Hey there,
This week’s column is up on Local Kicks. I’m writing about the new Allagash releases that I’ll be trying out this Saturday. If you’re in the neighborhood around 12-5, come by Rick’s and check them out.
Monthly Archives: April 2008
News about Saturday Tasting
Hey everyone,
Not all of the order showed up in the store today, so I have to alter the tasting lineup a bit. Out are the Gouden Carolus Grand Cru 2000 and 2004. In are Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA and Victory Hop Devil. Not sure if the Grand Cru will be around next week. If they are I’ll certainly try to get them.
The Beermonger
Dogfish Arrival Situation
For my customers who have been waiting for the 120 Minute and Immort Ale to arrive:
When these limited beers arrive, the distributor generally doles them out in very small quantities for the first week or so that they’re available. After that, most stuff becomes fair game. In another week and a half or so, I should have some decent amounts of these beers in and will contact you to let you know what I have.
As the quantities are so small right now, I won’t be pre-selling anything. If you want something this week, come by and get it. Anything else is plain unfair. Ironically, this is the argument my distributor gives me when I yell and scream about only getting two cases of 120. Then again, in a couple weeks I’ll end up buying everything they have anyway, so I’m just trying to get it all done now.
Like I said, when more gets freed up I’ll make some calls and emails and let you all know what’s up. Until then, come by this weekend for what I have now and hopefully I’ll have some better news very soon.
Cheers,
The Beermonger
Local Kicks Column for 4.23.08
This week’s column for Local Kicks is up and you can read it here. This week, I look at Belgian beer by way of the life of Emperor Charles V.
Posted in Belgian Beer, Local Kicks Columns
Tagged Belgian Beer, Local Kicks Columns
The Beermonger Review: Legend Imperial Brown Ale
Legend bar and brewery down in Richmond had been operating since 1994, producing and spreading the gospel of great craft beer. They have a good range of year-round brews that I carry in the store which includes a Golden Ale, Pilsner, Lager and Brown Ale. The Brown Ale in particular seems to attract a lot of attention.
In addition to these, Legend puts out a vast number of seasonal and once-a-year brews. Maybe my personal favorite of these is the Legend Imperial Brown Ale. In the glass, it is really an opaque brown color. Held up to a light, it becomes a slightly reddish-brown, but not much light gets through. It smells like something, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. There are aromas of sweet malts and esters, but that something else is killing me…
A very organized and uniform army of bubbles makes up the head, and as you drink the beer it falls down the glass in a sparse trail of lace. Speaking of drinking it: That first sip jogs my head and I finally put my finger on it. That something I was smelling that I couldn’t figure out…Tootsie Roll! It’s not exact nor should it be, but there’s a definite sense of a mix of flavors like cocoa powder, caramel in the malt and spicy slightly fruity tang (from the extra hop going into the Imperial style) that makes you think of a Tootsie Roll a little bit.
I’ve probably gone on a bit much about that, but I was just so glad to get that out of my head. Usually that’s the sort of thing that I wouldn’t remember until I was on the verge of sleep and it would be too late because I’ve already published the blog. I may be a bit too dedicated to what I do.
Anyhoo: The extra malt feels sweet on the tip of the tongue, if that makes any sense. On the front of the palate the hop bitter comes in along with it giving the initial flavor an almost Belgian quality of spice and fruit mixed with malt. Unique in a specifically non-Belgian beer, but very cool. The cocoa and caramel dominate through the mid-palate and into the finish, which is it’s own experience. The finish starts off bitter, with the hops coming to the fore once again, but it transitions into a full-on malty fade. Finesse.
The warming finish is great for late-night hang outs on the patio this time of year (not that I was doing that), but it’s also the only thing that keeps this beer from being completely drinkable. At 8.5% ABV, though, I think that’s a pretty good thing. The Imperial Brown Ale keeps you from drinking too much of it. It knows better than you. Listen to it.
As I said, the regular Legend Brown Ale is very popular and the Imperial maybe even more so, at least around my shop. They say on their site that it’s around from summer into fall, but it never seems to last nearly that long. Again, that’s good and bad: If I could grab a bottle of this any day of the year, things might get out of hand. Then again, this is the kind of beer that gets breweries national attention.
If you dig Brown Ales and malty beers, and want to experience something new this may be a beer for you to try. It’s almost the logical extension of every Brown Ale out there. Get it while it’s around, though; if you can’t snag a bottle…road trip!
Cheers,
The Beermonger
Stone Anniversary and Vertical Epic News
Not too long ago the label leaked out for Stone’s 12th Anniversary beer. It will be a Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout and we’ll be seeing it in the area sometime in June.
Now today I see the info for Vertical Epic 08.08.08. For those not in the know, Stone started this back in 2002, releasing a different style beer every year on a different date (02.02.02, 03.03.03, etc.). The series is scheduled to continue until 12.12.12., when Stone encourages you to line ‘em up and drink ‘em down. Sounds like ’08 is going to be a take on the hoppy Belgian Ales that are becoming more popular all the time. I can’t wait to see how this comes out.
The Beermonger Review: I’m an Arrogant Bastard (and you should be too)
They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single sip.
Ok, so they don’t say that, but I do. In fact, I just did. It was about ten years ago ( I won’t say how old I was exactly; I’ll just encourage young people everywhere not to drink illegally). I went to visit my best friend in Tucson. At this time I was but a novice Beer Geek: Aware of better beers but not exclusive. I’ve always managed to find an interest in the finest of all crafts, be it in music, art, writing, or beer. I was already a regular Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams drinker. I’d discovered the joy of Pete’s Wicked Strawberry Blonde. On this initial trip to Arizona (which I thoroughly enjoyed and have made myself a promise to live in for a couple years in this life) I enjoyed many new experiences. Most of those I won’t name here. Among those I will are pints and pool at the Red Garter, a 1/2 sandwich and bread bowl at Bisonwiches and Fat Tire Ale (more on Fat Tire in the near future).
At some point in my trip, my friend, knowing I was into good beer, told me there was something I needed to try. It was a beer from an at the time new brewery called Stone. That beer was Arrogant Bastard Ale. I don’t know what to say about that night except that Arrogant Bastard is the beer that got me into craft beer.
For the uninitiated, Arrogant Bastard is a full-on assault on the senses. It smells of bitterness, is bright angry red in color and tastes like sharp earthy goodness forcing you to wake up and know that the truth is out there. It literally changed my life. From then on, I went looking for the next, the new, the different.
I had an Arrogant Bastard tonight for the hell of it, knowing I was going to write about it. It’s still the same angry red. It’s not an IPA: Rather a strong ale, with an alpha acid hit that leaves you a slight bit cotton-mouthed. It coats the glass with a sporadic, ominous lace. The flavor is that of a different type of hop; earthy, almost smoky. There is enough malt to support the hoppiness, and enough hop to make you reconsider every beer you’ve ever had in your entire life.
I’m a comic book geek, and I read something in a book recently that definitely applies here: I’ve had bigger, I’ve had better (though not many), but you never forget your first. Arrogant Bastard was my first true craft beer experience, and after all these years it seems we just know each other better. Every move, every twist and turn. This is truly a beer for the ages.
Long live the Bastard.
’till next time,
The Beermonger
Local Kicks Column 4.16.08
Hey y’all,
So my first column for Local Kicks is up and you can check it out here. It’s a basic introduction plus a rundown of the beers from Clipper City Brewery. I’ll be tasting them out on Saturday, April 19th with Tom Cisauskas.
Spreading the word, one beer at a time
So, we’re up and running a little here. I can now be found at www.beermonger.net for all of your Beermongering needs. I’ll be linking to my Local Kicks column tomorrow morning and hopefully have some beer news to share. As for now, it’s a lovely, leisurely Tuesday morning…
