Founders Breakfast Stout

It's a new year, and to commemorate a record year in all things beer, I am doing the same thing I do every night --- TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD! Wait...wrong blog. Actually, this month my choice of beer was very simple. It was one that I won in a simple online trivia game over at Beer Advocate (thanks Monica!). Through good fortune and great kindness, someone sent me a fresh 4-pack of one of the most sought after seasonal releases - Founders Brewing Breakfast Stout.

The Beer:
Well, I certainly picked an amazing beer to celebrate the holidays with. I had no idea that something so heavily hyped in beer-nerd circles would live up to the hype and possibly surpass it. Everything this beer claimed to be it was - chocolate, coffee, oats, and a little cinnamon. Quite literally, it is breakfast in a glass. But it wasn't just the layers of savory and sweet flavors that made this beer impressive, its also the drink-ability of it that amazed me. With many stouts, there is often a level of thickness that is great for a pint but not much more than that. And these days, many stouts come barrel-aged and heap on the alcohol making even a full pint sometimes too much. Breakfast Stout however had a wonderful balance of a light finish on each sip that never made me feel as though I was drinking a loaf of bread. One other interesting thing to note with Breakfast Stout was that it got considerably better as it warmed. I had put the beers into the refrigerator before starting my session of consumption. Once I started drinking however, I decided to just take the entire 4-pack out and let them sit as I got to each one. It was one of those rare chilly night here in Los Angeles and I figured even if they reached room temperature, they'd still be perfect for drinking throughout the end of year UFC show. Little did I know that each subsequent beer would only improve. The coffee stood out a little more, the chocolate hung around a little longer, and hints of smoke came through. Its unfortunate that I only had these 4 beers to savor, as Breakfast Stout isn't sold on the West Coast, and I'll likely have to wait until next years release and more generosity from other like-minded alcoholics to get some more.

The Buzz:
Founders Breakfast Stout isn't just an impressive tasting beer. It also packs an alcoholic punch with a decent 8.2% abv. Being such a tasty beer, and being so easy to drink, it's a perfect recipe for getting fairly drunk fairly quickly. In this particular session, I found myself succeeding in a slow pace throughout the night. The fact that it was the holidays, that I was off from work, and that I had an epic night of fights to watch on pay-per-view, certainly helped me control the flow of brew. After beers #1 & 2, the level of buzz that set in would have been enough for me to pleasantly call it a night for drinking on any other weekend. But being that I still needed another 12oz to reach my minimum limit and the fact that this was vacation after all, I pressed forward just as the fight of the night was starting. A better decision could not have been made. Not only was the 3rd beer the best of the bunch in taste, but it also sent me into that perfect place where the buzz makes everything warm and fuzzy. The irony that it occurred at the same time a guy was having his face punched open and spilling pints upon pints of blood on a mat for thousands of cheering fans in Las Vegas is not lost on me, but it is appreciated!

The Hangover:
When I passed out after an epic heavyweight main event, I wasn't sure what the next day would hold for me. On the one hand, I had a tall glass of water and only drank the minimum allotment of beer for my blog in this session. But on the other hand, this wasn't a weak pale ale or pilsner. This beer had depth to it...both in flavor and alcohol. So when I finally awoke after a cozy night's sleep, I shouldn't have been surprised that the  symptoms of a rough day ahead were all present. Pounding headache, check. Woozy stomach, check. Cloudy daze, check. While the standard hangover cocktail of an antacid and Advil helped somewhat, that lingering discomfort chose to stick around for the entire Sunday before New Years. While on any regular Sunday this wouldn't have been to much of a big deal (and doubly so on a vacation-Sunday), I found myself tasked with a list of house repairs, maintenance  and upkeep that my wife requested. But, being the super-husband that I am, I pushed through the pain and soldiered on. While this distracted from the obvious hangover Breakfast Stout caused, it didn't make me forget about it when I went to open that final 4th bottle later that night. Thankfully hair of the dog and all that still applies 12+ hours later.

The Verdict:
It's easy to see why people in the beer community go nuts for Breakfast Stout. Its not only a good beer, but its pretty cool to consider the idea of actually having a beer for breakfast. While my testing of this particular brew didn't bring me to that length, I could imagine a scenario in the Midwest where you wake up one Sunday morning with 2 feet of snow on the ground, the Packers playing the Vikings, eggs, bacon, and toast ready and waiting for you to dive into. All accompanied by a pint of Founders Breakfast Stout to wash it down. While I'm sure this exact situation actually occurs several times a year somewhere in Michigan, out here in LA, I could only get so close to living that particular American Dream. But I'll absolutely try to achieve that year after year should someone find it in their hearts to continue to send me this great beer each winter.

Knee Deep Citra Extra Pale Ale

Forget your winter warmers. Forget your cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Forget anything dark, I'm going fresh, bright, sharp citrus this month and kickin' it IPA. While most people look forward to drinking and  enjoying all the specialty holiday beers that are put out, I was craving something simple and awesome. And I found perhaps the most simple and most awesome IPA I've had to date. Which can only mean that I'm even more awesome than I thought.

The Beer:
For the first time in quite a while, I was surprised by a beer. I had tried several Knee Deep beers in the past but was never overly impressed with them. While they all got high ratings and rave reviews on beer websites, I always found them to be good but not great. Well made but nothing all that special. Enjoyable but ultimately forgettable. So when I was perusing my local beer store, I only knew two things: 1) I was looking for 2 bombers to drink for this month's blog as opposed to a 4 or 6 pack; and 2) I wanted an IPA. When taking into account all the seasonal offerings combined with beers I've already tried, my selection became much more limited than I would have expected. Yet, there was Knee Deep Citra, a beer I'd heard good things about but never tried. While I wasn't about to buy two 22oz beers based on reviews for a brewery I was never previously wowed with, the price point and lack of selection helped push me towards going with this single hop brew. Fate must have been looking down on me this post-Thanksgiving day, as I ended up buying what may be the greatest IPA I've ever had. The aroma, taste, palate, and appearance were all out of this world. It was as if someone created an ultra-fruit made up of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon and orange. Perhaps some melon and papaya in there too. All with a sharp piney bite at the end of each sip. It really was remarkable that these flavors permeated from first pour all the way through last sip. I was giddy with joy over this beer. I wanted to tell all my friends and wish I had bought more than just 2 at the time. I'm unsure if it was a new recipe, extra fresh bottles, or just that this beer was made for my taste buds, but whatever the circumstances surrounding my experience with Citra, I am now a fan for life of this beer and will certainly give the brewery a second look when shopping.

The Buzz:
The thing with great beers is that they go down much faster than bad ones. Simple math really. Or logic? Or...physiology? Whatever it is, I pounded through the first of the two bottles in record time. While the 7% abv that Citra was packing is right in the middle of my sweet spot, it practically drank like a session beer. The carbonation left a mild tingling on my tongue that reminded me very much of days past when a great blunt would make my whole head buzz with pleasure. While those days are long gone (now weed does nothing but create hunger and paranoia...fuck aging...fuck it in the ass!), this replacement was perfectly suitable and enjoyable. And where the first bottle went down fast, furious, and fantastically,  the second bottle took a little longer and created a different sensation --- it made me tired. Perhaps my body was still reeling from a long day over the smoker preparing for Thanksgiving. Perhaps I was still digesting the pounds of brisket and potatoes. Whatever the reason, a sudden sense of fatigue crept in and became quite difficult to fight off. If not for the intense flavors and aromas of Citra, I likely wouldn't have finished bottle #2 and instead just passed out for the night. Thankfully, I pushed through, started a new episode of It's Always Sunny and happily finished my allotted amount before happily entering the world of sleepy-fun-happy-times.

The Hangover:
Being that nearly everything about this drinking experience was near perfect, I was sure that ol' man fate would take his trust karma-rod and rape my soul with it. There was no way a beer this good, this drinkable could possibly allow me to come out unscathed. I was certain when I fell asleep that I was in for a day of hurt ahead of me. Unlike all of my other drinking escapades (as well as every other morning), the dogs managed to sleep in until my wife woke up. They must have been equally tired from the holiday events, as the entire family slept well through the night and into the morning. After finally waking, my body was painfully quenched of thirst. Before any coffee was brewed, a large jar of water was finished as I watched cartoons with the dogs on the couch. Soon after, coffee, breakfast, and a shower followed. By noon, all systems were go and I was ready to tackle another day of this mini-vacation.

The Verdict:
If it wasn't made clear in my opening paragraph, I really dig Knee Deep Citra. What made it an even better experience than just being a great beer was that it fulfilled exactly what I was seeking out this month. And it surpassed my expectations of what a good IPA is like. Whereas, I had previously held Ballast Point Sculpin as the high-water mark of a great readily available IPA, Knee Deep Citra now clearly takes that title.
Now, if only I could find it again...as every attempt to locate a bottle since that day has come up short. So perhaps its not that readily available, and perhaps that's what will make it all the more special when it is.

Surly Wet

It's that time of year when everything really starts changing. The weather outside, the clocks themselves, and of course the flavor of beers. But whereas common logic might be to pick up your favorite pumpkin beer, mine is to take advantage of the very small window for breweries fresh hop offerings. The only question is: are they all hype and marketing? Or is it truly something special?

The Beer:
My decision on which fresh hop beer to choose wasn't all that difficult. While nearly every brewery offers up their own take on the style, I could find only one that offered it in the most fresh packaging available --- the aluminum can. Cans provide better and longer lasting freshness. And there are probably no canned beers more sought after than Surly Brewing. With their distribution limited only to the state of Minnesota, I had to search long and hard to get my hands on some Surly Wet (well, not too long or too hard. All I really had to do was ask around to some of my trading partners). When it finally arrived, I promptly checked the canning date (Oct. 5th, 2012) and got to drinking. This years batch was brewed with 100% Simcoe hops and tasted incredible. The flavors of grassy pine, fruity citrus, and sweet malts blended together amazingly. Sure, the weather may be getting cooler and the impulse for a darker, heavier beer looms large. But in this transition period here in Los Angeles where it can be 85 degrees one day and 65 the very next, Surly Wet hit the spot in every possible way. Oh, the bitter irony that the closest distribution for it is thousands of miles away.

The Buzz:
With so much hops added to the brew, it's no surprise that the level of alcohol had to creep up to help balance the aroma and taste. Surly lists the abv on Wet at a perfect 7.5%. For myself, that is the magic number in creating a drinkable yet decently potent beer. Being packaged in proper-pint sized cans, I also managed to drink my upper limit of beer for this blog by slowly but surely polishing off 3 whole cans. With each pint, the buzz slowly and steadily crept in but never took total control of my senses. Being that it tasted, looked, and smelled great, and it was easy as hell to drink, I certainly looked forward to pint after pint. However, I also got to thinking somewhere during the 2nd or 3rd drink that while this beer was certainly remarkable, was it really all that much better (or different) than any other top-notch IPA? Was this notion of fresh hop beers more marketing than artistry? Certainly there are subtle differences...stronger aromas, sharper tastes, and brighter colors. But, do those slight adjustments make it an overall better version? Without doing a blind side-by-side test of Surly's Wet, Furious (IPA), and even Abrasive (DIPA) it's probably impossible to tell. But being that the entire notion of fresh hop IPAs is the freshness and importance of drinking as soon as possible, such a test may never even be feasable. So, for now, I'll have to rely on sensory memory. Which, after drinking about 48oz. of respectably alcoholic beer, may or may not be all that accurate.

The Hangover:
After a night of drinking Surly Wet, I passed out happily feeling somewhat confident that the hangover the next morning wouldn't be too severe. I didn't feel excessively drunk before sleeping, and I made sure to drink a large glass of water just to be safe. Yet, while I slept soundly, when I awoke to Murdoch my boxer nudging me to feed him, my body felt like it had just been revived from a months-long coma. Although I could not sense any excessive headache or stomach pain that typically accompanies my hangovers, my entire body seemed to be weighed down. My eyes could barely open upon filling the dogs' water dish. I wavered and wobbled throughout the kitchen as if I was drugged. And while the thought of my wife secretly slipping me a roofie did cross my mind, I'm fairly certain that she would not do such a thing (nor know where to procure such a drug). Once I made my way back to the bed after the dogs were done with their business, I passed out once again. When I was awoken next, it was to my wife gently nudging me to inform me of the late hour. Despite my monthly embellishments I'm never one to sleep the following day away. Yet, on this occurrence I remained comatose until almost noon. Once finally getting up and around however, whatever hangover may have been there quickly faded and by the time I finished a cup of coffee, I was completely fine. So for all the freshness that Surly Wet promoted, one possible (and welcome) side affect may also be that of a sleep aid.

The Verdict:
I'm quite thankful for the chance to have had this remarkable beer. Surly Wet definitely lived up to the expectations. And while I'm not quite totally sold on the notion of fresh hop beers being any better or worse than the average IPA, I do appreciate the effort that brewers go through to bring the people a unique spin on a typical beer. All the ingredients, work, packaging, and yes...even marketing can't just be for show. There is simply too much labor and resources involved to be anything less than an effort to brew a better beer.

Fullers Vintage Ale 2009-2011

As this month's deadline fast approached for me to decide on what to drink, I found myself in a bit of a pickle. With a full fridge of beer, yet none in enough quantity to suffice for the purposes my experimentation, my only option was to go out and buy something at the store. However, I was determined not to purchase even more beer when I still needed to drink down what I had. Thankfully, the genius-lights popped on in the ol' thinktank and reminded me that in the back of my fridge I had 3 bottles of the same beer. Perfect for my needs. The only catch was that these 3 bottles would be my first foray into drinking a multi-year vertical flight.

The Beer:
For anyone not familiar with vertical tastings, it's essentially just a term for drinking different years productions of the same beer in succession to gauge the differences in each vintage. Certain vertical flights have recipe deviations from the brewers but the same base, while others are meant to examine the effects aging a beer has on its taste. Regardless of why or how the session is being conducted, then end result is almost always the same --- pleasantly drunk.

The oldest of my collection, the 2009 version of Fullers Vintage Ale was by far the most unique. Whether it was the variances or the age, this year had the most punch to it. Overall it tasted a little oakey and very malty. It poured heavily carbonated but faded quick. Slight alcoholic finish with a leathery palate. I also wrote down "dried figs, plums" (yes, I did take actual, physical notes. Why? Because I wanted to make it seem like I'm sophisticated and intelligent. I took these notes on a Crutchfield catalog I had in front of me as I watched a UFC fight between a 7 foot tall Dutch fighter and a Croatian firefighter. I am pure class!)

Next up was the 2010 vintage (see what I mean about intelligent...I know how to count!). This one poured out into my glass with a much larger head of fluffy white foam. The aroma was also a bit more fruity than the 2009. It had a more subdued taste profile yet also more hops on palate. And those random notes I jotted down? "Lemon, citrus tones. Slight alcoholic heat in finish." Huh...those actually seem like legitimate tasting notes. I should have had my monocle out when writing them.

Last was the 2011 naturally. And again, the amount and density of head increased from the previous beer. My only thought was that the bottle conditioning of these ales allowed for the carbonation levels to drop off significantly after 2 years or so. Aside from that difference, this year's version was the most IPA-like. It had distinct grapefruit, lemon, and citrus aromas as well as a more bitter, hop aftertaste. The malty base still retained the same qualities as the previous years, however this one seemed a bit thinner than the others. Also, I did not write down any notes as I was probably becoming too inebriated to care or remember to do so.

The Buzz:
Oh, what can be said about the wonderful side-effects to tasting 3 successive years of a finely crafted brew that boasts a pleasant 8.5% abv? Well, for one thing, in ensuring that I not over-drink my allotted amount, I chose to pour out 3 oz of every bottle into a taster glass leaving me with 14oz per beer for consumption  I figured a beer such as this, that lent it self to the medium - medium-high range of alcoholic content shouldn't be pushed to it's max. Nor should it be minimized however, especially considering these beers are one of a kind and would be very difficult to locate again. That all said, I have to say that the buzz I got from these 3 beers was near perfect. It came on slowly at first, creeping its way into my body with ease, and by the end I found myself to be in that perfect space of light-headed, relaxed enjoyment along with a sense of total clarity and recollection. I was happily full and satisfied with the 3 beers I had enjoyed that night. They lasted me a solid 2 1/2 hours and kept me company throughout a night of enjoying Ultimate Fighting.

The Hangover:
With such a great experience both in taste and imbibement, I was a bit concerned that the trifecta of awesomeness simply wouldn't occur. After all, 3 aged Vintage Ales with a blend of different ingredients and an impressive alcoholic content seemed like a likely candidate for a rough morning after. After passing out promptly, I slept through the night well only to be awoken to Murdoch asking for his breakfast. Although I was quite groggy, I managed to feed him and his brother with our normal morning routine before I could pass back out. Before doing so, I managed to drink a glass of water and pop a few Advil as my skull felt slightly fractured internally. Alas, that Advil couldn't put Humpty back together again. When I woke a couple hours later, the headache remained. Neither coffee nor shower alleviated it, nor did more pills that afternoon. Only time would heal this wound. 

The Verdict:
Ultimately, this first foray into vertical tasting flights was a success. All 3 Vintage Ales had their clear distinctions while remaining fairly universal in how they looked, smelled, and tasted. There was clear care taken in brewing these once-a-year specialties. And I felt that the happy & pleasant buzz they created trumped the moderately painful & annoying hangover. I certainly recommend Fullers Vintage Ales to anyone looking for a good brew or starting point in collecting beers. I only regret that it'll be at least another three years until I drink these again!

Short's ControversiALE

Summer is winding down, but drinking is ramping up! As these California days are getting hotter and hotter, I find myself with more and more excuses to have a crisp, refreshing beer anytime of the day on the weekends and many evenings during the week. So, how did I chose what to drink this month for my blog? I let fate decide. And sure enough, the day before I chose to drink this month's test beer, a package from good ol' Elise Oras showed up at my doorstep carrying some tasty Michigan brews!

The Beer:
Sometimes I think that all these different beers are going to just end up blurring into one another. With the increasing variety of beers from all over the country and my disturbing desire to have them all, I begin to wonder if I'll ever tire from IPA after IPA or 2 year barrel aged beers versus 3 year ones. There has to be some ceiling, some limit to what my palate finds interesting. Thankfully, Short's ControversiALE, wasn't that limit. I had no idea just what type of beer this was when Elise told me she was sending it. All I knew was that Short's Brewing has a good reputation in the mid-west and makes cleverly titled beers like Short's Strawberry Cake and Key Lime Pie. So when I opened my first bottle of this toasted IPA, I was definitely taken aback by the uniqueness in flavor. See, all that writing on the bottle says nothing of this being toasted. And the notion of a toasted IPA, while logical, never occurred to me. I always associate roasty, burnt flavors with that of stouts, porters, even lagers. IPAs always come across more fruity and fresh in my mind. ControversiALE had an earthy taste to it, almost even going so far as to say it tasted like dirt was included. But not the scary, shit dirt. No, more like the nutrient-rich expensive dirt that is made from expensive composted materials. Because although dirt came to mind, I had no problem whatsoever in plowing through bottle #1 and straight into bottle #2.

The Buzz:
With Short's ControversiALE, I knew heading into this session that I had the option to max out on volume consumption. Having a 6-pack at the ready and coming in at a relatively low 5.5% abv, I was fairly certain that it'd be no problem having four of these in one night. As with most of my drinking, I chose to do so while watching two people enter a cage and try to knock out or submit one another. Thinking that I'd be able to pace myself and have 1 beer per fight, I inadvertently ended up in quite the quandary when each fight ended in spectacularly brutal fashion. As submission followed knockout, I found myself only just finished with the 2nd bottle and the main event starting. Thankfully, main events are five rounds and can last as long as 30 minutes all inclusive. So as I opened the 3rd bottle with nary a buzz and the bell rang for the opening round, I barely got two sips in when the champion Ronda Rousey nearly tore off the arm of her opponent in under a minute. So much for that plan. Regardless, I continued to polish off the 3rd bottle while watching the replays and highlights. Perhaps the fact that I finished number three so quickly helped both what little buzz I was accumulating build as well as enhance my enjoyment of the beer. Being lower in alcohol allowed my palate (and stomach) to stay in check and finish up all four beers with the perfect amount of alcoholic imbibement for the night.

The Hangover:
Summer is Los Angeles is a tricky time of year. Certain days can be overcast and cloudy until well past noon. Others can reach 90 degrees before breakfast is ready. Oftentimes, that heat can make all the difference in how I handle hangovers. If I can sleep in and not sweat balls the instant that I wake, my body will often heal from the poison I so thoroughly filled it with the night before. However, if I am woken early by a blinding sun and forced into manual labor in the dry dragon's breath, then it's likely that my body shall punish me for the pains I put it through. Thankfully, ControversiALE seemed to be low enough in abv and made from ingredients that agreed with my physiology. Because while my Sunday morning began with the worst of temperate scenarios, my body showed little signs of fighting the alcohol still lingering inside me. Aside from a mild headache and fatigue, all systems were go and I was totally functional throughout the day. I was very grateful to have received a 6-pack of this beer. Not only did it provide me a chance to try a beer otherwise unavailable to me, but (as with all 6-packs I drink for this blog) it gave the gift of extras to enjoy at a later date. The date for ControversiALE however, was less than 24 hours later as I had both after a hot day tending to the yard.

The Verdict:
Another experiment, another success. It shouldn't surprise me that Short's ControversiALE passed my tests with flying colors. A variation on the traditional IPA with a pretty low abv has little chance of messing with me too much. However, instance like Lagunitas Censored Ale have proven that theory to be wrong on occasion. While I appreciated the chance to have this beer and am glad to have tried an IPA with a toasted base recipe, I'm also okay with ControversiALE not currently being offered around these parts. Sure, if I saw it on the shelves, I'd probably buy it again eventually. But with so many different options these days, it'd likely get lost in the shuffle of other offerings. That said though, for anyone who does have access to this beer who has not yet tried it, I implore you to give it a try. You might just find that that toasted IPA style is your new favorite.

Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale

There are such difficult decisions on what beers to drink for the purpose of this blog. This month, I literally found myself in front of a cooler in a liquor store flipping a coin. After a lengthy perusal of the selection, I narrowed my choices to two beers both packaged in cans. Heads it would be the well-known and highly-regarded Dale's Pale Ale. Tails, the lesser-known but locally grown Uncommon Brewers Baltic Porter. So, at 9am on a Saturday in a Beverly Hills liquor store, I threw that coin up in the air and looked like a douche when it landed in my hand and I nodded my head in agreement with...myself.

The Beer:

So when fate dictated that I go with Dale's Pale Ale for my monthly drinking exercise, I was actually pretty excited. I've been on a beer can kick lately and Oskar Blues was one of the first in the craft beer business to embrace the American tradition of packaging alcohol in aluminum. While I've had several of their other offerings before, surprisingly, I had yet to ever try the flagship beer of this brewery. Dale's Pale Ale is a fairly well known, well established, and easily attainable beer nowadays. Along with beers such as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Stone Arrogant Bastard, and New Belgium Fat Tire, it represents what many consider to be a "gateway" beverage into the world of craft brewing. And like those beers, it offers a fairly straight-forward taste profile. The hops and malt are well balanced for a pale ale with just the right blend of sweetness over the bittering hop bite. Personally though, I felt as though the beer itself was a bit too heavy. Perhaps it could have been the Greek dinner I had. Or the cookies I chose to eat for lunch that day. But, after just one drink my mouth felt heavy and my stomach full. I knew that I needed to push through at least two more cans, but honestly, before I began drinking I was sure that it'd be a night where I reached my blogging limit of four. Everything tasted just fine from the can, but the overall weight of the beer sat heavily in me and stood in stark contrast with my experiences of other pale ales such as the aforementioned Sierra Nevada Pale. Thankfully, I was watching my dear friends from Bon Temps battle witches on TV to help push me through the night.

The Buzz:

As previously stated, Dale's Pale is likely as good a choice as any to introduce people to who only drink Bud, Miller, and Coors. You can find it almost everywhere and it won't break your bank. Being packaged in a can further cements that notion, as its much easier for someone to bring a 12-pack of Dale's to the beach or park and throw one over to the guy who just ran out of Bud Light. Sure, he may not immediately like your brash attempt to cultivate his palate, but one mention that this can has 50% more alcohol than his previous swill will very likely encourage the gent to finish his can and politely ask for another. At 6.5%, this is one of the more potent American Pale Ales I've had. Yet, it also falls into my personal "sweet spot" of alcoholic content. It's that range where I will often feel a great buzz that slowly comes on and stays just long enough to put me to bed. I'm not hit too hard causing me to stop my drinking abruptly, nor am I left completely unaffected and reaching for beer after beer feeling like I'm wasting my time and money. Like a perfectly thrown dart, this one landed in my bullseye (umm, that sounds way dirtier upon re-reading this). After struggling through the first two beers, my buzz caught up with me and encouraged me to crack open the third. Still relatively sober though, this one took a bit longer to finish. I was pretty full after finally finishing the second episode of Vampire Threesomes (aka True Blood), but also when finally finishing beer #3, I was pleasantly buzzed. So naturally, despite the fact that I was exhausted and my episodes of True Blood were over, I figured I'd at least start the fourth beer while I watched a few late night fights. Thank god those fights ended with quick submissions and record knockouts, because after only a quarter of a pint, I was done. Thank you very much Oskar Blues, but I'll pour you out and call it a night!

The Hangover:
Due to the difficulty I found in trying to finish the fourth beer of Dale's Pale Ale, combined with the fact that the first three felt much heavier than their abv indicated, I was certain that the morning was not going to be kind to me. Surprisingly though, I woke up fairly early and was only suffering from a case of intense dehydration. There was no mistaking that I had one too many beers the night before (or even perhaps two too many?), but there was also no indication that this beer triggered any allergic or severe reactions otherwise. Stomach was ok, headache was fine. I was able to do rather extensive yard work in the 80+ degree weather. And yet, I wasn't ever completely in the clear either. The cloud of alcohol hung over me for the entire day and night. A mild pounding in my head couldn't be quelled with aspirin, coffee, or water. The large mexican dinner I made only satisfied my hunger and not my discomfort. Essentially, I drank too much. Not so much that I was sick, but enough that I probably could have done without opening that fourth beer.

The Verdict:
Ultimately, Dale's Pale Ale is a pretty great beer on it's own. When adding in factors like availability, portability, and price, it becomes even more remarkable. However, that said, I don't think it quite surpasses pale ales from breweries like Sierra Nevada, Stone, or even Dogfish Head for that matter. The difference in my opinion is the hop to malt balance. Dale's opts to go for a sweeter pale ale, resulting in a heavier beer. The others maintain a higher hop profile that keeps things crisp and light. But all things considered, I'd probably still choose Dale's Pale Ale to introduce to someone not familiar with craft beer. If only because the image of throwing someone a can is way cooler in my mind, than hitting them in the head with a bottle. Cans rule!