It seems like every weekend for the past couple we’ve looked out the window and said This has got to be the last sunny weekend of the year, we better get outside and do something! This weekend we saddled up the Jr. VP’s “bike” (I wouldn’t call it a “trike” if I were you, not when he’s around anyway) and headed next door to the PCC campus. It is a perfect place for the lad to ride, with long, flat cement hallways bound on either side by walls. So long as I can keep up with him and prevent Jr from riding his bike down the stairs (that handle on the back is a lifesaver, literally) everyone is pretty safe and happy. Except for the poor schmucks attending class on Saturday morning — I’m sure they enjoyed watching the four of us walking around outside while they were indoors, furthering their education.
Monday night the Chiefs Edumacator and Bride came over for football. The CFO made lumpia and chicken adobo, and we spent the evening stuffing ourselves and watching the Hawks lay some pain on the Niners. We also had a beer testing session. It’s still early, but I need to know what is worth spending my money on this year. The initial results were somewhat underwhelming. Maybe I just picked a bad crop to taste? It looked like my go-to beer store (Barbur Foods) had had a run on the winter beers over the weekend as they were out of several of the usual suspects. We did the best with what they had:
We started with Winterhook. Fine, but not much too it. Tasted a lot like regular Redhook. We then moved on this year’s Jubelale, which was much better than the Winterhook. No spices or anything, just good, malty carmelly winter beer. Next up was the Wassail. I’ve loved this one in years past but this year I wasn’t really impressed. Not a bad beer in any way, but nothing complex or special about it. Up next was Wreck the Halls, an Imperial IPA. It is a huge beer, with one 22 oz bottle chock full of enough malt and hops to make three kegs of Bud Light. Very good, but again, I remember liking last year’s version better. I wonder if my taste or Full Sail that is changing. Much more investigation is warranted I think. We finished the evening with the Snow Plow (“Mr Plow” as the Edumacator calls it): a fine milk stout from Widmer. You know how Guinness has just a tiny touch of sourness to it under the malt? Snow Plow has none of that, just creamy roasty black deliciousness. Mmmm, beery deliciousness.
Next up on the reviewing stand this week will be Sierra Nevada Celebration and my favorite from years past, Ebenezer. Reports forthcoming.
