130, 131 and 132

Last Mug Challenge brunch.  It got a little sloppy.

Starting off with a nice red ale, Maudite.  Has a sour, tart smelling bouquet. Fizzy mouth-feel. Thin to no head after the pour.  Reddish, caramel color. 

Beer: Unibroue Maudite

ABV: 8%

Home: Chambly, Quebec

Birth: 1992

Slogan: "(damned)"

Going heavy with the Bigfoot barley-wine. BIG flavor, BIG bitterness.  This is a tough one for sure - good thing it's only a 12 ouncer. 

Beer: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

ABV: 9.6%

Home: Chico, California

Birth: 1983

Slogan: ""

Finishing off sweet, too sweet. This apple brew is like fruity pop.  Has thick lacing.  Possibly the wine coolers great, great, great grandfather. 

Beer: Floris Apple

ABV: 3.6%

Home: Melle, Belgium

Birth: 1654

Slogan: ""

102, 103, 104.

It's been a lazy headache-riddled day, but starting off with the Aventinus Double Bock.  Hair of the dog ended up working in my favor.  This beer has a nice three finger head and a dark carmel color.  Has a nice clove, spice flavor and pillowy mouth feel.  Finish is a little too sweet for my preference, but definitely a lot of interesting dark fruit notes going on here.  This is the "oldest wheat doppelbock of Bavaria."

Beer: Schneider Weiss Aventinus Doppelbock

ABV: 8.2%

Home: Kelheim, Germany

Birth: 1907

Slogan: ""

Got to back it off a little... Grolsch.  This a clear, slim, even-headed lager.  Comes in a green bottle, so there's inevitably a little skunk aroma at first.  It's light and crisp.  I'll note this below, but this has been around since 1615!!

Beer: Grolsch Lager

ABV: 5%
Home: Enschede, Netherlands

Birth: 1615

Slogan: "Delicious, naturally aged beer"

Last minute decision on this third and last brew for the night.  It's been on tap for a while, and well, I've really got to take advantage of that when it happens.  The Baba, as in bah-bah black sheep or that's what I think of when I see this.  It's categorized as a black lager, but could almost pass for a stout.  Head is not quite white, not quite tan, and frothy.  A little smoky, not-so-sweet, biting bitter finish. It's also USDA Organic.  BAH!

Beer: Uinta Baba

ABV: 4%

Home: Salt Lake City, Utah

Birth: 1993-2012 (not sure)

Slogan: "Earth, wind and beer"

99 and 100!

The weather this weekend has been AWESOME!  Spent the day biking around Cambridge running random errands and just enjoying no schedule at all.  I realized that we should probably hit up Bukowski's since I only have two more to One Hundred!

First up, the apply Ephemere.  This breweries package is pretty and shiny to say the least.  The beer itself has a really nice, dry green apple flavor.  Has a thick light and fizzy head. Pours a cloudy orange, but clears up.  Really great session beer.

Beer: Unibroue Ephemere Apple White Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Home: Quebec, Canada
Birth: 2001
Slogan: ""














Drum roll.... Delirium Tremens!  Latin for "shaking frenzy" or the shakes associated with alcoholic withdrawal this is a great brew and again great packaging presented here.  I mean, the bottle is green, so it makes total sense to paint it and wrap it in foil, right?  The Belgian Strong Ale is a style that I'm learning I like more and more.  There is constant activity in this glass and I'm not referring to the pink elephants.  There is a small imperfection in bottom of this glass that creates a constant tornado of bubbles rising to the top - retains the three finger, foamy head nicely.  Tastes of sweet, fermented, pitted fruits.  The high ABV is masked... be careful.

Beer: Delirium Tremens
ABV: 8.5%
Home: Melle, Belgium
Birth: 1988
Slogan: "Welcome to the World of the Pink Elephant"

101.

Time for a barley wine.  Been putting it off for a long time, but this one is the bomber of the two on my list. The Hog Heaven would be a nice pint (or less). It has bitter hop notes and is very dry.  It has a thin head with light even lace through the session.  The second poor becomes more earthy, more bitter and little bit weird.  ABV is apparent toward the end.

 Beer: Avery Brewing Hog Heaven
ABV: 9.2%
Home: Boulder, Colorado
Birth: 1993-2004 (some where in there)
Slogan: "The Holy Trinity of Ales"

leviathan, smutty ipa, carlsberg, boston ale

It's National IPA Day!

Starting off strong with the Leviathan, aka sea monster from the Old Testament.  This is a high alcohol brew, but I think it's light in body.  Bitter with dark candied fruit flavors - also described with tropical fruit notes. Has almost no head after the initial pour.

Beer: Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA
ABV: 10%
Home: Boston, Massachusetts
Birth: 2008
Slogan: "Love beer. Love life. Harpoon."














And for the last IPA on my list... Smuttynose.  Honestly, this is not my favorite IPA, but I gotta drink it.  This is bitter all around. Really dry finish.  Thin head with even lacing.

Beer: Smuttynose "Finest Kind" IPA.
ABV: 6.9%
Home: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Birth: ~2003
Slogan: ""















Now for a light one.  Carlsberg, is clear and crisp.  Golden in color and thin head. Not bad, but not much else going on here.

Beer: Carlsberg Pilsner
ABV: 5%
Home: Denmark
Birth: 1904
Slogan: "That calls for a Carlsberg"















On my card is the Sam Boston Lager, but the bar no longer carries it on tap.  So, they gave the me the Boston Ale.  My notes say, "coriander and cloves are fighting my mouth on a bed of maple leaves." This is #4, but that is a pretty clear explanation. More pubs should have this on tap!

Beer: Samuel Adams Boston Ale
ABV: 5.4%
Home: Boston, Massachusetts
Birth: 1988
Slogan: ""

47, 48 and 49

The Ruination ruined my pallet.  Holy hoppy start to finish.  Hard to drink this one.

Beer: Stone Ruination IPA
ABV: 7.7%
Home: Escondido, California
Birth: 2002
Slogan: "A liquid poem to the glory of the hop!"














Saison Dupont (cork pops)... I forgot to look up!  I always look up!  Smells skunky, but maybe its the green bottle.  Super smooth and refreshing.  Among the greats for the Saison/Farmhouse style. Would be great with red meat.

Beer: Saison Dupont
ABV: 6.5%
Home: Tourpes, Belgium
Birth: 1844
Slogan: ""















Time for a High Life.  Crushed field corn.  Bubbly, watery.  Good closer to the evening.

Beer: Miller High Life
ABV: 4.6%
Home: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Birth: 1903
Slogan: "The Champagne of beers"

43, 44, 45 (1/3 done), and 46

Starting tonight off with the Sinebrychoff Imperial Porter which is Finnish like our killer goalie, Rask!  This brew is very smoky, rich in carmel and coffee.  Pours black with light brown head.  Very nice.

Beer: Sinebrychoff Imperial Porter
ABV: 7.2%
Home: Kerava, Finland
Birth: ?
Slogan: ""















Next on the list is Orval.  Pours beautifully with a fluffy cloud of head, but is more bubbly or fizzy than creamy.  Little hoppy and crisp with a more sour finish.  Fun fact, this brew is only distributed through Washington state.

Beer: Orval Trappist Ale
ABV: 6.2%
Home: Viller-devant-Orval, Belgium
Birth: 1931
Slogan: ""















One of my less favorite lights, Sam Light.  Not much to say here. Just another light beer. Consistent bubbles maintains a light head with zero lacing.

Beer: Sam Adams Light
ABV: 4%
Home: Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Birth: ~1984
Slogan: "Never Say Never"















My fellow mug challengers' response to going for four, "OMG, I haven't seen that since B's Aunt J!" (Sorry potential readers, for the definitely necessary inside joke.)

Allagash White has a thin head that leaves thick lace. Smells distinctly Belgian.  I've always loved the haziness of this brew.  It's sweet, flavorful and a little bubblegummy.

Beer: Allagash White
ABV: 5%
Home: Portland, Maine
Birth: 1995
Slogan: ""















As we leave tonight the Goonies, Beavis and Butthead, and Indiana Jones are on the TVs. Sensory overload.