Some recent pictures

Making Whiskey

Cedar Ridge Iowa Bourbon Whiskey Kit- (http://www.crwine.com).  Comes with a bottle of un-aged whiskey, small oak barrel and directions.  Not sure how long it will take, directions say to rotate every 2 weeks and sample until it's just how you like it.  

Chocolate Beer

Good stuff on a chilly night....

Cigar Caddy

Forgot that this came with my Sonos order from Amazon.  I need to test it out the rest of this summer/fall, and if it works as advertised get a big one for next summers golf trip.

Sonos

Haven't been golfing all week - combination of busy and really hot out, and this weekend I'm playing Mr. Mom, so I decided to get a toy to spend some time on. There's a Sonos Bridge attached to the wireless router and this ZonePlayer 90 is hooked up to the receiver in the living room that powers speakers in the living room and on the back deck. It was so much easier to set up compared to the Apple airport express, and the free remote that works on my iTouch and android phone makes it easy to switch between my local iTunes library, Pandora, Spotify, Sirius, etc. while tending to the grill. I'm doing optical out for the living room and analog to the back yard, sounds really good so far.  I may get a couple more zone players for the lower level and take advantage of whole house audio.

Also added wifi to the thermostat, so now I can check and control the temp, fan from anywhere I can get an internet connection.  Not really all that useful, but fun to play with :)

Home brew

Home brew is on the right, Boulevard Wheat on the left.  It's a little more choppy than I expected, but not bad for my first try.  Dont think I can taste the orange I added.

"...ev'ry yard for I.S.U."

Birthday gift from my wife...didn't have quite enough room for the entire song :)

Golf Trip 2011

Dacotah Ridge, just off the 17th green.

Christmas gift

Ok, had to throw a little football in here....for Christmas I got an authentic Iowa Barnstormers football helmet...the real thing.  Displaying it proudly.

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Chad

Sam Adams Cream Stout

This is a good beer.  Sitting on a leather chair with my feet up, watching the Bears at the Vikings play outdoors in MN for the first time in a long long time, and the dark, smooth chocolate flavor is just awesome.  Smells so delicious, and goes down smooth....smoother than Favre just went down.

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Chad

JB Winterfest

Got this from Trader Joe's.  Dark double bock, not a lot of carbonation or foam on top.  Medium thickness, looks good on a cold day.  A little bitter, I prefer other winter beers over this one, but I would probably buy it again.

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Chad

Goose Island Mild Winter Ale

Love Goose Island, and this is really good beer.  Medium heavy in the front, but not so much in the back... it disappears quick.  Great beer to drink when its cold outside, I will be buying more of these!

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Chad

Black and Tan Turtle

Instead of balancing a spoon, this tool makes it very easy to pour a nice looking Black and Tan.  Nice and wide helps slow down the pour and spread it out. Rumor is they are going to start selling these at I-35 Liquors in Ankeny soon.

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Chad

O'Fallon Pumpkin Beer

Smells like pumpkin pie with no cool whip on it...like a spicy pumpkin pie, the ones that are darker.  Smooth beer, not a big aftertaste.  Pretty good once a year :)

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Chad

Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest

Less spicy than the Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale.  Says its a German Style Marzen...didn't know there were more than one style of Marzen...actually didn't know there was a Marzen...but this is a cold, crisp and easy drinking beer that has,just a bit of fall taste.  I would buy a 12 pack of this.  
As a side - NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV is heaven, or hell if u ever want to get anything done on a Sunday afternoon.  Know that the bar is open every Sunday if you want to watch.

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Chad

Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale

Second pumpkin beer this fall.  I think I like the Sam Adams more.  Can taste the cloves in this one, it's got some spices and a different taste to it, not sure if that's bad I just like the Sammy'ss more.  Still not a bad pumpkin beer to try while watching football, and nice cool refreshing first taste and that's nice when its 82 on Oct 11th, just not sure I would buy a 12 pack of this.

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Chad

Sam Adams Octoberfest

Really good beer.  Lots of flavor and a great amber color is perfect after watching a football game in Ames on a cool September evening.  It just tastes like fall and football.  Would be really good with a grilled beer bratwurst...might have to try that next Saturday.
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Chad

Tabasco Chipotle

On a Bacon cheddar burger....u can pour it on and it's nice and warm but not too hot...thought it was a great change from ketchup.

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Chad

Coors Light Home Draft

Not a huge Coors Light fan, but the commercials on Sunday made me curious so I had to pick one up.  It's chilling for Sunday and the Bears vs Cowboys match.  If I tap it I wonder if Ditka will show up...

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Chad

Shuffleboard Table

Now I have something fun to do during halftime!  Still have a lot of practicing to do.

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Chad

CAP Gold Honey

Tastes like honey on the cap, really good after grilled Asian shrimp wraps I made....very smooth and tastes good.

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Chad

Eileen's Dream

Don't know what's in it, but my first favorite cigar.  Jalapeno cheeseburger and stuffed mushrooms were a great start, and,she's a great finish.  Might get the harmonica out later.

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Chad

Corona Light

No Mexican food, but Mexican beer and burgers is awesome in the summer, especially when its 84 degrees outside.  Oh....no limes :(

Golf weekend

Golf weekend at Riverside Casino and Resort in Riverside, IA.  First day was hot, the second day was great - even if my final score didn't show it.  The course there is really neat, some different holes, a lot of up-hill fairways and really difficult pin placements made for a lot of 3 putts...ok some 4 putts too.  Didn't lose a lot of money at the casino, learned how to play craps (thanks Mike), and drank a lot of beer and smoked a couple of cigars...also Don shared an awesome margarita recipe with no mix...a lot of work but totally worth it.

No problems man

A couple Red Stripes on the deck with Bob Marley station on Pandora makes for a good weekend.  When this beer is ice cold and its hot out it's just really good.  Jerk chicken would have topped it all off!

Here's the smoke

Bella Vanilla

CAO Flavours Bella Vanilla....so good on the deck after a round of golf.  Not sure of all the flavors but they list them online.  Smells and tastes really good, no one will complain about this cigar.

Shiner 101

Kinda like a typical Pilsner but seems a bit heavier or darker at least. Not the best summer beer but not bad at all.  I drank all the Shiner Bock before I could post a pic!

Expanding the music

This has nothing to do with beer, golf or cigars but makes beer and cigars on the deck more enjoyable.  It's the Airport Express from Apple and has expanded my music listening options at home.  I purchased the Airport Express and an HP laptop from BestBuy a few weeks ago, hooked the AirPort Express up to a Denon receiver upstairs and now I can sit on the couch upstairs, or out on the deck, and listen to and control my iTunes collection that resides on a desktop computer in the lower level.  Even with over 3,000 songs iTunes can get old, or expensive to add on to, and Airfoil and Pandora has solved that problem for me.  Airfoil installs on the laptop allows me to stream Pandora, and anything else, to the Airport Express....now we create channels on Pandora based on our mood and listen to hours of music.  And it sounds good, good enough in fact that it prompted me to buy a new Polk subwoofer to match the satellites in the living room, and new Klipsch outdoor speakers on the covered deck.  Even Glee sounds good now :)

Cooler table

Another early bday gift from my sis and her family...lots of room for ice and drinks in the bottom and a table on top to make margaritas...awesome on the deck!

Tommy Knocker Jack Whacker Wheat Ale

Early bday gift from my sis and her family!  From Idaho Springs, CO.  A little more hoppy than Boulevard, but close.  Says it's brewed with Lemon Grass....just hope that isn't growing in my lawn.

Leine's Summer Shandy

Sitting on the deck waiting for the beer can chicken with a (couple) of these is a good Thursday evening.  Beer with natural lemonade flavor...now that is summer!

1554 Enlightened Black Ale

From New Belgium.  Thick and dark, dark white head.  Tastes like cold coffee with chocolate flavors.  Very good, and better in the winter I think so that's why I'm finishing them off now...in a mug from Shenanigan's.  Need to clean out the fridge for summer beer.

Mighty Arrow Pale Ale

Seasonal spring beer from New Belgium.  Deep amber color, makes me think of the honey that it's flavored with.  Not bitter at all, only a smooth aftertaste.  Looks and smells stronger than it tastes, but it is 6% so it wouldn't take many to feel it.  I don't like it as much as Rising Moon, but better than he Sam Adams spring beer awhile back.

Java by Drew Estate

Rocky Patel has a hand in these so you know they will be good.  Smells of mocha and chocolate that stays smooth the entire time.  Robusto, lights easy, draws easy, really good smoke.  Not sure if these flavors will be as good on a hot summer day, but great right now.  Carla won't kick me off the deck for smoking these!

I have also attached a picture of my humidor...I have some work to do :)

Hofbrau Original

Bought some of these during St. Pattys day in Chicago after a recommendation by my friend Donny.  Light yellow color, pretty good white head that hangs around awhile, a good light, crisp drink, I think this would be great with brauts on the grill!  Very drinkable, not sure how to describe it but it's good.  I will def drink this again.

Sam Adams Noble Pils

Golden amber color with a really white head that was thin and disappeared kinda quickly.  Lots of bubbles in a chilled glass.  Taste was more hoppy than the Rising Moon, it was definitely a Sam Adams!  Good, but not my favorite, I can see having two or three of these while sitting in the spring sun.

Rising Moon Spring Ale

Wheat beer from Blue Moon.  Kindof a darker amber color, light head in a chilled pilsner glass. Little taste of wheat beer with a taste of lime, almost like a blue moon with a little bud light lime in it.  Will be an awesome summer beer, maybe with some grilled shrimp, chips and pico :)

The first post in my new blog about Beer, Cigars and Golf....and other random things as they happen.  Every week I will try a new beer and post about it here.  It won't be full of adjectives like 'slightly husky with bitterness that hangs on the tongue'...that's really kinda creepy...but rather my impressions and most importantly whether I like it or not.  As it gets warmer I will do the same with cigars and golf courses, grilling and smoking, and who knows what else.
The first review will come this weekend...the Fat Tire is just something to get you thinking about beer :)