Evan!
Well-Known Member
...I'm a madman. Where to begin...
First, I'd been studying my poor ass off for my 2nd (of 9) Architectural Licensing Exam for the past week. I was plain worn out. Scheduled it for 10:30am on Thursday, drove to Richmond, finished around 11:30...and guess what was around the corner from the testing place? Capital Ale House! I started with a glass of Rodenbach Grand Cru. Holy sh*t, it was unbelievable! The acidity and sourness was the perfect palate-starter after chugging all that coffee for the exam. Then I had a Brooklyn Extra Brune, which was as close to trappist fare as I've seen an American brewery every get. Just awesome!
Hopped in the car, put on Jamil's Flanders Red episode, and drove to the Weekend Brewer. Picked up 50 lbs of Briess Pilsner and 50 lbs of Briess 2-row for under $100...also picked up some Essex Ale yeast and Southern German Lager---figuring on doing a XXX Old Ale with the former and a Munich Helles with the latter.
Took the long trip home (Weekend Brewer is my closest LHBS, but since it's 90 mins away, it's not really "local"), brewed a Saison with some good company from Beeropolis.
Friday, woke up at 4:30am, drove down to Lynchburg (90 mins or so each way) to set up our display for a Humane Society conference. Drove home around noon, hopped in the car with the wife, and drove up to Philly (for a wedding). 6 hours later, we got settled in our hotel---and if you'd believe it, we were staying at the Warwick, which is literally up the block and around the corner from Monk's! We hit the open bar that the wedding families had at a pub, then went straight to Monk's.
Started with a Monk's Flemish Sour (of course). What a great beer...definitively more vinegarry than the Rodenbach, but still true to style. Wifey had a Saison that was delicious but I cannot recall the name of. Next we split a Geants Goliath Tripel, which was estery and candied and had a good amount of residual sugar. The food was incredible...we had a bucket of mussels iin a bacon and shallot sauce, and a hamburger with truffle cheese and frites. Then we hit the back bar and hung out with some guys at the bar who were in town from Boston, had an Avery Czar, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout and Flying Fish Espresso Porter. I also talked the other guys into all getting a glass of Rochefort 8, and they loved it, and I had a taste, and subsequently bought a bottle to go. By that point I was sufficiently wrecked (I'd had Dewars and Jamisons at the open bar before dinner) but we somehow made it back to the hotel...
All in all, Philly's an okay place, but not one of my favorite cities. If it weren't for Monk's, I wouldn't go back. :cross: Nice wedding, though, great reception.
First, I'd been studying my poor ass off for my 2nd (of 9) Architectural Licensing Exam for the past week. I was plain worn out. Scheduled it for 10:30am on Thursday, drove to Richmond, finished around 11:30...and guess what was around the corner from the testing place? Capital Ale House! I started with a glass of Rodenbach Grand Cru. Holy sh*t, it was unbelievable! The acidity and sourness was the perfect palate-starter after chugging all that coffee for the exam. Then I had a Brooklyn Extra Brune, which was as close to trappist fare as I've seen an American brewery every get. Just awesome!
Hopped in the car, put on Jamil's Flanders Red episode, and drove to the Weekend Brewer. Picked up 50 lbs of Briess Pilsner and 50 lbs of Briess 2-row for under $100...also picked up some Essex Ale yeast and Southern German Lager---figuring on doing a XXX Old Ale with the former and a Munich Helles with the latter.
Took the long trip home (Weekend Brewer is my closest LHBS, but since it's 90 mins away, it's not really "local"), brewed a Saison with some good company from Beeropolis.
Friday, woke up at 4:30am, drove down to Lynchburg (90 mins or so each way) to set up our display for a Humane Society conference. Drove home around noon, hopped in the car with the wife, and drove up to Philly (for a wedding). 6 hours later, we got settled in our hotel---and if you'd believe it, we were staying at the Warwick, which is literally up the block and around the corner from Monk's! We hit the open bar that the wedding families had at a pub, then went straight to Monk's.
Started with a Monk's Flemish Sour (of course). What a great beer...definitively more vinegarry than the Rodenbach, but still true to style. Wifey had a Saison that was delicious but I cannot recall the name of. Next we split a Geants Goliath Tripel, which was estery and candied and had a good amount of residual sugar. The food was incredible...we had a bucket of mussels iin a bacon and shallot sauce, and a hamburger with truffle cheese and frites. Then we hit the back bar and hung out with some guys at the bar who were in town from Boston, had an Avery Czar, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout and Flying Fish Espresso Porter. I also talked the other guys into all getting a glass of Rochefort 8, and they loved it, and I had a taste, and subsequently bought a bottle to go. By that point I was sufficiently wrecked (I'd had Dewars and Jamisons at the open bar before dinner) but we somehow made it back to the hotel...
All in all, Philly's an okay place, but not one of my favorite cities. If it weren't for Monk's, I wouldn't go back. :cross: Nice wedding, though, great reception.
