(Favorite pic I took on the trip. Sergels Torg at night)
No doubt that “Välkommen” (Welcome) is what the Pens saw as they landed in Sweden this past week for a special season opener along with the Ottawa Senators in Stockholm. Since pictures of the Pens trip are well documented I thought I’d share my pics from when I was in Stockholm. I fell in love with the city when I was there in 2006 and honestly would move there if it was an option. Then again, they do get worse winters than Erie but it was an incredible experience.
I was never a fan of the architecture in European countries until I experienced it first hand. I was also blown away by the culture of the residents. Everyone was polite, well groomed and spoke English very well. Their dependence on public transportation was impressive as most rode the subway system or rode bicycles.
If you’re going to make the trip though, the only way to go is first class but avoid the Philly airport of you can. Place is a mess to get around and go through customs 
Photo album from Stockholm 2006
Skal! (cheers!)
This is one of the gems I brought back from my trip to Oswego for Silent Bob’s wedding (i know I still haven’t posted pictures) When I select beers for HDH I try to make it something that I haven’t already had on the show. I have drank Avery products before but being a huge fan of the IPA style it was a dream to see the wide availability of this in NY state (since it’s NEVER in Pittsburgh).
First off, I hate foil. It serves no purpose to me on beer besides to get into my beer and mess with my fillings. Yeah you know the feeling! Fortunately for this beverage i was able to look past that as the label is one of the most well designed ones I’ve seen. The nose is that of a citrus/grapefruit with a hint of pine and hops. My first thought for an Imperial was high alcohol aroma but that wasn’t the case.
The head was fantastic. Fluffy cloud or pillow would be the best explanation. If serving at a bar, a hop leaf would be a killer addition. The whole way down it left beautiful lacing on my glass. The taste… well, OHMY FREAKINGLORD. Yeah, that’s right. It had a full body of balanced heavy malt and hops and didn’t make me pucker. The finish was smooth and no lingering aftertaste which is always a concern for me when drinking Imperial IPA’s. Oh yeah, this gem is an A in my book.
Official spoon rating: A
On a final note, due to a considerable amount of time recording audio and video for SIDT I have been unable to keep up with HDH. Never fear as we have wrapped up recordings for now and you should see this back as a weekly feature. Plus I’m making a run to 3 Sons to see what all i can do for the fall/Oktoberfest season.
prost!
