Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

This time of year typically brings two things, cold weather and seasonal beer releases.  The “post-Christmas” beer releases yields stouts and porters or what I consider "the good stuff."  

I’ll kick this off with the Black Chocolate Stout from  Brooklyn Brewery .  It’s an imperial style by design and is one of many seasonal brews that the brewery offers. 

On to the review…

After chilling the brew in the fridge for a few minutes, I open the first bottle and am welcomed by a nice chocolate aroma with a hint of coffee.  It pours black with a nice tan head that doesn’t linger for long.  I let it settle for a few seconds then take the first sip.  The flavor is as the aroma suggested and was very smooth.  One thing I noticed is there was no hint of licorice as in most imperials. Although it’s easy to drink, I must warn that it doesn’t take long for the hidden 10% abv to sneak up on you…trust me.

Foodwise, this beer goes really well with anything chocolate, especially german chocolate cake or Oreos.

This is probably one of the better stouts that I’ve had and should be one that any stout fan should have.

Cheers.

Natty Greene's Brewery - Southern Extral Pale Ale

The wife and I went out for "date night" and decide to stop at a local dining establishment called Queen Anne's Revenge.  As soon as we walk in the door, there are racks of wine and immediately past that is a wall full of different craft brews.  I admirably stared at the "beer wall" as I made my way to our table.  The waitress comes for our drink order.  I inquired about the beers on tap, to which she replies, "All of our taps are from Natty Green's Brewery."  "ohhh reallly?!" 

I think about my choices for a second and decide on the Southern Extra Pale Ale.  The beer makes it to our table and it's a nice clear gold/copper color with a white head.  Smelling the hoppy aroma, I take the first sip...delicious.  A medium body brew that has a rich crisp hoppy flavor with a hoppy, citrus finish.  Overall a very nice tasting beer.  It went really well with the crab dip appetizer....and the buffalo chicken bacon ranch pizza....and finished off the meal with one for dessert.

This is one fine tasting beer that is good to have on any summer afternoon and gets two thumbs up from this guy.

Cheers!

Blue Moon - Summer Honey Wheat

'Tis the summer season and Independence Day weekend. Hot days filled with some outside work, grilling, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying your favorite seasonal ale such as Blue Moon's Summer Honey Wheat.
First a quick story...

I'm out in town running errands when I decide that I need beer.  I stop by a nearby store and walk to the beer aisle in search of liquid happiness.  No sooner than I reach the beer isle I hear, "Security scan all sections."  Well I think nothing of it and continue my search.  A couple of minutes later this guy appears out of nowhere and stands about 10 feet away from me.  I pay him no attention until he takes a couple of brief scans of me then pulls a feather duster from his back pocket and starts dusting random crap.

Now I know what is going on, I decided to have a little bit of fun.  I walk into the large cooler move a couple of 12 packs around, then walk back out, then back in, and play around a bit more.  Then I decide to walk out the side door of the cooler so I can spy on this guy.  He peeks in the cooler and doesn't see me so he walks in.  So I walk back to the aisle to where I last saw the guy. At last he appears, looking a bit agitated   It is then that I spot Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat.

Anyway, it was because of that circumstance that I stumbled across the beer.  I must admit that is was fun screwing around with the "security guy".

Anyway, on to the beer. I like wheat ales and honey, so I figured that a honey wheat had the potential to be fairly decent. Boy was I right, so good in fact that after a couple I had a Frank the Tank moment.

On to the actual tasting... This is a light refreshing beer with a smooth finish. It has a nice aroma with hints of citrus and honey, sort of like a Belgian Wit. Absolutely delicious and goes with any type of food ... trust me. This is definitely a beer that gets a double thumbs up from this guy and will be a main stay in my fridge throughout the summer.

Happy Independence Day...Cheers!

Sweetwater Brewery - 420 Extra Pale Ale

How could I forget to write about this fine brew.   It has been a little more than a month since we went to see the Canes play, but still remember drinking the afterwards.

Anyway, after 3 hour drive, new guitar purchase, hockey game, and running back through the rain to our hotel, we stopped off at the Backyard Bistro to get a late night bite to eat.  As it turns out Sweetwater Brewery's 420 Extra Pale Ale  was on special....YYAAAAYYYY.  It was just what the doctor had ordered.  So after a few of these babies, my sadness from the game's outcome was gone.

It was a bit fuller than the typical American Pale Ale, but that contributed to its drinkability.  The 420 Extra Pale Ale gets two thumbs up from this guy.

Homebrewing

The thought of home brewing has been this little buzz in the back of my head for a number of years.  That little buzz has gotten louder since this blog's conception.  I was recently in a home brewing store, yes they exist, inquiring about a good brewing book.  The store manager suggested that I pick up "How to Brew" by John J. Palmer.  So I did.

I must admit that the book is not disappointing.  The book is broken down into 4 sections and covers everything you need and would ever want to know about brewing. Some subjects discussed, in detail, are malts,boiling and cooling, yeasts, fermentation, conditioning, and priming and bottling.

This is a must have for anybody wanting to take up the craft of home brewing.

cheers!

Youngs Double Chocolate Stout

The wife and I were at dinner last night when this gem caught my eye.  It was the only stout on the list that I haven't tried.  I order it and a few minutes later our waitress returns.  I make the pour and am immediately hit with a chocolate aroma.

It seemed to melt out of the bottle filling up the glass at a slow rate and topping off with a two finger width head.  After sitting there for a second admiring this creation, I take a drink.  Very delicious.  The beer had a smooth chocolatey flavor with almost no aftertaste.

This is a must try for any dark beer lover.

Cheers!

BBQ Nachos

My buddy Michael and I just returned from watching the Hurricanes have the playoff door shut on  them by the Bolts. Obviously we were disappointed with the game's outcome, but still had a great time at the game especially the BBQ nachos, oh, and the craft beers.

These were not your average nachos.  Their appearance was similar to regular nachos, but with a twist.  Pulled beef brisket was piled on the nachos, then the cheese was poured on top.  It is the best game food that I've ever eaten.

Pictured with the nachos is a Torch Pilsner (left), Foothills Brewery, and a Southern Pale Ale from Natty Greene's Brewery.  We also had another of Natty Greene's finest ales, Buckshot Amber.  Our post game venture was Sweetwater Brewery's 420 Extra Pale Ale at the Backyard Bistro.

A good night with great food and craft beer.

cheers!