Filed under: Coffee Stout, Double IPA, Imperial Stout, India Pale Ale (IPA), Private Tasting, Triple IPA
Two private tasting parties yielded a great weekend beer list! Some of the things we pulled out were pretty amazing, and our party hosts provided an outstanding setting for tasting.
The HopFest
On Friday night, a small group of us gathered to share growlers. Hops were out in full force to make up this list.
We started with Rock Bottom Sub Zero IPA, which Ffej and Brandi picked up earlier in the day at King of Prussia. It’s a Simcoe-hop-based IPA, and had a really nice balance of piney and citrusy hop flavors. As one of the Brewmaster’s specials, it doesn’t appear on the website, but reviews can be read at Beer Advocate.
Next it was Pure Hoppiness from Alpine Beer Company. Alpine uses hops in the boil, runs it through a hopback, and also dry-hops this Double IPA. This was a brighter, sweeter IPA. Both Ffej and D mentioned tropical and citrus fruit overtones; I thought the pine-sap sweetness and light malt flavors were in perfect harmony.
For our third offering, we opened a growler of Surly Grit 16. This is a Double IPA which was released as a growler-only special in recognition of loyal customers during the last days in which Surly was allowed to sell growlers due to current MN law. (In 2008, Surly sold over 3500 barrels of beer; MN law only allows off-sale licenses for breweries producing less than 3500 barrels. They can’t get the license in 2009 without cutting production, so no more growler sales, no more Darkness Day, and no more SurlyFest until/unless the law is changed.)
30 bbls of 16 Grit were brewed, but a couple were sucked up during the dry-hopping process. 901 growlers were sold on the first day. 16 Grit was kettle hopped with Warrior, Amarillo and Glacier hops, then dry-hopped twice with Glacier and Amarillo. It came out to 9% ABV (110 IBUs), and the folks at Surly described it as well balanced, caramel-oat malt flavors and huge orange lemon aroma finishing with a pithy bitterness.
D and I had a growler lined up for ourselves, but it slipped away. Luckily, Dain was able to score one and kind enough to share it. (There is a video of someone – not us – enjoying a growler…it picks up after minute #2.) It was a real treat just to get a glass.
Finally, we had Hopsickle Triple IPA from Moylan’s, which D picked up in a swingtopbottle. Brewed withTomahawk, Cascade and Centennial hops, this is a potent beverage with incredible hop stickiness.
I must make a special note here to say that we were pleased to see Troeg’s Nugget Nectar on tap at The Old Corner Hotel in Williamsport on Saturday night. Unfortunately, the staff there don’t seem to know what a great beer they’ve got (it doesn’t even have a unique tap handle.) But we did!
The StoutFest
Our friends David and Sarah hosted a Sunday stout tasting as an opportunity to clear out their beer cellar a little bit. It was a really fun event because they organized the afternoon as a blind tasting. We started with the line-up of five Coffee Stouts and one lone doppelbock, followed by 16 Imperial Stouts. I know this sounds like a lot, but the servings were very small with such a nice group of people doing the tasting.
David masked the bottles well, and poured a small amount for each person, and then we were asked to rate the beer on a scale of 1 to 10, as well as name the beer (it was a multiple choice test.) What an interesting experiment – a test of our own senses and perceptions. When the real names of the beers were revealed at the end, many of us were surprised at our guesses as well as our ratings.
Finally, the scores were averaged, and we were all sent a copy of the scored results. Here they are, scored from highest to lowest:
Coffee Stouts
- Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast (1st bottling); Overall score of 7.73
- Pisgah Valdez; Overall score of 7.5
- Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Péché Mortel; Overall score of 7.32
- Alesmith Speedway Stout; Overall score of 7.08
- Ithaca Kaffinator; Overall score of 6.7
- Deschutes Black Butte XX; Overall score of 6.25
- Mikkeller Black Hole; Overall score of 4.93
Imperial Stouts
- Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2008 ;Overall Score of 9.0
- Foothills Sexual Chocolate; Overall score of 7.63
- Amager Bryghus Hr. Frederiksen; Overall score of 7.44
- (tie) Hoppin’ Frog B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout (2007); Overall score of 7.08 and Pennichuck Pozharnik Whiskey Barrel Aged Brewers Reserve; Overall score of 7.08 (more higher marks)
- Three Floyds Dark Lord (2007); Overall score of 7.04
- (tie) Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2008 Overall score of 7.0 and Deschutes The Abyss (2006); Overall score of 7.0 (more higher marks)
- Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout; Overall score of 6.73
- (tie) Stoudt’s Barrel Aged Fat Dog (2008 whiskey); Overall score of 6.54 and Oskar Blues Ten FIDY; Overall score of 6.54 (more higher marks)
- Left Hand Imperial Stout; Overall score of 6.42
- Highland Imperial Black Mocha Stout; Overall score of 6.23
- Odell Imperial Stout; Overall score of 6.12
- Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout (2007); Overall score of 6.08
- Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 2008 Overall score of 6.0
At some point I may go back and add links to these, but it’s another one of those nights where I stayed up too late.
Many, many thanks to our hosts for providing such a nice selection of beers, an interesting event and great food and coffee (fresh from Costa Rica!)
Vote for Real Change!
I wanted to catch Sarah Palin’s speech tonight because, like the rest of America, I know little about her and what she believes in. In order to prepare for the evening, D got us a growler of Pliny the Elder.
Well, Palin (McCain, Obama, Biden, Barr, Baldwin, McKinney and Nader), I think I’ve found myself a party I can really stand behind – one with a strong candidate that holds true to my values and speaks volumes to me….The Keg Party.
Here is just a clip from the August 12 press release:
The Keg Party has officially announced their candidate for the 2008 Presidential Election is none other than Pliny the Elder!
Naturally, Pliny has chosen Blind Pig as his running mate. Together, they are campaigning on the Brewer’s Platform and plan great changes in our beautiful country if elected on November 4th!
America needs a good strong leader to “Bring Our Troops Foam, provide Hopcare For Everyone, and do away with IRS and provide more IPA!”
Having just enjoyed a few pints of Pliny myself (at 8% ABV and 100 IBUs), I’m absolutely behind this candidate 100%. I’m a bigger fan of his nephew, Pliny the Younger, but I have a feeling the 11% ABV and “gobs”of IBUs is too radical for most.
It’s going to be a very interesting election year!
Filed under: Beer News, Craft Brewed Beers, Growler Fills, India Pale Ale (IPA), Pennsylvania, microbreweries
D and I were just talking about Mike Hiller and how things are hopefully going in Williamsport. How timely that this news just came across my radar…
Bavarian Barbarian Brewing Company is pleased to announce that Weldspatter IPA is now on tap! Samples and growlers are available at the Horde Room in the brewery, located at 429 W. 3rd St. The beer is also on tap at Kimball’s and B21 in Williamsport.
Weldspatter I.P.A. is a hoppy, though well-balanced beer with a sweet hop flavor and Elysian aroma. This unfiltered beer has a richer, more golden color than most other pale ales. The hops in Weldspatter I.P.A. include Phoenix and Pilgrim varieties imported from England and an American variety called Nugget. India Pale Ale beers typically go very well with pungent cheeses, grilled meats and spicy foods.
Great news, and congratulations!
Weldspatter I.P.A. was the winner in the Barbarian’s Selection ’08 Campaign, which allowed voters to choose the next beer style. It was announced April 1st and immediately brewed with an expected release date of Friday, April 11. Unexpected problems arose during filtration, which ultimately ruined the characteristic hop flavors inherent to the India Pale Ale style and the release was postponed.
In celebration of the release, the brewery will offer growler fills of this new brew for $8 now through the 3rd of May. I doubt I’ll make it up for that, but perhaps a friend or family member will get a chance to check it out.
Okay…the best thing about sharing this news is that I got to use the word “Elysian” in back-to-back blog postings - when does that ever happen?
Filed under: Beer Styles, Craft Brewed Beers, Double IPA, Illinois, India Pale Ale (IPA), Private Tasting, Reviews, United States
At the same time I wrote the title for this post, D said, “You know, we really should be packing for our trip!”
Ah…yes…we should, but we received a growler of Two Brother’s Hop Juice today, which means the world has stopped and I am enjoying a pint.
This is a beautiful double IPA from a family owned and operated brewery just outside Chicago. The growler, which was fairly generic, had a nice foam in the neck, and poured with a head like that of an ice cream float. As I sip this ale, a thick lacing lines the sides of the glass. The color is a beautiful amber-orange. The big, frothy head is deceiving, because the overall carbonation is actually light in the mouth.
The nose is pleasant and light – like the freshness of a forest after spring rains. I’m really enjoying the flavors of citrus, herb and and pine. It has the sweetness of brown sugar and a bit of resin and bitterness from the hops.
The website informs me this is a 2008 seasonal artisan release for February and is brewed to 9.9% AVB, 100.1 IBUs, and dry hopped with a pound of hops per barrel. I’m glad to be enjoying this extremely drinkable ale this from the comfort of my home, as I think I’ll be enjoying another pint while I pack!
If we can’t finish it tonight, we’ll have to find a friend willing to stop by the house to finish it for us…volunteers? Thanks, S-Man, for sending this our way!
Filed under: Beer Styles, Beer Travel, Craft Brewed Beers, Double IPA, Imperial Stout, India Pale Ale (IPA), North Carolina, Porter, Reviews, Stout, United States, microbreweries
I’ve found some time to post more notes from Thursday, so here is my report from our lunch at Foothills Brewing Company. There hasn’t been a whole lot of change since our last visit, so I won’t ramble on here about it. As expected, the draft selection was fabulous, but to start our day off slowly:
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I only had one – the Seeing Double IPA(9.5%; 110 IBUs), which is just a wonderful example of a double IPA. Nothing overpowers (other than the fact that it is a double IPA!); it’s just a warm, sweet nectar. It is served in a 10 oz glass, and the deep copper color is just beautiful. It has a light citrus aroma, and a pine hop bite. Cloudiness in the glass adds to the mystery of this double IPA.
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D had the Hoppyum IPA(6.75% ABV) to start, while his Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout had time to warm. This is so different from the Seeing Double IPA. It is a clear copper color with a crisp finish. Simply a pleasant American IPA.
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The Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout (10.5% ABV) was so much better than last February. Last year it was really hot – really to the point that I couldn’t drink it – it ruined my taste buds. This year, it still has an obvious high alcohol burn, but the rich flavors of chocolate and roasted malts, and the sweetness of dark fruits come through well. This beverage has a strong alcohol burn, which will mellow out over time. I believe last year I called the aroma flammable, but this year’s brew is sweet to the nose.
The best thing about our visit was that we got to meet Jamie Bartholomaus, the owner and brewer of Foothills, and a Pennsylvania native. It was so kind of his wife, Sarah, to stop by and check on our table. She talked with us a bit, and picked up on the fact that we were interested in meeting him. He was able to sit down, taking time to chat for awhile.
We learned his interesting history in brewing, and one of his former brewing experiences was at Olde Hickory Brewing Company, and the former brewing facility (now more of a restaurant and small batch brewing facility) was on the way out of town. We confirmed our suspicion that the Sexual Chocolate was brewed a little earlier this year (October) and tweaked just enough to make it more enjoyable in February (in time for the bottle release, although our bottles will certainly sit for awhile longer!) It sounds like it will be easy to find a glass in Asheville (and other locations for anyone not visiting Asheville!), but he held back at least 12 kegs for aging and release throughout the year. Naturally, Foothills will be at Brewgrass, but also he mentioned a food/beer pairing he’ll be attending called Savor in DC. He gave us a sample of the People’s Porter as well. It would have been lovely to stay longer and drink a whole glass, but we needed to move on.
But I would be remiss in ending this post without talking about the food. Our waiter, Stephen, was quite conscientious despite the busy lunch crowd. He talked to us about some of the menu changes (they dropped the salad with chevre, oranges and snow peas that I loved so much!), but he made other recommendations. I had the Greek salad made with romaine and spinach, topped with balsamic onions, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and feta. The green goddess dressing (made with cream cheese) was a bit too thick for my taste, so I had the balsamic vinaigrette. Along with it, I enjoyed a cup of the creamy She Crab Soup, which had a little zip to it, and small pieces of shell, just so you know it’s authentic! D had the Cuban sandwich, which came with some terrific fries and a wonderful garlic dill pickle spear.
It’s hard not to enjoy yourself at Foothills, but do take quarters for the meter (only 25-cents an hour) and keep it fed!
Filed under: Baltic Porter, Beer News, Beer Styles, Beer Travel, Bottle Shops, Craft Brewed Beers, India Pale Ale (IPA), Other Styles, Pennsylvania, Porter, Schwarzbier, United States
Both running on very little sleep these days, D and I arrived early at the ”One Final VICTORY for Heavyweight” event at The Drafting Room in Exton with an expectation that there would be a line of people.
At that hour (just after 11 AM), there were only a few people inside, and they weren’t serving beer or food, so we scored a good table. Thank goodness, because the room filled quickly, and the event became standing room only for many. We had an enjoyable time drinking some excellent brews with a table of friends, and talking to acquaintances who passed by, and got home in time for D to get a full nap before work.
This was the official release for Victory’s Baltic Thunder, and also a last(?) opportunity to get a selection of Heavyweight products in bottles (750 ml bottles for $14.95.) Baltic Thunder was on tap, but also available in bottles for $7.95 (Ouch! It was only $34/case at Victory, so we were really thankful that Kim made the beer run to Downingtown!)
[Perhaps it was the alcohol, but we were particularly amused by the Lindeman's Pêche description, which went something like, "flavored with fresh raspberries to complement the tartness." Ooops! Who's the editor?]
We asked for our Heavyweight bottles just a little too late, missing out on Black Ocean (a schwartzbier.) Friends at our table bought and shared a bottle of Slice of Bread (a pungent and sour rye), which also ran out before we could get one to take home. Our table did obtain the last two bottles of Jakeldricka which we shared (a spiced herb ale, which I didn’t love, however, I went into this one with a bad attitude after reading descriptions like smokey, bacon bits, boiled cabbage and freshly chopped wood.) I believe this is the one that had a “lava lamp” quality to it, in that thick waves of sediment rolled through the glass during the entire time we were drinking it. D brought home a bottle each of Biere D’Art and Doug’s Colonial Ale.
On draft, also from Heavyweight, we had Perkuno’s Hammer (2006)- a Baltic porter brewed collaboratively with Lew Bryson (who defined it as, “a train wreck between a doublebock and an imperial stout,”) - and at our table (but not tasted by us), the Lunacy (2006) – a Belgian-Style golden ale. As far as I know, no one at our table attempted the Baltus O.V.S. (2006), which was labeled “OXIDIZED – DRINK AT YOUR OWN RISK!”
I particularly enjoyed the Seven Threads Symposium Ale. This dark brew was a blend of 8 locally-crafted ales, served only in 10-oz glasses for $2.95. D and I decided to share one glass, and I have to say I monopolized that glass! Here is the description they provided:
Blended for 2005 Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia, this amalgamation consists of Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale, Flying Fish Porter, Independence Oatmeal Stout (RIP), Iron Hill Pig Iron Porter, Nodding Head Grog, Stoudt’s Fat Dog Stout, Victory Storm King and Yard’s IPA…
I’ll have to see if D took any notes on it…I was too busy trying to maintain possession of it to write anything down!
Don’t worry about D not getting any beer, though! He started the day with Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA, of which I got no more than a single sip.
Everything else we drank was from Victory, and my favorite of the list was the cask-conditioned Hop Wallop. The 8.5% ABV was masked by the smooth drinkability. I enjoyed it so much and was disappointed that I’d only ordered a 10-oz, but in terms of minimizing the alcohol and calorie consumption, it was a good idea. We also had the Harvest Ale (2007), and as mentioned earlier, the Baltic Thunder.
I know it sounds like a lot, but we did stick to the 10-oz glasses, and did lots of sharing, so with lunch and a couple cups of coffee, it really wasn’t overwhelming at all.
This was my first trip to The Drafting Room, where there are 14 rotating taps, one cask-conditioned hand pump, and over 100 bottled beers. I especially like that the menu features “tapped on” dates (the website does, too, but it’s all out of date!) The food menu was also excellent. I really enjoyed my Moroccan salad, and the other plates looked yummy, too. And I like that they never add more than $10 to the PA sales price of a wine. This is a great place to meet with good friends for a good beer!
Filed under: American Pale Ale, Beer Styles, Beer Travel, Birding, California, Craft Brewed Beers, Cream Ale, Hefeweizen, India Pale Ale (IPA), Pilsner, Red Ale, Travel, United States, Winter Warmer, microbreweries
This morning we had a late start (we got into La Quinta after 3 AM in “our time” so we needed the sleep!), but finally got out to do some birding near the Salton Sea in the late morning. Our hosts, Bob and Dianne, knew just where to go for nice views of the water birds at the Sea and a beautiful walk through San Andres Oasis.
After a day of birding, we stopped off at Oasis Date Garden for date shakes, and then visited the Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center to meet some of Dianne’s friends (Rodney the Roadrunner was one of my favorite!) We stopped at Trader Joe’s because it’s always a treat to go there, and then returned to the house for a yummy dinner of homemade enchiladas.
Our after-dinner entertainment was the Mr. Christmas Santa’s Marching Band (this video is not HER set, but you get the idea…funny, funny stuff, and pretty darn talented!)
We ended our night with a trip to Back Street Brewing in La Quinta, which is part of the Lamppost Pizza chain. There were 7 beers on tap, with guest taps including Framboise.
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Crossroads Cream Ale
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Heritage Hefeweisen
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Jagged Lil’ Pilsner
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Rita’s Red
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Ron’s Pale Ale
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E.R. IPA
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Saint Nick’s Treasure
Our bird list for the day (not in order of appearance):
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Eared Grebe
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American White Pelican
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Brown Pelican
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Double-crested Cormerant
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Great Blue Heron
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Great Egret
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Snowy Egret
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Green Heron
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Canada Goose
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Northern Pintail
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Northern Shoveler
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Gadwall
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Ruddy Duck
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Osprey
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Northern Harrier
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Red-tailed Hawk
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American Kestral
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Gambel’s Quail
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American Coot
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Killdeer
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Black-necked Stilt
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Greater Yellowlegs
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Least Sandpiper
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Bonaparte’s Gull
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Ring-billed Gull
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California Gull
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Herring Gull
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Yellow-footed Gull
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Caspian Tern
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Rock Dove
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Mourning Dove
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Common Ground Dove
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Costa’s Hummingbird (at the house!)
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Northern Flicker
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Say’s Phoebe
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Common Raven
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Verdin
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Cactus Wren
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Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
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Northern Mockingbird
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American Pipit
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European Starling
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Orange-crowned Warbler
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Yellow-rumped Warbler
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Sage Sparrow
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White-crowned Sparrow
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Brewer’s Blackbird
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Great-tailed Grackle
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House Finch
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Lesser Goldfinch
Filed under: American Pale Ale, Beer Styles, Beer Travel, Belgian Beers, Belgian Wit, Fruited Wheat Ales, Georgia, India Pale Ale (IPA), Non-Smoking, Travel, United States, microbreweries
A four-hour layover in Atlanta was made bearable by the addition of Sweetwater Draft House & Grill on Concourse B. The airport pub features several of Sweetwater Brewing Company’s beers – there were four on our visit : 420, IPA, Hummer and Blue.
We enjoyed the IPAs (served in 15-oz and 20-oz glasses at more than $6.00 each!) with the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich and the Big Kahuna Fish Sandwich. The IPA was well hopped with a very pleasant aroma. Much more than I expected at an airport eatery, and certainly superior to our other choices – Budweiser Brewhouse & Smoking Lounge or Sam Adams Brewhouse (which featured Ale, Lager, Winter Lager and Cherry Wheat.)
The last 4 days on the Advent Calendar of Beer
Dec. 22 – Winter Warmer – (Santan Brewing Company) this was sent to us in a growler from Chandler, AZ. The same person who sent the Papago delivered this to us, and the packing job was SO VERY superior! When I began to unpack it, it was so riduculously well wrapped, cushioned and prepared for travel – I was so amazed.
Dec. 23 – Winter Ale (Smuttynose Brewing Company)
Dec. 24 – Olde Frosty IPA from draft in a growler (Selin’s Grove Brewing Company)
Dec. 25 - Harveys Christmas Ale (Harvey & Son Ltd.) – A pleasant way to celebrate Christmas. A little like horehound candy in a glass!
Overall, this was a fun little experiment. I don’t think we actually cleared out the basement, but we had a nice selection of beers to enjoy throughout the season.
Now…off to San Diego to start of the new year!
Filed under: Beer Styles, Beer Travel, Belgian Beers, Beligian Strong Ale, Craft Brewed Beers, Homebrewing, India Pale Ale (IPA), Other Styles, Pennsylvania, Porter, Private Tasting, Real Ale, United States, Winter Warmer, microbreweries
The third 7 days on the Advent Calendar of Beer
Dec. 15 – Old Fezziwig® Ale (Samuel Adams) – Winter Warmer
Dec. 16 - Carolina Winter Porter (Carolina Brewing Company) – an American Porter created with Simcoe hops.
Dec. 17 - Christmas Ale (Corsendonk) – Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Dec. 18 - Winter Ale (Wyerbacher)
Dec. 19 – Cherry Vanilla Maple Porter (Brutal Deluxe Brewing) – our 2006 homebrew Christmas beer.
Dec. 20 - Anise Spruce Ale (Brutal Deluxe Brewing) This the second of two Christmas beers we brewed in 2007, and it’s possible there is a better name and I just don’t know it. We were really looking forward to the spruce essence, but the star anise completely overpowers it – a bit reminiscent of NyQuil, unfortunately. Hopefully it will mellow with time, but not in time for Christmas.
Dec. 21 – Gray’s Wassail (Gray’s Brewing Company); Olde Frosty IPA from the Firkin and Solstice Dubbel (Selin’s Grove Brewing Company) - yes, it was a busy day of beer drinking on Friday. D had the Gray’s Wassail at home because he had to work, while I took the afternoon off and camped out at Selin’s Grove for six hours.
I can’t speak for his Wassail, but I thoroughly enjoyed Olde Frosty IPA from the firkin! It was tapped at 3:30 PM, and kicked in 1.5 hours. I had the honor of finishing off the last 1/2 pint! It had a piney hop character with hints of caramel sweetness, and the flavors of the wood really came through (apparently it was only in there for 4 days.) This is a beer I’ve looked forward to tasting all year, and I wasn’t disappointed. I brought home a growler of Olde Frosty on CO2 for D to try, and it will be interesting to compare.
Also, Selin’s Grove brought out the Solstice Dubbel on this special day, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Pumpkin Ale was still on (but I bet it isn’t any longer), so I had a 1/2 pint of that, as well as a glass of Razz Merry. My holiday favorites – all in one place!
