Advent Calendar Day 24: Christmas Eve, Faith, Love, Hope, and Pike's Peak Brewing Penrose Private Reserve

If you do nothing other than listen to the news recently, then you probably are scared sick with the events and unrest that seems to be seeping into all aspects of life. There isn't an hour that goes by without something being said detailing a doomsday scenario or a societal altering clash that will spell the end of the American Dream as we know it. The words of a priest, today on Christmas Eve, put in perspective both the recent world events and my role in the future. He spoke of faith, hope, and love. He spoke to always show our faith by never losing hope and give others a reason to keep it as well. We give this hope to others by our actions. He spoke of our faith is love of God and our fellow man and this love is the inspiration of hope and faith.

While some people may not have faith in the same way that I have faith, I do hope that those people do share the faith I have in my neighbor. If we give of ourselves and show love to the person next as a decent human being, then we have every reason for hope and the restoration of faith in the human race. My charge to you is the next time you feel an urge to be a dick to someone, DON'T DO IT! Maybe you notice an opportunity to help someone, take two seconds, and with a smile do the right thing. I know I need to get better about this and I promise I will. I will carry the Christmas Spirit with me for the next 365 days to bring a genuine smile to someone's face. Beer can help this cause. Watching someone new to me drink a beer new to them, and have their eyes widen at the experience of a good beer can definitely increase the joy on this Earth. Could you imagine how much joy and good will that 8 billion small acts of kindness would bring to this world?

Now to settle in on this cold winter's night. Unfortunately, this Christmas will not be a white Christmas. But I did pick out a beer that is as black as the night sky and helps me fight against the biting cold the wind of the night brings. Tonight I drink a special beer. Pike's Peak Brewery Penrose Private Reserve Number 1306. This is a stout aged in whiskey barrels. The beer pours a dark melted chocolate look to it. Has the aroma of a stout that is softened by the oaky dark tinges from the whiskey. As I took a drink, I almost expected the burn of alcohol, but the burn never came. This went down very smooth but not quickly as the beer clung to the sides of my mouth and tongue. I also took the time to review what others have said about this and I, literally out loud, said, "Get a life!" Some them were talking about how the beer was undrinkable and was a total drain pour. I wanted to ask if they were drinking the same beer I was. This just helps me reinforce the idea that, each of us should make up our own minds as to what is a good beer. I would give this one a try and let me know what you think!

24 down... 0 to go!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

Advent Calendar Day 23: Wild Beer Bliss, Fake Fires, and Early Christmas Presents

When I came home from work tonight, I was greeted with the sound of Scottish songs from one of her shows with a fake fire on the TV screen. This was an interesting and enjoyable scene to come in on, because I enjoyed the music playing, and C was relaxed and burritoed into a blanket sitting in front of the TV as if the fire was real. My dogs, while they were excited to see me, were just as eager to lay back down as if to bookend C. It was definitely a comfortable atmosphere to come home to. I really want to start using the fireplace and cozy next to it as I blog future posts.

Because C and I have differing plans for Christmas Eve, we have already exchanged gifts and spent quality time together. We also know the next few days will have plenty of family togetherness and that we will be ready to breath in a few days. C thought that it would be a good idea to exchange presents early so that it wouldn't be lost and forgotten in the hustle of multifamily Christmas. C did really well! She not only gave me a sign for approval in installing a kegging system! She found a tap handle made from an old Nintendo Entertainment System controller. The NES controller brought back memories of never being able to beat the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game or really wanting to actually shoot the dog on Duck Hunter. This will be my first tap handle, as I will find three more for my home brew kegs that will be on tap here at the house. You will have to come take have some when I get it set up.

After finishing up work for the year and getting much needed rest and relaxation, I decided it was a good time to bring out a wild card of a beer. With The Wild Beer Company Bliss, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. According to the label, they really like to push the limits, expand palates, and create a beer experience with each beer. Bliss is wild yeast beer brewed with roasted apricots and spices. This beer poured darker and more amber than I was expecting. The aroma and taste are very complex with a great funkiness to it. In beers that list a fruit in them, you usually just get the sweetness or candy flavor of that candy. With Bliss you get the acidity and and mellow flavors of apricot. This beer was expensive for the quantity and while it was a great beer, I would look for another from this brewery before getting this one again.

23 down... 1 to go!! TOMORROW IS CHRISTMAS EVE!!

Advent Calendar Day 22: Monks' Tripel, Hype, and a Backup Plan

Tonight I have decided open a beer I got on my trip to Denver. I have opened Monks' Tripel by Abbey Beverage Company out of New Mexico. I was expecting a intense Belgian flavor reminiscent of the quality Trappist beers that the label seems to suggest. Pouring this beer, out came a light orange colored beer with a little white head. Unfortunately the aroma and flavor on this beer is very unassuming and less than complex. I bought this beer on the behest of a liquor store in Denver. I am slightly disappointed, though the beer is not horrible and would be a good yard beer... you know if you had wanted to drink a 750 mL of it. Oh and its a 9.25 ABV, so it would be a good day working on the yard.

However I have to examine my expectations. Were they influence by the guy at the store? Were they ballooned by the fact that I was like a kid in candy store at this liquor store? I was really excited by all the beer I had never seen before. Or maybe it was the fact that I was in a situation that doesn't happen very often, going to with opportunity and intent of finding a wide variety of beer I have yet to try. This begs to ask the question, what is the origin of "hype"? With recent socially perceived issues surrounding a release by Boulevard, there was widespread discussion about expectations, valid expectations, and the failure to meet those expectations. On one side, there are those that would contend that a brewery that fancies itself as a craft brewer should always push the envelope or brew complex beers at every step of the way. Those of us who like to evangelize beer or encourage non-craft beer drinkers to try new and especially not intimidating beers. Well the hype around the last beer, really showed the unwillingness of individuals to accept a brilliant marketing strategy and ultimately a spur of the moment brew paying homage to a local sports team.

Whenever I have a disappointing beer, I go get a second and safe bet beer. In this case I got Oskar Blues Ten Fidy. This stout has a quality that can't be beat! Very smooth and full of flavor. I really enjoy the nose and mouthfeel of this one. Tonight, Ten Fidy was like having Aaron Rodgers backing up Matt Cassel. Not the best idea... Oh well! You live and you learn!

22 down... 2 to go!!

Advent Calendar Day 21: Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose and My Economic Dilemma

I have begun to realize a huge pitfall in my hobby of evangelizing quality beer. The more I have friends like the beers I buy, then either I have to buy more, have less for myself, be a jerk and not share my beer. The moral and economic dilemmas are harsh.

As an example, I present exhibit C. When I met C, she didn't have bad taste. She just didn't explore other options to drink as much. As we both have toured the world of beer, we took some chances and some of them paid off! Recently we have discovered for ourselves a couple weird styles, one of them being a Gose. The gose style is most notably a tart beer with a strong saltiness characteristic. Most goses also have a herbal element to them.

Anderson Valley Brewing makes a Highway 128 Session Series. This series of beers includes at least to gose beers. One of them being the Blood Orange Gose. As this was one of C's choices I am going to let you make the guess as to which glass I drank out of with this beer.

The Blood Orange Gose is crisp and refreshing. The tartness is balanced by a bold citrus flavor. If you have wanted to try the gose style, I would suggest this one as good and easy drinking version of this style.

As for my moral and economic dilemma, I will have to keep on giving and hope others give back. But that is just who I am? What you do in my situation?

21 down... 3 to go!

Advent Calendar Day 20: Founder's Breakfast Stout and Christmas Madness

With 5 days left to Christmas Day, retail stores and, by proxy, roads around those stores have become complete bedlam. If you are trying to park, you might as well be at the carnival in some bumper cars. Today, C and I were stuck in traffic because a forcing the highway into one lane. Impatient aggressive drivers then caused a lot of issues acting without thought or concern. (Don't try to call me out for my driving technique. These drivers were more aggressive than me and they were dangerous about it. I don't drive dangerously!)  Getting through the aisles of a store, you would have better luck running the opposite direction of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Bring something to read while you are in line to checkout. Apparently, the weekend before Christmas is the time to buy food for Christmas dinner, and people lose their minds.

Once C and I battled through and crossed everything off our to do list, we came home and I pulled out a favorite beer to drink. I chose Founder's Breakfast Stout to relax with. This stout is in my top 10 beers. Not because it is complex or mind blowing. More so because the coffee and oatmeal in this beer is like taking a bowl of breakfast oatmeal and mixing in a dark coffee. Many times I have been tempted to brew a cup of coffee and make a bowl of oatmeal with it. I might do that tomorrow during the Chiefs game. This beer is truly one that puts a smile on my face no matter how the rest of my day is going. Go get a four pack, and if you don't like it I will be happy to take it off your hands!

20 down... 4 to go!

Advent Calendar Day 19: Christmas Lights and Cathedral Square Holy Moly! Imperial Stout

Christmas is season of warmth and light despite the cold dark nights. I am not sure how Christmas lights got their start. Their use, however, in decoration spans house trim, forms pictures, or even timed with music becoming an integral cornerstone of Christmas traditions. When C told me she wanted to go see some lights, I said "Cool! We can go to Christmas in the Park." This is at 6 PM. After dinner, we get to Longview Lake, where this drive through light display is, a little after 7 PM. There is a line to get to the beginning of the show. So we wait... FOR 50 MINUTES!! Lesson learned, never go to see the lights the Friday before Christmas.

There were a few silver linings to this wait. C and I got to spend quality time together and listen to the season finale for Serial, the well written, thought provoking podcast that examines a real murder case spurring conversation and debate. You should go listen to this series and tell me who you think did it.  Another positive, C felt like she had to make something up to me so she bought me a beer that I will have to blog about at another time.

Once we got into Christmas in the Park, the lights were amazing and really made the season shine bright. There was plenty of positive warm thoughts while we drove through the amazing lights formed into snowmen, reindeer, Santa Claus, some winter fun shenanigans. I would definitely suggest going, just maybe on a weeknight or something.

When we got home at 8:45 PM, we put on C's favorite Christmas movie Muppet Christmas Carol and I got out a nice big beer. I picked out Cathedral Square Holy Moly! Imperial Stout. This is a brewery I haven't heard a lot about out of Saint Louis, MO. After drinking this beer I am thinking I need to keep an eye for more from them. This beer poured Priest smock black. The caramel or expresso color head on the beer was airy and melted into the beer. The beer went down smooth and creamy. The bomber I had was not enough.

19 down... 5 to go!

Advent Calendar Day 18: Stone Coffee Milk Stout and Defining Fastidious

Fastidious

1. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please
2. requiring or characterized by excessive care or delicacy; painstaking

I really learned this definition because I didn't want call myself picky. When I go to bars and restaurants that have beer on tap, I have to go take a pass at the bar to visually confirm what is on tap. I don't trust the beer menu, because it could be out dated and I could miss a beer that I could want. Sometimes I take longer to make my decision for beer than I do for dinner. Why do I bring this up? I went to dinner with friends and the place had something like 30 taps! Unfortunately 15+ of them were a variation on a light lager. It took a couple passes at the bar and couple questions to finally settle on a vanilla porter. Some may think that picky or ridiculous. I think it was worth it! I am fastidious and I prefer the second definition.

After enjoying dinner, I come home and raid my fridge. Tonight I pick out Stone's Coffee Milk Stout. I have heard a lot of really good things about this one. Once I opened and poured the wickedly dark and I immediately regretted taking a whiff. My mind thought I was smelling morning coffee and started waking up at night! This black beer had the amazingness that is coffee and awesomeness that is a creamy milk stout. I have found that if people like coffee this is a surprising beer that can get them to enjoy quality beers. 

You may want to go find this beer if you have morning coffee. This can be your evening coffee... or you know what this can be your day drinking beer. I wont judge you for that!

18 down... 6 to go!!

Advent Calendar Day 17: Anchorage Brewing Calabaza Boreal and Christmas Movies

Every household may or may not have traditions or rituals that accompany the holiday season. Growing up for my sister and I, Thanksgiving and Christmas meant a deluge of family favorite movies. Classics such as Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn, and as I just watched, White Christmas. For me Christmas is Count Your Blessings, Zuzu's Petals, and the United States Postal Service proving the existence Santa Claus. For me Christmas is singing along and quoting these movies with my family. I can neither confirm nor deny that I may shed a tear when George Bailey exclaims, "Merry Christmas you 'ole Building and Loan!". I cannot deny that I get a little verklempt when during the surprise for General Waverly. Sharing this time and these emotions with family and loved ones is very important to me.

As I sit here watching movies of my childhood, I also take the time to try something new. Anchorage Brewing collaborated with Jolly Pumpkin to make a beer. These two breweries are kind of new to me so I wanted to try something from both of them. I picked up this beer and saw that it was made with grapefruit peels and juice. As I turn the bottle to read I notice the words Brett, Saison, and Oro de Calabaza. Brett and Saison immediately caught my attention, intriguing my taste buds. I am huge fan of saisons and Brettanomyces is always a good thing to try out and hit your palate with. I am not going to lie. I had to look up Oro de Calabaza and I found that it is a beer that Jolly Pumpkin makes and that I will have to try. This beer pours light and clear. There is a little bit of white head. 

BOTTLE CONDITIONING WARNING: For those of you who don't know this beer is bottle conditioned. What that means is that some of the yeast is left in the bottle and sugar is added during the bottling process. This carbonates the beer naturally, but also leaves sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Your first pour will be clear, but as you near the bottom you will start to get cloudier beer. I personally like the differences.

The Brett and Saison yeasts give the beer spice and tartness that harmoniously collide with the grapefruit flavors in this beer. Some describe Brett as a horse blanket, however this beer is a good illustration of the fact that Brett is naturally found on fruits. The citrus really accentuates the familiar and awesome Brett charateristics. Calabaza Boreal is a very delightful beer that will ultimately make me a poor man as I look to find more Anchorage and Jolly Pumpkin beers.

17 down... 7 to go!

Advent Calendar Day 16: Boulevard Oatmeal Stout and Exposing Douchebaggery

As a fever pitch in the city driven by ridiculous standards and beliefs grips what for the majority are decent and reasonable people, I implore you to relax and breathe.

There are so many instances of douchebagery toady with the release of Boulevards latest homage to a Kansas City sports team. In the spring and early summer, they produced a spiced saison in honor of Sporting Kansas City winning the MLS Championship last fall. Today Boulevard released Crown Town Ale is a golden blonde ale brewed to commemorate the achievements and absolute thrill given to Kansas City by our boys in blue. The Kansas City Royals gave us a ride that became so much more than meaningful games in September. The first game gave way to a Wild Card Game that gives new meaning to the word wild. Then came the sweep of the best teams in the American League. Finally came the complete roller coaster of a World Series. The euphoric highs as we won games 2, 3, and 6. The utterly demoralizing lows as we lost games 1, 4, 5, and ultimately the heartbreaking game 7.

Despite the outcome, we as Kansas Citians are very proud and thankful that our team brought us something this city has not seen in years, a reason to rejoice!

Unfortunately just as there is good in this world, there is equally and appalling indecency that rears its ugly head. There are people who are trashing this beer that is not meant to compete with bourbon barrel aged beers, sours, and other extreme or experimental brews. This beer is meant to exist just as baseball does, accessible and enjoyed by all. The purpose of this new release to reach every fan of beer and baseball, celebrating the efforts of 25 men and wash away 29 years of woes from a city.

There are currently people who are attempting to resell this beer for 8 times its face value. That is $100!! This opportunistic and sleazy reality is something that drives people from craft beer and defeats the exact purpose of this beer.  Do something for me, as Craigslist ads go up and come down real every second. Go to Craigslist and search for "Boulevard" and "Crown Town" and be prepared to be assaulted by the vile nature of these posts. The best retribution I have found for them is to take the phone numbers of those genius enough to use them and place personal ads for them in some compromising sites.

However there are decent people in this world who have access to this beer and are allowing others to get them. As I would suggest you do, find a bottle of this beer, accept it for what it is and enjoy. Maybe even share it with those who aren't necessarily familiar with the world of craft beer.


This all being said I needed to relax from my fervor and take in a good beer. Tonight I picked a Boulevard Tasting Room Oatmeal Stout. This beer pours dark and smooth. The head is a nice caramel color as it dissipates. The Stout has a big mouth feel and lingers with you. You get all of the oatmeal and definitely get your fill on this beer.

This beers roasted flavors and chocolate smell are easy to drink and allow for a great introduction into stouts for a non stout drinker. Again I am sensing a running theme from Boulevard.

16 down... 8 to go!

Advent Calendar Day 15: Stone Bourbon Barrel Aged Arrogant Bastard Ale and Customer Service

For those of you who know me, you know I have been in Customer Service since my first job waiting tables in college. I grew as a professional in the same field when I worked for H&R Block. I know what to expect from customer service, and I know how to talk to a representative to best get what I need. C even makes me call or talk to any service agent that is needed. I am more patient and willing to guide the person I am talking to through there process.

Sometimes though ineptness and an inherent failure to listen compels a distinct frustration of futility arises. I spent the better part of the night speaking with different departments of a particular company. I won't name the company but sometimes when customer service seems to fail you all you can do is smile and realize that no matter what patience and that smile in your voice will turn into results.

That being said I think I deserve a big bottle to relax with. I picked out a new one to me. Stone's Bourbon Barrel Aged Arrogant Bastard Ale is very delicious. The beer pours a clear brown color that reminds me of one of those root beer barrel candies I loved as kid... who am I kidding! I still like them! The beer smells smooth and goes down really easy. There may be a lot of hype around bourbon barrel aging, but this Stone is very easy to drink for everyone. There is no burn from the alcohol and the flavors mingle in a pleasant and dulcet way. Despite the label's up impertinent and cocksure language warning people to stay away, I would encourage people to try this beer as it is very smooth and easy drinking. The vanilla and oaky notes from the bourbon barrel balances any remaining flavors from the normal Arrogant Bastard. I don't mean me!

15 down... 9 left to go!

Advent Calendar Day 14: Red Hook Out of Your Gourd and KC Ale Trail

Tonight I relax with a smooth but spiced porter from Red Hook Brewing. The Out of your Gourd Pumpkin Porter is a dark and spicy. As the beer warms up, the spice gets accentuated. Think liquid autumn and Halloween in a bottle. As a porter, Out of Your Gourd is not heavy but is dark. While this beer does the job, I would get a different pumpkin beer. Maybe the Crown Valley Imperial Pumpkin Smash Stout.

Red Hook is out of Washington, but maybe you need some help finding a new to you brewery in the Kansas City area. In my time writing this blog, I have had the fortune of meeting quite a few amazing individuals. One of those people, Pete Dulin recently wrote a guide to the Kansas City craft beer scene called KC Ale Trail. This 144 page book covers the essentials you need to know when go to sample the great brews this city has to offer. Covering the obvious like Boulevard, Free State, and Mother's Brewing. This book also showcases some not so well known destinations and up and comers such as Rock and Run, Kansas City Bier Company, Martin City Brewing. KC Ale Trail even gives you a heads up on breweries that will be opening their doors next year.

Get your copy of KC Ale Trail and learn about Kansas City breweries and establishments that support those places. Who knows maybe I can contribute to the next edition of this book. (I made the assumption there will be future editions.)

14 down... 10 to go!

Advent Calendar Day 13: Founder's Dark Penance

Your sense of smell can play tricks on you. Especially when you think you know what beer styles are supposed to smell, taste, and look like. If you show me a dark beer, I would expect dark roasted malty flavors with chocolate, coffee, other spices. Hand me a light colored beer and I will anticipate typical hop profiles with bitterness and citrus flavors.

Scout doesn't care for beer buy his coat is the same color as Dark Penance from Founder's.

Dark Penance is an Imperial Black IPA. This beer is an example of a style breaker. Founder's makes this beer as dark as Breakfast Stout and as hoppy as Centennial IPA. Dark Penance is deceptively light but still has the roasted malt flavors that would be necessary to turn the beer dark. 

I like this beer and enjoy the tricks that it plays on my senses. 

13 down... 11 to go! 

Advent Calendar Day 12: Beer30, Dogfish Head 61 Minute, #DFB2KC

While some might consider me a workaholic, there are some perks to the job I have. Problem solving, analytics, and process improvement are fun for me. More importantly, my workplace puts an emphasis on an relaxed environment. This includes Beer30. Every Friday afternoon, the office steps away from the grindstone and takes a few minutes to appreciate all the hard work we have put in over the past week. We revel in this appreciation over a pint. The breakroom actually houses a kegerator. We have had some really good brews on tap at the office. Like Boulevard Tank 7, and Breckenridge Agave Wheat. I have also been able to to bring in my own home brews for my coworkers to taste.

Today, though, I am brought a special beer to enjoy! I brought Dogfish Head 61 Minute. The Dogfish Head has a series of beers called 60 Minute, 90 Minute, and 120 Minute. Each of these beers are IPAs while being brewed have continual hop additions throughout the boil process. The founder of Dogfish Head had a tradition with 60 Minute to add one more ingredient, a little red wine. This was the birth of 61 Minute. An IPA continuously hopped with an addition of Syrah grape must added to give the beer delicious sweetness. The beer pours ruby red and light. You can taste the hops and the grapes, in a harmonious balance. If only this beer was available in the Kansas City area.


Speaking of which, Skylar Wallace has made a significant social media effort to bring Dogfish Head to this area. At one point he was tweeting out every day with the #DFB2KC (Dogfish beer to Kansas City) consecutively for more than two years! Enough to be noticed by the founder of Dogfish Head, Sam Calagione. Sam even arranged a meeting with Skylar while he was in Kansas City. So please help out with this effort! We all want amazing beers in this area. Dogfish is on the top of the list of amazing beers.

12 down ... 12 to go! Half way to Christmas!!

Advent Calendar Day 11: Lagunitas Little Sumpin Wild Ale and more BrewDogs

Tonight I am drinking Lagunitas Little Sumpin Wild Ale. I really like Little Sumpin Sumpin, so I wanted to try this one. Little Sumpin Sumpin has the grain build of a wheat and the hoppy goodness of an IPA. Little Sumpin Wild is the same beer fermented with a Trappist yeast that brings some flavors that reminds me of a wild ale mixed with a good hop profile. The beer pours light with a thick head. This beer is so crisp and refreshing that I drank it kind of fast. The flavors I got was the wild sweetness and balance. This is an enjoyable beer that I feel the experienced beer nerd can enjoy and share with a beer noob.

I got to drink this beer while watching some BrewDogs on Esquire Network. Man! Those guys are hilarious and adventurous. Tonight, I watched the over the top Vegas, fast Delaware, windy and green Chicago, and ancient Durango episodes. I watch the series not only because it is entertaining, but in large because I learn a tremendous amount beer, brewing, food pairing, and of places I will go when I get to those cities.

11 down... 13 to go!!

Advent Calendar Day 10: Sierra Nevade Narwhal

The Unicorn of the Sea

Sierra Nevada is known around this area for their hop forward pale ale. What I have learned while enjoying their beers recently, is that Sierra Nevada actually got it's start in Chico, California in the shadow of the breweries namesake mountains. Interestingly enough, Sierra Nevada started with a stout, not their pale ale. So when 999 out of 1,000 beer drinkers were drinking their father's beer, Budweiser, Ken Grossman made a style of beer that was darker than, and to some as intimidating as the Sierra Nevada's themselves. I really enjoyed reading the story about Sierra Nevada's start.

For tonight's beer I opened the Sierra Nevada Narwhal. There has been a lot of hype and I wanted part of my Advent journey to include this beer. The Narwhal, in reality and nature, is a large mammal similar to a whale or dolphin, except for one distinct feature, a tusk. This tusk comes out of the creatures head like a unicorn's horn. It is very intriguing and a unique animal.

The Sierra Nevada Narwhal is an Imperial Stout, whose menacingly pitch black color and strong roasted aroma tempts me to drink all of them. The char and espresso flavors from the beer awaken the taste buds, bringing complex yet harmonious flavors. I actually ate a slightly warmed brownie to pair with the coco flavors. This beer washed the sticky melted chocolate down my throat with a nice finish.

This one warmed up my night! Now I am curious how much the Bourbon barrel added to the beer in that release.

10 down... 14 to go!

Advent Calendar Day 9: Crooked Stave Vieille

I think this edition will just be about the beer.While I am still looking for someway to travel the world and experience everything that it has to offer. I have some ideas but I want to hear you suggestions. So let me know.

While I was recently was in Denver, I picked up a Crooked Stave Vieille Artisanal Saison. I was really excited about getting to try Crooked Stave and they didn't disappoint. The beer pours light and smooth. The aroma is nice as it strikes the nostrils. I am definitely reminded of a sour beer when I sniff and taste this beer.

When I am drinking this beer I am refreshed by the crispness as it flows across my tongue. I love how this beer has balance and is easy to drink. I want to go and get some more from Crooked Stave right now. C wont mind if I leave the house right now will she?

9 down... 25 to go!

Advent Calendar Day 8: Adventures and Ebel Weiss

I get home from work and C tells me that we should go on an adventure. That adventure involved piling the dogs in the car and continuing a podcast that we have started. If you haven't heard of Serial, then you should go check it out. A true story about a person convicted of murder and the case against him. I am hooked and this is a good thing to listen to and talk about with those you are with.

NOTE: DO NOT GOOGLE SERIAL TOO MUCH! THERE ARE SPOILERS OUT THERE!

If you want to listen to it, click here and then click Subscribe. Just do it and you can thank me later.

C and I listen to Serial as we drove around looking for some good beers to buy. We decided to try to in Eastern Jackson County. While we did find some Prairie Christmas Bomb, we were reminded that EJC bottle shops need some help and upgrade in selection.

We get home and C picks out a beer for me and tells me to watch the end of the football game. I am a lucky guy.

She picks out Ebel's Weiss by Two Brothers Brewery out of Warrenville, IL. I was really interested in the beer when we picked it out. This is a German style hefeweizen. This unfiltered wheat beer is light and easy drinking. I really like the banana flavors and the mouthfeel was pleasant. I feel that this beer might be quickly compared to an unfiltered wheat that everyone is familiar. I don't think that it should. I believe this beer is supposed to be different and has it's own identity. The sweetness and maltiness of the beer really show up and declare the beer's style.

8 down... 16 to go!

Advent Calendar Day 7: Counting My Blessings and Graham Cracker Porter

The weather gets cold and the days grow shorter. The leaves fall lightly from the trees and coats become heavier and fluffier. It is very easy to get negative during the winter season due to the gloomy weather, cabin fever, the financial taxing of Christmas Shopping, or even the stress of family get togethers. Or worst of all your football team gets embarrassed in their supposed push to the playoffs... Oh well!

It is times like this that we can take a step back and breathe. We can take inventory of our blessings. On those rough winter nights I am reminded of a song.

(In a Bing Crosby singing voice) If you are worried, and you cannot sleep. Just count your blessings, instead of sheep. And you fall asleep counting your blessings. (That's for you Mom!)

My blessings are many and sometimes I need to be reminded of those. Tonight I take that opportunity to remind myself of those blessings as I pour an amazing porter. The Denver Beer Co Graham Cracker Porter is probably one of may favorite porters. The dark beer has a thick head on it and pours wonderfully thick. The aroma and taste are sweet and warming. I really wish this beer was available in the Kansas City area. 

As I sip this beer I smile while I remember my blessings. I live in an amazing house with an loving family. (Yes, my dogs are apart of my family!) My parents and my sister love me. They are proud and supportive of me. I have a job that challenges and will provide me growth opportunities. I have access... to great... beers... I am... apart of... a great... craft beer community... Zzzzzz....

7 down... 17 to go!!

Advent Calendar Day 6: Brew Dog Punk, More BBQ, & Adulthood

Being an adult sometimes sucks! When you have to be productive or responsible on a Saturday because you need to run errands or go to your friend's kids birthday, you sometime yearn for those days of yesteryear. I was able to get up at noon and not have a care until I wanted to go hangout with friends. Today I got to sleep in till 8! I had to drop off dry cleaning and compost waste. So there is that...

However a benefit of getting up earlier is that you can have brunch at a newer BBQ place on the Kansas side before they sell of food for the day. The hole wall joint is called Slap's, and... wow, go try this place! The sausage, smoked turkey, ribs, burnt were amazing. The sides dishes weren't sides because I could them all day! That's delicious they were. We came back from Kansas to let the dogs out and relax before a kids birthday party. We got him Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Legos! That wasn't possible when I was younger! My head would have exploded if I got those Legos!

However, before we go to Henry's 5th birthday party, I get to take a few minutes to enjoy a good beer and tell you about it. C handed me a beer to relax with. Something light and that wouldn't knock me on my butt, after all I have to be responsible for the rest of the day. C picked a Brew Dog Punk IPA. And here I thought I had a lot of darker beers in my fridge.

Brew Dog IPA is a light IPA with a good citrus flavor. The beer poured with a nice head and subtle aroma. The flavor was light and I would pair it with a good BBQ. Man I wish I had had this beer while I was eating the sausage and burnt ends at Slap's!

The crazy ideas and off the cuff hilarity from Martin and James of Brew Dogs are really intriguing and I am fired up to try more beers from their brewery. The inventive and down to earth way they feel about craft beer and helping people experience that beer really draws me in. I can't wait for more Brew Dog beers to come to this area. I hope to one day travel like they do and experience the many aspects of beer culture in the cities of the world. We will have to come up with a plan to accomplish this!

Go give Brew Dogs and Slap's a try!

6 down... 18 to go!! Advent Calendar Day 5: Mongolian Grill and Puckering Sour!

Advent Calendar Day 5: Mongolian Grill and Puckering Sour

Warning!!: When typing the name the Kosmic Mother Funk, PLEASE BE SURE TO PROOFREAD PRIOR TO POSTING! Autocorrect is your enemy!!

Celebrating a week is always a good reason to go grab a beer. Celebrating a week in the Christmas season calls for a special beer and an opportunity to relax!

Telling stories and drinking a limited release sour would definitely fall in the category of a good way to celebrate the advent of the weekend and Christmas!

Fortunately I know of a spot that has good bartenders and not yet known as place to get great beer! BDs Mongolian Grill in Independence, Missouri houses The Beer Growler Taphouse. This place gets a lot of beers that people want! I am currently drinking Sam Adam's Kosmic Mother Funk Grand Cru! Which at other bars had been drained before rush hour ended! This is surprisingly dark beer. It also has a picket factor! I really enjoy the strong flavor and the aftertaste really lingers!

The KMF has a lot of hype and while I feel it's a great beer, I would need to do some more drinking of it to see if it lives up to the hype! If you are a fan of sours then you should try this one!

5 down... 19 to go!! Advent Calendar Day 4: Christmas Cards and Fall Beer

Advent Calendar Day 4: Christmas Cards and Fall Beer

I am a little late in getting my Christmas Cards out, but I took the evening and addressed all of the cards I have addresses for. These will go out in the mail in the morning. I feel really pretty accomplished for the evening.

I felt so accomplished that I treated myself to a Crown Valley Imperial Pumpkin Smash. 

This beer is a homage to to my definition of a fall beer. This beer pours dark and thick. While I was pouring the beer looked like it was boiling in the glass as it tumbled over itself. The bottle actually tells the drinker to make sure to drink the beer between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. A far cry for the cold mountains of the Rockies. Why you ask? Well I have this beer cold and let it warm. The aroma and spices come alive and dance in your nose and mouth as the beer comes to temperature.

The pumpkin, chocolate, and roast characteristics of this beer warm me right up on a chilly night. Though it is a kind of a heavy beer, so you may want to have a lighter dinner if you drink this.

Go ahead and drink some Holloween as you ponder next year's costume! (It is never too early! I am thinking something clever my self or Star Wars related!)

4 down... 20 to go!! Advent Calendar Day 3: Chance, Charity, Christmas Tree

Advent Calendar Day 3: Chance, Charity, & Christmas Trees

Tonight I was tricked! C tricked me into cleaning out some of my old boxes of random things. In addition to dust these boxes have collected random things over the years. The premise was that she and I were going to put up a Christmas tree in basement. A common name for this room is a "Man Cave". She prefers "family room" or just the basement. I prefer the man cave nomenclature. This is why I like to showcase mainly beer related items. Maybe I should post about the different items down there... I digress...

The menace known as C tricked me into cleaning out some old boxes under the guise of putting up a Christmas Tree with all of the beer and brewery related as ornaments.This great idea got me excited to go through my stuff and find stickers from breweries like Cinder Block or Boulevard. Pins for Allagash and flyers from Nanobrew Fest. All of these were given a ribbon and hung with care on a Christmas tree in the Man Cave.

This is where I realize I have been bamboozled! I look at the room with odds and ends strewn over tables, couches, and floors. I had a soap opera horrifying realization moment! I knew then that I would have to go through the stuff I have had haphazardly rifled through to put it all away.

In the process of recycling old papers and putting some things away, I found an opportunity to donate some of my belongings so that others may enjoy items I have been blessed with but wasn't currently using. This is always a good opportunity to declutter and give to those less fortunate than me.

As I was doing a good job of getting giving and cleaning, C relented and picked my next Advent beer. I was giving a lot to chance on this one. I didn't know what to expect. She fortunately selected Boulevard's Mid-Coast IPA! This beer pours orange with a nice head on it. As designed the IPA is pretty hoppy and really brings the bitterness in a way that is enjoyable and crisp. I found the piney notes from the beer funny as I picked up the Christmas tree needles from floor. I really do enjoy this beer and was a good one to drink as blew the dust away and decorated a Christmas Tree. 

3 down... 21 to go! Advent Calendar Day 2: River North IPA and Rock & Run

Advent Calendar Day 2: River North IPA and Rock and Run Brewery

C and I recently went to Rock and Run Brewery to enjoy some brunch. They have a really good menu if you are in the mood for breakfast or lunch. They even added some new items! While we were there, we splurged and got the small growlers because C thought they were cute. She also pointed out that we could use them to share home brews out of the kegs we plan to use in the near future. (More on that in a later post!)

One of the choices for the mini growlers was River North IPA. This beer is not over powering nor is it going to wreck your palate. I would in fact consider this India Pale Ale inviting as well as enjoyable by most moderate tastes. If you are thinking about trying an IPA for the first time, this one might be something to consider. The beer pours nice and smooth. Has nice head retention. The hop profile is nice but is balanced by a malt backbone. In other words, any bitterness that the beer has, while noticeable, is countered by a sweetness that mellows the beer out.

While, the beer is not going to blow you away with how good it is, it is a very enjoyable beer that makes for a good IPA. River North Brewing is new to the area and this beer normally comes in a tall boy can four pack. Give it a try and tell me what you think about it!

Like I have said before, for me the holiday season is about sharing and showing appreciation for those you care about. So take some advice from me and grab some beer and share it with those you are close to and smile because you are enjoying the good times.

2 down... 22 to go! Advent Calendar Day 1: Boulevard Beer Dinner

Advent Calendar Day 1: Boulevard Beer dinner!

It is December 1st and that means Christmas carols and decorations, snow, family and loved ones, snow, and of course beer. Being raised as I was in a Catholic family, we were well versed in the advent season. We would light the candles in anticipation of the season. With each candle we knew that Christmas was drawing near.

I don't know if you have noticed or not but I may have a thing for good beer. When I heard about a beer Advent calendar, I knew I had to do it! I am going to share with you at least one beer a day for the rest of December up until Christmas.

I do like to go big so my first iteration of this year's Advent calendar is actually a beer dinner!

Boulevard teamed up with a local BBQ place called Summit Hickory Pit put on a four course meal, with each course paired with a beer. The dinner was local and it wasn't expensive like some many beer dinners can be! Also beer and BBQ go so well together that you couldn't go wrong.

We were started off with my go to beer. Tank 7 is a beer that I can drink anytime and is my "go-to" beer. Tank 7 is light and crisp. I think Tank 7 is the benchmark for good beer. The beer was paired with some amazing sausage and smokey delicious BBQ baked beans.

The second course was a couple meaty ribs paired with Boulevards new Backroads series Last Splash. A wet hopped IPA that had a nice malt characteristic. It went really well with the juicy ribs. Wet hopping by the way is the technique of putting fresh picked hops into a brew within hours of being picked, in this case less than 36 hours.

The third course was amazing. The servers bring out huge plates with a mound of brisket, next to a pile of rice, broccoli, and cheesy roll. When I say mound of brisket, I am not saying a few slices of brisket. I am talking about each plate had two chunks of brisket, each chunk weighing 5 or 6 ounces! This lovely dish was pair very nicely with a Double-wide IPA. The hop and malt balance of the beer really brought out the flavors of char and smoke.

 The final course for the dinner was a delicious apple crisp bread pudding thing with ice cream. The dessert was paired with Sixth Glass, a Quadrupel Ale which is a Belgian style dark ale. This beer really brought out the succulent flavors of the apple. It also made me want to go home and get out some Bourbon Barrel Quad which Sixth glass is the base of.

Overall I really enjoyed myself and had great company. Some beer dinners leave you wanting to go to McDonald's because there wasn't enough food. This one I felt like I had gotten up from Thanksgiving dinner again! I got to eat some really good food with some great beers. The people at Boulevard really have a passion to share quality beer.

I feel this is a great start to the Advent season and will start us down a path of sharing and good times which is what the holiday season is all about! 1 down... 23 to go!

Beer descriptions by @Jeremy_Danner have included dissecting a frog n high school & a social movement to have uniquely identifying ringtones
— Alex Workman (@scoutingthetaps) December 2, 2014

Silver Crawl!

You may or may not have noticed recently that a certain brewery turn 25 years old. Actually at least two breweries turned 25 years old recently. In 1989, Odell Brewing and Boulevard Brewing Companies both started sharing the joy of quality beer with the masses.

This fact might make you feel old because you were at Ponak's on November 17, 1989 drinking a pale ale that was most likely bought for you by some guy at the bar. Or this fact might make you feel really young because last weekend you bought your first legal beer, an unfiltered wheat in a sleek black and yellow aluminum bottle. Either way this makes you feel, as Kansas Citian I know I feel proud and have a lot of respect for any business that can perpetuate itself for 25 years. A small business that turned the corner driven by a commitment to excellence born of passion. This commitment and passion driving the business to a regional, if not a national player in the industry in 25 years is really something to celebrate!

Good thing there was a celebration for both Odell and Boulevard here in Kansas City! More specifically in Westport with the Silver Crawl! Silver, if you didn't know, is the traditional celebratory symbol of 25 years.

Odell and Boulevard organized a pub crawl in Westport and they did it right! Having heard of the pub crawl through social media, C and I jumped on the chance to get a couple of only 600 tickets to join in on the Silver Crawl. A ticket got you a nice t-shirt and a passport book to take along your journey.

Possible stops on the pub crawl included:

• Local Pig Westport/Preservation Market/Bridger's Bottle Shop
• Harry's 
• Kelly's
• Green Room 
• Harpo's
• Port Fonda
• Riot Room
• Westport Ale House
• Firefly

Everyone of these stops had some good beer on tap, including a couple of collaboration beers that Odell and Boulevard put together as a celebration of 25 years.

As there were two versions of the Anniversary beers, there were also many reviews we heard as we went through the day. One of the brews was hoppier and crisp. The other was smoother and mellow, maybe because of the lack of a strong hop presence. I wont tell you which is which because I want you to tell me your thoughts about the beers. I also want you to help me find both on tap at the same bar. So let me know!

If good beer on tap is not your thing or not enough to get you out of your house, good people and a chance at a trip to GABF would have enticed you? Well it did for me! I got to chat with Jeremy Danner, Matt Shadid from Odell, not to mention Trip from Boulevard, (You know the guy that Long Strange Tripel is named after?). These guys and other friendly smiling faces representing both breweries were present and eager to hang out with supporters of the breweries.

What was that about GABF? That's right Great American Beer Fest! If you filled your passport by going to six of the bars and getting a stamp at each place, you were entered into a drawing for a trip to a week of beer drinking in Denver, Colorado. Beer drinking doesn't even do the event justice! GABF brings beer from all over in, what is for me, a bucket list event!

While I was not able to win the trip, C and I had a lot of fun, drank great beer, met great people, and even got a free shirt out of the deal!

I look forward to other celebrations in the future because both breweries are doing well enough that there is plenty to toast to!

"Arm wrestle @matts_odellbrew and you could win some sweet @OdellBrewing gear! #SilverCrawl #Blvd and #Odell pic.twitter.com/yf4O6H5ld2"
— Odell Brewing Co (@OdellBrewing) November 8, 2014

Brew Labs, Imperial Porter, the brewing process

This is my lovely face making some beer!

I have been home brewing for right around four years now and I would say that while I know some stuff, there is a tremendous amount of information, techniques, calculations, chemistry, and guidelines that I need to learn.

 In the four years of brewing, I have largely done extract brewing, with a little dabbling in the partial mash technique. Extract Brewing is a technique for brewing that is least effort intensive and will not set you back very far in the pocket book. My lack of experience with grain based brewing ended this past weekend. C took me for a surprise trip to Brew Lab KC in Overland Park.

Brew Lab is not just a beer shop for ingredients and equipment. The shop has a very knowledgeable staff

Three vessel all grain system at Brew Labs

that can literally walk you through the steps of the brewing process. I say literally because the shop also has extensively equipped stations for brewing beer. These stations include three tank systems that heat and circulate water as it transforms into wort. No matter what your experience is with home brewing, the people of Brew Lab can guide you through ingredient selection all the way through the tube hook ups, filtration, and pitching the yeast. I made an Imperial Porter that will be ready in about a month and a half. I learned A LOT about the brewing process, specifically the all grain process.

That's me! You know stirring stuff!

Sidenote: I might need help drinking the Imperial Porter, any volunteers?

Often during tours of commercial breweries a brewer/tour guide will use terms for their equipment that are second hand for them. Everyone taking the tour is in a rush to taste the beer at the end. They seldom ask the question, "Well what does that do? What purpose does that huge tank serve in the process?" Because I finally learned, took the time to ask those questions, while observing the brewing process through this past weekend here are some terms that are important to that brewing process.

• Extract
• A syrup like substance that is the result of water absorb sugars from the malts that would have been used in a batch of beer
• This syrup reduces the steps in the brewing process
• Extract brewers start with the boil instead of starting with a hot liquor tank and lauter/mash tun (Discussed below) 
• This is generally speaking the introductory brewing process for most home brewers
• Partial Mash
• This process is very similar to Extract brewing. While the water for the brewing process is getting hot for the boil, a brewer will place a mesh bag of milled grains into the water. This allows the heating water to rinse the grains of starches that will be converted to sugars during boil
• All grain

• The full brewing process of extracting starches from malted grains and boiling to convert them into dissolved sugars, along with the added hops
• Here are few pieces of the all grain process:
• Hot Liquor Tank
• This is a misnomer for me at least, there is no liquor involved with the Hot Liquor Tank
• This vessel heats water and that is it.
• The Brew Lab had a copper pipe spiral through the HTL from and back to the Lauter Tun quickly warming the wort to the appropriate temperatures
• Lauter tun (AKA Mash tun)
• This vessel is responsible for getting the grains stripped of starches so they can be converted to sugars during the upcoming boil
• This is done by rinsing the grain with hot water
• Sparging is a process to ensure that as much of the sugar is extracted as possible
• I found out there are a few different methods to sparge but for the purpose of this post we will leave it at that the wort is drained from the grains and water is added back to continue washing the grain
• Brew Kettle



A dark Imperial Porter! Yummm!

• This is where a majority of the ingredients are combined and dissolved using the heat of the boil
• Generally speaking this process is 60 minutes
• This time can vary as the whole point of the boil is to dissolve as much of the sugar in wort
• This makes beer a solution and for me the preferred solution
• Fermentation 
• Fermentation is the process of transforming wort into beer
• This is done with the addition of yeast after the wort has cooled from the boil
• Fermentation is usually done in a container that will let carbon dioxide out but not let in the outside air
• This is a delicate process as the beer is very susceptible to infection and going bad
• Yeast 
• Yeast is an organism that thrives on sugars around it
• The yeast will eat sugars in solution and leave behind alcohol and carbon dioxide
• DING! The lingering question about the importance of sugar throughout this process has just been answered
• Different strains of yeast can bring different flavors as they will react differently with the sugars present
• Just know a beer is not beer until yeast has pooped in it. Food for thought
• Adjunct
• Any fermentable ingredient other than malt, water, hops or yeast in a wort that affects the properties of the beer is considered an adjunct ingredient
• This can include anything from vanilla in a vanilla porter and raspberry in a raspberry wheat to yeast nutrient making the yeast more stronger during fermentation to corn and rice that lighten a beer's flavor
• For more on adjuncts reference a good article in Brew Your Own Magazine on Adjuncts

The anticipation as the brew ferments!

This is a lot of information! I am overwhelmed just typing it and I am still getting a hang of some of this jargon. Please ask questions if you have any, or correct me if you feel I have missed something. I would love to learn more. I know that the people at Brew Labs helped me get further down the path of home brewing.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to brew a batch of beer or maybe you want to make a great present for friends and family, then go to Brew Lab in Overland Park.

Robin Williams: My inspiration to write, experience the world around me, laugh, and most of all live

Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be resigned to that. Break out!
- John Keating, Dead Poets Society (1989)

Yesterday this world didn't lose a leader of faith or politics. We didn't lose a warrior or saint. No, this world lost a flame in a darkening cave. The world needs laughs, satire, and jokes of all kinds. We lost renewable source of cheer and hilarity.

You might be wondering why I am writing about Robin Williams. I am a beer blogger. What does Robin Williams have anything to do with beer?!

I have been inspired, moved, and driven me to write about the world around me and seek ways to inspire others. All of this by a comedian no less. One of the reasons I love the English language, is because of him.

Robin Williams was a man of many faces, voices, and talents. With one sentence, he could be telling a G rated children's story full of hope, wonder, and inspiration. In the next he could make you blush with his descriptions of a compromising and humorous situation.

The man was more than his roles, his stand up. He made the words he spoke come alive. Those words become fingers prodding our feelings, thoughts, and aspirations. Whether he made you laugh at his caricature depicting the invention of golf. Or made you forget Apple's attempt at commercialization and branding, instead compelled you to want to see the world and describe the awe inspiring fleeting moments that pass us by on a daily basis.

We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?
-John Keating, Dead Poets Society (1989)

Most of us as kids, if we don't remember him from anything else he acted in, he can most be recognized a big blue genie from the Disney Classic, Aladdin! This was also where I get one of my nick names! Yes, some people call me Laddie.

"Aladdin! Hello, Aladdin, nice to have you on the show. Can we call you Al, or maybe just Din? Or how about Laddie?"
- Genie, Aladdin (1992)

While over the next few days, details about what happened to the man in last hours and theories about the tortured thoughts that ravaged his brain will surface. We will need to remember all of the positives his life brought and not the negatives his death threatens. We will need to remember that he made us laugh at our weakest moments. In some very influential movies, he made us think and challenge ourselves.

All of life is a coming home. Salesmen, secretaries, coal miners, beekeepers, sword swallowers, all of us. All the restless hearts of the world, all trying to find a way home. It's hard to describe what I felt like then. Picture yourself walking for days in the driving snow; you don't even know you're walking in circles. The heaviness of your legs in the drifts, your shouts disappearing into the wind. How small you can feel, and how far away home can be. Home. The dictionary defines it as both a place of origin and a goal or destination. And the storm? The storm was all in my mind. Or as the poet Dante put it: In the middle of the journey of my life, I found myself in a dark wood, for I had lost the right path. Eventually I would find the right path, but in the most unlikely place.
- Patch Adams, Patch Adams(1998)

While Robin Williams has been called home, let us not lose the path and keep on going and not let life pass us by. Let us use our words to not only describe the world around us, but the landscape of what is on the inside. Never feel afraid to describe a hell you may be experience! Always share the joys and blessings you have. You never know who is listening who may need you or you may need them. As long as we keep talking and expressing ourselves, we will never be alone.

Beer Reviews and Sierra Nevada Sampler with friends

My beer reviews are amazing! You should read them and take them as fact! Live your life according to them! 

Watching the Royals and drinking some Sierra Nevada

You may have noticed that I have not done a lot of beer reviews recently. I felt like I was using the same few words to describe beer regardless of how far apart they were in style and taste. I felt like I wasn't giving a value added review and really just telling you about beers I liked and where I had tasted them. However I really do like observing others and their reactions to tasting beers for the first time or hearing how they describe the beer they are drinking. If you don't know me very well, you might not know that I am a people person and I love interacting people whether I know them or not. This is why beer tastings and patios are my favorite events and places to be.

In honor of IPA Day yesterday, I recently had a few of my friends try some India Pale Ales. What's the big deal about this? The three people tasting really don't like IPAs. Most of the time they would scrunch up their face when sipping a hoppy brew. They would normally order something sweet or light. I find great pleasure in helping friends find beers they enjoy that aren't the four major beers. To remedy this hop aversion, I bought a sampler twelve pack from Sierra Nevada of just IPAs. The sampler included Nooner Session IPA, Snow Wit White IPA, Torpedo Extra IPA, and Blindfold Black IPA. How does this solve the problem with people not liking the bitterness of these beers? Just a few years ago, an IPA was an IPA. There wasn’t a lot of variety. Now this could have been my perception towards the craft beer market or actually reality. I felt that the only growing trend was each brewer shaving ever increasing pounds of hops into beer. These brewers called their beers Imperial IPAs. While I thoroughly enjoyed these beers, as I really like IPAs, there was another trend countering the imperialization of hoppy beers. That movement required innovation of what an IPA is. Challenging that idea of an IPA really helped develop different IPAs, white, black, fruit, and session just to name a few styles. I wanted to help broaden my friend’s palates for beer. Though I really had no idea to expect from these and how my friends would react to this selection of IPAs.

Nooner Session IPA

The consensus was that the light flavor of the Nooner Session IPA was refreshing and good for a hot sunny day on a boat, or working in the yard. There wasn’t a lot of hoppiness to the beer, though that’s the point of a session beer. A person should be able to drink a few session IPAs and not have your taste buds shot or to be drunk. We felt that we could drink it, but we might prefer other beers over it.

Snow Wit White IPA

The Snow Wit White IPA had a really good flavor that took on a banana flavor from the Belgian yeast and 7 kinds of hops put into the beer. If you didn’t get the reference I will spell it out for you. Snow wit and the 7 hops? You know like a certain child’s fairy tale. If you still don’t get, I will pat you on the head as I explain it to you over a beer. C really liked this beer and said this was her favorite beer.

Torpedo Extra IPA

Torpedo Extra IPA was a maverick for me. With the word Extra in front of IPA, I fully expected something like an Imperial IPA, however I was surprised there wasn’t a lot of bitterness that those big IPAs have. I had to look up the IBUs and it was only a 65 when the high end IPAs are at 60 and IIPAs get closer to 100. My friends were surprised as well by the drinkability and flavor that wasn’t too bitter. They enjoyed these and were curious about other IPAs like it. I have a few suggestions for them, for future IPAs to try.

Blindfold Black IPA

The last IPA was Blindfold, a black IPA. This one was very malty with only a little of the fragrant notes of hops. My friend Nicky really liked this one. He has found that he likes the darker, maltier beers like browns, porters, and dunkels. This beer fit his mold and his eyes widen with his first sip! He actually asked me, “Are we drinking IPAs?! Are you pulling my leg? Cause these are good!”

After we made it all the way through the lineup, we went back through trying beers back to back to see how the flavors were affected by the previous beer. For example the Nooner was even less flavorful after having the Torpedo or the Snow Wit had a big mouth feel but less sweet after having a sip of the Blindfold.

Overall this was a very good time showing people these beers they wouldn’t normally get. I would suggest you all do the same and keep an eye for sampler packs that might help you find a new favorite beer.