Another Day, Another Brew

Having trouble getting this post together today. As was the case with many things throughout this Tuesday, everything seems like a chore.

Was hoping that the beer for today, the Southern Tier Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale, would serve as the pick-me-up I needed. While it was good, it simply extra ordinary. It had a medium body and was very drinkable. I think on a different day I would have enjoyed this a whole lot more so I won't hold that against this brew.

By the way: Phin and Matt are two of the founding brewers.

Something I did pick out about P&M was that it had somewhat of a 'doughy' taste. Had to have come from the grains that they used. This flavor helped to make this brew very smooth, but if there were just a slight bit more bitterness from the hops I would say the beer would have been more balanced. But hey, like I said, it was still good.

Southern Tier has quickly become one of my favorite brewers, and I actually have two others that I will be featuring over the next week or so. One of which is one of my all time favorites, and the other is a seasonal that I've yet to try. Very much looking forward to both!

Southern Tier
Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale
American Pale Ale
5.7% abv

Thrilla in Vanilla

If you know anything about me, you know how I feel about barbeque. Far and away it is my favorite food. In all honesty I tend to think of it as it's own food group. Grains, Fruits, Veggies, Dairy, Meat, Protien, BBQ. If you have ever visited me in ATL, then I have probably taken you to this little place called [Fox Bros Bar-B-Q], or as I like to call it, 'Heaven.'

So if you were me, and you found a local craft brewer that made a brew aged in whiskey barrels, along with smoked vanilla beans provided by said barbeque joint.... what would you do? You would absolutely buy it without even thinking for half a second about it. And that is exactly what I did with the Red Brick Vanilla Gorilla.


I've talked a little bit about Red Brick way back when I started this blog, but haven't featured them since. Biggest reason why is that I am not the biggest fan of their brews. They've got potential. And recently they started to capitalize on that potential with their 'Brick Mason' series. A little while back I had the [Red Brick Double IPA] and was pretty impressed. The Vanilla Gorilla is the second of three in this series. Just like the DIPA, this one delivers.

Here's what they say about their brew: "A smoked porter aged in Tennessee Whiskey Barrels with Smoked Vanilla Beans, courtesy of Fox Bros. BBQ in Atlanta. This porter was brewed with Cherry Wood Smoked malt." What's not to love about that? It is an intense beer, with a lot going on, but it is quite good. One of those brews that you can only really have one of, but you won't want more than that. Practically a meal on it's own.

I kind of messed up with this one because I didn't actually pour it into a glass. So I don't officially know what it looks like. The smell was great as this is where you get most of the vanilla. But as far as the color, I'll defer to what Red Brick says -- "Color: Nearly Black"


Red Brick Brewing
Vanilla Gorilla
Porter
7.8% abv

Change of Pace

I've decided to change things up slightly for the blog, in regards to when I post my updates. In an attempt to find my social life again I'm going to continue my normal posts on Monday through Thursday. Then on Sunday night I will recap the weekend that just past. I pretty much exclusively post in the evening, or later, and on Fridays and Saturdays it can be difficult to find a time to dedicate to the page. Plus, on most weekends I try more than one new brew so it will give me the chance to do multiple features in one post.

This weekend I had three different brews that could be categorized as 'every day beers'. They were good beers, but didn't go overboard in any way. It actually was a pleasant change of pace from the higher gravity, flavor intensive brews that I frequently have. Also to note -- I had each of these straight from the bottle so I don't really know what color they were, or how they looked in the glass.

The first brew was one out of Colorado, known as the Great Divide Denver Pale Ale. Very much enjoyed this one. Easy to drink, nice caramel malty flavor with a little bit of hops to balance. I could drink a 6er of these no problem, and enjoy every bit of it. It is labeled as an 'English Style' and you can definitely get that from the flavor profile. More malty than hoppy. This was the first brew I've had from Great Divide but it definitely won't be the last. Something that I admire about them is that they were established in 1997. 14 years ago may seem like a lot, but in reality I know that Colorado has a ton of craft breweries popping up and the fact that I see Great Divide all over the place in Atlanta, GA says something about the presence they have in the craft beer world. I even saw their brews at the large chain grocery store today.

Great Divide
Denver Pale Ale
English Pale Ale
5.4% abv

Next up was one I've seen a bunch of times and always wanted to try -- the Boulder Beer Hazed and Infused. The first smell I got from this reminded me a lot of the IPA's that we've been brewing up at home. Definitely could tell they dry-hopped the brew... besides the fact that they say so on the bottle. Dry-hopping is when you add hops to the beer, after the boil, as it ferments. What you get is all of the amazing aromas from the hops and almost none of the bitterness. If you smell a beer [like Hazed and Infused for example] and you smell citrus and flowers, that is the hops. And it's glorious. Overall I enjoyed this brew. Very crisp and clean with great aromatics.

Boulder Beer
Hazed and Infused
American Pale Ale
4.85% abv

Lastly I got to kind of go back in the day to right after I turned 21. I would every now and then get random 6ers from the grocery store, and one beer that I got was from Harpoon Brewery. I picked it up purely because I thought the name and label and were cool. It was the UFO Hefeweizen. From what I remember I really enjoyed this one back then. In a time when all I ever knew in the world of beer was whatever the keg was pouring that night, this beer that actually had 'flavor' would have been pretty amazing. This time around I was actually kind of disappointed. In a way this one kind of tasted a little more sour than I would have liked, instead of getting the yeasty and citrus taste I expected. However this could definitely be a good beer to try if you are looking to expand your horizon because it doesn't taste bad. If you see it, give 'er a go. But know that things can only get better from there.

Harpoon
UFO Hefeweizen
Hefeweizen
5% abv

"I gotta say, today was a good day"

There are some days that are just all around good days, much in the same way that there are some beers that are just all around good beers. Got to chalk one up for both of those things today. Finished out a better than average work day with a Rogue Mocha Porter.

This is another beer that is bringing me to the dark side. I really am surprised at how simple and well rounded this beer is. Wasn't sure what to expect when I opened it, maybe that it was going to be sweet but have that burnt/roasted flavor. Or maybe that it would be very heavy. That is not the case here.

I've talked about Rogue brews before and I'm starting to realize why they are everywhere when I find craft beers. Hell they've got 48 different brews listed on their site, which is pretty impressive. They've got practically every style covered, and I'm sure that nearly every single one is quality in a bottle.

The Mocha Porter has a bunch of stuff going on but in a really good way. You can taste the hops. You can taste the roasted malt. You can get a slight hint of creaminess at the very end. It's a very smooth beer that doesn't sit heavy. Wouldn't go as far as to say it's refreshing (like a light summer beer would be) but it is perfect for end of the day drinking. Also think this would be a really good brew to have with dinner. The Rogue site says to pair it with beef or desserts. I'd agree with that assessment.

Rogue
Mocha Porter
Porter
5.1% abv
"Dedicated to the Rogue in each of us"

Got the chance to have a very simple, delicious beer today. Have had it a few times before... always enjoying it. In fact when I went to the LHBS the guy said "Allagash doesn't do anything bad." Very true for today's beer, the Allagash White.

The last time I had this brew was right around the time I started this beer blog, and I paired this brew up against a reuben sandwich. It was fantastic. The sandwich, the beer, and the combo of the two. The best way to describe this beer is to call it a Blue Moon but wayyyy better. Its a Belgian White style brew that is very easy drinking.

I haven't had very many beers from this style before, but I can say that I've never really been disappointed. Another brew in this style that you might be familiar with is Hoegaarden, which I happen to find awesome. I don't really have much else to say about this one because its just simply good.

One thing to note, beer-wise, is that Belgian Whites are also known as 'witbiers'. I think terms like that are cool. Witbier. And the best part is that the W is actually pronounced like a V. So, vit-beer. It's fun to say.... try it. Just not out loud because people might look at you funny.

Allagash
White
Belgian White (Witbier)
5.0% abv
"Beer brewed with spices"

Work/Life Balance

There are some days when going offline early are necessary. Today is one of those days... and it was worth it. Biggest reason why? Wii Golf and brewskis.

To round out the weekend that just past, I gotta tell you about the two brews I had first. The one I had never heard of before, actually was recommended to my at the LHBS, and it was the Brew Dog Hardcore IPA; An imperial IPA from these guys over in the UK. After checking out what they were all about, I realized they were exactly what I want to be. Two guys, 24 years old starting out, and in 3-4 short years later they are leading the way of on the edge brews. They actually made a 32% brew called Tactical Nuclear Penguin. Ridiculous, I know. Anyways this Hardcore IPA had a ton of fruity flavors, as well as a syrupy/alcohol flavor to go along with it. Definitely not a beer you can drink a 6-er of, but still great tasting.

Next up was the beer-before-I-passed-out Founder's Pale Ale. Listed as a dry hopped pale ale and "a testament to Cascade hops in a bottle." I'd be disappointed if I didn't get that Cascade hops flavor that was promised to me... and luckily I wasn't. Cascade hops are used in most of the homebrews that get cooked up in my place so I've gotten a pretty good handle on how it tastes and effects the beer. I think that this brew is an excellent choice for an everyday drinking beer. A go-to at the end of the day, that you can find on shelves every day of the year. Not too aggressive with its flavor or bitterness.... most people should like this one.

Now that I've gotten those two out of the way, I can mention the beer for today: the Left Hand 400 Pound Monkey. It's an English Style IPA and has a much more malty flavor than the American counterpart. The hops are there but not as prominent, as the caramel malt takes up the majority of the taste profile. I want to say that "I think I like this beer." It's definitely different, but I'm not sold that I will enjoy the sweet maltiness on a regular basis. I would order this up at a restaurant again, yet only have one most likely.

In general I've come to realize that Founder's is one of my preferred breweries. Hailing from Michigan, just like Bell's, is making me believe that if a beer comes from the Mitten State I am pretty much going to like it. Maybe its the water up there?

Left Hand Brewing Co.
400 Pound Monkey
India Pale Ale
7.0% abv
"Brewed on the banks of the mighty St. Vrain"

Back to the Daily Grind

I am so close to things going back to 'normal' that I can practically taste it. Somehow I survived my trip home to Tallahassee. Now if I can only survive the pile of work I have to deal with this week then I will be home free.

The regular schedule of beverage drinking kind of got out of whack this weekend, thanks to a late night high-profile football game and the tailgate associated with it. I did, however, maintain my beer drinking ways all the way through tonight.

On Friday I briefly posted about the beer that I was going to drink later, the Southern Tier Pumking -- holy moly was it good. Perfect balance of spices, pumpkin, and yum. I actually had a 22 oz bomber of it so I shared with a few people. Unanimous consensus of deliciousness. I'm actually going to pick up another one, or two, to keep around for the holidays. It will be absolutely perfect with Thanksgiving dinner.

Saturday finally showed up, and if this were a blog about my personal life I would go on and on about everything Seminole football, but its not. Its about beer. With it being a special day I figured it would be a great day to dedicate to some of the homebrews that have been cooked up in my house for the past few months. Actually had 4 different brews that I enjoyed and shared with friends and random people throughout the day.

First up was the Black IPA that has been dubbed the Notorious I.P.A. First of two out of the 'hip hop series' that we've brewed, this is one that honestly could go places. First time brewing it and easily is the best one so far. Roasty, hint of chocolate, and finishes nice and hoppy like the IPA it is. Surprisingly this one came out very crisp and clean, with tons of flavor. Even though it is very dark (a little darker than a brown beer bottle), you can still see how clear it is. For sure we will be tinkering with this recipe and letting as many people as possible try it.

Next was the second track of the series; a west coast IPA that is aptly named 2Hop. Took a slightly different route when making this brew by only using two types of hops, and adding both of them for each hop addition during the brew. Overall I think it is a great starting point and is prototypical to the west coast style. It has a big finish of hop flavor that is both floral/aromatic and bitter. But definitely in a good way. The color came out great, and is the orange/brown/gold you'd expect to see. Great for tailgating  because it will pair well against spicy or aggressive flavored food.

Third in line was also the darkest one we've brewed up so far. It was an Oatmeal Stout that has yet to be named. Remember back when I wasn't the biggest fan of dark beers? That is rapidly changing. The stout still needs some time to get better with age, but it is still quite good. Very smooth and chocolately, not as burned-roasted that you can find sometimes. I think that using oatmeal helped to balance out some of that, and even give it a different type of sweetness you can't find with other grains. Not the best dark beer ever, but certainly a respectable first attempt.


Lastly was the tailgate brew: an amber ale we named the Gold'n Garnet Ale. A 3.8% abv brew that is easy to drink and still has flavor to it. I happen to really like this one, but did get some constructive feedback on how to make it better. The thing about this brew is that because it is low in alcohol you can have many of them over the course of the day and still be standing by the time kickoff rolls around. Because as you should know, the 12th man never sits.

Now that brings us to Sunday and Today. The two beers for these spots are the Brew Dog Hardcore IPA and the Founder's Dry Hopped Pale Ale. I want to do these two beers justice and give them a little more of an in depth post. Since I've already written a small novel I will defer until tomorrow. Both of these were really good beers, and the Founder's you can find almost anywhere on the eastern half of the US.

I sure know how to build the drama and make you come back for more, don't I?

Gameday Eve

Day 2 in Tallahassee. So far it's been like the quiet before the storm.

Only have a brief moment to post right now, and I haven't had my brew yet today. But its picked out and waiting for me in the fridge. Went to the LHBS here and simply asked the guy "Make a suggestion." He went with a seasonal beer form Southern Tier [one of my favorite breweries] and said that this particular brew is a highly prized one. It's the Imperial Pumking.


Another pumpkin brew to add to the list, but the season calls for it! In tomorrow's post I will let you know how this one turned out. Right now I'm headed to visit some long lost Seminoles!

Southern Tier
Imperial Pumking
Pumpkin Beer
9.0% abv

It's good to be back

Gotta do a quick update for today, because tonight will most likely be filled with celebrations and poor decisions. Mainly because I have arrived in my Home before my current Home: Tallahassee, FL.

First stop on the journey was to THE local spot for craft beer near campus, a place called Proof. If you happen to take a look at [ratebeer's Best Beer Bars 2011] you'll find that it is rated the #31 Beer Bar in the world. This place is chill as hell and a great escape from the hustle and bustle of frat parties and clubbing in Talla-nasty. 28 beers on tap, many many more in bottle, and full liquor bar. No Bud Light.

The beer I got to taste for today is Stone's 15th Anniversary brew, which is an Imperial Black IPA. Having just brewed up a beer of the same style I am rather critical of this one. Honestly, I think I made a better one.... but the Stone version is still quite delicious. The hop flavor from the 'ipa part' of the beer is spot on, but there is something left to be desired from the 'darker beer part'. I would prefer it to be more chocolately, instead of more burnt/roasted.

I can go on and on about this beer, but the Stone site has listed a really great write up about this brew since it is a part of their [Anniversary series.] Give it a read if you have the time. You'll have to find a specialty craft beer store to pick this one up, unless you can find it at a beer bar like Proof.


Also to note --- if you ever travel to Tallahassee, visit this bar.

Stone Brewing
15th Anniversary
Imperial Black IPA
10.5% abv

It's good to be back

Gotta do a quick update for today, because tonight will most likely be filled with celebrations and poor decisions. Mainly because I have arrived in my Home before my current Home: Tallahassee, FL.


First stop on the journey was to THE local spot for craft beer near campus, a place called Proof. If you happen to take a look at [ratebeer's Best Beer Bars 2011] you'll find that it is rated the #31 Beer Bar in the world. This place is chill as hell and a great escape from the hustle and bustle of frat parties and clubbing in Talla-nasty. 28 beers on tap, many many more in bottle, and full liquor bar. No Bud Light.

The beer I got to taste for today is Stone's 15th Anniversary brew, which is an Imperial Black IPA. Having just brewed up a beer of the same style I am rather critical of this one. Honestly, I think I made a better one.... but the Stone version is still quite delicious. The hop flavor from the 'ipa part' of the beer is spot on, but there is something left to be desired from the 'darker beer part'. I would prefer it to be more chocolately, instead of more burnt/roasted.

I can go on and on about this beer, but the Stone site has listed a really great write up about this brew since it is a part of their [Anniversary series.] Give it a read if you have the time. You'll have to find a specialty craft beer store to pick this one up, unless you can find it at a beer bar like

Who's that guy with dashing good looks?

Been super busy today on a day-travel-trip for work, and gotta be up early again for the same trip once more.

Had a Bell's Oberon today for lunch to keep the streak alive, and want to put in a more in depth post for it later because it is my downright favorite summertime brew. Going to be really sorry to see it go until next season!

To quote: "Bell's Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell's signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer."

If you happen to see it at your local grocer grab a six/twelve pack of it and reminisce in the memories from this past Summer!

Bell's
Oberon
Wheat Ale
5.8% abv

Gotta get back to Wii Golf...

"Ummm. Welp, it's heavy. It's gotta heavy weight to it. It has an interesting top note flavor... I'm trying to get that first taste thing you're talking about. Now that I heard that 'barnyard' flavor I can kind of see that. Period. But I'm going to pretend I didn't hear the barnyard flavor description because I want to enjoy this beer.


Surprisingly this beer is smooth with the carbonation effect. It's not thin, but it's not watery, or light and stupid. It's got a pretty even mass or balance or whatever you would call that. It's got a wonderful color... a deep, lovely... oh what would you call this, AMBER! Amber color. Uhh...

Brooklyn should be proud."

Guest post via ~HCK

Brooklyn Beer
Oktoberfest
Marzen
5.5% abv

Back from Hiatus

I know I know, I've gotten very lax with timely and daily posts. But don't think that doesn't mean I've been beer-less the past few days. In all honesty I needed a couple of mental vacation days. [Don't we all?]

It's actually been a weekend of really good brews. Since Friday I have had a beer with dinner, brewed beer, got a recommendation for a beer, had an unknown beer, and tried a second attempt of a new beer style. It was pretty awesome. Oh yea, and I drank beer while watching a lot of football.... kind of like I am doing right now.

First up was the Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard. Had this one at a Atlanta landmark, famously known as "The Vortex." Legendary for their off-the-wall-amazing burgers, they offer up a great selection of craft beers. I had to pick a brew that would be able to stand up to the 'Elvis Burger' that I got, and the Oaked Arrogant Bastard did just that. It was aggressive, but still smooth. Very hoppy in the beginning but the sweetness really helped to mellow it out. Full of flavor. And it really needed to be in order to combat a burger with peanut butter, fried bananas, and bacon....


Stone Brewing Co.
Oaked Arrogant Bastard
American Strong Ale
7.2% abv


Saturday was [obviously] a day of football. Had a few people over later to sample some of the homebrews we've got, as well as some other random craft brews. One of which I had picked up earlier at the LHBS. It came in a ceramic bottle with a grolsch style top... just like an old school milk bottle. Which is fitting because it was a brew from Rogue that commemorated 75 years of the Rouge Creamery. [They make cheese.] As best I can tell the cheesemongers are separate from the brewers, but share the name. This brew was a cream/milk stout and was incredibly smooth. Definitive chocolate flavors, and subtle smokiness. It poured with almost no head and everyone really really enjoyed it. Even those who aren't big fans of dark beers. Pretty sure I remember someone saying they "could tell this is a good beer." Good meaning 'quality'.

Rogue
Rogue Creamery
Milk Stout
7.6% abv
(ratebeer.com listed this as an American Strong Ale, but I call BS)

Sunday finally showed up, and was nothing more than an R&R day. Weather finally started to feel like the Fall and I accompanied it with a a beer specifically for the season. Attempt #2 for the pumpkin beers went to the Terrapin Pumpkinfest. It was much more subdued than the double-pumpkin brew I had a little while back, and I very much appreciated it. I love pumpkin. Especially pumpkin pie. Terrapin's version was mild enough, yet very definitive in the taste of the season. After tasting this one I will for sure be venturing deeper into the world of pumpkin brews over the next few months. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a pumpkin beer? Sounds like heaven to me.

Terrapin Beer Company
Pumpkinfest
Spice/Vegetable Ale
6.1% abv

Finally we end up with the actual beer du jour. Last week I had this beer from a Danish(?) brewer [from Denmark]. It was a collab from ToOl and Mikkeller. The beer for today is again a collaboration from Mikkeller, and this time it is with Brew Dog, from Scotland. It is called I Beat yoU, an obvious play on the term 'IBU' -- or International Bitterness Units. It's basically a measure for beer and how much bitterness it has. The bitter flavor comes from the acids in the hops during the boil. Different hops have different acids [alpha and beta acids] and depending on which type they have, and how long they're boiled for, will greatly effect the bitterness and aroma in your beer. With my second taste of a beer that Mikkeller had their hands on I am yet again impressed. Smooth, citrusy, crisp and balanced. The I Beat yoU is an Imperial IPA that comes out at a whopping 9.75% abv. Normally you can really taste the alcohol the higher level brews, but this one isn't overpowering. I could have like 3 of these and be toasted, and satisfied.

Mikkeller
I Beat yoU
Imperial IPA
9.75% abv

Overall I'm very happy with the brews I got to have over the past few days. And now that I've somewhat recharged I will hopefully be able to get back into the groove of daily posts. Need to reset my daily rhythm and I'll be good to go.

Uninspired

Cricket Hill East Coast Lager.

That's what I'm drinking right now. And have been for the past 45 minutes, and I'm only about 20% finished. When I picked it up from the LHBS I was asked if I had ever had any of their brews before. Probably should've headed the warning.

This beer doesn't taste bad. But I sure as shit don't like it. For the better part of an hour I've been staring at this page trying to figure out what to write. What I decided is that I'm actually just mad at this beer. Over the past few days I have had the luck of enjoying really delicious brews. Today, not so much.

I don't even want to continue this because of how upset I am. All you really need to know is that this lager is more like a debbie downer.

Good night.

Cricket Hill
East Coast Lager
Lager
4.2% abv



(btw, wtf is that beer doing foaming up like that?!)

To the point.

I drank this beer tonight:

It's a Monday Night Eye Patch Ale. Quite delicious, so go try it if you are in Atlanta.

That's all you're getting tonight because I am flat out exhausted and about 3 minutes away from passing out.

Monday Night Brewing
Eye Patch Ale
India Pale Ale
6.2% abv
mondaynightbrewing.com

Per Recommendation

The beer for today came from a random recommendation at the LHBS. Wasn't even there to get anything and spent like $40 on an assortment of brews. Go figure.


This one is a collaboration from two breweries in Denmark -- To Øl and Mikkeller. It's called Over All. I did some Excel work to figure out that Mikkeller has an average of 90.87 on Overall score on [ratebeer.com]. Impressive. But even more so when you consider that I averaged 234 beers.


The Over All [or possibly Overall] is an Imperial IPA done in the American IPA style as a tip o' the hat to the beers we put out on this side of the pond. I was really surprised blown away by this beer. I did not expect what I was tasting. This beer is freaking delicious. After doing some research I found a few websites in a language that my Google Chrome browser had to translate for me. This gave me the idea to actually use the text provided (translated version) for today's post. They do an awesome job of telling you about their breweries and this beer, so I want to use their somewhat choppily-translated words.



So here ya go:


About Mikkeller --
Mikkeller brewery's success is due to focus on creating boundaries beer where quality always comes before quantity. In short, uncompromising beer, where the borders of alcohol, hops and bitterness volumes do not exist. Some of them are made in collaboration with some of the world's best breweries. Mikkeller is possibly the most productive brewery in the world. Alone in 2010 launched Mikkeller 76 new beers.


About To Øl --
In 2005 Tobias Emil Jensen and Tore Gynther were sitting at their old college talking to their teacher Mikkel Borg Bjergsø (Mikkeller) about it being a shame, that most Danish breweries was scrambling to describe how their beers had been brewed for over 100 years, rather than focusing on the actual taste and content of the beer (as if a stale lager ever has become less nauseous by the fact that it has been brewed for over 100 years!?) The three of them agreed that the only way to ensure the quality was to brew the beers themselves. So they did. Soon they were allowed to borrow the schools' kitchen during the schools' closing hours and they began to brew. This meant however that most of the brews were made? between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am on weekdays, which resulted in some hard school days for both the two pupils and their teacher, but the hunt for quality and potent beers had begun and a concept of never making compromises with the quality was founded.


About Over All (the beer) --
Overall IIPA is - as the name denotes - an Imperial India Pale Ale created in close collaboration between To Øl and our good friends from Mikkeller. The mission was to create a hommage to the American beerculture, where beers needs to have flavour, taste and style, contrary to the urine-colored pseudo beer that we often drink in Denmark!
By first draught Overall IIPA has a sligthly caramelized malt profile, which gives you time to rest before your tastebuds are bombarded by a plethora of hop sensations, giving you hints of pines, citrus and grape. These are just barely harnessed by the sweetness of the alcohol. You suddenly realise that Overall IIPA is "overall" in your mouth and that drinking is living. For a short while you forget your tax-payments, work and the dishes. You relax and your shoulders drop down a couple of inches. You get carried away in a dream before you realise that your glass is empty and you need another one! Cheers!

Just in time...

Another last minute post, but this one has good reason. I've been busy this evening. Trying to survive the Tropical Storm remnants [aka a little bit of rain] and getting ready for the week ahead. Both good reasons to drink a beer before calling it a night.

Right now I'm sipping on Magic Hat's take on a hefeweizen... the Circus Boy. Finally got to use this glass that I've been waiting to use for practically forever, so that's pretty exciting. And the light refreshing hefe is equally so. This one honestly tastes just how it looks: crisp, lemony, and light. It isn't too 'out there' like other hefeweizens I've tried. Circus Boy brings in a drinkable aspect to a style that I tend to believe most causal beer drinkers don't like. Usually you find that the 'yeasty' taste in hefes have. This one is balanced out by the lemon flavors that accompany it, and it is quite refreshing.

I tried to look into Magic Hat to find something interesting to comment on for this post. In general they have an awesome [website]. But I coudn't find anything that really peaked my interest to dig into further for this post. I do like how they have recipes that use each of their beers. I'll be checking those out at some point and possibly doing a meal/beer post with one of them.

As a matter of fact, that sounds like an awesome idea.

OK, I am going to do that sometime soon. I'll make a trip to the LHBS and scout out what recipes I can make with what is available. Afterwards I can report back to y'all. Maybe I will invite you to the dinner as well. [Or maybe not...]

Magic Hat
Circus Boy
Hefeweizen
4.4% abv
"Unfiltered and Unfettered"

Yesterday, take two.

Life has been a little off the wall lately here on this side of the the blog. It's like every day has something new that demands effort and attention. Hopefully things will damper out over the next few days and weeks, because I've got some really really delicious brews to feature.

Over the last two day's I got the chance to have one local brew that is a collaboration with a charity, and one from a brewery that is highly regarded and brand new to Georgia package store shelves. Mentioned yesterday, the SweetWater Crank Tank Rye'd Ale and Cigar City Jai Alai India Pale Ale are two excellent beers that could very well find regular rotation in my fridge.

The Crank Tank is a Rye ale that was brewed up to benefit [Camp Twin Lakes], which is "a nonprofit organization offering recreational, therapeutic, and educational programs for children & young adults facing serious illnesses, disabilities & other life challenges." A good friend of mine had the opportunity to work with this group and had nothing but amazing things to say about what they do. When I heard that SweetWater was doing a 'collab' with them I couldn't help but be intrigued. The event they put on is called [Spin For Kids] and is a series of bike rides of 5, 27, 47, 62, and 100-mile distances. Take the time to check out their page because this is a great cause that really does a lot for the community. Not only that but the beer is really good. Deep golden color, with a bold rye flavor. Ever had rye bread? This is the beer equivalent. Although it is a less common style among most beers, this is a great change of pace from the norm.

In addition I got the chance to have a beer that I've only heard about until recently. And everything I heard was good. Cigar City Brewing comes up regularly on [ratebeer] when you look up the top brews by style. Only problem for me was that they were almost exclusively in Florida. (Also in Philly and NY). The brewery is located in Tampa, FL and has a great theme that runs through their branding efforts. Tampa has a history rich with Spanish exploration that eventually led to a prominent cigar industry. The close proximity to Cuba had a big roll in this as well. You can find a brief history of beer brewing in Florida on the [Cigar City site] which proves to be an interesting read.

The beer itself is actually very good. You get a ton of different fruity flavors from the types of hops they use. They do a great job of balancing things out with a caramel malt profile and some grains that give you a hint of sweet bread. I'm very excited that they have been able to branch out of Florida to a place that I can get their beers. For sure I'll be taking the opportunity to see what else they bring to the table.


As promised yesterday I will be still doing a post for 'today'. Got some things to attend to first but when I get back later this evening it's on. Stay tuned!

It was bound to happen

So, turns out that among all of the festivities yesterday I ended up forgetting to get my beer post for the day. Whoops. It was a long and busy day, though. And I actually did drink a beer. [Ok, maybe more than one.] The biggest reason for the absence of the post was that it was Gameday.


To be honest, after a day filled with friends, football, and festivities... I am completely drained. To make up for yesterday I will be drinking two different beers today. The first of which is the SweetWater Crank Tank Rye'd Ale, and the other is Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai India Pale Ale.

Both of these deserve in depth posts, but my creativity is at an all time low right now. I'm going to get them up here in the morning, and then do an additional post in the afternoon for tomorrow's brew.

SweetWater
Crank Tank
Rye Pale Ale
6.2% abv

Cigar City
Jai Alai India Pale Ale
India Pale Ale
7.5% abv

Monumental Occasion

I guess things work out for a reason. Yesterday's Bell's beer had to be postponed, but it turns out that the Universe may have wanted me to drink a commemorative brew on a commemorative day. Literally minutes ago another Yabo was born into the world! And as things would turn out, I am drinking a Bell's Batch 10,000 Ale to celebrate the occasion.

I've been on the phone with the family for a while now, and will be getting back to it shortly, but I needed to step away to put up something for today.

The important thing you need to know about this beer is that it officially ends the 'Batch Series' that Bell's has put out. At different times they did a "X,000" batch, but I'm not sure exactly which ones they made. What I love about this beer is the ingredients that were used. For the most part a typical beer will have 1-4 types of grains and hops (each) that are used. Batch 10,000 puts those amounts to shame...

This beer uses [101 grains/fermentables, 58 kettle hops, and 32 dry hops varieties.] Basically they use every possible grain and hop out there. And this beer is intense. I doubt that there is a more complex beer out there.

I gotta leave the post there, but rightfully so. It's time to celebrate life! Congratulations to my Aunt & Uncle, and 'Welcome!' to the newest member of the family!

Bell's
Batch 10,000
American Strong Ale
9.2% abv
"Shelf Life:  Unlimited"

Marked on my calendar

Today is a holiday. And therefore I cannot completely devote this post to only a beer. It would not be right. Today is a day that I've been waiting for since it became 2011. The last time I was as excited as I am today I was in a parking lot singing "Auld Lang Sine" and breaking champagne bottles after the glorious victory witnessed at the Georgia Dome on New Year's Eve. Today has been a long time coming, and is merely a taste of the main course coming on Saturday.

Today is the day that College Football starts again.

Thanks to a rather cool dude of a roommate that I have, I was able to head over to the Georgia Tech homeopener against Western Carolina. Got there a little late and the score was 28-0. Don't worry though, the Catamounts did stage a slight comeback to bring the score to 42-21 at the half.

On the other hand, my #6 ranked Florida State Seminoles did face the W. Carolina Catamounts in the 2008 home opener. They, however, won 69-0.

In addition to the importance of today, I actually did drink a beer. And a delicious one at that. I was going to do the final installment of my Bell's week, but last minute circumstances led to a change of plans. Instead, I've got the Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA. and lucky for me it came in a larger-than-normal glass...

I'm flying blind on my description of this brew, but it tastes very much like a west coast IPA. It seems to have the same flavor profile of other Sierra Nevadas, but with a full on IPA attitude. Good hoppiness, malts and bitterness are balanced. Overall a solid brew.

Since this post is from my phone, and my thumbs hurt, I'll conclude for today. Just know that there are many more football references to come over the next 4 months.

Good times, Go Noles.

Sierra Nevada
Torpedo IPA
India Pale Ale
6.8% abv