I'm back!

I know you all have been antsy, wondering "Where did that guy who writes about beer (and sometimes about his daily life) go? I miss his 'only alright' ability to write creatively, and I am finding out about so many less beers now!" Well, I've been on quite a journey the past week and I've had a great assortment of brews. You didn't think I'd break the streak, would ya?

To give a little recap, I was in Chicago for the weekend at two long-time friends' wedding, and more than a couple GnT's at the open bar. It was a beautiful scene, and I gotta give a nod to them. Tyler & Michelle, if you read this, congratulations again! Love you guys.

Leading up to that trip I pretty much was in chaos-mode for work, trying to tie up all the lose ends so I could take time off. That's the reason I didn't get posts up on Weds & Thurs of last week. I can't remember exactly which days I drank each of the following, but in the end its not that serious.

What I am going to do, though, is break up the beers in chunks -- because I want you to actually read these posts. And if they are super long, I wouldn't even want to read them. So here we go.

First up will be the Orange Blossom Pilsner Squared (OBP2). Was very eager to try this guy since the OBP (not squared) is labeled as ['Florida's Honey Beer']. I am kind of confused as to who actually brews this beer, since the site says it's Unique Beers (based in Orlando, FL), but that it's brewed for them by Thomas Creek Brewery (based in South Carolina). Anyways I kind of liked this brew, but it was really intense. Very strong with honey flavor and you could definitely taste it's high alcohol content. Chugging this beer is ill advised. I enjoyed one glass of this, but not sure if that would continue with more than that. Also of note was how clear this beer was. Not sure which was more transparent: the beer or the pint glass.

Unique Beers
Orange Blossom Pilsner Squared
Strong Pale Lager
11% abv

Next will be the [Peak Organic] Pomegranate Wheat Ale. This one is pretty much the exact opposite of the OBP2. Super light, very easy-drinking flavor, and very crisp. The best comparison I could come up with is that of the Sweetwater Blue. It's a wheat ale, but there is zero haze in this brew. Pretty refreshing, and ends with a notable pomegranate flavor that doesn't steal the show. After checking out Peak Organic Brewing I came away very impressed with how they aim to have their beers paired with food. Check out the link above to see what I'm talking about. Every picture of their brew actually features food. Apparently the Pom. Wheat  goes well with 'chevre goat cheese' whatever the hell that is.

Peak Organic Brewery
Pomegranate Wheat Ale
Wheat Ale
5.9% abv

The last of my pre-Chicago beers was the Thomas Hooker American Pale Ale. Not going to lie, I picked up this beer because it prominently said 'HOOKER' across the front of the bottle. I don't have a ton to say about this one, except that it is simply a really good APA. It had malty aspects that paired well with the hop's floral and bitter tastes. It almost tasted like a West Coast IPA, but didn't have the hop profile to get there. If you're looking for an all-around enjoyable beer, this will definitely fit the bill.

Thomas Hooker Brewing Company
American Pale Ale
American Pale Ale
5.2% abv


Tomorrow I am going to do my write up of all the beers I had in Chicago. For the most part I kept it very local, as there is a entirely different set of brewers in that region. I even made it to a brewpub of one of them. So that's pretty neat. In any event, it's good to be back, and I'm glad that you're (hopefully still) reading.