Wwwwhhhhyyyyy???????????

Birds sound like sirens at 4:30 A.M. Even more annoying is the fact that the night time crickets are so unwilling to give up their shift so easily. Now it's just a battle of sounds that just makes me want to shove the dying flowers from last month stem deep in my ears.

Just wanted to say hi to those out there that actually get up at this time. I think you are all crazy and are in serious need of Tylenol PM and a stuffed bear. Go back to sleep.

I Need Beer.. and a Job.

My beer consumption has slowed down considerably. This is not out of lack of desire. Unfortunately my taste for exceptional brews and lack of funds available make it difficult to live the life of a beer snob. I am half-tempted to peruse my beloved bar in search of desperate boys who are willing to buy me an eight dollar beer with wanting nothing in return. This would go against everything I believe it - but, like I said, it's tempting.

I also have been job hunting. Which is why my blog has been going long periods of time with no new words. My apologies. If you know of anyone who wants to hire a semi-pro beer consumer who is looking to go pro (with pay, of course) please point me in their general direction. I am thirsty and becoming increasingly sad.

For now - CareerBuilder and Monster are calling my name. Both of these have given me no leads, so I am close to shooing away the Monster that's supposed to be Building me some sort of Career. After all, I hear those people who do "professional massages" on Craigslist are doing pretty well.

An Education and a Beer

I return, yet again! This time baring great news: I have finally completed my time as a college student. Well, as an undergraduate student (now excuse me while I stare out into the void and ponder my next step in academia)....

Okay, whew, back. Yes, I have finished my degree and was lucky enough to have my parents join me in my beloved Raleigh, North Carolina. There was no better way to wrap up such an epic era of college brew-ha-ha-ness then at my dearest little pub - The Flying Saucer. And epic era ending calls for epic beer consumption. That night was not so much quantity (no, no, that would come the next night on my actual graduation day) as quality. After briefing my parents on the extensive list of beers,they offered to aid in the celebration by purchasing one of the best on the menu: Allagash Curieux. At $25 a 750 ml bottle, I would be need to be stripped of my newly acquired degree if turned down.


Now, let me just say that I am a boubon drinker. I am also, clearly,a beer drinker. These are two things that make me unbelievably happy. When you merge these two together, it's much like two unicorns making love and producing offspring of rainbows, sunshine and this very beer.
The pour was golden (as it very well should be) and produced a decent head with light lacing. The fact that this is Allagash's Tripel Ale aged eight weeks in Jim Beam barrels is evident in the aroma. The boubon influence is noted first in the smell, but not it is not overwhelming. The taste, oh my heavens... yeast with citrus and warm, vanilla like bourbon. This is a sipping beer, because the warmth of the bourbon taste might overwhelm some. Not me, of course, but some.

I did, however, read and midget's handful of reviews that denounced the strong presence of bourbon flavor and I have dubbed them pussies of the highest nature, whose blasphemous tongues should be stripped of all flavor sensing capabilities.

I have been spoiled and refuse to wait till I complete a Masters program for my next bottle. So, be sure to donate on paypal (on your right hand side of the screen) so that I can enjoy this experience again. Hell, or just come out and join me!

Cheers.

Accomplishing Life and Other Things

So, I have a brand new way for you to follow what I'm doing - other than this wonderful site, of course! This one is a little more personal though. I have always kept a list of things I have wanted to do in my life. Call it what you want - a life list, a bucket list, whatever - but it's something that I had gotten away from about three or more years ago. I've started again and found this amazing website that allows you to not just post and organize this list, but always write and share with others about what you want to accomplish, how you did and how you fell about it. It's mylifelist.org and it's pretty amazing. I've started one, of course, and if you join we can share our accomplishments together!
I've already checked off one thing and finally conquered my intense fear of donating blood.









Also, I have many more beers to add. Bare with me here folks! :)

Dysentery Gary

St. Patrick's Day should have been a delightful day for me. I had so many amazing plans - to the point that a friend and I were referring to it as "The Best Day Ever." Alas, I jinxed it and found myself curled up in bed the night before with a 102 degree temp and the feeling similar to Manny beating on my bones with a baseball bat. Needless to say, I did not drink. I couldn't. And I haven't for an entire week. There was that one time that I attempted to sip a Boddington's but it later visited the the public library parking lot when I was forced to pull over and hack up my insides.

I am feeling better - thankfully. My quest shall continue. Until then... drink one for me.

Paging Dr. Drew

Dear North Carolina,

Do we need to talk? I think we do. I'm worried about all the white stuff you have around now. I get that you want to party every once in awhile, but what used to be a once a year occasion seems to have turned into a disturbing habit. Your constant indulgence in this white, euphoric substance has many of us worried. It's even effecting how the rest of us interact with you. We don't want spend time with you when you're like this. We look outside, see you covered in white powder and just roll our eyes.

"North Carolina's at it again..." we mumble to ourselves.

I think we've all let this go on long enough. It's March, for crying out loud, snap out of it! I hope you'll take this seriously, because I don't know how much longer all of us can take this. So, lay off the ice and take care of yourself. I'm just saying all of this because I care. I don't want you to end up like the rest of your friend's up North. Text me if you need help. I'm always here.

Your friend,

V

'Twas Not the Best Day

Three more beers comin' at'chaaaa...

I have become a fan of the IPA variety. Maybe this is because they tend to have high ABVs. You know, nothing like a little more bang for your buck. So, when I came across Jamaica Sunset IPA by Mad River Brewing it intrigued me. "Jamaica Sunset," I thought to myself, "how delightfully exotic sounding!"


WRONG. To say I didn't like it would be somewhat of an understatement. Oddly enough, I'm not exactly sure why I hated it so much. I even did research online about what other people said about it and the majority seemed to love the damn thing. Now I'm thinking that there is something wrong with ME. Are my taste buds completely out of whack? Have I been living a lie this whole time? Should I just stop and give up beer before something absolutely terrible befalls me??
Whew! Excuse me while I collect myself. Clearly this beer is not worth a break down. I just didn't like it and I must come to terms with the fact that this will happen from time to time. But let me at least give you a brief description of the one who has caused me such turmoil!
It pours a fuzzy amber/copper and just didn't look too crisp or clean to me. It also has far more malt flavor than expected and I feel the hops taste is very, very miniscule in comparison to the better IPAs. Citrus, such as grapefruit, can be tasted. Slightly sweet, but it finishes pretty heavy... and that's not a good thing. Combined with a cheesy looking bottle - I'm not impressed and don't plan on having this one again. So count it off my list, dear Flying Saucer, and chuck this bottle into the recycling.

Next up - a beer hailing form North Carolina: Duck Rabbit Milk Stout. I think nearly everyone who has a little bit of beer appreciation (or spent enough time staring at the beer section of a grocery store) will recognize the Duck Rabbit label. I like stouts. I like milk stouts. I like chocolate stouts. I just like these heavy, creamy beers. It was a nice black/brown pour, as most of these guys are, with a sweet and bitter smell of chocolate and coffee. The taste is pretty close to the smell with chocolate and coffee. Sweet, but not too much so and has a nice creamy feel to it. I dig it and all it's milkiness. And, hey, stare at the label long enough and it's nice mind-fuck when you've down a few.


And last.. and well, had it not been for that Jamaican abomination, this would have been least: Samuel Adams Boston Lager. The only reason I got this was due to the fact that it was the $2.75 beer special of the night and there was no way I would ever pay more for it.


I have a hatred for Sam Adams that mirrors the same reason I hate Heineken. Now, although it does taste better than a Heiney, Sam Adams is a beer that guys buy in an attempt to look better than their PBR and Bud Light chugging buddies. They order it in as if to say "Hey, I'm a little more sophisticated and have graduated from smashing cans against my head!" Granted, it's not a bad beer - it's just got a bad following. If Bud Light and Coors are the Big Wheels of beer, with the drivers skirting across the ground in their brightly colored plastic vehicles, Sam Adams (to me) is a bike with training wheels. I'm not even going to describe it. It's Sam Adams Boston Lager. If you've ever had a bike and you are over the age of 22, you've had this beer.


Well, that's all for today folks. I'm still trying to catch you up on the beers I've tasted. I will, more than likely go to my beloved beer haven tonight and put a couple away. I hope that you all will do the same! Good drinkin' to you, chaps!