In the beer world today there are a few beers to get excited about when they are released, Bells’ Hopslam, 3 Floyds Dark Lord Day, Russian Rivers’ Pliny, etc. but when Stone started distributing to Iowa I knew we were in for good things. The mastermind in craft beer that is Stone (www.stonebrew.com) comes up with a unique but simple idea, make one of the years best IPAs, make it fresh, and tell people when to drink it by for maximum enjoyment. Simple right? It could have gone wrong for two reasons 1) Sitting on the shelf too long 2) A lackluster product. Fortunately, when dealing with Stone beers you never have to worry about those reasons whatsoever! Unreal beer, that I want more of!

I believe this was Stone’s 3rd installment of the Enjoy By series. Iowans were lucky enough to get this on the shelves, I hope you were smart enough, especially if you consider yourself an IPA fan, to seek out and buy one. The price wasn’t over the top, ($7.99 for a bomber, I believe), and the freshness, and the concept itself makes this one of the best beers of the year…. EASILY!!!! Thank you Stone for having the balls to come out with a beer like this. Specifically making a beer to NOT last and making you drink it for freshness is what makes them one of the best craft breweries in America. Iowans, tip your hat, say your prayers, praise whatever God you believe in, that we have Stone Brewing in our state, and let’s keep it that way!

From the brewery:

You have in your hands a devastatingly fresh double IPA. While freshness is a key component of many beers – especially big, citrusy, floral IPAs – we’ve taken it further, a lot further, in this IPA. You see, we specifically brewed it NOT to last. We’ve not only gone to extensive lengths to ensure that you’re getting this beer in your hands within an extraordinarily short window, we made sure that the Enjoy By date isn’t randomly etched in tiny text somewhere on the label, to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of retailers and consumers. Instead, we’ve sent a clear message with the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right now to enjoy this IPA.

Eastern Iowans: This post was published on December 4, 2012. That means you have 17 days to go out, find this beer somewhere! Dig deep, travel long distances if need be, and get yourself one of the freshest Double IPAs, one of the most complex Double IPAs, and one of the tastiest Double IPAs, you can get your hands on! This is one of those beers that when the last drop is gone, a tear is shed, not only for its greatness, but also for the realization that you will have to wait for a long damn time to try something that fresh and delicious again.

REVIEW

STYLE: Imperial/Double IPA

ABV:9.4%

PURCHASED AT: John’s Grocery; Iowa City, IA

Pour: Golden orange color. Nice white head; tons of lacing.

Aroma: Wow! Tropical fruit, orange, citrus that is intoxicating! I wish this was a candle!

Taste: So complex, as one fellow beer lover said, “An assault on the taste buds!” That says it all.

Overall: A

My Recommendation: If you haven’t tried it, seek it out, most stores are now bare, but find a small Hy-Vee and you might get lucky!

I received in email a couple of weeks ago from Brody at Madhouse Brewing (www.madhousebeer.com) saying they were interested in sending me a sampler of some of their beers. Thanks again to Madhouse Brewing for the beer! Loved trying them! It definitely made my day and receiving the package in the mail was even better! They sent bombers of their Hopburst IPA, Coffee Stout, and their Oak Aged Imperial Red. Getting beer in the mail is a fantastic thing! A big thanks to Madhouse for the beers! Let’s break down these three beers:

*Coffee Stout- I shared this bottle with my wife and as we were drinking it we both thought that it was a bit thin or watered-down in the mouthfeel and were hoping for something a bit more creamy, but the longer that this beer sat out, the more flavor come through to make for a very solid coffee stout. Big coffee flavor, with a bit of chocolate, and roasted malts. Comes in 22 oz bombers. Let is sit out for 10 minutes, and then cozy up to the fireplace with it. ending me some of their beers to try!

*Hopburst- There are so many fantastic IPAs on the shelves today that it takes  a real special one for me to taste to keep coming back to it. Everyone is getting caught up in the West Coast styles and the newer stuff coming, and rightfully so, but we have a fantastic IPA brewed right here in Iowa with Hopburst. I would consider this Madhouse’s staple beer. A perfect balance of sweet malts and bitter/earthy hops makes for an easy-drinking, flavorful IPA. Iowa has seen many breweries start appearing on the shelves, and the style of the moment is definitely an IPA. Madhouse is right on with this brew, and if Iowa breweries are wanting to compete with these other breweries I do believe this is a style that must be made, and made very good or people or going to go in a different direction.

*Oak Aged Imperial Red- I think Madhouse has a great opportunity with barrel-aged beers because I believe their brewmaster is the son of winemakers over at Jasper winery? I could be wrong about that, but I think I read that somewhere. For them to tackle a big project such as barrel-aging definitely takes patience and shows their dedication to making good beer. The oak really stands out in this beer and is followed through nicely with the sweet malts that a red ale produces. This is a part of the Venture series, and I look forward to more of these, maybe a Pils aged in Chardonnay barrels? (Thanks beer counselor). Overall, a beer that is fun to share with friends, a fantastic first effort and step into the world of barrel-aging.

Overall, I’m somewhat concerned with the status of some of Iowa’s breweries. With the ever-growing craft beer market in Iowa, it must be difficult for brewers to keep up with times and now be challenged from the likes of Green Flash, Founders, and now Stone. It’s a great problem to have as a consumer, having more options, but, me, wanting to drink local, it’s tough to avoid the heavy hitters.  Not that Iowa breweries aren’t making good beer, some of them are making excellent stuff, Toppling Goliath is up there with some of the best beer I’ve had, Madhouse’s Hopburst should be in the fridge of Iowa hopheads,and Peace Tree’s beers are always good, but it seems that some breweries just think paying $9 for a sixer or $5 for a draft of mediocre beer is something that consumers are going to keep doing, I think they will find out that with distribution to our state becoming more frequent, that’s not going to happen as much as it did 4-5 years ago. The shelves do not have room for mediocrity any more, especially with all the garbage from Miller, Coors, and AB-Inbev taking up most of the space. Backpocket brewery in Coralville, state of the art facility, very good food, but the beer absolutely has to get better. Millstream, Iowa’s oldest brewery, some really solid beers, their attempt at a double IPA however, missed the mark completely.

There is much more promise now than ever; Backpocket has the resources to be great, and I think they will be! Toppling Goliath will be bottling soon and their beer is some of the best in the country, Madhouse is doing barrel-aged beer, Peace Tree has unique and great beers, and Reds’ Alehouse will be opening a brewery in Solon. The news keeps getting better, let’s hope that the beer does as well!

Thanks to the Beer Counselor for hooking me up with a bottle of this. He talked it up pretty big and this beer definitely came through. Ever since Schlafly has been available in Eastern Iowa I try to taste as many of their beers as possible. It has definitely been a love/hate relationship with me and Schlafly. This beer is a perfect example. It is so good and refreshing that for the life of me I can’t figure out why I don’t see more of this and less of their Raspberry Hefeweizen. I think that some of their stuff is very mediocre but then they blow me away with something like this IPA. The problem is, the stuff I don’t care for as much is readily available and this delicious beer is very hard to find in Eastern Iowa, thankfully the beer counselor bailed me out.

A very easy drinking IPA. Poured from 12 oz bottle into snifter glass. Hazy yellow pour with a frothy white head; more clear than some IPAs, which worried me a bit, aroma showcases the hop presence with the citrus coming from the amarillo hops. A lemon flavor, very well-balanced with the bitter and the citrus. Very smooth and sessionable beer. Worth seeking out!

REVIEW

STYLE: American IPA

ABV: 7.2%

PURCHASED AT: Gift from the Beer Counselor

Pour: Hazy yellow pour with a huge head.

Aroma: Citrus, mostly lemon and a small amount of malt.

Taste: Citrus dominate but not overpowering, perfectly balanced. A well done brew.

Overall: B+

My Recommendation: Very drinkable. Perfect for a Saturday drinking session.

I’ve had this beer many times over the years but this year it seems extra good. I would say that it is leaning more towards a gingerbread/snickerdoodle flavor than actual pumpkin taste, the pumpkin is there, but I’m really enjoying the gingerbread flavor that this one brings to the table. A fantastic Pumpkin beer for the fall that can be found at any good liquor store in the Eastern Iowa area. From the website:
“Like pumpkin pie in a bottle….we add 136 pounds of real pumpkin to the three barley mash and then season the finished beer with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.”

Hazy orange pour with a small white head. Pumpkin pie spice is prevalent in the nose, brown sugar, and maybe a touch a vanilla as well. The flavor is great! Almost taste more like pumpkin bars or gingerbread than pumpkin. Really enjoyable and not overally sweet, would make for a change for a session beer but I can see myself sitting down and having no trouble with a six pack of these.

Time is running out to get this years pumpkin beers! I would say within two weeks the shelves will be emptied which is unfortunate. This beer would be great with a big Thanksgiving dinner, and wouldn’t be bad opening presents on Christmas either. Nice job O’Fallon! (www.http://www.ofallonbrewery.com/) 

REVIEW

STYLE: Spice/Herb/Vegetable

ABV: 5.5%

PURCHASED AT: John’s Grocery; Iowa City, IA

Pour: Hazy amber with a small white head. Little lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Sweet pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla.

Taste: Would be great as a dessert beer, tasting a lot like gingersnap or snickerdoodle cookies or would be a decent session beer.

Overall: B

My Recommendation: Good stuff. Change from the norm, wish it was available for an extra two months.

I’ve had this beer many times over the years but this year it seems extra good. I would say that it is leaning more towards a gingerbread/snickerdoodle flavor than actual pumpkin taste, the pumpkin is there, but I’m really enjoying the gingerbread flavor that this one brings to the table. A fantastic Pumpkin beer for the fall that can be found at any good liquor store in the Eastern Iowa area. From the website:
“Like pumpkin pie in a bottle….we add 136 pounds of real pumpkin to the three barley mash and then season the finished beer with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.”

Hazy orange pour with a small white head. Pumpkin pie spice is prevalent in the nose, brown sugar, and maybe a touch a vanilla as well. The flavor is great! Almost taste more like pumpkin bars or gingerbread than pumpkin. Really enjoyable and not overally sweet, would make for a change for a session beer but I can see myself sitting down and having no trouble with a six pack of these.

Time is running out to get this years pumpkin beers! I would say within two weeks the shelves will be emptied which is unfortunate. This beer would be great with a big Thanksgiving dinner, and wouldn’t be bad opening presents on Christmas either. Nice job O’Fallon! (www.http://www.ofallonbrewery.com/) 

REVIEW

STYLE: Spice/Herb/Vegetable

ABV: 5.5%

PURCHASED AT: John’s Grocery; Iowa City, IA

Pour: Hazy amber with a small white head. Little lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Sweet pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla.

Taste: Would be great as a dessert beer, tasting a lot like gingersnap or snickerdoodle cookies or would be a decent session beer.

Overall: B

My Recommendation: Good stuff. Change from the norm, wish it was available for an extra two months.

Tuesday is the big day! Stone finally makes their way to Iowa! If you are in the Des Moines area you get a shot at going to a meet and greet with Stone brewmaster Greg Koch at the Simon Estes Amphitheater. Here is the lineup for Iowa:

Oct. 2
-Simon Estes Amphitheater kickoff meet; meet and greet with Greg Koch 6-9.

Wed. Oct. 3
-Zombie Burger 4-6 (Greg Koch meet and greet from 4-5 with special release beers on a tap and new burger creation using Arrogant Bastard)
-El Bait Shop 7 p.m.

Thur. Oct. 4
-The Keg Stand (West Des Moines; 4-6:30)
-DG’s Taphouse 7-9

Fri. Oct. 5
-Mulligans Brick Oven and Pub; Cedar Falls, IA 6-8

Sat. Oct 6
-Reds Alehouse; North Liberty, IA 9-10:30 a.m. (Beer-akfast)
-Northside Octoberfest beer festival
-Parlor City Pub and Eatery; Cedar Rapids,IA
*All nine year round releases on tap and special tapping of Stone 16th Anniversary Ale and Dry Hopped Stone Ruination IPA

All of these locations will have Stone reps on hand so a great turnout would benefit Iowa’s future beer distribution greatly! If you head to any of these locations let me know how it goes, might see you at Parlor City!