Alpine Spring

This is a new release from Sam Adams. It's super citrusy and wheaty with a slight metallic taste on the finish. It's an unfiltered lager, which isn't bad.

Sweet water IPA

This is a mildly citrusy IPA, not overwhelmingly hoppy. It's not bad for a macro brew IPA, but I'd take a little more hops.

Love stout and rootbeer!

On the left is a version of the Love Stout that was brewed with chocolate added. It was really good. Hard to imagine that the Love Stout could get better, but it did.

On the right is a rootbeer. The smell is so sweet. I can't believe how good this rootbeer tastes. I've had rootbeer at a bunch of breweries and this is by far the best.

Yards - Ales of the Revolution Sampler

Left to right - Love Stout (not a revolutionary ale), Spruce Ale, Thomas Jefferson Ale and Washington Porter. The Love Stout is a nitro pour. It's smooth and creamy. I absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, they don't bottle it. The spruce ale is made from a recipe that Ben Franklin created and uses spruce and some other ingredient because hops were not available. I remember having this before and thinking I just drank my Christmas tree. I liked it better this time. And, a woman at the bar said she cooks with it. That makes sense because it tastes a little like rosemary. The TJ is one of my all-time favorites. It's a smooth tavern ale that has a bit of sweetness to it. It's brewed from a recipe that Jefferson used to make beer with ingredients he grew at Monticello. Finally, the porter is made with a recipe that Washington used. It's good, but next to the stout, it doesn't stand a chance.

Flower Power

Brewed in Ithaca, this beer is plenty hoppy. When I pried off the cap, the hoppy aroma exploded from the bottle. This tastes like all hops from the nose to the close. No fruit or malt to distract you. Just good old hoppy bitterness. And a surprisingly foamy head. If you want a hoppy beer, give it a try.

Old Slugger

From the Cooperstown Brewing Company web site: "Old Slugger" is a hearty Pale Ale, copper in color, crisp malty fullness on the front of the palate and lingering hop bitterness on the back with a dry finish.  It is brewed with four barley malts, including two-row English pale and crystal malts, balanced with Mt. Hood, Cascade and Fuggle hops, and fermented in open vessels by Ringwood Yeast, a true top-fermenting ale yeast. "Old Slugger" is the flagship beer of the Cooperstown Brewing Company and was first brewed in July 1995 and bottled in November 1995.

We stumbled onto this tiny brewery after a trip to the baseball hall of fame and Ommegang brewery. We took an informal tour of their small brewery and had a great time. In fact, I'm pretty sure I already blogged about this beer. But I enjoyed it so I thought I'd try it again.  I taste a strong spice in the beer, but can't identify it. I thought maybe it was coriander, but I'm not sure. Perhaps it's just the blend of hops. If you can fill me in, please do!

Finally, I love the caps - baseballs. Perfect. 

Zombie dust

I went to Three Floyd's with a friend to have a casual lunch, tour the brewery and pick up some beer. We didn't plan well because it turned out to be release day for Zombie Dust. We waited in line for an hour before getting inside for lunch. We skipped the tour and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. We also each picked up some Zombie Dust. I think this falls into the American pale ale category - with a twist. It has a citrusy nose and, I think, an interesting hops profile. I go back and forth on how I feel about it - I like one and look forward to the next. Perhaps the increased expectations lead me to be a little disappointed in the next. And the cycle continues.

Bitter American

Another fine beer from 21st Amendment. I'm sorry I can't get their beer in Chicago. This pours a thick creamy head which sticks around for a while. It's a pale ale with a little twist. I can't put my finger on it, but it has an interesting taste. I also love the name and the label - the picture is a monkey in a space suit. The monkey resembles our 43rd president, at least to this bitter American.

Coffee porter

I usually find coffee porters are either too weak in the coffee or too strong in the abv. This one didn't fall into either trap. I got a robust coffee nose and taste followed by a chocolate note. It was not too dry and not too creamy. And it hails from Middlebury, VT, which is beautiful. So it makes sense they'd make a beer to be appreciated.

Smooth Hoperator

Tacky name and label aside, this is an IPA from a PA brewery that also has a bakery, which confirms my theory that people who know their yeast make good bread and good beer. I expect nothing less from Stoudt's, however, because their logo on their caps is a hop bud. I tried my first one slightly warmer than fridge temp and it was definitely smooth. It had a slightly citrus nose and start with a crisp bitter finish.

Clown Shoes Supa Hero IPA

This is a high abv IPA (8%), but there is a citrus taste that masks the high abv. After a few tastes, I decided it might be the pineapple. It's a little sweet for an IPA. Or at least a little sweet for me, but not bad.

Stout fest 4

Ok, this one was a little tough to get down. This is a Revolution Bourbon Black Power. As one of our party described it, it tastes like rancid cough syrup, aged in bourbon barrels. Bottoms up!

Stout fest 4

Ok, we decided to skip the movie and stay at stout fest. This is an Avery Brewing Co. Czar Imperial Stout. The appearance is the same as the previous stouts, but the nose is more fruity, like cider. I don't get a lot of hops but I do taste a cider, but not as much as the aroma. I enjoy this stout a lot.

Stoutfest, take 3

This is a Green Flash Double Stout. I am only familiar with hoppy offerings from Green Flash, so I expected some hops. I didn't taste or smell any. The head was moderate and pretty creamy, but it left a lot of lace on the glass. It has a very grainy nose and a thick black appearance. It's very smooth and, like the other stouts, malty and delicious.

Stout fest, take 2

This is a Half Acre Big Hugs. It's 10% abv and black as night. It has a surprising bitter nose and taste which is balanced by a rich malty finish. It pours with a creamy head which leaves a nice lace on the glass. I'd definitely have one again.

Stout fest

On the left, Allagash Black. On the right, Breckenridge Oatmeal stout.

The Allagash is a smooth rich and slightly chocolatey stout. It finishes more crisply than I expected.

The Breckenridge is a nice oatmeal stout. I don't taste a lot of oatmeal, which I expected, but I think it gives it a full taste.

If you like lagers ...

This is a limited release from Three Floyd's called Jinx Proof Lager. I think it's a very good example of a lager. It pours a nice golden color with a thick creamy head which leaves a ton of lace on the glass. I'm not always a Three Floyd's fan, but I really like this; it's my local go to for a session lager.

Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

This is a Boulevard Smokestack Series Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale. It pours a thin head, which leaves a lot of lace on the side of the glass. The nose is a little fruity and a little spicy, a little more like a witbier? It's a nice golden color with what appear to be plentiful yeast particles floating among the carbonation bubbles. The label says it has a "sweet body of breaded malt." I get the sweet, but not a lot of malt. Overall, I like this farmhouse ale.

Back in black

This is a 21st Amendment black IPA. First, I like the name 21st Amendment for a brewery. Second, I'm intrigued by black IPAs (and black wheats, too). This poured thick and black, although the flash betrays the true color. As you can see from the photo, the head is thick and creamy. It's hoppy and not too citrusy. I would have had another one, but we were on to Scotch. And dinner.

Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper

I have yet to have a Mikkeller's that I did NOT like. This was a Belgian strong ale (about 10.9% abv) that I had after my first two Scotch drinks ever - more about those later.

This did not taste like a high octane beer to me. It also did not taste like an over-spiced Christmas Ale. I liked the mildly spicy and malty taste. Unfortunately, however, this was a couple weeks ago and I can't remember more than that!

Northern hemisphere

This is a Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere wet hopped IPA in a slightly over-sized glass with one of my favorite Ben Franklin quotes.

It pours with a huge rich creamy head that leaves a ton of lace. The nose is bitter, but not overly citrus. There is a slight malty taste with a bitter finish.

I have blogged this beer before and I think I liked it better the first time.

Back in the game

Part of the reason I started this blog was to track what I was drinking so that I could remember what I loved, liked and loathed. In the last few months, I've gotten away from blogging the ales and lagers that I have tasted. Recently, I looked back at the blog to see what I said about a certain beer, only to discover that I had not entered it on the blog. If the title of this post mislead you to believe that I had not continued sampling craft beer throughout the country, I apologize. I am going to try to blog new ales and lagers while they are still fresh in my mind.

Tonight, I had my second Green Flash West Coast IPA. It pours with a moderate head which left a fair amount of lacing. The color is a rich, slightly cloudy, copper. The nose is a strong citrus (orange?) with a slight bitter burn. I didn't think it tasted as bitter as it smelled because I got a malty taste in the middle.

I have seen this on a few "top 10" IPA lists, but I'm not sure I'd go that far. I think it is a good example of a west coast IPA, however.

5 Rabbit 5 Vulture

The label describes it as an Oaxacan-style dark ale brewed with ancho chili. Apparently, in Aztec mythology, 5 vulture is one of the five gods of excess that serve to warn us of our baser instincts. Hmmm. No excess here. I had this on draft at the map room a few months ago and had hoped it had a little more heat. I also remember liking it anyway! So tonight I bought a six pack and I'm not disappointed. I just wish the Chicago brewers had been a little more humble when they entered the market.

Davy Jones Lager

This is an imperial cream ale from Heavy Seas. Tastes a little like the Anderson Valley Summer Solstice, but a little stronger in abv.

Mikkeller, take 2

This is the second IPA that I bought from the single hop series. This one was made with cascade hops. It is 38 ibus, so it's a little more hoppy / bitter than the Mt. Hood. It is closer to what I expected from an IPA. Another enjoyable Mikkeller.

Mt. Hood

I have tried a number of Mikkellers and liked them all. This is from the single hop series - using only Mt. Hood hops. It has an ibu of 33 and the malts balance out the limited hops. I like this a lot.

Brooklyn Brewmaster's Reserve

This is a Brooklyn Main Engine Reserve - an abbey single. I don't know that I have ever had an abbey single, but even if I have, this blows it away! It's a very smooth Belgian with a little kick.

5 Rabbit 5 Lizard

This is a relatively new Chicago brewery. The beer is the Latin style witbier brewed with Spices and passion fruit. Very interesting. Also love the glass.

Summit Red - on cask

A nice copper color with a slightly bitter finish. Like the beer, love the glass - beer is my life.

LakeFront!

This is the Cream Ale - a pale ale. I think this is a nice crisp pale ale with a good mix of bitterness. And right from the brewery!

Black IPA

This beer is from the southern tier of NY, near where I grew up. The brewery has received praise for a number of it's offerings. This is a relatively new ale from Southern Tier. It is a black IPA. I've had a few, a couple of which I thought were awesome. This one is pretty good. At first it tasted like a half and half of an imperial stout and IPA. The second taste convinced me - pretty good, especially for an imperial. Nice hops. Good malt. And a cheap date.

Tramp Stamp

Yep, a beer named after the tattoo I never got. I had seen this in the store a couple times and loved the label. Now I've had it on tap and it is just as good as the label! Nice copper color and bitter nose. Finishes a little sharp but enjoyable.

Make it a double.

Firestone double jack IPA. Nice hoppy taste, which must mask the alcohol because this is yummy. Try it!

Peace.

This is a Goose Island Fleur. It has a great floral nose, copper color and great finish. Better on tap than in a bottle.

Unibroue

This is from Unibroue, but I can't remember the name. I do, however, remember liking it. It had a nice malty taste and copper color (lighter than in the photo). I'll try to update this post with the actual name.

Back at it

The blogging, not the drinking. Of course I have not taken a break from trying new beer. This is Boulevard Smokestack Series Tank 7 farmhouse ale. It's, well, interesting. I think it's the yeast. It starts a little hoppy and finishes a little bitter - for a farmhouse. But it's crisp and light which is nice for a hot and humid day. And in a mason jar at an almost authentic southern BBQ joint. In Bucktown. Close.

Bar Fly IPA

At the Sox game with a Bar Fly IPA. It's nice and hoppy with a crisp and bitter finish. Perfect for a warm summer evening.

Jockamo!

Sitting outside at the French Quarter Festival and having an Abita Jockamo IPA while listening to some awesome blues. Oh yeah, the IPA is good!

Crescent City Brewery

The sampler! Lightest to darkest - A pilsner (tastes like a light lager), a wheat (pretty good - crisp), seasonal - ambrosia (interesting - finishes kind of malty), Munich style ale (black forest - malty and not very hoppy), red stallion (it's their happiest and not that hoppy, but not bad). Gotta love local beer!

Gnomegang

A Belgian trippel that is a collaboration between Ommegang and La Chueffe. It tastes a little heavy, almost syrupy. I'll give it another chance because, well, I have a full glass.

Smallbar Pale Ale

I like this beer very much. This has a nice copper color and a crisp taste, with a mildly hoppy taste. If you want crazy IBUs, this isn't your beer. If you like a smooth and flavorful beer with Moderate hops - this is it. It is brewed by Two Brothers using hops grown at the Fullerton Smallbar location. Yummy. And, when the bartender saw me attempting to take a picture using the candle as light, he turned on the overhead lights for me. Nice. That random act of kindness may have saved my night.

Go east, young man!

Yuengling lager. I never cared much for it when I lived in Philly, perhaps because of its ubiquitous nature. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. This was the best the 7-11 had to offer and it hit the spot.

The best Oberon ever?

Despite the plastic cup, this just might have been my best Oberon to date -- spring training in Florida, shorts, sun, and my Phillies. Top that.

Yep, it's almost St. Patrick's Day

This is a Great Lakes Irish style ale. Or lager. Not sure. For some reason it has a greenish tinge. Not sure why. It has a copper tone and a little bit of a malty finish. The middle is non-descript. In a good way? I'd definitely have another, but it's early and I'm off tomorrow.

Going Rogue

This is a Rogue Shakespeare Stout. I liked it a lot. This stout had a nice malty taste with a thick dark head and a chocolately nose.

I'm not worthy

This is an Arrogant Bastard Ale. The bottle warns that I'm not worthy and they are probably right. I've had this before and remembered liking it a little better. I wanted a little more hoppy flavor and a sharper finish. Or maybe I just wanted a different beer.

Another mixed drink

This is an Aviation, also at the Violet Hour. A friend recommended this drink and it was very good. It's made with gin and has a citrus flavor. If we had stayed longer, I would have had another.

Mixed drink detour

This is a Juliette and Romeo at the Violet Hour. Although their drink menu says it's made with Beefeater, I had mine with Hendrick's, which I think was a good choice because the drink - and the gin - have cucumber in them. The drink was great but get there before eight unless you want to wait.

Two for one

On the left is the pilsner and on the right is the iron fist pale ale. I think the pale ale is my favorite Revolution beer. Or maybe i like the Englishman Working Mild. Either way, it's a close call and there are other local brews I like better.

Village Green

This is the Village Green English Bitter. I think it was on the cask. I expected it to be, well, a little more bitter.