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I'll drink and enjoy anything the folks at Stone brew. That's just a fact.
On the other hand, whatever BrewDog puts in a bottle promises an awful lot, but it rarely delivers on that promise.
This beer somehow fulfills both prophesies. Like the black pilsner they collaborated on, the beer defies style and definition. It's black black with lovely lacing. The aroma is big, roasty, raisiny, and even oddly hoppy. However, the mouthfeel is a bit watery and the flavor doesn't quite live up to what's promised in the appearance and smell.
That said, I enjoyed the beer anyway. It's still better than 90% of the beers out there and is unique enough of an experience to warrant another pint.
There was a post from the previous week about drinking some beer over football. It was never completed, but I'll somehow manage this sports-related post concerning sports and beer. Maybe I'll have room for a Super Bowl edition...
Sunday afternoon is a great time to take in a college basketball game and even better time to take in a beer.
Notice the champagne cap. It works when you can't finish a beer in one sitting.
The game was between my beloved Buckeyes and the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. A few weeks ago, Ohio State laid an egg up in Minneapolis. Revenge was on their mind as two Buckeyes led the way to a game I never saw the end of as the network moved on to a more competitive one. Evan Turner and Will Buford combined for 45 points and 13 assists to put away the Gophers by 22 (85-63). It took their double effort to whip the Gophers into submission.
Much like the game, I had a tough time finishing my entire beer in one sitting. I popped open Stone's Double Bastard, a double version of the popular Arrogant Bastard. While at first I thought "This is a stronger Bastard than before..." that wasn't the whole tale. The only thing that balances the sweet toffee of this huge malt bill is the intense level of hops. I consider myself to be a hophead, but this beer is beyond my threshold. It is thought that the human tongue can only sense a certain level of bitterness. Double Bastard made me feel like that limit was busted tenfold. On top of that, the 10.5% ABV made me slow things down a bit, capping the beer to finish just before dinner.
So, like the Buckeye blowout, I loved it. I don't want to simply beat my team's opponents or my tongue's taste buds; I wanted to pulverize them. This past Sunday allowed me to enjoy both experiences.
I decided some time ago that maybe I should take better care of myself. To do this, it seemed best to rid my body of toxins in order to begin a new regimen of eating better and exercising more. I certainly ate better, limiting portions, sugar, caffeine, and even alcohol. (The exercise will have to come later when it gets warmer.)
The program of supplements meant to clean me out was a ten-day deal. Today is the 11th. It's time to undo all the good I've done. It's time to retox as one friend put it. I started with coffee this morning, but a beer this evening was what I really looked forward to.
I decided to finish off one of the few holiday beers I still had left from the...err...holidays. The Special Holiday Ale from the collaboration of Jolly Pumpkin, Nøgne-Ø, and Stone (three of my favorite breweries) hit the spot. Juniper berries, chestnuts, and other spices dominated this malty slice of heaven. When the hop presence wasn't felt, I could swear I was drinking the best, fruitiest Coke ever. And at 9% ABV I was sure not to confuse it too much for a fruity cola.
Welcome back beer. I've missed you. It's been since last year...
This was my first beer of 2010, just in time for Hopslam's arrival tomorrow. Enough of that talk. Let me enjoy my first beer of the year, of the decade.
Possibly due to the holiday and the fact I live in a college town, last night's Columbia Beer Enthusiast gathering at Sycamore was somewhat small. This was surprising in that the tasting involved only beers on Beer Advocate's top 100 list(s). Granted, the list at BA is lacking a few great beers, but overall it is pretty solid from top to bottom.
The list is fluid as beers are rated daily. One of the beers I brought (Hoppin' Frog's B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher Oatmeal Stout) was ranked at 99 on the American list as of last night, but it did spend time off the list last week. Thankfully, no one minded having to drink such a lowly beer.
I'll detail what we drank below. We started with the lowest ranking beer and moved down the list. I'm not that concerned with rankings. You can look those up if you wish. Here's what we drank...
My contribution to the evening's collection of beers.
Hoppin' Frog's B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher Oatmeal Stout - This was a great place to begin. Someone pointed out that it was too sweet and could stand to age. I love a beer that's very drinkable but you can tell that it will only get better with age, like many beers on this list.
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter - Too bad this beer was sandwiched between two mammoth imperial stouts. It was a good porter nonetheless. Great Lakes doesn't blow me away, but they always make a solid brew.
Old Rasputin Russian XII - This was as good as I remembered it from the summer: boozy, a touch of cola, so good.
Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout - This one was up for debate. Sanford (of Sycamore) tapped a a keg of this beer (supposedly). Many thought it tasted more like the regular Yeti. I thought it didn't taste like either. I thought I tasted some funk, but I could be wrong. I certainly would finish a pint if you ordered it for me.
Stone Ruination IPA - This was the beer that exposed me to the wonders of craft brewing, my gateway beer. It's always so good. Either because of some aging or the fact that we jut polished off some pretty intense stouts, this one was mellower than usual. No complaints though.
Oskar Blues Ten Fidy - This is a great imperial stout that brings the bitter better than most and is mellower in a can than the syrup usually found in a imperial stout bottle.
Duvel - Spicy...and I think it was skunked. The bottle said that it was pretty new, but it tasted off. Some guys were polite, but I thought it was a case of a bad bottle. I'm pretty sure Duvel didn't taste this way to me before.
Boulevard Saison Brett - It's nice that a MO beer made the list and the tasting. This beer is so much better done than the other saisons I've had over the past couple of years. Sometimes it's hard to believe that it comes from here.
Bear Republic Hot Rod Rye - I love the balance and hop presence of this beer. That said, I'm sort of surprised that it's on this list and so high (40's-50's). It's good, but there aren't beers more deserving than this? Maybe it's such a good representation of the style that it rates high. I've noticed that a lot of brews that defy classification do not make appearances on either top-100 list.
New Glarus Raspberry Tart - What a great way to cleanse the pallet near the mid-point of the tasting. This beer was sweet and not as tart as expected, but it really did the trick. I used to proclaim that I didn't like fruity beers, but I think I'm beginning to sound like all those beer novices who say they don't like hoppy beers. They usually just have to find the right one.
New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red - OK. Two fruity beers from New Glarus in a row? My palet was ready to bring back the malt and hop at this point. Again, this was another excellent fruit beer I didn't expect.
Surly Furious - Simcoe. That ammonia/grapefruit aroma and flavor you sometimes get from your favorite beer? That's simcoe. This beer comes correct with it. Furious indeed.
St. Bernardus 12 - This is my Thanksgiving beer. Give me malt, spice, coffee(?), and a touch of funk to match my smoked turkey. I was more than happy to get started on the week's festivities early with this one.
Russian River Consecration - Wine drinkers can suck it! This beer is pretty awesome. However, I have two problems with Russian River. First, this is a finely crafted beer with even finer artwork on the labels. Why be so lazy as to cover said label with comic sans? COMIC SANS!!! Second, these beers are too pricey. This 750 mL bottle was $25 and the next 12 oz.(?) bottle below was in the $13 range. Why pay those prices when you can get a bomber of New Belgium's La Folie at Arena for the same as Temptation?
Russian River Temptation - Now that I'm done bashing Russian River, I should write about the beer. Consecration and Temptation are two of the most balanced sour beers one can find (if you can find it). This one is more sour than the first, but it's wine in a beer glass. I mean that in a good way.
Founders Breakfast Stout - This beer is pure coffee, but it's done well. The day this became available in MO was the day this place became a little less miserable.
Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA - Mangoes are my favorite fruit. Why wouldn't you want a beer that taste like mangoes?
Stone Russian Imperial Stout - This is the mother-ship of all Russian imperials. Interesting how much Stone is consumed in our little beer community despite their refusal to distribute here. I'm not sure they have to legally sell in Missouri. We all are too willing to ship their beer or drive to every corner in order fill that gap in our cellars. Either way, this is always welcome at the table.
Bell's Hopslam - I now have a new appreciation for Hopslam. I was always convinced that it needed to be consumed ASAP in order to enjoy the freshness of the hops. The fear is that the hoppiness will fade with time, leaving the beer undrinkable - especially at $19 a sixer. Last night proved me wrong. One of the beers shared last night was cellared and the other was kept in the fridge for the past nine or ten months. I was lucky enough to swipe a sample of each. The cellared beer was very mellow, like a light barley wine. The cold bottle was able to hold onto quite a bit of the grapefruit present in a fresh bottle, but it too was mellower. I will definitely do my best to save a six-pack the next time Hopslam hits town.
Rochefort 10 - "Always good; malty." That's all I had written at this point in the tasting. I think you'll understand why.
Alesmith Speedway Stout - I wasn't sure about this one at first, but it grew on me. Where most stouts pair chocolate with coffee, this one brought the orange zest to the party. There aren't many better combos with chocolate than orange.
Ballast Point Sculpin - Grapefruit and simcoe. I'm sensing a trend in the realm of IPA's and DIPA's.
Abyss - This chocolaty imperial stout actually had some spice but didn't overwhelm you with syrup.
Pannepot Old Fisherman's Ale - Sweet and tart, this beer was lost as it made a solo flight around the table of fallen beer enthusiasts. I was told it's nothing like the real thing. I wouldn't have known the difference at this point in the evening.
Overall, it was maybe the best tasting we've had in the first 18 months of the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts. I enjoyed it immensely, maybe too much. Now, where's my vitamin B?
I asked a friend to come over in order to drink my Stone 13th anniversary ale. (Thank you KT.)
That's the Stone on the left, a holy hop bomb that just got better as it warmed. This is how craft beers used to taste to me when I mostly drank Sam Adams and Guinness.
(At this point, I broke out the potato chips so that we could taste something other than the hop assault we just experienced.)
Next was a Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter...more like an imperial stout. Chocolaty, coffee-infused but smooth like a porter should be.
After that, I broke out a surprise in the Stone/Brew Dog/Cambridge collaboration Juxtaposition Black Pilsner. It was black, but I don't know that it was a pilsner. Certainly, it had the crispness of a pilsner and a definite hop presence, but that's where the comparison ends. This was one of those drinking experiences where you just get a little bit of everything: chocolate, raisins (yes, raisins), bananas, [enter beer cliche here], etc. This is maybe the singe greatest beers I've had since...well, maybe since the first beer of the evening. It was good though.
Founders supplied our final two beers, keeping us well within the hops vector. The Harvest Ale is a wet-hopped bastard of a beer. The IBU and ABv numbers are not that impressive, but the beer punches you in the pucker with citrusy hops. We followed that with another great beer from Founders: the DIPA Double Trouble.
There's not much else to say after a tasting like this. Just know that we enjoyed every drop.
I came home late last week from work to find my partner had fixed a nice chicken dinner. It was a long day, so this was very welcome. Also, waiting for me at the door were some records I had mail ordered a while back. This all made me want to pour an Oaked Arrogant Bastard.
As I sat there, enjoying my dinner, drinking my beer, and unwrapping my new music, I thought of another perfect pairing: beer and music. It will take me some time to get something together, but I think I'll start to write about some of the these pairings.
Shall I pair a Three Floyds Alpha King with a Pavement album? Would a farmhouse ale go best with The Afghan Whigs' Gentleman? What would I listen to while drinking a Stone Russian Imperial Stout?
These are questions I shall ponder and share on this page of html code.
My busy schedule has not allowed me to keep up with my beer reports. I'm not even entirely sure I remember all the beers I've tried over the past couple of weeks. So, I'll just highlight a few noteworthy brews in no particular order.
Goose Island Matilda '08
This beer was part of a shipment from New York. I traded a few MO-centric brews for a mixture of fine beers. The Matilda was one of these beers. I had recently enjoyed the '09 version at Sycamore, but someone on Twitter assured me that the '08 version was better. (Link) They may have been right. Although, I'm curious if this had to do with aging as the '08 was a lot milder than the '09, sort of the way a barley wine settles into its flavor after a year or two on the shelf. Either way, this was a great beer. Belgian yeast is all over this thing with a nice bit of spice and booze to round it out.
Anchor Old Foghorn Barley Wine
I recently discovered that my partner's spicy lamb kebabs go well with a barley wine. We had guests over and thought I'd break into my stash of barley wines for this meal. I chose this beer because it comes in 12 oz. bottles (in case my guest did not want barley wine) and it was my least favorite of this year's offerings. However, in only a few months on the shelf, this beer has begun to age nicely. I will hold on to the other two bottles I have left as long as possible to see where this goes.
North Coast Old Rasputin Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
I hear through the hop vine that this imperial stout was being shipped to the 'Tag, our usual happy hour digs. The beer was there despite the lack of friends. No matter. I sipped on this great beer on my own. The bourbon is really pronounced, but the beer isn't nearly as sweet as a similar version by Schlafly. I am so glad this beer came to Columbia and that it's in 500 mL bottles.
Stone Ruination IPA
Forgotten in my stash of beers is my collection of Stone. I try not to drink these all at once, but I need to work my way through all the IPA's before they lose their punch. I previously judged this batch to have already lost a little something, but this bottle renewed my faith. Surprisingly, I think it had to do with drinking this beer in isolation. It's surprising in that it's Ruination, the beer that supposed to ruin your taste buds for other beers. What I got out of this beer last night was that it's way more complex than I remember. There's all kinds of hop complexity in there. That and a nice touch of booze.
Bell's Expedition Stout
I've mentioned this beer a lot lately. That might be because it is easily my favorite imperial stout. It won at the recent blind stout tasting. The sitter drank a half, leaving me the other. All that and I had one of my own recently, leaving me with maybe two to hold me over until fall. This beer has it all: booze, chocolate, coffee, toffee, caramel, and even a little hop. I love me some Expedition Stout. I'd marry it if I could.
Here are the beers I had this week...
Bell's Expedition Stout
Did you read about my ice cream? It is so good. The best part is that I finished the half of the beer that did not go into the dessert.
Chimay Tripel (White)
R and I actually had a date night. I passed on a mediocre beer for dinner mostly so I could truly enjoy this great beer at the 'Tag.
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
The sitter and I enjoyed this beer together...Don't worry. She's old enough. She likes brown ales. I thought this was a brown ale. It turns out that it's so much more.
Avery IPA
I have actually never had this beer before. We were out for dinner with friends. This was the only beer on the menu that interested me. It's a solid IPA.
Dogfish Head Festina Pêche
I pulled this beer out of the stash to wet my whistle and start my Friday evening off right. I don't want to drink a ton of these, but they are so refreshing. My taste buds are so primed after a Festina Pêche.
Orval Trappist Ale
My brother-in-law claims this was his favorite beer while traveling through Belgium. It certainly is nice with the bubble gum, bananas, and honey dominating my tongue.
Southern Tier Hopsun Wheat Ale
What a great summertime beer this is. I'd put this one up there right next to my usual summer favorite Oberon. What sets this beer apart from its wheaty brethren is the presence of pale ale-like hops. It is possible to enjoy hoppy bitterness in the sun.
Pisgah Vortex I DIPA
This beer was sold to me by another CBE member who travels to the Carolinas from time to time. There may be a couple of DIPA's I'd place ahead of this beer, but none are more balanced. And head was incredible. Check the pic.
Jamie's Breakfast Stout
Two of my three favorite brewers in Columbia are home-brewers. Jamie is one of them. His stouts are rich and chocolaty. No one should be able to do this in their driveway.
Josh's IPA
This is the other home-brewer. Josh happened to bring a growler of this excellent IPA. It stood up on a day of several top-notch IPA's.
Josh's Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy
By Josh's admission, this is no wee heavy. I'm not sure what it is, but it's good.
Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA
This is one of those breweries that seems to popping up in these parts. This DIPA was different than so many other DIPA's, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Either way, I'm glad my fellow brewers shared.
Green Flash Imperial IPA
Unassuming beer. I've maybe heard of Green Flash in conversation with beer geeks, but this was yet another nice DIPA from the Northwest.
Russian River's Pliny the Elder
Moylan's Ryan Sullivan's Imperial Stout
I am so glad Moylan's decided to come to Missouri. This is a great addition to the many great imperial stouts available here.
Three Floyds' Oat Goop
This is a wheat wine. This is the only wheat wine I've had. I'd describe a wheat wine as the sweeter, fruitier, lighter younger brother of a barley wine. I loved this beer and it may ruin my ability to enjoy any other wheat wine ever again.
Same as Last Week: Stone Ruination IPA, Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard, My Three-Hearted Ale
My thoughts on the week: Wow! Two weeks in a row of a wicked list of beers, many not available in this state. Eventually, this will slow down and my list will be in single-digits with one or two rare beers included.
This post is a continuation of a series I started on my other blog. The idea is to write about a brewery that I regularly turn to whenever I get the chance. The first was Southern Tier; the second is one of my top-three breweries, Stone.
Brewery: Stone
Location: Escondido, CA
Beers I've had: IPA, Ruination IPA, Arrogant Bastard, Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Old Guardian Barley Wine, Smoked Porter
Favorite Beer: The Ruination IPA might be what made me a hop-head. I picked it up at this shop around the corner while living in Columbus, OH. I wanted about two beers to have with the sub that was on its way to my house. I noticed the place had some bombers. The Stone bottles caught my eye right away. The beer also caught my attention. As one non-beer drinker I allowed to sample some Ruination remarked, "When you drink this, you know you've got something." For reals.
Least Favorite Beer: The Smoked Porter sort of underwhelmed me. Sure, it was a nice beer, but I expect a Stone beer to punch me in the face. Besides, I'm learning that I don't really appreciate porters.
Beers yet to try: Pale Ale, Cali-Belgique IPA, Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Levitation Ale, Anniversary Ale, Double Bastard Ale, Imperial Russian Stout, Vertical Epic (although, these last two are in my stash)
Why I like this brewery: This is one of those breweries that gets me with every aspect of their product. First of all, they put out an aggressive, West Coast-hopped beer. Then there's the unique marketing, always letting you know just how good they really are. And those bottles. The bottles have these great drawings of gargoyles and demons painted on the glass with these elaborate explanations of the superiority of the Stone brew. I've never really wanted to go to southern California, but now I do just for a chance to visit the Stone brewery..jpg)
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Here are the beers I had this week...
Schlafly Kolsch
I was in STL for a beer event at The Wine & Cheese Place. After doing some shopping, I had time to kill. I chose to do this at a nearby pub. I went with the Kolsch from Schlafly. It was light, crisp, and refreshing. That was all I needed.
Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
So, the first beer tried at said beer event was this fine scotch ale. Usually, scotch ales don't hold enough scotch nor ale to meet my needs. This beer is the exception and should be the example for others to follow.
Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale
Right next to the Dirty Bastard, they poured me this old ale. That's a heavy beginning to a tasting if you ask me. The event was for MOBev folk. I won a drawing with STL Hops that allowed me to sit in. The Founders rep explained that the vanilla flavor in this beer comes from the tea bags of oat chips they throw into the fermenters.
Founders Centennial IPA
This beer is named for the hops that go into the brew. Founders have slowed their production rather than use another hop while supplies are low. I had one of these the week before and it tasted off. Thankfully, Wednesday's sample did not disappoint.
Founders Red's Rye
Rye might be the new sour. Ryes are popping up everywhere. This one is one of the best I've had. Although it is a relatively new beer, it is quickly becoming Founders' best seller.
Founders Porter
I have a hard time liking porters. You get the coffee and chocolate notes associated with some stouts, but it's really subtle. Some beer snobs call this "smooth". I just think it's a bland style. Founders blew me away with this aggressive porter. This is by far the best porter I've had.
Founders Double Trouble Imperial IPA
I am a hop head. I'll admit it. So, I can't get enough of double IPA's. DT is a fine example of a Midwestern hop bomb that stands up to the big boys out west.
Founders Cerise
I really don't like fruit beers. Normally, I would never try Cerise, but it was offered at the Founders event. So, I tried it and was really impressed. I promptly bought a four-pack before leaving STL, knowing that R would like this beer on a hot Missouri day. That day arrived today, and she was impressed.
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Coney Island Sword Swallower
I brought this over for a friend while we watched infant twins, a three-year-old, and Lu. This is the hoppiest lager I've ever had. It almost feels like a hoppy pale ale, not a lager.
My Three-Hearted Ale
Due to the name and style, most folks think this kit from Northern Brewer is a clone of Bell's Two-Hearted Ale. While I'll admit to similarities in the bitterness of the hops and that my execution as a brewer is suspect, this beer barely resembles Bell's IPA. For one thing, the amber coloring is nothing like the golden glow of one less heart. Also, the floral aroma at the nose is a little green compared to the original. Either way, I like my first attempt at brewing and will brew again.
Sam Adams Long Shot Double IPA
I actually had a class on Friday night and Saturday morning in STL. When class was over, I headed over to a friend's for the night and brought along some beverages. Since I don't like to keep IPA's (or doubles) around for too long, I grabbed this beer along with a Founders and one of my home-brews. I love this beer and am sad it's gone. There are no more Sam Adams Long Shot Double IPA's in my stash. It is a sad day.
Arcadia Hop Rocket
Once I returned home on Saturday, I needed a beer. I've comitted to drinking up some IPA's in order not to miss out on their hoppy goodness. This was a purchase in STL earlier in the week. Though Hop Rocket tastes like a typical double IPA, it did add a little spice that was not expected. I will savor the other three bottles in this pack for sure.
Stone Ruination IPA
Mom brought me some beer. Ruination is my favorite. Judging from the taste, this one's been on the shelf for a while. I may have to drink this sixer of Ruination quicker than others. Oh well.
Caldera IPA
My Saturday was an all-IPA event. We attended some friends' tenth wedding anniversary party. It was a nice night and the hosts provided their guests with some excellent refreshment. Caldera IPA (the one in the can) was available at the bar. I had two.
Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard
After a long Sunday afternoon in the garden weeding, I rewarded myself with another beer delivered by my mother. The Founders event made me aware of the vanilla brought on by the oak chips. I love the AB, but the vanilla just makes it another beer. So aggressive, so complex. I am so lucky to have ten more bottles of Stone brews (not counting bombers of imperial stouts and barley wines) in my stash.
Avery Brabant
I was wary of this wild ale brewed in Zinfandel barrels. The nose smelled funky, but the rest of the beer showed no signs of the sourness found in something like La Folie. This beer is way more complex than most sours I've had.
My thoughts on the week: This was a jam-packed week of beer-drinking. The Founders event made it look as though I had a shit-ton of beer, but most of those pours were maybe a couple of ounces. Normally, I don't have a Stone beer, but this week I had two. There were a lot of IPA's and DIPA's, plus a sour. This was a good start for this little project. I can't wait to see what I drink next week.
Breweries Sampled: Schlafly, Founders, Northern Brewer, Sam Adams, Arcadia, Stone, Avery, Caldera, Schmaltz/He'Brew
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