In August, we moved down to Arkansas where it remained warm through November. It is only finally now starting to be a bit on the cold side, so we were quite happy when a box containing a pair of Mad River’s annual barleyines – John Barleycorn – dropped down at our house. This California-crafted barleywine is incredibly deep, immediately starting out a bit on the sweeter side before hints of molasses,…
Throughout all of our journeys on the east of the Mississippi, we can honestly say that we were never lucky enough to visit Nashville, Tennessee. The Loews Vanderbilt invited us in for a stay before Christmas, and we were astonished at the level of service and amenities that the property and its employees provided. The hotel offers a number of distinct suites as well of rooms which all include free WiFi…
Strange Land Brewery (Austin, TX) was nice enough to send over a sample bottle of The Headless Gentleman, a bourbon barrel aged-pumpkin porter. The beer pours with a dark brown, almost blackish coloration and virtually nothing in the way of a head of which to speak. There is a hint of sharp, oaked bourbon to the nose of this beer after it is poured, but the initial nose is a…
We were lucky enough to be invited in for a tasting at Houston’s Platypus Brewing, where I had a few moments to speak with Kerry Embertson, the head brewer and Sean, the owner. While there, we were treated to a number of their year-round and seasonal offerings.
We’ve been fortunate to review Bend, Oregon’s own Worthy Brewing a number of times over the last few years, and have been uniformly impressed by their offerings. We received a few bottles of their Peace Pipe Porter and loved the fact that the beer was able to have a middle of the road ABV (5.4%) while packing every sip with a tremendously deep set of flavors.
One of the most memorable times that we have had on the road was when we visited Cape May, New Jersey. We did not know about Cape May Brewing Company at that point, but in the last few years we’ve had the chance to review the brewery’s Devil’s Reach to get another chance to experience the area. The brewery is able to build upon their already great reputation with their…
Indeed has reformulated their winter ale Stir Crazy for 2017, and we were able to check out a can of it. The beer itself has a dark coloration and a fair amount of tannish head. From the initial sip, one will experience good amounts of toasted malts, a bit of sweetness and a hint of hop bitterness that is able to provide further depth for the beer. Stir Crazy is…
The overall constellation of Saisons is sufficiently broad that beyond a bit of wheat and hay, there is little indication precisely what one is going to get when they taste an offering from the style. The beer pours with a yellow to light brown color and a whitish head that speckles its way down a glass. One will have to pour the Rye Saison fairly slowly, as there is a tendency…
We have been fortunate to receive a few brews from Austin, TX’s Hops & Grain Brewery over the last few years. In fact, their Porter Culture is bar none a world-class porter and represents one of the reasons we’d drive the eight hours to Austin. The brewery has just released their Haze County, a double IPA that rivals in quality the aforementioned PC. The beer pours with a orange-brown color…
The one drawback to a number of the high-octane stouts we receive in NeuFutur is how much the alcoholic bite shines through. Sometimes, you just want an easy drinking stout that still possesses a good punch. We were able to find one that masterfully matches a higher than average alcohol content with a smoothness and complexity that will have us coming back for more. Founders’ seasonally-offered Breakfast Stout fits the…
Saison Au Genièvre, Left Hand Brewing’s current seasonal offering, is a smooth-drinking effort that possesses a tremendous amount of flavors. The beer pours with a yellow to gold coloration with a decent amount of fluffy white head that rapidly dissipates. There is little in the way of lacing here; the initial nose of Saison Au Genièvre has a good amount of yeast and a bit of booziness. The first time that…
Libertine has given their Biere de Garde a bit of time in brandy barrels, which gives the brew a bit of a bite that has a tendency to take one’s breath away. The beer pours with a light brown to dark tan coloration ad a fair amount of off-white head that is fairly slow to dissipate. The beer’s nose has hints of a farmhouse and hay funk, while the initial…
Fogcutter is Lost Coast’s Double IPA, pouring with a dark yellow to brownish coloration. There is a fair amount of whitish head that leaves lacing as one continues to drink a glass. There is a sharp, piney initial flavor that opens up gradually. A hint of sweetness works with more floral and fruit elements, making for a double IPA that hits the hoppy and fruity sides of the style. While…
S’Muttonator is the first offering from the Heritage Beers line from Smuttynose; this new program will bring back some of the classic beers that the brewery has crafted in the earlier days. S’Muttonator is a double bock pegged at the 9.2% ABV mark, which is hidden masterfully in the brew. The beer pours with a brown to dark brown coloration and a good amount of off-white / beige head. The…
Indeed has released a seasonal for the summer months in their Peach Bum IPA. The beer pours with a brownish-orange coloration and a small amount of off-white head. I feel that the inclusion of peaches into the mix does well to push the beer towards the New England style of IPAs, while the brewery includes enough of the way of a traditional hop bite to make Peach Bum a great…
2016 marked the first time Georgia’s own Terrapin Brewing placed their imperial oatmeal stout Wake-N-Bake into cans, and was one of the first times that we in Ohio were easily able to get their products. The Wake-N-Bake is a delectable beer with a strong coffee flavor, due to the contributions from Jittery Joe’s Coffee.
Ballast Point has changed up what imbibers should expect from the stout format. With their Red Velvet – Nitro, the beer pours with a red coloration, only a small amount of off-white head. There is a good amount of sweetness that is paralleled well with a hint of bitterness. The “golden stout” style tends to go more into the sweet side of things, but Ballast Point has done well to…
This imperial Stout is a masterfully balanced blend of dark chocolate, tobacco, figs and leather. There is a dark brown to nearly blackish coloration for this beer with a small amount of tan head that pours on the top of a glass. Marshal Zhukov’s Penultimate Push invites individuals in with a sweet nose and an initial sip will yield hints of coffee and caramel. Cigar City has hidden the alcohol bite…
There has been a shift over the course of the last few years regarding the flavor profile that is most desired when it comes to an India Pale Ale. In the late nineties and into the oughts, the dominant flavors one could taste included piney and citrus elements, with enough in the way of bitter to act as a refresher. In the course of the last few years, breweries have…
Without ReGarde was Good Nature’s 4th Anniversary Ale, and is a brew that is as large and magnificent as the celebration indicates. The beer pours with a orange-brown coloration and a small amount of light brown head that laces down the glass. One is immediately presented with a good amount of bitterness owing to the hop presence; the brewery uses a bit over two pounds of hops during the dry…