March 30, 2011

Beer: Pliny The Elder, Russian River Company

I couldn't think of a better beer to start Triple B. Pliny is one of those beers you search and search for. If a bar gets a keg or a store gets a case, it's a pretty surefire bet that it'll be gone soon.

Belmont Station (you'll be hearing of this place a lot) is a unique beer store near where I'm staying in Southeast Portland. The store has over 1,000 different beers at any time and is connected to a biercafe with a rotating tapline. I heard through the grapevine that they had picked up a case of Pliny The Elder, and I made it in time to grab two bottles.

The story goes that Pliny The Elder discovered the hop plant way, way, way back when hops grew wild. Obviously, this is a hoppy, hoppy Imperial IPA. This beer is consistently ranked in the Top 10 beers in the country, and it's no secret why. It pours a beautiful, golden-amber color with a large, dissipating head. The scent is incredibly floral and it sits on the palate nicely. I feel like this beer tastes exactly how you'd want any IPA to taste. It is so balanced that you have to make sure you enjoy each taste. I highly recommend that you seek this one out. Don't pass up the Pliny.

Music:

Since discovering her a few months back, I keep going back to one specific performance by Esperanza Spalding.

Spalding is a native Portlander, and a rare female jazz bassist/singer. She's now best known for winning Best New Artist at the Grammy's over heavy favorite Justin Bieber. The performance I've chosen is from a special evening at the White House, where she played a solo rendition of Lauryn Hill's "Tell Him". Enjoy. Seriously, enjoy.

 

Welcome!!!

Hello and welcome to The Beats and Brew Blog, or, as I will be calling it, The BBB or Triple B. This is designed to be a place for me to share good music and good beer.

Music:
I intend to post one song in each publishing. If possible or necessary, I will include a link or video. The songs that are posted will probably be eclectic in style and will most likely be something that has been hovering around the inside of my head for awhile. I will not be posting a new song every day, but rather each time I also post about a beer.

Beer:
I do not and will not drink a beer every day. Therefore, posts will be sporadic, but each beer post will include a song. I will only be posting songs that I like, and in general, I will only be posting beers that I enjoy. I've decided not to form a rating/ranking system (1-5 stars) because I usually do some research about a beer before I buy it, including how it rates on www.beeradvocate.com, so odds are that I will find some good in each one. Instead, I will tell you whether you should stay away from one, if I recommend it, or if you should seriously seek it out. I hope that I will have you searching for many delicious and rare brews.

I will try to give as much detail as I can. I'd prefer not to sit down with a pad and paper each time I crack one open, so I'll most likely be relying on memory. Please, feel free to comment on anything you see here at The BBB. I'm open to questions, as well as your own music/beer suggestions.

Cheers!