That Time That I Drank 2 Half Seas Over and Talked Way Too Much About the Blending of Science and Art

I wanted to start with just a few words about what the hell I am actually doing here. There are some great blogs out there. There are some great beer blogs out there. So where do I fit into that vortex of news, decent writing, and beer knowledge? I don't really. This will be inevitably a little gimmicky and more than a little goofy, but I hope you have fun with it. I know I am.

Cheers! And on with the show, I suppose.

On a Tuesday afternoon in the middle of October I escaped from the confines of my Southwest Houston exile and came home. It was brief and it was lovely in the sort of way that only a trip home can be. The day was crisp and cool with fall weather rolling in or maybe it already had rolled in. You see, that sort of beauty seems to come a little slower to Southeast Texas.

Beer is not one of those beautiful things that has come slower to Southeast Texas, which right now is sporting quite the collection of breweries ranging from fantastic (Karbach) to fun (8th Wonder, keep being you) to slightly overrated (Southern Star....) to properly rated and respected (St. Arnold's is hyped and worthy) to man-I -wish-this-was-better (Keep on keeping on, Fort Bend). Arkansas is catching up, but we have a ton of ground to make up. Don't think for a second that I am talking about volume. Because I am not. We have the breweries in place and more coming very soon. Quantity is not the problem. It is time for our breweries to step up their games. All of them can. I hope all of them will. One that certainly can (and so far has) is Josiah Moody's Moody Brews. On a Tuesday afternoon in the middle of October, I escaped from the confines of my Texas purgatory and from drinking some excellent Texas brews and finally sat down to drink Moody Brews Half Seas Over.

Let me say something very quickly about Josiah Moody so that no one gets the wrong idea. He is a great guy. He is kind and affable. He is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about his craft, combining science and art in a way that only a man that has dabbled significantly in both ever can. I say all of this to say this: Josiah Moody is an asshole.

Half Seas Over is a brilliantly hopped beer that seems to be (I don't know this for sure, but I feel very confident) the culmination of years of experimentation with different varieties of hops. The way the flavors mesh and fold into one another is the work of superb craftsmanship. The malt here is subtle, not heavy with caramel flavors like most Imperial IPAs. It is a beer out of balance, in one of the most delightful ways possible. The malts exist, but seemingly to hold up the wonderful array of flavors and aromas (think apricot. no wait, mango! no wait, floral! etc) from this hop profile. This all seems great, right? You just got keyed in to order a second one, right? Because you are about to find out how this brilliantly hopped beer is secretly fucking dangerous. Go, ahead. Drink down that second one. I'll wait.

Are you good? Still a tasty beer, right? Good. Now stand up and walk to the bathroom. AHA! Gotcha! That little wobble in your step? That is Josiah Moody being an asshole. That beer that you ended up drinking way too fast while talking about all of the different things you taste and smell? The one you immediately thought you would drink another of? It is 8.5% abv. You see, it isn't necessarily the alcohol that sends you over the edge, it is the ease of drinking and the way that this beer seems to lend itself to conversation (even with yourself) about all of its varied characteristics. You take a sip and you talk about the subtle sweet breadiness, another sip and talk about the citrus. Sip, pine. Sip, tropical fruits. Sip, flowers. Then you are out of sips, but you are certain there is more in there. So you get another and then...well, you get that wobble in your step.

Here is the thing about brewing beer that I discovered from being a mediocre home brewer. It is a blend of art and science. Meticulous and calculated in execution, but driven by a certain whimsical creativity at conception. To find one or the other evident in a particular beer is not that rare a thing anymore, not with so many incredible beers out there. But to find both and to see them so clearly, to see both the careful hand at work, making sure the whole thing stays in balance, and to also see that spark in the mind that drove those hands to work...that is something else entirely.

It was an incredible experience drinking these two beers back to back. Josiah just hit a lead off triple in his first at bat. Here's hoping he keeps rising.

On the scale from 0 to infinity (it gets weirder, don't worry) This is a damn fine beer.

Quick hits:

Big Orange MidTown - I like the Big Orange concept as a whole, but until they moved into the Mid Town location, I couldn't really call myself a fan. Location wise, the Promenade is nice (8/10 in theory), but it certainly isn't my cup of tea (6/10 in practice) (my cup of tea, it seems, is getting a little sloshed and crashing on people's couches, and I know no couches that far out). This location is far better and far more inviting despite being in a strip mall area with a weird patio area that feels more like those plastic lined faux-patios that old people put in their backyards. The inside decor is excellent (8/10) and the food is always top notch (solid 94/100 on the Atom Bomb, love it). The bar set-up leaves a little to be desired. I love horseshoe bars for the most part, but this one is a little tight between the bar and taps. Navigation back there wasn't bad at all on a sleepy Tuesday afternoon, but it looks like it could be a nightmare on a busy night with a couple of hipsters back there slinging drinks. All in all, it is fun dining experience with an eclectic vibe and who doesn't love an excited hipster pouring you a beer? I give it a whopping **** out of 5 hooligans.

Ska Brewing Autumnal Mole Stout - I am a big fan of mole spices in beer as a general rule. This one is fantastic example. I am putting right in between New Belgium's Cocoa Mole and Mother's Holy Mole in my top three. - Fred Page (who I should mention right now is such a notorious shithead that he has his own hashtag #ffp...the fp stands for Fred Page and the first f stands for exactly what you think it does) Fred disagrees and says, "this beer tastes like dirt. But like, you know, spicy dirt." Fuck Fred Page.  Me, I give it 35 unicorns out of 28 dragons.