Drinkin' with the Po Po

It's been awhile since Florida has graced these pages.  Well, the Sunshine state is back and with a vengeance courtesy of 68 year old Elmer Daniels.  Mr. Daniels, of Brandenton, FL refused a field sobriety test after being involved in a car accident.  According to reports, Mr. Daniels cracked open a cold one while he was talking with state troopers.  He also admitted drinking beers in his van before the crash and told officers he puts down a six pack daily.

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Daniels, who was drinking a beer while talking to troopers, admitted drinking beer in his van and had finished nearly two beers before the crash.

A police report said Daniels told investigators he usually drinks a six-pack of beer each day.
Daniels was arrested and charged with driving under the influence with property damage or injury. He was jailed in lieu of $16,500 bond.
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One Bourbon, One Beer, One Bottle

It's been a particularly trying weekend matching wits with double trouble.  As usual, we lost and remain witless.  The twins are down for the evening and there is literally no hockey being televised inside the beltway (assuming you have DirecTV).  So, we are kicking back and pretending we don't like to watch AFV while nursing a Goose Island 2009 Bourbon County Brand Stout.

Brewed as the 1,000th batch from the original Clybourn brewpub, Bourbon County comes in a 650 ml bottle and pours thick and dark.  The head is dark brown and pours nice but breaks down quickly.  By the time you are a few sips into a pint there are but a few faint bubbles remaining.  The aroma is caramal and chocolate with a bit of bourbon on the back end.

Bourbon County has a prominent chocolate flavor and drinks like a bourbon and a brew all in one bottle - meaning it warms as it goes down but like a good stout it goes down thick and creamy.  Exactly what you're looking for when your ears are still ringing from the screaming and your nerves are shot to hell.  The spicy, hoppy finish lingers on the pallette.  We are not thrilled with the sweet start and spicy finish but it certainly didn't stop us from kicking the bottle.  It's 13 percent ABV so we refuse to be held accountable for grammar and speling.  Note: we are never accountable for anything.

Beer aged in barrels is just the lastest trend in microbrews.  It's a trend we like but more importantly it shows that microbrews continue to be flexible and nimble; pushing the envelope of how to brew good beer.  We're not sure what the next trend is but we will enjoy this one while it lasts.

We've Got Three Words for You

Erie. Rail. Bender. Erie Brewing Company's Railbender Ale was our entree into the microbrewing experience. It was the days of our youth. It was the Southern Tier of New York State. It was Fall Fest in Ellicottville, NY. A new friend Freddy asked if we had an interest in trying new brews. We said yes even though we really couldn't care less. A cold Labatt Blue or Molson Canadian would serve the evening's purpose just fine. But Freddy wouldn't have it. Once we were in all Freddy could say was "Erie. Rail. Bender."

To the newbie, Railbender is a shock to the pallette. When your only other microbrew experience is Sam Adams just about any Scotch ale is going to slap you in the face. Railbender has a malty caramel flavor and like any good Scotch is more complex than you might first expect. There's a light hoppiness to it but make no mistake this brew is all about the malt. The finish lingers on the pallette until your begging for another round. It's no coincidence that Erie's flagship brew won a gold medal in the 2009 GABF.

While out and about recently, we stumbled upon Railbender in the sixer - so we grabbed two. You don't come across Erie Brewing Company frequently inside the beltway. When you come across the brew that started it all you grab as much as you can and you savor every drop. Apparently absence does make the heart grow fonder.

We are very aware that reviewing (judging) beer is subjective. We're perfectly comfortable knowing that our love affair with Railbender may cloud any attempts at objectivity (the gold medal does make us feel better). Truthfully, when we drink Erie Railbender it just feels good. With a little luck, anybody who stumbles upon Dumbarton has their own love affair with their own obscure brew. If you don't have your own Erie Railbender you don't love beer.

Freddy, where ever you are tonight, we're drinking a few Erie Railbenders and thinking back on the good times in Ellicottville.

Here's to you Freddy. Here's to Erie Railbender.

This Week in Beer News

It's been an interesting week we'll say that much. Maybe we all get a little out of sorts when the tax man is knocking at the door. More likely, these types of stories have been around for ages and it's only the Internet that helps us understand everybody's crazy.

Today we bring you one robbery and one foiled robbery. Happy Friday.

Man Foils Beer Robbery, Goes for 80 MPH Ride on Roof

In Stevenson, CA, six people are going to jail for attempting to steal two 12 packs of beer. One suspect entered the Lander Grocery and Liquor and grabbed a pack of Budweiser and a pack of Tecate. The suspect left the store and got into a Chevy Tahoe that drove away.

Stevenson's own Caped Cruisader, aka 28 year old Erick Borgam, chased the suspect and pounded on the windows of the Tahoe as it attempted to drive away. Said the Merced Sun-Star "The Tahoe drove away -- but Borgman jumped onto the running board and grabbed a railing on the roof of the vehicle. Borgman said the suspects in the back of the SUV punched him several times in the face through the vehicles open window."

Then dad got involved.

"As Borgman was hanging on to the SUV, his father, Jame Borgman, followed the suspects in his truck. As the Tahoe reached speeds of 80 mph, the younger Borgman climed onto the SUV's roof and began pounding on it. After the SUV traveled about five miles, Borgman's father pulled his vehicle in front of the suspects' SUV, which slowed down, allowing Erick Borgman to jump off."

Needless to say, the suspects were apprhended by local authorities who, obviously cautioned others about taking on similar vigilante justice. Read the article and see an interview with the younger Borgman here.

I'm So Thirsty I'd Drink Skunked Beer from a Trash Heap

National Public Radio (NPR) reports that city workers in Colombia, MO are in some trouble for stealing beer - from the city dump. A local distributor left 1,500 cases of expired beer at the city land fill recently. The workers were caught on security cameras loading the 50 cases into a truck. What is left in the city land fill officially belongs to the city so workers may be facing criminal charges.

Listen to Renee Montagne tell the story here.

Your reward for reading this far: A montage of "Muppet News Flash" reports. Enjoy.

We're Hoping for a Long Life

In our never ending quest to ride the cutting edge of brewing news we bring you a new series: The Dumbarton Lit Review. We're kicking of the Lit Review with a little birthday gift from our trusty assistant.





Title: 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die

Author: Adrien Tierney-Jones*

Year: 2010

Publisher: Quintessence

The Review: 1001 Beers is not the type of book you read like a novel - cover to cover, chapter by chapter. No, this is a book you peruse and review over the long-term.

The first thing you will do is read through the 945 pages of beers to find the ones you already tasted. After finding you've tried all of 6 of the 1001 beers the second thing you will do is promise yourself you will taste every beer in the book. Finally, you will reach the acceptance stage and simply hope to taste as many as you can track down.

The book weighs in at about 10 lbs and comes with some great imagery. There is a brief description of each beer, including tasting notes. We assume only the really good beers get a full page spread.

If you fancy yourself a beer connoseur this is a must have. If you're not into beer, Quintessence seems to have made a living on the 1001 series. So, there's 1001 movies to see, books to read, albums to hear, well you get the point. Seriously, start with the beers.








*In this case there is no author. Tierney-Jones is listed as the General Editor. In truth, there are 42 listed contributors to this brick.

With Friends Like That...

Coming to you straight from the "true dumb crime" files we bring you the story of Adam D. Bierig. Mr. Bierig was desperate for beer money. He found a wallet sitting inside a police cruiser. He broke into the police cruiser and stole the wallet - and the officer's badge.

Mr. Bierig was arrested after his friend turned him in to police.

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The break-in itself was simple enough -- prosecutors say Bierig spotted a wallet in the locked car, which he entered after forcing the window down far enough to reach the lock. He then fled, prosecutors say, with the Lakewood officer's badge, police ID, and credit cards in his hand.

Bierig allegedly showed the badge to a friend before discarding. The other man then reported the theft to police.

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According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Bierig said he needed the money because he was homeless and he bought beer with the money.