Not only am I in a beer slump, I'm working this weekend to further my misery.
You want some entertainment, google for video reviews of Stone Arrogant Bastard. The guy who brewed this collaboration beer with Stone video reviewed AB after the brewing was done and gave it a D- this led to 3 or 4 back and forth videos between the reviewer and Greg Koch, head of Stone. Interesting stuff.
You were korrect sir, on the Kona Brewing beers you listed up thread.
In Charlotte this week, I tried the NoDa / Mother Earth collaboration brewed for NC beer week. It is a saison called "Word to your MoDa". Was unusual for a saison, pretty dark in colour but overall pretty nice. They ran out of NoDa NoDarita before I was able to try it.
I had trouble posting yesterday but celebrated IPA Day with a Sierra Nevada Hoptimum- seemed fitting :-)
Not only am I in a beer slump, I'm working this weekend to further my misery.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Ooh, didn't know it was IPA day () but I just happened to finish the second half of this bomber last PM:
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More later. Or tomorrow.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
So Asheville-Buncombe Tech offers an AAS in Brewing, Distillation and Fermentation. I am so considering going back to school for this
Emperial IPA (aka Stone 14)-Stone Brewing
Brewer's notes from the back of the bottle:
"We went to England this past spring as self-styled “IPA Hunters” on a mission to learn more about the confusing and often contradictory history of India Pale Ale – to look for some certainty where those before us have found mostly mystery and mercantilism. While our success in this pursuit is open to debate, there can be no question that we returned home inspired by the ghosts of Burton and by the experience of poring over 150-year old brewer’s logs handwritten in (India?) ink. Stone Brewing Co., after all, traces its lineage back to the British Empire’s brewing history: we make ales, and all of our original offerings used traditional British styles as a jumping-off point. If this seems a roundabout way of letting you know that, yes, we are in fact brewing another IPA to mark our Anniversary, well, so be it.
This one however, promises to be different! From the imported white malt to the “Burtonised” water to the rare yeast strain to the most pungent hops Kent has to offer, we used all British ingredients to brew our “Emperial” IPA.* While we may have brewed Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA with our own distinctively modern, San Diego-style touch, what good is history if you can’t rewrite it to suit your tastes?
In this case, our tastes called for highly intemperate quantities of Target, East Kent Goldings, and Boadicea hops, bestowing upon this dry-bodied ale a powerfully spicy, earthy aroma. On the palate, peppery hops assert themselves early and often, with malt sweetness making a brief appearance before being beaten back by a long, complex, and decisively bitter finish. What better way to contemplate the fate of empires past, present, and future?
*Um, except for our filtered Colorado River water, of course."
My thoughts-from the bottom of the bottle:
This was a bomber gift/trader from fuse several weeks back as he cleared out his beer cellar/closet and other assorted hiding places at home so he could continue to sleep indoors. Poured a cloudy yellow-orange with a thick, creamy head. Prominent nose of resin, pine and grapefruit and other tropical fruits with tastes of pineapple, too. This is a hop monster at 100 IBU and the malts/grains didn't quite measure up at "only" 8.9% ABV. The IBU is a bit high for the style but the ABV is pretty standard. Unfortunately, I think this bottle, brewed in 2010 and enjoyed last week, was a bit past its prime. Even the brewers recommended on the bottle to consume fresh. Lots of sediment at the bottom of the bottle which I avoided the second night as I was a bit more careful with my pour. Always an interesting experience and tasting to sample a brew that has been aged for a while.
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[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
My review may have made it sound worse than it actually was. Didn't mean to sound ungrateful. I've had a couple bottles of Adam from Hair of the Dog Brewing in Portland, Oregon (http://www.hairofthedog.com/beers/Vintage_Adam.asp), that were simply undrinkable (nothing but a foam pour with tastes of wet cardboard). And this is a fabulous brew when consumed new or aged several years and stored carefully.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Looking forward to this for lunch on Sunday:
http://m.yelp.com/biz_photos/russian...Oc7tP2-MzB4U4Q
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
Found about 1/3 acre upon which I can grow hops next year. Looking forward to preparing the site in the coming months
Racer 5 IPA-Bear Republic Brewing
Tour de California brews this week. Started out with a bottle of this last PM after we arrived at our friends' condo in northern wine country. Poured a slightly cloudy orange-yellow with a pungent tropical fruit nose. This attacked the palate with an aggressive hop blend of the killer Cs: Chinook, Cascade, Columbus and Centennial. Classic west coast IPA. There were tastes of grapefruit, pineapple and guava and the pale and caramel malts evened the scales with light brown sugary tastes. IBU of 75 and ABV of 7% are a bit high for the style but this company is pretty aggressive with their styles. This was real fresh, too, as our friends walked about 5 blocks from their condo to purchase the 6er directly from the brewery.
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[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
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Sam Adams Hopology Double Agent IPL. Attempt to blend lager and IPA, not sure who that really targets. Tasty, but more of an experiment than anything I think. (Disclosure: for me, the happier the IPA the better).
Had another go at the Shock Top wheat ipa. It was neither Wheaty nor ipa-y, but still a pretty good beer if you don't need any taste. Brewing up my first Belgium wheat of the summer tonight. Makes the whole house smell like beer
Just make sure your caps are on properly. The husband of a woman I worked with several years ago brewed his own stout and she came home one day to the sounds of caps popping and found stout stains all over one of her rooms. That prompted the ultimatum of either the beer or her husband would have to leave the house. They're still married and he allows someone else to brew the beers he drinks now.
[redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.
I'm from the school of thought that if you can taste your water, something's not quite right.
Smoked some BBQ over night, looking forward to seeing how this pairs:
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