Beer 289: Brew Kettle and Holy Cow!

For whatever reason, typing the number 289 today struck me in a "Wow I've been at this for almost a year now" kind of way. There's just two months left. Holy cow! What am I going to do with myself after beer 365?

For now I'm going to drink this Old 21 imperial India pale ale from The Brew Kettle Production Works in Strongsville, Ohio.


It has an ABV of 9%. It poured with a thin off-white head on a bright, clear amber color ale. It has a very fruity hop aroma with a little grapefruit.

The taste is terrific. It has a very full mouthfeel...very round. It's tart and a little bitter with a light sweetness...maybe even a bit of caramel flavor and finished with a big hop kick at the end. This is a great beer. Cheers!

Beer 288: Rivertown Brewing and The Week's Inspiration

“She wasn't doing a thing that I could see, except standing there, leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.” J.D. Salinger
You don't always have to be seen doing great things. Sometimes it's better to simply deliver and watch folks enjoy it. I may not be holding the universe together this week, but I am going to make magic happen.
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The Rivertown Brewing Company Hop Bomber pale ale is brewed in Ohio and found its way to my house thanks to one of Gary's beer geek friends. Thank you!




It is an American pale ale that poured with a big, thick ecru head. It was fluffy and left a fun little island of foam floating in my glass. The Hop Bomber smelled a little woody and I swear I also smelled cinnamon. The taste is smooth with a solid hop presence. I expected to be punched in the taste buds with a name like Hop Bomber but luckily that wasn't the case at all. There were hints of orange and a good amount of malt presence for balance. It had a slightly
metallic finish and I found it to be a good beer.
Cheers!

Bombs Away!

Beer #287 Hop Bomber / Rivertown Brewing Company, Cincinnati, OH

Tailgate day!  Lions vs. the Owls of Temple, and I sincerely hope for two things: we keep the win streak going, and the rain holds off.  Sometimes it can be fun to tailgate in the rain, but not always.

We'll keep it brief today, for obvious reasons.  Today's beer is the Hop Bomber pale ale from Rivertown Brewing, out of Cincinnati.  Two beers in a row from Ohio, but only because this is the second of my gift beers.  It pours with a bright copper color and big, fluffy head.  The aroma is full of piney hops, and the taste has a stronger than expected malt backbone, with a good blast of grapefruit and a nice bitter finish.  What I found interesting was that hidden under there was some hints of cocoa, definitely not the standard for a pale ale.  Solid choice!

Bombs away...

Thing to Think About Today:
If this is the Hop Bomber, it's time for some Outkast and Bombs Over Baghdad!  Great song to get fired up for a tailgate!

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