365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days with random musings on beer, food, music, sports, dogs and anything else interesting along the way
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!
If I had any words left today, this is where they would go. But I don't. So now there are words here but they really aren't a good post at all. Maybe a very tasty beer from Karl Strausswill make up for that.
Tonight's Karl Strauss beer is the Boardwalk Black Rye IPA. It pours an almost black color ale with a tan head. It smells of roasted malt, dark bread and lightly of chocolate. The flavor is toasty, roasted coffee with just the hint of burnt coffee. There's undertones of a big bold IPA--lots of hoppiness hiding out beneath all that rich, roasted flavor. It finishes big with lots of hop bite. I noticed a little nuttiness coming out as it warmed a bit. And even though it had a nice, thin mouthfeel, I felt like it was definitely a sipping beer.
In the link below to my review of the Karl Strauss sampler, I reviewed a bonus pour that I got of Boardwalk Black Rye IPA. They had it on cask that day and threw it in with my sampler for free! I love a good deal! I noted that it had a creamy, almost lactic consistency which surprised me at the time. After having it bottled, it's now dawned on me that the cask pour itself lends the creamy texture. So now I know.
The first time I experienced a Karl Strauss beer was on the great beer-cation of 2012 when we stopped by their outpost in La Jolla (California). La Jolla is beautiful. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it.
Today's weather reminds of that gloriously sunny day last summer, although I admit that it's about 15 degrees cooler right now. And then there's the obvious lack of the Pacific Ocean lapping in the distance. So totally the same, right?
The Big Barrel double IPA was a gift from my good friend Kelli, who had the wherewithal to smuggle several bombers home in her luggage. It poured a lovely apricot color. It had a full but quick to disappear ivory head.
It's aroma is fruity hops--pineapple specifically. The flavor is amazing. Great fullness. Bready. Good amount of malt. It finishes with a strong hop backbone.
Day #495 Big Barrel Double IPA / Karl Strauss Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
Previously from this brewery: Marci's zany look at their sampler, and my un-zany take on their sampler
Today marked my last day at work before a three day weekend, where I'll be heading to State College to watch Penn State's spring football game. Perhaps, even have a beer in the parking lot. Maybe.
Tonight was a basketball night (we won!) and it's getting late, but duty calls, so here's your beer review for the evening. I'm drinking another gift from a friend who thought of us during a visit to the west coast, a bottle of the Big Barrel Double IPA from Karl Strauss. This beer has an amber orange hue with a thin, lingering white head. There's a rather big grapefruit aroma, with noticeable pine scents as well. When you take a sip, you find even more citrus fruit; grapefruit and lemon, and it's dry from start to finish. There's a hint of some sweetness in there, but be advised this is only for the hop heads out there. Sadly, they don't distribute to the East Coast, so unless you're heading west, good luck finding any.
Big!
Karl Strauss has a number of brewpub locations; I've been to the one in La Jolla (right across the street from Brooks Brothers. Score!), but thankfully before the odor of bird poop took over the otherwise ritzy town.
Thing to Think About Today:
If I'm thinking about San Diego, I'm thinking about one of the greatest movies of ALL TIME. Based on Cameron Crowe's experiences while in a San Diego high school, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a hilarious look at high school in the 80s. Starring a young Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli, stoner philosopher extraordinaire, this film had huge star power: Forrest Whitaker, Nicholas Cage, Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Anthony Edwards, and Eric Stoltz, to name a few. While the comedy was outrageous, there were serious themes as well, most notably teenage pregnancy.
The dialogue spawned great quotes that I like to drop into conversation to this day, and I'm pretty sure the fantasy scene with Cates climbing out of the pool kick started puberty into gear for me (and most other red blooded Americans of a certain age). If you've never seen this film or if you haven't watched in ages, it's a classic that should be watched immediately.
Day #475 Pliny the Elder / Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA
Previously from this brewery: white whale Pliny the Younger, horizontal tasting of Supplication, sampler, and a sampler(keep in mind; the greatest sampler in the free world)
It's a Friday, and many of us have the day off (thanks, Jesus!). I'm actually going in to work today, just to get caught up and hopefully ahead of next week. Would much rather put in a few productive hours today than have to deal with an avalanche of work on Monday. The sun is shining and the weekend is in front of us, and for that we should rejoice.
Digging into the archive for today's review. On the same day that Teresa's Next Door tapped the elusive Pliny the Younger, they also put Pliny the Elder on tap. A nice consolation prize for those who couldn't get there in time. As I only managed to get one glass of Younger, I decided to hang around over a glass of Elder as well. I've had this beer on a number of occasions before, and it never disappoints. Poured into a tulip glass, this beer has a clear, bright copper color with a thin and slightly off white head. It smells like a grapefruit bomb went off when you inhale, and when you take a sip you find ample hops; grassy notes, pine, pineapple, mango and grapefruit throughout. Not much on the malt front, and that's just fine. This beer has a bitter quality from start to finish, yet I also found it incredibly refreshing. In my notes, I commented, "wish I was sitting outside." Not sure if that was due to the bar being over crowded, the enjoyable nature of the beer, or perhaps a mix of both.
Hi there.
Pliny the Elder is named for the Roman philosopher who also dabbled in horticulture, as he apparently wrote about hops. A key ingredient in double IPAs, for sure. Like its harder to find brother Pliny the Younger, this should be considered a Top 25 beer, undoubtedly.
Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of honoring our "Elders", I'll close things out with something old; specifically, Old Crow Medicine Show singing Tell it To Me. A lovely song about.... well... cocaine. What, you were expecting the wildly more popular Wagon Wheel? Already used that song; click the link if you want that to hear that one too. Enjoy your Friday; I know I will!
There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.
- author unknown
For the past few weeks, I've seen this quote pop up on a number of blogs that I read. It resonated at first because it was a new year and I was trying to make healthy changes. For me that meant parking on the lowest level of our garage and walking up the four levels of stairs to get into our building.
Then there were the moments where I was feeling a bit more of a leader and said it to myself as I pushed myself out of my career comfort zone and took on new projects. Then there was this week, where it translates directly into this photo in my mind's eye.
Breckinridge Brewery 471 Small Batch is a double IPA brewed in Colorado. The Small Batch series allows for some experiments and this one is definitely a success in my book.
From the Breckenridge website, it's described as a small batch, limited edition ale. It's brewed with Pale, Munich, Caramel-30, Carapils andTorrified Wheat malts, with Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe and Fuggles hops. It has a big sweet mouthfeel, followed by more hoppiness than you've ever had at one time.
I thought this was a particularly good DIPA. It poured an opaque apricot color with a minimal white head. The smell was peachy, fruity hops. And lots of them. The flavor was lots of fruit forward hops. I noted a medley of tastes but peach was dominant and there were undertones of citrus. It rounded out nicely with some caramel hoppiness and biscuit. It's bold but very smooth to drink.
Beer stats
Style: Double IPA
ABV: 9.2%
IBUs: 70
Rating: Great
Previously reviewed from Breckenridge
Christmas Aleand fond memories of getting the biggest television ever
Day #379 471 Small Batch / Breckenridge Brewing Company
Previously from this brewery: Vanilla Porter, Agave Wheat
I'm officially all set and ready to go for tomorrow. Gifts are purchased, wrapped, and in bags ready to take on our travels, and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, with hopes that someone puts beer in there.
In the spirit of giving, I'm giving out another award tonight - the Biggest Miss of the Year. Very early in the adventure someone asked me if 366 different breweries even existed in the world. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he's delivered over 1,700 (and rapidly climbing) craft breweries in the U.S. alone. While we had to do some work and pay attention, finding 366 different breweries wasn't that big of a hurdle. Sometimes, the hurdle was knowing there are beers out there you want, and figuring out how you could get your hands on them. Two great examples of wonderful breweries that don't ship to Pennsylvania? New Glarus and Three Floyds. While we managed to broker deals to get those coveted beers in hand, there were other great breweries we just couldn't get to along the way. In the spirit of recognizing we have more work to do as the blog lives on, here the ones that got away:
Odell Brewing- from Fort Collins, CO, this brewery doesn't ship out of the midwest, and I neglected to get my hands on one during our brief trip to the Rockies this past summer. Wynkoop Brewing - I've been to this Denver, CO brewery previously, just not during the 366 challenge. Another brewery that doesn't ship anywhere near me. Looking forward to having another St. Charles ESB in the future. Choc Beer Company - do you know how hard it is to find beer brewed in Oklahoma? So imagine my disappointment when I was actually in Oklahoma for two days last spring, and couldn't find any Choc on draft, after having it when I was there in the fall of 2011. Shame on you, Buffalo Wild Wings in Bartlesville, OK. This is your fault! Gin and Tonics - my favorite summer drink; I severely reduced my consumption to keep the beers moving. Next summer, I come back with a fury on this refreshing beverage.
And the winner is.... Choc Beer Company! I'll be in Colorado or Idaho again soon enough. I could make a gin and tonic tomorrow. But another trip back to Oklahoma just isn't happening anytime soon. Sorry, Choc.... can you mail me some? Please?
Moving right along (and speaking of Colorado), tonight's beer is the 471 Small Batch from Breckenridge Brewing Company. This double IPA has a dull amber color with a thin wispy head. There are aromas of citrus with some pine, and the taste has notes of orange and lemon, with plenty of earthy pine, some malt to balance things out, and a good bit of hop bitterness on the finish. A potent beer at 9.2% ABV, this one was a great choice with the pizza I made for dinner tonight.
For your viewing pleasure, here's a shot I took from a visit to Breckenridge in 2010, from their deck upstairs looking out at the clouds rolling in over the mountains:
Ah, vacation.
Thing to Think About Today:
With Christmas Eve tomorrow night, I'm going to let the Yeah Yeah Yeahs close things out here with their wonderful All I Want for Christmas. It doesn't appear there's a real video for this song, but at least this will give you quick access to a song that brings me joy and puts a smile on my face. Good night people... and remember, there's still time for Santa to check his list. Be nice.
Beer #339 Up the Creek / Thomas Creek Brewery, Greenville, SC Beers to go: 27
And so ends another season of old man basketball. A disappointing first round loss sends us home for another long, cold winter. Or, at least until the league starts back up again in February. As I sit here and type this, I can't even remember the last time a team I played on won the last game of the season and took home a championship. College? Back in the glory days of the Saullo-Serany League in high school (won my freshman and senior years, thank you very much). Need to start working the free agent market to see what we can do to add to the roster. I'm tired of watching someone else cut down the nets. Hypothetically speaking, that is - they don't let us cut down the nets.
Tonight, I drown my sorrows in beer, a bottle of Up the Creek, a double IPA from Thomas Creek Brewery. You see a bright, clear dark amber, with persistent off white head. The aroma is a blast of hops; tons of citrus and pine greet your nose. The taste has a good balance of caramel, sweet malt and hops, and a boozy warmth that sort of makes it feel like a Belgian quad. The boozy warmth makes sense, as this beer packs a wallop with 12.5% ABV. I think the booze sort of hides some of the citrus you expect in an IPA, although there is a nice and dry bitter finish. A rather good double IPA for those hop fanatics out there. Find it, and then drink it.
Big, big beer
Thomas Creek is family owned and operated, and started commercial production in 1998. In addition, they employ two brewery dogs (Barley and Porter), border collies who work to greet visitors and clean up spills.
Thing to Think About Today:
I will admit this fact without shame or embarrassment. I used to religiously watch Dawson's Creek. Yes, the over dramatically acted story of teens growing up and finding love, laughter, disappointment, and life lessons in the town of Capeside. James Van Der Beek in all his glory. I admit I watched this with ulterior motives, and that would be my super enormous crush on Katie Holmes (back before she took the plunge and found Tom Cruise and Scientology, anyway). I mean, who out there would fault me for that? No one, that's who.
Katie, you left your toothbrush at my house again!
While we're on the subject, Michelle Williams was no slouch either. Anyway, with a beer from Thomas Creek in hand, let's all remember the good old days of the WB, and crushes long gone:
After all the excitement of yesterday and a super early work day today, I am beat. Plus the time change is killing my enthusiasm for being awake. That's evidenced by my bedtime of 8:15pm yesterday.
I imagine the 12.5% ABV extreme IPA I'm about to imbibe may change my tune tonight. I'd certainly call 12.5% extreme.
The Thomas Creek Brewery Up the Creek poured a bright mahogany with a rich tan head. It smells of tart hops and an almost acidic citrus pith. It has a full mouthfeel and licorice and raisins in the flavor. There are bready undertones and some caramel. I'm having a hard time evaluating just how much sweetness I detect. It's almost like there's a sweet-tart thing happening. This is a most unusual beer and I like it. I'll rate it a good and sit back and savor the last few sips. Cheers!
Beer #326 The Bollocks / Brash Brewing Company, Ipswich, MA
Happy Halloween, loyal readers! Keeping a low profile in the house tonight, as kids coming to the door to beg for candy drives the dogs completely mental. And no one needs that (and kids really don't need one more piece of candy), so we're chilling with the downstairs lights off right now to avoid a dachshund meltdown. I do in theory completely love Halloween - the idea of being someone else for a night or adopting an alter ego you may otherwise never get to be during the other 364 day is rather appealing. Although, I do prefer adult Halloween, which of course involves copious amounts of drinking and girls in sexy costumes rather than neighborhood kids dressed up like soccer players roaming my street (HINT: it's not a costume if you use it every weekend in your soccer league, Timmy; be more creative!).
If I'm demanding an adult Halloween evening, then we're drinking beer - tonight I'm reviewing The Bollocks, a double IPA from Brash Brewing Company. This beer is a daunting 12% ABV, and it pours with a honey amber color and a lingering white head. The aroma is a pleasing (yet boozy) citrus, and the taste gives you pine, lemon, and a dry, bitter finish. There's enough malt and floral notes in there to keep it honest, but make no mistake - this beer means business. If you're a hops fan, find this one and order in moderation (see above; it's 12%, people). Big shout out to TJ's for having this one on draft recently, and allow me to put a vote in to put this beer on tap more regularly.
Never mind the bollocks, this is a great beer!
Brash is a newcomer, having first released their product in July of this year. Their site is very sparse when it comes to information, but as best I can figure, this brewery was started by a brewer who left Texas to find a more hospitable environment for craft brewing. Glad to have this brewery up and running, wherever it might find itself located!
Thing to Think About Today:
Had we not been interrupted by Hurricane Sandy, I was intending to throw in some favorite Halloween items in this space - candy, movies, music, etc. However, Halloween is upon us, so I'm just skipping ahead to my all time favorite Halloween song, Werewolves of London, by Warren Zevon. Truth be told, this song makes me think about listening to John Cunningham play acoustic guitar during Friday night happy hour at the Cafe 210 West more than it makes me think of Halloween. If I had a time machine, I'd definitely set the dial to head back to see JC playing at the Cafe a few more times.
And while we're on the subject of confessions, I admit people might not see this as a Halloween song, the way you might consider Thriller or Monster Mash. Yet, it's a song about a werewolf, and werewolves are most certainly part of the Halloween canon, right up there vampires and zombies. Therefore, it's a Halloween song, and it's your thing to think about today. In conclusion, don't overdo the candy, and make sure to bring in some extra for me to work tomorrow, as I don't have any. Thanks!
Beer #314 Double Pale Ale / Shawnee Brewing Company, Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA
It's the weekend, and you can't possibly be interested in reading about little old me. I kid; of course you are. However, I won't slow down your Friday night with my tales of work and plans for the weekend (hint: yoga!), so let's go ahead and get down to business.
Tonight's beer is the Double IPA from Shawnee Brewing Company. This one was on draft at Pinnochio's, a pizzeria/beer garden in Media, PA. It pours a hazy light amber, with a thin head. You pick up an aroma of citrus and some light malt notes. There are flavors of lemon and some toffee, with a nice bitter finish. Despite being 7.5% ABV, this beer is rather easy drinking. From the brewery website, it appears they're working on a kriek beer, which I very much look forward to sampling.
Please ignore
This brewery sits near the Delaware River, and sits on the ground of the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort. Now you know.
Thing to Think About Today:
"I'm gonna get you high today, 'cause it's Friday. And you ain't got no job. And you ain't got shit to do!"
And with that sentence, you get the essence of the movie Friday, a tale of two guys hanging out in South Central L.A., spending their day doing... well.... not a whole lot. Sound like an amazing movie? No, when you put it that way, probably not. Yet it's an absolutely hilarious film - starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker - and one I clearly need to re-watch as soon as possible. 'Cause it's Friday.....
You know you're entirely too comfortable with a bar when you randomly show up in a floor length gown on Quizzo night and don't give a damn. Yes, if any of you were at TJ's last night, I was the one in the purple floor length gown. And I suppose I could have just said gown and you would have known it was me...not like I had competition from someone in a red gown for example.
You may be wondering why I went formal on Quizzo night. Let's just say the food at the gala I attended earlier in the night was meat-centric and practically nonexistent and I had the chance to knock off another brewery if I hit my favorite bar. End of story.
What I didn't realize is that The Bollocks from Brash Brewing weighed in at 12%! Holy mackerel! It was probably the last thing I needed after a few glasses of wine and champagne.
The Bollocks is an imperial IPA. It poured a hazy amber color. It really wasn't as orange as this photo indicates. It had a thin head but left lots of lacing behind. It smelled strongly of caramel, which carried through to the taste. There were lots of fruit-forward hops (most notably citrus) in the flavor as well.
I didn't find much information on this brewer other than they exiled themselves from Texas due to ridiculous beer laws and made a new home in Ipswich, Massachusetts. It looks like they've only been producing there since July 2012. So far I'm impressed. This is a good beer.
Beer #312 Hop-A-Lot-Amus/ River Horse Brewing Company, Lambertville, NJ
Today was one of those fast and furious days, where I bounced from meeting to meeting to meeting and never really had a chance to do all of the work that tends to pile up on any given day. Can't win 'em all.
To unwind today, I'm going with a double IPA from River Horse Brewing. This beer has a dark amber hue, with a thin white head. The aromas of malt and pine shine through, and you pick up flavors of lemon and pine with some sweet malt, and a very welcome hop bitterness on the finish. Nice beer, and I would definitely like to sample some of the other beers River Horse creates.
Disembodied hippo? Check.
From the brewery website: "We were finance geeks living in a world without soul. Grinding it out everyday for a fee, wearing suits and kissing butt."
Now why does that sound familiar?
Thing to Think About Today:
I've already used this space to talk about Flight of the Conchords, the New Zealand folk-ish duo who had a hilariously awkward and awkwardly hilarious HBO series a few years back. One of my favorite tracks plays right into tonight's beer - their absurd but funky Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros; check the live version below for a few laughs... preferably while you're drinking your Hop-A-Lot-Amus.
Beer #291 Hoptimus Prime / Ruckus Brewing Company, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Day two of Gary vs. The Cold, and I think I'm starting to move ahead on the scoreboard. Cough is getting better, feeling like a human again, and I think I'm returning to the real world tomorrow. Take that, stupid cold! Helping out today was a healthy dose of psuedoephedrine, which as everyone who watches Breaking Bad knows is the stuff that can be used to produce methamphetamine. Sadly, I need mine for good, so I won't be able to cook with the 0.72 grams of psuedo I bought today (daily limit allowed: 3.6 grams). The guys at Vamonos Pest will have to hold down the meth lab fort without me today, I suppose.
Sorry guys, can't work today. I'm sick.
What better way to celebrate feeling better than with a beer? On deck is the Hoptimus Prime, a cleverly named double IPA from Ruckus Brewing Company, hailing from good old Wilkes-Barre, PA. It pours with a dull copper color and thin white head, and you pick up a big grapefruit aroma. There's a big pine and citrus hop taste, but a good bit of malt in there as well to balance things out. It has a bitter finish and a healthy 9% ABV, for those of you keeping score at home. And remember: alcohol kills germs!
Not sure if this beer turns into a jet or a dump truck or what.
Ruckus Brewing officially started when Legacy Brewing Company went out of business not too long ago. The company that was doing the marketing for Legacy, Ruckus Marketing, ended up stepping in and taking over operations. And here we are.
Thing to Think About Today:
The name of this beer is a play on a name from the cartoon/toy/movie franchise, Transformers. You see, Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots, and was a robot who transformed into an 18-wheeler to fight Megatron, chief bad guy in charge of the Decepticons. I had some of these toys as a kid, but never got too far into them beyond watching on Saturday mornings. I was more of a G.I. Joe kind of kid.
Instead of just showing a clip from the cartoon or the recent movies starring Shia LaBeouf, I'm going to pull a 180 and suggest we stop and think about another line of robots who turned into something else: The Gobots. Ah, yes the Gobots: the junior varsity version of 'toy robot that turn into a vehicle' that Tonka produced to compete with Hasbro's much cooler Transformer. Yes, I had some Gobots as a kid, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. They sucked when compared to Transformers, which is why the film Transformers 4 is in production and Gobots collect dust in people's basements. I suppose the message for the day is that it's cool to be nice to everyone, even the Gobots of the world. It's okay to root for the underdog every now again, even in the land of children's toys. Stay healthy, people.
I had a fantastic post brewing (ha!) in my brain all afternoon, but got derailed when I had to step in and make chicken soup tonight. If you've spent any amount of time with me, you know I don't cook. You also probably know I don't have that mothering instinct. This is the one day every 24 months that Gary gets sick so I've gotten called up the kitchen league. There is something resembling chicken soup simmering on the stove and I've lost all motivation for creative writing.
And I'm 100% certain that I've made the best possible choice in not having children. Commanding someone to be done being sick with a deadline is probably frowned upon in parenting circles. Rest assured, Gary assures me he'll be fine tomorrow. Thank god...otherwise we'd be having cookies or pie for dinner. Now baking is an area in which I excel!
While I wait for the soup to soup, I'll tell you about the Hoptimus Prime double IPA from Ruckus Brewing.
It poured a nice amber color with a white head. It smells sweetly hopped with underlying malt. The flavor is fruit and hops...sweet caramel, some peach, a bit of black tea. I'm also noticing a bit of biscuit when I take a good long sniff of it. It finishes with a strong hop bitterness but rounds out nicely at the very end.
The brewer makes Hoptimus Prime with five kinds of hops and then dry hops for two weeks. Exactly the over the top hop use that I like and am really beginning to love. This is a great beer.
I am strangely dumbfounded by the number of people I see driving around without shirts on. I could almost understand it on a warm Saturday afternoon. Maybe you just went swimming or worked outside all day...ok. But at 7:45am on a Thursday? In a car on the highway? That is just weird.
I'll contrast my musings on naked-on-toppers with a can of Heady Topper.
Brewed in Vermont by The Alchemist, Heady Topper is a double IPA with an ABV of 8%. The label suggested that I drink it from the can so I did. Evidently that preserves the hop aroma. The can also suggests avoiding being a d-bag by recycling the can. I have to assume that the brewer John Kimmich has something to do with these suggestions. That makes me really like him.
This beer also really makes me like John Kimmich. This beer makes me think he's a genius. It smells of pine and resin. Maybe some citrus? Curiosity got the better of me and I ended up pouring a tiny sample into a glass to find out what color it is. Bright golden yellow in fact.
The flavor is potent...to say the Heady-Topper is hoppy is an understatement. But it strikes a balance between lots of hops and the extreme punch you in the throat over-hopped beers. This double IPA finds the exact level of hop that makes a beer a winner in my book.
I also noted grapes and pineapple as I was savoring it and also remarked on the nice dry finish it had. This beer is best enjoyed fresh. I'm not sure how old this can is...definitely a few months since we took possession of it. Is it better closer to the canning date? Hopefully I'll luck into another can soon and will report back.
This is a very good beer. Go out and find yourself a friend in Vermont and enjoy one yourself. Sadly The Alchemist saves all the goodness for the citizens of Vermont exclusively. Cheers!
Beer #268 Heady Topper / The Alchemist, Waterbury, VT
Lost in the excitement of the weekend was the fact we're now under 100 days to go for this blog adventure! Plenty of good beer in the books, plenty of good beers still to come. People always say if you love what you do, it won't feel like work, and that's completely true here. Now, if I can just figure out how to get someone to pay me money to do this, I'll really be set...
I'll celebrate this milestone with a great beer: Heady Topper from The Alchemist. The can is clearly labeled with, "Drink from the can!", so I did. However, curiosity got the best of me, which led to a quick pour of a splash into a glass, which showed off a very light amber color. The aroma is straight up hops, with wonderful notes of grapefruit and piny hops. When you take a sip, you get the perfect amount of hop bitterness. This isn't an IPA that's trying to bury you under a mound of hops just because it can. Instead, the flavor has a welcome bitter undercurrent, with a strong citrus and pine backbone, and a nice malt balance. Truly a fantastic and very easy drinking beer; without a doubt a standout among the IPA crowd. This beer (which was a gift from a fellow beer geek!) and brewery has earned a spot in my Top 25 list for being so awesome - the second brewery from Vermont to do so this year.
I like it in the can.
Right now, The Alchemist is only producing Heady Topper, although there are plans underway to add additional capacity and to can other beers as well. If you're looking for this beer, good luck if you're not in Vermont - they currently do not ship outside their home state, although obviously I hope that changes sooner rather than later.
Thing to Think About Today:
Alchemy commonly refers to attempts through the ages to turn ordinary metals into precious metals such as gold. Not sure anyone has figured that one out just yet, although The Alchemist Brewery certainly turns his ingredients into some amazing beer. In the spirit of pursuit of gold, we'll let The Black Keys wrap things up today with Gold on the Ceiling.
Beer #142 Mean Manalishi Double IPA, Hoppin' Frog Brewing Company , Akron, OH
As you've clearly seen by now from Marci's post, the Mrs. is under the weather. Thankfully, I've watched a lot of ER over the years, so therefore I'm a completely trained and skilled physician. I've got this one under control. For example: I need a chem panel, CBC, tox screen, cross-type and hang two liters of O neg, STAT!!!
In between rounds for my patients, tonight's beer is the Mean Manalishi from Hoppin' Frog (note: I'm pretty sure beers between rounds was allowed on ER). This double IPA pours a cloudy amber color, with a thin but persistent white head. Your nose is greeted immediately with the traditional hop aromas of pine and citrus. You get hit with flavors of grapefruit, along with caramel malt and a big dose of earthy, hop bitterness. It's definitely a beer for hop lovers only - all others, beware.
No frogs were harmed in the making of this beer. I think.
This brewery is a small operation out of Akron, and has been in business since 2000. While it's not on their website, the interesting Hoppin' Frog name comes from the nickname of the brewer (Frog), and the fact that things are always hoppin' at the brewery. There you have it.
Thing to Think About Today:
If we're thinking about frogs today..... I don't have much. There's the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Caleveras County, the old mascot from the WB, and I guess, Frogger. Yeah, Frogger sounds about right. Let's allow the Seinfeld guys to wrap things up in style with the episode where George clings to his youth and tries to save the video game with his high score. And now I have patients to see, lives to save, results of the CBC to review. Until next time, people.....
Beer #114 Illumination Double IPA / Central Waters Brewing Company, Amherst, WI
You know what makes Mondays better? Knowing that a long weekend is staring at you once you survive the week. I need that right now. Buck a shuck oysters at Teresa's Next Door helps too.
Today's beer, the Illumination DIPA from Central Waters came on draft at TJ's in Paoli. After having some other beers (and wine, and sake...) on Saturday, this one was the last of the evening - which is to say, my review notes are short. This beer pours a hazy, golden orange color and gives off aromas of floral hops. When you take a sip, you get a strong dose of hop bitterness, and notes of pine, orange, and malt. Very dry finish. Can't say I had heard of this brewery before seeing it on draft, but that's what a beer adventure is all about, my friends. I'll definitely look to try some of their other offerings in the future.
Tasty.
Curiously, this beer doesn't appear on Central Waters' website under the active or retired beers, but if you click on their production schedule (handy!), you do see it there. Wonder what that's all about.
Thing to Think About Today:
With the NCAA basketball championship game set to tip off, we've come to the end of the most magical sporting event of the year. Some of the excitement seems to have left the tournament, what with no Cinderellas left standing and the Kentucky rent-a-star team poised to cut down the nets. However, let's stop and think about the one of the greatest Cinderella stories and one of the best movies ever, Hoosiers. Based on a true story, Hoosiers tells the tale of the little school that could, and did, winning a coveted state championship against all odds. If this movie, and the scene below, doesn't give you the chills, you may not be alive.
This movie always brings me back to the days of playing three games in the old Hershey Arena during the march to the PIAA AAAA state title game. Sadly, my story ends without a Jimmy Chitwood-esque rise and fire to win the game for the good guys, but I still cherish the memories of the run to the last game.
Beer #109 Double Crooked Tree / Dark Horse Brewing Company, Marshall,
Michigan
When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. When life pelts you
in the nut sack repeatedly with lemons hurled at 97mph, perhaps instead of
lemonade you should just go hide in a dark room. That is where I'm at today.
This being said, I'm
bringing beer with me to my hiding spot. Specifically, the Double Crooked Tree
IPA from Dark Horse Brewing Co, which was on draft at TJ's in Paoli. What does 'double crooked tree' mean, you ask?
It's their regular Crooked Tree IPA but with double the flavor and alcohol. They aren't kidding - this beer means business and brings 12% ABV to the party. In the glass you see an apricot color with a thick white head. You immediately
pick up a hop aroma and the taste is very hop forward, with pine and lemon
flavors coming though. There's a mellow earthiness and dryness to this beer,
and you really don't notice the high ABV. Beware. Great beer for those IPA fans
out there, I'll definitely be having more of this beer in the
future.
Shiny. Magnificent!
Thing to Think About Today:
Mysteriously, the 'K' key on the
iPad went away while typing this post. It was replaced by the '&' key,
although hitting it still gave you a 'K'. I can't explain this. Steve Jobs, Y U PLAY GAMES?
I'm
completely fried, and if the iPad wants to play games with the 'K', then let's
go waaay back and think about Positive K. Who, you ask? An old school rapper who... yeah I have no idea. Good night, kids.
