Like many craft beer nerds, we’ve had a love/love a little less (but not hate!) relationship with Brew Dog.  We’ve enjoyed many of their beers, we’ve liked that they push the boundaries of what ‘beer’ should be, we stood by their side as they were slammed by the critics for their first high alcohol brew (32%), but got a little irritated as they went hog wild trying to hold the title of ‘brewer of the world’s strongest beer.’  That being said, I had never tried Hardcore IPA…a more standard offering of the brewery.  I’ve had their Punk IPA, but it didn’t do much for me.  I’ve heard mixed reviews about Hardcore IPA, so I kept my expectations at a minimum.  And they were drastically surpassed.

Hardcore IPA was EXCELLENT…far more worthy of the B rating it receives on Beer Advocate…but I’ve never been to put much stock in lemming mentality.  I am not going to wax poetic on the qualities of the beer…just go try it for yourself.  BUT, I do want to point out a few observations.

Hardcore IPA does not taste like your standard American craft Double IPA that is bursting at the seams with flavoring hops, usually of the cascade variety.  In fact, Hardcore IPA is more along the lines of an American Barleywine, where the hops qualities are more of a subtlety.  Does everything have to be so damn hoppy all the time?  Don’t get me wrong…I love me some hops.  But when everybody is brewing the same things the same way, you won’t find me there.

The fact that Hardcore IPA could be classified (and rightly so) as a Double IPA (or as Beer Advocate states and “American” Double IPA–waht?!?!) shows that there is a LOT of ambiguity still amongst beer classifications.  One person’s IPA is another’s Barley Wine, and can be classified as such either way. What really hit me is the difference between two nation’s versions of Double IPA and general brewing style altogether.  Part of the reason I liked Hardcore IPA was that it occurred to me while drinking it, that IF the IPA style existed also in the form of a Double back in the early to mid 1800s, I think it would have tasted a lot like Hardcore IPA (brewed in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire).  The beer is very English/Scottish…and not very American…which is a part of its appeal.  I suppose that may be part of the reason the beer doesn’t fare so well on Beer Advocate.  Beer nerds see “Double IPA” and expect the bombastic enamel-eating highly alpha acids that they’re used to.

Ehhh…drink what you like…not what everyone else likes.

It’s strange for me to stop and think that I literally brewed the Lambic on April 1st of 2010.  Back then we were still musing about the idea of a brewery.  About 4 months after I brewed the Lambic, we started making a concerted effort to open the brewery.  About a year after I brewed the Lambic, we started working toward the Kickstarter campaign.  And here we are, almost 3 weeks into the Kickstarter campaign… I guess good things do come to those who wait.

Well as I mentioned above, we are closing in on our third full week of our kickstarter campaign, and it’s going well.  We’ve raised $11,380.  Not too shabby, but slightly behind our goal of $615 per day.  Granted that the first and last couple weeks are the busiest of the campaign, but we are trying to avoid coming to the wire by encouraging everyone to pledge.  Seriously, if you pledge $10, $25, $50 we would be tickled pink.  We need everyone who is able to pitch in.

If you have pledged, please spread the word about the campaign.  The more people who see it, the better than chances that we will be flying high the last few weeks.  In addition, this could also get our campaign up on the Kickstarter main page because they partly determine that by the number of hits you get.  Also, please remember that there is also place to put in your e-mail and set a reminder in the last 48 hours of the campaign (we hope it doesn’t come down to that).  Please help us make the middle portion of our campaign strong by pledging and spreading the word.

Feel free to email us at any time for more info.

Cheers!!!

The campaign has been going pretty well.  We have now reached almost $11,000 of our $40,000 goal.  Surprisingly enough, about half of the pledging has come from larger donations.  So, it may sound strange to ask that people give small amounts.  What I mean is this, tons and tons of small donors (anywhere from $1 to $10 to $25 to $50 to $100).  What is considered a small donation is obviously subjective and based on what you think that means.  However, we need a lot of a little support as well.

Please make it a really good week.  Visit the kickstarter campaign, pledge, like it, spread the word.  It’s amazing what a lot of us normal people can do when we do it together!

This past Easter my dad, Bob Watson, drove from Toledo, Ohio to bring some furniture (family heirlooms)  for us to use in our daughters’ room.  Ok, that’s his excuse…we all know he just wanted to see us.  Anyway, he not only brought himself and some cool retro furniture, he also brought a case of 20+ homebrewed beers and Mead that had been created by his his supervisor.  I’ve  never met this benevolent donor of fermented beverages, James Shruga, but from what my dad says, he brews more than the average guy, having fallen in love with the magic of brewing.  I know James is about my age, has three kids, is a regular reader of the world’s greatest beer blog that offers a plethora of  great tips on homebrewing, works as a sub-contractor for Chrysler, and…makes a hell of a good homebrew.

Seriously, I was pleasantly surprised by James’ brews, particularly in light of the fact that he hasn’t been brewing for years upon years.  In fact, he even threw in a mead (fyi…I’ve never brewed a mead) that was the best homemade mead (and I’ve had several) I’ve ever tasted…lightly sweet, very dry, with nuanced honey notes.  I hate mead that is a sticky sweet honey bombs that comes from stuck/incomplete fermentation due to lack of oxygen or nutrients.  We had a few folks over to try Mr. Shruga’s brews, and while they all enjoyed each creation, the ladies couldn’t keep their hands off the mead.  Here are a few pics of “the transaction” which began in a factory parking lot in Ohio and ended in a residential driveway in Missouri:

James in Ohio

"Burlesque" - a great Belgian Pale Ale

Saison Du Sophie - Well Balanced Saison

Nate - Ohio

There wasn’t a bad brew in the bunch, but I’d have to say I was surprised (pleasantly) by two. First was his Double IPA, “Valkyrie.” If you followed this blog for a while, you’ll know that while I enjoy IPAs and DIPAs, I am not a hophead and don’t seek them out, nor am I wowed by them. James’ Valkyrie blew me away. It was well balanced, and very rich and malty. It wasn’t a pure citrus bomb, being nuanced by peppery and spiced qualities. You could have blindfolded me, lined up this brew along side a bunch of GOOD brews by pro brewers, and I wouldn’t be able to pick out the homebrew.

Also notable was the “Starry Night.” This was one of the first I tried, simply because I was skeptical (sorry James). I am not a huge licorice fan, and Anise stars–a Chinese/Japanese spice that comes from unique evergreen seeds–tastes like licorice, a flavor I usually find a little overwhelming. In fact, way back in the day when I was less discriminating in what I drank, I tried a Manhattan Car Bomb (Guinness with a shot of Jager) and nearly hurled. But James Starry night, A stout brewed with Anise, was great. The licorice flavor was nuanced enough to not distract from the dark malty flavors.

I’ll be honest…I still have several of James’ brews left. I am letting some of them age (like the imperial wit…I’m waiting for some subtle sour notes to develop). James, if you are reading this, Thank YOU! It was a real treat, and I was honored to sample our brew. Keep brewing, because in brewing–just like playing the guitar or singing Karaoke–you’ve either got it or you don’t, and you do. I plan on sending some of mine your way. Due to the extreme brevity of my dad’s trip, at the last minute I forgot to send some Watson brew with you, but I will in the future.

Thanks so much for being a part of thankheavenforbeer.com.  You have been the ones who have fanned the flame of passion and desire along the way.  The comments, encouragements, and the kindness along the way have really propelled our continued devotion to this site…and brewing aspirations.

Here’s what you can do to make sure we succeed…we know we will.

1.  Visit the kickstarter campaign-Check out the awesome video and look at the terrific graphic that we’ve come up with.

2.  Post-Part of what will make this project a success is telling other people.  If you or someone you know has a blog, website, or other regular platform they use to speak to a captive audience please put up (or ask them to put up) a post and link to the kickstarter .

3.  Speak-Please, please, please email your friends about the project, post it on facebook, tweet about it during the course of the fundraising.

4.  Start-We are asking people who already have a stumbleupon account to give the kickstarter campaign a thumb’s up.  If you don’t have one, please consider starting a stumbleupon account.  It’s kinda fun to use anyway. Here is the stumble link.

5.  Believe-Believe that we can succeed and tell us along the way.  We may need your encouragement or simply interaction.

We believe that we will be successful in our campaign and that you will be the reason that this brewery gets started.  If you have ever dreamed, you know exactly how we feel…help make the dream come true by visiting here.

Thanks in advance,

Mike and Nate

For that reason, I thought I would point back to the posts and attempt to point out the nature of we were putting across.  So, please take a read through these other articles and offer your thoughts.  You should note that a few more articles should be written in the same vein.  However, this represents that basic line of thinking behind the madness.  Please enjoy.

http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2009/10/24/the-cost-of-the-beer-the-nuances-of-getting-grains-in-your-beer/

http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2009/11/08/the-cost-of-the-beer-hops/

http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2009/12/01/the-cost-of-beer-yeast/

http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2009/12/04/the-cost-of-beer-inflation/

http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2010/02/10/the-cost-of-beer-supply-demand/

We are going live with our fund-raising on May 31st.    We will have a much more thorough and detailed post for everyone on May 31st, so please stand by and keep us in mind for the next week and few days.

Right now, we are finishing the details of the video, have a terrific graphic, and are in the midst of making contacts with friends, family, and fellow beer writers.  Please watch for us to make the official announcement and help us realize the dreams we share.  Keep in mind, this has been a process in which you–our readers–have played a pivotal role.  All the interactions we’ve had with you have inspired us many times to pursue our passion, and we want you to be amongst the first people we share our good news with.

Cheers!

Mike and Nate

<–noadsense–>

Knowing more about beer than horticulture, I remember a couple of years ago asking the owner of  my the local homebrew shop if he had any “hop seeds.”  I cringed in embarrassment when he politely stated that he would be ordering “hop rhizomes” in the future.  So I went home and researched the hop plant…something I should have done before opening my mouth at the brew shop.  Hops utilize rhizomes to propagate.  A rhizome is simply a stalk, stem, or root mass that grows horizontally underground and sends out roots and shoots (vines, in the case of the hop plant) as it grows.  The cool thing about such plants is that once mature, simply chopping off a bit of the underground rhizome and transplanting it easily results in a new plant.

That being said, I finally got around to ordering a few rhizomes and planted them in the my backyard.  Hops love sun, but not wind, and require a well drained soil or else decay can occur.  They also are a climbing vine.  So, I planted my hops on the sunny side of the house close to the house wall where they are sheltered from the gusts of wind we get here in Kansas City.  I made little mounds of soil mixed with gravel to properly drain rhizome and it’s root systems, and built little walls of brick and rocks around the rhizomes.  Just two weeks later vines are poking out of the soil, and even though I know my yield will be only a few ounces this first year, I am giddy with excitement.  Soon I will be constructing a twine climbing system for my little acidic babies.

Below are pics of my future crop of hops.  I ordered my rhizome from Midwest Brewing Supply for just $4.99/rhizome.  In order that they appear, I am growing Cascade (cliche, I know), Hallertau, and Nugget.  The only difficulty I’ve had so far is trying to keep our Beagle pup, Henry, from trampling the fledgling shoots.  Do you grow your own hops?  Do you have any pics?