Alebusters

Is winter the best beer season?

2011-02-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

Last summer I was really impressed with some good "summer ales" coming out. You know, not just the brewery's most bland offering, but some good crisp, often hoppy, and innovative ales. It's getting better, but winter is just the best, the absolute best. Not only do you get all the great special releases and holiday ales that come out, but you get the big stouts and barleywines for the cellar. But wait, it gets even better, then you get, the really great strong hoppy beers. I'm talking about Bell's Hopslam and Troeg's Nugget Nectar, two perennial late winter all-stars. But this year it got even better, there was Firestone Walker Double Jack and Founders Double Trouble, then Ithaca 13, then Fegley's Hop'solutely. Pretty awesome, I can't imagine it getting any better than this. I can drink a huge stout with a nice fresh double IPA to back it up, craft beer at its finest. I do wish it was warm though...

Psstt... Growlers

2011-01-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't noticed, growlers are blowing up. From your favorite craft beer bar, to Duane Reade, to the home-distributor down the street, virtually ever type of beer-selling-place has growlers to go. A growler can really be any size must commonly the 64oz container. It's filled with draft beer and has a limited lifespan. Growlers are great in that they are reusable, but the onus often lies on the customer to insure that cleanliness before refill. Growlers provide the customer with draft beer at home; Draft beer is fresh beer and those qualities are carried over when a growler is consumed in a timely fashion at home. Another benefit is that many beers are released as draft-only, thus the goal of enjoying them at home is worth the premium. And often, it is a premium. I do like growlers, and have acquired many over the years, but sometimes I think the novelty seems to overcome the benefits. This novelty often results in higher prices with a deadline for consumption. A full size growler (64 oz) which is either 5.3 beers (12 oz 6 pk bottle size) or 4.5 beers (14 oz traditional bar pint), should hypothetically be cheaper then a 6 pk or it should definitely be cheaper than 4.5 beers at the bar, but often it's not. To the retailer, draft (keg) beer is significantly cheaper by volume than packaged beer, so what are the financial considerations and factors weighing into the price? I don't know, but I do know save for the premium I'm willing to pay for draft-only releases, I'm drinking a lot less growlers lately. The other consideration is this whole landscape of both on and off premise accounts selling growlers. On premise needs higher margins, but why sell growlers? There are so many questions and this post is a bit lengthy, so we will leave it there for now. But I think this is one we will have to come back to.

The Cellar 2011

2011-01-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

OK, with my confessions out there regarding my credit card bills, I've redone the inventory. The cellar list will be updated and subsequent adventures documented. This is what I've been doing. Let's see just how far this whole movement can go.

Beer Collector Phobia

2011-01-17T05:42:00.000-08:00

It's a serious problem affecting beer geeks throughout the continental US. Symptoms include prioritizing beer over everything else in life, but not the drinking of it. Other symptoms include the particular hoarding of rarer or whale beers because of their perceived value. I would like to say that as a hoarder, I have a serious problem. At what point have I gone too far -- stored up too much beer to drink, spent too much money? When have I reached the point that i'm not enjoying what I paid for? Well that's all perception. I do admit that I have a problem drinking my beers, I often ask my friends to pick something out because I am incapable of doing it. I know that's what the beers are for, but I understand why I do it; It's like being a kid again. I've always enjoyed collecting things -- baseball cards, comics and now beer. The difference among those is that beer is gone when I drink it and it also has a lifespan. I know it sounds odd to compare my childhood to buying an alcoholic beverage, but this is a new level. The hunt is so enjoyable for me. From the spotting of the release on beernews, to the tracking of the beer's movement on beeradvocate, beermenus and the various online beer stores, to the final purchase in the store, is a very satisfying process for me. I've kind of become addicted to it, but once the beers are home, well that's a different story...

Goose Island going Crazy

2011-01-14T07:16:00.000-08:00

There are a couple of beers and breweries I attribute to really developing my interest in craft beer. None more important then the first time I had Goose Island Bourbon County Stout back in 2006. At the time, I was just getting into big stouts but this beer really changed my perception of what beer could be, especially in a 12 oz bottle. It was so expensive, but it was so good, it started a paradigm shift on how I focused my attention to beer and new beers, and is probably the beer to blame for the over two hundred bottles I now have sitting in a dark cool room. Not sure how long ago it was, but Anheuser-Busch bought Goose Island and contrary to my belief at the time, Goose Island has gotten better and gone crazy!
There is an assumption among hard-core beer geeks that the Big 3 are all evil and I tend to agree -- the mass dissemination of BMC in this country has given American beer a low class blue collar image especially in Europe and abroad. We know now that when A-B bought Goose Island, it really didn't hurt the brand, in fact it might have made them go crazy! In 2010, Goose Island came out with an insane amount of new beers and most excitingly, various iterations of Bourbon County Stout. The hype train rolled and the beers delivered. They also released a variety of Belgian Style sour beers that I really enjoyed as well. Which begs the question, did A-B help Goose Island? Take for example the beer -- Madame Rose that was released this year -- Greg Hall had special Cherry Trees brought over for Belgium and a care-taker implemented to have the cherries to make this beer. It's just really impressive, and the beers have all been stellar. In my opinion A-B is letting them do what they want and giving them the dollars to do it, and I couldn't be more happy about it, is this a benefit to the buy-out?

If I started posting again...

2011-01-14T07:06:00.000-08:00

Would you guys come back and read it again? Just Kidding. Slacker doesn't even do justice to the complete absence of my blog in 2010. And believe me, I haven't stopped doing the craft thing, in fact I've often gone into debt over it and had many sleepless nights. I think I have finally completed my highest beer buying season of the year: The Holidays. I've spoken about it before, but I'll reiterate it here, that Winter is by far my favorite beer month. This season was no exception, with the release of many exciting (and expensive) beers.
NYC has just continued its craft beer snowballing effect. An influx of craft beer bars joins pre-existing bars going craft to create an almost unwieldy universe of bars and choices.
I want this blog to ultimately be the story of my adventures with craft beer in NYC and in the world. It's not beer reviews and it's not a calendar of events -- it is my observations on everything I see in my own biased view of the craft beer world. Hope you enjoy it.

Start Posting again!

2010-10-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

So I obviously haven't posted for awhile, things have been difficult, and life needed some sorting out. But I should bring this blog back as it was something that I really enjoyed working on it. I need to update the cellar as much has changed, and there have been a lot of cultural changes continuing to the growth of craft beer. Beer related news is blowing up, it is almost becoming too much. When I first started reading beernews.org i guess it was 2 yrs ago. I would never miss a story, now there are ones I just have to skip because there just isn't enough time. I want to post commentary here, and I won't feel bad about it. As the craft beer industry expands, there just becomes too many choices (paradox of choice) -- you have to be selective, and some I will hate. But they are my opinions and should be taken as such. I feel its a grounded opinion, you decide.

Stay Tuned!

Cellar Raid

2009-09-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

So I decided to raid the cellar yesterday. So much great beer down there, so much ready to drink, can't leave it in there forever can you? Anyways, I raided the cellar and pulled out some things that I believe are ready to drink, and somethings I just want to try. I know for a fact that 2002 Doggie Claws is ready to drink, but be sure I'll leave some until 2012.

Three left...

2009-09-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

Went to Whole Foods Bowery today. You know the usual -- New Beer then Whole Foods. Well Whole Foods had the Atlantic IPA from Brewdog. In case you haven't heard this is a pretty special beer, and wait for it, it has a $29 per 12 oz bottle price tag. Wowza, that is an expensive beer. I mean damn, $20 OK? I guess, but wow, that is a lot of money for a beer, I mean I know what they did is special, but damn so expensive. OK, I've written expensive for the last time. As a I feebly debate with myself whether or not to buy it, I pick up a dry hopped growler of Dale's Pale from the cask. Uh yea, two left around 6:30...

Tidbits

2009-09-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

Some interesting beer news lately. Sam Adams is coming out with a Barrel collection. The biggest "craft" brewer in the country, with an incredibly large distribution network and numerous contract breweries is coming out with a barrel-aged beer? Seems a little odd, I mean it's not like they are hurting or anything. But it shows the power of the trend - that is a key indicator. To keep pace with today's modern beer geek its not just IPAs and stouts anymore. It's big, bold adventuresome beers inspired by ingenuity as much as the craft. Sam Adams knows, they didn't get to the top because they weren't smart.

Hop Devil Bust

2009-09-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Have to call this out...big time. Went there on Monday for their "world beer" event as per the NY Craft beer website...absolutely nothing but your standard tequila bar taps, so I walked out. But the "Daze of the Devil" fest was an annual tradition, a great tradition at that. But again nothing. This time it was listed on beermenus too and I was pretty disappointed. You can not do that. Advertise for events that don't exist to maybe try and drum up your shitty business? Do not go to the Hop Devil, it's been busted!

Go get growlers from New Beer

2009-09-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Just got back from New Beer distributors. Had to run over after getting the email telling me that they have the Bruery Melange #3 which I previously rated. And then Bourbon Barrel Ten Fidy which I'm sipping on now and his incredible smoothness and complexity. So head over there and bring your growlers!

Couple of events today and tommorow

2009-09-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

For those in Williamsburg there is a nice set of activities tonight in honor of craft beer week. Head over to DBA around 8 for their "liquids of interest" tasting that will certainly be beer-oriented. And don't forget Barcade is having Fisherman's night tonight too.
Tomorrow I might have to check out the Hop Devil Grill. Ah the Hop Devil, bastard if there ever was one. The bar more than any other that got me to where I am in craft beer now had to be the Hop Devil. Circa 2005-7, this was the place to be. You name it they had it: Kuhnhenn, Bell's, Heavyweight. But then something happened, it closed for renovations and opened back up as a "southwestern tequila and beer bar" around 2008 and it's just been beyond mediocre since. Anyways, what I'm getting at, is it might be time to test the waters again for tomorrow's Daze of the Devil fest, which is a pre-southwest tradition. This could definitely be worth checking out -- i.e. they might have Kuhnhenn.

Any traders out there?

2009-09-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Anybody out there see anything on this blog that they might want, please contact me for trade. I'm actually having an apparent hard time making some trades with my apparent "lack" of cred.

Great Cask Fest! NYC Craft beer week rolls on...

2009-09-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Made a quick stop at Rattle-n-Hum last night to check out the kick-off of the cask fest and boy was it awesome. Good reasonable prices I thought for some incredibly rare beers on cask! Barcade should be fun today with some good looking Harpoon drafts! Probably have to make my way back to that cask fest too.

NYC Craft Beer Week

2009-09-11T06:58:00.001-07:00

NYC Craft Beer Week starts today with a huge cask festival kick-off at Rattle-n-Hum. Check out the list: here. Do I need to say anymore other than Sculpin IPA on cask, not to mention Nugget Nectar and Ten Fidy...looks ridiculous. My suggestion is to hit this up...early if you can. I'll be detailing a few other events as the week tags along, but I will probably hit up Barcade for a few of their events.

Capt Lawrence Smoke from the Oak Apple Brandy

2009-09-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Got an email earlier today from Capt. Lawrence. They are releasing Smoke from the Oak Apple Brandy barrel this Saturday. Depending on what I am doing, I may or may not go up there, but I think it will hit retail around here.

The Cellar Unveiled!

2009-09-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

I Wanted to finally put up some pics of the cellar for people to get an idea of the size and location of it. As you can see it is just in the crawlspace of the house underground. Unfortunately there is no room to chill and drink in there (you can't stand up), but the conditions are perfect -- always dark and static in temperature.

The Pony Bar

2009-09-04T13:49:00.001-07:00

Heading over to the Pony Bar this evening before a concert at Terminal 5, so pretty excited about both. The Pony Bar is fairly new and they only serve American craft beer ala Barcade. I can't really see myself going there unless it blows me away, it's out there on 10th ave. I mean it looks great on paper so let's give it a go.

Random Beer Tasting Notes

2009-09-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

I went to a beer tasting last weekend, where I tasted the Midnight Sun M. To those who have heard of this legendary beer, good job, to those who haven't I highly recommend them and the 'beer I will never taste again.' The M actually was worth the hype. I would have given anything just for another little sample, so rich, so decadent. Hard to distinguish a Belgian quality to it, but nonetheless, it was legendary. Other highlights included a lot of other Midnight Sun - Sloth and Greed. Anyways, have at the pics, some serious beer porn. Anybody guess where it was?

Lost Abbey comes through!

2009-09-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

So if you didn't know already, I bought a lot of flat Lost Abbey Angel's Share (Brandy). Probably one of the best beers I had tasted before, I impulsively bought a ton for now and later. Anyways, I decided I should try and do something about this (having already waited months for the bottles to carbonate) and emailed Lost Abbey customer service about two months ago. It took a lot of back and forth and truth be told I didn't reveal the full amount bought (which is a lot more; felt sheepish) but they did come through with the package nonetheless and I was positively pleased! They sent me all four Angel's Share bottles I requested which I'm glad are bourbon instead of brandy, plus two extras I've never had! It was really nice for the company to stand up and do the right thing, I'm glad they did.

Kuhnhenn NYC!

2009-09-01T12:33:00.001-07:00

I'm proud to report a surprise launch party of Kuhnhenn brewing company in NYC. This wednesday Blind Tiger will be hosting. First Cigar City then this, remember you heard it here first.

Woops!

2009-08-23T06:59:00.001-07:00

Anyways, there is a lot to talk about. Missed out on some good tastes but the best is yet to come. Got some Wisconsin beer coming in, and then there was my whole battle with the Lost Abbey quality control peeps, let's see if they come through. Won a liquid solutions auction for some Doggie Claws 2002, and a friend just came back from Oregon with some great looking local brews. Cigar City is in NYC!? This is pretty crazy news; it's been a long time since a brewery of this caliber made one of their first stops in NYC. Anyways, let's try and do this right again. Keep me in-line people!

Wonderful World of Trading

2009-07-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Received my package today; the aftermath of the Cuvee de Castleton release. I can't wait to have some Dark Lord to consume right now and some to age. I've always loved the Kuhnhenn Rasperry Eisbock -- what a unique beer. It's so satisfying to have a successful trade. I really recommend it to anybody that ever thought about getting their feet wet.

Allagash night

2009-07-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Another good night at Barcade, never a bad one...really. But for the Belgian-lover Allagash makes some very unique and delicious brews. Interlude for example - their saison aged in wine barrels is just so well integrated and complex. Beautiful dark berry notes with distinct Belgiany-ness. Hugh Malone is a good buddy of mine, probably the best Belgian-IPA I've ever had, and a pretty damn good IPA at that. Also notables was the Musette with its bold bourbony flavors, and Black on cask which is my jam. It's like marshmallow graham crackers and pepper; and that is a pretty damn good sounding beer.

Epic Beer Haul!

2009-07-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Philly with the purpose of buying beer. I didn't mean to have the most insane weekend in personal beer history, but sometimes you have to make the investment if for the long haul, and when scarcity is a problem. It usually takes two, maybe three set-aside cases to convince me to drive down. It only took two big ones this time, and they were both beers that I specifically wanted from the West Coast but were procured in Philly, how's that for distribution? Papier with its fairly small production (4777) seemed like a long shot, but Bella Vista beer distributors had it (by the case of course) and with a seemingly low price tag. Now $12 a bottle isn't cheap. But we are talking about a beautiful wax dipped, individually numbered and foil embossed label. A beer that is 14.5%, aged in a variety of different barrels and will supposedly "age for decades." To put this in perspective, the 500ml North Coast Old Rasputin cost $23 vs. the 750ml $12 Papier. Ah, beer pricing. Not that either one is a particularly better brew (haven't had the Papier yet), just find it kind of odd. The other big gun, well that of course had to be the Ballast Point Sculpin, and talk about living up to the hype. Like Nugget Nectar times 20 is my best descriptor. So crisp and fruity, such beautiful fruit flavors, best IPA ever?
And then bonus cases!
You go with the intention of picking up two, while you are there already, might as well pick up some more? Saw an interesting case at the Beer Yard, where I picked up the Sculpin. Founder's variety pack case: 6x Imperial Stout, 6x Double Trouble, 6x Curmudgeon, and what? 6x KBS? like real KBS? Had to make sure... "is that the real KBS in there?" "yup," immediately.. "I'm getting that." Uh yea, hadn't had KBS, another quintessential beer to pick up, seemingly way past its release date. Lastly, A mix pack of Pretty Things beers from MA rounded out the haul, providing a nice balancing effect to the already explosive selections. Epic...

Weekend o' Beer

2009-07-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

The tasting was fun, looks like to no surprise that Doggie Claws 2007 was everyones favorite. The hops had integrated nicely underneath layers and layers of dark sugar complexity. Decadence was interesting in how it was alittle sour, but not too much; just enough to lend itself to some intense plumy like dark fruit notes. Other notable barleywines included the cellar-needing Arctic Devil and the ready to drink Mirror Mirror.
Also attended the Captain Lawrence Cuvee de Castleton release yesterday. My first release at NY's award winning brewery. The tasting table was quite impressive and left me shameful of not bringing a glass or anything to taste. There was alittle bit of a scare that they might run out of a beer that they only produced 1,704 bottles of, but thankfully I got my six bottle limit. Some quality brews to consume, cellar and trade with.

Barleywine Tasting Today

2009-07-17T12:33:00.001-07:00

So here's the list (and look for pics and reviews to follow):

Alesmith Decadence 2008
Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2007
Midnight Sun Arctic Devil
Troegs Flying Mouflan
Lost Abbey Angel's Share
Deschutes Mirror Mirror
Third Coast Old Ale
Nogne-O Sunturnbrew

WORD

Beer Beer Beer Beer

2009-07-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

Another day, another package from the west coast. This time from CA and filled with particular treats that usually never make it further west than the west coast. What wondrous treats abound?
I had previously mentioned Alesmith Decadence 2008, which will be an incredible ager. I also picked up a good amount of Old Rasputin XII. Which I sampled last night, and let me tell you was quite the bourbon-barrel aged stout. beautiful notes of everything you want with a harsh edge that will mellow and integrate beautifully with some age; glad I got a lot. Last but not least, Pliny the Elder filled out the remaining package. This pinnacle west coast DIPA is everything you'd imagine it would be and quite earning of its top 10 status across most beer websites. I was slightly heartbroken to miss out on the Bruery Papier, which is a 14.5% barrel-aged old ale. But hey, I'll find a way.

Black Butte XXI in the house

2009-07-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, picking up a package at UPS is not really a fun process. When I showed up to get my package in the 7-8 window, ended up staying til 8:30. But I probably walked away with the most bad ass package of all, you know the one that specifically states not to deliver to an intoxicated person? Yea that one. Can't wait to try this beer, Deschutes really impressed me last time with the Mirror Mirror. Also got a Midnight Sun Maitresse du Monde....should be interesting. The tasting is on for Friday: Barleywines my friends.

Tasting

2009-07-11T04:55:00.000-07:00

OK, looks like the tasting will happen next Saturday, a week from today, and I'm leaning towards.....Barleywines. This could be a big cellar depleter as a lot of these barleywines are my last and have been saving them for a special occasion. I consider a tasting a special occasion. It's a good time to drink critically, and with good people. Let's see if I can acquire a few more special barleywines before then.

Ithaca Night @ Barcade

2009-07-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

Just came back from my tasting at Barcade. Ordered a flight of: Eleven, Ten, Alphalpha, Flower Power (cask), and Brute. The Eleven is a coffee bomb if there ever was one. This imperial milk stout aged over whole coffee beans is quite good, but if you don't like coffee then shy away. Ten is like a barleywine now it seems, I remember being almost like hop juice last time I tried it, a lot like an American barleywine now. Alphalpha was odd, I actually expected more from this brew having read about and not tried it before. Flower Power on cask was so good, really exemplifies what a cask does to an IPA if you've ever had this beer on tap. And then there was the Brute. Now you all probably know that I'm not a huge sour fan, can't handle overpowering Brettamyoces flavor. But this beer had a good balance, and much like the Russian River Consecration I actually might have enjoyed it. The funk is not too powerful, the beer is sour, but in a fruity sort of vinous like way. The funk is there, but it adds to the flavor and sort of spices up the whole thing. The Victory Wild Devil on tap as well really does not do that.

Upcoming Tasting?

2009-07-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

So I've been thinking about having another tasting. I got a lot of great beers coming through and a lot in the cellar, and what better reason is there to sit around comparing great beers? So I'm thinking of two possible tastings: Both of which (I guess) are inappropriate for the season.

Barleywines: Would be a mix of both English and American styles; perhaps Arctic Devil, Angel's Share, Mirror Mirror, my last? Doggie Claws 07?, Big Bad Worse etc?

OR

Barrel-Aged (dark ales?) stouts: Black Ops, Bourbon County, BBVD, Rasputin XXI....

Or perhaps just another Barrel-aged fest....but this time just barleywines and stouts?

Any ideas?

DBA redemption and Decadence!

2009-07-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

DBA was able to redeem their Monday night tasting with the excellent choice of Whiskey. It started at 8 despite the 7 posting, but I knew it would and left accordingly. So just keep that in mind if you are ever going to go to their Monday night tastings. They are fun and you really have to speak up to get your tasting notes out there.
I also placed an order with South Bay Drugs in SD, California. Some things are just too hard to resist. Alesmith Decadence being one of them. This year's style being an English-Style Barleywine at 11% I can hardly wait to put this into the cellar. Alesmith consistently makes some of the best and age-worthy ales out there. They are a very small brewery but I've seen them (sporadically) in NYC and before that I used to drive to MA to purchase it. Anyways, the Alesmith Decadence 2006 I had opened at my first tasting back in Dec 08 was when of the best results of aging I ever had, and that was an Imperial Red Ale! Just wait (seriously!) for this bad boy in a couple of years.

"I think there's a little sumpin' in the fridge"

2009-07-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here comes my shout out to Lagunitas; they just make some of the best hoppiest beers out there. These guys excel at hops. Hop Stoopid is amazing and at roughly $5 a bottle you won't find a better hoppy meal. And then they go ahead and blow me away again. Lil Sumpin, their new summer seasonal is well alittle something awesome. They just create such fruity and floral hop flavors, and seeing Lagunitas come out with something like this as their summer seasonal just makes it that much better for me. See, summer is personally my least favorite beer season. Wheat beer this, wit bier that, sunshine this, lager that. It's always the same, any breweries' lightest offering will always be their summer, and for me I just tend to think that is sometimes a little weak. I love a refreshing summer brew like the next guy and can't quaff an imperial stout on a hot summer day, ok I lie, but I will more likely than usual opt for a lighter body beer during summer. It's great to see Lagunitas not just make a 'summer time pilsner' or something like that but a beautiful west coast ipa with a wheaty twang, now that's what I'm talking about

Night Stalker on tap at Barcade

2009-07-03T13:51:00.001-07:00

Barcade has some good stuff on tap recently. Goose Island Night Stalker is so serious. I honestly think it is more intense then the Bourbon County Stout. You will know that the BCS is already one of my favorite beers, so its pretty exciting to try its unbarreled twin brother. But the barrel aging kind of helps this beer calm down abit and develop a much more rounded taste profile. Whoa is all I can say, definitely delicious, just really really intense. Hard to drink 14ozs of, but damn....

D.B.Friggin A

2009-06-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Kind of annoyed. If you set something up for the consumer, some sort of promotion or event, it doesn't matter if it's free or not. Especially if its publicly presented at that time, makes it even worse.
So I started going to DBA Brooklyn's free tasting nights on Monday at 7pm. Well, I only went once but even then, it was good, but felt alittle painful about the 'free' anyways. I was slightly reluctant to go again, but hey, who doesn't love free? DBA in Manhattan, known for its high quality selection of all types of inebriators (yes I just made that word up) and its notoriously smelling bathroom is an East Village staple, one of my first, but remains a moderate beer bar nonetheless. DBA Brooklyn on the other hand is fresh and clean and alittle more local. OK, the event didn't start at 7pm; I left after having purchased two beers at 7:30 with obvious signs of the promo not starting, having wasted my time, money and energy. A bad review abrewing, I have to say this is unacceptable. If you set up a time for a promo, don't shamelessly plug it as free to try and spruce up business. OK, there is more. I witnessed a couple of beer bartending atrocities while waiting. While being subjected to TMZ, I watched the bartender 'sell': "What's the Anchor Foghorn?" Bartender: "it's an ale, kinda darkish." Ummm, pinnacle American- English style barleywine? Anyways.....it continues.... "it's kinda sweet, it's a good beer." Patron: "what about the Slyfox hop project ale?", "it's a good beer, kinda sweet too" (sigh). Ah well, its hard for me to do it, but you would NEVER see that shit fly at Barcade or Spuyten Duyvil. Not Rattle-N-Hum or Gingerman either. Pretty bad, maybe I was jaded by her semi-hustling of other patrons who arrived and left for the 7pm tasting as well. In other news...
If you are looking to ever purchase beer and have it shipped to you in NYC, look no further than the personally tested Liquidsolutions, and the soon to be tested South Bay Drugs (just got in a ton of west coast goodies).
Special 'matrimonial' tasting coming soon.

Monday Night Activities!

2009-06-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

Well had my first Deschutes Mirror Mirror 09 last night. Wow, drinkable for a barleywine, but so unique and with great subtle nuances that will only get better. I would recommend this beer collector's item to anyone who is as all-or-nothing about beer as I am. Anyways, I came across an article in the Ale Street News, looks like DBA Brooklyn has a free tasting every monday night at 7pm featuring various liquors as well as beer styles. I'll be there!

Swimming in Brews

2009-06-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

So I've got a ton of great new beer. From my trip around the country, stopping at the Beer Yard, and my package from Liquid Solutions, I have the right amount of different varieties and rarities to keep me interested for a long time. My package from Liquid Solutions was awesome! Came so quick, I ordered a case of bombers and the shipping wasn't bad at all. The Midnight Sun Arctic Devil Barleywine is so serious, It's great having these bad boys to sit on. Also from LS, was Deschutes Mirror Mirror 09, which I have yet to try. Pretty excited about this one, this is one of those breweries that everything I've had has just been so drinkable. Not like Three Floyds drinkability, but pretty damn close. Stocked with that huge cellar buffer, I picked up some Duck Rabbit variety and Ballast Point Dorado at Beer Yard. Always a great place to stop, the Beer Yard will almost always have a rare case not found anywhere near NYC. I also picked up a lot of Highland and Pisgah brews while in NC. Some decent brews out there, but nothing near some of the caliber of those midwest brews. Today, back on the NYC beer scene, it was all about IPAs, and I'm looking forward to trying the new DFH Squall IPA. Scored some Alesmith IPA at New Beer! and that is just awesome. And there seems to be just a consistent flow of Lagunitas Hop Stoopid on beer drinkers alley. Yes! Drink some great brews!

I Lied

2009-06-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

I promised to update my blog more and keep up to date on whats happening in my beer world. But then I went on vacation for 2+ weeks and now I'm back. Needless to say, I failed to deliver on what I promised. But now that things are back to normal and I have a ton of gray-market beer. Let's try this again. Starting with Vintage beer night at Barcade tomw.

May and Moving

2009-05-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Phew, its been a while and moving is not fun. Anyways I'm at my new place now and the internet is up and running. Expect more posting from now on after the big absence. Scored some Nogne-O sunturnbrew lately, seems like a great addition to the cellar, and I'll be going on vacation soon. But i'm going to try and get this baby running again.

Really good night for Williamsburg beer geeks

2009-05-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

If you live in Williamsburg and love craft beer, well ladies and gentlemen you are in luck! Tonight at Barcade they are having Slyfox vs Southampton night. Two kind of eh breweries, (Slyfox i'm staring at you). Anwyays, despite that fact, there will be some rare beers out there for your enjoyment, particularly Southampton Russian Imperial Stout on tap, one of their rarest and highest rated offerings. When you are done at Barcade getting your dark brew on. Move on to Spuyten Duyvil as they are having a hop related fest featuring many of your favorite gray market brands -- including Founders' Double Trouble and Voodoo brewed Imperial IPA. Looks like a great night and hope to see you all there. You've been warned...

Beer Trades

2009-05-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

I saw a thread yesterday on BA that really excited me. It was from the owner of Rattle N Hum and he was talking about opening his bar up for beer trades one day a month. Pretty exciting news. Especially if you are a big fan of trading like me. I'll definitely keep my eye on this one to see how it develops, but it looks like a great opportunity to find some new beers, without dealing with the cost of shipping.

Suprise Find at Spuyten

2009-04-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

So I stopped into Spuyten Duyvil today because it had been awhile. I generally veer off of this place because of their high prices and sometimes very limited selection. It's ok, it just doesn't seem like the whole package to me, but this place does have it's moments. I wrote about the strong ale fest awhile back, and they will have some definite obscure choices here and there. This time was one of those times. If you are in the area and a fan like me, they have a couple Nogne-O beers on tap! The imperial stout was excellent and the vanilla porter de framboise very interesting as well. A definite most have for those sour beer fans out there. Check it.

Get some Dark Lord?

2009-04-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know Dark Lord day just happened this past Saturday. This ridiculous accolade monster imperial stout is probably the best of the style I've ever had, and the event surrounding the day makes it even that much more exciting. Also released at the event was the premiere of the Dogfish Head/Three Floyds collaboration: Popskull - not really sure what this beer is. Anyways, the point of the post is to say if you really want to try this beer, trade for it. It really works; for the additional cost of shipping it may not be worth it to some people, but if you really want it, then you want it...and I want it. To those other peeps in NYC wanting, trade it up.

Slow Beer Week

2009-04-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

Well it's been kind of a slow week after a pretty eventful last two weeks. I noticed Blind Tiger has Bear Republic Racer X on tap - an excellent and very hard to find IPA. This weekend is Dark Lord Day at Three Floyds...wish I was going, but obviously it is ridiculously far away. I'm still hoping on trying two Ballast Point beers that were supposedly amazing, and available in the PA area. Sea Monster Imperial Porter and Dorado Double IPA. Check these out if you get a chance, I've been very impressed with Ballast Point in the past. Also for those in PA, you'll also note the arrival of Duck Rabbit, a company I'm not very familiar with at all. It's funny, but PA is just such a better state for distribution brands than NY is. Not only does PA have Founder's and Bell's: two huge players in the craft beer scene, but other brands like Lost Abbey and Ballast Point are not here either. I'll trade a sixpoint crap for Bell's any day, and you can have Chelsea for free. I just don't understand what's holding NY back other than its antiquated pre-prohibition laws...oh wait.

Thoughts on Sours/Belgians

2009-04-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot this week about the tasting, and the wild ales that were tasted. It's almost like there is two schools of thought on this. It's weird, I love beer, like obviously, but some of the most highly regarded and most creative concoctions I just can't get a taste for. As I sip a Hopslam, I wonder more about what distinguishes it to people that love it, and to people that hate it. No one at the tasting enjoyed the wild ales, particularly not the Juliet, but everyone loved the hoppy beers. What am I missing on this? I love the flavors of dark malts, the subtle flavors of amazing hops. I can appreciate a good barrel-aged ale not like the next guy, but I just don't get the sourness. Belgian beer in particular is pretty popular. And one thing I notice about Belgian beers is well, they all have a similar taste...a similar taste in a way that across a style, tastes will be similar. Maybe it's that familiarity, maybe it's that consistency, or maybe it's the flavor. I've never really appreciated the Belgians as much as I did American craft brew, even American-made Belgian styles.On a general basis, I've always attributed Americans love for imports on upward-branding and an impossible-to-break hegemonic belief that American beers are mass-produced, mass-consumed swilly swill swill. And that is pretty much the truth on the matter, conspiracy theory or not, it's impossible to escape that image of American beer, and beer like most alcoholic products is an image product. When you take a step back from the internet-savvy beer geek, well its pretty much everyone else out there and some of them actually want good beer. It's up to us people to show them, and hey if you like sour ales, I really want to know why.

Barrel Tasting Last Night

2009-04-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Ah the smell of stale beer in the morning. Last night I had another tasting, this time with a focus on barrels. Many of the entrants were previously discussed, but there were some last minute scores. The tasting was large and there were a wide range of different styled tasters each preferring certain beers over others. There was much consensus though and despite some premium examples of the style, American Wild Ale did not go over well, even for me. Not every beer ended up being barrel aged, but they were all unique and uniquely rare in that as well. Let's get to some tasting notes shall we (in order of appearance):

1.Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak (wine barrel)
This beer could have been added the Wild Ale list with its distinct brett like character and sour fruit notes. But I found the flavors to be quite tame and still chocolate. Chocolate-covered sour cherries was used a couple of times, and everyone thought drinkability was excellent especially with some food.

2. Harviestoun Ola Dubha - 12 yr
Really enjoyed this smoky masterpiece with its oil coating mouth feel and distinct scotch like flavors. It was peaty and smoky with delicious earthy and salty seaside flavors, an excellent collaboration between two of Scotland's finest. Malty smokey.

3. Alaskan Smoked Porter
Speaking of smokey, this beer rules supreme. This beer was brought back to me by a friend visiting AZ. Unavailable pretty much anywhere east of the west coast, I've heard much about this standard in the style and it's many beer medals. A little too smokey for most, like "liquid smoke" or a "day-old" campfire this beer was not well liked, but unique nonetheless.

4. Russian River Consecration
Onto the big boys with the full tasting panel there, and opened up this much hyped up American Wild Ale. It took a lot to get this beer, with a huge price tag and a lot of driving it was had, but I must say I've never been a Wild Ale fan. Too sour for my likings, too cellar-like in flavor. This one had to be the one to change me over and it would be the beer to get me into sours, but nah. It was unique, very great mouthfeel and interesting flavors, but it was just too sour, puckering, too bold, too hard to drink. Many used inedible fruits to describe the flavors, others metal and chemicals. It did not go over well, a lot of people just picked the word "no" for drinkability. It was unique nonetheless, but really not enjoyed and left me even doubting my other Wild Ale choices for the evening.

5. Lost Abbey Angel's Share
Yes. Bubbles! It had a lot more carbonation than the one I had previously opened. I mean a lot more, actually leaving a lacing this time, and covering up the alcohol much better. I was so psyched about that, so happy about that. But this beer was a huge hit, candidate for best beer of the night and enjoyed by everyone. "Like opening a fresh pack of fig newtons" was agreed as the descriptor of the beer with caramel and oaky notes following that up. Everyone really liked this one saying they would love to drink it anytime despite it's incredibly thickness and smacker of an alcohol content.

6. Goose Island Juliet
This one got a beating. A thrashing, with a board-room like atmosphere ensuing. "Who greenlighted this purchase?" "It was him, no her, well the guy at the store said it was good." Yea, urine was the most common descriptor on this Wild Ale. Too sour with those same chemical descriptors as last time. It garnered some of the lowest ratings of the night and basically lead to me leaving the Avery Brabant from the tasting.

7. Three Floyds/Mikkeller Oatgoop.
Runner-up for beer of the evening. Everyone really liked this beer. It was like a crisp IPA up front with a beautiful building intensity and thickness in mouthfeel and flavor. Definitely a style of beer I had never had and would now like to have more of. Words like perfect got tossed around, delicious honey and golden grahams were also used.

A few other beers may have been had, but either notes weren't taken or the tasting panel had fallen apart otherwise or I just can't remember. But I don't think I'll be spending any more money on sour ales in the near future. They were expensive, and hearing everybody (including myself) bag on them, left well a sour taste in my mouth. Hops on the other hand, well, always well liked.

Can Night @ Barcade: Thursday

2009-04-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting upcoming event. Barcade doesn't normally have any package beer, only draught. This event will see Barcade turning off it's taps to serve, yes people, canned beer. But Only craft beer in cans. Canning beer actually makes more sense -- it keeps in the carbonation better, provides a completely opaque container and is even smaller for packaging. There are some good brands that package in cans: Most notably Oskar Blues. But it says in the event detail that these cans are coming from near and far, so in my fantasy world they will have Surly cans. You know that great brewery from Minnesota that you can't get anywhere near here. I know Sly Fox can's alot of their beers (eh...). So we will see what Barcade pulls out for this event. As always I expect nothing but the best from Barcade, let's see what happens.

Upcoming Barrel Aged Tasting

2009-04-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

I've been noticing a big trend in barrel-aging programs among breweries. Something that really hadn't been done that much some years ago is now being done all the time. And the huge new interest and responding brewery demand in wild-ales helps this trend a lot. Personally the huge imperial stout aged in bourbon barrel is an obvious choice, the perfect combination. Aging some of these wild ales in various wine barrels really expands and changes the definition of what beer can be. Either way, I'm a big fan of aging in barrels. It expands the flavors and adds its own unique level of flavor complexity. So this tasting will feature various barrel-aged beers (no oak chips or "beechwood aging" or anything like that). The front runners include: Russian River Consecration, Angel's Share, Goose Island Juliet, and Brewdog Paradox Smokehead (and perhaps another Paradox). We will see what other Imperial Stouts get thrown in here, it'd be nice to have a Barleywine or IIPA to throw in there too, but i'm looking for the appropriate selection for both. I guess DFH Burton Baton will suffice, and I'm thinking about adding Southern Tier Cuvee #2 although im not a 100% sure of it's barrel-aged authenticity. Hopefully I'll have that final lineup soon. Does anyone know about the Cuvee or any other recommendations?

Magic Hat Tonight at Blind Tiger

2009-04-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight at Blind Tiger they are having an April Fool's party with Magic Hat. There looks to be some pretty interesting stuff going on tonight and it's been awhile since I've been to the Tiger. They seem to be on a little Vermont kick recently.

In other news I had an Angel's Share last night and my worst fears were realized. It was pretty damn flat. But the flavors were amazing and there were signs of hope: towards the bottom of the bottle the beer was alittle more carbonated, so here's hoping time pays off. Anybody else have any experiences with this year's Angel's Share?

Busy Weekend/PA Trip!

2009-03-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a busy weekend and beer-wise too. So I went to Shangy's and picked up some great beers you can't get in NYC. And because it was PA, they were all cases. What were those cases you ask? that massive haul of 4 cases that nearly made me bankrupt? Well there is one that enlisted me to drive there: Lost Abbey Angel's Share (Brandy). And this was one expensive case. Considering all the stuff I've been reading on BeerAdvocate about carbonation problems, I'm alittle bit scared about this. But the last (and only) Angel's share I had was bourbon barrel and was perhaps one of the most amazing and unique beers I've ever had. The idea of having a ton to age and perhaps trade was quite enticing, so let's hope this one turns out for the best. Also scored was a case of Bell's Hopslam (of course) and Bell's Two Hearted. As well as Bell's Cherry Stout. Great haul, and Shangy's is just the ultimate beer buying experience.
In other news I noticed that The Bruery Melange #3 was on tap at Whole Foods-Bowery. WOW! Some beer, pretty serious. Sweet delicous caramel nectar with layers and layers of different alcohol soaked fruit and nut flavors. Definitely head there and get some ASAP if you are a big fan of huge barrel aged strong ales, it's actually a blend of three ales to be exact. I'm going to try and do more posting for you all.

Anchor Our Barrel Ale @ Pacific Standard & Waterfront Ale House

2009-03-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

Just noticed that today at Pacific Standard in Brooklyn and at Waterfront Ale House in the city they will be offering free samples of the new Anchor Our Barrel Ale, and trust me this beer won't be easy to find if at all. It is a blend of Anchor's various brews aged in their old potrero whiskey barrels. If you are a fan of Anchor and their (limited) line of beers, then this one is a must-try. I've been meaning to get down to Pacific Standard for awhile, looks like I finally have my excuse. For those making the trip, or not making a trip, they will also have some of their spirits for free sampling purposes as well. Enjoy!

DFH night at Barcade

2009-03-23T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ah Barcade, just can't go wrong. This Thursday they are having at least their second DFH night which will also feature the brilliantly marketed Simul-Cask launch. This my friends marks the appearance of DFH cask-conditioned ale with this dry-hopped and maple-syruped 75 minute IPA cask. Apparently they are simultaneously tapping many of these casks at DFH events in Boston, Philly and NYC and the first 75 people get a free glass! Also look for the Burton Baton and the new rye-porter at this event. Should be a great time as always, hope to see you there.

75 Minute IPA simul-cask

Cask Ale Fest at Chelsea Brewing Co.

2009-03-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Looks like I was a little late on this one, but still hoping to check it out. There is a great collection of cask conditioned ales over at Chelsea Brewing Co on the West Side. I went to this last time they had it and you had to purchase an entire sheet of tickets at once and was thus forced to use them all. No problem for me, but you definitely find all sorts of unfinished sheets on the floor and people handing them out like candy, so it ends up really being a great time. Some notable brews that I'm hoping are still on tap include Voodoo Big Black Voodoo Daddy and Oskar Blues Ten Fidy. Hope to see you there.

Time Warner Cable is the Budweiser of Internet Providers

2009-03-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

So I finally have my Internet running again. It's been out since Thursday and I haven't been particularly pleased with Time Warner cable on the matter. But they came today and it is finally fixed, for now... Anyways, this was a weekend marked by the release of Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout and the growler of good old regular Breakfast stout from New Beer. I'm still yet to target a particular location for purchase of KBS within driving distance. I also believe that Angel's Share will be released this week in PA, so I'm hoping to take care of both if possible. In other beer news. Blind Tiger has their Anniversary party today which looked interesting, and McNeil's night at barcade is quickly approaching.

VT Beer and Cheese at Blind Tiger Ale House

2009-03-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

Speaking of The Alchemist, Blind Tiger is having their two-day Vermont Beer and Cheese event. They will be serving some rare to NYC market VT breweries from McNeil's as well as some select others. This should be a great event and seems to fall conveniently after my trip to The Alchemist, which they will also be serving. And while we are at it, keep your eyes on Thursday Mar 19 when Barcade will be hosting the full array of McNeil's beer. Tomorrow night at Blind Tiger looks particularly enticing...

Split Thy Skull

2009-03-09T19:29:00.001-07:00

So I went to Mug's Ale House yesterday for their annual "Split Thy Skull" strong ale fest. Mug's often has some great brews on tap and this was no exception. I sampled the DFH Immort Ale 06, which was well, my main reason for going there. I had never had it on draft before and was really excited for the try. But it had lost a lot of it's great peaty character that I love about it in the bottle and the smokiness was non-detectable. It left me thinking about something I often wonder about: does beer age properly in kegs, or is there some sort of specific procedure? I've never really come across an aged beer on draft that was particularly "more complex" than it's fresher cousin. That is except for that one time at Blind Tiger when they had the North Coast Old Stock 03. That tasted right, and sticks in my mind as a particularly good example. But other than that I can't really think of another striking example. Other than that at Mug's was my first try of the Otter Creek R.I.S. gravity cask which was quite excellent. And new in the Brooklyn Brewmaster's Reserve lot is Intensified Coffee Stout, a style that is really becoming popular and to which I have no problem with that fact. It tastes like the base stout for Black Ops, with coffee added. I wonder what kind of coffee beans they use. Very hot in the brewdar is KBS and Angel's Share. Very hot...

New to NYC: Left Hand and The Bruery

2009-03-05T18:51:00.000-08:00

Some interesting new breweries are now available on tap in the NYC area. Left Hand with their incredible milk stout is now on draft and I sampled the oak-aged Imperial Stout on tap at Barcade, quite good. The Bruery is one I have never sampled. They have a line of Belgian ales and the Melange #3 at Rattle'n'Hum looks particular interesting. It's always great to see new beers making their way to NYC, I hope to see more of this trend.
In other news, hot on the brewdar is Founder's Kentuck Breakfast Stout and Lost Abbey Angel's Share (Brandy Barrel). Both should be available in the eastern PA area and I hope to score both if I'm lucky.

The Alchemist

2009-03-03T22:19:00.000-08:00

The highlight of the trip beer-wise for me. The Alchemist over delivered in ever possible way. When we got to the place we were told there was a two hour wait for dinner. Happily I told the party of four others "let's wait" and opened a tab at the bar. On cask they had something the bartender called a "Black Holey Moley." A dark version of their incredible Holey Moley Double IPA. Such a good beer, what an intimate experience of being able to sample these brewhouse treats. Other notables included the "Knuckle Dragger" A Belgian-milk-stout of incredible flavor and depth. The Knuckle Dragger was like Allagash Black, but even better, and that is one of my favorite Belgian stouts. Some really great beers on tap and a great selection of styles and flavors. Turns out the two hour wait was more like an hour and plenty of time to drink up before enjoying an excellent dinner. I had the Porter braised Chicken Leg with polenta, bacon and shitake mushrooms. Yum, excellent and some great beers on the side. The prices all so reasonable, especially when you are coming from NYC, can't argue with incredible $4 brew. Can't wait to go back.

VT Trip!

2009-03-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

Well it's been awhile, sorry about that. I was in the land of local brew and snowy wonderness. What a great and much needed trip it was, and there were some great beer moments as well. Made my first ever trip to The Alchemist in Waterbury, VT and of course visited the Magic Hat Brewery while I was there as well. The Alchemist was incredible, blew my expectations out of the water as one of the best places for beer in VT. Magic Hat pretty solid as well with the new design and self-guided brewery tour. More coming soon.

Strong Ale Fest Today!

2009-02-21T09:24:00.001-08:00

Today at Spuyten Duyvil they are having their (annual?) Big Beer/Wood Aged Beer fest. The lineup of course is being featured on beermenus. Looking forward to having my first ever Struise on tap, as well as some other good looking rare import bottles. It's a pretty intimate space, I think this one will definitely fill up. Hope to see you all there.

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast

2009-02-19T18:04:00.000-08:00

Not quite as rare as the Beer Geek Brunch but equally as highly regarded. When I procured the Brunch I had to go for the Beer Geek Breakfast as well. This recent batch was brewed at Nogne-O in Norway, not sure why, but hey I love Nogne-O as well. Can't hurt can it? Beautiful fragrant nose, something in between floral perfume and then dry dark notes. It's interesting. The beer is a battle between oat and coffee flavors with a quick diminishing mouthfeel. It leaves a little to be desired in the mouthfeel department, but it is nonetheless unique. Deep vinous coffee flavors with some spicy hop flavors in the finish. Earthy and dry in the finish. This beer is unique, flavorful and with great drinkability...all the markings of a great ale. Mikkeller produces some great and very aging ready ales, and I pretty much approve of anything with the Scandinavian Craft Brewers Guild seal of approval.

Sixpoint, and the NYC standard (not Brooklyn)

2009-02-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

I just washed my mouth out with a Troegs Nugget Nectar. It's official. I've given Sixpoints all their opportunities to prove themselves. I've bought the made in Brooklyn long enough. And don't get me started about Chelsea. Beer is about being unique and offering bold flavors that are very much in line with the brand essence of that particular brew. It's about standing out, and doing it in the right way. The NYC standard just does not deliver when it comes to local brews, and that is except for one particular brewery: the original, The Brooklyn Brewery. Aside from this great institution, Sixpoints and Chelsea just do not deliver, their beers are bland and boring. I tried the Sixpoints Gemini and well, it's not the Southern Tier Gemini I'll tell you that much. Just generic for a style that gives particular output to the brewer to choose the hops to establish that unique flavor. I had to ale bust this one, it's just been too long coming on these brews. The Brooklyn Blunderbuss that I had after the Sixpoints was an overflowing amount of flavor, much more enjoyable and what I expect from craft beer. It's a good thing we have the Brooklyn Brewery which without we might not have Black Ops or Blast! And the great selection of bottled beer. NYC has an incredible amount of great bars and even better beer on tap, but it usually doesn't come from NYC and maybe there is good reason for that. Someone might have to do something...

The Gingerman NYC

2009-02-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

This bar is sort of sentimental for me. It was the first real beer bar I had ever been to and one of the bars I credit with starting my beer education. But I haven't been going there so often lately and I think I remember why. I went there yesterday looking to sample some DFH World Wide Stout, which beermenus stated that they were going to have as part of their DFH day/night. When I got there, there was no WWS and all I could focus on with the menu, was a DFH Olde School for $9 or even worse the 120 min IPA for $10! Approaching obscene levels, I had to opt for a cheaper alternative as did my date. I went for a Boulder Mojo 'Risin and my date a Brooklyn BCS. This was hardly satisfying. I first noticed a change in their beers as my palette really developed....their beer was always off. Sometimes I figure it's just me and I shouldn't be so harsh, but I will say this...their draft lines are awful. Not only do they just uniformly just tap those kegs with no regard to PSI, but you can really taste the dirtiness of the lines on those IPAs. Not too bash this fine institution which is NYC's biggest collection of tap lines and a great space. But just let it be known, It will cost you and the beer might not taste like what you expect. And yes, Barcade has spoiled me.

Some Friday

2009-02-13T13:41:00.002-08:00

Well the package came today. And to know one's surprise it was packed beautifully and the contents even more beautiful. I think it's so awesome to be able to do this, and it just reaffirms my belief in the attainability of beer. Sure it may take a little work and maybe some extra cash to get it, but I can still get it if I really want it. And that isn't always the case with other alcohol products. Anyways, check out the pics, the contents speak for themselves.

Session Ales and Big Boys

2009-02-10T16:52:00.000-08:00

So I thought I'd take a moment to talk about the craft beer spectrum and I'd like some feedback on the topic if possible. In preparation of the forthcoming WLV package filled to the brim with big bold brews, I bought a Brooklyn variety pack to have on the side. I like doing this, it helps save some cash and it also extends the life of your rare brews. To those who have trouble cellaring, this might help. I'll usually start off with something big and dark, whatever that selection may be, and I follow that up with either a session ale or in some cases a big hop bomb, like say a Bell's Hopslam or something like that. But it's the session ales that will begin to shine later in the night. When my palette is a wreck and I still want something quality, I can have it, and I may even enjoy it more than if i started with it. I think this is one of the greatest aspects of the craft brew culture. Forget the guy at the bar who asks "what's the lightest thing you have?" or even better the infamous "what's like Stella?" and I know you know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about real craft beer session ales...all of them, and balancing them with their bigger, badder brothers. It's always great to have an order to the evening, especially when new brews are being had. I generally like to drink my ales dark to light, against common etiquette, but I love the refreshment of a nice hoppy beer after a dark ale to really showcase all of craft beer's great flavors. Of course sometimes you just want something and you gotta have it. What about you guys?

Troegs Nugget Nectar

2009-02-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

My first time trying this super hyped-up hop bomb. Wow, is all I can say. I haven't been particularly impressed by Troegs before, but this one blew me away. Great clean hop flavor, complex with all the components I love. And the best part, it is uniquely flavored, like an IPA I've never had before. These are hop varieties I'm not that familiar with and they definitely don't let me down. Flavors of bubble gum, cantaloupe and sweet honey accentuate this brilliantly tasting brew. It's great to easily be able to acquire such a fine brew. I noticed that East Village Tavern has a cask of this amazing beer -- going to have test the difference. I recommend any hop lovers in NYC taking a similar action.
In other news, I placed a shipping order from West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago. There were definitely some items that particularly caught my eye that I've been wanting for awhile. Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch is probably the most notable and highest ranked beer. But the great selection of Three Floyds doesn't hurt either. I'm expecting that package sometime this week, so stay posted.

More Events and the Cellar

2009-02-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

More great events tonight at Blind Tiger and Rattle-N-Hum -- check out beermenus.com for more information. It looks like I might be making another PA trip soon, need to spice things up a bit. That and a fear of missing out on Bell's Hopslam, have got me hankering for a trip to Shangy's. Every beer mission has a purpose and a long-term goal: the cellar. It must constantly increase in size and variety. There are some great treats in there that I busted out for consumption. DFH Immort Ale '06 and some Big Black Voodoo Daddy and Black Albert reserves have been holding me over. I'm looking to add a cellar list coming soon...

Wednesday Night Ramblings

2009-01-28T15:50:00.001-08:00

So looks like there are some more great beer events tonight. Despite the dreadful weather there are some notable events ...depends where you live. Down in Brooklyn I see The Gate is having Pat's Picks featuring some great beers like "the incredible on tap" Founder's Breakfast Stout and Great Divide Fresh Hop. And in the city they are having a little mini cask festival of Harviestoun Ola Dubh at Rattle-N-Hum, featuring various vintages. I really enjoy the Ola Dubh line despite it's high price tag. Being partial to Scotch I love the flavor of peatiness backed up with nice viscous choc late malt. The flavor enhancement is subtle, just like scotch -- on cask this is a great opportunity.
I've been in kind of a beer lull...if there is such a thing? I haven't really had anything new lately and have been digging into the cellar a bit, something I never like to do, except on special occasions. I've been coveting some Bell's Hopslam and might have to make the trip to PA to pick some up soon. Other than that, tonight should spice things up and February looks like a great release month. Should I really drive to Portsmouth, NH to score some Kate the Great?

Midwest Beer Night!

2009-01-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

So wow, Midwest Beer Night @ Barcade was incredible! They really out did themselves this year vs. all the previous editions I had gone to. I'm talking the fact that they had Three Floyds on tap, not to mention the incredibly different and much more complex than bottle, Founders Breakfast Stout. I hadn't had Great Lakes Blackout Stout, now I have. And then there was the Kuhnhenn Tenacious Cassis, which is just a bomb of a fruit beer. Clocking in at 15% it has intense dark fruit and chocolate flavors with a bright cassiss fruitiness. Just one of the many great beers Barcade pulled out for this event leaving my expectations fairly high for all future Barcade events. I suggest making your way over there before everything is gone, this one has been alebusted!

Great NYC Beer Events

2009-01-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

For those that don't know, there is a great resource for NYC beer geeks like yourself at www.beermenus.com. This website is a great resource for all of us in NYC who are beer hunters like myself or better yet ale busters...Not only will it tell me what my favorite bar has on tap (update permitting), but it also has information on great events going on in town. There are two great events coming up: Night of the Imperials @ Blind Tiger Ale House tonight!! And then there is Midwest Beer Night @ Barcade tommorow, a personally favorite of mine. I believe this is the 4th year that they are doing Midwest Beer Night and it always offers rare (to NYC) beers that I covet. They haven't posted the list yet, but there should be some solid treats. I hope to see you there!

The Abyss and Dark Lord...Alpha Klaus too

2009-01-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

Two of the biggest names in imperial stouts out there and then some other good treats. Been enjoying a lot of great beer recently, and it looks like we can put the Internet behind us...for now.
I was so excited when I received these beers in the package, i had never had any of them and with all the hype surrounding them, well you can imagine. They were enjoyed at their respective indulgent times and left me thirsting for my next trade.
I really enjoyed the Three Floyds Alpha Klaus, such a great beer and just so unique. from its beautiful combination of cocoa and fruit hop flavor,s to its incredible smoothness and drinkability, it is such a quality beer. I wish i could try it on tap, Three Floyds just continually impresses me, and with their limited distribution, it becomes all the more a rare treat.
Speaking of rare treats, the rarest of treats might be the Three Floyds Dark Lord. Until now, this beer was just a legend, a ratings monster, topping every single chart of the best beers you could ever find. It's known because of its rare availability and of course because of its monstrous taste. This beer is a monster, and let me tell you this is the best tasting beer I might ever have had. So thick and rich, such beautifully scented dark harmony. If I didn't live so far I could see myself going every year to Dark Lord Day, wait how far? This beer is just absolutely incredible, it's like chocolate fudge oatmeal. Indescribable chocolate flavors, with that signature Three Floyds fruity end. Darkness just ensues on the palette and this beer never lets up. I would seek this beer out again for sure, and yes it is worth the hype.
Deschute's the Abyss on the other hand might not be. I've had Deschutes before when I went to visit my brother in San Francisco. The Black Butte Porter and the Obsidian Stout were both excellent, I expected big things from The Abyss. It tastes like what it says it tastes like was the general reaction. Maybe it was the Dark Lord which was tasted the day before, maybe it was the massive hype, but it was kind of a let down. Lacked body and initial depth. It was good, it wasn't bad just not worth all the hype I thought. Definitely worth a try and still happy for having traded for it, but I wouldn't trade for it again.
Looks like Bell's Hopslam is now available, might have to get some...

Lost Abbey Angel's Share Bourbon Barrel

2009-01-14T16:05:00.000-08:00

This is a beer I've heard about for awhile throughout the online beer community. Anyone in NY who approves of craft beer knows you can't get Lost Abbey/Port Brewing here. That makes this beer particularly special. This is also one hyped up brew that apparently can be quite hard to get a hold of, does it meet its expectation?
Pours quite viscous and a beautiful color for the often ugly barleywine. Big, thick and bubbly off-tan head. Beautiful scents of bourbon, honey, vanilla beans, maple syrup, chocolate and alcohol. Taste is well, incredible. Strong bourbon flavor upfront has a magical dissipating effect like vanilla syrup or something. The bourbon on the tongue just lasts and lasts and lasts. That's not to say that this beer is all bourbon. There is one hell of a beer underneath all that bourbon, and I don't know what it is. It's like an almost stout, or an amped up red ale? Maybe, but its got notes of a scotch ale or wee heavy. It's like no other beer I've ever had, and that counts for a lot. Flavors of wood-smoked caramel apple, vanilla, oak, honey, hops, tobacco and smoke. As it warms it seems to lose its initial scent of bourbon and takes on an almost hop related smell still accentuated largely by the caramel malt bill. Bourbon is still there in full flavor and finish. Alcohol is at no point overbearing, especially at room temp. The beer is so smooth -- its fizzy up front but turns smooth as silk with its instant dissipating action. These, people, are adjectives of one incredible beer. Thanks to this trader!

Package Received/Internet Problems

2009-01-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

Hey there, its been a bit and I haven't been able to post. Time Warner continues to impress me with their standard in excellent service. They are just so convenient and I just loooove waiting on the phone for 40 mins. Anyways, it seems we got a little bit of internet so a great time to post about all the amazing things that have been happening. I recently finished my first ever beer trade and received quite an incredible package back indeed. Needless to say, it won't be my last. The beers were rare enough, but the trader threw in some great extras that I can't get here in NYC. The whole experience was incredible and exciting to finally receive the package, I would definitely recommend this to anyone out there who is looking to find that elusive Dark Lord or um....er.. anything else you are looking for. I am excited to review these beers and give them their proper coverage. We had the first of the package tonight.
I was incredibly excited when I opened the package to see an almost uncountable number of wrapped items inside. The original trade was just three bottles for three bottles. This "extra" was something I had never even heard of: Viking Whole Stein.
Huge fluffy and growing head with massive bubbles, slightly off-tan inverted ice cream cone. Intitial flavor notes are very milky with an almost grainy flavor. Definitely some serious coffee and oat notes. Finishes clean, probably from the carbonation. Very dry coffee and a little oat on the nose, maybe alittle bit of earth in there too...kinda non descript. A nice beer with great flavor, but lacks feel. The carbonation squashes the flavor with its soda like fizziness; it becomes much more enjoyable warm and less carbonated...liquor like enjoyment. I'll post pics as soon as I'm back on my own comp. Can't wait for the big boys...

Happy New Beer!

2009-01-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

Well its been fun. I really enjoyed the last two weeks and all the beer exploration that has come with it. Yesterday, culminated the season for me with a quick stop at the Beer Yard after a day trip in Philadelphia. Picked up some Voodoo Big Black Voodoo Daddy which is quite an impressive Imperial Stout if I've ever had one, and then some Ballast Point Big Eye IPA, also quite impressive. The beer tasting party on the 27th went quite well. We didn't get to try as many beers as I had liked, I just had unrealistic expectations...But it went quite well indeed. We were all sharing our tasting notes and having a really good beery time. There have been some really great adventures in 08 and I look forward to even more adventures in 09. Cheers!

2001 Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

2008-12-31T12:22:00.000-08:00

Wow, so its been quite a holiday of consumption. Tonight is New Years Eve already, I can't believe it. I recently made a local trade of some of my rarer out-of-state brews and something I got in return was the 2001 Dogfish Head World Wide Stout. I did my research and decided that it was an '01 based on the fact that the bottle had the words "vim and vigor" combined with a copper cap. DFH beers, especially the higher ABV ones, can tend to be astringent, a lot of them age incredibly well. This is no exception. Clocking in at around 18% ABV fresh, this beer needs to age!
Pours a beautiful oily black, as thick as can be. The smell is amazing: toasted marshmallows, caramel, honey, port and sherry. It just tastes so smooth for its ABV, having been aged almost 8 years that is no surprise. Its sweet but with a beautiful port like character, its vanilla and rummy... almost buttery. It is definitely a rare treat indeed - I'll probably never have this same vintage ever again. But I figured today was as good a day as any to bust it out. I think it's a great afternoon sipper, a nice warm up to what will most likely be an extravagant evening. The beer is just so sweet it really is like fine port, but with the dark maltiness you'd expect. This is quite possibly one of the best beers I have ever had, and really shows the incredible depth and complexity aging can really add to the appropriate beers. It is smooth and mellow but maintains it's incredibly complexity, everything you want in a perfect beer.

Cellar Party Tonight

2008-12-27T13:09:00.001-08:00

I will be having my first in what will hopefully become a tradition around this time of year. A great opportunity to try some of these amazing beers all together; to appreciate style after great style with company of good friends. To give you just a sneak peek at what will be offered...
Struise Pannepot Reserva 2005
Nogne-O Dark Horizon 1st and 2nd edition
Struise/Mikeller Elliot's Brew
Alesmith Decadence 2006
Anchor Vertical 06, 07, 08
...and alot more

Every style I love will be on hand, and I will accompany these great and rare brews with some fine cheeses and meats. I hope you love it too...

Three Floyds Behemoth Barleywine

2008-12-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

Well this beer just had to be saved for a special occasion and it was. One of the last beers left (and for a reason) in the WLV package, this beer is a big bold style from an even bolder brewery. An American Barleywine, i.e. more hop-oriented is a favorite style of mine and this beer is an excellent example.
Three Floyd's beer just impress in so many ways and a big part of that is the carbonation and the smoothness it entails. Behemoth Barleywine just epitomized so many of their great flavors in true form. A hop bomb completely, this beer much like the Dreadnaught seems to possess every single type of hop descriptor in one beer: citrus, pine, earthy, grapefruit. This beer is so thick and smooth, the hop and malt bill do gooey battle over your tongue with the hops winning. But that is not a problem, the malt note flashes toffee and butterscotch and fits quite nicely with the gooey hops. It has incredible drinkability for a 12.5% barleywine, but much like all their other beers alcohol is just not a factor in the flavor.
So it's almost time for my first ever Cellar Reserve night on Dec 27th. I have been saving and collecting for this event for quite some time and I can't think of a better opportunity to try some of these world-class beers with friends. Keep posted for me information on what will be a momentous occasion to say the least.

Struise Insanity

2008-12-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a few days on the beer calendar. Let me first say that I'm not one to frequently indulge in Belgian beers that often. I actually am not that big a fan; the Belgian beer image: the result of a American beer image gone wrong after years of swill conditioning (more on that later).....anyways.... but I find Struise to be quite Americanized in a way. First off, they are not overly Belgian-y and by that I mean not overly Belgian-y yeast flavor and they are quite bold. I see the appeal of the Belgian yeast in its deceptive drinkability and smattering alcohol. These are great world class beers. Anyways, I stopped at Spuyten Duyvil Grocery on my way home today and scored some amazing treats. Struise Pannepot Reserva 2005 and Struise Pannepot 2006 were had. If I decide to drink these, it will have to be the perfect occasion. If not, I will have to trade them for something I've never had and seeked for awhile.

Mission Accomplished!

2008-12-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

Well the trip to The Beer Yard was quite a success -- acquiring everything we set out to and some more. Having tried some of these "impys" last night, I can describe them up in one sentence: deceptive drinkability. I'm going to be reviewing these beers separately, giving them the spotlight they deserve, but they did not disappoint -- even with such normal high expectations for 100 percentile beers on ratebeer. These are beer collectors items, or at least that's how I want to look at them, and they will all get better with age. This trip marked the true beginning of the best part of the beer calendar. A full range of winter seasonals to choose from and a stocked cellar. Some friends coming into town for the holidays and a perfect occasion to bust out some great rare beers. This is the joy of high-end beer and the adventure that comes along with it!

Potential PA Beer Run Upcoming

2008-12-04T13:38:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been to the The Beer Yard in Wayne, PA for awhile and was thinking about spicing things up a little bit more than they've already gotten. The past few weeks have been incredible beer days. Marked by the abundance of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout on tap, and my package from WLV Liquors its been great. But hmm, how can I up the ante a little bit, you know find some really rare beers and then go get them? Yea, sounds like a plan, I think I might have to do that...especially before they are all gone? Well, it shows here: http://www.beeryard.com that they have some pretty incredible stuff again--always exceptionally rare. I mean De Struise Black Albert is one of the rarest and most coveted beers in the world aside from Three Floyds Darklord or the up and coming Surly Darkness. Keep looking and it gets more ridiculous. Apparently, fresh to the U.S. is Amager Bryghus bringing along their highly acclaimed Hr. Fredrickson and of course Nogne Dark Horizon 2nd Edition is there too. But ouch, my wallet is already feeling the pinch, I'll just have to think about this as an investment. Hey, considering the current economic landscape, really rare craft beer that only gets better with age should be a good investment...right? Well, maybe not, but I still want these beers and I just have to might go get them...

Happy Thanksgiving/Port Brewing Shark Attack

2008-11-27T04:31:00.000-08:00

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.

Thanksgiving beers

2008-11-24T15:03:00.000-08:00

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.

Southern Tier Krampus

2008-11-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

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

New Beer Dsitributors

2008-11-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

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.

Great Beer Weekend Lies Ahead

2008-11-21T14:50:00.000-08:00

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...

Three Floyds Moloko Milk Stout

2008-11-17T19:07:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

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?

Goose Island Night @ Blind Tiger Alehouse

2008-11-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

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!

Anchor Holiday 2008

2008-11-11T15:29:00.000-08:00

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.

Package from WLV Liquors

2008-11-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-10T17:10:00.001-08:00

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!

2008-11-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

it's alyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyve