950. Perennial Artisan Ales – Southside Blonde Ale
Jun01

950. Perennial Artisan Ales – Southside Blonde Ale

It’s week 12 of the Coronavirus quarantine and I’ve finished renovating my kids’ bathroom and have moved onto working on our deck. What started as a project to replace a couple of boards has turned into completely rebuilding our deck. The news the last few days has been filled with protests, looting and rioting across the U.S. Tonight, many people are on edge as we’ve gotten word that the riots and looting...

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944. Perennial – Vacation Dad Dry-Hopped Summer Ale
Feb01

944. Perennial – Vacation Dad Dry-Hopped Summer Ale

It’s been a somewhat lazy Saturday with no a lot going on. I ran some errands, studied and took a practice test for an information security certification, and now I’m settling down to watch Groundhog Day – since tomorrow is Groundhog Day. This beer was given to me by my sister over Christmas. Since it’s dry-hopped, I figured I’d better have it soon. However, the bottom of the can has a September 2019 date...

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769. Abbey of Leffe – Leffe Blonde
May19

769. Abbey of Leffe – Leffe Blonde

I’ve been in a training session all day for work and got home a little bit early. Therefore, I grab my laptop to catch up on a little bit of work, and cracked open this beer, while enjoying the evening sun in the kitchen. I picked up this beer a few weeks ago, when I stopped at Fresh Market to get some sushi for my son. They had some interesting beers you could make a mixed six pack with so I got this one along with...

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695. Veteran Beer Co. – Blonde Bomber American Blonde Ale
Apr30

695. Veteran Beer Co. – Blonde Bomber American Blonde Ale

It’s been a while, but we’ve been busy. We closed on our new house last week, and we’ve been over there almost every night painting and cleaning. Tonight, I took a break and decided to try this beer that was sent to me by Veteran Beer Company. They sent me the two beers they make, which is this one, as well as their Veteran lager to try. The label has a cool, patriotic vibe and I like the artwork. Location: Poured...

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682. Spoetzl Brewery – Shiner Blonde
Mar09

682. Spoetzl Brewery – Shiner Blonde

I’ve been so busy the last few weeks that I wanted to just sit around and relax today. So, I hopped online and I’ve been following along with what’s going on at SXSW today. I’ve been watching some streaming videos of sessions, and following along with some on Twitter. To get in the spirit of almost being there, I thought I’d crack open this Shiner beer from a mixed six pack that was given to me by my...

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666. Brewery Het Anker – Lucifer Belgian Ale
Jan31

666. Brewery Het Anker – Lucifer Belgian Ale

Well, here it is… The beer of the beast – number 666. So to mark this number, I went out and specifically bought this beer. I figured it was appropriate for the occasion, and safe – as it is, ironically, a Trappist monk brewed ale. I just had Russian River’s Damnation in preparation for this landmark, and it’s a good day to enjoy a few beers, since it’s a cold rainy/snowy day stuck indoors. The...

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533. Flying Fish Brewing Co – Farmhouse Summer Ale
Feb03

533. Flying Fish Brewing Co – Farmhouse Summer Ale

It’s somewhat of a lazy Sunday, and I’m finally getting a start on taxes, which is obviously driving me to drink.  This beer was another given to me this past summer when I helped my friend Joe.  He gave me several beers so he wouldn’t have to move them.  The bottle had a label on it with a July date on it with the price.  I don’t know if that label was from the brewery or the place where he bought it.  Either...

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502. Russian River Brewing – Redemption Blonde Ale
Dec19

502. Russian River Brewing – Redemption Blonde Ale

It’s been a long day at work and there’s still lots to do before the holidays.  So, when I got home from work, I just wanted to grab a good beer, sit and enjoy it, before having to start cleaning, wrapping presents, getting cards ready, etc. I picked up this beer at the Hop and Vine during my trip to Seattle, Washington a couple months ago.  Obviously, we can’t get Russian River beers in the Midwest, so I bought 4...

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427. Destihl Restaurant & Brew Works – Strawberry Blonde Ale
May14

427. Destihl Restaurant & Brew Works – Strawberry Blonde Ale

I’ve mentioned in my last couple of posts, but my friend Joe is passing through central Illinois on his way home to St. Louis from Chicago. We’re having dinner at Destihl, the local brewpub, along with a few beers. I started out with their St. Dekkera Reserve Bela Imperial Pilsner Sour Ale, and then followed that with their Downstate Pale ale with my dinner. After dinner, I thought I’d go with something a bit lighter...

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370. Boulder Beer Co – Buffalo Gold Premium Ale
Aug30

370. Boulder Beer Co – Buffalo Gold Premium Ale

It’s our last night in Boulder, Colorado, on a trip for work, and we headed down to Pearl Street to walk around.  It had been a long day, so we stopped at The Lazy Dog sports bar for dinner and a much needed beer.  There were only a couple beers on the menu I hadn’t had yet, and I wanted something very drinkable, so I went for this light blonde “premium ale” from Boulder Beer Co. Location: Enjoyed a pint at The...

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283. Real Ale Brewing – Fireman’s 4 Blonde Ale Draft
Mar06

283. Real Ale Brewing – Fireman’s 4 Blonde Ale Draft

I arrived at the iMedia Brand Summit I was headed to at the Hyatt Lost Pines resort, just south of Austin. After the second night of the conference, I headed to the hotel bar to see if I could find any local brews on tap. I got lucky and found this one, even though I had to look up where it was brewed, since the waitress didn’t know the brewer. Numbers: 5.1% ABV, 21 IBUs, 12 OG (plato) Appearance & Aroma: A very bright gold...

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266. Full Sail – Brewmasters Reserve Hop Pursuit
Jan23

266. Full Sail – Brewmasters Reserve Hop Pursuit

After having the Hopivore yesterday, I was still craving a big, bold, hoppy beer.  You can pretty much say that this one spoke to me, since was really in pursuit of a hoppy beer.  When I got this beer, it was literally from the Brewmaster’s Reserve, when John Harris, Brewmaster at Full Sail – Riverplace, dipped into his hidden fridge and gave me several beers when I was there for my Brewmaster Cuisinternship.  The bottle...

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251. New Belgium – Skinny Dip
Dec30

251. New Belgium – Skinny Dip

It’s the last day of work for the week, and my boss was out.  So the supervisor covering for him swung by to let me know we could go home early, but that if I wanted to go, several people were headed over to Legends for a quick beer.  How could I turn that down.  Since I still had to head home to watch the kids, I was looking for something a little light, but still flavorful.  Since I’m pretty familiar with New...

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179. RAM Restaurant & Brewery Indianapolis – Indy Blonde Draft
Sep22

179. RAM Restaurant & Brewery Indianapolis – Indy Blonde Draft

I was looking for another beer to try, and, since we were in Indianapolis, I thought I’d give the Indy Blonde a try.  I suspect that it is the same as the Big Horn Blonde at other RAM locations, just with a local name.  That didn’t matter too much, as long as I got a chance to try a new beer. I was really surprised at how clear the beer was, and it was a golden yellow color.  There was a very thin white head on it, and I...

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158. Pyramid Brewing – Curveball Blonde Ale
Jul26

158. Pyramid Brewing – Curveball Blonde Ale

I’m on my way home from Portland (via Seattle), and was surprised that Horizon Air offers a free beer on the flight.  It was supposed to be Full Sail LTD 03, but they were still serving last month’s beer – the Pyramid Curveball Blonde Ale.  I offer this review this review with the preface that I’ve discovered that, for some reason, beer seems to taste better when you’re on an airplane. It was very clear...

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37. Shipyard Brewing – Shipyard Export Ale Draft
May12

37. Shipyard Brewing – Shipyard Export Ale Draft

Still in the Tampa area today, for lunch we tried to find a brewpub.  After the GPS successfully helped us find two brewpubs which were now closed, we finally succeeded in finding the Miller’s Tampa Ale House.  I was disappointed however, that a place with “Ale House” in the name didn’t have a great beer selection. Before the meal, I ordered a Shipyard Export Ale draft, which arrived a pale yellow color with a...

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