MaltLog

At 5:00am, my alarm blared, waking me (and Jean) for the geekstravaganza of iPhone 3G launch day. I rolled out to Fairoaks mall by 5:30, getting me to an already busy parking lot teeming with young people having nothing better to do that day than queue up for Apple's latest iPhone.

So what's so big about this? It's not like a 3G MP3 player/phone hasn't been released before, but there's nothing quite like the iPhone.

The excited mall guards opened the mall by 6 and we were in. Apple has already been around to distribute AT&T rate plan cards, as well as Caribou Coffee (cream, sugar?) and Smart Water.

Stay tuned. They say there will be enough phones for us in the front of the line (I'm 45 or so of a couple hundred).

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Nose: almost no aroma in a pint glass; slight grapefruit or citrus if anything
Appearance: cloudy, light straw with orange; could be very watered-down OJ with soda water
Taste: incredible citrus! Very dry, very tart.
Personal: almost no aftertaste, very refreshing. Had this at Bierra Paradiso early July 2008

The Isle of Mull and Tobermory Distillery
The only distillery on the picturesque Hebridean Isle of Mull
Appearance: straw, light gold
Nose: caramel, wood, syrupy fruit
Taste: astringent, smooth, menthol,
Personal: similar to Mortlach...

"Each year on the first Saturday in May, homebrewers unite non-brewing and brewing friends and family to celebrate National Homebrew Day, joining with thousands of homebrewers from around the world in brewing the same recipes and sharing a simultaneous toast at noon Central Time."
- Beertown

appearance: wheat, cloudy
aroma: fruity, malt, roast
taste: a standard Belgian ale, slight French farmhouse taste
rating: 7/10 (I'd buy another)
Personal notes: had this with lunch on a trip to Geneva with my parents for Christophe's wedding. Served in a half liter mug.

Justin and I went to Bierra Paradiso on the 28th for a stout dinner, where Greg, their "sommelier" of sorts, told us about the various stouts we were imbibing, and why he paired them with their chosen courses.

An excellent time had by all, even with the walk across the Key bridge to the Rosslyn metro...

Continue reading "Beer Dinner: Bierra Paradiso (Georgetown) Stout Dinner" »

Appearance: Absolutely black, opaque.

Aroma: Very slight fruit, not characteristically belgian (being so reserved), malt, some wood..

Taste: malty, deep. Rough mouthfeel for a belgian. No diacetyl at all. Fruity, plum or dark cherry..

Brewery: Unibroue: Quebec, Canada

Overall: 7/10.

Personal: Thought I would like a Belgian dark just because I love dark ales and belgian brews. It's pleasant but I enjoy a good dubbel or trippel more so.

Beer advocate rating

Appearance: hazy , straw, blonde.

Aroma: esters, fruit, orange maybe some banana.

Taste: lemony-orange, light clove or spice.

Overall: 8/10.

Brewery: Brasserie D'achouffe.

Personal: an incredibly refreshing brew, not spicy at all. Had the tail-end of one courtesy of Justin, just before the Stout dinner at Bierra Paradiso.

Artesian Beligian golden ale w/ spice... 8%
Beer advocate rating

appearance: dark, mohageny

aroma: slightly malty, clean

taste: bittersweet, roasted, malty mouthfeel

brewery: brauerei schelm

overall: decent, but reminds me why alts aren't no. 1 in my book

rating: 6/10

product of Germany

Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, 46%
Appearance: Coppery, amber, sherry
Nose: Malt, smoke, sweet, reserved
Taste: Smokey, peat, salt, wood, plum roasted honey
Personal: Mush stonier than Laphroaig, though very similar. A sharp, smoky reminder of why I drink scotch.