Brews of Summer

As we officially prepare to enter the summer season, it's always nice to remind people that there are, in fact, a bunch of beers that tend to accompany the warm weather and sunny days. As I'm sure you're all well-aware, I love my summers to be full of hops! Well, refreshing hops, at least. Anyways, without further adieu, I present the Dylan Katz "Best Beers of Summer" list (complete with BeerAdvocate profiles!):

1) Long Trail Belgian White: This is always going to be one of my favorite summer sippers. Strong, citrusy lemon flavors and a decent degree of sweetness make this an incredibly refreshing witbier, perfect for those days where you need something to help stave off the scorching heat. Unfortunately, we can't get it out here in Wisconsin, but for those on the East Coast--this beer is a must have. Check out the reviews here.

2) Southern Tier Hopsun: By far and away, my absolute #1 summer seasonal. If you've had Three Floyds Gumballhead, you'll be sure to love this hoppy wheat beer. Sweet, citrus notes do a great job of accompanying a heavy hops background. I always pick up a case of this whenever it comes out, and was thrilled to find this beer in Madison! With my six-pack of Southern Tier in hand, I'm all set for a day of R&R. Check it out!

3) Ithaca Brewing Co.'s Flower Power: Ah, yes, one of IBC's finest brews. The first time I had this, I was blown away--a very heavy, grapefruit flavor combined with a perfect balance of hops and malt. Absolutely phenomenal, and right at the top of my list of best IPAs in the US. Unfortunately, it's not available in Madison (they don't extend out past Ohio), but if you can get...you simply cannot go wrong. BA has the scoop on this one!

4) Brute, from IBC: By now, if you haven't figured out my love affair with Ithaca Brewing Co., now's as good a time as ever to take a hint--Brute is an "American Wild Ale" that is definitely not for the feint of heart. Lovers of Flemish Sour Ales and Lambics will have no problem downing this one, which is sour, highly carbonated, and has a wonderful fruitiness to it...a combination of apples, lemon and maybe even pear. If you can find this rare, 22oz monster--PICK IT UP! It's wonderful.

5) Unibroue Éphémère: Ah, the last of the best--another fantastically refreshing beer. Brewed with apples, this moderately carbonated beer is the ideal accompaniment to a meal of burgers and brats on a hot, sunny day. Oh, and the best part? You can get it pretty much anywhere in the US! More info...here!

Dark Lord Day Thoughts, Round 2

While my perspective won't be quite as verbose as Chip's, I'm definitely going to rehash a few of the notable highlights. We arrived around 8am, maybe slightly before. Lots and lots of people--rough estimates put the attendance at well over 10,000 beer fanatics. Walking down the line of people waiting was really quite a treat...many attendees sat in their lawn chairs, drinking terrific beers out of tasting glasses. And now, the wonderful series of happenings that led up to the big moment:
1) Guy in line once we arrived: "Why is your glass empty? We need to fix that!"
- Into my glass pours a Boulevard Imperial Stout, from Kansas City. Thick, heavy, delicious.
- This guy was great--we gave him a few New Glarus beers to try, and the verdict seemed fairly positive. Sweet.
2) Man riding on motorized scooter--he was drunk, he was bizarre, he was awesome.
3) Guys from the southern portion of the US--who knew I'd be able to drink Foothills beer while
on line for Dark Lord?! Here is the following conversation that took place to lead up to this moment:
Me: "So, where are you guys from?"
Them: "Winston-Salem, NC"
Me: "Oh, sweet! Have you ever had Foothills' beer?"
Them: "Had it?! Hell, we've got a couple of growlers right here in this cooler!"

I then proceeded to have some Hoppyum from Foothills. It was absolutely wonderful and
hoppy (who could've guessed?).

4) After buying the Dark Lord, I was approached by a guy from Three Floyds: "Hey, did you get a chance to try the oak-aged DL yet?" I had not. He let me try some. Yes, it was delicious.
5) Finally, the Guest Beer tent. Highlights:
- Kentucky Breakfast Stout, from Founders--I've said it once, I'll say it a million times: It's a great beer, but I prefer their normal Breakfast Stout...it's just not as heavy.
- Union Jack IPA, from Firestone Walker: It lost in the finals of the National IPA Championship, and I had been dying to taste it. Verdict: Excellent, excellent beer. It lacked some balance on the malt side, but the hoppy taste was fresh, bitter and wonderful.
- Dark Horse Double-Crooked Tree: JT got it, I tried it, and it didn't disappoint. A nice, copper-colored haze with a terrific balance of hop and malt character. An A+ beer.

Well, that's it for now...maybe I'll update this a bit later. Sunday, I have the privilege of waiting on line for 6 hours to get tickets for Great Taste of the Midwest. I'm really going to be pining for a media pass, but this will be a good backup plan. Good day, readers, good day!

The Stout that Launched a Thousand Chips

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Sin City Brewery's Classic Irish Dry Stout

On March 22nd at 12:53 P.M., I was walking back from the Planet Hollywood casino through the Miracle Mile when I chanced upon a tiny little bar. Though overflowing with gaudy paraphernalia and shameless in its touristy sheen, the miniscule niche (barely larger than a New York hotdog stand) was a palatial oasis in a sea of Coors and Bud Lights. Craft beer! A beacon of hope to the discerning drinker. Beerus Ex Machina.

Ah, indeed it was fortuitous that I espied the diminutive watering hole at that very moment. I had wanted to forget the money I had ungraciously donated to countless pit bosses. I had wanted something to purge from my mouth the lingering vestiges of American macros that I had theretofore been imbibing. I had wanted something with taste, gravity, and spunk.

I promptly bee-lined for my new haven, pulled up a chair, and requested the thickest, blackest draft they had. Sin City Brewery was ready to oblige.

The bartender soon presented me with a pitch-black libation: their Classic Irish Dry Stout. As the name suggests, it's an Irish Dry Stout modeled after the iconic Guinness. I peered down into the cup, angling my nose to whiff any aromatics emerging from the muddy depths. Not much bouquet came through, though the smell could have been masked by the sterile plastic cup in which it was served. "Drat! It could taste like anything!" I thought, looking askance at the inert inky liquid. A few bubbles rose lazily to the surface. "I'm not going to drink myself," the beer seemed to say without any particular sense of urgency.

0 hour. Judgement Sip. Without the osmic reconnaissance to prepare my palate, I took an apprehensive swig.

The stout unsurprisingly delivered a simple, powerful melody of coffee and chocolate notes. I found it to be a little earthier than Guiness with a bolder coffee taste. Also hitting me with its modest maltiness, the taste transitioned gradually from sweet caramel to a dull bitterness. Hoppiness was rather low, though we all know that hops is not a desideratum of mine.

I liked the soft roasted characters as well, which weren't at all reminiscent of charcoal (thank heavens). It had a buttery mouthfeel with a slight prickliness thereafter, ending in a mildly acerbic aftertaste. With some hearty swills, I soon finished the satisfying brew and kicked back for a nap.

I give it a solid B.

BREW D'ETAT

Coming soon to a blog formerly named "Beer: An Odyssey" and "Beeriodical" near you...it's Brew D'Etat! And it's awesome.

Brews in the News

Well, looks like it's time for another weekly update from the world of brewing:

Preparations are underway in Chicago for the Brewers Association's Annual Craft Beer Conference. This year, it will take place from April 7-10 and will feature some terrific workshops, keynote speakers and of course...plenty of beer. Unfortunately, due to work, I will be unable to attend this year's conference, but if you can afford it...GO! More information available here.

The Indiana House of Representatives has passed a bill that will allow--wait for it--for the sale of carryout beer from Indiana's microbreweries on Sundays! A huge victory for our friends at Three Floyds, Upland Brewing, and all the other great breweries in Indiana. Check it out!

Oskar Blues Brewery, one of the pioneers of selling awesome canned craft beers, has announced its newest seasonal brew (and one we'll hopefully get to taste at the Hops and Props festival Saturday)--GUBNA, a double-IPA tipping the scales at nearly 10% ABV. BeerAdvocate has the story.

That's it for this week's 'Brews in the News.' Be sure to visit on Sunday, when we upload our latest podcast, recapping the Hops and Props beer festival from Oshkosh, WI. Here's the official website for the festival, if you'd like more info.

Our First Podcasts!

Check out our first two podcasts from Madison, Wisconsin! Dylan (and much less so, Chip) lead you through seven different suds: some good, some bad, and some ugly. So sit back, crack a cold one, and listen up! You can get all of our podcasts on Archive.org, by clicking the link on the right-hand side of the page.

Chip's Apt

Beers:
1. Kennebunkport IPA (Portland, Maine)
2. Founders Harvest Ale (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
3. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (Chico, California)
4. Lakefront Holiday Spice Lager (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)




Live from The Haze

Beers:
1. Dogfish Head Fort (Milton, Delaware)
2. Stone Smoked Porter (Escondido, CA)
3. Three Floyds Gumballhead (Munster, IN)