Beer Review: Abbaye de Maredsous 6° Blonde (5 YR Vintage)

During a recent beer run I stumbled across
this ale from Abbaye de
Maredsous. The Maredsous 6° Blonde is a Belgian Blonde Ale that
comes in at a respectable 6% ABV. But, what I didn’t notice is that this is
also a 2011 vintage, so what would be the effect on it over a five year time
frame. Well there is only one way to know, so let’s see how it compares.

Commercial Description:

The light Maredsous Blonde was the abbey's
very first beer. Nowadays, the monks still drink it daily at lunch. Maredsous
Blonde is delectable blonde ale with springy fruitiness, soft malting and a
slightly dry, gentle-hopped finish. A sparkling nose, complex flavors and a
touch of bitterness give this fine ale all of the refreshing qualities of a
classic Belgian blonde.

Beer Review: Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Chesapeake Stout

Frederick, Maryland is the home of Flying Dog Brewery and just over a couple of hours away is the Rappahannock River which sits nestled in Virginia. And this is where oysters are gathered for the Pearl Necklace Chesapeake Stout. That’s right oysters are used to make this specialized 5.5% ABV Stout. Let’s see how it compares.

Commercial Description:

Brewed with Rappahannock River Oysters, it’s a dark, roasted, dry, and slightly bitter stout.

ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 5.5%

AVAILABILITY: All day, every day

HOP BITTERNESS: 35 IBU

SPECIALTY MALTS: Roasted Barley, Midnight Wheat, Cara-Pils, Black

HOPS: Perle

YEAST: English Ale

Press Release: Ohio Craft Brewers Association Adds Justin Hemminger

OHIO CRAFT BREWERS ASSOCIATION HIRES COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER   COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Craft Brewers Association announced today that it has appointed Justin Hemminger to the position of communications manager. As the market for Ohio-made craft beer continues to expand, this position was created to serve and promote the association’s rapidly growing membership. Currently, the association represents 129 active brewery members, up from 32 in May of 2013. Hemminger comes to the Ohio Craft Brewers Association after previous experience as director of corporate communications for Tigereye Promotions and as general manager of the Big Room Bar, an Ohio-centric craft beer bar in Columbus. “I am very excited for the opportunity to be an advocate for Ohio’s craft brewers,” Hemminger said. “We’re making world-class beer here in the Buckeye State, and I’m thrilled to have the platform to tell people about it.” “We’ve seen so much growth in the past three years, and we’re expecting much more going forward,” said Ohio Craft Brewers Association Executive Director Mary MacDonald. “Justin’s experience and enthusiasm will be tremendous assets to our effort to promote Ohio’s craft beer industry.” 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

Beer Review: Adelbert's Black Rhino

As I continue my journey through the beers of Adelbert’s
Brewery out of Austin, Texas, I now feast my eyes on the Black Rhino. This dark
black session ale comes in at 5.6% and my palate is feeling up to the challenge
to see or taste what it has to offer. Let’s see how it compares.

Commercial Description:

Black Session Ale (5.6% ABV)

2013
Craft Beer Awards Gold Medal

Bronze Medal Belgian Strong Dark Ale from Best of Craft Beer Awards 

THE
ALE: Black Rhino is an earthy ale with hints of coffee and
cocoa that pours as dark as the name we gave it. Don’t let the name fool you.
This dark ale is surprisingly smooth and easy drinking. It pairs well with
salty appetizers, bold musky cheeses, and wild game dishes. 

THE
STORY: Del loved photography, and his time in Kenya provided
many opportunities for this passion. He would seek out and photograph amazing
things on his adventures. We named this black ale in honor of the rare black
rhino that Del would “hunt” during photo safaris in Kenya. This rare ale, like
the black rhino, is truly a beautiful sight to behold.

This Week In Beer 1/5/17

A Weekly Look At Beer Happenings...

This week the panel includes:

Rod J BeerVentures: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasJ2pPa0BPeGUKuf8PwxSQ

ThomasMetal75: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcGmtwbq2xiw6q4b9Pf3XZA

BoozeReviewca: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Krv_C5PzEpm1hslgX1ArA

EricALionsFan: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ucenf13Dhrhw9OqpCJMBA

Jean H Pierre: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8tRXrqZzhiGsuMuEyx1Y-w

Beer Review: Stillwater Rio De Sauvin

Her name is Rio and Stillwater has her. Rio De Sauvin if you
please, and this 7.7% ABV Saison or Farmhouse Ale if you prefer comes as a
collaboration offering from Stillwater Artisanal Ales and Against The Grain
Brewery and Smokehouse. And she is looking might fine, so let’s check her out
to see how she compares.

Commercial Description:

Farmhouse
ale brewed with mango juice and passion fruit juice. "The boys at Against
The Grain made a beer based on a fictional ’sexy man’ and uhh, his sheep
friend. So sticking with the theme and the fact that we have been spending some
time in Brazil lately, we decided to amp up the sexy and host a tropical orgy
of fruit flavors, hops, malt, and yeast..umm, yeah." - Brian (Stillwater
Artisanal)