Boz Tastes Beer

Two Brothers Atom Smasher

2011-10-15T19:52:00.001-07:00

Marzenstyle beer

Pours rich amber

Nose has that light sweet german import marten sniff. The head was thin and instantly fizzled.

First sip is surprising and set to traditional values. Has an unfiltered raw grain flavor that keeps it ripe and simple. The syrupyness is nice but the carbonation isn't there to cut through it ans neither are the hops or balance. It is set to traditional values from what I remember and us not too shabby if overpriced. Rating 2.5

Three Floyds Region Riot

2011-09-19T11:12:00.001-07:00

I also just had a spazzerack! Which I think is pronounced like jack kerouac. It is an alpha king and robert the bruce blended together then aged in bourbon barrels with star abuse and orange. The nose hits like a black licorice stick and the taste follows with similar sweetness and abuse and orange coming through almost too hard. Abv 9% 40 ibu. Rating 1.0

Region riot is a malt liquor brewed to celebrate the "Region" that they brew in. Brewed with a portion of indiana corn. They say "its what malt liquor should be". 10ibus 8.1% abv. Smells lightly hopped in a rancid miller light way. The golden liquidis however luscious and sweet. The carbonation keeps it from feeling syrupy. Really an excellent balance. Making it both drinkable and heavy at the same time. Only thing they could do better would be to call it the "region rat" but they are close enough by putting rats brewing beer in the art work. Hahahaha. 5.0 for a malt liquor. In a general sense still as high as 4.0 categories aside.

Michigan Brewery Tour

2011-09-03T08:16:00.001-07:00

Shoreline Brewery - Michigan City
Dark Horse - Marshall
Arcadia - Battle Creek
Bell's - Kalamazoo
Founder's - Grand Rapids
New Holland - Holland

Notes...

Shoreline brewery

2011-09-03T08:14:00.001-07:00

Last night. Notebook

Bday dinner inedit

2011-09-02T12:51:00.001-07:00

What a european beer would taste like gentle and fruity like a rose or light white.

Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale Ale

2011-07-15T15:10:00.001-07:00

This brewer out of Portland, Oregon has been around since 1984. Widmer, Redhook, and Kona brewers haw come together to form the Craft Brewers Association (HOOK) a stock I have recently invested in. They are half owned by Anheuser-Busch which helps them with distribution. I haven't hadmuch of their beer and would usually never by a pale ale but I wanted to see what was going on with them.

The nose carries more hop than you would think and it delivers through in the thin body. It is very drinkabke for how hoppy it is and it sits well in the aftertaste. The sweet malt finish cleans everything up quite nicely. I give it a 4.5. Its one of the better pale ales I have had in a while.

I gotten this at the pharmacy/liquor store in new buffalo after a bad bug bite inflamed on my arm and I needed benadryl so I thought "why not a sixer." We went golfing in the morning of our annual Aufmann Star Cottage summer week and finished up with some lunch at Michigan Thyme. I came home and passed out from the sun and benadryl and woke up to this treat.

Engagement Dark Lord 2010 vs. 2011 Tasteoff

2011-07-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

I have been saving these beers for awhile now for a special occasion and this seemed better a time than ever. I still have a bottle of each left and I am thinking about aging them for a while. I couldn't get a ticket to dark lord 2011 (damn you vegas hangover) but I managed to buy two from a guy for $80 on cragislist (discount since I gave him two craft brews and I was from the region haha).

Let's get to the beer... The green wax covered bottle is the 2010. People were actually surprisingly mixed on the two beers but I think this was the majority favorite. It felt more settled and mature with it's obvious overwhelming cocoa/coffee flavors. It is sweet and mellow with a heavy aftertaste. My grandma said to make sure I blog that it "sparkles" even though I am not sure what that means exactly.

The yellow waxed bottle is the newer 2011 edition with an crazy soy teriyaki nose. It had a fruity ripeness rip through the mild dark flavors and it felt lighter. I don't know if its because it was lacking the year of aging or if the brew was that different one year apart. Grandma's thoughts "gimme some more licorice" and once again no explanation.

More importantly, how I did it (for the girls mostly)! We had a dinner planned at Tabor Hill, I went through painstaking effort to make her think this wasn't the day (let's go ring shopping on the way back, maybe we shouldn't even go this weekend, I don't have the money to do it anytime soon.....). So this week a year ago we met Kelley's brother-in-law's family at Tabor Hill for dinner since they live in Chesterton and we were up here for the, now annual, Aufmann Star Cottage vacation week. My family has a cottage on Saugany Lake, twenty minutes away, so I said maybe we should all get together. My sister was in from New York(came for the engagement which my mom tried to surprise me with to my delight) and my grandma was there also. The thirteen of us met for dinner at Tabor Hill around 6pm. The plan was to propose before dinner outside by the vineyard (I knew Kelley loved this location because she had been tossing around the idea of getting married there). I couldn't get her outside before dinner which was funny because everyone was chiming in and trying to get us to take a walk. My mom had already slipped me the box from her purse so it was sticking out awkwardly from my pocket for the whole dinner. After three more attempts at dinner, we finally went for a walk before the check came to the corner of the intersection of the two vineyards (bottom left corner of the attached picture of us). It felt like the longest walk of my life and to her it was a flash. I told her how much her being in my life meant to me and how much I love her and got down on a knee to her incredulation. She instantly started freaking out saying, "is this really happening?" followed by tears of joy. As I stood up and put the ring on her finger and asked "is this a yes?", not being able to find a voice she nodded yes and our whole family cheered from the veranda outside of the restaurant overlooking the winery.

Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

2011-07-07T17:50:00.001-07:00

As the description goes, the black sheep of Boulevard's cellar family is Number Seven. So when were experimenting with belgian variations and came across the perfect combination, they calleit Tank 7.

Subtle sweet farmhouse nose. Very gentle. To summarize the whole beer quickly its like every saison you have ever had, doesn't stand out in any way, but its in complete balance and doesn't make you think. Its just good. You arent sitting there looking for a number rating or uniqueness, you are just enjoying it (or is that the delicious belgian style mussels that i just finished talking?) There is fresh fruity ripeness up front and it subdues into an earthy rich dryness. As you can tell, im enjoying this 4.5.

Same bar as earlier, same story.

5 Rabbit, 5 Lizard Wit

2011-07-07T17:03:00.001-07:00

This new Chicago brewery in the deep south side Pullman area is a brewing project with a latin edge. Cool niche market idea that could really build a following. Its a wheat ale that is brewed with passionfruit and spices.

Intensely sweet citrus smell in the head that I couldn't recognize until I found out it was passionfruit. Really interesting. Solid yellow hazy body with no head. The passionfruit starts sour which is a disappointment but it really subsides and regroups well on the back of your tongue. Unique experience. The forward sourness makes it less drinkable then it should be since it is otherwise refreshing. I will give it a 3.0 since its one of those beers that you would buy to show your friends but not necessarily enjoy drinking three of. I applaud their efforts and can't wait to see what new offerings they will concoct.

I had this beer after dropping Bridgette and Kelley off a two hour cooking class at the Wooden Spoon in Andersonville. Excited to hit up Hopleaf and Metropolitan Brewing for a while now. Sven ditched me after work and was supposed to come so this is a one man bar crawl. Good news is Dane is on the way in tonight!

Haymarket Brewery

2011-06-18T14:25:00.001-07:00

I have been meaning to come here and since we showed up to the Publican for a free tasting of Zephyr (with a canned food donation) a week early, we decided to stop in before the taste of randolph festival.

Made our own tasting plate from right to left:

A mash mad in heaven IV - Belgian wheat - 5% - thicker wheat ale loaded with orange citrus and banana aftertaste. Surprisingly refreshing for it's complexity but still heavy. 3.5

Speakerswagon Pilsner - 5.8% - awkward bitterness hits quickly almost sour compared to the rich hop flavor of an ipa. Straw flavors coming through? 0.5

The Saison Also Rises - 6% - mild and smooth has an earthiness to it. Chilled out pilsner. 3.5

Studs' hard working american ipa - 7% - rich ipa with amber tones that starts heavy and gets ripped open by a rough hop bite that doesn't subside. 1.5

Back of the yards american belgo ipa - 7.5% - thick mouthfeel. Enough to chew. Gentle hop balance. More even throughout. 3.5

Next we ordered off their beer cocktail list. I got the Orange Wit-O. It's a belgian wit with coriander, oj, and bacardi O. Average. More cocktail than beer and just makes me miss the thick white freeks more than anything.

Three Floyds Visit

2011-06-16T14:04:00.001-07:00

Eben-emael - straight hop head with hazy color and heavy belgian mouthfeel cut through by hops without much sweetness. Little bit of orange peel flavor. I rate it a 3.0 and it's more like ipa than belgian pale ale.

Thick white freeks - white ale brewed with ginger, coriander, white pepper, orange peel, and OJ concentrate. Yeast donated by Urbain from De Struise. Unbelievable depth and sweetness. It was complicated and finished sweet with the OJ coming through hard. Can't believe it was an abv of 8.5%. This is the best/most different beer I have had this year. 5.0

2X IPA Southern Tier

2011-06-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

The southern tier double ipa has a surprisingly citrus nose that is lime-heavy. The color is clear and effervescent. The body is sweet and the lime shows up again subtly with a sweet thickness that pleases the palate. The aftertaste subsides quickly and barely rears its bitter head. 4.5

Boz Beer Summer IPA

2011-06-04T17:51:00.001-07:00

During the last batch, I ran out of bottles. So I put the remaining beer in a mason jar with a cucumber slice. The last gallon of ipa was brewed with strawberry puree and it sat for two hours in sliced cucumbers.

The cucumber freshness hits you right away followed by the hoppy bitterness. The head pours really thick but once it subsides the body is pretty hazy. The cucumber flavor overwhelms but the smoothness of the strawberry puree is evident in the aftertaste. I made this veer so I am obviously partial but by the reactions of others I will give it a 3.5. Great summer drink with good idea but needs better execution.

Had this after a day at the beach with the chicago crew and everyone from the suburbs in town for anna's birthday. Cracked it open at the after grill out at the girls lincoln park apartment.

Shark Pants

2011-06-02T13:48:00.001-07:00

Intense hop aroma almost like "sludge" word. Not as syrupy as I would think by the belgian influence and hazy color. Hop kicks like a dips but meddled quickly. I can't get over the rioeness of the nose. Sucha fresh ripe hop out of the bag smell. More than any other. Leans more toward citrusy.

After a rough day at work at FPH. People just don't want to change even when its for the better. That's why this perf improv biz is so hard. Its the attitudes.

The staff here is so short and unconversational compared to years past. Especially since im in a tie compared to a rock metal shirt. There's this shitty attitude about them.

Splendid Wonder of Trappist Ales Tasting

2011-06-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week moving in with Kelley in Old Town, starting new Lean Six Sigma projects at work, and trying to stay on top of the piling To Do lists (thank god I get to attend a GTD conference next Wednesday). I have been late posting this, but I found the folded up menu in a stack at work. The tasting was on May 24th, 2011 at The Bluebird in Chicago. It was there to kind of kick of Craft Beer Week for the city. We invited David and Chelsea and fraternity brother of mine and his girlfriend who also had a good time with us at Owen and Engine the past weekend. We got there pretty early because the last tasting was overbooked so we had a drink at the front bar (I tried a Straffe Hendrick to stay on theme which was pretty impressive) for about 20 minutes until the back room looked set up. We were handed a Gouden Carlous from Brouwerij Het Anker, a Tripel, by Jill Mott the Beer Buyer/Sommelier. She has taken over for Jason Baldacci who got hired by Left Hand to rep in Chicago. Anyways the Gouden Carolous is a pretty well seen in the U.S., almost as common as a Chimay or Duvel. I wasn't very impressed. Next Jill started with the usual, "let me drop some knowledge on you", which is so common with these type of events. She seemed more under control than last time, but also as if she were explaining it in layman's terms, which was almost insulting since not everyone would sign up for this event. I had a bunch of questions for here as we went up such as "are dubbel, tripel, and quadrupel proportions of ingredients to water as imperial is to say non-imperial meaning double?" She didn't really give me an answer besides "yes, that is kind of the idea". And although, after some research, she is technically right, I would have liked a better answer. The place was surprisingly not packed and she had the time and I would assume the knowledge. Short version is that Dubbel was really just one breweries name for a stronger Brown Ale, Tripel was the name for a stronger pale ale by one brewery, and Quadrupel has the same type of history but much less definitive about a heavier dark ale. So really they were kind of brand names that got stolen and passed around Belgium even though they aren't related besides the fact that the are stronger (but not specifically in proportions to each other). This also explains why the colors go from dark (dubbel) to pale (tripel) back to dark (quad), which was extremely confusing to our table at first. Another interesting fact is that there are 174 Trappist abbeys worldwide of which 7 produce beer and can officially say they are trappist ales. Trappist is an order of the Cisterician order of Catholicism. So without further adieu here are the reviews:

Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont - Chimay White - 8% abv - medium thickness white head with citrusy nose, it has an intense lemon flavor and is thickened by the yeast in comparison with a common english witbier. Rated: 2.0

Brouwerij des St. Benedictus abdij de Achelse - Achel Blonde - 8% abv - It has a hefeweizen like nose, that is assumedly from the comparable yeast. It has a hefeweizen flavor that is quiet a bit more balanced on the palate. Rating: 3.5

Abdij der Trappisten van Westmalle - Westmalle Dubbel - 7% abv - The nose is extremely sweet but it has a distinct earthiness to it that is again reminiscient of a hefeweizen. Surprisingly light and heavily carbonated with a citrusy appeal. Rating: 3.0

Abdij der Trappisten van Westmalle - Westmalle Tripel - 9.5% abv - More fermented nose than the last with a citrusy balance and a sharp finish. It has less carbonation but more character. Rating: 3.5 and I noted it with a circle which I have no idea what that means now

Onze Lieve Vrouw van Koningshoeven - La Trappe Dubbel - 7% abv - Barely any nose. Sweet malt flavors fall away quickly leaving no body or aftertaste but it has some off flavors on the way through. Rating: 1.5

Onze Lieve Vrouw van Koningshoeven - La Trappe Quadrupel - 10% abv - This brewery invented the Quadrupel. It had a similarly suprising lack of nose. It's heavy body carried a sweet thickness but the rough dark fruit carries to the aftertaste and sits on the tongue. Rating: 3.5

Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy - Rochefort 6 - 7.5% abv - This is supposedly a good beer to age for about a year. At this abbey the 25 brothers wake before 4AM to work daily at the brewery. It has a rich caramel, banana nose. The light malty flavor gives the body a good sweetness to liquor hit balance. Carbonation and sharpness sit in the aftertaste. Rating 3.5

Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy - Rochefort 10 - 11.3% abv - The number is how many weeks that the beer is fermented before being released for both the 6 and 10 according to Jill. The nose is more ripe and smells of fermented fruit almost like a mead. The body isn't overly thick and tastes of rich dark fruit. Rating: 4.5

Abbaye de Notre-Dame d'Orval - Orval - 6.9% abv - Jill says that the beer writer Michael Jackson (the Robert Parker equivalent of wine for beer) suggests treating the Orval like a fine wine and aging it for 5 years or so to really let it come alive. It has a gentle citrus nose with a heavily carbonated and "rough" mouthfeel. It does however settle nicely on the palate. Rating: 3.5

As you can see from the abv's above, this was a rough night and the girls were really struggling by the end of it. Overall it was a good tasting, but I think I like the company or regional tastings better because they have different styles offered where this was only Trappist ales. However cool it was, it felt like we were drinking glass after glass of the same beer to some extent and not really getting pulled in any different directions which I usually like.

Saison and Garfunkle

2011-05-29T19:51:00.001-07:00

This herbed saison was made by Flossmoor Station in collaboration with The Bristol. It has a 7.2% ABV.

Obviously jaded by the title but the nose smells almost seasoned with that rich earthy backdrop provided by the belgian saison yeast. The taste mirrors the nose with the sweet earthy tones being balanced by a pepercorn bite. The aftertaste is mild and pleasant because the peppercorn and hops fade quickly. Now don't be mistaken, this is not a session beer but would be great in a food pairing situation. I give this beer a 5.0 because it jumps out from a line of saison beers that are very similar bottle to bottle. It took some leaps of faith and I think it worked out great.

Im having this at The Bristol (only place you can get it) in Chicago as me and Kelley celebrate moving in together at our new Old Town apartment. They are having a barbecue and I got the pulled goat and beef brisker with the rhubarb sour cream pie.

Wilco tango foxtrot ale

2011-05-15T18:07:00.001-07:00

The beer is noted as a "malty, robust jobless recovery ale". This limited release bottle from Lagunitas in cali has a dark complexion and thick head. It smells sweetly of a red irish ale. The head settled flatly, it was a rough pour by the cisserone/sommelier. The robust malts turn richly bitter faster than I would have guessed and don't balance especially well leaving an aftertaste. The experience is a ten but this beer gets a 3.0 in the twisted american ale category.

Had this during an amazing dinner straight off the plane to michael's genuine in miami. The meal included wreckfish ceviche, chicken livers, oven roasted double egg yolk, crispy pork belly, burrata caprese style, and finished with the highlight.... tangerine creamsicle pot de creme.

Owd Engwish Barleywine Three Floyds

2011-05-15T11:45:00.001-07:00

Best barleywine I ever had. Supersingly sweet and drinkable. A far cry from the rough behemoth. It has that think syrup complexity to it that you would expect but not nearly the hops.

Arcadia Sky High Rye

2011-05-13T20:28:00.001-07:00

We planned a trip with a few friends to Owen & Engine. We ended up getting the awesome 2nd floor elite dining table for eight in the separated room. Great set up.

The rye beer is poured off of a beer engine which doesn't use CO2 to pull the beer out of the keg. It's also served at a not cold temperature of 55 degrees. They say the carbonation bitters the beer and hides the natural flavors. I will truly have to say this beer is a new experience. First if all I can't even replicate the pour or temperature which makes it special in itself. The rye is subdued compared to others I have had and it ismild but in an appreciated mild way. Im sure I am over ranking this beer because im so excited about the food, company, and atmosphere but I will give it a 4.5.

I am having this with David, tom, Lorenc, kelley, elisabeth, and The Chelseas. The pork rillettes and oysters with mignonette are a perfect match.

Bam Biere

2011-05-13T17:16:00.001-07:00

Jolly pumpkin artisan ales LLC hailing from dexter michigan crafts this $10 bottle conditioned farmhouse ale.

There is a fleeting ale nose that barely represents itself. The first sip is crisply carbonated as you could assume from the clear yellow body. It has that ripe saison yeast that embodies the slight green apple flavor. The aftertaste isn't easant but fades quickly. I actually rather enjoyed this beer and could see it being great with some refinement. I will give it a 4.0 but the price is too steep. I traditionally don't like farmhouse ales either because of the off flavor that the yeast produces but this one's is subdued.

I am having this beer on the first day grilling out during this cold spring. It goes great with the jerk grilled chicken we are having. We grabbed this beer downstairs at Cooking Fools'.

Sam Adams Noble Pils

2011-04-23T15:18:00.001-07:00

Home for easter in rensselaer and grabbed a seasonal spring sam adams pack. One of the beers is this noble pils which combines all 5 noble hops from their historical growing regions.

The noise has a fruity hop aroma that is definitely more complicated from the hop mixture. It makes you take a few sniffs to try to figure it out. The hops sit gently on the palate being washed down by the citrus complexity. The aftertaste is also very mild. I find myself wanting more from this beer, but not knowing what. For a pilsner its one of my favorites and especially at this price point. I give it a solid 4.5.

Quietly cracked this open sitting in a turkey blind in the back of my mom's property at her new house in rensselaer. Me, Ian, and Jack are making some calls while my mom, grandma, and kelley put dinner together. What a old school traditional day.

Left Hand Brewery Tasting at Bluebird

2011-04-20T14:51:00.001-07:00

This was a tasting event we attended for $25 that features the old beer purchaser at bluebird, jason baldacci who is a wealth of knowledge. He isnow employed as a sales rep for Left Hand.

Polestar Pilsner - refreshing with a veggie bitter bite like raw zucchini but in the best way possible 3.5

Sawtooth Ale - their flagship has a heavy caramel malt nose with pleasing low carbonation and medium body, could've a great session beer 4.0

Good Juju Ginger - heavy ginger ripeness to the nose but only a faint ginger hint which is surprisingly not overwhelming and quite gentle 4.5

Stranger American Pale Ale - surprisingly hoppy nose for a pale ale with a hop kick but follows with a very mild finis that disappears off your tongue 4.0

400 Pound Monkey - this english style ipa has a slight hop head which ilight for an ipa and not as fresh or ripe. It has a really poor finis that reminds me of cucumbers that you stored in the fridge too long 1.0

TNT Weizen Doppelbock - specialty bock. Brewed with a chinese herbal tea that adds an earthiness and smokiness. Even though this gets an A for effort, I got sick of it after the first tasting glass 1.5

Black Jack Porter - coffee nose, extremely light but average overall 3.0

Milk Stout - same old stout but its there most popular brand. Cool fact the reason milk stouts are sweeter is because the are made with the unfermentable lactose sugar instead of glucose so the sweetness is tatsed in the final product 3.0

Now here are three bottles that Jason brought from his personal Left Hand stash:

Smoked Goosinator Doppelbock 2007 - mild port hit with smoky and mead like flavors even though I was generally underwhelmed with the depth of flavor in this aged, smoked bottle 4.0

Barrel Aged Widdershine 2007 - this barleywine had a very high but unknown alcohol content with that rural field roughness to it and it really bites with a bitter but light balancing syrupy sweetness 4.0

Chainsaw 2007 - weak carbonation and low flavor even though I got the last pour from the only bottle. This is their imperial version of the sawtooth (double everything but the water) 1.5

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Chatoe Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager

2011-04-01T19:30:00.001-07:00

This beer from Rogue in Newport, Oregon has the label GYO all over it and I would imagine its an especially prideful product for them. GYO stands for Grow Your Own which they did in their personal hoyard and barley farm. It also says First Growth which is very unique if it is what I think it means in that its the first yield for this particular crop field. There are no chemicals, preservatives, or additives either.

The thick head wasprofuse with a bitter smoky flavor. It reminded me, and consequently my first sip, of a slim jim or some other type of cheap fatty smoked meat. Think cheap salami not high quality salumeria. The beer is crisp and light on the palate but finishes heavy and lingers bitterly on the back of the tongue like burnt coffee grinds. As you keep sipping, the roasty notes show through more and more but they don't appease the still lingering aftertaste at all.

Having this after a two week hiatus post-vegas recovering in bed early every night. Starting to feel better but tomorrow might be a struggle. Me and kelley are about to meet mikey and jenn at his favorite bar Lottie's for a few more before we call it a night.

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Pliny the Elder

2011-03-16T20:18:00.001-07:00

Pliny the elder is made by russian river brrewing company who also makes the world renowned pliny the younger which is only available on tap. The bottle explicitly says not to age this beer.

This beer has a ripe fresh hops aroma. The head is thicker than your typical ipa. It has an extremely fresh hoppy flavor that makes me wonder if there was dry hopping or late stage hop additions made. The hype going in has really set the bar high and it doesn't really give me anything exciting. It does taste incredibly fresh and refreshing and it does that one thing really well. I give it a 4.0 on the scale.

I'm having this with jmo and svenball in san diego before we head for the night in PB. We had to drive to olive tree marketplace in ocean beach. I called last week and had one saved.

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Brew Pics

2011-03-11T22:35:00.001-08:00

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Brew Pics

2011-03-11T22:34:00.001-08:00

Some pics I forgot to upload from the bottling of the hopnog ipa. My second brew for BozBeer.

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BozBeer 2 Remix

2011-03-05T16:50:00.001-08:00

This is one of the twelve bottles that came from the last gallon of hopnog that didn't fit in the 1 liter bottles that I bought. I sliced two cucumbers longways and put some strawberry juice in there too. I let it sit for two hours then bottle it. The hopes was for a fruity/refreshing ipa.

The bottle appeared to have some funk on the top of it. I think it was residual years from when I let the bottles sit upside down for an hour thinkinit was unfermentes sugar at first. The head smells exactly lime you would think. Cucumber dominates but if I told you, you could smell the strawberry. It sits in the back off your mouth bitterly but it evntually dissolves into a cucumber flavor. I think the idea is good and it is quite refreshing but it needs some work. I give it a 3.0 because of the awful balance but it is nothing like I have ever had before.

I had this while waiting for kelley and kristine to finish shopping while playing black ops with jeff at my apartment.

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J.W. Lees Aged Harvest Ale

2011-02-18T23:11:00.001-08:00

Finally got over to Owen & Engine for a few drinks and after some banter with the bartender he talked me into a $16 11.5 oz. bottle of an aged harvest ale from 1999 out of Manchester, U.K.

This beer has little to no head. It has an antique brownish color that is almost grey. The nose gives you a fermented grape flavor almost like an aged port wine. The beer sits heavily in your mouth with the weight of the aged bourbon barrels. I just found out it was aged in oak barrels for a year than bottle for ten years. Surprising. There is a backbite of liquor that quickly calms in the back of the throat. The sweetness is addictive, it almost feels like an aperitif.

Date night with Kelley started at The Bristol with a drink and an appetizer and we decided to head up to owen and engine. The bartenders were super cool and talked with us all night. Elliott Bird is a cicerone and the Charles had worked in every big kitchen in chicago. Great night.

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Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

2011-02-10T20:42:00.001-08:00

This limited release stout from lagunitas has an abv of 8.8%. It hails from Petaluma, California anfor some reason I mentally group them with Stone and they do have the entertaining commentary like Stone or 3 Floyds. The label babbles on about coffee and ale being drunk together in secret at their brewery or something. Basically they love them both. There is a coffee bitterness to it that isn't sweet. It has a light body that isn't very creamy.

The beer pours lusciously dark but when held to the light its deep cherry red and more translucent. Hen you would have expected. The head wasn't very thick and thinned even faster. There is a surprising lack of coffee in the nose. It reminds me of the pungent dried fruit smell present in a port. There is a thick alcohol aftertaste that lingers on the palate. I think the creative approach coupled with the over done bitterness makes me give this beer a 2.5.

I had this after my first time at Zanie's watching Tommy Johnagin tear into the dumb drunk girls in the first row. The fluffer at the beginning asked me how come me and Kelley weren't married then the next guy was like "Look at you two holding hands. There is no such thing as The One." So I'm even getting pressure from random people which is awesome.

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Oyster Stout at The Publican

2011-02-07T20:48:00.001-08:00

I've always wanted to go to the publican since I moved to the city and I finally made it. Any place based on the "holy trinity" of pork, beer, and oysters is game in my book and even though we only went for some drinks and a snack, it was worth it, albeit expensive for not gettig any entrees. After th oyster stout which is described in the following paragraph, I had a Mephistophles Stout that was amazingly rich and intense but kelley only allows one blog per date otherwise I would be int phone for an hour leaving her to fend for herself for the night.

Thick creamy head with a very light body. It had a strong flavor than guiness even though it was a very typical stout. First oyster/stout pairing of my life and first time at Publican.

I stopped in here with Kelley after finding out Owen & Engine was a two hour wait and they weren't taking reservations. I had never been to the Publican and I was excited for the Spicy Pork Rinds from "best thing I ever ate" and obviously the oysters ever since I came back from Boston I have been on an oyster prowl. The oysters crisp saltiness went great with the rich creamy stout mouthfeel. It was a better match than I had imagined and I know understand way people live the combo. Went and had a beer at Gilt Bar afterwards too. A little too dark but the food menu looked good there too.

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He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.

2011-01-19T19:13:00.001-08:00

This beer is a double ipa with a rye malt. It advertises an obscene amount of malts and hops giving it an abv of 10%. The beer is named after Lenny Bruce for the 40th anniversary of his death. His famous quote is "Satire equals tragedy plus time."

This beer has an amber color but with a cherry tinge to it. Reminds me of cherry robitusin. I think this a typical characteristic for rye beers.

The aroma is syrupy sweet with caramel notes. It reminds me of the rich flavor of walnut gelato, a creamy nutty aroma. Th full body hits extremely hard with the hoppy flavors then mellows into a citrus creamy feel. The aftertaste is hippy and unpleasantly bitter. For a special ipa I would give this beer a 2.5, I don't hate it but I don't think its flavors were developed very well. The hops seem superfluous even though the nose was very intriguing.

I bought this 4 pack to take to stell, Benner, and tommy's wrigleyville apartment for the penn state- purdue game. Vito, burke, hood, and heck showed up too. Everyone agreed that the beer was too much.

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The Creeper Three Floyds

2011-01-05T18:40:00.001-08:00

This big German-American style Doppelbock brewed with the band Pelican in honor of the band's 10th anniversary.

If it pours like a stout and smells like a stout then its probably...... a doppelbock? I really enjoy this beer even though the roasted flavor really reminds me of stout, it has a doppelbock consistency. I don't think I would be able to name the type in a blind tasting but that could be because of my general lack of interest in most german style beers especially kolsch. Blahhh. I give this beer a 4.5. The best doppelbock I have ever had (most recent was mate salvator) and it reminds me of a light bodied stout with a rich coffied flavor and a hint of rich alcohol like a port has in the noise that makes you pull back a bit if you breath it in too closely and deeply.

I bought this beer yesterday at three floyds when I met Funston there after work. I also had their Owd English Barleywine which I wish I had time to blog it because it was a 5.0 and instantly jumped into my top 10. The downside of bligging on the spot is the obvious awkward time spent with the person you are with while you finish the entry. Another story from last night was from the annoying older man next to us who showed us his investor cars that he owns two shares of 3 floyds that they raised when they first built the pub in front of the brewery. The card gets him free beer for LIFE at the rate of one pint per day. Naturally I made him an offer but he refused.

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The Beer Tasting

2010-11-25T19:27:00.001-08:00

A bunch of Leinie's, some beer from Two Brothers, a six pack of assorted Christmas ales, Edelweiss, 312, and the Dark Lord! I love the Anchor Brewing Merry Christmas Ale thanks to Farhner. It definitely tastes like Christmas.

Popped open a Dark Lord and the room was polarized. Some people love it, some people hate. All I ask is that you appreciate it. Its more of an after dinner liquor than a drinkable beer but the complex flavors are really deep and interesting.

Namaste Dogfish Head

2010-11-25T18:01:00.001-08:00

This white ale has been brewed with coriander, dried orange slices, and lemongrass. It has little to no head and a slight aroma of orange but it is surprisingly dominated by the coriander. The body has a dull yellow color with a medium haze. The flavor is delicate and drinkable but lacks any spark. I can't taste the lemongrass until the aftertaste and the orange is nonexistent. I really want to appreciate its delicacy but I think I am trying to hard and I'm giving it too much credit. The coriander overwhelmes the flavor of the beer compared to the other advertised ingredients.

This is the first of many beers at the first annual family beer tasting at Thanksgiving.

Boston Beer Works

2010-11-21T16:44:00.001-08:00

From right to left: pumpkinfest ale, harvest ale, Bunker Hill blueberry ale, and Back Bay I.P.A.

Pumpkinfest has a thin brown color. It has an intensely sweet, heavy pumpkin aroma like a pumpkin pie. It feels pretty light on the palate, especially up front but the pumpkin sweetness really grows at the back and lingers beautifully in the aftertaste. Definitely a niche and one is delicious but I wouldn't grab a sixer for myself because I could see myself getting sick of it. I give it a 4.5 for its great twist on an Oktoberfest and vivid mimicking of pumpkin pie.

The Harvest Ale is a little bit darker red but much more hazy and it reminds me of fresh apple cinder. It has a nutty brown ale aroma to it, which it quite possibly is. It has an intense roasted nut flavor that quickly overwhelmes. The sweetness feels almost carmelized and I am surprised how much more I like this as I sip it and it gets warmer. At the end of the day I don't love brown ales so giving this a 3.5 really says something.

Besides the fact that there is actual blueberries in the glass, the Blueberry Ale has a rich fresh blueberry scent. The pale yellow slighty hazy beer tastes richly of the berries but I'm not sure how much of the is due to the beer. Its not an inherent flavor as much as it is a fresh berry taste that seems to be seeping from the blueberries itself. As I drink this, I am falling in love with the indescribable lipping smacking flavor. It is very crisp and clean and I no longer care that they are "cheating" by throwing fruit in their beer. I don't want to drink after this rough weekend but I'm contemplating ordering a pint of this mid tasting (that and the bothersome waitress is giving me the "how long is he going to sit here and not order anything else" look). I give the beer a 5.0 even though I love fruity wheat ales. The ones I usually love have more kick to them (Goose Island 312, and 3
Floyds Gumballhead) but this takes me back to Boiler market and sunset wheat with frozen blueberries, ut much more delicate.

Their IPA has a decidely weak nose from a hops standpoint and doesn't impress in any other way such as citrus notes; there is maybe the presence of melon. It has a clear yellow color. The bitterness from the hops is just that, hops bitterness. There is no flavor development or complex development of an idea. Its like miller light was brewed then at the end they wet hopped the batch and called it an IPA. Thinking back I should have tried it first since they are better cold but that's no excuse. I give this beer a 1.0 and I might not finish it. Funny note: when smelling the beer, I wasn't paying full attention and was watching football highlights. I then breathed and slurped some of the beer up my noise which was obviously awful and embarrassing.

Sitting at the Boston Logan airport near gate C14 waiting for my delayed plane back to Chicago. Just saw Peyton throw a pick on a would-be game winning scoring drive against the Pats at Foxboro. Oh Peyton... Props to Rieger for passing up on tickets to the game to chill with me for the day and eat the most delicious oysters ever at Neptune Oyster in the North End.

Four Loko Lemon Lime

2010-11-20T09:49:00.001-08:00

Slimy green appearance. If limeade could spoil that's the aroma. Thick carbonation helps to hide the initial flavors, once the flavor seeps through you realize what you've done. A thick alcohol hit followed by the flavor of a melted lime icee pop if you could drink that and a shot of vodka at the same time.

Getting ready to go to tailgate for the Harvard Yale game in Harvard Square in Boston. Drinking with Dane, Stell, and Rieger. This is the last time Four Loko will be had by anyone in its original 4 cup of coffee, 12% abv state. It is now outlawed.

Mama's Little Yella PILS

2010-11-17T22:09:00.001-08:00

This beer is brewed and canned at Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado. 5.3% abv.

Smells like a hoppy amber ale. Considerably carbonated up front and it flows into a hoppy hit that never really over punches which keeps it drinkable. It has a sweet lemony flavor before the hops again wash over your palate into a rough aftertaste. I was actually pretty impressed with this beer but for $12.75 for a six pack it wasn't for affordable. I give it a 3 for flavor and a 2 overall because of the price. I don't have fair assessment because I didn't gauge the other prices in the store to see if it was overpriced in general or not.

Just landed in Boston for the first time. Went back to the StillMansion and walked over to the "bank" that they robbed in the Ben Affleck movie "The Town", its literally a half block away. Its actually a laundromat. Then went and got a canned six pack of craft beer. Dane, nick, and Stell are coming in for the weekend too so it should be a great time.

Bungtown

2010-09-11T11:47:00.001-07:00

It has an sweet nose but not the typical caramel notes. Its a faint sweetness that gives a lingering almond flavor that carries into the flavor of the golden hazy beer. The body itself was very crisp and light making it very drinkable. I give this beer a 4.5 for its uniqueness

Round Barn Motha Pucker

2010-09-11T11:45:00.001-07:00

A sour porter. Smoky meets framboise. 2 points. Smells smoky. Tastes bitter.

Left Hand Oktoberfest

2010-09-04T16:46:00.001-07:00

Back to Fishers for the Labor Day weekend and kelley's parents got me a home brew kit and the ingredients for an Oktoberfet batch so I decided to grab this beer in order to have something to compare it to eventually.

Poured with a light yellow amber but very clear color. Smells like a typical lager but sweeter which makes it more comforthing in this cooler weather in the high 60s. Reminds me right off the bat of a typical Oktoberfest but its aftertaste is sweet, smooth, and quite crisp right at the end. This beer is very well balanced and makes me look forward to trying more Left Hand beers. I will rate this beer as a 4.5 and can't wait to finish off the sixer.

Stone 14th Anniversary Empirial IPA

2010-09-04T15:12:00.001-07:00

Yellow amber w a cloudy haze.
The smooth is lighter and fruitier than a typical ipa. The hoppy nose has me on edge because I can't put a finger on it. Its almost lemony and plastic. It might be a wild yeast strain that I don't know.

Its instantly sharp and stays sharp throughout its trip to the back of your throat where it resonates hoppily until the next sip.

Sapporo

2010-08-30T20:09:00.001-07:00

Some sushi for my 24th... Gotta get sapporo, kirin ichiban, or asahi. I went with sapporo. Miller Light meets Japan but different enough where it is intriguing. Also light and refreshing to where it fits in with the spicy asian fare. Reminiscient of a light champagne.

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Stone 14th anniversary emperical ipa

2010-08-23T07:40:00.001-07:00

Yellow amber w a cloudy haze.

The smooth is lighter and fruitier than a typical ipa. The hoppy nose has me on edge because I can't put a finger on it. Its almost lemony and plastic. It might be a wild yeast strain that I don't know.

Its instantly sharp and stays sharp throughout its trip to the back of your throat where it resonates hoppily until the next sip.

Leipziger Gose

2010-08-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

Map room

"An old school german unfiltered wheat neer with a twist - they add salt... Coriander too maiking it super refreshing. Very rare on draft. Abv is 4.5%"

Nose of hefeweisen. Same look. High carbonation which is ramped up by the salt. Reminds me of an original sour margarita. Lemon.

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Sodom

2010-08-19T21:16:00.001-07:00

First trip to revbrew

Had the sodom n gomorrah. Sodom was russian imp stout. Gom was second running of the mash. Port wine w cherry and oak nose. Inky black. Mouisse smooth feel w a tingy aftertaste and finish. Feels like when u r saving a spit in ur mouth but don't want to spit yet. Like when I use crest white strips. In a good way. Bourbon whiskey N coke

Bacon fat popcorn w crispy sage

AVBC Summer Solstice

2010-07-17T23:32:00.001-07:00

The new craft brewery trend.... canned microbrews. The Anderson Valley Brewing Company out of Booneville, CA. They also happen to be a solar powered facility which I find to be amazing. This comes in at a surprising 5.6% abv.

Light yeasty backdrop covered by a sweet caramel nose. This light amber beer did come out of a can and I think that I really can tell because of the crisp flavor it delivers. It's light crispness roles into a subtle sweetness that stays on the palate through the aftertaste. It reminds me of cream soda and I love cream soda. Its without a doubt my favorite carbonated non-alcoholic beverage so you can only guess my excitement finding its taste in a beer. I give this beer a 5.0 because A.) Its in a can and I think it would be awesome to buy a 24 pack of it which I know they'll never make but they should B.) It tastes like cream soda C.) Solar power.

I'm having this beer with Kel in the Wicker Park beer haven Bluebird which I prefer to the celebrated Map Room. Not really feeling the bar scene at State tonight after a long day at the beach and visiting the Transformers R set on Michigan Ave.

Trois Pistoles

2010-07-14T20:03:00.001-07:00

A mellow dark ale made by Unibroue in Shelburne, Vermont. The makers of the more famous Delirium Tremens (the grey bottle with the pink elephant). It is a 750ml bottle that hits with 9% abv.

It has a musky grape smell, more of a fruit juice than a port wine which is surprising. It has the appearance of coca cola in a dead purple kind of way. It feels light on the tongue once poured but it thickens as you swoosh and builds that port flavor that they swear it has. The depth of flavor is weak and quite honestly embarrassing next to a port wine. Its even unimaginative compared to most belgian ales. I do appreciate the planned mellowness but its just not my style. The aftertaste reminds me of dead or old grapes. I give it a 2.0 out of 5.

Dan G is here for two days so we talked Funston to come out with us this Wednesday. Tommy got me this as a house warming gift 5 weeks ago, so a little finger snap and a "tecmology" to him.

Yuengling Traditional Lager

2010-07-09T18:24:00.001-07:00

Bought a sixer of this at a corner quickie mart in the East Village in NYC. Staying at Dane's place this weekend after driving through Windsor and Niagara Falls from Chicago to NYC with Charlie. I had to grab it since it's an East Coast beer and is not readily available at the places I go. The historically awesome note is that it is made by America's Oldest Brewery in Pottsville, PA.

It has a thin effervescent head and light amber-reddish hue. It smells of malts almost like a thick wheat ale. No fruity but doughy. It feels smooth and medium bodied on the palate, arriving with a splash of lemon being carried by its heavy lager flavor. The carbonation is lighter than you would think. The aftertaste is pleasant and light. It gives me a warm/heavy feeling that makes it seem as though it would be tough to have more than a few. I give this lager a 3.5 for its classic taste and tradition but it just didn't live up to the hype.

Having this with Dane and Charlie waiting for Rieger, kovich, and Vine to show up on their way from Boston. Its going to be Epic.

Piece Brewery Taster

2010-06-18T21:48:00.001-07:00

Golden Arm - actually the first Kolsch style that I have enjoyed. Much better than 3floyds version with a cheerios aftertaste.

Top Heavy Hefeweizen - too much banana not enough not would be my first comment. Never loved this genre in general but it is smooth. Rubber finish.

Worryin Ale - reminds me of fat tire but without the oaky/smokiness. Wouldn't buy a pint of it. Good aftertaste.

H...oppenheimer - boyakasha! The hoppiness hits after a full splash of fruit that mellows the smack to the face of hops. The nose is almost as if it were a tropicana fruit juice blend. Very impressed.

Full Frontal Pale Ale - boring in comparison to the last beer. It does have a smooth drinkability with a slight citrus burst.

Cheap Thrills - it tastes like hoegarden but more punctuation. Every high is higher. The fruit/wheatiness is hard hitting to the finish.

Flatiron Stout - starts out thin but the coffee and malts come quick at the finish and the flavor hits home.

After tasting all of these brews to me the H...oppenheimer stands out as a 4.5 and the rest fluctuate between 3.5 and 2.5. I thin they did a great job overall with their lineup.

Having a few beers with Kelley before the big trip to IKEA tomorrow morning to get a desk and dresser to finish up my room.

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Three Floyds Popskull

2010-05-21T09:47:00.001-07:00

This is a 3 Floyds and Dogfishhead collaboration. It was aged in bourbon barrels and is only available this weekend for DLD. It looks as thick as it tastes. The flavor from the bourbon barrels was unbelievably vivid but it was balanced by the sweet syrupy hops flavor. It was odd how reminiscent of a stiff whiskey coke. Notice how I said stiff even when comparing a beer to whiskey, it was that rough... really kicks you in the jaw on the way down. Regardless, it was delicious and was the highlight of my trip. We randomly met some of Kelley's friends from high school (random because she is from Indianapolis) who luckily let us cut them in the 4+ hour line to get the Dark Lord, and they loved this beer and got a few rounds. They went for $10 each so a little steep, but definitely worth it.

The Dark Lord Day experience was unique and a lot different than I thought, which at first pissed me off because I wasn't in the know but now I really appreciate the whole concept looking back. Let me explain. Going into it I thought it would be very similar to other festivals or outdoor events that I had been to. It wasn't. I assumed there would be a long line (since that's what everyone talks about), but I didn't think that the event would BE the line. I envisioned beer tents and vendors and music and all that generic fest stuff to be lined up along the line so you could purchase gaudy cups, goblets, t-shirts, and most importantly beer. It wasn't like this at all. The line (which I realized later was two lines that spliced together from the North and the South in a big clusterfuck at brewery entrance) didn't have a single source of entertainment near it. The band was inside the brewery so you couldn't hear it and the stand were all near the entrance which was about 4-6 blocks from the end of the line, depending on what time you got there. People who had already been in to get there beer were kind of camped out near the line and casually discussing all things beer with the line-goers. If you found a nice one, you could get a free taste of a just opened dark lord bottle. Sidenote: you couldn't actually try the dark lord until after you bought the bottles inside which is really backwards if you think about it. Suffice it to say the vanilla flavored dark lord was gone by the time I got there. Huge bummer.

Back to the line, the reason I said it was the event was because the people who were in the know were mobile tail-gaters. They had rolling coolers and shopping carts that were lined and filled with ice and I even saw some of those shopfloor type carts all decked out for beer and food storage. I even saw a mobile grill. These people had homebrews, really nice bottles of their favorites, and a lot of people who travelled here brought stuff from small local breweries that they got for free in order to grow in that grass roots kind of way that makes the whole microbrew culture great (that's why you aren't a microbrew Sam Adams, ick). So everyone in line would just discuss their favorite beer and where they had it and with who, which oddly enough is the whole idea of my blog. We met a lot of cool people there especially this couple in front of us who brought 10 growlers of beer from Stone Cellar Brewpub in Appleton, Wisconsin. Shout out to the Pie Eyed IPA. Check them out at www.stonecellarbrewpub.com . The guy kept filling us up and refused to take a dollar. That was the whole idea. I didn't get it and I was mad at how unprepared I was for everything, but it makes sense now. Three Floyds didn't want to ruin the camaraderie and relaxed story telling experience of the avid beer drinkers and aficionados in attendance. That's the thing about any budding culture. They people who are in it early on really feel like they started something, we did this. That's how it felt, we made this big and no one knows who good craft beer is like we do. It doesn't really make sense, but then again it does.

Spring Beer Tasting at the Bluebird

2010-05-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

This is an event I got an invite to in an email because I joined the email list for Webster's Wine Bar which I attended an event at back in December. It was a really cool wine tasting of about 20 distilled and fermented wines which include ice wines, late harvests, and some ports. As you can expect it was a really interesting and fuzzy night. Webster's is the sister (wine-centric) bar of The Bluebird (beer-centric). Since we had such a great time and we like beer better than wine anyways we decided to try the "Spring Beer Tasting" event at the bluebird last night that started at 7:30pm. It was a little north of Wabansia on Damen and in the heart of Wicker Park. I am moving to the intersection of North and Damen on June 5th so I was really excited to checkout my new neighborhood for the first time besides hearsay and a couple drive-throughs. The thing I liked about it was the fact that none of the beers on the menu were things that I had tried before or would have even thought about ordering since I usually consider these types of beers "girly" if not out loud then at least to myself. This really isn't a fair branding since all beers have a time and a place. This list of beers' time is the spring when you want something light because you aren't quite acclimated to the heat yet. The connoisseurs that presented exuded enthusiasm but not necessarily personality. The main speaker had some decent descriptions and was very talkative while his co-host seemed mute and was very comfortable staying within his role as the tap.

Two Brother's "Dog Days" Dortmunder-Style Lager - Smelled like Kolsch with a similar color to a mass produced american pilsner. It was thicker than said beer with a doughier body and the aftertaste was identical to the aftertaste of a bowl of cheerios. Rating of 4.0 for it's exceptional drinkability while having that much more flavor than the alternative. Something I could really turn the fraternity brothers onto.

Brasserie Dupont "Avril" Biere de Table - Had a light yeasty color and smelled like a saison. The initial taste was surprising compared to the nose with a light lemony crisp flavor up front with a carbonated feel. I had a quick daydream of grabbing the "champagne of beers" title from Miller High Life and rightly crowning Avril. The aftertaste reminded me of the feeling you have after rinse and spitting sodium peroxide for a canker sore. Obviously not that overwhelmingly bubbly but you get the idea. This beer rated out as a 3.0 because my indifference to it and general lack of grasp to where I would want it next. Could be a good start to converting cocktail chicks to beer chicks though...

The Bruery "Hottenroth" Berliner-Style Weiss - This is basically Germany's response to the Lambic and they aren't very common anymore. The reason? I soon found out. The hue was canary yellow with a yeasty nose that had an overwhelming deviled egg smell mixed in for good measure. The mouth is very subtle upfront and then the floodgates of sour hit your mouth causing me and Kelley to both physically cringe. I couldn't wait to finish it and rinse my tasting tulip glass out. A measly 0.5.

Great Divide "Colette" Farmhouse Ale - Kelley's name in fresh class so this has to be good. My spanish class name was Bonifacio, if only that was a beer (yeah my teacher called me Boni so what). This had a a similar yellow hue as the rest but was different in that it was relatively clear compared to hazed. The nose followed suite with hefeweizen aromas. The mouthfeel was fuller than the rest leaving it medium bodied with some decent depth and curves to the path. There was a spice present that lingered that I couldn't put my finger on. I know FAIL, but I liked it and thought about this beer more than the others. I rated it as a 3.5.

Urthel "Saisonniere" - Is it weird that the first thing I thought of was Chamillionaire? Yeah I thought so too. Either way I become bored with the tastings general theme after four similar and unexciting beers and put same for all my notes except the fact that the beer had this odd thickening feeling that felt as though it were reacting with my saliva. Rating of 2.5. I feel bad because this rating was biased by both my boredom and my excitement to get to the next one on the list...

Vanberg & Dewulf "Lambrucha" - First of all I really like Kombucha which is this Far East inspired cultured tea drink that has no proven scientific purposes and a million unproven ones. I think it rights my metabolic balance out on Sundays after a long weekend of drinking, but don't ask me to try the experiment with a placebo because I'm sure it'll have the same results. I digress... So this beer is a mixture of a Lambic and Kombucha. The beer host said he uses it as a chaser for tequila. Yeah I don't get that one either but I'm sure I will try it. The hue is yellow with a red hint in unbalanced places. The nose literally tasted like a combo of its two components exactly. If I wasn't at a beer tasting, I wouldn't have thought it was a beer upon trying it. I would have guessed some fruity sparkling water or cocktail spritzer. I think it had great effect as a palate cleanser and I have proof because we had it just as the flatbread pizzas that came with the event (I know great deal right?) came out. I gave it a 4.0 for its intrigue and surprising effectiveness for an abv of 3.5%.

Founder's "Cherise" Cherry-Fermented Ale - Now I want to note here that I HATE cherry beers so much that I wanted to skip this one altogether. I have had some bad ones via Sam Adams Cherry Wheat and a Lindemann's Cherry Lambic both of which would have gotten negatives. PS I would rather listen to Sam Adams the rapper then drink Sam Adams the beer (microbrew poser). Someone wisely said "when in Rome" so I figured "when at a tasting. "This beer had a reddish amber color with the nose of a rose wine. I was nervous here for a sour one dimensional bite knowing that they had added cherries at 5 stages in the brewing. To my surprise the flavor was a very mellow cherry flavor that fell into a reserved and condensed sweetness that put a relaxed smile on my face. It had the flavor of fresh cherries not those horribly flavored candies. It kind of reminded me of wine with its depth, and I don't mean that as an insult to beer's depth but more of an insult towards commercial fruit beers. I was very impressed and gave it a 4.5 considering the competition and class of the beer.

Einbecker "Mai-Ur-Bock" - This is a bock style beer specially brewed for the month of May (get it) that had a light golden appearance. It smelled exactly of sweet iced tea. It had a roasted hop flavor that reminded me of a wet spring day in the country. The ones where you can smell the plants and mulch and mud and critters nests and yeah it was too much. It was like they almost had it but something tipped the scales unfavorably. That is my first maibock so this could be a skewed rating of 2.5 but it is what it is.

Lakefront Brewery's "Riverwest Stein" Amber Lager - This beer had a rich amber color with a caramel rich and very pleasnt nose. It had an exceptional heavy/light balance with smooth flavor and light carbonation. There was a flavor there that I couldn't pinpoint but I want to say plum. It was sitting below the caramel syrupy flavors and hid in the aftertaste and back of the palate. Quite enjoyable compared to it's company because american microbrew ales are more my cup of tea but I gave it a 3.5. Looking back I think it was low but I noted it was boring.

Port Brewing "Midnight Sessions" Dark Lager - Twas inky black with a subtle cocoa nose. The body was that of a lager with the flavor of a nice stout. Too much carbonation and too thin of a body. It was as though it had lost it's identity and couldn't decide what to be and I wasn't a fan of its insecurity. My note (remember I am seven beers in at this point and my tolerance is shot) at the bottom of the page for this one read "Can't make a ho a housewife" which surprisingly makes sense. I rated this as a 1.5 and didn't enjoy it but it wasn't straight up bad like Hottenroth.

Afterwards we stopped over to Hot Chocolate which was next door and had a milk stout/caramel milkshake to split which was unbelievable. I hope it was Moloko but I think it was Left Hand's. We also had their "Thoughts on Peanut Butter" which was basically a deconstructed Reese's Peanut Butter Cup with some strawberry sauce and other crunchy delights flicked around the plate. It was more than words and the perfect end to the night.

Haywire

2010-05-06T21:57:00.001-07:00

Ordered this beer on tap at the Circle in Crown Point on the square.

Nice wheat ale. Has a banana mouthfeel like a hefeweizen but the lightness of it stays true to the wheat ale brand. One of the more interesting and flavorful wheat ales that I have had. The best part is that it remains light and drinkable while having a unique taste which is uncommon. I give this beer a 4.5.

I had this on my first night out in CP with my cousin Justin.

The Sixth Glass Quadruple Ale

2010-05-02T17:37:00.001-07:00

The Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri makes this brew. The give more information at smokestack.boulevard.com. I'm not sure if the smokestack is in reference to KC's bbq culture or some other meaning.

The ominous amber hue settled from an awfully poured glass and a thick film of unsavory suds. After swimming through the yeasty head, I got a taste of an intensely compact malt flavor that slowly disolves to a sharp hoppy bite. The aftertaste is rememberable only because of its displeasing bitterness. It leaves me wanting some popcorn. I will give this beer a 1.5 since I don't want another but I appreciate it taking on a mature challenge. Heavy and complicated doesn't always mean good as some snobs would have you think.

Found it at a liquor store across from a gas station in Cicero Indiana on the way to Wolfie's Restaurant with Kelley's family. I'm having it with Weatherwax at his and Doddy's new apartment on 91st and Allisonville in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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Alkoholika

2010-04-23T18:46:00.001-07:00

Had this at the Crown Brewing Company in Crown Point, Indiana. They only had this beer available for the weekend since it's the northwest indiana holiday known as Dark Lord Day. I met the brewer Sean and he told us that they are aging the rest for next year.

This beer was amber and cloudy. It was think in mouthfeel like a Belgian Ale but it had a fruity and light skip into the aftertaste. One of the better beers I have had of recent memory. It was so complex but drinkable. I give this beer a 5.0, amazing.

I had the beer while watching the Bears draft Major Wright in the 3rd round with their first pick of the 2010 NFL draft. I had it with Kelley and my new roommate Bob as we agreed to live together above the Registry in Crown Point on the square for the next two months until I move to Chicago with Adam.

Pride and Joy

2010-04-22T20:51:00.001-07:00

My first growler from 3 Floyds. Its $12 with the glass bottle included which I didn't think was too bad at 64 ounces or 4 pints. I bought it on Tuesday to bring to LOST night at Funston's sister's place (they have DVR and I don't).

The beer itself smells mellow but has a caramel sweetness to it. The hops take a back seat to the roasty baked smell of breakfast pastries. Its definitely a pale ale but it beats the crap out of Rolling Rock or anyof the bud/miller stuff. It surprises you if you are use to the crazy combinations and flavors that you come to expect from 3 Floyds. It is flat today since its been in my fridge for two days but I still enjoy the flavor with this venison/artichoke meatloaf that I concocted for dinner (we are eating whatever we have since we are moving in a week)! I give this beer a 3.5 because the nose compliments the taste and I could drink a keg of it.

The NFL draft is on so I decided to finish this bad boy up after the Broncos choked all over the place with the Tebow pick to replace Cutler. I hate Josh McDaniels. Hate. The Bulls and Hawks also won playoffs tonight as well as Saturday is going to be Dark Lord Day, so its a good night. I am also going to look at an apartment tomorrow in the square in Crown Point so things are looking up.

Zatec

2010-04-21T08:44:00.001-07:00

Zatec a czech company was established in 1004 at the zatec brewery.

Lighter version of stella suspected w the noise. Slight smell of plum and a almond sniff. Sweeter and less hoppy w a better balance than expected in comparison to stella. Fruity notes help to balance the hoppy expectations that hit short and quick and don't laste which helps this beer stay light. Great mild aftertaste that doesn't hinder.

Zatecky pivovar was a bright lager beer czech republic that I had with Kelley in the Summer of 2009 at vino tini in dyer indiana after dinner at svago. I had this saved under notes in my phone and just found it. Oops.

El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale

2010-04-17T17:34:00.001-07:00

This black ale is made in conjunstion with the 21st Amendment Brewery , Firestone Walker Brewery and by the Stone Brewing Company in Escondido, CA which I have recently visited check previous post). I am pretty excited about this one because of the description that reads "ale brewed with fennel seed, chia seed, and pink peppercorns - with mission figs added". It has an abv of 9.5%.

The black ale smells similarly of a stout and after hearing mission figs I think I can smell their sweet syrupy presence even though I know I wouldn't have detected this without reading it first. It starts cool and surprisingly light but it thickens as though my mouth were the roux. The finish is unbelievable reminiscient of the peppercorns that have been added and the after taste has the licoricey bitterness of fennel. Even thought one of these beers is the most that I could have in one sitting, I still appreciate it and know that it wasn't made for session drinking. Its one of those where you sit back and say "I get it". The back of the beer tells a story of community and the experience of craft brewing. This beer embodies the collaborative and especially creative spirit of this growing cult. Now it may not be the best tasting but it has opened my eyes to new beer flavors and the
possibilty of even more. I give this beer a 4.0 mostly for the idea of the beer and the fact that I would try it again if I were with someone so that they could experience it too.

I actually was thinking about drinking this with the usual garnishes of a bloody mary and I think it might work out really well. I bought this beer at Binny's on North ave with a Malheur 12 and a case of miller light for jess eaton's bday trolley ride. Kelleys showering so I was bored and decided to blog this before the festivities of the night. I'm sad to say I won't have time tonight to blog the Malheur but I will buy it again I'm sure. Sidenote: checkout the cool glass in the pic, its a souvenir from the Stone BrewPub.

Dark Lord Day Golden Tickets!

2010-04-15T11:18:00.001-07:00

As I open the envelope from three floyds with a dramatic fashion that only Charlie knows better, I find my self humming "I have the golden ticket" from Willy Wonka. Don't worry though there's no Slugworth here (unless Rocco eats them since he is lapping at my side as I gaze at them).

They have arrived this morning and I am finally at ease since their blogpost last week said that they had sent them out so I was expecting them a while ago and even went to the bar to ask but they reassured me that they had just sent them out. I am even more excited however to try the Vanilla Dark Lord then I am to buy my alotted bottles. The weird thing is Kelley had hers shipped to my place and they haven't arrived yet so that's troublesome.

I stopped home from work after a morning at FPH in the dark lonely back office of accounting make phone calls to verify item costs. Gross.

Stone Brewery

2010-04-10T20:55:00.001-07:00

This was the coolest brewpub I have ever been to, its the mecca of microbreweries. Everything I tasted was heightened by the surrounding environment. There was a garden with walkaways and little flowing streams. An outside bar, excellent food, and a general philosophy that paired with my own were really the greatest part of the experience. The beer was okay. The standout was a De Landster Maulheur 12. I had some terribly vinegary belgian ales that were hard to drink. The thing is that I had already written a full blog but my phone reset and it deleted the blog but that's most of what I remember.

Bojan, Jenna, Kelley, and I stopped there on the way from LA to San Diego and we met Dean and his girlfriend Kayla and Dean's friend Alec who was pretty knowledgeable about beers as well.

Bonaventure Brewing Company

2010-04-09T13:39:00.001-07:00

5 beer tasting in the Westin Bonaventure in downtown LA.

Blonde Ale - too light with a spritzer feel
IPA - typical ipa but light and refreshing. Nothing special.
Pale Ale - rye back taste, no floral flavors
Smoked Stone Porter - intense porter flavor with over the top smokiness, its as thought I woke up hungover and had a cigarette the night before and didn't brush my teeth. I should appreciate it more but I don't.
Strawberry Blond Ale - very carbonated and light again almost like a cheap Rose wine.

Overall too light for my taste in comparison to the midwest but it fits the hot city where you want a light refreshing drink. Me bojan and kelley had this outside on the patio at the hotel in 75 degree sunny weather. The strawberry blond was the favorite. Gorgeous day for an outside beer.

Strawberry Blonde -

The Bitter End

2010-04-07T18:06:00.001-07:00

This beer is brewed and bottled by the Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois. It is an american pale ale with 5.1% abv, 30 ibu's, and 13.5 plato.

The aroma has a thick malty but light fruity flavor. It has the typical microbrew APA flavor. The initial flavor is crisp and refreshing but I feel as though the back end is lacking of character and withers off the tongue in defeat. Overall this beer does not quite stand up to its peers but is a good beer in terms of drinkability. I give this beer a 3.0 out of 5.

I just had this poured for me at Rooftop Bar at the Wit. Waiting for Kelley to get here so we can eat and get on the Orange line for our 7:55pm flight out of Midway to LAX. Look forward to some more netries from Stone Brewery this weekend.

Tres Blueberry Stout

2010-04-04T21:49:00.001-07:00

This beer is brewed by the Dark Horse Brewing Company in Marshall Michigan.

Note: Beginning of new scale out of 5.0.

The nose has a instant waft of fruity blueberry flavor that on second visit gets deeper and almost ominous. It reminds me a really intense blueberry syrup or sauce that has been over-reduced. You initially taste the blueberries in front (quite possibly only because of the nose), you then drift quickly to the comfortably typical stout characteristics. It is a sharper stout then the creamier ones that I have had recently. It has dark chocolate and strong black coffee flavors. It has a medium mouthfeel and the coffee stays on your palate after you have finished the sip. I give this beer a 2.5 for its quality as a stout, the blueberry expectations were raised with nose flavor but quickly let down with the lack of follow up in the flavor. A deeper flavor could have bode very well for this beer even with the bitterness.

I am having this on Easter Sunday at Kelleys apt. we got this and a ApriHop beer by Dogfishhead on Friday from Whole Foods. I wish I had more of the aprihop left to blog because it was delicious. I made some popcorn and shook a little maple seasoning from the Spice House on it while we are watching Jurassaic Park the Lost World (did you know vince vaughn is in that movie? Random)

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Southern Star Bombshell Blond Ale

2010-03-27T18:45:00.001-07:00

Hoppy aroma. I expected mild flavors but it was chomping at the bit.

The hops is immediate and fulfilling and ruins the chance of any other flavors entering the picture. The aftertaste is very mild and almost drifts away. I give this beer a 81 for flavor and boringness.

I am in Houston for the Purdue Sweet 16 game. I am at Taps in the Heights district.

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

2010-03-20T15:54:00.001-07:00

North Coast Brewing co. Fort bragg, ca. Abv 9%

Aroma is oaky and thick w coffee notes and a sweet caramel.

This is my first russian imperial stout and it reminds me of the depth and complexion of a stout with the hoppy kick of an ipa. The mouthfeel starts light then drops a hammer on your tongue w its heaviness. The oaken barrel flavor is overwhelming but it also turns into dark corners of depth that I can't put my finger on.

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Traveling John's Best Bitter

2010-03-20T15:22:00.001-07:00

We are at broad ripple brew pub in brip indiana.

Cloudy yellow. Rough hoppy nose, less flavorful and more annoying. Too bitter w not enough flavor to balance. Maybe I'm not use to ESBs but there's no depth to this beer and the aftertaste is neither subtle nor pleasant. Just sour hops.

This beer gets a 31 for its lack of depth and unpleasant flavor

Singing Sands Oatmeal Stout

2010-03-17T15:04:00.001-07:00

This beer is brewed in Michigan City, Indiana by the Shoreline Brewery. The brewery is literally right across the street from the Michigan City Power Plant. The ambience is pretty alive for 5pm even though it is St. Patty's Day. Lucky for me thdeal on Wednesdays is $2 pints for brewers pick which is obviously what I got. You can see the brewery through glass windows behind the bar which is always cool. I added a picture of that with a sweet sign too.

This beer is inky brown, there is literally no light penetrating its surfacing. I put my phone behind it and not even a glimpse of its LCD radiance came through. The head is very thin from the careful pour but it looks cramy and thick. The nose smells lighter than I would expect and slight fruit notes are apparent where oaky mocha is expected. The first cool sip is light on depth but has a appreciated crispness. The oatmeal mellows the flavors where other stouts are enriched or sometimes saturated with oak casks or coffee bursts. It honestly reminds me of mcdonalds iced mocha coffee but with a rich mouthfeel. The temperature and flavor are very similar. It actually might have been served too cold for my liking. I would give this stout a 61 for weakness but I loved the brewpub and will definitely come back.

I stopped here after a day of work at NIEF near Saint Anthony Memorial in Michigan City. Actually I stopped at the casino first and got hot in roulette and doubled up but lost it all and a couple more in blackjack. After this beer I have my second ASQ meeting at Hammer's in MC then home to figure out these damn golden tickets for Dark Lord Day! I better get one.

Bad Elf Winter's Ale

2010-02-25T21:46:00.001-08:00

This is a product of Ridgeway Brewing from Oxfordshire imported by Shelton Brothers. This golden ale boasts nearly three pounds of fresh hops in every barrel and conditioned ready for winter sipping. This to me is quite vague but I guess it means that the three pounds is in a keg which is hard to divide out of this 1 pound 9 oz beer. It does claim a 6.0% abv so that seems challenging.

It smells lightly hoppy with a floral nose that is actually quite sweet. The first sip is crisp and light which surprises the shit out of me. I guess those "pounds" of hops divided up into even less per bottle then I guesstimated. Upon further review of this translucent caramel elixir I really start to enjoy the mild balance present. The light fruit notes resonant mildly of plum and anjou pear. I really enjoy the drinkability even more so than bud light. I will give this beer an 89 for its surprising balance but the pleasant balance almost appears boring in some facets.

I got this beer from my cousin, Jackie as a Christmas present at our grabbag at my aunt's. It was actually the first family christmas that I have missed ever. I did get to experience my girlfriends family Christmas which was nice. I'm having while watching Fox News analyze the bipartisan public healthcare summit. I wish I could find a non-partisan news source that is more interesting than C-SPAN. Even though Lamb was a Purdue Fiji. MBRP.

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Hazed and Infused

2010-01-31T18:58:00.001-08:00

This beer is a product of Boulder Beer Company from Boulder, Colorado. It is unfiltered and dry-hopped, which gives it the "haze". It also is infused with Crystal and Centennial hops giving the "infused" name.

The nose is light and fruitly aromatic hinting a luscious wheat ale. The first sip changes your initial stereotype with its intense hoppy flavor, reminiscent of an IPA. There is a bitterness in the throat that comes more from a fruity sourness than from a hoppy bitterness. I think a pitcher with some frozen blueberries dropped in would be amazing in the summer. Overall this beer was fulfilling especially compared to its title. The weird thing is I think that I could tell a wet-hopped beer from a dry-hopped if given a blind taste test. I could be overhyping myself but I have a good feeling about it. I will give this beer a 79 for good flavor but it suffers from the lack of originality.

I had this beer after finishing moving Kelley into her new apartment in the Old Town area of Chicago. It was Kelley's roommate's boyfriend, Derek's beer so thanks to him for this entry.

Dansk Mjod Viking Blod

2010-01-30T08:04:00.001-08:00

This is a Nordic Honeywine with hibiscus and hops added, based on a recipe from about year 1700. Costs $10 for a 5oz. pour!

At 19% abv it tastes like everclear and honey for those who don't appreciate a good mead. As I have yet to conquer this experienced flavor on my palate I don't appreciate it as much as I should. It does however balance decently well in my mouth. I could see myself sipping it like a scotch in the future

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel's Aphrodite Stout

2010-01-29T17:38:00.001-08:00

Aphrodite is a stout brewed with real cocoa and vanilla beans. It is unfiltered and boasts 6.5% abv. It is brewed and bottled by Microbrasserie Dieu du Ciel in St-Jerome, Quebec, Canada.

Smells like a dark chocolate ghirardelli square. Especially vivid is the bitterness of the dark chocolate in a coffee like way in the aroma but way too sweet to be characterized as coffee.

The flavor does instantly remind me of dark chocolate but the balance isn't quite right and leaves the liquid feeling heavy and bitter as it flushes down your palate. Its like someone drops a dollop of bitter fudge on your tongue and you want to get it off but you can't so you just swallow it. The aftertaste leaves you not wanting more. I am happy not try my first non-Molson Canadian beer, and I won't judge them solely on this beer (lucky for them). I rate this beer as 53.

I paired this beer with a Dean's country fresh toffee ice cream bar and it still didn't go very well. I had this beer with my grandma and Kelley as we had chicken caesar sandwiches celebrating Kelley's move into Chicago tomorrow (Sat.). We are headed to Three Floyds tonight to further the celebrations.

Redhook Treblehook Barleywine Ale

2010-01-20T08:20:00.001-08:00

The nose is sweet and syrupy in the way you think of licorice if there were a sweet caramel flavor for liquorice. The smell and name of barleywine give me a tentative shudder of overbitterness that I have come to expect of a barleywine. Also considering the fact that it is a limited release which usually means that the established brewer is going to "try something" so that if its terrible the "limited release" both covers his back and makes you want it in the typical supply/demand feeling of anything limited.

It has a very heavy mouthfeel with a pleasantly balanced sweetness then the bitterness hits your palate but unlike a whitecap from hawaii it smothers it lightly like a cool wave from Lake Michigan. It felt like a palate cleanser for the next swig, which I proceeded to do a few times to make sure my initial assessment was correct. After realizing how good this beer was I become more appreciative with each gulp.

I had this beer while watching Purdue fend off a comeback by U of I. My mom also brought back some dried italian sausage from a friend at work which was amazing. It reminded me of childhood when my grandpa use to cure our homemade croatian sausage and slice it thin for us. Best thing ever! Haven't had it in years til tonight.

Grozet Gooseberry & Wheat Ale

2010-01-06T20:52:00.001-08:00

This unique brew is crafted by the Heather Ale Ltd in Scotland.

The nose is ripe and yeasty in an unfamiliar way. It reminds me in some ways of Abita's purple haze but only for the ripe fruity notes. The complexion is cloudy and butterscotch. The bottle says that the haze only becomes present once its chilled because of the inherent natural fruit and cereal proteins. The initial taste is all wheat with a slower fade into a berry taste that is something between a strawberry and a blueberry. The subtle fruitiness really lingers in your mouth during the aftertaste which is plesent and unexpected. This gives the body a fuller feel than its original thin crisp feel. This beer is a 94 because of its flavor uniqueness and surprising drinkability. I could have ten.

I'm having this after a long day of setting up xboxlive and netflix and hooking my external harddrive up to my 360 for the snow storm and movie weekend that should be coming any hour now.

Wells Banana Bread Beer

2010-01-02T19:09:00.001-08:00

Guest blog: Kelley Aufmann

Who doesn't love bananas? Wells Banana Bread Beer incorporates everything I love: bananas, bread, and beer. I saw this beer while browsing the aisle of unique ales at Binney's Beverage Depot.

The label: "Long ago ale was known as "liquid bread." We have used our long history of creating the finest malt blends and added fairtrade bananas to awaken the senses with a seriously fruity rich yet surprisingly versatile banana bread beer." Abv is 5.2%

The aroma was smooth and clean. The banana was instant as I inhaled the smell. I enjoy beers where you can smell the different ingredients involved. While pouring the beer into the glass there was no head. The deep amber color filled to the brim. I was excited to taste it. The first sip is cold, light, and delicious. As I hold the beer in my mouth it is bubbly on my tongue. The after taste is very flavorful. The banana is distinct and I can also get hints of almond and nutmeg.

This beer was bought in order to celebrate the last night of Berlyn being in Munster. Zak and I are sitting at the dinner table recapping our fun weekend and looking forward to starting a new year together.
If you're a fan of belgian ales and some fruit complements then this beer hits the spot. I would pair this with a summer salad and grilled veggies. Thanks Zak for letting me be a guest blogger.

Breckenridge 471 IPA

2010-01-02T18:05:00.001-08:00

This beer is a double hopped india pale ale made by the breckenridge brewing company out of denver colorado. It has an abv of 9.2%. The story behind.....

When I poured there was minimal carbonation resulting in no head. The nose was very hoppy and herbaceaus which gave an expectation of a thick heavy hitter. It was lighter than expected in terms of mouthfeel given the nose and cloudy amber color. It feels crisp in a way and similar to gumballhead but more intense. It does have a sweetness that works alongside the hops but the hops give it all of its character. There is a depth and layering of the hops that distinguishes it from a flat everyday IPA that I enjoy. Definitely not a session beer and it was a little too much for my mild dinner but good nonetheless.

I found this at Black Sparrow in west lafayette indiana (the best pub eatery in the greater purdue region) after driving down to watch the 4th ranked boilers beat the 6th ranked mountaineers

Blue Moon Grand Cru Belgian White

2009-12-24T15:49:00.001-08:00

I bought this at Santoris in Lansing on the way home from work because I was shopping for Johnnie Walker Gold for my grandma for Xmas because she was out of the Red. Surprisingly she drinks a glass on the rocks some nights before bed with a twist of lemon. Anyways, when I cashed out the cashier asked me how much the beer was and I dumbly replied $2.99 even tho I think it was closer to $9. She said okay and rang me up so I was pumped.

This is brewed by the Blue Moon Brewing Company. The beer people commonly refer to as blue moon is really their Belgian White Ale. This is a celebratory "remix" of that beer. The bottle says "In Belgium, a Grand Cru is traditionally brewed for special celebrations. This holiday seasons, there's definitely something to celebrate: a blue moon on NYE. To honor this rare event, we've brewed a limited-edition Blue Moon Grand Cru in the US. This small-batch, Artfully Crafted brew incorporates subtle hints of orange peel and coriander and delivers a warm, spicy finish. Garnish with an orange slaice and celebrate."

I've garnished with 5 slices of clementine; same difference.

The nose is very similar to that of blue moon (the one you are use to). So the first sip ignites memories of your favorite summer pitcher with a few oranges thrown in but the finish is thicker and more robust with malty notes and a obvious abv increase. I read the front and its at 8.2% which is palpable. For some reason I have the taste of bitter zucchini in my mouth but its not as bad as it seems. I've had the oranges in the glass for a while and I think that the pulpy white of the orange is disolving in the beer casuing this after taste. Anyways I give it a 78 because it was good but there are MUCH better belgian-style wheat ales out there except that I appreciate this years double blue moon NYE, so significance plays a major part and the 1 pint 9.4 oz has me quite buzzed by the end.

Barrel Aged Klaus

2009-12-24T14:04:00.001-08:00

This is the worst beer I have ever had at 3 floyds. It had a good start but the finish was a sour black licorice flavor, it also tasted of bourbon not in the way that warmingly reminds of your favorite cocktail but in the way of taking to big of a shot of the stuff that comes in the plastic handle. Overall I thought too much was done to a good beer (alpha klaus)

Casa Beer

2009-12-06T18:37:00.001-08:00

Well I had to post something from my trip to Epcot in orlando and this beer fits the unique bill. While I had delicious drinks so far such as spaten oktoberfest and the worm from the bottom of a mezcal bottle. This beer I felt was truly unique and hard to find for a NWI boy. Its noise is crisp and fruity and reminds me of blueberry. The taste follows with a light taste but to my experience it has no balance. This might be a cultural issue but I do taste the maltiness in the background but it is very light and doesn't have enough to balance off the citrusy berry flavor that dominates the balance. As an afterthought, this beer reminds me off water down blueberry pancakes in a positive way which gives it a few more points.this beer gets a 72 for the fruity wheat beer category that I put it in.

I'm with my co-worker Marty in the Moroccan village at Epcot center in Orlando, Florida. I have the Institute of Healthcare Improvement coming up tomorrow through Wednesday.

Avery The Reverend

2009-11-24T20:24:00.001-08:00

This beer has a fruity raisin aroma that has delicately sour and bitter twist to it. The initial flavor is of fruity plum but it mellows with a lack of expected raisin notes and moves quickly to a sweet and sticky herbal finish. It reminds me of black tea in the form of "chew." Not the dip that you smack against your fingers, but the deliciously juicy tobacco from the famous "sandlot" scene where they all throw up on the carnival ride. The balance is rich and fruity and I give this beer a 87.

Had it with kelley contemplating life at where else but Three Floyds in Munster.

Admiral lord nelson and drunk monk

2009-11-07T21:26:00.001-08:00

These two Three Floyds Brewing Company beers are exceptional. The first a british strong bitter (to the left) called admiral lord nelson, named after lord admiral horatio nelson. It has a sugary fruity nose with an aunt jemima scent. It has a delicate thickness to it with a traditonal english bitter balance, you can taste the hops right of the top but it swirls into a pleasing fruity balance that has an apricot presence with a sharp grapefruit undertone and back of the tongue tickle. I expected nothing less from my favorite brewery and I could see this being an amazing session beer. Having a little saturday night date with kelley at 3F in munster at their bar.

Guest blog by kelley: The drunk monk is a bavarian style hefewiesse also from 3F. The color is fall leaf orange color that is a little cloudy in the glass. Perfect for the fall season. Smelling the beer reminds me of nutmeg and lemon with some spices mixed in. The first sip goes down smooth, coating the throat to get the most taste out of it. It has distinct traits of a hefewiessen, such as banana and aged barrel. I would definitely recommend this beer to anyone. Women would enjoy the light, smooth taste and men would enjoy the giant pilsner it came in. One of my favorite beers I have had lately and will continue to come to 3 Floyds for new beer creations.

Saranac Caramel Porter

2009-10-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

This beer is made by the Saranac Brewing Company who's motto is "The Spirit of the Adirondacks". I bought this at King's Liquors in Michigan City one day after work in a variety pack for the brewing company. Surprisingly they gave 6 beer types (two of each) compared to the typical 3 beers of 4 types ratio that is more common with the variety pack. Being someone who would rather try something new than his favorite beer again, I rather enjoy this ratio even though I can see how it would be annoying to some people who prefer certain beer types or seasonal varieties.

The beer itself has rich carmel notes in its bouquet with a surprising lack of roasted or coffee flavors that tend to dominate many porters. The intial flavor is light and slightly more hoppy than I would have guessed from the smell, but refreshing nonetheless. The mouthfeel remains thin and frothy and gives a slight citrus-hop kick in the aftertaste. The back of the bottle describes itself this way, "A robust, flavorful porter reminiscent of a by-gone era. True to brewing tradition we have used dark caramel malt as well as fuggles and east kent goldings hops for a smooth bitter, roasted flavor. Look for hints of caramel used in brewing this delicious brew!" Th fact that they used carmel as a partial sugar substitute is inventive and intriguing. I wonder how the chemistry of that works out in the fermentation process.

I have paired this with a bowl of kettle popcorn from the County Line Orchard this weekend. It also happens to be a chill dismal fall day in Northwest Indiana so this beer and especially the pairing are one of the best I have ever had. The slight saltiness of the popcorn plays well off the hoppy bitterness undertones of the beer while the pairing sugary caramel flavors merry happily in my mouth. I think a regular (non-caramel) porter would even pair well here.

Wingwalker Pale Ale

2009-10-08T10:42:00.001-07:00

Full bodied for a light citrusy ale. Starts w a nice hoppy kick and finishes w citrus tones

Pleasant surprise at a byob thai restaurant called pot pan in wicker park chicago ill

Can no longer taste it becuz of spicyness of garlic chicken dish

Double dat w kendra adam and kelley

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Tsingtao Beer

2009-09-17T10:57:00.001-07:00

This beer is brewed by the tsingstao brewery in Qingdao, China. It is a lager and obviously their flagship. It is marked as the "finest beer in China."

It has the initial urine like smell that is displeasing in miller light that bud light advocates always complain about. It is that hoppy character but much more intense. It has a miller light flavor as well for easy drinking but the mouthfeel is much more full and heavy. There is a distinct secondary flavor character that I want to be rice just because its a chinese beer but what I really expect it to be is a heavier dose of malted barley than I'm use to in a session lager. I give this beer a 78 for its subtle uniqueness in a lager especially as China's mass produced equivalent to Miller Light. I found the differences between these two cultural ------icons?------ refreshing.

Sushi w kel after tennis

Crooked Tree IPA

2009-09-17T10:53:00.001-07:00

A craft brew at beefs

Dark horse brewing co

Typical smell of ipa

Typical initial but mellow pleasing finish w a sweet bitterness that is pleasing

Leaves hops in ur mouth

Kirin Ichiban

2009-09-17T10:47:00.001-07:00

Special Premium Reserve

Brewed under the strict supervision of kirin's brewmaster by anheuser-busch inc in LA

Over carbonated like coors light
Fruity plum apricot notes
Background complex flavors on second look. Light and fruity w a sugary light finish but still heavy carb

Light licorice molasses flavor stays in mouth

Half Acre Over Ale

2009-09-16T17:33:00.001-07:00

This is an ale made by a chicago company named Half Acre Beer Company.

It is a very dark brown color but it gives you a sense of thinness like murky water compared to the oily, molasses like apperance of stouts like guinness. It smells of hops and a smokey flavor. Its taste is kind of surprising for an ale. Its very crisp like a light IPA but the flavor tastes as if it were stored in old oaken whiskey barrels. There is a feeling as if fruity notes are trying to form in your mouth but they aren't quite powerful enough to give a flavor kick.
Good but you don't want two. Unique ale and refreshing but the smokey finish doesn't sit well on my palate. I give it a 73 higher grade for uniqueness

Snake Dog IPA

2009-08-17T19:41:00.001-07:00

This an IPA by Flying Dog. "Tired of those annoying 3am hang-ups from your crazy, stalking Ex? Turns out the same qualities that make your Ex so damn annoying make our Snake Dog IPA so attractive. Chock full of bitterness, bite and attitude, it slaps you in the face with flavor. Just like your psycho Ex did at the bar last weekend." It also has 7.1%ABV with an IBU of 60.

Well the aroma is lightly fruity and thickly filled with the anticipation of hops. I distinctly taste the bitter grapefruit and orange tones with the oddly sweet taste of a roma tomato in the middle of the intensely hoppy flavors. The finesse is essentially maltless giving it an awkward end without balance to the exciting start. The aftertaste is bad because of the lack of balance, and overall I give it a 74.

I just bought the Flying Dog variety pack so I'm sure there will be more to come. Actually today was the end of my first day of fulltime work so I bought this as a celebration after I had to go pickup my keys since the locksmith dropped them off their since he is next door. Long story short Bojan's brother's apartment was broken into this weekend and my keys got stolen so I had to get new ones made.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo

2009-08-16T11:12:00.001-07:00

"This is an unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood from which these tanks were crafted. Palo Santo means "holy tree" and its wood has been used in South African wine-making communities. This beer is a highly roasty and malty brown ale aged on the Palo Santo wood."

It has 12% ABV. It smells of coffee and hints towards being a stout. It delivers with an extremely inky nutty flavor. Mouthfeel is overwhelming thick especially in the summer. I don't really taste the foretold caramel and vanilla flavors but there is a toasty and toffee feel to the initial and after taste the middle ground is dominated by the thick inkyness.

Overall I give it a 82

Face Plant

2009-08-16T11:10:00.001-07:00

This is a belgian-style triple brewed by Pizza Port of Carlsbad. It has a 9.7%ABV.

Subtle nutmeg and banana notes in the floral aroma. Also reminds of walking into a new house.

Has a generally deep triple flavor but overall it hits the palate blandly compared to some other triples. Triples in general are deeper and calmer than most other beers but this one especially.

Overall 68

Moloko

2009-08-15T20:31:00.001-07:00

This milk stout is a product of my local favorite Three Floyds. "Its brewed with a portion of golden naked oats and lactose milk sugar to give it a rounded, full-bodied mouthfeel with a deep roasted, slightly sweet maltiness." It has a IBU of 30 with 8% ABV.

It smells of coffee and brown sugar. Served slightly chilled giving a hot chocolate mouthfeel, less coffee flavor than expected with a great oaty/malty balance. Aftertaste is awesome with no bitterness and a perfect balance. I give it a 96 overall, and its one of the best stouts that I've ever had. Its depth of flavor and milk sugar complexity blow other commercial stouts like Guinness out of the water.

I would pair this with whole wheat bread and butter with cinnamon or a thick pasta with cream sauce such as fettuccine alfredo. I'm having this with Kelley after I helped her unpack her things since she starts work on Monday.

Hop Hound Amber Wheat

2009-08-12T21:58:00.001-07:00

This is a spring seasonal brought to you by Michelob. It says that its an "Unfiltered American amber wheat ale brewed with a blend of imported and domestic hops for a balanced, slightly citrus hop aroma and caramel, malty taste".

This beerhas a decidely yeasty aroma out of the bottle which is less pleasant than the citrus guarantee. Its slightly over carbonated and goes down smooth which is both expected and refreshing in a commercial session beer. There is barely a remnance of hops but a decent back end balance of malty citrus that leaves a dare I say great aftertaste on the palate. I give this bear a 77 out of 100. I was surprised happy with its balance, mouthfeel, and flavor especial compared to my expectation of a commercial variety pack.

I'm having this beer during a poker game w the Munster guys while Bojan came back to visit from Cali. Just finished a 3 day work week as well so that feels good. Also went steelhead fishing today, as a side note, and had a great time in waders walking through the stream in Michigan City.

Beerfest Experience

2009-07-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

So I know I'm a little late in updating the beerfest results, but I was at my cottage near LaPorte, Indiana for a bit and then I misplaced the paper. As a side note, while I was at my cottage I visited some excellent wineries in the southeastern Michigan wine country. Domaine Barrien was closed, Lemon Creek winery had some excellent produce, Round Barn Winery was my favorite because it made its own wine, beer, and spirits. The Round Barn Winery also had our favorite wine which was a Asian Pear Demi-Sec, it had a crisp, fruity taste. We ended our trip with a tasting and dinner at Tabor Hill Winery which was the most established and well-known one in the area. The food was unbelievable to say the least, but that is neither here nor there.

We were lucky enough to be dropped off by my cousin who lives in broadripple because we were staying the night in her and her new husband's house. He runs an Indy touring and management agency for musicians, check it out at transpanthergroup.com. The lines were actually fairly long and we were ushered around the park to form a line with a bunch of other people that were walking around as well. It was actually very confusing for everyone involved. Once we finally found a line where everyone was stopped at, we noticed there was one person checking IDs and taking tickets in return for yellow bracelets. This took a decent amount of time then it was as if he quit and then he walked everyone back to where we started originally and we checked in at this central gate where everyone should have been ushered to initially. Once we checked in, we were given a 4 ounce glass for tasting, some coozies, and a program of the event. The lines were about 10-15 people deep for each beer and sometimes they were up to 30 people.

As we walked in through the throngs of people, I made an observation that the crowded was decidedly younger on average than we had imagined. I made an estimate that it was about 30% college kids ready to get drunk, 15% beer connoisseurs, 35% beer enthusiasts, and 10% local people just looking for a good time and something new to do. The other 10% were a peculiar and unexpected group of college students who were actually beer enthusiasts and the brought the rest of the college kids by basically telling them its a good way to get drunk. Now these are the kids who are helping to make the homebrew, microbrew scene grow larger and richer. This was to me the single most exciting fact of the entire day.

The following is a compilation of the notes that I took as neatly as I could throughout the day. the are shorter and less descriptive then I would like but here it is anyways.

Half Moon Restaurant and Brewery in Kokomo, Indiana

_Milf-n-Honey Wheat = enjoyable delicate honey/wheat balance of sweetness and hops

_Hazelnut Brown Ale = tasty, nutty flavor with brown sugar sweetness

Mad Anthony Brewing in Fort Wayne, Indiana

_Summer Daze Wheat = my only comment was blah or lack of flavor

_Good Karma IPA = good, well balanced ipa

Mishawaka Brewing Company at The Pub in Mishawaka, Indiana

_Raspberry Wheat Ale = tastes like a 6 year olds very berry spritzer

_Four Horseman Irish Ale = enjoyable

New Albanian brewing in New Albany, Indiana

_15-B Porter = expected

Oaken Barrel Brewing in Greenwood, Indiana

_Superfly IPA = thick hoppy initial kick but really nothing special

_Gnaw Bone Pale Ale = light hoppy bitterness with a medium enjoyability

Powerhouse Brewing in Columbus, Indiana

_Diesel Oil Stout - thick overly oiled stout

Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewing in Downtown Indianapolis

_American Dream IPA = surprisingly fruity and creative and it reminded me of the IPA that I had one time in an Atlanta airport by the Sweetwater Brewing Company.

_Indiana Replicale (Alt) = this is the beer that every brewer was supposed to make their version of. I'm not a big fan of alt beers which are similar to kolsch style beers even though they did make sense in the summer heat. I just think they are boring to try over and over and there isn't much you can do with them. No surprise I wrote typical for a comment.

Shoreline Brewery & Restaurant in Michigan City, Indiana

_Rillo Rye (American RyePA) = my note was too much rye flavor and overly thick which is upsetting because I was hoping for this to be unusual and appealing

_Beltaine Scottish Ale = not rememborable but I wrote that I could be a good session stout

Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis, Indiana

_Sun Light Cream Ale = not creamy or thick but mild in a good session ale type way

_ESB = tasty but very unoriginal

Shmaltz Brewing in New York (Coney Island brands) and San Francisco (He'Brew)

_He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's IPA = thick flavorful IPA with good maltiness and appealing lack of bitter aftertastes that was almost expected to balance the thick sweet mouthfeel

Stone Brewing in Escondido, California

_Old Guardian Barleywine = a decently mild barleywine which I usually don't have the palate to appreciate or enjoy

Hoppin' Frog in Akron, Ohio

_Cafe Porter = this beer wins for creativity because it was served in a beer tower that was filled with coffee beans, as the beer came through you could see the suds running through the beans and it really set the bar high for the beer but it delivered and everyone in line was raving about it, more so than any other beer in the entire fest

_Double IPA = typical IPA with no hints of flavor or depth in any way, basically just layers of hops

Rogue in Newport, Oregon

_Morimoto Soba Ale = it was different than the rest and reminded me of Sapporo and Japanese rice or noodles in terms of its hints of flavors and aromas, but I'm not sure that it wasn't influenced by the name of the beer itself

_Dry Hopped Red = the hops taste different as if they were fresher or crisper than non-dry hopped beers. It was kind of like a fresh vegetable crunch compared to a steam vegetable if that makes any kind of sense

Schlafly in St. Louis, Missouri

_Grand CRU = belgian double or triple feel with a heavy mouthfeel of banana nut bread

_weiss = light with a banana or hefeweizen feel

Random comments below:

_Dogfish Head Festina Peche = gross champagne

_Hell or High Watermelon = subtle and delicious watermelon flavor that works

_Sierra Nevada Local 1 = tastes like hefeweizen

_Sierra Nevada Local 2 = thicker and darker hefeweizen that has the appearance of a stout

_Rogue Dead Guy = carmel flavor

_Nintsu Triceratops = unbalanced and bitter aftertaste

My First Beerfest

2009-07-18T11:16:00.001-07:00

I'm about to leave for the 14th Annual Indiana Microbrewers Festival presented by the Brewers of Indiana Guild and World Class Beverages. Its in Opti Park near Broadripple from 3-7pm. Loook forward to some unique posts about it tomorrow morning because I will be taking notes since there are over 250 beers from 26 brewers.

Three Floyds Munsterfest

2009-07-16T16:27:00.001-07:00

This is Three Floyds version of an Octoberfest, but since they are out of Munster, Indiana the name is a little different. I have never seen it in draft form before even at Three Floyds, which surprised me and forced me to buy it.

It poured a very thick amber color almost like the stone that the mosquito was in in Jurassic Park. There was literally no head to the beer and a very light aroma of some hoppy characteristics. Th beer itself has a mild flavor without any exciting or intriguing notes. It is entirely enjoyable in a soothing way. It has a hints of an apple flavor throughout but not spicy green or red more of a subtle gala or fuji apple. Its light caramel malts are balanced with an even lighter hoppy finish that gives it a slight crispness which is also pleasing. I give this beer a 81 overall and it might have a little bias on that score because I'm from Munster but its still rather enjoyable.

I think it would pair well with a sweet sausage and pepper sandwich or a robust salad. I'm eating it with goat cheese and romesco sauce on toast points and it doesn't stand up well to the heat of the sauce well at all. I'm having this beer at dinner with my girlfriend at the Black Sparrow pub across from the courthouse in Lafayette, Indiana.

Shocktop Belgian White

2009-07-12T21:27:00.001-07:00

This is a Belgian Style wheat ale made by AnheuserBusch made in the mold of the more popular Blue Moon. Its a good summertime beer that is refreshing on a hot day.

The aroma is straight orange juice and not in a floral citrus aroma way it literally smells like 75% bud light and 25% O.J. Its very cloudy with a drab orange hue. It has a pleasantly thick mouthfeel with instant orange flavor and a touch of coriander and a light hint of cinnamon. It has a slight acidic balance that brings a nice balance to the sweetness but I want more bitterness out of the hops which are negligible. Overall its a good beer for a summertime, drink a pitcher with friends scenario but not one of my favorites. I'll give it a 74.

I'm drinking this with sven, keiper, and ball as charlie closes up at stax after a long day of cooking, packing, and driving to Purdue from Indy.

New Belgium Fat Tire

2009-07-11T17:03:00.001-07:00

This amber ale has an ABV of 5.2%. The brewery New Belgium is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is their flagship beer far and above any others but they also sell some other beers commercially. This beer came in the 22ounce bottle. Its named in honor of founder Jeff's mountain bike trip through European breweries where he thought of the recipe for the beer.

The aroma is a light toasty malt scent. It has a thick brown orange amber hue, and its pretty clear with no visible particles. There is a light mouthfeel with a biscuity flavor that represents the malts well. It finishes with a refreshingly clean crispness. I personally thought that this beer fell flat of overall deliciousness with nothing that really gave it an interesting appeal. It wasn't bad but definitely not special. This also could be a reaction of my body hating me for drinking after being hungover all morning or that I'm starting to think that I don't particularly enjoy biscuity amber ales but I guess time will tell.

I had this at Puccini's Smiling Teeth at their Geist location. It went well with the garlic cheese bread, but what doesn't. Its been a particularly miserable day and its been cooler because of the rain last night.

5 Beer Fleet

2009-07-11T15:54:00.001-07:00

We got a five beer fleet at chumley's in broadripple. I actually asked if - could try a few and the bartender was nice enough to let me pick any 5 that I wanted and he said he would make a "fleet" which is the first time that I've heard that word used. These are a little brief for what I would like and lacking much history, but it was nice to compare them against each other as well. We met another couple there, David and Chelsea, as well as some other friends later in the night.
Red Hook Sunrye - Starts with a citrus aroma but no fruit just banana hints earthy with a definite rye bread quality to end the taste in your mouth.

Goose Island Summertime - It smells like a basic american pilsner (bud light) and tastes similar with a light hop balance then has toffee overtones. Lighter than the sunrye with a thickish aftertaste of toffee.

Magic Hat Summer Wacko - It has a light aroma. Cherry, red apple, and an oaty maltiness to the overall thick fruity mouthfeel that leaves barely anything but a lil acidity behind on the tongue.

Loose Cannon - It smacks you in the face with hops. Orange undertones and leaves you with traces of vanilla and honey but an overwhelming hoppy mouthfeel and aftertaste with a heavy mouthfeel its not a coating feeling like some others but heavy.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute Ipa - A floral aroma leads to a surprisingly mocha and oaken flavor with a heavy mouthfeel and bitter hoppy finish that wasn't at first present, good balance up front of malts to balance the hops. Very impressed with this beer overall.

lawnmower blond ale.jpg

2009-07-10T16:55:00.001-07:00

This blond ale is made by the broadripple brewing company. it don't know much about it besides that, but the pub is very cozy with small rooms great beer and even better food. They also serve a lot of vegetarian dishes which was exciting for our party.

The aroma is very citrus with a slight banana flavor lingering. It had a very small thin head. It was very cloudy with no visibility and it had a bright yellow hue. You get the initial hit of citrus in the form of lemon and a hint of lime which is followed up by a strong banana mouthfeel. Its is absent of almost all acidity and is even light on carbonation, giving it an overly mild flavor and easy drinkability. This wasn't a very memorable beer but it wasn't bad either. I would give it a 72 on my recently started scale out of 100.

I'm drinking this while waiting for my food at the brewpub and sitting outside.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

2009-07-10T16:03:00.001-07:00

this flagship beer of the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company boasts the purest ingredients and the finest quality. Its brewed with no additives and traditional bottle-conditioning creating natural carbonation. It has an abv of 5.6%.

This beer has a light floral aroma with noticeable caramel notes. There is a small relatively thick head once poured and the hue is amber yellow with a high translucency. The flavor initially is of caramel, vanilla, and a light butteriness. It then becomes gradually more acidic but doesn't end too bitter.

I'm having this beer while waiting w kelley's parents for kelley to get ready for a dinner at a brewpub in the broadripple area of indianapolis. So expect some more posts from the pub later tonight. I also happened to catch 2 18inch largemouth bass earlier in the hot sun which made this cool refreshing pale ale that much better.

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Stone Cali - Belgie/Belgique IPA

2009-07-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

This beer is a California style IPA brewed with a Belgian yeast strain, hence the name. The words Belgie and Belgique are how the Dutch and French speaking populations of Belgium say the word "Belgian" respectively. It is also interesting that the maker, Stone, has labeled exactly half of the bottles as Cali-Belgie and the other half as Cali-Belgique as to not discriminate. This beer is only sold in the 1pint 6 ounce bottles with the characteristic brown see-through hue of Stone crafted beers. I'd also like to mention that this is one of my favorite microbreweries (at the top with Three Floyds in my hometown of Munster, IN) and that I am particularly intrigued by their "Vertical Epic" beer which has a cool mystique around the way that they brew it in terms of maturation dates, varying flavors, and back story in general, but I'll save that for another post.

Facts: 77 IBUs and 6.9% ABV first release in August 2008

The aroma of this beer is very herbaceous with emphasis on the abundance of hops that is to be expected as well as some citrusy notes of grapefuit and orange peel. There is little to no head on this beer which is also predictable of an IPA, which stands for India Pale Ale (origin of IPAs will also be told on another post). It pours with a very amber golden color with a medium to light body. The mouthfeel is on the light side with an absence of biscuity malts flavor and an overwhelming hoppiness highlighted with the orange rind and grapefruit citrusy bitterness that you expected following the aroma. It leaves the tongue with a light bitterness but more of a pine after taste, and it leaves the mouth salivating.

I am enjoying this beer with Kelley and her dad Kevin on their patio after a homemade veggie pizza dinner. We had a long day shopping for some new jeans for me as well as looking for a new book. It is a nice evening outdoors and this beer made my food taste even better. I would pair this beer with a savory snack or greasy, salty bar food. It went particularly well with our herb seasoned veggie pizza tonight.

BozBrew

2009-07-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

This beer is a homebrew that I made with the help of BevArt in Beverly, Illinois. It is a blond ale that they helped me to brew and bottle. It was actually a $150 class that I highly recommend that you can checkout on their website at bevart.com. Also a special thanks to Kelley for purchasing the class for me as a present on my 22nd birthday.

This unfiltered blond ale has very light aromatic head with citrus, banana, and a subtle nutmeg flavor. You can actually see the bottle fermented yeast at the bottom of the bottle. Once tasted it has a light body with an overly carbonated mouth feel. It is much more enjoyable to drink out of a glass than the bottle because of the carbonation that explodes into your mouth out of the bottle. The initial flavoring is a sharp citrus that is more of a lemon flavor than a fruity apple flavor. It is followed up by a subtle flavor of banana and nutmeg that form the body of the taste. It leaves a slight bitter flavor on the back of the tongue that isn't strong enough to be unpleasant, but it is definitely noticeable.

Since we brewed it together, I'm trying this beer at the Kelley's house after a long day of driving here from my house. We are watching "Chopped" on Bravo which is a random ingredient cooking show. Kelley particularly enjoys the light citrus flavors to balance the summer heat. I would pair this with a tangy teriyaki chicken or an asian salad.