Beer!

[Ryan Ruck]

Nooo! It is very good. Have a read through of the reviews on RateBeer and you'll see.

[American Patriot]

Oh, I believe you. And I'll take your word I don't have too many places that sell those beers around here. MOST sell local stuff.

I did go to Trinity Brewing company yesterday. We all met at my daughter's house as my son was coming down to do hair cuts (he runs a shop in Castle Rock) and afterward (because we were watching some TV show that was showing BBQ) we decided to all go to a BBQ place across town. We saw the brewing company next door and my wife and I and son and his friend decided to stop there for beer after we ate lunch.

Was definitely worth the stop

And the BBQ was pretty awesome too.

[MinutemanCO]

BBQ and beer! What, are you kidding me? Doesn't get too much better than that.

[American Patriot]

I wasn't kidding anyone about it. lol

We had half the family in the place (for the BBQ, most had to leave so only four of us found our way to the Brewing place, lol)

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight I'm having one I picked up not too long ago, Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow.



I didn't have any plans on picking this up specifically but saw it at Jungle Jim's listed as "Limit One" so I figured it must be hard to find and grabbed one. Three Floyds brews generally come pretty well regarded so I felt confident in buying it, plus the bottle art is pretty cool.

Pour is a slightly hazy gold color with a thick white head that thins out quickly. This one is unmistakeably an IPA with its piney and citrusy smell. This is rated at 100 IBU and it tastes every bit of it! Fairly bitter but it seems to mellow out quickly into a sweetness. Taste is also citrus, creaminess, and a malt aftertaste. It weighs in at a hefty 11% but you don't taste the alcohol.

I'm not a big fan of bitter beers so this isn't going on my favorite list but, it isn't bitter just for the sake of being bitter rather, it has a complex taste overall and is an interesting beer so I'd say it is worth a try.

[MinutemanCO]

Interesting color. Seems un-IPA-like. I'm used to a deeper, redder hue.

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight I'm having a new one I picked up. I got a notice about this one from Party Source's email newsletter.

The name set the hook and reading about it I decided to give it a try. Plus the folks there tend to be extremely knowledgeable and give good recommendations.

It is The Perfect Crime's Hollow Point brewed at Scheldebrouwerij (yeah, I had to copy/paste that ) in Belgium.



It poured an opaque nut brown. The nose on this is pretty faint but it seems like I can smell a little grape/raisin and yeast. It is rated at 10% and it lets you know. Taste is also malt, a sweet plum and grape flavor, as well as a slight bitterness.

Interesting overall but doesn't make a big impression and I don't think it was worth the price of admission ($5 for a 11.2 oz bottle).

One thing it has going for it is the cool label. Here's a close-up:

[Ryan Ruck]

Also up tonight is another import I've had floating around for a couple weeks that I haven't gotten around to.

It is Black Sheep's Monty Python’s Holy Grail Black Knight’s Reserve (lots of apostrophes!) which is their Riggwelter relabeled.



I picked this up as a compliment to the empty bottle of Monty Python’s Holy Grail on my shelf that I had a couple years ago. The original was regarded as fairly average in it's ratings on RateBeer and to be honest, I had it so long ago I don't recall the exact taste so I can't give an honest comparison. This new one, however, is much more well received.

Pours a clear red-brown with a gigantic foamy head. The smell of this one is pretty faint too. I get malt and a little banana though. Taste is strong coffee with a smoky note. It has a definitely thin texture. It comes in at 5.7% so it is pretty mild-mannered. I kind of like this one and at $3.xx a pint, it's a reasonable value.

[Ryan Ruck]

I decided to open tonight's beer up in honor of Independence Day.

Back in October-November of last year, BeerJobber (RIP) had a couple limited edition beers for sale to have their own Presidential election. One was called Entitlement Porter (Obama) and the other Nobama Brew (Romney). They were going to release the sales results and see who won. To make sure my vote was counted accurately I made sure I bought 1 Entitlement and 2 Nobamas (I wanted to try both ). Unfortunately, BeerJobber went under before releasing the results.

I drank the first Nobama not long after I got them and since it has been several months, I couldn't tell you exactly what it was like.



It pours out a clear reddish-gold with a thick, white, persistent head. Nose is pretty much wheat. Taste is malt, sweet wheat, maybe a little honey. It is 7.5% so it has a little kick to it but it doesn't come through in the taste. Not bad, not great, but okay and I love the name and spirit behind it.

[American Patriot]

Perfect Crime's Hollow Point? LOL Good name.

[Ryan Ruck]

Yep! I picked up another one they featured along side that, Perfect Crime's Smoking Gun.

[Ryan Ruck]

Some of you may remember my purchase of Party Source's "Best Six Pack Ever" which had the Dogfish 120. Well, last week they sent out an email that on Friday they were putting up for sale a "Best Twelve Pack Ever". It included a couple beers on my "Want To Try But Impossible To Find" list (I'll mention them as I get to them ).

The price on the whole 12 pack was $60. Yeah, I know... But I bought one anyway as I figured I'd be killing more than just two birds with one stone.

Party Source had 25 of the 12 packs available. They went on sale online at 12pm ET on Friday. By 12:05 they were sold out. That's how popular they were.

Decided to open one up tonight. It is the top of my previously mentioned list. It is Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout).



First, I will say it is every bit deserving of its 100% rating on RateBeer, beats the Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, and puts the Kentucky Bourbon Ale in the downright plebeian category.

Poured into a snifter as dark and thick as motor oil that hasn't been changed in forever. Absolutely no head, just a couple of thin patches of bubbles. Smell is heavily bourbon with noticeable alcohol. Taste is thick, almost chewy, smooth and sweet. Unmistakably good bourbon flavor (but not overpowering) along with a nice balance of chocolate and coffee. The alcohol is tame despite this being 11.2%. A pleasant warming just like a good bourbon. WAY too rich to drink a ton of and at 11.2% you don't really need to! Best enjoyed sipping as it warms.

[American Patriot]

I spend $60 in beer at Rock Bottom in a week. lol Well, that's not completely true. We usually have food too.

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight I'm having another one that is at the top of my "Want To Try" list from "The Best 12 Pack Ever", Three Floyds Zombie Dust.



Poured a hazy gold with a big, white, persistent head. Very heavy scent of pine and citrus. Taste is creamy, hoppy, with citrus. If you were going by nose alone you'd expect this to have a decent bitter bite but not so. It has a very mild bitterness that really complements the flavor. Not overly loaded with alcohol coming in at 6.5%. This is a pretty good American Pale Ale that is very drinkable! A shame it is so hard to get a hold of or this would be another good hot weather beer to cool off with.

[Ryan Ruck]

Another from "The Best 12 Pack"...

Tonight it is Dark Horse's Plead The 5th Imperial Stout. This one was another on my list.



Poured even thicker and blacker than the Founders KBS if you can believe it! Held it up to a light and couldn't see any coming through except around the edges! Head was dark brown and very thin. Smells of coffee, malt chocolate, and maybe some caramel. This one is rated at 11% and you can taste it but it isn't out of balance. I had a little trouble nailing down exact flavors at first but after continued tasting ( )I could pick out a slightly bitter coffee, some chocolate, and I think I got a hint of black licorice. Very smooth overall. A pretty tasty Imperial Stout!

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight is another one from "The Best 12 Pack Ever", Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA.



Pours out a dark red-amber with a thick and long-lasting off-white head. The nose is sweet citrus and hops with a note of alcohol. Taste is heavy pine, big hops, and quite a bitter bite at 112 IBU. Not so bitter as to be overwhelming but rather well balanced with the strong 12% alcohol. A bit creamy too. The head on this lasted all the way until the end!

Pretty good for a rather bitter beer.

[Ryan Ruck]

I almost forgot to post this beer related story!


The other day I stopped in at Jungle Jim's during lunch to see what was new. While I was walking in I spied two guys strolling around with a six-pack of Three Floyds Gumballhead each. Gumballhead is rumored to be pretty good and I've wanted to give it a try but it is ellusive. So, I headed down to the "Midwest" section of the domestic micro-brews but was unable to find any Three Floyds on the shelves. After my lack of success I headed over to the tasting bar and asked an employee where I might find some Gumballhead since I had just seen the 2 gentlemen with it. The clerk said they might have one six-pack left so she headed to the back to check.

No luck.

She said those guys had bought the last. Empty-handed I headed back over to the beer to grab a couple I had spotted in my search I thought looked interesting: a Stone R & R Coconut IPA and... first of the season Southern Tier Pumking! I figured a small win was something.

After grabbing those I headed to the express checkout that is in the alcohol section of JJ's. As I'm headed up to the register, I see the two guys who had the Gumballhead heading out the exit. I put the beer I had down by the register and asked the clerk to kindly hold on to them for a second (I was the only one at the checkout so I wasn't holding anyone up).

I chased after the guys and got their attention right as they were about to get into their van. I explained to the guys that the clerk informed me they had just bought the last of Gumballhead and asked if either was inclined to part with a bottle, telling them I'd make sure they made up a decent chunk of what they'd paid for their six-packs. The one guy said he didn't want to break up his six-pack but fortunately the other guy was agreeable to selling one! To thank him for doing me a favor, I gladly gave him a $5 for the bottle since he was doing me a big favor. I figure that let him make up 1/3 to 1/2 what he paid for the whole six-pack.

I know, cool story!


By the way, the Pumking was promptly consumed last night. Damn, that is some good stuff! Now that fall is right around the corner I again emphatically recommend you all keep a lookout and grab some.


Tonight I'm having the other brew I picked up on the trip, the Stone R & R Coconut IPA.



Poured out a deep gold with a moderate white head that remained persistent. Smelled of fruity hops and a very slight hint of coconut. Taste is fruity, citrusy hops with only the faintest taste of coconut. Very mild bitterness. This is a really good, solid IPA but to be frank if the coconut wasn't mentioned on the bottle I likely wouldn't have noticed it. The coconut does get a very little more noticeable as it warms. Regardless, this is nowhere near the coconut taste of the Kona Koko Brown or the Quaff Brothers Big Kahuna. If I'm getting a coconut beer, personally, I really prefer to taste it and this does not rate in that regard. Again, a good IPA otherwise. Just don't buy this thinking you're in for a coconut treat.

[American Patriot]

/chuckles

Only you, Ryan, can come up with a cool beer story.

LOL

[Ryan Ruck]

Trying a new, rather off the wall brew tonight.

Opened a bottle of Rogue's Voodoo Doughnut Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Ale.

Yes, you read that right.



Pours out a deep red-brown with a thick khaki head. The smell is heavily sweet chocolate with a bit of banana and a slight hint of peanut butter. Taste is very similar to smell with the chocolate being the most pronounced part followed up by the banana and peanut butter. A little bitterness. This is quite a crazy blend of flavors for a beer! It doesn't rate high on RateBeer but I think it is a great experiment in the world of beer brewing that turned out pretty well. In my opinion it tastes good but I probably won't drink again unless someone has some they're offering up. A fun experience and worth giving a try.

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight I opened up the previously mentioned Three Floyds Gumballhead.



First impression after opening the bottle and pouring it into the glass was, "How in the world is this a wheat ale with such a heavy citrus smell? This has to be an IPA with a scent like that!" The smell was so strong it came wafting out of the glass when pouring.

It poured out hazy, light gold with a big white head. Smell, already covered that. Taste is fairly complex... I definitely taste the citrus that's smelled but it is paired with a generous wheat flavor. A slight bitterness but overall sweet.

I like this beer. It's very drinkable. Not on my "To Die For" list but if it were on tap at a restaurant, there's a good chance I'd pick it depending on what else is there. That said, even though it is good, I don't know that it necessarily lives up to the hype associated with it though I highly recommend trying it out if you find it.