CBE Sweet Sixteen

Much like the Scott Hartnell trade, I am boycotting writing an intro to the Newsletter.


After the complete failure and lack of response from the brewery that was Hi-Res, someone still decided to pick a Sixpoint beer.  A recent change from 4 pack pounders to 6 pack Red Bull sized cans make this beer the perfect companion to sneak onto a beach, into a movie theater, or for tailgating.  That's not what the website says, but it should be.  Shockingly, The Crisp wasn't too bad.  We've had a few Sixpoint beers at this point.  The first ones were in CBE7 which seems like a lifetime ago.  Because of the brief Hi-Res accompaniment I didn't really discuss the website that much.  It's nice... Lots of news, lots of pictures, some videos, and a decent amount of social media stuff to keep you busy.  It's set up like a Super-Blog and there is a ton of information there.  If I didn't hate Hi-Res so much, and the fact that no one responded to me about how horrible it was, I would probably like it more.  Side note, I'd recommend to stay away from Rad if you see it around.  You're better off just getting Ocean Spray Ruby Red.  Or maybe you're into that.  Whatever.  Here's the website thing:

The Crisp

...When the Mad Scientists emerged from underground, the quest for a new formulation went from obsession to reality.

What do you get when you fuse old world craftsmanship with new, clean, & bold flavors from right raw materials? The Crisp. It's Mad Science.

Every newsletter poses problems.  SO, let's not talk about how difficult that was to do.  Someone's bright idea owes me 99 cents.  Note that I cannot be paid in bit coin.  And alway we go.

Now it SHORE is easy to get this info... (NJ Shore Growler Points)

I went to a bar this past weekend in Dewey Beach.  I possibly could have pulled it off ten years ago.  It was pretty obvious that at this age, I was out of my element.  The beer offerings were Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Coors Light, and I think that was it.  At one point, I bought a Bud Light Lime to wash out the taste of Bud Light.  I remember thinking how wonderful it was.  I cringed.  The point being, no matter which beach/shore point you go to, the beer selection isn't always CBE worthy.  So why not stop on the way, make a quick trip out, or bring something from home to enjoy while you're enjoying the sand and sun.  This is a quick info stop for beach beers done right, and I hope you find it helpful.

#CBExv The Unofficial, Official Beginning of Summer

Happy Memorial Day.  Sometimes, these newsletters write themselves.  Sometimes, not so much.  A plethora of great ideas came to me while I was thinking about the Easter Eggs to include in the #CBExv Newsletter.  Going to the beach?  Here's a list of places to get a growler filled on your way.  Cool beer selection this time, and I'd like to know more about this brewery... Well, here is your CBE Event Pick for that Brewery during Philly Beer Week.  Then I realized I wasn't going to spend 6 hours writing this (or am I?)  Soooo, let's see how far I can get through these ambitious goals, in this, your #CBExv Newsletter.  Please see below.

CEB_Fourteen / Another Battle with Technology

*realizes the Mac software has been updated*

*sad face*

Well, it took me just over two years to figure out how to use the Mac/internet/Google Blogger utilities with enough deft to bring you the best possible newsletter that a mediocre user of the aformentioned utilities would be able to do.  All of that is behind me now.  I might as well be writing this on a word processor.  You don't care about my tech problems, and the creativity must go on...

Long awaited, but not forgotten, I have returned to put a whimsical spin on the 8 beers chosen for the latest collection of CBE.  Draft on 3/12, it has taken me almost three weeks to actually sit down and put some thought into this one.  Originally, leaving Brewers Outlet in Mt. Airy for this CBE, I had a feeling that this was going to be the most new beers for me in quite awhile.  I thought there may have been 5 of 8, of which I had not tried before.  That's quite a lot for me, or any of us at this point.  Then after checking and recounting some long forgotten experiences, I realized that I had somewhere and somehow tried all of these beers but 3.  Which after some consideration, is still quite a bit.  Nevertheless, it was a great selection of beers, and one that I enjoyed.

The reviews are in, and I am starting with the beer that I believe was a favorite among the group, Deschutes Red Chair NWPA.  I have unsuccessfully spelled Deschutes so many times, that my iPhone now autocorrects to several incorrect spellings.  There are a bevy of extra T's in some, a missing S in others.  So going forward, I will be referring to them as That Oregon Brewery, or TOB.  Oregon I can spell.  TOB I can definitely spell.  The website has this to saw about the TOB January to May seasonal...

The citrus punch of a big IPA, minus the one-dimensional hop sledgehammer. Seven select European and domestic malts round out the edges for a complex, copper-colored brew. Like its namesake ski lift, it’s an insider’s ride to fresh thrills.
Malt: Pale, Crystal, Munich, Carapils, Pilsner, Carastan
Hops: Cascade, Centennial
Watch brewer Matt Henneous talk about Red Chair NWPA from the fabled Mt. Bachelor lift that spawned it's name.

I get a lot of melon, thought it was on the sweeter side, but still pretty heavy.  This one wasn't overpowering though, and I definitely would not mind having a few of them.  TOB only made it's Philadelphia area debut a little while ago.  The first beer we had from them was Black Butte Porter.  As we start to get more and more of their seasonals, they've definitely proven that they're worth a try. Currently Hop Henge IPA is floating around, and it's supposed to be pretty damn good.

The rest/best is yet to come...