Dead Leaves and Some Bison, Ground

Evening-ish
Tuesday
Somewhere in Penfield

I'm pretty sure it's October. How do I know? Because it feels like mid-August. But unlike the eighth month of the year, this one looks pretty. And it kind of smells pretty, too. If this isn't a good enough reason to treat yourself to a fancy dinner, I don't know what is.

On the grill a pound of dead bison is sizzling away, the flames licking at the meat the way that Eli and Peyton Manning lick the white stuff off of an Oreo during the Double Stuff Racing League World Championship. As the sun sets, the smell of freshly cut grass and dried leaves throws a Dance Dance Revolution party in my nostrils, while the thick grey smoke from the overdone charcoal goes downstairs and throws up in my lungs.

But none of that lasts long, because in my hand now is a glass full of Weyerbacher's Simcoe Double IPA, courtesy of Jeff's blown bicycle tube. (By the way, Jeff, I think Ben said he has extra tubes.) After one simple sniff, I thought for a moment that I may have to call in the hop bomb squad to diffuse this brew. This is, by all means, a good thing. It has been months since I've had a good, strong IPA, and I can only compare it to New Car Smell. You know you like it, there are few things better, but it feels like it's been too long since you've last enjoyed it.

In a Badger pint glass, this beer is pure sexy. A beautiful amber-orange color with an off-white one and a half finger head just looks good against the fall leaves, nearly matching the chlorophyll-deprived ornaments of autumn hanging perilously from the ash tree in the corner.

Looks aren't everything in a beer though, and ultimately a poor-tasting beer is nothing more than an air freshener in a pint glass. Simcoe tastes as it smells, hoppy from the get-go. Hop bitterness: check. Subtle pine and citrus appearances: check. Painfully bitter: negative. 9% ABV alcohol presence: negative. But make no mistake, this is a big beer. It may not taste like 9%, but it's large and in charge.

Combine this with a muenster-topped bison burger, a beautiful sunset, and a slightly cool breeze, and you have a real treat on your hands. Cheers!