Mc Chouffe

This beer is falls into the category of "Artisanal Belgian Brown Ales," but is very similar in character to a classic Belgian Tripel. Similar beers that come to mind are New Belgium "Tripel" and St. Bernardus "Tripel." The first thing I noticed about the beer was that it was a bit over-carbonated. The most prominent tastes were caramel, a hint of cherries, and toasted brown sugar. Overall it was a very good beer, but the extreme carbonation will likely keep it off of my next top 10 list. I rated it as follows:

Aroma: 8/10

Appearance: 3/5

Taste: 7/10

Palate: 3/5

Overall: 14/20

Unibroue La Terrible

This is definitely one of the most delicious beers I have ever tasted. Unibroue is by far my favorite brewery as I have learned that if it has their name on it, you can pretty much bank on the fact that it is going to be awesome. This particular brew is classified as a Belgian Strong Ale and is very similar in taste to Unibroue's "Trois Pistoles" and Avery's "The Reverend." According to the Unibroue website, what sets this particular brew apart is that it is made using 100% raw materials. When I tasted it, the first thing that jumped out to me was the caramel sweetness with hints of fruitiness and spice. Plums and raisins are the first things that come to mind when thinking about which fruit flavors can be found in this beer. You can barely taste the alcohol, which at 10.5% ABV is quite an accomplishment! I rated it as follows:

Aroma: 9/10

Appearance: 5/5

Taste: 9/10

Palate: 5/5

Overall: 18/20

This is definitely one of my new favorites, and I would love to do a side by side taste test verses my current favorite "The Reverend."

New favorite beers?

Katie and I recently had the privilege of visiting Whole Foods in Austin, TX, and we were thrilled to see that they have one of the best selections of high gravity beer that we have seen. We ended up buying a case of 750 mL bottles so that we could try some new one's out, and I have decided to post my thoughts about each one on our blog. I have decided to personally rate each of the new beers that I try using the rating scale from ratebeer.com. I hope you enjoy reading about them. I sure enjoy drinking them...

New List...finally!

We have a new list up! Sorry it has taken so long.

We have listed our top ten funny people. We used the criteria that you have to be funny on- and off-screen: a lot of people are hilarious in movies, but they are just reading someone's brilliant script. We feel like our picks are funny people, period.

We know comedy is extremely subjective. We'd love to know who YOU have on your list!

Katie's Top Ten Funny People

1) Bill Cosby – hands-down the best stand-up comedian ever. So clean, but SO funny. The way he tells stories is just hilarious. Add “The Cosby Show”, the best sitcom, to the line-up, and you have the funniest man alive.

2) Steve Martin – Such a funny stand-up and actor. From “The Jerk” to “Father of the Bride”, he makes me laugh no matter what he does.

3) Brian Reagan – the best stand-up that I have seen live. His comedy is really clean, and I don’t know how one man comes up with SO MUCH material.

4) Mitch Hedberg – he perfected “one-liner” comedy. Not only were his jokes hilarious, his delivery was so unique and hilarious. It’s sad that I have to refer to him in the past tense.

5) Eddie Izzard – I really love an intellectual comedian, and Izzard is definitely that. In a dress or a suit, his clever commentary on history and modern life cracks me up.

6) Conan O’brien – Another clever comedian, and O’brien is not afraid to be goofy, too. His late night show is the best, and he is SO quick with his jokes.

7) Will Ferrell – He is a great comedic actor, but he is also a great writer. His movies are some of my favorites. He is just goofy.

8) Jim Carey – He is really a brilliant actor and comedian. His physical comedy can’t be beat.

9) Jon Stewart – “The Daily Show” is recorded daily in our house. I think Stewart is really smart, and I appreciate his comedic approach to the often depressing world news and politics.

10) Ellen Degeneres – Love her stand-up and her show. I think she is really quick and really hilarious.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

Mel Brooks

David Sedaris

Tina Fey

Steven Colbert

Bill Murray

Gib's Top Ten Funny People

1) Bill Cosby – “Bill Cosby: Himself” is quite possibly the funniest stand-up routine I have ever seen. I am usually sore for several days after I watch it. Also, there are only a few people on this list who are consistently funny while also being consistently clean. Bill Cosby showed that you don’t have to be perverse or “off color” to be funny. The “Cosby Show” was also one of my family’s favorite shows growing up, and my wife and I still enjoy watching the reruns.

2) Will Ferrell – Will Ferrell is one of the few people in the entertainment business that can make me squirt drink through my nose when he is simply looking at the camera. He is definitely one of the most quotable comedic actors of all time, and I have enjoyed about 90% of the bajillion movies he has been in.

3) Jim Carey – AKA “James Carey.” He has been cracking me up since he got his big break on the TV show “In Living Colour.” Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Liar Liar are two of my go-to funny movies when I need an easy laugh. I also think he is one of the most talented physical comedians that ever graced the stage.

4) Conan O’Brien – Everything he touches is comedic gold. He has written for two of the funniest shows on TV (both The Simpsons and SNL), and I have been a religious follower of all three of his late night talk shows. My wife and I love his self-deprecating monologues, and his comedy sketches aren’t half bad either.

5) Steve Martin – Hilarious on SNL. Hilarious in movies. Hilarious doing stand-up. AND he is an incredible banjo player…

6) Brian Reagan – Probably the most consistently funny stand-up comedians in the business. The fact that he keeps it clean and still manages to be hilarious makes him all the more impressive to me.

7) Mitch Hedberg – He has one of the most unique senses of humor I have ever experienced and I just so happen to love it. Also, I find it fascinating that he overdosed on April Fool’s Day.

8) Mel Brooks – I have yet to see a Mel Brooks film that did not make my abs sore for days. My favorite is probably “Blazing Saddles.”

9) Stephen Colbert – My wife and I look forward to his show every evening. In my opinion he is the “king” of the mock interview. Nobody does it better…

10) Chevy Chase – He is perfect in the role of the “lovable idiot.” Christmas Vacation and Fletch are two of my favorite movies in which he perfects this role.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

Kristen Wiig

Dave Chapelle

Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Adam Sandler

Kevin James

The Pennington Family Cocktail

Sorry it has been so long since our last post. Our next topic will be our "Top 10 Funniest Persons," and should be up in a few days. In the mean time, I wanted to share a cocktail recipe that I created and get your thoughts. Katie and I call it "The Pennington Family Cocktail" and it is a variation on an "Old Fashioned" and a "Manhattan."

- 4 Parts Whiskey (We like to use Jack Daniels or Maker's Mark)

- 1 Part Triple Sec (or Cointreau if you are rich)

- 2-3 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Directions: Combine the above ingredients in a shaker, add ice, and shake. Pour into a chilled martini glass, garnish with two maraschino cherries, and enjoy!

Try it out and let me know what you think...