Happy Halloween

Sam Adams Glassware

As a member of the American Homebrewing Association,
i just received my two free unsolicited newly designed
glasses from Sam Adams. It sure pays to be an AHA member:
Nice discounts at brewpubs all over the country
and now free beer glasses. You should join AHA too!

This new vessel has all kinds of fancy features, the purpose is ambitious:
"delivering sweetness from the malt;
maximizing the hops aroma and flavor;
maintaining the ideal temperature;
supporting a rich and creamy head;
and sustaining the right amount of carbonation."

They teamed up with "Tiax, a Boston-area company that
for decades has worked with food, beverage and pharmaceutical
companies to create and enhance products. [...] "They spent almost
three months on the project before handing over a 300-page report."
They then sent this over to the German glassware specialists Rastal
and this is their new baby:


The marketing materials sure look great right?
So once i received them, it was time to put'em to the test.


Well right out of the box, the new glasses were underwhelming. The marketing pictures just looked so much nicer, big and shiny. I passed on the SA Boston Lager and I picked up Sammy's O'fest instead, which by the way they claim is the widest selling o'fest beer in the world... hmm... I grabbed a snifter glass which i tend to favor, which are good for malty brews such as the o'fest.

The "constant aroma releasing laser-etched circle" on the bottom on the glass is a little hard to see but pretty nifty. It's fun to try to see the circle of bubbles rising up through the brewksi.

The shape was pleasant to hold. Also I could try to imagine a small improvement in terms of aroma, and to a lesser extent for taste and mouthfeel, but I couldn't really tell decisively if there was any difference at all.

What I did enjoy was the curved lip. It was just a very confortable and natural fit. All glasses should be like that! That curvature was definitely an improvement with the more pronounced curve that on the Gulden Draak glasses i like too.

Overall I'd have to say it's certainly a very nice glass. I've
also read an enthusiastic endorsement online from a guy who
enjoyed the practical nice fit of the upside down glass over
a beer bottle. I doubt it will become my go-to glass, but
it is assuredly a nice new addition to my collection. And
it might just call for a lot more experimentation....

Cheers and thank you Mr. Jim Koch!!

For more info:
Article from Realbeer.com
Boston Beer Company presentation

Crab Fest '07

Jorge was not kidding around


We got down to business


Check out the slideshow


Or browse all 22 pix here:
See y'all next year again!

Atisu et copains

It was the year I turned 20
studying abroad in the South of France.
In the bleak worn hallways of the student dorms,
I heard Atisu singing.


Cathal was already penning gorgeous songs for her

David and I were more than happy to join up with our guitars.
'tis' found us a few gigs around town and for local radio shows.

Namibia and Cape Town

Our NamibiMobile
Notice the rooftop tent, unfolded and ready in minutes.


Hoba Meteorite.
At 60 tons, the largest known meteorite.


Elephants at Halali water hole, Etosha National Park


Twyfelfontein Petroglyphs
With over 2,000 figures, it's one of the largest collections
of rock engravings in Africa dating from the Late Stone Age.
Also Namibia's first UNESCO World Heritage site, declared in 2007.


Keepin' cool


Dune Playing in the Skeleton Coast


Dune Topper near Walvis Bay


Desert critter


Dead Vlei, Sossusvlei


Whale watching in Hermanus, South Africa


Ciao


Slideshow (all 164 pictures)

Quote of the Day: Eunuchs

"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how its done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves."

Brendan Francis Behan (1929-1964), Irish Poet