The Best Rings Not Made from Onions

Posted by Jim on Feb 11th, 2010
2010
Feb 11

Nothing says “Olympics” like the worlds largest dinosaur statue.  See this and other photos of the torch relay at Boston.com.

Slightly off-season reviews

Posted by Jim on Nov 16th, 2009
2009
Nov 16

I reviewed two beers over the weekend, a winter ESB and an Irish Red.

Clipper City Heavy Seas Winter Storm ‘Category 5’ Ale

B+ / 3.95
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

Served from a cellar temperature bottle into a pint glass. The beer has a dark copper color, almost brown. There was about a finger of tan bubbles when first poured that quickly dissipated. There is a strong hop presence in the aroma; it evokes grass and caramel. It’s quite pleasant. When you first taste the beer you’re greeted by a smooth maltiness. This quickly gives way to bitter hops. The bitterness lingers on after you swallow and evolves to a slightly burnt flavor. It’s complex and interesting. The beer has a fuller body than I expected; it really coats your mouth. There’s also more carbonation than I thought there would be. I find the Winter Storm to be very drinkable. It isn’t a beer I’d want to drink quickly, but it has some great characteristics that make me think I could slowly enjoy a number of bottles over the course of an evening.

Saranac Irish Red

B / 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

Poured from a cellar temperature bottle into a glass mug. The beer is a brown/ruby color and has a significant amount of head, made of small tan bubbles. The aroma is a good mixture of pine and herbal hops and toffee malts. The flavor seems to taste strongly of toast; I imagine the yeast ued to brew the beer has imparted itself to the flavor. There is also a hint of bitterness form the hops. It has a medium body and noticeable carbonation. It can be felt on your tongue as you swallow. This is a pretty drinkable beer. It isn’t exceptional, so I would be tempted to order something else after the first round, but I certainly wouldn’t complain if I was faced with a six pack.

In other beer and Jim related news, I have a few purchases I’m planning on making.  RSVP has two beers available that I didn’t pick up on Saturday that I’m going back for this afternoon: Fantome Hiver and Long Trail Brewmaster’s Reserve Robust Porter.  I’ve never had either, but I’m a fan of Fantome beers and the DIPA that was part of the Brewmaster’s Reserve series was the best Long Trail I’ve ever tried, so I have high hopes for these two.  Also, next Saturday is the Ohio State vs. Michigan game.  Being good friends with die hard Buckeyes fans has made Nissa and I de facto Ohio State supporters.  In celebration of the game, I want to get us some tasty beers from Ohio.  I spotted a six pack of Thirsty Dog Hoppus Maximus at RSVP that I’ll probably procure for the game.  We also have a few Great Lakes singles left over from our road trip this summer; this seems like a perfect opportunity to enjoy them.