Last 4 In/Out

Just like the analysts want to predict leading up to Selection Sunday, I, too, had my last four in and out.

Last In:
1. Old Forge Underbite IPA- this is my favorite from a local brewpub
2. Moylans Hopsickle- just a great Double IPA from the California brewery
3. Newcastle Brown Ale- just couldn't take it off. One of the easiest drinkers on the list
4. Lancaster Rumspringa- wanted to get a Lancaster beer on the list, and this one is new to the canning line.

Last Out:
1. Stoudt's Double IPA- just got pushed out by plethora of East Coast beers, plus I haven't had it in a while
2.
3. Mikeller- I haven't drank anything more than once or twice, even though they are one of the best breweries
4. Dales Pale Ale- was a casualty of the one brew from each brewery rule.

Beer Bracket 2011

It is that time of year.  The NCAA released their bracket, so not it is time for A Beer in Hand's Beer Bracket.  Like in years past, the bracket replaces the NCAA teams with some of the best brews from around the country and around the world.  You can use the bracket for a few different reasons.


a. To find new beers to seek out and to try
b. To fill out an office poll (just pretend the colleges are the brews, pick your favorites)
c. To find a new team to follow (find your beer, find your team)

This year's bracket is broken up into 4 different groups.  East Coast beers are any that are east of the Mississippi.  West Coast beers are (surprisingly) west of the Mississippi.  European beers are those that are brewed in Europe (hopefully, I didn't need to explain that one either).  And finally, I chose to honor the rash of Canned Beers.  I fully support the canned beer movement, and feel that more breweries should look into canning.

So here is the Bracket.  Analyze it, review it, print it out and make your predictions.

Click to Enlarge

Note: I tried to only post beers that I have drank on the bracket.  I know there are a million great beers out there, but there are only 68 slots.  Please forgive me for not getting to try Russian River, Firestone Walker, Hair of the Dog (or any of the bazillion Portland Brewpubs), Cigar City, etc.  I try to get out and find these great breweries, but sometimes I just cannot get to them.  If you feel that strongly about it, you can feel free to send me a bottle of something that I need to try.

Getting Slammed, HopSlammed

My wife was out of town, so I figured I should get something to eat.  A friend and I traveled down to a local pub, which he said had a good beer selection.  I didn't know what to expect, until I checked it out online.

Bully's Restaurant in Columbia, PA has a great bottle selection,  a pretty good tap selection and some pretty good food (on that day, I had a burger; I took my wife a couple days later and we had a full meal that was just as good).  They have a well put together beer menu, which divides the beers into styles.  The taps have 4 (or so) that are standard, and 4 (or so) rotating.  They also provide a beer tap list, with short, yet complete descriptions (they beers that I recognized were all very accurately described).

They also had a couple specialty bottles (seasonal); which included the Bell's HopSlam.  HopSlam, and Imperial IPA that is bitter like crazy, with a huge hop nose, has a cult-like following.  When released, the bottles are usually bought up quickly.  I had never had HopSlam, but was not going to go on a witch hunt for it either.  It was a pleasant surprise when I saw it on the chalk board as I was walking in.

The beer did not disappoint.  Even though I am in the running for worst pourers ever, the beer gave a nice off-white head that didn't linger around long.  I was surprised it was not darker, but the clarity made up for the color (which isn't a huge issue).  The nose brings a bouquet of hops.  In my mind, it is comparable to Nugget Nectar's aroma, as it overtakes all other senses.

When brought to my mouth, I was actually underwhelmed by hops.  Not because it wasn't bitter or grapefruity.  It was mainly because the malt had such a presence. (I was looking for the hops to completely dominate the malt, but the malt still showed up to the party.)  Sometimes being underwhelmed can be a good (sweet) surprise.

The beer finishes smooth.  Not much of an alcohol burn (only because I was looking for it, did I find it). Overall, due to its 10% abv, it would be an easy beer to drink a couple of, but the alcohol will catch up fast.  It was a great experience to try it, and enjoy it.  Something I hope to have in the future.

Note: Yes, I could have bought a case of it when it came out.  My problem with that is that I would have a case of 10% beer to drink (plus the price).  I am a one beer a night type of guy, and the 5-7% beers are perfect for that.

I do love Parody Videos

Out from Ska Brewing, comes Brew Minions, a parody of the Brew Masters TV Show (it even includes Sam Calagione). 





Now if I could only get my hands on some of the beer that I wish I could drink from them.

The Session #49- The Regular Beer

This month's topic for The Session, comes from one of the original creators, Stan at Appellation Beer.  The topic: regular beer.  He asks:

Please write about a regular beer (time to lose the quotation marks). You get to define what that means, but a few possibilities:
* It might be your “go to” beer, brewed commercially or at home. The one you drink regularly.
* I could be a beer your enjoy on a regular special occasion. When in San Francisco I always like to start with draft Anchor Liberty Ale. But it might be your poker night beer.
* It doesn’t have to be a “session beer,” but it can be.
* It probably shouldn’t have an SPE of more than $25 (that’s a very soft number; prices may vary by region and on premise further confuses the matter). Ask yourself, is it what somebody in a Miller High Life TV commercial in the 1970s could afford? Because affordability matters. I’m all for paying a fair price (which can mean higher than we’d like) to assure quality and even more for special beers, but I’m not ready to part with the notion that beer should be an everyman’s drink.
* Brewery size, ownership, nationality do not matter. Brew length doesn’t matter. Ingredients don’t matter. It feels a little strange typing that last sentence, since the Mission Statement here says ingredients matter. But I hope you get the point. I prefer beer that costs a little more because its ingredients cost more, because there’s more labor involved. You don’t have to. Beer should be inclusive.

 When I first read about the topic, many beers came to the forefront of my brain.  I could do it on some special beer that I love to drink when I see it; I could write about some local beer that most people don't know about, but would love it when they try it; I could use the old "the next beer is my favorite regular beer" cop-out; or I just just plain and simply say Yuengling.

I have posted on here before about Yuengling.  It is cheap, has a nice taste and you can put back quite a few (some might call it a session beer- depending on your abv definition).  For me it is also a local beer.  I have a two friends that work there (one in marketing, one in the brewhaus). And finally, everyone likes it- well, no one complains about it.

It started when we first came of age, no one liked the cheap stuff, so we went the next realm up (a whole $4 more- to college kids that seemed like the world).  We knew we liked better beer, Bass/Harp/Guinness when we had the cash, and Selin's Grove Brewpub was a must on the weekends.  But straight up, price/taste/drinkability- Yuengling made the most sense.

So tonight I raise a pint to the brewers from Pottsville, Pa.  Thank you for brewing Lager.

On a side note, I do enjoy their other beers. Lord Chesterfield was always in the fridge, and now their Bock has really started to show up- it has the same qualities- cheap/good tasting/session beer.

Tournament Time

It is almost time for the Big Dance, so post below any beers that should be included in the 2011 Beer Bracket.  I will accept new beers, or  old beers.  I prefer beers that I had the pleasure of drinking, but make a case for others that I have not been able to partake in.

Check out last year's intro, initial bracket, Sweet 16, Final Four and Champion.

The Imperial Red

A couple of months ago, my brother (who is a much better homebrew than I ever will be), told me he was in the process of formulating his next beer, an Imperial Red.  I had not noticed imperial reds before.  Never even thought of it. But now, it seems like I keep running into them.

From my friends at Side Street Brewing (a couple homebrewers with craft beer intentions) to Rogue XS Imperial Red to Lagunitas Lucky 13 and more, it just seems to me like the imperial red ales are being noticed more often.

On the heels of this comes Flying Fish Exit 9:

Created by Head Brewer Casey Hughes, Exit 9 Hoppy Scarlet Ale is a richly flavored red beer crafted with a variety of domestic and imported malts and a classic American yeast strain.  It is assertively hopped with Amarillo, Centennial, Chinook and Citra hops for a bouquet with complex notes of citrus and tropical fruits and an appropriate bitterness in the finish.  Hughes recommends it with spicy foods, such as gumbo or curry, as well as alongside rich blue or sharp cheddar cheeses, or just by itself.

The Exit series has been a very good line (in my eyes).  I haven't found much fault in may of the beers.  The Exit 1 Oyster Stout was great (even though I don't like oysters), the Exit 4 triple was fantastic, and the others that I tried, Exit 6 Wallonian Rye and Exit 11  Hoppy American Wheat, were very good. It is good to see these beers on the shelf or on tap, as I know that I can always give them a go.