Items of Interest II

Wow, it's been a while.

Here are the best and worst beers I've had since the last time I told you of such things.


Most enjoyable:
June -

Flossmoor Station Mango IPA
Three Floyds Dark Lord (enjoyed the 2011 more than the '09 or '10)
Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Hop Harvest
Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale

July -

Two Brothers Long Haul Session Ale
Dogfish Head Burton Baton (will make my top ten for the year)
Amalgamated Helles Lager
Bruery Hottenroth

August -
Arcadia Double Black IPA with Ghost Chiles)
Urban Chestnut Half Crown
Wexford Irish Cream Ale
Cains Best Bitter

September -
Goose Island Dominique
Surly Bitter Brewer
Surly Furious
Victory Festbier

October -
Buffalo Brewing Rye IPA
Boddingtons (what can I say? I love the stuff)
Fullers London Pride
Six Row Double IPA


Worst Beers over the last few months:
Sam Adams Coastal Wheat
Grand Teton Bitch ESB
Twisted Pine Hoppy Boy
A-B Red Fox Amber Ale
Urban Chestnut Hopfen

ENORMOUS UPDATE

8/23/2011 Octoberfest Sam Adams (Boston Beer Co.) Massachusetts, USA Marzen 5.30%

8/24/2011 Snake Dog IPA Flying Dog Maryland, USA American IPA 7.10%

8/25/2011 Schlafly American Pale Ale St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA American Pale Ale ?

8/26/2011 Schlafly American IPA St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA American IPA 7.20%

8/27/2011 Cutthroat Porter Odell Brewing Company Colorado, USA American Porter 5.10%

8/28/2011 Schild Brau Amber Millstream Brewing Co Iowa, USA Vienna Lager 5.00%

8/29/2011 Hopfen Urban Chestnut Brewing Missouri, USA Belgian IPA 6.20%

8/30/2011 Hemp Hop Rye O'Fallon Brewery Missouri, USA American Amber / Red Ale 5.50%

8/31/2011 Bob's 47 Oktoberfest Boulevard Brewing, Co Missouri, USA Vienna Lager 5.80%

9/1/2011 Dominique Goose Island Illinois, USA American Wild Ale 8.50%

9/2/2011 Bitter Brewer Surly Brewing Company Minnesota, USA English Bitter 4.00%

9/3/2011 Black Hemp O'Fallon Brewery Missouri, USA American Black Ale 5.80%

9/4/2011 Furious Surly Brewing Company Minnesota, USA American IPA 6.20%

9/5/2011 Flashback Boulder Brewing Company Colorado, USA American Black Ale 6.88%

9/6/2011 Hazed and Infused Boulder Brewing Company Colorado, USA American Pale Ale 4.85%

9/7/2011 Pabst Blue Ribbon Pabst Brewing Company Illinois, USA American Adjunct Lager 4.74%

9/8/2011 Centennial Rye Six Row Brewing Co. Missouri, USA Rye Beer ?

9/9/2011 Shiner Bock Spoetzl Brewery Texas, USA Bock 4.40%

9/10/2011 Schlafly American Brown Ale St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA American Brown Ale ?

9/11/2011 Wheach O'Fallon Brewery Missouri, USA Fruit/Vegetable Beer 5.10%

9/12/2011 Rare Vos Brewery Ommegang New York, USA Belgian Pale Ale 6.50%

9/13/2011 Black Licorice Lager Short's Brewing Company Michigan USA Euro Dark Lager 8.00%

9/14/2011 Zoigl Amalgamated Brewing Co. Missouri, USA American Pale Lager 5.00%

9/15/2011 Oktoberfestbier Ur-Marzen Spaten-Franziskaner Brau Germany Marzen 5.90%

9/16/2011 Honkers Ale Goose Island Illinois, USA English Bitter 4.20%

9/17/2011 Stag Pabst Brewing Company Illinois, USA American Adjunct Lager 5.20%

9/18/2011 Pumpkin Ale O'Fallon Brewery Missouri, USA Pumpkin Ale 5.50%

9/19/2011 Dos Equis Special Lager Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, SA de VB Mexico American Adjunct Lager 5.00%

9/20/2011 Zwickel Urban Chestnut Brewing Missouri, USA Keller Bier / Zwickel Bier 4.80%

9/21/2011 Coffee Bender Surly Brewing Company Minnesota, USA American Brown Ale 5.10%

9/22/2011 Seven (#7) Upright Brewing Oregon, USA Saison 8.00%

9/23/2011 Anniversary Ale Short's Brewing Company Michigan USA Wheatwine 10.00%

9/24/2011 Imperial Spruce India Pilsener Short's Brewing Company Michigan USA Imperial Pilsener 7.15%

9/25/2011 The Magician Short's Brewing Company Michigan USA Irish Red Ale 6.00%

9/26/2011 Huma-Lupa-Licious Short's Brewing Company Michigan USA American IPA 6.90%

9/27/2011 Oktoberfest Great Lakes Brewing Co. Ohio, USA Marzen 6.50%

9/28/2011 Festbier Victory Brewing Co Pennsylvania, USA Marzen 5.60%

9/29/2011 St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck NV Belgium Gueuze 5.00%

9/30/2011 The Golden Rule Short's Brewing Company Michigan USA English IPA 5.80%

10/1/2011 Pumpkin Ale Trailhead Brewing Company Missouri, USA Pumpkin Ale ?

10/2/2011 Uncle Steve's Irish Stout Short's Brewing Company Michigan USA Irish Dry Stout 5.50%

10/3/2011 Schlafly Barleywine St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA American Barleywine 10.20%

10/4/2011 Winged Nut Urban Chestnut Brewing Missouri, USA Herbed/Spiced Beer 6.50%

10/5/2011 Classic Pilsner Square One Brewery Missouri, USA German Pilsener ?

10/6/2011 Rye IPA Buffalo Brewing Company Missouri, USA American IPA 6.50%

10/7/2011 Schlafly Pilsner St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA German Pilsener 4.80%

10/8/2011 Heart of Gold Perennial Artisan Ales Missouri, USA Wheatwine 10.00%

10/9/2011 Busch Anhueser-Busch Inc. Missouri, USA American Adjunct Lager 4.60%

10/10/2011 DIPA Six Row Brewing Co. Missouri, USA Double IPA 8.00%

10/11/2011 Maple Stout Square One Brewery Missouri, USA American Stout ?

10/12/2011 Raspberry Stout St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA American Stout ?

10/13/2011 Boddingtons Pub Ale Boddingtons England, UK English Pale Ale 4.70%

10/14/2011 Pre-Prohibition Pilsner Six Row Brewing Co. Missouri, USA German Pilsener ?

10/15/2011 Harvest Ale Goose Island Illinois, USA Extra Special Bitter 5.60%

10/16/2011 Rum Aged Porter Amalgamated Brewing Co. Missouri, USA American Porter ?

10/17/2011 Key Lime Pie Short's Brewing Company Michigan USA Fruit/Vegetable Beer 5.75%

10/18/2011 Doublewide IPA Boulevard Brewing, Co Missouri, USA Double IPA 8.50%

10/19/2011 Porter St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA American Porter ?

10/20/2011 Light Squared Square One Brewery Missouri, USA American Blonde Ale ?

10/21/2011 La Dalmatienne Brasserie Fantome Belgium Saison 8.00%

10/22/2011 Batch 10,000 Bell's Brewing Michigan USA American Strong Ale 9.20%

10/23/2011 Fuller's London Pride Fuller Smith & Turner PLC England, UK English Pale Ale 4.70%

10/24/2011 Sawtooth Left Hand Brewing Colorado, USA Extra Special Bitter 5.30%

10/25/2011 Hangin' Frank Short's Brewing Company Michigan USA American IPA 5.50%

10/26/2011 Black Lager Amalgamated Brewing Co. Missouri, USA Schwarzbier ?

10/27/2011 Levitation Stone Brewing California, USA American Amber / Red Ale 4.40%

10/28/2011 Bud Light Anhueser-Busch Inc. Missouri, USA Light Lager 4.20%

10/29/2011 Schlafly Hop Harvest St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA American IPA 6.70%

10/30/2011 Saison - Brett Boulevard Brewing, Co Missouri, USA Saison 8.50%

10/31/2011 Kick New Belgium Colorado, USA Fruit/Vegetable Beer 8.50%

11/1/2011 Holzrauch Urban Chestnut Brewing Missouri, USA Rauchbier 5.40%

11/2/2011 Ray Hill's American Pilsner Weston Brewing Company Missouri, USA American Adjunct Lager ?

11/3/2011 Strawberry Short's Cake Short's Brewing Company Michigan USA Fruit/Vegetable Beer 5.00%

11/4/2011 Schlafly 80 Shilling St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA Scottish Ale 4.15%

MASSIVE UPDATE #3

6/3/2011 Reinaert Wild Ale De Proefbrouwerij Belgium Belgian Strong Pale Ale 9.00%
6/4/2011 Northwest Passage Flat Earth Brewing Co Minnesota, USA American IPA 6.50%
6/5/2011 Sanctification Russian River Brewing Co. California, USA American Wild Ale 6.75%
6/6/2011 Foster's Premium Ale Foster's Group Ltd. Australia Extra Special Bitter 5.50%
6/7/2011 Mango IPA Flossmoor Station Illinois, USA American IPA 7.70%
6/8/2011 Cabin Fever New Glarus Brewing Wisconsin, USA Maibock 6.00%
6/9/2011 Thumbprint IIPA New Glarus Brewing Wisconsin, USA Double IPA 9.00%
6/10/2011 Robert Johnson's Hellhound On My Ale Dogfish Head Delaware, USA Double IPA 10.00%
6/11/2011 Dark Lord Three Floyds Brewing Co. Illinois, USA Russian Imperial Stout 15.00%
6/12/2011 Smoke Surly Brewing Company Minnesota, USA Baltic Porter 8.20%
6/13/2011 Bateman's XXXB George Bateman & Son England, UK Extra Special Bitter 4.80%
6/14/2011 Tilted Smile Uinta Brewing Company Utah, USA Imperial Pilsener 9.00%
6/15/2011 Honey Rye Lake Placid Pub & Brewery New York, USA Rye Beer ?
6/16/2011 San Miguel Premium Lager San Miguel Corporation Philippines American Adjunct Lager 5.00%
6/17/2011 Festina Peche Dogfish Head Delaware, USA Berliner Weissbier 4.50%
6/18/2011 Michelob Amber Bock AB-Inbev Missouri, USA Bock 5.20%
6/19/2011 Tallgrass IPA Tallgrass Brewing Co. Kansas, USA American IPA 6.30%
6/20/2011 Hobgoblin Wychwood Brewery England, UK English Brown Ale 5.20%
6/21/2011 Coastal Wheat Sam Adams (Boston Beer Co.) Massachusetts, USA American Pale Wheat Ale 5.30%
6/22/2011 Coffee Stout New Glarus Brewing Wisconsin, USA American Stout 5.75%
6/23/2011 Summer Honey Big Sky Montana, USA American Pale Ale 4.70%
6/24/2011 2XIPA Southern Tier New York, USA Double IPA 8.20%
6/25/2011 Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale Sierra Nevada California, USA American IPA 6.70%
6/26/2011 Blackheart Three Floyds Brewing Co. Indiana, USA English IPA 9.00%
6/27/2011 Lake Erie Monster Great Lakes Brewing Co. Ohio, USA Double IPA 9.10%
6/28/2011 Double Crooked Tree Dark Horse Brewing Michigan USA Double IPA 13.60%
6/29/2011 Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale Kuichi Brewery Japan Belgian Strong Pale Ale 7.00%
6/30/2011 Dark Truth Boulevard Brewing, Co Missouri, USA American Imperial Stout 9.70%
7/1/2011 The Bitter End Pale Ale Two Brothers Illinois, USA American Pale Ale 5.20%
7/2/2011 Long Haul Session Ale Two Brothers Illinois, USA English Bitter 4.20%
7/3/2011 Kostritzer Kostritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei GmbH & Co. Germany Schwarzbier 4.80%
7/4/2011 Lost Continent Grand Teton Brewing Co. Idaho, USA Double IPA 8.00%
7/5/2011 Burton Baton Dogfish Head Delaware, USA Double IPA 10.00%
7/6/2011 Bitch Creek ESB Grand Teton Brewing Co. Idaho, USA American Brown Ale 6.00%
7/7/2011 Holiday Porter Sam Adams (Boston Beer Co.) Massachusetts, USA American Porter 5.80%
7/8/2011 Hoppy Boy Twisted Pine Brewing Co. Colorado, USA American IPA 6.20%
7/9/2011 Faro Brouwerij Lindemans Belgium Faro 4.20%
7/10/2011 Schlafly Kolsch St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA Kolsch 4.50%
7/11/2011 Stranger Left Hand Brewing Colorado, USA American Pale Ale 5.00%
7/12/2011 Juliet Goose Island Illinois, USA American Wild Ale 6.70%
7/13/2011 Eliot Ness Great Lakes Brewing Co. Ohio, USA Vienna Lager 6.20%
7/14/2011 Pride & Joy Three Floyds Brewing Co. Indiana, USA American Pale Ale 5.00%
7/15/2011 Schlafly Summer Lager St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA Munich Helles Lager 4.50%
7/16/2011 Budweiser Select AB-Inbev Missouri, USA Light Lager 4.30%
7/17/2011 Alimony Ale Buffalo Bill's Brewery California, USA American IPA 6.80%
7/18/2011 Lake Superior ESB Arcadia Brewing Company Michigan USA Extra Special Bitter 5.50%
7/19/2011 Sparkling Ale Coopers Brewery Limited Australia English Pale Ale 5.80%
7/20/2011 Newcastle Brown Ale Caledonian Brewery Co. LTD Scotland, UK English Brown Ale 4.70%
7/21/2011 Red Fox Amber Ale AB-Inbev Missouri, USA American Amber / Red Ale ?
7/22/2011 Shipyard Export Shipyard Brewing Co. Maine, USA American Blonde Ale 5.00%
7/23/2011 Gold O'Fallon Brewery Missouri, USA American Blonde Ale 4.90%
7/24/2011 Ranger New Belgium Colorado, USA American IPA 6.50%
7/25/2011 Schlafly Weissbier St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA Hefeweizen 4.90%
7/26/2011 Stable Helles Lager Amalgamated Brewing Co. Missouri, USA Munich Helles Lager 4.50%
7/27/2011 Porter Southern Tier New York, USA American Porter 5.20%
7/28/2011 Premium Dunkel Warsteiner Brauerei Germany Munich Dunkel Lager 4.90%
7/29/2011 Billy's Chilies Twisted Pine Brewing Co. Colorado, USA Chile Beer ?
7/30/2011 Bud Light Lime AB-Inbev Missouri, USA Light Lager 4.20%
7/31/2011 Hottenroth The Bruery California, USA Berliner Weissbier 3.10%
8/1/2011 IPA Southampton Publik House New York, USA American IPA 6.50%
8/2/2011 1554 Enlightened Black Ale New Belgium Colorado, USA Belgian Dark Ale 5.60%
8/3/2011 Secret Ale Southampton Publik House New York, USA Altbier 5.00%
8/4/2011 Singlewide IPA Boulevard Brewing, Co Missouri, USA American IPA 5.70%
8/5/2011 Bud Ice AB-Inbev Missouri, USA American Adjunct Lager 5.50%
8/6/2011 Schlafly Oatmeal Stout St. Louis Brewery Missouri, USA Oatmeal Stout 5.70%
8/7/2011 Wexford Irish Cream Ale Greene King England, UK English Bitter 5.00%
8/8/2011 Bass Pale Ale Bass Breweries Limited England, UK English Pale Ale 5.00%
8/9/2011 Small Animal Big Machine Half Acre Beer Co. Illinois, USA Fruit/Vegetable Beer 8.50%
8/10/2011 Skyscraper Tin Mill Brewing Missouri, USA German Pilsener 5.00%
8/11/2011 Double Black IPA (w/ Ghost Chilies) Arcadia Brewing Company Michigan USA American Black Ale ?
8/12/2011 Premium Golden Pilsner Griesedieck Brothers Brewery Missouri, USA German Pilsener 5.20%
8/13/2011 Big Bison Ale Crown Valley Brewing Missouri, USA Dubbel 7.20%
8/14/2011 Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale Boulevard Brewing, Co Missouri, USA Saison 8.00%
8/15/2011 90 Shilling Ale Odell Brewing Company Colorado, USA Scottish Ale 5.50%
8/16/2011 Iowa Pale Ale Millstream Brewing Co Iowa, USA American Pale Ale 5.70%
8/17/2011 Myrcenary Double IPA Odell Brewing Company Colorado, USA Double IPA 9.30%
8/18/2011 Half Crown Urban Chestnut Brewing Missouri, USA American IPA 4.00%
8/19/2011 Cains Best Bitter Robert Cain & Company Ltd. England, UK English Bitter 4.00%
8/20/2011 Hell Surly Brewing Company Minnesota, USA Keller Bier / Zwickel Bier 5.10%
8/21/2011 Mexican Logger Ska Brewing Colorado, USA American Pale Lager 4.20%
8/22/2011 Cains Dark Mild Robert Cain & Company Ltd. England, UK English Dark Mild Ale 3.20%

Items of Interest

Once again, apologies for going ghost on my blog.

Here are the top 4 beers I had for March, April, and May.

March -
De Proefbrouwerij Les Deux Brasseurs Ale
Half Acre Daisy Cutter
Lost Abbey Red Poppy
Stillwater/Mikkeller Our Side

April -
Wychwood Brewery King Goblin
Three Floyds Alpha King
Brouwerij Giradin Black Label 1882 Gueuze
New Belgium La Terroir

May -
Three Floyds Gumballhead
Ballast Point Sculpin
Genesee Cream Ale (especially for $3.99 a six pack)
Sierra Nevada Best Bitter


The worst beers I've had in the last three months:
Hamm's Golden Draft
Leinenkugel Honey Weiss
Baltika #7
Williams Brothers Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale

MASSIVE UPDATE #2

4/21/2011 Noble Pils Boston Brewing Co. Massachusetts, USA German Pilsner 4.90%

4/22/2011 Baby Tree Pretty Things Massachusetts, USA Quad 9.00%

4/23/2011 Original Lager Yeungling Brewery Pennsylvania, USA American Amber Lager 4.40%

4/24/2011 Pilsner Urquell Plzensky Prazdroj Czech Republic Czech Lager 4.40%

4/25/2011 Hefeweissbier Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan Germany Hefeweizen 5.40%

4/26/2011 Expedition Stout Bell's Brewing Michigan USA Russian Imperial Stout 10.50%

4/27/2011 Burger Classic Hudepohl-Schoenling Ohio, USA American Adjunct Lager ?

4/28/2011 Korbinian Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan Germany Doppelbock 7.40%

4/29/2011 Oarsman Bell's Brewing Michigan USA American Pale Wheat Ale 4.00%

4/30/2011 Newaygo County Cherry Founders Brewing Michigan USA Fruit/Vegetable Beer 7.00%

5/1/2011 Over Ale Half Acre Beer Co. Illinois, USA American Brown Ale 6.00%

5/2/2011 Krankshaft Kolsch Metropolitan Brewing Illinois, USA Kolsch 5.00%

5/3/2011 Ginger Twin Half Acre Beer Co. Illinois, USA American Amber / Red Ale 6.50%

5/4/2011 Robust Porter Smuttynose Brewing Co. New Hampshire, USA American Porter 5.70%

5/5/2011 Hop Czar Bridgeport Oregon, USA Double IPA 7.50%

5/6/2011 Gumballhead Three Floyds Brewing Co. Indiana, USA American Pale Wheat Ale 5.50%

5/7/2011 Golden Cap New Holland Brewing Co. Michigan USA Saison 6.25%

5/8/2011 Indica IPA Lost Coast Brewery California, USA American IPA 6.50%

5/9/2011 Scurvy Tyranena Brewing Co. Wisconsin, USA American IPA 6.50%

5/10/2011 Smoked Chipotle Porter Stone Brewing California, USA American Porter 5.90%

5/11/2011 Honey Weiss Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co Wisconsin, USA Kristalweizen 4.90%

5/12/2011 Iron Works Metropolitan Brewing Illinois, USA Altbier 5.80%

5/13/2011 Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale Lagunitas California, USA American Strong Ale 9.70%

5/14/2011 Baltika #7 Baltic Beverages Holding Russia Dortmunder Lager 5.40%

5/15/2011 Old Foghorn Anchor Brewing Company California, USA English Barleywine 8.80%

5/16/2011 Cane & Ebel Two Brothers Illinois, USA Rye Beer 7.00%

5/17/2011 Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale Williams Brothers Brewing Co Scotland, UK Scottish Gruit 6.50%

5/18/2011 Sculpin Ballast Point California, USA American IPA 7.00%

5/19/2011 Four Upright Brewing Oregon, USA Saison 4.50%

5/20/2011 Landshark Lager Margaritaville Brewing Co. Florida, USA American Adjunct Lager 4.70%

5/21/2011 Genesee Cream Ale Genesee Brewing Co. New York, USA Cream Ale 5.20%

5/22/2011 Hamm's Golden Draft Hamm's Illinois, USA American Adjunct Lager ?

5/23/2011 Dogtown Pale Ale Lagunitas California, USA American Pale Ale 6.10%

5/24/2011 Meantime Coffee Porter Meantime Brewing England, UK English Porter 6.00%

5/25/2011 Session Black Full Sail Brewing Oregon, USA Schwarzbier 5.40%

5/26/2011 Samael's Ale Avery Brewing Company Colorado, USA English Barleywine 14.50%

5/27/2011 Mother's Milk Keegan Ales New York, USA Milk Stout 6.00%

5/28/2011 Two Women New Glarus Brewing Wisconsin, USA German Pilsner 5.00%

5/29/2011 Snowshoe Red Ale New Glarus Brewing Wisconsin, USA American Amber / Red Ale 5.70%

5/30/2011 Best Bitter Sierra Nevada California, USA English Bitter 4.60%

5/31/2011 Klisch Pilsner Beer Lakefront Brewery Wisconsin, USA German Pilsner 5.42%

6/1/2011 Meat Wave Half Acre Beer Co. Illinois, USA English IPA

6/2/2011 Milwaukee's Best Ice Miller Wisconsin, USA American Adjunct Lager

MASSIVE UPDATE

Wow, I am a slacker. It's been almost two months since I updated the blog. I'm very sorry.

Here is a list of all the beers I've had since my last update. I'll get into more detail with the best ones in my next post.

3/5/2011 Grieskirchner Pils Brauerei Grieskirchen AG Austria German Pilsner 4.80%

3/6/2011 Budweiser Chelada AB-Inbev Missouri, USA Fruit/Vegetable Beer 5.00%

3/7/2011 Chocolate Bock Sam Adams Massachusetts, USA Bock 5.80%

3/8/2011 Saison N0gne Norway Saison 6.50%

3/9/2011 Moon Man New Glarus Brewing Wisconsin, USA American Pale Ale 5.00%

3/10/2011 IPA Harpoon Massachusetts, USA American IPA 5.90%

3/11/2011 Budweiser AB-Inbev Missouri, USA American Adjunct Lager 5.00%

3/12/2011 Old Speckled Hen Greene King England, UK English Pale Ale 5.20%

3/13/2011 Stone Soup New Glarus Brewing Wisconsin, USA Belgian Pale Ale 5.30%

3/14/2011 Fat Squirrel New Glarus Brewing Wisconsin, USA English Brown Ale 5.80%

3/15/2011 Derek's Homebrew Mulder Inc. Illinois, USA Delicious Homebrew ?

3/16/2011 Les Deux Brasseurs Ale De Proefbrouwerij Belgium Belgian Strong Pale Ale 8.50%

3/17/2011 Flower Power Ithaca Brewing New York, USA American IPA 7.50%

3/18/2011 Anchor Small Beer Anchor Brewing Company California, USA English Bitter 3.30%

3/19/2011 Apricot Wheat Ithaca Brewing New York, USA Fruit/Vegetable Beer 4.90%

3/20/2011 Aprihop Dogfish Head Delaware, USA American IPA 7.00%

3/21/2011 Porter Founders Brewing Michigan USA Porter 6.50%

3/22/2011 Ambrosia Half Acre Beer Co. Illinois, USA American Pale Wheat Ale 6.00%

3/23/2011 ESB Special Ale Ska Brewing Colorado, USA Extra Special Bitter 5.70%

3/24/2011 Our Side Stillwater / Mikkeller Maryland, USA Saison 7.50%

3/25/2011 Imperial Porter Southampton Publik House New York, USA American Porter 7.20%

3/26/2011 Daisy Cutter Half Acre Beer Co. Illinois, USA American Pale Ale 5.20%

3/27/2011 Red Poppy Lost Abbey California, USA Flanders Oud Bruin 5.50%

3/28/2011 Saranac Irish Stout Matt Brewing Company New York, USA Irish Dry Stout 5.50%

3/29/2011 Anchor Steam Beer Anchor Brewing Company California, USA Steam Beer 4.90%

3/30/2011 400 Pound Monkey Left Hand Brewing Colorado, USA English IPA 6.70%

3/31/2011 Foreign Extra Stout Guinness Ltd. Ireland Export Stout 7.50%

4/1/2011 Labatt Blue Labatt Brewing Company Ontario, Canada American Adjunct Lager 5.00%

4/2/2011 Baume Half Acre Beer Co. Illinois, USA American Stout 7.00%

4/3/2011 Bohemia Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, SA de VB Mexico German Pilsner 5.30%

4/4/2011 Longshot Blackened Hops Boston Brewing Co. Massachusetts, USA American Black Ale 7.00%

4/5/2011 La Terroir New Belgium Colorado, USA American Wild Ale 7.50%

4/6/2011 Mongo Port Brewing Company California, USA Double IPA 8.50%

4/7/2011 DAB Original DAB Germany Dortmunder Lager 5.00%

4/8/2011 King Goblin Wychwood Brewery England, UK Extra
Special Bitter 6.60%

4/9/2011 Alpha King Three Floyds Brewing Co. Indiana, USA American Pale Ale 6.50%

4/10/2011 Supper Club Capital Brewing Wisconsin, USA American Pale Lager 5.00%

4/11/2011 Asahi Super Dry Asahi Breweries Ltd. Japan Japanese Rice Lager 5.00%

4/12/2011 Dog's Bollocks Wychwood Brewey England, UK English Pale Ale 5.20%

4/13/2011 Third Coast Old Ale Bell's Brewing Michigan USA American Barleywine 10.20%

4/14/2011 Girardin Gueuze 1882 (Black Label) Brouwerij Girardin Belgium Gueuze 5.00%

4/15/2011 Longshot Friar Hop Boston Brewing Co. Massachusetts, USA Belgian IPA 9.00%

4/16/2011 Kristallweissbier Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan Germany Kristalweizen 5.40%

4/17/2011 Hefeweissbier Dunkel Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan Germany Dunkelweizen 5.30%

4/18/2011 Paddy Pale Ale Onion Pub & Brewery Illinois, USA American Pale Ale 5.60%

4/19/2011 Horizon Red Ale Summit Brewing Minnesota, USA American Amber / Red Ale 5.70%

4/20/2011 Original Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan Germany Munich Helles Lager 5.10%

2011 Day 63: Lakefront Snake Chaser

Name: Lakefront Snake Chaser

From: Lakefront Brewery, Wisconsin, USA
Type: Irish Dry Stout

Wow, I am still not even close to being caught up. Luckily, this beer is pretty uninteresting so I'll be able to move on quickly. I like Irish Stouts....even Guinness, which people love to hate on. This beer was a little too thick for the style in my opinion, and had a weird "homebrew" quality to the yeast. Lakefront is slowly losing credibility with me - only the IPA and ESB were ones I'd try again. Another "meh".

Day 62: Stone Old Guardian Barleywine (2010)

Name: Old Guardian Barleywine Style Ale 2010

From: Stone Brewing, California, USA

Type: American Barleywine

Man, this is another beer I have little say about. It's really malty and really hoppy. That's about all I can say. The booze is "hot" and I know you're supposed to age these types of beers for a few years, but that just isn't my style. If it's not ready to drink off the shelf, the brewers should keep them in their own cellars and then sell them when they're "ready". This wasn't bad, but I wasn't super excited either. I think I preferred Old Crustacean due to the ridiculous IBUs.

Day 61: New Glarus Spotted Cow

Name: Spotted Cow

From: New Glarus, Wisconsin, USA

Type: Cream Ale

Spotted Cow is the "flagship" beer for New Glarus. People love it in Chicago, and even non-beer nerds will go out of their way to pick up a case or two when they visit Wisconsin. Cream Ales are sort of a weird style...their ales, but they're often finished off with lager yeasts, and they're also made with adjuncts like corn. This beer definitely has qualities of both an ale and a lager. It has a fruitiness to it (from the yeast?), but you can also really taste the corn, which adds a sweetness to it. In some ways, it reminds me of a classy Budweiser with it's own special thing going on. Not my favorite beer from New Glarus, but it's interesting and tasty, and would be a perfect gateway beer for your friends who dislike strong flavors in IPAs or Stouts.

2011 Day 60 (March 1) Lakefront IPA

Name: Lakefront IPA

From: Lakefront Brewery, Wisconsin, USA

Type: American IPA

Ugh, I am way too far behind on my updates. I woke up this morning panicking a bit. Rest assured, the beer-a-day project lives on. Getting too backlogged is a real problem, because I often don't take any notes while drinking a beer, and just rely on my recent memory to review it. I had this one a full week ago, so I don't have much to say. I know I liked this beer, and compared it favorably to the other Lakefront brews I've tried, but I don't remember much else. So my apologies for the weak review, but like I said, this is a tasty brew worth trying.

February: The Month in Review

Another good month for beer!

Stats:

Beers reviewed this month: 28
Beers reviewed so far this year: 59
Styles tried this month (per BeerAdvocate): 23
Styles tried so far this year (per BeerAdvocate): 37
States represented this month: 12
States represented so far this year: 16
Countries represented this month: 5
Countries represented so far this year: 8

Best Beers of the Month: Hofbrau Dunkel, New Glarus Raspberry Tart, Stone Pale Ale

Beers to Avoid: Ithaca Cold Front, Captain Lawrence St. Vincent's Dubbel, Sam Adams Winter Lager

2011 Day 59: Metropolitan Dynamo Copper Lager

Name: Dynamo Copper Lager

From: Metropolitan Brewing, Illinois, USA

Type: Vienna Lager

Metropolitan is another local brewery here in Chicago. They're pretty ballsy - they do lagers and lagers only, which seems like a risky move in a beer market dominated by ales. Dynamo lager is pretty good - Vienna Lagers are a good, balanced style that are clean and crisp without having too much of that hay smell and taste you get out of some German style beers. This is refreshing and well-made, but it's not something I'd really seek out.

2011 Day 58: Upland Peach Lambic

Name: Peach Lambic
From: Upland Brewing Company, Indiana, USA
Type: Lambic - Fruit

My buddy Jason has an Oscar party every year, and while I don't particularly like the Oscars, it's always a great time. This year I got a nice surprise from another partygoer - Andrew, who brought a bottle of Peach Lambic. I'd heard good things about Upland, but had never had the chance to try any of their beers. I was surprised and delighted when he poured me a generous sample. This is a fabulous sour....it's got a real tang to it, without being overwhelming, and the peaches are very present, but not at all sweet. The usual sour funky leather/cobweb/dust smells are present, and the carbonation is perfect. I really liked this one, I'd love to visit this place to stock up on this, and their other sours.

2011 Day 57: Stone Pale Ale

Name: Pale Ale

From: Stone Brewing, California, USA

Type: American Pale Ale

Saturday night I went to Orbit Room to see my friend spin some reggae and soul tunes. While enjoying the music and some great conversations I knocked back a few Stone Pale Ales. I've had several Stone Beers, and for the most part I've been impressed, but never really "wowed". However, this one was a fantastic beer! I'm used to Stone beers being good, typical hoppy west coast style ales, but this beer reminded me more of an English pale ale in terms of the malt profile. Lots of caramel and toffee flavors, nice and rich to balance out all those tasty, bitter west coast hops. Originally I planned to have one, then switch to the $2 Blatz, but I just couldn't. Really enjoyable, a repeat buy for sure!

2011 Day 56: Revolution Working Woman Brown Ale

Name: Working Woman Brown
From: Revolution Brewing, Illinois, USA
Type: American Brown Ale

I've been looking forward to trying Revolution Brewing's beers for some time now. Almost all of the feedback I've heard has been "Great beer, great food". Katie and I had dinner there last night, and I sort of have mixed feelings about my experience. I'd hold off on my thoughts on the other brews, in case I make it back there this year, but the Working Woman brown was interesting, to say the least. I got it on cask - and it had a surprisingly dense and fluffy head for a cask ale, but the temperature was perfect for cellared beer, which I appreciated. I was shocked at the amount of citrus hops in the aroma and taste of this one. It reminded me much less of a brown ale and much more of a brown ipa....sort of like DFH's India Brown Ale. The bitterness wasn't very well balanced - the citrus sort of sat on top of all the other flavors, and left a long, lingering hop bitterness behind on the finish. Katie was drinking their First Anniversary ale (an India Black / American Black Ale) and the flavor profiles were VERY similar. I'd go back, but I was hoping for a little more from these guys.

2011 Day 55: Lakefront Organic ESB

Name: Organic ESB From: Lakefront Brewing, Wisconsin, IL Type: Extra Special Bitter (ESB)

I wasn't feeling well Thursday (or Wednesday to be honest), but I also wasn't going to let a little sickness ruin my beer a day quest. Because my nose was pretty stuffed up, I thought I'd go with something "ordinary" like an ESB. I like this style, but they're usually pretty mild and muted, which was what I wanted. Organic ESB is pretty good, certainly my favorite out of the Lakefront Beers I've tried so far. Nice and balanced, with earthy hops and a nod to the English brewing traditions. I'll have to try this one again at 100%, but I liked it, even a little under the weather.

2011 Day 54: Half Acre Callow Knife

Name: Callow Knife
From: Half Acre Beer Company, Illinois, USA
Type: American Pale Ale

This is a fantastic beer. Sadly, it's limited edition and they're not even bottling it, but if you live in Chicago you should get your hands on it while it's available. Callow Knife has a ridiculously fabulous hop aroma (they used new Citra and Falconer varieties) and enough malt backbone (I was told these were Belgian malts) to balance out the taste. Hoppy, but not overwhelming, and low ABV (4.2 I think) so you can have a few of these full-flavored beers without feeling wrecked. I wish Half Acre would consider brewing this on a regular basis, it's like Daisy Cutter's sexy older cousin.

2011 Day 53: Lakefront Fuel Cafe

Name: Fuel Cafe
Type: American Stout
From: Lakefront Brewing, Wisconsin, USA

Once again I'm behind on my posting, but not on my drinking. The last beer I reviewed was my 3rd Biere De Garde. This is my third coffee stout. This beer wasn't terrible, but was pretty weak. The coffee was too faint, and the roasted grains were a bit too bitter, and it didn't interact well with the bitterness of the coffee. Tasted like a pretty decent base beer, but all and all I wasn't super thrilled with this one. Better options out there.

2011 Day 52: Lakefront True Evel

Name: True Evel
From: Lakefront Brewing Company, Wisconsin, USA
Type: Biere De Garde

Hmmm....Mid-February and this is already my third Biere De Garde, which I consider to be a pretty under-represented style. Interesting. We visited Lakefront Brewery, hoping to catch a tour, but they were sold out for the day. So instead we grabbed some to go, including a 22oz bomber of "True Evel", a tribute beer to Evel Knievel. Why they decided to go with a French-style farmhouse ale to show their love for an American badass, I don't know. The most exciting thing about this beer was that I only paid $3 for the bomber. What a deal! The beer itself was only okay...the grain bill tasted similar to those found in German lagers, but the yeast did give it a slightly bubble-gummy quality that interacted well. Not even remotely funky (boo), but crisp and easy to drink. I wouldn't mind having another bottle around, at least not for $3!

2011 Day 51: Victory Yakima Glory

Name: Yakima Glory
From: Victory Brewing, Pennsylvania, USA
Type: American Black Ale

This is a relatively new style of beer - which BeerAdvocate has apparently dubbed "American Black Ale". I've also seen them called Black IPAs and Cascadian Dark Ales. Whatever you call it, they're malty, highly hopped brews. They seem like something I'd be really into. I love porters and stouts, and I love American IPAs. But I've never found one of these that really gets me going. Something about the interplay between the bitterness of the charred/roasted malts and the bitterness of the hops makes it sort of trying. Don't get me wrong, this is a well-done brew. The hops are complex and really come through in both aroma and taste, and it's balanced in a pleasing way, but the sum of the parts just isn't quite there for me. Certainly worth trying though.

2011 Day 50: Pull Chain Pail Ale

Name: Pull Chain Pale Ale From: Milwaukee Brewing Company, Wisconsin, USA Type: American Pale Ale

Alright, Day 50! Only 315 to go. We were in Milwaukee this weekend to see a live performance by most of the cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000. They go by Cinematic Titanic now, but it's the same concept. The show was great, and I really like Wisconsin. I took the opportunity to bring home some mixed cases of out-of-market beer, and also tried Pull Chain Pail Ale at a local brewpub. Terrible name aside, this is a pretty decent ale. Nice citrus hop notes and some caramel to balance it out. It had a tiny touch of the "homebrew taste" (i.e. off-flavors) but overall I came away happy.

2011 Day 49: Sam Adams Winter Lager

Name: Samuel Adams Winter Lager
From: Boston Brewing Company, Massachusetts, USA
Type: Bock

This is one of those beers I don't have much to say about. It's okay. A little chewy, with some spiciness to it. You wouldn't find me turning one away, but I wouldn't seek it out either. As the kids say these days, "meh".

2011 Day 48 - New Holland Envious

Name: Envious

From: New Holland Brewing Co, Michigan, USA

Type: Fruit Vegetable Beer

This was a good one! Smelled like a brown ale, with some raspberries in the nose, as well as brown sugar. Taste wasn't massively complex, but it was a well balanced beer. A little sweet, a little tart, (I expected more sourness) with the raspberries in the background, as well as some woodiness (I'm guessing from the oak aging). Nowhere near as good as the New Glarus Raspberry Tart, but a solid, tasty beer that has a few interesting things going on without any one of them overpowering the rest. I've heard really bad things about this one out of the bottle, but I had a draught, and enjoyed it very much.

2011 Day 47: Half Acre Gossamer Golden Ale

Name: Gossamer Golden Ale
From: Half Acre Beer Company, Illinois, USA
Type: American Blonde Ale

Half Acre is my local brewery. By local I mean it's literally brewed and canned a mile from my apartment. They also happen to make damn fine beer. I decided today I'd use one of their offerings I don't drink as frequently as others - Gossamer. This is a fairly light, clean tasting beer with a biscuity smell and citrus hop notes. Most Half Acre beers have a fairly unique scent - like I said, I don't drink this one too often, but I think it you blindfolded me and put it under my nose I'd be able to tell you it was from Half Acre - there's just something about it. This isn't my favorite style, and to be honest this beer is a bit on the dull side, but I'll be raving about their other beers soon enough. I'm finally caught up on my posts, so now I can sit back, relax, and have another Gossamer. Cheers!

2011 Day 46: Harvey Lewes Castle Brown Ale

Name: Harvey Lewes Castle Brown Ale
From: Harvey & Son, LTD, England, UK
Type: English Brown Ale

Wow, I think this is the first cask beer I've used for beer of the day, which surprises me, because I love beer on cask and drink it whenever its available. For those who don't know, cask means the beer is naturally carbonated through fermentation instead of being force-carbed with Co2 in a keg. The English call them "real ales". They're usually a little warmer and flatter than other beers on tap and the natural carbonation gives them a smooth mouthfeel and complex, changing flavors. This was a tasty beer - nice malts that tasted bready, with a touch of spicy rye and maybe even anise. People in the states love to rip into English beers, but I think they do them right more often than they don't, and this is no exception. Good beer.

2011 Day 45: New Glarus Raspberry Tart

Name: Raspberry Tart
From: New Glarus, Wisconsin, USA
Type: Fruit/Vegetable Beer

I broke out this treasure for Valentine's Day. New Glarus doesn't distribute here, and I got this one in a trade. This is one awesome beverage, and I think it has a wide appeal. Beer geeks will love it, but so will people more likely to enjoy a glass of wine when they feel like imbibing. I poured this one into two champagne flutes. It's a beautiful color, smells great, and tastes phenomenal. It's tart, but not too sour and has a touch of sweetness without being cloying or medicinal. The raspberry taste is full and bright, and the champagne-like carbonation makes it dance on your taste buds. This is quite simply a superb beer. If you ever see it, get it!

2011 Day 44: Hanssens Oudbeitje Lambic

Name: Oudbeitje Lambic From: Hanssens Artisanaal bvba, Belgium Type: Lambic - Fruit

Ahh, this beer. I first drank one last December when I was discovering wild ales, and it absolutely pummeled me with sourness and funk. I was shocked a beer could taste like it did. So when Pat took me to his local beer store (which puts almost every Chicago beer store to shame) I was stoked to see it for $5 a bottle - it runs $10 up here. I was also excited to make Pat try a new style of beer. This beer pours almost flat - no head, and just a few tiny bubbles. The smell is crazy - barnyard funk, strawberries, and old milk (??). The taste follows suit, it's pretty intensely sour, with a frutiness that isn't sweet, with plenty of funky, funky notes. A sipper for sure, and much better at cellar temperature than it is right out of the fridge. I remember it being even more sour the last time I had it, but I was glad it wasn't completely overwhelming, because I could tell Pat was struggling with it a little. A quirky, strange beer. Try it if you dare.

2011 Day 43: Bitburger Premium Pils

Name: Bitburger Premium Pils
From: Bitburger Brauerei, Germany
Type: German Pilsener

This one has a nice story to it. 5 years ago my friend Pat and I recorded a remix of a song originally recorded by a rapping cat (don't ask) with a bunch of video game samples and clips stolen from Ron Popeil infomericals. While we worked on it, we put back a ton of Bitburgers, and ended up calling the project "Bitburger Murders". Well, 5 years later we were at it again, this time recording a cover of a song by my favorite band, The Fall. So once again, I found myself drinking some Bitburgers as we listened to drum tracks over and over again trying to get the levels right. It's a pretty good beer - it's got that hay/barley smell and taste common to German Pilseners. Clean, crisp, and refreshing. But really this one is all about the connection between this beer and great times and ridiculous remix projects. It's funny to have a sentimental attachment to a beer, but it's the truth. I can't wait until the next time I'm back in Missouri making music and drinking this beer with good friends.

2011 Day 42: Schlafly Coffee Stout

Name: Schlafly Coffee Stout
From: Schlafly Bottleworks, Missouri,USA
Type: Oatmeal Stout

I was in St. Louis this weekend to work on a music project with some old friends. Friday night we figured out what we wanted to do, then had a few beers. Schlafly Coffee Stout is a mighty fine beverage, I definitely liked it better than Bell's Java Stout (reviewed earlier this year). The oatmeal gives this one a nice creaminess, and the coffee is perfectly balanced with the rest of the brew. I'd keep a few of these around for sure if it was distributed to my area. For now, I'll look forward to this one when I visit my hometown. Definitely recommended.

2011 Day 41: Rogue Old Crustacean

Name: Old Crustacean
From: Rogue Brewing, Oregon, USA
Type: American Barleywine


I'm usually pretty good about how much I drink. I have an office job and it's not fun or easy to do it with a hangover. So usually it's one or two a night, spaced out nicely. Last Thursday was not one of those nights. Katie and I met two friends at a local bar (The Long Room - easily one of my favorite places in Chicago) and to make a long story short, I got completely hammered. My first beer of the night was Rogue's Old Crustacean Barleywine. At nearly 12% ABV, obviously not a great choice for a long night of brews, but I was feeling adventurous. This is one of the most intense beers I've ever had. I know Barleywine's are good for aging, but I had this on tap from a fresh keg and it nearly knocking my socks off. The bitterness was completely over the top, and the malts were thick and bready. This beer is huge in every way, and was definitely a sipper. As it warmed I got more out of it, but still it was mostly just a hot boozy slap in the mouth. I'm glad I tried this one, but this certainly isn't an everyday beer. Wow.

2011 Day 40: Dogfish Head Midas Touch Golden Elixer

Name: Midas Touch Golden Elixer

From: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Delaware, USA

Type: Herbed/Spiced Beer

I stopped in the bar near the train station on a particularly nasty night to grab a quick beer before heading home, and opted for Midas Touch. This beer is based on an ancient recipe, and made with honey - as well as saffron and a few other strange ingredients. It was served way too cold to taste anything interesting at first, but as it warmed, I could get a lot of interesting, odd flavors out of it. It had aspects of the taste that reminded me of a white wine (although I don't know if any grapes went into brewing it). I like beers brewed with honey....it doesn't make them sweet (the sugar ferments out) but it leaves a dry "polleny" taste that I love. In general, this wasn't a beer so delicious I'd go out of my way to try again, but it was interesting, and I'm glad I tried it.

2011 Day 39: Ithaca Cold Front

Name: Cold Front

From: Ithaca Beer Company, New York, USA

Type: Belgian Dark Ale

It's been quite a while since I've updated the actual blog, but rest assured that my beer quest has continued unhindered. Although it was nearly a week ago I put this one back, I'll have no trouble writing about it because it sucked terribly. I'm not going to get into great detail, but it just had loads of off flavors. Katie took a sip and thought it was a bad batch of homebrew. This was the second beer from a package I got from a dude in NY, and I'm starting to wonder if maybe it sat outside too long and froze, because both of the beers have been odd. The first one (Hurricane Kitty) was decent, but this one was just bad. I actually had trouble finishing it. A definite one to avoid.

2011 Day 38 - Brewdog Rip Tide

Name: Rip Tide
From: Brewdog, Scotland, UK
Type: American Imperial Stout

Today after work I go and buy a shovel, bring it home on the train, and go to work freeing my car from its icy prison. 90 minutes later I'm still not done, but things are looking a lot better, even if one of my door handles DID happen to fall off. I finally came inside because my shoes were soaked through and my feet were frozen. I ate a slice of pizza, drew a hot bath, and cracked the heartiest beer I had cold - Brewdog Riptide. Imperial Stouts aren't my favorite style, but when you're frozen to the bone there's nothing better. This beer pours a little darker than a coca-cola, and with minimal head and lacing it sort of looks like a glass of flat soda. At first the smell was just charred grain and booze, but as it warmed up I got a lot more - dark chocolate, licorice and figs. The taste was similar - it's pretty boozy (8% ABV), but there's a lot going on besides that. It's not overwhelmingly roasty/smokey like a lot of imperial stouts either. I can't see myself getting this one often, but I was really glad to have a bomber of it in the house today.

2011 Day 37: Goose Island Mild Winter

Name: Mild Winter
From: Goose Island, Illinois, USA
Type: Rye Beer

This is a brew I've enjoyed over the years since moving to Chicago, and always look forward to seeing it come wintertime. Today was Superbowl Sunday, and I have to admit most of my alcohol intake was made up of a gelatin vodka lobster (pictured), but of course I found time for a beer. This is a dark ale, and there's a little sweetness to it, but it's well countered by the spiciness of the rye. The ABV is reasonable, and it's not very hoppy at all, so it goes down really easy. This is a great option when you want something a little heartier but aren't in the mood for a porter or a stout. Drink up.

2011 Day 36: Flying Dog Garde Dog

Name: Garde Dog
From: Flying Dog Brewery, Maryland, USA
Type: Biere De Garde

After my excellent experience with Jolly Pumpkin's Oro De Calabaza, I was excited to try another Biere De Garde. I have two main places I frequent when buying beer, but neither of them is really a close walk. Because my car is buried under two feet of black ice, I've been hitting up closer options. One of them is usually good for a couple of interesting beers I don't see other places, and I happily grabbed a sixer of Garde Dog when I saw it. I'm glad I did! This was a very enjoyable beer for me. It's really light, a bit fruity, and smooth. It has hints of Belgian-y flavors but everything is pretty muted and balanced. I think it would be more appropriate in spring or summer, but I had no problem knocking back a few of these on a nasty, blustery winter night. While nowhere near as complex or flavorful as the other Biere De Garde I had (definitely not as funky by a longshot), it was a fun interesting beer, and much more affordable. I look forward to drinking this one again.

2011 Day 35: Founders Double Trouble

Name: Double Trouble
From: Founders Brewing Company, Michigan, USA
Type: Double India Pale Ale

I didn't mention it at the time, but a few days ago there was a blizzard in Chicago. I even got a day off of work. The novelty of the snow has started to wear off. Today as I walked home from the train station, I watched grown adults scream obscenities at each other over a stuck car. Pathetic. It was nice to crack open this excellent Double IPA. More grapefruity than Hopslam, but less tropical. Maybe a bit less malt too and more sharpness to the bitterness. Founders is an excellent brewery and this is an admirable beer.

2011 Day 34: Keegan Ales Hurricane Kitty

Name: Hurricane Kitty
From: Keegan Ales, New York USA
Type: American IPA

This is billed as "A Coppery India Pale Ale". I'm not sure if I got a bad bottle, but this was straight up brown, and it smelled like Whoppers. Not Burger King Whoppers, malted-milk balls that come in a carton Whoppers. Strong chocolate scent, as well as a big blast of hops. Taste was similar, much darker than a typical IPA...I'm wondering if I got an infected bottle. I'd like to try another bottle of this to see if it's "supposed to taste like that". Not great, but interesting.

2011 Day 33 - Captain Lawrence St. Vincent's Dubbel

Name: St. Vincent's Dubbel

From: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co, New York, USA

Type: Dubbel

Hmm...okay. Well, I drank this. But I probably wouldn't drink it again. This didn't smell or taste anything like I thought it would. No dark fruit flavors, no banana/clove/candi sugar smell, no spicy yeast. Instead a weird sour smell mixed with some barnyard funk, but not really in an appealing way.

Taste is similar, some tartness that mixes unpleasantly with the base beer. Some interesting black pepper flavors come out, but they just don't mesh with the other stuff that's going on. None of the boozy sweetness I'd expect from a Dubbel. Interesting and unique, but not a hit for me, and I say that as someone who usually enjoys funky/sour beers.

2011 Day 32 (Feb 1) - Hofbrau Dunkel

Name: Hofbrau Dunkel

From: Staatliches Hofbrauhaus, Germany

Type: Munich Dunkel Lager

February started off on the right foot with this dark German lager. This is damn good stuff. It's crisp and clean, and has nice caramel malt notes along with a little hay in both the smell and the taste. The hops are smooth and earthy, providing a nice balance. Goes down way too easy, I could pound this stuff all day. A delicious beer I'll absolutely get again.

January: The month in review

The first month of my beer a day challenge went very well - as one might expect, as all opportunities are still available. I did my best to not exhaust my go-to beers but instead spent a lot of time on brews I wouldn't normally try.

Stats:

Beers reviewed this month: 31
Beers reviewed so far this year: 31
Styles tried this month (per BeerAdvocate): 21
Styles tried so far this year (per BeerAdvocate): 21
States represented this month: 11
States represented so far this year: 11
Countries represented this month: 6
Countries represented this year: 6

Best Beers of the month: Bells Hopslam, Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza, New Glarus Crack'd Wheat

Beers to Avoid: Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion, Brooklyn Brown Ale, Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen

2011 Day 31: Bell's Hopslam

Name: Hopslam

From: Bell's Brewing, Michigan USA

Type: Double IPA

On the last day of each month, I'm going to try to highlight excellent beers. Our first installment is Bell's Hopslam. Double IPAs are a dime a dozen, but this one really stands out. You can smell the massive aroma of citrus and pineapple from across the room and the taste almost lives up to the smell. The 10% ABV is well masked, and the dryness that comes from brewing with honey gives this a great finish that counters the bitterness. A bit pricey, yes ($16 for a 6 pack) but a fantastic beer worthy of the hype. Delicious.

2011 Day 30: Bavaria - Bavaria Brouwerij N.V.

Name: Bavaria

From: Bavaria Brouwerij, NV, Netherlands

Type: German Pilsner

Saturday was another late night. In fact, this weekend is the first time I can remember being out past midnight two nights in a row for quite some time. I drank this Bavaria Pilsner at about 12:30 AM on Sunday morning. It was my fourth beer of the night, so some of the subtleties might have been lost on me, but I paid close enough attention to give it a fair review. When I saw the green bottle (and Dutch origin) I was sure this was going to be a skunky Heineken-type Euro lager, but it's not. It has that "German" barley smell you get from a Pilsner, and while it's not as robust or full-flavored as a Bitburger or a Jever, it's still pretty good. Maybe a touch sweet, but certainly much better than I thought I was going to get for a $3.50 bottle. I still find it a bit odd that a brewery in Holland would call themselves "Bavaria", but there you are. Pretty good brew.

2011 Day 29: Brouwerij Bockor N.V. Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge

Name: Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge
From: Brouwerj Bockor N.V. - Belgium
Type: Flanders Red Ale

I also drank this "last night" at Quenchers, but since the beer was ordered and consumed entirely after midnight, I think it's acceptable and accurate for me to use it for today (Saturday 1/29). Feeling adventurous, I gave this one a try after my excellent Jolly Pumpkin Biere De Garde (see yesterday) knowing absolutely nothing about it, except that I've seen the word "cuvee" on some sour Belgian beers. It was a deep red color, and when I smelled it, I knew I was in for something weird. The aroma was one of cherries, wood, vinegar, and musty basement. No problems there. Then I drank it, and was blown away at the massive sour assault on my taste buds. This is one brutally mouth-puckering beverage. If you can get past that, there's also some sweet cherry/plum notes as well as some wood, but the overwhelming experience is your tongue being mangled by the sourness. This one is a sipper for sure, but I liked it okay, it was certainly interesting. Looking it up today, I see that it's not bottled (only available on draft) so it was nice to try something "rare" without knowing what it was. My first Flanders Red Ale, I wouldn't mind trying some others.

2011 Day 28: Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza

Name: Oro De Calabaza
From: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Type: Biere De Garde

Finally! A drink to get excited about! So many milquetoast reviews this month, but this beer won't be one of them. Last night I went to Quenchers saloon for a friends birthday and was excited to see a Jolly Pumpkin offering on tap, as I've heard great things about them. For me, it totally lived up to the hype. I loved this brew! The smell was great, lots of lemongrass and orange peel, but also tons of that barnyard funk (hay, wet leather) you get from the wild brettanomyces yeast strain, which some people loathe, but I happen to really like. The taste was complex too, funky, fruity, complicated, slightly tart, with some bitter earthy hops on the finish. The champagne-like carbonation gives it an amazing mouthfeel. A fantastic beer that I would absolutely get again, just awesome.

2011 Day 27: Captain Lawrence Captain's Reserve Imperial India Pale Ale

Name: Captain's Reserve Imperial India Pale Ale
From: Captain Lawrence Brewing, New York, USA
Type: Imperial IPA

This was the first of about 14 beers I got in a mailed package from a dude in New York in exchange for a 12 back of Bell's Hopslam, which isn't distributed up there. I drank this one first because I liked the bottle. It poured pretty light for a double IPA, but had a great smell to it, lots of pine, lots of melon. For me, the taste was only average - beers this big can be really hit and miss, there wasn't anything really off about it but I was struggling to find things I loved too. I had no trouble finishing my glass, but I think there are a lot of other options out there. On the other hand, Katie liked this one a lot, so there you go. A pretty good beer I'd try again.

2011 Day 26: Allagash Tripel

Name: Tripel
From: Allagash Brewing, Maine, USA
Type: Tripel

I had this one over dinner - a french dip sandwich to be specific. When it comes to Belgian beers, I usually opt for a lambic or gueuze, but I enjoy a tripel every now and again. This was pretty good - lots of typical Belgian smells and flavors, especially candied sugar and bananas. It was 9% ABV, and the booze wasn't very well hidden, so it was a slow sipper for sure. It improved as it warmed up, and had a nice sweetness to it without being cloying. Tasty, but drink with caution!

2011 Day 25: Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen

Name: Haywire Hefeweizen
From: Pyramid Breweries, Washington USA
Type: American Pale Wheat Ale

One nice thing about my job is that people there like their booze, and we have happy hours pretty frequently. We had one Tuesday, so I stuck with my January trend of ordering beers I wouldn't normally try. After my success with New Glarus' Crack'd Wheat, I thought another Hefe sounded like a good idea. It wasn't. This beer smelled with a lager with a little extra yeast, and the taste wasn't much better. Not gross, but certainly not very flavorful. I wasn't very surprised to find it's not even categorized as a Hefeweizen on beeradvocate.com. I had no problem putting down my 22oz draft, but I sure didn't order a second one. This one goes on the "avoid" list.

2011 Day 24: Stone San Diego County Session Ale

Name: San Diego County Session Ale
From: Stone Brewing (with Ballast Point and Kelsey McNair)
Type: American Pale Ale

I have several sub-goals aside from my main objective of trying 365 beers this year. Try at least 25 styles. Try beers from at least 20 countries. Don't go broke. Don't become a raging alcoholic.

On days I'm not really feeling it, I try to make sure I have something around that's low in alcohol. My girlfriend's sister left a Labatt's Blue here yesterday which I'll hang on to for a day I really don't want a beer. Today though, I was excited to try this Stone Session Ale. They collaborated with two other So. Cal. breweries to make this one, which is marketed as a highly-hopped, but low alcohol. I like the idea! IPAs are great, but it you're drinking those while your buddies are drinking Bud Light, you'll be hammered long before anyone else.

Pouring this into a glass, I was stoked. It looked great and smelled amazing. A big blast of citrus and pine hops made this one very similar to other west coast IPAs.

The taste couldn't live up to the smell, it was a pretty one-dimensional beer. The malt profile couldn't hang with the hop overload, so it was really unbalanced. What I mean specifically by that is some of the negative aspects of the hops (the oniony, catty flavor of one of the varieties....is that Simcoe?) really came through with nothing to smooth it out. Not bad, but maybe a little disappointing based on my expectations and the wonderful aroma. Don't avoid it, but don't seek it out either.

2011 Day 23: Goose Island India Pale Ale

Name: India Pale Ale
From: Goose Island, Illinois, USA
Type: English India Pale Ale

Today I watched the Chicago Bears get their asses handed to them by the Green Bay Packers. So it goes. I thought I'd represent with a local brew, so I kicked back a few Goose Island IPAs while the Bears' Super Bowl hopes were being tread into the sloppy turf of Solider Field. It's been a while since I've had their IPA, and the rumor is Goose Island is phasing it out so they can make more Belgians and Sours. That's a damn shame, because this is a fine beverage!

It's an English-style IPA, so the hops aren't overwhelming, but they're still certainly present, and the malts are biscuity and smooth without being grainy or overwhelming. There are certainly more flavorful IPAs, but as far as nicely balanced and sessionable beers go, this is a winner. In a market oversaturated with tongue-numbing hop bombs, this is a good find.

2011 Day 22: Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball Ale

Name: Hairy Eyeball Ale
From: Lagunitas Brewing, California USA
Type: American Strong Ale

For the one or two people who have been following my year in beer to this point, you may be wondering why I'm doing this. Looking back on my notes so far, there aren't too many gushingly positive reviews I've written, and I can see how it may seem I'm not really all that into beer. At this stage in the process, I'm trying to be careful about which beers I use. I find myself ordering beers I wouldn't normally get so I can use them for beer of the day and move on. Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball is one of those beers. I like this brewery, and I hope to drink many of their offerings in my quest this year, but this one was only okay for me. It packs a powerful punch at nearly 9% abv and is tasty enough, but not awesome. I promise if you stay tuned I will eventually rave about beers I love. I'm just trying to pace myself, 365 beers is no small feat.

2011 Day 21: Guiness Black Lager

Name: Black Lager
From: Guinness Ltd. - Ireland
Type: Schwarzbier

This review is NOT of the creamy Guinness Stout you see on draught around the world, this is a review of their relatively new Black Lager. If you've read my earlier entries you'll know I'm not a huge lager fan, but I do like black lagers, and it's not a very common style, so I appreciate having another one around. This beer is no Kostritzer (I'll review that later this year), but I thought it was pretty damn good. It's crisp, clean, and flavorful. It was FOUR DEGREES outside today, so knocking back a hearty beer in a warm room after work was a great way to unwind. This was better than expected, and I'm going to keep it in mind, as I can imagine it being available in places that don't have a lot of "fancy" beer.

2011 Day 20 - Bell's Java Stout

Name: Java Stout
From: Bell's Brewing - Michigan USA
Type: American Imperial Stout

Another "one-and-done" 12oz bottle from Bell's. I'm so thankful I have access to places that sell just one bottle, or I'd be going broke doing this project. This beer was enjoyed with some roasted chicken and sweet potatoes made by my girlfriend. The beer wasn't as good as the dinner, but it wasn't bad either. It smelled and tasted much like I imagined it would. Huge roasted malt character, along with a touch of chocolate and tons of coffee. I like coffee beers (Surly Coffee Bender is one of the best beers I've ever had) and this one was good, but not great. I think the base beer was good, but something about the coffee wasn't quite right. That component seemed a little stale or something. Not muted, not overpowering, but still a little odd. Still, I'd drink this one again if I was in the mood.

2011 Day 19: He'Brew Coney Island Lager

Name: Coney Island Lager
From: He'Brew - California, USA
Type: American Amber Lager

I went out for a drink with friends after work on Wednesday, and got a nice surprise when I opened up the menu. The restaurant was running a special on a number of beers they're trying to get rid of to clear up more room in their coolers. One of them was Coney Island Lager. Normally I'd almost always opt for an IPA or a Porter, but I simply couldn't resist the 22oz bottle for $4. What a deal! The label art of a horrifying clown was a bit off-putting, but I bravely polished off the bottle anyway. As far as flavor goes, this was a pretty decent brew. Maybe not as good as the Brooklyn Lager I had earlier this month, but certainly a well-made, smooth beer. It's always a treat to get something at a bar cheaper than you could at the store. I would certainly recommend this one to anyone who's a fan of lagers.