I drank beer, just didn't make any notes

Hey all,

So I am trying to get back into things, beer included.

Relying on some favourites, while friends Brad and Seda were in town, we purchased my two best Belgium beers (Rochefort 10 and Linderman's Faro...ok, very different, but show off the sheer diversity of beers coming out of a country half the size of Tasmania), and found I was able to enjoy them almost as much as I have previously. Unfortunately, the Rochefort 10 just made me sleepy. So taste buds diminished, but still working to some degree.

I also hit the Local Taphouse (recent winner of best beer venue in Australia...I am not convinced...hmm, so not only am I tired, but getting arrogant through it) to meet up with Rick to try out the latest batch of beers on tap. Tried to get a bit of a mix, and think I did ok. I went the Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen, Bridge Road Chevalier Saison, 2 Brothers 'The Chief', Dogbolter Munich Dunkel and Hargraves Hill Stout. To be very unlike me, I forgot to bring a pen so did not make any notes, and my memory is not working well enough to give you any notes, but none were offensive. The Hef was perfect for the summer, Saison a bit sourer than I remember. Chief had good malt I think, as did the Dunkel. Don't think the stout did much for me. Sorry for these lackluster scribblings.

On Friday I hit Mountain Goat and tried the Skipping Girl Summer Ale (bit too hoppy for me, typical of my relationship with Mountain Goat beers), the Hefeweizen (lovely sweetness with orange rind in Randy, and not over the top with the coriander. Again, good for the summer), Craig Pale Ale (Hmm, don't really remember), and Double Hightail (not bad actually...argh, should I stop trying now?). When it started pissing down with rain and not only was the water coming through the roof, but also backing up through the storm water drain, like everyone else we hit the Royston, and managed to get a pot of Vale Ale (ok, bit not worth number 1 of craft beers in OZ) and thanks to Helana behind the bar, a taste of the True South Mint something (yep, pretty bad when I can't even remember the name of the beer, but tasted creamy and nice level of mint flavour too), and some other beer I can't remember at all but didn't think much of. Still, had a Baileys cheesecake at the end of the night which I remember quite liking.

The only other drinking I have done in the past week or so is for Stass and Jess's engagement party. It started well with standard Boag's Premium, but then turned south with Crownies. Still, managed to drink enough of the Boag's (and quickly towards the end) to keep down the flavour of the Crownies. However, this also had the effect of bringing more alcohol to my rest deprived body and mind, getting me quite intoxicated (as some photos from the night would show). I did still managed to slightly taste the ginger in the Monteith's Summer Ale we had at the Croft Institute in town, so I wasn't too far gone.

Well, I am going to stop now before I forget anything else, unless I have already forgotten anything else I could have written up here.

Now to save my taste buds til Thursday's big Purvis beer tasting.

Beef