Metrolius Amber Ale

I'm not usually an amber fan, but this was pretty good. It smelled, and tasted, a bit like a lager (not sure how to explain it). It poured with a moderate head, which left a lot of lace. My only complaint, it's a little sweet.

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Thought I'd try it ...

This is a Sam AdAms Chocolate Bock. The Boston Brewery has a bunch of specialty beers and we don't get to try many of them out here. I was excited to have a taste of this. I thought if lacked a little on the chocolate (was pretty malty, but I didn't pick up as much actual chocolate), but was fairly representative as a bock. In my mind, I'd compare this with the Kostitzer I had on the Rhine, bit the Kostritzer was much better.

Devil's Tower

Ok, right up front, the beer was not that great. However, the national landmark was very cool. Devil's Tower was the first national landmark, designated as such in 1906 by Teddy Roosevelt. It rises up out of the plains with nothing else around it for miles. The rocks formed into hexigon shapes underground (as molten magma) and then fractured into columns as it cooled. Over the following centuries, the sedentary rock eroded and left the Devil's tower. This is a case of label > contents. But worth it!

Crow's Peak - SD

After an amazing day hiking in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota, we settled in at Crow's Peak brewery. This place was really cool. From the outside, it looked a bit like a ski lodge. They had a flat bed truck parked outside with a band playing. Very cool. And the beer was pretty good, too!

I ordered the double sampler in 3 ounce little mugs. They had a lot of hoppy ales and a couple stouts, but no lagers. I liked the Pile O' Dirt Porter quite a bit. If you're ever out there, like for a bike rally at Sturgis, check this place out.

The last of my birthday beers

This is the third of three beers I received for my birthday. It's a German weizenbock. I'm always amazed how the Germans can get such a malty flavor in such a medium-toned beer. This was amber on the pour, with a nice head and mellow, balanced nose. But the taste had a malty balance and a faint tint of hops. It's a complex beer that is worthy of being your first beer of the evening. If you find it on tap, let me know.

Brett yeast

I get it now. Brett yeast has a very distinctive taste. In general, I like the Boulevard Smokestack series, especially the Tank 7, so I tried the Brett Saison. I am partial to farmhouses. Not the generic Saison DuPont farmhouses. But complex and interesting saisons. This is interesting, and slightly over done, in my opinion, with the Brett yeast. My first sip took me back to the Ommegang Ommegeddon, which also has a heavy dose of Brett yeast. The Boulevard was a little more mild, a little more accessible to those of us who are not total beer snobs. I liked this. I'm glad I had it. I'll reach for some tank 7 on a regular basis, but I'll save the Saison Brett for a special occasion.

Pipeworks - IPA

Ok, so I've raved about Pipeworks before. Even though I know their address but can't navigate their real world (or electronic world) site. Their beer is good, real good. This is their single IPA. It has a nice amount of hops at a weekday level of abv. Plenty of flavor but doesn't kick your ass. Try one.

Dancing? Usually not for me ...

This is a Founder's Triple IPA -- devil dancer. I expected this to be like a hopslam, but more. It was not. This was a nice double IPA - plenty hoppy, but with some balance on the finish. The abv was not too high, so you can have more than one. I'd have a second.

Double jack!

I've had the Firestone Jack Walker, but this is the Double Jack. It's sweet and hoppy. Nicely balanced, even out of the bottle. I like a double IPA, unless it has an overly strong nectar taste. This does not. I would definitely have another. And then have more to write about it!

I'm thread less!

Finch's! I took the tour with a friend last weekend, or so. As far as I'm concerned, this brewery makes only passable beer. Except the Threadless. The tour cost $10 each, but was basically an open tap for a couple hours. And, there was a food truck with bao tacos -- which were amazing! We met some totally new friends from the southern hemisphere who were super fun, a close second to the bao tacos. Which, by my count, puts the beer in third. The brewery folks were great - friendly and knowledgeable- but if I had to choose, I think I'd go to Three Floyd's. Or Shoreline. Overall, I give it a 7.5 of 10.

Busta' Nut!

This is a Ska Nut Brown Ale. I'm not a big fan of nut brown ales, but this one is a nice, balanced brown ale -- not too malty, not too hoppy. I like ska beers in general, and this is a pretty good one. And the label is fantastic!

Port!

This is the Port double IPA. It is a smooth double IPA. Next time I'm in San Diego...

Dinner

This is a sampler from Jerry's:
L to r: stone ruination tenth anniversary; dark horse double crooked tree; great lakes the wright pils; solemn oath oubliette. Yum.

Let's take them from lightest to darkest. The Solemn Oath is a new suburban Chicago brewery. This is their Belgian Ale. It's ok. Nothing to write home about.

The Great Lakes Wright Pils. It was an interesting pilsner -- with a much more flavorful taste than a straight up German Pilsner. When I pick a pilsner, I want a crisp German pilsner, this tasted like an American craft beer. Not the same.

Second from the left is the Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree. I like this. It's a little like a Bell's Hop Slam, but a little less hoppy. For me, this is a little less of a sweet nectar taste. I liked this, but not as much as I liked the cask Crooked Tree at the brewery.

Finally, the Stone Tenth Anniversary. Smooth. Nice hops, but good balance, for a hoppy beer. If you want to drink California, try this.