“Hair of the Dog That Bit Me” is a saying that goes back to olden times. There was a belief that a shot or two of alcohol could cure just about anything, from rabies (along with hair from the rabid dog) to hangovers. There’s actually been some scientific studies to support the latter. In any [...]
Anne and I attended the Bell’s Brewery/Mr. Beery’s Beer Dinner at The Founders Club in Sarasota this past Saturday. It was a chance to gather with good friends, and to make some new ones, while savoring several Bell’s offerings paired with a delicious four course menu, courtesy of Chef Marco Marini. We started the evening [...]
While I’m a big fan of Belgians, IPAs, and Olde Ales, I would have to say that a great barley wine is still my favorite style of beer. And one that I brought to Beer Nerd Night at Mr. Beery’s may have been the fairest one of all. Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine Vintage 2009 (Deschutes [...]
I started Billy’s Beer Blog a year-and-a-quarter ago and this is my 100th post. So I thought it fitting to use this post to review what Beer Advocate, Rate Beer, and many others consider The World’s Best Beer. I bought two bottles of Westvleteren 12 (Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus; Westvleteren, Belgium; Quadrupel; ABV: 10.2) from [...]
There’s been more and more collaborations between craft breweries over the last year or so, and the trend continues with a saision brewed by Dogfish, Victory, and Stone. Dogfish/Victory/Stone Saison Du BUFF (Stone Brewing Co.; Escondido, CA; Saison / Farmhouse Ale; ABV: 6.8) is a complex and very eclectic ale. It’s brewed with parsley, sage, [...]
Cigar City annually releases a limited batch of their 110K+OT. Each year they brew a different style of beer that’s widely anticipated. Cigar City even holds a very popular release party at their brewery to mark the occasion. This year’s offering is Batch #3. Cigar City 110K+OT Batch #3 (Cigar City Brewing; Tampa, FL; Imperial [...]
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 [...]