Beer Friday: #1

Ha! You were maybe expecting "Foamy Friday"?

I don't do that crap. Beer deserves a bit more r-e-s-p-e-c-t.



Feel free to fire Aretha up while you're reading the reviews. I did while I was writing them, and it made the beer taste better, just like drinking your beer from expensive, hand-blown, wildly-accurate-designed-by-pseudoscientific-principles beer glasses that are "pretentious as shit"!!!

Aw...no, it didn't, not really. But I did enjoy the process more that way. Speaking of the process, here's how I'm going to do this. Unless otherwise noted, these beers are samples sent from the brewery, chilled to proper temperature, and sampled from a sleeve pint glass (because I'm an ornery bastard). I will also be trying to include one draft beer each week.

On to the reviews.


Yuengling IPL, 5.0%

Got some fresh at the brewery on Monday, so you bet I'm gonna review it. They want to see this go year-round; does it have the stuff?

It pours pretty, dark gold with a bright white head. Aroma is fresh lager (fresh-moist white bread, tiniest hint of sulfur!) and piney-grassy hop. Not a hint of skunk; IPL comes in brown bottles, thank you! The mouth is a relatively light lager with that bit of extra body you can expect from Yuengling, and an amount of hop flavor (pine, grapefruit zest, and something fruity...melon?) and bitterness that is definitely more than you expect from Yuengling. At 60 IBU, this is twice as bitter as their long-time hoppiest brew, Lord Chesterfield. The bitterness kicks in about a second after entry, gripping in the back, and turning it up in the finish. It's like a subtly spiced curry; the bitterness builds as you get through the bottle. The first gulp doesn't impress, but by the fourth, you can feel the hop every time you breathe; interesting effect.

This is a hard one to pin down. It seems simple, and you could drink it quickly and say it's simple...but it's not. There's a nice little twist here, and I'm not sure if most of us will catch it. I'd like more malt here, the body lets me down, and I'd like more hop aroma from something calling itself India Pale Lager. That's the problem here: expectations. After Yuengling absolutely nailed it with last summer's weissbier, I figured this one would be bolder. And even though the hop continues to breath-mint me on every inhalation... Damn. This beer is not giving up. A 4-ounce and done sample would not do it justice. The further I get into the bottle, the more I like it. It's no Prima Pils, but it's not meant to be. It's not a killer, but it's no baby bottle either.

I still want more, but it's better than I thought on first look. I'd like it sharpened up, I'd like more body, but it's not going to get "Flawed" for being not up to the expectations engendered by the name.

I'm going to encourage Yuengling IPL to be pleased to walk away with "Yawn," because that's not really that bad. Maybe tweak this before the next seasonal release? Maybe a bit more body? Maybe a bit more aroma hopping? Maybe then you'll have a killer on your hands.

Verdict: Okay...with potential


Allagash Interlude, 9.5%

I've been thinking to myself lately, 'You know, I don't like sours, don't like Brett beers, don't like funk.' But damn it, I know it's not true! Because I liked sours and Bretts and lambics 30 years ago, liked them right up through about 2008, when I went off them for a while after full lambic immersion in Belgium. When I tried some new ones...damn. No. But now, drinking my first Interlude in years, it's coming back to me.

This is almost too complex to describe. First, it's a coppery color, with very little foam. The nose is sharp, acidic; there are barnyard aromas and it's a bit reeky, but there are these sharp fruity notes, even some sweet candy flitting around. The beer's thick at first sip, then thins across the tongue: Brett funk and woody dryness blend with punk-sweet fruit and sour honey. It's like tasting some wild fruit I've never had before. A bit thick, a bit sweet, but mostly beautifully buggy.

And it drinks better and better as it warms (served WAY too cold, unfortunately). Wow. it gets even more friendly as it gets toward room temp. This is the funk I remember. This is the funk I desire. (Served on draft at Manny Brown's in Newtown: $7 for a big goblet)

Verdict: Stellar


Hamburg Hoppenstance, 8.0%

Hamburg Brewing is a small outfit south of Buffalo that opened in 2013. I hadn't heard of it before December 26th, when my brother-in-law Chris gave me this four-pack of Hoppenstance double IPA for Christmas. Happy to dive in; let's have a look.

Pine floats above the surface with a speckling of fruits tickling the nose. Very clean aromas, and the beer's clean too: bright gold, paper-white head. Take a great sip; and it's bitter but balanced, with a solid slice of hop bitterness backed with a table of malt. It's a well-built beer, nothing wrong with it, but I'm looking for something to make it stand out, and it's not there. There's nothing wrong with it: a small brewery making a solid, local double IPA. I'd love to try it in Hamburg at the brewery tap, nice and fresh.

Verdict: Okay

Allagash Cookbook? Yes, please

If there's an American craft brewery that makes me think, 'Yes, a cookbook from them would be a great idea' more than Allagash, well, I can't think of it. I've been drinking Rob Tod's exceptional beers almost from the beginning, and from the first time I visited the brewery -- a long time ago, I love Maine -- we've had a conversation going about great food. I still think one of the very best beer/food pairings I ever had was at a Monk's Cafe "coastal beer and food" dinner where Stephen Beaumont had paired Allagash Interlude with snails in a buttery sauce in a huge hunk of puff pastry. It was a brilliant pairing: the knife-sharp dryness of the Interlude cut right through the richness of the sauce to marry with the snails.

So it was no surprise to get notice of an event at Pub and Kitchen next Tuesday (11/13, 7-9, PAYG): the launch of Allagash: The Cookbook. Chef James Simpkins has worked with the brewery to create a culinary tour of the United States, accompanied by the wide range of beers Allagash continues to produce. The launch will feature Rob Tod and P and K chef Jonathan Adams presenting two beer and food pairings, and four Allagash beers: White, Hugh Malone, Smoke & Beards, and Fluxus '12. 

Always a pleasure to see Rob in Philly; always -- always -- a pleasure to taste fine food pairings with Allagash. 

My Pliny Diary!!

Dear Beer Diary,

The last couple days have just been crazy for me! As everyone who is everyone in Philadelphia knows, a famously bitter man is in town, and we all want to meet him! That's right, I'm talking about Pliny the Younger, the awesomely-rated triple IPA from Russian River! You know? The beer that no one else gets but us on the East coast? Wow! Wow! I can hardly write this down, Diary, I'm so excited that I got some Pliny -- not one, not two, not three, but FOUR WHOLE GLASSES! (6 ounce pours, of course, let's be reasonable.)

Well, Diary, it all started Monday evening when the wife and I headed down I-95 to Philadelphia and the City Tap House, where we had been invited to come by and try one of chef Ralph Kane's new "suppers" (Disclosure time, Diary and readers: City Tap House paid for this dinner.), a series of daily one-plate specials. Monday night's sounded so Southern and robusto: chicken-fried sirloin, sharp cheddar biscuits, herb grits, sautéed spinach, with smoked Tasso ham gravy. We found parking easily on Walnut Street and took the elevator up to the restaurant. It was busy in the big bar, but we were seated right away in the dining room.

Diary, I knew Pliny was in town, but I didn't know he was at City Tap House until the waitress came over to ask if we wanted anything to drink, and I said I'd have to look at the menu, and she said "Andy Farrell wanted to know if you wanted the last two glasses of Pliny the Younger." We sure did!! Andy is the manager, and I've done some events with him in the past, and it was just so nice of him to notice and make that offer! Two glasses of hoppy nectar came, a deep orange-gold in color, and didn't Cathy and I just love them to pieces? (I'm doing a review of PtY for a magazine, so...can't really say anything here other than while Pliny may not live up to the hype -- and what beer could? -- it's quite the pleasant smack in the chops, and yes, worth a trip to town.)

After that, did we even notice the meal? Yes we did, though when the waitress came back and asked us what we wanted, we said, we're here for the Supper...she said, You'll split that, then? That seemed odd, but we figured she knew what she was talking about, and did she ever: the 'supper' came on one big plate, and it was a great pile of stuff! A man at the next table also got it, just for himself (his date got the tartufo pizza), and my hat's off to him, Diary: he finished it and mopped up the gravy! The sirloin was tasty and tender in a crackling coating of crisp breading, the gravy was smoky and flavorful, the grits were dense and delicious, the spinach was silky. The only disappointment was the biscuit; just barely warm, a bit tough, and for being called "sharp cheddar," it didn't really come through on the cheesiness. Still, 4 out of 5, Diary! I had a Southampton Burton Pale Ale with dinner, and it was quite nice, flavorful but not intrusive, and a good beer with the food.

Did your Pliny Day have a fire-breathing dino? Didn't think so.

That was just a warm-up for the next day: My Pliny Day, Diary! (More disclosure: I paid for all the beers and food mentioned after this (with two exceptions, noted below). Just so you know.) I went down early to Resurrection Ale House, where they had sent out an email to people on their list that they'd have Pliny the Younger on Tuesday, first 50 respondents would get a glass -- I was Respondent Number 4, Diary! I was actually too early; they started at 11:30, and I thought it was 11:00. Still, they let me in, and within 5 minutes had decided that they might as well pour mine (and one for the other early bird who came in the same time I did; sorry, I'm blanking on your name, a brewer at Iron Hill North Wales...Craig?), and in less than 16 hours, I was faced with another glass of PtY!!!! 

It was still great, and when I was done, I decided to run the Russian River Hop Trifecta, and got a glass of Pliny the Elder, followed by a glass of Blind Pig. Were they hoppy? Yes they were! Were they as hoppy as Pliny the Younger? Well...yes and no. PtE actually tasted more bitter than the Younger, and I think it was because of the lower malt body; it was a different balance. But I have to say...Blind Pig, which is normally a real hop zipper-ripper, tasted...just kinda hoppy after those two monsters! Wowzer! After that, I calmed down a lot with a small glass of Birrifica Seson, a saison from that acclaimed Italian brewery. It was very nice, herbal, complex, and Brendan Hartranft and I agreed we'd have to try some more Italian beers soon!

At this point, Diary, I needed a little down time! So even though the food at Resurrection is very good, I decided to walk up the street to Grace Tavern, which I have come to believe has one of the very best burgers in the city, and had one of those burgers for lunch, and it was yummy! I also had a tastily tart glass of Petrus Aged Pale Ale, and a great conversation with Philly Brewing man-about-town Chris Morris, who gifted me with a newly-bottled Fleur de Lehigh, one of my favorite spring beers. When I suddenly realized it was almost 1:45, I paid up, and ran for the Jetta: I had another date with Mister Pliny the Younger!

SPTR: the one, the only

Fifteen minutes later I was parked and walking to the South Philly Tap Room! They were tapping their keg of PtY at 2:00, and I got in just ahead of time -- "Lock that door!" someone joked as I walked in (do you think they wished I'd stayed away, dear Diary?!) -- and was happy to find my friend Christine Gumpper there, who offered me a seat at her table of friends, so I got to meet Derek and Dave, too! And just like that...it was Pliny Time again! We got PtY all around, and what do you think, Diary? It was just as astonishingly the third time around! Wow! The bar was buzzing with excitement. Then Kathryn (the bar manager) came by and dropped off another Pliny for me! Wow, Diary! Damn, it feels good to be a beerwrita!

I finished up my beer day -- not quite, but you'll see -- with a small glass of Allagash Saison Mihm, and it was delicate, sweet, spicy, and altogether soothing after the excitement of My Day With Pliny the Younger!!!! And you know the funny/sad thing, dear Diary? I was so excited about Pliny the Younger that I completely forgot that Kathryn had put on one of the very last kegs of the Sierra Nevada Exportation Sour Baltic Porter that I'd helped to make, a truly exceptional and one-off beer that was great, and delicious, and unique, and innovative (and aged in wine barrels for a year at Russian River...). How funny! How sad.

I had to have a coffee to get me home, and a cup of Rwandan at Brew Ultimo did me just right. But just to show that a beer-lover's totally great day isn't always over...when I came home and grilled up some bockwurst, with caramelized onions and steamed broccoli for our family dinner, I decided to settle in with a sample pounder of Narragansett Cream Ale, their new year-round brew...and it was excellent, just a bit sweet, just a bit bitter, and 100% refreshing. It was a great day in Philly with Pliny the Younger, but it was good to be home!

 ********************************

Is Pliny the Younger all about the hype, "dear Diary"? Definitely not, it's a markedly good beer, and truly well-balanced for its size and hoppiness. Is it something people get crazy about? Sure, and Kate the Great, and Dark Lord, and all the other limited release beers people travel miles to get; sure they are. Is it bad that they do this? No, I don't think so. I wanted to ride that wave for a day and see what it was like. It was fun being in the East Coast city that gets the Younger, and it was fun being part of the excitement, and seeing how pumped everyone was.

But I really do feel stupid for missing that Exportation tapping, and it makes me wonder what other beers get lost in the super-hype shuffle, the beers that are completely under the radar because they don't get the geekerie as excited. Honestly, I get as excited about the idea of going to Uerige and having glasses of fresh altbier, or going to Bell's and sucking down fresh Porter, or going to Victory and draining what's left in the Dark Lager tank. I'm not one of those "all beer is good!" loonies, no fear. But don't forget to be excited about the good beers we have, and can get, wherever you are. Have one today.


A clarification: it's been suggested to me that I'm being overly mean-spirited here to the people on beer rating forums and others who get really excited about Pliny the Younger. Not my intention at all: I was actually making fun of myself, because after writing about not getting excited about Dark Intrigue, and not standing in line for beer...when that email to Resurrection's mailing list came out, I knee-jerked and responded to it just like anyone else. Guess I'm a geek at heart. 

Leap Day in Philly? How about Allagash-a-go-go?

If you haven't heard about the 'new' Trestle Inn (11th and Callowhill), it's a retro go-go bar with a big whiskey selection; worth checking out. Yes, "go-go bar," with dancers in boots and Barbarella-style outfits, not noodie stuff. Weird, I know, but there you are.

Tonight they prove they're not just another pretty...face, or just a whiskey bar: they're hosting Our Girl Suzy Woods for an Allagash Tap Takeover, featuring Bourbon Barrel Black (Belgian-style stout aged in Jim Beam barrels), Odyssey, Saison Mihm (Belgian farmhouse-style ale brewed with local (to Allagash!) honey), and three others (including Allagash White, which we recommend as your cool-down beer after your Allagash workout).

I know I don't post a lot of events, even though I do get a lot of releases on them, but I'm feeling particularly good about Allagash and Rob Tod today, after coming across this video yesterday. Check out Rob talking about me and Curieux and Ommegang and dill starting around 39:45.


Anyway, I'd go to The Trestle tonight, but I've got a once-in-four-years chance to celebrate a good friend's birthday tonight, and that's where I'll be!

Rob Tod, Allagash, and Monk's Cafe

Just a quick note about last night's Allagash dinner at Monk's Cafe. Tom invited me to come down, which I wanted to do: Rob's a great guy, and a good friend, and Heaven knows his beers are excellent, but I was meeting with another friend last night to help pick out music for her wedding. So Cathy and I left late, and got to Monk's at about 8 (after an amazingly fast run down to Philly; where was the traffic?).

Matt "Beer Yard" Guyer graciously made a place for us at the infamous "press ghetto" table in the front window, and I plonked down beside Don Russell just in time to catch a glass of Allagash Triple, which was tasting fine, better than I remember: clean, crisp, and drinkable. (Yes, I know, those are the classic adjectives for describing Budweiser; this stuff isn't Budweiser.) We also got a retrograde glass of White, which I enjoyed and should have kept to have refreshed through the night as a calibration tool.

We'd already eaten, not knowing how long the music selection would take, so we passed on Tom's gracious offer to feed us. Although...when he urged me to try a bite of the salmon with a Curieux mole, I did, and I was glad; the Curieux was tasting just a bit top-heavy on its own, and the fish and heat-kissed sauce knocked that top-hamper right off, making it a delightful mouthful.

I talked a little New Jersey Breweries business with co-author Mark Haynie, who was in for the dinner. He's making brewery visits next week, I'm going to start hitting bars -- tough work, but some poor sucker's gotta do it (You got any good NJ bar suggestions, particularly in the vicinity of a New Jersey brewery, send 'em in!).

We got Musette (Rob's take on the Belgian take on Scotch ale) and barrel-aged Four with dinner (dinner was a 'barbequed' brisket (the 'quotes' are there for the barbeque fanatic who wrote a comment recently on my post about Clem's in Port Matilda; fanatic, I didn't put the post up because it was too long and a bit too vicious, not because I want to censor anyone who disagrees with me), mashed yams, and collard greens). The Musette was nice, malty with an edge, and the Four was just huge, bourbony, and deep, lots going on once you dove deep under the bourbon layer.

We did eat dessert, a chocolate fig cake with Allagash Double. It had been quite a while since I'd had Double, and it was great, flavorful, but not huge, and good at picking up the fig notes in the cake. Pretty much general lusciousness.

After that, we hung around a while, helping Bryan Kolesar and his wife celebrate their 9th anniversary (Congratulations!), talking about the Michael Jackson toast plans with Tom, and introducing Cathy to Rob. Rob Tod's talk, by the way, was one of the most fact-filled yet engaging talks I've ever heard at Monk's: focused, but fun, in his self-deprecating way. His passion for his beers, and for the thrill of trying new techniques, has always been exciting, and it came across clearly last night.

Thanks to Tom for the invite: another great time at Monk's Cafe.