RJ is Coming to Town

If you are an avid follower of IBN than you can see by the title that the man present when the first thought of IBN entered the Founding Father's mind will be around today. He has not been around for any IBNs to date nor has he scheduled an attendance although it is a possibility in the future. However, in the present time (since this is still an addition the the "Working Backwards" series) RJ is coming to school to pay a visit and possibly share a few laughs and brews with me and the locals. Back to the more important function of this ever-so-popular blog, te boys of IBN would like to discuss with you the findings of a night that encountered 6 European beers, 5 from the mainland and 1 from those islands in the Northwest that we love so much. Here is what we found:

1. Tanner's Jack -England 7.85

• - Had a slight berry smell to it.
• - A very unique flavored beer.

2. Warsteiner -Germany 6.40

• - A bland "Budweisery" taste.
• - Had a smell that matched the taste of the beer.

3. Kisz Bier -Czech Republic 6.37

• - A hint of barbecue sauce was in this beer.
• - Definitely not as bad as we expected.

4. Heineken -Holland 5.75

• - A regular beer that had nothing exciting to it.
• - Kind of wheaty.

5. Lomza -Poland 5.08

• - A very light drink with a watered down flavor.

6. Jever -Germany 2.63

• - The worst smelling beer in IBN history.
• - A bad metallic taste came with each sip.

Clearly it was not a very successful night. Especially with the appearance of the worst beer that any of us had ever drank. I would like to apologize for the beer's that I could not find website's for now and in each of my posts.

In another episode of IBN, the boys were oddly discussing soething about a tomato. I do not remember what the conversation was but it was definitely an original question asked by Max and for some reason Kevin's reponse was, "Wait a tomato taking a poop, or you pooping a tomato?" Please do not ask me what transpired on this night but for some reason I have that quote written down in the sacred IBN notebook. I have not mentioned the IBN notebook before but it is a very special thing. All the logs of each IBN have been kept in the book since the beginning. It is hidden in a secret place and is only accessed by the Founding Father and other members of IBN who formally wish to seek knowledge from the great book. What you are seeing on this blog is only but a taste of our infinite beer knowledge. We boys of IBN have deemed it necessary to enlighten the world as to what we have fathomed about beer. The following is just a taste of another night of our sacred ritual:

1. Smithwick's -Ireland 7.37

• - This beer is the definition of an Irish drink.
• - It shows the dominance of Ireland over other countries' brewing capacities.

2. Warka -Poland 6.80

• - A chochlatey beer with little carbonation.
• - This beer's smoothness complimented it's strength.

3. Leffe -Belgium 6.25

• - This beer had a nice smell and a wheaty aftertaste.
• - It got better as it went along but it was not a beer that you would drink the last sip of.

4. Presidente -Dominican Republic 5.71

• - This light beer tasted like there was nothing there.
• - A perfect beer for the beach.

5. Hollandia -Holland 5.19

• - This was a watery Grolsch.*
• - There was nothing special to it.

6. Lowenbrau -Germany 4.98

• - Not as bad as we expected.**
• - A heavy beer that had very little flavor.

*We described it as a watery Grolsch on this night because we had already had Grolsch. Grolsch was actually the first beer that we had in IBN history. I realize that those of you that have not had the Grolsch experience or will not understand where we are coming from with this description but in due time I will catch up with the present IBNs.

**This description was given because Lowenbrau was a beer that was tasted by the Founding Father on the night IBN was born. It was before his tastebuds had matured to appreciate the flavor of all beers and therefore he had a poor memory of it. However, it was still not a good beer.

These two nights combined to give us nothing overly exciting except for the worst beer anyone has had. That really is nothing to boast about. I believe you will enjoy the next post especially for its revelations.

Cheers!

Still Working Backwards

On a very sad night in IBN, the crew was only able to find five beers around the neighborhood. A very dissappointing showing and and I would like to apologize for letting our followers down. This is what we found on a bad night:

1. Corona -Mexico 6.87

• - A pretty good beer by Mexican standards.
• - This beer is really nothing without a lime.

2. Labatt Blue -Canada 6.85

• - A very generic beer with noting special to offer.

3. Maudite -Canada 6.37

• - You can taste the extra alcohol in the beer.
• - Had an uncommonly smooth drinkability.
• - Had a sweet smokiness.

4. Tennet's -Scotland 6.22

• - A pretty plain beer.
• - There was no bad aftertaste.

5. Asahi -Japan 4.19

• - This beer gets worse and worse as you drink it.
• - Japan's #1 beer is weak.

After only 5 beers we called it a night. Not much to show for our efforts. The previous IBN wasn't a great showing either. Atleast we had the required 6 beers but it was six below average beers. It is not much but here is what we got:

1. Belhaven -Scotland 6.65

• - The best beer on a below average night.
• - A flavorful beer that you can drink alot of.

2. Killian's Irish Red -America 5.90

• - An over-toasted beer.
• - This was a poor American attempt to match the excellence of Irish beer.

3. Radeberger -Germany 5.83

• - A wheat flavored beer.
• - Did not taste like a typical pilsner.

4. Tsingtao -China 5.45

• - An average beer.
• - China finally got something right.
• - Consistent drinkability throughout.

5. Old Speckled Hen -England 4.94

• - A flat taste.
• - This beer tasted very malty.

6. Weihenstephaner -Germany 4.88

• - A super wheaty beer.
• - You have to drink this beer slowly.

A poor addition to the IBN tally but we have to drink everything. Every drop, of every beer, of every country. We always finish our beers no matter how bad they are and we always follow the instructions on the bottle (if there are any). If it says to pour it into a certain glass in a certain way, we do it. If it says add a fruit slice, we add a fruit slice. We follow the rules and drink the beers. We always start by reading the stories on the bottles and then cheers before each beer. A nice whiff of the beer is custom as well. If you are sharing some beers with some friends, a cheers is always the best way to show you appreciate there company.

So, Cheers!

Working Backwards Again

I am already running out of interesting titles for these reverse IBN reports. Therefore I decided that I am going to begin to combine past IBNs since the titles and stories are both running thin. On the second of these two nights (remember I am working backwards so for all you brainiacs out there, the first listing is the second night and the second listing is the first night. Deal with it. It's not rocket science.) Kevin was extremely pleased since we finally found a beer that he had been looking forward to trying since the first IBN. We also had a nice cameo by an old American beer which might be looked down upon by some but actually got its name by beating out the so-called King of Beers (I don't know thats what the History Channel told me). Another beer shared a name with a lipstick that was mentioned on one of the IBN crews favorite shows, Friends. Here is what we had to say about these brews:

1. Boddington's -England 8.09

• - An English version of Guinness but a little bit lighter.
• - This beer was smooth as hell.

2. Pacifico Clara -Mexico 7.30

• - This was a heavy Mexican beer.
• - It was reminiscient of a New Castle Brown Ale.

3. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale -America 6.43

• - This had lots of flavor.
• - It had a fruity flavor which we contributed to the carbonation level.

4. Pabst Blue Ribbon -America 5.98

• - This was better than what we expected.
• - A flavorful American beer.
• - Better that that sell-out Bud.*

5. Kirin Ichiban -Japan 4.61

• - A very bland typical Asian beer.

6. Staropramen -Czech Republic 3.70**

• - Had a crappy aftertaste.
• - A pilsner in disguise.

*Recently after the Anheuser-Busch Corporation sold the controlling stock of Budweiser to InBev.

**This one surprised me. It was clearly utterly forgettable but when I wrote this I remembered that this time we had it, it had been skunked so we decided to give it abother shot. See previous postings to see how much better it got.

At the previous IBN, the crew had the King of Beers. We also indulged in a two brews made on out very own island. Here is what we found:

1. Beamish -Ireland 7.08

• - This was a more burnt version of Guinness.
• - It was pretty good and flavorful.

2. Budweiser -America 6.94

• - Its a nice beer and you can drink a ton.
• - The term King doesn'y mean much.

3. Blue Point Toasted Lager -America 6.80

• - This was a toasted but smooth beer.
• - You can definitely drink these on multiple occasions and enjoy it everytime.

4. Brooklyn Lager -America 6.09

• - A very heavy beer that you can't drink too many of.
• - Had a very strong lager aftertaste.

5. Amstel Light -Holland 4.67

• - Not an enjoyable beer.
• - Just because its light doesn't make it better.

6. Dab -Germany 4.11

• - "Disgusting Ass Beer" -as described by Max.
• - It smelt worse than it tasted.
• - A very bland beer.

We had a decent showing from America but this IBN proved that the King was no longer in charge. Brooklyn and Long Island showed that they are not going to be left behind on the International scale.

Enjoy!

End of Summer '08

In another "Working Backwards" edition of IBN the boys would like to bring you back to the last IBN before yet another year of school. In true IBN spirit we managed to find six beers from six different countries, a goal that we hoped to achieve every IBN but quickly became a feat more difficult to achieve than originally imaginable. Here is what we found:

1. Mahou -Spain 7.44

• - This was the last beer we had on the night and was a fitting conclusion to a surprising night.
• - No bite to it.
• - Not a bad start or finish but needs some work in the middle.

2. Faxe -Denmark 6.87

• - A surprisingly pleasing beer.
• - It had a sweet flavor to it.

3. La Fin Du Monde -Canada 6.65

• - A very tingly fruit-like flavor.

4. Okocim -Poland 6.41

• - We highly underestimated this subtle beer.
• - Had a dark flavor but a light finish.

5. Bohemia -Mexico 6.30

• - A unique flavor that we couldn't put our fingers on.
• - The allure of this beer tailed off quickly.

6. Obolon -Ukraine 4.37

• - A wheaty beer that smelt worse than it tasted.

If anyone is wondering why there is no link at the end of each rating that is because I have figured out how to make the name of the beer the link of the beer's site. I am still learning how to use this thing and hope to be able to class this blog up to meet the classiness of our followers.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Break

Obviously from the title you can see that this particular IBN took place over our Thanksgiving break from our rigorous college course-load (not really though since the Founding Father and the Knight of IBN both wrote papers over the so-called break). Unfortunately since it took so long for us to start the blog in relation to when we began IBN, the recollection of each individual IBN has blended into one great fuzz of memories. Therefore I want to apologize in advance for my lack of witty comments for out-dated IBN reports. The following is one such report:

1. Estrella Damm -Spain 8.47

• - This was a very light lager.
• - The flavorful beer made the senses tingle.
• - http://www.estrelladammusa.com/

2. Amercan Ale -America 7.25

• - It had a slight cherry flavor to it.
• - This clean "American" beer is enjoyable but not one that you can enjoy all night long.
• - http://www.budamericanale.com/pub/american-ale.aspx#home

3. Schwelmer -Germany 7.02

• - Tasted like Redman Raisin Tobacco.
• - It was strong but enjoyable.
• - http://www.schwelmer.com/en/index.php

4. Vergina -Greece 6.65

• - Had a strong harsh taste that could only be distinguished as a beer.
• - Tasted better than what the name sounds like.
• - http://www.verginabeer.com/english/index2_en.html

5. Staropramen -Czech Republic 6.43

• - Had a very nice light level of carbonation.
• - Tasted like a typical Czech beer but with a better aftertaste.
• - http://www.staropramen.com/english/index.html

6. Hofbrau -Germany 5.17

• - A heavy beer with a strong aftertaste.
• - Varying drinkability and enjoyment.
• - http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en/index_en.html

Back to present times.... The Founding Father's computer has crashed! Awful news. Luckily, Lindsay has allowed him to use her computer so that he can keep our three faithful follwers up to date and on the edge of their seats. The boys of IBN would also like to give a shout out to the Swandad from The Diary of Third and Long blog. Thanks for the name drop and our first free promotion.

Enjoy!

Working Backwards Pt. 2

I just realized as I put a title to this post that we are going to have alot of posts called "Working Backwards" so I will do my best to try and change up the title for pure enjoyment. As the members came back from school for Christmas Break and the New Year's Celebration, an IBN gathering was a must. We relied on Max to bring us some brews from his neck-o-the-woods and he delivered with some success that surprised the members. He also brought along a friend of the members, a Mr. Pynn. Along with Mr. Pynn (whose opinion and ratings were not included in the final tallying due to poor showing) and another spectator, Lindsay, Founding Father's girlfriend from that all too liberal state, Massachusetts, the members were able to drink and give you these findings:

1. Dragon Stout -Jamaica 8.76

• Did not have a typical beer taste and no burnt taste like in other stouts.
• Was filling but at the same time not very heavy.
• Reminder of a Manhattan Special.
• It was smooth, rich, creamy, and delicious.

2. Ommegang -America (Belgian Style) 7.65

• You can taste to extra alcohol.
• Had a champagne fizz.
• http://www.ommegang.com/

3. Dead Guy Ale -America 7.48

• A heavy drink.
• Smelt like tomato juice but tasted slightly like berries.
• Reminder of a Brooklyn Lager.
• http://www.rogue.com/beers/dead-guy-ale.php

4. Strongbow Cider -England 7.03

• Tasted like a watered-down apple juice.
• Was not very carbonated.
• Reminder of a flat Magners.
• http://www.strongbowcider.com/

5. Tetley's -England 5.58

• Had a very bland taste.
• General consensus was that it was a wste of a widget.
• It was smooth and creamy but with no flavor.
• Definitely not like the tea.
• http://www.carlsberg.com.my/products/tetleys.htm

6. Mythos -Greece 5.32

• Smelt like a pilsner but tasted like a beer from Holland.
• It kept up with the Green-Bottle Theory.
• http://www.greekproducts.com/mythosbeer/company.html

As I wrote this post I again realized that there are a few things missing in our communication. First I need to point out that we will usually only drink beers and not ciders but do to a mistake by Max we had a cider on this night. Not a big deal but ciders are not our style. Also the members have a theory that I referenced above. The afforementioned theory is the Green-Bottle Theory. The theory states that all beers that are bottled in a green bottle suck. Its as simple as that. Of course there are some exceptions but not many. And I don't think I should have to but if our followers are going to be real "Beer Drinkers" than they had better know what a widget is. A widget is a small hollow container placed inside a can of beer. Its method is highly scientific but its purpose is simple. It enables a canned beer to be poured and have a proper head (and if you don't know what the head of a beer is that you should just stop drinking beer this second). We have the geniuses of the Guinness factory to thank for that addition to canned beer.

Enjoy!

Working Backwards

Hey there fellow Beer Drinkers, Since we have had almost 2 years worth of IBNs before creating this blog the Founding Father feels like it would be a good idea to start with our most recent findings. Before I give the findings the only thing you need to know is that the scoring is out of 10. With possibly one of the longest IBNs in history the members convened one more time before Kevin and and the newly named Knight of IBN left the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave to do a little gallavanting over in Europe. We stocked up the fridge with quite an expensive collection of foriegn brews and made our way to Rocco's Pizzeria a 7818 5th Avenue in Brooklyn and devoured a square pie. After the delicious pizza we made our way back to the home base and began IBN. These were our findings:

1. Innis & Gunn -Scotland 9.39

• Tasted exactly as the bottle described with hints of honey, vanilla, and toffee.
• The after-taste was actually better than the original taste (try to find that in a beer).
• It lives up to its Championship expectations.
• http://www.innisandgunn.com/index.htm

2. Delerium Tremens -Belgium 8.20

• Did not quite live up to expectations of Best Beer in the World 2008.
• Did not have a typical beer floavor but still enjoyable.
• http://www.pascalkolkman.com/delirium/index.html

3. St. Peter's English Ale -England 7.09

• This was a frothy beer with a weak apple flavor.
• It was slightly stale and heavy but had an overall good drinkability.
• http://www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk/

4. Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Lager Beer -England 6.94

• Initial smell reminds the members of Chef Boyardee.
• Smell does not lie, tastes slightly like tomato juice.
• Purest beer color ever seen.
• http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/samsmith.html

5. Duvel -Belgium 6.41

• Had both a wheat-like sense about it as well as a cider.
• http://www.duvelusa.com/home.php

6. Dogfishhead 90 Minute IPA -America 5.58

• Had a very berry flavor about it.
• Not a very enjoyable beer.
• http://www.dogfish.com/brewings/Year_Round_Beers/90_Minute_IPA/11/index.htm

The night was a pretty successful night. It saw a new IBN champion in Innis & Gunn. It was also speckled with games of Seinfeld Scene-It and of course great conversations. We observed how much our conversations have changed as well as how at the same time they have remained the same. The Founding Father would like to wish Kevin and the Knight of IBN a great time in Europe and hopes they come back with plenty of new International Beers.

IBN Hits the Web

Hey All, This is the first of hopefully very many posts that the boys of IBN will be bringing to all of you "Beer Drinkers." We are a small group of four guys from Brooklyn who have had an interest in the different types, tastes, smells, and looks of beer from all over the world. Our current members include Mike, Kevin, Max, and Dan. We have had a few guest appearances from some friends but no one has been able to infiltrate our ritual. The history of IBN can be traced back to the drunkenly lovable Broken Lizard film, Beerfest. In the summer of 2006, Mike and RJ saw Beerfest and the inklings of IBN were born in Mike's mind. It wasn't until the summer of 2007 that the Founding Fathers, Mike and Kevin, held the first IBN. They had no idea what lie ahead of them but they have never looked back. IBN has become a weekly ritual (when possible) and along the way they have gladly picked up two devoted members Max and Dan. Together the four boys from Brooklyn discuss 6 Inernational Beers at each meeting and rate them based solely on enjoyability. We have finally decided to present out findings to the public. Enjoy!