BC4M's 100,000 Blog Hit Contest

The BC4M blog is nearing the coveted 100,000 hits mark. If YOU are the lucky 100,000th visitor, take a screen shot showing hit number 100,000 and send it to beerclubformen@cox.net and you will receive a BC4M prize pack which includes a T-shirt, pint glass, tasting glass, bottle opener and a RFG rated beer from our cellar. 

An Evening with Ace and Gary

As many of you loyal readers know, we have been big fans of local upstart brewer, Beach Brewing and have watched as their beers have gotten progressively more bolder, daring and certainly tastier. While their initial offerings were pedestrian and mainstream, it was after they hired home brewing champion Chicago Mike to work alongside head brewer Jean-Pierre LaDouche (a.k.a. Dan the Farting Brewer) that their beers got bigger and better as they released amazing beers like Hoptopus and Diablo Roja. It seems that the magical pairing of the two guys the BC4M have dubbed "Ace and Gary", had created a veritable melting pot of great new ideas that has led to the surge in popularity of their beers. Looking to push the envelop even further, it was unfortunate that creative differences with Beach Brewing President Steve Stifler had caused our duo to head out on their own in an attempt to bring a "fresh" attitude to craft beer. With fascinating ideas such as their black IPA "Mandingo's Anaconda", a cream stout called "The Milkman Cometh" and an imperial stout named "The Devil's Taint" the two were convinced they would find enough backing to have their operation up and running in no time. Last week, after Ace and Gary were finished canvassing the Commonwealth drumming up investment capital for their new brewpub, Manhole Brewing and Eatery, they stopped in to a BC4M meeting to share a few of their new recipes. First up was a pair of freshly kegged sours, called surprisingly enough, "KOCK" and "BALS". KOCK or "King Of da Creampipe Kriek" and BALS "Bare Ass Lavender Sour" were aged for almost 3 weeks in a used Wild Irish Rose barrel. Evidently the two sours have been a huge hit wherever they go as one of Ace and Gary's biggest fans penned a fan appreciation video to thank them for their amazing beers. "I suppose we are to believe the only thing he tried was your beer?" said a smirking Fred while Bim added, "Is that Chaz Bono?" Both beers were actually quite tasty, and had a nice balance between sweet and tart while showing real promise for future batches. Next we tried The Brew Kettle White Rajah (6.8%). This one smelled amazing from the start. A bounty of citrus tantalizes your nose while the hop bite upon finish puts it among the best IPAs on the market. Really good was the result so we then tried another IPA, this time it was an Odell / Thornbridge Pond Hopper (9.5%). Even though this one is labeled an Imperial / Double IPA, it is much more reminiscent of the standard English IPA. Lots of sweet malt and sugary flavor gives way to just a hint of hop bite. "Too much fucking sugar, not enough fucking hops at all" said Chicago Mike as we gave this one a mere good. Another IPA was then opened, an Eagle Rock Populist (7.0%) which wasn't much of an improvement over the Pond Hopper. "West Coast IPA my ass" said Bim, as Fred added, "They wont be in business long if they keep making this shit". It graded as a good at best, so we then tried a Two Brothers Circus Penguin (5.9%), a pale ale supposedly brewed with organic beets and blood oranges. "What the fuck, another Greenpeace organic nonsense beer?" yelled Fred, while Jean-Pierre replied, "Organic Beets!....be still my beating heart". One sip and resident veterinarian Bim poured his out, "Tastes like it was made with dried monkey urine, and I would know". Lacking any recognizable flavors, it did however have a hint of hops and so it got a so/so. Next was a lambic from one of the best IPA breweries in America, Alpine and their Chez Monieux (5.8%). Bright ruby red color and a sweet and sour cherry flavor gave this one a nice touch that was a crowd pleaser. Really good was the score so we then tried Alpine and New Belgium's Gouden Vallei (7.29%). "I think that means Valley of Boobs" said the mammary loving Fred, while Wilder added, "Sounds like a great spot for our next man trip". This one is a pale ale spiced with pink peppercorns (what the fuck?) that adds a nice hit of spice to the finish. Crisp and airy, it was refreshing and rated a solid good. We then tried an Olde Schoolhouse Hooligan Stout (7.6%) that was typical of the style with a bit of cocoa on the back end and just enough hops to balance it nicely. A good we next opened an Odell Footprint RegionAle (9.5%). Seemingly taking a cue from Sam at Dogfish Head who is on a quest to add every fucked up sounding ingredient known to man to a beer, the boys at Odell decided to use an ingredient from each of the 10 states they distribute to. Jamming everything in the boil from wheat, corn, barley, green chilis and even prickly pears, this one has a lot going on. In fact, there is too much going on as the different flavors hit your taste buds at various times leaving your tongue confused. Its as if they took Thanksgiving dinner and blended it into a frappe so you can drink your whole meal at once. Thankfully this wasn't quite that bad and it finished decent but still only garnered a good. Our final beer of the night was a Ballast Point Tongue Buckler (10.0%). This was the first beer Fred and Nestle had when they went to California last year and this was also the first time any of the BC4M boys had a chance to try it. Big, bold, sticky and hoppy like a mofo, this is like Oskar Blues Gordon (or G'Knight to you newbies) on steroids. "Almost like a fucking barleywine" said Chicago Mike, while Wilder added, "My tongue is definitely buckled, but I ain't gonna lie, this shit is good". The consensus was that it was easily the equal to the RFG rated Gordon so it too joined the coveted list. Done for the night, we almost pissed ourselves laughing as we watched our favorite beer making duo make their way out the door. Until next time boys and girls...when you are thirsty and need something to "hose" you off just remember to check out our pals Ace and Gary.....they are always UP to something.

Cheers to you Richard Dawson

For many of us who grew up in the 70's and 80's, one of the golden standards of television was the afternoon game show. From Match Game, to The Newlywed Game to Bob Barker and The Price is Right, game shows filled the schedule on all 3 of the major networks (that's right you spoiled fucktards living in grandma's basement with your 500 channels of Japanese anime porn, we only had 3 back then and we even had to get up to change the channel). Perhaps the greatest of them all starred a dashing English transplant who had risen to fame earlier in his career by playing Corporal Newkirk on the smash comedy series Hogan's Heroes. The game show of course was Family Feud, and no one owned the set like the horny bloke from the U.K. that would start each show by planting his lips on every female contestant regardless of size, race or age. With a quick wit and a charming smile that even ultimate pantie peeling crooner Tom Jones could have taken a lesson from, Dawson was the original TV pimp master. Show after show, year after year, our affable host watched as some of the most "gifted" and "educated" people on the planet took their chances on winning the "Feud" and going home with the then monumental sum of $5000 bucks. They just don't make them like they used to, and it was with much sadness that the BC4M's version of Richard Dawson, hooter aficionado Snake Pliskin himself, delivered the news to the rest of us that the greatest host of all time had been called up to the big game show in the sky. Snake, who's hearty laugh and endless supply of machismo captivates all the ladies, usually spends most of his time at a BC4M meeting making like Richard by kissing and fondling our better halves instead of drinking beer. He thought it was only fitting to call a special meeting to have a few drinks to honor the "kissing bandit" himself. First up was a new wild ale from The Bruery, Otiose (8.2%). Aged in oak barrels with guava added, the sour notes puckered Snakes lips and he asked, "did you say guano added?, cause this tastes funky as fuck!" Everyone else seemed to enjoy it and we rated it a solid good. Next up was the newest release from another of our favorite brewers, Firestone Walker Wookey Jack (8.3%). Black IPA's are all the rage in the craft beer world, as seemingly every brewer is coming out with one, most of which are watery messes that are better left in a portajohn. This one however, is simply amazing, "Holy fuck that is good", said Fred, as Bim added, "Does everything they make have to be so fucking good?". With a crisp hoppy body and a touch of rye that gives it a slight peppery finish this is one fine beer and it received the coveted RFG. We then moved on to a collaboration between The Bruery and Bootlegger's Brewing, Chocosaurus Rye (7.0%), a rye beer that has cocoa nibs and vanilla beans added to the mix. Only the most subtle hints of vanilla could be detected although there was a substantial amount of milk chocolate flavor that was sadly a tad flat for our liking. Still it was a solid effort on a style we hadn't ever had and it got a good. The next beer was from another west coast great, The Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme (11.0%). This is a big brown ale that they use 4 types of sugars in before throwing it into bourbon barrels for over a year all the while sitting on a bed of sour cherries. This is one massively complex beer that tantalizes your tongue with a barrage of bold flavors including raisins, dates, cherries, and bourbon. "This is my type of beer" smiled Snake, as Fred added, "Too many of these and someone is going home without panties". A really good was the rating so we then tried a Old SchoolHouse Brewer's Reserve Imperial Stout (10.0%). This one had a solid but not spectacular stout body with a a roasted malt backbone that screamed mediocre. Merely a good, we then tried The Bruery Sans Pagaie (5.8%). This is another wild ale from Patrick Rue and the boys and it was yet another winner. Sour lemon and sour cherry combined with a surprisingly ripe smell that could stop a horny billygoat in his tracks, although the taste was simply crisp and refreshing. "That shit smells like shit" said Snake, while Bim added, "Hmm, smells sorta like the uterus of that cum dumpster I saw today at the clinic". As he dunked a handful of chips into the cheese dip he laughed and added, "Or did I just forget to wash my hands after I saw her?" Despite the stomach turning description of the meat flaps Bim had massaged earlier in the day, this one was a real treat and got a really good. Our final beer of the night was The Bruery Barrel Aged Smoking Wood (13.0%). As many of you know, we generally despise three types of beers, light lagers like Bud, hefeweizens and rauchbiers. To us, the typical rauchbier tastes like they took the ashes from a fire bombed towel-head hideout and fermented it through a baby's soiled diaper before bottling it. This one however, is simply divine. Not overpoweringly smokey like your great aunt Gertrude and her 5 pack a day Pall Mall habit, this one is much more subtle and allows the porter base to shine through with a surprisingly sour finish. "Guys, I gotta tell ya, this is my favorite beer of the night" said Snake. We all agreed it was phenomenal and it too garnered an RFG rating. By this time, we were a bit tipsy and decided to call it a night with one final salute to a one of kind television icon.....Survey Says...........Rest in peace brother....