Wooo….that’s some nice brew. This stuff is smooth man. At 9% alcohol, it’s a heavy hitter, but you wouldn’t guess by tasting it. It’s got a light aroma and a deep golden color. I wouldn’t recommend this during a hot day, but once that sun goes down and things cool off, this should be on your list of beers to try. That being said, I do want to point out that these are, in my opinion, extremely over priced. I saw a four-pack of these (no sixers) that was $10.99. That’s some expensive suds. And, although I do enjoy the flavor, I still can’t see that it’s $11 for a 4-pack good. Either way though, I’ve been looking forward to trying this ever since I first saw them (not sure how I’ve managed to overlook them for so long) and am glad that I did. I recommend buying at least a single to give it a sampling. These are part of Dogfish Head’s year round offerings, so they should be gettable at your leisure.

Word up…’El Pay’…
zOnk.oNe

It’s too bad that I’ve been too busy to even review beer. That’s just plain weird, right? I mean, at what point does one need to put off drinking that extremely tantalizing brew in their fridge to do other ‘more important’ things? Anyway, it’s been poured now so lets get on with it, shall we?
With a name like ‘Just Outstanding’ anyone would expect some don-dodda suds. I, like you, am doing just that. Since I purchased this, I’ve seen it tempting me from the back of the fridge (the coldest part) and have wondered how exactly this was going to knock me on my ass and live up to its’ name. Upon first pour, I noticed it was a little lighter than I expected. This isn’t necessarily any kind of indicator, its just that I’d pictured it darker, I guess. The next thing that was kind of a surprise was that this one didn’t have the usual aroma that IPA’s tend to bring. This one is really light smelling. Next step, the taste. This is a good tasting drink, but like its color and fragrance, it’s also a little light on flavor. This is the type of IPA that you could drink while chillin out in the sun and not feel bogged down by it. It does pack some good flavor, but it’s also on the light side. If you’re looking for a Spring/Summer type of beer that isn’t the typical macrobrew (Coors, Bud, Miller) this might be what you’re looking for. As the nights continue to get warmer, a beer like this is going to fit in nicely. It’s got the heavy hop flavor, but can sweat it out with you during the raised temperatures of the season.
This one weighs in at 6.8% Alcohol by Volume and I paid $4.49 for the 22oz. From the label: Named after a local mountain bike trail, this India Pale Ale has a strong malt character and a large hop profile. We Dry hop this beer with Simcoe and Amarillo hops to give it that great floral aroma and citrus finish. If you like a strong IPA, you’ll find this one just outstanding.
Booyow…there you have it. Now go and enjoy one for yourself.

peace,
zOnk.oNe

This is how a fridge should look. Or at least it should be this filled with good beers for no particular reason. You don’t need the excuse of a holiday to have a well stocked fridge. This shot was taken because I was thinking, “you know what?”…”I should share this with the world.” Those Vienna Style Lagers are not the best…but I had to try them. Notice that they are the most plentiful…I reached for them less often…hehehe.

zOnk.oNe

Ok…being that the warm weather is back in town (not that it’s ever really cold here) those good old ‘Park Jams’ are also in full effect. So, the first Sunday of each month we get to roll out to Long Beach and chill out inna community fashion with like-minded individuals that want to share food, listen to good music, and enjoy life. If you live within a reasonable distance to Ceasar Chavez park in Long Beach, CA, you should definitely plan to roll out to this event. It’s nice to chill out with a group of people that don’t bring beef to the party and instead focus on what’s important: having a good time. For this review, I brought my backpack cooler filled with ice and brews. I figured I could write a review while taking in some sun and solid music. Good idea. So, on to the beer:
This Eel River IPA is good. I guess readers are used to that reaction from me by now. When it comes to India Pale Ales, they’re almost always going to be a pleaser. This one isn’t heavy…as I’m drinking it, it’s warm outside and the sun is shining. That being said, this beer isn’t too thick to fit in nicely. I normally wouldn’t be drinking IPA during a sun filled day, but this Eel River is going down nicely. With its’ 7.25% alcohol content, it’s a little surprising that this goes down so smooth. To be honest, it might be a little too light for my tastes (as far as IPA’s go). Then again, this isn’t a $9 22oz., so it isn’t really fair to compare those type of ‘Imperials’ and ‘Doubles’ with a standard edition. Basically, for the price ($3.69), this is a very good beer that will keep the buds happy and the wallet fat. Plus…it’s certified organic, so you can feel good knowing you’re supporting some green shizzle. This one is available year round, so grab at your leisure. More info: Eel River IPA

Word up…peace,
zOnk.oNe

First off, I gotta start off by sayin that I just finished eating one of the best steaks I’ve ever cooked. I don’t eat red meat all that often anymore, or not compared to a few years ago, so this was a treat. To top it off, it turned out fantabulous. And what better precursor to a fancy new IPA than a great dinner. So here we go:
Wow…that’s different. Not a bad different, but I was not expecting what hit my palate. I guess with the word ‘experimental’ in the title I should have seen it coming…hehehe. This is not your typical India Pale Ale. There is almost a smokey flavor that kind of masks the hop flavor. It’s bitter, and the aftertaste seems to evaporate through the nostrils. It’s smooth, but that smokey bitterness is definitely the most notable characteristic to me. This one packs 8.75% alcohol by volume and I’d say that it comes through a bit in the taste. This tastes like a high alcohol content brew. This isn’t necessarily bad, it’s just that this brew seems like a sipper. I’d recommend one 22oz. per sitting. More than that and I think I’d get kinda sick of it. BUT this is still something that I’d recommend to friends. It’s totally different and stands out as a one-of-a-kind ale. This one is from Deschutes Brewery which is located in Oregon. With the amount of rain and cold they get up there, this brew would be perfect for keepin the insides nice and warm during chilly months. Here’s some info from the Deschutes site: “Inspired by the original Deschutes Brewery & Public House on Bond Street in downtown Bend, the Bond Street Series highlights a handful of our hop-forward beers that began at “the pub.” These local favorites, both old & new, truely display Deschutes Brewery’s diversity and creativity.  Available in 22 oz botles and draft only.”

*By the way…I paid: $4.69 for the 22oz.

peace,
zOnk.oNe Read more

When you go out and get blind drunk this weekend; here’s something to help comfort you while you’re recovering from those hangovers:

See? It’s in your genes man. You can’t help it. And neither can those irresistibly cute monkeys. We were born to drink…some “to the last drop”. I know what you’re thinking: “If I could get me one of those drinking monkeys, I would have the ultimate drinking buddy. He’d never hold any of my crazy blackout arguments against me, or keep some insane grudge for telling him that his girlfriend is a bitch while sauced up.”
While these are true statements and reasonable to think so, it is also illegal to feed your pets alcohol. I didn’t make the rules, some crazy PETA nut probably did. So just in case you see that PETA freak, be sure to remind them of the thousands of animals PETA ‘puts to sleep for the good of the animals’ each year. See how they try to reason that a drunk monkey is worse off than a dead puppy. Bastards.

zOnk.oNe

Here you go. A Daily dose of good old conscious hip-hop delivered aurally by Canibus and Wyclef in the form of a joint called ‘How Come’.

For real thought, right? Don’t this one just make you wanna ask ‘the powers that be’…”How Come?”

peace,
zOnk.oNe