Back from my beer-ish-cation!

After many weeks of limited posting, I'll hopefully be back on the forum a little more!

Finally landed at LHR this afternoon after 2 and a half weeks in the US of A


Beer highlights were ...

Dogfish Head brew pub @ Rehoboth beach ... Badonka Dunkel; Punjabi Export; White Lodge; Red & White; Black & Blue and Black & Red all imbibed. Also came away with a number of aged bottles from 2008/9 a Raison D'extra, 120 Min IPA and a Palo Santo Maron.

2 Pub crawls around Philly, taking in Jose Pistolas; Vargas, The Boilermakers, The Khyber Pass, Brauhaus Schmitz and the Royal Tavern

Crawl around West Chester including TJ's Paoli; The Victory Brewing Co tap; Iron Hill Brewing and the Side Bar

A number of visits whilst in NYC to Rattle'N'Hum (with Ballast Point tap take over); the Ginger Man and the newly opened Beer Authority (which wasn't as good as I had hoped - average selection and high prices!)

4 nights in Denver, 2 regular pop in bars - Freshcraft and Falling Rock where I managed (with little difficulty) 6 and a half pints of Pliny the Elder (over 100 on tap between these 2), a Breckenridge bar and perhaps the highlight - the Great Divide tap house

Time to dry the liver out (says he drinking a bomber of Foothills - Peoples Porter) !!!

 

The Pliny is a dream. I had them spaced out with other things until Sunday night where it dawned on me this my be my last Pliny for many months. I had 3 consecutively. Didn't feel too bad, but maybe a little groggy in the morning compared to others?

The girl who was serving seemed a little disappointed . After 2 pints of Pliny I asked her to recommend me a beer. Her eyes lit up!

It has to begin with PL and end in ER I told her!

She looked a little confused, clicked, then a little sad that she wouldn't be choosing me one of her favourite beers!

 

Had had one bottle prior to this trip

Fellow BA Deeblo shipped one over to the UK for me from CA

 

That's a good average over a week Mark !

I just did 165 beers over 16 days in the US

A few pints here and there including the occasional imperial, but mainly 10oz measures and a few bottle shares (6oz serving my minimum)

In respect to your question about gassy kegged beers ... I tend to go for Imp stouts and DIPA's on keg and I don't find them as gassy as most of the other styles. Added to that it's usually a 10oz pour, occasionally an 8oz, so it's not like I ever struggle through a full pint. I also tend to get 1 in 3 beers from a bar as a bottle, which again don't tend to be as gassy.

 

By far the most un-inspiring and dullest beer I've tasted by DFH, and I've had over 20 different ones

Got the hint of smoke and vanilla, but just too watery, no body to it. This really should have been a pumped up effort at 7% ABV

One of my favourite US breweries showing that they can't master the British skill of a tasty beer around the 4% mark

It's exactly why I never normally bother with heffeweizens in the US, but twas such a hot day and in the beer garden so took the risk also based on the interesting ingredients!

Didn't see any other 'lodge' beers avaialble, think I would have stayed away if I had !!!