Scratch Series 19

First of all, Coolest Growler Ever. The picture doesn't show it, but there is a big-ass handle strapped to the growler.

So I drove down to Troegs for Scratch 19 today. The batch size was smaller than expected, so only available in growler form. Because I know how you like-a the hard to find stuff, I hand bottled most of it. Will carbonation survive?

We have another entry for the stout-off at beerfest.

Golden Promise 2: Full Throttle

Inspired by Barry diggin into the archive, and feeling the spirit of Sposborth, I am cracking a more mature homebrewed delight after two months or so in the bottle in my closet. I am happily surprised at the improvement.

There is a notable alcohol aroma and citrusy and balanced flavor. (Think Hopslam.) Even though it was the intention, an IPA this is not.

I'm not sure the picture shows it, but the color is much improved and so is the clarity.

I had been pretty down on all grain brewing, but bottle conditioned beers really can improve. There is a lot more where this came from and it will be ready for beerfest.

My best beer. Holla!

Why Must A Go-To Beer, Now that I have one, be unavailable? It's Bullshit.

I like Nugget Nectar. It's got a juicy home brew quality, it's a bit mellow in the big beer world, and I could, and would like to, drink it for hours.

Hazy orange pour, indeed nectary

Hops on the nose, pineapple juice and fresh ripe pear. Nice.

Ripe fruit on the tongue, again with the pear, but there's more here. Really vibrant: peach, nectarine, and oddly some perfume quality, followed by a malty punch and back of the mouth bitterness to finish her off.

Multi faceted beer starts a bit thin, rolls thickish and creamy, and finishes bitter clean, but a bit watery.

A

I'm thankful for the opportunity to drink this. While it may not stand up to some big IPA's , this beer stands strong in it's style and is a treat.

Mystery Sposborth

Prepour
Midpour
Almost full
Finished
I have a plain bottle labeled OD DS (1) on the cap in black marker. What will I be drinking?

Update from the brewer

I am pleasantly surprised by the Odds and Ends Stout. This has been in the bottle for about six months. The head is on par with a nitrous poured Guinness.

There were no coffee additions to this batch, I think, but I could be wrong. I will look at the archives.

I detect the rubber flavor too. I think this is the result of a too high mash temperature. The more recent version which is not bottled yet addresses this. I will bottle soon so that version 2 is ready for beerfest.

Pizza Reduxe

Sun-dried tomato pesto

Kalamata olives

Love

Tomato chunks

Fresh mozzarella

Under Appreciated, relatively speaking, Good Shit

Storm King is delicious, and hoppy, and malty, and smooth, and drinkable, and good. Three cheers for this fine, fine stout. I dig it because it isn't such a messy alcohol bomb that you're supposed to love because only your grandma can purchase it on one day, with super secret availibilty involving color coded tickets and hoarding and ricockulus hype, and people drooling through their computer screens at the wonders of this mega souped up sludge that people will happily give a testicle to try, or possibly their entire scrotum to trade for. It's just a good fuckin' stout. That is all.

Strong A

Stoudts Double IPA

• Pine, pineapple, grass
  
• Sweet; chewy
  
• Extremely pale
  
• Serious competition for Nugget Nectar; probably better
  
• Grade: A
  

Mead

Who wants to brew me up some mead? It's apparently a beverage on the ... grow!

Old Standbys

Been busy lately, so we have been falling back to the old standbys. Duane has really been enjoying the Bitter Woman in the Rye from Tyranena while I have been sticking with New Glarus. The Black Wheat, Berliner Weiss (new batch is even better), Crack'd Wheat and the Imperial Saison (even Duane likes this one and he hates Saisons) are all excellent. New Glarus beers are one of the good things about living in Wisconsin. Duane did pick up a case of the Berliner Weiss and he does think that it is a beer you can hang on to for awhile. We may even pick up another case, as you never are quite sure when New Glarus will switch production lines.

Last weekend we did crack a Strawberry lambic from Upland. Unfortunately it turned out to be a drain pour. Not much sour or strawberry taste at all. We did enjoy a BORIS, which was tasty as usual.

What does everyone else consider as their old standbys?

My Apologies to Any Offended Catholics, or Death Eaters Worshipping the "Other Lord" for that Matter

What's the overall consensus on the Dark Lord?

Pizza Night in America

One step closer to my ultimate goal of running a brew pub/pizza parlor. This is best pizza I've ever made. Whole wheat crust. Made the sauce too. W/ caramelized onions and mushrooms.

Upland beer fest during Southdowns beer fest

Just wanted to alert everyone to this:
http://www.uplandbeer.com/eventinfo.php

We might want to put in an appearance. I think there are going to be a lot of guest beers as well as the upland stuff. Also, for you traders, this might be an opportunity to set something up?

Pete, find me one of these please!

This seems to be from NJ...keep an eye out!

Friday night, it's alright

Duane and I stopped at the Malthouse for a beer before dinner. Duane tried the Red Eye Bloom, a wit beer from Wausau. It was quite tasty, heavily spiced including clove and coriander. I had an Atomium Grand Cru, kind of a cheesy label, but a tasty 8% Belgium all the same.

Let the Debate Begin

I'm drinking Founders Breakfast Stout and Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout back-to-back.

Which is better and why?

A hop study for homebrew day

No homebrews available, but I thought I'd try to learn a little more about hop varieties in honor of the day


Simcoe: piney, grassy, smooth & creamy, not very bitter. Tons of lacing. One of my favorite IPA's

Warrior: a little more bitter, a little more of a salt and pepper type taste...reminds me of the Yazoo hop project with a little less garlicy-pepper vibe. A bit of a soapy aftertaste. I think I prefer Simcoe, but I like the salty/spiciness of this. I wonder if these are the hops used in Knot Stock?

I guess I can probably look it up, but anyone know of any other beers that are good examples of particular hop varieties?

National Homebrew Day?

I think I read somewhere that today is national homebrew day. Here's to you Sposborth & Barryborth! If I had one I'd drink it.

Another day, another Night Stalker

My daily pilgrimage to the Malt House continues as the Goose Island Night Stalker has not kicked yet.

It is the best parts of Darkness and the Abyss rolled into one beer.

A+

A night of awful beers continues 500 miles west of PA

Goose Island Matilda in the new bottle. This is everything I hate in a Belgian. Yeasty, saison-y tripel-y grossness. Tastes like a slurry of watery bread dough with a hint of funk (not sour funk, funk-funk)

Grade: F+

Left Coast (Horrible, Nasty Tasting) Torre Pines IPA

Grade: F

Enough said.

Tuesday Nights are Alright for Stoutin'

Dark and mysterious, like Shaft on the case.

Head disappears almost instantly. Smoke and sweetness on the nose, along with Smarties candies and brownies. Serious scent of cookie dough brownie ice cream.

Major cocoa powder, cotton candy, and rather pungent alcohol on the finish. Tingling bite remains long after each sip.

Really wanted a big stout, but couldn't bring myself to open a bomber of a monster. Good, but a bit of a letdown.

B

Sly Fox Saison Vos

Candy sugar, well-spiced, pleasant alcohol aroma. Very thick head upon pour has dissipated to a reasonable level. Perfect carbonation. Some lemon-lime.

Saison Vos has instantly become my favorite Sly Fox by a long way (and I like their Pilsner; the IIPA is just okay not great).

In short, a very lively, exceptional beer. Probably some overlap between the better qualities of Sly Fox Saison Vos and Victory Prima Pils.

Grade: A

Pretty Gross

Well, I fell for buying another Breckenridge beer despite my almost universal hatred of every one of theirs I've tried (the 471 small batch I like). I bought this about 2 or 3 months ago during my Christmas/Holiday beer period and its been clogging up valuable fridge real estate so I thought I'd put an end to it tonight. This does not fall into either of the Christmas categories I like: funky porters/stouts (ie: Alpha Klaus) or spicy Belgians (ie: delerium noel, etc.). Instead, this is closer to the Anchor one...I guess I would describe it as a spicy dunkel? I don't know...think 2 Brothers Bonfire but worse.

I guess to be fair, it has improved a bit as it warms up and is no longer the drain pour it was on the first sip, but its still not good, and has a distinct headache feeling building as I make my way through it. Bottom line: in the words of Lars Ulrich's dad "I would delete that"

Grade: D+

ps... watching the Reds game in the bottom of the 12th right now. I really wish we had a left fielder who could make contact with the ball once or twice a game. We are really wasting some amazing pitching with one of the worst offenses ever.

When You Attempt to Drink Your Garden, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Drink my Vegetable Beer

Thermo Refur

Furthermore's Thermo Refur (an anagram) is an ale brewed with black pepper and beets.

Pours deep ruby with a monstrous, billowy head that subsides only minimally.

Smells like a vegetable garden. Serious veggies, some fertilizer, a bit of dirt and garden funk. Amazingly, it's really appealing.

Fat beets, serious fresh peeper, robust smack of vegetative goo. Gunky dank salad mix fresh from the earth. Brett is added, which makes this funk nice and sour as well. Funky dank sourness, gitty up.

Walking the line between allowing this beer to continue opening up as it mellows, and pounding this bad boy down with vigor. A surprise treat.

Big Fat A

Somebody post something

Are we all just drinking things we've already reviewed?

Lately I've been killing off the last of my Hopslams, Furiuses (Furii?), and Expedition stouts. All have been good. Also had a 10-Fidy last night, which I still think is one of my top 10 beers. If anyone runs across a 4-pack of it somewhere and wants to pick me up some, I would be greatful.