The Irreverent Manifold

Fuller’s London Porter

This English Porter is produced by Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC of London. I was really excited to try this beer, given the experiences I’ve had with other Fuller’s products and other English Porters in general. It did not disappoint. This is the best Porter I’ve ever had. It pours a very dark brown (almost black) color with some mahogany highlights. There is a thin tan head that leaves moderate lacing. The smell is very pronounced and inviting and made up of roasted malts, freshly brewed coffee, and chocolate. The alcohol content is 5.4% and a perfect level for the style (neither noticeable in the scent or taste). The taste is nearly all chocolate and then followed up by a slightly bitter coffee finish. There is a battle between a very smooth/creamy mouthfeel and slightly noticeable carbonation. This is my favorite Porter for sure and definitely lands on my all-time favorite beer list.

Tags: Beer, English Porter, Fuller's

Fuller’s ESB

Fuller’s ESB is an “extra special bitter” from Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC of London. If I had to describe this style (the English version anyway), I’d say it falls somewhere in between a Pale Ale and an India Pale Ale. The beer poured a light brown - orange color with a quickly disappearing white head. I notice light malt, hops, and candy apple in the nose. The taste starts off with some sweet malts which leads into a slightly bitter hops finish. The mouthfeel is slightly watery and highly drinkable. The alcohol content sits at a healthy 5.9%. Overall, a decent beer. Given the choice, I’d opt for an English Pale Ale over the ESB though.

Tags: Beer, ESB, Fuller's

St. Bernardus Prior 8

This beer is a Dubbel from the Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV of Belgium. This brewery produces some giants and Prior 8 does not disappoint. The beer pours a cloudy, medium walnut brown with a thin tan head that dissipates quickly. The nose is complex and includes sweet malts, caramel, dark fruits, banana, and a hint of the 8% alcohol content. I notice fig, raisins, malt, and a hint of alcohol in the taste. Great variety and well balanced. This Dubbel is widely considered one of the best in its class. I highly recommend this beer, along with the other offerings from St. Bernardus. You won’t be let down.

Tags: Beer, Dubbel, St. Bernardus

Samuel Smith India Ale

This is an English India Pale Ale from the Samuel Smith Brewery in England. As was the case with the English version of the Pale Ale, the English IPA is noticeably subdued compared to its American counterpart (and in my opinion, this is a good thing). This beer pours a brilliant copper orange color with a foamy off-white head that dissipates fairly quickly. The scent is unique and made up of candy apples and floral contributions. The taste starts out with a sweet malt flavor and moves into slightly bitter hops. You can feel a little dance of carbonation on your tongue followed by a rather dry finish. The alcohol content is reasonable at 5%. As with the American versions, I prefer Pale Ales to IPAs. This was not a bad beer, but is off the mark a bit when compared to the Pale Ale by the same brewery. If you’re looking for big hops, you won’t find it in this IPA.

Tags: Beer, IPA, Samuel Smith

Rogue Shakespeare Stout

This beer is an American Stout offered up by the Rogue Ales Brewery in Oregon. The beer pours a murky, dark brown with a tan head. There is heavy lacing on the glass. I notice a mix of bitter chocolate and hops in the scent. The taste is a fair balance of bitter hops, a hint of citrus, some roasted malts, and chocolate. The mouthfeel is not as smooth as I expected; the carbonation is quite noticeable. The hops and citrus provide for a dry finish on this one. The alcohol content is 6%. This beer wasn’t bad, but is not my favorite Rogue offering by any stretch. I definitely prefer the Chocolate Stout over the Shakespeare Stout.

Tags: American Stout, Beer, Rogue

Old Rasputin

Old Rasputin is a Russian Imperial Stout brewed by the North Coast Brewing Company of California. This beer pours an oily black, not unlike motor oil with an accompanying thin dark tan head. I notice alcohol immediately in the scent; the beer is 9% alcohol (you’ll notice this again when the bottle is empty). The alcohol is tempered by a mix of coffee and malts in the nose. The beer exhibits a slight carbonation and a definite warming alcohol finish. I can make out a mildly bitter chocolate contribution to the taste and some grapefruit hops. This beer was pretty good overall, though I definitely preferred Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout. At 9% alcohol, you’re pretty limited on intake of these. I felt the effects after just one.

Tags: Beer, Imperial Stout, North Coast

Anchor Summer Beer

This is an American Pale Wheat ale from the Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco. It pours a golden yellow with a large and foamy white head, leaving noticeable lacing on the glass. The beer is advertised as a wheat ale, yet is not hazy. I notice mild scents of wheat and citrus. The taste is underwhelming. It lacks the body of a true wheat and the flavor is overall quite thin. The mouthfeel is smooth and crisp, making this beer highly drinkable. The alcohol content is 4.6%. Of the Anchor brews I’ve tried, this is the most disappointing. It makes for an expensive six-pack for something that is best used as a refresher on a hot, Summer day.

Tags: American Pale Wheat, Anchor Brewery, Beer

Flat Watch 2008

Last week, a tire went flat on my Jeep Cherokee. Alone, this would be an inconvenience at worst. But, this was my third flat tire of 2008 - all on the same vehicle. In each case, the tires have not been repairable. There is no real mystery here; the tires are old (in time, not in tread). They are suffering from dry rot and the sidewalls are giving way. I’ve been on a tight budget this Spring and have had each tire fixed individually. I’m now down to the last tire - rear driver’s side. So, I announce Flat Watch 2008. Leave a comment with a date by which you think the tire will go flat. I’ll send a special gift to the person with the closest guess. For reference, the approximate dates of the flats have been: Jan 20, Mar 03, and May 16.

Tags: $128, flat tires, Jeep Cherokee

Cumulonimbus

We had a hailstorm here last night. It only lasted about three to five minutes, but it was cool as shit. The hailstones were about the size of a standard gumball. Here is a view of the front yard mid-storm (click on image for large view).

A few hailstones gathered by my roommate Laura (click on image for large view).

Tags: hail, jim cantore, Weather

Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale

This is an English Pale ale from the Samuel Smith brewery in England. It pours amber in color, with an orange hue and an off-white, foamy head. The aroma is strong and sweet, dominated by citrus, candy apples, and bread. I notice citrus, honey, and malt in the taste, which ends with a slightly bitter hoppy finish. The alcohol content is 5%. Overall, a nice beer, but a little too sweet to drink more than 1-2 in a sitting. So far, this is probably the weakest of the Samuel Smith offerings.

Tags: Beer, English Pale Ale, Samuel Smith