Who's your Big Black Voodoo Daddy?

Who's your Big Black Voodoo Daddy? I know who . . . Check out this Top Story at www.beerconnoisseur.com. If you like zombies, beer, and / or creative non-fiction writing pieces, you won't want to miss this one!!

Beer on the Bay II

The Beer on the Bay II review has posted at www.beerconnoisseur.com. The event benefited Multiple Sclerosis. It's a short review, take a look!

Like Food with your Beer?

New article post, Like Food with your Beer?, at www.beerconnoisseur.com. This one's for everyone - We all have to eat every day . . . I offer some suggestions for complementing this most common and enjoyable necessity.

July 4, 2009: Anchor Liberty and Independence Day

New post, July 4, 2009: Anchor Liberty and Independence Day, at www.beerconnoisseur.com. Let's face it folks. This country was founded on beer! Don't forget to leave a comment.

Did you just call me Fat Head?

New article, Did you just call me Fat Head?, posted as an Editor's Pick on www.beerconnoisseur.com. Check it out! Tell me what you think - feedback is helpful.

Don't forget to subscribe with my promotional code. What's the worse that could happen? You learn more about beer?

Beer Connoisseur Online is LIVE

The long-awaited release of the new beer magazine, Beer Connoisseur, is finally in motion . . . Go to www.beerconnoisseur.com, create a Username and Password, and check the page out! Don't forget to take a look at my blog under the Community section, and feel free to enter my Invitational Code, FBC-0105, if you would like to subscribe. The magazine is inexpensive and informative on a lot of different fronts.

Like to give your "two cents?" Don't worry, there is a Public Forum also!

It's fun . . . it's social . . . it's beer!

Beer Connoisseur Magazine Online

First of all, I apologize to those of you that have been returning to The Daily Mash just to find no new, updated blogs.I sometimes forget that I have readers that are not my Facebook and Twitter friends. Secondly, I would like to thank all of you for reading and enjoying my blog. It is the reason that I continue writing. For those of you that have not yet heard, I have recently accepted the position of American Craft Beer Writer for the new national publication, Beer Connoisseur Magazine. I am very excited that my writings have been received so well, and excited about the opportunity to have my articles published. Beer Connoisseur Magazine Online will probably launch sometime this week with a paper magazine releasing in Novemberish. I hope that you will visit the page and continue to support and enjoy my articles. This opportunity is allowing me to write in more depth and detail, and this will show in the quality of the articles that I am developing.

Again, I would like to thank all of you for your support. As soon as Beer Connoisseur Magazine Online is live, I will forward a VIP Promotional Code that can be used for those of you interested in subscribing. Entering the code in the Promotional Field will give you extended benefits to membership. Please consider becoming a member. The magazine is going to be extremely informative and enjoyable.

So what will happen to the Daily Mash? Fun things . . . Fun things indeed . . . My photographer and video editor, Rick White, and I have begun developing some video and audio blogs that we plan to feature on the Daily Mash. The material from my interviews and research that I do not use in my articles for Beer Connoisseur will be featured here in the Daily Mash. This is all in preparation for the webpage I suspect that I will have later this year. According to Rick's progress reports, we should have a video blog of our trip to Fat Heads Brewery and Saloon in Cleveland later this week!

Stay Tuned . . .

Fat Heads Sorcerer

Cleveland and Pittsburgh . . . What a long colorful history these two cities have between them . . .

It would seem that we have a peace offering of sorts in our midst, Fat Heads Brewery and Saloon located in North Olmsted, Ohio. It was only a matter of time before Fat Heads Saloon in Pittsburgh's South Side decided that pouring the great beers of the world was no longer enough, and have begun to brew beer also!

Take a great brand like Fat Heads, pair it with a fantastic brewer like Matt Cole, and you have yourself a winning recipe!

The first offering available in the local Pittsburgh area, Fat Heads Sorcerer.

Fat Heads Sorcerer, 9% ABV:

The beer is described as a Belgian-styled Dark Ale. The color is brown with an amber hue. Nice, sturdy, bone white head that holds steady and laces very well. Ripe fruit and heavy malt in the nose. Upon entry, you are hit with big malt, ripe fruit, and hints of fig. The beer coats the mouth nicely, then dissipates ever so slowly . . . Yummmm. This beer cleans up well as it finishes . . . Leaving a wonderful, malty, Belgian Candy Sugar sweetness that pleases, does not offend, and begs you to take another swig. Heat? None found here. This beer is clean and soft, which is key when dealing with this style of beer.

After quaffing Sorcerer, I am only more curious of what Brewer Matt Cole has to offer us. If Sorcerer is any indication, we should be very excited about the future!

"Chill out man, have a beer!" -Fat Heads

Don't forget about the Second Annual Fat Head's Brewer's Ball from 6:00-9:00 this Friday, May 1, 2009 at the South Side's I.B.E.W. No. 5's Circuit Center. This event benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Ticket cost is $60 in advance and $65 at the door and includes craft brews, food, and entertainment. Sure to be a fun time had by all! Please come out and show support for this great cause.

Part of your reward for attending is an opportunity to try four new Fat Heads Brewery and Saloon beers; Goggle Fogger Hefeweizen, Head Hunter IPA, Bean Me Up Coffee Stout, and Pack a Wallop Pale Ale.

Blue Point Rastafar Rye

Blue Point Rastafar Rye, 7% ABV:

This beer is copper in color. Good malt in the nose . . . heavy bread with subtle hop and rye spice. Nice malt weight up front; creamy mouthfeel, flavors of caramel, the crust of bread, hints of brown sugar, subtle apple brandy, and spice. There are just enough hops present to balance this beer, and let the malt coat and work the inside of the mouth. This ale has a nice, semi-dry, spicy finish. Honestly, I'm not sure that I have had a rye ale that serves up and features the rye the way that this beer does . . . It's all about the rye in this beer. At 7% ABV, this beer comes off malty, and frankly, that's exactly what I like about this beer. It's not overly-hopped and hiding the rye, like many other rye ales that I have tried. Rather, it stages some of the great qualities that rye has to offer; subtle apple brandy notes, and a spicy, dry characteristic to the finish. This beer succeeds in exactly what it sets out to do; take the great qualities of rye addition to the mash, and throw them in your face. You want some rye? I got your rye . . .

Southampton Biere de Garde

So, what is biere de garde? That's a discussion that could take quite some time. In a nut shell, biere de garde (beer da gart) means beer for preserving or storing. A biere de garde is a French Farmhouse style with a long, debatable history. Southampton Biere de Garde is a tribute to this classic style.

Southampton Biere de Garde, 7.2% ABV:

Appearance is beautiful . . . Light amber in color. Stylistically correct spritzy carbonation. Delicate malt, ripe fruit, spice, and hints of apple in the nose. Medium bodied with nice malt and ripe fruit upfront that leads way to earthy spiciness. Finishes semi dry and clean with underlying apple flavor and hints of lemon. Coats the mouth with a nice malty slick that sticks around for quite some time. The coating left on your mouth is reminiscent of a high quality, lightly sweetened iced black tea . . . Very pleasing, very pleasant. I love the subtle apple flavor and spice that hangs out for minutes as the beer finishes.

Southampton Biere de Garde: Yet another outstanding beer from the boys at Southampton!! I challenge you to find another American brewer that brews a biere de garde that comes this close to this classic style. As a matter of fact, scratch that. Trust me on this one. Don't waste your time. There is not much room at the same table where Southampton Biere de Garde sits. Don't believe me? Then do some research. And while you're at it, find a bottle of Southampton Biere de Garde, buy Phil Markowski's book, "Farmhouse Ales; Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition," and prepare to digest the one literally and the other figuratively. . . . Now, doesn't that just taste and feel good? I know it does.

Like food with your beer? Roasted duck or pork, duck or pork confit, ostrich, game birds, and pasta with cream sauce are just a few things that will pair great with Southampton Biere de Garde.

Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale

Friday happy hour found me with a Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale in my hand. The label calls it "Triple Hoppy". So what exactly is a Triple Hoppy Ale?

Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale, >100 IBUs, 9.2% ABV:
The color is copper. Pungent citrus, pine, and herb hop in the nose with a hefty malt background. The malt is present, but outweighed greatly by the hop vapor being released in this beast. Big malt upfront that is quickly replaced by citrus, pine, and herby resinousness. This beer is extremely bitter! Moylan's calls it a Triple Hoppy Ale, and they ain't lying!! This beer has the weight of a Double IPA, and the hops of a Triple IPA . . . Uhhhh, nevermind . . . That's just stupid . . . Of course, there's no such thing as a Triple IPA . . . sorry, Founders Devil Dancer and Dogfish 120. This Hopsickle Ale is a hop assertive Double IPA with the stress on the hops! As previously stated, Moylan's is not lying when they call Hopsickle a Triple Hoppy Ale. Call yourself a hophead? If so, you will be elated! If you're like me, a hopheadless, beer-loving fool that appreciates hops . . . you will find Hopsickle to be a hoppy Double IPA. If you don't like hops, don't even smell this beer. Stay far away. It's not for the faint of heart.

10 minutes after leaving the bar . . . hops still in affect.

This beer is extremely rare to find on draft in the Pittsburgh area. As stated, Hopsickle has the weight of a Double IPA, but is not nearly as malty sweet as a Double IPA. Hopsickle on draft is quite a treat.

Who's pouring this wonderful beer on draft locally?

Harris Grill
Rivertowne Inn
Smokin Joe's Saloon
Fat Heads Saloon
D's 6 Pax & Dogz
Carl's Tavern (3386 William Penn Hwy., Monroeville)
Bocktown Beer
Mad Mex-Cranberry
Mad Mex-Robinson

Voodoo White Magick of the Sun

Finally had time to give another one of these Voodoo Brewery samples my attention and due diligence. Seems like each time that I open a Voodoo Brewery beer, I'm inspired to write.

Voodoo White Magick of the Sun, 30 IBUs, 6% ABV:

Spalter Select Hops, coriander, sweet orange peel, juniper berries, and 12 varieties of peppercorns . . . No lie. Sounds full of stuff, and it is , but drinks super clean, super dry, and impresses with its subtleties. You get a nice hint of orange peel late, mid-palate that immediately moves onto a spicy Spalter hop characteristic which sets off the wonderful, delicate balance of the additionally added spices. The spice of the hops definitely paves the road for the coriander, juniper berries, and variety of peppercorns . . . Wonderfully selected hops for these specific spices. Everything is kept in check, and this Belgian Yeast strain is a beautiful complement aiding to create a very dry finish.

Definitely one of the most unique and satisfying "White Ales" that I have ever had.

Voodoo Brewing Pilzilla

Thursday made me the fortunate possessor of some very fine Voodoo Brewing Company 22 oz bottles. The only question was which bottle should I try first. I decided on the 4 Seasons IPA. 4 Seasons IPA is interesting in the fact that it changes with all 4 regionally existing seasons here in Pennsylvania. For this reason, this is the only Voodoo Brewing Beer that does not list information regarding the ingredients, IBU, gravity, or ABV on the label. In my hand, I had this year's Spring version of the 4 Seasons IPA (silver cap). What I found inside of the bottle was a delicious, clean, American IPA that satisfies. I'd tell you more, but I would rather you check out their link, or better yet, buy it and check it out for yourself. On to the second bottle, and our topic for the day, Pilzilla.

Voodoo Brewing Pilzilla, 50 IBUs, 6.7% ABV:
Beautiful pale golden color with a bright white head. Bready malt character in the nose accented by nice hop spice. Hits the mouth creamy, bright, and balanced. Malt coats the mouth wonderfully, while hop bitterness and flavor builds. Spicy hop complexity hangs around nicely and continues to coax and tease the malty slick that coats the mouth. This beer is bright and clean like its traditional European brother. However, I can assure you . . . If Pilzilla walks in a room, which he can't, because he's too monstrously large to fit through the doorway . . . But if he could, his European brothers would be screaming and running the other way. This beer takes the great qualities of a European Pilsner, hits them with two atom bombs, and out walks Pilzilla . . . He's big . . . He's bad. And he's righteously angry.

Voodoo Brewing Company makes cutting-edge American craft beer, and they do it well. These guys are relatively new, but years of experience, passion, and love are apparent in every Voodoo beer that's produced.

1995 Thomas Hardy's Ale

Had my mother and father-in-law in town this past weekend. It's always good to see them. A little verbal prodding from Theresa had me looking around in my cellar for a couple of bottles of Thomas Hardy's Ale from O'Hanlons Brewing Company. She did help me secure a few cases of various vintages a couple of years ago, so it's only right that I share them with her occasionally. Besides, with the way that I squirrel stuff away in my cellar, who knows when I'll actually think to drink one on my own!

1995 Thomas Hardy's Ale, 11% ABV:

Decanted clear with almost no carbonation. The color is brown, and the nose is of molasses, toffee, pecans, dates, and soft alcohol. The bouquet of this beer is huge! You can smell it sitting on the table a couple of feet away. Upon entry, it delivers molasses and hints of cocoa in the front, then quickly moves onto figs, dates, and subtle apricot. Finishes with pecan nuttiness, caramel, hints of chocolate, and ripe fruit. This beer is outrageous, and well worth the wait!!

If I had a favorite style, Old Ale would probably be it. I'm a huge fan of the style, and this 1995 Thomas Hardy's Ale is a perfect example of how wonderfully complex and delicious that this style can be!

What a treat!!

Thomas Hardy's Ale was first sold in 1968 to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the death of Thomas Hardy. It is based on the ale mentioned in the novel "The Trumpet Major" where it is described so vividly by the author.

"IT WAS OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COLOUR THAT THE EYE OF AN ARTIST IN BEER COULD DESIRE; FULL IN BODY, YET BRISK AS A VOLCANO; PIQUANT, YET WITHOUT A TWANG; LUMINOUS AS AN AUTUMN SUNSET." http://www.onlyfinebeer.co.uk/beer/1487/

Southampton Double White

Friday lunch found me catching a bite on the South Side at Smokin' Joe's Saloon. Smokin' Joe's is a great South Side beer bar offering a few hundred different bottles of beer, fairly priced pub food, and 60 beers on tap!


As I looked over the draft selection, I found a beer that fit my mood, Southampton Double White.


Southampton Double White, 7% ABV:
Beautiful, cloudy, golden appearance . . . Bananas, citrus, and clove in the nose. Malty upfront with flavors of citrus rind, spice, and bananas. Has a nice spritzy effervescence. Flavors dissipate slowly with heavy orange and lemon citrus, spice, and hints of bananas leading way to a nice crisp, semi-dry finish . . . Very complex . . . Very satisfying . . . This Double White Ale is much more complex and sophisticated than its traditional White Ale counterparts. Stylistically speaking, you wouldn't enter this White Ale into a White Ale category. It's much too large for the category. This is a thinking outside of the box White Ale that combines American creativity with the fundamental flavor profile of a traditional White Ale. This is a White Ale with attitude . . . Bad-ass attitude. Thanks, Phil!


If you are unfamiliar with Southampton Double White, and enjoy White Ales, you should run out and find this unique offering. It is widely available in distributors, bottle shops, and restaurants throughout the Pittsburgh area, and it's draft presence will surely increase with the recent onset of sunnier, warmer days.


As always, if you contact me looking for direction, I would be more than happy to point you to the nearest retailer in your region that carries this fine product.


Cheers!

Green Flash West Coast IPA

Stopped into Kaya today to tighten up some things with Kaya's "We Love Beer Week", coming up March 23 - 26, and decided to visit my old friend, Green Flash West Coast IPA . . .

Green Flash West Coast IPA, 7% ABV:
Copper in appearance. Nice mesh of malt, and tangerine citrus in the nose . . . aromatic. Big malt and citrus bitterness upfront. Malt coats the mouth nicely, while citrus bitterness meanders its way to a very resiny bitterness. In a very pleasing manner, the acidity of the hops stings every part of the mouth that it comes in contact with . . . much complexity comes from the attacking layers of hop spice. Very dry finish. This is what Hop Heads, and myself, want out of an American IPA! Pushing it to the extreme, then coaxing it right back in. Is this the King? It certainly is royalty. Way to go Chuck!


Green Flash West Coast IPA is a diamond in the rough. This beer can be found on draft almost everywhere in Pittsburgh. If your local restaurant does not carry it, ask them, why?


Kaya has not taken this wonderful IPA off tap in the past two years ... Why would you?

Cointreau vs. Combier

What bizarre battle is this? I'm not sure myself. Let's see . . . Here's Cointreu. Here's Combier . . .

Cointreau, 40% ABV:

Super rindy grapefruit citrus in the nose. Intense sweetness assaults the palate, and is immediately followed with intense alcohol burn.

Combier, 40% ABV:

Delicate orange-citrus meshed nicely with underlying neutral spirits. Mouthfeel is full. Citrus and cane sugar sweetness upfront that leads way to a nice, balanced, lengthy finish-Soft.

Why are we talking about this?

The question was posed to me earlier this day: Which do I like better? Cointreau or Combier?

. . . I like the Combier.

Great Divide Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Thursday confronted me with a lack of inspiration, hence, no Daily Mash. Friday was a completely different story! On Friday, I was on the search for the mysterious Yeti. There are frequent Yeti sightings in Pittsburgh, but I was looking for a more elusive Yeti. And I'm not referring to the fairly elusive Oak-Aged Yeti. I'm referring to his even more elusive counterpart, Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti! Is there such a thing, you may ask? Oh yes . . . I assure you, there is. And with me selling 80% of the inventory this week, it was just a matter of seeing who put it on tap first! . . . And the winner is . . . Market Street Ale House! Told you that they don't play around! They ordered the beer on Wednesday, and had it on tap by lunch on Thursday. Looks like I wasn't the only person ecstatic about the arrival of the Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti . . . Way to go Roess!

Great Divide Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, 9.2% ABV:

So you think that's a mouth full, do ya? The lengthy name of this beer is merely an abbreviation for what I found inside of my glass.

The color is black. That is if black were mostly black with a brown twinge . . . Completely opaque with a beautiful brown head. The nose is of very bitter dark chocolate, coupled with a wonderful aroma of medium roasted, coarsely ground coffee beans . . . Wow! The beer smells so good that I have to dive in immediately! Pummels the palate with liquefied chocolate . . . Fudge, molasses, vanilla, and mocha. Oak tannin present. This beer is ridiculous. By the time you are getting a grip on the malt, which pleasantly assaults your palate, the hops are beginning to replace the sweetness of the malt with intense green bitterness that intensifies as the beer finishes. The beer finishes for minutes . . . All the while, keeping all of the previously mentioned flavors present, and somehow getting more bitter. This beer starts off very dark and finishes with a lot of hop greenness. At this exact moment, this is one of the most complete, complex, beers that I have ever enjoyed . . . Luxurious! The beautiful coffee aroma and flavor serves as a reminder that this beer is caffeinated. Oh yes, as I discovered, this beer will perk you right up! This is one of the most special beers that I can recall quaffing in recent memory.

Keep an eye out. Great Divide Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti Imperial Stout should be popping up at your favorite Pittsburgh beer bar over the next few days. If it's not, go where they have it, and do not hesitate. This is the most elusive Yeti yet!

Southampton Imperial Porter

Wednesday found me in downtown Pittsburgh in the late afternoon. Popped into seemingly the biggest secret beer bar in the downtown area, the Market Street Ale House. I say this, because I'm always amazed by the number of people that I run into that have never heard of this great place. The Market Street Ale House, located in Market Square, sits on the second story, directly across the square from Primanti Bros. Once in the Ale House, you have a great view of the Square, and more importantly, great food, great bartenders, and the best beer selection in the downtown area!

As I discussed this week's beer order with the manager, Roess Reddick, I decided to sip on a 2008 Southampton Imperial Porter, fresh on draft.

Southampton Imperial Porter does not get its Imperial from the loosely used American version of this word that seemingly means higher alcohol, rather Southampton Imperial Porter is a true Baltic-styled, or Imperial Porter. This porter is modeled after those of Eastern European decent, and drinks cleaner and crisper than its English counterpart.

2008 Southampton Imperial Porter, 7% ABV:

Color is dark brown. Big bitter chocolate and coffee in the nose. Hits the palate with HUGE chocolate and soft roasted bitterness. Finishes fairly quickly and extremely clean, like a good Baltic-styled Porter should. Leaves the mouth coated with wonderful mocha and hints of roasted bitterness. Wow!! This beer is 7% ABV? This is the type of beer that will sneak up on you if you are inexperienced, or not paying attention. I like that about this beer. Anytime you can hide the alcohol this well, you have created a beautiful offering. Kudos Southampton!!

If you are unfamiliar with this brewery, I suggest you begin familiarizing yourself with their offerings. Their beers are readily available in the Pittsburgh area, and not too many breweries nail down styles the way these guys nail down styles.

Now go find some Southampton . . . NOW!!

Rogue Mogul Ale and Stone Smoked Porter

Tuesday's travels had me concentrating on the South Side of Pittsburgh. When it comes to frequency of bars per walking block, the South Side of Pittsburgh is where it's at. And if you're visiting the South Side of Pittsburgh in search of beer, surely Fat Head's Saloon is on your list of destination locations.

I stopped in to Fat Head's, as I frequently do on Tuesdays, to talk beer with the owner, Glenn. As I was waiting for Glenn, I browsed the Beer Menu Board and spotted Rogue Mogul Ale. I have a rule. Whenever I see Rogue Mogul Ale on draft, I order it. It's as simple as that.

Rogue Mogul Ale, 7% ABV:

Dark amber appearance with a sturdy, tan colored head. Nice hoppy bouquet accentuated by underlying maltiness. Creamy malt with toffee and crusty bread flavors immediately followed up by intense hop bitterness that intensifies as the beer finishes-Lengthy bitter finish. One of my favorites from Rogue. Only 3 half barrels of this came into Pittsburgh, and there's only one place to get it on draft! Hurry!! Fat Head's sells through beer faster than any other bar in Pittsburgh . . . It could be gone already. ; )

That Rogue Mogul Ale woke my taste buds up. So, I decided to stay and have another beer. The next beer that caught my interest was Stone Smoked Porter.

Stone Smoked Porter, 6% ABV:

Dark brown appearance. Soft smokiness and bitter chocolate in the nose. Medium bodied with intense smoke upfront. Dissipates slowly, coating the mouth nicely with smoke, chocolate, and roasted bitterness. Lengthy finish with smoke character leading way to hop and roasted bitterness. Just ANOTHER wonderful offering from the folks at Stone!! Check it out!

It has been brought to my attention that ABV Listings for each beer would be helpful, and I can't agree more. I originally left them out in hopes that readers would click on the links of each brewery to learn more, but realize that it is pretty much an essential part of each beer's Tasting Note. So from now on, I will list the approximate ABV of each beer in an attempt to get you closer to the beer through each description. I would like to stress that this should not dissuade you from visiting each brewery or restaurants' link. Each link is an essential part of The Daily Mash and is included for each reader's benefit. Want to know more about the beer or location that I am speaking about? Simply click on the link and you will be sent to the appropriate Homepage. Thank you for your comments, and continued support!

Blue Point Winter and Blue Point Spring Fling

Monday: A day of now, and soon to be.

At the end of the day on Mondays, you can frequently find me in Shadyside at The New Harris Grill. Depending where you draw the lines in the sand, Harris Grill may be considered the only good beer bar in Shadyside. Regardless, it's one of the best beer bars in Pittsburgh, and a favorite spot of mine.

Monday's offerings bring us Blue Point Winter and Blue Point Spring Fling.

Blue Point Winter:
Amber in appearance. Nice malty nose with hints of chocolate and toffee. Tons of malt up front with caramel, hints of chocolate, and the crust of bread. Finishes with a nice malty mouthfeel that lingers with good earthiness. A great Winter offering that doesn't look for attention through the over-done avenues of added spice.
Being that it's March 2nd, I live in Pittsburgh, and they're both fresh on draft, it's only fitting that the next beer I should have is a Blue Point Spring Fling.

Blue Point Spring Fling:
Color is copper. Nice bready, malty nose with good hop bouquet. Hop forward-Nice hop bitterness leads to a creamy malt backbone. Beer coats the mouth wonderfully! Dissipates slowly leaving a great, green hop bitterness to linger for minutes. This beer exemplifies everything Blue Point: Good malt, good hops, super clean, and balanced.

Blue Point Brewing Company: Presently classic. Balanced, modern ales, produced to quaff, repeatedly.

Tuesday is Boozeday . . . Am I allowed to say that? . . . I think I aaaaammmmmm . . .

Moylans IPA and Thirsty Dog Leghumper Porter

Friday was typical. I left the house with a plan, just to watch it blow up in my face. Not that it was the worst Friday ever. There have been plenty worse. But Fridays in the beer business have a way of being busy. It's just the nature of the beast.

My last stop of the day was at my local watering hole (not as dumb as I look), the Rivertowne Inn. Rivertowne Inn is a great pub located in Verona, PA. An oasis for this side of town with great, affordable food, and great beer on tap.

I was in the mood for something hoppy, so I chose a Moylan's IPA!

Moylan's IPA: Light copper-colored appearance. Malty nose accentuated with plenty of herby hop spice! Hits the mouth with big malt flavor, balanced beautifully with resiny hop bitterness. Finish rides out, getting more bitter by the second, while continuing to hold onto the big malt flavor. And then . . . the bitterness keeps coming . . . Wow! An excellent American IPA!! This beer is 6.5% ABV, but drinks MUCH bigger-Full Flavored!

As delicious as that was, I decided to move on to something else . . . After all, I do have a blog to write. I went a different direction, and ordered a Thirsty Dog Leghumper Porter.

Thirsty Dog Leghumper Porter: Dark brown in color. Chocolate and coffee in the nose . . . all malt. Full bodied and filled with tons of chocolate, and roasted bitterness, yet surprisingly smooth and milky. Finishes nice and dry with chocolate and roasted bitterness. This is a very nice robust porter!

Check back on Monday. Each new week brings new adventures!

Unibroue Maudite and Trois Pistoles

Thursday was a long day that found me working on many different things. But at the end of my day, as I was driving into the Lawrenceville section of town, I found time to stop into my favorite Lawrenceville bar, Remedy. My buddy, Tony, who owns the place, wasn't around, and there was no need to bother him with a call. So, I sat down and ordered a Unibroue Maudite on tap. A staple around those parts.

Unibroue Maudite:
Amber in color. Big malty, fruity nose with lots of spice. Malt pummels the palate with ripe fruit and spice, then coats the mouth with cognac-like flavors. The finish rides out for minutes, but begs you to come back for more. Dare I call it a session ale?! Maudite drinks dangerously clean and easy for an 8% ABV ale. This is a wonderful belgian amber-styled ale that delivers.

After finishing the Maudite, I decided to stay for one more. And, with the taste of Unibroue in my mouth, I went for another. Only this time, I ordered a bottle of Unibroue Trois Pistoles.

Unibroue Trois Pistoles:
Dark in appearance. Cocoa and dark fruit on the nose . . . mysterious. Hits the palate malty, with flavors of cocoa, plum and blackberry. Lengthy finish with nuances of raisins, dark fruit, and port. One of Unibroue's finest.

Check back tomorrow to see where my travels lead me. I don't even know where that might be, and what I might find.

Blue Point Pale Ale and Great Divide Hades Ale

My travels Wednesday found me at Mad Mex-Robinson looking for lunch. With Spring in the air, I grabbed a Blue Point Pale Ale on tap. A fitting selection at any time, but especially when the daffodils are poking up out of the semi-frozen soil.

Blue Point Pale Ale: Light copper color, Great malt backbone with a nice green hop bitterness that lingers for minutes after swallowing. An exceptional Pale Ale in the hay day of IPAs. If you are a hop head, this is a Pale Ale that you need not steer clear of . . . A wonderful session ale with enough greeness to satisfy.

For lunch, I decided to order the Casa Salad: Leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onions, blue cheese crumbles and pepitas, dressed with Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette, and a small order of wings with San Fran sauce.

San Fran sauce: honey, garlic, and red pepper. This is the best sauce Mad Mex offers in my opinion.

The beer I was pairing with these wings was a no brainer whenever I spotted it on tap: Great Divide Hades Ale.

Great Divide Hades Ale is golden in color, and has a wonderfully delicate malt nose with hints of spicy bitterness. A beautifully clean malty sweetness followed up, without hesitation, by a crisp spicy hop assertiveness that immediately leads to a wonderfully dry finish that leaves the body of the beer coating the inside of the mouth. An underrated beer from one of the best breweries I know.

As expected, the Great Divide Hades went extremely well with the Mad Mex San Fran Wild Wings. The malty sweetness of the Hades mixed well with the underlying honey in the San Fran sauce. When swallowed, the Hades' maltiness initially muted the spiciness of the San Fran sauce, then the hops immediately accentuated the garlic and red pepper of the San Fran sauce, leading new a beautiful mesh between the spiciness of each. A wonderful pairing!! Those who can think past a hoppy option, for the moment, will be rewarded with this pairing. Why pair spice with excessive hop bitterness, anyways?! It's like adding hot sauce to an already properly spiced dish.

5th Annual Hell with the Lid Off Barleywine Festival

This past weekend, February 21st and February 22nd, marked the 5th Annual Hell with the Lid Off Barleywine Festival held at Kelly's Lounge on Penn Circle, here in Pittsburgh. This is one of my favorite events! A four hour session, each day, with limited seating, and servers delivering barleywines tableside that are ordered ala carte. Ticket price was $35 before the day, or $40 at the door, and the selection consisted of 31 different barleywines, with 10 of these barleywines also available in 3-5 vintages, dating back to 2003.

I hear that the Saturday session got a little crazy, and that's why I attended the Sunday session. The Sunday session was awesome! A sold out session that consisted of very mature drinkers. If I didn't know any better, and didn't have a wonderful menu of barleywine sitting in front of me, I would not have known that I was at a beer festival, not to mention a four hour barleywine festival . . . Nobody bumping into you, spilling beer on you . . . No lines to wait in, while people funnel to a table like cattle heading for the barn at feed time . . . No obnoxiously loud, ridiculously drunk people acting as if they have never had a beer before. Just mature drinkers, in no hurry, enjoying some awesome barleywine, in a great setting.

Some highlights from the Sunday session:

I shared my table this year with two good friends; Brad Scanlon, Bar Manager at the Mad Mex Robinson location, and, Rick White, Film Maker, former Bar Manager for various Big Burrito locations here in the local Pittsburgh area. Both have stamina, and more importantly, something to say about the beer that we are enjoying. The following opinions were compiled during group discussions at our table.

We enjoyed a few great flights worth mentioning. Please excuse the brevity of the descriptions. Notes were taken immediately at the table as the flavors hit our palates, and I see no reason to edit the descriptions. Rather, I would like give you the descriptions, as they came to us, as we were drinking each.

Not sure if it was our experience that led us right to the first three breweries' offerings, or random chance, probably a bit of both, but we decided to start with three vintages of Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, Stone Old Guardian, and Bell's Third Coast Old Ale.

Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot:

'06: super soft, mild caramel flavor, dry

'05: toffee, vanilla, white pepper, round, full

'04: fig juice, hints of cognac, supple

Stone Old Guardian:

'07: nutty, ripe fruit, round, semi-dry finish

'06: ripe fruit, dry bitterness from hops, hop bitterness left malt cling nicely

'05: super soft, pepper, dry, soft caramel

Bells Third Coast Old Ale:

'06: nice complex nose- burnt sugar, a little hot.

'05: much softer nose and mouth feel, nice hop bitterness

'04: slight coffee roastedness, hints of chocolate, heavy toffee, semi-dry finish

All three of these previously mentioned breweries' beers ranked high for us the remainder of the day, with the oldest vintage of each being most memorable for the each of us.

Green Flash Barleywine 2008 was another favorite of ours, and seemed to be the crowd favorite. A great modern representation of the style, hop forward, hop middle, hop finish, lending to a nice rich, full-bodied beautiful barleywine.

Brooklyn Monster Ale:

'06: surprisingly light at the beginning, opens up with nice fruit, finishes dry with fruitness

'05: super clean, dry, refreshing. Nuances of good english tea. Is that a hint of lemon zest?

'03: hints of chocolate, raisins, hints of orange, soft, dry, beautiful

Rogue Old Crustacean

'04: big nutty, ripe fruit, hints of chocolate. Clean, hop bitterness in the finish.

There were plenty of great barleywines to choose from . . . Some other worth while notables included:

Sierra Nevada Big Foot '05,

Dogfish Head Old Skool '04,

Anchor Old Foghorn '06

Surprises:

Mendocino Talon '06-Mendocino Brewing Company, considered "Old Hat" around these parts, had a wonderful offering with the 2006 Talon. The Talon was drinking very mature, smooth, and nice.

Moylan's Old Blarney Barleywine '08-listing this under the Surprise Section might be surprise to those who know what a great brewery Moylan's is, but I list it here, because the 2008 Old Blarney that we enjoyed drank like a 2 or 3 year old barleywine. It was so unbelievably round and smooth, that it shocked us all! Kudos Moylan's!! You are a truly great brewery.

I'm gonna call it quits with that. I hope that you were able to make it to the end of this blog. If you were, I'm gonna give you the same reward the people that stopped reading early received:

Freedom until tomorrow . . .

Make sure that you make it to next year's Hell with the Lid Off Barleywine Festival. Don't make me tell you about it again.

Cheers!

Green Flash Imperial IPA and Moylan's Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale

Welcome! First, I would like to thank you for visiting my blog, The Daily Mash. What can you expect from The Daily Mash? The Daily Mash will cover beer and beer-related occurrences that cross my path on my daily travels as the Craft Specialist of the wholesale beer distributor, Galli Distributing Company.

This is the first post for The Daily Mash, and it will cover a couple of beers that found their way into my hand (then mouth) on Friday, February 20, 2009.

The first of the two beers is Green Flash Imperial IPA. One of my favorite restaurants, Kaya, located here in Pittsburgh, is currently pouring this wonderful beer on draft! Green Flash Imperial IPA . . . super piney, resinous, bitterness, with hints of tangerine, leading to a beautifully, full-bodied Imperial (Double) IPA! This beer is special, and typically only available in 22 oz bottles, so get down to Kaya and grab one before it's too late!

The second beer I would like to mention today is Moylan's Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale. A stop to another local favorite spot of mine, Brillo Box, produced a memorable experience. I ordered the mac n' cheese: Farfalle pasta with smoked gouda, and topped with crisped shallots . . . Paired with a Moylan's Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale . . . Now you're talking! The Kilt Lifter had more than enough body to stand up to the smoked gouda mac, and the crisped shallots accentuated the bread crust and mild brown sugar notes of the Kilt Lifter beautifully! I found this to be an All Star pairing! The mac n' cheese and Kilt Lifter are both awesome by themselves, but together, they were in full blossom. Get over there and check them out!

Check back tomorrow. I'll be talking about the good times had by all at the 5th Annual Hell with the Lid Off Barleywine Festival!