Quick Sips....Episode 2

It's good to be back for Episode #2 of Quick Sips.  While I haven't posted any specific information about beers I have enjoyed in the past month, it doesn't mean some good drinking hasn't been happening.  It's actually been a great 4 weeks of beer since my last post.  So without further adieu, here are some recent beers that have been tantalizing my palate...

Bells Black Note Stout: This one gets a lot of hype for a couple reasons.  It's bourbon barrel aged, it comes from Bells, and it's hard to come by.  It's also quite good.  For me it is quite smooth and has a great creamy mouthfeel.  The bourbon is present, but subtle.  Nice chocolate, some vanilla tones, and sweet molasses dominate the flavor profile.  An extremely well rounded beer....but...gasp....it's not mind blowing like they hype makes it out to be.  Still a great beer....

Alpine Brewing Pure Hoppiness:  A gift from a beer geek friend of mine. Excellent pine and citrus hops dominate the nose and palate.  Great crisp and clean hop flavors.  One of the better double IPA's I've had.  Alpine knows what they are doing.  Another great beer from these guys.  Some noticeable malt but the pine and citrus flavors are the stars of the show.

I know I've reviewed this before, but Russian River Pliny the Elder was also consumed.  I managed to get bottles from the 1/29/13 bottle run about a week and a half after bottling.  Incredibly fresh.  Hop bombs were definitely dropped on my face hole as usual with super fresh Pliny.  Also took a cool pic using some of my kids Thomas trains.

Earlier I talked about Black Note and how it was not quite mind blowing.  This Russian Imperial Stout from Flat 12 did fit the bill of a mind blowing beer drinking experience.  Pinko aged in 23 year Pappy Van Winkle barrels was one of the best beer drinking experiences I have had.  The depth of flavor in this beer was ridiculous.  I remember molasses, a nice mix of sweet chocolate with a touch of bitter dark chocolate, some subtle charred fruit notes, and a velvety mouthfeel which helps to tame the rich bourbon notes from the Pappy barrel.  This beer was special.  Honestly, in my opinion, it's better than Black Note....and I'm not sure it's close.

 Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout: Another mind blowing beer drinking experience.  BCCS has loads of coffee, some chocolate, some vanilla, and some oak wrapped in a bouquet of rich bourbon.  Definitely a sipping beer at 14% and one I will often take with me to bottle shares to watch other people have their mind blown.  Top notch beer.  Don't think I could ever have enough of it.

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf: Scorching palates is the objective with this hop monster from Three Floyds.  Mission accomplished.  Loads of citrus hops do in fact leave your palate a hapless victim as this beer just flat out dominates.  This beer doesn't get enough pub in my opinion.  It has some serious legs.  The finish lingers with a punchy bitterness and the dry feel leaves you craving more.  It's ridiculous.  Thanks to Kahns for alerting me to a fresh arrival.....I need more.

I have reviewed Head Hunter from Fat Heads before, but it's worth noting that they recently (like last week) started distributing to Indiana.  An awesome west coast IPA with loads of Pine in the hop profile.  It's a great IPA and definitely one worth buying.  Obviously I'm a fan of buying local, but the only way to keep breweries in Indiana is to buy their stuff.  So go get some Head Hunter.

 Green Flash Palate Wrecker:  Probably one of the prettiest beers I've consumed.  The hops in this beer will destroy your palate in a similar way to Arctic Panzer Wolf.  The finish is ridiculously dry and bitter.  Loads of pine which I expect from a west coast ipa.  Love this one.  Glad my sis sent me some.

 New Glarus Raspberry Tart:  Thanks to Calvin for grabbing me a bottle so that I could share with my wife.  This is liquid raspberry goodness.  This converted me to loving fruit beers that are done well.  Loads of raspberry in this provide a sweetness and a tart finish that make this the perfect dessert beer.

Other beers not pictured:

Williamsburg Alewerks Bitter Valentine: Awesome double IPA thanks to a trade.  Great bitterness.  Tons of awesome hop flavors.  Subtle booziness and warming down the throat.  Lovely beer.

Flat 12 Bleeding Heart IPA:  One of my favorite local beers of all time.  Half Cycle infused with blood oranges.  The blood orange is the star of the show giving intense citrus flavors with the lovely bitterness from Half Cycle.  This is world class.

What are some beers you have enjoyed in the past few weeks?

Cheers,
Kevin

Beer Style #1....The American Pale Ale

People often ask me what my favorite beer of all-time is.  I struggle, usually, to come up with an answer.  I obviously have favorites, but comparing Two Hearted to KBS for me is like apples and oranges.  Both are awesome in their own ways.  So this got me to thinking about different beer styles and I decided to start writing about them.  Not sure how many styles I will write about, but at the end I will provide recommendations and some of my favorites.  Today let's talk American Pale Ale.

American Pale Ales are usually quite different from British Pale Ales.  Typically with an American Pale Ale you get a significantly higher hop characteristic.  Not enough to make it an IPA, but the lines between the two styles are much more blurry.  British Pale Ales generally have a much more prominent malt profile, making them sweeter, a good example of this is Bass Pale Ale.  The American Pale Ale tends to usually have a more dominant hop presence.  Still, the APA is usually clean, crisp, and refreshing.  The American Pale Ale is also usually relatively low in alcohol content.  They typically hover in the 5%-6% range, which makes them quite drinkable.  The balance of hops and malts make the American Pale Ale a perfect beer for those drinkers who aren't quite ready to have their palate thrashed by an IPA or a Double IPA.  I have a buddy who generally hasn't been all that into craft beer, but then I introduced him to Sun King Osiris and he loved it.

The American Pale Ale is a great "gateway" style to getting into craft beer because it's usually suitable to many palates.  It's not intimidating in the flavors it puts out there.  There are some that are hoppier than others, but that's the fun in trying things out.  Probably the first true craft pale ale I tried was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  It definitely has a more dominant hop profile, but upon my first sip I did not find it to be offensive.  But there are lots of great APA's out there.  So let's take a look at some of my favorite American Pale Ale's.

1. Three Floyds Zombie Dust:  Generally only available at Three Floyds Brewpub, this is in the conversation for me of my favorite beer of all time.  If you ever have the opportunity, it's highly recommended, and it consistently ranks as one of the best American Pale Ales in the country.  If you can't find it, then I suggest...
2.  Three Floyds Alpha King:  Usually easier to find and just as awesome in its own way.
3.  Schlafly Dry Hopped APA: Generally easy to find and full of awesome flavors.  Great beer.
4.  Upland Helios Pale Ale:  One of the less intimidating APA's out there, very drinkable and rather easy to find in Indiana.
5.  Victory Headwaters Pale Ale: Nice citrus hops to this Pale Ale.
6.  Founders Pale Ale:  Some crisp malt and hop flavors.  Well balanced.
7.  Flat 12 Walkabout Pale Ale:  If you are ever in Indianapolis, this one is a must try.  The use of Galaxy hops gives this APA a distinctly sweet and passionfruit hop profile.  The sweetness plays well with the malt tones.  Truly an awesome APA, but only available at the brewery.  My favorite local APA.
8.  Sun King Osiris Pale Ale:  My second favorite local APA.  A really good every day drinking pale ale.  My buddy Matt really enjoys it, so trust me, you will too.

Those are just some of my favorites, and most of them are easy to get if you are here in Indiana.  My favorite American Pale Ale is Zombie Dust, by just a hair over Alpha King.  If you are unsure about craft beer and pale ales, my recommendation is to go to your local shop and do a mix and match six pack of pale ales, have some friends over, and have a good tasting.

Cheers to the American Pale Ale....what are some of your favorite American Pale Ales?

A Local Flavor...Flat 12 Amber Ale

I had an intern at St. Vincent a couple years ago who told me of this local brewery that was just getting started.  She knew the head brewer, Rob, and she spoke very highly of his beers.  This was when I first heard about Flat 12.  At that time I was just starting to scratch the surface of craft beer and so I was eager to experience Flat 12, but wasn't able to find time to get down there.  My first trip to Flat 12 happened last September with my buddy Phil.  I had the chance to speak to Rob, and although he is a Red Wings fan, he is a pretty cool guy and really knows his beer.  A couple years later, Flat 12 Bierwerks is growing, flourishing, and putting out awesome beer after awesome beer.  I had the privilege of attending their anniversary party earlier this year and enjoyed some amazing rare brews that they celebrated.

Until recently, you could only go to the tasting room located downtown in Indianapolis and purchase growlers and enjoy pints.  Last week, however, bottles of two of their standard beers hit shelves in 6 packs. I chose to go with their Amber Ale, which is one of my favorite Ambers and if it's ever on tap in my area, I typically order it.  Now I have the chance to enjoy a bottle at home and for the purpose of todays blog I get to review it.  Here is what the folks at Rate Beer have to say about it.  Now, it's my turn:

Choose Your Vessel:  I went with the brewery pint glass.  Picked up the Flat 12 glass back in September in hopes that someday I could use it with a bottle of their beer.  I like the glass, but I would prefer one with their traditional winged 12 logo.  Nevertheless, the pint glass is a great choice for an amber such as this.

Let's also take a moment to comment on the bottle label.  There is a lot going on with this label.  I appreciate the drawings, the letters, and the whole "Hello My Name is Amber" Amber Ale portion.  It's quite comical and enjoyable to look at.  Impressive job with this one.  It's quite unique and sets itself apart from other labels.  Not quite as out there as artwork from Three Floyds, but it has its own identity and I really appreciate that.

The Pour: Deep Amber in color.  About a one finger head.  For some reason a bunch of carbonation swarmed the logo so my photo of the beer didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.  Decent lacing throughout consumption, but not as impressive as other brews.  Ambers, however, aren't usually known for incredible lacing, so it's not really an issue here.  Really a nice looking Amber Ale as you can see in the photo below.

Aroma:  Sweet malt aroma, hints of toffee and caramel.  A touch of citrus hop aroma is noticeable here, but definitely a malt forward smell overwhelms the olfactory senses.  It's quite nice.

Taste:  The sweetness of an Amber is the first thing I pick up, but shortly after the palate is dominated by a really nice blend of hops and malt.  Makes this a hoppier amber than most.  Toffee, Caramel, slightly nutty with a nice citrus hop flavor.  Medium carbonation.  Nice bubbles.  Sweet throughout with a strong punch of hops.  The beer starts to finish sweet, but actually ends up bitter.  A nice and welcome change to the drinking process.

Overall:  Extremely drinkable Amber Ale.  This one, while not a traditional amber due to the increased presence of hops, is probably one of my favorite Amber Ales I've had.  Maybe not quite as good as Bells Amber, but it's in the discussion for sure.  I really like the complexity of it.  Typically when I hear "Amber Ale" I know this is going to be malty and sweet, but with some depth of flavor as well.  This one has those components, but the hop presence just adds to the depth of flavor and makes this one an Amber that all hopheads can get on board with.  

You can pick up the Amber Ale at many liquor stores throughout the area.  Go get some!  Cheers and Enjoy!!

American Craft Beer Week

American Craft Beer Week begins today and I can't really think of a better way to celebrate the coming summer than to enjoy craft beer with family and friends.  It seems that many cities/towns are gearing up for American Craft Beer Week with a plethora of special events, tastings, and takeovers, and my home city of Indianapolis is pulling out all the stops for Craft Beer this week.  As I think about it, I probably should have just taken the whole week off of work to celebrate Craft Beer.

One of the blogs I follow, Hoosier Beer Geek, has a list of the many events that will be held throughout the city during this week.  I encourage you to check out their blog which is a wealth of craft beer information.  It's an incredibly exciting list of events, but it certainly can be a bit overwhelming to think about how many different places are offering special activities.  If you are anything like me, you might end up agonizing over the decision you have to make so much that you just stay home, sit on your couch, and celebrate Craft Beer Week on your couch with your favorite craft beer in hand.......which is, of course, a completely acceptable way to celebrate and something I surely will be doing this week.

As my wife and I are expecting a new baby in the coming weeks and having a handful of a 2 year old we already do, I am well aware that my presence is required at home during this week to continue working on preparations for the new baby and to help relieve my wife's stress with the pending expansion of our family.  So for me, attending all of the events I would like to attend is virtually impossible.  Meaning that most of my craft beer celebrating will have to be done at home.  However, there are a couple of events that I hope to be able to attend and I encourage you to do so as well if you have the time.

Monday May 14th (I know, it's a little late to be putting this out there, but seriously) go grab your car keys and a couple friends right now and head to  Macnivens for their Three Floyds Tap Takeover.  It appears that they will have 12 taps of Three Floyds brews from 5p-11p tonight....and with that selection, you simply can not go wrong.  In fact, why are you still reading this?  Why haven't you left yet?  What's wrong with you?  GO!!! EDIT: I am reminded by the good people at Hoosier Beer Geek and Gina that the Three Floyds tap takeover is wednesday night....

I might also suggest grabbing a pint before or after your Three Floyds adventure at the Tomlinson Tap Room at City Market since pints are just $4 between 2p-9p.  This is an incredible way to kick off ACBW.

Tuesday:  Here's where tough decisions are made, but I think I have figured out what I would do if I could.  I would start by going back to Macnivens for the Two Hearted firkin that will be on all day.  I then might head over to the Red Lion Grog House for trivia from 7p-10p.  I would finish the night by enjoying $2.50 pints at the White Rabbit Cabaret.

Wednesday:  I would start my day at Triton Brewing to enjoy some Rail Splitter IPA and awesome food served by Clustertruck.  Then I would go back to Macnivens for a quick couple of Three Floyds brews before heading to Flat 12 Bierwerks Rock the Block Party where your money goes to a good cause and you get to enjoy the awesomeness that is Flat 12 brews.  Part of me would really like to go to the Tomlinson Tap Room for the IndyMonthly beerfest, but the price tag is kind of steep....but if that's your thing, then go ahead and enjoy because that is certainly a good choice as well.

Thursday:  Back to Macnivens for the Sun King tap takeover.  No, your liver does not need a break, you are a well oiled machine at this point.  I would literally just belly up all day at Macnivens today and enjoy the Fresh Local Beer that Sun King brews.  There are sure to be special releases there, and from what I have read a Firkin of Grapefruit Jungle could be all the rage.

Friday:  I would actually choose today to take a break and enjoy some craft beer from my fridge/cellar.  It's a good day to break it up, but if you must go out I would suggest Happy Hour at Tomlinson Tap Room.

That's a busy week of enjoying and celebrating American Craft Beer.  As for myself, I hope to get out to at least the Three Floyds takeover on Wednesday at Macnivens or the Sun King Takeover on Thursday.  Either way, I know I will be enjoying this week dedicated to one of my favorite things....craft beer.  As always, please enjoy responsibly.  Indianapolis Yellow Cab can be reached at 487-7777 for your safe transportation needs.

Enjoy!!