1001 Beers: Ruination

Beer Number 74: Stone Ruination Ale

So, I wanted to do this review a year ago but totally failed at it. Not by my own doing... well, you know. But because I was not able to find Ruination X. I got lucky and they released RuinTen this year because it did so awesome last year and now I can finally do this. The reason I missed it last year is because of the beer wasteland I live in.

I tried to get up to Raleigh when it was released but things just did not work out... and not much of it made it here in the first place. I had a few guys saying they were going to mail me some, but that did not work out either... damn... so anyway, Stone Ruination Ale.

From the start, Wagner gave Stone's beers a different taste by forgoing the use of Cascade hops. "When I brewed at Pyramid Brewery (in Washington) we made a Cascade Pale Ale, and I was a little sensitive about redoing what we'd done at Pyramid," he says. So Stone declared itself completely Cascade free and charted its own happy hoppy way.

I wonder if this is still true, does Stone not use Cascade in any of their beers? Hmm... Just thinking of all the IPAs they have released along the years... hmmm... I mean, Stone has their taste, and it is unlike any other. Maybe the exclusion of Cascade is one of the keys...



This is just an awesome beer to begin with. Interesting to think how the Ruination X and RuinTen would even improve on that. Hop nectar on the nose, an in your face bitterness to open up, sweet caramel, grassy, citrusy, a bit floral and more hop nectar in your mouth. A very clean and fantastic beer.



Now, the "improvement" on an already great beer. I have no idea how this could even be thought of. I guess it comes down to the geniuses in the brewhouse.

Deep gold/amber with a small golden head. Very clean and bright, so sweet and sticky on the nose. Tropical and mango sweetness in your mouth, very thick! I found this to be very mellow compared in the bittereness department but it packed a ton more flavor. Juicy, resiny, delicious!!!

Honestly, a big improvement. Crazy to think. I hope they do bring this back year after year. It was hinted at on the blog, but some people at Stone say it is just a rumor at the moment... I hope they are just pulling my leg... 927 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!

My Top 13 Beers

So, the other day the Brewers Association sent out an email to its members telling them to submit 20 picks for their top beers that are commercially available. I figured, why not do it? The form had an auto fill feature and you would just got ahead and hit enter when the name of the beer you wanted popped up, so as I was doing that I guess I miss keyed something and then it submitted my entries after only 4.

I tried to go back and enter more but I was denied. The error message was telling me that I already voted. So I figured, screw them. I will post my own top list because every beer on your list will probably end up being an IPA.

So, here is my list. I was trying to put it in order from 1 - 13, (Yes, you get 13 entries from me), but at times, that got hard. These are all 5 star beers in my eyes and I figured I'd share them with you in the order I thought of them, so obviously number 1 is my favorite but the list gets hazy as it goes on.

1: New Belgium 1554 (Reviewing Soon. My first beer love.)
2: New Belgium La Folie (Nuff Said)
3: Epic Fermentation Without Representation (One of the best Pumpkin Ales I have ever had)
4: Stone Double Bastard (The best of all the Bastards. Better with some age one it. 3+ years)
5: Sierra Nevada Porter (One of the most underated Porters in my eyes)
6: Deschutes Black Butte (My favorite Porter of all time. Especially the anniversary editions)
7: Harviestoun Old Engine Oil (Taste it. I dare you)
8: Allagash White (The first Wheat beer that I actually loved)
9: Stone Levitation (It is just beautiful in every way)
10: North Coast Old Rasputin (I feel every Russian Imperial Stout should taste like this. The definition of the style)
11: Williams Brothers Fraoch Heather Ale (Have a special version in my cellar)
12: Sierra Nevada Torpedo (A classic brewer making a classic beer)
13: Russian River Supplication (Probably my favorite sour ale. That damn good)

I need to review the ones on this list that I have not. You know, to make it official, but they are all some of my top beers. I am sure things may move in or out of this list and I am sure maybe something that I truly love missed the list because I cannot think of it... but we will see. I love the number 13. I can see things changing as time passes and I have taste more beer.

Cheers!

Stone, Evil Twin, Stillwater: The Perfect Crime

The Perfect Crime is another collaboration beer that I picked up just because, well it was a new Stone Release and I have tried pretty much all of the collaborations. I have been reading a lot of mixed reviews of this one so I was not sure what to expect. Especially now since the bottle has about 4 or 5 months on it. I was not sure how or if the smoke character would come through.



The interesting thing about this beer is that Stone brought together some of the "Gypsy Brewers". Mitch Steele talks about that a little bit on the back of the bottle.

I first heard the term "gypsy brewer" in reference to Mikkel Borg-Bjergsø, back in 2008, when we brewed our very first collaboration beer with Mikkel and Peter Zien of AleSmith. And now we are thrilled to welcome two more famous gypsy brewers to our brewery: Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø of Evil Twin Brewing (Mikkel's brother-hence the name) and Brian Strumke of Stillwater Artisanal Ales.

Jeppe and Brian have brewed together before, and both have excellent pedigrees in brewing unique Belgian-inspired beers. Their shady influence was felt throughout the brewing of this mysterious black beer, and we were excited to be able to brew it.

I know of one other story on the back of the bottle, I am sure there is a third but I have not heard it. Over at Daily Beer Review you can read one take on the back of the bottle.

So, The Perfect Crime poured pitch black and it had a nice creamy tan head. I picked up some plum, spice, a little bit of smoke and pear on the nose. I was expecting more smoke, but like I said this is an "aged" bottle. Only a couple of months... or maybe it was not that smokey to begin with...

Smoke was the first thing to roll across my tongue, for sure though. Toffee and that plum flavor followed. It is very fruity and light bodied. I am not really seeing anything saison about this. It drinks more like a dubbel to me... way lighter in body, but that is what I think of as I take each sip. I actually enjoy this one even though it taste nothing like what I was expecting.

Cheers!

1001 Beers: Arrogant, Oaked, Double, and Lukcy Basartd

To ring in the New Year, I decided to try something new... Well, not new at all but a few beers that collectively make the wait worth it. Some I have had many times, some I have only had a couple of times, and one I have had no times. That brings us to tonight. The night where everyone thinks they are going to make a change in their life but the only thing that will change is the beer that I'm drinking tonight. Will you make the change or will you be the same time and time again. You Are Not Worthy? You have no idea. But listen to this. I Know I Am.



The back of every Stone bottle always has great stories or representations of why we love and why Stone is here. Was Arrogant Bastard the brain child of the owners at a time when fancy beer was unknown and unliked or was it just a mishap that happened to be for the greatest of drinkers?

"We were doing some single hop experiments, working on the grist bill for the pale ale," he said. One evening he[Steve Wagner] and co-founder Greg Koch sat down to taste one of the batches three weeks after it was brewed. Wagner took a sip and realized that he needed to consult his copious brewing notes. "Oh, man, I screwed up," he told Koch. He'd added a far larger dose of hops than he had intended, and the beer was off the charts in terms of bitterness. Koch tasted the beer, then told Wagner it was the best beer he had ever drunk."

He knew that this beer was going to be one of the best sellers in the 22oz format and from that time on, in 1997, they would make history. Which brings me to the beer.

Beer Number 23: Arrogant Bastard



The hop aroma on this beer are so piney and resiny that it just screaming to get into my mouth. The bitterness plays games with my mind going from level one of search and destroy to level take the next sip. Deep caramel a bit of raisin and piney tones that linger on the edge of your tongue finish with a bit of alcohol when you sit there playing with your mouth not believing what you just drank. The evolution of this beer is one for the ages. Sure, this beer stayed exactly the same but the next few are variations that are released for those who do find themselves to be worthy. As noted by the founders,

This is an aggressive ale. You probably won't like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory--maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign...

It only gets worse from there...

In 2000, for Stones 4th anniversary they decided to release an ale that was only fit for those whose eyes have been opened. The world of real beer, though, many were NOT Worthy, was further released upon the land.

Warning: Double Bastard Ale is not to be wasted on the tentative or weak. Only the Worthy are invited, and then only at your own risk. If you have even a modicum of hesitation, DO NOT buy this bottle. Instead, leave it for a Worthy soul who has already matriculated to the sublime ecstasy of what those in the know refer to as "Liquid Arrogance."

Off the nose of this beer the Arrogance really comes through and once again, inviting you to come in. On first sips all that you taste is the most amazing beverage in the world. It is great now, but also great with several years on it. Very thick and chewy, malty with dark toffee roast. The citrus and pine come back for this one but with even more power than before. They want to see who can really stand up to their challenge especially when the alcohol comes in the lightly clean everything away. It sneaks in there not letting you know the truth, but at 11.2%... Ye Shall Know the Bastard, and the Bastard Shall Set You Free.



Take the amazing beer that was and oak age it to the point where only those who are truly worthy can handle it. That is Oaked Arrogant Bastard. Flavor coming from two angles. The oak coats the mouth which then brings on the pine, citrus, and maltiness which proceeds to dry the mouth inviting, once again another sip. A beer among Kings would be nothing less than this.



When they all come together blended it is the epitome of Liquid Arrogance. Lukcy Basartd. Very creamy and hops forcing themselves upon you. Pine and citrus but toasted this time. The oak lingers and assaults your soul. The burnt caramel flavors pick out the weak of tongue to the great ones of humanity. Like they say, this one is not for the faint of heart. Take your pick of the Bastards and celebrate to all that is right in the world.

978 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!

The Search For Abbey

I know this is pretty late but with everything that has been going on I just haven't had the time... but I still want to go on and talk about my adventure Finding Abbey while on my first trip to Denver... and to The Great American Beer Fest. This may get a little long...



I have been looking forward to this trip for a while. I mean, not many people want to avoid this event. I know it isn't for everybody but come on... this is totally me. I have never been to Denver either and I was trying to figure out a way to tour the town on my first trip. The event takes place at night and all of the hot spots have special hours for the event. Word of mouth is usually how I find places but this time, I was given an opportunity. A scavenger hunt. The Lost Abbey described this as, "A Live Version Of Where's Waldo".

Abbot the Monk (we call him “Abbey”) can’t wait for the Great American Beer Festival to start, so he’s heading out a few days early to explore Denver and its thriving craft beer scene. The problem is, Abbey’s terrible with directions (and maybe enjoys the pubs a bit too much), so he’s bound to get lost. We need your help to find him before it’s time to go home on Sunday, October 14.

Abbey will be issuing clues as to his location in downtown Denver. We need you to follow his trail and track him down. If you do, you can win lots of great stuff including some free beer, Lost Abbey wearables, and the Grand Prize, one of the super limited (there’s only 500), “Ultimate Box Set” barrel-aged beer collections.

It helped that there was a prize as well to this game and the rules were pretty simple. Figure out the clues and tweet plus check in via FourSquare. There were seven clues and places to check in... too easy... for someone who actually knows the city. The first clue was simple. It was a picture of Abbey with this weird blue blur and a shadow or reflection. I couldn't really tell what it was but as I was sitting in the cab and it drove passed the convention center, I saw this...



Simple enough, IT MATCHED!!! and I was then bestowed with the second clue.

Abbey enjoys a pint among his kind at this place. Check-in there for his whereabouts, but don't be cheeky about it.

This one took a little bit of a google search since I was not familiar with the bars around town. Even a few tweeps helped me out and I found The Cheeky Monk... and a few Belgium Beers that some would be lucky to taste. Delirium Tremens, Stone Cali-Belgique Aged In Red Wine Barrels, Affligem Blond, The Bruery Oude Tart, Mischief, Saison Rue, Hottenroth, and a house brew from The Cheeky Monk, 3 Cheeks To The Wind. Not a bad start to my first trip in Denver and my first GABF... Okay, at the airport I stopped by the New Belgium Hub and had a New Belgium Abbey (perfect start of the hunt), a Red Hoptober, and a Peach Porch Lounger... Now that is a good start to GABF.



Once stepping out from my hydration station I decided to see if another clue was waiting for me. Just as I suspected.

The hunt for Abbey leads next to a place whose moniker combines "new" and "skill". Be crafty & check-in there for a fresh clue.

Again, knowing nothing of the town, this took another bit of googling. Trying to figure out what was new and skilled... I decided to take a walk down the street to think...



Okay, so The Great Divide was not my second clue but I mean, I was in Denver. It is a brewery, and I was there to enjoy and celebrate beer... plus it would give me time to figure everything out. I picked up a Hoss, Hibernation, and Wolfgang. Another great round of beers and I figured out the clue from there. Fresh Craft. I enjoyed a brew while charging my phone and decoding the next clue.

An educated monk, Abbey's been known to brush up on his studies at the place named for the father of geometry.

That was a pretty simple one to decode and lead me to Euclid Hall where I had an Upslope Thai IPA. Why not have a local brew while in the area.

Rumor has it Abbey, like Simple Simon, met this fortuitous man and tapped him for slice and a beer at his house.

Lucky Pie is the place where I first got my hands on Stone Enjoy By. The date on this beer was 11.09.12 and it was actually a damn good IPA. I wish this place sold pizza by the slice because I wanted some so bad... it just didn't work out in my favor.

You're closing on Abbey! He's at a place whose name rhymes -- its not far from where you are.

Star Bar was a place that literally blew my mind. It was my favorite bar and the staff was amazing. They feature Colorado beers and have their own line of cocktails that they whip up... and I only had a few beers while I was here... one of my top favorites, La Folie, Funkwerks Leuven, New Belgium Colorado Wet Hop, Tart Lychee, Avery Tweek (which I guess used to be called Meth Addict according to the bartender, and Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. One I have been looking for quite some time now. And I forgot to take a picture before I got deep into drinking.



It was here at Star Bar too that I ran into Abbey. It was pretty exciting but not the end of the hunt. I got a bad ass Lost Abbey Hat and a T-shirt. Some of my favorite drinking gear... and people keep asking me if I work for The Lost Abbey when I wear it. HAHAHA I wish. That would be an awesome job. It is pretty crazy that I got all of this in before heading to the first night of the festival. I may or may not have been over beered... Though, I did get the last clue.

Last clue! Be 1st to find Abbey & you win! 10/13 at 4pm: catch the man with a bad mustache where Stones can Tumble. That's our...

That gave me about 24 hours to figure it all out...



Walking into the festival one of the first things I saw was the silent disco. Empty. Though, the festival was not what I was expecting at all being this was my first time. I thought for sure there would be miles of line, the inability to talk to any one about the beers they were pouring, and you know... just a lot of crazy stuff. It was actually a good time. Short lines, a lot of good conversation, a lot of good beer, and... Sam Adams Utopias. A beer that I always wanted to try but never did because, well, the price tag. I have spent quite a bit on a beer before but never that amount.



I started the night off by looking for breweries I knew and beers I wanted to try from them. Ones I missed since moving but also ones that are limited and are hardly available. Dogfish Head Positive Contact, New Belgium Love - Felix, favorites from Ladyface Alehouse & Brassirie, Bear Republic and the list goes on and on. Seriously. I stopped by Sierra Nevada... ok, ok. But seriously the amount of beer.



The next day was the day to find abbey. Of course I did some more beer hunting and figuring out the clue. Luckily it was the Falling Rock Taphouse. I walked past it a few times the day before trying to get to other locations. All of the clues were within walking distance and I noticed a lot of traffic at this location the day before but I did not have time to actually stop being I wanted to workout the other clues. I had my eyes on this place before I caught my flight out to Denver because there was going to be a New Belgium event the last night of the festival.

I was a bit early so I started some conversation and got me a beer and some food. Maybe that was a bad call and I should have been waiting by the entrance. Once I found out Abbey showed up, I made my way outside but I guess someone had just stopped him. I did a once around the bar and before I headed outside. Another bad move? Oh well. I wish I would have one the box set but I had a great time in Denver and some awesome beer. Everything I was hoping for when I purchased my tickets. I can't wait to get out there again. Now I know some hot spots and what to expect. Can't wait to see what else I discover.

1001 Beer: Smoked Porter

Beer Number 21: Stone Smoked Porter.

This is a beer I have fell in love with the very first time I had it. Being that Stone brewed it, that should be no surprise. I'm not saying it is my favorite porter, but it is damn good and damn solid. One of my first times I had this beer, I had the other two variations; Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans, and not too long after that, Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle. Both of these beers I had at a few festivals I attended since they were one-offs and not bottled... until recently. Looking through 1001 Beers, I discovered some interesting facts.

Stone Smoked Porter was released not long after Stone Brewing opened, and it was meant to be a one-off; it was also meant to be sold solely on draft and only in the San Diego area.

There was quite a bit more information in there but then it goes and rambles off about the Vertical Epic series. I have had 09-09-09 through 11-11-11 and wish I could get the earlier ones, but that is for another time.



The smokiness on the nose is fairly light but very distinct... You know what I mean. You can definitely taste it on the finish. Chocolaty and coffee notes are running all through this beer and it has a great maltyness about it. A great beer from one of the great breweries. What can be said? But that brings us to the other creations that they released upon the world.



Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla. The nose does not have that smokiness as the original but it is still there in the taste. Very smokey all around and a bit sweet. You get a hint of the vanilla on both ends. I cannot figure out which one came out first. This version or the next one. Quick searches on the web are proving noneffective. Though, reading the back of each bottle I have a feeling it was the Chipotle.



The nose on this beer is kind of on fire. I like it though. It is not overly hot, just kind of smokey hot... Again sticking with the theme. On first sip, the heat overcomes your mouth and you get a hot prickly sensation all over. You can still get a hint of the coffee but the chocolate seems to disappear.

I would have to say on a 6oz pour, or so, that Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle is my favorite. But having to get my way through these bottles, the original is the best. The vanilla stirkes as too sweet, the chipotle, too hot. The original is just right.

980 Bottles Of Beer To Go!

Cheers!

2008 Double Bastard

When those at Stone tell you that you are not worthy, what do you think? When you read the bottles and find yourself lost in the world or doing what they are describing, how do you feel? Well, my friend, I can't answer those questions for you but I can tell you that after getting my hands on a 2008 Double Bastard my eyes are so much more open now.

Before now I have only had current versions of all of Stones brews. I have had quite a few, but again only current. Here is a picture of 2011 Double Bastard. When I found this bottle of 2008 I knew I had to buy it. I wish that I found other years as well but I guess this was no time to get greedy... or was it?



Nobody can really say what goes into Stone Arrogant or Double Bastard but we can all agree that they are very tasty. I was told by somebody that when the time finally does come to open this beer to just find a time when I can sit back, relax and nurse this one all day. So I did just that.

This beer has changed a lot from the fresh one I had not too long ago. I should have taken some good notes because it would have been awesome to compare, or maybe I should have waited for a fresh batch, but this celebration was in order. Nothing was holding me back. This go around the scent was rather sweet and malty. I had a hard time trying to figure out if there were hops I was smelling or if it was something else. I would not expect an aroma at all after 4 years or so in the bottle... They may be there but for sure not like it a fresh batch at all. A little alcohol comes through in both the nose and the taste. A very nice, tan head deep amber color in the glass. There is no denying that it mellowed out a ton but I guess that is the beauty of this beer and its design. Grassy hops in the finish linger, caramel and tofee all the way through. It had a light carbonation but still bubbling in the glass and a bit of a burnt toastyness to it.

I guess there is really no way to experience this beer and the complexities without aging one. I think from here on out I will buy several and just hold onto them year after year. This is a must.

Cheers!

1001 Beers: Boston Lager

One of my favorite places to go out and eat... just because Fondue is amazing, is The Melting Pot. They can get a bit on the pricey end but you never leave dissatisfied... unless you get a crappy waiter. I have not experienced that yet. Just throwing out variables. Makes sense, no? Well, Recently I was there and decided to have the beer flight with my Big Night Out. Mainly because I wanted beer, not really because I was trying to pair. The last time I was here I did the wine flight. I think there was one I really liked and I didn't really keep notes on them so it's whatever.

The beers for the flight were split between ones I have had many times before and ones that I have only had a few times. They were Boston Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale, Stone IPA, and Rogue Chocolate Stout. Honestly, I did not really see any correlation in flavor of the food to the beers that they presented but I guess I cannot be too mad. There were a few good selections.



The first course was just The Big Night Out Boston Lager Cheese Fondue. A little appetizer to get us going. Bread Fruit Vegetables, and Beer Number 19 Samuel Adams Boston Lager. I have only had this one a few times before, and I always say I am not really a fan of Sams so this was just a formality since you cannot substitute beers in the predetermined flight... not that they really have a beer menu anyway. Honestly, I found nothing interesting about it... again. Just another beer. A bit of floral hops in the start, a tad earthy and then citrusy... It was way better in the cheese than in the glass but I guess I can't be too picky, I did come here for the food.



The next beer was a classic. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I can't say anything bad about this beer. Though, I did not think it paired well with my salad... It wasn't bad, but for sure it was not thought out. Check out This beer Here.



Stone IPA is one I have had a few times and it actually fits into this series, but I will give it it's own post at a later date. It deserves one and will not go into this count. There is just so much to be said about this beer and this brewery, that I'd rather have it organized than just thrown together to get Boston Lager out of the way hah! I guess Lobster and Stone IPA is never a bad choice, but again, the whole coming together thing was just lost. My fault, or theirs???



The last beer, Rogue Chocolate Stout. I thought I had never had this one before, but a little search on Untappd proved otherwise. I am not really a fan of Rogue, but this beer was actually one I might buy get a pint of one day, and not just because I am at the brewery. Again, who ever made these pairing decisions should be fired but I guess the beer and the courses stood alone and that is what matters?

982 Bottle Of Beer To Go!

Cheers

La Citrueille Celeste De Citracado

La Citrueille Celeste De Citracado




An interesting beer for sure, and a very interesting collaboration. I always wondered how Stone decided which breweries they were going to work with, especially since they always work with two others. All the other breweries I can think of, when they do a collaboration, only work with one brewery. So it got me to thinking. It turns out this one makes complete sense! Stone decided to brew with Patrick Rue and Tyler King of The Bruery and Dick Cantwell of Elysian Brewing.

So besides The Bruery being a kick ass company I haven't really made the connection with them but the beer has more meaning toward them. The name of this beer breaks down to, "The Heavenly Pumpkin of Citracado", ... whatever that really means but they seemed to have spelled "Citrueille" wrong. "Citrouille" is French for pumpkin and I guess that has a link to The Bruery because this was done purposely in honor of Patrick Rue. They also suggested the link of using yams in this beer, along with other ingredients. I have the Stone label, but apparently there are two others. One to represent each brewery. Elysian and my favorite, The Bruery. This one is just funny.

Now, I don't know many other brewers that know a ton about brewing with pumpkins than The Elysian Brewing Company. I guess Mitch Steele at Stone doesn't either. Every year they host The Great Pumpkin Beer Festival and I think that is exactly what they were going for. A great background in brewing and the brewers to match. The pumpkins were grown over at the Stone Farms, which apparently just got an upgrade.

Well, I guess I already broke the first rule of this beer. The whole "Drink Fresh" thing, I just threw out of the window. But I had this beer once it was first released. This is my second bottle. It just happens to be about 9 months later... I notice the differences but I wish I took better tasting notes the first time around. I thought it was more enjoyable aged. I really liked it fresh, if that helps to put it into perspective.

It was almost pitch black on first look but when you put it up into the light, a deep ruby color graced the glass. It poured a tan head and smelled a little bit of lemon and, can you smell pumpkin in a beer? The sweetness is this beer leaves in your mouth is magnificent. The yams and pumpkin do this beer good. It drinks really light but it sits at 5%. Maybe that has something to do with it. A nice low carb, Damn Good... even though it is not fresh.

I hope I can make it to the Pumpkin Fest this year... even though I am all the way on the other side of the country. Though, it is home. Maybe a visit to the family is in order... and to see what Elysian brews this year.

Cheers!

Shiner Tasting

One thing I figured I should do before leaving Texas was to get out to the Spoetzl brewery. The brewers of the beer, Shiner Bock. I had rough plans to get out and visit the brewery while checking out a baseball game and etc etc etc. Well, those plans fell through. Not for any reason specifically but yeah. Well one of my favorite craft beer spots out here, The Friendly Spot, actually had their whole line up in bottles one night. I figured that drinking there would be just as good as visiting the brewery. I love the environment, the people, and I didn’t have to travel way the hell out of my way to do it.



When I got to The Friendly Spot I looked around at what they had that was new or something I could not resist and guess what I found… HOPTIMUM!!! I have been wanting this one so bad. I could not let it go. But anyway, I had to get the night of Shiner drinking going after this.



I started the night by ordering a Dortmunder Spring Ale, Shiner Blonde, and a Wild Hare. I have had the Wild Hare before but I just thought it would be a decent palate cleanser before moving on…

Dortmunder… Well, It had a decent golden hue and was pretty clean. It was really sweet and floral and had a light carbonation… I guess I can see how this one was meant to be a spring ale but overall I was not a fan of it. The Blonde had a hazy straw colored appearance and a butterscotch nose. The blonde was surprisingly earthy and had a light mouthfeel… again, this made me wonder about this brewery. I moved on to the Wild Hare. Which is just a solid beer. Nothing special but not bad. I have had the Shiner Bock before and the Shiner Black. The only ones that were left for me to try were The Hefe and Blonde Light… I decided to say screw it and got into beers I knew I would appreciate. The night ended up being big… bigger than I would have first thought to believe. I had a Lagunitas Censored, a Leinenkugels Summer Shandy, Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard, 512 IPA, and… Dogfish Head Black & Blue.



I have been looking for Black & Blue for quite some time now. Totally exceeded my expectations. Everything about this beer is just simply amazing. The aroma, the flavor, the mouthfeel. It was just everything that I call classic DFH but in a good way and not the usual they are only doing it because they can. This is for sure one I am going to be coming back to time and time again. I hope I can find some bottles of it in store.

Cheers!

Drinking In DisneyLand!

Ok, so you probably know this as well, They do NOT serve alcohol in DLand unless you are cool enough to get into Club 33. Walt Disney did not like the smell of spilt beer baking on concrete, and to this day they respect his wishes of it being a dry park... Though, After he died, they built California Adventure! (I did find some Stone Levitation inside DisneyLand)



I have not been to DisneyLand since I was like 7 or 8 and I honestly could not tell you anything I did besides hug Mickey Mouse... Yes, I remember that. But I honestly did not expect to have as much fun as I did while I was there. It was honestly one of the best days of my life HAHA! and probably the best in the past year, even with the awesome stuff I did the few days before.

Let it be known that I said, No!, Alcohol does not make everything better. Whoever said that was an idiot... or they've never been to Disney Land.



I won't bore you with the details of my day. For that, just visit the park yourself of ask me about it. The highlights though, were at the end of the night when I saw the REAL Mickey Mouse. I ran into several of his impostors throughout the day but there was a big explosion in the sky and Mickey showed up. He had his sorcerer's hat and everything on. He would wiggle his hand and BOOM!!! Explosion, BOOM! Magic. I love that Mouse :D


(imposter)

Now back to beer... Still Thinking about Mickey... We went over to California Adventure and I was honestly surprised with the selection they had there. Maybe I am just narrow minded, but I expected to only see BMC. There was GREAT beer in the park. Karl Strauss, Sierra Nevada,... I am sure there was another, one but probably not.

I am very disappointed that I missed catching a drink with Golden Pint while he was there, though I did get to talk to him for a few minutes.

We had just finished lunch and I had a Windansea Wheat Hefeweizen. I don't know, maybe it was the environment, or maybe the beer was just that good, But I loved it! I kind of think it was just really well made. I don't usually like Hefes but I would give this one a try again.

I was eating mexican food and the citrus and maltyness of the beer seemed to balance out the spicy/underspicyness of the fajitas... it was pretty warm out, which also made it quite nice.

Later on we caught up with a few friends, Louie and Monica, who are pretty damn crazy for coming to Disney Land after work and still having to get up and be at work at 4am the next day! (Nikkee and I arrived at about 9am and did not leave until 12:30am) but we had a great time with them. They knew the park inside and out, it really added to the experience.

We saw World of Colors with them, and Louie and I both had Torpedo Extra IPA paired with a Jalapeno Cheese stuffed Pretzel. This was pretty amazing too. The show was seriously something you have to see. I do not know how long it is running but a fire, water, and light show... I never imagined such a thing. I want to see it again.

The importance of this day was around DisneyLand, not beer, so I really do not know how to end this post...



Cheers?

Brewery Weekend

This weekend was a crazy one. I went to Stone, The Lost Abbey/Port, Bootlegger, The Bruery, and 38 Degrees Ale House (ok, so I know this one is not a brewery, but they have a damn good selection of beer and know what they are doing).

First off, I would like to say that Stone is an AMAZING brewery. They are kind of what I imagined every brewery would be like but... as I found out... I was wrong.



Their tour guides are amazing. Jessica Wilson, did a great job with literally everything. Nikkee thought she may have been pregnant with the way she was "nursing" her beer and stuff but what do I know. I was more excited to be inside the actual brewery. I was literally having "beergasms" apparently... but what do I care? I saw pallets upon pallets of beer, grain, a whole closet full of hops, a test batch of 11-11-11 (I was spying), and the bottling line in motion. I was in heaven.



The best part of the tour, was the tasting at the end. The free beer was totally amazing. I have never tasted an Arrogant Bastard that was that damn good. I wish I would have gotten a growler of that, but I guess that is why they are refillable :D



Note: Do not order the Spud Buds. We did not like them at all, the waitress said no body liked them at all, and she did not like them at all. I guess some people must like them but you have been warned...


(sign meant for my mouth)

Here is a video of the bottling line. The first part is cool, but we were rushed at the end.



After leaving Stone, we went to The Lost Abbey/Port Brewing.


Apparently I was talking to The Owner of the Brewery... I wish I would have known that while I was there. I loved talking to him but I just thought he was a bartender (at this point I was NOT drunk, but we had just left Stone literally 5 minutes prior and I began drinking immediately). He was a really cool guy and had great beer suggestions. I did not like his female replacements that came just about as we were leaving... though, one was totally in fish nets... I love fish nets...

I wish I would have picked up on his clues that he ran the place. There were some good little conversations, but I would have went further if I knew who the hell I was talking to.

This place had a really nice environment. Not really a family place, like I thought Stone was, but a really cool place nonetheless. We were sitting on sand bags. Someone told me that this was the old location of Stone's brewery. I honestly cannot imagine that but I guess everyone has to get started somewhere.

This was the first location that I realized that a brewery did not have to be a fancy, "corporation" type of location in order to make a great product. It really opened my eyes to the world of brewers and the making of craft beer.

I left here with a Growler of 2009 Santa's Little Helper.


It was at this point that Nikkee wanted to go to Bootleggers... I did not want to go.. I know my limits and I know I would have passed them... Let me just say I did...

So I don't really want to talk bad about a place but there was only one brew here I liked... and that was Black Phoenix. I knew I liked that one before going, and that is the only one I liked after going...

This night did not end well. I will just leave you with that for now...

A Growler Hunting I Will Go...

I just want to start off by saying, "Happy Anniversary To Me!!!!!!!!!!!"


Anyway, Now that that is over with, Since I guess this anniversay is about me. I want to go get a few Growlers. One from Stone, The Lost Abbey, Bootleggers, and The Bruery. There are others I want but I guess that will have to come another day. Actually thinking about it, trying to get to all of those locations in one day is pretty ambitious... So, why not turn this weekend into a BEER WEEKEND!

I kind of have this Bucket list of things I want to do/places I want to go before I ship off to BCT and since I got all dorky into beer this past year they all pretty much revolve around that.

1. Go To Eagle Rock Brewing Co.
2. Go To LadyFace Ale & Brassier
3. Go To Stone Brewing Co.
4. Watch Ghost Busters.
5. Eat A 12 Egg Omlette
6. Go to Sierra Nevada (hopefully for beer camp)
7. Go to Deschutes... etc, etc.

There are several other breweries and events on there that I want to go to but that list can go on forever. I only have a couple of months left so I have to pick and choose... though, I am doing some that didn't even make the original cut.

Details later.