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.

International IPA Day? HOPS to it!

It's International IPA Day, so HOPS to it!  Some suggestions for your drinking pleasure...Dogfish 60, Bell's Two Hearted, Firestone Walker's Union Jack, Bear Republic Racer 5, Avery Dugana...so many great choices!  Or, if you are fortunate enough to live near a craft brewery, then SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BREWER'S IPA offering!


 http://ipaday.eventbrite.com/


Cheers!!

College Sponsored Beer?! Leave it to the south!

Ok, so I wasn't planning on posting until I was ready to go "public" with FNP, but...Louisiana State University is sponsoring a beer?  Hello, what?  The university and Tin Roof Brewing Co. are collaborating, and planning on rolling out their canned beer sometime in September or October.  Seriously, I'm pretty sure I need to go back to college.  Quality control anyone?

Work in progress!

Welcome to Friday Night Pints!  If you are here, I am amazed because I just started learning this process!  Check back!  I'll be working hard to turn this into one of your favorite beer blogs!