPA.  Finally I had a Founder's Breakfast Stout.  I have said before that this is the best Stout I've ever had but tonight for some reason it was just very good.

On Saturday I went to Appalachian Brewing Company in Collegeville.  I started with Batch 666 which they told me was a "stout-like" beer.  This was a nice enough beer but doesn't compare to that Breakfast Stout I had last night.  I followed with a pumpkin ale which was very good.  Not over the top with pumpkin but just right.  It looks like this...

On the way  home I had to pass right by Iron Hill in Phoenixville so I stopped in there to see what was going on.  I started with a Saison which was good.  I followed that with a Hoppopotamus which is an American Amber Ale.  This is a very very good beer.  I enjoyed the heck out of that one.  But, $6 for the Saison and $7 for the Hoppopotamus seems a little high to me.



Thanks Gin and Dave!!!

What a weekend that was, and starting early no less.

Friday I went to the Drafting Room in Exton for Lunch which consisted of a pretty good Buffalo Chicken Wrap and an even better DIPA.  Actually it was Outta Focus DIPA from Appalachian Brewing Company.  I expected this to be a good beer but it was a very good beer.  After work on Friday I stopped in for a quick one at TJ's Restaurant and Drinkery in Paoli.  I had a Little Sumpin' Wild from Lagunitas.  I expected a sour beer made with wild yeast but that is apparently not the case.  This is in fact their version of a Belgian Strong Ale.  It was OK but I still think we should leave the Belgian style beers to the Belgians (and perhaps Ommegang).  Later Friday night thanks to the kindness of my sister Ginger and my brother-in-law Dave, I was able to enjoy a nice evening out with my wife sans children.  We went to Marly's Restaurant / BYO in Phoenixville.  I had a nice lamb dish and a great bottle of Kosta Browne Pinot Noir.  It was a 2006 Russian River Valley and quite possibly the best wine I have ever tasted.  We liked that so much that we opened another bottle of wine for the sake of comparison.  This one was was another 2006 Pinot Noir.  It was a Kanzler Sonoma Coast.  It too was excellent.  As we found out on the way in to Phoenixville the whole downtown section was closed to traffic for a festival complete with German bands and other music.  After dinner we rambled around town and ended up it Iron Hill.  I had an unremarkable Belgian Pale Ale (see above about Americans attempting to make a Belgian-style ale).  Of course it may be because of the excellent wine we had earlier.  Perhaps this was an unfair comparison, although I don't think so.

On Saturday I went to the Craft Ale House in Limerick for lunch/dinner.  I had their excellent short rib sandwich and a Mad Hatter IPA from New Holland Brewing Company.  This was much better than expected.  It was not extreme but a very nice IPA.  I followed that with a Big A IPA from Smuttynose Brewing Company.  This too was a pleasant surprise.  A very good DIPA indeed.  I ended with a Breakfast Stout from Founder's Brewing Company.  As I have said before, this is the stout against which all others are measured.  It is awesome.  Just when I was ready to call it a day my other sister Jean called and said she was going to the Sly Fox in Phoenixville for dinner.  I stopped in there and had a Royal Weisse and a Grisette.  Both were very good as they always are. 

On Sunday I cut the lawn and did some yardwork and basically dried out for the week ahead.

Mistakes...some mine...some not

I took a quick detour after work and stopped in at the Drafting Room  in Exton this evening.  First up was a Brew Works Hopsolutely.  At least that is what I asked for.  I am not sure what I got.  What I got looked very pale almost like a domestic beer but it tasted like a Belgian IPA.  It was not a bad beer but I don't particularly care for Belgian IPAs.  The Belgians make the finest beer in the world but IPA's are really an English thing (historically) and now an American thing (because Americans aren't afraid to dump the hops into their brew kettle).  Again, I love Belgian beers but I run away from anything called a Belgian IPA.  OK, I really got off subject there.  I don't even know if it was a Belgian IPA but I do know that asked for a Brew Works Hopsolutely.  I have seen pictures of freshly poured Hopsolutely's and I have read descriptions as well.  Deep copper color...that is not what I had.

Next I asked for a Big Bear Stout from Bear Republic.  This is a nice stout...a regular stout...but this is no Breakfast Stout.  Founder's has me spoiled.  I use their Breakfast Stout as the standard against which all stouts shall be measured.

I spent the rest of the night overhauling my kegerator.  I installed all new beer lines and disassembled/reassembled and cleaned everything.  I was not happy with the Sierra Nevada Celebration that I just kicked and I wanted to make sure that it was not because of something I did.  I then tapped a Victory Prima Pils.  It tasted as fresh as one I might have gotten at the brewpub.  I noticed some beer stone in the lines that I removed from my kegerator so maybe the problem with the Celebration Ale was my fault.  We shall see.