The Third of Three

After opening the Dogfish Head Saison du BUFF, I felt the need to open the Victory.

I had sample all three in one sitting, and finally trying a bottle of each reinforced what I thought. The Stone was herbally, the Dogfish Head was the bitter one and the Victory was the balanced brew.
The beer looks golden with a nice poured head- very similar to the other two. The aroma was lemony, with a slight touch of hops and of the herbs used.
The taste is similar to the smell. The lemon jumps out at you, followed by a small bouquet of the sage/Rosemary/other herbs, then finished off by the hops.
The alcohol is hidden in the complexity of the other tastes. This has the best carbonation level, making it a really nice beer to drink.

Overall, this was my favorite of the three- but I would have no problem drinking any of them.

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

Quick Run to the store- Stillwater Artisanal Ales Stateside Saison

The time had come for grabbing the newest beer out of Baltimore.  Stillwater Artisanal Ales released their bottles onto the beer loving community this week, and after receiving a tweet from HoneyGo Wine and Spirits, I made sure to get some of the first batch.

The Stillwater Stateside Saison made its Maryland debut at Max's Belgian Beer Festival this year, and if you didn't get the beer right away, it didn't last long.  It is a very good Saison that also has a hoppy backbone to it (hence the name Stateside, because we hop things up apparently).

I was able to pick up some other stuff, to make the trip completely worthwhile.  I was able to grab a couple bottles of Victory's Yakima Twilight (I liked it so much the other day, I needed to share it with some friends that didn't have it/can't get it), a bottle of Clay Pipe's Hop-Ocalypse (R.I.P.), Brewer's Alley 1634 Pale ale, Monk's Cafe Flemish Red and Anchor's Porter.  I am looking forward to trying a these beers out, and hopefully I get a couple of winners.

 (I apologize for the crappy camera phone pictures, I was too lazy to get out the good camera.)

In My Glass- Victory Yakima Twilight

In my glass tonight, is a brew from Victory that I have been looking forward to, Yakima Twilight.  It is an 8.7% American Strong Ale.  From the bottle:

The Yakima Valley of Washington is the heartland of American hops, having contributed uniquely flavorful varieties that have helped redefine American brewing.  Late summer harvest yealds the bounty that builds this exciting ale.  Vibrant and aromatic, this is their moment of glory as the vines have withered by the time you sip this. Dark malt warm the hops' bright edge bringing harmony to the finish.  Rest well hop roots.Spring will come and we'll be thirsty again.

The dark, mahogany color of the beer is accented by the small head that quickly disappates.  The smell is of sweet dark malts and a hint of citrus hops.  The alcohol is not hidden in the nose, nor in the mouth.  The sweet caramel start to the ale turns bitter when the hops get in the mix.  The carbination is not overpowering, but a little more than I like with the sweetness.

This is a very nice beer, it has something for everyone, the caramel taste from the malt and a nice hoppy bitter backbone.  In the mouth, this beer is smooth and creamy, yet the carbination gets in the way.  I would love to have this beer again, and am happy to have tried it.  I don't think that I could have 4 or 5 of them in a night (the abv may be a tad too high), but a second would already be poured if I had one.  Good beer.

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?

Wild Devil

This past weekend, we had our engagement party. The beer was pretty simple, a couple cases of Yuengling, along with my bottle of Victory Wild Devil and a bottle of Brewer's Art Resurrection. The surprise of the day was Raski showing up with a couple bottles of the special release of Nugget Nectar that he ran down an picked up in Saturday. That beer never gets old.

I had been looking forward to the Wild Devil for some time. I heard mixed reviews of the IPA with wild yeast. Many reviews said that it was simply Hop Devil (which it isn't). I read that the bottles were released a little early, so people drinking it right away were left with an inferior bottle; the wild yeast needed time to do his thing. I kept it in my beer box for 6 months, and was hoping that was enough time.

Once we pulled the cork, you could tell this beer meant business. The abstract nose of the beer pulled us into it. Right away you could smell the wild yeast, a sour smell. There were hops there as well, but it didn't overpower everything else going on.

There was a sweet citrusy taste mixed with dry-sourness from the wild yeast, finished off by a bitter hop pop at the end. Very unique. Very delicious.

I will be looking for a couple of bottles to hold onto again, just to see how good this beer can be.

Choosing Beer

I had off on Friday. That meant it was my job to drop the Better Half off at work (from now on she will be the NonBeerChick, since she doesn't enjoy it like me). So I decided to stop by the Wine Source and pick up some Resurrection for my brother, who lives in Michigan. (Note, even though I claim to be BaltimoreMan, I am from PA, a transplant). I gave him a bottle of the Green Peppercorn for Christmas two years ago, and missed out by 4 feet of getting him a bottle of Resurrection this year. I found it fitting to get him a bottle of Resurrection for Easter.

That is when the fun began. I walked into the Wine Source at 9:01. They open at 9, so I figured I was the first one there. Until the lady behind the counter stated a man was waiting, as soon as she opened the door, he grabbed his bottle, paid and was out. Wow. Anywho. I walked to the beer section, and that is when I felt like I was in a candy store.

There are the beers that you always get, and can get anywhere (racer, 90 min, Sierra Nevada, etc.), but I didn't want them. I found the Resurrection, and decided to grab one for me as well as a bottle of Green Peppercorn. Then what?

I had to push myself past the Ommegang. Maybe they would have the Cave-Conditioned beer? I went back. No luck. Maybe the Rouge? No luck. So I press on. My first grab was a bottle of Green Flash Grand Cru. I never had it. Never even heard of it. Kind of intrigued me. Green Flash IPA is one of my favorites. What possibly could go wrong with a Grand Cru from them?

Travelling down the aisle, I find purchase #2. It just happens to be Brooklyn Brewing Local 2. I had heard a million good things about this brew, but never had a bottle for myself. Now I do. (I am excited about this beer, I hope my excitement doesn't ruin the experience.)

The final bottle I picked up was a hard decision. I heard good and bad from it. I grabbed a Victory WildDevil. On some accounts, you get the HopDevil IPA with funk (from the Brett) making it a delicious complex beer. On the other hand, people have stated it is just a HopDevil with very very mild changes, at a premium price. I will be delighted if it comes out as the former, or mad if it comes out as the latter. I will have to wait and see. It is a nice bottle though.

St. DogfishSierraRougeStone Day

Down at McGoverns last Thursday and Saturday, I choose the ever faithful Duvel (thursday) and Guinness (Saturday). Both days after getting my first beer, the Guinness tap ran dry as I was ordering one. As they were replacing it, I decided to not wait and have a Murphys. Oh how I always forget about Murphys. The lovely black beauty. Simple stout, most would compare with any other Irish stout, but for some reason I always get a little more taste out of it, compared to a Guinness. Delicious. And never forget, Tomorrow is irish beer day.

Who is the patron saint of IPA's? When is their day?
If there was a patron saint of IPA's, I would have to guess it would be Saint DogfishSierraRogueStoneTroegs Day. He sounds like a good guy. Maybe a little Racer 5 tangled in between. But you can't forget that midwest Bell's Two Hearted Ale (I would through Victory in there, but Victory Day, I believe, is already taken). Whne would this day take place?

Wednesday No-Pint night

Yesterday, after work I met Eric at Max's to grab a beer. It was their pint night, so we usually come home with some new glassware, but the beer du jour was Blue Moon Honey Moon. Which in my honest opinion, it is bad. To be completely honest, I don't like anything Blue Moon makes. (That could be due to Blue Moon being a Molson Coors beer.)

So the bartender looked at me and said one word: "Nugget?" He meant Troeg's Nugget Nectar, which I believe is the most delicious beer made. As my pint was poured, Eric came in, and didn't order the NN. He chose to go with the Sierra Nevada Harvest (wet hop). His reasoning made sense. Go up in hoppiness. Both beers when down well (he had the NN second, I had the Harvest.)

After those two hoppy beers we knew what we were getting into. The Victory Hop Wallop was up next. Many people consider this to be the most bitter beer they have had... so have I. And that is not to mention the 8.5% that goes with it. Victory does not list and IBU for the Hop Wallop, but I would bet it is above 120 ibus. (For comparison the Sierra Nevada is at 60-65, the NN comes in at 90ish). It is quite a mouthful.

I love beer that is as hoppy as it gets. The NN is different though. Whether it is the hops used or how they brew it, I have always felt the bitterness was there, but it was more of a sweet hoppiness, so sweet you can almost taste it through the nose. I have found it very attractive. I have heard that some people get bad brews out of the bottle from this beer, I never have.

Anyone else like extremely hoppy beers? Which beers do you like that are hoppy?