Monastic & Such - 06 Nov 2010
Our planned tasting of Porters sure morphed when Bryant and Wayne went to buy the beers
at State Line without adult supervision! The crowd was great, the food superb and the line-up of beers quite
diverse as we sampled monastic beers, beers that sounded like they were brewed by monks, one cider, a few new beers
and some old favorites. Sure it may sound like mayhem, but it was fabulous! Our secret ingredient
this month was cranberries, and as usual, FU's culinary skills didn't disappoint. Special thanks to Veep Susie
for hosting and to our special guests - Melanie and Tommy!
Monastic
Meads - 11 Sep 2010
Following our Labor Day Weekend we weren't sure folk's livers would be up to a beer tasting.
So heck, we decided to go all out and celebrate the wonders of Mead! We also continued our new tradition of a
food "secret" ingredient - Peaches - and once again we stretched our culinary abilities in new areas of excellence!
While there were many meads to sample, it's clear that mead really is to Poland what beer is to Belgium. One needn't
waste brain cells on the posers, if you're in the mood for mead, there's no substitute for the world-class Polish
varieties. Special thanks to President Grace for hosting and a big FU Welcome to Professor Melanie - we hope
to see you again! Finally, this was our last tasting with Professor Scott before he departs for Africa. We wish
him the very best in his travels and will anxiously await his return in 2013.
Meads
Blondes - 7 Aug 2010
Who
could have imagined FU's destiny some 10 years ago? This month again marked new territory as our tasting
included not only a beer theme, but a food "secret" ingredient - Carrots!! There was an inspired array of dishes to
include carrot chips, latkas, carrot & peanut dip and roasted carrot hummus. The beer lineup was
equally diverse, but as usual, FU's penchant for Belgian and French Ales was evident. After the main line-up we enjoyed
a rare treat from Wisconsin compliments of Professor Paul. While not a blonde ale per se, she couldn't help but take
the top spot! Huge thanks to President Grace for her visionary leadership, Veep Susie for hosting, and all who contributed
their culinary expertise to make this another great night.
Blondes
Max's Italian Fest - 24 July 2010
What
can you do when the heat index reaches 110?? Well, here at FU, we find a nice cool place to imbibe! Max's on Broadway
held their first-ever Italian Beer Fest and wow were we surprised. Folks, the Italian brewers have found their niche
with a broad range of Belgian, German, English and American inspired ales that are of amazing quality and complexity.
Special thanks to Casey for his hospitality and our two designated drivers (Misty and TJ).
Max's Italian Fest
Stateline Wheat Beers - 15 July 2010
A
small contingent of the faithful made the trek to State Line Liquors for their July tasting - a fabulous selection of Wheat
Beers. Ahh, there's nothing like the thirst quenching properties of wheat on those hot summer evenings. With
painters tape in hand we also conducted research in the fine art of drunken crowd control - hey, I think we're on to something
because there was order where once there was chaos! The beer was great and the "great tape experiment" fun, but
nothing compares to the fellowship we share with our good friends at SLL. As an added bonus, our tour of the cooler
netted a rare and obscure beer and one of our favorites - Beersel Framboise. Son, you're gonna go far!!!
Hats off and thanks again for another great evening!
Wheat Beers
Beers of the Wood - 10 July 2010
Kicking
off President Grace's new administration, FU charted new waters with a tasting of all wood-aged beers. We sampled a
broad variety of beer styles, aged in a variety of woods or barrels and from a number of countries. Surprisingly, the
American's stole the show!! This is a testiment to not only the excellence of the American brewers, but also to "blind
tastings" that keeps personal bias at bay. New Glarus Raspberry Tart took the top slot as it does whenever we slip
it into the lineup. Even without our Veep, we had a great turnout and the beers must have been good because we ended
in song! A big FU Thank You goes to Professors Lucy and Howard for hosting this event.
Beers of the Wood
Summer Beers - 1 Jul 2010
Well Summer has arrived with a vengeance! To soothe the masses,
our good friends at State Line Liquors held another great tasting with a sampling of thirst-quenchers. And let me tell
you, the word is out about these tastings as the crowd was there in full force! With Saison Dupont and some other
world-class Belgian and French ales in the lineup the poor American's didn't stand a chance. Another Big FU Thank
You to our friends at SLL for their hospitality!
Summer Beers
Stateline's Spring Belgian Tasting - 17 Apr 2010
Well Tax
day is passed and that means Stateline is having their Belgian Tasting. The turnout was rather low considering the quality
of beer being served. OMG what a line-up. As a special treat, The brewmaster for Stillwater brewing was present
as his was the first beer tasted, Stillwater Stateside Saison. This is the best American made Saison, and it gives the
Belgian Saisons a run for their money. His passion and pride were evident in the making of this fine brew. The
rest of the lineup read from a Belgian beer lovers dream. 3 Fontienen, Gulden Draak, Golden Carolus, Westmalle,... Let's
just say it would have been an unforgettable night, if it weren't for the damn Tequila shots later, right Wayne?? A
great big FUTY (FU Thank You) to the great people at Stateline for hosting one of their Finest Belgian tastings ever.
Stateline Spring Belgian Tasting
Garage Sale Beers - 10 Apr 2010
Well as Spring approaches,
a person's mind turns to cleaning the crap out of the house. So with the FU Annual Yard Sale coming up on 17 April,
it was time to clean out the closets of beer that was old, unused, perhaps bought or received as a gift. That being
said, there were a few good beers in the mix. To spice things up a bit, we even had a few of the beers as a blind (close
your eyes and guess the beer, It's harder than you think) tasting. Anyway a fine time was had by all, and a big
FU Thank You to prof Lucy or hosting, and to Misty for being the Blind Tasting picker/pourer and Bert's Ride home.
Garage Sale Beers
Maple Leaf Brews - 20 March 2010 This month was a slightly off-site tasting as we travelled all the way to the other side
of Joppatowne to sample beers from the Great White North. Prof Beth hosted the tasting at her new house and thus
added another campus to the ever expanding FU Facilities.
Surely for such an auspicious occasion as the opening of a new FU campus we would have had some very fine beers.
Unfortunately all we had were Canadian
beers, better luck next time. There was one stand
out in the line up, however we had to work to get to that
one. Luckily The Prez brought along some real beers to end the night. We also had the great fortune of welcoming Prof
Ashley back home from her deployment in Afghanistan. A big FU 'Thank You' to Beth for hosting the tasting this evening, and a Big FU 'Welcome Home and Thanks for Serving' to Prof Ashley!!
Maple Leaf Brews
Big Ones for Breast
Cancer - 27 Feb 2010 Well the folks of Stateline Liquors started
a new trend, beer tasting fund raiser. The tasting event was American barleywines and big beers. And the fund raising was for the fight against breast cancer.
Although the FU turnout
was rather low, you would have thought this was a Belgian tasting considering the crowd at SLL. The crowd got loud and lively early, especially when the majority of them
tasted the DuClaws Colossus. At 21% ABV it is a very big beer, but oh so smooth. I doubt many people felt as lively the next morning. As always a great big FU thanks
to the good folks at
SLL for putting on an excellent tasting with a fine selection of beers.
Big Ones for Breast Cancer
FU Chili Cook-off - 13 Feb 2010
Well once again the annual gauntlet is thrown and all those who are worthy rise to the challenge.
Yes it is time to separate the men from the boys, and go head to head, mano-a-mano as the best Chili recipes come out and all compete for the FU Chili Cook-off. It was a wide field this year as 9 Chili's were
entered into the competition. A small tweak was added this year, each chili was to be accompanied by three different beers
that the entrant thought would go best with the Chili. 9 chilis means 27 beers. That added up quickly!
Prize for the best chili went to Prof Rob for his inspired Goose and Chorizo Chili. It was a big Chili and
required a big beer to be paired with it. The DuClaw's Colossus went very well indeed. FU's first double
winner was Prof Scott, winning Hottest Chili and best Chili Beer pairing. Scott's Pork and Pumpkin Chili was
beautifully paired with a French bierre de garde, Jenlain Noel. Thank you to all who entered their Chili. They just keep getting
better each year!! Although we did not officially score any of the beers this night, all attendee's will receive a 27 beer rating
for the night.
International Downhill Pub Crawl - 9 Jan 2010
Well it's a new year and what better way to start
than with our pub crawl. Countries represented this year included, Japan, Germany, Scotland, Belgium, New Zealand (??)
and Italy. The food was great and the beers better. The real fun started after the tasting!! We won't tell
you what happened because, well, we don't remember. Anyway, a great time was had by all.
International Downhill Pub Crawl
Best of the Best 2009 - 31 Dec 2009
Well it was the end of another great
year and that means a head to head competition between top rated beers of the year to find the Best of the Best. Had
a very good turnout (as always) and this year the crowd included the Philadelphia Campus of FU - Kathleen, Brian, Pete, 'New'
Liz and Brandon. The beers were all wonderful but it wasn't even close. New Glarus' two fruit beers (Belgian Red
and the Raspberry Tart) came in first and second place. A Dark Horse - Russian River Consecration came in third, and
St Bernardus Abt 12 and Sam Adams Chocolate Bock rounded out the top 5. Prof Scott's homebrews (two more dark horse
candidates) placed well also, considering the competition. A big FU Thank You goes to Prof Susie, ever the gracious
hostess, for putting up with us yet again, and unlike last year's host, for not complaining about the vomit in the bathroom.
Thanks Susie!!
Best of the Best 2009
Oktoberfest Beers - 17 Oct 2009
It was a dark and rainy night, and the
only light shining was in Hall 605 where we all eagerly gathered, glasses in hand, to taste the best of the Oktoberfest.
Well we were somewhat disappointed. Apparently, the US brewers just don't have the
touch (or maybe the ingredients) to compete with the German brewers in the Oktoberfest/Marzen style. As can be seen,
the German beers had a clean sweep of the top rankings.
The closest US Beer was Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Now if SA brought out their Vienna
lager, then the US has a shot.
A big FU thanks to Art and Dena for hosting the event and to Prof Ernie for bringing the appetizer of the
night!!
Oktoberfest Beers
September Inventory Reduction - 12 Sep 09 Wow!! Did it ever rain!!
Friday was a complete washout with between 2.5 - 4 inches of rain falling and no let up for Saturday. So our orginal
plan for the Demolition Derby got rained out, but we were primed to party. So we decided to taste a few good beers for
a change. When FU cleans house a lot of fine vintage beers appear on the table. Well, we had to drink them before
they go bad :) Prof. Susie was kind enough to host this impromptu get together and we had a fine turnout. Prof.
Jeff, a frequent visitor to FU, attended his first tasting and is a 1/4 way to Centurion already. Plenty time to make
it for the BOB 2009!! The beers were wonderful and the company was better.
September Inventory Reduction
SLL German Beer Tasting - 10 Sep 09 Well it is getting close to Oktoberfest and
so the good folks at Stateline Liquors broke out their German beers for all to sample. September also means start of
school so there were quite a few IUDs (individuals from University of Deleware) clogging up the place too. Robert had
an excellent selection of beers covering a good range of styles. There was also plenty of good German food to help soak
up the suds. There is something about the German beers that just makes it work so well with the German food!! Our Prez
wisely used this night (and the 20% off German beers sale) to stock for our next tasting - Oktoberfest beers. Smart
move!! Anyway and big FU thanks to Robert, Jimmy, Matt and the guys at Stateline for hosting another wonderful evening.
Stateline German Beers
Eastern Bloc Night – 5 Sep 09 What a night!!
When you get 12 people and 31 beers together at FU, it gets loud!! Granted the 31 beers were not our favorite style
(except for the Baltic porters), but it didn’t matter. There was singing, pony riding, lips going numb, and new
names for one of our favorite brewers (ball tickle beer, see if you can figure it out). We had a new member join us
this evening and what a charming, fun addition she was. Jennifer you can come visit us anytime, with or without Wayne!
There was a lot of heavy lifting this night, and a lot of facts being stated but when it came down to it, the beers were not
too bad. A big FU Thank You to Dawn and Steve for hosting this event, and a big FU GOOD LUCK to Steve in his upcoming
Bass Fishing tournament.
Eastern Bloc Beers
Jolly Pumpkin Tasting - 1 Aug 2009 Well the Prez has redeemed himslef.
After having all those awful American Fruit beers, he treats us to the wonderful American Wild Ales of Jolly Pumpkin.
This tasting was years in the making as the Prez painstakingly collected every JP beer he could get, until we had them all
(except for the brand new one they just came out with, Damn it!!). This tasting was much anticipated and it did not disappoint.
We do love our sour ales, and it is so good to see an American brewer can do it with such high quality. They don't
make a bad beer. Much thanks to John for collecting these through the yeras, and a big FU thanks to lucy and Howard
for putting out a wonderful spread and hosting the tasting.
American Wild Ales
Summer Wheat at Stateline - 23 Jul 09 Well it was another wonderful evening
at Stateline Liquors as they brought out wheat beers from Belgium, Germany and the US to quench our thirst on a hot July day.
The only thing missing was a hot July day. The beers were wonderful with a few surprises. The Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss
was excellent, well balanced, wonderful aroma and mouth feel and the flavor was right on. Not bad considering the how
hoppy their flagship beer is. Another surprise was the Great Divide Dunkle Weiss, wonderful mouthfeel, aroma and well
balanced flavor. I would have sworn it was made in Germany. It's good to see the American brewers can brew beers other
than Extreme Imperial Overhopped beers. They're learning to make it beautiful.Want to thank Robert, John, Jimmy and Matt for
a well run tasting and a fine selection. Now we have to work on the self-centered morons who get their beer take a step
back and start talking to their friends. Get your beer and move away from the bar.
Summer Wheat
(Mostly)American Fruit Beer
– 10 Jul 09
Well the new Prez’s first tasting
was, apparently, punishment for those who used their guidance and elected him.
Let’s just say that Fruit beers are not our favorite. Granted we
did taste them at room temperature to ensure we captured the flavor and aroma nuances that are masked when a beer is chilled. BIG MISTAKE!!! If you must drink these
beers (at least most of them, there were a few exceptions) for your own sake, make sure they are as cold as possible. Aromas of bandaids, stinky feet, cat pee, crotch rot, and “Oh My God What is
that stink??” are aromas you really can do without. These beers are best left for those who don’t like beer, but still want to play beer pong or flip
cup (yes they rank right up there with Old Milwaukee and Coor’s Light). If
you enjoy beer, and still want some fruit flavor, stay with the Belgian Fruit Lambics, or, if you’re lucky enough to
have them, New Glarus Raspberry Tart or Belgian Red. In order not to hurt feelings,
the beer rankings will only have the names of the beers tasted and whether or not they made it above a 25 of 50 score
Fruit Beers
Finals 2009 - 13 Jun 2009 Well the end of the school year is here and it's time
for the finals and elections. However this year was different in that we had visiting Professors from FU's Duke
campus. Almost Doctor of Physical Therapy(ADPT), Prof Eric was there as well as his classmates (also ADPTs) Kylie(sp),
Jane, Vanessa, and Renn(sp) with us and stayed to enjoy a few fine beers from the US and Europe. Later Misty , Bert's better
half, was treated (?) to several units of undivided attention by the ADPTs. Hopefully she do the exercises she was
given and run a faster less painful marathon. Oh yeah, we threw out that whole who is best qualified for President
thing and just went with our guidance . Congratulations John!!
Finals 2009
Beer n' Blues - 16 May 09
Well this is part two of the beer and cheeses tasting that was started back in March. We revisited some old friends
and tried a few really funky blues. Actually the last blue pretty much killed our taste buds so we just commenced to
drinking beer. we've started to get the hang of the beer/food pairing/tasting and I suspect we will see more of this.
However, with the finals coming up, it will have to wait one more month.
Beer and Cheeses
cheese and beer
Stateline Spring Belgian Tasting - 18 Apr 09
The Stateline Belgian tasting is the place to be because judging from the crowd, the word is out. Once again our friends
at SLL have put on a wonderful evening of great beer, food and music. Despite the high number of newbies who insist
on getting their beer, then taking 3 steps back to drink it, the lines flowed as smoothly as the beer. The theme of
Belgium vs US was a good one, and for the first two pairings was fairly evenly matched. After that it wasn't even close, I
mean you can't pair any American beer against anything from Brasserie De rocs, Westmalle, or Goulden Carrollus. Anyway
a big FU thnk you to Robert, Jimmy, Matt and the boys for a great night!!
Stateline Spring Belgian Tasting
Meet the Brewer - 12 Apr 09
Well it was that time again. Scott's inventory of homebrew's had gotten out of hand and it was time for an inventory
reduction tasting, which is fine by us. Prof Scott's beer has gotten a well deserved reputation of being innovative
without having to go to the extreme. Smoked stouts, PalmMunich triples, Mango triples, Hopped Mead, Rose Ale are just
a few examples of his creations. When the tasting got to the Meads, tge volume went up. When it got to the Cherry
Port, people started banging the table. The tasting was finally called on account of the 50 Lapp rule being broken by
Ruthie. What a great night!!
Meet the Brewer
Beer and Chese Part 2 - 28 Mar 09 For some reason, people just don't get it.
Beer and cheeses go together naturally and much better than wine. However, even chef's don't believe it and so the Personal
Chef's club decided not to show for the scheduled Beer and Cheese tasting. So FU stepped up and did it themselves.
Learned quite a bit about the tasting (taste the cheese first then choose the beer) and that same tastes don't always blend
together nicely. Would do a few things differently next time but we're learning quickly. Anyway the beer list
and the pairing list are below.
Cheesey Beer
Beer and Cheese pairing
Anniversary Beers – 21 Mar 2009
Well today marked a special time for Prof Rob and our beloved Veep. They were married one day
apart only 21 years ago. Thankfully it wasn’t to each other. To celebrate this grand event, we decided to have
some new beers. Most were from italy but there was a good smattering of Finnish, Danish and a few Frenchies in there.
While there were some very good beers, there were none with the WoW factor that sets beers apart into the World Class tier.
Plus considering the price of some of these beers, you’re better off with your old favorites. But then again “We
work hard, yada, yada, yada”
Anniversary Beers!
FU Chili Cook-off - 28 Feb 09
Well the Annual FUCC-off was held today and a twist was added as we continue to raise the bar. Not only were prizes
given for best chili and best hot chili, but another category was the best Chill/beer pairing. It was truly surprising
how different the chili's were and the wide array of beers used. Prof Rob won the new category with a brilliant pairing
of Southern Tier Chokolat with his chocolate chili. Prof bert took best chili with his Chili Masala, and prof Scott
took Best hot Chili with his pork and Squash chili. After stuffing ourselves, we got done to beer tasting, new ones
and home-brewed ones. It was a good thing we had a good turn out because these were some big beers. results are
below
FU Chili Cook-off
Valentine’s Beers – 14 Feb 2009
It isn’t often that a tasting falls on Valentines’s Day, so the Staff of FU worked hard to make
it special. The night started with the ladies of FU being serenaded by the rich resonant voices of a quartet from the
Bay Country Gentlemen. Each lady (Howard included) was given a rose, two love songs (Let me call you Sweetheart, and
The Story of the Rose), and a photo to commemorate the event. Now with that out of the way, we commenced to drinking
beer. The theme was a pairing of chocolate and other sweets with beer. To the uninitiated, this sounds like an accident
waiting to happen. Well in some cases it was, it in many others, the flavors of the two were enhanced by the pairing.
It really is amazing when you hit a perfect pairing. Much tanks goes to Prof’s Ashley and Beth for hosting the
tasting at the KIT house, and to Prof Bryant for doing a pretty good imitation of a Bass in the quartet
Valentine's beers
Happiness in the New Year - 10 Jan 2009
Well a new year has begun and all the tasting scores revert back to 0. In order to bring a little warmth on this
chilly evening, tonight's tasting was Barleywines, nice, warming, curl up with a fine beer Barleywines. The turnout
was a little light due to The Ravens beating up on the Titans so there was a lot of heavy lifting for those in attendance.
As the night wore on, the beers got better and the crowd got louder. Top beer of the night was English, but a close
2nd and 3rd were both from the USA, with #3 being a homebrew!! Much thanks to the Veep for filling in for the absent
Prez, and for choosing a fine line up!!
Happiness
Best of the Best 2008 - 31 Dec 2008
Well it's the new Year and all scores revert back to Zero. However, before that happens we have one last tasting, the one
you don't want to miss, the Piece de resitance', the Creme' de la Creme', the Best of the Best!! This year had a very serious
line up; not a dog in the bunch but a few dark horses and several surprises. For the first time in FU history, the number
one and number two spot went to an American Brewey; the same American Brewery!! Another first - we had the First Homebrew
make it to the BOB, and do crediblly well beating some pretty high powered beers!! A Big FU Thanks to Andy and Susie for hosting
the BOB (oh yeah, and for the New Year's Eve Party too!!) and congratulations to all FU members for staying vertical for at
least most of the night!! Happy New Beer
Caps, Corks and Curds - 27 Dec 2008
Well FU has set the bar a little higher and is now exploring a vast new promised land; beer and food pairing. The Veep
boldly led us into this otherwise lightly explored area with a great line up of fine cheeses and beers. Each cheese had 3
beers paired to it. the object was to rank the beers pairing with the cheese rather than just the beer itself. Well, I'll
tell you that there will be much more of this. FU is pushing the envelope now, they will have build a whole new envelope for
us by the end of 2009. What a blast!! only one real train wreck pairing-wise. We just have to find a cheese that goes well
with Samiclaus!! now if i can find those scores, maybe i'll post them!!
Beer Run Part 2 - 13 Dec 2008
Well a lot was learned tonight. The main lesson learned was next time by pass Michigan and go straight to Wisconsin
for beer otherwise your just taking up space. Once again "we worked hard, yadda yadda..." There were some good beers
in the mix but it took some finding. The only thing keeping the group together was the Cantillion at the end.
Congrats to the Veep for making the Half millenia mark. Yep old 'Iron Liver' Wayne is now a Quint Centurion.
How does he do that and still keep his girlish figure??
Beer Travels Part II
Beer Run Part I – 22 Nov 2008
Well the fruits from the Great beer chase have finally been reaped, at least part of them. The long haul beer run
that the Veep, and Prof’s John and Bert went on in October has been a great source of amusing stories and beer.
The two just seem to go together. Anyway the bounty of beer found by our wayfaring beer evangelists was so great that
it had to be split into two parts. Part one was held at the disposed Veep Asheley’s house, famed for the wild
Mead parties held there. The beers of Part one were really quite good. New Glarus just doesn’t make a bad
beer!! That cannot be said of all of them though as two beers near the end were obviously past their prime, if they ever had
one. But why dwell on the negative. The night was brought to a close by two New Glarus beers that just fill
our hearts with pride that such beers can be made in the USA . It was pure heaven. Anyway a big FU thanks to Asst
Prof Asheley for hosting us and to Prof’s Wayne and Howard for the food and smoked salmon.
Rare and Obscure Beers – 20 Nov 08
Wow, few beer event titles better describe our FU crowd...Rare and Obscure! Casey of Max's really put
on a show as the house was packed with beer lovers like us: sniffing, swirling, rubbing the oak casks, holding glasses up
to the light, and not a cascade hop in the house! Sadly operating on a skeleton crew, Professor Rob and the Veep
pressed onward soliciting the help of two coworkers to obtain a quorum. What a great time and rare opporutunity to sample
some hard-to-come-by beers. One of the surprises of the night was a local homebrew club who, obviously in awe of FU's
credentials, shared their clone of Dogfish Head's Palo Santo with us. Lookout Sammie, these boys got your number!
You know, when true beer lovers meet there's almost an instant bond where beer karma takes over and words need not be spoken.
We figure that if these folks were to collaborate with FU's brewer extraordinaire the sky would be the limit!
Rare & Obscure
Belgium Vs North America – 8 Nov 08
One thing FU faculty can count on, and look forward to, is the semi-annual Belgian Tastings hosted by our good friends
at State Line Liquors. Gotta give these boys extra credit this year - they changed the format to have a head-to-head
between "Belgian Style" (craft brewed in North America) and the real deal (brewed in Belgium). Suffice it to say
that our gracious hosts did a superb job of matching these beers by style because the competition was closer than one might
have expected. Flying without our Prez and Zen-like Bike Guru, the core contingent pressed onward for
the sake of research. The closest pairings of the night were Orval vs Jolly Pumpkin and St. Bernardus Abt 12 vs Southampton
Abt 12. It makes us proud to be Americans to know that when we put our mind to it, "Yes We Can!". The
crowd was delighted with a special appearance by our youngest student (Joey) who apparently brought his father (Andy) by
to restock inventory. Lord knows that boy loves his beer! We rounded out the evening with our usual scrapple run
although the Eagle Diner no longer offers the Saltine Soup unfortunately and the Free Willy Special has been discontinued. Congrats
to Professors Rob and Bert to crossed over into new academic heights with this one. Special thanks to Professors Ashley,
Bethany and Misty for their DD services and keeping us all safe; and as always, hats off to the Cecil County Boys for
their generosity and creativity!!
Belgium Vs North America
Hop Head Beers – 23 Oct 08
WHAT WERE WE THINKING!!!! Now listen, I enjoy a good IPA as well as the next guy. A nicely balanced, English
IPA that set the standard for the style is always enjoyable, especially with a piece of Stilton. But what were we thinking
when we decided to go to the Stateline Hophead beer tasting, that it would be good?? Actually, Robert and Matt were as surprised
to see us there as we were. They know our love for good well balanced beers. Well, we work hard, yada yada…
Actually all the beers were wonderful. I’m lying. There were several beers that were less offensive then the rest.
The two top beers came from Southern Tier, which only proves they can’t make a bad beer no matter how hard they try.
Although it is not fair that we rate beers in a style we don’t care for, I do believe that all those present should
receive some sort of recognition for taking one (actually 13) for the team. Hats off to the courage and determination
of the Veep, and Profs John, Bryant and Grace. The Golden Tongue Scraper with Oak leaf cluster will be awarded to those
brave people at a later date!!
Hophead Beers
The Inner Sanctum – 18 Oct 08
Well apparently critical mass had been reached and Prof Wayne could no longer enter his Beer Room (aka The Inner Sanctum)
without stumbling. So in order to fit all the new beers he found on his 5 day pilgrimage, the Inner Sanctum was cleaned
up and organized. To celebrate this historic event, a beer tasting was held within its confines and fine beers from
around the globe were tasted. No particular style, just a lot of new beers. The top beer scored a fifty, and we
will be seeing it again in the BOB 2008. The surprising part is, it’s an American brewer!! Overall it was
a wonderful night and all the participants felt honored to be allowed, even for such a short time, into the Inner Sanctum!!
Thanks go to Prof Wayne for hosting the event and for his organizational capabilities. Not everyone can fit a Semi Truck
worth of beer into such a small area, and it’s all good beer (well mostly!!).
The Inner Sanctum
Beers of Northern Europe - 4 Oct 08
Well the good folks at Sateline have done it again. Put on another fine tasting event with some mighty nice beers.
There were some surprises and a few old favorites but the selection was a good one. The 'Three Amigos' (Wayne, John
and Bert) used the tasting to tune up their taste buds for their pilgrimage to the Holy Grail of American brewing - Jolly
Pumpkin. Godspeed boys!! Thanks go to Robert, Matt and the boys for putting on a fine tasting. See you next
time for the Fall Belgian Tasting!!
Beers of Northern Europe
Save our September - 29 Sept 08
Well that was a close one folks. FU almost went a month without a beer tasting. The blame lies squarely on
the shoulders of our esteemed Prez who has shown a total lack of concern for our culture and heritage. Well, we are
forgive and forget Christians so we’ll overlook it this time. But I don’t see a tasting scheduled for October
Ms Prez!!! Anyway a quick tasting was assembled from stock on hand and the crew assembled in Hall 601. The food
was plentiful and the beer was good (for the most part). There were several new beers from American microbrewers that
were not bad at all. All in all it was a good night and the FU tradition lives on.
Save our September
Island Jammin - 9 Aug 08
Well the President returned in time for the regularly scheduled tasting and arranged an absolutely beautiful Fall evening
in August to enjoy the beers. Prof (almost a Doctor) Eric was present to partake and to pull his scores out of the goose egg
category. The beers were all from the islands. Luckily the UK is an island otherwise this could have been ugly.
Near the end, the island theme was stretched a bit in order to fill out the flight. There were some surprises as an
Australian and 2 US beers made it to the top 5. The night was capped as Prof’s Bert and Misty were “robed”
with their FU capes (OK they’re Hoodies) formally accepting them into the FU fold. A fine addition to the growing
FU faculty!!
Island Jammin'
Christmas in August - 2 Aug 2008
Well once again our fearless leader had left us unwatched except for the steady hand of the Acting Veep, Grace.
Taking the reins of leadership firmly in hand the Acting Veep declared "Beer Thirty" and so we had a tasting. What better
way to cool off on a hot summer night then with a few Christmas Ales. Few being the key word as the crowd was light
and the beer, strong. After the lightweights bailed after #9, the true professionals soldiered on until a baker's dozen
was reached. The scoring for the top three was tight and included an American beer. Check out the results below!!
Christmas in August
No Poofs Night - 26 Jul 2008 Well the change in administration has made it's
mark as the President decided to have a "Ladies night out - Moviepalooza", leaving the men, happily without a leader.
So we did what we do best, and had a beer tasting. The selection was from around the world including beers from New
Zealand and Japan as well as some homebrews. There were a few surprises in there, including a 2nd and 4th place finish
for Prof Scott's PM Triple and Strong Double. You'll be seeing those again in the Best of the Best. The highest
score went to a Gueuze and third place to Southern Tier's newest arrival Creme Brulee'.
No Poofs
Summer of Wheat Beers - 24 Jul 08
Once Again we visited our Friends at Stateline Liquors for their last tasting of the summer, wheat beers. The crowd
was a good sized one but not like the last tasting. There were a few surprises in the mix, including the Brooklyner
Schneider Hopfen Weise (very tasty) coming in 3rd overall. The big surprise wasn't even on the menu. Southern
Tier has a new seasonal beer called Creme' Brulee Stout. It does for vanilla stouts what Chockolat did for Chocolate
stouts; it screams with flavor. Anyway knowing how these seasonals disappear (especially after blabby Wayne gives a
taste to everyone in the place) we stocked up, secure in the knowledge that it will only get better with age.
Wheat beers
Mo Summer Beers - 12 July 2008
Well not to be out done by Stateline, our new President, Prof Lucy, decided that summer beers could be expanded
upon. The tasting was held at our new Veep's house, Ashley, and even included our world circling friend, Bert.
Once again the food was good and the beers even better. Being on our best behavior, we did not have another "Mead Incident"
and evryone got home safely and quietly.
Mo Summer Beers!!
Summer Beers - Stateline - 26 Jun 2008
Well it's summertime. The weather is hot and the beer is cold. Well at least cool for the FU folks.
We travelled once again up to visit our Friends at Stateline liquors, and taste their selection of summer beers. Well
apparently a lot of other people thought they would also. The place was mobbed. Looked like a Belgian tasting.
The lineup was a good one and when this sorry excuse for a Professor gets off his butt, I'll even post the scores.
Finals – 7 June
2008
It was time once again for FU to choose
a new leader. One who would drag us from the mire of the last administration
to lofty new heights of achievement. Besides, the Prez was getting tired and wanted out.
So the FU faculty and Staff were gathered, minus a few key members who had real jobs to perform, and underwent this
annual tradition of drinking lots of beer before choosing a new leader. The line
up was tough but the Prez was free with hints and all gathered were found worthy of voting.
(Yes a new system was installed to make it more “Democratic”). After
much debate, deals in smoked filled rooms, the counting of the delegates and super-delegates, a clear winner emerged. And unlike our country, FU was not afraid to elect our first woman President, President
Lucy!! The First Lady, Howard, was overcome with emotion as he called his lovely
bride to tell her the good news, and forgot how to work a phone. There was much
rejoicing in the hall as a great sigh of relief was heard because all present dodged the bullet of the Presidency for one
more year!
Dark Lagers – 16
May 2008
Well the faculty and staff of FU gathered
early this time to fit in the May tasting. Saturday is Starwberry Social and
next week is Memorial day. Quite a busy May for FU. Anyway this evenings line up was Dark Lagers – Dunkels, Schwarzbeirs, American Dark lagers and a
few Dunkel weiss (different style but it’s all beer). After tasting the
German beers, the American Dark Lagers stuck out like a sore thumb. They really
need to get on the ball with this style. After the tasting, the Prez brought
out some fine Belgian Sour Ales. What an excellent way to end the evening. Much
thanks to the Prez for hosting.
Dark Lagers
Trappist Night – 19 Apr 08
The final vestiges
of our trip to Belgium were consumed on this most holy of nights, as the Prez and Prof John hosted FU’s Trappist Night.
All the Trappist breweries were represented including all 3 Westvleteren beers (FU followed Brother Juris’ wishes and
shared the beers amongst friends). The food spread was worthy of an Abbot as our hosts went hog-wild with a Duck, goose, venison
wrapped in Wild boar bacon, ribs, lamb, fine cheeses and fruit. Each and every beer was a wonder to behold and yet the highlight
was the side-by-side comparison of St Bernardus Abt 12 60th Ann versus Westvleteren Abt 12. I’ll not spill the results
but let’s say we’ll have to travel to Belgium again to pick up the winner. Big thanks to Prof John and our Beloved
Prez for all the wonderful food and for schlepping those Westy’s all over Belgium and Germany
Trappist Night!!
MEADS!!! - 12 Apr 08
Well FU had another off-site tasting as Ass't Prof Ashley hosted FU’s second Mead tasting.
Starting slowly with Honey beers, things quickly picked up as we got into the South African Meads. The flavors were wonderful
and all were very impressed. Then a quick tour of some Meads for Great Britain and Ireland before crossing the North Sea into
Denmark. Everyone started feeling their Viking Blood by now. Then finishing with a lovely Polish Mead. The Meads should come
with a warning "Hearing Protection is advised while drinking this beverage" We got loud!! Much thanks to Ashley for hosting
her first (and hopefully not her last, if we promise to behave next time) tasting.
Honey Beers and Meads
FU 4th Annual Chili Cookoff - 15 Mar 2008
Well the mitts came off and competition was keen as the FU faculty and staff vied for the honor of Chili
King/Queen. There was much trash talking as Wayne told Bert not to bother since Wayne was winning this year. Lucy
was defending her title and told all to bring their best, they will need it. Well 8 chili recipes were entered, and
it came down to 3 best and one hottest. Lucy dropped two spots but held on for third place, Bert came on strong and
took 2nd in his first year in competition. Wayne was prophetic and took top honors with his Bison Chili. Leentje
did not have an entry and therefore did not defend Hottest chili, leaving an opening to Kathleen, who dared all with two habenaro
chili's in her recipe, to even try to come close. When all was done and the smoke cleared, we even had time to sneak in a
beer tasting.
Brown Ales and Chili!!
Stateline Liquors St. Patty's Day Primer - 13 Mar 2008
Well our Friends at SLL put on another wonderful tasting of beers of the British Isles. The beers covered
were old friends we've had and enjoyed before but it's always a treat to be with friends and enjoy a fine beer. The
crowd was mid-sized for the tasting but April is coming up and that means Belgian Beer. Thanks go to Robert for hosting,
and to Lucy for being our Designated Driver.
St Patty's Day Warm-up
Diet of Worms - 8 Mar 2008
No we didn't go batty here at FU, we're too far gone for that. Let's just say we started our investigation
of Bock beers and let you figure it out. This has to be one of our favorite Lager styles unfortunately, the Pres made
us work for it. We had to go through a lot of posers before we hit the good stuff. Then again, "We work hard,
yadda yadda ..." It was a blind tasting and yet an old favorite just could not hide. The Germans rule in this
category and it seems like the Americans still have a ways to go. Thanks go to Lucy and Howard for hosting, and to Misty
for being the DD for our favorite pilot!!
Diet of Worms
Stateline Tasting - Big Beers - 23 Feb 08
Well our friends over at Stateline Liquors put on another one of the famous tastings. Tonight was
Big Beers, Barleywines and Strong Ales. Actually there were quite a few that were tasty while others tasted harsh and
unbalanced. Oh well We work hard and all that stuff. Also took this time to stock up for Grandma's birthday.
A nice log of Saison Dupont. now there is a lovely beer. Much thanks to Robert for hosting the night, and even
more thanks to Grace, our designated driver.
Big beers 2008
UK Beers - 17 Feb 08
Well FU had a rare treat this night, a Sunday night
tasting. Hosted by the lovely Prof Lucy the beers were from up and down the United Kingdom. We also tried a couple
of new Belgian beers, but weren't terribly impressed. An old favorite made it to first place while an American wannabe
took up the last position.
UK in Feb 08
Max's 72 hours of Belgian Beer - 15 Feb 2008
Max's 2008
Ladies Night at FU - 9 Feb 2008
Well FU celebrated Valetines Day a little early this year with a tasting of fruit and chocolate beers, beers
sure to please the Ladies. A plus this night was that a large number of these beers were also never tasted or scored.
The beers were actually rather tasty with some surprises from Italy (Chestnut Amber and Te). A new favorite took top
billing though with an old favorite coming in second. Much thanks to John and Ruth for hosting.
Ladies Night
Hoppy Birthday Jimmy –
26 Jan 08
Well the folks at Stateline Liquors
put on their first tasting of the year and helped celebrate FU’s favorite barman, Jimmy.
Unfortunately Jimmy likes his beers very hoppy, but in true FU spirit, we persevered. Remember “We work
hard so you don’t have to!!”. Actually the beers weren’t overly
offensive. Yes some were over hopped and lacked any kind of balance, but we found
several that weren’t bad at all. Southern Tier makes a good beer. We will have to explore that brewery some more.
Anyway 5 hardy souls took a hop bullet for the team and are in consideration for the first FU “Purple Hop”
award for having their palates wounded in the course of performing their duties for FU.
Much thanks to Robert and the gang for hosting this event and putting up with all of our ‘Fact stating’.
Hoppy Birthday Jimmy
Happy New Beer - 12 Jan 2008
Well the first tasting of the year started off with a bang. A brand new style was explored and two
new members were formally welcomed into the FU Family. The style was Ciders and Perrys, and the new members are Bert
and his lovely wife Misty. To say Bert is a kindred spirit is an understatment. He is passionate about
his beer and fit right in with this crowd. anyway the night exposed us to Ciders, which were found to be pretty good.
especially the French cidre aged in Calvados barrels. The rest of the beers were mostly new, and mostly Belgian so it
was a good night all around. So the faculty is back on even footing again as the new year starts all with a clean slate.
Happy new Beer 2008!!
Best of the Best 2007 – 31
Dec 2007
Well this is the night we were all waiting
for. The Staff and Faculty of FU got to winnow out the sick, lame and lazy throughout
the year, and came up with 20 beers rated World Class. Our job is to pick the best of the Best. The beer was poured out of sight (to keep the bottle watchers from guessing what it was) and the beers
were not identified until all 20 were tasted.
The beers were from Belgium
(of course), USA, UK,
Germany, France,
Sweden, Denmark
and Austria. despite our best efforts, many of the beers were
identified by their distinctive aroma, flavor or aftertaste. All told, we were
only stumped by one beer (Pannepot). At the end of the night, one beer rose above
the rest and was crowned Best of the Best – St. Bernardus Abt 12 (60th Anniversary).
The Belgian beers took the top 4 spots with an American (Jolly Pumpkin La Roja) taking 5th.
Best of the Best 2007
Meet the Brewer- 28 Dec 07
Well, FU had a rare treat this evening
as we tasted some fine beers brewed by our very own Professor Scott. Scott is home from Blacksburg for the holidays and
brought a sample of all the beers he brewed this year. We tasted 16 beers and one Mead and there wasn’t a bad one in
the batch. The flavors ranged from light and citrusy (Dark Witte), to dark, smoky
and spicy (Smoked Spiced Ale). The depth of flavors and complexity in all the
beers is quite astonishing for a professional brewer, nevermind a home brewer. Needless
to say the Faculty was very impressed. The top beer, a Raspberry Stout was rated
as World Class, with 10 others in the Excellent range. We wish Prof Scott the best of luck with his research, both school and brewing, and can’t wait to
see what the next year bring!!
Meet the Brewer
Holiday Beers Part
II – 06 Dec 2007
Our good friends at SLL really
know how to throw a party. Following a FU Birthday celebration (Cecilia & Veep) a few of us headed to Elkton and
joined a crowd of beer lovers like we've not seen before. It looked like a Belgian tasting on a Saturday night!
Though we flew the missing man formation without the Veep, we met new friends (Burt and Misty) and instantly voted
Burt a member of the inner sanctum due to his vast beer IQ. We hope they join us again real soon. Kudos to
Prof John for crossing the Hex mark!
Holiday Beers Part II
Holiday Beers Part 1 - 1 Dec 07
Well our friends at Stateline Liquors put on a real show this night and everyone
was out to see it. There were so many Holiday beers to try, they split it into two tastings. The first 13 ran
the gamut
from excellent to 'why bother', but most were pretty good. The crowd there was pretty impressive
and everyone was having a great time. A big FU Thank you goes to Robert, the guy who makes these things happen up there.
Holiday Beers Part I
Beer, Enjoy!! –
24
Nov 2007
Well the kids were getting ready
to go back to school tomorrow, so FU put on a farewell tasting for all our visiting Ass’t Profs. No special style just some good beer and a few new ones thrown in.
There was a good crowd at the tasting table, and there was no problem in disposing the 29 beers in the flight. As a special treat, the flight ended with 2 Cantillions, just to show that the first
one wasn’t a fluke. And so as the tasting ended, we bade farewell to visiting
Ass’t Prof’s Aisha, Alex, and Eric as they go back to school and work. I
think we may have made a convert or two!! In the last flurry of tastings, several
milestones were made and passed. Prof’s Wayne, and Bryant have passed the
Hex-Centurion point, and the ladies; Grace, Ruth and Lucy; have surpassed the Bi-centurion point. Congrats to all!!!
Beer, Enjoy!!
O's and Those - 23 Nov 2007
Well this was another first for FU. This tasting started with a round of Yeast Trials from Prof Scott.
The trials were of one beer recipe divided into 6 primaries with 6 different yeasts. Since everything was the same except
the yeast, it showed the effect the different yeasts have on a beer. After the trials, we got down to business and tried
all 9 "O" beers from Norway, along with a sprinkling of homebrews and others to keep it interesting. One of the "O"s
came in first and we will be seeing it again in the Best of the best. Scott's homebrew did pretty well landing in 3
of the 5 top spots.
O's anf Those
Vertically CHallenged - 17 Nov 07
No the name doesn't describe us after our tastings, well, okay so it does. Anyway, this tasting was
for verticals; tasting the same beer, only different vintage years. We've known how aging a beer can mellow out the
fusil alcohols. calm down the hops and give it a nice sherry like, pruney/raisiny flavor. But this was our first vertical
only tasting. We stuck with big beers, English Old Ales, Baltic porters, Belgian strong ales. Of course the belgians
came out o top, but there wee a few surprises. Specail FU thank you goes to Profs. Andy and Susie for hosting the event.
it was great!!
Vertically Challenged
Stateline Liquors Fall Belgian Beer Tasting - 10 Nov 07
Well the good folks at Stateline Liquors have done it again, another wonderful Belgian beer tasting.
Luckily our esteemed Prez made the decision to postpne our own FU tasting a week so that the faithful could make the pilgrimage
to the north and try these fine ales. As always there wasn't a bad one in the batch, just a few that we could do without.
This was also a momentous occassion for our newest faculty member as Tony reached his first Centurion mark. Way to go
Tony!!
Stateline Fall belgian Tasting
Island Adventures - 15 Oct 07
Well to say the group was a little hesitant about trying "Island" beers is to understate it. We don't
drink that stuff. However following the standard of "we work hard so you don't have to" we dove in. Actually Red
Stripe isn't too bad, if that's all you got. luckily our Prez was astute enough to realize England, Scotland, Ireland, are
all islands also so the beers got much better. An apaology to geography nuts who notice South hampton beer in there.
We thought (wished) it was brewed on Long Island.
Island Adventures
Belgium-Germany trip 15-29 Sep
2007
In order to further the Beer education
of key FU staff members, Pres Wayne, Veep Bryant and Prof. John (along with their lovely wives Grace and Ruth), explored the
beautiful lands of Belgium and Germany. This trip was two years in the making
and was FU’s first overseas excursion. We knew it was going to be memorable
when Cousin Philippe met us at the Brussels
Airport at 10:30AM local time (4:30 am our time) and bought us all a Leffe Bruin. After that it was a whirlwind of fine foods,
beers, good friends and lovely countryside as we explored the cities of Brussels,
Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp,
Amsterdam, Oostende and Beersel. If you’ve never heard of Beersel, it is the home of a fine little lambic brewery called “3
Fontinien “. We were treated to a luncheon there where we met all our relatives
(T’ante Claire, Uncle Joshua, T’ante Isabel, and Cousins (in no particular order) Stephen, Paul, Bernard, Leen,
Rosie and Hilda, (of course Cousin Philippe was there also) along with their husbands, wives and family. What a wonderful time. We were given the brewery tour by the
brew master’s brother where we were fortunate enough to try 1 year old lambic from the cask, a Geuze lambic and a Kriek
Lambic. They do make wonderful beers!! We bid a sad farewell to Belgium
on Monday as we took the train through Luxembourg towards
Heidelberg Germany. The scenery through the Mosel and Rhine
River Valleys was awesome. Heidelberg is a beautiful city and we took the grand tour going
up to Konigstuhle and through the castle. On Wednesday we took our pilgrimage
to the greatest beer festival of all, The Oktoberfest in Munich. It was drizzling and that kept the crowds in the beer halls. After
a few Maas of beers and Lunch, we went downtown to check out the city.
We stumbled across the Augustiner Beer Hall and had a nice break, and then searched and found the Hofbrauhaus where
we made new friends and closed out our stay in Munich. Thursday and Friday were easy days as we explored Karlsruhe,
Wurzburg and more of Heidelberg to
do some last minute gift shopping. it was with a heavy heart (and heavier luggage) that we said goodbye to Europe
and boarded the big bird back to the states. We’ve learned much, drank
many new beers (183 new ones to be exact), made new friends, and reacquainted with
acquaintances. We will be returning to Belgium
and will explore France the next time we go (in three years??).
Vacation Beers
Harvet Festivus – 8 Sep 07
Well this was our last official tasting
before going on our pilgrimage to the wonderful lands of Belgium and Germany.
So I’m guessing that in order to increase our appreciation of the fine beers we will find there, our Prez assaulted
our taste buds with American Pumpkin ales. This was made all the worse by checking on the research being done by Prof Scott
on the taste attributes of different yeasts. One type of beer, 6 different yeasts,
6 different tastes all of which were excellent. Keep up the great work Scott,
you’ll be President yet!! So after being lured into complacency with fine home brews, we were forced to taste that awful
American concotion called Pumpkin Ales. Luckily after we did the FU version
of ‘Punkin Chunkin’, we settled down to the better fall styles of Marzens, Porters and dark Lagers. Double blind
tasting showedwe do prefer our dark beers, and again kudos to FU for having the highest rated US
beer of the night in Lewis Lager.
Harvest Festivus
Dawg Days o Summer – 11 Aug
07
Well the days are long and hot and we’re all looking for that cool yella fizzy beer to quench our thirst. However this being FU, we want to know which yella fizzy beer will do the best job. Well actually there are a lot of light bodied ales that are just wonderful on a hot
day. We had an excellent turnout and tried a host of Summer style light (light
in color but not in character) beers from around the world. I’ll let you check the results, but you can probably
guess the Belgian beers were on top. Thanks go to Prof Lucy for hosting the event. And Good luck to Ass’t Prof Eric who is off to study Physical Therapy
at Duke
University for the next 3 years.
Dog days o'Summer
Beat da Veep - 14 Jul 07
Well it was bound to happen. The Veep takes a relaxing bicycling vacation, and the rest of the faculty have a tasting
to boost their numbers and hone their skills. Well after looking at the beers they were tasting, it looks like I didn't
miss much. Y'all keep trying though. Finding the perfect beer is like life, the journey is always better than the
destination.
Beat da Veep
Beer Bragging Rights - 7 Jul 2007
The first beer tasting of the new regime was a complete hit. In a break from tradition, the tasting was conducted
two beers at a time with the participants choosing the best of the two. The two beers were the same style but in some
cases were the oldest brewery versus a newcomer, or the brewery that set the style versus a new twist to the style.
There were quite a few surprises and lots of good beer. Many thanks to our new Prez for hosting the event and taking
a bold step in beer tasting.
Beer Bragging Rights
FU selects new Prez. -
16 Jun 07
After a false start the weekend prior,
FU has selected Prof Wayne to be its new President through the administration of a rigorous exam. The exam not only showed the prowess of beer perception of the new Pres, but also his stamina as
he correctly identified 17 of 26 styles, 14 of 26 sub-styles, and amazingly named 8 of the 26 beers, scoring a 116 of a possible
260 points. The closest rival was Rob with 67, our new rising star Tony with
60, Lucy with a slightly abbreviated 51, and John with a very abbreviated 47. So
now the former Prez will step aside and take the Veep position, as John the former Veep steps down to a yet as-of unnamed
faculty slot. In true FU tradition, the new Prez’s first act was to leave
the FU campus on a Beer Evangelism tour to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Godspeed,
oh noble Prez!!
Stateline India Pale Ale Tasting - 10 May 2007
Well we travelled north to visit our friends at Stateline once again to taste their collection of IPA's. Not really
a favorite amongst the FU staff, so the turnout was rather light. Robert surprised us this night though, by concealing
the names of the beers while tasting. Keeps the tasters honest. While there were some surprises, no amount of
concealment could keep the smell of Cascade hops from our noses as we picked out the beers from the left coast. C'mon
guys there are a few different varieties of hops, how about trying some of them. There were only 2 UK beers and while
not at the top, they did both make it in the top 5.
Stateline IPA Tasting
Stateline Spring Belgian Tasting - 14 Apr 2007
What a night!! Our good friends at Stateline Liquors had their Spring belgian tasting, and what a lineup. Three
of our favorites on draft, one new beer and not a bad beer in the rest. I'm not sure what I did for them but I left
there with a good feeling, and beads!! A big FU thank you to Robert, Matt, Jimmy and the rest of the Stateline crew.
Also a big thanks to Prof Lucy for taking one for the team and being our Designated Driver. We couldn't have done it
without you!!
Spring Belgian Tasting 2007
Doppelbocks, all kinds - 7 April 2007
What a wonderful beer style; wonderful aroma, great mouthfeel, nice malty flavor, at least that's what wew were looking
for. We started with some Weizen Dopplebocks, as Prof Wayne tried to fool us. There were some surprises in there
as Avery 13 scored fairly high marks. Then we waded through the American wannabe bocks and again was surprised by a
Sam Adams Double bock that was aged for a year. Then we got to what we were waiting for, the German Doppelbocks.
What a treat!! Anyway, you can check the scores and take notes, the best advertised doppelbock came in 4th!!. Congratulations
to our beloved Veep John and to Prof Rob for reaching their BiCenturion!!
Doppelbocks
VT Meat Run and tasting Weekend – 30-31 Mar 2007
A trip was made to the FU off-site campus
down in Blacksburg
Virginia to check up on our newest faculty member, Professor Scott, and to re-stock
the FU cafeteria with fine Virginia Lamb, Pork and Samosas. Of course, since
we were in the neighborhood, we did visit our friends at Vintage Cellars to stock up on those beers we can’t find further
north. After our errands were done, and meat and samosas procured, Prof Scott
proved a gracious host serving a Curried Chicken dinner before going into the night’s beers. Saturday we were given the grand tour of the VT campus along with Prof Scott’s (non-beer related)
research plots. The Saturday tasting was made all the more auspicious by the presence of the Founder of the VT Homebrew Club, Rob. It did our hearts good to see
the next generation of Fine Ale enthusiasts taking their hobby/passion so seriously.
I believe our future is in good hands!!
Meat run Part1
Meat Run Part 2
St. Patty’s Day –
17 Mar 07
Well since we had already had a British
beer tasting, we went with a bring three bottles and let’s see what we get. No
real surprises here, just some good beers with good folks. We said goodbye to
Scott and Eric as they had to go back to school. We’ll be seeing Scott
again in 2 weeks as we go on our Annual VT Meat Run. Much lamb and pork will be taken back, and many beers will be drunk. Thanks to Art and Dena for putting up with us this night.
St Patrick's Day
Wayne Catchup –
16 Mar 07
While we were at SLL last night, we were
told of a brewery from Brazil that made mighty tasty beer. Since we work hard so you don’t have to, we bought a mixed 6 pack and tried it out. We also picked
up the last bottle of Jadwiga Mead and a couple of others to round out the night. Well
I must say that the Eisenbahn beers from Brazil
were really surprisingly good. Their Weizenbock was top notch and their Rauchbier
was much tamer than the German brewers, closer to a Scottish bitter. We also
had a sisde by side of a Duvel and Brooklyn Local 1 (an excellent beer, but no Duvel) and an older French winter special beer
against a recent one. I won’t ruin the surprise, check out the scores!!
Wayne Catchup Beers
Stateline Liquors Beers
of the British Isles
– 15 March 07
Well the Faculty and staff of FU went
up to Cecil County to visit their good friends
at Stateline Liquors for a taste of the beers of the British Isles. There was a good crowd at the tasting, and why not, the beers were wonderful. A big surprise was the Orkney Skullsplitter. This was the
first time we’ve had a Skullsplitter where it didn’t taste like Band-aids.
What an excellent beer, but like buying any Sam Smiths beer, it’s a crap shoot.
We traded off the Guinness Extra Stout for Olfabrikken Porter from Denmark. Excellent
Choice!! We want to thank the good folks at Stateline Liquors for a great evening and we are looking forward to the Belgian
beer tasting in April!!
Stateline Beers of the british Isles
Mo' New Beers - 10 Mar 07
Well, we were planning on the missing man formation since Prof Lucy was in the hospital, but it turned into a whole missing
wing as Prof Wayne was in a slight mishap. All are doing fine now, but were sorely missed at the tasting. We found
some hidden gems tonight from Norway and the US (which is always gratifying) as we tasted some 21 new beers from around the
world. Surprisingly, US beers took the top 5 spots beating out a Triple from Belgium!! Unheard of!! St George
Brewery from Hampton, VA placed 3 beers in the top 5 thanks to their English styling. We also welcomed Prof Scott back,
home for the Spring break, and Ass't Prof Eric also back for Spring break. Welcome home fellas!!
Mo' New Beers
MEADS - 3 Mar 2007
Well FU boldly went where we never went before. We explored just a tiny segment of the fascinating world of Meads.
We tasted 5 Meads from 5 different countries: US, England, South Africa, Denmark and Poland. What an eye opener!! These
are wonderful brews with a complexity that is hard to match. Even though it was only our first mead tasting, there was already
a 50, the mead from Poland just absolutely floored us. I do believe we will be seeing these again!!
MEADS!!
Porters - A Whole bunch of 'em - 24 Feb 07
Well another FU record was set this day as 5 tasters sat down and did some heavy lifting. 32 porters were sampled,
some new, some all, most good and few very bad. The pace was furious at first, but as the end of the tasting got near
a more leisurely tack was taken. What do you do after tasting 32 Porters, why you break out the Belgians of course!!
Anyway some old favorites were counted as top scorers and not surprisingly our very own Fumojo was the top ranked American
made. Congratu;ations go to the Veep for reaching Centurion, and many thanks to Prof Wayne for a wonderful spread and
an excellent selection.
Porters - Lots of 'em
FU Chili Cookoff and Bathtub Beer Tasting - 17 Feb 07
Well the FU Annual Chili cookoff was another success as the results for best Chili came down to the wire. The defending
champion (by default) was unseated as Professor Lucy took best chili by a margin of 2 points over Kathleen. Leentje put on
a very strong showing by defending her title of Hottest Chili, and coming in third for best Chili. Congratulations to
all for some really good chili. well the beer wasn't really made in a bathtub, but if it were prohibition, it might have been.
we stuck to American microbrews and no particular style. of course, FU's true colors came out as a belgian inspired
tripel took first place, and some American made Bierre De Gardes placed very high. A surprise in the top 5 was Rogue's
Chipotle Ale, nice smokey flavor that went real well with the chili. Congratulations go to Prof Lucy for reaching the
Centurion mark. And our thanks go to Kathleen for keeping us all entertained!!
Bathtub beers
Belgian Dubbels and Triples - 10 Feb 07
Whoa, what a night!! We started into our Belgian tasting looking forward to fine beers from Belgium and we found
some exceedingly fine beers from the US also. Brother Wayne slip in a few that we've never tasted and suddenly we have
an American brewed Belgian style that is eligible for the Best of the Best. Don't want to give away the scores, but
the US did itself proud. A big FU thank you goes to the Veep for hosting this evenings festivities and for all the fine
food and music that made it even more memorable.
Dubbels and Tripels
2nd Annual
International Pub Crawl – 3 Feb 07
On a clear and frosty night, who but
FU would think to hold an International Pub crawl. What a wonderful evening as
we visited six countries and sampled their food and beers. We started at France
where the guests were warmly greeted by the French Ambassador to FU, Stinky Le Pew.
We traveled by chunnel into England
for some Shepherds pie and fine English ales. Then it was across the Atlantic
to the good ol’ USA where the beers
were surprisingly good and the food even better. Back across the pond into Scotland for bagpipes and kilts, and then on to the Fatherland
for beer und Brats!! Then, finally, back home to Belgium
where we stayed for a good loooong time!! What a wonderful night. Congratulations to the year’s first Centurions as
the Pres, Prof Wayne and Prof Rob all broke the magical 100 beers mark!!
2nd Pub Crawl
Stouts - 26 Jan 2007
Well it has been a while since we visited this style and I must say the American brewers (okay, just some of them)
are starting to get the hang of this one. The US took the top spot and 3 of the top 5. Not bad for an English
style Ale. The turnout was light, and we were flying without our beloved Veep as Wingman. Well next week is the Pub
Crawl. hope to see you all there!!
Stouts!!
Strong Ales - 20 Jan 07
Well we had some big boys this night. American and English barleywines, English Old Ales. The American Barleywines
are getting better. better balance, mouthfeel, and most of all better flavor. The night started out subdued, but by
the end, we probably needed to be subdued. It got loud!! And then to top the night off, a few Belgians were brought
out. Thanks go to Prof Wayne for the wonderful beers and food. And hurry home Veep, we miss you!!
Strong Ales 2007
Belgian Inspired Beers - 6 Jan 2007 Well it's the first tasting of the new year and the weather was so balmy
that we decided to have it outside, another FU first. We were noticing that more American brewers are trying (key word
there) to brew Belgian style beers. Well we thought we would see how they're doing. It wasn't too bad, until at the
end we broke out the real Belgian beers. Who are we kidding?? These American brewers can't hold a candle to a real Belgian
beer. Now I must say that we did not try any Jolly Pumpkins, Russian River or New Glarus beers which we know to be worthy.
However for the most part, as the Veep put it, "Lets just ship the ingredients over there (Belgium), where they know what
to do with them, and then have them ship it back. We ship it dry, they ship it back wet." High American beer was Avery
Twelve, a real surprise seeing how that really isn't our favorite brewery. That's why we have to do this over and over.
Belgian Inspired Beers
2006 Best of the Best - 31 Dec 2006
This was the night we all waited for. 18 of the finest beers we tasted going head to head to find Best of
the Best. Although there were many new beers in the selection, there were also quite a few that had been here before.
When the dust settled, Zatte Bie, the dark horse candidate from the Phase 1 tasting just blew away the competition.
The bad news is we can't find anymore of that fine beer. 2nd place was Gulden Draak, and a tie for third with Sam Adams
Chocolate bock and Achel Extra. Much thanks to Andy and Susie for hosting this Annual event. What a fine night it was
but now it starts all over again!!
Best of the Best 2006
Best of the Best - Phase I - 16 Dec 2006
Yep, it's that time of year again, the countdown to the Best of the Best. Due to the large number
of World class beers we had this year, we had to choose those truly worthy to make it to FU's pinnacle. The phase
one covered Belgian and French ales , Strong Ales, Wheat beers and Miscellaneous Styles. 18 were tasted, only 9 were
chosen!!. To keep it from being an all Belgian affair, we judged and promoted within styles only. At the last
moment, the Pres threw in a few ringers, past BoB winners and some other fine beers. Well not only did two ofthese dark
horse Candidates make it to the finals, one took best beer of the night!! The night also saw the Veep make it to Sex-Centurion,
Howard to Bi-centurion, and Scott (our youngest faculty member) to Centurion. What a great night!!
BoB Phase 1
New German Beers at the EOC - 9 Dec2006
We can't pass up a new beer, well at least not new beer from Germany. Prof Wayne collected a nice
selectionof Weltenburgers, the oldest monastary brewery in the world (brewing since 1050, and I don't mean this morning) as
well as a few others. The Styles ran from Munich Helles to EisBocks, and we loved them all (well except for one). Knowing
the FU faculty, you can pretty well guess what came in number 1. Looks like another entry for the Best of the Best.
New Germans
Christmas beers and others - 25 Nov 2006
Well it is getting close to that time and we couldn't wait any longer. We had some Christmas beers left
over from last year and we decided to finish them off. It is amazing what a little patience (a year or two) can do for
a beer. Can't wait too long though as they will eventually turn. Anyway it was a wonderful night with great beers.
I love this season!!
Christmas Beers Young, Old and Older
Inventory Reduction Tasting - 17 Nov 2006
Well this was quite the eclectic mix of beers we had. We started with a taste of the islands, went
to a taste of Blacksburg and ended with (of course) Belgians. Scott brought home two homebrews. One was a gluten
free beer made with Millet and Sorghum. Lets just say he got poits for trying. His Chestnut Porter however was really
very tasty. Good job!! As the night went on, we moved into the Belgian Christmas Ales and well that was all she
wrote. Kudos to Andy for making the tasting, and Big Kudos for the Good Sized Guy for blazing new trails in beers tasted!!
Inventory Reduction Tasting!!
Fall Belgian Tasting @ State Line - 11 Nov 2006
What a blast!! Our friends at State Line really know how to put on a tasting as they presented 12
world-class trappist beers for sampling. These folks appreciate beer and are doing more than their part to convert this
nation to the "dark side" as evidenced by the 150+ in attendance. We missed our Prez but charged on without him
even initiating our newest faculty member (Barney) into the "I Love Belgian Beer Fan Club". Congratulations
to Professor Wayne who crossed over into uncharted terrritory (Sexturion). Special thanks to Professor Artie for his
DD services, Professor Rob for the Scrapple Encore and our great friends at SLL for welcoming our Harford Co crowd as family.
All in all it was a tremendous evening. The only downside was the folks at the Lighthouse Diner cheated Professor Andy
out of his happy meal toy - oh well, maybe next time :-)
German Wheat and Rye Beers - 4 Nov 2006
This was a Weizen night as we tackled 21 of these great German beers and 3 American wannabes. The beers
were seperated into their substyles Weizen, Dunkel Weizen, Weizen bock and one rye beer. Unfortunately the Rye beer was made
by Bear Republic, a brewery known for its overuse of Cascade hops (didn't do real well). The winner of the Weizen substyle
was a sleeper not a big name and not really well known. The Dunkel Weizen winner was just wonderfully smooth and full
bodied, could have passed for a Vienna style. Both of these beers were ranked world class with a tie score of 46.
The Weizenbock winner was an old favorite, but followed closely by an upstart American beer. The beers were excellent
and the company was entertaining. Congratulations go to Prof Lucy for reaching her Quad centurion mark !!
German Wheat beers
New Beers - 28 Oct 2006
Well it is getting to the point that we've tried all the beers available in the area, so when there is a
shipment of new beers, we've got to try them. Prof Wayne found 22 beers that were not previosly rated so we got to work.
The styles were wide ranging, as were the scores. Not surprising was the fact that the top beers came from Belgium
and Germany. Now the Pres has to get on the ball and post some late scores. Be patient, they're coming
New Beers
PA offsite Porter Tasting - 21 Oct 2006
Well this is our third offsite tasting as FU tries to expand its sphere of influence. The FU faculty
took their tasting to beautiful Norristown PA (after a stop at Stewarts in Delaware) to visit Kathleen and Brian and
share with them some fine Porters. Some of Kathleen's friends showed up and quickly learned the ropes of scoring
beers. it did my heart good to see so many diligent students. A big FU Thank You goes to Kathleen and Brian
for hosting FU's first offsite tasting in Pennsylvania. Hopefully it won't be the last
PA Offsite Porters
The Delaware Marathon Tasting and Scrapple Festival - 13/14 Oct 2006
Well the Staff and Faculty of FU saddled up once again and travelled to far-off Delaware for, what turned
out to be, marathon tasting (over 30 beers). While heading out to Dover, traffic got bad, so FU stopped at a fine little
brewpub called Stewarts, and tried their fare and beverages. Thirteen beers later, we deemed them most worthy and plan
on making them a regular stop (see scores). Then it was on to Dover and te campus of Wesley (sp?) College where we were
graciously hosted by Bethany. We then tasted the Beers of Delaware (Fordham and Dogfishhead). Unfortunately the
beers were not as fabulous as our hostess was. General consensus was Dogfishhead is highly overrated. The next
morning brought a new day, which we spent at the Scrapple Festival in Bridgeville, DE. Having been there, we have no
reason to go back. A big FU Thank You goes to Bethany for putting us up, and for putting up with us (especially Howard's
snoring). Thanks Beth!!
Stewarts
Beers Of Delaware (Plus some others)
Specialty Beers - 6 Oct 2006
Well due to the Oktoberfest being held on Saturday, FU moved
their tasting night up one day and tried out a style not explored before. Specialty beers!! These are beers that
defy style, are made in a historical (or hysterical) manner, or use uncommon adjuncts in their brewing. Included in
this selection were two Gluten-free beers (in honor of Allison, Scot's girlfriend) . The flavors ranged all over
the map from HP category, all the way to World Class. A Belgian beer took first, but an American beer was very close
behind. As for the Gluten-free beers, one wasn't worth the trouble, while the other was really quite tasty and refreshing.
Specialty Beers
Oktoberfest Beers - 23 Sep 2006
Well it is getting close to that time and FU decided we would see what the world has to offer in the way
of fine Autumnal beers. Well, short and sweet, if you want a truly excellent Oktoberfest, go to the professionals.
The Germans have been doing this a long time and no one even comes close. Interesting test of the proper temperature
for these fine beers. A cold German Oktoberfest was rated lower than the same beer served cool. Kudos
to Prof Andy on this experiment. Two milestones were made this day: Prof Andy made the Centurion mark (FINALLY!!!)
and the beloved Prez made his Quad-Centurion mark. Keep an eye on Prof Wayne who is quickly closing on that
which has not yet been achieved, the lofty Quint-Centurion. Many thanks to Andy for hosting this event.
Oktoberfest Beers - 06
The Best o' Scotland - 9 Sep 2006
Whoah, what a night!!! The Prez was away so the faculty was running wild. The only difference
was this time we knew better than to try the impeachment vote again :-) We tasted the very best Scotland has to offer
and found ourselves once again admiring the quality and complexity of these wonderful beers. We also celebrated
the birthdays of two senior faculty members (Dena & Lucy). Afterwards, and as become tradition, we broke out the
Belgians, Germans and our favorite Jolly Pumpkin Ales. With the music playing and beers flowing it's a miracle everyone
kept their clothes on! Congratulations to our beloved Veep (John) for venturing into the coveted Quad-Centurion
territory. We also extend a hearty welcome to our visiting guests Lee and Karen and hope to see you again.
Best O'Scotland
The British are Coming - 26 Aug 2006
This was a record breaking weekend at FU. It was the most beers tasted in a single sitting, and they
were, for the most part, really good. It has been a while since FU has delved into English beers so we hit them in a
big way. 27 beers covering all English beer styles from Milds to Barleywines. Check out the scores to see the surprise
winner of the tasting!! With this number of beers, it only stands to reason that we have a few promotions. Congratulations
goes to Brother Wayne for being the first Quad-Centurion this year; Sister Lucy for reaching Tri-Centurion and Brother Howard
for reaching Centurion. Also a big FU welcome to Larry for making his first (and hopefully not his last) Beer tasting.
Big thanks goes to Brother Wayne in hosting the event and for his fine choice of beers!!
The British are Here!!
Golden Oldies –
19 Aug 2006
The
night started with a review of the beers from De Glazen Toren. They don’t
make a bad beer. However it was merely a warmup for the showdown of the night. The question was is Achel Extra the same beer as Achliese Kluis (brewed by the same
brewery but no longer available here in the US).
After tasting and much discussion, it was determined that they were the same beer, however the Achliese kluis, being
two years older had a smoother more refined flavor. The next step is to keep
a bottle of Achliese Kluis and Avhel Exra and try them again in two years (Right as if we can keep Belgian beers around for
more than two days). Anyway, the aging question was further explored by bringing
in samples of earlier beers that had done well and tasting them after being aged. the
results aging is good for some but not all beers. Don’t you just love this
kind of research!! Congratulations to Prof Steve L. for reaching Centurion!!
Golden Oldies
First Off-site, Out of State, international Beer tatsing - 11,12 Aug 2006
The faculty and Staff of FU travelled to far off Blacksburg VA to visit with our Assoc Prof Scott (who happens
to be going to a real school). Prof Scott amazed us all with his foraging and cooking, as well as his brewing and tasting
skills. We also met Scott's roommates and FU's newest International faculty, Lin and Xuan Lee. Lin and Xuan (she
told us to call her Emily) are also going to a real school for their Doctorates degrees. FU wishes them the best and
hopes to meet them again. Anyway, while there we found Blacksburg's Vinatge Cellars to be amply stocked with fine Belgian
beers, and the Kroger (next door) to be fairly well stocked with cheaper priced (but not cheaper quality) beers. So
in true FU tradition, we had a tasting. Friday's was a good warm up, Saturday's was just amazing. We had to call
the 50 Lapp rule, it was that good. A big FU Thanks goes to Scott for his hosting of this historic event. And good luck
in the upcoming school year.
Offsite - Friday
Offsite - Saturday
Belgian Golden and Dark Strong Ales - 5 Aug 2006
Wow!! What a great night. We've had our first official tasting of Belgian Golden and Dark Strong Ales,
finishing off the Category of Belgian Strong Ales for the year. We've tasted many of these before, but never together
as a substyle tasting. The food was wonderful as was the company. Keeping the tasting small (14) hopefully kept
the day-after blah's to a minimum. Congratulations to Brother Rob for reaching his Bi-centurion mark, and to the Prez
for reachingTri-centurion.
Belgian Dark and Golden Strong Ales
Beers of Germany for Uncle Odie - 29 Jul 2006
Well while the cat's away, the mice shall play. While the president was taking a much needed vacation,
cycling around the Finger Lakes, the rest of the FU staff and faculty met surreptiously and had a tasting/impeachment party.
The problem was if the Prez was impeached, the Veep would take over; and he didn't want the job. So the tasting went
on without adult supervision and I guess most of the staff made it to their own homes eventually. We've had enough of these
wannabe beers, we need to get back to the Belgians!!
German Beers for Uncle Odie
Beers From Vacation (and one from Work) - 15 Jul 2006
On their vacation to the Outer banks, two of the faculty spent their precious time off beers offered in
NC for tasting here at FU. Lucy brought back a Canadian beer brewed special to commemorate the Hubble Telescope.
And we, stalwart fellows that we are, tasted these and found them unoffensive. Actually the beers from Weeping Radish were
rated very good and took the top two spots. We also dug up the Sam Adams Historical collection of 4 beers brewed
using historical recipes. General consensus was the recipes were better off being lost. Thanks to Prof Wayne
for the spread and the hosting and a Big Congratulations for being the first Tri-Centurion of the year!!
NC and Canada Beers
Sam Adams Beers - 7 July 2006
A member long gone from our tasting table has returned and hosted this tasting of a collection of 16 Sam
Adams beers. Beers missed were either not brewed any longer (the much loved Vienna Lager), are out of season (Dopplebock,
Oktoberfest) or aren't worth the money (TripleBock, Utopias). The tasting was a double blind, making the tasters guess
the style and name of the beer. At the end of it all FU held true, making dark beers (Black Lager, Cream Stout, Scotch Ale)
the top beers of the night. Big thanks to our Host, Andy and his beautiful bride Suzy for putting up with us.
Sam Adams
A new President has been selected!!! - 1 July 2006
Well the finals were held. Thirty beers were selected by the Evil outgoing President to confuse and
muddle the minds of the tasters. And he did a damn fine job. Out of a max score of 300 points, the highest score was a mere
174. However, that was enough to promote the Veep back to the Presidency. The President will step down into
the Veep position. Changes are being planned to make the tastings more inclusive, as well as more Belgian!!
India Pale Ales - 27 May 2006
Well it's nights like this where we earn our motto - "We Work hard so you don't have to." We had to
go through a lot of overhopped, unbalanced wrong beers in order to find the good stuff. The Best in class went to Meantime
IPA - a delicious English style IPA that was well balanced yet with enough hops to earn its name. Best American IPA
was Otter Creek Anniversary IPA - an often maligned (by us) brewer who did an excellent job with this beer. Hall of
shame category has to go to Dogfish Head 120Minute IPA - an awful, cloyingly sweet attempt at I'm not sure what, at
a purse breaking $7.22 for a 12oz bottle (on sale!!). It barely made it out of the HP category. We can buy a world class
beer for that price. Thanks go to Lucy for sponsoring this event, and a big FU welcome to John V (Lucy's Brother) for
doing some of the heavy lifting with these beers.
India Pale Ales
Visit by the Long Island Campus - 20 May 2006
Another eventful
tasting this weekend as our newly affiliated Long Island Campus faculty came down to visit the FU main campus. Included among
the dignitaries was Professor Emeritus of Zymurlogic Studies – Margueritte DeBruyne (Grandma to all here at FU). In
her honor we tasted a fine selection of French and Belgian Pale ales, including a very tasty one brewed in the US. During a break in the action, we also shared our Louis lager (we are so proud of that
beer) with our visitors and were delighted when it received the “Grandma Stamp of Approval” (Look for it on our
next label). A grand time was had by all and a big FU thank you goes to our soon
to be outgoing President for hosting this fine gathering
Visit from Long Island Campus
Visit by Boston Campus - 13 May 2006
There was a small gathering to honor of the faculty of the Boston Campus who
was visiting the main FU campus. In their honor we decided to give some American
beers a chance to shine as we tasted Summer ales. Well, most of them were summer
ales. We started with our FU homebrew – Louis Lager. Bad choice as now all other beers would have to try to measure up. Not many did. We do make a good beer!!
Anyway the tasting was a success in expanding the beer horizons of our visitors. Good Luck to Tom and Anita and visit again soon.
Boston Campus Tasting
Best of Blacksburg II - 22 Apr 2006
Well things got back to normal and the Veep brought back a few new beers from his trip to Blacksburg.
The tasters were few so in order to save time and brain cells, we went straight to the Belgian beers. The favorite of
the night was a wonderful Bieere de Garde from the folks at La Choulette. Very tasty!! We also were treated to
two fruit Lambic flavors that we've never had; plum and banana. The flavors were amazing, however it would be tough
to drink a bottle of banana lambic by yourself. Anyway, thanks goes to Dena and Art for once again opening their house
to this merry band of hooligans.
Best o' Blacksburg II
Beat the VEEP - 15 Apr 2006
Well, that will teach me to visit family on a weekend. While the beloved Veep was away from his post,
the other memebers of the FU faculty decided extra studying was required if anyone was going to beat the Veep at the next
FU finals. Well apparently another term as the Pres is in the future for the Veep. FU's best and brightest failed
to make a passing grade on this mid-term. So watch out. Finals are coming soon and the wheat will once again be
seperated from the chaff.
TRIPLES - 8 April 2006
Well this used to be our favorite tasting but we have become jaded. It is merely one of our favorites
now as we've explored other Belgian styles. The style allows for a wide variety of flavors, aromas and colors.
Seems we enjoy the Triple that started it all. Leave it to the Abbots to produce a fine beer. We even tried an
American Belgian Triple style beer that wasn't bad at all. But if you'rs spending that kind of money, might as well
go for the real thing
Belgian Triples
Lambics - 25 Mar 2006
Well this was a night of yummy goodness. We tasted Lambics, straight, fruit and Gueuze. What
wonderful beers they are. Unsurprisingly, Lindemanns took the top three spots. The surprise of the night was that
an Amercican beer took 4th place. And it was with a true spontaneous fermentation beer. There is hope for us yet.
Finally, I think we (Prof Wayne and the Veep) are starting to sway people towards the lovely complex flavors of the gueuze
and straight lambics. People did not run out of the room holding their noses when we opened the Cantillion. Plus
all the Gueuze and Straight Lambics made it in the top 10. Will wonders never cease!! Thanks go to Dena for having
us over and to Art for putting up with us while you were away.
Lambics
Stateline Tasting - Beers of the British Isles - 16 Mar 2006
Well we were back at ur old stomping grounds today, tasting the some f the British Isles best beers. Not
many surprises here, we know what we like and its Manchester Star!!. There were a few notable American brews, even one
from a brewer we normally shun do to their overuse of cascade hops. A big FU Thank You goes to the guys at Stateline
liquors for putting on this fine tasting. We'll be seeing you again next time
Stateline - Beers of the British Isles
Best of Blacksburg - 11 Mar 2006
Well Springbreak is over, but the beers remained. So, in honor of Scott, (who had to go back to school),
we rated the beers he found in Blacksburg that we haven't tried yet. There were some surprises, including a very passable
Belgian Triple, brewed in California. There is hope for us yet. Anyway the selection was small so we went Belgian
early.
Best O' Blacksburg
Bocks and Doppelbocks - 25 Feb 2006
Whoa what a night. We tasted 14 bocks, doppelbocks, Eisbocks, Weizenbocks and a DoppelAlt, some familiar,
some brand new. The blind tasting uncovered some real surprises, but I'll leave that for you to check out in the scores.
Later on the Belgian beers came out and the party started. Sometime around 2:00 we called it quits and stumbled home.
Thanks go to Brother Wayne for hosting the grand event, and to Prof Dawn for not making us institute the 50 Lapp rule.
Doppelbocks
2nd Annual Chili Cookoff and Handicap Beer Tasting - 18 Feb 2006
Once again the FU faculty gathered for their annual duel de la chili. Prof Dawn was defending her
crown against a crowd of chili chefs. The competition was fierce and when the dust settled, Prof Steve H. redeemed his
performance last year with a First place finish. The hottest chili was won by an upstart FU student, Leentje. (
I think it was the Dave's Insanity that tipped the scales.) The hndicap beer tasting was brutal and FU was forced to
bring out the dump bucket. If you look at the beers we tried, you will understand. However good beers can be found at
10 cents an ounce (the highest allowable price) as proven by the winner Baltika #6. For down right cheap beer that isn't
bad (it isn't good either) the runaway winner was Coors Winterfest (yes Coors graced (disgraced?) the table at an FU sanctioned
event). After the tasting, the Belgian beers were broken out and normality was once again restored.
Handicap Beer Score
Stateline Stout Tasting - 16 Feb 2005
Well our good friends at Stateline Liquors hosted another wonderful beer tasting. This evening's beers
featured Stouts and Imperial Stouts. Once again the brave faculty of FU tasted them all and reiterated that Samuel Smith's
does make a fine beer. There were other notable entries, and some not so (howmuch Cascade hops can you put in a Stout?
Apparently quite a bit). If you haven't been to one of their tastings, you are missing out. The next one is in
a month and will feature Beers of the British isles!!
Stateline Stouts
Pennsylvania Freestyle Tasting - 20 Jan 2006
An FU well-wisher provided the faculty a case of beer from the Penn brewery in Pittsburgh to see where it
stands in the FU list of fine beers. Well the Penn Pilsner is possibly the best American made Pilsner around.
The Oktoberfest was good but a bit too hoppy for the style. The Penn Gold was bad! It was stricken with a bacterial
infection that gave it a buttery(diacetyl)/sour taste that landed it in the unable to judge category(it was given a default
score of 15). And the Christmas Bock was starting to suffer from the same fate however the other flavors were masking
it somewhat. Will have to try the brewery again with a fresher beer. After those 4, it was a freestyle tasting
jumping around and having a good time. A straight Lambic was opened for all to enjoy. It did not receive a rating since
only two smart/brave souls enjoyed it wide range of complex flavors. Anyway, no surprises in the ratings. Thanks
goes to Sister Lucy for hosting this event.
Pennsylvania Freestyle
Barleywine Tasting at Stateline Liquors - 19 Jan 2006
Well Stateline had one of their famous tastings and tonight it was the Big Boys - Barleywine. A small
group of us went up to sample what was available and we weren't disappointed. 10 barleywines and 2 American Quads.
One of our Regional Breweries won the competition with a smooth warming taste that belied its strength. This
is one for after dinner sipping. We topped off the night with a trip to our favorite Diner for an order of Scrapple
and whatever. A big FU Thank You goes to Robert, owner of Stateline Liquors in Elkton Md. for hosting the tasting and
for having a great selection of beer. Don't know what we'd do without you.
Big Boys!!
Back to School for Farmhouse Ales - 14 Jan 2006
Well the holidays are over and it was back to school for the Staff and Faculty of FU. The night started
with an in-house educational show on the history of brewing. Thank God those early brewing pioneers kept with it. Afterward
it was back to work as we explored a hitherto untested sub-style, French Farmhouse Ales. We were pleasantly surprised by the
wide variety of flavors that the style covered. Too bad that we could anly find 9 of these fine ales. We then
quickly reverted to our favorite style, anything Belgian. The night was long and the beer was good. No surprises
in the standings except that a Flanders red Ale came in 2nd overall! A big FU thank you goes to the Pres for hosting
the event. Oh Yeah - New Year means we all start over again for our Academic Honors. See if we can reach a QuintCenturion
Level this year.
Farmhouse Ales and Others
***FINAL*** 2005 Best of the Best - Beer of the Year
Well the New Year was rung in with style as FU celebrated with the Best of the Best beer tasting. The
beers were poured out of sight of the judges and only unveiled at halftime and at the end. Many of the beers were guessed
correctly despite these precautions. I will not announce the champion, however I will say that the top 5 beers were
from my favorite beer producing country. A big FU Thank You goes to Andy and Suzy for hosting this event and for throwing
a great New Years Eve party. Congratulations go to Lucy for reaching the Tricenturion mark, just in time to start
all over again.
Best of the Best - 2005
Precursor to Best of Best - 30 Dec 2005
The gang gathered one more time for a tasting prior to the "The Big One". A lot of new beers were
on the table and due to the wedding the day before, and the party the day after, we decided to keep it light and score only
19. The top two beers were new ones from Holand (Belgian wannabe's). Interestingly enough the top beer did not
use hops but a secret recipe from the middle ages of herbs and spices. Very tasty. Unfortunately we ended on a bad note with
an over-hopped Alpha Klaus. Quite the shock after a well balanced Abt 12. Tomorrow we choose FU's Best of the
Best, The Beer of the Year. and then we start all over again. Life is good
Precursor Beers
Winterbreak tasting - 23 Dec 2005
Well it was the first day of Christmas break and a couple of us gathered to taste a few new
beers. We even went so far as to try a few from a country often scorned for bad beer, Italy. Well let me tell
you that scorn is misplaced because those three Italian beers were world class!! They were absolutely wonderful. Actually
out of the 14 beers we tried, the second lowest score was over 40. Last place was a Killian's Red that we tasted as a sanity
check. Congratulations to Brother Wayne for reaching the lofty heights of a QuadCenturion. Also congrats to Ass't Prof
Scott for being our newest and youngest Centurion.
WinterBreak beers
Belgian Winter Ales - Part 1- 17 Dec 2005
Oh, what a wonderful night it was to be. We were tasting beers from that land of lovely beers, Belgium.
Alas, the turnout was lighter than normal as Brother Wayne was deathly ill (he had to be to miss this one) and Brothers Rob
and Steve L. had other duties to attend to. With only 5 judges, we knew we couldn't hit them all and do them justice.
So we called it a night after only 10. But oh what a lovely 10 beers they were. We have two more world class beers
to judge for the year end Best of the Best, and one world class beer that couldn't hold it's own against the style.
Oh well! Special thanks to Lucy and Howard for the lovely evening and wonderful food. And we missed you Brother
Wayne, get better soon.
Belgian Winter Ales Part 1
A Night Stout at the EOC - 3 Dec 2005
Well the Thanksgiving break is over and it was time to hit the books again. With the end of the year
coming, everybody's striving to improve their academic standing. And so, to help them out, Brother Rob hosted a Stout night
at the EOC. 19 beers covering all substyles of stouts with imperial stouts added to keep the masses happy. The
winner was a surprise, seeing that it came from a brewery that hasn't won many praises from the staff in previous tastings.
Thanks again to Brother Rob for hosting the event and congratulations for being our newest BiCenturion.
A Night Stout
The FU Downhill International Pub Crawl - 19 Nov 2005
What a great weekend. Had an impromptu tasting on Thursday of several new Belgian Saisons, and a great
evening Saturday participating in the great International Pub Crawl. Each sponser choose a country and provided 3 beers
and some light fare from that country. The beers were wrapped so they could be rated. "Light fare" was loosely
translated and covered everything from sushi, to meat pasties to Belgian Waffles. Seven house, seven countries, and a mob
of deleriously happy crawlers made for a wonderful night of good food, good beer and good company. This is sure to become
an annual event!! Special thanks to Prof Wayne for the great job on the passports and for taking on the chore of representing
Japan. Thanks also to the Pres for keeping us all on schedule!! Congratulations are in order as new milestones were
made: The President and Prof Andy (could not find his scoresheet but gave him the benefit of the doubt) both made BiCenturion
Status; Prof Steve H. made TriCenturion Status; and The Veep (that over-achiever) has broken new groud as a QuadCenturion!!
Impromptu Tasting (first 4) and Pub Crawl
Pucker beers (plus 2) - 5 Nov 2005
Well last Saturday we did an official tasting of a style that is sure to make the Standard Deviations go
wild. I'm talking about Belgian Sour Ales, specifically Flander's Red Ale. If you have never tried one, believe
me it is an acquired taste. But once acquired, oh what a lovely beer. We didn't delve too deeply, trying only 5, and
suplementing it with two Belgians (a Saison and a Specialty)we hadn't scored yet. The winner was an old favorite, with
the number 3 beer being the the one that started us on this style about a year ago. The Grand Cru was just too sour
for the faint-hearted and didn't fair as well as it should have. Thanks to Brother Art and his lovely wife Dina for
sponsoring this event.
Beers That Make You Pucker
Beers of Scotland - 15 Oct 2005
Whew!! We did some heavy lifting on Saturday. What started out as a light
session of Scottish Ales, turned into a 26 beer marathon as we tasted everything from Scotland we could get our hands on.
As we have never truly explored this style before, we were pleasantly surprised with the fine flavors and depth of character
of some of these beers. An old favorite came out on top, but a few hitherto unknown beers broke into the top 5.
Skullsplitter was the only disappointment with its off aroma (skunky) and medicinal bandaid flavors. Thanks to Brother
Wayne for the Sushi Platter that was emptied in a feeding frenzy prior to the tasting. (I think a few fingers may have
been lost in that demonstration of gustation).
Scottish Ales
Beers of Weyerbacher - 24 Sep 2005
This was a first for FU. A beer tasting consisting of the beers from just one brewery. The lucky brewery
(for us anayway) was Weyerbacher from Pennsylvania. We tasted 14 of the 19 beers they brewed and found two to be world-class.
High achievement for any brewery, especially an American Brewery. I'll not tell which two beers came out on top, but
if you know this crowd, you know it is dark and strong. A big FU thanks to Brother Thad for hosting this fine event,
and to Brother Wayne for allowing us to use the EOC, for putting on the fine spread, and for getting Sister Lucy to Flash
us. What a night!!
Weyerbacher's Finest
Summer Ales - 13 Aug 2005
Well we picked a perfect day for a Summer Ale tasting. Temperatures were
in the high 90's and the humidity so thick, you had to chew to breathe. The Summer ale category covered a range of styles
including German and American Wheat beers, Belgian Witbiers (yummy) German Koelsch style, even some English Ales. Having never
tried the Belgian Wit's before, we had a very pleasant surprise. They were light, crisp, tangy, and very drinkable.
Surprisingly, the #1 beer tonight was a Bavarian Weizen, followed by what was described as "Beer Lemonade" a real find, and
a great beer for those hot summer afternoons. The turn out was small, so the scores were not normalized. President
John dragged himself from his sickbed to bring order to a normally unruly crowd. Good to see you back Pres!! Plus
two milestones were reached that night. Prof Wayne made his TriCenturion mark, and Prof Lucy made her BiCenturion mark.
Way to go!!!!
Summer Ales
Porters, Again - 30 Jul 2005
We enjoyed the few porters from last week so much that we decided to revisit the style. Brother Wayne put on a
spread that could feed an Army, and we celebrated Brother Steve H.'s birthday. He is 39, again (and again, and again...).
The tasting was a double blind, and no one (except the Veep, who did all the pouring) saw the bottles. Not many surprises
here except that an American-made porter (and it wasn't Flying Fish, which we didn't taste this time) made it into the top
3. Another milestone was made that night as the Veep hit the Tri-centurion mark, with Brother Wayne not far behind.
The Prez was MIA again and missed getting impeached by the fact no one else wanted the job. Come on Prez, we miss you!!
Porters, Again
Baltic Beers (and a few Belgians) -
23 Jul 2005
Well to celebrate the success of the FU Garage Sale, the proceeds went to tasting the beers of a region that is better
known for its Porters than anything else. The beers were inexpensive and ranged from world class to absolute crap (but
hey, that's why we work hard so you don't have to.) The winner of this tasting was a hidden gem from Poland. It was
dark, richly flavored yet smoother than the others. And at a mere $.12 per ounce, another best buy. Those of you
who know our taste in beer will only be surprised by the fact that the Belgians did not make it into the top 3, and that a
Wheat beer beat out some of the other Porters. Will wonders never cease.
Baltic beers
Tasting - Bocks & Stuff, June 18th 2005
Well what started as a pre-neighborhood watch party morphed into another official tasting event. We sampled
a great variety of German Dark Lagers before losing control and heading for the Belgians. We also welcomed Eric
as a newest faculty member. Eric's zymurlogical expertise will be a great addition to our portfolio. Urbock
23 from Eggenberg stole the show - amazing character and yet so light in color. Samiclaus who weighed in at an amazing
14% ABV took us over the top - Whoah! Special thanks to Grace and her exquisite brisket - we love you!
Bocks o' Stuff
Surprise Blind Tasting
Well it is a new academic year (for FU anyway) and we started off with a historic look at where we were a mere two years
ago. Brother Wayne went back into the archives and found several of the beers of our first tasting, covered them, and
let us loose. Amazing how our tastes have changed over the years and beers. Back then our top pick was Hobgoblin.
This time around it was relegated to the HP category (rhymes with porse hiss). No surprise was the fact that the top
beers were Strong English Ales as Moonraker and Manchester Star tied for first place. I smell a taste off!! Our
esteemed President was unable to attend due to pressing University matters so the new Veep swiftly stepped into the familiar
shoes for tasting. Congratulations to Brother Wayne for making the highly coveted Bi-Centurion mark, tasting over 200
beers this year!! Way to go Wayne!!
Blast from the Past Beers
FU Finals - 4 June 2005
Well the Finals have come and gone, and a new president has been chosen. Congratulations to John for scoring a 175 on
his FU Beer Tasting Finals, taking first place and the highly coveted Presidency of Falconbridge University. The tasting/testing
was grueling with the faculty stumbling over Ephemere-Apple as a fruit beer, Kelpie as a historic beer; and spitting out Ed's
Cave Creek chili Beer as a vegetable beer. But overall the faculty did a fine job and improved greatly over the last
year. We may have to make this tougher next year. Again Great Job to all Faculty and Congrats again to the new
Prez.
Beers of the Fatherland - 30 April 2005
After a three week hiatus from official tasting, FU got back into the swing of things with a blind tasting of German
style beers (Amber lagers, Dark lagers, Bocks and Wheat beers). Started with a blind tasting of what turnned out to
be a Budweiser. The poser was exposed at the first whiff of the aroma. The night got much better from there on.
FU maintained its form choosing a dark strong Eisbock as the number one beer of the night. The food was good and plentiful
as was the attendance. Three more faculty members reached the coveted "Century" mark that night; Lucy, Howard and Steve
Lapp were made Centurions. Our beloved Veep is 4 shy of his Bi-Centurion. After the 25 German style beers, the
evening ended in true FU fashion with some excellent Belgian beers. We are spoiled!!
Beers of Germany
Belgian beer tasting at Stateline Liquors - 15 Apr 2005
We just can't stop ourselves. Steve suggested the Faculty of FU travel over county lines for a Belgian Beer tasting,
how could we resist. It did my heart good to see the crowd. 150+ people there to enjoy the taste of some truly
excellent beers. Conversations overheard throughout the night made us feel even prouder (Hey, you get the last
pour with some yeast and it tastes even better... Wow, these beers Rock!!!: I didn't know beer could taste this good!!).
We really have to try other beers now folks!! there are some truly excellent styles that we have yet to score.
So let's keep off the Belgians for now and move on. We can always come back. Special thanks to Steve for being
our 'Designated Driver' and for letting me hold his glass!!
Belgian Abbey Night Part Deux - 8 Apr 2005
Well I think we got them all, but those Belgians just keep coming back. Another wonderful night of fine
beer, good food and great friends. We restricted our scoring to only 13 to try to keep the number of max scores from
Dawn to a minimum. It didn't work. I would have to say that if you see a beer made by Brasserie Du Rocs, buy it;
it will be wonderful. Also found another Flemish Red Ale that was just superb, and less expensive than Vichtenaar.
Have to thank Lucy for hosting, and Wayne for the trip to State Line, dinner at Bay Gourmet, and the sushi. You da'
Man!!!
Belgian Abbey Part Deux
Belgian Abbey Night 2 April 2005
I love these beers!! And apparently so does much of the faculty here at FU. What better way to spend a damp rainy
night than to be with good friends eating good food and drinking great beers. The overall winner was another new one
we hadn't tried yet; which is why we do this. We had to stop scoring at 19 because one of our tasters just started putting
max scores on all of them. I won't mention any names, but Dawn really liked those beers.
Belgian Abbey Beers
Flying Fish Brewery Tour - 20 Mar 2005
FU crossed state lines yesterday and the trip was well worth it. We visited the fine people at the Flyng Fish brewery
in Cherry Hill NJ. They brew some fine beers there, and we got a chance to see where it is all done. Of course we got
to sample a few that are available, and some that won't be released to the public. Really want to thank
them for an excellent tour. on the way home, we stopped for lunch at Monk's cafe in Philly, where we tasted
their Urthel Quad, Chimay triple, Flemish Sour ale, Old Engine Oil, and Gales English ale, ALL ON TAP!!! this
was a beer drinkers Nirvana, especially if you enjoy Belgian beers. The food was good, the beer was great, and as you
could expect, the placed was jammed. Continued our homeward bound trip with just a small detour to FU's new destination
of choice, Stateline Liquors. Once back at home, Grace had some spaghetti and meatballs awaiting the weary travellers,
and a small tasting ensued. Two excellent beers to look for: Zhigully Ale - a best buy and a great light Ale with a
kick; and Vichetenaar a Flanders Red Ale with an intriguing sour/sweet refreshing taste heretofor unknown to FU. That's
why we keep trying them all. Special thanks to Wayne (our beloved VEEP) for setting up the outing, and acting as the
designated Driver!! Also congratulations to Andy, another new centurion!!
post Tour Tasting
MidTerm Exams 13 Mar 2005
Although we are unaccredited, there are certain standards to maintain, including testing the palates of our faculty and
Staff. That's right, it was midterm time. A fine game of stump the chumps where everyone brings a few beers,
wrapped in foil to hide its identity, and then we all try to figure out the style, substyle and perhaps even the name.
All in all we didn't do too badly. the Kelpie seaweed ale, an Apricot ale, Sam Smith's Taddy porter (thought it was
the oatmeal stout) and the second bottle of Guinness (thought it was a porter) were the only real stumbling blocks.
It was a long night and we all missed our beloved VEEP, Wayne, who at this very moment is protecting our country's heartland.
Banished to the Land of Coors and cold tasting beer. What a trooper, taking a silver bullet for the team. However, Wayne
will return to the fold this weekend and we are all looking forward to our first brewery tour.
Midterm Tasting
The Black Tie Gala Chili Cookoff and American Lager
tasting
Well the Black Tie Gala was quite a success. Everyone cooked up a batch of their favorite chili and competed for
the pride of being the Chili King/Queen of FU. Quite the layout with all that Chili, corn bread, salsa, guacamole, and
desserts that knocked your socks off. Speaking of socks, the winners of Best Chili and Hottest chili won a pair of "Sock
Guy" bicycling socks adorned with a mug of our favorite beverage. The winners were Dawn - for Best Chili, and Wayne
(our beloved Veep) for Hottest Chili. The party goers were also surprised when our Veep's lovely wife, Ms Carrie, handed
out the Falconbridge University Hoodies. Now wherever we go we can show pride in FU, and stay warm to boot.
The beer sucked. 'Nuff said
American Lagers
Happy Hour at the Veep's - 19 Feb 2005
Lacking a formal beer tasting this weekend, VP Wayne stepped up and hosted a happy hour in honor of our Presidents (National,
not local). The beer was quite an eclectic mix of Belgians' , British, German, US, even Russian. And the food
was a fantastic platter of Sushi. Quite the layout. A Fine time was had by all as the beers tasted this year surpassed
the century mark. Some of the faculty are getting close to academic probation for failing to keep up with the fast pace
of college life. Well the year is young and there is plenty of time to play catch-up. Thanks
again to Wayne for the fine spread and wonderful time.
Happy Hour
Barleywines and Imperial Stouts (11 Feb 2005)
The "Big Boys" were in the house last night. Imperial Stouts and Barleywines, a tasting that seperated the men
from the boys. We had a total of 13 different (6 Imperial stouts and 7 Barleywines) beers, and that was enough.
We found out a few things about our tasters this day: we like our beers dark, strong, and English. Overall the
top two beers were Imperial stouts, with number one going to Sam Smith. (When they're not skunked, they are great!!)
English style barleywines took the next two spots and then it was up for grabs. Best buy of the night - Fat Dog Imperial
Oatmeal Stout!! it placed 2nd overall with a per oz price of $.149; quite the buy. Thanks goes to Lucy for hosting this
event, and she didn't even taste this evening. Acting the ever gracious hostess to a Stamping Up Party. Thanks
lucy, we owe you one!!
Barleywines and Imperial Stouts
Belgian Strong Dark Ales (Feb 5th 2005)
The dark side was out in force last night, and everyone wanted to join. Luckily we snuck this tasting in before
the Super Bowl. If we had tried this during the game, no one would have watched it. These Belgian Ales are just plain
wonderful: there is no other way to describe it. We even converted another beer drinker to Belgians last night:
Steve "I don't like Belgians" was transformed as he embraced the dark ales complex aromas and flavors. He has become a true
believer now. The overall winner in this category was a new one we've not tried before. Merely reinforcing our
determination to try them all.
English and American Brown Ales
English and American Brown Ales (January 29, 2005)
Wow we had a great time last night. The turnout was pretty light, only four of us, but
when the going gets tough... Anyway this was our second double blind tasting, and the style was Brown Ales. Not
a very well known style, but well worth the investigation. The top beer of the night was an English style brown Ale
from Holland with 2nd place going to an American Style brown from Avery. We were considering going into the Belgian
Strong dark ales last night also but decided to hold that event later. Also note that we are now keeping track
of prices of the beers we drink since that is often a consideration. The fairest way is to track is Price per ounce
since beer comes in six packs, 4 packs, 12 oz, 11.2 oz, 500 and 750ml sizes. This is unit pricing for the smart
beer shopper. Check out the results!!
English and American Brown Ales
Snowstorm of 2005 Activates the FU Emergency Ops Center (Jan 22nd, 2005)
Well the snows came hard on Saturday, and FU kicked into high gear activating its Emergency Operations and Evacuation
center for all stranded Faculty and students. VP Wayne had some kick butt chili on the stove (practicing for the Black
tie Chili Gala no doubt) and some fine beers on the table. The faculty kept an eye on the snow removal process as we
continued to explore the wonders of beer. It was a long but fruitful day and when it finally ended, so did the snow.
Although more beers were tasted, the Pres (me) had to hang it up after 19 so in deference, the beer drinking continued, but
the scoring ended. The snowstorm scores are below. A compilation of all the informal tastings can be found
at the Informal Tastings link below.
Jan 2005 Snowstorm
Ad Hoc Happy Hour (Friday, January 14th 2005)
Since not all faculty members yet appreciate the magnificence of Belgians - especially Quadrupel Ales - a small group
of us gathered at 619 Hall to sample some World Class (and not so World Class) Belgians. A natural effect of these 12%
ABV beers is the yen for more beers after you've run out of Belgians. Somewhere in the mix we lost discipline and starting
grabbing beers from several styles and countries. For now we're blaming this foux pas on Professor Steve who stormed
our quiet little gathering with his own supply of...yep, you guessed it, Flag Porter. Last Call (aka No Mas) rang at
1:10AM.
President's Comments: Before I post the scores, I see these ad hoc tastings to continue throughout the year.
These are just a couple of guys and gals getting together on short notice to try some new beers, old favorites, or just shoot
the breeze. As these tastings are NOT SANCTIONED by FU, all scores count (scores are not normalized);
beers are not hidden from view (as in our new double blind format); and styles will be mixed. Consider these ad-hoc
tastings as a brainstorm for the next tasting (which will be hosted by Steve thanks to his generosity while inebriated.)
The scores include the wet-run of 4 beers to test the new scoring system, and the ad-hoc tasting on the 14th of Jan.
Enjoy!!
Informal tastings
1st of 2005 - Brown, Robust & Baltic Porters (Sat, January 8th, 2005)
What a night!!! We broke in our new process for 05 which includes a revised score-sheet and double-blind tasting.
The girls gathered to watch movies and the guys sampled 23 beers - whoooah! Our "hall of famer" Flag Porter took top
honors in the Brown category but we had some surpises in both other substyles (Check out the results below). Our tastings
have also become quite the food event...pulled pork, curry chicken, meatballs, fried cabbage and all the trimmins'.
Thanks to all who contributed and especially President Bryant for his hard work in making this one a success.
Tasting surprises.
Pleasant - Flying Fish Porter -2nd overall, top in Robust sub-category. A true World Class
beer.
Pleasant - Baltika Porter from Russia - 3rd Overall another dark horse beer from the Baltic area.
Got to check out those Baltic Porters
UnPleasant - Sam Smith's Taddy Porter - A Fine beer bottled in clear glass. Why can't
they use brown glass to keep it from getting light struck? Luckily this one was not totally skunked yet but close to
it. Someone in Tadcaster should lose their job.
Porters - Brown, Robust, Baltic
2004 Best of the Best Celebration (Friday, December 31st 2004)
Happy New Year! Wow, we sampled some great beers on New Year's Eve and had some real surprises in the final
scores. The regular Faculty was there as well as three Guest Tasters. Since this was the tasting for the years
best of the best, we could not in good conscience include the scores of the guest tasters. All are welcome, but only
the faculty votes count. The overall winner was a real dark (and I do mean Dark) horse candidate beer from Sweden. Yes
Sweden makes beer, damn good beer. Sam Adams Chocolate Bock was second, and the usual Belgium and English ales rounded
out the top 5. Check out the scores and look for these beers at your local establishment.
2004 Wildcard Event (Sunday, December 26th 2004)
We completed our Widcard beer event where we tasted beers that scored between 22.5 and 23.4 (out of 25)
in other tastings throughout the year. The top four wildcard beers were added to the top beers of the year in the
Best of the Best tasting held New Year's Eve.
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