Some More Favoirtes

Most craft beer enthusiasts have a favorite place to find a good selection of craft beers. As I believe I've mentioned before, C's Farms in Oswego, NY is one of our go-to places for good beer. It is typical of many such stores - a somewhat unassuming edifice tucked away so that if you didn't know where it was, you'd have a tough time finding it. Many of these places were craft beer early adopters - seeing the potential where others saw mere fad. For a while these were the only places to really find a variety of craft beers, not just those produced by the larger craft breweries (think Sam Adams, 

C's Farm Market in Oswego, NY

 Sierra Nevada, etc.) which had the clout to get their products into some of the major chain grocery stores.
                                                                                      Wegman's, a Northeast icon, was one of the few early chain grocery stores to jump on the craft beer train. By instituting the "pick 6" concept whereby consumers could create their own mixed six packs, Wegman's gave the curious and those new to the growing variety of styles available in the craft beer world an opportunity to try assorted brands and styles without investing in a six-pack of something they may not care for. While other chains have begun to institute their own "pick 6"  and have expanded their craft beer choices, few have invested as heavily in craft beer as Wegman's. We were in Springfield, VA recently and there is a nearby Wegman's with an enormous craft beer section. It actually dwarfs the mega-brew section.

One of the joys of craft beer is fun some of these brewers have with naming their beers. In a previous post I made a list of some of my favorite names. Wandering around Wegman's I shot a few that stood out and looped them together in the GIF below.

Just a quick look at a few of the fun craft beer
names I found at a Virginia Wegman's.

In a World Bereft of Gluten...

I had a scare recently. I was experiencing some unpleasant stomach issues that looked suspiciously like some sort of food allergy. I decided to eliminate gluten since I have a sister who suffers from Celiac's Disease - an intolerance to gluten. The symptoms cleared up so I feared the worst - no more gluten, meaning no more beer! I could live with gluten free bread and pizza dough and many of the gluten-free snack are really quite good. But my beloved craft beer? Nooooooo! 

Luckily the results of a blood test showed no food allergies. Meanwhile, we had run out and Glutenberg IPA, and Omission IPA. Much to my surprise both of these beers turned out to be terrific beers in their own right. Had I not known they were gluten-free I never would have guessed it. I did try Glutenberg Red Ale as well and wasn't really a fan. After all, a red ale depends heavily on malt for its flavor and Glutenberg brews entirely without any gluten-containing ingredients (as opposed to Omission which brews its beers with barley then removes the gluten, and comes with a warning that they can't guarantee there is zero gluten). The Red Ale just had some off, vegetable-ish flavors. Having said that, it was at least drinkable.

purchased a bunch of gluten-free items. Among these were a couple of gluten-free beers:

Both IPAs were as good or better than many full-gluten IPAs. Both are strongly hop-forward - as a good IPA should be - with a solid West Coast vibe, yet each have enough of a malt presence to give them a nice medium-bodied mouthfeel. Truth is, when I feared I was doomed to a life without gluten I was thrilled to find these two beers. Sort of made life worth living again. They are both beers I would enjoy regardless of my gluten tolerance level.

SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING NEW

This month we went with another grab bag bunch of beers where we all just brought something that sounded interesting and we had yet to review. 

FAT TIRE AMBER ALE

NEW BELGIUM BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Amber Ale; BREWER: New Belgium, Colorado, Ashville, SC; ABV: 5.2%; IBUs: 22; MALTS: Pale, C80, Munich, Victory; HOPS: Willamete, Goldings, Nugget

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Named in honor of our co-founder's bike trip through Europe, Fat Tire Amber Ale marks a turning point in the young electrical engineer's home brewing. Belgian beers use a far broader palette of ingredients (fruits, spices, esoteric yeast strains) than German or English styles."

COLOR: Copper/Amber

POUR: Decent head

AROMA: Clove/bread Belgium vibe

BODY: Thin

TASTE: Tends toward sweet with hints of clove, bread, perhaps melon

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS; Leave it on the shelf

COMMENTS: "Tastes like 22 IBUs - not much of a hop presence; Good starter beer perhaps; Good if you don't want much in the way of hops; New Belgium makes some great beers - love Ranger, Rampant and Citradelic - but I just have never cared for this one; Yeah, and for a long time this was the only New Belgium beer that you could get almost anywhere; I know it's their flagship beer, but I much prefer some of their others; Sort of reminds me of Magic Hat #9 - you find it everywhere, but it's only a so-so beer."

12TH OF NEVER ALE

LAGUNITAS

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: American Pale Ale; BREWER: Lagunitas, Petaluma, CA; ABV: 5.5%; IBUs: 45

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Tropically hoppy. Light, yet full-bodied. Bright and citrusy. Word."

COLOR: Pale yellow

POUR: Bit better than Decent Head

AROMA: Big citrusy hop aroma right off the bat

BODY: Light

TASTE: Citrus, grapefruit, tropical fruit, bright zesty fruit bitterness with pine

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS; I Could Drink This!

COMMENTS: "Taste follows the nose with big citrus-hop punch; Wow the aroma is powerful and awesome - big citrus and pine punch when you open it; Light tasting, not a big malt presence - so there's not a real balanced flavor here, the hops dominate; Aromatic; Good lawnmower beer; Real refreshing beer."

SAN FRANCISCO IPA

ALMANAC BEER COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: West Coast India Pale Ale; BREWER: Almanac Beer Co., San Francisco, CA; ABV: 6.5%; MALT: Pale Malt, Maris Otter and Flaked Oats; HOPS: Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, Hallertau Blanc and El  Dorado.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This West Coast IPA features an explosive aroma of citrus, toropical fruit and dankness from a blend of ...hops. Intensely hoppy without overt bitterness, a light malt backbone balances this IPA, giving it a clean finish and making it a beer to be enjoyed again and again. Inspired by San Francisco but brewed to be enjoyed everywhere."

COLOR: Unfiltered wheat/straw

POUR: Near Decent head

AROMA: Dank

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Up toward the bitter end of the spectrum with notes of citrus, lemon, grapefruit, pine, tropical fruit.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS; I Could Drink This

COMMENTS: "A little more depth and fuller bodied than 12th of Never; The taste is so much better than the aroma, which is a bit pungent; I don't really taste the malt that you might expect from a 6.5% ABV; A nice blend; I like it when there is a blend of hop varieties as opposed to the single hop approach that's become popular lately; It's another bright citrusy IPA for a hot summer day, I just do like a little more malt backbone to balance the hops."

ANTI-HERO IPA

REVOLUTION BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: India Pale Ale; BREWER: Revolution Brewing, Chicago, IL; ABV: 6.5%; IBUs: 70; HOPS: Blend of 4 hop varieties

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "An American hop assault for all the ambivalent warriors who get the girl in the end. 'Look, I ain't in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, Princess.' this iconic ale features a blend of four hop varieties which creates a crisp bitterness and imparts massive floral and citrus aromas."

COLOR: New-penny copper

POUR: Somewhat better than Decent Head

AROMA: Big hoppy pine aroma - oh, so good!

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Nicely sharply bitter, spicy, pine, grapefruit, citrus leads the way with a strong malt counter-melody giving it a pleasing complexity.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS; Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "A little bit of a spicy taste up front; Complex flavor; Delicious; I always look forward to drinking this, and sharing it with friends; Thank you Carissa; Hop-forward bitterness right in the wheelhouse of what an IPA should be; Love this beer; Little bit of sweetness in there to kind of fill things out."

100 POUNDER  WET HOP IPA

STONE CITY ALES

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Wet hopped India Pale Ale; BREWER: Stone City Ales, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; ABV: 6.4%; IBUs: 65

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Made exclusively using Ontario grown / processed ingredients."

COLOR: Unfiltered Amber

POUR: Better than Decent Head

AROMA: Grass, fresh pine and malt

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Nice bitter hoppiness with solid nutty, malty underpinning and hints of caramel and toffee

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS; Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Really nice beer; Creamy and smooth; We've become a little gun shy with Canadian beers (think Alexander Keith IPA) - this renews my faith; Could drink this until you can't move; Delicious; Definite malt presence with a real nice nutty taste; Even better on tap; Wonderful blend of hops and malt."

CITRENNIAL

FOLEY BROTHERS

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: American IPA; BREWER: Foley Brothers Brewing, Brendan, VT; ABV: 6.9%; HOPS: Citra, Centennial

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "India Pale Ale brewed with Citra and Centennial Hops."

COLOR: Semi-filtered wheat

POUR: Near Guinness-class head

AROMA: Did not detect a strong aroma, but hints of citrus

BODY: Near full bodied

TASTE: Nicely bitter with citrus, grapefruit, pine, tropical fruits and biscuit

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS; Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Nicely bitter; Foley brothers - the next best thing to a religious experience; If I were to chew on a piece of cedar, that's the back taste I get; Nice full-bodied beer; You get a bit of an alcohol burn with this."

IT'S COMPLICATED BEING A WIZARD DOUBLE IPA

BURLINGTON BEER CO.

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Double IPA; BREWER: Burlington Beer Co., Williston, VT; ABV: 8%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS:"Our Double IPA has a radiant straw orange glow with which we immerse massive quantities of hops per gallon for a bold, yet complex hop flavor."

COLOR: Beautiful straw orange

POUR: Near Guinness class head

AROMA: Subtle malty aroma, but not a big nose

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Pretty big alcohol presence with a nice balance of malt and hop - bit of pineapple and pine with caramel malt

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS; Just shy of  Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Nicely blended hop and malt; Malt presence on the tail end; No spiciness here; Big malt kick on the end; Bitter; Doesn't taste as strong as it is; No, but you can definitely taste the alcohol; Good beer."

ANNIE

GOOD NATURE BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Imperial India Pale Ale; BREWER: Good Nature Farm Brewery; ABV: 8.5%; IBUs: 70

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Our Imperial IPA was originally brewed to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary in 2014. We were so taken with her, we decided to keep her on as one of our first bottled beers. A complex IPA that delivers on many levels. The simplicity of the grain bill allows the hops to really shine. Tropical fruits and lemon on the nose with a spicy finish that tickles your taste buds."

COLOR: Honey / wheat

POUR: Near Guinness class head

AROMA: Piney

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Big citrus hop taste with pine resin, touch of lemon and tropical fruits backed up with a kind of butterscotch malt underlying it all.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS; Pretty close to Can't Get Enough

COMMENTS: "Delicious; More on the nose than on the tongue; Sneaky alcohol - will probably knock you on your ass; Annie is not an orphan - she's a sweetheart - the best Good Nature beer in my opinion; Malty backbone with a nice hop blend; At the brewery it seemed more piney - better after being in the growler for a week."

THE BIG BROADCAST DOUBLE IPA

WAR HORSE BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Double IPA; BREWER: War Horse Brewing Company, Geneva, NY (Seneca Lake - part of Three Brother Wineries & Estates); ABV: 9%; IBUs; 100; HOPS; Cascade, Chinook, Centennial.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Resiny and Smooth. Maybe a little too smooth."

COLOR: Between golden and amber

POUR: Near Guinness Class

AROMA: Hay, grass

BODY: Full

TASTE: Pine, grapefruit, citrus, solid alcohol burn with a cold-brewed coffee taste underneath

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS; Pretty close to Can't Get Enough

COMMENTS: "Great early mouth-feel; Big; Tasty; Helmet beer; Could sit there and drink this 'til you pass out; Really nice flavor; Impressed - from a winery?; A really big thank-you to Judy and Tom (my sister and brother-in-law who returned from a Seneca Lake winery tour with this growler for me)."

THE VERDICT

Another terrific bunch of beers overall. In the end we had three clustered at the solid "Can't Get Enough!" rating followed by three more that came in just below that top rank. Then we had two at the "I Could Drink This!" mark, making them decent if not knock-your-socks-off beers. Here's what we thought in a nutshell:

1. Anti-Hero IPA - Revolution Brewing - A terrific IPA that was a unanimous "Can't Get Enough!" Exactly what you look for in an IPA.

2. 100 Pounder Wet Hop IPA - Stone City Ales - It's great to see our Northern neighbors get into the craft beer act. More and more we've been seeing some really good Canadian IPAs and this one may be the best we've had yet. 

3. Citrennial - Foley Brothers Brewing - Great blend of Citra and Centennial hops make this an excellent American IPA. 

4. 5. and 6. - Pretty much a dead heat between The Big Broadcast  from War Horse, Annie from Good Nature, and It's Complicated Being a Wizard from Burlington Beer Company. All three are double (Imperial) IPAs and range from 8% to 9% ABV. All were delicious.

7. San Francisco IPA - Almanac Brewing - A nice, brightly citrus IPA lacking a bit in complexity but a good boat beer.

8. 12th of Never Ale - Lagunitas - Ditto with this one. The aroma is terrific, redolent of grapefruit and pine, and the taste is light and tropical without much of a malt presence. Bright, easy-drinker, at 5.5% it comes in a bit high to qualify as a session IPA - but it's close.

9. Fat Tire Amber Ale - New Belgium - This didn't fare well with us, but we seem to be in the minority judging by it's popularity and ready availability. We're big fans of many of New Belgium's beers, but this isn't one of them.

Next up we check out some authentic Texas beers.

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys

Some Scary Good Beers

MIXED 12'S OFTEN A MIXED BLESSING

I'm not sure who came up with the concept of the mixed-12 pack where three or four different styles of beer are combined in a half-case, though I rather doubt it was any of the mega-brewers. After all what would Budweiser have put in a mixed-12 twenty or so years ago? Budweiser with three or four different label designs?  I suppose A-B could have had a mix of Budweiser - a rather bland German-style lager, Bud Light - an even blander German-style lager, Michelob - basically more expensive and Michelob Light -more expensive Bud Light.  You get the idea. Everything would have been a variation on German-style lager as interpreted by Budweiser. What would be the point? One of the earlier mixed-12s I recall was a Sam Adams mix. I don't exactly recall all the beers - probably Sam Adams Boston Lager, as that's their flagship beer. There was probably their Irish Red, maybe their Cream Stout or Boston Ale. The only other beer I remember for sure from that mix was their Cherry Wheat. I know that I enjoyed all of the beers in that pack except Cherry Wheat. I thought it was awful. After trying one, I had two or three bottles of it hanging around in my fridge for months. And therein lies the rub: it seems that any mixed-12 has one loser. Once you've tried one of them, what do you do with the rest?
Bud,

I picked up a mixed-12 from 21st Amendment recently. 21st Amendment brews some fantastic beers. Their Brew Free or Die IPA is terrific as is their Back in Black. Their Fireside Chat may be the best spiced winter ale I've ever had. A perfect blend of hops, chocolate malt and spices that still tastes like beer. So when I saw a mixed-12 with those three beers plus a fourth I'd never had, I took a chance since I'd never had a bad 21st Amendment beer. Well...I suppose, three out of four ain't bad. The fourth beer is El Sully, a Mexican-style lager. It looks like a Coors Light, with a color barely darker than water. And the taste. Sadly, it tastes like one of those Mexican lagers, which is to say, like any number of American style mega-brew lagers. It's a bit of a head-scratcher for me. I expect a beer from 21st Amendment to have some zing. This doesn't. I now have two of them that will reside in my basement fridge until I can unload them on some unsuspecting Coors fan. As for the other nine beers - they will not last long. I'll give 21st Amendment a pass on this one, assuming it's an attempt to appeal to a wider base (though, seriously, would Stone Brewery ever brew a bland lager? I think not! Just saying).

A few exceptions to the rule:

SOME SCARY GOOD BEERS

Alright, so we missed Halloween, but our latest meeting was close enough, so we decided to go with beers with some appropriately spooky names. We ended up with a bunch of frighteningly tasty brews.

LITTLE HORROR OF HOPS

SHIPYARD BREWING

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Shipyard Brewing Co., Portland, ME, STYLE: Rye India Pale Ale; ABV: 5.9%; IBUs: 60; MALT: Pale, Crystal 77,Rye, Carafoam; HOPS: Bravo, Apollo, Centennial, Cascade; YEAST: Top-Fermenting English

What the Brewer Says: "Don't fear the hops...Little Horror of Hops is a hoppy Rye IPA balanced by a complex malt blend. Peppery spice notes and a robust citrus hop flavor complement the dry hop finish."

Color: Copper

Pour: Decent head with lingering effervescence, and pleasantly carbonated

Aroma: Malty with a grassy / hay / straw pungency.

Body: Medium

Taste: Balanced but leaning toward the hoppy, bitter end of the spectrum. English yeast gives it that British style IPA vibe with a bit of an American IPA bite.

Overall Impression: I Could Drink This!

Comments: "Not as hoppy as the name might suggest; Lingering bitter after-taste following a mild opening; Definitely taste the British yeast with that sort of clove-ish undertaste; Hoppier than most Brit IPAs though; The Cascade and Centennial hops come through to give it a kind of hybrid English/ American IPA taste; A nice fall beer with the sort of cozy bready taste, works well on a crisp fall evening."

8-POINT IPA

DEVIL'S BACKBONE

The Beer Facts:BREWER: Devil's Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA; STYLE: India Pale Ale; ABV: 6.2%; IBUs: 60; MALTS: Pilsen, Caramel Malts, Torrified Wheat; HOPS: Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe

What the Brewer Says: "This is the first batch of beer we brewed after the conception of Devil's Backbone Brewing Company in 2008. Our brewmaster Jason Oliver was thinking about how to design the IPA when he heard a rustle near his fence line...where he saw two young proud eight point bucks walking along it. He decided to name the beer after those young bucks as it seemed to fit the spirit of the beer, which is proud, brash, youthful, yet approachable."

Color:Golden honey

Pour: Decent head

Aroma: Delicate aroma of citrus and pine with a bit of grain/hay

Body:Medium

Taste: Hoppy grapefruit, pine with a nice bitter bite. Clean at the finish

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

Comments: "Tastes bigger than 6.2%, Fine malt underpinning; Sturdy; It's this type of IPA I really like; Great summer IPA; Very pleased with this choice; Made us break into song; Tastes just like another one; This really is what I look for when I drink an IPA."

LOSER PALE ALE

(CORPORATE BEER STILL SUCKS)

ELYSIAN BREWING

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Elysian Brewing Co,  Seattle, WA; STYLE: Pale Ale; ABV: 7.0%; IBUs: 53; MALTS: Pale, Munich, Crystal, Cara-hell; HOPS: Bittered with Sorachi Ace and finished with Crystal.

What the Brewer Says:: "Light tropical flavors balanced with a crisp malt-hop finish."

Color: Unfiltered buckwheat honey

Pour: Decent head

Aroma: Sweet

Body: A bit beyond Medium

Taste: Balanced but leaning toward more sweet than bitter, with hints of toffee

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough

Comments: "Sweet beginning - like a yellow Easter Peep; Complex flavor - not over-hopped; Pineapple notes; Tropical fruits; A Pale that could pass for an IPA; 7% is pretty big for a Pale; You can really taste the malt; Fills the mouth; I like the label, catches your eye; I've grown to expect this from Elysian, though it makes me sad that they sold out to A-B; I guess the name tells you what the brewers think of that."

DAWN OF THE RED

NINKASI BREWING

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Ninkasi Brewing, Eugene, Ore.; STYLE: IRA (India Red Ale); ABV: 7.0%; IBUs: 75; MALTS: 2-Row Pale, Cara-Red; Crystal, Flaked Barley; HOPS: Galena, Millennium, Ahtanum, El Dorado, Mosaic.

What the Brewer Says: "The idea for this beer was to make a super drinkable hoppy beer with a touch of caramel malt to bring some dryness and malt flavor into the finish."

Color: Cloudy golden

Pour: Decent head

Aroma: Grassy hop and spicey

Body: Between Medium and Full

Taste: Delicious grapefruit, citrus hoppiness with caramel malt underneath

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

Comments: "I'm a fan!; I like the piney bite it has; Delicious; Holy crap, this is good; Great Red;Fast becoming one of my favorite breweries - also love their Tricerahops; Just a really tasty beer; That caramel taste with the hops creates a nice, complex flavor."

SPACE DUST IPA

ELYSIAN BREWING

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Elysian Brewing, Seattle, WA; STYLE: India Pale Ale; ABV: 8.2%; IBUs: 73; MALTS: Great Western premium two-row, c-15, Dextra-pils; HOPS: Chinook, Citra, Amarillo.

What the Brewer Says: "The hopping is pure starglow energy, with Chinook to bitter and late and dry additions of Citra and Amarillo."

Color: Clover honey

Pour: Decent head

Aroma: Pine

Body: Close to Full

Taste: Toward bitter with piney and citrusy hops combined with a nice butterscotch sweetness for balance.

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

Comments: "Doesn't taste like an 8.2% - very smooth; Could make you fall off your stool; Just delicious; Balanced; The butterscotch taste is cut nicely with the bitterness of the hops; Great beer - can't believe we haven't rated it until now; I just hope A-B keeps a hands-off approach here and allows Elysian to continue to brew good beer. I'd hate to see them come in and ruin a good thing - we'll see."

CITRA ASS DOWN 

AGAINST THE GRAIN BREWERY

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Against the Grain Brewery & Smokehouse, Louisville, KY; STYLE: American IPA; ABV: 8.0%; IBUs: 68; MALT: Pale, Vienna, Munich, wheat; HOPS: Citra, Centennial, Columbus.

What the Brewer Says: "Citra hops are a relatively new variety introduced in 2008. It was bred as a hybrid of a number of different hops, including Hallertauer Mittelfruh, U.S. Tettnanger, East Kent Golding, Bavarian, Brewers Gold, and other unknown hops. The resulting hop, Citra, has a distinct citrusy and tropical fruit flavor and aroma. In Citra Ass Down we used American Columbus for bittering and 11# of Citra at the end of the boil for late kettle addition flavor and aroma. Then we added 6 more pounds of Citra and 5# Centennial post fermentation for aroma. Rebrewed for your tasting pleasure!"

Color: Unfiltered wheat

Pour: Decent head

Aroma: Hoppy citrus, a bit earthy

Body: Near Full

Taste: Bitter with strong hints of tropical fruit - orange, tangerine, pineapple.

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

Comments: "Already has a '10' for the name; Yeah, that goes in my Beer Name Hall of Fame for sure; Tastes like some of the New Zealand hops; I bought it on the name alone, glad I did; Real tropical fruit vibe; Great job by C's market in Oswego, NY for directing me to this beer; Wow, another fantastic beer, not a loser yet today, well, besides Loser Pale Ale, which by no means was a loser."

PROSPECT IMPERIAL IPA

FOLEY BROTHERS

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Foley Brothers Brewing, Brandon, VT; STYLE: American Double / Imperial IPA; ABV: 9.0%; HOPS: Galaxy, Citra;  Limited release

What the Brewer Says: "Double IPA brewed with grain from Vemont and Maine."

Color: Unfiltered Wheat

Pour: Decent Head

Aroma: Pine

Body: Full

Taste: Strong bitter, pine, citrus-forward with subtle biscuit malt

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

Comments:"Best nose of any beer today; Smells delicious; Should be drunk from a snifter; Takes the day - and we have had some really good beers; This could kill you; One of the best beers I've had; More of a grapefruit guy - but this piney beers is great; I don't want this one to end."

UNDEAD PARTY CRASHERS

CLOWN SHOES BREWING

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Clown Shoes Brewery, Ipswich, MA; STYLE: American Imperial Stout; ABV: 11%

What the Brewer Says: "In a world of uncertainty, hardship, and people trying to hold us back, do we need the undead and trademark attorneys too? Clown Shoes says, 'No. Die, monsters, die!' Forces of darkness brought about a change in the name of this beer, which was released to celebrate our second anniversary, but it still sports signature dark malts, holy water, and malt smoked locally with hickory and ash."

Color: Black

Pour: Decent Head

Aroma: Malty, biscuit

Body: Full

Taste: Toward the sweet end with smokey notes of caramel and chocolate

Overall Impression: I Could Drink This!

Comments: "Reminds me of Debbie who used to tend bar with me at Fort Drum - sweet and dusky; Big, bold beer; Full bodied; Dark caramel; It's a sledge-hammer; Punch you right in the mouth strong; Snifter in front of the fireplace beer; Sort of oaky chocolate taste."

THE RESULTS

There's nothing like a BOTB meeting where there's not a loser in the bunch (other than Loser, as mentioned before). Really tough to say which was our favorite. Of the lower ABV bunch, Devil's Backbone's 8-Point IPA we all loved unconditionally. The bigger beers created a tougher call. Maybe Foley Brothers Prospect IPA. with Dawn of the Red and Citra Ass Down right there. Yike! Tough call. This was a great bunch of beers. Period!

GERRY'S BEER BOOK

Gerry, one of the  BOTB founding members (well, technically we're all founding members, but it sounds good) has put together an interesting and fun beer book written for his own and our edification, but I thought I'd include a link to it for our loyal BOTB readers. Check it out below and enjoy. It's full of neat beer trivia, information and opinions with tongue often planted firmly in cheek. 

Gerry's Beer Book

BOTB TESTED

Got a beer you've been wondering about? Thinking: I wonder if the BOTB Guys have tried this one? Well, wonder no more. You have two ways to find out. You can type the name in the search box at the top of the page here. That will take you to any post that mentions that beer. For a quick reference you can also go to the link below for a quick look at beers the beers we've tested and what we thought (using a four star rating system). Check it out:

BOTB Tested Beers

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys