Had a great experience once again at Court Avenue Brewery(www.courtavebrew.com) in Des Moines, IA. This was my second visit to the brewpub and once again I was impressed. The old brick wall decor is something I really love in a pub/restaurant. Although, I did not eat this time, the menu is extensive and they try to keep all of their food local, which is always a plus. I started with their Honest Lawyer IPA which 20 lbs of hops goes into every batch. It was very bitter but smooth at the same time. A great beer if you are into hops. I really enjoyed the IPA but decided to try their Blackhawk Stout next. Smokey, coffee, chocolate, and oats all come out of this great stout. Very smooth and enjoyable.
My next visit to D
Beer Review #36:Ale Asylum Hopalicious
The beer that transformed me into a hophead was Ale Asylum’s Hopalicious (www.aleasylum.com). I am a huge fan of Ale Asylum beers and if you are ever in the Madison area you must check out the brewpub. Very good food, a tour (I missed out on that part of it) and lots of great beer. I love their Bedlam! beer and Hopalicious ranks right up there with Bedlam. This considered a pale ale, but I would say a little more hoppy than most regular pales. This is a must try for pale ale fans and hop heads alike, unfortunately Ale Asylum only distributes (right now anyway) in Wisconsin. The great thing about being in Eastern Iowa is having Wisconsin right next to us so we can go up and drink all their great beer.
REVIEW
POUR: Amber color pour with a nice thick white head.
AROMA: Hops stick out with that great citrus smell.
TASTE: Great citrus/hop flavor that has bitterness but is very smooth at the end.
OVERALL: A-
EASTERN IOWA RESIDENTS: I’ve only seen this in Wisconsin. Hopefully they will make their way a little closer to us. Anyone wanna take a trip up north for some brew let me know!
Beer Video #2: Choosing the Correct Beer Glass
I know this is not totally convenient for anyone due to lack of room, money, or patience, but choosing the correct glass to pour your beer in can get you the maximum taste you desire. Check out the video.
Beer Review #35: Green Flash West Coast IPA
Moving on from the stouts and onto some India Pale Ales. I have become somewhat of a hophead this last year and after visiting Family Beer and Liquor (www.familybeer.com) and talking with their beer expert he recommend Ithat I give Green Flash’s West Coast IPA (www.greenflashbrew.com) a try. I had never heard of this beer and was looking forward to trying it. Right when you crack the bottle the nose comes out and just slaps you in the face. Great hop aroma with the citrus characteristic really sticking out. The flavor was better with a sweet and smooth finish. This is the type of IPA you just want to stick your face in and go to town. It has 95 IBU so it has the resemblance of an Imperial IPA, also 7.7% ABV, it can knock you on your ass pretty quick.
REVIEW
POUR: Copper color pour with a nice white head.
AROMA: The hops are the star here, dominating hop aroma.
TASTE: Overwhelming hop flavor, but fantastically refreshing and sweet and smooth finish.
OVERALL: A
EASTERN IOWA RESIDENTS: I’ve only seen this at Family Beer and Liquor. If you’ve seen it elsewhere, please let me know!
Beer Review #34: Bells Special Double Cream Stout
We are going to stick with some stout reviews because they are tasting really good to me right now. Next stout up is Bells Special Double Cream Stout (www.bellsbeer.com). Although a sixer of this stuff is on the expensive side ($10-$12) you won’t be disappointed that you shelled out the cash for this. You get what you pay for and this stuff is fantastic! I bought a six pack at John’s Grocery (www.johnsgrocery.com) in Iowa City and loved it to the last drop, thinking it doesn’t get much better, I get a tweet(yep, I tweet, big whoop, wanna fight about it?) from Reds AleHouse (www.redsalehousenl.com) in North Liberty, IA that they have it on tap! Terrific on tap and even better if you get there for Red’s 1/2 price happy hour. $2 for a pint of this is well worth it!
REVIEW
POUR: Dark black pour with a thick tan head.
AROMA: Smell of roasted malts,coffee, and maybe subtle chocolate.
TASTE: Roasted malts, a little hoppy bite in their and finish is smooth. Would go well for dessert or with it.
OVERALL: A-
EASTERN IOWA RESIDENTS: Available at certain Hy-Vee stores and John’s Grocery. Also on top at Red’s Alehouse in North Liberty! A must try for stout fans!
Beer Review #33: Boulevard Bully Porter
It’s the time of the year to let some porters and stouts warm you up and help you enjoy the cold weather. One of the first porters I’ve ever tried and one I like to go back to is Boulevard Bully Porter (www.blvdbeer.com). This is their take on a classic English porter and they do a very good job with it. Roasted malts and robust flavor stick out.
With the weather starting to cool down, getting home from work and cracking open a porter is a great way to start or finish your evening.
REVIEW
POUR: Dark black pour with a thick tan head.
AROMA: Smell of roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, and a little bit of hops.
TASTE: Roasted malts, a little hoppy bite in their and finish is smooth.
OVERALL: B
EASTERN IOWA RESIDENTS: This beer is available at almost any location that carries Boulevard products and is available year round. A pretty solid porter that I keep coming back to you. Give it a try!
Beer Review #32: Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale
Good beer can come in a can. Oskar Blues (www.oskarblues.com) Dales’ Pale Ale is one of the best pale ales I’ve had in a long time. This beer is brewed with 4 different kinds of hops and does have 6.5% ABV which seems like quite a bit for a pale ale. The alcohol does not dominate the flavor of this beer though as the hops shine through. No longer do we have to worry about drinking shitty canned beer while grilling, tailgating, at the beach, Oskar Blues (and now many more craft beers) have come canned to save the day. The one bad thing……….not available in Iowa yet:( However, they are working their way over, and they are available in Wisconsin. Not to far away. If you see this great brew available in Iowa, let me know.
Enjoyed this on tap at the Sports Column in Denver, CO. Fantastic on tap as well.
REVIEW
POUR: Copper colored pour with nice sizeable head.
AROMA: Smell of hops, citrus, and a faint hint of malts.
TASTE: Awesome hoppy flavor with a hint of caramel at the end.
OVERALL: A-
EASTERN IOWA RESIDENTS: Not available yet, but it won’t be long before you see this on shelves at your liquor store or Hy-Vee.
Beer Review #31: Rogue Chocolate Stout
A brewery that seems to continue to do things right is Rogue Brewery out of Oregon (www.rogue.com). I’m a fan of their hazelnut brown beer so I thought a chocolate stout would be superb. Usually, you can’t go wrong with stouts in general and when you add chocolate and oats to the mix it always has a chance of being great. I’ve had it out of the bottle, but recently found out they had this on tap at Reds’ Alehouse in North Liberty, IA and got to try it on tap. This beer is a winner all-around. A must try out of the bottle and it tastes even better out of a tap.
REVIEW
POUR: Dark chocolate pour with a brown head.
AROMA: Chocolate, oats, coffee, and caramel.
TASTE: Nice chocolate flavor with oats, and a little hop bitterness at the end. OVERALL: A-
EASTERN IOWA RESIDENTS: Select Hy-Vees carry it, and so does John’s Grocery at times. Recently found it on tap at Reds’ Alehouse in North Liberty, which is must try if you are in that location. If you’ve tried it, let me know what you think!
Beer Link #1: Pintley
Wishing for a pandora like site, but for beer? Well, now you’ve got it!! Pintley is a great link to help you choose your next beer. Wanna try something different but can’t choose because there are so many options? Sign up at Pintley and they will have you rate 30 common beers and start recommending beers for you to try. It’s fun, it’s beer, it’s helpful, and it makes you thirsty. Check it out at this link: www.pintley.com
Guest Review #2: SLIM Reviews Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss Hefeweizen
Thanks for the review SLIM!
Guest Review by SLIM: Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, Hefeweizen
The first beer I’ve chosen to review is also the first offering I have ever had from Sierra Nevada (http://www.sierranevada.com/index2.html). I’m not completely sure why I have avoiding trying this brewer until now but it could be because it’s pretty mainstream and made in California . They’re most famously known for their pale ale (I’m not too crazy about pale ale’s…almost always pick a hefeweizen or a stout over a pale ale). I certainly did enjoy Kellerweis, though. It had a lot of flavor, was very drinkable, and finished okay. I recommend this beer to anyone but don’t think I would go as far to say it is as good as Boulevard Wheat. It is moderately priced though and worth a look.
Review (Unfortunately, I don’t have quite as good of a flavor-catching pallet that the beerbaron boasts but I will do the best to relay my opinion on the quality of this brew to the best of my ability.)
Pour-Hazy golden pour with an all white head.
Aroma-Smell of citrus and a slight hint of hoppiness.
Taste-Very fruity, sweet, but somewhat artificial tasting finish.
Overall: B
Eastern Iowa Residents: You will generally find this at any Hy-Vee and at most liquor stores. This isn’t quite as widely available as the Pale Ale but you should be able to track it down without much difficulty.
