Stillwater Artisanal Ales |Existent Ale

ABV: 7.4%

Let me tell you about an unusual beer that I love, Stillwater Artisanal Ale’s Existent Ale.

The bottle describes Existent Ale as an American Farmhouse. However, the “American Farmhouse” moniker wholly belies the character in the bottle. In general, this situation isn’t rare in such an oversized category of ale. But in particular, this brew is an easy-drinking porter/saison mash-up that has no idea what it wants.

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Brew Dog – Hardcore IPA

When I think of India Pale Ales, I don’t think of The Subcontinent, I’d venture to guess that most of you don’t either. Maybe California or Comstock, MI, but probably not India. The IPA is a British invention that is as tired as that other big British invention: Watt’s steam engine. America does IPAs the right way – the American IPA is the Saturn V rocket to the paltry British IPA. Or at least so I thought. Read More

Boulevard Brewing Co. – 80 Acre

To be honest, the prospect of drinking American wheat beer seldom fills me with excitement and anticipation. I’m not happy to admit this personal bias, but I usually think of those insipid, often fruit-laden wheats some brewers feel compelled to keep around in case some poor soul who “doesn’t like the taste of beer” is dragged in to the taproom by their friends. For every Oberon or Gumballhead, I’ve suffered a hundred headache-inducing raspberry wheat coolers. Fortunately, Boulevard crafted just the beer to convert a hardened cynic like me. Read More

PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat

It’s the second half of Colorado Craft Beer Week so if you are like us, and we know you are, you are feeling frisky for brewskies and ready to go for another weekend of libations. Please follow along as we showcase the not-to-miss events in PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat including the latter part of Colorado Craft Beer Week, some more beer releases, beer dinners and other brewcentric badassery in the Denver Metro area. Yeahbud!

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Fresh From the Bine (Hop Vine) – Ultimate 6er

When it comes to drinking beer, it is a general consensus that fresh beer is the way to go. I do not feel that this is always true, but for a lot of beer styles, one could argue that it is. Stouts, porters and barrel aged beers in my opinion are the acceptation to this. Think about wine—most red wine ages great, whereas white wine does not age as well. With time, beer and wine both undergo changes. The flavors develop and the aromas alter—sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Over the past few years, I have learned to love the hop and all that it has to offer. In my opinion, hoppy beers are better fresh. So, I decided to find some of the freshest hop forward beers and indulge into hop heaven.

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Bison Brewing | Organic Chocolate Stout

Bison Brewing’s Organic Chocolate is one of my favorite stouts, and has been for the last few years or so. It is rich in flavor without being heavy in the body, and low enough in alcohol to be sessionable. This is definitely NOT a sweet stout. (If sweet is your thing, check out Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate stout.) Brewed with Peruvian cocoa and roasted barley, this beer boasts big coffee and dark chocolate flavors.

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2014 New Kids on the Block Party | Breweries Announced

It’s back folks! Dust off those neon jumpsuits, buy batteries for your walkmans, it’s time once again for the New Kids on the Block 80’s/Craft Beer Party! We’re teaming up … Read More

Bell’s Brewing | Oberon Ale

In Michigan, Bell’s Oberon Ale means summertime. All over the state, there are parties and midnight keg-tappings on Oberon’s early spring release date, which this year fell on March 24. In Bell’s Brewery’s hometown of Kalamazoo, Oberon Day is nothing short of a holiday.

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Cochon 555

“Since moving to Colorado from Kentucky, which is often referred to as a ‘border state’, but is still decidedly southern, like others before me, I’ve experienced noticeable lifestyle changes. Moving … Read More

SweetWater Brewing – Happy Ending

As confusing as the weather is right now for us Ohioans, I felt this beer would be perfect to drink and talk about. SweetWater’s Happy Ending is an Imperial Stout that possesses a much different taste than most others of it’s kind. It is dark in body, has a creamy mocha head and a hoppy citrus nose with light coffee notes? What? That’s right, not only do you get the full body of a stout, but also the hoppy bitterness of an IPA. Now this is not crazy punch you in taste buds hops, but enough to make you do a double take on the beer you just drank.

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Lost Abbey | Deliverance

ABV: 12.5%

This week I woke up and it felt like somebody just emptied a fistful of quarters into a Magic Fingers bed. Only I’m at home in California, not in a South Dakota Super8 circa 1978, and that means… earthquake! I’d never felt a quake before, and really it was over as soon as it started. Nothing cracked or fell, and even my pictures stayed straight on the wall. So it was mostly an excuse for folks to go all Chicken Little all over Twitter, but it was a little unsettling to think about the ground opening up and swallowing us all. What better beer to mark a “near death experience” than Deliverance from Lost Abbey.

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Ultimate 6er – The Kentucky Wildcats

Everyone who loves craft beer has a soft spot for their favorite college watering hole. While I attended the University of Kentucky (Go Big Blue), I found Pazzo’s. With a location only a few minutes from the student center, pint nights that provide free drinking glasses with the purchase of a pitcher, and around 150 beers I enjoyed many delicious beverages while I watched my beloved Kentucky Wildcats.  Here are a few notable mentions.

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PorchDrinking’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat

It’s almost Colorado Craft Beer Week so it’s time to get that liver-piece primed up and ready to go. Please follow along as we showcase the not-to-miss events in this week’s Weekly Denver Beer Beat including the first part of Colorado Craft Beer Week, some more beer releases, beer dinners and other brewcentric badassery in the Denver Metro area. Yeahbud!

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Three Floyds Brewery | Alpha King Pale Ale

ABV 6.6%

IBU 68

One day, every Spring a vast percentage of my social networking feeds suddenly revolve around one topic: Dark Lord Day. Some will actually score tickets. Many will not. Either way, this “golden” ticket release day serves as a reminder to a couple very important things for me. 1. Spring is here. (DLD is always held the last Saturday of April.) 2. Beer Festival season is officially beginning. Just three short weeks after DLD, Chicago Craft Beer Week will begin… and it starts. 3. There will inevitably be a trip planned in the near future where Chicago pals will bicycle along the Lakefront path to the Three Floyds Brewery and enjoy the day. And lastly, 4. I remember why I love Three Floyds and that is, while they serve as a great beer year round, the majority of their portfolio is made up of great summer delights. Read More

2014 New Kids on the Block Party | 80’s Party + Craft Beer = Radtubular

It’s back folks! Dust off those neon jumpsuits, buy batteries for your walkmans, it’s time once again for the New Kids on the Block 80’s/Craft Beer Party! We’re teaming up … Read More

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

7.60% ABV

Ante up PorchDrinker, because today we have the Brooklyn Sorachi Ace on our table and it is…aces. Sorry, I had to. This delightful saison was intended for summers, but after its original warm-weathered debut, Brooklyn Brewery fans liked it so much, it worked its way off the seasonal list and onto the Brewmaster’s Reserve, offered year round. While I can see the summer appeal it is certainly a brew good for any season. However, The thing I like the most about this beer is that it has a little bit of everything, all rolled into one. (Yes, I did just accidentally slip into some Meredith Brooks lyrics there. I cringed for a second, but then I got over it. You will too.) This beer is somehow simultaneously crisp yet comforting, light but big, and strong but subtle. Basically, you’ve hit blackjack my friend. Read More

Weekly Growler Fill | National Beer News Roundup

St. Patrick’s Day is the unofficial start to spring, and to the outdoor drinking season. Between the green beer and shamrocks, don’t forget to appreciate the fact that the seasonals are changing and soon you’ll be able to enjoy your brew wherever you’d like–inside or out. Read More

Beer and Food – American IPA Food Pairings’

Welcome back to the delicious world of beer and food. Hopefully last weeks pairing was as inspirational for you, as it was very exciting for us. In case you missed last week’s article, the New Belgium Wild 2 Dubbel we paired with Oak at Fourteenth was a great precursor to the meal we are enjoying at The Golden Eagle Inn this week. That meal pairs perfectly with the American IPA.

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Evil Twin Brewing Freudian Slip

Evil Twin Brewing – Freudian Slip
ABV: 10.3%
IBU: ??? People still tabulate this bullshit?! Stop Analysing things, Sigmund!

A Freudian slip, also called parapraxis, is an error in speech, memory, or physical action that is interpreted as occurring due to the interference of an unconscious (“dynamically repressed”) subdued wish, conflict, or train of thought guided by the super-ego and the rules of correct behavior. They reveal a “source outside the speech”. The concept is thus part of classical psychoanalysis.

Blah, blah, blah . . . Outside of psychoanalysis, Freudian Slip, should only refer to a beer made with no mistake, no error, no subdued wishes, no conflicts, no trains of thought derailed . . . And if my super-ego wants to delve into a delicious American Barleywine like Freudian Slip, so be it!

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Hunahpu’s Day: A Local’s Perspective

It is hard for me to believe that Cigar City Brewing is only five years old. Since its inception in 2009, the brewery has seen rapid exponential growth, gaining global notoriety and consistently collecting accolades in a wide range of categories. Read More