Beer!

[American Patriot]

I had one of their wheats... We were still driving so we figured one beer over the hour... and then rush hour traffic (which we hit, stop and go all the way to the south end of the city).... so one wheat beer each, and I had an appetizer for lunch. The "Crab Cake and Fried Green Tomatoes".

haha

[MinutemanCO]

Was the food good? Most of the time it's better than average.

[American Patriot]

It was alright. The crab cake was very good.

I'm used to fried green tomatoes being pan fried. These were battered and dipped, but they were ok.

[Ryan Ruck]

It's a laid back Sunday afternoon, I'm kicked back with Die Hard playing on the TV, it's time for beer! Yippie-Ki-Yay Motherfucker!

Just opened up a bottle of Victory's 1337 IPA.



Poured a deep, hazy copper into a Tulip glass. Sizable off-white head. Head faded quickly though. Nose is heavy with citrus hops. Very malty and not really bitter. Surprising for an IPA. Sweet but not overly. Citrusy hops are there too. Other than that it is a bit light on taste. Nothing super amazing but refreshing and not bad at all.

[Ryan Ruck]

Time to jump over to an import! This one came in one of the variety packs I bought a while back.

From Belgium, next up is De Proefbrouwerij Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale



Poured a clear gold into a Trappist Glass with a moderate white head. Head subsided quickly. Aromas of fruit and cereal. Maybe slightly sour. Taste is slightly tart apple and malts. Very bubbly. Says it is 9% ABV but you don't get the alcohol at all.

Not bad. Not bad at all!

[Ryan Ruck]

Another import up now.

This is Brouwerij de Molen Amarillo Imperial IPA.



Poured a dark copper into a snifter with a smallish off-white head that faded fast. Fruity, resin, syrup aroma heavy with alcohol. Taste is sweet but not as much as its smell. You'll definitely pick up the alcohol. A nice balance of malts and hops. Caramel and fruits are also present. Despite the plain label, this is a rather flavorful brew.

[Ryan Ruck]

In an effort to continue to try and clear out some of my "cellared" beers I'm going to open up a couple more.

This next is another import from Belgium purchased via variety pack.

This one is De Ranke Noir De Dottignies Belgian Strong Ale.



Poured a very dark golden brown into a Trappist glass with a moderate tan head that receded fairly quickly. Smells of malts, sugar, and fruits. Reminds me a little of the Amarillo I just had a bit ago. Sweet fruit and a little spice for the most notable flavors. There might be a little chocolate and coffee if I'm correct. You do get a little of the 9% ABV but not a whole lot. Fairly complex brew that won't disappoint.

[Ryan Ruck]

Back to the good old USA, Colorado to be specific.

Up now is Breckenridge's Pandora's Bock.



Poured a deep, clear red into a snifter. Not much of a head. Aroma of sugary caramel and malt. I pick up coffee and sweet caramel mostly along with malts. Pretty good and drinkable. Not sure why this warrants the low score at RateBeer linked above it has. Doesn't seem like it deserves it. If I had to score it, I'd put it up in the 60-70 percentile.

[Ryan Ruck]

On tap now is Evil Twin's Low Life Pilsner.



Poured a crisp, clear gold into a Footed Pilsner glass. Very bubbly with a big, white, persistent head. A very pleasant smelling beer with hops, orange, and honey. Taste is hoppy and slightly bitter. Not especially notable but decent drinking nonetheless.

[Ryan Ruck]

And for the last of the night...

Mikkeller Single Hop Bravo IPA.



Poured a dark copper into a Shaker glass. Fluffy white head that stuck around. Fruit and citrus smell. Very citrusy and fairly bitter. Crisp and dry. Not exactly my cup of tea but not bad for what it is.

[American Patriot]

/burp!

lol

[Ryan Ruck]

Indeed! I'd say better than a third of my fridge was overrun with a number of different beers.

I think I'm down to about a quarter now, or just over.

[American Patriot]

Well, if you're over run with beer, you MUST thin the herd!

LOL

[MinutemanCO]

Ryan,

Do you, a big, tough, gun-totin hombre, really own something called a tulip glass?

[American Patriot]

/chuckles

(I'm betting he does, because, you know guns and beer go together there pal!)

LOL

[Ryan Ruck]

Ryan,

Do you, a big, tough, gun-totin hombre, really own something called a tulip glass?

You bet I do! A beer must be served properly.

This is the Tulip glass I own:



It is a limited edition glass from Duvel released in 2011 and designed by an artist named Stefan Glerum. It is supposedly worth $20-$30 according to eBay. I bought it at Goodwill for $1.

There were actually 2 Duvel glasses at Goodwill when I bought mine. The one above and this one:



I didn't get both because the second one wasn't my style.

A few days later after looking the one I've got up on eBay, I saw the value of the other one. I went back to the Goodwill figuring I could flip it on eBay but it was already gone.

[MinutemanCO]

Bummer dude. I like them both. Not as girlie as I thought they'd be. Interesting, they do look like tulips in profile.

[Ryan Ruck]

Going to do a couple reviews tonight.

My first is Evil Twin's Hop Flood Amber Ale.


(Mine's not a big old bomber like this, it's just a regular 12oz )

Poured a very dark red-brown into an English pint with a moderate, light tan head that remained as a thin topping. A lot of piney hops on the nose. Wow! A bitter bite to start off with but it fades fast to a more mild, lingering bitterness. Taste is very much like the smell with some creamy maltiness in the background. For you fans of the bitter beers, this will be right up your alley!

[Ryan Ruck]

Second tonight is one that just hit shelves around here not too long ago and, being a fan of their Bourbon Barrel Stout, I wanted to give this a try since it is another of my favorite styles - a barley wine.

This is Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine.



Poured a ruddy copper with a fairly minimal off-white head that didn't last long at all. Smells of cherries, oak, and sugar. Tastes like butterscotch and vanilla. I think there is a little hoppy bitterness but I can't tell if that's just the remnants of the Hop Flood I just drank or if that is the actual beer's flavor. I think it's actually the beer's flavor as I did try to cleanse my palate before diving into this and it jives with some of the reviews at RateBeer. This is 10% ABV but I don't get much alcohol.

It's an interesting combination of the two styles or a bourbon barrel ale and barley wine. Haven't had one like this before so I don't really have a frame of reference to compare. I think it's pretty decent and drinkable. I'd rate it higher than what's on RateBeer. Give it a try!

[MinutemanCO]

As I am a fan of hoppy bitterness, I've got to give the Hop Flood a try. 12% alcohol, Huh? That oughta make things a little tipsy.