Einstök Wee Heavy

 

Einstök Wee Heavy. Scottish Ale brewed with Angelica root and smoked barley. 

8% ABV, Einstök Beer Company, Stratford, CT. 

Hmmm…no longer from Iceland, eh? Interesting.,.

Dark burgundy hue, rich tan head, mostly opaque.

In the nose: thoroughly malty, a touch of sweetness, a little spice, whiff of licorice. Cola? This one’s got me going. 

In the mouth: soft, rounded, smooth & delicious. Medium bodied. Sweetness and spice mix with the malt, blend with the high ABV and turn out a treat. 

I love a good Wee Heavy and this is surely one. 

Viking history in Scotland goes back a thousand years. Even our brew master studied in Edinburgh, where he carefully surveyed the local brew. Our Scotch Ale is the first of its kind to use Icelandic-grown, birch-smoked barley in collaboration with Eimverk distillery in Garðabær. We then add native Icelandic Angelica, a fabled herb used by Vikings past. Our Wee Heavy is rich and hearty, with a touch of smokiness, and remains incredibly balanced. Your tastebuds have no choice but to be conquered.

Ol’ George 74: Buzzless Buddies

 Ol’ George 74: Buzzless Buddies 

Notes on #74:

1. I was aware of the People of Color problem in my strip, and I wanted to fix it. There’s only been one, back in #26, Thelonious Monk. He could return, but I never thought of him as a regular cast member. (Lie. I’ve always nurtured an idea of a strip of some kind where Monk is an incidental character.) And I thought back to an idea that’s been in the stock pile for over a year.

2. The man I’m calling Charlie is based on a customer at the store where I work. I’d helped him several times with his searches for N/A beers. His type was bottled European lagers and his favorite was the German Clausthaler. One day I just happened to be filling in on a register when he came up with his 6-pack and said almost verbatim the words I’ve put in Charlie’s mouth. I never wrote them down, just committed it to memory. Told a friend and co-worker, they asked if I would show it to him once I’d drawn it. No, because I would never be able to conjure a decent likeness from memory, and I could just imagine the reception: is that supposed to be me?

So, why did I put it off for over a year? Because of the work involved with designing a character based on a real person I barely knew. And I think I did an alright job. As long as he never sees it. 

And you know what is weird? I haven’t seen him since. I hope he merely moved away, and didn’t fall off the wagon or have any other dire fate befall him. 

3. In the first sketch I ever did of this as-yet unnamed character, I went no further because he seemed too young. He also wore a hat with the letter O, for some reason. I imagined his name started with an O, hence the hat. But I hated that. I’m glad I changed it because some might confuse it for a zero as in zero percent alcohol. Now, it’s a T for no particular reason. Maybe he’s from Texas, or Tenn-o-see, as Waylon would say. Maybe it’s for his favorite team, and I hope no one out there has that color scheme. 

4. Given the familiarity between them, I imagine George and Charlie have known each other awhile. Maybe since the times of whooping and hollering. Maybe he’s been there all along? Watch as I pull a Lucas and go back and insert him into all the old strips. Put him place of Riblet and Balonious. (No, just kidding.)

Inbound Silence of the Bock Doppelbock

 Inbound Silence of the Bock Doppelbock. 

 6.8 % ABV, Inbound BrewCo., Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Dark brown, opaque, tan head. 

In the nose: slightly sweet, malty, caramel. 

In the mouth: rich, robust, well-rounded. Delicious stuff. Caramel and cocoa. Malty, full-bodied. Just strong enough. 

It’s a good old fashioned doppelbock and I don’t get enough of those. 

Arbeiter Càphin Vietnamese Coffee Stout

 Arbeiter Càphin Vietnamese Coffee Stout.

5.7 % ABV, 21 IBU, Arbeiter Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Impenetrable, dark brown, lush tan/cocoa head. 

In the nose: incredible aromatics. Coffee spills out of the glass and invades the nose. Rich, earthy, malty. 

In the mouth: chocolate and cocoa Greer the palate first. Coffee’s right behind, slightly sweet and creamy. Earthy, malty, smooth, delicious. 

Grab this whenever you see it, but don’t get mad at me if you don’t for a while. I procrastinated just a little on this, as is my wont. (Two months? It could be so much worse.) 

Ol’ George #73: Monkey Business

 

Notes on #73:

1. I went meta again. Does everyone in this particular strip know that they are characters in a comic strip? Well, they do now. Does who appears know? No, they don’t. If you’ll recall, the knowledge blew Balonious’ mind. 

2. Little Punch, the world’s favorite monkey, only seven months old,…drinking a beer?!? Yes. It’s a comic strip after all. You should see it when he shares with his orang-mommy, it’s so cute! 

3. Wait, didn’t I hint earlier that George had a secret crush on Irma? Yes, and he’s trying to keep it that way! 

Nine Mile Statement of Westy West Coast IPA

 Nine Mile Statement of Westy West Coast IPA.

6.7 % ABV, Nine Mile Brewing, Bloomington, Minnesota. 

Clearish, bright golden hue, firm ivory head.

In the nose: bold, vibrant, assertive. Packed with citrus and pine. 

In the mouth: bitterness leads the fray onto the palate. Orange, marmalade, tangerine tickle the tastebuds. Medium bodied, easy drinking. 

I’ve had this fresh at the tap room and I’ll have it again every time I go. 

Ol’ George #72: Terrapin Trouble

 Ol’ George #72: Terrapin Trouble 

Notes on 72: 

1. Churchy La Femme and Albert Alligator (from “Pogo”, don’t you know) are the first reptiles to grace these panels. May there be many more. 

They are also the first Pogo characters with speaking roles. Aside from a cameo by the titular possum in #62 and an anonymous bug in #55. There are more to come. 

2. One of Ol’ turtle’s great worries was Friday the 13th, no matter what day of the week it fell on. I often forget that not everyone reads and re-reads as much Pogo as I do. Who remembers that about Churchy? It would help if any of the attempts to continue the characters were successful after Kelly’s 1972 death, or that there were any well-known works in other media (the way so many know Peanuts from the animated specials). One problem is that it is impossible to write like Walt Kelly. I had to edit Churchy’s dialogue, because I honest can’t recall any of his characters ever saying “y’all’s.”

I remember “rowrbazzle” as a favorite Albertism in my early readings, but only recently discovered the beauty of “moomph”, an alternative harrumph. “Foo!” is a lovely stand-in for “phooey”, although spoken by Pogo. The nature’s screechers in the swamp don’t speak a regional dialect, they have their very own language. “Veritabobble catastafoo “ was stolen directly from a strip, probably out of Churchy’s mouth. 

3. Long ago, I said George is called Ol’ George after Geo Herriman’s calling himself “the Ol’ man.” Not really. It’s after the way all the animals in Pogo call each other “Ol’” as in Ol’ owl, Ol’ Deacon Mushrat, Ol’ Pogo, Ol’ mole, Ol’ Fremount, the boy bug. Etcetera. 

4. Where did Churchy’s beer go in panel four? What happened to his right arm? Why doesn’t Albert have s beer? Oh, these questions! 

Padraigs Dullahan’s Nitro Stout

Padraigs Dullahan’s Nitro Stout. 

5 % ABV, Padraigs Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Dark brown, absolutely opaque, lush tan head. 

In the nose: bittersweet, roasty, mostly malty. Cocoa and caramel with a whiff of vanilla. 

In the mouth: exceptionally smooth, sliding down with ease. Rich and malty, on top of the creamy, nitro pillow. Nice and dry, coffee and caramel dominating the flavor. Pretty swell, this one. Slainte! 

(Oh, yeah, I didn’t pour correctly. Got to be more aggressive next time!) 

Our take on the most classic of Irish beers is dark and dry with strong roasted malt flavors of coffee and dark chocolate with low hop aroma.

Surly Dry Irish Stout

 Surly Dry Irish Stout.

4.5 % ABV, Surly Brewing, Twin Cities, MN. 

Dark brown color, thoroughly opaque, small tanned head. 

In the nose: dry and malty, notes of cocoa and coffee. Fits the bill so far. 

In the mouth: smooth, rich and roasty, hearty and highly drinkable. Just enough bitterness, tiny touch of sweet. Fully fulfills the style. If this is a style you dig, go out and dig it. Save some for next Tuesday. 

Smooth, roasty, and light-bodied, Surly's Dry Irish Stout is a like a cozy corner pub in a can (or glass). The toasty malt flavor and dry finish will have you buying another round and speaking in a surprisingly authentic brogue in no time. Or at least that's what it does for us.

Junkyard Phaser West Coast Style IPA

 Junkyard Phaser West Coast Style IPA. 

6.4 % ABV, Junkyard Brewing, Moorhead, Minnesota. 

Crystal clear, bright golden color, large ivory head. 

In the nose: dry and citrusy, with sweet and tropical creeping in through the cracks. 

In the mouth: clean and somewhat crisp. Plenty of bitterness graces the palate, but not quite enough. That’s the theme of the thing: close but not enough. Do I expect too much of so-called West Coast IPAs? I suspect that I do. But, someone’s gotta be the one to call it out. 

Medium bodied, long, bitter finish. Not too shabby there. 

I get samples from Junkyard fairly often, and they’re usually hazy IPAs, so you don’t see them here. I drink them but never enjoy them. This one I bought with my own money, breaking my rule against $15 4-packs. I don’t regret the purchase, not entirely. 

I do wish I knew why Spock looks like he was drawn by Osamu Tezuka. 

After careful evaluation, Phaser has proven… fascinating. This West Coast IPA is propelled by a bold, no-nonsense hop engine that delivers brisk acceleration across the palate—bright pine, citrus zest, and resinous bitterness at velocities hop lovers find thrilling. Efficiency is not the objective here; precision and impact are. Aromatic output is unapologetically loud, crisp, and assertive, finishing clean and dry with classic West Coast clarity.

It would be illogical to hesitate in acquiring this beer.

One additional note: a single eyebrow may be raised in approval upon first sip.

Please do not inform McCoy.

Ol’ George #71

 Ol’ George #71

Notes on #71

1. No notes, 10/10!

2. Just kidding. 

When I wrote this and started drawing it, it occurred to me that many of you won’t get it, some of you will hate it, and a few of you will completely cut me from your lives, disown me, and/or privately wish for my death. I find that very unfortunate and am more than a little ashamed of you. It’s just a cartoon, after all. One of my most meta. I warned you this was going to happen. 

Who knows what is really happening here? I won’t tell…I probably don’t even know. 

3. I’ll tell more about the sign in panel two. It refers to the 1954 Dr. Seuss movie “The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T”, wherein the titular Dr. Terwilliger, an evil piano teacher played deliciously by Hans Conreid, has captured 500 children and is forcing them to play a giant piano. It was a big flop, this first and only live action film of Seuss’ lifetime, but I love it. One of the final songs (yes, it’s a musical) is a high camp number called “Do Me Do Duds” where Hans announces to his manservants how he would like to be dressed up for his grand concert. It closes with: “Dress me up in pretzels, dress me up in bock beer suds!” 

And that might be the last time beer is mentioned in the works of Dr. Seuss. (Prior to his kids’ book career, Seuss did a good amount of beer advertising art.) 

Hammerheart Høst Øl

 

Hammerheart Høst Øl. Smoked Wheat Ale.

8.1 % ABV, Hammerheart Brewing, Ely, MN. 

Clear, burgundy hued, slim white head. 

In the nose: smoke hits first, then sweet malt, then the smoke. Little to no hops. 

In the mouth: super smooth, rich, malty, delicious, warming. Perfect winter beer. Smoke subsides a bit and caramel and toffee take over. Yum a dum dum. 

A beer inspired by Scandinavian Harvest ales, brewed for late autumn as the first snow arrives on fallen birch leaves in the Northwoods. Our Høst Øl is rich in malt flavor, balanced by earthy hops, clove esters, and mild oak-smoke. Høst Øl celebrates the last days of fall before the beauty of winter sets in. 

Ol’ George #70:

 Ol’ George #70

Notes on #70:

1. When I came up with the central joke, I had to do my due diligence and surely enough, it was not original. In fact, it has been used for four beers: an Imperial Stout by a brewpub in San Juan Capistrano (checked in by one person on Untappd), a Black IPA in the Czech Republic, a Hazy IPA in Jersey City, and a Cold IPA by Sun King of Indiana, which has the best label design of them all. 

2. Irma is an emu, and I always, absurdly, worry about drawing her “correctly.” She has purple feathers instead of brown, for starters, but that was a choice. Her neck is never long enough. Her wingspan is much larger than a real emu, but how else could she do her job? I sometimes forget the nostrils on her beak, which are quite large on a real one. I’ve never drawn her entire body, and maybe never will. Although, Never say never. 

But why worry, it’s a cartoon! There’s a lot of wholly inaccurate cartoon animals out there, I’m sure no one cares. Do Snoopy and Woodstock look anything like a real dog or bird? 

3. I decided to experiment with this one and inked the George and Irma figures with India ink and brush, everyone/thing else with the usual felt tip pen. I was then going to color those figures with watercolor, and that’s when it hit me. The felt tip pens are not waterproof.! You can see where this went wrong if you look. This whole endeavor is a work in progress and I have never promised perfection. I will try inking with brush again, but it’s hard, and requires concentration. 

4. Media: pencil, India ink, felt tip pen, watercolor, colored pencil. 

You know what phrase I have always hated? Pen and ink. Often, the drawing in question was done with brush, but no one ever says “brush and ink.” And no painting is described as “brush and oil”. Did anyone ever call Jackson Pollock’s action paintings “gravity and acrylic”? 

See, I think about this stuff, maybe too much. 

Modist Folklor Oak-aged Bock

Modist Folklor Oak-aged Bock. 

Mahogany hue, clear, creamy, tanned head. 

In the nose: sweet and malty, caramel-y, classic. 

In the mouth: rich and malty, with restrained sweetness All smooth, all the time. Clean and balanced. Small bitterness. Maybe too sweet? No, say I, it’s just right. Awesome bock! I have thoroughly enjoyed this. 

German-style Bock w/ Munich malt, caramunich malt, melanoidin malt, carafa special malt, aged in American oak foeders

Barrel Theory Resin Tomb West Coast India Pale Ale

 Barrel Theory Resin Tomb West Coast India Pale Ale with Chinook, Citra T-90 + Simcoe hops.

When it’s this cloudy, why bother calling it West Coast? Should I even

continue? Yes, I sigh, resignedly…bright gold, ivory head, impenetrable…

In the nose: bold & vibrant, floral & citric, just about gorgeous. 

In the mouth: tasty. Lemon and orange. Some bitterness, but not enough to call it a West Coast. People getting pretty free and easy with their definitions around here. Too soft and fuzzy. 

This brewery may have made a decent WC once before if I can recall. But this is so far from the mark, I wonder why they even try. 

Indeed Moon Dance Oatmeal Stout

 Indeed Moon Dance Oatmeal Stout.

5.1 % ABV, 25 IBU, Indeed Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Dark brown, with ruby edges, creamy tan head. 

In the nose: roasty and dry, slightly bittersweet, earthy coffe & cocoa notes.

In the mouth: smooth and delicious, cocoa & coffee staying centered on the palate. Medium bodied with a malty finish. Quite delightful. 

Ol’ George #69: The Sign Part 7

 Ol’ George #69: The Sign Part 7.

Notes on # 69: 

1. The end! The ultimate! The culmination! Why did it take me almost four months to finish, due to all the new ideas I came up with or the seasonal stories that had to be drawn at just the right time? No, because I had to figure out how to draw a men’s room. 

2. You’ll see George drinking Bad Kitty Beer again, but not from a pint glass, cans and bottles only. Unless there are branded glasses left over at the bar and Irma feels that it would be okay to pour a different tap beer into one for her Ol’ pal George now and then. When he looks on the logo, it’s like he’s seeing himself. 

3. That’s why it’s his favorite beer. It was never actually any good. 

4. Do you ever wonder why I date the strips earlier than I publish them? I always add the date when I begin drawing. This one was started Saturday night, pencils done Sunday night, inks done Monday, color finished tonight…or, maybe tomorrow, I’m getting sleepy…

Sierra Nevada West Ghost Modern West Coast IPA

 

Sierra Nevada West Ghost Modern West Coast IPA .

7.2 % ABV, 6.5 % IBU, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, CA & elsewhere. 

At first, I thought this was a joke. SN puts out a 4-pack of 16-ouncers with a comical name & label art and wants $19 for it? They must be kidding! Luckily, I got a sample can, so I didn’t have to spend nothing! I mean, for $19, I can get a 12-pack! 

Clear, bright golden hue, large, lush ivory head. 

In the nose: big time citrus and a side order of pine. Tiniest touch of tropical.

In the mouth: big hops, bitter, dry…not quite crisp… lightly abrasive…somewhat refreshing… but not exactly what I’m looking for in a…wait a minute, what on Earth is a “modern West Coast IPA?” 

I’m still investigating it…I’m coming up with a lack of crystal malts, which I never knew was a thing…some say less bitter, more tropical…I say that’s blasphemy! 

I enjoyed this okay, but not $19 okay. 

An old-school IPA back from the dead, lest we forget that today's haze began bright. This West Coast ghost is uber crisp and proudly bitter, with notes of citrus and sweet fruit.

Bauhaus Brew Labs x Hammerheart Brewing Company Gräor Alder the Grey Nordic Porter

 

Bauhaus Brew Labs x Hammerheart Brewing Company Gräor Alder the GreyNordic Porter.

8.8 % ABV, 28 IBU, Bauhaus Brew Labs, Minneapolis, Minnesota in collaboration with Hammerheart Brewing, 

Deep black, lush tan head. 

In the nose: getting spruce (wrong: juniper) and smoke, over cocoa and coffee. 

In the mouth: what was in the nose comes on the tongue, and it’s a smooth, but bittersweet thing. Significantly hoppy and bitter,  with creamy and smooth the order of the day. 

Alcohol lays low, until it doesn’t. Smoke grows. Roasted barley and rich malt makes this a mighty thing. 

Forged in collaboration with Hammerheart Brewing Co. in Ely, MN, Gråor: Alder the Grey is a nordic porter that channels the spirit of the north into liquid form. Alderwood smoked malt weaves through layers of chocolate, caramel, and roasted barley like fog through frozen pines, while our Haus-made botanical tincture of juniper, peppercorn, birchwood, cardamom, and rosemary conjures the raw essence of nordic wilderness. This hauntingly smooth tribute to the woods pours jet black at 8.8% ABV.

Ol’ George #68: Bein’ Blue

 Ol’ George #68: Bein’ Blue

Notes on #68:

1. There are four artists who have been my greatest inspirations since my earliest youth: Charles M. Schulz, Walt Kelly, Ted “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, and Jim Henson. If I had to choose a fifth, Chuck Jones. 

Sure, I watched the newest Muppet Show, and I enjoyed it, and it got me re-watching old episodes. And thinking about how the show ended because Jim wanted to do movies, and he couldn’t do it all. Well, what if he farmed it out earlier and let others take over his roles on the show? Maybe then, we wouldn’t be discussing and debating Kermit performers 35 years after his death. We’d be used to it by now.

No, that’s crazy! Jim was Kermit, he would never have given the role up. And I don’t think a Henson-less Muppet Show would have worked at all. Every time, on the Show or the Street or elsewhere, that I see one of his scenes, I imagine the man down below, having the time of his life.