OB Noodle House - Firehouse Pale Ale

I can't say enough about this place. Food is good. People are nice. Next to the beach. When I call they reserve me a table and usually hook me up with some sort of deal. Without all of that I would still go there. They have $1 drafts everyday of the week, 11 am to 6pm. Most of the time Firehouse Pale Ale is it. This is a good beer. Mild Ale. Probably CA yeast strain. Good flavor, mellow, well balanced. More importantly a Pale that I can session drink. Overall pretty good beer. Available at most grocery and liquor stores in San Diego. $6.99 a six pack is common.

Pliny The Younger

Its that time of the year. Pliny comes to town. In past years I have tried to get it.

Tried being the key word. People talk about Younger like they talk about their dead heroes. The same sort of respect. Sometimes you hear about a beer like this and it's all hype. I was praying this wasn't the case. I am a huge fan of Elder. It's a good beer. I really haven't had a beer from Russian River that wasn't good.

The game plan was to go to Blind Lady Ale House around 4. Wait in lin

e till 5 to ensure we get it. At 3:30 Mike called. Younger was being released at San Diego Brew Co at 4. I left work instantly. Grabbed Mike and was there when they started pouring. I was number 25 in line. After waiting for my number to be called I got it. The elusive Younger. It was Pretty.

Beer fanatics are an odd breed. Some are business professionals and dress accordingly. Others look to be unemployed or homeless. Some are male. Some are female. Some keep to themselves and in the case of Karen, who we met after receiving our pints was very much outgoing. So much so she came by to discuss prior years releases with us after being repeatedly told that I had never had it. She had also just come from Alpine Brewing's release of Exponential Hoppyness. Needless to say she was drunk and things got awkward.

We savored as quickly as we could and at 4:30 headed over to Blind Lady. Needless to say the line went out the door and around the building and this was 30 minutes before they opened.

What made Blind Lady special was that for $11 you got a glass of Elder and a glass of Younger side by side. It only made you appreciate it all that more. They did serve it in Automatic Brewing glasses.

I am a big stickler for appropriate glassware for the beer. Elder nor Younger is their beer. Serve it in BLAH glasses or non-logo glassware. But I digress.

Younger really is as good as the hype made it to be. I know for fact that even had having it and going to great lengths to get it I will do it again next year.

it is the most balanced 11% beer I have tried. There isn't a hint of alcohol to it. They balance the grins with the hops perfectly to mellow it all out. It is clearly a marvel in brewer dedication.

Oskar Blues - Old Chubb

I had seen this one in cans a lot. Never on tap. Hit up the new Bubb's Dive by PETCO Park the other day. it was the beer of the day. A little pricey at $5.75 a pint but as it turns out someone else picked up the tab so I was OK with it.

This is probably the best Scottish Ale I have ever tried. Much better that the mass marketed ones I had previously tried. If I've had better, I can't remember them.

What was surprising about this beer was the overall smoothness. Balanced throughout.

I will warn you that this is an extremely heavy beer. Definitely not meant for a serious session. This beer can be found at most Ralph's and definitely Bevmo.

Check out the pic at the top. Yeah, its February and were sitting on the patio. Gotta love San Diego winters.

Great Beer, Natalie Portman, and a Big Sur Wedding

In August we went to Mike and Anissas wedding in Big Sur. I love the idea of a kind of camping wedding. You get to bring a ton of great beer, drink all you can at the wedding, then tackle your beer.

2010 was the year of Rye beers. The number of entries into the World Beer whatever's quadrupled from 2009. I went with Bear Republic's.

One word. Tasty. You like IPA's. This is for you. Great IPA taste with a little something extra. The 4 pack didn't last long.It is a little on the pricier side at like $10.99 but your on vacation. On vacation this is a great deal. On vacation you can drink this in the shower and if you get grief from anyone. I mean anyone just tell them your on vacation.

I also bought the dogfish Festina Pech

e. Name was a topic of conversation. A lot more

after we had drank a lot of them which happened to be after a groomsmen scotch tasting. Thanks again for that one Mike. Scotch is so good. Once again a pricey, but well worth it 4 pack. To be honest its malt liquor with peach syrup. Its good. Great for a day at a river where its 110 degrees. Try it. Its a seasonal so you probably wont find it now. If you do don't buy it. Its old.

My last purchase was the mixed box of Firestone Beers. Hers a pic

of a cute girl in a dress with the beers we got. I don't know her. Found the image online someplace. Shes cute though so I figured it wouldn't hurt. Firestone makes great beers. Really good Pales, and anything in a barr

el is usually a safe bet. DBA is by far my favorite regular release. If you haven't had it. Get it. 12 pack mixed box $11.99 at Bevmo. Great Value. For me its all about the balance. I would have figured that the Pale Ale woul

d be the easiest to drink but it really wasn't the case. Go for the DBA.

The wedding reception was held at the Big Sur Bakery. Awesome place. Food was killer. Liked it so much we went back the next day for lunch. Sat on the patio on a natural log picnic bench. I looked up at Julie and sitting next to her was Natalie Portman. The entire meal I kept looking up to see her

eating next to my wife. I did get a good quote out of it though. Natalie said to who we later found out was her Black Swan dance trainer, now fiance, and baby daddy " Oh, YES, they have free range organic eggs" and let out a sigh of relief. We both thought it was ridiculous.

Heres what we ate.

Hamburger with Fries. Fries were basically wedged potatoes. So good. Fresh pickle was really tasty. As a result we recently made our own.

Open Face ham sandwich. Forget what type of cheese. On homemade bread. Salad had a lemon basil vinagerette. All extremely tasty and about $12 a plate.