I picked up a bottle of Brooklyn Local 2 (Brooklyn Brewery; Brooklyn, NY; Belgian Strong Dark Ale; ABV: 9.0) the other night. I found it to be one of the better Belgian strong dark ales, comparable to Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue). It goes down so smoothly that you question whether the ABV is really 9%. [...]
Dead Guy Ale by Rogue Brewery is one of my all-time favorite beers, so it just seemed natural that I would go “double or nothing.” I decided to try their Double Dead Guy Ale (2009) (Rogue Ales Brewery; Newport, OR; American Strong Ale; ABV: 9.5), & picked up a bottle at my local Total Wine [...]
a This past weekend I had a hankering for English beers. So Anne & I made the rounds to some of our favorite British pubs such as Shakespere’s & The Moon Under Water. I had some fantastic curry at the latter, while at the former a couple of beers truly stood out. Samuel Smith’s Nut [...]
“He won a fortune from a man who folded his chair. The man, he left a diamond flush, Willie didn’t even have a pair.” So sang Bob Dylan from the classic song Rambling, Gambling Willie. And this rambling, gambling Willie tried my luck at the slot machines, along with Anne, at the Seminole Hard Rock [...]
Summer officially starts next Sunday, but for us here in Florida it’s been summer for weeks now. With the heat & humidity reminding Sunshine State residents of the dog days of August and September. I stopped by my local Fresh Market earlier this week to pick up dinner, and was in need of something refreshing. [...]
I have been a fan of Abita Brewing Co. since I tried their Purple Haze a few years ago. So I was curious when my local Total Wine had the Andygator & Abbey Ale in stock. The Andygator is a very easy drinking helles dopplebock. It has a sweet malty taste up front, balanced by [...]
We stopped by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in Pinellas Park on Sunday for dinner, and noticed that they had an abbey ale as the special on draft. Beer Advocate had it listed as retired, but BJ’s is brewing it again. I can definitely attest, after a couple of pints, that everything’s back to Normal! BJ’s [...]
It’s an annual right of passage at the beginning of February that two world renowned Imperial IPAs make their mark upon the craft beer world. The first, Russian River Pliny The Younger (Russian River Brewing Co.; Santa Rosa, CA; Imperial India Pale Ale; ABV: 11.0), has become the Holy Grail for many beer enthusiasts. While [...]
With the explosion of the craft beer industry, it seems like ales and lagers are giving wine a run for its money as the drink of choice. In fact, many breweries have started to age their ales in oak barrels which give them a distinct wine like character. This “crossover” is producing beers that appeal [...]