Beer Review - Boulevard Irish Red Ale

According to the BJCP 2004 Style Guidelines, Boulevard Irish Red Ale is a commercial example of category 9D, Irish Red Ales. Her are my thoughts on this fine beverage.

• Malty aroma. No hop or estery smells
• Deep copper/amber color
• Light tan head
• Medium light body with moderate carbonation
• Malty flavor, with a slight caramel taste.
• No hoop flavor, but some hop bitterness
• Slight alcohol warmth
• Very easy drinking beer

• Aroma 8 out of 12
• Appearance 3 out of 3
• Flavor 18 out of 20
• Mouthfeel 5 out of 5
• Overall Impression 8 out of 10
• Total score 42 - Excellent!

I had my fourth session on the uni this evening. My wife is afraid I am planning on joining the circus. Anyway, I made it nearly from my house to the end of the street, which is about 300 feet. I am tossing around the idea of taking the uni on the Mayor's Ride later on this spring.

Gotta get some fenders

I used to think fenders were dorky and wondered why anyone would want fenders on their bike. I remember when I was a kid, fender removal was one of the first modifications to a new Huffy. I never saw Greg LeMond, Davis Phinney or even Bobke ride a fender equipped on their Reynolds 853 Eddie Merckx. Andy Hampsten did have fenders when he rode to a Giro stage victory during a blizzard in the Gavia Pass.

However, as I have gotten older, and I would like to think, sometimes wiser, I realize that fenders scream hardcore. A bike with fenders is a bike that is all business. It's a bike that is about riding. It is not a bike where someone is trying to save half a gram (28.35 grams to an ounce, just in case you were wondering) with carbon valve stem cores. It is a bike that says that there is no honor having a wet, black stripe of road grime extending from the tail of your seat to the top of your jersey collar.

I've got to get some fenders. But first, I need to spray some shout on the back of my jersey.

The Thaw Begins

The mercury finally approached 40 degrees F and some of the snow finally began to melt. I pedaled the Monocog 29er to Denmans. I rode about 300 meters of Denmans before deciding it was too sloppy and deep. Perhaps I should have been there earlier.

Second unicycle session went much better than the first. I got some rides that were probably 20 feet. I've got a lot of work to do before I can ride it at the Monkey Pit.