Wednesday, August 28, 2013

stillwater classique

I love this beer. It's a tribute to the adjunct lagers like Natural Bohemian from Stillwater's founder Brian Strumke's native Baltimore. On the can it's described as a 'post-modern beer' and I think that is the most accurate description. The 4.5% beer is made with the malt bill of an adjunct lager (pilsner malts, corn and rice), Cascade hops and a farmhouse yeast. The resultant beer is a not overly sweet, fruity 'farmhouse ale'. It's not quite a saison by the traditional measure, but then again it's not really meant to be. It is an awesome 'everyday' beer and one that has already become a mainstay in my fridge.

new glarus berliner weiss

This is an excellent berliner weiss. Tart, refreshing and at 3.5%, it checks all the right boxes. New Glarus always creates excellent versions of traditional styles and this continues that legacy.

Friday, August 23, 2013

hill farmstead phenomenology of spirit

This is the first barrel aged saison I've had from Hill Farmstead and hopefully not the last. It is a dark, spontaneously fermented and wine barrel aged saison named after philosopher G.W.F. Hegel's book. I am unfamiliar with Hegel's work, but if this beer is any indication, I'm sure it's pretty interesting. Funky and sour, with some sweetness from the dark malts. The wine barrel aging shines through and melds well with the flavors from the wild yeast. It is a very dry beer and I really enjoyed it. Very glad that I still have another bottle. Shaun Hill knows how to make phenomenal beers.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

heady topper

Not sure what I can say about this beer that hasn't already been said thousands of times. I love this beer and have been lucky enough to have had it very fresh and on many occasions. It is probably my favorite IPA that I've had and if I could crawl into the can and live in there, I would. The aroma is incredible, so many tropical fruits. The malt is there, but it takes a back seat to the hop flavors. Perfection in a can. Having had it from glass and can, I prefer the can, I just poured a little in for the photo. It isn't the prettiest beer, but it is basically perfect in every other way. Does anyone actually give a shit how a beer looks?

Sunday, August 18, 2013

stone 17th anniversary götterdämmerung ipa

This is an interesting beer. It uses pilsner malts and German hops, eschewing Stone's usual affinity for American hop varieties. I appreciate what they were trying to do, but I wasn't a fan of this one. There was a weird peachy taste to it. I didn't enjoy this as much as the R&R Coconut IPA. I am glad that Stone keeps pushing styles and making beers that are out of the usual, without getting too weird.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

crooked stave vieille saison artisanal



A bit sour, funky and refreshing. Some oak flavors from the barrel, but these aren't overpowering. Excellent wild saison. Not a whole lot else to say, otherwise. I've enjoyed every beer I've had from Crooked Stave. Looking forward to tracking down some of their special releases.

Friday, August 16, 2013

hill farmstead nelson sauvin pale ale

This beer is awesome. Pair Hill Farmstead's skill with brewing pale ales and IPA's with an interesting hop varietal like Nelson Sauvin and you get a fantastic beer. 'Earthy' is one of the best descriptors I've heard for Nelson hops. There is certainly citrus and tropical flavors present as well as a spiciness at the end. This is a very refreshing and incredibly drinkable beer. Once again, Hill Farmstead doesn't disappoint.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

almanac farmer's reserve No. 3 & 4



I hadn't had anything from this brewery until I came out here this time. The first one i had was the Dogpatch Sour on draft at Toronado. It was very impressive. Aged on local cherries in wine barrels, it was definitely one of the better sours I've had in recent times. Sour and funky, but the cherry is definitely there. Not too oaky, either.
These two, No. 3 & 4 in the Farmer's Reserve series were both aged on local fruit and again in wine barrels. No. 3 was made with strawberries and nectarines from local farms and aged in wine barrels with various wild belgian yeasts. The result is an awesome sour ale that is dominated by the strawberry. There is a bit of oak in there, too at the end, but the strawberry and nectarine win the day. It's a very chunky beer, as can be seen in the photo, but that doesn't detract from it at all. I don't need my beers to look pretty, especially if they taste like this.
No. 4 is aged on local lemons, citrons and oranges and has a very herbal quality along with the strong citrus flavors. It's sour, with some oak, but the citrus flavor really make this. I can't recommend the beers from the Farm to Barrel series stuff highly enough, excellent.

pliny the elder

A standby that I will get most of the time it's available. There are a few other IPA's that I prefer, but this strikes a very good balance of grapefruit hop flavors and malt backbone. It's not too sweet and isn't a full on hop assault, it's just a really well balanced, incredibly drinkable IPA.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

2nd shift brewing el gato grande

This is one of my favorite local beers and one I will definitely miss from the area. Amazing aroma, nice tropical/citrus flavors and a bit piney at the end. It's not that bitter and has a slight sweetness, but not too much. Alcohol taste is non-existent. Between this and Katy, a barrel aged brett lambicus fermented saison 2nd Shift are doing some of the best beer in the St Louis area.