IPA is like a sweet sweet candy

I am now a believer in 90 minute Dogfish IPA. 4/5 stars. The only 5/5 (non Sposborth category) is Hopslam.

A question: How many beers will we try in Bloomington?

A second question: How many under par will my team be?

In other news, I applied to the Titleist research lab last week.

Naked ladies!!!!

Last night:
Drie Fonteinen Faro - This is a very strange kind of beer. It is a little sweet and almost non-carbonated

Drie Fonteinen Lambic - This was lemony and very good, but very different

Today:
La Chouffe on tap - This one is a solid every day beer and has the benefit of a happy gnome as a spokesman

Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus - See Pic. For a raspberry beer, this one surprisingly good. It was very tart and not sweet at all. Plus it has the only beer label I've see with a naked lady on it (a plus)

De Dolle Stille Nacht - an excellent 12% winter beer

St Feuillien Blonde on tap - another solid beer

Westmalle Dubbel - one of Trappist brews. It is warming and tasty right before I go to bed.

One more...

St Feuillien Bruin - not as good as the Westmalle, but better than the St Feuillien Blonde. Still pretty tasty as almost every beer is here.

Petey Bubbles and my love for hops

Buy Maximum IPA from Lagunitas, it is delicious. 4.8/5

Pete, I have bubbles and my fermenter looks like the coast of Ireland in winter.....mmmm...frothy. How long shall I wait to move it?

Pink Elephants on parade

Back to an old favorite today: Delerium Tremins. Definitely still tasty, although I'm a bit more in the mood for browner, darker, more caramel-y Belgians lately. Still worthy of a 4.5/5 though. Near perfection, but I think I prefer it as a summer beer.

Day 1

So far I've had 3 beers:
1) Heineken (on the plane)
2) Orval
3) Abbaye des Rocs Bruin - This beer is a really good belgian brown ale.

Mead?

Just read this article on MSN about the resergence of Mead. Anyone ever had some? Any good? I might try to find some at the store today.

In honor of the Ellington European Vacation...

...I'm drinking a weird Belgian beer. Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel. Here's the official description: A unique marriage between the English tradition of IPAs, the new American revolution of Imperial IPAs and the classic Belgian way of brewing.
To me, it looks and tastes almost exactly like a Hoegarden...maybe a bit stronger and a little more flavor. It would probably benefit from an orange, which I probably actually have in the kitchen, but am too lazy to go check and see. Really good. I'll give it a 4.6/5. I'd definately hit it again, although it was pretty pricey. Bonus points for the happy gnome on the bottle. Unseen in the picture is the giant mess created when I popped the top and got a massive explosion everywhere. It was like a 5th grade science fair. No major casualties though.

Kell's Irish Lager in a box

After the day I just went through, this might be the first of several rounds. Kell's Irish Lager is excellent. Crisp. Clear. Softly carbonated.

I just found out there is going to be a 'Cask Conditioned' Beer Festival on April 4th at a place called Zeno's downtown. I will be there with 'Bell's' on.

Posting sabbatical

Carey and I head out of town tomorrow, so the posting will probably be limited in the next 2 weeks. I promise to try to take lots of beer pictures though and send updates from Belgium.

Check out the beer list at this festival we are going to go to and let me know if you see anything good.

ZBF

This things I believe

I've decided that a homebrewed beer is to commercial beer as a live bootleg album is to commercial music. When it's good, it can not be beat. From now on I will only listen to live bootlegs and drink local beer.

I went to the brew-pub a few months ago and asked the bartender to mix an apricot wheat and cask conditioned IPA. It was darn good. I wonder what other combinations would mix well. Probably Java Stout and a Chocolate Stout would make a really good brew. Or a really bad brew, and this weekend I intend to find out.

Back to my Erie Brewing Pilsner. (which isn't very good.)

The Good Times Are Killing Me

Give yourself 5 points if you knew this reference to Modest Mouse and their feverish songs and antics.

Give me many more points for booking my flight to Tucson to see the White Sox spring training and golf the desert.

Give us all a collective chin scratching when two imperials meet: Unfiltered Hoppe Pale Ale and Unfiltered Unearthly IPA form to meet Imperial Gemini Unfiltered Blended Ale. Why can't more beers do this? Delicious, snappy, hoppy, floral and slightly tempered, but huge at 10.5 %, the only flaw is the 1/2 layer of wax you have to battle in order to open this taste-buddal assault.

Avast!

Clipper City Heavy Seas Peg Leg Imperial Stout. A long name for a pretty good beer. This is a very mild tasting Imp Stout...very un-Raspy. Mellow, mild, smooth-those sorts of adjectives. Not overly flavorful, and I guess not very memorable but tasty and enjoyable. I'd be comfortable recommending this one to people who couldn't handle a Raspy. It's like a slightly "imperialized" Guiness. 4/5.

It's like a brewery in here

One pic, many hours of brewing tonight. First I racked my wheat beer into the carboy. Milwaukeeclassic, your earlier post inspired me to dry hop the wheat. I hope it turns out as well as the imperial weizen you had. I'll save you a bottle.

Then I made State College PA. Four hours later... I just finished cleaning up. The yeast starter worked well; the fermenter is bubbling away. Barry, I hope your beer is bubbling too.

Drinking an Erie Brewing Company Mad Anthony APA. Tastes more of an English Pale to me. On the bitter side, with less aroma. Not my favorite.

Last Pere

Last of the Pere's...and none to be found around town at the moment. Tis a sad day at 1814 Southdowns.

Underrated IPA

Big Sky's IPA is a pretty tasty and benefits from being poured into a glass, as hop aromas are more pronounced. I drank one of these while brewing my first homebrew yesterday. Results of my beer are pending, but your purchase of this bitter little session brew should not.

3 Philosophers

Three Philosophers is gross.

Yeast starter

I made a yeast starter tonight for my (honey) IPA, which I will henceforth call State College PA. Get it? (Later I'm going to make a dark beer this spring, called Dark Holler Stout, which Chris will appreciate.) On to the pictures.

I really think the key to a good batch of beer is to have a huge yeast culture to start fermentation right away. It's easy to make a yeast starter; it's basically like making a tiny amount of beer, but without hops. The first step is to boil (for about 5 minutes) 1/2 cup of malt extract in 20 oz of water.

Observe my excellent stirring technique.

The second step is to cool the wort to about 85 degrees. The wire sticking out of the pot is a kitchen thermometer - very useful.

It takes about 10 minutes for the wort to cool to 85 degrees.



Next we add the yeast packet.

Now we add the wort. Did you ever notice that the radio station in Madison is named after WORT?

It will be really bubbling in about two hours.

Mmmm...oaky

Oaked Bastard:
Sweet, syrupy, citrusy, and much smoother and less hoppy/bitter than the regular version I think. I REALLY like this one. Definately has an oaky, woody taste. I'm going to look for more Oaked beers, of which I saw a few at the store the other day. 4.7/5. This is is my favorite beer of the week.

Go Two Hearted!

IPA Hop Madness

I've had seven of the contestants. I was sad to see Bell's against Stone in the first round, because I like them both.

About to open a Three Philosophers.

A black-tie beer for the Oscars

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. There are a ton of flavors in here. Pine, toast, chocolate, coffee, imperialness. It has it all. More imperial than a chocolate stout, more chocolate than an imperial stout. Lots of alcohol (10.6%). Maybe too much alcohol...slight burning, drano type aftertaste. In fact, the more I drink as I type this, the less I like it. Like sawdust in the engine, it runs smooth at first, but breaks down over time. I'm going to rate it about a 2.9/5. I'd enjoy watching Pete nurse one for a few hours though.

Edit: it grew on me as the alcohol sank in. I'm bumping it to a 3.5/5

Highlights from Last Night

round 1: Upland Chocolate Stout. This was kind of a textbook Chocolate Stout. Nothing bad, nothing amazing. I'd give it a 3/5 for Choc stouts, and a 3.8/5 for beer in general because they are automatically better than your average beer. It's main advantage and reason for my purchase was that it's local and none of you can buy it, and thus I look slightly cooler after weeks of hearing about your (much better) local brews.

round 2: North Coast Brother Theloneous. From the fine folks that brought you Ol' Raspy comes a different kind of "happy monk". This was a pretty good Belgian dark. Not the best I've ever had, but good. I always have trouble rating Belgians because I tend to be drunk enough by the end that it tastes great to me. This was also the case last night. Thinking back to initial impressions though, I think this was a 3.5/5 among Belgians, and a 4/5 for beer in general. Also note the excellent glass which is technically Pete's although it has never left my house

Joining the Homebrew Nation

The time has come.
Pete, I'm joining the nation.
I need your help. I have a kit from The Wine and Hop Shop, but am lacking a boiling pot. What do you suggest?

Stone 11th Anniv Ale

The Stone 11th anniversary ale is marketed as an IPA. Except it's black. The aroma is smokey. It's high in alcohol. It's bitter. And it's good. I've noticed that I give every beer a good rating. Last week I put a PBR pounder in a glass and it tasted great.

I like beer.

Pazuzu

After watching a Futurama episode today, I have a suggestion for the next Sposborth variety name. I propose "Pazuzu," which is the name of Professor Farnsworth's pet gargoyle, and also apparently a Sumarian demon.

Big Red

Heading to Big Red to refresh the fridge selection...will have some entries shortly.

Dinner at the Old Fashioned

Two very delicious beers were consumed last evening while dining at The Old Fashioned with the inlaws over fish fry. Duane is correct, New Glarus's Imperial Weizen is fantastic and is Central Water's Satin Solstice. Tonight's evening out will yield more deliciousness.......notes to come.

Hopslam for me, finally

Today I walked over a mile through the snow, uphill both ways, to find a Belgian beer. After reading all your fine selections I wanted to deviate from my usual IPA/Stout evening. I was thrilled to find a bottle shop 'down town' selling Hopslamma-jamma. Says on the bottle 'Brewed with Honey,' which proves the boys at Bell's are stealing Sposborth Co.'s brewing techniques!

Tomorrow I'll culture a yeast starter (in the Fordham growler) to then brew my Honey IPA in a few days. A mixture of bleach/water sits in the growler overnight, to first clean it out. I'll post pictures detailing the brew process.

Today is Bockfest. I will be wasted in T-4 hours

Here is a picture of the dinosaur on top of the roof at the Capital Brewery. Soon to follow will be pictures of me obliterated.

Brisco likes the Rogue Imperial Stout

I like the Rogue imperial stout too. This is a style of beer that I am just starting to get in to.

At 11%, this beer is deceptive smooth, so you better be careful with this one.

Although given how much it cost, I don't think I'll be having this very often.

We'll rate it

4.2 / 5

Smells like Victory

Well aged. High in alcohol, but not too filling. Similar to Stone IPA. Seems more bitter and less aromatic than I usually like. From Philly, a Victory Hop Devil Ale. It has a slight chill haze problem. I want to like it, but I'm not sure yet.

Round 3 New Glarus Unplugged Imperial Weizen

Best New Glarus beer I've ever had. It has the lemony flavor of a good Hefe-weizen with the hop kick of an IPA. This is one of the strangest blending of flavors I've seen and it is real fucking good.

Round 2 Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

Named in memory of Hunter S. Thompson, this beer was outstanding. It was dark as a stout with lots of brown head and it had a nice hop kick that I don't think I've ever had in a Porter.

Best new beer I've had in a while until...

Round 1 Sint Bernardus Prior 8

Another solid choice from the Sint Bernardus collection. Carey and I had dinner with her sister and brother-in-law at the Brasserie V in Madison today.

This was not the best beer I had today.

Blarney Stoned

Tonight for me was two goose island Pere's at home, followed by two draft Guinnesses at the local irish pub. Guinness draft at a pub gets the following rating: Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack, Ace. It may seem tame and somewhat standard, but anyone who goes against it will be surely Euched.

We Dance Imperially Again This Evening

Well friends, tonight brings us Decadent Imperial IPA from Durango, Colorado. Poured into my La Chouffe Belgian glass, I'm seeing a hazy amber with a quickly dissipating head that leaves a steady lacing as I work this thing over. Boozy scents mix with a gently underlying hop presence. Upon first gulp I'm tasting a steady mix of camel and pine, without much of the citrus blast sometime encountered in this country. Alcohol, at 10 %, not overly evident in flavors, but leaves a bit of a gasoline burn down the old gullet. In the meantime, steady viewing of Season Two of Twin Peaks continues unabated. As does my desire to play golf.

God Bless the French Canadians

Another quality beer from Unibroue with the Don De Dieu (Gift of God). If you haven't tried them, they sell a 8 beer sampler pack.

Please comment on my fancy glassware that Carey got me for Christmas.

No doubts about Stouts

Caramel and chocolaty and with a spicy (maybe Oak?) aftertaste. Plus it's a local brew (thus the Spades). Otto's Jolly Roger Imp Stout - It'll get ya drunk!

Also got my first issue of BYO magazine today. As you're aware there is a world wide hop shortage. Barry and Duane the Wine and Hop shop on Monroe is one of the few places left, that I know of, which has Cascade and Amarillo hops in stock... and the shortage is not likely to end for another TWO years. If you sent me some, say 4 oz per 5 gallons of beer, I would turn them into Imperial IPAs that would set your soul a'fire, like a Tito Puente samba.

When Imperials Drink This Easy, Run for the Hills

Hello friends........a beautiful pour begins our journey to a land of deep orange, sweet and sticky, with a soft white billowy head which quickly dissipates. Hops and citrus present on the nose. A deep, gratuitous sip reveals hints of pineapple, banana, and orange followed by a stick to the roof of your mouth sweetness that begs the question: why are hops so damn delicious and why can't I bathe in them as well as drink them? Here's to good times boys....and very good beer!

4 1/2 stars

Bring on the Whores

Round 2 with the Hop Whore. I swear this has to be the hoppiest beer I've ever had. I think it is even more bitter than the Dreadnaught.

It is real good. Not a loner, but a definite pick up.

Edit: Okay, I would go alone, but I wouldn't make it.

Quality... and quantity

I give it a solid rating, but lacks power. Hopefully it will improve in the bottle. It's somewhat strong, 5%, but has a lot of body. No hop punch. I am convinced more than ever that hoppy beers must be dry hopped. You boys with yards should be planting hop bushes.

No Class tomorrow = Round 3

Another go for the Java Stout. Still good, but not tasting as good to me today. The coffee flavor is kind of overwhelming after the burnt toast flavor of the last one. I'm now, however, viewing this as a perfect beer to throw in the golf cart for those 8am tee times. It tastes like it needs a bacon biscuit to go with it.

Euchre verdict: Not a loner, but I'd call it up if the suit was right or my partner was dealing.

Homebrew Monday

Homebrew this evening. Needs another couple of days to carbonate. Following up on Duane's post, here are a few more beer fests I'd love to attend.

1)Great American Beerfest
2)Great Midwest Beer Fest (in Madison!, close to Draftstravaganza weekend!!, note that Three Floyd's attended last year!!!)
3)State College Brew Expo

Sam Adams Black Lager...black like your soul

Round two...leftover super bowl dregs. I would describe this particular beer as follows: It tastes like fermented toaster crumbs.

I also propose the following ranking system: Compare each beer to a Euchre hand. If you can't quite see, this rates a smörgåsbord of 9's, 10's and queens.

A meal of Lumpy Gravy

Today's selection is Lagunita's Lumpy Gravy, number 3 in their big beer series tribute to the late Frank Zappa. Lumpy Gravy pours to a rich mahogany color with a nice even white head about a half inch think. Tastes range from a chewy bread, to a fig newton, to a tasty brown ale. Billed as a cross between an American Strong Ale and a Big Brown, it's rather delicious. At 7.5 % in a bomber form, it's a nice pre-Jambalaya treat. Not the hop slap I was hoping for, but rather chewy and delicious. In general, Lagunitas beers are a winner.

4/5 stars!

Yum

Variety is not spicing anything today...another Pere for me. Ummmmm. Carmelly goodness. My go-to beer of the month.

Listening to: Neil Young...On the Beach. Part of the "Doom Trilogy" and one of his weirder albums. Still good though.

Email roundup

In the 10 days or so before Henry K. Duff opened shoppe we discussed the following (incomplete) list of beers. In paranthesis are the drinkers

(B) Bells two hearted, Bells Hopslam, Dark Horse Imperial Stoudt, Chimay Red, Furthermore Make Weight, Left Hand Warriors IPA

(C) Goose Island Pere Jacques, Tylenol Cold + Flu, Bells Double Cream Stoudt

(D) Furthermore Make Weight, Sint Bernandus Abt 12, Unibroue Trois Pistoles, Lake Louie Tap Arena APA and Mr. Mephisto, Tyranena Tap Chief Blackhawk Porter and Hop Whore, Goose Island Imperial

(P) Stone IPA, Sposborth IPA, Otto's Double D Imperial IPA, Bell's Two Hearted, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Also some funny quotations.

"We're all drinking all the time." (C)
"I wish to have a torrid affair with a hop plant" (B)
"Variety is not the spice of life." (D)

and my favorite

"From now on, I am only drinking 'imperial' beers." (D)

Tiny Bubbles

My friend Matt from Virginia came up to State College. While drinking homebrew we made a Wheat Beer. After a few hours it was fermenting like crazy. I'll start another batch of IPA on Thursday. It shall be Imperial.

Speaking of very Aggressive Hawks, I took this with my cell phone just outside my office.

CSI: Bloomington

My class was cancelled today after being designated a crime scene. Our building was burgled over the weekend and the computers and projectors stolen out of the classroom. All signs point to Malloy, who was wearing sneakers, for *sneaking*, and walking much more vertically than usual.

Note: He was also seen with the world's largest cubic zirconium

Go Deacs!!!!!!!!!!!

In celebration of the Deac's win over Duke, I'm finishing off the last of my Sint Bernardus Abt 12.

During the Deacs game

Sprecher Black Bavarian. A pretty big departure from the Dreadnaught.

I'm sure that Chris and Pete would like this one and Barry would not. Any votes?

A Major Disappointment

My first post, as you knew it must be, is to bash an overpriced, highly anticipated IPA. Today, during our supposed snowstorm of the year, which til this point has been rather mild, I popped my cork topped bomber of Meantime IPA from England. At 10 bucks a bottle, I'd been saving this since Christmas. The results were disappointing. A huge frothy head and massive carbonation were my first hints at Boo-urns. Nice orange color, citrus hops on the nose, more bitter than hoppy on the tongue. Hardly memorable. Doesn't help that I had my Euchre pride seriously damaged as my ass was handed to me frequently while "enjoying" this ten dollar thief.

Despite this beer, I am not a hop head

I had a Three Floyds Dreadnaught double-deuce that we bought while in Chicago yesterday.

Three Floyds stopped distributing to Wisconsin a little while ago, so we have to go to the land of the Flatlanders in order to get it.

This makes exactly one reason to visit the state of Illinois.

I'm always a Bell's fan. Today's selection: Java Stout
(7.5%)

Well done Comstock, MI. Well done indeed.
Pete, dump some Starbucks in the next Spaesborth batch.

Beware!