American Stouts

LEGENDARY BREWS

Along with the growth of craft beers has come a phenomenon I call Legendary Brews. These are beers that, either regionally or nationally, gain a near mythical status. For any number of reasons - limited production creating demand, unique taste profile, word of mouth, a particular hype upon release, or a combination of any and all - these beers become the stuff of legends. Usually they are brewed only certain times of the year, sometimes only once a year, and their release becomes a kind of beer geek celebration. Heady Topper from The Alchemist Brewing was one of the early Legendary Brews. Heady Topper started the New England Style IPA movement with a hazy, citrusy, hop-forward beer for which people wait in line for hours upon release in order to purchase a limited number of 4-packs.

Nearly every part of the country seems to have a Legendary Brew: Kentucky Stout from Toppling Goliath Brewing in Iowa, Sip of Sunshine from Lawson's Finest Liquids out of Vermont, Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout from Foothills Brewing in North Carolina, Hunahpu's Imperial Stout from Cigar City in Florida, Dark Lord Imperial Stout from 3 Floyds in Indiana, Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA, or Dave, a barleywine from Hair of the Dog Brewing in Portland Oregon. Most of these are available regionally, which seems to add to their mystique. While Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA is more of a national brew, selling for over $40 per 4-pack. For many of these brews people will camp out at the brewery overnight prior to the release of the beer. Dark Lord, Hunahpu, Sexual Chocolate are all released once a year with big release parties. Dave is aged 20 years and its last release was in 2013 with only 12 bottles selling at $2,000 per. They sold out within hours.

A Central New York beer that has reached Legendary Brew status is Mass Riot IPA from Prison City Brewing in Auburn, NY. It is a New England style IPA that recently gained national attention (which pushed it into the realm of Legendary) when it was named Best IPA by Paste Magazine. We at BOTB were lucky enough to get into the brewpub on a Mass Riot release date for a member's birthday celebration. Like so many craft beer brewpubs, Prison City, located in The Armory building in
Auburn, has that nice, laid-back, hip industrial vibe. Our waitress was a lot of fun and knowledgeable. The food was terrific. And Mass Riot lives up to the hype. It's a wonderful beer. But it was by no means the only good beer available. Like many brewpubs, Prison City rotates beers in and out and experiments with different styles. Much to our delight they had a number of IPAs on tap besides Mass Riot including a Red and a Black and a New England.  Along with the myriad IPAs there were Sours, Lagers, Porters, Blondes, Belgians and hybrids of various ilk. It'll be interesting to see if their success equals wider availability.

AMERICAN STOUTS

Why "American" Stouts? After all the birthplace of stout is Ireland with Guinness Stout (ergo our nod to Guinness with our "Pour" section rating - Guinness Class Head). As American craft beer has grown, however, nearly every brewery has its own stout or several variations of Stouts. As has happened with the craft beer industry, American brewers took the basic essence of a style and tweaked it in various ways. In the case of Stouts, the basics amounted to a dark, malty beer with subtle hints of coffee and chocolate. American craft brewers have been toying with that formula to create stouts that tend to be a bit bigger and bolder and often hoppier than their cousins across the ocean. This month we decided to check out stouts produced exclusively by American brewers. 

OATMEAL STOUT

BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton, CO; STYLE: Oatmeal Stout; ABV: 5%; IBU: 36

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A well balanced easy drinking stout is timeless. Deeply roasted malts lend hints of coffee and dark chocolate. There's a softness that comes from the oatmeal, which when combined with the malts, adds a touch of sweetness at the onset. This transitions to an unexpected dry finish."

COLOR: Deep Mahogany

POUR: Decent tan head

AROMA: Malty, molasses dominates

BODY: Bit less than medium

TASTE: Toward the sweet side of balance with overtones of chocolate and coffee.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Creamy on the tongue; A little thinner body than you might expect from a stout; Nice and mild; Not over the top, but easy-drinking beer; Nice, solid beer."

OLD MOUNTAIN MILK STOUT

BLUE LINE BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Blue Line Brewery, Saranac Lake, NY; STYLE: Milk Stout; ABV; 5.1%; IBUs: 25; MALTS: Roast, Chocolate, Crystal, Victory.

COLOR: Black

POUR: Slight head with some lacing

AROMA: Brown sugar

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Sweet with notes of coffee, vanilla, brown sugar

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "More malty; A bit creamier even than Breckenridge; Roasty; On the sweet side - I like it; Kind of like a nice latte; Yeah, coffee and vanilla; Good beer."

NITRO BREAKFAST WITH CHURCHILL OATMEAL COFFEE STOUT

WAR HORSE BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWERY: War Horse Brewing, Geneva, NY; STYLE: Oatmeal Stout; ABV: 7.2%; MALTS: 2-Row, Oats, Roasted barley, Chocolate Malt, Crystal 55; HOPS: Bravo, East Kent Golding; OTHER: Colombian Coffee

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Breakfast With Churchill is full of roasty smooth dark chocolate notes and balanced bitterness. With the addition of freshly roasted Colombian Coffee from our good friends at Glenn Edith in Rochester, it's a perfect start, or finish, to your day."

COLOR: Near Black with a red tint

POUR: Between Decent and Guinness Class with long-lasting lacing

AROMA: Brown sugar and coffee

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Nice sweetness on the front with a pleasing bitterness at the end with a strong coffee taste throughout

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Darn near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Creamy; More roasted taste than some of the others; Fills the mouth; Like a nice mug of coffee; Real nice mouth feel; They really hit the coffee stout sweet spot - a little sweet a little bitter with a nice big flavor; Coffee, yes, but still beer; Little bit of dark chocolate in there too; I like it."

DRAGONSLAYER

MIDDLE AGES BREWING CO.

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Middle Ages Brewing, Syracuse, NY; STYLE: Imperial Stout; ABV: 9.5%; HOPS: English hops

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Brewed in the style of a Russian Imperial Stout. Strong, chocolatety and aggressively hopped with finest English hops

COLOR: Near pitch black

POUR: Near Guinness Class head - big, rich and long-lasting

AROMA: Roasty malt, candy

BODY: Near full

TASTE: Somewhat sweet, with coffee and dark chocolate dominant

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "A bit more carbonated than many; Roasted coffee bitterness; Iced coffee; Not a dessert beer yet, but a meal ender; Bit of licorice taste in there; Big malty taste; Got a nice dark chocolate taste to it; The British vibe comes through with the English hops; Another good beer from one of our favorite breweries."

THICK MINT STOUT

SOUTHERN TIER

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Southern Tier Brewing, Lakewood, NY; STYLE: Imperial Stout Dessert Beer; ABV: 10%; IBU: 60

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Inspired by the legendary cookie, Thick Mint joins our world-class rated Blackwater Series of dessert beers alongside Creme Brulee, Choklat Oranj, Salted Caramel and Choklat in 2017. This Imperial Stout is a mouthful of perfectly balanced mint and chocolate. Roasty malts coalesce with notes of Belgian dark chocolate, sweet mint and just a touch of sweet caramel. So decadently delicious, you'll wish you'd bouth another box...er, bottle."

COLOR: Black

POUR: Between Decent and Guinness Class

AROMA: Mint and chocolate

BODY: Full

TASTE: Sweet with dark chocolate and mint, bit of caramel and roasty malt

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Tastes like a Girl Scout cookie; Dessert; Creamy; Great mouthfeel; Deceptively alcoholic; I'm the one dissenting voice here - I'm just not a fan of mint in anything other than a candy of gum, just don't care for it. Having said that, I like this better than I thought I would - the mint is subtle enough to not overpower."

HYPNOPOMPA IMPERIAL STOUT

OMNIPOLLO BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Omnipollo Brewing, Boston MA; STYLE: Imperial Stout; ABV: 11%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Hypnopompa is our Imperial Stout brewed with almost 100 kilos of marshmallows and Tahitian vanilla beans ( the size of cigars). Low carbonation and boiled a bit extra for good measure, this is a beer strictly for the stout inclined."

COLOR: Black

POUR: Decent chocolate brown head

AROMA: Chocolate, sea-salt, caramel/sweet

BODY: Full

TASTE: Sweet dark chocolate

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Could chew this; Dessert beer; Tastes like a liquid S'more; Lady Godiva; After-dinner drink; Almost like chocolate syrup; Could put it on French Vanilla ice cream; Good - and different."

KBS (KENTUCKY BREAKFAST STOUT)

FOUNDERS BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich., STYLE: Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout; ABV: 12.3%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "What we've got herre is an imperial stout brewed with a massive amount of coffee and chocolates then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year to make sure wonderful bourbon undertones come through in the finish. Makes your taste buds squeal with delight."

COLOR: Black

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Chocolate, coffee

BODY: Full

TASTE: Big chocolate and coffee with smooth bourbon undertones

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Coffee grounds; Green pepper? I think; Sweet smelling - maybe horehound; Bourbon taste comes through nicely - sort of blends in nicely almost like a nice Irish Coffee made with bourbon; A real tasty sipper."

BOURBON BARREL DRAGONSLAYER

MIDDLE AGES BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Middle Ages Brewing, Syracuse, NY; STYLE: Imperial Stout; ABV: 12.5%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This version of our imperial stout Dragonslayer has been aged in Bourbon Barrels for over 6 months."

COLOR: Black

POUR: Guinness-class  with nice lacing

AROMA: spicy, alcohol, subtle

BODY: Full

TASTE: Coffee, bourbon, alcohol, bit of toffee with fruity hops

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Alcohol up front; Booze; Serious stuff; A 'get-me-in-trouble' beer; I taste a little coconut in there; Dangerously delicious; One of the hoppier stouts we've had today.

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys

Goodbye to Summer - Sealed With a Beer

OH, CANADA!

Once upon a time many of us who reside in the border states (that is the US/Canadian border) viewed Canada as a kind of Mecca of good beer. I attended college a short drive from the border and periodically my compatriots and I would jump into whichever car had gas enough to get there and back again and head for the Great White North (a term used to refer to the amount of snow up there, not the fact that the country is predominantly Caucasian; though, paradoxically, we here in Central New York generally get much more snow - residing as we do on the receiving end of Lake Ontario - than much of Southern Canada, so to them we should be referred to as the Great White South. Okay, come to think of it, that's not such a good idea). Anyway, once there, we would load up on cases of Brador, John Labatt's Export Ale, Moosehead Beer, Molson Export Ale as well as others. Were they better than the crop of mass produced beers we were stuck with in the States? Well, Brador was a bigger beer than most in the States, weighing in at a whopping 6% ABV. Most were actually ales as opposed to the same-old-same-old lagers we were getting south of the border. And to add insult to injury, American brewers foisted the dreaded light or lite beer on the world. It was as if someone said, "Let's see if we can we make American beers even more tasteless than they already are."

Then came the Great Craft Beer Revolution in the US. Suddenly American beers had flavor, aroma, color, panache. And soon those Canadian beers just could not measure up. But Canada, like much of the rest of the civilized world, is catching on to the craft beer craze. on a recent trip to Quebec City I was pleased to find a number of delicious craft beers that never make it to the States. We see plenty of Molson Canadian and Labatt's Blue. Not so much so with beers such as Red Racer from Central City Brewing or Nutcracker Porter from Black Oak Brewery.  The Canadian craft beer industry seems to be growing quickly and, at least in the urban areas, is catching on. We visited a number of brew pubs while in Quebec City and they seem to be thriving. The selection of beer styles is wide and varied so that whatever you crave, be it Sours, Stouts, Wheats, IPAs, German, Belgian, British, or American, you can find it. Happily for me, IPAs and Pale Ales were numerous, often unique and tasty.

   

SEALED WITH A BEER

Though we've got to say good-bye to the summer, here's our take on a few seasonal brews that will no doubt return next year.

LONG TRAIL SUMMER ALE

LONG TRAIL BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Summer Ale; BREWER: Long Trail Brewing Co., Bridgewater Corners, VT; ABV: 4.3%; IBUs: 32; MALT: Pilsner; HOPS: Citra

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "An unfiltered golden ale made to chill out summer's hottest days. Remarkabley light on the palate, with a soft Polsner malt character and a distinct citrus hop character... Each sip finishes with a refreshing bitterness that invites another. At 4.3% ABV, this golden beauty is a truly quaffable drinking experience."

COLOR: lemon-yellow straw, unfiltered

POUR: Decent head, white

AROMA: Soapy, lemon (Pledge?)

BODY: Toward the light side

TASTE: Lemon/citrus with Pilsner malt base

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "A little hoppier and more bitter than I would have expected from a summer ale; Lemon notes for sure; Quenches your thirst; Nice hot weather beer; Good golf cart/lawn-mower beer; Definitely more flavor than I've seen in most summer ales; Very drinkable beer, for sure."

BROOKLYN SUMMER ALE

BROOKLYN BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: English Pale Ale; BREWER: Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY: ABV: 5.0%; MALTS: British Pale, German Pilsner; HOPS:Ahtanum, Willamette, Cascade, Amarillo

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Brooklyn Summer Ale is a refreshing, flaorful pale ale made to accompany you on all your warm weather adventures. 100% British 2-row barley brings its famed bready flavors, capped off with German and American hops to provide a snappy, clean bitterness and a bright aroma. It's a sunny pale ale, Brooklyn style."

COLOR: Pale yellow

POUR: Decent head

AROMA: Grassy

BODY: Light

TASTE: Not a lot! Slight hint of citrus hop at the end, maybe. Some pale malt to it. But very thin and watery.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Leave it on the Shelf.

COMMENTS: "Thin body and thin taste; Not much hop presence - not much flavor, period; Tastes like a mega-brew beer to me; Could have been brewed by Bud; Disappointing, I like some of their other beers a lot."

SAM ADAMS SUMMER ALE

SAMUEL ADAMS BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: American Pale Wheat Ale; BREWER: Samuel Adams Brewing, Boston, Mass., ABV: 5.3%; IBU: 7; MALT: Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, malted wheat; HOPS: Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Saaz Noble.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Same delicious beer, brand new look. Summer Ale returns for its 21st year with limited edition packaging that’s as exciting as a summertime adventure. From the blazing yellow of the afternoon sun to the fiery orange of an evening sunset to the electric blue tint of a summer night, the colors of Summer Ale and its crisp, citrusy flavor, are your perfect companion anywhere, anytime."

COLOR: Straw

POUR: Decent white head

AROMA: Hay

BODY: Thin

TASTE: Cloves, banana and lemon

OVERALL IMPRESSION:  I Could Drink This

COMMENTS: "No finish, no real hop to it; Nothing offensive; At least it's not a sour; sip with a straw; Kind of a weak lemonade taste to it; It's kind of what I expect when I see the words 'Summer Ale' on a beer, so I guess if that's what they were aiming for, they hit the nail on the head; It's just a kind of a meh beer."

CITRA SEA

HARPOON BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Citra IPA; BREWER: Harpoon Brewery; ABV: 5.8%; IBUs; 45; HOPS: Citra

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Citra hops provide a juicy citrus character in this grapefruit peel-infused IPA. The malt blend adds depth and a touch of sweetness and gives the beer its bronze hue and medium body. The finish is all citrus, all day. This IPA is easygoing and ripe with citrus flavor. Happy summer."

COLOR: Golden

POUR: Decent though short-lived head

AROMA: Grapefruit peel

BODY: Between light and medium

TASTE: Grapefruit and citurs with slight malt backing

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Would quench your thirst; Real nice beer; I liked it; I'd buy it; Has a nice IPA bite to it, but very light on its feet; The citrus taste does have a nice summer feel without being bland or tasting like some boring mega-brew."

PORCHDICK CITRA PALE ALE

COPPER CITY BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Pale Ale; BREWER: Copper City Brewing Co., Rome, NY; ABV: 5.9%; HOPS: Citra

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A refreshingly ballsy pale ale! Lightly malted and dry hopped with Citra hops."

COLOR: Copper

POUR: Near Guinness-class head, big and long-lasting.

AROMA: Not a strong aroma, perhaps a bit metallic.

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Balanced with more malt presence than most of the others, bit of citrus. A little toffee and clove in there.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Darn near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "More of an English style than American; Really nice taste; Nice flavor - nice finish; A small alcohol bite at the end; Real nice 'after-taste' to it; Fills the mouth; Some clove and toffee going on in there I think; Nice beer."

NU SKOOL IPA

SOUTHERN TIER

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: India Pale Ale; BREWER: Southern Tier Brewing Co., Lakewood, NY; ABV: 6.0%; HOPS: IBUs: 55; HOPS: Combination of new American and experimental hops.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This beer shocases just how far we've come with alluring aromas and explosive flavors using only new American and experimental hops. There's no need to add anything else. It's time to graduate to the next level of hop flavors with Nu Skool IPA."

COLOR: Golden, pale

POUR: Big, white, nearly Guinness-class head,

AROMA: Citrus, grapefruit

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Piney up front with strong tropical fruit flavors laid over a sweet maltiness.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Perfect IPA; Nice bitterness with malt sweetness; Nice crisp finish; I like this tropical fruit hoppiness; This is a 'summer' beer that I can really warm up to; Much superior to the light beer styles many brewers seem to default to for a summer ale."

GRINDSTONE SUMMER ALE

GRINDSTONE BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Summer IPA; BREWER: Grindstone Brewing, Pulaski, NY; ABV: 6.3%; MALT: 2 Row and 6 Row brewers' malt; HOPS: Citra, Mosaic

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "It's this summer's brew. Enjoy it while it lasts!"

COLOR: Unfiltered Straw

POUR: Better than Decent Head

AROMA: Grassy

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Hints of grapefruit and citrus with a solid malt that gives it a bit more body than most Summer Ales. Bit of breadiness and pine.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Fills the mouth; More complex than a lot of the summer ales, bigger bodied; Can't brew it fast enough? Why is he such a slacker?; Terrific beer!; Very tasty, nice change-up from some of the lighter ales of summer."

GHOST HAMMER SEASONAL ALE

STONE BREWING

THE BEER FACTS:STYLE: STYLE: India Pale Ale: BREWER: Stone Brewing Co., San Diego, CA; ABV: 6.7%; IBUs: 56; HOPS: Loral
WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A fermenting beer never slumbers. Consequently, there is always scattered activity tending ou precious beers throughout the dark hours. In these late nights and wee hours that hallowed responsibility falls to the shoulders of the overnight Brew Crew...This IPA, liberally hopped with Loral (TM), honors our intrepid overnight team by naming it after their mischievous poltergeist companion - the Ghost Hammer."

COLOR: Unfiltered clover honey

POUR: Better than Decent Head

AROMA: A bit dank, grassy

BODY: A bit more than Medium

TASTE: Citrus, floral, tropical fruit, touch of lemon, bit of toffee

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Nice finish; Stone always knows what they're doing; Another nicely balanced seasonal beer that shouldn't be seasonal - would buy it year round; I really like this; Very few Stone beers I haven't liked - even their Pilsner is okay."

QUICK SHOUT OUT

We started the session off with a real nice "palate cleanser" - Roll Away IPA from Lost Nation Brewery out of Morrisville, VT. It was not a summer ale so we didn't include it in our reviews. But it was an awesome beer and a great way to start off the festivities.

WHO WEATHERED OUR SUMMER ALE CRITIQUE?

We ended with a rare three-way tie for first place. Our favorite three were:

Grindstone Summer Ale - a bit more body, somewhat maltier than your typical summer ale.

Stone's Ghost Hammer IPA - another well-balanced brew with a bit more complexity than one would typically see in a summer ale. Big, bold IPA with a lot of flavor.

Southern Tier's Nu Skool IPA - we felt this was what a summer ale should be like: bright, full-flavored with a big tropical fruit punch to it.

2. Copper City's Porchdick Pale Ale - we really liked this beer which had a decidedly British vibe to it - delicious beer.

3. Harpoon's Citra Sea - a definite summery feel to this one without being bland or tasting like a run-of-the-mill mega-brew lager. Very easy drinking with refreshing citus zing.

4. Long Trail Summer Ale - another good summery ale - light without being flavorless.

5. Sam Adams Summer Ale - an inoffensive, okay beer but not one any of us would actively seek out.

6. Brooklyn Summer Ale - we found very disappointing. Very little flavor, reminding us more of a mega-brew blah beer than a craft beer. Wouldn't buy it, period.

Up next: Buy local!

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys

Faves

On The Road (Again, Again)

-Ron gets Revolutionary in Chicago

-We Find a Mexican Beer With Hops - In South Carolina, No Less

-WOB is coming to Destiny - OMG!

Here at BOTB we have an agenda. That agenda is to promote craft beer. We are located in Central New York near Syracuse (Go Orange!!) so we like to shine a spotlight on local breweries as much as we can. Having said that, we love to check out craft brews from across the country. Distribution of craft beers is a fickle thing. Unlike the mega-breweries (Bud, Miller, Coors) which are universally distributed throughout the US and beyond, most craft breweries do not have the clout (i.e. money) to get their beers distributed beyond a particular region. You can walk into any bar in the country and be pretty much assured that they will have a plethora of InBev products, as well as Miller/Coors. But try to find Ithaca Brewing's Flower Power in Florida, or Cigar City's Jai Alai in Idaho. I don't think so. A relative few (Sierra Nevada, Samuel Adams) are able to distribute nationwide and make their way into the big chain restaurants, but that leaves a vast array of great beers out there that never make it to our part of the country. Worse still, never make it to our taste buds. Ergo, when we travel, we enjoy seeking out these regional treasures and giving them a little shout-out here.

Recently, Ron and Vicky took a trip that wended its way through Chicago and ended up in Myrtle Beach, SC, where they met up with Les and me. While there, Ron picked up Sweetwater IPA and I grabbed some Aviator HogWild IPA, both of which will be reviewed later.

While in Chicago, Ron filed the following review of Revolution Brewpub.

You Say You Want a Revolution

While in Chicago, Vicky and I had the good fortune of stopping at Revolution Brewpub in Logan Square. They have a production brewery a couple blocks away that provides them with their flagship beers and a smaller brewery within the brewpub that concocts the seasonal and specialty beers. A tour of the brewpub facility left me with a feeling that the brewers really enjoy their jobs and have a good sense of their ingredients. Each style of beer well represents that style without being "over the top." I started out with a pint of Red Skull, an Imperial Red Ale with whole Cascade hops, then dry hopped with Citra and Cascade hops. It had a nice big hops aroma, but the taste was balanced with caramel sweetness. Vicky got a Workingwoman Brown, a hopped brown ale. I gave it a thumbs up as well. Since we we were going to the Art Institute after our visit to the brewpub, I knew I couldn't have a pint of each beer they have on tap. I did have samples of: Anti-Hero IPA, Coup D'Etat (a Belgian farmhouse style saison), Double Fist (a double pale ale), Georgia Gene (a German-style Rauchbier), Loganberry, Oktoberfest Revolution, Chicago Smoke and Penguin Hops.

The Penguin Hops was interesting in that it was brewed with an unknown hops variety grown at the nearby Shedd's Aquarium. The proceeds of the sale of this beer are turned back to the aquarium.
I would have loved to spend the day with pints of all but the Loganberry and Oktoberfest - not that they weren't good, but not my styles. In addition to their fine lineup of taps, there are 65 bottled beers and 9 ciders and fruit beers in the coolers.

Bacon Fat Popcorn

As for the food... We started with an appetizer, a large bowl of "Bacon Fat Popcorn." Popcorn was popped in bacon fat, topped with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. It was so delicious, but then the meal. I got the market fish and Vicky had the smoked trout salad - both outstanding. If all that wasn't enough, the desserts were yet to come. I had a pecan blonde brownie with bourbon ice cream and butterscotch drizzled over the top. Vicky had the orange cheesecake on a bacon/gingersnap crust topped with orange marmalade. Both desserts were decadent.

Let me tell you, it is a must stop when you go to Chicago. The beers, the food, and the staff will leave you with fond memories for a very long time.

A Mexican Beer With Hops

 (And We Don't Mean With Jumping Beans)

So, when The Most Interesting Man In The World tells us he doesn't normally drink beer, but when he does, he drinks Dos Equis, why should that make a real beer aficionado want to run out and buy Dos Equis? He just told us he doesn't really drink beer. I mean, really, if someone said, "I never drink wine, but I think you should buy that reddish colored one over there," would any self-respecting oenophile take that person's advice? So why should I listen to a guy who admits he rarely drinks beer? Sheesh! That commercial has bugged me from the first time it aired. There is more than a hint of snobbery as the guy looks down his aristocratic nose at the riffraff known as "beer drinkers." And I, as a proud, card-carrying member of said riffraff, resent that. Truth be told, with the explosion of craft beers, there is now such a wide and rich variety of styles and tastes in beer, why would you settle for anything as pedestrian as Dos Equis? It may be better than, say, Corona, but is that saying much? We cerevisaphiles turn our collective noses up to such nonsense. Especially now that I have discovered that there is indeed good beer to be found South of the border!

While in South Carolina of all places, Ron and I discovered a terrific beer out of Mexico. We were in a seafood restaurant called Carlos' And Charlie's and checking their beer list. There wasn't a lot to choose from but then we saw something called Day of the Dead IPA. We gave it a shot and we were pleasantly surprised. Most beers out of Mexico follow the typical light lager profile found in the mega-brews in the US. As I later found out, Day of the Dead Brewery is:

-The first fully developed, fully accessible craft beer to come out of Mexico

-Mexican owned, Mexican brewed

-Located 100 yards from the US border in Tacate, Mexico

-Capacity of 75,000 barrels with plenty of room to expand.

Their IPA is 6.8% ABV and an impressive 83 IBUs. It's brewed with 2 Row, Munich, Carapils, and Caramel malts plus Centennial, Cascade, Fuggle, Saaz, Goldings, and Willamette hops.

It's a terrific beer. Nicely balanced despite the high IBUs. They also produce an Amber Ale, a Pale Ale, a Hefeweizen, a Blonde Ale and a Porter.

WOB at Destiny!

Strolled past World of Beers site at Destiny USA in Syracuse the other day. It's pretty much ready to roll. There was a group of future employees, apparently, inside getting schooled in the finer points of beer. Opening day is set for December 16th. Just took a look at their line-up of beers and it's pretty impressive. Check it out here:  www.wobusa.com/locations/Syracuse/menus

The bottled beer selection is unparalleled - broken down by country, and then in the US, by state. 37 beers (and cider) on tap. 

May have to do a little extra Christmas shopping at the mall starting the 16th.

BYFB 

(Bring Your Favorite Beer) 

Most everyone has a favorite beer. Whether it's Bud or Miller Lite or a beer that actually has hops and malt in it, most beer drinkers have that default beer they grab when they just want a good beer. So we decided this month to have  a "favorite beer" competition at the BOTB November meeting. This created a bit of a dilemma: there are now so many good beers out there it is tough to choose the favorite. Add to this the fact that we really didn't want to bring a bunch of beers we've already rated. As a result, we ended up bringing beer we really liked but hadn't rated. Otherwise we might have ended up having, say, four or five Flower

Powers, one of my personal favorites. Some of us had been traveling and brought back a tasty brew we discovered, while others of us actually followed the original premise. As a result, we had seven darn good beers without a loser in the bunch.

Now, we all had a pony in the race, so to speak, since we brought something we had personally endorsed as a top notch brew, so we figured we'd better go back to our old blind tasting model and see where the chips fell in the end.
The order of finish will be disclosed at the end, and the tasting order was random.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who has followed this blog that all are IPAs!

JUST IPA

Just Beer Project - Alchemy and Science,  Burlington, VT

An independently operating subsidiary of Boston Beer Company

The Beer Facts: STYLE: American IPA; ABV: 4.8%; IBUs: 45; MALTS: 2-Row Malted Barley, Bohemian Floor Malted Barley, Honey Malt; HOPS: Chinook, Ahtanum, Citra, Cascade. OF INTEREST: Just Beer's goal is to brew good craft beer that is under 5% ABV.

What the Brewer Says: "It's not 2,000 IBUs. The hops weren't harvested from the grounds of a temple in the heart of a jungle that you've never heard of. This beer won't change your attitude.We're not trying to scare you or numb your tongue. You just drink it. It tastes great. Just IPA."

Color: Golden honey

Pour: Decent off-white head

Aroma: hoppy

Body: Medium

Taste: There are notes of licorice, a little barley, and a hint of grapefruit. 

Overall Impression: Midway between "I could drink this: and "Can't get enough."

Comments: "I'd drink this during a football game; I detect a bit of a licorice/horehound taste: There is a nice aftertaste; It's balanced; There's not a big malt taste; It has a clean finish; It seems like a session beer; The taste on the end makes you want to have another - sort of a "re-taste" session beer; It would be a good lunch beer, when you would still be good for the afternoon; A lot can be said about this beer..."

Hog Wild IPA

Aviator Brewing Company, Faquay-Varina, NC

The Beer Facts: STYLE: IPA; ABV: 6.7%; IBUs: 50; SRM: 5; MALTS: Pale Ale and Vienna; HOPS: Chinook, Columbus, Cascade - Dry hopped with Magnum, Williamette, and Amarillo.

What the Brewer Says: "...A very hoppy and refreshing ale."

Color: Golden Honey

Pour: A very nice head, with decent retention.

Aroma: Pretty malty with a little spice

Body: Better than medium

Taste: Well toward bitter. It has notes of malt, bread, citrusy hops and a little nut taste.

Overall Impression: Nearly all the way to "Can't get enough."

Comments: "It seems to have a higher alcohol content than the previous sample; It has a good malt backbone; It hits all the notes; This is really good - I like it; I'd like to be able to drink, and drink, and drink this; It has a nice bitter finish."

60 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, Delaware

The Beer Facts: STYLE: IPA; ABV: 6.0%; IBUs: 60; MALTS: NA; HOPS: Blend of Northwest hops

What the Brewer Says: "60 Minute is brewed with a slew of great Northwest hops. A powerful but balanced East Coast IPA with a lot of citrusy hop character. It's the session beer for hardcore enthusiasts!"

Color: Golden honey.

Pour: Much better than "Decent" head, but not quite Guinness class

Aroma: Light hops aroma.

Body: A bit less than medium.

Taste: On the bitter side of balanced. There are notes of bread and nuts.

Overall Impression: "I could drink this"

Comments: "It's a little carbonated; I get a little bit of a pilsner vibe; You get a little flavor at the front - then sail right through to the end; It reminds me of Saranac Pale Ale; There are no strong notes of anything; It's not a big beer; It doesn't knock my socks off, but it is a decent beer."

Centennial IPA

Founder Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, MI

The Beer Facts: STYLE: India Pale Ale; ABV: 7.2%; IBUs: 65; MALTS: NA; HOPS: Centennial (I assume); OF NOTE: This beer will soon be available in 12-pack cans.

What the Brewer Says: "Get ready to bask in the glory of the frothy head's floral bouquet. Relish the citrus accents from the abundance of dry hopping. This one's sweet, yet balanced. Malty undertones shake hands with the hop character for a finish that never turns too bitter."

Color: Amber/red

Pour: A high, off-white colored head that quickly dissipates.

Aroma: Spicy/hoppy

Body: A bit beyond medium.

Taste: Leans to the bitter, with strong notes of malt to balance it out. Tastes of bread and toffee were also detected.

Overall Impression: "Can't Get Enough!"

Comments: "That is a nice, full-flavored beer; It stays with you; There is a nice, strong malt backbone; It explodes in your mouth; And it stays right with you; Man, I like this; It is certainly not a lawn mower beer; I'd call it balanced - with strong alcohol taste." 

Sweetwater IPA

Sweetwater Brewing Company, Atlanta, Georgia

The Beer Facts: STYLE: India Pale Ale; ABV: 6.3%; IBUs: 65; MALT: 2-Row, Munich, Wheat, 70/80; HOPS: Chinook, Cascade, Columbus - finishes with Simcoe, US Golding; AWARDS: Best IPA in the Country - Judges Choice AJC, March '09.

What the Brewer Says: "This mammoth India Pale Ale is loaded with intense hop character and subjected to an extensive dry-hopping process. Our IPA is unfiltered, leavimg all the natural flavors intact. The Beer You've Been Training For."

Color: Unfiltered amber

Pour: Very large off-white head that dissipates quickly.

Aroma: A little yeast aroma, but you really have to breathe in deep to get it

Body: Medium to full

Taste: Citrusy hops with notes of bread and grapefruit.

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough

Comments: "This is good; WWGD (What Would Gerry Do?) Answer - Open another one; You could have several of these; It's a little floral - almost as much as Flower Power; This is a good year 'round beer; If it is one that is sold around here, I will definitely buy it; It has the taste of a West Coast IPA."

Southern Tier IPA

Southern Tier Brewing Co., Lakewood, NY

The Beer Facts: STYLE: American IPA; ABV: 7.3%; IBUs: "Medium-high"; MALTS: 4 varieties; HOPS: 4 varieties; YEAST: Ale yeast

What the Brewer Says: "The India Pale Ale we brew is our version of a brewing legacy ... (an) intrepid ale, triple-hopped on its journey to your gleass for a truly aromatic experience."

Color: Golden light honey/copper

Pour: Generous off-white head

Aroma: Nice hoppy aroma

Taste: Well towardthe bitter/hoppy end of the sectrum with notes of citrus/grapefruit, toffee and pine.

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

Comments: "OMG; Oh that's good; It has a spiciness to it; It hangs int the mouth; It has a complex taste - it runs the gamut of flavors as you let it sit on your tongue; There is a taste that stays with you; This is one delicious beer - you could easily drink this one, and another just like it; This is a really good, good beer."

Middle Ages X Double Indian Pale Ale

Middle Ages Brewery, Syracuse, NY

The Beer Facts: STYLE: Double IPA; ABV: 10.00%; IBUs: Not listed but described as "an intense hop bitterness."; HOPS: Ten addition of American hops.

What the Brewer Says: "Brewed in the style of an American Double IPA in celebration of our 10th anniversary. This beer is golden in color, has medium to full body, intense hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. Ten additions of American hops are made throughout the brewing process."

Color: Golden to amber

Pour: Little to Decent off-white head

Aroma: Banana and clove

Body: Well toward full

Taste: Banana initially with a nice hop bitterness

Overall Impression: Between "I could drink this" and "Can't get enough."

Comments: "This is a big one; You shouldn't operate machinery while drinking this beer; It has lots of alcohol, for sure, but it is balanced so it hides the alcohol; It just sits on my tongue; It tastes like a Middle Ages beer; It is English Ale-ish; I really like it; The bittering lasts through the swallowing; I like it a lot, but I couldn't drink a lot of it; It is very strong; It tastes like a "hunting club" beer."

And the Winner Is...

As mentioned previously, there were no losers in this bunch. Any one of them would be a welcome sight on any tap. But we set out with the idea that we would see which was our collective favorite. Once we had tried all seven but before we knew what they were, each of us ranked the beers 1 - 7 with #1 as our favorite etc. In this manner, as with golf,  low score wins. Some of us tried to keep notes throughout, others preferred to wing it. The results are as follows:

1. A 3-way tie for first - Middle Ages x, Sweetwater IPA, and Founders Centennial IPA all ended up with the same low score - decidedly under par.

2. (or 4th) - Southern Tier IPA - Interesting when you re-read the comments on this one, which were raves. I believe the others all garnered some "1's" while nearly everyone picked this one as their second favorite. Still well below par.

3. (or 5th) - Aviator Hogwild IPA - A nice, balanced brew. Slightly under par

4. (or 6th) - Just IPA from the Just Beer Project - Very good session IPA. Low ABV, nice hoppy flavor. Par.

5. (or 7th) - Dogfish Head  60 Minute IPA - This surprised me as I thought this beer would score higher. Once again, as unmitigated hopheads, we tend to lean toward those brews that are hop forward and 60 Minute is bit more balanced. A bit over par.

Until next time...

Sláinte,
The BOTB Guys