BEER - Opaaafest

I had a few spare dollars so I snagged a pair of Opaaafest Oktoberfest Lagers from Opa Opa Brewing Company last night, and had them both tonight.

As far as the style goes, it was average. Average as in: basic, nothing unique, not bad but not good enough to seek out. It was a pleasant experience, but that's about it. Which is unfortunate, because I love their IPA and a few other beers of theirs, which I used to get on tap out in western MA when I'd go to live shows at the Iron Horse and other local music venues. Oh well...

So: I do not recommend this particular beer. I will say that I do enjoy the festive artwork. And huge points for it being a label.

BEER - Great Fruit IPA

My brother in law (my sister's husband) took me and his son to Wachusett Brewery (which is a hop, a skip and a jump from the lake, where we were all hanging out), for lunch today. I had the pretty decent buttermilk chicken sandwich and some amazing french fries to eat, and alongside them I had a Great Fruit IPA. It was good, with a nice scent and a decent flavor, but it was rather unremarkable (which isn't necessarily bad, it's not). I'd drink it again for sure, but it's not really a 'gotta have it' offering, like their Nut Brown Ale has always been since the late 90's.

 

 

 

Tour Season

I do my best to keep the local music live performance dates current. 

Sadly, I haven't had the disposable income to travel and see as many shows as I'd like, which is especially disheartening now that several of my favorite national acts are touring in the fall and winter of this year.

Shows I'd like to attend this year:

• Pete Yorn is playing in MA, VT and NH in early September, the 10th - 12th.
• IVY will be in Boston on 11/14.

It's hard to believe that with all of the shows I've been to over the decades, the last few I've attended were back in 2018 (Paperwhite and Echosmith), and before that, 2015 (MuteMath). Ah, life. Hopefully I'll get to at least one of the above shows, plus several of our local favorites.

BEER - Thrill Seeker DIPA

Last night I had a pair of pints of yet another beer from Little Willow Brewing Company. What can I say? It's a very cold chapter of winter, and I'd rather not come home with a roulette-losing random pick, so I am going with a reliable source (haha).

Thrill Seeker DIPA is another double dry hopped New England style IPA. It is heavily hopped with Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, and Citra cryo hops, and the cans are full of seeds (the likes for which I am always grateful). Plus that piney scent that I love. Extremely hazy in the best way, both cans went down incredibly smooth from out of the glass, though in this case, the 8% ABV slapped me in the face rather quickly. Totally worth it for two pints of amazing flavor (peaches and tropical fruits mostly). Next time I'll get a few more than just this pair from the singles case, and also have a decent meal beforehand. Highly recommended.

BEER - Snow Sculpture IPA

Last night I tried another beer from Little Willow Brewing Company out of Florence, MA, their double dry hopped Snow Sculpture IPA. 

With its Vera and Citra hops, this beer paired ridiculously well with the Black Forest ham and lacy Swiss cheese I was eating alongside the pints. And at 7.1% ABV it didn't pound me over the head with the alcohol content. There are so many great beers from this microbrewery that I highly recommend a visit if you're ever in that part of western Massachusetts. It's on my list for this summer!

I drank all four of the 16 oz can pack, and toward the end I decided to open and sample some dried squid (a favorite bar snack in South Korea) in three different flavors. The plain version was quite delicious, just the right degree of salty. The smoked variety was my favorite, such a great flavor to go along with the chewy texture. And the hot style was fantastic, so flavorful that it made my nose actually run, but in the best way possible (haha). If you're ever presented with dried squid, give it a try, especially if you already enjoy jerky or dried seafood of other types.