News: When Beer Attacks !

Hilarious article about Swill Beer. Make sure you read the part about proper disposal.
"Be Wary of Exploding Swill"

Tasting: Cincinnati Winter Beer Fest 2014

With my researcher and designated driver in tow I attended the 2014 Cincinnati Winter Beer Fest. Always a great showcase for local brewing, it also gives you the opportunity to sample brews that you don't normally find in Cincy, or sample beers that you didn't even know existed.

Mt. Caramel Coffee Brown Ale - The first beer I tried and it wasn't a great first choice. The Coffee flavor was overwhelming. It was hard to get any other impression of this beer.

Blank Slate Shroomiuous  - Decent Brown ale, earthy flavor from the shitake mushrooms they added to the recipe.

Uinta Hop Nosh  - Lots of floral hops, but not too bitter.

Buckeye Lake - Shovelhead 2XIPA - The Beer Fest was the debut for this excellent IPA. Very complex hop flavors with a good balance and decent finish. I will have to do further research.

Deschutes - Hop Henge Experimental IPA - Very Hoppy smell, has a sweet fruity taste. Excellent IPA.

Stone Matt's Burning Rosids Saison - Fruity and smooth taste, full bodied with the 10.5% ABV hiding in the back to surprise you.

Fifty West 3037 Session Pale Ale - Great Pale Ale, orange and other fruit flavors in the hops. Very drinkable, would be a good beer to have with a meal.

Fifty West Punch in the EyePA - lots of citrus hops right off the bat and then the malts kick in. The 10% ABV could punch you in the eye if you aren't careful.

Lagunitas Sucks IPA - No it doesn't

Christian Moerlein Hostavit - This is the 2014 collaboration beer from Blank Slate, Christian Moerlein, Double Barrel, Fifty West, Listermann, Mad Tree, Mt. Carmel, Rhinegeist, Rivertown and Triple Digit.
It is a mild Imperial Pilsner, very drinkable with some very interesting hop tastes floating around in there.

Christian Moerlein 10+161 - Bourbon Barrel aged Winter Warmer. The bourbon was not overpowering, just enough to give the beer a little extra flavor and kick.

Review: Old 21

Very full flavored Double IPA from The Brew Kettle. Mainly Citrus hop flavor, surprisingly it is not very heavy.

Review: Kentucky IPA

Very average IPA, borderline Pale Ale. I guess it was OK, just not overly impressed. I had it at the end of a long day and it just wasn't what I was after.

Review: Emancipator

This is a very, very good Doppelbock from Christian Moerlein. Caramel malt flavor at first with some fruity tastes and hops to balance things out.

Review: Stone Vertical Epic 10.10.10

I had this one cellared for several years, turns out it was worth the wait. This is the first beer in a very long time to stop me mid-sentence, and if you know me that is significant. I was expecting a Belgian, and it goes way past the average Belgian. It has an almost wine flavor, very sweet without being overbearing. There is a dry herbal taste with hints of banana to balance it out. If you get an opportunity you should definitely try this!

Review: 2 Hats Brown Ale

Smooth and tasty Brown Ale from the Ram Brewery in Indianapolis. Somewhere in-between Newcastle and Abita's Turbodog. Maybe just a bit too sweet for a Brown ale.

Review: Fullers Vintage Ale 2007

So this was a Birthday present from my sister back in '07. Somehow I managed to keep it in the beer cellar until April of '13. I shared it with that same sister and enjoyed it immensely. It is a very full flavored ale. Rich caramel / toffe malt flavor, not at all bitter. Very sweet finish with practically no aftertaste. I wish I could go back in time and stock up on this one !

Review: Beer Camp #43 Imperial Pilsner

This one pours out like a domestic light beer. The surprise is the decently full body for such a light looking beer. Overall it is good, but I don't think it deserves the Imperial part.

Review: Skol Lager

I got a chance to sample this Island Lager while visiting St. Kitts in the Caribbean. I found it to be very mild and frankly disappointing. It tasted watery and finished with a bitter almost skunked aftertaste.

Review: Stag Lager

Another Island Beer I got a chance to sample in St. Kitts. A very mild and light tasting lager from the Carib Brewery. I guess it is good for a long day on the beach if you are just hanging out and drinking beer all day. For a end of the day, celebratory beer it left a lot to be desired.

Review: Carib Lager

The ubiquitous beer in the Caribbean. It is a mild American style lager from the Carib Brewery. It has a nice flavor and overall taste. Very drinkable and has a decent finish.

Review: Beer Camp #53 Floral IPA

This IPA has a the taste and smell of hops, with a herbal ting going on back there somewhere. The body is on the high side of light, not quite medium. Overall, pretty good.

Review: Great Crescent Brewing Dark Lager

I expected a fuller flavor from this lager. It had a sharp bite at first and then it didn't follow through.
Still a bit hit or miss from this brewery.

News : The Plot to Destroy American Beer

This is a very interesting article on the destruction of brewing tradition by AB InBev. Apparently they have bought out and then compromised the brewing standards of Becks, Stella Artoris, Boddingtons, Hoegaarden and now even Anheuser-Busch .

http://mobile.bThe Plot to Destroy American Beerusinessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/the-plot-to-destroy-americas-beer

Review: India Pale Ale

This is the first beer I tried from Great Crescent Brewing, a new local brewery in the Cincinnati area.
Decent IPA, hopefully they are still tweaking the formula for this one. It was almost like a cream ale. 

Review: Headwaters Pale Ale

Very clean and refreshing Pale Ale from Victory Brewing Company. The way the malt flavor come through it almost tastes like an amber ale. Easy to drink and goes well with a big meal.

Review: Bottlenectar

This is a sweeter Amber Ale from Two Brothers Brewing. It has a hoppyness that almost makes it taste like a Belgian. Apparently this is hard to find seasonal.

Review: Anti-Hero IPA

The American IPA from Revolution Brewing Company is almost over the top on the hops. The bitterness can be overwhelming, but the citrus flavor almost balances it out.

Review: Ranger India Pale Ale

Excellent IPA from New Belgium Brewing Company. Crazy hops onslaught from the first sip. It takes a little getting used to, but once you get in to it you can taste everything that is going on.