Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving/Port Brewing Shark Attack


Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving! We are ready for the holiday season and I just wanted to post a quick review from last night before today's festivities begin.
Aside from last nights growler of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout which was still on tap at New Beer yesterday, there was a beer I had not had before from a brewery that's earned quite a reputation. That brewery is Port Brewing/Lost Abbey. I've had a few of their beers whenever I've been out of NY. The seem to be distributed everywhere and around NYC, but this is the first time I've seen them here.
I was hoping this beer was going to have some good hop flavors in it having finished off the last of my BCS, and I was not disappointed. Needing a good "palette cleanser," Port Brewing Shark Attack is a Double Red Ale clocking in at 9% ABV and displays all of the right characteristics of an American Strong Ale. It pours out almost no carbonation with strong hop aromas from the start -- good resinous citrus infused malt notes. Lots of honey malt scent and the citrus earthiness of the hops. I'm actually kinda surprised with this one. I've tried a few Port/Lost Abbey beers before and this one is probably the best I've had. No, unfortunately I have never had Angel's Share -- their most highly acclaimed and one of the rarest in their Lost Abbey line. But I have had Santa's Little Helper, I have had Old Viscosity and Wipeout IPA, but always felt unimpressed and slightly less wealthy. This one on the other hand is a completely different story. Beautiful very soft carbonation, with good crispy hop bite developing into a resinous citrusy flavor at one lock of the lips. The alcohol is incredibly well hidden by a toasty malt flavor developing three quarters of the way through the flavor. Big presiding honey-dipped fruit flavor and it's just so soft. The more I drink it, the more I enjoy the carbonation: rich, full and satisfying. Instead of the hops bittering up from the carbonation your tongue just gets matted with a good pineapple flavor. This beer was quite good, but still up in the air about its almost $10 price tag. I would have to grab it if I saw it again, but not so sure that would happen.
So today we will be having some nice beers with the meal and after. I grabbed a bottle of Great Divide Fresh Hop, which is just so good if you've never had it. We will then likely move onto Brooklyn Local 1 to balance the more heavy mid-meal offerings. Followed by Southern Tier Krampus to strengthen up for dessert. Whatever happens after that is any one's guess. Happy Thanksgiving -- drink some absurd beers with the meal please.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thanksgiving beers

Holiday beer season is upon us. I will be called upon once again to bring the beers to Thanksgiving, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Not only am I particularly well-stocked this year (in the cellar) to provide a wide-range of styles, but I can think of some great beers currently out to bring along as well. I should have a good balance of rich malty, as well as hoppy upper-tier session beers to sample during the meal, with great dedication taken to the dessert/post-dessert/all night imperials. We'll see how deep I dig into the cellar for these treats, but needless to say a lot of these are purchased for the sole reason of consuming during the holidays. And once the holidays pass, a lot of those beers will not be considered again til the following year. Reviews will of course be kept record and posted for you all to share in the experience.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Southern Tier Krampus


It seems like I'm always opening a new type of Southern Tier. They are just constantly releasing new beers and styles and it seems even if its not a new beer, I'm still waiting for something to come out i.e. Choklat. Anyways, this beer is one I'm excited for -- an Imperial Helles Lager? Don't think I've ever had an imperial lager, but hey, there is a first for everything. I tend to take a certain enjoyment from these types of beers, these types being very standard sessionable styles but imperializing them. Just something about Imperial Pilsner being the same style of beer as Bud or Coors but it actually is flavorful and tastes good. It's almost like alright Bud sucks, but Pilsners aren't a foregone style of beer. So an imperial lager, lager being a rather sessionable and limiting type of yeast, seems like something right up my alley....Let's get to the beer.
Pours beautiful with a nice sticky lacing and beautiful ruby golden color. Smell is immediately one of malt, serious malt bill. But wet malt, cold and muted. The taste is actually alittle surprising. Very dry up front with good spicy and herbal hop qualities. Mouthfeel is slick and rich and carbonation is perfect for the flavor it needs. Allows your tongue the appropriate time to coat and get the full range of flavors, but then fizzles out to a nice dry and crisp citrusy hop finish. It's good and very unique, you can taste the certain lagerness to it. It is definitely a spicy beer and appropriate of its holiday designation. The hops tend to dominate this beer in their very spicy nature and suppose that its hard to imperialize this style without so much hops. And I say bring it on. This beer is quality, definitely a good one to eat with some nice food, particularly of the Asian variety. It is an easy drinker and finishes with quite a lasting bitterness, but dry leaving you yearning for the next sip. The bitterness does get slightly overbearing at one point, calling for a refresher of water, but this beer is still great.
Of course, I expect nothing less from Southern Tier and the Krampus is no exception. The ability to pull such "under-dog" styles of beer into imperialized, exceptional monsters is one thing that keeps bringing me back to Southern Tier... can not wait for the Choklat

Saturday, November 22, 2008

New Beer Dsitributors

If you a craft guy in NYC, you know about New Beer Distributors. Having gone there this morning to get my growlers filled, let me tell you this place does not disappoint. Scored some great new releases as well as a couple oddities. A reasonably priced Captain Lawrence Smoke From the Oak Bourbon Barrel is on the fence whether it will get added to the cellar or immediately be consumed. I can't wait to try the new Southern Tier Krampus. And the Port Brewing Shark Attack Ale seemed slightly out of place for some reason...Not to mention 2006 Anchor Christmas. But most importantly the growler filled with Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. What an opportunity to take home one of the best imperial stouts there are and sample it under the relaxful watch of friends and fellow beer lovers. Look for reviews on all these soon.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Great Beer Weekend Lies Ahead

Well folks, it looks like we have another great beer weekend lined up for us. I noticed that Barcade, my local favorite had Ithaca Ten on tap. This beer is just fantastic on tap, so different than the bottles and I tend to like Ithaca beers. They have this great fruity hoppyness to them which I tend to appreciate a lot. I suggest stopping by if you are in the area. Also happening this weekend is an email from New Beer Distributors telling me to bring my growler and head there first thing tomorrow morning. Is it possible to have BCS glut? The beer that I might call my favorite in the world. Is it possible to have this on tap two times in one month and wait, bring home a growler of it? Yes that's right people, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout is on tap at New Beer, and i'm betting it won't last. Stay tuned for other treats that my have come in this weekend. I'm eyeing two particular Southern Tier beers...

Monday, November 17, 2008

Three Floyds Moloko Milk Stout

I could smell this beer as I was pouring it out of the bomber -- Dark and robust. It's coming down to the final few bottles of my package from WLV, so the competition is getting real. This particular new release from Three Floyds obviously did not disappoint. This beer just smells great, absolutely all the right smells: Coffee, Dark Chocolate and Caramel. Beautiful shiny black color too. Taste is so smooth, or wait is it crisp? Instead of super roast toasty finish its almost a clean break? Smell it again -- ah, like a dark choclatier or something like that. Taste it again -- yea this is delicious, choclately caramel milk smoothness, and a nice clean mocha finish. There is this perfect balance of smooth milky malt flavors and then this very nice crispness. Somehow this crispness is paired with signature low carbonation which gives this beer the body I desire, trim body that is.
These Three Floyds beers are pretty amazing, having previously tried them in visits to Chicago I knew it was the right decision...but oh the desire to have the elusive, the mythical Three Floyds Dark Lord, is still my ultimate conquest for this brand and maybe my cellar too. That and Surly Darkness, oh yea and Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock...Alright I'll stop naming really highly rated beers that I've never had...except maybe the last one.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Saturday Morning Round-up: Goose Island Night and Other Fine Tastings


Good morning, its time for the Saturday round-up. This is where I get to write about all the great stuff that happened over the past few days but I have yet to report on. Well there is lots to write about today so let's get started.
Goose Island Night was great, the Blind Tiger just manages to score some of the best and rarest kegs and this was no exception (Looking forward to VSK next Wednesday -- same place, same time). I started things off with an obvious choice of Bourbon County Stout 2008, which much to my expectation tasted very similar to the bottle. Do I dare say I actually like it in the bottle better? I do, I think it has a slightly more enjoyable carbonation for me, which I think more effectively coats your tongue. The draft has sort of a good almost sherryness to it, personifying a much more fruity than usual flavor, but with that signature toasted marshmallow finish that I love so much. But, I'll tell you what they don't have in the bottle, especially over here in the NYC area, is the Blue Czar, which was fantastic! This beer essentially seemed to be a version of the BCS but aged shorter and with the addition of...blueberries! This was excellent. When done right, fruit flavors are some of the greatest addition to the beefiest biggest imperial stouts out there. But done poorly to a weak and inappropriate stout can just end up in disaster... a Goose Island bourbon barrel aged stout certainly does not fall into this category. This beer took on an almost fluffiness and I really enjoyed how the blueberry flavors danced on my tongue in the lightest and most complex way. Other notable beers from the night included Pappy Van Sherry which was their Imperial Red Ale aged in Pappy Van Winkle Barrels. Somewhat disappointing....smelled like Pappy Van Winkle, a whiskey I love and is one of the highest regarded bourbons in the world, but flavor didn't do it for me. I love the taste of fresh hops and this beer possessed the opposite, sort of a sour cloying taste personified by stale hops. But hey this beer was good, I just had higher expectations. There were great flavors of dry butterscotch developing in this one.
The Goose Island night was a huge success and one in which I took great pride in participating in. I'm always excited to try the great beers of a brewery with an incredible reputation.
In other news, some more treats from the package will now be revealed.

Three Floyds Dreadnaught anybody? Surprised that was in the package? I'm not. This is considered one of the best American craft IPAs there are out there, and the beer does not disappoint. It pours with a cloudy golden orange body with a nice dissipating fluffy white head. This beer just smells hops in all varietals. Spicy, herbal, earthy, piney, fruity, citrusy...all the great flavors of hops. But the taste is the same thing. You get it all with a beautiful golden malt flavor backing it up and making this Imperial IPA what? Yes, balanced. Malt flavors draw a similarity to Dogfish Head, but never this smooth. It has this incredible carbonation that just puts everything in its place. Makes this monster smooth, and incredibly drinkable. It finishes clean and the palette, yearning for the next sip. It's a delicious beer of an incredibly rare nature, one that will certainly become a part of all future orders from Chicago.
Southern Tier recently came out with a run of Oak Aged Ales called the Cuvee series. Cuvee #1 is the first foray into this series. The packaging is beautiful. The individual boxing, the foil label. But most importantly, what does the beer taste like? Its a beer of incredible deception cloaked in the mystery of oak aging. This beer is a monster, at 11% ABV, it is huge, but you'd never know. Such is the nature of this oak aged beast. It tastes great, just incredibly smooth. Yes smooth, is the word I'd use to describe it. Not honey, not vanilla, not even fruity or spicy. Although this beer possesses all those flavors, the most dominant flavor is yes, smooth. Such is the nature of a beer that melds its flavors so well, that hides its alcohol as almost imperceptible. This is an incredibly complex piece of brewers art. Its slightly Belgiany, yes I just made that up, and I could go without that, but it works well here, balancing the honey malt flavors with a certain dry spiciness. It's a great beer and a definite adder to the cellar.

What Saturday treats await tonight's palette?

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Goose Island Night @ Blind Tiger Alehouse

I'm going to be at this event tonight for sure and can't wait to taste the Bourbon County Stout on tap for the first time ever! This is a very exciting moment for me as far as tasting perhaps my favorite beer... on tap! There looks to be lots of other great stuff on tap tonight too, can't wait to see that list. I'll be sure to take plenty of notes to report back with. Til then...Cheers!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Anchor Holiday 2008


It's a great time of year. Holiday season is the best for those dark, warming beers I love so much. Although not quite as dark and rich as am I biased to, Anchor Holiday has and always be one of my favorites of the season.
Having had this beer many times its exciting to think about how this year's version will taste and how it will compare to the inevitable tasting of the 06, 07 and 08 side by side. Unfortunately those are the only other years in the cellar right now. Let's get to the review.
Pours with just great viscosity developing into that signature thick Anchor head. Smell seems more tame this year, not as much cherries but with usual hints of nutmeg and dark berries.
The taste is good, what you'd expect -- but you can tell that it will benefit from some aging. Plenty of dark fruit on the palette with alittle more chocolate than usual. Carbonation seems alittle over active right now -- preventing the beer from coating my tongue. This no doubt will improve with age as well. Overall Anchor Holiday is a great beer, one for festive occasions and good winter nights. But it will improve greatly with age, and my main reason behind the purchase was to age the beer. My previous memories of the 06 were that it was an incredibly complex and delicious beer, with the spices more subdued, allowing the true malt flavors to develop. I've had the '98 as well a couple of months ago and that was not nearly as enjoyable as the 06. Perhaps because it had developed a cloying sourness that some are a fan of but I am most certainly not. It was still complex and good, but with a muted "here it comes" sensation in the mouth. Anchor Holiday is a great beer and symbolic entry into my favorite beer season of the year.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Package from WLV Liquors


So I got a package recently. A pretty sweet package, indeed. It was filled with some of the best possible beers that you can't get in NYC or nearby. It weighed 36 pounds. I'll be revealing the contents as the month progresses, but there are some serious treats. And I can't think of any better way to start this off, then with such an excessive ode to beer, to those elusive brews.
Well, the first beer I'm trying out tonight is Three Floyds Munsterfest.

This beer is well, its an Oktoberfest, nothing too crazy. But its pretty damn good and definitely worth trying. It starts out with smells of honey, sweet toasted malt and that smell of all Oktoberfests -- just that malty malt maltyness and its clean, not muttled at all. The best thing about Three Floyds beer is perhaps the smoothness of the carbonation. You'll see a lot of talk here about carbonation as it is something I tend to focus on with my beer (a certain harmonious integrator of beer). But Three Floyds just does this so well. And what do I detect in my Oktoberfest? Yes, a bit of citrus hop bite to remind you this is Three Floyds. It finishes with an almost toasted butterscotch dryness and its quite delicuous -- the essence of fall in a beer.
Stay tuned for Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2008 on tap in NYC!!! This should be absurd...

Welcome to Alebusters!

Welcome, and thanks for coming. This is a project i've been thinking about working on for awhile now and I'm happy to say the day has finally come.
We are going to be doing a lot of stuff here and we are going to be doing it right. This is all about great beers and the enjoyment of them. It's about the finer things in life, about knowing your stuff. It's our mission to sample these beers and report back to you. So let's get started.

woo hoo!

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