in hopes of throwing this blog a bone as i start updating the other ones again, here's a sampling of beers we've tried recently and enjoyed...

lagunitas hop stoopid
lagunitas ruben & the jets
allagash black
allagash interlude
allagash curieux (ok, i've had this one before, but it's so tasty i'll include it anyway)
unibroue 17
unibroue quatrecentenaire
harpoon leviathan (baltic porter)
alaskan baltic porter
dogfish head red & white
ennis & gunn
mountainer brewing company brown ale

there are some more that i can't remember right now

homebrew update...

there's been lots of beer brewing going on recently, but i won't be getting much of it. a couple of months back polly (my sister) and ryan (her fiance) asked if we could help them brew beer to give away as a wedding favor, like we did for our wedding last year. well, we're right in the middle of the brewing now... 3 batches are in the fermenter, waiting to be bottled. we did northern brewer kits and did the fat tire clone, paterbier, and wit. so far they're all looking good.

the oak² (belgian dubbel) is on tap in the basement now and getting good reviews but the other tap is idle at the moment. the pilsner kicked and with all of the other brewing thats been going on i've only just had time to brew a batch of wit (wit some rosehips added to see how that tastes) to replace it. i'm going to try and get it on tap in time for july 4, but it'll still be mighty young at that point. next up i've got an oktoberfest (for baby's first oktoberfest this fall) ready to brew and a brown ale kit on order to follow the oak²

Baladin Xanuyu

Name: Baladin Xanuyu
Brewery: Birra Baladin
Location: Piozzo, Italy
Style: Oak Aged

winey, flat, oaked
sweet, thick
brewed using the solara system (method for making sherry)
apple, oxidized
syrup (maple), caramel, very unique

BB Dexi

Name: BB Dexi
Brewery: Barley
Location: Maracalagonis, Italy
Style: Barleywine

vinegary, woody, vanilla... an italian barleywine brewed with boiled down sryup from grape must

Palanfrina

Name: Panalfrina
Brewery: Brew Pub Troll
Location: Vernante, Italy
Style: Chestnut Beer

deep, earthy, slightly sweet. 9% but easy drinking. whiskey, smoked, chestnut-y

Malthus Birolla

Name: Malthus Birolla
Brewery: Birrifico di Como
Location: Como, Italy
Style: Chestnut, Smoked

honey & smoked chestnuts, very, very smoky, but the nuttiness of the chestnuts still comes through. the smoke comes from the smoked chestnuts, not smoked malt. dry

Strada San Felice

Name: Strada San Felice
Brewery: Birrifico Grado Plato
Location: Chieri, Italy
Style: Chestnut Beer

low earthy aroma; dark; nutty, dry, earthy; slight sweetness at finish. hints of smoke, very smooth