Allies Win the War!

Currently in craft beer, there is nobody who can compete with the packaging of 21st Amendment Brewery. They absolutely understand how to design beautiful packaging and brew great tasting beer. So, take 2 of my passions and combine them and you get a great combination and currently one of my favorite brewers on the planet.

21st Amendment collaborated for the first time ever with Ninkasi to give us a fine English Strong Ale.

In a surprising turn of events, rival superpowers have joined forces to bring a beer of might to the world. According to top-secret documents, recently unclassified, brewmasters for 21st Amendment in California and Ninkasi in Oregon began their brewing careers together many years ago. The two leaders reunited recently at a secret camp in the Sierras to devise their master plan. “We are more alike than we are different,” said 21st Amendment’s Shaun O’Sullivan. “We must unite in our common cause,” added Ninkasi’s Jamie Floyd. The resulting collaboration, an ale brewed with California dates, an aggressive arsenal of all-Northwest hops and an unmistakable aroma of victory, deals a unified blow to unoriginal beers everywhere.

With the attitude of "us against the world" and playing off of their "rivalry" they came up with a killer concept for branding this beer. I love the 4 pack box that feels like a newspaper from the WW2 era and even changes the faces off of a famous photograph of the Allies: Churchill, FDR and Stalin to those of the brewers.

This is definitely an original ale and one I'm glad I was able to get my hands on. Do yourself a favor and pick up a 4 pack next time you are out. Pours a very nice red brew with a slight warm creamy head. There was a pretty strong hoppy flavor but is well balanced with the sweetness of the dates.

Happy Drinking!

Who: --
Where: Sonnett House
Price: $$$
Score: 4 / 5

Flying Dog: Snake Dog IPA

There is something about the Flying Dog illustrations that make the beer desirable to me. That "Gonzo" attitude doesn't hurt either.

Snake Dog IPA part of the "pack" of year round beers served up by Maryland's Flying Dog Brewery. It's the hop heavy hitter of the bunch, but doesn't pack the wallop that her friend "Raging Bitch" does, but its heavy on citrus and hop flavor non the less.

Pours a light amber color, more on the yellow grapefruit side than orange. Slight very white head with some loose lacing down the side. Sweet Fruity / grapefruit combo aroma. High on the ABV (7.1%) but not noticeable in flavor. There is a fairly good balance between the malt sweetness and the bitter hop flavors. One of the smoother American IPA's out there, when comparing it to GLBC Burning River (one of my all-time favorites), it really goes down quite easy.

I feel that I should be drinking more from Flying Dog, but this past spring I got into a bit of a "fight" with the "Raging Bitch" and didn't realize she was 9-10% ABV and might have had a small (HUGE) headache in the morning.

Happy Drinking!

Who: The Crew
Where: Sonnett House
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Deschutes Iversion IPA

Deschutes Iversion IPA from Bend, Oregon based brewer Deschutes, one of Oregon's finest craft breweries.

This was the first brewpub that we stopped at on our west coast tour. The pub didn't disappoint. We were able to sample a few beers each and had a pretty good meal as well. We choose this over scalping Timbers FC tickets, which was going to cost us close to $200!

Deschutes loves this beer, as you can tell from their description:

Paradise is stumbling upon our whole flower hop room and inhaling. Inversion IPA is as close as you can get without knowing somebody.

Enter, if you will, all the glorious aromatic complexity of the hop. This big, bold IPA's intense multi-hop kick gets a subtle dose of restraint from select Crystal and Carastan malts. For discriminating hop heads.

This was probably the hoppiest beer I had out west, as I wrote before, there American Pale Ale's tend to be a littler more like English Pale Ale's (sweeter and not bitter at all). The color was a pretty dark amber and had a nice creamy head that laced well all the way down the glass.

What sticks out the most with this beer was how smooth it was. It has some serious hop/citrus bitterness but the caramel malt pairing is a perfect partnership. Usually my favorite IPA's tend to be overly citrus and bitter but this one seemed to find that "paradise" that we are all looking for. Absolutely loved this beer, and recommend it to any and all beer drinkers (IPA lover or not!)

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy
Where: Deschutes Brewery, Portland Public House
Price: $$
Score: 5 / 5

Cincinnati Craft Beer Interview: Frank Coyne Home Brewer

In this second interviews involving Cincinnati craft beer folks, I got a hold of Frank Coyne. Frank is a new home brewer (7months!) and has been a pretty good resource of information for me when I started brewing myself.

Name: Frank Coyne
Neighborhood: Anderson Twp
Number of home brews you've made/attempted: 4
How long have you been brewing: 7 months
Favorite beer to brew: Too soon to tell
Favorite craft beer: Too soon to tell, there are so many I haven’t tried yet. :-)
Untappd Handle/Name: Frank Coyne/fcoy2

What got you interested in home brewing?

Always seemed like fun, but ultimately it was because my wife was having a hard time coming up with a Christmas gift, so I suggested a gift certificate to the local home brew shop, Paradise Brewing

What was the first beer you tried to brew? Was it a pre-packaged kit? Or did you experiment?

First was a kit of Flat tire Ale, a clone of Fat Tire out of Colorado

How did it taste?

Very good, pleasantly surprised for my first batch

What are the resources you use for beer/brewing?

Paradise Brewing – the guys are very helpful there, and they have all the supplies and information you need. They also do live demonstrations on Saturday mornings of the brewing process, which are very helpful as well. Listermann Brewing Supplies – wider variety of supplies and kits Books
 - The Complete Joy of Home Brewing (3rd Edition) by Charlie Papazian
 - Homebrewing for Dummies Podcasts
 - Beersmith Home Brewing
 - Basic Brewing Radio

Have you experimented with any new flavors/hops/malts etc.?

Not yet. My plan was to do the first 3-4 batches through kits, then move on to clone recipes and modifications of recipes

Any funny brewing stories?

My one real mistake came during a brown ale recipe brewing. I had all the supplies laid out on the dining room table, and was doing the brewing in the garage. I had just added the malt extract and was getting ready to add the hops when I heard on of our digs start getting sick in the house. I ran in to get him off the carpet and outside (only made it to the kitchen before, well, you know). After cleaning up the mess and resuming brewing, didn’t realize until the next ingredient addition that I had forgotten to ad the hops. I tried to put them in and extend the brewing time a little to try to get some of the flavor in. The beer came out “OK” but not as good as my other batches. I actually found myself wondering later if it was worth some dog puke on the carpet to get the beer right if it ever happened again.

I’m still trying to find other “high hop” beers to mix this batch with when I drink it, but I refuse to throw it out. It’s not that bad.

Do you think you will continue to brew?

Yep, there is a great satisfaction from making your own.

Any tips for first time home brewers?

Be VERY patient, especially with fermenting. This is not a hobby for the impatient.

Here's is Frank's setup.

Obviously the burner is pretty standard fare. For a workspace, I used a metal and pressboard shelving unit, and used countertop laminate on the top shelf to give it some moisture protection. I attached two steel slotted angles to the back side, then a piece of pegboard and a shelf to the board. Pegboard hooks give me storage for utensils, and the small top shelf is ideal for cleaning materials. The workbench gives me plenty of room for storage underneath, working space up top, and is high enough to use when siphoning beer from one container to another.

I also added velcro around the workbench, to help keep light out when fermenting. It also helps to keep heat in (provided by a small lightbulb) during winter batches, when the basement gets too cool to maintain the proper temperature. I did my first batch in the winter, and had to try several different things before I found the best way to regulate heat

Thank you Frank and good luck with your brewing.

Happy Drinking!

Even the President home brews

For his Wednesday evening beer summit with Medal of Honor winner Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer, President Obama served up some of the White House’s own homebrewed Honey Ale.

 Full article here.

Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde Summer Brew

Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde Summer Brew from Portland based brewer Widmer Brothers, one of Portland's first craft breweries.

When we were up in the NorthWest, I was trying as many different beers that I could, since most of my choices aren't available back in Ohio. Widmer Brothers offers a 12 pack sampler with 4 different beers to try, so that makes buying at the beer store much easier (and cheaper!).

This was very similar to Bell's Oberon. Slight cloudy appearance with some off white lace. Smells of citrus (duh!), grainy/grassy, you can very much smell that this is a smooth light summer beer.

Very smooth, crisp, citrusy and session-able. Not much bitterness though, which was a surprise because of the overwhelming citrus smell. Completely what I was looking for on a nice warm summer evening. By this time I was sick of pale ale's and this thing really hit the spot.

Now, every time I sit down to write or think about our amazing vacation, I get a little bit sad that I can't experience some of these great beers all year round. But, I think it makes me appreciate them that much more. We will be back to the great state of Oregon someday, but until then, I can hope that some of these beers will find there way into Ohio.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy
Where: Lake Quinault, WA (home to the Roosevelt Elk!)
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Cincinnati Craft Beer Interview: Lindsey Bonadonna the CraftBeerMaven

In my first of a series of interviews involving Cincinnati craft beer folks, I was able to score an interview with Eastern Region Vintage Ale Market Manager for Goose Island, Lindsey Bonadonna, aka the CraftBeerMaven. You may recognize her from one of the many craft beer events she puts on in our region especially in Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati. Check out her facebook fan page to see where she'll be next!

Name: Lindsey Bonadonna
Neighborhood: East Side Cincinnati (Amelia)
Job Title: Eastern Region Vintage Ale Market Manager
Years in Beer Industry: 4
Untappd Handle/Name: CraftBeerMaven
Beer Blog/Website: craftbeermaven.tumblr.com (going live soon!)
Facebook Group: Goose Island Fans in Ohio/Goose Island Fans in Kentucky
Twitter: @craftbeermaven

What got you interested in craft beer?

I totally fell into it! I managed a bar in Findlay, Ohio (Nino's) & was incredibly intrigued by the Goose Island Kilgubbin Ale label (honestly, I thought the Goose was cute) & cracked it open one night - I was blown away that beer could taste like that! My second craft beer was Sierra Celebration Ale, Sierra Bigfoot & Houblon Choufe.

I was offered a position with the local Anheuser-Busch distributor as their Import, Craft & Specialty Rep & I really credit them with assisting me in discovering my passion for craft beer - they sent me to ALOT of classes, breweries, etc & needless to say, I was hooked!

How did you land with Goose?

I was with my wholesaler for a total of 2 years & after my 1st year we started distributing Goose Island - I was THRILLED!  I built a relationship with the Eastern Regional Director & even though I LOVED working on the wholesale side, I told him "hey, if anything ever opens up, let me know". And eventually, it did. I started off as a Brewery Rep for Ohio/Kentucky & have recently been promoted to a Regional Vintage Ale Market Manager covering Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana.

What are you favorite parts of the beer industry?

The passion, comraderie, innovation, creativity & excitement & of course, the beer : )

What are the resources you use for beer/brewing?

Everyone around me! I am blessed to have any incredible group of beer people in my life that I am always harassing for knowledge & insights. I am also studying to prepare in taking the 2nd level Cicerone exam in the Winter.

I've recently started homebrewing & am absolutely loving that entire process. I wish I had the time to do it more!  I've also been trying to spend more time at Rivertown Brewery to learn the more of the production side of the business.

Favorite craft beer?

That is like asking a parent who their favorite kid is! It truly depends on the occasion. Lately, i've been ALL about Belgian Sours & exploring all I can in that style. My current faves are Drie Fonteinen Schaerbeeske Kriek, Goose Island Juliet & anything Cantillon. 

Any funny beer stories?

Too many to count! I think one of my favorites is when I had someone rudely question if I even liked beer because I'm a female & "looked like a wine drinker". Needless to say, that was met with quite a bit of laughter!

Any tips for new craft beer drinkers?

Try everything you can get your hands on!  There are so many styles, tastes & flavors available right now that there is truly a beer for everyone.  If you don't like one, try another!

Favorite Brewery (other than Goose!)?

There are SO many…I'll do my top 6 that are currently on my obsession list (in no particular order):

• Founders
• Goose Island (duh! I wouldn't work for them if I didn't love them)
• Rivertown Brewery
• Pretty Things
• The Bruery
• Rockmill Brewery

Anything else to add?

We are in the middle of such an EXCITING time in craft beer, educate yourself, explore, share & TRY NEW THINGS! Continue to discover new beers, beer & food pairings, beer & cheese pairings & even try cooking with beer if you haven't before. What makes us unique as individuals does not make us better than the next person, just different. – Take this approach with beer and do not limit yourself to one category & keep an open mind. To me, it is not a matter of who does what "better", but that what they do is done well.

A big thank you to Lindsey for taking time out of her busy schedule for this interview.

Happy Drinking!

The great Northwest: Oregon, Washington and Beervana

Mt. Hood - Oregon

Cathy and I just returned from a 10 day trip to Portland, OR and Seattle, WA (and everywhere in between!). What a great trip filled with a lifetime full of memories, beers, people and beautiful scenery. We landed in Portland, Oregon late Friday night and made it to the hotel around 12am (or 3am our time), so we hit the sack and headed out early Saturday to experience all that Beervana had to offer.

Beervana - was a phrase coined in Oregon to describe the burgeoning craft beer movement that had taken hold here in the 1980s. And indeed, it's an apt description, as those who are actively involved in the beer community think of it a near-religious experience to make and enjoy well-made brew.
But Beervana also describes the transcendent union of climate and environment which makes Oregon the home to great hops growing and affords the brewmasters the highest quality water.
http://www.opb.org/programs/oregonexperiencearchive/beervana/

The day was filled with a self guided walking tour of Portland (museums, shops, nature, etc.) finally ending with an attempt to go to the 24th annual Oregon Brewer's Festival. Bad mistake... There were 85 beer vendors at the festival and each had a line 100+ deep to get a beer. WOW! So we decided to come back to the festival on Sunday afternoon, hoping for smaller crowds.

We decided to try Deschutes Brewery for a few beers and dinner, and on our walk to the Public House, we stopped along the way to have a beer or 2...

Oregon Beer is good...

at the Deschutes Brewery

The next afternoon we headed back to the Oregon Brew Fest and thankfully, the crowds were way smaller and we could enjoy the beers and the beautiful weather. Over the course of the afternoon we were able to try around 12 different beers each (don't worry, we only did 3-4oz tastings and not full beers...). Each beer that we tasted was something new to us and something we are not able to have back in Ohio, so needless to say, my Untappd account was busy.

My guess is that there was easily over 100,000 people who visited this festival over the 3+ days. It was so busy, that many of the brewers ran out of beer on Saturday afternoon and had to restock for the full day on Sunday! We had such a good time, that I might try to talk Cathy into going back again next year.

When our busy 2+ days in Portland were up, we picked up a rental car and headed east towards Mt. Hood and the Columbia River gorge -- good decision. Again, great scenery and great beer was enjoyed. We stopped at Full Sail for lunch and was able to get a few pub exclusive beers and a nice view of the Columbia River.

at Full Sail Brewery

After lunch we drove the "Fruit Loop" a 35 mile stretch of road that heads towards Mt. Hood and had over 10 different fruit farms for visitors to stop and take in scenic views of the mountain and buy fresh cherries, apples and ciders.

Our next destination was the Oregon coast. Small little tourist towns blanket the coastline and the drive between the Clatsop and Tillamook State Forests was pretty amazing.

Horsetail Falls

While there weren't the crazy amount of breweries on the coast as are in Portland, the beer culture is still very strong. I only remember seeing a few places with AB-InBev products to drink, most everywhere served local craft beers, which is awesome to see. I think that everywhere we stopped, we were able to try a new and different beer from the stop before. Now, it may seem like all we were doing was drinking beers (we sort of were) but in between we were hiking, biking, reading and eating our way from Portland to Seattle.

Our next stop took us to tiny Lake Quinault Resort for a few nights stay and a trip to the Hoh Rainforest (yeah, we have rainforests in NW USA!). We were able to meet some really fantastic folks who run the resort, as well as, another family visiting for the weekend. We were able to share dinner with them both nights we stayed, and Cathy even "traded" Facebook links with them! We toasted to #IPADay (quietly to ourselves), as our new friends were drinking Coors Light and Tecate! To each his own, I say!

Lake Quinault

A few relaxing days helped refresh us for the crazy tourist area and final destination: Seattle.

We filled our last few days away from home by checking out the Public Market, eating a lot of fish, hunting for ghosts and trying to explore all that Seattle had to offer us. Although, I think I would say that the best time we had in Seattle, was when we left Seattle... and ferried out to Bainbridge Island and caught a few beers on the patio at the local waterfront restaurant.

Market Ghost Tour

I would recommend Portland and the Northwest to any craft beer drinker. I think that they truly embrace the craft beer culture and it is rivaled by no other place at this time. We have been to Asheville, NC (the other beer-centric city) many times, but I have never experienced the full on culture and embrace of craft brewing like in Portland (it is definitely there in Asheville, I just think it is on a way smaller scale). It really is embedded into Portland and is part of what makes that city great.

Cheers and Happy Drinking.

Friday Night Flight

Gonna meet up with the Hoperatives tonight in Florence for a beer tasting. We will be able try out some incredible beers from the Rogue Brewery of Oregon.

1. Imperial India Pale Ale
2. Old Crustacean Barleywine Style Ale
3. Imperial Red Ale
4. Ten Thousand Brew Ale

Very excited to try these 4.

Check out their original post here: Hoperatives: Friday Night Flight

Happy Drinking!

New Holland - Dragon's Milk

New Holland Brewing brings us Dragon's Milk. An oak barreled beer, I'm not sure if it is a stout or ale or what. Not that I really care in the end, but it's hard to compare it to other brews if I don't know what type of beer it is.

"Dragon’s Milk Ale, is a crown jewel of New Holland Brewing Company. It is the unrivaled result of painstaking processes - both creative and scientific."

Not sure what to think of that other than they really want us to like this beer because it's hard to brew.

Anyways, it pours a deep dark chocolate color with a tan head. Smells of vanilla, caramel and a bit of the oak from the barrel. Tastes mostly of vanilla and alcohol, but some of the oak flavor comes through as well. I have really been into the dark/chocolate/vanilla beers this season but this beer didn't distinguish itself from the others.

I think that if it had been barreled in bourbon instead, like Jefferson's Reserve, I think I would try this one again. I was excited to try this because it was recommended by a stout loving beer friend. Sorry to disappoint, but this won't make it back to the cooler any time soon.

Who: Cathy
Where: Home
Price: $$$
Score: 3 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Flying Dog K-9 Winter Ale

Beer number 2 from the holiday beer cooler. The Flying Dog k-9 Winter Ale.

My favorite part of the Flying Dog series has to be the artwork on the labels. The illustrations are fantastic and a bit scary at the same time. Who would want to mess with that dog? Not me.

Not the best brew by Flying Dog, but still pretty good in my book. Pours copper/amber color with a nice white head. Lacing was seen down the glass all through the beer. The beer is way more malty than hoppy, though you can detect a slight earthy hop, but it is very subtle. There is a fruitiness to the beer as well but I couldn't quite put my finger on the taste, not a citrus fruit for sure.

A solid winter warmer, not the best but well worth the try.

Happy Drinking!

Who: the Fam
Where: Rita's House
Price: FREE
Score: 3 / 5

Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown

The holidays came and went like a flash. I still can't believe it's January...

Cathy and I had plenty of opportunities to try new brews over the past month. Both sides of the family know of our craft brew love, so they always try to have something new to try -- especially Joe and Thad.

That brings us to the first beer from our holiday beer fest: Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown.

A very tasty seasonal treat for sure. Maple, hazelnut and chocolate are front and center for this English Nut Brown styled beer. It was very different with the maple syrup flavor I almost forgot that I was drinking a beer and not a dessert wine or hot chocolate or something... One of those beers where you can only have 1 or 2 because it just isn't a session type of beer - unless you can handle the sugar overload!

Would be a very nice compliment to any holiday dinner. Thanks to Joe for bringing this one over to try.

Happy Drinking!

Who: the Fam
Where: Rita's House
Price: FREE
Score: 4 / 5

New Year, New Beer, New Blog...

New Year:
Happy New Year to all. 2008 was a great year and I was able to connect with a great group of beer enthusiasts. I hope to continue these relationships and can't wait to meet more beer lovers and try new craft brews.

New Beer:
Dragon's Milk - New Holland Brewing
Blitzen Ale - Maumee Bay Brewing
West Coast IPA - Green Flash Brewing
Hop Head Red - Green Flash Brewing
k-9 Winter - Flying Dog
Old Man Winter - Southern Tier
Mad Elf Ale - Tröegs

New Blog:
Speaking of beer lovers, check out this great new Cincinnati Beer Blog over at: http://www.hoperatives.com/ they are Believers in Better Beer (In Cincinnati and Beyond) Great stuff so far.

Happy 2009 -- Happy Drinking!

Great Lakes 2009 Lineup

2009 SEASONAL LINEUP
GLBC is excited to announce the following seasonal lineup for 2009:

• Conway's Irish Ale: January - April
• Blackout Stout: February - March
• NEW 6 PACK - Grassroots Ale (formerly Hale Ale): April - July
• NEW 4 PACK - Glockenspiel: May - June
• DRAFT ONLY - Independence Ale: June - July
• Oktoberfest: August - October
• Nosferatu: September - October
• Christmas Ale: November - December

NOTE: Holy Moses White Ale will no longer be available in 2009

Brooklyn Brewery - Black Chocolate Stout

The Brooklyn Brewery brews 2 winter seasonal's and we start with their Black Chocolate Stout.

A Russian Imperial Stout, poured a very dark black/brown with a nice head on top. This was a very full bodied beer and the smell and taste of dark chocolate and coffee beans is almost overwhelming. The alcohol is at the forefront, giving you a nice warm feeling on what should be a very cold winter day. There was a super strong bitterness in the beer from the dark chocolate and coffee flavors. I feel like it is almost too much though as that is the thing I most remember.

If you are into dark chocolate and coffee then this beer will be for you. It is a beer that is probably only for cold winter days/nights though. I can't imagine having this on a hot summer night. I know that a lot of folks really enjoy this brew and have it as one of the top winter seasonals. I don't think I would vote it to my top 3 but I was glad I gave it a try, and will probably come back to it again.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Joe
Where: BORZONE!
Price: $$$$
Score: 3 / 5

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale is one of my holiday and winter staples. It is one of those beers that you will have a good chance of seeing in our refridgerator over the next few months. It helps that Cathy enjoy's it, so it is easier to have around than not.

The beer has a reddish brown hazy color with a nice thick head at the top. Sugary lacing follows all the way down to the bottom of the glass. Smells very hoppy, spicy (Christmas spice) and fruity. Tastes very hoppy with a nice slight caramel malt to balance it out. It is a medium bodied beer which helps the session. It is not so bitter that it is overwhelming but hops are the main culprit in the beer. Very good showing for a winter brew.

It is too bad that this beer is only a seasonal brew, because it is probably one of the best beers brewed in the country. I think it is Sierra's best beer for sure. Please give this one a go.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy / Joe
Where: Home / BORZONE!
Price: $$
Score: 5 / 5

Heavy Seas Winter Storm

This beer is from the Clipper City Brewing Company out of Baltimore, Maryland. It is their seasonal winter brew and apart of their Heavy Seas collection. Winter Storm "Category 5" Ale is an Imperial ESB and is called the "winter warmer" by Clipper City.

The beer poured a reddish amber color without much head. Smelled pretty hoppy with some caramel malt tones and a small amount of citrus. This was a very good combination of sweet malt and bitter hop finish. What is nice about the beer is that their is a fairly large dose of both malt and hops. Malt sweetness first but then the bitter citrus and piney hops come through at the end. The bitterness isn't so much that it is a problem and that makes this beer very smooth. I don't think I could session this beer because it has a 7.5% ABV but could very easily enjoy one with dinner.

In the end this was a pretty enjoyable Winter Brew and I could see this being a staple for the winter months for the years to come.

Who: Joe
Where: BORZONE!
Price: $$$
Score: 4 / 5

The winter brews have arrived! We have already tried 6 seasonal brews and it is only December 2nd. With so many more to try and write about I am excited for the next 2 months. If you have any winter seasonal's you think I should try, leave a comment after this post, I really appreciate it. Check the list on the right to see if I have tried it before you post!

Happy Drinking!

Bell's Hell Hath No Fury

This beer comes from the Bell's Brewing Company out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. I was able to try this beer the last time we were home in Cleveland for Cathy's birthday.

I have yet to try a beer from Bell's that I haven't liked. Hell Hath No Fury didn't change that one bit. It says on the label, which Bell's does very well and is one cooler label designs I have seen, that...

A brew that gives you either sympathy for the devil or the courage to face him. Goes especially well with your favorite lost my girl/truck/dog/trailer song.

I didn't have any sympathy for the devil after having this beer, but would want to face him either...Anyways, it was a solid Belgian Dark and I am sad that it is only for a limited release in October and November. Although I feel that Bell's best beers are their limited brews. I think that is the case with most brewers, knowing that they don't have much room for error, they put their best efforts into these beers.

It poured a dark chocolate brown color with heavy brown head. Smells of dark smokey chocolate. A very roasted bitter dark chocolate taste with a slight caramel malt flavoring. Reminded me of a stout which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. Had a medium body, which allows one to have a few in a sitting. Would love to get my hands on another, but regrettably will have to wait until next Fall.


Who: Thad
Where: Visiting Cleveland
Price: FREE
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Magic Hat Odd Notion (Winter 08)

Magic Hat Brewing Company, Burlington, Vermont brews a solid winter ale with their Odd Notion (Winter '08). It was in the Feast of Fools Winter 12 pack, along with #9, Circus Boy and Roxy Rolles.

I really enjoyed this years Odd Notion beer. I believe that they brew it differently every year, which is a pretty cool idea to retire a beer every year. Last year if I remember correctly it was a darker (wheat?) beer, with some cinnamon. This year it is a lot lighter in color and is brewed with some honey flavor. It was a very light beer with a hint of orange and spice, very drinkable.

Chances are I'll probably give this another try since I will certainly buy another 12 pack before the season is up (Gotta get a few more Roxy Rolles). I wish that I could substitute out the Circus Boy because I really don't care for the Hefe's.

In the end, I was glad I had a try but won't be sad when they come up with a new recipe next year.

Who: Cathy
Where: Home
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Fort Collins Retro Red

A Classic Ruby Red Ale, Fort Collins Brewing comes in with Retro Red.

Cathy and I picked this one out purely based on it's label. We really enjoyed the red wagon, carrying the beer bottles. I never did this growing up, but I know everyone has seen the kid with his red Flyer wagon corralling up used bottles and cans to take bake to the corner store. Very cool.

Not the best red ale I have had, and it pales in comparison to Founders Red's Rye. I think that drinking this so close after that beer really put a damper on what I think of it.

It has a very nice deep red color with a slight tan head. Smells of toasty caramel malt with a hint of nuttiness. Taste's like the smell (sweet caramel nutty) with a small amount of bitterness at the end. It was a good beer but not the best. I'll probably give Retro Red a try again because Cathy likes the Red Ales so much.

Who: Cathy
Where: Home
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!