Beer!

[Ryan Ruck]

Having another Southern Tier offering tonight. This one seems to be pretty new with only a handful of reviews on RateBeer, Grand Arbor.



Southern Tier says this is a Belgian farmhouse ale brewed with maple syrup that comes in at 8%.

Poured a hazy, dark gold into a tulip glass. Big, white head that faded after a bit. Smells of lemon peel, spice, and yeast. Taste is a lot like the smell. The spice is a lot more mild than many Belgians I've had, not at all overpowering. The mellow spice lets the maple syrup note come through.

This gets a thumbs up from me! Try this one out.

[MinutemanCO]

Are we looking at your beer room, Ryan, in the background of your pic?

[Ryan Ruck]

If only! One day I will hopefully have a nice setup like that but, that is not mine. I'm usually too lazy to take pics and just do a Google/Bing image search to grab the best looking picture out there.

[Ryan Ruck]

#2 tonight is a collaboration between New Belgium and Cigar City. It doesn't really have a name other than New Belgium / Cigar City Lips of Faith - Ale Brewed w/ Anaheim & Marash Chilies.



New Belgium says this is an ale brewed with 2 chilies that comes in at 8.5% ABV.

Poured a hazy amber into a tumbler. Decent size white head that reduces to a thin covering on top. A hoppy aroma with some yeasty bread. The pepper comes out as heat but it takes a number of sips. When it does come out, it isn't much. I've had hotter beers. Other flavors are hops and a little sweet creaminess. A moderate body that finishes off dry.

A very interesting combination that is worth a try.


As an aside, I've got another chilli beer that is lurking in my fridge but I just haven't worked up the courage to try... Elevator Ghost Scorpion Lager.

It purports to be "The World’s Hottest Beer". I suppose we'll see... I like hot stuff (though my stomach doesn't) but not stupidly hot.

Maybe it will be sampled this weekend.

[American Patriot]

Man, I was with MMCO on that. I THOUGHT that was your beer room. I was thinking "DAMN!" lol

[American Patriot]

I had an Irish Red Sunday brewed at the Shamrock Brewery in Pueblo Colorado (actually, two). I don't believe I've ever had a BETTER one, anywhere!

it's a regular beer (they have it on tap all the time, and make it there).

The Brewery sits in "downtown Pueblo" (which isn't very big as towns go) and is in an ancient old building that I believe used to house a motor company. The pub and eating area has been set up like an authentic Irish pub. Very cool, old place.

[Ryan Ruck]

It's been a while since I've posted up any reviews. Not because I haven't been trying anything new, just haven't taken the time to do any. I have been keeping notes on the new ones I've tried and I'll eventually get them posted up into more thorough reviews.

Tonight I'm doing one while I'm drinking one though.

Right now I'm having Le Trou du Diable Dulcis Succubus.

Yeah, that's a mouthful! Leave it to those Canadians. I have to be honest, the label artwork caught my eye and made me give it a closer look. Reading about it convinced me to purchase it.



Poured into a snifter a hazy, deep gold with a moderate white head that that receded to a thin topping rather quickly. A definite sour note combined with musty grapes. A slight oakey smell is also present. The taste is sweet and sour grapes and oak, much like the smell. A very little hoppy bitterness but not much at all. Body is definitely on the dry side. It is only 7% ABV but it offers up a warming sensation of higher alcohol brews.

This reminds me a lot of Victory's White Monkey but a little more "rich".

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight it is Stone's Crime.



Poured into a snifter a deep, opaque brown with a fairly thin tan head that faded quick. Some interesting little bits floating around in it. Perhaps the peppers it is brewed with? Smells heavily of caramel and some jalapeno. Taste is... BURNING! Wow! Seriously. I've had a couple pepper beers but this one tops the charts. This says it is aged in bourbon barrels but the heat is so overpowering I don't really get any oak or vanilla as would typically be the case with a bourbon barrel aged brew. I can really only pick up some of the sweet pepper taste. I can't get anything else out of it since my lips, tongue, and throat are on fire. Has a very oily texture.

At least I can put a notch in my belt to say I tried this but at $20 for a smallish 500ml bottle (not even 750ml), it is certainly on the steep side for the price of admission. Unless you like and can tolerate fairly spicy stuff, which I do in moderation, this could seem like a waste of $20 for you. Honestly, I'm struggling to finish this one myself and kind of regretting spending that much on something I'm not totally enjoying. I'd say pass on it unless you're sure you want to ride the bull.

[Ryan Ruck]

Update on Crime: The aftermath is not pretty. My stomach is not happy with me this morning. I actually couldn't finish it. With about 1/3 left, it got poured down the drain. One of the few I've had to do that with.

[MinutemanCO]

Didn't sound enjoyable at all. Too bad the double sawbuck didn't go toward something more palatable. We live. We taste. We learn.

[Ryan Ruck]

Indeed.

Could have bought a 12pk of Oberon. The official release date for 2014 is on the 24th!

[Ryan Ruck]

First up is one of 3 from the same brewer. This is Dieselpunk IPA.



Poured a clear gold into a shaker glass. Very foamy white head that lasted a while. Aroma of malts, not hops. Unusual for an IPA. In fact, if you had handed it to me in a glass without telling me what it is, I definitely wouldn't have guessed IPA. Taste seems to be a lot like the aroma with an abundance of mostly malt, very little hop taste. Only slightly bitter. There is also a forced, syrup-like sweetness on the backend. This is fairly mediocre and not at all what I would expect for an IPA. Not undrinkable, just not very good at what it claims to be. At least it's almost 7% and reasonably inexpensive so it has that going for it.

[Ryan Ruck]

Next up is Dieselpunk Porter.


(Mine was bottle but this can pic was the best one I saw out there)

Poured a dark, clear red-brown into an English Pint. Big dark tan head. A lot of cocoa on the nose and, I think, some smoke. Tastes of definite malty chocolate but the flavor is on the weak side overall. A little thin in the body. I like this more than the Dieselpunk IPA. At least this is closer to what it claims to be. It's okay. Like the IPA it's a little more potent than your average macro at 6.5% and it isn't too expensive. Nothing to write home about though.

[Ryan Ruck]

The third in the Dieselpunk lineup is the Dieselpunk Stout.



Poured much like the Dieselpunk Porter, into an English pint. Nose on this is also a lot like the Porter but with more malt. Taste is not as sweet as the Porter, still on the thin side with taste overall. I get a little more of a nut flavor in this with less chocolate but, also a touch of licorice. What really strikes me as odd is that this comes in at 5.8% ABV. Why is that odd you ask? Well, typically stouts are closely related to porters but stouts are higher ABV. This manages to have lower ABV than the Dieselpunk Porter though. Go figure... Just okay. Again, not anything special.

If I had to pick one of the three Dieselpunk brews to go with, I think it would be the Porter. Not that any of them would be a go-to unless there wasn't anything better.

[Ryan Ruck]

In an effort to start clearing out my fridge I decided to sample another tonight.

This is Robinsons Trooper inspired by Iron Maiden.



Poured a deep copper-gold into an English pint glass. Decent white head that didn't last too long. Aroma of honey and malt. Taste is biscuits, a little citrus, some floral hops. A touch of bitterness to go along with everything. Pretty easy drinking and an inexpensive purchase but, it is only 4.7%. Not bad. Not bad at all.

[American Patriot]

I like chili beers. I thought it would be awful first time I tried a tasted, but it was good. However, one and only one is all I can really drink of those.

[Ryan Ruck]

Sam Adams Beer Pulls Out Of South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade

March 14, 2014

In the wake of a storm of publicity over the past day, Boston Beer Company - which manufactures Sam Adams - has decided not to participate in the upcoming South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Yesterday South End restaurant Club Cafe announced that it would no longer serve Sam Adams due to the brewer's association with the parade. In an open letter on its facebook page Club Cafe stated that they were "disappointed that Sam Adams does not understand that the organizers of the St. Patrick's Day Parade continue to demonstrate that they do not respect LGBT Irish Americans by excluding LGBT members of this community from openly marching in the St.Patrick's Day Parade."

A post on this blog about the Club Cafe decision quickly gathered more than 400 comments and was shared by more than 700 facebook users.

This morning Sam Adams released a statement that said, in part "We share these sentiments with Mayor Walsh, Congressman Lynch and others and therefore we will not participate in this year’s parade."

Here is the entire statement:

"We have been participating in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade for nearly a decade and have also supported the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast year after year. We’ve done so because of the rich history of the event and to support veterans who have done so much for this country.

We were hopeful that both sides of this issue would be able to come to an agreement that would allow everyone, regardless of orientation, to participate in the parade. But given the current status of the negotiations, we realize this may not be possible.

We share these sentiments with Mayor Walsh, Congressman Lynch and others and therefore we will not participate in this year’s parade. We will continue to support Senator Linda Dorcena Forry and her St. Patrick’s Day breakfast. We wish her all the best in her historic stewardship of this tradition."

[Ryan Ruck]

Decided to open up a bomber of a new-to-me brew tonight. Why? Because! That's why!

Tonight's beer is the first one I've had from Clown Shoes Brewery. It's Clown Shoes Genghis Pecan Pie Porter.



Poured into an English Pint. First impression during pouring is that this is a thick beer. Poured jet black with a generous dark tan head. Nose on this is sweet caramel, a bit of chocolate, and some nut. Taste is brown sugar, not especially pecan but nutty, and roasted malts. Some alcohol but not heavy on it. This leaves a very sugary aftertaste.

This is a pretty tasty and interesting concoction. Give it a try if you can get Clown Shoes in your area!

[Ryan Ruck]

Trying another from Clown Shoes tonight. This is an Imperial Stout called Undead Party Crasher.



Poured black with a dark tan head into a snifter, deep red-brown around the edges. An aroma of smoke, chocolate, and roasted malts. Tastes is very much like the smell with this one and it is great! A warming 10% ABV and very sweet as well. A thoroughly enjoyable drink!

Another well done brew from Clown Shoes!

[Ryan Ruck]

Just opened up a bottle of Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager.



Poured onyx black into a lager glass. Very thick. Dark brown head. Smells like smoke, chocolate, and roasted malts. Tastes like mildly bitter coffee, chocolate, and malt. Definite coffee influence. Only comes in at 5% ABV, a lot lighter weight than most brews this dark and thick. Despite the bitter coffee it's very easy drinking.

A solid production from Rogue.