Tag: iabeerbaron

Beer Review #98: Toppling Goliath pseudoSue

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pseudo sueThe clock is ticking down as Iowans all over the state await the much-anticipated release of Toppling Goliath’s bottling of their IPA, pseudoSue. Toppling Goliath brewery (www.tgbrewing.com) out of Decorah, IA is arguably the best brewery in Iowa. As beer lovers, we are always waiting for the next great brewery to bring their beers to our shelves in Eastern Iowa, when in fact, we have one of the best breweries within driving distance of our homes. I haven’t had all of their beers, in fact, I have yet to get to the brewery myself, (spring trip?) but of the beers I’ve had from this brewery, they are all comparable to the best that America has to offer and pseduoSue is one of my all-time favorite beers.

From the brewery:

This single hop ale showcases the Citra hop. Named for the largest T-rex fossil ever discovered, she roars with ferocious aromas of grapefruit, citrus, mango and evergreen. Delicate in body with a mild bite in the finish.

This highly drinkable, smooth-tasting IPA is singled hopped with that fantastic Citra hop. Citrus flavors with piney notes as well dominate the palate and finish with a bit of malt to balance this beer out wonderfully. Waiting patiently for the facebook message or the tweet telling us when the bottles are coming off the line and will be available for purchase, because I for one, will be waiting in line to buy a couple of cases of this fantastic brew. You always feel great when you support Iowa Craft beer, but Toppling Goliath is making it easy for us to do so by kicking out amazing tasted, well-crafted beers. Cheers!

 

REVIEW

Style: India Pale Ale

ABV:5.8%

Purchased at: Red’s Alehouse, North Liberty, IA on tap.

Pour: Orangish pour, nice medium-sized head, tons of lacing.

Aroma: All citra hop aroma. The smell is amazing.

Flavor: More citra hop, grapefruit, lemon, and orange mixed with a bit of pine. Wonderful!

Ratebeer.com rating: 98/100

Beeradvocate.com rating: 95/100

Overall: A

My recommendation: You don’t necessarily have to wait for the bottles to arrive, (hopefully 2 months?), bars and restaurants around Cedar Rapids and Iowa City continually have TG brews on tap, or make the trip to Decorah and get it as fresh as you can. These guys are the real deal!

Distribution News: Revolution Brewing

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revolutionWhen I had read the Revolution Brewing was planning on or thinking about expanding to other states besides Illinois and Ohio, I thought Iowa would be a surefire choice, but alas, more bad news to pass on to Eastern Iowa beer lovers. The following comes from beerpulse.com.

(Chicago, IL) – Revolution Brewing, Illinois’ fastest growing craft brewer is expanding its tank farm to double production capacity to 35,000 barrels a year. This is the first phase of expansion at the Kedzie Ave. brewery in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood and it will be completed within a year of the facility’s grand opening last May. Two 120-barrel fermenters were added last month and four 240-barrel fermenters are currently in fabrication. The company also plans improvements to its taproom and wood barrel aging cellar and expects to add 10 full-time positions in 2013 to keep pace with growth.

Revolution is also announcing a change in its Cook County distribution with new partners Burke Beverage, Chicago Beverage Systems, Hayes Beer Distribution, Joseph Mullarkey Distributing & Town and Country Distributors.

“Revolution has quickly become Chicago’s new hometown brewery and this partnership will help us continue to grow in the future.” said Josh Deth, Chairman of the Party at Revolution. “We are expanding distribution throughout all of Illinois over the next few months and are looking to go out of state to Wisconsin, Indiana and/or Kentucky later this year.” Revolution is also sold throughout Ohio by Cavalier Distributing.

Revolution Brewing just celebrated its third year in business and was recently named Beverage Maker of the Year by the Chicago Tribune. Revolution operates a brewpub at 2323 N. Milwaukee and a 40,000 square foot production brewery with taproom at 3340 N. Kedzie. They brew over 50 styles of beer each year including their flagship Anti-Hero IPA, seasonal favorites and the Deep Wood Series of barrel aged beers. Revolution brewed 8,000 barrels of beer in 2012 and projects to brew 24,000 barrels in 2013.

Distribution News: Iowa not getting Stone Dayman Coffee IPA, Nebraska Brewing, Oskar Blues

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stoneJust found this interesting article over at beerpulse.com about Aleman/Two Brothers/Stone Dayman Coffee IPA being distributed around the country and it looks like us Iowans might be out of luck getting this brew. This isn’t finalized yet so hopefully we will see this product.

Available in: Limited 22oz bottles and draft

Stats: 8.7% ABV, 42 IBUs

Hops: Cascade and Citra

Malt bill: British and American Pale Malt, Crystal and Vienna Malts

Distribution (not necessarily finalized): AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, MD, MA, MO, NC, NM, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, VT, and WA

Tasting Notes, provided by Brewmaster Mitch Steele

Appearance: Clear amber with a tan head of foam.
Aroma: It’s difficult to discern which aroma hits first—the wonderful, citrusy tropical fruitiness of the Citra hops or the deep-roasted elegance of the coffee roasted especially for this brew.
Taste: The taste of this beer follows right along with the aromatics. Roasted coffee and citrusy hops play well together as the beer flows across the palate along with hints of toasted malt and a wonderful lingering bitterness.
Palate: Dry with a nice lingering bitterness. The coffee flavors hang on pleasantly after the hop bitterness recedes.
Overall: The Aleman guys developed a wonderful IPA recipe. The addition of coffee bringswonderful layers of totally unexpected roast components that make this beertruly unique. I’ve never had anything like it and I look forward to enjoying several pints. It’s been a pleasure to put this brew together with Aleman and Two Brothers.

Suggested food parings, provided by “Dr.” Bill Sysak

Appetizers: Stuffed portobello mushrooms with blue cheese, pancetta-wrapped shrimp, carne asada tacos, Korean BBQ
Soups and Salads: Arugula salad with vinaigrette, chili concarne, hot and sour soup
Entrees: Caul fat-wrapped snapper, braised pork belly, meatloaf, chile relleno
Cheeses: Cabrales blue cheese, Fiscalini Bandage Wrapped Cheddar, Bayley Hazen Blue, Rogue Caveman Blue
Desserts: Bitter chocolate, tiramisu, toffee peanut butter brittle, dark chocolate-dipped strawberries
Cigars: Flor de las Antillas Toro, Rocky Patel Decade, Camacho Corojo Figurado

nebraskaIn other news, in a few correspondences with Nebraska Brewing Co. (http://www.nebraskabrewingco.com/main.asp)  looks like they will be making their way back to our shelves, and hopefully soon. Here’s the email I got:

We are actually in the process of selecting a distributor and firing up distribution in Iowa (again).  We’re glad to hear you like the beer!  I’ll check out your blog and stay tuned for updates on our expansion into Iowa.

oskar bluesA few months ago it sounded like Oskar Blues and Odell was just a matter of time before they would be hitting our shelves in Eastern Iowa, since then, it’s been very quiet on that front. This was a tweet I  found on http://www.beerpulse.com talking how Oskar Blues is going international, kind of kick in the balls for Iowans wanting this brewery, but I’m guessing the money is there for Oskar.

.@OskarBlues has gone international per Chris Katechis. 32 US states & now a full truckload for Sweden & few other European cities. #CObeer

Distribution News: Twisted Pine Brewery in Iowa!

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twisted pineNot sure how this slipped through the cracks so quietly but Twisted Pine Brewing out of Boulder, CO  (www.twistedpinebrewery.com) has entered the Iowa beer market. I haven’t tried any of their beers yet but they seem to be a solid brewery to have on our shelves. If you’ve had their products I would love to hear your thoughts. Found this info on beerpluse.com.

(Boulder, CO) – Twisted Pine Brewing Companyadded three new states to its distribution base last year and plans to welcome four more territories in 2013. Iowa is first on that list and the Hawkeye State received its first shipment of Twisted ales earlier this week.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Twisted Pine was founded in 1995 and has been hand-crafting award-winning ales ever since. 2012 was a particularly fruitful year on the competition circuit, with the brewery taking two medals at the Colorado State Fair, another five from national events (including two from the GABF) and its first European Beer Star.

“The thing about winning awards and gaining all the recognition that goes along with it,” explains brewery President Bob Baile, “is that you wind up with a lot of distributors knocking on your door.” The decision to go with the Johnson Brothers distribution company in Iowa was in large part due to the successful relationship Twisted Pine has enjoyed with the distributor’s Nebraska branch for the past two years. “Iowa is a very thirsty market,” adds Baile, “and beer drinkers there are really starting to appreciate all that craft beer has to offer.”

In addition to Twisted Pine staples like Hoppy Boy IPA, Raspberry Wheat and Billy’s Chilies, Iowans will find the brewery’s multiple-award-winning Big Shot Espresso Stout on shelves alongside Ghost Face Killah, the spiciest beer in the world. Draft options for Hoppy Boy and Honey Brown will also be immediately available throughout Iowa, with a greater variety of keg shipments forthcoming as Twisted Pine’s presence in the state grows. For more information on the brewery and its offerings, visit http://www.twistedpinebrewing.com.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Twisted Pine Brewing Company has been hand-crafting quality ales since 1995. In addition to such favorites as Hoppy Boy IPA, Raspberry Wheat Ale and Billy’s Chilies, the brewery has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of style guidelines with such creations as Big Shot Espresso Stout and Ghost Face Killah. Twisted Pine is actively involved with local charitable organizations and is a staunch advocate of sustainable business practices. For more information, visit http://www.twistedpinebrewing.com.

Restaurant Review: Copper Kettle; Dubuque, IA

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copper kettle

 

Last week I was back in my old stomping grounds of Bellevue, Iowa and my sister had brought to my attention a new restaurant that opened in Dubuque.

She sent me a link that contained descriptions and pictures of the Copper Kettle . As soon as I saw the picture of the scotch egg I was sold. The menu looked unique and very appealing and so I headed to Dubuque salivating. The inside of the restaurant was very inviting, nice Dubuque Brewery memorabilia and a very nice bar. A somewhat open kitchen so you can see how your food is being prepped. It took a while to figure out what I wanted, I decided to start off with a scotch egg. Copper Kettle’s scotch egg is a soft-boiled egg, wrapped in italian sausage, rolled in breadcrumbs and then deep-fried. It is served with a mustard sauce and once you mix the runny yolk with the mustard sauce and take a bite, you are in heaven! A very rich dish, but very delicious as well. My main meal was a pork belly sandwich with kimchi slaw. The pork belly was fork tender and the kimchi added the perfect amount of heat and tang to the meal. I also tried my sisters kimchi chili which was excellent and the pulled pork nachos of my brother-in-law, which had homemade pickled jalapeños, were excellent as well. I did not order a beer but their tap lines left a lot to be desired, four taps with Bud Light, Stella, a Potosi brew, and the fourth I can’t recall but I did notice behind the bar a huge selection of Green Flash brews and also Bells Two Hearted, so you don’t need much else.

Here is my sisters review of the Copper Kettle:

I chose to start my meal off with one of their lunch specials of the day – kimchi chili. I had only had kimchi once before (homemade), so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this dish; however, the first bite pleasantly surprised me. The kimchi didn’t overpower the chili but it brought the perfect amount of spice and kick. I would definitely order it again. You could also tell that Copper Kettle uses a higher quality beef which I very much appreciated. My brother, the baron, ordered a Scotch Egg for all of us to try as well. I had a couple bites of this, which was all I needed. It’s a rich dish, and the flavors were outstanding. I loved the spiciness of the sausage. I found myself eating the lettuce garnish with the mustard/mayo spread on the side too. My husband ordered a plate of pulled pork nachos and we all dug in to these. You could taste the smokiness of the pork and it was incredibly tender. I think the nachos were a hit for everyone. For my main meal, I decided to order something on the lighter side to counter all of the heavy appetizers. I ordered the Greek salad. It was light and refreshing dressed with a simple olive oil dressing. The kalamata olives provided the perfect amount of saltiness. I also had a couple bites of my husband’s mushroom & Swiss burger. This was probably my favorite bite of the day – I was craving this burger a couple days later.

 Copper Kettle is doing it right. Their menu is fairly small but every dish on it is made with the utmost quality and with incredible flavor. If you find yourself in the Dubuque area, I highly encourage you to stop by 30th & Jackson for a delicious lunch or dinner. You won’t be disappointed!

If you are in the Dubuque area and want to stray off the beaten path, away from the Applebees and Ground Rounds of the world, for a great cooked meal,  you need to try Copper Kettle!

515 Brewery Grand Opening March 23!

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515One of the Des Moines areas  newest breweries is having their grand opening March 23. 515 Brewing Company will host the event at their taproom located 7700 University Avenue in Clive, IA. Free t-shirts will be given out for the first 50 guests to arrive along with other prize drawings. I have yet to try their beer but the word from many friends is that these guys are the real deal and their beers are excellent. Below is a list of their beers from their website (http://www.515brewing.com/beer.html).

LIL’ TART What's currently on tap. Warning: This will make you thirsty.

Our version of a tart Berlinner style German Ale

NUMB NUT
A spiced ale perfect for a fall day or anytime the mood strikes

OJ IPA
Smooth and drinkable wheat IPA with citrus flavors

IMPERIAL STOUT 
(yet to be named)
Flavorful stout with hints of coffee and chocolate

D.A.R.T. DODGER
(formerly known as West Coast IPA)
West Coast style IPA brewed with Citra and Simcoe hops

 IN THE FERMENTER

(Coming Soon)

PALE KOLSCH
(yet to be named)
A light German style ale modified with more malt sweetness and 
hop bitterness than a traditional Kolsch

BELGIAN PALE
(yet to be named)
A belgian style ale brewed with abbey yeast, grains of paradise and ginger

If you get to this event let me know how it went!

 

Blackstone Stout Night! I've Got A Golden Ticket!

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blackstoneblackstone1If there is any better way to throw a beer tasting event by handing out “Golden Tickets” I have yet to see one. Blackstone restaurant in Iowa City, IA held their Stout Night last night by giving golden tickets to customers who paid $25 to enjoy different stouts. Which leads to this:

A great lineup of brews to accompany a few appetizers made for a great night of fun. The lineup of beers was headlined by North Coast brewings’ Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XV. At 11.9% ABV it was definitely a sipper but the scary thing about this beer is how smooth and drinkable it is. Nice chocolate flavor that goes perfectly with the vanilla flavor that comes from the barrel aging. Terrific beer to go with Blackstone’s chocolate ganache cupcake. Before I jumped on the North Coast pour I started with Toppling Goliath Brown Sugar. Not a stout, I know, but I’m really glad Blackstone decided to have this in the lineup to showcases some Iowa beers. This brown was a bit different from most browns I’ve had as it had a much deeper roasted flavor than others. Very enjoyable and I hope to have access to this brew in the future. Next, I moved on to Green Flash Double Stout. I had yet to have this beer and to enjoy it on tap was very rewarding. This is what a stout should be like; rich, smooth, creamy, and very blackstone2drinkable. Not boozy like some double or imperials, just bold and flavorful.
Bell’s Expedition Stout was up next and beside the Old Rasp this was probably the highlight of my night. Roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee dominate the palate with this beer. 10.5% ABV is in the aroma more than the taste making this dangerously drinkable. Awesome beer!

blackstone4Overall, my wife and I give this a big thumbs up and are looking forward to more events at Blackstone. The wait staff, the menu, the beers all make this a great place to enjoy an evening of eating and beer drinking.

Blackstone Stout Night! I’ve Got A Golden Ticket!

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blackstoneblackstone1If there is any better way to throw a beer tasting event by handing out “Golden Tickets” I have yet to see one. Blackstone restaurant in Iowa City, IA held their Stout Night last night by giving golden tickets to customers who paid $25 to enjoy different stouts. Which leads to this:

A great lineup of brews to accompany a few appetizers made for a great night of fun. The lineup of beers was headlined by North Coast brewings’ Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XV. At 11.9% ABV it was definitely a sipper but the scary thing about this beer is how smooth and drinkable it is. Nice chocolate flavor that goes perfectly with the vanilla flavor that comes from the barrel aging. Terrific beer to go with Blackstone’s chocolate ganache cupcake. Before I jumped on the North Coast pour I started with Toppling Goliath Brown Sugar. Not a stout, I know, but I’m really glad Blackstone decided to have this in the lineup to showcases some Iowa beers. This brown was a bit different from most browns I’ve had as it had a much deeper roasted flavor than others. Very enjoyable and I hope to have access to this brew in the future. Next, I moved on to Green Flash Double Stout. I had yet to have this beer and to enjoy it on tap was very rewarding. This is what a stout should be like; rich, smooth, creamy, and very blackstone2drinkable. Not boozy like some double or imperials, just bold and flavorful.
Bell’s Expedition Stout was up next and beside the Old Rasp this was probably the highlight of my night. Roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee dominate the palate with this beer. 10.5% ABV is in the aroma more than the taste making this dangerously drinkable. Awesome beer!

blackstone4Overall, my wife and I give this a big thumbs up and are looking forward to more events at Blackstone. The wait staff, the menu, the beers all make this a great place to enjoy an evening of eating and beer drinking.

Beer Review #97: 3 Floyds Gumballhead

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gumballheadAmerican-style wheat beers had become relatively insignificant to me as I delved deeper into the craft beer world. I would often run into watery, flavorless, trivial American-wheat beers still wanting to give them a fair shake and then after trying, realizing why I should avoid them. I started my love of craft beer drinking Boulevard Wheat and I will still go back to that beer, it is maybe one of the most popular American wheats out there and a great stepping stone from the Buds, Coors, and Millers, have the world into the realm of craft beer. That all changed on a Saturday in Chicago, IL.

My wife’s family had a weekend planned in the Windy City and since my Dodgers were in town to face the Cubs it was the perfect opportunity to take the kids to a ball game. Beautiful weather, a couple of beers, the smell of stale piss, and hot dogs, made for a great day. Towards the end of the game my brother-in-law, Clem, asked if I would be interested in hitting a few bars around Wrigleyville. He was familiar with the area, and I wasn’t, so we got the ok from the rest of the family and started our wonderful beer journey. We hit up Goose Island and then went to what is known as an Iowa bar?, Merkles (www.merkleschicago.com). Seeing a sign advertising $3 draws of Dogfish Head Aprihop made it a relatively easy decision. Anyway……. after a few Aprihops I decided to try Gumballhead, this was before 3 Floyds blew up as a brewery, and I was blown away by it! Calling it an American-wheat is kind of misleading as this beer packs a pretty amazing hop punch, not much wheat present in this beer, maybe a bit on the palate at the end of the beer, but I don’t care, this a very drinkable, thirst quenching, brew. From the brewery:

An American Wheat Beer brewed with red wheat and boat loads of amarillo hops gives this summer brew a lemony finish. The slight haze in the bottle is from the bottle-conditioning, where yeast is added to the bottle for a secondary fermentation. Gumballhead is a Skingraft Comics hero. Check out Skingraft Comics and Records at http://www.skingraftrecords.com. Cheers!

I realize I brag up 3 Floyds a lot on this blog, but I think it is totally justifiable by the product they put out. Nothing is half-assed, just full-out great beer. If you haven’t tried their products yet, buy whatever you can and just appreciate the fact that you can get your hands on their products because they are one of, if not, the best thing going today.

REVIEW

Style: American Wheat

ABV: 5.5%

Purchased at: Merkle’s bar, but now head to Madison or Chicago or just go to Munster, IN.

Pour: Cloudy yellow pour with a thick white head.

Aroma: Citrus hops stand out.

Flavor: Citrus hops stand out, a tad bitter but mellowed by the malt. Not much wheat flavor.

Ratebeer.com rating: 98/100

Beeradvocate.com rating: 94/100

Overall: A-

My recommendation: Like I said above, buy any and all 3 F’s products.

Toppling Goliath Naughty Temple Delivery Update

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naughtyWith continued anticipation of Toppling Goliath’s beers hitting the bottling line; the first one that they are sending out, Naughty Temple, should on shelves within the next few days, weather depending. The following is a list of locations of where you can find this brew! This list comes from www.tgbrews.com. 

Below is a list of locations where Naughty Temple bottles will be delivered this week!

Tentative Delivery Schedule*
Tues: LAX/Madison
Wed: Des Moines/Cedar Falls
Thu: Iowa City/Cedar Rapids
Fri: Eau Claire/Hudson

*Keep in mind there is a snow storm coming our way, delivery schedule may change.