Rugged One

Wow, I love X and this looks to be even better. I think that just sealed our decision on the Japan trip next year.

Dude, it's always the right time to have an Arrogant Bastard! Just think, only another month or so. Tonight, my cleaning out of the beer fridge continues, as I tried some new stuff courtesty of Adam. Next was the Abita Turbodog. This was just an OK brown ale. Very watery for a dark beer. I hadn't had this one since I was in New Orleans a couple of years ago. First up the Heavyweight Sticken Jab Alt Beer. Interesting take on the style. Very earthy taste to it from the hops. Very strong malt finish. I'm going to miss Heavyweight.

Found an old Weyerbacher Hops Infusion in the back of the beer fridge tonight, so I decided to have a little "Hops Infusion Challenge" and see how it compared to the new and improved version. And I've got to say that I was a little surprised. The old Infusion was much hoppier than the new one but that's about it. The new one is definitely more complex, although I wish it was a little hoppier. You know what though, their still both darn tasty. ....and the newly reformulated version....suprisingly not. Although it's still pretty darn good. The old Weyerbacher Hops Infusion. Surprisingly hoppy....

Link to the trailer that was shown at Comic Con. It's blurry as heck but shows some good stuff, including the unveiling of Venom at the end, which gets a huge reaction from the crowd. http://www.nopers.com/video/876/spiderman_3_leaked_movie_footage

Nice pics man! I totally forgot that you were even taking pics that night. I think it's funny that Kim and I are the only ones with our hands up on the Wildcat, considering that's the only seat you can do that in. Everyone else is getting there brain scrambled. 2007 is definitley going to be the summer of the "The Juice" at Hershey.

So Derek has given me inspiration to delve into some more of the Saranac brews I picked up last month in New York. Went with the Hefe tonight. Pretty strong banana and coriander accents in this one but the overall beer left me wanting more. Kind of like the other ones I've had from them. The Saranac Hefe in a big ass BBW Hefe glass. Almost holds two of those suckers. Almost.

So yesterday, Kim and I had our first Saturday off in awhile without anything planned, so we decided to get back to Troegs, which we hadn't been to in almost 6 months. At Westy's we were very pleased to find that they are now a wholesale distributor of Stone products, inncluding the limited release stuff. Naturally I had to pick up a case of the Vertical Epic for Derek and I to split. On the way over to Westy's, we checked out the site of what is going to be a new a new ABC location on the West Shore in Camp Hill. Not sure yet if they are going to be brewing there or not. Then sampled the July specialty. The Hinterland Hefe. Started out with the June specialty. The Rockville Rye. Hmmm, what to get? What to get? Naturally, we had to stop at the ABC for some lunch afterwards. Shot of the kick ass Troegs delivery van on the way out. Ah, I leave Troegs a happy man. With a sample of Rugged Trail Nut Brown and a full growler of Dreamweaver. Life is good! Yeah, the Dreamweaver Wheat is now available in cases. I knew last fall when they finally bottled this and put it just in the mix cases that it wouldn't stay that way. I sampled some of my favorite. The Troegenator! Once again, the tasting room was just packed with people. As you enter, they have the new case artwork on display. What the heck is this! Me in front of Troegs with an empty growler? We'll have to rectify this immediatley!

I know that Derek has that Wild Mouse credit. He likes to rub to rub it in my face whenever he gets the chance. I lived 30 minutes away down 95 for 6 1/2 years and never once stoopped at South of the Border. We just never had the desire to do it even though we passed it constantly on the way up North. Now if they had actually run the coaster, that would have another story. Unfortuantely we didn't start riding until 2002 and the thing was allready SBNO by then. Thanks for the PTR. It really makes me glad that we never stopped.

Nice man. We'll have to get back there soon. Went with one of my favorites from Rogue tonight. The Rogue American Amber. Just a damn fine amber ale.

Tonights selections. An old bottle of an old favorite. The Troegs Dreamweaver Wheat. This actually held up pretty good considering it was from last fall. Boulder Beer Mojo IPA, courtesy of Adam. I actually had this one on tap in Tampa back in May and I must say this was better out of the bottle. Nice hop bite!

Went to a O's game tonight and had a Clipper City Golden Ale. Wasn't too bad. Better than most of the other stuff they had on tap anyway. Wishing they still had DuClaw on tap on at Camdem Yards.

Finally got around to trying one of my new Terrapin beers that I picked up down in Atlanta the other week. Here's the funny thing about Terrapin. Even though these guys are based out of Athens, GA and Terrapin beverages are only available in the South, the beer itself is contract brewed by Frederick (now Wilddog) Brewing in Frederick, MD. So even though the beer itself is brewed less than an hour and a half from my house, I have to go to Atlanta to buy it. Figures. Anyway, tried the Rye Squared Double Rye Pale Ale tonight and it rocked. Very hoppy but still blended well with the citrus and mild sweetness. Excellent. The Terrapin Rye Squared Double Rye Pale Ale. I really should have picked up more than just a four pack of this, as it rocked!

Good times. I'm glad you got a pic in there of Derek's unnatural ability to unhinge his jaw like a boa constrictor.

Last night was yet again another beer release at DuClaw. This month's release is a nut brown brewed with caramel and toffee. Euphoria! I think the glass says it all. ....and tastes like it too! I'm normally not the biggest fan of nut browns but this one was pretty tasty. Good stuff! Hmmm, have to sniff it first. Smells like toffee... Euphoria is now on tap! The release video was pretty funny, incorporating footage from Dumb & Dumber. Whoever makes these must be a Jim Carrey fan, as they used the Cable Guy a couple of months ago. Next month's release looks pretty good. A Weizenbock called.....Mayhem! Well OK, they had some jokey trivia in there too. Trvia time! This one was actually quite factual, as they taught us how toffee is made. I next got some of my other favorite staple beer here. The Bad Moon Porter. Started things out with a Venom. Hot damn I love this stuff! Euphoria! Back at the Fell's Point DuClaw yet again for another beer release party. This month, the special release is a little bit of heaven in a glass known as......

Last night, I enjoyed something new from Avery. The Czar Russian Imperial Stout. This one was OK. Lots of chocolate and coffee but at 13%, this one was very heavy on the alcohol taste. Kind of wish it was hidden a little better. The Czar Russian Imperial Stout from Avery Brewing. A big stout with a big alcohol burn.

Tom, can I come live at your house? Seriously. 8) So on Monday night, I returned from a week long impromptu trip down South to visit some friends and visit my old home parks that I hadn't been to in a couple of years and for some, a visit for the last time (so long Pavillion). Anyway, of course some beer drinking was had. I drank a bunch of weird stuff in Charlotte while visiting my friend Greg but didn't take any pics. Stuff from the likes of Tommyknocker and Ska Brewing in Colorado, some St. Bernardus Prior 8, which I really liked, and a bunch of English brews that I can't remember. Didn't get to any of the breweries in Atlanta, as we just didn't have the time. We did however get to Green's Beverages, which by the way, really kicked ass and found the Terrapin beers I was looking for. Sadly no Wake N' Bake though. Finally, we made our way back to South Carolina and my old stomping grounds of Florence and Myrtle Beach, home to my favorite place to drink when I was down there, Liberty! Rocking out with my frozen Rockuccino. KISS RULES! This place has to be seen to be believed. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't show some pics of the new KISS Coffee House that opened up less than two weeks ago. A shot of the cool backside with the boat deck seating. Group photo time! Jeff has a Yuengling, Kim enjoys a Incommunicado, and I have the house Lone Palm Ale. Including the hurricane that spits out margarita mix into the blender every so often. I really like the one here. It reminds me of a cross between the the Vegas and Orlando versions but still has it's own Carolina personality. The next day we came back to the Beach, this time with our friend Jeff, whom we were staying with in Florence. Anyway, we had lunch at Margaritaville, which we got to enjoy for approximately 6 months before we moved. I'd kill to have one near me now. The Watermelon Ale was quite tasty and refreshing. I also had a big ass glass of Liberty Lager with dinner but didn't get a pic. All in all, I still love Liberty! I'll definitley be back sooner than later. I next had a Rocket's Red Ale, which was nearly as red as my face! My buddy Josh and some other guys from my old job showed up to chat and catch up. Oh, and have a Clyde's Pale Ale to boot! Oh yeah! Still great after all this time apart. Ah, my baby, the Raspberry Wheat. How I've missed you! Lots of light stuff on for the summer. Lots of new TVs in the bar as well. The happy hour here is probably my favorite anywhere. $2 drafts, a cheap ass happy hour menu, and TVs everywhere make for a great vibe. Lots of positive changes at Liberty, including a shade awning and big screen for the Beer Garden. Yeah! After a year and a half absense, we're back at Liberty!

1- Rock N Roller Coaster- Disney/MGM 100- Batman Knight Flight- SFWOA 200- Cannonball Run- Waterville USA 300- Coaster Thrill Ride- Puyallup Fair 400- Wild Mouse- Idlewild 500?- Sometime in August. I'm sitting at 485 now.

Nice pics Ted! I'm glad to got to experience, what is in my opinion, the most underrated woodie in the country. The Silver Comet. The opening hills and wild finally on that thing are great!

Tonight, Kim and I headed down to the Arundel Mills DuClaw for our first "Firkin Friday". For those that don't know what a firkin is, it's basically a 11 gallon cask that holds cask conditioned (or real) ale. The firkin this time around was a special release of "double coriander" Sawtooth. They start pouring at 3 pm and once it's gone, it's gone. Finished up with some regular release Sawtooth. I really like this stuff. I should have brought the growler along. Well we learned a valuable lesson about Firkin Friday. Get there early or don't get any at all! I found another new suprise. DuClaw just unvailed a new beer on tap yesterday. The Kismet IPA. I'm assuming that this is going to be a staple beer for a little while. It wasn't bad. They basically took their Bare Ass Blonde Ale and hopped it up. Kind of a It was pretty crowded inside at the bar, so we sat out on the patio for our dinner. The weather was beautiful. Kim says "I could get used to this drinking beers with my sunglasses on thing." And you know what? It was still delicious. I'm just glad I got some. Cheers! It's a good thing we got there when we did, as I literally got the bottem of the firkin. Look at all the freaking yeast in that thing! Back at the Aundels Mills Mall location of DuClaw for our first "Firkin Friday". They started pouring at 3 pm and we got there around 3:45.

Tried the Abita Mardi Gras Bock tonight, courtesty of Adam. This was actually a pretty good bock! I need to check out some other Abita stuff!

Nice one Derek! Can't you disguise me as a drug rep and take me along next time?8) Tonight, I tried the 20th Anniversary Bitter that Rogue brewed specially for Max's Taphouse. For those that don't know, Max's is this kick ass beer bar (70+ taps) located in the Fell's Point district of Baltimore, right down the street from the DuClaw location we like to frequent. Hmmm, I think I smell a future BTR coming up. Anyway, back to the beer, which was really good. I think that this is a slightly tweaked version of Rogue's Brutal Bitter and was fairly hoppy. I dug it! Happy Anniversary Max's! I owe you a visit soon.

A selection of the offerings over the last couple of nights. As well as a Saranac Kolsch, which wasn't too bad, although it's flavors could have stood out a little more. Tonight, I had a Redhook Sunrye, which I really enjoyed. An IPA definitely worthy of the Heathface! Last night I had a Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA. One of my very favorites. Extremely hoppy, although I think I may have gotten hold of an old bottle as the taste was a little off.

On Sunday, Kim and I had the pleasure of visiting what is in my opinion, the hidden treasure of PA breweries. The Selin's Grove Brewing Company in Selinsgrove, PA. Now I've known of this brewery for awhile now but never really looked into visiting because I figured it was just another smalltown brewpub with average beers. Lately though, I've been hearing more and more positive things about it and when it was recently voted the #13th Best Place to Have a Beer by Beeradvocate.com, I knew something was up. We were in Harrisburg doing some shopping, so we figured we'd drive the hour up north and check it out. All in all, this place is awesome. It's built in the basement of a historic stone home and allthough it's quite small, has a real intimate feel, like the place is a big secret and you just found out about it.8) They brew a ton of beers for such a small brewpub and some of it is some real unique stuff. Definitely check it out if your in the area. Heck, you know you'll be in the area. It's only 20 miles from Knoebels. On the way home, we decided to see for ourselves if what we had heard was true. KClingers, our favorite local beer bar was shut down last week and is now for sale. Will it get a new owner and most importantly, will it open again? Only time will tell. Holy crap this place is great! A laid back atmosphere and kick ass beers make this a must visit in my opinion. It's a little off the beaten path but most definitely worth it! ....and finish up with my first pint of one of these new coffee infused stouts. The Grizzly Stout, brewed with Grizzly coffee from the Kind Cafe, located just down the street. This stuff was absolutey awesome. Very heavy on the coffee and I loved it! I sample the excellent Organic Baltic Porter... They don't serve a tradional brewpub menu here, opting for the more healthy/organice/vegetarian route. I had the chicken salad. Kim goes for the Wilder's Hefe. Another excellent example of the style. I started out with their IPA. This one had lots of hops upfront but then switched to a citrus on the back end. Very nice balance to this one. For such a small brewery, they sure brew a lot of beers. 10 on tap when we were there (with 2 more on the way this week) , including two different styles of porter and stout. The brewpub is quite small but still has a quaint, intimate feel to it. As you can see, the brewery is located in the basement of a historic stone home. Welcom to Selinsgrove, PA. Home of the hidden gem that is the Selin's Grove Brewing Company.

Nice report. Color me impressed as this is what the site looked like back on May 21st. Way to get it open on time Legoland! Pirate Shores construction. May 21st 2006.

Nice pics of Dogfish Head Adam. I'm glad that you and Ellen finally got to make it there. I wish that place was a little bigger. The dining area and bar are right on top of each other. I still like the laid back fell to the place though. Darn it, now I really want to get back there! Ah, I was wondering if Derek was going to get to the end of his European beer pics without at least one bad beer pun. Thanks for not dissapointing! ....but I'd howl for this one! Pretty decent with only a faint hint of hotdog water! Thanks for reading. Time for the moment of truth for the Sawtooth. I'm not a huge fan of Belgiun Whites.... Ooooh, free Sawtooth shirt. Just the way I like them. The Sawtooth glass was pretty cool. They used a frosted glass, the first time I've seen that from them. Yes, that is two wolves humping. Wait, one more thing before the Sawtooth can start flowing. The release video was pretty funny, comparing bar etiquette to the habits of a wolf pack. DuClaw continues the trend of new specialty releases this year. Next month is Euphoria, a toffee nut brown. ....and famous Wolves. Sorry if you have trouble seeing these screen shots. We had to sit a little further away than we normally do. Trivia time! The theme of this trivia session was of course Belgium Whites... Obviously not enough for Kim though, as she still deems it worhty of a serious "hop face". I stick with the hop theme and have me some Derekslayer....er.... I mean Serum. Sadly, it's lost a little of the kick that it had at last month's release. Kim goes for the Bare Ass Blonde. Naturally, I get the festivities rocking with a Venom. Tonights release is the Sawtooth Belgium Wit. Yeah, we're back at DuClaw, along with the best parking we've ever gotten in Fell's Point. Right across the street. Sweet!