Sadly, there's only one draught beer today. The one below:Lagunitas the Hairy Eyeball
It's dark. The head doesn't look good. It has a "flowers of yeast" look about it. I wonder what style it is? Only joking. Thick and chewy. A bit too sweet for my taste. Not very well balanced. I suppose it's an "English-style" Barley Wine. Not great.
It's less crowded today., which I like. I need to relax, I'm knackered. Even my whisky breakfast hasn't livened me up. (I really did have half a bread roll and 200 mils of bourbon for breakfast. I needed to use it up.) Pippi Langstrumpf is serving again. Her mouth is permanently twisted into a smile. Not sure if that's charming or creepy. Let's see what I think after another beer. I've read people banging on about Storm King. One of them then.
Bum. It just ran out.
Thirsty Dog Imperial StoutTotally opaque. Like a black hole wearing shades. Nice tan head, if a little thin. Mmm . . smells like a coffee/grapefruit cocktail. This is what I came to the States for. No, it isn't a multiple pileup. More a fender bender. There's plenty of coffee. Some might say too much. Not me. There's liquorice in spades, too. And loads of dark fruit. It's probably stupidly strong [9.7% ABV]. Just what I need. You'll see my secret shame in the photo. A glass of water. I told you I was knackered.
Captain Lawrence Smoked Porter
I've run out of black similes. Fucking black. That'll have to do. Not much head. It tastes quite light. Not surprising. consiidering the last two alco-bombs I've had. Quite fruity and with a firm hop presence (eat your heart out, Jilly Goolden). Not a great deal of smoke going on. Pleasant enough.
Time for another Hairy Eyeball. It's a Strong Ale, according to Pippi, "Not a Barley Wine." Shows how much I know about beer.
Blind Tiger Ale House
281 Bleecker St.,
New York,
New York 10014.
212 - 462-4682
http://www.blindtigeralehouse.com
Lagunitas Brewing Company
1280 N McDowell Blvd,
Petaluma,
California 94954.
707 - 769 4495
http://www.lagunitas.com/
Thirsty Dog Brewing Company
529 Grant Street Suite B,
Akron,
Ohio 44311.
http://www.thirstydog.com/
Captain Lawrence Brewing Company
99 Castleton Street,
Pleasantville,
New York 10570.
http://captainlawrencebrewing.com/
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8 comments:
I agree with your comments on the Hairy Eyeball... I enjoy the flavor, but it's too sweet for me to want more than one.
Yeah . . . I didn't mention it in the post but I went back to Hairy Eyeball. I had two more.
In my defence, I only had 65-70 minutes in Blind Tiger. It was easy to knock back the cask-conditioned Hairy Eyeball quickly.
oooooh.... You had mentioned that you went back to the eyeball, but I didn't notice that it was cask-conditioned. That would be reason enough for me to go back to it!
Thirsty Dog's Siberian Night is a great stout for the money. Some complexity, a kick of alcohol, but it does the job quite nicely. All in all, you can't go wrong with that or Victory's Storm King when you're looking for big and malty. Too bad you only got your hands on the one.
I dropped in today in the afternoon Ron, nice and quiet. The cask today is Lagunitas Reuben & The Jets, a strongish dark ale I was told. I found it similar to Young's Winter Warmer of some years ago, a non-stock Burton perhaps, very good and very English-tasting. (Today the Eyeball was served as a fizzy cold draft). I added the dregs of my Pennchuck IPA to it. I was trying to get maybe a post-1870's mild XX (i.e., with some Californian hops joining to the English). It worked well. Earlier, half a pint of oatmeal stout from upstate New York in Stout, a stout specialty bar on 33rd Street near Penn Station (so focused that not a porter in the house! I counted 25 bottled stouts and 5 drafts plus a cask). Not quite a craft beer bar but not strictly commercial either, kind of a blend and I always enjoy it there.
Gary
E.S. Delia, I can't help but disagree.. but it's a personal taste thing. As much as I enjoy Victory's beers, I really can't stand the Storm King. The heavy roast just doesn't jive with the large dosing of C hops. It reminds me of brushing my teeth then drinking orange juice. Just my opinion.
Gary, I didn't realise that there was a bar specialising just in Stout. And I was up that way when I was in NYC recently. I caught a train to Newark airport from Penn Station. Have to drop by next time I'm in town.
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