Hump Day Happiness

Sickpuppy and myself made a trip to Bocktown in the Robinson/North Fayette area of Pittsburgh for a Monday afternoon delight. OK that just sounded bad. We are actually going to be part of the Beer Dependence Day event on July 3rd and wanted to go scope out the area and see what we will be doing. The trip quickly turned from business to OMFG look at this sweet beer selection! MANY beers we have been unable to get were all in one place.

Southern Tier Oak Aged Unearthly IPA
brewery: Southern Tier – southerntierbrewing.com
style: Imperial IPA
abv: 11%
serving size: 22oz
glass used: snifter
price: $15

Overview
At the Southern Tier Brewing Company, vigorously hopped beer is our standard and inspiration. We continue a commitment to innovation with an aggressive offering. Oak Aged Unearthly is a manifestation of the brewer’s craft; skillfully balancing art and the forces of nature to produce a divine liquid. Delicately pour a taste of this oak aged brew into a fluted glass. Smell the enchanting aromas of the hops waft forward as your first sip divulges this beer’s fervent soul. To underestimate Oak Aged Unearthly is to trifle with the mysteries of the universe, so please consume wisely. Consider it an immoral act to blacken an ale. We suggest they don’t rely on conventional standards. Allow the darkness to consume you. Cheers!

What I think
My eyes bugged out of my head when I saw this available. Not just a couple bottles but CASES. I haven’t been able to find this in stock anywhere else in Pittsburgh. I put my personal excitement aside since that has brought me to failure before. I admit that I think the original Unearthly is OK but I’ve had better IPAs. The bartender Kris poured the beverages for us and I had to compliment her skills as she managed to get the perfect head in a snifter. Right away from the aroma and first taste this reminded me of the mind blowing experience of the first time I had Southern Tier’s Gemini. Citrus and balanced hops with a smooth finish.

The hops were not as overpowering as I was expecting but this was a treat in oak aged goodness. I did get a hint from the oak aged but the smoothness just amazed me. To me I was damn close to reaching beervana again.

Buy this beer. Age this beer. Whatever you have to do, get some.

Spoon’s rating: A+

Last week there was no update. Penguins won game 6 the night before in the Stanley Cup Playoffs leaving me dead to the world on Wednesday. Friday they would win the Stanley Cup 2-1 in game 7 and it was time to celebrate. I had every intention on keeping BlackOps in the cellar but this is what craft beer is about. Celebration. I had every desire of releasing this yesterday but Mother Nature tried to wipe Pittsburgh off the map with tornadoes, floods and everything else up her sleeve. The spoon residence has been dealt the flood hand before and its never easy. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you whom suffered loss.

Brooklyn Black Ops
brewery: Brooklyn Brewing – www.brooklynbrewery.com
style: Russian Imperial Stout
abv: 10.7%
serving size: 750ml
glass used: snifter
price: $27

Overview
Brooklyn Black Ops (2008 commercially available version) was aged for four months in bourbon barrels, bottled flat, and re-fermented in the bottle with Champagne yeast. 940 cases produced.

What I think
I admit that spending $27 on a single bottle of beer is steep but when it’s a reputable brewery sometimes it’s worth taking a risk. This one is such a beverage. The head poured a perfect 2 finger giving the sweet aroma of vanilla with slight coffee and bourbon. The taste was a mouthful of excellence. Started with coffee and slight chocolate then moved to a mild bourbon and finishes malty smooth. Honestly it felt like the ultimate milkshake. A 5 dollar milkshake . under the circumstances this was the best way to celebrate the Pens winning the Stanley Cup. Honestly, if you have a bottle of this I say sit on it a year because time aging will make this one of the greatest RIS ever!

Spoon’s rating: A+

Victory Hop Devil is one of my favorite IPA’s of all time. Victory decided to take it one step further by messing with a good thing. The story behind this is a riot and I wish I had a recorder when, by chance, I met up with a sales rep. I’ve had it on tap but he insisted that the bottle was better. Time to find out.

Victory Wild Devil
brewery: Victory Brewing – www.victorybeer.com
style: India Pale Ale
abv: 6.7%
serving size: 22oz
glass used: tulip
price: $10

Overview
Bold, spicy, menacingly delicious HopDevil takes on an entirely new dimension when subjected to a wild yeast fermentation. A sharp, sourish edge has been added by this fermentations that plays into the caramel sweet malt deliciously and creates complex interplay with citrus accented hops. American IPA w/ Brettanomyces.

What I think
Sickpuppy bought this to share and tried to kill me with the cork (I will get you back) so I missed the initial pour and head. The appearance was slightly lighter than a HopDevil with a fruity, hoppy and funky aroma. Seriously, funky is the best word I can come up with. It truly was something haven’t come across before and the taste left me perplexed. It had more character than the draft and was smooth with a bit sour. I took a second drink and started to get citrus upfront that would start to mellow out. There was very little bite and then I would pucker. See what I mean, it was all over the palate road with a smooth and mellow finish. It felt like an extreme ride from Cedar Point.

Spoon’s rating: B+

I have 2 6-packs of this aging in my basement. This time I had it fresh from the tap at Mad Mex in Cranberry.

Great Lakes Blackout Stout
brewery: Great Lakes – greatlakesbrewing.com
beer webpage: http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/beerProfile.php?beer_id=00000010
style: Russian Imperial Stout
abv: 9%
glass used: snifter
awards: Gold Medal, 2008 World Beer Cup | Gold Medal, 2006 World Beer Championships | Gold Medal, 2006 World Beer Cup | Gold Medal, 2003 World Beer Championships | Gold Medal, 2003 World Beer Championships (as Emmett’s Imperial Stout) | Silver Medal, 1996 World Beer Championships (as Emmett’s Imperial Stout)
price: $6

Overview
Named after the infamous “Blackout of 2003″ that left the northeastern United States in complete darkness, but resulted in old-fashioned neighborhood porch parties and down-home fun.

What I think
Since I wasn’t the one who poured this I can’t tell you what that was like but when it arrived there was beer porn in my presence.  Aroma was slight chocolate, stronger on the coffee and that first drink was deep, thick, and rich deliciousness in the form of chocolate with a hint of vanilla. This was velvety on the palate and finished smoother than Billy Dee Williams.

Spoon’s rating: A

Either you love it or hate it when Dogfish Head experiments with flavors. Me, I love it. Correction, I luuuuuurve it. They won’t release a beer for the sake of saying they brewed something new if it didn’t pass a rigorous tasting first. My palate rests in their brewing.

Dogfish Head Burton Baton
brewery: Dogfish Head – dogfish.com
beer webpage: http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/occassional-rarities/burton-baton.htm
style: Imperial IPA
abv: 10%
serving size: 22oz
glass used: snifter
price: $5

Overview
A blend of oak-aged English strong ale and our 90 Minute I.P.A.. Citrus notes from Northwestern hops meld with vanilla notes from the oak.

What I think
I was blessed with a perfect night to cook on the grill some dead cows so it was only fitting I hit my collection of IPA’s. I’ve eyed up this bottle for awhile and finally bit the bullet when I was at the store last week. The pour could only be best described as beer porn. Creamy 2 finger head and crisp amber body glistening in the sun. The aroma was mild floral and faint citrus. The taste was… OK here I was worried because many Imperial IPA’s I’ve had lately would punch me in the palate with strong alcohol flavor. For a 10% ABV beer it was extremely balanced. I picked up mediocre maltiness which was a huge plus because it didn’t overpower the hops nor succumb to high alcohol. The finish was smooth and malty. Savor this one, don’t slam it.

If you’re a fan of the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA there is a 99.9% chance you’ll love this. If you don’t like the 90, shut up and drink it anyways

Spoon’s rating: A-

As you can see from the picture above I had some fun with this week’s selection. I’m always up for cooking with beer and since this past Sunday was Mother’s Day I figured it was my best chance to show mom the versatility of beer. Thanks to Tim at The Size of Life for sending me this bottle. It’s not available in PA so I let out an extra “squeeee”. Yes, you read that correctly.

The photo gallery of Mother’s Day Dinner I made with Stone can be found here.

Stone Brewing Cali-Belgique IPA
brewery: Stone Brewing - stonebrew.com
beer webpage: http://www.stonebrew.com/cali/index.php
style: Belgian IPA
abv: 6.9%
serving size: 22oz
glass used: snifter
price: n/a

Overview
When reading the name “Stone Cali-Belgique IPA”, “Cali” hints that it is a California style IPA, and this brew has an undeniable Belgian influence, indicated by the word “Belgique” (which is how Belgium’s French-speaking population says the word “Belgian”; the Dutch speaking Belgians say “Belgie”). We carefully selected a Belgian yeast strain that illuminates a fascinating new aspect of the beer that is otherwise quite simply Stone IPA.

The result is both completely new and different, while still being recognizable as a Stone Brew – and Stone IPA in particular. Think of it as an otherwise identical twin to Stone IPA that was raised in a Belgian culture. Literally.

What I think
Based on looks alone this poured like a typical Belgian instead of an IPA. The hue was hazy yellow but a creamy beaut of a head. The aroma was strong with hops, floral and spices. At this point IPA wasn’t even on the radar for me which was starting to be a concern knowing Stone’s history for brewing a muscular IPA. The taste caught me off guard.  Piny, fruity, sweet then hoppy and finished not as bitter as I was anticipating. To say it was complex is putting it lightly and why I stress that you can’t appreciate a beer in a 6oz sample.

Spoon’s rating: B

I’m sharing the spotlight this week. Please welcome to the stage fellow Yinz Team softball all star, Uncle Crappy. Crappy stood out at Podcamp Pittsburgh 2 during our SIDT/WMS session on grassroots podcasting as the only person to applaud and cheer as if the Stanley Cup was brought into the room. We broke his heart shortly afterward when he found out there wasn’t any free beer.

UC is a die hard Ohio State fan, fellow craft beer enthusiast, a great friend and helluva model American. If you see one of us at a craft beer festival there is a good chance the other isn’t far behind. You can follow Uncle Crappy on his blog at unclecrappy.com

Guinness 250th Anniversary Stout
brewery: St. James Gate - guinness.com
style: Irish Dry Stout
abv: 5%
serving size: 12oz
glass used: Spoon said “I used a Guinness pint glass that mysteriously appeared one night after a trip to Mad Mex.” Uncle Crappy sighed “I don’t know what the hell it’s called; Mrs. Crappy picked it up at Penn when we thought the place was closing down. It’s a pretty good approximation of an imperial pint glass, though.”
price: Spoon paid $3.25 at 3 Sons Dogs and Suds in Wexford, PA. Uncle Crappy paid $10 for the six. God bless the State of Ohio. Purchased at the Andersons general store, Dublin, Ohio. If you’re in Columbus and you’re thirsty, this is the first place you should stop.

What Uncle Crappy thinks

I’m a Guinness fan. Yeah, I know — it’s sort of like the Irish Budweiser, but it’s always a reliable choice when the pickings are slim. And you can’t beat the history; I mean, it’s been around for, like, 250 years or something.
Oh. Right. The name.

I knew I wanted to bring some home from our last trip to Columbus, and I was pleased to see it was pretty easy to find. I sat down with a couple bottles the other night; here’s what I came up with.

You see a difference right away. The 250 is carbonated differently than the nitrogen carbonation Guinness uses for the draught bottles or cans we have here, and it shows. You don’t see that beautiful cascade; you get something closer to a traditional beer pour with this one, setting up a half-inch head that dissipated pretty quickly. The aroma is also a bit different; the roasted malts are more prominent than in the Guinness I’m accustomed to.

That carries over to the taste, as well. Roasted coffee is right up front, followed by a hints of bread and, uh, not much else. My biggest gripe, though, is the mouthfeel; the more traditional carbonation naturally leads to a more traditional kind of feel; it’s not bad, but I really missed the silky Guinness texture.

Don’t get me wrong — this isn’t a bad beer. But if you’ve had a bottle of Guinness Extra Stout, you already have a pretty good idea of what the 250 is all about, and I was hoping for a little more.

Uncle Crappy’s rating: C+

What spoon thinks

This isn’t your typical Guinness so before you open it remember that not all are created equal. The pour was disappointing as the head was weak and vanished fast. I looked at it for a second and though “this looks like really cheap root beer from Aldi.” The aroma and taste, it turned out, was better than the appearance. I could smell a roasted coffee in the glass and the taste followed suit with a dry finish. I found it kinda light and watery as it seriously lacked body. That was it? That was what Guinness wasted a 250th anniversary on? Serious let down but better than some I’ve had.

This is a dry stout and lives up to the style but isn’t anything special besides a name.

Spoon’s rating: C-

I’m doing a crossover post with my personal blog since it suits both places. This is the Easter Beer Ham that Lushie and I worked on this year. Its been a couple of weeks since we’ve made it and the taste of deliciousness is still present.

It was difficult to decide on the right beer that would compliment the ham. That was until I opened a Coney Island Lager ( www.shmaltz.com/CONEY/cil.html ) from Shmaltz brewing ( www.shmaltz.com ) while prepping the side dishes. The beer has a mild malt flavor and some bite from hops which will balance the sweetness of the brown sugar we’re going to use.

Go see the beer ham goodness over at Flickr and follow the steps below in making this beer food porn gem.

What we used:

• 7 pound ham
• 2 cups of Coney Island Lager from Shmaltz Brewing
• casserole dish
• 1 cup of brown sugar

What to do:

1. Place ham in center of casserrole dish
2. 1 inch deep cuts made around the top so the beer bath will be able to soak in
3. Put 1 cup of packed brown sugar into a large bowl
4. Add 2 cups of Coney Island Lager to the brown sugar and whisk together
   
5. Pour  the mix over the ham where you made the cuts so it runs down covering the ham
6. Let the ham sit for a few minutes while you prep your side dishes
7. Bake 15 minutes per pound. Since ours was 7lbs we baked for 105minutes or 1hr 45minutes
8. Baste your ham with the beer bath every 15 minutes. For smaller hams than 4lbs I’d suggest every 10. Judgment call really, just don’t let it burn
9. The beer bath that you were basting it in will put a sweetness to the outside that you’re going to be temped to lick. Err I mean wait to enjoy at dinner
10. Let the ham sit for 5-10 minutes. It will finish cooking itself while resting and locking in the juice
11. Slice to size you prefer. I like it .5 – 1 inch
12. Use the leftover bath as a gravy. Plate, serve and enjoy!

We weren’t worried about presentation at this point. The aroma of beer and ham was intoxicating (no pun intended).

Let me know how it works out for you!

cheers!

I wasn’t aware that this was available in PA until I stopped by 3 Sons today with Teaspoon. Oskar Blues is the only craft beer company that, in my opinion, have been able to master the can. Time to see if this lives up to the name.

Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils
brewery: Oskar Blues - oskarblues.com
style: pilsner
abv: 5.3%
serving size: 12oz
glass used: pilsner
price: $2.75

Overview
Our new canned good is a delicious, small-batch version of the beer that made Pilsen, Czechoslovakia famous. Mama’s is made with hearty amounts of pale malt, German specialty malts, and traditional (Saaz) and 21st century Bavarian hops. It’s the perfect antidote for the watered-down, cornfed versions of pilsner clogging America’s shelves. Our first canned lager, it’s also fermented at cool temperatures with a German yeast. While it’s rich with Czeched-out flavor, Mama’s gentle hopping (about 35 IBUs) and low ABV (just 5.3%) makes it a luxurious but low-dose beer. Look for our Gold Metal Winner on US shelves in March. Sadly, the Feds rejected our “Take Two and Call Us in the Morning” line on the can.

What I think

First thought that came to mind was Miller Lite’s more experienced brother. The aroma and initial taste was that of ML (which if I’m going macro, I drink) which is grassy/hay-like but the flavor is much more mature.  The pour was bubbly white head and the body was the color of gold we think of as kids and in cartoons. Crayola needs to work on this. If you’re staring out on pilsners this is the way to go. The taste was sharp, malty and like the aroma, slight hay, but in a good way. The finish is a tad bitter and hoppy.

I think I found my new summer session beer while watching some baseball or sitting on my back porch.

Spoon’s rating: B

When I started drinking craft beers on a regular basis for our show Shipwreck Porter was my first ever “WOW” beer. In fact their owner Tim Suprise was the first major brewery owner I had ever met back in 06.  This is the 2007 vintage that was aged when I picked it up at Fat Heads. Rumors of Arcadia’s demise in the Pittsburgh area has been great exaggerated.

Arcadia Brewing Shipwreck Porter
brewery: Arcadia Brewing Company – arcadiaales.com
style: Baltic Porter
abv: 12%
serving size: 22oz
glass used: Sam Adams Perfect Beer glass
awards: 2007 Winner, 1st Place, Chicago Beer Society
price: $10

Overview
Nothing like a 10-year-old Bourbon to add dimension to a beer!  This Baltic-style Porter has a robust, roasted malt emphasis that is nicely balanced by a slightly herbal hop bitterness.  Aged for 6 months in 10-year-old Kentucky Bourbon barrels, Shipwreck Porter is a tasty and tasteful combination of  brilliant flavors.  Bourbon adds notes of earth, vanilla, brown sugar and spice, while the barrels contribute mild, oaky tones.  Cocoa and coffee notes co-mingle with toasty, malty flavors and a lingering alcohol warmth.

This is a BIG beer.  Lots of alcohol and lots of flavor mean this brew can cellar for years.  Our Shipwreck Porter is delicious on its own or with a nice cigar, but also brilliant with many foods or as a digestif.

Recommended Foods:  Earthy Cheese such as Camembert, BBQ, Chocolate-Bourbon Cake

What I think
Aging a beer in my house is a rare thing and I only started recently. Mostly due to the fact beer never lasts that long in my house but with Teaspoon my beverage time is next to none. When I stopped at Fat Head’s and found a bottle of 07 I knew I was in for a treat.

My main concern was that the already present bourbon would be strong enough to take lead paint off my 1970’s Matchbox cars and probably run a truck. I’m glad to report I was wrong. In fact it mellowed enough over the 18 months that I was taken to a new land of craft beer bliss.  The head still poured a caramel tone and hung around for a few minutes. The aroma was bourbon, oak and malty. Shipwreck carried a medium body and finished with a malty bourbon slide. Unfortunately Fat Heads had the bottles in the cooler only so I’m hesitant to pick one up and store it in the beer cellar. Anyone have advice on this?

Spoon’s rating: A