Arcadia Ales – Sky High Rye

Arcadia Ales – Sky High Rye (6.0%, 55 IBU), Battle Creek, Michigan

Rye is a word that, being of German heritage, means the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted. I … Read More

The Alchemist – Heady Topper

ABV: 8.00%   IBU: 120

Let me start out by saying that I’m so grateful to have amazing friends across the county. Trying new beers and highly sought after beers from coast-to-coast has become an ease. Not to mention this week, one of my beer ‘pen pals’ sent me the ever glorious Heady Topper. Read More

Rogue – Morimoto Soba Ale

ABV: 4.8%

IBU: 30

The best meal I’ve ever eaten was at the Taj Hotel in New Delhi. It was sushi.

My Mom and I spent a month in India back in 2009, fulfilling a lifelong dream of hers to travel to the sub-continent. The hotel was lush in grandeur, with chandeliers hanging from the ceilings and ornate carpets covering the marble floors. The Taj was also home to a handful of excellent restaurants, one of them owned by famed Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. The restaurant, cutely and aptly named Wasabi, was fairly small and on the bottom floor of the hotel, right behind one of the large, winding staircases. We were advised to go for lunch, as the mid-day sushi platter special was not to be missed. It was beyond incredible, and only cost us about $30. Amid the modern, funky decor from my perch at the small sushi bar, I experienced what I assume is the closest I will ever get to achieving Nirvana. Some days I dream of that wooden block laden with the freshest and most beatiful fish (how it was so fresh in the North of India? I thank technology and modern coolant methods!).

Read More

Flat Tail Brewing’s Little Green Dry Hop Saison

ABV 4.20%

Corvallis, Oregon’s Flat Tail Brewing has recently expanded distribution within the Pacific Northwest with some very memorable beers bottled in 22oz bombers. Earlier this year, they released a … Read More

Tennessee Brew Works: Welcome to Nashville

“Beer tastes better close to home,” says Garr Schwartz, head brewmaster at Tennessee Brew Works, one of Nashville’s newest almost-breweries.

The brewery, slated to open to the public in late September/early October, will be on Ewing (we’re all wishing it were Brewing) Avenue, tucked in the corner of the newly named SoBro (South of Broadway), down the street (ish) from Jack White’s Third Man Records. Schwartz co-owns the Brewery with Christian Spears, a bubbly, jovial beer lover originally from the East Coast. The two make a dynamic duo, Schwartz reigning in Spears’ overflowing enthusiasm with sound, spot-on brewing knowledge. Read More

Keep the (Two Brothers) Dog Days of summer going

Style: Dortmunder Lager   ABV: 5.10%

With the so called end of summer approaching in a matter of days with the holiday weekend, I felt a little need to stay with … Read More

Stillwater Artisanal – Cellar Door

Summer is not yet over, my fellow malt-loving marauders of all things craft beer, and though the name may suggest hibernation, I can assure you that this American farmhouse ale … Read More

Getting a Woody – Russian River Supplication

Background

Russian River Supplication Style: American Wild Ale ABV: 7.75%

Sour cherries, oak, brettanomyces, lactobacillus, and pediococcus  what could be better. This installment of getting a woody we look at … Read More

Shipwrecked Peninsula Porter

ABV: 4.5%

If you are itching for a tour of Davey Jones’ locker, the Shipwrecked Peninsula Porter can take you there. Wait, does ‘Davey Jones’ locker’ apply to Lake Michigan … Read More

Sierra Nevada – Beer Camp #94 Belgian-Style Black IPA

Sierra Nevada – Beer Camp #94 Belgian-Style Black IPA

ABV: 7.7%
IBU: 52

Beer Camp #94 is a 2013 Beer Camp release from Sierra Nevada. Its distinct flavor profile is derived from buckets of black malt giving this beer a deep, black color and a huge body. Openhanded portions of bittering hops add balance and tip the mouthfeel definitively to the hoppy side of the scale, while Belgian yeast provides the brew with a slightly zesty undertone.

Read More

New Holland Brewing Co. | Dragon’s Milk

Like many of my friends, I have hit a wall when trying to figure out when George R. R. Martin will be coming out with Winds of Winter (Book 6 … Read More

Anderson Valley | Fall Hornin’ Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 6.0% | IBU: 20

Oh, the time has come once again for the leaves to turn and the crisp, autumn air to enter.

Anderson Valley’s Fall Hornin’ … Read More

Elysian Brewing Company – Avatar Jasmine IPA

ABV: 6.3% IBU: 45 What a shocker: Erin is reviewing another IPA! Dear PorchDrinkers, I promise this one is different. Though I am a lover of the hoppiest of beers, … Read More

Thunderhead Brewing Company – Cropduster

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 65

Remember when I told you that for Christmas my mom bought my dad a craft beer subscription, and that every 3 months he gets a 12 pack with four different beers? Well it turns out it was kind of a gift for me too, because this is the 2nd one I’ve had the chance to review. Thunderhead Brewing Company Cropduster is a Mid-American IPA out of Kearney, Nebraska. While the name may not be the most flattering, it certainly makes sense coming from the heart of the U.S. agriculture sector. Read More

The Bruery’s Bryeian Batch 1000

Aside from the thousands of other things I love about the beer industry, collaboration rises to the top of the list. Whether it be something as simple as lending ingredients … Read More

O’Fallon Brewery | Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 5.6% | IBU: 11

Being that it’s unseasonably chilly in Chicago this week, the weather has me excited for fall. Don’t get me wrong, I love summer. I have taken in my fair share of days at the beach with a cold beer this season. However, fall is simply the best in my opinion. Bonus: There are so many more beer options. Fall welcomes back more spiced beer varieties, fruit inspired beers and a personal favorite—pumpkin ales!

Read More

Fifty Fifty – Eclipse Rittenhouse Rye

When in doubt, barrel-age it. With craft brewers from Tampa to Tacoma taking advantage of the burgeoning trend throughout the beer landscape, we’ve seen everything from calvados to tequila barrels make an appearance, with varying levels of success. Joining us for today’s adventure in barrel-aged beers is Fifty Fifty Brewing Company’s Eclipse Rittenhouse Rye imperial stout, a decadent treat hailing from Truckee, California just miles from Lake Tahoe.

Read More

Ale Asylum Ambergeddon

ABV: 6.8%

The Ale Asylum Ambergeddon coming out of Wisconsin, has a tasty 6.8% ABV and an ominous skull label to back it up. Sure, there are far more destructive beers … Read More

Founders Brewing | Breakfast Stout

ABV: 8.3% | IBU: 60

I used to think this brew was best poured into a wide base tulip on a cool summer’s evening. I have changed my mind. This breakfast beer is best served with breakfast. It’s a big beer but not too big. Grab a mug, pour a Founders Brewing Breakfast Stout and grab a slice of coffee cake. Take a seat on your front/back porch with the morning paper. It’s time for breakfast the way it was intended.

Read More

Great Lakes Brewing Company – Silver & Gold IPL

ABV: 7.5%

IBU: 50

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Chicago. I was in town for the wedding of a very special friend of mine, and while … Read More