October 28, 2010

Domaine Hudson

Last night the family enjoyed a delicious vegetarian dinner, served with a sip of Gilbert Cellars Allobroges (Yakima, WA). This fine meal was promptly followed by second [carnivorous] dinner at Domaine Hudson in Wilmington. Dynamite charcuterie platter with tasty Code Noir merlot (Rattlesnake Hills, WA).

The allobroges was return luggage from a trip to Washington earlier this year. They make good merlot - which suffers a bad reputation, apparently. One winery owner refused to not serve it. "What, you don't want to taste my merlot?"

October 26, 2010

Mmmm, pie

Butternut squash and apple pie

October 18, 2010

New York City

Abigail and I spent the day yesterday in New York City. Drove to Princeton Junction and took the train to Penn Station [33rd/8th Ave]. The weather was perfect for a walk up 5th Avenue to Rockefeller Center past the ice rink. We continued to the southern entrance of Central Park then reversed towards brunch.


"Bar Americain" by don't fence me in

Bar Americain [52nd/6-7th Ave] is Bobby Flay's restaurant, and despite some online reviewers grumbling about celebrity chef eateries I was excited to check it out. We were seated immediately in a mostly full dining room situated at street level. The first course was a trio of cold seafood cocktails including shrimp with cilantro-lime-purée!, lobster with avocado, and crab with mango and coconut. There was too much black pepper on the crab cocktail, otherwise everything was delicious.

Next came an order of frites with chipotle mayo and a couple of cocktails. Abigail had a Pimm's #1 with fresh lemonade and cucumber, I had a bloody mary. Both were as delicious as they were small and overpriced. I moved on to an Arcadia Rye Pale Ale (Battle Creek, MI) for the next course: poached eggs with charred tasso ham and spicy hollandaise. Top eggs benedict, and the potent sauce paired well with the crisp hoppy beer. Pocketed a mini-baguette and a few boxes of matches as we exited for the MoMA [53rd/5-6th Ave] to be inundated with the nihilistic screams of the contemporary art scene, an extensive abstract expressionism review, and a glance through the 20th-century ward.

After being ushered out of the museum we walked back to Penn Station, checked on the next Northeast Corridor train and popped across the street to Tir Na Nog for a Guinness before the return trip.


"Creativity and Imagination Shall be the Stability of Thy Time"
The LEGO Store appropriation of this, above the gate to 30 Rock

October 15, 2010

Playoffs

red sky at night
Photo: DVD
FIGHTIN'S
The New Big Red Machine takes on San Francisco tomorrow night. Roy Halladay threw a nearly perfect no-hitter in his previous start for the Phillies and Giants ace Tim Lincecum struck out fourteen in his last appearance. Meanwhile, former Philly pitcher Cliff Lee has brought the Texas Rangers to their first American League Championship Series to face the Evil Empire. Crunchy October action.

OCTOBER 21: LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN
Doc versus the Freak again tonight. Philadelphia is behind 3-1 to San Francisco in a series that has seen the team looking listless. Even last night, when they managed (finally) to score some runs, the mood was notably somber. When Jayson Werth followed Ryan Howard's double with one of his own to tie the game in the top of the eighth there was hardly a reaction. It didn't seem like they were planning on winning the game. That's been the feel for the last couple.

A victory tonight will bring the Phillies back to Citizens Bank Park, back to the fans, and maybe back to themselves.

October 13, 2010

Rescued

Thirty-three miners, trapped for more than two months two thousand feet underground, and a twenty-eight-inch wide precision drilled ray of hope.

Photo: Hugo Infante
Our time on this earth is a gift, is it not?

October 12, 2010

October

lagoon

coffee goes cold fast
empty cove, tide is lower
the fish have gone south

September 15, 2010

All the old showstoppers

cancelled-tnp-show

I was pleased to learn a few weeks ago that Calvin's Student Activities Office had booked the wonderful indie collaborative band The New Pornographers to perform on-campus this fall. Then dismayed (not entirely surprised) to see the show suddenly cancelled yesterday, hardly a month before the scheduled October 15th appearance. Speculation about donor politics aside, this is an embarrassing fiasco of reactionary ignorance. Turdburgers.

The sad story: Calvin College, Pitchfork, Grand Rapids Press

August 16, 2010

Stacking stones

stackin

This year I'm adding perforated pipe to the dry stack stone retaining wall construction process (pictured wrapped in white filter fabric). The pipe's purported purpose is to provide a passage for water to flow through the wall, thus alleviating potential hydrostatic pressure that could cause rotation and failure. I'm fairly certain based on the performance of the previous installations that a good amount of crushed stone behind the wall ensures ample drainage, but we had extra pipe and filter material so I decided to give it a shot.

August 3, 2010

Portable Peaks

After spending another glorious long weekend on Peaks Island, a question emerges and remains. How to emanate whenceward the way-of-living that comes so easily there? Can the good aesthetic, social, and ecological vibes of the island be transmitted?

balanced rocks in fog
Photo: DTVD
Aesthetic: This is art and craft. It is an aesthetic of place, not contrived and kitschy but homegrown and authentic. It is on display in the gardens and front porches; the look of wholeness and unity.

Social: Being on a small island promotes a spirit of community. We wave to every car and pedestrian, and they wave back. Generations who return and return are bound by their mutual appreciation of what they've shared.

Ecological: The proximity to nature and the inherent awareness of island ecosystem drives a strong sense of eco-logic. The tide rises, waves crash, fog rolls, rain falls. Creation is eminent, it demands awe and responsibility.
The clues are there. Locality. Community. Place. Apprectiation. It is easy to forget about these things amongst the daily drudgery of congested roadways, monolithic megamarts, a sea of "development" that drowns ideas of vigor and beauty from our lives. In the face of a daunting challenge, small tacks in the right direction are victories. I'm starting by waving to neighbors from the car.

August 2, 2010

Bonus tracks word cloud

bonus tracks 150 words
Powered by Wordle

July 28, 2010

haiku

hand leans into wind
hold two up for the future
hope peace victory


July 27, 2010

Garden goods, frankenmato, gyro burrito

lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, beans, carrots, beets
lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, green beans, carrots, beets

frankenmato
it's alive

gyro burrito
braised beef, feta/sour cream/yogurt, cucumber, green pepper, olive, tomato, cilantro

July 23, 2010

July 22, 2010

Bacon, lettuce, tomato

bacon lettuce tomato

Microwaved two thin strips of bacon between paper towels for a couple minutes (to crispy perfection - wish I'd known bacon is microwaveable when I was in college). Picked a small ripe Yellow Brandywine and a handful of bitter greens (a sprig of mint found its way in there, too). Chopped the arugula/lettuce/mint and folded into mayo, toasted one side of two pieces of wheat bread, smeared the greens-mayo on both untoasted sides. Stacked, sliced, and consumed alongside Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Whole Hop Harvest Ale. Tomato sandwich version three, we have a winner.

b.l.t.

It's raining again

Rains, pours.

Of course, living is water. Water and sun...
Ice don't live. Cold is dead. Life is warmth.

Equilibrium is the end - Keep going!
Do it again, again is good. Again is life.

Let it rain.

Let it pour.

Let it grow.
Again

July 21, 2010

The wall, cont'd.

stone wall prep

This summer we ordered two more skids of "Laurel Hill" Pennsylvania fieldstone for yet another dry-stacked retaining wall. This installment will repeat the gesture of last year's side yard project (visible in background), creating a new tier of plantable space under and away from an existing thicket of forsythia hedge. The red flag on the lower left marks the center line of the view from the front yard to a focal oak tree in the back.

July 20, 2010

Tomato sandwich, version two

fried green tomato sandwich
Click image to view slideshow

Fried green tomato sandwich with Souther Tier Un*earthly Imperial IPA (New York, 11%ABV, fantastic - I dug this beer more than Dogfish Head 90 Minute). Had to substitute panko breadcrumbs for cornmeal and added some cayenne pepper to the dredge, otherwise straight from recipe in Garden & Gun June/July issue. Breadcrumbs got kind of clumpy in the dredging process, not a good replacement. The end result was tangy and tasty on whole grain toast with mayo, but I think I'll wait for the rest of the tomatoes ripen, maybe after one or two more fried greenie attempts.

July 19, 2010

Tomato sandwich time

Heirloom tomato sandwich

July 18, 2010

Away from the things of man

I was happily introduced to this little gem while spending the weekend with some fine folks in Ohio. So much style and meta-thematics in this existential goofball of a movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The first film pairing Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (who plays three characters). Abe Vigoda and Nathan Lane cameo as south-pacific islanders. Nice.

joe v. volcano

July 13, 2010

Curried Carrot & Zucchini Soup

Whipped up a garden dinner last night, loosely based on this recipe from a quality blog I recently discovered (via a Google Images search for "CAFO," or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation). In a slightly ironic twist, I was obliged to use a small portion of refined bacon fat that has been chilling in the fridge to cook the vegetables. Pictured below is the remainder from the preparation of the meal, destined for the compost pile. I've titled this photo "From Whence You Came." Click the image to view a slideshow of the assembly of this early harvest soup.

compost-bound

July 12, 2010

Summer 2010 Bonus Tracks

Apeman The Format (Kinks cover)
Automatic Weezer
Major Tom (Coming Home) Shiny Toy Guns
The Ghost Inside Broken Bells
Priority Mos Def
Don't Let Go Pacha Massive
I Need You Lynyrd Skynyrd
Across 110th Street Bobby Womack
Summertime Thing Chuck Prophet
July, July! The Decemberists
Right Moves Josh Ritter
Wondering Where the Lions Are Bruce Cockburn
East to the West Michael Franti & Spearhead
Beginnings Chicago
Things Are What You Make of Them Bishop Allen
Holdin' On Together Phoenix
Armistice (2nd Line Version, feat. Rebirth Brass Band) MuteMath
Moth's Wings Passion Pit
Nobody Lost, Nobody Found Cut Copy
Tumbling Dice The Rolling Stones
Life On Mars? David Bowie
100% Chromeo
The Bleeding Heart Show The New Pornographers
Camarillo Brillo Frank Zappa


Is that a real poncho - I mean,
Is that a Mexican poncho or is that a Sears poncho?
Hmmmmm, no foolin'.....

July 9, 2010

First fruit with roots

first tomato of the season

An early ripe Yellow Brandywine heirloom tomato and a couple of freshly pulled carrots (amazing flavor).

We're growing a variety of tomatoes from seed this year: fuzzy Garden Peach, dark purple Black Cherry Crimson, bright citrusy yellow and classic red Brandywines.

July 6, 2010

Closer to home

Alone in a tall room.
Buzzing glow of fake sun
Glances across the window while
Darkness eases everywhere else.

Sleepless awareness taking hold.
Undistorted by melting worlds
and fluorescent illusions.

From somewhere not me
an ancient courage awakes.
This thimbleful of chaos?
This universe, this eternity?


I AM

Unlock the door, step back
into the blue-black night.
Rediscovering old everything
The road looks different than before.

I'm getting closer to my home

July 1, 2010

AT&T National

Been going to Philadelphia a lot recently. Concert, baseball game, and movie last week alone.



This week it's the AT&T National Tournament, held for the first time at the Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square (15 miles from center city). Closest thing to homefield as it gets on the PGA Tour. Tomorrow I'll be following local favorites Jim Furyk and Sean O'Hair around the course; they tee-off in subsequent groups around 1:00PM.

Don't question Furyk.

June 27, 2010

Banksy film



Up to Philadelphia last night to catch the Banksy movie, focusing on the commercialization of guerilla street art, with cousin Lilly before it exited theaters. Fascinating documentary, ripe with life and farce. A little too much farce, in fact, to take it all at face value. I'm certain there is a large element of hoax imbedded in this film, even if I'm not certain to what extent, exactly.

One interviewee, a purported member of Banksy's inner circle, said it best:
"The joke's on.....
I'm not sure who the joke's on. I'm not sure there is a joke."

June 24, 2010

Free bird

It's my favorite time of year for golf. The sun stays up late, and the attendant at Clayton Park usually leaves the course unguarded by 7:00PM.

I pay my fees there frequently enough to feel great about occassionally walking on after hours for a few complimentary holes. Carrying only an iron, a pitching wedge, and a putter makes things go a little quicker, and playing just three clubs has a remarkable clarifying effect on my golf game. I never hit that five iron so well as when it's the only option for shots of 120+ yards.

Yesterday I striped whitie about 175 yards off the first tee, drawing the ball a bit at the steeply uphill green. This set up a good look at the flag with the 50° wedge.....knocked it eight feet from the cup.....drained the putt. Free birdie.

June 23, 2010

How do I work this?

The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails.

~William Arthur Ward

June 22, 2010

The new

the new pornographers

Sing Me Spanish Techno
Up in the Dark
Myriad Harbour
Use it
Crash Years
Jackie, Dressed in Cobras
Adventures in Solitude
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
Go Places
All The Old Showstoppers
Jackie
The Laws Have Changed
Moves
Your Hands (Together)
Twin Cinema
My Shepherd
Silver Jenny Dollar
The Bleeding Heart Show
[Encore]
Challengers
My Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
Testament to Youth in Verse

June 21, 2010

Sing me Spanish techno

Going to The New Pornographers show at the Trocadero in Philadelphia tonight. Exciting band I haven't seen live yet - my first time to this venue, too.

the new pornographers

I'm listening to Together now, their latest disc released a couple weeks ago. Unmistakable-characteristic sound, maybe a little more Neko influence on the pace and tone in a few songs. General consensus seems to be that 2005's Twin Cinema represents the band at its best, but I'm partial to Challengers - an album I place in the contemporary prerequisite category (e.g. - "Z" by My Morning Jacket, Hot Fuss by The Killers, Speak for Yourself by Imogen Heap, The Crane Wife by The Decemberists, Dog Problems by The Format, Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie, Funeral by Arcade Fire, A Ghost is Born by Wilco, et cetera).

Looking forward to a good evening.

June 20, 2010

Braised lamb shank

With mint gremolata, rhubarb-cherry-raspberry sauce, spring potato salad and skillet green beans. Accompanied by Justin Paso Robles Iscoceles Isosceles.

Happy Fathers' Day.

braised lamb shank
Mint and garlic from the garden; rhubarb, purslane, parsley, beans and potatoes from CSA share.

June 7, 2010

Communication breakdown

The good we could share, severed by a wall of misunderstanding.
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”

So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth.

Genesis 11:1-9

Who are you? Where does the world come from?

June 4, 2010

Raised beds, part three



The construction of this garden project is nearly complete. Time to let it grow.

June 3, 2010

Crossing Jordan

How to kill a refugee:
And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?”

When he said, “No,” they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.

Judges 12:5-6

May 25, 2010

Arboretum of the Barnes Foundation

Visited the Barnes Foundation on Saturday. The estate hosts a significant collection of impressionist and 20th century works (many by Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, van Gogh, Matisse, Rousseau, Monet, Miro, and much more). The museum is open to the public with reservations for tickets, this trip was booked over a month ago.

Click image to view slideshow.

It rained a bit when we were touring the galleries, which were mostly empty of visitors. The sun resumed shining once we got out into the arboretum. From the Barnes Foundation website:
Art Collection
The Barnes Foundation collection is unsurpassed in breadth, quality, and depth in French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern paintings. It is enhanced by Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities, Chinese painting, African sculpture, retablos from New Mexico, Native American pottery, and American decorative arts. Juxtapositions of objects from different cultures, periods and media provide exciting opportunities for teaching and making visual connections.

Arboretum
The Arboretum houses a rich collection of species and varieties of trees, shrubs, and other plants introduced from various regions. There are a number of living fossils or very ancient plants, historic/biblical plants, botanically precious specimens, plants of proven medicinal use, and a few extensive collections of genetic importance. The Arboretum is a paradise of well-known ornamental plants artistically landscaped, reflecting concepts from the installation of art in the gallery ensembles.

May 20, 2010

Etymology

Radio slang: will comply = wilco

May 17, 2010

Deliver me
from reasons why
you'd rather cry

I'd rather fly.

May 16, 2010

The beach!

black muscatFirst beach weekend of the summer, May 14-16. Assateague Island, Maryland.

May 14, 2010

Seattle, Ellensburg, Yakima

that's lunchClick image to view slideshow.

May 6, 2010

Higher ground

So darn glad He let me try it again
Cause my last time on earth
I lived a whole world of sin
So glad I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on trying
'Til I reach the highest ground

Teachers keep on teaching
Preachers keep on preaching
World keep on turning
'Cause it won't be too long

~ Stevie

May 3, 2010

Pliny the Elder

One who must journey a hundred miles should consider ninety as halfway.

I finally had a chance to try Pliny the Elder by Russian River Brewing at Monk's this weekend. The quest for this elusive beer built my anticipation to a dangerously high level. Pliny's wisdom did not disappoint.

Served from the tap into an American pint glass, almost clear amber color with a big dollop of airy head. Smell is floral and citrus, lots of grapefruit. Taste and feel are dynamite. Noticeable alcohol heat combined with delicate carbonation and piney zesty hop oils to a magical effect. Spicy and mysterious, multi-dimensional hoppiness with a faint musty waft. Bouquet of aroma lingered on the palate without any distasteful bitterness.

Didn't even think about ordering anything else when this beer was on tap. Three drafts paired well with a couple servings of steamed mussels at the bar. Perfect.

Pliny the Elder Double IPA
Price paid: $7.50/ Pint
Freshness: Excellent
ABV: 8.0%

April 26, 2010

Guest list



Two comp tickets ($0.00) waiting at Electric Factory will-call on Friday. The first warm-up band was dreadful, second was a bit better, MuteMath rocked.

The Nerve
Armistice
Chaos
The Fight
Spotlight
Reset
Typical
Break the Same


Another great gig, even if the sound was not as good as it's been at other shows. The culminating jam at the end of "Break the Same" was awesome as always. Walked by 30 Seconds to Mars getting out of their bus as we were returning to the car after MuteMath was done - I think I saw Jared Leto hugging his mommy before the show.



Had dinner at Silk City Diner prior to the concert, featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The meal was pretty good, and they had Two Hearted Ale on tap - bonus.

April 24, 2010

April 23, 2010

Electric factory


Roy on bass, Darren on drums. Photo: Philip Rood Photography
04.24.2010
MuteMath to open for Thirty Seconds to Mars in Philadelphia. Should be about a nine song set from MM, hoping to be on the guest list for this sold out show.

April 22, 2010

April 20, 2010

Stone Ruination IPA

100+ International Bitterness Units. Toasty malts. Crispy hops. This is some damn good beer, with a price tag to match.

Pours a hazy amber color with just a shade of green. Big cap of sticky-icky head that slowly dissipates into a thin hop-oil slick. I admired the abundant carbonation swirling and struggling to find a path to the top of the beer. Dense dank hop flavor, so herbaceous and spicy. The malt backing is not sweet, more of a rye bread taste. Huge lacing, I'm looking at a perfect imprint of where the head was at the beginning of the pour with resinous striations all the way down the glass. Awesome.

ruination ipa web
Stone Ruination IPA
Price paid: $16.00/ Six pack - yup.
Freshness: Perfect
ABV: 7.7%


enjoy by 4/20/10
Enjoy by 4/20/10 - will do, Stone. Will do.

April 16, 2010

Gilmore's

BYOB. West Chester, PA. Peter Gilmore, chef.

Nice eatery, nice location, nice wine. Point of interest: is it offensive to bring a bottle from Frog's Leap vineyard to a French restaurant? Regardless, their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon was tasty to the point of teleportative, and paired well with foie gras spring rolls, sausage and pâté platter, and seared duck breast (quite the carnivorous meal, upon reflection).

Incidentally - picked up a growler of Iron Hill's seasonal "Hopzilla" brewed with citra hops, review coming shortly.

April 12, 2010

The Fight (Live at Howlin' Wolf)

I just listened to an exclusive download of "The Fight" (new unreleased song) recorded live in MuteMath's native New Orleans. The mix was impressive, especially for live - nice. Sold out show in Philadelphia at the Electric Factory opening for Thirty Seconds to Mars: guest list? Very nice.

mutemath @ howlin' wolf
Paul Meany and Roy Mitchell Cardenas at the Howlin' Wolf. Photo: DVD

April 11, 2010

Raised beds

This year's garden project is getting into full swing: a potager (four part kitchen garden) of 8'x8' raised beds. Each square is chamfered at one corner to create a little open space in the center.

tillin-web
...and you show me a sign, I'll be tillin'

raised bed

April 10, 2010

April 9, 2010

Arrogant Bastard

This is Stone Brewing's signature beer, an American strong ale with a bad attitude. The bottle (dig the painted glass) is adorned with an eye-roll worthy littany of how great the beer is and how lowly and unworthy everything else is. Meh. The first time I sampled this beer was at the brewery in Escondido, a draft that was naturally superior to any of the Arrogant Bastard I've had since.

From a bottle of dwindling freshness, pours dark red with a thin lingering off-white head. Smell is caramel/cherry/cardboard, faint hops. Taste was plenty of hops, some malt wtih a sharp and somewhat metallic overtone. I think this bottle was a bit past prime, but still an impressive beer.

arrogant bastard
Stone Arrogant Bastard
Price paid: $5.99/24 oz. bottle
Freshness: Not great
ABV: 7.2%

April 8, 2010

West Coast IPA

From Green Flash Brewing Company, San Diego. I can't communicate the essence of this beer better than the synopsis that appears on the label, here it is verbatim:
A menagerie of hops are layered throughout the brewing process. Simcoe for unique fruitiness and grapefruit zest, Columbus for strong pungency, Centennial for pine and citrus notes, Cascade for floral aroma. A multi-dimensional hop experience.
All that with a creamy frothy oily bitter potent punch. This beer rocks.

west coast web
West Coast IPA
Price paid: $12.99/Six pack
Freshness: ?
ABV: 7.3%

April 7, 2010

Victory 'Hop Wallop'

Here's another localish brew by Victory in Downingtown, PA. Their standard IPA (Hop Devil) has all the typical characteristics: deep amber color, resinous hop flavor, bitterness and maltiness. Hop Wallop is considered a Double-IPA (8.5% ABV), but it's a whole other creature.

Pours a slightly hazy bright gold color in my new Delerium Tremens tulip glass, with a foamy not-rocky white head. The aroma is dry and slightly bready. The taste is toasty and bitter, the hop flavor comes across with a piney waft, not a lot of citrus. The feel is initially creamy, a bit of a spicy edge at finish from the alcohol. So that's dry, bready, bitter, piney, spicy - excellent big beer that's very easy to drink.

hop wallop web
Victory 'Hop Wallop'
Price paid: $9.99/Six pack
Freshness: Very good
ABV: 8.5%

April 5, 2010

The cruelest month

A thousand spring rains stir
Dulled memories of desire
Slash and tear, tines through turf
Regeneration taunts deathless decay
It's April in Zombieland

April 2, 2010

Yard's IPA (On Tap)

Had an awesome meal at Kanella BYOB in Philadelphia last night. Drank a rocking bottle of Gamba 2007 Russian River Zinfandel with dinner, grabbed a cup of coffee at the new Garces Trading Company, ended up at Irish Pub for a couple of drafts. Nothing more local than Yard's, brewed in Philly. I've had their India Pale Ale previously, never on tap.

Poured a slightly hazy reddish copper color with a thin resilient head. Decent lacing all the way down the pint glass. The smell was fresh and enticing. Big malt opening, caramely and sweet followed by nice bitter hop flavor - not particularly pungent (citrus/piney) but very present. The feel was frothy and sticky - seemed to be a good keg and was definitely much tastier from the tap than bottle. I'm a fan of Yard's, can't wait for Philadelphia Pale Ales from Brewerytown at Citizen's Bank Park this summer.

yard's ipa
Yard's IPA (On Tap)
Price paid: $4.00/Pint
Freshness: Excellent
ABV: 7.0%

April 1, 2010

Caldera IPA

I've been looking for craft beer in cans, so I had to try this IPA from Caldera brewed in Ashland, Oregon. Digging the can design.

The beer smells really good and pours a nice amber color (pictured below in a green glass, the actual color is darker than Stone's IPA and not as orange as Smuttynose). Plenty of carbonation, foamy head - not very sticky. The taste is loaded with citrusy hops (characteristic of a West Coast IPA), medium body makes it easy to drink. Not very complex malt backing, but plenty of bitterness and a lot of flavor.

caldera ipa
Caldera IPA (Can)
Price paid: $10.99/six pack
Freshness: ?
ABV: 6.1%