It Lives!...Again?

I never meant to give this up, honestly. There were many reasons I didn't keep it going, and despite them, The Bitter Nib kept gnawing away at the back of my brain. So, here's what's going to be different:

1. More emphasis on the beer, less on the art. That'll be a sometime thing. It's the beer that will drive the post, and I'll only toss up the art if I like it well enough.

2.More photos, less logos, and swiped pics from other websites. I've been meaning to get a nice digital camera, but for now the camera on my new 4G iPod Touch will do nicely. (The camera on my cell phone is crappy.)

3.This is where my beer reviews will originate. Some background for you. In the summer of 2002, I first began taking notes on beer and took to it like a kid to a candy cane. In November of that year, I registered on beeradvocate.com and started posting the reviews. Signed up on ratebeer.com the next year, mostly transferring the reviews over, in order to keep in contact with that segment of the online beer community. But websites such as those have proven unreliable, and I need a safe spot to maintain what I've published elsewhere.

Recently I hit review #2900. In eight years. Did the math. 96 months into 2900 =30.2, so I've averaged out to a new beer a day. Thought I was slipping, but the numbers don't lie.

So, my intention is to have the words be about the beer itself, and accompany with a photo of the actual beer I had. I admit it, I'm jealous of the photography on other sites, and don't hope to come close to their artistry, but it should be fun to try.

4. Also, I would like to tackle a new post, and a different brew each day. Might be a challenge, but I think I can do it.

First review: Ommegang Belgian Pale Ale, a brew I'd first enjoyed on tap at the Muddy Pig's Belgian Fest in October, and through the generosity of Jeremy K., I have a bottle to enjoy at my leisure. And so...


Ommegang BPA …"part of the Duvel family of fine ales"

"This fine pale ale offers citrus and tropical fruit aromatics coming from a well balanced--yet ample--hop character. It uses our own Belgian yeast, five malts, two hops and plenty of patience. Finishing touches include dry-hopping with Cascade hops and warm-cellaring."

POP! goes the cork, and away we go…

Highly clouded, burnt orange coloration, half inch head, snowy white, rocky and bumpy, lace-leaving and long lasting.

Lovely aromatics, lemon and yeast, abundant spice, very peppery, with hops aplenty. Don't want to take my nose away from the glass.

Tasting it: Hops are dazzling on the palate, a torrential downpour, a blitzkrieg bop of hops, peppery, with a lemon twist. Zesty, spritzy, light bodied and easy drinking. Mouthfeelnever quits with the hops and the spice. Pilsner malts keep it bouncing below.

This would be a fantastic food beer, so more's the pity I haven't anything better than frozen pizza. Better than that, it's an excellent drinking beer. I'm a bigger fan of Ommegang's heartier ales, but this was a fine attempt at the style. Only drawback is the flavor thins out much too early, leaving me wanting. That could be exactly what they were shooting for, though.