In the news recently...

I have gotten some good press lately:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/news/x868514818/Wellesley-College-offers-crash-course-in-proper-beer-drinking

http://www.wellesleynewsonline.com/features/wellesley-beer-guru-hosts-the-epicurean-class-of-a-lifetime-1.1977035

Another great beer from the folks at Otter Creek...

6% abv. It comes in at 60 IBUs. Pours pretty dark black with a massive cream colored head. Piney and grapefruit hops on the nose with touches of sweet roasted malt. Good lace. Surprising hop bite with rich coffee flavors on first sip. Slick mouthfeel with solid carbonation. Again on the second sip grapefruit and then espresso roasted flavors kicks in right after. Some licorice flavors as well. I think what I like most about this beer is that both the sweet and bitter flavors have an earthy rawness about them. It has a fresh, raw hop flavor that I really like. Some very mild spicy burn on the back of the throat that has more to do with the hop acidity than the alcohol content. Certainly reminiscent of a west coast stout or porter with heavy hopping. A very flavorful session beer. I got it in their winter variety 12 pack and I sure hope I find it in six packs. Another great beer from the folks at Otter Creek.

Fire in the Belly...

I was very excited last night to crack open a bottle I had been cellaring for about 10 months, Great Divide Brewing Company Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. Or GDBCCOAYIS as I like to call it. It measure in at 9.5% abv. and pours oil black with a dark tan head. The tiramisu aroma is tantalizing. Dark chocolate morsels, mocha, bourbon oak, vanilla, and spicy alcohol on the nose as well. Good lace. I probably could have cellared this for a few more months to mellow it even more, since the alcohol is a bit more obvioius than I expected. It has a rich espresso flavor at finish. Very interesting cayenne spicyness on the back of the throat...I wonder if they added some kind of pepper. This beer smells amazing. Oak dryness is more pronounced at finish. Hop tingle develops halfway through the first glass. Hop spicyness and pepper combine for a really interesting complexity. Tingle on the front sides of the tongue. I love spicy, so I love this beer. However I can see how some people could be a bit distracted by what has to be cayenne...ok, did some research, it turns out it is cayenne pepper. Tastes like a Mexican spiced chocolate. Certainly a bit out of the ordinary, but I like it a lot.

Has Magic Hat lost its Magic...

I picked up a Magic Hat Spring Fever 12 pack the other day. It included the standard #9 and Circus Boy, as well as two new ones for me, Vinyl Lager and Demo IPA. My first thought was what happened to the days of Thumbsucker Russian Imperial Stout...that was Magic Hat at its pinnacle. Lately it seems that Magic Hat is either trying too hard or perhaps not enough. I am really not sure which it is. I keep thinking back to Wacko, the ale with beet juice added. Do I need to say more, beet juice to make it pinkish, are you kidding me. Anyway, here are my...yawn...reviews of these two new ones.

Vinyl Lager
Pours a dark amber color with a 1/2 inch thick head. Wheat cracker and mild lemon scent. Crisp lemony hop bite on the sides of the mouth. Toasted caramel malt. Medium bodied with a decent drinkability. Dry and clean at finish. Decent lace. This is a pretty good lager, but nothing special.


















Demo IPA
6% abv. Pours a surprising dark brown. Cascade hop aroma. Interesting balance at times of sweet roasted malt and citrusy hop. Really more of a pale ale or ESB hop profile with a little extra kick. Certainly drinkable. Decent lace. Some chocolate malt flavors at finish. An ok beer.




To quote Grey over at Razzball, these beers are quite "yawnstipating."

Pour a virtual beer...

Here is the ultimate procrastination tool:

http://www.brauerei-weihenstephan.de/zapfspiel/index_en.html?lang=en

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

7.6% abv. Made with somewhat rare Sorachi Ace hops and Brooklyn's Belgian yeast strain...then 100% champagne yeast re-fermentation. The corked and caged bottle opens with a big pop and pours yellow gold with a thick marshmallow head that is not going anywhere anytime soon. I poured it into a Chimay glass and the carbonation is clearly visible in the center of the glass 10 minutes after the first pour.

Citrusy lemon, cloves and mild banana on the nose. This beer smells incredible. Carbonation and hop bitterness make for an interesting mouthfeel. It finishes dry, but leaves you craving another sip. Virtually no alcohol presence, so this one can really sneak up on you. Spicyness intensifies with each sip, including cloves, white pepper, and a fresh hoppy spicyness as well - perhaps lemongrass? The Sorachi Ace hop varietal is from Japan and this is the first time I have knowingly tried it in a beer. I really like the fresh citrus fruit flavors and I am even detecting a bit of piney resin flavor as well. I wish I had some good cheese in the house to pair this with right now. This isn't Saison Dupont, but it is damned good. Find some, get some great cheese and enjoy the show. I give it a 4.3 out of 5. Great stuff.

Updated 99 Beers I would keep on my wall...

Here is my updated list of the 99 beers I would hang on my wall...basically my top 100 beers tried and rated.
This list is always changing, but that is what makes it so fun.

1. Westvleteren 12, Abdij Sint-Sixtus, Westvleteren, Belgium
2. Duvel, Brouwerij Duvel Mortgaat, Moortgat, Belgium
3. Adam, Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, Portland, Oregon
4. Shakespeare Stout, Rogue Brewery, Newport, Oregon
5. Speedway Stout, AleSmith Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
6. Chimay Grande Reserve, Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont, Chimay, Belgium
7. Westvleteren 8, Abdij Sint-Sixtus, Westvleteren, Belgium
8. Westmalle Tripel, Abdij der Trappisten van Westmalle, Malle, Belgium
9. Rochefort 10, Abbaye Notre Dame de Saint-Remy, Rochefort, Belgium
10. Tadcaster Porter, Samuel Smith, Tadcaster, England
11. Fuller's London Porter, Fuller, Smith, and Turner Brewery, Chiswick, England
12. Sam Adams Utopias (over cocoa nibs), Boston Beer Company, Boston, MA
13. The Abyss (2009), Deschutes Brewing Company, Bend, OR
14. Brooklyn One, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
15. Delirium Noel, Hughye Family Brewery, Melle, Belgium
16. Yorkshire Stingo, Samuel Smith, Tadcaster, England
17. Hop Devil India Pale Ale, Victory Brewing Company, Downington, PA
18. Weihenstephaner Lager, Brauerei Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany
19. Gulden Draak, Brouwerij Van Steenberge, Ertvelde, Belgium
20. Delirium Tremens, Hughye Family Brewery, Melle, Belgium
21. Fuller's London Pride (Cask), Fuller, Smith, and Turner Brewery, Chiswick, England
22. Masala Mama IPA (Cask), Town Hall Brewing Company, Minneapolis, MN
23. Rodenbach Grand Cru, Rodenbach, Roeselare, Belgium
24. Anchor Our Special Ale (2000), Anchor Brewing Company, San Francisco, CA
25. Kilt Tilter, Middle Ages Brewing Company, Syracuse, NY
26. Ayinger Oktoberfest, Brauerei Ayinger, Aying, Germany
27. Black Chocolate Stout 2006-7, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
28. Anchor Porter, Anchor Brewing Company, San Francisco, CA
29. Unearthly India Pale Ale, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, NY
30. Olde Numbskull Barleywine, AleSmith, San Diego, CA
31. Saint Bernadus 12, Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Watou, Belgium
32. Spinal Pumpkin Barleywine, Cambridge Brewing Company, Cambridge, MA
33. Oak Aged Yeti, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, Colorado
34. J.W. Lees Harvest Ale Matured in Lagavulin Casks, Manchester, England
35. Saint Bernadus Tripel, Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Watou, Belgium
36. Imperial Young’s Special Bitter, Rogue Brewery, Newport, Oregon
37. Imperial Choklat Stout, Southern Tier Brewery, Lakewood, NY
38. Traquiar House Ale, Traquiar House Brewery, Peebleshire, Scotland
39. Obsidian Stout, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon
40. Rogue Imperial Chocolate Stout, Rogue Brewery, Newport, Oregon
41. Allagash Four, Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, Maine
42. Southern Tier Imperial Unearthly IPA, Southern Tier Brewery, Lakewood, NY
43. Allagash Tripel, Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, Maine
44. The Reverend, Avery Brewing Company, Boulder, Colorado
45. Doggie Claws Barleywine, Hair of the Dog Brewery, Portland, Oregon
46. Goose Island Imperial IPA, Goose Island Brewing Company, Chicago, Illinois
47. Affligem Noel, Brouwerij de Smedt, Opwijk, Belgium
48. J.W. Lees Harvest Ale Matured in Calvados Casks, Manchester, England
49. Sam Adams Imperial White, Boston Beer Company, Boston, MA
50. Stone Arrogant Bastard, Stone Brewing Company, San Diego, California
51. Three Broo Doo Harvest, Three Floyds Brewing Company, Munster, Indiana
52. Traquair Jacobite, Traquiar House Brewery, Peebleshire, Scotland
53. Heresy, Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Easton, Pennsylvania
54. Old Ruffian Barleywine, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, Colorado
55. Ebenezer (Cask), Bridgeport Brewing Company, Portland, Oregon
56. Fred from the Wood, Hair of the Dog Brewery, Portland, Oregon
57. Brooklyn Two, Brooklyn Brewing Company, Brooklyn, New York
58. Affligem Noel, Brouwerij de Smedt, Opwijk, Belgium
59. Rochefort 8, Abbaye Notre Dame de Saint-Remy, Rochefort, Belgium
60. Celebrator Bavarian Dopplebock, Ayinger, Aying, Germany
61. YuleSmith (2006), AleSmith, San Diego, CA
62. Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, Anderson Valley Brewing, Boonville, CA
63. Houblon Dobbelen IPA, Brasserie D'AChouffe, Chouffe, Belgium
64. Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, Colorado
65. Storm King Stout, Victory Brewing Company, Downington, PA
66. The Reverend, Avery Brewing Company, Boulder, CO
67. Scaldis, Brasserie Dubuisson, Pipaix, Belgium
68. Bishop's Finger Strong Ale, Sheperd Neame, Kent, England
69. Sam Adams Imperial Pilsner, Boston Beer Company, Boston, MA
70. Samuel Smith's Extra Stout, Samuel Smith, Tadcaster, England
71. Rogue Imperial Stout, Rogue Brewery, Newport, OR
72. Orval, Trappiste Orval, Orval, Belgium
73. Saison Dupont, Brasserie Dupont Tourpes, Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium
74. Brother David Double Abbey, Anderson Valley Brewing, Boonville, CA
75. Serpent Stout, The Lost Abbey Port Brewing Company, San Marcos, CA
76. Stoudt's Bottle Conditioned IPA, Stoudt's Brewing Company, Adamstown, PA
77. Mendocino Winter Ale, Mendocino County Brewing Co., Hopland, CA
78. Chimay Premiere, Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont, Chimay, Belgium
79. Fuller's 1999 Vintage Ale, Fuller, Smith, and Turner Brewery, Chiswick, England
80. Smuttynose IPA, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Portsmouth, NH
81. 100 Barrel Bohemian Pilsner, Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA
82. Hercules Double IPA, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, CO
83. Hop Ottin IPA, Anderson Valley Brewing, Boonville, CA
84. Imperial Pale Ale, Victory Brewing Company, Downington, PA
85. Morimoto Hazelnut Ale, Rogue Brewery, Newport, OR
86. Moylan's India Pale Ale, Moylan's Brewing Company, Novato, CA
87. Hefe-Weizen, Brauerei Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany
88. Dragonslayer, Middle Ages Brewing Company, Syracuse, NY
89. Rogue Chipotle Ale, Rogue Brewery, Newport, OR
90. Harpoon 100 Barrel Wit Bier, Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA
91. Monster Barleywine (2004), Brooklyn Brewing Company, Brooklyn, NY
92. Ipswich Oatmeal Stout, Mercury Brewing Company, Ipswich, MA
93. Deus, Brouwerij Bosteels, Buggenhout, Belgium
94. Konigshoeven Quadrupel, Brouwerij Konigshoeven, Tilsburg, The Netherlands
95. Bornem Tripel, Brouwerij Van Steenberge, Ertvelde, Belgium
96. Bass Our Finest Ale (Cask), Bass Brewing Limited, Burton-on-Trent, England
97. Leatherlips India Pale Ale, Haverhill Brewery, Inc. (The Tap), Haverhill, MA
98. ImPaled Ale, Middle Ages Brewing Company, Syracuse, New York
99. Lion Stout, Ceylon Brewing Company, Biyagama, Sri Lanka