 |
| It's 6 o'clock somewhere... AM, that is. |
 |
| How about "Sleep"? |
I opted for an eatery called Ike’s, a semi-dated restaurant where everything was detailed with oak and brass, straight out of 1986. Not my kind of place overall, but I was here for the taps. I devoured a massive corned beef hash plate in order to justify my pre-dawn tasting. While they didn’t offer flights, the waitress was kind enough accommodate my sad puppy faces, and found a work-around to get me tasters of everything on draft. I had some decent SUMMIT, GRAIN BELT, and SCHELL beers, but the crown jewel was the appropriately named BENDER BROWN ALE from SURLY, a mildly hoppy, thoroughly comforting brew.
 |
| It's 9am and we've hit Rock Bottom. |
On the subject of quotes: “Hello Cleveland!” I didn’t
dare quote Spinal Tap when we arrived. I can only imagine how unfunny
that line is to Clevelanders after a good three decades of undoubtedly being
quoted by traveling bands. Local scenester Meghan Guder was kind enough
to pick us up at the curb… That would be “Us” sans Bobby K. who, as per usual,
rented his own car and disappeared, in search of pinball (he says) or, more
likely, secretive and utterly horrific bodily dismemberment. He’s a man of
mystery, and while I don’t have solid evidence that he’s a serial killer, when
the press interviews me about the newly uncovered, multi-state killing spree
which coincided with our tour dates over the past year, I will not hesitate to
point out the lanky, pasty, black-clad Nosferatuian spectre that is Bobby K. in
the police line-up.
 |
| Beware of this sinister spectre |
 |
| People who don't drink love hanging with me. |
After insightful conversations about life in these parts,
how Cleveland
is a city where strangers don’t talk or smile because “everyone is poor and
pissed off”, it was time for Meghan to get back to her family and real
life. And real life was smiling good fortune upon me seeing as how
directly across the street was WORLD OF BEER. While she offered to drop
me off back at the motel, I insisted on staying behind solo & fending for
myself. There was no way I was passing up any establishment with 52 taps,
80% of which I’ve never even seen on any beer list. Maybe it was the
endless conga line of excellent beer choices, maybe it was delirium from lack
of rest, maybe it was a deep-rooted belief the ghost of Harvey Pekar would
grumble past me at any moment… whatever the case, I was euphoric. At that
moment, the WORLD OF BEER was the only world I wanted to live in. I was
one of only three patrons in this enormous monument to all things brau. Thanks
to the knowledge and skills of Krystal behind the bar, samplers kept sliding
down the conveyor belt into my gullet. JACKIE O’S & FAT HEAD’S
collaboration black ale, FULL PINT RYE REBELLION imperial stout aged in
rye barrels, SOUTHERN TIER WARLOCK dark pumpkin stout… Even if Drew Carey fell
out of the sky right now and crushed me to death in my chair, I would have died
a happy man. And after so much joviality, it occurred to me I was also a
tired, tired man. In my malted haze, my eyelids drooped, and I realized I
was nodding off, looking like a complete drunk who needed the bum’s rush.
I checked my phone… shit, it’s only 5 o’clock! I can’t be faded
now.
 |
| Matt Lindsay's "serious" pose. Impressive. |
Like the cavalry, my wake-up call arrived just in time. It
was my pal Matt Lindsay, a musician from these parts who I’ve been friends with
for years via mail, but never actually met in person. Matt is renowned
for his part in some of the world’s most intentionally odd and idiotic bands
--Tough Skins, Boy In Love, Fossil Fuel, Breathilizor – a bald, bespectacled,
deadpan gent with an off-kilter sense of humor who reminds me of Eric Wood
circa 1988. Equally as important, he shares an affinity for fine beer,
and insisted on springing for a couple fab bottles of LEXINGTON BREWING ales
because he knew I’d love ‘em as much as he does. The KENTUCKY BOURBON BARREL
ALE and BOURBON BARREL STOUT were everything I hoped they would be… deep, rich,
heavy, stick-to-your-ribs kinda beers. His enthusiasm gave me my third
wind (I had already exhausted my second wind) despite being three sheets to the
wind. I would have been happy to camp out all night on those barstools,
chit chatting with Matt and the friendly staff, and sampling every beer in the
house, but I was in Cleveland
to play music apparently, so passing out at 7pm was not an option.
 |
| Astonished I'm drinking Bud. |
Matt was kind enough to shuttle me back to the room to pick
up my bass, then we headed out to the venue, the ironically named Now That’s
Class. This underground club is legendary in Cleveland lore as ground zero for nearly
every bizarre, over the top happening in the hardcore punk scene. Talk to
any of the locals and there’s an abundance of stories covering the gamut from
shootings, stabbings, muggings, substance abuse, sexual depravity, and general
mayhem. Only a couple months ago a national story broke regarding two
warring factions of hardcore “crews” who battled at a local music fest while
armed with machetes! I was expecting the worst, but aside from a men’s
room sink overflowing with standing water & puke, this was your standard
hole in the wall. If there were any issues this evening, I was oblivious
to them.
The last full U.S. tour I did was 7-weeks in 1997
with my old band Spazz, so most of these weekends out of town are like a 17
Year class reunion. Old friends come from out of the woodwork to
reconnect for a few brief hours, just long enough to warm my heart like a
Hallmark Channel movie. Although this club was stocked with a good number
of quality regional taps and bottles, my pal from the ‘90s, Ms. Suree kindly
brought me a secret stash of tasty tasters. While we caught up on the
back porch, I guzzled a good number of Ohio
suds from FOUR STRING and GREAT LAKES
BREWING. One of the first guys I ever met with a tattoo of my old record
label Slap A Ham, Chris Pellow made a rare appearance. This guy used to
travel to the West Coast all the time in the 90s to see all the noisy California bands who
never traveled East. My old friends Ken Hansford and Doug Long from the
band Hellnation made the pilgrimage up from Kentucky. Despite their distance from
me on the West Coast, I toured with Hellnation in Europe
in 1999, so I have a special affinity for these guys.
 |
| Despite the smile, Suree will mess you up. |
 |
| Not sure if someone did actually pay them. |
My brain was running on its last exhausted fumes, fueled
solely by beer and sheer willpower. All chatted out at 3am, I was nursing
a WEYERBACHER BLITHERING IDIOT BARLEY WINE, barely able to prop my eyelids open.
I was indeed a Blithering Idiot myself. We were shuttled back to
the motel by the club’s soundman who must have been on speed, and insisted on
talking non-stop about his bands, their recordings, their influences. I struggled
to sound interested and interact without being rude and falling asleep on the
spot. The motel was mercifully close. I dragged myself past Rip Taylor’s
jovial doppelganger at the front desk, and my head dropped to the pillow like a
failed one-liner.
Satuday morning Denunzio woke me to announce he needed to
find an emergency room. His back pain was unbearably severe and he needed
some high powered drugs for any chance of making it through the rest of the
weekend. Tonight we were playing Pittsburgh
and there was no way he would make it in his current condition. The only
problem is it was 12:30pm. Erba was picking us up at 2. Denunzio got up
several hours ago, but waited until now to try the hospital. This was
going to be a long day. Needless to say, when I sprung the news on
Erba he was less than chuffed. In disbelief he shouted through the phone, “Does
he realize that can take up to 6 hours?!” Shit, I hate being the
messenger.
Last night Paul from The Inmates & Now That’s Class
suggested we meet up for brunch. I wasn’t sure if it was genuine or just
“drunk talk”, but as the rest of us were being kicked out of the motel, he came
to the rescue with a massive van for us to pile into. We hit a divey club
called the Parkside were 12 of us took over four tables and I choked down one
of the worst sandwiches I’ve had in recent memory, highlighted only by a decent
beer selection and good conversation… I found out lovely tidbits like Paul’s
psycho ex-girlfriend once threw a potted plant at his head while he was
sleeping. I went with a FAT HEAD’S HEAD HUNTER IPA and a THIRSTY DOG OLD
LEGHUMPER porter to pass the time. Beer or not, I was getting antsy. It
was mid-afternoon and we still had a two and a half hour drive ahead of us, but
we were all captive until Denunzio was sprung from the ER. Erba took the
bullet and went to the hospital to pick him up / coax him out. Of course,
a long delay was stretched even longer when an additional stop was required to
pick up prescription pain killers, but eventually our retarded circus hit the
road.
 |
| Washed Out next week. Washed Up this week. |
Despite the late departure from Cleveland, we were early enough to load in
without any pressure and still had a few hours to kill. Whenever I go to
a new city, I
research ideal beer destinations in advance and bring a long a wish list of
places I want to hit. 80% of the time I only hit one place on my list if
I’m lucky. The FYPM guys had found primo parking spaces in front and
weren’t about to drive me around so I could drink like a spoiled college
student. None of my old friends were loitering nearby yet. I was on
my own. Not a single cab was to be seen, and it was clear I would not be
making it to the much touted brewpub destination, The Church. I had
noticed a few neighborhood taverns down the block and figured at the very least
I could sidle up with some local salty dogs and grab an Iron City
brew.
Thanks to my Untappd phone app and surprisingly good wifi service,
a laundry list of local bars popped up in addition to a couple breweries within
walking distance! My first stop 5 blocks down from the venue was DRAAI
LANG BREWING. I was so excited to walk to a brewery, but felt a sinking
feeling that this was too good to be true. Sadly, my gut feeling was soon
justified. Draai Lang was closed, and a huge sign hung in the window
announcing their Grand Opening… NEXT weekend. Dammit! Looks like
I’m settling for an old man bar and some Iron City
after all.
But wait, Untappd was telling me there was yet another brewery only 3 blocks from here. I headed over there, but didn’t stay too optimistic, especially since the address was on a residential street. There wasn’t shit here but middle aged women with bingo arms sitting on their front stoop chit chatting about other middle aged women with bingo arms. But what’s that sign on the chain link fence at the end of the block? The chain link fence with the OPEN gate. Huzzah! GRIST HOUSE BREWING was here and it was open! I’d never heard of these guys, but it didn’t matter. I had found a small brewery, I had hours to spare, and now I was only 2 blocks from the club. This is already my favorite day ever. The enclosed dirt & grass parking lot lead around the back of the residential buildings to an oasis of grass roots beer and BBQing. Dusk was settling in, the air had a comforting chill, the cicadas scritched a deafening chorus in the surrounding hilltops.
Locals leisurely sipped brews, played games,
socialized, gawked and snapped selfies with a monstrous great dane. The
joint was bustling, but in spite of the robust business, the staff was
courteous and took time with each patron, explaining each beer and answering
all questions. I bellied up to the bar and ordered tasters of everything
over the course of two rounds.
This was the opposite of Cleveland… Everyone was friendly, gregarious. The couple near me immediately struck up a conversation, asking me about the band. Three biker dudes sat down and we instantly chatted about common West Coast beers they can’t find in PA. When I commented on how nice everyone was, one of the greying bikers quipped, “The people in this town are all very friendly, but if you mess with them they’ll kick your ass.” Not a single arse cheek was met by any boots this evening. It was all smiles, all good vibes. I watched the Pittsburgh Pirates winning on TV, relishing my astoundingly perfect half-beef half-pork burger, slurping the elixir of this newly founded brewery which had only opened 3 months prior. Their proprietary brews ran the gamut from the earthy and roasty CROUCHING PORTER HIDDEN CHOCOLATE to the hoppy and malty BLACK rIPA (the small “r” being Rye) to the smooth and hop-laden delivery of the CAMP SLAP RED to the malty, oatmeally, bready GRISTLY BEAR BROWN.
Thanks to my Untappd phone app and surprisingly good wifi service,
a laundry list of local bars popped up in addition to a couple breweries within
walking distance! My first stop 5 blocks down from the venue was DRAAI
LANG BREWING. I was so excited to walk to a brewery, but felt a sinking
feeling that this was too good to be true. Sadly, my gut feeling was soon
justified. Draai Lang was closed, and a huge sign hung in the window
announcing their Grand Opening… NEXT weekend. Dammit! Looks like
I’m settling for an old man bar and some Iron City
after all.But wait, Untappd was telling me there was yet another brewery only 3 blocks from here. I headed over there, but didn’t stay too optimistic, especially since the address was on a residential street. There wasn’t shit here but middle aged women with bingo arms sitting on their front stoop chit chatting about other middle aged women with bingo arms. But what’s that sign on the chain link fence at the end of the block? The chain link fence with the OPEN gate. Huzzah! GRIST HOUSE BREWING was here and it was open! I’d never heard of these guys, but it didn’t matter. I had found a small brewery, I had hours to spare, and now I was only 2 blocks from the club. This is already my favorite day ever. The enclosed dirt & grass parking lot lead around the back of the residential buildings to an oasis of grass roots beer and BBQing. Dusk was settling in, the air had a comforting chill, the cicadas scritched a deafening chorus in the surrounding hilltops.
 |
| Brew Dane. |
This was the opposite of Cleveland… Everyone was friendly, gregarious. The couple near me immediately struck up a conversation, asking me about the band. Three biker dudes sat down and we instantly chatted about common West Coast beers they can’t find in PA. When I commented on how nice everyone was, one of the greying bikers quipped, “The people in this town are all very friendly, but if you mess with them they’ll kick your ass.” Not a single arse cheek was met by any boots this evening. It was all smiles, all good vibes. I watched the Pittsburgh Pirates winning on TV, relishing my astoundingly perfect half-beef half-pork burger, slurping the elixir of this newly founded brewery which had only opened 3 months prior. Their proprietary brews ran the gamut from the earthy and roasty CROUCHING PORTER HIDDEN CHOCOLATE to the hoppy and malty BLACK rIPA (the small “r” being Rye) to the smooth and hop-laden delivery of the CAMP SLAP RED to the malty, oatmeally, bready GRISTLY BEAR BROWN.
 |
| The Savage gets a taste before the set. |
 |
| I've heard of Swedish hardcore but... |
Maybe it was the complimentary bottle of Patron up in the
backstage loft, or perhaps the prescription painkillers were working their
magic, but Denunzio told me we should start playing. He was going to
perform the show in the crowd, not on the stage. Once he made the
announcement that we hate barriers, we launched into the first song and the
floor exploded. What was a seemingly dead cathedral was an immediate
whirlwind of spikey haired kids losing their minds, mercilessly crushing each
other in the pit, and screaming their heads off. What appeared to be an
unwinnable task was now one of my favorite performances ever. Denunzio
had saved the show. He was the hero of the evening, representing the band
on the floor in the eye of the hurricane, taking shots and delivering the goods
like a champ, using equal parts intimidation and comradery. On this ridiculously
enormous stage, I had the best seat in the house. Hardly anyone was
watching us. The real show was on the floor. My playing was
secondary. First and foremost I was having the best time just watching
the insanity unfold with an unobstructed bird’s eye view.
 |
| Reunited and it feels so good. |
After the show, I got to spend quality time with more old friends, particularly Albert Veith and Marky Shotgunblast, the other half of the aforementioned Hellnation from Kentucky. Al brought me some long lost photos from our Euro tour in ’99, many of which I’ve never seen. I was different in those days…. So much has transpired over these past 15 years. My hair was on top of my head and brown, not on my chin and grey. I was even more of a dork than I am now, usually dressing as non-punk as possible on purpose, often in the form of ugly vintage button up shirts. I lived in San Francisco, not LA. I was married to the wrong person, not truly living life to the fullest, oddly stifled in spite of being so creative. In one of these old pics, I’m holding a bottle of beer and sneering, and at the time I wasn’t mugging for the camera to show how much fun I was having, so much as I was making a joke about how I didn’t drink. In 1999 I would have been 30 years old. It wasn’t until I was into my 30s that I actually started drinking regularly. Drinking in itself hasn’t made me a better person, but I’ve become a better person, and my drinking nowadays has unintentionally become a reflection of how I’ve been able to let my hair down, metaphorically speaking, of course.
 |
| Apparently this Room Rocks |
One thing that hasn’t changed over the years are the
long-lasting friendships with my old music friends. We all connect with a
common background based on self-sacrifice and minimal gain, driven only by the
goal of creating noise we’re excited and passionate about. It was
gratifying and good for the soul to reconnect with Al. We easily could
have been mistaken for a same-sex couple considering how much we hugged each
other. And the party was just beginning. It was only about 11pm on
a Saturday. Time for the after-show.
I had no idea who was playing, but the FYPM guys were
strongarmed into taking me and Denunzio to The Rock Room, a shoebox of a bar,
packed to the last square inch with sweating, odorous, crazed freaks donning
spiked jackets and torn black clothes. Back in the ‘80s, we used to call
them Quincy Punks, so-named after an infamous “punk” episode of the popular
Jack Klugman medical TV drama, where all of the punks were portrayed as over
the top cartoon characters with spikey colored hair who acted like uncontrollable
primitives no matter what the social situation. There were a lot of them,
but unlike the comical TV caricatures, everyone here was cool and wanted
nothing more than to party and dig some loud, fast tunes. Denunzio and I
squeezed through the tight crowd to check out the band. We were told
entry would be no problem because they’d know who we were, and they did. Whoever
the band was, they sounded like The Go-Go’s. Good stuff, but I needed a
beer or five, so we hit the bar. I was fascinated how a bar staff of only
two people could take care of such an overwhelming crowd, but they did
it. All transactions were quick, and boom boom boom every thirsty gullet
down the length of the bar was quenched in a matter of minutes. Denunzio
took care of the first round. Two beers and a whiskey shot. 8
bucks. We looked at each other with sideways smirks and howled with
laughter. Gotta love these Mid-Eastern prices.
 |
| We only look like this when we're off duty. |
I cracked up and replied, “We are.”
“No, really,” she responded. “Are you?”
“Yes, by law if anyone asks us if we’re cops, we legally
have to admit that we are.”
It occurred to me this is why the Quincy Punks stick out to
me so much; it’s because I stick out so much to them. Some of them know
who I am because of my current and former bands. But there are also a
fair amount who have no idea who I am, even if they’ve heard my bands. In
a room full of spikes and hair gel and bad tattoos, I look like someone’s Dad
who came to pick them up. Or a cop. As much as I wanted to milk the
situation for comic relief, our rides were antsy, so we headed out with our
hosts to sleep it off.
 |
| Erba truly is over us at this point. |
I don’t remember going to sleep, but next thing I knew it
was late morning Sunday, and time to head back to Cleveland to catch our flight home. On
our way out of Pittsburgh,
we wound up a two lane twisted, steep road and the irony was not lost on me
when we passed a senior retirement home while driving up Cemetery Lane. Those poor,
demoralized residents. I wasn’t feeling all that lively myself.
When I originally saw our itinerary, I equated Sunday as an extra day with free
time for further exploration and beer tourism, but it was not meant to
be. We had a two and a half hour drive back to Cleveland and three hours before we needed to
be at the airport. Bleh. No matter. After the marathon of
liver abuse I had subjected myself the last two days, I felt like my regional
beer mission was accomplished, and frankly, I just wasn’t in the mood to drink
anything but water and whatever I could find with electrolytes. The roadside
panini didn’t help settle my slight queasiness at all. I attributed it to
the whiskey. When I stick solely to beer, I have no issues the next
day. Today I was not on my game at all.
 |
| I never did taste that Cleveland Pickle. |
We reached the Cleveland
Airport with plenty of
spare time. As a secondary airport, it wasn’t very crowded, and we
breezed through the TSA checkpoint. I thought some hair of the dog was in
order to make these next two flights easier, but the malty GREAT LAKES
DORTMUNDER GOLD just didn’t quite hit the spot I wanted it to. Serious
detox was in order. After a quick shot down to Atlanta, I spent the layover eating a salad
and drinking water… anything other than another goddamn meat & cheese
sandwich. Timing wise it was a good day not to drink because I didn’t run
across any unique brews, and thus didn’t feel guilty about passing up something
good. The only local brew I found in Atlanta was the SWEETWATER 420 EXTRA PALE ALE
which I’d already enjoyed this year. I was impressed to see a slovenly
drinker at the airport bar salting his beer. Even as a well-travelled beerer,
this was a new one to me. Domino enlightened me that adding salt to your beer is an old timey
approach to keeping the foamy head on there longer. Apparently it also
helps the flavor of cheaper beer by cutting down on perceived bitterness.
Ending the weekend as it had started… respecting the Old School.
The beering continues...
 |
| The family IS having fun. No, really. I think. |
Tuesday 8/19 – Eagle Rock Brewing event at the Dodger game, pre-gaming with Eagle Rock, Strand, Monkish, and Bravery beers:
1754 - STRAND BREWING WHITE SAND IMPERIAL IPA – Yum.
1755 - BRAVERY BREWING ALLEGIANCE IPA – Yum.
 |
| Eagle Rock Brewery's Brothers Bakofsky wax philosophic. |
Wednesday 8/20 – Samplers at Tony’s and a couple at home:
1757 - CONGREGATION ALES ESB (ON NITRO) – Hey, now that’s a
damn fine beer. You’re finally stepping it up, you Congregationers!
1758 - HIGHLAND PARK BREWERY NOT NORMAL FARMHOUSE ALE –
Unfiltered, straw-colored, spiced saison, great for summer.
1759 - MOYLAN'S BREWERY MOYLANDER DOUBLE IPA – Malty
full-bodied Imperial IPA. Am I crazy or does this taste a bit minty?
1760 - TRIPLE VOODOO 8 TENTACLES DOUBLE IPA – Thick hops,
piney with a viscous mouthfeel.
 |
| And they're not even drunk. |
1762 - EL SEGUNDO BREWING SLEEK ZEKE PALE ALE – Crisp,
pronounced hop bite, I dig it!
1763 - MAD RIVER BREWING SERIOUS MADNESS BLACK ALE -
Chocolate malty sleek brew
1764 - MAD RIVER BREWING STEELHEAD EXTRA PALE ALE - Piney,
hoppy, floral, yeasty finish. Doesn't taste like an actual steelhead at all,
thankfully.
1765 - MAD RIVER BREWING JAMAICA RED ALE - Tastes like the
Steelhead Extra Pale Ale except it's red. Not a bad thing, just not distinct.
Thursday 8/21 – Thursday New Release tasting at Vendome and
a few at home before heading to LAX:
1766 - GREEN FLASH BREWING CITRA SESSION IPA - Interesting
minerally quality like hops were filtered thru rocks
1767 - EVIL TWIN / SANTE ADAIRIUS RUSTIC ALES COLLABORATION
JOEY PEPPER - Tastes like a spiced cider.
 |
| How real men drink... in airport parking lots. |
1769 - SIERRA NEVADA BREWING HARVEST SINGLE HOP IPA EQUINOX
- Like the floor of a forest, gritty and earthy, that Equinox hop has a
distinct bite!
1770 - NOBLE ALE WORKS CHINOOK SHOWERS - Part of the ongoing
single hop series from Noble, hops are zesty and a touch orangey
1771 - CENTRAL CITY BREWERS RED RACER IMPERIAL INDIA PALE
ALE - Interesting DIPA, strong with a hint of tangerine. Hard to describe. Not
typical at all. Not sure I love it, but I don't dislike it.
1772 - BREWERY OMMEGANG SCYTHE & SICKLE - Definitely
tastes like a harvest ale, a hint of spice, a little sweet, kinda like a
Belgiany pale
1773 - BREWERY OMMEGANG ABBEY ALE - Delicious dubbel, thick
and licoricey.
1774 - LAGUNITAS BREWING HOP STOOPID - Driving to the roof
of Wally Park LAX, skunk o rama
 |
| I bought beer. He bought Jello. |
Friday 8/22 – 20 hours of sleep deprived traveling and
tasting in Minneapolis & Cleveland:
1775 - SURLY BREWING BENDER - Roasty and thick and describes
this moment perfectly at 6:30am in Mpls
1776 - SUMMIT BREWING EXTRA PALE ALE - Ok, it's no Surly
though
1777 - SUMMIT BREWING OATMEAL STOUT - Gotta be nitro, that
is smooth, pleasant cereally maltiness
1778 - AUGUST SCHELL BREWING AXEL'S BONFIRE LAGER - Mild,
creamy Vienna
lager, great breakfast beer
 |
| The only world I want to live in. |
1780 - BOULDER BEER COMPANY SINGLETRACK COPPER ALE - Light,
inoffensive, whatever
1781 - ROCK BOTTOM (MINNEAPOLIS)
MOLLY'S TITANIC BROWN ALE - Dark brown but really light on flavor. Whatever.
1782 - ROCK BOTTOM (MINNEAPOLIS) TALL STACKS RED ALE - Nice hoppy red, good one
1783 - FAT HEAD'S BREWERY TRAILHEAD PALE ALE – One of many
great taps at Melt, Cleveland.
Excellent hop juggernaut with citra & simcoe.
1784 - FAT HEAD'S BREWERY GOGGLE FOGGER HEFEWEIZEN –
Unfiltered, easy drinking.
1785 - JACKIE O'S FIREFLY AMBER – Smooth sippin’ .
1786 - REVOLUTION BREWING ANTI-HERO IPA – Nuclear hop
detonation, devastating.
1787 - LEFT HAND BREWING MILK STOUT NITRO – Creamy dessert
topping.
 |
| Krystal pours my meth. |
1789 - FULL PINT BREWING RYE REBELLION – Imperial stout aged
in rye barrels. A dense mouthful of sweetness and high alcohol. Five star
material.
1790 - SOUTHERN TIER PUMKING – Strong pumpkin flavor,
probably the best pumpkin beer I’ve ever had.
1791 - SOUTHERN TIER WARLOCK – Dark pumpkin stout, roasty,
like a heavy pumpkin pie.
1792 -ARCADIA BREWING RAPUNZEL IPA – Crisp & pineappley.
1793 - ROCKMILL BREWERY PETITE SAISON – Yeasty & estery,
heavy orange, rural goodness.
1794 - SAUGATUCK BREWING DEAD GOAT DOPPELBOCK – Malty &
delicious.
1795 - TROEGS BREWING MAD ELF – Cherry chocolate. Yum. What
is it? Part barley wine? Part strong ale?
1796 - FLYING DOG BREWERY HORN DOG BARLEY WINE STYLE ALE –
Killer, deceptively easy to drink.
1797 - LEXINGTON BREWING KENTUCKY BOURBON BARREL ALE – Heavy
on the vanilla, excellent. Thanks Matt!
1798 - LEXINGTON BREWING KENTUCKY BOURBON BARREL STOUT –
Awesome coffee oatmeal stout, wow, thanks again Matt!
1799 - SAUGATUCK BREWING BONFIRE BROWN – Solid.
1800 - ANHEUSER-BUSCH BUD LIGHT PREMIUM – Surprisingly not
bad.
1801 - FOUR STRING BREWING BIG STAR WHITE IPA – Yum!
1802 - CRABBIE'S ORIGINAL ALCOHOLIC GINGER BEER – Yum.
1803 - PABST BREWING STROH'S – Not as bad as expected. Good
for an Old Man Beer.
1804 - FOUR STRING BREWING BRASS KNUCKLE PALE ALE
1805 - SOUTHERN TIER 2X STOUT
1806 - GREAT LAKES BREWING
BURNING RIVER PALE ALE
1807 - GREAT LAKES BREWING
COMMODORE PERRY IPA
1808 - NEW HOLLAND
BREWING DRAGON'S MILK
1809 - WEYERBACHER BREWING BLITHERING IDIOT BARLEYWINE
Saturday 8/23 – Starting in Clevo, then some major Pittsburgh tasting:
1810 - FAT HEAD'S BREWERY HEAD HUNTER IPA – Good one.
1811 - THIRSTY DOG BREWING OLD LEGHUMPER ROBUST PORTER –
Nice, roasty chocolate porter.
1812 - GRIST HOUSE BREWING TRIPEL GRIST ABBEY – Floral &
delicious.
 |
| Gristly goodness. |
1814 - GRIST HOUSE BREWING CAMP SLAP RED – Hoppy red ale,
smooooth.
1815 - GRIST HOUSE BREWING CROUCHING PORTER HIDDEN CHOCOLATE
– Earthy and roasty.
1816 - GRIST HOUSE BREWING BLACK RIPA – Hops and malts and
loveliness in a glass.
1817 - GRIST HOUSE BREWING TRIPEL GRIST TRAPPIST – Light and
estery.
1818 - GRIST HOUSE BREWING WHEATIN' FOR THE WEEKEND –
Orangey & light, great summer brew.
1819 - GRIST HOUSE BREWING HIGH IQ BLONDE – Smooth, easy
drinking, basic blonde.
1820 - GRIST HOUSE BREWING GRISTLY BEAR BROWN – Maybe my
fave, deeply malty & oatmeally.
1821 - STRAUB AMERICAN LAGER – Regional Shit Lager from St.
Mary’s, PA. Exactly like every other Regional Shit Lager. It has its place.
1822 - SOUTHERN TIER 2X IPA - OK
1823 - HEAVY
SEAS BEER LOOSE CANNON
HOP3 IPA – Good.
1824 - YUENGLING BREWERY BLACK & TAN – Sooo much better
than the standard Yuengling.
1825 - BELL'S
BREWERY TWO HEARTED ALE – Yum.
Sunday 8/24 – Major recovery time and all-day traveling back
to SoCal:
1826 - GREAT LAKES BREWING
DORTMUNDER GOLD – Amber, malty, just OK.
Monday 8/25 – Home, finally relaxing:
1827 - KONA BREWING CASTAWAY IPA - not bad
1828 - EVIL TWIN BREWING MOLOTOV COCKTAIL - Completely over
the top Imperial IPA, almost too much, practically a barley wine it's so potent
1829 - GREAT DIVIDE BREWING HEYDAY BELGIAN STYLE WHITE ALE -
Well done Belgian style white
1830 - BISON BREWING ORGANIC CHOCOLATE STOUT- Smooth and
creamy, could be a tad thicker for my tastes, but still a winner
 |
| Either shocked or about to burp. |
1831 - NORTH COAST BREWING COMPANY BLUE STAR - So simple but
so well done. Distinct wheat and barley grain flavor but still light. Love this
one.
1832 - SCUTTLEBUTT BREWING HOMEPORT BLONDE - Acidic on the
finish, can't say I love it.
1833 - GENESEE BREWING BARREL TROLLEY NUT BROWN ALE - Basic
roasty brown ale with a yeasty finish. Not bad at all.
1834 - WELLS & YOUNG'S BREWING STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING ALE
- Tastes like a cream soda. Stupidly syrupy sweet.
Wednesday 8/27 – Home:
1835 - ABITA BREWING ABBEY ALE - Malty, caramelly dubbel,
the best Abita brew by far.
1836 - SUDWERK BREWING DUNKEL WEISS BOCK (20TH ANNIVERSARY
SERIES) - Acidic and a bit harsh on the finish, then I realized this is a beer
from 2010. With that in mind, this hybrid is not bad otherwise.(Sudwerk
commented on my Untappd check-in with the following: " Congratulations!
That beer birthed our sour program!")
1837 - ALASKAN BREWING WHITE - Citrusy and smooth. Primo
like the rest of the Alaskan roster.
1838 - SAMUEL SMITH INDIA ALE - Nice, mellow hopped ale,
albeit mild by today's standards.
1839 - SPRECHER BREWING PUB BROWN ALE - Lighter English
style Pub Brown Ale, nice malted barley, Cor Blimey!
Thursday 8/28 – Quick flight at Tony’s and a few at home:
1840 - RUBICON BREWING HOPSAUCE DOUBLE IPA - Straight up
tangy, piney, citrusy, hop attack. First time I've had anything from this Sacto
brewery.
1841 - LADYFACE ALEHOUSE ONAGER- Like a slightly wild
farmhouse ale. Good one.
1842 - LADYFACE ALEHOUSE GUILLOTINE - Dark, rich cherry
woodiness with some decent pucker. Excellent.
1843 - LADYFACE ALEHOUSE TREBUCHET - Subtle, straw colored
sour farmhouse ale. Damn good.
1844 - AVERY BREWING JOE'S PREMIUM AMERICAN PILSNER - Good
accompaniment to frozen pizza.
1845 - ROGUE ALES JUNIPER PALE ALE - Above average pale ale,
mildly hoppy, a lil' creamy, not bad.
 |
| I said I wanted some Buddha, she was bummed to discover I was talking about a beer. |
Friday 8/29 – Tastings at The Other Door, District Pub, and
Cushion Teresa’s:
1846 - CHEERDAY BREWERY LUCKY BUDDHA – Total shit beer from China, but the
coolest bottle I’ve ever held.
1847 - WESTMALLE TRAPPIST TRIPEL – Mmmm, Trappey…
1848 - BRASSERIE D'ACHOUFFE McCHOUFFE - Heavy vanilla, nice
Belgian strong.
1849 - BRASSERIE D'ACHOUFFE HOUBLON CHOUFFE DOBBELEN IPA
TRIPEL - Lovely, hoppy, floral and yeasty.
1850 - EPIC BREWING IMPERIAL PUMPKIN PORTER - Oh hells to
the yes.
1851 - EPIC BREWING STRAIGHT UP SAISON - Loverly and floral.
 |
| Work it, Cushion! |
1853 - SAMUEL SMITH NUT BROWN ALE - Nutty-o-Rama, darn good.
Saturday 8/30 – Santa Clarita area tasting with The Beckers
at Newhall Refinery, Wolf Creek, Lazy Dog:
1854 - BROUWERIJ ROMAN RINCE COCHON CUVEE SPECIALE - Belg-Yum!
1855 - GOOSE ISLAND THE OGDEN BELGIAN STYLE TRIPEL - Excellent.
1856 – AYINGER MAIBOCK - eh.
1857 - TAP IT BREWING ESTATE PALE ALE - Thumbs up.
1858 - WOLF CREEK BREWERY GOLDEN EAGLE BLONDE ALE –
Bleh. And this place looks like an omlette house circa 1986.
 |
| Photographic evidence Gina Becker drank a beer. |
1860 - HEADLANDS BREWING HILL 88 DOUBLE IPA – From the SF
Bay Area. I’ve never seen this brewery anywhere, what’s it doing here. I
want to taste whatever else they have, but unfortunately I’m not digging this
DIPA.
1861 - LAZY DOG HONEY BLONDE – Eh.
1862 - LAZY DOG HEFEWEIZEN - OK
1863 - LAZY DOG PALE ALE - OK
1864 - LAZY DOG RED - OK
1865 - LAZY DOG IPA – Crisp hoppiness, very good.
1866 - LAZY DOG CHOCOLATE PORTER – It is.
1867 – SAKU PORTER - I just
like the fact that it’s Estonian.
Sunday 8/31 – Harley’s grand finale farewell tasting at
Vendome and a few at home:
1868 - ALLAGASH BREWING FLUXUS (2014) – Mildly spiced golden
ale, more like a wine than a beer.
1869 - BROUWERIJ BOSTEELS DEUS BRUT DES FLANDRES (2010) –
Heavy floral and sage notes. I haven’t had this in 5 years so this may be the
same vintage I originally tasted. Very champagne-like.
1870 - BRASSERIE DUBUISSON SCALDIS PRESTIGE (2013) – Heavy
oak, musty like a corked wine, but not unpleasant.
1871 - BRASSERIE DUBUISSON SCALDIS PRESTIGE DE NUITS (2013)
– Immediately tastes like a tannic red wine. Ale aged in wine casks from
Burgundy.
 |
| Proper send-off for Harley the Cicerone |
1873 - CASCADE BREWING SANG ROYAL – Sour aged in wine
barrels, but no harsh acidity. Perfectly balanced.
1874 - THE BRUERY SUCRE AGED IN NEW AMERICAN OAK BARRELS –
Heavy, thick caramel beer. Five stars. Whoa.
1875 - AVERY BREWING 5 MONKS BOURBON BARREL AGED BELGIAN
STYLE QUINTUPEL ALE – Dammit, how does this exist? It’s too good. Viscous,
desserty, caramelly, dense, incredible.
1876 - BEACHWOOD BREWING GREENSHIFT DIPA – Beachwood does
all IPAs well and this DIPA is no exception.
1877 - STONE BREWING WOOTSTOUT 2.0 – Woot woot! Glad someone
brought this to the bottle share, not I can sit on mine for another year or
two. Exactly what I wanted in a stout. Fab.
1878 - SANTE ADAIRIUS RUSTIC ALES APPRECIATION – Saison aged
in wine barrels with boysenberries. And I thought I didn’t like fruit beers. My
contribution to Harley’s going away tasting. And I only brought it due to the
generosity of Chris Wilder.
1879 - CASCADE BREWING THE VINE – Loverly sour tripel,
puckery but easy to drink.
1880 – ALMANAC HEIRLOOM PUMPKIN BARLEYWINE – Superior.
1881 - THE BRUERY 2 TURTLE DOVES – Out of production Bruery
gem, Belgian dark with pecans & cocoa nibs. Wow, thanks to Vendome
bottle share coaxing this out of the closet.
1882 - DESCHUTES BREWERY BLACK BUTTE XXIII – Heavy praise to
the Vendome bottle share. Heavy, malty porter attack. Luscious and delicious,
it really held up all these years.
1883 - PRETTY THIINGS LOVELY SAINT WINEFRIDE – Excellent
brown lager, brewed using a decoction method. Yes, I’ll pretend I know what
that means, but I have no idea. All I know is decoction is delicious.
1884 - BEAR REPUBLIC BREWING PETER BROWN TRIBUTE ALE – Not
all that awesome. Wouldn’t you want to make any “tribute” awesome instead
of average? The Pretty Things brown I just had right before this blew it away.
1885 - LOST COAST BREWING ALLEYCAT AMBER – Decent, but
nothin’ to write home about, or to buy again.
 |
| Todd is making sure I don't guzzle the whole thing. Dammit. |
Monday 9/1 – Tasters at Yard House, sharing Greek microbrews
with The Emerys:
1886 - DESCHUTES BREWERY ARMORY XPA – On nitro, crazy
refreshing, floral hops.
1887 - YARD HOUSE IPA – Crispy hop punch.
1888 - DOGFISH HEAD FESTINA PECHE – Tart, peachy, citrusy,
but not aggressively sour.
1889 - LOST COAST BREWING 25TH ANNIVERSARY ALE – Wow, Lost Coast
made a beer I really like! Excellent Belgian style dubbel. Sweet, yeasty,
heavy.
1890 - SEPTEM MICROBREWERY MONDAY'S PILSNER – Not bad,
standard cheapie lager except this Greek microbrew wasn’t so cheap.
1891 - SEPTEM MICROBREWERY FRIDAY'S PALE ALE – Nice.
1892 - SEPTEM MICROBREWERY THURSDAY'S PREMIUM RED ALE –
Cookie dough yeast and good hoppiness. Great!
1893 - SEPTEM MICROBREWERY SATURDAY'S PORTER – Chocolatey
and delicious, yeasty, smooth.
1894 - ROUGH DRAFT BREWING WEEKDAY IPA – Bleh, tastes soapy.
 |
| Jon Emery's coolie phase is in full effect. |
Tuesday 9/2 – Home and practice:
1895 - CENTRAL CITY BREWERS RED RACER I.S.A. IMPERIAL
SESSION ALE - Toothy malts and mild hops, very nice session IPA.
 |
| Milkin' it with Harkins. |
1897 - EAGLE ROCK / ALESMITH COLLABORATION DAIRY TANK – Holy
F
1898 - CERVECERIA CUAUHTEMOC MOCTEZUMA S.A. DE C.V. BOHEMIA
– Surprisingly decent Mexilager.
Wednesday 9/3 – Chillin’ at home
1899 - MARIN BREWING IPA – Tasty subtle malt, balanced
citrusy hops.
1900 - DRAKE'S BREWING DRAKONIC IMPERIAL STOUT – Praise Baby
Jesus!
 |
| I'm confident in Doc Brown's ability to get us Back To The Future. |
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