Brewery Visit) Scriptown Omaha

Nutjob Brown Ale

There's a new brewery on the block in Omaha's Blackstone District. With the location's historic look and classy feel, Scriptown fits right in with its use of rustic wood elements and vintage light bulbs.

With a list of easy-drinking beers, the selection is very sessionable. No food yet, but they mentioned something about parking a food truck out back that would serve waffle sliders. That sounds awesome, but for now, the beers should be more than enough to keep you occupied.


Nutjob Brown Ale) As all of their beers are, this one was nice and easy to drink. However, the finish had an unusual touch on it that I couldn't pin down initially. With my friend's help we pegged it as a caramel flavor but more like the kind you'd find in a barrel aged beer. For those of you who like Newcastle's Brown Ale, you will definitely like the unique touch on this one. ☆☆☆

Lone Tree IPA, St. Meinrad, Intensity Stout, Muddy Mo, Beligian Curve IPA

Belgian Curve IPA) If there's a curve to this one it is that there's a bit more malty caramel to this on than I had expected. There's a good bit of mild citrus in the middle. The finish is more pale ale than IPA to me, but considering I'm not a hop head, that was ideal. ☆☆☆

Muddy Mo) Usually the association of mud and beer are not good thing, but this amber pushes past all that. I'm curious if anyone else had the same sensation I had after drinking this beer. The aftertaste reminded me of what I'd get after eating graham crackers.  ☆☆☆

Intensity) This stout is a good roasted stout with just a touch more bitterness than I would like in an easy drinking stout. However, that punch helps it live up to its name. ☆☆☆

St. Meinrad) This was easily my favorite one for the evening. It is full of flavor and has that lovely belgian-style complexity and coriander touch. ☆☆☆☆

Lone Tree IPA) Not being a major IPA fan, I have to say that I did like the initial on this one. A good light watery mouth feel full of pine-esque citrus. The finish though was bitter enough to nuke my tastebuds a little. ☆☆☆

(Sorry, no picture)
4th Wiseman) Scriptown's winter seasonal brew delights. There's just the right amount of sweetness - from Mexican molasses. The mouth feel is smooth and a myriad of good spices are at work. Definitely check out this belgian-style winter warmer. ☆☆☆☆


Bonus!
Do you know who St. Meinrad was? If you don't, allow me to remedy that.

In Switzerland 797, Meinrad was born. He grew up to become a Benedictine monk in the same region. Then in 829, he withdrew into a place called the Black Forest to be a hermit. However, word of his piety and good counsel got around. People and would-be disciples often came out to visit him. In order to actually have his seclusion, he was forced to retreat to an even more remote location. Einsiedeln (which somewhat ironically means hermitage) is where he spent his time in relative obscurity until...

January 21st, 861, a pair of rough-looking sojourners arrived seeking refuge. Being the hospitable person that he was, Brother Meinrad fed, clothed, and sheltered the men. They returned the favor by trying to steal from him. They soon found that he had nothing of value though and became enraged. In their anger, they beat the monk to death. He then became known as the "Martyr for Hospitality" since he died in defense of the virtue.

However, legends and folklore speak of a slightly different ending. He still died on January 21st, and the day remains his feast day in the Catholic Church. I suggest celebrating it with a beer, perhaps even a St. Meinrad. However, there are tales that speak of how two ravens came to his aid and drove off the two ruffians. This is why images of St. Meinrad show him with two black birds.

And yet, I have to digress, but there is another figure of old that has two crows: Odin. That's right, the ruler of Asgard kept Huginn (Thought) and Muginn (Memory). Together, they served as his eyes and ears informing him of events from around the world each day. Odin so appreciated their services that he is reported to have even given them the ability to speak.

29/100) Unibroue Gold Round

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Ephemere, Don De Dieu, Maudite

And we return for another week of Unibroue. After having done a silver round and this week a gold round of their beers, I really wish they had a bronze tier as well. I will definitely be searching out more of their drinks, as well as periodically having another Ephemere. It's just so delightfully  transient.

Ephemere) Every time, I have one of these, the taste is slightly different. This time I think I got more of the apple flavor. However, some of the other times, there has been a stronger yet delightful sourness. I wonder what it will be like next time. ☆☆☆☆

Don De Dieu) The flavors are rich and hearty like wheat toast or raisin bread. It has a rather thick  mouth feel, and if I tried to peg the roasted flavor, I'd say "chestnut." Lastly, this one was very cloudy. Perhaps it's just me, but there's also this touch of flavor that reminds me of nigori sake, the really cloudy kind of sake. To me at least, this beer easily lives up to its name, "God's gift." ☆☆☆☆

Maudite) My brother and I thought it funny that we both recognized something like "hint of marachino cherries." It's even more funny when you know that the beer's name means "the damned." There are a lot of forces at work in this belgium-style beer making it hard to peg down, but though it wasn't my favorite Unibroue, I still liked it. ☆☆☆

Brewery Visit) Haymarket in Chicago

In searching for a brewery that I could check out during my short trip to Chicago, I eventually settled on Haymarket. Since I was searching on a Monday a lot of places were closed, but thankfully Haymarket, with its status as a brewpub, came through. Also, since they don't package or distribute, the only way to experience their beers is on site, or via a friend's growler.

Clare's Strong Scotch Ale, Too Hot for Sod, Girl and the Goatee VIII, Mash Made in Heaven VI, Mini Mathias IPA

Clare's Strong Scotch Ale) Lot's of different malts went into making this beer. The light touch of bitterness is offset by toffee and a growing complexity with each sip. Really nice and easy to enjoy whether you go for bitterness or not. ☆☆☆

Too Hot for Sod) This Belgian dark ale has an amazing mix of roasted flavors. I doesn't have your typical porter kind of roasted flavor but possesses more of a deep burnt barley sensation with just a bit of chocolate in the backdrop.  ☆☆☆☆

Girl and the Goatee VIII) Not tart at all. Apparently, the previous batches succeeded at causing your lips to pucker, but not this one. Instead, grape filled beer has just a touch of sour funk and is light and easy to drink. ☆☆☆

Mash Made in Heaven VI) The peach flavors in this whitbier dominated. I enjoyed it, but it reminded me of what I imagine a peach cider might end up tasting like. What I mean by that is that that peach was there, but it wasn't there in a pure peach way.  ☆☆☆

Mini Mathias IPA) A malt-lite version of their Mathias Imperial IPA. This one was more like a pale ale to me than an IPA, mostly because I enjoyed it. After a citrusy initial, the bitterness is there, but not strong enough to nerf one's taste buds. Next time, I'll have to try the normal Mathias.  ☆☆☆

While I enjoyed the above beers, I munched on a bratwurst covered in sliced onions and sauerkraut all wrapped up and falling out of a hearty pretzel bun. Haymarket makes as much of their food in house, and I recommend visiting just to try the result. It's quite good.

28/100) Unibroue Silver Round

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Blanche De Chambly, Trois Pistole, La fin Du Monde

All I knew about Unibroue when I first found them was that I couldn't pronounce their names. Canadian made and French titled, these beers have distinct bottle art and great liquid content. I suggest visiting their website to learn about the legends behind each beer's name.They put a lot of thought into each one.

Blanche De Chambly) It seemed appropriate to start of with this one, which is apparently the first beer Unibroue produced. A fairly basic whitbier style, it lacks for nothing, but doesn't do anything too adventuresome. If you want to draw out and understand the coriander flavor, I suggest pulling out some ground coriander and trying it alongside the beer. You'll likely find, as I did, that the spice flavors vanish from the beer when you actually put raw coriander on your tongue. ☆☆☆

Trois Pistole) The name encapsulates a unusual story of bridled demon horses and a missing church stone. The beer, a nice strong dark ale, is ripe with dark fruit flavors. For me, the raisin was most prominent. ☆☆☆

La Fin Du Monde) To the ends of the earth! The frothiness of this beer got me the most. And it went great with Turkey leftovers. A very, very good tripel. The initial is light almost nonexistent, but the finish hits with a whole swath of spices. I couldn't distinguish them very well, but the mix was an enjoyable marrying of flavors. ☆☆☆☆

27/100) Game of Ommegang

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Take the Black, Three Philosophers, Valar Morghulis

The rich, dark literary tapestry that is Game of Thrones has brought to life a great many entertaining things. These thematic beers are no exception. While I try and track down bottles of the two other Game of Thrones beers, Fire and Blood and Iron Throne, I decided that it would be good to try the two alongside something classically Ommegang. And so I added not one, and not just two, but Three Philosophers into the mix.

Take the Black) This Stout pours black like the heart of anyone who dares force more victims onto John Snow's Wall. No bitter pill will this heavy beer be. As thick as it pours it goes down smoothly and easily. In the middle to finish is a light maltiness with roasted accents, but the main flavor that comes through is deep anise. I really approve. ☆☆☆☆

Three Philosophers) We all become philosophers when we drink, right? I think it's in our nature as humans to be free to ruminate when we feel good. For most of us, our focus on survival just gets in the way of mulling over the things that give life meaning. Anyway, this beer, or should I say enlightenment in a glass, foams thick like the depth of the king-philospher's thoughts. Each layer unfolds another flavor as you are sent further and further into wordy complexity more indecipherable than the last. Overall the experience is on the sweeter end for quads, but my question is when the taste fades, can you return to your old mundane perception of reality? ☆☆☆☆

Valar Morghulis) "All men must die." Remember your fate, and cherish the fading moments as you savor this dubbel. True to its German style, this beer is smooth, semi-sweet, and goes down easily. When someone offers you a glass, the proper response is "Valar Dohaeris." After all, "all men must serve"...beer? Perhaps not, but though this was not my favorite of these three, it is a solid drink nonetheless. ☆☆☆

26/100) Grimms Brother's Brewhouse

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Snow Drop, the Farmer's Daughter, 3 Golden Hairs

Once upon a time, there was a collection of stories compiled by Brother's Grimm. Over decades and centuries, these stories gained renown and became part of the patchwork culture that is the world. Then at an equally nebulous point in time a brewery set about to make these legends liquid. Stop by, and let the drinks tell their tales...

Snow Drop) "Tell me, glass, tell me true!  Of all the ladies in the land,  Who is fairest, tell me, who?" Alternatively known as Snow White but just like her, this Köttbusser ale is on the run from royalty as well. German's purity laws limit beer to four ingredients: water, hops, malt, and yeast. Breaking that mold, this beer is brewed with molasses, honey, and oats. The result is a semi-sweet drink with a touch of hops and an unusual mouth feel. I imagine the golden apple she's holding doesn't fall far from a perfect description of this beer's flavor profile. ☆☆☆☆

Farmer's Daughter) Sometimes known as the Clever Peasant's Daughter, the title of this beer comes from the tale of a maiden as wise as Solomon. When presented with eviction and permission to take one thing with her, she took her husband the king. "I have nothing more precious and dear than yourself, so I have brought you with me." Not so sure if this would be my beer of choice if I could only take one with me, but in classic style, this Oktoberfest is an easy drinking beer with a toasty touch to the malts and a clean finish. ☆☆☆

3 Golden Hairs) If you were sent to hell to retrieve three of the Devil's hairs, could you do it? How about if they came in the form of a robust Pilsner? If that were the case, I think that I certainly wouldn't need the help of the Devil's grandmother like the boy in the story. This beer caught me off guard with the presence of a light bitter hoppiness. Unexpected, but not unpleasant. ☆☆☆

Special) Oktoberfest Oktet

Oktoberfest beers. Come the fall season, the shelves become flooded with them almost as much as Pumpkin Spice-flavored everything arrives. I got curious as to what an Oktoberfest is supposed to taste like, so I bought eight different ones. You know, more data, more accurate results, right?

Shiner, Abita, Sam Adams, Point, Lucky Bucket,
Goose Island, Hacker-Pschorr, Millstream

For the most part, as Oktoberfest beers, they all tasted fairly similar so here's a brief explanation of each one's unique or unusual characteristic.

Shiner) Toffee? Caramel? This one had a burnished sweetness to it.

Abita) Lighter than the others on flavor, but the hops subtle bitterness came through more clearly.

Sam Adams) Smoother and cleaner than the others, but nothing unusual.

Point) Almost peppery in the middle with a floral touch in the linger.

Lucky Bucket) A nutty roasted taste came through.


Goose Island) had an apricot taste in the backdrop.

Hacker-Pschorr) seemed almost like a tart saison with its middle fruitiness. I suspect the bottle had soured a bit.


Millstream) Reminded me of a pumpkin beer. Not sure why.


Assessment: Oktoberfest beers are dangerous to drink. They all finish smooth and crisp and as a result are too easy to drink. Differences if there are any, appear in the middle for the most part or are a subdued part of the background. Any of the eight beers we tried would stand on their own, but because my brother and I compared them side by side, the differences stood out.

So, after we tried them all, my favorites were Lucky Bucket's and Goose Island's with Sam Adams following right after that. My brother for the most part agreed with me, but he liked Shiner's instead of Lucky Bucket's. That was our experience. Yours might be different.



Note: I have since had another bottle of Hacker-Pschorr. It was much better the second time around, and I do believe that it was more of a contender than came across in this oktet tasting.

Large Bottle) 1894

1894 Barrel Aged Belgium Ale (Petrus)

My friend gave this to me for my birthday. So, of course, we shared it. De Brabandere who makes beer under various brand names, produced this one under Petrus, and this special barrel-aged Belgium ale is also a limited edition for their 120th anniversary.

1894) My first impression of this beer was the bottle. The classiness of the gold letters on its side and the base's indentation bespeak quality. The resounding pop from the cork further foreshadowed the incoming bubbles. And indeed, this Belgium ale had no lack of such mini effervescence.

The initial taste reminds me almost of a wine, but then that complexity that is characteristic of a Belgium beer hits. I got lost then for a bit before being able to discern some fruity flavors and a mild sourness. In the finish, I found a touch of bitterness, but not enough to cause me to balk at having that next sip. 

I really enjoyed this one. ☆☆☆☆

25/100) Schlenkerla

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Lager, Weizen, Urbock

These beers make me wish I knew German because I can't read their website. However, that doesn't matter because they know what they're doing with beer. The hook that got me to purchase these beers was a small advertisement that Spirit World in Omaha attached to their Urbock display. The little hand-written slip of paper had these enthusiastic magical words: "Tastes like BACON!"

Lagerbier) We all know the drill with lagers right? Little flavor. Smooth. Light. Refreshing. Right? This beer has all that, but there was a malty taste on the finish that made it feel more robust. A step above the rest certainly. Also, Lager comes from a similar German word that means "to store away" because Lagers were invented in cold storage caves during the winter. ☆☆☆

Weizen) This beer has a nutty warmness upfront that drops into a smooth smokey flavor. At first it was hard to identify, but the taste reminds me of having some nice melt-in-your-mouth brisket. If you could produce that taste in a beer, this would be it. The question is, do you want that in a beer? Or could this beer make some phenomenal beer brats? ☆☆☆

Urbock) The big question is "does it taste like bacon?" The short answer is "yes?" The initial taste is a bit Marzen-like, in other words it tastes like an oktoberfest up front. However, then the malts hit and merged with a lovely strong smokiness. The finish left me with a lingering sensation that made me think I did just in fact have bacon. A great novelty, but as much as I like bacon, I can't see myself craving it as a beer. It lacks the crunch and fatty goodness. Although, I'd be up to try this beer again with a nice helping of sausage, eggs and bacon. Yum! ☆☆☆

24/100) Brew Dogs 2

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Cocoa Psycho, Dogma, Tokyo

After how good that last set of Brew Dogs was, I broke the piggy bank, and from the shards recovered enough coinage to splurge on these three beers. A tank of gas would have cost me less. Was it worth it? Well, the short version is: [Errr...? yes? Yes!] Either way, keep reading and don't forget to later check out Brew Dogs website for their fantastic disconnected descriptions.

Cocoa Psycho) With a name like that, I expected something more crazy than what I got. The flavors were not very chocolaty, and there was an odd acridness in the finish accented by bitterness. I'm guessing that could be the psychotic part of this beer because it made me not too happy with it. All things considered, it was not worth the *ouch* price tag. ☆☆

Dogma) I have no frame of reference for what sort of effect kola nut, poppy seeds, or guarana are supposed to have on a beer. There were some unusual flavors playing around in this one. That to me would be the opposite of dogmatic, but hey, this one was really good. It was smooth, not bitter, and really easy to drink. I just fail at being able to tell you anything specific. ☆☆☆

Tokyo) This "beer" cannot be technically classified as a beer. I don't know what the exact reason is, but I suspect the 18.2% alcohol content is what makes it a "flavored malt liquor." Furthermore and following from their unusual description, that explains why this Japanese titled, Scotland produced "beer-yet-not-a-beer" has existential problems.

Classified as an intergalactic stout, Tokyo's flavor profile places it outside the norm for this world. I could taste the alcohol, but it didn't zing. When I sipped it, the malt and sweetness hit at the same time confusing my taste buds. Whenever I took a swallow of it, the malt and subtle bitterness hit on the finish. Somehow though, this beer reminded me of a radical version of Lucky Bucket's Certified Evil. I approve. ☆☆☆☆

23/100) Schlafly

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Raspberry Hefeweizen, Kölsch, Pumpkin Ale

I picked up these beers when I stopped through Branson a little while back. I had never heard of Schlafly in my region, and sadly, I haven't seen them since. I find that odd since they are based in St. Louis Missouri which isn't that far. Regardless, I do plan to keep my eyes out for them.

Raspberry Hefeweizen) A very good light Hefeweizen. You can detect the a touch of a grain flavor. And unlike my expectations, no sweet raspberry flavor cut across my palate, but instead hid lightly in the backdrop only reminding me of raspberries. This beer is a classic example of a true fruit beer as opposed to a fruit flavored beer. ☆☆☆

Kölsch) Light. Best served iced cold. No bitterness or nuttiness and very light on the peppery aspects. It's good, but I think I prefer my Kölch's with a bit more pepper. Not that you're really supposed to expect a massive burst of flavor from this kind of beer. ☆☆☆

Pumpkin Ale) Pumpkin, nutmeg, clove and cinammon. You know them. Well, this ale hit you with none of those spice you hear about. Instead, there is a nice pumpkin note in the backdrop that makes this beer taste like a pumpkin pie smells. As a result, it doesn't leave you craving pumpkin pie but luckily leaves you content with your vicarious experience. This may be my favorite pumpkin related beer that I've ever had. ☆☆☆☆

22/100) Breckenridge

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Agave Wheat, Vanilla Porter, Imperial 72

Did you know that the agave plant's heart is what is used to make Tequila? Well it is, and the heart is this huge 40 pound or so mass of plant material. I don't know what they exactly used to make this Agave Wheat, but the source wasn't likely the same. Instead, they probably used agave syrup. If so, then I wonder if the yeast got a chance to munch on it, or if they added it post-production. There's so much potential for speculation, so little time. On to the beers.

Agave Wheat) Despite loving the subtle Day of the Dead reference on the cover, this was just okay. There was a light Sweetness in the backdrop. The linger though was sharp or perhaps crisp? Anyway, it was dry. The more I drank sadly, the less I liked it. ☆☆☆

Vanilla Porter) Vanilla enveloped the background. The middle was perhaps more porter than vanilla but the overall flavor was light. The finish could have been smoother, but I think they got the vanilla accents just right. ☆☆☆

Imperial 72) This chocolate cream stout was excellent. The initial had a light watery mouth feel making that first sip easy all the way to the last one. A malty roasted note came through in the middle. Then, the finish had a light creamy touch to it, but the linger was where the flavors hit in a slowly blossoming array. It was not a problem for me, but I did wonder where the implied chocolate was. ☆☆☆☆

21/100) Dia de los Muertos

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Pay the Ferryman, Immortal Beloved, Death Becomes You,
Queen of the Night, Hop on or Die, Death Rides a Pale Horse

Welcome to the night of nightmares, costumes and all manner of candy. However you celebrate it, or don't, All Hallow's eve has come again. What is more fitting than to celebrate with beers thematically appropriate? This week I tried all six Cervezas de Los Muertos (Beers of the Dead).

Yes there are just six in America. Determining how many existed was a bit of a challenge. The internet is rampant with confusion about them. Many websites erroneously classified these beers as produced by Los Muertos Brewing Co. They are not. Instead, Cerveceria Mexicana in Tecate, Mexico brewed them. The easiest way to actually find out more about these beers is to search for "the beers of the dead."

To the undiscerning eye, I understand how these two companies can be confused. Los Muertos' "Agave Maria" smacks of the same fun naming style of these beers. A shorthand way to remember the difference is to note that Cerveceria's beers are themed around the Day of the Dead art style while Los Muertos beers focus on inserting skeletons into their art. Onto the beers!

Pay the Ferryman) This porter is one degree from coffee. I can only presume that Styx's main turnpike guard must take his coffee like this porter, black with just a touch of sugar. A rather solid roasted coffee porter. I tend to prefer mine to have less coffee flavor, but I did enjoy this one. ☆☆☆

Immortal Beloved) This hefeweizen is light and citrusy, but not enough to come across as sour or tart. The good smooth mouthfeel and the refreshing finish both entice you to drink more. Unexpectedly, it had more flavor than the smell revealed. ☆☆☆☆

Death Becomes You) Aside from having a title that sounds like a zombie pick-up line, this amber ale finished a bit bitter. Before that part though, this semi-malty ale did have a nice sweet and roasted middle. Not my favorite of the bunch, but good. ☆☆☆

Queen of the Night) This pale ale spares you from a strong bitter finish. Instead it has tantalizing mix of robust flavors mixed with just the right kind of bitterness. In short, this Queen has all the pluses of a pale ale without any of what I see as drawbacks. ☆☆☆☆

Hop on or Die) This IPA sadly seems to encourage some sort of Day of the Dead driving antics. Or I suppose it could imply that you should get on the bandwagon with hops. Either are hard for me to endorse. Like most IPAs this one has a smooth clean initial. Then the pine hops hit followed by a small burst of bitter on the finish. Not sure I really want to have again, but it's a decent IPA. ☆☆

Death Rides a Pale Horse) I never really thought of death riding a horse. Perhaps he's actually a dullahan which is a sort of Irish headless horseman harbinger of doom. Anyway, this blonde ale was malty. The flavor depth to this step-above-a-lager beer caught me pleasantly off guard. ☆☆☆

Honestly, I was surprised. I was afraid these beers would be mostly marketing and only partially flavor. However, you can't go wrong with any of these six. They are solid baselines for the type of beer that they are. There isn't too much adventure or craziness with them. They are stably solid, and that can go a long way in making a beer a staple.

20/100) Weyerbacher 2

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Merry Monks, Insanity, Nineteen

The Merry Monks are keeping secrets to their happiness, and their experiment XIX requires a dose of insanity to really understand. After night falls and the jingle of the clown bells fade away, will the darkness consume you? Or will you stick around for Halloween

Merry Monks) While quadrupels are great to me, tripels might not be my thing. There was a sour touch to the fruit backdrop in this beer. That taste was prohibitive to my taste buds and made it hard to drink. I know other people who liked it though, so I'll probably give it a second chance in the future. ☆☆

Insanity) Right after a a light initial, this ale quickly let me know that it had matured in oak barrels. The backdrop had a robustness that smacked of the high alcohol content. The flavor profile though was confusing. It had that sort of sweet complexity in the middle that reminded me of a barley wine, yet in that crazy mix, the ale flavors came through as well. Much to my delight the lack of bitter hops made this beer a smooth experience from start to finish. ☆☆☆

Nineteen - XIX - ) The mango wasn't overt, but I could tell something fruit-like was in it just from the the sweet smell. I felt like this wheat beer was to mangoes what cider is to apples. In other words, I would guess that they used a mango puree in the brewing process instead of adding in the mango flavors late in the game. I enjoyed the uniqueness, but I really couldn't see myself drinking this one again. ☆☆

19/100) Weyerbacher

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Heresy. Blithering Idiot, Quad

I meant to make a joke about a heretical blithering idiot enjoying a quad over his meal of hearty bread and cheese, but I couldn't come up with anything that didn't feel forced. Instead, I will enlighten you, or endarken you, as to why I chose Weyerbacher for these weeks in October. Their dark imagery complete with a terrifying clown and rich medieval themes simple scream for a connection to the Halloween season.

Heresy) This imperial stout barely let me know that it was aged in whiskey barrels as it didn't hit me with as strong alcohol punch I had expected. The middle and finish were flooded with a strong flavor profile full of coffee, malt, molasses and even a bit of a caramel. The mouth feel was thick so I suggest being prepared to practically have to chew if you try it.  ☆☆☆☆

Blithering Idiot) Had that lovely complexity of a barley wine The initial was characterized by a clear semisweet taste. Then when the finish hit a wave of flavor spread through my mouth mounting a crescendo of almond accented by vanilla and molasses. Yum!☆☆☆☆

Quad) Very smooth. This Quad had that blossoming alcohol flavor that made me recall the vague aftertaste you can get from a decent whiskey. From the initial to finish, the flavors were really kept clean and comprehensible. Admittedly that was a bit unusual for a quad because I like to think of them as complex. That didn't stop me from enjoying this one though. ☆☆☆☆

18/100) Brew Dog

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Punk IPA, 5 AM Saint, Libertine Black Ale

Brew Dogs is a Scotland based brewery with some amazing beer names. Each comes with a lengthy description too. Though they don't describe the beer type or flavor, they do give you an interesting framework to understand the beer. Hop over to their website and take a look.

Punk IPA) is a very drinkable IPA for me. Can you believe that? They're not usually my thing. Smelled of bitter hops, but the taste really didn't have anywhere near my predicted bitterness level. The finish was smooth and subtle. There isn't even a sharp bomb of bitterness at the end. This punk's for me. ☆☆☆☆

5 AM Saint) Smell had a nice pine hop touch to it. The color was a lovely burnished amber. The middle held a bit of a mild sweetness as the smell followed through with a nice pine flavor. The finish was clean and refreshing. The drink is slightly cloudy, and the more of that cloudiness that got into my glass the better it tasted. ☆☆☆☆

Libertine Black Ale) A watery initial and mouth feel announced this Ale's presence. The deep dark pour pooled in my glass like an abyss. Light could not pass through it was so pitch. The middle was pretty malty and passed into a finicky bitter finish. Unfortunately for me, the bitter at the end built and lingered too much, but it was still interesting. ☆☆☆

17/100) Boulevard Smokestack Series

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Long Strange, Double-Wide, Sixth Glass, Dark Truth Stout

Boulevard's approach to bottling doesn't disappoint where smoothness is concerned. Because they bottle condition their beers, each continues to ferment until you pop the cap and consume it. The smokestack series is no exception, and all four of these beers are characterized by that smooth finish that I've come to expect from Boulevard.

Long Strange Tripel) There was a strange nutty, fruit-like sweet/sour to this beer. It finished with a light touch of bitterness. All I can tell you is that it was okay. I've learned that I need to find a prototypical Tripel so that I know what I should be looking for in them. Tripels, like IPAs, may be a type of beer that's just not for me. ☆☆

Double-Wide) Despite IPAs not being my strong point, I rather enjoyed this one. The pour brought out a nice thick foam. The aroma was primarily a hop borne pine, but I could smell something else that changed from citrus to peach as I grew accustomed to the taste of the beer. Bitterness was present on the finish, as ought to be expected from an IPA, but it was accented by a touch of malt. A very unusual IPA, and one I rather enjoyed. ☆☆☆

Sixth Glass) This beer danced like a little devil on my tongue, even though I didn't make it my sixth glass for the evening. The strength of the alcohol in this Quadrupel comes through in the background, but the initial was nice and light. No bitterness in this beer, but nor was there a lot of complexity to the flavor. Instead it was simple and straightforward. Not my favorite Quad, but a very easy to drink Quad. ☆☆☆☆

Dark Truth Stout) The smooth light initial of this stout lead into a rich finish that moved from a deep malt to a wave of roasted caramel. The hidden dark truth of this beer was that your linger built up some bitterness. Not enough bitterness to paralyze, but instead, just enough to make you want to drink more. ☆☆☆☆


Bonus!
Ole the Tower Keeper is the Hans Christian Anderson Tale where the name Sixth Glass originated.
You can read the story here: http://hca.gilead.org.il/towerkee.html, but here's the portion directly related to the drink.

"The sixth glass! Yes, in that glass sits a demon, in the form of a little, well dressed, attractive and very fascinating man, who thoroughly understands you, agrees with you in everything, and becomes quite a second self to you. He has a lantern with him, to give you light as he accompanies you home. There is an old legend about a saint who was allowed to choose one of the seven deadly sins, and who accordingly chose drunkenness, which appeared to him the least, but which led him to commit all the other six. The man’s blood is mingled with that of the demon. It is the sixth glass, and with that the germ of all evil shoots up within us; and each one grows up with a strength like that of the grains of mustard-seed, and shoots up into a tree, and spreads over the whole world: and most people have no choice but to go into the oven, to be re-cast in a new form."

16/100) New Holland

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

The Poet, Full Circle, Monkey King

New Holland is a company that just made its way into the Midwest. I'm really enjoying their creative titles, and I keep expecting to find a story behind them. Sadly, I'm just not finding them. True to their company's spirit though, everything from the logos the bottle covers screams "artistic."

The Poet) My first reaction to this oatmeal stout was that it tasted like Dragon's Milk without the creamy touch. I suspect they use a beer similar to this one as their base. On its own, this beers stands alone quite well. It had a smooth light mouth feel and a mocha like background without overemphasizing the coffee. ☆☆☆☆

Full Circle) This kölsch is a good light drinking beer with a smidgen of the unusual. Instead of a slight bitterness or a touch of hoppiness, the middle and finish tantalize you with a nice peppery punch. I liked how that livened up this beer. The name comes from New Holland's "belief in balance." ☆☆☆

Monkey King) The flavor profile for this drink was "mysterious" to me. This farmhouse has an almost nutty finish, but there was a fruit like flavor in the backdrop that I couldn't identify. The beer  had a good body and finished smooth. ☆☆☆

And, just because this is my favorite New Holland thus far:

Dragon's Milk

Dragon's Milk) This is a bourbon barrel aged stout. As you can imagine, the milk in the name implies that it has a bit of sweetness to it. It does. There's a lovely arc of cream that undulates through the middle into the finish and then remains faintly yet fondly in the linger. Delightfully smooth, the bourbon barrels did nothing but good to this beer. ☆☆☆☆☆

15/100) Angry Orchard: Cider House Collection

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Strawman, The Muse, Iceman

These are three ciders from Angry Orchard's Farmhouse collection. Their bottles are large, and very ornate. What you see on the outside is not a sticker, but a lovely piece of etching. I'm holding on to my bottles until I can find a consistent way of turning an empty beer bottle into a glass.

Strawman) This farmhouse cider is a strong, robust dry cider. I have little to contribute to the description already on the side of the bottle, but also I have to say that description is a bit overdone. It's a good, possibly even great cider, but it's not in the realm of excellent or phenomenal. Despite an ABV of 10%, you can barely tell there is alcohol in it, and that's impressive. ☆☆☆☆

The Muse) The Muse is much sweeter than the last, but mellow in flavor. Just by its strong micro bubble effervescence, I'm pretty sure you could convince people that this was a champagne. However, it also tastes similar to one. It was made with champagne yeast though, so perhaps that was the intended effect. Maybe it's just me, but I don't want a cider that's trying to be a champagne nor a champagne that is trying to be a cider. ☆☆

Iceman) Of the three, this is the sweet yet, tart one. The finish is not as smooth as Strawman's either, but the flavor comes across as full. There's even a hint of vanilla in the backdrop. ☆☆☆

Bonus! I've been told that the best way to drink Strawman and Iceman is to mix them. The robust dryness of Strawman makes up for Iceman's sweetness. I have not tried doing so yet, but I might have to give it a go in the near future.

14/100) Macadoodles and a Leinenkeugel

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Banshee Lager, Irish Red Ale, Big Eddy

While I was in Branson, I ran across a store named Macadoodles. Upon entering, I realized that despite an Irish name they clearly specialized in wine even though they had a decent selection of other alcohols. Imagine my surprise to discover that they also had their own Macadoodles's themed beers. I only found two though. Since I needed one more beer to go with them for this post, I chose Big Eddy, an unusual Leinenkugel's. As an added bonus, I have only recently connected that the names rhyme.

Banshee Lager) Not bad. A decent lager, but isn't as smooth as others that I've had. Also, I suspect that this is how it got the Banshee part of the name as there is a background of bitterness to it. ☆☆☆

Red Irish) Harsh and vinegary. In short, my bottle might have been past the expiration date. Did not enjoy. ☆

Big Eddy) Sweet and complex. This beer lacks that touch of harshness that I've encountered in most other barley wines. The finish blossoms with an array of melted flavors leaving you only with a pleasant rye lingering. As previously mentioned, despite the strong flavors, this beer finishes smooth. ☆☆☆☆

13/100) Boulevard Tasting Room Set

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Wheat, IPA, Ginger Lemon-Radler, ESB

In short, I like Boulevard. Their beers have a consistently high level of smoothness to them which makes them very drinkable. Therefore, I thought it only fitting to review all four different beers that came in my tasting room set instead of whittling the selection down to three.

Wheat Beer) Smooth. You don't get a strong yeasty flavor, but instead get a light citrus and healthy wheat taste. Just be sure to swirl the bottle when you pour it, because the cloudier the pour the better it seems to taste. ☆☆☆☆

Single Wide IPA) Smells sweet, and the finish is bitter. In other words, much to my chagrin it lives up to being an IPA. It is easier to drink that other IPAs I've tried, but the type of beer is just not me. So the two stars aren't a reflection of lack of quality, they just account for my lack of taste for bitterness. If IPAs are your thing, you'll love this one. ☆☆

Tasting Room Ginger Lemon-Radler) My initial reaction was "is this pop?" The lemon is very pronounced yet the ginger makes its presence known as a growing warmth. If the label didn't say otherwise, I would have assumed this was a mixture of lemon juice and ginger beer. The result, though far from the norm, is smooth and drinkable. ☆☆☆

Tasting Room ESB) I was pleasantly surprised that this beer didn't overwhelm with bitterness. Since IPAs, pale ales, and the like are not usually my style, I had foolishly lumped ESBs in with them. However, ESB's tend to not finish as bitter and therefore are much more drinkable to me. This one in particular has Boulevard's characteristic smoothness to it as well as a good light bitter hoppiness in the finish that neither shocks or builds as you drink more. ☆☆☆☆

12/100) Odell Brewing Company

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Easy Street, Levity, Lugene

The name Odell in this brewing companies name comes from the last name of the owner of the company. That's I suppose a fairly common occurrence. However, Odell's Brewing Company has some of the more whimsical names for their beers that I've seen, and almost all of them have a story.

Easy Street) Since brewers don't filter this wheat beer, they can "take it easy" when they make this beer, ie the name Easy Street. There is a light citrus in the backdrop. The initial spikes with a bit of hops, and the mid is not very heavy on the wheat flavor. Despite the flavor being generally good, the finish is not smooth, and it took away from the experience a bit much for me. ☆☆

Levity) The name Levity comes from both how you shouldn't take things too seriously and how this is a fairly light Amber. According to the description, this beer is quite accurately called "crisp not bitter." The initial is watery. The finish has a nice warmth, and there's no bitterness to be found. Nothing too special, but rather good.☆☆☆

Lugene) So named for the farmer who "recycles" O'dells leftover brewing material for his cows, this beer is true to its name. It is rich and chocolaty, with a creamy sweetness in the backdrop. My sister approvingly calls it a "Guinness milk shake." Me, I just like how the creaminess sticks around and lingers even after you've had a sip yet doesn't get overwhelming if you take a good swallow. ☆☆☆☆

Special Event) Great Nebraska Beer Fest 2014

Saturday August 23rd, 2014 was my first time attending the Great Nebraska Beer Fest. In short, I had an amazing time. I tried quite a few good beers as the afternoon progressed, and I definitely took advantage of the VIP ticket that I had, retreating periodically to the VIP tent to relax and regroup. Of course, I also arrived at one pm and got in an hour early to the event, a great VIP perk.

VIP Glass, Dragon's Milk Hat

The venue, Werner Park, was great. I had expected something like wall-to-wall crowds after the General Admission ticket holders entered at two. While lines did grow slightly in areas, the variety of booths and sheer length of the area compensated for the increased numbers. Moreover, kudos to the stadium designer. The place is oriented just right so that the shaded area increases inside the grounds as evening approaches.

Despite my planning and coming up with two lists of must-visit and should-visit booths, I simply did not get to all the beers that I wanted to try. Some were out before I got to them, and others I just didn't know about until it was too late. One company, Heretic Brewing, must have not made it to event because I never did see them.

The most notable beers for me:

1)Surly Brewing Co - Darkness) So smooth it's dangerous. Stout. ☆☆☆☆
2)Kinkaider Brewing Co - Jalapeno) The initial burns just a touch. The mid has flavor, and then the drink finishes with warmth. ☆☆☆☆
3)Peace Tree - Templeton Black River Gumbo Stout) Cask-aged in Templeton Rye barrels. This beer is thick and chewy just the way I like it.☆☆☆☆
4)Surly Brewing Co - Cocoa Bender) Rich coffee and chocolate notes. ☆☆☆☆

My favorite beer for the event:

New Holland - Dragon's Milk)  This is a bourbon barrel aged stout. Not only does it have a light roasted taste to the background, but it has that nice oak barrel bite.☆☆☆☆

Most unusually good beer:

Cigar City Brewing Co - Cucumber Saison) Initial is ale-like, but the finish is briefly cucumber, light and crisp. ☆☆☆☆


Here's the full list of what I tried:

Firestone Walker Brewing Co - Opal) Nice lemony citrus Saison. ☆☆☆

Surly Brewing Co - Darkness) So smooth it's dangerous. Stout. ☆☆☆☆

Cigar City Brewing Co - Cucumber Saison) Initial is ale-like, but the finish is briefly cucumber, light and crisp. ☆☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Co - Kölsch) Good and easy to drink, just lacking in unique character. ☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Co - Jalapeno) The initial burns just a touch. The mid has flavor, and then the drink finishes with warmth. ☆☆☆☆

Zipline Brewing Co - Cask-aged Harumeku)  Everything I hoped it would be. Spring citrus with the barrel's lovely background effect. ☆☆☆

New Holland - Dragon's Milk) This is a bourbon barrel aged stout. Not only does it have a light roasted taste to the background, but it has that nice oak barrel bite. ☆☆☆☆

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project - Vieille) Decently tart. ☆☆☆

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project - Surette) Too tart, but a great contrast to the day's heat. ☆☆☆

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project - St. Bretta) Tartness is just right, and very smooth. ☆☆☆☆

Grimm's Brothers Brewing Co - Master Thief) The finish of this porter is warm and alive. ☆☆☆

Cigar City Brewing Co - Hunapu's Imperial Stout) Bitter and bitey finish, but the initial and mid are near heavenly. ☆☆☆

Cigar City Brewing Co - Vanilla Maduro) Great finish, but the mid lacks that chewability I want. ☆☆☆

Kinkaider Brewing Co - Porter) Guinness like initial. Rather roasted in the finish. ☆☆☆

Crane Brewing Co - Ruby) Really does taste like the beets it is made from. ☆☆☆

Crane Brewing Co - Duchamp) Decent. Smooth and floral hopped. ☆☆☆

Crane Brewing Co - Blackberry) Puckered up too much. ☆☆☆

Blind Tiger - Basil Beer) Basil and Beer are not the best of friends. ☆☆

Firemen - Brown Ale) Good initial and mid, but the finish was not smooth. ☆☆☆

Tallgrass - Halycon) Too much bitter hoppiness for a wheat beer. ☆☆

Martin City Brewing Co - Hibiscus Prickly Pear Saison) The tartness overwhelmed the other flavors too much for me. ☆☆

Lucid - Goslar) Tart yes, but the other flavor aspects of a Gose aren't pronounced enough. ☆☆

Lucid - Smoked Amber) Light amber, and the smokiness stays in the background. ☆☆☆

Modern Monk - Chocolate Stout) The chocolate is there but rather thinned out.☆☆☆

Boulevard Brewing Co - Saison Brett) Okay, but more tart than I expected. ☆☆☆

Grimm's Brothers Brewing - Farmer's Daughter) An Oktoberfest with an unusually robust flavor profile. ☆☆☆

Peace Tree - Templeton Black River Gumbo Stout) Cask-aged in Templeton Rye barrels. This beer is thick and chewy just the way I like it. ☆☆☆☆

Surly Brewing Co - Cocoa Bender) Rich coffee and chocolate notes. ☆☆☆☆

Founder's - Porter) Already like this one. Had it just to confirm that my taste buds were not compromised. They weren't. ☆☆☆

Lagunitas - Kinky) Light, refreshing. Way too easy to drink. It's basically a soda though. ☆☆☆☆

Blue Blood - Pod's ESB) Very drinkable with a light citrus to it's hops. ☆☆☆

Redemption) Zipline Oak Aged India Ale

I particularly love cask-aged beers. They marry two usually separate spheres of drinks. After my somewhat disappointing experience with this cask-aged IRA on tap, I wanted to give this one another chance. In bottle form, this beer redeemed itself.

Oak Aged IRA bottle #305 of 480

Zipline Oak-Aged India-Style Red Ale) Ultimately, it was still too bitter to become one of my favorites, but I rather liked this one's taste profile. The smell has a sweetness to it, and the more cloudy the pour was the better it tasted overall. The initial and mid blur together into a nice mix of oak and red ale bitterness. That bitterness still appears stronger in the finish but doesn't linger harshly or overwhelm the other flavors like the draught version had. This is a good beer to sip at and enjoy. ☆☆☆☆

11/100) Porter Trio

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Polygamy Porter, Suede, Anchor Porter

What's a porter exactly? A porter is a hopped malted beer with a moderate to heavy flavor profile and typically is dark brown in color. Now what does all that mean? Hopped means that it has a touch of bitterness to it from the hops used. Malted means just that. Have you ever had a malted shake? Hopefully you have because you'll likely taste some similar flavors when you have a porter.  

Polygamy Porter) Very smooth. No bumps in either the mid or finish. The finish left a lingering taste that reminded me of the way roasted chestnuts smell. "Why have just one" indeed! It'd be hard not to want another. ☆☆☆☆

Suede) This imperial porter is a collaboration between Stone, 10 Barrel, and Blue Jacket brewing companies. The pour is rather thick and the smell is somewhat sweet. Aroma is very special, nutty with a bit of a raw honey accent in the backdrop. The initial is not overwhelming and the overall mouth feel is very smooth. The middle is fairly malty with a touch of caramel to the flavor. ☆☆☆☆

Anchor Porter) Is that vanilla? Or burnt caramel? This beer has such a similar yet different flavor profile than polygamy porter that I find it hard to describe. Perhaps you could say it is sweet for a porter, but the finish lacks any sort of bitter or roasted punch. The previous two were smoother even though this one is still smooth. ☆☆☆

Brewery Visit) Boulevard Brewing Co

First of all, Boulevard has a massive and very modern facility. The tour took nearly an hour and encompassed multiple buildings. We made our way through the original facility, stood outside by some fermentation tanks, and watched from a floor overlooking their huge bottling room. When we reached the "hand's on learning" part of the tour or the tasting room, I tried these as my two free samples:

Hibiscus Gose, Entwined Ale

Both of these beers are part of Boulevard's Backroads series. This group of beers is adventuresome taking you out off the beaten path of common beer types, so, naturally, I wanted to try them.

Hibiscus Gose) This beer was just released last week, and gose is actually a type of beer not just a funny name. A gose is a sour beer characterized by a strong citrus body with other notes ranging from herbal to salty. Boulevard's version combines all three of those by using hibiscus, coriander and sea salt. The mid and finish are very tart, but that tartness doesn't build or overwhelm. The experience of this drink was a bit like having lemonade without the sugar only not pucker-up sour. This is great summer drink. ☆☆☆☆

Entwined Ale) Boulevard set their goal at making a beer that tasted like white wine, and they succeeded. There's a touch of a lager-esque flavor just enough to remind that this is actually a beer. Otherwise, the taste is very much like a semi-dry white wine, and a very easy to drink one at that. ☆☆☆

KC Pils, Zôn, Tasting Room: Oatmeal Stout, Tank 7

While I finished sipping on my two free samples, I looked down the list of beers available for a flight. It didn't take long for me to choose these four. 

KC Pils) This beer is a very solid pilsner. The overall taste profile struck me as very similar to Lucky Bucket's Lager. The mid in this KC pils is a bit warmer though. This one's a solid go-to beer when you want something simple. ☆☆☆

Zôn) First of all, this beer's name is pronounced the same as "zone." The spelling comes from the Flemish, and it means "Sun." It's a witbier or "white beer" which is a type of beer that is usually characterized by its cloudiness. The finish has a light touch of grapefruit minus the tartness. The middle is fairly fruity, and the background has coriander. If the following Tank 7 hadn't blown my mind, this would have probably become my favorite citrus tasting beer. ☆☆☆☆

Tasting Room: Oatmeal Stout) I really hope they keep this one as more than just their tasting room series. I almost don't want to spoil the experience by describing it. However, the initial has subtle chocolate notes, and the finish comes out with a nice burnished roast flavor. This stout is smooth from initial to finish. I'm adding this one to my favorites list. ☆☆☆☆☆

Tank 7) I thought Zôn tasted like a grapefruit. Then I had Tank 7. So named for one of Boulevard's more quirky fermentation devices, this beer is unique and great. The grapefruit hops used gave this a taste like their citrus namesake. The finish keeps just enough of the tartness to make one happy, but Tank 7 doesn't overwhelm with sourness at any point. My only question now is "why didn't I have this one sooner?" ☆☆☆☆

Factoid: Zôn's special o can be made by holding alt and then while still holding alt, pressing 0244. When you release alt, then ô should appear. At least, that is how it works for windows. 

10/100) Irish Ales

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Irish Ale, Irish Ale,  Premium Irish Ale

I rather missed St.Patrick's day so Irish beers seems like an odd choice, but I found a Boulevard Irish Ale and wanted to compare it to some Smithwick's imports. All three are Irish Ale's which, by the way, is short hand for "Irish Red Ale." An Irish Ale as a type of beer is a variation on the amber ale.

Smithwick's Irish Ale) In an attempt to cool this beer faster, I accidentally left this beer in the freezer too long. After thawing it out, I tried it. However, I am pretty sure the carbonation took a hit. The taste however was decent. The drink has flavor that seems caramel-like initially but then drops into a smooth watery finish. ☆☆☆

Boulevard Irish Ale) The short summary is that this beer tastes almost the same as the previous. However, it is a bit more bitter. I'm not sure where to place this one as I liked it, but not very strongly. ☆☆☆

Smithwick's Premium Irish Ale) ... and upon reaching this beer, I have discovered that it is the same beer as the other Smithwick that I tried. At least it tastes, smells, and looks the same. I did a little research and found out that Smithwick's did a logo redesign this last year. The two bottles look so completely different that I can imagine that I am not the only one this change has confused. I wonder what their thought process was behind this re-branding. ☆☆☆

In order to keep up appearances with my three beers a week though, I popped open one more Irish themed beer.

Red Harvest Stout

Red Harvest Stout) I sipped it. I drank it. I sipped it again. Smooth this drink certainly is. However, it is decidedly lacking in flavor. The initial and middle are very watery. The finish has a subtle flavor that I can't describe well, but that is partially because it is barely there. A couple internet searches only revealed the terms "velvety" or "burgundy" to describe the taste. I'm not sure either term fits, but maybe you can detect on or the other. The only really positive thing I can say about this is beer is that it is easy to drink. ☆☆

Brewery Visit) Zipline

I know that didn't take long for me to go from trying a few Zipline beers to actually checking out their tapping room. However, when I found out their brewery tour schedule was so limited, I didn't hold back on visiting. In short, I didn't get to tour the actual brewery yet, but the beers are what it's all about, right?

Wild NZ IPA, Copper Alt, Nitro Pale, Kölsch, Oak-aged IRA, Mosaic Pale

They had nine beers on tap, and since I had just had three of them for the previous post, I got a flight of the six I hadn't tried. Two of them, the Copper Alt and Nitro Pale, are ones you can find bottled or on tap elsewhere, but the other four were two single-batch and two cask-aged varieties, making them taproom exclusives if you want them draught.

Wild NZ IPA) This is a cask-aged version of their normal NZ IPA and a sour beer at that. I rather enjoyed the normal NZ IPA. However, I'm not sold on this variation. Though, the mid has a bit more of a berry touch to it, the finish is now much more bitter.  ☆☆

Copper Alt) A bit of a roasted taste to the mid and finish. Other than that, this one wasn't very robust for a Alt, though I did find it fairly smooth and drinkable. ☆☆☆

Nitro Pale) My guess is that this beer is great for people who like the light lager types. The initial has almost no flavor except a fairly pleasant watery aspect to it. However, the finish is bitter pine. I can't blame it for that since it is a Pale Ale essentially, but that just means it is not for me. ☆☆

Kölsch*) This is easily one of my favorite types of beer. The usual flavor is somewhere in between a lager and ale with just the right touch of bitterness. This single batch variant by Zipline has even less bitterness than the norm and instead has a light floral aromatic effect on the finish. This one was easily the most drinkable and smooth of the six I tried. ☆☆☆

Cask-Aged IRA) The smell caught me off guard. It was strong and somewhat vinegary. My brother said something about the smell reminding him of pickles. After our first sip though, we decided that what were smelling was hopefully the bourbon. This beer is very raw and harsh. While sipping it is enjoyable, taking a swallow is barely recommended. I'd almost say that it tastes like someone dropped a shot of bourbon whiskey right into an IRA. This one was definitely a unique experience. ☆☆☆

Mosaic Pale) If I were to simply compare this one to the earlier Nitro Pale, I would say that the hops are more complex in this beer. They aren't just pine but also have citrus. The hop flavor though is more ubiquitous as their bitterness dominates the initial, mid and finish. There's also a subtle background flavor almost like velvet or burgundy. I didn't find this one easy to drink. ☆☆

*Factoid: Do you know how to type in the German umlaut that is in Kölsch? First press down the alt key. Then while still holding the alt key press 1, 4 and 8 in succession. When you release the alt key, the umlaut should appear. Try it out!

9/100) Zipline

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Oatmeal Porter, Country White, NZ IPA

Zipline is a young brewery that is in Lincoln, Nebraska. They just got underway in 2012. In the near future, I hope to go there for a tour because they have a small line of cask-aged beers that intrigues me. However, my general impression of their beers is that while they are good and won't let you down, they aren't too adventuresome, yet. I look forward to watching them grow.

Oatmeal Porter) In short, this porter had chocolaty notes in the initial to mid that were somewhat overwhelmed by the fairly harsh finish. I can see why Zipline had attempted to keep it as a seasonal. Perhaps its flavor profile is more enjoyable in the cold of winter. It's not bad, but as a porter, it just didn't have enough smoothness or flavor for me. ☆☆

Country White) This beer uses a farmhouse yeast strain and is their seasonal release for summer. The pour forms a pretty tall head of foam, and it's pretty easy to make too much froth on this one. The taste has a touch of wheat but is refreshing with a nice citrus in the backdrop. There's something though that makes the beer have an almost "chewy" aspect to it which is really the only thing that set it off from something like a generic Blue Moon. ☆☆☆

NZ IPA) First of all, I had to look this up, but what makes an IPA an NZ IPA is just that the hops are from New Zealand. Of course, depending on where you get your ingredients the taste can change. If this Zipline brew is exemplary of NZ hops, I might search out more like it. The bitterness wasn't overwhelming and didn't linger or build like other IPAs I've had. The hops might even be floral because there was a touch of citrus in the middle. Other than that, this IPA was also lightly effervescent.  ☆☆☆☆

8/100) Crispin Artisanal Reserves

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

The Saint, bird on a wire, Landsdowne

Crispin is known for their artisan approach to ciders. They focus on trying new things. In other words, they experiment. This is perfect for those who are adventuresome. I, particularly, am enjoying their series of ciders where they switch out their normal cider yeasts for other yeasts.

"The Saint") This cider has that classic wild Trappist yeast touch. The addition of maple syrup gave it a light sweetness to the robust flavor. Somehow though, the end product ends up tasting and smelling more like a beer than a cider. However, it still has a light background that maintains some of the sweetness of a hard cider. Of course, since Trappist beers are arguably some of the best beers in the world, "the Saint" tastes great. ☆☆☆☆ 

"Bird on Wire") This is special reserve barrel aged cider, and just so you know, that little bottle cost more than either of the large bottles flanking it. Moreover, it is a blend so the resulting flavor was intentional. I cannot over-hype this one. The smell is heavenly. The initial is mellow, sweet and smooth. The finish fades into a halo of tupelo honey that lingers lightly on the tongue. I just hope I can find it again. ☆☆☆☆☆

"Landsdowne) Using the yeast for an Irish Stout, Crispin crafted this unusual cider. The pour was dark like a stout, appropriately enough. The taste is also closer to a stout than a cider, but there are traces of that apple sweetness. The finish is dominated by the warmth of molasses. It was a fairly hearty cider. ☆☆☆☆

Bonus! Having tried "The Saint" and "Landsdowne," I have actually tried four total ciders in Crispin's Artisanal Reserve. Here are my thoughts on the other two that I've had.

Bare Naked) If there was ever an apple cider champagne, this would be it. The special yeast process used to make cider was to process the cider one more time with champagne yeast. Personally, I don't know where this one ends up for me because when I want a cider, I don't want champagne and when I want a champagne, I'm not looking for apple attributes. This one sits squarely in between the two, and so I can't think of a time I'd ever crave it. ☆☆☆

Superexpress) First of all, I was impressed that they actually had kanji, Japanese characters, on the bottle. 超特急 or Superexpress, as in the train line, is a cider made using sake yeast and organic rice syrup. The taste was a bit like a subdued sweet sake. It's an agreeable flavor, but not what I want in a cider. ☆☆☆