The Triple Tripel Pint Night

Greetings Readers!

This Pint Night will be quite fascinating indeed, as we will have three different Tripels on tap, all important from Belgium:

• Chimay Tripel 
• St. Bernardus Tripel 
• Kasteel Tripel

In addition, we are tapping the Duchesse de Bourgogne, an exquisite and rare Belgian Sour.  If you are a fan of Belgian beers, or simply excited to try new and exciting flavors, than this is one Pint Night you definitely won't want to miss.  Mike and I will review these fine brews Thursday evening, so look forward to checking the blog afterwards for our tasting notes and ratings, which no doubt promise to be very unique.

Sadly there is a deficit of fancy goblets or chalices, which are most appropriate for drinking beers of this caliber; customers in the know will make sure to bring their own to show off.

With all of these excellent imported craft beers on tap this Friday, who would think of missing out?  Come in for our Triple Tripel Pint Night Special!

Weekly Beer Reviews

Well, another Pint Night is on its way and we tapped one heck of a lineup. Spring is on its way, and so the hoppy Pale Ale's, IPA's, and Double IPA's are on their way. If you are a hop fan, this is about to be your favorite time of the year for the growler wall as it transforms into an Hop Wonderland. Here are the first three to start this rush.


Founders All Day IPA

This new offering from Founders is a sessionable IPA, the kind you can greedily consume for an entire day without the side effects that an intense Imperial IPA would bring. The nose is pungent with strong aroma's of chive, onion, grapefruit, citrus, and toasted sesame seeds. The aroma heads the way for a hop flavor that is surprisingly light for an IPA. Lemon-lime juice and wheat flour hit the tastebuds first. The finish was a little bit more robust with a quick bitter twang and flavors of orange peel and onions. Not my first choice, but definitely worth first glance when you are at the wall next.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.75/10


Rogue Yellow Snow IPA

This elusive beer hasn't been on our wall for almost 2 years, despite my trying each year. The age on the keg made me a little apprehensive...and I was subsequently proven wrong. The nose is lighter than you would expect with soft hints of pine, cornbread, grapes, and tangerines. The taste is bitter throughout with strong flavors of fresh pine, bright lemon, and soap. The finish is more of the same with soft flavors of white grapes and rosemary thrown in. This was a pleasant surprise and proved to be a perfectly delectable IPA.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.75/10


Three Floyds Zombie Dust

Yes, it has arrived again folks! The Holy Grail of Pale Ale's is finally back on our wall again. Before you all get too excited, growlers will not be offered. However, feel free to come in and enjoy a generously poured cup. The nose on the Dust was just as perfect as I remember. Floral hints of Lavender jumped out on the nose with strong hints of honey, lemon, black cherries, and apples also present. The first tastes were more subdued than I remember with a strong bitterness that hid lovely flavors of perfume, pine, and grapefruit. The finish was slightly buttery with hints of honey and lemon zest. Not the best Keg of the Dust, but certainly worth a pour.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.25/10

BE AFRAID

THIS FRIDAY:  03/08/13

THREE FLOYD'S PINT NIGHT.

THE ZOMBIES INVADE...

SEEK REFUGE HERE.

Weekly Beer Reviews

Greetings folks! Things have been busy on the wall, and so these reviews are getting to you a little late. We had a few Guest Tasters for the last three, while Tyler and I took care of two ourselves. Let's move on to those reviews!

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

This frequent resident to our growler wall is one of the featured beers for tonight. The nose is very subdued with light hints of apple sauce, banana cream, fresh pine, and a slight hint of lemon. The taste also seems to be lighter for an IPA. Bitter with soft flavors of lemon and onion appear on the front, making for a pleasant flavor. The bitterness continues into the finish with a hint of grass coming off. Stronger flavors of earth and cream soon take over and make for an interesting finish. Not a bad IPA, but certainly not our favorite.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 6.75/10


Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA

Just like the 60 Minute, this beer is a frequent resident and one of our featured beers...though rarely have they been up together. The nose has lost some of its pungency due to a little age on the keg, though it isn't awful. Hints of burnt wood, wintergreen, lemon zest, and what Tyler could only describe as "ear puddy" gave for an unorthodox aroma. The flavor is slightly sweet up front with hints of roasted coffee and toffee. The hops became more prevalent on the finish with light flavors of wintergreen, lemon zest, and earth. One of my favorite Imperial IPA's when it is fresh, even with the age it is a formidable beer.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.25/10


Great Lakes Alchemy Hour Double IPA

We will take a break from the Dogfish Head's and toss out this new Spring Seasonal from Great Lakes that is replacing The Doppelrock. Many of you might remember their Imperial IPA called Lake Erie Monster. That IPA is stellar, and this one continues that trend of great Double IPA's from Great Lakes. The nose is powerful with tons of aroma's to pick up. We noted hints of peaches, green onions, pine, citrus zest, mango, black pepper, and "The Grand Canyon". Tyler will have to tell you what that one smells like. The flavor isn't as potent as the aroma, though it is still wonderful. Onions, cherries, lemon, and pine make for a wonderful menagerie of flavors. The finish mellows out and gives softer flavors of apricots and earth. Every IPA lover owes it to themselves to taste this wonderful concoction.

Mike, Tyler, Taylor, Jacob, and John's Rating - 9/10


Dogfish Head Palo Santo Oak-Aged Brown Ale

It is rare that we encounter this...A popular beer from a popular brewery that I haven't had. I know, I am as shocked as everyone else. Needless to say, I was excited to try this well-regarded Brown Ale. The nose was incredibly diverse with aroma's of grapefruit, bubblegum, smoked meat, dark chocolate, cherries, and poplar wood. This interesting mix of smells blended really well with each other. The taste is thick and rich with strong flavors of black licorice and cherries. The finish added a bitter twang with strong flavors of coffee grounds, vanilla beans, and smoke. This beer is certainly worth a try, though watch it...It is 12% Alcohol.

Mike, Tyler, Taylor, Jacob, and John's Rating -  8.75/10


Dogfish Head 75 Minute Blended IPA

This beer isn't actually on tap, so don't look for the tap. Instead, it is a blend of the 60 Minute and 90 Minute IPA's. Last time, this beer wowed everyone. This time, I don't think a single person outside of Taylor finished theirs. The nose had strong, strong aroma's of summer sausage and dental fluoride. Softer hints of white bread, lemon zest, and Icelandic spring water were also detected. The flavor was practically non-existant with light flavors of bright lemon pith, astringent mint, and earth. The finish confirmed what I smelled with flavors of summer sausage and muddled mint. Overall, this blend was incredibly disappointing.

Mike, Tyler, Taylor, Jacob, and John's Rating - 5.25/10

Pint Night

Good Evening Everyone,

Tomorrow's Pint Night is only a few short hours away, and it will be one for the books!  We will be featuring Dogfish Head Brewery, and the brews are something quite special indeed:

• Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
• Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA
• Dogfish Head 75 Minute Blended IPA
• Dogfish Head Palo Santo Bourbon Barrel-Aged Brown Ale
• Great Lakes Alchemy Hour Double IPA

Each one of these excellent Dogfish Head brews is an event by itself, but the Great Lakes Alchemy Hour is truly wonderful.  It is deep, intense, and very complex in flavor; all of you hop-heads will fall in love with it!

You shall be delighted to know that we will have the amazing Dogfish Head chalices that were specifically designed for India Pale Ales by Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada.  If you missed the earlier blog post posting the link about these beautiful glasses, you will want to check it out now:

http://www.dogfish.com/community/news/press-releases/dogfish-head-sierra-nevada-debut-new-standard-for-ipa-glassware.htm

In addition we will have bottles of the very IPA that was invented specifically for these glasses:  the Rhizing Bines East Coast / West Coast IPA, which is a collaboration between Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada, just like the glass itself.

With the exciting turn of events that has impacted tomorrow's Pint Night, how could you bear to miss it?  Don't be the only poor soul left out in the proverbial rain, come into Pint Night and enjoy some wonderful craft beers!

India Pale Ales: Drink Them While They Are Fresh

http://appellationbeer.com/drink-them-while-they-are-fresh/

The above article may be a little dated (it comes from last August), but the information contained within is still valuable nonetheless.

The article details the importance of fresh IPAs, and includes nuggets of shocking information such as, "Sierra Nevada Brewing has determined the levels of the compounds that produce those floral, spicy, etc. aromas that have made highly hopped beers so popular drop dramatically the first three days after bottling".

An informative read that will certainly make every hop-head appreciate the fresh brews we serve here at the Liquor Barn all the more.

Additional Beer Reviews

Greetings folks! Seems the taps have been busy. Business seems to have picked up with all the unseasonably warm days we have had. As such, we have 3 other beers to offer on tap. Note that on two of these our scores differed so greatly that I offered up individual scores. So, without further ado, the reviews!

Six Point Bengali Tiger IPA

This IPA has been the most popular Six Point we put on tap. Usually, that makes for one heck of a beer. However, the age on this keg has certainly sapped it of its hop power. The nose remains, which is shocking. Pine, fresh cut grass, and hints of pineapple form a mouthwatering aroma. The beer itself was fairly bitter and bland. Flavors of Citrus, Rye, and Ramen made for more of a Pale Ale flavor. The finish continued those light flavors that were overpowered by the bitterness with light hints of fresh cut grass, toast, and orange peel. It is a light IPA for Spring with plenty of bitterness, but stay away if you are looking to have your socks knocked off.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 5.75/10 (Mike - 3.75; Tyler - 7.75)


Green Flash Grand Cru

This Belgian Strong Dark Ale from Green Flash makes the second Belgian-style by a usually predominant American Style Brewery in the last couple of weeks. I must say that the nose on this beer is different from any beer I have put on tap in a long while. Aroma's of honeysuckle, lavender, licorice, mesquite jerky, powdered sugar, and garlic made for a diverse nose that is a wonderful start to this brew. The taste is lightly sweet with flavors of brown sugar, clove, molasses, and roasted coffee. Smooth as silk until the finish when a bitter hoppy twang appears and a tart flavor of raisins shines through. If you are a fan of Belgian Styles than look no further!

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8/10 (Mike - 9.00; Tyler - 7.00)


Stone Imperial Russian Stout

I am proud to present this Russian Imperial Stout from Stone as one of the last great Stouts for Winter before the seasons change. This keg has been delicately aged for one year and is now ready to tap! The nose is pungent with strong hints of coffee, cherries, cream, oak, walnuts, and rye bread. The taste is wonderfully rich with thick flavors of raisins, brown sugar, toffee, and fig. The finish is deliciously long with flavors of coffee beans, molasses, and dark chocolate. The year of age has smoothed out this already incredible Stout.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.75/10