Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

Another birthday beer, another Chicago beer, drinking again for the first time since the first time, the Incredible Sculpin IPA from Ballast Point, of San Diego. 7% ABV.

Notes from February, 2009:


Hazy paleapricot appearance. Slim white head.

Fresh vivacious, citric aroma, plump with tropical fruit as well.Apricot, pineapple, mango, orange, a little lemon and grapefruit as well. Just gorgeous.

Hops jump on the palate, and spank it good. Grapefruit peeland orange pith spitting in your eye and dripping down the tongue. Smooth, yet zesty and delicious, while still blasting the senses.
Just enough tasty malt holding it down,and the hops are a barrage of bitterness, yes, but never too much...to this hophead, anyway.
Light bodied, and terribly drinkable.
I like this, I would drink it all day, every day. Delish-uss.

Cantillon St. Lamnivus lambic

An incredible Belgian lambic consumed on my birthday with 5 friends, including Matthew Janda, who brought it to the party. My notes from March, 2006 commence:

Brasserie Cantillon St. Lamnivus Lambic. 7 % ABV. Brasserie Cantillon, Anderlecht, Belgium.

Rosy top in the look here, deeper burgundy beneath, under absolutely no head...par for style, though...

Aroma: bracing, yet invigorating, a blast of cherries and grape, twisted by sour...musty, rank, and deep...liking it...a deep well, dominated by fruit. Delectable.

Taste it, already! Oooo! Weeee! Owww! Bold, huge, fat puckeration,...ooo, ooo, ooo! Takes hold of the mouth and doesn't let go! A blend of dark fruits, cherries, and berries, and grapes. Luscious. Sour and flavorful. Mellows a touch, gets easy as we go, gets easier to take..

Not for everyone, but a particular treat for demanding palates, constant play on the tongue that is rewarding for some, punishing for others.

Hard to compare this to anything else on earth. Far beyond any other lambic, a definitive sui generis classic.

2004 bottling. too young? who's to say. worth the $33 spent? probably...

Everyone knows some of our best friends are wine growers from the Libourne region in France, more specifically those who make Saint Emillion and Pomerol. They respect the tradition and let their wine ferment in a natural way.

Fermentation, origin and vintage are still kept up.

Our collaboration resulted in a product uniting the best of their wine and of our beer : the Saint-Lamvinus.

The grapes, of the merlot and cabernet-franc varieties, are soaked in Bordeaux barrels containing two to three years old lambic. The beer is not blended before the bottling. The foam is caused by the addition of a liquor which starts the fermentation.

Port Brewing Old Viscosity Imperial Stout

Notes from November, 2007 for this Port bottle that I originally received through a trade. This bottle was purchased on the Chicago trip, and shared on my birthday, with friends. The Imperial Stout from Port Brewing, Old Viscosity.


black as sin, smallish roasted tan head...

gorgeous, deep, dark nose, rich and resplendent, redolent of molasses, anise, whiskey, a twisted stygian blend...classic!

taste: profound impact on the palate, heavy, full, and packed with prodigious flavors. All that in the nose and a little more, hangs long on the tongue. some plum, dark cherries, cocoa,...but well-blended, no particular one flavor rides over any other.

Is this a stout, a porter, an old ale...? The whiskey is king in it, and anything else fades away...very mellow, relaxing, satisfying...

10%? It's there, but it's not intrusive, it's ...mmm, motor oil!
Very solid...so rubust, and so delicate...well put-together...

oh, man!

Ska Brewing Nefarious Ten Pin Porter

Notes from May, 2004 for this birthday beer, an Imperial Porter from Ska Brewing of Durango, CO, brought back from the Chicago Trip:


Appearance: an impressive bottle, waxed-dipped as only one other beer that I know of is, and that one I consumed shortly after this,( although this has a blue wax). The fearsome figure on the label is no less scary a mascot than that for the Dark Lord, a skeleton, wrapped in regal red robes, gritting his ghastly teeth, clutching a bowling-pin sceptre..wait, that's more comical than frightening...Still, gotta love it, and also, gotta love this slogan: "We use the finest malt, hops, yeast, water and love." They use the finest love, really? I hope it's better than all that other crappy love I've seen and done already!

AH! But the beer...dark brown, with reddish highlights, with a fizzy, tan head.

Aroma, deep espresso tones, rich, resplendent, full as any great porter should be.

Taste: neat little bitter hops bite on board the palate, jump back, then fade, till the malt falls forward, lush, rich, chocolatey...and, wait! do I detect a note of banana? Oddly, I do...a bit of citrus, orange, even, definite fruit, some dark ones, cherries, figs, grapes, ....all put together, it's a magnificent thing, smooth& flavorful, creamy & satisfying, with a lush, full finish, this is a serious porter that seriously rewards the drinker.

Very nice, and I only wish I could try it again, and again...

Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper Imperial Stout

I had to search through this blog to see I've done this beer before. It's tricky, because BeerAdvocate says I posted a review on 12/13/10, which is the same date as the first beer review on this blog. Well, I can't find it anywhere, so I must have posted the BA review the day before I got the notion to do things this way.

Well, here we have it, 2 1/2 year old notes on another beer I enjoyed on my birthday, but this one by myself, after the guest had left.
------------------------

Port Brewin/Pizza Port Santa's Little Helper, Russian Imperial Stout, 10% ABV.

Every year Santa works up that famous list, He takes notes of who's been naughty...

ah, F* it, I', m not gonna quote the whole label....surely someone else will, and I'm off the hook ....
Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper...
Dark as heck, slimmish head, tannish color.bubbles round the rim.

Aroma: big time whiskey, out loud and proud bourbon, sweetness, and molasses, and some charcoal, some chocolate. Sweet succor, and depth, undeniable deep and far-fetching flavors.

Taste: all of those and more. Mucho chocolate, Mucho mucho. Big, sweet, rich and unrelenting. Full, rich, rewarding, big and chocolatey, huge and bourbony...

It's so delicious. Mmm, mmm-tddyy, -mmm, mmm, mmm.

Wait, what was that...it was ...oooh, ooom-idditty, oom, oom , ooh!!!!

In other words, I guess I liked it!

The Lost Abbey 10 Commandments Belgian-style Ale

I had a birthday 2-days recently. Sunday, my actual b-day, and yesterday, Monday, July 1. You know how kids these days say it's their "birthday week", or, more nauseatingly, "birthday month"? Well, I had two days to celebrate turning 45, of all numbers in the world. Sunday was a gathering of 5 friends at my apartment, yesterday I invited many more to the Harriet Taproom for a private party on a day they are normally closed. Each day I opened bottles that I'd had before, and shared with friends. These were beers I'd reviewed already, and was most likely trying anew for the first time since the first time.

Let's start with my first ever Lost Abbey ale, 10 Commandments, a 10% ABV Belgian-style strong ale brewed with raisins and other things. Got my first in a trade six years ago, July of 2007, haven't had one since. Records show that I've only had eight other LA beers, and I'd certainly like to move that number up. Here are those original notes:


Dark mahogany hue, lighter ruby round the edges, under a lovely cap of cocoa foam.

Sweet, spicy aroma, a a curious complexity. Raisins are there, carob and caramel, too. Yummy.

so, let's drink 'er!
A snap on the tongue starts it, sharp, deep and spicy.Raisins kind of dominate the flavor here, with malt hot behind. Feels like port wine mixed with good scotch. Rich and delicious. Damnably delectable. Lays on the tongue and lasts a long, long time. Yum. More I'm drinking it, more I'm liking it...the raisiny flavor isn't too sweet, and the character becomes stronger, the body fuller, the experience more memorable. Even while the strength creeps in.

Halfway through the bottle, I'm wishing I had more. Very good.
Maybe even great>

Three Floyds In The Name of Suffering Black Ale

I'm going to open a bottle of beer, and not think about the label. Or what they say goes in it. Or who makes it, or what it's called. Here we go…

Solid blackness, full, flush cocoa-toned head, looking fantastic.

Aroma: There's our hops, there's the grassiness, the pine, the citrus notes, surrounded by black malt. Coffee and cocoa ground together, good ol' fashioned sweetness, mitigated by hoppy bitterness. Right on the money.

Taste: bam! hops hit hard. black malt hits back next, a coating mouthfeel, a richness , a roundness, a full flowering of hoppitude. Brightness of hops quickly blended and blistered by the dark, chocolate malts. Yum, I says. Yum, meets yum.

So, what is this beer? A 22 ounce bomber purchased at the Three Floyds Brewpub called In The Name of Suffering, referred to as  a "New Orleans Style Black India Pale Ale", with this explanation on the side of the label: "This black india pale ale is loaded with hops balanced with delicious maltiness. It was brewed with our friends from the great city of New Orleans in the band EyeHateGod." I assume this band performs music of metallest kind. Why else would they call them selves "EyeHateGod"?
No ABV listed….unless….nope. Don't know if it's significant. Doesn't feel especially strong. Does continue to be especially tasty. Falls favorably on the side of black IPAs that I actually dig. This is yum.

I hate the label art. It is bad. I hate the stupid name, and I hate the stupid name of the band they collaborated with…what, your ocular organ is against a deity? Sure. Also, why is it a New Orleans Style BIPA? Just because they were making it with an NO band?

All of that is immaterial. Great tasting beer. Glad to have had it.

Revolution Dos Osos IPA

Revolution Brewing Dos Osos India Pale Ale, with Firestone Walker Brewing Company. 6.5% ABV. No gobbledygook, nothing but some cool graphics of a lion fighting a bear. And why don't I know what "dos osos" means? "Two fists"? Must find out. ("Predator", I've learned.)
Chicago Beer #9.

Beautiful, clear  tangerine appearance, 12 inch of foam above. Looking the part, alright.

Aroma: ripe with citrus notes, lemon-lime-y. Kind and mellow. Ever so nice.

Taste: Mmm! Aburst with vibrant hop notes, but never too much, not so loud or boisterous or abrasive. Gives just the right buzz on the palate. Lean malty body, small amount of sweet, kept in check with tidy ol' hops. Sumptuous. MMMM, yummy, yum. Gets my full seal of approval.

Uinta Detour Double IPA

Uinta Detour Double IPA, from the Crooked Line Series. 9.5% ALC by VOL. Uinta Brewing Company, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Do I count this as a Chicago beer, even though it's from Utah? We haven't had Uinta in MN in quite some time, not since they started this series. Let's say yes.
Some gobbledygook on the label, which I'll recite to you later.

Nice, bright crimson, coloring, prodigious head, full and flowering, soon drifting down, looking good.

Aroma: Earthy, herbal-y, slightly spicy, with plenty of malt aromas, along with fruity esters. Not the usual one we expect from a double IPA, not the typical pine and citrus stuff. More of an English IPA/double IPA.  now, to drink!

Taste: Malt forward, this one. More earthiness, some fruit, more apple, cherry. Rich, slightly sweet, and the booze is kicking in. Hops are tingling, slightly higher bitterness…but not enough hops in this one. I'm getting the feel of an English barley-wine, more than anything else. Higher alcohol, major malt, big hops, but not really standing over the others.

Let's check out that gobbledygook: "Detour blazes the trail for fresh and bold double IPAs. Four varieties of hops combine to step up the flavor profile. A hoppy adventure that finishes dry. Big in alcohol and character. Venture to pair with other spirited flavors such as those found in spicy ethnic foods."

If I were writing a spoof, I'd write that last sentence. Holy crap that's some terrible gobbledygook!
 It's a double IPA, in a sense, sure. Double up an English IPA, with more malt than hops, and you've got a barley-wine. As that, it's okay.

Three Floyds Evil Power Imperial Pilsner

One thing we all know too well is that all beers are not alike, and another thing is that even a favorite brewery is capable of disappointing. I've never had a Three Floyds beer I  didn't like before last night. And also, I'm rarely thrilled with "double pilsners" or "imperial pilsners." Perhaps these two facts will conspire to either prove one right or the other wrong? Let's look at yesterday's notes of Three Floyds' "Evil Power", to find out.
Chicago Beer #8.

Three Floyds Evil Power Imperial Pilsner. What's going on with this label art? Sme kind of post-apocalyptic, meta-human, super-God-like creature pantheon of madness or something? Okay, okay, I'm scared, already! (Took awhile for me to identify the minotaur, actually.)

Hazed, golden hue, slim head…whatchagonna do? But, not bad for an I.P.

Aroma: clean, crisp, grainy, …perfect pilsner nose. Small hop presence, just right malt notes. Time to drink it…

Taste: Here we go, there it is, now it's happening. Crisp, clean, clear, all those words come roaring back, basic cereal grain from the malt, …light bodied, lean mouthfeel, good drinkability. But, hey, where's the Imperial? Boom, boom, boom, boom….

Wonder what the label will tell us? "A fortified European style pilsner lagered to perfection, brewed with heavy metal warriors Lair of the Minotaur. in commemoration of their 4th full-length release "Evil Power." Available now @ …blah, blah, blah/...skol prost cheers."

Hey, Three Floyds, do something shocking, change the game, turn some heads…make a collaborative beer with a smooth jazz flute ensemble to commemorate their latest tribute to Herbie Mann. Or something. This whole sturm und drang is just kind of…I don't know, your thing, I guess, so who am I to complain. It's just a touch tiresome. Someone has to lay off of the dungeons and dragons and Conan the Barbarian comic books. Looking straight at you guys.

So, back to the beer. It is what it is. Basic pilsner bulked up to …I don't know, once again I find a bomber with government warnings on the label, but not a note about the ABV. (7.2 %, says BeerAdvocate.)Well, it's Imperial and it's starting to bang on my brain, but it's pretty simple as a pilsner. I knew that going in, so there's really no room for complaint. I'm just an idiot ticker, when it's all said and done. I do like every Three Floyds  beer I try, and this beer is what it is, it just doesn't have any extra delights. A heavy metal band wants to make a strong lager, big surprise there.

I have four more Three Floyds bombers brought back from the Chicago trip that are up my alley. Can't wait to get to those.

Flat Earth Ovni Ale (Biere de Garde)

Ovni apparently is French for "UFO." Biere de Garde is a French style of beer. And former Flat Earth owner/brewer/beer namer had a thing for science fiction. There was some gobbledygook on the label about a UFO that hit the Eiffel Tower, and so on, and so forth, and blah, blah, blah...

Here are notes from when I tapped it in August of 2008:


Clear, garnet-hued, smallish head, dunnish, plenty carbonated...

Malt dominates the nose, flushes out rosy, fresh, fruity associations, some cherry, berry, grape...with grain below. Lovely stuff.

Fills the mouth happily and spreads deliciousness. Well-rounded, malt infused, little hops, and just plain juicy. Tons of fruity flavor, not from hops, but malt and yeast.
Most wine-like. Medium-bodied, with a terse grainy texture, leading into the finish, with remains malty, and ultimately dry. Urges further drinking.
Very tasty ale. So similar, but superior to amber/red ales. Just the right indgedients went at work here. This is delicious. Loving it.

Revolution Double Fist Double Pale Ale

Chicago Beer #7: Revolution Brewing Double Fist Double Pale Ale. Revolution Brewing, Chicago, IL. Alc. 8% by Vol. Zero gobbledygook. So, let's drink 'er. After we look 'er, and smell 'er.

Clear, bright orange/amber, smallish head, turns to  tight ring.

Aroma: bright and burning malt, big and fat, out loud and proud. Big and bold, massive hops, huge malt. Straddling the line between a barleywine aroma and a double IPA.

Taste: gigantic. explosive. immense. brobdignagian. and so on and so forth. Big fruity flavors, full and flush blasts of berries and cherries, a bit of brandy, Reminds me of another "double pale ale", the one made by Flying Dog. That one is more brutal, about 11 % or so. This is more manageable, but had many of the same flavors.

Big time bitterness, well matched with full-on malt. Two times the Iron Fist. Very nice.

New Holland Michigan Hatter IPA

Michigan Hatter Ale , Michigan I.P.A., New Holland Brewing company, Holland, Michigan.  Just picked this up at Chicago Lake Liquors, pulled it from the cooler, and once home, I'm drinking it up. Maybe it was the cute hatted redhead on the label that prompted my purchase?

Very hazy amber hue, big white head slims down soon.

Aroma: A garden of hoppy delights…grapefruit, lime, orange, tangerine…plus prickly pine. Great balance of bitter and sweet in this nose.

Taste: Fresh hop flavor up front, some small amount of caramel malt behind it. Bitterness is moderate, alcohol, too, I assume. Consumability is up there, also, and it's a pure pleasure to drink.

I'll take a break to read the label: "Michigan Hatter celebrates our local agriculture with it's Michigan-grown Cascade hops from the Leelanau Peninsula. Bright and aromatic, with delicious malt notes underneath a citrus-y showcase of hops. Pairings: sharp cheddars, herb-roasted poultry and curry."

I'm drinking this in the company of chicken pad thai. It works there, too.

Oddly, I don't see the ABV listed on the paper label, at all. They have a whatchmajiggly code, the squiggly-wiggly thing to take you to their website, but they can't print it on the label.

Dave's BrewFarm Granade Blanche

Dave's BrewFarm Grenade Blanche. 6.7% ABV. Pils malt fermented with a wit yeast and a late addition of pomegranate juice. Yum, yum, let's have some.

Brilliant golden hue, booming white head, slims down slowly, looking good.

Aroma: The hallmarks of a witbier are here, slightly sweet, airy, wheat, with a twist of tart. Little touch of funk and fruit.

Taste: Light-bodied, lean, smooth and with just the slightest bit of fruit. Little tart, little sweet. It's another odd amalgam in this one, the yeast from one style of ale, and the malt from another. "How about if we make a witbier without wheat", wonders Farmer Dave, "and what if we used pilsner malt with ale yeast?" What if, he wonders. You get a very clean malt base, with a touch of the wit flavors and a flash of the fruit. Small splash of spice, as well.

It's another nice experiment, but there is a bit of a clash. I won't call it a failed experiment, but it didn't quite hang together the way I'd like it to.

Indeed LSD Honey Ale

Nearly five years after this was first posted,
here is LSD, now called Lavender, Sunflower
Honey and Dates (thanks, Federal Government!)
in it's current form. It's still just as good. 

Here's one that we tapped a few days ago, and I'm just getting to a pint of it today. I bought a bottle some time ago, but am holding on to it. And I've had this beer in a previous version, when Josh created it for Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery. MTHB owner Pete Rifakes was kind enough to allow Josh to brew it at Indeed, and keep the name and recipe. The L stands for Lavender, the S for Sunflower honey, and the D for dates. LSD from Indeed. It's very innocent, nothing any stoner would be interested in. We swear.

Time to get into this pint....

Gorgeous amber coloring, nearing on orange, reaching towards crimson, with a lasting, creamy, off-white head. Looks great.

Aroma is heavenly, honestly. Absurdly floral and perfumey. Ridiculously lovely. Some of the other ingredients, the dates and honey,  lurk below. Devastatingly pretty nose.

Taste: Spices hang hardest over a medium bodied ale. There's sweetness aplenty, and not much in the way of bitter. Hops have a small role to play here, and malts stand their ground, and keep it all solid. The extra ingredients take care of the flavor, and it's a taste that nearly can't be described. Dark fruits, honey, and beautiful botanicals make something terrifically tasty, utterly unheard of, has to be tasted to be believed. Not too strong, either, just the slightest buzz going on.

Now, we will go back in time, and look at what I first wrote when I took a growler of this home from Town Hall, back in October of 2009. Spoiler alert: you may find some thoughts and phrases repeated, although I did not read the old review before writing the new one. Also it should be noted that this brew won a silver  medal for Town Hall at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, in the herbal ale category.



Here goes: "LSD

Hazy copper hue, standard beige head o' foam.

Aroma is absolutely unheard of...floral, herbal, sweet, and singing. The loveliness of lavender and honey (sunflower honey, no less) kept in check with the depth of dates. That's got to be it. It's gorgeous. Sublime.

Now, to drink,...soft and supple. Lean-bodied, but with a strong flavor and a lasting finish. Lean texture, too, but the combinant flavors are so well integrated and make such a beautiful blend, it's a darned near perfect mix.

While this is sweet, delicious, super-tasty, yum, yum...I'm missing my hops."

I am missing my hops. But I'm very happy with the beer, and highly recommend it's loveliness to all.

Half Acre Ginger Twins India-style Red Ale

Half Acre Ginger Twin India-style Red Ale. This makes Chicago Beer #6. One of my small regrets about the trip was not taking home more Half Acre beers. I wrongly assumed I'd see them in stores we would visit on the way out, and was disappointed that only the cans were found at Binny's, some of which weren't of interest to me. This is the one bomber I bought at the store adjacent to the taproom. Only bought one, because I could only fit so many bottles in my bag as we bounced from bar to bar.

Enough of that, let's get to the beer. What else can we learn before opening? 6.5 % ALC. by Vol. There's the name, the address, the website, the legal obligations, and no gobbledygook whatsoever. Let's crack it!

It's a rich, deep red with a lush, creamy head, looking great, simply lovely.

Aroma: Ah, beautiful hops! High hop bitterness, piney touches amid grapefruity breezes. What are they? Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial? Cascade?
How'd I do? Probably wrong, I know…It's a righteous mix, whatever it is.

Taste: there we go, there it is, very expressive hop blend bursting on the palate, then softly fading into the malt. Great balance, everything evenly matched. Could it be maltier? Maybe, but no, that'd be too much. Could it be hopper? Yes, but then it might end up being Surly Furious.

Terrifically drinkable, and totally tasty. Mmmm, this rolls around the palate, and gets down, stays comfortable

This is great stuff. I could drink it all day long. Now I'm regretting not getting more of their other beers, but not getting more of this.

Revolution Rosa Hibiscus Ale

Am I still keeping track of which beers are Chicago beers? The Gumball Head

was bought on the trip, so it's #3, and the Brewery Vivant, though from Michican, was bought in suburban Chicago, so that's #4. Which makes Rosa from Revolution Chicago beer #5. And here we go…

Revolution Rosa Hibiscus Ale. Ale Brewed with Spices. 5.8% ABV. Revolution Beer LLC, Chicago, IL.

Here's one I know I tasted in Chicago last week, didn't have a full glass, but took a sip out of someone else's. They didn't like theirs. I thought it wouldn't hurt to get a can, and try it out for myself.

Hard to describe this color. Rosy, sure. Not quite pink, and not quite red. a lush crimson, quite beautiful. Small, pink head.

Aroma: slightly sweet and floral, but mostly blase' and banal.

Taste: okay, what have we here? Is it a wheat brew? It's light bodied, fairly innocuous, and not without some charm, but not with much. Pleasant, fruity, but missing anything to keep my interest. Clearly, this beer was not meant for me, but it's got to be making someone happy, if they're still brewing it.

Here's how they describe it on the Revolution brewpub menu: "Tart summer ale infused with 20 lbs of Hibiscus flowers and touch of orange pee. Elegantly refreshing and defiantly delicious."

The Bruery Sour in the Rye

The Bruery Sour in the Rye. Been sitting in the Dedicated Beer Fridge for months. tonight's the night. Gonna be all right. Ain't no body gonna stop me now.

Sour rye ale aged in oak barrels. Deliciously sour, bursting with spicy rye notes and hints of oak from the barrels it was aged within.

Clear, copper/amber coloring, slim to no head, small ring of white foam.

Aroma: Ah! Belgian wild, Belgian funk, Belgian sour, all up in here. A little bit of fruit, but so much of the above. Whoa! Ahhh. It's everything you wanted, and more.

Taste: hot bite of sour up front, nothing but the tart, crazy tart, funky tart, wild tart. Lean body, clean flavor, continual bite after bite, with a slightly spicy malt kick. Cherry and berry, a little apple, with a vinegar twist. Big and bountiful, lean and funky, all that in one. Deeee-licious.

Bright, flush, fervent flavor. Resounding sourness. Belongs up there with the best of them. Wow. This is a wicked, wonderful mess. Love it.

Lawson's Finest Liquids Toast Black IPA

I can't remember what Vermont beers were famous prior to the past couple years. Were there any? Magic Hat, maybe, but they were not necessarily respected. Now we have three breweries that are making a claim for that small state to be a major brewing center. A recent thread on BeerAdvocate.com asked what the IPA capitol of the world was and so many were calling for Vermont to be the winner, based on the single output of The Alchemist (Heady Topper), and the many IPAs from two breweries, Hill Farmstead and Lawson's Finest Liquids. The average, day-to-day beer consumer would have no knowledge of these breweries, without paying close attention to the lists of the highest ranking beers on the beer geek websites.
In that previously mentioned thread about this IPA capitol, one BA member admitted that he had not had any IPA from Hill Farmstead, but nominated it's city as the Capital of IPAs based on other BAs reviews.  Because of one brewery, which has incredibly limited distribution? And only gets around from trader to trader?

And now I hold in my hand a bottle from Lawson's of Warren, Vermont. I got this when I offered up a rare Surly Darkness glass to a BA member, in exchange for some bottle of goodness. He went back to his car, and brought the bottle, asking me, "Do you like Lawson's?" Well, honestly, I don't know, I've never tried one, and I would never had, if I weren't a trader…which I currently am not. I am so out of touch with the beer world. So shameful. Why am I not tracking down every over-hyped IPA that all the hypers are hyping about? All those old IPAs that the old breweries released so long ago are just old, old, old...

Nonetheless…let us open it up and see what we can see…

Blackest blackness…voluminous head, large and lacy, sending tannish tendrils hither and yon…lovely looking beer.

Aroma: we have some grassy hops here, lively and citrus-y, with dark, black malts below. Just so sweet, and a smattering of bitter. well done. Very nice. Good and hoppy.

Taste: Here we have it, again. All that bright, forward, grassy hop character, just hanging above. It's a drinker, not too strong (5.9% ABV), plenty drinkable. Some roast, some toast, but hoppy bitterness more than that, rising far above the black malts. No real cocoa or caramel, just your basic dark malts. (I'm saying this without knowing what the ingredients are, just guessing.)

Tasty stuff, good integration, excellent balance. This is the "Black IPA"/ "Cascadian Dark"/ Black Ale done right. It's all good in the neighborhood.

Here are some words from the label" "With this beer, I raise a toast to an original brewing pioneer, Greg Noonan. Brewed with the finest pale malt, toasted barley, toasted rye, de-bittered black & where malts, along with layers of dank earthy hops. I hope you enjoy this dark hoppy delight.--Sean. 5.9% alc/vol." Straight from the Green Mountains to your head."

Every bit as good as all the best Black IPAs out there. As this is the First Lawson's brew I've had, I still haven't the slightest clue whether their output is worth all the hype. Hey, if you could trade Dave's BrewFarm beers as easily, maybe folks would say the same about them.

Actually, the better question would be If They Brewed IPAs, would the beer geeks beat the untrodden, snowy path to their backwoods door? What if Lawson's, or Hill Farmstead, or The Alchemist, never brewed an IPA? Would we have heard of any of them? If they only made Belgian Styles, or English styles, and didn't traffic in hops? Would they have made any impact with their kolsches, and amber ales, and bocks?

I wonder….

Tommyknocker Butt Head Doppelbock

Here's a quandary. I received some samples recently, including this one, and it raised some questions. Why does this bottle merely call it a "bock lager" and not a doppelbock? Looking on their listing on BeerAdvocate, there is no change. And the alcohol is still 8.2 % by volume. Did some prevailing wisdom decide it is best not to call it a doppelbock, for some reason or another?

Never mind. I had this 22 ounce bottle, and I'm looking back at my notes from a 12 ounce bottle back in November, 2003. Here we go...


Appearance: deep, dark brown color, hinting on violet, almost prunish, even, with a short, quick head.

Aroma: vibrant and fruity (grapes, raisins, dates), very nice.

Taste: big mouthfeel, warm, generous texture, and overloaded with malt. Very little hops that I can taste. Syrupy sweet at times, thickly coated, almost medicinal. Halfway in, that large presence on the palate seriously thins out, still substantial, but losing some ground.

 Overall, though, the bright, fruity flavor, with the ample alcoholic content, provides sufficient punch and rings in on every subsequent swallow, making this a very satisfactory, memorable doppelbock.