Day 627: Dogfish Head Chicory Stout

I can't encounter the word chicory without thinking about the time Gary got hickory smoked at a winery outside Nashville. Who could resist views like this, a couple of bottles of wine and a block of cheese? Definitely not us!

If you lean closely, you can still smell the hickory.

Hickory, chicory, here's my segue...

Let's talk Dogfish Head Chicory Stout. It's brewed with roasted chicory and organic Mexican coffee. The label tell me that it's "Goodness beneath a bone white head." It is a very, very deep, dark brown...nearly black color with a tan head. It smells of sweet chocolate and wood and rich coffee beans. The flavor reminds me of cold coffee. There are hints of cola, a touch of wood. It drinks with a thin mouthfeel.

As it warmed a bit and I got closer to the bottom of my glass, it's characteristics changed slightly. First some burnt coffee flavors were becoming more dominant. After a few more sips, the chocolate flavor took over. This is a complex beer that will keep you thinking about exactly what you're drinking.

Beer stats
Style: Stout
ABV: 5.2%
IBUs: 21
Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from Dogfish Head
Mr. Blog Named Brew's review of the 60 Minute IPA
My review of Raison d'Etre

Day 456: Twin Lakes Brewing

The beer of the day is Greenville Pale Ale from Twin Lakes Brewing Company in Greenville, Delaware. I had it onsite at the brewery during a day of tomfoolery and beer in Delaware back in January. The brewery tour given by Ken--and I would be remiss if I didn't mention his enthusiastic and incredibly helpful wife Kathy--was one of the best tours I've ever been on. The brewery is a tiny operation on a historic property in Delaware, but the tour last about two hours and I wasn't bored for a moment on it.

Honestly if it lasted any longer, I'm pretty sure Mr. Blog Named Brew would have scrubbed in and started operating the canning line!

And you have to love a tour that include an ever flowing supply of beer samples.

The Greenville Pale Ale poured a light shade of copper with a wispy off white head that quickly disappeared.

The smell is nice and light with some mildly fruity hops. It drinks with a nice, full mouthfeel. It's brewed with whole flower Cascade hops and American two-row barley malt. It has a good balance between the malts and hops and the finish leaves you with a great pine hoppiness. This is an incredibly easy to drink beer. If you ever encounter it, I recommend you try it.

Beer stats
Style: American pale ale
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: 52
Rating: Good

Previously reviewed from Twin Lakes
Two reviews from the Mr., Greenville Pale Ale and Caesar Rodney Golden Ale

Day 434: Argilla, a Nanobrewer

I've written a lot about craft brewers in the past year or so. I've also had a few macrobrews sneak in along the way. I've written about gypsy brewers, collaboration brewers. But I'm pretty sure I haven't struck upon a nanobrewer until a now.

We did a Delaware beer tour in January and today's beer was the last stop on the journey. Gary wrote about the first stop on the tour here with his review of Twin Lakes.  I promise you that this beer tour review will be as disjointed as the Chester County Beer tour, which is summed up here.  

Argilla Brewing Company at Pietro's Pizza is located in Newark (Delaware). It started off as strictly pizza and was located in a few places before settling in its current location. The owners combined their love of homebrewing hand crafted beer with their love and pizza and Argilla was born. They have a 1.5 barrel brewery onsite and claim to bee the smallest brewery in the state of Delaware.

I opted for the D'OhPal--a Belgian style dubbel. It was billed as ruby colored with nice fruity esters.

 (photo is currently MIA)

It poured opaque and not so much ruby-hued as cola. There was very little to no head. It had a mild spice aroma. The mouthfeel was thin and it was a bit watery overall. It tasted of rich dark fruit but was lacking in depth. It was a decent drink but was lacking in richness.

Beer stats
Style: Belgian style dubbel
ABV: 6.5%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Average

Previously reviewed from Argilla
This is the first beer from Delaware's smallest brewery!

Love, Beer, and Sex Mix Songs

Day #431 Greenville Pale Ale / Twin Lakes Brewing Company, Greenville, DE
Previously from this brewery: My take on Ceasar Rodney Golden Ale

Happy day before Valentine's Day!  Or, the day most guys finally realize, "Shit, I better start to think about getting my wife/girlfriend something for tomorrow."  Look, I agree with people who say that Valentine's Day is a made-up holiday to sell cards and chocolate and horrendously over priced flowers.  It is, and there's no denying that fact.  However, the sentiment IS important, and in fact so important that you shouldn't wait for one day per year to show your appreciation.  If you care about someone, you should tell them this more often than you probably do, and make sure to do nice things for each other more frequently than you might otherwise consider.  Hopefully you're spending your tomorrow with someone very special to you.  I certainly will be!

So, to set the stage for tomorrow, I recommend relaxing tonight with a beer.  Today's review is the Greenville Pale Ale from Twin Lakes in Delaware.   This beer is a clear, golden amber color with a persistent white head.  The aroma is a fragrant mix of citrus and hops, and when you take a sip, there's a good bit of bitterness right up front, with light pine and a lemony citrus. You also get a nice, dry, even finish.  This isn't an overpowering beer, because there's enough malt to balance things out.  Easy drinking, and best drank FOR FREE on their tour.

Gary is INDEED my nizzle

What's this?  FREE?  Yes, Twin Lakes has an awesome tour on the weekends, where you get to snack on cheese and honey, taste some free samples, and learn about the brewery and their process.  Truly the highlight of the tour was when our guide called up the tasting room to have more pitchers brought down so we can fill up mid-tour.... multiple times.  Now that's some awesome customer service you don't find on your average brewery tour!  Much like my trip to Real Ale Brewing, this is a tour you experience from the heart of the brewery, not some observation area removed from the equipment.  You're stepping over hoses, ducking under pipes, and meandering through tanks for the entire trip.  However, well worth it - and not just because of the free flowing beer (although that certainly doesn't hurt).

I'm pretty much in the equipment at this point on the tour

They've ramped up their canning efforts, so readers in the greater Philly area should be seeing more of this beer on shelves in 2013.  If Ken and Kathy are working the tasting room/tour, you'll be in good hands!

Thing to Think About Today:
Last Valentine's Day, I dropped maybe the greatest sex mix song of all time, Let's Get It On by the legendary Marvin Gaye.  Hard to follow that one, but in the spirit of Valentine's Day and everyone's romantic plans, allow me to present Sexual Healing, perhaps the second greatest sex mix song of all time.  Happy pre-Valentine's Day, my lovelies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdHhxxrH6pU

"If you don't know the thing you're dealing / Ohhh, I can tell you darling - that it's sexual healing"

Beers and Balloons

Beer #309 60 Minute IPA / Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE

And so ends another weekend, as Sunday slips quietly away and Monday looms around the corner, like a schoolyard bully.  I did get to enjoy some beautiful fall weather, and managed to get some shopping done - trip to Pinocchio's in Media resulted in another 14 beers for the blog.  You'll hear about them all soon enough, assuming I can find room for all of them in the fridge.  Which is becoming a challenge.

The beer of choice on this beautiful fall afternoon is the 60 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head Brewery.  This beer has a clear copper color with a lingering white head.  Your nose picks up a subtle pine aroma with some caramel sweetness, and the taste gives you a balance of hops and malt, with pine, lemon, and a hint of sweetness along with earthy, dry notes.  Dogfish has long been at the forefront of experimenting with unique ingredients, different brewing techniques, and unusual styles.  They've become one of the leaders in the world of craft beer, having won countless awards for their inventions.  This IPA may be the most "normal" beer they produce in their universe of spiced ales, fruit beers, and beers from ancient recipes.  Which is why it pains me to say that this is..... a good beer, but not the most spectacular IPA I've sampled this year.  Tasty, but nothing that would merit Top 25 conversation.  Yes, the 90 Minute and 120 Minute might have been better choices to sample, but I'll leave that for another day.

The always awesome pic from the phone

In case you were wondering, the name of this beer comes from the fact there are sixty additions of hops completed in a sixty minute boil.  Dogfish opened their doors in 1995 as a brewpub, and have since expanded their brewery operations to help meet an incredibly growing demand.

Thing to Think About Today:
I could make some cute reference to dogs or fish or whatever and tie in a movie clip or song or something entertaining.  But today, I'm not sure what else could entertain you quite like a man piloting a balloon (to be fair, more of a space craft than what you find at the county fair) to a height of 128,000 feet into the atmosphere (Your Southwest flight cruises at about 34,000 feet), opening the door, climbing onto a ledge, and then jumping out into the void.

Nine minutes of falling/parachuting later, Baumgartner and his Red Bull Stratos project team earned world records for the highest balloon flight and for being the first free-falling person to break the sound barrier.  I've been watching the this clip over and over again, mesmerized.  Partially at the genius it takes to orchestrate and engineer a feat like this, and partially at the courage it must take to lift yourself 24 miles above the earth, hoisted by a balloon that was thinner than a plastic sandwich bag.  I'm not sure how this will help advance science, but it will.  Things like this always do, and that is what makes them both amazing and awe inspiring.

You sir, have earned many, many beers.

Patriots vs. Texans

Beer #275 Caesar Rodney Golden Ale / Twin Lakes Brewing Company, Greenville, DE

Today is a hustle day, so I'm diving right into the beer.  For your reading pleasure, may I present the Caesar Rodney Golden Ale from Twin Lakes Brewing Company.  This beer was on draft at Whole Foods, so I brought home a growler.  In the glass you see a dark gold color with a fluffy white head.  The aroma is light, with grain and grass.  The taste is an earthy mix of grain and malt, with notes of bread and some light citrus and a dry finish.  This beer is easy drinking, with an agreeable 5.5% ABV.  I'm thinking this might be a good call at an early season tailgate.

Hail, Caesar!

Unless you live in Delaware, and possibly even if you do live in Delaware, you may not be aware of who this beer is named for.  I can help.  Caesar Rodney was a lawyer, politician, and military officer in the late 1700's.  He served as President of Delaware (sort of like Governor), and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  The state quarter for Delaware has a man on a horse on the back - that's Caesar Rodney.  Now you know.

Thing to Think About Today:
To continue with the theme I started yesterday, let's take a moment to think about another great football movie, Varsity Blues.  This movie tells the story of high school football in Texas, where the game is more of a religion than a sport.  A win-at-all-costs coach is forced to turn to his backup quarterback Jonathan Moxon, played by James Van Der Beek, after his star QB gets injured - because he made the kid play hurt.  Mox must now deal with his new found fame, his utter lack of respect for the coach, and Ali Larter wearing nothing but whipped cream in order to still come out ahead in the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSnkWiacUW4

"I DON'T WANT YOUR LIFE!"

Already Looking Ahead...

Beer # 255 Helles Lager / Fordham Brewing Company, Dover, DE

We're just shy of 70% of the way through our beer adventure, and still trucking along.  I'm already gearing up for next week, as it's going to be a banner week - if you don't follow along every day (and you should, but whatever), make sure to check back in starting on Sunday.  Why?  Because I'm firing up "back to school" week here in my corner of BlogNamedBrew.  No, I won't be drinking any beers which are/were popular with the beer pong set, although more power to anyone who can knock back a case or two of Golden Anniversary or Mil's Best Ice and still function the next day.  Instead, you loyal readers will get plenty of other excitement, culminating with the home football opener for Penn State next Saturday.

For those who don't know me in real life, I live for football season.  I've been going to PSU games since I was about seven years old, and tailgating is embedded deeply into the fiber of my DNA.  While it's been an absurdly challenging off-season for Nittany Lion fans around the world, I feel that getting back out in our parking spot, firing up the grill, and enjoying a few (read: many) beers with friends will bring back a world of normalcy.  Looking forward to it, if you couldn't figure that one out.

Enough looking ahead, let's stop and focus on today.  After a busy day, it's nice to come home and relax with a beer.  Today's offering is the Helles Lager from Fordham Brewing from our neighbor to the south (and home to Total Wine!), Delaware.  In the glass you see a crystal clear golden color, with plenty of bubbles.  There are aromas of grain and malt, and flavors of grain, crackers, and a touch of hops.  There are some hints of sweetness in there, too.  Very easy drinking with a clean finish, and at 5.4% ABV this beer should definitely be on your list for tailgates or picnics.

There was originally a Fordham brewery in Annapolis back in the early 1700's, although there's no direct tie to the current edition, which opened in 1995 in Annapolis and later moved to Dover.  Their logo seems to be a peacock, although no word on the website if there's any significant level of significance attached.  Hey, who doesn't love a peacock, am I right?

Thing to Think About Today:
This song was going to be the thing to think about yesterday, in the spirit of my car needing a state inspection.  However, the iPod and fate intervened for some Afternoon Delight, and instead you get the thing to think about yesterday to think about today.  But there's still a connection.  Ford(ham)... Ford cars... cars.... My Hooptie.  See what I did there?  Yeah, or not.  Sir Mix A Lot, go get 'em.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_F76ySzk48

Beer 255: Three for Threesday...I mean Tuesday

I'm inadvertently celebrating a Two fer Tuesday Three for Threesday...I mean Tuesday. Sadly the beer beers I had planned to review turned out to be too directly related to the Grimbergen Pale Ale -- and Leipziger Gose that I reviewed a mere 11 beers ago and months ago.  Rats, I say! Rats!

The beer originally planned for today was the Mort Subite Kriek Lambic.  This was one of the beverages enjoyed at SourFest at Devil's Den on Saturday.  While decidedly not sour, this lambic was sweet and tart. Depending on who you asked at our table, the tartness varied greatly. Also interesting is that the fact that I tasted more strawberry in the flavor than cherry.  It poured a pretty rosy brown color with a barely pink but sticky head. It was tasty but I can't imagine drinking more than one.

The Mort Subite Kriek was followed by the Bayerischer Bahnhof Leipziger -- a Baltic porter with Brettanomyces.  Of the porters, Baltic porters are my favorite. I love beers with Brettanomyces. The description of this one sounded oddly like Jolly Pumpkin's Madrugada Obscura. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

It's brewed in Germany at Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof. It appeared to be a very dark brown, almost black in the glass with a thick craggy head.  It smelled like dark fruit. No earthy funk in the nose.  The flavor was roasted and slightly smoky. At first the tartness wasn't there for me but as it sat I noticed more tartness coming out along with some strong hops.

Pardon the profanity laced interruption. MOTHERFUCKER. I ALREADY DRANK THIS GODDAMNED BREWERY IN FEBRUARY. How does my beer addled brain not pick up on any recollection of that bizarre, impossible to pronounce name??? I EVEN MADE FUN OF IT BACK IN FEBRUARY.  SHIT. Damn. Poop. Hell.

I may actually cry.

Seriously.

Seriously this is the last review I'm writing tonight. If I find out that I already reviewed Fordham Brewing, you will never know. NEVER.  Fordham is brewed in Dover, Delaware but claims heritage dating to 1703 in Annapolis, Maryland.  It appears that the brewery was founded way back in 1703, operated for years and was shuttered for a number of years until an enterprising group of brewers reopened it in 1995.  The Helles Lager poured a golden straw color with no head.  It had medium carbonation. It smelled of sweet caramel malt and grains. The taste is very malt dominant but clean and crisp. It has a nice hopped finish with a taste of biscuits every now and again. It's quite easy to drink.

Cheers.

Beer 127: 16 Mile Amber Sun Ale

It is April 15.  I’m sitting outside and it’s about 80 degrees.  This weather cannot be beat.  Of course, I’m wearing SPF 50 and hiding under an umbrella because how else do you cultivate the glow-in-the-dark look that I rock?

You know what’s perfect to sip on a day like today?  16 Mile Brewing Company’s Amber Sun Ale.  16 Mile is brewed and bottled in Georgetown, Delaware and was recommended very emphatically by a good friend when I first started writing back in December.  (Sorry it’s taken me four months to get around to trying it, Brad!)

It poured a deep amber hue with a slightly off white head that’s leaving some nice lacing.  The ABV is 6.1%.  I have nothing to write about the scent.  Neighbor was out cutting the grass earlier and I can barely breathe at this point.  Hello grass allergies!  The taste is solid.  Lightly roasted malts, just the tiniest hint of hop bitterness.  A bit bready.  It’s creamy, but not heavy at all.  Very easy drinking.

Cheers!

I Am A Real American (Ale)

Beer # 49 Old Court Ale / 16 Mile Brewing Company, Georgetown, DE

A beautiful day in the neighborhood! Slept in, did some chores, went for a run, did some shopping, and stopped by Total Wine to stock the beer shelf.  This store has  always been a mecca for wine, but they've stepped up their beer game tremendously in the past year or so. Formerly just a home for domestics and some macro brewed imports, their beer aisle now lets you buy single bottles of some really unique and interesting craft brews.  And buy we did.

We ate dinner at Ulysses Gastropub in Wilmington tonight (great meal, by the way), so I decided to keep it local and sample a draft from 16 Mile Brewery. The Old Court Ale is named for the original historic courthouse in Sussex County, where the brewery is located.  In fact, all of their beer names have a tie to something significant in the state of Delaware.

The website for 16 Mile calls this beer a dark pale ale, and the draft was definitely a dark amber color in the glass. Good hop and malt flavors up front, but not much bitterness. A hint of sweetness and some very mild earthy flavor in the finish. A nice, drinkable yet flavorful beer. If you find yourself in or near Delaware, this one is worth your time.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're talking the First State and historic buildings dating back to the 1700's, we're clearly talking about a place steeped in American history.  I'm a fan of history - I'm always curious to know the story behind the places I visit and I always love learning about the past.  Whenever we go somewhere with a historical marker, Marci knows that I'm guaranteed to stop and read.  I was also a big fan of wrestling when I was a kid.  Let's combine the two, and celebrate American history with a Real American:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYnH-HQGBgg 

And yes, I have this mp3 on the iPod.  I am prepared to fight for the rights of every man.

Marci Rock is in the House!

In the slightly modified words of Ludacris:

It's Friday
Sticky, icky, icky
Sticky, icky, icky, icky

In the immortal words of LMFAO, I'm running through these halls like Drano!  At least in my mind, I'm in happy Friday mode.

But it is Friday at the end of a very long week and I am done, spent, toast, finished.  Time to kick back with Beer #6 -- Dogfish Head's Raison D'Etre.  And by #6, I mean the 6th beer in the 365 day brewery challenge.  If I make it to six beers tonight, someone needs to ask Gary to get video because I could very well end up dancing on the coffee table.  And that's not going to end well.  The coffee table was one of those build-it-yourself deals from Target purchased about 13 years ago.  There are days I fear that a strong sneeze may do it in.

Raison D'Etre is a deep mahogany ale brewed with Belgian beer sugars, green raisins and a sense of purpose.  It says so on the label!  Is it weird that I think I taste bleu cheese too?  Maybe it is today's diet of really old granola bars throwing off my taste buds.  Maybe my taste buds are as shot as my brain right now.    Please don't hold my slightly off-kilter taste buds against this beer.

There is something about Belgian beer sugar that just does it for me.  Of course, it also has great malt flavor so that may factor in as well.  I don't know what green raisins taste like but they are definitely working with the beer sugar and malt.

Other beers that I would recommend from Dogfish Head are Midas Touch and Festina Peche.  If Gary were writing this, he would be all over their IPAs.

I should have sampled Hellhound on My Ale and then drawn parallels to Flash (introduced last night).  Today Flash learned after 14 years that he could pull out the drawers and attempt to climb a "drawer ladder" to the counter.  Really, Flash?  You are 14.  Or at the very least, I'm too old for this shit.  Evidently the lure of baked goods and sriracha chex mix was too much for him.  Google sriracha chex mix.  Thank me after you make it and devour the entire bowl.

iTunes just shuffled to our wedding song...Wreckx-N-Effect's Rump Shaker.  Maybe I'll rally after all.  Until tomorrow and #7...