Well, as you've noticed, I've decided to start a blog about Good Beer.
So why a blog? We all make New Year's resolutions. We rarely keep them. Mine this year was to educate my palate on the wonderful world of beer. I wanted to be able to dissect a beer by analyzing its color, aroma, head, mouthfeel, taste, and aftertaste. I wanted to become an expert on all beer styles - from IPAs (my current personal favorite) to Stouts to English Ales to the amazing stuff they create in Belgium. Well, it's February, and I haven't made much progress on my resolution. In fact, I just drank a new beer for me - Flying Dog's Classic IPA - and gave it no thought on how I felt about it. Sure, it tasted great (I haven't found a bad IPA yet), but how was it compared to DogFish head's 60 minute? or a Sierra Nevada? or to MoJo IPA? What were the subtle differences?
So, to help my goal of educating my palate, and to help spread the word about great beers, I introduce to you Zack's Thoughts On The Good Beers He Tries. We'll see how this blog evolves. I'm committing right now to blogging at least once a week. I encourage you all to post comments. My palate needs a lot educating, so if I say something totally bogus (such as "this Hopslam is very malty") please call me out on it. A good blog is only successful if readers contribute.
Thanks for reading - Cheers,
Zack
Sounds like yuo have found a new hobby! I like IPAs as well. Will be interested to track your progress!
ReplyDeleteI think it is terrific that you are starting this beer blog. Bell's THA is also one of my favorites. Here's some suggestions for your consideration:
ReplyDeleteTake a pic of the bottle or you drinking the beer with the bottle near by.
Compare the beer to well known examples. In this case compare THA to Dogfish Head 60 or 90 minute. Or a local brewpub's example on tap (every brewpub has an IPA).
You might want to use BJCP beer judging terms and scoring. This is a standardized method and will give you good practice to become an official judge.
In your blog, include other beer related news, activities, and venues - like do a review of the Irish pub near you.
I will think of many more ideas for you.
Thanks for the good ideas! Eventually I think using the BJCP terms and scoring would be a great next step (I have to learn them first though!). I also like the idea of reviewing the brewpubs and microbreweries that I visit. I think mixing it up will keep the blog fresh. Cheers, Zack.
ReplyDeleteWhat I did when visiting Europe was to keep a coaster from the bar and sharpie in the date I was there and what I had. Sadly these coasters disappeared in one of my moves, but you should try it out, especially given that a lot of these microbreweries and brewpubs have their own, sometimes beautiful, coasters!
ReplyDelete