Full Term Stout

Here's the latest Sposborth stout. The carbonation is better than pictured and it's been in the bottle for about a week. This is a relief because my recent batches were undercarbonated. No coffee or whiskey additions to this particular beer.

I'm happy with it. To me it tastes like the coffee/whiskey stouts from Thanksgiving but without the overwhelming coffee flavor.

The dish towel is wrapped around a yeast stater for tomorrow's brewing.

Tandem Rating #3

TRICERAHOPS!

Barry - this beer is juicy...very juicy. Heavy tangerine and pineapple, easy drinking for a double, somewhat thin but well carbonated.

A-

Chris - surprisingly, I think I was correct this summer despite the alcohol poisoning and hang over when I rated this as one of my favorites of the IPA's. Everything Barry said sounds pretty good...citrus hopiness, and pretty chuggable. I'd drink 8 more if you put them in front of me.

A

What Barry wants me to send him, or, PA's finest beer

Tandem Rating #2

Hopmouth Double IPA

Barry - malty with grapefruit and grape juice. Better than I expected.

B+

Chris - Huge citrus smell, like a big glass of breakfast juice, but you don't taste it so much in the flavor. Malty, but not overpoweringly. Thick and chewy with a dark orange color. Solid.

B+

Tandem Rating #1

Pliny the Elder

Barry - So easy to drink for a double, pine and mellow citrus, relatively simple but very good.

Chris - I echo everything above. This is smooth, tasty, light, and simple.

A

Borders on plus

2009 Festival of Beers

When/where will it be held?

The sooner the better. I would also like to play golf.

I have March 9 - 13 for Spring Break.

New Sposborth

Bottled my Full Term Stout tonight. (It sat in the secondary for about 2 months.) Tastes pretty good now, so I've got pretty high hopes for this one. No additions to this batch and it still has a whiskey flavor. Syrup-y too. Should be ready in a month or so.

Drinking a Slab Cabin IPA from Otto's. This is new. It's okay.

Regarding 2009 Festival of Beers: I currently have 7 Sposborth varieties to bring. My goal is to have 10 ready. Maybe I'll brew tomorrow.

Drainpour....when something goes horribly wrong

In one singular, magical moment last evening, three sets of eyes converged, three smiles went to frowns, and three glasses of Lagunitas's Ruben & the Jets went down the drain.

Big Bear and the Northwind

Bear Republic Big Black Bear Stout. This is a pretty solid brew. It isn't overly chocolatey / oatmealy, but also isn't an over the top Russian Imperial that Raspy's you upside the head. It's a nice mix of smoothness and punch. I like it. Not uber-memorable, but really good. I'm on an A- string lately it seems.

Two Brothers Northwind Imperial Stout. This is pretty similar to the Bear. Slightly more "russianiness" and slightly less chocolatiness. I'm sure Barry will hate it since its Two Brothers and it's not *cool* to like Illinois beers, but I like it. Not the greatest I've ever had, but very solid B+

Smokin' Lefty

Left Hand Smoke Jumper. Had this one last night. It's a tasty smoke porter. Not over-the-top chedder bacon smokiness, but more like a porter that's been sitting by a campfire for a few hours. I liked it... near the top of my smoke list. A-

Catch-up post.

Time for a mega-post of stuff from the last few weeks, most of which I don't really remember so I'll just post the pictures.


Two Brothers Bonfire Dunkel:
Am drinking this right now. Not as good as I'd remembered. It's not a drainpour, but I liked it way better last time I had it. C+










Southern Tier Imperial Oat: This was pretty tasty. Very much like the B.O.R.I.S I think. I'd have it again. A-










Three Floyds / Mikkellar joint brew "Oatgoop":
Another ridiculously weird Floyd's entry. This wasn't at all what I expected from the name. Turns out its an "Oatwine" like a barleywine, but with oats. Very pale and thin, not at all like any sort of oatmeal stout or anything like that. Actually surprisingly tasty, but hard to get your head around. Even by the end I still hadn't gotten used to the idea. Needs further study.





Two Holiday ales: Delirium Noel and Two Brothers Avalon Spiced apple ale. The Delirium was great, the Two brothers was weird. It said "to be enjoyed hot or cold" on it, so we heated some up, but it was AWFUL hot. Cold, it was pretty good but not great. Not quite apple cider, not quite beer. It was kind of like apple cider poured into a spiced beer. I think the recipe needs work.






Stone / Jolly Pumpkin / Nogne Collaboration Holiday Ale. This was the beer of the month for me. I loved it (but haven't been able to find any more since, sadly). I'd buy a case. It was kind of like a spicy belgian...REALLY tasty. A++









Southern Tier Imperial Choklat Stout. I have very little memory of this, but don't think I liked it very much. I remember being disappointed, but I also think I was sick that day, so we'll just pretend this one never happened.









Mad Elf Ale: I have absolutely no memory of drinking this, but it was on the camera.












Killer Penguin. This is a Barley wine. I'm still not loving the barley wines. I think its the flatness and thinness of the taste. I don't know...just not my thing I guess.










Great Divide Hibernation.
Also no memory of this one. Sorry.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

Brewtime Baby!

Lewon Street Brewing announces its new IPA is currently in production.

Good times to follow.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

Great day or The Greatest day?

Also, FYI Barry, they were $16 a 6-pack. I bought the last 3 they had.

Edit: Ok, I've now cracked one open and am drinking it. It defiantly tastes a little different to me. I think it is a little more bitter and hoppy and a little less sweet and malty. This may now be Barry's perfect beer. It's still great, but I don't think I taste the honey quite as much. Could be my imagination.

Edit 2: Upon further reflection, this difference is pretty small. It may be a bit hoppier, but is really pretty similar. Also, on an unrelated note, I'm making chili for dinner, which combined with the 'Slam would probably make my house Pete's favorite place on earth right now.

Question: Has anyone had the new Hopslam?

If so...thoughts?

I made coffee-beer...

... or so it would seem. I left a thermos full of coffee in my office over the break and went to clean it out today after about a month. It seemingly fermented somehow and really smelled like beer, in addition to exploding all over me from the pressure when I finally got it open. I did not, however taste-test it, so we'll never know how great it would have been.

Wha happened?

I had a Dale's Pale just now and it tasted not so good. Now I'm having a Palo Santo and it has a medicine-y taste. Maybe it's too cold. Next I will try an Expedition Stout.

It's a lazy dog danglin' afternoon

On the stove Caribbean Black Bean Chili (Joy of Cooking, p. 275) is smelling mar-vel-ous.

Also pictured: my Dale's Pale Ale, now nearly finished and my new 3 iron, suffering acute and severe neglect.

I'm back Baby.

Drinking a Big Black Voodoo Daddy by Voodoo Brewery. Pretty good, not bad. Can't complain. It's far too cold right now.

Before school starts up I will make a trip to the Selin's Grove Brewpub for some of their IPA, which is an A on BA. We'll see how it tastes.

My place is a mess.

I had an Allagash Double Reserve yesterday. Eh.