Back from the Wild Side With A Bit of Gusto

Well, suffice it to say, it has been a long time in coming. In May, 2013, I said that we would be coming to you once a month.  Then in June, I thought, well, maybe we would be there once every two months, and before you know it, its May, 2014 and I haven't delivered a thing.  Lots going on in my life, some of it going well, some of it not so well, but all of it contributing to the greater good. Now its October 15, 2014, things have settled down and its time to put my stake in the ground. Let's party!

I haven't been delinquent in my follow up, but it certainly hasn't been for a lack of follow-up! There has certainly been quite a bit in the beer world to take stock. The work week has extended itself to where there are more weekend festivals than the average guy can accommodate - and that is good! The number of breweries has exploded in the National Capital Area and more are set up to move onto the scene and that is good as well. Not to mention the microbrewery and home brewery efforts of many of you and the world of variety that has introduced. The future seems bright and its not about to dull anytime soon. This is all good.

What I have been keeping up with is my account on Untappd, the iOS beer app available on the iPhone. As of today, I have 886 distinct beers and 188 total badges attributed to me.  Its pretty good, if I do say so myself. Its been fun to do and I think my experiences over the last few weeks have really improved with the entries. Of course, my feedback from my followers is what really tempers that, but I know some of you are followers of that blog as well.

So with all of that evidence of a brewing culture gurgling up to the top, I have jumped back into the fray with gusto. Hang on, its going to be a wild ride.

Brian

The Long Side of Forever: Waiting to Depart Portland

Getting on the plane in Portland in order to get to Denver via Chicago and we have wait out a series of storms. It's always the way of dealing with the Midwest, but it does not make it any less frustrating. All we can do is wait and run, wait and run.

A Newer Apple - The Crisp

Now there are two things that I do not associate together - apples and Brooklyn. I know that Brooklyn is a part of the Big Apple, but when it really comes down to it, there isn't much relationship between the modern big city and the quintessential country fruit. Apples are from Washington, Oregon, Upstate New York, Vermont - any place other than Brooklyn.  Let it be written, let it be done.  Until now. 

The Sixpoint Brewery is about to change all of that in the immediate future.  Located at 40 Van Dyke Street, Brooklyn (hey, isn't that the name of someone else who is famous?) the Sixpoint Brewery has been in business for 9 years.  It is Brooklyn to the core and the group proves that throughout their beer lineup.  They have a core group of six beers - Sweet Action, Righteous Ale, Bengali Tiger, The Crisp, Resin and Brownstone. These form the centralized group of beers and these are made all of the time.  These six are followed up by a group of four seasonal beers - Harbinger, Apollo, Autumnation, and Diesel - and a series of beers is a Rotational, Mad Scientists, Spice of Life and Beer For Beast.  The six beers are the center of the core group are our focus because they bring the true character of the brewery to life.  It clear that these brewmasters are crazy - for life in general and for the beer.

So, what does this have to do with apples?  Well, nothing, actually. The apple, however, is the closest living thing to that of The Crisp  The Crisp is a German pilsener style beer with an ABV of 5.4%, IBU of 42 and a SRM of 5.9.  The first thing upon pouring The Crisp is that you can't see through it, despite its light body and color.  You won't get far in navigating this brew.  The first mouthful is the key to The Crisp's taste.  It a highly robust flavor but it doesn't have a distinct taste, so it is common for a German pilsener. Its originally a Sehr Crisp and is flavored with noble hops to give it that flavor. 

The Crisp also available in 4 16 oz cans.  There is no plan to launch a case or to package the group in bottles.  (We will save that for a future edition of Jolly Good Fellows - count on that one!) The taste proves to be consistent throughout the body of the beer and the first mouthful is as good as the last. 

The Crisp is a really great beer from the folks up in Brooklyn and we are glad that they have chosen to branch out to encapsulate other types of beers. Here is just hoping that they don't start in with apples.

Happy Drinking!

Brian Smith

Anybody Else Ready for Summer?

Don't get me wrong. I love winter...beers. Dark stouts and seasonal winter warmers are some of my favorite beers to cozy up to alongside a good book.

But I made the mistake of looking through old photo albums today and came across this shot. Drinking a beer along the Metolius River near Camp Sherman, Oregon. It's mid-July and a lovely day out...making me ready for warmer days filled with cold, crisp, IPAs (or one of my favorites, the IRA by Double Mountain pictured).

Where was your favorite place to drink a beer last summer? Send us your picture and we will post it!

{ prost! }