Hiatus

We will be resume our weekly beer drinking the first week of May. Well, we will resume our beer writing in May.

Cheers for now.

The Antithesis of Unearthly

Down here in the Tampa Bay area, our beer selection has improved dramatically in the last few years. We've gone from a relative beer backwater to the home of one of the most exciting new breweries in the country - Cigar City. Besides our own regional brews, we have also seen a huge increase in the selection of small batch brews from all around the country. As an apt example, I offer Iniquity - an imperial black ale from Southern Tier Brewing out of Lakewood, NY.

Per the writing on the bottle, Iniquity "is contrary to what one may expect from an IPA; this is an ale as black as night." However, I have to think they're referring mostly to the appearance of this black as night brew. Loaded with chinook, cascade, williamette, and centennial hops, this is clearly an IPA - even at first taste. But while the hops dominate and define this tasty brew, there is an underlying malt character that you might not find in other IPAs - I think the hop bitterness is evident, but the "debittered black malt" balances that bitterness out, making for a very pleasant 9% black IPA bomb.

Find one and drink it!

***For all the PA readers, I was at Cigar City Brewery the other night (and had some great beers), and I heard some bad news for fans from the north. Due to high demand, they're planning to stop supplying the PA market until later this year, after they get a couple new fermenters up and running. If you like the beers and see them around, snatch them up, as they won't be restocked for a while!

Week 13: Ancient Ales, Broken Batteries and Cunning Creatures

You can never predict where your car is going to break down. Ironically and lucky enough for me, I broke down the other night at Sly Fox Brewery in Royersford, PA. The downside to this story, other than the fact that the Camry was rushed to the emergency room, is the speed that its ambulance came to rescue. I think it was 20 minutes…tops. I know, I know…pretty boring beer story.

I began this post with a tale because I am in need of some good ol' fashioned filler. No beer list this week. Sure I tossed a few back, but my lady and I are in the process of home renovation right now. That pretty much means having over the best friends possible, spackle in one hand and a crowbar in the other, and tossing a few back at the day's end. In case you really want to know, we are drinking with our comrades Kenzinger, 60 Minute and Clipper City so far.

What I will do this week is deliver on a much promised review of Dogfish Head’s Theobroma. I picked up two last year upon its release in August. I saved one for the special occasion of the first day in the new home.

So what lies in this beautiful 22oz bottle?

• Cocoa Nibs
• Cocoa Powder
• Ancho Chilies
• Honey
• Annatto

It’s got a great funky fruity smell. I know that there is cocoa on the menu, but that is picked up in the mouth, at least for me anyway. But keep sipping and smacking your lips together and the beehive will come alive. More malts than hops on the backbone, and you get a nice chili taste on the finish. Next time I gotta pick up 3 or 4.

Science backs up the facts on this one that it may be the earliest known alcoholic drink, based on a chemical found in pottery in Honduras.

Hopefully next week I have a couple different brews to talk about. Cheers until then.

Week 12: Man's Best Friend

1. Victory Storm King

2. Green Flash West Coast IPA

3. Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial IPA

4. Flying Dog Raging Bitch

5. Philadelphia Brewing Co. Kenzinger

6. Dogfish Head Burton Baton

7. Flying Dog Snake Bite IPA

8. Dogfish Head Theobroma.

How did that Storm King make it into this week's list?

Oh yes, this was basically an IPA week, but a couple of homebrews and cloans coupled a few elixirs from the list. Out in what is known as the "hillier" side of Philadelphia, I enjoyed a clone Imperial Stout, a la Storm King, from a good friend, great brewer and now neighbor. Consensus was that it might not have had the hops like The King, but it still commanded authority. Boozy in the nose, malty at the mouth. Basically just rich and roasty. There was also a homebrew Kolsch tapped. I have only had a couple of Kolsches, ever. I am not even sure if I can compare it with, say, a Philadelphia Kenzinger, but there was a crispness to it followed by a dry bitterness. I think some people feel the same way about Philly.

If you look at this list closely, then you notice the recurring word, dog. Swimming dogs and flying dogs: these can be your best friends. I was pretty stoked to see Dogfish Head's Burton Baton on the shelf at my local beer spot. Burton Baton is a unique brew. It's an oak aged English Strong Ale, blended with their 90 Minute IPA. It's a big beer, with big hop flavor and big on the malt to back(bone) it up. It goes down as smooth as silk though, but with a 11% ABV, it can be dangerous.

From a Delaware brew we soar down to Maryland's Flying Dog. Their Snake Bite IPA had less bite than I expected, but their Raging Bitch...well, the name speaks for itself. A Belgian-Style IPA that is well balanced to boot. Sweet, flowery and citrusy. If you love these two styles then you are in for a real treat to say the least.

There is another special beer on this list that deserves a special post. I have had more on my plate this week than in my glass, so look for another post in a few days.

Cheers for now.

Week 11: Smoked Fruit

1. Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bier

2. Port Brewing Co. Hop 15

3. Dogfish Head Aprihop

4. Clipper City Heavy Seas Loose Cannon

5. Springhouse Smoked Porter

6. Stone Smoked Porter

7. Roy Pitz Ludwigs Revenge

8. Iron Hill Roggenbier

Like a sunrise to sunset, these beers seemed to fall naturally in appearance from light to dark. For months upon months I have been trading in my IPAs for the deep dark pools of temptation, but finally...my taste buds are riding up the hop vine.

In terms of the porters this week, I must say that it seemed like barbeque season. Springhouse Smoked Porter was like liquid bacon. This may sound gross unless you like rauch biers or smokier beers in general. I, for one, have a weird fondness for them even though I'm of the vegetarian persuasion. I have indulged in my fair share of them lately, and I must say that the Springhouse had the most fire underneath it. It is everything that you would expect from a quality smoked porter, dark in color, spicy on the nose, very smokey with a bit of a bitter backbone. I look forward to trying this again in the fall next to a campfire or quoit pit.

Let's now move to the fruit and vegetable aisle. Yes, Aprihop is back. I was a bit unimpressed with this beer last year, and I never feel that way when it comes to Dogfish Head. It seemed a bit weak for fairly big IPA. The hops weren't quite there and the apricots weren't noticable. Well...that is not the story this year. Basically this was like one of those flower arrangments made of fruit and dosed with alcohol. Are you with me? The apricots sail into your senses immediatly. And like any DFH IPA, the hops are perfectly well-balanced, never too sweet. A nice hazy orange appearance, piney, fruity and pleasant throughout. If you were disappointed last year, try and try again.

Cheers for now.

Victory is near.

While searching the blogosphere, I happened to come across a nice tidbit of information about out great friends at Victory Brewing. This isn't even a tidbit -- it is great news in the form of 3 new beers. I was just mentioning a few posts ago about the lack of Belgian Style beer from PA locals. Low and behold Victory is putting out a Belgian style triple (a la Golden Monkey), a Belgian Pale Ale and a Bavarian Pale Ale. All I can say is Mmmm Mmmm.

Read the full article here.

Cheers till next time and find yourself some Spring Seasonals. Warmer weather is here.

Week 10: Swear to tell the truth

1. Lancaster Brewing Hop Hog

2. Sly Fox Gang Aft Agley

3. Steamworks Brewing Conductor Imperial IPA

4. Magic Hat Vinyl

5. HeBrew Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA

6. Yards General Washington Porter

7. Philadelphia Brewing Co. Newbold IPA

8. Yards Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale

This week's selection of beer was divided between a few that I haven't had in awhile and a couple of others that I have had sitting patiently for a few months/weeks. Or was it me that has been sitting patiently?

Before I get down to business I will just mention that the Yards Ales of the Revolution will have their own blog post dedicated to them in a few days. Also, I had a mini beer tasting/dinner the other night with a few friends where we raided the fridge and enjoyed 3oz tasters of a Southhampton Porter and a Yards Porter, IPAs from Smuttynose and HeBrew, and stouts from Founders and Brooklyn. A couple random Pale Ales and Wits were in there too. It was a good night.

OK, so HeBrew's Bittersweet Lenny's Rye IPA was a delicious Imperial IPA dedicated to the man of controversy, Mr. Lenny Bruce. Just like Mr. Bruce, this beer had a lot to say. A cloudy beer for a warm night, its abundance of rye was evident when I dipped my nose toward the rim of my glass. A bit grapefruity, like all my favorite IPAs, this hopped giant also had a few more fruits circling around it. There was a very attractive floral finish to this overall pretty well-balanced beer. At 10% ABV, it never really hit you over the head.

I also enjoyed Steamworks Conductor Imperial IPA. Orange in color with a citrusy taste to follow, it was an incredibly easy to drink Imperial. However, I can't say there was a whole lot of complexity to it. It was maybe missing a few hop varieties to get its engine moving, though it was still a treat for the mild hop-heads out there.

Cheers to the weekend ahead. It is Philly Beer Weekend, so there is a whole lot going on throughout the city, including an IPA weekend at Side Car at 22nd & Christian (there will be a firken of Bell's 2 Hearted) and a Stout Brunch at J.B's in Fishtown.