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

I thought you'd like Hobgoblin. Must look for Merlin's Ale...& possibly King Goblin(see the Jan. 18th posting, a comparison of Hobgoblin & King Goblin - just type Hobgoblin into the search window).

http://ghostdrinker.blogspot.com

My best chance of finding both would be at Sherbrooke http://www.sherbrookeliquor.com - closing in on 1,000 beers. Although It's quite a trip(roughly 9 miles, maybe a bit more). I'll need to look around closer to home, with Keg'n'Cork http://www.kegncork.com being my best choice...quite sure I've seen Hobgoblin(& at least one other Wychwood brew) among their English s..

Went to the one store in this vicinity that still carries Borax, Wal-Mart, last night. They have expanded their selection of beers From Miller, Miller Lite, Budweiser, Budweiser Lite, and Newcastle Ale to include several other brands including Boddington's, six different Samuel Adams varieties and some other things. This week's experimental purchase was Samuel Adams Latitude 48: http://allaboutbeer.com/learn-beer/reviews/beer-talk/2011/01/samuel-adams-latitude-48-ipa/

Looks interesting. I'm hoping to get to Keg'n'Cork later this evening. Feel the need for some Innis & Gunn, prompted largely by this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5SizdkG5Cw

But I was informed the other night-on Twitter-that that brewpub, Brewsters hasa Belgian-style strong dark on now as their current seasonal(though it isn't on the website).

I do have a bottle I'm somewhat tempted to open, but given the 9%abv I'd really like to age it a year or two. That's a lovely dark Baltic Porter which I should really try to grab a couple more bottles of while I can(*fingers crossed*Hopefully I still can, I'd best phone Sherbrooke)..

http://www.onbeer.org/2011/09/if-believing-in-god-tastes-this-good-sign-me-up/

The Belgian-style was just that, 'in the style'...actually Very pleasingly so while not being a bullseye, so to speak. It was a lovely cloudy reddish orange(think bright shiny new penny) when my server Meghan brought it to the table. I should add that the appearance was enhanced by the southwest sunlight pouring through the nearby west-facing window. Aroma was basically caramel & dark fruit, nicely intermingled. Taste was initiålly malty caramel, with just a faint hint of the sugary Belgian quality. Then dark fruit stepped forward, but remained safely in the shadows. I picked up some yeastiness, not exactly Belgian, yet it worked. Quite a clean finish & a fuller medium mouthfeel. It was nice with the Asian Dumplings-an appetizer-I had ordered. The chile pepper/ginger(/bit of five-spice?) dipping sauce bringing out a mildly citrus quality in the ale. I'll Definitely be back for a few more pints, since although they do sell bottled beer to-go(or, 'take-away'), their seasonal/essentially monthly releases are only available on tap and unlike most of the U.S. & a few parts of Canada, 'Growlers'(the take-away 'jugs')aren't common here(yet...hope springs eternal )

I should clarify that^ opening sentence, 'in the style of, But(whether it was intenional or not)taking things quite nicely-imho-in an 'expanding on one feature' sort of direction. If one is open to experimentation, of course. The caramel quality was much richer than in some Belgians I've tried, replacing the typical Belgian sugary dak fruit quality. Quite a nice prominent caramel I thought. Just looking through my notes, I see that an aged bottle of Pannepot Gran Reserva(from '05, tasted last year) had a bit of that caramel quality, however that's an actual Belgian strong dark aged in Calvados-apple brandy-barrels.

*sits in the corner...well, what he envisions as a corner & pours himself an Aphrodisiaque(labeked 'Aphrodite' stateside)*

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/dieu-du-ciel-aphrodisiaque/24350/

(had considered the Snow White/.Blanche Niege, which I really enjoyed...spicing just right imho...Very Belgian-styled I thought

http://patricksbeerblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/snow-white-dieu-du-ciel-blanche-neige-6/ )

*still in the corner, considers reaching for a 1000 Monkeys...or possibly a Dark Galaxy...hmm, decisions decisions...

http://www.onbeer.org/2012/04/winnipeg-goes-black/

http://www.onbeer.org/2012/03/happily-locked-in-the-monkey-cage/ *

*...hmm, pauses to consider his options, should he have the 75% Ceylon from French Bonnat?...(Google 'Bonnat-Chocolatier France', they offer a translated site)

http://www.bonnat-chocolatier.com ...or the-also French-100% Madagascar Pralus?

http://www.chocolats-pralus.com/en

...the 72%Vosges Creole bar-New Orleans style Chicory with Sao Thome & cocoa nibs? hmm, Sao Thome chocolate...& nibs...

http://www.vosgeschocolate.com

(must be Very new, I can't find it on there...)

or either of 2 Canadian bars, the 72% Gallerie au Choclat Fleur de Sel, with sea salt?

http://galerieauchocolat.ca/productdetails.asp?Lang=E&Pid=40&STID=32699221372605#null

...or-closest to home/likely freshest-the Le Chocolatier Dark Espresso?

http://www.lechocolatier.ca

...hmm, he's leaning toward either the Vosges or the Le Chocolatier...

The latitude 48 was nice, as was the Noble Pils, both from Samuel Adams.

It's been a busy month or so. My nephew and his wife came in for a very quick visit (one day). We had dinner at a new branch of a Cajun restaurant. The cook needs more practice

Bought a Kindle, which is a long story. Filled it with several free books and have been reading The Three Musketeers, 39 Steps, Eye of the Witch and one or two other things alternately.

Met with some friends for lunch last Saturday at a Greek/Lebanese restaurant. Didn't realize that five had never tried that type of food, they could have said. Still, everyone had a good time. This was eight people I know from high school, two of which I've known since elementary school (and went to the same high school).

I'm back, thanks to Guru lil's assistance. But I had a bit of a self-imposed exile, suffice it to say the system wasn't recognizing me, I felt persona non grata.

It took me three tries to get here in the correct skin.

I've been reading a lot of ebooks. The kindle makes it easier than even my laptop computer.

Yes, miss my Kindle desperately, spilled fruit juice on it...Not good(terminated my ereading?)

Was it still under warranty?

No unfortunately!

Have you tried the kindle for pc free software?

No, I hadn't. In any case though, bit of a beer bridge to a (or ebook) I had just finished reading on the Kindle. Yesterday evening when I was in Keg'n'Cork-picked up a very nice English dark , but more on that later-I noticed a couple articles in the current issue of 'Taps{the beer magazine]' http://www.tapsmagazine.com . Including a brief Q&A with Lucy Saunders, whose The Best of American Beer & Food I had finished a month or two before my Kindle froze up. Very detailed and interesting btw, lots of beer-utilizing recipes...a few of them I think found at her website http://www.thebeercook.com (which I see has really had a 'facelift'...Not her site...aHa http://www.beercook.com ).

But the English dak I tried was from the Orkney Brewery, their 'Dark Island'(4.6%abv). Just as the label says 'A robust yet exceptionally smooth dark beer with a full bodied malt character.' Starts malty, becoming both chocolatey then caramel...somewhat biscuity. Good restrained hop presence then a slightly bready drying finish, imho. I'll definitely be picking up a few more of these from time to time!