Time to Crack Deez Nutz

The squirrels have been busy this winter hiding their nuts. Today as the snow melted, I found one before they reached it. Now I get to enjoy it!

Deez Nutz is a peanut butter stout from Heaving Brewing in Gretna, Nebraska. A nice blend of roasted peanut and chocolate notes in a medium body. The finish is dry, and the roastiness lingers in this 6.9% ABV stout. I tend to like the drier peanut butter stouts than the sweeter ones.

I am happy to see Heaving Brewing already has some to-go beers. It made my day today!

Cheers!

I'll Take My Sticky Toffee Pudding in a Glass!

Decadent creamy head

I have to come clean and say that I have never had Sticky Toffee Pudding, though seeing the dessert has me wondering why! When I got a can of Unchecked Hedonism - sticky toffee pudding Belgian Quad from Lupulin Brewing, I wanted to make sure I enjoyed every sip!

I am all about that initial perception, then letting a big beer warm to really get all of the different notes. The first sip from was definitely dates from a colder temperature. Note to self: check my beer fridge to see what it is set at. The aroma was toffee, and as this Belgian Quad warmed, toffee notes mixed with the dark fruit. The body is deceiving at first. It seems thinner, but as it spends a bit of time in your mouth, it feels full. The warming finish is very nice in this 11% ABV beer.

This might be more indulgence than you are prepared for. I recommend taking your time and truly enjoying this wonderful beer.

Cheers!

Existential Bliss

Can you ever say you have experienced true bliss? Oh, the moment when the world stops, and there is nothing that can interrupt the way you feel. The first sip of Existential Bliss is that moment!

A collaboration between Humble Forager Brewery and Forager Brewery from Minnesota. This is one midnight dark, thick imperial stout! Chocolate and fudge notes like a brownie greets your tastebuds. The thick mouthfeel kicks in and has those whiskey notes I enjoy very much in a barrel-aged stout. The vanilla notes are less distinct to me, but I catch a glimmer in the finish.

Now to the crazy extremes, these breweries went to create this stout! The beer was aged for 19 months in Buffalo Trace, Bairdstown, Heaven Hill, Willet Rye, and Templeton Rye barrels. They then took vanilla beans from around the world, including Vanuatu, India, Uganda, Madagascar, and Ecuador. Match that up with cocoa nibs from Bolivia, Peru, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Fiji. Who goes to those extremes?

The result is an unforgettable 12.5% imperial stout! I have to shout out to my friends, the Buckleys, who allowed me to experience Existential Bliss.

Cheers!

Ruby - You Truly Are My Favorite Gem

I am a lucky guy that my sister and brother-in-law moved to North Carolina. This Christmas, my brother-in-law brought back some beer, and I was immediately intrigued with the Olde Hickory Ruby Lager!

This is the first beer I have had from a North Carolina brewery and my first amber lager. I have had many amber ales, so I was excited to see the difference in a lager.

Right away, the body grabs you with how smooth this beer is. It is light yet packs a lot of malt flavor without being sweet. It is rich and finishes just with a hint of bitterness from the German hops used. The insane thing about this beer is that it is only 4.0% ABV!

I can’t wait to visit Hickory, North Carolina, to try some of the other beers from Olde Hickory and explore other breweries. Oh, and of course, visit my sister and her husband.

Cheers!

Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy the Killa Ride!

When two of the best imperial beer breweries, Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales and Boiler Brewing Company, come together to collaborate on an Imperial Pastry Stout, you know it will be phenomenal!

This year’s must-have Black Friday beer was called The Killa Ride. If you like a thick, silky body to your stout, you are in for a treat! Immense chocolate notes upfront greet then tease you - wait; there’s more! A coconut-infused sweetness rushes in and completely has you mesmerized. The finish on this decadent 11.5% ABV stout is warming and melts you into the leather chair as you embrace the cold winter’s night.

Wintertime is a great time for big stouts! Make sure to find your way to Boiler Brewing Company in Lincoln and Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales in Omaha, Nebraska, to discover more of the great beers they offer.

Cheers!

Just Call Me Dort (for short)

You probably already guessed that this post isn’t about a lady named Dorothy - Dort for short. This Dortmunder Export Lager from Marto Brewing Company in Sioux City, Iowa, is one fine German Lager!

This Lager greets you with nice bready notes with a slight sweetness that fades into a mild bitterness that balances out this 6.4% beer. The body is crisp and dances across your tastebuds, allowing all of the flavors to be explored thoroughly. This is truly a fantastic lager!

This is my first beer from Marto Brewing Company, and I can’t wait to try others!

Let me know what some of your favorite brews are from Marto.

Cheers!

This Monster is as Dark as Midnight

A coloration between Weldwerks and Cerebral Brewing

Halloween is quickly approaching with thoughts of ghosts, goblins, and scary monsters. For those old enough to remember the Thriller video by Michael Jackson, the lyrics of “It's close to midnight … Something evil's lurking in the dark” popped into my head. Fast forward to now, and this beast of an imperial stout is upon you. The dire screams of Monstrous De Medianoche - Monsters of Midnight ring throughout the room. I know there is only one way to sleigh the beast; we must drink it now!

I can’t imagine planning a collaboration where you are planning on barrel-aging the beer for 26 months! Weldwerks Brewing and Cerebral Brewing, both from Colorado, came up with the ultimate plan! Weldwerks’ Medianoche and Cerebral’s Here Be Monsters would be blended and stored in the same batch of 19-year Elijah Craig bourbon barrels. To finish this impressive recipe, each would pick their own adjunct.

The flavor of this beer is incredible! My first thoughts are of a marshmallow, vanilla liquid brownie. The bourbon notes are perfect coming in towards the backend with some oakiness and warmth. The mouthfeel is thick and soft, bringing great enjoyment to all of the flavors of this stout!

The ABV is not listed on the label, but my good friend Carole, who got me this incredible beer, asked Weldwerks, and they said it should be 12 - 14%.

So glad to get the opportunity to try this one!

Cheers!

My Heart Longs for Maui Brewing's Coconut Hiwa

Background is a photo from a visit to Maui 3 years ago

It was 3 years ago when I made my first trip to the Hawaiian islands and specifically Maui. A family vacation that I will never forget!

We drove around the island and stopped in the morning to see this amazing heart windowed rock formation. A bit further down from it was a blowhole that we took in. As the day progressed, we found are way to Maui Brewing Co.

My flight at Maui Brewing Co

At the brewery, I got to try the coveted Coconut Hiwa Porter. It was a great memory, and recently Maui Brewing Co started distributing to Nebraska. I picked up a four-pack a couple of days ago and couldn’t wait to crack one open tonight!

Chocolate and light coffee aroma greet you. The chocolate and coconut notes are pronounced in the beginning, transitioning to that roasty finish. The body has a nice amount of carbonation that accentuates the sweetness of this magnificent 6.0% ABV Porter body.

A gem that you have to experience! For more about my experience in Maui, check out this blog – The Heart of Maui.

Cheers!

Night Witch - 2022

The transition to fall and winter means fireplaces and warming Imperial Stouts! Lupulin Brewing from Big Lake, Minnesota, has crafted the temptress known as Night Witch. It is not even Halloween yet, but I will be thinking about this witch for a long time!

This 12% barrel-aged Imperial Stout is a rush of chocolate notes upfront. The middle is roasty molasses wrapped with a splash of bourbon. The body is very silky and has incredible legs.

There are a couple of insanely cool details about this stout. The first is that it was boiled all night. Now I am envisioning witches circling about the boil kettle. The second is this stout was aged in Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace barrels for 19 months. Now that is a long time to wait, but well worth it!

What another great beer from Lupulin Brewing!

Cheers!

Guaranteed Da Coldest Ever!

The beautiful color of Da Coldest!

Many of you know that this year for me, has been all about finding the Cold IPAs. It is an exciting style, and at first, you might think it is an IPL, but it is not. Cold IPAs are fermented colder than average IPAs, so you get a light, crisp, yet smooth drinking IPA.

Da Coldest from Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales in Omaha, Nebraska, may catch some people off guard as they experience the fruit notes that quickly fade into an incredibly dank IPA! The other crazy part I typically don’t find in IPAs is that the darkness fades late in the finish, and you get those citrus and stone fruit notes again.

The hop profile is crazy, starting with Apollo, Warrior, CTZ, and Citra hops in the boil. Experimental USDA Variety 008, Citra Lupomax, and Amarillo Lupomax hops were used for the dry hopping. Very mind-blowing for this upper 7 to 8.0% ABV IPA.

As always, it is tough to keep up with all of the great brews from Bearder Brewer Artisan Ales, so best to make frequent visits!

Cheers!

Mornin' Delight

The experience of Mornin’ Delight weekend is like no other!

My first sip of Mornin’ Delight from Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. brought back memories of Saturday morning growing up with mom making French toast and the noise of the percolator brewing coffee. Those two things were like heaven, and so is the imperial stout!

The nose of this stout is a rush of maple syrup aroma in this 2021 bottle of Mornin’ Delight. With this stout being a little chilled, the first taste reminds me of having French toast. As the stout warms, the coffee, vanilla, and chocolate note come through this silky body 12% ABV elixir!

Last year, I got to experience the release of Morin’ Delight. It was a great time meeting so many people from Toppling Goliath! Also, the atmosphere was so much fun! There were craft beer enthusiasts from all over the United States that came to participate in this great tradition!

It was a VIP experience that I will never forget!

Make your way to Decorah, Iowa to visit this amazing brewery.

Cheers!

It's Time for a Attitude Adjustment

Digging the color of this one!

Sunday afternoon and you are dreading the upcoming work week. I have the perfect cure for that! Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) Pale Ale from White Elm Brewing Company will raise your spirits and remove the doom and gloom thoughts!

The color is definitely an attention grabber! This 6.0% ABV Pale Ale has a light body and is full of citrus and stone fruit notes. The finish is very mild from a hop bitterness perspective. Such a wonderful beer to enjoy this past weekend!

White Elm Brewing has a positive attitude toward brewing exceptional beer!

Cheers!

Now That's Italian!

The gold etched glass is a perfect touch to this classy Pilsner!

It is always interesting to see the different takes on Pilsners. You have your German, Czech, and now Italian Pilsners. The simplistic definition of an Italian Pilsner is a German Pilsner that has been dry hopped with Noble hops. The idea is lots of hop aroma without the hop bitterness.

The Zipline Brewing Co. version is crisp and clean with a dry, somewhat spicy finish. They used Italian-grown barley and lightly dry hopped with Hallertau and Saphir hops to create this 5.0% ABV lager.

I want to try this with various pasta dishes. I believe it would pair very well!

Cheers!

We Belong Together

End of the Route is an amazing beer any time of the year!

I got caught up in a Boyz ii Men moment when I was about to take that first sip! “We belong together, and you know that I am right. Why do you play with my heart, why do you play with my mind.”

Early this year, I had just a small taste of End of the Route from Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales, and I had this incredible connection. I had this bottle at home, and my stomach was full of butterflies anticipating opening it tonight!

I am not a guy with a great nose, but at first, I picked up an oak aroma. Then as I let the glass sit for a while, I got some bourbon and vanilla. This is my first wheat wine so I don’t have anything to compare it to. All I know is I love the dark fruit (raisin, date) notes combined with the bourbon and vanilla! Soft body and warming. This is one you want to submerge yourself in that leather couch and enjoy the moment!

Oh, I bet you saw that 13.5% ABV. Yes, it is up there, so please take your time to take in this one!

Cheers!

Willie's Fruit Stand NEIPA

Hopsy needed some shade on this scorching June afternoon to enjoy this IPA

Always fun when beer friends travel and bring back some of the great ones they enjoyed on vacation! This is my first beer from 3 Car Garage Brewing Co. out of Bradenton, Florida. The name of this one has me thinking of driving along the ocean and stopping in for some fresh oranges and grapefruit!

Willie’s Fruit Stand NEIPA has distinct orange and grapefruit notes upfront. The body is soft and holds the citrus notes until the end, where you get some hop dankness. A nice 6.5% IPA to savor in the shade today with the temperature in the upper 90s.

Cheers!

Bringing Sexxxy Back!

Step aside Timberlake, Lupulin Brewing out of Big Lake, Minnesota is bringing sexxxy back! Sexxxy Hops Hazy Triple India Pale Ale will have you saying Yes, Yes, OMG Yes!

Tropical notes up front quickly fade into this supercharged, hop buzz in your mouth. The finish is nice and dank! A powerful combination of Strata, Idaho 7, and El Dorado hops in a 10.5% ABV, 45 IBU IPA. I don’t know how you can get to this ABV level without being overpowered by the malt, but Lupulin Brewing has it figured out!

Oh, and you know what else is sexy? The crazy, cool label art Lupulin Brewing has! You have to make it a top priority to get your hands on this IPA and anything else from this brewery.

Cheers!

The Harvester

This is one freaking cool label

I am always intrigued by a good Saison, but I am all in when you see a label as sweet as this one!

The Harvester from Jukes Ale Works is spot on for the style. I love the light body and spiciness of this beer. Each sip draws you in, and the dry finish has you wanting to reach for the glass very quickly! I think it has the perfect ABV, around 6.3%.

This Saison, for me, is unique in that it has a good deal of Rye malt that adds to the spiciness. I am looking forward to having this beer on the patio while grilling or smoking some fine meat! I am anxious to see how it pairs with different kinds of smoked meat.

If you haven’t been to Jukes Ale Works, it is an excellent place for the fantastic craft beer and the great food. Also, their rooftop patio adds to the wonderful experience!

Cheers!

Reflections of Thickets and Thorns

As a mediocre photographer, I was excited to review Thickets and Thorns from Vis Major Brewing Co because of its beautiful color. The sun was bright, and as I started to take the photos, the color depending on the sun was this deep crimson to a more brilliant red. To top it off, no matter the angle, I was getting lots of reflections!

If you were to reflect on this raspberry Saison, the berry aroma is an excellent attention grabber. The tartness of the raspberry and the dryness of this Saison have cider and wine characteristics. I think that is why Mrs. Joe has enjoyed this one and only beer in her travels with me!

The finish has those peppery notes you will find in the Saison style. Thickets and Thorns is a unique beer that is quite the sipper coming in at 9.1% ABV!

Take time to seek sanctuary at Vis Major Brewing to enjoy their wide variety of craft beer in an extremely inviting atmosphere.

Cheers!

Deep Into The Abyss

“Admiral, I am not sure my nerves can take it much longer. Are we close yet?” The admiral replies only in the darkest, deepest part of the sea will you find the treasure you are looking for.”

All of a sudden, there were screams! Ok, it was me; I was freaked out by the huge octopus that attached itself to the vessel. Somehow without any water getting in, the wonderful elixir Admiral Abyss from Odd13 Brewing appeared!

I love the label art, so I had to have some fun with this one! This Chocolate Milk Stout has deep roasty chocolate notes both upfront and in the finish. The middle has a touch of sweetness in this smooth, full-bodied Stout. Very enjoyable at 7% ABV.

Be adventurous and find some Odd 13 Brewing beers today!

Cheers!

Are You a Yooper?

Can anyone identify the location of the where this picture was taken?

I never knew there was this thing about Yoopers and Trolls in Michigan. It seems it has a lot to do about what peninsula area you live in.

In the name of research, I had to try the Yoop Juice IPA from Site-1 Brewing! This American IPA was made with only hops from Michigan. The hop profile is Mackinac, Emerald Spire, and Michigan Copper hops. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but oh my was there some delightful peach, apricot, and canteloupe notes in this IPA!

The color reminds me of when my dad would cut a nice ripe canteloupe from our garden! Medium, soft body for this 6.5% ABV, 66 IBU IPA. The finish is somewhat dank, which adds to the experience of this American IPA.

I think I could be a Yooper!

Cheers!