Beer Can Blog

Phase I was completed on Saturday, December 5 when I tried The Bruery Two Turtle Doves dark Belgian ale. That made 365 different beers (or seasonal/yearly variations) tried. I have tried another 6 since then.

What remains is Phase II, which is to have visited at least a dozen different brewpubs. I have 3 left to go. There are sufficient numbers in Atlanta, it is just a matter of being busy with work and not having enough time on the weekends.

So now at 371 beers for the year, I may try for 400.

I have posted sporadically here about my 365 Project (informal name), by which I plan to try at least 365 new beers (or seasonal variations of previously-tried beers).

As of today, October 20, it is the 293rd day of the year and I have tried 293 beers. The latest was a sample of Victory Moonglow Weizenbock. Other recent good ones include Sierra Nevada Porter and Sweetwater Wet Dream IPA.

There are several other 22 oz. "bombers" in my pantry that await the weekend.

[Cross-posted at geosciblog.]

or whatever I chose to call it.

As a reminder, I have chosen to try to sample at least 365 new beers during the year.

As of 260 Days, I have tried 254 beers, so I am 6 beers "behind".

The latest was Dominion Octoberfest with lunch, while I am working at home. Very good.

Maybe I will have something else later tonight.

Prosit!

[Not the fighter plane, but the military can-opener.]

Here is another can I picked up at our recent brewery collectibles show at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a Lone Star "soft top" from the early 1960s. The soft top was a step along the way towards the pull-tab top. Some of the brands that used the soft top were Schlitz, Budweiser and Busch (on aluminum cans), Hamms, Walter's, Pearl, Black Label, Point Special, and even Iron City.

I picked up this can to replace one of the cans that I regrettably sold years ago, while I was selling off large portions of my collection to pay bills. When ya got a family, ya do what ya gotta do.

I had found a couple of these cans in May or early June 1978, when I began what was to have been my original thesis project in the Eagle Mts. in West Texas.

When we selected our first campsite, next to a windmill and well (always a good idea in a desert or semi-desert setting), after the tents were set up and scoping out the campsite, I noticed a couple of Lone Star cans under a mequite bush. Carefully crawling under the mesquite, avoiding its thorns, I retrieved the two cans. One of the cans was full and the other one had its top removed with a P-38 military-style can opener. One side of the full can was buried in the mesquite needles, while the exposed side was sun-bleached and rusted. The other cans was more buried in the needles and more protected.

The question immediately arose, why did someone go to the trouble of completely removing the top of the can with a P-38, to presumably drink the beer? And then not drink the other one.

Sometime later, elsewhere in the campsite, I found a Lone Star can opener, which seemed to offer some evidence as to what might have happened a some 15 years earlier.

Presumably, the person/persons at the campsite (on a ranch) first lost their can opener (a common tragedy in pre-pull tab days), then decided to open a can with the P-38. Perhaps the second can was deemed to much trouble to open in this fashion or perhaps it had gotten too warm by then and the full can was tossed along with the empty (and its removed top) under the mesquite.

Otherwise, while in the Eagle Mts., I found a displayable Pearl flat top can and some fellow grad students gave me a different (older) Lone Star, which I still have on my shelves. In their study area, there was an old ranch house, used by hunters. I would have loved to have had a step ladder to check the attic area, as there was an opening from the main room. Tossing empties into attics was a common practice and the cans are usually fairly well preserved. It just wasn't doable, looking back, maybe I could have brought a step ladder in my truck on a return trip from El Paso, but the geological work was deemed more important.

[Because of a series of unfortunate events, I didn't finish that thesis project, but did another thesis project in southern New Mexico a few years later.]

The four displayable cans found in the Eagle Mts. represent the sum total of displayable beer cans found during my outdoor geological career, i.e., during field work over the course of 30 years. I have a found a number of rusty, unidentifiable cans, but no other "keepers".

Labels: Beer Can Collecting

in the "365 beers for 2009" project.

Today's addition was Caldera Ashland Amber, from Oregon, which I picked up while in Oklahoma.

Maybe sometime soon I will add the year-to-date list.

I may have one more for the evening.

Labels: Beer Can Collecting

Just a quick note from the driver's meeting room at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as we were wrapping up a breweriana show.

The show went pretty well, we rented out about 80 tables.

Later I will add more info about the show and one of the interesting cans I picked up.

Despite being too busy to blog as often as I should, I have been able to keep up with my goal of trying at least 365 new beers (or this year's versions of seasonals).

May 20th is the 140th day of the year and I have tried 140 different beers. I got behind late in April, but have gotten caught up in May. The most recent ale that I tried was Thomas Creek Pump House Porter, from SC, which was pretty good, it could almost pass for a stout. I have probably a dozen or so bottles stashed in the pantry that I haven't tried yet, so if I don't get out to any brewpubs in the near future, that is OK.

A side goal was trying to visit a different brewpub every month, but I missed going to one in April, so I have 4 so far this year. If we get to travel after Memorial Day, I may get to go to one or two while on the road. Maybe TX, maybe OK, maybe KS. Maybe all.

I will try to get back to posting the individual brands tried for each month.

Later...

I fell a little short in March, but because of the 5 extra carried over from January, I am still up-to-date on my goal of trying 365 new beers this year. 90 days so far (through March 31) and 90 new beers (or this year's version of a previously-tried micro/brewpub seasonal beer).

For March:

Abita Christmas Ale ‘08
Allagash Black
Avery The Czar Stout
Ballantine Burton Ale
Bard’s Tale Dragon’s Gold
Coney Island Human Blockhead
Harpoon Celtic Ale
Kennebunkport Blueberry Wheat Ale
Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils
Otter Creek Copper Ale
Shipyard Imperial Porter
Smuttynose Imperial Stout
Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale
Smuttynose Robust Porter
Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine
Terrapin Monk’s Revenge
Twain’s Heaven for Climate Golden Ale 3/09
Twain’s Honest Lender Brown
Twain’s Mad Happy Pale Ale
Twain’s Temperate Temperance Mild
Twain’s Thirty Days Belgian Black
Twain’s Three Lies Cocoa Stout
Uinta Wildfire Organic Pale Ale
Weyerbacher Heresy Stout
Weyerbacher Olde Heathen Stout
Yazoo Pale Ale

There are another 5 or 6 bottles in the fridge or pantry that I haven't tried yet, plus new brands on the market, when I can find single bottles.

When work permits it, I will try to visit another brewpub, to keep up with my goal of 1 different brewpub visit per month. Other than the one that is about 10 miles from here in Alpharetta, GA (already been there this year), most of the other ones are either in Athens (about 50 miles) or in Atlanta (25 - 30 miles plus traffic time), or Dahlonega (about 50 or so miles). There is a slight chance I might get to Big River in Chattanooga this Saturday after doing some geological photography in NW Ga.

were posted over at my other blog, on March 25. Because of my work schedule, I don't have time, right now to post it here, though I may try sometime soon. So, for the time being, skip on over there for my thoughts on this historic brew.

but to American beer historians/connoisseurs, it is. Here is but one story about Ballantine Burton Ale.

Ballantine Burton represents a unique bit of American beer history. It was produced by the Ballantine Brewing Co. of Newark, NJ and given away to sports celebrities, TV personalities, and other folks of influence as Christmas gifts. That in-and-of itself is not that unusual, but the way Ballantine Burton Ale was handled is unique. By enlarging the second photo, you can see that it was bottled especially for Bruce McGorrill, who was eulogized briefly in this obituary, in this way:

"Bruce McGorrill, 74, who climbed the ladder from announcer at WCSH-TV to chief executive of Maine Broadcasting Systems, March 28 in Portland. The Bowdoin College graduate moonlighted as a public speaker and Down East humorist."

You will also see that this particular batch (one of only two or three) was aged for 14 and 1/2 years. So one can surmise that Mr. McGorrill squirreled away at least a couple of bottles from the presumed case that he received as a gift. From time-to-time, full bottles of Ballantine Burton Ale appear on eBay as collectibles, if the labels are in good condition, they generally go for around $100 or more. Other factors not withstanding, the longer a beer/ale ages at the brewery, the longer it will last, if protected from light and excessive temperature variations.

The condition of the label, aside from influencing its collectible value, it an indicator as to how the ale has been "handled". Excessively faded labels suggest the bottles may have been exposed to too much light - if exposed on a shelf or mantle, perhaps. Light is not good for beer.

My friend Paul found this particular bottle at a recent beer can show in VA and paid $90 and my friend Neal and I each paid $30 for a 1/3 DI (Drinking Interest, to modify an oilfield term). That DI may be modified to 1/4 as Paul's dad (who worked for Ballantine and tried samples of it in the early 1960s) wants to try it, too. So when the four of us can get together, we intend to share this experience. Paul thought about buying a second bottle at the show, but $90 for a second 12 oz bottle of ale seemed a little too rich. This is to perhaps be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not a habit, as the supply of full bottles is ever shrinking. Ballantine was purchased by Falstaff in 1967 and Burton Ale was never brewed again. For years, other Ballantine products were brewed at the Narragansett Brewery in Cranston, RI, then when that brewery closed, production was shifted to the Falstaff Brewery at Fort Wayne, IN.

More from the first link, a description of the vaunted brew:

..."Ballantine Burton Ale pours to a beautiful, bright, ruby red color with no head and no carbonation. I was amazed how bright this beer poured. When mailed to me they were quite hazy, but I cold stored them, the yeast settled to the bottom of the bottle and poured bright. I was also very careful when I poured to make sure the yeast sediment stayed in the bottle. The nose on this beer shocked me. I was expecting lots of oxidation, but I did not get that. Very pronounced aromas of oak, sherry, and alcohol flooded the nose. This beer matured in oak for 20 years, and is one of the reasons this beer has held up so well. The palate was full on the tongue, with flavors of oak, and a surprising amount of estery fruit flavors of plum and apple, paired with a nice back drop of caramel maltiness. Ballantine Burton Ale finished with more oaky and fruity flavors up front, and ended with a peppery, soothing, warming burn that lit a fire in the belly."...

Years of jalapeños, salsa, and picante sauce may have damaged my taste buds to the point of not being able to pick up all of these flavors. If the bottle survived well, I may just say "Wow".

[On a side note: A few years ago, Neal (aka mytmalt) tried a bottle of Ballantine Brown Stout, from around 1936 and he reported that it survived well. Aside from higher hop content and long aging, higher alcohol contents also help in the preservation process.]

This ain't a football beer, you would treat it more as a sherry or a port, with reverence for the history contained within. If we can scrounge up enough tulip glasses, those are best for this sort of adult beverage, similar to what you would use with Samuel Adams Triple Bock or Utopia. I will be satisfied with having tried it, Paul and Neal will probably flip a coin over who gets to keep the empty bottle and the "loser" will get the bottle cap (both are collectibles, too). We will probably chill it to around 50 to 55 degrees to enjoy its flavors.

So, second to waiting for my grandson to be born, I am awaiting this experience, too.

BTW, Ballantine Ale - now contract-brewed by Miller - is still available in select markets and it is still a decent brew, though having been separated from Newark from 40+ years according to mytmalt.

Some might consign such a treasure to a "tontine" status, wherein the last surviving member of the "three brewsketeers" would enjoy the bottle (if you remember that particular episode of MASH), but I would rather share the experience with appreciative beer connoisseur friends.

This was cross-posted yesterday at geosciblog.

As a part of my low-priority goal of trying an average of one new beer for each day of the year, I an continuing into February.

In February, I tried:

Choc Waving Wheat
5 Seasons (A) Belgian Trippel (2/09)
5 Seasons (A) Cask Belgian Dubbel
5 Seasons (A) Cowbell IPA
5 Seasons (A) Golden Number Ale
5 Seasons (A) Great Pumpkin Ale
5 Seasons (A) Sgt. Schultz Hefeweizen
Fordham Copperhead Ale
Fordham Helles Lager
Full Sail Ltd
Harpoon UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen
Holy Mackerel Imperial Black
Holy Mackerel Strong Lager
Kennebunkport Apricot Wheat
Kennebunkport Pumpkin Wheat
Lagunitas Gnarlywine ‘09
Lagunitas Juden and the Jets Ale
Lagunitas We’re Only in it for the Money Ale
Left Hand Jackman’s Pale Ale
Michelob Hop Hound Amber Ale
Rogue Oaked Santa’s Reserve
Shiner Celebrator 100
Smuttynose IPA
Smuttynose Shoal Pale Ale
Stone et al, Holiday Ale
Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster (GA)
The Duck Rabbit Baltic Porter
Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot Barleywine

The boldface ones were the complete 12 oz (or 22 oz servings). The rest were samples.

No, I am not talking ice cream. I am talking about the goal of trying 31 different new beers, i.e., ones that I have not tried before.

Or sometimes they might be a different version of a yearly, seasonal beer, e.g., the Red Brick Winter Brew of 2008 was a different style that the previous year. 2007 was a Double Chocolate Porter, while 2008 was a Belgian-style ale. During a couple of years in the 1990s (1996 & 1997, perhaps), I tried at least 365 different beers over the course of the year. In 2008, I tried 220 different beers. It is just a side hobby.

As I have a new job, working from home on the computer, and normal chores, this is just kind of a fun thing. The master list of the beers that I have tried before 2002 is on an old, dead McIntosh SE, but I would guess that I have probably tried about 4,000 American beers since I started collecting beer cans in 1974.

When I try a beer, that doesn't mean I consume the entire thing. I may only try two or three "fingers" of beer in a small glass. [At the Great American Beer Festival, I hear they only give you a 1 ounce sample of each brand. Sometimes it takes a second sip to properly judge a beer, IMHO.]

During January, I tried 36 different American beers:

Allagash Grande Cru
Avery Karma
Bison Organic IPA
Boulevard ’47 Oktoberfest
Dogfishhead 120 Minute IPA
Full Sail Amber
Full Sail Pale Ale
JosephsBrau Winterfest Dark Doppelbock
Kennebunkport Porter
Kennebunkport Wheat
Lemp Lager
Minhas Craft Brewed Light
Old Auburn Ale House Mile High Pale Ale
Old Auburn Ale House The Last Dragon
Old Auburn Ale House Tiger Tail
Old Auburn Ale House Winter Nude
Real Ale Sisyphus Barleywine
Red Brick Winter ‘08
R. J. Rockers Bald Eagle Brown
R. J. Rockers Light Rock
Rogue 15th Paul’s Black Lager
Santa Fe Chicken Killer Barleywine
Saranac India Brown Ale
Saranac Vanilla Stout
Sea Dog Riverdriver Porter
Simpler Times Lager
Simpler Times Pilsener
Southampton Publick House Double White
Southampton Publick House IPA
Stroh’s (Miller)
Terrapin Dos Cocoas Chocolate Porter
Terrapin Oak-Aged Big Hoppy Monster
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale (GA)
Terrapin Sun Ray Wheat
Trinity Red Ale
Victory Donnybrook Stout

The ones in bold were the ones that I consumed the entire 12 oz. glass (properly pouring the beer from the bottle (or can) into a glass, then letting warm a little helps properly release the aromas and flavors), the others were ones that I tried small sample glasses or shared with friends.

Later, I may blog about certain noteworthy beers/ales, when time permits.

[mid-February update - I finished the month of January, having tried 36 new beers/ales. I will "carry over" the extras toward February's goal.

From Youtube user "xskax":



Other types of Tuesday Videos are posted over at geosciblog.

Labels: Beer Commercials, Tuesday Videos

I am looking forward to trying it, soon.

My "drinking buddy" Neal sez he read some favorable reviews on Beer Advocate and here they are. Most reviews are in the "B" range, better than most of the Anheuser Busch reviews. [IMHO, sometimes the Beer Advocate reviewers can be too harsh on anything other than a micro or craft brewer.]

While on the subject of Anheuser Busch, Neal and I decided that Bud Light Lime is a decent "lawn mower" beer, i.e., one to have right after you finish mowing the lawn. Or maybe a good excuse to take a break in the middle of lawn mowing. Having one shouldn't be a problem. Lawn mowing while drunk is not a good idea.

Beers of My Life and Tipsy Texan.

Both are listed in the blogroll at right, and both are informative and entertaining.

So if I don't post here as often as I should, go give them a read (in moderation, of course).

Labels: Beer Blogs, Beer Reviews