While at Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville two months ago, I purchased a bottle of a very interesting sour ale. HaandBryggeriet Haandbakk (HaandBryggeriet; Drammen, Norway; Flanders Oud Bruin; ABV: 8.5) is the first wild yeast-fermented beer brewed in Norway for more than 100 years. And since Beer Advocate ranks Haandbakk as one of the world’s five [...]
Now that Fall has arrived, I’ve written several posts about pumpkin ales. But there are other beers that are perfect for this time of year as well. I had the chance to savor one at Shakespeare’s recently. Abita Pecan Harvest Ale (Abita Brewing Co.; Abita Springs, LA; American Brown Ale; ABV: 5.0) is an enjoyable [...]
Anne and I stopped by Dunedin Brewery late Sunday afternoon, on the way back from Tarpon Springs, to check out the latest beers on tap. I was pleased to see that they had a new offering from their Brewmaster’s Reserve series, and decided to order a pint. Dundein Brewmaster’s Reserve The Honey Pumpkin (Dunedin Brewery; [...]
Anne and I stopped by the newly renovated Shamrock’s Pub yesterday, and noticed that they had Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Extra! Ale (Lagunitas Brewing Co.; Petaluma, CA; Imperial India Pale Ale; ABV: 8.7) on tap. I’ve always enjoyed offerings from this brewery, especially the IPAs, so I was especially eager to give this one a [...]
While in Asheville two months ago, we stopped by Bruisin’ Ales and purchased a highly recommended barley wine from one of the local breweries. So I decided to share it with the class at Mr. Beery’s Beer Nerd Show & Tell this past week. Olde Hickory Bardstown Brand Ale (Olde Hickory Brewery; Hickory, NC; Barley [...]
I got a chance to reacquaint myself with an IPA that I tried for the first time last year out West. It’s considered to be one of the world’s best IPAs by both Rate Beer and Beer Advocate, and I ordered a pint while attending Mr. Beery’s Beer Nerd Show & Tell earlier this week. [...]
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 [...]