539. Firestone Walker Brewing Co – Double Jack Double IPA
It’s a nice Sunday evening, and I’m watching the Amazing Race. Earlier in the day, I was cleaning up in the basement, and found a stash of beers I was hiding from myself. I’m not sure how this beer ended up in there. While it probably ages well at 9.5% ABV, it’s not meant to last. The date on the bottle is 11/7/11, so it’s not too bad (a little over a year old), but it was time to drink it....
538. Cigar City Brewing – Batch 69 Double Cream Ale
It hasn’t really been a great day today, and I really needed a big, strong beer. I went to the beer fridge and decided to grab this one, which I picked up when I visited the brewery this past summer on vacation in Tampa, Florida. It seem like a unique style, so I grabbed this one of the several beers they had there at the brewery. The bottle has a July 30, 2012 date on it, and it says, “Batch #69 is a Double Cream Ale, a...
537. Abita Brewing – Abita Jockamo IPA
It’s Sunday night, and I finally got the kids to bed. There’s not much I find more relaxing that sitting down at the kitchen table and enjoying a beer, and this was a great chance to do so. I went to the beer fridge and found the corner that has a few slightly older beers in it. I picked this beer up as part of a mixed 6-pack of local beers on a business trip to New Orleans about a year ago. During that trip, I actually...
536. St. Louis Brewery / Schlafly – Tasmanian India Pale Ale TIPA
It’s just a relaxing Saturday, and after spending the morning cleaning house, it was time to sit and watch some college basketball. I had heard many good things about this beer from St. Louis friends, and on Twitter, so I bought a 6-pack of this beer a month or two ago. I’ve already had a few, but I’m finally getting around to sitting down and doing a review of it. The bottle says, ” A Special Release IPA, TIPA...
535. Victory Brewing – Hop Devil
It’s Friday night and after the week we’ve had, my wife and I really needed to go out for pizza and a beer. We went to Flingers Pizza & Pub here in Bloomington, IL, because they have a great tomato basil “cheesebomb,” as well as some great craft beers on tap. This was one of a couple craft beers on the menu I hadn’t had yet, but had been looking forward to trying. Location: On tap and served in a...
534. SanTan Brewing – Sex Panther Double Chocolate Porter
A month or so ago I got a Rail Slide Imperial Spiced Ale from SanTan Brewing in the mail. So couple of weeks ago, I got this beer in the mail from them. I love the name and graphic on the can, on which it says, “Sex Panther is a silky smooth Double Chocolate Porter brewed with Colonial Rosewood Cocoa and large amounts of Chocolate malt for a huge chocolatey flavor with hints of truffle and molasses. White wheat is added to give...
533. Flying Fish Brewing Co – Farmhouse Summer Ale
It’s somewhat of a lazy Sunday, and I’m finally getting a start on taxes, which is obviously driving me to drink. This beer was another given to me this past summer when I helped my friend Joe. He gave me several beers so he wouldn’t have to move them. The bottle had a label on it with a July date on it with the price. I don’t know if that label was from the brewery or the place where he bought it. Either...
532. Gordon Biersch Brewing – Braumeister Selekt IPB Imperial Hopped Robust Pilsner
This beer arrived in the mail about a month after the Gordon Biersch Wiezeneisbock I received. I really appreciate it when breweries send me beers – especially limited edition beers I can’t usually get here in central Illinois – to try. The bottle says, “This is an intensely hopped, robust Pilsner that emphasizes the noble hops from Central Europe including Hallertau, Tettnang, Spalt, and Saaz. It has been...
531. Capital Brewery – Autumnal Fire Doppelbock 2010
If you’re a regular reader, you know I found a streak of older beers in a corner of my beer fridge. I think I left this beer sitting there for a while because I knew it could stand up to a little bit of age. This beer was actually sent to me by Kirby Nelson, the (now former) brewmaster at Capital Brewing, after I reviewed their Fest Seasonal Beer as part of my Oktoberfest Challenge. I really appreciated him taking the time to...
530. Oskar Blues Brewery – Dale’s Pale Ale
I picked this beer up when I was on vacation in Florida this past summer. I stopped at a Total Wine and got several beers that I couldn’t get back here in Illinois. A six pack of this was perfect for enjoying on the beach in Florida. I got a chance to do a few reviews during my vacation, including an awesome stop at Pegs, but this final beer from the six pack has been sitting in the beer fridge waiting for my review since then....
529. Lagunitas Brewing – Lagunitas Sucks! Brown Shugga’ Substitute Ale
I’m at Medici in Normal, IL tonight for the Wednesday Warrior yearly celebration. For the uninitiated this bar has Wednesday night craft beer specials, and if you come 10 times throughout the year, you get a t-shirt and an invite to the yearly celebration, which has free food and a free (guess what it is) beer on tap. After trying the beer on tap (I thought it may have been Schlafly’s Scottish Ale), I decided to get a...
528. Samuel Adams – Merry Mischief Gingerbread Stout
I’ve been home all day today with the kids, and it’s been great having the day off work. In fact, at lunch, I had 8-Bit Pale Ale from Tallgrass. Tonight, I saw this beer in the fridge, which was part of a special holiday 4 pack of Sam Adams beers at Sam’s Club. Since I knew it had spices in it, I knew I couldn’t let it sit in the fridge until next Christmas, so I thought I’d have it tonight. Location:...
