h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Rich, are you going to visit Gosho?

Is that before Gosho is going to visit us with his movie-house on wheels?

Well, there aren't any plans for Rich to visit Texas... yet, I'm just figuring that at some point he'll land in New Beertown USA

Company

Yeah, I'd love to get out to Texas some time. Lainey really wants to go sometime as well so you never know - it might actually happen. But with a baby coming in December belts are gonna be tightened...

Sorry - I was off watching a video about volcanoes when you cracked your beers Spent two hours drinking alone and as soon as I turn my back..!

Sierra Nevada stout.

It's darker in the glass than the porter. I think there's a bit less bite than there was in the porter. Malts are a tad more more roasted, but not much. I don't think there's a huge difference between the two. I'd almost dock marks for lack of originality, but I don't know which came first

That's all my American beers. What's really struck me is that (the Blue Moon excepted) they're all really simple - no 'damson tones' or flowery bouquets, but just really good hops, well balanced, and generally quite sweet malts. Is that fairly standard or is that just the kind of stuff we get imported here?

I definitely prefer the porter to the stout. I think they've done a much better job of it. Which is odd because I generally prefer stouts to porters.

I said in another conversation that I was going to have a Stone Old Guardian with my tonight, but instead I've pulled out a bottle of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine from the recesses of my fridge to compliment Rich's SN beers

Oh wow. It's been in my fridge almost the whole time since I bought it in January and the hops have faded almost to nothing leaving a sweet, malty rich beer in their wake, but still with a good bitter finish to it. Dark copper colour, clear and with a creamy off white head that you could float a £2 coin on. You gotta search this one out Rich, and as long as it hasn't been cooked it's gonna taste good. In fact, the older the better, but a fresh one is something you have to experience too

It depends, Rich. Sierra Nevada is one of those west coast breweries known for its extravagant use of American hops, particularly Cascade. They do simple stuff really well, and in any field of human endeavour that's a really, really hard thing to do. They pull it off in spades.

Anchor Steam is a working man's drink. The California equivalent of stock bitter. No complexity there to speak of, just a really satisfying pint to knock back with your mates.

There are plenty of beers with those 'dark fruit' qualities, and several made in a Belgian sour style which is something I'm starting to appreciate.

Dammit Rich, we've just got to get you over here!

Nice! I do keep an eye out for rarities over at Tuckers Maltings but the odds of us getting something like that down here are quite slim. And they don't have a mailing list, which is quite cunning - rumours of new beers are spread by word of mouth which doesn't commit them to actually having anything in stock...

Yeah, definitely! I should do an east-to-west beer tour, right?

And bring along a bottle or three of Pedigree I reckon

Haha, I wonder if Marston's would sponsor me?

I'm more interested in hops and barley than ever because I'm planning to start making my own worts in the autumn (I've always brewed from pre-packed tins until now, occasionally embellishing with other ingredients). Blue Moon aside, every one of these beers tonight has been really cleanly and simply brewed - and you're quite right, it's harder to pull that off than it is to add a bit of liquorice or damson to hide the flaws.

Well, it's 2.45 here, so I'm off to bed. Good to see you mate, sorry I couldn't stop a bit longer

Night Rich, at least we got to share a few pints

G'night, Rich.

It's kind of too bad we use 22oz bottles, that's all I can possibly do and stay the least bit useful. But it was delicious.

As far as the floral or what's typical, there are some very interesting American beers, including ones that use jasmine flowers for example, but that's not Sierra Nevada. We also are having quite a lot of interesting belgians and lambics, which I must admit take some getting used to. Starting to enjoy belgian IPAs.

Out here in the Pacific Northwest, we have stronger beers. Not so much in Chico, where it is still pretty darned hot, and where Sierra Nevada is, but on the coastal side. Where it is foggy and wet and a thicker brew is more the thing.

Damn - have I missed another beerfest?

I have been happily drinking may way through the rudely-named ales from directbeers.com all week. Very good they are too.

B