San Fran Trip Wed - 6/25
OK. Hi everyone….
Started out with us walking to the train station a couple blocks from work. Earlier in the week I had a conversation Eric about how you could smoke on the streets of San Fran and nobody would care. Well, on the way to the train we passed a cop who was talking to some guys. He was saying that even though they were using it for medicinal purposes the really shouldn’t be smoking on the corner there. (Still in Mountain View). He also said that every county enforces it differently and that it would be different if they were in San Franscisco nobody would even bat an eye. Thought that was a rather interesting thing for a cop to be telling someone.
Got to the train. It was one of those double decker ones. Pretty sweet. Bought a day pass for the train (Same price as two one way trips - $11.50) and hopped aboard. Passed a lot of cool scenery and about 45 mins later we were in San Fran. Got off the train and bought a street car ticket ($1.50) that was good till 10:30. Pretty sweet. Wouldn’t have to buy another one for the return trip J The street car was CROWDED… There was a very long section where it was all underground. Very cool. Around this time I realized that my phone was at 12% battery power K No phone calls for me unless it’s an emergency… Don’t want to be out of power especially in a new city.
Got off the street car and walked to the Toronado which was a couple blocks away. When we got there the place was PACKED. I mean crazy packed. Apparently it is standard for most bars on Haight to be packed every night…. Stood around for a bit waiting on Andrew so I ordered a Foedre #3. Not my thing. Tasted like a fermented wine/beer hybrid. Very sweet and yet very bitter. Actually made my stomach hurt a bit. Turns out that a lot of people weren’t that excited about it cause there were full glasses of it sitting around that nobody was drinking. Hahaha
Finished that one (wasn’t going to waste it even though I didn’t like it) and ordered a Franziskaner Hefe which was pretty damn good. J I’ve included a review of the Hefe below.
We found a table in the back that nobody was using so grabbed it and waited for Andrew to show up. Andrew showed up and we hung out for a while and chatted. He bought me a beer if I would go get em so I went up and ordered two Pliny the Elder’s cause that’s what Andrew was drinking. At the bottom is a review of Pliny as well that is pretty spot on.
After that beer we headed out because we were running late and weren’t sure if I was going to make the Street car to get back to the train on time. When we got to the closest trolly station we saw that I had missed it and the next one would be there in 20 mins. Boarded the next trolly hoping that it would be a little ahead of schedule but when I got to the train station at 10:35 it was to late. Ah well. Midnight would be the next train so I sat in the terminal with a couple other people. After a LONG hour wait the train finally boarded and took me back to Mountain View where I had a 30 min walk or so to negotiate back to the hotel.
I’ve never been so glad to get to a hotel before… hahahaha Most comfortable bed ever….
So that’s my adventure in a nutshell. Might be more details but it’s lost in the fog of good beer.
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Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/142/1946
Had this on tap at Krumme Lanke in Berlin in June of 2008. Was almost perfectly suited for being next to a small lake in the evening in Germany.
Served in a Weizen glass. Sort of like a tornado of sweet beer. Lighter towards the bottom and darker where the glass has a bigger diameter, finally ending in a playful head that was served just right. Very pretty color sfor a hefeweizen- soft gold to almost a medium tan towards the top.
Aroma was also very commendable- smelled lightly of yeast, but mostly of margerine (not buttery like diacetyl.. more soft and sweet).
Taste was phenomenal. Smooth and sweet, I was really impressed by the taste it left in my mouth afterwards. Alternated between the sweet, taffy like flavor in the beer and some residual mild hop flavor.
On top of this, this was some of the best water quality in a beer that I've ever experienced that contributed to the overall experience of the beer. The soft and fluid water went really well with the overall feeling of the beer. Furthermore, with every sip I wanted more. Nothing was excessive, nothing seemed corny or unnecessary. Very good.
I feel like this was a different experience than when I drank this from a bottle in America, however, so I'll have to go back and check.
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Pliny The Elder
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/863/7971/ :
Poured from a fresh flip top Russian River growler gotten via trade with ricand (of which I can never thank him enough for). Great trader, great beer, props to him. Poured from the growler into my nonic pint glass.
A: A light copper orange color. Very light color for a DIPA. Nice deep 2 finger head from the growler pour with very nice carbonation. The grolwer kept the beer in perfect condition. Nice sticky glass lacing.
S: Wow, hops, hops, hops. This beer is a different animal fresh. Smells of pine hops with some mild citrus and sweet malt undertone.
T: Again wow. Massive amounts of pine like chewing on a pine cone. Pine coupled with some floral flavors and some mild citrus backed up by a nice deep malt sweetness. A perfect balance of the massive hops with the malt sweetness and a nice lingering bitterness. Make no mistake, this beer is about the massive amounts of sticky chewy hops and it showcases them perfectly.
M: Medium with a sticky resiny mouthfeel. Nice carbonation and bitterness that lasts. You taste this beer well after it's gone.
D: This is probably the most drinkable double IPA out there. It goes down so easily and it remains enjoyable with every sip.
Overall this is the beer of gods, and for that it will garner my first perfect 5. This is a perfect beer in it's fresh state. I reviewed Pliny from a keg that was tapped here on the east coast, but it didn't hold a candle to the fresh Pliny. All I can say is I was blown away. Thanks again to ricand for allowing me to enjoy this perfect beer.