Mick O Sheas

So, I admit to being pretty skeptical of an Irish Pub in Baltimore. Not that it's tough to do, so much as they're dime a dozen.

Mick O Sheas though, was pretty impressive. They had a better than expected tap list (more in a moment), and the food was very good without being horribly expensive. I highly recommend getting O'Sheas Won tons; won tons stuffed with potato, cheddar, and bacon. Mmmmm good.

Anyway, so we had the fortune of a server error, and end up with an extra dogfish head 60 minute IPA to split. I found it surprisingly drinkable, especially considering I'm not a fan of pale ales, much less IPAs. The bitterness was ever present, but it didn't interfere with the potent (but indistinguishable to my immature palette) flavors.

The real treat though was the Resurrection Ale. It's a Belgian style ale, brewed here in Baltimore at The Brewer's Art. It was a delicious ale, sweet without being sugary, and with full rich flavors that made me think a little bit of a dubbel(later confirmed as the actual style!), or maybe just a more flavorful brown ale. Either way, it was all manner of delicious, especially at a robust 9% abv. Definitely give this a try if you get a chance.

More DuClaw goodness

So, as any of you residents know, Baltimore has just been a hellhole this past week. Overcast, with a constant frigid drizzle. It's just been a gross place to live.

To improve on this condition, I decided to have a beer at DuClaw, brighten my spirits a bit.

I started out with a pint of their seasonal Scotch Ale, Twisted Kilt. Now, Sam Adams Scotch Ale is far and away one of the better beers I've had, so I had pretty high expectations. Overall though, I found the taste of alcohol tended to override the other tastes. There were hints of a smoky flavor, and maybe some sort of woody or nutty flavor as well, but they weren't terribly well defined. There was also a sweetness to the beer that was somewhat unsettling. It wasn't a bad beer, but it definitely didn't live up to expectations.

I also tried their nut brown ale, Consecration. That was actually quite tasty, with a powerful flavor of chestnut, or something similar. Nicely enough, it was still refreshing without being heavy, but was richly flavored.

I should side note, I had a sampler of their Oktoberfest seasonal, Mad Bishop. Now, those tiny samplers are hardly enough to really judge a beer, but my impression was favorable. Like many other Oktoberfest beers, there was a rich taste of spices, along with a fairly crisp taste. I've always felt that a good Oktoberfest should remind me of a fall day, and this one certainly seemed to pass the test. I'm going to try it again next weekend, so more on it then, for sure.

Beers in Annapolis?

I know, what blasphemy, right? Well, by chance, I found myself in that other Maryland city this past friday night. After enjoying a sampler of the local brews, but finding nothing too amazing, I saw that they had Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout on tap.

I should preface this by saying that Dominion's stout is easily one of my favorite beers, but I'd never had it on tap before.

I feel like I could sing the praises of this beer forever and a day. Dominion’s stout is simply amazing. It’s delicious and full flavored, bringing in strong flavors of oak, and a deep, full taste. It is neither bitter nor sweet, but surprisingly refreshing for a stout. For once I didn’t feel like I was full after a single beer.

However, this is not to be toyed with. This beer is a delicious treat, but I wouldn’t go so far as to pair it with food. This is a sipping beer, to be appreciated by itself (hopefully on a pedestal if you have one handy). Very possibly my favorite stout.

In fact, it's even better on tap than bottled. On tap, it brings out the oak flavor even more, and has a delightfully frothy head. Just a fantastic beer.

DuClaw

So, as I may have noted on several occasions, I do live and breathe sometimes for a brewery in Maryland called DuClaw. The name is weird, but don't let it throw you off. Apart from some seriously tasty bar food (I recommend the buffalo dip), they have wonderful, amazing beers.

My favorites are definitely Alchemy, and Venom though.

Alchemy is DuClaw’s stout. Oh Gosh. Coffee and chocolate float through this hefty drink, sweetening it from the first sip to the last drop. A very sweet stout, some people are not big fans, but they can go suck it. I love this beer, and order it most any time I go to DuClaw. It goes well with most any food too, as the flavor doesn’t interfere, but doesn’t get overwhelmed by the food either. A very balanced, and tasty drink.

Venom on the other hand is their pale ale, kind of a polar opposite. A brief into: I hate pale ales. They are bitter. I find bitter gross. Cool?

With that in mind, I love this beer. I love it so much; I can’t even have it that often because I’m afraid I’ll spoil it for myself. It has all the flavor of complex pale ale, very refreshing and delicious, with none of the bitter after taste. The whole time, you’ll be expecting it to come like a roundhouse to the face, but it mercifully stays the pain that follows most of its brethren. I have tried many, many pale ales, and this is the only one I have ever enjoyed. It is a fantastic beer, and I wish I knew how they made it that way.

All of the below are beers I’ve tried at some time or other. They’re all pretty goof in their own ways, but I haven’t enjoyed them enough to have them repeatedly.

Hellraiser IPA – Wow. Very bitter. If you like bitter beers, this is your bag, but otherwise be warned. It’s a very clear taste, with a BITE for an aftertaste

Misfit Red – Oh so delicious. I don’t get this often, and I kick myself for that. It’s a fantastic Irish Red, flavorful without being bitter, sweet without losing body and flavor. Highly recommended

That Blonde Ale – Eh. I don’t even remember its name. It’s a more complex Budweiser. What else can I say?

Kangaroo Love – It tasted like soap. No, seriously. I don’t know why. It just wasn’t my kind of beer I suppose, very weak. It's supposed to be an Australian beer, but I just wasn't having any of their shenanigans.

Sawtooth – Their seasonal Wit Beer. Very impressive, somewhat spicy, and deliciously refreshing for summer time. Still, you really have to like Wheat beers to be into this bad boy. Enjoyed it but not desperate to try it again.

Celtic Fury – One of their spring beers, a delicious stout reminiscent of Guinness. I was actually very impressed by it, a nice coffee flavor without being bitter or tasting burnt, but others didn’t share my enthusiasm. Sadly, it has a somewhat abbreviated run, so I’m eagerly awaiting trying it again next year.

Playing catch up...

So, the freaking title of my blog mentions burgers, and yet thus far nary a sentence about what may well be my favorite food. Well, that's all about to change. I realize I wrote a lot of these reviews, then promptly forgot to post them. I've got a good bit of catch up to do, hopefully in somewhat reasonable installments. So, we'll start with the best.

Oh Five Guys. How do I even begin?

The first time I tried Five Guys, I was in Washington DC, visiting a friend. I’d heard of this place before, but had never been convenient to try it. Needless to say, I consider that among the top five mistakes I’ve made in my entire life.
The first thing that strikes you is that this place isn’t run by greedy jerks. There are free peanuts, cups for water are free, and they have a list of burger toppers to shame most anywhere, everything from mushrooms to hot sauce.

Being the simple man I am, I order the regular cheeseburger, just lettuce and mayo. Wow. From the first bite you get juicy meat without it tasting greasy or cold. The burger is smashed together with a bun that is spongy (in a good way), and doesn’t fall apart. The cheese is delightfully melted, and the toppings surround the whole thing. The regular cheeseburger is two patties, and more than filling enough, even for a hungry guy like me.

Simply put: this is the best fast food burger I have ever had. And I continue to be impressed. Every time I go to Five Guys, I come away extremely satisfied. They rock. Go there, now. In fact, just writing about them makes me hungry.

P.S. – The Fries. Good god. They deserve their own article. Coming in either regular or Cajun, they take a cup, put it in a bag, and proceed to fill the bag up past the level of the cup, with fries. A regular is good enough for two people; a large can feed as many as four. Or, if you’re a fat kid like me, you can eat them all yourself.

And, since I'm never done talking, I'll even through in a beer review of a variety I got to try recently. I was at my local snobby liquor store, and saw that Dominion had released an Oktoberfest beer. Que Interresante!

Yikes. This was a dark beer. Dominion’s stout, which I worship, doesn’t hold a candle to this inky bastard. It’s a seasonal Marzen, and it lives up to the name with all the flavors of a crisp fall centered around a good balance of hops. A little bitter at points, the overall flavor is very smooth for such a dark beer. I really enjoyed it, but many of my friends find it loathsome, so drink at your own peril. This is definitely more of a sipping beer that needs your full attention.

A night out

So, a few nights previous, I had the good fortune of having some friends along with me to Max's Taphouse in Fells Point. For those who don't know, Max's is home to a fantastic selection of beers on tap, most of which are obscure and delicious. I had the good fortune of trying both Birrificio's Del Ducato Verdi, and Brew Dog's Paradox Speyside.

The first beer I tried was the Paradox Speyside. A Scottish Imperial Stout? That was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Poured from a cask, this beer is matured in brandy casks, and has a whopping 10.5% alcohol by volume. It is a beast of a beer, a credit to the Scotsman who brew it.
First taste is oakey, like many Scottish beers, and somewhat smoky. Unlike many stouts, it is not a sweet taste, but a deep and rich flavor. Impressively, this flavor is what saves it from being overwhelmed by the extreme alcohol content. A glass of this could knock out most of you little girly men, which I why I recommend going with just a sampler.
I can imagine a Scottish man out on the moors, enjoying a glass of this before he goes and kills some English men or something. It is a darn manly beer, and a tasty one too.

As for the Del Ducato...Wow. I really don’t even know where to begin.
I saw this on the menu at Max’s Taphouse, and knew I had to try it. It was from Italy, and called a Chili Stout. I was intimidated, but I had to be brave.
The first taste is cool, dark, chocolately stout. The aftertaste hits then, and it’s a light but very noticeable spiciness. Not like grab a glass of beer spicy (that would be a horrible cycle), but a very gentle awareness of the spicy taste.
I was amazed, as were my friends with me. Just a fascinating and delicious beer. I only had the sampler, but really that’s all that I needed.
If you can ever find it, try it. Love it. Trust me on this one.

Sadly, I'm a poor post-grad and could barely afford these two beauties. More reviews to follow as I get out and try more beers!

The Bottom 5

My five least favorite beers. This is a tough list, because I know that I’m going to list a bunch of great beers that I just found to be a little off, or that I had with the wrong food, or after the wrong drink. I know that beers are a complex thing, and I’m open to trying them again. Please don’t rain shit on my house if I picked your personal favorite.
1) Any combination of the words Natty, Milwaukee, Best, Ice, Bohemian, or Light. – Eugggh. Beer pong beer doesn’t begin to describe these affronts to nature. It’s 5 bucks for a case and there MIGHT JUST BE A REASON FOR THIS. I wouldn’t use this to poison my neighbor’s yappy dog, it’s so low quality. Moving on.
2) Miller – I should be more specific, but really? Flavorless and weak, it makes me think of week old bottled water. I get that it’s the beer of the working man, but the working man clearly deserves a better beer.
3) Budweiser – Really, I’m just repeating myself now. Another beer that should be labeled “almost-beer” for its astonishing resemblance to beer without ever really coming close. To be fair, I haven’t tried their American Lager yet, but I’m preparing to be underwhelmed.
4) Blue Moon – A favorite, which I just don’t understand. It lacks any kind of real flavor, and it’s kind of flat. I’ve heard it’s good with an orange, but I’m just not up to giving it another shot. The little flavor it does have is weird and slimy. Also, I tried their summer ale, Honey Moon, with high hopes, only to end up throwing out most of it. I couldn’t GIVE it away to my cheap ass friends. Keep this around in case someone you love swallows poison.
5) Dogfish Head, Any – This is the one that is the toughest. They make really, really classy beer. The kind beer aficionado’s love. It’s expensive, it’s complex, and it’s probably great beer. I just can’t stand it. I’ve tried it a few times, different kinds and different occasions. All I can taste is the bitterness (the hops?), which defines everything I’ve tried. It’s so bitter that the next beer I try comes across as bitter, because of the lingering bitterness. Sorry dogfish head, I’m sure I’ll appreciate you in a few years, but for now you make me want to go gargle salt water.
Dishonorable Mention – Corona – I shouldn’t even put this on here. I refuse to try this beer, based on the commentary I’ve heard. Really though, it’s the choice of frat boys, and it requires a lime to make it not taste like ass. Why the fuck would you buy this? If you’re dumb enough to buy a beer that REQUIRES fruit, you have sorely missed the point.