Oskar Blues Brewery; Gubna Imperial IPA

Boy, what can I say about this one?  If you like hops and IPAs, this beer is for you.  This one had everything good about IPA distilled down into a can.  Yes, you heard me.   A can.

For all of those that are starting off with "Ewww, beer in a can,"  you need to re-think what you know about beer.  Just like most people know now that corked wine is really about show and screw caps have a much smaller failure rate, we now know that with can liners beer flavor is not affected by being put into a can.  To the contrary, since cans do not let in light like even the darkest bottles, one of beer's primary enemies is thwarted.   Now, on to one of the better IPAs I've ever had:

Hop Nectar

I have to fall in love with a beer that has "DISESTABLISHMENTARIAN" printed right on the top of the can.

You can see that it poured a clear, darker amber color.  The head was light and very white with a fine foam. The aroma was pure hops, but not overly powerful and lightly sweet.

The first thing to hit you is hops when you take a sip.  Very powerful, but not at all bitter.  I'm not sure how they amped up the hops flavor and toned down the bitter that usually comes with that, but they did it and they did a good job of it.

As the beer warmed, the hops hit actually toned down and you could detect a bit of maltiness along with the great hops flavor.  The only bitter was just a bit on the back and sides of the tongue.  Not that bitter is a bad thing at all, but too much can just shut you down.  This was overall a fantastic beer.  However, I warn you that if you aren't an IPA drinker or familiar with strong hops, you may want to start a bit lighter than this one.

For those of you that are IPA nuts, run, don't walk to get this one.

Now, the price point is rather high.  It comes in a 4 pack of cans and it will run you around $14.00.  This isn't something you're going to be drinking a case of at the 4th of July party.  It's something you want to sit down with and really enjoy (and at 10.0% ABV, I recommend going light on them).  Speaking of that, I'm going to keep doing that.

Ode to the Badness of Jester King: Der Wunderkind - Sour Saison

So, today I received a really neat bottle opener and re-sealer that I ordered.  I didn't really have the need to open any of my big bottles of beer and re-seal them.  For any of the bottles that I have, if I were to open it Mrs. 45er and I would really not need a re-sealer if you know what I mean.  On the other hand, there was a bottle in my beer fridge that has been taking up valuable space.  It has not been opened because I took a bottle to a guys' weekend and we taste-tested it there.  Quite frankly, one of the worst beers I've ever had.  Perfect for testing!

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pic, but I didn't feel this one warranted even walking through the house to get the nice camera.

bottle o' awful

The Jester King Der Wunderkind.  Some descriptions among the group at the taste testing a while back were: "carbonated tang" and "sour applejuice".  By far my favorite comment was: "I need a can of Coors to cleanse my palate."

So, knowing I needed to get this bottle out of the fridge and also needed to test the bottle re-sealer without wasting good beer, I cracked this one.  I had purchased two of these bottles back when we did the taste test.  One for the group to try and one for me thinking it would at least be palatable.  I've been avoiding it like the plague ever since.  So, today I thought that maybe it couldn't have been as bad as I remembered it nigh a year ago.  Surely there isn't a beer that just can't be drank.

Well, the first hit on the tongue reminded me that there exists such a brew.  It pours a chilled urine color with a flat head.  The aroma is not bad, but is like the sirens' song.  You'll regret believing your nose on this one.  You have to work to get the carbonation to show up.

I am a fan of sours.  I admit, saisons are not my favorite, but I drink some pretty serious sour beers and this being a sour saison isn't what turns my stomach.  It's just bad.  This was a very unanimous decision among a group of 7 guys, most of which drink serious beers and love their sours.  I don't think I could get a decision that unanimous on anything else.

So, the remaining glass was poured out to my dead homies and now I'm going to test the re-sealer on the new opener by shaking the bottle a little and seeing what it can handle.  I'm going to enjoy this beer one way or another.  More on the re-sealer to come...

Beer Tasting or Drinking contest?

Our big shooting/eating/guy's weekend was a few weeks ago.  I know, I haven't posted anything.  I'm am ashamed.  Each night the guns are put away and the food and drink are prepared.  This group of friends happens to be a very beerphilic group.  We each decided to bring a few bottles of great beer for everyone to try.  Of course, since none of us know what moderation even means, it turned into this:

The only one missing was the one in the refrigerator which happens to be the beer with a perfect score on Beer Advocate, Deschutes, The Abyss.  There was a total of 33 beers to try and we had to break it up over 3 nights.  Before you say, "oh, that's nothing" there was, of course, other drinks and the average ABV on this group of beers was close to 9%.  There weren't any in this group that were poor representations.  Most were fantastic, some were just really good.  We had a great time experiencing a whole bunch of great beer.

Weekend o' Fun

So, That Guy arrived Friday evening and we caught up, watched some firearm related shows and had a few beers.  This was the line-up.

That Guy brought the Snowmageddon and a pretty serious IPA (not pictured) that he talks a little about over at his place.  I brought out the Timmermans Lambic and the Boulevard Quadruple.  These were all fantastic in their own way.  We enjoyed ourselves a nice run of great beer.  Thankfully, Mrs. 45er helped with the tasting.  Some of these came close to or broke the 10% ABV mark and you could tell.

I'm not going to do a review here for these, but I'll throw a blanket over them all and say they were really good.  Lambics are their own deal, however, and they are a sour beer.  You should wade into those before you go in the deep end.

So, next day was to be spent out prepping for the upcoming hunting season.  We checked some things, cleaned out blinds and at the end decided to sit on a hillside on a beautiful day and call Coyotes.  No action, but who cares when you're enjoying a beautiful view.  That Guy did a great job of posting about it over at his place, complete with pics of the hunt.

What a Kwak (of beer)

I had a bit of spare time and wandered over to my local beer guy.  He wasn't there, but I was in the mood for a little something different and they know I like the Belgian stuff, so I had this one recommended to me.

Pauwel Kwak (or just Kwak) is brewed by Brouwerij Bosteels in Belgium.  They call this a Belgian Specialty Ale.  The pour was very nice and smelled of malt and a bit of caramel.  There was a nice off-white head and the beer retained quite a bit of carbonation after the pour.  The color is a cloudy amber.

This was a nice change of pace.  It had a medium-bodied feel with quite a bit of carbonation.  The flavor was just slightly sweet.  It had almost a lambic sour note that went away very quickly and was replaced by a slightly yeasty malt flavor.  This was quite good if you like Belgian Beer.  At 8.4% ABV, it's not a lightweight and I recommend splitting a bottle with a friend.  The brewing process helps explain the high carbonation.  They brew it for a month with two yeasts, then re-ferment it.  It is then bottled and cellared for 9 months, then they remove the yeast.  I like a beer with a bit of back-story and history and Kwak has quite a bit of that.  I mean, look at the glass it is traditionally served in.

From what I read, when you drink to the point that the beer rushes from the bulb at the bottom of the glass (and I'll bet it does) it makes a sound that sounds like "Kwak."  Who knows what stories beer drinkers tell.  Goodness knows they have the time while they are sitting around a tavern with a pint.

In all, this is worth a try.  It is full-bodied, but not heavy.  It is good to have with a salty snack and a friend.

Troegs Brothers: Nugget Nectar Imperial Amber Ale

Sorry, I couldn't wait to crack one open.  As  you can see by the two glasses, Mrs. 45er will be joining me in this flavor journey.

I love hoppy beers.  Just look at that label.  How could you resist that?

It pours a clear amber (duh) and has little to no head.  The aroma is strong hops and a touch of apricot.  If you think you smell hops, wait until you taste it.  It's like being punched in the mouth with a fistful of hops.  But in a good way.  It is a bit bitter and has a clean finish with little after taste.  I highly recommend it if your a hop head.  It goes great with pretzel chips.  I loved it as a way to kick off the tasting journey.

Yeasty, Hoppy goodies

I have a bit of a sampler pack that was recommended by David at Musings Over a Pint and a big thanks to him  for that. ;)  So, here is the line-up:

And a fine looking bunch they are.

In this corner, the IPAs:

In this corner, the other Ales:

And in this corner (yes, my beer battle has three corners) the stouts:

I will be doing short reviews on each and just having a blast trying them all.

Iced-Tea Flavored WHAT?

I'm a huge fan of beer as you can probably tell.  I'm also a huge fan of iced-tea.  I'm from Texas, it's hard not to be.

However...

This is a crime against humanity.

                                       "The days of having to pour iced-tea into your Coors are over."

Really?  Because they never really started for me.  Who is carrying out this atrocity?  Is there really enough of a market that they had to make a product?  Then again, why am I getting all worked up?  What are you going to do, ruin a can of Coors? :-P

Bockor Brewery: Bellegems bruin West Flanders Ale

A little over a year ago, some friends introduced me to "sour" ales.  This is definitely something that can take a little getting used to.  The first I had was Monk's Cafe and it is quite good.  I haven't really tried to find any new ones lately, but got a little urge to try a few.  One was a natural disaster and one of the nastiest brews I've ever tried, however this one was very nice.

The color was a dark brown, but very clear.  It had a clean aroma with a bit of yeast, but not very strong.  Now, for the flavor.  If you've not had a sour beer, they are completely different.  There is a slight sourness, but I equate it more like a slight vinegar sour (but not taste).  The flavor of this particular beer is very slightly of cherry and caramel malt.  The sour provides a crispness to the beer and it is very clean with little after-taste.  It has a lot of carbonation and is quite "fizzy," though the head is very small and not thick at all.  This will make a great summer beer on a warm day (which it happened to be today).

North Coast Brewing: Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

This was a fantastic stout.  North Coast Brewing (California) does some really good stuff and this one was incredibly good.  The aroma is caramel and the pour is very dark and opaque.

Terrible picture, I know

The head is not too thick and is light brown.  The flavor is caramel with a touch of coffee and a little bitter.  It's not too strong and goes well with food.  Wow, is it good.  I got this one in a 4 pack of singles (12 oz bottles).  At 9% ABV, I do recommend eating a little something with it.  0.o

If you are a stout drinker this is a good, smooth one for you.  If not, this is a very nice one to start. :)

Drink'in The Sunbelt - Mikkeller and Jester King Collaboration

Sorry, I started without you

Yes, it's spelled "Drink'in", not Drinkin'.  I'm not sure why.  This is one of those collaborative beers and I think they knocked it out of the park. Mikkeller is one of my favorite brewers out there right now.  I've had a whole host of their beers and they've all been really good.  This one is a "hoppy, wheat beer" per the label and that is exactly how it tastes.  The aroma is hoppy and citrusy.  The flavor is hoppy up front with a bit of bitter and a touch of citrus.  It has a nice amber/orange color that is only slightly cloudy.

A word of warning on the pour.  This is a bottle conditioned beer and that is where it gains its carbonation.  It has a tall head and a huge amount of lacing, which you can see in the above picture.  Here's the warning: this beer has a good amount of sediment settled in the bottle.  Don't stir it up too much handling it and don't pour it all out at the end or you will end up with sediment in your glass.  It's probably best stored standing up, not on the side.

They bill it as a beer that will do well in the Summer heat in Texas.  I couldn't wait.  Ok, I'll be honest.  Not only could I not wait for the Summer, I bought this for a get together tomorrow night and couldn't wait until then either.  I now have to go get another bottle.  Jester King is a brewer from around Austin and Mikkeller is a "nomadic" brewer from Belgium.

and a really cool bottle

There is quite the story written on the label of the bottle and it will make an interesting read while you're sipping at a nice glass.  :)

Stone: Vertical Epic - A very big beer

I mean figuratively big

The aroma on this one is malty and boozy.

The flavors are caramel malt and a huge hit of the Anaheim Chili with which it is brewed.  It is also brewed with cinnamon sticks but I didn't really notice that, which I don't consider a very bad thing.  There is a strong bitter note which sticks with you.

As you can see, it pours a cloudy, dark reddish amber.  There is very little head.

This beer is not for the faint of heart and I can see it not being for just anyone's palate.  Now, where I probably went a bit awry was drinking this now instead of letting it age for the recommended year.  This is my problem.  I want to cellar some beer, but I just have to pop one and try it first.

What were my thoughts?  Ummmm, it didn't overly impress me.  It was good, but didn't make me say "wow".  The pronounced flavor of the chili takes some getting used to.  I'm sure I could learn to like it, but there isn't any left at the store. :)

Recommend served with chili, steak or something that the beer will not overpower in flavor.

Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout

This is a pretty fantastic beer and is solidly in the camp of "unusual".  If you can get it, I'm jealous.  If you can't, I'm sorry and I'm with you.  It isn't distributed locally and we have to beg and bribe friends that travel to the distribution area to grab a couple of bottles.

Brewed Heaven Juice

So, what you're probably thinking is either "Ewww" or "Too Sweet".  It has a fantastic beer flavor.  It is a great stout.  It is also not syrupy sweet.  When you pour a glass, the caramel aroma is the first thing you notice.  The first sip has the exact taste of creme brulee with just a hint of sweet.  As a matter of fact, that's when the bitter from the stout takes over.  If you want something different (let's call it a dessert beer) then this might be for you.  However, don't be fooled and give this to a beginning beer drinker.  It is a stout and is pretty complex.  I have one more bottle for now and I'm trying to think of a special occasion to crack it open.

Great Divide - Smoked Baltic Porter

Another beer review? 

Why, yes.   Actually, this one has been in the fridge for a while.  I had some on our guys' weekend a few weeks ago that a friend brought and he brought me an extra bottle in exchange for some scope rings I had sitting in a box.

Smoky Goodness

Not a bad trade, I would say.  Well, it's not as over-powering as you would think.  There is definitely a smoke to the aroma as well as the taste.  The label says it uses traditional German malt and hops (lending a definite caramel malt note) as well as "Bamberg smoked malt".  I will say it is not a beer that is for sitting and drinking by itself.   The smoke, while not overwhelming, is definitely a little much without something to cut it.  Recommendations for a pairing are anything from the grill and especially a good sausage or bratwurst.  A steak would be fantastic.  We actually had it with some nachos and it was great.  It is definitely a darker beer, but the color is deceptive.  It is not heavy at all.

Into the pint of darkness

Pulling off a good smoked porter isn't an easy thing.  I haven't liked them in the past because I've had some pretty terrible attempts at them.  However, this one and one other I've tried have pulled it off well.  If you want something a little different with a nice grilled meal of meat or seafood, it's worth a try.  On the other hand, it really would go well with just about anything not too mild in flavor. 

Enjoy.

Mikkeller "It's Alive!" - It's more than alive, it's darn good

This was not really what I expected.  This is a Belgian Ale brewed using wild yeast.  I've had this kind of thing before and it was almost like being punched in the mouth.  I'm a fan of Mikkeller, so I thought I would give them a try.  This was nothing like I expected.

So much anticipation

From what I understand, it is mellowed by some bottle aging.  This gave the beer a great complexity and really tamed down the yeast.

The pour:

Big Head.  Really big head.

 Like:

HEED! PANTS! NOW! sized head

HEED!

The flavors were:
Slightly Fruit
Wheat/malt - pushing the yeast factor, but more of a caramel malt

Lightly Bitter at the end

I really liked this beer.  I'm a huge fan.  Mikkeller in general has been very good to me.  They've got some great stuff.  I will put this in the pretty great category.

Guys' weekend, completely worth it

I guess it's finally time for me to spill it about our annual trip which has affectionately been called the Red River Gun Run.  This is a spectacular weekend filled with amazing food, fun with friends, lots of shooting and great beer tasting in the evening.  Then, there's the fishing, hiking and general gun with friends.  So, now on to pics.  Oh, and a warning.  I'm not feelin' all up to it with the word stuff, so I'm going to do my best.  This will be less of a novel and more of a kid's picture book.  Here goes.

Braaaiiins!  Uh, I mean Caaaake!

It was right around the time of one of the guy's birthday and someone brought this work of genius.  I may not have mentioned, this is trip leans in the zombie shoot direction.  The cake maker that brought the cake found these fantastic little plastic zombies to fight the plastic army men.

Melee!

 On to the drink.  We drove up the first day and got there in time for dinner and then a nice outdoor movie and beer tasting.

This one was especially yummy

Remember me?

The Duchesse was just great.  You may remember the Life and Limb from my previous post.  I'm not going to turn this into a review post because you'll see that it would turn into quite a monster.

The first day was about relaxing and getting some things set up.  It was a great time to do some fishing.  I didn't say we caught a lot, but the weather was perfect and it was relaxing so it was a great time.  Dogfish Head made it that much better.

Looks Fishy!

But it wasn't all that much.  We still caught a few.

Deer and Dillo

Nothing like floating by wildlife and enjoying the scenery.

Trifecta of Goodness

A very good white port, a great sea-salt chocolate and a wonderful cigar.  This was a good night.  Each night was spent outside under a covered patio with a fireplace. 

Warmth for the chilly night

Movie

This one was 28 Days Later.  Great movie if you're into that kind.

Speaking of zombies.  This is the day of the zombie run.  This year, we featured some older targets from the zombie targets website and some of the newer targets from Birchwood Casey.  The smaller rat splatter target turned out to be quite a difficult little guy.

No pizza for you!

Below is That Guy with his awesome Saiga 12 Gauge shooting some Fiocchi luminescent tracers.  I should have used a time-lapse, but I chose to just run a fast shutter and caught it in a couple of shots.

I believe this night's dinner was the Chicken Marsala with Prosciutto that I made and did not take any pictures, of course!

After dinner, more relaxation and some more tasting.

Great beer, Mikkeller Draft Bear

That right there was a string of great beer.

So, the next day was fishing, hiking and more shooting.

No exciting pictures of us walking in the woods, but then the final night.  Time for the traditional steak dinner.

And a salad!  The Cashew Tahini dressing was a real hit with the salad.

Oh, and wine.  Except, we couldn't find a corkscrew, so we skipped preparedness and went to improvisation.

It worked wonderfully.

Then, a couple more tasters.

So, the trip is over.  Unfortunately, these go by so quickly.  Now we have some great memories and soon we'll have some great video to watch.  So, this is one of the reasons I've been off the grid.  The other two reasons I will post about later.  Sorry about all of the pictures, but it's probably easier than reading my babble as I try to explain it all.