random shit

I've been a bad blogger lately. A few random beer thoughts:

Lisa and I conducted a side-by-side tasting the other night, comparing my own Old Crowbar with its barley wine inspiration, Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot. The dude did all right. The commerical exemplar was a touch older and therefore a touch smoother, just a little more rounded and suave. But mine was great--even a prettier color, with a more dramatic head, brighter hops in the nose... The only weakness was that mine had a slightly tangier, less rounded malt profile on the palate. Should probably round out in another couple months.

Tonight I drank a bottle of 2- or 3-year-old Guldenberg. That was nice. I sat outside in a lawn chair since it was sunny and 55 degrees.

My brewing life has spiralled out of control. I have, counting one beer Lisa made, 12 (TWELVE) active fermentors in the house, four upstairs, five down, and two lagers in the basement. This means that there is a lot of bottling in my future. I must go and procure bottles posthaste.

Tried three new beers in the last couple of days. "Sax-a-ma-phone" Strong Belgian Blonde is pretty good, but needs time, as stronger pale beers usually do. "Star Chamber" Double IPA has a jaw-dropping dry-hopped nose (1/2 oz each Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe, and Warrior will do that). I love it. "New Year's Belgian Amber" is a gem. Wyeast 1388 produced layers of interesting esters over an elegant toasty malt base. Remember: People don't make beer. Yeast make beer.