Blacktop Blonde (TailGate Beer, San Diego, CA)

Looking through the fridge for this evening's beer, and came across this one from TailGate and figured today was the day to drink it with the Super Bowl.

Stark white head that bubbles up and leaves a surprising lace. Straw gold would be a bit too dark of a description; effervescent and clear in the glass.  American lager cream corn in the nose, but there is also a light malt and spice that goes with it.  Spice could be hops or maybe even the yeast. Checking out the website for TailGate Beer, it reads like it's an unmentioned aroma hop that can be credited.  Lightly sweet malt with a minor earthy hop underneath of the continued cream corn.  Mouthfeel is fuller than it looks.  The beer warms up fairly well, which is a test that most beers of this style fail miserably.

Honestly, I bought this beer because it was extremely cheap and to tick off a new brewery on the database, but it's better than expected.  It did make Maxim magazines top beer list (according to the website), so maybe I shouldn't have been surprised.  Not going to buy another one (in case you missed the sarcasm of the last sentence), but not upset about drinking this one for the big game.

In looking for the link for the Maxim beer list, I found a few other interesting beer related items.  In the Booze section, Maxim beer awards come in ten categories.  Blacktop Blonde is listed under Drink of Champions, which is beer to drink when men hit other men in an athletic way.  An article that is a craft beer glossary is also interesting to for not only what they included but what was left out.

Cheers and enjoy the game!

Double Bastard (Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA)

I have had so much trouble getting a hold of this beer in the past.  Never in any of the Wisconsin, Illinois or Indiana liquor stores that I used to pick up Stone at in the dark times that my beloved wasn't sold in Minnesota.  Now, I run into it at my corner, back-up store.  Excellent.  Double Bastard sounds like a playground taunt, but clearly a big brother to Arrogant Bastard Ale.

Hazy dark brown ale with copper highlights in the thinner parts of the glass. Thin tan head falls quickly to a whispy fillm. Hot, whiskey like nose that clears the sinuses. Malt, dark fruit, burnt cherry pie, caramel blend for a complex and extremely assertive nose. Predominate hop bite in the taste--blistering bitterness with resin. Oily mouthfeel with strong malt, chocolate, raisins and figs. Love this beer. I can see where some might not like the overly assertive qualities, but cherishing them at the moment. High on my all time favorite list, so I need to acquire some more.  Thinking that some age might have some very interesting effects.

If you don't mind the hot alcohol, let it warm up and have a nice afternoon.  Sip this one when you have the time on a Sunday afternoon through a full football game.  If not, drink cold and fast--careful walking afterwards.  The 10% is apparent in the smell, taste--everything really.  Drink, enjoy and consume life as it should be--with great beer.

If all is well with the world, I'll find myself drinking at Stone World Bistro on Saturday.  Hope, hope, hope!  Next week, I should have pics and a report on the pilgrimage.

Vertical Epic 11.11.11 (Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA)

I picked the 11.11.11 tonight (Wednesday) because it's the closest to catnip. Let me explain.  We recently remodeled our kitchen with new marble floors, and just today I put the spices back up from the pantry.  One was catnip for our kittens, all three of which have passed away in the last year.  Mannie, Claude and Rajda loved catnip, and I regret not giving it to them more often.  For me, today at least, I'm giving myself the catnip.

Bring out your glass slippers, so this ruby colored ale can take you to the ball!  Great lace on the side of the glass from very light brown and tightly bubbled head.  Great nose that's not overpowering--smells of citrus, lemon, anise, light cherry and pepper, plus floral notes, all floating on top of a caramel, bready malt and  subtle yeast.  Slight sour note underneath that doesn't assert itself against a moderate hotness from the 9.4% ABV.  Hops listed online are Warrior, Target, Perle and Pacific Jade.  Complex nose that drew me in because of my love of spice accented beers.  Hop punch is distinct but not biting.  Hop blended with continued anise and a fruity base that rises above the lighter mouthfeel and malt.  Alcohol is apparent, and pleasant as well.  Falls nicely off the back of the tongue with a slight sour bitterness.  As it warms, the body thins out and the alcohol becomes more pronounced and loses balance.  Some of the lower BA reviews for the beer, I believe, might come from the latter part of the warmth cycle; or, the subtle, spicy character might disappoint Stone hop heads.

The very small print on the side of the bottle says that the beer was brewed with cinnamon sticks, Anaheim chilies and Belgian Flanders Golden Ale yeast. Guessing the peppers are accounting for the full and complex spice notes along with the cinnamon.  The yeast is said to throw off banana and clove, which I can smell and especially taste now that I'm paying attention to it specifically.

Good beer and worth the effort to go find.  Tenth in the series of Vertical Epic ales, next year's 12.12.12 is the last (and coincidentally on my birthday).   I was not able to acquire any of the 02.02.02 of the series, but happily have bottles for the rest.   It has been a long wait, but it will truly be a fun time tasting all of them side by side. Since Stone shares recipes for all of the Vertical Epic beers, I'm hoping to brew a clone of the .02.02.02 this summer so that the vertical tasting is complete.