Some brews and upcoming events

Had these two beers the other afternoon with a buddy to celebrate, well, Sunday daytime.



Cali-Belgie IPA by Stone Brewing of Escondido California. Now, this is Stone's always amazing India Pale Ale brewed with Belgian yeast, creating a whole new monster of delicious proportions. It's bitter and tangy- more hop than barnyard in flavor with a nice piney finish. It bubbles against the lips the same way champagne does on the first couple of sips and bubbles straight up from the center and leaves nice rings on the glass. The IPA nature of this really comes out as it approaches room temperature and grows more bitter as it does. This is a really nice twist on an already good thing. ~7% ABV



Raison D'être A raisin brown ale from Dogfish Head of Milton Delaware. Belgian beet sugars and green raisins give this beer most of it's flavor- heavy and sweet. It drinks like a sweet, almost floral, New Castle Brown Ale. Pretty dark in the color wheel of beer and not very heady. I guess it was a cute idea to name this one after the French expression for "reason for existence", it was named "American beer of the year", whoever awards that title. This brew is great, don't get me wrong, very easy to drink, but I can't get behind it as the best thing I've had all year from this country. It feels too much like wine to be beer. 8% ABV.

And now, somethings that are happening!

Proof

Terrapin Cask Ale and Glassware Giveaway
Wednesday, January 12th @ 8pm
Mike Wallace of Terrapin Brewing will be on hand and as Proof serves up a very special treated cask of Terrapin Wake & Bake Stout. Other great Terrapin beers on tap include Moo-Hoo Chocolate Stout, Big Daddy Vladys Russian Imperial Stout, Wake & Bake Stout, So Fresh & So Green Green and more.

And...I was going to list a Craft Beer Fest happening down on the Space Coast, but I haven't been able to confirm the info. But I'll get on it.

Gettin' a little heavier...

We're going to get a little deeper here, a little heavier, a little stronger...a little bit closer to what I usually drink.

After spending some time out west in states like Washington and Oregon, and even in places closer, like Pennsylvania, I've come to be very dissatisfied with the fact that down here, in good ol' sunny Florida, we have very little to offer in the micro brew/brew pub/craft beer venue area. Now, what the guys are doing over at Cigar City is pretty amazing, totally noteworthy, and something everyone should experience if they get the chance, but very little else is happening here. So, I'm going to start with something close to home.

This first beer comes from Jupiter, Florida:



Monk in the Trunk from Inlet Brewing Company. An organic amber ale that's not actually brewed in Florida, but instead brewed by Thomas Creek Brewery in Greenville, South Carolina. Now...this beer is the only thing Inlet produces...and they don't actually make it...so I don't know how that all works...sounds pretty whack to me.

Anyway.

Had this when we served it at Stinky's Fish Camp, back when it was pretty miserably hot outside. Tastes like Yuengling with the addition of Belgian yeast...as lame a description as that is. Too much on such a humid night.



Midas Touch by Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware. This is a 2,700 year old recipe discovered in the tomb of King Midas. Delightfully sweet and bitter at the same time. You can taste the honey and saffron in it, but it's not over powering by any means. This shit'll deceptively intoxicate you as well; it's sweet, earthy, loveliness hides the fact that it's 9%. I drink this whenever available.

Had this first at Proof and then later at Fermentation.