One last post before Christmas

Okay, things have definitely been very quiet on the Rich on Beer front. We've changed our morning routine to feed Pax breakfast, which is a ton of fun, but it doesn't leave me a ton of time to relax and get in the writing mood. Since I'm not a writer by profession or really talent, it takes me a while to get words on to the screen. Or at least interesting words. I've still been drinking new beers all the time, don't get me wrong, just haven't written anything for a while. Today, to get one more post written before the holidays, I'm going to go back a few weeks and post about Deschutes The Abyss from 2010.

Lots of bourbon vanilla notes in the nose. Medium mouthfeel on it. Body was full of licorice and roast with the bourbon and vanilla taking a back seat compared to the nose. Some molasses sweetness came out as I drank more rounding things out. Pretty nice though the mouth feel could have been a little fuller and the bourbon vanilla stronger in the body. Still, definitely glad I drank it.

I actually opened this because the Friday before I went to Jose Pistola's for the Deschutes Beer Camp lunch and it made me want to try an older Abyss. Muller Distributors paid for my lunch there too which was cool. I think I still have two more years of Abyss in the basement that I will get to at some point.

Also, I'm going on vacation now so look for some posts in the new year, hopefully a little more consistently. We'll see!

Dock Street Abt 12

Jo and I were recently at Dock Street after a fun trip to the zoo with Paxton and the PhillyTapFinder family and I saw they were selling bottles of this. I'm a sucker for quads and so decided I needed to try it. At $12 it wasn't too expensive either. Also, I'm pretty sure this was a Scott Morrison beer and his belgian style ones were usually quite good so it seemed worth the risk. If you want to try anything by him, he's actually now at the Barren Hill Brewpub.

Nose was a mix of caramel, a little apple, and some sugary sweetness. Really nice and inviting. Body followed with lots of caramel, some plums, apple, and finished with a slight alcohol burn. Medium mouthfeel, not thick but not thin either. Quite delicious especially as the alcohol faded by the time I finished the glass. I haven't had a genuine Belgian quad in a while and so really enjoyed this. Definitely glad I bought it.

Founders Breakfast Stout at Kite & Key revisited

I've definitely written about Breakfast Stout before, even written about having it at Kite & Key, but I'm going to revisit it because it's been a while. Of course, now that I've linked you to the previous post, I do have to make sure I don't just write exactly the same thing. Founders Breakfast Stout is an imperial stout made with coffee and chocolate.

Nose was really nice with lots of chocolate and espresso coffee with some roast bringing it all together. Body, however, was super bitter at first with just a little coffee and minimal chocolate. I was actually surprised at how bitter it was. Luckily, as I drank more and it warmed up a bit, the bitterness fell to more reasonable levels and I started tasting more of the coffee. Maybe out of a bottle it's not quite as bitter but this wasn't quite as good as I remember. Oh well, tastes change and all that.

Firestone Walker Double DBA at Kite & Key

I actually thought this was going to be a repeat post as I swear I've had Double DBA before, but I didn't have a picture of it yet so I guess I was wrong. Kite & Key was pretty great this past Tuesday as they still had a whole bunch of Firestone Walker leftovers from the Craft Beer Express on Saturday. Pretty surprised about it but a win for me. Since I've had Sucaba (aka Abacus) a whole bunch of times, I opted for Double DBA, a bourbon barleywine though I'd argue it's not really a barleywine but a mix of stronger styles. Surprised it's not listed as an american strong ale.

It's a little darker than in the picture since I had to use a flash to take it but it gives you an idea. Really smooth caramel and sweet boozy nose. Very inviting. Body was similar with tons of caramel and vanilla with a little bourbon flavor to top things off. Just a very delicious beer though some may find it a bit sweet. Don't get me wrong, it's not Southern Tier sweet, meaning it'll give you diabetes, but the caramel and vanilla are very strong without any real bitterness to balance them.

Prairie Artisan Ales Truncheon

I struck out on Heady Topper cans when Jo and I were in Vermont, but I did get to stop at a store named Hunger Mountain Co-op and pick up a few interesting bottles. One of them was Prairie Artisan Ales Truncheon, a wine barrel aged saison. I don't have any more information than that since that's all the bottle said, but it had to have been some sort of white wine barrel considering the color and flavor.

The nose had a lot of white wine character mixed with a little saison spiciness. At first, the body was mostly sweet grape with only some of the saison peaking through. Similar to the nose though a bit sweeter. As I drank more, the flavors meshed a bit more and the sweetness lessened. Still, I wish it had been a little drier with the saison half being a little more pronounced. As it stands, it wasn't bad, but I don't think I'd buy it again.

Green Flash Sleepin' with Shaggy

Not sure if the name is a Scooby Doo reference or not, but it is certainly interesting. Sleepin' with Shaggy is a 13% barleywine aged in brandy barrels and was sent to me by my buddy in San Diego. I actually thought it was a sour for the longest time and I'm not sure I could have been more wrong. Also, not sure this was a good choice for a Monday night beer considering its strength but I'm running low on normal beers so here we are.

Well, this was certainly aged in brandy barrels. Huge, huge brandy nose consisting of a fruity, caramel sweetness. Not too boozy either. Thick mouthfeel which I always appreciate in high octane beers and think is pretty important in hiding the alcohol. Body was complex with chocolate, caramel, a lightly bitter earthiness, and more brandy. Some booziness but I felt it meshed with all the other flavors well. The brandy sweetness really comes through which is impressive. I wonder what the base barleywine tastes like before the barrel aging. Regardless, this was tasty and a nice surprise.

Crooked Stave St. Bretta Spring

This beer came to me by way of PhillyTapFinder from Colorado which was awesome of him. Thanks Jared! I guess St. Bretta by Crooked Stave is released year round but as a different season each time. This bottle was labeled Spring and is, at its base, a wheat beer but is so much more due to the brett fermentation.

I didn't really know what to expect from this just going by the style and the name. The nose definitely gave credence to the brett fermented on the label with dry, lightly funky notes and a bit of citrus. The body, however, changed things up a bit and added in some tart orange juice right up front with some earthy bitterness in the back. The funkiness from the nose was a bit more subdued too. Quite delicious really and I definitely get why people like Crooked Stave. I'm not sure if this is the first beer I've had from them, but it's the first I remember. I picked up a different bottle of Crooked Stave while in Vermont and I'm excited to try that now.

Bell's Expedition at Kite & Key

Well, it has been a week since I've written anything so sorry about that. Between going on vacation then not getting much sleep Sunday night, just haven't had the drive to write. To get moving again, I'll start with last week's visit to Kite & Key. I also have a Crooked Stave beer I drank last night which I'll hopefully get to tomorrow. For last week, I ordered a glass of Bells Expedition, something I've had aged a couple times, but never fresh. And, yes, that is not really the way to do it since you can't know how the aged beer has changed, but oh well sometimes that happens. Expedition, by the way, is an imperial stout.

Roasty nose with a big, earthy hop bitterness. Body followed with some bitter chocolate, earthy hops, and a bitter finish. There was some coffee roast around the edges as well. As I drank more, it actually became more hoppy and bitter and the roast took a slight back seat to that. I had heard it was bitter and, yeah, totally a hoppier stout. Some people like hoppy stouts, hence Storm King's popularity, so this would be good for them. If you're curious about the old bottle I drank, here's my post about it. Definitely enjoyed it a little more than fresh.

Dieu du Ciel 2009 Peche Mortel

I've had this bottle for quite a long while now partially because I lost track of it for a year or so in our old apartment. One day, I was moving stuff around and found it mixed in with a bunch of other beer which was a nice surprise. Why did it still take me 2 years to drink it? Because, that's why. Peche Mortel is an imperial stout brewed with coffee. Honestly, the aging conditions for this weren't particularly great so I was shocked when it still tasted pretty good.

Slightly sour coffee nose, basically what you get when you let coffee sit for a while. If you drink coffee, you know exactly what I mean. Body, however, had a nice clean coffee flavor with some chocolate and a bit of nuttiness in the finish. A little bitterness came through as well and kept the sweetness in check. Glad the sour coffee didn't come through in the body. I'm certainly glad this was still good even after cooking a bit in my old apartment's very hot entry way. Lucky me!

Green Man Schadenfreude

Jo and I took a trip through Asheville last year on our way to Atlanta. It was right before New Years and we thought if we were heading all the way down there, why not make a bit of trip out of it. As a result, I was able to check out a couple beer stores and I bought this Green Man Schadenfreude at one of them. It was actually only made possible because I started talking to one of the employees and he was like, "Buy this, it's good and you'll like." So I grabbed it because why not. I always like trying new berliners especially since I can split them with Jo unlike stouts and barleywines.

Bretty, earthy nose. Very inviting and very promising. Basically a bit funky with a few other things going on. Body, though, was a lot of lemony lactic acid and pretty tart up front with none of those flavors. Luckily, some of the notes promised by the nose came through in the finish cleaning up some of that lemony sourness and balancing things. Just quite delicious and Jo enjoyed it a lot too. Made me wish I had bought another bottle actually. Not sure what else Green Man makes, but seems like their sours are worth a try at least.

Cigar City Jai Alai

I'm actually pretty surprised I've never written about this beer. Jai Alai is Cigar City's flagship IPA and is massively popular in Florida. We used to see a lot of it here in Philly but their popularity down South has grown exponentially so there has been a pretty long drought of Cigar City beer up here. It's a shame since they make good stuff, but maybe we're close to the end of that problem since we're seeing stuff in Philly again.

Lots of orange juice and citrus flavor in the nose with a little sugary sweetness. Body was similar in that it was basically bitter orange juice with a little caramel sweetness in the back. Enjoyable ipa with a slightly thicker than average body. Definitely makes sense why this would be their top seller in this age of hoppy beer. Always a good choice if you are looking for something not too strong that tastes great.

Dogfish Head Northfield Mount Hermon

Okay, this is a pretty random entry but bear with me. Every time we visited Jo's home town, I made it a point to go to a bar named Moe's. At this point, it has been open for over 5 years so I've gotten to know the owner, Josh, pretty well. It helped that Jo's father used to go there a lot, too. The random thing is that Josh went to high school with Sam Calagione, owner of Dogfish Head, and is still pretty good friends with him. As a result, when their 25th high school reunion rolled around, Sam and Dogfish Head brewed a beer specifically for their class. And, since Josh is awesome, he gave me one of his extra bottles when I visited last time. Now it should make sense why I had this and why it was named Northfield Mount Hermon.

Earthy bitter nose with hints of some maple. Body started with a little bitterness up front, some earthy smokiness or something, and finished with more maple sweetness. I'm betting the smoke flavor I got was  a mix of the maple and the hops, but that's the profile I got. Nice beer, solid enough. Must have been fun for the class to have this brewed for them at least.

Allagash Midnight Brett at Kite & Key

Took my customary trip to Kite & Key this past Tuesday and, lo and behold, all but one of the Allagash beers was still available from the previous week's event. Huzzah! There were actually quite a few beers I could have chosen but I ended up going with Midnight Brett, a mix of a beer made with brett and some midnight wheat which must be a slightly roasted version of wheat plus some other stuff.

I didn't really know what to expect from this beer. Sure, there was a description, but it more described the ingredients than anything. The nose was a lot of sour cherry with something behind it that I couldn't quite place. Medium bodied, slightly on the thicker side. Vanilla cherry up front, followed by some berry fruit, and then finished with a little bitterness. As I drank more, I got a little roastiness that blended with the cherry pretty well. The tart fruit was the main flavor throughout. Pretty good beer, glad I gave it a try.

On a separate note, if anyone was thinking about going to the Epic Beer Fest (mentioned at the bottom of this post), I was sent a coupon code of MBL2013 which gets you $10 off a GA ticket until October 20th, max four tickets per purchase. As I said, I'll be at the evening session for a while if you are choosing between the two.

Neshaminy Creek Trauger Pilsner

This is randomly my second post about Neshaminy Creek this week but I didn't plan it that way. Mainly just that when I went to Kite & Key this week, there wasn't much else I haven't had before so I chose this. Trauger Pilsner is, quite obviously, a pilsener.

Notes of bread and sweet fruit in the nose. The body, though, had a light bitterness up front and a dry, biscuit flavor in the finish. Interesting difference between the nose and the body. Solid beer though I'm in no way an expert on pilseners. This tastes good and that's what matters really. So go ahead and order it if you want something in this vein.

Also, don't mind the different spellings of pilsener. I'm guessing one is slightly more German than the other or something. I feel like the extra E makes it read better so I went with that spelling for the style. No idea which is really correct though.

Neshaminy Creek Punkel Dunkel

When I bought the bottle of Saucony Creek Maple's Mistress, I also grabbed Neshaminy Creek's pumpkin beer, Punkel Dunkel. This was a bit more money but probably only because I live in Philly, the most expensive place to buy beer. Best distribution, awful prices. I could complain about prices all day long but it's remarkably uninteresting so I'll drop it. Punkel Dunkel is, as you expect, a dunkel lager base with spices added. Nice to see them try a different base than a plain pale or a stout. Next year they should do a doppelbock mostly because that would be awesome.

That label is awesome. There is something about a pumpkin throwing up that makes me laugh. Cinnamon and caramel nose, very nearly smelled like apple pie. My first thought on taking a sip was a nice balance of brown sugar and apple pie spice. Some earthiness from the pumpkin too but mostly spice. The dunkel itself peaked through at times and was pretty solid. The caramel and breadiness of it added a decent amount of depth to the spice profile. As I drank more, I also got a little bit of raisin for whatever reason as the flavors melded a bit. Quite an enjoyable pumpkin beer, well balanced with a solid base. Seriously, though, guys, doppelbock next year.

Founders Mango Magnifico

I missed my usual Tuesday stop in at the Kite & Key last week because of a really great event at the Bishop's Collar, but I made up for it the following Thursday. Lucky for me, everything from the previous Sunday's Savage Sixtel event was still available. I was psyched about it as it meant I would finally get to try Founders Mango Magnifico, their latest in the backstage series. I'm not sure what the base style of the beer was but it's a mango beer made with habanero peppers.

Sweet mango nose with the fruit overwhelming everything. Thicker than average body. Initially I got tons more of the mango sweetness then immediately after the burn from the habanero started. Each swallow had more and more burn with some fire lingering after each sip. Kind of crazy. Since the mango was strong, it wasn't terribly spicy but man it was pretty noticeable. I honestly didn't believe people when they said it burned but they were right. Crazy beer. Glad I didn't have a full 25oz bottle as 10oz was plenty so that is nice. Fun to try though as it was a unique experience.

Saucony Creek Captain Pumpkin's Maple Mistress

I was at my local store the other day, chatting with the owner, when I saw this bottle on the counter. I'd just been reading about it on BeerAdvocate so decided to grab one. This would be my first pumpkin beer of the season too so that's fun. Maple Mistress is a 9.5% Imperial Pumpkin made with pumpkin, maple syrup, and other spices.

Nose was full of cinnamon, nutmeg, and earthy pumpkin. Thicker mouthfeel, definitely due to the higher than average ABV. The initial wave of flavor is all cinnamon. Just a huge flavor bomb of it. Following that was a decent amount of bitterness, but that quickly faded into the cinnamon for me as I drank more of the glass. I didn't actually get much of the maple though others have claimed to taste it. If you like cinnamon, you'll love this, that's for sure. I'm not sure I liked it as much as, say, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin, but it's a bit different because of the huge amount of cinnamon so that's something.

New Belgium Cascara Quad

New Belgium seems to put out a lot of beers in their Lips of Faith series. We don't get them here in Philly but they are distributed close by so I'll see them sometimes during travels or just see people picking them up when they hit some stores. I'm not quite sure why they brew so many since a ton are absolutely mediocre but maybe it's fun? This bottle was sent to me by my buddy in San Diego. Cascara Quad is a quad, obviously, brewed with dates and aged on coffee cherries (which are not cherries but the, like, coating around a coffee bean).

Okay, yeah, the description didn't fill me with confidence that this is more than a weird mix of odd ingredients, but I like quads so I thought it would at be least okay. Silly me, I guess, as this beer was thoroughly mediocre. Nose was light, mostly chocolate and a bit of booze with maybe a little bit of date. Medium bodied. An odd flavor started things off, sort of like a mediocre quad awash in alcohol. Didn't get any coffee, but I don't know if coffee cherries actually have any flavor so maybe I should have expected that. As I drank more, the alcohol became more and more prevalent with the beer portion just being mediocre and getting overwhelmed. It's a shame as a good quad is awesome, this just isn't one of those. Regardless, it's still fun to try new beers, even if sometimes they are terrible. Still, you shouldn't waste even a few dollars on this, take my word for it.

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

I haven't had much luck with Jolly Pumpkin honestly. Their bombers trend a bit more expensive in Philly and I've never been terribly happy with the dollar to taste ratio after buying them. It's funny, too, because some people absolutely love this brewery. I mean, good for them, I just don't get it. However, I'd read about La Roja and thought it could be their one beer that I actually like and enjoy. Turns out I was correct!

Vinegary nose with a hint of caramel. Right away, I had a good feeling about it. In the body, the vinegar was a bit more muted than the nose, but still the major flavor. Mixed in sharp bite from the oak barrel, vanilla, and then some acetic sourness in the finish. Jo thought the oak was almost bitter in the beginning but got used to it as she worked through her glass. I agreed though I didn't mind as much. Either way, the bitterness faded after a while and it became even more enjoyable. This was worth buying and I was happy to finally give it a try.

Bear Republic Cafe Racer 15 at Kite & Key

A week ago Thursday, Kite & Key did a small tap takeover with a bunch of Bear Republic beers. With the exception of Tartare, all of them were still on tap when I made my weekly visit on Tuesday. At least I'm pretty sure that's true. I did manage to stop in last Friday to get Tartare, though, which is still as awesome as I remember. Some people on BeerAdvocate are arguing with me that it is too sour, but they are just wusses. I chose Cafe Racer 15 for my beer on Tuesday which is a double IPA.

Sugary sweet, melon like nose. Not malty sweet for the most part, more just sugar based. The body had a similar melon sweetness with some light earthy notes in the back. A bit thicker than most IPAs but somehow still a bit dry at least in the beginning. Hops and sweetness was nice through most of the glass, but there was a boozy quality to it that grew a little cloying as I drank more. By the end, the 9%+ ABV wasn't anywhere near as well hidden. Still, depending on what you are looking for in a double IPA, this was decent enough.

FiftyFifty Eclipse Elijah Craig (12 Year)

I've been drinking beers off my basement shelves ever since Pax was born since we haven't been going out as much. That means I've been opening bombers more often and actually working through my collection. Since I've already worked through a lot of the more normal stuff, I've popped some slightly more special beers into the refrigerator and drank them on random weekends. Hence the Mother of All Storms from yesterday and now this was a bottle from late 2011. This beer was FiftyFifty Eclipse Imperial Stout aged in 12 year Elijah Craig barrels.

Caramel, chocolate, and fudge made up the nose. Very inviting aroma. Nice mouthfeel, thick and a little chewy. Body was sweet chocolate and a rich fudge with some vanilla in the background. The bourbon was really well integrated with the stout and didn't overwhelm anything. Pretty delicious offering from them. I'd read that this was commonly one of people's favorite variants and I can see why.

Pelican Mother of All Storms

I'd read about this beer a bit as Pelican has allowed online sales of it over the past few years so I've briefly contemplated trying to obtain some. However, they didn't ship to PA (like mostly everyone else in the US) so I just kind of shrugged and moved on with my life. This year, though, my buddy Matt got a few and offered me one of the bottles to defray some of his costs or just to be nice. No work to try an awesome sounding bourbon barrel barleywine? Uh, sure, I'll do that!

Huge caramel, raisin, and cherry nose with a little bit of saltiness. No idea on where salt came from but I wrote it down so it must have been there. Quite thick which is nice. First sip was awesome, absolutely delicious. Raisins, chocolate, caramel, and a nice sweet finish. A slight bite in the aftertaste kept it from being cloying. No alcohol heat either. Just an amazingly put together beer and everything I want in a bourbon barrel barleywine. So good and glad I got to try this.

4 Hands Reprise Centennial Red Ale

Stopped in at Kite & Key like usual and while there were a couple changes in the beer list from last week, I'd been contemplating ordering the 4Hands Reprise Centennial Red Ale the past few times so I just went ahead and got that this time.

I enjoyed a couple of 4Hands beers during beer week which was why I was interested in trying this. Big sugary citrus nose. No bitterness, just a lot of orange and lemon and a little sweetness. Body was mostly bitter with some citrus in the middle with the sweetness missing. The finish was pretty clean though there was some lingering bitterness. While the citrus from the nose didn't quite come through in the body, still a solid beer. Nothing to go crazy about, but a good choice to order if you see it.

On a separate note, I noticed that Kite & Key was doing a Bear Republic tap takeover on Thursday. Now that I know Tartare is there thanks to PhillyTapFinder I'll definitely be stopping in for a glass of that before I pick up Paxton. Had it once and it was awesome so looking forward to trying it again.

Green Flash Silva Stout

Another gift from my San Diego buddy, this one came as a surprise in the last box. He sent me another of Green Flash's more limited beers, too, but I haven't had a chance to open it yet. It's in the refrigerator at least! Silva Stout is their Double Stout aged in bourbon barrels.

I liked the nose. It had a mix of smooth coffee, vanilla, and a little bourbon. Pretty thick, almost milkshake like. Body was creamy with coffee and vanilla and finished with a little bitterness. This was pretty good though my notes don't go into too much detail unfortunately. Glad I got to try it though since we don't see many (or possibly any) of Green Flash rarities here in Philly.

New Glarus Enigma

This was actually just a random gift from my friend Matt when he was dropping off a different beer for me. I didn't even know what style it was when I opened it, but it turned out to be an Oud Bruin, possibly with cherries.

Since I didn't know what kind of beer this was, the nose was a huge surprise. Sort of sour cherry mixed with some caramel sweetness. The body was very similar with a lot of sour cherry and caramel with a little tartness in the finish. Very soft sweetness meant it wasn't cloying even though the caramel was a strong flavor and it continued that way throughout. My wife liked it quite a bit too. After discovering that it was an Oud Bruin, the flavors make a ton of sense too. This makes me wish I could try more of their sours as the softness made for a solid drinking experience and it was quite good. Unfortunately, the beers are brewery-only releases for the most part and I'm too lazy to try to trade for them. Oh well, still glad Matt gave me this. Thanks Matt!

Goose Island Matilda Lambicus

Things are going pretty well with my weekly visit to Kite & Key. It's back on Tuesday now, too, which means I don't have to go to the gym afterwards. Way easier. This trip I was lucky enough to get one of the leftovers from their Goose Island event last Friday, Matilda Lambicus, a special version of Matilda that seems to undergo secondary fermentation with some brett yeast. Or something like that.

Unfortunately, I don't have a clear recollection of the regular Matilda to do a good comparison so we'll just have to treat this as its own beer. Fruity nose, almost melon like. Not too strong but present. Body was similar with a slight melon flavor up front, some nuttiness from the malt, and then a bit more sweet fruit in the finish. Didn't change much as it warmed up. I didn't feel like I got much from the secondary brett fermentation though maybe the melon like fruit flavor was from it. Totally a fine beer, but didn't really feel the difference like I did between Sofie and Sofie Paradisi.

Avery 20th Anniversary

Just a short post today and it's honestly more of an excuse to post a fun picture than really talk about the beer. This is from a visit to Kite & Key Jo and I took quite a few weeks ago so I don't remember much about the Avery 20th Anniversary Double IPA other than that it was a fine beer. You won't be disappointed ordering it but it definitely didn't blow me away or anything. However, I like this picture and didn't want it to go to waste.

If you expand it, you can see Pax just chilling there on the right, all asleep and comfortable. So, yes, if you're wondering, this is just an excuse to post a picture of my child. Sue me! At least I'm not tweeting pictures of him, all day everyday like some people. Right?

Carton Boat Beer at Kite & Key

I've now made it to Kite & Key two weeks in a row. As I said, having Pax's daycare around the corner is very convenient. Actually, Jo and I stopped in on Sunday too so I've been there a bunch lately. I even ordered the same beer Sunday and Tuesday, Carton Boat Beer, a pale ale coming in just a bit above 4%.

Real clean grapefruit nose, very solid hop aroma. Bitter grapefruit started things off, followed by a little citrusy sweetness, and then clean bitterness in the finish. Very crisp and a real great showcase for whatever hops they use in it. Very minimal flavors from the malt just all hops basically. Honestly, this is what Founders All Day IPA wishes it was. Really solid pale, especially tasty, and low ABV. Great package.

The Bruery Rye Whiskey Smoking Wood

Let's start with how it's always interesting trying to talk about the brewery named The Bruery. I get that it is partially based on the owner's name, Patrick Rue, but really all it does is cause a Laurel and Hardy Who's on First reaction. Maybe that's the point, I don't know, but it does get confusing at times. With that off my chest, Smoking Wood is a smoked imperial porter aged in Rye Whiskey barrels. I think there are some variants of this which is why the specific type of spirit barrel is named.

I split the bottle with a friend of mine and I'm pretty happy I did. Super smoky nose with some whiskey sweetness in the back. First sip was also ridiculously smoky, more campfire like than bacony. Some nice vanilla and light whiskey tones come out following the smoke but they never overcome it. The smoke is a bit overpowering actually. It was a tasty enough 12 ounces but I think it would have been a bit too much if I drank the whole 750. Honestly, you could say that about a lot of The Bruery beers, but that's because they probably expect you to share them. Considering the ABV, it makes sense to share them. In the end, if you like smoke, this is a good one to try though it's a bit pricey just so you all know.

The Return to Kite & Key with Founders Rubaeus

With Pax in daycare now, my days have smoothed out a bit and my schedule is a bit more like it used to be, at least until the evening. This means the triumphant return of Kite & Key Tuesdays! It works out really well that his daycare is right around the corner from there. For this week's beer, I went with Founders Rubaeus, a raspberry beer that replaced Cerise this year.

Jo and I have had bottles of this, but draft was actually a bit different. Sweet, jammy raspberry nose, lots of sweetness. Body followed with very sweet raspberries and sugar with not much else. If you like jam and sweeter beers, this would be right up your alley. I thought the bottles were a little more complex possibly because they had a bit more carbonation than the draft. Beers like this can be divisive given the sweetness, but I liked it.

Pretty Old Bell's Expedition Stout

I had this bottle of Bell's Expedition in my beer fridge for quite a while but kept looking at it and thinking it wasn't time yet. However, I've been working through my cellar quite a bit since Pax was born so I decided it was finally ready to be opened. I mean, why not open it on a random week day? Ya know? This bottle was from batch 9512, before they started using real dates on the bottle, but was told that it was brewed around December 18th, 2009. So pretty old at this point for a random stout.

Big earthiness from the aged hops, some roasty sweetness, and a little soy sauce and saltiness in the back. Body was sugary caramel, some more earthy bitterness, and then again soy sauce in the finish. Even after 3 and a half years, still bitter but that was all the contribution from the hops and it was probably toned down a bit from a fresh bottle. Apparently, the soy sauce flavor is common in older stouts. I thought it was a compound put off by the roasted malt used in their brewing, but two minutes of research found nothing so I may be making that up. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can chime in on this point. Regardless, this was tasty and that's what matters especially since I really love soy sauce.

Some Tired Hands Catch Up

I've been remiss again at making posts more often but I at least warned everyone I'm a slacker. Today, we'll do a little Tired Hands catch up on some of their bottles. While I do have some tasting notes, I think I'm going to skip the overly long stuff and mostly just post some nice pictures. Seems easier.

To start we have Handfarm, a wine barrel fermented saison.

Schlafly 2007 Oak Aged Barleywine

I picked up this bottle a couple years ago (possibly 2011?) when I was in St. Louis for a cousin's wedding. I saw this and a bottle of 2008 barrel aged Imperial Stout and thought to myself, how can I pass this up? Even more so since I'm pretty sure they were like $10 or something crazy. The stout I drank a couple years ago over Thanksgiving but this bottle has been sitting around getting lonely and older for a few more years now. When I realized it was nearly pushing 6 years old, I figured it was time to open it.

I'll be the first to admit that I expected an oxidized, cardboard-like mess. However, shockingly, it held up remarkably well! Sweet caramel, apples, and a hint of vanilla and cherry in the nose. Poured pretty thick though the mouthfeel was thinner feeling. Body followed with caramel, vanilla, and a sugary sweetness in the finish. No real signs of oxidation except maybe the cherry in the nose. The age was probably the cause for the thinner mouthfeel, but it wasn't a big deal. Pretty impressive. I should search out a fresh bottle at some point just to try it out but I don't know if they are available in NJ. Guess I'll just have to stumble across one at some point.

Kevin Mudrick's Tomato Lambic

Yes, you read that title right, a beer made with tomatoes. At this point, though, this sour is a couple years old so the fruit (or vegetable?) would have faded quite a bit. Not sure how old exactly, but I'm sure Kevin will chime in when I post this to twitter. He's very helpful like that. I'm not really sure on the base style of this either other than calling it an American Wild Ale even though he called it a lambic. I don't think he blended different years together as a homebrewer though. Maybe I'm wrong! Regardless, I've been super intrigued to try this ever since he gave it to me so I finally opened it the other night.

I thought it had a light vinegar nose with a hint of acidity while my wife thought it was super strong. Her nose is more sensitive than mine so it probably was stronger than I'm saying. Body followed the nose with a ton of vinegar and a bit of a bite in the finish. Unfortunately, there really wasn't any hint of tomato except maybe the slight acidity most likely as result of the age. Not sure if it was stronger fresh. It was also super flat and Kevin said that is why he prefers kegging his sours since you are carbing them on the spot. Honestly, it almost reminded me of a barrel sample which was kind of fun. Anyway, for a homebrew, it was pretty cool and a really neat idea. One note, but a delicious note for someone who likes acetic sours. Side comment, if you want to try a beer made with tomatoes after reading this, it seems that Tired Hands just brewed an heirloom tomato berliner weiss so that should be available soon.

On the actual blog front, I'm clearly not keeping up with it right now. I'm hoping things will settle back into routine once Pax goes into daycare but we'll see. In the mean time, bear with me and my sporadic posting and hopefully I can get things back on track in the future.

Peekskill Brewery

I recently discovered that the Peekskill Brewery was kind of, sort of, on the way up to my wife's home town in western Massachusetts. When I say on the way up, I mean it was less than a 30 minute detour out of the way and didn't require crossing the George Washington Bridge. After a slightly disastrous detour to go to DeCicco's a couple years ago where we ended up slightly lost in NYC, my wife has some issues with me suggesting random stops. However, the map directions seemed pretty straightforward so she agreed. Plus, Pax's cousin Linnea had been to a brewery at a little over 5 weeks old, so he really knew he had to get to one when he was younger. It just wouldn't have been respectable if she went to one at an earlier age than him.

After a slightly harrowing drive on streets winding around a mountain, we ended up in the town of Peekskill and then the brewery. It's not terribly obvious that you've arrived but eventually you'll notice the writing on the side of the building like we did. The actual entrance to the building is actually past the first parking lot which we didn't realize. I'm guessing the main parking lot gets full but for lunch on a Saturday it wasn't so bad. But, we parked in the first lot and just walked around to the front, it wasn't like it was far.

Hangar 24 Hammerhead

Hammerhead is yet another beer sent to me by my very generous San Diego buddy. I'm always up for trying new bourbon barrel stuff so it's great when he sends me things like this. The base is a huge barleywine, coming in at 14%. Don't mind the fact that I drank all of it by myself because my wife can't handle things like this. She's a wuss, I know.

This is actually the first beer purely from Hangar 24 I've had. Sure, I had the Ichigo Highway, but that was a collab with The Bruery. Spicy alcohol nose with oak, caramel, and vanilla. You know you're getting bourbon and some heat from this right from the start. The body was on the thicker side but not syrupy which was good. Flavors were a mix of caramel, cherry, vanilla, and very rich bourbon followed by a decent amount of heat. Not unpleasantly alcoholic, but totally ever present. Eric described it as "boozy but tasty" which I feel describes it really well. I managed to drink the whole thing by myself without help so take that as a positive recommendation.

Haven't gone away yet

Disregarding my anemic post count for June, I'm still interested in writing this blog. It's been a lot of fun over the years and I've met a ton of people because of it. With Pax being here, though, it's been a tough transition in the morning from having around an hour to do stuff to having like fifteen minutes and being tired while doing it. I'm still going to try to post stuff but things will almost definitely still be random and lackluster until he goes to day care in August and Jo goes back to work. We'll see, though, maybe I'll finally get a schedule together and it will get better. Pigs may fly, too, you never know.

In the mean time, here's a couple pictures from the class I took at Tria over Philly Beer Week with Tomme Arthur of Lost Abbey.

That's all the beers we got to try during the class. The two on the left were full, blended sours and were Duck Duck Gooze and Cable Car, left to right. Amazing beers with Cable Car being the better of the two to me. The former is being re-released later this year but Cable Car is basically only available on site at Toronado in San Francisco or San Diego so it's hard to get to say the least. I'm definitely interested in trying it again though and will try to get a bottle when I'm in San Francisco again. The others on the mat are barrel samples which were totally still, aka, uncarbonated. Amazing to get to try the different barrel flavors before they were blended. Some were almost undrinkable which shows how much of an effect blending has on turning out something good. Just a neat experience that you get very rarely.

Finally a Philly Beer Week Recap: Day 1 at Alla Spina

Yeah so Philly Beer Week was like two weeks ago at this point and I haven't written a word. Part of that was I didn't go to that many events but really I just haven't quite had the time. I wonder how long I can milk having a child as the reason I don't write. I'm thinking, like, a few months. Sounds reasonable, right? What do you all think?

But, yeah, whatever, I'm finally writing something today at least. The first night we were all going to go to Alla Spina and sit outside and it would have been super fun. Unfortunately, it was nearly 95 degrees and we decided having a two week old out in that heat probably wasn't a good idea. Don't bring your kid to the bar on a super hot day is probably parenting 101. So, instead I went by myself and bothered the bartender and Steve Wildy, the manager of Alla Spina and beverage guy (he probably has a far fancier title but this describes it just fine) for the Vetri group. Steve's the super skinny guy that's at Alla Spina a lot so say hi if you see him. Here's a picture of the taps and also Steve's back.

He's the one not in Alla Spina blue in the middle.

Cascade Sang Noir

I picked this bottle up when my wife was pregnant with the express purpose of waiting for her to be able to drink it. Well, Pax is here, she can finally enjoy beer again, and so we opened the Sang Noir this weekend. This is a complex sour, aged in two types of barrels and then with bing cherries added to it. Or something close to that.

Lots of vanilla creaminess and a decent amount of sour cherry in the nose. Draws you in for sure. Thick body, low carbonation too. First sip is a bit of a punch in the mouth. Hugely acetic and then a large amount of sour cherry in the finish. Even with the crazy start, I felt like it ended remarkably smooth. As I drank more, the cherry presence was much stronger as well. Solidly powerful sour, probably not one for novices, but fun for those that like a bit of brashness in their wilds.

The Bruery and Hangar 24 Ichigo Highway

Phew, what a week. I thought I was getting back into things last week and then I barely had any time in the morning during this one. But Pax is asleep on me at the moment so lets get something written. Ichigo Highway is a sour aged with strawberries brought to you by the good people from The Bruery and Hangar 24. If you've never heard of the latter, no real surprise as they are a smallish brewery outside San Diego (or that's where I think they are. They could be outside LA too. Somewhere in California at least). I only have this because of my generous friend that lives near there.

I'd actually heard positive and negative things about Ichigo Highway so didn't know what to expect. Honestly, though, I quite enjoyed it. Fruity, candy like nose with quite a bit of strawberry. I was a bit worried as Bottleworks XII was brewed with strawberries and had a big, sulfur like nose but this one didn't have any of those notes. Some funk and a lot of acid also showed up though. Body was crazy sour with a big helping of lactic and acetic acid. Since acetic acid presents as vinegar, it could have easily been the accented by the strawberries. At times, some slightly odd notes showed up but they disappeared quickly as well so whatever. Maybe someone more sensitive would be bothered by those flavors hence the bad reviews. Quite happy to try this and nice to see a fruit different than cherry and raspberry being used.

Drie Fonteinen Herfst

Besides being hard to pronounce, the Drie Fonteinen Herfst is one geuze out of a set of four. Armand, the owner and blender and mostly everything else at Drie Fonteinen, created one geuze named for each season. Each was priced quite a bit higher than the normal geuze because I believe he was using this set to fund creating a new brewery. Regardless, they were all fancy blends using the best barrels according to him and people seemed to really, really like them. Jo and I picked up two of the four when we visited Belgium last year and boy am I glad I did.

For those that don't know, official, proper geuze is a blend of one, two, and three year old lambics. Some breweries cheat that definition but definitely not Drie Fonteinen. Musty, oaky nose with a little hint of vanilla. Body was tart and a little bitter with a nice sour finish. Pretty dry, but not empty as there was a little sweetness.

While my recollection of their normal geuze could be off since it has been a while, I felt like this one was a little more bitter. More like Cantillon in that respect. Still, this was delicious and pretty awesome and totally worth the cost of entry. I mean, we only paid 24 euros so like $32. Considering their normal geuze is around $20 in the states, pretty worth it. Just a delicious, delicious beer. Jo really liked it too.

Still Here!

This is going to be a short one just to say I'm still here. I used to do all my writing in the morning, but now Pax is here and is taking up all that time. It's going to be a little longer before I figure things out I think. On the beer front, we opened one of our bottles of the Drie Fonteinen seasons (a geuze named after autumn) which was amazing and I've attended a couple beer week events. Definitely a very different year but, well, we have a two week old now.

Not sure what will happen the rest of beer week but Jo, Pax and I went to Kite & Key for lunch today which was fun. Still possibly attending the Dark Horse event at Cambridge, but I'm not sure that will fly. We'll see. Otherwise, maybe Bell's at Kite & Key tomorrow and that's probably about it. Sunday, I'll be at Tired Hands for maybe an hour to pick up some bottles and try Only Void. And that ends Philly Beer Week really. Next year I'll make up for it!

So yeah, that's the state of things. I hope to get back to at least 3 posts a week but I haven't even been drinking as much with Pax around so we'll see.

Philly Beer Week

With the arrival of our baby Paxton last Wednesday, this Philly Beer Week won't be like the others, but I'm going to be able to go to a few events. Quite possibly, I'll still go to more events than normal people but I went to a ton last year so it'll be different for me. Plus, we can't bring a one and a half week old to restaurants so it limits Jo's involvement regardless.

Right now, we've only discussed this coming weekend and Monday so not sure what I'm doing next week yet. It seems like we'll try to hit up Kite & Key midday since they are starting their events early and have an outdoors area but we'll see how things are going. For this weekend I'm going to be at:

• Alla Spina on Friday for Four Hands
• Perch Pub on Saturday for Goose Island
• Tria at 6:30 on Monday for the Lost Abbey event

That's it for now. Possibilities are Funky Buddha at Devil's Den on Tuesday, Dark Horse at the Cambridge on Thursday, and maybe Bell's on Friday at Strangelove's. We'll see.

So, if you care where I'm going to be next week, this is the post for you. Otherwise, well, you read it all anyway so joke's on you.

Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Hop

I've been slacking in my updates lately which I'm not terribly happy about but at least I can blame it on our unborn son. Never too early to start blaming things on your children, right? Also, unlike last week when I lied about it being my last post for a bit, this really will be my last one until at least after Memorial Day. So, for my last one, I'll talk about Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Hop. I think to reference this beer you really need to use the whole brewery name just so you don't say Prairie Prairie Hop. Just doesn't sound right to me. Also, I've discovered the word prairie is very difficult to type, who knew.

I'd been hearing a bit about this brewery and was excited to try this. Powerful, bright nose. Straight orange citrus with a hint of saison spiciness. Very yum. On the first sip my reaction was that it tasted very nearly like orange juice. My wife thought it was super bitter so results may vary. Things continued with a strong mix of orange sweetness and a little bitterness in the finish to clean things up. Incredibly solid and delicious and I look forward to trying more from them.

Since this is my last post for this week, I'll mention Philly Beer Week. It starts next Friday which is quite exciting. Unfortunately (well really fortunately as I'm excited to have a kid and all but you know) I won't be able to attend anywhere near the number of events I usually do. No big, but it means picking some good ones. The Beer Garden is always fun so you should check that out if you have more time than me. Cigar City events should be cool, Dark Horse is always a good choice and it's at the Cambridge this year, and there are a bunch of Goose Island events that should be great. I'll try to post my schedule next week but we'll see how things work out. Looking forward to seeing everyone at least once!

Chocolate Covered Candied Malt

Okay so when I said I'd be out of commission for a week I totally lied. Turns out our boy is really uninterested in cooperating and so Jo's still pregnant. Crazy. Instead of a break, I'll finally talk about the really amazing chocolate covered candied malt that I made for my birthday a couple weeks ago. I originally got this idea from the Brewer's Plate as The Bent Spoon, an ice cream place in Princeton, brought some malt ice cream with this stuff mixed into it. When I was thinking about what to do for my birthday, I decided to remake that except with a white chocolate ice cream base which meant making the chocolate covered malt. The Bent Spoon people were nice enough to respond to a twitter question and suggested some types of malts to use. They also said tuiihat they candied it before covering it in chocolate which I would never have done otherwise so double bonus.

To start, obviously you'll need to buy ingredients. If you aren't a homebrewer, first you'll go to a homebrew store and buy one pound bags of malt. I bought two bags but 2 lbs is quite a bit more than you probably want. Just use your judgment, it's not like they are expensive at $2.50 or whatever a bag. As far as the type of malt, the flavors were muted a bit in the final product so go with one that tastes reasonably good raw but that's about all that matters.

Manzanita Brewing Serenity

I don't know where Manzanita brewing is located other than California nor had I ever heard of it before getting this bottle. But, my San Diego buddy sent me this and I finally opened it this weekend. He rightfully mocked me since he sent it like 2 years ago and it took me this long to open it. I drink things slowly, what do you want. Serenity is a barrel aged barleywine.

Sweet, caramel nose, hints of vanilla, bourbon, and a little alcohol. Basically what you'd expect from the style. Body followed with more caramel, vanilla, and bourbon, but did finish with a decent amount of harsh alcohol. Like usual, the alcohol did fade quite a bit as my palate adjusted but it was still pretty present. Good up front and, if the alcohol was a bit more under control, this would be above average. As it stands, if you don't mind alcohol burn, then this is worth a try if you see it but for others it's probably a pass.

Update: Forgot to mention, I'm going to be MIA until at least next Wednesday. Possibly longer, but I don't know what my time will be like coming up since we're having our baby any day now so things may be sporadic longer than that. We'll see. Definitely nothing before Wednesday though.

First trip to Forest & Main

For my birthday last week, my very pregnant wife suggested we check out Forest & Main, a new brewpub that opened up in Ambler last year. I've been wanting to get out there forever as I've heard great things about it, but it's just a bit further than Tired Hands and not so conveniently on the way home from my wife's work. Since she's awesome or possibly crazy from the pregnancy, she drove us there even when she couldn't enjoy it. And, again, let me stress that she suggested it. This was not my idea but I was not about to turn her down.

When we got there, they had six beers available with the choice of getting a flight of four so that's what I did.

Always Going to Tired Hands but Never Often Enough

With all the happenings in my life, I don't get to Tired Hands as often as I'd like. Honestly, I'd love to go once a week which will never happen but still, I can wish. This time I planned the visit partially since it was the week of my birthday plus I had a bottle I needed to pick up and it was overstaying its welcome in their cellar.

When I got there I started with Wisdom Teeth, the fourth in their solera series.

Mellody Brewing Ryeghteous Brown Ale

Another in Sean Mellody's Tasting Jawn is his Ryeghteous Brown Ale. The style is what you'd expect (mostly) in that it's a brown ale brewed with rye along with some smoked malt (update: no smoked malt). I'll note that if Sean is interested in making this one of his flagship beers, he's going to need to change the name. Sixpoint has already sent a cease & desist letter to one brewery so they definitely won't let this stand.

Smelled of toasted nuts and roast. Not much from the rye or the smoked malt but the smokiness may have blended into the roast. Body followed with more roast and more toasted nuttiness with a bit of cherry fruitiness in the finish. The roast was aggressive but not too aggressive. If you've ever had Cigar City's Maduro Brown Ale, it's pretty similar to that. My wife is a big fan of brown ales and liked this which is a good sign. Very pretty beer too, nice clarity. It doesn't really affect the flavor but it's still nice.

Of the three beers he gave us this time, I am your Patersbier, Sour Cherry Patersbier, and Ryeghteous Brown, I liked this one the most. Not terribly surprising, though, since this is the closest to my preferred styles but still.

Mellody Brewing I Am Your Patersbier

Another beer in Sean Mellody's Tastingjawn is 'I am your Patersbier'. This is a representation of an Abbey table beer so lighter in ABV and body. Also, the name automatically makes me think of Star Wars, don't know about you.

Kind of a grassy, fruity, toasted malt nose. The fruitiness is the most obvious note but the malt in the back comes through as well. Similar flavors followed in the body with a fruity, berry like flavor being first and foremost followed by a bit of yeastiness and some sweetness. Considering this was brewed as an easy drinking dinner beer, it hits its mark for sure. Not really something I'd grab a lot of since I lean towards heavier things, but it was nice being able to try it twice.

Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break

I'd been hearing a lot about this one on the interwebs and finally decided to pick up a bottle when Jo and I were in Raleigh for a wedding. It wasn't cheap but it was way cheaper than buying it here in Philly at least. But, really, that goes without saying if you've ever bought something in the area. Imperial Biscotti Break is an imperial stout brewed with coffee and some other ingredients that I can't remember. I'm so helpful I know.

Sweet molasses and brown sugar nose with some coffee in the back. Body was similar with coffee in the front mixed with molasses and a light roasty bitterness being added. Finished with some warming, but not overpowering, notes of alcohol. If you're sensitive to that flavor, you might pick it up more than I did so keep that in mind. It is a strong beer so not real suprising. Just be aware it's a bit sweet so if that's your kind of thing in a stout, this is totally for you and I would definitely recommend checking it out.

The Bruery Humulus Lager

Stopped in at Kite & Key this week and decided on a beer from The Bruery that I've seen a couple times but never ordered. I actually was deciding between the Bullfrog Edgar IPA and the Humulus Lager, but decided I liked the latter better after having a small sample of both. Also, note that The Bruery calls this a lager, more specifically a pilsener, but really it's much closer to an IPA if you are looking for a style comparison. At least in my opinion.

Nice tropical nose, a little fruity and a little citrusy. Up front, there was a burst of berry fruit which was followed by some bitterness from the hops. More berry fruitiness came out to finish things off. Pretty good beer regardless of the style. The Bruery once said they'd never brew an IPA and they are still technically correct. And you know how the saying goes, technically correct is the best kind of correct.

Stone Saison du Buff aged in Red Wine Barrels

This was sent to me forever ago by my buddy in San Diego and was a great surprise just for its uniqueness. I've never actually had the original Saison du Buff, which is kind of funny or dumb depending on who you ask considering the distribution but whatever. So this is obviously a saison aged in red wine barrels and this version was brewed by Stone. (There were versions brewed by Stone, Victory, and Dogfish Head which is why I'm specifying the brewery like that.)

Big herbal nose with a little fruitiness in the back. The barrel is really minimal there. First sip was again sharply herbal with a bit of bitterness and then some light apple and cherry fruit flavors. The latter are almost definitely from the aging and the former flavors from the base. I wonder if the saison part was brighter or even more herbal when fresh, but since I've never had it, I dunno. Still, it was tasty enough though I wish the red wine barrel had imparted a bit more flavor. Thanks Eric!