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I know that not every one can be so lucky to have access to the best coffee in the world, or even the tastebuds to know the difference, but nonetheless, I feel sorry for every one of you who don’t get to taste these cookies. Made from the top ingredients, never before assembled in this configuration. The verdict is in, and DAMN! I have done it again. Check it out…
The recipe is pretty simple, standard chocolate chip cookie instructions- brown sugar/white sugar/flour/butter etc. But the the magic happens when I add Danger Monkey coffee beans, from the infamous Pablos Coffee in Denver CO. fresh ground, to the perfect consistency. Also, I throw in a handful of butterscotch chips to spice it up a bit.
***WARNING*** These cookies will wire you up so tight it will take a Quaalude, a valium and a beer to bring you back to earth. I wont bore you with the details but feel free to hit me up for the recipe. If you consider yourself a coffee connoisseur, you really need to check out the heavenly beans from Pablos. I lived through the Starbucks revolution in Seattle to find the holy grail called Torrefazione only find that my ways were misguided and that the real deal existed nowhere near Seattle or the dank putrid liquid called Starbucks, but in the unlikely city of Denver Colorado. Really really. Try it.
Full Sail – Sanctuary “Brewmaster Reserve” – Belgium Style Dubbel. 7% – 22 oz. Hood River OR. Before I get into the nitty gritty, I would like to digress into why it is that I picked up this beer… Some of you know that I am obsessed with beer and also with the business of beer. Being a lifelong student of business, degreed and immersed in my own, as well as being a greatly affected by the business decisions of our great country and its piss poor judgement and lack of accountability in both the public and private sector….ahem. Sorry. But the point being, I find myself, as a consumer of goods, relying on a certain set of principles that govern my spending habits. These principles will guide and ultimately determine my buying decisions and as such direct the power of my consumerism. Meaning this, I walk through a store. I find a… whatever. Let’s say; a hat. I like the style of hat, the color of said hat, the material is wool and I like wool. The brand is well known and respected for quality. However, upon inspection of the label, I find the “”Made in China” statement on bottom center of the tag. Full stop. Before I am villainized, I don’t hate Chinese products or the Chinese themselves. I do however greatly dislike the fact that American textile factories have ceased to exist because of greedy business decisions to outsource cheaper labor to China where they have no environmental consciousness nor any respect for human life or living conditions. I put the hat down and walk away. So much for that. Sad really, because I liked everything else about the hat. I will not however spend another dime on a product from a company with no human consciousness or environmental accountability. Besides insurance and taxes, these obviously fund are mandatory and fund directly the least scrupulous social imprisonment mechanisms in the world. Suck it. This brings me to Full Sail and a great reason to pick up a Full Sail product. Independent – Employee Owned, check them out here – Full Sail All things considered, I try to be a conscious consumer and direct my dollars to institutions and that share my values. Community re-investment, “green manufacturing” (yes I know that this can be a gimmick to lure halfwit hippy sods), open management business models, locally owned, fiscally accountable companies…etc etc. The moral of the story is – Be aware, be responsible, be terrific. On to the beer!
Pour- Medium speed, slow building head. Dark amber and red, caramel look. Beige head, 1.5 fingers high, fell quickly to very consistent 1 centimeter (that’s .4 inches). Taste- Very reminiscent of a lager style red. Super bready with a grapenuts like finish. Roasted maltyness, toasted marshmellows. Sunflower seeds. Inhale- Slight vinegar and fresh baked bread. Exhale- Fruity grape and barley, caramel and nutmeg. Mouthfeel- Bottle says “Chewy” I cant disagree. but tapers off quickly making easy drinking. Rating- 4.5 stars.
Summary- I like full sail, they come with an approach to beer that falls in line with my own personal beliefs. The balance of big taste and drinkability is key. This beer is such a winner. On all levels the taste, complexity and yet simply drinkable and delicious. Not over done, not bland and flat. Go get one and tell me what you think! Also check out more employee owned business here.
I will be getting back into the swing of things shortly, here’s a sneak peak of what’s to come. !!!DANGER MONKEY!!! (cookies) – Seriously, I feel sorry for you if you haven’t had these.
Full Sail – Sanctuary “Brewmaster Reserve” – RUN, don’t walk…
That Real Gumbo, revisited. – If you can’t take the heat…
A couple of pics I shot of “Oscar the grouch” after a wash ‘n wax…
So some of you who follow my blog know, that amongst other things, I am a welder. In recent past I have expanded beyond the typical production welding that so many of us are used to, into art and sculpture. This started when I agreed to take on a project manager position for a man by the name of Ed Dwight. A couple of years ago, we met and agreed that I would design and produce a series of multi media frames for his project – Obama’s inauguration. This came to pass and with much work and effort, came forth a 6 million dollar bronze sculpture collection that traveled the country and current reside in the Smithsonian along with many of Ed’s other sculptures. But that is for another note… Since that project I have teamed up with Kevin Shaffer of Kevin Shaffer Designs, to produce a sculpture called “Needle and Thread.” Kevin has a love for the wild nature side of life and decided to design a series of sculptures based on indigenous grasses from around the Eastern Slope foothills of Colorado where he resides. The series, called “Native Grass” has been a favorite of municipalities all over the front range and the sculpture that we collaborated on was no different. His first sculpture, Blue Gramma won the “peoples choice” award in Greely, Colorado and was purchased by the city to add to their collection of public art. This latest project, similarly constructed in steel, and representing a grass called Needle and Thread, has also gained a lot of popularity. So much so, that I am very pleased to say that we have once again been awarded the “peoples choice” award in Greely, CO again. I cannot express how great it was to work with Kevin on this project. He has an incredible eye for design and a work ethic that does not quit. We spent some very late nights, through all kinds of weather and obstacles to get this one done and I have to say it was a pleasure to work with him throughout. Kevin and his sculptures are a big part of my inspiration to get back to my roots as a welder and abandon office work for the pursuit of my personal dream of becoming an underwater welder. Thanks Kevin! See you soon. Here’s a gallery of pictures that I shot while we were working away at the ranch… please enjoy. 
This is one of my favorites. The kid is crazy and reminds my so much of growing up in New Mexico, skating down Sandia Peak. Trashing the dirt and rocks, just braffing through whatever came our way. Great video, solid skater, good good good. Yep. That stupid time of year that we all remember being soooo cool when we were young. The birthday has reared its ugly head again. In efforts to combat this evil doer I decided to go diving in Mukilteo Bay for crabs with my buddies Will and Corey. …and get my slosh on at the Diamond Knot afterwards. It was everything I had hoped it would be. Here’s the proof -
Sublimely Self-righteous – Stone Brewing Typical Stone pompous crap, reading the bottle will only tell you how great they think they are and little on the actual beer itself. Served in an equally pompous glass – Brandy Snifter. ALC/VOL 8.7%, 90 IBUs Pour- Very quick, super low build but left a slow growing 1 1/2 fingers of beige head, that was followed down by sticky loops of lacing. The liquid was a deep, dark agate red, with gold highlights and blood red streaks. Very nice to look at. Taste- Slightly sweet, little hoppy, kind of a watery red/stout. Inhale- Wheat bread, cotton candy, caramel, toasted malty finish. Exhale- Nutmeg, light hops, grassy notes, clover honey and flowers. Mouthfeel- Chewy and thick, sticky, wet. Rating- 3 1/2 stars
Summary – Not a bad beer, not a great beer, but worthy accouterment to decent drinking binge. The brewer left us a creative mix of flavors that, in my mind were not all complimentary and washed each other out, leaving a missing hole of something you can’t quite put your finger on, an otherwise valid attempt at something different. The kindest part of the beer was where the label drones on and on, in Stone’s typical monologging fashion, attempting to convince you that some how “You’re not Worthy” to taste the biggest best thing since forever and all of a sudden you are all peaked up and ready to be blown away. Sort of like second base in middle school. The kleenex stuffed brazier, (or in this case, the cocky label) is telling you a story you know better than to believe. Not really what you expected after the dry-humped to bejeezus build-up but you’ll be damned if you are gonna run away now… Nice try Stone, really lame. Less talk, more beer. Stat bitches. PS. pictures are on the crashed hard drive so I guess you’ll have to use your imagination. Cool video about bacon instead- Get over it. Here’s some pics of the fireworks I took from a few blocks away from my place in Wallingford. Hope you dig.
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