Here's an interesting beer-related article for your enjoyment...

Here's a link to an interesting article about age verification on brewery websites, and the pointlessness of it all, courtesy Jim Hughes and Badass Digest.

Go here to read.  Hooray!

Chang Beer

So i'm venturing outside of my normal local wares and craft brews to celebrate something from the far east.  Chang Beer comes to us from Thailand's Cosmos Brewery and i must say that it pairs wonderfully with Thai cuisine.  It's a light tasting gold lager with a quickly dissipating white head and tastes almost sweet with a champagne-like feel.  There are some subtle hints of rice in the mix too.  All in all, a very cold and refreshing beer and the perfect antidote to a searing spicy meal.  One could easily drink a ton of these, so make sure you pace yourself.

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Alaskan Black IPA

It's been so wonderful the last year to have the fine beers from Alaskan Brewing Company available here in Austin.  They're really top notch, and something i'd been missing since i visited the northwest a couple of years ago.  Which brings us to their Black IPA.  It's dark and malty, looking more like a porter than anything else, but then the citrus and floral aromas and flavors hit your senses, and it's evident that you're in IPA country.  The hops work nicely with the light coffee and dark fruit flavors in the beer, and it's never too overpowering.  Strangely enough, the brew feels like a combination of a good winter ale and a hoppy, springtime IPA...and it works.  Kudos to the boys and girls in Alaska.

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Snow Day Winter Ale

So this goes out to all my friends in the northeast who may be under a foot or more of snow right now.  I hope you are adequately stocked with water and food and propane and batteries and whatnot.  I also hope you have some libations to keep you warm through the storm.  Might i suggest New Belgium's Snow Day Winter Ale.  With hints of chocolate, caramel, and some subtle walnut undertones combined with the spicy hops, the beer comes together remarkably well and is just the remedy for a cold night.  Add to that the creamy head and roasty finish, and you've got a winner.  Keep warm and be safe my friends.

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Real Ale Brewer's Cut Imperial Red

Having been stricken with cold and flu like symptoms for the past couple of days, my beer drinking has been non-existent this week.  That being said, i did try the lovely fourth beer in Real Ale's Brewer's Cut series, a delicious Imperial Red.  The beer pours a dark, reddish amber with a light head, and gives off an immediate citrus aroma with a slight floral hint here and there.  The taste is a little sour, with a pretty good combination of brown sugar and citrus (from the cascade hops).  It almost has a wine-like feel to it, so i'd suggest using it as a dinner beer, or with an array of meats and cheeses.  As far as alcohol content goes, the brew gets a solid 8.8% ABV, so it will pack a punch, even if it doesn't taste like it will.  All in all, an excellent beer, and one i intend to drink again...whenever this damn bug goes away.

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