What I wanted to have on Open It!

Sometimes, things don't go as you have planned.  I wanted to participate in Open It!, but that was derailed by a head cold, sore throat and my beer buddies surgery (he couldn't drink for a week).  So the bottles that I wanted to drink with friends, were left in the back of the fridge.

Among those bottles was the Avery Seventeenth Anniversary Lager, a dry hopped black lager- which quite possibly could be the first dry hopped lager that I have had, I don't remember having one before.

My nose is still not on top of its game, so the aroma may have been severely compromises.  The scent pulled heavy malt, with a nice citrus hop.

I was expecting it to be dark, and it was.  Not pitch black, but darker than many porters.  It poured a nice head, as you can see in the picture.  The head actually lingered around quite a bit.

When brought to my mouth, I could taste the hoppy bitterness before it touched my lips.  But when it got to my tongue, the malts were the star.  Nice chocolate malt flavor, does give way a tad to earthy, somewhat grassy bitterness.  Nicely balanced, the beer is smooth and perfectly carbonated.  The alcohol provides little burn, even though it is 8+%.

Overall, this was a very good beer- one I kind of wish I grabbed more of.

Beer Day

Towards the end of the work day, I decided I needed to hit up a beer store before getting out of the city.  Living in Pennsylvania has its perks for us, being closer to family, cheaper insurance rates, etc.  But the one major downfall (to me) is the case law.  Yes, I know I can pick up bottles and sixers at bars or at the few bottle shops around, but the selection is usually lacking- especially compared to places like Well's, the Wine Source and HoneyGo Wine. 

Yesterday, I stopped into The Wine Underground.  This is one of my favorite beer/wine shops.  Unless you know where you are going, you would never run into it.  Located on a side street, the Wine Underground as a great selection of wine, and very knowledgable people to help you with your selection (I am not a wine person, but a good friend of mine who is thought very highly of them- he was actually the reason I know of it).  The beer selection, while not as extensive as the others, is very good.

I had nothing in mind when I walked in, but once I saw the Raging Bitch (Flying Dog), I placed a sixer on the counter and started my pile.  Next, I spotted 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon.  I had a sip of this beer last year, and now want to give it its due with this warm weather.

On to the single bottles.  I have been on a huge Saison kick lately, so I was excited to see the Stone/DogfishHead/Victory Saison du Buff.  I grabbed two bottles of it, hopefully it lives up to its billing.  Beside the Saison du Buff was a mini display of big bottle of Avery.  I had the tough choice of Anniversary Ale-Seventeen, Maharaja and Collaboration Not Litigation.  Maharaja is one of my favorites, if not my favorite, and Collaboration Not Litigation is very good.  But I have never had Seventeen, and it sounded delicious- a Black Lager with a ton of hops.

I have some friends coming to visit this weekend, so I grabbed a 22oz Sierra Nevada Harvest- a favorite among friends.  The final bottle I grabbed was a 22oz Stone Old Guardian barleywine.  No specific reason for grabbing it, other than not remembering ever having it, and it sounded good.

Now I just need to find time to start drinking it.

Sorry for the bad iPhone camera picture

Beer Bracket 2010- The Sweet 16

After an exciting first round, and an even more exciting second round, the Sweet 16 is set.  Every beer in the Sweet 16 is a beer that I enjoy. The beers that came out on top were:
Brewer's Art Ozzy
DogFish Head 90 Minute IPA
Kuhnhenn Solar Eclipse
Selin's Grove Scottish
Jolly Pumpkin La Roja
River Horse Triple
Flying Dog Raging Bitch
The Bruery Autumn Maple
Avery Maharaja
North Coast Old Rasputin
Bush Noel
De Dolle Dulle Teve
Pauwel Kwak
Samuel Smith Toddy Porter
Budweiser Budvar
BrewDog Tokio

A little something for everyone.  From IPAs, a Belgian Christmas ale, imperial stouts and a beer made with maple syrup.  Crazyness.  Hopefully your favorite team beer is still in the tournament.

BrewDog on top, again

How can you not like the guys at BrewDog. They do their best to produce crazy beers.  No one knows what is coming at them... until they make a movie about it.


Sink the Bismarck! from BrewDog on Vimeo.


I love their movies, and their creativity really helps them produce a lot of buzz for their beer (like blog posts).  I believe that this buzz helps out all craft beers.  As much as the neo-prohibitionists would love for people to believe that beers like Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32%), Sink the Bismark(41%) and Schorschbrau (40%) will be drank by underage binge drinkers (since they can afford it), most people realize that it is different.  A unique beer, which was taken to the extreme.  Here is another article by Fox News that names a few other extreme beers. 

As many of us know, that article doesn't show part of the number of beers that are high in alcohol.  For example, Dogfish Head has produced at least 12 beers (from Beer Advocate stats, including 3 that are 18%) that are above 10%, and may others 8-9%  and Avery Brewing has produced 17 over 10%.  High percent beers are becoming, might I say, common in the beer world.

What is your favorite +10% beer?  (Mine has to be Scaldis Noel.)

All over the map.

My stop at Max's yesterday left me all over the map, beer wise.

I was looking for something I haven't had yet.  It had to be delicious (obviously).  So I started with an Avery DuganA (Imperial IPA).  I figured if it tasted anything like the Maharaja, I would be happy.  I was not disappointed.  This hop bomb hit the spot.  Even at 8.5%, I couldn't taste the alcohol, and the beer was smooth.  Definitely dangerously drinkable.  The piney hoppiness was on right from the start.  It infected mynose, and took over my mouth.  A+ in my book.

Next up, I saw a Flemish Red I haven't had before.  And of course, I had to give it a go.  Hop-bomb to super-sour, that's how I roll.  The Bockor Cuvee Des Jacobins pierced past the remainders of hops that were in my mouth and made me pucker up.  Another successful find for the sour lovers.  Sour apples and cherries are the two pronounced tastes and smells resonating from the beer.  Very nice beer. Not the easiest to drink, due to the sourness, but hopefully I can grab another pint some time.

Following my Flemish red, I wanted a beer that was low key.  I looked toward the Winter beers.  I grabbed a Flying Fish Grand Cru winter ale.  It was much lighter in color, maybe strawish with a little amber.  The taste was just not there, not what I was looking for.   Then again, the dIPA and Flemish Red before it could have killed the taste for me.  It was bready (doughy) and very lightish, watered down taste.  Maybe I will give it a go some other time, maybe not.

To finish off the night, I grabbed a Raging Bitch.  Sweet love of the Gods, this is a great beer.  One of which I cannot wait to get to Frederick to grab a couple of bottles.  This is one of my top beers of the year, and hope it can stay on tap for a while.  (I also placed it on my Christmas list here).

On my way out, I was able to do some Christmas shopping.  As Baltimore Beer Guy pointed out, Hugh Sisson was at Max's signing bottles of Yule-Tide.  So I grabbed one for my brother, he likes that kind of stuff.

Anywho, I hope your beer has been flowing this week.  What have you had?