Hot Night IPAs

It's getting hot in the south so I'm gonna move away from so many dark beers and hit up a few IPA today.  First up is Uinta's Hop Notch IPA.   It is a bright crisp beer with a nice hop bite.   Citrus and pine notes come through with a nice fizz and a lovely lingering hoppiness.  I definitely enjoyed Hop Notch and Uinta is quickly climbing up my favorite breweries list.
Second beer tonight is Dogfish Head's Burton Baton Imperial IPA.  It is a spicy woody brew with bold hop bitterness.  Refreshing citrus and clove notes come out and it is overall a striking and memorable beer.  For me Dogfish Head is another solid brewery that you can expect to enjoy any beer with their name on it.
This post was a big brief, but there are plenty more to come so stay tuned. Cheers!

Comfort Beer

I had a rough day the other day and when I have a rough day I want a good beer.  For me, comfort beer is full of flavor and most times dark.  I was pleased that my rough day coincided with a cold snap so things lined up perfectly.  From that evening I have to share with you a stout, a black IPA, and my first ever Mexican stout.  And with no more ado, here they are.
First up was a Russian imperial stout that I will say right up front flew my socks off.  O'Dempsey's Your Black Heart was a wonderful surprise as my first beer of the night.  Had I know how much I would enjoy it, I might have kept it for last.  It was strikingly bold rich malt base with fabulous dark chocolate and coffee notes and hints of caramel and vanilla.  Add to all that flavor a slight hoppy bite and it was a fantastic complex stout that I want to go back and get more of now.  I want to share it with my friends but I also want to hide it in the fridge and give them other stuff.  It's great. Go get one.
Second was a Rogue black IPA called Dad's Little Helper.  I love a good black IPA and this one lived up to my strong expectations for a Rogue beer.  It had an aggressive hop bite and a lovely rich malt follow up.  It was a delightfully drinkable black IPA and I would drink it again in a heartbeat.
Now for my final beer of the evening I had a Clown Shoes Mexican chocolate stout by the name of Chocolate Sombrero.  Anyone who has read my blog knows of my love for all things Clown Shoes, but I almost didn't even try this one.  I was quite frankly trepidatious of the ancho chiles.  I am thrilled that I trusted my favorite brewery and gave it a shot because it was amazing!  It has a rich chocolate malt with cinnamon and vanilla and a subtle yet building spice.  It has a similar vibe to a mole sauce and is rich and decadent without being overly sweet.  It was a brilliant blend of flavors and I thoroughly enjoyed every sip.  Another big win for the clown.
So goes another night wrapped in the malty glow of a lovely row of comfort beers.  I haven't been posting as often lately but that doesn't mean I'm not drinking and making notes to share with all of you.  I will get to them all in time.  But for now, get out there and try one of these awesome dark comfort beers.  Cheers!

Bottom of the Beer Drawer

So this is one of those posts where I have come to the bottom of my beer supply and have a couple odds and ends to talk about.  So we have a beautiful brown, a delightful doppelbock, and a bold Belgian.  Lets get to them.
I'm actually gonna start with the Belgian which came from 21st Amendment with the quite sinister name of Monk's Blood.  It had a lovely spicy malt body with earthy fig and mild vanilla and cinnamon notes.  It also has a really awesome can design with a great story for the basis of the name.  It was a very tasty Belgian style ale and it has joined the list of awesome 21st Amendment beers that I have tried.  Very nice.
Next comes the Bell's Brewery's Consecrator Dopplebock.  I have been fond of all the Bell's beers I have tried thus far and this was no exception.  It was a nice full balance of malt and hop with great fig and raisin notes and a super smooth finish.  It was such a great easy drinking and memorable dopplebock.  I am a major fan.  While I have Bell's on the brain, I have heard wonderful things about the seasonal Oberon Ale and am on a mission to find one.  Anyone in the Charlotte area that spots one give me that heads up please and thank you.
Rounding out this evening is a beer from one of my all time favorite breweries, Clown Shoes.  You just can't go wrong with a Clown Shoes in hand and their Brown Angel double brown ale is certainly no exception.  It has a delightful rich malt body with bright hoppy bite and roast chocolate and caramel notes and a great easy finish.  It is not your typical brown but really so much more in my book.  I'm slowly working through Clown Shoes offerings and I can't be any happier doing it.
So this group of beers may not have a whole lot to do with each other but they were all great memorable beers.  One of my friends accused me of being a bad critic because I liked everything for one reason or another.  I will admit that while I have my favorite types of beer, for me, if a beer is good it is just good.  That and darn it you're not reading my blog if you think that because I had a whole post of bad beer not that long ago.  So read up! And more importantly, drink up. Cheers!

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

I had the distinct pleasure of spending a good portion of my afternoon this past Saturday at the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery where they were having their Louisiana Spring Festival.  It was an afternoon of live music by The ToneBlazers (a delightfully good bluegrass band), Cajun food (including big plates piled high with crawfish), great beer, and awesome company.   Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (OMB for short) has been around for about three years in Charlotte, NC and from the looks of the turnout at this festival I expect them to be around for many more years.  The staff was all really friendly and helpful and the festival goers we sat near were an absolute pleasure to share the afternoon with.  The festival was all outside of their actual tap room and I realized after I left that I never actually managed to make it inside (sorry) but that just means that they had everything you'd want outside.  They are a small brewery, and from what I can tell from my trip there and their website they run two year round brews and one seasonal at a time.   I had a chance to try two before I was silly with beer and good times and forgot to write anything down about the third (sorry again).  So let's get to the two I do have notes on.
When I went for my first beer I told the fabulous ladies behind the table that this was to be my first OMB experience and asked for a suggestion.  Instantly I was advised to try the Copper, their flagship ale.  It was a subtle caramel malt with grain led body with a touch of hoppy bitterness on the back end and a relatively dry finish.  It wasn't a complex beer.  It was simply easy to enjoy.  I was pleased to find out that I can also enjoy this beer at out local minor league baseball stadium.  Beats what you can normally get at a sporting event hands down.
Well once that beer was gone (and I have to admit it went down pretty quick) I just had to try the seasonal.  Fruehbock is their seasonal currently and it is a nice golden bock.  It has almost citrus notes blended in the malt body.  I found the balance of flavors very enjoyable and it accompanied the spicy Cajun goodness so well.  This is a higher alcohol content then their other beer sooooo after a big mug of that I might have been able to pick out the flavor notes in the last beer but I surely didn't remember to write them down.
This event was a great afternoon on all counts.  I enjoyed my first taste of OMB from start to finish.  I would definitely like to make it back to the tap room on a normal day and drink some more great beer with great people.  Speaking of people, if you are the couple we sat across from that was on their first date - how'd that turn out? Everyone should check out OMB if they come through Charlotte.  An excellent way to celebrate local beer. Cheers!

The End of Porter Season

As the season of dark rich beers draws to a close I always feel a little sad.  Not that the summer ales are not without merit, but I love a good dark beer.  To say farewell I want to share with you two nice porters to close the season with.

First up is Knee Deep Brewing Tanilla.  It is a vanilla porter made from "grade-A Tahitian vanilla beans".  This fairly sweet porter definitely had nice strong vanilla powering through over caramel, coffee, and chocolate notes in the malt body.  While I did enjoy the flavor and smoothness of this brew, it is a bit sweet for my personal preference and almost makes itself a desert beer.  On the bright side, you don't have to say goodbye to this porter as it is a year round brew for Knee Deep.

Second tonight is Bell's Brewery's simply named Porter.  Who needs a fancy name when you have a great beer?  Bell's porter is a beautiful rich roast malt body with coffee, dark chocolate and caramel woven through.  With a mild sweetness and finish on the drier side it was a delightful beer and one I could drink over and over.   Lucky for me, it is also a year round selection!  In case you missed it before, I reviewed Bell's winter seasonal cherry stout and was in love.  This is a sign that I should try more Bell's beers.  And you should too.

So I actually proved my own title wrong in this blog entry.  It may technically be the end of the season for dark beer, but you can still get a phenomenal porter if you know where to look.  So many beers, so little time.  Stay tuned for many more great beers to come including a Sam Adams Blackberry Whitbier. For now, Cheers!

Hot Night Cold Beer

As the weather heats up I tend to move towards a lighter beer.  I want cool and crisp and refreshing when it's hot.  So tonight I wanna tell you about a few pales and IPAs I've tried.  

First up is the Sweetwater Brewing 420 extra pale ale.  This beer is super popular in the Charlotte, NC area.  If you go to an eating establishment and they only have one or two craft beers odds are pretty good that one fo them will be a Sweetwater 420.  They're based in Atlanta so I guess it makes sense that it's got a strong regional fan base.  I found the 420 light and crisp with a mild hop bite.  It's a simple beer with clean flavor.  If I were buying beer for a group with non-hopheads it might be a good step into the craft beer world.  That's about all the love I can give it.  

Second up is the Full Sail Brewing IPA.  This was my first Full Sail experience and I must say a nice experience over all.  Their IPA has a nice bright body with citrus and pine notes and a strong but not overbearing hoppy bitterness.  After enjoying the beer I checked out the company's story.  My interest had been peaked by the employee owned statement on the bottle.  The company has been independent and employee owned (by their brewing force of 47) since 1999 in an effort to create a greater work and life experience.  Kudos to them for really caring about not just great beer, but great people making great beer.  I look forward to trying more.

The third and final review for today is the Widmer Brothers Drifter pale ale.  This is the second Widmer Brothers beer I have tried and likewise the second one I have really thoroughly enjoyed.  The Drifter has a lovely hoppy bite with bright grapefruit notes.  It was clean and smooth and super refreshing.  Your average pale ale will not move me to promote it to my beer friends, but this one was well worth mentioning.  After checking out their website I have set the goal of getting my hands on their spring seasonal raspberry Russian imperial stout.  What could possibly be wrong with that?? 

I haven't been posting as often as I had been.  Life has been busy.  But that doesn't mean I haven't been drinking and stuffing my smartphone full of notes and check-ins on Untappd.  Coming soon - a plethora of porters, a dip into dunkels, and i went back for the bock. . . .and cake. Cheers!

Uinta Dubhe

It's not super often I find a beer I think is outstanding enough to rate a blog of its own but this one definitely did.  Uinta Brewing has a delightful offering called Dubhe.  As an imperial IPA is offers the best of both worlds for me.  It has the roasted malt body with the with beautiful chocolate notes along with a strong hop bitterness that brings through mild citrus flavor.  It is a stellar balance and complexity of flavors with a smooth and memorable taste and feel.  I was thrilled with this beer and can say without a doubt that it will be coming home with me again.  This was the first Uinta brew I had tried and it definitely inspired me to taste more of their selections.
Lots more coming up so stay tuned. . .but first go get a Dubhe and cheers!

Get Down With Brown

I have talked about a little of everything here except brown ale so far.  I am about to remedy that.  I don't normally head for the brown ales but they are a great beer to fill the hole between the bitter of an IPA and the richness of a porter of stout.  So here are two browns I may suggest you'd want to enjoy.

New Holland Brewing hasn't failed me yet and this was no exception.  Their brown ale is called Cabin Fever and is a seasonal brew for them.  With a mildly sweet roast caramel malt base and fig or raisin notes it is a easy beer to enjoy.  It's well balanced to provide a heartiness without being overwhelming.  An excellent choice for a cool night.

My second brown ale is a Leinenkugels Fireside Nut Brown.  Oddly this beer isn't shown on their website. The flavor profile was similar with a mildly sweet subtle toffee malt body with fig and raisin notes.  It was smooth and pleasant but perhaps lacked a touch of the richness in the New Holland selection.

Both were nice cool weather treats that I found just right for this transitional weather.  I hadn't really given brown ales great consideration in the past but I will definitely be adding them in to my seasonal rotation from no on.  I have lots of great stuff coming up IPAs to dunkels and everything in between. Cheers!

Bad Beer Blues

Don't you hate it when you get all excited to crack open your beer only to find that the beer you bought is less then extraordinary?  I hate it more then pretty much anything.  I hope to save you from a few possible missteps with my blog tonight.  I suffer for you people. Keep that in mind, hm? I kid. Onward.
First up was a major surprise to me.  I thought Newcastle. . .that should be good.  So I picked up a Newcastle Winter IPA.  First, let me say that their website is just odd.  Secondly, this beer was just odd.  Whatever hops they loaded it with had a ridiculously strong pine taste.  It was like licking a pine cone or brewing with the clippings in the lawnmower bag.  I kept sipping it looking for other flavors and something redeeming to acknowledge. . .I found a little caramel. . .still poured it out.   I hate wasting beer but I wasn't torturing myself when I had more to try in the fridge.
Following that setback, I thought i would go with something dark and delightful.  I pulled out a Roth Brewing Dark Construct which calls itself a sweet stout.  I popped the top and headed for the living room.  I didn't even make it to my chair before it was foaming over.  Ok, my bad.  Take a sip, sit down, it's foaming over again.  Seriously?  Sip.  Again.  Sip.  Again.  What??  So I go to the kitchen and grab a glass.  Pour slowly a bit off only to end up with a half inch of beer and the rest a solid mass of foam. . . .and what was left in the bottle foamed over again. . .and again. . .and again. What in the world??  I managed to get a sip for tasting.  It was a roasted coffee and chocolate kinda flavor but nothing amazing.  Since I could neither drink from the bottle nor pour a glass it too went down the drain. . . .leaving a bottle all the way up to the top of the label full of foam.  I'm at a loss to explain how they got that much foam in the bottle.  Just bizarre.
But I hate to put up a post with nothing positive so here is something to watch when you are having a couple beers.  I had to wait until my son was up for fear of laughing too loudly and waking him.
Please enjoy My Drunk Kitchen.  I so love her.  Cheers!

Dreamy Dark Beers

I love a beautiful dark beer and tonight I will share two of my most recent favorites.  Dark beers can vary greatly and these selections are excellent proof of that.  Regardless of where on the spectrum they are, they are always on the top of my list.  So enough ado already. On to the beer.
First is a truly awesome imperial stout from Atwater Brewery called VJ Black.  It has a beautiful smokey malt with sweet chocolate and vanilla notes.  There is an overall delightful dark feel to this beer and it was just totally enjoyable.  I will definitely be trying it again as well as their other offerings.
Next up is another brilliant offering from Clown Shoes Brewing called Lubrication.  This black ale has both a rich malt body and a generous hop bite in a wonderful balance.  It has pine and citrus notes throughout and a mild caramel with the malt.  I could drink this over and over and be happy with every one.  You just can't go wrong with Clown Shoes.
Last but not least is a Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA.  It has a strikingly aggressive bitter hoppy bite backed with a mildly sweet malt.  Hints of citrus and pine and a smidgen of toffee bring this brew together and make a great experience.  Smooth and ever so drinkable, this beer is aces in my book.
So that's three dark beers, three completely different types of beer, and three wonderful reasons to love beer.  Soooooooo gooooooood.  So give one a try. Don't be scared.  Coming up soon, more IPAs and a delightful baked goody baked with love and beer. Cheers!

This Beer is Like Apples and Oranges

No. I mean it.  Today, one beer with love for the apple and one in honor of the orange.  I am hard to impress with fruity beers, but these two were worth talking about. . .so lets do it.

Shipyard Applehead was a shock for me, but a very pleasant one.  Pop the top and the smell is straight up apple pie which is very inviting.  The taste is cinnamon and nutmeg and all the lovely flavors of pie crust with a milder touch of actual apple.  It has kind of a dry spicy finish in contrast to the bright and sweet body.  It was a very interesting fruity beer and totally drinkable if it were offered to me, but I'm not sure if I would seek it out again on my own.

Thomas Creek makes a very unique brew known as Orange Blossom Pilsner 2.  It is actually a powered up version of the original Orange Blossom Pilsner.  This beer is brewed with orange blossom honey per the label and I honestly wasn't sure what to expect.  It was sweet and rich with orange and honey notes and a definite floral tone to it.  There was little malt flavor and basically nonexistent hop bitter.  I wouldn't say this is  something you would wanna sit down and drink more then one in a row but it was thoroughly enjoyable as a single beer.  It was just one of a kind and totally worth a try.

What else is on the horizon? A banging Uinta, an impressive Sierra Nevada, and a full on Full Sail and much more.  Until then, Cheers!

Powerfully Good Beer

Sometimes I say to myself, "Self, lets buy a couple beers that are so bold and powerful that they must stand alone in their glorious-ness."  Sometimes I fail miserably in looking for that strong but still delightfully drinkable beer.  However, recently I struck gold not once but twice.  These are not beers for the faint of heart, but if you are prepared to get bold then check these two finely crafted beers out.

When you are looking for power in your beer you need look no further then an Avery Brewing Mephistopheles stout.  At a whopping 15.1% alcohol it certainly packs a punch.  From the first sip your mouth is pummeled with a liqueur like taste followed with a dark malty base.  There are coffee and spicy anise notes throughout and an almost bourbon flavor with woody hints.  It packs a punch with every sip and the blend of flavors makes it a memorable brew.  If you are looking to try this gem make sure you snag one when you see it as Avery only brews it once a year and its availability is limited.

Need more power? YES!  Then go get a New Holland Dragon's Milk Ale aged in oak barrels.  The alcohol content checks in at 10% so it's not as in your face as our first selection was.  I am not usually a fan of the oak barrel aging but this brew made me a believer.  Dragon's Milk is a remarkably tasty beer bringing a strong malt body with mildly sweet vanilla and woody notes.  A few sips in you start to pick up dark chocolate and bold roast coffee flavors.  Every sip was exciting and full of flavor.  This complex and lovely beer was a major winner with me.

What's next? Shipyard, Lagunitas, Sweetwater, and much more.  Trying out a new recipe soon too.  Until then, cheers!

Never enough IPA

I can never get too many good IPAs in my fridge.  Most recently I was pleased to find two thoroughly enjoyable selections.  One hails from Colorado and the other from New York but both brought a great night of flavor to this hophead.
First up is the Great Divide Titan IPA.  This brew has won awards all over the globe and it's not hard to tell why.  It is not shy about what it is.  The hoppy bite is bold and up front with every sip bringing along citrus and pine notes for the ride.  It is a beautifully smooth beer with a lingering bite which is every so enjoyable.  It was great from beginning to end.  My favorite Great Divide brew to date.
Second for tonight is the Southern Tier 2xIPA.  As the name implies, it is indeed an imperial IPA and definitely fit for a ruler.  The bottle speaks of 4 types of hops and 3 kinds of malts used in this beer and oh the things those combinations do.  It is a blissful balance of malt body with bold hop bitter.  Citrus and pine notes are present as well as a delightful zesty zing that dances around on your taste buds.  It was a smooth and lovable beer to be certain.
These two IPAs made for a great night.  Coming soon are a few big players including a high octane selection from Avery.  Stay tuned and until then, cheers!

World of Beer

I recently was lucky enough to have a group of friends accompany me to the new World of Beer in southern Charlotte. It has been open for less then a week and it is fantastic!  They have over 500 types of beer in bottles and if I recall correctly 46 types on tap.  I was in heaven!  The staff was upbeat and friendly and the bar itself was lovely and a really nice place to spend an evening.  They don't serve food there, but the have an agreement with several local food establishments for free delivery which we did and it worked out great.  The worst part of the whole night was trying to pick what I was going to drink!  Most of what I drink is bottled and enjoyed in the comfort of my living room so when I go out I really like to go draft.  The other great thing about drinking at a bar like this is the great selection of local beer that you can't but bottled in the local store.  With that in mind, I had 4 fantastic beers from right here in North Carolina.  Lets get right to them.
I am a huge NoDa Brewing fan from everything I have tried so far and this outing just added to my love of them.  First I tried the NoDaRyeZ'd double rye IPA.  I can honestly say I'd never tried a rye IPA before and I was pleasantly surprised with it bright taste and overall refreshing nature.  It was boldly hoppy with a citrus tang.  I was thrilled I had started with that particular brew as it set the tone for a great night of beer.
I followed that beer up with another outstanding NoDa selection known as Coco Loco.  This porter had a beautiful chocolate malt backbone with striking bitter notes.  Caramel and roast flavors spiral through it with a hint of a coffee note coming through as I drank.  It was a beautiful and robust beer that I would drink over and over.
There are so many other breweries in NC and I really wanted to see what they have to offer so my next beer for the evening was a Foothills Brewing Sexual Chocolate imperial stout.  The body was a rich chocolaty malt base with toffee and coffee flavors.  It had a bright bitter edge to it and was a very well balanced beer.  I greatly enjoyed the layers of flavor it offered.  
And the night ended on a great note with a Lonerider Deadeye Jack porter.  This porter was beautifully smooth and drinkable with a strong malt base laced with sweet deep chocolate notes and roast flavors.  A nice hoppy bitterness rounded out this brew wonderfully and made it a hit with me.
I really didn't have anything bad to say about anything from this evening.  When you have a great bar, great friends, and amazing beers how can you complain?  I even got my World of Beer loyalty card complete with WOB koozie as i plan to find my way back there as often as possible.   I hope this inspires all of you to get out there and try something new and to give local beer a chance! Cheers!

The Great Taste of Great Lakes

In an earlier post I spoke on Great Lakes Brewing and their commitment to sustainable practices, but first and foremost they make great beer.  I have a sentimental attachment to this brewing company as they were one of the first craft breweries I ever experienced and they definitely helped to shape my love of good beer.  For this post I want to talk about two of their wide array of available beers: Burning River and Commodore Perry.  So let's get to it.
First is the Burning River pale ale.  I tend towards dark beers for personal preference, but this pale was memorable and high on the drinkability scale for me.  It is light and crisp with bright citrus notes and a punch of hoppy bitterness that sticks with you.  Beating the heat is easy with a refreshing pale like this.  It gets the Beerzilla seal of approval for tastiness.
Second beer tonight is Commodore Perry IPA.  I do love a good IPA and this lived up to my expectations in every way.  Along with the wonderfully strong hoppy kick, it has a delightful fruity back end.  I enjoyed every drop and I'm ready to get another.
I haven't had anything with the Great Lakes name on it that didn't make me happy.  Now I'm just keeping my eyes open for a couple of their seasonal brews - namely, Lake Erie Monster and Blackout Stout.  Coming soon: Avery, Lagunitas, Shipyard, and another night out on the town!  Until then, Cheers!

Magic Beer

I don't usually buy all beer from one brewery when I go shopping, but this time I did just that.  I picked up the Winterland variety pack from Magic Hat.  I don't normally get out of the store for less then twenty bucks and that usually only nets me a six pack, but I got this box of twelve for less then twenty.  Thumbs up so far.  Their designs are eye catching and memorable and possibly my favorite visual thing from them is the inside of the caps.  Under each bottle cap is a lovely little saying about beer or life in general.  Fun conversation starters.  On to the brews!  Four beers within to try.  Lets get started.

First up is Encore which they call an American Wheat IPA.  It has a bright but not overwhelming bitterness from the start.  A mild fruity flavor and a bit of an earthy grain note comes in as you go.  Overall a tasty brew somewhere between a typical IPA and a wheat beer.

Second is the Ravell, a porter brewed with vanilla.  From the first sip I was a fan of this porter.  It has rich coffee, caramel, and vanilla flavors mixing around over a mild malt base.  It's not a very heavy brew just a bold flavored well balanced porter I look forward to drinking again.

Third is Howl the black lager.  It has a rich malt base with strong dark coffee flavor and traces of vanilla and dark chocolate.  It was moist and refreshing.  As long as you like coffee notes, you should like this beer.

Last in the box is their #9 which they call the Not Quite Pale Ale.  This is the Magic Hat beer you will find most often (at least in stores in my area).  It is a mild flavored brew with a slightly fruity vibe.  It's a totally drinkable beer but in my opinion nothing to run off and demand your friends try.

I have to say the winner from this pack for me was the Ravell.  I just loved the way the flavors were layered.  Magic Hat scores a thumbs up from me.  Since it was a twelve pack I still have some waiting for me tonight. . .although the Ravell may all be gone already. On the affordable side of good beer, Magic Hat is definitely near the top for me.  And gee it's time for a new seasonal variety pack to come out! Cheers!

Mother Earth Brewing

I always love supporting locals breweries, but I love even more finding breweries using sustainable practices.  In the case of Mother Earth Brewing I can satisfy both of those loves.  Ok so they're not in my immediate town, but they aren't far east of where I am in North Carolina in a town called Kinston (which honestly I'd never heard of).  Mother Earth is coming up on their four year anniversary offering can, bottle, and draft offerings.  They have a Tap Room in Kinston (so a road trip may have be be planned) and from the brew finder part of their website I'm only seeing bottled distribution across North Carolina so everyone else has to remember to try them when they come here on vacation.  The website states their mission as "To help you savor the goodness of Mother Earth" and they do indeed do just that. From the solar array on their roof to the "blue jean" insulated refurbished building to the local grown ingredients and even the tap handles made of sustainable bamboo, they give praises to the goodness of the green mother in all they do.  They truly have thought of a huge number of ways to keep their negative impact low and their positive impact high.
 With ten varieties of beer available, some year round and some seasonal, they have something for most palates.  I've only gotten my hands on one so far and that is the Sister of the Moon IPA.  This IPA was rich with earthy malt flavor with a solid dose of hoppy bitterness.  It was a great balancing act indeed.  I found the malt body stronger then a lot of IPAs offer.  It almost come across as an imperial IPA which is always a good thing.  For my first Mother Earth experience I was very pleased with both beer and brewery and I look forward to trying their other options.  As a matter of fact, tonight they have an event here in Charlotte with a vegan restaurant Fern, Flavors From the Garden consisting of a five course meal with a beer pairing for each course.  Should anyone happen to need someone to accompany them to this glorious dinner I am readily available.   It sounds amazing!  Mother Earth, you have made me one happy hippie hophead.  Until next time, cheers!

St. Patty's Day!

No, I do not drink green beer.  As festive as it may be, it is nasty beer (before and after greening) and it is as green coming out as it was going in. . .that's just wrong in my book.  I choose instead to enjoy a nice dark malty beer.  For tonight I have two Heavy Seas beers.  Let's get to it!
First up was a seasonal offering called Black Cannon which is a black IPA.  It is an extension of their IPA Loose Cannon brewed with black malt and may I say that it was quite tasty.  It has lovely strong hoppy bitterness finishing with a dark malty back end.  There were lovely coffee notes and just a touch of sweetness.  It was tasty from beginning to end and overall refreshing and delightful.  My only complaint is that I won't be able to get it all year as they only offer this delicious brew from January to March.  Guess I better grab a few more while I can.
Second offering was a year round offering by the name of Peg Leg.  This imperial stout was super tasty with a strong malt body and bold coffee, chocolate, and caramel notes.  I did find the weight of this brew a bit lighter then many stouts and imperial stouts but with the flavors so bright and well balanced that didn't bother me at all.  As a matter of fact, it struck me as a stout I could drink in the heat of the southern summer when a heavy beer is sometimes more then the weather will allow you to enjoy.
These being my first Heavy Seas beers, I must say they left a wonderful taste in my mouth and I am definitely inspired to try their other offerings.  It looks like the east coast and midwest states are the only ones able to enjoy their offerings at this time, but if you can - you should.
I hope everyone enjoyed a safe and wonderful St. Patrick's Day - Cheers!

Imperial Pleasures

I love an imperial anything but imperial IPAs are definitely tops on my list so without further ado I bring to you two of the best Imperial IPA I have experienced in awhile.

Stone Brewing makes some amazing beer and their Ruination Imperial IPA is no exception.  The bottle claims it is "A liquid poem to the glory of the hop" and it truly is.  It is a glorious blend of bright bitterness and cool citrus tones.  It is refreshing and amazingly balanced and all around super enjoyable.  The bottle has a rather lengthy write up on the beer within but its worth a read.  It says its called Ruination "because of the ruinous effect on your palate" which gave me a giggle.  But I will admit I was loathe to taste another beer after it without a good palate cleansing least it destroy my enjoyment of the other beer with its fabulousness.  I've had a friend refer to Stone Brewing as unrepentant beer snobs and I can see where that might come from as they have a very high opinion on their beer and indeed the art of beer making in general but they make some incredible beer and they deserve to be proud.  As always Stone earns a big thumbs up on their finely crafted beer and I look forward to many more.

The second Imperial IPA of this review is Founders Brewing Double Trouble.  I love the label graphic with the face seen from both directions as well as their reasoning which is that "the hops will get you going and coming".  There was a wonderful bright bitterness with grapefruity notes which gave it a lingering tang.  It was a very fresh and pleasing assault on the taste buds but certainly not for the hop shy.  

I truly enjoyed both of the beers in this post but if you compare them it is a hands down win for Stone's Ruination.  Just a phenomenal and memorable brew that I will certainly be enjoying again and sharing with my friends (if they get to my house before I drink them all).  Uh oh, think it might be time for another beer run. Until then, Cheers!

Out on the Town

So far every beer I have talked about has been in a bottle or can but tonight I change all that.  A coworker and I ventured out to Tacomac (www.tacomac.com) which is a restaurant sporting more flat screen televisions then a Best Buy all set to sports programs and a plethora of beer options.  Just what they offer on tap took up an entire 8 1/2 by 11 page with two columns in get-out-your-reading-glasses print.  They carry even more in bottles but I couldn't resist the call of a good draft.  The waiter was great and offered us samples of almost any draft they have to help us choose. Choices choices oh my.  I ended up trying two amazing beers so of course now I get to share them with you.
I have been wanting for some time now to try a NoDa Brewing Company (www.nodabrewing.com) offering.  The company is around a year old and directly from the city I now reside in. The only way to get their beers is on tap from a local restaurant or at their taproom, which does fill growlers from my understanding.  This was the first time I had made it somewhere I could try one so that was my first choice and it was a fantastic choice.  I got a Midnight Madness black IPA.  It was a gorgeous dark color with caramel colored head that was certainly inviting.  One taste sealed the deal for me with its' rich malt body and lovely strong bitterness.  It was a beautiful harmony of flavors and just a fantastic beer all around.  This beer is just one great reason to SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BREWERIES!  Now I have to make it to the taproom to try them all. Two giant thumbs up NoDa.
I really fought with myself over my second selection.  I wanted to try another local but the siren song of the nitro won out and I went with a Rogue Shakespeare Nitro (www.rogue.com).  I was thrilled with the deep rich body and thick creamy head.  It had a mild sweetness over a powerful malt core with coffee and caramel flavors throughout.  Definitely a delightful offering from Rogue, but everything I have had from Rogue has been superb so I expected nothing less. 
I could have gone nuts sampling the rest of the ones that looked good but decided to leave something to look forward to.  Overall a great night with amazing beer.  Who wants to come next time?  Cheers!

Walk a Mile in My Clown Shoes

Ok so I've already sung the praises of a couple of Clown Shoes beers, but I just can't get enough.  It doesn't seem to matter what style it is, if it's Clown Shoes, it's phenomenal.  Tonight's beer is no exception.  Vampire Slayer is the name of their 2nd Anniversary Imperial Stout.  They claim it to be brewed with holy water and malt smoked locally with vampire killing stakes.  Whatever they used it is a brilliant beer.  It is rich and malty with coffee and caramel tones.  It has a wonderful fullness in both taste and body.  If you liked Blaecorn Unidragon you will love Vampire Slayer.  Both are amazing and the only notable difference for me was a touch more sweetness to the Vampire Slayer.  I finished this beer and was desperately sad that I had wasted money buying any other beers.  If you haven't tried any of the Clown Shoes brews you simply must. Their website claims their mission to " is to produce beer without pretension while being free and a little crazy".  I'm down with that.  I am a hard core Clown Shoes fan and  I am spreading the love.  Cheers!

Barleywine Adventure

I was feeling adventurous when I made my latest beer run.  In addition to trying some Belgian beers, I picked out a couple barleywine ales to give a shot.  It was a six pack of powerful brew so lets have no more ado.
First was a Brooklyn Brewery Monster Ale.  Opening the bottle you get hit with the strong odor similar to a sherry with a fig edge.  One sip and you get a definite twang of alcohol reminiscent of a plum wine with a malt back to it.  There is quite a fruity sweetness with caramel depths but this beer had so much complexity to it that I found myself discovering subtle changes with every sip.  A memorable brew to be sure and quite an introduction to barleywines for me.
Second was a Harpoon from their Leviathan series.  It couldn't have been much more different from the Brooklyn beer.  It has a bright fruity odor without the alcohol edge which was pleasant.  Sipping it gave you a mild bitterness with a heavier malt base.  It had a earthy fruit vibe along the raisin or plum vibe as well, but the taste came across fuzzy and lacking clarity to me.  They flavors had great potential but I would have loved to see them intensified and sharpened a bit.
I think barleywines, much like Belgian beers, aren't going to make my favorite beers list anytime soon but I really enjoyed trying some out and getting to know what the hype is all about.  Coming soon I will be going back to my true loves - Imperial IPA and Imperial Stout. Until then, cheers!

Bodacious Belgians

So tonight I tried something new for me.  I don't believe I've ever enjoyed a Belgian beer before now and I really can't imagine how I've missed them.  All I know is tonight was all about two strong Belgian dark ales and I am feeling no pain as I write this.
First Belgian I tried was an Adriaen Brouwer Dark Gold Ale. It checks in at a nice 8.5% alcohol but you would never know from the taste.  First thing I noticed was a very pleasing fizziness on the tongue from its nice high carbonation level. It was fairly sweet with a mild hoppy bitterness followed by dark fruity flavors (possibly fig or raisin) and a touch of what came across as clove.  I tried it far colder then a Belgian should really be enjoyed but as it warmed the flavors really popped and a bit of caramel came through.  Overall a lovely beer and a great experence for my first Belgian brew.
Second was a Kasteel Donker.  It is considered a quad and amps up the alcohol content to a hefty 11%.  Unlike my first beer, the alcohol level is incredibly evident in this beer from the odor to the first sip which made me shiver involuntarily.  After getting past what almost seemed like hard liquor more then beer, I started to find some fig or raisin notes and a fruity sweetness as well as a back end tartness.  There was virtually no hoppy bitterness to it which really left me feeling like I wasn't drinking a beer at all.  If I'm looking for a beer this is not what I'm looking for, but you can be assured I would be a cheap date throwing back these.
Tonight has been quite eye opening on the Belgian beer front.  The differences between these beers was astounding.  I can't say I'm a Belgian fan but at least now I can say I know what I'm missing without them.  Cheers!

Choice Choices

I've got a few quick reviews to share with you.  They have nothing to do with each other.  That seems to be my problem.  I like so many different types of beer I wander aimlessly down the rows of beer randomly grabbing beer.  Sometimes I choose by brewery by reputation, sometimes by type of beer, sometimes by the catchy name or striking label, and every once in awhile by the price tag (which can be upwards of ten bucks a bottle for some).  I need direction.  I need you wonderful hopheads out there to give me a few suggestions I may like and/or need to tell the world about.  Leave me comments or you will continue to be subjected to my random beer grabs.  I love to talk beer and am always up for discussion on any subject included in my blog or indeed anything about beer so talk to me people.  Now that I've said that lets talk about a couple beers, shall we?

First up was a major winner.  Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA was a fullbodied brilliantly balanced beer.  Blissfully hoppy, it was rich and backed with great malty power.  It is indeed a glorious representation of an Imperial IPA.  Yes, oh yes, it will find its' way home with me again.

Second beer for this post was Anderson Valley Brewing's Barney Flats oatmeal stout.  It  has won lots of awards in the beer world so I wanted to try it for myself.  I found it rather light with a mild sweetness.  Soft malt and woody flavors came through and it was smooth going down.  I found it less then bold in overall flavor but drinkable. 

My time off is coming up which means a beer run is imminent.  What will be next? Cheers!

Beauty in Beer

Well today was Dr. Seuss's birthday and being a big fan I was thrilled to see this article in the Brookston Beer Bulletin about some awesome Narragansett beer ads he did in the 40s. Super cool find.  Yes, its true that good beer doesn't need clever names or fancy exteriors, but many companies make the outside look as good as the inside tastes.
Flying Dog has a fantastic artist, Ralph Steadman.  His body of work expands far past beer bottles and is a wild exploration of life in all forms.  He truly brings a sense of beauty to their packaging with his beautiful work.
Half Acre Brewing has some bold work on their product as well from Phineas X Jones whose work is striking if slightly macabre and definitely draws the eye.
Clown Shoes Brewing has some simple but striking illustrations on their bottles that have actually come under a bit of fire due to their subject.  Stacey George, the artist, who by the way won awards for her labels, defends her work in the piece I have linked on her name.  Personally, I love her simple striking images.  Lighten up people. It's a beer label.
Can and bottle graphics in general have become highly enjoyable from the cans of 21st Amendment to Ska Brewing's bright graphic cans and wax dipped bottles.  I know when I'm at a loss for what to try in the expansive shelves of bottles at my local store I let my eye scan for a pretty label.  That reminds me. . .I need beer. Cheers!

Amazing IPA Night

I have not been doing very well with my most recent beer selections.  I've been so disappointed with my last few brews.  It must have all been leading up to tonights' amazing duo.  If you've read any of my other posts you should know that I am an IPA lover and the last two beers in the fridge are exactly why.  Let's get down to the goods.
I started tonight with an Avery Brewing Co IPA (www.averybrewing.com) and instantly wished I had more then one of it.  It had a generous amount of bitter balanced with bright citrus notes.  It was full and hoppy and down right fantastic.  Each sip made me want another.  With its clean dry finish I was totally sold on this wonderful beer.  I know with certainty that this beer will be coming home with me again.
Following my first hit of the night was a Back in Black black IPA from 21st Amendment Brewery (www.21st-amendment.com).  From the first sip I was in love with this rich and malty brew.  Notes of carmel and chocolate swirled merrily among the broad bitterness in a noteworthy balance.  There just wasn't enough in the can. I want more!  This is the second 21st Amendment offering I've tried and they are quickly moving up my favorite brewery list.  Simply great beer.
Tonights beers more then made up for the short comings of the last few days. I was sad to come to the bottom of the drawer in the fridge but that just means it's time for a B double E double R U N and more great beers to try.  Stay tuned! Cheers!

*Sorry for the written web addresses and lack of links to these great breweries.  Blogging from my smartphone which this evening is being less then smart.*

Carolina Brews

I have tried Duck Rabbit so these aren't my first ever North Carolina made brews, but they are the first ones I bought strictly because they were from brewers right here in the state I currently live in.  I'm gonna keep this one short and sweet so here we go.
First up was a Blowing Rock IPA which oddly enough isn't even listed on their website as a beer they make.  But I bought it and drank it so it's out there.  It was very mild on the bitter side with strong citrus tones.  It was light and crispy and made me think more of a summer ale then an IPA but it was overall drinkable.
Second was a Endo IPA.  It's label advises the website I linked here as where it comes from but there is no info there other then the fact that they took over another company recently.  I'm kinda ok with that since this beer was miserable.  I love IPAs of all kinds but this one had an almost chalky edge to it which was highly unpleasant.  There was a touch of bitterness to it and light citrus and maybe piney notes to it but I just couldn't get past that chalkiness that seemed to coat your tongue and drag you down.  I never waste beer but as I forced myself to finish this one to see if it improved I stared longingly at the kitchen sink wanting nothing but to get rid of it.  It did NOT improve as the bottle went on.
I refuse to believe this is the best NC has to offer.  The search continues.  More to come.
Cheers! (just not with an Endo)

Beer App-apalooza

It use to be when you liked a beer you would call your buddy and say get over here and try this beer, or grab some and take it to them.  Now you don't even have to speak to let the entire world know about a beer you've found or search for a place to find a beer near you.  Smartphone apps are indeed amazing and here is how they can increase your beer enjoyment.

There are lots of apps with a beer theme.  As a matter of fact if you just go to the Android marketplace and search "beer" you will get pages and pages and pages of responses.  Lots of them are things like virtual beer pong, or iBeer which is quite seriously an app that lets you virtually drink a beer (think I can like a long time without pretending to chug from my phone) but there are a number that offer services to the intrepid beer hunter and those are the ones I wanna talk about.

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I am a member of Untapped which is a sweet app that lets you "chick-in" when you enjoy a beer.  You can search by brewery or beer name and score the beer on a scale of 1-5 stars.  You can link up with your friends or make new ones in the pub feature.  This app is also Facebook friendly and will post all of your badges of beer honor for all your friends and family to see if you so desire.  I am pretty fond of this app so far.  Easy to use and so far I haven't had a brewery or beer that it didn't have in it's database.  It isn't gorgeous but it does give images of the labels on most brews to assist in identification.  I give it a thumbs up for a great free app.

Another app that I've found that bears great similarity to Untapped is called Pintley.  I haven't had this app as long as the other yet but it quite honestly seems to do very similar things but with several notable expansions.  When you first sign up it goes through a good sized list of different beers and asks you for a quick rating so the app can learn your preferences and make better suggestions for you. Ok that's cool.  You can still track and rate your beer, but the true beer snob can go in and make "beer notes" on their drink with everything from appearance and aroma to texture and value.  The devil is in the details.  Last major difference is the addition of points which are earned by adding beers to your favorites or wishlist or by following certain brewers.  They say these points will lead to prizes. . .we shall see about that.  Over all a very well put together app. Visually lovely and from my poking around it seems to cover a wide range of beers and breweries.  Add to my opinion so far that it is a free app and you have a winner in my book.  

After those two I found something just a little bit different.  Beer Cloud is a beer app with a higher purpose.  Here you can search by the regular old typing for beer or brewery or you can take a snapshot of the barcode, do a voice search, or search by map for nearby beers (only in some areas - not mine, booo).  To try out the voice search I said Terrapin and was treated to a list of all the beers Terrapin offers as well as a few beers with terrapin in their title all with little snapshots of the labels to aid identification.  Selecting a beer brings up a little description and options for view tasting notes, find that beer, or go to the brewer's general page.  Brewer's pages have great little write ups on the company and its history as well as pictures (they didn't always work on my phone) and a tab that shows a complete list of their beer offerings but without the nice label images.  Back at the home page for this app there is another neat offering the previous apps haven't even attempted to touch - the Sommelier.  Yes you tell them what your chowing on and they tell you what types of beers would best pair with it.  And it is detailed! Not just I'm having pasta, ok have a pale ale - under pasta i can tell them im having anything from couscous to thai noodles and get a range of suggested beer types.  Those types then turn into lists of beers in that type and back to the earlier beer and brewery listings.  It also has a personalized section which after registering for I am still unable to get into (and I swear I'm putting in the right info) so I guess it's up to you on that part.  Overall another really killer free beer app.  

If you are only gonna take up phone memory with one I would lean towards Beer Cloud simply for the variety of information offered.  Me personally, I love my Untapped and won't be letting it go anytime soon.  There are oodles of other beer apps, many location specific, so if you find one that is note worthy let me know.  Until then, cheers!

Build me up Butternuts

Work with me folks while my computer makes things difficult.
Tonight I'm gonna tell ya about a couple offerings from Butternuts Beer and Ale.  I had checked out there extremely cute website www.butternutsbeerandale.com and checked availability only to find that my area was not listed.  I made a mental note to put it on my road trip beer list.  Imagine my surprise when my local supplier suddenly had cans of not all but two of their beers.  Of course I bought both so here we go.
First up is the Porkslap pale ale.  I love the imagery of the pigs flying towards each other preparing to do a giant belly buck on the can front.  Popping the top I found more to love.  It is a bright crisp bitter beer with a dash of citrus flavor.  I found it clean and refreshing and overall quite enjoyable.  I'm not ready to chest bump swine over it but I could see myself cracking another on a hot summer night.
Second selection is the Snapperhead IPA.  I normally love a good IPA so I was ready to be pleased.  I found it moderately bitter and heavyhanded on the citrus flavor.  It was a strong flavor not muddied or questionable but somehow I just wasn't a big fan.  I wouldn't turn one down if offered but I won't be putting it in my pick-a-six anytime soon. 
Hopefully I will get my hands on their Thunder Moo sometime and see how their dark beer holds up. Until then. . .Cheers!

Puttin on my Clown Shoes

Tonight, unlike most nights, I am only speaking on one beer. Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon.  The bottle says the name is the created name of the ultimate mythical creature born of the cross between a black unicorn and a soul dragon.  Whatever it means I am in love. This russian imperial stout is a magnificently robust and hearty malt explosion. Threads of dark chocolate and coffee run through making it a bouquet of amazing aromas and tastes.  Yes at 12.5% alcohol it is a pungent brew (and if u read my last post means I will be entering an upcoming marathon) but I'm willing to make it my only drink of the night to sip its warm rich balanced nectar.  I was already a Clown Shoes fan from Lubrication and Muffin Top, but Baelcorn Unicorn has taken me to a whole new plain of beer utopia.  I'm done talkin. Go get one. Cheers!

Beer Belly Blues

So I love my beer.  All kinds of beer.  However I am finding it difficult to maintain my svelte physique while enjoying my seemingly endless stream of lovely craft beers.  I am unwilling to go to something as nasty as Bud Light or (I almost throw up just thinking about it) Michelob Ultra for the sake of my waistline.  I'd rather just spread out the good beer nights.  But I wondered if there was another alternative.  Is there such a thing as a light craft beer?  And so the research began.  I delved through blogs, diet pages, and just about anything Google could come up with trying to find that illusive diet friendly taste sensation.  It was a very long night.  I did find this website which gives a list with some ideas on calories in beer.  The list is more about mainstream beer offerings but if you consider the alcohol content listed it will give you an idea of what your more quality beer selection may indeed contain caloricly.  Basically what the list boils down to is, with some exceptions, the higher the alcohol content the higher the caloric content.  This little factoid was rather tragic for me as I am a serious fan of the high alcohol content brews.  I continued digging for some other glimmer of hope, some other answer out there for my skinny jean dreams.  While no holy grail of diet beer appeared, I did find some opinions on what the fit minded beer swiller could consider.
Of course the most repeated suggestions include eating right and getting plenty of exercise.  Lets delve into this exercise thought for a moment.  Now I don't have the most excited of metabolisms so I have to stay active just to keep my already healthy vegetarian food eating habits from taking over my jean size.  This means I really have to burn off the extra calories of whatever I drink on top of whatever else I may already do to stay fit.  So what does burning off a good beer entail you may ask.  Lets take one of my recently reviewed beers from our previously mentioned website's list.  A Sierra Nevada Stout has 225 calories.  (It's only a 5.8% alcohol beer so I don't even wanna think about some of my favorite beers' caloric content)  In order to burn off 200 calories this website advises I would have to spend 18 minutes running at 10 miles per hour.  First, I am notorious for saying I don't run unless I'm being chased.  Secondly, 10 miles per hour?? Even the kids in The Long Walk only had to go 4 miles an hour to avoid death!  I just wanna fit in my favorite jeans!!  Of course that 18 minute run for my life wouldn't even burn off the whole beer either.  Let's see what else we can come up with.
If we do indeed come up with a lower calorie beer that has at least an acceptable taste, the second part of the problem arises.  That problem is the fact that the lower calorie beers have less alcohol (for the most part) and therefore you drink more to get that happy beer buzz which then in turn ruins the whole point of drinking this less caloric beer. Might as well drink the one you really want.  The solution I found for this is the chaser system.  Looking strictly to get more alcohol in your system, compare that 225 calorie stout to a 1.5 ounce shot of rum or whiskey which has about 125 calories.  The idea is you can drink a beer, take a shot, lather, rinse, repeat until blood alcohol level is officially up and caloric intake is reduced.  Just don't let yourself start adding coke or other mixers to your whiskey or you're blowing your caloric savings.
Basically there is no magic answer. Good beer isn't created to be healthy.  It's created to be good beer.  And just like the Ben and Jerry's in the freezer or the Doritos in the pantry it has to be enjoyed in moderation to keep your body from paying the price.  I have no intention to quit drinking good beer, but when I plan a whole night of beer enjoyment I may just have to eat extra healthy for the rest of the day and maybe hit the stairs instead of the elevator at work.  It's so worth it.  Cheers!

Milk + Stout = Yum

If stout is a beautiful beer then milk stout must be the prom queen of beers.  It is still a rich malty stout but with an added layer of sweetness.  There are a good number of milk stouts available across the world of craft beer but I just wanna talk about the two most memorable that I've wrapped my mitts around as of late.

I'm gonna start off with Left Hand Brewing's milk stout.  It has a terrific full malty base with just the right amount of the sweetness on top.  The chocolate and creamy tones blend together in a delightful way.  It is superbly balanced making it a smooth and easy drinking beer.  As always it is a solid showing from Left Hand Brewing which is high on my list of favorite breweries.  Their most recent beer release has been of their Milk Stout Nitro which has the nitrogen carbonation instead of traditional carbonation.  Previously only available on tap, they spent more then two years and tons of money on research to develop their unique Nitro bottle.  Alas, I am not in an area which has been blessed with the Nitro yet, but rest assured when I can get my hands on one you will hear about it.

The second milk stout I want to talk about is actually a chocolate milk stout and easily the biggest surprise win of my recent purchases.  Terrapin Beer Company out of Atlanta, Georgia offers their Moo-Hoo chocolate milk stout as a seasonal offering.  I am going to have to stock up before it leaves again because I am in love.  Most chocolate stouts have a deep dark chocolate tone underneath the strong malty curtain.  Moo-Hoo has a bright chocolate pop that comes up and grabs you on the very first sip.  It starts off like a sip of straight chocolate milk but is quickly followed up with a smokey malt richness.  It is definitely on the sweetest end of the stout scale but it has a remarkable balance between the milk chocolate brightness and the rich back end.  I have had a lot of stouts of all kind but none are anything like what this one offers.  It was a memorable and lovable brew.

I love talking about all the beers I try and I'm by no means the only one who enjoys sharing their love of beer.  I, like many people, am addicted to my smart phone so I was thrilled to find out about a app called Untappd.  It's a free app that lets you create a profile complete, with picture if you so choose, and then tell the world what you're drinking and where you are.  You can connect with current friends or make new ones through the "pub" screen.  I am relatively new to the app but have already made a local friend simply based on what he drinks and his profile description which simply says "Ditka. . .sausage. . .beers".  How could I resist?  The app gives badge rewards based on when, where, and what you drink and you can link it to your Facebook so all your friends can see that you drink before ten in the morning or can't stick with one beer and have to try them all (like me).  It also allows users to rate the beers they imbibe with a 1-5 star rating which may help you decide what to try next.  All in all a fun app.  If you join be sure to  friend me - I'm Babs with the picture of a zombie lawn gnome on the profile.  Time to check in with another beer. Cheers!

Stout Brownie Heaven

These brownies are so rediculously good I can't even think of anything funny to say about them.  I found this recipe online and thought it was a delightful experiment in celebration of stout month.  I'd try something new and have something yummy to take in to the guys at work. . .they may not even get to smell them on my breath if I can't summon more self control.  They use three kinds of chocolate, almost an entire bottle of stout, and just about every tool in my meager kitchen.  The recipe called for Guinness (as most stout recipes do) but I chose to use a Victory  Storm King imperial stout.  The Storm King is a rich full bodied stout with delightfully bold chocolate and malt flavors. These brownies turned out fudgy and rich and sinfully decadent without being overly sweet.  An amazingly successful use of an outstanding stout.
I paired these gooey treats with a Bell's cherry stout.  I had never had a cherry stout and wasn't sure what to expect.  I was amazed at how crisp and fresh it was.  It hits you with a tart cherry zing at first then follows up with rich malt tones. The balance is awesome.   It is like no other stout I know.  The bright tartness paired brilliantly with the deep chocolate wonder of the stout brownies and I was ever so sad when I reached the bottom of my Bell's cherry stout. I will most certainly be buying that again and again.
Stout month exploration continues tomorrow as we find our way through some milk stouts and another oatmeal and whatever else I still have hiding in what use to be the meat drawer of the refrigerator (what good does a meat drawer do a vegetarian anyways?) Until then - Cheers!

Scream 'n Stout

Oh yes, hopheads, it is glorious Stout Month!  I couldn't let it slip away
without a few good stout reviews.  There are a wide array of stouts available from the basic and imperial stouts to chocolate, oatmeal, and even cherry stouts. I am a stout lover regardless of the month so this week I am gonna do my best to touch on a few of what is out there. . .I just love all this research.
I started off my stout exploration with a basic Sierra Nevada stout.  It was a well balanced brew with clean earthy flavor.  I found this stout to feel light as it went in making it easy to enjoy without having given up the strong proud malty flavor a stout should have.  Overall it was a wonderful example of what a stout should be.  I can be certain that it will follow me home again and I will definitely make mom let me keep it.
Second beer up tonight is New Holland The Poet oatmeal stout.   The first thing that struck me was how low key the scent was. The scent of a good beer is a big part of overall effect and that was where my thoughts about this beer began to roll downhill.  I kept taking sips trying to put my finger on what was going on inside and never really grabbed it.  It was a muddy blend of malty tones with a kind of woody finish that lingered.  This is the first New Holland beer I've had where I felt let down. They are a normally strong brewery and I won't give up on them but as for The Poet. . .quoth the Beerzilla, nevermore.
Rounding out my first round of stout goodness is the Samuel Adams  Imperial Stout.  The aroma is enticing and the flavor lives up to its promise.  This rich full bodied masterpiece is worth every penny.  Chocolate and coffee tones run through the deep malty flavor with just the right touch of sweetness.   An absolute keeper.  As a matter of fact, I'm gonna keep drinking it.  More stouts coming soon including milk and cherry stouts.  Until then - Cheers!

Yes We Can

I admit that for a long time I turned my nose up at any beer in a can.  I'd been told that cans made the beer taste metallic which I had never noticed myself but why take a chance, right?  My reason for turning my back on cans was as simple as for a long time there was nothing worth drinking that came in a can.  Even when I was out at a bar with a less then stellar beer selection I got bottles because I felt like I was totally slumming it with a can in my hand.  But times have changed.  The idea that a can changes the taste? Total garbage.  The liner technology of today makes it an absolute untruth.  As a matter of fact many breweries, like 21st Amendment, will tell you that cans keep their beer fresher.  The idea is that air and light are your enemy and a can keeps them out more completely.  I can believe that.  Another good argument for cans is that they store more easily and are more portable without the concerns of breakage.  The portability fact leads us to the environmental plus.  Cans may take more energy to create in the beginning, but they weigh a lot less and can be packed to utilize the available space better which means more beer going out using less fuel.  In addition to the fuel savings, there is no limit to the number of times a can may be recycled and in most areas a can will find its way from the recycling bin back to the supermarket shelf in as little as sixty days (and the recycling uses a mere fraction of the energy creating a new can requires).  I am liking this can idea more and more.    The last and possibly the best reason to give cans a chance is that they get colder faster which minimizes that pesky waiting period between store and refreshment. Need I say more?
Cans have come to craft beer and I believe they are here to stay.  Take a look at CraftCans.com.  It is a website all in celebration of the mighty can.  They aren't affiliated with any brewery in specific and try to remain impartial as they give news and reviews from across the canned craft beer world.  Others are celebrating the can with the first ever Canny Awards to reward the best visual designs on craft beer cans.  There is even a totally amazing travelling canning service called The Can Van based in the San Francisco area that has state of the art equipment and crew available for even small batch services to craft breweries ensuring everyone has the option to can.  Just look at all that can love.
I have definitely had a turn around in my opinion on cans recently.  No I won't turn my bottle collection into a can collection anytime soon, but I won't turn away from a frosty can either.  That reminds me, I need to get to the store.  Stout reviews coming coon.  Cheers!

Even Hippies Can Love Beer

Everyone knows how much the people who own and work in craft beer breweries love their beer, but did you know that many of them also love their planet?  There has been an incredible movement toward sustainability and eco-mindedness among breweries.  As a self professed hippie I find it incredibly groovy and had to pass on the information so all of you out there can drink with consciousness if the spirit moves you.  This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the things great breweries are doing to make a difference. These are just the tip of the iceberg and a few tidbits of information to think about.

Lets start with Great Lakes Brewing.  With their home being a mere two miles from Lake Erie and their product relying heavily on water, they have made a great commitment to water conservation including hosting a music festival for over ten years which raises money for the cause.  Beyond the water, they sustainably farm all their produce and specialty hops locally in their home town which ensures freshness and saves on freight costs.  They haven't left out their buildings which have great eco-features like radiant heat flooring in their beer garden as well as the city's first commercial straw bale wall and solar panels help to power their facility.  Waste doesn't exist at Great Lakes as they make a point to use their spent grain in the soil at their farm or to feed the livestock which provide the meat used in their brewpub.  Even the used vegetable oil from their pub gets new life being filtered and reused in their "Fatty Wagon" which provides a shuttle service between their pub and a nearby sporting venue.  All in all an outstanding work in sustainability, especially if you consider that they made their home in the urban sprawl of Cleveland, Ohio.

Another awesome eco-friend is Left Hand Brewing.  In May of 2009 they formed a group within their employees called Left Hand Green who work together to help improve the breweries energy use and waste streams.  They are continuing to make changes and improvements through this group but lets take a look at what they've done so far.  Almost all of the lighting in their facility has been converted to compact fluorescent  bulbs and those that haven't been are set to be replaced as they burn out.  But that is just a drop in the pan of energy savings compared to their flash steam recovery system which according to their website recaptures 356,805 BTU of would-be lost energy which is in turn used to heat water for brewing and cleaning.  Their tasting room, offices, and one of the air compressors are powered by their solar panel system, and the things not running on solar are monitored so that their efficiency can be maximized.  Spent grains from their brewery bypass the landfill to become feed for livestock and as many things as are possible, including everything from cardboard to malt and other ingredient bags, are being recycled.  Definitely a bright star in Colorado's broad group of brewers.

Not to be left out of this list of great earth friendlies is Brooklyn Brewery.  They have the distinction of being the first company in New York City to use 100% wind generated energy.  No, they don't have a giant windmill on top of their building.  They purchase their wind power from a wind farm in upstate NY.  Along with their wind use, they recycle all their paper, plastics, and bottles as well as the hot water from the brewhouse.  Their grain, like the others I've mentioned, becomes feed for livestock in two different locations.  They have upgraded a lot of their equipment to insure its maximum efficiency and added lots of high tech insulation on their pipes.  They also claim to have a vapor collection system for their kettles but they don't go into a lot of specific details on it or really any of these upgrades on their website.  I guess if you want to know more you can always take a tour of their Brooklyn facility which is available on weekends and free!

Many other breweries have made great strides in giving back to the planet which gives us the things needed to make the beer we love.  I couldn't possibly cover them all but just a few more shouldn't be completely left out.  Sierra Nevada has one of the largest private solar installations in the country and was the first brewery to install hydrogen fuel cells.  New Belgium has Team Wonderbike which is a collective of their fans pledging to use their bikes and other alternate transportation to reduce their carbon footprint among other sustainable choice made in their facility.  So many people working to make a change while they work to make great beer.  I don't know about you but this hippie is thirsty. Cheers!