It's been a little bit since I wrote one of these, so I may be a little rusty. Here goes nothing.
-The Mets stink. The terrible bullpen has caught up with them. The two out hits have disappeared and so has their mojo. At this point after losing 14 out the last 16, I want to see kids brought up from the minors and get them some time with the big club. Speaking of kids, Matt Harvey made his big-league debut last week and looked impressive. He seems to have some good stuff and is ranked pretty highly as a prospect. Hopefully he turns out to be a little better than Mike Pelfrey.
-The Rangers traded for one of the bigger stars in the NHL in Rick Nash. He should proivide some toughness and scoring on the top line. Both of which were lacking a little last year. They gave up a prospect, Dubinsky, and Anisimov. Not bad when you think about it. It definitely improved the team.
-The Jets started training camp this weekend up in Cortland, NY. So far, Rex seems to be keeping his mouth shut, so the media has to manufacture stories about Tim Tebow and dissect every move and throw he makes. I think the coverage of Tebow will actually allow Sanchez to relax. Hopefully Sanchez can come out on fire to start the season. I don't know if that will be possible, though. The start of the season is the toughest stretch they have all season. Three possible Super Bowl contenders in the first five weeks. Although the regular season is still over a month away, it's good to know football is back.
-Speaking of football, today has been a transition day for me. I have been putting off starting the fantasy football season because I know that means the summer is almost over. I waited until training camp started for the Jets. Once Gang Green started, I knew it had to be done. As a person who plays multiple fantasy sports, this time of year is a bit of a challenge because baseball is coming to a crucial point of the season if you are still in contention in your league and football is beginning. There is a little bit of prep work that goes into drafting your football team depending on your level of fantasy sports. I'd like to think my level is pretty high and I like to stay on top of the information, so this time gets to be busy. Oh well, tis the life of fantasy sports player I suppose.
-I have begun training for my first 5k race in September. While some of you out there may think this is no big deal, it is to me. I am someone who never liked to run, until now. My training is going well and I have actually started enjoying it. I have set my goals for the race and think they are very attainable. Maybe one day I will post them on here to keep myself accountable and track my progress. Something I have learned already in my running is that this is a process, something to always work at. Because of this, I realize it's not just about finishing the race under a certain time, it's about trying to get better each day and trying to live a healthier life day by day.
Okay, that didn't turn out too bad. New beer review will be up Wednesday. As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and Facebook. Until next time.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
River Horse - Summer Blonde
This week on the beer review we take a look at a beer that comes from the great state of New Jersey. River Horse Brewing Company is located in Lambertville, NJ on the Delaware River. This is not their first time appearing on Hops and Homers, and I can tell you it won't be their last.
Sticking with the theme of summer styles, this beer is called Summer Blonde. It is considered an American Blonde style, which according to Beer Advocate is, "More or less a creation from the craft-brewery movement, and also
reminiscent of the German style Kölsch. Pale straw to deep gold for
color. Usually an all malt brew, well attenuated with a lightly malty
palate. Most have a subdued fruitiness. Hop character is of the noble
variety, or similar, leaving a light to medium bitterness. A balanced
beer, light bodied and sometimes lager like."
Summer Blonde pours a hazy, golden color with a minimal head. There is a lot of carbonation in this beer. The initial smell is very light. Nothing really sticks out to me. I smell a hint of grassy, earthy, hoppy aroma and also slightly some bready malts. With the first sip, my initial reaction is this beer tastes like a lager. The taste is very crisp and refreshing. It is a good beer to drink on a warm, summer afternoon, lounging by the pool or at any bbq you attend this summer. Although this is not my favorite beer or style, I have a new found appreciation for this style of brew.
Here are the stats:
Stats:
Brewery: River Horse Brewing Company
Beer: Summer Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Rating:
C+
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and Facebook. Until next time.
Sticking with the theme of summer styles, this beer is called Summer Blonde. It is considered an American Blonde style, which according to Beer Advocate is, "More or less a creation from the craft-brewery movement, and also
reminiscent of the German style Kölsch. Pale straw to deep gold for
color. Usually an all malt brew, well attenuated with a lightly malty
palate. Most have a subdued fruitiness. Hop character is of the noble
variety, or similar, leaving a light to medium bitterness. A balanced
beer, light bodied and sometimes lager like."Summer Blonde pours a hazy, golden color with a minimal head. There is a lot of carbonation in this beer. The initial smell is very light. Nothing really sticks out to me. I smell a hint of grassy, earthy, hoppy aroma and also slightly some bready malts. With the first sip, my initial reaction is this beer tastes like a lager. The taste is very crisp and refreshing. It is a good beer to drink on a warm, summer afternoon, lounging by the pool or at any bbq you attend this summer. Although this is not my favorite beer or style, I have a new found appreciation for this style of brew.
Here are the stats:
Stats:
Brewery: River Horse Brewing Company
Beer: Summer Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Rating:
C+
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and Facebook. Until next time.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Anchor - Summer Beer
Welcome back to another beer review here at Hops and Homers as we continue our journey through summer beers. Today we take a look at a beer from Anchor Brewing out of San Fransisco, CA. Anchor has appeared before on Hops and Homers, when we reviewed their Christmas Ale, now we review their Summer Beer which is considered an American Pale Wheat Ale. Like I mentioned last week, this is definitely a style I can get in to and have actually started enjoying. Now to the reason you are all here, the beer.
The brew pours a golden color with a very interesting head. The head really is something different. According to Anchor's site, here's why, "The head is unusually abundant due to the natural protein deposits of wheat, with a thick consistency similar to meringue." As you can sort of see to the right, it's absolutely true.
Just based on looks alone, this beer looks really refreshing. The smell is that of bready malt, wheat and a slight citrus aroma. The first sip is just what I expected based on the smell, very smooth with a heavy malty flavor. There are limited hop flavors present, mostly a slight citrus, lemony flavor. Usually I'm not a fan of no hop flavor, but this one is different. Maybe it's the fact my palate is changing or maybe it's the fact this is an excellent beer, either way, I highly recommend this Summer Beer to anyone looking for a refreshing beer on a hot summer afternoon or evening. It's perfect for the pool or any bbq that you attend.
Here are the vitals:
Stats:
Brewery: Anchor Brewing
Beer: Summer Beer
ABV: 4.5%
Rating:
B
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and Facebook. Until next time.
Just based on looks alone, this beer looks really refreshing. The smell is that of bready malt, wheat and a slight citrus aroma. The first sip is just what I expected based on the smell, very smooth with a heavy malty flavor. There are limited hop flavors present, mostly a slight citrus, lemony flavor. Usually I'm not a fan of no hop flavor, but this one is different. Maybe it's the fact my palate is changing or maybe it's the fact this is an excellent beer, either way, I highly recommend this Summer Beer to anyone looking for a refreshing beer on a hot summer afternoon or evening. It's perfect for the pool or any bbq that you attend.
Here are the vitals:
Stats:
Brewery: Anchor Brewing
Beer: Summer Beer
ABV: 4.5%
Rating:
B
As always, you can follow Hops and Homers on Twitter and Facebook. Until next time.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Monkey Business
It sure has been awhile since we last talked about beer, or anything for that matter. I'm not here to promise that it won't happen again, but what I can promise is a double header of Monkey beers today.
Let me start out by saying this summer I have a goal of trying summer style beers. Well, I have tried some, most of which you will read about in later reviews. Some of these beers were good and others, not so much. I have found my go to summer beer, Victory's Summer Love, and get a little reluctant when trying new summer beers. If you remember, I tried the same thing last year, trying wheat beers unsucessfully. I tried to like them, but couldn't adjust my palate to like the wheat taste. Give me the hops instead. Alright, enough of the chit-chat, let's get to the beers.
The first beer we will be taking a look at is from a brewery out of Longmont, Colorado which is making its first appearance on Hops and Homers. The beer is called 400 lb Monkey and is an English style IPA. It pours a golden, hazy, orange color with a slight hint of citrus and grass in the initial smell. The first sip is not bitter at all, in fact it is rather sweet, and filled with bready malt flavor. The description on the Left Hand site explains, "
Why does the world need another IPA? Because this one ain't like them others. We use hops
of a different color, earthy and herbal, well-balanced by bready malt.
The result? An English-style IPA that separates itself from the
ubiquitous bunch. Cartloads of bitter monkeys flinging wasteful amounts
of bananas into the jungle . . .we're so done with that."
This description is absolutely on point. This beer is surprisingly good on a hot summer's day. It's not extremely bitter but has enough hop kick to keep a hop head like me satisfied. Here are the vitals:
Stats:
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company
Beer: 400 lb Monkey
ABV: 6.8%
I may have lost some of you with the sciencey words, so let's get back to simpler vocabulary. The beer pours a light, hazy, golden color. You can smell the wheat right off the bat in this one. The first sip does not have the over the top banana-ish wheat flavor that normal wheats have. There is a slight hoppiness to it, but actually has a lot of sweet flavor, and an almost banana taste, just not as strong as I was expecting. This beer, and moreover, this style of beer is something that I can get down with. I like the balance of the style and look forward to trying more like this one this summer. Or maybe not, I might just stick with Summer Love. You will have to stay tuned to see.
Let me start out by saying this summer I have a goal of trying summer style beers. Well, I have tried some, most of which you will read about in later reviews. Some of these beers were good and others, not so much. I have found my go to summer beer, Victory's Summer Love, and get a little reluctant when trying new summer beers. If you remember, I tried the same thing last year, trying wheat beers unsucessfully. I tried to like them, but couldn't adjust my palate to like the wheat taste. Give me the hops instead. Alright, enough of the chit-chat, let's get to the beers.
This description is absolutely on point. This beer is surprisingly good on a hot summer's day. It's not extremely bitter but has enough hop kick to keep a hop head like me satisfied. Here are the vitals:
Stats:
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company
Beer: 400 lb Monkey
ABV: 6.8%
Rating:
B+
This isn't one of those day-night doubleheaders where we clear the stadium and you need another ticket to re-enter, this one is the classic double header. First game is over, possibly change of the jersey, grab a quick drink and maybe a light snack, and get right back at it.
The second of our monkey beers comes from a brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin called Lakefront Brewery and has been on Hops and Homers a couple of times. The beer is called Wheat Monkey Ale and is considered an American Pale Wheat Ale. What exactly is an American Pale Wheat Ale you may be asking yourseldf? Or maybe not, either way here is the description from Beer Advocate, "An Americanized version of a Hefe Weizen, these beers range within the
pale to golden range in color. Reminiscent of a Hefe Weizen in
appearance, unless filtered. Long-lasting head with a light to medium
body, higher carbonation is proper. German Weizen flavors and aromas of
banana esters and clove-like phenols will not be found. Most use a
substantial percentage of wheat malt. Hop character will be low to high
but most are moderate in bitterness. There may be some fruitiness from
ale fermentation though most examples use of a fairly neutral ale yeast,
resulting in a clean fermentation with little to no diacetyl."
I may have lost some of you with the sciencey words, so let's get back to simpler vocabulary. The beer pours a light, hazy, golden color. You can smell the wheat right off the bat in this one. The first sip does not have the over the top banana-ish wheat flavor that normal wheats have. There is a slight hoppiness to it, but actually has a lot of sweet flavor, and an almost banana taste, just not as strong as I was expecting. This beer, and moreover, this style of beer is something that I can get down with. I like the balance of the style and look forward to trying more like this one this summer. Or maybe not, I might just stick with Summer Love. You will have to stay tuned to see.
Here are the vitals for Wheat Monkey Ale:
