schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 4hI visited Widowmaker Brewing (Braintree MA) Sunday and bought a 4-pack of High Gravity DNEIPA without having tried it. But now I think it's their best one! A definite Tier A NEIPA with complex tropical fruit and solvent character. Much better than their flagship, Blue Comet. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 2200
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 05/10/2026This evening's beer was Just Exist IPA (Origin Beer Project, Providence RI). It's more of an American Pale Ale than an IPA. If you've ever had Bissell Brothers' The Substance, it's quite similar (which is a compliment). The fruit is light and lemony but there's a good malt base. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 0312
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 04/10/2026My dinner beer was a Mermaid's Red Ale from Coronado (CA) Brewing Co. It's pretty much what you want in a red ale, with the extra roastiness and a bit of an earthy, almost rooibos-like character. It went well with my teriyaki chicken, but it would go well with just about anything. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1451
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 03/10/2026I'm spending some time with every album released in 2026, and my #newmusic review of September is done! Out of 197 new releases, only 2 made the cut to be included on my Best of 2026 list at the end of the year: Kasabian "Act III" Nicole Atkins "Drama" Oddly, one of the slowest months of the yearen.wikipedia.orgList of 2026 albums - Wikipedia 020
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Keeping the October groove going with Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Southern Tier Brewing Co.; Lakewood, NY). I wish it also had coffee flavor like their Pumking Nitro did (bring that back!!), but I'll say the pumpkin flavor is assertive enough without seeming fake or overdone. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 2272
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Tomorrow is October 1, so let's get to it! I opened up this year's Oktoberfest from Aeronaut Brewing Company (Somerville, MA). A lot of really good flavor here: lightly caramelly malt and that "German lager" flavor. We can indeed brew good lager in America! Was that so hard?? #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1322
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 30/09/2026I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of being randomly reposted by "[Name] in Gaza begging you to save my child", because fraudsters looking to scoop up some cash on GoFundMe shouldn't be trivializing the serious difficulties in Gaza. BlueSky should be able to sniff this out and stop it. 030
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 30/09/2026This evening's post-meditation-group beer is Field Day Double Dry-Hopped DIPA from Little Willow Brewing Co.(Florence MA). It's a well-made, archetypal NEIPA, creamy and fruity with Citra and Mosaic hops. I saw the cool can and realized I hadn't tried this one from them before. #BskyBeer #BeerSky 0252
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 29/09/2026I grabbed one from the 19-ouncer section this evening at the "spa" down the road from my voice lesson: Sip Of Sunshine IPA (Lawson's Finest Liquids; Stratford CT). It kinda leans West Coast but has stronger citrus than pine for sure. Another decent option from the cheap seats! #BskyBeer #BeerSky 0411
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Let's finish off the 3 Floyds Brewing LLC (Munster, IN) 4-pack with Turbo Reaper IPA. It describes itself as West Coast-style, and that's generally true flavor-wise, but it's only 47 IBU, so it's a bit more easygoing on the bitterness. I liked all four from this variety pack! #BskyBeer #BeerSky 0281
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Today I picked up some Maine Beer Company Lunch ... mustard! It grabs you like a good German mustard but also has a bit of chili to sharpen it up. Not going to regret this purchase. 😀 I'm putting this onto #BskyBeer and also #BskyMustard, which almost certainly didn't exist before but does now! 0171
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Rainy and windy here in metro Boston, so let's open up a stout, shall we? This is Lucky 7 Irish Stout from 7 Saws Brewing Company (Holden, MA). It's light and easy to drink but verrrry chocolatey. You'd think it has a Guinness-like ABV, but it's 6.3%. It's disappearing fast! #BskyBeer #BeerSky 0291
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Tonight it's a good old Atomic Torpedo Imperial IPA from Sierra Nevada. Inexpensive, but honestly pretty darn good. It's not overly boozy even though it's 9.2%, the freshness is good, and the flavor profile seems pretty effortlessly balanced. This'll be a go-to single for me. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 3452
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Beer #3 from the 3 Floyds Brewing (Munster, IN) variety pack! This is Gumballhead American Wheat Pale Ale. Not so easy to categorize this one. Not a weissbier and not an IPA, it's light and crisp, yeah, but it's more engaging than just that. Good variety-pack value again here. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1281
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Now on to the second beer from the Three Floyds Brewing (Munster, IN) variety pack: Zombie Ice Undead DIPA. A punchier version of Zombie Dust Undead IPA, and once again, a good rendition of a West-Coast IPA from a variety pack. This is significantly better than, say, Lagunitas. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 0261
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Here's a very good variety pack-type beer: Zombie Dust Undead IPA (Three Floyds Brewing LLC, Munster IN). "Intensely hopped" West-Coast style IPA, and it delivers nice bitterness and flavor without being gimmicky or overwhelming. Can't wait to try the other beers in this pack! #BskyBeer #BeerSky 1211
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I have Space Dust IPA from Elysian Brewing Company (Seatle WA). This is not bad - it leans West-Coast at 73 IBU and a long, bitter aftertaste, but it has a sort of pent-up character to it, like something needs to be released. I wish I had beer scissors to cut the core of it open. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1281
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 20/09/2026This evening's beer was a Double Puff East Coast DIPA from Moon Hill Brewing (Gardner MA). I have no idea what "East Coast" is supposed to indicate here, because this certainly was no NEIPA, and if anything I thought the flavor profile leaned toward the West, even at only 54 IBU. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1231
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Tonight I've got a Motörhead The World Is Yours English Style Amber Ale (Potosi Beverage Co., Potosi WI). They call it "defiantly drinkable", but that to me is because it is quite mild, too mild for my taste. I don't mind that it's 5.5%, but it could use some more robust flavor. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 0241
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 18/09/2026An absolute wall-to-wall day at work (and afterwards), but not at all in a bad way. This evening's beer is a Duvel Imperial Blond, which lets you have it with that Belgian yeasty quality and packs a good punch, too, at 10% ABV. I definitely like it more than the original Duvel. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1351
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 17/09/2026After a busy day at work, my evening beer was Mary Skafas 100th Saison, with orange zest, spices & lavender, from Twisted Fate Brewing (Danvers MA). Now, I don't know who Mary is, but she got a pretty good beer associated with her 100th birthday. Looking forward to the 101st. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 0221
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 16/09/2026I've got Rare Vos Amber Ale from Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown NY). It has orange peel, coriander, and grains of paradise (whatever those are), things you'd expect to find added to a wheat beer. The maltiness obscures those flavors a little, but it's different and interesting. #BskyBeer #BeerSky 1412
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 15/09/2026I've got Our Trip Out West Hazy Double IPA, a collaboration between Bottle Logic Brewing & RAR Brewing (Cambridge MD). You're greeted with the curious combination of bright, happy fruit and industrial solvent. I'm happy to declare that MD is a state that knows how to brew NEIPAs! #BskyBeer #BeerSky 0130
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Here's Fortunes Rock Modern American IPA from Belleflower Brewing (Portland ME). It's not a NEIPA or a WCIPA, really. It's translucent and starts out both fruity and bitter, and then a malty core kind of exposes itself after a couple seconds. Then a mildly bitter aftertaste. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 0240
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Quite an interesting beer: Grand Caravan Club DIPA from Trillium Brewing Company (Canton MA). It's as if a West-Coast and a New England DIPA had offspring. You can really pick up elements of both. You see it's only semi-hazy, and bright fruitiness gradually transitions to bitter. #BskyBeer #BeerSky 1320
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 11/09/2026My dinner beer has been Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche from Brauerei Heller-Trum (Bamberg, Germany). You expect this from their Rauchbier ("smoke beer"), but smoke dominates this too, giving a campfire flavor that even suggests smoked salmon. I like it, but that is a bit much for me. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 2302
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 10/09/2026A few days ago I had the over-the-top 120 Minute IPA (15.5%) from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales (Milton DE), so tonight I dialed it back to the 90 Minute IPA (9%). This one was a lot more accessible and for the most part gave a good flavor profile, while managing the booziness. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 2300
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 09/09/2026How do you know whether someone you're interested in is worth the trouble? 1) They immediately evoke a strong emotion in you when you look at them 2) They can turn the everyday (which is 99% of your life) into the sublime If you find someone who satisfies both, fight to the death to hold onto them 070
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 09/09/2026Pretty straightforward this evening with a Stone Brewing (Escondido CA) IPA. I like how it starts out, with crisp and bitter citrus, but the aftertaste turns too American lagery for me, and then the lingering bitterness eventually becomes almost sulfury and not entirely pleasant. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1281
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Back in Massachusetts after a long-delayed but smooth flight. Tonight's beer is The Heart of Dankness DDH IIPA from Other Half in Brooklyn. The label mentions citrus and diesel, and they're certainly correct on both counts. I like when a NEIPA has a fierce not-fruity undercurrent! #BeerSky #BskyBeer 0220
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 07/09/2026My last evening in Michigan, and I just opened a Warmullet DIPA from Three Floyds Brewing LLC (Munster, IN). Even though it's unfiltered, it is a West-Coaster all the way. It's a punchy 8.1% ABV, and the hoppiness is on point but not overdone. Just a pleasure to drink overall. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1340
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Just got out of the game, where Michigan beat Western Michigan 13-12 on a 50-yard TD pass with 1 second left. Craziest sports event I have ever been to! Before the game I tried The Juice Is Loose DIPA from Transient Artisan Ales (Bridgman MI). Very good for a Midwestern NEIPA! #BskyBeer #BeerSky 1181
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 05/09/2026I'm in Michigan to see my daughter and go to the Western Michigan game tomorrow night! I have a 120 Minute IPA (Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton DE). An incomprehensible 15.5%, it tastes more like a Scotch Ale than an IPA. Very caramelly and syrupy, and obviously very boozy. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 5382
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 04/09/2026Off to Michigan tomorrow to visit my daughter, so still need to pack! Tonight's beer is a Ghost Tropical Hazy IPA from Dudleytown Brewing in Windsor, CT. The fruitiness is really fresh, and there's also a decent earthiness to it, so I'd have to regard it as pretty well executed. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1231
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 03/09/2026August was an interesting month in #newmusic! Six albums made the cut, to appear on my Best of 2026 list on Dec. 31: Getdown Services - Massive Champion Open Mike Eagle and Kenny Segal - Doomed! Peking Duk - Paradise Phil Jamieson - 10Charlie Vera Blue - Modern Rituals Westside Cowboy - It Goes On 030
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 03/09/2026After working out at the Air Force gym 😤, I opened a Maple Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout from Southern Tier Brewing Co. (Lakewood NY). This brewery is pretty good at stuff like this, and here you get caramelly maple, subtle nutmeggy pumpkin, and a good stout base peeks through. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 3342
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 02/09/2026I'm finally sitting down at 10:30 after work, dinner, meditation group, then the gym. My beer is a Daydreamless DDH IIPA from Other Half in Brooklyn. It comes across as very mild for 8% ABV, with delicate fruit on an oaty base. It's silky smooth, but not without a little bite! #BskyBeer #BeerSky 2393
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Tonight's beer has been a La Goudale Blonde Ale from Brasserie Goudale (Arques, France). This is a real workhorse Belgian blonde that does a good job representing the genre with the requisite sharp yeastiness but also a floral twist and mild sweetness. That was a solid pleasure. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1210
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 31/08/2026I just moved into a new apartment! And my debut beer is Kohia Fresh To Death NEIPA (Aurora Brewing Co., King Ferry NY). The combination of New Zealand hops and yes, passion fruit powder, make it very accessible. It was pleasant from the get-go, and I put it away in short order😄 #BskyBeer #BeerSky 0211
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 30/08/2026Not sure I'd ever had this: it's Hoptimum Triple IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico CA). It's 11% ABV, and it is dominated by booziness, to the point where it obscures the flavor a bit. They say it's their "hoppiest", but it's a not-crazy 75 IBU. I'd say it's just OK. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1301
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 29/08/2026After 3 beers at the bar on the Air Force base (and a break!), I'm back with Stratasphere DIPA (Spyglass Brewing Co., Nashua NH). The first sip is super-grapefruity, to the point where the aftertaste has that grapefruit bitterness. Upon warming some, a deep earthiness shows up. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 0271
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Been awhile since I've had a Samuel Smith's Organic Strawberry Ale (Melbourn Bros.' All Saints Brewery; Stamford, England). It's as good as I remember because it absolutely nails the natural strawberry flavor without being too sweet. Yes, there's malt, but potent strawberry rules. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 1471
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 27/08/2026I've got an Optical Delusions DIPA (Spyglass Brewing Co., Nashua NH). Spyglass is a victim of their own success a bit here, because this NEIPA didn't exceed my high expectations. It's very well done and fits right into the pantheon; it's just not zany or uniquely challenging. #BskyBeer #BeerSky 0191
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 26/08/2026Pleasant surprise here: I picked up a 19-oz. Imperial IPA from Fiddlehead Brewing Co. (Shelburne VT) because a cold one was available. It looks like a NEIPA because it's so unfiltered, but it tastes a WHOLE lot more like a West-Coaster. Especially for its price, it is quite good! #BeerSky #BskyBeer 0362
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 25/08/2026I opened up a pretty good one while grilling steak tips this evening, and that was Sunday Paper Imperial Stout from Exhibit 'A' Brewing Company in Williamsburg, MA. The coffee flavor is nice, and it's a lively one in general. I'd happily drink this again, in warm or cold weather. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 2362
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 24/08/2026I've got Countess of Flanders Belgian-Style Golden Strong Ale from Hot Plate Brewing Co. (Pittsfield MA). It's not *that* strong at 7.6%, and while we've got a Belgian-style (banana-clove) base, part of that core is also occupied by some nice fruity and floral stuff happening. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 0291
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 23/08/2026I've opened up a "100" All-Mosaic Triple Dry-Hopped Double IPA from Burley Oak Brewing Company (Berlin, MD). First beer for me from this brewery! It's a quite proper NEIPA made way down in Maryland, so I'm happy to see that. It isn't super-distinctive, but it is very good. #BeerSky #BskyBeer 2261
schnail70 @schnail70.bsky.social · 22/08/2026Optimist: The cup is half full Pessimist: The cup is half empty One man: The sun has gone down and the moon has come up And long ago somebody left with the cup But I'm driving and striving and hugging the turns And thinking of someone for whom I still burn 091
