Has anyone seen November?

So seriously, WHAT happened to November?  And apparently while it flew past me, SOMEONE made my blog look sooooo much better!  Many, many thanks to Carina Maki Morand for re-designing this blog so that it no longer looks like my third grader put it together!  You might still think he writes it, but at least it looks good!! 

I won't make excuses for my complete lack of posts in November (illness, work, marathon cheer leader, gobble gobble, and here we are in December), but I want to reassure you that in no way did I neglect my duty to research new beer!  My apologies for the limited details, but hey, at least this may help you decide whether or not to buy and try!  Here goes...

Samuel Adams Tasman Red...pretty good red IPA (why suddenly we have to have different colored IPAs, I have no idea).  Fairly hoppy.  This is yet another offering from one of Boston Beer Company's many "reserve" lines, or whatever.  They come out with so many, it's hard to keep track.  Gotta do something to make people think they are still part of the "craft" beer community.

                                              

Bell's Porter...nice porter...pretty smooth.  Chocolate notes.

                                                         


Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout...this one gets rave reviews and I was anxious to try it.  Now usually I don't "share" a beer, but in this case my pinter in crime and I did just that because I knew this 10% ABV offering would, uh, disagree with me.  Not having taken any notes (geek), the thing I do remember from this one was that it had a sort of chalky, dryness to it.  I think I'm going to have to try it again before I decide where it falls on my list.  Maybe I'll try to drink a whole one myself...on a weekend when naptime might be an option.  Like when I'm 70 and don't have to get up every five minutes to find Legos, missing socks, the dog, my sanity...



Note the date at the top of the label...clearly this picture was stolen from the internet..


New Belgium Snow Day...ok, I admit it.  I'm a sucker for a beer bottle with a snow scene.  Totally bought this one because I liked the label...turned out to be pretty good though!  I'd say this is sort of a black IPA.  Very dark in color, some roastiness, and the hops definitely pop. 

See what I mean about the label?!

                                          

Southern Tier 2X IPA.  Now, the "2X" should have been a clue that this was a double IPA, but not being one for math or its associated symbols, I missed that one!  This was a suggestion from random beer lady in the Whole Foods beer aisle.  All the cool people hang there, by the way.  This was one of the few IPAs there I had not tried, so I figured what the heck!  A little sweeter than I like my IPAs, but definitely good!

Nice picture...too bad I stole this one too.

Story you don't care about...when we made the decision to move to Richmond (actually, I don't think we ever MADE the decision, we just did it) we came down the day after Thanksgiving in 2009 to look for a place to live.  That night we looked at our first house...Capital Ale House...unfortunately we don't live there, but each year since that first trip we have gone back on "Black Friday" to have a beer.  So for the third time, we ditched leftover turkey in favor of a great beer selection, mediocre food, and lousy service (now that I wrote that...I'm wondering why we go?  The beer selection at my house is pretty good, the food I cook is fairly edible, and I am pretty sure I can deliver it in an untimely and unpleasant manner...).  Now to the reason for this story...while we were there I tried Bell's Two Hearted Ale that had been run through a "randall" (www.dogfish.com/company/tangents/randall-the-enamel-animal.htm).  Not at all impressive.  I actually think there may have been a problem with the keg of beer itself.  It was flat and tasteless.  This is normally one of my favorite IPAs, so I know this wasn't the norm. 


Downtown has more character, but I can walk home from this one...

Ok, and just so you appreciate the above list a little more...I had to go rummage through our recycles to remember which new beers I had tried!  The things I do to improve the lives of beer lovers everywhere...

NOW, here we are in December, and while I expect to be no less busy, I will do my best to continue to bring one new beer each week into my life, and yours.  I really was going to blame the re-design for the missing posts, but alas, I cannot lie.  It was just poor planning. 

So this week's official FNP was another Sam Adams "small batch" series beer.  A double IPA called Third Voyage brewed with Cascade and Simcoe hops.  This beer SMELLS awesome!  The hops hit you right away in both aroma and taste, but there is a nice, strong malty backbone so that the hops dominate, but don't overwhelm (unless you hate hops...in that case this beer isn't for you).  I'm really not good at describing beer colors-one of these days I'm gonna bust out a box o' Crayola and describe some beer as "timberwolf brown", but until then I'm going with copper.  A nice, clear copper color for sure.  The beer was a little thinner than I would have liked, but I guess I can't expect to have to chew them all.  My pinter in crime declared the beer "not distinctive", and while I might agree, I still think it was a pretty good beer.  Definitely drinkable, and reasonably priced ($5.99 for the 22 oz. I think), which makes it even better!  Worth a try if you are a fan of IPAs.

So, this was the 14th of the 52 new beers I intend on trying and sharing with you.  I hope that this inspires you to try something new, and step outside the comfort zone of your weekly pint(s).

You can send hate mail, destructive criticism, or beer suggestions to fridaynightpints@gmail.com, or you can comment on a post (if you can figure out how to do that, I commend you-I'm pretty sure I can't do it).

Thanks again to Carina Maki Morand for the new and improved version of Friday Night Pints! 

Cheers!
Becky 

Brutal Memory Loss...

Rogue Ales
Brutal IPA
6.5% ABV

So, it's a good thing that I actually remembered to take a picture of last week's Friday Night Pint.  As I was planning out my day (because my severe Type A personality disorder requires me to do so) and thinking about finally getting my blog updated, I could not for the life of me remember what beer I had tried.  Then I started wondering, no panicking really: "Is this an indication of, uhh, ya know, some old age thing, or was the beer really just not that memorable?".  For the sake of my mental health, I'm going with the latter...

While not a huge fan of the other Rogue beers I have tried, I am not against giving breweries multiple chances to win me over.  So this week's pint was Brutal IPA from Rogue Ales.  Based on the name of course, one would expect the hop bitterness to remove the enamel from your teeth, and/or that the alcohol content would be high enough to melt your glass. But not so much in this case.  It was actually a very tasty beer, but more on the malty, bready side than I would expect of an IPA.  Hop notes were there, but not as prominently as I expected.  So I started to wonder what others thought of the beer... 

Now, I VERY rarely, look at reviews of a new beer before I have tried it, but will often look later to see how my assessment of the beer compared those of others (of course ditching the extreme ends of the spectrum and all that other statistical B.S.).  I almost always use the site http://beeradvocate.com/ to look a beer up, and it was there I found that in its former life Brutal IPA was called Brutal Bitter, and was categorized as an ESB (beeradvocate tells us this, and if you use the phone app Beer Cloud, it is still listed as Brutal Bitter and remains listed as an ESB).  That certainly explained the malty, bready flavors, as those are often found in an ESB, and leads me to believe that the only thing truly "brutal" about this beer is its apparent identity crisis.  The beer seems to be stuck in between the IPA and ESB categories, which is fine with me.  I think the only time a brewer should be worried about into which category a beer fits is if he/she is seeking an industry award-how dull.  But that's a story for another day.

Overall, Brutal IPA (ESB, whatever) is good, not great.  Wouldn't refuse one offered, and would certainly drink one again.  Will it make the  list of "most frequently consumed beers in the Rudolf household"?  Doubtful.  But if you're looking for a good, flavorful beer to try that won't put you under the table too quickly, order yourself a pint and relish the confusion....IPA, or not? 

Ok, and speaking of the most frequently consumed beer list...rarely do I leave the Whole Foods beer aisle ("Mom, why do we ALWAYS have to come here?!") without at LEAST one six pack of the beers listed below...(and before you all go sending me AA literature, I only shop for beer once a week...on Fridays...about 8 am if you or any other Type A personality freaks would like to meet me there...unless you are a stalker...then please disregard the previous information)...

DFH 60 Minute or Indian Brown Ale
Bear Republic Racer 5
Bell's Two Hearted Ale (my current favorite)
Firestone Walker Union Jack
Founders Centennial IPA
Cisco IPA

The rest of the cart is filled with whatever else I think might fit my mood...stouts, porters, and scotch ales since the weather has cooled off (well, cooled off for Richmond anyhow).  Sometimes, I even put food in the cart, but only if there's room left over. 

Enjoy the rest of your week!
Cheers!
Becky

Correction...

In my last post, I listed the beer correctly as Cascade Ale, but then inadvertenly referred to it as an "IPA", which it is not.  Either way, the beer lacked pizzaz...apologies to my reader.

Booooring!

So last week's FNP was really a Saturday Night Pint, but really, who's paying that much attention anyhow!  Why not Friday you ask?  Well, because apparently they don't serve alcohol at elementary school functions.  They should, but they don't.  I spent my Friday evening at my son's Fall Festival, and as the volunteer coordinator for that function, I can assure you that alcohol would push parent volunteer rates through the roof!  Volunteer for one hour, get a free beer.  Otherwise, you pay.  I'm pretty sure parents would be fighting over the opportunity to prove their dedication to the school community!

But I digress.  The beer of choice for the week was the Cascade Ale from Six Point Brewing out of Brooklyn, NY.  Now, before any of you accuse my opinion of being tainted due to an intense dislike of a certain baseball team from that area, I really didn't know where Six Point was prior to my choice for the week.  AND, what I really wanted was a draught offering from Bear Republic, but they were out.  So, I went with this one instead.  Unfortunately.

I inserted the illegally borrowed logo above because I forgot to take a picture of my beer.  It really wouldn't have been a very exciting picture anyhow because it was in a Whole Foods liter growler.  What fun is that?  It isn't.  And neither was drinking this beer to be quite honest.  This was a very thin bodied IPA with pretty limited hop flavor and aroma.  I'm pretty sure it was a single hop brew, but I can't be certain since they don't list it on their website.  Maybe it was a disappointing experiment that they decided to go with anyhow.  Not sure.  What I am sure of is that I won't rush to get this one again.  If you like IPAs, this one was a pretty weak offering. 

I'm on a run of beers that I haven't been too excited about, so I am hoping to turn that around this Friday.  Any suggestions?  I have a 4 pack of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, but I'm not sure I can wait until Friday to try that.  There is a 22 oz. Dragon's Milk from New Holland Brewing too, but after the Mad Hatter disappointment, I am less excited about that one.  I guess I'll see what the weather is doing and decide.  Mother Nature apparently doesn't know it's supposed to be fall in Richmond, so if it's 80 degrees again, that may sway my decision.  Until then...

Cheers!
Becky

Holy Smoke! Campfire Smoked Porter & T.W.I.B Notes

Campfire Smoked Porter
Throwback Brewery
N. Hampton, NH
6.4% ABV

Ok, so this week's FNP is especially dear to me for two reasons.  One, the brewery is based in N. Hampton, NH...goooooo New Hampshire!!! And two, it is a brewery owned by two women!! Gooooo women brewers!!!  Oh, and I guess there's the part where this was one of three bottles presented to me as a belated anniversary gift from my pinter in crime.

Throwback Brewery describes this as "full bodied porter", but I found it surpisingly light, maybe medium bodied at most.  It definitely presents some smoke in both aroma and flavor, but isn't overwhelming. Campfire Smoked Porter is a very drinkable "finishing beer" as my pinter in crime described it.  Not one I'm starting my night with, but one that will lull me to sleep in front of the campfire for sure.   

T.W.I.B. Notes
I had the pleasure of adding a few other new brews to my quickly increasing beer portfolio.  New Holland Brewing's Mad Hatter IPA and Bear Republic's XP Pale Ale. 

Mad Hatter was a bit of a disappointment.  It was a thin, watery beer that was lacking a bit in the flavor department.  At 5.25% ABV I was really hoping to have found a "session" IPA, but I can't say this is one I'll go back to.  I am hoping this beer is not indicative of the rest of their offerings since I also picked up a bomber of their oak aged Dragon's Milk. 

Bear Republic's XP Ale was a very tasty medium bodied pale ale.  A nice, smooth beer that went well with our M.Y.O.P (make your own pizza) night!  That's a good one if you're planning on more than a few for the evening (but I still don't recommend operating heavy machinery...like a car).

We finished off the weekend with a trip to Charlottesville for apple picking at Carter Mountain, and our annual trip to Blue Mountain Brewery!  THIS is my idea of an ideal location for a brewpub!  Beautiful mountain views, a beautiful day, and luckily we got there early enough for a spot on their brand new patio!!  I had their Blue Reserved Wet Hop Ale.  If I had been paying more attention, I probably wouldn't have chosen it, but I started drooling after the description of the fresh hops!  They used a Belgian yeast to ferment, and it was noticeable after the first sip.  Not a fan of Belgians, so for me that ruined a perfectly good beer!  I followed it up with their Oktoberfest (I chose saurbraten for lunch), which was decent, but nothing to get too excited over.  Disappointingly they didn't offer bottles of their Black Russian stout, but the nice waitress brought me a sample!  It was darn good!  If we had brought both growlers, I would have brought some home!  We did bring home a growler full of Full Nelson for the Pats/Jets game...

Blue Mountain Brewery
Blue Reserve Wet Hop Ale (L)
ESB (R)

During my weekly beer run at Whole Foods I also grabbed a four pack of Founder's Backwoods Bastard, which is apparently the big brother to Dirty Bastard...can't wait to try that, but the weather needs to cool off again before I do!

Raising  a glass to another great week!
Cheers!
Becky

Rub a Dub Dub, drank me some Old Chub!

Old Chub is an 8% Scottish style ale from Oskar Blues, one of the craft breweries responsible for reviving beer in a can!  GOOD beer that is.  At the top of one of their print ads for another of their beers (Dales Pale) it says "fuh-can-eh".  And sadly, my juvenile sense of humor finds that to be pretty darn funny!  If only I could be that clever!

Anyhow, Old Chub is the second consecutive Scottish ale I have reviewed, and while very good, my unrefined palate preferred last week's offering (Dirty Bastard), and not just because of the name (juvenile humor, remember?).  I was actually going to do a side by side comparison, but my pinter in crime was unavailable once again, and I didn't really want to drink them both myself.  Plus, I was feeling lazy.  It was Friday after all.  The beer pours a dark mahogany color with a thin head, and left little to no lace.  Subdued chocolate and smoky notes are present in the aroma, but I found them to be TOO subdued in the flavor of the beer.  Based on the aroma, I expected a bit more punch in the flavor department.  Not a disappointing beer by any means, and I would certainly drink it again if the mood for a Scottish Ale struck me.  That is if someone was buying, because that stuff is EXPENSIVE! 

On a side note, I was a little concerned about what "chub" actually was.  I was expecting it to be some sort of street slang for something nasty.  So, being the dork that I am, I first "googled" it, then looked it up on the super cool dictionary on my phone.  The first offerings on google were harmless enough since it brought me to the Oskar Blues site.  For those of you still reading, the official "Beck's Phone Dictionary" definition of "chub" is a common freshwater fish, including European and American species.  If there is a perverse definition of the word, I am unaware of it, and prefer to remain so.

No clue what's in store for this week's FNP, but I'm sure I can find SOMEthing!
Cheers!
Becky

Dirty Bastard!!

No, I'm not talking about the S.O.B at the Blue and Gray Oktoberfest who demanded his "deposit" back (let's see if you're really reading this Mr. Fitzpatrick), although he earned the title.  It's the Founders Scotch Ale offering that was lucky enough to be chosen for this week's Friday Night Pint review!  And I gotta say, this one earned a...

...stamp of approval!!! 

This mahongany colored scotch ale was just what the doctor ordered at the end of a day that began with hydroplaning my way up route 95 on my way to a rain soaked Oktoberfest celebration.  I'm pretty sure my shoes are still wet.  Chocolate notes hit you right away followed by a nice, light smoky aroma and flavor.  I find that I like a darker beer best after it warms up a bit, and this one was no exception.  This was the best Friday Night Pint since North Coast's Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, which I believe also earned a Wicked Good Beer stamp of approval.  I love adding diversity to my favorite beers, so I'm ok with adding Dirty Bastard to my hop heavy collection of favorites!  Definitely recommend this one!



Dirty Bastard
8.5% ABV
Founders Brewing Co.
Grand Rapids, MI
The flowers are a nice touch, don't you think?

 The Oktoberfest celebration at Blue and Gray wasn't a total wash out as Mother Nature redeemed herself a bit on Saturday with an overcast but dry (except for the 6 million percent humidity) day.  Things started off a bit slow, but quickly picked up.  Adding in my head has always been a problem and our low budget operation doesn't own any working calculators, so after awhile I just charged $5 for everything.  I can do fives.*  I'm so glad that Oompah band was there becasue they totally helped me concentrate on what I was doing. Thankfully I worked with our brewer Dave who can pour beer lightning fast, and Jimbo who can talk just as fast and confuse the hell out of people so they forget they had to wait for beer.  Quite the trio we were.  

So here I am at Sunday afternoon, impressed as hell with myself that I actually got this posted before the weekend was out!  Already enjoyed a Dogfish 90 with the hubby after his return from NH for the weekend (good thing I was busy so I didn't notice too much that he left me behind-he also returned with a belated anniverary gift that proves I married the right guy...more on that next week), and am looking forward to the pot of chili in the crockpot.  The only question that remains is what to drink with it.  Pretty sure I've got something in the fridge!

Cheers!
Becky
*I wonder if I'lll be fired Monday... 

Better Late Than Never! FNP #7/52

Seems like Friday Night Pints has turned it to mid-week posts!!  Oh well, all for the love of beer! 



Ayinger October Fest (Marzen)
5.4%

 Unfortunately I "rushed" through last week's Friday Night Pint since I was on my way to pour beer for Blue and Gray Brewing at the St. Benedict Oktoberfest.  So, just some quick thoughts on Ayinger's Marzen (October Fest)...I love fall, but am often not the biggest fan of Oktoberfest beer.  This one holds it's own however with a nice medium body and that earthy, spicy hop flavor and aroma you would expect.  A thin lacing coated the glass throughout, but it wasn't in the glass for long!  Overall, a nice representation of the style, and a good choice if you are looking to venture into the land of fall seaonal brews.   

Now, on to bigger and better things!  I spent the rest of the night at my first Oktoberfest (state side of course!) pouring three selections from Blue and Gray Brewing.  We had our Oktoberfest, Fred Red, and Stonewall Stout to offer the revellers, who by far preferred the seasonal brew.  Even members of the local distribution company raved about it and wanted to know why we weren't part of their family (geez, I don't know.  Maybe because you won't give small breweries the time of day you big bullies!).  Stonewall was a close second and Fred held his own (but I think his feelings were hurt...he's usually the preferred brew).  I planned on spending a couple of hours at the Festival, but ended up there until after 10 o'clock wondering when, if ever, the crowd would disperse.  Then it hit me...if you pour it, they will stay!  It wasn't until after the unfortunate news that the beer would no longer flow that the celebration began to wind down.  The pictures below were taken just as the festival began.  No time for pictures later...too many people wanting beer!

Ummm...yeah. You know what's on my Christmas list now, right?



We might have had fewer offerings than Brown, be we're more fun! 

Now I won't bore you with too many details about the rest of my weekend, but I must say, it kicked ass.  Not only was I able to spend some quality time with the boys, I got to visit the Marine Museum (instead of just driving by and commenting on the view from 95), watch the Orioles actually WIN a game at Camden, tour some old warships in Baltimore Harbor, AND visit THREE NEW brewpubs! 

 

Ok, so I lied a little.  I'm only going to bore you with the beer details...just a few, so don't panic!  First stop on the way up was Hops in Alexandria, VA.  We had a gift card, so it was free, and really, how does it get better than free beer?  This place is a bit too commercialized for my tastes (I prefer those rustic brewpubs in the middle of nowhere...), and the beer is good, but nothing that warrants a "wicked good beer" stamp of approval.  My pinter in crime and I shared a sampler to start.  The samples were served in standard sample glasses (I really should be better about photos....) on a "placemat" that gave descriptions of each style.  I liked that aspect because then I was able be a total beer dork and try to guess what was in each, and find out if I was right!  I know, you are wishing you could have this much fun.  The samples included Clearwater Light (OMG, awful!), their Oktoberfest offering, leftover summer wheat, Lighting Bolt Gold, Thorougbred Red, and Alligator Ale (porter).  My favorite was the Alligator Ale, followed closely by the red.  So we ordered one of each to have with lunch.  Yes, we had food too, but who cares about that.  I also took a brief tour of the brewhouse with the manager on duty.  His tour left a little be desired ("First we put the stuff in here, then it goes over there, and then into the storage tanks out back").  Again, WHY am I not better about taking pictures!  Anyhow, not a bad place for a beer and a quick bite if you are in the area.

 

Prior to the O's game we stopped in to the Pratt Street Alehouse.  This is a great little place not far from Camden.  I had been there last fall as well for a reunion with some old friends and the Sox/O's game.  I had the Punk IPA which was a pretty good English IPA!  Great flavor, served at the right temperature, and perfect carbonation for my tastes.  Not too prickly on the tongue, but not creamy like a stout either.  I was a little disappointed not to get to try the ESB cask ale, but how long CAN you expect an 8 year old to sit quietly anyhow. 

 

The family seated next to us at Pratt Street found great humor in the fact that I was sporting my Red Sox shirt, Brady his Patriots sweatshirt, and Aaron in his, uhh...Yankees (suck) hat.  The gentleman asked, "So, how does that Yankees hat work over there?"  I replied in a very serious tone "Not real well, but when we met the SOB lied and told me he was a rich Red Sox fan".

 

Ok, the last beer stop of the weekend was on the way home.  It's a place my husband had raved about, having visited several times while travelling for work.  I must say, it was worth the delayed arrival home.



Pub Dog Pizza & Drafthouse
Columbia, MD

Other than the location (sort of a stip mall buried in an office park), Pub Dog is my kind of place!  Dark wood, sort of rustic.  I LOVED the fact that their beer offerings were on huge wooden boards, easily visible, and with descriptions of each (tough to know what you are getting when the beers are name after dog breeds).  They had every NFL game on (good thing too because there were no fewer than 4 different jerseys in the house), but the tvs didn't dominate the atmosphere (they were actually hung with the beer signs...picture here would have been nice, huh?  I'm such a dumbass.).  And the beer was fantastic!  I had the IPA (Hoppy Dog), the Imperial IPA, and the Dirty Dog (a blend of their brown and pale ales...interesting).  Pub Dog only serves pizza, which is fine with me.  They have a great selection, so going with a standard cheese or pepperoni was out of the question.  I chose the Thai Chicken pizza, and ate the whole darn thing (they are individual pizzas FYI).  If I hadn't had to drive home, I would have loved to stay to watch more football and drink good beer!  But alas, the responsible adult in me won over.  Mostly because I knew more beer awaited me in my own fridge, along with a comfy couch and the Pats on t.v.!!

 

So, if you managed to make it through this whole post, thanks for reading!  Now when you are planning your next visit to Richmond, you'll know where to make your pit stops!

 

Next up...this weekend's 9th Annual Oktoberfest at Blue and Gray Brewing in Fredericksburg!

Cheers!

Becky

18 Beer Day! Top of the Hops 9/10/11

Ok, so if I drank 18 beers in one day, you wouldn't be reading this because I would still be too drunk to type.  Or dead.  But 18 2 oz SAMPLES at the Top of the Hops Festival in Charlottesville?  No problem!

Now I know what you are thinking.  Only 18 samples at a festival with unlimited sampling and over 50 breweries in attendance?  What a lame ass!  But truthfully, my goal was to try as many new beers as possible, still be able to safely drive home, AND remember a little something about the beers!  As former President G.W. Bush would say (or post on a really big sign): MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Surprisingly my two favorite beers at the festival were NOT IPAs.  In fact, there wasn't one IPA that really wowed me (palate fatigue?-super beer dork term to describe boredom with your beer of choice).  However, my favorite festival beer needs to be mentioned with an asterisk, because I had tried it before from a 22 oz. bomber, but this one was on cask (for more info on cask ales try http://www.camra.org.uk/).  It was Williamsburg Alewerks Bourbon Barrel Porter, and if I hadn't been getting ready to drive home, I would have had many more two ounce samples...this beer was damn good out of a bottle, and ridiculously good on cask.  The flavor was amazing, with the bourbon more dominant than I remember from my first bottle tasting.

It is full bodied without being heavy and is just sooo, smooth.  The perfect fireside beer in my opinion, and if I can get my hands on another bottle (or two), I'm putting one away until at least after Christmas.  That would be a fine beer with which to bring in a new year!

My second favorite (don't worry, I'm only giving details on the top two, the rest I'll just list with a note or two...) was Buffalo Sweat Stout by Tallgrass Brewing out of Manhattan, KS.  With a name like Buffalo Sweat, I of course had to try it!  It was a creamy, sweet stout without the sometimes overpowering roasted flavor of stouts.  Just my style!  It has the sweetness of a milk stout, but the flavor was not quite the same.  Can't put my finger on the difference, but I can assure you that a comparison tasting is in my future! 

Another thing that made this one of my favorites was the staff at the booth!  Now, I'm not sure if the gentleman at the booth was an employee of Tallgrass or not, but he was very eager (not annoyingly so like some beer geeks) to share information about the beer, and actually seemed interested in whether or not I liked it.  Refreshing!  Up to that point very few of the individuals pouring even bothered with a friendly Cheers!, or Enjoy!, never mind actually telling me anything about the beer.  When I met up with Matt (http://www.staythirstyblog.com/), the generous provider of my festival ticket, he pointed out that many of those pouring were probably volunteers or distributors, and not actually employees of the brewing companies.  Well, I hadn't really thought of that (duh) but here are my thoughts on that (because I know you care...): 1) Is it really that friggin' hard to be FRIENDLY?  I'm not asking for a hug, just be nice!  2) You are pouring (and probably drinking for free) great beer!  How can you not be having a blast?!  and 3) Hey beer companies, do you realize that the perception of your beer can be influenced, for better or worse, by the people who represent it at any and all times? 

Overall, I thought the festival was great!  It ran smoothly and, strangely enough, there was rarely a wait at all for beer.  It was well organized and easy to find the breweries I was interested in trying.   I was very thankful for the slice of pizza halfway through the day, otherwise things could have gone a little differently! 

It was great to catch up with Matt and his cohorts for the day.  Thankfully they were the ones who insisted I head over to the Cask Garden, which I had been avoiding due to the constant throng of people.  It was also fun attending different beer festivals together with my good friend Dottie!  She had a DD so she doesn't remember any of the beer she tried...  

Below are some pictures from the festival in case you care to see what you missed...wish I had gotten more and better, but it was hard to juggle the camera, my beer, the map, and my phone (and yes, I was one of those annoying people wandering around while texting...29 times to be exact according to Dottie).  Oh, and the list of the OTHER 16 beers that I sampled that day follows.  Cheers!!



I have no idea who Bob Fenwick is, but I think his sign holders ditched to go to the festival.



Family of railroaders, so this one was of interest.  Decent beer.  Unfriendly people.



What's with all the plaid? 




The V.I.P section.  Screw them.




Random corn hole boards. 





I think Starr Hill was there, but I'm not sure.


The other 16 beers, in no particular order:
Clawhammer Oktoberfest-Highland Brewing Co, Asheville, NC
Vienna Lager-Devil's Backbone Brewing, Roseland, VA
Black Lighting IPA-Duclaw Brewing, Abingdon, MD
Hoppyum IPA-Foothills Brewing, Winson Salem, NC
Oktoberfest-Foothills Brewing, Winston Salem, NC
Tasgall Ale-Highland Brewing, Asheville, NC (I really like this one too.  It could easily have been in the top 2)
Double IPA-Long Trail Brewing, Bridgewater Corners, VT (so disappointed.  Tasted like penicillin-only beer dumped)
Old Rasputin-North Coast Brewing, Fort Bragg, CA
Railhouse IPA-Roanoke Railhouse Brewery, Roanoke, VT
Boxcar Pumpkin-Star Hill Brewing, Charlottesville, VA
Oasis-Tallgrass Brewing, Manhattan, KS
Alpha Ale-Wild Wolf Brewing Co., Nellysford, VA
The Next 4 were all cask ales
Doggie Style IPA-Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD
IPA-St. George Brewing Company, Hampton, VA
471 Double IPA-Breckenridge Brewery, Denver, CO
Espresso Stout-South Street Brewery, Charlottesville, VA


Already looking forward to next year's Top of the Hops!  Who's in?



 

Got Punk'd!!

Dogfish Head Brewing
Milton, DE
Punkin Ale
7% ABV

So let me start by saying this.  I LOVE Dogfish Head Brewing.  I love the story of their success, and who doesn't love Sam Calagione?  He is a handsome, charismatic, leader of a succesful craft beer company, what's not to love?  I can say these things because I know my husband doesn't read my blog.  Anyhow, despite my appreciation for what they have done for craft beer, I am not a fan of the cult following they have established, and the blind raves about every beer they brew.  It just can't ALL be THAT good.  Sorry Sam.

These feelings aside, I chose Punkin Ale as my Friday Night Pint for several reasons: 1) It was on sale at Whole Foods.  Winning! 2) It DOES seem to have that cult following I so dislike (I know, I know) so I felt left out of the cool kids club, and  3) I really want it to be fall.  I even looked for a small pumpkin to put in the picture, but I couldn't find one.  I only looked in one place, but whatever.

In general I do not like "spice" in my beer, so I really expected not to like this.  But I did.  The spice notes (cinammon, nutmeg, allspice) were pretty subdued, which is how I think it should be (Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin, NOT subdued, just in case you wondered).  It's really a pretty gorgeous copper color, perfect for the fall.  Thin, whitish head that didn't last long (ummm...that just sounds wrong, but I'm not changing it).  Sweet, but not too sweet with a nice malt backbone.  Not much hop notes to speak of, but I think that served this beer best.  Hoppy notes would have taken it in the wrong direction.  Really my only complaint is that I wanted it to have more body.  The label touts it at as  "brown ale", so I expected it to have the same body as their India Brown, which is one of my favorites.  I also would have liked to try this beer on a nice, cool fall day (preferably in New England...), but since it doesn't cool off here until somewhere around January, I figured I should try it before it was gone!  Definitely try it if you haven't, because it's a solid fall option.  I still have three left (it was 4-pack before you all start making assumptions) and I would be happy to share if you are in the Richmond area and in need of a pit stop!

Stay tuned for scenes from the Top of the Hops Festival tomorrow...

I hope your window to the weekend is WIDE open!
Cheers!
Becky

September ROCKS!

I LOVE September, for just so many reasons, but this one may prove to be one of the best yet (excluding of course that lovely September day 15 years ago...).  First, this weekend I get to attend my first REAL beer festival, courtesy of Matt @http://www.staythirstyblog.com/ (check it out if you haven't!).  Thanks Matt!

Top of the Hops in Charlottesville, VA looks like a beer lovers dream with at least 50 breweries in attendance pouring, well, A LOT of beer!  I have already begun mapping out my strategy and am truly excited to try not only some new beers but some new (to me!) breweries as well!  Food, live music, and some "brew university" events round out the fun!  Very much looking forward to this!  Fingers crossed for some "wicked awesome" weather on Saturday!

As if that wasn't enough, I will be working the 9th Annual Oktoberfest at Blue and Gray Brewing in Fredericksburg, VA September 23rd & 24th.  That will also be a first for me, but from what I'm told, it's not to be missed!  Authentic German food (prepared on site at Lee's Retreat), live music, stein holding contests, and even some fun for the kids!  Probably less sampling for me at this one, but I'll be happy to pour YOU a beer!

Now, sandwiched in between these two weekends is a make-up trip to Baltimore that was derailed by the wrath of Irene.  This will be my son's first venture to a major league ballpark (if you can really call the Orioles a "major league" team...), and he seems very excited about it!  Now of course no trip would be complete without a visit to a local brewpub, so my empty growler and I will be making the trip to Red Brick Station & White Marsh Brewing Company (note to self...remember a cooler!).  Thanks to my husband I have had the pleasure of trying their Daily Crisis IPA (hmmm...THAT would have been a great name for the blog!!), but I look forward to sampling the full array on our trip.  

If all the stars are aligned properly (read: if we all aren't at each other's throats) we will hopefully stop at HOPS in Alexandria, VA on our way home.  For the past 18 months we have had a gift card to this establishment collecting dust, and I look forward to putting it to good use and crossing one more thing off my Virginia Bucket List!

So seriously?  How can this September NOT rock?  Well, more on that in a future post, but for now, bring on the beer!

Cheers!

Becky 







Big Girl Pants Don't Fit (FNP #5/52) & T.W.I.B* Notes

This week's FNP was Unibroue's La Fin Du Monde, a highly respected Belgian triple.  Now, Belgians seem to be the beer you drink when you finally graduate into "big kid" beers, but I just don't like them.  I keep trying, because I want my big girl pants to fit, but so far, no luck.  Now that's not to say I don't APPRECIATE the Belgians.  I do.  I appreciate the creativity and skill that goes into making them, but I just don't like drinking them.  Does it make me any less of a "quality beer" drinker?  Some "beer snobs" might think so.  But I don't hang out with any, so who cares what they think anyhow.  Regardless, here is the skinny on my attempt at fitting into my big girl beer pants. 



Unibrou
La Fin du Monde
Belgian Triple
9% ABV



La Fin du Monde (really, pretty appropriate after a week of earthquakes and hurricanes, don't ya think?) pours a hazy, golden color with a great head of foam.  It definitely has a spicy aroma at first whiff, and the flavor follows suit.  It is described as having "a complex palate of malt, fruit, and spice notes", but I don't easily get anything except the spice.  And there is where the problem lies...it's the spice I don't like.  I'm fairly certain the yeast is to blame, but hey, we won't hold it against them.  They're just doing their job.  It's the same reason I'm not a lover of witbiers.  The spiciness is a real turn off for me.  But, I'll keep drinking beer and experimenting with new options, so hopefully I'll fit into those pants yet!

T.W.I.B* (This Week In Beer) Notes  Ok, so just because I wasn't happy with my FNP doesn't mean the whole week was a wash! Here is a brief recap of the week's beer events (as in what I drank this week) other than my FNP.  Just a few quick thoughts, nothing elaborate.  So here it is, in no particular order, the different brews I drank at various times (as in not ALL at one time) throughout the week.

Sierra Nevada's Torpedo IPA:  You just can't go wrong with Sierra Nevada.  A nice, clean IPA.  Doesn't knock your socks off, but you don't regret buying it.

Legend Brown Ale:  Legend is a local brewery here in Richmond, and their brown ale is by far, my favorite of their offerings.  It is a really flavorful, well balanced brown.  A great fall beer if you don't like pumpkin in your beer.

Avery IPA:  I got this at Whole Foods in one of my 3 flip top liter growlers.  I know what you're thinking, but keep it to yourself smartass.  This was JUST what I needed that day.  This IPA is one of my favorites, especially on draft.  Sooo good.  Just the right balance of malt and hops.  Try it if you haven't.

Michigan Brewing Wheatland Wheat:  Ok, in this beer's defense, I only had a couple of sips out of my husband's beer, but I was not impressed.  It is also part of a "Beer of the Month Club" gift that he received for his, uhh, 2nd 39th birthday in January.  So granted, it probably spent some time in a super hot UPS truck, which never is a benefit to beer.  Picture dirty dishwater in a glass, and there you have it.  Add some super fake lemon flavor to your dishwater, put it in a bottle, and voila!  You have a beer I probably (never is just so strong) won't have again.  But hey, you can make your own decisions.

Michigan Brewing Nut Brown Ale:  Ok, I know what you are thinking...why try another beer from the same brewer?  Well, for one, it was already in the glass, and two, you can't judge a brewing company on one beer!  So, this one was actually pretty good.  Pretty good flavor, but maybe not as complex as I would have liked.  Maybe a shorter stint in a UPS truck would have helped.  I'll choose Dogfish Brown or Legend over this for sure.

Now THIS is one of the more daring adventures in beer I have had in a while.  I had no idea what to expect, but it was highly recommended by an individual who had taken one of the brewery tours I was giving (he actually had a picture of it on his phone, which immediately earned him my respect, since I too have pictures of beer on my phone.  All the cool people do.). Surprisingly, I really liked it!  It is a rauchbier, made with smoked malts (I tried it on a night when my pinter in crime wasn't home-he hates smoked anything).  Opening it was like driving by a smoker in someone's yard with your windows down.  Seriously, it smelled like bacon and good bbq rolled into one.  Now, I'm probably not rushing home and looking for one of these in my fridge, but if you're looking for something way outside your beer comfort zone, try it!

So, that's it.  A disappointing FNP, but you can't win 'em all!  I'll sure as hell keep trying! 

Cheers!

Becky

Hurricane Preparedness

Rarely am I concerned about not having enough beer in my house, but the thought crossed my mind prior to this weekend's hurricane.  I had not "stocked up" because we had planned a weekend away in which I looked forward to visiting several new brewpubs (oh, and spending time with the boys).  However, we opted not to drive from Richmond into more extreme weather conditions...so I was thankful that in my last minute dash to the store I grabbed a 6-pack of both Sierra Nevada's Torpedo IPA, and Legend Brown.  But I was still a little worried...that's not much VARIETY.  My beer choices depend on which mood and personality show up on any given day.  So I did a little investigating...and this is what I found.

Hurricane Variety Pack

I think we'll be good.  At least through the end of the day...
Cheers!
Me, myself, and Irene

New Belgium's Ranger IrenePA



Ranger IrenePA
6.5% ABV
New Belgium Brewing
Fort Collins, CO

 Ok, so it's not REALLY called IrenePA, but in light of the impending hurricane, let's pretend.  This IPA is a step outside the norm for New Belgim Brewing, a company not known necessarily for "mainstream" beers.  But, according to their website, this is an answer to the call for a hoppy IPA from their field "rangers".  You know, those lucky peeps out selling and sampling beer for a living.

She (cause her name is Irene today...) pours a nice, light amber color with a nice head.  The lacing is there and stays to the end of the beer.  The fruity hops hit your nose right away and dominate the beer with more floral notes emerging as the beer warms up.  Mouthfeel is light-it is a very easy drinking beer, that, if not for the 6.5% ABV, could be a nice session beer. 

As enjoyable as this beer was, I do think that the combination of fruity/floral hops and the caramel malts make it a little sweeter than I want my IPA to be.  I love the fruity/floral hops, but I want a little bit better balance on the malt side-the caramel malts just may add a little too much sweetness.  I certainly wouldn't refuse one (gasp! refuse a BEER?), and I think it's definitely worth trying.  It is a solid beer for an extremely reasonable price-I got my bomber at Whole Foods for $3.99 (and then saw them at Kroger for 2/$6...damn it!)...either way, a great price for a good beer!

You can expect more from New Belgium Brewing in future Friday Night Pints!

Cheers!

Becky 

West Coast Tripping? (FNP #50)

Red Rocket Ale
6.8% ABV
Bear Republic Brewing
Healdsburg, CA

What's with the first three Friday Night Pints being from the west coast anyhow? 

I am a HUGE fan of Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA, but have tried very few (if any) of their other offerings (see previous posts about hops addiction...), so I wasn't at all hesitant about trying the Red Rocket Ale.  Despite its name, and the claim to be a "bastardized Scottish style red ale", this beer reminds me more of a brown ale than anything else.  It is bottle conditioned and unfiltered, which often makes for an interesting beer.  The deep mahogany color is impressive, as is the ridiculous off-white head I ended up getting out of my over zealous pour!  Light hops and a nutty, roasty sort of aroma meet the nose in a pleasant, balanced way.  There is a surprising sourness in the first sip, along with mild hops and strong malt flavors.  A nice dose of hops keep my taste buds from running away, and make the beer well balanced.  The mouth feel is surprisingly light making it a pretty good alternative to other "summer" beers. Increasing bready malt aromas and flavor emerge as the beer warms.  My "pinter" in crime describes the beer as "smooth", and I would not disagree.

Red Rocket is a solid, smooth beer that certainly was a fine ending to my week. If you are looking for a beer with an interesting array of flavors and aroma, it's definitely one to try if you haven't already!

Cheers!
Becky

The Beer Road Less Traveled



Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
9% ABV
North Coast Brewing
Fort Bragg, CA

 My "go to" beer is an IPA.  There, I said it.  Winter, spring, summer and fall, I am always drawn to them and often have to fight the urge to never stray from the hop path.  But I assume that my reader (yes, just one) doesn't want 52 reviews of 52 different IPAs.  And, well, there just might not be 52 IPAs that I can find over the next year that I haven't tried! 

So this week's FNP is certainly NOT a beer I normally reach for at the end of the dog days of summer.  However it IS a beer I have reached for, looked at, and put back only to stay in the safe zone and try another IPA.  It is a highly respected beer and is often on the many lists of "beers to try before you die".  So, I decided to give it the respect it supposedly deserved, and I have to say, this one definitely gets the "wicked good beer"* stamp of approval! 

Old Rasputin pours a DARK brown/black with a creamy, tan, 2-finger head.  As nice as it looks in that glass, it SMELLS even better!  Strong chocolate and coffee aromas make it seem like it might be a good choice for breakfast.  Uhhh, not that I would drink beer for breakfast of course...It has a creamy mouthfeel, but not too heavy, and those delicious chocolate and coffee aromas carry over into the beer's flavor as well.  It is one of the most balanced stouts I have ever tasted, and doesn't have that burnt flavor that often turns me off to stouts in general.  The bitterness is there (75 IBUs worth), but it balances the sweetness of the chocolate flavors rather than overpowers.

It's not an IPA, but I can honestly say that I don't regret the choice, and look forward to savoring one of these in front of a fire on a cold, winter night (hopefully we get at least ONE down here).  Old Rasputin is definitely on my list of "beers I am glad I tried before I died"!

Cheers!
Becky

*I am from New England.  I have snow in my veins.  I say "wicked".  Go ahead, make fun of me.  But if I tell you that a beer is "wicked good", you better believe it!


The official "wicked good beer" stamp of approval.



One down, 51 to go!

Ok, so my goal with this blog is to share 52 new (to me, and you’re just going to have to trust me that I haven’t tried these) beers with you over the next 52 Friday nights!  Hence, Friday Night Pints!  Get it? 

Now, my beer reviewing skills need honing, so "beer" with me!  Constructive suggestions welcome, but probably ignored.  Here goes…

Speakeasy Ales and Lagers                   

San Francisco, CA

Double Daddy Imperial IPA

9.3% ABV

22 oz. Bottle

I am a hop head, as any of you who have enjoyed a beer with me can attest, so the first FNP was a double IPA suggestion from my favorite beer guy (Greg) here at the Whole Foods in Short Pump.  I’m not knocking Greg’s ability to lead a beer lover in the right direction (he VERY rarely steers me wrong), but Speakeasy’s Double Daddy was a somewhat disappointing first choice.  Not bad, it just didn’t rock my hop loving taste buds.  It poured an orange/copper color with a thin, white head that didn’t stick around long.  Low hop aroma (I want the hops to jump out of the glass and punch me in the face, so maybe low to me won’t be so low to others!), and a malty, toasty flavor.  Mouthfeel was pretty thin with decent carbonation.  More English IPA* than American if you ask me, but no one did.  Double Daddy is certainly drinkable, but probably isn’t one of those beers I’m going to start drooling over waiting for 5:30 on Friday.

A disappointing start, but a grande finale for the first FNP (seriously, you thought I would only have ONE beer on a Friday night?)!  Not that this officially counts toward the “52 FNPs”, but it was too good not to mention!  Williamsburg Alewerks (not a misspelling) Bourbon Barrel Porter.  This beer was BLACK with a nice, one finger tan head.  The first whiff reminded me of a Black Russian with very strong coffee and chocolate aromas.  The alcohol was definitely present in both aroma and taste, but not overwhelming. A nice,  medium mouthfeel with just the right amount of carbonation.  Definitely a beer I will look for again, although It was a “brewmasters reserve” so I am thinking I should have grabbed two! Their regular Washington’s Porter is one of my faves also!

On a side note, Saturday at the brewery was once again nothing short of a sweat barn (no A/C), but a blast as usual!  I was disappointed not to get to do tours (my usual Saturday gig), but hey, there is always next week!  Plenty of folks to help at the tasting desk and filling line, and no less sweating!  

Feel free to email me YOUR Friday Night Pint@ fridaynightpints@gmail.com

Cheers!

Becky

*I looked it up on line.  Munich malts used giving it that toastiness.