Coffee seeing a resurgence in the Schmidt household.

For Christmas Emily bought me an espresso machine.  It's been overused like the rumble strip near an old folks home.  I love being able to wake up, and 45 seconds later have an espresso in one hand and be working on another.  If anyone has ever thought of it, they are a completely valid investment.  As well as a great pre-ride pick me up to boot!

Da Beers:

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA:  Firestone has a fair share of beers but their IPA is consistently ranked on the top.  It's a true testament to what IPA stands for ImPressive Ale.  Some of the reviews I've read said they tasted "sugar cookies" which frankly made me feel amateurish, as I'd never tasted sugar cookies aside from sugar cookies themselves.  And I don't think my grandmother would approve of me saying a beer tasted like her cookies...  Aside from that it's got an amazing nose of citrusy fruits, and an immediate taste of pine and grapefruit with a brutish slap of hops.  I hate to follow the pack, but the numbers are too large to fight on this one.  It's a most excellent IPA, and one I will likely always have in the beer fridge.  A+.

 Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet:  A Belgian among Belgians.  This triple redefined what triple meant for me.  It's got a champagne esque sensation to it, so light, and so fluffy.  This is without doubt the Belgian Triple to compare to.  At least for me.  The fact that it comes in a pretentiously large chalice means it sits even higher on the chart.  I love belgians, and this has that smooth feel, the intricate taste, and the easy drinkability that I think of when I want a belgian.  Certainly an A+.

Terrapin Hopsecutioner IPA.  This is a uniquely bitter IPA, It's not necessarily one I'd search out again.  I liked it, but eh.  It was a beer which I generally like.  I don't know.  It's just not anything special, nor is it worth writing home about.  C-.

Highlander Oatmeat porter:  A fresh twist your'e thinking, yeah maybe.  This oatmeal porter certainly has a lighter feel than a stout, yet it's hefty, and tasty.  I've always enjoyed the extra bit of sweetness garnered from having oatmeal in a beer, and this certainly had that unmistakable nose of oatmeal.  It was smooth to drink, and a great winter beer.  Certainly decent enough for the colder snowy nights we had in NC.  B-.

Peacemaker Pale:  A decent light pale with a crisp smooth taste.  I enjoyed it, but it didn't have ay outstanding features that would draw you back again.  It's an easy drinker and an ok beer.  C+.

Boulevard wheat: This was all Emily and I could find on a road trip back from NC.  We stopped in Oaklahoma city at 11:00 and this was the only "craft" beer I saw in the cooler at the local vendor.  Emily enjoyed the wheat, but it just didn't have anything to offer me.  Perhaps I've gone to a level of beer-snob pretentiousness that can't be undone.  It did the job of help ease the road nerve's, but little more.  There certainly was no razzle in this bottle.  D.

Celebrator:  My second favorite Doppel, It's got a huge flavor, and a great nose.  It will knock your taste buds out for a minute, it's one of the greatest Doppelbocks I've ever had. Second in my heart to Salvator, only due to nostalgic reasons...  A+.

Primator.  This beer was a bit too much for me.  It was a nice flavor, but I found it a little blown form all of the 10+% alcohol.  If you wanted one beer to mess you up for an evening, and enjoyed the thickness of doppels, this is your guy.  Otherwise it's a sipper.  I drank mine over a huge variety of temperature, and found that colder it was smoother, and less expressive.  But the full extent of the alcohol came out when it reached the 45+ degree mark.  B.

I'll try to do more frequent posts that aren't such behemoths, I get de-motivated when I look and see how many things I have to discuss...  But then again, I'm behind... Oh well...  

A freaking video Camera!

My dad got me a GoPro for Christmas, which means I'll do dumb things to entertain the masses(exactly what he told me not to do... sorry dad.  Majority wins.)  But I took it for a ride this morning, and am editing the video now.  Hopefully the masses will approve.  pretty excited to see the result myself.

Ode to Salvator.

        Salvator, Oh Salvator. How I love thee.  With thine nose so fresh and malty.  This in my opinion is the Doppel bock to which all other Doppels are compared to.  It's got a fantastic nose with rich munich malt, and some other darker fruits.  It's a dark pour with a little haziness, and a small slightly amberish head that dissipates quickly.  It's got to be my favorite doppel of all time.  I've had it once on tap a long long time ago, in a place far far away, and ironically not it's country of origin.  But rather the fantastic state of Minnesota.  Another reason to move back.

There's dirt in them hills!

On a late ride yesterday, I found dirt.  Yes you may say "obviously" but this wasn't just any dirt, it was dirt amidst a sea of sand.  It had traction, loam, and dampness!  It made my whole day.  It's also on a fun little loop that I hadn't seen before, and only hit by accident.  Certainly a nice little gem.  just thought I'd share.

Oh and a Team Face First update, I in true form upheld the namesake of Face First on our last ride as I ineptly lost it on a small drop at the exit of a parking lot.  Anyone can fall in a parking lot, but a true champion gets up and does the rest of the downhill without falling.  Total Win.

I've been wearing my gratuitously sized belt buckle as much as possible, and look forward to bigger and better things with Face First.  Oh and look for a gear review to come soon.  It'll blow you away, the review and the gear.

adios

Belt Buckles, Big Rides, Turkey, Plethora of new beers.

      Team Face First wins buckles.  Jeff Abbott, Brandon Tracy, Jay Rutherford and I won buckles.

 It's been a while since I've entered something here, but I have been doing great in depth research of liquids that have undergone fermentation at least one time.  All because I'm a scientist.  Fresh off the press are a host of new reviews, and some other goodies...

Easy Street wheat-Odell Brewing
It's an unfiltered american style wheat, it's got a little citrus tinge to it.  It's got a nice lighter feel, and an easy drink.  It doesn't offend the palate, and can be enjoyed with most things. It won't supplant my go to hef, but it's certainly a nice little beer.  I'd drink it again, but I don't think I'd search it out.  B-














Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse
One of the most delicious hefs, has slight taste of clove, banana, and pours a nice thick head.  It's got a delicious smooth taste, with a nice robust amount of carbonation.  Not too much carbonation, but such a smooth sip.  If your'e looking for a new hef to break out of your rut with, I suggest this.  It's absolutely delicious, and will certainly appease any palate.  I've yet to find a fault in this beer.  A+



The Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA
Freaking stoked on this beer, it's got an amazingly rich and smooth pour with a nice thick light caramel colored head.  It's got a hell of a drink, it's not for a light drinker.  In any way.  It's a super smooth thick bitter chocolate, coffee, some citrus, and bold bold bold hops. It towers in the glass like a bold friend at a party.  Except its the only person at the party.  The beer dominates whatever else you had in your mouth, which isn't a bad thing, but it's certainly best enjoyed alone, and I drank mine at around 40 degrees F, and enjoyed it until the last drop.  Solid A.

New Castle Werewolf
It was almost too much alcohol taste, it was nice. but not necessarily the blood red ale I expected.  It was a unique taste of mostly malty, and caramel with some hop flavor, it's significantly different than the original new castle.  Certainly a nice drink, but on the same token, not sure it's what I'd search out again.  I liked the aspect of something new, but wasn't super impressed with the delivery..  C+

Spaten Oktoberfest:
One of my favorite marzens.  One of the true marzens in my opinion.  I've had a few, it's a little darker than most labeled as a marzen,  but it is lighter than the Bayern Oktoberfest which is also a marzen.  It pours nice and light, it's a clean crisp drink with a great sip.  It's nicely carbonated, and has a consistent refreshing flavor all the way down.  It's certainly one varietal I'll keep around.  Especially because I can feel like a man, and pour a few into my stein without feeling the repercussions in the morning...  A.

Delirium Noel It's a sweet winter belgian strong dark ale.  It's deliciously hinted of the holidays, with brown sugar, nutmeg, clove, and winter spices.  It leaves the mouth with a dry hint of alcohol, it's smooth, thick, and a great winter sipping beer.  It certainly warms the heart, and all the extremities.  I haven't had too many belgian strong dark ales, but it seemed that this was almost too much compared to the others that I've had.  It was nice, and I'm easily tempted by the pink elephants...  B.  

  Bayern Brewing Doppelboch.  Bayern is a small Brewery from Missoula MT, and this is one of my favorite of their brews. It's a doppel, as in double brew and it's De-Licious.  It's been one of my favorites since I first tried it, before I knew what good beer was.  It's one of the easiest 8.4% beers I know.  It's a simple malty beer without complex tones, it does the job, and it does it well.  If you find this, buy it.  

Hellhound on my ale Dogfish Head brewery, A super hoppy brew with a nice lemony citrus flavor.  It's extremely high alcohol content, and a very fun beer.  It's an easy drink, and not abrasive by any means, it's deceptively potent, and has certainly gotten my attention.  The beer was made as a 100 year birthday to Robert Johnson, the mississippi bluesman.  Definitely a beer I will keep in touch on it's availability...  A+

 This is the Pyramid trail, others call it the Gila Ridge trail. I've seen both on maps.  It's a sweet trail that starts from the top of national near the west side of the telegraph pass.  The top of the trail is a sweet slightly downhill trail with great flow, and banked turns with more than enough grip for an easier ride. Once the top ridge is descended, it's a tight and technical descent down tight switchbacks that require pivot turns, and a few foot dabs here or there.  It's very loose as the trail gets more and more steep, the technicality increases as the trail nears the bottom of the hill, and then opens up into the basin of the bees knees area.  Certainly a great ride, with a very fun and worthwhile descent.

The next trail I rode recently was the Corona trail, it's a steep trail that descends from the national trailhead with a lot of exposure.  The trail is loose, with technically interesting moves. The initial bit is down a wash which one has to climb out of, and then descend the entirety of the altitude in one go.  It's a great ride for a big bike, and the Enduro certainly had fun on it. There are some interesting bits as the trail winds it's way down, partially formed by the geology of the slope with the turns being dictated by the most convenient part of the rock to use.  It's a trail that if the access were easier, and more fun, I'd ride more often.  As is it's one that I'm content having done, and don't really need to ride all that often unless someone wants a little pucker factor.

The Belt buckle from the Epic win at Barn burner.  yes it opens bottles, and yes I've used it to open bottles.  

Bees Knees

Bikes outside bar in flagstaff after epic fail.  

Oak Aged arrogant bastard.  Delish.  A

Say Weihenstephan 10 times fast.  Another tasty morsel from Germany, a bit harsh on the end, after a few...  But it's an overall smooth drink with a fantastic feel and a light taste.  An instant favorite.  A

 Tripel Karmaliet fantastic belgian triple. A

Oude Zippers, previously reviewed, still amazing.

I've got another update in the works with a race-recap, and some more gear testing and discussion...  Happy Thanksgiving.

8-23-11

I got married!  My life has been wonderful since, my wife and I have had a blast everyday since the wedding, and I'm just honored to be the guy at her side.


Beer:

Surly Furious:
This delicious brew from the great City of Minneapolis Minnesota was enjoyed properly with a hamburger stuffed with Cheese and Bacon.  I love IPA's, and this one certainly came through, it's a got an imposing initial flavor, but what IPA's is soft?  It's full of character, certainly hoppy, and pine.  It's got great malty flavor too, but it doesn't present until after in initial shock of bitterness has worn.  It's falls on the darker side of the IPA spectrum, but it's by no means dark tasting, it's somewhat deceiving in that way...  It's technically an American IPA, however not having tasted a significant number if AIPA's, I'll leave it in the standard IPA category.  It's delicious cold, as from the tap, and warms nicely, however I think that the drinkability decreases  to an extent with the increase in temperature...  It was surprisingly amazing in the colder realms.  Solid A.

Moose's Tooth Beartooth Ale: (Almost an IPA)
As touted by the rental car man, and the front dest attendant at our hotel on our first night of the Honeymoon, this was an excellent Micro brew.  Moose's Tooth Brewery plays host to some of the best beer and pizza I've had.  Their pizza is simply off the hook.  This little number is listed as a "Deep red, malty ale heavily hopped with centennial hops."  It's definitely not a full blown IPA, however, it's not far...  It was deliciously hopped with a less than citrusy hops, it made for a nice smooth taste, with a little bite.  It made a perfect pair to the spice of the sausage on the pizza.  It was bold, yet tastefully easy.  It was an awesome introduction to AK beer, and a great start to the honeymoon!  B.

Moose's Tooth Fairweather IPA:
An Alaskan IPA in every sense.  It was big, bold, and deliciously hoppy with an intense hop aroma.  It was an IPA in every sense of the IPA category.  It's a big step above their Beartooth Ale in hoppyness, and fullness.  It's not a super heady beer as evidenced by the photo-possibly the bottom of the keg, but that made the beer a little more smooth, and aided the drinkability.  It too was a good combo for the spicy sausage in the pizza.  I'd definitely take another go at this beer, and try to have a pint with a steak.  B+.

Denali Single Engine Red Ale:
It was a blast to have a new variety of beers to try out.  I'd taken this Red with a delicious meal of Fish and Chips in a Dill batter.  The Fish and chips was some of the best I had in AK, but the Denali Red was lacking.  It was a sufficient Red, however the initial taste was interesting, and slightly malty with a nice little hop, but then it trailed off.  It was a beer, not sure I'd seek this one out.  C-.

Alaskan White Hefeweizen:
Emily loves Hefs.  This white is pretty good, it's got a great nose, and a nice little bite.  It's a pretty easy drinking beer with an appeasing sip.  It's still a hef in the sense that you'll feel it in your stomach while you drink it.  It's not overly heavy, but it's certainly substantial.  I like this in general, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's exceptional.  B.

Homer Brewing Company Red Knot Scottish Ale:
One of my top 5 beers.  I've long loved scottish Ale's for a long time, and this one is up at the top of the list for sure.  solid A
















There are many more beers that I've had that I haven't had the time to discuss, but I am working on getting some writing about them, however my current schedule doesn't allow for much time spent not on scholastic endeavors...
hope all is well with everyone.

-ids

7-26-11. 4 days, 7 rides, 2 dance lessons

     Dude, I just want to express myself through the art of dance:
Big few days, for starters Emily and I have taken our dance lessons for the wedding, so we have that on lock. We can Waltz like mofo's.  Emily is awesome, we are both putting in hard work as it's been a long time since either of us has danced.  Emily is a perfectionist, which definitely helps in this adventure, as we are both excited, and trying to do it right the first time to get the most out of the lesson.  It's a great time, it makes me want to take more classes with her.  She's got so much drive, and motivation about dancing, and we are tearing up the floor.
     Bikes:
Huge rides!  For starters, Saturday out at Hawes trail area, I rode from the Walgreens and did the Saguaro trail to Mineshaft, then up Hawes.  Loop two was out ridge trail to mineshaft, and up the Hawes loop again.  Sunday morning was a nice ride out Desert Classic to the base of Telegraph and back.  Later that evening was a fast ride out on Trail 100 with one of the faster riders I know in the Valley, with a few interesting lines available if you can see them, and furthermore can make the gaps between rocks.  It ends up to be a really fun break from the monotony of SoMo...  Monday morning was the usual ride with Brandon, and a spin on the road bike to get some extra hills in the day.  Tuesday was a nice easy ride out the Chandler road to the Telegraph TH, and then DC back with a nice new loop out to the Water tanks via Corona Loma, and Secret Trail back to DC and home.  Shortly there after I took the road bike out for a commute into Tempe for a meeting at the University, and then turned around and came home. My legs are dead now. Possibly a ride tonight, depending if I can get all my things done for tomorrows take off for the wedding.

     Beer:

 A lesson from the Official Czar of beer in Phoenix.  If anyone drinks extensively, or has been to the Chandler Whole Foods Market, they have met James.  James is the only person I know that can completely succinctly describe to you any type of beer, and enlighten you as to the subtleties between certain varietals.  Today, I sampled one of the best Tripels I've had in my life.  It's a beer brewed for the Papago Brewery here in PHX, but ding ding ding, it's brewed by the folks who make the Gulden Draak in Belgium.  Oude Zuipers "Old Drunk" as it's english translation lets on gets you where you want to be in a hurry. And not only that, it's simply Dumb-Foundingly Door-Busting Deliciousness!  It's not as sweet as the Delerium tremens, nor as robust as the Gulden Draak.  But it's got more alcohol than either the Tremens or the Gulden Draak at roughly 11%, and relatively low on the IBU chart it's an easy drink that makes your insides happy.  It's got an amazingly smooth yeasty taste, and you can literally feel the belgian heritage in the yeast.  You know it's not from America, we simply aren't this good yet...  And It's on tap at a few places in town, Whole Foods, and the Brewery isn't far from work.  I found a new best friend.  I'm not exclusively into the Belgian Tripels, but

I'm more than elated when I find another one.  Especially so close to home.  The Lumberyard Brewery in Flagstaff also has a Tripel, but this one surpasses that in a heartbeat.  Until next time, cheers.
-ids