I’ll see Brother Barley’s 3.5-hop-rated pumpkin/octoberfest lager session beer and raise him a 3.5-hop-rated 8.8% ABV imperial pumpkin ale! The folks at Old Bag o’ Nails Pub in Upper Arlington, Ohio have been rotating this one through their craft beer taps for the last month or so. It’s served in what our too-cool-for-blogging friend Pappy O’Caniel would call a “shnifter”–a strike against it since I am biased against draught beer in volumes less than 16 ounces (no matter how tanked it gets me). And it’s a pumpkin ale. But other than that it was pretty damn good.
SOUTHERN TIER PUMKING
October 31, 2010
1 Comment | 
Tasting Notes | Tagged: 3.5 Hops, Halloween, old bag o' nails, Pumpkin Ale, seasonal, Southern Tier, Tasting | 
Permalink
Posted by Commander Pint O. Chug
TERRAPIN PUMPKINFEST
October 31, 2010
A pumpkin beer tasting note on this fine All Hallow’s Eve.
NOTES: Draft at the J. Clyde
STYLE: Pumpkin Ale (well…technically a lager)
ABV: 6.1%
APPEARANCE: Clear, dark copper…the color of maple leaves on a crisp, late-October day. That’s fitting since the beer is actually an Oktoberfest/Pumpkin Ale mash-up.
HEAD: A short, dense, off-white head that fades quickly into a tight crown.
LACING: Nicely differentiated striations of sticky lacing.
NOSE: Take notice other breweries…THIS is the nose your pumpkin beer should be striving for. It doesn’t smell like the brewer accidentally dumped an entire spice rack into the wort. Rather, the dominant note is sweet, Munich malt with the characteristic crisp, bready aroma of a good Oktoberfest. Layered on top of this foundation is the pleasant, but SUBTLE aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and ripe pumpkin. It’s reminiscent of Thanksgiving without smelling like someone put a pumpkin pie in a blender and funneled it into a beer bottle.
TASTE: Not as sweet as the nose implies…the bready, biscuity lager flavor is the dominant note. The spices are readily apparent in the flavor, but thankfully they take a back-seat to the big, Oktoberfest malt. Mash-ups can be tricky…sometimes one style overwhelms another or else the two styles simply don’t play off each other well. In this case, the Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Ale facets play beautiful music together…each complementing the other while letting their individual notes shine through.
MOUTHFEEL: On the lighter side of medium-bodied with average carbonation. A little dry on the finish, but not astringent at all.
DRINKABILITY: Despite the brilliant pairing of two great styles, the Pumpkinfest isn’t a particuarly complex or aggressive brew. It’s a Fall session beer with a very reasonable ABV and no cloying notes to keep you from enjoying one after another. A highly drinkable brew.
RATING: 3.5 Hops…with this one, I’m trying to rate it within the style and it’s simply head and shoulders above most pumpkin beers on the market.
Happy Halloween, Aleheads.
2 Comments | Tasting Notes | Tagged: Halloween, Oktoberfest, Pumpkin Ale, Pumpkinfest, Terrapin | Permalink
Posted by Barley McHops
AVERY THE REVEREND BELGIAN QUADRUPEL ALE
October 30, 2010
I don’t get Belgians. The country is locked between the beer wasteland of France, the beer wasteland of Switzerland and Heineken-occupied Netherlands. (OK, you’ll say it also borders Germany. What are you, a park ranger now?) Yet for centuries it has produced the most complex and unique beers on Earth, and has done more to influence brewing around the world than probably any other country.
I’ll be honest. I find Belgian beers pretty inaccessible. While Brother Barley will wax poetic* about all things Belgian (beer, waffles and female tennis players… is there anything else?), I didn’t spend a month sowing my wild hops around the Belgian countryside. Again… I don’t get Belgians.
* In fact, Brother Barley previously reviewed the Reverend in one of his patented “six beers in one post” columns. Despite his infinitely greater knowledge of Belgian ales, since he didn’t have the courtesy to notify me that he had already posted a tasting note about the Reverend, I hereby demand that the link on our tasting notes table of contents be redirected here. Failing that, I reserve all rights to react accordingly. Which can go badly.
2 Comments | Tasting Notes | Tagged: 3.5 Hops, Avery Brewing, Belgian Quad, Belgian Style, Colorado, high gravity, Tasting | Permalink
Posted by Commander Pint O. Chug
TAP OUT
October 29, 2010
For those of you that visited Aleheads.com yesterday, I hope you came away with something more than just an understanding of what we merry Aleheads would have in our bars if we only had 4 taps to work with. In this “Fantasy Draught”, I hope you saw that so much joy and pleasure can be had from simplifying a draught list and offering quality over quantity. I’m not saying that I don’t want to drink quantities of quality brews, what I’m saying is that I want quantities of quality brews from a tap list that stands for quality and isn’t simply awe-inspiring due to its quantity. Make sense? Who cares if that makes sense – My point is that I fucking hate bars that feel the need to line 100 taps end-to-end with no measure of quality in place. If you want to know my irrational thoughts on this, then read on. If you like dirty tap lines and poorly poured brews, then thanks for your click and please move on. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | Alehouses, WTF | Tagged: 100 Taps, Alehouse, Bad Beer, Buxom Vixens, Draft, Old Beer, Taps | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
ALEHEADS LEGAL CORNER: PAY YOUR STUDENT LOANS OR YOU WILL END UP LIKE THIS GUY
October 28, 2010
If I can extrapolate from the motion he filed, here’s what happened to Paul Hupp: he failed his teacher licensure exam in California and stopped paying his student loans. Without a court order, the student loan lender or the government garnished his paycheck. He unwisely sought to discharge his student loans by filing bankruptcy, even though it’s easier to sneak into an event at the White House than discharge your student loans in bankruptcy. Ironically, perhaps it was Mr. Hupp’s wit that caused the judges to believe he could get a job somewhere.
If you’re wondering what this has to do with beer, you clearly haven’t read the motion carefully enough. Oh, and it’s The Honorable Ass-Clown to you.
Comedy ensues. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | WTF | Tagged: appeals courts, ass clowns, bad ideas, bitches, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, federal courts, legal corner, legal pleadings, ninth circuit, no marketable skills, paul hupp, student loan dischargeability, student loans, you cocksucking motherfuckers are on notice | Permalink
Posted by Commander Pint O. Chug
THEY’VE GOT UNIFORMS AND EVERYTHING
October 28, 2010
As regular readers of these pages may have deduced, the Commandress, the Commanditos and I live in Columbus, Ohio. One of the nice things about life in Columbus is you can live in a cow pasture and still have plenty of mediocre activities located 2 to 2-1/2 hours away. So every couple of years I venture up to Cleveland to see my beloved Celtics wipe out the perennially overrated Cavs and hopefully escape with my life. A coworker invited me to join him at last night’s season opener, and I graciously obliged.
And that was before I realized it would be the first game of the post-LeBron era in lovely Cleveland. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | WTF | Tagged: Arenas, Celtics, Cleveland, Great Lakes, Ithaca Beer Company, Sporting Events, Thirsty Dog | Permalink
Posted by Commander Pint O. Chug
FANTASY DRAUGHT
October 28, 2010
We’ve all imagined having our own draught-house with a couple hundred choice brews on tap and a few thousand more available in bottles. We could have any beer we want at any moment, and might even be willing to sell a pint or two to our discerning patrons (after they’ve passed a twenty-five question beer exam to prove their worthiness). The problem with that little dream scenario is that it’s too simple, too all-encompassing, and hence not Conundrum-worthy. There’s no challenge in having unlimited taps and unlimited fridge space. You’d just stock everything you’d ever want and that would be that. No, friends, the real challenge comes with having limitations.
Imagine you have a little corner American bistro in whatever city/town you call home. You have a liquor license, fridge space to stock a few bottles, and four beer taps. As the owner/operator, you get to decide what you’ll stock/serve, including keeping the kegerators full of cold, delicious fermented malt beverages. So, Aleheads, enlighten us: What would you have on tap at your bistro? Read the rest of this entry »
6 Comments | Beerford's Conundra | Tagged: Alehouse, Bistro, Draft, Pub, Taps, Tavern | Permalink
Posted by Beerford McBrewin'
TASTES GRAPE, LESS FILLING
October 26, 2010
I hate wine.
Strong statement…I know. But it’s true. I hate wine.
I have sincerely tried to love wine. Failing that, I have simply tried to like wine. But despite all of my valiant, tireless efforts…I hate wine.
I respect wine. I respect it greatly. I understand that it is a wonderfully complex, revered, glorious beverage that has been as important in the annals of human history as my drink of choice, beer. From the Ancient Greeks to modern oenophiles, wine worship is part and parcel with human civilization. I get it…I really do. But that doesn’t change the fact that I simply, unequivocally, inarguably…hate wine. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Tasting Notes | Tagged: 3 hops, 3.5 Hops, Allagash, Dogfish Head, Grapes, Red & White, Victor, Wine | Permalink
Posted by Barley McHops
ROCK ART PUMPKIN IMPERIAL SPRUCE STOUT
October 25, 2010
The Rock Art Brewery is a nice little outfit in Morrisville, Vermont that began, like so many great craft breweries, in an Alehead’s basement. Today the operation has grown, though not by much, and that’s just the way that founder Matt Nadeau seems to like it. With a taste of fall in the air and the crawl of ‘peeper traffic behind them, your Baron and Baroness tucked into a bomber of Rock Art’s Pumpkin Imperial Spruce Stout.
Notes: 22 oz. bomber from F.H. Gillingham & Sons in Woodstock, VT
Bottle Description: A big stout brewed in the colonial fashion with large amounts of pumpkins and spruce tips added to the kettle for flavor and bittering qualities. The pumpkins compliment the malt flavors, and were used to add sugars to the mash. What ever you do, do not think this is going to taste like pumpkin pie.
IBUs: 50
Style: American Double/Imperial Stout
ABV: 8%
Appearance: Bloody dark. Pitch with zero light penetration.
Head: Tall coffee-brown; single finger; solid retention.
Lacing: Sticky and streaky with great hold.
Nose: Chocolate, coffee, and roasty toasty malts yield to subtle spruce undertones. Unfortunately, the delightful olfactory experience is more than a little bit overwhelmed by powerful alcohol notes.
Taste: Very astringent with massive spruce notes backed by malt, caramel, and cocoa. As the bottle promised, whatever pumpkin flavors may have once lived in the brew were completely lost.
Mouthfeel: Oily and rich with nice carbonation.
Drinkability: The Baroness assessed the brew two twitches and a lip smack: “Oooo… no, no.” While this reaction is, more often than not, the sign of a winning brew, this time the Baroness was onto something. While the suds were fairly drinkable for an 8% ABV, they proved far too rich for casual imbibing and the spruce became too much for these taste buds through the 22oz pour.
Rating: 2.5 hops. A challenging bottle. Kudos to Rock Art for creativity. We look forward to trying additional offerings from Morrisville.
Comments Off | Tasting Notes | Tagged: Gillinghams, Morrisville, Pumpkin, Rock Art, Stout, Vermont, Woodstock | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
BLUE POINT TOXIC SLUDGE
October 24, 2010
Blue Point Brewing is a 22 year old brewery from Long Island, NY. Best known for their Toasted Lager, they distribute throughout NYC and have a variety of different beers. Frankly, I’ve never been a huge fan. Lager’s not really my favorite style, and the other “popular” beers from Blue Point include their Blueberry beer. However, as I was perusing the beer list at one of my favorite drinking establishments, Rattle N Hum on 33rd street, this brew jumped out at me. After all, why would anyone name a beer Toxic Sludge? Read the rest of this entry »
Comments Off | Tasting Notes | Tagged: 3 hops, Awesome Beer Names, Blue Point Brewing, Cascadian Dark Ale, Rattle n Hum, Saving the World One Bird at a Time | Permalink
Posted by Magnus Skullsplitter
GREAT LAKES NOSFERATU
October 23, 2010
Great Lakes specializes in a number of styles I don’t particularly care for: lagers, a porter and a Christmas ale among others. But I have always wanted to like their beers, because they have a great operation–distribution is relatively localized for the amount they produce (which is a lot–it’s ubiquitous in Ohio and Michigan), there’s a heavy focus on sustainability, and they generally seem like good guys.
In spite of its kind of dumb name and the bug-eyed dude on the label who I don’t want staring at me while I drink (yes… I know it’s some kind of ’20s reference… it’s not the first time I’ve been called uncultured), Nosferatu finally gives me reason to like — and truly admire — Great Lakes. It’s no wonder people around here go batshit when it comes out every fall.
3 Comments | Tasting Notes | Tagged: 3.5 Hops, Beers Named After Vampires, Beers of the Midwest, Great Lakes, Imperial Red, Ohio, Red Ale, Tasting, Tastings | Permalink
Posted by Commander Pint O. Chug
A FRIDGE TOO FAR
October 21, 2010
I know you’ve all been aching to get a deeper glimpse into the preferences and predilections of the brotherhood of Aleheads (little do you know how dangerous that might be). There are of course numerous secret rituals, ceremonies and beer drinking techniques that we can’t share with you (OK, that last one’s pretty much just drinking games), but I thought it might be interesting to give you a feel for what’s going on in our beer fridges. Some of us stock them with purpose (see Ripped Van Drinkale’s excellent discussion on seasonal stocking), while others of us just grab whatever catches our eye in our favorite package store or supermarket. So this week’s Conundrum will be not so much a puzzle as an inquiry.
Tell us, loyal Aleheads, what is in your refrigerator? Read the rest of this entry »
6 Comments | Beerford's Conundra | Tagged: Beer Fridge, Fall | Permalink
Posted by Beerford McBrewin'
THE ALEHEADS TAKE ON: THE BIG LEBOWSKI
October 20, 2010
A few months back, the Aleheads took on the finest show in television history…The Wire. We tried to find a beer analogue for every major (and some minor) characters on David Simon’s incredible series. It was a pointless, but entertaining exercise that allowed us to revisit a remarkable piece of popular culture. Today we tackle an equally important pop touchstone…the Aleheads take on The Big Lebowski!
The Coen brothers 1998 comedy is a shambling shaggy dog story that critics generally dismissed as a feather-weight trifle two years after the release of the Coens’ powerfully dark, Academy Award-winning, Fargo. But in the years since the movie’s release, Lebowski has become a massive cult film. It’s the favorite flick of both stoners and bowlers alike. It has inspired a large-scale annual gathering of fans (Lebowski Fest). It put Jeff Bridges in the “Best Actor Alive” debate. And most importantly…it may be the most quoted film ever made. The Coens have made a murderer’s row of great films over the years…but when they’ve eventually shuffled off this mortal coil, their eulogies will most likely consist primarily of Lebowski quotes. Although, I suppose that could be, just like, my opinion, man. Read the rest of this entry »
5 Comments | Aleheads Take On | Tagged: Aleheads Takes On, Movies, The Big Lebowski | Permalink
Posted by Barley McHops
MAY ANGELS SING THEE TO THY PACKAGE STORE
October 19, 2010
A Shelf Full of Happy
Until a week ago, I’ve generally gone to my local supermarkets to obtain the various and sundry beers that fill up an embarrassingly large portion of my fridge. Roth’s is a standard grocery market that does a nice job of stocking craft beers, and the local organic food market, Lifesource, keeps an excellent (if small) selection of more eclectic brews on hand. These, along with kind contributions from friends in various locations with access to different regional breweries, have kept me going along happily enough. Last week, however, my beer options gloriously expanded by an order of magnitude.
Read the rest of this entry »
5 Comments | Alehouses | Tagged: Beer Sellers, Capital Market, Oregon, Package Store, Salem | Permalink
Posted by Beerford McBrewin'
GET IN THE KITCHEN AND MAKE ME SOME PIE
October 18, 2010
Grammy McHops passed along this delightful Shepherd’s Pie recipe from that irrepressible, unbridled fountain of joie de vivre, Rachel Ray. While the Aleheads neither condemn nor condone Ms. Ray as a celebrity chef, she is easily the best recipe source out of any of the Food Network personalities (at least as far as Wifey McHops and I are concerned…though Paula Deen certainly has her moments).
The novelty of this recipe lies in the sweet potato topping which, of course, is far superior to the often bland whipped white potatoes you generally find on the dish. For whatever reason, Ms. Ray has labeled the dark beer addition to the recipe as “optional”. Obviously this makes no sense since you can’t have a Shepherd’s Pie without some suds (both in the dish and on the side). This isn’t a query of Conundrum-esque nature, but I’m curious as to which dark beer Alehead Nation thinks would incorporate best into this fine recipe. Personally, I’d go with the Sam Smith’s Oatmeal Stout…one of the greatest session brews of all time. Any other suggestions?
One last alteration for those making this at home…consider subbing out the ground sirloin for lamb. It’s a damn Shepherd’s Pie, after all. A big tip of the mug to Grammy for sending this one along! Read the rest of this entry »
7 Comments | Beer Culture | Tagged: Cooking, Grammy McHops, Recipe, Shepherd's Pie | Permalink
Posted by Barley McHops
HAIR OF THE DOG BLUE DOT
October 17, 2010
NOTES: Bomber in ‘Frisco
STYLE: Imperial IPA
ABV: 7%
APPEARANCE: Very cloudy gold with lots of sediment
HEAD: Thin, wispy white head that barely pops in to say hello
LACING: Minimal…just a splotch or two around the lip of the glass
NOSE: It’s nice, but honestly I was expecting more. Hair of the Dog is notorious for going “big” with their beers. They first made a splash with their Dave, a 29% brew first served back in ’94 (when such things were utterly unheard of). Since then they’ve knocked a slew of huge barleywines and old ales out of the park. I was expecting their first Imperial IPA to be a hop-bomb of epic proportions. Instead, it’s a subtle, fairly easy-drinking brew similar to the Dogfish Head 60 Minute. If I hadn’t read the label I would have guessed it was just a standard IPA. Nice floral hops up front with a citric undertone of grapefruit and pineapple. A fresh-baked biscuit dough scent provides the foundation.
TASTE: I’d give the malt/hop ratio in the nose roughly a 50-50 split, but the hops do at least take precedence in the taste. That biscuity, bready flavor is very noticeable, but it takes a back-seat to the slightly acidic citrus notes. Again, tropical fruits (grapefruit and pineapple) are most noticeable, but there’s some green apple and pear as well. Nice balance, but I’m still a little taken aback by how subtle this brew is.
MOUTHFEEL: I don’t remember the mouthfeel standing out too much which means it was probably medium-bodied with just enough carbonation to keep it from getting syrupy. The 7% ABV is somewhat low for an Imperial so there’s very little alcohol astringency in the finish.
DRINKABILITY: Actually, quite drinkable…it’s just not as rich, challenging, or complex as I would have hoped. If this had been billed as an IPA, I’d probably be inclined to think more highly of it, but as an Imperial IPA, it doesn’t stand up to the best in class like the Pliny, Hop Stoopid, Hop Slam, or DFH 90.
RATING: 3 Hops.
Comments Off | Tasting Notes | Tagged: Blue Dot, Hair of the Dog, Imperial IPA, IPA, San Francisco | Permalink
Posted by Barley McHops
LEFT HAND SAWTOOTH ALE
October 16, 2010
One of the few Colorado breweries with widespread distribution in Ohio is Coors. Fortunately, one of the others is Left Hand Brewing Co., based in Longmont, CO. We at Aleheads are particularly fond of Left Hand’s Milk Stout, which Doc somewhat arbitrarily ranked as the #6 stout in America. Other Left Hand brews, not so much; their 400 LB Monkey has been described as “a primordial version of an American IPA.” Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | Tasting Notes | Tagged: 2.5 Hops, American ESB, ESB, Left Hand, Session Beers | Permalink
Posted by Commander Pint O. Chug
BEERTAIL BLASPHEMY
October 14, 2010
There is a long history of putting stuff into beer. Salting one’s beer is an old tradition that has largely gone by the wayside (for a number of good reasons that BeerAdvocate adequately addresses). A variety of citrus fruits have traditionally been added to certain beer styles, the most common of course being shoving a hunk of lime into the neck of your Corona to mask the taste of that nasty beverage from south of the border. A number of beer cocktails of varying drinkability, from red beers to shandys, are surprisingly popular all around the world. Though I would never advocate polluting a 4-Hop level brew with anything that might compromise its carefully-crafted complexity, it can be fun to create beer concoctions with mid-tier brews for a party, or really just for a Tuesday evening.
So, gentle Aleheads, I invite you to lower your imaginations into the degrading depths of beer bastardization and answer this latest of Beerford’s Conundra: Create for us your best possible beer cocktail recipe. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Beerford's Conundra | Tagged: Adjuncts, Beertails, Cocktails | Permalink
Posted by Beerford McBrewin'
SMOKE ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM
October 13, 2010
And when I awoke, I was alone
This bird has flown
So I lit a fire
Isn’t it good Norwegian wood?
-The Beatles
I don’t really know what those lyrics mean. My sense is that the Beatles don’t really know either. After all, they did a LOT of drugs. Ultimately, the words aren’t important…I only referenced the song because I always think it looks classy to start a post with quotes or lyrics. The important thing here is the song title…”Norwegian Wood”. Why is it important? Because that’s the name of the beer I’m reviewing. That’s literally the only reason I quoted the song. I don’t even particularly like the song. But sometimes there’s a man…well, he’s the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. Aw, I lost my train of thought here… Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Tasting Notes | Tagged: Haand Bryggeriet, Juniper, Norway, Rauchbier, Smoke, Smoked Beer | Permalink
Posted by Barley McHops
…WHILE CARES WILL DROP OFF LIKE AUTUMN LEAVES
October 12, 2010
Shorter days. Cool, crisp evenings. Leaves changing colors right before your eyes. No other season brings joy to a New Englander’s heart quite like Fall. For me, Fall brings with it changes that I look forward to during the last few weeks of Summer when I’ve had enough of the heat, enough of the beach, enough of a lawn full of burnt blades of grass. Even more, Fall marks an occasion that represents part of the very fabric that makes up this here Alehead. I give you the transformation of the Beer Fridge. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | WTF | Tagged: Beer Fridge, Fall, Seasonals | Permalink
Posted by Ripped Van Drinkale
