Unfortunately, The Beats and Brew Blog will be on an indefinite hiatus for at least the next couple of months.
The site may or may not be back. It's been fun so far, but at this time I must focus the time and energy elsewhere.
Cheers
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
May 20, 2011
Beer: 60 Minute IPA, Dogfish Head Brewery
Some of you may remember a previous post of mine regarding Dogfish Head. Back in April I had my first experience with the craft brewery when I sampled 90 Minute IPA. See my review of that beer, along with some tasty NW music, here: http://beatsandbrew.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-9-2011.html
As I explained earlier, Dogfish Head is from Milton, Delaware and specializes in creating extreme beers with unique ingredients. Their IPA series, 60 Minute, 90 Minute and 120 Minute, is made up of some their most traditional beer options. The names refer to the length of time the hops are boiled. Obviously, the longer they are boiled the more hop flavor and bitterness is imparted to the batch.
I won't repeat my review of 90 Minute, but I will say that I was underwhelmed. I tried to keep an open mind with the 60 Minute, especially because one of my cousins raved about it. Time to give Dogfish Head another shot.
60 Minute poured a surprisingly clear, golden orange and a medium-sized head. A strong, dry-hopped smell was evident...almost grassy. The taste was exactly what I hoped it would be - clean, dry, continuous flavor. I see why Dogfish Head calls this their session beer. It definitely wasn't as intense as 90 Minute, or many other IPAs for that matter. Finally, Dogfish Head isn't trying too hard.
Music:
The other day I was in the mood for some funky soul music and I stumbled upon a James Brown song (in 2 parts) I'd never heard before. It has everything: tight, funky grooves, screams and attitude. It's like someone poured hot, melted butter all over a recording.
Some of you may remember a previous post of mine regarding Dogfish Head. Back in April I had my first experience with the craft brewery when I sampled 90 Minute IPA. See my review of that beer, along with some tasty NW music, here: http://beatsandbrew.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-9-2011.html
As I explained earlier, Dogfish Head is from Milton, Delaware and specializes in creating extreme beers with unique ingredients. Their IPA series, 60 Minute, 90 Minute and 120 Minute, is made up of some their most traditional beer options. The names refer to the length of time the hops are boiled. Obviously, the longer they are boiled the more hop flavor and bitterness is imparted to the batch.
I won't repeat my review of 90 Minute, but I will say that I was underwhelmed. I tried to keep an open mind with the 60 Minute, especially because one of my cousins raved about it. Time to give Dogfish Head another shot.
60 Minute poured a surprisingly clear, golden orange and a medium-sized head. A strong, dry-hopped smell was evident...almost grassy. The taste was exactly what I hoped it would be - clean, dry, continuous flavor. I see why Dogfish Head calls this their session beer. It definitely wasn't as intense as 90 Minute, or many other IPAs for that matter. Finally, Dogfish Head isn't trying too hard.
Music:
The other day I was in the mood for some funky soul music and I stumbled upon a James Brown song (in 2 parts) I'd never heard before. It has everything: tight, funky grooves, screams and attitude. It's like someone poured hot, melted butter all over a recording.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
May 12, 2011
Beer: St. Bernardus Abt 12, Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
This specialty brew comes from Belgium, and was listed on BeerAdvocate's legendary Top 100 list at #8.
After finally finding their website, I came across some very interesting information. All of the brewery's beers are based off of water that has been pumped from a depth of 150 meters. Apparently, scientists have proven that this water originated as rainfall during the time of Joan of Arc.
How do you prove that exactly?
The beers are also fermented twice: Once in a barrel and once in the bottle.
Abt 12 is the showpiece of their line. A smooth, creamy, fruity beer that has a surprisingly high alcohol content (10.5%). It is a Quadrupel ale, which is a Trappist specialty from Belgium that is stronger than a Dubbel or Tripel.
Abt 12 poured willingly with a thick head and sediment. The color was a deep, murky brown. It looked like a meal. I picked up dark fruit and herbal notes, like figs. The alcohol sneaks up near the end, and with the color of the beer combines to give you a meat-and-potatoes feeling.
I think I have to try this one again. It was certainly enjoyable, and my first Belgian beer. I think there is a lot going on here that I need to discover.
Music:
Today was a pretty decent day weather wise, so I drove home from my interview with the windows down. This song came on my iPod, and I had to blast it.
Perfect for cruisin' around on a sunny day.
This specialty brew comes from Belgium, and was listed on BeerAdvocate's legendary Top 100 list at #8.
After finally finding their website, I came across some very interesting information. All of the brewery's beers are based off of water that has been pumped from a depth of 150 meters. Apparently, scientists have proven that this water originated as rainfall during the time of Joan of Arc.
How do you prove that exactly?
The beers are also fermented twice: Once in a barrel and once in the bottle.
Abt 12 is the showpiece of their line. A smooth, creamy, fruity beer that has a surprisingly high alcohol content (10.5%). It is a Quadrupel ale, which is a Trappist specialty from Belgium that is stronger than a Dubbel or Tripel.
Abt 12 poured willingly with a thick head and sediment. The color was a deep, murky brown. It looked like a meal. I picked up dark fruit and herbal notes, like figs. The alcohol sneaks up near the end, and with the color of the beer combines to give you a meat-and-potatoes feeling.
I think I have to try this one again. It was certainly enjoyable, and my first Belgian beer. I think there is a lot going on here that I need to discover.
Music:
Today was a pretty decent day weather wise, so I drove home from my interview with the windows down. This song came on my iPod, and I had to blast it.
Perfect for cruisin' around on a sunny day.
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