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Maine Beer Guy

I Love Beer

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Exhausted.

It’s been an odd few days here.

Dad is doing better today.

Glad Shangy’s is nearby where I can get good case beer that I can’t find in Maine.

Yesterday I got a case of Flying Fish Variety Pack. All quite nice but not super amazing.

Today I got a case from my favorite brewery right now (which of course isn’t available in Maine) Bell’s Brewery out of Michigan.

So far I have had the Amber, Kalamazoo Stout and Best Brown and all are delicious.

The best of the Flying Fish case easily is the Belgian Abbey Dubbel. That’s pretty yummy.

Beer makes me happy. It’s good that I’m here but it’s hard.

Cleaning up my dad is unfun. Changing a diaper is unfun. Dealing with his demands sometimes delusional, and sometimes hilarious isn’t really fun.

Beer is awesome.

As is my iTunes and Dominion Online.

And thank you for your support.

edmund

Smoking in Bars

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Went to a very cool beer bar with excellent food in Allentown, PA today.

The Liberty Street Ale House on 23rd and Liberty right by Muhlenburg College.

Very good tap list, $6 Moosehead pitchers on a Saturday which is quite worth it and a decent beer. And hundreds of different craft beer bottles including some very premium Belgium beers and 22s.

The Pulled Pork Sandwich was great, and the Cream of Crawfish soup was delicious.

I will say the service wasn’t great and could have used a 3rd server.

But, as I went to the bar instead of a table. Someone lit up a cigarette a couple of seats over that blew in my face. It’s not pleasant.

Moved back to the table. But, I realized how much more pleasant bars are without smoking.

Yes, for some patrons who like to smoke it’s frustrating. There are lots of people that love drinking beer and chain smoking in bars.

But, for non-smokers it opens up everywhere. Smoke in your face doesn’t make you want to hand around somewhere.

So, I am glad smoking bans are in place. But I certainly think it’s fine with places with outside patios to allow smoking but inside in a bar it’s frankly obnoxious.

So, I would definitely go back there but I really do prefer people smoking outside. Sorry smokers.

So, smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette. Puff, puff, puff and if you smoke yourself to death tell St. Peter at the Golden Gate you hate to make them wait, you just have to have another cigarette.

Beer > Football

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I have been a sports fan for a long time. At least since I was 9 years old and the Phillies went to the World Series in 1983 and lost to Rick Dempsey’s great series with the Baltimore Orioles.

It’s something guys talk about in school. I got into both pro and college sports, although central New Jersey where I grew up is like New England pro sports country.

I always looked forward to the NCAA tournament, loved college football Saturdays and NFL Sundays, loved hearing Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn (both in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Ashburn for his great hitting too) do Philadelphia Phillies games (and yes that made me spoiled.)

But, recently I simply don’t care about sports as much.

Last year I even had the NFL Redzone as an extra on DISH for a couple months. And that is ADD football to go to the redzone in every NFL game, sometimes going back and forth in multiple games at once.

But, late September this year I dropped the DISH. We have it on pause for $5, so we get preview channels and the DVR, but we really haven’t missed it.

I admit I miss watching PTI (Pardon the Interruption) on ESPN that was last real connection about what is going on in sports world, and I do like watching NCAA games and may have them as background now while I play Dominion: Online (yep still addicted). Honestly though I prefer listening to podcasts. It’s hard to listen to podcasts and web surf for me. Reading text and hearing text gets confusing to my brain. But it’s a good way to hear a good story.

So last night I was at a friend’s house to watch football and drink some beer. The AFC championship game Patriots vs. Ravens. I literally didn’t even know who was playing the NFL game, I thought it was the Niners but forgot the Falcons were there. I enjoyed watching the game, my friend is a loud fan, but frankly preferred drinking beer and hanging out.

I love beer. And I am going to keep talking about it on the blog, here is a collection of beer posts.

Right now having a delicious Bell’s Two Hearted Ale IPA, great balance and delicious beer. (90/A-) Last night I had some yummy dark czech lager that I should have checked into because I would get it again that was wonderfully drinkable. (88/B+) And had some Okacim (Poland) O.K. beer, that was just that. (78/C). I also had a monster beer the Founders Bolt Cutter 15th Anniversary Ale. It’s a monster at 15% alcohol by volume and frankly the alcohol showed and it was very, very heavy. Possible it will be better from aging, but like many costy beers I usually don’t see how it’s worth it. (85/B). And if you are curious I am on Untappd and like to check in.

So, I will drink beer all year, and as far as football goes I enjoy it but no longer need to go out of my way for it. But, beer truly is a gift of the gods and proof that God wants us to be happy. But, I guess Ben Franklin really said that about wine. For all spirited people it’s true, although too much spirit may soothe the soul in the evening, and brings horrors in the morning.

Cheers!

Edmund

Big Beer Season

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Mid-Winter, mid-January, it’s time for big beer.

Ironically it’s also the time that Sam Adams puts out it’s Spring Beers.

So went down to Friendly Discount, not my favorite beer store in Westbrook (odd parking lot). But, they were the only ones in town to have Brooklyn Monster Barleywine. And even better it was 2011. This is a good, good thing when it comes to barleywine. It was even pretty cheap for a huge beer, 10.1% ABV, $6.99/4 pack. Yummy and rich. (92/A-). Ironically, you can also get it in bottle at Buffalo Wild Wings. Also got some Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. One of my old favorite beers. Delicious, but still prefer the North Coast Old Rasputin as a big stout. And the Chocolate Stout is also a huge ABV of 10%. If you don’t know ABV = alcohol by volume.

And considering it was 15 degrees F outside when I was driving home, it’s time for a big warming beer.

So here is to the big beers and especially barleywines. I already wrote a piece on Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale my favorite beer of 2012, and also really loved the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot. Do you have a favorite winter beer?

Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale

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Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale is easily my favorite beer of 2012. Just a delicious, rich, well-balanced barleywine. And it tastes just awesome with roast.

Yummy, yummy stuff 96/A from a fantastic brewery. It also has amazing balance for a big 10.2% ABV (Alcohol by Volume) beer. Mmmm.

Frustration is finding out your favorite brewery Bell’s Brewery from Comstock, Michigan isn’t available in Maine. The good thing is, it is available at Shangy’s in Emmaus, PA a exit on 78 away from my parents in Allentown, PA.

I have loved every beer I have tried from Bell’s. The Winter White was delicious, yeasty and rich 88/B+. The Two Hearted Ale was a good solid IPA 90/A- and it’s delicious rich, unpasturized beer.

Considering they are the #9 microbrewery in the country it’s well time Bell’s comes to Maine.

Mmm beer.