Feature Beer Friday! - Dogfish Head Noble Rot

And it's back!  Along with the general push to get back on the blogging wagon is a renewed round of Feature Beer Friday!  These have been very sporadic since the initial run, but I want to try to make it as close to a weekly occurrence as possible.  I have a small backlog of reviews, then it'll be time for some more drinking with friends and new reviews to post! 

Today's Feature Beer is the Noble Rot, Dogfish Head's "saison-esque science project." The standout feature of the beer is that it's about as close as you can get to beer-wine hybrid.  Two rounds of distinct grape must are added to give the beer more fermentable sugars and complexity.  They use pilsner malt, wheat, minimal hops, and a Belgian yeast strain.  This is sure to be an interesting review...
 
Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Jeff Herman (Tiger Deaux-nuts), Dan Fisher, and Mandi Kaelberer.

Serving: 750 ml. bottle.

Appearance: Golden, clear with a white head, sort of like a cider. 

Aroma: The grapes are prevalent.  I remarked that it was crisp, and more like a wine than a beer on the nose.  Dan had an array of notes, grapes, dry, funky, musty, sour apple, pear... there's a lot going on for sure.  

Taste: Fruity, very wine-like, almost like a chardonnay mixed with a riesling? 

Mouthfeel: Highly carbonated with a crisp fruity finish.

Overall: Absolutely worth drinking, this is a unique beer that really can change the way you view the brewing process. We all enjoyed it, and it had solid 70ish scores all around the table, which means not one of us was turned off by this science project gone right. 

Overall Rating: 70.25
My Rating:71

Feature Beer Friday! - Dogfish Head Tweason'ale

Okay, time for more Dogfish Head... this beer is not available in LA, but we broke it out last time I had a few reviewers together, so here's the scoop.  It's one of Dogfish Head's seasonal offerings, but rather than being brewed once per year for a specific season, it's brewed 4 times a year between the main seasonal offerings.  And the special thing about Tweason'ale is that it's gluten free... for those that can't handle gluten.  I can, but I'll still give it a try!

Tweason'ale is brewed with strawberries and a sorghum base rather than barley.  It's a healthy 6% abv, but no IBUs.  Here's what they have to say: "For our first new 12-ounce 4-packs in nearly half a decade, we replaced the classic barley foundation of beer with a mild sorghum base. The hints of molasses and pit-fruit are balanced by vibrant strawberry notes and a unique complexity that comes with the addition of a malty buckwheat honey.
 
We believe health-conscious beer drinkers and the millions of Americans who suffer from Celiac disease can cut back on gluten while relishing the distinction and drinkability of this very special brew.
 
Tweasonale is a seasonal for between the seasons. It first hit shelves in late January 2012 and will be released four times a year through our national network of distributors."

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Jay Ducote (Bite And Booze), Brenton Day (The Ale Runner), Chuck Pierce (Me And My Big Mouth), and Kevin Cowan.

Serving: 12 oz. bottle.

Appearance: A clear copper color, bordering on red.

Aroma: Sweet, a lot of berry flavors and no bitterness at all.   

Taste: Sweet, a lot of berry flavors and no bitterness at all.  Seriously, the taste is exactly what the nose conveys, no trickery going on here.  

Mouthfeel: Clean and easy drinking, but fairly bland.

Overall: No one really liked this beer. I could see it appealing to some and especially to anyone who can't handle gluten, but for the group of us this didn't hit the mark at all.  Probably the only Dogfish Head beer I can say that about.


Overall Rating: 45.2
My Rating: 35

Ten Breweries I Want To See In Louisiana!

Normally I'm a fan of staying local, but with craft beer these days, expansion is inevitable.  Some craft breweries (Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Shiner, even Abita) are almost nationwide while others have a huge reach spanning both coasts.  Several breweries have recently opened up second locations, or are in the process.  Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, and Lagunitas are in that group where they were growing so fast they decided to open up a second brewery in a different part of the country rather than keep expanding.

So what breweries would I most like to see make it to Louisiana?  First off, a few rules... it has to be a realistic choice.  We're not any time soon getting 3 Floyds, Russian River, or The Alchemist, or even something like Night Shift Brewing out of Boston.  We tried some Night Shift beers at the Beer Bloggers Conference, and they are fantastic, some of the best sours I can remember, but they aren't coming to Louisiana anytime soon.  If ever.  So... keep it realistic.  I'm also excluding a few that I know are on the way... SweetWater, Ballast Point, Santa Fe... that means you guys.  You're off the wish list and onto the watch list.

So... the ten breweries I want to see heading this way... in reverse order.

10. Alaskan Brewing Company - Two words: Smoked Porter.  Some more words: also a really good Black IPA, and above average session beers in their Amber and White.  I'd like to see them here for the Smoked Porter alone, and the rest are just bonus.  Odds of them coming?  Moderate, they distribute to Texas already and are the 16th largest craft brewery, but they haven't yet hit a lot of bigger markets than LA.

9. Oskar Blues - Great beer, in cans.  We need more good canned craft beer and Oskar Blues would fill that niche expertly.  Dale's Pale Ale, Deviant Dale's, Old Chub, G'Knight, Gubna, Ten Fidy, etc... great beer, canned.  Perfect for outdoor activities!  Odds that we see these cans?  Decent, I'd say... Oskar Blues is one of the breweries with a second production facility open in North Carolina, so Louisiana might be on the list.

8. Cigar City Brewing - Too low?  Maybe... they were ranked #5 recently in a poll of "The 25 Best Craft Breweries in America" put on by The Daily Meal, and they have a huge following among South LA beer geeks due to the popularity of Florida panhandle vacations.  I'll be honest though, I find their regular releases to be a little overrated.  Just a little though, still worthy of my list, but not top 5.  If we were guaranteed some Hunahpu and other limited releases they would jump up. As far as the odds that we see Cigar City anytime soon, I'd have to say they're low.  The brewery is getting huge and I have a feeling the East Coast will be on their radar before we will be.   

7. Bell's Brewery - Bell's is an example of a brewery that pulls out just about everything exceptionally well. I'd love to have Two Hearted Ale available in bottles and on tap around BR, but that's just scratching the surface. Good stouts, good session beers, and good special releases... Bell's has them all.  They already reach into Alabama and Florida, but not into Texas... so here's hoping we don't get skipped over when Bell's decides that a new market is in order.

6. Founders Brewing - Similar to Bell's, Founders is just an all around good brewery.  Their standouts include the Founders Breakfast Stout, and its big brother, the Kentucky Breakfast Stout.  Founders has also started packaging their All Day IPA in cans, and I'm not opposed to more good canned craft beer in the state, especially one designed as a Session IPA.  Founders can already be found in TX, AL, GA, and FL... they're close.  

5. Terrapin Beer Company - The second Southern brewery on my list, Terrapin hails from Athens, GA.  Athens is of course home to the University of Georgia, and... uh... Terrapin.  That's all I've got. I do know that Terrapin puts out some great beer, year-round, seasonal, and special releases.  Terrapin has expanded their distribution to 10 states in the South and East... it's not too big of a reach for them to follow SweetWater and distribute our way.

4. Boulevard Brewing - Dark Truth Stout, Double-Wide IPA, Saison Brett, Rye On Rye, Tank 7 Farmhouse, Bourbon Barrel Quad... I could keep going.  Boulevard's Smokestack series is what craft beer is all about.  Boulevard was the 12th largest craft brewery in 2012, and already has a large presence in Texas.  In addition, they distribute to Arkansas, Alabama, and according to their website, one place in Mississippi? I think that gives us decent odds of Louisiana being in the future.

3. Firestone Walker - Boulevard was #12 in 2012, but Firestone Walker wasn't too far behind at #20. Hailing from California wine country (even their name sounds more like a winery), Firestone Walker makes some of the best IPAs around, and they don't stop there, with some fantastic stouts as well.  I haven't gotten into their regular lineup much, but if their bigger beers are any indication, I wouldn't be disappointed. They recently expanded to Texas, so Louisiana isn't out of the question. Side note: I've passed a few hundred yards from their Buellton Taproom and didn't stop... I fail at life.  

2. Great Divide - I might be playing favorites a little here, but Great Divide has long been a staple of any beer run I made to Texas.  It was extremely unlikely that I would be returning without a Yeti or two or three in the car.Or maybe some Hercules... or Old Ruffian Barleywine... this is of course assuming I didn't just drink them all while I was there.  The only strike is that Great Divide recently announced they were going to collaborate on some beer-inspired dill pickles.  What a waste of beer... fucking pickles... if we see Great Divide in LA anytime soon, I hope they leave the pickles behind!

1. Dogfish Head - This one is a no-brainer for me.  Surprisingly Dogfish Head was only the 13th largest craft brewery in 2012, behind #12 Boulevard and #7 Bell's that appeared earlier on my list.  I would have guessed they were larger, considering they seem to be everywhere, well everywhere except Louisiana. I'd have DFH in my fridge at all times if they were available... mostly 90-Minute but it's not their only worthy beer, not even close.  Odds they make it here?  I'd say it's going to happen eventually... craft beer keeps on growing and DFH is one of the front-runners.  They recently brought their beer back to several states, hopefully that means expansion is on tap next.

 
And there you have my top 10 breweries I want to see in Louisiana.  Feel free to disagree, curse me, call me an idiot, tell me I have terrible taste, or preferably, tell me what YOU would have picked instead.  Just try to play by the same rules, I know we'd all love to have Heady Topper cans available, but it's not going to happen.

The Strangest Beers In America

I just stumbled upon this Bon Appetit article and thought I'd share with everyone... The Strangest Beers In America.  To save some time, here's the list, but the article really goes into why each one of them is strange and weird, and has tasting notes, so it's worth a quick read.

Uncommon Brewers Bacon Brown Ale
Freetail Brewing Spirulina Wit
Short's Brewing Key Lime Pie
Wynkoop Brewing Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout
Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout
Dogfish Head Noble Rot
Yard's Brewing Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce
Twisted Pine Ghost Face Killah
Willoughby Brewing Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter

Of all these, I've actually tried two of them, the Dogfish Head Noble Rot (Yes!) and the Twisted Pine Ghost Face Killah (No!)  The Flying Dog beer seems innocent enough, a simple Oyster Stout which I've tried before... and despite the sexual Pearl Necklace name I'm led to believe it's really JUST oysters added to the stout.  I've heard of the Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout also, and I've never had the chance to try it, but I certainly would.  As for the Bacon Brown Ale... I'm not sure.  I'm still put off by the debacle that was Rogue's Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Beer.  

Which of these have you tried?  Which of these would you try? 

Feature Beer Friday! - Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

And it's time for a Feature Beer Friday!... on Monday. You see, what had happened was, Friday rolled around and Mandi and I made a last minute decision to head down to New Orleans to check out the Super Bowl festivities.  And it turns out, that trumps the BR Beer Scene almost every time.  And usually I have a post or two lined up, but sometimes I let it slide and write these weekly posts the day of.  This was one of those times.  So, my bad, but here's a bonus Feature Beer!  

And to make up for the delay, I'm going to give you our first Feature Beer Friday! to feature Dogfish Head Brewing, specifically their Indian Brown Ale.  This is one of their flagship brews, available year round where DFH is distributed, which doesn't include Louisiana (yet) but does include Texas, Georgia, and Florida.  Indian Brown Ale has been a regular in Dogfish Head's lineup since 1999, and it's labeled a brown ale, but it's really on the strong and hoppy side for the style.  This one weighs in at 7.2% abv, and a healthy 50 IBU, so it's not playing around.  Enough talk though, on to the beer itself...

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Jay Ducote (Bite And Booze), James Lawson (Whiskeybomb.com), and Blake Winchell (Brasseurs A La Maison).

Serving: 12 oz. bottle.

Appearance: Light brown with an off-white head. 

Aroma: I wrote down, "malty, slightly roasted and a little hops."  Jay picked up some fruit and molasses. 

Taste: I thought this one had a great blend of sweet and bitter roast, but not as much hops as expected.  James just said, "solid... why beer is more than Bud Light."  

Mouthfeel: Chewy, Blake and I both noticed the thick body of this one.

Overall: A classic American craft beer, brewed by one of the biggest American craft breweries.  Blake really thought of it more like a hoppy porter, but not hoppy enough to push it into Cascadian Dark Ale territory.  I agree, this one is sort of a defiant of style, pushing the envelope of a brown ale, but not really fitting in better elsewhere either.  And that's perfectly okay by us. 

Overall Rating: 79.25
My Rating: 83

Beer Travels: Hopjacks - Pensacola, FL

Alright, long overdue it's a return to Pensacola, with a post all about the awesome beer bar that is Hopjacks.  Well, it's actually a small chain with a couple of locations in Pensacola and another in Mobile, AL but Jay and I, after a nice visit to the Pensacola Bay Brewery, made the short walk up Pensacola's main drag to Hopjacks.  Hopjacks was recommended to us as the best place in town to grab a craft beer, but it also was a pretty large restaurant specializing in pizza!  We weren't in the mood for a full meal though, so we bellied up to the bar and started with the beer.

The first thing I noticed as we sat down was the impressive wall of taps at the end of the bar.  112 taps is what they claim, and with them all squeezed together on the wall of the walk-in cooler it was pretty impressive.  

Now that's a lot of taps!  I liked how they grouped them together by brewery for the most part, and there were even more to the left of the picture.  The first one that caught my eye was a Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA on tap.  Whoa, on tap?  I had tried it once before in the bottle and reviewed it since also from the bottle but this was my first time having it on tap.  From there I moved on to a Southern Tier Back Burner Barleywine.  I wish Southern Tier would find their way down to Louisiana, but despite the name they are actually from New York.  After that I stuck with New York and ordered a Hoptical Illusion from Blue Point Brewing.  Not a bad IPA at all!  We also tried the Belgian Fries (fried in duck fat, yum!) and some of the Creamy Brie, Bacon & Artichoke Dip.  We weren't really hungry but sometime you need a little food with the beers and these both hit the spot.

The Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA!

The next night the whole crew decided they wanted to go out downtown and catch Trombone Shorty who was conveniently playing a show next door to Hopjacks.  So, go back again?  Hell yeah we did.  This time I grabbed a Toxic Sludge Black IPA from Blue Point and an Unearthly IPA from Southern Tier.  Two more New York beers?  I guess so, but we can't get them in Louisiana and both impressed.  We also split up some pizzas, and I can definitely say I'd eat there again if I'm ever back in Pensacola.  They were a little on the pricey side, but big and tasty.

All in all, a really nice place with good food and a fantastic beer selection.  If you're a craft beer fan visiting Pensacola, this should be the first (and maybe second and third) stop you make.  

Review: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Oh goodie, it's time for another beer review, although one that we unfortunately can't get in Louisiana.  I've tried the 120 Minute a couple of times now, first at a little dive bar in San Antonio and again on tap at Hopjacks in Pensacola.  Wait... I need to write a Hopjacks post... mental note.  Well not long ago I found myself in Delaware and needless to say some Dogfish Head (Facebook - Twitter) was on the menu, and the 120 Minute was out and available.  Jay and I picked up plenty, tried one while we were there and the rest made it back to BR for Mandi, beer nerd friends, and a few for myself!

Well... after letting the inebriation from the Delaware trip pass (more on that in a later post...) I decided that Mandi and I needed to break out one of the 120 Minute IPAs and give it a proper review. 

I poured into a couple of smaller snifter-style glasses, and noticed immediately that there was very little head on this beer.  I wonder if that's a factor of the insane amount of hops that go into this beer?  Not that it's a big deal at all, the smaller head is going to take away absolutely nothing from my enjoyment of the rest of this brew.  

The first thing on the nose is booze.  This is one hell of a boozy beer, but also rich with hops and an underlying malt base that can't be ignored.  To get 18% alcohol in a beer and still have it appear hoppy is amazing without using adjuncts to increase the alcohol content.  

The taste is more of the same... alcohol, malt, and hops all blend together pretty well all things considered.  It's hard to really look at this as an IPA with such a strong abv and so much malt, but it sure is delicious either way.  It's one all craft beer drinkers should try at some point in order to cross it off their bucket list.  

 

Mandi and I both enjoyed this one and I have a few more age... hey, it even says on the bottle that it ages well and the bottle never lies, right?

Review: Epic Barrel Aged IPA

First off, thanks to Jay over at BiteAndBooze.com for hooking me up with this one as a Christmas present!  I've seen it at Calandro's lately and also at The Cove so here's a review while it's still on the shelves and available!  Epic is a brewery out of New Zealand that is fairly new to our market, but they have put out some really good beers.  For those that watched Brew Masters, the New Zealand collaboration beer was between Dogfish Head and Epic, so you might remember the brewery from there!

 

Now for this beer... I poured from a .5L bottle into an imperial pint... it's remarkably clear, with a frothy white head that takes up 1/4 or so of the glass on the pour. Really nice retention and some of the best lacing I've seen in a while. Good looking beer.

The aroma is expectedly hoppy with a hint of the barrel aging. The wood flavors come through more each time I stick my nose in but they still are the secondary flavor in this aroma.

The barrel aging comes through a lot stronger on the taste, but I'm not sure it's entirely a good thing. It's not bad but I sense a little confusion and competing rather than augmenting the natural style. It gives the beer too much going on rather than the right amount of flavor complexity in my opinion.

It's got good carbonation with a strong grapefruit hop finish.  I'm enjoying this one for sure but it's not 'world class' just a good beer.  This one, along with Epic's other brews, are definitely worth checking out if you want to try something different.

Dogfish Head's January 2012 Release Schedule

Yeah, I know, we don't get Dogfish Head here, but I know a lot of you make trips to Houston on occasion, or perhaps the Florida panhandle where the DFH beers can be found.  If you can't make a beer run, maybe you have a friend or family member that can. 

So, if you get the chance, here are some of the Dogfish Head upcoming special releases, via their facebook page.

January beer release updates for ya!
Tweason’ale – will begin shipping to wholesalers the week of 1/16 and should be hitting retail between 1/23 and into early Feb (depending on when your local wholesaler takes delivery).
Namaste – will begin shipping to wholesalers the week of 1/30 and should be hitting retail between in early Feb.
Noble Rot – will begin shipping to wholesalers the week of 1/23 and should begin hitting retail the week of 1/30.
2011 World Wide Stout – will begin shipping to wholesale the week of 1/23 and will begin hitting retail the week of 1/30.

Of all these, the one I want to try the most is the World Wide Stout, so I'll be on the lookout for that one, and I wouldn't pass up the other three!

The BR Beer Scene Year In Review - 2011 Version!

Hey everyone!  

I must say it has been a fantastic year for my blogging and beer drinking habits, as I look back on all of the "resolutions" I set for myself at the beginning of 2011.  Did I accomplish all of them?  Honestly, no, I didn't.  Let's take a quick look though before I get into some goals for 2012.

1. Visit at least 6 breweries.  I accomplished this one, visiting the Tin Roof Brewery in Baton Rouge, Parish Brewery in Broussard/Lafayette, Freetail Brewery in San Antonio, Saint Arnold Brewery in Houston, No Label Brewery in Katy, and the Bozeman Brewery in Bozeman.  Each of them presented a unique experience and I would (and almost certainly will) visit them all again!
   
2. Get published somewhere other than my blog.  Hmmm, in a way I did accomplish this as the Raise A Glass radio show featuring myself and Jay Ducote of BiteandBooze.com is on the air and published on iTunes.  It wasn't really the point of the goal, but I suppose it does meet the letter of the law. 
   
3. Keep Homebrewing.  Mission accomplished here, I brewed several beers throughout 2011 and also a mead.  I plan on doing even more homebrewing in the future now that I'm done with resolution #7 which you'll see later! 
   
4. Enter a Homebrew contest.  I never really did this, but I did serve some homebrews at the Tin Roof Homebrew Appreciation Night.  Still though, I can't say that counts because it wasn't a contest, just an open house/tasting.  Strike 1. 
   
5. Drink a beer stronger than I ever have before.  This was accomplished twice over... once with the Brewdog Tokio* Imperial Stout and also with the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.  Check!
   
6. Continue to get in better shape and lose weight as I simultaneously continue to enjoy beer and write about it.  Well, I can't honestly say that I accomplished this one.  I didn't gain much, but I am up about 5 pounds from the start of the year.  So crap... strike 2. 
   
7. There are 365 days in 2011... I think I should try 365 new beers.  This was the big one, and I accomplished it with flying colors, drinking around 460 (and counting for another day) new beers this year.  I finished it off with a Westvleteren 12 as number 365 back in October.  I did fall behind in blogging about all the beers, but can you really blame me? That's a lot of brew! 

So there you have it... 7 resolutions, 5 success stories and 2 strikes.  I guess it takes 3 strikes to be out, so I'll keep on blogging about beer! 

My goals for 2012 will be a lot simpler and mostly focus on that Resolution #6 that I failed to accomplish but also some aspects of the rest.  Check back tomorrow for that post! 

Review: Dogfish Head Namaste

Time for a quick review of the Dogfish Head Namaste, a witbier originally brewed as a tribute to the 3 Fonteinen Brewery in Belgium in 2009.  As with pretty much all the Dogfish Head (@dogfishbeer) beer I've reviewed, I found this one at Spec's in Houston.  Maybe one day they will find their way into the Louisiana market, but I believe they are struggling to keep up with their current market after the publicity from the Brewmasters TV show.  Can't blame them for their success, though!

For this beer, I poured from a 750 ml bottle into a goblet, it's a gold color with a finger or so of white head. The aroma is a typical wheat beer with hints of wheat and coriander. The taste is a lot more spiced than the aroma, with strong notes of citrus and coriander. Very light and refreshing. It's a good beer, but it's nothing amazing and probably not worth the price tag or the search.

 

For locally available options that might be most similar to this one, I'd try the St. Bernardus Witbier, Hitachino Nest White Ale, and of course Hoegaarden.

My Rating: B+

BeerAdvocate: B+

Pumpkin Beer Time! - Wasatch & Dogfish Head

Alright alright, it's time for some pumpkin beers!  The first two I've tried this season have both been quite impressive, the Wasatch Pumpkin Ale and the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale.  

The good news for all of you local readers is that the Wasatch Pumpkin Ale can be found in stores around Baton Rouge.  Wasatch is part of the Utah Brewing Cooperative along with Squatters and both are relatively new to the Baton Rouge market. 

Poured into a pint glass, it's a slightly hazy orange-amber color with a finger or so of white head. It dissipated quick with no lacing. 

The smell is where this beer impresses me the most so far. It has a rich pumpkin flavor with delicious spices reminiscent of a holiday pie. Awesome. The flavor is very much like the aroma, a thick pumpkin pie flavor ripe with spice. It's not terribly complex but it's tasty.

It's light to medium bodied which fits the session nature of this one. Actually pretty impressive considering the low 4% abv. All in all, this is very well done, one of my favorite pumpkin beers despite the low alcohol content which usually translates to low flavor, but not in this case.

My Rating: A-

BeerAdvocate: B

Also on the list this fall, the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale... unfortunately this one can't be found in Baton Rouge, but if you're making a trip to Houston or know someone there have them stop at Spec's and pick up some 4-packs.  That's where I found a few and they should still be available.

Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz bottle, it's a clear amber color with a small white head. Not much retention or lacing to it but the color is spot on for what I would want out of a pumpkin beer.

The aroma is malty with a good compliment of pumpkin spice. It's not overly sweet and not overpowering, which works pretty well. It smells quite rich overall. The taste is a lot more sweet up front than the aroma, then fades to the pumpkin spice flavor I picked up earlier. You can definitely tell that this beer has a brown ale base and the cinnamon and nutmeg come through as well.

It's a medium bodied beer that's super easy to drink with a well masked alcohol content. Contrasting with the 4% alcohol in the Wasatch, this one is a pretty robust 7% alcohol.  

My Rating: B+

BeerAdvocate: B+

There are two other pumpkin beers I'm really excited to try as well... Brooklyn's Post Road Pumpkin Ale which should be available in Baton Rouge, and Saint Arnold's Pumpkinator which might or might not make it our way.  This one is based on the Divine Reserve #9, and will be released soon in bombers.  We got a handful of the last Divine Reserve so maybe this beer will see our shelves as well?

Review: Dogfish Head Squall IPA

Alright, another quick review, this time of the Squall IPA from the now-famous Dogfish Head Brewery (@dogfishbeer) up in Delaware.  Unfortunately these guys don't distribute to Louisiana yet but they can be found all over Texas, including Spec's where I found a bomber of this beer.

It's a hazy amber color with a finger and a half of bubbly white head. This beer is described as a unfiltered bottle-conditioned version of the 90 Minute IPA which is one of the standards for imperial IPAs everywhere. 

It has a nice grapefruit hoppy smell, with a little caramel malt base to it. The taste is more of the same, a well balanced hoppy IPA with a solid base and lots of flavor.

Another good one from Dogfish Head, although I really feel like I'd rather spend my money on a 4-pack of the 90 Minute IPA than a bomber of this one.  It's not remarkably better in my opinion, but I'll have to try them side by side sometime in the future to really make a final call.

My Rating: B+

BeerAdvocate: A-

Beer Travels: The Petrol Station in Houston, TX

I think by now I've established that The Avenue Pub in New Orleans is my favorite beer bar in Louisiana.  Polly does an awesome job getting the best new and rare beers and keeping her customers up to date on what's new on tap.  Lately though, I've been spending a lot more time in Houston, so I was on the lookout for a similar type of beer bar when I was recommended a place called The Petrol Station.  So, after checking out The Ginger Man Pub one Friday night, we decided to check this place out Saturday afternoon.  I noticed it was a little out of the way, just north of 610 on the of the city, but not too far from where Mandi lives, so we plugged it in to the GPS and headed that direction.

If you do the same, don't be alarmed when you take a few turns onto some residential streets!  The Petrol Station is tucked away on a side street in a mostly residential area, but fortunately there is a large open lot across the street that serves as ample parking.  As the name would indicate, the building used to be a gas station before becoming the Petrol Station coffee shop, and eventually evolving into a craft beer paradise. 

The first thing I noticed on the first visit was that almost everyone there was chowing down on a nice looking burger.  Okay, so that's noted for later, but I wasn't terribly hungry yet and neither was Mandi so we settled down at the bar and ordered up a few beers, starting with the first two new ones I noticed, a Rood Red Ale from Independence Brewing out of Austin and a Southern Star Walloon, a couple of beers from Texas craft breweries. 

From there the local brews kept flowing, with a Real Ale Real Heavy, Saint Arnold Weedwacker, and an Independence Stoned Crow Imperial Porter on tap.  we moved from there to a Palo Santo Marron, the 12% alcohol barrel-aged brown ale from Dogfish Head (@dogfishbeer).  A fantastic brew and one I'd yet to spot in bottles so I was thrilled to see it on tap!  With all that beer flowing it was time for a little food so we went the appetizer route with an order of spinach & artichoke dip.  It wasn't the best I've ever had but it was still a great compliment to a few more beers. 

After a Brookyln (@brooklynbrewery) Main Engine Start Belgian Pale Ale it was time for a couple more Texas brews.  This time the (512) Altbier (@512brewing) and the Real Ale Lost Gold IPA.  This place was quickly turning into a goldmine for new beers when I noticed a label that I'd never seen before.  A quick inquiry and I was told it was a Pale Horse Pale Ale from No Label Brewing (@nolabelbrewco) out of Katy, Texas.  Whoa... now I'm going from new beers to new breweries.  And not only that, but it was a really tasty pale ale.  I definitely want to check these guys out at some point soon and learn more about them.

 Man... so many good beers at this place.  I'm pretty sure there were 35 taps going with mostly American craft beers but a few Belgian ales mixed in, and the most impressive thing was that they were constantly rotating new beers on them whenever one would "float" so to speak.  They must have changed out at least 4 beers in the few hours we were enjoying ourselves at the bad, and most new taps were something new that I just had to try.  Before we left we also had the chance to try the Breckenridge (@breckbrew) Regal Pilsner, Independence Stash IPA, and the Ska Brewing Decadent IIPA.  All great beers but by this point they were getting hazy.

 

In summary, great beer bar, and I've made two trips back since then.  I'll be writing about them before long, but I had to go back just to try the burger!  The bartenders really know their beer, there is new stuff on tap every time, and I think I've found my new favorite Houston watering hole.

*Exterior photo taken by Chris N. on Yelp.

Beer Travels: The Ginger Man Pub in Houston, TX

Alright, time for some more beer travels!  I've been going mostly to Houston lately, and that includes a couple of trips to The Ginger Man Pub in Rice Village.  This place has a reputation for being one of Houston's top beer bars, so I had to check it out!  It turns out the reputation is well earned.  There is a large bar with a great assortment of taps, and plenty of seating inside and outside.  The Ginger Man Pub concept has multiple locations now, but Houston was the original, so it was definitely the best one to check out first, right? 

 

The first trip was around 7 on a Friday night... and I expected the bar to be a little more crowded but Mandi and I met up with my old roommate Chris and his wife Emily and grabbed a table near the back of the bar with no problems.  They had a cask of Dogma on hand from BrewDog especially for American Craft Beer Week, but unfortunately I had tried that one before!  That didn't stop me from trying it again later, but I started off with a new beer to me, the Live Oak (@liveoakbrewing) Liberation IPA out of Austin, TX.  While I was trying that one out Mandi went for a Shiner 102 Double Wheat from the Spoetzl Brewery (@shinerbeer) and we switched out... always nice to have a drinking buddy to help me try all of these new beers! 

 

From there I tried a (512) IPA and then the Dogfish Head Brown Ale, both very solid beers.  (512) Brewing (@512brewing) is out of Austin, hence the area code, and Dogfish Head (@dogfishbeer) is of course the super popular craft brewery out of Delaware.  After those two I went for a canned craft beer because I was all out of new draft beer options.  That meant it was time for Ska Brewing Modus Hoperandi IPA.  Ska is a brewery out of Durango, Colorado that has embraced the movement to canned craft beer.  I've had their beer in bottles before, and on tap since, but it's still nice to see more breweries go towards cans as an option. 

Eventually the place filled up and started to really get loud, but it was never jam-packed like some bars get.  We also tried the "Beer Companion" meat & cheese & fruit plate which really hit the spot to add a little food to the stomach along with all the liquid bread.

More recently I went back with the same group on a Sunday afternoon... it was mostly empty but still was open after lunch on a Sunday, so props for that!  This trip was just for a pint each after lunch, but Emily was kind enough to let me try her Ommegang (@breweryommegang) Rare Vos ale so I could count it on the list!  I went with a Brooklyn (@brooklynbrewery) Blast Pale Ale, Brooklyn Brewing's double IPA which I absolutely loved.  This was definitely one of the best DIPAs I've tried recently and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes their beers hoppy.  

And now, after two trips to The Ginger Man Pub in Houston, I can say that I'll be back. It's a perfectly sized beer bar with the right ambiance and character to add to the beer drinking experience rather than take away like some places tend to do. I've experienced really good service both at the tables and at the bar on both trips, so I look forward to even more pints (and cans) of good beer!

The 50 Best Beers In America!

Just thought I'd share a link with everyone... the American Homebrewer's Association asked their readers (sure to be big time beer lovers, right?) to rank their 20 best beers, and put together all the results to declare their 50 best beers in America!  The full article and list is here... and the winner for the third time in a row was Pliny The Elder by Russian River.  I tried it at a beer tasting at The Avenue Pub a while back and it is most certainly a tasty brew.

Amazingly I've tried 39 out of these 52 (yeah, there were ties at the end) beers.  Honestly I'm pretty proud of that considering our limited selection in Louisiana.  As far as I can tell, only 14 of these 52 beers are distributed to Louisiana, and that is mostly the Stone and Sierra Nevada selections that really scored high. 

The same poll was also used to determine the 25 best breweries in America, with Dogfish Head coming out on top.  Again Sierra Nevada and Stone placed high (both in the top 5) and they are the main ones that we can get here in Louisiana.  

Anyway... what do you think about the list?  How many of the top 50... er... 52 have you tried?  And more importantly, do you think you could hook me up with any of the ones I'm missing out on?

Cheers everyone!

*Image credit: American Homebrewers Association

Resolution Check-in At The Halfway Mark!

Okay, so I guess it's a day early... and July 1 isn't REALLY halfway through the year thanks to February being a bastard month, but it's still close enough for me.  Let's see how I'm doing on all those resolutions!

1. Visit more breweries: I set a goal to visit 6 breweries and am at 4 so far, so I'm on pace for sure.  So far I've visited Tin Roof in Baton Rouge, Parish Brewing in Broussard, Freetail in San Antonio, and Saint Arnold in Houston.  I was hoping to check out the new No Label Brewing this weekend in Katy, TX, but they are apparently closed on the first Saturday of every month.  Dammit.
   
   
2. Get published somewhere other than my own blog:  Hmmmm, technically I guess I could count this as accomplished, as Restauranteers has picked up my blog feed for their site, as well as Louisiana Brews.  Still, that's not me writing for someone else, it's just them using my content and linking back to me.  So... I'm iffy on this one.
   
   
3. Keep home-brewing: So far this is still going on... I bottled a noble pilsner last week, and have a peach witbier in secondary as we speak.  I haven't been brewing as MUCH as I anticipated, but I also still have a nice stockpile since I've been focusing so much on resolution #7. 
   
   
4. Enter a home-brew contest: I haven't done this one yet... but there are a few on the horizon that have potential to satisfy this resolution.
   
   
5. Drink a beer stronger than I ever have before: Check and check.  I tried the 18.2% abv Tokio Imperial Stout back in February, and on a trip to San Antonio I tried an 18% abv Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. 
   
   
6. Continue to get in better shape and lose weight as I simultaneously continue to enjoy beer and write about it: Well, I haven't been the best at this one, but I am only 8 pounds up on the year.  The last few weeks I've decided to really get back to dieting and exercise and to save the beer drinking for the weekends when I'll allow myself to cheat a little.  I'm sure I'm still going to drink during the week from time to time when tastings arise, but I'll try to avoid it as much as possible.  And hopefully I'll finish the year lighter than when I started it.
   
   
7. There are 365 days in 2011... I think I should try 365 new beers: As of writing this, I'm at 229 new beers in 2011, and at the end of June I should be at 181.  I'd say 48 beers ahead of schedule is looking pretty solid.  And I have another 12 or so at home just waiting to be drank and reviewed.  Boo-ya!
   

And there you have it... 7 resolutions and making solid progress towards accomplishing them all!  Cheers everyone, and thanks for all the help, especially on those last two.

American Craft Beer Week - Recap

Alright, it's been a busy week of traveling and beer drinking for me, but I wanted to drop in and run down a few of the highlights from American Craft Beer Week!

Beer drinking venues: 5 (I know, slacking a bit for a full week!)

States I drank in: 2

Cities I drank in: 3

New beer drinking venues: 2

New beers tried:  24

Best Louisiana beer: Bayou Teche XXX Grenade

New brewery discovered: No Label Brewing

Best beer period: Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Best new place: The Petrol Station in Houston

Best brewery tour: Tin Roof Brewery

Best food truck fare: Kicker's BBQ Brisket Fries

Best craft beer in a can: Ska Modus Hoperandi IPA at The Ginger Man Pub

Most heavily rotated taps: The Petrol Station, they rotated three new beers in while we were there drinking... at lunchtime.

Best Canadian craft beer: Dieu Du Ciel Equinoxe Du Printemps

Best post-drinking steak night: St. Charles Tavern

Kickball games played during the week: 4

Biggest disappointment: Not having a time machine to be more places at once!

Biggest disappointment for real: Missing out on Parish Brewing at The Avenue Pub

Biggest anti-disappointment: Finally getting to check out The Petrol Station, very cool bar.

All in all it was a great week of craft beer and good friends.  My liver needs a few days off, but I'll be back at it before too long!

Ska Brewing Modus Hoperandi IPA at The Ginger Man Pub

The Petrol Station

Beer Travels: San Antonio Part 2 - Pedicab Bar & Grille

After hitting the Freetail Brewery in Part 1 of my beer travels in San Antonio, Chad and I took off to a place close to downtown called the Pedicab Bar & Grille... they had free wings with each beer on Monday nights, and a pretty high quality selection so it sounded good to me.  It was pretty easy to find, just look for all the cars parked on the street! There was a large open area out front after going through the gates with picnic tables and plenty of people drinking and eating wings. I remember it being a very diverse crowd... people from all walks of life and backgrounds hanging out drinking.

We headed up the ramps and into the bar... definitely a "hole in the wall" sort of bar with a good many tables and a large bar. There was a stage for live music although no one was playing this night.

They were definitely looking for quality over quantity, although it seemed I saw more people drinking Lonestar than anything else. We had some Green Flash Hop Head Red, 512 Pecan Porter, Oskar Blues Pale Ale, and then I dropped a pretty penny on some 2009 Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA just because I'd never had the chance to try one. Other than the 120 Minute, the prices seemed reasonable for the quality of beers.

I'm pretty sure these were the 512 Pecan Porters... but I had been drinking.

 As for the food... it was wing night and that ended up being a clusterfuck. Apparently you turn in your ticket to get your free wings (5 per beer I think, but they gave us a 20-spot for ordering the 120 Minute) and then wait until it's your turn to pick them up. No real order to it, but eventually (and after a few more beers) we got the wings. By then I was pretty well inebriated so they were quickly devoured, but nothing TOO special. Can't beat the price, though.

Definitely an interesting place... I can see it being some people's go-to bar but not totally my vibe.  The highlight was getting to try the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, which was a boozy mess but also pretty damn delicious.  

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Thanks again to Chad for showing me around a few beer joints in San Antonio... unfortunately the rest of my trip was almost all work and no beers, but it was nice to have an evening to cut loose a little in a new town.