Happy Hour 11: Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale

2010 February 23
by Mike VanDelinder

HHE 11 Artwork 300x300 Happy Hour 11: Avery Samaels Oak Aged Ale

Game changer! Ever so often, in the process of exploring as much of the craft beer world as possible, Shawn and I will come across a beer that epitomizes why we do what we do. Truly I don’t want to give away much of the episode’s discussion – but this was a milestone for us. read more…

Happy Hour 10: Hitachino Red Rice Ale

2010 January 29
by Shawn Horton

HHE 10 Artwork 300x300 Happy Hour 10: Hitachino Red Rice Ale

This week, the guys bring a review of one of Shawn’s favorite breweries from the Land of the Rising Sun. Hitachino Nest is a brewery within a brewery; its parent company Kiuchi, has been brewing saké for nearly 200 years. These intriguing ales have been making their way into upscale Asian fusion restaurants, craft beer stores, and some beer bars throughout the Twin Cities for a couple years.

Coming from a land of adjunct rice lagers, the folks at Hitachino ferment an amazing, refreshing oddity, seemingly a frontrunner in the Japanese craft beer revolution. Our friends Stephen and John from New Brew Thursday recently visited Koji Nomura, owner of Craftheads in Shibuya, Japan, while John was on tour with his punk band, Better Luck Next Time.

If you happen to see a curious-looking bottle with a red owl on the center of the label during your next visit to the local craft store, take a few home and let us know what you think!

read more…

BeerVoice.com, a home for your beer reviews

2010 January 26
by Mike VanDelinder

It would appear that our Twitter group of beer podcasters and bloggers have found and descended upon a new point of convergence for our opinions on beers – BeerVoice.com. All of this seems to have occurred within 24 hours of a tweet scuffle surrounding BeerAdvocate.

BeerVoice, currently in beta, is a simple and straightforward way for users to collectively share their opinions on the beers that we drink everyday. The front page of the site greets you with a search bar, a rotating list of featured beers, and a list of the most recently written reviews. Type the name of a beer or brewer in the search bar to get your next list of beers or reviews. At this point, many have likened it to the simplicity of Twitter. It’s true. Each review on BeerVoice has a maximum of 500 characters, and the choice of adding one of six face icons as a tally for your final score. read more…

Episode 26: Do You Beer What I Beer

2010 January 11
by Mike VanDelinder


Episode 26 Artwork 300x300 Episode 26: Do You Beer What I Beer

Are you a big fan of bitter beers and Tyranena Brewing (@Tyranena) of Wisconsin? Then you might think that this episode was crafted especially for you. Shawn and I take some time to review two “out there” beers from our midwest sustenance provider. From their “Brewer’s Gone Wild” series, we have the Bitter Woman in the Rye, an India Pale Ale brewed with rye malt, and Hop Whore, an Imperial IPA. read more…

Review: Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout

2010 January 5
by Jason Brizzi
Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
Winter 09-10 Bottle
Tasted Jan 5 2010
10% ABV Russian Imperial Stout
From the bottle:
In the last century, British brewers made strong stouts for the Czar’s Court. They were called Imperial Stouts. Our Black Chocolate Stout, brewed once yearly for the winter season, achieves a chocolate aroma and flavor through the artful blending of six varieties of black, chocolate and roasted malts.
I know more about Brooklyn Brewery through Garrett Oliver’s book, The Brewmaster’s Table, than firsthand experience with tasting their brews. Where I live in Iowa, the only beer of theirs we can get is a collaboration with Schneider (brewers of the great Aventinus!), the Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, a wonderful Weizenbock that has left me with a very positive impression of the brewery. While on vacation here in Washington, D.C., I found some of these in my sister’s fridge, and after having a small taste from a friend’s glass last Friday, my interest was piqued. So let’s get down to it.
The appearance is an inky, pitch-black. Had a good inch of head which quickly receded and had no visible lacing, which I’m fine with in a Russian Imperial Stout. Black is the color of a true RIS, and judging by the opaque color, impenetrable to light, Brooklyn knows this very well!
Last Friday I had remarked to my friend that it was not particularly chocolatey, but sticking my nose down deep into this glass, especially as it warms, I get a lot of chocolate malt. More like dark baking chocolate than Hershey’s-style American chocolate, just the way I prefer. More nuanced and doesn’t really beat you over the head with it like many chocolate stouts can (Ommegang’s Chocolate Indulgence, I’m looking in your direction!). Black, dark roasted coffee is also apparent in the nose.
The flavor is not what you’d expect. Less sweet chocolate and more earthy—a bitterness not unlike espresso. The mouthfeel is smooth, and while the taste starts bitter the chocolate malts make their presence known, with some subtle sweet and roasted flavor. The chocolate, thanks to the malt, is more of a bitter cocoa (again, think baking chocolate) than sweet milk, which keeps the drinkability higher than your average RIS, while the bitterness keeps me from drinking too quickly. A lot more complex as it warms, the 10% ABV doesn’t hit you over the head in taste, but rather is more apparent in the nose. It becomes less apparent as the it warms. This one is far better at cellar temperature than served cold.
More RIS than Chocolate Stout, Brooklyn Brewery has created a wonderful winter beer, one that I think would age very well. I could see this one mellowing out and perhaps becoming closer to what people might expect if they hadn’t had it before (slightly sweet) but I’m very pleased with this one. Would like to try with a year on it, but I flew and didn’t check a bag, so can’t bring any back with me, sadly!
My score:   4/5

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

Winter 09-10 bottle
Tasted Jan 5, 2010
10% ABV – Russian Imperial Stout

From the bottle:

In the last century, British brewers made strong stouts for the Czar’s Court. They were called Imperial Stouts. Our Black Chocolate Stout, brewed once yearly for the winter season, achieves a chocolate aroma and flavor through the artful blending of six varieties of black, chocolate and roasted malts.

I know more about Brooklyn Brewery through Garrett Oliver’s book, The Brewmaster’s Table, than firsthand experience with tasting their brews. Where I live in Iowa, the only beer of theirs we can get is a collaboration with Schneider (brewers of the great Aventinus!), the Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, a wonderful Weizenbock that has left me with a very positive impression of the brewery. While on vacation here in Washington, D.C., I found some of these in my sister’s fridge, and after having a small taste from a friend’s glass last Friday, my interest was piqued. So let’s get down to it.

read more…