Henry Gonsalves - Smithfield, Rhode Island

I came home hungry and feeling like I deserved a fancy tin. I went to the pantry and picked what I thought would be the fanciest. Gonsalves Sardines in Olive Oil from Portugal. I really wasn't prepared. I hadn't any saltines or water crackers. I didn't have any cheese. I had a day old baguette, reggiano, and 22 fluid ounces of Full Sail Slipknot Imperial IPA. I figured everything would be fine.

These are imported by The Henry Gonsalves Co. Smithfield, Rhode Island. They are a grocery wholesaler/importer with their own label on products. I couldn't find a website, which is curious, at best. A bit of research shows they have a few different "flavors", and while I would/will try these, I'm not loving this tin.

The fish aren't pretty. Broken skin, huge vertebrae. The meat is nicely firm and not fishy. I kinda had to fillet these bad boys. The croutons were not right at all. Save those for tomorrow's broccoli soup I made yesterday. Some tasty bites, but overall I'm not loving these fish. Did I mention that? Left some nastiness in the tin. Not quite a Three Tin tin, so I'm going with the sad Two out of Five Tins.

The Slipknot. 7.8%, um, not all that. Well. I've been drinking Pliny the Younger, the Older, and the DFH 90 Min., all on draft, over the last week, at B & N's. Hoppy As Fuck, Yet Well Made And Balanced "Doubles" and "Triples", so of course it seemed, Less. I've had a Lupulin Threshold Shift. Also, I stopped for a DFH Stout at B & N's earlier, so I'm not quite giving this beer a clean palette. I know I would be stoked to find it in the back of the fridge at my friends house while he was checking on his kid(s). It's an 09 Brewmaster Reserve, I Say Get It While You Can, it's the next best thing to being there.