To those that may care or even have noticed, I thank you ahead of time. For the past month my presence on La Poularde has been non-existent, leaving whatever readers and potential fan base out there alone and distraught. For that, my apologies.
However, let it be known that over the past month and a few days the poularde himself has been kept happy, well fed and well versed in the warm embrace of food, drink and miscellaneous alcoholic beverages. Thus, if I must admit my current downfall is an unyielding desire to taste test and sample all beers that come my way.
This leads me to introduce the first actual beverage-dedicated post in the short history of La Poularde. For the past two months or so, instead of stuffing my face I have been drowning the miseries and shame of not posting in pools upon pools of hops, malts and barley. In more simplistic terms, I have become a beer whore.
Instead of tickling your buttons and making you wait anymore, I will cease to explain my downfalls and relinquish the sprinkling of beer knowledge I have attained over the past few weeks. In time, or at least I tell myself that - there will be more, as this is only the tip of months upon months of beer consumption. As with any poularde, you must assume the worst when it comes to addictions and restraint in the world of culinary consumption.
Thus, here is the beginning of what has become my most recent hobby of enjoyment:
31 Jan 2008
Beer: Anchor Brewing Co., Winter Ale 2007
Location: 2nd Avenue @ E 9th St Bodega, E. Village NYC
Price: 10.99/6 pk
Grade: 7.0
Medium Body, pumpkin, spices and sweetness. Some molasses and honey, a good syrup to it. Medium-Heavy body, but not too much. Rather enjoyable, good winter ale. Forgot to take more extensive notes.
2 Feb 2008
Beer: Samuel Smith’s, Organic Ale
Location: Whole Foods, Bowery NYC
Price: 3.99/550mL
Grade: 6.5
Yeasty and bitter, yet only a medium body. Hoppy and fruity, mild bitterness and a lightly roasted taste. Some caramel, if you search for it. Could be heavier, a bit more complex.
5 Feb 2008
Beer: Brooklyn Brewery, Extra Brune
Location: Whole Foods, Bowery NYC
Price: 9.99/64 oz. Growler
Grade: 6.4
Very little hops and yeast, almost pale in taste – but not too bitter. Overly carbonated (could be due to first Growler of the day according to the brewman at Whole Foods – bought around 1pm). What a drunkard. Slight sweetness, alcohol flavor, a bit of raisins. Slightly spicy, yet syrupy. A light caramel taste. Tastes almost like an alcohol-infused banana bread. Sweetness near the end, molasses and brown sugar taste. Almost like a candy-ish beer, definitely on the sweet side.
8 Feb 2008
Beer: Medocino Brewing Co., Eye of the Hawk Select Ale
Location: Whole Foods, Bowery NYC
Price: 7.99/6 pk
Grade: 5.7
Wants to be complex, but falls short in the end. A drinkable beer, a tad more refined than your usual session beer, but lagging quite a bit behind the big brothers of top-notch beer. Some honey, some fig, some caramel. There’s a little sweetness in there along with some bitterness. But overall it doesn’t really offer anything too special. It’s a beer you can gulp with pride, seeing that it isn’t a Bud Light. An ok ale, but nothing worth going back for.
8 Feb 2008
Beer: Blue Point Brewing Co., Toasted Lager
Location: Whole Foods, Bowery NYC
Price: 7.99/6 pk
Grade: 5.5
Pours a lighter orange-toned amber, so-so head. Comforting toasted lager taste to it, like throwing on a sweater or something wooly. Honey, light herbs, and fruity hops. It’s good for what it is, almost like a playful beer. As with the Eye of the Hawk, one of those limbo beers better macros and upper-echelon. Medium body, crisp and grassy. Aftertaste is somewhat bleh; muddled and mushed. But for price, good for what it is. And who can help but support local breweries?
11 Feb 2008
Beer: Sixpoint Brewery, 8 Days O’ Wheat
Location: Whole Foods, Bowery NYC
Price: 6.99/64 oz. Growler
Grade: 7.2
Yeasty, soft bite, good follow through. Warm tingle, nice tartness with a subtle bitterness near the end. Traces of honey, papaya and even butter. Rather hoppy, but not too much. Creamy throughout, with a dry finish. Somc spices and some citrus, but nothing too crazy. A fine, drinkable beer. Goes down easy, a little more substantial than a session beer but not exactly at top-notch status. Not the usual wheat beer at all though. Much more like a less-hopped pale ale, quite mellow and blissful. Swell price too.
13 Feb 2008
Beer: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, 90 Minute IPA
Location: H-E-B: Louetta, Houston, Tx
Price: 9.79/4 pk
Grade: 8.8
Rich amber color, quick hoppy taste to the touch. “Old Speckled Hen” on crack; bitter and spicy. Barley and malt overtones, really makes you jump a bit. Tingles on the tongue quickly for awhile, not too overbearing. Intense flavor, full body, bitters first, spicy after. A spunky beer. Traces of red pepper, lemon, other citrus. A bit of darkness to it, some roasted hues. To some, may be too harsh, but to a true beer drinker it should be a greatly appreciated IPA. Very enjoyable, very nice.
14 Feb 2008
Beer: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV, Duvel Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Location: H-E-B: Louetta, Houston, Tx
Price: 8.99/650ml
Grade: 8.5
Strong acidity and bitterness at touch; tangy with a sting. Very frothy, light head – more porous than most. Rather bubbly, with a light golden yellow color. Intense tingle throughout entire gulp, almost blocks out the flavor. Light-Medium body, slight flavor of wheat but overall carbonation and oomph kick through. Tastes of lemon, green apple and floral scents that give it a good bite and punch. Very crisp. Fat 3” head the second pouring; 4” head the third pouring. Truly delicious, but could it be too punchy?
However, let it be known that over the past month and a few days the poularde himself has been kept happy, well fed and well versed in the warm embrace of food, drink and miscellaneous alcoholic beverages. Thus, if I must admit my current downfall is an unyielding desire to taste test and sample all beers that come my way.
This leads me to introduce the first actual beverage-dedicated post in the short history of La Poularde. For the past two months or so, instead of stuffing my face I have been drowning the miseries and shame of not posting in pools upon pools of hops, malts and barley. In more simplistic terms, I have become a beer whore.
Instead of tickling your buttons and making you wait anymore, I will cease to explain my downfalls and relinquish the sprinkling of beer knowledge I have attained over the past few weeks. In time, or at least I tell myself that - there will be more, as this is only the tip of months upon months of beer consumption. As with any poularde, you must assume the worst when it comes to addictions and restraint in the world of culinary consumption.
Thus, here is the beginning of what has become my most recent hobby of enjoyment:
31 Jan 2008
Beer: Anchor Brewing Co., Winter Ale 2007
Location: 2nd Avenue @ E 9th St Bodega, E. Village NYC
Price: 10.99/6 pk
Grade: 7.0
Medium Body, pumpkin, spices and sweetness. Some molasses and honey, a good syrup to it. Medium-Heavy body, but not too much. Rather enjoyable, good winter ale. Forgot to take more extensive notes.
2 Feb 2008
Beer: Samuel Smith’s, Organic Ale
Location: Whole Foods, Bowery NYC
Price: 3.99/550mL
Grade: 6.5
Yeasty and bitter, yet only a medium body. Hoppy and fruity, mild bitterness and a lightly roasted taste. Some caramel, if you search for it. Could be heavier, a bit more complex.
5 Feb 2008
Beer: Brooklyn Brewery, Extra Brune
Location: Whole Foods, Bowery NYC
Price: 9.99/64 oz. Growler
Grade: 6.4
Very little hops and yeast, almost pale in taste – but not too bitter. Overly carbonated (could be due to first Growler of the day according to the brewman at Whole Foods – bought around 1pm). What a drunkard. Slight sweetness, alcohol flavor, a bit of raisins. Slightly spicy, yet syrupy. A light caramel taste. Tastes almost like an alcohol-infused banana bread. Sweetness near the end, molasses and brown sugar taste. Almost like a candy-ish beer, definitely on the sweet side.
8 Feb 2008
Beer: Medocino Brewing Co., Eye of the Hawk Select Ale
Location: Whole Foods, Bowery NYC
Price: 7.99/6 pk
Grade: 5.7
Wants to be complex, but falls short in the end. A drinkable beer, a tad more refined than your usual session beer, but lagging quite a bit behind the big brothers of top-notch beer. Some honey, some fig, some caramel. There’s a little sweetness in there along with some bitterness. But overall it doesn’t really offer anything too special. It’s a beer you can gulp with pride, seeing that it isn’t a Bud Light. An ok ale, but nothing worth going back for.
8 Feb 2008
Beer: Blue Point Brewing Co., Toasted Lager
Location: Whole Foods, Bowery NYC
Price: 7.99/6 pk
Grade: 5.5
Pours a lighter orange-toned amber, so-so head. Comforting toasted lager taste to it, like throwing on a sweater or something wooly. Honey, light herbs, and fruity hops. It’s good for what it is, almost like a playful beer. As with the Eye of the Hawk, one of those limbo beers better macros and upper-echelon. Medium body, crisp and grassy. Aftertaste is somewhat bleh; muddled and mushed. But for price, good for what it is. And who can help but support local breweries?
11 Feb 2008
Beer: Sixpoint Brewery, 8 Days O’ Wheat
Location: Whole Foods, Bowery NYC
Price: 6.99/64 oz. Growler
Grade: 7.2
Yeasty, soft bite, good follow through. Warm tingle, nice tartness with a subtle bitterness near the end. Traces of honey, papaya and even butter. Rather hoppy, but not too much. Creamy throughout, with a dry finish. Somc spices and some citrus, but nothing too crazy. A fine, drinkable beer. Goes down easy, a little more substantial than a session beer but not exactly at top-notch status. Not the usual wheat beer at all though. Much more like a less-hopped pale ale, quite mellow and blissful. Swell price too.
13 Feb 2008
Beer: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, 90 Minute IPA
Location: H-E-B: Louetta, Houston, Tx
Price: 9.79/4 pk
Grade: 8.8
Rich amber color, quick hoppy taste to the touch. “Old Speckled Hen” on crack; bitter and spicy. Barley and malt overtones, really makes you jump a bit. Tingles on the tongue quickly for awhile, not too overbearing. Intense flavor, full body, bitters first, spicy after. A spunky beer. Traces of red pepper, lemon, other citrus. A bit of darkness to it, some roasted hues. To some, may be too harsh, but to a true beer drinker it should be a greatly appreciated IPA. Very enjoyable, very nice.
14 Feb 2008
Beer: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV, Duvel Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Location: H-E-B: Louetta, Houston, Tx
Price: 8.99/650ml
Grade: 8.5
Strong acidity and bitterness at touch; tangy with a sting. Very frothy, light head – more porous than most. Rather bubbly, with a light golden yellow color. Intense tingle throughout entire gulp, almost blocks out the flavor. Light-Medium body, slight flavor of wheat but overall carbonation and oomph kick through. Tastes of lemon, green apple and floral scents that give it a good bite and punch. Very crisp. Fat 3” head the second pouring; 4” head the third pouring. Truly delicious, but could it be too punchy?
