Doc and I recently rendezvoused in New Orleans for a bachelor party and the first weekend of Mardi Gras. A good time was had by all, we’re told. Photographic evidence supports this conclusion. And we are inclined to believe that it is most likely true. After all, who doesn’t enjoy 70+ degree weather in February, the finest examples of American culinary execptionalism, and, of course, boobs? Nobody, that’s who. Although the lion’s share of our visit involved a slow and deliberate crawl to the finest craft cocktail lounges in town – Bar Tonique was the unanimous favorite – the visit offered a chance to sample Abita’s S.O.S. (“Save Our Shores”), a pilsner brewed to assist with the rescue and restoration of the Louisiana environment following the catastrophic Deep Water Horizon oil spill. Read the rest of this entry »
ABITA S.O.S. PILSNER
March 28, 2011
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Tasting Notes | Tagged: Abita, Deep Water Horizon, New Orleans, Nola, Oil Spill, Pilsner, SOS | 
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Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
BBC PRIVATE STOCK – SHABADOO
March 24, 2011
We have said it before and shall say it again: the Berkshire Brewing Company is an outstanding little brewery offering an impressive range of outstanding brews. I am typically skeptical of bottled “black & tans” and, as a general rule, prefer to have mine mixed… table side… a private Russian nurse named Tiffany. To honor the changing seasons, however, I tucked into a bomber of BBC’s Private Stock Shabadoo Black & Tan. I wasn’t disappointed. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Tasting Notes | Tagged: BBC, Berkshire, Black & Tan, Shabadoo | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
VICTORY DARK INTRIGUE
March 21, 2011
We have extolled the virtues of the terrific Victory Brewing Company on more than a few occasions here at Aleheads, so it was with great enthusiasm that my loyal local beermonger set me aside a bottle of Victory’s Dark Intrigue – a bourbon barrel-aged apotheosis of the outstanding Storm King Stout. I had every intention of laying this one down for a year or more. Chilly nights prevailed, however, and the result was a boozy, but enjoyable foray into a world of malty, roasty, whiskey goodness. Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | Tasting Notes | Tagged: Dark Intrigue, Storm King, Victory | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
STONE LUKCY 13ASARTD ALE
February 6, 2011
We hree at Aelhaeds are terid and true fnas of the osutnatnidg Stone Bewrnig Co., and with good rasoen: Our firedns in Ecndsdoio, Cilianfora have pdoruced smoe of the fensit Aeicrman Strnog Aels avaallbie wolrwddie. It was, theerofre, with gerat aitnicatpoin that yuor Baorn ccerakd into a bmbeor of Lukcy 13asartd Ale, an aniernvrsay benld of the tmreoeunds Arrogant Bastard Ale, Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Double Bastard Ale. Stnoe releesad the ecxeipotnal brew to claeetrbe theitren years of Argraont Btsarad. We can’t igmanie a betetr way to say “hpapy annrviasery.”
P.S., Stone: We enojy wrod sramlcebs too.
Neots: 22 oz. bbmeor form Chrleas Srteet Lruiqos, Bootsn, MA.
Sytle: Armacein Sntrog Ale.
ABV: 8.5% ABV.
Hpos: “Clasisfeid”
IBUs: “Clasisfeid”
Apapeancre: A gugeroos twnay, rbuy puor with a soild, sadny head taht ydieeld to cuntrias of scktiy linacg.
Nose: Huge, beauutifl bnlacae of ctiurs, pine, and creaaml, and bcsiuit.
Tsate: Ouatstdning, dry btiter walolp of resin and gparerfuit beackd by okay, rasoty, mltay goonedss. Irlncebidy ceomlpx.
Mouhteefl: Tchik and juciy, sweet and sour, wtih jsut a hnit of aclohol burn and mieudm cbraanotoin.
Drikilnaibty: Reasnloaby high. I hpapily sipped the mammoth berw, but the sbtusnatail biosoezns shut dwon any iesnrtet in a sceond bmoebr.
Rinatg: 3.5 hops. A trierfic ofrfenig form a geart bewrrey!
3 Comments | Tasting Notes | Tagged: Arrogant Bastard, Lucky Bastard, Stone, Word Scramble | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
CHRISTMAS FOR ALEHEADS: “THE CASE OF THE IPA”
December 19, 2010
‘Tis the season to puzzle over what to purchase for the Alehead on your list. Beer of the Month Club? Nah. A sixer of Miller Vortex? Nope. A nice Bud Lime? Not unless you’re in real trouble. A good bet, Santa, is “The Case of the IPA” from Buzzards Bay Brewing in Westport, Massachusetts – a serialized hard-boiled, detective mystery penned across the labels in a case of IPA bombers. Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | WTF | Tagged: Christmas | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
NEW ENGLAND BREWING CO.’S GANDHI-BOT
December 1, 2010
Once upon a time in Connecticut there lived a home brewer named Rob Leonard: a man with a penchant for satyagraha, a love of Robert Orin Charles Kilroy, and a dream of brewing delicious suds canned to look like energy drinks. Many moons, lessons, and hardships later, Rob, the hero of our story, opened the New England Brewing Co. in Woodbridge, CT, and began to release an impressive plethora of world class suds. But Rob yearned for more. Rob longed to somehow tastefully combine the glories of craft ale, the memory of the Mahatma, and Styx’ unforgettable 1983 single.
Amazingly (amazingly, Rob) the dream was born when NEBC cast Gandhi-Bot to the winds of the Brewniverse.
You’ve done Bapu proud, Rob. Dōmo arigatō.* Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | Tasting Notes | Tagged: Connecticut, Double IPA, Gandhi, Styx, Woodbridge | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
CALL ME ISHMAEL
November 29, 2010
“God bless ye,” he seemed to half sob and half shout. ”God bless ye, men. Steward! Go draw the great measure of grog!”
“Moby Dick: or The Whale” — Herman Melville
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Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
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.
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Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
PRETTY THINGS HEDGEROW BITTER
October 5, 2010
It’s no secret that we Aleheads love the tremendous Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project, so it’s always a real treat when we see that the roving Cambridge, MA outfit has released a new brew. ”Hops are bitter weeds of spite, That blunt the sugars, try to bite…” Dann and Martha promise. Mission accomplished. Bitter to the last drop, spicy, salty, glorious. A perfect example of the style with a bit of challenging je ne sais quoi thrown in for good measure. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Dwarf Hops, Pretty Things | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
LONG TRAIL BREWMASTER SERIES IMPERIAL PORTER
October 4, 2010
Autumn in New England is as good as it gets: Crisp weather, colorful foliage, and sudsy goodness as far as the eye can see.
Your Baron and Baroness von Brue recently jaunted to Woodstock, Vermont where they dined well, slept late, celebrated five years of marital bliss, and happened upon the outstanding Long Trail Brewing Company. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Brewmaster Series, Imperial Porter, Long Trail, Vermont, Woodstock | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
STODDARD’S FINE FOOD & ALE
September 7, 2010
Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale bills itself as a “lasting tribute to those great Bostonians that walked these winding streets long before us, who shaped the landscape of this great city, who were instrumental in fighting for our freedom, and who were the architects of our democracy.” Amongst a liberal adornment of vestiges from the Boston Ladder District’s past, therefore, your Baron, the Baroness, Doc, and Lady Doc gathered to partake in a taste of Bean Town history and discovered a local alehouse worth its weight in sacred cod. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
TRÖEGS FLYING MOUFLAN
August 23, 2010
We at Aleheads have, in the past, gushed rather effusively in favor of the outstanding Tröegs Brewing Company. Headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, Tröegs is the brainchild of Chris and John Trogner – two brothers with a will, a way, and dreams of craft-brewed goodness. Since 1997 that dream has been realized by way of nine tremendous libations. Their Nugget Nectar amounts to nothing less than a groin-grabbingly bitter romp to hophead nirvana. It was, therefore, with considerable mirth that your Baron tucked into a 22 oz. Tröegs Flying Mouflan barleywine, described by John Trogner as “[P]ushing Nugget Nectar off the side of a cliff.” The consequence of such reckless abandon? Pure Alehead bliss. Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | Ale Factories, Tasting Notes | Tagged: Barleywine, Flying Mouflan, Harrisburg, Nugget Nectar, Troegs | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
BERKSHIRE BREWING COMPANY’S CZECH PILSNER
August 16, 2010
Many snows ago, your Baron worked alongside a spectacularly loony lass who happened to be a proud alumnus of Deerfield Academy. In celebration of her apparent inability to gain acceptance to Exeter, Andover, or St. Paul’s, said lass frequently donned a t-shirt emblazoned with the Deerfield crest where, in the place of its traditional motto, “Be Worthy of Your Heritage,” was printed an informative stand-in: “It’s Lonely at the Top.” For years thereafter, many-a compatriot chastised the poor maiden with blithe abandon, confident that the statement was, and remains, patently ridiculous. Today, the Baron offers his heartfelt apologies. Greatness does, indeed, lie in the lonely corners of the Berkshires just a ten-minute drive from Mr. Morsman’s ghost. Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | Ale Factories | Tagged: BBC, Berkshire Brewing Company, Czech Pilsner, Deerfield | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
IN DEFENSE OF BREW DOG’S “THE END OF HISTORY”
July 28, 2010
My dear, sweet Brother Barley recently opined that Brew Dog has gone the way of the Fonz vis a vis “The End of History” – a 55% ABV monster tucked into taxidermied roadkill. The Professor readily agreed. Angry words were exchanged. Fists were thrown. A good cry was had by all. In the jury room of Aleheads opinion, therefore, your Baron shall undertake the role of Bob Cummings.
12 Comments | Brews in the News, WTF | Tagged: Alinea, Brew Dog, Extreme Brewing, Fukuyama, Grant Achatz, Jeffersonianism, Punk IPA, The End of History, Twelve Angry Men, Utopias | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
WAYNE B. WHEELER: THE MAN WHO TURNED OFF THE TAPS
June 30, 2010
Smithsonian Magazine takes a fascinating look at how an astonishingly powerful ale-hating teetotaler by the name of Wayne B. Wheeler leveraged a multitude of early-20th-century political interests from womens’ suffrage to federal income taxation to good-ol’-racism to effectuate the passage of the 18th Amendment, and, with it, a dark (yet not necessarily dry… kudos, Yale Club) chapter in American history. Read it and rejoice your birth into 21st Amendment America.
Wayne B. Wheeler: The Man Who Turned Off the Taps by Daniel Okrent – Smithsonian magazine, May 2010
2 Comments | Brews in the News | Tagged: 18th Amendment, Prohibition, Smithsonian, Wayne Wheeler | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
NOTE FROM A PROMISED LAND: UINTA DETOUR DOUBLE IPA
June 28, 2010
Salt Lake City, Utah is not a location where you might expect to find a pocket of noteworthy brewing activity. While the Shoshone, Ute, and Paiute people may have been brilliant connoisseurs of the hoppy science (you never know), the arrival of Brigham Young and his abiding band of religious settlers put an abrupt end to the dream of a robust Utah craft culture. Upon arrival in that storied valley, the American Moses declared: “this is the right place.” Sadly for any beer lovers among the group, he was referring to the establishment of Deseret; not the establishment of a kick-ass community brewery. Pursuant to the Words of Wisdom, part of Doctrines and Covenants in the LDS scriptural cannon, consumption “strong drinks” is prohibited among members of the faith. This, it’s worth noting, is why LDS membership ranks only second in Aleheads reader demographic polls. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
PHILLY FAVORITES: SUPPLICATION & DAMNATION
June 15, 2010
On the subject of Russian River, sensational brews, and otherwise blurry memories from the City of Brotherly Love, the Baron would be remiss not to recount two Philly favorites. As Brother Barley aptly summarized, Russian River is a gem. For years this daft bon vivant has sought out the joys of a Pliny or a Pig only to be thwarted by the fairly limited distribution aparatus employed by our heroes out in Santa Rosa. It was, therefore, with considerable enthusiasm that I cracked into two truly stellar Russian River offerings: Supplication and Damnation. Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Apocalypse, Chant des Partisans, Damnation, Philadelphia, Revelation, Russian River, Supplication | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
GOOSE à DEUX
June 2, 2010
Bill Simmons, the outstanding sports writer, recently made an astute observation: “I’d like to thank Chicago for single-handedly keeping the following American big-city traditions alive: smoking, drinking during the day, eating terrible food, congeniality and breasts. It’s noble work you’re doing, Chicago. We’re all proud of you. Good luck with the Blackhawks.” True that, Bill. And that libation your smiling, busty muse is lifting to wash down her order of Hot Doug’s Duck Fat Fries? More likely than not an offering from the outstanding Goose Island Beer Company. Read the rest of this entry »
5 Comments | Ale Factories, Alehouses, Best/Worst | Tagged: 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Bill Simmons, Bourbon County Imperial Stout, Goose Island, Honker's Ale, Hopleaf, Hot Doug's, Law Review, Night Stalker, Northwestern, Timmy O'Toole's | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
ALL THE PRETTY THINGS REDUX
May 24, 2010
We here at Aleheads have been known to expound at some length on the myriad joys of Dann Paquette’s outstanding Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project. With apologies to Cormac McCarthy, a shot for the common man it is not. Pretty Things produces a small collection of seriously quirky brews inspired by times, people, places, and ingredients. The result is existential, daring, and completely transcendent. Paquette eschews the boundaries of both traditional brewing as well as the too-often exaggerated zeal of the contemporary haute beer movement. Inspiration alone comprises the foundation of the Pretty Things enterprise and, in turn, proves itself inspirational. Babayaga American Stout? Outstanding. February 27th, 1832 Mile Ale? Sublime. Paquette’s brews are too curious, too mysterious, too compelling to be left on a stockroom shelf. It was with this sense of wide eyed obsessive compulsion that the Baron tucked into a Pretty Things trilogy and, in so sipping, rediscovered the soul of beer. Read the rest of this entry »
6 Comments | Tasting Notes | Tagged: 1832, Babayaga, Baby Tree, Boston, Cambridge, Charles Street Liquors, Dann Paquette, February 27, Jack D'Or, Pretty Things, Saint Botolph's Town | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
FINEST ALEHOUSE: CHICAGO
April 29, 2010
Ah, Chi-Town. The Windy City. Beirut by the Lake. Paris on the Prairie. City of the Big Shoulders. Hog Butcher for the World. The name “Chicago” is the French version of the Miami-Illinois word skikaakwa, meaning “Stinky Onion.” Whether the name referred to the wild Allium that grew along the banks of the Chicago River, or to what would, on day, be the subtle aroma of a warm Dos Equis remains an unresolved historical debate. Several years later, however, in 1833, William Lill & Co. founded the first commercial brewery in America, thereby paving the way for a Northwestern Kallipolis bathed in sudsy goodness.
But trouble was a-brewing! On April 21, 1855, the Lager Beer Riot, Chicago’s very first civil disturbance, erupted when Mayor Levi Boone proposed a new city ordinance intended to close taverns on Sundays, raise the cost of liquor licenses from $50 to $300, and lower the liquor license validation from one year to three months. The move, perpetrated by the Know-Nothings, a charming assembly of anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic nativists, was ostensibly designed to oppress Germans and Irish accustomed to sipping an affordable brew on the sabbath. German leaders raised a defense fund to support tavern owners arrested for noncompliance, and a legal test case was scheduled for April 21. A brief, but festive, riot ensued wherein sixty were arrested, one was pronounced dead, and Chicago’s immigrant voters were sufficiently mobilized to defeat the Know-Nothings in the 1856 election. The $50 liquor license was restored. Suds reigned supreme on Sunday. And modern political partisanship in Chicago city elections was born. How do you like them stinky onions?
1 Comment | Alehouses, Polls | Tagged: Chicago | Permalink
Posted by Sudsy von Brüe
