Day 576: The Troegenator

Day 4 of Troegs Beer Week brings us the Troegenator!

It's a doublebock or alternately a doppelbock. What's that, you ask?

Bocks are relatively strong German lagers. Doppel- or doublebocks are even stronger. Double the bock. Get it? Generally they have a full body and are darker than a regular bock and have a higher ABV. Color ranges from dark amber to nearly black.

So why is there always a goat on the label? Based on a little Internet research...the bock style was a dark, malty, lightly hopped ale first brewed in the 14th century by German brewers in the town of Einbeck. The style was later adopted by Munich brewers in the 17th century and adapted to the new lager style of brewing. Due to their Bavarian accent, citizens of Munich pronounced "Einbeck" as "ein Bock" ("a billy goat"), and thus the beer became known as "bock". To this day, as a visual pun, a goat often appears on bock labels.

Now you know. So how was the Troegenator? It poured a beautiful mahogany color with a tan head. It smells boozy and resinous. It has a thick mouthfeel. The flavor is very malty...lots of caramel. I didn't think it tasted overly alcoholic but it definitely gave me that warm, fuzzy feel inside.

Beer stats

Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 8.2%
IBUs: 25
Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from TroegsPreviously reviewed from Troegs

His review of Scratch 95 (kolsch), pale ale, Nugget Nectar and Scratch 57 (weizenbock)
My review of Sunshine Pils. Also check out posts from this week on a number of Troegs beers. Why? Because it's Troegs Beer Week on Blog Named Brew!

Day 575: Troegs Hopback Amber

Taking this look back at all the great beer I had from Troegs makes me want to road trip to Hershey all over again!

This one is the Hopback amber ale--a flagship beer from Troegs. It's advertised as being packed full of whole hop flowers. Let me tell you that those whole hop flowers certainly do wonders for this beer. It has a fresh hoppy aroma. There's a great spiciness to the flavor and rich caramel notes throughout. It's everything it's advertised to be! I also noted a bit of black tea in it as well.

Beer stats
Style: Amber ale
ABV: 6%
IBUs: 55
Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from Troegs

His review of Scratch 95 (kolsch), pale ale, Nugget Nectar and Scratch 57 (weizenbock)
My review of Sunshine Pils. Also check out posts from this week on a number of Troegs beers. Why? Because it's Troegs Beer Week on Blog Named Brew!

Day 574: Troegs Pale Ale

Is it weird that my first instinct when seeing a beautiful flight of beers like this is to paint a room a new color? OK, I lie. My first instinct is nomz, nomz, nomz! Then I think about how pretty they are.

Honestly. Look at the one in the middle. Gorgeous!

Troegs Beer Week continues with a Pale Ale review. It poured a very crisp golden color with a minimal white head. It has a peppery hop aroma. The flavor is spicy and smooth. There's a full mouthfeel. After it sat for a bit, I picked up some grapefruit in the nose and noted it had a nice buttery feel.

A note on Troegs facility in Hershey (Pennsylvania). It is a fantastic place to hang out and imbibe. If you've ever been to Green Flash in San Diego, it's a lot like that. Just a chill vibe and a ton of great beer. Don't let Troegs claim to just have a "snack bar" deter you either. There's a great variety of food and it's quite good. The beer flights include six 4.5oz pours so you get a really solid sense of their beer.

Beer stats
Style: American pale ale
ABV: 5.4%
IBUs: 45
Rating: Good

Previously reviewed from TroegsPreviously reviewed from Troegs
His review of Scratch 95 * (kolsch), pale ale, Nugget Nectar and Scratch 57 (weizenbock)
My review of Sunshine Pils. Also check out posts from this week on a number of Troegs beers. Why? Because it's Troegs Beer Week on Blog Named Brew!

Day 573: Troegs DreamWeaver Wheat

Odd fact about me: I love a good Rube Goldberg machine. And this one is amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEBJmZL8G1E

I'm not sure what part is the best. The angry nerd domino effect? The chomping fish? Golf balls playing percussion? The entire thing is totally amazing. Seriously.

You know what else is amazing? Troegs beer. It's so amazing that I'm declaring it Troegs Beer Week on a Blog Named Brew!

Let's start with DreamWeaver Wheat.

So pretty.

DreamWeaver Wheat pours a hazy wet straw color with a thin white head. It didn't have a powerful aroma, which was a bit surprising. The flavor is creamy banana, peppery with a mild hop finish. It's brewed with wheat, Munich and Pilsner malts, German Northern Brewer hops and uses an open top fermentation. There's also a yeast strain that imparts a peppery, clove taste with a slight hint of banana. Dear Troegs, you got this one right!

I noted that it didn't have much of a head. Per Troegs' website, they recommend "rousing the yeast" at the bottom of the bottle and pouring it into the glass for a big frothy head. I guess that doesn't work when it's on draught.

Beer stats
Style: Wheat ale
ABV: 4.8%
IBUs: 15

Rating: Good

Previously reviewed from Troegs
His review of Scratch 95 * (kolsch), pale ale, Nugget Nectar and Scratch 57 (weizenbock)
My review of Sunshine Pils

* The Scratch Series is Troegs experimental line of beers. My advice to you is to try them out whenever you see them. I've had some amazing beers that were part of the Scratch Series. Unfortunately for you, I was drinking for fun and not stressing about reviews when I had them. I'll try to do better for you in the future!

Shout out to America!

Day #572 Infidel / Selkirk Abbey Brewing Company, Post Falls, ID
Previously from this brewery:  none; this beer is the first out the limo!

Happy Fourth of July to all of my friends out there!  I worked in the yard this morning, because that seems like a good American thing to do.  Personally, paying someone else to do the jobs we don't want to do sound pretty American as well... might have to call the guy who does my leaves to discuss additional yard work.  Rest of the day should be a lazy one here, although I'm sure the sound of fireworks in the distance and car alarms going off in my neighborhood will eventually break up any silence that I may find.

And really, if we're talking things that sound American, that list has to start with drinking craft beer made in the good old U.S. of A.  I stopped in to TJ's with a friend for a post work beer on Tuesday, and was pleasantly surprised to find a new brewery (new to me) on tap - Selkirk Abbey from Idaho.  This Belgian IPA has a light amber color with a thin, lingering head.  There's an aroma of gain and tangerine, and when you take a sip you get flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, light but earthy pine, with spice and yeast.  The finish is dry and bitter, but that's a good thing. Very interesting beer that I really enjoyed.  Not sure how a keg of this makes its way from Northern Idaho to the suburbs of Philadelphia, but I'm glad it did.

How you doin'?

This brewery started crafting beers in 1999, and from the pictures on their website, it seems like a fun place to hang out and drink beers.  As their abbey name implies, they specialize in Belgian style beers.  If I'm ever in Post Falls (stranger things have happened), I'm stopping in.

Thing to Think About Today:
With a name like Infidel, I want to drop some Che Guevara or Fidel Castro in this space.  However, it's the Fourth of July, so highlighting a Communist seems more than a small bit inappropriate.  Instead, I give you my absolutely favorite Fourth of July thing to think about: Ray Charles singing America the Beautiful.  Have I used that in this space before?  Yes.  To make up for that, I'll give you a different version than I used last year.  This version throws in a few guest stars for your watching/listening pleasure.  Happy birthday, America.  You still look pretty damn good for your age.  And to you, the reader, I hope your holiday is all smiles and sunshine and fireworks and glow sticks and dance parties and time well spent with loved ones. Enjoy and see you soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1GEpg0c1fw

Day 571: 5 Out of 5 from Tired Hands

I haven't taken an extraordinarily crappy photo like this one in quite awhile. It's almost like my camera knew this beer was going to knock me for a loop and gave me a drunken photo without actually being drunk yet. Hey, camera...thanks. Thanks a lot.

What is pictured in this terribly blurry photograph is the 5 Out of 5--a weird imperial stout from Tired Hands Brewing. Tired Hands is my happy place. Evidence is found in the "Previously Reviewed from" list below. We drink a lot of Tired Hands beer in our house.

5 Out of 5 is brewed with lots of malts, peanut butter, cacao, maple syrup, marshmallow, vanilla bean and One Village espresso. What, what?? 5 Out of 5 is brewed with malts, peanut butter, cacao, maple syrup, marshmallow, vanilla bean and One Village espresso.  What's more amazing is that almost each of these flavors presents itself in the best way possible.

First off, let's talk about the color. It pours nearly black as night in my glass. It had an amazingly thick deep tan head. It's smells rich, sweet and a bit chocolatey. The first sip stopped all four of us who ordered on dead in our tracks. Awkward glances were exchanged as we each tried to figure out what we were tasting. Is it chocolate? Maple syrup? Is that marshmallow? There's the vanilla. Ooh and the nutty flavor from the peanut butter.

Reviews were mixed but overall positive. 5 Out of 5 is a strong beer (10% ABV) with a lot of flavor. It's sweet but not syrupy. If you don't like a sweet beer, this is definitely not for you. But if you're up for a flavor adventure, this is one weird imperial stout that I highly recommend.

Beer stats
Style: Imperial stout
ABV: 10%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from Tired Hands

I'm dropping Vonnegut knowledge and a review of Bokonon

My review of Eye 4A Face, Tabel Printemps, Good, Good Things, Trois Enfants, Lil Lady
Gary's review of CuzCuz, Good, Good Things, Fripp, Pacific Jade, Fauna

Go West, Young Man

Beer #570 Hop Notch / Uinta Brewing Company, Salt Lake City, UT
Previously from this brewery: another Hop Notch, HooDoo, more HooDoo, Cockeyed Cooper, and more Cockeyed Cooper

Utah and the Western states have been on my mind recently.  Why?  Here's why:
1. Tonight's beer is a bottle of Hop Notch from Uinta, brewed in Utah.  More on this later.
2. I recently watched a travel program on the scenic Highway 12, which winds through majestic southern Utah.  The scenery was absolutely mind blowing, and I'd love to travel there some day.  Simply breathtaking.
3. I recently read an article on sbnation.com about an ultra marathon runner who attempted to break a record by climbing (also running) the summits of all 55 14,000+ peaks in Colorado.  His goal?  All 55 ascents in ten days.  TEN.  As someone who's run an ultra marathon on extremely flat ground very close to sea level, I can't even fathom the strength, will power, and ability to tolerate pain this effort must have taken, let alone when you throw in the rock climbing needed for some of the tougher peaks.  It's just insane, when you think about it.  For those who have never had the pleasure, 14,000 feet of elevation is VERY high up, with VERY little oxygen.  I've managed to summit one 14,000 foot peak, and I did that with the aid of a rental car and the highest paved road in North America. Although I did walk the last 100 feet to the summit, which greatly improved my self-esteem and relative sense of manhood.  Here's a picture from the view from Mount Evans, where to no one's surprise, you can basically see forever.

Pretty much eye level with very high clouds

With all of this Rocky Mountain-ness in mind, tonight's beer is an IPA that pours a clear amber color with a lingering white head.  There is plenty of pine and grapefruit in the aroma, and when you take a sip there is an earthy pine, with crisp lemon and grapefruit citrus.  The beer is dry, but not as bitter as the aroma might lead you to believe, although there's definitely a bitter finish that you expect from a good IPA.  This less-hops-than-expected thing is probably good, as I'm worried that my love of hoppy beers is permanently shifting my palate.

Not that scenic, but more delicious

Thing to Think About Today:
If mountains are clearly on my mind, then we'll go ahead and close out by thinking about hills.  Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel, in fact.  Good bye for another day, dear friends!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGaqmvIEyaI

"I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant."

Day 569: Tired Hands Lil Lady (2, Electric Boogaloo)

OK so the name of this beer from Tired Hands is not Lil Lady 2 Electric Boogaloo, but it totally should be. Why? Because this is the second iteration of Lil Lady that I've had and every movie sequel's subtitle in my book--thanks to Mr. Blog Named Brew--is Electric Boogaloo. If you don't get the reference, please see this IMDb site for more information.

Sometimes I just want to drink beer and not have to think about it so there isn't a review of the original Lil Lady. This one is made with Rooibos tea, wheat and honeybush tea. It's then fermented with Pennsylvania wildflower honey. It poured a very cloudy, deep orange-y tan color with a white head. The smell is very wheat-y and mild. The flavor is a little on the tart side, which I loved. It has an earthy flavor. There's some unripe fruit in there. The beer's description mentioned strawberries and I think that's pretty accurate. 

This is another excellent offering from Tired Hands and I highly recommend it. And if this doesn't sound like your kind of beer, go anyway because you are guaranteed to find one you love.

Beer stats

Style: Grisette

ABV: 5%

IBUs: Unknown

Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from Tired Hands

I'm dropping Vonnegut knowledge and a review of Bokonon

My review of Eye 4A Face, Tabel Printemps, Good, Good Things, Trois Enfants
Gary's review of CuzCuz, Good, Good Things, Fripp, Pacific Jade, Fauna

Holy cow, we drink a lot of beer from Tired Hands!

Down By the Sea

Day #568 Boardwalk Black Rye IPA / Karl Strauss Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
Previously from this brewery: a sampler review, Boardwalk Black Rye IPA, Big Barrel Double IPA, more Big Barrel Double IPA, Red Trolley Ale

It's another early morning post, because there's no better way to start your day than by thinking about beer. Well, I guess I can think of other ways, but beer is definitely a good way.  So, we kick off a (hopefully) relaxing Sunday with a review of Boardwalk Black Rye IPA from Karl Strauss. This bottle was a gift from a friend who made a road trip out to San Diego, and when you pour it in the glass you see a dark black color with an off white head.  Your nose is greeted by aromas of malt, rye, and spice, and when you drink it down you find a malt heavy beer, with a fair bit of toasting.  There's bitterness throughout, with good amounts of pine and lemon, and prominent rye spiciness.  I can sometimes not be a fan of the black IPA trend, as some breweries tend to overdo the toasting/roasting, but Karl Strauss definitely gets this one right.

Sunshine and beer

Karl Strauss has a brewpub outpost in La Jolla, CA that is across the street from a Brooks Brothers store. That's pretty much my dream neighborhood right there.  Sunshine + brewery + Brooks Brothers = AWESOME

Thing to Think About Today:
Curious... yesterday we were thinking about the beach, and now today's beer gets us thinking about the boardwalk.  The obvious thing to close out this post with is Under the Boardwalk by The Drifters.  I'm sure that was a romantic place in the 1950s, although now I'm fairly certain if you went under the boardwalk, you'd find actual drifters (not the band) or people selling meth.  I'd actually really avoid going there, if I were you.... be safe people.  Enjoy your Sunday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjD0Ne3CuaY

"On a blanket with my baby is where I'll be"

Dreams of Naps and Sand? Nice...

Day #567 Hopped Up 'N Horny / Horny Goat Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI
Previously from this brewery: none; this is the first!

It's a Saturday, the sun appears to be shining, it's the summertime.... and I can't seem to get much motivation to get moving today.  Dang.  I'm not typically a beach guy, but I sort of wish I was at the beach right now, with my feet in the sand, taking a little cat nap.  That way I could actually take advantage of the nice weather, yet still manage to catch up on sleep.  This beach idea seems like a solid plan, right?  Someone go to the beach and plant some trees, then string up a hammock for me, because it seems like a hammock sort of day.

You're not here to read about me and my desire to be at the beach, you're here for the beer.  I can fix that. Today's offering came from a beermail trade - a bottle of Hopped Up 'N Horny from Horny Goat Brewing Company.  This IPA pours with a clear gold color, and wispy white head.  Up front you get aromas of lemon and pine, and when you take a sip you get traditional pine and citrus, but there's a healthy malt balance in there that provides a touch of sweetness.  It might be hopped up and horny, but this is a mellow IPA that doesn't try to beat you over the head with hops.  Good find, and happy to add another new brewery to the list.  Speaking of the list, you do know that you can see the running list of all breweries that have found their way onto these pages by clicking the "Breweries Visited" link at the top of the page, right?

Beer was good. This picture isn't

Horny Goat's website doesn't really tell the story of where the brewery came from, but they do have a brew pub, and.... a marina?  Good news for those living the boat life.  I'll bring my yacht rock mix, you grab the Horny Goat beer.

Thing to Think About Today:
I have a dream of taking a nap on the beach today, this brewery owns a marina.... I guess that leaves us with the Beach Boys, because Wouldn't It Be Nice?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjFQ4JQqK_0

"You know its gonna make it that much better / When we can say goodnight and stay together"