Day 5. New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Well, before I even taste this beer, I'll let you know that black beers scare me, and aren't my favorite. Although a trip to Ireland and tour of the Guinness brewery along with multiple Guinness's opened me up to this side of beers, they still aren't my favorite. But off to the actual taste...

1554 actual reminds me exactly of Guinness. Color, taste, aftertaste, head, everything. I might not be able to tell the difference between the two, but I can't say I can tell a difference between them without having both of them in front of me, and I don't see that happening any time soon unless somebody gifts me a Guinness. This beer is good tho, it smells really good. I love drinking it out of this glass, because my knows goes straight into the glass to get a great up close smell.

I've always appreciated New Belgium beers. They seem like a cool company, and they'd better be because Belgium makes good beer, so a New Belgium had better make some good ones too! (Although new isn't always good or better...) According to their website (http://www.newbelgium.com/), this beer has a 5.6% abv and 200 calories. Hmmm sorta dessert-y style. This chart was pretty cool, mapping the flavors. They had this on their site under their beer. What do you think?

Well that chart can pretty much tell you how it tastes. It's actually an interesting story, because according to New Belgium, their original recipe was destroyed in a flood in 1997, so they flew to Belgium, did some research, and developed a new recipe. Sweet. Must have been fun. I like the fact that the company is an employee owned company, and don't have some giant over them. Only beer people should control the making of beer! I rate this beer at an 8.5

Day 4...ish Primátor Maibock

So I opened my 4th day beer yesterday, but never got around to drinking it. I got a little distracted by going to a show for The VeraGroove and an afterparty for their CD release, of course I was drinking some shitty beer or malt liquor, and didn't quite have time to blog about this beer and drink it before a show. But I'm getting to it tonight. Primátor Maibock, another beer from the Czech Republic.

It says on the label that it was voted worlds best lager in 2008, but by who, I don't know. I'm not denouncing their win, it is a good beer. It comes in a 500mL bottle, and has a pretty huge 7.5% abv. A couple of these should sure pack a punch! I've never had a lager with this high of an abv, and I expected it to be something else, especially considering its a "bock" style beer, I thought it would be a much heavier beer, and a much more dark, heavy beer. Although it is much heavier and thicker tasting than a what I would usually drink, it has a great taste.


From the Náchod Brewery in the northern part of the Czech Republic, and part of two other breweries, Svijany and Rohozec, these people have been brewing beer since 1873. Not as old as most european beers I know, it's still quite decent. The original brewer, Antonin Lutz must have had a good recipe. Czech (hehe) out their website http://www.primator.cz/ where you can take a virtual tour of the brewery, and read about its history, and whatever else information you'd like to know.


I really have to say though, I've never had a bad beer from the Czech Republic. Those guys really know what they're doing. This beer has changed my perceptions on the bock style of beers, and I'll be having these a lot more often now, when and where I can order them. I'm gonna rate this beer at a 9 for my taste in beers. Don't be afraid to try new beers!

Day 3. Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber Lager

"Good people drink good beer." - Hunter S. Thompson.

Thats what this beer tells me before I even open the bottle. Well, The bottle art is pretty cool, considering it looks like 2 crazy mosquitos are about to attack me. But the best part of this brew is the side of the bottle, saying "Some itches can't be scratched. Like your fantasy involving latex and flavored lotions. So it's best to concentrate on the ones you can scratch. Like your itch for this Amber Lager with a malty, mellow flavor. As for your other fantasies, you'll probably need to find a chat room for those." from flyingdogales.com

Another American beer to actually label the abv on the bottle. At 5.5% abv, for an amber lager, it's actually a quite decent beer. I don't feel overwhelmed by the flavor, but again, I wouldn't drink this all night unless I could afford it. As Hunter S. Thompson said, good people drink good beer. I see myself as a good person, and this is a very good beer. Their website claims that it is fermented at medium temperatures to develop both lager and an ale characteristics. Thats something you should appreciate. If someone is spending time to develop the flavor of their beer like this, they know what's going on. I've never had a drink from the flying dog brewery before, but I wish I could visit.

I appreciate a company that spends time on appreciating both the taste and the look of the bottle, just like they did here. I'm sipping this beer, trying to remember what this beer reminds me of, but to tell you the truth, I think it has a flavor of it's own. The phrase "amber lager", if you know beer, is, what I would say is the description of this beer. I know plenty of  companies have claimed to have an amber lager, but here, you can actually taste what an amber lager is.
http://www.flyingdogales.com/Beer-Old-Scratch.aspx

This beer has won 6 medals in the past 6 years, including gold and silver in The Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. Only one bronze in 2007, but nobody likes 2007 anyways. Tagging itself to pair with cajun, spicy, hearty, and roasted foods, this beer distinguishes itself from most others, because people ACTUALLY cook these foods. I can just imagine going to Papadeaux's or some other cajun food place, and this beer would be amazing to counteract the spiciness of cajun food, or the heartiness of a beef stew.

I've only been to Maryland once in my life, but I was most definitely not old enough to drink beer, and at the same time, this beer probably wasn't even around. Just kidding, this shit is as old as my brother. Started in 1990, they've had 20 years to get here, and boy have they earned it. It's wiki site claims that it was the first brewpub to open in Aspen, CO in 100 years, and one of the first to open in the Rocky Mountain Region of the US. Flying Dog makes me think of all the other craft breweries in the states, and how I wish I could review them all. This beer will warm you up inside, and keep you drinking until the blissful end. I want to rate this beer, on the amber scale, an 8.9, and on the american beer scale, id give it much closer to about 9.2 out of 10. This beer is one more of the great things to come off the shelves of a liquor store. I don't get the chance to try new beverages all of the time, but this is one that I can see myself bringing to a dinner party. A truly sophisticated brew.

Day 2...ish. Coney Island Sword Swallower Steel Hop Lager

Ok, I admit, this bottle looks freaking cool! haha a chick with some swords and all, it looks like a total circus act. Besides that, it has the joker face on the neck, almost creepy, but funny. I really like the fact that the beer bottle has advertisements on it. Reviews from other drinkers such as the New York Times and the Boston Phoenix saying that it is "My favorite for its depth & bitterness." and that it has a "much more robust hop character than typical lagers...it's a welcome spin on the style. Hmmmm a new style of beer, I'm interested to try this. This Schmaltz Brewing Company sure has a new thing of advertising compared to most beers. It's almost just an artsy bottle. On the bottle it calls out to me saying "Lager freaks & beer geeks!" thats me! Beer Advocate states that this beer has a crazy 6.8% abv! wow! You wouldn't expect that from a normal lager.

Well, according to my friend Katie here, it's not a beer for everybody. Definitely a beer for the beer enthusiast. I, personally, enjoy the taste. It's so full bodied and full of flavor. The tagline on the bottle says "Schmaltz Brewing Co unveils a stunning spectacle: the delicate balance of 8 hops gracefully thrust into the inner sanctum of 4 luscious malts astonishing in depth, dazzling in mouthfeel. A scintilating brewing performance." Wow, I didn't even think that, it says it on the bottle and it's true to its word!

Well, it appears after some research, that this girl, the Sword Swallower, is actually a real person! Leave it up to New Yorkers to make some interesting stuff! Well compared to my last beer, this one is a normal 12oz bottle, but full of color. I really like the taste, but I wouldn't drink this beer all night because it's pretty heavy. I would limit myself to having a few while just enjoying beer for the sake of beer, whereas if I were out to party, I'd be drinking a lot more, but of something else. Beer companies are the most interesting things to me, and this looks like a company I would be interested in working for. Have fun, brew beer, be crazy. Check out their website for more info on their brews, they have a multi-pack with about 6 different beers to try, which is perfect if you're up for trying new things.  http://www.coneyislandlager.com/CONEY/ss.html

Craft beer is a good thing. I appreciate it. If I could order this with a meal, I probably would. However, never from a keg, only from the bottle. The bottle adds so much fun to the beer, so don't ever accept not being able to look at it. I know I got the party pack, so I'll be very interested in seeing the rest of the ones that came with it and trying them as well. Rating for this beer? Well its not for everybody, but for a person who appreciates beer, you can understand how I'd give it about a 7.5-8 out of 10 rating. Brilliant beer, and I really appreciate how they can make it into an art, combining all the hops and malts. Beer isn't just a mixed drink, it's a recipe. Thanks to the Schmaltz Brewing Company, now you don't have to settle for just a simple beer.

Day 1. Żywiec

Well, for having the reputation of drinking a whole lot, I can sure say that I understand why the Polish people would drink so much. I just opened a bottle of Żywiec beer from Poland. The first taste was amazing. It reminds me of a Czech beer, but has something more to it. This beer tastes amazing. The bottle is .5L bottle, which is what I always expect from a European brew. I admit, I tried to find smaller 12oz bottles when starting this so that they would fit in my 12oz Miller Lite case, but I always enjoy extra beer, and this sure isn't one that I'm ashamed of purchasing. At 5.6% abv, I think after drinking this, I can assure myself I will be feeling good. I find the label comical, as it has 2 people dancing on it, and says that it is prized and awarded medals. Famous worldwide, yet this is the first I've heard of it, and the first I've seen. The Żywiec Brewery was founded in 1852, and part of 5 breweries, Żywiec is actually owned in majority by the Dutch Heinekin group. I believe Żywiec is a town in Poland as well, which is common for most beers in my knowledge, at least in europe, to be named after the town they are brewed in.  Żywiec produces 2 kinds of beer, of which I'm sure I only bought the pale lager type, but which they also have a "Light" version. True to America haha. This history is interesting, I just copied and pasted from Wiki:

Founded in 1852, started brewing in 1856. ^[1] It remained in the hands of the Habsburgs until nationalisation in the post-WWII communist Poland. At the beginning of 1990s a court case was started by the descendants of the original owners, who sued the Polish government demanding $77 million^[2] compensation for the nationalisation and the use of the Habsburg family name and coat of arms for marketing purposes. The case was settled out of court on undisclosed terms in December 2005.^[3][4]


It's interesting how the Hapsburgs were so widespread in Europe, I would say that it seems that this empire is what brought good beer to the world. Thanks to Austria ;). If I ever sound partial to Austrians or Austria during this blogging, just know that I'm part Austrian, so I have to be.

But anyways, this beer is labeled as Poland's number 1 premium beer. The back logo is even temperature indicative like the Coor's company's logo, saying that their logo shows on the back when the beer is at the perfect temperature. WAY COOL! I think I'm going to have to buy this beer again, because my label isn't showing! But in all truth, it does taste great. A very full beer, and I would think great with a hearty dish. The taste stays in your mouth, and it's nothing to complain about. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this beer a 9. Here is the USA website  http://www.zywiecusa.com/ If you can buy it, try it!

The MANdvent Calendar

So I got annoyed how there was no beer advent calendar in the United States (at least that I know of) so I decided to make my own. I love advent calendars, but I'm not as impressed with just a little chocolate every day, and I saw this original one from the Stiegl Bier company located in Austria, and decided to make my own. Check out their site, it's my all time favorite beer, so even before I get to showing you anything about my advent calendar, I'm recommending Stiegl Bier to everybody who reads this. Here's their website http://www.stiegl.at/en/stieglat/. This is what Stiegl did for their advent calendar.

So as I started out, I went to the grocery store, bought a 24 pack of beer. 24. Thats how many days are in the advent calendar, so it's perfect. The only problem was that I didn't want to drink Miller Lite every day, there's nothing special about that.

Next I went to BevMo. It's a huge liquor store, they have a pretty decent beer selection, and it's the closest to my house. So, I went and bought 24 kinds of beer.

I actually bought more than 24 kinds of beer, because I can't count I guess, my variety packs surprised me. Well I picked 24 of them, and packed them in the case. The only shitty part was that some of the bottles are taller, so it wasn't the prettiest thing. But I wrapped it in some festive Christmas wrapping paper, and that was that! I actually had to do it twice, so heres what it looks like. 

Like my wrapping paper? :D

Well, lets let these baby's get cold, and then I'll start off with day 1 beer! What beer is it gonna be? It's a surprise! BTW, I started this Blog on the 2nd of December, but Ill still give you my reviews of the first two beers and pictures!

Anyways, since I did buy a case of Miller Lite, I might as well review this. Miller Lite is my favorite, easily available, on a budget, beer. It doesn't cost me an arm and a leg to buy, and it tastes great with anything. I'm not sure what's up with this new vortex bottle thing, but whatever. Well, according to wikipedia, "Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States." I'm drinking this beer right now, and I totally enjoy it. 4.2% abv is pretty weak, but it's good tasting and refreshing. If I'm buying a 30, this is my first choice. As long as its not over 19 bux for a case! It's a smooth beer, and it just goes down so nice!