Beer Review: Going Local With Brooklyn Local 2

The Brooklyn Local 2 from Brooklyn Brewery is the subject of this next beerventure and my take on this Belgian-inspired Dark Abbey Ale. If you are thinking about this style and dark fruits in the aroma and taste, then you would be correct. You get these coming through rather easily. Now, this is one of the beers that are part of the big bottle beer series so you may want to bring a friend. During my tasting of the beer, I did pick up some of the alcohol but not in an off putting way, it was more to just let me know it was there. There is a sweetness that permeates the beer as well, which in no doubt is due also in part to the honey that is used.

Highlighted by a nice appearance, this bottle fermented beer tended to be solid from start to finish. Mouthfeel was very pleasant and it did a good job of also coating my mouth with what the beer had to offer. Check out my video below to hear my rundown on the details, and why I gave this beer an Untappd score of 4 out of 5.

Brewer Notes:

Here in Brooklyn we’ve combined European malt and hops, Belgian dark sugar, and raw wildflower honey from a New York family farm to create Brooklyn Local 2. Our special Belgian yeast adds hints of spice to the dark fruit, caramel, and chocolate flavors. After 100% bottle re-fermentation, the beer reveals a marvelous dry complexity, enjoyable by itself or at the dinner table.

Style: Belgian-inspired Dark Abbey Ale
Malts: German Pilsner, English Chocolate
Additions: NY State Raw Wildflower Honey, Belgian dark candi sugar, sweet orange peel
Hops: Perle, Aurora, East Kent Golding
Yeast: Our House Belgian Strain (primary); Champagne yeast (secondary)
Alcohol by Volume: 9.0%
Original Gravity: 18.1° Plato
Food Pairings: Ham, duck, pork, mushrooms, grilled vegetables, dark chocolate, and washed-rind cheese.
Availability: Year-round
Format: 750ml cork-finished bottles

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout Beer Review

The Cappuccino Stout from Lagunitas Brewing was my latest beer under review and this 9.1% ABV stout brought some goodness for sure. From its nice dark appearance of its body and its mocha or beige colored foamy head, this one carried a nice presence all the way through. The aromas easily came out of the glass with a nice bouquet of the coffee notes. The taste was solid all around and provided an excellent mouthcoating and mouthfeel experience. A nice texture for sure as it wasn’t too heavy on the palate and just seemed to fit perfectly for this full bodied beer. Check out my video to see my breakdown of this one, but my Untappd rating was a solid 4.5 out of 5 for this limited release ale.

Brewer Notes:

For that extra krunk...

Brewed with boatloads of roasted coffee in each batch for that extra Krunk… this Mondo Coffee Stout will leave you wondering whether you're coming or going. Available in 22oz bombers mid-winter…ish.

ABV: 9.1
OG: 1.09
IBU: 73.4
Availability: Jan – Feb 2017
Introduced: 1994
Pair With: Best with LaLoo's vanilla snowflake, floated in a mason jar.

Tasting Lagunitas Doppel Weizen

The Doppel Weizen from Lagunitas Brewing Company is a Weizenbock with a little bit of a bite in my opinion. This 8.7% ABV and 47 IBU lager does bring some sweetness as expected, but is also does have a slight bit of hoppiness. Nothing overpowering, but it is detectable. The aftertaste for me was slightly reminiscent of being a bit citrusy like a tangerine, but overall I thought it was fairly decent and worth a try. My Untappd Rating on this one was a just making it 3 out of 5.

Brewer Notes:

A New Twist on an Old Tradition!

This special brew was designed with the help of our Freistaat Bayern brothers who also built the brewhouse upon which we brewed it. It's a new twist on an old tradition!

ABV: 8.7%
O.G. 1.083
IBU: 47
Availability: March – April
Introduced: 2014

Press Release: Ohio Craft Brewers Tap New Board Members

Photo Submitted by Collin Casto Ohio Craft Brewers Tap New Board Members Collin Castore of Seventh Son Brewing chosen as president COLUMBUS, Ohio – In elections held during the first two weeks of June, the member breweries of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA) elected five representatives to the eleven-member board of directors. Collin Castore of Seventh Son Brewing in Columbus – currently serving as OCBA secretary – was elected president. Current president Chris Alltmont of Fat Head’s Brewery was not on the ballot and is stepping away from the board at the end of his term in July. “Chris Alltmont’s level head and thoughtful guidance has been key to the OCBA’s continued success. The hard work and persistence of our OCBA team ensures that craft brewers have a strong voice and a clear vision to protect and promote what makes Ohio craft beer unique and awesome,” Castore wrote in a message to OCBA members. Castore will become the fourth president of the OCBA since its founding in 2007, following Alltmont, Eric Bean of Columbus Brewing Company and John Najeway of Thirsty Dog Brewing. Board member Brady Duncan of MadTree Brewing in Cincinnati was elected secretary to take the seat vacated by Castore. Larry Horwitz of Four String Brewing Company (Columbus) and Tom Schaeffer of Black Cloister Brewing Company (Toledo) were re-elected to their seats. Wally Weiss of Sibling Revelry Brewing (Westlake) was elected to his first term on the OCBA board. The newly-elected members of the board of directors will be seated in August and serve two-year terms expiring in 2019. Founded in 2007, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association is a nonprofit guild that exists to promote and preserve Ohio’s unified craft brewing industry. We aspire to be recognized as the industry leader at both state and national levels for preserving the art of making high-quality, unique craft beer; to serve as the unified voice for craft brewers across the state; to advocate on behalf of the Ohio craft beer industry; to contribute to systemic, local community development by driving economic and job growth, while creating experiences that bring people together; and to serve as a beacon for local production and manufacturing through craft beer, resulting in diverse choices for consumers. ### For more information, please contact: Justin Hemminger, Communications Manager Ohio Craft Brewers Association justin@ohiocraftbeer.org 614-560-1948

Tasting Lagunitas High West-ified Imperial Coffee Stout

The High Westified Imperial Coffee Stout from Lagunitas is a nice big boss of a beer that came in at a 12.2% ABV and 39 IBU. This beer is yet one more to join their OneHitter Series, which although I mentioned in the video, may actually not be back. I do hope so though, as it was initially introduced in 2015.That being said, this beer provided a lot of good things in its complexity. The aging in the High West Rye Barrels brings some good flavor to the beer and you get the rye coming right out of the glass which such ease. Capped by a tannish head, the beer had a nice darkness to it with some nice reddish tones. And the taste was well balanced and offered a nice creamy texture that provided solid mouth coating and a nice mouthfeel. Caramel and toffee like in its sweetness matched along with the chocolate and coffee in its notes just paired together just about perfectly. There will be a little booziness but that’s okay with this offering, it’s there to just let you know to slow down. A nice beer indeed, my Untappd rating on this one was 4.25 out of 5 on this very good beer.

Brewer Notes:

Ale Brewed with Coffee and then Aged in High West Whiskey Barrels…

This beer couldn't have been done without the help from our friends at High West Distillery in Park City, UT and Chicago's-own Metropolis Coffee. We brewed a rich, malty Imperial Stout with some of Metropolis' Spice Island blend, then let it vintag-ize in High West Rye and Bourbon Barrels for up to 17 FREAKING MONTHS. It's good to have friends!

Nectar from the source, from cast-against-type Utah. Latent heat of evaporation causes apparitions to rise up the column. They rise and condense and cooly run off. Oak barrels, just wood, made magic by a higher power, filled to the bung for a time are then drained. Potential energy. The desire to fall. The barrels rolled west downslope out of north central Utah, outta 6,780 ft County of Summit, into the Basin, past the temptations of Wendover, across basin through range, escaping the Great Humboldt Sink, climb the Cretateous subduction's saw-faced batholitic intrusion, down the Smartville Ophiolite through the gentle Coast Range onto delta, landing gently in Petaluma, where we just plain filled them with beer. That's all there is to it. C'mon by and hang with us sometime. Now with two locations for your convenience..!

ABV: 12.2%
IBU: 39.6
O.G. 1.115
Introduced: 2015
Availability: December 2016 – January 2017
Sold As: 12 Oz. / On Tap

Tasting DuClaw Sweet Baby Java

Here is my look at the Sweet Baby Java from DuClaw Brewing Company, a chocolate peanut butter porter that is infused with whole bean espresso. This limited release beer has an ABV of 6.2% as shown on the label (website shows 6.5%) and an IBU level of 53. Having experienced and liking Sweet Baby Jesus, I was definitely looking forward to trying this one and I wasn’t disappointed. The beer provided a good appearance as it was almost jet black in color with some mahogany red like tint in spots and it was capped with a nice head that was creamy or mocha like in color. Aroma just came out of the glass with ease providing notes of peanut butter, milk chocolate and espresso. It was like a peanut butter cup just dipped in coffee. As far a flavor and how it sat on my palate, it displayed a nice smooth and creamy texture. While it was a little thin, that was to be expected and took hardly anything away from the beer. The body felt to me to be a medium body and I was pleased with the mouthcoating and mouthfeel effects which were dually pleasing. Carbonation also sat well and the finish was pretty much a velvety feel as it went down. But it is a sweeter beer, so that is something to also be cautious of as it pertains to if I would want a few of these. But overall I found it to be pretty solid as my Untappd rating on this one was a 4 out of 5 for very good.

Brewer Notes:

Our single bestselling beer of all time, Sweet Baby Jesus! Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter, Hop Gunned with cold-steeped, whole bean espresso to infuse it’s iconic, lightly sweet chocolate and peanut butter flavor and aroma with warm notes of coffee… without any additional bitterness! One sip of Sweet Baby Java and you’ll wonder, “Where has this bean all my life?”

STYLE: Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter with Whole Bean Espresso

COLOR: Black

HOP VARIETY: Fuggle & Goldings

GRAINS: Pale, Chocolate, Crystal, Black, and Brown Malts; Roasted Barley, and Whole Bean Espresso.

See the story of Sweet Baby Java here: https://youtu.be/CSVzhuDZc6k

Tasting Bell's Porter

Another beer makes this another beerventure, and I have chosen another one from that great mitten state of Michigan. This is a look at the Porter from Bell’s Brewery. This year-round offering carries an ABV of 5.6% and an unconfirmed IBU of 27 as shown on Untappd. It poured a great dark color in appearance with a one finger or so cream colored head. The aromas easily came out of the glass and I was able to quickly detect the notes of roastiness from the malts. This also kicked over well into the taste making it an easily enjoyable beer. You can see my video for more of the details but for me it proved to be very good, earning a solid 4 out of 5 for my Untappd rating.

Brewer Notes:

Our award winning Porter bridges the gap between malty brown ales and heavily roasted stouts. Notes of chocolate, coffee and roasted barley are offset with just a slight hop bitterness. Enjoy any time of the year.

Alcohol By Volume: 5.60%

Original Gravity: 1.06

Shelf Life: 6 Months

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (PER 12 OZ. SERVING)

Calories: 183

Carbs: 17.9

FOOD PAIRINGS

Bell's Porter can be used like Best Brown, but you will also want to consider more earthy, mushroom-like flavors that lend to even richer dishes - ones that utilize cream. Stroganoff is one example. Also try this beer with BBQ, sausage, blackened fish, beef (grilled, roasted, broiled or stew), Cajun food or meatloaf.

Dessert: Chocolate peanut butter cookies, bananas Foster or toasted coconut cookie bars

Cheeses: Blue, smoked Gouda, Gruyere, Tilsit, Cabot smoked cheddar and Camembert

Tasting Southern Tier 2X Oak'd IPA

The 2X Oak’d IPA from Southern Tier Brewing was a surprise find during a beer run. It is not even listed on their website. This beer comes in at 8.2% ABV and was created by taking their Double IPA and introducing maple syrup and toasted oak chips into the mix. The beer provided a nice appearance with notes of sweetness coming out of the class. The texture was not only syrupy but it had creaminess as well that made this beer just lay on my tongue and create some good sensations. The bitterness had actually been dialed down more than expected, but that oak flavor came through very well. This limited availability beer was a very nice one indeed and my Untappd rating here was a solid 4.25 out of 5. This one is truly worth a try if you like sweetness and roastiness in your beers.

Brewer notes: (As Received From Untappd)

Double IPA brewed with NY maple syrup and aged with French oak chips. LIMITED.

We took an 8.2% ABV, 55 IBU Double IPA & introduced maple syrup locally sourced near our brewery in Western New York & moderately toasted French oak chips. Roasted malts bring a deep amber hue that’s matched by drums of maple syrup, which are added to help boost fermentation & provide a clean, earthy component with a slight residual sweetness. Cascade, Centennial & Chinook hops coalesce to create a spicy, floral, citrus & piney aroma. Finally, the beer is aged on oak chips to round out its mouthfeel & provide amazing balance to each sip.

Tasting New Belgium Flowering Citrus Ale

Flowering Citrus Ale is a collaboration between New Belgium and Belgium Brewer Brouwerij De Koninck as a part of the Lips of Faith Series. The beer carries a 7.4% ABV along with an IBU level of 30 making it more malt forward, although I was able to note citrus and piney notes on the back end. I would have liked to have received a stronger aroma than what was received, but the a good sniff did draw some of this out. The color of the beer poured a slightly hazy golden straw color that was topped by an off-white foamy head that did dissipate with some pace. That being said, the appearance was decent enough. As for the taste, the beer was well carbonated and did feature the citrus qualities to be expected. The surprise for me was more of the tartness that was in play which was well done and not overly tart by any means. The beer was not too heavy on the tongue and came across as a light to medium body one in my opinion. A pleasant enough beer, that for me earned an Untappd rating of 3 out of 5.

Brewer Notes:

Our second Lips of Faith four-pack collaboration is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to share this new beer with you. Called Flowering Citrus Ale and brewed with our pals at Belgium’s De Koninck, it is, perhaps, the most elegant beer we’ve brewed to date.

To celebrate our 25th anniversary, each Lips of Faith release this year is a collaboration with a Belgian brewery that holds a special place in the heart of New Belgium. So what’s the story with De Koninck? Here’s what New Belgium’s brewmaster Peter Bouckaert has to say:

“The brewery that brews De Koninck (old Flemish for “the king”), the inspiration for Fat Tire! We had to work with them for our 25th anniversary. Michel Moortgat (Managing Director of Duvel Moortgat) graciously accepted and Hedwig Neven (Duvel Brewmaster) and Dimitri Staelens (Quality Director of Duvel), longtime friends of mine, are the collaborating brewers.

From the get-go we established we wanted something different from our amber flagships, something aromatic, fresh and sour. Flowers came to mind for a beer to be brewed at New Belgium and at De Koninck for their summer seasonal 2016—the King offering flowers for our anniversary.

Through some decoctions, the flowers came in second place with rose petals and hibiscus adding to the complexity. First in aroma and flavor became the sourness: key limes with intense top notes of whole ground up lemons. From amber ale to royal flowery citrus is only a short distance, similar to the distance between Antwerp and Fort Collins.”

That’s right: Flowers and citrus (in case you hadn’t guess that by the name). We’ve got hibiscus for a cranberry-like floral flavor and rose petals for a gorgeous floral aroma. Then there’s key lime juice and whole pureed lemons to bring in that bright, biting acidity. It’s a tart beer without any of the usual micro-floral suspects. And it’s downright delicious.

Tasting Bell's Brewery Lager Of The Lakes

Lager of the Lakes from Bell’s Brewery is a Pilsner style beer that comes in at an even 5% ABV. This Michigan beer provided a nice appearance with its hazy golden straw color and white foamy head, although the head did dissipate at a pretty quick rate. Carbonation was deceiving for the appearance whereas it didn’t look as lively although the taste did confirm that it was. Not over carbonated, but lively enough to let me know it was there as it sat on my palate, before the journey it would take down my gullet. Both aroma and taste were somewhat pleasant on this one, nothing to knock me back but enough for me to enjoy. As with a majority of lagers that I have sampled, yeasty on the aroma but not overly and unlike some of them, a nice pick up of the hops on the back end. These hops also transferred well into the taste which did have a nice pop of flavor as the beer provided a medium body experience. There was some thinness in the texture, but that was expected. Overall, I think it is a decent beer that will work well for many on a warm or hot day. My Untappd rating on Lager of The Lakes was a solid 3.25 out of 5.

Following in the tradition of Czech Pilsners by offering a combination of firm malt and herbal hop bitterness, Bell’s Lager Beer is as refreshing and crisp as a swim in the Great Lakes.

Alcohol By Volume: 5.00%

Original Gravity: 1.05

Shelf Life: 3 Months

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (PER 12 OZ. SERVING)

Calories: 153

Carbs: 12.4

Minute Beer Buzz: Talking The Apollo Hop

This is a quick minute look at the Apollo Hop which is a hop that many use for bittering, and is also a hop that stores well due to its durability and high alpha value. It is mainly used for Pale Ale style beers including Pale Ales, Extra pale Ales and IPAs. This is due to its range of Alpha Acids being from 15% to 19%, making it great for bittering beer. But done right and late in a boil it can also be used to add flavors as the aromas often noted are citrus, grapefruit, orange, pone, resin and cannabis. This is a nice versatile hop indeed for those that want that bite.