Chimay Première certainly fits in with its white counterpart. The profile is very similar, with Première featuring slightly sweeter hops than the Tripel. The Première presents in the same fashion as I recall from the blanche beer; a large, thick head that dissipates quickly and a body so thick that no light shines through. Notes of berry and sweet spices radiate as the head dissolves. Chimay Première has a taste on par with the aroma; sweet berries and nutmeg mix nicely with slight hop bitterness. As the ale warms, the spice flavor becomes more pronounced and is joined by a creamy flavor, not unlike butterscotch or caramel.
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 9/10
Taste: 8/10
Total: 25/30
Tags: Beer 300
A brew so thick and cloudy you can’t see through the glass, Chimay’s Tripel lives up to its style. Three times more malt than a “standard” Trappist ale gives this beer a lush, creamy feel and an incredibly fluffy head. The aroma is reminiscent of spiced fruits and creamy candy, which mix together and bring images of Christmastime to mind. Chimay Tripel’s flavor holds true to its scent; mild fruit, clove, and a hint of cinnamon followed by the lingering spices and a sweet flavor, caramel or cream. A pleasing hop bitterness accompanies. The creamy flavor becomes more pronounced as the beer warms.
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 9/10
Taste: 8/10
Total: 25/30
Tags: Beer 300
Friday afternoon, I had the rare opportunity to walk through one of my favorite cities: Pittsburgh, PA. The Steel City’s architecture is gorgeous; a blend of old-school Americana and hip, modern designs. Pittsburghers know how to maintain an attractive cityscape—they know that lumbering, unattractive office towers and strip malls are not the sorts of things that invite people to love their city. Downtown Pittsburgh is filled with thriving businesses and crowds of people—not deserted streets.
On a section of East Carson Street on the South Side, a series of blocks exist in which the old buildings have been kept alive and now exist as local restaurants, bars, retail, and more. It reminds me of areas such as North Clark Street near Wrigley Field in Chicago and The Highlands in Louisville—with a style that is uniquely Pittsburgh. We could have that same atmosphere in Lexington. Some are trying; the Distillery District sounds very promising and I have recently read of a group trying to close a block of Mill Street and convert it into a pedestrian mall. I recall a semi-popular bumper sticker from not long ago that read “Build Up, Not Out.” While some have taken this very literally in recent history—promising to build WAY up—most have ignored it completely and continued to spread Lexington out like so much cultural butter. What I think it means, and what the only logical inference is, is that we must “build up” the existing structures and revitalize the beautiful, old buildings that once made Lexington so charming. However you choose to interpret the first half of that saying, the latter half is clear: building out does not create a united community. It creates a city that is nothing more than several suburbs that happen to be very close together. Lexington already has dozens of great local restaurants, bars, retail and more, but they are largely located several blocks—and sometimes even miles—apart.
But the whole premise of CentrePit is to be a big conglomeration of retail and restaurants and bars, right? Well, it’s going to be expensive. The Fictitious Financier is about to dump a lot of pretend money into this nonexistent project and, to his or her dismay, the condos and hotel rooms are going to be empty. Of course they are, because there’s nothing in downtown Lexington so great that people are going to fork over a ton of cash to be near it. The only way to generate revenue, then, is by leasing to “exclusive” and “upscale” businesses. Besides, a building full of million-dollar condominiums is not going to rent space to dive bars and used bookstores. Although I may be wrong there; since all of the condos are going to be vacant, there’ll be no owner’s association to complain about it.
One thing Pittsburgh does lack, with all its infrastructure, mass transit and wide sidewalks, is a well-connected bicycle system. Numerous bike trails do exist along the waterfront and a continuous 318-mile trail between McKeesport, near Pittsburgh, and Washington DC is nearing completion, but there do not seem to be many options for bike commuters in the city. I saw very few bike racks and don’t recall seeing any bike lanes. The few cyclists I did see were riding in vehicle lanes or on the sidewalks.
My Friday in Pittsburgh was made even more special by the fact that it happened to be one of my favorite impromptu holidays: game seven of a Stanley Cup Finals in which the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing. The streets were littered with die-hard Pens fans, some even sporting black, long-sleeve jerseys in the 80+-degree weather. If Heaven has a sport-themed section, this has to be it. TV news cameramen descended on several local nightspots to film pre-game parties, and every one of the Port Authority’s buses were alternating “Go Pens!” with the destination display. Maybe it’s just been too long since UK were in a championship of any sort, but I don’t feel like I’ve ever seen this atmosphere in Lexington. Monday I’ll be attending the victory parade for the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins (that’s right, they won!), and I have a feeling that it’s going to be amazing.
Before I even picked up Pilsner Urquell, I was hesitant to accept that it could possibly by worthy of the book. It comes in a pale green bottle that can’t possibly do much to protect the flavor, no matter how good it is at the brewery. Was this a beer I needed to track down on tap somewhere? Was a trip to the Czech Republic in my future? Thankfully, no. (No offense, Czechs. Thanks for Jaromir Jagr.) This dark, luscious pilsner came out of its pale bottle tasting very fresh. The head was very thick and creamy, about 2.5 fingers thick. Pilsner Urquell gives off very subtle, slightly floral aromas. There isn’t a great deal of complexity brought to the nose. Each drink of this lager feels deliciously thick and presents a creamy, malty flavor complimented by a pleasant bitterness. The hop flavor is subtle at refrigerated temperatures, becoming more pronounced as the beer warms.
Appearance: 9/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 8.5/10
Total: 24.5/30
Tags: Beer 300
Thanks to new media, a cornerstone of old (old, old) media came back to downtown Lexington today. Two town criers, Brittny Congleton (left) and Alex Johns, were selected by ELandF Gallery from a group of people who submitted essays expressing interest in the position. ELandF also organized the event. A third crier, Elaine Parker, was selected but could not appear today. If I were a more paranoid individual, I’d find it awfully suspicious every time someone was prevented from attending an act of public dissent.
Bruce Burris, owner of ELandF Gallery, is pictured here introducing the FreedomCriers to a small, gathering crowd.
Johns reading Webb’s letter on the steps at Third Street Stuff. The wall behind her reads “Resist change and you’ll be here forever.” Strikingly appropriate.
After the first read-through of Webb’s statement, the criers processed up Limestone to the CentrePointe Pit. On the way, we passed this specimen of Lexington’s distaste with the Webb Way.
Reading again in front of the CentrePit sign. (Not visible: fake security cameras on the signposts.)
Walking to our final destination: the public kiosk at East Main and Quality Streets.
One final declaration of inanity before the hanging. If you haven’t read this thing for yourself, it includes an exhaustive exhausting list of all the Webb developments in Lexington. The size of their footprint is a little unnerving.
And just as quickly as they appeared, they were gone. Off, presumably, to spread freedom and good will to some other underappreciated demographic.
If you are interested in reading #theDud’s statement, click here
Mark your calendars, PDAs, or jail cell walls: the funnel cakes are coming! Saturday, May 30th, 2009 at the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Country Fair (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 1730 Summerhill Drive, 40515), Ace’s summer-long fried pastry tour begins. Gates open at noon and the fun doesn’t stop until 11:00PM. After gorging on that delicious cake, you can work it off by browsing through the rummage sale and trying your luck at some games on the midway—or you could just lose it on one of the carnival rides. There will also be a casino, bingo hall, live music, and a 5K at 8:30AM on Saturday. (That’s probably your best bet for offsetting the funnel cake.) For those of you who just can’t wait to eat sugary, fried dough with Ace, the fair starts Thursday at 6:00PM.
Have some self control and wait for the season to officially begin, though, OK?
Tags: ace, events, funnelcake
To the ever-growing list of things Lexingtonians prefer to CentrePointe, allow me to submit one more: A football club. The idea was first brought to my attention by Twitterer and Anglophile @KYMargueritte yesterday, when she spake, “Maybe Lexington can start a FC, Centerpoint FC and put the field there.”
Having an atmosphere that’s attractive to people from around the world is never a bad thing; neither is anything that helps draw in the world’s best and brightest. Plus, wouldn’t introducing a little cultural variety to indigenous Kentuckians who have only known basketball and horses for the past century only be to our benefit? I shouldn’t even have to mention the large Latino, Irish and British populations here who would support a local FC. We have residents from all over the world and almost all are from countries in which soccer is THE sport. I encounter lonely fans regularly in Lex’s footy-friendly bars and restaurants, watching any team they can catch on our baseball and basketball-dominated televisions.
Admittedly I don’t know a great deal about constructing a soccer field, but logic dictates that a flat, grassy field and some modest bleachers can’t be that expensive — especially if one of Central Kentucky’s many great businesses snatches up the lucrative sponsorship role. At worst, the city owns the field and opens it up as a park in the off-season. Imagine the advertising and merchandise revenues that await whoever owns the team — not to mention ticket sales, soccer camps and special events. USLSoccer.com, website for the governing body of American professional soccer, states that a USL franchise, as opposed to other sports franchises, will help “keep your initial investment — and ongoing expenses — relatively low.” USL has several different leagues, meaning there is a level which is just the right fit for Lexington’s size and spending power.
Any sporting event will draw large crowds; they go to the west end of downtown for UK and the Horsemen and they go out North Broadway for the Legends. East and central downtown would draw crowds too. It already has the nightlife, it could have the day life too. Picture every vacant shop in that area filled with businesses making money off Lex’s newest sports fans. People will come from all around the Bluegrass to see Kentucky’s ONLY pro soccer team and most will want to do a little shopping while they’re here.
In other minor league sports, players come and go all the time. They either excel and quickly move to a larger team or don’t and are replaced by the next budding prospect. In soccer, the team has the opportunity to move up TOGETHER. As the higher tiers expand and have room for more clubs, the more successful teams in lower leagues are often able to move up. This means that, one day, Lexington’s small club could be playing at the major league level.
Think of the culture, the excitement, the revenue; Lexington, what’s not to love? I implore you, bring The Beautiful Game to your front porch TODAY!
Tags: centrepit, crazy ideas
Coming next month, the Lexington History Museum will be hosting their third installment of this season’s Evening with Your History series. May’s program, the final one of spring 2009, features William Ambrose’s Lexington Before It Went Dry– a presentation focusing on our city’s alcohol brewing and distillation prior to prohibition. Join the fun on May 21 at 7:30PM in the old courtroom, located on the third floor of the museum. For more information, visit the Lexington History Museum website at www.lexingtonhistorymuseum.org. I’ve got a feeling that a trip to the nearest saloon will be immediately following.
I’ve no idea who Bullhorn Will is (though we’ve 14 Facebookies in common so I probably should) and I have no idea if he thought up this brilliant plan, but he gets the credit since the Facebook group is his creation. Ergo, huge props to Bullhorn Will for organizing Lexington’s greatest ever game of kickball–even though it lasted all of 30 seconds and involved only one play. As an occupant of one of the tall buildings downtown (a tall building that just happens to overlook CentrePit) I felt it my civic duty to report and record as much as I could see of this historic occasion, and what better place to do so than from the rooftop where I was sure to have a good view of everything. The following would have been far more interesting to look at had either a) I remembered to bring an actual camera with me, or b) my iPhone included a zoom lens and a few more megapixels. Despite the technical shortcomings, I present to you The CentrePit Parque Kickball Game–sandlot sports in the name of freedom and New Lexington.
@KeeganFrank Dear CentrePointe Kickballers: A cop had been sitting next to the pit on Vine Street. Waiting for you? Love, Ur Eye n d Sky. #cpkickball 4:35 PM Apr 24th
@KeeganFrank Typo fix: Cop HAS been sitting. As in, still there. #cpkickball 4:36 PM Apr 24th
@KeeganFrank Make that four cops. #cpkickball http://twitpic.com/3wzvl 4:48 PM Apr 24th
The StakeOute: Somebody tipped these guys off.
@KeeganFrank Make it five. Could be more. Several cruisers have stopped for a moment and left again. How much resistance are they expecting? #cpkickball 5:12 PM Apr 24th
@KeeganFrank Still no sign of kickball players. Police vigil continues. #cpkickball 5:26 PM Apr 24th
@KeeganFrank Something’s going on at the center of town (SE corner of Main & Limestone). Could be tourists, could be freedom athletes. #cpkickball 5:31 PM Apr 24th
Players Are In: Take note of the metro cops haulin’ tail up the sidewalk. They took off for the opening in the fence as soon as the first person was through.
Getting Ready: No pre-game warmup necessary for these champions.
Game On: Someone as yet unidentified is about to throw the first and only pitch here, I believe.
Maybe They Just Want To Play?: They finally get through the gate.
Game Over: Here they come.
Escorted Off: The police escorting our heroes from the playing field.
@KeeganFrank Game lasted one kick before cops scrambled through fence and ushered everyone out. Don’t think any charges/warnings are coming. #cpkickball 5:36 PM Apr 24th
@KeeganFrank Cop over bullhorn: “pull over!” to a car that was already getting out of the way asap. They are feisty today. 5:48 PM Apr 24th
The Afterparty: More people kept showing up after the eviction. They gathered here and then moved up to the center of town for hangouts and kite-flying.
@KeeganFrank HUGE group of cyclists just appeared. Gonna dirt bike the CentrePit I hope. #cpkickball 5:55 PM Apr 24th
@KeeganFrank Lucky for the cops they’re moving on. Bet it’s hard to impound two dozen bikes. #cpkickball #cplex 5:58 PM Apr 24th
@KeeganFrank Bikers buzz the fuzz. #cpkickball #cplex http://twitpic.com/3×686 6:02 PM Apr 24th
Bicyclists Galore: A ton of cyclists riding past the Police StakeOute. I wish I knew where the heck they came from or how I can join them.
@KeeganFrank Back to work. Wish I had time to pow-wow like the police. StakeOute approaching hour three. #cplex #cpkickball
@KeeganFrank Police finally left sometime between 18:45 and 19:15. That’s CT (cop time). #cpkickball #cplex
I see Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale so frequently that I’ve just never bothered to try it. Turns out I should have been taking advantage of it’s wide availability. I picked up a 24 oz. bottle at the local liquor emporium after I couldn’t decide for what I was in the mood. This behemoth of a bottle deserved an equally mighty imbibition vessel the large, glass stein. The presentation is certainly impressive: Deep copper tones buried beneath a head 2.5 fingers thick; this looks how I imagine the perfect ale should look. The aroma is sweet and fruity, with an accompaniment of spicy hops. In other words, it smells divine. This American Pale Ale brings a flavor of fresh citrus peel and spicy hops, slightly bitter and definitely delectable. The sweet malts linger on the palate for some time, extending this already-enjoyable drinking experience.
Appearance: 10/10
Aroma: 10/10
Taste: 9/10
Total: 29/30
Obviously, these aren’t coming nearly as fast as I’d originally hoped. I’m too busy trying brands impulsively and downing growlers of my staple brews. Let’s set a more conservative goal of one beer from the book a month.
Tags: Beer 300
