Archive
Events for Week of December 27, 2010
Stop by the Library Ale House this week! Happy 2011!
The New Year quickly descends upon us. What will you be drinking to ring in 2011?
After a trip to Ohio full of endless Great Lakes Christmas Ale, we arrive back in Seattle. But now for your week in beer.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Meet the Bruery Fundraiser: Santa Monica, California
6:00PM-9:00PM @ the Library Ale House
The Bruery is one of the newer, yet highly acclaimed breweries in Southern California. Tonight, they will be tapping kegs of 3 French Hens and Rugbrød. Rare bottles of Workman’s Friend Imperial Porter will also be available. A flight of all three will be available for purchase. In addition small bites for pairing will be provided:
- Workman’s Friend with Turkey Meatloaf
- Rugbrod with Jerk Chicken
- 3 French Hens with Bread Pudding
Fellow SoCal brewery Port Brewing will have Santa’s Little Helper for your enjoyment.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Pint Night with Breckenridge Brewery: Exton, Pennsylvania
6:00PM-11:00PM @ The Drafting Room Taproom and Grille
Pint Night at The Drafting Room Taproom & Grille
featuring Breckenridge BreweryJoin us on Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at 6:00
On Tap from Breckenridge:
Christmas Ale (Winter Warmer)
Lucky U IPA (American IPA)
Avalanche (American Amber)
471 IPA (Imperial IPA)
Vanilla Porter
Regal Pilsner (Imperial Pilsner)
Oatmeal StoutHope to see you there
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Founders and Friends Benefit and Tasting: Columbus, Ohio
7:00PM-11:00PM @ Bob’s Bar
All things good in the Midwest (and more) will be available on tap tonight!
1) Founders Brewing – Backwoods Bastard Tapping
2) Columbus Brewing – 12 Hops of XMas (Firkin)
3) Fatheads – Headhunter IPA (1st columbus tapping) –> THIS BEER IS SO GOOD!!!
4) Stone Brewing – First tapping of their collaboration with Fatheads (brewed during Cleveland Beer Week)
5) Sierra Nevada – Celebration and 30th Anniv.
6) North Coast – TBA
7) Troegs – Mad Elf and perhaps a little surprise from the brewery
Friday, December 31, 2010
New Beer’s Eve: Chicago, Illinois
4:00PM-12:00AM @ Fountainhead
Ok this event is only $30.00 per person and the beers on tap and the food look amazing- this might be the best New Year’s Eve deal in the country.
On Draft,
New Belgium/Allagash – Vrienden
Left Hand – Fade To Black
Bierbrouwerij Emelisse – Triple IPA
Two Brothers – Bare Tree Weiss Wine
Dogfish Head – Bitches Brew
Bear Republic – Apex Imperial IPA
Mikkeller – Rauch Geek Breakfast Stout
Anderson Valley – Imperial Boont Amber
Half Acre – Big HuggsOn Cask,
Bells Two Hearted
Three Floyds Alpha KingNew Beer’s Eve Pre-Fix Dinner:
1st Course:
Choice of:
Beer Cheese Soup, Spicy Beer Cheese Soup with Potatoes, Lime Cream, Bacon, Grilled Rye & Sourdough
or
Crispy Salad, Spiced Walnuts & Diced Apple with Goat Cheese over Mixed Greens & Cherry Vinaigrette
2nd Course
Choice of:
Pot Roast, Rioja Demi and Root Vegetables over Parsnip Puree
or
Bourbon Maple Glazed Salmon with Root Vegetable Succotash and Celery Root Salad
3rd Course
Generous slice of Belgian Chocolate Bread Pudding with Caramel and Candied Pecans
Each course paired with a beer by our Beer Director
Pre-Fix Dinner by reservation only, 4-8 pm, $30 per Person
Please email by Wed. Dec. 29th with Preferred Time, Number of People, & Course Choices to: phil@fountainheadchicago.com
New Beer’s Eve Small Plates, 8-11pm
Saturday, January 1, 2011
20 Stouts on Tap: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
12:00PM-12:00AM @ Monk’s Cafe
Yep, we’re doing it again. Every line will have a stout running though the spout. As always, we’ll have some recognizable stouts and a few keg that most of you have not tasted before. Come in out of the cold and warm up with some hearty food and robust stouts.
Cash Bar, starts around noon.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
All of the events I can find today are not worth going to. Sit at home with some friends and break open something from the cellar.
Cheers!
Monday, January 3, 2010
Diners, Drive-In and Dives Party: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10:00PM-11:00PM @ Memphis Taproom
The Memphis Taproom will be featured on the Food Network’s show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Tonight, celebrate with PENNY DRAFT BEERS for one half hour! During commercials only — when the show’s on, you will have all eyes on the TV!
If you want me to post about an event, want to talk about an event you went to or just want to talk about beer, email me at jess@beerblotter.com or leave a comment!! Cheers!
A Quick GABF Review: Washington Shows Up, Pizza Port Destroys.
The results are in. Washington takes 7 medals.
Well, the results are in. GABF 2010 is officially over and the results have been tabulated. Thanks, Pizza Port, for not taking all of the medals.
While Washington put up a reasonable fight, the show was stolen by several Southern California brewers, who swallowed up all of the best brewpub awards this year at the GABF.
Here is what we see.
Washington shows up.
Washington appears to have turned in a respectable finish, earning a total of 7 medals (well, if you count Pyramid). Out of the total 237 Medals, Washington will take 1/34th of the medals. But, in a year where the event seems to have been dominated by San Diego brewers, its an ok finish.
Washington award winners include the following:
Hales Ales – Kolsch Ale – Gold Medal
Chuckanut Brewing – Vienna Lager – Gold Medal
RAM Tacoma – Total Disorder Porter – Gold Medal
Elysian Brewing – Dark O The Moon – Silver Medal
Pyramid Brewing – Apricot Ale – Silver Medal
Boundary Bay Imperial Oatmeal Stout – Bronze Medal
Chuckanut Brewing – Pilsner – Bronze Medal
San Diego is on fire.
This was the year for So. Cal. San Diego brewers, Port Brewing/Lost Abbey/Pizza Port, Ballast Point, Karl Strauss and Stone Brewing, took home a total of 14 medals. Los Angeles brewpub, TAPS, took home three medals, as well.
Pizza Port Carlsbad is the big winner with a total of 6 medals (almost matching Washington state). The brewpub is one of several brewpub locations for the retail line of Port Brewing/Lost Abbey. The Carlsbad location is headed by brewer Jeff Bagby, who took home the Best Large Brewpub of the Year, for the second straight year.
Pizza Port’s San Clemente pub took home the Small Brewpub of the Year, while also collecting the Gold Medals in the two most hotly-contested categories – American-Style IPA and Imperial IPA. We cannot wait to get a taste of these ales during San Diego Beer Week.
One other note: Fathead’s Brewery took home the Silver Medal in the American-Style IPA category. This is the same IPA that floored us during a recent trip to the Cleveland brewer’s pub. Try to get this if you ever visit.
Check out the complete list of winners by following this link. Start planning your trip for next year’s September event!
Beer Blotter’s Guide to WA Brewers Fest 2010
A major highlight at this year's WA Brewers Fest
This coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday is the WA Brewers Fest. You should go. Support our great state’s breweries, both new and old.
Very few states in this great US of A have so many exciting breweries. Unless you are some sort of professional brewery visitor and all you do from Monday through Friday is travel from brewery to brewery, trying everything available, there is no way you have tried all of the beers available at this fest. Get out, educate yourself, have fun, challenge your palate, and be responsible.
The following is the complete list of beers available for taste throughout the weekend. Well, I guess they won’t all be available throughout the weekend, some are Friday only (indicated with **). I’ve chosen to steer clear of these, for the most part, for several reasons. The biggest reason being that most of these beers have rarely been seen before, if at all, and thus I have very little information about them. If they sound good, and most do, and you are able to get a pour, sip it down and let us know what you think.
Of the remainder, I’ve highlighted the ones that I feel are most worth checking out. If you know about something special that I glossed over, please feel free to contact us.
Washington
192 Brewing*- Kenmore, WA
Granny’s Apple Ale (Fruit Ale)
Shticky Blonde (Blonde Ale)
Bier de Garde (Farmhouse Ale) - Timperial Stout loves saisons and is in a constant search for the world’s fairest. A recent visit to The Dray allowed for our taste buds to experience the exquisite nature of Double Mountain Bonne Idee. FL’s St. Somewhere probably makes one that’s even better. How will this new brewery’s offering compare?
Shed Light (Light Ale)
Vanilla Stout** (Stout)
7 Seas Brewing*- Gig Harbor, WA
British Pale Ale (British Pale Ale)
Rude Parrot IPA (Spring/Summer Seasonal IPA)
Ballz Deep Double IPA (Double IPA)
Airways Brewing- Kent, WA
First Class IPA (IPA)
Jet City ESB (ESB)
Triple Chocolate Stout (Stout) – Airways keeps eluding me. The name of this brew alone makes my mouth water. A must try for me.
Alpine Brewing- Oroville, WA
Alpine Pilsner (Pilsner)
Alpine HefeWeizen (HefeWeizen)- Alpine and Chuckanut are always battling it out for German style superiority. A hefe is one of the very best styles for outdoor summer drinking.
Anacortes Brewery*- Anacortes, WA
Belgian Dubbel (Belgian Dubbel)
Mai Oh Maibock (Maibock)
IPA (IPA)
Hefeweizen (Hefeweizen)
Cask IPA** (Cask IPA)
Baron Brewing/Three Skulls Ales*- Seattle, WA
Three Skulls Blood Orange Wit (Witbier)
Three Skulls Amber (American Amber Ale)
Baron Pilsner (German Pilsner)
Baron Schwarzbier (Schwarzbier)
Hop the Plank IPA (IPA)
Big Al Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Summer Lager (Helles)
Big Al Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Belgian Tripel (Tripel)
Brougham Bitter (ESB)
5 Star Chile IPA** (Chile IPA)
Big Time Brewery- Seattle, WA
Wheat beer (American Wheat)
Trombipulator (Belgian Tripel) - In case you didn’t know, bb.com has a strong affinity for Belgian ales. Big Time is quite possibly Seattle’s best brewery, but it often slips under the radar with its U-District hideout and lack of bottle distribution. I’ll take a little slice of Europe in the Emerald City any chance I get.
Ave Rat Malt Liquor (Malt Liquor)
Black Raven Brewing*- Redmond, WA – Ummm… I’d say it’s pretty safe to say that Black Raven isn’t messing around. Every one of these is worth a try. Wisdom Seeker is WA’s greatest effort to date for world hop supremacy. Not to be missed. Coco Jones won gold at the most recent World Beer Cup for “Herb and Spice Beer”. A true rarity.
Wisdom Seeker (Double IPA)
Malt & Vine 3rd Anniversary (Sour Mash Rye)
Jerked Brown Porter (Herb & Spiced Ale)
Splinters (Bourbon Barrel Aged Scotch)
Coco Jones** (Coconut Brown Porter)
Boundary Bay Brewery- Bellingham, WA
German Tradition Single Hop Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
IPA (IPA)
Peach Blonde Ale (Blonde Ale)
Dunkles Bock (Dopple Bock) – Silver medal winner at this year’s World Beer Cup. Drink some suds from the nation’s largest brewpub.
Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen- Bellingham, WA
Kolsch (German Ale)
Pilsner (German Pilsner) - It is extremely rare that I recommend a lager of any kind, especially a pilsner, but chances are good that you will find no better brew in the style than that of Chuckanut.
Diamond Knot Brewing*- Mukilteo, WA
Industrial IPA (Imperial IPA)
Scottish Ale (Scottish Ale)
Whip Ale (American Pale Ale) – This is Michael “Whip” Wilton of Queensryche’s beer. Lazy Boy Brewing made it first, now it’s DK’s turn. Let’s see if it has been improved.
Mystery Cask (changes daily)
Elliott Bay Brewing- Seattle & Burien, WA
Demolition Ale (Strong Pale Ale)
Wit von Boorian (Belgian Wheat Beer)
Elysian Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Loser Pale (Pale Ale)
Avatar Jasmine IPA (IPA)
Mens Room Original Red
Valhalla
Fish Brewing*- Olympia, WA
Fish Tale Organic IPA (IPA)
Fish Tale Organic Blonde Ale (Blonde)
Leavenworth Whistling Pig Hefeweizen (Alpine Style Hefeweizen)
Spire Mountain Pear Cider (Pear Cider)
Starfish Imperial Red Ale** (Imperial Red Ale)
Flyers Restaurant & Brewery*- Oak Harbor, WA
Pacemaker Porter (Robust Porter) - I’ve never had this one before, but a very reputable source once told me that this is the best porter in WA.
Afterburner IPA (Northwest IPA)
Humbles Blonde Ale (Blonde Ale)
Barnstormer Brown Ale (English Dark Mild)
Afterburner Mach II IPA** (IPA)
Foggy Noggin Brewing*- Bothell, WA
Bit O’ Beaver (English Bitter)
Christmas Duck (Porter) - Here is a good chance to check out one of our newest breweries. At the very least, these guys seem to know how to name a beer. I’m simultaneously hungry and thirsty right now.
Kastrated Dawg** (Strong Ale)
Fremont Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Universale Pale (Pale Ale)
Interurban IPA (IPA)
Solstice (Summer Ale)
Mystere de l’ete (Mystery beer) – We really like Fremont Brewing. Whatever this ends up being, it should be tasty.
Scary Monster Double IPA** (Ridiculous IPA)
Gallagher’s Where U Brew- Edmonds, WA
Magnum PI…A (IPA)
Citra Blond (Blond Ale)
Eric the Red (Red IPA)
Georgetown Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Manny’s Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Lucille (IPA) – Those of you who read our work with any regularity know that we have done some gushing about this one. Timperial has yet to try it. It will be sampled.
Roger’s Pilsner (Pilsner)
Cask Porter** (Porter)
Hale’s Ales Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Supergoose (IPA) – Chances are good that you have had this one before. Its presence on the market is very strong. If by chance you haven’t, please do yourself a favor. This beer is really good.
IX Gold on Sour Cherries (Belgian Strong Golden)
Kolsch (Kolsch)
SBW (Double IPA)
Saizon** (Saison) – Another saison for us to try. Let’s see how a Fremont brewery interprets the farmhouse style.
Harmon Brewing*- Tacoma, WA
Pt. Defiance IPA (American IPA)
Scott’s Puget Creek Vanilla Porter (Flavored Brown Porter)
Rajah’s Royal IPA** (IPA)
Hood Canal Brewery*- Kingston, WA
Dabob Bay (IPA)
Big Beef (Oatmeal Stout)
Iron Horse Brewery*- Ellensburg, WA
Quilter’s Irish Death (Dark Smooth Ale)
High Five Hefe (Ginger Honey Wheat) – A recent bb.com trip to Ellensburg solidified our opinion that all things Iron Horse are worth drinking. This hefe packs a punch, but should fit in very well at this outdoor festival.
Loco Imperial Red Ale (Big Hoppy Red)
Biere de Garde (French Ale)
Issaquah Brewhouse- Issaquah, WA
White Frog (Wit Bier)
Brutal IPA (IPA)
Chili
Beer
Plus
Lazy Boy Brewing*- Everett, WA - This is what they call “shameless self promotion”. But seriously, all of these beers are delicious. If for no other reason, get the chili beers so that all of the pain Shawn and I go through manually chopping those peppers is worth it. Dry, cracked brewer hands + Scoville units = burning for days!
Nacho Pilsner (Dry Hopped Chiles/Pilsner)
Lazy Boy Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Oscuro Con Chiles** (Infused/Porter)
Mac & Jack’s Brewing- Redmond, WA
African Amber (Amber)
IPA (IPA)
Black Cat Porter (Porter)
Maritime Pacific Brewing- Seattle, WA
Double Dry Hopped Imperial IPA (Imperial IPA) – Just read the name. ‘Nuff said.
Maybock Lager (Helles Style Lager)
Nightwatch Dark Amber Ale (Amber)
Special Aged Portage Bay Pilsener (Northern European Style Lager)
McMenamin’s Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Terminator Stout (Stout)
Herd of Eagles IPA (IPA) – OK, this beer is called Herd of Eagles. I need it.
Whiskey Barrel Aged Terminator Stout** (Cask Stout)
Naked City Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Yankee Drifter (Pilsner)
Fleur d’ Elise (Saison) – Oh look, another saison.
Hopacalypse Now** (Double IPA) – Yes, this is a **, but bb.com had an extensive discussion with Don Webb about this brew a few weeks back and let me tell you…it’s a labor of hop love. Strongest possible recommendation.
Northern Lights Brewing*- Spokane, WA
IPA (IPA)
Solar Winds (Strong Pale Ale)
Blueberry (Fruit Ale)
Chocolate Dunkel (German Style Dark Ale)
Cask IPA** (Cask IPA)
Odin Brewing- Seattle, WA
Odin’s Gift (Ruby Red)
Freya’s Gold (Kolsch)
Old Schoolhouse Brewery*- Winthrop, WA
Ruud Awakening (IPA)
Blazing Amber (American Amber)
Epiphany Pale (American Pale)
Pike Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Dry Wit (Belgian White Beer)
Naughty Nellie (Golden Ale)
IPA (IPA)
Kilt Lifter (Scotch Style Ale)
Port Townsend Brewing*- Port Townsend, WA
Hop Diggidy (IPA)
Brewer’s Surprise 1 – Ohhh I like surprises.
Brewer’s Surprise 2 - See above, number 2.
Pyramid Breweries*- Seattle, WA
Haywire (Hefeweizen)
Outburst (Double IPA)
Curveball (Blonde Ale)
Thunderhead (IPA)
Ram Restaurant & Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Barefoot Wit (Belgian Style White Ale)
Black Sheep IPA (IPA)
Cat Tread Red (Red Ale)
Cloudburst Cream Ale (Cream Ale)
Redhook Ale Brewery*- Woodinville, WA
Copperhook (Copper Ale)
Rope Swing (Summer Pilsner)
Big Ballard Imperial IPA (Imperial IPA) – Much respect for acknowledging those Ballard roots. Plus, “imperial” is in the name.
Rock Bottom Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Raw City Red Ale (Irish Red Ale)
Saison au Printomps (Farmhouse Ale) – Ok, I think you get the point. Looks like you could make a day of the saisons alone. We likie.
Rock Bottom Brewery*- Bellevue, WA
Hop Bomb IPA (IPA)
Pretty N Pink (Raspberry Wheat)
Uberwit (Belgian Wit)
Milk Stout (Milk Stout) – I’m hoping to make a milk stout in the near future at Lazy Boy. Every brewery should make one. Sweet, creamy, delicious.
Roslyn Brewing- Roslyn, WA
Roslyn (German Style Dark Lager)
Brookside (German Style Pale Lager)
Schooner Exact Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Seamstress Union (Raspberry Wheat)
Gateway Golden (Golden Ale)
Gallant Maiden (Hefeweizen)
3 Grid IPA (IPA)
Imperial Project #2: Virgil Gamachinator** (IPA)
Scuttlebutt Brewing*- Everett, WA
Tripel 7 (Belgian Tripel)
Mateo Loco (Imperial Red Ale)
Homeport Blonde (Blonde Ale)
Cask Oaked Porter** (Cask Porter)
Seattle Beer News/Big Al Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Passive Aggressive Wheat (Hoppy American Wheat Ale) – Props to our buddy Geoff Kaiser over at Seattle Beer News for making this happen. “Hoppy” and “wheat” rarely tangle together.
Silver City Brewery*- Silverdale, WA
Ridgetop Red (Irish Red Ale)
Fat Scotch Ale (Scotch Ale)
Whoop Pass IPA (Double IPA)
Skookum Brewery*- Arlington, WA
Off Kilter (Scottish Style Wee Heavy)
Olde Tom (American IPA)
Katspaw (Blonde Ale)
Mammoth Jack** (American Double IPA)
Snipes Mountain Brewing- Sunnyside, WA
Dos Borracho’s (Pilsner Lager)
IPA (IPA)
Cask IPA (Cask IPA)
Cask Twangzister Sour Cherry Stout** (Barrel Aged Sour)
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing*- Snoqualmie, WA
Summer Beer (Alt Style Pilsner)
Wildcat (IPA)
Haystack (Hefeweizen)
Black Frog (Nitro Stout)
Sunstroke** (Imperial Pilsner)
Trade Route Brewing- Pacific, WA
Midnight Ale (Brown Ale)
Chieftan Amber (Amber Ale)
Jetstream Lager (Lager)
Two Beers Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Crooked Belgian Wit (Belgian Wit)
Immerson Amber (Amber)
Evo IPA (IPA)
Alaska
Alaskan Brewing- Juneau, AK
Alaskan Amber (Alt Style Amber)
Alaskan Summer Ale (Kolsch Style)
Alaskan IPA (IPA)
Smoked Porter (Rauchbier) - This is a perennial favorite. If you like liquid smoke, join in on the fun.
California
Firestone Walker Brewing- Paso Robles, CA
Double Barrel Ale (English Style Pale Ale)
Pale 31 (California Style Pale Ale)
Sierra Nevada Brewing- Chico, CA
Summerfest (Lager)
Southern Hemisphere Harvest (IPA)
Stone Brewing- Escondido, CA
Stone Lieviation Ale (Amber)
Stone IPA (IPA)
Colorado
New Belgium Brewing- Fort Collins, CO
Ranger IPA (IPA)
Trip VI (Spring Citrus Pale Ale) - In case you have been living under a rock for the past few years, the Trip series is a collaboration with Seattle’s own Elysian Brewing. These rarely strike out. Spring Citrus sounds really refreshing.
Oskar Blues Brewery- Lyons, CO
Dales Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Old Chub (Scotch Ale)
Delaware
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Milton, DE
Festina Peche (Berliner Weisse) – I don’t think that we could possibly talk up DFH any more. These guys poop gold. A low abv, peach flavored sour beer…are you kidding me! The pinnacle of spring/summer drinking.
Indian Brown Ale (Brown Ale)
Hawaii
Kona Brewing- Kailua Kona, HI
Longboard Lager (Island Style Lager)
Wailua Wheat (Wheat Ale)
Illinois
Goose Island Beer Co. – Chicago, IL
Matilda (Belgian Style Ale) - I’m kind of amazed that these guys are going to be at the fest. They are clearly quite serious about pushing into the WA market. That’s very fortunate for us. Goose Island makes killer brews and Matilda is no exception.
Missouri
Boulevard Brewing – Kansas City, MO
Unfiltered Wheat (American Wheat Beer)
Single Wide IPA (IPA)
Zon (Belgian Style Witbier)
Oregon
BridgePort Brewing- Portland, OR
BridgePort IPA (IPA)
BridgePort Hop Czar (Imperial IPA)
Deschutes Brewery- Bend, OR
Twilight Sumemer Ale (Light Ale)
Hop in the Dark (Cascadian Dark Ale) – CDA is another way of saying black IPA, or balanced to the extreme. You can never go wrong with Deschutes.
Double Mountain Brewery- Hood River, OR
Kolsch (Kolsch)
India Red Ale (Hoppy Red Ale)
Hop Lava (Northwest IPA)
The Vaporizer (Pale Ale)
Ninkasi Brewing – Eugene, OR
Total Domination IPA (IPA)
Rudiant Seasonal Ale (Pale Ale)
Widmer Brothers Brewing- Portland, OR
Drifter Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Widmer Hefeweizen (Hefeweizen)
Sun Burn (Blonde Ale)
2010 Washington Brewers Fest WABL Beer
Three Tree Imperial Porter by Elliott Bay Brewing
Available exclusively to WABL members at the WABL/Merchandise Booth
So that’s the list. Very impressive if you ask me.
If you happen to be at the fest early on Saturday or late on Sunday, swing by the Lazy Boy Brewing booth and say hi.
Beer Law & Legis: Collaboration Between Stone, Firestone and 21st Amendment Raises Eyebrows
BreweryLaw.com: New beer likely raised eyebrows at TTB
***This article was originally published at BreweryLaw.com, a beer law blog published by our legal writer, Reiser Legal LLC***
Well this might not be a topic for dispute, but Stone Brewing‘s latest triangular collaboration has quite a label. The beer – El Camino (Un) Real Black Ale.
The new beer is a collaboration between Stone Brewing, 21st Amendment and Firestone Walker, three of California’s finest brewers. From a quick look at the ingredients, this new collaboration seems to be a spiced fruit basket of ale.
BevLog, one of our favorites beer law websites, ran a story about the new beer after seeing the label submission run across the TTB. As you probably know, the TTB is responsible for approving the labels of beers sold in the US. The mission is to ensure transparency and safety for the beer consumer.
Check out the label above – and be floored by the contents of this new ale. Ingredients such as chia seed, peppercorns, fennel seed and mission figs are seldom seen on your beer label. In fact, they probably remind you more of your easter lamb than your afternoon ale.
The BevLog did some brief research on the contents: (from their site)
This beer has a rather uncommon and unlikely combination of ingredients. The peppercorns are no great surprise, but the alcohol beverages with chia seeds seem to be few and far between. Wiki reports that chia is an Aztec word for oily, and these seeds contain large amounts of oil, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. (Un)Real El Camino Black Ale is also brewed with fennel seed and mission figs. It is a collaboration among several brewers and is bottled by Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California.
It does not appear that this beer was held up in submission to the TTB. But it is likely that it demanded a bit of research over there. Its nice to see brewers continuing to push the envelope with new and exciting formulas.
Events for Week of April 19, 2010
The wings at Cooper's Ale House are amazing. Paired with an IPA....heaven.
As we sit in anticipation of Seattle Beer Week (kick-off is May 13, 2010), we at Beer Blotter continue to bring you weekly events. Drink up!
Monday, April 19, 2010
IPA Fests in Seattle: Seattle, WA
All day @ Cooper’s Ale House
All day @ Beveridge Place Pub
IPApril continues for just 11 more days, so stop by Cooper’s (wing specials on Monday) or Beveridge Place Pub (beer specials on Monday) for some delicious, mouth-watering IPAs!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Ballast Point Takes the Taps: New York, New York
Begins at 3:00PM @ Rattle-N-Hum
Just as it sounds, Ballast Point Brewery is taking over Rattle-N-Hum through May 5, 2010 with many many beers including: Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Marlin; Dorado; Tongue Buckler; Victory at Sea and Three Sheets Barleywine.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Brooklyn Brewery Tasting: Garland, Texas
Begins at 6:00PM @ Flying Saucer on the Lake
The event will be hosted by Mike Vitale and Nadine Jones from The Brooklyn Brewery and will pair four of Brooklyn’s core brands, seasonal beers and big bottles with three food courses, including prosciutto-wrapped melon, Flying Saucer Surf & Turf and pretzel Samoa. Featured beers include the Summer Ale, Lager, Local 1 and Local 2. Tickets for the event can be purchased at Flying Saucer and are $25 for U.F.O. Club members and $30 for non-members. Reservations are recommended as space is limited.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Earth Day Lights Out Party: Grand Rapids, Michigan
8:00PM @Hop Cat
In an effort to conserve energy and to celebrate Earth Day, Hop Cat will feature beers from featuring beers from Anderson Valley, Brooklyn Brewing Co., and a few others. Enjoy these brews by candlelight.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Dogfish Head Dinner: Raleigh, North Carolina
7:00PM @ Busy Bee Cafe
Dogfish Head beers, due to their quality and undeniable flavors pair very well with a variety of foods. Sam from Dogfish is coming to dinner! Tickets are $75 per person for a 5 beer, 3 food course dinner. Email info@busybeeraleigh.com to reserve a seat.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
AprilBrews Day: Bellingham, Washington
6:30PM-10:00PM @ Depot Market Square
Join local brewers as they share their microbrews in a fundrasier for the MAX HIGBEE CENTER, a non-profit agency that provides recreational opportunities for teens and adults with developmental disabilities. And the featured breweries include…Iron Horse, Lazy Boy, Waterstreet Brewing, Silver City and Port Townsend Brewing Co., among many others. Click Here for the full list.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Barleywine Festival: Tacoma, Washington
All day @ The Parkway Tavern
Here is the day of the event schedule: Sunday April 25th 2pm-2am More barleywine. with a Barley Brunch from 11am until 1pm that will include great food, and an exclusive opportunity to taste some rare barleywines, such as Firestone Walker Abacus, Dogfish Head Olde School, Mad River Rorschach, Stone Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Guardian, and much more. Tickets on sale now $35.
Thats it, thats all. If you want us to include an event in our post, please leave a comment or email us at beerblotter@gmail.com!
Collaborative Brewing Part 2; Notes of a Beer Nerd: Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter
Collaborative Brewing at its best!
Enjoyed on 3/7/2010
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. in collaboration with Maui Brewing Co. and homebrewer Ken Schmidt
Location: Escandido, CA
Beer: Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter
Presentation: 12 oz – Brown Glass Bottle
Vintage: 2009
Style: Flavored Porter
Barrel: N/A
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: N/A
Hops: N/A
Malt: N/A
Vessel: Snifter
Recommended Serving Temp: 55 degrees
Notes from the bottle:
Food Pairings: Barbeque, smoked meats, chocolate, deserts
Cheese Pairings: Gouda, brie
Beer Advocate: A-
Rate Beer: 98 (3.87)
Timperialstout’s Notes:
The Stone Collaboration series is another wonderful chapter in the big old book of recent brewing collaborations. To date, 6 have been brewed in this series, each being a triple collaboration with Stone acting as curator and permanent attendee.
It all began with the first brew being sent to market in late ’08 and has continued on a trend of about 2 releases per year. Each is brewed at Stone Brewing and is brewed once. This is what you missed so far:
#1 – a 9.5% Belgian Triple brewed with Peter Zien of Alesmith Brewing and Mikkel Bjergso of Mikkeller Brewing.
#2 – a 9% holiday ale brewed with Ron Jefferies of Jolly Pumpkin and Kjetil Jikiun of Nogne-O. This brew has since been brewed at least one more time at Nogne-O in Norway and packed under the Nogne-O label. We are hopeful that it continues to be produced.
#3 – a 10% black pilsner brewed with James Watt of BrewDog and Will Meyers of Cambridge Brewing.
#4 – reviewed here.
The last 2 are already in the works and should be seen on shelves in due time.
#5 – a 9.5% black ale, brewed in conjunction with Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker and Shaun O’Sullivan of 21st Amendment.
#6 – still fermenting, with a to-be-determined abv. saison brewed with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Bill Covaleski of Victory Brewing.
There are some serious names being thrown around up there. Stone has created a monster! We love it!
Another really exciting thing about collaboration beers like this is that, in some cases, a result of joint brewing is joint distributorship. This means that we get to taste beers brewed, at least in part, by brewers who do not distribute their product to our market. At this time, in reference to this Stone Series, the collaboration involving Alesmith is the only relevant example of this in the Seattle area (lucky us), but this concept is never the less a valid reason for excitement.
Allow me to get back to the beer at hand. Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter (mouthful) has a really interesting story line. It was brewed at Stone in Southern California collaboratively with Garrett Marrero of Maui Brewing and Ken Schmidt, a homebrewer whose creation is the source of the recipe. Ken brewed a beer, inspired by Maui Brewing’s Coconut Poter, he called Aloha Plenty for the AHA Rally in ’09 and won first place. As part of his prize, the beer would be brewed in the Stone system and put on tap at the Stone Bistro. It was just an added bonus that the brewing ended up being in collaboration with Mitch Steele of Stone and Garrett of Maui. When the final product was bottled and sold under the Stone label, the project reached new heights of homebrewer fantasy.
One of the initial challenges of the project was to acquire the 1,000 lbs. of coconut, 300 lbs. of macadamia nuts, and 200 lbs. of 100% Kona Coffee that would be required to brew the beer with volume in Stone’s system. As you can imagine these are not cheap ingredients and not quite as abundant in Southern California as in Maui. The team used their resources and, naturally, made it happen. The second major challenge was to toast the 1,000 lbs. of coconut, a necessary process to pull out the flavors that would be imparted into the beer. The Stone Bistro Crew took up this task, which was done in the small bistro’s kitchen and took a whopping 32 hours to complete. Then, when it came to brewing day, in order to steep the essences of all these rare ingredients into the beer, steeping bags were required…a lot of them. In the end, 22 bags were required, more than Stone had available.
Keeping true to the collaborative spirit, the folks across town at Green Flash Brewing stepped up and lent a few of theirs to make up the difference.
A lot of people came together to make this beer possible, so let’s pay tribute to their efforts and tip one back. Here’s how it turned out:
No light can pass through the coffee black color of this beer. A very nice caramel shade is found in the head, which is fairly subdued on a vigorous pour and whimpers to near nothingness fairly quickly. Coffee possesses a very potent scent, and its presence in this beer dominates the nose. Chocolate and roasted malt does break through however on the tail end of the inhale. Each and every whiff seems to be slightly different from the last, a lot of nuances here. The nuts, as I suspected, are hard to place. I could image them sharing a buttery expression, but the stronger scents are too potent to allow it.
The mouthfeel is very slick and soft. Very little carbonation is felt, which matches the style well and would be off-putting here. This is essentially the best iced coffee (with no actually ice) I’ve ever had. It just so happens to be skillfully spiked with booze, which is slightly present as it warms. It has the aspects of coffee that I most enjoy, and leaves behind those I do not. The sweetness is just right. There is some oiliness and a dash of fruitiness. The chocolate and nut infusion adds complexity without stealing the stage and makes for an aftertaste that is not at all bitter or dry. That is a very key role here. The genius of their addition is now most evident.
It is the aftertaste of this porter that is most pleasurable for me. The aftertaste of coffee itself is often its least desirable attribute. You can feel it gripping to your tongue in a bitter rage and fouling the air before you with every word you speak. Coffee breath is deadly. Hell, beer breath might even be deadly, but, though this theory stands untested, I feel this concoction might intrigue a communicatory counterpart. Possibly, bait with curiosity and wonder.
As this brew gets further and further from iced coffee and closer to room temperature coffee, I am reminded of a coffee liquor and become obsessed with the thought of adding cream to this and making it a Caucasian…I mean, White Russian. Ah, even better yet, some vanilla ice cream would be just lovely in this beer. Yes, both editions would surely spoil the nuances of the flavor, but I can’t think of a better beer to experiment in those ways with. Such a shame this was brewed only once and is very limited. I’d say though, were any hope to exist for a repeat brewing, Stone would probably be the brewery most likely to issue it. There is precedence. Remember Stone’s 11th Anniversary Black IPA? Brewed once…and then made into a standard offering dubbed Sublimely Self Righteous.
Ultimately, this beer is not traditional. Not, as they say, liquid bread. This is liquid coffee-infused chocolate cake with little nut bits suspended within and coconut shavings on top. If that image doesn’t want you to try this beer you should check your pulse.
If you like Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter, you should try…
Kona Brewing Co.’s Pipeline Porter; Surley Brewing Co.’s Coffee Bender; Midnight Sun Brewing Co.’s Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter
Disclaimer: This beer was purchased on my own with my own hard earned money at a local bottle shop.
Preparing For Bacchanal: Dear Barleywine, a beer time capsule
The Barleywine Bounty: 14 for 2014
We here at Beer Blotter have full hearts. Sure we do. We love that mushy stuff.
Over time we have accumulated a bevy of wonderful fans and colleagues in beer. We want to give each of them a chance to tell their wonderful stories and share their great love for the beer they wrap their hands around each evening.
In preparation of Beveridge Place Pub’s Barleywine Bacchanal, a couple of our most favored contributing friends wrote monologues to their beloved – barleywine.
The muse…..14 bottles of recently released Barleywine. The goal…..to lock them away in February 2010 – and open them in February 2014. After 4 years of aging, I just hope we are invited to the uncapping.
Lets see the list:
Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn
Sierra Nevade Bigfoot Ale
North Coast Old Stock Ale
Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws
Alaskan Barleywine Ale
Marin Brewing Old Dipsea
Lagunitas Old Gnarlywine
Stone Brewing Old Guardian
Green Flash Barleywine
Great Divide Old Ruffian
Deschutes Mirror Mirror
Midnight Sun Arctic Devil
Flying Dog Horn Dog
Victory Old Horizontal
Damn that looks good. So, lets lend an ear to our friends and see how inspired they were:
To be locked away in youth…
A Letter
Dear Barleywine,
I write you this day with hope that you find my words, within yourself merriment, and that these words touch you deeply with the purpose steeped upon them. The seasons have changed, brought bitter airs and quelled growth – ever bare, and within myself spawned yearning for warmth. An engulfing fever, submerged so to leave no piece of thy depth unwrapped. Might we emblaze the year’s provisions? Not lest our souls, and heart be abandoned. The steam of my exhale, the burn of my blood aches for infusion with your essence. I thirst for the remedy that lies in you, O impassioned elixir. Might we meet today and churn glowing red from this dead place? Might our tangling force back the encroaching destitution? This season I ask of your hand in melting this glacial encasing, and that together, each Winter passed, our allegiance advanced, tactics tempered, passion prospered. Will we be merged now my sweet nectar, and age together with graceful longevity?
With all my allegiance,
Timperial
…brought to maturity in the cool, dark confines…
A Poem
To break a young stallion takes patience, and time
Strewn flora, trot leaves wake scented with herb and pine
A steady handler calms the wind’s stir, strives to bring sweetness forth
Within of the eye of our student, great tales of a deeper worth
A bond is born in one moment’s blind plunge, foreseen in dark tomb
By hand interwoven in mane, violence seized, froth of realized womb
Only to be reborn from this earth, maturation sees that glimmer sprout
Complexity developed within, to be shared and savored without doubt…
…a time capsule locked and buried...for warmth in the frostbitten air of Winter 2014.
The Beer Blotter Guide to Beveridge Place Pub’s Bacchanal 2010
The facade of Beveridge Place Pub in West Seattle - the site of the Annual Bacchanal of Barleywines
Beveridge Place Pub’s 7th Annual Barleywine Bacchanal kicks off this Friday, February 26th, with over 40 barleywines pouring for a week straight from 24 taps. That’s a lot of big bold brews to choose from. Since there is clearly more beers than taps, there will be a constant rotation of kegs a flowin’. As one blows, another will replace it, and so on.
The folks over at the Washington Beer Blog were kind enough to post the complete list for all to slobber over. Below you will find the entire list. Clearly, all are barleywines, and thus, all are going to be packed with copious quantities of both malt and hops. All will be fairly high in alcohol, and chances are good that all will taste pretty darn good. Your main fear should be a harsh, young vintage. Sometimes these fellas just need some time to mature and mellow out. Too much bitterness and not enough sweetness can make your barleywine experience akin to being strangled by a hop vine. There is no question, if you read this site with any regularity, that Beer Blotter holds great respect for Father Time and his agile hand at improving beers of many kinds, especially barleywines.
For Beer Blotter, the older the vintage, the more excited we are to try it. Both rare and refined, these pours should improve your evening no matter who brewed them.
So our first overarching tip to you, “age is all the rage”.
But we need more detail than that. Let’s dig deeper.
The biggest challenge of the Bacchanal is the barrels-to-taps ratio. The rotation system will make it difficult to have a clear game plan for your visit, whatever day you choose to attend. You will never really know exactly what to expect, which, granted, offers its own brand of excitement. Your best bet is to pre-create a list of b-dubs that you’re most excited to taste, and chances are that no matter what day you decide to venture out to West Seattle there will be at least a few of them available.
Perhaps a look at the Beer Blotter list could assist you in creating your own list. Below, as promised, is the unadulterated list. Below that, the Beer Blotter list.
Complete List:
Alaskan, Barleywine ‘06, ‘07,’08
Anacortes, Old Sebastes ‘07
Anchor, Old Foghorn ‘06, ‘07, ‘08
Anderson Valley, Horn of the Beer ‘09
Avery, Hog Heaven ‘09
Big Sky, Old Blue Hair ‘06
Boulder, Killer Penguin ‘09
Boundary Bay, Old Bounder ‘09
Deschutes, Mirror Mirror ‘09
Diamond Knot, Icebreaker ‘09
Dick’s, Barleywine ‘05, ‘09
Dogfish Head, Olde School ‘09
Elliott Bay, Old Portside ‘09
Elysian, Cyclops ‘09
Fish, 10 Squared ‘08, ‘09
Fish, Leviathan ‘06
Flying Dog, Horndog ‘09
Full Sail, Old Boardhead ‘06
Full Sail, Old Boilermaker 98 (yes, 1998)
Hale’s, Rudyard’s Rare ‘06, ‘09
Hopworks Urban Brewery, Noggin Floggin ‘09
Hood Canal, Breidablik ‘06, ‘07, ‘09
Lagunitas, Old Gnarleywine ‘04, ‘06, ‘07
Laurelwood, Old Reliable ‘09
Left Hand, Oak Aged Widdershins ‘07
Lucky Lab, Old Yeller ‘09
Mad River, Old Barleycorn ‘07
New Old Lompoc, Old Tavern Rat ‘08
North Coast, Old Stock ‘07, ‘09
Pike, Old Bawdy ‘07, ‘08
Port, Angel’s Share ‘09
Port Townsend, ‘09
Rogue, Old Crustacean ‘08
Schooner Exact, Old Sinking Ship ‘09
Scuttlebutt, Old #1 ‘06, ‘08
Sierra Nevada, Bigfoot ‘08
Skagit River, Shiver Me Liver ‘09
Speakeasy, Old Godfather ‘09
Stone, Old Guardian ‘07, ‘08, ‘09
Three Skulls, Wreckage ‘09
Victory, Old Horizontal ‘09
Walking Man, Old Stumblefoot ‘08
Beer Blotter List:
Alaskan, Barleywine ‘06, ‘07,’08
-This is a “must” if offered at the time of your visit. A Northwest Masterpiece. Alaskans know how to warm up with Barleywine. This guy ranks very well in any festival that it is involved in. In the last 5 years this brew has placed in the top 3 at Brouwer’s Hard Liver Barleywine Fest 3 times, and the ’07 vintage was number 1 last year. A warning though…chances are high that these will only be available on Monday, March 1st or Tuesday, March 2nd when verticals are offered. To try all three vintages side by side would truly be a treat.
Lagunitas, Old Gnarleywine ‘04, ‘06, ‘07
-In Beer Blotter’s humble opinion, there is not many Barleywines being made in the world better than Gnarleywine. The ’08 vintage was awarded 3rd place in this years Toronado Barley Wine Festival, and chances are, the older the better. Do not skip this one, any vintage. Another warning: 3 years offered…look to vertical night for these.
Speakeasy, Old Godfather ‘09
-Though this is young, the ’06 got second place last year at Brouwer’s. Expect this one to be high in alpha…it’s the Speakeasy way.
Stone, Old Guardian ‘07, ‘08, ‘09
-If you read Timperial’s review of the ’07 vintage you would know, this beer is sickly good. Astounding balance, even through time.
Victory, Old Horizontal ’09 & Dogfish Head, Olde School ‘09
-With the exception of a few CO representatives, these are the only 2 offerings that aren’t from the West. Reason? They are astounding beers made by two of America’s best breweries.
Fish, 10 Squared ‘08, ’09 & Leviathan ‘06
-Both of these beers are incredible and hard to come by, even in their home state. 10 Squared was probably my personal favorite from last years Hard Liver Fest and old vintages of Leviathan, like this ’06, are pretty much legendary. The barrel-aged version of Leviathan is in the top 10 on ratebeer.com’s list of barleywines.
Port, Angel’s Share ‘09
-It would be silly of me to leave this one out since it is literally one of my favorite beers of all time. Number 9 on ratebeer.com’s barley wine list.
New Old Lompoc, Old Tavern Rat ‘08
-Beer Blotter recently had this from the always-impressive taps of Uber Tavern and really enjoyed it. Very nutty if you’re into that.
Boundary Bay, Old Bounder ‘09
-Seattle does not see enough Boundary Bay. Maybe if we drain this keg quickly the “will of the people” will change that depressing fact.
That’s a pretty healthy list for you, and honestly, I could go on an on. There is A LOT of really good stuff on this list, and even a few that Beer Blotter has never had and looks forward to trying (like Lucky Lab, can we please have more of their beers in Seattle?).
Anyone and everyone within striking distance of Seattle should never, EVER miss events like this. We are so lucky to have beer bars that put so much time, effort and money into aging beers for years and organizing such exciting festivals. Beer Blotter sends a massive hug to Gary and The Bev for making this happen year after year.
Find us in West Seattle, raise a glass, it’s barleywine season!
Beer Law & Legis: A Take on Beer Wars
Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head stole the flick. *photo originally on Cream Ale Drinker and then probably another site - unfortunately we cannot track that. but you have our love and credit*
So we had a Belgian night last week, in preparation for the big trip (4 weeks!). So we overloaded our beer experience – with more beer stuff.
To do so, we enlisted the help of Anat Baron’s Beer Wars film. I am glad I did.
Not only does this movie open your eyes about the sickening display of force feeding our great country has endured at the hands of Anheuser-Busch (i’ll simmer down, i promise). But, the movie also paints a wondrous and thought provoking dialogue about whether or not this country and its lawmakers actually know what is best for its constituents in the beer world.
Beer Wars is a documentary-like depiction of the modern US beer industry. It aims to impress upon consumers, the trials, tribulations and pains of American beer makers.
The movie’s producer, writer, director, star is Anat Baron is the former CEO of Mike’s Hard Lemonade. She repeatedly refers to Mike’s as a beer company, which is gross. But, considering its at least a malt beverage, sold side by side with beer – we’ll humor the argument.
Ms. Baron’s story requires a hero v. villain approach. Demonizing mega-beer’s Anheuser-Busch and Miller Coors, means glorifying micros Dogfish Head, New Belgium, Stone and Boston Beer. Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione is the star of this film. Sam’s undying passion for his amazing brewery, and its image, market share, future development and quality, make the movie.
But the movie is principally about the battle of the three tier system. The three tier system should be known to all severely psychotic beer consumers (like us), for its the reason we pay too much for our beer. The three tier system designates a sales pyramid from brewers, to distributers and then to retailers. The intention was to prohibit major beer makers from dominating market share, setting prices, and controlling public consumerism. Well, it failed.
The movie shows that over time, Anheuser-Busch (A-B) has actually taken advantage of the system by buying into the middle man market. Distributors, retailer chains and even small beers shops are generally controlled by the big two (A-B & Miller Coors). Small breweries have zero say in product placement in storefronts and marketing material display. In reality, the reason your favorite microbrew is where it is on the shelf (on the bottom, side, or under something else) – is because an A-B rep decided it should be there.
Without hating them entirely, there is some good that came from A-B. Modern beer advertising and marketing were largely developed by these giants. Off-color and entertaining beer media was the brainchild of A-B and Miller. Furthermore, A-B distribution is largely responsible for the growth of brands like Red Hook and Widmer, who were able to break free from A-B control after benefitting immensely from the distribution chain.
Regardless of what we think of Anat Baron’s writing and direction, she made one critical and very believable point: A-B doesn’t make beer you want to drink. They make you have to drink their beer. I firmly believe that, and I hope that makes me feel better. Product placement, clever & cool advertising and attractive price points make the beer a “have to” not a “want to.”
It struck me again last night, while watching the Super Bowl (Go Saints!). We ran out of beer. It was frightening. Luckily a friend had just arrived back at the house and was willing, after some forcing, to make a beer run. After pleading for no Bud products, he embarked on a beer mission. The return – bud light. The reason: most people will drink it and its cheap. This was the result after an expressed ire against purchasing this beer. In fact, it was the only beer that was demonized prior to his departure. A return of Miller, Coors, Pabst, Ranier, Olympia, Kokanee, would not have been met with such unexplainable confusion. But A-B wins the day – again.
Beer Wars should be seen. Even if you do not care about the brewing industry in America, at least watch it for Sam Calagione. Its great to see someone fighting for their livelihood and unafraid of the giants.
Finally, BeerBlotter.com is touched. A new reckoning will begin. Starting this week, a new section will be posted on each Wednesday, with a perspective and report on Beer legislation, law and policy. Our resident legal squad will pull the topics and give you the word. Don’t worry – we actually have law degrees.
If you have anything to add – ADD IT! We love comments.
Heavy Metal Beer Bash
Head banging and boozing!
Last night was the Heavy Metal Beer Bash at the Pub at Pipers Creek. Now, I’ve heard of extreme brewing, but putting metals in the boil… that’s a little too extreme. Just kidding, that didn’t happen.
The theme of this night came from a collection of beers that happen to have names that are in some way related to heavy metal music. What a genius Idea! I’m not exactly sure who it was that came up with this one, but if it was the owner of the P@PC, I wouldn’t be surprised. That dude’s metal as F@$%!
Anyway, as it turned out, this was the unofficial release of Whip Ale, brewed by Lazy Boy Brewing, and quite the who’s who of the local brewing community. Many props to the pub for creating a great atmosphere. At one point there was dry ice on the bar for a rock show fog effect, and a little later in the night the hair metal wigs came out for the staff. Freakin’ Metal!
Featured Brews:
Lazy Boy Brewing – Whip Ale
This is the Pale Ale that was brewed for Michael Wilton, guitarist from Queensryche. That’s pretty metal! I have had the great pleasure of tasting this first batch in wort form, still warm, as well as uncarbonated straight from the fermenter. Last night I had the final product, and I can honestly say it’s an amazing pale ale.
Shawn Loring is a local master of balance in brewing, and this one is a great example of his work. I could and will drink a whole bunch of these in the coming months, as long as they are available. Availability to be determined.
Left Hand Brewing – Fade to Black
This one is named after a Metallica song off of Ride the Lightning. Pretty darn metal! Apparently this is Volume 1 of a series… I think I like the sound of that. Not a bad start, but not entirely overwhelming.
Left Hand calls it a Foreign Export Stout. You don’t hear about that style very often, basically just means a stronger version of a stout to last the long journey across seas to foreign lands. This one’s 8.5%. I thought it had more of a porter nose and flavor and was more dry and smoky than full of sweet licorice and chocolate flavors.
The best part for me was the official Left Hand Brewing chalice that I got to keep with the purchase of the beer. Breweriana Ho!
Ninkasi Brewing – Sleighr
An obvious play off of the great metal band Slayer…well…more obvious if you see the font that they use on the label. The name also references Santa’s sleigh. Yes, a new season for the Oregon brewery.
This beer is categorized as a dark double alt. Again, not a very common style descriptor. To me, this is a winter warmer. Lots of German dark malts in this one. Smooth and a bit fruity. A good starter beer for a long winter night’s quest to warm ones cockles.
21st Amendment Brewery – Back in Black
This is referencing a song and album by AC/DC. AC/DC stands for alternating current/direct current. I know things. This is a black IPA.
I still think that this style isn’t made enough and that all who make it should judge themselves on Stone’s 11 Anniversary, or as it’s now know, Sublimely Self-Righteous. This guy is full of hops, and just so happens to be dark in color. Not much of a malt backbone in my opinion, but I’d no doubt drink this one for it’s great hop presence.
Great night. I now officially love the P@PC for hosting this one and being awesome. Thanks!
Let us know if you were there – or if you just have an opinion – either way – SPEAK!
