Long Trail Blackbeary Wheat

I have never been to Vermont (not a fan of winter sports) or lived there, so there was a slim chance I would have known or heard of this small brewery. I do have a love for discovering brews along the East cost and this beer really surprised me in quality. This beer definitely reminded me a bit of the weight of Blue Point's type of brews and I knew instantly, the light flavoring of blackberry and lager was a winning combination. I am never a fan of heavily flavored things which kind of explains why I dislike things that are too sour, painfully spicy, or so sweet the my gums sting, I look for brews that manage to pull off being flavored but not categorized as a fruit beer. Long Trail has several seasonals and year round beers, and they seem to do a bit of everything from india pale ales, pale ales, and even porters. I do want to try most of them and would look for a sampler soon.

As I write this, the year is really closing in and winding down to the last days of 2010. Every year is important and profound as long as we make commitments to creating great memories for ourselves, loved ones, and communities. It's never easy to look forward without looking back on what could have been done better, more efficiently or handled more maturely, but overall, one the greatest things I have learned over the years is to always try new things, especially food - and beer happens to be a food item!

Sam Adams Light

I cannot believe it is December already. Where did 2010 go? The hardest months are usually the ones where everything is rushed but at the same time there is just is not enough time to fit everything in one day. I could go on in length about the time aspect, being a commuter and dealing with transit delays and working on professional and personal projects that soak up every free block of time. I have to say, I have been pretty good this year with random beer purchases, stuck to my guns and did not buy anything that I knew I would just not like for the sake of trying it. I am, however, still a sucker for seasonal beers that are uninteresting but worth trying. The seasons have officially changed, the news reports snow in some areas, and the temperature has dropped considerably to warrant full winter clothing - all this leads to another seasonal beer run.

I am not a huge fan of Sam Adams brews, nothing against them but they are not local to me like how Brooklyn Lager is the standard local brewery in my eyes. When I first saw this, I knew I had to get some to try them because it is pretty uncommon to find an amber colored beer that isn't heavy or a light beer that doesn't have a ton of carbonation. Sam Adams Light accomplishes being a lighter ale with just enough carbonation for a refreshing beer. This could easily be a good replacement for a burger and fries beer instead of a regular lager.