Thursday, March 27, 2014

I'm in California now, and the beers will reflect this going forward.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

grassroots brewing arctic saison

A nice, light bretted saison aged in oak tanks. Super easy and enjoyable to drink. Both Anchorage and Hill Farmstead are very skilled in their use of brett and this comes through in this beer. It's not mind blowing, but it is worth seeking out.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

jack's abby kiwi rising

A truly excellent beer. Hoppier than many IPA's, this beer uses New Zealand hops, hence the 'Kiwi Rising'. The unique NZ hops give the beer an amazing aroma, so tropical. I wish I could get this all the time.

allagash midnight brett

More to come on this, but it's an excellent beer.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

mikkeller yeast series 2.0

Having had a few from the older series Mikkeller I had to pick these up. The brett brux version was great, had all the fruity, funky 'brett' flavors you come to expect. Brett lambicus, though was pretty unremarkable. Having recently brewed a saison that used brett lambicus in secondary fermentation, I kind of knew what to expect. I noticed a particular, subtle, not necessarily pleasant sour quality in this Mikkeller with brett lambicus that was also present in our home brew. This yeast definitely works better when used in conjunction with other yeasts and bacteria.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

evil twin the cowboy

This is a well done, balanced smoked beer that is drinkable enough to enjoy more than one in a sitting. The same can't be said for many in the style. This also marks the return of my favorite glassware, the Spiegelau tulip glass. My last pair met their demise a while ago through a spousal dishwashing accident and another through general drunkenness. Very happy to have these back.

Monday, December 30, 2013

jacks abby hoponius union

It's been a while. I have a shit ton of stuff to catch up on, but I'll start with something recent. I spent this Christmas in Boston and was able to try some stuff that had been on my radar for a long time, but I'd never got around to trying. Hoponious Union is an awesome IPL, it may have unseated Victory's Prima Pils as my current favorite. It smells amazing and tastes even better.

Friday, November 8, 2013

surly wet

Another wet hop beer. This years uses Centennial and Cascade hops. Grassy, floral and piney, this is a very well done IPA. It may be a little subdued compared to Surly's other hoppy beers, but I highly recommend it.

stillwater premium

This is a brett beer made with pilsner malt and adjunct grains (rice and corn). It's very light at 4.5% and very funky. I really enjoyed this beer.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

founders harvest ale

Fresh hop beers are in season and that's a very good thing. Piney and tropical hop flavors with balanced malts make this as good as every other year I've had it.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

prairie 'merica

The Prairie house yeast and and Nelson Sauvin hops make for an awesomely earthy, funky saison. For a single hop, single malt beer it's pretty complex. Prairie has been killing it and this is no exception.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

beer geek breakfast

Haven't had this in a long time. Loads of coffee, hops and chocolate flavors. I really missed this beer.

tallgrass ethos ipa

Some citrus, resin and it's not too malty. Overall pretty solid.

Monday, October 14, 2013

4 hands no place like home

This is an imperial red ale aged in Cabernet barrels. Fruity, with some nice oak and slight tannic flavors from the barrels. Really complex, unique and definitely worth seeking out, even though it's long gone from shelves.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

maine beer company peeper

Peeper is an excellent pale ale and I was very happy to get a fresh bottle. Very nice citrus in the aroma, not much in the way of malt sweetness, which I definitely prefer in pales and IPA's. It finishes nice and dry with a good bitterness level. Maine Beer Co.'s IPA's and pale ales that I have had have all been stellar. Lunch was definitely my favorite of their offerings that I have had, but Peeper is a nice crisp pale that I will gladly pick up again.