tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252937022024-02-18T23:55:38.963-05:00Nate's Beer and Brewing BlogHomebrewing notes, the beer scene in Indiana,PA and the region, and whatever else I feel like writing about (almost always beer-related).Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-30451463475202646462014-02-13T23:08:00.002-05:002014-02-13T23:08:42.791-05:00Beers #218-242: October & NovemberMore of the 2013 backlog ...<br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#218/365: Allagash Black</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Foreign Stout</i> <b>68/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#219/365: Stone 17th Anniversary Götterdämmerung IPA</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>72/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#220/365: Efes Dark</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Dunkel/Tmavý</i> <b>58/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#221/365: Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>American Strong Ale</i> <b>78/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#222/365: BrewDog/Mikkeller I Hardcore You</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>78/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#223/365: 21st Amendment Marooned on Hog Island</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Foreign Stout</i> <b>82/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#224/365: Anderson Valley Heelch O'Hops</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. </span><i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#225/365: Southern Tier Warlock</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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.</span> <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#226/365: R.J. Rockers Son of a Peach Wheat Ale</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Fruit Beer</i> <b>62/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#227/365: Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet The Greater Pumpkin</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Spice/Herb/Vegetable</i> <b>78/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#228/365: Heather Ales Alba Scots Pine Ale</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Traditional Ale</i> <b>48/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#229/365: Otto's Tequila Barrel-Aged Double D IPA</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>84/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#230/365: Shipyard Double Old Thumper Ale</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Barley Wine</i> <b>66/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#231/365: Church Brew Ichabod's Revenge</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Stout</i> <b>68/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#232/365: North Country Mothers Milk Stout</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Sweet Stout</i> <b>70/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#233/365: North Country Dark Ages Ale</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Schwarzbier</i> <b>66/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#234/365: Victory DirtWolf</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>82/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#235/365: Tröegs Scratch 99</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Belgian White (Witbier)</i> <b>50/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#236/365: Tröegs Scratch 116</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>India Pale Ale </i> <b>78/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#237/365: Victory Winter Cheers</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Wheat Ale</i> <b>58/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#238/365: Erie Brewing Johnny Rails Pumpkin Ale</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Spice/Herb/Vegetable</i> <b>78/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#239/365: Smuttynose Gravitation</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Abt/Quadrupel</i> <b>74/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#240/365: New Glarus Unplugged Old English Porter</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Porter</i> <b>80/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#241/365: Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Barley Wine</i> <b>82/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#242/365: Straub 1872 Lager</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Pilsener</i> <b>54/100</b></span></blockquote>
<br />
<i>Up next ... the rest of the 2013 backlog.</i>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-29708440786317726372014-02-11T00:56:00.000-05:002014-02-13T23:09:19.212-05:00Brunzies - A Recent Addition to Indiana's Beer SceneLast summer, I wrote up a blurb about <a href="http://gueuze.blogspot.com/2013/08/indiana-pa-beer-scene-summer-2013.html" target="_blank">beer places in Indiana</a>. Last Fall, we got a new player in town: <b>Brunzies</b>.<br />
<br />
Brunzies is located next to Subs & Suds, on the corner of <b>5th and Philadelphia Sts</b>. 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).<br />
<br />
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 -<b> 20 taps</b>, most of which are dedicated to craft, and a nice bottle selection in addition to a full bar. The taps are <b>glycol chilled</b> and have short lines; a lot of the <b>craft beers</b> (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.<br />
<br />
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 Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-69009025155913956212014-02-11T00:40:00.000-05:002014-02-11T00:40:06.085-05:00Beers #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.<br />
<br />
D.C. has a lot of great beer places! One of our favorite places to eat and drink is <a href="http://www.eatyourpizza.com/tag/pizzeria-dupont-circle/" target="_blank">Pizzeria Paradiso</a> in Dupont Circle, where we had dinner our first night in town.<br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#204/365: 3 Stars Pandemic Breakfast Porter</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Imperial/Strong Porter</i> <b>86/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#205/365: J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Calvados)</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Barley Wine</i> <b>82/100</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#206/365: Hofstettner Hochzeitsbier von 1810</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Zwickel/Keller/Landbier</i> <b>76/100</b></span></blockquote>
The next day for lunch, I went to <a href="http://www.redrocksdc.com/" target="_blank">RedRocks</a> and enjoyed a few beers with pizza. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#207/365: DC Brau The Corruption</b>: </span><br />On tap. <span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>70/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#208/365: 3 Stars The Urban Farmhouse</b>:</span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Saison</i> <b>80/100</b></span></blockquote>
The day after that, I stopped in to <a href="http://www.kramers.com/index.html" target="_blank">Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe</a> for a pint.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#209/365: Evolution Craft Lot No. 3 IPA</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>78/100</b></span></blockquote>
And on Saturday for lunch, I went to my favorite D.C. bar - <a href="http://www.churchkeydc.com/" target="_blank">Churchkey</a> - 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!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#210/365: Westbrook/Evil Twin/CBX Justin Blåbær</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Berliner Weisse</i> <b>74/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#211/365: Kelso Fuku</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer</i> <b>76/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#212/365: Mahrs Bräu Roter Baron</b>: </span><br />On tap. <span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Altbier</i> <b>52/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#213/365: Konrad Eso Polotmavý Ležák 11°</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Polotmavý</i> <b>68/100</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#214/365: Koutský 12° Kvasnicový Světlý Ležák</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Czech Pilsner (Světlý)</i> <b>80/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#215/365: Lervig Brewers Reserve Konrad's Stout</b>:</span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>84/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#216/365: Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>84/100</b></span></blockquote>
On the way back home, we stopped for dinner at <a href="http://www.marzonis.com/" target="_blank">Marzoni's</a>. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#217/365: Marzoni's 10th Anniversary Ale</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Belgian Strong Ale</i> <b>82/100</b></span></blockquote>
<i>Up next ... October backlog</i>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-68288435834515536492014-02-11T00:10:00.001-05:002014-02-11T00:10:26.109-05:00Beers #194-203: Local Tastings from September(ish)In mid-August, we met some friends for dinner at <a href="http://www.knickerbockertavern.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Knickerbocker</b></a> in Altoona.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#194/365: Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout: </b></span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Dry Stout</i> <b>72/100</b></span></blockquote>
In early September, we were in Pittsburgh and had lunch at Burgatory.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#195/365: Full Pint Chinookie (Wet Hop) IPA</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>82/100</b> </span></blockquote>
Some miscellaneous tastings throughout September:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#196/365: Flying Dog Dogtoberfest</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />On
tap at <a href="http://twistedjimmys.com/" target="_blank">Twisted Jimmy’s</a>. 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. </span><i><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">Oktoberfest/Märzen</span></i><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"> <b>54/100</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#197/365: Straffe Hendrik Brugs Tripelbier 9°</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. </span><b> </b><i>Abbey Tripel</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#198/365: Porterhouse Wrasslers XXXX Stout</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Dry Stout</i> <b>70/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#199/365: Guinness Red Harvest Stout</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Dry Stout</i> <b>74/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#200/365: Penn Pumpkin Roll Ale</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />On
tap at <a href="http://twistedjimmys.com/" target="_blank">Twisted Jimmy’s</a>. 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. <i>Spice/Herb/Vegetable</i> <b>68/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#201/365: East End Moktoberfest Altbier</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>Altbier</i> <b>74/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#202/365: Old Forge Overbite IPA</b>: </span><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate"><br />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. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>82/100</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#203/365: East End Pourganic Farmhouse Ale</b>: </span><br /><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Review-aggregate">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. <i>Saison</i> <b>82/100</b></span></blockquote>
<br />
<i>Next up in the backlog ... a trip to D.C.</i> Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-77027696852579383562014-01-01T11:12:00.003-05:002014-01-01T11:12:44.305-05:00And the total is ...Well, my little experiment for averaging 1 beer a day for 2013 did not quite pan out. I finished the year with 277 new beers, well short of 365, but I certainly enjoyed trying to reach that goal :)Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-60212822375419672742013-12-13T13:52:00.001-05:002013-12-13T13:52:17.169-05:00Beers #172-193 from July & AugustLots of catching up to do ... with (as of today) 77 beers in the back-log. Still short of 365 beers for 2013. And even though I plan to put some more dents in that, I don't think I'll be trying 100+ beers before Dec. 31.<br />
<br />
Towards the end of July, John C. and I made a day trip to Pittsburgh to meet face-to-face with some local brewers about the upcoming Oktoberfest. We met with Andrew Maxwell (<a href="http://www.myrivertowne.com/brewing" target="_blank">Rivertowne</a>) and Brendan Benson (<a href="http://www.eastendbrewing.com/" target="_blank">East End</a>), and then the GM at <a href="http://www.churchbrew.com/" target="_blank">Church Brew</a>. We also stopped in at <a href="http://www.thebeermuda.com/" target="_blank">The Beermuda Triangle</a> and <a href="http://www.houseof1000beers.com/" target="_blank">House of 1000 Beers</a> for some samples.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#172/365: Church Brew Lichtenhainer</b>: </span><br />
Sampled on tap at Church. Very mild maltiness, smokey notes with very
light hops. Pale straw clear with light haze, topped with thin head.
Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Starts wheat with nice sweet
flavor. Medium smokey notes throughout, just enough to be tasty and not
overpowering. Sweet clean finish with no bitter after. <i>Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer</i> <b>66/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#173/365: Church Brew St. Agricola Ale</b>: </span><br />
Sampled on tap at Church. Mild spicy sweet nose. Malt and some molasses.
Herbal note like lemongrass and/or ginger. Dark brown amber clear with
thin head. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Starts somewhat sweet
with herbal/lemongrass citrusy notes and light bitterness. Medium
nutty/hoppy bitter finish. Kinda tastes like Sen-Sen (breath freshener)
and licorice. Sweet-smooth finish with light nutty sweet after. <i>Spice/Herb/Vegetable</i> <b>68/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#174/365: Church Brew Kenya Coffee Pale Ale</b>: </span><br />
Sampled on tap at Church. Very mild coffee aroma with neutral fruit
sweetness. No discernible hop aroma. Pale golden clear with white lacing
head. Medium bodied with medium-light carbonation. Starts with pale
malt sweetness and light coffee. Interesting to have this flavor in a
light-colored beer for a change. Finish is coffee and nutty sweet, with
good hoppy bitter punch. <i>American Pale Ale</i> <b>60/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#175/365: Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Oatmeal Stout</b>: </span><br />
On tap at Beermuda. Roasted malt, molasses, light chocolate, coffee, and
smoke. Sweet nose. Dark black opaque with foamy tan lacing head.
Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet and malty with
lots of molasses, chocolate, and coffee. Light bitter finish with sweet
lingering after. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>78/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#176/365: Bullfrog Blackberry Juju</b>: </span><br />
On tap at House of 1000. Mild bitter berry nose, semisweet with some muskiness.
Light golden amber clear with light haze. Medium bodied with medium
carbonation. Starts sweet with mild pale malt and wheat, nice berry
flavor and a bit of bitterness. Smooth sweet fruity after. <i>Fruit Beer</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#177/365: Bullfrog Op Tight</b>: </span><br />
On tap at House of 1000. Wet canvas and hoppy nose, lactic acid and coffee.
Smells like the seat of a deuce-and-a-half with coffee spilled on it.
Dark black opaque, light tan creamy head. Medium-heavy body and smooth
nitro carbonation. Very sweet, rich, malty stout with soy. Sweet nutty
finish and sweet after. <i>Sweet Stout</i> <b>68/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#178/365: Central Waters Illumination Double IPA</b>: </span><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> </span></b>Sampled on tap at House of 1000. Apricot, pineapple, resin and fruit punch. Great
hop nose. Golden amber clear with pillowy white lacing head. Medium
body with medium carbonation. Sweet with tons of pale malt, orange,
pineapple, and apricot esters. Residual sweetness. Big bitter finish
with muted bitter after, leaving you with tons of flavor. Nice IIPA. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
One evening at Benjamin's, I found ...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#179/365: Stoudts Four Play IPA Batch #2</b>: </span><br />
Sweet caramel nose with light hop floral notes.
Bit of dusty grain and hint of oxidation. Coppery amber clear with thin
white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts with
light caramel and biscuit. Good hop bitter presence with medium bitter
finish and light bitter after. Nutty sweetness. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>64/100</b></blockquote>
Dana, Aidan, and I took a trip to IKEA and Pittsburgh one weekend, and I got the following on tap during the required Sharp Edge Creekhouse lunch stop.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#180/365: Southern Tier Plum Noir</b>: </span><br />
Very light nose of coffee, chocolate, and a bit of plum and raisin. Bit
of sweet molasses. Dark black/brown opaque with thin off-white lacing
head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet, rich, and
malty with lots of chocolate, molasses, and a bit of fruity plum/raisin
notes. Light bitter finish with smooth sweet nutty bitter after. Mild
warming. <i>Imperial/Strong Porter</i> <b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#181/365: Three Heads Country Shwheat Imperial Wheat</b>: </span><br />
Light wheat and orange zest, raw malt, and some carbonic gaseousness.
Neutral fruity character. Medium golden amber clear topped with white
lacing head. Medium-light bodies with medium carbonation. Wheat notes,
mild sweetness. Oxidation or perhaps beer line character? Mild to medium
bitter finish with dry astringent bitter after. <i>Wheat Ale</i> <b>54/100</b></blockquote>
At home ...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#182/365: East End Köst's Kölsch</b>: </span><br />
From growler. Nice pilsner malt sweetness in the nose, with mild neutral
fruity character and a bit of spicy noble hops. Medium golden clear
with thin white foamy lacing head. Medium watery body with high
carbonation. Starts sweet with pilsner malt and neutral fruity notes.
Clean. Nice medium hop flavor and nice bitterness. Finish is light and
sweet with crispy bitterness. Smooth clean after. <i>Kölsch</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#183/365: Cortland Firehouse Pale Ale</b>: </span><br />
Mild malt sweetness, with some biscuit and caramel. Lots of carbonic
gaseousness and frothy bitters, with some neutral fruity hop character.
Beautiful deep amber clear with creamy-foamy white lacing head. Medium
watery body with medium carbonation. Starts with muted sweetness and
some neutral fruity character, a little orange. Some caramel. Mild hop
flavor with light carbonic acidity. Bitterness is closer to astringent
but not too detracting. Has a homebrew-y taste to it, but I’m not sure
why. Finish is smooth with light sweet after. <i>American Pale Ale</i> <b>66/100</b></blockquote>
On August 8, I drove down to Pittsburgh to meet up with some fellow Ratebeer members for a tasting, hosted by Justin (one of the brewers at Church). Nice afternoon ...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#184/365: Westbrook Weisse Weisse Baby</b>: </span><br />From bottle, at Dog Days Tasting. Mild tart nose, light lactic, wheat,
and cranberries. Pale straw hazy with white thin head. Light body with
medium carbonation. Starts tart with cranberry and wheat, lactic
sourness. Refreshing with sour finish and smooth tart after. <i>Berliner Weisse</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#185/365: Tired Hands Mr. Alien</b>: </span><br />From growler. Very mild nose, a bit of pale
malt but not much funk or tartness. Pale straw with haze, thin white
lacing head. Watery body with medium-mild carbonation. Starts mild with
light tartness and some funky quality. A bit water, wheat and mild at
the finish. Light and refreshing. <i>Berliner Weisse</i> <b>64/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#186/365: Trinity TPS Report Ale</b>: </span><br />From bottle at Dog Days Tasting. Ginger, orange
Tic-Tacs and Tang. Fruity, tart with some Brett. Pale golden with light
haze and thin head. Medium body and carbonation. Starts tart and fruity
with tangerine and orange, Brett and chalky yeast. Reminds me of a
traditional lambic. Smooth tart after with light chalkiness. <i>Sour/Wild Ale</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#187/365: Tired Hands Lil' (Ol') Lady</b>: </span><br />From growler at Dog Days Tasting. Funky Bretty
nose with light malt sweetness and some wheat. Medium golden hazy, with
white foamy lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts
moderately tart with wheat, light funk and good bitterness throughout.
Orange zest and nice hoppy finish with tart after. <i>Saison</i> <b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#188/365: Tired Hands Singel Hop Saison, Pacifica</b>: </span><br />From growler at Dog Days Tasting. Subtle
fruity and floral hop aroma - ethereal and heady. Mild sweetness. Pale
golden yellow clear with thin white lacing head. Medium-light body with
medium carbonation. Nice hop flavor, mild sweet notes with light bitter
finish and after. <i>Saison</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#189/365: Trinity Damn, It Feels Good to be A Gangsta!</b>: </span><br />From bottle at Dog Days Tasting. Smells like
drying latex paint. Dull coppery amber clear with no head. Medium body
with medium carbonation. Starts and stays tart with roasted barley and
mild hop bitterness. Tart acidic finish with light nutty character and
tart after. <i>Sour/Wild Ale</i> <b>58/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#190/365: Santa Fe Sangre de Frambuesa</b>: </span><br />Very mild sweet raspberry juice, musky with light alcohol. This is aged,
but has held up well. Coppery amber hazy with off-white lacing head.
Medium body with medium-high carbonation and alcoholic warming. Big
raspberry flavor, aged but good. Alcohol. Medium sweet raspberry jam
with mild funk. Mellow overall with warming. Fruity musky finish with
nice raspberry after. <i>Fruit Beer</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#191/365: Funky Buddha Last Snow Porter</b>: </span><br />Smells like
Almond Joy with a hint of coffee. Dark black opaque with foamy-creamy
lacing tan head. Medium-heavy body with medium-light carbonation. Starts
moderately sweet with caramel, coconut, almond, coffee, and chocolate.
Tastes like a coffee-Almond Joy mix. Finish is a little dry and watery
with a lot of carbonic tartness in the after. <i>Porter</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#192/365: Full Sail Imperial Stout</b>: </span><br />From 2010 bottle at Dog Days Tasting. Mild alcohol, coffee, chocolate,
and tart light soy. Dark black opaque with foamy-creamy light tan head.
Medium-heavy body with medium-light carbonation. Starts rich and sweet
with chocolate and coffee, mild alcohol, and soy. Carbonic acidity.
Light bitter finish with some bitter tang. Nutty sweet after with chalky
coffee bitterness. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#193/365: Stone Bourbon Barrel Old Guardian Barley Wine</b>: </span><br />From bottle at Dog Days Tasting. Alcohol, nutty
and oaky. Sweet and malty with light hop character. Smooth nose with
some licorice. Dark coppery amber clear with thin lacing off-white head.
Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Sweet with raisin, alcohol,
bourbon and oak, and vanilla. Still hot with lots of warming. Heavy
viscous sweet finish. <i>Barley Wine</i> <b>78/100</b> </blockquote>
<i>More catching up to do ... September and prepping for Oktoberfest</i> <br />
Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-51965242186711516872013-10-08T00:23:00.000-04:002013-10-08T00:23:54.206-04:00Beers #152-171: Miscellaneous Summer TastingsSome more ratings from June & July at various locations ...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #d9ead3;"><b>#152/365: BrewDog Original Dogma</b>:</span><br />From bottle, courtesy of dpjuart. Rye, green peppercorns, floral with
pineapple, lemongrass, allspice, and sassafras. Deep coppery amber clear
with foamy off-white lacing head. Starts and stays spicy with herbal
notes. Smooth and sweet with lasting herbal and bitter finish. Fairly
clean after. <i>Spice/Herb/Vegetable</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#153/365: Evil Twin Yang</b>: </span><br />First beer tried in my new Spiegelau IPA glass. Sweet caramel and
toffee, mild Twizzlers and brown sugar. Aromatic floral-fruity hops and
tea with candied oranges. Hazy orange amber, dark with amber creamy
lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Alcohol warming.
Starts and stays sweet with brown sugar and candi sugar, alcohol, and
neutral fruity character. Floral hoppy character with oranges and
apricots. Sweet finish with alcoholic warming. Medium bitter after with
sugary tang. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#154/365: Heather Ales Grozet</b>: </span><br />From bottle, courtesy of Frank. Light earthy sewage notes. Wheaty with
an astringent tang. Hazy-cloudy pale amber with thin white dissipating
head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium dry and
dull with wheat and a flat hop bitterness. Light bitter berry flavor.
Sulfury-sewage aroma permeates the flavor, too. Astringent bitter after. <i>Traditional Ale</i> <b>32/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#155/365: Just Beer Horseneck Golden IPA</b>: </span><br />On tap at Benjamin’s. Mild floral hop aroma with some butterscotch and
biscuit. Medium amber hazy with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body
and carbonation. Starts dry with lots of hop flavor, light carbonic
acidity and medium biscuit sweetness. Big finishing hop flavor with
lasting medium bitter after. <i>India Pale Ale </i> <b>64/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#156/365: Blue Point Rastafa Rye Ale</b>: </span><br />On tap at the Knick. Really nice floral hoppy aroma, sweet with caramel
and some brown sugar. Spicy rye grain notes. Hazy medium amber with thin
off-white head. Medium body with heavy carbonation and carbonic fizz.
Starts medium sweet with biscuit and toffee, light spicy character and
decent floral hop flavor. Light sweet finish and smooth after. <i>Specialty Grain</i> <b>58/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">#157/365: Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout: </span></b>From bottle, 4 or 5 years old. Smoky roasted aroma with toffee, vanilla,
and a bit of oak. Dark black opaque with no head. Medium heavy body
with medium carbonation and alcohol warming. Starts sweet with
chocolate, vanilla, oak, and toffee. Big rich malt profile with medium
dry bitter roast and some hop bitterness components. Finish is sweet
with alcohol notes, roasted bitterness and coffee. Smooth sweet after. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#158/365: Fat Head's #1</b>: </span><br />On tap at Mad Mex, Cranberry. Pleasant floral-sweet malt notes with
honey, jasmine, and yeast. Mild bubblegum esters. Medium amber clear
with light haze, topped with thin white head. Medium body with medium
carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with lots of floral and fruity
character, yeast, and bubblegum. Smooth sweet finish with no bitterness. <i>Saison</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#159/365: Dark Horse Artic Dekoorc Eert</b>: </span><br />On tap at Mad Mex, Cranberry. Wonderful hoppy apricot aroma. Fruity and
fresh with light resin and light sweetness. Medium golden amber clear
with thin head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Mild sweet starts
with tons of hop flavor. Apricot and resin, big bitterness throughout.
Finish is apricot and mild sweet with big bitter. Medium bitter after. <i>India Pale Ale </i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#160/365: Hill Farmstead What Is Enlightenment?</b>: </span><br />From growler, courtesy of Peter & Yolanda. Beautiful hop aroma -
piney, apricot, pineapple - sweet and luscious. Pale golden haze with
thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts
medium sweet with tons of hop flavors. Mild bitterness but intense
flavor. A delicious APA and a real treat to try. <i>American Pale Ale</i> <b>92/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#161/365: Otto's Arthur's Imperial Red</b>: </span><br />On tap at the brewery. Malt roasty character, nice sweet notes. Mild
fruity character, nutty with medium hop aroma. Floral. Dark ruby-amber
clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body with cask
carbonation. Starts malty with roasted grain and lots of fruity notes.
Floral hops, bitter throughout. Finish is smooth and nutty with tons of
great hop flavor. <i>Amber Ale</i> <b>78/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#162/365: Goose Island Night Stalker</b>: </span><br />On tap at Zeno’s. Sweet with licorice and molasses. Chocolate, coffee,
cream, and smoke. Alcohol vapors. Dark black opaque with thin than head.
Medium-heavy watery body with medium carbonation. Chewy. Starts and
stays cloyingly sweet with soy, molasses, licorice, chocolate, and
syrup. Big sweet finish and after with cloying sweet soy notes. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#163/365: Elk Creek Great Blue Heron Pale Ale</b>: </span><br />On tap at Zeno’s. Rye, malted grain, spicy hop nose. Medium amber clear
with some haze, topped with thin white head. Medium body with
medium-high carbonation. Starts with spicy rye notes, dry grain, and
pale malt sweetness. big hoppy presence but not harsh or overpowering.
Nice pale ale. <i>American Pale Ale</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#164/365: Church Brew Coconut Stout</b>: </span><br />On tap at Benjamin’s. Light roasted malt with a bit of acrid smoke,
lactose sweetness and a hint of coconut and chocolate. Dark black opaque
with creamy light tan lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation.
Starts medium dry with roasted and lightly burnt malt. Coconut flavor
with some coffee and chocolate, and a bit of carbonic acidity. Finish is
sweet with coconut and vanilla and mild nutty bitterness. A little
watery. <i>Sweet Stout</i> <b>64/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#165/365: Ommegang Fleur de Houblon</b>: </span><br />On tap at Zeno’s. Nice floral-fruity nose, like a traditional saison.
Honey and bubblegum and spice. Mild hops. Light golden clear with some
haze, topped with thin head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation.
Starts medium sweet with dry hop flavor, bubblegum, and wheat. Fairly
dry finish with smooth sweet after. <i>Belgian Ale</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#166/365: Old Forge Celestial Blond Ale</b>: </span><br />On tap at The Knick. Mild sweet wheat aroma with some coriander and
orange. Honey. Golden amber clear with light haze and thin white lacing
head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet with
bubblegum, coriander, and honey. Some yeast and fruity esters. Finish is
dry with a little honey and mild hop bitterness. Nice but a little too
sweet for my taste. <i>Belgian Ale</i> <b>66/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#167/365: Straub IPL</b>: </span><br />On tap at The Knick. Rich malty lager aroma, like a heller Bock with
lots of fresh grassy hops. There is a note of oxidation here, however
not detrimental. Medium-dark amber clear with thin off-white lacing
head. Medium-heavy watery body with medium carbonation. Starts medium
sweet with rich malt notes and a bit hop bitterness - like a hoppy
Bockbier, basically. Some oxidation notes. Big bitter finish and nutty
sweetness, with lingering bitter notes. <i>Premium Lager</i> <b>58/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#168/365: Southern Tier 2X Stout</b>: </span><br />On tap at The Knick. Mild rich malty nose with lactose, coffee, and
chocolate. Pleasant, but not assertive. Mild oak and vanilla. Dark black
opaque with beautiful light tan creamy lacing head. Medium body with
smooth nitro carbonation. Starts sweet with lactose, chocolate, toasted
and slightly bitter malt, and a hint of coffee and smoke. Smooth and
sweet with pleasant nutty sweet finish and clean after. <i>Sweet Stout</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#169/365: Marzoni's Hoppy Wheat</b>: </span><br />On tap at the brewery. Nice fresh hop aroma. Citrus, pine, grass, and a
bit of wheat tang. Medium amber hazy with thin white lacing head.
Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Starts with mild wheat and
pale malt sweetness. Huge hop flavor throughout with mild bitter finish
and after. More like an APA than a wheat. Refreshing and delicious. <i>Wheat Ale</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#170/365: New Holland Imperial Hatter</b>: </span><br />On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Nice hoppy aroma. Spicy and piney with mild
sweet caramel and toffee. Deep coppery amber clear with thin head.
Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts somewhat sweet, sugar
and caramel. Big hoppy flavor with smooth after and a bit of warming. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#171/365: Lancaster Boss Hog</b>: </span><br />On tap at Benjamin’s. Mild hoppy nose, not what I’d expect from IIPA.
Deep amber clear with thin head. Medium bodied with medium-high
carbonation. Very mild beer for IIPA. Malt sweetness with butterscotch,
caramel, and light hop bitterness. Very little bitterness anywhere, with
sweet smooth after. <i>Imperial/Double IPA </i> <b>60/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-22221680926512385252013-10-07T23:56:00.003-04:002013-10-07T23:56:57.465-04:00Second Annual Downtown Indiana OktoberfestOn Saturday, October 12, <b>Downtown Indiana and Holiday Beverages</b> are sponsoring the <a href="http://downtownindiana.org/ai1ec_event/2nd-annual-downtown-indiana-oktoberfest?instance_id=83815" target="_blank">2nd Annual Oktoberfest</a>. Regular session tickets are $35, and the VIP tickets are $60 (SOLD OUT). For regular session, the event is from 3-6pm, where patrons will be given a 5 oz. commemorative glass for sampling of all the available beers. Several <b>food vendors</b> will be on hand for separate purchase of sandwiches, kettle corn, funnel cakes, etc. <b>Live music</b> will be provided, too.<br />
<br />
For those who purchased VIP tix, there will be a 2-3pm session, where patrons will be able to sample beers not available during the normal session. In addition, VIP ticket holders will be able to participate in the after party with festival volunteers and brewers at the <a href="http://www.covinn.com/" target="_blank">Coventry Inn</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Participating brewers</b> this year include: <a href="http://www.eastendbrewing.com/" target="_blank">East End Brewing Co.</a>, <a href="http://www.northcountrybrewing.com/welcome.htm" target="_blank">North Country Brewing Co.</a>, <a href="http://www.myrivertowne.com/" target="_blank">Rivertowne Brewing Co.</a>, <a href="http://www.churchbrew.com/" target="_blank">Church Brew Works</a>, <a href="http://www.marzonis.com/" target="_blank">Marzoni's Brick Oven & Brewing</a>, <a href="http://www.pennbrew.com/" target="_blank">Penn Brewing Co.</a>, <a href="http://www.yuengling.com/" target="_blank">Yuengling</a>, and <a href="http://www.samueladams.com/" target="_blank">Samuel Adams</a>. Each brewery will be providing at least two different beers to try (not including VIP selections).<br />
<br />
Each patron will be able to vote for their <b>favorite beer</b> of the festival, and the top three beers will be made <b>available at a local pub</b> sponsor (one beer each to the Coney, Twisted Jimmy's, and the Coventry Inn).<br />
<br />
The weather forecast looks promising - partly cloudy with high of 70 and no chance of rain! All proceeds will benefit the Downtown Indiana initiatives.Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-33662327938661185782013-10-07T23:35:00.001-04:002013-10-07T23:38:55.267-04:00Beers #136-151: A Week at the BeachIn June, we drove down to Hilton Head, SC for a week's vacation. We've been going on and off since '94, and the beer scene has definitely improved over the years. Up until a few years ago, I usually took stuff with me or ended up just drinking a few SC brews or national brands. For several trips down, we'd stop in Asheville, NC for a night or two, and I'd grab a case of mixed beers from a couple of the great beers stores there, like <a href="http://www.bruisin-ales.com/" target="_blank">Bruisin' Ales</a>.<br />
<br />
Luckily, there are now a few places on Hilton Head to find great beer selections, such as Growlers Craft Beer & Ales (link not included because it's recently been attacked with malware). And, of course, HHI has had a <a href="http://www.hhbrewingco.com/" target="_blank">brewpub</a> for years. The food is good, but the beer has been hit and miss. One year we visited and they had ONE beer on tap. During this year's visit, they had five. Meh. So during this trip, I tried several new beers ...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#136/365: Westbrook White Thai: </b></span><br />
From can at <a href="http://www.steamerseafood.com/" target="_blank">Steamers</a>. Coriander and spice, wheat and some clover. Medium
golden hazy with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high
carbonation. Starts sweet and wheaty, light bubblegum and coriander,
lemongrass and ginger. Finish is mild bitter with lingering spicy after. <i>Belgian White (Witbier)</i> <b>70/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#137/365: Dieu du Ciel Corne du Diable</b>: </span><br />
From bottle at Steamers. Really sweet nose, caramel. Big hops, fruity
character. Malty and sweet. Deep dark amber, murky with thin off-white
lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium-high carbonation. Starts and
stays sweet with tons of roasted grain, caramel and toffee. Mild bitter
hop finish. Mainly toffee sweet with lingering nutty bitter after. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#138/365: Evil Twin/Stillwater/Stone The Perfect Crime Black Smoked Saison</b>: </span><br />
From bottle. Light chocolate malt. Smoky notes and light acidity, hint
of wheat. Dark brown clear with thin light tan lacing head. Medium body
and medium carbonation. Starts medium sweet and roast, bitter chocolate,
coffee, and smoke. Light carbonic tang. Light smoky flavor, not
overbearing. <i>Saison</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#139/365: BottleTree Belgian Blonde: </b></span><br />
From bottle. Huge white head on pouring. Light mild sweetness, not quite
corn or vegetal, but not favorable. Light fruity hop component and
carbonic gaseousness. Clear golden with visible carbonation and hug
white rocky-foamy lacing head. Medium body with vigorous carbonation.
Starts sweet with pilsner malt, honey, and a hint of corn. Mild alcohol
sweetness. Medium carbonic acidity with light bitter hop finish. Some
bitter chalky after and lingering sweetness. Reminds me of certain
European supermarket beers or a European strong lager in many ways. <i>Belgian Ale </i> <b>46/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>#140/365: Thomas Creek Appalachian Amber Ale</b>: </span><br />
From bottle. Nice roasted malt and caramel sweetness. Twizzlers. Has a
nice dunker Bock nose. Dark amber-brown clear with thin off-white lacing
head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet with Twizzlers,
caramel, roasted malt, and nutty character. Medium hop bitter finish
with lingering sweet nutty after. <i>Amber Ale</i> <b>68/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#141/365: Thomas Creek Up the Creek Extreme IPA</b>: </span><br />
From bottle. Mild fruity-floral hops with a bit of resin. Caramel and
Twizzlers. Dark coppery amber clear with thin light amber head. Medium
body with heavy carbonation and alcohol warming. Starts and stays sweet,
more like a barley wine than an IIPA. Malty, rich, with nice bittering.
Smooth bitter finish, rich and malty. Sweet lingering after. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#142/365: Highland Devil's Britches IPA</b>: </span><br />
From bottle. Mild hop nose with light orange aroma, a bit spicy with a
little rye. Dark amber clear with frothy-foamy white lacing head. Medium
body with medium-high carbonation. Starts a little malty with carbonic
bite and lots of hop bitterness. A bit musky with dry nutty bitter after
and light oxidation. <i>India Pale Ale </i><b>62/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#143/365: BottleTree Imperial Red Ale</b>: </span><br />
From bottle. Chocolate, some Twizzlers, musty and grainy with light
metallic nose. Roasted barley. Dark coppery amber clear with light amber
lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts a little
sweet and bitter with caramel, roasted barley, and mild hops. Medium
grainy and lingering bitter finish. Mild sweet nutty after and lingering
bitterness. <i>American Strong Ale</i> <b>56/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#144/365: New South White Ale</b>: </span><br />
From can. Weak wheat-sulfur aroma. Bit of coriander and staleness. Clear
dull golden with light haze and thin white head. Light body with medium
carbonation. Starts dull and sweet with light wheat, some coriander and
lemon. Finish is weak with no residual bitterness or sweetness. OK for a
cold chug but not really a good wit. <i>Belgian White (Witbier)</i> <b>30/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#145/365: Lazy Magnolia Reb Ale</b>: </span><br />
From bottle, as Deep South Pale Ale. Decent hoppy aroma with a little
skunk and caramel. Rich amber clear with off-white foamy lacing head.
Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts dry with medium hop
bitterness, grainy malt notes and an astringent oxidized bitter quality.
Light bit of soap. Finish is medium bitter with lasting astringent
bitter after. <i>American Pale Ale</i> <b>48/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#146/365: Westbrook Mexican Cake 1st Anniversary Imperial Stout</b>: </span><br />
On tap at <a href="http://hiltonheadlodge.com/" target="_blank">The Lodge</a>. Nice rich chocolate and coffee nose. Toffee, nutty,
with some molasses, mild vanilla, and sugar. Dark black opaque with
thin lacing brown head. Thick body with medium carbonation. Starts
sweet, malty with lots of cocoa, coffee, molasses, and vanilla. Bitter
finish with warming. Nice sweet lingering after with mild bitterness. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>78/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#147/365: River Dog IPA</b>: </span><br />
On tap at The Lodge. Really great hoppy nose. Fresh, fruity, floral and
resinous. Mild malt sweetness. Medium amber clear with light foamy
lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts with juicy
fresh hops and pale malt sweetness. Apricot and a little BandAid. A bit
salty. Smooth finish with good hop flavor but no harsh residual
bitterness. Nice IPA. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#148/365: R.J. Rockers Bald Eagle Brown</b>: </span><br />
From bottle. Musky grain, damp aroma. Raw, like a homebrew. A little
funky with roasted barley. Carbonic gaseousness. Root beer brown clear
with huge rocky-foamy tan lacing head. Medium body with vigorous
carbonation (over carbed). Medium malt sweetness with caramel and
biscuit. Big carbonic tang and fizzy burn. Neutral brown ale flavor with
light tang in the finish and nutty smooth after. <i>Brown Ale</i> <b>42/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#149/365: Westbrook Second Anniversary Cap'n Skoon's Ballistic Stout</b>: </span><br />
From bomber. Really nice nose. Chocolate, vanilla, oak, smoke, coffee,
Twizzlers, molasses. Dark black opaque with thin tan head. Oily body
with medium carbonation and warming. Starts and stays sweet with roasted
barley, coffee, vanilla, and oak. Alcohol. Big bitter finish with lots
of roasted and toasted notes. Big sweet after with smoke and tang. <i>Baltic Porter</i> <b>88/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#150/365: R.J. Rockers Honey Amber Ale</b>: </span><br />
From bottle. So much CO2 that first sniff in the glass almost makes you
asphyxiate. Carbonic gaseousness, neutral fruit and light musty grain.
Orange amber clear with off-white lacing head. Medium body with heavy
carbonation. Medium sweet start with raw grain, honey. Carbonic bite.
Dull sweet finish with mild bitter character. Wet fur after, watery
sweetness. <i>Amber Ale</i> <b>40/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#151/365: Sweetwater LowRYEder</b>: </span><br />
From bottle. Medium fruity hop aroma and a little spicy rye character.
Medium golden amber clear with mild haze, topped with rocky-foamy white
lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Solid IPA, mild malt
sweetness with a light rye spicy note. Good fruity hop flavor with
medium bitter finish and lingering bitter after. <i>Specialty Grain</i> <b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<i>Up next ... Downtown Indiana Oktoberfest</i>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-58758601660667989622013-08-05T23:57:00.000-04:002013-10-03T09:01:07.972-04:00Indiana (PA) Beer Scene - Summer 2013Many years ago, I wrote a <a href="http://gueuze.blogspot.com/2007/01/beer-scene-indiana-pa.html" target="_blank">blurb</a> about the beer scene here in Indiana (PA). A lot has changed since then (for the better, I might add), so here's a recap of what our little town has to offer. Below is a list of good beer places in town. Caveat: my definition of 'good' is in regard to selections other than macro-brewed pale lagers (e.g., Bud/Miller/Coors, Corona, Heineken, Labatt, etc.) and their lite/light counterparts.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Bars & Restaurants</u></b> (in no particular order)<br />
Local places that offer up some craft beers on tap or in bottle.<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>Ironwood Gril </b></span>[1830 Oakland Ave.] Has quite a large tap system in place with a few regional micros (Troegs, Penn) and more national brands such as Sam Adams, Leinenkugel's, etc. The downstairs has coolers with decent six-pack selections and bombers of Stone, Voodoo, and a few imports. <strike>One thing I don't care for is that smoking is permitted in the tap room</strike>. CORRECTION - Smoking is no longer permitted. And I've visited on a couple of different occasions where the tap lines needed a good cleaning (this hopefully is no longer an issue either).</li>
<li> <a href="http://theconey.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>The Coney</b></span></a>
[642 Philadelphia St.] Offers a few good crafts on tap, which rotate
with some frequency. You'll always find a Penn seasonal brew, too.
Troegs, Dogfish Head, Leinie's, and Sam Adams are just about always
present. For about a year, they carried Marzoni's Avalanche IPA, but
that apparently fell out of favor. Monthly bottle selections are
offered, ranging from Victory to Bell's to Stone. Recently, they've
offered a few large bottles, such as Arrogant Bastard and the 0.5-L
Franziskaner (a bit overpriced, however). The food is solid and they
still offer my favorite Buffalo wings.</li>
<li><a href="http://benjaminsindianapa.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>Benjamin's</b></span></a>
[458 Philadelphia St.] Terrific enclosed indoor/outdoor patio &
bar, with about 18 beers on tap - many are one-offs and they rotate
frequently. The current local hangout of the young professional to
middle agers, usually always packed. I've had a lot of good beer here
recently, including Bell's Hopslam, Anderson Valley Hop Ottin', Troegs
Nugget Nectar, East End Big Hop, Harpoon Chocolate Stout, Southern Tier
Pumking, and many others. Chris does a great job of bringing in good
stuff on a regular basis.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.covinn.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>Coventry Inn</b></span></a> [11 N 6th St.] One of the neater places in town. It opened in the mid-to-late 90's as an English pub, then closed for a while, then reopened in the mid-2000's. It is only open for dinner (4:30-11:00p) on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Great decor - really feel like you're not in Indiana! Small but very good menu offerings, live music on Fridays/Saturdays, and they often hold special events here. The most attractive point to the Coventry is their Happy Hour specials - from 4:30-6:00 on Thur/Fri, you get half-off select appetizers and mixed drinks/beer. Now, their beer selection is very small and not very interesting, but the food and service is always good. Not a place for a quick in-and-out bite to eat, however.</li>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TwistedJimmys" target="_blank">Twisted Jimmy's</a></b></span> [29 N 7th St.] This place is adjacent to Steel City Samiches, and is owned/operated by the same family. For the time being, the menus are the same, though I've been told that Jimmy's plans to have a more sophisticated upscale menu (small plates, burgers, etc.) to get away from the traditional bar food that is so prevalent in this town. They opened in Fall 2012, and once the N 7th Streetscape is finished, they'll be working more with their patio next to the pedestrian area outside. The recently installed a glycol-chilled 20-tap system, with more than half the offerings dedicated to good craft beer. And from 10-12pm, beers are half price ... about $3 for a glass of Dragon's Milk??? I'm in! Also, I'm told to look for a sister location in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh.</li>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b><a href="http://www.hbculpeppers.com/" target="_blank">H.B. Culpeppers</a></b></span> [653 Philadelphia St.] Kind of a standard college town bar, catering to more young professionals and college students. I don't go here that often, save for the occasional happy hour gathering with some IUP colleagues on Friday evening. Menu is OK and the beer selection has improved. The really good beers are actually upstairs in a renovated bar area (about 5-6 years ago) that's really attractive. Unfortunately, it is also very smoky. I'm not crazy about trying to enjoy a good beer through a cloud of second hand tobacco smoke. The other annoying part to this is that sometimes they'll have something on tap that I want upstairs, but the wait staff downstairs won't go and get it - meaning I have to either a) settle for mediocre offerings downstairs, or b) go up and get it myself.</li>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b><a href="http://www.grubsportsbar.com/" target="_blank">Grub's Sports Bar</a></b></span> [566 Philadelphia St.] With an <i>al fresco</i> dining area, tons of large-screen TVs, and the tagline "Cheap Drinks and Lousy Food" ... what's not to like? Adjacent to Wolfie's, this place opened a few years back and is very popular. Occasionally, they'll have a decent craft beer on tap, but mostly they cater to the college sports bar crowd with light beers and pale fizzy lagers. The food is straightforward, good, and cheap.</li>
</ul>
<u><b>Distributors & Stores</b></u> (in no particular order)<br />
Local places that offer up some craft beer by case, six-pack, or singles. <br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b><a href="http://www.myindianapa.com/public/Businesses/ViewBusiness.aspx?BusinessID=e741ec99-6117-46a9-ac96-037eef721f45" target="_blank">Holiday Beverages</a> </b></span>[471 Water St.] Good selection of craft beer in cases with weekly craft beer tastings.</li>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b><a href="http://duquesne-beer.com/" target="_blank">Duquesne Beer Distributor</a></b></span> [1215 Maple St.] Large selection of craft beer in cases, decent prices.</li>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>Martins</b></span> [1570 Oakland Ave.] Martins started selling beer about two years ago. Their selection is decent and slightly cheaper for mix-your-own six packs. However, their selection is not as good (my opinion) as Giant Eagle. They other annoying thing about buying beer here is that - unlike Giant Eagle - you cannot carry your purchase out of the cafe area while you complete your shopping. So, you either have to buy your beer after you've shopped or you have to make a trip back to your car. Annoying!</li>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>Giant Eagle</b></span> [475 Ben Franklin Rd. South] The 'new' Giant Eagle opened up a few years back, after the old one downtown was closed and demolished for the new Giant Eagle Express. Very nice beer selection of six-packs, bombers, and mix-your-own. Prices are a little higher than Martins, but the selection is better. For me, this store holds the distinction of carrying my absolute favorite beer: Orval (and a few other Trappist beers). Seasonal offerings abound, and I can always find a beer or two that I've not had yet. Also, despite having to purchase your beer separately, you can put it in your cart and continue shopping (unlike Martins). Or, you can have a few beers in the cafe with food from the hot bar or salad bar.</li>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>Giant Eagle Express</b></span> [435 S 7th St.] Opened last year at the site of the 'old' Giant Eagle, with beer at the cafe in six packs, mixed singles, and bombers. Again, a better selection that Martins but more expensive. Handy for lunch, too, since you can get subs/sandwiches/salad bar/sushi to eat with your beer in the cafe - and there is outdoor seating and free wireless.</li>
</ul>
<u><b>Homebrew Supplies</b></u><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b><a href="http://www.montgomeryundergroundwinery.com/" target="_blank">Montgomery Underground Winery</a></b></span> [11032 US 422, Shelocta] The winery has a retail store on 422 near Elderton that also serves as a homebrew supply store. They carry all of the basic (and some specialized) equipment, ingredients, and kits. And if they don't have it, they'll make every attempt to order it for you. Many of the club members get their stuff here, and the owners (Tom & Della) are regular attendees (and great brewers!).</li>
<li><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/thehomebrewhobbyshop" target="_blank">The Homebrew & Hobby Shop</a></b></span> [540 Franklin St., Clymer] Just opened a few months ago. I've not yet been, nor do I know anything about it.</li>
</ul>
Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-76691534080431304052013-08-05T23:22:00.001-04:002013-08-05T23:22:44.137-04:00Beers #123-135: Pints for Pets So this has turned out to be the "summer that wasn't", in terms of feeling like it's actually summer. Yeah, we've had some warm weather and all, but between home projects and research at work, I don't feel like I've had much downtime (including updating this blog!). But I shall attempt to get caught up in the coming few weeks before the Fall semester starts in 3 weeks.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#123/365: Sixpoint 3Beans</b>:</span> <br />From can. Chocolate malted nose, sweet with brown sugar and molasses.
Tootsie Roll. Dark black opaque with foamy-rocky light tan lacing head.
Medium chewy body with medium-light carbonation. Carbonic tang and light
alcoholic warming. Starts sweet and malty with lots of chocolate, some
coffee, and a barley wine-like sweet malt flavor. Coffee and light
vanilla. Finish is sweet with a good hit of astringent bitterness.
Fairly smooth after with lingering bitter. <i>Imperial/Strong Porter</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#124/365: Leinenkugel's Canoe Paddler</b>: </span><br />On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Very mild aroma - a bit of beany hops and
mild pale malt sweetness. Light golden blond clear with thin white head.
Light body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with light carbonic
acidity, mild pale malt sweetness ,and light beany hop flavor. Mild
flavors overall, with some carbonic bite to it. Some honey and dusky
grain. Watery finish, clean after. Nothing really wrong with it, but not
a good kölsch example. <i>Kolsch</i> <b>42/100</b></blockquote>
On May 18, several fellow homebrew club members & beer lovers rented the <a href="http://theconey.com/" target="_blank">Coney</a> van to travel to the <a href="http://www.altoonacurve.com/" target="_blank">Altoona Curve</a> ballpark for the annual <a href="http://pintsforpets.com/" target="_blank">Pints for Pets</a> beer festival. I have gone every year since this started - except for last year because IUP's graduation conflicted. Well, this year, graduation also conflicted, but I decided to go drink beer instead (sorry grads, but no regrets here!). We attended the 1-4pm session, followed by dinner (and more beer) at the <a href="http://www.knickerbockertavern.com/" target="_blank">Knickerbocker</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#125/365: Old Forge Hopsmith India Pale Ale</b>: </span><br />Nice beany hop aroma, crisp noble hop note. Pale golden clear with white
lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts dry with
crisp hop profile and mild pale malt sweetness. Finishes bitter but nice
smooth after. Crisp and refreshing. <i>Premium Lager</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#126/365: Rock Bottom (Pittsburgh) Surely You Zest</b>: </span><br />Nice spicy nose with lime, lemongrass, and herbal notes. Spicy hops and
aromatic. Pale golden clear with thin white head. Medium body with
medium carbonation. Starts zesty and citric with lime and lemongrass.
Nice sweetness to it. Finish is herbal and bitter with a tang of citrus. <i>Wheat Ale</i> <b>66/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#127/365: Victory Swing Session Saison</b>: </span><br />Light hoppy aroma, spicy with notes of citrus, sulfur, and fruity
esters. Yeasty. Nice saison aroma profile. Pale straw clear with thin
head. Medium body with vigorous carbonation. Starts with wheat and
pilsener malt notes, light sulfur, citrus and herbs. Tasty saison that’s
not too overwhelming. Not quite crisp but enjoyable. Done well for the
style, with mild chalky bitter after. <i>Saison</i> <b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#128/365: Riepstine's Timbertown Scotch</b>: </span><br />Buckwheat honey and sweet tang, light oak. Sweet and musky, very nice
aroma. Medium brown amber clear with light haze. Thin white head. medium
body and carbonation. Starts sweet with molasses and buckwheat honey,
rich malt. nice oak flavor on this one. Finish sweet and smooth - a nice
Scottish ale. <i>Scottish Ale</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#129/365: Uinta Dubhe Imperial Black IPA</b>: </span><br />Rich roast, rubbery, light chocolate and coffee, lots of hops. Dark
brown clear with thin tan head. Medium body with medium carbonation.
Roasted notes, chocolate and coffee. Big hop flavor with molasses.
Finish is medium bitter but not harsh. <i>Black IPA</i> <b>78/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#130/365: Voodoo Delicate Like A Flower</b>: </span><br />Light hop nose, subtle. Hazy amber with thin white lacing head. Medium
body with heavy carbonation. Starts medium sweet with light pale malt
and wheat character. Subtle but delicious hop flavors and an underlying
herbal quality. Smooth finish with light floral orange blossom. <i>Belgian Ale</i> <b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#131/365: Blue Canoe Cream of Hop Soup</b>: </span><br />Wonderful hop nose, floral and aromatic, grassy. Pale golden amber hazy
with thin white head. Medium body and medium carbonation. Starts medium
sweet with tons of hop character. Beany, rubbery, grassy, and resinous.
Delicious stuff. A nice IPA with smooth bitter finish and after. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#132/365: Straub Maibock</b>: </span><br />Double decoction German bock aroma. Sweet and malty with light herbal
hops. Medium amber golden clear with thin white head. Medium body with
light carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with rich malt flavor. Nice
hop finish, and sweet lingering after. Very nice! <i>Heller Bock</i> <b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#133/365: Thirsty Dog Citra Dog</b>: </span><br />Really nice hoppy aroma on this. Grassy and resinous. Light golden clear
with white lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Nice hop
flavor throughout, medium sweetness and light carbonic tang. Nice IPA,
finishes smooth and well balanced with lingering hop bitterness. <i>India Pale Ale </i> <b>78/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#134/365: Elysian Idiot Sauvin IPA</b>: </span><br />Hoppy nose with notes of pear and apricot. Sweet notes. Medium amber,
hazy with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-light
carbonation. Starts sweet with fruity esters. Fairly bitter finish with
sweet eatery after. Very nice IPA with big hop profile but not a harsh
bitterness in the finish or after. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
All in all, a good festival (as usual) and they once again raised a lot of money for the Central PA Humane Society. I can't remember the rest of May, really, other than getting ready for our vacation. I did have one new beer before that ...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>#135/365: Maine Beer Mean Old Tom</b>: </span><br />Nice rich malty aroma, smoke, charred coffee, light vanilla. A bit of
tang and earth, lactose. Dark black opaque with thin cocoa-brown lacing
head. Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Starts dry with lots of
roasted character, mild coffee and char. Some light carbonic acidity
with medium bitterness. Finish is light sweet with medium bitterness.
Can just taste the vanilla here but it’s subtle. Charred bittersweet
after. <i>Stout</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<i>Coming up ... a beach trip.</i> Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-66278454950730534132013-06-22T13:46:00.002-04:002013-06-22T13:46:33.979-04:00Coming Soon ...Been a bit busy! Here's what's coming up soon ...<br />
<ul>
<li>a review of Craft Beer magazine (iPad app)</li>
<li>notes from Pints for Pets</li>
<li>South Carolina & beer</li>
<li>Downtown Indiana Oktoberfest</li>
<li>my first homebrew in a while</li>
</ul>
Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-59037830570603437662013-05-14T11:21:00.001-04:002013-05-14T11:21:08.150-04:00Beers #116-122: An Afternoon in the BurghTo celebrate the end of classes for yet another academic year, I dropped the boy off at my parents and headed to Pittsburgh for a few hours of alone time (sort of). Drove down through Butler to check out the locations for two new upcoming brewpubs in town (<a href="http://butlerbrewworks.com/" target="_blank">Butler Brew Works</a> and <a href="http://www.reclamationbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Reclamation Brewing Co.</a>) - a block away from each other! That's going to be interesting in such a small town, but it works in other places, so I can only hope it'll work out for both of these places in the coming years.<br />
<br />
Picked up my brother and headed to <a href="http://piperspub.com/" target="_blank">Piper's Pub</a> for lunch. Tried their chips & curry appetizer (spicy but not overwhelming) and got my favorite dinner - lamb & smoked chestnut shepherds pie. With that I enjoyed a couple of draughts of specialty beers crafted for <a href="http://pittsburghcraftbeerweek.com/" target="_blank">PCBW</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>116/365: Penn Fakin' The Funk</b>: </span><br />Light woody tart nose and not much else. Coppery amber clear with lacing
head. Medium body with medium-light carbonation. Watery tart with mild
woody notes and medium acidity. Dry nutty finish with dry after. <i>Sour Red/Brown</i> <b>56/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>117/365: Full Pint None More Black IPA</b>: </span><br />Roasty and hoppy, like a toasted Band-Aid. Sweet and a bit smoky. Light
hoppy notes. Dark black opaque with thin tan lacing head. Medium body
with medium carbonation. Carbonic tang with roasted coffee and
chocolate. Light Band-Aid and big big hop bitterness. Finishes roasted
and bitter with big last hop bitterness. Lingering dark chocolate
sweetness in the after. <i>Black IPA</i> <b>68/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
After dropping my brother off at his place, I ran some errands and did some shopping before heading over to New Kensington to the <a href="http://www.houseof1000beers.com/" target="_blank">House of 1000 Beers</a>. I love this place, and the $3 6-oz pours allows one to try a bunch of stuff without getting overwhelmed. (Here is their <a href="http://ho1kb.jonlitz.com/" target="_blank">current tap list</a>)<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>118/365: Draai Laag Goedenacht</b>: </span><br />Light sweet tripel aroma, yeast and esters, mild bubblegum and honey.
Light golden clear with thin white lacing head. Medium body with
light-medium carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with light bubblegum,
yeasty notes, and a hint of honey-sugar tang. Notes of cherry wood in
the finish, with sweet after. Mild warming. Nice ale, fruity. <i>Belgian Ale</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>119/365: Voodoo Redneck Riviera Red</b>: </span><br />Fresh grassy-spicy hop aroma, wonderfully aromatic. Just a hint of
caramel sweetness. Deep coppery amber clear with some haze, topped with
large foamy off-white head. Medium body with medium-soft carbonation.
Starts rich with lots of caramel, big fresh bitter spicy hop character
and light grainy notes. Finish is bitter and smooth with lingering
bitter chalky after. <i>American Strong Ale</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>120/365: Half Acre Daisy Cutter</b>: </span><br />Fresh citrusy hops, bursting with aroma. Light grassy notes, really
pops. Orange blossom and ozone. Pale golden clear with pillowy white
lacing head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation - smooth. Starts
dry with tons of hop flavor. Bright, citrus, pine resin, and ozone. Dry
finish with tons of hop flavor but not much bitterness. Nice dry APA. <i>American Pale Ale</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>121/365: Harpoon Leviathan Czernobog</b>: </span><br />Smoky with coffee, soy sauce, molasses, and chocolate. Light alcohol
sweetness. Mild vanilla. Dark black opaque with thin cocoa head. Medium
chewy body with medium carbonation. Starts rich and malty with chocolate
and molasses, coffee, and a bit of smoke. Mild alcohol warming. Big
chocolate-molasses finish with nutty sweet and bitter after. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>122/365: Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon</b>: </span><br />Chocolate, roast coffee, and vanilla. Mild hop nose. Dark black opaque
with thin lacing head. Thick body with medium carbonation. Sweet, rich,
and malty. Smoky with molasses, coffee, and vanilla. Nice warming. Big
sweet malty after with a bit of lingering bitterness. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-39106792495470672202013-05-10T10:30:00.000-04:002013-05-10T10:30:18.679-04:00Beers #110-115Got a few new samples over the past week or so.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>110/365: Church Brew D'Pomme Rye Saison</b>: </span><br />From growler, courtesy of John C. Mild fruity character, bit of apple
juice and light tart quality. Yeasty esters and a bit of banana and
bubblegum. Medium golden amber clear with no head. Medium body with
medium carbonation. Starts with neutral fruity character. Honey and mild
apple cider vinegar tang. Yeasty bubblegum finish with orange tang and
lasting juicy character. <i>Saison</i> <b>66/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>111/365: Penn Overlook IPA</b>: </span><br />From bottle at Nap’s. Skunky hop aroma. Sulfury, vegetal, eggy, and a
bit of noble hops. Medium amber clear with foamy white lacing head.
Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Starts dry with lots of hop
bitterness. Mild malt sweetness with some vegetal notes. Big bitter dry
finish with lasting harsh bitter in the after. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>44/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>112/365: East End Pennsyl-tucky Uncommon</b>: </span><br />From growler. Tart nose, roasted barley and smoky, with light chocolate
and some spicy character. Dark brown hazy-clear with thin brown head.
Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. Starts tart with cherries
and sour mash. Kind of like a brown sour but more acidic, less sweet.
Nice tart finish with roasted smooth finish and after. <i>Traditional Ale</i> <b>74/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>113/365: Helltown Rapture</b>: </span><br />On tap at Burgatory. Fresh hoppy grassy nose with neutral fruit
sweetness. Dark amber clear with thin white lacing head. Medium body
with medium-heavy carbonation. Starts fairly dry with huge hop flavor
and bitterness. Big bitter finish with alcohol warming and a bit of
neutral fruity character. Big bitter after. <i>India Pale Ale </i><b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>114/365: New Holland Black Tulip Trippel Ale</b>: </span><br />On tap at the Knick. Light bubblegum and yeast. Bit of fruity ester with
mild alcohol vapor. Medium golden pale clear with thin white head.
Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation and alcohol warming. Starts
sweet with honey, bubblegum esters, light chalky yeast and alcohol
notes. Big sweet finish with light smooth after. <i>Abbey Tripel</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>115/365: Lancaster Black Boar IPA</b>: </span><br />On tap at the Knick. Rich malty and chocolate nose, with light coffee
grounds and light hops. Dark black clear with thin off-white lacing
head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Dry roast black patent
malt, dusty with carbonic tang. Dry bitter finish and after. Tasty black
IPA. <i>Black IPA</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
Hoping to get somewhere tomorrow for a few pints in celebration of the end of Spring semester, and next weekend (May 18), I'm excited to be going to the <a href="http://www.pintsforpets.com/" target="_blank">Pints for Pets</a> festival in Altoona! Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-6849096320678533922013-05-01T16:17:00.000-04:002013-05-01T16:17:15.643-04:00Beers #89-109: The Sour & The FunkyI was able to get to one event in celebration of Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week 2013 - <a href="http://gueuze.blogspot.com/2013/05/beers-offered-at-2013-sour-funky.html" target="_blank">The Sour & The Funky tasting at House of 1000 Beers</a> in New Kensington (Sat Apr 27). In light of my <a href="http://gueuze.blogspot.com/2013/04/beers-82-88-slow-month.html" target="_blank">poor performance in April</a>, I was eager to enjoy as many sour and funky beers as possible. I arrived shortly before 1pm to check in. The tasting was run festival-style, with participants given a wrist band and tasting glass for ~2-3 oz. pours from taps and bottles. It was very laid back, and the majority of my conversations were with Dan, a fellow <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/" target="_blank">RateBeer</a> member from Pittsburgh.<br />
<br />
Here goes ...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>89/365: Bullfrog Jong Bruin</b></span>: <br />Nice Flemish sour brown and oaky aroma. No hops. Tart and funky. Dark
brown clear with no head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Tart sour
brown ale with oak and funky notes, not quite cheesy. Wonderfully
acidic and fruity, with smooth tart aftertaste and a bit of lingering
sweetness. <i>Sour Red/Brown</i> <b>78/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>90/365:</b> <b>Draai Laag La Pienture</b>: </span><br />Estery with alcohol and isopropanol notes. Fruity and vapory. Dark brown
hazy with foamy-creamy off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium
smooth carbonation. Starts a bit sweet with nice oaky notes. Cherries
and alcohol, finishing with cherry and oak. Smooth after. Nice tart
fruit beer. <i>Lambic-Fruit</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>91/365: Bullfrog Pomme Par Jour</b>: </span><br />Mandarin oranges, pears, and a light funk note. Apple must, yeasty.
Light golden clear with thin white head. Medium body with medium-high
carbonation. Starts sweet with apple notes, light chalky notes, and hop
bitterness. A hint of Calvados. Finishes musty and bitter. <i>Fruit Beer</i> <b>64/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>92/365: Allagash Interlude</b>: </span><br />Light Brett nose but not overpowering. Bit of oak and hint of tartness.
Hazy amber golden with thin head. Medium body with medium carbonation.
Starts medium sweet with underlying funky-Brett and tart side. Oaky
notes with neutral fruit, with light bitter finish. Ends with some
carbonic tang and underlying bitter funky quality. <i>Belgian Strong Ale</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>93/365: Bullfrog Aggro Wheat</b>: </span><br />Fresh fantastic hop nose with hint of spice to it. Underlying sweetness,
grassy. Pale straw with light hazy and very thin head. Medium body with
heavy carbonation. Starts with mild wheat and a ton of hops, not funky.
Light overall, with a medium bitter finish and chalky after. More of a
hoppy ale than sour or wild. <i>Sour Ale/Wild Ale</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>94/365: Petrus Aged Red</b>: </span><br />Smells like cherry Sucrets - dark cherry and woody notes. Dark blood-red
clear with thin light-pink head. Medium-thick body with medium
carbonation with some fizz. Starts sweet with cherries and brown sugar
sweetness. Underlying bitterness and tannic quality at the finish. A
little too sweet for my tastes. <i>Sour Red/Brown</i> <b>68/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>95/365: Anchorage Whiteout Wit Bier</b>: </span><br />Smooth yeasty Brett notes, sweet. Subtle nose by very nice. Cloudy
straw-white with thin white head. Medium body with light carbonation.
Starts yeasty and Bretty with sweetness and a hint of light funk or
tartness. Tasty and smooth. <i>Belgian White (Witbier)</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>96/365: 1809 Berliner Style Weisse</b>: </span><br />Watery funky nose with apricot and pear nectar notes, light Brett funk.
pale straw clear with foamy white lacing head. Medium-light body with
medium carbonation. Medium tart beer with light sour-funk. Notes of pear
and apricots. Tart but not as sour as other Berliner Weisses I’ve
tried. Light, refreshing, and overall, a little watery. <i>Berliner Weisse</i> <b>60/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>97/365: Cisco Island Reserve Pedaler Blueblerry Bleer</b>: </span><br />Mild funky notes with predominant notes of blueberries, fresh and musty
aromas. Light tang and medicinal funk. Dark blue-reddish hazy with thin
pink lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts and stays
tart with lots of berry flavor. Musty and bitter with blueberry sour
finish, light chalky acidic after. A bit of BandAid in the after, but
not bad. <i>Fruit Beer</i> <b>68/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>98/365: BRUX Domesticated Wild Ale</b>: </span><br />Pretty mild nose, light Brett and neutral fruity funk and some honey.
Cloudy golden amber with white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with
medium carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with mild Brett and light
honey, caramel. Not much funk to this one. Perhaps needs to age a bit? <i>Belgian Strong Ale</i> <b>62/100b</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>99/365: Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura</b>: </span><br />Sour Coco Wheat! Funky and chocolatey nose with hints of coffee and
molasses. Muddy coffee-brown with thin cocoa-colored lacing head. Medium
body with silky carbonation. Tart stout with tons of cocoa powder and
wonderfully tart finish. Smooth. <i>Stout</i> <b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>100/365: Uinta Crooked Line Birthday Suit - 20th Anniversary: </b></span><br />Nose of sour milk and lavender. Tart and smooth. Dark brown clear (like
root beer) with thin head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation.
Like Hawaiian Punch and apricots, sour and tasty and easy drinking.
Almost like a fruit juice with carbonic tang. Smooth tart after. <i>Sour Ale/Wild Ale</i> <b>78/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>101/365: Oude Gueuze Tilquin a l'Ancienne</b>: </span><br />Sour, Bretty, horse blanket and leather. Funky, sour, and sublime. Hazy
golden amber with thin white head. Medium watery body with medium-high
carbonation. Starts sour, sour, sour. Brett, acidity, and funky leather.
Dry, tasty gueuze that I could drink all day. Funky, sour, tasty, and
refreshing. Sublime. <i>Lambic-Gueuze</i> <b>86/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>102/365: Green Flash Rayon Vert</b>: </span><br />Nose of BandAid and Brett, carbonic tang. Hazy golden amber with foamy
white lacing head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Starts medium
sweet and dry with tons of Brett and light BandAid. Pale malt and
carbonic acidity. Really carbed up, surprised these aren’t bottle bombs.
Smooth tangy finish with light Brett, dry after. <i>Belgian Ale</i> <b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>103/365: Russian River Sanctification</b>: </span><br />Mild tart nose with good Brett notes, yeasty and aromatic. Pale golden
hazy with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high
carbonation. Starts and stays sour with tons of Brett and sour-funky
notes. Carbonic acidity, with sour and Bretty finish. Nice one. <i>Sour Ale/Wild Ale</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>104/365: Goose Island Madame Rose</b>: </span><br />Tart fruit and cherry, vanilla and oak. Nice aroma. Dark brow-amber
clear with thin lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation.
Nice cherry sour and Bretty funk. Smooth and tart. Oaky with vanilla and
light chocolate. Delicious. <i>Sour Ale/Wild Ale</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>105/365: The Bruery Rueuze</b>: </span><br />Funky and Bretty and sour. Nice wheaty funk. Very traditional profile.
Cloudy golden pale with no head. Medium body with medium carbonation.
Tons of Brett and funk, with acid reflux sourness. Delicious and
reminiscent of traditional versions. Nice sour gueuze that I would drink
a lot of. <i>Lambic-Gueuze</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>106/365: Rodenbach Vintage (2010)</b>: </span><br />The aroma of Grand Cru, oaky and sour with soy and vinegar. Dark
reddish-brown hazy with thin off-white head. Medium body with medium
carbonation. Sweet, oaky, tart, and sugary. A bit of cherry, light
oxidation. Beany sweet finish with light soy tang. <i>Sour Red/Brown</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>107/365: Goose Island Matilda</b>: </span><br />Nice funky nose, sweet with a bit of vapor and light woody notes. Mild
Brett. Medium golden clear with light haze, topped with big fluffy head.
Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts light sweet with caramel,
honey, and a bit of funk. Yeasty with alcohol vapor and honey. Light
sweet funky after. <i>Belgian Ale</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>108/365: Telegraph Reserve Wheat</b>: </span><br />Medium wheaty nose with a bit of sour character. Cloudy pale with thin
head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Mild sour Brett notes but
overall a bit watery. A decent level of sourness but not assertive.
Wheat-lemon after. <i>Berliner Weisse</i> <b>58/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>109/365: Voodoo (HTP) Hail to Pitt IPA</b>: </span><br />Wonderful fresh hoppy nose, floral and bright. Mild sweetness. Pale dull
golden clear with thin lacing head. Medium body with medium
carbonation. Huge hoppy profile throughout and mild sweet character. Big
hop flavors from start to finish. Big hoppy finish with bitter lasting
after. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>66/100</b></blockquote>
Whew! All in all, a really nice tasting. Well run and laid back with a lot of great samples to try. I'm still behind in my tastings, but a little closer now to being caught up. I look forward to getting back on track, and in particular, I am excited to get back to this year's <a href="http://www.pintsforpets.com/" target="_blank">Pints For Pets</a> Brewfest in Altoona on May 18.Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-78413784896655673352013-05-01T14:24:00.001-04:002013-05-01T14:24:53.992-04:00Beers Offered at the 2013 "The Sour & The Funky"On Saturday, April 27, <a href="http://www.houseof1000beers.com/" target="_blank">House of 1000 Beers</a> in New Kensington held "The Sour & The Funky" beer tasting event from 1-4 pm, in celebration of <a href="http://pittsburghcraftbeerweek.com/" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week</a>.<br />
<br />
Here was the line-up:<br />
Bottles:<br />
<ul>
<li>Anchorage Whiteout</li>
<li>Petrus Aged Pale</li>
<li>Petrus Oud Bruin</li>
<li>Bell's Oarsman</li>
<li>Bockor's Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge</li>
<li>The Bruery Saison Rue</li>
<li>Cisco Pedaler Blueblerry Bleer (no, that's not misspelled)</li>
<li>Goose Island Matilda</li>
<li>Green Flash Rayon Vert</li>
<li>Hanssens Oudbeitje</li>
<li>Hanssens Oude Kriek</li>
<li>Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura</li>
<li>Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial</li>
<li>Liefmans Cuvee Brut</li>
<li>Lindemans Cassis</li>
<li>Lindemans Cuvee Rene</li>
<li>Lindemans Faro</li>
<li>Oud Beersel Framboise</li>
<li>Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse</li>
<li>Rodenbach Classic</li>
<li>Sierra Nevada/Russian River Brux Domesticated Wild Ale</li>
<li>Telegraph Reserve Wheat</li>
<li>Tilquin Oude Gueuze</li>
<li>Timmermans Framboise</li>
<li>Timmermans Kriek</li>
<li>Timmermans Strawberry</li>
<li>Timmermans Bourgogne des Flandres</li>
<li>Uinta Birthday Suit (20th Anniversary)</li>
<li>St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition</li>
<li>Monk's Cafe </li>
</ul>
On Tap:<br />
<ul>
<li>Allagash Interlude</li>
<li>Petrus Aged Red</li>
<li>Bullfrog Aggro Wheat</li>
<li>Bullfrog Jong Bruin</li>
<li>Bullfrog Pomme Par Jour</li>
<li>Draai Laag Goedenacht</li>
<li>Draai Laag La Pienture</li>
<li>St. Louis Framboise</li>
</ul>
Special bottles (after 3pm)<br />
<ul>
<li>The Bruery Rueuze</li>
<li>The Bruery Sour in the Rye</li>
<li>Goose Island Madame Rose</li>
<li>Rodenbach Vintage 2010</li>
<li>Russian River Consecration</li>
<li>Russian River Sanctification </li>
</ul>
Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-89620397018702754862013-04-29T12:29:00.001-04:002013-04-29T12:29:17.581-04:00Beers #82-88: A Slow Month"April is the cruellest month", if one is to believe Mr. Eliot, and for my beer drinking it certainly has been. April is the month in academics where everyone tries to cram in every last thing they can before the summer break. As a result, I've been drinking a lot more coffee than anything else, and my 'beer a day' challenge has suffered a serious setback because of this. Today is the 119th day of the year and I am behind! Below are a few brews I had between the last week of March and last week.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>82/365: 21st Amendment Lower De Boom: </b></span><br />Sweet and sticky toffee and caramel aroma with a lot of neutral fruit
and mild hops. There is a metallic note here, too, like copper or iron.
Dark coppery amber clear with hardly any head. Heavy body with medium
carbonation and alcoholic warming. Starts sweet with alcohol, hotness,
caramel, toffee, and brown sugar. Plenty of bitter hop finish with
neutral fruity character. Warming nutty bitter-hoppy finish. Lingering
sweetness in the after but not cloying. A little rough around the edges. <i>Barley Wine</i> <b>66/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>83/365: Coors Batch 19</b>: </span><br />Nose is be any with noble hops and skunky notes - no sweetness. Dark
orange-amber clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Medium watery body
with medium-high carbonation. Starts with light malt sweetness, light
carbonic acidity and a dry hoppy bitterness. Fairly mellow throughout
with decent hop finish - slightly nutty and sweet, with carbonic
fizz-bite. Dry light sweet after with some be any hop flavor. <i>Premium Lager</i> <b>48/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>84/365: Third Shift Amber Lager</b>: </span><br />(This is another MillerCoors beer - pretty much a maltier version of Batch 19). Nose is be any with noble hops and skunky notes - no sweetness. Dark
orange-amber clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Medium watery body
with medium-high carbonation. Starts with medium malt sweetness, light
carbonic acidity and a dry hoppy bitterness. Fairly mellow throughout
with decent hop finish - slightly nutty and sweet, with carbonic
fizz-bite. Dry light sweet after with some medium hop flavor. <i>Amber Lager/Vienna</i> <b>46/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>85/365: Samuel Adams New Albion Ale</b>:</span> <br />Sweet with beany alcohol-light vegetal nose and a bit of hop-fruity
character. Dull muted nose. Dull golden clear with thin white head.
Medium body with medium-dull carbonation. Sweet and neutral fruit
character. Light to medium chalky bitterness with vegetal-metallic
notes. Reminds me of a European strong lager, actually. <i>American Pale Ale</i> <b>58/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>86/365: Marzoni's Biere de Marz</b>: </span><br />Mild sweet pale malt aroma with light bit of sulfur and a tad yeasty.
Honey and lemon peels. Cloudy medium amber with thin frothy head. Medium
body with medium-light carbonation. Starts and stays sweet, with
coriander, bubblegum, orange peel and yeast. Light chalky bitter finish
with mildl grain notes. Nice smooth finish. Very easy drinking beer. <i>Belgian Ale</i> <b>74/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>87/365: 21st Amendment Sneak Attack Saison</b>: </span><br />Floral and fragrant, spicy with cardamon and allspice notes. Orange and
orange peel with a little vanilla. Medium golden clear with thin white
lacing head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Starts sweet and spicy
with cardamon and bitter orange peel. Bitter spice and hop finish with
carbonic tang. Lasting bitterness with orange zest sweetness. <i>Saison</i> <b>66/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>88/365: Heather Ales Fraoch (Bottle)</b>: </span><br />Mild herbal-floral notes, a bit of lemongrass and some sweetness. Medium
golden amber clear with thin white head. Medium body with medium-high
carbonation. Sweet with pale malts, herbal notes and a light bitterness.
Overall, a mild ale with decent sweet herbal quality. <i>Traditional Ale</i> <b>54/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<i>Next up ... trying to catch up at The Sour & The Funky!</i> Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-32691907345131608822013-03-28T09:58:00.000-04:002013-03-28T09:58:27.710-04:00Beers #78-81: San Francisco Day #3We decided to have breakfast at The Grove again, since it was both enjoyable and convenient. Today we decided that we would take a ferry over to Tiburon, have lunch, and then grab a bus up to Muir Woods to see some Redwoods.<br />
<br />
We grabbed a streetcar near the hotel in order to get to Pier 39. As luck would have it, it took over 30 minutes to get there. We arrived at 11:45 to take the 11:40 ferry (last one until afternoon) ... and found that they had some issues and were still docked! Waited about 15 minutes and took off for a boat ride over to Sausalido, passing Alcatraz Island. From there, we rode to Tiburon. Quaint little town with shops and restaurants, not as touristy as Sausalido. However, we found out too late that the buses that run up to Muir don't start until May ... no way to get there from here, as it were.<br />
<br />
Since we couldn't get a boat back to town for a couple of hours, we had a lazy lunch at <a href="http://www.samscafe.com/" target="_blank">Sam's Anchor Cafe</a>, sitting on the dock and enjoying the sunshine (while also keeping an eye out for greedy gulls). They boasted about their New England clam chowder. It was OK but nothing special.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>78/365: Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin:</b> </span><br />
Light chocolate, coffee, licorice, and burnt-roasted malts. Mild hop
character and a little tang. Dark brown-black with thin tan head. Medium
body with medium carbonation. Starts dry with roasted malt and light
burnt character. Carbonic and sugar tang with mealy-meaty soy finish.
Nutty mild sweet after. <i>Stout</i> <b>64/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
After lunch, we walked around town, then sat by the docks and waited for the ferry. The ferry ride back first went to Angel Island, then Sausalido, then finally back to the city. By this time it was pretty cloudy, so I caught a nap inside the boat.<br />
<br />
Since the redwoods didn't pan out, we decided to take a GPS-guided tour through the city on a little go-cart ... you look really cheesy driving around with the helmet, etc., but it was really a lot of fun. Found in San Diego, Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon, the <a href="http://www.gocartours.com/sanfrancisco.html" target="_blank">GoCar </a>allows you to putter along the streets while a GPS-tour guide gives you the low down about the sites you're passing. We took a two-hour tour and drove up to the Golden Gate Bridge, through the Presidio and various neighborhoods, and down Lombard Street before returning to the shop. It was a little chilly and a few of the hills were almost too much for the little thing, but we had a great time - I'd highly recommend it!<br />
<br />
Not wanting to wait for the bus again, we splurged on a cab back to the hotel to get changed.<br />
<br />
For our last dinner in town, we went to the <a href="http://abbotscellar.com/" target="_blank">Abbot's Cellar</a> in the Mission. Same folks who run the <a href="http://www.monkskettle.com/" target="_blank">Monk's Kettle</a> have this place, though the Cellar is a bit more upscale. It was a Monday night, so even though we'd made reservations, we didn't really need them. Small but quality food menu, including a four-course tasting menu paired with beers. Beer menu was eclectic, not huge, but of very high quality. It was nice that they allowed bottle pours from 750 mL bottles, but a lot of them were overpriced considering the sample size. Over dinner, I enjoyed:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>79/365: Firestone Walker Pivo Pils:</b> </span><br />
Really aromatic nose, malt and grains, jasmine, soap, and tea.
Fruity-herbal hoppy notes. Golden clear with roomy lacing white head.
Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with terrific herbal
hops and beany mash. Pilsner malt sweetness, but finishes dry with great
grassy hop bitterness. Tasty beer. Very drinkable with lasting bitter
after. <i>Pilsener</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>80/365: Heretic Shallow Grave Porter:</b> </span><br />
Roasted toasted coffee, licorice, chocolate, and lactose. Really nice
sweet and salty porter aromas. Dark black-brown opaque with lacing tan
head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation and some warmness.
Starts sweet and rich with chocolate, coffee, lactose, and molasses.
Chocolate malted milk, sweet finish with nutty sweet bitter after. Nice
porter. <i>Porter</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>81/365: Freigeist Abraxxxas: </b></span><br />
Nice smoky nose, a bit of tart with a hint of lactic. Airy, fruity,
oranges. Cloudy pale amber with thin white lacing head. Medium watery
body with medium carbonation. Starts with a little orange sweetness.
Nice smoky flavor throughout - more like a lichtenheiner than
traditional Berliner, could be tarter, but nice. <i>Berliner Weisse</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
We grabbed a taxi back to the hotel, packed, and got ready to get up at 3:30 for our 6:00 flight home. All in all, a great trip - not really that relaxing compared to sitting on a beach but enjoyable.Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-63976339198567480032013-03-27T11:45:00.000-04:002013-03-27T11:45:17.519-04:00Beers #73-77: San Francisco Day #2On Sunday, we slept in. After getting ready, we walked a few blocks over to have a late breakfast at <a href="http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/locations/mint-cafe/" target="_blank">Blue Bottle Coffee</a>.
Apparently a popular place, as there was a 20-minute wait to order.
The coffee was good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't see anything
substantially better in it than we can get right here at home at <a href="http://www.commonplacecoffee.com/" target="_blank">The Commonplace</a>.
From here, we strolled over to Market to get a bus and headed up Haight
on our way to Golden Gate Park. Of course, I can't ride up Haight
without stopping at <a href="http://www.toronado.com/" target="_blank">Toronado</a> for a few short pours! <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>73/365: Moonlight Bombay by Boat IPA: </b></span><br />
Nice hoppy aroma. Fresh and grassy, caramel, and toasted malt. Pale
golden amber clear with thin rocky-foamy white lacing head. Medium body
with cask carbonation. Starts medium dry with some caramel and roasted
malty character. Tons of hop flavor and bitterness from start to finish,
though not completely overpowering. Nice cask IPA. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>78/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">74/365: Dupont La Bière de Beloeil</span></b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">:</span> <br />
Aroma is rich and malt with a lot of dark fruit notes, vinous with plum
and Concord grape juice. Candy-like. Dark golden amber clear with thin
lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts malty and
slightly sweet. Dark fruit sweetness with mild orange notes and grape
juice. Finish is light bitter with good sweet notes and nutty
bitterness. Tasty. <i>Bière de Garde</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>75/365: The Bruery Sour in the Rye: </b></span><br />
Light tart-lactic nose with oak, light spicy character, and a hint of
sweetness. Hazy lustrous orange-amber with thin white head. Medium body
with heavy carbonation. Tarts and lactic with chardonnay, mild spicy
notes and touch of vanilla. Great sour ale with woody funky finish and
lasting tart after. <i>Sour Ale/Wild Ale</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>76/365: Moonlight Death and Taxes:</b></span> <br />
Great chocolate malt, roasted barley, light smoke - sweet and nutty.
Dark black opaque with thin creamy lacing tan head. Medium body with
high carbonation and a bit of fizz. Starts rich, malty with roasted
barley, light smoke, and chocolate. Ground coffee notes with light
carbonic tang. Nutty sweet finish with some light smoky after. <i>American Dark Lager</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
We got back on the bus and went up to Golden Gate Park. After a pit stop at Whole Foods, we entered the park and walked for about an hour, then exited on the northern side to catch another bus to the beach. We walked along the beach for a bit, enjoying the sun and views. Our plan was to do some hiking along the Coastal Trail, but we decided to have a light lunch before the hike. Up the hill from the beach was the <a href="http://www.cliffhouse.com/" target="_blank">Cliff House</a>, a nice (a bit pricy) restaurant on a cliff overlooking the Pacific. In addition to a Deschutes Black Butte Porter, I had<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>77/365: Pyramid Hefeweizen:</b> </span><br />
Very mild aroma with the faintest hint of clove and esters. Not a very
strong nose. Looks nice, with cloudy golden amber body topped with a
thin white head. Medium-light watery body with medium carbonation.
Starts a little sweet with mild fruity esters and a bit of clove and
wheat. Mainly kinda bland, watery - but not off. Orange is probably the
biggest flavor component. Refreshing but not really much towards the
style. <i>Wheat Ale</i> <b>48/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
After lunch, we walked up the hill and got on the Coastal Trail, which leads up around the bend to provide spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the coastline. A bit windy, but a nice hike for a few miles. We ended up in a residential neighborhood and walked down to China Beach, then grabbed a bus and headed back to our hotel.<br />
<br />
We got warmed up, took a break, then decided what to do about dinner. After tossing around options, we decided we were hungry for Chinese again. We took the bus to Chinatown and ate next door to House of Nanking at a place called <span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>Chef Jia's.</b></span> Great food and less expensive than House of Nanking - can't figure out why they don't gather the crowds like their neighbor!<br />
<br />
After all the walking, we grabbed a bus back to the hotel and called it a night.<br />
<br />
<i>Up next ... San Francisco Day 3</i>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-52960635535260556732013-03-26T13:57:00.002-04:002013-03-26T14:00:19.778-04:00Beers #68-72: San Francisco Day #1On Saturday, March 16, my wife and I caught a 6am flight from Pittsburgh to San Francisco for a three-day vacation. The flight out is direct, but coming back you have to fly through Chicago (O'Hare) ... no idea why ... guess not enough people want to fly from San Fran to Pittsburgh?<br />
<br />
Anyway, we enjoyed three days of sightseeing, walking, and enjoying a lot of great food and beer. If you've never been, San Francisco is a GREAT beer city. Tons of local breweries/brewpubs, and of course, access to a lot of West Coast products that never seem to quite make it back to Pennsylvania.<br />
<br />
We arrived around 8:30 and caught the BART train to downtown. After dropping of our luggage, we grabbed breakfast at <a href="http://www.thegrovesf.com/" target="_blank">The Grove</a>. Had a terrific steak & eggs dish similar to <i>huevos rancheros</i> with copious amounts of coffee. From there, we walked up Market Street and watched the crowds gather for the St. Patrick's Day parade. I bought some three-day travel passes while Dana held a place in line to catch the cable car over to Fisherman's Wharf.<br />
<br />
We walked around some of the piers (not 39, however) and just sat by the ocean for a bit and enjoyed a sunny, albeit windy, late morning. Great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and downtown. From there, we walked over to Chinatown and had lunch at <a href="http://houseofnanking.net/" target="_blank">House of Nanking</a>, home to award-winning chef Peter Fang. He waited on us, and suggested a tasting menu. Kinda pricy for lunch, but a cool experience. And like many of the places we seemed to end up in SF, it was <b>cash only</b>.<br />
<br />
We walked through the city, back to our hotel on Market and 4th, checked in and took a break. Dana decided to have a nap, so I walked on over to <a href="http://www.citybeerstore.com/" target="_blank">City Beer</a>, a superb beer bar and bottle shop on Folsom St. In addition to a Russian River Salvation, I tried:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>68/365: Local Option Dampf Loc - Neue Welt Hefe Gerste:</b></span> <br />
Mild grain and mash sweet notes, dusty and mealy. Very light hop
character in the nose. Dark golden amber clear with medium haze, topped
with thin off-white creamy lacing head. Medium watery body with medium
carbonation. Starts nutty and sweet, with light mash flavors, alcohol,
and some mild astringent woody parts. Easy drinking, fairly well
balanced with smooth nutty-sweet finish and after. <i>Traditional Ale</i> <b>70/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>69/365: Ölvisholt Lava:</b> </span><br />
(My first beer from Iceland) Nice rich smoky nose, with coffee, chocolate, juniper smoke and
molasses. Alcohol sweetness. Dark black opaque with thin tan creamy
head. Medium-heavy body with high carbonation. Light warming. Carbonic
tang and fizzy. Starts medium sweet. Rich with licorice, juniper smoke,
chocolate and molasses. Carbonic acidity, alcohol sweetness and good
bitter finish. Smooth sweet finish with light smoky after. <i>Smoked</i> <b>80/100</b> </blockquote>
After getting back to the hotel and hanging out for a bit, we decided to catch a bus and head out past Chinatown for dinner at <a href="http://latrappecafe.com/" target="_blank">La Trappe Cafe</a>, a nice Belgian-themed gastropub with a nice beer selection. Over curried mussels and <i>frites</i>, I tried:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>70/365: Engelszell Gregorius Trappistenbier: </b></span><br />
Very mild nose, plum and roasted malt. Sweet with a subtle richness. A
hint of fruity red wine. Dark coppery amber clear with thin off-white
lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Light warming.
Starts sweet, alcoholic. Plum, rich malt, sugary - leans towards a
Chimay Bleu but not overly complex compared to other quads. Sweet after
with light alcohol warming and fruity after. <i>Abt/Quadrupel</i> <b>76/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>71/365: New Belgium Lips of Faith - Heavenly Feijoa Tripel:</b> </span><br />
Big fruity nose, kinda funky and tart, cheesy. Not bad. Dark golden
clear with thin foamy-rocky white head. Medium body and carbonation.
Starts fruity and tart with some apples and sour peach. A little funky
and cheesy, with crisp fruity-tart finish and after. Not bad. <i>Abbey Tripel</i> <b>72/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #d9ead3;"><b>72/365: Baladin Wayan Sour Edition:</b> </span><br />
Sour nose with chardonnay and oak. Light acetic acid, fruity, light, and
enjoyable. Golden dark clear with no head. Medium-light watery body
with light carbonation. Starts mild, kinda sour with oak and chardonnay.
A bit of sweetness in the finish and mild acetic character. Overall, a
bit watery and not worth the price. <i>Sour Ale/Wild Ale</i> <b>66/100</b></blockquote>
After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and called it a night.<br />
<br />
<i>Next ... San Francisco Day 2</i> Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-67504531525379426582013-03-26T12:42:00.000-04:002013-03-26T12:42:12.142-04:00Beers #60-67: Nice Beer WeekendOne of the March bottle offerings at <a href="http://theconey.com/" target="_blank">The Coney</a> is a Vienna from Hop City Brewing in Canada ..<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>60/365: Hop City Barking Squirrel Lager</b>: </span><br />Very mild caramel aroma with a bit of toasted malt and light hop
essence. A hint of coffee. Deep amber clear with thin head. Medium body
with medium-mild carbonation. Starts medium sweet with caramel and
biscuit. Carbonic bite and quite a bit of bitterness in the finish.
Nutty sweet and astringent bitter after. <i>Vienna</i> <b>48/100</b></blockquote>
On Saturday, March 9, we had lunch at <a href="http://www.knickerbockertavern.com/" target="_blank">The Knick</a> in Altoona. As usual, they had several new ones for me to try:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>61/365: Flying Dog Chipotle Dark Ale:</b> </span><br />Mild chocolate nose, roasted and slightly burnt malt. A hint of
earthy-fruity-smoky chipotle with no discernible hop presence. Dark
rusty red-brown opaque with creamy light tan lacing head. Medium watery
body with vigorous carbonation. Nice dry porter to start, with light
carbonic bite, a hint of heat. Earthy and fruity pepper character.
Chocolate and roasted malt, light hop bitterness with smooth peppery
bitter after. <i>Stout</i> <b>70/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>62/365: Goose Island Sofie: </b></span><br />Herbal, peppery, citrus rind, sweet with honey and orange blossom. Oak
and chardonnay. Tart fruity character. Golden clear with light, light
haze and very thin white head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation.
Starts medium sweet with grapefruit, coriander, light chardonnay, and
herbal notes. A bit of yeasty funky note but not outrageous. Nice tart
finish with fruity chardonnay after; mild chalky bitterness component. <i>Saison</i> <b>76/100 </b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>63/365: Innis & Gunn Winter Treacle Porter Oak Aged Ale: </b></span><br />Nose is a mix of Twizzlers, oak, Flemish brown ale, caramel and treacle,
marshmallow, and vanilla. Terrific aromas. Dark coppery caramel-brown
clear, with creamy off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy body with
medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet with lots of treacle, oak,
caramel. Smooth and well rounded with very little bitterness at the
finish. Has a nice oak-sweet after. Not as dark as I’m used to for a
porter, but really nice. <i>Baltic Porter</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>64/365: Widmer Brothers Reserve Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout:</b> </span><br />Chocolate covered raspberry truffles with light carbonic tang, light
melon, coffee, and toffee. Dark black opaque with creamy light tan
lacing head. Medium chewy body with medium carbonation and light alcohol
warming. Starts sweet with tons of roasted malt, light coffee, a hint
of smoke, some raspberries, and a nice finish of nutty bitterness at the
end. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
That evening, we met a high school/college friend of Dana's and her husband for dinner at <a href="http://www.amicisebensburg.com/" target="_blank">Amici's</a> in Ebensburg. Really nice place to eat - great food and a very nice, though small, tap selection. Over a great dinner, I enjoyed:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>65/365: Southern Tier Eurotrash Pilz: </b></span><br />Clean, if not crisp, light noble hop aroma on top of sweet corn-grain
malt notes. Like a mild German pils or Bohemian pils. Medium amber clear
with foamy-frothy white lacing head. Medium watery body with medium to
heavy carbonation. Starts medium dry with nice pilsener malt sweetness,
good noble hop character, and a touch of sulfur. Overall, clean and
refreshing, with light to medium bitter finish and smooth after. <i>Pilsener</i> <b>68/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>66/365: Great Lakes Alchemy Hour Double IPA:</b></span> <br />Sweet nose with lots of brown sugar and caramel. Big hoppy nose, funky
and herbal with grapefruit and pine. Dark amber clear with foamy
off-white lacing head. Medium to heavy watery mouthfeel, with medium
carbonation. Starts pretty sweet, but not cloying, before you get
smacked with a good dose of bitterness. The two don’t quite meld
together as well as they could, but it’s still a nice IIPA. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>67/365: Southern Tier Choklat:</b></span> <br />On tap at Amici’s (in one of the largest snifter portions I’ve ever
had). Dark chocolate, light caramel, some licorice, coffee and sour
smoke. Sweet with light carbonic tang, oak and vanilla. Not too boozy.
Dark back opaque with cocoa-tan, slightly lacing head. Medium to heavy
water body, not quite chewy, with medium carbonation and nice alcohol
worming. Starts and stays pretty sweet, with chocolate, coffee, licorice
and molasses. Mild oak, light hop bitterness, nutty character, and just
a bit of carbonic tang. Finish is smooth, sweet, and lasting. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>90/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<i>Up next ... Spring Break in San Francisco!</i> Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-14280036135849210292013-03-14T12:15:00.000-04:002013-03-22T10:24:12.286-04:00What's On Tap: March 14, 2013So unless someone wants to start sending me updates, this type of post will be sporadic and dependent on my ability to visit various bars in town ...<br />
<br />
However, this past Tuesday, I was at <a href="http://theconey.com/" target="_blank">The Coney</a> for our monthly <a href="http://theipas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">homebrew club</a> meeting, followed by a round afterwards at <a href="http://benjaminsindianapa.com/" target="_blank">Benjamin's.</a> There were some great offerings at both places worth mentioning.<br />
<br />
This month at The Coney, you'll find <b>Penn Maerzen, Franziskaner Hefeweizen, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA</b>, and a few of the usual suspects on tap. In addition, the three bottle specials for March are: <b>Troeg's Nugget Nectar, Southern Tier 2XIPA, and Hop City Barking Squirrel Lager</b> (a Vienna).<br />
<br />
On tap of note at Benjamin's: <b>Troeg's Nugget Nectar, Anderson Valley Hop Ottin' IPA, Bells Hopslam, Great Lakes Alchemy Hour Double IPA, Yards Brawler </b>(brown ale), and a few other regulars.<br />
<br />
Some great offerings in our tiny little town!<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE: </b>The <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ironwoodgrill" target="_blank">Ironwood Grill</a> just announced that they have tapped a keg of <b>Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA</b> and should also have some bottles. Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-49725670546643551392013-03-07T15:41:00.004-05:002013-03-07T15:43:05.773-05:00Beers #41-59: Tired Hands Tasting and Catching Up in My BacklogIt's day 66 of 2013 and I'm a little behind in my goal - 59 new beers to date. This post will catch me up on my backlog of beer notes, including an awesome tasting of Tired Hands beers.<br />
<br />
We were invited to a Chinese New Year's Party (Feb. 9) in town, and the husband of the host couple is a really good homebrewer and beer aficionado. In short, there's always something good to drink at the party. This year was no exception, but for me there was only one new beer:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>41/365: Samuel Adams Dark Depths:</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Nice fresh and floral-grassy hops with light chocolate, coffee, and
roasted bitterness. Dark brown-black with medium sized light tan lacing
head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium malty and
sweet with chocolate, toasted barley, and soy sauce. Big floral-piney
bitter hops and lasting bitterness. Smooth nutty bitter finish and
after. <i>Black IPA </i><b>78/100</b></blockquote>
The next couple of beers were ones I had in the basement, one from a sampler pack brought to me by my father-in-law, and the other part of a '24 Beers of Xmas' mixed case I bought from a fellow homebrewer.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>42/365: Rickard's Dark</b>: </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dull dusty grain, a bit of oxidized caramel and no discernible hops.
Coppery dark brown clear with creamy-foamy lacing tan head. Medium-light
body with medium-light carbonation. Starts medium sweet with brown
sugar, caramel, and light grain dust. Mild astringency with nutty bitter
finish and some lingering sweetness. Chalky after. <i>Porter</i> <b>48/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>43/365: Uinta Hop Notch IPA</b>: </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Very nice nose - spicy-floral hops, oily and resinous. Mild caramel and
malt sweetness. Orange peels. Deep orange-amber clear with creamy
off-white, huge lacing head. Medium body with medium-light carbonation.
Starts fairly dry. Big hop flavor from start to finish. Bursts of resin,
orange peel, and apricot. Light nutty caramel malt notes. Big bitter
finish with lasting bitter after. <i>India Pale Ale (IPA)</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
I visited <a href="http://marzonis.com/" target="_blank">Marzoni's Brick Oven & Brewing</a> in Duncansville for lunch one Saturday in February, and in addition to a few old favorites, I tried Bill's new Red Ale brewed with El Dorado hops.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>44/365: Marzoni's Red Ale (El Dorado)</b>: </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Spicy hop nose, a bit pungent and resinous. Some toasted malt and light
caramel. Deep coppery brown clear with thin off-white head. Medium body
with medium carbonation. Starts lightly sweet with toasted grain,
caramel, and brown sugar. Big herbal-spicy hop notes, light carbonic
acidity. Big bitter finish, spicy and piney with lingering bitter after. <i>Amber Ale</i> <b>72/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
One of our homebrew club alumni, Jon Defibaugh, left Indiana a few years back to pursue a career in brewing. He brewed his first beer with my equipment in my kitchen, and went crazy from there by cranking out terrific stuff at his house. He moved to Philly, and started by working with Tom Baker at Earth Bread + Brewery. Last year, he moved over to Ardmore and has been head brewer for Jean Broillet at <a href="http://www.tiredhands.com/" target="_blank">Tired Hands</a>. Well, towards the end of February, Jon came back to Indiana for a visit a brought a bunch of goodies - cheese, bread, and beer, beer, and beer. A few of us got together and had an amazing evening.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>45/365: Tired Hands HandFarm:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Great yeasty funky nose - Brett, light lactic notes. Awesome bouquet
with a hint of lime zest. Light yellow-amber clear with light head.
Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts and stays dry
throughout, with citric-lactic acidity. Tons of Brett and yeasty
bitterness. Big hop bitter finish with grapefruit. Great saison with a
little bit of oak, too. <i>Saison</i> <b>84/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>46/365: Tired Hands Guillemot Nebula:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Bourbon, red wine, fruity acidity, light funk, mild lime and peach,
vanilla. A beautiful marriage of aromas. Dark brown-black clear with
thin lacing head. Heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts tart with
red wine, vanilla, oak, and bourbon. Wonderfully tart and complex but
not cloying or overpowering - well rounded. <i>Saison</i> <b>90/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>47/365: Tired Hands Guillemot Prunus:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Great nose with tons of cherry. Fruity, woody, and tart, with light
funky notes, vanilla and oak. Coppery brown clear with thin tan lacing
head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts tart with cherries,
oak, vanilla, and citrus. Nice tart funk, with some chocolate and soy
sauce. Light bitter chocolate finish with lasting, mildly astringent
tart after. <i>Saison</i> <b>86/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>48/365: Tired Hands Singel Hop Saison, Amarillo:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Great hop aroma, fruity with onion and light pale malt sweetness. Pale
golden yellow clear with thin white head. Medium-light body with medium
carbonation. Starts medium dry, peppery with fresh hops. Grassy, herbal,
clean. Medium acidity at the finish with great hop flavor. Light bitter
after. <i>Saison</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>49/365: Tired Hands LiddleFiddle:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Funky-nasty hop aroma (nasty in a good way) that is just fantastic. The
nose gives me the munchies. Mild sweetness and tons of pine, funk, and
ozone. Pale golden clear with light haze, topped with thin foamy head.
Medium body and carbonation. Nice dry saison with tons of fresh hop
character. Big bitter finish and funky after. Delicious. <i>Saison </i> <b>86/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>50/365: Tired Hands Entropic:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Bretty, hoppy, and meaty. Light lactic and mild sweetness. Hazy pale
with thin white head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Medium
bitter start. Lots of Brett in this one. Light funk and big bitter notes
but not harsh. Astringent finish with mild bitter after. <i>Sour Ale/Wild Ale</i> <b>80/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"> <b>51/365: Tired Hands Ego Disillusionment:</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Aroma is a mix of apples, sauerkraut, and milk with tea. Chardonnay and
carbonic brightness. Hazy-cloudy pale straw with thin rocky head. Light
body with medium carbonation. Tart, funky, sour and lactic. Kiwi
chardonnay and apple cider flavors. Just a nice, tart weisse. Bright. <i>Berliner Weisse</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>52/365: Tired Hands MotherAnimal:</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Smells of roasted barley and spent coffee grounds. Caramel and sweet
with light alcohol and broth. Coppery brown with thin creamy lacing
head. Medium-heavy body with high carbonation. Alcohol warming. Vanilla,
coffee, toffee, and caramel. Sweet and thick with light alcoholic
coffee. Big sweet after. Not cloying, but a little too sweet. <i>Barley Wine</i> <b>76/100</b> </blockquote>
The day after this awesome tasting, I had lunch with a colleague at <a href="http://benjaminsindianapa.com/" target="_blank">Benjamin's</a> here in town. They have a pretty good tap selection now, and I went with a new IIPA from Victory.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>53/365: Victory Ranch (Centennial)</b>: </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Nice grassy-fruity fresh hop nose. Apricot, grapefruit, sugary syrup and
light caramel. Medium golden amber clear with thin foamy off-white
lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium
sweet with caramel and brown sugar, neutral fruity character but also
with notes of apricot and tons of hop flavor. Big bitter finish and
lasting bitter after. The higher gravity was not apparent. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>78/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
Every year, in February, to celebrate both Dana's and my birthrdays, we usually go to Pittsburgh for a Friday overnight, with a dinner at <a href="http://www.bigburrito.com/casbah/" target="_blank">Casbah</a>, followed by touring around Pittsburgh on Saturday. Casbah is part of the Big Burrito restaurant group, and for your birthday they'll send you a $30 coupon to use the week before until the week after your birthday. Unfortunately, our birthdays don't quite overlap, so we never get to use both of them. (oh, and you can't use it on Saturdays) On Saturday, we had lunch at Mad Mex (another Big Burrito restaurant), which always has good stuff on tap. I enjoyed two draughts for lunch:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>54/365: Helltown Idle Hands:</b></span> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Great fresh hop aroma, sweet and grassy with apricot and pear. Some pine
and herb notes, too. Hazy medium amber with thin white lacing head.
Medium body with medium to heavy carbonation. Starts nice and sweet with
apricot and pear notes. Light brown sugar and caramel, too. Sweet
bitter finish with nice lasting bitter after that’s not too harsh. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>55/365: Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Sweet espresso nose with vanilla, oak, chocolate, light molasses, and a
hint of smoke. Dark black opaque with dark brown lacing foamy head.
Medium heavy body with heavy carbonation, fizzy and alcoholic warming.
Light chewy. Starts sweet and roast with burnt malty caramel, smoke,
oak, vanilla, and chocolate. Rich, malty, and hot. Big warming. Big
bitter chocolate finish with roasted burnt malt tang. Oak and smoke
after, with lingering sweetness and carbonic tang. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b> 80/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
And finally, to catch up on the rest of my new beer notes to date, I had the following in my cellar at home (except the St. Stefanus, which Dave and I shared courtesy of Tim at the <a href="http://theconey.com/" target="_blank">Coney</a>). <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>56/365: Rickard's Blonde:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Pale lager aroma, beany with some noble hops and a light corn or vegetal
aroma. Mild oxidation. Orange amber clear with thin off-white lacing
head. Medium light body with medium carbonation. Starts a bit dry with
some caramel sweetness, mild papery notes, and little hop presence.
Finish is smooth with light sweet after. <i>Pilsener</i> <b>50/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>57/365: St. Stefanus Blonde:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Light Belgian wheat ale nose, mild esters and yeasty notes. Some honey
and orange blossom sweetness. Golden clear with creamy-pillowy white
lacing head. Medium to light bodied with medium to heavy carbonation.
Kind of weak in flavor but medium sweet with light fruity esters and
mild carbonic bite. Yeasty chalky finish with medium sweetness and very
little bitterness. Mild after. <i>Belgian Ale</i> <b>64/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>58/365: Rickard's White:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Nice fruity aroma with apricot nectar, orange peel, and coriander. Kind
of sweet with mild floral notes. Cloudy medium amber with thin white
head. Medium to light watery body with heavy carbonation. Starts with
fruity and floral notes, orange peel and coriander. Pale malt and wheat
sweetness with light dry finish. No discernible hop flavors. After is a
little chalky but pleasant. <i>Belgian White (Witbier) <b> </b></i><b>58/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>59/365: Fat Head's Bumbleberry Honey Blueberry Ale</b></span>: </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mix of real and fake saccharin blueberry aromas, fruity and a bit
earthy. Sweet with no discernible hop character. Light honey. Medium
golden amber clear with huge creamy-pillowy lacing off-white head.
Medium bodied with medium to heavy carbonation. Starts somewhat dry
despite the sweetness of the aroma. Notes of blueberry, honey with a
berry-skin bitterness in the finish along with some hop bitterness.
Light sweet albeit watery after. <i>Fruit Beer</i> <b>56/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
Whew! Finally caught up. <i>Next up ... ??</i> Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-19831188161508582132013-02-26T19:16:00.002-05:002013-02-26T19:16:17.097-05:00Beers #29-40: At Home and Around TownA lot of times, particularly after a beer road trip, a few of us beer geeks get together and share some of our haul or cellar stocks. As the years have passed and we all got busy with kids, our tastings have been scaled back a bit. We still manage to sneak some in! Here are a few recent notes from a few tastings during the last week of January and first week of February ...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>29/365: Cigar City Jai Alai India Pale Ale: </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Super fresh hop aroma. Fruity and floral with apricot and orange
blossom. Sweet and luscious. Brilliant amber hazy with thin foamy lacing
head. Medium watery body with medium carbonation. Starts medium sweet
and malty with caramel and light fruity character. Apricot and pear.
Floral fresh hops with light smooth bitterness. Sweet, smooth after and
no harsh bitterness. Tasty. <i>India Pale Ale</i> <b>86/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>30/365: Santa Fe State Pen Imperial Porter: </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
(This one was given to me by my buddy Mike, who lives in Santa Fe) Ruddy chocolate malt, dusty grist and light stale coffee grounds.
Alcohol vapors, malted milk, and Twizzlers. Black opaque with thin tan
lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium-high carbonation and
alcoholic warming. Starts sweet and smooth, lightly smoky, with tons of
rich malt and Twizzlers. Mellow with light nutty bitterness. No off
flavors or oxidation notes - has held up well. <i>Imperial/Strong Porter</i> <b>84/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>31/365: Dogfish Head Bitches Brew: </b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
(A bottle courtesy of my father-in-law) Smells like coffee porter, light tang. Dark black opaque with medium
foamy-creamy dark tan lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium
carbonation and light fizz. Starts with big roasted and chocolate notes.
Coffee and light acidity. Not really that complex but has some vanilla
and other esters. <i>Imperial Stout </i><b>78/100 </b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">32/365: Goose Island Fleur: </span></b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Wonderful floral-funky nose. Bretty and neutral fruit, hint of acid and
leather. Very Orval-ish. Medium dark amber clear with thin off-white
head. Starts fairly dry with light funky farm and leather. Neutral fruit
with dry hops and yeast. <i>Belgian Ale</i> <b>84/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>33/365: Full Pint Festivus:</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dusty grain, roasted barley, chocolate, and mild spices. Much like a
brown ale in nose. Dark coppery brown clear but with some haze, topped
with creamy light tan lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation.
Starts medium dry with lots of roast, nutty and spicy bitterness. Some
malty chocolate sweetness and light spicy character. Medium bitter hop
finish with lasting bitter after. <i>Spice/Herb/Vegetable</i> <b>58/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
On January 30, The <a href="http://thecovinn.com/" target="_blank">Coventry Inn</a> hosted its first ever beer tasting dinner. Normally closed on Wednesday, the pub opened up its doors to host a $50/plate four-course meal, each course paired with a different beer or cider. For first-timers at such an endeavor, I think they did wonderfully. John Cuccaro, of Holiday Beverage and <a href="http://downtownindiana.org/" target="_blank">Downtown Indiana</a>, worked with the Coventry's chef (name escapes me at the moment) and owner Charles Runyon (sp?) to create a nice two-hour event. The food was good, the pairings, save one (IMO) were spot on, and the pours were very generous. If you live in the area, I suggest you get to the next one. Of the four offerings, I had not tried one, and the notes are below.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>34/365: J.K.'s Scrumpy Orchard Gate Gold Hard Cider:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Sweet macerated apples, light sweet alcohol and acidic vapor. Great
aroma reminiscent of Normandy cider. Sweet. Light golden clear with no
head. Medium body with medium-light carbonation. Sweet and tangy with
great cider flavors. Juicy with light carbonic tang. <i>Cider</i> <b>78/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
Here are some more notes from another tasting that a few friends and I had in early February ...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>35/365: Alchemist Heady Topper:</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Nice fruity fresh hop aroma. Apricot, pear, pine. Sweetness abounds with
alcohol vapor and funky resin. Amber clear with light haze and thin
white head. Medium body with high carbonation. Starts sweet with lots of
juicy hops, fruity and bitter. Light caramel. Bit bitter finish and
after. <i>Imperial/Double IPA</i> <b>82/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>36/365: Lindemans Kriek Cuvée René:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
(From 2006 bottle I brought back from Bruges) Aroma is super funky, some BandAid, leather, and sour
cherries. Carbonic fizz and light rubber. Cloudy dark strawberry color
with light pink head. Lactic, oaky, sour. Medium body with medium
carbonation. Huge tart sour cherry with tons of funk. Horse blanket and
light BandAid. Acidic throughout with bit bitter sour after. Not much
cherry flavor remains. <i>Lambic-Fruit</i> <b>80/100</b> </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>37/365: Terrapin Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Nice sweet chocolate and lactose nose. Roasty and toasty, light coffee,
and broth. Dark brown black clear with thin head. Medium body with
medium-light carbonation. Very chocolatey with lactose, mild nutty
bitter and sweet chocolate finish. Some coffee in the after. <i>Sweet Stout</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>38/365: Firestone Walker Parabola:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Awesome nose. Oak, vanilla, bourbon, chocolate, coffee, toffee, caramel.
Just a real nice blend of aromas. Dark black opaque with thin creamy
tan head. Heavy oily body with medium-high carbonation, chewy with
alcohol warming. Starts sweet with alcohol, oak, vanilla, bourbon. Boozy
and a tad too sweet, but rich and delicious, silky and smooth. Terrific
impy stout, with a hint of soy sauce and broth at the very end. <i>Imperial Stout</i> <b>94/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
And here are two more I tried with Dana at home when her family visited for Sunday dinner in early February ...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>39/365: St. Stefanus Grand Cru:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Light wheat and yeasty nose with a bit of citrus, coriander, and honey.
Golden amber hazy with thin creamy white lacing head. Medium body with
medium-high carbonation and light warming. Starts medium sweet with a
lot of pilsner malt, honey, and a bit of orange. Light bitter hops, some
grain hull, citrus rind, and sweet alcohol. Medium vanilla sweet finish
and light bitter, lemony after. <i>Belgian Strong Ale</i> <b>58/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>40/365: Samuel Adams (Barrel Room Collection) New World Tripel:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Light alcohol and lactose sweetness, mild peach and vanilla. Mild, mild
oak. Medium golden amber clear with thin creamy off-white lacing head.
Medium heavy body with high carbonation and light warming. Starts medium
sweet with vanilla, light pilsner malt, some wheat and oranges. Alcohol
sweetness, carbonic fizz and acidity, and neutral fruity character. A
little weak but has a decent tripel profile. Certainly not lacking in
alcohol. <i>Abbey Tripel</i> <b>66/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<i>Up next ... Tired Hands Delivers to Indiana!</i> Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25293702.post-60573102069477430432013-02-18T15:32:00.000-05:002013-02-18T15:32:38.060-05:00Beers #22-28: Pittsburgh Day TripOver the past few years, a few of my friends and I have tried to take a one-day, beer-related road trip. Sometimes we've gotten in a couple, sometimes just one. Sometimes, it's just two of us and other times, there have been three or four of us - we all have families, jobs, and other obligations so it's not like the days of college road trips.<br />
<br />
In late January, Dave and I took a Pittsburgh road trip. We got off to a bit of a late start because of a two-hour delay in the local schools, but we made the most of the short time we could get away.<br />
<br />
The first stop was for lunch and beer at <a href="http://fatheadspittsburgh.com/" target="_blank">Fat Head's Saloon</a> in the South Side section of Pittsburgh. Fat Head's beers are brewed in Ohio, but they keep a lot of them on tap (along with about 25 other brands) in Pittsburgh. My first beer was not a new one, but delicious enough to have again - Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA - with my burger and fries. For dessert, I tried ...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">22/365: Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale: </span></b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Great fresh hop aromas, grassy, spicy, light rubber, and piney. Mild
malt sweetness. Dull golden amber clear with creamy off-white lacing
head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts medium sweet,
pale malt, light caramel. Tons of fresh spicy hops. Big bitter finish
that is not overwhelming or offensively bitter. Bitter finish with sweet
bitter after. <i>Specialty Grain </i><b>82/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
From Fat Head's, we headed over to <a href="http://www.smokinjoessaloon.com/" target="_blank">Smokin' Joe's</a> in order to find a limited-release offering from Stone.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>23/365: Stone Enjoy By IPA:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Enjoy by 2-15-13. Terrific fresh hop aromas. Grass, pine, bitter citrus
peel, apricot … heavenly. Very funky with ozone and bong water. Deep
amber clear with foamy white lacing head. Medium body with medium
carbonation. Starts lightly sweet, funky with grass, resin, ozone, and
rubber. Potent hop character throughout, with burnt brown sugar and
creme brûlée sweet finish. Fairly smooth bitter after, very tasty. <i>Imperial/Double IPA </i><b>88/100</b></blockquote>
Next, we walked across the street to <a href="http://piperspub.com/" target="_blank">Piper's Pub</a>, where we enjoyed a couple of pints and BS'd with Hart, the bartender. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>24/365: All Saints St. Mosey's Black Pils:</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dry tangy nose with lots of roasted character. A mix between a stout
and a schwarzbier. Mild sweetness. Dark black opaque with thin cocoa tan
lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Roasty and chocolatey
with sugar tang. Medium bitter finish with nutty light sweet after.
More like a schwarzbier than a Bohemian pils. <i>Bohemian Pilsener </i><b>88/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>25/365: Victory Midlands Stout:</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Nice roast to the nose, roasted barley with lots of hop character. Mild
coffee and chocolate, dusty grain. Dark black opaque with thin lacing
head. Medium body with medium-light carbonation. Starts roast with light
tang, carbonic acidity and light caramel. Dry finish with light bitter
after. <i>Stout</i> <b>72/100</b></blockquote>
From the South Side, we drove up to the new location of <a href="http://www.eastendbrewing.com/" target="_blank">East End Brewing</a>, which now shares a great space with <a href="http://www.commonplacecoffee.com/" target="_blank">Commonplace Coffee</a>. Nothing new on tap for me to try, but I picked up a growler of Monkey Boy (<i>German Hefeweizen</i>) that Dana and I enjoy.<br />
<br />
Our last stop before heading home was at <a href="http://www.houseof1000beers.com/" target="_blank">House of 1000 Beers</a>, in New Kensington. The House always has something new on tap, and their bottle selection is incredible (and prices are a bit cheaper than bottle shops in Allegheny Co.). We sat at the bar (next to the owner) and enjoyed a couple of offerings.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>26/365: Firestone Walker 16 (XVI Sixteenth Anniversary Ale):</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Toffee, caramel, vanilla, oak, bread pudding with caramel sauce. Sublime
nose and only improves and expands as it warms. Dark black opaque with
thin off-white to light tan lacing head. Medium-heavy body with medium
carbonation, smooth. Alcoholic warming, slightly boozy. Sweet start with
bread pudding, caramel, oak, vanilla, and licorice. Warm finish, heavy
with oak and vanilla. Delicious sweet after but not cloying. Nice
example of what you can do with brewing. <i>American Strong Ale</i> <b>94/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>27/365: Urban Chestnut Zwickel:</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Wheaty grainy nose with noble hop notes. Medium amber clear with thin
off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts
medium dry with wheat and pale malt sweetness. Noble hop bite, carbonic
acidity, and light hop finish. <i>Zwickel/Keller/Landbier</i> <b>70/100</b></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><b>28/365: Clown Shoes Muffin Top:</b></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Hoppy nose, fresh and fruity with orange blossom, sugary sweet and
almost cloying. Medium golden amber hazy with thin head. Medium body
with medium-light carbonation. Sweet start with sweet malty caramel and
biscuit. Big hop flavors with almost cloyingly sweet after. Bitter sweet
and tasty. <i>Belgian Strong Ale</i> <b>80/100</b></blockquote>
We each picked up a few bottles (Dave grabbed a Pliny The Elder!) before heading back home.<br />
<br />
<i>Up next ... a couple of tastings with friends</i>Natehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01541355707506136398noreply@blogger.com0