Beers Of My Life

It's Over... For Now

2011-05-03T16:53:00.000-05:00

Hey guys,

Thanks to everyone (even the spammers!) that checked out the blog. Fortunately I have a very nerdy business venture that is going to take up my time for quite awhile, unfortunately that leaves little time for blogging.

If you are interested (or like science fiction) you can check out my efforts at Wreck-Age

Missing you already,

-Matt

Ommegang Cup O' Kyndness

2010-11-17T19:36:00.002-06:00

'Our Scotch Ale contains Pilsner, Munich, caramel & smoked malts, and roasted barley. It's gently hopped and flavored with heather tips. Lightly malty, notes of grassy heather, a wee bit of smoke. 750 ml bottles and draft. 6.8%' - Ommegang.com

Thankfully Cup O' Kyndness doesn't have the saccharine overdose of most Belgians, which was a concern of mine when I picked it up. The 'wee bit of smoke' (you guys just had to use 'wee', huh?) is actually pretty strong, which worked well with the heavy caramel and slight alcohol bite. I think Cup O' Kindness could benefit from a bit more body and a thicker head, but that might just be approaching winter stout cravings. Just a little watery for my tastes, not a deal breaker. It does taste Scottish, which is in itself a success for a blend between Scottish and Belgian beers.

Overall I liked it, but I don't think it this beer something I would pick up often. Due to the fact that Cup O' Kyndess is a limited beer, this sounds like a one time deal for me.

Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA

2010-09-28T12:13:00.000-05:00

'We went to England this past spring as self-styled “IPA Hunters” on a mission to learn more about the confusing and often contradictory history of India Pale Ale – to look for some certainty where those before us have found mostly mystery and mercantilism. While our success in this pursuit is open to debate, there can be no question that we returned home inspired by the ghosts of Burton and by the experience of poring over 150-year old brewer’s logs handwritten in (India?) ink. Stone Brewing Co., after all, traces its lineage back to the British Empire’s brewing history: we make ales, and all of our original offerings used traditional British styles as a jumping-off point. If this seems a roundabout way of letting you know that, yes, we are in fact brewing another IPA to mark our Anniversary, well, so be it.

This one however, promises to be different! From the imported white malt to the “Burtonised” water to the rare yeast strain to the most pungent hops Kent has to offer, we used all British ingredients to brew our “Emperial” IPA.* While we may have brewed Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA with our own distinctively modern, San Diego-style touch, what good is history if you can’t rewrite it to suit your tastes?

In this case, our tastes called for highly intemperate quantities of Target, East Kent Goldings, and Boadicea hops, bestowing upon this dry-bodied ale a powerfully spicy, earthy aroma. On the palate, peppery hops assert themselves early and often, with malt sweetness making a brief appearance before being beaten back by a long, complex, and decisively bitter finish. What better way to contemplate the fate of empires past, present, and future?' -Stone Site

'Consume fresh or age in the hull of a seafaring vessel for a year or more' -The label

That is certainly one verbose description, which will definitely be longer than anything I have to say. I am a lazy blogger these days, as you can tell.

My coworker Emily purchased a bottle of this for me when we had finished a pretty tough project, so we had a 'meeting' at the end of the week to try it out. This brew has a huge, yeasty head which compliments this thick and vibrant IPA very well. I tasted strong citrus (lemon and orange zest) and some of the pepper that the description goes on and on about. Nice and tart, with a bit of that 'tongue shock' I am always seeking in an IPA. The aftertaste is clean but lingering and the overall experience was very robust and well, tasty. The craftsmanship of the Emperial IPA actually surpasses the high standards I have for Stone, which surprised me quite a bit. I kind of hate when a limited edition beer is as excellent as the Emperial, as this will probably be a one time experience for me unless I pick some more up relatively soon. Maybe I should add that to my Google calendar while I am thinking about it....

Revolution Brewing Company

2010-07-21T20:53:00.000-05:00

Revolution Brewing Company opened up a few months back and has been packed ever since it opened shop a few months back, which I imagine has a lot to do with Revolution sharing an owner with the bike hipster hot spot Handlebar. You guys don't give a shit. On with the beer!

I went with the Cross of Gold golden ale to pair with my meal, and it was pretty damn good. Crisp, lightly hopped and extremely drinkable. Out of the four or five beers I 'sampled' at Revolution, this was definitely the most session oriented. Simple beer gets a simple description. Pictured to the left.

Eugene- Pretty watery porter, with some hints of chocolate and toffee. I can't say I enjoyed it much, but Andy thought it was pretty good. Andy probably didn't want to hurt the beers feelings, though.
An extra dollar a pint, so I would recommend a pass.

Iron Fist IPA- 'Dry-hopped American ale featuring Centennial, Cascade, Chinook and Amarillo hop varieties' Definitely of the red rye variety of IPAs, and dryer than a martini. I enjoyed this beer as it was refreshing and pretty tasty, but I couldn't find much to differentiate it from its peers. Basically I plan on throwing one of these in between the half dozen Cross of Golds I will drink next time through. Pictured bottom left.

Bottom Up Wit- Friends and I agreed that this was the weakest showing from Revolution that we tasted. Soapy, marginal head. Not very flavorful, but sugary.

All in all I think Revolution shows a lot of promise. Although the in house beers didn't blow my mind, they were definitely good enough to warrant a second or third visit. And who knows, with an expanding beer list that third time might be the day they unveil their masterpiece. Being right off the blue line can't hurt my chances of stumbling in there, either.

Minhas Rhinelander Original

2010-06-24T21:38:00.006-05:00

'For many years, the Rhinelander Brewery in far northern Wisconsin brewed Rhinelander Beer. This traditional German lager was favored by the immigrant inhabitants of the area. In 1967, when the Rhinelander Brewery ceased production, Minhas Craft Brewery continued this fine brew to satisfy the substantial following this brand had built over the years. Rhinelander has a clean flavor and a pleasant malty aroma with a Rhine taste and brief finish.' Minhas website

I enjoyed Minha's Mountain Creek Lager, so I picked up this sixer in Louisville over the weekend after filling my basket with glorious bourbon. I cannot say I was impressed. This beer has a soapy head, is too lightly hopped and bland, but it does taste clean. Rhinelander is alright for a cheapy, but not something I would purchase again given other options, including Minhas other brews. That being said, Rhinelander's great logo and low price point ($3 for a six pack) just might make me go back on my word and give it another try one day.

Musical pairing- ELO's Greatest Hits

Olde Johnnie Ale by Cold Spring Brewing Co.

2010-05-30T00:31:00.006-05:00

Syrupy malts, tastes like a cheap brown ale (not a knock, as I am not hating this beer), definitely mass produced. Yeasty head, despite a lack of carbonation and a nice amber color. For $3, this 'double pint' isn't a bad investment if you are looking for something to finish your night with, but I couldn't see drinking these all night. Lower standards, and prices, win out here.

This beer definitely lends itself to many frat boy nick names. So if you already have a nice micro-brew in hand and you are looking for a cheep night cap, then grab some 'Olde J', 'Johnnie O', or plain old 'OJ' at bargain bin prices. It's definitely better when you are already halfway there.

IPA Laundry Fest Part Two- Left Hand 400 Pound Monkey English Style IPA

2010-05-28T21:32:00.003-05:00

Left Hand Brewing Co.- You are pretty good. This beer is not. I don't know if the bottle I purchased is off, but this was a skunky, bland mess. I am sorry guys, but I won't get too descriptive. When I get descriptive and the beer is bad, brewmasters email me. But yeah, I am choking this down.

IPA Laundry Fest Part One- Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree India Pale Ale

2010-05-28T18:13:00.004-05:00

This beer looks like freshly pulped apple cider, so I expected a dense, flavorful experience as soon as I began pouring this bad boy. Sticky hops, malty to the extent that the word 'enzymic' popped into my head, and slightly woody. 13.6% alcohol content is masked by the flavors, to the point that I didn't realize the ABU was that high until I looked at the bottle halfway through. This is a thick one, and definitely for beer enthusiasts only, which is pretty standard for double IPAs. I like it, but I wish it was cheaper (I paid $4 in store for this 12 ounce bottle, and have seen similar prices in the Chicago area), but you certainly get a quality product with Crooked Tree.What you have here is a powerful, heady brew. Don't operate machinery.

Side note: Not a fan of the label, does someones nephew do this shit on MS Paint?

Musical pairing: The Small Faces- Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

McCoys Public House

2010-05-19T14:12:00.007-05:00

McCoy's is a quaint little pub in Kansas City, which my friend and fellow beer enthusiast Neal took me to during my trip to that fine city. McCoy's has a rotating selection of 10-12 beers that they make in house and a menu chock full of fatty pub food, so it was an easy sell to get me in there. Unfortunately they had some issues with their 'filtration system' the week before our arrival, so the beer menu had a lot of X'd out items. I ended up having a few IPA's and a Diesel. The pictures are dark and taken with an Iphone, which is going to be a theme from here on out.

Newcomb's IPA- 'Hops, hops, and more hops are what make an I.P.A. an I.P.A. Complex aroma balanced with smooth, rich malt. Winner of the Bronze Medal in English-style India Pale Ale Category at the 2002 and 2004 Great American Beer Festival. 6.9% ABV 70 IBU' -From the McCoys site.

Newcomb's has a nice clean bite to it, but I wouldn't say it screams 'hops hops and more hops'. The earthy finish (which reminded me of sunflower seeds somehow) is somewhat muted by what I felt was a slight excess of malts. Very clean beer that went well with my sissy black bean burger. definitely an IPA to be paired with food, and a good one at that. A steal at $4.

The Diesel- Half Root beer and Half Thompson's Dry Stout- 'Named after our brewmaster, this black ale has roasted flavor and smooth, rich texture; nitrogen-dispensed for frothy head. 3.8% ABV 45 IBU' -From the McCoys site.

This is something that Neal stated I 'had to try' so we ended up splitting one. This was interesting- very creamy with a warm, somewhat hoppy finish. I expected this to be a carbonated syrupy mess, but the the beer and soda actually blended together remarkably well. A step up in flavor from your standard 'stout float'. I could see myself indulging in or (or half of one again) every month or two.

Synopsis: I enjoyed the drinks and food at McCoys and will definitely hit them up when I am in KC again. I was a little disappointed that they had some technical difficulties that cut down on the selection, but what can you do?

Hamm's Golden Draft

2010-05-05T11:06:00.006-05:00

What, you guys didn't think I was going to get all sophisticated, did you?

It is hard to find any information on Hamm's online, it seems to be MillerCoors' dirty little secret. There are fan pages, there are clubs, there is even a monument to the Hamm's Bear in St. Paul, but no official website. 2010.

You can go back a year or so and read my glowing praise of Hamm's regular if you like. I enjoy cheap beer (for the most part) and Hamm's is one of the cheapest and tastiest of the variety. In the extremely overpriced city of Chicago I was able to buy a sixer of HGD with a five dollar bill and still have change left over.

Hamm's Golden Draft is noticeably maltier than its non golden counterpart. Unfortunately, that is about the only difference between the two beers. I can't say that I enjoyed HGD over its regular cousin, but I would definitely recommend it over a similar trailer-chugger like Busch.

And now I leave you with a video-