The Bruery Autumn Maple

Unconventional ingredients can really make something stand out. In the craft beer world, brewers will go to great lengths to use different different ingredients to produce unique blends of flavors in search of the ultimate beer. Maggie has looked at strawberry beers and Nick reviewed a beer with pomegranate used in the brewing process. As far as they were concerned, these brews had varying levels of success, so it's wise to keep an open mind when trying a beer that tries to push the limits on flavor. The Bruery's Autumn Maple vegetable beer is one of those beers that has used an unconventional ingredient for a different flavor - yams.

Pictured: Yams, not oddly-shaped rocks
Image courtesy of newgrounds.com

Sitting at a healthy 10.00% ABV, I was excited to try this beer. I poured it from its 22 ounce bottle into a tulip glass, as the brewer actually recommends a tulip glass on the label. There was about two fingers of a pale off-white foam sitting on top that settled down very quickly and left practically no lacing behind. For the remainder of the beer, there was always the thinnest head resting atop the body, but that's all. The color was a spectacular reddish brown that actually had a deep grapefruit pink color when you held it up to the light.

The aroma of the beer, amplified and concentrated by the shape of the tulip glass produced tones of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, bananas, and apples. It was like a typical pumpkin beer you see in the fall, but earthier and fruity. The taste wasn't much different. Again, pumpkin and spices, some fruitiness, a hint of hoppy bitterness, and just the slightest taste of alcohol were all present. It also had a bit of a marshmallow taste that I attributed to the yams. As for the mouthfeel, this beer drank kind of rough. It was medium-to-heavy bodied, pretty carbonated, and required a bit of effort to drink, even while sipping on it.

Craft brewing is an art form. Sometimes a masterpiece is produced and sometimes a kindergartner's crayon drawing destined for the refrigerator is made. While I tend to think most craft brewers try to produce masterpieces, some beers fall short, much like this one; The Bruery missed the mark with their Autumn Maple. I found myself a little repulsed at the smell and taste and I had to force myself to finish my glass. The only redeeming factor of this beer was its looks. Were it not for my thrift, I would have poured this bottle out.

Stone Vertical Epic 11.11.11

When I was 11 in early 2002, I wasn't thinking about craft beer. I'm pretty sure I was playing Pokemon and watching Cartoon Network. Stone Brewing Company based in Escondido, California, on the other hand, was thinking of craft beer. While I was learning long division, Stone was brewing up something special. You see, they weren't your average brewery. Oh no, they had bigger plans in mind.

Cue the Vertical Epic Ale series.

From 02.02.02 to 12.12.12., Stone has subsequently released a single brew on dates ending in consecutive numbers one year, one month, and one day apart. Stone has brewed eleven different beers all designed to complement one another in a gustatory symphony never seen by the likes of the craft beer world ever before. I managed to hop on the Vertical Epic train just as the ride was coming to an end. While the earliest brews are exceedingly rare, I was able to snag an 11.11.11 and a 12.12.12. This review will focus on the 11.11.11

I let this beer sit out of the fridge for a little while before I opened it up. It definitely needs to warm up a bit for you to truly appreciate the effort that went into this brew. I poured it into a pilsner glass and observed a light tan head, a hazy orange/brown-colored body and a lacing that quickly dissipated. While the head did stick around, the lacing did not - a bizarre combination. When I put my nose up to the glass, I instantly detected a boozy aroma (which made it seem a lot stronger than its 9.0% ABV would have lead me to believe) with tropical fruits, cinnamon, cloves, and a definite smell of a peppery spice that stung the nose a little.

Now, before I get into the taste, I want to have a quick sidebar about chili beers. I usually lump them into one of two categories - beer with chili as a novelty and beer with chili for actual flavor. The former category, contains beer such as Black Mountain Brewing's Cave Creek Chili Beer, the beer with an actual chili pepper inside the bottle. This beer is terrible and should be avoided at all costs. Try it once. You won't go back. The latter category contains beers like the 11.11.11. These beers are usually better.

With that out of the way, a strange combination of flavors flowed into my mouth. Chili peppers, bananas, cloves, cherries, and hops all combined in a spicy, sweet, and mildly bitter brew that I've never even come close to experiencing in another brew. This beer also drank very nice as a light-to-medium-bodied brew.


Having aged with grace, I'd highly recommend you find Stone's 11.11.11 if you can. My only regret was not holding out to see if I could find some of its older siblings, but with a little bit of digging and a little bit of luck, I'm sure I'll be able to try again.

Hopslamdunk

It's been a little while since our last post, but sometimes life happens. Don't worry though, we haven't stopped trying new beers! Hopefully you've been keeping up with us on Facebook, Twitter, Untappd, and Instagram!

Image courtesy of bellsbeer.com

As we've rolled into February, a few things have happened. Of course, it's been cold - like, too cold to be enjoyable cold - but, this cold weather has also ushered in ton of seasonal brews. Many brewers are releasing hoppy beers from the hops that they picked and brewed at the end of summer. Bell's Brewery of Kalamazoo, Michigan is no exception. The yearly mid-winter release of their Hopslam Ale, a 10% ABV Double and Imperial IPA, is one of the American craft beer communities most sought-after brews.

Having tried Bell's Hopslam in 2012 out of a bottle (yes, I didn't even give Bell's the courtesy of drinking out of a glass), I knew it was good, but I really didn't know how good it could be. Luckily, my favorite watering hole, having recently updated their taps, manged to snag a keg of this year's Hopslam. Suffice it to say, I was stoked to get a fresh glass of the suds.

This beer is strikingly beautiful. It had a translucent, penny-colored body with minimal carbonation and a spectacular white head sat at about 1 finger width in the small goblet glass it was served to me in. The lacing would not budge. The aroma was extraordinary too. Fruitiness, floral tones, a faint sweetness (surely from the honey brewed into it), and the slightest hint of peaches and citrus came through for me. With a beer as strong as this one in the style it was brewed in, I expected it to have a more piney smell that I've been accustomed to with IPA's, but I could barely detect one. Maybe it's because I was coming off a cold, but I'll have to try it again to see if it's there.

The taste is what really makes Hopslam stand out. First off, the name is a dead giveaway as to what's to come. Your taste buds get slammed with hops. Although, not overwhelmingly bitter, it's immediately apparent that you're drinking a hoppy beer. As the smell dictated, fruity and floral tastes were right alongside the bitterness. I tasted a little bit of malt too and I was surprised that for being 10%, I could barely detect a boozy taste. Bell's also made some serious magic in their brewery, because this beer drank super smooth. These stronger beers are usually good for sipping, but I really could have pounded the Hopslam if I wanted to. I had to cut myself short every sip so that I wouldn't go through it too fast.

Bell's set the 2013 bar high with their Hopslam. I'm glad I was able to find it on tap, so I could truly experience a beer that has received so much praise. Between it's looks, taste, and drinkability, this brew is nearly perfect in every way. If you can, snag yourself a glass and try it. Don't be afraid to squirrel away a bottle too, as it can age for a few months!

From Russia with Love

It's been cold out lately - really cold. While my local weather is a bit mild in comparison to Scandinavia or Siberia, it's still pretty damn cold. Luckily, I have beer to keep me warm. No, I don't recommend you heat up your beer and drink it like it's a hot cocoa (that's just silly), but I do suggest you look into North Coast Brewing Company's Old Rasputin - a Russian Imperial Stout renowned for its flavor and warmth. It's probably my favorite thing ending in "putin."

Please don't kill me, Vlad. - Image courtesy of Reuters

This beer is dark and poured easy into one of my snifter-like glasses I like to use for these reviews. With a dark beige, one inch head (that eventually settled into a quarter inch head) and a thick lacing that just wouldn't cave into gravity, this brew looked like it was trying to model for the camera; it just would not settle. I immediately picked up a beautiful variety of aromas - vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, roasted malts, the slightest hint of fruitiness and a definite boozy alcohol smell were there. The flavor of the Old Rasputin was tremendous. The first wash over your tongue brings tastes of chocolate, roasted malts, and a hint of coffee while leaving you with a bitterness not usually seen in these darker beers. As the beer moves past the mouth and down the throat, you're left with a warmth that you'd be more likely to find in a wine or a whiskey. This also drinks very easily due to it being full-bodied and not very carbonated. While I don't find this is a beer you can pound down in a couple of gulps, it's much easier to drink than other similar beers.

Don't mind the photographer in the reflection

At a not horribly imposing 9% ABV , this beer wants you to think it's twice as strong as it actually is. While this might put some beer drinkers off, Old Rapsutin an absolute delight and should not be overlooked. Garnering similar sentiment on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer, this beer aims to please. It's keeping me warm on a chilly day off and I would hope it does the same for you.

Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Ale

I think Tupac and Dre were on to something when they wrote "California Love." As one of the biggest states in the country in one of the best hop-growing regions in the world, it's no surprise that California is home to some of the best breweries; namely, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Sierra Nevada is based out of Chico in the northern part of the state and is well known for its hoppy brews produced year-round. Mike already tested and wrote about their seasonal winter release, the Celebration Ale, but I'm happy to be writing about a specialty brew that created a brewing trend throughout the US.

Image courtesy of grapesandgrainsnyc.com

Every fall in the Northern Hemisphere, hop farmers are harvesting their crops for various brewers to use in whatever way they see fit. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, in a hop-crazed frenzy, made a decision some time ago that fresh, wet hops are essential in creating a great beer. Much like some restaurants get the freshest foods and ingredients delivered on a daily basis, Sierra Nevada buys the freshest hops out of Washington state within 24 hours of being picked. These hops, full of the oils and resins that provide their unique flavors and aromas, are immediately tossed into the brewing process to create a unique beer aptly named the Northern Hemisphere Harvest ale. With Sierra Nevada's dedication to freshness comes an excellent brew.

Pouring this beer into my glass, I was astounded by the appearance of this beer. With a gigantic, white head, lacing that just won't quit, and a spectacular orange and copper haziness, this beer looked unlike any I've had before. I can't think of a better way to describe the head than to compare it to that of an ice cream soda; It's just think, frothy, and won't settle at all. At the last sip, I still had a complete white covering on top of the body and my empty glass has lacing all over it.

My camera doesn't do this
beer justice, but just look at that head!

Much like most other IPA-style beers, the aroma had a characteristic spiciness to it. With some citrus and floral tones and the faintest hint of caramel, this beer seemed pretty average. Once I tasted it, the story was totally different. In contrast to it's dark color, the taste was actually pretty light. There was an immediate bitterness from the hops with a faint spiciness and a definite floral aroma. Also apparent was a subdued lemon-orange taste and the lightest caramel taste. There was essentially no aftertaste, unlike most IPA-style beers.

Drinking with a thickness not usually seen outside of darker and heavier beers, Sierra Nevada's Northern Hemisphere Ale is not your regular Fall or Winter beer. I could easily see myself kicking back on a hot summer night drinking this brew with some friends. In trying to stay as fresh as possible, Sierra Nevada created a brew that confuses and excites the senses. I highly recommend you try this beer, no matter what time of year it is.

Last minute holiday shopping? We've got you.

With less than a week to go until Christmas (and just under a day away from the end of the world), people are scrambling to find some last minute gifts. We here at Drink Like an Adult know this feeling all too well, so we're here to help you out. In the spirit of beer and giving, we present you with some unique gift ideas for your favorite beer-lover:

Handcrafted Glassware



This full set is available through Matthew Cumming's Etsy store



To truly appreciate a beer, you need to pour it into a glass. It becomes more aromatic, it improves the flavor, and it just looks nicer. Many people stick with standard pint glasses, but for the real beer aficionado, we'd suggest taking a look at these handcrafted beer glasses from Matthew Cummings. These glasses from his appropriately named store, PretentiousBeerGlass, are specially designed to enhance the drinking experience. Whether you're drinking a hoppy beer, a malty beer, or you suck at pouring a black and tan, he's got you covered. Be warned; however, as these glasses are not cheap. His coasters start at $8 and a full set of his special glasses will run you $180.

The Clink N Drink Bottle Opener

If that glassware is a little too much and you know your gift recipient would rather just drink out of the bottle, consider the Clink N Drink bottle opening system. It magnetically attaches to any surface allowing you to place a cool, customizable bottle opener on your fridge, workbench, or even your car. Best of all, below the bottle opener itself is a magnetic cap collector, allowing you to make a bit less of a mess along the way. At around $25 per Clink N Drink, these are affordable and definitely a nice addition to any beer drinker's collection.

 

 

Beer Brewing Kits & Supplies



Image courtesy of kegerator-review.com



Do you want to truly take some one's beer experience to the next level? Let them brew their own beer! Amazon.com sells a wide variety of beginner kits that provide you with the bare basics to make beer in your very own kitchen. If those are a little too basic for the brewer in your life, then checkout Northern Brewer Homebrew Supply or Midwest Supplies. Both of these reputable companies have been providing great service to homebrewers all over the world for many years and they'll be able to help you out too. They've got bottles, caps, carboys, fermenters, yeast, hops, malts, etc. - everything you'll need to make the beer and bottle it. While prices vary wildly, just be prepared for when the do-it-yourselfer turns into master craftsmen by next Christmas.

DIY 6-Pack Holders

Some people like to stay in with their beer and others like to take it with them. If you know somebody who loves to bring their beer out with them, take a stab at making your own 6-pack holders. They're infinitely customizable, super classy, and pretty damn useful too. If you've got the wood, metal, or plastic, make somebody a gift they'll never forget. Chris of The New Hobbyist provides instructions and templates for one such holder on his website and for the more technologically inclined, Thingiverse has CAD template files available for download to use with a laser cutter. If you use the cheapest Pine you have laying around or the fanciest Brazilian Rosewood you can get your hands on, you're guaranteed to make an unforgettable gift.

YETI Tarpon Beverage Entry Tool

With a name like the YETI Tarpon Beverage Entry Tool, you know you're in for a serious device. Forged from stainless steel, this monster of a drink opener will get you into any bottle or can life throws at you. It's less than $10 and ships within 1-3 days, so you know it will be there just in time for Christmas. This is my personal favorite on this list too!

Business and Beer

Surrounded by friends with the superb 12/12/12 concert playing in the background, I'm happy to say that the first meeting of the Drink Like an Adult contributors (well, most of us at least) was an enlightening and exciting experience. We talked strategy and writing and we drank beer - three things that don't often go hand-in-hand outside of Mad Men era business meetings, but what kind of beer blog would we be without all of that?

It took me a little while in the liquor store yesterday to select two beers to introduce to everybody else. I wanted to find something unique and interesting for everybody to enjoy, but nothing overly exotic. I picked up a four-pack of Bethlehem Brew Works's Rude Elf Reserve and a bomber of Brooklyn Brewery's Sorachi Ace for our tasting and I happened to find myself a bottle of Dogfish Head's 75 Minute IPA as well. Unfortunately, we didn't get around to tasting the Sorachi Ace and I plan on saving the 75 Minute IPA for another day, but the Rude Elf's Reserve and the S'muttonator I grabbed the other day made it out of the fridge. Today's review will focus on the Rude Elf's Reserve, a beer with a one-of-a-kind flavor from a brewery near and dear to me.
 

A sampler of six beers from Fegley's Brew Works



Fegley's Brew Works, located right on the corner of Main and Broad Streets in downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is a brewery and restaurant that has served Lehigh Valley locals for just over a decade now. I met my girlfriend while studying just outside of the Bethlehem area and she, knowing the area as well as she does, treated me to my first beers as an of-age adult at the Brew Works. You could say that is is the birthplace of my love for craft beer. I'm thrilled that I now have the opportunity to review one of their brews after having enjoyed so many different beers they produce year-round at their restaurant.

Seasonal beers are funny in that creating them, brewers are essentially telling drinkers what the flavors of the season are. Spring beers are light and floral, summer beers are refreshing and hoppy, fall beers are darker and spiced (also, the beer industry is not unique in that they pumpkin spice everything too that time of year), and winter beers are often dark, spiced, and heavy. Fegley's Brew Works made a decision some time ago that they weren't about to make a typical winter beer when they set out to create Rude Elf's Reserve. This spiced and fruity beer is a welcomed sight in any liquor store compared to the dozens of typical winter beers available. With a 10.5% ABV, this beer packs enough alcohol to make even the biggest of us feel warm and jolly after a single bottle. It really does put the "strong" in Belgian Strong Dark Ale



One of the first things I noticed about Rude Elf's Reserve is its striking appearance in the glass. While I didn't consider it the most aesthetically pleasing with my initial cursory glance (I thought it looked sort of muddy), its color really stood out when I held it up to the light. There was a deep ruby color to the beer that seemed to fluctuate between red and brown as the finger-width head settled in. Although it wasn't particularly excting to look at, the white head sitting on the deep red body gave the appearance of Santa's red coat with its white trim - an all too fitting look for this Christmas-themed brew.

Fruity and spicy, the smell of this beer is different from anything I've ever smelled before. The first smells to hit your nose are cherries and berries - somewhat unfamiliar territory for a winter beer. Following the fruitiness, the more familiar wintry aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg roll in with a noticeable, but not overwhelming alcohol smell. The taste isn't very different from the aroma. You're immediately greeted with a spiced cherry flavor. The cinnamon and nutmeg roll around on the tongue with a clove flavor as well. Without any sort of bitter hop flavor, this beer actually tastes a bit more sweet; it makes for an excellent dessert drink. Rounding off the spices and fruit is a warmth provided by the alcohol that makes this beer almost seem like a wine.

As a holiday-themed beer, Rude Elf's Reserve does well in what it sets out to do - invoke the spirit of Christmas and the winter season by taking classic winter brewing spices and adding a fruity kick. It's innovation like what you get in this beer that I believe makes Fegley's Brew Works an up and coming force in the craft beer world. It's definitely not my favorite beer (read: I love a super bitter brew), but it's worth a try if you can find it.

Breakfast for Dinner for Breakfast

I'm back again and I'm absolutely delighted to be writing about a very special beer today. Given the horrible wet weather we've been suffering through the past few days, I needed a good pick-me-up and it came in the form of breakfast. I'm sure you've noticed the my befuddling title for this morning's post, but don't be alarmed. Everything will make sense shortly.

I work the graveyard shift. It's long, it's dark, and it's tough to stay awake, but I deal with it. Tons of people do it, but everybody knows that when you work the night shift, you never really get used to your changed schedule. When I come home from work around 6 am, I'm going to reach for a beer and some food. After a dull night waiting for something exciting happen, it's nice to sit back and unwind. It's also 6 am, so my body is still convinced it's time for breakfast. In short, I'm looking to have dinner for breakfast.

"But that's two pieces of the puzzle, Pat! What about the other breakfast?"


That's where the beer comes in. This morning, I present Founders Brewing Company's Founders Breakfast Stout. Defined as a Double Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Stout, it is not to be mistaken for an actual breakfast, although I certainly think it could give those canned breakfast shakes a run for their money. Weighing in at an impressive 8.3% alcohol by volume, this Stout is meant to be enjoyed slowly and deliberately.

On first pour, you could easily confuse this thick and black brew with motor oil. It sits still in the glass with an absolutely spectacular deep tan head that lasts until the final mouthful. Again, I blame poor head retention and lacing in the glass I used on my dishwasher, but the Stout managed to power through and put on its Sunday best. With an opaque black appearance, Founders Breakfast Stout is truly a beautiful beer.

I swirled the glass and let the beer talk to my nose and my goodness, what a story it had to tell. Cocoa and coffee blended for a heavenly aroma unlike any beer I've smelled before. Between that and the roasted malty smell, you would think you were about to drink a fancy espresso. On first sip, I knew this beer was something special. Yes, I've had it before (on tap too), but a beer this good makes you feel like every glass is your first glass. Coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt flavors were immediately apparent with the slightest bitterness appearing as well, but an overall creaminess lends to the breakfast-like feeling evoked by the flavors. A full-bodied beer, this Stout drinks smoother than most other beers, despite its nearly double digit alcohol content.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. If my writing wasn't enough to convince you, do your best to go out and find Founders Breakfast Stout. It exists as a rare breed of beer that truly speaks for itself. Yes, it has a 99 out of 100 on beeradvocate.com and a perfect 100 on ratebeer.com, but don't let the words of myself and others convince you that this beer is special. Try it yourself and see why it considered one of the best in the world.

Lager Bloggin'

While I did write the introductory post, I really failed in introducing myself. My name is Patrick and I love beer. No really, I love it. Ever since I was 21, I knew the normal party beers weren't for me. While my friends were chugging Coors Light and pounding Lionsheads, I was looking at the beers kept in the coolers in the dark corner of the bar. I didn't care about getting drunk on less than ten bucks. I just wanted to see what the world had to offer. I've never been a regular guy. Some people dance to the beat of their own drums; I want to know why the drum makes noise. To say that the same applies to my love for beer is an understatement. I'm just glad I found the opportunity to create this blog with a great group of friends who love beer too. With that out of they way...

Happy National Lager Day, everybody! If you're in the US (or elsewhere - we won't judge), go ahead and grab your favorite lager. Be it a Pilsner, Bock, Dunkel, Helles, Marzen, or American it's a great day to relax with a beer as storied as a lager.

In the spirit of the holiday, I ventured out to the beer store to restock my supply. Besides finding a beer I've been looking for for a few years now (Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew) and picking up a pack of what is arguably one of the best beers I've ever had (Founder's Breakfast Stout), I also purchased a bottle of Smuttynose Brewing Company's S'Muttonator Doppelbock and a six pack of Brooklyn Brewery's Brooklyn Lager. While I've been waiting for the S'Muttonator to cool down in the fridge, I went ahead and tore into the Brooklyn Lager.

 Having taken a tour of Brooklyn Brewery only a few short months ago, I've already had the pleasure of enjoying their Lager. While it's not my favorite beer they've ever produced (that distinction belongs to their Mary's Maple Porter), it's a solid brew nonetheless.

I went ahead and poured this into a snifter-like glass I had laying around. If you take their brewery tour, they give you a really nice laser-engraved tulip glass to take home with you; I couldn't find mine, but I digress. After the pour, you're left with a short head (less than one centimeter) that dissipates in a rather short period of time. Swirling the beer around leaves a little bit of lacing that just faded almost immediately. I don't know if this is because my glasses aren't as clean as they can be or because of the beer itself, but it's no big deal for me. As far as appearances go, Brooklyn Lager is nothing special. It has a nice golden amber color, but as far beer goes, it's a run-of-the-mill look. If Brooklyn Lager was a t-shirt, it would be a white v-neck T-shirt - not quite as dull as a crew neck, but not wild enough to truly set itself apart from others.

On the olfactory front, I found the aroma of this beer to be quite pleasing. It had a fruity smell with definite floral tones and surprisingly, it persisted. Many beers have the tendency to smell strong on the first sniff and then that's it, but I was pleased to find that the Brooklyn Lager's aroma had some real sticking power. Subsequently, the taste exhibited the same characteristic. Brooklyn describes their Lager as having a "floral hop character" and they were dead on with that. Much like the aroma, there is a fruity and floral mix that's immediately evident, but what I found especially pleasing was a slight bitterness provided by the hops. I'm a hopaholic, so any bitterness is greatly welcomed. While nowhere near IPA or other similar Pale Ale levels, the bitterness in the Brooklyn Lager was strong enough to properly complement the floral tones in the beer.

On the whole, Brooklyn Lager is a solid beer. It's not the greatest beer I've ever had, but it's certainly far from the worst. The guys and gals at the Brooklyn Brewery are a dedicated bunch with a real knack for brewing and their Brooklyn Lager is testament to that. On National Lager Day, I say go out and try the Brooklyn Lager if you can. It's affordable, local (well, a short ride away for me), and best of all, it's an all-around good beer.