New Beer Friday @ Hurricanes

Ok, so I just got back from Hurricane Wings, our local beer haven here in Vero. Today Howard, the manager, just tapped two new beers, the Rastafa Rye from Blue Point Bewing & the Iniquity, a black IPA from Southern Tier. I had a pint of each.

The Rastafa Rye was the best rye beer I've had since I moved out of Miami. It is favorably similar to the Captain Smith's Rye Ale from the Titanic Brewery in Miami, which I consider my favorite rye beer so far. Light and simple, it goes well with food as neither the rye, the hops or the body of the beer are too heavy handed.

The Southern Tier Iniquity is an amazing brew, a blend of roasted malts and strong hops. The black IPA is a new category in the beer books and this is a lovely example of the style, a perfect dessert beer for a hop-head. If a dry stout and a west-coast IPA had a baby this would be it.

We also had the pleasure of sampling two other beers, the Lips of Faith Biere De Mars, an American ale from New Belgium that uses wild Belgian yeast, and the Old Foghorn Barleywine from Anchor.

The Lips of Faith was an interesting brew, fruity yet dry and a bit tart, it was light and would be incredibly refreshing on a hot summer day. My girlfriend said it tasted like band-aids and grass, I somewhat agree but found the beer to be a quality brew that has its place in certain situations. I was told it was based on a French farmhouse ale and shares characteristics with a Flemish Ale.

The Old Foghorn barleywine was the low point of the night, only because I am not a fan of English Barleywines and this is a pretty good example of one. Although it finishes a bit dry and slightly bitter, it is too sweet and just not hoppy enough for me. Specially since my only two other barleywine experiences were with Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Ale (2010) and Avery's Hog Heaven. Quality for sure, just not my cup of tea.

Sorry for the lack of pictures but I just wanted to recap my night of beer before I crashed out. Goonight.

A Proper Boston Lager

I just wanted to post this picture I took a while back and give thanks to my pal Howard for the Samuel Adams Sensory Glass and to the Boston Beer Company for 25 years of a great American Lager. Cheers!

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Terrapin Rye Squared

Terrapin's Rye Squared. I've been wanting to try this beer since last year but I never got around to it. It is the limited release, Spring seasonal from the Terrapin Brewing Company in Georgia brewed in the style of a Double IPA with the addition of malted rye. It is a hefty 8.5% abv.

I learned to love rye beers after indulging, on several occasions, in the Captain Smith's Rye Ale from the Titanic Brewery in Miami. Since I moved out of Miami I have been longing for a good rye beer. I was hoping this would be it, since I tried Terrapin's regular Rye Pale Ale a couple of months ago and was not impressed at all. You can see that particular review here.

So here we go. I pop off the cap and pour in it a standerd pint tumbler. It is a clear, dark orange-amber color and it gives little head. The smell is an almost even mix of caramel sweetness and citrus hop. Where's the rye? I detect a hint of spiciness, buried somewhere under the hops and malt.

Tasting it brings the same question back into my mind - Where's the rye? I get resinous hop up front with a somewhat heavy malt middle - sweet, caramely and almost cloying. Major hop oil bitterness rides a wave of rich sweetness down your throat. Ah yes, there is a hint of rye back there.

To be fair, the rye came out a lot more as the beer warmed up, in the taste and the smell. So did the malt flavors, which were pretty strong to begin with.

For an 8.5% beer the alcohol is very well hidden. You do get a bit of warmth coming back up after a sip or two, but I'm sure that is easier to notice when you are actually looking for it.

This is an interesting brew, and a sipper for sure. In my opinion Rye Squared is a good brew but it is for those who like a heavy dose of hops AND malt at the same time, not for folks just looking for a refreshing rye beer.

I am temped to give it a 1/2 Empty simply because I think a brew name Rye Squared should have a stronger rye presence. But because it is an amped up imperial ale and not a run of the mill rye beer I will call it a Glass 1/2 Full. The rye is riding in the backseat behind the hops and malt but it is a pretty enjoyable beer if sweeter, maltier brews are your cup of tea. Cheers!

I Love Hurricane Wings (but only in Vero) - A great Friday night out!

Hurricane Wings, Vero Beach. Not just a wing joint anymore.

Howard is the manager and the 28 taps are his babies. Aside from providing beer lovers in Vero a place to call home, he is also the only person "With the balls to tap a keg of Ruination". Those were his words last Friday night right before another keg went empty and Stone's enamel-stripping IPA was tapped for the first time ever anywhere in the county. And I was lucky enough to be the first person in this county, ever, to sip on a freshly poured draft of the stuff. Yay me!

It also helped that one of the latest additions to the draft line-up was the Summit Horizon Red Ale, a hoppy American amber ale from Minnesota. Two of those helped pave the way for the draft glory that is Ruination. For my previous review of Ruination, go here

Of course, aside from the 28 taps, about two dozen of which are of the micro variety, they also keep a few bottled brews as well. Taking with Howard about stouts, I mentioned the Bell's Kalamazoo Stout they serve in bottles. Tell Howard you haven't tried a beer and you will be trying it within seconds. As you can see in the picture above, my g/f and I got to split a bottle of this wonderful stout (and for the record thats the remainder of a Summit Horizon in the middle and the ungodly and yummy Ruination on the left.)

We love Hurricane Wings, Vero. The wings are great, sure, and the beer line-up beckons me on a nightly basis, but mainly we go there for the good company. Not only do Howard and Christina provide good company and good service but their antics behind the bar keep us entertained all night. That, and the fact that they have the Oaked Arrogant Bastard on tap make me want to spend every night there...

So if you are ever in the area, stop in for a bite and/or a quick beer fix. You won't be disappointed. And if you dwell far from the area, but have a nearby Hurricane Wings, pop into that that one and ask them why the hell can't they be more like the Hurricanes in Vero!

Random Old Review - Black Sheep Ale

I decided to randomly feature one of my older reviews, so today I bring you my review of Black Sheep Ale, originally uploaded Dec 1, 2009. Enjoy and cheers!

Samuel Adams Variety 6'er pt. 3 of 3 - Black Lager

Hopefully, you've already watched parts 1 & 2 so I don't have to explain how the idea for these reviews came to be. If not, here are the links for parts 1 and 2, directly on Youtube:

Now we have the 3rd and final beer of the collection - Samuel Adams Black Lager.

Now, this review is based on notes I took about 6 weeks ago when I had the 3 Black Lagers. I was originally going to wait around and review them all at once but I couldn't help myself.

It pours an almost black color that shows brown around the edges when held up to the light. The smell holds some coffee and cocoa notes. There are also slight caramel notes and toasted malt.

My first impression upon tasting it was that it was a stout brewed with lager yeast. Roasted malt, coffee and chocolate hit you right away, backed up by a certain crispness provided by the yeast. You also get a light kiss of hops in the finish. Also, the malt presence becomes stronger as the beer warms, as is usually the case with malty brews. The mouthfeel is around a heavy-medium.

In my opinion, this beer could be a little more bitter but, all in all, it is another winner from the Samuel Adams Brewmasters line. A great choice when you're in a stouty mood. There aren't too many 'black' lagers out there, so with that in mind, I call this beer a GLASS FULL - dark, different and tasty. Cheers!