Assemble beer patriots and join us for a long 4th of July summer day.  Unfortunately my company, known for red vests with good old American flags on them are being really American...we're working.  However, the summer days are getting hotter, so we're calling you to join us for an American made summer ale from Samuel Adams.  Sorry it's a late call but think of yourselves as minutemen (and women).

Any time you have a beer that is 13%ABV, it is a big beer with which you’ve come face to face.  How that 13% tastes depends on the drinker.  I believe that I paid somewhere between $12-15 dollars for this 11.2 oz bottle (sometimes it’s hard to keep track).  Let me start by telling you that I wouldn’t pay to drink this beer again, but what a beer is worth is, once again, in the mouth of the beholder.  Here is what I have to offer about Black Albert. The Pour:  A creamy, brown, and finely carbonated head sat atop this very dark, black bodied beer.  This beer looked like the beer yard bully…it was intimidating in the glass. The Nose:  Black Albert had a smoky nose that was touched by the 13% alcohol.  There was a sourish aroma that cropped up.  Plenty of roast, a soy quality, and some hints of fruit were also very much present.  I personally thought that apple cider was the fruit note that I caught. The Taste:  Like the nose, there was plenty of roast Black Albert's flavors.  The fruit and soy qualities were also a big part of the taste.  A ton of coffee roast was the ...

Do you feel like drinking one beer sometimes is like watching the underdog in the NCAA basketball tournament?  Or maybe you feel like some of Mike Tyson's (pre-ear incident) opponents.  One drink and you are finished.  Let me start by telling you all that there are many more people who are much more qualified than am I talk about anything medical.  I AM NOT A DOCTOR, and this is not a medical website.  If you feel like you want to add something about some substrata of the endocrine system and its relation to drinking, then go ahead.  I'm only offering some basic thoughts and some very basic science on the topic.  With that out of the way, let's move on. First of all, you have to consider if you had a good night of sleep.  If you didn't sleep well, your body has not had enough REM sleep, which effects brain function.  During sleep you also produce a number of chemicals that are important to function and bodily interaction.  Sleep is also the time when our bodies fight off many residual toxins and other problematic factors.  With lack of sleep, our bodies are not as toxin free as they could be.  When ...

JOIN US FOR THE FIRST EVER THANK HEAVEN FOR BEER, BEER SWAP! Recently we enlisted the help of a veteran beer trader, Howard, in educating readers on the ins-and-outs of beer trading.  After a fantastic five part series, we thought it fitting to host our own first annual (or semi-annual) Thank Heaven for Beer swap.  In actuality, this is not going to be a typical beer swap in which participants will compare beers they are stocked up on and make decisive trades; rather, it will be a Secret Santa event. Basically all those who decide to participate in the event will sign up (click HERE or on the picture on our home page).  Upon signing up for the event, your name will be put in a pot.  Through random drawing, your name will be paired with another participant.  You will send a beer or two to whomever you are paired with and vice versa.  This is no different from the secret santa shindigs you participated in during grade school or at the office last December.  Of course, you will not know who had you until you get your secret brew in the mail. We felt doing a secret Santa type beer exchange would ...

Wild ales are extremely interesting beers.  First off, wild yeast is normally kept from the brewing process; it's strange when brewers encourage it.  Of course, wild yeasts (normally from a small region in Belgium) have become lab yeasts in the same sense that normal lab yeasts have very specific requirements.  So, in some sense these are not "wild" in that they are not area-derived yeast floating around.  However, these Bretts, as some beer lovers affectionally call them, are known to add some funk to the beer.  You have to be careful when adding these bretts; they don't typically have wide appeal, partly because they are unpredictable (maybe this is why Avery only brewed 694 barrels).  After trying Avery's Wild Ale, I wish they would have shipped me a barrel of it.  Beware, this beer is not for everyone. The Pour: Avery does not wish to specify what type of beer this is.  In fact, they simply say that it is not brewed to any one specific style.  However, I can tell you that it was much darker than I expected.  Most wild ales I've encountered are un-fruited lambics and "Bretted" saisons (a.k.a., lighter beers).  Brabant was certainly more porter/dark porter in ...

Did I spell that right?  I'll begin by telling you that I'm not really a fan of Lagunitas stuff.  My experience preceding Hop Stoopid was lackluster to say the least.  Nate shares similar sentiments.  Also, I'm on the record as being tired of hop extremism.  I'm forever hearing about the latest double triple-hopped, quadruple Imperial, hexo-pentafied, iced IPA.  Needless to say, I was somewhat skeptical of a beer called Hop Stoopid by a brewery that I don't much care for.  However, I'm continually working through my incredulity to give beers a fair shake, despite a derisive attitude.  As the label says, "Give it to MIkey... He'll drink anything!" (Hey, that's my name).  Sometimes I'm shocked if "Mikey likes it!" and other times I'm reinforced in my prejudice.  Here is a case where I was pleasantly surprised. The Pour: I had already held the bottle up to the light and assumed it was a bit lighter than some other IPA styled beer that I'd put down my gullet.  Upon pouring the beer, my suspicion was confirmed.  However, there was still a nice orange-golden body and an off-white, stable head to boot.  If I judged based on appearances, I would be forced to ...

Sometimes life catches you by surprise, and for me, the best place for this to happen is at the beer store.  Recently, as I was surveying the humdrum contents of the shelves--shelves I had scanned scores of times before--in hopes of discovering a new addition to the stock, I caught sight of a bottle my eyes had somehow missed over the three quarters of a year:  He'Brew's Jubilation 12. Jubilation 12 is a limited edition beer:  meaning, it is only brewed once.  Regardless of the quality of the bottle's contents, I am instantly drawn to limited edition beers, as each ensuing sip reminds me that I have eliminated a bit of a beer that will never grace the beer world with it's presence again. Additionally, it is my opinion that Schmaltz's He'brew Jubilation 12 is a somewhat obscure beer to the average craft beer consumer.  Many are familiar with their Messiah Bold or Genesis Ale, but I doubt many sippers nationwide can claim a Jubilation Ale in their beer stock.  To add to my delight, the brew was exceptionally fair priced.  I purchased one, obviously. Jubilation 12 was produced to celebrate the 12th birthday of the He'Brew line's brewery, Schmaltz Brewing Company.  The ...

Awhile back we encouraged our readers to try their hands at having a beer tasting party.  On Friday, June 5, I got together with 13 other people to try thirty beers.  A tall order, indeed!  We had a blast at the party, and I think that we all learned a lot.  I hosted the party but had some help with the beer purchase (thanks to all of you who contributed).  For my part, I brought three of my homebrews along with my purchases.  Here is a list of all the beers at the tasting: Ichnusa (Sardinian Lager) Spaten Lager (German) Duvel (Belgian Golden) Ayinger Brau-Weisse (German Wheat) Jever (German Pilsner) Samuel Smith’s Pale Ale (English) Chapeau Framboise (Belgian Lambic) Victenaar Flemish Sour (Belgian-Flanders) Saison (Belgian) Rochefort 8 (Belgian Trappist) Crooked Tree IPA (U.S.) Victory Hop Devil (U.S.) Chouffe Belgian Trippel IPA (Belgian) Tilburg ...

This French beer claims to be a Golden Ale, but it has Barley-wine strength.  Beelzebuth, which means "Lord of the Flies," a reference to Satan, comes in at a whopping 13% ABV.  I remember first trying this beer about 6 years ago, and it really started to open my beer world, so I revisit this beer once in a while.  This time we happen to have a website. The Pour:  Beelzebuth had a very clean, golden body, which bubbled lazily to the to top of the glass.  There wasn't a ton of head retention, but what was there stuck around. The Nose:  I personally think that Beelzebuth shares a lot of qualities that Reislings and Astis have--the apple-like qualities, cider-type touches, and fresh feeling on the nose.  With beers that aren't dark yet are this high in alcohol, one can often detect some very vinous (wine-like) aromas.  This is no exception. The Taste:  Beelzebuth drank much lighter than one might expect.  It didn't seem heavy in body or in alcohol.  The Reisling/Asti apple flavors came through in a big way.  The beer also shared the sweetness of an Asti.  Of course, it departed from these flavors when some very nice grain smokiness came ...

Beer choices for our weekly ritual, Sip With Us Saturday, are never arbitrary.  This week being no different, we chose Hop Stoopid, after having read a smashing A+review from our friend and fellow beer blogger.  Now, we come across A+ reveiws everyday:  we cannot choose them all. Basically, neither Mike (THFB Mike) nor I (Nate), tend to be zealous fans of Lagunitas brewery, and were slightly skeptical of the A+ rating, while at the same time appreciating the rating given by Mike Love Beer [dot] com, as it encourages subjective diversity in the beer community. There is a glut of IPA's on the market, forcing this reviewer to be conservative with his high ratings.  Preferentially speaking,I preffer double IPA's for the malt backing they offer to the bitter flavor that comes from abundantly bitter hop content associated with IPAs. I find the flavor of hops very palatable depending on combination of variety used, but feel at times brewers go overboard. Here is the low down on Hop Stoopid: Double American IPA 8% ABV 104 IBU Ingredients (from the website): Malts, Hops, Yeast, and Water (now that's a tad vague) Company Description:  So hoppy that it threatens to remove the enamel from one's teeth. (hops = acid) Well Mike ...