Pool: Bad; Kudzu and Sweaty Betty: good.

T hank the Lord there’s an Auburn game on. Nicest thing to happen to me today.
I started off with having to go to work to fix some sick computers. That ate up 4 hours. Then I came home…. to our new home, which happens to have a swimming pool.
The definition of a swimming pool is: Noun. Large hole in backyard that you throw money into.
I found an old vacuum hose that I realized I could use to vacuum the bottom of the pool. I met a guy at the pool store (I had plenty of time to talk to this guy because the pool store was an hour late opening). Anyway I combined what he said with a video I saw on the internet. Everything on the internet is true you know. Anyway the video said to toss a tennis ball into one skimmer to force the pressure up on the other intake. Unfortunately I grabbed a shredded ball Higgins-the-oversized-mutt had destroyed. I thought it still had some rigidness to it. Alas, no. That sucker got sucked down the pipe. I could still see it. I quickly killed the pump… before the tennis ball did… and drove to Lowes and bought the mother of all needle nose pliers. This foot long behemoth helped me save my pool skimmer.
I need a brew as I watch the Auburn Game.
I went to the little fridge and pulled out 2 brews. I found Sweaty Betty Blonde from Boulder Beer. I have no clue as to when I bought this one. Or if I bought it or someone gave it to me. That also means I got no clue as to how long I’ve had it.
Nice little brew. Kinda hit me with what I thought was a little citra hops. Very cloudy. A yeasty mellow taste. Some hoppy edges to it. Best to describe this brew as malty down the center of your mouth with bitter hoppiness on the edges of your tongue. I know this is a blonde but beyond that I suspect it’s like a Hefeweizen style beer.
I got to reading the label and it says “Sweaty Betty Blonde is a refreshing, unfiltered Bavarian-style Hefeweizen. The Weinstephan yeast gives thsi brew subtle hints of clove and banana with an attractive,hazy blonde color.For best flavor, rouse any settled yeast by swirling the bottom of the bottle.”
That’s the yeasty flavor I detected. Banana? Yeah, I guess so. But another key part of the label says “Enjoy By July 30, 2013.” Yikes. This brew is more than a year out of date. Been in the fridge, which some beer folks says destroys beer. But I think a well made brew can last a while. Maybe a year kills the cloves. But even so this is a nice little brew.
Next up. Back Forty‘s Kudzu Porter. I’ve had this before and to be honest I liked it better before. Smooth and some creaminess but a bit more bitter than I remember. Hmmmm. What’s the date on this one….. Damn. Best by 07/16/13. I really need to clean out the little fridge. No telling what I got in there.
Okay on first sip I got more bitterness than I remember. A bit smoky… like burnt wood. But on second and following sips it started to be more malty. This one has malty edges along the tongue and bitter center. I’ve had this one before and liked it. I say that maybe age has hit this one a bit.
Back Forty puts little food icons to show recommended pairings. I’m looking at one and thinking it might be road kill. No, I guess that’s an icon for ribs. Anyway, ribs, ham shoulder and ice cream. Hmmm. strange mix. Label says “This medium-bodied Porter is brewed with a unique blend of roasted malts and fresh hops. Chocolate, smoky notes are abundant throughout and the citrus aroma provides a refreshing twist to this old world beer style.”
Yeah, I think maybe some of the chocolate is still there but the smokiness has mellowed out the other flavors over time. Still for a year old beer I enjoyed it. I might need to go by a recent one and compare.
The score is 38-10 at the half. I hope I cam stay awake. That reminds me that I have to go and turn off that damn pool pump. Two nice brews even if both are more than a year old. I guess that’s a sign that these guys care about quality.