P _ _ n _ the Y _ u _ _ _ r @ C _ p _ n _ s

Nilpy eth Gnoyeru ta Oacpsen

A secret source has revealed that a highly sought-after rare beer will be available somewhere in the western burbs of Philly on Sat (3/3) @ 10:30am. Along with this beer will be two other hop heavy offerings from the same brewer and a tasty mix of other hop bombs. Many beer fans would smack their mamas simply to have the opportunity to sample these pours. I've promised not to reveal much more, although other advocates have already put the word out on the street. For this reason expect a mass of humanity to gather early. These grainy surveillance photos and a cryptic message are all I can provide on the location for the event. Good luck beer brethren and godspeed. Hope to see you there.

If this all looks familiar it should. It's practically the same damn post from last year when this grandest of hoppy mega hyped beers was released. Hey 1 point for resourcefulness 0 for creativity.

Beer Reality: The Next Great American Brewer

In the world of reality TV fancy cupcakes, bazaar foods, competing chefs, eating challenges and gut busting meals at funky corner dives rule. Beer? Not so much. Nationally it seems that people aren't interested in watching shows on the liquid subject. Even the marketing brewing genius of Sam Calagione couldn't take Brew Masters beyond one season (6 episodes). Well don't give up hope beer people cable seems to be getting it's brew balls back. Main Gate Productions is putting together The Next Great American Brewer.  The show is reality competition series with pro and amateur brewers facing off.

"The best amateur and professional craft brewers across the United States are brought together to compete against each other in challenges related to brewing beer and running a successful brewing company.  The winner of the competition will have their beer brewed, bottled and distributed to beer drinkers across the country!"

Hopefully this show finds a home, begins it's run and has enough of a following that it doesn't disappear as soon as it arrives. After all there are only so many times I can watch ancient episodes of Beer Nutz .

Beer Board of the Week: Barcade (Philly)

It's been some time since I've posted a favorite tap list of the week. This past weekend I made it to Barcade and Frankford Hall for the first time. The board above is from Barcade and while it's not jammed with hard-to-find or big time specialty beer, it does give a nice range of solid options. Ballast Point Victory at Sea, Sixpoint Diesel, Troegs Dreamweaver, Lagunitas Pils, Sly Fox Saison Brune and North Coast Old Rasputin just to point out a few.

My picks for the afternoon were Sixpoint SMP and Weyerbacher Fireside Ale (Cask). The SMP (7.8%) is a Smoked Baltic Porter made for Barcade. It was smokey with flavors of dark fruit and dark chocolate. The Fireside Ale (7.4%) on cask had a similar profile with a flavor mash of smoked malt, sweet dark fruit, and spice (think allspice & nutmeg). It's the kind of beer you want to kick back and sip on all day. Barcade gets big points for hipness and hangout potential especially on a lazy Saturday afternoon. I'll save the rest of my kind words for a thorough review.

Mary's Maple Porter @ Capone's

Hidden deep in the magical list of draft offerings today at Capone's is a non hop blast from Brooklyn Brewery, Mary's Maple Porter. It's made with 100% New York State maple syrup. This might be the perfect shift from an afternoon of high hop delight.

(From Brooklyn Brewery website)

Mary’s Maple Porter is a rich, dark ale featuring a large portion of her (Mary Wiles) maple syrup in the kettle. After fermentation by our house ale yeast, the syrup is no longer sweet (yeast likes to eat maple syrup too), but the maple flavor shows through in a complex interplay with caramel, chocolate, and coffee flavors from our blend of roasted malts. An earthy hop note rounds it all out.

HopSlam and Friends @ Capone's

Yes it's that time of year again when hop heads around the the land get all warm and fuzzy inside.  The release of the big hop bombs is on. While there are many beers that are big on hops there are a select few that have a cult following. Today at Capone's the highly sought after Bell's HopSlam leads an impressive draft list of top hop offerings.  However fear not non hop lovers as always Matt has not forgotten you.  With 30 plus taps, selection is never a problem.

Whats Pouring
(from Compone's email)
BELLS HOP SLAM DOUBLE IPA
ITHACA FLOWER POWER IPA "KEGGED ON 1/11/12"
FIRESTONE UNION JACK IPA "KEGGED ON 1/5/12"
FIRESTONE DOUBLE JACK DOUBLE IPA "KEGGED ON 1/16/12"
PORT BREWING MONGO DOUBLE IPA "KEGGED ON 1/15/12"
FOUNDERS DOUBLE TROUBLE IPA "KEGGED ON 1/31/12"
GREAT DIVIDE HERCULES DOUBLE IPA "KEGGED ON 1/16/12"
BOOGOOP COLLABORATION W/MIKKELLER AND THREE FLOYDS
MIKKELLER 19 DOUBLE IPA "VERY FRESH"
FREE WILL CITRA PALE ALE "NEW UP IN COMING LOCAL BREWERY"
DEPROEF FLEMISH PRIMITIVE "SOUR"
GAVERHOPKE EXTRA "A HOPPED UP QUAD"
BROOKYLN BREWMASTERS MARYS MAPLE PORTER
KONA KOKO BROWN "COCONUT"
SOUTHERN TIER CHOKLAT
FULL PINT RYE REBELLION RYE WHISKEY BARREL AGED STOUT
Fish Brewing Ten Squared Fish Tale Barleywine HAS 100 IBU's
NOGNE HOLY SMOKE "RAUCH BEER"
SOUTHERN TIER OAK AGED PUMKING
PHILLY BREWING SHACKAMAXIUM IMPERIAL STOUT 
2010 DIEU du CIEL PECHE MORTEL STOUT
NORTH COAST OLD RASPUTIN "ON NITROGEN"
LEFT HAND SAW TOOTH ALE "ON NITROGEN POUR" 
LEFFE BROWN BRUNE "ITS BEEN SOMETIME THIS HAS BEEN ON DRAFT"
ROGUE MAIERFEST OKTOBERFEST

Clown Shoes: Funny Business in Philly

"Send in the Clowns" would be an appropriate anthem for Philadelphia in February.  Clown Shoes Beer from Ipswich, MA (they brew out of Mercury Brewing/Ipswich ales) has arrived and they're rolling out big in the area. Monday Feb 6th was the debut at Tapestry (700 S. 5th Street) with Owner/Brewer Gregg Berman and 9 of his beers on draft.

Maybe known more for their infamous beer names and slightly suggestive label art, Clown Shoes looks to continue expanding it's reach .  The brewery has more than tripled output from 2010 to 2011 and now produces over 3000 bbls.

Previously if you wanted a taste of the clown and lived in the Philly area a trip down 95 to Delaware was in order. Thanks to Bella Vista Beer Distributor that's no longer the case. A taste of Clown Shoes is now only a hop, skip and a jump away. 

Tonight the shoes step into Kraftworks. Gregg Berman will be in house rubbing elbows and chatting beer.

Draft List

Vampire Slayer

Tramp Stamp

Muffin Top

Hoppy Feet

Supahero

Clementine

Lubrication

Eagle Claw Fist

Blaecorn Unidragon

Tomorrow (Thurs Feb 9th) 6:30-8:30pm Clown Shoes in the burbs. Blue Dog Tavern in Chalfont

Draft List

Blaecorn Unidragon Russian Imperial Stout (12.5% abv)
Muffin Top Belgian IPA (10% abv)
Vampire Slayer Imperial Stout (10% abv)

Tramp Stamp Belgian IPA (7% abv)

Hoppy Feet Black IPA (7% abv)

Supa Hero Imperial IPA (8% abv)

Lubrication American Black Ale (6% abv)

Clementine Witbier (6% abv)

Founders Porter

There are those things in our lives that we tend to take for granted.  The tried and true, always around and  never wavering. That's sort of the way I've treated Founders Porter. Passed it on the shelf a hundred times in the midst of searching out  bigger, bolder more obscure beer. Always mumbling that I'd get to it eventually. Finally, I wised up and tossed a sixer in the cart. Oh what a foolish man I'd been to wait so long for such a good beer. I wasn't a stranger to Founders Porter but it had been a long time since my last taste.



Perfect match for a Super Bowl halftime

 When it comes to Porters and Stouts I tend to gravitate towards the earth shattering Imperials (CBS anyone?).  I have to remind myself that rocking a 9% plus abv doesn't automatically make it good. Founders Porter is the perfect example. At 6.5% abv it's no slouch, but having one certainly won't topple you from your bar stool. As expected the pour is deep brown/black. The small head that manages to form, quickly fades as the beer settles. Most noticeable upfront are the dark chocolate/cocoa flavors which then lead to roasted coffee with good peaks of mild bitterness. The surprise is the creamy thickness of the beer. It almost has the richness of a big imperial and notably is one of the thicker porters I've tasted. When it comes to porters this easily checks in towards the top of the list. Founders I swear I will never take you for granted again.

Head Clown in the CBS Hype Circus @ TND

As much as I hate to fall in line for the hype train on any beer, this past Saturday I found myself parked in front of Teresa's Next Door at 10:00 AM anticipating the soon  to pour (doors opened at 11:30) Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout. Having previously had the 2011 and 2010 CBS in no way lessened TND's gravitational pull.  I was so damn early for the event I had time to walk for coffee, relax in my car and catch up on emails well before the first few mingling beer souls started forming the semblance of a line. Sure I could blame the over eagerness on the two Cantillons or the rest of the amazing draft list, but it's the damn bourbon barrel treatment that gets me every time. In this instance I was truly head clown in the hype circus.

So with all the hype did CBS have a chance in hell to live up to the ultra high expectations? Yep! It is a phenomenal beer if you have bourbon barrel dreams like I do. The sweet alcoholic aroma alone will draw you in and have you wishing for a big leather chair placed in front of a crackling fire. I'd have no worries sipping the afternoon away. The 2011 was noticeably sweeter (maple goodness) than the more rounded 2010. Sweet bourbon/maple dominated followed by roasted coffee, dark chocolate and hints of licorice. Even with greater sweetness the 2011 was never cloying and the bourbon burn, nonexistent. Smooth from the start with a pleasantly warm finish. Big psycho hype well deserved.

Would I stand in line again for a glorious taste? Maybe. I know of a place that hasn't unleashed their supply. Sorry, there's no way I'm making that reveal. I'll just wait to get the word and plan accordingly. As long as strong coffee is obtainable there's never a fear of an early morning beer mission.

A quick shout-out to the guys from Baggats Beer Club. It was very cool hanging and having a few. I look forward to sharing several more. I may need to take a stab at getting that trophy. Cheers!!!

Something "Super" @ Teresa's Next Door

This weekend the world focuses on Indianapolis for the Super Bowl "Big Game". Before we all get geeked up for football's biggest day, Teresa's Next Door in Wayne kicks off the weekend with "Superbowl Saturday". It's an impressive collection of limited beer favorites that's sure to bring out everyone and anyone who has ever sipped a craft beer and enjoyed it. Yes that means crowds. Please don't yell at this messenger for adding to the pending hysteria. I'm in the slow lane when it comes to breaking this beer news. However, if this is your pathway to true beer enlightenment I won't feel insulted if you bestow upon me one of the offerings listed below. To all attending: game plan accordingly, treat the staff kindly and enjoy the spoils. Cheers!!!

Founders

Canadian Breakfast Stout 2010

Canadian Breakfast Stout 2011

Cantillon

Iris

Fou Foune

Russian River

Blind Pig

Pliny the Elder

Salvation

Supplication

Temptation

Consecration

Troegs

Scratch 55, DIPA



Don't worry.  Who'd be crazy enough to stand in line for beer?