Cigar City Brewing (An editorial rant)

    Some breweries must first support their home market extremely well before they decide to look outside of the territory. I personally like this strategy, because it means that places like Hardywood keep special releases around longer for the busy adult alcoholic. The first thing I am most tired about is the question of "Any word on Cigar City?" Yes, Brown Distributing has a relationship with these guys, mainly in FLORIDA! Richmond gets next to nothing (since 1919) and NOVA gets nothing (since 2013). It makes complete sense to me, but everyone patiently awaits for the next big whale to break the surface. Well embrace it fuckos you recently got sly fox, and mother earth.

    A kind gentleman that I work with had plans to go see his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers on vacation about a month ago. Given the recent trading activity, I had him google where Cigar City was in relation to where he was staying. Conveniently, he was staying two blocks away and the plot was set. I often dream of a fridge full of big bottles from Cigar City brewing. Although some of their new cans wouldn't be a terrible thing. Turns out while studying for this event, I learned of a recent Caribbean acquisition by this brewery. Cigar City has purchased a big brew house in the islands to help with the volume of their production. They first brewed an IPA on the kit,  and shipped the liquid back to Tampa to be canned. They had it the Thursday that I put my wish list together and were OOS by Saturday midday.    

    I drank the Big Sound one bone fire night at the homestead. It is a big scotch ale, huge malty offering that finished way sweeter than I like. It was strong enough to take down a rhinoceros. If it trades well I would take it again, but I would much rather work through their other beers. I have no plans on drinking the Bolita. I will have to come up with the proper pairing and occasion to set free the other C.C. beer. I'm glad that they have chosen to can beers, it works way better for shipping. Check out what they have and send me some at http://cigarcitybrewpub.com/

Gumball Head (Three Floyds Brewing)

    I have recently become very conscious about how much I talk about beer around friends that I have outside of work. I realize it has become the go to topic of conversation between myself and my Norfolk family and friends. Normally on the ride back to RVA, I question what they must think about the guy who only seems able to talk about beer? Truth be told, between distribution, sales, marketing and the work we do with the brewery there is so much to consider on the topic of beer. This new obsession of beer mail, or beer trading has opened itself up to be coast to coast. I have recently received beers from California and Philadelphia, and I'm ready to do it again. I have to watch my spending, shipping beer gets expensive and I don't have that kind of disposable income.

    Luckily my ignorant babbling about all things craft beer landed me a connection in Indiana. I have seen many a good review from Three Floyds, and have drooled at all the Dark Lord Days posts. These beers showed up on my porch unexpected, and I was thrilled to have them. Besides Zombie Dust, Gumball Head is a highly recognizable concoction. Thank you very much Mike, I will get you back as soon as I find some worthy beers and get my money straight. 

    An American Wheat Ale, Gumballhead is named in honor of the underground comic book cat created by Rob Syers. This beer is brewed with Amarillo hops and a generous portion of red wheat. Wheat beers are not usually my style, but this beer is something different. It has the clean mouth feel, and finishes with hints of fruit, like a gum ball. It was a strange experience but this is definitely a wheat beer I will buy again, I mean get sent again if I can. I am going to get the beers out to the people that I owe, then I have to go on hiatus until after the first of the year. unless . . . .

Head over the 3 floyds website and be prepared to be amazed. http://www.3floyds.com/

Rum Pumpkin (Hardywood Park Craft Brewery)

    I have had the timing recently to be out of town or committed every time a new beer or brewery comes out. Our second annual Octoberfest party happened to be on the same day as the long awaited opening for Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery. Thank you to my friend Nathan who came through with a bottle of Short Pump Saison, to the party that evening. The following weekend, Hardywood released this beauty, the newest installment to their barrel aged series. RUM BARREL aged farmhouse pumpkin sounds like a great departure from the bourbon heat.

   The old brewery has changed so much in the few years they have been opened. They now own the building to the right of their original property, which is a dedicated tasting room. The new tasting room is accommodating for inside sipping our outside socializing. It was slammed the day that I went to pick up these bottles. I snuck back to the original tasting room and there was no line. I was able to get my taste and my to go (into my cellar) beer. 

    I have always liked the pumpkin mouth feel of the farm house beer. The rum barrel spices lend themselves to really carry the pumpkin beer to the next level. I have heard it said that people didn't like the original beer, really enjoyed this experiment. The 10.5 ABV is very well hidden, and this was the beginning to my fire pit sampling session. The kicker was Hardywood was also releasing their big IPA in 4 pack cans later this afternoon, and they also have a citra hopped pink brew for this awareness month. 

    I haven't had the great return yet, but they went all in with this beer. I believe they have been so dialed into what their customers like about the other styles they have made. It is very easy to believe this will be considered one of the best IPA's in distribution. It is a lofty goal and a charitable cause. How can you not love these guys?

Heady Topper (The Alchemist)

    One of the most hyped beers I have ever laid hands on this week kids. A friend I share whale pics with once asked me how he could go about getting a heady topper and pliney. I tried to talk him through the task of meeting people through various beer community pages, Ie. beer advocate, untapped, podcasts, or even locally in Richmond beer elite. I was able to parlay this trade by listening to "Should I Drink That", a Philadelphia craft beer podcast. One of the hosts started talking about the Gwar-B-Que beer that hit Richmond during the event in late summer. He asked if anyone could send him some, and I having just drank my last one, knew I could probably still get my hands on a 6 pack. Twenty minutes later I was sending him a picture via facebook of said 6 pack. He made the offer of can for can on this trade. I sent him two and he sent me two heady toppers.

The light seen over the right shoulder of the can are
angel's coming to have a peek at this marvel of craft brewing.

   I am sorry Zack, but I couldn't put a price on this beer or simply walk away from the experience. I like to share these experiences with people who also appreciate it. I wish you could have been around for either can. You would have dug it man. The first can got victimized late during our Octoberfest, as part of an insane big beer sharing moment. We had sours, big stouts, and this 8% ABV double IPA. The second can I shared with my friend Adam who was in town from Boston. This experience left a lasting experience. This beer features the perfect amounts of everything you look for in a good IPA. It has a good piney, and fruity note. The first sip is citrus, but not sour bitter, but juicy. I think I drooled a little while sipping. The finish is just as crisp and clean leaving your palette ready for more. 

   In 2003, the Alchemist began making this beer in a brew pub. After a problem with people sneaking the beer off premise, they began canning and still only distribute extremely small scale. This is the only beer they make. What kinda pressure must that kind of be? Check them out at http://www.alchemistbeer.com/

4 Elf (Dark Horse Brewing)

    Yes, I am reviewing another Dark Horse beer. We received this beer from the brewery a couple of weeks ago. I have heard about the 4 elf party, but never seen the beer. I was very excited to have it, but selling 150 cases of it to a market where the brand carries little weight scared me a bit. I needed to get my hands on some. With the overflowing pumpkin pipeline, I thought after Halloween would be my best chance. Troegs mad elf beer was the fore runner for the Christmas holiday last year. Be prepared to be over taken good sirs!

    This beer is a big 8.75%, and is very smooth and unassuming. The mouth feel is smooth, and the nose is enough to make you aware of the spices. The spices play well off each other as you drink and swallow. The finish is very calm, and the only lingering flavor is nutmeg. The spice balance is on point, makes me wish more pumpkin beers would take note. 

    I was tempted to buy several pumpkin samples this year and try out all the new beers on the block. I only incidentally had pumpkick, and I really wasn't impressed. I am excited for winter warmer season after having this offering. If you can get it lemme know, I can find you some.

Cicada (Yards Brewing Company)

It is a lot of work just keeping plugged into breweries via facebook, rate beer, beer pulse, and beer advocate. On facebook alone I follow most of my customers if they have beer pages. I also follow breweries on facebook and scan rate beer for news of things to come. Norm's beer and wine in Vienna Virginia does a fantastic job of connecting with their customers/community by posting pictures of all new items as they come in. He even post a weekly newsletter for beer and wine with more information about the new items. As I have been trying to save money, it has been extremely hard for me not to run to his store. I am taken by a beer that he posts almost weekly and this one I couldn't pass up. As you know the cicada comes only once every 17 years. This brood is special.
    I listen to the craft beer podcast and should I drink that on stitcher, which are both based out of Philly. Yards brewing company is also out of Philly, and I am assuming their distribution foot print is based on demand? If you feel the same way, you may need to realign your feelings. You see I had recently heard that Blue Mountain has broken into the Pennsylvania market. I thought this was a sign of success and aggressive growth. It appears that what happened is the production got aggressive and the demand leveled off. Blue Mountain has presumed new distribution to get through what they make? Is yards a similar type brewery?
    Yards began in 1994 and produces a line of beers that play on the patriotic history of Philadelphia, ay yo! Cicada isn't listen on the web site so I have no commercial description for you. The most recognizable beer the the brawler, picture two bare knuckle fellas going at it. Honestly I lost the good picture I took of this sampling, and fell so behind writing this post, I am just done. Check them out at www.yardsbrewing.com.