Thomas Creek: Class Five IPA

This beer's name should be pronounced; "I. P. AHHH," and the pitch of your voice should rise an octave to pronounce the letter "A." The first sip is screaming with hops, then it settles to a more moderately measurable pallet. Subsequent sips are a more  balanced blend of fruit and malt influences. The hops never vanish, but after the initial introduction, they do not over power the taste buds.

Class Five IPA is a definite example of the fact that IPA is now an American beer style too.

Grade: Four of five possible pints.

Rock out to Pandora!

More beer on Monday should return later today. Here's a side note I'd like to share, if I had known, more, about Hawkwind when I was in college I would have been one of the biggest Hawkwind fans in North America. I've never been a big fan of Prog Rock, all those endless keyboard runs just bore me. But Hawkwind transcends Prog Rock, today they'd be referred to as genre bending.

If you'd like to check out some Hawkwind, and other odd musical assortments, just type "Radio Free Tanelorn" in the Pandora search and prepare to explore the universe with your mind. (Corny  yeah, some of this music is pretty corny too but some of it is surprisingly good.)

An unfair comparison.

Honestly, nothing could be more fair than this comparison between Ass Kisser; Tight Ass Hefeweizen and Atwater Brewery; Dirty Blonde ale. These beverages both claim to be wheat ales and each is a very distinctive version of the style.

Atwater Dirty Blonde ale pours light golden with a floral smell and pallet. It is clean, bubbly, lightly hopped, all the traditional qualities of a wheat beer. Dirty Blonde even has the banana and butter flavors so frequently associated with Wheat and Hefeweizen styles. Homer J. Simpson could appreciate this one.

Ass Kisser Hefeweizen has none of the traditional wheat beer qualities. I honestly wonder if they put pale ale in this bottle? Hops are the first impression from  Tight Ass Hefe, I'm guessing this is a west coast wheat style. I concede that brewers have the right to throw a new twist on traditional styles but I am, believe it or not, a stickler for keeping the traditional styles recognizable. The Ass Kisser Hefe was hoppy from start to finish and just doesn't qualify as a wheat beer for me.

When shopping for a wheat beer and left with these two choices, I'd take home the Atwater Dirty Blonde.

2012 Collegiate Football Preview, of sorts

As some of you know, I am an Alabama native. I consider myself very lucky that I do not fit the "mold" of what is considered the average Alabama resident. I still have many good friends who live in Bama and many friends who are Bama fans.Perhaps I'm a better southerner than Alabama native, as I have to rock the boat, or rebel and choose to cheer for the orange and blue of Auburn University.

One of my good friends, who still lives in Bama, recently posted this photo on facebook, thanks Pat. I had to steal it and share it with you all, it's too good!

As I live in Knoxville, Tn. now, home of the U.T. Volunteers, I must wonder what the predictions are for the Vols this year. Will the go 4 & 8 or 2 & 10? We'll see, Roll Eagle Vols!

T-shirt Tuesday returns from a long vacation.

Yes, my job is busy enough that t-shirt Tuesday has been on vacation since Jan. 31. In that time I have acquired a few new shirts and can't recall disposing of any shirts. Here are two new additions to the collection. I finally purchased a Fanatical Recycling t-shirt from Zazzle. I thought the shirt was going to be a more neutral color green and, while it is not a color I would normally wear,  I have come to accept the lime green as an appropriate color for a shirt from the recycling services industry.



The second shirt is from Estes Park, Co. when Sally was out their earlier this year. As you can see, it has the image of a moose inside the Batman logo. Both these shirts have been in pretty heavy rotation this year.

So, what's our t-shirt tally? 50 shirts posted and 315 to go to reach 365. Hum?

New Belgium: Shift, Pale Lager

After years of beer drinking, I’m finally coming around to the IPA style. Ironically, the beer that proves this is a lager. But, This is no simple lager, it is Shift by New Belgium of Fort Collins, Co. I tried Shift, at my favorite pub, Union Jacks, and, at the time, didn’t realize that Shift is a lager. It was so hoppy, I assumed that it was an ale. I purchased a few cans of Shift from a local beer store, read the label, and was surprised to learn that this very hoppy drink is a Pale Lager style. 

Shift pours a beautifully clear golden orange which reminds me of a Fosters or a Canadian lager. The pour leaves a nice foamy head which laces the glass. A whiff of Shift gives me a strong hint of grapefruit juice and the first sip is a strong IPA sensation. Yeah, this is an IPA! If this beer were brewed by any other brewery I would continue to argue that it is an ale. 

Ah, another sip and more grapefruit flavoring. Shift is a lager for beer lovers who want something more than some cereal malt in their drinks.  It is very smooth, light a lager, but deceptive with the strong hops presence. The hops certainly are not overwhelming, Shift is a light and refreshing beer. 

One of many reasons I wear New Belgium cap nearly all the time; 4.5 out of 5 pints.

Brugse Zot, Blonde Ale

This light Belgian beer smells of light malt, grasses and clover. The pour produces a huge, marshmallow type head of foam. Once the head settles the beer is much like champagne.

I believe this was the goal of the brewer, to produce a light, bubbly beer to delight the tongue and the eye. There is a hint of prune flavoring in the light malts as well. Brugse Zot Blonde could be the perfect introduction to Belgian Ales, if one is needed. I certainly appreciate the 4.25 alcohol by volume as opposed to, the more common, higher gravity Golden Ales.

I need to aquire a few of these to enjoy around the house!
Grade: 4.9 out of 5 Sniffers