Scaldis Noel

The Brasserie Dubuisson makes a variety of strong ales under the name of Bush. Unfortunately, a large American (formerly, now Belgian-owned) beer firm dislikes the similarity to their family name and kindly requests they call it something else on our shores. Scaldis, it is. Scaldis Noel was part of Belg-a-Rama #2. These are my notes from a bottle consumed in February, 2003:

"At $4.99 for a tidy 8.48 oz. bottle, this is the champ for the title of most expensive beer I've ever purchased. Was it worth it? It was worth the try, but I don't imagine breaking the bank to stock up on this tiny powerhouse.
Muddy, dark brown in color, creeping on violet, with small yeasty particles floating about, and a small, diminishing head. Aroma is heady and deep, dominated by fruit associations of the grape variety. Sweet, but not too hoppy. Malt is predominant to an incredible degree. Full and fierce on the tongue, with hops showing off to give a good charge upon the palate. And alcohol follows into the fray, and never lets go...
One sip in, and I'm feeling drunk already! Look at me, one leg in the air, arm wrapped around a lamppost, swinging to no discernable rhythm, finger crooked inside the handle of a little brown jug, marked XXX, singing, "How Dry I Am"...
Body is full, flavor is thick and fascinating, and boozy!, texture is marvelous, altogether, a formidable and unforgettable beer!
However, the large grape/wine flavor, and the 12% ABV make me wonder how a glass of 14% Shiraz doesn't smack me up like Scaldis does?"

The keg just killed today, but I didn't go without my personal fill. Awesome stuff, smoother and maltier on tap, but still sharp, strong, and very brandy-ish, barley-wine-like. A great cold-weather treat.

I think I've beat the price once or twice, and still wonder about the booze effect.

De Blaugies Darbyste Bier

Another in the Belg-a-Rama series, #2, from Brasserie des Blaugies, darbysge bier. These are my notes from May, 2005, from a bottle:
This bottle of mine has a new, finely designed, violet-colored label complete with a scientific drawing of the fig fruit, leaves, plant and all. I'm intriqued. At the store, once I read "ALE brewed with fig juice", it went right into the cart.
Pours a solid orange/ peachy hue, with well-sustained off-white foam above.
Aroma is faint, dominated by yeast, pleasant but uninspiring...light fruit...
big zesty kick on first sip, huge carbonation, but flavor is still, alas, lackluster...considerable spark and zip on the palate, that it has going for it...great tang on the tongue...it's quite nice, though the fig factor is lightly played.
a tasty ale, though, no doubt about that, with an underlying citric kick, and a blast of spice...another winner from Blaugies.

And here's what I wrote for the draft beer menu:Blaugies is a great family owned and operated saison producer, and this one is from an old recipe, and fermented with figs. Named for John Darby, a temperance preacher whose parishoners favore d a "soft drink" they insisted was merely fig juice. A blend between saison and wittier, light, lemony and dry, with the figs playing a minor role in the flavor.

This is another one of those beers whose ingredients cloud preceptions of what the beer actually is.

Summit Unchained Batch 5: Imperial Pumpkin Porter

The announcement of the Unchained Series last year was met in the local beer community with equal cries of hoorays, hossanahs, and "it's about time"s. Time for our nearly 25-year old steadfast soldier to show it can do something different, and give the ravenous beer geeks something to chew on. I recall an event a few years ago when Summit founder and owner Mark Stutrud was inundated with questions about when Summit would brew, of all things, a Flemish Sour Red Ale. He seems perplexed, because, he explained, he was just trying to get Miller Lite drinkers to drop that swill and switch to Summit EPA. A Flanders Red? Why not shoot for the moon, while we're at it.

So the Unchained Series, where each brewer gets his chance to create his heart's desire has brought a kolsch, a scottish ale, a india rye, a Belgian-style Golden ale (and where I did like this one, it may indicate that the notion of tackling a Belgian red ought to remain a pipe dream, at least for now), and perhaps the most successful and popular in the series, the imperial pumpkin porter.
This one came out the last week in October, just in time to be included in our StoutFest 2010. I was amused by some comments by folks that they couldn't taste the "imperial" or the pumpkin. It may not be 10% or so, but 7.5% is stronger than the average porter, and I think the submerged pumpkin taste actually makes this one work.

I gave it a 3.9/5, but it probably deserves better.

Anyhow, we've been pouring it non-stop since, and I've lost count of how many kegs we've switched out. The photo is a pint from the penultimate sixtel, and the notes are from early November. In my opinion, it's actually getting better these days.

"Full-on ebony appearance, roasted brown head, slim and soon gone.

Aroma brims with spice. They put a ton in here, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, allspice, maybe more, I forget. It rides over anything else. A little coffee and caramel, maybe, with the black & chocolate malt.

tAste: All dark malts, and plenty of spice. Can't taste the pumpkin, doesn't reveal itself at all. Well, it's in there somewhere, but the porter elements are going strong, bittersweet, smooth, rich, and tasty. Cocoa flavor is major. Spice is coming on strong, and taking control, becoming bright and dominant.

I keep looking for the pumpkin, and have to realize it was meant to be drowned out by the malt and the spice. It's there, but undetectable and utterly submerged. But the beer becomes more than the sum of it's parts, and something very satisfying.

wait, halfway through the pint, now I'm getting the pumpkin, there it is. Neat little cameo, it pops up for a peep.

Yum, yum, yum. Warm, malt, chocolate, pumpkin, and then all that spice. It's there for flavor, but doesn't become hot or take over in any way. A well done brew all the way. Pumpkin haters needn't worry, as that flavor is subdued, and stout and porter lovers have much to enjoy."

Sly Fox Pikeland Pils

#4 in the Woody Sends, Sly Fox can series.

Sly Fox Pikeland Pils

"North German Style Pilsner, light in body and refreshingly dry on the palate, this multiple award-winning Pilsner is the ideal beer for any season or occasion. Brewed in classic fashion with German Pils malt and German and Czech hops. OG 11.7 Plato, 44 IBUs, 4.9% abv. "

I'm putting this into a Samuel Adams glass, because I can't find any real German pilsner glasses in my collection. Plenty of pints and strangely shaped Belgians, but none of those, alas and alack.

Cloudy, and pale dirty yellow appearance, nice white head, lace-leaving, starts big and drifts down.

Aroma: noble hops and yeast predominant. Light, airy, floral, perfumey. And a little off…

Taste: Crisp hop bite up front, grabs the palate, and wakes the sleeping senses. Malt is almost thick in this. Unfiltered. Judging by appearance, and now taste, yeah, there's plenty of yeast flavor in this. But, though I normally like yeast in my beer, this one feels like it shouldn't belong. I want to use the word dirty again. And I almost never want that. Too murky to be a classic German pils, if that's really what it wants to be…but, wait, Al, aren't you the one who likes lagers better with yeast in them? Yeah, that is me, undeniably…

In this one, though, the yeast isn't integrated enough with the rest of the flavors and competes and drowns out what should be clean, crisp and refreshing. I drank it, and I didn't dislike it, but it just didn't work out.

Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale

More from the beneficence of Brother Woody.

Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale

"Like it's mythological namesake, this bold American pale ale will be a legend for our times, a great craft beer reincarnated into a can. Brewed with pale and crystal malts, and the finest U.S. grown hops from the Pacific NorthWest. OG 13 Plato, 40 IBUs, 5.1% by Vol."

12 oz. can, which doesn't look fantastic in a 20 oz. imperial pint glass, but there's one to grow on.

Semi-clear, pale bronze/copper hue, slim whitish head, stays as a slim ring.

Nice, hoppy aroma, grapefruit is here, plenty of citrus, a bit of pine, smack of bitterness, with a tickle of sweet. A little apple and cherry lay beneath the bitter citric spank. Very, very loverly.

Taste: Excellent mix of sweet malt, and fruity, bitter hops. Totally tasty. Herbal, grainy, bitter, sweet…etc. High hops, big bitterness, but buttressed by a firm malt backbone, everything good and tidy and in solid supply. Brisk, fruity, refreshing, bitter and sweet. Goes down exceedingly easy.

Top-notch pale ale, would be one I'd reach for with regularity if I were a Pennsylvanian.

Sly Fox Dunkel Lager

Another one from the Woodman, fresh from the CANquest.

Sly Fox Dunkel Lager.

"A traditional Bavarian style Dark Lager, made with Munich, Pils, and German Roast malts, and a variety of Bavarian hops. OG 13 Plato, 21 IBUs, 5.3% by Vol."

In an Einbecker Dunkel glass, because why not, that's why.

And I love the dunkels, so I'm looking forward to this one.

Clear, caramel brown body, slim beige head, gets tight, but stays strong.

Aroma: clean and malty, caramel and toffee, light hops, sweet, rich and getting richer.

Taste: very tidy, minimal hops, good blend of cocoa, caramel and toffee in the malty flavor. Even-tempered, well-balanced, medium-bodied, expertly drinkable. A little mineral, metallic feel, flinty, maybe, but overall a nice, if unimpressive dunkel.
And what's wrong with that, I'd like to know.

Sly Fox 113 IPA

Sly Fox 113 IPA, Craft Brewed in Pennsylvania. Royersford, to be exact.

12 ounce can, sent to me by Mr. John S. "Woody" Chandler, of LNC, PA. This gentleman, a former sailor and current schoolteacher, is known to those in the beer community far and wide for his sense of adventure, his puckish grin and wily eyebrows, his wiry red beard, and that monk's robe he wears at beer festivals in the heat of summer. He's currently in the midst of an epic survey of canned beers (has recently surpassed 400) and sent me a sextet of Sly Fox to match the Surlys I sent his way.

"This complex beer is brewed wit a variety of British, German, and Pacific Northwest hops. Every sip will remind you just why you fell in love with craft beer in the first place. OG 16.4 Plato. 113 IBUs, Alc. 7% by Vol."

113, really? Okay, this is going to be fun!

Highly hazed, deep bronze color, slim beige head, settles as a tight ring.

Aroma, deep, dank, herbal, and raw. Big hop attack, some pine, some citrus, and the English hops are showing their side, definitely. An intriguing mix, one you don't encounter often. A little butterscotch and toffee, too. Soft, and surprisingly sweet. Much malt in the mix.

Taste: Bitter and herbal, with a hearty malt backbone. Apples and cherries, with citrus in the background, pine is there, too, but faded, in the distance. Slightly grassy.

Why did I fall in love with craft beer in the first place? Hops. Hops in English ales, and then hops in American pale ales and IPAs, west coast or English IPAs. I've loved them all, and here they are together as one.

Does that work? Well, this one doesn't really shine or sing like a 113 IBU IPA should, doesn't spank the tongue in a feverish fashion. Much malt below does it's work, and I'm not sure if the cocktail of hops really delivers. Perhaps I'm too used to English ales that are just so, or American IPAs that smack of citrus and pine. This is a bit muddied, some of those flavors I yearn for are missing, or in the back, just a ghost, competing with the English and German hops character.

Medium bodies, soft, light hoppy finish.

Despite those criticisms, it's a good 'un, and I'd drink it once in a while id I were in PA, but it just doesn't trip my trigger.

Schell's Stag Series #2: Wild Rice Saison

Another way August Schell Brewing Company is renewing interest in their increasingly diverse endeavors is the new Stag Series. The first was bottle only, a pinot noir barrel-aged batch of Shmaltz' Alt. For the second, a Belgian-style saison brewed with Minnesota wild rice, and 12 kegs were released. We're near the end of our one and only keg, as I write this (though my notes where from up at the top of the keg.).

Clear yellow tint, slim white head on this pour.

Aroma: funky and wild, right on, saison. light citrus notes, gentle spice.

Taste: great play on the palate at first, low bitterness, but plenty of sass. Tart and tongue spanking, just a little sweet, with spice coming in loud and clear. Apple and pear in the flavor, a bit of citrus. Tasting the wheat here, not sure if I can pick up on the wild rice, though, that's not really my bailiwick. The brewers says it gives an earthy, nutty flavor. They're probably right.

Tasty little guy, here, the second Belgian style ever attempted by August Schell Brewing. Really fits the feel of a true saison, with a Minnesota twist.

Dogfish Head Namaste White Belgian-style Witbier

New image, 12/09/17, showing new packaging, new glass-
ware, better camera, etcetera....but it's the same beer, so
no need for a new review. 

Dogfish Head Namaste, Beer brewed with coriander, orange and lemongrass.
Purchased at Casanova's, Hudson, WI. 4.8% ABV, 20 IBU.

Had in the company of the most recent episode of Brew Masters. (Leather and Lemons?)
(Actually, it's "Grain to Glass", I just like it when Sam used that phrase.)

"Namaste, the word kinds sorta means the spirit in me recognizes and celebrates the spirit in you. Namaste the beer kinda sorta means white ale as in wheat and coriander but also means dried orange slices and lemongrass. A refreshing summer thing. Namaste."

Glug, glug, glug goes the beer out of the bottle and into the glass.

Light apricot, pale peach appearance, bountiful head on it, billowy snow drift holding fast atop, bubbly, lace leaving. Mostly clear, with small particles at the bottom, some twisting around throughout the glass. Is this typical of this one, or do I have an older bottle?

Aroma: ah! Zesty, airy, uplifting, sweet, and slightly tart, with the coriander very vivid, and the orange just a little behind. Lemongrass, I don't have a handle on, though I've had my share of Town Hall's various lemongrass brews. I lean into the glass further and plunge my nose straight in …lightly fruity and spicy, and very pretty.

Taste: soft on the palate, with a distinct grassiness. Light bodied, with a constant delivery of light fruit and spice. Slides down and back with minimal effort.

Soft, breezy, and beautiful. Mmmmm. Nice. Namaste.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

Another in the selection for Belg-a-Rama, St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, from the Brouwerij Sint Bernardus, Watou, Belgium

Here's what I noted in December of 2007, from a bottle review:

Dark in color, in between violet and brown, with a nice head, if short, if a bit overblown with bubbles, and not sticking around...another pour gives higher head, but, it too, dies off with a quickness...

Aroma: sweet and spicy, dark fruits, plus dark rum, mollasses, some brown sugar, maybe, but green hoppy feels as well...ripe, fresh, lovely, beautiful....so good!

Tastin' it: ...cola, cocoa...fierce carbonation....big, fat, outlandish Belgian yeast, the kind that I associate with cookie dough...more carbonic effervescencem and cola feel, mixed with pepper, anise, and other spices ...needs more yeast, though...full mouthfeel, practically inhabits all the rooms of the senses...but doesn't do what the Abbot 12 does, which is my disappointment....I want that and then some, not less than that...
not bad, but too carbonated, very flavorful, and yet not flavorful enough..I expected the Abbot 12 and then some, and I got something less.
A good beverage, warming, alcoholic, spicy, a blast of pepper and malt, and somehow not quite what I expected from St. Bernardus...a bit less, a wee bit....there's burnished cherries, there's raisins, and dates, and more.
-------------------------------

Looking critically at those opinions, I'm not sure what my problem was. Another great brew from one of my favorite breweries, and I expected something superior to their finest ale? Seriously, dude, WTF?

On tap it's lush and sweet, more chocolate and spice, less cola. Bigger head on tap, though less fiercely carbonated. Delicious stuff. For our beer menu, I get simpler: "The smiling monk puts on a Santa cap for this one. Dark brown, rich and malty, cookie dough meets dark fruit and spice, a boozy Gingerbread brew."

Colder Than A Witches Wit

Saturday, December 11 shall be known as the day the world now knows Minneapolis for caved-in Metrodomes, and not just collapsed bridges. The snow was so horrible, it took me an hour to go to the corner store 2 blocks away for emergency rations. Stomping through un-shoveled sidewalks, trying to cut through unplowed parking lots, navigating streets whose terrains have been halved by the massive snow dump, while it's still falling and blowing in my face. My shoelaces came undone and the snow found it's way into my shoes. I got home exhausted, distraught, my heart palpitating, and anxious about what the day would bring. In my long travel through a short distance, I saw at least 5 cars stuck in the snow drift. No one had any reason to go out, be out, travel for any reason. It took a small amount of convincing, but I got my bosses to close up work, or, actually, never open. And stayed home with my music and my movies, my cat and my frozen pizza from the corner store, and went through with the idea of re-starting this blog. The first beer, as you saw, if you were paying attention was the Ommegang BPA. Number Two of the night was one procured through trade from Californian Jason D. He got me a Pizza Port that I've been after for years, Cuvee de Tomme (or is it a Lost Abbey brew, now?), a Russian River, and this Lost Abbey brew that got so much attention/publicity for it's label illustration. I sent him a Darkness 2010, Smoke 2009, and Four. We both were happy with the exchange. Well, until I drank the Witches Wit. (Kidding..kind of...)

The Lost Abbey Witches Wit, Malt Beverage brewed with honey and spices.

The label art depicts a medieval village, wherein an act of fatal violence is perpetrated against a purported black arts dealer. Florid, over-wrought, heavy-handed label copy goes on and on describing the scene, and only bothers to describe the ale as "a light and refreshing wheat beer", and as "exactly the sort of thing you'd expect to find being passed around the center of town on witch burning day." Whatever the hell that means.

Lightly hazed, pale yellow aroma, very small head, slims to nil in a minute. Bit disappointing.

Aromatics, light spices, minor fruit. Not smelling much like a wit, not feeling the orange or coriander, or the wheat.

Taste: Light bodied and flavorless. Watery. Little mouthfeel or texture.
Extremely minor spice, and fleeting wheat character. A bit of celery, with a drizzle of lemon. No reason to call it a wit, if it ain't. Or is this a joke? Did I get a bad bottle, or was this their intention?

This is what they'd be drinking when they murder on witch suspicion? Does that imply that witch burners have terrible taste? I've got half a mind that the witch burning image was a desperate ditch at drumming up sales on this loser.

blah!
------------------------------------
A little sad to encounter a lackluster Lost Abbey, especially since it seems to get good reviews from others. Too old? Mishandled? Not sure what happened.
I closed the night with better beers. Surly Smoke, Bell's Third Coast Old Ale, Victory Old Horizontal. Nice way to end a snowed-in day, I'd say.

Schell's Snowstorm 2010

The SnowStorm series from 150-year old August Schell Brewing Company, second oldest family-owned brewery in America, is a yearly showcase for the brewer's talents. There was a streak in the middle of the last decade when I was not impressed with their offerings of this wintry output. Sure, it's a one-off, but a brown ale or an ESB, even if it's not what a traditional German brewery normally makes, just doesn't stand out. Give us something big, deep, dark, spicy, complex, give us something to stand up to a snowstorm! (Years ago, I believe it was called Blizzard Ale. )
I may be wrong, but I think the cap has to go off to Dave Berg for steering the ship straight on this series recently. A stout several years ago, that's now a staple. A Belgian Dubbel (my favorite style) 2 years ago, and a Baltic Porter last (tapped that at the Nile, and it was gone quick!). It only got better this year, and so, ...

Schell's Snowstorm 2010, Weizen Doppelbock Beer

12 oz. bottle. Pouring into an Aventinus glass, because I don't have any branded Schell's glassware that suits the style. Perhaps I need to remedy that, but, on the other hand, this is the beer that sets the standard for this style.

Dark purplish-brown coloration, huge fluffy beige head, lace-leaving, very impressive.

Amazing aromatics, huge and in orbit, banana cream pie, with cloves on top. Drizzle of lemon, and a double hit of spice. Light and airy, yet deep and substantive. This is exactly what I'd want from a weizenbock. Love it.

Drinking it: High carbonation, spritzy, yet smooth, lush malt, tastes lovely. Sweet, yet mild, lightly spicy. Maybe a little lighter on the mouthfeel than I'd like, but I'm oh, so picky. And, actually, I have a hard time finding a flaw with this one. So, let me have that one thing, okay?

Tasty as all get out, hits the right notes for the style, delivers deliciousness. Another knockout in the Snowstorm series, and, damnit, the last one in my six-pack. Time to go out shopping!

Barbar Winter Bok

I've had this on tap before, at Acadia Cafe, and have finally put it on tap at the Nile for my second in a series I'm calling Belg-a-Rama, and, no, I'm no longer ashamed of the name, nay, I embrace it.

Barbar Winter Bok (aka Barbar Biere de Noel)

In the frosted Barbar handle mug, it appears dark brown, with a slim, tan head holding tight on top.

Aroma: Honey is evident, and doesn't contribute to too much sweetness, with orange there, too, and a nice drizzling of coriander. Interesting that the two main flavors of a wit are here in this dark winter offering, yet we don't really get the feel of a wit. The dark malts match those flavors to a t, although they don't add too many of their own. Some minor chocolate, a drip of molasses. (Or is that the honey tricking me?

Taste: sweet, smooth, and lightly spicy. Delcicious dark malt meets these sweet & spicy flavors, and I had to just call it a delight. It's not terrifically complex, but not everything has to be. It is medium to full body, and hangs in there on the palate, but doesn't overstay it's welcome. It's like sweet and lovely meets body and soul.

8% alcohol helps the heat and the warmth. Flavors are a total treat.

I'm still rather confused by the designation "bok", while they yet call it an "ale". ("Bock" beers are malty, dark lagers.) Maybe that word means something else in Belgium?

Something else weird, one the glass what looks like a sword and shield carrying amazon is a mono-toned outline, perhaps suggesting nudity? On the tap handle, the figure is clothed. Standards? Censorship? Whatever.It's a tasty brew, and I will return to it again.

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.

Coastin', Part 5

This one was inspired by Vincent Van Gogh. All I need to say.

Coastin', Part 4

Like I said, some of these were sketchy. Maybe Omar didn't get the unspoken promise to flesh them out later. Or, perhaps he remembered how long it took me to finish the Two label. (Not long to do, but very long to decide whether it was worthy.)
So, here we have something I had hinted at earlier, and taken a different approach with, for my Hop Heads Only Event...and lo, and behold, my friend Angie, with greater PhotoShop skills than I, brought it to fruition.
Here's my coaster doodle of the famous Magritte painting, with a hoppy twist. And Angie's excellent PhotoShop rendition.

Coastin', Part 3

This was an imprmptu pen doodle that I liked well enough to color with pastel pencils. The phrase was originally "What, Me
Surly?", but since this guy doesn't resemble Alfred E. Neuman, I switched it to "What, no more Surly?"

Coastin', Part 2

This one was inspired by a classic William Steig cartoon from his 1942 book, The Lonely Ones. This particular image once graced coffee mugs, cocktail napkins, ashtrays and more for decades. Hard to imagine a sentiment such as this being so widespread. I once found an ashtray of the cartoon at an antique store and gave it to an ex-gf I was still friends with, who was a smoker. She wasn't delighted by the gift and derided it with a sarcastic "what a cheery sentiment." When, you're addicted to coffin nails, how can you be a stranger to cynicism, I ask.
I'm currently on the hunt for items with his cartoons, via ebay or antique stores.Let me know if you run into any.

Coastin', Part 1

With the Surly Coaster Art Contest over and done, and me not the winner, I thought I'd share my entries. Maybe I didn't win because they were so sketchy. Only Omar knows. I had another one in mind to begin with, but then I saw this image in action. No kidding, I'm actually sitting at the bar at work, and a woman put a drink on her head. A dude standing nearby observed and put his pint on his pate. That does it, I'm keeping this one, and turning it into something else.

Hop Heads Only!

As alluded to earlier, here's the final art & flier/poster for the hoppy beer event next Saturday;