14 February 2008

Welcome to Bawlamer, Hon!

Well, let's see how this works out, huh, mates?

Greetings. If you've somehow stumbled across this blog by cruising aimlessly through the blogosphere or internet, I'm an average beer geek, beer snob, beer aficionado, whatever you wish to call me. I write a column and many articles for the bimonthly "brewspaper" Mid-Atlantic Brewing News and was for a spell also their Maryland columnist.

Starting tomorrow, I'll be attempting a "trial by fire" by attempting to blog live from Max's Taphouse in Fells Point during their "72 Hours of Belgium" beer "festival". Thank goodness for their free WiFi and a relatively new Dell laptop. Look over the "final" starting draft list below:

Silly Abbaye De Forest Ale
Alvinne Blonde
Alvinne Dertig
Alvinne Gaspar
Alvinne Podge Imperial Stout
Alvinne Triple
Bel Pils
Blanche De Brussels
Boon Oude Lambic Marriage Parfait 17B
Boon Oude Lambic Marriage Parfait 52
Brewers Art Speciale Resurrection(Cask)
Brewers Art La Petroleuse (Cask)
Brewers Art Speciale Proletary(Cask)
Brewers Art Ozzy (Cask)
Brewers Art Resurrection
Cantillon Bruocella 1900 Grand Cru
Cantillon Gueuze
Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek
Cantillon St Lamvinus
Cantillon Vigneronne
Chimay Cinq Cents
Corsendonk Christmas
De Dolle Dulle Teve
De Dolle Stille Nacht
De Glazen Toren Canaster
De Glazen Toren Jan De Lichte
De Glazen Toren Angelique
De Glazen Toren Saison De Epre Mere
De Glazen Toren Onedinke
De Proef La Grande Blanche
De Proef Signature Ale
De Proef Zoetzuur Flemish Ale
De Regenboog BBBourgondier
De Regenboog Catherine The Great
De Regenboog Plus
De Regenboog T'Smisje Dubbel
De Regenboog T'Smisje Fiori
De Regenboog T'Smsije Kerst
De Regenboog T'Smsioje Speciale
De Regenboog T'Smisje Sleedorn
De Regenboog Vuuve
De Regenboog Wostijnte
Delirium Tremens
Dubuisson Scaldis Noel
Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux
Fantome Brise Bon Bons
Fantome Chocolat
Fantome Printemps
Fantome Saison
Kerkom Bink Blonde
Kerkom Bink Blosem
Kerkom Bink Bruin
Lindemans Framboise
La Rulles Meilleurs Voeux
Leifmans Goudenband
Les 3 Fourquett Wheat
Lucifer
Mardesous 6
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence
Ommegang Hennepin
Ommegang Ommegeddon
Ommegang Witte
Ommegang Three Philosophers
Ommegang Rare Vos
Ommegang Saison De Gewurz
Oude Beersel Framboise
Oude Beersel Oud Lambic
Rodenbach Red
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Slaapmustke Triple Night Cap
St Bernardus Pater 6
Slaghmylder Witkap Pater Triple
Stone Vertical Epic 2007
Strubbe Doebel
Strubbe Keyte Double Triple
Van Honsebrouck Brigand
Van honebrouck Kasteel Rouge

In addition, they have another 30 or so to rotate into the drafts as the kegs run out, although they have more kegs of some of the more popular beers available. Also, about 130 bottled beers are expected. Thankfully, samples are reasonably priced at $3 each, though full servings (likely to be goblets and not "pints") will range up to $9.

So, which of these is on your "must try" list? How many of these have you had? Which are you betting will be the first to succumb to the dreaded "plastic hat syndrome" (i.e. a plastic cup over the tap handle indicating a drained keg)? With online reports that Liefmans is in receivership, is this possibly the last chance for Goudenband to be on draft? And seriously, does the Stone Vertical Epic, rare and/or wonderful as it may be, belong in this lineup?

Myself? Well, I've never been big on the beers that seem to taste like malted citric acid (did someone say Cantillon?), and I'll have my beer notes from previous years' festivals to avoid duplication if necessary (or seek it, in other cases). I'm wagering that fellow beer drinker Jim M. will show up as he did last year, with three of his friends and a catalog of tasting notes of the offered beers copied from sites like BeerAdvocate and RateBeer, and I can just crib suggestions from him.

See y'all there.........

6 comments:

David said...

I'll be following your adventures this weekend with envy. :-)

Best wishes for the blog. My parents live in the Baltimore area so I'll definitely be following checking in frequently.

Anonymous said...

Uh oh. I'm not sure the world is ready for this-- Sandy's writings available to the whole world.....!

:-)

betsy said...

welcome to the blogosphere, bro.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV said...

Well, c'mon, mate, there was nothing stopping anyone from picking up a copy of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News for free and mailing it almost anywhere in the world (though I think the postal censors in Saudi Arabia may have kept it out)--or, for that matter, anyone buying my books at Amazon, or buying magazines with my writing or photos........

Anonymous said...

Well, yes, but for free, just for the blundering-into?

*runs and hides*

.....but not very effectively, as Sandy knows where I live.....

Good luck with it, Sandy. I'll check back as the weekend progresses.

THOMAS CIZAUSKAS said...

Welcome aboard the blogging train, Sandy. Try the De Proef Signature Ale.