Stubbies 2 for 1!

Hi loves,

If any of you know anything about craft and good import beers (and I know some of you do, otherwise why would you keep reading my blog, that has been totally taken over by BEER!) you also know that they NEVER come 2 for 1. But I figured since I was 2 Stubbies posts behind, why not make this one a double header! (ummmm, I love head..........on beer you gutter brains!)

Night one:
Or So Close I Can Taste It

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot- so apparently I'm not a barleywine fan. Or at least I wasn't of this variation-too hoppy and "chewy" for my taste. I'd never had a barleywine before, and didn't know that was what I was ordering. This will teach me to chose something on the draft list just because I liked the name. (well and I typically like SN beers, but hey you can't win em all, right?) Anyways, I drank about 1/2 of this and then sat, playing with my glass, trying to suck it up and just suck it down. Luckily Jay noticed my "distress" and swooped in with a rescue brown ale:

Oh my goodness, what a "web-redemption" worthy brown ale! (Tosh.0 anyone? Anyone?) The boys at Stubbies got me once again. What can I say? I think I am officially a "brown ale, gal" Anyways, this Dutch Brown Ale by Tilburg was smooth and malty, such a refreshing change after Bigfoot. Also, I love the label:

In case you can't tell that is a bird eating a man, who is shitting out a bird. Wonderfully sick.

My last beer was a rare treat:

The Rare Vos the be exact. I enjoyed this Amber Ale by Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY), for it's lovely lace-y head, and sweet malty flavors that mask prevent any linger hoppiness (perfect in my book!)

What a great night....and it left me 2 shy from the looming number 50!

Night Two:
Or Halfway There, Baby!

I started off this "big night" with a beer I had been circling (literally!) for a few weeks on my list:

My good friend St. Bernadus' Prior 8 is a Begilum Dubbel packed with cherry aromas. Oh so worth the wait. I loved this beer and KNEW it was going to be a good night. #49-check!

#50 was another beer I had been considering for a while, and had actually ordered the other night, only to be redirected to a new Brown Ale arrival by the charming Mike. (ah, Mike!)

The Corsendonk Brown Ale was a real treat. I'm sure you are all sick of hearing me gush over yet another brown ale, but seriously I've found my soulmate (although I will still claim Dutchess as my forever lover). I loved the balance of sweet maltiness with a touch a peppery spice and maybe ginger? So good, soooo worthy of being my Number Fifty! Whoot, whoot!

Vinnie brought me #51 after a little review of the draft list (I love when I can be like, "nope, had that...loved that, did that one too!) we settled on this dark boy:

Rouge's Chocolate Stout. I have really learned to enjoy darker beers (think Stouts and Porters) this year, so this was another winner in my book. I think I scrawled on my list "Chocolate milk that bites back" yep, it was getting to THAT point in the evening!

So of course I NEEDED a pretzel (or as I have confessed on many occasions, a vehicle for mustard)

Delicious mission accomplished!

Emboldened by my pretzel I decided to round out the night with a cider on the draft board, and finish up with #52!

Kelly's Raspberry Cider was sweet, dry and went down quickly. Nuff said.

Wow, that was a LONG post, but then again number 50 has been a LONG time coming! Now I have just under 3 months to finish the remaining 48 beers on my list....stay tuned!

Love to all,
~the beer laden gal, Jess

PS. Here is a fun picture Ross snapped one night. I love how serious I am about beer!