Much to get to . . .

• Knowing that I cannot sing even a little bit or play anything, I am glad to find out that there is help out there for me to play a little tune while kicking back with a beer.
• As a general piece of advice I would recommend that if you are charged with keeping track of something worth upwards of a million dollars, maybe you should take the night off from hitting the bar.  Sure a beer or two is acceptable, but do yourself a favor by not starting a tab.
• I had to pass along that advice before linking to this story telling you that drinking could help you live longer.  That may trump my recommendation, but doing what is necessary to track of the valuables is still a good idea.
• I like the idea of having a guide like this to assist my decision making and directions when travelling to other states.  My hunch is that it would not take as long to put together a version of this for Florida.
• In the spirit of at least somewhat cancelling out the possibility of drinking beer lengthening your lifespan, I present you with a deep fried version.  Who knew that a liquid could be fried like that?
• You all know that I am a sucker for lists and this one hits on a perfect combination (for me) of beer and travel.  I will have the push pins in the map moments after I complete writing this post.
• I defy you to not watch a video of an animal drinking (and enjoying) a few beers.  There is also a bonus of a bad joke at the end.
• To close the week, an article that highlights some reverse engineering of sorts via Dogfish Head’s musically inspired Bitches Brew.  There is a pretty good chance that I won’t get to try this one, so I like to read reactions from the folks who do get to.

DFH Bitches Brew (via http://www.npr.org/)

Cheers!

Here we go . . .

• Staring off easy I will give a few links that are not as much news as they are interesting uses for beer cans.  This first group seems pretty reasonable for an individual to drink enough beer to create while I am hoping that this guy did not have to drink all of the Bud necessary for his sculpture.
• I suppose plans for brewery expansion change when people catch on to  how great your beer is and fortunately this Colorado brewery is being responsible about the whole process while adding capacity very fast.  Even bars in Colorado are adjusting to keep up with the growing desire for craft beer.
• Apparently we now know what the new television craze is going to be after all of those damn cake and cupcake shows fade away.  After the announcement of Sam Calagione’s show in June, it seems that other networks are jumping in with beer shows as well.  I am just sorry I missed my shot at being one of the hosts.
• Surely this acquisition will only further the already heated discussion of what this means as far as the true definition of craft beer.  I know they all have to do what they have to do, but I hope that the merger bug does not infect the entire craft beer community going forward.
• Knowing that Dogfish Head used this method to create one of their brews, it is interesting to see playing with hot rocks catch on a bit.
• As one of my favorite beer styles that is not actually a recognized style, the Black IPA is certainly gaining momentum everywhere.  More and more breweries are coming out with examples and the article gives some very good options of brews to try if you haven’t yet tried one.
• Lastly is a shout out to a great brewery here in (nearby) Tampa.  I just hope they don’t get too popular right away as it is already difficult to get your hands on their brews sometimes.  Fortunately there is always going straight to the source as an option for me.

West End Tavern in Boulder (via http://www.dailycamera.com)

Cheers!

For this week . . .

• Fortunately Ken Kan Kook picked up the slack this week and passed along something quite interesting to me.  Since we did not make it to Naked City Brewery & Taphouse (it was on the large list of to dos) on our recent trip to Seattle, I have to ask Jeff to go sample for me and report back.
• Here we go again.  First there was a leak and then there was official word.  Now I do drink a fair amount of higher gravity brews, but if I want something with that much punch I will go buy a nice bottle of something for a hell of a lot less money.  I also like to keep my taxidermy and my beer separate.
• Now we are talking!  Unlike the beer summit about a year ago, President Obama went with some hometown Goose Island as part of the exchange after The World Cup draw between the United States and England.
• This was one of those headlines that I could not resist.  Via this article you can read back if you choose to or even go off to this interview.  I must admit that I would be curious to taste this new creation if only because the original PBR is my bowling beer of choice.
• How could I not post a story about how beer lovers (like myself) are a good example of how to turn around a struggling economy?   I will continue to do my part!
• This Dogfish Head creation (or recreation) has been around for quite a few years now, but this article does a nice job of explaining how it came to be.

Beer from this? (viahttp://www.npr.org/)

Gan bei!

The pink elephant will always draw you in.

So after doing a brief internet search, I came up with what I thought would be a few good options and Max’s Taphouse was on that short list.  At that point it was just one of a handful of choices.  Then I was reading through December’s issue of Beeradvocate Magazine and saw Max’s was on their list of the 25 “Top Places to Have a Pint.”  OK, so that narrowed the list a bit further.  Then I decided to ask who ever could hear me out in the world of Twitter where I could get some good beer and watch college basketball in Baltimore.  When the immediate answer of Max’s came back it sealed the deal for my beer drinking location of choice for that trip.

That was all before I looked on the map to see that Max’s Taphouse was only a short walk away from the hotel we would be staying at!  Sometimes things just work out in your favor.

Some of the view from my seat.

The Wife and I quickly pulled up a barstool directly in front of the tap handles for the cask beer offerings on our initial visit.  The first choice for me was a (cask) Troegs Nugget Nectar and The Wife went with a Silly Pink Killer (Brasserie de Silly).  Bob was fantastic behind the bar and we felt at home even more when a patron asked if the free Miller Lite that was being offered “came with a straw like the rest of the water.”  Somewhere in my laughter at that question I briefly felt sorry for the Miller Lite girl that was pushing the freebies that afternoon.  Not the best crowd for that product, but just the type of beer drinking people I wanted to be around.

Thus began my obsession with the environment and selection at my fingertips (80 or so draft offerings and hundreds of bottled option) as I would visit Max’s each of the first three days of our stay in Baltimore. I would say that is a bad thing, but I enjoyed every moment of it!

A peek at the draft list.

To save my computer from the potential drool that would come with a beer-by-beer recap (from Gubna to Dugana to Gemeni and on), I will go with mostly pictures from here on out.  Enjoy . . .

OB Gubna in front, then Avery Dugana, and Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot in back

Emelisse Winter and Olivers Bishop Breakfast

Just part of the set up that I would like at home.

Avery Collaboration (I think)

Part of what the bar sees (and I think a Dogfish Head Aprihop)

Do yourself a favor and visit Max’s Taphouse if are in Baltimore.  Sit yourself at the bar, introduce yourself to Bob, and get yourself a good draft beer.  All will be well from there!

Their website says that this one is a blend of oak-aged English strong ale and Dogfish’s very popular 90 Minute IPA, which I somehow did not fit into the evaluations for the month.  I think this is a great blend of the two styles, which again gave me a beer that was different than anything I can remember trying previously.  The Wife didn’t make it past the first sip, but that only meant that there was more for me to enjoy!

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware)

Name: Burton Baton

Style: Imperial IPA (oak-aged)

ABV: 10.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in an oversized wine glass.  $3.49 for 12oz.

Aroma: Smooth, slightly citrus hop aroma.  A slight hint of vanilla with a little bit of earthy/woody nose in back.

Appearance: Medium amber with some orange tint.  Slight, cream color head with moderate retention and a heavy(ish) trail.  Quite clear with a few bubbles rising.

Flavor: Moderate hop flavor (some grapefruit-like character) with a nice background of caramel/slightly toasted maltiness.  Some bitterness and well balanced overall.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with moderate carbonation.  Very smooth and slightly creamy with an even hint of warmth in back.

Overall Impressions: Really incredible aroma (my initial impression) with the flavor falling right in line.  The oak aging did not over power either.  A very pleasant beer with a great combination of aromas and flavors.

Grade: A- (maybe higher)

Point of entry

Dogfish Head - Burton Baton

Dogfish Head - Burton Baton

A closer look