Sean's Beer Blog

Well I’d just be a magnificent jerk if I didn’t write about tasting this, what is probably the Biggest Deal Beer (for very good reasons) that I’ll have this year — or the next, even — thanks to the ever-generous Mouse. I’m sipping Stone’s Vertical Epic, 2011 edition. Stone’s released one of these every year, on the triple dates, since 2002: 02/02/02, 03/03/03, 04/04/04, etc. I’m drinking 11/11/11 tonight, though I’m about a year early. The idea is to hold onto all of them until 12/12/12, when each one will have individually aged the intended amount. The overarching taste experience will tell a story, with each beer touching on tones and flavors and whathaveyous of that year. A noble, awesome endeavor, no doubt, but I’m an impatient man and don’t have the rest of the story anyway. To experience the whole tale, I’d have to fork over $1100, so I’ll take my gratification immediately, please. 

I won’t even start to think I can fully appreciate every note of this beer, so I’ll turn it over to the folks at BeerAdvocate in a second. But first, my initial, amateur, ham-fisted thoughts. It’s a dark, full beer- I don’t want to say heavy, though it isn’t a light beer either. I tend to associate “heavy” with beers that feel heavy, and this one doesn’t. Like I said, it’s not a light beer either, but my palette doesn’t feel overwhelmed or attacked, which I feel some “heavy” beers make the mistake of. But it’s a very full taste- I’ve said before that a beer feels “full” to me, but this is the first time I’ve tasted a beer with this much of my mouth. I’m trying to find the part of my mouth the taste is centering in, and I can’t. Everything is experiencing something.

The bottle tells me this is brewed with Anaheim chilies and cinnamon sticks, with Belgian Flanders Golden Ale yeast, and that I should be tasting clove and banana overtones. I’m definitely picking up the cinnamon (though it could be the clove), but I’m not latching onto any banana tastes. A second attempt has me noticing some banana-like smells, but still nothing in the taste. 

The aftertaste is soft, but definitely present. I’m left thinking about this beer, but not overwhelmed by it. Overall, this is a brilliant beer, but that should be obvious by now. Dark, mysterious, and having all sorts of noirish adventures while sporting a functional, yet sharp trenchcoat.

And now, for the professionals:

BA seems to go on a lot about how the chillies add more flavor than heat, and they’re right about that. I haven’t noticed a hint of spiciness whatsoever. And there’s some talk about the aftertaste favoring sweetness over bitterness- I can’t say I taste the sweet, but I get the absence of bitterness. It’s not a bad thing; this beer doesn’t go for bitter, and it succeeds at avoiding it without making that avoidance an issue in itself. (“If you’re doing it right, people won’t notice you’ve done anything at all.”) 

Definitely a beer worth tasting, if you’re interested in experiencing a beer more than tasting it. If you’ve already gotten the rest of the set, then you probably already have this. too. Even if you haven’t, this one’s worth it. Grab it next time you’re at your local awesome beer place.

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers - Big Daddy IPA / San Fransisco, California

I’ve been seeing Speakeasy’s creepy little eyes staring at me from more and more bar windows and pint glasses around New York recently. I haven’t had the chance yet to sit down and collect my thoughts, but I’m finally taking the time with their IPA. It’s a treat, and probably one of my favorite IPAs yet. A nice hoppy flavor, an amber color, and a smooth finish all round out the beer well. I’ll definitely be coming back to this one again soon, and giving the rest of Speakeasy’s line a try.

5.5/7

Saranac Black and Tan / Utica, New York

YUM. Love this. Going to make this quick because I’m cooking spaghetti and the sauce is very much so already done. Very full, very rich taste. A powerful aftertaste as well, with something that’s reminding of something about coffee’s aftertaste as well, though I don’t think there’s anything in this that’s going for that. If anything, it’s probably the stout. I’ll definitely be seeking this out again.

5/7

Flying Dog Brewery - Woody Creek White / Frederick, Maryland

This should be the last one tonight, but I’ve got to be honest, I’ve never been good at telling myself to stop drinking delicious beer.

Before starting this blog, I thought I had an idea of what kind of beer I liked. I would have said I preferred lighter, sweeter beers. But upon taking the time to actually write down my thoughts, I’ve learned a lot about what I like to drink. I used to look at a large selection of beers I’ve never heard of and just pick the ones with names or labels that sounded appealing to me. As my experience grew, I learned to lean towards certain names or labels: Brooklyn Brewery, Magic Hat, anything with the word “vanilla” in it, summer seasonals or Oktoberfests, and more. Since I’ve begun the blog, though, I’ve realized that my palette is just as diverse as the world of beers is. Within one style of beer are a HUGE variety of tastes, and it’s pretty ignorant of me to write off or approve one style of brew across the board, regardless of who makes it or what variation they bring to it.

So with that revelation in mind, I come to Flying Dog’s Summer Seasonal- Woody Creek White. It’s a Belgian style wit beer (yes, I’m just looking at the label, go over to ratebeer.com if you want a pro, nerd), something I’ve avoided in the past. My only experience with “wit beers”, which as a self-admitted beer amateur, I assume means “wheat” or “white” beers, has been Hefeweizen, which I’ve enjoyed, for what it is, but haven’t found myself seeking out when staring at a retail freezer. Perhaps I don’t prefer Hefeweizen when it comes down to it, or perhaps it’s just been a while since I’ve had one, but if it’s anything like Woody Creek White, I should give it another shot.

Woody Creek White is full, with a slight bitter orange taste (also off the label, but eat my shorts, I tasted it on my own anyway) and a nice carbonation. While it’s not a style of beer I would seek out, it’s certainly not a beer I would turn down if offered or I saw on a row of taps.

4/7

Shmaltz Brewing Company - Coney Island Albino Python / Saratoga Springs, New York

I’ve had this beer before, but it was before I started this blog, so I didn’t think to write down what I thought about it. And I wanted to make sure I got it in here, because I’ve really never tasted another beer like it. And when I say that, I’m talking about the SPICE. WOW. Love it. I’ve never had another beer that included spices (at least that I can recall) this successfully. They’re present from the first sip all the way through the aftertaste of the last gulp.

Tasting through the (delicious) spiciness, I’m noticing… a full, malty body, a present but not overpowering aftertaste, and something I want to describe as a “pinch”. Just the first word that comes to mind. Maybe that’s the taste,maybe that’s the carbonation, I don’t know. But “pinch”.

All that being said, the main attraction here is the tasty spices. Give it a try or two, you’ll know what I’m talking about immediately.

4.5/7

Magic Hat Brewing Company - Blind Faith IPA / Burlington, Vermont

Another Magic Hat, and another IPA. I’m a big fan of Magic Hat, and will try anything of theirs at least once (but sometimes only once- see Single Chair), and I took this beer on that idea. (There’s a joke here about taking this beer on “blind faith”… I’m going to leave that up to you guys for bonus points on next week’s quiz.) I’m not unimpressed. The hoppiness is smoother than other IPAs I’ve had, which is a personal plus for me, but it’s prominent enough to encourage other, hardier brew consewmers to come back for more. The aftertaste matches the initial taste: not too overpowering, but certainly present and noticeable.

Overall, an enjoyable IPA, with a present, but not overwhelming, hoppiness. I dig. I’ll come back for more.

Rating: 4.5/7

Magic Hat Brewing Company - Wacko (Pale Ale) / Burlington, Vermont

Well, upon first glance, this beer is RED. Very red. Apparently beets in the brewing give it its signature color. And upon first taste- wow! I was not expecting this. Wikipedia tells me Wacko is a “fruit beer”. I can’t say I taste the fruit here, or the beets, but there’s plenty else to taste. I’ll do my best to put what I’m tasting into the appropriate words, then check some beer site to see what I “should” be saying.

There’s a very… round body to this. A distinctive body, however it should be called.

…OK, that’s honestly all I can figure out to say about this beer. There’s a lot to taste, it has a distinctive, “round” body, and it’s red. Also, as it is a summer beer, it’s nice and light, but with enough body to give you something to think about on a hot day. (Holy shit that actually sounded like I knew what I was talking about for a second.)

Let’s see what the internet has to say:

Magic Hat Wacko pours to a bright pinkish-red color with a thick rocky head formation and a slightly malty, faintly buttery nose. The palate is crisp with a decided delicate malt base, a little toastiness even, and a permeating layer of buttery diacetyl (that’s from the Ringwood yeast, folks). A bit of grassy, slightly herbal hops round out the finish nicely, and just before they punctuate, I think I get a bit of vegetal flavor and maybe a hint of tartness. The body seems to peter out in the finish, and gets a bit thinner than I like.
 (from epinions.com)

OK, I got most of that, except for most of it.

4.5/7

I promise I haven’t forgotten you, beer blog, I’ve just been… OK, I’ve forgotten about you.

But here’s something interesting to talk about- I love going to the PIT not only for their weekly jams and Super Free shows, but for the always interesting beer selection in their bar. This tap (above), has replaced a vanilla java porter they had for a while that I have woefully unremembered the name of. McNeill’s is delicious, and even a little sweet. I’ll try to think more about it next time I have the pleasure of imbibing it, to report better for you folks.

If you want to see awesome improv (with Famous People! Sometimes!) and drink shitty cheap beer, then UCB is the glorious place for you. But if you want to see/do some fun improv and drink something really interesting, then check out the PIT.