World Series bets, and some beer news 10/23/13

Happy World Series everyone. There's been a lot of poo slung in the direction of Cardinal Nation recently, as apparently having the best fans in baseball, and having a team with a rich history of winning and playing the game the right way ruffles the feathers of some. I don't know about you all, but I kinda enjoy being the underdogs, the forgotten ones from flyover country. Anyhow, this is a beer blog, not a baseball blog so I'll leave it with a simple Go Cards!

The baseball tie in here is that St. Louis and Boston are home to some very fine breweries, and they've decided to place a friendly wager on the outcome of the Series. From the Schlafly blog:
http://schlafly.com/blog/2013/10/23/time-for-some-world-series-wagers/

Boulevard Brewing has been sold to the Belgians. Duvel Moortgart has acquired the Kansas City brewery, Missouri's largest after the InBev buyout. That title reverts back to our side of the state with Schlafly taking over the top spot. Read about it here. From The Kansas City Star:
 http://www.kansascity.com/2013/10/17/4558825/kansas-citys-boulevard-brewing.html

Less beer was sold in Missouri in the state’s most recent fiscal year, but several craft brewers continued to see growth.

Overall beer sales fell 1.3 percent to 134.08 million gallons through June 30, the end of Missouri’s fiscal year, as some consumers shifted to wine and spirits.

That’s down from 135.86 million gallons in 2012, according to new data from the state’s Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control.

It’s the fourth straight year of declining beer sales in Missouri.

TOP SELLERS

The top 10 beer sellers in Missouri, by gallons sold in the state:

Rank. Brewer. FY 2012 sales. FY 2013 sales.

1. Anheuser Busch   84,521,510   83,670,624

2. MillerCoors          33,289,663   31,804,430

3. Pabst Brewing       3,229,430   3,222,611

4. Crown Imports      2,557,184   2,554,360

5. Boulevard Brewing 1,969,138   2,056,191

6. Heineken USA       1,536,187   1,538,288

7. Diageo/Guinness   1,447,162   1,297,430

8. Schlafly                1,052,797   1,135,777

9. Boston Beer Co.       929,482     996,310

10. Mark Anthony/Mike's 787,896   713,057

Source: Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control

Weston Brewing Lil Lucy Hot Pepper Ale

Today, we're looking at a beer we discovered on our summer vacation to the Kansas City area. Weston, Missouri is a tiny town just north of the K.C. Metro area with a population of around 1600. At one time it was the second largest port on the Missouri River, ahead of both K.C. and St. Joseph, but a flood in 1881 shifted the river 2 miles west. Weston was also once the home of Buffalo Bill...the wild west star...not the "it puts the lotion on it's skin" one...

Weston is also home to the McCormick Distillery, a name I'm sure you've all seen on the bottom shelves of many liquor stores and gas stations. What you may not know, is that they were founded in 1856, and are the oldest distillery west of the Mississippi, and the oldest continuously operated distillery in the United States.

Cheap liquor aside, lets get back to the beer. Weston Brewing has a long history, dating back to 1842. It hasn't been continuously operated the whole time. If so, it would have landed in the top 5 oldest in America. You can check the website, and I recommend you do, for more info on the history.

Lil Lucy was one of their experimental brews, that became quite popular...somehow. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad...just seems more of a novelty really. They claim it to be great for cooking, and I could see that, however they offer no recipes on the site. It pours a medium amber color and has a strong ale and pepper aroma. You can tell it's gonna be spicy, but it doesn't kick in right away. It waits till it hits the back of your tongue and throat, and lingers there. Some who don't care for spice might want to have a chaser beer. It's kinda like drinking hot wings...you ain't gonna cool the burn down with more hot wings. It's definitely one of the most unique beers I've ever had.

If you ever find yourself in Weston, be sure to stop in and pay them a visit. You can buy many of their brews in package form at the hotel in town, and it's cheap when compared to other small breweries, just a buck per beer. It's also distributed at several outlets in the Sedalia/Warrensburg area.

The Stats:
ABV: N/A
IBU: N/A

www.westonirish.com

Stevens Point Burly Brown

Greetings. Our beer today is Stevens Point Burly Brown. Stevens Point Brewing has been around since 1857, making it the 5th oldest continuously operated brewery in the U.S. They feature 9 year round brews, 6 limited release brews, and 4 seasonals.

I'd read somewhere before I started this blog, to not be hateful, or to "slam" a beer, as it is the result of someones hard work and effort. This beer was the first to really test me on that. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate this beer, as there are very few I hate (Heiniken, Grolsch, Miller Lite) it simply didn't live up to expectations that I had from the name alone.

It pours a nice light brown, as it should. Has a slight hoppy aroma, not overpowering at all. Taste is pretty watered down, no nutty or chocolate notes like other brown ales. As a regular Newcastle drinker, the carbonation was a little much for what I'm used to in a brown ale. Overall, basically unremarkable and bland. It's the Bud Light of brown ales.

The Stats
ABV: 5.4
IBU: 32
www.pointbeer.com

Just a few notes

Just a quick post here with a couple notes.

A few people have asked what "IBU" means in the stats section of the review. It stands for International Bitterness Units. Basically it puts a number on a scale of 0-100 on how bitter the beer is. A lot of people think that bitterness in beer is a bad thing (click that for a link) but it couldn't be further from the truth. For example from Wikipedia:
The bittering effect is less noticeable in beers with a high quantity of malt, so a higher IBU is needed in heavier beers to balance the flavor. For example, an Imperial Stout may have an IBU of 50, but will taste less bitter than an English Bitter with an IBU of 30, because the latter beer uses much less malt than the former. The technical limit for IBU's is around 100; some have tried to surpass this number, but there is no real gauge after 100 IBUs when it comes to taste threshold. Light lagers without much bitterness will generally have 5 IBUs, while a souped-up India Pale Ale may have 100 IBUs or more.

Some beers claim an IBU of 2500, but basically its a gimmick to say, "Hey, our beer is hoppy as shit" Most people agree 120 is about as high as you can really register taste wise. Let me give you some real world examples with beers you may know:
Bud Light: 7
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: 38
Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA: 120

As stated above, the bitterness is relative to the amount of malt, but generally when you start getting over 50-75 IBU, you're getting in to a more bitter beer. Don't use the IBU scale as a limiting device, try some things and see what you like. Remember, if you have a beer you don't like, it's only one. There's millions others out there to try.

Remember, The Community Counseling Center Foundation will hold the 2nd annual Cape Girardeau Craft Beer Festival from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Cape Girardeau Arena Park and SEMO Fairground Bank of America Show Arena.
Admission is $30 in advance and $30 at the gate. This includes a pilsner beer glass; tasting of over 100 beers from over 25 microbreweries; home-brewing demonstrations; and live German music by the Jerry Ford German Band. Food will be available from Cook's Bar-B-Que and there will be hourly drawings for gifts and prizes.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Community Counseling Center Foundation to be used for providing improved facilities, equipment and services for persons with mental illness.
Tickets are available at all Community Counseling Center locations, Bluff City Beer, Primo Vino, Kidd's Gas and Convenience Stores, P-Mac Music, Dirt Cheap, the John Huber Home Brew Supply in Fruitland, Mo., or at the gate.
For more information, contact Larry Essner at 339-6512. 

Cheers!

Abita Amber Ale

Howdy. Sorry for the delay in my weekly posts. I won't get into how many e-mails my inbox was flooded with, pleading for a new post. Let's just say it was a number. Hey, zero is a number...

Today, I'm reviewing Abita Amber from Abita Springs, La. a small town on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain. All of Abitas brews are made with water from artesian wells in town. Amber is one of their seven year round brews, and has been voted "Best Beer In New Orleans" numerous times. Along with being featured in many Louisiana recipes, it can be seen frequently in the HBO series Treme, a favorite show of ours. In the past several months I've noticed Abita beer at a few places in the Cape area, so to those of you curious...here's a review.

Abita Amber pours a medium amber color, no shock there. It has a slightly sweet smell and a sweet taste with just enough bitter to keep it in check. Malty with hints of caramel, very smooth with a dry and slight bitter finish. Nothing mind blowing here, but a great beer to drink for something different. It's a good "go-to" beer if you wanna shake up your normal routine a tad. I'd like to pair it with some cajun food to observe it in it's natural habitat.

The Stats:
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 17

abita.com

Shiner Bohemian Black Lager

I love Shiner Bock, so naturally when some of their limited release beers started making it to our area, I was excited to give them a try. Shiner Bohemian Black Lager is a "Schwarzbier" which literally means "black beer" so no surprises come about here when pouring out a very dark brown, near black color with a tan-ish head.

Overall, there's not an overwhelming aroma as you might think. Subtle roasted smell that does increase a bit as the beer warms up. You would think there would be more of that strong, chocolaty, coffee smell and taste, but there's just not. It comes across to me as fairly bland but quite drinkable with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Overall, I'm kind of disappointed with this offering. I wouldn't say I'd never drink it again, but it's not going to be my first choice when I want to grab a 6 pack of a black beer...actually, I'm not sure what would be. Suggestions? Cheers!


The Stats:
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 18
www.shiner.com

Bonus Blog: Some Beer News 9/13/13

I'm not a big fan of pumpkin...anything really, but I know a lot of people are. Seasons seem to come sooner every year. Winter clothes out in August, swimsuits in January. We've all gotten used to these things, but what about beer? Seems some folks are up in arms over a traditionally fall beer being released so early in the year. What's your thoughts? http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/early-pumpkin-beer-brewers-don-article-1.1444767

Here's an article from Hip Hops about a SEMO grad and Puxico native, who while working as head brewer at Perennial Artisan Ales is getting a chance to experiment on his own small batch brews. http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/dining/bars-and-clubs-other/hip-hops/perennial-brewer-gets-to-experiment-with-side-project-brewing/article_4aa6bc4f-93bf-51f9-91c5-87fb9b055d21.html

Also from Hip Hops, Urban Chestnut Brewing in St. Louis has started construction of it's new brewery. They've outgrown their current brewery after 2 years and are embarking on a 10 million dollar expansion that will increase their output from 7,000 barrels a year to 15,000 with room to expand to 100,000 barrels. http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/urban-chestnut-brewery-construction-is-under-way-in-the-grove/article_81f9ec9f-e73b-5a8e-a881-cf961d34f79d.html

Some great news locally, one of my favorites is back on tap at Buffalo Wild Wings in Cape. O'Fallon Hemp Hop Rye.

Also, the 2nd Annual Cape Craft Beer Fest is right around the corner. Tickets are on sale for the Oct. 5 event now at Primo Vino, and possibly other locations. I'll have more info to share next week.

Any other beer news you come across, be sure to let me know. I'm also working on keeping track of new beers that come into our area. Cheers!

North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner

North Coast Brewing comes to us from Ft. Bragg California. Named for the delicate engravings popularized by 19th century seafarers, it's a pilsner brewed in the finest European tradition.

Ok, so I stole that right from their website. Nothing really remarkable about it, and I guess it's not supposed to be. That's not always a bad thing. The bottle says "Water, malted barley, hops, yeast, that's all". Beer in it's simplest form. It pours a pale amber, with no overwhelming aroma. Just smells like, well...beer. It's well balanced, but bland overall. Slight metallic aftertaste, finishes clean and dry as advertised on the bottle.

Sorry this review is pretty short and sweet, but that's about all I got out of this beer. Cheers!

O'Fallon Smoked Porter

O'Fallon Smoked Porter comes to us from, obviously, O'Fallon, MO kinda right down the road from my father-in-laws...hmmm (extra stop next visit perhaps). You've probably seen their Wheach beer at Buffalo Wild Wings, and other places around town. They offer 5 "everyday" beers plus a few rotating seasonal offerings. Their motto is one we can all get behind, simply "We Love Beer"                                                                                                                                                                                   Anyhow, on to this fine brew. It won the Gold Medal at the 2004 Great American Beer Fest, for the best smoked beer in America, and I can see why. Holy cow is this some good stuff. It pours very dark brown, almost black with a tanish head. Right away, you can smell the smokey essence, which comes from the malted barley that has been dried over open flame. It's much more crisp and light tasting than the name and color lets on, but still maintains a great full flavor. It's a very smooth beer, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

For a long time, I was hesitant about getting into darker beers, but now as I've eased myself into darker brews, I'm kicking myself for not experiencing these flavors sooner. Don't be afraid of the dark. Try something new this weekend. You never know, you might find your new favorite. Enjoy life, enjoy beer. Until next time, Cheers!

The Stats:
ABV: 6%
IBU: 24

http://www.ofallonbrewery.com/

Springfield Brewing Co. Pauls Pale Ale

Greetings. Pauls Pale Ale comes to us all the way from Springfield Mo. and unfortunately as of now isn't available in Southeast Missouri. I'm lucky enough to get to enjoy their brews from time to time since my beer loving wife is in the National Guard band based in Springfield. She would often return with tales of this amazing brewpub known out there as BrewCo. with great food, warm comfortable atmosphere, and most importantly, great beer. It reminds me of what Buckners could should have been.

This beer pours a slightly dark amber and a hoppy aroma. It's crisp and refreshing, slightly dry finish with a slight bitterness. The bitterness from the hops aren't too overwhelming, which makes this a great "starter" pale ale for those unfamiliar with hoppy beers. It's comparable to Sierra Nevada, which is available most everywhere in our area.

So, if you happen to find yourself in Springfield and have the chance to stop in at BrewCo, by all means do so. If you don't have time to stop in, their flagship brews Walnut St. Wheat, Pauls Pale Ale, and 11 Point Pilsner are available in package form at Brown Derby, Wal-Mart and Sams Club and several other grocery stores.  According to Head Brewer Bruce Johnson, who graciously took the time to answer my email, they currently only distribute in the Springfield/Branson area with no plans to increase the distribution area. Along with the brewpub, their fine brews are also available at many Springfield/Branson area bars and restaurants in bottle and draft form. Cheers!

The Stats:
ABV: 5%
IBU: 27

http://www.springfieldbrewingco.com/

Sam Adams Porch Rocker

Todays brew is Samuel Adams Porch Rocker.
I've been a fan of Sam Adams for quite sometime with their wide variety of very tasty beers, and since the 2008 fall of Anheuser-Busch, is the largest American owned brewery (now tied with Yuengling). Ain't nothin wrong with hoisting up a nice cold glass (or bottle) of 100% 'Merica.

Anyhow, back to the beer. As soon as you catch the first whiff, you'll notice the lemony aroma, it's a bit strong. The beer pours a light amber with a clear white head. The lemony aroma you get is definitely there at first taste, but don't worry about getting puckerface, there's enough of a "real beer" element there to balance out the lemon. Not too sweet, not too bitter. It weighs in at 4.5% ABV so it's "sessionable", which is just a fancy beer snob word for "you can sit down and drink this for a good while". Great for hot summer days especially if you've just finished up some yard work, or just wanna go sit on your ass on the patio...like I did.  

The Stats:
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 8
Availability: Most local grocery and convenience stores.
Summer Seasonal, not available year round.
http://www.samueladams.com/craft-beers/porch-rocker

Greetings friends. Some of you might know that I tend to enjoy a good beer now and then. I also enjoy talking about beer, and trying to expand the horizons of the "Big 3" beer drinkers to try something outside of their comfort zone and discover that the world of craft and smaller market beers can be a wonderful, flavorful world to visit.

In this blog, I hope to entertain, enlighten and inform you all with all the beer news and reviews you can use. See, there's a rhyme, you're entertained already. Boom.

I'll try to have a new post every week at least, it's up to you guys to keep me to that. Tell your friends and family, tell strangers you see on the street, tattoo the URL on your forehead. Lets help spread the word of great beer to the masses! Remember kids, life's too short to drink shitty beer. Prosit!