Beer!

[Ryan Ruck]

Going seasonal tonight with Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Pumpkin Porter from Epic Brewing.

Hand-selected whiskey barrels bring forth notes of caramel and toasted oak which perfectly complement the spices and Madagascar vanilla.

Poured black into a Snifter with a large, light brown head. Allowed to warm a little bit. Smells of pumpkin spice, tannin, whiskey, and roasted malt. Very nice smell! The taste is pumpkin spice, tannic oak, vanilla, brown sugar, and mellow whiskey. Body is medium-heavy and fairly carbonated. Has a 9% ABV. No denying, Epic makes some really good stuff!

[Ryan Ruck]

Enjoying a limited release from Rhinegeist tonight!

This time, a barrel aged take on their Penguin Blonde Stout with Bourbon Barrel Aged Penguin.

Infused with coffee and cacao nibs, our Blonde Stout spent a year wetting its beak in freshly used bourbon barrels. The result is a complex conundrum boasting balanced notes of bright coffee, rich chocolate, subtle vanilla and toasted oak. Penguin was a collaboration with our friends at Three Weavers in Inglewood, CA.

ABV: 11%
IBU: n/a
Draft / Bottle
Aged: 11 Months in Bourbon Barrels
Hops: Bravo, Glacier
Malts: Golden Naked Oats, Flaked Oats, Marris Otter

Poured a ruddy brown into a Shaker glass with a medium sized, off-white head. Definitely not as blonde as regular Penguin! Allowed to warm some. Smells of roasted coffee, caramel, and oaky bourbon. The oaky bourbon being the big difference over the regular Penguin. The taste is most definitely barrel aged Penguin. The oaky bourbon comes across quite mellow. A bit more boozy and finishes with warmth that standard Penguin lacks. Medium bodied and comes in at 11% ABV. Regular Penguin is a tasty brew and this is a much more refined version of it! Good stuff!

[Ryan Ruck]

Semi-local for tonight's brew with another one from Country Boy and their Nate's Coffee Stout

https://natescoffee.com/country-boy-brewing/

Have you enjoyed a pint of Nate’s Stout? Then you’ve already tried our Organic Guatemala blend, just brewed a little differently. Nate’s and Country Boy have been brewing beers and coffee together for three years. Though the stout isn’t always on tap, the staff at Country Boy wakes up with Nate’s every day in their brewery and warehouse.

Aside from our relationship and product with Country Boy, we think they are a great business doing great things. We are proud to say we know the people who work for Country Boy and love being a part of that family.

Country Boy Brewing is also now open in Georgetown, KY! This new taproom has a great atmosphere and an amazing patio! They are now serving Little Black Train, a stout featuring Nate’s Espresso Blend and selling whole bean coffee (the only place in Georgetown to get it!)

Poured pitch black into a Snifter with a medium sized tan head. Great dark roast coffee and toasted malt. Not a complex scent but it smells damn good! Flavor is just like the smell and full of roasted coffee with some toasted malt and a tiny bit of chocolate and lactose. Body is medium-heavy and a tad creamy. A nice 8% ABV. A really great example of a coffee stout! A shame it isn't a regular brew from Country Boy, I could see myself buying it frequently.

[Ryan Ruck]

Local from Listermann tonight with their National Cat Day NEIPA



Admittedly not really a cat person but, since I got National Dog Day from Listermann, I had to get this.

Poured bright, hazy gold into a Shaker with a sizable white head. Rather sharp citrus hop aroma with a touch of malt. Nicely balanced malt and hop flavors with very minimal bitterness. Citrus hoppiness and caramel malts. Medium bodied and weighs in at 6.6% ABV. A solid NEIPA for sure.

[Ryan Ruck]

Going local and big tonight with some Rhinegeist Double Oaked Mastodon.

A looming leviathan of mammoth complexity, this malty megafauna bellows notes of white pepper, banana, peach and apricot. Hibernating first in freshly used bourbon barrels and then red wine barrels, this beast of a Belgian Style Dark Ale gains an epoch’s worth of tannic depth and oaky wisdom.

Poured deep, ruddy brown into a Shaker with a large tan head. Allowed to warm a bit. Big aroma of oak and sweet dark fruit with some molasses and alcohol. Flavored just the way it smells with an oaky bourbon start, a wine-like follow-up, and a nice, mellow alcohol warming finish. Body medium-heavy. This packs a hefty 14% ABV! This is a really damn good barrel aged brew! Rhinegeist doing it right, as usual!

[Ryan Ruck]

Having one of Epic Brewing's limited releases tonight I just recently picked up - Big Bad Baptist - Chocolate Rapture Imperial Stout.



Poured deep black and thick into a Snifter with a minimal, light brown head. Allowed to warm some. Big smell of cocoa with some smokey oak, a little coffee, and some bourbon alcohol. The taste comes across with a lot of cocoa with some slight coffee bitterness, lactose, smokey oak, roasted malt. Body is appropriately heavy and this has a 12% ABV that is very well hidden. Really good brew in Epic's Big Bad Baptist series!

[Ryan Ruck]

Wrapping up this hectic week with a brew from a brewery I haven't sampled before.

Trying out Caramelicious Milk Stout from Platform Beer Co. (who is now owned by InBev) out of Cleveland.

https://www.cleveland19.com/2018/11/...elicious-brew/

Malley’s Chocolates, Platform Beer Co. team up for ‘Caramelicious’ brew

Two Northeast Ohio staples have teamed up to create a beer for dessert lovers.

Malley’s Chocolates and Platform Beer Co. have combined ingredients to brew “Caramelicious,” a salted caramel chocolate milk stout.

The beer incorporates Malley’s salted caramel into beer form to soothe any sweet tooth.

The seasonal beer, which should be available all winter long, could be perfect for a chilly day.

Grab a 6-pack of cans wherever Platform Beer is sold.

Poured dark black into a Shaker glass with a very large, dark brown head. Has a sweet chocolate malt smell with a little caramel and lactose. Flavor is milk chocolate, caramel, and noticeable saltiness all in a good balance of flavors! Medium bodied and bringing a healthy 7.1% ABV. Not a bad first impression from Platform! I've got another brew from them I'll be sampling soon...

[Ryan Ruck]

Going with another in the Sierra Nevada Trip In The Woods series with their Rum Barrel-Aged Quad.

This classic Quad in rum barrels is a nod to the great Trappist brewers of Belgium. Deep ruby-brown in color, the beer is rich and full-bodied with the style's familiar dark fruit flavors, while the yeast creates a hint of spice. Rum barrels impart delicate sweetness and complexity to this beer that can be enjoyed today or cellared for years to come.

Poured extremely deep ruddy brown with a big, dense cream colored head. Somewhat light smell on this but smells of oak, rum, dark fruit, and spice. You can taste this is a really good brew right off the bat! Flavors of oak, sweet dark fruits, rum, caramel, Belgian spice, and some alcohol. Body is heavy and sticky, bringing an 11.7% ABV. As mentioned, this is a fine brew for sure!

[Ryan Ruck]

Going local tonight with a seasonal brew from a new to me brewery. This is Taft's Brewing Company's Santa's Bribe Christmas Cookie Ale.



Poured deep brown into a Shaker with a medium sized light brown head. Definite smell of cinnamon and ginger, a little honey, and lightly roasted malt. The flavor is much like the smell with lots of cinnamon and ginger, giving it a little bite, and finishing with light honey sweetness. The taste doesn't exactly strike me as cookie-like but it does taste good! Body is medium-light and comes in at 6.2% ABV. Pretty tasty holiday brew!

[Ryan Ruck]

Another rough week at work. Amazed I have any hair left from pulling it out...

Kicking back and relaxing with another Epic Big Bad Baptist variant. This is the Vanilla Brandy Barrel-Aged Stout.

Imperial Stout Aged in Brandy Barrels with Roasted Cacao Nibs, Coffee, and Vanilla.

This is a whole new Baptist, of course still Big and Bad, but the big guy is moving on up to also be refined and sophisticated. We took our award-winning Imperial Stout and aged it 100% in Brandy barrels with just a touch of coffee and vanilla. Smoking jacket optional; snifter highly recommended.

Poured into the highly recommended Snifter near black with a medium sized, dense brown head. Allowed to warm some. Smells of chocolate, brandy, oak, and a little roast coffee. Has fairly robust flavors of coffee, chocolate, roast coffee, and oaky brandy. Finishes with a pleasant warming thanks to it's 12.8% ABV. Has an appropriately heavy body. Another excellent showing from Epic in the Big Bad Baptist family!

[Ryan Ruck]

Wooo! We're number one! We're number one!

Study: Cincinnati Is No. 1 City In US For Beer Drinkers

December 12, 2019

Here's something you can raise a glass to -- Cincinnati was ranked as the No. 1 city in the U.S. for beer drinkers in a recent study.

The study was conducted by a website called SmartAsset. Organizers of the study examined five key factors to find the top 10 cities in the U.S. for beer drinkers, including the total number of breweries, breweries per 100,000 residents, average number of beers per brewery, bars per 100,000 residents and average price for a pint of domestic beer in each city.

In last year's study, Cincinnati was the fourth best city for beer drinkers, but this year, the Queen City moved to the top spot. Researchers found Cincinnati has 30 total breweries and approximately 10 breweries per 100,000 residents. The study also concluded that Cincinnati has approximately 103 beers per brewery.

The study found that Western and Midwestern states dominated. In the top 10, two of the cities are in Ohio.

To view the top 10 cities in the U.S. for beer drinkers, click here.

[Ryan Ruck]

Trying out another new-to-me brew from new-to-me Platform Beer Company. This is their Holiday Doughnut Cookie Holiday Ale.



Poured dark amber into a Shaker with a medium sized, off white head. Smells mostly of nutmeg and cinnamon with sweet malt. Taste is like the smell. Medium bodied and rockin' a respectable 7% ABV. Not really doughnut-y but pretty good tasting if you like cinnamon and nutmeg holiday style beers!

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight is another in the batch of Big Bad Baptist variants I picked up!

This one is Big Bad Baptist Peanut Butter Cup

Chocolate and Peanuts belong together. Add Baptist, get delicious.

Imperial Stout Aged in Whiskey Barrels with Roasted Cacao Nibs, Coffee, and Peanuts.

Poured black into a Snifter. Allowed to warm some. Has a strong smell of coffee and chocolate with the peanut/peanut butter following up and a little oak. Big, dominant chocolate flavors with more mellow peanut butter flavors, boozy oak, and slightly bitter coffee on the finish. Medium-heavy bodied with a nice 10.9% ABV. Yet another in the Big Bad Baptist family that does not disappoint in the slightest!

[Ryan Ruck]

Going local tonight with a Listermann brew - Hops Gon’ Give It To Ya NE IPA.

NEIPA brewed with Mandarina, Bavaria, and Citra hops.

Poured a medium gold into a Shaker with a medium sized white head. Has a big, juicy tropical fruit and citrus hop scent. Has flavors of tropical fruit and sweet malt. Light-medium bodied with a 6.8% ABV. A pretty tasty NE IPA!

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight's brew is from Clown Shoes - A Fistful of Unidragon Imperial Stout.

A Fistful of Unidragon is a 14% ABV Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels and made with mesquite smoked malt from Blacklands Malt, a Leander, TX based malthouse.

Poured black into a Snifter with a large, dark brown head. Allowed to warm a little. Smells of chocolate, smoked malt, vanilla, and oak. Big smoked malt and oak flavors with a strong chocolate follow-up, finishes with boozy warmth. A very slight bitterness. Has a medium-heavy body. Doesn't have the 14% ABV in the description of the older version but still has a quite nice 12.5% ABV. No surprise that, once again, Clown Shoes is synonymous with an awesome brew!

[Ryan Ruck]

Going local tonight with a release from Listermann that I missed the last time it was out a couple months ago - I've Had It With These Motherf*****g IPAs At This Motherf*****g Brewery NE IPA.

NE IPA brewed with Vic Secret, Mosaic, and Simcoe.

Poured a bright hazy gold with a great big, white head. Big citrus smell with some sweet malt. I get slightly bitter citrus, sweet malt, and melon with an odd, almost peppermint, finish. Medium bodied with a 5.5% ABV to go with it. Not a bad NE IPA but, it's admittedly not my favorite. I do absolutely love the name and can art though!

[Ryan Ruck]

Kicking off the weekend before the joys of on call week with the last of my Epic Big Bad Baptist haul. Up now is Hazelnut Vanilla Latte.

Roasty coffee notes transition to sweet vanilla before it finishes with nutty hazelnuts. Made with hazelnuts!

Poured black into a Snifter with a sizable, dark brown head. Allowed to warm some. Has a very interesting smell of coffee, chocolate, and hazelnut. The flavor is roasted coffee with hazelnut and lactose. Body is medium heavy with a nice 11.2% ABV. Flavor on this is great, just like the rest of the Big Bad Baptist series!

[Ryan Ruck]

Trying another brew from Platform tonight. This time a Russian Imperial Stout called Darn Putin.

Darn Putin, a Russian Imperial Stout, is back from the depths of our recipe log! This Russian imperial stout is brewed with Single Orign Coffee from La Plata, Colombia sourced from Phoenix Coffee. Conditioned on cacao nibs to round out the chocolate and espresso-like notes.

Poured black into a Snifter with a minimal, tan head. Has a very nice aroma of roasted coffee, caramel, cocoa, and a faint hint of coconut. Flavor is roasted coffee with a little bitter accompaniment along with cocoa and a little coconut. Full bodied with a 9.4% ABV. Very nice Russian Imperial Stout from Platform!

[Ryan Ruck]

Doing two reviews tonight because one is a 12oz limited release.

First is the limited release from Listermann - Cincinnati Style Stout.

Imperial pastry stout with chocolate, spices, and spaghetti. Brewed in collaboration with Untitled Art.

Yes that is a plate of Skyline Chili on the label and, yes, that says it was brewed with spices and spaghetti.

Looked like motor oil in color and viscosity pouring into a Snifter with almost no head. Allowed to warm a little. Rich chocolate and roasted malt scent with some slight cinnamon. Huge dark chocolate with roasted malts and cinnamon on the finish. This has to probably be the thickest bodied beer I've ever had. When I said it looked like motor oil, it really wasn't far off! Has a respectable 11.3% ABV to go with the heavyweight body. When they call this a "desert beer", they really aren't kidding! Good stuff!

[Ryan Ruck]

Up next tonight is a brew from a relatively new brewery, I believe, since I haven't seen them at Jungle Jim's before.

This is Coconut Tears from Sonder Brewing.

Brown ale with cocoa, vanilla and toasted coconut. Superbly soft. A silky texture leads to a long and velvety conclusion.

Poured golden brown into a Shaker with a large tan head. Smells unlike most other coconut brown ales. The coconut is much more earthy in this one. Has some roasted malt and caramel. The flavor pretty closely reflects the smell with all the same parts present. The coconut is much more coconut milk like than most coconut brews which taste more like the meat. Medium bodied with an appropriate 5.8% ABV. A very nice first impression from Sonder! Will be looking forward to trying some of their other offerings.