Thursday, February 13, 2014

Beers #218-242: October & November

More of the 2013 backlog ...
#218/365: Allagash Black:
From bottle. Rich roasted malt aroma with licorice and coffee, bitter chocolate. Some Belgian-like esters and a hint of lactose. Dark brown-black clear with thin tan head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with carbonic bite, rich roasted barley and licorice. Mild bitter chocolate and coffee with bitter-sweet finish. Fizzy carbonic after with nutty sweetness.  Foreign Stout  68/100
#219/365: Stone 17th Anniversary Götterdämmerung IPA:
On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Big hoppy spicy aroma with a little bit of sweetness, biscuit, peach, and candy corn. Hazy amber orange with creamy lacing white head. Medium heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts medium dry with orange and peach fruity character. Malty sweet with light fruity hops. Bitter finish but not harsh. Alcohol warming with lingering bitter after.  Imperial/Double IPA  72/100
#220/365: Efes Dark:
From bottle, courtesy of John C. Rich malty double decoction aroma, like Doppelbock and mash. Coppery-ruby brown clear with thin light tan head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts malty with mash and Twizzlers. Nutty with some paper. Sweet malty after and light sweetish tang. Watery finish.  Dunkel/Tmavý  58/100
#221/365: Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale:
From bottle, courtesy of John C. Nice sweet brown sugar, fruity hops - quite aromatic. Coppery amber clear with foamy lacing off-white head. Medium heavy body with medium carbonation and alcoholic warming. Starts malty and sweet with brown sugar, hop resin, grapefruit. Sweet finish and syrupy after.  American Strong Ale  78/100
#222/365: BrewDog/Mikkeller I Hardcore You:
From bottle. Sweet with brown sugar, syrupy with lots of fragrant herbal hops. A little muted in the nose with perhaps a little oxidation. Dark amber hazy with thin off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Sweet start, thick and sugary with good bitterness throughout. Finish is sweet with candied orange, and peach notes. Robust bitter character at the finish with sweet lingering after. Imperial/Double IPA  78/100
#223/365: 21st Amendment Marooned on Hog Island:
From can. Roasted barley, licorice and coffee. Mild smoke and bitter chocolate. Boozy. Dark brown-black clear with cocoa lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation and alcoholic warming. Starts and stays sweet with chocolate and licorice. Lots of roasted barley and chocolate malt. Lactose sweetness and medium hop bitter finish. Alcohol sweetness and warming.  Foreign Stout  82/100
#224/365: Anderson Valley Heelch O'Hops:
On tap at Brunzies. Really fruity and sweet, rose, peach, orange and pineapple and some resin. Medium golden amber clear with pillowy-foamy white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation and light warming. Starts moderately sweet with lots of sugary-juicy hop flavor, fruity notes and bitter undertones. Medium bitter finish with sweet after and dry bitterness. Nice IPA.  Imperial/Double IPA  82/100
#225/365: Southern Tier Warlock:
From bottle. Roasted malt with rich sweet pumpkin pie spices. Mild nutty notes, chocolate. Dark brown-black clear with thin tan head. Medium heavy body with medium carbonation and light warming. Starts sweet with lots of pumpkin flavor, chocolate and molasses with nutty character. Bitter roasted malt and hop bitterness at the finish. Dry bitter sweet after with pumpkin pie spices lingering. A stouty version of Pumking, basically.   Imperial Stout  80/100
#226/365: R.J. Rockers Son of a Peach Wheat Ale:
From bottle. Nice sweet and musky peach nose. Ripe and fruity, mostly peach aroma with a little bit of hops. Cloudy amber with some floaties, topped with off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts moderately sweet and fruity with lots of peach flavor. Dries out quickly for watery wheat ale flavor, ending with bitter astringent finish and mild fruity after.  Fruit Beer  62/100
#227/365: Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet The Greater Pumpkin:
On tap at Twisted Jimmys. Really nice bourbon aroma, oaky with vanilla and lots of pumpkin spices. Deep amber hazy with thin off-white lacing head. Medium watery body with heavy carbonation. Starts sweet with bourbon, vanilla, pumpkin pie spices. Smooth oaky notes with warming and bourbon finish. Nice pumpkin beer.  Spice/Herb/Vegetable  78/100
#228/365: Heather Ales Alba Scots Pine Ale:
From bottle, courtesy of Frank. Sweet Twizzlers aroma, caramel and cherry wood. No hop aroma. Dull brownish amber hazy with thin off-white head. Medium watery body with medium-low carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with lots of Twizzlers and cherry. If there is spruce, I can’t discern it from other flavors and the sweetness. Light astringent cherry wood finish with nutty bitterness. Sweet after.  Traditional Ale  48/100
#229/365: Otto's Tequila Barrel-Aged Double D IPA:
On tap at Otto’s. Nice spicy oak aroma with a hint of tequila, grassy with vanilla. Hoppy, hoppy, hoppy nose, but smooth. Medium body with medium carbonation. Dark amber with lacing white head. Nice tequila taste, but not overbearing. Oaky, spicy, vanilla and floral hops. Nice hoppy presence throughout like normal Double D. Mild alcohol warming. Nice smooth finish and after.  Imperial/Double IPA  84/100
#230/365: Shipyard Double Old Thumper Ale:
From bottle, courtesy of John C. Mild hoppy note, sweet malt and light alcohol, raisins and biscuit. Dark amber hazy with off-white foamy lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Pretty bitter throughout with biscuit and caramel notes. Bitter finish. Not bad but not one I’d seek out on a regular basis.  Barley Wine  66/100
#231/365: Church Brew Ichabod's Revenge:
On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s as Pumpkin Stout. Nice pumpkin pie aroma, sweet with some beany hops and dough. Dark black opaque with thin off-white head. Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. Starts moderately dry and roasty with good pumpkin pie spice. Mild hop bitterness and thin sugary notes with light nutty spicy bitter finish. Smooth after.   Stout  68/100
#232/365: North Country Mothers Milk Stout:
On tap at North Country. Nice mild chocolate nose with sweet lactose and a hint of smoke. Nutty, coffee with molasses. Dark black opaque with thin lacing head. Medium creamy body with light carbonation. Starts moderately sweet with sweet malt chocolate and some nutty coffee. A little hop and nutty bitterness to it, too. Finish is semi-sweet with mild sugary tang. Smooth after with coffee and cream.  Sweet Stout  70/100
#233/365: North Country Dark Ages Ale:
On tap at North Country. Roasted grain and light burnt nose, a bit of molasses and chocolate. Dark ruby black clear with thin head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts moderately sweet with roasted and toasted malts. Chocolate and molasses. Quite a good bit of smoky acidic tang of black malt. Bitter hop and barley finish with lingering bitter after.  Schwarzbier  66/100
#234/365: Victory DirtWolf:
On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Really juicy hops, floral and fruity, piney and orange. Dark golden clear with light haze, topped with white foamy lacing head. Medium heavy with medium carbonation. Starts moderately sweet. Lots of hops flavors here, piney, Concord grapes, oranges. Big bitter finish and after.  Imperial/Double IPA 82/100
#235/365: Tröegs Scratch 99:
On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Strong spicy aroma, coriander and bitter orange peel. Wheaty malt tang. Pale golden cloudy with thin white lacing head. Medium-light watery body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with wheaty tang and light acidity. Coriander with bitter orange peel, very herbal and floral. Fruity tart finish with lemon notes and watery astringency. A dim wit.  Belgian White (Witbier) 50/100
#236/365: Tröegs Scratch 116:
On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Great floral-herbal piney hop aroma. Kinda dank and funky, too, with sulfury notes. Mild sweet aroma on top of that. Medium-dark amber hazy with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts with nice orange and tropical fruit undertones. Big fresh hop flavor, with citrus, pineapple, and mild caramel. Finishes with bitterness and light sweet after.  India Pale Ale  78/100
#237/365: Victory Winter Cheers:
On tap at Brunzies. Aroma of talc, wintergreen, and coriander. Reminds me of Army foot powder. Meaty with some sulfur notes, some citrus. Hazy golden amber with thin white head. Medium-light with heavy carbonation. Starts moderately sweet with light carbonic gaseousness. Coriander, mild sulfur, and sweet citrus notes. OK wheat ale, a little watery at the end.  Wheat Ale  58/100
#238/365: Erie Brewing Johnny Rails Pumpkin Ale:
On tap at Brunzies. Nice nose of pumpkin pie spices, sweet and spicy. Medium amber clear with thin white head. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Pumpkin pie spices, medium to heavy sweetness with light nutty and hoppy bitterness. Smooth finish and after, well balanced.  Spice/Herb/Vegetable  78/100
#239/365: Smuttynose Gravitation:
From 2013 bomber. Caramel, mild neutral fruity character with some cherry wood. Vaporous with alcohol and heavy duty esters. Raisins, plums, brandy. Beautiful lustrous deep amber-mahoghany clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Alcohol warming. Starts pretty sweet but not cloying. Caramel, biscuit, cherry and cherry wood. Medium sugary tart notes, light tart tang and medium hop bitter finish. Warming sweet-bitter after.  Abt/Quadrupel  74/100
#240/365: New Glarus Unplugged Old English Porter:
From bottle, probably 4+ years old. Nose is tart and mild funk, with a distinct metallic note at first which died out. Oaky with cherry aroma, like a chocolatey Flemish brown ale. Medium-dark brown clear with thin light tan lacing head. Medium watery body with medium to soft carbonation. Starts with soft acidic tang, much like Flemish brown sour, acetic with chocolate malty notes. Caramel and biscuit, too. No hop bitterness. Finish is chocolate with oak and wine-like tartness and fruity acidity. Smooth Tootsie Roll after.  Porter  80/100
#241/365: Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine:
From bottle at the Knick. Rich aroma, vinuous. Plum, raisin, oak, vanilla, molasses, soy sauce. Sweet and vapory. Nice nose. Dark brown-black clear with no head. Heavy oily body with medium carbonation and alcohol warming. Starts and stays sweet, big malty flavors with raisin, tobacco, plum brandy, oak and vanilla. Bourbon notes. Lingering sweet character and light bitter after with lingering sweetness.  Barley Wine  82/100
#242/365: Straub 1872 Lager:
On tap at The Knick. Mild beany noble hop aroma with a little corn sweetness and carbonic gaseousness. Rich amber clear with thin white head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Mild amber lager with mellow sweetness and moderately assertive bitterness, hint of nutty astringency. Finish is medium bitter with fairly clean after. Muted malty-corn sweet notes. Kinda like a richer Yuengling lager.  Pilsener  54/100

 Up next ... the rest of the 2013 backlog.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Brunzies - A Recent Addition to Indiana's Beer Scene

Last summer, I wrote up a blurb about beer places in Indiana. Last Fall, we got a new player in town: Brunzies.

Brunzies is located next to Subs & Suds, on the corner of 5th and Philadelphia Sts. Though it has a 5th St. entrance, it is closed during winter to avoid freezing everyone at the bar, so enter via Subs & Suds.  Chris Bruns is responsible for Brunzies (his family also runs Subs & Suds and Benjamin's next door).  They're open from 4p-2a daily, and 3p-2a on Fridays.  (not much web presence yet, so no links).

The food menu is a one-pager, simple yet easy to find something of interest. Subs, apps, pizzas, and salads. Good quality and value.  The beer selection is terrific - 20 taps, most of which are dedicated to craft, and a nice bottle selection in addition to a full bar.  The taps are glycol chilled and have short lines; a lot of the craft beers (many are hard to find elsewhere in the area or are one-offs) only comes in quarter kegs, so the turnaround is good and the beer is fresh.  Half-off draughts during 9-11 happy hour.

Brunzies is a little hard to peg ... it's not quite a sports bar, though there are big screens throughout playing games; it's not quite a townie bar or college bar or yuppie ha, though you'll find both demographics present; and it's not a gastropub, though the food is solid and the beers are eclectic.  We've been several times for Friday dinner - by 6pm, there are no seats left in the place (at the bar, tables, or booths).  Patrons range from families with small kids to octogenarians and everything in between

Beers #204-217: A Fall Trip to D.C.

In early October, my wife had a conference to attend in Washington, D.C.  Since my schedule allowed, I was more than happy to drive down with her and enjoy some sites (and beer!).  Unfortunately, this was during the government shutdown, and so I didn't really get to see any monuments or museums.  I did get some work done, enjoyed some walks during the unseasonably warm (80+ degrees) weather, and even did a little geocaching.  On one of my random walks, I happen to "run into" the Prez & VP out for a lunch run. Quite a spectacle.

D.C. has a lot of great beer places! One of our favorite places to eat and drink is Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont Circle, where we had dinner our first night in town.
#204/365: 3 Stars Pandemic Breakfast Porter:
On cask. Rich malty chocolate notes, sweet alcohol vapor, and espresso. Smooth nose, lots of coffee notes. Dark black opaque with cream tan lacing head. Medium body with cask carbonation. Starts rich and sweet with tons of coffee and espresso, chocolate, smooth and sweet. Nutty sweet coffee finish with very little bitterness. Alcohol warming. Delicious porter.  Imperial/Strong Porter  86/100
#205/365: J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Calvados):
2012 vintage, on tap. Apple cider tartness with alcohol vapors and fruity esters, light sour Bretty funk and some oaky quality. Medium amber hazy with no head. Heavy body with medium carbonation and alcohol warming. Starts medium sweet with tart apple funk notes and hint of apple brandy, macerated apples. Sweet rich fruity finish with sweet lingering apple after. Nice. Barley Wine  82/100
#206/365: Hofstettner Hochzeitsbier von 1810:
On tap. Pilsner malt sweetness. Beany noble hops. Brewed tea, sweet nutty character. Coppery amber clear with wispy frothy off-white head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts moderately sweet with pilsner malts, brewed tea, and a neutral fruity character that had notes of Hawaiian Punch. Light nutty bitter finish and smooth after, with light carbonic after bite.  Zwickel/Keller/Landbier  76/100
The next day for lunch, I went to RedRocks and enjoyed a few beers with pizza.
#207/365: DC Brau The Corruption:
On tap. Mild sitcky sweet nose, with floral-spicy hop character, semi-fresh. Dark coppery amber clear with light haze, topped with thin off-white creamy lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation and carbonic bite. Starts somewhat sweet but big dryness simultaneously comes after as a big hit of hop bitterness descends on the tongue. Hoppy and spicy with lots of resin, big bitter finish and dry bitter after.  India Pale Ale  70/100
#208/365: 3 Stars The Urban Farmhouse:
On tap. Mild green peppercorn fruity-spicy aroma, light yeast and wheat. Semi-sweet pilsner malt notes, floral. Golden amber hazy with thin lacing off-white head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with pilsner malt sweetness, nice hoppy bitter character and light peppercorn spicy-sweetness. Lemon peel and citrus, with sweet-to-dry finish. Nice after and a pretty good saison.  Saison  80/100
The day after that, I stopped in to Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe for a pint.
#209/365: Evolution Craft Lot No. 3 IPA:
On tap. Fresh piney and spicy hops nose, very aromatic. Dark amber-orange clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium-light carbonation. Caramel and amber malt biscuity notes. Big hop flavor with resin and carbonic bite. Finish is relatively mild in bitterness. Smooth nutty-biscuit after with floral hop leftovers.  India Pale Ale  78/100
And on Saturday for lunch, I went to my favorite D.C. bar - Churchkey - with 555 beers available: 500 bottles, 50 taps, and 5 casks.  AND, in addition to great food, the beers are available in short pours, making it very easy to sample a bunch of stuff without getting too goofy.  If you only get to go to one place in D.C. to drink, make it this place!
#210/365: Westbrook/Evil Twin/CBX Justin Blåbær:
On tap. Sour acetic-sulfur nose to start, like the vinegar you soak Easter eggs in before coloring. Tart with a little funk and fruit. Cloudy amber with odd milky-blue tint. No head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Starts and stays tarts with lots of blueberry and acidic flavors. Tarts finish that leaves a pleasant mild blueberry aftertaste - like BooBerry cereal. Funky.  Berliner Weisse  74/100
#211/365: Kelso Fuku:
On tap. Wonderful smoked malt aroma, a little acrid and meaty. Hazy medium amber with frothy white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts moderately sweet with big smoky flavors. Mild wheat and light hop notes. Bitter sweet smoky finish with nice smoky after. A little watery.  Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer  76/100
#212/365: Mahrs Bräu Roter Baron:
On tap. Sweet malt aroma, predominantly of Twizzlers. No hops. Light cherry. Coppery amber clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts a bit sweet with cherry wood sweetness and astringency. Medium bitter finish, half from hops and half from astringent grain notes. Dull nutty after. Not a very good Alt.  Altbier  52/100
#213/365: Konrad Eso Polotmavý Ležák 11°:
On tap. Sweet malty nose with apple must, raisin, and marsala wine. Coppery amber clear with frothy wispy off-white head. Medium heavy watery body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet with marsala and raisins, light caramel and brown sugar. Dries out pretty quick with noble hop bitterness - moderately bitter finish. Light bitter and sweet marsala after.  Polotmavý  68/100
#214/365: Koutský 12° Kvasnicový Světlý Ležák
On tap. Mild hops notes in the nose, subtle and floral with a little bit of sulfur. Hazy golden amber with pillowy white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with big malt notes and hop bitterness. Nice beany notes with carbonic bit and lagering hop floral notes. Dry bitter finish and lingering bitter after. Tasty.  Czech Pilsner (Světlý)  80/100
#215/365: Lervig Brewers Reserve Konrad's Stout:
On tap. Rich licorice nose, malty sweet with chocolate and molasses. Dark black opaque with thin light tan head. Medium-heavy body with mild carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with tons of molasses and licorice. Sweet espresso, notes of bitter chocolate. Finish is sweet and rich with sweet lingering after. Very nice stout if you like licorice.  Imperial Stout  84/100
#216/365: Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout:
On tap. Sweet rich malty nose, with chocolate, molasses, and coffee. Nutty sweet with some lactose. Dark black opaque with tan lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet and rich, malty with molasses, chocolate, and coffee. Nice roasted bitterness with hop bitter finish. Alcohol warming, with bitter rich lingering sweet after.  Imperial Stout  84/100
 On the way back home, we stopped for dinner at Marzoni's.
#217/365: Marzoni's 10th Anniversary Ale:
On tap. Sweet tripel-like aroma. Wheat, bubblegum esters, and some honey. Fruity and fragrant. Hazy golden amber with thin white head. Medium-heavy body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet with wheat, honey, bubblegum, and light spice. Nice dry bitter hop finish, but leaves strong sweet tripel-like after. Nice.  Belgian Strong Ale  82/100
Up next ... October backlog

Beers #194-203: Local Tastings from September(ish)

In mid-August, we met some friends for dinner at The Knickerbocker in Altoona.
#194/365: Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout:
Nice roasted malt aroma, bitter with some chocolate and coffee. Dark black opaque with creamy light tan head. On nitro, smooth and creamy. Hints of coffee, smoke, and chocolate, with light carbonic tang at the finish with smooth nutty bitter after.  Dry Stout  72/100
 In early September, we were in Pittsburgh and had lunch at Burgatory.
#195/365: Full Pint Chinookie (Wet Hop) IPA:
Great fresh hop aroma, piney, herbal, and spicy. Medium golden amber clear with thin white head. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Sweet with oranges and tons of hop flavor, sticky and bitter. Bitter finish and after. Nice fresh-hop IPA.  India Pale Ale  82/100
Some miscellaneous tastings throughout September:
#196/365: Flying Dog Dogtoberfest:
On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Mild malt aroma with some caramel and biscuit. No discernible hop character. Coppery amber clear with light haze and very little head. Medium-light body with medium-high carbonation. Starts moderately sweet, a little dull, with mild biscuit and caramel. Carbonic bite, a little watery but clean. Mild nutty bittersweet finish and smooth nutty after. 
Oktoberfest/Märzen  54/100 
#197/365: Straffe Hendrik Brugs Tripelbier 9°:
From bottle, courtesy of Dave S. Neutral fruity character with biscuit and caramel, light hop notes and some oxidation - butterscotch. Warm coppery amber, cloudy with creamy off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with high carbonation. Starts sweet with neutral fruity character with biscuit and caramel. Pleasing hoppy bitter finish with lingering sweet-bitter after.
  Abbey Tripel  80/100
 #198/365: Porterhouse Wrasslers XXXX Stout:
From bottle, courtesy of John C. Mild roasted nutty nose, chocolate, coffee, and light bitter hops. Some vanilla and caramel. Dark black opaque with thin tan head. Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. Starts pretty dry with roasted-burnt malt, and hop bitterness. Light coffee and chocolate, some vanilla sweetness. Finish is fairly smooth with carbonic bit and bitter hop after.  Dry Stout  70/100
#199/365: Guinness Red Harvest Stout:
From draught can. Mild biscuit, woody with nitro gaseousness and light hops. Bit of neutral fruity character. Dark coppery amber brown clear with creamy off-white to coppery tinted lacing head. Medium-light body with nitro smoothness. Moderately sweet start with neutral fruity character, cherry wood, and very little bitterness. Finish is smooth with light sweet nutty notes and clean after. Very easy drinking and reminds me of Caffrey’s.  Dry Stout  74/100
#200/365: Penn Pumpkin Roll Ale:
On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Sweet vanilla and pumpkin spices in the nose, bready with some caramel. Medium coppery amber clear with light haze, topped with thin off-white head. Nutmeg and eggnog. Medium watery body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet with pumpkin, vanilla, and biscuit. Sweet throughout but not cloying. Some nutmeg and eggnog tastes. Finishes sweet with spice and pumpking and very light bitterness.  Spice/Herb/Vegetable  68/100
#201/365: East End Moktoberfest Altbier:
From growler. Sweet nutty-biscuit aroma. Grainy and dusty with mild hop notes. Neutral light fruity character. Deep coppery amber clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts moderately sweet with biscuit, caramel, and nutty bitter notes. Lots of hop bitterness. Smooth nutty-sweet finish, lasting bitter character. Smooth after - nice Alt.  Altbier  74/100
#202/365: Old Forge Overbite IPA:
From can, courtesy of John C. Nice hoppy floral aroma, sweet malt character and light tang. Notes of orange. Medium amber orange clear with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet and syrupy with fruity notes, oranges, and sticky sweet and resinous hops. Alcohol warming with sweet finish. Nice IPA with hoppy sweet after.  India Pale Ale  82/100
#203/365: East End Pourganic Farmhouse Ale:
From growler. Wonderful jasmine fragrance, yeasty with some bubblegum and spice. Sweet. Medium golden clear with foamy white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet with pilsner malt, jasmine, biscuit, honey, and wheat. Nice estery balance with mild bitterness. Bit of chalky bitter finish with floral notes. Sweet spicy after. A really nice saison.  Saison  82/100

Next up in the backlog ... a trip to D.C.