Interesting Label from Stone

Well this might be fun.  Apparently, those crazy guys over at Stone are releasing another beer called "Stone IPA... Ruined".  I will just assume that it has something to do with Stone Ruination, maybe the middle road between the two (Ruination is a Double IPA- so maybe Ruined is a 1.5 IPA).

The Session #46- Unexpected Discovery

This month's The Session is hosted by Burgers and Brews.  It deals with something that I love- Unexpected Discoveries.  You know, when you walk into a bar and find it is a great beer bar; or you forget about a beer that is in the back of the fridge; or when you just randomly buy a beer, and it turns out to be your favorite beer of the night.  As they say:

"...it’s the unintended beer discovery that gives me the most thrill. It might be a run down dive, a yuppie bar, a backcountry gas station, or a sketchy bodega, but when I find good craft beer in places like this, completely unlooked for, it’s more rewarding than all those planned brewery visits."

I can think of more than a few times that this has happened.  Finding a new friend to lead me to Jay's Getaway in Morgantown, West Virginia.  Randomly picking Magic Hat's American Sour, and loving it.  Two of my favorite memories.  But the one that I will talk about, is what I consider one of the best deals that I have found.

My worst kept secret is that I love Max's Taphouse.  It was my go to beer bar (as it is with many other people), and it formed the beer geekery that I now employ.  They have some great specials, usually posted on a chalkboard across from the main bar (if you never have read it, you must when you walk in).  Special 12 ounce bottles are usually on special for $3.50 and "Big Bottles" are usually priced at $5.  And I just happened to run into Stone's Vertical Epic 09-09-09 on the Big Bottle list.

Five Bucks for VE 09-09-09?!?  Seriously!  When this beer was released, on Max's draft list it was listed as a Dark Belgian Ale.  This is one style that I like to try.  You never know what you are going to get- maybe a big spice bomb, maybe a dubbel, who knows.  On the nose, I got a lot of roasted malt, lots of chocolate.  Didn't know what I would think about it, but I brought it to my mouth.  (There are a lot of beers with roasted malt that I hadn't been into.  I couldn't get myself into the porters and stouts that I wanted to try.  I was in the middle of my hophead revolution.)  Once it hit my mouth, the taste took over me.  To me it was a porter with Belgian yeast, which made the beer an instant favorite.

So, when I saw this beer hit the $5 list, I instantly bought 4 bottles to take home (I had spent $9+ on the bottles when it came out).  This to me was a huge Unexpected Discovery, something I am always on the look out for.

Cheers!

Beer Series

For whatever it is, there is a certain allure about drinking beers that are released in a series.  Recently, I have had the opportunity to partake Vertical Epic 10-10-10, Three French Hens and Scratch #35.  These beers are a part of a series that have will have the next bottle released a year later.  They are special releases, but not as limited as beers such as Dark Lord, Pliny the Younger, et cetera.

The Stone Brewing Vertical Epic series have been around since 2002; the beers are released on the matching month, day and year.  The first was released February 2, 2002 (hence 02-02-02).  This year's Vertical Epic was released on October 10, and is a Belgian Strong Ale that has honey and spices. 

The Bruery's 12 Days/Years of Christmas series is in its third year.  It started with Partridge in a Pear Tree, last year's release was Two Turtle Doves, and this year gives us Three French Hens.  These beers are all Belgian Dark Ales, but each has a twist.  A portion of the Three French Hens is aged in French Oak Barrels. Two Turtle Doves features cocoa, taken from the turtle chocolate candies.  Partridge in a Pear Tree was a Belgian Dark Ale that helps form the base of the future beers.

Troeg's Scratch Series are one-off beers that the brewers make when they want to try something out.  It could be an IPA, saison, Belgian pale ale or stout.  The sky is the limit, and sometimes the beers have been bad, and sometimes the beers have been so good they put it into production (like the Flying Mouflan).

These two lines of beers are very good, and I have enjoyed them immensely.  But what makes them special?  Being special releases helps.  Knowing when the beers are released (Vertical Epic on the matching day, The Bruerys around Christmas) allows beer geeks to plan on them.  I have found that they are great beers.  The Vertical Epic 09-09-09 has been one of my favorite beers to drink.  And has lead me to pick up the beer whenever I see it on the shelves.  The Scratch Series is different, as the beers are released on a more random basis.

These series are very intriguing, and have lead to many people being happy.  The Vertical Epic series is always highly regarded, the 12 Days/Years of Christmas are always great Holiday beers and the Scratch Series are always well crafted beers that leave you wanting more. 

I look forward to finding and trying more beer series, and eventually becoming addicted to them all.

Cool night= a beer with some heat

It just felt like a good night for some Stone Old Guardian barleywine. So here is my instant review.

It pours with a nice half inch creamy head on a amber/dark orange beer. (The lacing hangs on the side of the glass, refusing to give up throughout the entire serving.) Smell brings a lot of sweetness (molasses and caramel). Makes me want to get this beer to my mouth. Slight smell of grapefruit hops. This is exactly what I want an 11% beer to smell like. I cannot wait to taste it.

Once the beer is brought to my lips, the hops really kick in. Super hopped. The bitterness cuts the malt in half, almost overpowering it. The alcohol is very prevalent in the mouth, you can tell it is big. As the beer warms, it develops with more flavors coming out. A little more caramel, toffee and dark fruits.

Not as thick as I was expecting, the Old Guardian is smooth going down as the carbonation is just right. Overall, it is a very enjoyable beer. Something that I would like to sip in front of the fire this upcoming winter. I think during time, this beer could firm up and balance out so the hops don't overpower it. Can't wait to try in the future with some age on it.
After (drinking) thoughts:

I didn't put much thought into this beer before I drank it. Now after evaluating it, I realized that this is the first time I can remember having it. Many times, I have had the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Victory Old Horizontal, Lagunitas Olde GnarleyWine and (my new favorite) Troegs Flying Mouflan, but I am surprised I didn't have Old Guardian before. I now look for this to enter my beer box for a bit of age, and for it to be on the rotation of barleywines that I consume.

Finally a BUFF Beer

I finally decided to open up the Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory collaboration Saison du BUFF.  I have been loving saisons for a couple of months now, but since I picked up the Saison du Buff, I have been on a IPA kick.  But today, after doing the yard work, I figure it would be a great treat.

The Saison du Buff is a collaborative effort between Greg Koch (Stone), Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head) and Bill Covaleski (Victory).  The BUFF part of the beer stands for Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor.  Seven years ago, the three brewers started this "organization" with the intentions to push the limits.  I personally think they did it to just have a bunch of fun.

First, the pour- I again allow the head to get out of control.  The color looks perfect for a saison, darker yellow- and very clear.  The nose is full of spices.  It is dominated by rosemary (one of my favorite meals is to have steak and rosemary potatoes- a smell I will never forget) and a nice minty sage.

First sip brings a good saison yeast taste to it.  Then, BAM! the spices kick in and run over you like a Mack tractor trailer truck going 70 miles per hour.  Big time rosemary.  HUGE rosemary.  The sage clears up the spices on the back of the tongue.

The beer is highly carbonated, as expected with a saison.  It is light in the mouth, and surprisingly smooth going down (the spices do not make it hard to swallow).  I think this beer is a drinkable beer, maybe have two or three, but I doubt I could handle any more than that.

Overall, this beer is very good.  A nice collaborative effort on the part of three great brewers.  This beer reminded me of the Jolly Pumpkin/Stone/Nogne O Holiday Ale collaboration that I tried last February.  A ton of spice, but everything works together well, creating a very good beer.
 

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

The Taming of the Brew

This past Saturday, one of the events that I look forward to every year happened. The Taming of the Brew, held annually in Bloomsburg, PA, is a beer and food festival that benefits the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble. This year, there were 26 brewery(22)/distributor(4) tables in the two room festival. Between the beer tables, there were 22 local restaurants showcasing the food that they prepare (huge bonus of free food when given free beer). The festival highlights the local brewpubs. Many of the attendees may not have heard of the breweries, but The Taming of the Brew allows these people to experience their beer.


The food is not to be outdone. Many of the local restaurants bring their A-Game. From the premier sub shop in town (Steph's Subs) to great Italian (Balzano's) to a top rate restaurant bringing scallops (Eagle's Mere Inn- scallops were grilled on site), the food would be reason enough to attend.

Some breweries brought their top beers- Stone brought Sublimely Self-Rightous, Arrogant Bastard, Oaked Arrogant Bastard and their IPA; Bullfrog Brewing brought Edgar IPA (one of my favorite IPAs) as well as a great tasting Roughneck Scottish Ale; Market Cross Pub brought their Pub Porter- ON A HANDPUMP!; The Brewpub at Turkey Hill also brought a cask conditioned pale ale; Troegs had their typical lineup of Dreamweaver, Troegenator, Sunshine Pils, Java Head Stout and Hopback; and a new place to me, River House Brewpub had a very nice Dubbel. My fiancé enjoyed the Lindeman's Frambroise that was provided by one of the distributors.

The highlight of my day included the sight of Orval in the one distributor’s ice bucket. I thought that it was going be to a special release, so I asked when. He stated that they had an open bottle, so I made it my job to stop in for some every time I was nearby. It was ORVAL(!), who would ever bring that to Bloomsburg. Delicious. I turned some of my fellow friends onto it, they too enjoyed it.

I would also like to note that there were Ale Street News and Mid-Atlantic Brewing News newspapers lying around. Great placement. I hope that people were able to take and read them.  Also, Wade Hutchison gave a talk on beer styles.  I was not able to get down to listen to him, but I heard that it was extremely informative (I did see him last year, and it taught me a thing or two).

Orval in the Glass

Orval tag that caught my eye (others in the bucket, Lindeman's Franboise and Ayinger's) 

Ale Street News and Mid-Atlantic Brewing News

The Market Cross BrewPub Handpump on the table (great Porter!)

Some pics of the festival, attendees. 

It wouldn't be complete without the GregFace.

Stop, Collaboration and Listen

I was going through my beer box the other day, and saw that I had yet to drink the Nogne O/Jolly Pumpkin/Stone collaboration Special Holiday Ale.  So a placed it in the fridge and waited for the night to drink it.

The three brewers are taking turns brewing this beer. 

This is the second release of Special Holiday Ale, which was first brewed in San Diego in 2008.  Each brew is following the same recipe, including Michigan chestnuts, white sage from southern California and Norwegian juniper berries, but differences in brewing and aging practices produce different beers.  Cheers to being different! Ska!

The beer pours a deep mahogany, small head that disappears quickly.  The smell is dominated by the sage and juniper, but I could smell a hint of the chestnuts.  On the first sip, I could get the sage (the minty taste was first thing I noticed) and juniper upfront, and the chestnuts came about as the beer warmed a bit.  The malt is hidden by the spices, but is still present (I was tasting a sweetness that I figured was from the malt).  The alcohol is also well hidden, as I expected more from a 8.5% beer.

The Special Holiday Ale was silky smooth in my mouth.  It is a little thinker than I would like, but very very smooth.  I would love to have this beer again, it was a spice bomb, yet very drinkable.

A porter I like?

While taking in the Ravens/Patriots game last Sunday at McGovern's, I decided to give the Evolution Lucky 7 Porter a try.  Normally I do not prefer the overly smokey or burnt taste to many porters.  This beer on the other hand was a delight.

It poured a dark dark brown, and produced a half inch tan head.  It had a faint smell of chocolate and smoke, with toffee and caramel coming in the nose as it warmed just a bit.  The taste was a delightful blend of the chocolate, toffee and caramel and a hint of smoke.  The little bit of bitterness came out at the end, just to break up the rest of the flavors.  The beer was very light and smooth, and at 5.8% made it extremely drinkable.

I liked this beer, and it somehow made me feel good to like a porter, one style that I don't drink often enough.  Many others love the burnt/smokey taste to the porters, but it just isn't my style.  The other porters that I would drink on most days are the Sierra Nevada Porter, and the Stone Vertical Epic 09-09-09 (which makes it hard to enjoy that beer, since I will have to find people to trade, I only have one bottle left- Should I keep shelf it?).

Anywho, any porter out there that you love?

All I want for Christmas....

This is my Christmas list this year.  First off, my Five beers that I have enjoyed and want more of this year.

1. Stone Vertical Epic 09/09/09.  This was the first porter that I have enjoyed in a while.  The beer has more of a sweetness, not much burnt maltness to it.  Delicious.

2. Troeg's Nugget Nectar.  I am looking forward to this beer coming out again.  We were fortunate enough to get some in August, and I still have a bottle for over New Years.  But there is nothing better than Nugget Nectar out of a cask.

3. The bottles of Flying Dog's Raging Bitch.  I know they will be out soon, but it should be now.  I can't wait to get this and share it with my friends who cannot get it.

4.  Jolly Pumpkin anything.  So glad the Michigan Brewers Festival allowed me to sample their beers, and then the present from my brother to enjoy WeisenBam and La Roja.  I just want more.

5. Kuhnhenn Brewing's Solar Eclipse Imperial Stout.  One of my favorites from the MBF.  Their Simcoe Silly was almost just as good.

6. Basically any of the other delicious samples from the MBF, New Holland, Arcadia, and Short't to name a few.

7. I was happy to be introduced to Koningshoeven.  It was requested that I try it, which I thoroughly enjoyed, by the chef at Jack's Bistro because they were out of...

8. Witkap Pater Dubbel.  Grape Kool-aid.  I don't know why, but I get grape kool-aid from it.  Yes, I know there is other stuff, but what blew me away was the grape kool-aid.

9. My Base Beers.  They are the special beers that no matter what, you know what you are getting, and it is a good one.  60 Minute IPA, Racer 5, Yuengling Lager, etc.  It doesn't matter.  It established the style for me.

10. My next beer, because that is my favorite kind.

dreary day beer stop

I would like to say everyone should take a moment today to think about those serving the country.

I had off today, but had a lunch meeting for a committee that I work with.  After the lunch, I ran up the Well's Discount Liquors to use a gift card I received last christmas (most people wouldn't be able to hold onto it as long as I have).  I came away with a couple of things that I can look forward to, and another that I thought I would give a shot.

I gave Anderson Valley Brewing's Brother David Double a go.  I didn't know much about the brewery or the beer, but thought I would try it.  If you have had it, let me know.

Next, I grabbed a bottle of Wild Devil from Victory Brewing.  I loved this beer when I had it before, and wanted to make sure I had a bottle for another time.

I then saw the bottles of the Stone Vertical Epic 09/09/09.  One to drink this winter, one to save for the future.  This is one of the few porters that I like, so maybe I should have grabbed a bunch of them.

Finally, I was able to grab a bottle of the Autumn Maple from The Bruery (last one on the shelf or I would have grabbed a couple).  I have been looking forward to trying this beer, and this was the first opportunity I had to get one.

Overall, I feel that I had a good go at the store.  I didn't spend too much money, and was able to being home some good stuff.

Have you picked up anything lately?

Blue Hill Tavern and base beers

We travelled around the block to the Blue Hill Tavern on Friday to grab a bite to eat. While they do not have a lot going for them beer wise (a good selection of micros, macros and imports, but nothing special), the food we had was delicious. I chose to drink a Pilsner Urquell to go with my pork tenderloin meal.

Many times I have commented on other people's blogs my feelings toward beers like Pilsner Urquell, DFH 60 min, Stone IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and a few others. These beers I consider base beers. There is nothing wrong with them, and they are quite good. But for me, they set a standard for their respective styles. Pilsner Urquell is what a pilsner should taste like. Yes, there are many beers that taste better, have more hops, etc. But when I think pilsner, PU is the base line. Any other pilsner beer should resemble it somehow, and find a way to improve upon it.

That is the same with the other beers above. 60 min. is my classic example of an East Coast IPA, Stone IPA is a great West Coast IPA. When I see 60 min, I know what I am going to get. I like 60 min and hit helped me get into IPAs, but there are much better IPAs from the east coast. (Weyerbacher Hop Infusion-and Double Simcoe, Victory Hop Devil, and Brooklyn IPA) Stone IPA is a classic West Coast IPA, but I think Green Flash WC IPA, Bear Republic Racer 5 and Avery Maharaja sky above Stone's offering.

I have found a base beer in almost every style that I have tried. Have you felt this way toward your beer? What is your base beer?

Going Vertical

Max's description of Stones Vertical Epic 09/09/09 was just "Dark Belgian Ale". I wasn't too sure what to think before it came to me. But I was not thinking Porter. And then I saw it. Dark as night, creamy tan head. Porter overcame my mind. Chocolate came through on the nose, with not much else. Then the taste. Definitely some chocolate, vanilla and little spice. Could use more spice to break up the chocolate. I would expect a little more hoppy bitterness from Stone (but not too much to over power everything, just enough to pull everything together). The beer was not too heavy or too light.

I would not call it a Belgian. Maybe when sitting in a cellar it will round out better, but for now it is a Porter. With that note, I normally do not like porters. Usually a porter has the burnt taste to it. The VE090909 did not. It was sweet and delicious. Although, one was enough. Not something to have a night of. (Especially at 8.5%.) I think I will try to go and grab a couple of bottles, this is a beer that should be really good on a cold night in the winter. I am thinking Christmas time.

Coming up, left behind

The past week has been very uneventful on the beer front. We moved into a new place, so that was hectic. I was able to eat some crabs down at Canton Dockside, and they were really good. I am not sure if they were good because of the crab, or if they were good because we were hungry. The best part of the meal was when I saw they had Stone Arrogant Bastard on tap. Arrogant Bastard worked very well with the beer. It remains one of my favorites. I have always felt the beer was a perfect balance of maltiness and hops. It is also one of the maltiest beers that I drink. (Surprisingly enough.)

The highlight of the week is this upcoming weekend. On Friday, I will be boarding a Southwest flight for Michigan to see my brother. The Michigan Brewers Guild has their Summer Beer Festival Friday and Saturday. This is the real reason I am going. I am looking forward to Friday night, 50 breweries and 300 different beers to choose from that I don't get here. Founders, Jolly Pumpkin, New Holland, etc. All calling my name.

I will be sure to report back on what I had, and the other smaller breweries around Michigan.

Saturday, Ann Arbor is having a German Festival. Food, Beer and Music. I am looking forward to this family oriented beer drinking with my brother, sister in law and niece.

Cheers to the weekend.

Mid Week Max's

On Wednesday, I did my normal stop in at Max's. I was glad to start me day off with a Belgica from Great Divide. The Belgain style IPA is a delicious brew. After chatting with the Sierra Nevada rep for a bit, I took up his offer of a free SN Harvest (southern hemisphere wet hop). I enjoyed this beer last year when it first came out, and I enjoyed it again this year. The ale poured a little darker than I remembered, but no complaints. It is a basic ale with the hops being in the taste all the way through. The other citrus/sweetness is there as well. Definately something I would drink again and again.

I also had the SN Summerfest lager. I love this lager and think it may become one of my favorite summer beers. It just tastes so good on a hot day. To end the day, I had a Stone Levitation. The amber ale, poured a dark amber color. Smelled very piny, so I prepared for a hopbomb. The piny taste did not slam into my mouth as I expected, but I was able to get a very heavy bitterness, which I enjoy. Overall, this was a nice beer. And at 4.4% a very drinkable beer.