May 2, 2012
Starr Hill Monticello Reserve Ale
I’d seen Starr Hill’s Monticello Reserve Ale on the shelves over the past year or so, but never felt the urge to purchase a bottle. I couldn’t tell you why, there just wasn’t a spark there. Perhaps it was the “official beer of…” disclaimer on it. I didn’t want to get sucked into buying a [...]
May 1, 2012
Magic Hat Pistil
The unassuming dandelion. That little, yellow flower dotting yards across the country. The bane — and eternal enemy — of all home owners and lawn care professionals everywhere. My single thought upon reading that Magic Hat’s Pistil is brewed with the flower’s petals? “Revenge is mine!” And how appropriate then that I fully enjoyed this [...]
April 30, 2012
Magic Hat Elder Betty
I can’t say that I’ve every tried an elderberry before. A quick Wikipedia perusal lets me know that if you ingest enough of the leaves, stems and branches a dangerous level of cyanide could potentially build up in your system. The berries, however, appear to be safe to eat. At least that’s what the Internets [...]
April 27, 2012
Devils Backbone Eight Point IPA
You have no idea how excited I was to see six packs of Devils Backbone products in my local Harris Teeter. I’ve been enjoying the brewery’s IPA (then un-named) at local restaurants on tap over the past year or so, but to finally be able to purchase it easily at the grocery and take it [...]
April 26, 2012
Mikkeller Big Worse
I’m not entirely sure when this bottle of Mikkeller Big Worse was actually brewed — there was no bottling or vintage stamp to be seen — but it drinks like it’s already been cellared for a good while. The beer has an aged character to it’s flavor profile. There isn’t a cardboard flavor or anything [...]
April 24, 2012
Gouden Carolus Easter Ale
There are very few things that I love more than a glass of anything from Belgium’s Brouwerij Het Anker — proprietors of the Gouden Carolus brand. From their classic Tripel to their oh-so-cellerable Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw, the company makes, hands down, some of my most favored products. So, needless to say, it was [...]
April 23, 2012
Shipyard Monkey Fist
I do love having a relative who works with one of my favorite breweries. While not available on shelves until early next month, I was lucky enough to get a couple bottles of Shipyard Brewing’s new IPA, Monkey Fist. The first thing you notice when approaching this beer is the label artwork. I’m not entirely [...]
April 20, 2012
New Belgium Biere de Mars
With New Belgium’s presence still relatively nascent in the state of Virginia, I’ve only had the opportunity to have one other release from the company’s Lips of Faith series — Super Cru. So, needless to say, I was a tad bit excited to run across this bottle of Biere de Mars the other day. Brewed [...]
April 19, 2012
Samuel Adams Dark Depths
Along with a bottle of their Cinder Bock, I also picked up this bottle of Samuel Adams Dark Depths. And much like Cinder Bock, this beer is also a mash-up of styles — combining elements of a baltic porter and black IPA. Unlike the Cinder Bock, however, this one doesn’t really lean too heavily on [...]
April 17, 2012
Samuel Adams Cinder Bock
It’s been quite some time since I’ve had anything from Boston Beer Company that wasn’t their standard flagship lager or traditional seasonal release on tap at local restaurants. I guess seeing this bottle of Cinder Bock (killer name, by the way) and Dark Depths (review coming tomorrow) on the shelves the other day was a [...]
