Our Homebrewing Experiment

Hi everyone,

Hope the new year has been treating you well. We’ve got a heck of a lot to catch up on, so let’s backtrack a bit to the lovely autumn season. We’re based in New York and have recently experienced #snowmageddon Jonas, followed by single-digit temperatures. Today was the first day since well, oddly enough December, that we’ve had temperatures in the 60s, so it’s making me reflect on my much-preferred mild weather months.

That, and the fact that we actually made our own beer in October and it’s taking until freaking February to talk about it. But I digress…

After a few months of marital bliss/living together and tossing around the idea a number of times, John and I finally decided to brew our first batch of beer together. We wanted to do something seasonally appropriate, so we hopped on the pumpkin trend. Though, for two October/Halloween enthusiasts like ourselves (John’s birthday is on Halloween!), it came as no surprise that we’d tackle a pumpkin beer first. The key was making it unique. With a little inspiration, we came up with our twist on the autumnal ale: we were going to do a charred pumpkin porter.

Now, I’ll let John take it away with the step-by-step process of creating the Jack on Fire porter…

Grinding malts by hand. Never doing that again.

Prepping water for the mash.

Our grain mix. Roasted chocolate and smoked malts.

Getting the water to temperature.

Doing the monster mash.

Look at that beautiful mash.

Adding some grilled pumpkin bits into the mash.

Getting all of the lovely sugars out of the whiskey carmelized pumpkin.

Lautering and moving on to sparging with some crisp, clean water.

A nice shot of our hops. We went with fuggles hops to impart a bit of a classic English Porter/Dry Stout kinda vibe.

Adding dark malt extract for a bit more body.

Our lovely wort boiling away, like witches brew in a cauldron. (Note the Count Chocula in the background.)

We divided the hops in half on this one. The first half went in 15 minutes into the boil and the other half went in with 15 minutes left.

We decided to add a bit of Hudson Double Charred whiskey in right at the end of the boil to impart some more of the flavor notes we got grilled into the pumpkin.

And a little more…

To add some more roasty and deep flavors into the beer, we decided to infuse our brew Death Wish Cauldron Aged Pumpkin coffee.

Some lovely coffee grounds in a hop sack were added right after it was pulled off the burner so we wouldn’t get too much of the bitter notes from the coffee in the finished product.

Aerating our 1 gallon fermenter.

Adding in the yeast. For this brew, we went with an English Ale yeast from White Labs. We added about 5 gallons worth of yeast into our one gallon brew. While it sped up fermentation and made for a very effervescent beer, we do not recommend trying this at home.

Adding the blow off tube.

Locked away in a dark cabinet to let the little yeasties do their dirty work.

Recycling some bottles as containers for our Frankenstein’s Monster of a homebrew.

Syphoning the beer into a pot and adding the priming sugar.

We read a lot about siphon filling bottles and how it can sometimes take a while to get used to doing. It really is. We definitely lost some valuable beer to our kitchen floor that night.

The almost empty fermenter.

Capping our bottles and getting them ready to carbonate.

Bottles of all shapes and sizes going back into the previously mentioned dark cabinet to carbonate.

The finished product. Our first homebrew together, Jack On Fire. A heavily carbonated Porter with slight smokeyness and strong chocolate flavors reinforced with robust coffee and an assertive yeastiness. We’re very happy with how it came out.

 

We’d say for our first attempt, we done pretty dang good! Now, it’s time to brainstorm ideas for our second brew. Your lovely lady beer guide here has given up alcohol for Lent–so we’re thinking of doing a celebratory Easter beer, something we can start up now that will be ready just in time for the end of Lent. Something appropriate for spring, with a special twist. Any suggestions? Shoot us a line in the comments!

Thanks for reading, and expect a new post soon. (Just because I can’t drink the beer doesn’t mean I won’t write about it!)

–Jamie and John

Bottle Shop of Note: Beer Noggin, Bronxville, NY

Hello, friends and fellow drunkards beer enthusiasts! We have to stop meeting like this. And by “like this” I mean extremely infrequently with promises of upcoming posts that are never actually fulfilled. Um, yeah, we’re really sorry about that. We’ve just had a few major life events crop up that sort of, well, distracted us from this blog. Without being any more esoteric, the owners of this here beer blog got themselves hitched! And, as it turns out, doing a destination wedding and honeymoon, moving into a new place, changes in jobs, having a party, sending out thank you cards and all that jazz can be pretty time consuming. We’re not going to try to justify the fact that we didn’t make the Unrefined Beer Review a priority, we’re just going to put forth our sincere and humble apology and hope  that you will understand. our absence.

Now that the personal stuff’s aside, on to the business of beer!

This time around we’re shifting our focus to something a little different, not a brewery or a bar, but instead a special bottle shop that recently opened its doors in our beloved Westchester County. In late winter/early spring I noticed an interesting-looking sign in an open window space in the lovely little town of Bronxville, NY (which is near and dear to my heart, as that’s’ where I attended grammar school). It read “Coming Soon! Beer Noggin: Bottle Shop and Taproom.” I couldn’t believe my eyes, a craft beer shop and taproom in Bronxville? It was one of those “I wish I had this idea first” kind of moments.

I waited on bated breath for the opening of this new beer market, checking their Instagram account on a semi-weekly basis for any updates. Finally, the opening day came in late June and John and I found ourselves stopping by after dinner one night around 9:00 (yes, a business in Bronxville that actually stays open later than 8:00 PM, aside from our much-loved Slave to the Grind, of course).

The shop is small, but that adds to its charm (the space was formerly the home to Swizzles, a frozen yogurt shop). The left-hand side of the shop is dedicated to the walk-in coolers for chilled beers, while the right hand side houses the shelving for non-chilled beers. There are two tables with chairs and two additional standing tables. The bar area is cozy and there are 12 taps (I also personally enjoy the fact that they do half pours on certain beers). What I find most appealing, though, is Beer Noggin’s “corkage” policy. Any beer purchased in-store can be consumed there, with an additional $2 corkage fee ($3 for larger bottles). While this may not seem like much, when you compare it to the high markups on bottles and cans in bars, the price is a welcome change. Upon our first visit, John and I not only enjoyed two beers in-store (1 draft, 1 can each), but we also walked away with a mixed six-pack of cans. Our choices included 21st Amendment Monk’s Blood, Stillwater Artisnal Classique, Mikkeller Simcoe, Victory Summer Love, Avery Brewing Co. Ellie’s Brown Ale and Downeast Cider.

Also offered are small plates to go along with the beers. Food options include a cheese plate, olives, pickles, jerky and pretzels baked fresh from the Bronx Baking Company. For the designated drivers of the bunch, there are a variety of craft sodas to enjoy as well. And for the snobbish Bronxvillians, there are also wine options available (I’m joking, of course, about the snobs. I’m not joking, however, about the wine–there are three different varieties available, two of which are in cans!).

Above all else, the owners, Doug and Brendan, are affable and accommodating, always willing to give a beer recommendation if asked. They have big plans for their little shop, all of which place a large focus on supporting local breweries and businesses. Aside from tap takeovers, they have plenty of other events planned too (in the recent past they have hosted #beerandamovie nights  like “Gose-busters” which paired a viewing of Ghostbusters with a can of Anderson Valley Gose and “Ballast Point Break” which paired, you guessed it, Point Break and Ballast Point). Despite the owners being two NJ-transplants, their focus is local and community-minded, as all craft should be.

Welcome to Westchester, Beer Noggin. We’re glad you’re here, and you can definitely expect to see us again soon!

— Jamie

Beer Noggin is located at:

102 Kraft Avenue, Bronxville, NY, 10708.

Their hours of operation are:

Monday – Saturday: 11am – 10pm
Sunday: 12pm – 6pm 

You can find them online on their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Re: Those Golden Suds

We here at the Unrefined Beer Review started this journey to review and share our opinions on all of the craft beers we enjoy drinking, as well as some insights into the wonderful people who create these beers. We especially like to spotlight local breweries that create quality beers and give back to the community—because, to us and to most craft-loving and creating folks, that’s exactly what the craft beer industry is all about.

As you could probably imagine, we are livid about what happened last night.

We’re certainly not the first to comment on Budweiser’s ad last night during the Super Bowl (in fact, we might be one of the last), but it needs to be discussed as much as possible. For those who may have not seen it or heard about it, here’s a basic rundown of what you missed: The ad, titled “Brewed the Hard Way,” explains via text screens over shots of their beer being poured and created that the brand is embracing its “macro” title, and that it’s not threatened by craft brewers in today’s market. It then goes on to feature images of very stereotypical “hipster”-looking men drinking a variety of beers of different colors in glasses of different shapes and sizes, specifically calling out fans of craft beer as being more interesting in “dissecting” beer than drinking it, ending with the much-talked about lines: “The people who drink our beer are people who like to drink beer brewed the hard way” and “Let them sip their pumpkin peach ale, we’ll be brewing up some golden suds.”

Sure, we could all laugh about the fact that Budweiser is clearly so threatened by the rising popularity of craft beer that they had to take out a whole ad during the Super Bowl to overcompensate for that fact—but this is about more than just their nervousness resulting in a laughable attempt at “roasting” people who enjoy craft beer. It’s a major attack on the fundamental principles and basics on which the craft beer movement was built upon. The craft beer industry was built on something most corporations know little to nothing about: ethics. I Think About Beer explains this notion more thoroughly and eloquently than I ever could, but also take this, from the mission statement of the Brewers Association (craft beer’s trade group) for example:

 At the Brewers Association we believe in:

• Promoting and celebrating the small, independent, traditional and innovative culture of American craft brewers

• Vigorously defending our industry and providing craft brewers with a unified voice

• Fostering transparency within our own organization

• Supporting and encouraging the responsible enjoyment of beer

• Providing stewardship for 10,000 years of brewing history

• Educating brewers and consumers about the diversity, flavor and quality of beer

• Improving the economic health of American craft brewers

• Working to build a collegial community of brewers, homebrewers and brewing enthusiasts

• Promoting ethical and legal trade practices

• Building relationships and collaborating with our industry partners

So, how do we know that Budweiser is more or less laughing in the face of all of these principles? Take the fact that—in the face of the changing dynamic of beer drinking and distribution in America—Budweiser recently acquired two notable craft breweries: 10 Barrel Brewing of Oregon and Elysian Brewing of Seattle. While acquisition of other brands (including several craft breweries) is a regular part of the AB-InBev corporate strategy, to make such a bold statement against both craft brewers and the people who enjoy craft beer is an interesting and problematic choice.

It is no secret that the market share held by craft brewers has increased significantly in the last decade. Where taps and shelves used to be dominated by brews from “The Big Three” (which even with the recent merger of Miller and Coors is now more like “The Big Two”) are now featuring a more diverse range of styles and brands. A door opened by the presence and savvy of Boston Brewing and their Samuel Addams Lager opened up the door for more flavorful beers on the American market. As the number of brewers nationwide grew, the number of beers and options inevitably grew. Without the pressure of maintaining large markets and publicly traded profits, craft brewers could experiment and build small but loyal fan bases looking for something more. The advent of the craft brewpub lead to the development of such notable craft pioneers as Dogfish Head and the literally hundreds of others. Specialty retailers and craft bars and taprooms have opened up the availability of brews from all sorts of places that would not be as readily available to adventurous beer drinkers. There is not only production but a market outside of the brewers themselves. In the acquisition of such breweries as Goose Island and Blue Point by AB-InBev and the creation of brands like Blue Moon and Shock Top by MillerCoors, there was an acknowledgment of the need to explore something other than the pale, golden lagers these corporations built their empires on.

So, the ultimate question still stands: In the face of slipping market shares and the acquisition of notable craft breweries, why would Budweiser and AB-InBev create an ad to alienate the craft brewers and drinkers by reducing them to over intellectualized, “hipster” glass sniffers while asserting their own stance as a company that does things “the hard way”? Well, the answer seems to be in the question itself—one could easily argue that the ad is as much an attack on intellectualism as it is on craft beer.

Upon a second viewing of the ad, it becomes clear that the goal is to assert that while Budweiser is not making a product that “beer snobs” might appreciate, it doesn’t really matter, because those kind of beer drinkers care too much about thinking about their beer. They would much rather have the hardworking, American beer drinkers who drink just to get drunk—people who don’t have the time to think about what they’re drinking because they’re too busy working hard. It’s not only an insult to craft brewers and drinkers, but also an assumption and assertion that their market is the “unwashed masses,” the hard laborers who are too dumb to realize they’re being insulted by the ad that’s geared towards them. Makes you really wonder what that says about the Belgium-based AB-InBev’s view of American laborers and beer drinkers.

That also brings up the next question: what does this ad say about the craft breweries that AB-InBev has acquired? The most interesting and would-be-hilarious-if-it-wasn’t-so-upsetting revelation that came from this ad is that Elysian, their newest acquisition, actually brews a Pumpkin Peach Ale. It seems that AB-InBev doesn’t seem to care one bit about what Elysian brews—hell, they might not even know. Was the pumpkin peach ale dig an ignorant oversight on behalf of a well-paid ad firm? An actual ‘fuck what you do we own you now‘ from Bud to Elysian? An assumption that if Elysian is dumb enough to pair up with them then they too are a target for ridicule? Which is worse? A brewery like Elysian, who has been known in the past for putting corporate beer on blast, and who has had to recently defend their decision AND the big conglomerate’s choices as of late, being directly insulted on such a major, national level is a pretty big deal. Is it their own fault for dancing with the devil and getting into bed with the exact corporate mindset they rallied against?

Well, there’s one person who has some pretty strong thoughts on the subject:

We’re interested to see where this goes. And, as always, we encourage everyone to keep drinking craft and supporting local—because corporate beer DOES still suck, and the support is especially needed now.

We call ourselves the “Unrefined Beer Review,” because neither one of us are professional beer reviewers—we just really like to imbibe in good-tasting stuff. But, you know what, we enjoy “dissecting” it, too. We don’t consider ourselves “beer snobs” in that we don’t judge people based on what they choose to drink (at least not out-loud), and understand that not all people have embraced craft brews yet because they don’t yet know what’s out there, or maybe just can’t afford some of them. We also have chosen to go for the “no beer snobs” tagline as a humorous nod to the outrageous idea that all people who enjoy craft over crap are snobs. But if standing for ethics means assuming the role of a snob, then so be it—we’ll gladly rethink our phrasing in favor of supporting the hard (yes, hard) workers who create quality beers for everyone to enjoy.

–Jamie and John

Next Time on the Unrefined Beer Review: It’s round 3 for Big Brew NY, and this time it’s VIP style! It’s sure to be a CASK-travaganza. Stay tuned!

Brewery of Note: Yonkers Brewing, Yonkers, NY

I suppose it’s fair to say that we’re a bit biased when it comes to this brewery: Yonkers is, in fact, the place that both owners of this blog call home. While we were both born in the Bronx, we have lived our entire lives in Yonkers, so we owe a lot to this city. Sure, Yonkers may not always have the best reputation, but that doesn’t mean the community should be overlooked or its vibrancy disregarded.

Yonkers beers have been easy to find not only in the city they’re named after, but in many surrounding areas in Westchester and NYC for well over the past two years. Despite their presence in local bars, movie theaters, grocery stores and other entertainment venues, the actual brewery was not yet built–but that all changes today. After a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign and months of hard work and devotion, the Yonkers Brewing Co. brewery is now officially open to the public, located near the downtown waterfront in the historic trolley barn space at 92 Main Street. The brewery is currently featuring eight drafts including the flagship lager, Pear Wit and Honey Blonde (a personal favorite). along with two newer brews: Smoked Marzen (another personal favorite) and Dortmunder Gold.

The opening of the Yonkers Brewery not only marks another significant contribution to the growing world of local craft beer, but also to the dynamic landscape of Yonkers–representing a beautiful marriage of historic Yonkers and the contemporary culture and community.

Cheers, Yonkers Brewing Co. We’re happy to have you!

Brewery of Note: Broken Bow Brewery, Tuckahoe, NY

Broken Bow, located in the quaint village of Tuckahoe in Westchester County, NY, is a true community-focused operation. And what better way to serve the community than to start with family? Broken Bow is family-owned and operated, run by the LaMothe family–Michael, his father Lyle, mother Kathy, and sisters Kristen and Kasey. The company started with Michael, who would dabble in home-brewing while working in finance–though he never thought of making the hobby a full-time commitment. After an internship at Village Brewery in Calgary, his “hobby” soon turned into something more, and not long after he shifted from financial adviser to brew-master–bringing his family along with him. While most of the work in the brew-house is mainly left to Michael, each member of the family is knowledgeable about the process, and they all help out in different ways–from creation to distribution.

The facility, opened to the public in August of 2013, is located near the Crestwood and Tuckahoe train stations and features a bar and tasting room with an interesting juxtaposition between the metallic brewing equipment and the old wooden bar, picnic tables and a broken multi-faucet sink for its taps. This also suits its location well, as the brewery sits in the more industrial area of an upper-class village.  If you visit the facility, any of the family members working will be happy to share their tricks of the trade and stories with you. After one visit, you’ll feel like family, too, making Broken Bow a not only tasty brewery providing quality beers, but one of the more likable ones as well.

But now, THE BEERS:

Broken Bow started out with their three mainstay brews: the Broken Auger Lager–a malty and palatable brew that’s a refreshing change from most lagers in the craft beer world, turning to the traditional style unlike the many overly-hoppy lagers that saturate the market, the Broken Heart Stout–a smoky, but not too hefty stout that is rich in flavor, and the Marbledale APA–which has a very West Coast-style with hints of grapefruit.

For a brewery just starting out, they nailed the taste of their mainstays off the bat and have only continued to improve with each beer to come after it.

If you’re interested in checking out Broken Bow’s tasty brews, the Craftsman Ale House in Harrison, NY is having a tap takeover tonight from 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM featuring 8 BB samples:

Wet Hopped Cascade IPA
Broken In Russian Imperial Stout
Octoberfest
Cherry Wood Red
Parson’s Glebe
Broken Heart Stout
Marbledale APA
Broken Auger Lager

Our favorite is still the Broken Heart Stout, but we highly recommend trying any new beers they have available.

Visit the Tasting Room at 173 Marbledale Road, Tuckahoe. Open Wed & Thurs, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Fri & Sat, 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM and Sun, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM. Tours take place Fri & Sat at 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM.

Follow Broken Bow on Twitter: @brokenbowbrew; and Like them on Facebook: Broken Bow Brewery

 

Support local, friends and fellow beer-drinkers!

 

Next time on UBR: A few more local bars and brew-houses of note, smashing some pumpkins before the season ends, the wondrous mix of tea and beer and tasting another one of the divine-yet-mysterious Hill Farmstead brews. See you then!

Big Brew NY at the Westchester County Center, 9/20/14

On September 20th, 2014 John and I (along with our good friend-in-beer Julia) made our return to the Big Brew craft beer festival at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. We went the first time back in February, but aside from a few Untapped check-ins, I didn’t take too many notes on my favorite brews (and there were many delicious ones–I just couldn’t remember them the next day!) This time I came prepared: A belly full of fried food and a handy dandy notebook. I was “checking in” old school style. Here are my notes on some of my favorite brews. So, without further a-brew, here we go!

I should note that I probably didn’t write down every beer I tried. At a certain point it just became too much of a hassle, and I didn’t bother noting some of the beers I didn’t enjoy, but this is a good idea of some of the samplings I imbibed.

The first beer I tried was one of the last ones I tried at the previous Big Brew: Evil Twin’s Imperial Biscotti Break stout brewed especially for DeCicco’s.  I was glad to experience it first this time, since it has such wonderfully complex taste notes that a fresh palate was ideal for it. It’s chocolatey, smooth and manages to capture the flavor of dipping a piece of biscotti into coffee. I imagine it would be an excellent dessert beer–but serving as a starter worked fine as well. It also didn’t ruin my palate for following beers, so it was really great all around.

Next was Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. Nearly every pumpkin beer I’ve tried so far this season has been spot-on. It seems as though brewers are really capitalizing on the pumpkin-trend, and finding new ways to be innovative while hitting all the right seasonal flavor notes and having really drinkable brews. Punkin Ale is always top-notch, and this year is no exception.

Speaking of the season, Blue Point‘s pumpkin offering was also quite nice. Their Pumpkin Ale was tasty, and the hints of cinnamon and nutmeg create a nice balance without being overwhelming.

Brooklyn Blast! is both one of my favorite Brooklyn beers and easily one of my top IPAs. Sure, I’ve had this one plenty of times before, but if it’s ever offered anywhere I can’t resist it. It’s so wonderfully hoppy and piney, without the too-harsh bitter hoppiness that can turn me off from other IPAs. Always wonderful off tap.

Two Roads Road to Ruin Double IPA was nice and inoffensive–perhaps almost too inoffensive for a double IPA. I know I mentioned enjoy a lesser bitty-hoppiness in my IPAs, but straddling the safe line where it’s more like a pale ale can be a bit of a turn off too. Not a bad beer by any means, but hardly memorable.

Founders Rubaeus Raspberry Ale tastes almost like a liquified raspberry jam. I’m not the biggest jam fan, but this was absolutely delicious. It’s light and refreshing, but still manages to pack in a hearty, robust flavor. (Side-note: Given my affinity for this beer as well as my previously-documented love for DuClaw’s Naked Fish, you can imagine how excited I am for Founders upcoming Big Lushious chocolate stout.)

Radiant Pig reeled me in with the name of their Gangster Duck beer alone, but I actually instead opted for their Junior IPA, which I found to be quite nice. Not super hoppy, not super malty, it was a nice in-between. Very sessionable.

New Holland El Mole Ocho. FINALLY–something that steps outside the box. Something risky. Just as the name says, this is a Mexican spiced beer that features chili and coffee. It’s not that surprising to find beers with both of those ingredients, but this one definitely stood out on the spicy scale. Despite the kick in flavor, it was still rather tasty and refreshing–which is also pretty impressive considering it’s a whopping 10% ABV!

St. Bernardus Abt 12 Abbey Ale/Quadrupel deserves the high praise it gets from many beer critics and review sites. It’s dark brown in color, but has tremendously hoppy and fruity flavors, with a pleasant bitter finish. I enjoyed it much more than their Duchesse De Bourgogne.

Lastly, Great South Bay’s Blood Orange Pale Ale. I’m always immediately intrigued by anything blood orange flavored, and I’ve been pining for this beer since I first heard mention of it a few months ago. I tried Elysian’s Superfuzz Blood Orange, but found it rather blah. This was definitely not the case with Great South Bay. It had the perfect blood orange flavor I was looking for, and the citrus notes made it almost taste more like an IPA, while still being very sessionable and refreshing. I was not disappointed!

Overall thoughts: Big Brew was a hit–but my one qualm would be in the variety of beers presented this time around. The first Big Brew offered many brewing companies I had never heard of, as well as bold beers and interesting styles. While the first Big Brew felt like a craft beer festival for craft beer enthusiasts, this one felt more like a craft beer festival for novices, almost serving as an introduction to craft beer. But that’s not a complaint–there were still plenty of delicious beers to try for the first time as well as favorite old standbys to enjoy with good company. My top favorites were: Evil Twin’s Imperial Biscotti Break, Dogfish Punkin, Blue Point Pumpkin Ale, New Holland El Mole Ocho (this was also because it was one of the few “bold” flavors offered–but still definitely delicious!), Great South Bay’s Blood Orange Ale, Founders Rubaeus, and St. Bernardus Abt 12.

John would contribute to this blog, but due to a change in the layout of the Untapped app, none of his “check-ins” actually, well, checked in (I know, pretty devastating).

I’d also like to give a shout out to Auntie Liana’s Baked With Love cake balls (that’s right, balls, not pops). The carrot cake balls were my personal favorite. The Jerky Hut, whose jerky was tasty, though their dangerously spicy Whiskey Scorpion jerky brought me to tears, and to Bobbysue’s Nuts, which were just all-around delicious.

– Jamie

Coming Soon: The Great Pumpkin post, Oktoberfest mania, beer cocktails: an op-ed, and the almighty Belgian beers. You won’t want to miss any of these!

Brew of Note 9.11.14: Exit 4, Flying Fish Brewing Company

There’s a saying in the beer world that while the Germans made beer a science, it was the Belgian brewers that made it into an art form. I tend to agree.

Yes, I love a good utilitarian brew as much as the next guy. It’s a very American concept: having a little something to just sit back and drink for the purpose of, well, drinking a beer. But there are times when I want to indulge and enjoy the whole experience. I want to be whisked away, to feel it. And quite often, I’ve found the liquid art of the Belgian style to be the perfect indulgence. Cherry Hill, New Jersey’s Flying Fish Brewing Company has somehow managed to mesh these two ideals together seamlessly in their Exit 4 American Trippel.

Ever notice that some of the best breweries have the word “Fish” in their name?

 

The first in their Exit Series of brews (highlighting select New Jersey locales in their names) it was also the first to go from limited release to full-time, year-round brew. The first taste I had of it actually came as a consequence of circumstance, looking for something interesting and unique to drink while vacationing in The Dirty Jerz. Recommended to us by a very nice liquor store owner, I saw the word “Trippel” combined with coming from a local brewery and didn’t think twice to grab a sixer.

After getting them sufficiently chilled for poolside drinking on a hot August day, I popped the top and poured one out. The first thing that hit me even before the beer left the bottle was the strong aroma. Light and fruity, it hit my nose hard and I was not complaining. The label description mentions notes of citrus, clove and banana and they’re all there from first smell to last drop. Poured into a glass, it was the perfect hazy golden you expect from a Belgian Tripel (as traditional spelling would have it), but the flavor gives it a whole new dimension of distinct Americanness (what I like to think of as that extra “P” in the name).

When most people think American craft beer, one word comes to mind: HOPS! In the most traditional sense, Belgian Tripels are not hoppy beers. That is not to say the Exit 4 is hoppy by any means, but it has a really nice hop note that sets it apart from other beers in the style. The heavy banana flavor along with the light carbonation made it a really enjoyable drink, with the hop notes giving a good contrast and keeping it from being too sweet. The characteristics of Belgian yeast still give it that (as I like to call it in my own unrefined way) “That Juicy Fruit flavor.” The lightness of the beer and the strength of the flavor make it also a deceptively easy to drink beer, especially for its 9.5% ABV. While totally sessionable in flavor, it doesn’t take that many to get you a little loopy, and I don’t mind that one bit.

Purists will say that no one can make a Belgian beer like the Belgians. I tend to say “fuck the purists!” While the Exit 4 is based on the Belgian Tripel style, it is an American Trippel in all the best ways, marrying the transatlantic influences into a totally killer beer. Highly recommended if you can get your mitts on it.

 4.5/5

–Johnny

Coming up next: Beer tea?!, The Great Pumpkin Off is back, and we make our triumphant return to the second Big Brew of 2014. Stay tuned!

Brew of Note 8.21.14: Naked Fish, DuClaw Brewing

My introduction to Maryland’s DuClaw Brewing was their much talked-about Sweet Baby Jesus!, a chocolate peanut butter porter. Sounds overly decadent? Not really–it’s actually the perfect amount of decadence to hit all the right flavor notes while remaining drinkable. It was actually in Maryland that I first tried this beer, and I haven’t been able to find another one of their brews since–until last week.

I was on vacation/house sitting in New Jersey and Johnny and I went on one of our many beerscapades to stock up on brews for some quality drinkin’ in the pool time. In New York you can grab yourself a beer at a 7-11 (many carry Captain Lawrence now, so wee-morning craft drinkers rejoice!) or at a 24-hour grocery store, but in the Garden State, with all their odd and complex alcohol laws, beer can only be purchased at liquor stores which usually close around 10:00 PM (hard liquor also is not sold past 10 PM on any day). This was fine by us–it just meant we had to stock up early!

We opted to check out Buy Rite–NJ Shop Rite’s liquor store add-on. What’s interesting about liquor stores in New Jersey is that, while they may not have the hugest beer selection, what they do have of craft options are usually rather interesting and varied. DuClaw’s Naked Fish immediately caught my eye, as the words “chocolate” “raspberry” and “stout” seemed to call to me, begging me to embrace the pink-scaled box in my loving arms. Being spoiled by Half Time (more on this in a later post), I knew that making up a mixed six-pack sampler was out of the question, and John and I agreed that if there were any beer that would be worth taking the chance on a full six-pack, it would be this one.

 

Man, were we right.

The first sip is more coffee-flavored than anything else–as the best stouts are–which makes sense, since Gourmet Chocolate Raspberry Coffee is added to the grain bill. At first the flavor is subtle, very standard for a medium body stout, but then the chocolate creeps in near the finish, with a delicate hint of raspberry in the aftertaste. Basically, Naked Fish is kind of like dipping a chocolate jelly ring into coffee and taking a bite out of it–for some reason writing that out sounds kind of gross but, trust me, it’s absolutely delicious.

Recommended drinking conditions: enjoy by a warm, luxurious pool on a cool summer’s night. Or on your couch in front of the TV. That works, too.

 

I’m always interesting in craft beer packaging. DuClaw’s logos and names read more like a list of font types and titles on a font website, but that only adds to their charm. I also respect that DuClaw has taken chances experimenting with different flavors for stouts, something I’m always happy to see. This stout’s a mere 4.6% ABV, but that’s because the focus is on the complementary flavors adding up to an overall great-tasting beer.

My count of brews I’ve tried by DuClaw is a measly two, but now knowing how good these two flavor-filled beers are, I’m keeping my eyes open for all the others they have to offer. A few I’m especially interested in trying are: 31, Anti-Venom Cluster F#@k, Black Jack Stout, Divine Retribution 3, Bad Moon Porter, and Dirty Little Freak.

 

Have you tried any of these? Let me know what you think!

 

Overall: 5/5    This might actually go up there as one of my favorite stouts. Kudos, DuClaw!

 

 

Speaking of New Jersey, get ready for our next post sampling one of the Garden State’s own brewing companies: Flying Fish. Stay tuned! 

 

-Jamie

No, we didn’t stop loving beer…

We just stopped loving this blog. And that’s a damn shame.

…but that’s about to change.

I think part of why we neglected this blog for so long was because we were thinking too big. Ever have a beer that’s almost too undrinkable because, while the ingredients and thought behind it were bold, there was just too much going on? It seemed as if being daring became priority #1, while taste and quality took a backseat. That’s kind of what happened to this blog.

We wanted to share our opinions on the many different beers we tried, but instead of just updating whenever we had a noteworthy brew, we opted instead to focus on “big” event-style posts. The 12 beers of Christmas on a blog that’s only had 1-2 posts so far? Sure, let’s do it! We were so focused on days- or weeks-long posts and lists we forgot about the part that’s most important: sharing great beers and breweries as we discover them, capturing the moment they caught our attention and why.

No, we most certainly did NOT stop loving beers. And we definitely still love writing. It’s a beautiful time to be a craft beer enthusiast, and now is the time to start up this project again. Expect a new post in the very near future, friends and fellow brew-lovers.

We’re back.

-Jamie

The Twelve Beers of Christmas Day 2: Samuel Adams Merry Maker

After the spicy ale of day one, it seemed like going for a stout would be a nice change of pace for my second Christmas beer. I love me a good stout, and Sam Adams’ Merry Maker certainly delivered. I’ll admit, I only got it because of three factors: 1.) It’s a stout, 2.) It was on the Christmas list at the bar of which I was patronizing, 3.) It’s Sam Adams. All signs pointed to yes. And the beer was exactly what I was looking for: a good, festive stout to have as my dessert drink.

Upon looking up more info on it as I write this, I discovered that it was actually a gingerbread stout. This made me a bit upset, because I realize that I don’t recall smelling or tasting anything really close to a gingerbread flavor. I’m sure that’s probably for the best for most people, but it would have been nice to taste the ginger and spicy elements in a thick, flavorful stout. Nonetheless, it was still enjoyable. I also found it to be not very sweet, though I’ve seen many others fault it for being overly sweet. I guess it’s just my taste buds!

Overall: 4.5/5  I always enjoy a tasty stout, but I would have preferred to taste more of the gingerbread and spices. Perhaps I’ll have to give it another try.