Validated and Quantified, Kind of....

I'm more of a dopamine/GABA kind of guy but there's no denying the serotonin effects as well after knocking out a 10K (or 750ml). Read on.

Our Tastes-- Lil' Napolean

Picked up in my latest SeaGrove venture, Lil' Napolean, with special guest Junk tasting this evening. Brewed by Pensacola Bay Brewery and picked up for sharing in a 32oz draft from Kwiker Liquor. It pours a medium brown to copper with highlights (of the green lightsaber on the wall). Aroma is of a big C, but no mention of that on the website, to quote Junk, "....light to the nose....little hot on the tongue....poured out of a tuber draft into a 32 oz grownler from kwicker licker, as we listen to eric clapton unplugged...., (the best part of this beer seems to be Slow Hand!)...very little flora....hot to taste....good introductory ipa to the weekend...russo is hot....6.5%ish...website says 7.5%....70 ibu....as it warms mpore come thru), hey nuff' about the brew said, right? Of course, I have to be transparent and let the audience know we are having Gurka Colorado cigars with great weather, clear at 63 F, low humidity. With no impact on the tasting just pure entertainment, Auburn vs. LSU in 14hrs...kazoo....

Our Tastes- Grumpy Monk

Ole Jim at SA has really tapped into a neat niche for trying beers. Back when the only thing going for the company "trial-wise" was the Beer Lover's Choice Awards, along came the LongShot contest (your's truly made it to the quarter finals with RR and some great feedback but that's another story). Now he has the Small Batch series. Brews that they want to try in the open market but it seems to be more cost effective to put them in bombers, possibly due to label costs, etc. Well the only small batch beer that I have found not in it's own 22oz bomber is Grumpy Monk. It pours a fantastic marsh mellow head of off cream froth in my tulip glass. Aroma is subdued, not too much malt, yeast or hop. Slightly orange in color with a spank of red highlight. The taste is awesome and reminiscent of my Belgian IPA. The bitterness of the American hop comes forward after the mouth is cleared with little yeast residual; however, the linger of peach will definitely be noticed due to the yeast strain used. Made with Bohemian Pils Malt, and Honey Malt, then hopped with Simcoe, Fuggles, Saaz, Cascade, Amarillo, and Ahtanum, this beer is a keeper year round for me. This was a great educational beer, reminding me that the Belgian beers come from importance of yeast strain from monastery to monastery and the IPAs derive from hop character that started with the East India Company (yes, like in the Pirates of the Caribbean). 5.7%abv.

Our Tastes-- Golden Monkey

Picked this one up on my latest trip to Sea Grove Beach. Initially a bottle for my Pop-in-law and I because he likes the Belgian side, but time flew by and it became a sip between The Enabler and I. Pouring a very light yellow with an extremely thick white froth in our tulip glasses it takes the color at least of a belgian tripel. The aroma gave way to almost all pilsen malt with subtle touches of orange and yeast. I havent' tried a lot of Victory beers but not many of them are making an impression. Golden Monkey fits the style but the "European whole hop flowers" don't lend too much to the overall profile, granted it should be more on the sweet perhaps light side and there is definitely some warmth of EtOH (9.5%abv) but I find myself looking for more belgian candi in this one. I'd drink it again but expect a heavier than usual dose of wheat protein in your mouth.