Devilish…

I love supporting local beer brewers… and they’ve really been popping up everywhere here in Virginia lately!

Okay… so I realize that Devil’s Backbone has been around for a few years, but I swear it seems like they just came out of nowhere!  I see a Virginia Beer display in almost every grocery store these days, and Devil’s Backbone always has a couple of different styles to choose from.

I tried their “Belgian Congo Pale Ale” and found it rather tasty!  No only do I love Pale Ales, I adore Belgian Yeast – as it makes things a little more “fruity” and “bubbly”.  The combination of hops along with the distinctive Belgian taste makes this a yummy brew – put it on your “must try” list.

Make sure to keep supporting your local beer brewers; They make some amazing stuff!
Cheers!

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Barrel Trolley – eh…

 

There was this beer, on the shelf, that I hadn’t tried – so I tried it.  Anything that says “Nut Brown Ale” gets my attention, as I am a “Brown Ale Girl”.

This beer was a little malty, but more for the amateur drinker and a little watered down for my taste.  When I’m drinking a Brown Ale, I want it to be bold and have a malty kick in the pants – much like my beloved Legend Brown Ale.  I didn’t get the nuttiness either… just some malt with some water.   Did I dump it out??  No, of course not – I’m not that harsh… I just think my expectations were a little high for this one.

Sure, this is a good beer for the average drinker, but if you love your Brown Ales – you may want to look elsewhere; Just saying.

 

Holy Sorghum

Do you have a gluten allergy and can’t drink regular beer?? Never fear – sorghum beer is here! New Grist, by Lakefront Brewery, is made with out barley!! I’m sure the thought makes you shutter, as it did me – until I actually tasted this concoction!

When it was poured into my glass, I thought… Who is this watered down beer supposed to satisfy?? It actually has lots of flavor though! It starts out a little grainy and it had a wonderful fruity finish- impressive.

I love that breweries are embracing different types of ingredients and brewing styles, as the traditional beer doesn’t always work for everyone.

So give something different a try, you just might like it! Cheers!!

Lips of Faith

Ever tried a “bier de garde”? Here’s a great example of the style brewed by New Belgium Brewing. Full of spicy flavor, it really leaves a bite. The yeast creates a “horse blanket” quality called brettanomyces- giving the beer an earthy and hay-like flavor.

It sounds strange, but it’s really pretty delicious. Kudos to New Belgium! Cheers!

That’s a Big Monkey!

Ever heard of the 400 Pound Monkey? If not, you’re missing out; this English IPA from Left Hand Brewing is delicious!

This fine brew starts out malty and ends with a bitter, but not overpowering, hops flavor. It totally has that “English Bitter” taste to it as well.

Try one.. or two! Cheers!

Killer Penguin

This weekend I had a barley wine from Boulder Beer Company called Killer Penguin. It was a bit hoppier than I expected, at first taste, but by the time I swallowed this malty beer – I taste the smooth caramel finish.

Killer Penguin is totally worth picking up… just don’t expect it to taste like your everyday smooth barley wine. I imagine this would be an awesome beer to age, as it would mellow out that initial hop bite.  So stock up – age… and share one with me in a year or so!

Cheers!!

Palo Santo 2008

Dogfish Head is one of my favorite breweries ever! Tonight my sampler included a 2008 Palo Santo Marron. If you haven’t had this beer, it’s fabulous! It’s brewed and aged in a Palo Santo Wood barrel. I love the fresh version, but the 2008 aged version is like drinking maple syrup! I can handle a small sampler but I can’t imagine drinking a whole glass!
If you haven’t been to Dogfish, or tried their beers, you should – awesome stuff!!

The road to success is paved with good beer!

I feel like I’ve posted less and less because I’m not really a “beer review” person. Yes, I love to drink good beer, but I’m bad at describing it to everyone else – besides saying it’s “nutty” or it’s “fruity” or “hoppy”. I thought this year I’d focus more on the beer/beer cap pictures, because that’s the part I really love. So… cheers to beers! 🙂

Winter… with a Belgian Twist

 

I’ve always loved Smuttynose Brewing, as they make awesome beer – but this was the first time I’ve tried their Winter Ale.

It’s an Abby Double, so it’s brewed with Belgian yeast – but it only rates a 5.1% ABV… which means, you can drink more than just one.  😉

I thought it was pretty tasty, but my personal favorite is still the Smuttynose Brown Ale.

Poppin’ Caps!

Looking for an awesome bottle opener that won’t ruin your caps?  Look no further… just add a piece of metal to a piece of wood and there you have it!  Actually, this is a bottle opener specially made by Goebel Liquor – that won’t bend the top of your caps.  It’s super easy and the piece of wood supports the top of your cap while the metal piece prys off the cap.

I try to use it on special caps… but nevermind that Sierra Nevada cap at the bottom of the picture, on which I obviously did not use this opener! And if you happened to realize that is a Salvator bottle in the back, I’ll tell you – it was delicious!

Cheers!