Tip for Tap

A Beer Blog

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Beer Report: Baird/Ishii/Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA (Second Edition)

I am already tired of typing because the name of this beer is so long.

My parents came to visit this weekend, and since I grew up in San Diego and my parents are the best, they generally bring me some large format local brew-- for our wedding, it was the Enjoy By 9.20.14 (our wedding date. Full disclosure: we enjoyed it a week late and it was still awesome.) This time around, it was this collaboration between Stone, Baird Brewing, which is in Japan, and Ishii Brewing, which is in Guam (because, sure.) It's an IPA that packs a DIPA punch with its 10.1% ABV.

Baird/Ishii/Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA (Second Edition)

Style: Like I mentioned, this is labelled an IPA, but packs a bit of an ABV wallop. It has that Stone IPA character, but it's not like any beer you have had before (because I know every beer you've ever had!!) 

Where: At our apartment, while forcing my parents to sit through a slideshow of photos from our trip to Thailand; I also saw it on tap at Top Hops in the East Village

5 words to describe it: Green tea, Grassy, Hoppy, Light, Smooth

Paired it with: Goat cheese and crackers

Should have paired it with: The obvious choice would be something Asian and a little fatty, but I would choose the flavor you want to bring out and highlight that-- maybe a coconut curry or shrimp to bring out the sweetness, or a wood plank grilled fish to bring out those super earthy and woody flavors from the green tea.

Score (1-100): 89

Drink it if you like: Stone IPAs, Green tea, peppery saisons

Step up from: Lagunitas IPA-- which is good and a beer I like! This one is just way more interesting and subtle, but still has that distinctive West Coast hop punch.

A few other thoughts: This is a limited release, so if you see it, it's totally worth checking out. Having just spent some time in Asia, I have to say I prefer this hybrid tribute beer to anything that I had over there. Sorry, Asia! I liked literally everything else about you!

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On Pumpkin Beer

Here we are, in the middle of the season of Pumpkin Monopoly, where people who aren't drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes are pontificating thereon. Er'one seems to have an opinion about what type of person likes to gorge on gourds, and it's very frustrating for me. See, I'm a lifelong avowed Contrarian, and I like to do the unpopular thing. But in a world divided between pumpkin zealots and pumpkin dissidents, what's actually the contrary thing to do?!

There's another factor at play here: the wonderfulness of fall as a whole. It is truly tragic (tragic!) that all the spicy, colorful, crisp, cozy sensations of fall have been replaced metonymically by The Great Pumpkin (Charles Schultz's strips feel especially culturally apt these past few years as the fervor has intensified.) What about chai?! What about maple?! Apple? Cinnamon? Nutmeg? Pumpkin's less sweet and more svelte cousin, the Butternut Squash? It's not that I mind pumpkin, but I feel recently that its vines have spread like villainous autumnal tentacles, obliterating pasta menus and soup selections, obscuring grocery store shelves, and curling in gaseous cartoon tendrils into my brain via one million pumpkin pie scented candles burning simultaneously. Seen from space, I have heard that from late August to early January, America is obfuscated by a thick orange cloud.*

So I do what I can. My fall candle of choice is apple cider scented. I drink my coffee black (all year round, natch) and haven't had a PSL since a college road trip to Brown in 2004. I don't order pumpkin ravioli (real talk: that's dessert masquerading as legitimate dinner.) But! There's a crack in the facade, an autumn Achilles heel, and it's pumpkin beer. It's GOOD pumpkin beer, nearly exclusively, but... I just love it.

The rest of my beer preferences have gone through drastic changes over the six or so years I have been serious about suds-- I did the classic "give me your hoppyiest beer so I look tough" phase, and the time where you talk about how the pink peppercorns really come through in that saison. I went through my high ABV phase, and my youngest brother won't let me forget it, erroneously sending me a text in mid June that said, "Happy birthday, Jordy! I hope you found a 8% beer that's [sic] fits your advanced pallet to drink tonight!" My birthday is in August, but no matter, once corrected on the issue, he simply copied and pasted the same text to me two months later. All of this is to say, though, that through it all, I still like pumpkin beer.

Part of this allegiance is definitely owed, ironically, to the popularity I was just bemoaning. Brewers know pumpkin beers will sell, so they're making better and more interesting pumpkin beers. It's not just Shipyard with a cinnamon sugar rim-- the pumpkin beer market has become so saturated that brewers are circling back to other flavors that augment the actual pumpkin. And so, having apologized and justified myself and my cliched tastes into the ground, I will now climb out with this list of my favorite pumpkin beers.

Fat Jack Double Pumpkin--Sam Adams I was surprised that this was Sam Adams. 8.5% ABV. Sometimes served with a cinnamon sugar rim, if you're into that sort of thing.

He Said Tripel--21st Amendment Part of a duo with a Baltic Porter I haven't had yet. Tripel is probably my favorite style of beer, and this one is brewed with tarragon and galangal aka. not resting on its pumpkiny laurels. 8.2% ABV.

Imperial Pumpkin Ale--Weyerbacher I basically love Weyerbacher and think they can do no wrong. Super malty and creamy. I can usually only do one. 8% ABV.

Pumpkin Ale--Schlafly Brewing Full disclosure: I had a fall wedding so I could have this beer at our bar. I have two leftover cases behind my couch and I am not sharing. This is my platonic ideal of a pumpkin beer-- drinkable with dinner or as dessert. Not too sweet. Spicy. So tasty. 8% ABV.

Pumpking--Southern Tier Sort of the king of Pumpkin beers. But you got that already. Super caramel-y. 8.6% ABV.

Warlock--Southern Tier This is a limited edition Imperial Stout, in all its roasty, toasty, gingerbready and chocolate glory. It's like the whole Thanksgiving dessert table. 8.6% ABV.

Bonus: Autumn Maple--The Bruery YAMS! This is made with YAMS instead of pumpkins! Plus maple plus 10% ABV!

And now, like every time I blog, I'm thirsty.

*This is untrue.

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Beer Report: Victory White Monkey

One of the downsides of writing a beer blog is that--short of being the weirdo at the bar with a pencil and notebook--not being able to remember exactly what/where/when you drank something is sort of an occupational hazard. But! It's 2014, so there is an app for that! I use Untappd, which is hooked to my blog's twitter as well, so I can keep track of what beers I've had and what I've thought of them, and so my mom can text me things like, "Either you're at a brewery tasting or you're having a whole lot of fun for a Saturday afternoon!" It's generally a brewery tasting, mom.

So today, when presented with a few free moments, I went back through my recent check-ins looking for a beer of note, and I found Victory's White Monkey, which is their Golden Monkey (a 9.5% ABV grad school staple tripel that was always on tap at our favorite Cambridge bar for $4.95) that has been aged in oak white wine barrels for three months. I had been so stoked to try it, and I stumbled across it in the beer fridge at the Gotham West Market a couple of weeks ago.

Victory White Monkey

Style: It is unfortunately labeled on the bottle as a "malt beverage," which makes me think of 40s of Old English and/or Mike's Hard Lemonade; however, the Grand Knowledge of the Inter Webs generally refers to it as an aged tripel. Cursory googling does not enlighten me on the detail that might change the classification. Effusive apologies, etc. I'll stick with aged tripels because I am a snob and snobs don't drink malt beverages.

Where: The beer fridge at Cannibal, in the Gotham West Market (dudes, that website is SNAZ-ZY!)

5 words to describe it: Oak, Coriander, Anise, Vanilla, Booze

Paired it with: An outrageously delicious Shoyu ramen from Slurp Shop

Should have paired it with: Was a nice balance with the super salty/spicy ramen. I vote ramen... But I almost always vote ramen.

Score (1-100): 82

Drink it if you like: White wine-- specifically, chardonnay. Bourbon. Drinking perfume.

Step up from: Franzia.

Step down from: Golden Monkey

A few other thoughts: Guys, I gotta say it: I really think all the hype and hyperbolic praise surrounding this beer has more to do with the fact that it's rare than with anything else. Or maybe it's because I am a curmudgeon who doesn't like chardonnay. But I just felt that the barrel aging really dulled the boozy, zingy, spicy brightness that are the things I love about Golden Monkey. What I am saying is: save the time and barrels and I'll have a Golden Monkey, plz.

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Beer Report: Brooklyn Local 1

It's nearly spring! Which, after this winter in New York, is ALL GOOD THINGS except for two details-- I will become Cpt. Allergies of the Order of the Sneeze, and the influx of grassy pilsners coming soon to a/every bar near you. I shake my fist at all those pilsners!

This is not to say, however, that I don't appreciate WHY lighter, golden beers are a springtime staple. Yesterday, it was barely 50 degrees, and Central Park was crawling with people who have been holed up in their 15' x 15' apartments for four months. I have worn flowy gypsy pants for three days in a row. Do you know how hard it has been for me to not wear ANY flowy gypsy pants for over 100 days?! It's been terrible! And drinking an aromatic, effervescent golden beer outside at a sidewalk cafe while the world around you turns different shades of pastel and there is tons of pale skin on display as people phase their warm weather clothes back into their wardrobes and your eyes are watering kind of intensely from the pollen but you just say, "no I'm totally fine, just seasonal allergies" to anyone that looks askance and/or concerned at your tears IS basically the beer-experience equivalent of wearing gypsy pants. Short version: it's sweet. I just happen to prefer a saison or a tripel over a pils. 

Brooklyn Local 1

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, also known as a Tripel

Where: Purchased at D'Agostino; consumed while obsessively practicing my new hobby, calligraphy.

5 words to describe it: Tropical, Zingy, Pepper, Honey, Belgian Yeast

Paired it with: Couscous with pesto, sauteed kale, and garlic hummus

Should have paired it with: A lobster roll WOW it would be so good with a lobster roll... or a po boy

Score (1-100): 94

Drink it if you like: Pale Ales, Saisons (have seen it described online as a "strong saison," which is not really a real thing but absolutely should be.) Lemonade & Vodka, Tripels, Radlers, Limoncello

Step up from: Blue Moon

A few other thoughts: This style is 100% refermented in the bottle, which means they bottle it flat and the chemical reaction in the bottle is what gives it its carbonation-- which in this case, is big and awesome. (I believe I previously used the very technical term "zingy.") It also deepens the flavors of the beer and gives it a well rounded punch. It's a pretty awesome beer. Good thing I'm wearing my gypsy pants.

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Beer Report: Andechser Weissbier Dunkel

I have been to Germany twice now, and I just feel like they do a lot of things right. They do public parks well. They do Christmas well. They do street art well. They do giant pretzels well. They do giant castles well. And they do beer and beer culture exceptionally well. And since I like parks, Christmas, street art, giant pretzels, giant castles, beer, AND beer culture, Germany is alright by me.

When I was in Berlin in the summer of 2010, I discovered dunkel weiss, which as you might guess, is a dark wheat beer. Now before you go running out of the room screaming that you don't like wheat beers, allow me to say something: get over yourself. Just like any other style, there are myriad different wheat beers, which really run the gamut of taste, color, and flavor. I myself am generally going to choose a saison over a hefeweizen, but when I am in the mood for something malty and spicy, I find a dunkelweizen really tough to beat. 

Andechser Weissbier Dunkel

Style: Dunkelweizen

Where: City Swiggers, a bottle shop and tasting room on 86th Street between 1st and 2nd.

5 words to describe it: Dark, Smooth, Fig, Toasted, Clove

Paired it with: n/a

Should have paired it with: Curry

Score (1-100): 90

Drink it if you like: Hefs, dubbels, quads, ambers, rum and coke, spicy fall or winter ales

Step up from: Sam Adams Winter Lager-- Andecs Dunkel is going to satisfy a lot of those same cravings-- something spicy, malty, on the darker side, and gently warming, but with a low enough ABV to make it a comforting cold-weather session beer. And when I say cold weather, I mean this was the beer I chose to get me through the famed polar vortex.

A few other thoughts: If you want to try a decent version of this style for nearly no monetary investment, I really dig the Josephs Brau Dunkel that you can pick up for $6 a six pack at Trader Joe's. It's definitely not as self-assured as the Andecs, but it will introduce you to the toasty-banana-clove-fig flavor profile that seems weird on paper but is so excellent, somehow, in practice. And by "in practice" I mean "in my mouth."

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Beer Report: Sixpoint Apollo

In search of an outdoor adventure, we spent Saturday afternoon tubing down the Delaware River in the Catskills, towing a cooler full of beer, ogling the scenery, and only very occasionally beaching on rocks in the unexpectedly shallow water. If you have never been tubing, you should get on that stat, because you just sit in a giant floaty donut and let the water carry you at exactly one mile an hour while you drink beer. The biggest decision I made for three hours was whether to swim the twenty feet to the Pennsylvania bank, which eventually I did just so I could spend the rest of the day telling tall tales of the time I went to Pennsylvania.

Sixpoint Apollo

Style: Kristalweizen

Where: In a big orange tube in the middle of a river, courtesy of Indian Head Canoes

5 words to describe it: Tangy, Banana, Ginger, Wheat, Crisp

Paired it with: n/a

Should have paired it with: Bratwurst

Score (1-100): 93

Drink it if you like: Hefeweizens, Blondes, Goldens, Saisons, Tripels, Lemonade, Tart Ciders

Step up from: Blue Moon-- you'll recognize the haziness and citrus edge, but it's so much more refreshing, complex, and zingy than the generally flat and too-sweet blue moon. And for God's sake, don't drink a beer that comes with a sad little fruit slice on its rim.

A few other thoughts: This was just like HI I AM SUMMER IN A CAN DRINK ME PLZ! Between Apollo and Crisp, Sixpoint is really killing the competition for the coveted Brewery Most Selected By Jordy On A Very Hot Day 2013 Award.

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Beer Report: Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock

Well, this beer was seriously weird and I loved it. I had it on a cool, rainy night this weekend, because given the snap of crazy heat that's been going on, suddenly the low 80s feel like an appropriate atmosphere in which to drink a dopplebock.

Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock

Style: Dopplebock (if you are reading this post out loud, you sound like a chicken right now.)

Where: Spritzenhaus 33, a giant, airy beer hall in Greenpoint about two seconds from our wedding venue. There might be some afterparty action happening here about 14 months from now. Dress: Colorful Cocktail, FYI.

5 words to describe it: Donuts, Raisins, Anise, Red wine, Molasses

Paired it with: A giant German pretzel

Should have paired it with: Pork and purple cabbage

Score (1-100): 95

Drink it if you like: Quads, Barleywines

Step up from: Guinness

A few other thoughts: This is an example of why you can't categorically like or not like beer. It's so weird and bears absolutely no resemblance to, say, a pilsner. Its super full body and sweet/spicy/earthy balance belong alongside a bourbon cocktail or a glass of Shiraz, not a silver can with pictures of blue mountains.

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Beer Report: Avery Ellie's Brown Ale

Ellie's Brown holds a special place in my heart & home because it was the first beer that my fiance deemed his "favorite" after I forced him to join the fold of drinkers of excellent craft brews. He had it on tap a couple of times at Green Street Tavern, one of our favorite restaurants in Cambridge (they have a "Fry of the Day," so HELLO), and then in a rare romantic gesture, I had our local liquor store special order it for him for Christmas that year. I presented it with much fanfare and expectation but then he gave me a sweater with a penguin on it so I guess he won. ANYWAY.

We went to Whole Foods last week to pick up some Shiner Ruby Redbird (Shiner's recent arrival in New York has been cause for much celebration in our household, especially as we've had a couple of Texan house guests in the last few weeks), and we couldn't leave Ellie's on the shelf. We also had Left Hand 400 Pound Monkey and another Shiner variety pack, so let me assure you, we have something to your taste in our fridge should you stop by (although please don't do it today, because I have to put away my laundry.)

Avery Ellie's Brown Ale

Style: American Brown Ale

Where: Some cute little apartment on the Upper West Side in which I spend a lot of my time

5 words to describe it: Nutty, Malty, Creamy, Root Beer, Roasted

Paired it with: I have been really, really busy, so maybe I should just say NOTHING instead of telling you the truth (which is ramen.)

Should have paired it with: BBQ beef; most Browns are amazing with nutty cheeses, and this would be no exception; roasted squash/root vegetables; NUTELLA

Score (1-100): 90

Drink it if you like: Dubbels, Chocolate, Nut, or Coffee Stouts, Autumn

Step up from: Newcastle

A few other thoughts: This is a super easy drinking, tasty, friendly beer. I mean, hello, it has a cute dog on the label and is from Colorado.

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Beer Report: Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

I am obligated to speak highly of Stone, given my San Diego roots, so it's a good thing they make it so easy for me. Any big, hop-forward beer by Stone or Green Flash makes me feel like I am home, sitting around a fire pit, wearing a tank top in December. But the woodiness of this aged version of their staple Arrogant Bastard takes a little bit of the sharpness and astringency out of the equation, and what's left is a really nice meeting of west coast assertiveness and east coast depth. It was totally inappropriate to drink this weekend, as the temperature threatened to reach triple digits in New York, but I promise my fridge at home is packed with pilsners, tripels, and wittes, so cut me some seasonal slack.

Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Style: American Strong Ale

Where: George Keeley, 83rd and Amsterdam

5 words to describe it: Chewy, Oak, Burnt Caramel, Resin, Astringent

Paired it with: Nothing-- we were waiting for a table at nearby Jacob's Pickles

Should have paired it with: This screams for meat-- braised shortribs or a fancy, earthy burger in that excessive foie gras-ed and truffled vein

Score (1-100): 92

Drink it if you like: IPAs, Peaty Scotch, Scotch Ales

Step up from: Newcastle

A few other thoughts: The difference between this beer and the Undercover Shutdown I recently mouthed off about is an illustration of the huge range of style and flavor categorized as "American Strong Ales". Aside from big flavors, big hops, and big ABV, I say we add "dramatic name" to the list of characteristics-- the category also includes Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball, Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale, and Sierra Nevada Life & Limb. Being the shy violet that I am, I obviously dig them all.

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Beer Report: Lagunitas Undercover Shutdown Ale

I've been slowing my roll with Lagunitas recently because I feel like I get it. They make a lot of excellent beers, but the house flavors are big-- strong grapefruit and caramel-- and so I think many of them start to taste similar (albeit delicious.) I am not alone in this. But when I saw an even bigger beer than usual from them in our bodega fridge, I figured it was worth a shot. They're a bold brewery, so I figured a 9.6% ABV that runs $16 a six pack would be like Jennifer Hudson belting scales starting at F5. (Am I really mixing audiences here?)

Lagunitas Undercover Shutdown Ale (2013)

Style: American Strong Ale

Where: MY HOUSE, several times this week

5 words to describe it: Sugar, Caramel, Pine, Citrus Fruit, Easy

Paired it with: Several dinners this week, including but not limited to steamed vegetable dumplings and pretzels dipped in nutella. No shame in my dinner game.

Should have paired it with: A super nutty cheese like manchego or romano would work well here, as the booze would cut the fat and the sweet/salty balance would be great. Also, roasted mushrooms would be excellent with this-- maybe a mushroom fettuccine?

Score (1-100): 93

Drink it if you like: IPAs, DIPAs, Scotch, Any other Lagunitas, Barleywines, Stone Arrogant Bastard

Step up from: Bud Heavy

A few other thoughts: This is an ABV whopper than drinks like it's 7%, so be careful out there, my friends. 

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Beer Report: Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #46

During summer in Cambridge, there really are few places I would rather be than sitting in the beer garden at Charlie's Kitchen drinking a Harpoon Raspberry UFO. They're pink and easy to drink, and sometimes you just have to talk a break from drinking Imperial Everythings. So I always pay attention to a Harpoon when I see it on a New York menu-- maybe because of some sort of leftover adopted temporary Boston pride (also they make good beer.)

Their 100 Barrel Series is the winner of the Harpoon company homebrew competition that they hold every year. This year, it's a super hoppy style hybrid.

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #46

Style: Hoppy Belgian Style Blonde

Where: Amsterdam Ale House (76th and Amsterdam)

5 words to describe it: Dry, Yeast, Floral, Pepper, Cookie

Paired it with: Roasted beet and goat cheese salad

Should have paired it with: It was great against the creamy, funkiness of goat cheese. It would also be great with sweet barbeque.

Score (1-100): 88

Drink it if you like: Lemonade & vodka, Pale Ales, IPAs, Tripels

Step up from: Stella

A few other thoughts: This was interesting because it really was like two different beers-- there was a quick taste of Belgian yeast and cloves at the start, and then a hop slam and super long aftertaste. But to be honest, I would rather have a great Belgian Golden or a great IPA individually.

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Beer Report: Dogfish Head Black and Blue

We had this weird snap of unseasonably cold and rainy weather last weekend-- the type where your post-work happy hour gets extended because no one wants to venture back outside. Dogfish Head makes some of my favorite beers-- both basics that I always keep in my fridge (La Raison D'Etre) and rare, awesome, special occasion beers (120 Minute IPA).

Dogfish Head Black & Blue

Style: Belgian Golden Ale brewed with Blackberries and Blueberries

Where: Rattle N Hum, 33rd St between 5th and Madison

5 words to describe it: Tart, Red Wine, Effervescent, Jam, Bread

Paired it with: n/a

Should have paired it with: Sweet grilled cheese-- maybe brie and jam? Grilled pork, Fried Chicken (and other picnic foods.)

Score (1-100): 90

Drink it if you like: Lambics, Kirs/Kir Royals, Fruit beers, Pinot Noir, Sangria

Step up from: Magic Hat #9, Blue Moon, Shock Top

A few other thoughts: Dogfish Head starts with a great base golden ale, and then adds pureed black and blueberries as it leaves the brewhouse, so the fermentation process is the yeast eating the fruit sugars. The result takes on characteristics of red wine, which makes for something super interesting and not too sweet. It would be awesome to take a 750mL bottle on a summer picnic.

Watch out, though, for the ABV-- at a well-disguised 10%, this is more than twice as boozy as the lesser cousins I mentioned.

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Beer Report: Founders CBS & KBS

Well, this is not a post I ever imagined writing. Founders makes an excellent seasonal called Breakfast Stout, which I had this winter at Spitzer's and thoroughly enjoyed. (My favorite stout, however, from my great Stout Tear of the Winter of 2012-2013 was the Brooklyn Black Ops 2012.)

But there are two other much rarer beers in the Founders Breakfast series that have inspired much rhapsodizing and cultish pursuit: the Kentucky Breakfast Stout and the extremely limited (and now retired) Canadian Breakfast Stout. At the Founders event at Blind Tiger last night-- which was packed with big Midwestern finance dudes in light blue button downs, and then me-- KBS was the first beer listed on their extensive, packed chalkboard, so I settled on that. But the bartender took a while to get to me, and as I perused the rest of the options, my heart actually dropped into my stomach when I noticed they also had CBS.

The ONLY answer was to order them both and do a tasting side-by-side. In six-ounce servings, I looked like I was really getting charged up on a pair of dopios.

Founders CBS Imperial Stout

Style: Imperial Stout

Where: Blind Tiger, Bleeker Street at Jones Street

5 words to describe it: Tobacco, Barrel, Bourbon, Licorice, Coffee

Paired it with: KBS

Should have paired it with: A crazy creamy brie; dark chocolate

Score (1-100): 91

Drink it if you like: Imperial anything, Baltic Porters, checking big boxes off your life to do list

Step up from: Jack and Coke. It's slightly sweet, has a boozy kick, and is something you sip like a cordial. Also, don't order Jack and Cokes, dudes.

A few other thoughts: The story with this guy is it's aged in barrels that were first used to age bourbon and then used to age maple syrup (so the supply is limited severely  because let's be real, there aren't that many of those barrels around). It tasted basically nothing like what I expected it to, and in subsequent research, I think it has peaked. Many bloggers and reviewers talk about the maple flavor really falling off after a couple of months, and I think that was the case here. It was so much funkier than I imagined-- I got a lot of the oak of the barrel, as well as sort of anise and licorice flavors. As it warmed up, it got much more interesting-- too cold out of the tap, it was hops, booze, and tobacco in one big slam. I keep thinking about how distinctive it was, but I am not sure that means I loved it. Basically like reading the Iliad.

Founders KBS Imperial Stout

Style: Imperial Stout

Where: Blind Tiger, Bleeker Street at Jones Street

5 words to describe it: Burnt Sugar, Fudgey, Chewy, Roasty, Smooth

Paired it with: CBS

Should have paired it with: Actual breakfast. Pancakes or French toast.

Score (1-100): 98

Drink it if you like: Silent killers; any oatmeal, coffee, or chocolate porter or stout.

Step up from: Guiness, in the fake world where you're choosing between Guiness and KBS.

A few other thoughts: Aged in bourbon barrels for a year, KBS is by far my favorite of the Breakfasts. It was SO smooth and velvety, and hid its 11.2% ABV remarkably well. It's sweeter and creamier than the CBS, and has none of that licorice funk that I found in its sibling. It's just an amazingly balanced, practically perfect beer.

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Bar Report: Weasel Boy Brewing

And the previously mentioned Zanesville makes another appearance on my blog, because how could I let an opportunity to visit a brewery called Weasel Boy pass me by? After dinner at a roadside BBQ joint housed in an old Dairy Queen, and mounds of ice cream at Tom's Ice Cream Bowl, where it's always 1955, we made a sojourn to this riverside brewery and brew pub, and I was in heaven.

This is the sort of place I was talking about on Monday that just does beer culture right-- great live blues being played at just the right volume, nine house taps (most of which were $3.75 a pint), a couch and five well-worn, cozy recliners around a table made from a cut tree. There's a small patio overlooking the Muskingum River, and another room with more tables and displays from local artists. They have a pizza oven and the pies looked delicious, but post-sopapilla and root beer float, I was not in the market. Coffee table books on beer and the native flora and fauna of Muskingum county were stacked on side tables along with wooden puzzles and brain teasers that I swear I used to win as a kid, but for some reason got progressively more difficult as the night progressed.

I got a three dollar (!) sampler of their nine beers: five year-round offerings and four seasonals. Brown Stoat Stout, Dancing Ferret IPA, Ornery Otter Blonde, Plaid Ferret Scottish Ale, White Weasel Wheat, Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout, Weasel Boy Mango Wheat, Wiesel Junge Kolsch, and Liz Brown Ale.

The Anastasia has a bit of a cult following, but I preferred the rounder, less hoppy Stoat Stout; the Plaid Ferret Scottish Ale has turned my fiance on to a new style he didn't know he liked. My favorite surprise was the Kolsch. I think it's a new style for Weasel Boy, because it's not on Beer Advocate yet, but it was super crisp, subtle, a bit spicy with a tiny hit of apricot, and totally refreshing. The style is difficult to find in the States, but this summer, I will be seeking it out on hot afternoons as an alternative to Witbiers and Saisons.

Cliffsnotes:

Atmosphere Score: 9.5/10

Beer Score: 8.7/10

Upgrade to Kolsch from: any generic pilsner or light lager.

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Beer Report: Columbus Bodhi

I spent the weekend in Zanesville, Ohio, which is an hour or so outside of Columbus and worlds away from crazy, crowded, cold NYC. I have only spent a very limited time in the midwest-- or, more precisely, in any part of the country that is not Southern California, Cambridge, or New York. But I did spend a Thanksgiving in St. Louis at the beginning of my interest in beer, and Midwesterners really do beer culture right. Their bar food pairs perfectly with beer, their bartenders are friendly and talkative, and their prices are actually crazy. The only other time I have had a pint for under $4 in the recent past was at the Harvard-subsidized Queen's Head Pub under Memorial Hall. If nothing else, a Harvard student ID will get you a few cheap Sam Adams, and on Wednesday, some 25 cent wings.

Columbus Brewing Company Bodhi DIPA

Style: Double/Imperial IPA

Where: Columbus Brewing Company, Columbus, Ohio (In downtown Columbus's Brewery District (!))

5 words to describe it: Hazy, Citrus Peel, Resin, Floral, Creamsicle

Paired it with: n/a

Should have paired it with: Pulled pork tacos, Eggs Benedict

Score (1-100): 96

Drink it if you like: Characteristics of a wheat beer with a major hop and booze punch; Tequila Sunrises, Tripels

Step up from: Blue Moon. Bodhi's haze, zesty carbonation, and citrusiness recall a seriously ramped up, hopped up Witbier in a way that is super accessible to a casual beer drinker but also recognizably excellent.

A few other thoughts: This guy was excellent because it packed a major hop punch, but was lighter bodied than a lot of the IPAs and DIPAs I have been drinking. It also had a little more sweetness and creaminess than is usual for the style, and masked its relatively high ABV (8%) well.

This is a superlatively rated beer: It's Top 250 on Beer Advocate even though it's not available in bottles. It's also been called the Best Beer in Ohio, and while I can't speak to that with certainty, I did taste 11 beers this weekend, and it was by far the most impressive. (Don't worry, Dad: Nine of them were one ounce tasters from a brewery sampler.)

[tipfortapbeer-blog]

Beer Report: Green Flash Double Stout with Serrano Chile

Green Flash is a San Diego brewery that makes big, brash, confident beers.  Their West Coast IPA is like a rite of passage for hop heads and the definitive version of the West Coast style. It's pretty easy to find on tap in the New York area, and they have a few other brews that are readily available in bottles: I've seen Le Freak, Hop Head Red, and Palate Wrecker on the shelf at my local Whole Foods. But recently, New York is a regular Green Flash fest, as a few weeks ago (April 12-14), the brewery invaded all five boroughs, staging tap takeovers at Barcade, Blind Tiger, Alewife, Spring Lounge, Rattle'n'Hum, and Valhalla. I was out of town for the events, but an unusually excellent selection of Green Flash remains at bars around the city.

Green Flash Double Stout with Serrano Chile

Style: Double Stout

Where: George Keeley (83rd and Amsterdam) and Jimmy's No. 43 (7th and 2nd)

5 words to describe it: Roast, Spicy, Chocolate, Light Coffee, Smooth

Paired it with: n/a

Should have paired it with: This is a tough one to pair, because it has such big flavors, but is not really a dessert beer that you just want to drink on its own. I'd say hard Spanish cheeses might work for the savory side, or chocolate all day if you want to go sweet

Score (1-100): 93

Drink it if you like: Spice, Excellent Stouts

A few other thoughts: I will always order a chile beer if it's on the menu-- Rogue makes a pretty tasty Chipotle Ale that's smoky and much lighter bodied than this and pairs excellently with Southern food, for example. (A few pints of it with mac and cheese with bacon would be the best idea you've ever had.) This Green Flash, though, is really something awesome. It takes a bit of a commitment to drink a beer that means this much business (it's also over 8% ABV), but if you like stouts or spice, take a deep breath and dive in.

[tipfortapbeer-blog]

Beer Report: Black Currant Stout

I was in Cambridge, MA this weekend to do a play, and I was smiling the whole time. I went to grad school in Cambridge and I love pretty much everything about it: it's weird, the people are smart, the buildings are gorgeous, and the beer is excellent. It is impossible to get to all my favorite bars and restaurants when I'm in town for the weekend, but we did manage to make it to brunch on Sunday at Tory Row, smack in the middle of Harvard Square.

Tory Row always has a small, consistent, and dependable beer list; they don't serve hard alcohol, so they also have a few beer and wine cocktails. Now, brunch cocktails as a whole don't really thrill me, but I was still covered in glitter and feeling like a train hit me from playing a disco fairy queen the night before, so I was in the mood for something alongside my bottomless coffee.

Tory Row's Black Currant Stout

Style: Gritty's Black Fly Stout with a shot of Black Currant Syrup

Where: Tory Row, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA

5 words to describe it: Sweet, Milkshake, Roast, Smooth, Dessert

Paired it with: Veggie burger

Should have paired it with: Cheeseburger, Dessert

Score (1-100): 95

Drink it if you like: Lambics, Milkshakes, Fruit Porters

A few other thoughts: Syrups in beers are not as unusual as you might guess-- in the summer in Germany, a style called Berlinerweiss is served "green" (with an herbal woodruff syrup) or "red" (raspberry). The beer itself is light, sour, and low in alcohol, and the result is basically a beer soda. My brunch companions had both lived in London, and they mentioned that stouts and syrup are common in British pubs, where of course they also serve snakebites, shandys, and diesels.

I know this isn't a beer you can just grab at your local bar or deli, but it was a total treat. Black Fly Stout is an excellent stout in its own right: it's roasty, hoppy, and slightly bitter, but it has undercurrents of dark fruit (undercurrants!) which make the syrup totally make sense. It's also a super rich, creamy stout that would be incredible on nitro, which is the only thing I can think of to make this beer cocktail better.