tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10398252944547829592024-02-07T14:12:54.361-08:00For Beer's SakeFor Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-28844821845035681342014-11-29T22:20:00.000-08:002014-11-29T22:20:15.938-08:00The Bruery and Cigar City Marron AcidifieAnother day at the parents means another opportunity for me to break out one of the beers I left in their crawl space. Who says parents are good for nothin' (jokes! just jokes I swear!)? I picked this one way back in college and have been looking forward to it for a while now. At a little over 3 years old, I figured it was time to open this one up. Oh, and it's another Bruery beer. Shocker.<br />
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<b><u>The Bruery/Cigar City Marron Acidifie Collaboration</u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNX-6LSTf3mUZwWm4JusJ6NxZU2kkRZRIyqOl4ocKZ780NV8pNrR9RpPIbDcCw7ZF2YXcLAdM4xFfs9KQoGOG1iAmexPRNeH9JxlqYemSgf0UOMx2tZBD8oHPg8jERl2QZzlBR0qQ32xg1/s1600/IMG_0864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNX-6LSTf3mUZwWm4JusJ6NxZU2kkRZRIyqOl4ocKZ780NV8pNrR9RpPIbDcCw7ZF2YXcLAdM4xFfs9KQoGOG1iAmexPRNeH9JxlqYemSgf0UOMx2tZBD8oHPg8jERl2QZzlBR0qQ32xg1/s1600/IMG_0864.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><b><br /></b>
<b>Appearance- </b>A dark brown ruby color, rather hazy. Small, bubbly, tan head that disappears almost completely leaving only a small circle around the glass and small patches.<br />
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<b>Smell- </b>Deep, rich smell of dark fruits, mostly cherry and currants. Some slight vinegar tart character followed by vanilla and wood. <br />
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<b>Taste- </b>Smoother than I thought it would be. The rich, dark fruits come through to give the beer a solid backbone. Cherries and currants slowly mold into leather and tobacco undertones. A slightly sour base begins to pick up in the middle and builds through the finish. The finish of the beer spikes that sour and finishes much like a red wine with a noticeable wood flavor imparted from the barrel. <br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Medium bodied with low carbonation. Very dry finish with a mild sour.<br />
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<b>Overall- </b>Although this might not be a mouth puckering sour that some are looking for, but it makes up for that in its overall complexity. Age seems to have melded together the flavors nicely.<br />
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<b><br /></b>For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-69677085045014738322014-11-27T20:55:00.001-08:002014-11-29T22:20:51.985-08:002010 Three Floyds Dark LordWell, coming home for Thanksgiving means one thing... drinking all the beer I leave at my parents. Over the years I gathered some things here, but unfortunately forget to get to much when I come home. However, I figured it was time to open up the Darklord that some <a href="http://weredrinking.blogspot.com/">forgettable clown</a> got for me. Blah blah blah, some other bad joke of mine.<br />
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<b><u>2010 Three Floyds Dark Lord</u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1jVGfjZtHEWOv6SIDqjXZ1_t0P3gp7f0NnQ1vpXuO8SoZ1rMRdigk3L2niLgXeK4avok0aHY5_4xfRWFchNqhEG0BGZHN8mqQMwwnGim2_m3C1CAm8ep-kGjCqUiDZWXMrWufJATM9AC/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1jVGfjZtHEWOv6SIDqjXZ1_t0P3gp7f0NnQ1vpXuO8SoZ1rMRdigk3L2niLgXeK4avok0aHY5_4xfRWFchNqhEG0BGZHN8mqQMwwnGim2_m3C1CAm8ep-kGjCqUiDZWXMrWufJATM9AC/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><b><u><br /></u></b><br />
<b>Appearance- </b>An opaque motor oil black with very little tan carbonation. There is a small ring around the glass with faint remnants of carbonation throughout.<br />
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<b>Smell- </b>Strong roasted/burnt malts. Hints of coffee (brewed with Intelligentsia) with dark fruits of currants and plums. A musty, maybe slightly oxidized scent that finishes with a strong alcohol.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>The burnt malt isn't as strong or overpowering. A slight chocolate malt and dark chocolate taste. Strong acidic coffee with burnt dark currants. Some small amounts of vanilla and bitter coffee finish. A warming alcohol finish, but not harsh considering the high alcohol content. A little time stowed away seems to have helped this one.<br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Thick and chewy body that coats the mouth from the first sip. Minimal carbonation with a warming alcohol finish.<br />
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<b>Overall- </b>Although I never had a fresh beer to compare this to, I'm going to state that the age helped this one. For such a big beer, very smooth. Some oxidation seems to have crept in, but nonetheless, quite the graduation gift that paid off 4 years later. For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-52925297667459716682014-10-19T19:15:00.001-07:002014-10-19T19:16:19.444-07:00Southern Tier WarlockI have quite the gift at neglecting this blog thing. That being said, I have a lot of notes I have taken on various beers and brew days since my last update, and hopefully I can go back in fill in those days soon. Apparently doing law things takes up time and unfortunately, at this point, drinking beer is not an adequate excuse for me not getting things done. So why not start this back up with a pumpkin beer that will most certainly cause me to complain and gripe like usual? Well, tis the season!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-bwwY5rKYW7VS4dc9_XlsTnsGf2XPoCalXmyJFRhHJB2I4Bzn-dmPkla1i8sj122ZMs03OAjvsjALx7WHgndRLjvaFG-FVFWtk-9msCfI_KqUwgmxF7k2dj0IfyZ4_fUIIvImRHIHxjv/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-bwwY5rKYW7VS4dc9_XlsTnsGf2XPoCalXmyJFRhHJB2I4Bzn-dmPkla1i8sj122ZMs03OAjvsjALx7WHgndRLjvaFG-FVFWtk-9msCfI_KqUwgmxF7k2dj0IfyZ4_fUIIvImRHIHxjv/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Southern Tier Warlock</u></b></div>
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<b>Appearance: </b>A brownish black color with small head composed of tiny tang bubbles that disappears completely. Almost reminds me of a Coke.</div>
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<b>Smell: </b>Unsurprisingly, pumpkin pie spices dominate with roasted malt playing a supporting rile. Behind the spices I can discern a small amount of real pumpkin/squash.</div>
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<b>Taste: </b>A small amount of roasted malt quickly turns to pumpkin pie spices of cinnamon and nutmeg. Very little of an actual pumpkin taste as the beer finishes slightly bitter and a touch of alcohol. </div>
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<b>Mouthfeel: </b>Surprisingly it is medium bodied with medium-low carbonation.</div>
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<b>Overall and Notes: </b>Hard to actually call this an imperial stout as it is labeled. I would have preferred the beer to have more stout characteristics rather than relying so much on pumpkin pie spices. But, alas, I am once again drinking another pumpkin beer, so what did I expect?</div>
For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-9471128322851431992014-06-15T20:37:00.000-07:002014-07-25T20:38:42.096-07:00Rue D'Floyd (Three Floyds and The Bruery Collaboration)I was lucky enough to get my hands on both of the version of Rue D'Floyd. However, I was unlucky enough to then find out from The Bruery that there were signs of infection in the beer. Per their instructions, I decided to drink them before June 30th just in case. Such are the prices you pay when you are making sweet beer at The Bruery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2G481a0jRr6QlWfa5Sn3lThX2vfQBvZKGqv_3TfHYNQ1kZ010aZiOBD5S3hFpBusuGjfVRiLfb8X_lbuHLDvKUUkbW1VjqolA4SvPqjuE-XCdic3PYr_4bs4sGacjL7gbytUi_xKnMuh/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2G481a0jRr6QlWfa5Sn3lThX2vfQBvZKGqv_3TfHYNQ1kZ010aZiOBD5S3hFpBusuGjfVRiLfb8X_lbuHLDvKUUkbW1VjqolA4SvPqjuE-XCdic3PYr_4bs4sGacjL7gbytUi_xKnMuh/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><b><u>Rue D'Floyd</u></b><br />
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This version is an imperial porter aged in bourbon barrels with cherries, coffee, and vanilla beans.<br />
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<b>Appearance- </b>Opaque black with a small tan head. The head disappears almost completely with little to no lacing.<br />
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<b>Smell- </b>Strong scent of oak and vanilla, almost overpowering. Dark fruits somewhat noticeable along with the dark roasty malts and kinds of coffee.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>Unsurprisingly, the vanilla and oak smack you in the face (nose?) to begin. The cherries are distinguishable towards the middle, but becomes sickly sweet. The end slips into a lingering roasty flavor that pairs with a rich vanilla as a hot alcohol finishes off the beer.<br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Full bodied with low carbonation. Finishes with noticeable alcohol warmth.<br />
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<b>Overall- </b>Beer is a little too overwhelming at this point. I think it could be helped with some aging, but unfortunately that was not much of an option this time around.<br />
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<b><u>Floyd D'Rue</u></b><br />
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This version is an imperial porter aged in rum barrels with spices added<br />
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<b>Appearance- </b>Opaque black with a fizzy dark brown head that barely appears before it is completely gone. Absolutely no lacing. <br />
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<b>Smell- </b>Much like the last version, vanilla dominates with the addition of some heavy spices that almost seem in the vein of a Christmasy/nutmeg beer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiglpWKHtj-W8BHlHHlE0ObcrgI8-Zc2j1ZdP2H3vPHqGAIdS4xeMZjrsrAiwcp5GfjV4gcrhWc4kkxAyljBUu8vHhoqMI8pAUJwwhtWJqlVGv0QttNSUFog6fQMBJIgACPGEu6U1hBtQTe/s1600/Floyd+D'Rue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiglpWKHtj-W8BHlHHlE0ObcrgI8-Zc2j1ZdP2H3vPHqGAIdS4xeMZjrsrAiwcp5GfjV4gcrhWc4kkxAyljBUu8vHhoqMI8pAUJwwhtWJqlVGv0QttNSUFog6fQMBJIgACPGEu6U1hBtQTe/s1600/Floyd+D'Rue.jpg" height="271" width="320" /></a><b>Taste- </b>Starts similar to the smell with a heavy dose of vanilla, but the rum barrel is more prominent. Towards the middle some light dark fruit flavors with roasted/burnt malt, but the vanilla is overpowering. The beer finishes with strong, hot alcohol that is paired with the burnt malt.<br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Thick motor oil sensation with very minimal carbonation. Hot alcohol that could use some time to cool off.<br />
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<b>Overall- </b>Much like the last version, this is quite an hot beer. Once again, no time to age so I was forced to drink this one a little too early.<br />
For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-27067531835944060872014-06-09T20:10:00.000-07:002014-07-25T20:11:24.781-07:00Hair of the Dog - RuthI believe I mentioned a while ago that my friend came back from Portland bearing gifts. This included my first chance at trying Hair of the Dog. Unfortunately, I forgot to post this after I drank it/took notes. So sue me? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUGblVU8VnuB6tgVYnkr7DKdjxoKPze_M2mVq1m2AnBsEwF04g9are-mwKAxt769DHdt9_ivDd764wEDsDf3qgMtB1nDz0bt9JfdmYmFYxQ_GrJgHGM_Jr9UH8GfCqNMhnjyaSgjhrXA8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUGblVU8VnuB6tgVYnkr7DKdjxoKPze_M2mVq1m2AnBsEwF04g9are-mwKAxt769DHdt9_ivDd764wEDsDf3qgMtB1nDz0bt9JfdmYmFYxQ_GrJgHGM_Jr9UH8GfCqNMhnjyaSgjhrXA8/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><b><u>Hair of the Dog - Ruth</u></b><br />
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<b>Appearance- </b>Clear Straw yellow color with a small fizzy head. Little to no lacing.<br />
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<b>Smell- </b>Herbal smell with lemony citrus hops. Doughy/bready malt character with some residual sweetness.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>A subdued lemon with a fairly underwhelming malt sweetness. Crackery middle is accompanied by a very mild bitterness. Some bitterness continues into the finish with a lingering sweetness. <br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Surprisingly low carbonation and a medium light body. <br />
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<b>Overall- </b>A bit underwhelming first try from this brewery. Tastes like there is not much beyond some yeast esters. Further, the lack of carbonation made this one harder to drink.For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-77460419866178023192014-06-02T22:51:00.000-07:002014-07-18T22:52:22.785-07:00Half Acre 2023M Soft Sour AleI have been yelling at people for sometime that Chicago is ripe for some sour beer brewing, so I got a little excited when my friend at Half Acre threw their new sour beer my way. Not only are they the masters of Big Hugs, but when you have wonderful employees helping you out, what more can you ask for? A lot of things is the answer, but whatever.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwN8mOt1wlwWoo2ZTZThIHp2kAv530J6zg_hpTd70ijGRVSw1nGfHVvoPCOYJ0VfE9AM5oBwd-nvnSCg77DEW84OWmslLtYRzeU-egnCwyrmoQdx26lxd3nRBktcKYZ6EU0K366DLcm7oR/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwN8mOt1wlwWoo2ZTZThIHp2kAv530J6zg_hpTd70ijGRVSw1nGfHVvoPCOYJ0VfE9AM5oBwd-nvnSCg77DEW84OWmslLtYRzeU-egnCwyrmoQdx26lxd3nRBktcKYZ6EU0K366DLcm7oR/s1600/photo.PNG" height="320" width="180" /></a><br />
<b><u>Half Acre 2023M Soft Sour Ale</u></b><br />
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<b>Appearance- </b>A surprisingly clear orange color. A rough pour produced a small egg shell white head, but it disappears quickly.<br />
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<b>Smell- </b>Distinct trpical fruits, mango and pineapple shine through most prominently. Noticeable caramel malt smell in the background. Tart, lemony, and slight hay character apparent throughout.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>Tropical fruits with the mango in front. Surprising amount of malt sweetness. A lemony hay character with a slight basement musty taste finishes out the beer. Just the slightest tart character.<br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Medium-light body with low carbonation. No dry finish like you would expect with a sour.<br />
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<b>Overall: </b>"Soft" sour is right. Where is the sour? The beer generally lacks any umph or really distinguishing qualities. I know that this is not meant to be an incredibly sour beer, or maybe Half Acre is fighting back against the idea that more sour is better, and maybe I am just a tad bit biased, but its efforts come up a little short here.For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-24389751243715981712014-05-30T21:18:00.000-07:002014-07-02T21:33:13.995-07:00Brett Trois IPA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEaZi3mOwfKba6P5NlzbZiUtONfE0EhgOgFOIl71bRYzQOCHZEMWVNgE87shPGW9KoEzUkNTStxo0Dp4uqoemyxXQwlyNxxfDe1NgkwGfkOWXvpah_UKL3x6veSICq7RdbNEYCdNDy3Pg/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEaZi3mOwfKba6P5NlzbZiUtONfE0EhgOgFOIl71bRYzQOCHZEMWVNgE87shPGW9KoEzUkNTStxo0Dp4uqoemyxXQwlyNxxfDe1NgkwGfkOWXvpah_UKL3x6veSICq7RdbNEYCdNDy3Pg/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
A while ago I brewed a Brett Trois IPA and was too lazy to post the recipe and such. Being doubly lazy, I also forgot to post the tasting of it! The Brett Trois IPA follows a general IPA recipe, but in a bought of naming creativity, uses Brett Trois as the choice of yeast. Although brettanomyces is often associated with given funky/barnyard tastes, that does not accurately reflect its capabilities. Luckily, there are <a href="http://moderntimesbeer.com/blog/read-this-before-drinking-neverwhere">individuals</a> to explain its complexities for those of us who lack the ability to communicate effectively. Long story short, Brett Trois can give off some pretty great fruity characteristics that work perfectly with the hops in an IPA.<br />
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<b><u>Brett Trois IPA</u></b><br />
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<b>Appearance- </b>A very murky orange brown with a small bubbly white head. Noticeable lacing on the side of the glass. <br />
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<b>Smell- </b>A lot of grassy hops with noticeable resin. Some sweet pineapple behind the hops along with caramel and a rich malt.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>Grassy hops hit firs but meld into a well balanced pineapple and slight mango flavor. Ass the beer slides into the finish, there is a slight candy quality before inching back into the grassy hops and a slight alcohol taste.<br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Full bodied with moderate but prickly carbonation. Slightly sweet finish.<br />
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<b>Overall and Notes- </b>Probably my best beer to date. However, next time I will beer on dry hops for less time in order to avoid the large grassy character.For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-55345600750575286532014-05-23T20:57:00.000-07:002014-07-02T21:17:20.318-07:00Chicago Craft Beer Week: The Bruery<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe10P6ScN_nH6w1nPV_rfxkSnBuCEtUJoAJetRREYPEcnfE3HnhVNNgw8QBM3nBnU5a8EouP5UunPF5dHOR4Aj3BXCHNmDxLfeODDMIERFnGvXSdWNtcExPchY4O_9yje3eDNNPZZnAcfC/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe10P6ScN_nH6w1nPV_rfxkSnBuCEtUJoAJetRREYPEcnfE3HnhVNNgw8QBM3nBnU5a8EouP5UunPF5dHOR4Aj3BXCHNmDxLfeODDMIERFnGvXSdWNtcExPchY4O_9yje3eDNNPZZnAcfC/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>Second stop for craft beer week here in Chicago was a Bruery tap takeover at the <a href="http://www.lionheadpub.net/">Lion Head Pub</a>. I was a little surprised about the location, but unsurprisingly I didn't care too much about where I had to go to find the Bruery on tap. Even better was that they brought some great sours. The beers on tap were: 6-Geese-A-Laying, Autumn Maple, Rueuze, Sour in the Rye, and Mischief. Even better was that it was only $6 for a glass.<br />
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Having tried all of them before, I decided to revisit a couple that I figured you aren't as likely to see on tap again. First, I went with the 6-Geese-A-Laying because being an idiot, I forgot to pick up a bottle of it to age (you can exhale, I ended up finding a local store with a couple left over bottles. You were worried, I know). Strangely enough, they pulled a pitcher out of fridge and poured me the beer instead of grabbed it from the tap. Even more surprising was they were using a pitcher when I seemed to be one of the few partaking in the Bruery event. Something seemed a little off about the beer, but I think i likely just convinced myself of that. More than likely there was probably just something wrong with the tap. And as <a href="http://whatweredrinking.blogspot.com/">someone</a> told me, that just means they had more of it!<br />
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For #2 I went with Rueze. Although I was stuck between Rueze and Sour in the Rye, I wanted something a little bit lighter but that still packed the sour punch. Good news is I have a couple bottles of each stashed away. The Rueze was luckily on tap so I did not have to worry about psyching myself out, and it delivered. I would love to have written a proper review, but I figured it smart not to be that guy in Lincoln Park writing in a notebook at the bar while everyone else is watching the Blackhawks game. I am a big enough asshole as it is. For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-79791612836620475702014-05-21T16:16:00.000-07:002014-05-21T16:16:05.196-07:00Chicago Craft Beer Week: Jolly Pumpkin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mH-QzsfjTLaTWzYQkiKiMAtvwPtpFjFA0vocxx8Fj5ZPXJphZTqZysvl6cytByw9WqH0jASBhcCSnwykV6lBx8HswaP12C8VlMMfUYapqNoZpWAQeGAzBZ_GqfWvJCcL7ZFCZ7PipMmf/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mH-QzsfjTLaTWzYQkiKiMAtvwPtpFjFA0vocxx8Fj5ZPXJphZTqZysvl6cytByw9WqH0jASBhcCSnwykV6lBx8HswaP12C8VlMMfUYapqNoZpWAQeGAzBZ_GqfWvJCcL7ZFCZ7PipMmf/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />After finishing lawyer school, I was lucky enough to have the City of Chicago celebrate <a href="http://chibeerweek.com/">Chicago Craft Beer Week</a>. Even better, there seems to be multiple events involving sours. Luckily, I checked the site earlier enough in order to grab some Jolly Pumpkin.<br />
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On Monday, <a href="http://www.jakemelnicks.com/">Jake Melnicks</a> had a "Sour Love" event that include a tape takeover from Jolly Pumpkin and Upland Brewing. Among the Jolly Pumpkin beers were Ale Absurd, IO, Biere de Mars, Saison Y, and Fuego. I went with the Biere de Mars and Saison Y (I would have liked to have more, but surprise surprise, the 10 oz pours of sour beers were fairly expensive. The Saison Y was my favorite, as it had the light peppery taste finish of a saison along with a citrus middle, but a wonderful barnyard finished. It also helped that we had some barbecue nachos to go along with it. <br />
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Hopefully this will not be the last event and I will update throughout the rest of the week.<br />
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<br />For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-68779704917283071332014-04-07T20:08:00.000-07:002014-07-25T20:14:16.941-07:00Three Floyds Belgian Style Double India Pale AleSo, I have documented my love for the slowly growing trend of Belgian IPAs; however, what about Belgian Double IPAs? Since I am American, bigger should mean better, right? I saw Three Floyds new Belgian Style Double India Pale Ale and thought I might as well find out. It doesn't hurt that the label has a guy with a mustache and a cigarette. I imagine that has to make it taste better, right?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6u-WlgdgfVYYaU5hj3Mdz96OUzVzBXTo13tkLFsfVxdA_Sb0ikMGf6QLJOTTgXk3KSdaBjMFANwKwjfX5qzSQ8eKMn4E14ZNyzBrU1ZQxRBmBqhcHANxBzqWKoMtMrwcayvxWIqyoi2a/s1600/Belgian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6u-WlgdgfVYYaU5hj3Mdz96OUzVzBXTo13tkLFsfVxdA_Sb0ikMGf6QLJOTTgXk3KSdaBjMFANwKwjfX5qzSQ8eKMn4E14ZNyzBrU1ZQxRBmBqhcHANxBzqWKoMtMrwcayvxWIqyoi2a/s1600/Belgian.jpg" /></a><b><u>Three Floyds Belgian Style Double India Pale Ale</u></b><br />
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<b>Appearance- </b>A very hazy orange gold color with a small egg shell white head the becomes increasingly patchy. Low amounts of lacing on the glass.<br />
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<b>Smell- </b>Grassy hops stick out, although they are nicely balanced against a pineapple and lingering clove esters. Behind the hop character there also seems to be an almost candy-like character.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>The grassy hops are more aggressive in the taste as they jump out with hop resin in the beginning of the beer and continue in the middle. Ass the beer transitions into the middle, a slight clove taste is distinguishable with underlying Belgian phenolic flavor. However, bitterness picks up at the same time limiting the esters and phenols' contribution. Large bitter finish with just a touch of the candy character and a noticeable alcohol taste.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwK0IoA5YlAg_PTWoLN5KbWi0L-3zmIU2-9bWzrk1PP53GX3E8-j33Kp3zxMs7Xund4miLMcP8tiSw-PGPJ3i32SurfKQQvpj_1uBOqCvouiWRjw6v3-pgKI8xNU26kLjRChuoSDkmd-Xa/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwK0IoA5YlAg_PTWoLN5KbWi0L-3zmIU2-9bWzrk1PP53GX3E8-j33Kp3zxMs7Xund4miLMcP8tiSw-PGPJ3i32SurfKQQvpj_1uBOqCvouiWRjw6v3-pgKI8xNU26kLjRChuoSDkmd-Xa/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Hops leave mouth a little raw.<br />
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<b>Overall- </b>Tastes almost exactly like a double IPA. I am not sure the Belgian yeast lends itself to this style. Nevertheless, look at that label. In the name of being cool, I will allow it.For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-15526176968315055342014-01-22T19:34:00.000-08:002014-01-22T19:34:43.854-08:00The Bruery Or Xata Well, while I try to find my notes for my Brett Trois IPA that I brewed, I figured I might as well get this beer up here. Last year I joined The Bruery's Preservation Society club for a short time (moved on to the Reserve Society now), and as a result I got this beer. For friends who know me, I have a bad habit of frequenting the Mexican restaurant across the street from my apartment to grab 32 oz. horchatas and consequently drinking them until I am sick. I am really going places in life.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLiK567fbBHD8B718DgQkykblq6U3jylbzvt_2dEOVR4_lNSj84hpz9cIsU4-YpGf7DD4hGKl3Z1iWkWdH6RRc0BxRFBmhxtnsgF6zvFXZD8Bun1rx-L0-hs3Sy9t5-J6ymhX1y98sFq_/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLiK567fbBHD8B718DgQkykblq6U3jylbzvt_2dEOVR4_lNSj84hpz9cIsU4-YpGf7DD4hGKl3Z1iWkWdH6RRc0BxRFBmhxtnsgF6zvFXZD8Bun1rx-L0-hs3Sy9t5-J6ymhX1y98sFq_/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
<b><u>The Bruery Or Xata </u></b><br />
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<b>Appearance- </b>Golden and slightly orange in color. Bubbly egg shell white head that becomes patchy fairly quickly. Slight lacing on the glass.<br />
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<b>Smell- </b>A lot of spice comes across first with the cinnamon unsurprisingly leading the charge. A rich vanilla emerges the cinnamon that is subsequently complimented by a slight pepper character. Overall sweet smell.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>A lot of cinnamon to begin with, although the pepper character plays a more prominent role. Towards the middle is a milky vanilla taste. However, the flavor becomes more medicinal than I enjoy out of a saison. Some very slight bitterness in the finish. <br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Medium-light in body with moderate-low carbonation. A fairly dry finish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3tblsc9zMMdPlSn1Idllep1_pDIwVRCWQYwgn0dqTHsaMK98ItJP7WKhL7KMV5cgGk7bzfcSQVBHLfv2G4k9rIwHm3LjD_uI9i2F7Gy5kSA587VB6ZgK9bU8V78e3NIKKPtvHMUILWW-/s1600/The-Bruery-Preservation-Society-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3tblsc9zMMdPlSn1Idllep1_pDIwVRCWQYwgn0dqTHsaMK98ItJP7WKhL7KMV5cgGk7bzfcSQVBHLfv2G4k9rIwHm3LjD_uI9i2F7Gy5kSA587VB6ZgK9bU8V78e3NIKKPtvHMUILWW-/s1600/The-Bruery-Preservation-Society-logo.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><b>Overall and Notes- </b>Interesting beer, but as someone who loves horchata, it is not there quite yet. Not sure if there is a better way of getting a more rounded out horchata taste though, and I suspect the problem might lie in the base beers that could even be used in such a replication.For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-10415050205636289412014-01-15T21:28:00.000-08:002014-01-15T21:31:13.375-08:00The Yule Against Perpetuities Brew DayWell, I need to get back to this on a regular basis. What better way to make my tenth comeback to the interwebs than with some brewing and bad puns? My firm once again asked for a beer for their Christmas party and I obliged with another Christmas Ale. This time I changed up the name of the beer to another bad law pun, mostly because I have no friends. Or something like that. For those unaware of my lame sense of humor, check <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_against_perpetuities">here</a>. It is fairly similar to <a href="http://forbeersake.blogspot.com/2012/12/x-mas-ale-egations-brew-day.html">last year's recipe</a>, except it turned out a little bigger.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCc9xQ4VeMFaTb64gGXs9QrM6Cu987Rg_cIp3dx059QENhSt0n7GTllEsaPXk9Xu0HwPGFpTOz8-oU8J5hYnpnq06zT38CRFh1_adlzBYY3v4qg8PlM9mEg-PonmJp5_JxFhc4E9D5s8t/s1600/beer+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCc9xQ4VeMFaTb64gGXs9QrM6Cu987Rg_cIp3dx059QENhSt0n7GTllEsaPXk9Xu0HwPGFpTOz8-oU8J5hYnpnq06zT38CRFh1_adlzBYY3v4qg8PlM9mEg-PonmJp5_JxFhc4E9D5s8t/s1600/beer+1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><b><u>The Yule Against Perpetuities</u></b><br />
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Batch size: 6.0 gallons<br />
Original Gravity: 1.082<br />
Final Gravity: 1.022<br />
Boil Time: 60 minutes<br />
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<u>Grain</u><br />
<br />
18.5 lbs. English Maris Otter<br />
0.75 lb. Crystal 80L<br />
0.25 lb. Black Patent Malt<br />
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<u>Hops</u><br />
<br />
1.0 oz Horizon @ 60 minutes<br />
<br />
<u>Spices</u><br />
<u><br /></u>1/2 broken up cinnamon stick @ 1 minute<br />
1/3 tsp Ginger @ 1 minute<br />
1/8 tsp Nutmeg @ 1 minute<br />
1/8 tsp Allspice @ 1 minute<br />
1/8 tsp Cinnamon @ 1 minute<br />
1/8 tsp Cinnamon @ bottling<br />
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<u>Yeast</u><br />
Wyeast 1028 London Ale<br />
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This time I remembered to keep a 90 minute boil, unlike my last effort, therefore helping to boost the final gravity in the process. As a result, the beer ended up bigger than last years, but that is alright with me, and seemed to be alright with the firm. Although I am still not as cool as <a href="http://whatweredrinking.blogspot.com/">this guy</a>.For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-90676822422602342442013-11-25T22:59:00.000-08:002013-11-25T22:59:22.690-08:00Founders Mango MagnificoUnfortunately, I have slipped back into seldom updating. In my defense, I am trying to be a real human being. I have a lot of things to post, so hopefully in the next week I can get everything back in order. In the meantime, I meant to post a review of a Founders beer I have been wanting to try for a while.<br />
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<b><u>Founders Mango Magnifico</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-m6P0758wnq4uDbhIQ2NEYttpabgsKDJJ0CKRF9Ko0_DWE-PzTLAlqDz-rOB0Jf2jUHHJC6BP8OUDJqNAOGVEHeOK0ACVVNdZ2wYpm8hwl0INelWsbyNEwItXrXP0LxPsL-_-cwP8E3jg/s1600/beer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-m6P0758wnq4uDbhIQ2NEYttpabgsKDJJ0CKRF9Ko0_DWE-PzTLAlqDz-rOB0Jf2jUHHJC6BP8OUDJqNAOGVEHeOK0ACVVNdZ2wYpm8hwl0INelWsbyNEwItXrXP0LxPsL-_-cwP8E3jg/s1600/beer.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><b>Appearance- </b>Golden orange with a puffy white head that sticks around longer after arouse it again with some circling of the glass. Some noticeable sticky lacing hangs around the edges of the glass.<br />
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<b>Smell- </b>Initially a strong malt presence. The habanero character sneaks up and by the middle of the beer my nostrils begin to sting very slightly. Slight vegetable character, possibly from the habanero. Very slight mango, if any.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>Burst of a strong malt backbone to begin the beer. In the middle, the beer develops into a distinct mango character, but only moderate in intensity. Some other sweet citrus character rounds out the middle including lemon with a touch of the vegetal character. A noticeable rising heat in the back of the mouth to finish. <br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Medium-bodied with moderate-light carbonation. A noticeable heat was left on the back of the tongue and throat.<br />
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<b>Overall- </b>The taste was above and beyond better than the smell. I made tilapia tacos to go along with the beer. Round out the day honoring Lou Reed as it was the day after he died. Well known fact: You will never be as cool as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOmZimH00oo">Lou Reed</a>.For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-27424706449993253172013-10-20T21:52:00.001-07:002013-10-20T21:55:21.802-07:00A Night With LagunitasA couple of weeks ago, <a href="http://www.lagunitas.com/">Lagunitas</a> founder, Tony Magee stopped by my law school to talk about starting a business, and of course to talk beer. Apparently he went to the Illinois Institute of Technology for a year at their design program and I believe his wife went to my law school (I believe that is what he said?). Anyways, he has significant ties to the Chicago area and he both agreed to talk at the school as well as play some blues at our 125th anniversary street festival.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpwyF0Dae7Oi97Q1-2wZgC_m5dv_6geyVl4lhG7AIrur-W-a-Yy4EznYf3ZUqKsBohcWhFIta-RsGQ-KwMti-KP7Yesci_JbRzFIo0fmHcSm0d-8fyU2GEqN5l43bwRtXGvL3Yi0Jqspc/s1600/Lagunitas+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpwyF0Dae7Oi97Q1-2wZgC_m5dv_6geyVl4lhG7AIrur-W-a-Yy4EznYf3ZUqKsBohcWhFIta-RsGQ-KwMti-KP7Yesci_JbRzFIo0fmHcSm0d-8fyU2GEqN5l43bwRtXGvL3Yi0Jqspc/s1600/Lagunitas+1.jpg" /></a>The night started with samples of <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/1372">Maximus</a>, <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/916">Lagunitas IPA</a>, <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/19589">Pils</a>, and the relatively new <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/84747">DayTime</a>. After the samples (and me sneaking a beer since it was only 2 ozs at a time with a relatively long wait for a sample), we entered the auditorium to have a "fireside chat."<br />
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It was generally informal with Mr. Magee giving a lot of history of the brewery. Some highlights included receiving a brewing kit and starting a brewery by the end of that year, rigging Kinko's timing/fee system in order to print labels as a reduced cost, and the uhhhhhhh substance abuse story behind "<a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/3711">Censored</a>." Notably, Mr. Magee also talked about the Chicago brewery/brew pub that has pushed back its opening<br />
date multiple times (he claims it will be coming at the end of the year, mostly because he faces significant taxes/fines if it does not), and interestingly enough, his plans to purchase land in Greece to open another brewery that will supply Europe with his beer.<br />
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Come question time, there was a lot of focus on the news of the Chicago brewery, comparisons/difficulties dealing with BMC products and advertising, as well as what the future looks like for Lagunitas. Luckily, I got in a quick question about whether Mr. Magee saw the rise of sour beers as a parallel with the rise of the West Coast IPA or more of a fad, and whether Lagunitas had any plan for a more significant souring/barrel program outside of Little Sumpin Wild and some smaller scale sours that are only on tap at the brewery. He seemed to appreciate a good sour, but thought of the style as more of a blip on the craft beer radar (he was not disrespectful though) and seemed to think that the style in general was better left to his peers rather than jumping in on the popularity at this point. I got to speak to him very briefly after the talk, but only to say thanks as him and other from the brewery had been hanging around for quite some time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfEXewHc0PThfLltLSpYz5HXcHzlgTkyc2GTyA1Q5ed7LEhlhwCTkRvatyyxNAlgLRsxgbDyiTCCZo16pgnpqidLMFZTgvWpjD1kLYUbzr-4MnnH5iF2l5xRhal3Ihu8XaXUZUtK4FtXw/s1600/Lagunitas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfEXewHc0PThfLltLSpYz5HXcHzlgTkyc2GTyA1Q5ed7LEhlhwCTkRvatyyxNAlgLRsxgbDyiTCCZo16pgnpqidLMFZTgvWpjD1kLYUbzr-4MnnH5iF2l5xRhal3Ihu8XaXUZUtK4FtXw/s1600/Lagunitas.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>All that being said, it was great the I was able to both attend such an event, and get to talk to one of the bigger heads of craft brewery. Mr. Magee seemed to be more business driven than others in the industry (and I do not mean this in any negative sense) and motivated to make Lagunitas a leading name similar to Sam Adams, or possibly surpassing. He did mention that he is at the point where he feels that he wants to muscle out some of the "quasi craft" beers from the market that are made by BMC without their name attached, but it seemed any such plans are still a little of the ways off. However, he was great to listen to and hopefully this will not be a one time event at the school.For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-23809965832893397922013-09-25T20:39:00.000-07:002013-09-25T20:40:10.568-07:00New Glarus Strawberry RhubarbAs well as having a problem with the amount of beer from the Bruery, it seems I also have a decent amount of New Glarus. How are those for problems to have, <a href="http://whatweredrinking.blogspot.com/">buddy</a>? Unfortunately, I am not skilled enough to make some awesome pie to go along with this. But really, what do you expect from me?<br />
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<b><u>New Glarus Strawberry Rhubarb</u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6MHQjcXHbMR4HQ6JdAu6o1QwytQHzdXgISzNvnLPNu08zVmuni-cLaHYpdrD-0zbkpHc3hWWRXhBRkZVuhTELB378dRzqCaXcAmzjuBTmBb3TjlysEvXJFr8KyaK8XJQpsgIOsWiuvz1/s1600/Beer+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6MHQjcXHbMR4HQ6JdAu6o1QwytQHzdXgISzNvnLPNu08zVmuni-cLaHYpdrD-0zbkpHc3hWWRXhBRkZVuhTELB378dRzqCaXcAmzjuBTmBb3TjlysEvXJFr8KyaK8XJQpsgIOsWiuvz1/s1600/Beer+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><b><u><br /></u></b><br />
<b>Appearance- </b>A very hazy amber/dark orange color with a tint of red. A tan creamy head sticks around after the pour.<br />
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<b>Smell- </b>Predictably, a lot of strawberry and rhubarb. Very rich smell with what seems to be a slight cherry. Underneath the fruit is a candy sweetness with a crockery/cereal character.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>Reminiscent of strawberry rhubarb pie in the beginning. A sweet fruit character with moderate strawberry character (slightly surprising seeing how hard it is to get a real strawberry taste in a beer). Tart character picks up in the middle and is complimented by a sugary sweetness. A slight cereal taste in the finish. <br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Medium-thin body with a spritzy carbonation on the tongue. Leaves a lingering sweetness.<br />
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<b>Overall- </b>Another great fruit beer from New Glarus. At times I expected to get a strawberry seed since it tasted so fresh. Would have loved to have this one with a slice of pie. Someone make that happen.For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-37828117653952042302013-09-18T23:23:00.000-07:002013-09-25T20:40:41.518-07:00Back to Hop LeafRecently, I decided to start my own little Brett experiment to try and understand more thoroughly how different strands of Brett affect the taste of beer. I still have to use the vial of Brett Lambicus that I have sitting in the fridge, and luckily I saw that Hop Leaf had Goose Island's Matilda with Brett Lambicus. I decided to stop by to see how my beer my taste (because apparently that is important) and found there were around 10 other beers I wanted to try. Unfortunately my friends had to run to the airport so I only tried around 3. Apparently it is unhealthy to drink 10 beers in one sitting alone. Or 10 beers in general.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr6YEUz_4GZdPkkTyrWGQtidVUlmrCcyEGNGsrf86zocUMCmgW0JxBviEE4VaOnNFxJSuR4DYKIgqQC6FIji8VIWmL4E2fhitcf91ynuTMylCSRhdTU-FcyeN9PK9OXNIg1v5TzLHdsWl/s1600/Beer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr6YEUz_4GZdPkkTyrWGQtidVUlmrCcyEGNGsrf86zocUMCmgW0JxBviEE4VaOnNFxJSuR4DYKIgqQC6FIji8VIWmL4E2fhitcf91ynuTMylCSRhdTU-FcyeN9PK9OXNIg1v5TzLHdsWl/s1600/Beer.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
<b><u>Matilda Lambicus</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
The appearance is generally what you would expect from the normal Matilda with less head retention. The difference comes in the smell in taste. The smell has the phenolic character you are used to from Matilda, but quickly a musty cellar character with a prominent earthy character. The Brett taste was more evident in the taste with a slight band aid flavor complimented by the musty cellar character. There was also a slight lemon that fell beneath the earthy notes and some leather. Very similar to Orval, wish they had this more available.<br />
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<b><u>Founders Oatmeal Stout (Nitro)</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJm09QkHgX_D7DansBHn5ByItg68C6Q3Ay-LmNAEO-PJt8h2zdJMd1T06KX_K1X1GiLqhotkd89QEZsXc2LwoRMWkYdjmuqpzD58dLU5u8Vk4m8Iz7_XVB6pih9EbrSBFWq0ssQ4ODwnqM/s1600/Beer+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJm09QkHgX_D7DansBHn5ByItg68C6Q3Ay-LmNAEO-PJt8h2zdJMd1T06KX_K1X1GiLqhotkd89QEZsXc2LwoRMWkYdjmuqpzD58dLU5u8Vk4m8Iz7_XVB6pih9EbrSBFWq0ssQ4ODwnqM/s1600/Beer+1.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>The menu told me this was fairly rare for the Chicago market. The menu would not lie to me. Here, the roasty character was the most prominent. Although there was some slight chocolate and coffee, it fell behind the roasted barely. The most notable thing about the beer was with the full stout flavor, it was only at 4.5% alcohol. Nice to see that Founders is embracing the notion that you do not need higher alcohol content to have a full flavored beer. That being said, I do not expect anyone to listen.<br />
<br />
<b><u>De Proef Brouwerij & Cigar City Tropical Tripel</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
This was probably the most interesting beer of the day. Most individuals are under the belief that Brett only makes beers funky (and some are under the belief that it is a main souring agent). However, this beer shows that is not always true. Here, the Brett brought out some wonderful tropical fruit character that was way more complex than I have seen in beers that have actually added fruit. There was a distinct smell and taste of mangos and pineapple with dashes of peaches (these were the fruits added). A pheno<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguldIjel3K9JzjLliT9LqWlZU_SeKScgrBGzCCW3_-W5ddmwsoI-nEUZh_kGGOHbVAG8FO858GKpm7MMy77E20bMqXVLUZ0EnCYqnBI-AiztbddddB2kObmDaL5UQsuLEMu8YCr2sRHpRp/s1600/Beer+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguldIjel3K9JzjLliT9LqWlZU_SeKScgrBGzCCW3_-W5ddmwsoI-nEUZh_kGGOHbVAG8FO858GKpm7MMy77E20bMqXVLUZ0EnCYqnBI-AiztbddddB2kObmDaL5UQsuLEMu8YCr2sRHpRp/s1600/Beer+2.jpg" /></a>lic clove was there as well that mixed with an almost bubble gum flavor at the end of the beer. Alcohol started to peak at the end of the beer. No earthy character here. Hoping my brett trois beer has a similar character.<br />
<br />
Three great beers, and it was hard to stop here seeing as they also had The Bruery's Oude Tart, Jolly Pumpkin, and multiple berliner weisses. Oh well, I guess I will just have to go back...For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-27035779499878640282013-09-03T22:19:00.001-07:002013-09-03T22:19:57.250-07:00Honey Amber BrewdayI decided to take a quick break from brewing some funky beers in my brett experiment to make a beer for the fall. Not wanting to go the pumpkin route (and especially not this early in the year), I needed something else. After passing a local honey stand at the Logan Square farmer's market, I decided to put together a simple beer with the honey. I put together an amber recipe and then went to get the honey. The place is called<a href="http://www.chicagohoneycoop.com/"> Chicago Honey Co-op</a> and happens to be fairly close to me in the city. Luckily, they also brewed beer and were interested in what I was doing. Hopefully this turns out alright so when I drop off a couple bottles I do not disappoint them too much.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Honey Amber</u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITZODl5tfV7jrhzFoh_0iN_TZDqbo5Pd110RcFKoX3vwfIjS_UXYGfEUiyofWZL0KgPYV4NQ8N3UqoKa-W33Bv2XCu-Ga0tkVlyGijZBCM4nPN12Fe0M4WUqet5PfIOlry9pIF3i1gE3b/s1600/Honey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITZODl5tfV7jrhzFoh_0iN_TZDqbo5Pd110RcFKoX3vwfIjS_UXYGfEUiyofWZL0KgPYV4NQ8N3UqoKa-W33Bv2XCu-Ga0tkVlyGijZBCM4nPN12Fe0M4WUqet5PfIOlry9pIF3i1gE3b/s1600/Honey.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><b><u><br /></u></b><br />
Batch Size: 5 gallons<br />
Original gravity: 1.065<br />
Boil Time: 60 minutes<br />
Mash: 60 minutes<br />
<br />
9.25 lbs Marris Otter<br />
1.0 lb Munich<br />
0.75 lb Crystal 40 L<br />
0.50 lb Crystal 120 L<br />
0.75 lb Honey Malt<br />
1.5 lbs Local honey<br />
<br />
0.5 oz Centennial @ 60 min<br />
1.0 oz Mt. Hood @ 30 min<br />
1.0 oz Williamette @ 10 min<br />
<br />
0.5 tsp Irish Moss<br />
0.75 tsp Yeast Nutrient<br />
<br />
Yeast: American Ale<br />
<br />
Water Profile: Chicago<br />
<br />
Mashed in with 4 gallons of water at 152 degrees F for 60 minutes. Uneventful mash, which was nice considering that I was having some trouble with my last couple. Collection 6.52 gallons of wort after a batch sparge and boiled for 60 minutes with the included hop additions. Collected around 5 gallons and pitched my yeast starter.<br />
<br />
Brewed: 8/24/13<br />
<br />
8/30/13 Added around a pound and a half of the honey to primary fermentation as it was settling down. Honey was particularly floral, will see if this will help. Hoping that the addition to the primary fermentor will allow more of the honey character to come through. <br />
<br />
Bottled:<br />
<br />
Tasting:For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-26563498206345866662013-08-28T21:32:00.000-07:002013-08-28T21:32:16.818-07:00Begyle Don't Bring Me Down, ZeusSince I just recently mentioned how I need to spend more time on Chicago beers, I figured I should actually follow through for once. My friend from college has been telling me for a while to check out Begyle Brewing because he knows one of the guys who helped start it up. And seeing as the nice guy I am, I painstakingly went out of my way to sit down and drink a beer.<br />
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<b><u>Begyle Don't Bring Me Down, Zeus</u></b><br />
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<b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPVVrDypWA03S3eOG5aYur25_JGrytR02Gi3d6lsVAWQLvfrkfCdLzmzhJ_KoBXSaIxC4h_b2vy9xle4smxYtbL3MhZF3BgztiM74NmUPGQ1fGBiDEFaz94KXPZV5l0WhqHdOfkpoMyFS/s1600/Beer+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPVVrDypWA03S3eOG5aYur25_JGrytR02Gi3d6lsVAWQLvfrkfCdLzmzhJ_KoBXSaIxC4h_b2vy9xle4smxYtbL3MhZF3BgztiM74NmUPGQ1fGBiDEFaz94KXPZV5l0WhqHdOfkpoMyFS/s1600/Beer+9.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></u></b></div>
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<b>Appearance- </b>Dark Golden orange, almost a tint of amber in color with a hazy body. An off white to light brown head that sticks around in a very thin head, almost turning patchy. Moderate lacing left behind.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Smell- </b>Very resiney hop smell with some sappy pine and a bit of grass. Behind the hops is a decent amount of caramel malt. Slight amount of alcohol is noticeable towards the end, but it is not hot. Some slight fruit esters (maybe grapefruit?) lingering way back.<br />
<br />
<b>Taste- </b>Tons of the resiney/piney flavors, feels as if it is almost stripping the tongue. Expected a twinge of citrus to hit somewhere in the middle, but the resin was there to stay (not saying that is a bad thing). Hop flavor seems almost earthy and spicy on the tongue. Although there is a decent amount of caramel malty character, it never seems to compete with the hops. Bitterness picks up in the middle in moderate amounts as it quickly turns up to high bitterness into the finish. Bitterness lingers and almost seems to tickle the tongue, if that can even be a description. Alcohol seems a little hot in the end of the beer.<br />
<br />
<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Thick mouthfeel with a prickly carbonation that seems to be enhanced with the spicy hop flavor . Could possibly use a little more a little more carbonation. Warming alcohol, a little too hot for my taste.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9RoCu9XqE0aEZ5yu_RoF34iFgnGfauy6dmx9c0IUjPbwsPSsoYdBJ-Kd4qQnTImC8StpvFdTlj8ynokLDGS0BNW4qfagNXaHsTGVX1CQ7am12lYkcZLRQJzGAreZ4xJRZYoRFLXOtTy_/s1600/Begyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9RoCu9XqE0aEZ5yu_RoF34iFgnGfauy6dmx9c0IUjPbwsPSsoYdBJ-Kd4qQnTImC8StpvFdTlj8ynokLDGS0BNW4qfagNXaHsTGVX1CQ7am12lYkcZLRQJzGAreZ4xJRZYoRFLXOtTy_/s1600/Begyle.jpg" height="118" width="320" /></a><b>Overall- </b>Although not my favorite DIPA, a very enjoyable one nonetheless. A nice switch up from the citrus-centric DIPAs that you normally see, nice to see a new brewery not just jumping on that ship. If you like that piney and resin type flavor, this is a good one to pick up. Also, maybe don't piss of Zeus. Just my opinion though.<br />
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Also, you can say whatever you want, but my sad excuse for a mind has already locked on the pronunciation "bagel", no matter how wrong it may be.<br />
<br />For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-7221560279468150852013-08-22T20:44:00.000-07:002013-08-25T09:33:03.233-07:00The (Mediocre) Brett ExperimentNow that I have spent some time getting back into the groove of brewing, it is time for some exbeeriments. And what better fun than learning the ins and outs of brettanomyces? As someone that loves all things sour and funk, this is a natural progression, and really something necessary if I want to make acceptable funky beers. Luckily, someone came up with <a href="http://whatweredrinking.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-great-brett-yeast-experiment-brewday.html">The Great Brett Experiment</a> and helped me out with obtaining some strains of brett along the way. The gist of the fun? Generally, split up batches of beer, pitch different strains of brett, play the waiting game, and then have both side by side to see how each strain adds different characteristics to the resulting beer. I started with Brettanomyces clausseni and East Coast Yeast 08 in a rye saison, and still have some brettanomyces lambicus waiting too be pitched. However, anyone who has other strains should feel free to send them my way! Because we are all in this together, right?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-KAAohk_muRLlrhe5g-2eueBy1jK0GN4Wl6iXrgEOQ3dspZhTamfU09Gr190BNonvxT91sqR1nj4KMMEUL_1wD9REVjygGPD8H-lVQL7b7IbZOb4izHFdxRU4joVPp3eVUhdXumz38Ut/s1600/Yeast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-KAAohk_muRLlrhe5g-2eueBy1jK0GN4Wl6iXrgEOQ3dspZhTamfU09Gr190BNonvxT91sqR1nj4KMMEUL_1wD9REVjygGPD8H-lVQL7b7IbZOb4izHFdxRU4joVPp3eVUhdXumz38Ut/s1600/Yeast.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div>
<b><u>Rye Saison</u></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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Batch size: 5.00 gallons</div>
<div>
Original Gravity: 1.053</div>
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Final Gravity: </div>
<div>
Boil time: 90 minutes</div>
<div>
Mash time: 90 minutes</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
9.0 lbs Pilsener</div>
<div>
3.0 lbs Rye malt</div>
<div>
0.75 lb Table sugar</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1.5 oz Fuggle hops @60 min</div>
<div>
1.0 oz Fuggle hops @10 min</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
0.75 tsp yeast nutrient</div>
<div>
1.0 tsp irish moss</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
ECY 08 and Brettanomyces clausseni</div>
<div>
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Water profile: Chicago</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxvVmA5qWReYcSydDhS0uZulvGdh8r6Qj16IpH2MdY4jpOcszsE0iMjlMU3IUAlADbIlTVqAfxt1HV5gg2SUlt5T3qhHHlLR8WOLpj7ybRldRhbenG51j9zGEwGuEsKcMdm6aGFn20J-j/s1600/Beer+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxvVmA5qWReYcSydDhS0uZulvGdh8r6Qj16IpH2MdY4jpOcszsE0iMjlMU3IUAlADbIlTVqAfxt1HV5gg2SUlt5T3qhHHlLR8WOLpj7ybRldRhbenG51j9zGEwGuEsKcMdm6aGFn20J-j/s1600/Beer+8.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
Mashed in with 4 gallons at 149 degrees F. This time I actually overshot the mash temperature and had to gradually bring down the temperature with a variety of arduous methods. Nevertheless, I got there. Let the mash sit for 90 minutes in order to ensure full conversion. Did not get great efficency with 1.053, hopefully I can make up for this in the future. Batch sparged with 4 gallons and collected around 7.25 gallons of wort. After boiling and chilling to around 74 degrees F, split into two 3 gallon better bottles. One received the ECY 08 and the other received the Brettanomyces clausseni. Put these ones away and they will sit for a while before I have the opportunity to bottle.</div>
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<div>
Brewed: 8/10/13</div>
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Bottled: </div>
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<div>
Tasting:</div>
For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-10209180469897876142013-08-18T21:53:00.000-07:002013-08-28T21:36:36.586-07:00The Bruery Sour in the RyeA recent look at my bedroom made me realize that I have begun to hoard bottles from The Bruery. Someone may think I have a problem if they saw it. Fortunately for me, having an excess of beer from the Bruery could never be considered a problem. As a result, I decided to reach into my "stash" and grab one of the bottles. In comes Sour in the Rye. Sour beer and The Bruery, one of the best matches. Seriously. The best.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Bruery Sour in the Rye</u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrrL-h4BqfSG7BBBcES2BU1Dtx5SM__wRoj01jFgpOy8BdAPfaFX6yWz-BItGWDD6eDjZxT0PzZxJGq5Xqq17SbIVg_8JEpQyDEG9sac42xXe1pXxcW_ybO4HO6fqyfmNd49l2el-wv-Q/s1600/Beer+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrrL-h4BqfSG7BBBcES2BU1Dtx5SM__wRoj01jFgpOy8BdAPfaFX6yWz-BItGWDD6eDjZxT0PzZxJGq5Xqq17SbIVg_8JEpQyDEG9sac42xXe1pXxcW_ybO4HO6fqyfmNd49l2el-wv-Q/s1600/Beer+7.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><b><u><br /></u></b><br />
<b>Appearance- </b>Golden orange in color with an egg shell white head. Head becomes patchy with a thin ring around the edge. <br />
<br />
<b>Smell- </b>Familiar tart sour smell from the beginning. Sour apple smell is prominent with some oak as well. Some light fruit, lemony aroma as well. Do not really get any of the rye.<br />
<br />
<b>Taste- </b>Mouth puckering sour from the beginning of the beer. THe faimilar apple taste from the smell returns, but is not overwhelming. Sourness peaks in the middle and continues to the finish. Some tart cherries and citrus sour is also balanced by the oak flavor.<br />
<br />
<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Medium, maybe medium-light in body. Prickly carbonation and a dry finish. Mouth feels covered in an almost sour residue as well. I mean that in a good way if I didn't make that clear.<br />
<br />
<b>Overall- </b>Very impressive sour. Sour is a fairly constant presence from the beginning to the end. Thinking it would be great to use the dregs of this beer in a sour. Will put that on the to do list. Have another one of these bottles and will plan to let it sit for a couple of years at the moment.<br />
<br />
Had this beer with some homemade vegetable soup I made with a hearty slice of bread. Hoping to start making more food this year as I am brewing more. Also hoping that The Bruery will start sending me one of every beer they make. Or at least just pay me to drink their beer. Is that too much to ask? For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-58148738674251459302013-08-16T19:52:00.000-07:002013-08-22T20:46:12.105-07:00Double IPA BrewdayI noticed that I have been stockpiling saison and needed a little change (until the following week when I brewed another saison). I haven't brewed a double IPA for a couple years now and figured I would revisit it before fall hit. The basic recipe is based off Pliny the Elder (who would have guessed!?) from Russian River, with some of my own small changes to it. I also attempted another fly sparge with this one and am still getting the hang of it. As a result, I think my efficiency was a little low, so this may be somewhere in between an IPA and a double IPA. Or maybe just an IPA. Leave me alone. <br />
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Besides that, it was just a wonderful weekend of brewing beer and seeing The Cure. Pretty much your ideal weekend.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRC9yoPcw2FLQ3CQgVhh7ANwPkBJU9mMcaHB-GD7QgOdDDplGfIq3cEiTSL4APgJ_LkmAoU9hZfhdLc3kF6eddT-PyE0SatwFRiIigjAfjjMkzNkM3gtXqZYVPln7ZDNCfoJJYoeSBaq3/s1600/Beer+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRC9yoPcw2FLQ3CQgVhh7ANwPkBJU9mMcaHB-GD7QgOdDDplGfIq3cEiTSL4APgJ_LkmAoU9hZfhdLc3kF6eddT-PyE0SatwFRiIigjAfjjMkzNkM3gtXqZYVPln7ZDNCfoJJYoeSBaq3/s1600/Beer+5.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Batch size: 5 gallons<br />
Original gravity: 1.063<br />
Final gravity:<br />
Boil time: 60 minutes<br />
Mash time: 90 minutes<br />
<br />
14.0 lbs Two row<br />
0.5 lb White wheat<br />
0.5 lb Crystal (40 L)<br />
0.5 lb Cara Pils<br />
1.0 lb White belgian candy rocks<br />
<br />
2.0 oz Columbus @ 90 min<br />
1.0 oz Warrior @ 90 min<br />
1.0 oz Columbus @ 60 min<br />
1.0 oz Simcoe @ 45 min<br />
1.0 oz Simcoe @ 30 min<br />
1.0 oz Simcoe @ 0 min<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWRGSehWENBVWjcbjyRdQpun_XGcZbXqGhys6MGUzOOYAPox_URR1EfUNP3a5oStjXCHVvCsGGbUvoerHRzvmGYkENBrHNX7Xs6sqmEJcehESdNbZdm7M9MwDGlybfC9RH50y7R48mjZS/s1600/Beer+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWRGSehWENBVWjcbjyRdQpun_XGcZbXqGhys6MGUzOOYAPox_URR1EfUNP3a5oStjXCHVvCsGGbUvoerHRzvmGYkENBrHNX7Xs6sqmEJcehESdNbZdm7M9MwDGlybfC9RH50y7R48mjZS/s1600/Beer+6.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>2.0 oz Centennial @ 0 min<br />
3.0 oz Columbus @ dry<br />
1.5 oz Centennial @ dry<br />
1.5 oz Simcoe @ dry<br />
<br />
1.0 tsp Irish dry moss<br />
0.5 tsp Yeast nutrient<br />
5.0 g Gypsum<br />
<br />
Wyeast 1056 American Ale<br />
<br />
Water Profile: Chicago<br />
<br />
Mashed in with 4.5 gallons of water at 150 degrees F. In the mash I added 2 grams of gypsum. Fly sparged with 5 gallons of water and collected 7.5 gallons of wort. I actually added the 60 minuted addition hops by mistake and had to adjust with my remaining hops. Oh well. <br />
<br />
Brewed: 8/3/13<br />
<br />
Secondary: 8/22/13 Racked the beer into secondary over the dry hops, half being leaf and the other half being pellet. Hoping using less pellet hops will decrease some of the unnecessary grassy flavors.<br />
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Bottling:<br />
<br />
Tasting: For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-50835994290232523812013-08-07T23:10:00.000-07:002013-08-07T23:11:43.621-07:00Belgian IPA TastingThis is one that I have been looking forward to trying. After receiving some tips from Haymarket on how they brew their Angry Birds and Rubber Monkey Belgian IPAs, I decided to <a href="http://forbeersake.blogspot.com/2013/07/belgian-ipa-brewday.html">brew my own</a>. And to say the least I am fairly happy with the results (there is a joke somewhere in there playing on the name of Angry Birds, but I will spare you....this time). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06bCSN2Vw1K9l55s8RlJdxyhuzquVHPF7HzMb_-B0TZ6Xd8znixyF-uBbvfWTTbbuojzXHpx01U6_Aqasg9cHoce0hKvOj6KM7_kGkcMFgvK1SuNUBPqE2ObF5oE_6ho31l_tzeh197LZ/s1600/Beer+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06bCSN2Vw1K9l55s8RlJdxyhuzquVHPF7HzMb_-B0TZ6Xd8znixyF-uBbvfWTTbbuojzXHpx01U6_Aqasg9cHoce0hKvOj6KM7_kGkcMFgvK1SuNUBPqE2ObF5oE_6ho31l_tzeh197LZ/s1600/Beer+4.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><b>Appearance- </b>Hazy golden orange in color with a thin white head. Although it does stick around, it could be a little better. Maybe a little more time in the bottle will help. Lacing noticeable in medium amounts.</div>
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<b>Smell- </b>The chinook and cascade hops are very noticeable with a cirtusy hop aroma to begin. The hop aromas meld into the middle of the beer as a phenolic and clove aroma pick up. Some slightly doughy and a hint of resin noticeable in the back end.</div>
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<b>Taste- </b>Much more of a balance with the citrus hops and the belgian yeast flavor. Citrus flavors are a little lighter and mixed in with a phenolic clove. Middle of the beer seems more medicinal than the smell, but not off putting. A slight peppery spice in the middle and moving towards the end. The beer finishes with a medium amount of bitterness. The Beglian yeast notes become more noticeable as the beer warms up. </div>
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Medium-light body, lighter than I would like. Medium carbonation and the very dry finish that I expected after mashing at the low temperatures.</div>
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<b>Overall Notes- </b>Very excited about where this beer ended up considering my last attempt at a Belgian IPA. However, there is still a good amount of work needed to be done. Notably, I would like to increase the body and the size of the beer overall. I'm hoping that along with that will come more yeast character. </div>
For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-24398471818233540242013-08-05T21:56:00.000-07:002013-08-22T20:47:24.262-07:00Saison/Cucumber Saison Brew DayWell with this latest brew day and what I have planned for the next week, I am going to have too much saison on my hand. What I am trying to say is, does anyone want some saison? I find bribery is the best way to cultivate friendship. I was interested in doing this beer after hearing about <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17981/73070">Cigar City's Cucumber Saison</a>. I am not even really a big fan of cucumber, but I have found it to be refreshing in light amounts when placed in drinks (I ordered some cucumber soda/pop from <a href="http://forbeersake.blogspot.com/2011/10/galcos-soda-pop-stop.html">Glaco's Soda Pop Stop</a> in LA a couple of years ago and was surprisingly impressed). As a result, I thought throwing some cucumber from the local farmer's market could be refreshing in a saison (like a cucumber in water). Decided to base this off the base beer the mad fermentationist he did for his <a href="http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2009/11/hoppy-french-saison.html">hoppy saison</a> as I was looking for something a little lighter than the saison I previously brewed.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincal8HqioWph5cIfq042JzvmC7p7CIJ3lfEbHwizgH3kNE26pETSXKfk3gECOfTAR30y75e7V9rI3N5cJ0IrwQ6gePFt_r2GjA_R2G9iWztMcjhxiYMArpVwzd7WaKOdNPgeMLY3_d7Uz/s1600/Beer+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincal8HqioWph5cIfq042JzvmC7p7CIJ3lfEbHwizgH3kNE26pETSXKfk3gECOfTAR30y75e7V9rI3N5cJ0IrwQ6gePFt_r2GjA_R2G9iWztMcjhxiYMArpVwzd7WaKOdNPgeMLY3_d7Uz/s1600/Beer+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
Batch size: 5 gallons<br />
Original gravity: 1.052<br />
Final gravity:<br />
Boil time: 90 minutes<br />
Mash time: 90 minutes<br />
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9.25 lbs Belgian pilsener<br />
1.25 lbs White wheat<br />
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1.75 oz Saaz @ 60 minutes<br />
0.75 oz Saaz @ 0 minutes<br />
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1.0 tsp. Irish moss<br />
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Wyeast 3724 Belgian Saison<br />
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Water Profile: Chicago<br />
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Mashed in with 4 gallons of water and came out at around 149 degrees F. Allowed the mash to sit for 90 minutes in order to ensure full conversion. Flyed sparged with around 4 gallons of water at 170 degrees. Collected a little over 7 gallons of wort.<br />
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Brewed: 7/27/13<br />
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Chilled to around 74 degrees F and pitched a yeast start I made the night before. Around a week later the yeast is still working. Was hoping that it would have knocked down the gravity a little faster.<br />
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Secondary: 8/21/13 Racked onto around 2.75 lbs of frozen and sliced cucumbers. Looking back, it may have been easier/a better idea to cube the cucumber. <br />
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Bottling:<br />
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<br />For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-52783791241929660122013-07-31T21:06:00.000-07:002013-07-31T21:06:13.974-07:00Russian River ConsecrationAs I mentioned before, I have a lot of catching up to do with the beers I have been drinking before I put up what I have been brewing. Luckily, I have a friend who is from outside of Portland and is kind enough to pick me up beers when she goes home. And by kind enough, I mean that she eventually tires of me shoving a fistful of cash in her hand and crying until she eventually agrees to look for the beer I transcribed on a voluminous list. Friends, right!?!?<br />
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<b><u>Russian River Consecration</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UzOZVNvSh9gEaVIKVDytJ9DOccz5aUCGw7eLjA0cfElP4PPWSRu-QFg4O2-yOEB67wqC5UxlwdK6fpc9C5IDMbVfR-EZ0lTMFMj9nUu9D-4Ck8iAREV71Kbq6NxRhBYAUuasAVXg0Os0/s1600/Consecration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UzOZVNvSh9gEaVIKVDytJ9DOccz5aUCGw7eLjA0cfElP4PPWSRu-QFg4O2-yOEB67wqC5UxlwdK6fpc9C5IDMbVfR-EZ0lTMFMj9nUu9D-4Ck8iAREV71Kbq6NxRhBYAUuasAVXg0Os0/s1600/Consecration.jpg" /></a><b>Appearance- </b>A burgundy brown color with a very small off white head. Head almost disappears completely leaving just a ring around the edge of the glass. Murky clarity.<br />
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<b>Smell- </b>A smack of vinegar acidity right away with slight barnyard funk and a little hay. Fruits appear fairly quickly with apple and cherry most prominently featured. Some dark plums and raisins also make their way through as well.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>Quick hints of cherry and plums before a sharp acidic sourness quickly builds and bursts through, peaking in the middle and lasting through the finish. A light apple taste turns towards the end. Sour taste is full, balanced, and not overwhelming. Probably one of the cleanest and most complex sour beers I have experienced.<br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Medium bodied and low carbonation. Very dry finish and the taste seems to leave a layer covering the mouth.<br />
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<b>Overall and Notes- </b>Once again, one of the most complex sour beers I have had. A mouth puckering sour with overshadowing the complexities of the fruit. Luckily I have another bottle of this and I think I may try to harvest the dregs and brew my own sour beer with it, but we will see. Also, I unfortunately lost the pictures to this one, so use those beautiful imaginations of yours!<br />
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On a side note, soon I was hoping to document one of the local farmers markets I go to in order to pick up some fruits and vegetables that I will be using in coming beers. I also saw blueberries last time I was there. I like blueberry jam. I would like to make blueberry jam. Does <a href="http://www.tasteofsouthern.com/blueberry-jam-recipe/">this</a> sound right to anyone? Does anyone care?For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039825294454782959.post-52129914285456343342013-07-29T20:36:00.000-07:002013-08-28T21:37:06.468-07:00Pipeworks Brewing Co. Poivre RoseBefore I jumped in with another brewing posts, I need to get some long (and new in this case) held reviews of beers I have been drinking. I noticed lately that I have not been giving local breweries outside a select few the attention they deserve since I moved. What better way to appease my recent saison brewing obsession than with a locally brewed saison?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUrGLFlYzmNyKPVBxtESpmVcRp0-9gzKNpaCZFIwCFHXuBh9f6QX7X9UbS1f-7K8s4OTBi9xCgT21xkZ8wpOSQsB4hBarh1ALHvEFDIrBFAzEBjevOSY2GPsXNWICq3z5cU4a8jBUl_8Q/s1600/Poivre+Rose+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUrGLFlYzmNyKPVBxtESpmVcRp0-9gzKNpaCZFIwCFHXuBh9f6QX7X9UbS1f-7K8s4OTBi9xCgT21xkZ8wpOSQsB4hBarh1ALHvEFDIrBFAzEBjevOSY2GPsXNWICq3z5cU4a8jBUl_8Q/s1600/Poivre+Rose+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><b><u>Pipeworks Brewing Co. Poivre Rose</u></b><br />
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<b>Appearance- </b>Pours a hazy golden color with a thick layer of foam that eventually settles into a thin layer of white carbonation. Head of the beer is persistent and a notable sticky lacing coats the glass. <br />
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<b>Smell- </b>A lot of citrus up front with lemons and faint hints of phenols including a light clove. There is a certain floral quality to the smell that melds with the citrus towards the middle of the beer that I am going to attribute to the pink peppercorns. Towards the end there seems to be a slight amount of peppery spice, but part of me wonders if I am imagining it since I know they used peppercorns in the beer.<br />
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<b>Taste- </b>Starts off with the lemony citrus and a surprising malt sweetness. However, the floral character is more noticeable in the beer and takes the lead towards the middle. The floral taste is refreshing, not quite tea like, and not overdone. Towards the end of the beer, the spicy peppercorn character kicks in. I believe the added peppercorn leaves a little strange taste in the finish, but nothing off putting.<br />
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<b>Mouthfeel- </b>Beer is a little sweeter to what I am used to in a saison, but drys out in the finish. Nice full carbonation as well.<br />
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<b>Overall and Notes- </b>Really liked my first saison from Pipeworks and will now certainly try the other one I saw at the store. I would have liked to see it be a little dryer and personally would like to see how not including the black peppercorns would affect the beer.<br />
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Also, can we address the fact that I wrote there where hints of "a light clove"? Well, I am an ass, but I guess we already knew that.<br />
<br />For Beer's Sakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05338637915167184308noreply@blogger.com3