Tell-Tale Tart

Boulevard Brewing Tell-Tale Tart

Trying another brew from Boulevard Brewing Company tonight. Here is a brief history about this brewing company. Boulevard Brewing Company was founded in 1989 and has become one of the largest specialty brewers in the Midwest. Boulevard Brewing Company is located in Kansas City, Missouri. Boulevard Brewing focuses on producing fresh and flavorful beers and using the finest traditional ingredients, while using the best of both old and new brewing techniques. Founder John McDonald in 1988, created a brewery in a turn of the century brick building that is part of the lure of the brewery. I know when I see a Boulevard Beer on tap the brick image is part of their tap handle. In 2006, Boulevard Brewing expanded and increased their capacity to 600,000 barrels of beer, which originally started at 6,000 barrels and now they are up to 700,000 barrels. 

Boulevard SmokeStack Series 

Tonight I am trying their brew called Tell-Tale Tart. Tell-Tale Tart is an American Sour. This beer derived its name from an Edgar Allan Poe classic tale of madness and murder. One of their newest Smokestack Series releases takes a predictably lighthearted approach to sourness. Boulevard took the Sour Style and added their own take on to the style. Tell-Tale Tart has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 6.2% and a IBU or bitterness of 10. 

Appearance of Tell-Tale Tart

The appearance to this ale is an amber hue. Tell-Tale Tart has a reddish brown hue to the beer, almost like an amber hue. After pouring the beer there is a noticeable head to the beer that quickly dissipates and does not leave any traces. The aroma of this beer is malted notes followed by acidic notes. There is a sweet malt aroma to this ale. After the sweet note, it gets followed by a tart acidic note that takes over. The tart aroma is almost like a green apple mixed with lemon acidic notes. 

I am looking forward to trying Tell-Tale Tart, because its aroma is not tart as I thought. Which is making this beer inviting to try. I took my first sip and I got hit with a tartness right away, but like the foam, it dissipated quickly. I am shocked at that note not lingering around, because this is a sour ale. The tartness is noticeable right in the beginning and then it transitions to a soft smooth finish. After the tart note, I began to notice a fruitiness taste note to this ale. The fruit note is a wide range a fruits. I believe it to be cherry, blackberries, raspberry, and green apple notes. The more I drink of this beer, the more I notice the beer finishes with a subtle sweetness. The malt notes come out as you finish this sour ale. Tell-Tale Tart has a medium body with an above average carbonation. The mouthfeel starts with a tart prickling notes that dilutes and transitions to a smooth crisp sweet finish. 

Boulevard Tell-Tale Tart 

This is a great introductory beer into the Sour Ale style. It is not overly sour, but gives you the tart notes that you hope for in a Sour. I really enjoyed Tell-Tale Tart because it was a beer that gave you a little bit of everything. The malt notes that some beer people enjoy are noticeable towards the end. Whereas the sweetness and fruitiness that other people enjoy are there as well. To me this is a great beer to start out with if you are looking to explore sours more in-depth. To quote Boulevard Brewing, "the subtle acidity of the ale is answered by a malt note, suggest sour notes rather than announcing its tartness. Sharpness at first that mellows on the taste palate to a smooth finish." 

Check out Boulevard Brewing Company on their website and their social media: 

http://www.boulevard.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/Boulevard

Tweet @boulevard_beer

https://www.youtube.com/user/BoulevardBrewingCo

https://www.instagram.com/boulevard_beer/?hl=en

Milk Stout

Mikkeller Milk Stout

Tonight's post is on another stout, since today marks the official last day of summer. Headed into the fall and winter seasons, which means here come the stouts. I am super ready for this season. It brings with us the start of Octoberfest and Pumpkin brews. I am trying a brew from a brewery I have not sampled a beer from before. Now if you recall a post on Sour Bikini from Evil Twin Brewing. The beer I am having tonight is from the other twin and his brewery called Mikkeller. Mikkeller started homebrewing and then transition to gypsy brewing. According to a Bloomberg post, "so-called gypsy brewers-- globe trotting artisans who used friends' brewing facilities-- scaled up production to satisfy demand." Mikkeller Brewery started in 2006 and since they started the have over 700 unique beer recipes that have been released under the Mikkeller brand with distribution in more than 40 countries worldwide. 

The beer I am trying tonight is Mikkeller Milk Stout that was brewed at De Proefbrouwerij in Belgium. If you look at the label it says product of Belgium. The Milk Stout has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 6%.

The aroma of the stout is very sweet. I notice right away the sweetness of the lactose from the milk. Then you are swirled with a roasted aroma that could be a combination of things. I notice the roasted malt and grain aroma. Then there is a roasted black coffee aroma that is not overpowering but is noticeable. Lastly, there is a sweet/bitter chocolate note in the aroma. Almost like you added chocolate milk to your coffee in an attempt to sweeten it up. As far as Milk Stout aroma, I am really eager to gulp this beer down after it's aroma. The appearance is black like black coffee. There is a chocolate or tan foam around the top of the glass. The foam or head has a thin layer at the top of the glass and there is lacing around the outside of the glass. 

Appearance of Milk Stout

Let's see where the aroma and taste take us. I took my first sip and I thought about waking up. The aroma follows the taste. The first thing I notice taste wise was the roasted coffee. Followed by a bitterness from the coffee being black and no sweetener added. There is a subtle sweetness to the Milk Stout, but not enough to curb the bitterness. You pick up on the roasted note right away and the roasted malt and grains are on the palate instantly. There is a faint chocolate note as you finish your sip for a subtle sweetness as your sip ends. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. I would say the body of this stout is medium. The more and more I drink I begin to notice a lactose sweet note as a linger taste, almost like a malted milk. 

Mikkeller Milk Stout

Overall I think this was a good brew. It gave you the roasted notes you look for in a stout with a subtle sweetness that is not too sweet. I think some drinkers think that milk stouts can be too sweet, but the additions of coffee and the roasted malt and grains into the brew, give this beer a change of pace. I think that if you like your coffee black with no sweeteners than this is a stout you can enjoy. The bitterness in the beer paired with the roasted notes, tone down the bitterness to an acceptable range in my opinion. The lingering taste at the end of the beer almost reminds me of a beer that is a liquid version of Milk Duds. 

Check out Mikkeller Brewery on their website and their social media: 

http://mikkeller.dk/

Tweet @MikkellerBeer

https://www.facebook.com/mikkeller

https://www.instagram.com/mikkellerbeer/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbf70J92cDJ8pal2iWjygvw

Espresso Stout

Recently, I visited The Loft at Iron Abbey; where if you are a beer fan you must visit. The Loft has a great selection and even has a cellared beer room. I walked into this room and was instantly in awe. I noticed around the top shelves in the room there were labels for the styles underneath like; Earthy and Dry. I focused on the dark beer selection. There is something for everyone in this room. Even outside the cellar you can create your own six pack with unique beers. I brought home a lot of different beers and some beers I have never even thought about.

Beer Cellar at Iron Abbey

Tonight's post is on one of the beers I brought home and cannot wait to try, hence the post. I am trying a Japanese beer tonight. I have seen brews from around the world, but the hard part is maybe not in the style I am looking for, until now. I found something that is right up my alley and something I am eager to learn about. I am trying a beer from Kiuchi Brewery. The beer is part of the Hitachino Nest beer, called Espresso Stout. Espresso Stout is a Japanese Dark Ale brewed with coffee beans. The Dark Ale has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 7% and an IBU or bitterness of 36. Hitachino Nest Beer Espresso Stout won a bronze at the 2015 Australian International Beer Awards. This Japanese Dark Ale style is a Russian Imperial Stout.

Hitachino Nest Beer

I thought that it would be interesting to know more about the Kiuchi Brewery. So time to learn about the Kiuchi Brewery and the Hitachino Nest Beers. The Kiuchi Brewery has been brewing for over 193 years. The brewery was established in 1823 by Kiuchi Gihei. The family was collecting rice from farmers as land taxes for the Mito Tokugawa family. He began the brewery with the idea of using the remaining rice stocks in the warehouse. At this time there was a political movement to reform the Tokugawa regime. Fujita Toko, an activist, advocated to build a new organizational government with reverence of the emperor and this thought led to the Meiji Restoration. The Meiji Restoration shifted the power of the government to the emperor and allowed Japan to shift toward modernization. First, the brewery primarily focused on Sake. In the 1950, Mikio Kiuchi inherited the brewery and took over during a period of prosperity. Sake had become popular during World War II and post World War II the demand kept on growing. Kiuchi Brewery focused on their craftsmanship and producing a quality product compared to their competitors. In 1996, after 173 years of producing Sake, the Kiuchi Brewery started the Hitachino Beer. The beer business would be known as Hitachino Nest Beer. Long road towards brewing beer, but with all the history behind brewing Sake and taking that towards beer can only help. Hitachino name is derived from the province in ancient Japan, which covers the area around the brewery. The area is famous for fertile soil that is perfect for brewing.

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

Let's dive on in to exploring the Espresso Stout. The stout has an black appearance with no light getting through. There is a brown or tan foam around the top of the glass. It is a small thin ring around the outside the glass. The foam gets thinner as you get towards the center of the glass, until there is none in the middle. The aroma is invigorating. I took a whiff to see what aroma I could pick up and it was delicious. I picked up on the roasted aroma right away. That was followed by a dark chocolate and an espresso notes. The dark chocolate pairs with the espresso aroma that builds towards a bitter finish aroma, like a black coffee. There is a minor fruit aroma that is noticeable, but I cannot put my mind on it. Overall the major note's for the aroma is bitter, roasty, and espresso. There is a slightly noticeable lacing around the edge of the glass.

Appearance to Espresso Stout

I cannot wait to try this Espresso Stout after the aroma and I am curious to see if the taste follows the aroma. I took my first sip and was hit was a subtle sweetness. The sweetness is followed by the espresso and bitter notes that you would expect from an espresso. The espresso comes rushing in like a double shot espresso. After the coffee/espresso note there is a bitter note that plays on the tongue, almost like a black coffee. I think the interesting note from the taste is the finishing taste note. I believe it to finish with a roasted malt note that ends with a lingering bitter note. The lingering bitter note is the taste left on your tongue after your sip. First you get hit with a subtle sweetness, which is followed by espresso and bitter. The last notes you get hit with are the roasted notes and a linger bitterness. The body of Espresso Stout is a starts with smooth medium body and finishes with a dry fullness.

Beer and Bottle of Espresso Stout

If you are a coffee fan, this brew should be right up your alley. If you like stouts again this brew should be right up you alley. Russian Imperial Stouts are tough for some to enjoy, but this Imperial Stout is delightful and brings out delicious flavors. The roast and bitterness notes are enjoyable. The espresso notes in this beer are noticeable and something to look forward too. I really enjoyed this brew because of the roasted bitter notes and the noticeable espresso flavor in the beer. It was not overly bitter like an IPA, but it gave you the bitter coffee taste. I thought this was an interesting brew for being my first Japanese beer. I think the passion and the years of experience come through in the beer. This brew was meticulously thought out and the proof is in the execution of the beer.


Check out the Kiuchi Brewery and Hitachino Beers:

http://www.kodawari.cc/?en_home.html

https://hitachino.cc/

https://www.instagram.com/hitachinonestbeer/

https://www.facebook.com/KiuchiBreweryEN/

Tweet @HitachinoHK

Summer Love

Summer Love by Victory Brewing Company

Now we all know, Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer. I have some summer brews that remain and that I want to post before the end of the month when fall, officially arrives. I know the nights are getting longer and the days are getting shorter as we head towards the new year. So, let's try a summer brew tonight to remind us what the 2016 summer was. Everyone looks forward to Summer Ale's and I think the reason is because the are excited for the three months of summer that are ahead. I do enjoy summer style beers because they tend to be refreshing and on the lighter side while also taking the sting out of the hot summer days. 

I know one summer beer that many look forward to is Victory Summer Love. I have not tried this years brew and I am looking forward to seeing what is behind this beer. Victory Brewing Company is located in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Victory opened up in February 1996. They converted an old Pepperidge farm factory into a Brewpub that seated 144, had a 70 foot long bar and full scale brewery. During the first year Victory brewed 1,725 barrels of beer. Since then the restaurant grew in size with 300 seats. The brewery has also expanded, producing 125,713 barrels of beer in 2014. "As loyal craft beer drinkers continue to show their dedication to flavorful, quality beer, Victory plans to continue its own growth. Onward to Victory!"

Victory has continued to grow since 2014 and has as of early 2016 Victory Brewing Company joined with Southern Tier Brewing in an effort to compete, they created the Artisanal Brewing Ventures. This is a new concept in the craft beer industry and the focus is to preserve brewery independence with a deeper collective resource. The union between Southern Tier and Victory Brewing created one of the largest brewers in the Northeast and ranks within the top 15 brewing company in the US according to the Brewers Association.

Artisanal Brewing Ventures- Victory Brewing Company and Southern Tier Brewing Company

Now onto tonight's beer. Tonight I am trying Victory Summer Love. I know summer is over but still time to enjoy the summer beers. Summer Love is a Golden Ale. Summer Love has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.2% and has an IBU or bitterness of 25. Summer Love was commissioned of Victory by Visit Philadelphia in order to capture the essence of a city rich in history and in flavor. 

Visit Philly logo on Summer Love

Aroma of Summer Love is typical of a Golden Ale. I notice the floral aroma that stems from the hop additions into the beer. The floral aroma is paired with the bitter aroma coming from the hops as well. In addition there is a noticeable citrus aroma, almost a blend between zest of an orange and zest of a lemon. The last aroma note that I picked up on was a grain or biscuit note. The appearance of Summer Love is a pale golden hue. The foam or head of the beer lingers and leaves a thin layer atop the glass. I did notice some lacing around the edge of the glass.   

Appearance of Summer Love

I cannot wait to see what the taste of Summer Love has in store for me. The taste follows the aroma. I notice the lightness of the beer right away. Summer Love has a light to medium body that pairs perfectly with a hot summer day. The taste notes I noticed right away was the grainy or biscuit notes. They were followed by a floral or bitter note. The last tasting note that comes through at the end is the citrus note. It is delightful and something that makes you forget about the heat. 

Victory Summer Love

Overall, I think this is a good summer brew that not a hop head like myself can still enjoy. The hops are noticeable but they are not overpowering like some IPA's. In fact you could almost treat Summer Love like a session. The hop notes are there that everyone is looking for, but the finish is light and citrusy. For me, I think the hop notes were a bit much and not my style, but I did enjoy the crisp finish of this beer. Summer Love is available in both cans and bottles for your enjoyment. I think the addition of the Visit Philly is a great addition and ties the two together. When you think Philadelphia, you now also think about Victory Brewing Company. Congratulations to celebrating their 20th anniversary and I look forward to the next twenty. 

Cans and Bottle

Make sure you check out Victory Brewing Company on their website and their social media.

http://www.victorybeer.com/

https://www.youtube.com/c/victorybeer

Tweet @VictoryBeer

https://www.facebook.com/victorybeer

https://www.instagram.com/victorybeer/?hl=en

BEERCATION: #CLTBeer

Charlotte Beercation:

Two weeks ago I took a beercation. I decided to visit family in Charlotte, North Carolina. I was introduced to Birdsong Brewing at a wedding, I attended over a year ago and I have been planning this trip for a while. If you recall my post on Charlotte craft beers, this was another visit to Charlotte craft breweries. I drove down to Charlotte on Friday, August 26, 2016. I did not arrive down in Charlotte until ten at night. We charged the batteries and set out on visiting breweries the next afternoon. I would like to thank Crissy and Phillip Bradford for hosting me and showing me some awesome Charlotte breweries. Crissy and Phillip are family and I appreciate them showing me around Charlotte and Charlotte beer. I made sure that I repaid them with some Philadelphia brews that they are not able to get down in North Carolina. 

Crissy had planned the day and we were going to visit five breweries in Charlotte. I was so excited, I forgot my cards to handout at the breweries as I visited all of them. The first brewery of the day was NoDa Brewing. We started with NoDa because there are a lot of breweries on associated with the area. Here is a little about NoDa, NoDa Brewing Company is a homegrown Charlotte brew house located in (and named after) the city's most bohemian and artistic neighborhood -- NoDa named after North Davidson Street. North Davidson Street is host to many breweries and a place that you should visit if you are in the area. I made sure when I visited most of the places that I would get a flight of beer to try a variety of brews from each place. 

My beer flight at NoDa Brewing Company was as followed: Kinda Peachy, NoDajito, Gordgeous, Premium Roast Coffee Stout. Here are some pictures from my visit: 

NoDa Brewing Taps Board

My Beer Flight with a NoDajito and Saison pints

Kinda Peachy  

Kinda Peachy 

Peach kettle sour
ABV 4.4 IBU 5

Tart Peach bite
Light body

Notes: Overall, I thought this was a good, sour that gave you the tart peach taste you were looking for. I enjoyed the light body and the ABV was just perfect for this brew. 

Gordgeous Pumpkin ale
ABV 6.4
IBU 29

Spice note
Nice pumpkin full body

Notes: I will fill you in more about this brew on one of my upcoming posts. I brought this brew back because we are headed in to Pumpkin season.

Premium Roast Coffee Stout

Premium Roast Coffee Stout
ABV 5.5

Great coffee  aroma
Roasted aroma
Light to medium body
Full roasted body

Overall: I thought I was drinking an espresso or a cold brew coffee. I really enjoyed the light to medium body, that allowed you to enjoy the full roasted profile of the the coffee beans. Coffee aroma in this brew was delightful and it also shared a roasted aroma. Between the two you felt like you just walked into a coffee shop and you were waiting for you drink. 

NoDajito 
Witbier with mint and lime
ABV 4.8
IBU 18

Smell a mojito right away

Lime aroma mint aroma
Light body

This was my second beer in the beer flight. The aroma of the beer smelled like a mojito. I was curious about this brew and that's why I picked it as one of my four brews. You noticed a lime and mint aroma right away. This witbier had a light body and a sweet taste, similar to a mojito. 

Out of the four brews that I tried at NoDa Brewing, I think the two that stuck out the most to me were the Gordgeous and the Premium Roast Coffee Stout. These two were my favorite and something I would order a growler of. The peach sour was a necessary to try because when I find a sour on tap, I need to try it. The atmosphere at NoDa brewing was great so many people around trying great brews and the Tin Kitchen, food truck outside. On a nice fall or spring day, I could see NoDa Brewing a destination place because of the food trucks and their cool outdoor seating. In addition, I think the addition of a baci pit and cornhole boards is a great place to have some cool brews. 

After NoDa Brewing Company, we decided that Birdsong Brewing would be next. I knew about Birdsong because of Crissy and Phillip, they had Doin' it Wit Thyme at their wedding and that was a brew I enjoyed immensely. I also was introduced to Birdsong by my brother's big from college, who travels down to Charlotte a lot and enjoys the Jalapeño Pale Ale. This brewing company had to be on the list because I wanted to know more about Birdsong and what made it special to others. Here is a little about Birdsong: one of the founders, Chris thought Charlotte was missing a small neighborhood brewery where folks could stop in for a pint or take home a growler of super-fresh, unfiltered, American-Style ale. Chris and his wife. Tara, invited a handful of close friends over to pitch an idea for the brewery and serve Conor's beer, and then Birdsong was created. 

I tried two beers at Birdsong, they were the Jalapeño Pale Ale and their new brew a Green Tea Saison. Below are some pictures and notes about the brews I tried. 

Logo as you walk up outside 

Me with my beer at Birdsong

What is on Tap at Birdsong 

Jalapeño Pale Ale 

Jalapeño Pale ale

Nice jalapeño note
Not overly spicy
Nice golden Amber hue

Not overly spicy but gives you a hint of spice. This brew has a nice golden amber hue to it. I enjoyed the fruit note from the Jalapeño, shows they did not leave the seeds in as the brewed. That is where you gain most of the spice note from. This brew has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.5% and an IBU or bitterness of 45. Stay tune for a full review of this brew in a post upcoming. 

Benzie Box Green Tea Saison 

Green tea Saison

Nice green tea infusion notes
Light to medium body
Gold hue
Looks almost like green tea

This was the brew I drank during my visit to Birdsong. I enjoy Saison's and I was excited to see their take on the style. Benzie Box has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.7% and a bitterness or IBU of 10. Looking at this brew, I think Green Tea right away, the golden hue reminds me of green tea all the way. Tasting wise this brew followed the aroma and the appearance. I felt like I was drinking a green tea. That was not a bad thing, I really enjoyed this take on the Saison.

It was a great visit to Birdsong and I can understand now why people enjoy Birdsong Brewing. I think that you should check out their new brews every thursday as part of their THURsty Thursday. If you want to check out some of their past releases just check out their blog post, THURsty Thursday. 

Next spot on our trip was Sycamore Brewing. 

Sycamore Brewing was enjoyable and somewhere I enjoyed a lot. Their brews were somewhat right up my ally. "Our aim for Sycamore Brewing is simple: use the freshest ingredients possible and brew all natural, extraordinarily tasty craft beer." Sycamore brewing is approaching their second anniversary of opening, which will happen in October. For being such a young brewery, they brew some unique and extraordinary brews. 

I drank a beer flight when I visited the brewery. 

Tap list for Sycamore Brewing

My Beer flight at Sycamore 

From left to right the beers are as followed: AKA Manah Imperial Stout, Gourd Have Mercy Pumpkin Amber, Southern Girl Blonde, N.C. Watermelon Summer Sour. 

The sour to me was not what I was expecting. I did not get an overly sour note when I drank the brew. It was light and not enough sour for my sour liking. Southern Girl gave me a hop note that I was looking for and I enjoyed that note. Gourd Have Mercy was probably one of my favorites from the trip. It gave me the balance between too sweet and too spice in a pumpkin brew. AKA Manah was delightful and something I was I could have brought home with me. The whiskey notes were just perfect and not overpowering like some bourbon barrel stouts can be. 

I did bring back a stout to do a post on so make sure you check it out. 

Outside in the BierGarten 

Old Mecklenburg Brewery was our fourth brewery we visited on saturday. I need a change of pace at this point so I went with a radler type brew. But first, let's learn about OMB: In 2007, Charlotte was one of the last big cities in the country without its own brewery. Breweries had come and gone over the years, but none had been able to overthrow the tyrannical reign of the Kind of Beers. However, as Charlotte continued to grow, new residents from around the States and Europe started to change Charlotte's beer culture. One of those transplants was OMB's eventual founder, John Marrino, from Boston. 

I tried the Old Mecklenburg's Hornets Nest Hefe. Hornets Nest got it's name as an ode to the NBA team and a nickname English General Cornwallis gave Charlotte. The name stemmed from the resistance Cornwallis received during the Revolutionary War. OMB makes a drink with the Hornets Nest and Fresca, this is what I tried when we visited the brewery. I gave it a try and thought it was a tad too sweet for my liking.  

View of OMB as you walk up 

To be honest, Old Mecklenburg Brewery reminded me of home. There is a beer hall in Philadelphia that OMB reminded me of and the is Frankford Hall. Both are similar setups and similar food styles. 

Last brewery on the docket was Sugar Creek Brewing Company. Sugar Creek makes one of Crissy and Phillip's favorite beer, their white ale. 

About Sugar Creek's Logo 

Tap List at Sugar Creek 

Outside the brewery 

Explains some of their brews

My  Beer Flight

Beers I tried in my flight from left to right: Identity Crisis Sour Blonde, White Ale, Saison, Raspberry White Ale.

Sour Blonde was tart and light bodied. Interesting take on a blonde and a sour. I would not have thought to do a sour blonde, but it was a great blend of the two styles. 

The white ale is something I am saving for another upcoming post, so I will just say I enjoyed it. The Saison was light and gave you the traditional Belgian taste notes of clove and banana. 

I think I enjoyed the Raspberry White Ale more than the White Ale itself. The raspberry hid the coriander and gave me a nice tart taste. I was pleasantly surprised by this ale and something I would get a growler of, when I visit Crissy and Phillip again. 

Overall, this beercation was a great one and something I will have to do more of. It's great getting out there and trying brews local to different areas. Seeing their take on different styles and what they are all about is a unique learning experience. I was surprised by how many children were at the breweries. Usually, in Philadelphia, you would not see that up North. I think that it is a fresh change of pace. It allows parents to be able to hangout with their friends while still keeping tabs on their children. At NoDa there was a party, as well as OMB. I saw children and babies at all the breweries. Family friendly most of these breweries are, in my opinion. I think the only brewery I did not see Children at was Sycamore, which I thought had more of an college vibe. Young professionals and people that enjoyed unique brews. Make sure you stay tuned for my posts on brews from all the places I visited and brought beer back from. 

Check out these breweries on social media and their websites: 

NoDa Brewing: 

http://nodabrewing.com/

Tweet @nodabrewing

https://www.instagram.com/nodabrewing/

https://www.facebook.com/NoDaBrewingCompany

https://www.youtube.com/user/NoDaBrewing

Birdsong Brewing: 

https://birdsongbrewing.com/

https://www.facebook.com/birdsongbrewing/

https://www.instagram.com/birdsongbrewing/?hl=en

Tweet @BirdsongBrewing

Sycamore Brewing: 

http://sycamorebrew.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SycamoreBrewing/

Tweet @SycamoreBrewing

https://www.instagram.com/sycamorebrewing/

Old Mecklenburg Brewery:

http://www.oldemeckbrew.com/

Tweet @Oldemeckbrew

https://www.facebook.com/OldeMeckBrewery

https://www.instagram.com/oldemeckbrew/

Sugar Creek Brewing: 

http://sugarcreekbrewing.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sugarcreekbrew

Tweet @Sugarcreekbrew

https://www.instagram.com/sugarcreekbrewing/

Consecration Ale

Consecration Ale by Russian River Brewing Company

Tonight I am trying a brew that I have never had before from a brewery I have been looking to get beer from. So when I saw their bottle in a local bottle shop, I jumped on the chance to get the brew. This brewing company is a very notable brewing company and people line up for beers when they hear that they will be in the area. I am so eager, I just want to drink this brew right now. But first, let's learn a little about Russian River Brewing Company. Russian River Brewing Company is located in Santa Rosa, California. Originally owned by Korbel Champagne Cellars, and in 2003 Korbel decided to get out of the beer industry. Brewery was offered rights of the brand to the brewmaster, Vinnie Cilurzo and his wife Natalie. First, Vinnie started out doing everything: brewing, distributing, and sales. While brewing at Korbel, Vinnie started experimenting with brewing funky beers in wine barrels, one at a time. He also created the Russian River flagship beer, Pliny the Elder. On April 3, 2004, Russian River opened up as a brewpub in downtown Santa Rosa. In 2008, they opened up a production brewery, which allowed them to triple their production. Russian River Brewing Company is a big part of their community, hosting charitable events like their month long Breast Cancer awareness. The brewpub has become a beer tourism destination and even supports local bands by hosting free live shows every weekend. 

Consecration Ale, Logo by Russian River Brewing Company 

Time to look into the brew for tonight's post. I am trying Russian River Brewing Company's Consecration Ale. Consecration Ale is a Sour Dark Ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels. This brew is aged in those barrels between four to eight months. The Cabernet Sauvignon barrels are from local wineries. Consecration Ale has an alcohol by volume or an ABV of 10%. The bottle I had was bottled on January 8, 2016, a day after my birthday how interesting is that. If you think about the timeline how long this bottle aged in bottle for around eight months.

Appearance of Consecration Ale

The aroma is bold and going to be hard pulling out the notes. I notice the cabernet aroma notes right away. There is no mistaking that this was aged in Cabernet barrels. The next aroma I picked up on was the fruit note. I believe it's berry note, which would make sense because of the black currants added during the aging. I think the next aroma note is clove or I am noticing a Belgian note. The Cabernet aromas that are noticeable are the oak and wood notes in the aroma. I notice a faint vanilla note as one of the oak aromas. The aroma has a booze aroma to it, you notice the high abv in the beer through the aroma. The foam or head dissipated quickly, but when noticeable it had tan tint to it. The appearance to Consecration is a deep reddish brown hue. The brew almost looks like a Cabernet Sauvignon, but there is noticeable carbonation in the brew around the edge of the glass unlike a wine. There is minimal lacing around the edge of the glass. 

First thing I notice was the sourness of the beer. That is the first taste note I noticed when I took my first sip. The next thing that I noticed was the full body of Consecration. I got hit right away with the alcohol by volume. This brew is required to be sipped on not guzzled down. It's like a fine wine. I notice the Cabernet notes after the sour notes. I begin picking up on the oak and the vanilla notes. After that I noticed the currants or a fruity note. Almost like a mixture between the currants and cherries. The sip takes you from a sour note to a strong malt note. At first you are noticing a tart lactobacillus note, then sweet spice and malt notes. There is a noticeable dryness to the beer. The beer is smooth, but a full bodied brew. In a way, the brew is complex and unique just what they were looking for. Russian River looks for quality not quantity and that is noticeable with Consecration. 

Bottle and Glass of Consecration Ale

Consecration Ale is something you need to give your full attention too. It is a unique and complex brew that if you are a beer enthusiast or a beer fan, you will enjoy. The sourness is something I enjoyed tremendously in this brew. I have grown to like sours and it was well done with Consecration. Russian River Brewing Company is a brewing company that is worth the wait and one you should always be on the lookout for. Consecration Ale gave you the Dark Ale notes that you were looking for, with an added aging and sour notes. I thoroughly enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon aging and the note came through in the tasting. I have become a fan of aging beer in different barrels and it is interesting to see how much the notes come through. If you do not sip Consecration Ale, I promise you, you are not appreciating the beer and its uniqueness. 

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