Bourbon County (Goose Island Brewing)

    This series of beer was the one that began my interest in cellaring bottles for later consumption. I really had no idea how the beer would change over time, but the Bourbon County Brand Stout was too hot for my taste. The flavor of alcohol was strong and any other subtle flavors didn't stand out against the heat. It was suggested that I hold on to a few for a while, maybe the booziness would calm with age.

    Last year around this time I was working in Richmond, and did not have a chance to buy any other Bourbon County labeled beer. I was only able to get my hands on a four pack of the regular stout, which I still have two bottles of with a price tag of $24.99, from Once Upon a Vine. From what I was told we missed the coffee all together. It was a mission of mine as well as many others to get at least a four pack of each this year, a lofty and expensive endeavor. I found the coffee in the back room, not even priced, yet already ravaged by the crazed customer. "remember that time you saw that case of BCBS coffee" I posted on Instagram, poking fun at this apparent ghost beer, heard but never seen. The beer angels must have smiled down on me that day.  

    It didn't take me long to get it cold and poured into a glass. I was so excited to finally get to try it, and I wasn't disappointed. It's rich deep coffee aroma, with the bitter astringency, still had a good bit of alcohol zest to it. If I could get another four pack of any of this series this would be the one. I had the barley wine for the first time, and was expecting to be blown away. I wasn't, I'm not passing judgement, I have one more for sampling. It may have been a busted palette. The beer did seem to improve as it warmed up. I will take the credit for operator error. I still have only one back yard rye, and I have heard it is amaze balls, so I will crack that open for Christmas. 

    I have heard countless bloggers, and pod casters speak poorly of goose island, due to the association of AB-INBEV. I could care less, year after year I look forward to these beers coming out and they never let me down. I wish all of this haters would stop buying it so I could get more.

RBE bottle share

    On December first, 2013, a large group of Richmond Beer Elite followers met at Gallery 5 on west marshall street for the 8th time. It was my first year going, and I had no expectations. I was invited by a co-worker, who I have complete trust in. I felt honored, and unworthy of such an invite. I don't go out to beer bars much, and merely observe the conversations that occur on the beer elite face book group. Through business I knew a hand full of people at the event, mostly brewers. It has been a tough time financially keeping up with the flow of quality products in the past few months. I dug out the jewel that has been in the back of my fridge for 7 months, the cantillon classic gueze.

I stole this photo from Jacob Brunnow

   I have to admit that often I feel my job in sales has ruined my ability to converse without there being some sort of sales pitch. I clang on to the couple of people I thought wouldn't mind me soaking in the knowledge and conversation. Then I got paranoid and just walked side to side checking each table for new bottles and things I've been dying to try. As you can see from the picture below one may get hung between tables, in the middle of the room. Yet, being in the middle of the room also got good beer poured in my glass, shucks!

   There was a bottle of Pliney, I saw it and it was gone. I was just as excited to try blind pig for the first time. Is it amateur of me to say that? How many people on the east coast have had it without going to California? From what I hear it seems that the pig is just as hard to get. I have never heard of anyone getting anything from lost abbey, so that was cool. My brother in-law just posted a picture of some New Glarus, now I have seen selections like this! The whole time I was walking around mouth agape, texting pics, and checking in on untapped. It was insane.  

    The real treat and confirmation for me was the spotting of this monster 29, from Dark Horse Brewing. If the normal high ABV beers from these guys wasn't enough, this 17.5% barrel aged barleywine beast will definitely warm you up. I have been selling these guys beers for nearly a year now and can't seem to convince everyone that they are a big deal legit craft brewer. If one of their barrel age beers shows up at a heavy hitting share like this? That is all the confirmation I need. These dudes put out this beer and barrel aged plead at the same party!

   Finally, I wasn't the only one with Cantillon. Which was good, when he went for a wine key, I opened mine as well. The thing about sours is the perception and burn of the funk. These two both had a lot of funk, the Kriek had more tart bite up front. They both finished as pretty and smooth as anyone could ask for. I had no fear of getting sour belly after having a got little piece of these. I really enjoy craft beer and sharing the experience, with the right people. Everyone who turned out for this event definitely did it right, as a group. Thank you to all who were involved in organizing, and I look forward to next years! 

http://www.richmondmagazine.com/blogs.php?blogID=208532ebc1a73c4f4efb4687d9a3f114

Dirt Wolf (Victory Brewing Company)

    My old friend Victory Brewing. Resist prohibition we will, and we have. You have brought me such joy as Hop Devil, Hop Wallop, Storm King, The Headwaters Series and my personal favorite up until now, Old Horizontal. That last one is as strong as it sounds, he make you lay down go sleep. If you look back through my earlier blog entries I may have even reviewed one of Victories libations before. Podcast beer folk say libations a lot, I'm going to give it a go. I was a bit confused when I saw a new IPA from victory, and had to try it.    

    I was instantly in love. This has to be one of the best most well balanced IPA's from this side the missisip I have had in a while. I will not be reviewing Hardywood the Great Return for fear of brewery over saturation, but also is in the same category. I checked, as was encouraged by their website to check rate beer, beer advocate, and untapped. This joker has a 96 on rate beer, a 98 on rate beer, and a 4 out of 5 on untapped. It isn't just me, people agree this is a good beer. That agreement is more rare than pliney. I will spend the rest of the night trying to find the asshole who doesn't like this beer. I also believe it is easy to find and maybe around for a while. Mark my words John Q. Public, we will be seeing a lot more of mind blowing IPA's this year. The supply of Citra, and Simcoe is stronger than ever! These beers was the first non single beer purchase I have made in some time, I'm just lucky like that I guess. Good work Victory! I am sure we have other new treats to come, maybe a barrel aged old horizontal? Stay tuned to www.victorybeer.com to find out. 

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/