I am sure you all have many questions as to where the hell have I been. Maybe you are concerned that I am in a 12 step program or maybe you lost yet another friend to the cult called Pinterest! Damn you crockpot meals and cakepops!
Instead I was on my own quest to find the perfect beer. It took me months to find the beer truly worthy of my blog post. The one that blew my mind and made me want to pray to the beer gods at Wine Works to order me more. It was almost my version of the movie where Julia Roberts travels all over the gods green earth to find the meaning of her life. Pfffttt, the furthest I had to travel was the shit shoot called the Schuylkill to find my true meaning of beer.
Here are just a few of the beer quests I conquered...
Harpoon Brewery
Harpoon Winter Warmer- 5.5% ABV
One of my go to winter beers. Extremely smooth and it is a beer you can drink all day long. We loved it so much that we went through 3 sixtels at home! True story.
Dogfish Head Brewery
Burton Baton- 10% ABV
This beer had an IBU of 75...I almost tore out my tongue in a feverish attempt to stop the hops from destroying all of my precious taste buds. God I hate hops. I have nothing else to say about this abomination.
Flying Dog Brewery
The Fear - Imperial Pumpkin Ale- 9% ABV
Not a bad fall/winter brew. The copper colored ale had a faint aroma of brown sugar and spices. I served this in a tulip glass rimmed with cinnamon and sugar. I believe it just made the beer complete.
Clown Shoes
Blaecorn Unidragon - 12.5% ABV
Holy!!!! If you can find this sex in a bottle...BUY IT!!! Jet black and sweet smell of chocolate, licorice, and malts rising to up past the dreamy caramel head. Sweet Jesus this was amazing!
Left Hand Brewery
Milk Stout Nitro - 6% ABV
Growing up one of the first rules you learn about carbonated drinks is you do not shake them before opening, unless you want to be a dick and give someone else to open. Now forget that rule when you buy this brew. You are suppose to give it a good shake, or a heavy pour to get the perfect cascading. Sweet smells of brown sugar, vanilla, and a hint of coffee rolls over your tongue. Nice stuff.
Mikkeller Brewery
Beer Geek Breakfast - 7.5% ABV
Ryan had this brew chilled and waiting for me on one of our visits. What a well balanced beer. It had the bitterness of coffee and the sweetness of vanilla.
Goose Island Brewery
Bourbon County Stout - 15% ABV (yeah you read that right!)
Oh...My...God. You definitely have to share this someone unless you want to flop on the floor. Maybe that is what you want to achieve, but reaching for another beer from the floor does pose a bit of a challenge. Just sayin'.
Now...for my final review, which was another pick by Ryan.
This is the beer that completed my soul searching.
Hold onto your pints my friends because this beer will knock you into next Thursday!
Westbrook Brewing Company & Evil Twin Brewery
Mini Growler - 12% ABV
I had never heard of Westbrook Brewing Company but if Evil Twin is part of the collaboration it has to be good. Evil Twin by far is probably one of the few breweries that consistently releases a great beer.
Just the picture should be enough...dark and dreamy! Once poured it produced an inviting mocha colored head with excellent lacing. I could not pick up one aroma but I did get a mix of coffee, chocolate , and some toffee. What a flavor and texture. It was not overly carbonated and even with the high alcohol it was not harsh or boozy. A perfect collaboration...a perfectly balanced beer...and a perfect ending to my journey.
Cheers!
~K~
