Beer #397-443 / Day 70-76: Quality Vs. Quantity

St. Patty's Day marks the arrival of the only fake holiday that makes both Hallmark and bar owners happy.  More importantly it's a beer drinking holiday, that ironically as a beer drinker, I avoid like a potato famine.  It is not a day based on quality, or the genuine love of the beer tasting experience. It's an exercise in excess.  But considering I'm well into my own quest based on hitting numbers, do I really have any right to criticize the patron saint of fratboys, groped women, and DUI checkpoints? 

It boils down to the equation of Quality Vs. Quantity.  I'm constantly straddling this fence, as even now I rest my laurels on having tasted 443 beers in 76 days.  And while I can confidently brag that this number is quite a feat for any human, there are two Big Year participants who have informed me they're well into the 500s... Randy Carncross, and Chris W.  Does my lower number mean that I'm enjoying what I'm tasting more than them?  Are they more savvy in their consumption? Or is it just a reflection of not dedicating every waking second in pursuit of this ridiculous quest?
The Monday Morning Quarterback in me assesses the following comparisons:

Randy Carncross

*Pro – Runs The Hangover Craft Beer Bar.  This man works in the beer industry, spends his day surrounded by beer, a constant rotation of taps and bottles, has distributors providing samples, and customers bringing in bottles to share... all day long. How could you not rack up crazy numbers in this environment? As far as I'm concerned, someone in his position can't be beat.

*Con – His beer bar is in Japan.  I’m not sure this is a disadvantage, but Randy claims it is every time I'm in touch with him.  He says Japan is extremely limited in the beer he can access.  In the same breath, he’s ahead of me by a good 100+ in his Big Year count.  And I constantly see him post pics of U.S. beer that I can’t even get in California unless someone smuggles it to me, or I bring it back myself during my travels... Surly, Three Floyds, Elysian, Sound Brewery, et al.  This Con is more of a con as far as I'm concerned.

Chris W

*Pro – Lifelong, hardcore drinker. While we were both still in our 20s, I remember this man drinking an entire case of beer in one sitting.  His tastes have changed, and he no longer indulges in cases of cheap swill, but his ability to put away mass quantities has not diminished.  Additionally, this man earns an astounding income and spares no expense in buying alcohol. I'm sure he has no shame walking in to a place with 50 taps and ordering samplers of all 50.  Plus he’s determined to beat me. While the competition is friendly, I know he has his mind set on being the winner at all costs, and proving my Big Year isn’t going to be Big enough.

*Con – Big time wine fan, who may eventually step off the beer wagon when he realizes how much he misses really great vino.

Myself

*Pro – The Big Year was my idea, so I’m driven to obliterate my tally from last year, and hopefully set a record tally for this year.  Additionally, I travel every couple months to different parts of the U.S., and have accessibility, albeit brief, to many regionally distributed beers I wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to taste. This will be an advantage later in the year, as it becomes increasingly more difficult to find non-duplicate, unique beers locally.

*Con – Finances & Time.  My money is really tight.  Fortunately, I have a lot of generous beer friends, and I’ve scouted out some affordable options for multiple tasters in one sitting.  And I have a full time job.  I don’t set my own hours, and can’t exactly take off to go tasting any day on a whim. On weekends, I incorporate beer into our family activities when possible, but I try to remain conscious of not derailing our other plans in favor of brew-related outings.  

My Wife gave me a hard time recently about finishing full pints or bottles, and not always going for tasters. She points to this as a reason why I'm not in the 500s, and I'm sure she's correct. But the whole point of this is spelled out in my rules, under "Mandate #3":
ENJOY what you are tasting. This friendly, rewardless competition means even less if you're not fully enjoying each taste. Focus on the journey, not the destination.

Quality Vs. Quantity?  I like to think both apply equally during the Big Year.

Cheers!

The tally continues....

Tuesday 3/11 - INFEST practice and then relaxin' at home:

• ANDERSON VALLEY BREWING BARNEY FLATS OATMEAL STOUT - Beer #397, Nice, easy drinking, uncomplicated, and $3.99 for a bomber? Cheap!
• GREAT DIVIDE BREWING COLETTE FARMHOUSE ALE - Beer #398, always loved this one, straight forward saison style.
• FLYING DOG BREWERY DOUBLE DOG DOUBLE IPA - Beer #399, more powerful than expected, flavor-wise and buzz-wise, good thing I was already home.

Wednesday 3/12 - Home

• AVERY / RUSSIAN RIVER COLLABORATION NOT LITIGATION (BATCH #7) - Beer #400, been wanting to try this collab for a few years, good but not astounding
• EVIL TWIN BREWING YIN IMPERIAL TAIJI STOUT - Beer #401, a thing of beauty, that's what I'm talking about when I say I love stouts.
• FLYING DOG BREWERY PEARL NECKLACE OYSTER STOUT - Beer #402, OK, not stellar, not bad.

Thursday 3/13 - Home

• WEIHENSTEPHANER VITUS WEIZENBOCK - Beer #403, Whoa!  Ist der bad ass!  So fuggin' tasty, so much better than expected.
• BROUWERIJ VAN STEENBERGE GULDEN DRAAK ALE - Beer #404, had this before & really liked it; this bottle tasted musty and green, like a "corked" (spoiled) bottle of wine.
• PIKE BREWING COMPANY EXTRA STOUT - Beer #405, This is what loving a stout is all about.  I have a crush on this brewery now.

Friday 3/14 - Evening at home with the family; pizza and beer:

• CLOWN SHOES GALACTICA IMPERIAL IPA - Beer #406, Yum!
• WEIHENSTEPHANER HEFEWEISSBIER DUNKEL - Beer #407, Delish!
• JOSEPH JAMES BREWING  J.J. PRO AM 2013 FOREIGN EXPORT STOUT - Beer #408, Darn good, love this brewery outside of Vegas, didn't even know about it til this year.

Saturday 3/15 - Four at home with The Wife and The Beckers, then wrapping up the evening sampling at the awesome Newhall Refinery:

• RUHSTALLER CALIFORNIA TRIPEL - Beer #409, nice, at least there's one good thing in Sacramento.
• BROUWERIJ VAN STEENBERGE BORNEM TRIPLE - Beer #410, OK
• MORLAND OLD SPECKLED HEN - Beer #411, eh...
• OMMEGANG GAME OF THRONES TAKE THE BLACK STOUT - Beer #412, Very, very impressive, complex but not super heavy

• STONE BREWING GO TO IPA - Beer #413, I love the idea of session IPAs because I don't always want to get blasted, especially if I'm starting early
• CISMONTANE BREWING THE MESA - Beer #414, Beer and Wine collab, much better on tap than I remember it from the lackluster bottle I bought last year; This keg was likely fresher, and they got the blend dialed in better this year.
• SMOG CITY BREWING AMARILLA GORILLA IPA - Beer #415, a SoCal favorite; I have yet to visit their brewery, but it's on the list... soon!
• THE BRUERY SAISON DE LENTE - Beer #416, Bruery can't brew anything bad
• SAINT ARCHER BREWING PALE ALE - Beer #417, s'OK.
• AVERY BREWING COMPANY MAHARAJA IMPERIAL IPA - Beer #418, Much better on tap at Newhall Refinery than I remember from the Boneyard in Studio City last year.
• ALESMITH BREWING OLD ALE - Beer #419, smooth, ye olde toothsome ale
  
• PORT BREWING SANTA'S LITTLE HELPER - Beer #420, OK, I love Port Brewing, but this one is my least favorite.
• FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING COMPANY PRIVATE LABEL BROWN - Beer #421, See above, I'm a huge fan of Firestone, they're nearly infallible, this is good but not great.
• GREENE KING WEXFORD IRISH CREAM ALE - Beer #422, Meh!

Sunday 3/16 - Tasting at Vendome, then chillin' at home: 

• ALLAGASH WHITE - Beer #423, reliable
• ALLAGASH TRIPEL RESERVE - BATCH 204 - Beer #424, very good
• ALLAGASH FLUXUS 2012 - BREWED WITH GREEN & PINK PEPPERCORNS - Beer #425, Wow!
• ALLAGASH CONFLUENCE 2013 - Beer #426, clean like a Saltine... no kidding!  Taste it and I dare you not to compare it to a cracker.
• ALLAGASH INTERLUDE 2013 - Beer #427, limited yearly release, aged in red wine barrels, mildly acidic and tannic
• ALLAGASH TIARNA ALE AGED IN OAK BARRELS - Beer #428, I approve.
• ALLAGASH FOUR ALE - Beer #429, shit, that's a winner, soooo good, not heavy at all, but so much happening in that glass you won't know where to start or where to finish, so keep going.
• ALLAGASH DUBBEL RESERVE BATCH 107 - Beer #430, Mmm hmmm.
• ALLAGASH FLUXUS 2013 - BREWED WITH BLOOD ORANGE- Beer #431, smooth, with a bready, yeasty aftertaste like cookie dough
• ALLAGASH ODYSSEY 2014 - AGED IN OAK BARRELS- Beer # 432, aged in oak barrels, similar to Four Ale... in other words, I'd drink this any day, any time, as much as possible

• SCHOFFERHOFER GRAPEFRUIT HEFEWEIZEN - Beer #433, sounds like the world's most horrific idea, but I brought home some lengua tacos with very spicy hot sauce.... I thought about the fruity and sweet Jarritos sodas at all of the taco joints around LA, and sure enough this was the perfect pairing.  I may have hated it on its own, but with these tacos, it's the best invention.
• ABITA BREWING PURPLE HAZE - Beer #434, I had this last year and hated it.  I had it this year and hated it.
• BARD'S ORIGINAL SORGHUM MALT BEER - Beer #435, gluten free, also free of everything I love about beer.
• AVERY BREWING COMPANY INDIA PALE ALE - Beer #436, good one, I heart Avery
• COLD SPRING BREWING JOHN HENRY 3 LICK SPIKER ALE AGED IN BOURBON OAK CHIPS - Beer #437, Minnesota brewery, sounds great, but surprisingly ordinary. 
 

Monday 3/17 - St. Patrick's Day, at Home, avoiding large crowds, frat brats, and projectile vomiting:

• UINTA BREWING DETOUR DOUBLE IPA - Beer #438, oh Baby, so much better than I remember from the 22 ouncer; this was a 12 ouncer, very fresh, crazy hoppiness, love it.
• JOSEPH JAMES BREWING AMERICAN LAGER - Beer #439, good one
• NECTAR ALES NECTAR IPA - Beer #440, excellent, deep, rich IPA
• RESIGNATION BREWERY / RED HOOK COLLABORATION KCCO BLACK LAGER - Beer #441, alright, not bad, but not memorable
• BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON BEER WORKS THE CASK DOPPELBOCK - Beer #442, I keep trying to write this off as a novelty brewery with the whole Poe theme, but this is the second beer I've tried from them in the past year, and the second one that has really impressed me, rich and complex.
• EVIL TWIN BREWING FALCO IPA - Beer #443, What a way to cap off the evening, one of the best IPAs in recent memory, there's a reason I'm in love with Evil Twin.

Beer #130-153 / Day #24-27: The Biggest Little Beers In The World

My sister-in-law Sarah was celebrating her 40th birthday, and spur of the moment, my wife Camille asked if we could surprise her Sis and show up for her big B-Day bash over the weekend.  The problem is they live 450 miles north of us in Reno, NV.  Then again, Reno has a quickly burgeoning fancy beer scene.  And casinos with $49 rooms.  Oh, and my sis-and-bro-in-law are two of my favorite people in the world, as well.  OK, not much arm-twisting necessary.

Shitty casino with good beer. Who knew?

Friday night we braved a long ass drive, thru 20 degree temps,  near pitch black conditions, and white-knuckled driving, praying not to plow into a stray deer or elk, but we arrived safely in Reno just after midnite, pooped out and ready for booze.  It's a casino town so the libations would be free-flowing & easily accessible at any hour, right?  Especially on a Friday nite!  Um, no.  The first three bars we went to in the casino were closed.  At 12:30am.  WTF?  We finally found the Jade Bar in Harrah's, and I christened my first tap of the weekend with the UINTA BREWING HOP NOTCH IPA - Beer #130, an old favorite, made even more favorable by the fact that it was the first available beer in this shabby casino.  Frankly, I was surprised and impressed that this random bar in a bastion of old school Reno was catering to the craft beer community by offering this brew.  Hmm, maybe this would be promising after all. We headed across the street to the even shabbier Cal-Neva and grabbed an ANCHOR BREWING CALIFORNIA LAGER - Beer #131, a basic but very solid beer, that should raise the bar & represent the new "average" for beers, if there was any justice (or taste) in this world.  We also shared the staple of NorCal hoppiness, the LAGUNITAS BREWING IPA - Beer #132.  In spite of these finds outside of the usual Coors & Bud realm, downtown Reno was freakin' dead!  It's Friday night, yet the only thing missing from this part of town was a cattle skull on the sidewalk, and a stray tumbleweed ambling slowly down the middle of Virginia St. 

Rad beer is a stone's throw from the river

Sarah's party was at 6pm, so we spent the first half of our Saturday exploring downtown Reno on foot.  I'd researched some local breweries in advance, but rather than drive to all of the outlying industrial parks, we opted to hoof it and checkout what Reno hipsters were doing to revitalize this depressed and depressing part of town.  We stumbled upon a fantastic establishment called the Old Granite Street Eatery, with an impressive tap list, and excellent food.  The perfect brunch spot and a great way to kick off our day.  It was 10:30am.  Too early?  Oh hell no.  I started with a sampler of the GREAT BASIN BREWING ICKY IPA - Beer #133, and followed with a full pint of the superb TAHOE MOUNTAIN BREWING LOCAL LAGER - Beer #134, which represents excellence in keeping beer simple.  It's a lager, but there's so much going on in this glass, I spent my time rambling about how tasty it was, rather than chuggin' it for a quick buzz and immediately forgetting it, like 96.8% of lagers on the market.

Breakfast of champions

We walked back towards the river and settled down at the bar of the Wild River Grille.  The bartender was friendly, and willing to accommodate my request to try a few different taps.  I had a sip of Camille's UNDER THE ROSE SAISONBEER - Beer #135, and then went for samples of the RUBY MOUNTAIN BREWING ANGEL CREEK AMBER ALE - Beer #136, BRASSERIE ST. JAMES RED HEADED STRANGER - Beer #137, and the GREAT BASIN BREWING OUTLAW MILK STOUT - Beer #138.  All were great, and the stout was my favorite, but since it wasn't even 12pm, I didn't want anything too heavy to bog me down for the afternoon, so I went for a full pint of the St. James Red... bitter, wheaty, farmy, a real corker... I heart this beer. 

The newest convert.

Next, we crossed the river to check out the Sierra Tap House, a spot run by Sierra Nevada Brewing.  Aside from the picturesque location, I was excited by the kegs available here, several of which are not available in bottles.  There were eight taps, and flights were four glasses, so we got two flights and tried every beer on tap.  Their PALE ALE - Beer #139 has always been so-so in bottles, but I think due to such large production many of their bottles sit in distribution warehouses much longer than they should. When you have a freshly tapped Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, it's like night & day.  This is what it's supposed to taste like.  The TORPEDO EXTRA IPA - Beer #140 was also a winner when freshly tapped.  Their BLONDE ALE - Beer #141 was good, but non-descript; my least favorite of the eight.  We're not huge hefeweizen fans overall, but we both loved the KELLERWEIS - Beer #142, a cloudy, complex, and tasty Hef.  When it warmed up closer to room temperature, their FRENCH STYLE SAISON - Beer #143 was a simple but delicious farmhouse ale.  Our favorite of all eight was the NARWHAL STOUT, which I couldn't count in my Big Year because I already claimed it a few nights prior as Beer #129.  Still this inky, lush stout is the crown jewel in not only their seasonal brews, but all of their brews.  Next was an old favorite I haven't enjoyed for a good year or two, the RUTHLESS RYE - Beer #144, a fantastic rye IPA, and as noted in an earlier posting, I'm a freak for anything rye-related. Last on the tasting docket was the KNIGHTRO STOUT - Beer #145, an Irish style stout with a hint of coffee, on nitro.  The bartender accurately described this creamy, malty offering as "Guinness with flavor".  The Wife has never been the biggest fan of Sierra Nevada, but the opportunity to sample the gamut of brews fresh, and not from 6 month old bottles, made an enormous difference, and converted her into a believer.

In the house of pies and pints

We were 15 beers into our day, and it was only 3pm.  Time for some food.  We grabbed some coffee, and then happened upon Z-Pie, a gourmet pot pie shop with its own offering of local taps. Camille went for a pint of the great Great Basin Icky IPA.  I tried a taster of the BRASSERIE ST. JAMES DAILY WAGES SAISON- Beer #146, which is a good 'un, especially when it warms up, but not nearly as good as the pint I settled on:  The BRASSERIE ST. JAMES JAMISON'S STATION PORTER- Beer #147.  Wow, St. James is for sure on my wish list of beer destinations next time I come to town.  These mother effers know what they're doing.

The Birthday Girl and my Birthday Twin

So, the party's comin' up at 6pm, we'd already spent a good 6-7 hours drinking, and Sarah still didn't know we were coming.  Time to nap, make a pathetic attempt to sober up, and head over to see the Sis.  Needless to say, they were surprised to see us, and I was happy to be with this beautiful family once again.  I got to spend quality time with my other Sis-in-law Amy, numerous cousins, and many newfound friends. My drinking mojo had been fully saturated, and I wanted to remain in a condition to drive since we were going out to see a band, so my only drinking for the next few hours consisted of H2O, and a quick sip of my bro-in-law Rick's ROGUE DEAD GUY ALE - Beer #148.  I seriously don't like to be a hater, but effin' Rogue has yet to make a beer that I truly love.
We spent the rest of the evening at the Peppermill casino seeing an awesome, soulful 11-piece band called The Inciters.  I nursed a few neat rye snifters, eventually danced like the mildly toasted 40-something I am, and had the best evening with my family-in-law.  I love these people. The 16 hours on the road there and back were 1000% worth it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Bostick!

After a long drive home, The Mrs and I shared a perfect bottle of the STONE / 10 BARREL / BLUEJACKET COLLABORATION SUEDE IMPERIAL PORTER - Beer #150, enhanced only by our zillionth viewing of "The Big Year". 

This was my favorite weekend in recent memory, and my only way to continue the good Reno vibes was to bring back 30 or so bottles of brews from their local Total Wine & More store.  They carry a considerable number of beers I can't find in SoCal.  I wrapped up this evening with some seriously excellent brews:  JOSEPH JAMES BREWING HOP BOX - Beer #151, a truly superior Imperial IPA from this brewer outside of Las Vegas, the GREAT BASIN BREWING WILD HORSE ALE - Beer #152, a well crafted amber ale from one of my new favorite breweries in Reno, and finally the SANTA FE BREWING STATE PEN PORTER - Beer #153, one of the best porters I've had in recent memory (aside from Beer #150), from a Southwestern brewery I haven't visited since 2006... all proof that the Old West can hold its own with the newest of hipsters.  That's it, I'm trading in my flannel for a cowboy hat.

Proof that the Old West is the Best

Beer # 116-129 / Day 20-23: The Yoosh

After such a crazed weekend, I was expecting to take it easy this week.  Wrong.  "Slow and steady wins the race" is the old adage.  I've been doing exactly that.  Randy Carncross is already about 80 beers ahead of me from what I can tell, but no matter.  I'm enjoying the journey.  And as the Big Year progresses, I'm convinced it will become increasingly more difficult to rack up such huge numbers in one fell swoop.

Enjoying hops with my link.

Nothing too exciting this week. Just making my way through a collection of 12oz singles.  I've been sticking with mostly run-of-the-mill beers during the week.  I tend to keep "special" beers for special occasions.  The problem is my beer fridge, which is a regular sized fridge, is at full capacity with beers I'm saving.  I need to come up with a special occasion very quickly in order to make room for more.  Aside from the crazy bottle selection at home, I also visited Link N Hops in Atwater Village earlier this week, adjacent to the nice beer & wine bottle shop 55 Degree.  Link N Hops has been a favorite for the Wife & I since they opened, and they offer some great exotic meat sausages, as well as the full gamut of taps. I went for an excellent wild boar link, and some unique selections: The BALLAST POINT HABANERO SCULPIN - Beer #116, spicy, delicious, with a slight burn that doesn't linger, and it's not overpowering at all; The NEW BELGIUM / CIGAR CITY COLLABORATION CHILE BEER - Beer #117, not awesome in spite of the fact that Cigar City is one of my favorite brewers in the country; And lastly, the FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN 3rd ANNIVERSARY IMPERIAL OATMEAL STOUT - Beer #118, tasty but not mind-blowing.  That evening at home, I went for some standbys:  STONE LEVITATION ALE - Beer #119 and JOSEPH JAMES RED FOX RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT - Beer #120, the latter of which really excites me... it's the first beer I can recall enjoying from Nevada, just outside of Vegas, in Henderson.  Only recently have I been hearing great things about this brewery, and this stout lives up to the word on the street.  Oily, dark, inky, delicious, and crazy affordable at $8 for a four-pack.  Can't wait to try the other Joseph James brews.

I also have the usual Tuesday evening INFEST practice, which as of late means a visit to The Snug, which means even more beer. Although I'm about 2 weeks away from exhausting all of my options at this sleepy Burbank hangout which hasn't rotated its taps since I started going there.  I went for their best selection this week with the CHIMAY ROUGE - Beer #121, followed by some of their lesser taps, the BASS PALE ALE - Beer #122 and the STELLA ARTOIS - Beer #123, both of which are palatable at best.

I rounded out the week with several everyday-but-tasty singles at home:
SHIPYARD MONKEY FIST IPA - Beer #124: I've avoided this one because it seemed like a novelty beer. Not incredibly memorable, but decent, and worth drinking if it's the best option available.
GOOSE ISLAND MATILDA - Beer #125: These days their distribution is ridiculous, thanks to new parent company Anheuser Busch.  Thankfully they haven't compromised the quality of their product.
NEWCASTLE WEREWOLF - Beer #126:  A seasonal red ale I've hoarded since my Wife's uncle brought it over during the holidays.  So much better than the standard Newcastle brown ale.
FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN HURRICANE DECK DIPA - Beer #127:  A gift from my pal Matty B., by far the best brew in the Fig Mtn roster.
SIERRA NEVADA BEER CAMP #95 IMPERIAL RED ALE - Beer #128:  Another one I've been hoarding since last year, just so I can enjoy it this year.  One of the better offerings from the largest indie brewer, and somewhat limited.
SIERRA NEVADA NARWHAL IMPERIAL STOUT - Beer #129:  A seasonal release, and so glad I grabbed a 2013 before they disappear.  My favorite Sierra Nevada brew, hands down.  A superior imperial stout, but not sold at beer nerd prices.

Now my kid can enjoy "beer" with me.  Stay classy, America.

In spite of the sleepy week, there have been a few oddball beer-related items brought to my attention.
#1: My friend Lily Thai forwarded me info on a new Jelly Belly flavor called Draft Beer.  Wow.  When there's a jellybean that tastes like beer, you know craft beer has "jumped the shark".  Let's all hang it up now, shall we?
#2: My buddy Steve Enders told me about his trip to Portland. Of course, this is already a major beer hub, but nowadays you can fill a growler at the gas station!  This is a state which doesn't allow you to pump your own gas, and yet you can fill up a 64oz jug of beer while they're filling your tank?
I say "WTF" only because I'm jealous.

Incredible action shot of beer sitting on my kitchen counter!