Lager Sampling No. 1 [7/17/2010]

Brewery	Name	Location	Short Description	Rating
Samuel Adams	Black Lager	Boston, MA	ok, decent	91
Gorden Biersch Brewing Company	Märzen	San Jose, CA	too bitter	88
Dundee Brewing Co	Pale Bock Lager	Rochester, NY	malty, sweet	92
Samuel Adams	Imperial Double Bock	Boston, MA	molasses, 9.5%	94
Spoetzl Brewery	Shiner Bohemian Black Lager	Shiner, TX	toasty, almost charred	90
Flying Dog Brewery	Collaborator Doppelbock	Denver, CO	8.3%, full bodied, super yummy	96
Spoetzl Brewery	Shiner Bock	Shiner, TX	clean, toasty	92
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co	30th Anniversary Imperial Helles Bock	Chico, CA	malty, toasty	94

See Also:
Porter Sampling No. 7, Porter Sampling No. 6, Porter Sampling No. 5, Porter Sampling No. 4, Porter Sampling No. 3, Porter Sampling No. 2, Porter Sampling No. 1
Ale Sampling No. 1
Wheat Sampling No. 2, Wheat Sampling No. 1

Homebrewing: Rye [6/27/2010]

It's proved really difficult for me to find ryes in the store. If you've found a rye you like please let me know. For this batch we used the Brewers Connection recipe for O'Ryely's Rye. I can't wait to see how this turns out and how it ages.

Chestnut Soup [6/20/2010]

Chestnut Soup

3 tbs butter
1 chopped celery rib
2 chopped carrots and/or parsnips
2 chopped shallots or 1 onion
5-6 cups of low sodium chicken broth (or half broth / half water)
15 oz jar peeled and cooked whole chestnuts
1/4 cup dry Sherry, Sercial Madeira, or dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 bouquet garni in cheesecloth: sprig of parsley, 1 bay leaf, (optional) sprig of thyme, (optional) whole cloves

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Sweat vegetables for 15 minutes to soften.

Add broth and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Add chestnuts and wine. Simmer, covered, 3 minutes.

Cool soup slightly. Puree soup in small batches in a blender, transferring to a heavy saucepan. Stir in cream, pepper, and salt to taste.

Reheat soup. Serve with crunchy garnish such as frizzled leeks or thin slices of raw green beans, celery, etc.

Porter Sampling No. 7 [5/26/2010]

Brewery	Name	Location	Short Description	Rating
Samuel Adams	Holiday Porter	Boston, MA	ok, decent	89
Lagunitas Brewing Co	Cappucinno Stout	Petaluma, CA	ok, but not exciting	90
Moylan's Brewing Co	Dragoons Dry Irish Stout	Novato, CA	thin, dry, a bit hoppy	88
Brew Dog	Rip Tide twisted merciless stout	England	hoppy	88
Green Flash Brewing Co	Double Stout	San Diego, CA	unmemorable	88
Anderson Valley Brewing Co	Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout	Boonville, CA	decent	89
Bell's Brewery	Kalamazoo Stout	Comstock, MI	bitter	87
Boulder Beer Company	Obovoid Oak-Aged Oatmeal Stout	Boulder, CO	I didn't like the aged in oak flavor	87
Jedrzejow Brewery	Strzelec Porter	Jedrzejow, Poland	thick, molasses like	94
Samuel Adams	Cream Stout	Boston, MA	toasty	93
Deschutes Brewery	Obsidian Stout	Bend, OR	nice body, toasty	92
Odell Brewing Co	Cutthroat Porter	Fort Collins, CO	malty, dry, clean	94
Prescott Brewing Co	Achocolypse Porter	Prescott, AZ	rich, very chocolatey	92

See Also:
Porter Sampling No. 6
Porter Sampling No. 5
Porter Sampling No. 4
Porter Sampling No. 3
Porter Sampling No. 2
Porter Sampling No. 1
Ale Sampling No. 1
Wheat Sampling No. 2
Wheat Sampling No. 1

Finished Here Comes Everybody [5/18/2010]

The first part of the book is mostly anecdotes that are individually pretty interesting. But, I was left wondering about their relevance and whether or not anything could be extrapolated from them. In the last few chapters Shirky really puts it all together and makes several large scale conclusions about the role of the internet and social networking in our society and our future.

Finished Patternmaster [5/08/2010]

I have mixed feelings on this conclusion to Butler's Patternist series. I found it to be a fun read, but, it was also kind of difficult for me to care one way or another about Teray's fate. As a whole, the series is worthwhile. But, I don't think Patternmaster could stand up well on it's own. At least the characters weren't annoying like those in Mind of My Mind were.

Finished Clay's Ark [5/05/2010]

This is another book in Butler's four part Patternist series. I found this one much more to my liking than Mind of My Mind. It's got a lot of action and the characters are interesting. It's gritty but still accessible. I would have liked the story to be even longer and cover more of what happened after the clayark disease spread.

2nd Annual PBS Craft Brewing Festival [5/01/2010]

Unfortunately, Oran was sick for the 2nd PBS craft brew fest. So, we didn't get to stay very long or try everything. This time they had more food options and the venue was pretty nice. I was somewhat disappointed because most of the local AZ breweries brought only their usual stuff. I had already tried almost of all of the beers. I was hoping to see their seasonals and special small batch brews. Oh well. A shout out to Prescott Brewing Company for bringing a seasonal their Achocolypse Porter - it was thick, rich and delicious. Now I am wanting to visit Prescott again.

Finished Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medecine [4/30/2010]

This book is really interesting. Topics covered include infection, aging, allergies, and cancer. I found it an easy and enjoyable read compared to a lot of non-fiction out there. The only flaw is that it is a bit out-dated having been written in 1994. I'd love a follow up sequel.

Ale Sampling No. 1 [4/26/2010]

Brewery	Name	Location	Short Description	Rating
Fischer Biere d' Alsace	Fischer Tradition Amber	Schiltigheim, France	fruity	94
Anderson Valley Brewing Co	Boont Amber Ale	Boonville, CA	good	92
Samuel Adams	Cranberry Lambic	Boston, MA	doesn't taste like a lambic	89
Four Peaks	Kiltlifter	Tempe, AZ	like spice cake	94
St Peters	Organic English Ale	Bungay, England	light, refreshing (seriously)	94
Spoetzl Brewery	Shiner Bock	Shiner, TX	dry, good taste	90
Oak Creek Brewing Co	Nut Brown Ale	Sedona, AZ	malty, creamy, sweet, nutty	95
Big Sky Brewing Co	Moose Drool Brown Ale	Missoula, Montana	toasty, nutty	94
Full Sail Brewing Co	Keelhauler Scottish Ale	Hood River, OR	hoppy	89
Batemans Brewery	Combined Harvest	Wainfleet, England	toasty, delicious	96
Dundee Brewing Co	Honey Brown	Rochester, NY	sweet	92

See Also:
Wheat Sampling No. 2
Wheat Sampling No. 1
Porter Sampling No. 7
Porter Sampling No. 6
Porter Sampling No. 5
Porter Sampling No. 4
Porter Sampling No. 3
Porter Sampling No. 2
Porter Sampling No. 1