Beers with the Baron

My wife and I just returned from a trip up to Boston and Portland, and there was never any doubt that I would take advantage of the New England beer scene while we were there. Between trips to the Maine Beer Co. and Allagash, as well as highly successfully inaugural visit to the Craft Beer Cellar's Portland location, I can safely say I don't need to buy any beer for awhile. At least a week anyway...

A beautiful winter day at CBC Portland.

So many good beers, so little time at Maine Beer Co.

We managed to narrow it down to few fine choices...

Allagash. I really just wanted to move right in.

Once all was said and done, we had just enough room left in the car to fit our luggage. But not by much...

For this particular Beer Camp post, I decided to go with one collaborator I was relatively familiar with, and one that I've only tried a single time.

Sierra Nevada/Oskar Blues - CANfusion

Oskar Blues has been leading the charge of putting great craft beer in cans for quite some time. They've never bottled their beer to the best of my knowledge, and in the past few years, many other respected breweries have followed suit and started releasing their beers in cans. I've had plenty of Dale's Pale Ale and Mama's Little Yella Pils over the past few years, so I was certainly curious to check out their collaborative Rye Bock, CANfusion. I've grown to enjoy beers with a nice dose of rye as of late, and this one is no exception. Nice hints of peppery spice with a decent amount of hop flavor in the background. Some tropical fruit notes are there as well, making this one quite drinkable and enjoyable. All in all, a solid contribution to the Beer Camp experience.

Sierra Nevada/Firestone Walker - Torpedo Pilsner

I'm not entirely sure how, but one way or another, I have only had a beer from Firestone Walker one time in my life. It was at an Italian restaurant at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas of all places. I've definitely had the opportunity to have more on multiple occasions, but I just haven't taken advantage of it. All that being said, as with just about everything in this pack, I was curious to see what Firestone Walker brought to the table. The Torpedo Pilsner was branded a "Hoppy Pilsner", so I knew it'd be interesting to see these two styles merged. You definitely get more of the malt/bread qualities up front, while the hops come on strong towards the back. To be honest, I wasn't crazy about this one the first time, but I have one more bottle in the fridge, so I'll be curious to see if my experience repeats itself. Cheers!

Sierra Nevada

Oskar Blues

If you're a regular reader of various beer blogs and other related publications, you've most likely heard quite a bit about Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp. I became aware of it long before it was released, and I nearly missed the opportunity as it proved quite elusive to track down. Fortunately, the beer gods took care of me, and I was able to try Beer Camp out for myself. I'll work to dole out my thoughts over the next few weeks, and to start things off, here are the first two out of the case...

Sierra Nevada/New Glarus -  There and Back

English-Style Bitters have always thrown me, since having "bitter" in the name never sounded all that appealing. Of course, this was also back when I was wary of excessive hops as well, so it shows what I know. This beer was toasty and malt forward, with a subtle amount of hop bitterness. I found it much more drinkable than I anticipated, with a nice sweetness as well. This one absolutely started the Beer Camp experience off on the right foot!

Sierra Nevada/Russian River - Yvan the Great

This beer is the one that came with arguably the most hype given how rare Russian River's offerings tend to be outside of California. Given that they chose a Belgian-Style Blonde over a hop bomb as many expected, definitely helped manage my expectations. All that being said. I thought this was a great take on this particular style. It had a spicy quality with some pepper notes, and just the right amount of hops to round out the flavor. No complaints on my end. Cheers!

Sierra Nevada

Russian River Brewing Co.

Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA is one of the beers I always hear about when the conversation turns to what a great West Coast IPA is. Like many breweries out West, they've been on my radar for some time, but our paths just hadn't crossed. Once again, the trip I made down to Savannah recently really was quite productive as far as beer was concerned. Not only was I able to pick up 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon, but while looking for that beer, I stumbled across Ballast Point as well. One way or another, I walked out of that store with a lot more beer than intended. And I'm so glad I did.

I'm not sure if I've been having slightly milder IPAs lately, but Ballast Point's Sculpin really hit me over the head with hops right off the bat. It really exploded with tons of citrus and pine, and there was much more bitterness than I honestly expected. It seemed to have more in common with a Double IPA, but coming in at 7% ABV, it's really just a potent West Coast IPA, which is certainly not a bad thing.

The store where I picked this up also head Ballast Point's Wahoo, which is their take on my favorite style, the white ale. For reasons I have yet to determine, I did not pick it up to go along with the Sculpin. I suppose I'll need to keep me eyes peeled for another opportunity, otherwise, I think a trip to San Diego would be well worth my time. Cheers!

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp had proved elusive early on, but I was able to work my magic, and behold!

While I'm highly unlikely to write 12 individual posts to cover each beer in the pack, I will certainly do my best to point out my favorites once I'm able to try them all out. If you absolutely can't wait for my thoughts, feel free to check out the link below to learn a little bit more about this awesome endeavor undertaken by Sierra Nevada. Cheers!

If you follow my blog closely, you've probably realized I have quite a few favorite beers and I definitely have my favorite styles.  Well here's a new post about another favorite. Easily one of my favorite summertime beers is 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon. I've loved this one for quite sometime, and I was honestly surprised that I had not written a post about this brew after over a year of this blog. I had to triple check my archive before writing this, and while I've certainly mentioned Hell or High Watermelon a few times (most notably in my post about our visit to 21st Amendment itself), it's never had the glory of its own post. Until now.

Hell or High Watermelon is a wheat beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation during which 21st Amendment introduces fresh watermelon puree. It's an amazingly clean and crisp beer, and it definitely goes down easily. I've had other fruit-based beers where the fruit flavor comes across with an almost saccharine-like taste. Hell or High Watermelon dodges this bullet, as the watermelon flavor tastes authentic and fresh. 

As I have mentioned before, this was readily available while we lived in Boston, but our move resulted in us now living outside of 21st Amendment's distribution area. My current supply resulted from a trip down to Savannah, so fortunately it's still within my reach, I just need to factor in a road trip. I'm such a fan of their beer, that I'm only too happy for the regular road trip to pick up some 21st Amendment. Cheers!

It's no secret that Sierra Nevada recently opened their East Coast brewery just a few hours up the road from me in Mills River, NC. To celebrate the start of brewing in their new facility (as well as to poke fun as the ridiculous weather they dealt with during construction), they've released their Rain Check Spiced Stout in North Carolina and the surrounding states. For once, geography has been my friend, and I was able to pick up a 4-pack during a recent visit to The Charleston Beer Exchange downtown.

I've grown more fond of stouts over the past few months, so you could say I was excitedly curious to see what Sierra Nevada had crafted for such an occasion. I was not disappointed. It was extremely smooth, with nice chocolate notes and a very enjoyable, almost creamy, texture. It's brewed with both ginger and lime, and while I honestly couldn't pick out either specifically, there was nice spiciness on the finish. I found it to be much more drinkable that I expected, and I would be more than happy to have this beer on hand regularly.

The craft beer scene in and around Asheville continues to grow like wild, with Sierra Nevada just the latest addition to the area. I'm really hoping to get up there sometime this fall for a true beer tour, so stay tuned! Cheers!

The next offering from Cigar City that I was able to pick up during vacation in Florida was their Florida Cracker. As always, I am never one to pass up a Belgian-style white ale, so I knew I had to check out Cigar City's take on my favorite style.

The Florida Cracker had the right amount of citrus from the orange peel, and as expected, it was extremely refreshing. I'm pretty confident I had downed two cans before I even realized it. There was also a nice spicy bite on the back end that I certainly wasn't expecting. This would have to be attributed to the French Saison yeast strain used by Cigar City during fermentation. It definitely added a nice pop right there at the end.

For the moment, this is where my adventures with Cigar City come to an end, but as soon as I'm able, I will most certainly be picking up more of their offerings. I'd love to make it down to Tampa to check out the operation in person as well, as every time I look at what's on tap at the brewery, I just get thirsty. A Florida Weisse called Dragon's Blood?? I have to try that. So until next time, cheers!

Cigar City, out of Tampa, has been growing in size and reputation over the past few years. I've been hearing great things, but as has happened with many great beers, I live outside of their distribution area. 

When my family planned a trip to Florida, I knew my first mission would be to track down whatever Cigar City offerings I could get my hands on. Fortunately, the local grocery stocked several selections I was more than happy to stock up on. And first up is arguably their most well known beer, the Jai Alai IPA.

Cigar City's Jai Alai IPA is full of the hop bitterness you would expect with just enough malt thrown in to add a little caramel flavor to the background. The hops certainly dominate though, adding great citrus, pine, and earthy notes that result in one of the better IPAs I've had recently. This particular beer had a reputation such that I was a little nervous as to whether it would live up to what I imagined it would be like. But Cigar City did not disappoint, and as you may have noticed from my earlier post, I had my cousin bring up some more Jai Alai IPA to hold me over until I can get my hands on more. Cheers!

Let's just say a day trip to Savannah to spend some quality time with family paid off in spades!

I've been missing 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon since moving away from Boston, so I was only too happy to pick up a few to bring back with me.

My cousin was kind enough to bring up some of Cigar City's Jai Alai IPA for my enjoyment. I had this during a recent trip to Florida, and had every intention of bringing some back, but completely forgot. My cousin came through big time.

Last but not least is Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA. I've been meaning to try this for some time, and I'm not honestly sure if it's available where I am, but as soon as I saw it, the decision was made.

Cheers!

21st Amendment Brewery                                                                           

Cigar City Brewing                                                                         

Oh to be a fly on the wall when this beer was conceived and created. This Collective Distortion IPA is a collaboration between Stone, Kyle Hollingsworth of The String Cheese Incident, and Keri Kelli, guitarist for Alice Cooper. Now if that isn't quite the interesting combination, I don't know what is. Stone is obviously known for collaborating with other breweries, but it's fun to see what results from working with diverse individuals who just love craft beer.

Collective Distortion is a Double IPA (this is Stone afterall), with an abundance of hops, including one entitled Vic's Secret, which is a new Australian hop that adds a whole mess of tropical, citrusy flavor. They also added coriander and elderberries, and the inclusion of these ingredients is what caught my eye.

You most certainly get hit with the tropical and earthy notes right off the bat. Since it is a Double IPA, the hops certainly explode at every chance. The coriander adds a nice bit of spice that you don't usually get with IPAs, but it was the elderberries that had the most interesting effect on the beer. Just as I was expecting to be hit full force with the expected bitterness, the elderberries cut through with a very subtle, yet present, sweetness. It definitely stays in the background, but it ends up doing a wonderful job of cutting through the strong hop presence. It definitely made for a unique twist to this hop-heavy style. Cheers!

As much as I love American craft beer, I felt the urge to explore a few more international options in order to properly celebrate and enjoy the World Cup. While I certainly enjoy quite a few options from the likes of Mexico and Germany, I wanted to track something down that I had never tried before. I had seen Estrella Damm at the grocery on several occasions, but never bought it, so I guess all it took for me to give it a shot was a worldwide soccer tournament held every four years. Who knew.

Estrella Damm comes to us from Barcelona, Spain. I am not entirely up to speed on the best beer from Spain, and this was the only Spanish option available where I was shopping, so I will refrain from comparing it to anything else from that country until I can do a little more research. Which, quite frankly, I am more than happy to do.

Estrella Damm is a pretty straight forward lager. Prior to the explosion of the craft beer scene, I feel like this is what beer tended to taste like. And to be perfectly honest, there is certainly a throwback quality to this beer that reminded me of the beer I would drank long before I had any idea of what beer could really be. I enjoyed a few of these with my father-in-law on Father's Day while we were grilling out and watching the World Cup, and I'm not going to lie, it more than fit the bill. Cheers!

What?!?! Yet another wit on the blog???

Indeed, as I mentioned a few posts ago, I am certainly a creature of habit when it comes to certain times of year and certain beers. To say it's been getting hot in Charleston would be quite the understatement, so I've been craving beers that are a little more refreshing with a slightly lower ABV in order to enjoy a few of them before I promptly sweat it all out.

Weyerbacher has been on my radar for some time, but I honestly had never really tried their beer until I was introduced to their Imperial Pumpkin this past fall. I was certainly impressed with that one, so when I came across their White Sun Wit in the store recently, I figured it was worth seeing what they would do with a wit.

Their White Sun Wit has all the markings you'd expect from this style of beer, with the citrus notes from the orange peel along with a bit of spice from the coriander. One thing that did stick out to me with the particular wit was something akin to licorice notes. It certainly had a slightly different sweetness than what I had come to expect from this style of beer. All in all, I found it to be another solid entry in my ever expanding world of wits and white beers. Cheers!

Unbeknownst to me until moving back to Charleston, but Highland Brewing has been producing quality beer for over 20 years. Located a few hours away in Asheville, NC, they offer a solid lineup of year-round beers along with a strong selection of seasonal creations. My first exposure came courtesy of their Clawhammer Oktoberfest, along with their Gaelic Ale, a perfectly drinkable ale at just about any time. During a recent trip to the store, I had the good fortune to come across their summer offering, Razor Wit. And yes, you are correct, I have found myself another Belgian-style wit that I am more than happy to try out.

Since most Belgian-style wits tend to be brewed with with several customary ingredients, you will most certainly find orange peel and coriander present and accounted for in this beer. Highland adds their own combination of "unique spices" to make this style their own, including grains of paradise. There's also a nice little bite to the beer, so I wonder if a little ginger may have made it into the process at some point. Like most wits, it is quite citrusy and refreshing, with a pleasant sweetness in the aftertaste.

There is obviously no shortage of great white ales and wits out there, but Highland can certainly make the argument that their Razor Wit belongs in the conversation. It's also great to find another semi-local brewery doing some great things, and I will most certainly be visiting the beers of Highland Brewing again. Cheers!

The more I expose myself to all of the varieties of craft beer, the more I realize how I prefer certain styles during certain seasons. As the weather heats up, I definitely find myself seeking out more white ales and witbiers (although who am I kidding, I will always seek these fellas out). In addition, I've grown quite fond of a good shandy as well.

When I think of a shandy, I assume it's going to be more or less beer + lemonade, but as with most things in the world of craft beer, breweries are taking what appears to be a straightforward style and putting their own spin on it.

Harpoon took this style and decided to bring a whole lot of grapefruit into the mix. The result is an extremely refreshing beer that just belongs on the beach. The grapefruit adds some extra tartness to the beer, while still remaining quite light and crisp. This is also a great option for anyone who wants a great summer beverage, but they don't want beer that tastes like beer. The grapefruit dominates the flavor profile, but it's what makes this beer so unique and refreshing. Cheers!

Stone Brewing is arguably the king of all things IPA. As they proclaim on the bottle itself, their offerings tend to be of the imperial variety; the phrase "too many hops" is something you will never hear around Stone. I've certainly enjoyed quite of few of their imperial offerings, but naturally, you're not likely to have more than one or two without being knocked sideways.

Stone's Go To IPA is their answer to those who want to enjoy Stone's passion for hops, but who also want to be able to enjoy a few bottles without needing to set up cot behind the bar. Their Go To IPA comes in at 4.5% ABV, which is certainly not what you'd expect from Stone, but just because it's lower in alcohol, that doesn't mean it's any less intense.

Stone uses a technique called "hop bursting" where in their words, "an irrational amount of hops is added during the final phase of the brewing process to coax out extreme flavors and aromas while also imparting a burst of desirably pleasant bitterness." With this beer, you really do get a lot of the citrus and earthy tones you come to expect with an IPA, and to be honest, I would never guess this is only 4.5% ABV if it wasn't on the bottle.

Stone continues to push the envelope and the lead the way with what breweries can do with hops. And with their Go To IPA, Stone has crafted an extremely accessible entry to the world of IPA's. Cheers!

Brooklyn Brewery has been putting out amazing craft beer for over 25 years. Their summer ale remains one of my favorites, and I'm generally pretty impressed with each new offering I check out.

I first came across their Silver Anniversary Lager during a visit to the Yard House near Fenway Park well over a year ago at this point. I'd seen bottles for sale a few times prior to this particular visit, but getting to try it on draft was far to good of an opportunity to pass up. 

Brooklyn's Silver Anniversary Lager is a doppelbock version of their Brooklyn Lager. It's re-fermented in the bottle, and as a result in can age reasonably well. I picked up this bottle over the holidays in Nashville, and finally cracked it open last week. It had a strong malt backbone, with subtle banana bread notes. You get a little bit of hop flavor, and a nice spicy finish on the back end. I've certainly enjoyed doppelbocks when I've come across them, and Brooklyn has crafted a damn fine one to celebrate 25 years of great beer. Cheers!