Bitches Brew hit the high notes

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Miles Davis’ legendary jazz fusion album Bitches Brew, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery released a new Russian Imperial Stout. Mr. Beery’s had it both on tap and in bottles, so I decided to stop by and give it a try.

Dogfish Bitches Brew (Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Milton, DE; Russian Imperial Stout; ABV: 9.0) is as smooth as the late jazz legend, and pours a jet black color. There’s notes of honey and dark chocolate complimented by dark fruit, roasted malt, and gesho root with a hint of smokiness at the finish. While I liked it on tap, I found that drinking Bitches Brew from the bottle, slightly chilled, captured the true essence of this stout. The alcohol presence wasn’t as noticeable as other imperial stouts, so Bitches Brew is quite easy to drink.

I trumpet the release of Bitches Brew, and salute DFH for crafting a worthy tribute to Miles Davis.

FBS is a mocha on steroids

I finally got a chance to try the much acclaimed Founders Breakfast Stout (Founders Brewing Co.; Grand Rapids, MI; Imperial Stout; ABV: 8.3) when Anne and I had dinner at the 42nd Street Oyster Bar in Raleigh last week. I’m pleased to report that FBS not only lived up to its reputation, but exceeded it.

FBS pours a deep chocolate color, with humongous notes of chocolate and expresso coffee balanced by oatmeal and sweet malt. If you’re a fan of all things chocolate and/or java, this is the stout for you. Its rich, full-bodied flavor paired well with the chocolate ice cream that I had for dessert. The alcohol presence is definitely noticeable, so FBS won’t sneak up on you. It’s certainly a beer to be savored.

I’m glad to have finally tried this incredible stout, and highly recommend it.

The natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains...

Was a nice backdrop to Asheville's great brewpubs like The Thirsty Monk

Anne and I had a great vacation in North Carolina last week, and savored the best that this wonderfully diverse state had to offer. The Tar Heel State also has a diverse list of breweries and brewpubs, from Raleigh-Durham to Asheville. I’ve already highlighted several excellent beers from Highland Brewing in my previous post. I will take the time in this post to review the best of the remaining beers that we sampled on our tour.

Triangle Belgian Golden Ale; Triangle Brewing Co.; Durham, NC; Belgian Strong Pale Ale; ABV: 8.0. On tap at James Joyce Irish Pub in Durham. An outstanding golden amber ale, with notes of citrusy fruit and light malt complimented by honey and peppery spices. Silky smooth from start to finish with the 8% alcohol content very well hidden.

Duck-Rabbit Amber Ale; The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery; Farmville, NC; American Amber / Red Ale; ABV: 5.0. In bottles at The Carolina Ale House. Easy drinking amber ale with big notes of caramel malt and cinnamon spices balanced by sweet fruit, nuts, and a slight bitterness at the end.

Lonerider Chef’s Wit; Lonerider Brewing; Raleigh, NC; Witbier; ABV: 5.1. On tap at the Busy Bee Cafe in Raleigh. This straw colored Belgian style wit is a collaboration between the brewery and the chef from the Busy Bee Cafe. The big peppercorn notes are complimented by hints of orange and coriander with a wheat backbone.

Mother Earth Dark Cloud; Mother Earth Brewing; Kinston, NC; Munich Dunkel Lager; ABV: 5.1. On tap at The Raleigh Times in Raleigh. An exceptional full-bodied dunkel. Chocolate in color with notes of caramel and roasted malt.

Aviator Caveman Alt; Aviator Brewing Co.; Fuquay Varina, NC; Altbier; ABV: 7.2. On tap at the 42nd Street Oyster Bar in Raleigh. A very smooth amber colored altbier. Notes of sweet caramel and roasted malt with a slightly bitter finish. The alcohol content of more than 7% isn’t too noticeable.

Appalachian Craft IPA; Appalachian Craft Brewery; Fletcher, NC; India Pale Ale; ABV: 6.7. On tap at the Bier Garden in Asheville. Copper red IPA with a huge hoppy presence complimented by sweet malt with a nice dry finish.

Craggie Battery Hill Bitter; Craggie Brewing Co.; Asheville, NC; English Bitter; ABV: 4.2. On tap at the Bier Garden in Asheville. Brewed from a century old family recipe. A perfectly balanced ESB, brown in color with notes of sweet malt, brown sugar, light floral hops, and cinnamon spices.

Pisgah Reserve (AVL); Pisgah Brewing Co.; Black Mountain, NC; Saison / Farmhouse Ale; ABV: 5.0. On tap at The Thirsty Monk in Asheville. Previously retired, this superb Belgian blonde is back in a limited offering. Notes of breaded yeast, coriander, and roasted malt. Exceptionally smooth from start to finish.

Oyster House IPA; Oyster House Brewing Co.; Asheville, NC: India Pale Ale; ABV: 6.0. On tap at Oyster House Brewing, which is located in the outstanding Lobster Trap restaurant in Asheville, NC. Amber colored IPA, with intense notes of floral hops backed by a rich malty backbone.

Asheville Red Light IPA; Asheville Brewing Co.; Asheville, NC; India Pale Ale; ABV: 5.2. On tap at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. in Asheville. Brought out of retirement, this IPA is an absolute hop bomb, copper red in color with the big notes of citrusy hops balanced by sweet malt. Red Light is a hop head’s dream, and has the feel of a more potent IPA. Asheville Brewing also crafts another excellent IPA, Asheville Shiva, that’s a smooth hoppy IPA, with a malty backbone, at 6% ABV.

All in all, we had a great trip and it was great to sample a wide variety of craft beers from the Tar Heel State.

We took an full day tour of the stupendous Biltmore

I later enjoyed a Great Gatsby Abbey at the Grove Park Inn

Asheville, NC is known as a hotbed for all things artisan, in addition to being named Beer City USA 2010 by a recent poll. Its beauty and charm has long been known by many of this country’s elites as well, which is why George Washington Vanderbilt II chose to build Biltmore Estate, the nation’s largest privately-owned home, in 1895. It consists of 250 rooms and 175,000 square feet spread out over 75 acres, equivalent to 140 Central Parks! Anne and I took a tour of this incredible mansion, and also had time to stop by Cedric’s Tavern, located on the estate, to enjoy drinks and a bite to eat.

I had a beer called Cedric’s Pale Ale (Highland Brewing; Asheville, NC; American Pale Ale; ABV: 5.0-6.0?), which was crafted for the Biltmore by Highland Brewing. Named after the beloved St. Bernard of George Vanderbilt, Cedric’s is a smooth, amber colored APA with notes of caramel malt and English hops complimented by hints of sweet fruit. This ale is quite refreshing from start to finish, and the estate plans to eventually brew it onsite in the future.

After we finished the tour, we drove onto the Grove Park Inn for drinks and a spectacular view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Completed in 1912 and renovated in 2007, this inn has served as a vacation retreat for celebrities and dignitaries alike. I started with an abbey named in honor of F. Scott Fitzgerald, who came here on an annual basis to either vacation or write.

Highland Grove Park Inn Great Gatsby Abbey Ale (Highland Brewing; Asheville, NC; Abbey Ale; ABV: 7.0-8.0?) is a full-bodied abbey with notes of caramel, German malt, and floral hops. It pours a chestnut color, and is a silky, easy drinking ale.

We finished at GPI by having dessert and a final round of drinks. I had the Highland Black Mocha Stout (Highland Brewing; Asheville, NC; American Stout; ABV: 5.3), an outstanding chocolate stout. The chocolate presence is complimented by notes of roasted malt and earthy hops, and had a cappuccino like feeling to it. Black Mocha paired well with the chocolate cake that I had for dessert.

Each of these beers were a perfect compliment to the day, and highly recommended.

Oregasmic will be good for you too

Anne and I met our friend Lori for Rogue Brewery Night at World of Beer last evening. There were about a dozen Rogue beers on tap, and I had the opportunity to sample several for the first time. Additionally, the beers were paired with cheese from Rogue Creamery, which added to the tasting as well.

Rogue Maierfest Lager; Rogue Ales Brewery; Newport, OR; Marzen; ABV: 5.6. I’ve always enjoyed this style of beer, and Maierfest is one of the better Marzens. Golden in color, with big notes of breaded malt complimented by sweet caramel, light floral hops, and spices. Maierfest is smooth and well balanced throughout, and makes for an excellent session beer.

Chatoe Rogue Oregasmic Ale; Rogue Ales Brewery; Newport, OR; American Pale Ale; ABV: 6.0. A superb APA, deep amber in color with notes of caramel malt and citrusy hops balanced by hints of chocolate and spices. Crisp and clean from start to finish. Like Maierfest, this ale makes an excellent session beer, so it’s quite easy to have multiple Oregasmics! Per Christian, WOB had one of only three kegs outside the state of Oregon.

Rogue Brutal IPA; Rogue Ales Brewery; Newport, OR; India Pale Ale; ABV: 6.2. Called an Imperial bitter by Rogue, and recently bottled in Oregon under the name Portland State IPA, this beer combines the piny hops of an IPA with the malty notes of an ESB. The hoppy presence and sweet malt backbone are perfectly balanced, with a slight bitterness at the end.

All in all, it was a fun filled evening and I relished the chance to try some excellent beers.

You won't say Nevermore to Raven's Eye

Organically brewed beers have become more and more common in recent years. And I had the chance to try two outstanding offerings recently.

Eel River Raven’s Eye Imperial Stout; Eel River Brewing Co.; Fortuna, CA; Russian Imperial Stout; ABV: 9.5. I shared a bottle with the gang at Mr. Beery’s this past Monday night, and was pleasantly surprised at how good this stout was. It pours a dark chocolate color, with big notes of sweet chocolate and expresso complimented by dark fruit such as cherries and roasted malt. Raven’s Eye has a rich, full-bodied taste to it, and the alcohol content is very well hidden, which is rare for a Russian Imperial Stout. This beer would make an excellent dessert beer, especially if paired with something chocolate.

Samuel Smith’s Organic Ale; Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery; Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom; English Pale Ale; ABV: 5.0. I had this exceptional ale at Shakespeare’s over the weekend, and it was even better than expected. Organic Ale pours a golden amber color, with notes of caramel malt and citrusy fruit balanced by breaded yeast and light earthy hops. This ale is crisp and clean, and is well balanced from start to finish. This EPA is a crisp, clean well balanced ale from start to finish. Needless to say, Organic Ale makes an excellent session beer.

I consider each of these organic brews to be among the best in their beer style, and highly recommend them.

Hofbräu Dunkel provided Oktoberfest in August

The dog days of summer are here in full force. Anne and I were in St. Pete yesterday, and took a break from the triple digit heat index by stopping by The Moon Under Water for drinks and a bite to eat. I then took the time to enjoy a classic Bavarian dunkel.

Hofbräu Dunkel (Staatliches Hofbräuhaus; München, Germany; Munich Dunkel Lager; ABV: 5.5) is a full-bodied yet easy drinking beer. It pours a deep chestnut color, with big notes of caramel and chocolate. Each are complimented by hints of roasted malt and dark fruit such as cherries with a slight bitterness at the end. Hofbräu Dunkel is smooth from start to finish, and the big candy like presence makes this lager an absolute pleasure to drink. It certainly paired well with the shrimp curry that I had for lunch.

Hofbräu Dunkel is as wonderfully complex as it is refreshing, and highly recommended.

I was in my natural habitat at Wazoo 2010

Anne and I had a blast at Wazoo 2010 this past Saturday night at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. In addition to having more than 250 beers and beverages from around the world, the event featured cuisine from restaurants as well as live music from area based artists Velvet Jones, Impulse, and The Paper Stanleys. We also had a chance to get out of the heat for a bit at the zoo’s Beastly Beverage Club, which featured dinner and live music as well. Wazoo 2010 was a well organized brewfest, and I had the chance to sample some old favorites, as well as some new ones. I listed a sampling of the latter below.

Samuel Adams Sample A – Belgian IPA; Boston Beer Co.; Boston, MA; Belgian India Pale Ale; ABV: 8.0. Part of this year’s 2010 Longshot Series, this ale is my pick for the brewery’s 6th annual Beer Lover’s Choice. Golden in color, with big notes of citrusy and piny hops balanced by sweet malt and a spicy undertone from the Belgian yeast. As full-bodied as it is complex.

Samuel Adams Sample B – American Rye Ale; Boston Beer Co.; Boston, MA; Rye Beer; ABV: 5.3. This Longshot Series candidate pours a deep mahogany color and has notes of rye and roasted malt complimented by citrusy and floral hops. Very easy to drink with a nice dry finish.

Saint Somewhere Pays du Soleil; Saint Somewhere Brewing Co.; Tarpon Springs, FL; Saison / Farmhouse Ale; ABV: 8.0. A delicious saison from area based brewery Saint Somewhere. Amber in color, the big notes of tart and citrusy fruit are complimented by sweet caramel and toffee with a sour finish typical of a wild ale.

Saint Somewhere Saison Athene; Saint Somewhere Brewing Co.; Tarpon Springs, FL; Saison / Farmhouse Ale; ABV: 7.5. An excellent farmhouse ale. A golden saison brewed with chamomile, fresh rosemary and black pepper. The array of spices are backed by notes of sweet malt and citrusy fruit with a crisp clean finish.

Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale; Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.; Chico, CA; American Brown Ale; ABV: 5.5. A smooth brown ale, Tumbler has notes of sweet caramel and roasted malt, balanced by piny hops and a brown sugary backbone.

Dunedin The Rock Double IPA; Dunedin Brewery; Dunedin, FL; Imperial India Pale Ale; ABV: 8.0. From the local brewery’s Brewmaster Series, this DIPA pours a burnt orange color and has big notes of citrusy fruit balanced by caramel malt and piny hops with a slightly bitter finish.

Southampton Pumpkin Ale; Southampton Publick House; Southampton, NY; Pumpkin Ale; ABV: 5.5. An exceptional pumpkin ale from the Long Island based brewery. Copper in color, with the pumpkin pie presence complimented by sweet caramel and cinnamon spices.

Tampa Bay McBrews Scotch Ale; Tampa Bay Brewing Co.; Tampa, FL; Scottish Ale; ABV: 7.0. A smooth, easy drinking Scottish ale. Amber in color, with notes of sweet malt and chocolate balanced by light hops with a resiny finish.

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace; Brooklyn Brewery; Brooklyn, NY; Saison / Farmhouse Ale; ABV: 7.6. A superb saison from the acclaimed brewery. Golden in color, with the Japanese Sorachi hops balanced by notes of citrusy fruit, sweet malt, and peppery spices. Refreshing from start to finish.

Southern Tier Farmer’s Tan; Southern Tier Brewing Co.; Lakewood, NY; Imperial Pale Lager; ABV: 9.0. An eclectic, straw colored imperial lager. Big nose of citrusy and piny hops complimented by notes of sweet malt, wheat, and peppery spices.

Leffe Blonde; Anheuser-Busch InBev; Leuven, Belgium; Belgian Pale Ale; ABV: 6.6. A golden, easy drinking Belgian ale. The notes of citrusy fruit, particularly bananas, are balanced by sweet malt and light spices such as cloves.

We concluded the evening by sampling an excellent dopplebock from The Beer and Wine Makers Pantry. Called Strawberry Dopplebock, it poured a dark amber color with big notes of strawberries, roasted malt, and a hint of chocolate. I’m guessing the ABV is around 6-6.5%.

All in all, our brewfari was a total success!

BrewPub4U brings the keg party to you

Have you ever wanted a portable brewpub all your own for weddings, corporate outings, and other events? Well now you can. Seattle’s Duane Woytonik has developed a portable brewing system called BrewPub4U.

Nicknamed Sheila, this “pub on the go” consists of a 3.5 barrel brewing system, in addition to 8 keg holders, 8 taps, 10 bar stools, 2 big screen TVs, and a 60 gallon boiler. The device takes a 1/2 hour to set up, and while Woytonik and crew will supply the brewpub, the prospective customer is responsible for beer and any necessary permits.

BrewPub4U is based in Seattle and available throughout the Pacific Northwest. I’ve posted the company’s website below for anyone interested in more information.

http://www.brewpub4u.com/

You'll get positive vibes from this Karma

Stopped by Shakespeare’s the other day and ordered a pint of Terrapin Hop Karma Brown IPA (Terrapin Beer Co.; Athens, GA; American Brown Ale; ABV: 6.0). Like Dogfish Indian Brown Ale, it’s brewed as a traditional brown ale crossed with an IPA. Karma is dark brown in color, with notes of citrusy hops akin to an IPA balanced by the roasted malt backbone of a brown ale. Each are complimented by hints of sweet caramel and nuts with a slightly bitter finish. Karma is smooth from start to finish, and really went well with the Thai chicken wrap that I ordered.

Anyone looking for good Karma should give this ale a try.