Stone Old Guardian Belgo is richer than chocolate cake at Taste of Texas

2011 is the first year for the Stone Brewery "Odd Beers for Odd Years” program. Consider it Stone's attempt to implement a 'gifted and talented' program. My brother Warren was in that program in elementary school and brewery Greg Koch probably was too because Stone makes incredible beer. For this Belgo Barleywine, he directed 30 barrels of the barleywine batch to the fermenter with the yeast used in the Cali-Belgique IPA. Basically they spiked the Barleywine with some Belgian yeast. Sounds crazy but could be awesome - how does this 'odd' flavor party turn out?

My mouth just imploded. This beer goes up to 11.

It's incredibly rich. I love the Old Guardian series and there's a bottle of the 2008 Barleywine under my bed for an extended aging, but this Belgo is woweee zowee. So incredibly rich! I like it, but my shirt flew off after drinking only half the glass. It happens.

For sake of creativity and in the name of interesting delights, this is a really special beer but it's not a beer I can drink every day. I like drinking this now, but it's definitely meant for a big craft brew fan. Only for the lionhearted. TRANSFORMERS rating.

...It would sure be interesting to see how the Belgian yeast and sweet caramel notes withstand time, maybe I should buy one just in case...

2011 Stone Old Guardian Barleywine, home brewing and the awesomely long post

Today is a big day, full of sunshine and life and BEER. BEER BEER BEER. I'm going to drink lots of beer while I brew one beer and bottle another. Guess what's on tap at Casa de Davis/Brooks? Goose Island Demolition Belgian Style beer for lunch. Desert will be a Bruery Loakal Red. Stone Barleywine is the beer of the day and then after we bottle and taste my Belgian Red, a flight of Home Brew Beers - King Moonracer's Revenge and the Belgian IPA (which I codenamed the 'Double Dutch Rudder'). Got a lot on my plate. Beerspeed me:

Home brewing equipment. Nice yeast pouch

Heisenberg's American Wheat: Werner Heisenberg is a renowned German physicist famous for winning the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932 for the creation of quantum mechanics and also the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. But for everyone else who hasn't starred on JEOPARDY, this name might be more familiar from the AMC original show BREAKING BAD. 3 time Emmy Winning actor Bryan Cranston (he's the Meryl Streep of TV) uses 'Heisenberg' as his drug dealing alter ego in the show.

The American Wheat Ale style is a very American take on a traditional German style dating back hundreds of years. An American style based on a German style deserves an equally imported name. Thus I give you, Heisenberg's American Wheat, a light and crisp wheat ale for the upcoming summer months.

Almost every American Wheat Ale recipe I researched was incredibly basic and simply used the Wheat Extract without any other fermentables or steeped grains. That sounded perfectly boring so I whipped up my own grain bill and picked out some Santa Monica farmer's market honey to spruce the recipe up.

Malt Extract:    Alexander's Wheat Extract   6 lbs
                       

Sugar:              Sage Wildflower Honey 1 lb

Grain Bill:         Caramel/Crystal Malt 10 L 6 oz
                        Caravienne Malt 4 oz                       

                        Cara-Pills 3 oz            

Hop Schedule:  Amarillo (11.0%) .35oz at 60 mins
                       Amarillo (11.0%) .35oz at 30 mins
                       Cascade (5.9%)  .75oz at 20 mins
                       Cascade (5.9%)  .67oz at 5 mins

Yeast:            Wyeast 2565 Kolsch
                    

Potential Alcohol 5.1%
33.4 IBU's 

Starting Gravity 1.051

Color is 5 SRM (Yellow to Gold).

Notes: I didn't like the attributes of an American Wheat Ale Strain (I don't want my beer to be 'tart'), so I used Kolsch, a German Yeast, and threw in American Hops. Kolsch is an interesting yeast strain because it produces quick-conditioning pseudo-lager beers and ferments well cold, but it can also ferment at warmer temperatures (like my room) at 68-70 degrees. But I really chose the yeast strain because the beer will hopefully exhibit some fruity character of an ale with a clean lager like profile. The Amarillo and Cascade hops will also bring a slight citrus and fruit flavor. That's exactly the kind of beer I want to have whilst in my hammock this summer.

Hey ladies, check out my wort cooler...Is a line I should use more often

This will be the 4th barleywine from Stone we've had - check out the other three Vertical Flight of Stone Old Guardian Barleywine - and it's hot off the press. It's really sweet still and could definitely benefit from aging. David pointed out that it's so sweet it actually tastes a little like bubble gum. Still, it's delicious and has a great hop balance. TRANSFORMERS rating.

Each Stone beer has a story or letter on the back 'label.' This barleywine has a letter from the man, the myth, and the legend, Greg Koch, the head brewer of Stone. He was sitting in a Belgian Bar discussing beer with someone very knowledgeable about the state of beer in the world. This Belgian fellow basically said that the American beer scene is number one in the world, followed by Belgium and lastly Germany, which has really fallen far from the taste tree. It reminded me of an interesting article Nick G sent me about the state of German beer which you should check out "Germany's beer culture is in decline"

It got me thinking about how fortunate I am to be exposed to so much ingenuity, to be on the forefront and experiencing a virtual revolution and explosion of the craft beer world. Plus, I live in California, near the San Diego breweries (Stone will be the first American Craft Beer to open a brewery abroad later this year, in Belgium) plus breweries like Eagle Rock, Bruery, Bootleggers, Russian River and more. Germany's beers are governed by the purity laws, and that has really suffocated their beer industry. A large number of their brewers are gravitating towards the freedom and opportunities afforded by the craft beer movement. It kinda reminds me of the 1950's and 1960's (not that I was alive), but the idea that the best and brightest turned to government organizations, such as NASA. They worked for something they believed in. The U.S. is experiencing a renaissance, and I think this was a fortunate yeart to try 365 different beers.

That being said, drinking beer all day also reminded me that I need to watch my intake least I turn into one of those Kobe Heifers. David has a 1 beer a day rule and it's time I implement it. Beerspeed me.

Kuryjebckoe Russian Lager defies explanation as to why it was imported

David picked this monster 1qt 1pint 3 fl oz plastic jug of Russian Lager for $6. This reminds me of the 1.5 liter 6 Euro bottle of Grappa my roommates bought our first weekend in Florence. It tasted like pure gasoline. Never, ever, NEVER have cheap Italian Wine Stem Liquor. One my roommates puked. Everyone spluttered, coughed drive heaved and needed a chaser. I don't even use a chaser with absinthe, but I required a quart of Turpentine to get those shots down. True story.

Will this be the same? I'm with Sara P and David at a hot tub/bbq a street down in the marina and we're gonna booze it up.

Size comparison to a Sierra Nevada

So I saw a travel channel show today on steaks and they showed an interesting video of the Kobe cows, whose meat is deliciously world famous because they are massaged and fed beer in order to be de-stressed. An unstressed cow apparently makes great beef. So the image that popped up when I drank this beer was the image of the cows being fed beer. They didn't have great table manners and excess beer and slobber was everywhere. This Russian Lager tastes like mix of Japanese beer and cattle slobber. Yum. Natty Light is Veuve Clicquot compared to this. This was one of those beers I had a terrible time finishing. But it's all in a days work on this blog. PEARL HARBOR rating.

Size comparison from one Russian to another

Cismontane Double Rainbow IPA all the way across the sky...It's almost a triple rainbow. What does it mean?

At the Surly Goat for some beer drinking and Foosball playing, and I'm having a beer that Tiffany has proclaimed delicious. Clocking in at 8.7%, it's an Imperial IPA from Rancho Margarita California, the Double Rainbow.

There is a really unique hop aroma and flavor. It's a very rich floral and citrus profile, like grapefruit. Apparently the use Citra hops, which are very hard to get your hands on if you're a home brewer (to my knowledge). I'm jealous. The result is a smooth and creamy IPA. I highly recommend you try it if you find it, it's a fascinating IPA. Onto a Improv Comedy show with Glen in Hollywood and then The Woods for a birthday party.

A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' before the Lincoln Lawyer movie premiere

Picking up my lovely date Tamara before the Lincoln Lawyer premiere and this Lagunitas is...guilty of being awesome!...

....Dammit that was cheesy but how could I not say that? It is right there!

This is the last of the international playboys (Morrissey anyone?) as well as the American Wheat beers I picked out to sample before the weekend. Lagunitas brews several different beers under the Little Sumpin' Sumpin' brand including the delicious Little Sumpin' Wild.

This Sumpin' Sumpin is a hoppy 64 IBU American Wheat ale, perfect for those summer days. But if I hadn't known this is a wheat beer I would've missed that ingredient entirely. The Wheat flavor takes a backseat to the hops and their fruity flavor. The label notes that it has "every hop that has the letter 'c' in it." Lagunitas has successfully taken a very broad style and put a West Coast Hop Heavy spin on it. Better believe I'm saving two in my fridge for an upcoming hammock day. THE ROCK rating.

Ballast Point Wahoo Wheat relies on it's good looks alone

I'm attending my first company movie premiere tomorrow night and I brought out this gem as a reminder as I pick out my shirt and suit:

In searching for beers that are of the American Wheat style, I only found a few, and this is one of them. I plan on brewing a summertime honey wheat this weekend and wanted to brush up on the style but unfortunately, this isn't a beer I want to copy.

Smelling it, I realize it's been a while since we've tasted a wheat and it smells good. I love that sweet-doughy-orange smell. The body is light light orange color. The taste doesn't live up to the smell however, and the Wahoo is rather lackluster. With this style of beer, I'm looking for drinkability. How many would of these do I want in the hammock? The answer doesn't inspire a future purchase. TRANSFORMERS 2 rating

Deschutes Hop Henge IPA is the opposite of Google TV

Deschutes advertises on their Stonehenge'd label that this IPA is an 'Experimental Ale.' They say this about their beer:

"Stonehenge is a mystery
Hop henge is a discovery. Our monument to hops"

What Dorks. I love it though. I don't get the whole experimental thing though. You know what was experimental for David and I recently? The Logitech Google TV - remember this entry - BeerEveryDay-Kevin Bacon.

The commercials had Kevin Bacon it, playing a guy obsessed with Kevin Bacon. Great commercials. We were stoked about the device and thought it'd change our lives, like the DVR, Turduckens or TIME COP...Negative Ghostrider.

This thing has more bugs than a Peruvian Rainforest. It turns the TV screen on and off, the sound hisses and buzzes, and the surround sound worked the first couple weeks but hasn't since. FAIL to the 10th power.


You know what doesn't fail and is unexperimentally delicious? This beer.

When you advertise something as 'experimental,' I'm thinking something wacky and wild. But this isn't the case. It's 9% alcohol and clocks in at 95 IBU's. For an IPA, the caramel malt base is fairly light and it covers the intense citrus and piney hops quite well.

This is a well rounded DIPA. Congratulations on being awesome but I'm confused on the experimental. The Hop Henge is as experimental as buying yellow onions instead of white onions at the grocery, or drinking in the shower opposed to the couch. This is a big bad DIPA and they should make it a 'testament' to hops and leave it at that. This is excellent as an homage to hops, why throw in words? Excitable. 

THE ROCK rating

Alaskan Barleywine Pilot Series is grandpa's old cough medicine

I have a case of the black lung, so I'm adding a nip of doctor prescribed Cheratussin to my alcohol intake, in addition to this 10.7% Bronze Medal Winner 2010 Beer Cup in the Barley Wine category from Alaskan.

By themselves, they are not strong enough, but all three of these combined will hopefully get me drunk laughing

I'm tasting dark caramel malts with brown sugar and chocolate and a dry finish. Like the codeine in the Robitussin, the alcohol is hidden well. It's a different, darker barleywine for those long Alaskan Winter Nights...? I dunno, this is only based on my recent viewing of the horror film 30 DAYS OF NIGHT. Did I mention I love Cheratussin? TRANSFORMERS rating.

Coronado Islander IPA ends a glorious day of imbibing in Malibu

Afternoon kicked off at the Ladyface Alehouse and Brasserie in Agoura Hills with Tamara, where we sampled four beers and some Brasserie food http://www.ladyfaceale.com/. We only had their pretzel (it was bomb), but their food menu looks great.

I love the look of the Alehouse, a lot of natural wood decor and the building's tones are all the same color of beer (green for hops, caramel, blonde, etc). We sampled their Blonde Ale, the Belgian Tripel, their Chesboro IPA, and their Blue Belly 2010 Barleywine. Tamara's favorite was the Tripel and she slyly nudged the taster closer and closer to her (and away from me, HA), so I turned my attention toward the IPA and Barleywine, which the later has an astounding 103 IBU.

What's interesting about the Ladyface, Ladyface, Ladyfaaaaaace Ales are that the bodies of their beers are not very heavy for being 9% + alcohol. In order to attain that much alcohol, you half to add a ton of fermentables like malt and sugar. If you add sugar, it creates alcohol without adding body to the beer. I loved the hop blend in the Chesboro IPA, but I found myself wanting a more substantial body. The 2010 Barleywine had time to age and acquired a heavier body than the 2011 and the flavor profile a unique earthy, tobacco taste. I really enjoyed it.

From here we traveled to Malibu Wine and sampled a tasting in the fog and then onto some old Malibu haunts, Malibu Yo and Moonshadows for some bourbon old-fashioned's.

I'm feeling nostalgic after the trip to Malibu. Since I haven't included a Kangaroo Balls picture in a long time, here you go. Pleasure's all mine

I wasn't impressed with our last Coronado, the Orange Wit, but the Islander is a solid IPA with strong caramel malts and hops. It's perfect as the 'I could drink this every day' IPA. As a bonus, it's 7.5% alcohol, so, it's more like 'get your buzz on every day' IPA. TRANSFORMERS rating.

Sudwerk 20th Anniversary Imperial Pilsner is on steroids

Today we cashed in our groupon to go paint-balling out in Canyon Country and IT WAS AWESOME! I'm bloody and bruised (my ankle is swollen from diving head first into bunkers) and I'm walking like a geriatric patient, but what a freaking day. None of us have played in years and we lost the first two games, but otherwise we pretty much dominated the other teams like we were the Harlem Globetrotters and they were the Washington Generals. It's the closest I'll ever get to experiencing actual Call of Duty and as a total nerd, I thought it was Sweeeet! What a rush. I'm coming back here again soon, and I'm bringing an infinite amount of paint. I'll be the guy with the codename WARLOCK.

Who's the idiot with a gun in his mouth? Oh

We're pouring Sudwerk's Imperial Pilsner, which is essentially a German Pilsner that started taking Viagra. In fact, let's go as far as saying this was me while drinking it:

It tastes excellent. I can tell it's an imperial because its body is beefier than typical pilsners in order to accommodate the increase in alcohol (7%). There is a citrus smell and a slightly sweet body, a noticeably American addition. It has that clean pilsner finish and the alcohol presence is felt but doesn't distract. It's an all around great beer. THE ROCK rating.

Afterwords, I joined Tiff at Angels Piano Bar where a New Orleans style Jazz Sextet was playing to celebrate Mardi Gras. I had a Sazerac for the first time, which is rye whiskey and absinthe, and loved it. The band thumped out a bunch of classics and a few off the b-side.

Oyo como va...

Dogfish Head Red and White is the best of both worlds

I saw the Dogfish Head Red & White ale was on tap at the Surly Goat yesterday and I knew that it'd be my beer of the day but I didn't get real excited because it's an experimental beer that's made with wine. I love it when I'm totally wrong (so yes, basically I'm love'n life all the time).


It's a big, Belgian Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel with Pinot Noir juice concentrate added with 11% aged in Pinot Noir barrels and 89% aged on oak barrel staves. Sam Caligione's expertise is incredible - how did he know it should be 11% opposed to 15 or 20%? Amazing.

What's also amazing is that the Surly Goat pours it not from a bottle but from on tap. Awesomeness prevails here.

I can smell the pinot strongly and the wine combines so well with the beer it's not even funny. It's a fantastically balanced beer. A synthesis of the wine and beer elements that is sweet with dark fruits and an easy finish. Did I mention it's 10% alcohol? Usually with beers this strong the alcohol makes it's presence known, but not here. BAD BOYS rating.

Now it's onward to Supper Club for Lisa's birthday! I'm ready to dance on some beds after this red and white.

Hair of the Dog FRED has a great personality, as I'm sure Irina Shayk does as well

I watched KICK-ASS with AJ, Nic and Tiff tonight and it was amazing! Why did it do so poorly? Anywho, I returned home and poured a Hair of the Dog 'Fred' series. Fred wasn't the owner's favorite dog or his son, the name is a tribute to legendary Fred Eckhart, Father to Aaron Eckhart (*citation needed) and it's made from organic pilsner, rye malts, and Belgian candy sugar.

Also...

HAHAHAHAHAHA, boobies

I'm hit with the distinctive smell of both the sugar and the rye. I really like the taste - a bit intense but good. It's an unexpected 'good,' like waking up in middle of night and remembering other side of the pillow is cold. I tend to not enjoy rye beers but the clean pilsner taste and sweet sugar really mellow it out. The final product is an intense but complex beer that is unlike many I've had.

Rye with the Belgian sugar and pilsner malt? That's throwing together three different European brewing styles. I can only speculate how they conceived this creation, but if it was me brewing, this is how I would've created this beer -->

--> I would've been drinking all night, four sheets to the wind, and suddenly EUREKA! A light bulb pops up hazily over my disheveled orb I call a head. "I have a wild idea for a beer, listen to this!" I proceed to tell my two drinking buddies. They look at each other perplexed, but suddenly they go wild for it. Greatest idea ever! What a humdinger! (one of my friends is from the 1930's). And we make the beer that night, absolutely tanked. Kitchen looks like a WWI No-Mans-Land battle field. In the morning, we wake up and piece the events of the night back together. My friends think that was a ridiculous idea and ridicule me for the wild beer, the awkward embraces and the oddly sexual dancing to the musical CATS ....But weeks later, we bottle the beer from that night and Booyah suckers! It's delicious! I'm calling it Fred, in honor of Fred Astaire. My friends look at each other and say, yeah okay, everything's making sense now, what with all the Broadway show-tunes and hugging. THE ROCK rating.

Achel Trappist Extra gets it on with some spicy snausage

There's a new sausage place in town and it's not in West Hollywood (heyohhh). Steingarten LA opened on the Westside near the Fox Lot on Pico Steingarten LA facebook menu.

They have great looking burgers but that isn't what we came for. Snausages. I had the wild boar with blueberries, David the Alligator and Pork and Karl the Spicy Lamb. They had our first two beer choices out on draft (it's their 2nd night, come on!). Busch league Steingarten. But Karl spotted an Abbey beer he'd never found. It's Belgian's smallest abbey and it's still brewed by actual monks. Cool right? Even better, they mark up the beer bottle prices here 2-3 times the store price but not this friar. The Achel Trappist Extra retails for $18 and sells here for $24.

Achel Extra pours a rich dark malt and has a very sweet caramel body with chocolate notes. I can taste the alcohol and it's super sweet, maybe too sweet for some people, but my sweet tooth doesn't mind. He likes it. It's a fantastic beer. I don't know where you could buy this except for Steingarten, so come check it out. BAD BOYS rating.

Regarding the food and beer pairing; my boar and berry sausage was very good but very spicy, and it contrasted nicely with the sweet Achel. 

David's gator sausage was also excellent. Karl's spicy lamb wasn't as spicy either of ours and it was fairly disappointing. Next time I'm there, I'm gonna have the Bugs Bunny (wabbit).

San Diego County Session Ale is an excellent collaboration beer after our home brew

Before tonight's beer, we tried our Belgian IPA home brew today for the first time (not inebriated by Oscar Sunday shenanigans). Everyone apparently loved it Sunday, but I wanted a perspective that didn't involve beer goggles so we cracked one open before our beer of the day:

Ain't she beautiful? Belgians have more fun

When we tasted the Belgian IPA before bottling, it didn't have the necessary malt body to balance out the hops and so it tasted overly bitter. Good news! The carbonation really shored up the body and the BIPA tastes very, very good. The hop bite has the complexity we want and the Simcoe at the beginning gives very distinctive bitterness. The beer has decent clarity, not as crystal clear as at bottling - strangely enough. I'd like a stronger hop aroma though. 

I have big plans/changes for the next batch, which I won't bother you with now, but I'll actually do the dorky thing and post my beer recipe site, where my recipes are saved. Nerd Alert. You can see the above beer receipe, the future one, and the Belgian Red Ale that's soon to be bottled which I thought up myself. http://hopville.com/brewer/recipes/milkisforbabies

Onward and upward to the beer of the day, a Collaboration between two well known San Diego breweries and the winner of the 2010 March Madness Competition, Kelsey McNair. They created a 'Golden Session Beer' that is essentialy a large production format of his award winning 'West Coast Bitter.

Stone Brewery, Ballast Point and Kelsey McNair Collaboration

This is hoptastic but isn't overwhelming. The hops are there in numbers but are mellow and spicy. It's your summer day IPA - a really enjoyable drinker. Pick this up at Whole Foods for $3.50. THE ROCK rating. I wanna make one of these now....

...One of the best perks of doing this is that every couple of weeks, I'm inspired to create something I've never done before and I soon follow through with it. How consistently does that happen in life? To use the parlance of Charlie Sheen, Beer is totally WINNING.

Victory Saison du Buff makes rosemary a rock star

So I went to the doctor this morning. I hadn't been since September, a month after we started drinking a beer every day. Wanna guess who gained 10 lbs? This guy! You can't tell by looking at me, but somewhere, hiding, beneath my epidermis is the effect of 200+ beers. It's not like I'm at the point where I'm calling up Curves, asking what their monthly specials are, but it's time to realize I'm not 23, I work a desk job, and salad's are not the enemy (*note* If you put Raspberries in my salad though, I might turn into the Incredible Hulk's bigger and meaner Brother, Magnus Hulk). I still have 150 beers left and speedo season is just around the corner, as Nick G reminds me every other day, so here's to eating healthy and drinking growlers of beer.

On that note, look at the giant beers I bought at The Bruery Saturday. I've already counted them for the year and will only be drinking for pleasure. Heyyy

Three truly unique and delicious brews

I'm back on track with the collaboration beers after the brewery trip interrupted my planned three consecutive San Diego involved collab beers. This one is from Stone Brewery, Dogfish Head, and Victory out of Pennsylvania and it's an herb centric beer. If Dogfish is involved, you know it's going to be a little wacky.

Clocks in at 6.8% alcohol. The rosemary hits you strong upfront like cheap perfume. It's intense (more on this later).

I had a triple white sage beer from Craftsman at the LA Beerfest and it was amazing. Craftsman also made a lavender beer and it was unappealing. I feel the biggest factor for herb centered beers is the role of the herb. Is it used as a centerpiece and the beer revolves around it? Or does it take a backseat to the body of the beer and play a supporting role, a Robin to the beer's Batman? I believe in the latter and I think that's the more sensible route. It's the same way with cooking - you don't have rosemary for your main meal, it's used as a part of the main meal.

But these guys are professional brewers and they don't-give-a-shit about being sensible, especially Sam Calagione from Dogfish, who is a wild man. This Rosemary centered beer blows my little philosophy out of the water. It's really good, wow. It's definitely something to try, and it has a bright label so you can't miss it at Whole Foods ($3.50). TRANSFORMERS rating



I'm usually very beer-centric on the blog (and like to overuse the word 'centric'), but every so often Jebus presents an opportunity impossible to pass up and not post about. Ladies and Germs, today that opportunity is spelled S-H-E-E-N.

"I'M ON A DRUG. IT'S CALLED CHARLIE SHEEN
http://livethesheendream.com/

Here are several additional gems, but there are so, so many more on the above website:

"SORRY MY LIFE IS MUCH MORE BITCHIN' THAN YOURS. I PLANNED IT THAT WAY."

"I EXPOSED PEOPLE TO MAGIC"

"I AM A WARLOCK"


"CLEARLY I HAVE DEFEATED THIS EARTHWORM WITH MY WORDS"

"I AM AN F-18"

"ROCK BOTTOM? THAT'S A FISHING TERM"

"THE RUN I WAS ON MADE SINATRA, FLYNN, JAGGER AND RICHARDS LOOK LIKE DROOPY-EYED ARMLESS CHILDREN"



If you feel like taking the blue pill and having your reality checked, take this 10 question quiz and choose whether the quotes are  either Charlie Sheen or Muammar Gaddafi (thank you brother Warren) -->
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/quiz/2011/mar/01/muammar-gaddafi-charlie-sheen-quiz

Bootlegger Brewery's Knuckle Sandwich should win an Oscar

I've been waiting for this day to arrive for quite some time...No, not the Oscars you half-witted scruffy-looking nerf herder. To use my over-sized novelty champagne flute, duh.

 

That flute is 2.5 feet tall, it's freaking ridiculous, I love it. I'm hosting an Oscar party tonight and everyone is dressing up as if they are attending the event itself. I picked up the Knuckle Sandwich at Bootlegger's yesterday and I'm beside myself with excitement.

 

The brew is Bootleggers' most celebrated beer, but they only make it in limited quantities. Um, why would you do that to us? What are we, ants? It needs to be three times that! Well Derek Zoolander, what's interesting about this fellow is it's made from their leftover hops. So whatever hops are leftover after they brew all their other beers they save up until they have enough for the Knuckle Sandwich. Being a Double IPA means it requires LOTS of hops. Translation for all this - they make this in small batches and not very often. But guess what? They just released a batch this week. Being at the brewery yesterday for Nick and AJ's birthday was fortuitous.

David welcomes our guests at the door

It's a phenomenal beer. For being 10.5% alcohol and a Double IPA, this beer is as smooth and balanced as a Formula 1 Racer. It has a sweet malt mouthful followed by rounded citrus and piney hops. It's a Mike Tyson Knockout. BAD BOYS rating.

Seriously Bale, stop stealing my look or I will find you and lock you out of the Oscars...again

Add caption

So I drank out of my Scepter/Shrek's Champagne Flute all night. It was kinda awesome. Although I didn't win the Oscar pool (damn you Rucker!) the party was a fantastic success and I (at least) had an amazing time. In order to capture the party and its beautiful guests, everyone posed for a picture using it as a prop. The results are glorious. Check out the fanfare below:

The Hosts. We also doubled as Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin's stand-ins last year

Don't throw Nic a fastball

Jessica is the Belle of the Ball. Oscar Queen anyone?

Settle down Brad, your jeans are getting acid washed

The glass gets in the way every time Melissa. Mother Rucker!

Kym teaches a course on drinking daintily out of absurd glasses. Her secret? Channeling Dame Helen Mirren

Watch out for AJ, this kitty's got claws

That glass isn't your teddy bear Tierney.

Heyyy! Is Tiffany holding the glass or is the glass holding her?

Ellen knows where the good shit is

Tamara drinks like a boss

What is she doing? Hey Rachel Lohan, don't steal my crystal glassware.

Glen was an extra in MILK three years ago and he's hasn't broken character since. Suck it Colin Firth.

Jerren's a glass half-full kind of guy, but this is pushing it

Bruery Provisions Cornballer isn't as...a-maize-ing...as I hoped

The day has finally come that Nick G can make it to The Bruery. This man is one of the biggest fans of this heavenly beer and now, he pilgrimages to his Mecca. What's the occasion? He and AJ share a birthday and to celebrate, we're doing a brewery tour. We're joining several of Nick's coworkers as well as Karl who is coming up from Temucla after wine tasting, if he's still vertical. On the way up, we listen to a birthday mix I made for Nick and AJ and in case you were wondering, Oingo Boingo was definitely on it. The video is one of Danny Elfman's finest moments -

The timing of this trip is excellent, because according to The Bruery newsletter, they're releasing their fifth and latest Provisions Series batch today (Provisions is a limited one time only release) AND Bootleggers Brewery is releasing their greatest creation ever, the very limited release Knuckle Sandwich DIPA. Victory is ours!

Best Friends and Beard Brothers - at least that's what it says on our eharmony profile

Going brewery tasting is fun for the obvious reasons, but this trip doubles the fun for me because all the people except for Nick know nothing about The Breury or Bootleggers, so I'm allowed to ramble on and wave my hands uncontrollably while explaining everything I know about their beer. Imagine if you gave a 10 year old kid Redbull and a plate of cookies and that's how excited I am. Finally, someone clubs me over the head like a baby seal and my I shift my focus to the beer of the day, the Cornballer.

Bruery has some pretty great names for their specialty brews (Gunga Galunga, a Caddy Shack reference, being the best) and this one brings back fond memories of infomercials from Arrested Development (unfortunately the above is the best I can find)

And let me tell you how much I enjoyed it...eeeeeeee not so much -

Eat sink, cornballer (I didn't flush it, but God I wanted to)

I love The Bruery. I have been there four times. I own two growlers. I have several of their beers saved under my bed. I even own a shirt and will probably buy a hat next trip. Yay merchandising. I'll probably name my second born son Mischief after their finest brew, but this beer makes me cringe.

The Cornballer is their attempt at a malt liquor and it's 50% of it is made out of corn and the other 50% made out of 6 Row Malt (2 Row Malt is typically used to make beer). It smells like citrus hops mixed with a mildew sock. It tastes similar, with a dash of sourness. There's just something rotten about it. Everyone except for Karl agrees with me. Karl likes this, but he's also high on mescaline and wine.  I love so much about brewery, but not this. This was hard as a horse to put down. I never thought I would bestow the worst rating to a Bruery beer, but stranger things have happened. PEARL HARBOR rating Thanks goodness they still have the Cuadruple on tap, because I'm gonna need a 'forget me now' after this one.

On another note, happy birthday Nick and AJ! I've known them both for over 9 years and they're my two favorite people and I wish them the best birthday and in the year to come!

 

I bought a Loakal Red and a Cuadruple to add to my cellar/bed collection. Nick G went certifiably awesome and bought a CASE of Bruery beer, a baker's dozen to be exact. On a side note, he will soon be the proud owner of a shotgun. Who has two thumbs and can't wait to combine both? THIS GUY

Russian River Rejection makes it all better

I'm stoked - not only is it Friday, as in Surly Goat Friday, but also because exotic Russian River brews are still on tap! Matt, Ri, Tiff, Glen, Rachel and Ross (they were great on Friends) came out for some pints, Foosball and tomfoolery. My Russian River selection is the Rejection, a limited release which they distribute around Valentines Day and to their credit, they have successfully personified the dark side of that holiday.

On your leg

The style is a dark Belgian ale. The flavor profile is dark, roasted malts with a little chocolate and a very nutty taste that's bitter, like really dark chocolate (think 85% + Cacao). If anything, rejection is bitter...Very clever River Russians. This is only 6.1% though, and you'd think they'd make a 'rejection' beer one that would put you on your ass. Like a forget me now from Arrested Development. Where were you when I need you GOB! This isn't a fantastic beer, but it's certainly noteworthy for a seasonal. TRANSFORMERS rating.

I had an imperial red for my follow up beer, the Coronado Red Devil (10%), and it was fantastic, I'm really looking forward to featuring this beer on the website sometime soon.

Brewdog 5AM Saint primes my steakly palate

At The Old Place to celebrate Nick G's 29th berfday with his family. The restaurant is hidden deep in the Santa Monica mountains East of Malibu in the small town where they filmed shows such as M.A.S.H and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (David's 2nd favorite rerun show behind The Wonder Years).


The restaurant has been cooking steaks for the last 50 years on the same grill, and their meat has quite the distinctive smokey taste. Also, there is a winery next door which I'd love return during the day and have some wine then follow up with more Noodle & Cheese Bake and Steak - The Old Place menu.

They have a surprisingly pleasant beer list. I dive into one worthy of a steak joint and a Brewdog I haven't seen before.

Um, a little more mood lighting please? I need more darkness

First off, 5am Saint is a great freaking name. Iconoclastic Amber Ale, which is labeled at the bottom, is a bold statement but it's totally backed up. This beer is smooth with a nutty bite and just the right amount of sweetness.  The more I drink the more excellent it becomes. This is the type of Amber Ale I want every other Amber to be. Itg oes well with food too. THE ROCK rating

I finish of this beer before the main course and order an Oaked Arrogant Bastard for the steak, which is a brilliant move on my part. In the future when you grill, find a six pack of the oaked bastardo, it'll do your bbq wonders.


Nick's been my closest friend for 9 years and counting, and like a fine wine or 15 year-old girls, he only gets better with age.

Highway 78 Scotch Ale collaboration is the Brandon Flowers of side projects

I love me some Modern Family. It's consistently hilarious and one of the smartest comedies on TV. Tonight's episode, as do many others, focus on the parental relationships - specifically, how relationships are a give and take of two people who are totally in love but also have distinctly different personalities. Making it work is a real collaboration. Which is perfect because I bought three different collaboration beers to have while David is off watching space shuttles launch. I only wish all relationships troubles could be as funny as Modern Family and as delicious as this Stone, Green Flash Brewing and Pizza Port collaboration.

Collaborations are all the rage this year and I had two big collaborations over Christmas (Weihenstephan Samuel Adams collaboration & Brookly Schneider collaboration) which were very interesting beers. I love that craft brewers are celebrating their...craft....(cheese) instead of being agro and aggressively competitive. Everyone just wants to make delicious beer! Team America....F-yeah.


It's a dank 8.8% (yepee). It's super malty, with hints of chocolate and dark, rich roasted barley and caramel. This is the beer I want to drink driving night time driving across an empty desert road with the windows down...riding in the passenger seat, duh. Still not legal but who's gonna stop me in the desert? An ACME anvil? Pff, I'm not chasing the Road Runner.


What's interesting about these three breweries gathering to brew - as they note on back of the bottle - is they hail from the San Diego region and are all known for being hop-centric breweries. So what did they decide to brew when they came together?  To create one of least hoppiest beer styles around, a Scotch Ale. 


So I am surprised that hop heads made this. These guys are obviously pros who are passionate for all styles of beer, but after allowing the beer to help marinate the ideas floating in my gray matter, I realized the great opportunity this collaboration afforded the three brewers. 

Like any business, each brewery builds up a brand. Stone for example, once you get to know their beer, has a very unique set of hop expectations. This collaboration provides an opportunity for the brewers to to flex their creative muscles and create a beer outside of their established hop heavy brands. This is their side project! Take The Killers for example; they are a pop driven band channeling heavy weights like Joy Division, Morrissey, Springsteen (etc).  Brandon Flowers wanted to create a particular sound that he was passionate about but that is smaller and more focused than what The Killer stand for, so he created a solo project and produced an album 'Flamingo' that he channeled his Vegas-Country voice. It's completely different from The Killer's catalog but is still fantastic and stands distinctly on its' own. 

The actual State Highway 78 is a highway that runs from Oceanside (near San Diego) to Blythe (Central Cali). The Scotch Ale 78 is their solo project, and it's delicious. I might even pickup another one at Whole Foods, because who knows if they'll make another one like this. THE ROCK rating.