We are brewing again this coming Saturday. I am working on a partial-mash recipe for Oatmeal Coffee Stout. I am looking for a higher abv, somewhere in the mid 8's. It would be ideal to do this as a full-grain but we don't have a pot big enough just yet. Either way, we may end up calling this one, Breakfast.
Not all that original, so look for the name to change.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
North Coast Brewery - Old Rasputin
What a beer!!!
Sitting at the bar in Yia Yia's - Lincoln, Nebraska. A dark night wet with rain and melting snow. And this place, a holy beacon for a traveler stranded in Lincoln ...
But I digress. The first beer I ordered was Old Rasputin. Not sure why I haven't picked this up yet. I truthfully was unaware it was so easy to find in my hometown, Chicago.
A beautiful pour - dark chocolate with a toasty tan topper. A gorgeous beer, smelling strongly of chocolate with hints of coffee and fruit esters.
The first sip is eye-opening as this is a big beer with great coffee and enormous chocolate notes right up front. It also possesses an amazing hoppy front and a velvety smooth finish. I kid you not, this is so thick and full it tastes like dirt would taste if dirt tasted good.
Drink up my friends, this is a beer to fill your fridge, share with friends, and cherish until it is no longer with us.
Serving type: bottle
Sitting at the bar in Yia Yia's - Lincoln, Nebraska. A dark night wet with rain and melting snow. And this place, a holy beacon for a traveler stranded in Lincoln ...
But I digress. The first beer I ordered was Old Rasputin. Not sure why I haven't picked this up yet. I truthfully was unaware it was so easy to find in my hometown, Chicago.
A beautiful pour - dark chocolate with a toasty tan topper. A gorgeous beer, smelling strongly of chocolate with hints of coffee and fruit esters.
The first sip is eye-opening as this is a big beer with great coffee and enormous chocolate notes right up front. It also possesses an amazing hoppy front and a velvety smooth finish. I kid you not, this is so thick and full it tastes like dirt would taste if dirt tasted good.
Drink up my friends, this is a beer to fill your fridge, share with friends, and cherish until it is no longer with us.
Serving type: bottle
Flying Dog - Horn Dog Barleywine
A: Dark, dark amber with a decent one-finger head. Moderate staying power.
S: Plum and raisin with sugar. Almost peachy with melon coming over the top. This is a very fruity beer!
T: Very sugary, malty with a nice hoppy finish.
M: Sugar and bitter hop
D: It' okay - decent for the style. I generally need to be blown away with a barleywine to consider it drinkable. It is so hard to blend the malt and extra sugars with the right amount of hops to make the perfet BW.
Nice work.
B+
S: Plum and raisin with sugar. Almost peachy with melon coming over the top. This is a very fruity beer!
T: Very sugary, malty with a nice hoppy finish.
M: Sugar and bitter hop
D: It' okay - decent for the style. I generally need to be blown away with a barleywine to consider it drinkable. It is so hard to blend the malt and extra sugars with the right amount of hops to make the perfet BW.
Nice work.
B+
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Yia Yia's - Lincoln Nebraska
What a surprise. I went directly from a vacation in NYC to Lincoln for a work conference. What a contrast. On my last night, I took a recommendation and visited Yia Yia's. I don't know where to start.
The beer - over 300 bottles and 10-15 taps. I had:
Old Rasputin
Weyerbach's Simcoe DIPA
Boulevard Single Wide IPA
New Belgium Ranger IPA
Outside of an expired bottle of Single Wide, the selection was fantastic. All over the world, a bit Colorado heavy, but who can complain when you are trying to circumvent Lincoln distribution laws.
The food - no hyperbole here - the best pizza I have ever had. Better than NYC, better than Chicago, better than Naples.
First slice - potato and peperoncini. What a combo!
Second slice - Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Olive Oil. This did it for me. Put it over the top. Best pizza slice ever.
Third slice (gluttony) - Basic cheese - just okay.
They allow you to create custom slices that are under $5.
The only complaint was about my initial service. I came from a conference, so my style of dress didn't mesh well with the hipster bartenders and locals. However, after finally getting it across that I was a true beer geek, all was well. Never judge a book by its cover!
The beer - over 300 bottles and 10-15 taps. I had:
Old Rasputin
Weyerbach's Simcoe DIPA
Boulevard Single Wide IPA
New Belgium Ranger IPA
Outside of an expired bottle of Single Wide, the selection was fantastic. All over the world, a bit Colorado heavy, but who can complain when you are trying to circumvent Lincoln distribution laws.
The food - no hyperbole here - the best pizza I have ever had. Better than NYC, better than Chicago, better than Naples.
First slice - potato and peperoncini. What a combo!
Second slice - Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Olive Oil. This did it for me. Put it over the top. Best pizza slice ever.
Third slice (gluttony) - Basic cheese - just okay.
They allow you to create custom slices that are under $5.
The only complaint was about my initial service. I came from a conference, so my style of dress didn't mesh well with the hipster bartenders and locals. However, after finally getting it across that I was a true beer geek, all was well. Never judge a book by its cover!
Cigar City Jai Alai IPA
What a beer!
Had this at Blind Tiger in The Village.
Great place.
A: Dark golden copper/amber with a decent head and moderate staying power.
S: Nice hop bouquet.
T: Oh, where do I start. Drool? The hops with a brilliant citrus and floral taste blend so well with the great sweetness this beer brings to the table.
M: I love it! Good hop bruise with a fine sugar stickiness and just the right amount of carbonation.
D: Yes!!!!
Had this at Blind Tiger in The Village.
Great place.
A: Dark golden copper/amber with a decent head and moderate staying power.
S: Nice hop bouquet.
T: Oh, where do I start. Drool? The hops with a brilliant citrus and floral taste blend so well with the great sweetness this beer brings to the table.
M: I love it! Good hop bruise with a fine sugar stickiness and just the right amount of carbonation.
D: Yes!!!!
Stone - Levitation
Part of a sampler at Rattle n' Hum
A: Clear, dark amber with a good head and good staying power. Great lacing!
S: Nothing bult malt and minimal hops.
T: What? Airy hope bitterness and nothing else. Is something wrong - is this beer old? Weird watered down taste up front with a redeeming hop bitterness on the back of the tongue that is somewhat of a saving grace. Maybe my palate was bruised from an earlier beer but the lack of smell seems to support this.
M: Minimal hop bitterness, seems watered down. Not much in the way of mouthfeel.
D: I will try this again, but for now, it gets an average rating, which hurts as everything else Stone I have had has been great
A: Clear, dark amber with a good head and good staying power. Great lacing!
S: Nothing bult malt and minimal hops.
T: What? Airy hope bitterness and nothing else. Is something wrong - is this beer old? Weird watered down taste up front with a redeeming hop bitterness on the back of the tongue that is somewhat of a saving grace. Maybe my palate was bruised from an earlier beer but the lack of smell seems to support this.
M: Minimal hop bitterness, seems watered down. Not much in the way of mouthfeel.
D: I will try this again, but for now, it gets an average rating, which hurts as everything else Stone I have had has been great
Blue Point - Old Howling Bastard
Barleywine
Part of a sampler at Rattle n' Hum.
A: Clear amber. Not much head - could be due to pour.
S: Spice front with a nice hop component. HUGE malt - spicy sweetness!
T: Just like smell - sweet and spicy - sugar lips with a nice hop addition.
M: Decent carbonation - spiced hop aftertaste is great.
D: Very good barleywine - the sugar makes it all worthwhile.
Part of a sampler at Rattle n' Hum.
A: Clear amber. Not much head - could be due to pour.
S: Spice front with a nice hop component. HUGE malt - spicy sweetness!
T: Just like smell - sweet and spicy - sugar lips with a nice hop addition.
M: Decent carbonation - spiced hop aftertaste is great.
D: Very good barleywine - the sugar makes it all worthwhile.
Firestone - IPA
The only full pint of the day at Rattle n' Hum.
A: Golden copper - almost a clear, deep amber. Moderate head with no staying power. Good lacing.
S: Grapefruit and orange. Very nice floral hop bouquet.
T: Smooth - good hop balance with malt backbone. Brown sugar sweet.
M: Good bruise from hops with a nice malty, brown sugar sweetness on the lips.
D: Very drinkable sweetness with a bruising hop component make for a wonderful combination! I really like this beer.
A
A: Golden copper - almost a clear, deep amber. Moderate head with no staying power. Good lacing.
S: Grapefruit and orange. Very nice floral hop bouquet.
T: Smooth - good hop balance with malt backbone. Brown sugar sweet.
M: Good bruise from hops with a nice malty, brown sugar sweetness on the lips.
D: Very drinkable sweetness with a bruising hop component make for a wonderful combination! I really like this beer.
A
Moylan's Hopsickle
Imperial IPA
Had this as part of a taster at Rattle n' Hum.
A: Cloudy golden ale with no head and moderate lacing. Looks very inviting.
S: Sweet and yeasty. Hops, obviously.
T: BRUISING! Hope everywhere and nothing else.
M: Um, bitter.
D: Insanity in a glass. Too much for a regular but a great one-time treat. They truly went above and beyond with this one.
Had this as part of a taster at Rattle n' Hum.
A: Cloudy golden ale with no head and moderate lacing. Looks very inviting.
S: Sweet and yeasty. Hops, obviously.
T: BRUISING! Hope everywhere and nothing else.
M: Um, bitter.
D: Insanity in a glass. Too much for a regular but a great one-time treat. They truly went above and beyond with this one.
Sixpoint Bengali Tiger
IPA
Maybe it was the long day and the afternoon at Brooklyn Brewery that put me in the wrong place to rate this beer. I don't think it stacks up the way most seem to think.
A: Cloudy, amber orange with minimal head (from pour) with no staying power.
S: Yeast - fruity esters with some hops and orange citrus.
T: Deep hop bruiser with a good kick. Great orange and grapefruit. Very heavy.
M: Nice lively carbonation with hop pucker.
D: Being honest - this beer is a bit much for me. Maybe, as I mentioned above, the earlier day-trip to BRooklyn Brewery was part of it, but something tells me there were too many hops and not enough malt to back it up.
Maybe it was the long day and the afternoon at Brooklyn Brewery that put me in the wrong place to rate this beer. I don't think it stacks up the way most seem to think.
A: Cloudy, amber orange with minimal head (from pour) with no staying power.
S: Yeast - fruity esters with some hops and orange citrus.
T: Deep hop bruiser with a good kick. Great orange and grapefruit. Very heavy.
M: Nice lively carbonation with hop pucker.
D: Being honest - this beer is a bit much for me. Maybe, as I mentioned above, the earlier day-trip to BRooklyn Brewery was part of it, but something tells me there were too many hops and not enough malt to back it up.
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