13 Beers of Festivus Day 7 New Holland The Poet Oatmeal Stout

New Holland The Poet Oatmeal Stout is a beer I have been meaning to try for a while now. What better time than now to review it for the blog! It pours a very nice dark brown and is very dense, impossible for any light to pass through. Very small tan-white head dissipated extremely quickly leaving just a thin line resting on top around the edge of the glass. Other than that, there was practically no lacing due to the fact that there was almost no carbonation. The aroma, I thought, was beautiful. The oats dominate the nose but it's not overwhelming or in any way a bad thing. It is not astringent at all, very pleasant, soothing even. Oats naturally are at the forefront on the first taste and each subsequent one. It feels soft and warming in the mouth, has some body but it's very drinkable. The Poet is very tasty, not too filling and smooth since there's no carbonation. There are practically no hops to speak of but has a nice malt backbone that supports the oat flavor rather than suppressing it. I could sit around and enjoy a few of these in one sitting without it affecting my taste buds. And at 5.2% it is a true session beer. I rate New Holland The Poet Oatmeal Stout 4 pints out of 5, the lack of carbonation and dynamic mouth feel preventing it from inching closer to a perfect score. I highly recommend seeking this one out, especially during the winter months.

13 Beers of Festivus Day 6: Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard

Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale
Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA
American Strong Ale
7.2% ABV
IBU: Classified
BA: A-
RB: 99(96 style)
Consumed at home, purchased at Buy Rite, Jersey City(I think it was like $4 for a single)

    So let me again apologize for lateness, but we're going to catch up and be on track tonight.  Second I have to tell you that you're not worthy of drinking this beer.  The label clearly tells you so.  So if you can get past that fact then you'll have the pleasure of tasting a really good beer.  Arrogant Bastard is a very hoppy bitter ale brewed by Stone.  Oaked Arrogant Bastard is that same beer aged with oak chips floating in it.  If you're not sure what oak tastes like then go lick a tree because the oak flavor is clear in this beer.  The same spicy chinook hops flavor comes through as dominant in the oaked variety, but there's a little something extra in the flavor.  OAK.  The thick creamy head dissipates a little but stays around through the entire drinking process.  The smell is that of unfinished wood furniture.  This is a man's beer.  This beer is not for rookies and I recommend tasting Arrogant Bastard prior to Oaked Arrogant Bastard.  There are also two more Bastard varieties; Double Bastard and Lukcy Bastard(spelled correctly), which is a blend of the previous three Bastards( and another beer in my cellar).  That having been said, when you're ready for the bitterness and the cost of this beer, I highly recommend Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale.  This is a clear 5 out of 5 pints and I hope you all have the chance to taste it one day.  It is a year-round permanent brew so no need to wait for the right season.  If you're an advanced craft beer drinker, then go track one of these down and give it a try.  Happy Festivus to all and check back shortly for Josh's review to catch us back up to where we should be.

13 Beers of Festivus Day 5 Victory Yakima Glory

Okay, I know I already reviewed a Victory beer, but I've had this one laying around and had to try it. But unlike the year-round Storm King, Yakima Glory is a winter seasonal and in the style of Black IPA. Black would not be a word that I would describe it, however. It's actually more brownish-reddish and not very dense. I can't quite see through it but it's not totally opaque either. There was actually no head to speak of, just a very small section of bubbles for the tiny amount of carbonation (can kind of see it in the picture at the front of the glass). The aroma reminds me of a typical IPA, hoppy but not overwhelmingly so. It smells piney, floral and gets my taste buds ready for something gloriously more bitter than your garden-variety macro brew. The first taste is as expected - nice hop character and a pleasant bitterness. But before long, it gives way and shares the spotlight with a nice malt profile that makes it taste darker than it looks. The malt sweetness, if I can call it that, blends beautifully with the bitter hops to give a nice, rounded taste that doesn't leave a bad taste in the mouth. The finish is relatively long with some sweetness melded nicely with some bitterness, the bitterness showing a little bit more. The alcohol seems quite hidden despite coming in at 8.7% but as I continue to drink it and write on the fly, there is some alcohol in the aftertaste but it isn't all that unpleasant. It's actually rather warming, which is kind of expected for a winter style brew. In my opinion, it is a very nice beer with some great characteristics but falls a little short for the style compared to a few other Black IPAs that I have sampled. Regardless, it still earned a respectable 3.5 pints out of 5, the lighter color playing tricks on me when I expected something a lot darker. Definitely worth a try, though, and definitely one that I will try again in the future.

13 Beers of Festivus Day 4: Flying Fish Exit 13 Imperial Chocolate Stout

Exit 13 Chocolate Stout

Flying Fish Brewing Co., Cherry Hill, NJ

Foreign Stout

7.5% ABV

BA: A-

RB: NR

Consumed at friend's house in snifter, available at Beekman's Wine for $9.11

     First I'll apologize for not taking a picture while I was drinking this beer.  If I have another one at some point I'll edit the post and add a picture.  The beer poured out the darkest black I've ever seen from a beer.  It was also thick like syrup and as I consumed the beer, it left a film on the glass like chocolate syrup.  There was a large fluffy, foamy head that barely dissipated as I drank this.  It really had a light chocolate smell and even lighter chocolate taste.  As it warmed up slightly more chocolate came through but it was mostly in the aftertaste.  I tasted more of the roasted malt and caramel flavors that are usually associated with a stout but I was left disappointed with the lack of real chocolate flavor.  I'm happy I tasted this before I taste any of the renowned chocolate beers, such as Southern Tier Choklat.  Reviews of those beers have praised the overall chocolatey flavor and therefore I'm glad I didn't have those first, otherwise this beer might get a 1 pint rating.  

    Overall I found the beer very drinkable for 7.5% ABV.  Had I not been a collector of the bottles, I probably would not have bough this beer.  The previous exits have been fairly good, but this one leaves me with the same feeling I have when I drive down the Turnpike on a summer weekend, anticipation and frustration.  If you're with a friend who has a bottle then by all means drink up, but its not worth the $9-10 if you're just curious.  I will remind you that taste is a personal thing and everyone's taste buds are different.  The Exit Series is a fun little novelty that gained the brewery a nice little bit of press when it started, but this one just isn't worth the hype.  I'm going to have to give this 2.5 pints out of 5 with a possibly half point boost only because I wasn't the one that paid for this and my friend let me keep the empty for my collection.  

13 Days of Festivus: Day 3 Southern Tier Creme Brulee

My sincerest apologies. I know I'm a day late on this, but I was enjoying a particular dark, wintry beer at the Copper Mine Pub on Ridge Road in North Arlington for this post and had not gotten a chance to share my opinion until now. Better late than never!

Southern Tier Creme Brulee was as it sounds, a dessert-like beer. It is described on Beer Advocate as an American Double / Imperial Stout and weighs in at a whopping 10% alcohol. It poured very dark and dense with a nice creamy white head that actually dissipated rather quickly. Despite the quickness that the head disappeared, it left rather nice lacing on the sides of the glass. The aroma was very sweet, a promise of what was to come. I caught hints of caramel and chocolate as typical for a stout, particularly one appropriate for dessert such as this one. Upon tasting, it reminded me of the dessert for which the beer is named. It was sweet with a quick hit of caramel with some bitter chocolate notes hiding behind the sweetness. Creme Brulee was very enjoyable, though the high alcohol content catches up quickly and the sweetness attained a cloying aspect further into the session. Just like any good stout, it was on the thicker side while still remaining drinkable. The sweetness is prevalent without being overpowering though be wary that it may become too much after the first glass. I am a big fan of a lot of Southern Tier beers and this one did not disappoint. I rate their Creme Brulee 3.75 pints out of 5, the cloying nature later in the session preventing it from getting a full 4. I highly recommend buying a 750ml where available and splitting with a friend or significant other over dessert.

13 Beers of Festivus: Day 2 Full Sail Session Black Lager

Full Sail Session Black Lager
Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Schwarzbier
5.4% ABV
18 IBU
BA: Not Rated
Ratebeer: 85(92 style)
Gary's Wine (consumed at home)
12/15/10
$1.49 in Ommegang Witte glass
       Full Sail Session Black Lager is a beer from Oregon that has only been available in the New Jersey market for about a month.  It poured a dark, think, deep black color.  There was a thick, bubbly head of about one finger in size that dissipated slowly.  Upon pouring it seemed highly carbonated as if it were a soda, but as I learned upon tasting, this beer was not to be judged on its looks alone.  At just 5.4% ABV and 18 IBU the Session Black is just that, a session beer.  A session beer is a beer of which several can be consumed over a drinking session without getting the drinker drunk.  There is absolutely no alcohol burn while drinking and it goes down deceptively smooth.  It drinks like a fairly light lager with a little extra malty flavor with some caramel and really light hints of chocolate.  This beer probably won't offend or impress anyone.  The biggest draw of this beer is the cool short, fat bottle that it comes in.  I picked up a single bottle at Gary's Wine in Wayne, NJ for $1.49 and it was also available in 12-packs.  They also sold the Full Sail Session Lager.  I would imagine that it tastes much the same with less caramel.  I wouldn't really recommend this for our more advanced followers, but if you're just starting your craft beer journey, this is a nice way to dip your toes in the deep end.  Its nothing wild, but the color will play tricks on you.  I'll give the Full Sail Session Black Lager 3.5 pints but only because of its quirkiness and price.  For a few more dollars than the big boys but less than most craft brands, pick up a 12-pack for you and a friend if you don't really want to get drunk, but want some flavor. 

13 Beers of Festivus: Victory Storm King Stout

I am honored to be kicking off the First Annual 13 Beers of Festivus Reviewathon! Every night starting tonight through Christmas, Aaron and I will alternate reviewing a different beer for your enjoyment. To get this party started, I sampled an impeccable beer for the frigid winter months, Victory Storm King Stout.

Storm King pours an extremely dark and dense color, impossible to see through and absolutely as dark as night. It is topped by a tan head that is thick and sticky and has amazingly good retention - it hung around for the duration of the session! The lacing on the side of the glass was thick and tan and also lasted long into the session. Bringing it to my nose, I immediately smelled chocolate and coffee, which was expected. Caramel also found it's way into the aroma, giving off a subtle sweetness, but, from experience, I knew that I would find almost no sweetness when tasting. And I was not disappointed. At first, I was hit the enormous mouth feel due in part by the carbonation. I had not taken a large sip but it felt like a lot. Texturally, it was thick and chewy and a literal mouthful, like a meal in a glass. Then the bitterness hit, but not the over-the-top-hop kind of bitterness. This bitterness came from the chocolate and coffee notes that dominate the palate; no sweetness to be found. Further into the session, the brew turned out to be quite smooth despite the thick, big mouth feel. It lingered nicely on the tongue, on the bitter side, but for this hop-head, it's not unwelcome. It even felt somewhat chewy after it was gone but that didn't last as long as the warming taste it leaves behind. Throughout, however, the astringent taste of alcohol is prevalent, which isn't surprising considering it weighs in at 9.1%! Overall, it is quite an amazing brew, very tasty, though chewy, good notes of chocolate and coffee and the more subtle caramel, but the alcohol kind of gets in the way. I still rate Victory Storm King Stout 3.5 out of 5 pints and recommend to those who like dark beers that are high in alcohol. It is a tried and true beer for the cold months that will warm you all winter long!

Pumpkin Beer Matchup

Happy Thanksgiving (for those of you who read this)! Okay, I admit this is a little late in the season for this, but it will be good for future reference. My brother, my uncle and I compared two pumpkin beers on Thanksgiving that have been recommended to me as the best. Both beers have been recommended to me as the best of the pumpkin style so I had to try them side by side and decide which one is actually the best (at least in my opinion). Feel free to do the same, if you can find any, or wait until they come back around next year.

Pumpkin Beer Championship Match:
Southern Tier Pumking vs. Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale

In one corner, the Southern Tier Pumking. Bottled in a 750mL, it poured a vibrant, clear orange color with very minimal head that dissipated quickly. The first sniff gives off an aroma of sweet pumpkin while leaning more towards pumpkin pie than an actual pumpkin. Nutmeg was the prevalent spice with maybe a little cinnamon hiding behind. Upon tasting, it was medium to full body and a lot sweeter than I expected. I've had a few other pumpkin beers in the past that was nowhere as sweet as this. The sweetness gave way halfway through, though, surrendering to strong notes of nutmeg and cinnamon. The finish was slightly bitter and really lasted long after swallowing. The lingering bitterness and spiciness was enjoyable and really added to the flavor. Pumking was smooth, easy to drink and very enjoyable.

In the other corner, the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Bottled in 12oz bottles that come in a 4-pack, it poured a lot darker than it's competitor. Instead of a clear orange, it poured a dark brown that wasn't all that dense with a small head that didn't stick around. The pumpkin aroma was strong and smelled more like a pumpkin than like a pie. It was powerful enough to overwhelm the underlying spices. I had a difficult time finding the cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and clove that the bottle claimed was in there. The beer had a fuller body, definitely strong, more bitter taste of pumpkin with very little spice to counteract. It wasn't like taking a bite out of a pumpkin but it was all I could detect and it wasn't nearly as sweet as Southern Tier's version. It finished dry and bitter (in a good way) but it faded relatively quickly. No lingering spices or bitterness on this one.

And the winner is.....

Southern Tier Pumking! If I were to crave a pumpkin beer next year, this would be the one I would look. There was just enough sweetness without being cloying and boasted a much nicer blend of all of the ingredients. No one spice or flavor overpowered the others as the Weyerbacher tasted more like pumpkin than anything else. The Pumking was smoother, easier to drink and a lot more flavorful and enjoyable. I don't want to come off as anti-Weyerbacher's pumpkin ale. I just prefer the one from Southern Tier. Weyerbacher's had its own positives and is definitely worth picking up and trying for yourself. But personally, next year, I'm going with Southern Tier.

Once again, I apologize for doing this taste test this late into November since it's unlikely that you will find any left in stores. (For the record, last I checked, there were still two 4-packs of Weyerbacher left in the Shop Rite Wines & Spirits in Emerson, so make haste if you want to try it!). Hopefully when next August/September comes around, you can pick up both and do your own taste test!

Brooklyn Brewery

   Well I'm back on the blog saddle and my first post in a long time is about my wonderful trip to an industry party at the Brooklyn Brewery.  The tap list for the night included all of the delicious beers in Brooklyn's year-round line, as well as, three brewmasters reserve beers, Detonation Ale, little brother Blast, and the newest beer of the line, Cuveé Noire.  Also included were Brooklyn's large bottle offerings.  The brewery itself is tucked into an industrial area, but is more than worth the treasure hunt.  When you arrive you open a large barn door to reveal a scaled down version of a brewing and bottling setup(most Brooklyn beers are produced upstate, but Brewmaster's Reserve beers are brewed and bottled in house).  As you walk past the brewing equipment you walk into a small but adequate tasting room with 8 taps.  There are a few benches and a few communal picnic table, true beer hall style, and on this night there was a small food spread set up on the side of the room.  
    The first beer I tried on the night was the newly-released Brooklyn Cuveé Noire.  Every description I read about this beer defined it as undefinable.  And they were all 100% correct.  This beer pours out a deep dark black with a nice creamy, foamy head.  To a casual observer the first thing that comes to mind is stout.  There is a nice roasted malt smell, but also a good hoppy smell that confuses you.  Upon the first sip you're completely dumbfounded.  It has a rich hop profile of the best imperial IPA, the roasted malty flavor of a nut brown ale, the sweetness of a belgian, and the creamy smoothness of a stout.  This beer is incredibly complex and dangerously drinkable at 8.7% ABV.  This beer is an absolute 5 Pints out of 5 along with the brewery itself.  
     Also try the Detonation Ale and the Blast if you have the chance.  The Detonation is an imperial English style IPA and the Blast is a flowery west coast style Imperial IPA.  The Detonation can currently be found on tap at The Shepherd and the Knucklehead so none of you, my readers, have an excuse to not try it.  Blast is produced in small batches every year so keep an eye out for it.  
       I want to give special thanks for making this night possible to my new colleague Sean from Beekman's Wine in Glen Rock(look for much better beer selection there soon) and Mike from Brooklyn Brewery.  I'd also like to thank Garrett Oliver, brewmaster for Brooklyn Brewery for hosting an amazing evening of beer.  I will certainly be returning to Brooklyn Brewery soon.

Harpoon India Pale Ale

Name: Harpoon IPA

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA

Style: India Pale Ale

ABV: 5.9%

IBU: 42

Date: October 11

Price: $8.99 for a 6 pack at Shop Rite Wines & Spirits of Emerson (shameless plug, I manage the beer in that particular store)

So, I'm Josh, co-writer on this here blog for hopheads. As mentioned above, I work with beer all day every day and, with Aaron's help, have experienced and love microbrews, the hoppier the better! But enough introductions...on to my first review!

So Aaron started off this blog with a palate-destroying Triple IPA, so whaddya say we back up a few steps and delve into something more of a crowd-pleaser? Allow me to introduce you to, Harpoon Brewery's flagship beer, their India Pale Ale. Now don't let the name 'India Pale Ale' scare you away and think this is a super hopped up unapproachable brew for the serious hopheads only. Quite the contrary. Harpoon's IPA is definitely a "beginner's IPA".

Into a generic pint glass, it pours a very nice orange-amber and is relatively transparent. There is a very thin line of pasty-white head that hovers and lingers at the edges of the glass with sticky lacing. The hops reach the nose quickly but they aren't very strong. No cringing in fear from overt bitterness. The aroma is both floral and has hints of pine with a subtle sweetness hiding just below the surface. It smells as light as it is, particularly light for an IPA.

The first sip grants a fantastic hop-forward, pine-like taste that quickly fades behind the malt sweetness. The hops return to linger and dance softly on the tongue in a long, dry finish but is actually quite refreshing. Gloriously non-existent is any hint of alcohol even though it pushes 6%; it's hidden very well underneath the malt and hops. A crazy hop-head might feel cheated due to the beer's thinness and easy drinkability but it's not a bad choice for a regular macro-drinker wanting to try something different without going overboard. As previously mentioned, it's a crowd-pleaser. It's not a bad beer to kick back with while watching some football on a Sunday or BBQing with friends. So drinkable for an IPA, you could put down two or three without leaving your tongue decimated or your head too woozy.

My rating: 3.75 pints out of 5. I, myself, do like a hoppier beer, but this is a very nice, smooth, easy to drink IPA that is sure to keep people coming back (like me!) or help newbies get started on the road to some of the crazier brews out there (i.e. the Devil Dancer that Aaron reviewed in July). Affordable, approachable...it's no wonder it's Harpoon's number one selling beer.

Belmar Beer on the Pier

        This past Saturday, September 25th, I attended the 1st annual Belmar Beer on the Pier festival on the pier on the Shark River in Belmar, NJ.  Fellow blog contributor, Josh, and I decided to purchase the VIP tickets that allowed us early entry and access to a special VIP tent that was to feature some rarer beers, a small buffet, and a commemorative beer on the way out.  We pretty much learned that all of that was BS.  Yes there were more beers in the tent, yes there was a small, VERY SMALL, buffet and yes there was a commemorative beer, for some people, on the way out.  The special beers were brought out to the general admission ticket holders after the VIP period ended.  The buffet was enough for maybe 20 people and they did not brew enough of the commemorative beers.  All in all they just underestimated how many people purchased VIP tickets.  They should have limited the VIP tickets to the amount of gift bags they had available and then planned food accordingly for that many people.
         Ok so that was the one negative of the event.  Everything else was overwhelmingly good.  The beer selection was limited to two drafts for every brewery represented, most breweries were just represented by Hunterdon Distributors sales reps.  A few of the local breweries and brewpubs sent actual brewers or other brewery employees.  Of those two beers per brewery, the selection was amazing.  Our consensus overall beer of the day was Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, with a close 2nd for Oskar Blues GUBNA.  A few of the other rarer beers included Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog, Lagunitas Maximus IPA, Stone Cali Belgique, and River Horse Hippolantern.  There are way too many pictures to post so just click here for a picture of every beer sampled between the two of us.  The big surprise of the day was newcomer East Coast Beer Company with their Beach Haus Pilsner.  East Coast has only been brewing for a few months and this is their first offering, available on tap and in bottles, but it tasted like they've been doing it for years.  It was a very clean, simple, crisp pislner.  I've never really been wowed by a pilsner, but this was as close as it gets.  I'd absolutely recommend picking up a 6-pack of this very drinkable pilsner.
       i'd absolutely recommend this event to anyone who loves hanging out down the shore with some great beer.  Next year's event is already scheduled for September 24th.  I'll definitely attend, but might think twice about shelling out the extra $10 for VIP.  Although VIP ticketholders have received an email about another special gift to be picked up at a later date.  I'm thinking it was the beer that was being brewed during the event as part of what was supposed to be a homebrewing demonstration, but looked more like a few guys making beer quietly and answering questions if asked.  I'm giving the event 3.5 pints out of 5 but I'm assuming there were just some first year glitches.  Next year promises to be bigger and better and its a must attend event in my book.
        

DeCicco's Ardsley, NY

     This place was like walking into heaven.  Full of gourmet foods, prepared, packaged, and fresh, and  hundreds of varieties of beer.  Being New York, they only sell beer and not wine or spirits because they would have to obtain a different liquor license.  The beer section is not huge and it doesn't need to be.  They carry a little bit of everything so they can satisfy everyone and rotate stock fast enough that it does not go bad.  The few summer beers I saw that were left had huge clearance price cuts.
      The most interesting thing I found was the set of taps in the back.  I had been to a few New York beer stores so I was familiar with their ability to fill growlers of draft beer.  In New Jersey you can only have that done at bars that have a takeaway license.  In New York almost any beer store can have a tap setup to let you take home fresh draft beer.  I was perusing the taps when an employee came over to help and offered me some samples of a few of the drafts including my selection and a beer made for their store.  The growler prices were very very reasonable.  As a non-growler owner I needed to purchase an empty bottle.  They were $2 for a 16oz or $3 for a 32 or 64oz.  Most other places are around $10 for an empty 64.
       The beer I chose was Brooklyn Detonation Ale from the Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster's Reserve collection.  I'll review that here in a few days.  DeCicco's actually has a beer made and bottled for them (Captain Lawrence Birra DeCicco) exclusively by Captain Lawrence Brewing.  On this occasion they also had a draft offering, Sierra Nevada Camp Ghidorah, that was made through Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp.  The Beer Camp invites people from the beer industry around the county to come to Sierra Nevada Brewing, in small groups, and create and brew a beer to be distributed only to the establishments affiliated with people from those groups.  Generally its representatives from bars, beer stores, or distributors that are invited to participate.  Ghidorah (Ghidra to Godzilla fans) is an American Double IPA and is only available in a handful of locations around the country, with each location only getting a few kegs so if it sounds interesting to you then get up to Ardsley soon.
     The store is on beermenus.com so I won't go into any real detail on what else is available because the stock rotates quickly, making for good fresh beer.  The staff, and other customers for that matter, were very friendly and loved to talk about their beer and beer in general.  Some prices were a bit high but there were bargains out there.  Some of the older beers that age well were priced well below what I've seen anywhere else.  I can understand why you would lower prices on 6-packs of summer beers, but there were some big beers, meant to age, that were at clearance prices so a deal can be had.  I'm going to give DeCicco's a 5 pint rating.  It's a mecca for beer lovers and gourmands alike.  DeCiccos has 5 locations in New York state including one on this side of the Hudson in Rockland county just a few miles north of the Thruway.  It's an absolute must visit for any beer snob or someone who just wants to see alot of good beer and good food in the same place.  A link to the website is above.  Stay classy San Diego.

September Events

Some upcoming events in and around New Jersey for September.


September 16th-18th - Colorado Convention Center - Denver, CO
                                    The Great American Beer Festival

September 18th - Andy's Corner Bar - Bogota, NJ
                            Oktoberfest
                            Crystal Springs Resort - Sussex County, NJ
                            25th Annual New Jersey Oktoberfest

September 23rd - The Coppermine Pub - North Arlington, NJ
                             Sam Adams Taste Test

September 25th - Belmar Marina - Belmar, NJ
                            Beer on the Pier

September 30th - The Coppermine Pub - North Arlington, NJ
                            Victory Brewing Night
                          
October 1st-2nd - Center 548
                             Brewtopia/Great World Beer Festival

October 3rd       - Rattle n' Hum - New York, NY
                            40 Stone beers on tap

October 9th-10th - River Horse Brewery - Lambertville, NJ
                              Oktoberfest 12pm - 5pm both days

Stew Leonard's Wines - Paramus

Visited: 8/24/10

     Stew Leonard's is clearly a wine store first.  There is a nice beer selection, though, tucked into one corner of the store with a few beers scattered around in featured displays.  The first thing I noticed when going into the beer section was alot of Dogfish Head beers.  At least 25-30% of the craft beers available at the store were offerings from Dogfish Head.  They have pretty much everything Dogfish Head offers.  Dogfish Head beers are quadruple faced (in 4 separate locations) throughout the small beer section, as well as a fifth location up front with their featured items.  

     Despite the Dogfish Head overkill, yes there can be too much of a good thing, there are also some other very good beers in the store.  They have a nice collection of big bottles from Stone and Rogue.  Noticeably absent from their selection were beers from any New Jersey brewers or anything at all from Troegs.  There were 4 or 5 offerings from founders and a few scattered Belgians.  The cold case had several empty slots, which I would imagine are for Oktoberfest and other fall seasonal beers.  

    The staff was friendly and not pushy.  They were available to help me if I needed it.  i didn't get to ask any questions because I didn't really have any.  The next time I'm there maybe I'll ask why there's no Jersey or Troegs or some other fairly standard local beers.
    I'll go ahead and give it 3.5 pints because the prices were pretty good and I may have just caught them a day before a shipment.  Stew Leonard's Wines is worth a visit if its not that far out of your way.  There are locations scattered around New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.  I've posted a link to the website above.  

    

FIRST REVIEW!!!!!! Founders Devil Dancer

Name: Founders Devil Dancer

Brewery: Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Style: Imperial IPA(Triple, that's pretty rare)

ABV: 12%(not for the faint of heart)

IBU(International Bitterness Units): 112(official) 200(calculated)

BeerAdvocate Rating: A-(B by style)

RateBeer Rating: 99 (98)

Location Sampled: The Coppermine Pub, North Arlington, NJ

Date: July 31st

Price: $8 for 8oz. draft served in Chimay goblet (picture above)

      I'd like to ad a disclaimer to my first official beer review.  DO NOT DRINK THIS BEER IF YOU'RE NOT READY FOR IT.  Ok now that I got that out of the way, Founders Devil Dancer is a very heavy, very hoppy, very delicious beer.  But if you're going to eat or drink anything else in the same night as Devil Dancer, make sure you have Devil Dancer last.  It will fry your taste-buds for hours.  This is one of the hoppiest beers I've ever had and that says alot if you know me.  I like the hops.  

      Alright down to the details, Devil Dancer poured a slightly hazy reddish-amber with very little head. There was not a very complex portfolio of flavors because the spicy hops flavor smacks you in the face.  If anything I tasted some pepper but that faint due to the overwhelming hops.  

Recommendation: I'd suggest that you don't try this beer until you are about 3 years into your craft beer experience.  It's just too hoppy and sampling this earlier in your beer career might scare you away from craft beer.  This is a good beer for a once a year sampling and 8oz. may have been a bit too much.  If you happen to have a bottle of this I'd split it between at least 2 people.

Rating: 4.5 pints (out of 5) I'd drink it again but I'm a hophead and I'm always searching for the next hoppiest thing.  The only reason its not a 5 is the fact that it's more of a novelty beer.  Go out and search, there aren't alot of triple IPAs out there and there's a good reason for that.  It's just too strong for some people.

      So thank you everyone for visiting my site and reading my first beer review.  Comments and suggestions are encouraged.  You can contact me at hopallaaron@gmail.com.  Please also add me on facebook, just search Hoptical Allusions.  Visit the site often and I'll post on facebook every time there's a new blog post.

                                                                                                                  -Aaron

Quick Fact

You should always store bottled beer upright, not on its side. This minimizes oxidation and contamination from the cap.

Welcome

Welcome all to Hoptical Allusions.  Hoptical Allusions is a beer blog that will offer simple quick reviews of beers, beer bars, beer stores, and just about anything else beer related that I or any of my regular and guest contributors feel like talking about.  I'll try to update fairly regularly and give you a quick and simple perspective of beer and the beer world.  Most reviews will include the basic stats of the beer and location including where, what, when, how much and so on.  I hope this blog can help open some eyes to the world of craft beer and convert some people away from the macrobreweries.  I'll have my first beer review up in a few days so I'll talk to you then.