What a frightening name. What if I don’t brew free? How do you ever brew free really? I’m so confused and frightened by this beer. Plus, it comes in a can. Do you like it in the can? What the hell am I talking about anymore? I’m loosing it.

Anyway I’m a big fan of 21st Amendment and their cans. The San Fransisco shop is one of a handful of breweries out there today that’s breaking the myth that canned beer is dirty and filthy. Their Brew Free or Die IPA is living proof that if you believe cans are for scumbags you’re an asshole and will go straight to hell. Think about it, sounds harsh huh? They use 6 different kinds of hops in the brew and the first whiff you get from the aroma is just that, lots and lots of hops. A crisp bite comes with the first sip but is followed up quickly by a nice malty backbone. A dry finish tops things off but isn’t so overpowering that you can’t sit down and drink a few of these. A great balls out IPA that I’m happy to see out on the east coast now. The wife and I made it to the brewpub a few months back when we were in Cali and from what I sampled I’m hoping the rest of their brews will be canned in the near future. Suck this one down when you get a chance.

21st Amendment Brewery - Brew Free or Die IPA

This past weekend I got all excited to see one of Bar Harbor Brewing’s beers in my local store. I got excited because the wife and I are planning a trip up to the fine state of Maine this summer and Bar Harbor is in Maine. See how this all worked out for you and I? Pretty cool isn’t it. Want to take it a step further? The beer is Cadillac Mountain stout and is part of their small batch series. Cadillac Mountain is in Maine! What a terrible post this is so far.

This is a dry stout and I can 100% confirm it is in fact a stout that is dry. So Bar Harbor Brewing is no group of liars. It’s got a nice black coffee aroma and flavor to it with a lot of roasted malt goodness. Not a ton in the way of carbonation here which probably helps to make it really smooth and drinkable. This one has got me all pumped up for the trip to the North to suckle this brew directly from it’s source. Yup, terrible post.

Bar Harbor Brewing - Cadillac Mountain Stout

We’ve got a heat wave here in the fine state of New Jersey. This weekend it’s suppose to be close to 80. Alright maybe not a heat wave but still I think it’s about time to crack a few of Stoudts Brewing Co.’s Karnival Kolsh’s. Happy times kids. Now I’ll be 100% honest with you all, because that’s the kind of guy I am. Before drinking this beer I’d had a total of 0 Kolsh’s. Or at least that I remember. I’m sure at some tour or tasting I’ve tried one but never actually picked up a six pack. But about a month ago on a bus trip put on by The Pony I had a chance to try Stoudt’s Kolsh and I was happy, mighty happy. The Pony, bringing people together. Isn’t that sweet?

The aroma is somewhat grassy with some hops poking in. Sounds strange I know but it’s pretty good. Like a fresh cut field with booze in it. Sounds nice doesn’t it? The taste reminds me a lot of sour dough bread. I love sour dough bread. Just a note in case you’re looking to get me a gift of the food kind. A little bit of the hops coming in but not much. Very light and refreshing so you can easily down a 6 of these and not blink an eye. I think you might have a problem. I’ve read some other reviews of this beer and a lot of people say it’s a bit off for a Kolsch but I don’t give a crap. I like it just good so whoever doesn’t is a jackass and is wrong about everything in the world. There I said it.

Stoudts Brewing Co. - Karnival Kolsch

I don’t know what the people at Lakefront Brewery have against bridges and honestly I don’t really care. They’ve made a mighty tasty brew here so if they want to burn them all down I’m not going to stop them. I’ve just started to see their beers pop up in my fine area of New Jersey and I’m as giddy as a school girl about it. Their IPA was so good I drank it all before I had time to write a post or take a picture of it. Don’t you just hate me? I deserve it I know.

Their Bridge Burner ale is part of their special reserve series, so you know it’s going to be classy. It’s a big guy so look out, it’ll take you to thunder dome, whatever that means. Lots of caramel and malt in the aroma and a nice big head tops off this rather dark tadger. I don’t think that’s a word either so don’t worry. The taste is complex, a lot going on here. Sweet with lots of malt but also a big hop presence. Hard to explain but it’s all around good. You would never be able to tell that there’s a 8% ABV floating around in those delicious waters either. This could be bad.

Give this one a go if you can track it down. If not honestly I’m starting to think any of Lakefront’s beers are going to do you right so I’m looking forward to seeing more of their work.

Lakefront Brewery - Bridge Burner

Spring has spring my friends and I couldn’t be happier. Not because of the weather, no my pale skin doesn’t do good in the sun. I’m more excited because spring time is when Dogfish Head Aprihop hits the shelves. It’s truly one of my favorite beers and might possibly be the best thing on a warm spring day. On top of that the label matches my short shorts that I usually wear around this time of year. Did you just get sick? I hope so.

For those of you who don’t get the clever name, Aprihop is a hopped up beer made with real apricots. You like apricots don’t you? Sinner. The hops aren’t too overpowering on this but you do get some in the aroma. I wouldn’t say it’s to crazy with the apricots either but you do get a decent amount of citrus in the nose. The taste brings more of the hops to the table though. Again I wouldn’t say a lot of apricots but the flavor is nicely balanced. Might be good to get more of the apricots here but in general the flavor is great.

Dogfish Head - Aprihop

Aging beer is always a tough one for me. Sometimes I just get so excited about cracking open a beer that I run through the apartment drinking everything in site. By the end of the night there are broken bottles everywhere and I’m hammered out of my mind. Alright that’s not really true but honestly who the hell can put a beer aside for a year or two and not want to drink it? Luckily I’ve been able to with a couple offerings thanks to a small wine fridge we got a few years back. Out of sight out of mind as the kids say. So this weekend I decided to crack open a three year old bottle of Flying Dog’s Gonzo Imperial Porter. That’s how I roll son.

I first had Gonzo Porter man moons ago when I had a chance to visit Flying Dog’s brewery back when they were based out in Dover. It was a limited release only available at the tasting room back then and it was mighty good. Big and mighty brew which didn’t hide its 9.2% ABV. It made a bitch out of me you might say. This is probably the best part of aging this beer out for a while though in my opinion. It does a lot to mellow out alcohol flavor. I liked it a lot fresh from the bottle but a couple years in the slammer did a lot to help the chocolate and coffee flavor combine well with the malt sweetness. If you can wait on this one I’d suggest giving it a year at least. But what the hell do I know. It makes a really good beer great if you ask the old Joemeister, and you’re at the site so I assume you are asking. Thanks for asking buddy!

So if you have the will power, which I didn’t think I did, I’d say give it a go. Toss it aside for a while and let the mgic flow in you.

Flying Dog Brewery - Gonzo Imperial Porter - Aged Three Years

How I love a good dirtoir. I remember as a kid sitting and just wasting the day away with a big bucket of dirtoir and thinking I was the luckiest child in the world. As I grew older I would take my love of dirtoir with me everywhere I went and if there was a party you could bet your sweet ass I was bringing a big old bucket of dirtoir. I love dirtoir… there I said it. I don’t care who knows.

Alright you caught me fibbin but I do love this beer. I wouldn’t bullshit you about that. It’s what the fine people over at Rogue Ales call GYO or Grow Your Own. Meaning they made the beer with their own hops and barley. They even made the sand that made the glass that made the bottles. Then they made metel to make the caps. Again I lie but I am serious about the hops and barley. Makes you feel like you’re helping the world when you drink it.

There is a nice roasted barley aroma to it. Kind of like a good coffee with some chocolate notes. Just a touch of the hops happiness. I don’t know, it’s good people. The taste really shoots up the coffee like flavor. “Black, like my men” as they say. Lots of chocolate here too with more acidic flavor then I’m used to, but not in a bad way. Really good and of the few black lagers I’ve had I ranked this my favorite.

Rogue Ales - Dirtoir Black Lager

You ever wake up in the morning and automatically get excited to have a beer? I know me too! But then the wife starts telling you that you’ve got a drinking problem and the next thing you know you’re walking into an intervention and your whole family is crying in your living room. Only plus there is usually its pot luck so you’ll at least get a nice lunch out of the whole thing. Where was I though, oh yeah beer in the am. I love a coffee stout or porter for this reason. You don’t feel so bad about drinking in the morning. There’s no need to wait till after 11 am to start your day off.

And thanks to the good people at Philadelphia Brewing Company you now have another tasty option to add to your morning rotation. Their coffee porter is mighty good my friends. According to their website the gang uses about two and a half pounds of coffee in each barrel. I don’t know if that’s a lot but I assume it is or they wouldn’t have pointed it out.

The aroma is just like breakfast in my house. Big coffee notes with some chocolate and caramel coming along. Alright I don’t usually have chocolate and caramel for breakfast but stick with me here. Nice sharp black coffee bite in the flavor is the main focus and that’s a really good thing. If you’ve been disappointed in the past by a lack of coffee flavor in your stout or porter this is the one for you. It’s also named after me… well at least I assume so.

Philadelphia Brewing Co. - Joe Coffee Porter

Well hello there my little friend! Aren’t you a bitter little bugger? That’s what I said to my Green Flash Brewing Co. West Coast IPA. Why is it a west coast IPA you might ask? Well the brewery is in San Diego, and if the recordings of 2Pac have taught me anything it’s that California is very much on the west side. If you need any more reason that that then you’re against 2Pac and against me and I suggest you move along.

The beer has a sharp piney aroma too it. Lots of hops all up in your grill. Notes of grapefruit come into plat also. I’m excited kids. The first ship has a big sharp bite too it. All about the hops, not to overpowering but defiantly the main focus here. Strong, dry and bitter finish rounds everything out. Really a great example of an American IPA. I love freedom and I think if 2Pac was alive today, which he very well may be, he’d be proud of this one.

Green Flash Brewing Co. - West Coast IPA

When I was in middle school for three days I tried to work at the strawberry farm near my parents house. I failed miserably. Outside of being color blind and not being able to tell what a ripe strawberry liked like I also learned quickly that my husky frame did not do well with manual labor. People like me aren’t meant to be in the field for more then ten minutes at a time. I burn easily.

All this makes me appreciate Sierra Nevada and their Harvest Series. A series of beers that is made with freshly picked hops from Yukma Washington and brought directly to the brewery. A lot of people do a lot of picking to make this happen. Yes I’m 99% sure there’s a machine they use to pick the hops but still, it sounds like a lot of work.

I got my hands on their 13 release of the Wet Hop Ale in the series. A sparky little brew with a big hop bite to it. I don’t really know what makes a beer sparky but it sounds kind of nice and then 24 oz bottle that this comes in is doing me good right about now. Joe’s getting a buzz people! But let’s step back for a minute. The aroma of this one like a magical field of hops that just sprouted in my apartment. Little bit of malt and citrus some around too but all about hops. The taste, oh the taste my friends. Sharp hop bite with a nice amount of bitter going on. Great fresh hop taste. Not that I know what fresh hops taste like but I assume it’s like this. Sweet malt taste that balances everything out. If you like the hops, and I bet you do, you should give this one a go. It’s up there on my list of favorite IPAs.

Sierra Nevada - Harvest Series Wet Hop Ale