Monday, April 29, 2013

Derby Double Pint Night Jamboree!!!

You read correctly folks!  For the legendary Kentucky Derby we will be having two Pint Nights, one on Thursday and Friday!  We will be featuring the Lore Derby Brown Ale right out of Danville, Kentucky!

We have also tapped the Great Lakes Rye of the Tiger Rye IPA, as well as the Green Flash Hop Head Red IPA for you hop-heads out there!  Lore pint glasses are also available!

Exclaim!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Weekly Beer Reviews - Cider Edition

That's right folks, we have had a cider takeover on the wall. 4 of our 5 new brews on the wall will be Ciders from 4 different companies. The odd man out appearing on our wall is Bell's Oberon, a truly delectable Summer beer that is sure to be perfect with Derby ahead. Due to time constraints, only the Ciders were available for review. So, here we go, the Weekly Beer Reviews Cider Edition!

Strongbow English Dry Cider

The first cider hails all the way from the U.K. The cider itself is almost clear it is so light, and the nose has only slight hints of red apples, mint, and watermelon. It is certainly meant to be a quaffable cider. The taste itself is crisp up front with flavors of Granny Smith apples. The finish is light with a bit of sourness that comes off with a grape flavor. Soft flavors of hay and melon were also prevalent. Perfect for a nice, hot day.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.5/10


Angry Orchard Crisp Cider

This has been a favorite among the staff and customers alike. It has made numerous appearances to our wall and sells quite well. As such, it was a given that it would be here for Cider Night. The nose is sweet with lovely aromas of Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, and lighter hints of sage and melon. The taste is sweet up front, but quickly mellows out with flavors of yellow apples, melons, sage, and a slight hint of chicken broth. The finish has softer flavors of overripe apples and baked cinnamon apples. Quaffable while having tons of flavors, come see why this Cider has become a Best Seller.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.5/10


Woodchuck Spring Cider

Woodchuck has been the dominant cider on the market for years...Until recently when several new Cider companies have hit the shelves with a splash. Woodchuck has shaken up a few of their ciders, and this is one that got a makeover for the better. The nose is intense with aromas of grape Kool-Aid powder, maple syrup, caramel, marshmellows, vanilla, and banana pudding. It is a very aromatic cider to say the least. The taste delivers with strong flavors of maple syrup and lighter flavors of caramel and brown sugar. The finish continues that strong maple syrup presence with a dash of whipped cream. While I feel this cider would be better for fall, there is no denying the quality in this one.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.5/10


Ciderboys Magic Apple Strawberry Cider

We come to the newest cider to our shelves...Which has quickly become my favorite on the shelves. Ciderboys has a few ciders, and all of them deliver. It has made itself an instant hit, and so I look forward to bringing this to you all. The nose is all strawberry with aromas of strawberries, strawberry milk, strawberry syrup, and strawberry seed. The taste is tart with flavors of honeycrisp apples, fresh strawberries, and strawberry seed. The finish continues the tone of the strawberries with flavors of orange juice an parsley as well. This is easily my favorite cider that has ever been on the wall.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 9.25/10

Cider Night!!!

Hello everyone

Tonight's Pint Night will be a special one, as we will be featuring four different ciders.  I know some of you are thinking you will be disappointed, but these ciders are actually quite delicious and different from one another:

  • Woodchuck Spring Cider
  • Strongbow Dry Cider
  • Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider
  • Cider Boys Magic Apple Strawberry Cider

Each one of these ciders is delectable -- a perfect treat for the new Spring.  If you absolutely cannot bring yourself to enjoy a cider, than don't worry, there will be 16 beers on tap, including Bell's Oberon.

Its shaping up to be a tasty evening, with new glassware abounding, so make sure to drop in and have a glass tonight!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Weekly Beer Reviews

Southern Tier 2x Steam

I must admit I was at a loss when I went into this beer. Tyler has never had a Steam beer, and I have only had one (Anchor Steam). Thus, it was very hard to rate this beer on where it should be in terms of a Steam. So we just winged it. The nose is interesting and has more in common with an Imperial IPA. Aroma's of citrus, grilled onions, grapefruit, pine, and shoe leather made for quite the intriguing nose. The taste went in a different direction. Strong flavors of earth and dirt hit my palate first, quickly followed by lemon, lemon pith, creamed corn, and a strong bitterness that lingered into the finish. The finish itself had strong flavors of oats and bran with lighter flavors of plantains. All in all, I found this beer to be stellar while Tyler was only mildly impressed.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.25/10


Finch's Threadless IPA

The IPA assault on our wall has begun. Over the next few weeks you will notice a plethora of new and interesting IPA's gracing our wall. Finch's Threadless IPA is just the first. The nose on this IPA was floral with soft hints of citrus, raspberries, garlic, and fresh cut grass. Upon first taste, the bitterness hits like a wave. It doesn't destroy the lovely flavors of lemon pith and grapefruit though. The bitterness continues, becoming almost cloying. A strong flavor of grain and more lemon hits on the finish. While I usually don't tend to like bitter bombs, this one balanced it just right.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8/10


Arcadia Ales IPA

Another IPA hits the wall, this one an English Style. I thoroughly enjoyed Arcadia's Double IPA, so I went into this hoping for another home run. The nose was the first to disappoint, with aroma's of grapevine, tomato's, lemon, and fresh linen. Not exactly what I expect from an IPA, even an Enlglish Style. The keg had a little age on it, so there is no surprise that the nose decreased a little. The taste had very little bitterness to it with flavors of cherries, lemon zest, and mineral water.  The finish was quick with flavor of orange juice and parsley. The taste itself disappeared so quickly that it made the beer underwhelming, even though the flavor itself was good. Definitely worth a try, folks.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.75/10


Heavy Seas Below Decks Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine

Now that is a mouthful of a name for a beer. It certainly promises a rich and full beer being both barrel-aged and a Barleywine. The nose certainly delivers a full aroma that has tons of aroma's in it. We detected hints of oak, creamed corn, bourbon, caramel, vanilla, cream, pound cake, burnt brown sugar, and a hint of salt water. It certainly made for a pleasant entry into this beer. The taste was sweet and rich with flavors of cocoa, bourbon, oats, oak, and vanilla. That sweetness mellowed out in the finish and left you with a slight bitterness. Strong flavors of oak, cream, and coffee grounds was present with a slight bit of heat from the alcohol. Overall, this was intense but probably could have used age to mellow out the strong alcoholic and bourbon presence.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.5/10


Schlafly Black IPA

This is a true treat. Schlafly's Black IPA is finally available on draft (and only draft) and it truly is stellar. The nose is diverse with strong aroma's of burnt charcoal, grilled onions and peppers, bright grapefruit, and fresh cut grass. The dark malts and the hops blend seamlessly into a wonderful aroma. The flavor is no different. Grapefruit hits you first with strong flavors of earth, oranges, lemon juices, and fresh cut grass. The finish has wonderful flavors of charcoal, burnt toast, and coffee. Lighter flavors of honeysuckle, hay, and clover round out the finish on this beer. Come and get it while supplies last!

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 9.5/10

Schlafly Pint Night

Greetings Internet Surfers,

Tonight's Pint Night will feature a brew from Schlafly, the Schlafly Black IPA.  If you are a fan of black IPAs, then you will not want to miss this beer, as it is the finest black IPA I myself have ever had.  We will also have several other new beers on tap, including Arcadia Ales IPA  & Southern Tier 2X Steam Ale.

We will also have Schlafly chalices for sale as well, though there are a very limited number, so those of you who come early will be rewarded.

Woooooo!  Beer!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

New Beer Releases

We have a couple new beers that have arrived in our store. All three of these exciting single and double IPA's are sure to delight your tastebuds and provide a nice entry as more Spring IPA's pour in. So check out these three while supplies last:

  • Left Hand Twin Sisters Double IPA 22oz. Bottles - Just $8.99
  • Heavy Seas Big DIPA 22oz. Bottles - Just $8.99
  • Great Lakes Rye of the Tiger 6 Packs - Just $8.79

Friday, April 12, 2013

Weekly Beer Reviews

Greetings folks! We have a truly special week for you that includes 4 Ommegang beers that have never graced our walls and an Imperial IPA that was one of my favorites and has been on a 2 1/2 year hiatus. So read on and come out and enjoy a few pints to celebrate 2 years of basketball dominance in the State of Kentucky.

Ommegang Iron Throne

We start with the main beer for our Pint Night. Ommegang collaborated with HBO to release a series of beers based off of the hit book and television series A Game of Thrones. This Blonde Ale kicks off that series of beers just as the new season gets under way. The nose is intriguing with aroma's of lemon peel, clove, salt, baked bread, and fermented cherry musk. The taste is tart and floral with soft flavors of lemon and ash. The finish is incredibly smooth and refreshing with more of those lemon notes and flavors of toasted biscuits. The perfect beer for this warm weekend ahead.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.75/10


Ommegang Hennepin

The second in our lineup of Ommegang beers is a Golden Ale. The nose is pungent for a Belgian-style, with lovely aroma's of melon, grapefruit juice, banana's, kiwi, and garlic. It definitely made for a very intriguing nose. The taste is not nearly as exciting as the nose leads you to believe. Clove, clove, clove, and more clove assault your tastebuds right from the first sip. It overpowers most other flavors, leaving just a hint of mint on the front. The finish tones down on the clove, and makes for a delightful exit fro this beer with flavors of bright lemon, minerals, and a slight bitter twang.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7/10


Ommegang Gnomegang

I have a fondness for Belgian Strong Pale Ale's, so I was definitely looking forward to this entry. Right off the nose, Tyler and I could both tell that this was a much different version from what we are used to. The nose has hints of honeydew, taco seasoning, gunpowder, and aged red meat. It certainly caught our attention for this beer that we tasted right in the middle. The taste was more of what you would expect with flavors of coriander, steak, salt, and perfume. The finish was quick and to the point with hints of clove and lemon pith. Definitely worth a try if just to smell one of the most intriguing noses to a beer on our wall.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8/10


Ommegang Three Philosophers

This Belgian-style Quad has always been spoken highly of and so I looked forward to this one. The nose was powerful with strong hints of ginger and cinnamon and more subtle aromas of candied plums, bananas, honey nut clusters, ash, and petrol. The strong aroma's gave so many different hints and made for a beautiful nose. The taste had a little skunk up front more reminiscent of onions and garlic. That quickly faded and left flavors of raisins, brown sugar, and alcohol. The finish took a 180 degree turn and offered flavors of oregano, sourdough, salt, and wheat. More quaffable than most Quads due to the lack of sweetness, this was certainly an outstanding beer.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.5/10


Avery Maharaja Imperial IPA

Finally we arrive at the Maharaja. Not available at all 2 years ago and only available in bottles last year, it makes its long anticipated return on our wall. So, without further ado, let us move on. The nose is beautiful with strong aroma's of pine, almost like being in a pine forest. That is followed with scents of lemon zest, juniper berries, and grapefruit. The taste is bitter up front with mouthwatering flavors of lemons, black pepper, pine sap, and basil. The finish has more lemons and pine with a dash of nutmeg. The beer is a little boozie, but with 10.4% ABV would you expect anything less?

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 9/10

Monday, April 8, 2013

A Game Of Thrones Pint Night

Greetings all.

This Friday's Pint Night will be of epic proportions, as it will be featuring Ommegang's new beer inspired by the hit HBO show "A Game Of Thrones."  If you love action, adventure, drama, sex, puzzling story lines, and mysterious characters, yet you haven't started to watch A Game Of Thrones, than you are truly committing a grievous offense against your own sensibilities.  Check out these trailers if you haven't seen the show, and prepare yourself.  In the meantime, observe our Pint Night selection:

  • Ommegang Iron Throne Blonde Ale
  • Ommegang Hennepin Farmhouse Saison
  • Ommegang Gnomegang Belgian Strong Pale Ale
  • Ommegang Three Philosophers Quadrupel

We will also have two different Ommegang pint glasses exquisite Ommegang chalices available for purchase, which are so lovely that they will make you feel like the Lord of Highgarden.  So polish your breastplate nipples, put on your cleanest tunic, and for The Seven's sake, don't forget to feed the dragon before you leave!  Come to the "A Game of Thrones" Pint Night this Friday!

Valar dohaeris.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Weekly Beer Reviews

Breckenridge Agave Wheat

We come to our first Wheat Ale of the year, and one that neither Tyler nor I had ever had the pleasure of tasting. The idea of a wheat beer with agave is a bit of an oddity, but we went into it with a clear palate and were pleasantly surprised. The nose is conspicuous by its absence with soft notes of melon, nutmeg, banana, and corn. Those aromatic notes quickly disappear though. The taste is pleasant with flavors of bright orange, lemon soda, grapfruit, and slight sour and floral notes. The finish gives you a dash of that agave nectar while remaining creamy and keeping a lingering flavor of lemon. It makes for a very pleasant, hoppy version of a wheat.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.5/10


Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

This growler wall favorite graces our wall again just as warm weather hits. Ironic really, as this is a light-bodied Porter that is absolutely perfect for cool, Spring weather. The nose is another light one with only soft hints of cream and chocolate powder. Nothing to cheer over. The taste, however, is where it is at. Strong flavors of hot chocolate, white chocolate, whipped cream, and roasted coffee made for quite the delectable flavor. The finish continues those trends with flavors of chocolate milk, and cream with lighter hints of wheat and coffee grounds. A dessert beer that isn't too heavy on your stomach.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.75/10


Breckenridge Lucky U IPA

This is the first time Breckenridge's IPA has made it to our wall. The nose was quite intriguing with lovely aroma's of rye, pine, grapefruit zest, and tea. Tyler and I had high hopes for our first sip. Boy, were we disappointed. The beer is a bitter bomb, with those bitter flavors overpowering the softer flavors of lemon juice and cherries. The finish continued into the finish with flavors of resin and chalk. It was hard to taste much through this jumbled mess of bittering hops. Certain to delight the bitter bomb lovers yet to keep others away with how unbalanced it is.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 6.25/10


Great Lakes Alchemy Hour

This new Great Lakes beer has become a customer favorite over the last few weeks. Even I have been enamored with this fantastic brew. The nose is very pungent with strong aroma's of grapefruit, peaches, and lemons. The taste is intense with lovely flavors of peaches, pine, lemons, rosemary, and softer floral hints. Now, this beer has a little age on it, and it is only evident on the finish. Strong flavors of onions immediately kick into the finish. The bittering hops do a bit to hide it, but that strong onion flavors definitely throws the finish off. However, this is still an excellent Double IPA and one of the best beers on the wall.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 9/10

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Great Lakes & Breckenridge Pint Night Double Feature Extravaganza

Hola!

This Friday's Pint Night will tantalize the taste buds and excite the palate.  We will be featuring the dual brewery combo of Great Lakes & Breckenridge brewery:

  • Great Lakes Alchemy Hour Double IPA
  • Great Lakes Conway's Irish Red Ale
  • Breckenridge Agave Wheat
  • Breckenridge Vanilla Porter
  • Breckenridge Lucky U  IPA

The Great Lakes Alchemy Hour is a hoppy brew that we have had on tap previously, and is so ridiculously delicious that it creates raving madmen of desire out of normal men.  And if that news wasn't yet enough, in a bold move of unprecedented proportions, we have been able to acquire pint glasses for both breweries!  Never before* has such an amazing occurrence occurred!  With such bold and exciting news, only a fool would dare miss the Great Lakes & Breckenridge Pint Night Double Feature Extravaganza!


*Many times before

April Growler Wall Specials

Greetings folks! April has arrived bringing with it warmer weather. Warmer weather has brought a plethora of new beers in. As such, Tyler and I have picked a handful of delicious brews on the wall and slashed their prices.

  • BBC Ebenezer Christmas Ale - WAS: $7.99; NOW: $5.99
  • Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA - WAS: $9.99; NOW: $7.99
  • Dogfish Head Aprihop IPA - WAS: $10.99; NOW: $8.99
  • Three Floyds Robert the Bruce - WAS: $9.99; NOW: $6.99
  • Green Flash Grand Cru - WAS: $13.99; NOW: $9.99
Come in and get a growler fill of these fantastic ales at some of the best prices you will see on our growler wall!