Coast HopArt IPA

HopArt IPA from Coast Brewing, who are situated in North Charleston, SC
is a fine brew indeed.

Walking a fine line of sweet malt and assertive hop character. A hop presence so enticing it truly is a work of art. (7.7% abv).

It is brewed year-round.

Ingredients: Two-barley*, Munich* and Caramel 20* malts, Nugget, Amarillo and Cascade hops, ale yeast and filtered water.

I sampled this at Sesame Burgers and Beers, in Spurril Avenue, North Charleston last weekend, and a really fine brew it is too.

It's unpasteurized too, which means it's had nothing taken away, and it's full of flavor, with jsut the right amount of bitterness balanced by the maltiness.

Heck, I'm getting thirsty just talking about it here!

Mash House

Being the Good Beer Show's resident funny guy and full-time stand-up comedian, I get the opportunity to drink a lot of beer in a lot of different places... Last night it was at the Mash House, a local brewpoub in Fayetteville, NC.

The Mash House took a silver with their IPA in 2001 at the GABF, and it's a hop bomb. Not quite the punch of a Gumballhead or a Stone's Arrogant Bastard, but a fresh tasting palate-wrecker in its own right, and more than worth drinking.

There were a few other beers of note: their Hefeweisen, Blueberry Blonde, Stout, and "M"perial Stout.

The Hefeweisen was cloudy and damn near looked like orange juice in the glass. It had a floral nose, and a very spicy and slightly floral flavor. The tart spiciness reminded me a little of a saison. This was definitely the standout beer in the bunch, though not a session beer (at least not for me.)

The Blueberry Blonde would have rocked ass with a slice of cheesecake. The blueberry flavor was very strong and inordinately sweet. I'd bet it was done with a syrup rather than with the actual fruit, though I didn't get to talk with the brewer. I wouldn't drink a whole pint of it, at least not if there was something else around, but my wife would dig it.

The Stout was creamy and slightly sweet, with a thick, tan head that laced well and a definite dark fruit flavor. Very drinkable, if you fall on the sweeter side of stout fandom.

The "M"perial was a stout on a different level, though. Also thick and creamy, it wasn't as sweet and didn't have nearly the same dark fruit presence, but had a rich, satisfying chocolate flavor. It had nearly twice the ABV, and warmed the belly, but no obvious alcohol burn.

The food was good, too, but I really have to comment on the asparagus (I have become a fan of asparagus in the last couple of years.) My portion came with 6 or 7 spears, each about 5 inches long and about as thick as my thumb. Buttery, but not overly so, and seasoned simply but perfectly, they were wonderfully al dente, not woody or mushy.

The rest of the beers on offer (Irish Red, Blonde, Porter, and Nut Brown--which was their seasonal offering) weren't bad, but didn't really stand out to me. The bummer about this place is that, while the brewer owns the recipes, he works on a salary and doesn't share in the profits of the beers, so he has little reason--outside of festivals-- to innovate or market the beer beyond the restaurant. I wonder what North Carolina (and maybe the rest of the country) is missing out on...

Just in time for winter, a homegrown Baltic beauty

Had this, the newest entry into Alaskan Brewing's celebrated coterie of craft offerings, arrived on my doorstep a mere month ago, any mention of it would have warranted inevitable, innumerable references to the visible proximity of Alaska to our neighbor country, Russia. But that was then, and this is December, a cold December to be sure, one when dark and roasty beers hovering around the 10% alcohol level make themselves quite at home. With a nearly luminescent label depicting an onion dome set afront a star-filled winter's sky, this ale, like their takes on alt and kölsch, is a decidedly stateside iteration of the Baltic Porter style. Like their barley wine and smoked porter, too, it's a reminder that this is a brewery that can do great things when free to take a big and bold approach. Without an overly heavy feel, this beer doles out dry fig and licorice in spades, with a compliment of hop and roast bitterness that doesn't dominate the taste as has become increasingly common like burnt coffee in American strong dark ales, Imperial stouts and the like.

Brewed with Madagascar vanilla beans and black cherries, and aged on toasted French oak, it respectfully doesn't punish the taster with these novel touches, marrying the effects of each quite well into the fabric of the malts. A textbook fireside ale, it demands to be paired carefully, deliberately. Good thing my two-year old daughter had just helped make a batch of gingerbread cookies. Between the molasses and the vanilla, you couldn't ask for a more perfect fit. Don't believe me?  Try it:

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark molasses
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup hot water
6 cups flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tbsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves

Cream the sugar and shortening together. Add molasses, vinegar and vanilla. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Mix in wet ingredients, alternating between the hot water and creamed mixture. Chill the dough for one hour before rolling out to 1/8" thick. Cut into awesome shapes. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350º F. Let cool on rack (or not) and enjoy.

Finding the right beer.

I was at a bar with some friends a few weeks back. One of my companions, Whitney, asked me why I like beer. It tastes bad, she said. It smells bad, she said. It's too filling, she said.

Of course, I (with some help of a couple other beer-swilling comerades) was able to counter all of those reasons. Beers come in an almost infinite number of flavors, tastes and aromas, we said. And if she thought it was too filling, there are plenty of beers that taste great but don't leave you feeling stuffed.

Whitney scoffed, as I knew she would. And I and my beer-loving buddies said eventually she'd find the right beer for her and dropped the subject as she consumed a hard liquor-based concoction with an unnatural color and that seemed to contain a lot of very dessert-like ingredients.

I was once like Whitney. I remember the first time I really tried beer in earnest. I was at a bar in Urbana, Illinois. I was visiting my now-ex-girlfriend Olga at college (I was still in high school in Chicago) and she and I met up with some of her friends and a couple of my cousins at a bar called Murphy's. At that time, my underaged alcohol consumption was limited to mostly vodka-based beverages - often vodka with cranberry juice - and some silly concoctions only underage drinkers trying to put together the most potent drinks for the least money could enjoy.

But my cousin David - a rabid consumer of good beer - decided I needed to drink beer. And Olga, born and raised in Poland and in possession of a very fine beer palette, agreed. So David, being over 21, went to the bar and got me (as well as himself and Olga) a beer. It was a Leinenkugel Red. He placed it in front of me and I looked at it. I smelled it. I took a small sip. I didn't care for it one bit. I managed to get it finished, but I didn't enjoy it at all.

At that point, if you told me I'd be posting to a blog about beer, I would have called you nuts. But Olga was determined that I'd like beer somehow. And so she kept introducing me to different beers - dark beers, light beers, ales, lagers, lambics, porters, stouts, IPAs, and everything in between.

And lo and behold, after trying a host of different beers, I found some that I began to like. And as I started to like more beers, I started trying more beers and finding more I liked.

To this day, I still don't like Leinenkugel Red. But I came back to beer because despite a bad first experience, I kept my mind open to the idea the beer could be a wonderful thing. And like Olga and David told me, I now tell people who say they don't like beer they simply haven't found the right beer yet.

If there's a moral here, it's that finding the right beer can be a daunting task, especially with all the crappy beer out there. But with a little help, I think even the most rabid beer opponent can find a beer they enjoy.

Flying Dog Double Dog Double Pale Ale

Part of the Flying Dog Canis Major series, Double Dog Double Pale Ale pours a yellow redish honey color with a puffy white head. The head thins down relatively quickly and a nice sharp hop aroma really comes out.


12 Seconds of Double Dog pour goodness. on 12seconds.tv

As I imbibe the thin head sticks quite nicely to the glass. Not overly carbonated the beer has an excellent mouth feel and thick quality to it. The 11.5% ABV is masked nicely by the 85 IBU of the hops along with the malt. I cannot taste the alcohol but definitely feel a pleasurable mild warming in the belly. This is a nicely bitter beer and at the end of the taste the interaction of the strong hops presence melds very well with a malty sweetness making the Double Dog Double Pale Ale a very well balanced beer.



If you haven't tasted the Double Dog I highly recommend giving it a try. Look for the Ralph Steadman artwork of an acid trippy dog in tighty whiteys lunging at two glasses of beer.



For a good Black and Tan, I suggest the Double Dog with the Gonzo Imperial Porter (another of my favorites - review coming soon).



Cheers!

The six-pack conundrum

It's a shame to waste beer. I think that's something we can all agree on. But is there ever an occasion when it's ok?

Here's the scenario. I don't keep a ton of beer in my apartment. I have enough for me to enjoy one with dinner on most nights and some in reserve in case I have a couple friends over. But when I drink beer with larger groups, it's usually at a bar because neither my apartment nor my fridge are large enough to accomodate the supply of beer needed for a large, thirsty crowd.

As a result, the beer in my apartment is generally limited to the six-pack (or however much of it is left) in my fridge and another in reserve waiting for that other six-pack to be finished off.

As the picture shows, I've got three bottles of beer in my refrigerator. Those with a keen eye will recognize it as a beer I'm not terribly excited about, though it's not bad. Not in my fridge is a pack of a much tastier beer that I definitely get excited to drink.

Here's where the conundrum comes in. I'm hesitant to put another full pack of beer in my fridge before I finish this one off. I feel like I should get through this one before moving on. I started it, so I should see it through to the end. It's kind of like my justification for still watching ER - I've been watching it since the beginning, so I should finish watching through the last season. My other thought is that if I don't finish this beer, I'll never get it out of my fridge.

But, as with the show (especially over the last couple seasons), that's not easy when you're dealing with a mediocre product. So I'm contemplating just leaving those bottles in there and moving on and trying to push them on other people when they come over - or just getting rid of them.

But as I said, I hate to waste beer, even of the mediocre variety. So what do I do? Do I try and pawn it off on others? Do I just leave it there and when I eventually move out of this apartment, leave it as a gift for the new tenant? Do I dump it? Or is there another option I'm not considering?

Blue Frog - Liberation Ale

I had the pleasure of spending a day in Fairfield, CA this past weekend with the wife.  She had an appointment at the salon, so I did what any good husband would do.  I went to BevMo, bought some beer, then headed to the nearest Brewery for a pint to pass the time.  Lucky for me, both BevMo AND a brewery were within a couple miles of the salon.

Fairfield's only microbrewery is Blue Frog Grog & Grill. They are a recent operation, probably less then 10 years old. The ambiance of the place is really quite nice. I sat down at the bar, which had glass windows behind it looking into all of the brewing equipment. Recently, they have started to distribute a couple of their beers throughout the Bay Area. Being as that is, I wanted to try something unique that I couldn't get at my local beer store. Written on a chalkboard behind the bar was "Levitation Ale, 6%". That's all the convincing I needed, so I ordered one up.

Right off the bat I was impressed. I have no idea what type of beer it was and didn't ask because I was more intrigued with the Cal/OSU game on the LCD tv's. However, it had a very deep amber color, almost reminding me of an old dirty penny from the 40's or 50's. Holding it up to the light coming through the brewing equipment, you can pretty much see anything through the beer, it was that clear. I took my first sip and it was just WAY too cold to taste anything. After letting it warm up a bit, it turned out to be a very good beer. Nice balance between malt and hops without having the heat of a high ABV value, with a nice medium bodied finish. I really wish they sold this in stores.

As of right now, you can only get the Blonde Ale, Red Ale, IPA, and Double IPA. However they also sell a hefeweizen they sell at the brewery. I picked one up and realized why they probably don't sell it in stores. The label is screen printed upside down and urges you to store it as such. There is a description of the beer stating that doing so will re-activate the yeast upon opening to give the beer a more complex flavor.

Overall it is a very promising brewery. They brought in Nick Campbell, a new brewer, in 2004 and it appears that he is making some quality stuff. I expect them to start distributing in more places soon, so keep an eye out fellas.

Cheers to more beers!

Beer Runner Profile: Tom Held

Tim Cigelske writes about beer and fitness -- yes, they can go together -- at The Beer Runner on DRAFT magazine's website. Below is an excerpt of the latest post.

Tom Held’s Off The Couch blog is a big inspiration for me.

Tom is a wealth of knowledge on Wisconsin cross country skiing, running, cycling, outdoor sports advocacy and, yes, good beer.

“This may be a bit sappy,” he told me, “but I think there’s a real community or bonding element to beer.”

A seasoned reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he of course has a source to back up such a claim. Specifically, the camaraderie of Valley Spur, one of his favorite XC ski spots.

“I’ve had people offer me beer, soup, sandwiches and plenty of good stories,” he says. “It’s really part of the joy of the outdoors and physical activity.”

Lucky for me, our paths have crossed before in the newsroom, on the race course and at the finish line beer table. And now on the Beer Runner.

What’s your favorite beer when you’re On the Couch?

Click here for the rest of the column...

Samuel Smith: Oatmeal Stout

Since Josh brought up the topic of dark beers, I thought I'd continue the thread with a quick write-up on Samual Smith's Oatmeal Stout. In short, I just discovered this beer a month ago or so, and I'm not entirely sure how I managed to go this long without having this beer as a regular contributor to my (incredibly well balanced) diet.

This Oatmeal Stout pours quite dark (though not nearly as dark as Darkness does), with a medium-tan head. The aroma is of dark roasted coffee, malted grains, and raisins. The taste is a perfect balance between bitter and sweet, with a bit of, may I say smokiness? As I work my way through the glass, and as the beer warms slightly, I'm delighted more and more by the complex flavors that reveal themselves. The mouthfeel is surprisingly light for this style, which I very much appreciate. In the past, I've been put off by a few oatmeal stouts that were overly heavy. After finishing the glass, the dark, rich flavors linger for quite a long time, as you'd expect for an Oatmeal Stout.

If you haven't given yourself a chance to try this beer, I'd recommend you pick it up during your next run to the store. I can get it here in Minneapolis for around $9 for a four-pack of 12oz. bottles - it's well worth it.

Just Becks

Just Becks on 12seconds.tv

Darkness

One day last month the guys at Surly threw open the doors to their brewery and let the unwashed masses (namely my buddies) buy six bottles each of this years batch of Darkness. Sadly I was not at the event but I hear it was a good time. Thankfully I've got friends. Good friends. Friends who give up bottles of this stuff because they are "good guys".
It pours smooth. Too thick to really believe you're pouring something water based. A little head, maybe 1/2 a finger of tan that fades back into the glass pretty quickly. Lots of lacing. The smell is unbeatable, smooth chocolate, a background hop smell and well.... darkness. You almost hear a wah wah and Barry White in the background and you start to wonder what your in for.
It tastes unbefreakingleavable. If chocolate milk were beer, and then the gods smiled upon it and then so did the devil for good measure, this is what it would taste like. Upfront you taste chocolate, and a huge sweetness that I wasn't ready for in something billed as a Russian Imperial Stout. No boozy overtones at all maybe some dark fruit, figs and raisins. Mostly you get the sweetness and the smoothness. Then you feel a little carbonation on your tongue, not too much, just a touch to show you it's not a one trick pony. Then you realize how thick it is... your mouth is coated, you can feel it in the back of your throat.... Quite a complex taste, well balanced, but with a definite emphasis (to my taste buds at least) on the sweeter side of things. A dessert beer if ever there was one.
Surly does a pretty good job with everything I've had from them but they really hit this one out of the park. Hats off to Omar and the gang, keep it up.

Leffe Blonde

Not a beer that I drink very often. Not that I don't enjoy it, it's just not one that I readily see around here, although it's one of the more well-known 'abbey' style Belgian Beers.

The Abbey for which this beer is named was founded around 1152. Many Abbeys developed breweries, one reason being that beer was in fact safer to drink than water back in the middle ages.

After the Abbey and brewery burnt down in the 1700's beer production ceased. However, brewing of Leffe was restarted on a commercial basis in 1952, and has been going ever since, although now brewed at the Stella Artois brewery in Leuven.

It has a delicate, malty aroma and a subtle, sweet finish. The head is creamy, and the beer is a light golden color. 6.6% ABV.