Oktoberfest - Playoffs

Here are the brackets:

(1) Hacker-Pschorr___

  (6) Chelsea Fest____|------------------------|

(3) Ayinger________ ____________

(4) Blue Point______|--------|

---------------|

  (5) Weyerbacher____

(2) Paulaner_______|--------|

Note (1) and (2) didn't have to play in...

O'fest - final bracket (test 4)

Tonight's test was among the two remaining beers in the play-in round - Victory Festbier and Blue Point Oktoberfest.  I was expecting a Victory triumph. A route perhaps of epic proportions and I was WRONG!

Blue Point was the better beer.  I even put a little Cabot Clothbound Cheddar (btw, have you had this cheese?) between tastes and still Blue Point in a upset ROUTE!

Oktoberfest - test (part 3)

Test 3 had two draft beers face-off.

In one corner (and during the first quarter) was ROGUE Oktoberfest.  In the other (second quarter) was CHELSEA Festbier.  One coming all the way from OREGON. The other comes from just over the river.

Well, both were pretty boring.  I felt like the Rogue impersonated some of the massive German breweries and their move to a lighter color, lighter flavor Marzen.  It was pretty bad.  Rogue - we were having such a good run with the XS, Dead Guy Ale, & Tracktown 100 Meter.

Chelsea Festbier is a middler!  It's painfully average.

Winner - Chelsea Festbier

Tomato Soup

In the northeast, this is the time of the year for tomato soup to shine.  The red, ripe beefsteaks that remain are firm, but fully developed.

So this Sunday was a take on a recipe from the esteemed Deborah Madison.  I liked the recipe because it called for 4 things: butter, good tomatoes, shallots, & salt.

1. Peel & finely slice 10 shallots
2. Cut along the equator - 3 pounds tomatoes
3. Squeeze out seeds
4. Rough chop tomatoes
5. Melt 1/2 stick of butter in pot
6. Add shallots at medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes - do not allow to burn
7. Add salt
8. Add tomatoes and turn up heat
9. Add salt
10. Simmer for 30 minutes
11. Puree in food processor and serve with bread

It was pretty tasty.  She called for a food mill (for which i have none) and that would have solved getting the occasional skin in my mouth - the only problem with this soup.  Otherwise, pretty tremendous.

Oktoberfest - test (part 2)

Test 2

Stoudt's Oktoberfest versus Ayinger Oktoberfest. Usually, I love the beers from Adamstown, PA.  Stoudt's does a pretty fantastic job on all beers.  And this one is good, but not special.

Tasting next to Ayinger's lager, it felt acrid and thin.  Ayinger (not one of the six breweries selling beer in Munich during Oktoberfest) makes a balanced, malty, thick beer that is a fast 16.9 ounces of goodness!  

Winner - Ayinger by a landslide

Oktoberfest - test (part 1)

I figured it may be enjoyable to test some of the Oktoberfest beers I find against each other. Knowing I can't (or shouldn't) be drinking 8 or 9 in an evening. I'm moving along in a bracket method - beer versus beer.

Test 1

Weyerbacher Autumn Fest versus Geary's Autumn Ale. Ok, problem here - Geary's isn't a lager so this isn't a good test.

I proceeded anyway.  Well, the Geary's was terrible.  Ever want to like something, but you just can't.  That's me and Geary's.  No matter the beer - I find it terrible.

Winner - Weyerbacher. But this is one of their lower-quality beers.  It's a win, but not a good one.