Stone Bids Adieu to Two...

Stone Brewing Co. is one of my Top 10 brewers easily. Most recently they have crawled towards my Top 5 with so many new beers that have all been fantastic. I recall fond memories of beers like Espresso Imperial Stout, Chipotle Porter, Götterdämmerung, and Southern Charred. However, in all of this craze of new beers it seems we let two of our own fall. Levitation Ale and Sublimely Self-Righteous, due to a drop in sales, will be discontinued as of this Summer. I am deeply saddened as Sublimely was my favorite Black IPA out there.

 However, from the ashes shall arise a new beer. A beer that will hopefully help fill the void of Sublimely in our hearts. Can anyone recall the only problem with Stone's beloved Black IPA? I will wait. If you said freshness, then you are quite correct. Stone has realized that and correct that one issue with its soon-to-be released Enjoy By Black IPA!! You heard that correctly. Just like the Phoenix, this Son of Sublime will emerge. It happens later this year and is sure to be just as popular as Enjoy By, at least in my home. Cheers!

Stone to Build East Coast Brewery is...Good?

I personally think that this is a great movement for Stone Brewing Co. as long as the quality of their beers remains. Many different West Coast breweries have opened new breweries in the East Coast to keep up with demand. Stone's announcement on their blog here has been met with much excitement throughout the beer community. Can you imagine more Enjoy By or new specialties that don't make it this far? I tingle with excitement at the thought.

Yet some controversy has erupted in the destination city of Richmond, VA. Local breweries and restaurant have bristled at the fact that the local government has offered a loan to Stone Brewing Co. Some seem to think that the government will push more for Stone to succeed than local businesses that have been there for years and some up-and-coming. This seems very iffy to me, as Stone has always been respected within the craft beer community. Yet the article here is quite convincing. You all be the judges, but I think Stone has nothing but good intentions.

Release Calendars

Everyone frets each year about finding that specific brew from a certain brewery that they desire. It can be frustrating for us as consumers as it seems each time you ask you hear "in a few weeks". It can be frustrating for our local beer stores as the misinformation they are given runs rampant. Hopefully the article that I provide in this link will help. Included are over 20 release calendars from the likes of Dogfish Head, Founders, Green Flash, Avery, and many more. I know I will be poring over the contents for months to come. http://www.porchdrinking.com/2015-craft-beer-release-calendars/

RateBeer Best of 2014

RateBeer.com has released their 2014 rankings for beers of the year by State and by Country. I have enjoyed more than a few of these brews and found that, while I don't agree with every choice, most of them I could see why. As far as Kentucky, I would personally have chosen ATG's Bo and Luke over the 70K as I found the balance to be better while maintaining that diverse flavor profile. Everyone should try to locate a few of these, though more than a few are super rare. Check out the article yourself and see what you think. http://www.ratebeer.com/RateBeerBest/BestBeers-State2015xx.asp

Dogfish Dishes

I was looking through Dogfish Heads website and stumbled upon a hidden gem. They have a whole page with videos and recipes dedicated to cooking with their beers. I love to include beers with my meals, whether it be a robust stout in my chili or a hoppy IPA for my brats. Beer is just as complex and delicious to cook with as wine, and I know I will be trying out some of these recipes to see what they have to offer. You all should check them out here and let me know what you think in the comments section.

Tailspin Ale Fest

The 2nd year of the Tailspin Ale Fest is rapidly approaching and tickets are still available. Louisville is starting to boom with craft breweries and festivals, and this is one of the biggest. It is now a 2 day event and that should only help the amount of beer and people participating in this wonderful event. I urge anyone who is interested in a good night of drinking to check out the website here and participate.

Against the Grain to Open New Brewery

So it seems that ATG is opening a new Brewery and Smokehouse in Louisville. It will be located within the Portland area and should be a great addition to this fair city. This 25,000 square foot facility will allow ATG to bottle more batches, keg more kegs, and start a canning line. In addition, it will allow them to have have a larger barreling facility for all of those tasty concoctions that they come up with. I am sure I am not the only one who is excited for Against the Grain, and my congratulations go out to them. It is nice to finally have a great brewery in The Ville. Here is a link for those that would like to find out more. I have included a picture of the new facility in its production below (thanks to ATG for this pic).

Stone Variety Switchup

One of the weirdest oddities in craft beer was why Stone Brewing Co. had never released a 12 pack variety pack when nearly every brewery of that size has one. Stone heard all the questions and pumped one out last year. Now they are tweaking the lineup. Arrogant Bastard and Ruination will remain in the pack, with Cali-Belgique Belgian IPA and Stone's new Delicious IPA rounding it out. In my experience, new variety packs are never a bad thing.

Green Flash Palate Wrecker is Barreling Towards Us!

That is right, four new IPA announcements have made this a very exciting beginning to the New Year. Adding to that is the explosive DIPA Palatte Wrecker that is just dripping with piney goodness and a bitterness that isn't for the weak of heart. I don't have too much information on this years edition, but 22oz. bottles and 4 packs should be on their way to store shelves any day now!

Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA

Another Stone specialty IPA is on its way to store shelves in 22oz. bottles. I don't know about what you all think, but I have found most of these beers to be good to stellar. Australian Helga hops combine with a green tea blend to form an IPA that is sure to knock your socks off. Considering I usually enjoy tea-like IPA's such as Schlafly AIPA, I am very much looking forward to this. You can read more here.

Hopslam On the Way!

You read that title correctly. Bell's Hopslam, the extremely popular elixer of hops, is on its way to store shelves across the nation. Even I am excited, though I don't get as crazy as some. It is supposed to arrive in Kentucky on the week of January 26th if the article can be believed. I plan on doing a special tasting with it this year. Here is a link to read more about it.

New Year? New Beer...Reviews!

It has taken me a little while to get into the swing of things during the first days of the new year. I am sure everyone else is just as busy as they crash from the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I am back though and with a trifecta of reviews on beers that may already have left shelves. However, if you do locate one of these brews, they are all worth the price of admission. Here we go:

Lagunitas Sucks American Strong Ale

I was very pleased to find this at Liquor World off of Preston Highway. I had been dropping my girlfriend off at work and popped in as I had previously become impressed with their beer selection. While their selection is not massive, they carried all the gems you see here today. In fact, I hadn't been able to locate this one or the Evil Twin on any of my Liquor Barn trips. Anyways, I digress...I popped it open with anticipation. Upon pouring, the subtle nose assaulted my senses with hints of lemon zest, orange pith, and alcohol. Light floral notes and hints of pine also were noted. The taste was intriguing with a soapy front end. Floral notes and orange pith worked their way in as well. The finish ramps up the bitterness and offers flavors of grass and toast, with that soapiness lingering as well. It certainly was not at all what I expected.

Mike's Rating - 8.25/10


Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail Single Hop Simcoe Edition

This was a pleasant find, as I am a huge fan of Evil Twin's Molotov Cocktail. A chance at a single hop edition was just too good to pass up. The nose was quite fragrant. It practically exploded with luscious aromas. Grapefruit, orange juice, lavender, and pine all combined to make the nose quite enticing. The taste was instantly sweet, which I am usually not a big fan of. However, with the high amount of alcohol, it was not unexpected. Plus, flavors of orange zest, orange pith, and perfume quickly helped me to get over the sweetness. The finish was slightly bitter compared to the front and almost seemed light after the front was so flavorful. Flavors of pine and toasted cracker made for a pleasant ending.

Mike's Rating - 8.75/10


Lagunitas Brown Shugga

I have had a few of these throughout the last few weeks, and was fairly impressed. I had only had an aged version before, and looked forward to cracking this one open and giving it its due. Now, it is time to formerly rate and critique it. I have decided to literally give you my thoughts as I taste, something I don't usually do. I usually write down my notes and form a review after. So, as I write this review I am popping the top.

The beer is poured, and citrus and grapefruit immediately assault my nose after the pour. I am actually surprised the hops have held up as well in the nose since I bought this beer a few weeks ago. Orange juice and pine round out the nose on this very aromatic brew. The taste comes off with a blast of cologne and floral notes. A bit of sweetened lemon also crops up in there. The finish seems to provide a little more punch. Piney bitterness grabs my attention immediately. A bit of alcohol burn shines in before the finish pushes forward different flavors of lemon pith, crackers, and a hint of grass. Even weeks after, I am still impressed with this brew.

Mike's Rating - 9.25/10

New Year? New Beer!

Hopefully the New Year has greeted everyone in good spirits with good...spirits. Beer is my specialty, and the new year has brought the announcement of a new beer from Stone Brewing Co. They should soon be releasing a new, incredibly hoppy 6 pack IPA known only as Stone Delicious IPA. It boasts 80 IBU's and a combination of Lemondrop and El Dorado hops. Knowing Stone, it is sure to be a blast of delicious hoppy goodness. For those of you wanting a little more info, click here for an overview from Stone.