Beerce

I tried a couple new brews recently.

Cecil had bought some Lucifer Belgian Ale to try and he shared one with me while we were hanging out at his place a few days ago. Only after tasting it did we go back and notice it was 9% alcohol, or about double the strength of the German lagers I drink on a regular basis. Honestly these kind of long fermented ales are a little hard to enjoy when you're feeling like drinking more than one beer in a sitting. It goes down slow, getting more flavorable as it warms slightly, but by the time you feel that extra kick, the taste is a little much already. Comparable to Fat Tire's Trippel Ale but maybe not as delicate.

I grabbed a 6-pack of Independence Pale Ale, which I assume is the flagship of the Austin-based Independence Brewery. The label has a nice painting of Angelina Eberly, the inn-lady wot saved Austin in ye olden times with a single blast from her cannon. The first thing I noticed was the fairly substantial head it produces even when poured very slowly. It doubles as a timer that lets you know when this one is at about the right temperature. As it recedes, it leaves fluffy formations of foam that dance lightly on the drinker's moustache in an altogether pleasant manner. I definitely like it but the price was a little much ($7.99/6). The flavor reminds me of Sam Adams. There's a tour on the first of December with a complimentary tasting at the end, and I was thinking about checking it out. I'm interested in the Austin Amber and Freestyle Wheat brews and that sounds like a nice way to spend an afternoon.