July tasting event.

July 22nd, 2008

So the July tasting event is in the books! We had a great time again this month. The theme was lagers. Here is the list of what we tried. Again, reply to the post to let me know if I have anything wrong or I missed any beers.

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
Barons Lager
Berghoff Original Lager
Boulevard Saison Brett
Butte Creek Organic Pilsner
Cave Creek Chili Beer
Clipper City Balto MärzHon
Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold Lager
Great Lakes Eliot Ness
Griesedieck Golden Pilsener
Kona Brewing Longboard
Kronenbourg 1664
Ray Hills American Pilsner
Sam Smiths Organic Lager
Schell Firebrick
Shmaltz Coney Island Albino Python
Shmaltz Coney Island Sword Swallower
Specher Black Bavarian Lager
Steinlager Lager
Tennents Lager
Unibrew 9X Lager

The Coney Island Albino Python was probably my favorite beer of the night, but many of the beers were good. I was most surprised by the Cave Creek Chili Beer. It was the best chili beer I’ve ever had, and I would love to try it with some nachos.

Thanks again to Sanford and Sycamore for hosting!

And, now that lagers are out of the way, on to IPA’s and hefeweizens! Check out the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts site for more info.

Columbia Beer Enthusiasts tasting

July 21st, 2008

Don’t forget the tasting at Sycamore tonight.

Details can be found at: http://columbiabeer.weebly.com/future-tastings.html

Schlafly India Brown Ale

June 27th, 2008

From the Schlafly site:

India Brown Ale (May 17)
Our Tap Room Brewer Brennan has hand crafted this ale to celebrate his marriage to the beautiful Natasha. This unique brew has the color of a brown ale, but the aroma of an American style IPA. Dry Hopped with Cascade and Willamette, this beer will prove just how complex a brown ale can be. 5.2% abv, 40 IBU’s, O.G. 13P.

Currently Sycamore in Columbia, MO has this on tap. The nose is nice and citrusy, with a bit of maltiness. It really is a hoppy brown and reminds me of the Schlafly APA with a bit more malt. I would definitely recommend getting to Sycamore and giving it a try, as I think this is a limited production beer.

Bell’s tasting at Arena Liquor

June 18th, 2008

According to this post on BeerAdvocate.com, there will be a Bell’s tasting on June 19th.

Complete Bell’s tasting at Arena Liquor Columbia, MO Thursday 6-19
We’ll be tasting the entire Bell’s portfolio currently available (12 to 13 beers) from 5 to 7 pm on the 19th of June.
Steve

I’ll post here during the day Thursday if I find out more.

Another Beer Fest in St. Louis

June 17th, 2008

I just saw this come across Beer Advocate and thought I should mention it here. The Beer and Brats Festival will be held at Westport Plaza on June 28th from noon to 6PM. The cost is $20 in advance or $25 at the door. More details on the site.

It seems like beer related festivals in Missouri are popping up like crazy this summer, or maybe I just wasn’t looking hard enough before. The St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival, the St. Louis Micro Fest, the festival in Jeff City last weekend, and the Hermann Rhythm and Brews Festival on June 21st. So much good beer, so little time.

Beer Tasting at Sycamore

June 17th, 2008

We had a great time at the beer tasting last night at Sycamore. Thanks for getting this tasting group together, Sanford!

Almost all of the beers were new to me which was a nice surprise. I also enjoyed getting to meet several local beer geeks that I hadn’t yet met. I knew that some home brewers had been invited but I had no idea what they would bring or how the home brew beer would be. The beer they brought was excellent!

For another write-up on the evening be sure to check out Jeff’s blog.

Here is the list of beers we sampled. I was taking this down rather quickly so if there are any mistakes let me know and I’ll correct them.

Commercial Beers:

  • Allagash Curieux Barrel Aged Tripel
  • Anderson Valley Brother David’s Triple (or Double, I don’t remember for sure) Abbey Style Ale
  • Ballast Point IPA
  • Bear Republic Racer 5
  • Deschutes Inversion IPA
  • Dogfish Head Raison D’Être
  • Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout
  • Fuller’s 1845 Celebration Ale
  • Lagunitas Maximus IPA
  • Marin Brewing Port Reyes Porter
  • Meantime IPA
  • Meantime Porter
  • Rogue Chocolate Stout
  • Souther Tier Tripel
  • Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
  • Stone Ruination IPA

Home brews:

  • Jamie’s Maple Amber Ale
  • Jamie’s Scotch Ale
  • Jamie’s Rye Pale Ale
  • Matt’s Anne’s Early Ale
  • Matt’s IPA
  • Tim’s Porter

Unibroue Éphémère Apple Ale

June 2nd, 2008

Unibroue Éphémère Apple Ale is currently on tap at Sycamore. It is a yellow straw color and cloudy. It has a strong apple nose and is sour and tart. I wasn’t sure if I would like it, but it is very tasty. It isn’t something I would want to have more than one of at a time, but it was good.

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O’Fallon 5 Day IPA

May 29th, 2008

5 Day IPA is another one of my Missouri favorites. It is an American style IPA that is dry-hopped in the finishing tank for 5 days.  It pours a nice dark amber with a creamy head that dissipates to a thin film leaving light lacing on the glass as consumed.

The nose is almost all citrusy hops. It isn’t overpowering, but it is definitely present from the time the bottle is opened.

The hops are present and the beer is bitter through the finish, but it doesn’t linger. It has a pleasant mouthfeel with a moderate amount of carbonation.

Dogfish Head Raison D’etre

May 24th, 2008

This beer pours a nice, dark, reddish brown. The head is light cream, and fads quickly leaving a thin ring around the glass. It was poured into a standard pint glass, and is about 50°.

It does not have a strong nose, but I did catch a hint of malt and almost a coffee smell. I’m not noticing some of the other more subtle scents others are.

The beer has a nice malty flavor. I’m also picking up the belgian sugars and just a hint of sourness. The finish is smooth. Mouthfeel may be a little weak, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it watery.

I actually enjoyed this beer more than I thought I would, and would definitely drink it again if available.

Boulevard Beer Dinner at Sycamore

May 22nd, 2008

Sycamore in Columbia, MO is having another beer dinner! Here are the details:

Monday, June 9, 6pm — Boulevard Beer Dinner featuring the Smokestack series.

Beer dinners are $50.00 a person (includes tax and tip). You can purchase tickets at Sycamore (800 E. Broadway) or call Sanford at 874-8090.

For more details, or to get the beer list and menu when it is posted, visit the Sycamore website.