Best Beach Christmas Ever Part 1 - Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

So Christmas has come and gone. That meant and always means some long drives to visit Margaret's family. She has family around the country and even outside the country now. The closest of said family lives 6 hours away by car utilizing my lead foot. Since I have made it farthest from the nest, only 2 hours from my place of origin (that sounds pretty census-like), we typically make it back to the New Orleans area frequently enough to save the holidays for Margaret's family. We head to Florida or Virginia for each Christmas alternating between Margaret's (or Peggy as she was referred to during this trip) Aunt Carla (Florida) or Aunt Bonnie (Virginia). This year's destination was Florida, specifically the gulf coast.

One of Margaret's cousins, Philip (or Phil as he was referred to on this trip) has the ever optimistic habit ("tradition") of claiming everything we do on any trip, is the best ever. This trip was frequently called the "Best Beach Christmas ever, pt.1." No lack of superlatives and he continually assumes that there will of course be a part 2 next time we meet.

One of the other traditions that are employed for our group Christmas gatherings is the drawing of names for buying presents. This relieves the pressure to find something for everyone there and with the statutory $ limits, it is not going to break the bank. The last time we had a beach Christmas, two years ago, I had the good fortune to have Margaret's cousin Meredith (or Leroy as she was referred to on this trip) draw my name. She is the only other beer lover among the crowd and she did not disappoint.

She put together 2 six packs of assorted beers from a New Orleans beer and wine store. However she did not stop there, she did some research and put together some index cards with facts about the specific breweries and beers. Not only was it a cool present, it may have been the most thoughtful one I have ever received for Christmas. I would say it had some part in my decision to pursue my interest in craft beer and ultimately starting this blog.

As my good fortune would have it, this year my name again was drawn by Meredith and she did not disappoint. Now that she lives in New York, her beer choices have increased tremendously. She gifted me with a fine selection of beers to sample, including the one I will review below, the Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

Goose Island is a Chicago area craft brewery that I am not completely unfamiliar with. I had one of their beers several years ago while visiting the Windy City. However I do not remember what specific beer it was, but I know it was not this one.

The Bourbon County Stout is a Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout. Beer Advocate has it rated as a 98, which is world class on their scale. Due to its high ABV (15%) I shared the bottle with Meredith.

Appearance: Beer poured a pitch black with no noticeable head or lacing. The beer was practically still as no carbonation was present. Upon pouring I noticed just how viscous this beer is. This is a no joke beer.

Smell: As one would expect, I picked up a strong alcohol smell up front. Molasses aroma was present as well as some woody notes.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Heavy mouthfeel with no carbonation present. Like the nose, some molasses flavor was present at the outset. The other noticeable flavor was raisin, like I have found with some Belgian beers. For the first time I have ever noticed with a beer, it had a real warming quality on my chest with each sip, like with some wine or liquor.

Overall: This was one of the most unique beers I have ever had. From the appearance to the mouthfeel and flavor, it was not exactly like any beer I have ever had. I enjoyed it a lot and am glad I had someone to share it with. This one would have put me on my rear if I had to do it myself. For more info on this beer, please see Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

No beach trip would be complete without some beach shots. Below are two sunsets. The first of which is not done justice by the photo.

For those who are wondering, the line up from left is as follows: Philip (Phil), Meredith (Leroy), Margaret (Peggy) and Myself (Cobra or Matthew Cobretti as I was called this week).

The Cobra nickname is a carryover from the Best Christmas Every pt.1 from Virginia 3 years ago. Much like myself,  these guys figure if something is funny once, it would be even funnier 50 times. No dead horse left unbeaten.

On a serious note, we had a great time this Christmas thanks to the hospitality of Aunt Carla and Uncle Dick. Thanks for hosting the Best Beach Christmas ever part 1.

Cheers!

Cheers to Christmas

With Christmas tomorrow, the good folks at Food and Wine magazine have put together a brief list of some worthy Christmas beers.

Christmas beers

Of these, the only one I have tried is the Sierra Nevada Celebration ale. It was a little too much like a spice cake for me. I have also had the St. Arnold Christmas ale although it tasted more like an Oktoberfest than a winter ale. Abita brewery also has a Christmas ale that they change every year. It's year's version is the best one yet. The hops are not overpowering and it does not taste too much like a dessert.

Merry Christmas and Cheers!

It's the end of the world... What to drink?

So it is December 21, 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar and the day that many believe will be the end of the world. So it begs the question, what to drink? what to drink? Luckily for me, someone has already scoured the beer landscape and found the best beers to commemorate the end of the world.

Click here for a nice list: Doomsday Beers

As for this guy, if I really believed that the world was ending today, I would be pretty disappointed. My last 2 beers were Sapporo Lights while at a Hibachi dinner last night with family and friends. The only natural disaster or sign of the Apocalypse I saw last night was this colossal onion volcano.

Although it is impressive, I don't think it would be a world ender.

As you make your way through what some believe could be the last, take the time to enjoy some good beers. As REM sang in the 80's, "It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine."

I am sure we will be chatting again soon.

Cheers!

More North Carolina Beers

Even though my trip to the Tar Heel state was a few weeks ago, I am still making my way through the remaining inventory of new untried beers from their local brewers. I have two such beers to review, the Oatmeal Porter from Asheville's Highland Brewing and the Sweet Josie Brown Ale from Lonerider Brewing in Raleigh.

Highland Brewing Oatmeal Porter

Appearance: Cola color with a thin tan head that does not last long. Light carbonation was noted and patchy lacing was present.

Smell: Lots of roasted malt aroma as I have come to expect from a porter.

Taste/Mouthfeel: This beer had a noticeably heavier mouthfeel. The word viscous comes to mind with this one. As fas as flavor, I picked up on the malt and some dark chocolate notes. Lots of lingering bitterness up front on the finish that mellows as it warms.

Overall: This porter was a little on the bitter side for me. I did not get the smooth drinkable quality from this one as I have had with say the Sierra Nevada version. In the end, the bitterness was too much for me.

Lonerider Brewing Sweet Josie Brown Ale

Appearance: Beer poured a dark brown. Unlike the previous one, the appearance was somewhat clear and showed off prominent carbonation, which I found unusual for the dark beers I typically drink. Again a thin tan head that dissipates rapidly and left some patchy lacing.

Smell: Mostly a roasted malt aroms with this one.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Almost in complete contrast to the Highland beer, the mouthfeel on the Sweet Josie was thin and watery. The flavor was very mild with no bitterness and a faint chocolate flavor. This one was smooth and highly drinkable.

Overall: This beer seemed to just miss the mark. Although it was smooth and drinkable, it lacked a robust character and flavor. However, I would rate this one higher than the Nola Brown Ale that I have previously reviewed.

Although the beers reviewed are similar in appearance with dark tones and tan head, they are very contrasting with flavors. The Highland beer had too much bitterness for my liking and the Lonerider lacked some flavor. I guess the Mick Jagger was right when he sang, "you can't always get what you want." My quest continues, in the meantime, I will get what I need.

Cheers!

Beer Drinkers Fear No Fiscal Cliff

Lots of talk these days about the fiscal cliff. Unless swift action is taken (swift being a relative term when dealing with Congress), the US financial world will come to an end on December 31. That is what people want you to think. If you are a Mayan, this may not be an issue as the world will end a cool 10 days before we all fall off the fiscal cliff.

Will all the concern for the near term future of the financial world, one would think that the more economical beers that were mainstays of my lower income youth would be increasing in popularity. Not so fast my friend shouts Lee Corso. Based on recent beer sales numbers, the cheap and watery suds that I would put back readily are among the worst performing beers in America.

Here is an article showing 9 beers that Americans no longer drink. Beers we are not drinking

Say it ain't so, Milwaukee's Best. I guess the cowboys on the 80's commercial were not correct when they said it doesn't get any better than this.

I guess financial times are not as tough as popular media would want you to believe. Or America has more Mayans than I would have ever imagined; partying like it is 2012.

As we prepare to fall off the fiscal cliff, bring along some of "the Beast" to brace your fall.

Cheers!

North Carolina Craft Brewing Part 2 - Various Breweries

To round out the North Carolina trip beer adventure, I have three beers from three different NC breweries to review. They are the Milk Stout from the Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery in Farmville, NC, the Wee-heavy-er Scotch Ale from the French Broad brewery in Asheville, NC and Natty Greene's Buckshot Amber Ale from Greensboro, NC.


Duck Rabbit Milk Stout

Appearance: Dark black color with a finger of khaki colored head. Nice lacing present with this beer.

Smell: Typical stout aroma. Chocolate noted.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Like the nose, some chocolate flavor. Similar to Guinness, but more flavor than the flat taste that I pick up with the iconic Irish Stout. Smoother finish with this beer also.

Overall: A solid stout. The lactose added (hence the Milk Stout style) seemed to make this one sweeter and smoother than a regular stout. I also like the optical illusion with the label. For more info on this beer, please see Duck Rabbit


French Broad Wee-Heavy-Er Scotch Ale

Beer Advocate describes the style as follows:

Scotch Ales traditionally go through a long boil in the kettle for a caramelization of the wort. This produces a deep copper to brown in colored brew. Compared to Scottish Ales, they'll be sweeter and fuller-bodied, and of course higher in alcohol, with a much more pronounced malty caramel and roasted malt flavor. A low tea-like bitterness can be found in many examples. 

Appearance: Beer poured a cola color with more than a finger of creamy khaki colored head. Very nice lacing was present. 

Smell: I picked up a piney aroma on this one. 

Taste/Mouthfeel: This one had a quite unusual flavor for me. Initially I described it as not unlike the flavor of pork skins and eventually turned into more of a burnt or smokey flavor. 

Overall: I had this one on the afternoon of Thanksgiving day on the patio looking at the sun setting over the mountains. Not a bad scene. As mentioned above the flavor of this one was unusual. Not completely unpleasant, but unusual. The setting helped this beer. For more info on this beer, please see French Broad

Natty Greene's Buckshot Amber Ale

Appearance: As you can tell, I brought this one home with me. Copper and amber color beer with one finger of off white head. Good carbonation and decent lacing was present.

Smell: Fruity aromas noted. Not citrusy ones, but more like darker fruits.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Unlike the nose, this beer had some malty flavors, but like the nose, the dark fruits were present also. The mouthfeel was bubbly and the carbonation was a little too much. However, the beer still seemed to have a flat finish.

Overall: This beer was ok, but not remarkable. While in NC, I did have their Southern Pale and enjoyed it more than the Amber. For more info on this brewery, please see Natty Greene's

As I conclude my trip through North Carolina beers, I again am impressed to see so many craft breweries putting out good beers that are readily available in a local supermarket. These Tar Heels have the right idea.

Cheers!

North Carolina Craft Brewing Part 1 - Highlands Brewing Company

As I mentioned last time, I was particularly impressed with the craft brewing scene in western North Carolina. I had the good fortune of visiting one of the breweries while I was there, however I was able to canvas the region through just going to the local Walmart. In the mixer six packs that we made included 6 beers from the Highland Brewing Company located in Asheville.

With trying to be a good houseguest in mind, I did not go complete beer dork on all of these. Therefore I only have some limited notes about a couple of these beers.

Black Mocha Stout - Chocolate aroma, smokey finish, khaki colored head with little carbonation. I did enjoy how smooth and drinkable it was for a stout. 

Gaelic Ale - another smooth and drinkable one. A citrus finish and a dark copper color.

Kashimr IPA - typical IPA flavors. Not the most intense one, but not my cup of tea just because of the style.

St. Teresa's Pale Ale - creamy white head and much milder flavor than the IPA.

Thunderstruck Coffee Porter - these guys don't mess around with the naming. Most coffee tasting beer I have ever had. Nice lacing and head.

Oatmeal Porter - still sitting in my fridge. Review to come later.

Overall, I was impressed with the Highland beers. Very consistently drinkable and smooth tasting beers. I like how they are heavy on the porters and stouts, which makes sense based on the name. The Highland area of Scotland would likely require some hearty beers to stay warm. For more info on the Highland Brewing Company please see Highland Brewing Company

Note the frozen mason jar mugs used for the tastings, courtesy of our travel companions Tom and Kathleen. I need to get some of those.

Cheers!

First Brewery Visit - Nantahala Brewing Co.

I have been out of pocket for the past week. This was a term we used to use in my Arthur Andersen days to mean that I would be out of the office and not accessible. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, this is no longer the case as I am usually attached to my electronic leash and my Pavlov's dog trained response to its rhythmic vibrations. However, I am happy to report that I was legitimately out of pocket most of last week.

Margaret, the girls and I joined some friends at their family cabin in Western North Carolina, near the Smokey Mountains. Since the cell service near the cabin was non-existent, I had the phone off most of the time and was able to enjoy some relaxation and clean mountain living. This included running, or attempting to run up the steep hills, fishing, sleeping late and just enjoying the views.

Somewhat to my surprise, the area where we stayed has quite a craft brewing scene. During our week there, I tried almost a dozen different beers from breweries in the surrounding areas. The place has such good craft beers that you can even make a mixer beer six pack at the local Walmart. My friend Tom and I put together 3 different ones with mostly all local stuff. Reviews of specific beers to come later.

The beer highlight of the trip came when we traveled about 15 miles to the Nantahala Brewing Company (I will use NBC for short) brewery in Bryson City, NC. I had mentioned previously how my planned trip to the Abita Brewery during our camping trip earlier this month was 86'd due to not letting kids in the brewery. No such luck with NBC. Kids and even dogs are welcome in the brewery. We did decide that this would be a kid free night as we had babysitting, which was much appreciated.

The atmosphere was really relaxed and casual. The open room has a couple dart boards and bean bag toss boards (I can't think of a better way to describe it). Against the back wall is a nice selection of taps and includes "guest taps" with beers from other breweries. Unfortunately due to the cold weather, the tasting room was moved to a smaller, but warmer room that got quite crowded.

One of the most appealing aspects of the NBC offerings is the small tasting samples that allowed me to try several beers during my visit. Among them were the Bryson City Brown Ale.

A Hefeweizen (I did not get the specific name)

Black Ale (I did not get the specific name) 

Dirty Girl Blonde

Devil's Courthouse Belgian Style Ale (tasted a lot like Duvel)

Before you ask, no I did not drink both of the beers in each picture. I did have some help. Speaking of help, I will need some help with this one that I brought home. This Russian Imperial Stout is part of NBC's Trail Magic limited edition series and is among only a few that are available in bottles. Note, not small bottles.

I was even able to meet Greg, who is the NBC Brewmaster. He was kind enough to take me to the back where the magic happens.

Of the beers I tried, the Black Ale, Dirty Girl Blonde and the Devil's Courthouse were my favorites. I found the beers to be well made and even better priced. The sampler size is a real bargain. The place had a very welcoming vibe that really made for a great evening. If you are ever in this neck of the woods, I highly recommend giving Nantahala Brewing Company a visit. As they say, "Water is for Quitters."

Thanks to Kathleen & Tom for your hospitality and turning me on to NBC.

For more info on the Nantahala Brewing Company, please see Nantahala Brewing Company

Cheers!

Catch up on Reviews

As you have likely noticed, I have not been very prolific on the reviews lately. I hate it when life gets in the way of enjoying good beers. Now seems like a good time to catch up with two beers that I have tried recently and am now getting around to document. They are the Real Ale Brewing Company's Brewhouse Brown Ale and Sam Adams Holiday Porter.

Real Ale Brewing is a brewery in Blanco, TX. I picked up the Brewhouse Brown Ale in Houston while I was there in October. This beer is an English Brown ale, which is among my favorite types.

Appearance: Beer poured a cola color with one finger of khaki colored head. It did have a hazy appearance, but nice carbonation and accompanied lacing.

Smell: A nice malty aroma was noted. I am fond of saying that a beer smells like it should smell, and this one fits that bill.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Lots of malt and toffee flavors are present on this one. It had a creamy mouthfeel, but was a little on the heavy side. Smooth and drinkable.

Overall: Not a show stopper, but a nice solid beer. It has the flavor profile I like with lots of malty and toffee notes. I could drink several of these. For more info on this beer, please see Brewhouse Brown Ale

The second beer that I tried recently was the Sam Adams Holiday Porter. This one came courtesy of my brother and his holiday assortment pack.

Appearance: Cola colored and cola carbonation on this beer. Weak tan colored head that dissipated quickly. Patchy lacing was present.

Smell: Again a malty aroma as well as a chocolate one was noted.

Taste/Mouthfeel: This beer had a heavier mouthfeel. Like the nose, some chocolate and malt flavors were most prominent. I did note some mild lingering bitterness on the finish that is not what I am looking for with a porter.

Overall: Since this is possibly my favorite kind of beer, it has to be very special to standout. Unfortunately this one is not doing that for me. Sam Adams makes some tasty beer, but this one seemed average for a porter and kind of nondescript. For more info on this beer, please see Holiday Porter

Based on the inventory I have accumulated, it looks like I need to get back to beer business. Hopefully with some upcoming time off, I can get back to my quest of finding the perfect beer. I know it is out there. In the meantime, I will keep enjoying the runners up.

Cheers!

I vote for... Beer - Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

Today being election day in the United States, I am reminded just how unpolitical I am. Hearing people discuss the merits of their candidates, I am even more convinced that I should not join in. I figure I am not passionate, articulate or persuasive enough (my wife takes great pride in letting people know that I "have no game") to convince someone to think like I do and giving a hazzah to those who already think like me seems like a waste of time. A side note, if I "have no game", what does that say about her? I digress.

I do get inspired with the political process when I think back to the greatest triumph of the human spirit and of the suffrage movement, in 1933 with the repealing of the 18th amendment with the ratification of the 21st amendment. For those unfamiliar, the 18th amendment prohibited alcohol. What a sad time it must have been for America to not be able to drown its collective sorrows with some beers during the period of 1920-1933. Brave Americans took to the polls to defeat the forces of evil that had plagued this great land for more than 10 years. I was very surprised to see that there is still a Prohibition party in the US and they even have a Presidential candidate, Lowell "Jack" Fellure from West Virginia. Needless to say, this guy did not get my vote.

As I will be stationed in front of my television watching the election results this evening, I decided that I should exercise my rights under the 21st amendment and enjoy a beer, or beers. The one I will profile is a delegate from the great state of Colorado and the Breckenridge Brewery, specifically their Vanilla Porter.

Appearance: Beer poured a dark brownish black color with a thin khaki colored head that quickly dissipated. Some moderate carbonation was noted and there was some patchy lacing.

Smell: A typical porter smell at the start with the roasted malt notes. This porter was brewed with vanilla beans, but the aroma did not give off much in the way of the vanilla smell. I did get a burnt aroma however.

Taste/Mouthfeel: The vanilla beans come through much more on the taste. Lots of vanilla noted on the finish and again with a burnt sweet flavor. It had a real sugary sweet flavor quality also. The mouthfeel was on the heavier side of medium with a definite syrup consistency to it.

Overall: All in all, not a bad porter. Having the vanilla flavor does take the edge off of the typical malt and chocolate flavors. This one may be a little too sweet for my liking though. I do prefer the regular flavor profile of a typical porter. For more information about this beer, please see Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

As you watch the election results this evening, I hope that all your candidates win. I know this is not possible, but my favorite candidate already won a victory in 1933. Congratulations beer for a hard fought win and many good times since you have been in office.

Cheers!

Beer in the woods... much better than bear in the woods

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I am not much of an outdoorsy person. I don't hunt, fish, hike or even birdwatch. It is not that I don't like the outdoors, I much prefer to run outside than on a treadmill, it is just that I did not grow up in a house where experiencing nature and the outdoors was much of a priority.

This is in complete contrast to my wife Margaret. While growing up, she camped all the time and because of this, has been on me for a while to take the family camping. She finally wore me down enough for us to go this weekend to Fountainbleau State park in Mandeville, LA. One of the carrots dangled with this trip is the fact that the park is less than 10 miles away from the town of Abita Springs which is home to the Abita brewery. Abita is the best known microbrewery in Louisiana.

Since the brewery does not allow people under 21 years of age to take the tour, we had to settle for a lunch at the Abita Brewpub. As you would expect, the pub has all the Abita beers available as well as seasonal special ones that are not bottled.

Pictured above is the Pecan Harvest ale and a photobomb courtesy of my buddy Matt. He and his family joined us for the trip. I have had a little experience with nut ales, specifically the He'brew Messiah Nut brown ale and the Lazy Magnolia brewery's Southern Pecan beer. This Abita offering was not as remarkable as the other two I just mentioned. Try the He'brew one if you are looking for a good nut brown ale.

This one is an example of a beer only available on tap, the Roggen Weizen. This is a stronger version of a German hefeweizen and is made with rye malt. At 7% ABV, it contributed greatly to the afternoon nap I attempted back at the campsite. I enjoyed this beer more than the pecan one.

It was an Abita weekend, as I took some of their Fall Fest seasonal Marzen back for enjoying around the fire.

Your blogger looking rough after the first night in the tent.

Later on after coffee and a happy family.

Unfortunately, there was a black eye to the weekend's festivities. Around midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning, I was awakened by the sound of a drunken camper falling into our tent. This happened right near where I was sleeping and could have caused some injuries. The culprit and his friend quickly ran off. I bet it was quite a buzzkill for them, as it was for me. It was not until the morning that I found the damage caused to our tent.

Luckily for us, the tent was an old freebie second hand from Margaret's father, so we were not out any money as we left it at the campsite. In the haste to escape, the offenders dropped their beers. As I would have expected, they were drinking Michelob Ultra. It just goes to support my theory that nothing good comes from drinking Michelob Ultra. I trust these geniuses will get what they deserve.

All things considered, the trip was a great success. Good times in nature, good friends and good beers. We liked it so much that we are already planning our next trip and what new tent to buy.

For more info on Abita Brewery and the brewpub, please see Abita Brewing and Abita Brew Pub.

Cheers!

Pikermi, Halloween Costume and Post Road Pumpkin Ale

This weekend, Margaret and I went to New Orleans to run in the Jazz Half Marathon. For the non-runners out there, as it's name would imply, the race is half the distance of a marathon, or 13.1 miles. As an aside, there is a movement to change the name of half marathons to a Pikermi. This comes from the half way point on the map for the historic run that the Greek soldier Phidippides made from the town of Marathon to Athens. To date, I have yet to hear anyone call this race a Pikermi. 

Since I no longer have any plans to run a full marathon, and am concentrating on half ones, I see how people may feel like calling the race a half may be downplaying the accomplishment. This was my 7th race of said distance and Margaret's 6th. The idea of doing another 13.1 miles at the end was again not appealing. Both of us were pleased with our performances, but more looking forward to the evening's festivities. For her, it meant braving the Halloween crowds in the French Quarter with her other swim team mom friends (the STM's) and for me, a costume party with Maggie's cousin Philip. Since I am a dad of girls on the swim team, what does that make me? I will let you do the math on that one. 

For those who don't know me personally, I am not a fan of dressing up in a costume. I am not even creative enough to think of a good one. Being that I had just run a race in the morning, I figured that I could go as a runner, complete with my race bib and medal. I know, I am Mr. Originality. Even better, it was minimal investment. If there is one thing I dislike more than dressing up in a costume, it is having to spend lots of money to do it. 

Although my costume was not going to win any awards, I did do something that I had never done before last night, try a Pumpkin Ale. The specific beer is the Post Road Pumpkin Ale from the Brooklyn Brewery. 

The style is described by Beer Advocate as follows:

Often released as a fall seasonal, Pumpkin Ales are quite varied. Some brewers opt to add hand-cut pumpkins and drop them in the mash, while others use puree or pumpkin flavoring. These beers also tend to be spiced with pumpkin pie spices, like: ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. Pumpkin Ales are typically mild, with little to no bitterness, a malty backbone, with some spice often taking the lead. Many will contain a starchy, slightly thick-ish, mouthfeel too. In our opinion, best versions use real pumpkin, while roasting the pumpkin can also add tremendous depth of character for even better results, though both methods are time-consuming and tend to drive brewmasters insane.

Due to tasting a pair of these at a party, I was not able to pour them into a glass to get the full visual, therefore I can only rely on taste and smell. The sweetness was unlike I had tasted before in a beer. As you would expect, lots of pumpkin spices were noted. I usually am not a big fan of fruit infused beers and this is not an exception. To their credit, the Brooklyn Brewery does put actual pumpkins into their mash and not a puree or flavoring. Unfortunately it is still not enough for me to enjoy the flavor. For more info on this beer, please see Post Road Pumpkin Ale

Even though I did not get a picture of the beer or even the bottle, I do have a picture of my awesome costume, or at least part of it. Not seen in this picture are my compression socks and cool wristbands. Philip is Santa Claus and his friend Casey is a British Soldier from the War of 1812. 

Cheers!

Got milk? - Left Hand Brewing Milk Stout

As I mentioned last week, while in Houston, I picked up several new beers from some regional breweries. In addition to ones in Texas such as St. Arnold from Houston, and Rahr & Sons from Fort Worth, I also got some from Colorado and Oregon. Both of these states are hotbeds for craft brewing.

The first of the loot from my trip to be profiled is the Milk Stout from the Left Hand Brewing Company of Longmont, Colorado. I can only recall having one other milk stout previously in a beer of the month package. Beeradvocate describes the style as: stouts that have a larger amount of residual dextrine and unfermented sugars that give the brew more body and a sweetness that counters the roasted character. This is usually accomplished by adding lactose to the brew kettle.

Appearance: This beer poured a pitch black color. As evidenced by the picture, no head was present and this lead to very little lacing as well. Minimal carbonation was present as well. Not knocking it out of the park appearance wise.

Smell: Like typical stouts this one has a roasted malt character to the aroma. I also noted some chocolate  aromas as well. Getting better.

Taste/Mouthfeel: The first few sips tasted very similar to regular stouts. Similar to the smell, malty and toffee flavors were present. The differences between this one and regular stouts appeared as it warmed. The usual bitterness with a regular stout was muted by a mild smoothness. The sweetness of the style was eventually more present when I got near the end of the pint. The mouthfeel was not heavy like a typical stout and it was silky.

Overall: This is a solid effort and a nice change from a more bitter stout. I was not too stoked about the appearance, but the flavor made up for it. This is a style that I will look to explore more in the future. For more on this beer, please see Left Hand Milk Stout

Cheers!

Great American Beer Festival

Every year for the past 31, the craft breweries of America have come together for the aptly named, Great American Beer Festival. Think ComiCon for beer geeks. Having only attained the level of beer dork, I have not been, but certainly will put this on my bucket list. I recently came across this article on CNN that described this year's festival.

Enjoy. Great American Beer Festival


Cheers!

Last Oktoberfest and St. Arnold, I promise

I spent the early part of this week in Houston and was fortunate to pick up some good beers. Oh the joys of big city living. I merely had to go to the local HEB supermarket to put together 2 create your own 6 packs and found 12 beers that I have not tried before, even ones from breweries that I have never seen sold in Louisiana. Lots of good material to profile.

So I have been beating the same Oktoberfest drum lately with the last few entries, but can you blame me with all the great Oktoberfest beers out there? The last one of the Oktoberfest genre that I will profile is the St. Arnold Oktoberfest, from the brewery located in Houston, TX.

Appearance: Beer poured a clear copper color. Carbonation was very much present as well as one finger of slightly off white head. Lacing was decent, but not great.

Smell: Beer had a yeasty and floral aroma. Some sweet fruit smells were noted also.

Taste/Mouthfeel: This beer had a fruity sweetness that I found hard to pinpoint. Upon further review of other reviews, several people noted an apricot flavor and this sounds accurate. A medium mouthfeel with a syrup like finish that left a coating on the tongue was present.

Overall: This beer was very smooth and drinkable. I could easily make a session of these. I still prefer the Sam Adams version of the Oktoberfest, but a solid effort from St. Arnold. For more info, please see St. Arnold Oktoberfest.

After a few days away, even my pal Stanley enjoys a good beer.

Cheers!

More Oktoberfest and another list

As I have mentioned before, October is likely the month where beer is on the brain more than any other. You also know that I am fond of lists. Therefore I thought why not combine those two things into one. Like peanut butter and chocolate, two great tastes that taste great together, below is a link to a list of the top 10 Oktoberfest beers.

Top 10 Oktoberfest beers

Not many American versions on the list, however I can and do recommend the Sam Adams Oktoberfest profiled previously Sam Adams Oktoberfest and the St. Arnold Oktoberfest that I will profile this week St. Arnold Oktoberfest.  Starting to think this is just a St. Arnold blog. These guys just put out good beer.


Enjoy the cooler weather, football and beers.


Cheers!

Why didn't I think of that? - Beer finder app.

I came across this article today for the Taplister site and the Beer Finder app. It is so simple it is genius.

Check it out.

Beer Finder App



Cheers!

Oktoberfest - Spaten Oktoberfest

Since the calendar has now turned to October, it is time for the biggest beer festival in the world, Oktoberfest in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The 16-day festival lasts from late September to the first weekend in October. Since I am not able to attend, I figured the next best thing would be to profile one of the beers featured there. I am wearing the traditional Bavarian lederhosen as I type. If you believe that, I have a bridge I would like to sell you.

The beer in question is named, appropriately enough, Spaten Oktoberfest.

Appearance: Beer poured a clear copper color with a finger of fluffy white head. The head left dissipated to a nice foamy ring on the top of the glass (I used this mug, which is the closest thing I had to a traditional stein). Good carbonation present and nice lacing.

Smell: I mainly noticed a musty aroma. Take away the darker color and I would have confused this one for a Heineken based on the smell.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Like the smell, the beer has a musty flavor to start with a lingering earthy funk like a Heineken, but with a drier finish. The beer does mellow as it warms to a more sweet flavor and less funk.

Overall: This one was a good but not great beer. It is authentic, but not exactly hitting my sweet spot as it was a little too earthy for my taste. I will apologize for being so ethnocentric, but I liked the Sam Adams Oktoberfest seasonal beer better.

Even though I can't be there, I still enjoyed seeing the sights from Oktoberfest. For some shots from the festival, see Oktoberfest.

Cheers!

Tis the season - Fall Beers

Breweries typically put out seasonal beers to compliment the weather or flavors of a particular season. Summer beers are typically light and refreshing, winter ones hearty and having a warming quality. However the season that may be prime seasonal beer time is fall. Many breweries have pumpkin ales or harvest beers that fit the cooler weather and season. Fall was made for beer, the most important beer month, October falls in the season. Hello Octoberfest anyone?

In honor of the fall season and October starting tomorrow, here is a list of the top fall beers. Fall Beers

I know this is a good article since it was sent to me by 3 different people. Enjoy.

Cheers!

It's new to me - St. Arnold Winter Stout

Having lived in Lafayette for the past 8 years, you would have thought that I would have hit all the beer and wine stores in the area. However as a creature of habit, there was one that I had not visited until recently, Philippe's Wine Cellar. 

I am usually not too picky about wine, and can find lots of good ones in the $10/bottle price range at local supermarkets. Due to this, I rarely felt the need to visit a specialty wine store. Now that I am expanding my beer universe and exhausting what is on the shelves at the usual places, I figured it was about time to try a new place. Their beer selection was quite extensive and they even sell single beers. I have frequently had to purchase a six pack to try a new beer only to have 5 unwanted ones left.

I picked up the LA-31 Acadie single and a six pack of the St. Arnold Winter Stout.

Appearance: Beer poured a pitch black color with a thin khaki colored head, which dissipated quickly. It did leave a nice ring and some good lacing. The carbonation was minimal.

Smell: Lots of chocolate aromas with this beer. I also noted some roasted malt smells. Nice aromas for this stout.

Taste/Mouthfeel: As would be expected by the nose, chocolate and caramel flavors dominate. The mouthfeel was on the heavy side of medium, but not as heavy as a Guinness. The St. Arnold Stout was also less bitter than the typical stout.

Overall: I really liked this beer. For some Stout lovers, this one may be on the mild side, but it has a nice character and is very drinkable. Lots of chocolate flavor and no bitterness. This is a very good stout and worth trying. For more info on this beer, please see St. Arnold Winter Stout.

I am glad to see I have another option for harder to find beers locally. I will certainly be back. For more information on Philppe's, please see Philippe's.

Cheers!

Drowning my sorrows - LA 31 Acadie

Growing up in the New Orleans area in the 80's I can remember some bad New Orleans Saints teams. Having the likes of Dave Wilson, Richard Todd and John Fourcade at the quarterback position made for some less than competitive teams. Only in the early 90's did the team garner a level of respectability being led by Jim Finks, Jim Mora and the Dome Patrol. However, even then they were always second fiddle in their own division to the dominant San Francisco 49ers. Only in the NFL could teams from New Orleans and Atlanta play in the Western Division of the NFC.

Recent history has been much better for the Saints and their fans. Since the arrival of Coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees, the team has been a perennial playoff contender and won the franchise's only Super Bowl.

An autographed cover page from the Baton Rouge Advocate newspaper the day after the Saints won their only Super Bowl.

I can recall the pure joy I felt watching the Saints win that game and how I said that I would be content if they never won another game again. Of course I did not mean that. Since their win, they have continued their winning ways, but not to the extent of being a champion. That is until this year.

The Saints have started this season losing their first 3 games. These games were not even against the class of the league, and two were at the Superdome and showed that there is no home field advantage with this team. As a life long fan, I will still support them, but I already feel like this season is for the most part over in terms of being competitive. It is extremely rare for a team to start 0-3 and make the playoffs, especially when the difficult part of their schedule is to come.

So what you ask does this have to do with beer? Besides the obvious, that it is the beverage of choice for watching the games, it also helps to drown the sorrows of another disappointing loss. There is a tear in my beer this Sunday.

The Bayou Teche Brewery has come out with a new seasonal beer, the LA 31 Acadie. I picked up one this weekend to give it a shot.

Appearance: Beer poured a copper orange color with a very thin white head. It had a clear appearance and provided only patchy lacing. It was well carbonated.

Smell: I picked up mainly a yeasty aroma, with nothing else apparent.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Beer had a mild malt flavor at the outset. The beer had a peppery finish, some honey-like sweetness and the slightest lingering bitterness. Mouthfeel was medium bodied.

Overall: I thoroughly enjoyed this mild drinkable beer. So far this is the best beer I have had from Bayou Teche Brewery. For more info on this Brewery, please see LA-31

Fortunately for me, I am not only a fan of American Football, but also, the original football. My club, Manchester United picked up a vital win this morning against its regional rivals, Liverpool Football Club. At least one of my teams was on the right side of a decision today.

Cheers!

Beers of the month August/September

It is the middle of September and that means time to crown the beer of the month and the four runners up. My total volume was down this month with only 14 new beers sampled, but I figured it was still worth highlighting the five best of the bunch.

5. Murphy's Red Ale

• This one does not fit into the "craft beer" category since it is mass produced, but still not one that a typical American beer drinker would likely look for. Beer had some nice head and lacing. Like other red ales it had a minerally and metallic aroma, but a much milder flavor. A nice balance and character made this one my favorite red ale. Murphy's

4. Sierra Nevada Porter

• A great example of the Porter style from a fantastic craft brewery in California. Nice head, lacing, chocolate, coffee and malt flavors. These guys just consistently put out good beer. Sierra Nevada Porter

3. Anchor Summer Beer

• One last shot for summer. This wheat beer had an unexpectedly creamy mouthfeel, but did have an expected light and refreshing drinkability. Just enough complexity of flavor to make it not watery. Anchor Summer beer

2. Samuel Adams Octoberfest

• An early fall seasonal beer. Very impressive looking with a copper color and nice carbonation. Smooth malt flavor with some citrus notes. No bitterness gave this beer a high level of drinkability. Sam Adams

1. Rogue Dead Guy Ale

• I had been holding on to this one due to not really liking their Mocha Porter, but was a very pleasant surprise. Nice malt flavor with a great finish. Some banana notes and no bitterness. Appearance was great also. Beer of the month. 

Three months down and still lots of great beers to try. Thanks for the support. 

Cheers!

That time of year - IPA

Below is a link to an interesting article I found on IPAs. Not my favorite type of beer, but this article mentions some good ones and differentiates the different types of Pale Ales. Enjoy!

Pale Ales


Cheers!

Is summer over yet? - Anchor Summer Beer

The date on the calendar and cooler temps outside these days (upper 80's for highs instead of 90's) are both indications that summer is almost over. Folks in south Louisiana know better than to assume that just because it may be the fall season around the corner that the hot days are behind us. As most of the breweries are now putting out their fall seasonal beers, such as Octoberfest or Pumpkin beers, I found myself with a summer seasonal still in the fridge and figured I should make way for the new season.

The summer beer in question is the Anchor Summer Beer, which I picked up at my local Albertson's store. This is the fifth beer I have tried from the Anchor brewery, the others being the iconic Anchor Steam, Liberty Ale, Anchor Porter and Berkle's Brown Ale.

Appearance: Beer poured a crystal clear golden color with lots of carbonation. Even more impressive was the pillow soft white head. I have yet to see a wheat beer with this kind of fluffy head or one with such good retention. As would be expected, nice lacing was present.

Smell: Nothing stands out from an aroma standpoint. I did pick up some yeasty smells, but nothing complex.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Some wheat characteristics were present on the palate, including some lemony flavor near the end. The mouthfeel on this one was impressive. Due to the color it has a light mouthfeel, but was almost creamy due to the head retention. Although it had a light mouthfeel, it had enough wheat presence to not be watery.

Overall: Very refreshing and drinkable beer. Very impressed with the appearance and flavor that was just enough, not too complex or watery. I prefer this one to the Abita Golden wheat beer I had reviewed previously. This may rival the Anchor Steam for my favorite Anchor beer. For more info on this beer, please see Anchor Summer Beer

With the football season started fall will be here soon. I am glad that I have one more nod to summer before the season turned.

Cheers!

Another birthday treat - New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

You have heard me complain about the limited selection of regional beers in Lafayette. Don't get me wrong, we have little trouble getting beers from the Louisiana craft breweries such as Abita, NOLA Brewery, Bayou Teche or even Tin Roof. My complaint is more the lack of availability of other regional craft brewery selections like Dogfish Head or the beer that started me on this quest from the Yards Brewery in Philadelphia. In order to get out of state regional beers, the closest large market is Houston, TX, which is about 3.5 hours away by car.

Being in the energy industry, myself or my colleagues are often called upon to visit this Mecca for oil and gas and therefore take advantage of the beer selection there to bring some of these hard to find ones back. Such was the case recently when one of my colleagues brought me a six pack of half Dogfish Head India Brown Ale (the Collar's first beer of the month) and half New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale, which I will profile. This treat made for a great birthday present, thanks Jonathan.

Appearance: As you can tell from the picture, the beer looks like I poured some cola into the Chimay goblet. Carbonation very much present at the start, but no head or lacing to speak of.

Smell: Picked up a musty aroma. Smelled typical of a Belgian style beer, like a Chimay.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Up front picked up roasted malt and coffee flavors. As it warmed, the chocolate flavor became more pronounced, as did a fruit sweetness on the finish. Mouthfeel was on the heavy side and some of the carbonation was detectable.

Overall: This beer had some good qualities of Belgian style beers, like the malty flavors, but was not overpowering and sort of on the mild side. It also comes in lighter on the ABV at only 5.6% it is much lower octane than the Duvels of the world. A nice flavor, but not overwhelming, a solid effort. but not remarkable. For more info on this beer, please see 1554

Cheers!

Cheers to Birthday Beers

This past weekend, specifically Saturday, was my birthday. In order to celebrate, Margaret and I went to New Orleans for among other things, to run the NFL Back to Football Saints 5K on Saturday morning.

This is me prior to the start of the race, and yes I wear those short running shorts. Give me a break, these races can be hot. The course was through downtown, a quick trip to the French Quarter and finishing on the 50 yard line of the field in the Superdome. This was without a doubt, the coolest 5K race I have ever run. Runners appeared on the big screen as they crossed the finish line and there were additional timing pads installed on the 10 yard line so participants could have their 40 yard dash times captured. Unfortunately, the nice weather we are now experiencing in south Louisiana did not come in time for the race. It was a hot one.

That evening, Margaret and I went to dinner with my brother and sister-in-law at Midway Pizza on Frerret Street in the Uptown section of New Orleans. The name would lead one to believe that it makes "Chicago" style pizza, Midway being the name of an airport in Chicago. Their pizza was deep dish, but not exactly Chicago style. However they did have an impressive selection of local and regional craft beers.

Nola Brewery's 7th Street Wheat

Brooklyn Brewery Seasonal

Chilled pint glasses are not really conducive to getting the complete flavor of the beer, so it will be pictures only this time. I can report that they were both tasty. 

After dinner, the four of us met Margaret's cousin Philip and some of his friends at his neighborhood bar, the Rendon Inn. I had been to the Rendon Inn before, but it was only 1 time and it was at least 13 years ago. As I remember it, this place was a dive and did not make our regular bar rotation while we were in college. Much to my surprise, the place was nothing like I remembered. The interior was updated and made for a much nicer atmosphere than the last time I went.

Even more to my surprise was the selection of beers they had. My brother, Phil (only slightly confusing that my twin brother and Margaret's cousin are both named Philip) and I had between us, St. Arnold Santo (readers know this is a favorite of mine), Jefferson Stout, and the Sam Adams Octoberfest pictured below.

The new Rendon Inn was quite different than the old place. Making it even better is the fact that we walked from Philip's house there, only two blocks away. I have always wanted to live in a place with a neighborhood bar within walking distance. We will definitely be going back to this place.

It was a great birthday and weekend. Lots of good meals and beers and even a little exercise so I won't feel so bad about myself when I step on the scale in the morning. It was also nice to be able to spend it with my brother Phil.

The Birthday Boys

Cheers!