I had some RR Damnation last week though wasn't all that into it. More a style thing than quality but I definitely won't buy it again at that price.

I don't remember which one it was but I had another RR at Falling Rock back when the Beer Fest was in town last year down that I liked. Don't remember which one it was, maybe Temptation? I kinda wonder if my opinion on it would now hold up though; sometimes discovering something at a bar and then retrying it at home produces different results for me.

I tried Dogfish Head's Indian Brown Ale for the first time the other day. At first I was thrown off by the brown ale/IPA fusion but it has definitely grown on me. Pretty cool combo.

My beer of choice lately. I'm not kidding.

Dude's on a budget!

I did splurge and get a 6 of Left Hand's Stranger - American Pale Ale.

Tasty. But nothing like what I was expecting, considering my favorite beer is Flying Fish's XPA (another American Pale Ale)

Woodstock brewery pig's ear brown ale!

Had some of this last night. Big fan of it but find the price to be a bit prohibitive to enjoy on a more regular basis ($15 for a 4-pack); though happy to be able to find it in a 4 pack rather than being stuck buying it as a bomber.

Had an awesome night hoisting a few with the Green Flash crew. Great people all around.
Really liked their Fizzy Yellow Beer and the Silva Stout.

Two beer notes:

http://www.northwestliquidgold.com/

You can buy beer online and have it shipped. For those who can't get Russian River and Hair Of The Dog, etc. They ship to 33 states. Didn't check pricing, but for the desperate it might be worthwhile.

CLUTCH has a beer named after them.
It is a collaboration with New Belgium and is a sour brown.
Label description: Pure rock fury meets Belgian-style brewed folly in this collaboration with Maryland hard-rockers, Clutch. A pronounced bass line of dark chocolate, coffee and black malts bridge the sourness of our dark wood ale for a fluid riff.

Vermont organic...

I think I've had all the St. Peters ales now. This grapefruit ale is wonderful.

Yesterday during the UEFA championship I had:

Pliny the Elder (freshly flown in)
Wild Turkey ('96)
Firestone Solace
Bells's Oberon

Man en Macht by De Molen. I guess it's an Imperial Russian Stout, 3.9%, which means I can drink the whole bottle on my own, and get up in the morning without trouble.

Quite a good coffee taste, quite some hop bitters too.


The owner/brewer of De Molen did the pick for a beer tasting afternoon last week: all IRS's (except the last one). The 'weekest' was 9%. The last beer was Wild Turkey cask lagered beer. He bought a 'fresh' Wild Turkey barrel, so it gave off 4% of alcohol to the beer: it became a 16.2% wonderfully rich beer that way. The bourbon sweetness left the impression of a nice tawny port. Weer en Wind, a wonderful after dinner drink with cheese or dessert. It's bottled in 18 cl bottles because it's so strong.

ND: Fantome Hiver - yum.

Went to Pikes Peak Brewing, which opened on Friday. Very nice Belgian golden. Just had four beers on tap, but all were solid.

Had some Liefmann's Cuvee Brut on tap tonight. Made from a blend of Goudenband/Oud Bruin and a beer aged on cherries. A nice, sweet/sour desert beer.

Hit up Falling Rock tonight, Paul. Tried La Folie and the Sierra Nevada Dubbel you had on tap. Liked the La Folie. The SN I was not a fan of at first but did find it grew on me. By the end, I was enjoying it but would not get it again.

Hit up Freshcraft afterwards....tried the Jolly Pumpkin Sour Stout which I also enjoyed.

You must've just missed me. I was at the Rock for a short while then walked down to Freshcraft for a bite and a beer. I too had the Jolly Pumpkin and the Dry Dock Hop Abomination. Both yummy.

I got to Falling Rock around 7:45.

That was my first time hitting up Freshcraft. We didn't make it until the night time menu was all that we could choose from to eat so our food options were limited. I got the pork sandwich which was okay I guess but I heard good things about the place and expectations weren't met with that one dish. My friends weren't all that happy with their dishes either; though one of them had been prior and said it had been much better that first time around. I'd go again....the beer selection was nice.

The food has been okay, but I've enjoyed their specials the last few times I've been in. They are in the process of changing their menu for the summer. They always have some interesting beers on tap and I like the staff.

A friend of mine in the states made a killer rye beer, a pale ale.

I'm no expert, and I hadn't heard of rye beers before. Do you guys have any suggestions? (Not that I can find any of them in Finland, land of bulk lager and 10 breweries.)

The food is certainly good enough that with their beer selection it's a worthy visit. I just think I went in with certain expectations that may not have been fair. Knowing what to expect from the place, I'd imagine, should make any future visits more successful.

Curently drinking a La Fin Du Monde. Definitely much much much better than that Trois Pistoles, which I did not like at all. Not a favorite, but enjoying it. I was up in Boulder the other day and picked a single of this up. I probably should have bought the 4 pack of it as it was on sale for $8.50 but didn't because my experience with the Trois Pistoles had me hesitant.

Right now, I am actually craving another La Folie. I really liked those 2 sours I tried the other night and want more. I also don't want to pay $14 for the bomber of La Folie. I liked it but not enough to go broke over.

Unibroue makes great beer, though that Trois Pistoles is VERY sweet. You MIGHT like the Don De Dieu. The La Fin Du Monde is one of my favorites. Love that beer.

The thing I appreciate about Freshcraft is they're trying to be better. Their specials have been very good and give me hope that they'll keep improving.

It's also nice to have somewhere else to go in town for a good beer and good company.

If you get the chance, check out Hops and Pie over on Tennyson around 39th, by the hardware store. Decent pizza, very good mac and cheese and a great tap selection.

I'll keep it in mind.

I'm having fun :)

I HAD TWO OF THOSE MAREDSOUS TRIPLES THIS WEEKEND, VERY SMOOTH

ALSO HAD A TRIPLE HOP DUVEL SPECIAL EDITION THAT WAS SUPERB, SORT OF HALF DUVEL HALF IPA, DELICIOUS REALLY BUT WAY OVERPRICED

The Stout is the best.

Don't now if it is available in Finland, or anywhere other than US but, The Bruery here in California, makes a Rye Beer (Danish Style Rye Ale) that is available Year Round so maybe?...
http://www.thebruery.com/beers/YearRound/rugbrod.html

Had some Lost Abbey Angel's Share Grand Cru and Framboise De Ambrosia.
The Grand Cru wasn't all that different from the normal AShare, so not a big deal - though AShare is awesome. Just not terribly different.

The Fram was killer with a touch of sour/tartness and a nice dose of fruit without being overly sweet.

Got a full-on selection today:
Brakspear triple, massive 7.2%er with so much flavour it's almost too much.
GWB Ruby Porter, not usually my kind of style but was in a funny mood.
Bristol Beer Factory India Ink, a black IPA... god only knows what that will be like!