tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14326802906296442602024-02-18T20:38:43.696-05:00Justin's Brew ReviewA blog about one man's journey to learn more about great-tasting beer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-45540894489145885432013-11-16T12:06:00.000-05:002013-11-16T12:06:01.106-05:00Justin Has Brew-ReviewedWell, folks, as Geoffrey Chaucer is credited with telling us, all good things must come to an end. This officially marks my last post on Justin's Brew Review.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ-VG2gvicN9KYwkKqW09tQ7mO60pfOsm9b9x-TGhzBxARTc7uoBpJKa-jgTphKWVbFGcHH1_bkyYSRYc-oTCkJL2rnSXV1isil1I2Ec80LWQuEYpOa-g8oFJDkBx65T65JRTC4WP2DE/s1600/New+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ-VG2gvicN9KYwkKqW09tQ7mO60pfOsm9b9x-TGhzBxARTc7uoBpJKa-jgTphKWVbFGcHH1_bkyYSRYc-oTCkJL2rnSXV1isil1I2Ec80LWQuEYpOa-g8oFJDkBx65T65JRTC4WP2DE/s320/New+Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had a rather enjoyable time making something from nothing. I learned about blogging, promoting a blog, how to grow an audience, marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO), to name a few things.<br />
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Oh yeah, and I learned a lot about beer! I definitely didn't post everything I learned, even though that was originally the intent when I got started. I got to try a lot of great-tasting beers over the years. Problem is, I was learning faster and tasting more than I was able to devote the time to blog about.<br />
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The content of this blog, <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/">JustinsBrewReview.blogspot.com</a>, will be available to you as long as the host (Blogspot/Blogger) is around. I hope that you find it to be a good resource. I also plan to maintain my social media presence, at least for a time. Updates will be beer-related, of course, and will likely be geared mainly toward events, news, happenings, etc. local to the greater York, PA area. You can read all of my blog posts related to the York, PA area <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/search/label/York%20PA">here</a>.<br />
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A hat tip to my mother-in-law, Gina, who encouraged me to venture into the world of blogging almost 3 years ago. And a big thank you to my entire family who supported my efforts. A great big, huge thank you to my wife, Diana, who put up with my antics the most. She was very understanding of my "need" to take a picture of every single beer I tried, and she was always patient while I made my tasting notes.<br />
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And now, a resounding "thank you" to my readers. Thank you for reading and for making this blog a success. I had a great time learning, tasting, writing, and then reading your comments here and on social media. I appreciate the connections that I've made with some of you, and I hope that you will stay in touch.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
May the road rise up to meet you.<br /> May the wind be always at your back.<br /> May the sun shine warm upon your face;<br /> the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,<br /> may God hold you in the palm of His hand.<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"> --traditional Gaelic blessing</span></blockquote>
Prost!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-67168485019211547322013-08-06T23:04:00.000-04:002013-08-06T23:04:21.999-04:00Smart Advertising for Craft BeerAdvertisers are getting smart. I heard an ad on a local radio station today for a restaurant that was promoting their great <i>craft beer</i> selection. With that phrase, my ears perked up and I started listening. All because they added that one simple, little word: craft.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rTK_eghKlOma_IWgotVdZvpo_ue76oC8a9pE8l4fg5oHvATcxbbB0KqzsZMWGFzXnro9hdPWEtUiGhAoB2cDx6hG_zSERNb-zUEqcB2gehDTU2wZHO_BcVzdh2UbcgX99-RroDoKiYg/s1600/DrinkCraftBeer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rTK_eghKlOma_IWgotVdZvpo_ue76oC8a9pE8l4fg5oHvATcxbbB0KqzsZMWGFzXnro9hdPWEtUiGhAoB2cDx6hG_zSERNb-zUEqcB2gehDTU2wZHO_BcVzdh2UbcgX99-RroDoKiYg/s200/DrinkCraftBeer.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.stlmag.com/Blogs/Relish/July-2013/No-Rest-for-the-Beery-St-Louis-Craft-Beer-Week-Begins-Tomorrow/DrinkCraftBeer.png">www.stlmag.com/Blogs/Relish</a></span></td></tr>
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See, I don't care if you've got a great <i>beer</i> selection, because that's so run-of-the-mill. That probably just means you have both kinds of beer: AB-InBev <i>and</i> SABMiller. But if you've got <i><b>craft</b> beer</i>, well, that's a whole 'nother story. A Clydesdale of a different color, as it were.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyEQvuYev7h3-BTaoFOXYGxPkVN7UJhFTJc3FGwhs1I22b735Kgx6h3xHFJlKvCyMlHvhUSS-DYALj6jAmzkcWA6Pea427qLygTw8w3ZcWYx2GDUJuF9ZwoXa1oSdrda_J_R-YzHmVq0/s1600/Clydesdale+of+a+Different+Color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyEQvuYev7h3-BTaoFOXYGxPkVN7UJhFTJc3FGwhs1I22b735Kgx6h3xHFJlKvCyMlHvhUSS-DYALj6jAmzkcWA6Pea427qLygTw8w3ZcWYx2GDUJuF9ZwoXa1oSdrda_J_R-YzHmVq0/s320/Clydesdale+of+a+Different+Color.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Slightly</i>-modified image compliments of <a href="http://clydesusa.com/images/Nov_Main_Page.jpg">clydesusa.com</a></span></td></tr>
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The craft beer industry <a href="http://beerpulse.com/2013/03/brewers-association-reports-15-increase-in-craft-beer-volume-for-2013-025/">continues to grow</a>, and consumers are seeing the benefits of that growth. For example: <b>choices!</b> When someone advertises <i>craft beer</i>, you can usually expect that the selection will be pretty great, with a variety of breweries and styles. Consider <a href="http://www.mcclearyspub.com/">McCleary's</a> Public House in Marietta, PA (less than 1/2 hour drive from York). My wife and I love to dine there, and I always take a few minutes to peruse the craft beer menu, which is broken down by style. (Their <a href="http://www.mcclearyspub.com/drinks.html#Drafts">online</a> beer menu is not quite as well laid out as their printed one.) Similarly, consider <a href="http://www.victorsofyork.com/">Victor's</a> Italian Restaurant in York, PA, another favorite of ours (and about which I've <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/05/back-to-brew-ture.html">previously</a> written). Their rotating "<a href="http://www.beermenus.com/places/5067-victor-s-italian-restaurant">beer bible</a>" acts as your guide to fun for the evening. Both places advocate craft beer, and craft beer enthusiasts show thanks by frequenting their establishments. Win-win.<br />
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So if you're in advertising and you're reading this, I hope you've picked up on the fact that you need to use the word "craft" in your beer ads. Because craft-beer geeks won't listen if you don't, and plain-beer drinkers won't notice if you do. <i>Prost!</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-55890795526429801762013-07-14T23:48:00.001-04:002013-07-14T23:48:26.997-04:00The Session #77 Roundup (a.k.a. Why IPA is a Big Deal)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VRH3tsmmsjc/T1QqroT3Z4I/AAAAAAAACi0/TB_xZPa0o94/s1600/The+Session.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VRH3tsmmsjc/T1QqroT3Z4I/AAAAAAAACi0/TB_xZPa0o94/s200/The+Session.jpg" width="164" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, we "only" had 33 participants for this month's edition of <a href="http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-sessions/">The Session</a> (including myself), and it sure took a while to read through all of the blog posts! There's a lot of work that goes into hosting this endeavor, but I sincerely enjoyed reading the responses. I <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2013/06/announcing-session-77-ipa-whats-big-deal.html">really wondered</a> why IPA is such a big deal, and I was happy to see that many people had also be wondering the same thing. Following is a quick list summarizing some of the top reasons cited:</span><br />
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<li><b style="font-family: inherit;">HOPS!</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> for the taste / flavor</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Different than mass-produced "macro" beer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hype / abundance of supply</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Probably one of the most frequently mentioned IPAs was BrewDog's </span><a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/brewdog-punk-ipa-56/135361/" style="font-family: inherit;">Punk! IPA</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, which I have not yet had the pleasure of tasting</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. It's definitely on my list to try, though!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also of note, I was happily surprised to have gotten responses from bloggers around the world and on at least three continents. To name a few places: USA, Canada, England, France, and Australia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By the way, before I get into my roundup notes, I wanted to make sure that all of you beer bloggers who are interested are registered with </span><a href="http://beerbloggersconference.org/">BeerBloggersConference.org</a>. They maintain the most <a href="http://beerbloggersconference.org/blogs/">comprehensive lists</a> of beer blogs that I've found yet. By my count, t<span style="font-family: inherit;">here are over 1,100 beer blogs in North America, over 500 international blogs (i.e. outside of North America), and a number of industry blogs too. For your consideration.</span></div>
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And now it's time for the main event. Following is my roundup for The Session #77. Posts are not presented in any particular order. I've made some notes about each of the posts, mostly summarizing the content but also with my own comments interjected. Please follow the link to read the original. A big <b>THANK YOU</b> to all participants! <i>Prost!</i></div>
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Read Justin's Brew Review's post here: <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2013/07/session-77-ipa-whats-big-deal.html">http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2013/07/session-77-ipa-whats-big-deal.html</a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://boakandbailey.com/">Boak and Bailey</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Authors</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Boak and Bailey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://boakandbailey.com/2013/07/session-77-whats-the-big-deal-with-ipas/" target="_blank">http://boakandbailey.<wbr></wbr>com/2013/07/session-77-whats-<wbr></wbr>the-big-deal-with-ipas/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Boak and Bailey write that "We believe fruity, flowery, perfumed IPAs with showboating hop aromas and flavours have an intrinsic popular appeal." They quote Pete Brown: "'The first time you experience beers like this it's like tasting in colour and realising that you've only had black and white until now.'" Further, "From a British perspective,...IPA...<wbr></wbr>symbolizes a sort of rebirth of the glory days of British brewing." Nice!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://beerbarband.com/">Beer Bar Band</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: James</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://beerbarband.com/2013/07/05/ipa-whats-the-big-deal-the-session-no-77/" target="_blank">http://beerbarband.com/<wbr></wbr>2013/07/05/ipa-whats-the-big-<wbr></wbr>deal-the-session-no-77/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Not a hop-head, James suffers palate-fatigue from big/bold IPAs. It's an acquired taste. he preferred malty beers when getting into craft beers. I'm wondering how he'd like a Black IPA (hehe). "The rate at which new characterful hops are being born, promoted and utilised these days is providing a never ending hype machine for new beers...And that's exactly what craft beer enthusiasts love, more beers, with different flavours, more often." Yep!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/">The Beer Nut</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: The Beer Nut</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2013/07/let-beer-do-talking.html" target="_blank">http://thebeernut.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2013/07/let-beer-<wbr></wbr>do-talking.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: The Beer Nut says that IPA divides beer fans. "...when it comes to strong and hoppy: more alcohol isn't always your friend." He talked about Scottish BrewDog's "IPA is Dead" series and loves their punk-centric nature and their ideas when it comes to brewing. The second in the series was "A great beer to explore, to take time over and get lost in...not...a style for chugging." Best line: "IPA can offer a broad range of experiences...To generalise about IPA is perhaps unwise." Well said!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://beer-runner.blogspot.com/">Ramblings of a Beer Runner</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Derrick</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://beer-runner.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-session-77-im-so-bored-with-ipa.html" target="_blank">http://beer-runner.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2013/07/the-<wbr></wbr>session-77-im-so-bored-with-<wbr></wbr>ipa.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: IPAs dominate the popular beer geek hangouts (e.g. BeerAdvocate, RateBeer). "True, sipping palate searing IPA's beats swilling vapid nothingness of industrial lagers, but can't we do a lot better than this?" Interesting follow-up question! Derrick says that IPA is so common that even Costco has an IPA (Kirkland brand, brewed by Gordon-Biersch). Perhaps it's popular because it has a big, new flavor when compared with many other beer styles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.boozebeatsbites.com/">Booze, Beats, & Bites</a></b></span></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Nathan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://www.boozebeatsbites.com/2013/07/the-session-77-ipa-whats-big-deal-for.html?spref=tw" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>boozebeatsbites.com/2013/07/<wbr></wbr>the-session-77-ipa-whats-big-<wbr></wbr>deal-for.html?spref=tw</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Nathan had BrewDog's Punk IPA and was blown away. While he was "...living in Norfolk,...there weren't many really hoppy beers. We had mostly dull brown ales but this Punk IPA stuff was magical." Punk IPA is apparently where it's at because Nate's response to my question is simply because "They're mostly [expletive] delicious."</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://beerblog.genx40.com/">A Good Beer Blog</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Alan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://beerblog.genx40.com/archive/2013/july/session77whats" target="_blank">http://beerblog.genx40.<wbr></wbr>com/archive/2013/july/<wbr></wbr>session77whats</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Alan restated my question as "What makes the <i>use of the term</i> India Pale Ale (IPA) for so many <i>styles</i> of beer so <i>prevalent at this point in time</i>?" And Alan states that the (obvious) answer is branding. "You take a familiar thing with a good hook and milk it for all it is worth." Then he comes back to answering my question, without really saying as much: "Hops...If you like that sort of thing." My favorite response though is that "[IPA] is code. The thing you have not had that you just might like." So IPA is less of a style (Alan says it's not a style at all, rather perhaps a sub-set of a style) and more of a marketing tack. Interesting ideas!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Question</u>: By the way, Alan, I've always wondered: does the title of your blog mean it's a blog about good beers or is it a good blog about beers? Or is it just fun to be ambiguous?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://ale.gd/blog/">ALE.is.GooD</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Yvan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://ale.gd/blog/2013/07/session-77-ipa-whats-the-big-deal/" target="_blank">http://ale.gd/blog/2013/<wbr></wbr>07/session-77-ipa-whats-the-<wbr></wbr>big-deal/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Yvan says that IPA is a statement of non-conformity. At least, that's my paraphrase minus an expletive that is apparently commonly used by BrewDog. "IPA is to beer what the punchy new-world Shirazes, et al, are to wine." (Side note: Interesting, because I love a good IPA, and when I drink wine, I prefer a Syrah, which is the French varietal counterpart to the Australian Shiraz). "IPA is the 'new world' for beer...<i>It's all about the hops.</i>" My favorite line is "I don't care in which your IPA beliefs lean -- I celebrate the diversity of the style." Amen! Style and variety...a little something for everyone. It's the "banner of that which we are calling the craft beer movement". Yep.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://itsnotjustthealcoholtalking.wordpress.com/">It's Not Just the Alcohol Talking</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Derek</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://itsnotjustthealcoholtalking.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/ipa-whats-the-big-deal/" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>itsnotjustthealcoholtalking.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com/2013/07/05/ipa-<wbr></wbr>whats-the-big-deal/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: I agree with Derek that IPAs are so largely represented that we see less of the other styles. I like that Derek says that there are many valid answers to the original question and that he's glad that there will many beer bloggers writing about this topic...that's exactly how I feel! He says history is one reason -- post-Prohibition American beer had to outdo its more mild European counterpart. He also says it could simply be because we choose to be vastly different from adjunct lager-drinkers. But the real reason, for Derek anyway, is because IPAs taste great. What a great piece!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Additional note</u>: If you haven't already, you should definitely follow the link in his post to "The Great Hop Debate" (</span><a href="http://itsnotjustthealcoholtalking.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/the-great-hop-debate/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>itsnotjustthealcoholtalking.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com/2013/05/26/the-<wbr></wbr>great-hop-debate/</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). Excellent post!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://beersiveknown.blogspot.co.uk/">Beers I've Known</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Steve</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://beersiveknown.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/session-77-ipa-whats-deal.html" target="_blank">http://beersiveknown.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/<wbr></wbr>session-77-ipa-whats-deal.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Steve says that there is no deal! It's a "continuously shifting entity that changes with the advent of new brewing techniques and different hop flavours." Steve mentions the oxymoronic Black IPA and wheat heavy white IPAs that just aren't pale! "IPA is no longer a tightly defined style." Amen to that. Also, "what the beer is called shouldn't matter, it's what's inside the bottle that counts." Yep. The answer to the IPA question is "Its so popular because its not just a single beer style any more." Glad to have inspired the words to flow, Steve!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.montanabeerfinder.com/">Montana Beer Finder</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Ryan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://www.montanabeerfinder.com/2013/07/what-is-the-deal-about-IPA-beer.html" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>montanabeerfinder.com/2013/07/<wbr></wbr>what-is-the-deal-about-IPA-<wbr></wbr>beer.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Tasty...hops! Historical context and creative use get a nod. While IPAs were originally designed to age, now everyone wants them 'fresh'. (Side note: think Heady Topper.) I've heard it before and Ryan brings it up here that hops are often used to cover flaws in a beer, so some brewers prefer to perfect their craft and not use the hops to cover up those flaws. "[IPA]'s something old that feels new again...it's a new thrill for the 'old' beer drinker."</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://growlerfills.blogspot.com/">Growler Fills: Craft Beer Enthusiasm</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Alan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://growlerfills.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-session-no-77-ipa-whats-big-deal.html" target="_blank">http://growlerfills.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2013/07/the-<wbr></wbr>session-no-77-ipa-whats-big-<wbr></wbr>deal.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Alan writes, "This one is easy to answer: it's tasty." My favorite line: "Craft beer is booming for one main reason: it has flavor." Yes! Also, "...I remain far more interested in the hops rather than the extra bitterness." Me too, for sure. "Unlike PBR, there was no mass use of guerilla marketing trying to make IPAs 'cool' so people would drink them. (Uhh...if there is, it's obviously working very well on me.)" Me too, Alan! I think it's just the trend, and word of mouth has made it popular.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://tastingnitch.com/">Tasting Nitch</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Nitch</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://tastingnitch.com/2013/07/the-session-77-why-the-hop-hype/" target="_blank">http://tastingnitch.com/<wbr></wbr>2013/07/the-session-77-why-<wbr></wbr>the-hop-hype/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: It appears that Nitch may be a first-time poster! She is looking for an IPA, as they are apparently extremely difficult to find in France. I like how she says that even though she's got Germany on one side of her and Belgium on the other, she doesn't fancy the German lagers, at least not since she "realized that there were other brewing possibilities than what was mandated [by] the Reinheitsgebot." And as far as Belgium goes, even though she can get Duvel readily at the grocery store, they just don't have the craft beer selection that they could. So it's kind of like a "you want the one you can't have" kind of thing. My favorite statement: "...hops were what helped lure you away from the macro swill that was standard like breast milk." haha! I like "hop soul cleansing" too. Let the IPA trending craze continue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Side note</u>: Nitch, you may want to consider picking up a copy of co-author Sam Calagione's (Dogfish Head) "He said beer, she said wine". My wife read and liked it. (In France: <a href="http://www.amazon.fr/He-Said-Beer-She-Wine/dp/0756654491/" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.fr/<wbr></wbr>He-Said-Beer-She-Wine/dp/<wbr></wbr>0756654491/</a> or in USA: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Said-Beer-She-Wine-Impassioned/dp/0756654491/" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/<wbr></wbr>Said-Beer-She-Wine-<wbr></wbr>Impassioned/dp/0756654491/</a>)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.thebrewsite.com/">The Brew Site</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Jon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://www.thebrewsite.com/session-77-ipa-big-deal/" target="_blank">http://www.thebrewsite.<wbr></wbr>com/session-77-ipa-big-deal/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Jon says 'hops' is the answer (or the problem). Yes, "It's the hops--only, it's not the bitterness, but the <i>hoppiness</i>." I wholeheartedly agree! Interesting taste without the bitterness is where it's at. Jon refers to the "floral, fruity, juicy, spicy, amazingly flavorful qualities that brewers are able to coax out of these flowers." "Hops add a dimension to beer that is unlike any other drink out there, and the IPA brings that out unlike any other style of beer." Here, here! And I agree that IPA as a style will not be "on top" forever, and it <i>is</i> fun while it lasts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.beersearchparty.com/">Beer Search Party</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Sean</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://www.beersearchparty.com/session-77/" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>beersearchparty.com/session-<wbr></wbr>77/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>:Sean writes that "Even at a coffee-centric beer event, an IPA took center stage." He makes some very interesting points about how IPAs should be hindered from such a prominently popular stance, yet somehow they overcome them. Possible reasons: 1) Sierra Nevada Pale Ale paved the way, 2) "IPAs are the IBU opposite of the BMC industrial water lagers and doing the opposite of what the big 3 did is not to be underestimated as a reason", and 3) Americans have developed a taste for different coffees, so why not appreciate IPAs? Interesting ideas, and I can certainly agree with #2.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://10thdaybrewing.wordpress.com/">10th Day Brewing</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Jon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://10thdaybrewing.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/session-77/" target="_blank">http://10thdaybrewing.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com/2013/07/05/<wbr></wbr>session-77/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Jon and I agree that IPAs are a beautiful thing. But then Jon saw a toaster. Not just any toaster...an $80 toaster. And he realized that the only difference between that and a $10 toaster was $70. They both make toast! And so it is with IPAs and "fizzy yellow water". Except not exactly - the IPA has some extra bells and whistles, flavor being one. And while that flavor isn't for everyone, that little extra makes all the difference for those that are so inclined.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.beeroclockaustralia.com/">Beer O'Clock Australia</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Noz</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://www.beeroclockaustralia.com/2013/07/the-session-77.html" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>beeroclockaustralia.com/2013/<wbr></wbr>07/the-session-77.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Noz is a first-time poster! IPAs were a foreign concept as he was on the edge of the craft beer scene. Noz is another BrewDog Punk! IPA lover. He says that it was a struggle to get through the first can but was left wanting more! So what's the big deal? Noz says it's because he doesn't know what attracts him to them! Probably a mix between clever marketing and addictive hops. I wholeheartedly agree!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.sevenpack.net/">SevenPack</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Dave</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://www.sevenpack.net/?p=4160" target="_blank">http://www.sevenpack.<wbr></wbr>net/?p=4160</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Dave is a first-time poster! IPA is what turned Dave on to beer. And he's one of the guys that actually likes the bitterness! He likes that it is so popular because it means you can almost always find one when you want one. It's the first style he drinks when trying a new brewery's offerings. You just don't forget your first love!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://seeingthelizards.blogspot.com/">Seeing the Lizards</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Matthew</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://seeingthelizards.blogspot.com/2013/07/session-77-whats-big-deal-with-ipas.html" target="_blank">http://seeingthelizards.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2013/07/session-<wbr></wbr>77-whats-big-deal-with-ipas.<wbr></wbr>html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Matthew appears to be a first-time poster! IPA was something fashionable for craft brewers to latch onto in order to be different from the "macroswill" and "pumpage" of the "megafizz merchants" (nice!). The "'Crafties'...are constantly seeking new sensory experiences beyond that of slaking thirst and sating hunger". Nice imagery and great word choices!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://likelymoose.co.uk/">Likely Moose</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Looke</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://likelymoose.co.uk/the-session-77-ipa-whats-the-big-deal/" target="_blank">http://likelymoose.co.<wbr></wbr>uk/the-session-77-ipa-whats-<wbr></wbr>the-big-deal/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Looke enjoys starting a session with an IPA or when he wants to mix it up after having had some heavy bitters or stouts. Looke guesses that brewers, especially in America, like an IPA because they can easily quantify the IBUs. He thinks it's a good marketing metric for boosting sales. And here's something funny: Looke points out that we beer geeks help the brewers with free advertising by promoting the hype. Yes, we do! As if the IPA wasn't popular enough already, just think what the internet will be like now after this The Session (ha!). I like Looke's answer to the original question: "It's a beer for real beer lovers and it helps to set us aside from those that drink any old swill just to get drunk. We drink it and love it because it's not like your average beers..."</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://drinksadvice.blogspot.co.uk/">Drinks Advice</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Gareth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://drinksadvice.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/whats-big-deal-with-ipas.html" target="_blank">http://drinksadvice.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/whats-<wbr></wbr>big-deal-with-ipas.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Gareth says that modern hop-forward American-style IPAs bridge a gap - you can drink them anytime and enjoy the un-subtle flavor. He has no problem with the fact that IPAs are "trendy". In fact, he welcomes it because that means he can easily find one when he wants one. He also enjoys the more traditional British IPA and pretty much all the sub-styles. "...so long may IPA rule!" Here, here!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://activebrewer.blogspot.com/">Active Brewer</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: L Allen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://activebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-session-ipa-whats-big-deal.html?m=1" target="_blank">http://activebrewer.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2013/07/the-<wbr></wbr>session-ipa-whats-big-deal.<wbr></wbr>html?m=1</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Allen doesn't fully subscribe to #IPADay; rather, he touts it as "Drink What You Damn Well Please Day" (for tweeting purposes, I think we'd have to shorten that to #DWYDWPD). He does, however, thoroughly enjoy IPA. At the same time, to each his/her own! Allen's choice: Belgian. He doesn't like that everyone brews an IPA and thinks theirs is the best (true!). Brewers shouldn't neglect developing other styles, hoping that the IPA is their flagship. In general, Allen doesn't think that an IPA is the style of choice for converting the masses because they're often too bitter.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.beertintedspectacles.com/">Beer Tinted Spectacles</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: David</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://www.beertintedspectacles.com/?p=386" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>beertintedspectacles.com/?p=<wbr></wbr>386</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: David says that IPAs are gaining popularity in the US, UK, Italy, Scandinavia, and Australasia (that last one was a new one to me - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasia" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/<wbr></wbr>wiki/Australasia</a>). IPA is the poster boy for the craft movement. Lagers were perhaps embraced over IPAs and other beers because they were easier to drink, refreshing, and looked appealing. But David has the following to say about his experience with Sierra Nevada's Torpedo: "despite its considerable punch, it was a refreshing, drinkable beer". David's answer to the original IPA question is two-fold: 1) IPA is "a base for challenge, for experimentation, for moving beer on, for saying, '<i>Oh, I like this, but I think I can do better.</i>'" and 2) IPA is for proving how we're different, "How we're our 'own man', how we're independent." Agreed!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://bmorebistroandbeers.blogspot.com/">Baltimore Bistros and Beer</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Douglas</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://bmorebistroandbeers.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-session-77-ipa-whats-big-deal.html" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>bmorebistroandbeers.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com/2013/07/the-session-77-<wbr></wbr>ipa-whats-big-deal.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Douglas says that this is an easy answer: "Most everyone that has found their way into craft beer has done so because macro beer just wasn't doing it for them...what's the opposite of fizzy yellow water? Beer that's a little higher in alcohol and in the complete opposite direction in regards to hop profile." To paraphrase, craft beer is a brunette in an otherwise blonde beer world. Even though the craft beer world is oversaturated with IPAs, it's very flavorful and there's a lot of variety within the style. Bottom line is this: IPAs "are frickin' awesome". Agreed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://appellationbeer.com/">Appellation Beer</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Stan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://appellationbeer.com/session-77-ipa-why-its-a-big-deal/" target="_blank">http://appellationbeer.<wbr></wbr>com/session-77-ipa-why-its-a-<wbr></wbr>big-deal/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Stan writes that, interestingly, nearly 18 years ago, beer author-brewer-consumer Randy Mosher said, “Americans have been starved for hops so long that right now we’re just shoving them down our throats.” But that 'phase' never ended! I found this to be particularly interesting: "At the beginning of 2008 pale ale was the best selling craft beer style in supermarkets, followed by amber ale, amber lager, wheat beers, and then IPA. Yes, wheat beers, then IPA." Stan says that "IPA has become a synonym for hops." I also like that Stan says of IPA, there's "no reason to be pissed off about the attention it is getting". Stan wraps things up by foreshadowing an IPA Day post, possibly about a "coffee-infused wood-aged extreme saison IPA". And with that, I'm thirsty!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://vonschlapper.wordpress.com/">vonSchlapper's Adventures with Beer</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Will</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://vonschlapper.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/session-ipa/" target="_blank">http://vonschlapper.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com/2013/07/05/<wbr></wbr>session-ipa/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Will says he understands the romance in the IPA story. He takes us through a brief history of the beer style, noting the heavy hopping thereof. He also discusses some of the reasons the term "IPA" can be misleading, not the least of which is the subjective nature of the 'pale' aspect. Of course, that segued nicely into an interjection about Black IPAs and the question of how you can have a "BLACK India PALE Ale". Personally, I don't mind the term because of the reason that Stan brought up in his post: "IPA has become a synonym for hops." So we're basically just talking about hoppy black beer. Anyway, I liked how Will said that "Modern IPAs are hop-tastic, alcoholic and unctious" and that he loves hop-forward beers, "but not to the exclusion of malt and yeast." I agree - don't get too wrapped up in one style and not enjoy all the other wonderful variety that is available to you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.pittsburghbeersnob.com/">The Pittsburgh Beer Snob</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Bill</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://www.pittsburghbeersnob.com/2013/07/the-session-no-77-ipa-whats-big-deal.html" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>pittsburghbeersnob.com/2013/<wbr></wbr>07/the-session-no-77-ipa-<wbr></wbr>whats-big-deal.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: My beer-blogging cohort from the western portion of the commonwealth, Bill doesn't "see the point of fighting over beers that get hoppier and hoppier every year they're released." I like his statement that he is "a staunch believer that hops should mainly be used as a compliment to the rest of the ingredients that were tossed in to make that beautiful product we all so desperately search for." He goes on to say that it's not that he thinks IPAs are bad; in fact, he rather enjoys Lagunitas IPA YES! Me too, Bill. He also says that "Hoppy beers like IPA's taste all the same to me. There aren't any intricacies and nuances in flavors of said beers." Interesting! To wrap up, he says that it seems like some people that are into craft beer think that means IPA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://drunkenspeculation.wordpress.com/">Drunken Speculation</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Liam</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://drunkenspeculation.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/ds-session-77-ipa-whats-the-big-deal/" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>drunkenspeculation.wordpress.<wbr></wbr>com/2013/07/05/ds-session-77-<wbr></wbr>ipa-whats-the-big-deal/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Liam reframes the question as a two-parter: is IPA popular? if so, why? To answer the first question, he points to a 2012 Australian Hottest 100 Beers list, which, by my count, contains 17 IPAs. (Interestingly, I counted 16 pale ales, IPA's cousin.) Liam says that as "beer geeks" reached the point of saturation with regard to pale ales, they naturally shifted to the IPA. But now that the IPA is reaching that same point of saturation, Liam speculates that the shift will occur once again...perhaps this time to sour beers. I like how he ends by saying that "Sourness is just next to bitterness on your palate...".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://ozbeerbaron.wordpress.com/">TheOzBeerBaron</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Nick</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://ozbeerbaron.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/whats-the-deal-with-ipa/" target="_blank">http://ozbeerbaron.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com/2013/07/05/<wbr></wbr>whats-the-deal-with-ipa/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: The IPA got Nick's attention in a big way. It was BrewDog's Punk IPA (so many people love that beer...I've gotta get my hands on one!). While it was hard to get through the first glass, Nick found himself wanting more at the end. (Sounds like my first coffee experience, by the way.) He began sampling more and more IPAs, chasing the bitterness. He mentions Mikkeller 1000 IBU, which sounds crazy. He appreciates the "complex flavour profiles" My favorite line: "I do feel like I’m flipping the bird at big business when I drink an IPA." He also says that he takes pride in "drinking an IPA that labels itself as being too much for common folk to handle."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Side note</u>: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not sure that I'm the first to use the term "craft beer enthusiast", but I am fond using the acronym "CBE". Glad you like it, Nick!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://thewestbender.com/">The Westbender</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Jack</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://thewestbender.com/2013/07/05/ipa-whats-the-big-deal/" target="_blank">http://thewestbender.<wbr></wbr>com/2013/07/05/ipa-whats-the-<wbr></wbr>big-deal/</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Jack is a first-time poster! He writes that IPAs are the most expensive beer to make and attract higher excises (in some jurisdictions due to ABV) and are the most consumed, aside from Pale Ale. Jack is a fan of the IPA. But why? "The very answers to this question lie not only within the style’s flavour and palate-smashing ability, but within trends and the culture of craft beer in general." Not typically someone jumps into without at least trying a pale ale first. Interesting that Jack says beer is *very* expensive in Australia. I'm wondering how it compares to prices in the US. Jack follows up with some amusing discourse about craft beer "three letter acronyms - of TLAs". I especially like Jack's writer's voice in this post - it's worth reading for yourself.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://beerisyourfriend.org/">Beer Is Your Friend</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Glen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://beerisyourfriend.org/2013/07/05/the-session/" target="_blank">http://beerisyourfriend.<wbr></wbr>org/2013/07/05/the-session/</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Glen gets right to it by answering the IPA question thusly: "I reckon it's for two reasons and they both start with the letter P. That's 'palate' and 'peer pressure'". He says that some beers he used to like are now lacklustre, but it's not the beer that's changed -- his palate has. The IPA is one style that easily overcomes that situation, and it does so with more hops. Glen says that he "can rarely drink more than two of them in a row before my taste buds start craving something else. And so I go back to something that is a bit more sessionable." Based on context, Glen uses "sessionable" here to refer to a beer that you can continue drinking because it hasn't yet wrecked your palate, rather than the typical meaning of low-ABV beer. Interestingly, Glen comes back around to talking about low-ABV beers at the end of his post, musing that it would be nice if the next popular style was session beer.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Side note</u>: Philadelphia, PA-based drinks writer Lew Bryson has an entire blog dedicated to low-ABV beers at <a href="http://sessionbeerproject.blogspot.com/">http://sessionbeerproject.blogspot.com/</a>.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://whatweredrinking.blogspot.com/">What We're Drinking</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Tom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://whatweredrinking.blogspot.com/2013/07/session-77-ipa-whats-big-deal.html" target="_blank">http://whatweredrinking.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2013/07/session-<wbr></wbr>77-ipa-whats-big-deal.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Tom says that it's not surprising that IPA is a big deal. He feels that it was "the logical initial step in the systematic rejection of domestic macro beer by your average craft beer drinker: replace neutral with overpowering and small with big." He also says that "IPAs have become the male version of the handbag: a necessary accessory craft beer drinkers can’t do without." Interesting! I'm not sure I can't do without an IPA, but I certainly do love them! Tom also mentions that it would be nice if we could get some more session IPAs (<b>hint to brewers</b>).</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://beerodyssey.blogspot.com/">Red, White, and Brew (Beer Odyssey)</a></span></b></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Author</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Brian</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Post</u>: <a href="http://beerodyssey.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-session-77-whats-big-deal-with-ipa.html" target="_blank">http://beerodyssey.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2013/07/the-<wbr></wbr>session-77-whats-big-deal-<wbr></wbr>with-ipa.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Notes</u>: Funny stuff! Brian starts his post by naming some great (possibly over-hyped) IPAs and then stating that "Just typing those words has Pavlovially created a shaker glass’s worth of saliva thinking about all that delectable, hoppy elixir." (Yep!) He says that in "hop heaven Oregon, the IPA category accounts for 25.2% of the Oregon beer market". He quips that the three rules of craft beer are IPA, IPA, IPA. And he mentions a possible new variety: "I’m sure the BIPA (Bacon IPA) is in someone’s fermenter as we speak." I know a few people that would like a BIPA, Brian!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-18947552832646310342013-07-05T12:25:00.002-04:002013-07-05T12:27:22.224-04:00Session #77 - IPA: What's the Big Deal?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VRH3tsmmsjc/T1QqroT3Z4I/AAAAAAAACi0/TB_xZPa0o94/s146/The+Session.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VRH3tsmmsjc/T1QqroT3Z4I/AAAAAAAACi0/TB_xZPa0o94/s1600/The+Session.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-sessions/">The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday</a>, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts The Session, chooses a topic, and creates a round-up that lists all of the participants. I have the pleasure of hosting this round of The Session, and I've got a big question on my mind: <i>what is the big deal about IPAs?</i><br />
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As I said in the <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2013/06/announcing-session-77-ipa-whats-big-deal.html">announcement</a> for Session #77, it's not that I don't like the India Pale Ale style. In fact, I rather enjoy it. What I don't get is why it's sooo popular. What makes it "the" craft beer style of choice? Have you ever noticed that restaurants that list their beer selection by style usually start off with the IPAs? What gives?<br />
<br />
Maybe it's so popular because it's so different from, say, a Miller Lite or a Bud Light. Those beers are available everywhere, and they are extremely popular with non-CBEs*. So when someone is feeling adventurous and wants to try something different, well, what's more different than a beer that tantalizes your taste buds? But what about the bitterness aspect? Many IPAs are quite bitter, which doesn't typically translate into refreshing, and many people want to drink a beer in order to cool off and wind down. So many questions!<br />
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How about this? The craft beer industry recognized all of the above and developed a business model that just made sense. To be competitive, businesses typically focus on either differentiation or cost. Considering that the "big boys of beer" have such economies of scale that it's easy to keep costs low, the craft beer industry could never compete in that arena. And that's okay – I think CBEs would rather have "different". It's in the name: <i>craft </i>beer. CBEs want to know that the artisans who brew our beer focus on being creative, developing innovative ideas, and <i>crafting </i>their product. And for that, we're willing to pay a little extra to be "wowed". All things considered, it's blatantly obvious that the craft beer industry must differentiate itself from AB InBev and their ilk.<br />
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The craft beer market wants differentiation, too. People want variety and choices. They want to try new things and share their experiences with others. Conventional wisdom says that word-of-mouth advertising is the best way to spread ideas; people value a two-way conversation and trust what their friends have to say more readily than what a company tells them through one-way channels such as TV and radio. People also want to be part of a community, to connect with others. So when one person tries a craft beer and loves it, it is likely that they will then share this information with their friends. Of course, their friends have friends, the sum of which comprises a community of people that have similar tastes and interests. I like to refer to this community as the Craft Beer Enthusiasts, and it is the community of CBEs that has taken the craft beer industry to where it is today.<br />
<br />
All that being said, I think people want IPAs simply because they're different from the norm. (Of course, if they get to be too popular, they'll become the norm!) People are funny – they want to be different from everyone else, yet they want to fit in. I think that's where the craft beer industry does it right. CBEs can enjoy beer that is not overcommercialized, which helps them be different from everyone else, while at the same time be part of the CBE community, where they fit in. (We're all unique, just like everyone else.) Give the people what they want!<br />
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Oh, and also, IPAs taste great. <i>Prost!</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Connect with Justin's Brew Review on your favorite social media platform:</div>
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<a href="http://goo.gl/Qn4jt" target="_blank"><img alt="Like on Facebook" border="0" class="fade" src="http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab137/perfectmatch81/facebook_zps9725c675.png" style="-moz-opacity: 0.8; opacity: 0.8;" title="Like on Facebook" /></a><a href="http://goo.gl/Oe6nZ" target="_blank"><img alt="Circle on Google+" border="0" class="fade" src="http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab137/perfectmatch81/google_zps09686a3e.png" style="-moz-opacity: 0.8; opacity: 0.8;" title=" Circle on Google+" /></a><a href="http://goo.gl/Qch1W" target="_blank"><img alt="Follow on Twitter" border="0" class="fade" src="http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab137/perfectmatch81/twitter_zps85072546.png" style="-moz-opacity: 0.8; opacity: 0.8;" title=" Follow on Twitter " /></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/JustinsBrewReview" target="_blank"><img alt="Subscribe to Feed" border="0" class="fade" src="http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab137/perfectmatch81/rss_zps1d0c3fe3.png" style="-moz-opacity: 0.8; opacity: 0.8;" title=" Subscribe to Feed " /></a><a href="http://goo.gl/aO3zA" target="_blank"><img alt="Friend on Untappd" border="0" class="fade" src="http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab137/perfectmatch81/design-bump_zps60b49fb9.png" style="-moz-opacity: 0.8; opacity: 0.8;" title=" Friend on Untappd " /></a><br />
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* CBE = Craft Beer Enthusiasts<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-60649100730673851912013-06-17T13:07:00.000-04:002013-06-17T13:07:52.680-04:00Announcing Session #77 - IPA: What's the Big Deal?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VRH3tsmmsjc/T1QqroT3Z4I/AAAAAAAACi0/TB_xZPa0o94/s1600/The+Session.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VRH3tsmmsjc/T1QqroT3Z4I/AAAAAAAACi0/TB_xZPa0o94/s1600/The+Session.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-sessions/">The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday</a>, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts The Session, chooses a topic, and creates a round-up that lists all of the participants. I have the pleasure of hosting the next round of The Session, which will take place on July 5. You have the pleasure of participating and/or reading (and also potentially hosting a future edition of The Session!). The choice is yours.</div>
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For quite some time now, I've been wondering what makes the India Pale Ale (IPA) style of beer so popular. Don't get me wrong--I thoroughly enjoy it and gladly <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/08/ipaday-and-dogfish-head-120-minute-ipa.html">participate</a> in #IPADay. I'm just wondering, why all the hype? What is it about an IPA that makes craft beer enthusiasts (CBE) go wild? Is it because CBEs want to differentiate <i>craft</i> beer from <i>crap</i> beer? I don't care if a watered-down pilsener is labeled as "<a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2013/04/rant-triple-hops-brewed-miller-lite.html">triple-hops brewed</a>"; it wouldn't satisfy someone looking for an IPA.</div>
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<br />
At the same time, not all CBEs prescribe to the IPA way. The author (a beer writer!) of a <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/drink/2013/05/hoppy_beer_is_awful_or_at_least_its_bitterness_is_ruining_craft_beer_s_reputation.single.html">recent article</a> proclaims that "hoppy beer is awful" and that it is allegedly "alienating people who don't like bitter brews". I happen to like IPAs and DIPAs, so I'm not going to preach about only non-hopped craft beer, as the author suggests, just to turn people away from overcommercialized yellow-colored water. Besides, maybe the bitterness and hoppiness of an IPA is exactly what some beer drinkers that have yet to be introduced to the ways of craft might want.<br />
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So what's the deal? Let me know what you think by sending me a link to your blog post on July 5. Or if you're not a blogger, I'd still love to hear what you think. Leave a comment below, or connect with Justin's Brew Review on your favorite social media platform:<br />
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<a href="http://goo.gl/Qn4jt" target="_blank"><img alt="Like on Facebook" border="0" class="fade" src="http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab137/perfectmatch81/facebook_zps9725c675.png" style="-moz-opacity: 0.8; opacity: 0.8;" title="Like on Facebook" /></a><a href="http://goo.gl/Oe6nZ" target="_blank"><img alt="Circle on Google+" border="0" class="fade" src="http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab137/perfectmatch81/google_zps09686a3e.png" style="-moz-opacity: 0.8; opacity: 0.8;" title=" Circle on Google+" /></a><a href="http://goo.gl/Qch1W" target="_blank"><img alt="Follow on Twitter" border="0" class="fade" src="http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab137/perfectmatch81/twitter_zps85072546.png" style="-moz-opacity: 0.8; opacity: 0.8;" title=" Follow on Twitter " /></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/JustinsBrewReview" target="_blank"><img alt="Subscribe to Feed" border="0" class="fade" src="http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab137/perfectmatch81/rss_zps1d0c3fe3.png" style="-moz-opacity: 0.8; opacity: 0.8;" title=" Subscribe to Feed " /></a><a href="http://goo.gl/aO3zA" target="_blank"><img alt="Friend on Untappd" border="0" class="fade" src="http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab137/perfectmatch81/design-bump_zps60b49fb9.png" style="-moz-opacity: 0.8; opacity: 0.8;" title=" Friend on Untappd " /></a><br />
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<i>Prost!</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-39971180321345464282013-05-29T07:00:00.000-04:002013-05-29T10:14:59.699-04:00Six-Pack Project: Pennsylvania BeerWith Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, we've entered the (unofficial) start of summer. Barbecues, beaches and vacations lie ahead. <br />
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But what's a trip away from home without throwing beer into the mix?<br />
<br />
Enter the Six-Pack Project. It's a new, collaborative effort between beer bloggers from around the country to highlight a six-pack of our state's native brews that we believe bests represents what the beer culture of our respective states offer. If someone is coming to visit, what bottles or cans would we want to share?<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xNeponTFyl8/UaUSld9tygI/AAAAAAAAMxU/Zx0Gayepu1g/s1600/6pack+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xNeponTFyl8/UaUSld9tygI/AAAAAAAAMxU/Zx0Gayepu1g/s320/6pack+logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are our rules:<br />
<ol>
<li>Pick a six-pack of beers that best represents your state and/or state's beer culture.</li>
<li>Beer must be made in your state, but "gypsy" brewers are acceptable, so long as that beer is brewed with an in-state brewery and sold in your state.</li>
<li>Any size bottle or can is acceptable to include.</li>
<li>Current seasonal offerings are fine, but try to keep selections to year-round brews as much as possible. No out-of-season brews preferred.</li>
</ol>
Welcome to the inaugural round of the Six-Pack Project.<br />
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It was particularly difficult for me to choose the top six Pennsylvania beers, and I'm sure that if I went through this exercise a year from now, my list would be different. Pennsylvania has a plethora of breweries from which to choose, and then of course, each brewery offers multiple beer styles. So in order to begin whittling things down, I took a look through <a href="http://lewbryson.blogspot.com/">Lew Bryson</a>'s book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pennsylvania-Breweries-Beers-Lew-Bryson/dp/0811736415">Pennsylvania Breweries</a> and picked out the breweries that I think are pretty good. Then, under each brewery, I listed each beer they make that really rocks. This list was much more manageable, but even so, I had way more than six. Next, I thought I'd try choosing six "main" styles from the list, something like:<br />
<ul>
<li>Pilsener</li>
<li>Lager</li>
<li>Pale Ale / IPA</li>
<li>Porter / Stout</li>
<li>Red / Amber Ale</li>
<li>Other / Miscellaneous</li>
</ul>
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Fortunately, my list parsed rather nicely into these categories. And so we arrive at the top six Pennsylvania beers, in order by style as presented above:<br />
<br />
<b>1. Sly Fox Brewing Company's "Pikeland Pils"</b> (German pilsener)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This refreshing beer is brewed at both of <a href="http://www.slyfoxbeer.com/">Sly Fox</a>'s locations: Phoenixville and Pottstown. There are not too many craft brewers that put their product in a can, but this is one that does. At 4.9% ABV, you can put a few of these away before you'll notice much of anything, which is perfect for a hot summer day. It pours copper gold and is bubbly with an off-white, frothy head. The malty, bready smell is backed up with a sweetly-bitter, bready flavor with a kick. This tangy pilsener quenches the thirst and leaves a pleasant, lasting impression on the palate.</blockquote>
<b>2. Yuengling Brewery's "Traditional Lager"</b> (American amber / red lager)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.yuengling.com/">Yuengling</a> was established in 1829 and is America's oldest brewery. Even though they now also have a brewery in Tampa, Florida, Yuengling is based out of Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Their "Traditional Lager" is such a standard in these parts that you don't have to ask for it by name; you simply order "lager". Though this 4.4% ABV reddish-colored lager has limited distribution, it is widely coveted...and rightly so. I consider it my "go-to" beer, and it certainly goes well with any meal, all-American or otherwise. (You can read more at <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/12/national-lager-day.html">this previous post</a> from National Lager Day 2012.)</blockquote>
<b>3. East End Brewing's "Big Hop IPA"</b> (India Pale Ale)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
These days, in the world of craft beer, it seems like everyone continually clamors for the best India Pale Ale (IPA). IPAs are getting to be so commonplace, it's almost as if they're a dime a dozen...but not <a href="http://www.eastendbrewing.com/">East End Brewing</a>'s version. Coming out of Pittsburgh, this IPA packs a punch in the pint. At an even-keeled 5.8% ABV, this IPA is a perfect complement to any social activity, whether it's dinner out or just shooting the breeze with some friends. If you're a hop-head, this is the IPA for you.</blockquote>
<b>4. </b><b>Spring House Brewing Company's "Big Gruesome Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout"</b> (American Double / Imperial Stout)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://springhousebeer.com/">Spring House</a>'s brewery is based out of Conestoga, which is near Lancaster, where they also have a taproom. Weighing in at 8.5% ABV, this stout tastes just like you'd expect: it's like liquid candy! While some may prefer to drink this beer for dessert, I have had it with dinner and loved it. This is a must-have for PB, chocolate, and beer lovers.</blockquote>
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<b>5. Tröegs Brewing Company's "Hopback Amber Ale" </b>(American amber / red ale)</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.troegs.com/">Tröegs</a> is one of my favorite breweries, largely because they make so many great beers. But it helps that they are in Hershey, which is only a 45-minute car ride away from my house. Of all their beers, Hopback is truly exceptional and is the best of their year-round offerings. At a straight 6% ABV, this amber ale fills your mouth with a crisp piney and citrusy flavor with hints of bready caramel. This one's a sure-to-please beer.</blockquote>
<b>6. Weyerbacher Brewing Company's "Blithering Idiot"</b> (English Barleywine)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Brewed in Reading, this beer clocks at 11.1% ABV which catches up to you quickly while the <a href="http://weyerbacher.com/">Weyerbacher</a> jester just points and laughs. This barleywine has a golden-red hue and exhibits a frothy head. While it smells like cherries, they aren't evident in the flavor. Bright and bold, you feel it all the way down. This is a robust brew with a fully body. Warning: this is <b>not</b> a sessionable beer!</blockquote>
I've identified these six beers as being the best in Pennsylvania, but of course, not all beer that is brewed is bottled or canned. There are some great breweries in the York area right now (e.g. <a href="http://mudhookbrewing.com/">Mudhook Brewing Company</a> and <a href="http://www.liquidhero.com/">Liquid Hero</a>) and others in the planning stages (e.g. <a href="http://www.baldybeard.com/">Baldy Beard Brewing Company</a>) that I had to exclude based on the rule about bottles or cans.<br />
<br />
Well, that about wraps it up. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts: did I pick the best Pennsylvania brews? Or was I way off? What are <i>your</i> top six PA brews? Let me know in the comments or through <a href="http://goo.gl/Qn4jt">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://goo.gl/Oe6nZ">Google+</a>, <a href="http://goo.gl/Qch1W">Twitter</a>, or even through a check-in on <a href="http://goo.gl/aO3zA">Untappd</a>. <i>Prost!</i><br />
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Here are the links to the other five blogs which are participating in this inaugural round of the Six-Pack Project:<br />
<div style="orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto;">
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<ul>
<li>Bryan of <a href="http://thisiswhyimdrunk.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/the-six-pack-project-beers-from-around-the-country/">This is Why I'm Drunk</a> (host) - North Carolina</li>
<li>Scott of <a href="http://beerbecue.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/the-six-pack-project-va-and-dc/">Beerbecue</a> - DC / Virginia</li>
<li>Eric of <a href="http://blog.ericshepard.com/2013/05/colorado-6-pack.html">Sheppy's Blog</a> - Colorado</li>
<li>Ryan of <a href="http://mouldsbeerblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-six-pack-project-new-jersey.html">Mould's Beer Blog</a> - New Jersey</li>
<li>Nick of <a href="http://drinkblogrepeat.com/2013/05/29/the-six-pack-project-what-beers-best-represent-sc/">Drink. Blog. Repeat.</a> - South Carolina</li>
</ul>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-24211188743469292102013-04-13T15:37:00.003-04:002013-04-13T16:14:24.416-04:00Rant: "Triple-Hops Brewed" Miller Lite<p>For this post, I'm taking a page out of a fellow beer blogger's proverbial book. Each week, Bill, author of <a href="http://www.pittsburghbeersnob.com/">www.pittsburghbeersnob.com</a>, posts the "Monday Rant" and discusses his various and sundry pet peeves in the world of beer.</p>
<p>I don't like the advertisement that says <b>"Miller Lite: The beer that's triple hops brewed."</b> Why? Well, there are two main reasons:</p>
<p>First, I have a problem with the word "the" in that statement. It implies that there are no other beers out there that can compete. Um, ever heard of an IPA? I guarantee you'll get more hops out of the weakest IPA on the market than you will from a Miller Lite.</p>
<p>Second, what does it even mean? The Hoosier Beer Geek <a href="http://hoosierbeergeek.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-hell-does-triple-hops-brewed-mean.html">wondered the same thing</a>. Let's consider some possibilities:</p>
<p>a) It means that three <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/hops">types of hops</a> are added.<br>
b) It means that hops are added three times during the brewing process.<br>
c) It means absolutely nothing.</p>
<p>I vote "c". (Isn't that always the right answer in a multiple-choice question anyway?) I think that the Miller marketing team was feeling particularly cheeky that day and decided to try and make their beer seem unique.</p>
<p>Besides, plenty of beers use more than one type of hops. And as for adding more hops during the brewing process, well that's an extremely common practice. There's "<a href="http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Dry_hopping">dry hopping</a>" (adding unboiled, dried hops to the beer, often in a keg or cask) and "<a href="http://barleyvine.blogspot.com/2011/09/wet-hopping.html">wet hopping</a>" (adding fresh, undried hops to the beer, typically within 24 hours of harvesting). And then there's "continuous hopping", a process developed by Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head (see their <a href="http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/90-minute-ipa.htm">90 Minute IPA webpage</a>). Continuous hopping is pretty much what it sounds like: it involves adding hops to the beer all throughout the brewing process. Practically speaking, one might add hops every minute, as Dogfish Head does for their 60, 90, and 120 Minute IPAs (each one brewed and continuously hopped for the duration suggested by its name).</p>
<p>So basically, there's nothing unique about Miller Lite's brewing process. The only reason you won't see anyone competing with Miller Lite's claim to "triple hops brewed" is because of Miller's <a href="http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4001:m0v1iw.2.1">trademark</a> on the phrase.</p>
<p>That's my $0.02 anyway.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-73794722412164451872013-04-04T23:36:00.000-04:002013-05-29T11:00:16.983-04:00The Session No. 74: Beer BalanceI often find myself thinking about all of the things that I enjoy and trying to decide which one to jump into next. My interests are wide and varied, which is a good thing...until I remember that there are only 24 hours in a day. So I guess the question is "to beer or not to beer?"<br />
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<a href="http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-sessions/">The Session</a>, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry. This month's topic, <a href="http://thisiswhyimdrunk.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/1618/#comment-1806">Beer Balance</a>, is brought to you by Bryan Roth, author of <a href="http://thisiswhyimdrunk.wordpress.com/">This is Why I'm Drunk</a>. (I like how he is quick to point out that the name of his blog is in jest.) Bryan wants to know how his fellow beer bloggers strike a balance between beer and life.</div>
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It's tough! As with anything else in which I'm interested, I want to spend time learning more about beer (which is the premise of my blog!). Beer has such a rich history, and I don't even know the half of it. To learn more, I love to visit Amazon; they have <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beer-Drinks-Beverages-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=4221">plenty of titles</a> from which to select. My wife has purchased several of them for me over the years. Most recently, she surprised me with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Companion-Beer-Garrett-Oliver/dp/0195367138">The Oxford Companion to Beer</a>, which is quite a hefty volume. But it takes me so much time to get through a book (I'm a slow reader - I pore over every word), so instead, I often resort to learning from other beer bloggers. Blog posts are typically short enough that I can digest several posts in a sitting without too much effort. So I filled up my RSS reader with a whole bunch of beer blogs. Then I realized that I had so many blogs in my RSS reader that if I skipped a day, I had over 125 new posts to read. That's not to mention the self-imposed pressure to write my own posts! All of this is just academic -- what about actually trying new beers? visiting breweries? and <b>enjoying</b> beer?<br />
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It hit me recently that it was beginning to feel like beer was ruling my life. I've never subscribed to the "(fill-in-blank-here) is life" mentality; I just cannot be that single-minded. I realized that I had to do something. So I started focusing less on beer and more on life. For one, I removed many blogs from my RSS reader, which suddenly and drastically reduced my "to do" list. I also stopped putting as much pressure on myself to write new blog posts. I started trying new beers again. Basically, I started taking back the <i>fun</i> part of beer. Most importantly, I started focusing on <b>life</b> again.<br />
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What are my loves in life? I think that the "Introduction" section of <a href="http://goo.gl/1ADp3">my Google+ profile</a> sums it up best:<br />
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I wholeheartedly believe in lifelong learning, continuous improvement, and the one true God. I love and cherish my wife, and I enjoy the life that we have created together. I take pleasure in using my humorous wit to make people laugh. I am an introvert with social tendencies. I am a student of the ever-changing English language and a tinkerer in German. I respect authority and law, but I bend the rules when they don't make sense. I am intolerant of incompetence, ineptitude, and inanity. I revere a highly-educated person that still understands and utilizes common sense. I like things "just so". I battle my pride daily, because I know what I don't know but I like people to think I do know. I'm not into government or politics, but I try to stay abreast of current events. I am partial to pizza, lasagna, and burgers. I don't follow or play any sports, but I always enjoy a good game. I am a hobby musician who is currently in the off-season. And as the title of this section implies, this is only an introduction to the complexity that is me.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-72723085522688770862013-03-19T20:51:00.001-04:002013-03-19T20:51:51.031-04:00Bad Beer: Wild Blue Blueberry LagerYou may recall that I previously <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/09/blogging-bout-bad-beer.html">debated</a> whether or not to blog about bad beer. Debate is over. I'm ready to do it. All questions vacated my mind after I tasted this baddie.<br />
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I had a "Wild Blue" blueberry lager a couple weeks ago, and it was definitively the worst beer I've ever had. Hands down. No joke. I despised it. It tasted like bubbly cough syrup. The only good thing about it was the 8% ABV, but even that didn't matter because I dumped it after I finished about 1/4 of the pint. I was tempted to dump it after only a few sips, but I wanted to give it a fair shake. I thought maybe it just didn't leave a good first impression but would be better after you got to know it. Nope. The first blueberry beer I've ever tried is a bust.<br />
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This drain-fodder was brought to us by the ubiquitous (and some would say, evil) Anheuser-Busch (ABInBev). While I don't partake of macro-brewery offerings very often, I do not discriminate and choose beer on that basis. I am always willing to try any beer and judge it based on the at-least-somewhat-objective characteristics of appearance, smell, taste, and mouthfeel. As a matter of fact, I had fairly decent remarks for ABInBev's Shock Top in my <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2011/05/shock-top-beer-with-twist-of-orange.html">May 10, 2011 review</a>.<br />
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Via <a href="http://goo.gl/Oe6nZ">Google+</a>, someone observed that the label appears to show a dog...um, excreting the blueberry and that explains the taste. I think the graphic is supposed to be a depiction of a dog <i>kicking</i> a blueberry, but I prefer the former explanation because it <i>does</i> make sense.<br />
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<ul>
<li>BeerAdvocate.com users didn't like it. They <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29/26049">rated it</a> 52/100, and the Brothers gave it a dismal 42/100.</li>
<li>RateBeer.com users didn't like it even more. An <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/wild-blue/51222/">overall rating</a> of 9/100 is...pretty shabby.</li>
<li>Untappd.com users <a href="https://untappd.com/beer/3976">rated it</a> 3.5/5.0 bottle caps <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[1]</span>. <a href="https://untappd.com/user/BrewReviewMann/checkin/24034617">I gave it</a> 0.5 because Untappd wouldn't let me give it a 0.</li>
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I'm hoping that this is an isolated incidence of bad beer and that it's not because it was blueberry. In fact, I have a follow-up to try in the near future: Blue Point Blueberry Ale. It's in the fridge now, so we'll see!<br />
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On one hand, I hope that I am never able to create a series of posts around the topic of bad beer. There are too many great-tasting beers in this world to waste time one the bad beers. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind as much because I would be able to warn you all not to waste <i>your</i> time! We'll see how the cookie crumbles. <i>Prost!</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Footnotes:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[1] I think this shows a demographic difference between Untappd users and BA / RB users. Perhaps BA / RB users, on the whole, are more into craft beer than Untappd users.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-38423915797522024682013-03-03T20:45:00.002-05:002013-03-05T07:47:54.425-05:00New Brewery Planned in York, PAThere's a new brewery and tasting room planned to open in York, PA this summer. In July 2013, East York can expect to become the home of <b>Baldy Beard Brewing Company</b>.<br />
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These guys are well on their way to starting up the new nanobrewery, but as I'm sure you an imagine, there are probably a million things to consider. With a brewery, of course, you've got to get federal and state licensing. And if that's anything like waiting in the DMV <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[1]</span> just to update your driver's license photo, well, I'm sure they've got a lot of waiting to do. Even so, their brewing system has already been completed and is ready to be shipped, so please hurry up, PA officials!<br />
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I haven't had any of their beer yet, of course, but I can assure you that if it is as good as their creativity, it is going to be rockin'. If you want to see what I'm talking about, check out some of their <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/baldybeard/baldy-beard-brewing-company/posts">updates</a> over at their Kickstarter campaign. Speaking of their beer, check out this nice graphic they've put together:<br />
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Baldy Beard has also put together an interesting-sounding series called "The Peculiars". These are unique, special-release beers that we can expect to be surprised with on occasion. Some examples include:<br />
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<li>RumpelSTOUTskin - a mixed berry Belgian imperial stout</li>
<li>Hoppenheimer - a Belgian dubbel IPA</li>
<li>Missiletoe - holiday Belgian strong ale coming in around 15% ABV(!) and with notes of cherry and vanilla (<b>yum!</b>); limited release in November</li>
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I love the creative names they've come up with. I also love their slogan, "Unconventionally brewed, unconditionally loved", as well as their Twitter hashtag, #DrinkWithFriends. All around, I'm pretty excited for this new brewery and tasting room!<br />
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Though they haven't received all of the final approvals, Baldy Beard has a good location picked out, and they're working on raising the funds for renovating the place. That's the purpose of their <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/baldybeard/baldy-beard-brewing-company">Kickstarter campaign</a> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[2]</span>. You can donate as little as $1, but if you pledge at least $10, there are some pretty sweet rewards for you as a backer. <i>The more you pledge, the more cool things you get!</i> Backers need to pledge at least $17,000 in this campaign, or Baldy Beard gets nothing <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[3]</span>. At the time of this post and after adding my own pledge, 113 backers have pledged $11,350 toward Baldy Beard's goal of $17,000. With only 6 days left, <b>Baldy Beard needs your help!</b> I suggest that if you live in the Greater York, PA area and/or love craft beer, you should definitely consider pledging some money to Baldy Beard's cause. Please also consider "friending" them <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BaldyBeardBrew">on Facebook</a>, following them <a href="https://twitter.com/baldybeardbrew">on Twitter</a>, and helping them to promote their cause. We can always use more craft beer in York! <i>Prost!</i><br />
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<u>3/5/2013 Update</u>: Baldy Beard's website has launched! Check it out at <a href="http://www.baldybeard.com/">www.baldybeard.com</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[1] Actually, my wife and I just updated our driver's licenses this weekend and were pleasantly surprised at how quickly the process went. Yorkers, I highly suggest hitting up the Runkle's location on Roosevelt Avenue. Of course, if everyone starts going there...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[2] If you're not familiar with Kickstarter, it's a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdfunding">crowdfunding</a> website that allows new businesses to solicit funding from the market in order to get started. Assuming word gets around quickly enough, what a good way to see how much the people <i>want</i> your business!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[3] The way Kickstarter works is that if you pledge money toward their campaign but they don't reach their stated threshold, you do not owe them the money that you pledged. Of course, I'd much rather see them reach that threshold so that we can have some more craft beer in York!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-20576597775292466362013-01-20T21:44:00.000-05:002013-01-20T21:44:26.340-05:00Mudhook Brewing Beats "York Curse"A year and a half ago, I remember reading <a href="http://lewbryson.blogspot.com/2011/07/mudhook-brewing-hopes-to-beat-york.html">a blog post</a> by Philly-based author and beer blogger <a href="http://lewbryson.blogspot.com/p/about-lew-bryson.html">Lew Bryson</a>. He talked about "The York Curse", whereby establishing a successful brewery in York, Pennsylvania seemed to be impossible. Many had tried; none had made it. At the time of his post, another start-up had just come on the scene: <a href="http://mudhookbrewing.com/">Mudhook Brewing Company</a>. Lew said that if Mudhook were to still be in business in January of 2013, they would have broken "The York Curse". Well, I just checked my calendar, and the time has come to congratulate Mudhook! <b>Way to go, guys!</b><br />
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The brewpub is located on the beautiful Cherry Lane, and rather uniquely, it also connects to <a href="http://www.centralmarketyork.com/">Central Market York</a>, which is where the brewing actually occurs. The inside space is intimate (there might be 20 tables) and has a warm, inviting atmosphere. It is perfect for a casual dinner with a group of friends. Their pub fare is making me hungry just thinking about it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Inside Space (photo from <a href="http://mudhookbrewing.com/">MudhookBrewing.com</a>)</td></tr>
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So what's a "mudhook" anyway? Well, they explain that <a href="http://mudhookbrewing.com/about/">on their site</a>. It's an anchor, which is exactly what Mudhook wanted their brewpub to be for Central Market York: the anchor, the premier place to go in York. In somewhat of a twist, they chose to use a fishhook for their logo, rather than an anchor.<br />
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And of course, I've got to talk about their beer! Each of the beers they offer is named in keeping with a fishing theme, which ties in with the fishhook in their logo. Their <i>anchor</i> brews (ha!) include The Panfish Pale Ale, The Hook Hopper IPA, The Redeye Irish Red, and The Deep Sea Stout. They also throw in some seasonal brews, and I have to say, I absolutely <b style="font-style: italic;">love</b> their Oktoberfest (pictured below). They also offer a nice selection of local wines, which is good for my wife who does not like beer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mudhook's Oktoberfest is Extremely Tasty</td></tr>
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Mudhook has certainly contributed to York's recent cultural upswing. If you live in the Greater York, PA area or happen to be visiting, I recommend that you plan on checking out this atmospheric brewpub. In fact, schedule permitting, I'd be happy to grab a burger and brew with you. Hit me up at <a href="mailto:JustinsBrewReview@gmail.com">JustinsBrewReview@gmail.com</a>, or let me know via <a href="http://goo.gl/Qn4jt">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://goo.gl/Qch1W">Twitter</a>, or <a href="http://goo.gl/Oe6nZ">Google+</a>.<br />
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Mudhook, we raise our glasses to you for breaking "The York Curse". Here's to many more years of success. <i>Prost!</i><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-27210083495845386332012-12-12T23:18:00.000-05:002012-12-12T23:18:00.324-05:00The Election Results Are InIt's official: <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-election-is-not-over.html">the election</a> for the new logo for Justin's Brew Review is over. The results are in and the winner is...B!<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ-VG2gvicN9KYwkKqW09tQ7mO60pfOsm9b9x-TGhzBxARTc7uoBpJKa-jgTphKWVbFGcHH1_bkyYSRYc-oTCkJL2rnSXV1isil1I2Ec80LWQuEYpOa-g8oFJDkBx65T65JRTC4WP2DE/s1600/New+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ-VG2gvicN9KYwkKqW09tQ7mO60pfOsm9b9x-TGhzBxARTc7uoBpJKa-jgTphKWVbFGcHH1_bkyYSRYc-oTCkJL2rnSXV1isil1I2Ec80LWQuEYpOa-g8oFJDkBx65T65JRTC4WP2DE/s320/New+Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sorry that you all had to endure the slanderous political ads during this grueling logo election. I was really starting to get tired of A's infamous catchphrase: "We can't afford four more beers!" But I think that it was B's platform promise that really swung the election in its favor: "Read my lips: no new beer taxes". Whatever the case, I'm just glad that it's all over and done with. Now we can focus on the more important issues, like what other <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/09/01/ale-chief-white-house-beer-recipe">White House homebrews</a> we can expect to be concocted over these next four years. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Oops, I just transitioned from talking about a logo election to the real thing.)</span></div>
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For those of you that like numbers (<i>nerd alert</i>, cough cough), here are some charts showing the number of votes and where they were cast:</div>
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Join the discussion, get beer-related updates, and don't miss out on exciting opportunities (like voting for a logo) by connecting with Justin's Brew Review via your favorite social media platform:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Twitter (<a href="http://goo.gl/Qch1W">@BrewReviewMann</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://goo.gl/Oe6nZ">Google+ page</a></li>
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Thanks for reading. <i>Prost!</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-74527923291549350302012-12-10T23:56:00.004-05:002012-12-11T14:41:04.548-05:00National Lager DayDecember 10th is National Lager Day, another one of the random "Hallmark holidays" for beer lovers. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[1]</span> I celebrated with a couple <a href="http://www.yuengling.com/">Yuengling</a> Traditional Lagers at our favorite local restaurant, <a href="http://conewagoinn.com/">The Conewago Inn</a>, or as my wife and I like to call it, "The Inn". If you ask me, there is nothing more "American" than enjoying a classic, time-tested Yuengling brew. In this area, a "Yuengling Lager" is such a standard that you don't have to ask for it by name; you simply ask for a "lager". I like that.<br />
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In honor of Lager Day, I'm going to share a few tidbits about the tour of Yuengling's Pottsville, PA brewery that my wife, Diana, treated me to as an anniversary gift one year. (Yes, I know - my wife rocks!)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyf5aaNjglqTiaN79R0Ju5bLTT6h_VvChFAUHlVjAGGbPvUdRenVXtvh_MGe6bByYoq3W1fLbKZvVlY2_w9DKC4uDkDFw6BGyVgQ_O87lYbMd8ICmgd0PzsQtSF4sB9dUq_xkTYGiSgDk/s1600/IMG_20110524_143328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyf5aaNjglqTiaN79R0Ju5bLTT6h_VvChFAUHlVjAGGbPvUdRenVXtvh_MGe6bByYoq3W1fLbKZvVlY2_w9DKC4uDkDFw6BGyVgQ_O87lYbMd8ICmgd0PzsQtSF4sB9dUq_xkTYGiSgDk/s320/IMG_20110524_143328.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of the brewery. That's Diana at the bottom left.</td></tr>
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Established in 1829, Yuengling is America's oldest brewery. It is a 5th generation family-owned operation. The tour guide told us that the current owner, Dick Yuengling, is grooming his daughters to be the 6th generation of owners. Pretty cool stuff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJD67mIjTi0fBYPKG5FqhohKmpJug6q0_cz_X_8IFGNrZ53It4XrBqkhYFCmX4QI_VxZH-uwATF9kWrc82tcPBlCnaZu_zhecacgMj8mkOA43aIMtCsvG5MCN6F2r7wx4JcIrDMr6al8/s1600/IMG_20110524_143234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJD67mIjTi0fBYPKG5FqhohKmpJug6q0_cz_X_8IFGNrZ53It4XrBqkhYFCmX4QI_VxZH-uwATF9kWrc82tcPBlCnaZu_zhecacgMj8mkOA43aIMtCsvG5MCN6F2r7wx4JcIrDMr6al8/s320/IMG_20110524_143234.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a picture of the guy that writes this blog</td></tr>
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Yuengling also has a brewery in Tampa, Florida (we didn't get a chance to tour the Tampa facility that day...). I'm fairly convinced that they opened the Tampa location for the older Pennsylvanians who retire to Florida or at least spend their winters there. Makes it easy to find their favorite lager. Okay, you got me; that's pure speculation on my part. At any rate, Yuengling is obviously <a href="http://lewbryson.blogspot.com/2012/01/yuengling-dicks-on-top-baby.html">doing something right</a>, because they have continued to exhibit steady growth over the years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxdRlPJLYQy6U_X5fcQRy2gTSiJbbg6r3w1YL5V1duGiBedUnwQ_n0LpDMNT2pg3udi63qs_j7gXgcgJDPY8ru2BLoFPCp57lNTrhctqF0X1EohyphenhyphenJhMuJNMQv6s0xYEajq7cQXM4bOoo/s1600/IMG_20110524_135755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxdRlPJLYQy6U_X5fcQRy2gTSiJbbg6r3w1YL5V1duGiBedUnwQ_n0LpDMNT2pg3udi63qs_j7gXgcgJDPY8ru2BLoFPCp57lNTrhctqF0X1EohyphenhyphenJhMuJNMQv6s0xYEajq7cQXM4bOoo/s320/IMG_20110524_135755.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the bottling line</td></tr>
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The brewery is in an old building that was obviously not set up with <a href="http://www.lean.org/whatslean/">lean systems</a> in mind. First of all, the brewery is situated in a multi-story building, so it is more difficult to complete the manufacturing process. Also, the building is old so things are much more "cramped". I suppose people must have been shorter and smaller back in the day, because it seems like old buildings are always so much more compact than the buildings of today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4nLy_uUHf_jJ60xLrFh1kjS1JXeoEEh8D6fdwgqi7m4kOx1CztbZKRO3W8m5J93H0KZhAx3GbpWYbGa9hxmUba1hePbRqa61jmNaVnEA0ZXsqr0BIkWj0tCbjun5sw9eLjRQNKdwoHw/s1600/IMG_20110524_134614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4nLy_uUHf_jJ60xLrFh1kjS1JXeoEEh8D6fdwgqi7m4kOx1CztbZKRO3W8m5J93H0KZhAx3GbpWYbGa9hxmUba1hePbRqa61jmNaVnEA0ZXsqr0BIkWj0tCbjun5sw9eLjRQNKdwoHw/s320/IMG_20110524_134614.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old buildings are often not without opulence.<br />
Here's a stained glass ceiling in one area of the brewery.</td></tr>
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It's amazing what you can do in a small space though, because Yuengling produces 2.5 million barrels <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[2]</span> of beer annually. Google's conversion calculator tells me that's 630 million pints! But compared with the big boys of brewing like AB InBev's Anheuser Busch, Yuengling is tiny <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[3]</span>. I'm having trouble finding production numbers for comparison at the moment, so I'll go the other way. Compared with many other microbreweries, Yuengling is big! Consider that <a href="http://www.dogfish.com/">Dogfish Head Craft Brewery</a> only produces 75,000 barrels a year. Also consider that when <a href="http://troegs.com/">Tröegs</a> moved from Harrisburg to Hershey, they <a href="http://blog.pennlive.com/life/2011/07/troegs_brewing_co_on_target_to.html">planned</a> to double production to 60,000 barrels a year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XrYPj7sAOj8rCJg7WMxtH68kShr7oquCsF1vSOlwKlUcQtptwXUI_N_LyEcIQQSXtFSwjUoNlJi5uKFrmWkY8LIPKCtvGrC7blKiZHuRfmA-gVmRwaj9jzjagyAha6v4hIG9WSXWLDY/s1600/IMG_20110524_140835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XrYPj7sAOj8rCJg7WMxtH68kShr7oquCsF1vSOlwKlUcQtptwXUI_N_LyEcIQQSXtFSwjUoNlJi5uKFrmWkY8LIPKCtvGrC7blKiZHuRfmA-gVmRwaj9jzjagyAha6v4hIG9WSXWLDY/s320/IMG_20110524_140835.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kegs in the cellar / conditioning area</td></tr>
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Wrapping up now, the coolest thing about Yuengling was that you could tell it was steeped in tradition and rich in history. The tasting room at the end of the tour had an awesome old bar. The cellar where they condition the beer still had evidence of the Prohibition years <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[4]</span>. In fact, there were still portions of the brick wall that government officials had erected in an effort to keep people from accessing the cellar, thereby effectively eliminating any chance of making beer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRRkLXACYjrmudV6EJlqwomFDR5jb47b9y4zgvXNtgajwrYKIlnt_wDTikHkxJoKosM9JFJBYyNvl8aPs228svWq-OTkJ9eQGCn_xVgKqBcDPT_N_MkldhhB25o2DqZHGzGO4k_jS3UI/s1600/yuengling+tasting+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRRkLXACYjrmudV6EJlqwomFDR5jb47b9y4zgvXNtgajwrYKIlnt_wDTikHkxJoKosM9JFJBYyNvl8aPs228svWq-OTkJ9eQGCn_xVgKqBcDPT_N_MkldhhB25o2DqZHGzGO4k_jS3UI/s320/yuengling+tasting+bar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuengling tasting room bar<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Photo courtesy of <a href="http://goo.gl/Oz9F6">http://goo.gl/Oz9F6</a>)</span></td></tr>
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I very much enjoyed taking it all in. If you live within a few hours driving distance of Pottsville, I highly recommend making the trip to Yuengling for a tour.<br />
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I hope that you enjoyed this National Lager Day by celebrating with your own favorite lager. Thanks for reading, and as always, <i>prost!</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Footnotes:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[1] Wow, that opening line was extremely reminiscent of the beginning of my <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/11/visiting-dogfish-head-on-stoutday-2012.html">last post</a>. I really gotta get a new hook...or blog more frequently than once a month!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[2] The unit "barrels" is abbreviated as "bbl", but I didn't use it here because I'm not sure how many people are familiar with that abbreviation. Also, I think it's silly that the abbreviation has two Bs. Here's an interesting article that tells where that second B comes from: <a href="http://goo.gl/kSLin">http://goo.gl/kSLin</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[3] Even so, the Brewer's Association does not consider Yuengling to be a craft brewery because they do not meet the third of <a href="http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/craft-brewer-defined">three criteria</a>. A craft brewery must be 1) small, 2) independent, and 3) traditional. Even though Yuengling is not considered to be a craft brewery, they are a microbrewery.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[4] On December 5th, we just celebrated the 79th anniversary of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeal_of_Prohibition">repeal of Prohibition</a>, aka Repeal Day.</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-18785907863828472072012-11-11T19:30:00.000-05:002012-11-11T19:42:01.344-05:00Visiting Dogfish Head on #StoutDay 2012November 8th was International <a href="http://www.stoutday.com/">Stout Day</a>, one of the many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallmark_holiday">Hallmark holidays</a> for beer lovers. You may recall that I <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/08/ipaday-and-dogfish-head-120-minute-ipa.html">posted</a> about IPA Day in August, though I opted out for September's Sour Beer Day. I'm not sure if October had a special day since there's already a couple weeks devoted to the beer style and the festival, <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-is-oktoberfest.html">Oktoberfest</a>. I have yet to find a calendar of all the "beer days", but when I do, you can be sure I'll share.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sqX-2xlbdS8/UKAjZP9POSI/AAAAAAAAIEo/oR_re3Tp7YI/s1600/stout-day-untappd-badge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sqX-2xlbdS8/UKAjZP9POSI/AAAAAAAAIEo/oR_re3Tp7YI/s1600/stout-day-untappd-badge.png" /></a></div>
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I'm not entirely sure why there seems to be such an explosion of popularity in these "beer days", but they are obviously designed by and for the craft beer enthusiast (CBE). I believe that "beer days" are partially driven by CBEs wanting to show off to their CBE-friends via their favorite social media platform (many in which Justin's Brew Review participates). Badges like the one pictured above from <a href="http://untappd.com/user/BrewReviewMann">Untappd</a> are doled out to CBEs who post them to their social media profiles, thereby instilling a sense of community among posting participants. But I believe that the explosion of popularity in "beer days" is also partially attributable to the explosion of popularity of craft beer itself. <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/06/18/american-craft-beers-popularity-behind-record-number-of-breweries/">One article</a> from June 18, 2012 says that "the total number of breweries in the United States now exceeds 2,000--more than at any time since the 19th century, let along the prohibition years of the 1930s". <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/us-craft-beer-breweries-growing_n_1748520.html">Another article</a> from August 6, 2012 says that in the last year, 350 new breweries were opened. That's nearly <b>one brewery for every day of the year!</b> As the craft beer scene continues to increase in popularity, I believe we'll see a proliferation of complementary products and services, such as the "beer days".<br />
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At any rate, I wouldn't typically go out of my way to celebrate a "beer day" and technically didn't this time around either. We just happened to schedule a vacation with my in-laws to Lewes, Delaware that coincided with Stout Day. And of course Lewes is only a few miles away from Milton, which means a trip to the awesome <a href="http://www.dogfish.com/">Dogfish Head Craft Brewery</a>! (You may recall that I <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/06/dogfish-head-craft-brewery-tour.html">posted</a> about our last trip there in May.) My wife was kind enough to schedule the tour and tasting on Stout Day. (Yes, she rocks.) And the "off-center" geniuses at DFH decided to provide only stout samples that day, so we rocked out by tasting:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Bitches Brew <br />(rated 100 overall by 620 on <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/dogfish-head-bitches-brew/124599/">RateBeer</a> users!)</li>
<li>Chicory Stout <br />(rated 96 overall by 1,634 <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/dogfish-head-chicory-stout/1190/">RateBeer</a> users)</li>
<li>Palo Santo Marron <br />(rated 99 overall by 1,682 <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/dogfish-head-palo-santo-marron/66797/">RateBeer</a> users!)</li>
<li>World Wide Stout (WWS, from 2011, 2010, 2009, <u>and</u> 2008) <br />(rated 98 by <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/2392">the Bros.</a> on BeerAdvocate and 100 overall by 1,898 <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/dogfish-head-world-wide-stout-2001-2003-present-18/5923/">RateBeer</a> users!)</li>
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Judging by those ratings, craft beer lovers obviously love Dogfish Head! I thought that all four beers nailed the style, and I especially liked the notes of roasted coffee in the Chicory Stout. The coolest part, though, was the vertical tasting of WWS. I was able to taste how the beer changed over time. The older it was, the sweeter it got. My favorite of the WWS was the 2010; it had matured nicely without too much sweetness.<br />
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How did you celebrate Stout Day? Did you even know about it? What's your favorite stout at the moment? Let me know in the comments or catch me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustinsBrewReview">FB</a>, <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/114987341847182677461/posts">G+</a>, or <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/BrewReviewMann">Twitter</a>. <i>Prost!</i><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-31105255824295369962012-11-07T12:50:00.004-05:002017-01-01T21:49:47.304-05:00The Election is NOT OverYes, you read the title correctly. The election is <b>not</b> over, because you weren't provided with all of the choices. Cast your vote for the new Justin's Brew Review logo today!<br />
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Yes, I went there, but I only did it in the interest of making sure your voice is heard. Use the comments section or send me an email at <a href="mailto:JustinsBrewReview@gmail.com">JustinsBrewReview@gmail.com</a> to vote.<br />
<br />
Actually, this election has been going on for the last week via social media, and I apologize for not thinking to post it here until now. If you aren't yet connected to Justin's Brew Review on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustinsBrewReview">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://goo.gl/Oe6nZ">Google+</a>, or <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/BrewReviewMann">Twitter</a>, follow the links I just provided and get connected. Or you can always visit <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/">my blog</a> later, and click on the social media links at the top of the page to get connected.<br />
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Don't miss your chance to have a hand in the future of Justin's Brew Review. Popular vote decides; there is no electoral college to factor in to this decision. Remember: if you don't vote, you can't complain about the outcome.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Prost!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-40381476538845577982012-10-29T20:09:00.004-04:002012-11-11T16:50:55.532-05:00Yorktoberfest 2012 Video<div>
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Here's my video from Yorktoberfest 2012. More detailed post to follow.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dUx-YNoRTAQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<u>Credits</u>:<br />
<br />
Cast -<br />
<ul>
<li>Justin Mann</li>
<li>Man #1</li>
<li>Man #2</li>
<li>Man not Appearing in this Film</li>
<li>Lots of extras</li>
<li>Wik</li>
<li>Als0 wik</li>
<li>Als0 als0 wik</li>
<li>Wi n0t trei a h0liday in Sweeden thi yer?</li>
<li>See the l0veli lakes</li>
<li>The W0nderful teleph0ne system</li>
<li>And mani interesting furry animals</li>
<li>Including the majestic m00se</li>
<li>A M00se once bit my sister...</li>
</ul>
We apologize for the fault in the credits. Those who were responsible have been sacked.<br />
<ul>
<li>Cameo appearance by Will Ferrell (at marker 1:54)</li>
<li>M00se Trained by Yutte Hermsgervordenbroti</li>
<li>M00se Choreographed by Horst Prot III</li>
<li>Miss Taylor's M00ses by Hengst Douglas-Home</li>
</ul>
We apologize again for the fault in the credits. Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked have been sacked.<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>Director - Justin Mann</li>
<li>Writer - Justin Mann</li>
<li>Producer - Justin Mann</li>
<li>Music - the CD that happened to be playing when I recorded this (in between bands)</li>
<li>Cinematography - Justin Mann</li>
<li>Editing - Editing? We don't need no stinking editing. (Or at least, we didn't use no stinking editing.)</li>
<li>Casting - Justin Mann</li>
<li>Set Decoration - Yorktoberfest organizers (especially Matthew) and vendors</li>
<li>Costume Design - GAP</li>
<li>Makeup Department - Absolutely N/A</li>
<li>Visual effects - Wee Wowem LLC</li>
<li>Stunts - Evel Knievel and Robert Overcracker</li>
<li>Transportation - my wife, Diana</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Closing Thoughts:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you, <i>Monty Python and the Holy Grail</i>. Full credit to you for the crazy credits and M00se references.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-32045453091030503042012-10-23T23:49:00.000-04:002012-10-24T12:30:42.703-04:00Broaching Beer Bias<div>
Today, I'm pondering how bias plays a role in beer reviews.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hmmmm...</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">("What Ales You?" Image Courtesy of <a href="http://goo.gl/t6ixA">http://goo.gl/t6ixA</a>)</span></td></tr>
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What makes a good beer? Is it taste alone? What about the color or appearance? Maybe it's the smell or mouthfeel. Of course, these are all attributes that are typically considered in an attempt to objectively assess whether or not a beer is "good". But I submit that for every beer review, there are some behind-the-scenes factors that readers are not privy to and of which the reviewer may not even be aware.<br />
<br />
<b>
Artwork on package or label</b><br />
<br />
"First impressions last, but don't judge a book by its cover."<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(1)</span> Yet we do, consciously or not. Attractive packaging artwork catches our eye as we're browsing through the rows of six-packs. The colorful design on the bottle label practically yells "Look at me! I'm interesting. Drink me!" Even those that claim to overlook such marketing ploys would probably at least admit when the artwork is appealing, which <i>has to</i> play into the end result on some level. Otherwise, the craft beer industry wouldn't bend over backwards to create intriguing, eye-catching artwork for their packaging and labels. <a href="http://americancraftbeer.com/item/the-art-of-the-craft-beer-label.html">AmericanCraftBeer.com</a> thinks so too: "A great label becomes part of the beer somehow. It's a doorway to the drink - both a reflection of and an invitation to the brewer's art...Very few [labels] are neutral."<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Favorite Brewery</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Okay, so I like <a href="http://www.troegs.com/">Tröegs</a>. So what? I'll tell you so what. It is more difficult for me to criticize a beer brewed by Tröegs than any other brewery out there. Brand loyalty plays a big part here. I would like to say that all beers from Tröegs' brewery are the best you'll ever have. But that's simply not true. They have made a few brews that are not my favorite, so when I'm being completely honest, I'll tell you that I think Dead Reckoning Porter's 53 <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-does-your-beer-measure-up.html">IBU</a>s make it too bitter for the style. Speaking of bitter, Perpetual IPA is over the top in that category and is just too far out there for my liking (though it's a bit more acceptable for the style). But when I'm trying a new Tröegs brew--one from their <a href="http://www.troegs.com/our_brews/scratch_beer_series.aspx">Scratch Series</a> for example--I have high expectations before I even take the first sip. I fully expect to like it before I try it! I'd say that's a bit biased.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>
Circumstances or Environment at Time of Review</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
How about the time or place or circumstances surrounding the event (yes, <i>event</i>) of enjoying a brewski? Yeah, they certainly play a role. Following is a list of a few I thought of. I'll let you decide how they might affect the outcome of the beer review.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>At a party with friends</li>
<li>After a bad day at work</li>
<li>At a beer-tasting event</li>
<li>After being given a free beer</li>
<li>At the brewery</li>
<li>At home by oneself</li>
<li>At a restaurant with delicious food</li>
<li>At a restaurant with crappy service</li>
<li>After receiving bad news</li>
<li>Watching a Presidential debate</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>
The Desire to "Fit In"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
What about the beers with a lot of hype? Consider <a href="http://russianriverbrewing.com/">Russian River</a>'s Pliny the Younger (or Elder), <a href="http://www.alchemistbeer.com/">The Alchemist</a>'s Heady Topper, <a href="http://www.3floyds.com/">3 Floyds</a>' Zombie Dust, or maybe even Tröegs' Nugget Nectar. (Refer to Beer Advocate's <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/lists/popular">Top 100</a> most popular beers.) Each of these is purportedly among the best beer on the market. We talk 'em up; the suppliers mark 'em up. We go out of our way to get the good stuff. We pay more for a pint than we are willing to admit in mixed company, helping to shoot more holes in economists' theories about rational consumerism. And for what? A sublime swig of suds? Meh. I'm sure it's good beer, but I bet it's not all that and a bag of Chips Ahoy. Yet we perpetuate the hype by bragging to our friends and posting comments to our beer circle on <a href="http://goo.gl/Oe6nZ">Google+</a>. Why? Because "everyone else is doing it". (Watch out for the edge of the cliff, my friends. It's dangerously close.)<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>
Conclusion</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Even the most conscientious beer reviewer will be influenced by one or more of the above factors, if not something else I've missed entirely. So as a reader of such reviews, you have been warned. Don't believe everything you read. When you're reading a review, take it with a grain of salt. Just as writers/speakers are admonished to know their audience, readers should know their writers. If you're not a regular reader of the beer blog upon which you've stumbled (perhaps this one!), get to know the author. Determine what predilections may prevent pure opining. Read more than one review of the same brew and take an average, as it were. And <i>then</i> form your own opinion. After all, in the words of LeVar Burton, "You don't have to take my word for it."<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(2)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Footnotes</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(1) I had an idea about what I wanted to say here but couldn't quite phrase it right. After Googling for more ideas, I ran across this unique cliche mash-up and simply had to use it. Source: <a href="http://www.designweek.co.uk/industry-voice/what-does-your-first-impression-say-about-you?/3034985.article">http://www.designweek.co.uk/industry-voice/what-does-your-first-impression-say-about-you?/3034985.article</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(2) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_Rainbow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_Rainbow</a></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-64647527155128561792012-09-23T18:09:00.001-04:002012-09-23T18:09:24.093-04:00What is Oktoberfest?It's a beer <u>and</u> a festival! This year marks the 179th <a href="http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/">Oktoberfest</a>, which started yesterday and will last for 16 days. Held in Munich (Bavaria, Germany), Oktoberfest is the world's largest fair, with somewhere around 5 or 6 million attendees each year <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(1)</span>. During the festivities, visitors consume almost 2 million gallons of beer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuHZzys9_uv3bnPhJQugdrsEtv-eI2n1fdCZYrwhIODAiUva3EvAyAf49bjqXfpCbesrLUKXQivyftetE3fX6to4cKoVk32w7j4AwSAJ6YI-BNoFESl29jod9IYQOPtWP-b1EAIgg0BA/s1600/bierdienerin__oktoberfest7221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuHZzys9_uv3bnPhJQugdrsEtv-eI2n1fdCZYrwhIODAiUva3EvAyAf49bjqXfpCbesrLUKXQivyftetE3fX6to4cKoVk32w7j4AwSAJ6YI-BNoFESl29jod9IYQOPtWP-b1EAIgg0BA/s320/bierdienerin__oktoberfest7221.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer maids and waiters must be able to carry 10 beer-filled mugs at a time. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(3) (7)</span><br />(Image Source: <a href="http://goo.gl/75eOZ">http://goo.gl/75eOZ</a>)</td></tr>
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The Oktoberfest tradition started in 1810 <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(2)</span> to celebrate the October 12th marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese. The citizens of Munich were invited to join in the festivities which were held over five days on the fields in front of the city gates. The main event of the original Oktoberfest was a horse race! Anniversary celebrations were held annually thereafter, which each becoming larger and more elaborate, including the introduction of carnival rides. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(3)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmZALkxKfoYr5XlxDUEege55IL4AUAuIXA_pv_u6qKlyVyapT2TwS3sqOZYPmm2NebAWfvDOQEZkG5HPF_BLoDhe-F51pGuEytZFuUWIzu7k_F_GulOrdHbqdcSVm8bHzC3f9whYNkqc/s1600/oktoberfest+tents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmZALkxKfoYr5XlxDUEege55IL4AUAuIXA_pv_u6qKlyVyapT2TwS3sqOZYPmm2NebAWfvDOQEZkG5HPF_BLoDhe-F51pGuEytZFuUWIzu7k_F_GulOrdHbqdcSVm8bHzC3f9whYNkqc/s320/oktoberfest+tents.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Underneath one of the big tents at Oktoberfest 2012.<br />(Image Source: <a href="http://goo.gl/malIv">http://goo.gl/malIv</a>)</td></tr>
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Oktoberfest beer is a variety of the Märzen style, which I discussed in a <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2011/08/smoked-beer.html">previous post</a> about smoked beer. Like all German beer, the Oktoberfest beer
is brewed according to strict German standards called the <i>Reinheitsgebot</i> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(4)</span>, which has been in effect since 1516. Also known as the German Purity Law, <i>Reinheitsgebot </i>precisely defines the four ingredients allowed to be used to brew beer: barley, hops, malt, and yeast <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(3)</span>. While I'm a big fan of innovative craft beer, I can certainly respect the brewing traditions that Germany has upheld all this time.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />I've tried a few different Oktoberfest-style beers this year, including:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Tröegs' <a href="http://www.troegs.com/our_brews/scratch_beer_series.aspx">Scratch</a> #73 "Fest Lager", which they've unofficially dubbed OkTröegerFest. At 5.5% ABV and 35 IBUs, this yeasty lager was growler-worthy. I very much enjoyed this one-off and would be appreciative of another appearance next year (hint to the Trogners if you're reading this!). You can read more reviews on <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/694/84413">BA</a> and <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/troegs-scratch-73/182581/">RB</a>. Justin's Brew Review gives it an "A-".</li>
<li><a href="http://www.yuengling.com/">Yuengling</a>'s Oktoberfest was also rockin'. However, it was a limited release because Yuengling does not have the capacity <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(5)</span> to produce seasonal brews. I had difficulty finding any to try, but I did receive a sixer thanks to my father-in-law who was able to purchase an entire case! I'm milking it (beering it?) because I don't want to run out too quickly. <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23980/72310">BA</a> likes it better than <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/yuengling-oktoberfest/153230/">RB</a>, but Justin's Brew Review gives Yuengling's offering a solid "A".</li>
<li><a href="http://www.samueladams.com/index.aspx">Samuel Adams</a> calls their version <a href="http://www.samueladams.com/beers/octoberfest/">Octoberfest</a> (yes, they Americanized the beer's moniker). It is both excellent and available. Boston Beer (brewer of the Sam Adams brand) rarely disappoints in my opinion, and this is no exception. If you like the Oktoberfest style beer, you should go get yourself some of this. It rates well on <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/102">BA</a>, and <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/samuel-adams-octoberfest/167/">RB</a> ranks it very highly for the style. Justin's Brew Review gives it an "A+".</li>
</ol>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yOzoQnmlV4w/UF-EmE_eXNI/AAAAAAAAG0U/ZThYsDxpPtk/s1600/its+tapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yOzoQnmlV4w/UF-EmE_eXNI/AAAAAAAAG0U/ZThYsDxpPtk/s1600/its+tapped.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mayor of Munich ceremonially taps the first keg at Oktoberfest 2012.<br />(Image Source: <a href="http://goo.gl/7eucr">http://goo.gl/7eucr</a>)</td></tr>
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Many places throughout the world hold their own (smaller!) version of Oktoberfest. Locally in York, PA, we have the 2nd Annual <a href="http://yorktoberfest.com/">Yorktoberfest</a> coming up on October 27-28. My wife and I will be attending, so let me know if you'll be there too -- we can toast a brew. Also, look for a post after the event. You can read about my experience at last year's Yorktoberfest <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2011/10/yorktoberfest-2011.html">here</a> (a "live" post) and <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2011/10/yorktoberfest-follow-up.html">here</a> (a more detailed, follow-up post).<br />
<br />
How are you celebrating Oktoberfest? Are you planning on attending any festivals? Wearing lederhosen? <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(6)</span> Or drinking Oktoberfest-style beer? Let me know in the comments or send me a message on your favorite social media site: you can get me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustinsBrewReview">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brewreviewmann">Twitter</a>, or <a href="http://goo.gl/Oe6nZ">Google+</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>Prost!</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Footnotes</u><br />
(1) Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest</a><br />
(2) Note that the math does not add up: 2012-1810 = 202, but this is only the 179th festival. That's because the fair has had to be canceled 24 times due to cholera epidemics and war <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(3)</span>.<br />
(3) Source: <a href="http://www.vistawide.com/german/oktoberfest/oktoberfest.htm">http://www.vistawide.com/german/oktoberfest/oktoberfest.htm</a><br />
(4) I love long German words! This one is pronounced RYN-hytz-geh-boht. You can listen to the pronunciation <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/De-Reinheitsgebot.ogg">here</a>.<br />
(5) Sources: a tour of Yuengling's Pottsville, PA brewery that my wife took me on over a year and half ago that I have yet to blog about (yes, I'm behind) and <a href="http://www.brewbound.com/news/yuengling-introduces-second-seasonal-oktoberfest">http://www.brewbound.com/news/yuengling-introduces-second-seasonal-oktoberfest</a><br />
(6) You can get a nice, basic pair of lederhosen (leather pants) for a mere 165 euros ($215) <a href="http://shop.oktoberfest.de/Herren-Trachten/Lederhose-Simmerl-dunkel.html">here</a>.<br />
If you really want to go all out, you can get some premium pants for $325 on the same site. They also sell dresses and other authentic German garb on that site.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5vf3j612HX-OL6_dm416FafMwdf4Zl875PtYuAZ4RQnnV5hdkJiqxxSGcqOW-j__TwKxemCUnjKE89XKSEnO9w7UeATbMDnkM4R9o8d-X9RHRarzhwKyrIY-JgNH41W6fFi7sdnYdm8/s1600/woman-carrying-lots-of-beer-oktoberfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5vf3j612HX-OL6_dm416FafMwdf4Zl875PtYuAZ4RQnnV5hdkJiqxxSGcqOW-j__TwKxemCUnjKE89XKSEnO9w7UeATbMDnkM4R9o8d-X9RHRarzhwKyrIY-JgNH41W6fFi7sdnYdm8/s200/woman-carrying-lots-of-beer-oktoberfest.jpg" width="200" /></a>(7) The Guinness world record was set in November 2008 by Bavarian Anita Schwarz when she carried 19 full beer steins (5 in each hand and 9 on top) that weighed a total of about 90 pounds over a distance of 40 meters and placed them on a table without spilling a drop. (Source: <a href="http://www.harrimantravelbooks.com/Oktoberfest_Facts_Tips.html">http://www.harrimantravelbooks.com/Oktoberfest_Facts_Tips.html</a> and Image Source: <a href="http://twistedsifter.com/2010/10/picture-of-the-day-october-12-2010/">http://goo.gl/DmTPw</a>)<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-48504162840059963922012-09-05T22:14:00.000-04:002012-09-05T22:14:58.713-04:00Blogging 'Bout Bad BeerI've had a question on my mind for a while: should I blog about bad beers?<br />
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<a href="http://static.quickmeme.com/media/social/qm.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.quickmeme.com/media/social/qm.gif" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3790-Fox_nmvnQBpq5WdlPGynXUSdmMAMP6tPPqMnaT5OoBQSWL_Bydcfhb9NUXsfawdKT_xfWI3Jk0eXW1UbN0zhCGGVOK_Tx_6FY7IUVUa5vqPDGPzGL_57EJMbojRWD_vfusZjHQ/s1600/bad+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3790-Fox_nmvnQBpq5WdlPGynXUSdmMAMP6tPPqMnaT5OoBQSWL_Bydcfhb9NUXsfawdKT_xfWI3Jk0eXW1UbN0zhCGGVOK_Tx_6FY7IUVUa5vqPDGPzGL_57EJMbojRWD_vfusZjHQ/s320/bad+beer.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> This meme is not meant to imply that Dos Equis is a bad beer.</td></tr>
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I blog about good beers and <i>rave</i> about them. So why not rant about bad beers? Equal opportunity beer blogging, right? I guess my main hesitation in blogging about bad beers is that I know I'm no expert. Who am I to say that a beer is bad? Maybe I just don't care for the style. I certainly don't claim to be a beer savant, so what does my opinion really matter anyway? Your opinion is surely different than mine on occasion, so you're never going to fully rely on what I have to say. My opinion may have some sway with you (you are reading my blog, after all), but in the end, it's your opinion that matters as to whether or not a beer is good.<br />
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At the same time, as a beer blogger, I believe that I have an obligation to report my unbiased opinions to readers. After all, it's good to know what bad beer tastes like so that you have a point of reference for good beer. You really can't define something without its opposite. I like how <a href="http://boakandbailey.com/2012/09/theres-a-lot-to-learn-from-bad-beer/">Boak & Bailey</a> puts it:<br />
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Taking the time to drink bad beer is a useful way to calibrate the tastebuds, correct your perspective, and stimulate the tastebuds. Sometimes, it's just about remindering yourself that bad beer is still beer and won't kill you.</blockquote>
So what do you think? Do you want to read occasional reviews about bad beer? Or would you rather just read about the good ones? Let me know what you think in the comments, or on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/JustinsBrewReview">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114987341847182677461/114987341847182677461/posts">Google+</a>, and/or <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/BrewReviewMann">Twitter</a>.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-80306311985739383222012-08-02T00:15:00.001-04:002013-06-14T07:44:24.582-04:00#IPADay and Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kybhFpeaQ5Y/UbsCC7pC8BI/AAAAAAAANQo/jIZtf2qKgk8/s1600/IPA-Day-Logo-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kybhFpeaQ5Y/UbsCC7pC8BI/AAAAAAAANQo/jIZtf2qKgk8/s320/IPA-Day-Logo-2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today is IPA Day, which means you should stop reading for a minute and go crack open a bottle of hoppy, craft-brewed India Pale Ale. Why are you still sitting there? Go on - git! I'll wait...</div>
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Alright, now that you've got a brew in-hand, let's figure out what this #IPADay thing is. (Hint: it has nothing to do with Apple's tablet. Someone just decided to capitalize the "D" too.) From <a href="http://ipaday.org/">ipaday.org</a>:</div>
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Founded in 2011 by beer evangelists and social media
personalities Ashley Routson and Ryan Ross, IPA Day is a universal movement
created to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers, and brewers
worldwide, using social media as the common arena for connecting the
conversation together.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
IPA Day is not the brainchild of a corporate marketing
machine, nor is it meant to serve any particular beer brand. IPA Day is
opportunity for all breweries, bloggers, businesses and consumers to connect
and share their love of craft beer. It is an opportunity for the entire craft
beer culture to combine forces and advocate craft beer through increased
education and global awareness.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Getting involved is easy; the only requirements are an
appreciation for great beer and the will to spread the word. Anyone can
participate by enjoying IPA with friends, making some noise online with the
#IPADay hashtag, and showing the world that craft beer is more than a trend.</blockquote>
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<o:p>Sounds like something I can get behind! So to celebrate, I raise a glass of <a href="http://www.dogfish.com/">Dogfish Head</a>'s illustrious 120 Minute IPA. <i>Prost!</i></o:p></div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-luvCq9MJ2wg/UBnd-HaqI3I/AAAAAAAAFiE/NYIxeLtp1u4/s1600/20120728_143548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-luvCq9MJ2wg/UBnd-HaqI3I/AAAAAAAAFiE/NYIxeLtp1u4/s320/20120728_143548.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>WOW!</b></td></tr>
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I picked up this bottle during a recent trip to Lewes, Delaware, which is only a few minutes away from the DFH brewery in Milton. As you can imagine, being so close necessitated a visit. (If you missed my blog post about the brewery tour, you can read it <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/06/dogfish-head-craft-brewery-tour.html">here</a>.) Unfortunately, when I got there, the brewery did not have any 120 Minute. </o:p>I had wanted to try the oft-discussed, highly-sought beer for such a long time, but I had never been able to get my hands on any. I thought for sure I would be able to get it straight from the source. Alas and alack, such was not the case. It appeared I was going to be leaving a sad and empty-handed fellow, but thankfully, I found a few single bottles in a beer-liquor-wine shop in Lewes! At $8.99 for a 12-ouncer, it was a steal. It is not uncommon for the highly-demanded beer to command a price of $13+. I bought two: one to enjoy in the near future and one to age for a few years. The near future has come and gone, so here are my tasting notes:</div>
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<o:p><u>Appearance</u>: A deep, hazy orange with a thin cream-colored head. Look at those hop particles floating around in my glass. Makes my mouth water just watching.</o:p></div>
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<o:p><u>Smell</u>: You can tell there's a high alcohol content to this one, but it's not knock-you-off-your-feet overwhelming. Noticeably sweet smell mixed in there, too. Actually, it r</o:p>eminds me of DFH's Burton Baton (which I haven't formally reviewed yet - stay tuned).</div>
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<o:p><u>Taste</u>: <b><i>WOW!</i></b> I have never had anything like this! It's beyond great. Extremely smooth. You know that it has a high alcohol content (<b>18% ABV!</b>) from the first sip, but it's amazing how well the beer hides it with the sweetness. Fizzy yet smooth...soooo smooth! Is that scotch? Wishing I had bought a third and fourth bottle. Now my mouth is tingling from the hops, yet it is offset by the slight numbing effect setting in from the alcohol. It's amazing to me that this isn't more hoppy-tasting; 120 IBUs is nothing to sneeze at! I mean, it's boiled for a full two hours while being continuously hopped, dry-hopped daily in the fermenter for a month, and aged for another month on whole-leaf hops. It's a hophead's dream-come-true! But the 18% ABV isn't extremely evident either. It's as though DFH found the perfect mix of hops and alcohol: both very high and balanced. I'm impressed.</o:p></div>
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<o:p><u>Mouthfeel</u>: It doesn't get any smoother than this. Full-bodied fizziness to be enjoyed.</o:p></div>
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<o:p><u>Overall</u>: Impressive. This beer lives up to the hype. The only downside in my view is the availability factor. Rock on, Dogfish Head. You know what's up.</o:p></div>
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<o:p>1770 <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1520526683"></span>BeerAdvocate <span id="goog_1520526684"></span></a>users rate it an overall 87/100.</o:p></div>
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<o:p>1980 <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/dogfish-head-120-minute-ipa/22904/">RateBeer</a> users rate it an overall 99/100 and a 97/100 for the style.</o:p></div>
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<o:p>Clearly, people like this brew.</o:p></div>
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<o:p>Justin's Brew Review gives it an <b>A+</b>.</o:p></div>
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<o:p>Clearly, Justin likes this brew.</o:p></div>
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Do you? Let me know in the comments, or hit me up on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/JustinsBrewReview">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114987341847182677461/114987341847182677461/posts">Google+</a>, and/or <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/BrewReviewMann">Twitter</a>. Also, let me know how you're celebrating #IPADay. Cheers to beers!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-49331111809843629282012-07-25T06:43:00.000-04:002012-07-25T06:43:18.383-04:00Christmas (Beer) in July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Feliz Navidad en julio!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today is July 25, exactly five months until
Christmas. So I decided it was appropriate to celebrate (with a) Christmas
(beer) in July. Okay, so it's not exactly a Christmas beer, but the label
has a Poinsettia on it. That's good enough for me. I figured we all
need something to help keep us cool during these hot summer days, and this beer
does the trick!</span><br />
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This beer is brought to us
from Mexico by <a href="http://www.cuamoc.com/">Cervecería Cuauhtémoc
Moctezuma</a> (part of the Heineken company). The only other Mexican beer
that I've ever had (thanks to my father-in-law, by the way!) was <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/57/848">Tecate</a>, which
incidentally is also brewed by CCM. In fact, I believe that the large majority
of the beer I've consumed to-date has been domestically brewed. Makes me wonder
what I've been missing. If you've got any suggestions for
great foreign-brewed beers, please let me know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Noche Buena</span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> is
a Bock weighing in at an average 5.90% ABV. Apparently I'm on a
Bock-blogging kick, since <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/07/beer-born-on-bayou.html">my
last post</a> was also about a Bock. <i>Noche Buena</i> is of the darker variety of Bocks. Admittedly, I
am a big fan of darker beers. Their colors color my opinion before I even taste
them. They just look like they're going to have more body, more depth than a
lighter-colored beer. Of course, some of the lighter-colored wheat beers such
as Hefeweizens are fairly alluring simply because of their hazy,
unfiltered, golden-clouds-in-a-glass, come-and-drink-me look that foreshadows
the tantalizingly tart flavor profile awaiting your tongue. There's still
just something about the alluringly dark beer that beckons my taste buds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">But I digress.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNt-4dFK0tDUDZWr9_ZYIsX_CNPZBDDfcDzgks8gccUfnoU9DPZNmgwp4q684yMJYYgYY7NQRbHrtf1-DcA3KH8XTOUCKvl1RoZYdl2vZfFVTB0OT0K4pwttUPzTIfVF-r8717OHJJ5w/s1600/monty+python.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNt-4dFK0tDUDZWr9_ZYIsX_CNPZBDDfcDzgks8gccUfnoU9DPZNmgwp4q684yMJYYgYY7NQRbHrtf1-DcA3KH8XTOUCKvl1RoZYdl2vZfFVTB0OT0K4pwttUPzTIfVF-r8717OHJJ5w/s320/monty+python.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Get on with it!"</td></tr>
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<b>Appearance:</b> An opaque burnt sienna with a frothy, off-white head.<br />
<b>Smell:</b> A good "dark beer" smell. Hard to say exactly what that means, other than it seems to fit the style.<br />
<b>Taste:</b> At first, there's nothing particularly interesting about the taste. But as I thought about how to describe my tasting experience, I realized that there was a slight bitterness present on the back end. Not so much that after having one beer you'd notice it all that much (unless you're trying to write about it!), but I believe that it'd start to catch up with you after having several. So the finish was not entirely clean (would you call this "somewhat messy"?), but it was satisfying.<br />
<b>Mouthfeel:</b> Smooth with a bit 'o bubbly, though not too much.<br />
<b>Overall:</b> This beer was a refreshing reminder of cooler weather. Pretty good.<br />
<br />
71 <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/57/7714">BeerAdvocate</a> users rate it a 78/100.<br />
115 <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/noche-buena/228/">RateBeer</a> users rate it 26/100 overall and 66/100 for the style.<br />
Justin's Brew Review gives it a solid <b>B</b>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-70617012265515569882012-07-02T20:20:00.000-04:002012-07-05T20:13:32.555-04:00Beer Born on the BayouYou may recall that right after Christmas, I wrote a post called "<a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2011/12/taste-of-brew-reviews-to-come.html">A Taste of Brew Reviews to Come</a>" and included a picture of the <b>18 different beers</b> I had received for Christmas. Well, I'm not slacking in the writing department...I'm slacking in the drinking department. I've only had one of these so far! As they say, <b>so many beers; so little time!</b><br />
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At any rate, I have been trying many new beers, one of which is the subject of today's post: <a href="http://www.covingtonbrewhouse.com/index.php">Covington Brewhouse</a>'s Bayou Bock.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u1jh7JikY6s/T_It3sy4SYI/AAAAAAAAFA4/wswrs2zy_VI/s1600/20120701_125137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u1jh7JikY6s/T_It3sy4SYI/AAAAAAAAFA4/wswrs2zy_VI/s320/20120701_125137.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought <i>Bock</i> was German for "dark"?!</td></tr>
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This beer comes to us from Covington, Louisiana. I was quite confused when I poured it into my glass because the beer was so light-colored. I have only ever seen dark Bock beer, so I did a double-take. I figured I had either cracked a different bottle than I thought or Covington put the wrong label on this brew! Turns out I was wrong on both counts. The German word <i>Bock </i>does <b>not </b>mean "dark"; <i>dunkel </i>is the German word filling that role. (Duh, Mr. German minor.) <i>Bock </i>is actually the German word for "goat".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://fun-gallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Funny-Goat-Sticking-Tongue-Out-640x768.jpg"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://fun-gallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Funny-Goat-Sticking-Tongue-Out-640x768.jpg" width="166" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy, do I feel <i>sheepish!</i></td></tr>
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Turns out that this particular beer style is a <i>Maibock </i>or <i>helles Bock</i>. (In German, you capitalize nouns. The German word <i>helles </i>simply means "light".) According to <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/33">Beer Advocate</a>, "The Maibock style of beer tends to be lighter in color than other Bock beers and often has a significant hop character with a noticeable alcohol around the same as a traditional Bock. Maibocks are customarily served in the spring and are oftentimes interrelated with spring festivals and celebrations more often in the month of May." That pretty much sums it up. So without further ado, here are my tasting notes:<br />
<u><br /></u><br />
<u>Appearance</u>: Golden yellow. No head but it evidenced thin white lacing on the sides of my glass.<br />
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<u>Smell</u>: Almost like what I call a "typical beer" (run-of-the-mill type stuff, you know), but I caught a hint of passion fruit. It reminded me of a <a href="http://www.juicyjuice.com/Public/Default.aspx">Juicy Juice®</a> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[1]</span> flavor.<br />
<u>Taste</u>: Nothing remarkable. And by that, I mean there isn't really any special flavoring. However, it has an easy-to-drink quality. The hint of passion fruit was not as evident in the flavor, but it's definitely in the background. The aftertaste isn't noticeable in a bad way, and it certainly is not a bitter beer. I'd drink more than one at a time.<br />
<u>Mouthfeel</u>: I wouldn't say that you really notice the carbonation, but the mouthfeel is good. It is not too light and not too heavy. It's Goldilocks just right.<br />
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<u>Overall</u>: I would rate this beer as a B+. I thought it was pretty good.</div>
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Sixteen <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22413/57208">BeerAdvocate</a> users gave it a 74 / 100.</div>
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Twenty <a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/covington-bayou-bock/120337/">RateBeer</a> users were not so kind. They ranked it a very low 18 / 100 with a mere 6 / 100 for the style.</div>
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Have you tried this beer or any others by Covington Brewhouse? Let me know in the comments below or through one of the following avenues:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/BrewReviewMann">@BrewReviewMann</a></li>
<li><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114987341847182677461/114987341847182677461/posts">Google+ page</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/JustinsBrewReview">Facebook page</a></li>
<li>Email <a href="mailto:JustinsBrewReview@gmail.com">JustinsBrewReview@gmail.com</a></li>
</ol>
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<i>Prost!</i></div>
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Footnote:<br />
[1] References and/or links to Juicy Juice® are provided strictly as a convenience to our users and are in no way intended to express or imply an endorsement of these companies or their products by Justin’s Brew Review. Plus, it isn’t even a beer.</div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-41412853082069400452012-06-17T20:49:00.001-04:002012-07-05T22:09:47.375-04:00Homebrew, Take 2Earlier this year, I wrote about <a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/2012/01/homebrew-irish-chocolate-stout.html">my first experience</a> trying a homebrew: an Irish Chocolate Stout made by my neighbor, Matt. A few months later, I had the pleasure of trying another round of homebrews.<br />
<br />
The first is a <b>Chocolate Almond Milk Stout</b>, also made by Matt.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rrapSM9i3pQ/T95z91ylWuI/AAAAAAAAEJY/E76jj-p2kog/s1600/Chocolate+Almond+Milk+Stout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rrapSM9i3pQ/T95z91ylWuI/AAAAAAAAEJY/E76jj-p2kog/s320/Chocolate+Almond+Milk+Stout.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">5.0-5.5% ABV; </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">31-34 IBU</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Appearance</u>: Opaque brown with caramel-colored head</span><br />
<u style="font-family: inherit;">Smell</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Sweet alcohol - definitively stout</span><br />
<u style="font-family: inherit;">Taste</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: At first sip, it was a subtle flavor. As I continued drinking, I noticed it was light on chocolate, was "milky", and had a great stout flavor.</span><br />
<u style="font-family: inherit;">Mouthfeel</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Medium; fizzy with a kick of carbonation.</span><br />
<u style="font-family: inherit;">Overall</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Subtle flavor in an excellent stout. Maybe a little too much carbonation but a very good brew.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The s<span style="font-family: inherit;">econd is an <b>IPA</b>, made by Matt's father-in-law.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbxa9qiNN84/T95z_Sa2XeI/AAAAAAAAEJg/FmnYZpCtxgc/s1600/IPA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbxa9qiNN84/T95z_Sa2XeI/AAAAAAAAEJg/FmnYZpCtxgc/s320/IPA.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
I don't know the specs on this one, but I'd guess it's a sessionable beer, maybe 4.0-4.5% ABV.<br />
<u style="font-family: inherit;">Appearance</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Orange hazy hue with a thick, off-white, frothy head.</span><br />
<u style="font-family: inherit;">Smell</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: The familiar comforting smell of hops, sweet and inviting.</span><br />
<u style="font-family: inherit;">Taste</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: At first sip, it was inviting and very drinkable. As I continued drinking, I noticed that there was a somewhat low bitterness factor. It was smooth and easy to drink with a welcome little kick. Possibly a hint of orange. A slightly bitter aftertaste, appropriate for an IPA.</span><br />
<u style="font-family: inherit;">Mouthfeel</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Medium; smooth; definitely not thin.</span><br />
<u style="font-family: inherit;">Overall</u><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Not as kicky of an IPA as I expected, but a great spot-on flavor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm wondering what homebrews my readers are working on these days. Share your beery creativity by:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">leaving a comment below</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tweeting </span><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/BrewReviewMann" style="font-family: inherit;">@BrewReviewMann</a></li>
<li>circling <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114987341847182677461/114987341847182677461/posts">Justin's Brew Review</a> on Google+</li>
<li>find <a href="http://www.facebook.com/JustinsBrewReview">Justin's Brew Review</a> on Facebook</li>
<li>sending an email to <a href="mailto:JustinsBrewReview@gmail.com">JustinsBrewReview@gmail.com</a></li>
</ol>
Blogging about beer is fun, and I'd really love to have some two-way conversations with other beer lovers. Prost!<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-42834710033619975562012-06-10T17:58:00.000-04:002012-07-05T20:13:52.654-04:00Boulder Beer's "Hazed and Infused"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oiLf77sD3ZY/Tn-NnvM3I_I/AAAAAAAAAiU/cYrNwdREO68/s1600/Hazed+and+Confused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oiLf77sD3ZY/Tn-NnvM3I_I/AAAAAAAAAiU/cYrNwdREO68/s320/Hazed+and+Confused.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<br />
I'm going to attempt to chip away at my backlog of tasting notes and begin blogging about some of the beers that I have tried over the last few months (or year).<br />
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Today, we have <a href="http://www.boulderbeer.com/">Boulder Beer</a>'s "Hazed & Infused". As you may have guessed from the brewery's name, this amber ale comes to us from Colorado. Boulder Beer's website tells us that they are Colorado's first microbrewery (opened in 1979), receiving the 43rd brewing license issued in the United States. The founders, "Hummer" and "Stick", first opened the brewery in a goat shed. They have, of course, expanded since then, and I can assure you that their beer doesn't taste like goats! You can take a virtual brewery tour on their <a href="http://www.boulderbeer.com/">website</a>.<br />
<br />
Back to the beer, "Hazed & Infused" weighs in at 4.85% ABV and is infused, or dry-hopped, with Crystal and Centennial hops. This is in addition to the Nugget, Willamette, Crystal, and Centennial hops used to brew the beer. "Hazed" was a "one-keg" experimental brew (often the best kind!) from 2001, but it was so popular with those who tried it that it became a mainstay.<br />
<br />
"Hazed & Infused" definitely had a hazy appearance, evidence that it is, in fact, an unfiltered beer. It had a sweet fruity smell with an undertone of bitter hops. Though the hops were also evident in the flavor, the taste wasn't too bitter. It had a nice citrus fruit flavor and was very refreshing. "Hazed" makes for a good summer beer and is, in a word, "fun".<br />
<br />
<a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/130/6590">BeerAdvocate</a> users give it an 85 (824 reviews), and the Brothers give it a 78.<br />
<a href="http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/boulder-beer-hazed-infused/16129/">RateBeer</a> users give it an 89 overall and a 91 for style (1116 reviews).<br />
<a href="http://justinsbrewreview.blogspot.com/">Justin's Brew Review</a> gives it an A-.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1432680290629644260.post-40971638347391092492012-06-06T23:00:00.002-04:002013-04-23T21:19:32.333-04:00Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Tour<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgMSaIe4B0pG5T5nTHBWcIhOXo5qOumqjuzA5RgDxEJQvjJY3Errfmz0HGgzLWP3CY0GqfEAgChUMxo6DopE0pbFl2aECS8rgqpwJHKwY84NpO1GBtS2FnHdoEttQJWJCOg9f8vqH1pE/s1600/IMG_1748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgMSaIe4B0pG5T5nTHBWcIhOXo5qOumqjuzA5RgDxEJQvjJY3Errfmz0HGgzLWP3CY0GqfEAgChUMxo6DopE0pbFl2aECS8rgqpwJHKwY84NpO1GBtS2FnHdoEttQJWJCOg9f8vqH1pE/s320/IMG_1748.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DFH's $30,001 Steampunk Treehouse</td></tr>
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Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting <a href="http://www.dogfish.com/">Dogfish Head Craft Brewery</a> in Milton, Delaware. My wife and I, along with our dog, made the trip down to the Delaware beaches. Incidentally, if you're looking for a good place to stay in Lewes, we <b>highly </b>recommend the <a href="http://www.lazyl.net/">Lazy L at Willow Creek</a>, a very dog-friendly bed & breakfast.<br />
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Before I talk about my experience at the Dogfish Head (DFH) facility, I should tell you about my preconceived notions. I have always viewed DFH as a tree-hugging, peace-loving, far-out-there kind of brewery. Their slogan proves my prejudicial bent: "Off-centered stuff for off-centered people". Also, the names of some of their beers are pretty inaccessible: Raison D'Etre, Palo Santo Marron, Burton Baton, Festina Peche, Chateau Jiahu, Namaste, Sah'Tea, and Ta Henket, to name a few. I am not against things that are "different", and I certainly don't mind creativity. Yet, DFH just didn't seem to be up my alley.<br />
<br />
Of course, none of this would keep me from taking a brewery tour! I always find it fascinating to hear about the history of a brewery, see the operations, watch the bottles go clinking down the line, and of course, <b>sample</b> the wares. And I have to admit that by the end of the tour, I realized that DFH was not as inaccessible as I had once thought.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVdTaA2bpvnrcRuMLdpwBzafKtL_zKjAx1sTfmXiH-mP2WVJrW5tEUqfe3MEyXhPrqwW-0ExWViPuOk9ZHYMjkwo0aRz_v5T65WQ0owKi2etIqn-KvHuheWt-T3v2ZiH75RnyhyphenhyphenbEORg/s1600/Sam+Calagione.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVdTaA2bpvnrcRuMLdpwBzafKtL_zKjAx1sTfmXiH-mP2WVJrW5tEUqfe3MEyXhPrqwW-0ExWViPuOk9ZHYMjkwo0aRz_v5T65WQ0owKi2etIqn-KvHuheWt-T3v2ZiH75RnyhyphenhyphenbEORg/s320/Sam+Calagione.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam Calagione: the man, the myth, the legend. (Nice looking beer!)</td></tr>
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Sam Calagione, founder and President of DFH, was an English major (like yours truly!) and, according to the <a href="http://www.dogfish.com/company/dogfish-way/our-people.htm">DFH website</a>, is the "brainchild behind all the wacky things that happen at Dogfish Head" <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[1]</span>. The tour guide said that Sam decided to open DFH in Delaware because 1) his wife grew up there and 2) at that time, there were no DE breweries <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[2]</span>, so he could help to shape the beer laws. Sam must have done a pretty good job shaping the DE beer laws, because I'm happy to report that I was able to pick up some beers tax-free and in stores that sell wine, spirits, and beer all in one place <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[3]</span>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPn7AlvjoaM2FtCpXvwWV7T2a-mOiik4dD68ZG9YKVx4tSia6izWrasec_qIgQot0-wpwODb3B3Vba697-xf2GvJFwW9KEIFDv0Nd5a4UrlKacVsVQFC7lhPAUx_QHP9xGd77LEjRIgOg/s1600/IMG_1755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPn7AlvjoaM2FtCpXvwWV7T2a-mOiik4dD68ZG9YKVx4tSia6izWrasec_qIgQot0-wpwODb3B3Vba697-xf2GvJFwW9KEIFDv0Nd5a4UrlKacVsVQFC7lhPAUx_QHP9xGd77LEjRIgOg/s320/IMG_1755.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the original beer-making equipment</td></tr>
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One of the stories our tour guide told us was about payday beer. As with all production ventures, things inevitably go wrong sometimes. So there are some batches of beer that just aren't, let's say, optimal. But it's still beer, so why let it go to waste, right? That's what the DFH employees thought too! So they would go in search of the "bad" beer and take it home with them. This became such a popular pastime that Sam implemented the payday beer. Now, employees are afforded the opportunity to specify which one of a few beers they would like to have, and it is delivered to them along with their paycheck every other week. I can imagine that DFH employees have a lot of friends wanting to visit every couple of weeks. Also, just think of how many disgruntled employees would change their tune if they got payday beer (hint to corporate America).</div>
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Another story that our tour guide told us was about the treehouse in front of the DFH brewery (pictured at the top). The Steampunk Treehouse was first exhibited at the 2007 Burning Man festival in Nevada and now permanently resides at DFH. (Read more <a href="http://www.dogfish.com/community/news/press-releases/steampunk-treehouse-finds-home-at-dogfish.htm">here</a>.) Sam bought it at an auction for $1, but it cost another $30,000 to ship and install. So the deal was a bit more than Sam "bargained" for (insert canned laughter here), but it yields a sweet first impression for DFH visitors.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzANc6LQFtZWwUo602PaCa2kzlTBoIA0z3gum-nezLmAEWxXlnpbl16F6mCpURaK7UrVgfv4zIrvwHUacWsxI40By3iKozPdB2r-wq0dFzevIuehrqH6j5EiJ3UKeqVi3xPeOZhk3CvI/s1600/IMG_1771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzANc6LQFtZWwUo602PaCa2kzlTBoIA0z3gum-nezLmAEWxXlnpbl16F6mCpURaK7UrVgfv4zIrvwHUacWsxI40By3iKozPdB2r-wq0dFzevIuehrqH6j5EiJ3UKeqVi3xPeOZhk3CvI/s320/IMG_1771.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">"Where's the tap on this thing?"</td></tr>
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The namesake of one of DFH's brews, Palo Santo, is actually a type of wood that only grows in one place on earth: Paraguay. Palo Santo, meaning holy wood, is used to condition DFH's brown ale and gives it a caramel vanilla flavor (mmm!). Interestingly, this wood is so tough that even a bullet doesn't damage it. As a matter of fact, the large tank pictured above is made of Palo Santo wood, and the craftsmen went through <b>seventeen</b> diamond-tipped saw blades to make it. I cannot imagine enduring such a painstaking effort. But at least the beer is good!<br />
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A note about the 60 Minute, 90 Minute, and 120 Minute IPAs that DFH makes. Hops are added for flavor and are typically introduced to the beer at the beginning and end of the brewing process. Our tour guide told us that, one day, Sam was watching a cooking show. The chef was adding pepper to the recipe all throughout the cooking process because adding it all at one time would ruin the flavor. This "aha!" moment led to Sam's "Sir Hops Alot" contraption. Basically, he rigged a vibrating base to shake hops down into a bucket with holes in it. As "Sir Hops Alot" continued its vibrating endeavors, the hops would find their way out of the bucket and into the brew. (They have since refined the machinery, but this basic innovation got the job done!) This led to a continuous hopping process, thereby exponentially increasing the robust flavor of the beer. The 90 Minute, for example, is continuously hopped in this manner for 90 minutes. Genius!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn78jNsrtVmInvz7pGarDOLzO_RZsAEEG012o1QqXSwrMdI-d66x-e_2F4UDy-18kWc-H0cehSzKDbjYIhJsw1Za2UUe0R6BBjfJMiEJ53B09-GjPH_j2d21G-8eMXJxfhSTnPLs-O7i4/s1600/IMG_20120530_170154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn78jNsrtVmInvz7pGarDOLzO_RZsAEEG012o1QqXSwrMdI-d66x-e_2F4UDy-18kWc-H0cehSzKDbjYIhJsw1Za2UUe0R6BBjfJMiEJ53B09-GjPH_j2d21G-8eMXJxfhSTnPLs-O7i4/s320/IMG_20120530_170154.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From DFH's Rehobeth brewpub</td></tr>
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And now for the sampling! During the tour, DFH was licensed to provide 12 ounces of beer to visitors for free. DFH decided to split that 12 ounces into four 3-ounce samples. I was privileged to try <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/35720">Festina Peche</a> (peach-flavored, not a favorite of mine), <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/6108">60 Minute IPA</a> (an excellent IPA), <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/18862">Burton Baton</a> (<b>wow! amazing imperial IPA!</b>), and <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/33832">Palo Santo Marron</a> (a wonderful brown ale). Later on, we also visited DFH's brewpub in Rehobeth. There I sampled five brews:</div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/45086">Sah' Tea</a> -- Wow, spices galore! It's like Chai tea in a beer. I think you would have to be in the right mindset to drink this and maybe only one at a time. Very unique. I'm impressed.</li>
<li><a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/1161">Indian Brown Ale</a> -- Hits the style on the nose! Has a little extra spice, hence the "Indian", I suppose.</li>
<li><a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/3951">Aprihop</a> -- Lighter than I expected. A good apricot flavor. Easy to drink and refreshing at the same time.</li>
<li><a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/1587">Midas Touch</a> -- From the taste, this is what I would call a "normal" beer. However, it is slightly differentiated by the higher alcohol content (9%) and extra "bite".</li>
<li><a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/70602">Tweason'ale</a> -- Pretty good. I couldn't identify what "extra" flavor I was picking up on in this beer, but after reading the notes on BeerAdvocate, I believe it was the sorghum and molasses.</li>
</ol>
I walked away with a four-pack of Burton Baton, one 750-ml bottle of <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/73379">Urkontinent</a> (the DFH-Google(!) collaboration brew), and two pints of the extremely-hard-to-come-by <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/9086">120 Minute</a> (I paid $9 per pint, but it's not unheard of to pay $13 or more for a pint!).<br />
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If you are planning on taking a DFH brewery tour (and you should), make sure you reserve a spot in advance. You can do so on <a href="http://www.dogfish.com/community/events/tours/index.htm">DFH's website</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">----------------------</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Footnotes:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[1] One of Sam's "wacky" ideas was to brew a naturally-green beer using Spirulina (seaweed) in an attempt to thwart the obviously-evil plot to cheapen his beer by using green dye for St. Paddy's day. (Read </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/on-hiatus-brews/verdi-verdi-good.htm">DFH's take</a> on it, and check it out on <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/28758">BeerAdvocate</a>.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[2] According to <a href="http://beerme.com/region.php?66">BeerMe.com</a>, there are still only eleven DE breweries currently in operation with one in the works.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[3] Don't even get me started on the odd setup we have in Pennsylvania! But please feel free to visit Lew Bryson's blog "Why the PLCB should be abolished" at <a href="http://noplcb.blogspot.com/">http://noplcb.blogspot.com/</a>.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12932319171769149817noreply@blogger.com3