Cleansing the Palate: Odds and Ends

Just cleaning out my notebook, brain, and perhaps even my palate of some miscellaneous items.

--Have you checked out Food Loves Beer magazine? Nice articles, great pictures, and free!

--Green Flash Palate Wrecker is back.  Very exciting!  My latest review of this exquisite beer is here.

--Troegs Nugget Nectar is back as well.  In my area, it runs about $12.99 a six pack (+9% tax, making it $14.16 total).  Two weeks ago, I was in Delaware and picked up a 6-pack for $10.99 + $0.24 total container tax, making it $11.23 total.

--Founders is in negotiations to begin distribution to Maryland (as well as Texas and Florida).  If this comes through, it'll be very exciting to not have to go out of state to purchase some excellent Founders beers.  As I understand it, Founders has been in discussions in previous years to distribute to Maryland and things haven't materialized.  Maybe '13 will be the lucky year. 

--A few quick scores on some previously sampled beers:

Oskar Blues G'Knight Imperial Red
Pint draft at the Frisco Tap House and Brewery, Columbia, MD, 9/1/12
Score: 91

Brewer's Alley Oatmeal Stout
Pint draft at the Brewer's Alley Restaurant and Brewery, Frederick, MD, 8/4/12
Score: 88

Rivertown Hop Bomber
Pint draft at the Brazenhead Irish Pub, Mason, OH, 6/21/12
Score: 88

--A note about scoring.  As you will see, Mike and I have different scoring.  Mike is using the BJCP scoring guidelines for his scores, which allows for a maximum raw score of 50.  So, for instance, his recent review of Crispin Prepare to Die scored a 40, which is 40 out of a possible 50.

As for me, I've always operated on a 1 to 100 scoring system, though it's only recently that I've adapted the BJCP scoring guidelines.  So, I'm adding up to the same raw score of 50, but I'm then multiplying by two.

Did I mention I'm a generous scorer?  I blame it on my love for beer.

--According to the journal I keep, I tried 206 different beers in 2012.