I swear, I am going to get better about getting these reviews out while the beers in them are still in season. Thankfully, you can still find every single one of these at select stores. So I won't beat around the bush...here goes!
Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose
This is the first Gose I have ever sampled and rated for a blog, whether it be my old LBSM blog or this new one. That alone makes this intriguing. For those of you who don't know, a Gose is a salt beer. It is a style that originated in Leipzig, Germany and is made from over 50% wheat. It is known for the fact that they add salt to give the beer a little sharpness that melds well with the flavors of the style. Just like the Berliner Weiss, many of these beers have flavors added afterwards. Enter Anderson Valley's take. The nose is champagne-like with hint of cherries, applesauce, and citrus soda. The initial taste is immediately sour and tart. However, strong flavors of cherry, lemon, orange, and Sweet Tart candy conquer your palate afterwards. Just like that, however, the beer is gone. The finish is practically non-existent with only small hints of white bread and effervescent water.
Mike's Rating - 8/10
Schlafly AIPA
This beer has always had a special place in my heart. It is one of my all time favorite single IPA's. Almost every year Schlafly hits it out of the park with this one, and this year has been no exception. The nose is just a fresh burst of tea, grapefruit, and citrus. Those pungent aromas make my mouth water every time. A blast of bitterness hits you at the front with flavors of black tea and lemon zest appearing in the aftermath. The finish is nicely toasty with hints of perfume and pine. The bitterness lingers on, but it doesn't overpower the delicious flavors that this beer provides. This is a well-balanced IPA, and one that any hop lover would enjoy.
Mike's Rating - 9.25/10
Great Lakes Rye of the Tiger IPA
We continue with the IPA trend with this relatively new iteration from Great Lakes. This is its third year in production, and it still remains a solid Spring offering for the hop lovers out there. The nose is intense with hints of soap, coriander, pine, and lemon pith. The first sip pulls no punches and gives a blast of bitterness with hints of pine, snow peas, and earth notes. The finish finds the bitterness weakening pleasantly in time for strong flavors of pine and grass. So many Rye beers I find to either have too much Rye or not enough. This one has hit the nail nearly square on the head.
Mike's Rating - 8.5/10
Uinta Detour Double IPA
Uinta has been a pleasant surprise since bursting onto the scene over 2 years ago from Utah. All I had to go on before that was stories from the Salt Lake City olympics about the nightmarish legislation on alcohol in the state of Utah. So it was a huge surprise to see such a quality brewery coming from Utah. This new offering, a hoppy DIPA, didn't disappoint much. The nose had strong hints of pine, citrus, and soap. The taste starts off intensely bitter. More so than any of the previous beers I reviewed today. Strong hints of pine resin mix with softer hints of carmelized onions and cough syrup to form a weird opening. The finish ended up being quite creamy and thick with strong hints of pine. All in all, this beer wasn't bad. Yet it seemed to just be missing that final push.
Mike's Rating - 8.5/10
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Who Wants a Belgian Trip?
This is the part where I hold up a stop sign. It seems the new fad with festivals and events is giving away free tickets to lucky winners. I have no luck at all when it comes to these things, so I post these in hopes that one of my faithful readers will win the opportunity. New Belgium Brewing is doing a drawing and all you have to do to enter is merely sign up for their website and fill out a profile so they know where to send those winning tickets. Link here. Good luck folks!
Founders to Release Redankulous Imperial Red IPA
I don't know about everyone else, but when I see a new Founders beer I tend to get incredibly excited. I have not shied away from stating that Founders is my favorite brewery. That has not changed even as the craft market changes drastically from year to year. Founders also has a history of knocking new IPA's out of the park. So seeing an Imperial Red IPA titled only "Redankulous" has goosebumps prickling my skin. I can't wait to see bombers on the shelves. Check out the description on Founders website here.
Fall Has Arrived...Beer Style!
The coming of Fall usually heralds the arrival of the beers we crave as the weather mellows and the wind picks up. Breezy days of Autumn make you want to crack open Spicy pumpkin beers, creamy Oktoberfests, and chocolatey brown ales. However, with each year it seems the beers normally reserved for Fall are arriving as the scorching weather of Louisville is in full swing. I don't know about you, but none of the beers I mentioned (sans Marzen-style Oktoberfest beers) makes me want to drink them in 90 degree weather with the humidity in full swing.
So why do we release them earlier and earlier when people do nothing but lament their arrival? The first culprit would no doubt be commercialism. If you get the product on the shelves first, then you have first dibs on the market. That is huge to some degree. If you are the only option for those looking, then you are the one they will buy 4 out of 5 times. I myself found myself craving an Oktoberfest and bought Great Lakes as it was literally the only option on the shelves at the time.
The second reason is what makes this a more formidable combination than a string of blows from Ali in his prime: If you don't buy them before they are gone, you get none. Pumpkin Beers and Oktoberfests sell like wildfire, and they hardly ever last until the months where you want them (November and October respectively.) That in and of itself is frustrating enough to get you to pick a few up and hold the last couple bottles until you truly want them. Especially for the many of you who are looking to drink some bottles of Southern Tier Pumking or Schlafly Pumpkin Ale.
So how does this disgusting trend stop? The sad part is that it probably won't. People are insatiable, and craft beer is hotter than ever right now. The only way to reverse this trend would be for many, many people to be on board and abstain. Even then it would be doubtful, as who could resist the desire not to buy one of their favorite seasonals? We are slaves to the man. So let's all toast those cases of Fall beer that we will be holding onto until Fall actually arrives. Cheers!
So why do we release them earlier and earlier when people do nothing but lament their arrival? The first culprit would no doubt be commercialism. If you get the product on the shelves first, then you have first dibs on the market. That is huge to some degree. If you are the only option for those looking, then you are the one they will buy 4 out of 5 times. I myself found myself craving an Oktoberfest and bought Great Lakes as it was literally the only option on the shelves at the time.
The second reason is what makes this a more formidable combination than a string of blows from Ali in his prime: If you don't buy them before they are gone, you get none. Pumpkin Beers and Oktoberfests sell like wildfire, and they hardly ever last until the months where you want them (November and October respectively.) That in and of itself is frustrating enough to get you to pick a few up and hold the last couple bottles until you truly want them. Especially for the many of you who are looking to drink some bottles of Southern Tier Pumking or Schlafly Pumpkin Ale.
So how does this disgusting trend stop? The sad part is that it probably won't. People are insatiable, and craft beer is hotter than ever right now. The only way to reverse this trend would be for many, many people to be on board and abstain. Even then it would be doubtful, as who could resist the desire not to buy one of their favorite seasonals? We are slaves to the man. So let's all toast those cases of Fall beer that we will be holding onto until Fall actually arrives. Cheers!
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Great American Beer Festival
I am sure most of you all have heard about the Great American Beer Festival. It takes place every year in Denver, Colorado and features one of the most extensive craft beer assemblies in the world. Getting to see this first hand can be costly. First, you have to be one of the few to buy tickets before they sell out. Then you have to travel to Colorado and pay for lodging. By the end, you are looking at hundreds of dollars for one event. Oskar Blues this year has kindly decided to offer up FREE tickets...to those who win the sweepstakes. Not just that, but they will pay for your lodging, air fare, and food for you AND a friend. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and everyone should check it out. Someone has got to win, might as well be one of us, eh?
Link: http://draftmag.com/ordeal/
Link: http://draftmag.com/ordeal/
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
I Have Returned...With News!
Hello Ladies and Gents! Yet another long absence but this one will be punctuated with activity. I am back and with a vengeance. We will start by saying that you will see a TON of reviews posted over the next two weeks. Just because I was MIA from here, does not mean I wasn't doing what I love best: sampling and rating beer. So check back often and don't lose faith in yours truly. We will end this post with a completely unrelated tidbit where I recently have read articles that show that beer has generated over 253 billion dollars this past year and 1.75 million jobs. It is a great time to be a craft beer drinker! Cheers!
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Flat 12 Christmas In July
Many people associate certain beers to certain seasons. I will admit that even I will raise an eyebrow to anyone who exclaims "give me a stout!" in the middle of July. However, for barrel-aged Pinko, I can make an exception.
On July 25th, at the Flat 12 Brewery in Indy, Flat 12 will be busting out several different varieties of their delicious Pinko Russian Imperial Stout. A few probably have grumbled about the heat already, but fear not. All of this drinking will take place in a 30,000 square foot cooler. Check out Flat 12 on Facebook for more info.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Podcast Review: Stone Ruination 1.0 v. 2.0
Hello fellow beer enthusiasts. I reported that Stone would be changing up their revered Ruination Imperial IPA a little while back. I decided that I wanted to do a head to head on the new and the old. That is when two friends and former beer regulars at the LBSM approached me to join them on their beer podcast.
So, we joined up and poured these beers starting with age before beauty with the original first. We...well, I won't spoil the fun. Below is a link to the podcast. Just look for the posts titled Another Round #21 and #22. Hope you all enjoy listening as I did recording with them.
Link: http://endangerouslycreative.com/
Bell's Funvitational
Most people can't start a debate about the best breweries without including Bell's. From popular beers like HopSlam and Oberon to much sought after rarities like Black Note and Oracle, Bell's is synonymous with great beer.
Thus, when I saw the lineup of Bell's Funvitational, I squealed with glee like a teenage girl at an Ed Sheeran concert. Over a hundred of the top breweries in the country will flock there. I had to hold the3 urge to rush to send Bell's a check with nothing on it but "insert any amount".
However, Bell's is taking a unique and novel approach. Instead of events like Three Floyd's Dark Lord Day where everyone rushes to refresh their browser and buy, Bell's asks that you send them a check via mail and include a reason why you should get a golden ticket. Kudos, Bell's. Below I have included the link for those adventurous enough to give it a try. I know I will consider it heavily.
Link: http://bellsbeer.com/funvitational
Monday, May 25, 2015
New Stone Stochasticity Beer Generates Hype
The Stone Stochasticity Project beers have been extremely hit or miss for me. Some have wowed me with the diverse directions Stone can go in. Others have made me question if that is always a good idea. The newly announced HiFi+LoFi Mixtape beer has me salivating already.
Stone decided to do something truly unique with this beer. With this beer they decided to combine both aged and fresh beers to create something unique. On top of that, they aged half in wine oak foudres. Essentially, it will combine the best of Belgium style beers all in one. Yet another Stone beer that I am stoked for.
Stone decided to do something truly unique with this beer. With this beer they decided to combine both aged and fresh beers to create something unique. On top of that, they aged half in wine oak foudres. Essentially, it will combine the best of Belgium style beers all in one. Yet another Stone beer that I am stoked for.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Absence
Getting folks! Sorry for being MIA for the last few weeks. My computer decided to bite the dust and it took me awhile to get the hang of my new phone. But things are looking up and I should be back to posting quite often. I thank you all for bearing with me and encourage you all to check the blog for more updates.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Blind Tasting Crowns IPA Winner
Blind Tasting 116 Single IPA's and picking one winner. It is a daunting task, I can tell you. I dare say, an almost impossible task. The hops will eventually overwhelm your taste buds and the next beer won't taste as intense. As such, I looked at this article I read with skepticism. Still, it is a good read and it brought about some nods of approval and gasps of shock at the inclusions and the snubbed alike.
In fact, they almost lost me when they snubbed the likes of Schlafly AIPA, Terrapin Hopsecutioner, and Great Divide Titan from the Top 50. On top of that, they included in the Top 50 the likes of Bell's Two Hearted, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, and Sweetwater IPA. However, these kinds of unpredictable tests tend to have unpredictable results. It still proves to be an excellent read. Check it out here.
In fact, they almost lost me when they snubbed the likes of Schlafly AIPA, Terrapin Hopsecutioner, and Great Divide Titan from the Top 50. On top of that, they included in the Top 50 the likes of Bell's Two Hearted, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, and Sweetwater IPA. However, these kinds of unpredictable tests tend to have unpredictable results. It still proves to be an excellent read. Check it out here.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Stone Shocks All
Stone Brewing Company is iconic in the minds of many a hop head. They pretty much made the Double IPA and Black IPA categories with beers like Ruination and Sublimely Self-Righteous. Recently they have pumped out one limited release after another with the majority being incredibly hop forward. So it shocked everyone when they announced they were discontinuing the Sublimely Self-Righteous and pumping replacing it with a new Enjoy By Black IPA.
Stone did it again. This time they discontinue Ruination as we know it. They are switching up the hops and the build, tweaking it to make it even hoppier to roll with the times. I will admit, I am very skeptical about this move. Ruination has been a staple of the DIPA category since it launched onto the scene so many years ago. To take that legendary recipe and tweak it seems almost blasphemous. Yet if anyone can do it, it is definitely Stone. Only time will tell if this move proves to be a breath of fresh air or a terrible error in judgement.
Source: http://www.stonebrewing.com/ruin/
Stone did it again. This time they discontinue Ruination as we know it. They are switching up the hops and the build, tweaking it to make it even hoppier to roll with the times. I will admit, I am very skeptical about this move. Ruination has been a staple of the DIPA category since it launched onto the scene so many years ago. To take that legendary recipe and tweak it seems almost blasphemous. Yet if anyone can do it, it is definitely Stone. Only time will tell if this move proves to be a breath of fresh air or a terrible error in judgement.
Source: http://www.stonebrewing.com/ruin/
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Beer Reviews That Should Have Been Done Weeks Ago
Yeah. That's right. I just called myself out for these four reviews that somehow have sat on my computer for over 2 weeks. I blame myself...which is probably accurate. If you all haven't picked up any of these delicious beers, I am positive they are all drinking fairly well.
Three Floyds Yum Yum Session Ale
I have had many a Three Floyds beer. I can't deny their legitimacy as one of the best breweries in the country. Yet recently they seem to be resting on their laurels. The last few beers haven't had much substance. This beer is mostly similar to the previous offerings but with one difference: it is packed with flavor for such a light beer. The nose is intriguing with hints of kiwi, lemon juice, and banana cream pie. The body of this beer is light but with flavors of lemon juice and sourdough. The beer remains pleasantly bitter throughout, and the finish brings a smattering of different flavors. Pine, crackers, and mineral water round out the end. While this beer isn't terribly exciting, it does pretty well at what it tries to do.
Mike's Rating - 7.5/10
Green Flash Mosaic Session Ale
Two session ales in a row. How incredibly dull. At least, that is what I would say if I were in your shoes. However, this entry is part of Green Flash's Hop Odyssey Series. That means it is guaranteed to be filled with hoppy goodness, even if the body remains light. The nose is very bright off the bat with thick aromas of oranges. Lighter hints of mineral water, crackers, and floral notes meet the nose later. The taste is one dimensional, which is to be expected with a single hop variety. However, the flavors themselves are quite intense. Tea and toast hit your tastebuds from the start. The finish brings a light bitterness and tons of pine flavor. At the end of the day, I craved more. Yet this beer was well made.
Mike's Rating - 7.75/10
Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA
This is one of my favorite single IPA's. I really don't think it gets enough credit for its flavor. It has a great flavor yet remains easy drinking as the weather warms up. It is also packed full of delicious hops. The nose is exactly what I want from an IPA with pungent aromas of grapefruit and tangerines. Lighter hints of bubble gum also shine through. The front is all hops with flavors of tangerines, grapefruit, and pine. That delicious flavor makes way for the more malty finish with flavors of cream, bread, and floral notes. It isn't the hoppiest beer you will encounter, but it seems to blend just right.
Mike's Rating - 9/10
Great Lakes Chillwave Double IPA
Every time this beer comes out I exclaim "Alchemy Hour is here!" I have to catch myself each time. Still, original name or not this beer bursts onto the scene every year with quite the bit of fan anticipation. It is truly saying something as Great Lakes has one of the best 4 beer lineups as far as seasonals. Yet Chillwave is arguably the best. The nose is all tropical fruit with strong hints of mango, pineapple, grapefruit, and fruit punch. It is like a burst of hops that fills your nose. The taste is mango juice and grapefruit juice. It overpowers your senses with just lighter hints of alcohol and floral notes to draw you away. The finish is lightly bitter with flavors of grapefruit, pine, and hints of incense. This beer is slightly too sweet for my tastes, but remains a stellar offering.
Mike's Rating - 8.75/10
Three Floyds Yum Yum Session Ale
I have had many a Three Floyds beer. I can't deny their legitimacy as one of the best breweries in the country. Yet recently they seem to be resting on their laurels. The last few beers haven't had much substance. This beer is mostly similar to the previous offerings but with one difference: it is packed with flavor for such a light beer. The nose is intriguing with hints of kiwi, lemon juice, and banana cream pie. The body of this beer is light but with flavors of lemon juice and sourdough. The beer remains pleasantly bitter throughout, and the finish brings a smattering of different flavors. Pine, crackers, and mineral water round out the end. While this beer isn't terribly exciting, it does pretty well at what it tries to do.
Mike's Rating - 7.5/10
Green Flash Mosaic Session Ale
Two session ales in a row. How incredibly dull. At least, that is what I would say if I were in your shoes. However, this entry is part of Green Flash's Hop Odyssey Series. That means it is guaranteed to be filled with hoppy goodness, even if the body remains light. The nose is very bright off the bat with thick aromas of oranges. Lighter hints of mineral water, crackers, and floral notes meet the nose later. The taste is one dimensional, which is to be expected with a single hop variety. However, the flavors themselves are quite intense. Tea and toast hit your tastebuds from the start. The finish brings a light bitterness and tons of pine flavor. At the end of the day, I craved more. Yet this beer was well made.
Mike's Rating - 7.75/10
Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA
This is one of my favorite single IPA's. I really don't think it gets enough credit for its flavor. It has a great flavor yet remains easy drinking as the weather warms up. It is also packed full of delicious hops. The nose is exactly what I want from an IPA with pungent aromas of grapefruit and tangerines. Lighter hints of bubble gum also shine through. The front is all hops with flavors of tangerines, grapefruit, and pine. That delicious flavor makes way for the more malty finish with flavors of cream, bread, and floral notes. It isn't the hoppiest beer you will encounter, but it seems to blend just right.
Mike's Rating - 9/10
Great Lakes Chillwave Double IPA
Every time this beer comes out I exclaim "Alchemy Hour is here!" I have to catch myself each time. Still, original name or not this beer bursts onto the scene every year with quite the bit of fan anticipation. It is truly saying something as Great Lakes has one of the best 4 beer lineups as far as seasonals. Yet Chillwave is arguably the best. The nose is all tropical fruit with strong hints of mango, pineapple, grapefruit, and fruit punch. It is like a burst of hops that fills your nose. The taste is mango juice and grapefruit juice. It overpowers your senses with just lighter hints of alcohol and floral notes to draw you away. The finish is lightly bitter with flavors of grapefruit, pine, and hints of incense. This beer is slightly too sweet for my tastes, but remains a stellar offering.
Mike's Rating - 8.75/10
Monday, April 20, 2015
Evil Twin Beer Names
I am sure many of you all have pondered over the meanings of beer names. They almost always have a meaning, and they aren't always well known. Evil Twin is notorious for names like Christmas Eve At A New York City Hotel Room and Ryan and the Beaster Bunny. This article sheds some light on the Evil Twin beers and their mysterious and usually amusing names.
29 Breweries in the US You Must Visit
I like these opinion articles with facts sprinkled throughout. Gives me a chance to compare my opinion. Sometimes I give approving nods, sometimes I am shaking my head at the foolish inclusions, and sometimes I am just wondering what the hell they were thinking for leaving someone out. For this list, I will give you one of each.
I very much approve of the inclusions of Founders and Cigar City. Both are in my Top 10 Breweries and I look forward to visiting them in the years to come. I shook my head at the inclusion of Magic Hat and Rogue. Magic Hat isn't exactly known for their big beers and went so far to try and sue West Sixth over the star in their logo. Rogue isn't much better after sending out a statement against Samuel Adams. Rogue, you would not even exist without the likes of Samuel Adams and Sierra Nevada. Lastly, I was sad to see that neither Stone nor Schlafly made the cut. Both are known for their stellar food and beer in house.
I encourage you all to read the full article here. Also, feel free to list your favorite inclusions, your least favorite inclusions, and the breweries you are pissed that weren't included in the comments section. Hmm...Perhaps I will write my own article on this in the future.
I very much approve of the inclusions of Founders and Cigar City. Both are in my Top 10 Breweries and I look forward to visiting them in the years to come. I shook my head at the inclusion of Magic Hat and Rogue. Magic Hat isn't exactly known for their big beers and went so far to try and sue West Sixth over the star in their logo. Rogue isn't much better after sending out a statement against Samuel Adams. Rogue, you would not even exist without the likes of Samuel Adams and Sierra Nevada. Lastly, I was sad to see that neither Stone nor Schlafly made the cut. Both are known for their stellar food and beer in house.
I encourage you all to read the full article here. Also, feel free to list your favorite inclusions, your least favorite inclusions, and the breweries you are pissed that weren't included in the comments section. Hmm...Perhaps I will write my own article on this in the future.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Cellar Reviews
Many of you know that I have started aging my beer. My collection has grown to over 3 cases of beer. Occasionally I get to pull one of these beauties out of the dark and enjoy quite an intimate night with the beer. I managed to jot some notes down after 2 beauties: Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout (Aged: 1 1/2 years) and Ballast Point Sea Monster Imperial Stout (Aged: 2 years). One of these is not available in Kentucky and the other might as well not be for all you can find. I will quit my babbling and move on now:
Ballast Point Sea Monster Imperial Stout
I picked this one up while I was in Florida last year. It already had nearly a year on it, and I was happy to set it aside for one more year before cracking into it. I heartbroken when I did. The nose was barely there and provided strong hints of raisin, oak, cocoa, vanilla, and rubbing alcohol. I was worried something had gone horribly wrong with the aging. The first taste immediately destroyed all doubts that I had. The flavor starts out quite bitter with strong flavors of espresso and dark chocolate. You can tell when the finish kicks in as it smooths out completely and brings about flavors of dark chocolate, brownies, cream, and espresso. This was my first experience with Ballast Point after hearing nothing but good things. After this, I will be spreading the word.
Mike's Rating - 9.5/10
Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout
Yes, I busted one of these bad boys out. After a year and a half, I wanted to see what they had to offer. I recently read an article where some people suggested drinking them all fresh for the coffee flavors. However, when fresh it is too hot. The alcohol overpowers most of the flavors. Mine is a year and a half old...and I still think it needs more time. The nose is intriguing, but bourbon and vanilla lead the pack. Lighter aromas of dark chocolate, fudge, and roasted coffee emerge. The flavor starts out hot and a tad bitter with thick flavors of dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and coffee beans. The finish sweetens ever so slightly and offers flavors of milk chocolate, vanilla, wood, bourbon, and a touch of raisins and roasted coffee. Other than the heat, it was a brilliant stout easily worth its praise.
Mike's Rating - 9.75/10
Ballast Point Sea Monster Imperial Stout
I picked this one up while I was in Florida last year. It already had nearly a year on it, and I was happy to set it aside for one more year before cracking into it. I heartbroken when I did. The nose was barely there and provided strong hints of raisin, oak, cocoa, vanilla, and rubbing alcohol. I was worried something had gone horribly wrong with the aging. The first taste immediately destroyed all doubts that I had. The flavor starts out quite bitter with strong flavors of espresso and dark chocolate. You can tell when the finish kicks in as it smooths out completely and brings about flavors of dark chocolate, brownies, cream, and espresso. This was my first experience with Ballast Point after hearing nothing but good things. After this, I will be spreading the word.
Mike's Rating - 9.5/10
Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout
Yes, I busted one of these bad boys out. After a year and a half, I wanted to see what they had to offer. I recently read an article where some people suggested drinking them all fresh for the coffee flavors. However, when fresh it is too hot. The alcohol overpowers most of the flavors. Mine is a year and a half old...and I still think it needs more time. The nose is intriguing, but bourbon and vanilla lead the pack. Lighter aromas of dark chocolate, fudge, and roasted coffee emerge. The flavor starts out hot and a tad bitter with thick flavors of dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and coffee beans. The finish sweetens ever so slightly and offers flavors of milk chocolate, vanilla, wood, bourbon, and a touch of raisins and roasted coffee. Other than the heat, it was a brilliant stout easily worth its praise.
Mike's Rating - 9.75/10
Sunday, April 12, 2015
New Holland Changes Mad Hatter IPA
Every brewery has their premier beer. The one that brings home the bacon that allows them to try various recipes. Stone has their IPA, Left Hand has their Milk Stout, Bell's has Two Hearted, and New Holland has Mad Hatter. As such, these beers develop a following that can make tweaks to the formula a very risky business. However, I think we all can agree this is a change for the good.
Sticking to just those beers that sell well for years can cause a brewery to become stagnant. Recently, a lot of breweries have gone about reinventing themselves. Trying to bring fresh new customers to their tasty brews. New Holland definitely needed this. Their beers were stale and the most interesting things they were doing involved the variety of new Hatters they have pumped out. Just reading the changes has already made me excited for this reinventing of an old classic. Check out the article here and keep your eyes peeled for this new rendition.
Sticking to just those beers that sell well for years can cause a brewery to become stagnant. Recently, a lot of breweries have gone about reinventing themselves. Trying to bring fresh new customers to their tasty brews. New Holland definitely needed this. Their beers were stale and the most interesting things they were doing involved the variety of new Hatters they have pumped out. Just reading the changes has already made me excited for this reinventing of an old classic. Check out the article here and keep your eyes peeled for this new rendition.
5 Pro Baseball Teams That Do Craft Beer Right
The weather has begun to warm and everyone has started to migrate outside after a long and vicious Louisville winter. Trips to lakes, amusement parks, and baseball games are at the forefront of everyone's minds. Well, at least they are in mine. The most frustrating part is finding craft beer at these establishments. Places have started to get better as the craft beer boom continues.
Kentucky Kingdom has graced their walls with West 6th beers. Reds games push a number of local craft beers. Even a family place like Disney World has Cigar City (IMO, the best brewery not available in Kentucky) in a number of their parks. It is a good time for us craft beer drinkers. Thus, I stumbled upon this article and was simply baffled at how things truly have taken large strides. Read this little excerpt on 5 baseball teams where the stadiums offer robust beer lists and consider them in your travels this Summer.
Kentucky Kingdom has graced their walls with West 6th beers. Reds games push a number of local craft beers. Even a family place like Disney World has Cigar City (IMO, the best brewery not available in Kentucky) in a number of their parks. It is a good time for us craft beer drinkers. Thus, I stumbled upon this article and was simply baffled at how things truly have taken large strides. Read this little excerpt on 5 baseball teams where the stadiums offer robust beer lists and consider them in your travels this Summer.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Fantabulous Beer Reviews
Hello my readers! Boy, do I have a list of awesome beers for you! You definitely need to sample these fabulous ales. But, don't take my word for it...Well. Actually, do take my word for it. Read on!
Sweetwater Blue
This beer is so smooth. The nose is all blueberry muffin, and we all know that is exactly what we want from our blueberry beers! This fruit beer is incredibly smooth and provides flavors of blueberry muffin. If that wasn't enough, the finish is non-existent and allows people to quickly consume vast quantities of these at a time. That combined with its super smooth blueberry flavor makes this a can't miss beer.
Mike's Rating - 9/10
Upland Wheat Ale
Upland Wheat Ale. Upland. Wheat. Ale. Remember that name, as you are remembering the name of greatness. This beer poured really cloudy and I wondered if something was wrong with my beer. It smelled like popcorn, mineral water, and lemons. The taste was ALL cinnamon though. It was like Christmas in my mouth, then tasted like cornflakes. I love cereal. This is a winner, and I will make this a regular staple at my home.
Mike's Rating - 9.5/10
Magic Hat #9 Not So Pale Ale
I am usually not a fan of a lot of Pale Ales. They tend to taste like grass and pine needles. So I was shocked to smell this beer and smell raspberries and peaches. After reading the bottle, I suppose it must be apricots. It tastes like raspberries and apricots too. I wish it was one or the other, as my tastebuds find this beer a little too convoluted. They need to stick to one flavor, but still pretty good.
Mike's Rating - 8.75/10
Green Flash Palate Wrecker
I took a big whiff off this beer and coughed. It smells like grass, mango, and oranges. It just smells hoppy. I gave it a gulp and nearly coughed to death. It is BITTER. Far too bitter for normal humans to endure. Bitter, pine, and grass. Tastes like something a farm animal would want to ingest. On top of that, I got a buzz from just a sip. Come on! I want to drink like, 20 beers Green Flash! At this rate I will have 3.
Mike's Rating - 5/10
Alright. Those are my reviews for this week. I hope you all enjoyed them and please stay away from the Palate Wrecker. For those of you who haven't realized what is going on by now...April Fools! Hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did writing it.
Sweetwater Blue
This beer is so smooth. The nose is all blueberry muffin, and we all know that is exactly what we want from our blueberry beers! This fruit beer is incredibly smooth and provides flavors of blueberry muffin. If that wasn't enough, the finish is non-existent and allows people to quickly consume vast quantities of these at a time. That combined with its super smooth blueberry flavor makes this a can't miss beer.
Mike's Rating - 9/10
Upland Wheat Ale
Upland Wheat Ale. Upland. Wheat. Ale. Remember that name, as you are remembering the name of greatness. This beer poured really cloudy and I wondered if something was wrong with my beer. It smelled like popcorn, mineral water, and lemons. The taste was ALL cinnamon though. It was like Christmas in my mouth, then tasted like cornflakes. I love cereal. This is a winner, and I will make this a regular staple at my home.
Mike's Rating - 9.5/10
Magic Hat #9 Not So Pale Ale
I am usually not a fan of a lot of Pale Ales. They tend to taste like grass and pine needles. So I was shocked to smell this beer and smell raspberries and peaches. After reading the bottle, I suppose it must be apricots. It tastes like raspberries and apricots too. I wish it was one or the other, as my tastebuds find this beer a little too convoluted. They need to stick to one flavor, but still pretty good.
Mike's Rating - 8.75/10
Green Flash Palate Wrecker
I took a big whiff off this beer and coughed. It smells like grass, mango, and oranges. It just smells hoppy. I gave it a gulp and nearly coughed to death. It is BITTER. Far too bitter for normal humans to endure. Bitter, pine, and grass. Tastes like something a farm animal would want to ingest. On top of that, I got a buzz from just a sip. Come on! I want to drink like, 20 beers Green Flash! At this rate I will have 3.
Mike's Rating - 5/10
Alright. Those are my reviews for this week. I hope you all enjoyed them and please stay away from the Palate Wrecker. For those of you who haven't realized what is going on by now...April Fools! Hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did writing it.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Hopslam 2015 vs. Hopslam 2012
No, the headline isn't a typo. I have compared and contrasted a fresh Hopslam and a 3 year old HopSlam. Now before you all scream foul at an aged Hopslam, I did not age it myself. Well, not the full time. Suffice to say that a former manager not named after an occupation provided me an exchanged Hopslam that was a year old...for free. I naturally jumped at the chance and proceeded to let it age 2 more years. Now we (we, as I have brought a friend known only as The Mysterious Stranger) have consumed and rated these beers side by side. Let us move forward:
Bell's Hopslam 2012
It seemed proper to let age go before beauty in this case. Also, the complexities this beer could give off would have been destroyed by the intense hops from the fresh Hopslam. The nose hints at the age on this beer as we got aromas of chocolate, caramel, raisins, oak, and vanilla. You don't often see these aromas in the nose. The taste shows far more hops than I could have dreamed of, with soft hints of grapefruit and pine resin. The finish is dry with odd flavors of licorice, bread, and roast beef. While age definitely diminished this beer, it was far better than I could have hoped for.
Mike and The Mysterious Stranger's Rating - 8.75/10
Bell's Hopslam 2015
By now the coffers of many of the stores have started running dry on this Winter DIPA. Still, I was determined to find this review while it was fresh and post it. Did I say find? I mean...The nose is very pungent with aromas of grapefruit, citrus, cracked pepper, and herbal notes. The taste is more bitter than usual and provides flavors of grapefruit, tangerines, mint leaves, and lemon zest. The finish is quick and crisp with hints of citrus and honey. The finish dissipates far too quickly and leaves you wanting a bit more. Still, the nose and the front more than make up for the ending flop.
Mike and The Mysterious Stranger's Rating - 9.5/10
Bell's Hopslam 2012
It seemed proper to let age go before beauty in this case. Also, the complexities this beer could give off would have been destroyed by the intense hops from the fresh Hopslam. The nose hints at the age on this beer as we got aromas of chocolate, caramel, raisins, oak, and vanilla. You don't often see these aromas in the nose. The taste shows far more hops than I could have dreamed of, with soft hints of grapefruit and pine resin. The finish is dry with odd flavors of licorice, bread, and roast beef. While age definitely diminished this beer, it was far better than I could have hoped for.
Mike and The Mysterious Stranger's Rating - 8.75/10
Bell's Hopslam 2015
By now the coffers of many of the stores have started running dry on this Winter DIPA. Still, I was determined to find this review while it was fresh and post it. Did I say find? I mean...The nose is very pungent with aromas of grapefruit, citrus, cracked pepper, and herbal notes. The taste is more bitter than usual and provides flavors of grapefruit, tangerines, mint leaves, and lemon zest. The finish is quick and crisp with hints of citrus and honey. The finish dissipates far too quickly and leaves you wanting a bit more. Still, the nose and the front more than make up for the ending flop.
Mike and The Mysterious Stranger's Rating - 9.5/10
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
New Goose Island Taproom
Goose Island is to Chicago like NABC is to New Albany. Goose is huge in Chicago, and everywhere you go you see it on tap. From the lowliest pizza pub on up to ritzier restaurants. So I know I am not alone in being excited for a 3rd Goose Island location opening up. I don't often make it to Chicago, but when I do I will certainly check out this snazzy new location by reading this link.
Best Tap Rooms in Indy
As March Madness moves ever closer to its invasion of Indy, I found it quite interesting to stumble upon a list of their Top 5 Tap Rooms a la the Sun Times out of Chicago. If anyone decides to make that trip for basketball or just for the tap rooms, check the list out here.
Friday, March 20, 2015
New Belgium Reviews
I went out and scooped up more than a handful of the New Belgium beers. I wanted to see what this brewery was all about. In some instances I was pleasantly surprised, and in others I was disappointed. But that goes with almost any brewery these days. Read on to see my thoughts on these brews:
New Belgium Snapshot Wheat Ale
The Wheat Ale category is a hard one to judge. They tend to be even less exciting than Lager's or Pilsner's. This one certainly didn't wow me, but it did enough right to not be a complete bust. The nose is all corn, lemon juice, and mineral water. It dissipates quickly though, so be sure to get a good whiff. The taste starts out tart and fizzy with flavors of lemon juice and sour grapes. The finish is creamier with hints of creamed corn and toast. I was surprised by the intensity of the flavors, even if they were unexciting.
Mike's Rating - 6.75/10
New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale
Next up is the flagship of this brewery. Almost every brewery has one beer that allows them to keep the lights on. Sierra Nevada has their Pale Ale. Bell's has Two Hearted Ale. New Belgium has Fat Tire. After working in beer for over 6 years, I was certainly tired of hearing the question "Do you all carry Fat Tire?" As such, I went into this beer ready to eviscerate it. It certainly helped me. The nose is bland with only hints of applesauce and bread. Both of those aromas disappeared very quickly and left little to nothing. The taste has a strong nuttyness that included walnuts and almonds. Light citrus notes also broke through. The finish is creamy with hints of apples and wheat bread. All in all, it is a very unexciting and mediocre Amber Ale. I guess I should have expected that.
Mike's Rating - 6.5/10
New Belgium Slow Ride Session IPA
The Session IPA category has exploded in recent years. I have had some great ones (Stone Go To IPA) and some awful ones (Oskar Blues Pinner). So I knew the range was wide on the quality of this one. The nose on it was fantastic from the first pour. Grapefruit, citrus, armpit, and soft floral notes made for a tantalizing aroma that didn't fail to make my mouth water. The flavor started out with green onions and armpit before the bitter flavor of lemon juice appeared. The finish was much of the same with that armpit-like flavor and bitter lemon pith. The flavor was light, but that was to be expected. The nose really pushed it forward for me.
Mike's Rating - 8/10
New Belgium Ranger IPA
Of all six of the New Belgium beers that I tasted, this is the only one that I have had before. I remember it to be a pine and citrus forward IPA that had a good mouthfeel on it. So I went into it ready for a nice experience. The nose was utterly bland with just soft aromas of oranges, lemon juice, and floral notes. The taste starts out bitter with flavors of pine and perfume that are almost jarring. The finish is exceptionally light with flavors of perfume and crackers. I am very disappointed with this beer after my first experience with it went so well.
Mike's Rating - 5.75/10
New Belgium Portage Porter
It is so hard to find a good porter, it really is. Thus I always go into each porter wishing and hoping for greatness. It was very nice to find this above average porter. The aroma is slightly sweet with hints of cocoa powder, cream, and coffee grounds. The flavor starts out bitter with hints of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. The finish has more of that dark chocolate, but has a nice sweetness that includes flavors of cream and cappuccino. It had a nice, roasty flavor that wasn't too much.
Mike's Rating - 8.5/10
New Belgium Rampant Double IPA
After the bad experience with the Ranger IPA, I was certainly hesitant. However, the Slow Ride showed that they could intensely hop something and keep it tasting good. So I picked this up and gave it a try, and boy was I pleasantly surprised. The nose had strong aromas of grapefruit, citrus, and hints of floral notes. The taste was nicely hopped with flavors of lime zest, perfume, and grapefruit. The finish was bitter with strong hints of pine resin and perfume. All of these flavors mingled perfectly and made for a DIPA with a decent amount of oomph.
Mike's Rating - 9/10
New Belgium Snapshot Wheat Ale
The Wheat Ale category is a hard one to judge. They tend to be even less exciting than Lager's or Pilsner's. This one certainly didn't wow me, but it did enough right to not be a complete bust. The nose is all corn, lemon juice, and mineral water. It dissipates quickly though, so be sure to get a good whiff. The taste starts out tart and fizzy with flavors of lemon juice and sour grapes. The finish is creamier with hints of creamed corn and toast. I was surprised by the intensity of the flavors, even if they were unexciting.
Mike's Rating - 6.75/10
New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale
Next up is the flagship of this brewery. Almost every brewery has one beer that allows them to keep the lights on. Sierra Nevada has their Pale Ale. Bell's has Two Hearted Ale. New Belgium has Fat Tire. After working in beer for over 6 years, I was certainly tired of hearing the question "Do you all carry Fat Tire?" As such, I went into this beer ready to eviscerate it. It certainly helped me. The nose is bland with only hints of applesauce and bread. Both of those aromas disappeared very quickly and left little to nothing. The taste has a strong nuttyness that included walnuts and almonds. Light citrus notes also broke through. The finish is creamy with hints of apples and wheat bread. All in all, it is a very unexciting and mediocre Amber Ale. I guess I should have expected that.
Mike's Rating - 6.5/10
New Belgium Slow Ride Session IPA
The Session IPA category has exploded in recent years. I have had some great ones (Stone Go To IPA) and some awful ones (Oskar Blues Pinner). So I knew the range was wide on the quality of this one. The nose on it was fantastic from the first pour. Grapefruit, citrus, armpit, and soft floral notes made for a tantalizing aroma that didn't fail to make my mouth water. The flavor started out with green onions and armpit before the bitter flavor of lemon juice appeared. The finish was much of the same with that armpit-like flavor and bitter lemon pith. The flavor was light, but that was to be expected. The nose really pushed it forward for me.
Mike's Rating - 8/10
New Belgium Ranger IPA
Of all six of the New Belgium beers that I tasted, this is the only one that I have had before. I remember it to be a pine and citrus forward IPA that had a good mouthfeel on it. So I went into it ready for a nice experience. The nose was utterly bland with just soft aromas of oranges, lemon juice, and floral notes. The taste starts out bitter with flavors of pine and perfume that are almost jarring. The finish is exceptionally light with flavors of perfume and crackers. I am very disappointed with this beer after my first experience with it went so well.
Mike's Rating - 5.75/10
New Belgium Portage Porter
It is so hard to find a good porter, it really is. Thus I always go into each porter wishing and hoping for greatness. It was very nice to find this above average porter. The aroma is slightly sweet with hints of cocoa powder, cream, and coffee grounds. The flavor starts out bitter with hints of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. The finish has more of that dark chocolate, but has a nice sweetness that includes flavors of cream and cappuccino. It had a nice, roasty flavor that wasn't too much.
Mike's Rating - 8.5/10
New Belgium Rampant Double IPA
After the bad experience with the Ranger IPA, I was certainly hesitant. However, the Slow Ride showed that they could intensely hop something and keep it tasting good. So I picked this up and gave it a try, and boy was I pleasantly surprised. The nose had strong aromas of grapefruit, citrus, and hints of floral notes. The taste was nicely hopped with flavors of lime zest, perfume, and grapefruit. The finish was bitter with strong hints of pine resin and perfume. All of these flavors mingled perfectly and made for a DIPA with a decent amount of oomph.
Mike's Rating - 9/10
Thrillist Hosts Best Beer Bracket
I am sure many of you have been riding the couch watching the games. I have spent a solid 18 hours the past two days doing just that, and it has been quite the start already. UCLA over SMU? Kevin Ware-led Georgia State over Baylor?! UAB over Iowa State??!! I am sure more than a few brackets took a beating. But you can combine your love of beer by voting on Thrillist. Two 16's have already beaten 1 Seeds (Bell's was one). Join the excitement and vote here.
Monday, March 16, 2015
ATG Named to RateBeers Top 100 Brewers of 2014
When I read this article I was stunned. ATG has been doing some great things since they came about. Yet there are over 1,500 breweries in the United States. Some of which have been about for years. ATG becomes the first Kentucky brewery to join the list that includes breweries like Evil Twin, Cigar City, Mikkeller, Stone, Three Floyds, Russian River, and many others. You can check out the full list here.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
170 Year Old Beer Uncovered
Most of you all know that I am a huge fan of aging. I have several cases chilling in my Mom's cellar. It is perfect for aging and the distance means I won't be tempted to bust into it. But 170 years is baffling even to me. The article proves what I expected; the beer didn't taste good. However, just that it can be done and won't get you sick is astounding. I don't plan on aging any beer even close to a fourth of that, but it is interesting that they can use technology to break down the makeup of it. Here's a link to the full article here.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Coolest Restaurants and Bars
This list has some of the coolest concepts I have ever seen. It is too bad that only one is located in the United States. Still, this cool little article is definitely something to plan your next international trip around and includes one brewpub from Mikkeller. If the brewery Mikkeller plans on setting up in California is half as cool, we are in for a treat. Here's a link: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2015/mar/04/10-of-the-worlds-coolest-restaurant-bars-interiors-in-pictures
Thrillest Declares San Diego Best Beer Town
The title says it all. This isn't the first time that a publication has declared San Diego the best beer town. Cities like Portland and Asheville are certainly on the rise, but San Diego is home to over a hundred breweries which include the likes of Stone and Green Flash. I am certainly not inclined to disagree with this opinion. In fact, I would go so far as to agree. The article here says it all.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Smuttynose to Commence Canning
Smuttynose Brewing Company isn't that terribly well known. They have been available here in Kentucky for a couple years, but never done too well. However, they have the distinction of having one of my favorite Brown Ales in their Old Brown Dog. Canning continues to gain momentum among breweries. More and more are moving to at least a partial lineup of canned beers. No word seems to be on when we will see the first two, but definitely keep an eye out as Summer hits and we need canned beer options for the lakes and rivers around here. Source: https://smuttynose.com/smuttynose-cans/
Anheuser-Busch Might Be Forced to Sell Distributing Rights
Long have I wondered how Anheuser-Busch could sell their own product yet competitor Miller Coors had to go through a distributor (River City Distributing). While good for them, it seemed it was a bit of a disadvantage to others. Well, a recent Senate committee meeting could force Anheuser-Busch to go through a distributor and sell the rights to those sales.
In theory, it seems to be a big win for all. Yet it would certainly mean a loss of jobs in one company and a rise in jobs in another. To some degree it seems unnecessary. I will reserve judgment for the foreseeable future, but read the article here and see what you think. Either way, it could ring in a massive amount of change for the beer world in Kentucky.
In theory, it seems to be a big win for all. Yet it would certainly mean a loss of jobs in one company and a rise in jobs in another. To some degree it seems unnecessary. I will reserve judgment for the foreseeable future, but read the article here and see what you think. Either way, it could ring in a massive amount of change for the beer world in Kentucky.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Smattering of Beer Reviews
Sierra Nevada Harvest Wild Hop IPA
The Sierra Nevada Harvest series has always meant one thing to me: a tasty IPA at a reasonable price. However, it has always been the Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop and Northern Hemisphere Dry Hop IPA's. This new Wild Hop was certainly an intriguing venture, as it uses wild grown hops from New Mexico and claims to give melon and apricot flavors. The beer poured with a tantalizing nose that included hints of lavender, oranges, grapefruit, rye bread, and floral notes. I tasted the beer and got nothing in the way of melon or apricot. In fact, it starts with a bitter bite that probably hides any of those sort of lighter flavors. Orange pith, perfume, and just a twinge of green onion rounds out the opening. The finish has the bitterness disappearing with light flavors of perfume and toast. It was a decent IPA, but not close to what was promised.
Mike's Rating - 7.75/10
Founders Imperial Stout
Make no mistake, this is one of my favorite beers out there. I even used some in my batch of chili to pair with this tasty stout.The nose was very subtle with hints of dark chocolate, raisins, and coffee beans. The taste is quite smooth at the start with flavors of fudge brownies, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and just a few stray floral notes. The finish brings a strong bitter flavor that accentuates the dark chocolate, fudge, and roasted black coffee flavors that round out the finish. I popped a few of these in my cellar, and look forward to reviewing them a few years down the line. Though make no mistake, they can be drank now and are quite stellar.
Mike's Rating - 9.5/10
Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout
A friend of mine left this lone beer at my house. I have looked at this beer for a while, as I tend to love a Nitro-infused Stout. However, the Milk Stout is already so light that it made me hesitant to try it. This was the perfect opportunity and I do have a rule: Leave your beer? Now it belongs here. Heh. So I cracked this one open and poured it and was greeted with a good aroma. I was actually surprised at the depth of the nose. Milk chocolate and chocolate milk dominated initially with lighter hints of roasted coffee and raisins appearing later. However, the taste is thin. I mean, really thin. Only light flavors of milk chocolate and coffee appear. The finish doesn't change that much with a flavor that leans towards espresso with a hint of cream. I can't say I'm surprised, but a little disappointment crossed my mind. Still, can't argue with a freebie right?
Mike's Rating - 6.5/10
Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter IPA
This is another new IPA from Sierra Nevada that uses hop oil. Essentially it is an extract from hops that is super concentrated. However, it seems like every time you turn around there is a new IPA on the shelves. I am certainly a hop head, but it takes a lot these days to distance yourself from the pack. This beer is good, and its biggest pro and biggest con happen to be the same: It is silk smooth. I can't help it, I want my IPA to bite. Whether with hops or bitterness. The smoothness would be fine if this beer had a little more depth to its flavor. The aroma has hints of grapefruit, citrus, and floral notes. All of this transfers to the first flavor with citrus, grapefruit zest, and hints of perfume and floral notes. The finish is exceptionally light with flavors of toast and lemon zest. This beer will drink well as a sessionable IPA when the weather warms, but I wish it had just a little more oomph.
Mike's Rating - 8.25/10
The Sierra Nevada Harvest series has always meant one thing to me: a tasty IPA at a reasonable price. However, it has always been the Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop and Northern Hemisphere Dry Hop IPA's. This new Wild Hop was certainly an intriguing venture, as it uses wild grown hops from New Mexico and claims to give melon and apricot flavors. The beer poured with a tantalizing nose that included hints of lavender, oranges, grapefruit, rye bread, and floral notes. I tasted the beer and got nothing in the way of melon or apricot. In fact, it starts with a bitter bite that probably hides any of those sort of lighter flavors. Orange pith, perfume, and just a twinge of green onion rounds out the opening. The finish has the bitterness disappearing with light flavors of perfume and toast. It was a decent IPA, but not close to what was promised.
Mike's Rating - 7.75/10
Founders Imperial Stout
Make no mistake, this is one of my favorite beers out there. I even used some in my batch of chili to pair with this tasty stout.The nose was very subtle with hints of dark chocolate, raisins, and coffee beans. The taste is quite smooth at the start with flavors of fudge brownies, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and just a few stray floral notes. The finish brings a strong bitter flavor that accentuates the dark chocolate, fudge, and roasted black coffee flavors that round out the finish. I popped a few of these in my cellar, and look forward to reviewing them a few years down the line. Though make no mistake, they can be drank now and are quite stellar.
Mike's Rating - 9.5/10
Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout
A friend of mine left this lone beer at my house. I have looked at this beer for a while, as I tend to love a Nitro-infused Stout. However, the Milk Stout is already so light that it made me hesitant to try it. This was the perfect opportunity and I do have a rule: Leave your beer? Now it belongs here. Heh. So I cracked this one open and poured it and was greeted with a good aroma. I was actually surprised at the depth of the nose. Milk chocolate and chocolate milk dominated initially with lighter hints of roasted coffee and raisins appearing later. However, the taste is thin. I mean, really thin. Only light flavors of milk chocolate and coffee appear. The finish doesn't change that much with a flavor that leans towards espresso with a hint of cream. I can't say I'm surprised, but a little disappointment crossed my mind. Still, can't argue with a freebie right?
Mike's Rating - 6.5/10
Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter IPA
This is another new IPA from Sierra Nevada that uses hop oil. Essentially it is an extract from hops that is super concentrated. However, it seems like every time you turn around there is a new IPA on the shelves. I am certainly a hop head, but it takes a lot these days to distance yourself from the pack. This beer is good, and its biggest pro and biggest con happen to be the same: It is silk smooth. I can't help it, I want my IPA to bite. Whether with hops or bitterness. The smoothness would be fine if this beer had a little more depth to its flavor. The aroma has hints of grapefruit, citrus, and floral notes. All of this transfers to the first flavor with citrus, grapefruit zest, and hints of perfume and floral notes. The finish is exceptionally light with flavors of toast and lemon zest. This beer will drink well as a sessionable IPA when the weather warms, but I wish it had just a little more oomph.
Mike's Rating - 8.25/10
New Green Flash: Soul Style IPA
Green Flash and Stone Brewing seemed to have taken each new IPA from the other as a challenge, as these two San Diego area breweries have been pumping out IPA after tasty IPA. Green Flash will soon be dropping the Soul Style IPA. This tropical IPA looks to do Green Flash justice while remaining at a decently sessionable 6.5%. I will certainly have my eyes peeled for this new, tasty IPA.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
17 Rare Beers
These days craft beer is readily available. Even grocery stores have hopped on the craze and stocked their shelves with choice selections. However, in this day and age of plenty there are still a handful of beers that remain elusive. Beers that release only at one time of the year in such a limited supply that you have to be in the known and/or know someone in the business to acquire one of these hot commodities. This list here is a selection of some of the rarer beers you can find around the USA. I myself have only had 4 of the beers mentioned on this list and feel lucky to have sampled those. How many have you had?
Thursday, February 19, 2015
New Stone Beer: Stone Enjoy After 12/26/15
Stone has just been full of announcements recently. I just told you all about the soon to come Enjoy By Black IPA. Now a new Enjoy After series is being launched, and it is starting with a Brett IPA. The fact that it is an IPA probably has many of you eying my words with skepticism. However, Brett (Brettanomyces) is a yeast found in many sour beers and is actually known to impart more flavor as it ages. I am curious to see how this will go as you have one aspect that screams age and one that screams fresh.
Turkish Smuggle
This funny video of a soccer fan trying to smuggle beer into a stadium had me rolling. I don't think I would have ever found a place for all of those beers. http://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/man-tries-to-smuggle-in-case-of-beer-to-soccer-game
Mikkeller to Open San Diego Brewery
This news shocked me like no other beer news in the last year. Mikkeller has staunchly refused to setup a brewery in the United States, and I didn't expect that to change any time soon. However, AleSmith (an awesome brewery out of San Diego) has their old facility up for sale and Mikkeller has jumped at the chance. Perhaps just as shocking is that there are plans to eventually have 6 packs and a possible steady lineup. This news means nothing but good things for both Mikkeller and beer drinkers alike. For the full article, check it out here.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Flat 12 Brewing Trip
A couple weeks ago I proceeded to visit the lovely new Flat 12 Brewery in Jeffersonville with my girlfriend and a couple friends. I have been impressed with Flat 12 ever since they starting distributing their product to Louisville. The Pogue's Run Porter and Pinko Pappy-Aged Imperial Stout have both impressed me thoroughly. The place was clean, friendly, and not very crowded. Though from what I garnered, the crowd varies from day to day. I sampled four barrel-aged beers and have decided to provide reviews for everyone.
Above is a view from the brewery itself. A flight of 4 5 oz. barrel-aged beers set me back a measly $8. A flight of regular beers goes for $5. These prices were very affordable, and they offered a selection of appetizers. However, I had just picked up a fantastic burger from the nearby Big Four Burgers where I partook of a breakfast burger with bacon, fried egg, and dripping with maple glaze. I digress, on with the reviews!
Cowtipper Bourbon Barrel-Aged Milk Stout
ABV: Unknown
I started with the lightest of the barrel-aged beers. I love a well-done milk stout and was excited to see what the bourbon barrel could add to this style. The nose was light with hints of brownies, cream, oak, and cocoa. It was pleasant, and the bourbon didn't overpower the aroma. The taste was light throughout, and started with hints of sweetened cream, chocolate milk, and white chocolate. The body was a little thin, though that isn't entirely uncommon with milk stouts. The finish thinned out even more and gave hints of buttermilk, cocoa powder, and a dash of coffee. The beer wasn't exactly what I wanted, and the bourbon seemed to change some of the flavors in a bad way.
Mike's Rating - 7.75/10
Wine Barrel-Aged Winter Cycle Double IPA
ABV: 10%
The second beer on my list is a DIPA, which most don't see as a style that needs aging. I was skeptical as well. Their Winter Cycle is a big DIPA that combines 6 different hop varieties from 3 different continents combined with juniper berries. They combined this beer with a short aging in a local Easley wine barrel. The aroma is a stellar combination of both. Sour grapes, vanilla, wood chips, pine needles, and grapefruit combine for a mouth-watering nose. The taste starts out with those sour grapes and vanilla and quickly shows off that wine barrel. Then the hops kick in and flavors of pine and citrus overwhelm your taste buds. The finish is intensely bitter and provides strong flavors of oak, grapefruit pith, and pine needles. This beer was quite the surprise and made me wonder how good it was fresh.
Mike's Rating - 9.25/10
Very Owd Gordo Pappy Van Winkle-Aged Old Ale
ABV: 11.5%
This one is quite interesting as it takes an English-Style Old Ale and ages it in Old Pappy barrels. I was curious to see what flavors and aromas this could exhibit, as the bourbon could easily overpower the subtle flavors of the Old Ale. The nose was nothing like what I imagined with hints of sour grapes, black cherries, and vanilla. The first taste started out thick and bitter with flavors of grapes, cherries, perfume, and a hint of oak. That oak began to overwhelm in the finish and included flavors of vanilla and dirt. After being excited to see how this would taste, the flavor fell flat...no pun intended.
Mike's Rating - 8.25/10
Snowdog Canadian Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Rye Stout
ABV: 9%
Another complicated beer that could achieve greatness or fall flat...That pun was intended. Too soon? Anyways, I was skeptical going into this one. So far, only one of the three beers had impressed me, though they all remained interesting. The nose on this one starts out with sweet hints of fudge brownies, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and vanilla. I was eager to give this one a taste, and I was not disappointed. Rich flavors of dark chocolate, black cherries, and tootsie rolls make for a nice introduction into this beer. The finish has a bit of bitterness with flavors of roasted coffee and thick dark chocolate. This was a great beer to end on, as it turned out to be the best of the bunch.
Mike's Rating - 9.5/10
Above is a view from the brewery itself. A flight of 4 5 oz. barrel-aged beers set me back a measly $8. A flight of regular beers goes for $5. These prices were very affordable, and they offered a selection of appetizers. However, I had just picked up a fantastic burger from the nearby Big Four Burgers where I partook of a breakfast burger with bacon, fried egg, and dripping with maple glaze. I digress, on with the reviews!
Cowtipper Bourbon Barrel-Aged Milk Stout
ABV: Unknown
I started with the lightest of the barrel-aged beers. I love a well-done milk stout and was excited to see what the bourbon barrel could add to this style. The nose was light with hints of brownies, cream, oak, and cocoa. It was pleasant, and the bourbon didn't overpower the aroma. The taste was light throughout, and started with hints of sweetened cream, chocolate milk, and white chocolate. The body was a little thin, though that isn't entirely uncommon with milk stouts. The finish thinned out even more and gave hints of buttermilk, cocoa powder, and a dash of coffee. The beer wasn't exactly what I wanted, and the bourbon seemed to change some of the flavors in a bad way.
Mike's Rating - 7.75/10
Wine Barrel-Aged Winter Cycle Double IPA
ABV: 10%
The second beer on my list is a DIPA, which most don't see as a style that needs aging. I was skeptical as well. Their Winter Cycle is a big DIPA that combines 6 different hop varieties from 3 different continents combined with juniper berries. They combined this beer with a short aging in a local Easley wine barrel. The aroma is a stellar combination of both. Sour grapes, vanilla, wood chips, pine needles, and grapefruit combine for a mouth-watering nose. The taste starts out with those sour grapes and vanilla and quickly shows off that wine barrel. Then the hops kick in and flavors of pine and citrus overwhelm your taste buds. The finish is intensely bitter and provides strong flavors of oak, grapefruit pith, and pine needles. This beer was quite the surprise and made me wonder how good it was fresh.
Mike's Rating - 9.25/10
Very Owd Gordo Pappy Van Winkle-Aged Old Ale
ABV: 11.5%
This one is quite interesting as it takes an English-Style Old Ale and ages it in Old Pappy barrels. I was curious to see what flavors and aromas this could exhibit, as the bourbon could easily overpower the subtle flavors of the Old Ale. The nose was nothing like what I imagined with hints of sour grapes, black cherries, and vanilla. The first taste started out thick and bitter with flavors of grapes, cherries, perfume, and a hint of oak. That oak began to overwhelm in the finish and included flavors of vanilla and dirt. After being excited to see how this would taste, the flavor fell flat...no pun intended.
Mike's Rating - 8.25/10
Snowdog Canadian Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Rye Stout
ABV: 9%
Another complicated beer that could achieve greatness or fall flat...That pun was intended. Too soon? Anyways, I was skeptical going into this one. So far, only one of the three beers had impressed me, though they all remained interesting. The nose on this one starts out with sweet hints of fudge brownies, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and vanilla. I was eager to give this one a taste, and I was not disappointed. Rich flavors of dark chocolate, black cherries, and tootsie rolls make for a nice introduction into this beer. The finish has a bit of bitterness with flavors of roasted coffee and thick dark chocolate. This was a great beer to end on, as it turned out to be the best of the bunch.
Mike's Rating - 9.5/10
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