#black hog

[viktorjonsson]

April 17th - Farm Week: Pigs

[tristianfanworth]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpOKlbsKWBw)  Check out this video of this beautiful hog eating apples. 

[beersavers]

Black Hog S.W.A.G.

Not too many posts ago, but a long time ago I said we had a “fall miracle” and “We’re back in BEER. BEER-ter than ever.” and then we went right back into hiatus. Sorry ‘bout it. I think we’re really back now. Grad school is behind both of us. We’re footloose and free of fancy academic oppression. We’re back at it again with the wheat beer. (< not sorry) I (Liz) have been doing some beer research and I’m getting more serious about beer tasting, so buckle up. (I, Matt, have been getting less serious, and my tastebuds continue to have a tenuous grip on reality). We have a series of 3 Wheat Ale reviews coming up with a beer battle choosing the best of the three after that. Let’s get to it with...

Black Hog S.W.A.G. (Summer Wheat Ale with Grapefruit)

Purchased from Half Time Beverage

Tell me about it:

Wheat Ale, ABV 4.7%, ~$2.50 a can

“there are several definitions of the word swag; 1. stuff we all get 2. to top off / tie off 3. money a burglar lifts 4. slang to describe a person with swagger. our s.w.a.g is a refreshing American wheat ale with hints of citrus from fresh grapefruit peels and a light herbaceous pop from herbs we grow in our brewery garden boxes. grab a cold s.w.a.g, a lobster roll topped off with grated aged sheep’s milk bianco sardo and steal away some summer sun. this one is certainly something we all should get.”

Liz says:

I had this once before in a flight. The flight pour did not do it justice. It’s delicious. It smells a little hoppy, but it’s not. Has a beautiful cloudy golden yellow color. The head is creamy and citrus-y. It stuck around for awhile. It’s a super pleasant light citrus beer, with a surprising herby taste at the end. No bitterness. Just a lingering herb taste. Like my mouth is primed for some savory food. Very smooth with a little carbonation on the tongue. Does not get more bitter as it warms up. The flavor stays very true. This beer would be amazing as a session beer all day at the park or beach. Great bbq beer. The consistent flavor and savory herbs make it perfect for some outdoor activities. The ABV just under 5.0 would make it drinkable over time without slowing me down like a heavier beer would. But the herby flavor provides a complexity that would keep me from being bored with it over a long session. I’m surprised how much I like this beer. I could drink one of these every day of summer, probably spring too.

Describe it in 3 words: Citrus, Herb, subtle

Matt says:

I grew up a wheat man, and I dare say I’m still a wheat man. In this culture of hipster machismo, where your ability to choke down hoppy bitterness dictates your credentials as a human worthy of a tastebud license, I stick to my nostalgia for what I drank as a child: Water. That shit quenches your thirst. More importantly it’s drinkable. I think that’s why we evolved to drink it. Richard Dawkins probably said something like that. I think that’s why when it comes to beer, I like myself a good wheat beer, because it’s drinkable, it tastes good, and, most importantly, it’s not horse piss or bitters.

So we’re doing wheats right now. Great for summer. So when I saw this can Liz had picked out, I wondered if it toed the line of good taste, faced copyright infringement of Porky Pig, and also if it tasted like a drinkable summer bbq. I love bbq. What if someone made it into beer?!

Once we brought her home from the farm and spilled her guts into a glass, I was initially quite impressed by the thick head and gorgeous gradient on the body of this tall glass of water. Then we drank it.

Well there’s nothing really porky about this beer. I hoped for an aftertaste of bbq, but my disappointment was soon assuaged by the thick, stiff head, smooth drinkability (with a nice prickle of carbonation), and herby finish of this lean cut of beer. It may not be the other other white meat (not many people eat baby these days anyway), but it’s a pretty tasty beer that pairs well with savory foods, and the light drinkability will get you through a long summer bbq bullshitting session.

Fun Fact: We found out later that the slight herb aftertaste is in fact sage.

Describe it in 3 words: Stiffy, Herby, Drinkability

Consensus:

4.5 BBQ’s out of 5

Liz - 5

Matt - 4

TH- TH- TH- THAT’S ALL FOLKS!

Beer on,

Matt & Liz

[craftbastards]

S.W.A.G. (Black Hog)

Brewery : Black Hog Beer : S.W.A.G. Style : Pale Wheat Ale / Wheat Ale Variance : Brewed with Grapefruit Peel and Sage

8 / 10

Ahh swag. Another one of those words like YOLO or bae that is way too overused and most people can’t stand at this point. The one thing good about that word is if you go to Youtube and look up “THE SWAG SONG” by JusReign because that ridiculous piece of shit song actually makes the word tolerable. I’m going to assume that there are periods between each letter of the word because it actually stands for Some Word Assholes Gab. Regardless of it’s name, this is probably one of the most refreshing summer beers I’ve ever had which says a lot considering I’ve had more than my share of summer brews. This has a nice subtle grapefruit flavor to start with more of those classic wheat sweet flavors mixing in quickly after before a great sage spiced flavor mixes in to wrap this in without being to overpowering or harsh. For me, the sage is what really ties this whole brew together and my only reason I’m not ranking this higher is the lack of grapefruit flavor here that I was looking forward to. All I know is that it looks like Leonardo finally took the head of Bebop and shoved a grapefruit in his mouth which is pretty violent for a group of turtles that never really kills anyone on purpose. Anyways, this is a great brew to sip down on a hot day like today and an even better pool beer and I couldn’t recommend this more to both Joes and pros of the beer world.

Written by: Steve B.

[mmmthornton]

Beer and UKS on a Friday bro.

[mmmthornton]

Trying a ginger ipa.

[undecidedpath]

Visit to Eli Cannons in Middletown, CT. Enjoying a flight of Black Hog Ghost Rye'da, Grey Sail Black Mast, Other Half/Stillwater Rockstar Farmer, Captain Lawrence 6th Borough and Backeast Tony goes Dancing.