tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23867741869593277662024-02-19T00:27:03.669-06:00To My Dearest Beer: a public love letternews, events, thoughts, impressions, stories, lovediedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-20145589955517334912009-03-27T19:34:00.002-05:002009-03-27T19:40:57.400-05:00Oberon Release UpdateIn addition to the <a href="http://tomydearestbeer.blogspot.com/2009/03/oberon-release-msp.html">Stub and Herb's release</a>, here are a few more from <a href="http://mnbeer.com/2009/03/27/various-good-things/">MNBeer</a>:<br /><blockquote>Bell’s Oberon release parties… Monday, March 30 8-11pm, <a href="http://www.bryantlakebowl.com/" target="_blank">Bryant Lake Bowl</a>. Best fake tan will some prizes. Tuesday, March 31st, <a href="http://www.thebulldoglowertown.com/home.html" target="_blank">Bulldog Lowertown</a> in St. Paul 7-10 pm.</blockquote>Not sure if these are "official" release parties, with reps in attendance, swag, etc., but should be fun times anyhow.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-67865814648854198402009-03-26T00:40:00.002-05:002009-03-26T00:44:22.040-05:00Oberon Release MSPAccording a <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/1909380#1922490">post</a> on beeradvocate the Oberon release will be April 1 at <a href="http://www.stubandherbsbar.com/">Stub and Herb's</a>.<br /><br />Unfortunately, it's the same night as <a href="http://lostpedia.com">Lost</a>, so I'll try to make it out, but it won't be as raucous of an evening as the last two years.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-10005871019482855572009-03-06T17:59:00.001-06:002009-03-06T18:01:35.350-06:00Magic Hat #9 ReleaseFrom <a href="http://mnbeer.com/2009/03/06/magic-hat-9-release-at-the-happy-gnome/">MNBeer</a>:<br /><blockquote>Head on over to <a href="http://www.thehappygnome.com/" target="_blank">The Happy Gnome</a> on Thursday, March 12th at 5pm. <a href="http://www.magichat.net/" target="_blank">Magic Hat Brewing Company</a> will be releasing #9 to the MN market. Enjoy!</blockquote>I am so there.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-67478650223730699582009-03-04T23:39:00.002-06:002009-03-04T23:45:23.862-06:00Reviews: A SmatteringI had three new beers tonight, and here are the reviews...in a sentence...each:<br /><ul><li><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.leinie.com/av.html">Leinenkugel's</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Classic Amber: </span>Basically a Leine's version of Samuel Adam's Boston Lager, but better, because it's cheaper and Leinenkugel's.</li><li><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.blvdbeer.com/">Boulevard</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Single-wide IPA: </span>A moderate IPA that does nothing to rival Sierra Nevada's selection, but is nonetheless a welcome choice on the shelf (mostly for its price-point).</li><li><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.samueladams.com/verification/?nocookie">Samuel Adams</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Blackberry Wit: </span>Too much blackberry, too much sugar, not enough balance; probably more tasty in the Summer than the Purgatory of weather that is March.</li></ul>diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-34975367112235420752009-03-03T22:39:00.003-06:002009-03-03T22:47:40.895-06:00Update: Bell's Batch 9000 Info<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://beernews.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/bells-batch-9000.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 422px; height: 416px;" src="http://beernews.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/bells-batch-9000.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>If you were curious what form <a href="http://bellsbeer.com">Bell's</a> Batch 9000 would take, look no further than the above picture. Yes, you read that right: "Malt beverage brewed with molasses and brewer's licorice." I have no idea what that means in terms of end-product, and now I'm just more curious. Way to go picture; you did nothing to quell my anticipation.<br /><br />If you want a back story of Bell's commemorative beers and speculation about the release date, I'd recommend taking a jaunt over to <a href="http://beernews.org/2009/02/bells-batch-9000-full-of-storylines/">beernews.org</a> for a nice write-up.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-43945238988804889672009-02-26T22:19:00.005-06:002009-02-26T23:03:07.085-06:00Leinenkugel's Going National with Classic Amber<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://news.draftmag.com/files/2009/02/calbottlepour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 424px;" src="http://news.draftmag.com/files/2009/02/calbottlepour.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.leinie.com/av.html">Leinenkugel's</a> has always been a great stand-by, a brewery that creates a lot of different styles that are all tasty and affordable. But Leinenkugel's has always been a very Midwest brewery, with only a few styles finding themselves throughout the nation (e.g., when I was in Boston last year, the only Leinenkugel's I saw on tap was, not the standard Honey Weiss or Original, but the Sunset Wheat). Well, much to the delight of my brother, as well as other Leine-lovers across the nation, the brewery is taking steps to change this:<br /><blockquote>But the beer that got its start quenching the thirst of 19th-century lumberjacks will shed whatever's left of its regional image Monday with the national launch of a new brew, Classic Amber. The beer, a potential flagship for the Chippewa Falls, Wis, brewery, is meant to compete with the nation's bestselling craft beer, Samuel Adams.</blockquote>With the Classic Amber, this is the third new beer Leine's has launched within the last three months. While I didn't enjoy the Fireside Nut Brown, I thought the 1888 Bock was a refreshing, accurate take on the style, and I'm excited to try their newest, the Classic Amber. Here is the description from the brewery:<br /><blockquote>Leinenkugel's Classic Amber Lager<br />Our signature all-malt lager is a celebration of genuine ingredients, time-honored brewing traditions and authentic craft beer flavor. With its brilliant amber color, premium blend of Pale, Caramel and Munich malts, and subtle, yet complex citric hoppiness, you simply can't go wrong with a Classic.</blockquote>Check out the full description <a href="http://www.leinie.com/classic_amber_lager.html">here</a>, and look for it in stores early March.<br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.startribune.com/business/40399207.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU">Via The Star Tribune</a>diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-28911408507831665192009-02-26T22:11:00.004-06:002009-02-26T22:15:18.509-06:00For the Nerds: WoW Beer Steins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/02/wow_steins.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 602px; height: 369px;" src="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/02/wow_steins.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>For all the nerds out their who like to get their beer on whilst dabbling in a little WoW, you can now drink your beer in WoW beer steins! I know! It's absolutely ridiculous!<br /><br /><a href="http://kotaku.com/5160686/world-of-warcraft-in-beer-stein-form"><span style="font-style: italic;">Via Kotaku</span></a>diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-40027860263308572682009-02-25T23:06:00.003-06:002009-02-25T23:12:27.351-06:00Bell's Batch 9000 Info<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.2beerguys.com/images/brewery_bells.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="http://www.2beerguys.com/images/brewery_bells.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>According to a string of posts on <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/1637035">Beeradvocate</a>, we're getting close to <a href="http://www.bellsbeer.com/">Bell's</a> newest every-1000-batches special release, the Bell's Batch 9000. According to a <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/1637035#1814522">post</a> by Larry Bell:<br /><blockquote>The saying goes,"give the customer what they want."<br />Remember 7000? Well that was kind of weak, so we are trumping up that recipe to make something bold. You want something for the cellar? You got it.</blockquote>The 7000 was a 12% Imperial Stout, so hardly a beer that you'd call weak, and hardly a beer that you'd think about making bold unless you were going to do something crazy. Here's hoping.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-12510553855056754542009-02-25T22:52:00.004-06:002009-02-25T23:01:50.499-06:00Beer Haul: Cellar's Lexington/LarpenteurMade my way over to the Cellar's at Lexington/Larpenteur to hit up the 50% off sale (they are closing the store soon). Slim pickings, but I managed to pick up the following:<br /><ol><li>De Regenboog, 't Smisje BBBourgandier</li><li>De Regenboog, 't Smisje Kerst</li><li>Saint Somewhere, Saison Athene</li><li>Fantome, Brise-BonBons</li></ol>All for the low-low price of under $20. I'm enjoying the BBBourgandier right now, and we'll see how long the others last.<br /><br />The store is closing soon, so if you're going to check it out, check it out soon. They still had plenty of De Regenboog left (including Regenboog's Guido, Catherine the Great, as well as the two mentioned above), a stockpile of Moylan's, and a few other finds.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-61620467524349713882009-02-23T23:03:00.003-06:002009-02-23T23:07:33.277-06:00Spiraling Downward toward IcehouseI'm really amused by evenings like this. This is the list of beers I had on Saturday night, in order:<br /><ol><li>Surly Three</li><li>Surly Furious</li><li>PBR</li><li>PBR</li><li>PBR</li><li>Icehouse</li></ol>Yes, I finished with <a href="http://www.icehouse.com/">Icehouse</a>...and I feel good about it.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-43454501589736541332009-02-19T19:37:00.004-06:002009-02-19T19:46:51.684-06:00Buddhist Beer Bottle Temple<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://chattahbox.com/images/2009/02/bottle.jpg"><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 460px; height: 288px;" src="http://chattahbox.com/images/2009/02/bottle.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>In Cambodia, a group of Buddhist monks collected 1.5 million beer bottles and built a temple with "...a main temple, guest bathrooms, prayer rooms, a tower, a crematorium, and more. They even created vast mosaics of Buddha out of the collected beer caps."<br /><br />Neat!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Read More:</span><br /><a href="http://chattahbox.com/world/2009/02/19/buddhist-temple-made-of-beer-bottles-in-asia/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Article 1</span></a><br /><a href="http://www.thecambodianews.net/story/468538"><span style="font-style: italic;">Article 2</span></a>diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-44077857304770455542009-02-19T19:16:00.005-06:002009-02-19T19:29:25.059-06:00Top 5: BarleywinesIn light of Bigfoot finally hitting the scene here, I present to you my All-time Top 5 Barleywines:<a href="http://www.sierranevada.com/"><br /></a><ol><li><a href="http://www.sierranevada.com/">Sierra Nevada</a>, Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale</li><li><a href="http://www.greatdivide.com/">Great Divide</a>, Old Ruffian Barley Wine</li><li><a href="http://www.victorybeer.com/">Victory</a>, Old Horizontal</li><li><a href="http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/default.cfm">Full Sail</a>, Old Boardhead Barleywine Ale 08</li><li><a href="http://www.lefthandbrewing.com/">Left Hand</a>, Widdershins</li></ol>diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-2972228617193605202009-02-18T23:30:00.005-06:002009-02-18T23:38:27.293-06:00Sierra Nevada's Potential Yeast FuelI stumbled upon an interesting <a href="http://media.www.theorion.com/media/storage/paper889/news/2009/02/18/News/Sierra.Nevada.To.Create.Fuel.Out.Of.Beer.Yeast-3634632.shtml">article</a> about how <a href="www.sierranevada.com/">Sierra Nevada</a> is trying to use old yeast to create high-grade ethanol fuel. And this isn't Sierra Nevada simply jumping on a bandwagon of any sorts; apparently, "...it has an extensive recycling program, in which less than one percent of its waste goes back into the landfill, and it has one of the largest privately owned solar installations in the country." Impressive.<br /><br />No note of exactly how the process will work or the expected outcome but still a short, informative read.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Via </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.theorion.com">The Orion</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> (Chico State's student run newspaper)</span>diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-25697184435549199812009-02-18T23:18:00.003-06:002009-02-18T23:23:20.936-06:00Update on New Great Divide Beers<a href="http://www.greatdivide.com/">Great Divide's</a> two newest ventures--Claymore Scotch Ale and Espresso Oak Aged Yeti--are out as of February 13. I personally haven't seen them in stores in the MSP area, but as we get nearly everything else they brew, I'm hoping that they'll pop up soon.<br /><br />Also, go check out their new website they launched to coincide with the fancy new labels, or if you want to read up on the newest beers.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-17910463783603414302009-02-17T23:01:00.004-06:002009-02-17T23:06:51.329-06:00Don's Steamin' Wife Lager<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/3242352873_3a0df30dc0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/3242352873_3a0df30dc0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Brother-of-a-friend Don Osborn got a nice bump on <a href="http://mnbeer.com/2009/02/17/thanks-don/">MNBeer</a> for his photo of his Steamin' Wife Lager. Not much but a picture and a mention, but I just enjoy how connected and small-world-ish the beer scene is here in MSP.<br /><br />Also: Steamin' Wife Lager. Funny name; nice photo.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-78449029501137954092009-02-17T22:18:00.004-06:002009-02-17T22:37:23.362-06:00Sierra Nevada Torpedo & BigfootFinally. It took much longer than it should have, but both <a href="http://www.sierranevada.com/">Sierra Nevada's</a> Torpedo Extra IPA and Bigfoot Barleywine have hit the Twin Cities market. I picked up a six-pack of each at <a href="http://www.thomasliquor.com/">Thomas Liquors</a>.<br /><br />The Torpedo is nice enough. At a modest price and 7.2% alcohol, it's an economical, tasty choice. It won't replace my IPA standards (Two Hearted, HopDevil, Titan, and more-so lately, Crooked Tree), but it's always nice to have more options year-round.<br /><br />The Bigfoot is as I remember and all that I love in a barleywine: big malt, big hops, and big alcohol. I am disappointed that it hit so late in the season; but, it's snowing outside right now and that gives me justification enough to plow through a few more six-packs before it's gone until next year.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Update: despite the lack of care for the brewing process or the nomenclature, I stumbled upon this <a href="http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/blogs/brew/?p=985">review</a> that does a nice job of describing the flavor of the Torpedo Extra IPA.<br /></span>diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-38319434829041539262009-02-17T22:16:00.003-06:002009-02-17T22:28:52.531-06:00Review: Bud Light & Clamato Chelada<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.anheuser-busch.com/images/brandScroll/cheladaBudLight.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 338px;" src="http://www.anheuser-busch.com/images/brandScroll/cheladaBudLight.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tastes like shit.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;">~For Kyle</span><br /></div></div>diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-2693010920245818552009-02-05T21:09:00.002-06:002009-02-05T21:14:46.440-06:00Redhook Tripel in April<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://beernews.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/redhook-tripel.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 422px; height: 272px;" src="http://beernews.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/redhook-tripel.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.redhook.com/">Redhook</a> will be releasing a new beer in April: a tripel. A tripel from Redhook? Hooray!<br /><br />Here's the info off of the <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/1796294#1796973">beeradvocate</a> forums:<br /><blockquote>Belgian Tripel is deep golden hued with subtle hints of vanilla, clove and cinnamon. Fruity, spicy and warming with a complex but soft malt character.<br /><br />Belgian Tripel Overview:<br />IBU: 22<br />Alcohol by Volume: 8.0%<br />Original Gravity: 19.3 plato<br />Shelf Life - 180 days<br /><br />Availability<br />For a limited time only, Belgian Tripel will be available in 22oz bottles and 1/6 barrel draught, nationwide<br /><br />STR Date: April 20, 2009<br />Probable retail price- $7.99 per 22oz bottle</blockquote>diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-37038357983753997252009-01-30T20:13:00.003-06:002009-01-30T20:25:11.537-06:00Hombrew Review #1: Witbier KitI couldn't wait anymore. Nearly two weeks of our first beer bottle conditioning on top of my refrigerator, I cooled down two so I could give it a try.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Appearance</span>: Pours deep orange, cloudy, with a nice half-finger of creamy white foam that dissipates quickly. I have to say, if nothing else, it looks beautiful.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Aroma:</span> Orange, orange, orange. Orange and candy sugar. It's almost absurd how much it smells like candy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Taste:</span> More of the aroma. Not sure what happened to the coriander...but I hardly care. It's like drinking a piece of orange hard candy. And I like it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Overall:</span> It certainly doesn't taste exactly like other wits I've had, and it's not something I'd want to drink all the time, but I think for a first effort, we've created something fairly delicious. It's easy to drink, enjoyable to drink, and, really, it's just so much damn fun to drink something you've created. Nice work us.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-70864169869662849512009-01-29T22:15:00.005-06:002009-01-29T22:23:55.173-06:00The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous Returning to Milwaukeehat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://rcrawford79.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/schlitz.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 120px;" src="http://rcrawford79.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/schlitz.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.schlitzgusto.com/">Schlitz</a>, it seems, is doing all it can to return to it's once golden state as The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous. This past summer, Pabst (who owns Schlitz), relaunched the brand with the original 1960's formula. And now, under contract with <a href="http://millercoors.com/AgeVerification.aspx">MillerCoors</a>, have returned the brewing and bottling back to Milwaukee. Ah nostalgia. I mean, for those who have been alive long enough to have nostalgia about this.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/schlitz-production-returns-milwaukee/story.aspx?guid=%7B085F3BA0-F2FA-493C-8086-5E5F056E111D%7D&dist=msr_2">Read more</a>diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-70198004398577592562009-01-23T00:00:00.003-06:002009-01-23T00:05:00.274-06:00New from Great Divide<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://beernews.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/great-divide-espresso-oak-aged-yeti.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 422px; height: 355px;" src="http://beernews.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/great-divide-espresso-oak-aged-yeti.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>Hells yeah! With that label, I feel like I need no words. If you want words, go read all about it it <a href="http://beernews.org/2009/01/great-divide-espresso-oak-aged-yeti-and-claymore-scotch-976/">here</a>.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-54223369067105563442009-01-22T22:59:00.003-06:002009-01-22T23:03:35.416-06:00Reminder: Festival of HopsHead on over to the <a href="http://www.muddypig.com/home.aspx">Muddy Pig</a>! Starting tonight (Thursday) and going through Sunday, they will be putting on the first annual Festival of Hops.<br /><blockquote>We will have 40+ hopped up beers (pale ales and up) on tap throughout the weekend and we hope to rotate through 55 or more different beers in four days.</blockquote>I'll be there briefly tomorrow and again on Saturday night. Huzzah!diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-48882069830853346032009-01-15T21:31:00.004-06:002009-01-15T22:00:40.452-06:00Pro-inconsistency: Drinking Knot Stock<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.furthermorebeer.com/images/FmB_starandarrow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 159px;" src="http://www.furthermorebeer.com/images/FmB_starandarrow.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Consistency in brewing has to be the most difficult thing to achieve. Working with active ingredients that are affected by the slightest environmental change creates a task that seems nearly impossible. Brewers have to worry about storage temperature, storage conditions, water temperature, water quality, the consistency of the boil, when you add the ingredients, the condition of the ingredients, and on and on and on. I am amazed that brewers can continually put out beers from different batches and different brewing facilities that taste identical. This is truly a remarkable feat.<br /><br />I'm drinking a <a href="http://www.furthermorebeer.com/">Furthermore</a> Knot Stock right now, the strange and delicious APA brewed with black pepper. The first time I drank the beer, the black pepper hung around in the background, slowly growing into a slight tinge of hot spice that lingered after the beer was gone. Never quite crescendoing into a overwhelming surge of harshness, but making itself noticeable. I love it. I love the idea of a growing beer, a changing beer, a flavor that builds upon itself to create a full dynamic experience.<br /><br />Age of the beer aside, I typically know what to expect when drinking a beer that I've had before. But not so with the newest batch of Knot Stock that I cracked tonight. Full-on barrage of cracked black pepper pushing the spice and heat through the beer at first sip. And, right now, tonight, with the temperatures plummeting toward -25F, this is what I want. I want the pepper to kick in screaming, keep screaming, and never back down.<br /><br />I could chalk this up to brewing inconsistencies. I could allege that Furthermore can't keep their conditions straight. I could, but this is part of what makes beer so wonderful. It is a living, active thing: constantly changing, moving, shifting. This is why I can buy the same beer over and over and still have the chance at being surprised. There's a time for something familiar, something standard; but, more often I think, there's a time for a beer to get in your face and challenge the way you perceive it and the people who make it.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-72855897775793285622009-01-14T20:34:00.002-06:002009-01-14T20:50:44.921-06:00Beer News Roundup via Beernews.orgI just got around to reviewing the <a href="http://beernews.org/">beernews.org</a> posts from the last few days. I found so much great news that I thought I'd provide a beer news roundup for those who don't peruse the beer websites as often as I do:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://beernews.org/2009/01/tyranenas-paradise-by-the-dash-board-lights-coming-soon/">Tyranena's next Brewers Gone Wild</a> will be a cherry porter called Paradise by the Dashboard Lights (7.5 to 8%). It'll be out late January or early February.</li><li><a href="http://beernews.org/2009/01/southern-tier-to-brew-a-black-ipa/">Southern Tier is releasing a "Black IPA,"</a> called Iniquity Imperial Black Ale. No release date. 9%.</li><li><a href="http://beernews.org/2009/01/southern-tier-oak-aged-unearthly-coming-this-spring/">In March or April</a>, Southern Tier is releasing an Oak Aged Unearthly IPA</li><li><a href="http://beernews.org/2009/01/left-hand-oak-st-vrain-aged-imperial-stout-return/">Left Hand</a> has released their 2009 seasonal beer schedule.</li><li><a href="http://beernews.org/2009/01/sierra-nevada-labels-to-change-a-bit/">Sierra Nevada</a> is tweaking their labels.</li></ul>If you check out nothing else, go take a look at the Southern Tier Black IPA label...as with all of their labels, it's the best.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2386774186959327766.post-43200103161295447492009-01-13T21:33:00.003-06:002009-01-13T21:39:01.653-06:00Surly Three + Mild NewsStraight from <a href="http://www.surlybrewing.com/brewer.php">Surly's Brewer's Blog</a>:<br /><blockquote> Ok! now that 16Grit is gone what's next?<br /><br />Surly Mild will be released Jan 19th,look for it at your local.Expect a light bodied,low alcohol brown ale with flavors of lightly sweetened biscuits,tobacco and a dry finish.<br />26IBU<br />4%abv<br /><br />Surly Three is our anniversary beer.Try it first at Winterfest!(Feb 6).Look for it DRAFT only the week of Feb 9.Brewed with 50%Honey and 50%German Dark Munich malt,fermented with a Belgian yeast strain and aged on toasted White Ash.<br />Lots of honey aroma intertwined with rich caramel-cracker flavors,the Ash adds a cinnamon,nutmeg and vanilla aroma and a dry finish.Smells like bourbon to me.<br />16IBU<br />10%abv<br /></blockquote>Thought Mild was great last year; thinking it'll be great this year. Also...the Three...so excited. I've loved both the One and the Two and have been waiting for the Three quite anxiously. I'm sure this won't disappoint. I mean, really...honey, dark Munich malt, white ash, 10%...sounds nothing if not fun.diedanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02693258479941262104noreply@blogger.com0