Beer

Sixpoint Bengali Tiger Video Review

March 21, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdS0CqRc3hs&’]

Brand new to Ohio! This is the Snobby Beer review of Bengali Tiger from Sixpoint Craft Ales in Brooklyn, New York. Sixpoint produces beers that are available in cans, and just recently became distributed in Ohio. The website claims that this beer is inspired by a homebrewed IPA.

From the Sixpoint website:

“What immortal hand or eye. Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
The Sixpoint homebrewed IPA interpretation. Blaze orange in color, with an abundance of citrus hop bitterness, and a full pine and grapefruit bouquet in the aroma.”

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

Beers of St. Patrick’s Day – Video Reviews

March 15, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

St. Patty’s day is just around the corner. As with most things having to do with Irish-Americans, this means a lot of alcohol consumption. I can attest to the validity of this statement due to my heritage, which is mostly Irish (though you’d never know that because of my German last name). While most people think of Guinness as the quintessential St. Patrick’s Day beer, there are other options out there – in fact, there are a TON of beers to satisfy your Celtic craving. I recently shot reviews of a few of these beers. Check out these videos

Murphy’s Irish Stout

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJOfKb75n4I’] This is the Snobby Beer review of Murphy’s Irish Stout from Cork, Ireland. Murphy’s is sort of known as the “other” Irish Dry Stout, and is available in cans and draught. The can features a nitrogen widget that produces smaller bubbles than carbon dioxide, which gives the impression of a smoother, creamier beer. This beer is only 4% Alcohol by Volume. Murphy’s was bought by Heineken in 1983.

Killian’s Irish Red

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkkk1_f1XMs’] This one is pretty much only “Irish” in name. Killian’s is an amber/red lager brewed by Coors Brewing Company, and is available year-round. According to the website, Killian’s started as a more traditional Irish Red Ale. George Killian supposedly wanted to share his beer so much that he brought it to America. Whether or not this story is true, nobody can deny the fact that this is one of the most widely available beers on the market in America today.

That’s it. No, seriously, there’s no more beer reviews. Were you expecting something else?

…Oh, what the heck, here’s the Guinness reviews I shot last year.

Guinness Draught

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upwI1ApnUnA’]Guinness Draught is made by Guinness Ltd, located in Dublin, Ireland. Guinness Draught is arguably the most famous stout on the planet. Unlike most stouts, which are generally on the heavier side, Guinness is actually lighter than some light beers! The perceived “heaviness” of Guinness comes from the nitrogen, which produces smaller bubbles.

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRUOysHCoNM’] Guinness Foreign Extra Stout is the hoppiest stout made by Guinness. Many people say that this is better than Guinness Draught – is it? We find out in this video!

These reviews can also be found at Snobby Beer.

Cincinnati Sour Beer – Rivertown Pestilence Review

March 5, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

Rivertown Brewing Company recently released their first beer of their Brewmaster Reserve Limited Release Series, and the beer is Pestilence. Pestilence is a sour brown ale brewed with 7 varieties of malted barley and wheat. The beer also has has Hibiscus flower, and has gone through the process of sour mashing. You may remember that Rivertown has dabbled in sour beers before.

Rivertown is from the great state of Ohio, and are located in Cincinnati.

From the Rivertown press release:

Rivertown Brewing Co.’s Brewmasters Reserve Limited Release Series is set to kick off next month.

We are pleased to announce the 2012 Brewmasters limited release series starting with the introduction of “Pestilence”. Pestilence is a sour brown ale brewed with 7 varieties of malted barley and wheat, organic whole Hibiscus flower pedals and spicy hops from the Hallertau growing region of Bavaria. The name Pestilence is derived from the ancient biblical term for infection or plague. Through a natural process called sour mashing, we expose the mash to airborne elements for a period of 48 hours allowing for a natural infection to arise causing the beer to sour. After this process is complete, we collect the sweet, sour runnings and introduce the spicy hops. We then boil it for a period of 1 hour and steep it with fresh hibiscus flower pedals. The end result is a wonderfully aromatic blend of fresh botanical herbs and mouth puckering sourness.

Pestilence will be the first of four brews released in 2012 centered around the ancient Mayan apocalypse of 2012 which signifies the world’s end on December 21^st. Pestilence holds significance as being one of the Four Horseman set loose upon the world acting as a harbinger of the last judgment charging through at worlds end carrying wheat and a fist full of barley.

Release Date: Early February 2012
Alcohol by Volume: 5.4%
Color: 20 SRM (Brown)
Style Guideline: Wild/American Sour Ale/Brown Ale
Availability: 12 oz bottles 24-loose case/ 1/6bbl keg
Malts Used: Pilsner, Pale, Carabelge, White Wheat, Chocolate, Dark crystal, Munich
Hops: Hallertau Perle
Specialty Ingredients: Organic Hibiscus Flower Pedals
Serving Temp: 55F

P.S.- Save one bottle to enjoy as a vertical on December 21^st 2012

APPEARANCE

The beer pours a Coca-Cola brown, with just the slightest amount of deep red light poking through. There was a tiny white head when first poured, but it went away fast and left nothing remaining. There was little visible carbonation. Overall, it looks somewhat like a clear Belgian dark – nice looking beer.

SMELL

There’s some interesting aroma coming from this beer. There is some nice dark fruits, such as plum and raisin. There is a bit of Greek yogurt, which is followed by a bit of stomach acid… Not exactly unpleasant, but definitely different. There’s a good amount of sweetness on the nose as well, bringing some nice maltiness and maybe a bit of caramel. The hop character is on the spicy side, bringing some floral and honey-like aromas. Overall, pretty complex but not the most pleasant smelling brew.

TASTE

The taste is fairly different than the aroma. There is a surprising amount of cocoa in this beer, which I was not expecting. There’s a big amount of nutty flavor that reminds me a lot of cashews, which was also unexpected. There is a decent sour twang to it, but it’s not a jaw-locking sourness. More like a pretty solid tartness throughout. The first few sips brought that stomach acid flavor, which reminded me of… well, puke. As it warms up, though, that flavor is replaced with more of a Greek yogurt flavor. There’s a lot of dark fruits in here, as well as some hop spice and floral flavors. This is a pretty complex beer on the tongue!

MOUTHFEEL

This has a bit more body than I had anticipated. There is a nice, dry finish and the tartness creates a crisp mouthfeel. There is a lingering oily feeling that reminds me of the leftover oil from a cashew. It’s pretty easy drinking, but the sort of wild flavors keep this from being a beer you can chug. Nice mouthfeel on this brew.

OVERALL

An unusual beer to say the least. It’s not a sour to end all sours, but it is a unique experience to drink this beer. There’s some interesting funky things going on that makes you want to keep drinking, but it’s not so wild that it’s off putting. Admittedly, the stomach acid aroma and taste frightened me at first, but it smoothed out as the beer warmed. I would definitely recommend trying this beer. It’s fairly cheap for a sour ale, so grab a few bottles and age’em until after the end of the world.

Cheers.

This review can also be found at Snobby Beer.

SCORE: ★★★ 3/5

Bell’s Black Note Stout Review

February 22, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

Black Note Stout from Bell’s Brewery, Inc. is a blend of their Expedition Stout and Double Cream stout. It is then aged in retired bourbon barrels for months. I was lucky enough to try this beer on tap at Chappy’s Taproom. This beer was recently released in bottles in extremely limited quantities for the first time.

From the Bell’s website:

One of the most sought-after stouts in Bell’s history, Black Note Stout blends the complex aromatics of Expedition Stout with the velvety smooth texture of Double Cream Stout and ages the combination in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels for months. The resulting harmony of flavors captures the finest features of all three components: malty notes of dark chocolate, espresso & dried fruits, all buoyed by the warmth and fragrance of the bourbon barrel. Aimed squarely at the stout and bourbon aficionados, Black Note makes a grand statement about the art of the dark.

Alcohol by Volume: 11.5%
Original Gravity: 1.112
Shelf Life: N/A

APPEARANCE

Well, what do you expect? It’s black as night, and sat under a mocha-colored head that dissipated quickly. There was no lacing, but the beer had some pretty apparent alcohol legs. There wasn’t any light coming through on this one. With a name like Black Note, would you expect anything else?

SMELL

This is heavy on the bourbon in the nose, which brings notes of vanilla and toasted coconut. There is a lot of nice complexity that ranges from sweet to slightly boozy. A hefty amount of chocolate and licorice comes through, and brings a bit of coffee and roasted malt with it. This is the type of beer that you get full from by just smelling – there is a LOT going on!

TASTE

First off, this beer is remarkably smooth. The bourbon is not as strong as it was on the nose, but it is definitely present. With it, the bourbon brings notes of vanilla, licorice, and toasted coconut come out. Surprisingly, the alcohol is very well hidden. The beer starts off milky sweet, with smooth caramel and toffee characteristics, then finishes with a nice hoppy bitterness. The bourbon lasts a long time after the swallow, making this beer have an absolutely amazing after taste.

MOUTHFEEL

This beer drinks like a pillow – it’s smooth! It has a velvet-creamy mouthfeel, sort of like melted chocolate. There isn’t much carbonation, which adds to the creaminess. The beer has a nice big body which makes it a sipper. The intense aftertaste lingers for an extremely long time.

OVERALL

This beer is incredible. It can hang with the big boy bourbon barrel aged brews and hold its ground. It’s a special beer from a brewery that is arguably one of the best brewers of stouts. I wouldn’t say that this is the barrel-aged stout to end all barrel-aged stouts, but it is absolutely incredible and worth seeking out.

Cheers.

SCORE: ★★★★ 4/5

This review can also be found at Snobby Beer.

Craft Beer Goes Gluten Free – Dogfish Head Tweason’ale Review

February 15, 2012 By Max Spang 1 Comment

Tweason’ale from Dogfish Head is a gluten free, sorghum based beer brewed with strawberries and honey. This is the first 4 pack in the Dogfish Head lineup in 5 years. Dogfish Head certainly isn’t the first brewery to make gluten free beer, but this is arguably the biggest release of a beer of this type.

From the Dogfish Head website:

The No. 1 thing Dogfish lovers ask for at our pub, in our brewery and on our website is a gluten-free beer. But not just any gluten-free beer — they want gluten-free with gusto.

“It seems as if lots of folks who have gluten-tolerance issues are pining for an interesting beer,” says Dogfish founder and president Sam Calagione. “While there are a few well-made examples that mirror traditional beer styles, there arent any off-centered offerings.”

Enter Tweason’ale.

For our first new 12-ounce 4-packs in nearly half a decade, we replaced the classic barley foundation of beer with a mild sorghum base. The hints of molasses and pit-fruit are balanced by vibrant strawberry notes and a unique complexity that comes with the addition of a malty buckwheat honey.

We believe health-conscious beer drinkers and the millions of Americans who suffer from Celiac disease can cut back on gluten while relishing the distinction and drinkability of this very special brew.

Tweasonale is a seasonal for between the seasons. It will first hit shelves in late January 2012 and will be released four times a year through our national network of distributors.

This beer was pretty labor-intensive to make, but it was a beautiful process. We invited our artist friends Jamie and Kevin to come document our brew with their ultra-cool Cinemagraph process. Check out the process here.

Original Release Date:

07/2011

Food Pairing Recommendations:

Fatty fish, dried fruit, salted nuts

Wine Comparable:

Rose

Here is my review for this beer.

APPEARANCE

Beautiful stuff – it’s a crystal clear honey-blonde color. The head was small and didn’t stick around for very long, but there was some nice visible carbonation in the glass sort of like champagne. In fact, this beer looks a lot like champagne due to its clarity. I must say it makes me thirsty just looking at it!

SMELL

The strawberry comes through and creates a nice, refreshing aroma. It’s on the border between smelling like fresh fruit and artificial fruit, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in this case. It’s followed by an unusual earthy aroma, and perhaps grassy notes and baker’s yeast. The honey is subtle, but present. Overall, this a nice smelling fruit beer.

TASTE

This beer has some interesting flavors! The strawberry comes out, bringing some nice sweetness and slight tartness. There’s sort of a spicey character, not quite like Belgian yeast notes (clove, banana, etc) but more like fresh or candied ginger. There’s some slight earthiness in there, but not as much as the nose. A yeast flavor comes through as it warms. It almost reminds me of sparkling grape juice in terms of flavor.

MOUTHFEEL

This is a really light beverage. There isn’t much body to it, which makes it extremely easy drinking. It’s nice and effervescent, and it doesn’t really feel like beer. It feels more like champagne or even soda due to the dryness and the high carbonation.

OVERALL

Not a bad brew in the least bit! I grabbed a whole 4 pack, and I’m glad that I did. It’s got some really nice flavors and is super easy to drink, so this is a beverage for both people who like beer as well as people who don’t. It’s nice to see a fairly large craft brewery like Dogfish Head produce a gluten-free beer that people with or without gluten allergies can appreciate. The lack of body makes the brew a little under-satisfying, but the complex flavors make up for it.

Cheers.

SCORE: ★★★ 3/5

This review can also be found at Snobby Beer.

Bell’s Hopslam – Video Review

January 24, 2012 By Max Spang 3 Comments

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEsjL3FTXgs’]

This is the Snobby Beer review of Hopslam from Bell’s Beer, Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Hopslam is an American Imperial IPA ( or double IPA ) that gets tons and tons of hype when it is released each year. Hopslam is brewed with six different hop varieties and honey to create a complex flavor and body.

There’s also a nice little shout out to the guys at the Better Beer Authority! Cheers, guys!

From the Bells website:

“Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell’s Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell’s repertoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style.”

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

This post can also be found at Snobby Beer.

The Brew Kettle White Rajah – Video Review

January 20, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHw-nL7hgBM’]

A fantastic beer made right here in Ohio!

This is the Snobby Beer review of White Rajah from The Brew Kettle in Strongsville, Ohio. White Rajah is an American IPA that has been getting a lot of attention. I feel like I don’t showcase enough of the fantastic beers from my home state of Ohio, so I’m trying to fix that!

From the Brew Kettle website:

“A West Coast style IPA full of citrus-like and tropical fruit like hop flavor and aroma with an assertive yet smooth bitter finish….malt, take a back seat please.”

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

Natural Light ( Natty Light ) – Video Review

January 10, 2012 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UOJbI0lg2g’]

This is the Snobby Beer review of Natural Light (AKA Natty Light) from Anheuser Busch in St. Louis, Missouri. Natural Light is a light lager served in cans and bottles. The beer has a reputation as being a college student’s beer of choice due to it’s affordability.

Hey, every beer deserves a fair review!

From the Anheuser Busch website:

“Natural Light is a wonderfully blended, balanced and brewed for a consistently clean flavor, light body and satisfying refreshment. Introduced in 1977, Natural Light was Anheuser-Busch’s first reduced-calorie light beer.”

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

Aging Beer Like Fine Wine

December 13, 2011 By Max Spang 3 Comments

Have you ever had a Bud or a Miller that was just a little bit too old? Perhaps someone left it in the garage during a party in the Spring, and you forgot all about it until well after Summer was over. You thought “Oh, what the heck” and cracked it open to see how it tastes.

Uh oh.

If you’ve done something like this, then you are probably scarred for life. The thought of aging beer may sound like a one-way ticket to Skunksville. However, you may be surprised to know beers, like wine, can actually mature for months, years, and even decades. You might even find the occasional bottle that has a “Best After” date rather than a “Best Before” date. The idea of sitting on perfectly good beer for months or years may sound crazy to you at first, but your patience will be rewarded in the long run.

Here are some things to think about regarding aging beers.

The Environment

The most important factor in aging your beer, also called “cellaring”, is the environment in which it will be aged. Throwing it in the garage or attic might be slightly more convenient in terms of space, but that kind of unstable environment is no good for storing beer.

Caves make great environments for beer. You know, for those of you who have an extra cave laying around

The optimum environment for beer is a cool and dark area with minimal temperature fluctuations. Light and high temperatures will do terrible things to beer over time. The optimum temperature range for most beer aging is 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit (10-13 degrees Celsius). You want the bottles to remain relatively dry but have enough moisture in the air to prevent corked beers from drying out. You also want to store your beer upright as opposed to horizontally like wine, even with corked beer. More information on why you store beer upright can be found here.

Unless you have a cave system underneath your house, this environment isn’t necessarily readily available in most homes and apartments. Fortunately, there are other options available. A wine chiller with the racks taken out can make a great spot to age beer. An extra refrigerator with a thermostat may also suffice, but keep in mind that refrigerators are very dry and may cause corked beers to dry out over time. If you have a basement, underneath your stairs or in a in a dark corner may be adequate places to age your beers. If you don’t have a basement, a small closet may be a suitable option. However, the general consensus is that if you are not in optimum cellaring conditions, you should only age beers for 2-3 years max.

Organization

Organization may not be a big concern when you first start aging beers, but after having a large random collection of unidentifiable bottles laying around you’ll learn the importance of organization. How to you go about organizing beer? That is entirely up to you. You may want to organize by brewery, style, age, or other ways.

Make sure your beers are easily-identifiable.

No matter which way you organize, you want to be able to easily identify what the beer is, who makes it, and how old it is.

If you have the space and can afford it, shelving units are some of the best and easiest ways to organize your beer. Just set up a few shelves, and stack the beers with the labels face-out.

You may also want to put dates on the beers that don’t have the “Bottled On” date printed on the label. I personally write the dates on strips of paper, then stick them on the neck of the bottles with clear Scotch tape. Dating bottles is important because it’s easy to lose track of the age of beers as your collection grows.

The Beer

Now that you know a little bit about storage, you can start thinking about the important stuff; the beer. There are a lot of types of beer that are great candidates for aging, and many that are not recommended to be aged. There are a few general rules of thumb regarding what types of beers should be aged:

High Alcohol Beers

Alcohol is one heck of a preservative. High alcohol beers are usually prime candidates for aging because they will remain preserved while the flavors mature over time. Generally speaking, beers over 8-9% Alcohol By Volume (ABV) can be aged for up to a few years. Beers that are much higher, closer to 15% and up, can be aged for many, many years. Not all high ABV beers are good candidates for cellaring, but this is generally a good starting point.

Bottle Conditioned/Refermented Beers

Sometimes, brewers will leave a small amount of yeast when they bottle their brews, which carbonate the beers naturally. These beers are known as “Bottle Conditioned” or “Bottle Refermented” beers. You can tell if a beer is bottle conditioned by holding it up to light and seeing the little slurry of yeast at the bottom of the bottle. Don’t be alarmed if you see this, yeast are perfectly fine to drink – though, you may want to leave the last ounce or so in the bottle as you pour so you do not affect the flavor of your beer. Bottle conditioned beers have live yeast in them, which would love nothing more than you hang out and create subtle flavor changes to your beer over time. Not all bottle conditioned beers can be aged, but it is something to look for on your beer aging quest.

Lambics/Sours

Lambics, and some other sour beers, contain a cocktail of natural yeasts and bacteria. Lambics go through what is called open fermentation or spontaneous fermentation, meaning only natural yeasts and bacteria from the surrounding area are used to ferment the beer. Lambics are considered one of the best beers to age, and many Lambic enthusiasts may argue that they will only get better with time. Generally low in alcohol, these sour beers rely on the living organisms that are contained in the bottle to keep them preserved. Their aging potential is extraordinary – I have read about lambics being aged for over 40 years and still tasting amazing! Other sour beers, such as American Wild Ales, contain many of the same bacteria and natural yeast as Lambics, and will continue to mature as the years go by.

Recommendations of Beers to Age

Not sure where to start? Here’s a few recommendations of beers to grab and age.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot. Buy a sixer - drink some now, some later.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
An American Barley Wine, Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot is released once a year in January. The bottle has the year printed right on the cap, which is handy for organization. They sell this beer in six-packs, which gives you the opportunity to easy get a collection started. The beer is very hop-forward when it is fresh, and will mellow out and become much smoother over the years. This is perhaps one of the easiest beers to grab to start your cellar.

Stone Vertical Epic Beers
These beers from Stone are all designed to be aged and enjoyed “Sometime beyond 12.12.12”. The first release of this beer was 02.02.02, and there have been releases every year since (03.03.03, 04.04.04, and so on). Stone has recently released the 11.11.11 batch, which contains a Flanders yeast, chillies, and cinnamon. Grab two bottles of any that you find – one to drink now, and one to drink after 12.12.12. They are generally Belgian-influenced, and each of them has their own style-defying “twists”.

J.W. Lees Harvest Ale
Probably one of the most commonly aged beers, this English Barley Wine comes in at a heft 11.5% ABV. It’s a big, chewy, and sweet beer that will change slowly over time. Vintage bottles of this ale are fairly easy to find (I recently grabbed a 1999 off the shelf!). This is one of those beers that can pretty much be aged for decades, and it’s not uncommon to hear about people sampling vintages of this beer from the 1980s. Barrel-aged versions of this beer are also available.

St. Bernardus Abt 12. A great Quad from Belgium that is perfect for aging.

St. Bernardus Abt 12
The label on this bottle-conditioned Belgian Quad claims that the beer can be aged for up to 15 years. Known as one of the best and most widely available Trappist Quads, the beer has notes of dark fruits, caramel, and spice notes from the Belgian yeast strain. It is available all year round at finer bottle shops.

Some other styles that are usually good candidates for aging: Geueze, Imperial Stout, Barley Wine, American Wild Ale, Old Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Quad, Braggot, Flanders Red Ale, Wheatwine, etc.

Note: There are a few styles of beer that you do not want to age. These include Pale Ales, IPAs*, and other hop-forward styles, as well as low ABV beers such as Berliner Weiss, Wits, Wheat Beers, etc.

*Some beers labeled as IPAs can potentially be aged, I.E. Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA, Founders Devil Dancer, Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree, etc.

Cheers.

For more information, beer reviews, home-brewing banter, and more, check out Snobby Beer.

Rivertown Lambic – Snobby Beer Video Reviews

December 6, 2011 By Max Spang 2 Comments

This is the Snobby Beer Review of the Lambic made by Rivertown Brewing Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio. The beer style is a lambic, which goes through what is called spontaneous fermentation where natural yeasts and bacteria are used to ferment the beer. Lambics are known for their “wild” flavors, which may include sourness and what is affectionately referred to as “funk”.

It’s a very interesting style, and it was brewed right here in Ohio! This beer is the 2010 vintage. It can still be found at finer bottle shops in the Dayton, Cincinnati, and other areas where Rivertown is distributed.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afijtisA5Q4′]

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know what you think! Grab a beer and leave a comment.

Tröegs Mad Elf – Snobby Beer Reviews

November 28, 2011 By Max Spang 3 Comments

Troegs Mad Elf Beer. It’s a wonderful combination of barley, hops, water, and yeast. These four ingredients can produce a huge variety of styles of beer, from refreshing Lagers to chewy Imperial Stouts. There are beers for every occasion. Beer is something enjoyed by a diverse group of people. Beer is something you can make at home. It can be cheap, and it can be expensive. It can be widely available, and it can be extremely rare. If you’ve read this far, then you probably can agree: beer is awesome.

Now that it’s almost December, seasonal brews have shifted from Oktoberfests and Pumpkin Ales to Winter Warmers and Spiced Ales. These seasonal beers are among my favorite styles, if for no other reason than they just feel special. I decided to share my review for one of these beers as my first review on Dayton Most Metro.

Enter: Mad Elf from Tröegs Brewing Co. in Harrisburg, PA.

From the Tröegs Website:

The Mad Elf, a cheerful creation to warm your heart and enlighten your tongue. The combination of Cherries, Honey, and Chocolate Malts delivers gentle fruits and subtle spices. Fermented and aged with a unique yeast, this ruby red beer has significant warming strength that underlies the pleasant character of this intriguing yet delicious Ale. The Mad Elf, a jolly and delicious beer for the Holidays.

My review for this beer:

Troegs Mad Elf 2011

This beer is 11% Alcohol By Volume, and 15 IBUs (International Bittering Units).

Served in a Christmas tulip!

APPEARANCE

This Elf is a lovely deep copper-red color and is more translucent than expected. The head was about a one finger khaki color, and dissipated in a hurry – none of it remained. It looks like a lovely brew! I feel like the cherries were added to give it a good amount of color, but not so much on the flavor (more on that later).

SMELL

There is some definite big Belgian yeast/spice character coming through. Surprisingly, alcohol isn’t that present. There is a lovely honey aroma, but not a lot of the cherries. There’s a good bit of raisin bread character, and the Belgian spiciness is met with some dark fruitiness. It smells fantastic and inviting.

TASTE

Yum – this is a big bad beer. There’s a lot of chewy bread-like character, and some wonderful dark fruit character. The sweetness is definitely high, but not cloying. The honey comes through at the back of the tongue and hangs around for a little while after the swallow. The cherry flavor is present, but it’s not very noticeable. The Belgian spiciness is a nice addition to to overall flavor, but isn’t the focus of the beer. Alcohol? Schmalcohol, this beer doesn’t appear to have the stuff.

MOUTHFEEL

This Elf starts off big and chewy, and feels slightly syrupy (the good kind of syrupy). At the end, there’s a bit of dryness that ups the drinkability. It’s nice and warming after each sip, and even though you can’t taste the alcohol, you can feel it! There isn’t much carbonation to speak of, which works well in a thicker beer like this. The beer is pretty drinkable, yet it demands to be savored.

OVERALL

This beer is excellent. This is definitely not a beer to drink every night, but is great for cold winter nights. It doesn’t have as much spice character as other Holiday beers, but is a MUST for this time of the year. I don’t know what made the Elf Mad, but this beer makes me very happy. Due to the high ABV of this beer, it’s a prime candidate for aging in your basement or cellar. Plus, I love the fact that they sell it in a variety of ways – 22 Oz Bombers, 12 oz. Singles, and even six-packs instead of four-packs! It gives you the opportunity to buy a sixer, drink a few, then age the rest.

This beer is available at fine bottle shops in Dayton, such as Belmont Party Supply, Arrow Wine & Spirits, Liquor & Wine Warehouse, and more. They should also be available at your favorite craft beer bars – but get them fast before they sell out!

Cheers.

SCORE: ★★★★ 4/5

This and other reviews can also be found at Snobby Beer.

The Wrath of Grapes

November 25, 2011 By Brian Petro Leave a Comment

It all begins here…

You went to the family meal at about noon, and popped a beer because the game was just starting. Then another, because dinner was not going to be done for another hour or two (and the Matt Stafford was killing your fantasy team). You had another one during dinner, and then left to go hang out with your friends at the local watering hole, where all of the serious drinking was going to take place. That is when the shots came out, the whiskey flowed, and great times were had by all. And of course, the designated driver was able to get everyone home safe. You have the day off today…why not have a good time on Thanksgiving? Well, because Black Friday may be named for all of the shopping that is going to be done today, but it would best describe how you are feeling. It may be better for your head to explode, because it would at least stop the pounding that is going on right now. You are not entirely sure what is causing your stomach to squirm all over like it is doing, but you would love for it to stop. And your tongue feels like someone dried it out, and then wiped their feet on it. Your Black Friday is the hangover you earned from the night before.

Hangovers, as we all well know, are caused by drinking too much alcohol, flooding your well balanced system with impurities. “Too much” in a moderate drinker is four to seven cocktails over an evening out. So we are all on the same page, a drink is considered as 1.5 ounces of liquor, 6 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer. That is not saying you get drunk after that many drinks. That is saying your body chemistry starts to do bad things after that many drinks. Some people are so sensitive to alcohol that one drink could trigger hangover-like symptoms. Those symptoms include nausea, headaches, dehydration, fatigue, diarrhea, sensitivity to light and sound, aversions to smells and tastes, trouble sleeping, and difficulty concentrating. All of these things you may (unfortunately) be familiar with.

This. This is what you need right now.

Ethanol is the chemical impurity that is a major culprit in you feeling like this. The most damaging thing it does is dehydrate you by causing you to produce more urine. It also makes you a little more lightheaded and thirsty, which makes you want another drink. While you are going to the bathroom, not only are you depleting the water in you, you are getting rid of vital salts, potassium, and other nutrients you body needs to function. This vicious circle keeps going all night long, draining your body of things it really needs. Where does all of this water you have to expel come from? Your organs have to start pulling out sources of water from anywhere they can get it, and that includes the brain. Cue the headache that is going to hit you the next morning. To make room for the alcohol it has to break down later, the liver tosses out stores of sugar (through potty breaks) making you hungry and a little weak. Meanwhile, the stomach is also having some issues with all the alcohol you have consumed. It is irritated, and to get rid of the irritant, it makes more stomach acid. If it gets irritated enough, it decides that breaking down the alcohol is not the best way to clean up this mess; vomiting is.

Other chemistry is also going on in a glass of alcohol. Congeners are byproducts in the creation of alcohol, which give most alcohols their distinct flavors. Vodka is distilled so many times to try and get rid of all the congeners, while rum and whiskey are distilled in such a way to keep the appropriate congeners in. Red wines and whiskeys tend to have the most, while gin and vodka have the least. It is also an impurity, another one the body had to break down and deal with. The cheaper the liquor you are drinking, the more impurities you are going to have to eventually break down. That does not mean if you drink better liquor you can drink more of it. But, it may mollify the level of hangover you have the next day. Studies have also been done that the severity of the hangover may be linked to the purity of the alcohol (fewer congeners) in your drink. There is also a quite complicated dance that your enzymes do to break down and clean up the alcohol in your system, which may be the worst part. The “Beer before liquor, never sicker” wives tale? It turns out it may not be that much of a tale. Carbonation in beer helps the body absorb alcohol faster, which makes it harder for the body to process it. That hard work to keep up may give you a worse hangover.

Good morning! Here is something you should be considering.

However, all this may be cold comfort. There are plenty of ways to make sure you can avoid the serious effects of a hangover, either through preparation or damage control. If you want to do some prep work, make sure you eat a good meal before you go out drinking. You may not want to go all out Thanksgiving each time, but put something in your stomach. Greasy food may mix poorly with alcohol, so don’t go too crazy on it. You want a buffer for the lining of the stomach, not another sparring partner. Drink lots of water, since dehydration is going to be your biggest enemy. This is also a good strategy to stick with while you drink, mixing in a glass of water for every drink or two you have. This may also have the added side bonus of filling your stomach a little and causing you to drink less, or at least slower. You also want to take some vitamins or load up with sports drinks. Again, adding a few more vitamins and minerals than you usually have in you will help when your chemistry goes haywire. While you are drinking, try to limit yourself to one drink an hour. If you do this, your liver can keep up with your alcohol consumption, possibly avoiding the hangover all together.

If you are in damage control mode, drinking water is still going to help. Your body is craving water, and the best thing you can do is provide as much of it as you can. Make yourself a nice plate of eggs, have a glass of orange juice, and peel a few bananas. The bananas will replenish the potassium your body has been stripped of, and the eggs have chemicals that can help break down the toxins that are making you feel so awful. Orange juice has vitamin C in it, which will give you a boost of energy. You can wash a multivitamin down with that juice or water, to replenish the B vitamins you may have lost as well. Do not drink coffee! Coffee will make you a more awake drunk, but it will not make you feel better. Coffee, like alcohol, is a diuretic. It will also have to make you go to the bathroom more, pulling more water from the body. If you are going to take something for the headache in the morning, stick to aspirin or ibuprofen. Do not take acetaminophen, which is found in Tylenol, because it may mix poorly with the alcohol in your system. Hair of the dog also does not help; while it may push off some of the symptoms, it is just delaying the pain. And possibly making it worse. If you are not feeling too delicate, take a walk. Increasing your metabolism will help the body process the toxins faster, and some studies show that an increased oxygen flow can also help.

Any hangover remedies you may encounter are just ways to reduce the symptoms. The only real way the hangover goes away is through time. Giving the body time to recover and taking care of it is the best way to get over all the shots, beers, and wines you consumed the night before. Remember, if you take some preventative measures before, watch what and how much you drink, and know your limits, you may be able to avoid a hangover completely! Unfortunately, the drunken texts and pictures on Facebook will take a little longer to go away. Cheers!

12th Annual Dayton AleFest – Win Tickets!

August 23, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 69 Comments

Dayton’s first annual Beer Week kicked off this past weekend with a “beer pride parade” down Fifth Street in the Oregon District, and it continues all week with several beer tastings, tappings and events happening at several venues across the Dayton Region. The finale is of course the 12th Annual Dayton AleFest at Carrillon Park – one of the most popular festivals all year in Dayton (and if you’ve been to our many other festivals here you know that is saying a lot!). Founder Joe Waizmann has been organizing these beer festivals in cities across the Midwest for many years including Columbus, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Chicago. The festival’s homebase continues to be Dayton, with two additional annual festivals added here – Winter AleFeast (3/5/2011 – which pairs delicious craft beer with gourmet food) and Cask AleFest (4/30/2011).

The first Dayton AleFest was a small affair in Kettering, with 30 breweries, 60 beers and about 175 attendees. This year, it is by far the largest beer event in Dayton with 100 breweries, 300 different beers and an expected crowd of over 4,500. We have a ways to go before reaching the numbers of the Great American Beer Festival in Denver with over 2,200 beers and 49,000 attendees, but Daytonians do like their beer so anything is possible.

So how would you like to get your hands on a pair of free Dayton AleFest tickets? We’ll be giving away a pair of free tickets ($80 value) to a lucky winner – simply take our DaytonMostMetro.com Reader Poll and choose your favorite place to drink beer, and then comment below that and let us know what YOUR favorite beers are. Make sure you enter your email address – it won’t be published publicly but it is how we will contact you if you’ve won. A winner will be drawn this Wednesday afternoon so be sure to check back.

Chappy’s First Annual Belgian Beer Fest

April 1, 2010 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Starting Friday, April 2nd, this Moraine Tap Room will be dedicating six taps to some veryunique Belgian brewed beers. Sample sizes will be offered so you can taste them all!! As soon as we kill a keg we will be tapping the next one. The plan is to keep going as long as it takes to run through the aprroximately 24 kegs!!

Check Chappy’s website for current offerings, but some of the confirmed beers include:

Triple Karm and Kwak from Brewery Bosteels
St Fueillien Saison
La Chouffe and Houblon Chouffe
La Rulles Triple
Kerst
Ichtegems
De Dolle Dulle Teve “Mad Bitch”
Oidineke
Jan de Lichte
Canaster
Gouden Carolous Noel
Delirium Noel
De Ranke Guldenberg and Noir

Chappys Tap Room and Grille
2733 West Alex-Bell Road, Moraine, OH 45459
937 299-RIBS (7427)
Mon-Thr 4:00pm – 1:00am
Fri – Sat 11:00am – 2:00am
Sun 11:00am – 1:00am

Introducing The Growler Co-Op!

March 26, 2010 By Lisa Grigsby 1 Comment

Blind Bobʼs, South Park Tavern, Thai 9 and the Trolley Stop have joined forces to offer to-go growlers. All four locations are known as places to get great draft beers, now you can take home some of these draft beers.

How It Works:
Purchase an empty 1/2 gallon growler from any of the four locations for $10. Have it filled with draft beer at any of the four locations. Price for filling growlers will vary depending on the price of the beer itself. The cost will be anywhere from $12 to $30. While youʼre there enjoy a pint or two of great beer. Take home the full growler, enjoy and repeat. Bring your empty growler back in for a refill at any of the four establishments.

The four members of the co-op try to not have the same beers pouring at the same time so you can get the best variety. All together there are 38 drafts in the co-op. Some beers will not be offered for carry-out because they are limited releases. As an example, Thai 9 has one of four 1/6 barrels of New Holland Brewingʼs Envious in the state, this will be sold at the restaurant only. Each member of the co-op has the choice of what is available for carry-out.

AleFeast – A Meca For Beer Lovers

March 3, 2010 By Lisa Grigsby 2 Comments

500 Beer Lovers at AleFeast 2009

Over 50 craft beers, paired with good eats from about a dozen eateries, sounds like a great recipe for the perfect Saturday afternoon. At least Joe Waizman, founder of Dayton’s AleFeast, thinks so. This will be the 2nd year for what started as Winter Ale Fest. The name change , according to Waizman, “was to better describe the event.” Last year’s inaugural event was well attended and plans for this year have been refned to make the event even better. The concept matches beer with food, so that you can experience the pairings and how food brings out the nuances in the beer, or vice versa.

Not a cheap event at $55 for advance purchae, $60 at the door, if this year turns out anything like last year, you’ll walk away more than satisfied you got your $’s worth! The event takes place upstairs and downstairs at Dayton Masonic Center, this Sat, March 6th from 1 – 4pm. Tickets can be purchased at Arrow Wine, Chappy’s, Dorothy Lane Markets, Thai 9, 5th Street Wine and Deli or online.

Breweries Participating:

Goose Island, Great Lakes, Avery, Bell’s, Boston Beer Co., Brooklyn, Chimay Trappist, Bear Republic, Flying Dog, Founders, Franziskaner, New Holland, Troëgs, Dark Horse, Weyerbacher, Southern Tier, Lagunitas, Van Steenburge, Brewkettle, McAuslan, Redhook, Widmer, Mortgaat/Duvel,
Ommegang, Victory, Erdinger, Lindemans, Stone, Unibroue, Dogfish Head, Hoppin’ Frog, Thirsty Dog