Type: Hard Cider
Name: North Peak Brewing Company – Nomad Dry Hard Cider
Price: $2.29
Made: Traverse City, MI
Alc/Vol: 6%

Image property of northpeakbeer.com

“Wander no longer, there is finally is your true Northern Michigan Hard Cider, Nomad. North Peak’s Nomad is a Dry Hard Cider with a fresh cut apple aroma and dry finish with subtle tartness. Nomad is the perfect combination of craft and nature. Multiple apple varieties round out a mouthful of fresh apples and crisp nose that is remarkably refreshing. It is brewed in Traverse City, MI, on Old Mission Peninsula using locally grown apples”

This beer, ahem hard cider, has a great smell – like you are walking through a drunken apple orchard. I love apple cider, I’m not sure if those outside of the Midwest get a steady flow of apple cider every fall like we do here but this little treat brings me right into the fall season – even though it’s the middle of June.

The taste is not as sweet as you would expect and dry as some champagnes can be, with that carbonated mouth feel. I know it says dry on the bottle and I should have expected it but it really is dry. This cider isn’t a thirst quencher but it surely is a pallet pleaser. I’m going to have to go back to the champagne reference because it has similar characteristics in the mouth feel and taste. I’ve had a few hard ciders before but this is my first “dry” cider so it is hard to compare to the others. The most noticeable difference, outside of the dryness, is the lack of sweetness.

I like this cider but not sure if I can get over the dry taste, it almost reminds me of the red apples that leave you with a dryness that almost sucks the sweetness of the apple right out of your mouth. Which, is my least favorite apple. Therefore, I’m going to give this cider 2.5 out of 5 bananas. What is your take on this hard cider?

Type: Beer – American Blonde Ale
Name: Bell’s Brewery – Third Coast Beer
Price: $1.79
Made: Comstock, MI
Alc/Vol: 4.8%

“A golden beer with American hops contributing to a crisp, refreshing bitterness. A tribute to the Great Lakes, T.C.B. is truly a quaffable beer.”

I’m not going to lie I had no clue what quaffable meant, and apparently neither did my spell check. Best translation ‘easy to drink’ my translation – yum yum drink it up. I’ll let you choose whichever definition you like best. (more…)

Type: Beer – English Pale Ale
Name: Arcadia Ales - Anger’s Ale
Price: $1.59
Made: Battle Creek, MI
Alc/Vol: 5%

“The strikingly authentic English-style pale ale is brewed with all-English malts and a pound-and-a-half of Pacific Northwest hops per barrel. It is medium-bodied, crisp and well-balanced with a flavor profile featuring subtle notes of caramel, toffee and toasted malt, counterbalanced by the ideal level of hop bitterness. The delicare herbal hop finish is produced by Goldings whole leaf hops.” (more…)

Since I’ve been sick all week I haven’t been a very good blogging monkey, so instead of writing about being stuck in bed I decided I’d rather show you pictures of my drive to and from work everyday. While I work and study towards my masters in education I don’t get to travel off as much as I would like. Yet sometimes I stop my car, step outside and take in the picturesque views that I get to enjoy almost every day I drive to work. I know there are a lot of other people out there that have worse off views, so I’m trying to be appreciative. With that thought, I’d figure I would share the photos that I’ve taken thus far since August. These all take place in Michigan but they are right on the Ohio-Michigan border as I drive back and forth across state lines each morning taking the back roads to work.

….but enough words, on with the pictures.

(more…)