Every child is different

I'm not sure how many of you have kids or have children in your lives, but whether you do or not I am almost certain you can understand that all kids are different. I did not fully understand what this meant until my wife and I had our first two boys (we have three). Aiden, my oldest, was a very quite baby(most of the time). On the other hand we have our second child Mason. As a baby Mason was extremely active and would NEVER sit still.


Today Aiden is 6 and Mason is 5 and I have reason to believe they have switched personalities, Mason is now quite content to play alone while Aiden at times is rambunctious and boisterous.

The reason I bring up kids tonight is obviously because my beer is like my fourth kid! Seriously, though its because just like kids, every beer is different, even in the same family. One IPA is not the same as another IPA. At the same time one stout is not the same as any other. This continues down each family of beer.

I would also like to apologize to my faithful fans...all 3 of you! I know it has been awhile since I have posted, but it has been for good reason; family, school and work. So tonight I am bringing you two beers. They are completely different in style, taste and even from different continents!

My first beer tonight I want to give a big thanks to Downtown Wine and Gourmet in Harrisonburg, Va (also thanks to my brother Rob, who actually WENT and got the beer--a lot closer for him!). They were able to hook me up with a beer from a Virginia brewery that I cannot get up my way. It is called Striped Bass Pale Ale from Devils Backbone. Of note is that all proceeds go to the preservation of the Chesapeake Bay waters. This beer is so clean and light, it has one of the most refreshing taste. The floral hop flavor is light and cleanses your mouth of its own flavor, inviting you to drink up. This beer is one of the clearest brews I have seen in a long time, slight carbonation bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass giving it a classic beer look. It also has a subtle citrus smell/flavor which would make this the perfect summer session beer if it weren't for the fact I didn't have it then! If you can get this around you I highly suggest getting more than one, with its relatively low ABV you can drink it all afternoon!

So, on to the next! I have recently been on a stout kick trying to expand my experiences. On my weekly trip to Total Wine I found something I had only ever read about, the brewery Nøgne Ø out of Norway. The name of the brewery means naked island, which is symbolic for Norway. I went with their Imperial Stout, I am glad I did, not only does it fit into this posts premise, but it is also an amazing stout! This beer is so striking when out of the bottle, it is a smooth black pour that comes out of the bottle like chocolate syrup with an obsidian color and a fluffy brown head on top that slowly disperses. The mouth feel is amazing! It coats your tongue and mouth with a thick layer of soft alcohol. It has a slight coffee after taste coming from the burnt malts used during the brewing process. It is the perfect dessert beer (which is the reason I had to open it when I did, Mallory wanted to try it!). This is definitively on par with Dark Hollows from my previous post!

It is always cool to get something local and from not so local and compare the two. They may be complete opposites  but both breweries have brewed amazing beers and I cannot wait to try more!

I would also like to throw out, if there is any beer you want me to try and feature please feel free to email me or contact me in your preferred manor (andrewbutler85 on twitter, maamrb5@gmail.com or facebook.com/cheersdaddy)

Cheers and thanks for spreading the word!