Flying Dog Brewery – Gonzo Imperial Porter – Aged Three Years

Aging beer is always a tough one for me. Sometimes I just get so excited about cracking open a beer that I run through the apartment drinking everything in site. By the end of the night there are broken bottles everywhere and I’m hammered out of my mind. Alright that’s not really true but honestly who the hell can put a beer aside for a year or two and not want to drink it? Luckily I’ve been able to with a couple offerings thanks to a small wine fridge we got a few years back. Out of sight out of mind as the kids say. So this weekend I decided to crack open a three year old bottle of Flying Dog’s Gonzo Imperial Porter. That’s how I roll son.

I first had Gonzo Porter man moons ago when I had a chance to visit Flying Dog’s brewery back when they were based out in Dover. It was a limited release only available at the tasting room back then and it was mighty good. Big and mighty brew which didn’t hide its 9.2% ABV. It made a bitch out of me you might say. This is probably the best part of aging this beer out for a while though in my opinion. It does a lot to mellow out alcohol flavor. I liked it a lot fresh from the bottle but a couple years in the slammer did a lot to help the chocolate and coffee flavor combine well with the malt sweetness. If you can wait on this one I’d suggest giving it a year at least. But what the hell do I know. It makes a really good beer great if you ask the old Joemeister, and you’re at the site so I assume you are asking. Thanks for asking buddy!

So if you have the will power, which I didn’t think I did, I’d say give it a go. Toss it aside for a while and let the mgic flow in you.

Flying Dog Brewery - Gonzo Imperial Porter - Aged Three Years

Rogue Ales – Dirtoir Black Lager

How I love a good dirtoir. I remember as a kid sitting and just wasting the day away with a big bucket of dirtoir and thinking I was the luckiest child in the world. As I grew older I would take my love of dirtoir with me everywhere I went and if there was a party you could bet your sweet ass I was bringing a big old bucket of dirtoir. I love dirtoir… there I said it. I don’t care who knows.

Alright you caught me fibbin but I do love this beer. I wouldn’t bullshit you about that. It’s what the fine people over at Rogue Ales call GYO or Grow Your Own. Meaning they made the beer with their own hops and barley. They even made the sand that made the glass that made the bottles. Then they made metel to make the caps. Again I lie but I am serious about the hops and barley. Makes you feel like you’re helping the world when you drink it.

There is a nice roasted barley aroma to it. Kind of like a good coffee with some chocolate notes. Just a touch of the hops happiness. I don’t know, it’s good people. The taste really shoots up the coffee like flavor. “Black, like my men” as they say. Lots of chocolate here too with more acidic flavor then I’m used to, but not in a bad way. Really good and of the few black lagers I’ve had I ranked this my favorite.

Rogue Ales - Dirtoir Black Lager

Philadelphia Brewing Co. – Joe Coffee Porter

You ever wake up in the morning and automatically get excited to have a beer? I know me too! But then the wife starts telling you that you’ve got a drinking problem and the next thing you know you’re walking into an intervention and your whole family is crying in your living room. Only plus there is usually its pot luck so you’ll at least get a nice lunch out of the whole thing. Where was I though, oh yeah beer in the am. I love a coffee stout or porter for this reason. You don’t feel so bad about drinking in the morning. There’s no need to wait till after 11 am to start your day off.

And thanks to the good people at Philadelphia Brewing Company you now have another tasty option to add to your morning rotation. Their coffee porter is mighty good my friends. According to their website the gang uses about two and a half pounds of coffee in each barrel. I don’t know if that’s a lot but I assume it is or they wouldn’t have pointed it out.

The aroma is just like breakfast in my house. Big coffee notes with some chocolate and caramel coming along. Alright I don’t usually have chocolate and caramel for breakfast but stick with me here. Nice sharp black coffee bite in the flavor is the main focus and that’s a really good thing. If you’ve been disappointed in the past by a lack of coffee flavor in your stout or porter this is the one for you. It’s also named after me… well at least I assume so.

Philadelphia Brewing Co. - Joe Coffee Porter

Philadelphia Brewing Co. - Joe Coffee Porter

Green Flash Brewing Co. – West Coast IPA

Well hello there my little friend! Aren’t you a bitter little bugger? That’s what I said to my Green Flash Brewing Co. West Coast IPA. Why is it a west coast IPA you might ask? Well the brewery is in San Diego, and if the recordings of 2Pac have taught me anything it’s that California is very much on the west side. If you need any more reason that that then you’re against 2Pac and against me and I suggest you move along.

The beer has a sharp piney aroma too it. Lots of hops all up in your grill. Notes of grapefruit come into plat also. I’m excited kids. The first ship has a big sharp bite too it. All about the hops, not to overpowering but defiantly the main focus here. Strong, dry and bitter finish rounds everything out. Really a great example of an American IPA. I love freedom and I think if 2Pac was alive today, which he very well may be, he’d be proud of this one.

Green Flash Brewing Co. - West Coast IPA

Green Flash Brewing Co. - West Coast IPA

Journey Brewing Company

I can’t tell you anything about their beers, when they’re opening or how drunk I’m going to get off of their offerings but I can tell you I’ve know the owner since I saw a little youngster and he’s a great guy. Brian, along with his wife are just getting the process going for opening their Denver based brewery and you all should hop over to Facebook and become a fan. Every time you become a fan an angel gets their wings. I couldn’t think of anything more creative.

Click here to become a fan and get more info.

The Village Idiot – I Miss You So

For whatever reason I’ve been thinking about The Village Idiot a lot lately. For those of you outside of the NYC area The Village Idiot was a bar located in Manhattan on the corner of 14th and 9th. It closed over 5 years ago but there’s not a day that goes by without me looking out the window and getting a little misty about the wonderful magic that went on there, or how I’d probably be dead if it was still open.

When I first moved down to the city about 10 years ago I didn’t really know anyone. So when a guy at my job, Rob, asked me if I wanted to get a few beers I hopped on the chance. We eventually became good friends and did a decent amount of drinking over the next few weeks around the Union Square area. I was a single man then and had no ties at home so I wanted to explore this fine city and all the bars it had to offer. One day he took me down to The Village Idiot. Little did I know that place would change my life in ways people only read about. The first time we walked in it was about 5 in the afternoon and the bartender was piss drunk, topless and wearing her underwear on the outside of her pants. I was in love. We eventually nicknamed her Chim-Chim and over the next few months became big fans of her work. The bartender who came on for the night shift was in a better state, but as the night when on she got closer and closer to Chim-Chim status. That’s the kind of bar this was.

The jukebox was full of old country music, the beer was cheap and there was an endless supply of peanuts for your consumption. Of course the first time we were there and I went to eat some Rob grabbed my hand like that scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” when Indy goes to eat the poison date. You didn’t eat the peanuts. What you did do though is get drunk and thrown them at each other, the bartenders never really seamed to care, sometimes even joined in. The more booze you got in you the worse it would get. Eventually I’d be eating the peanuts.

Over the next couple years the idiot became the spot I would go anytime I got a chance to do some serious drinking. People I knew would complain about the fact that is smelt like vomit, you’d often see cockroaches on the floor and transvestites were regulars. I didn’t care, I loved that damn place. One night I got so drunk there that when I got home I felt that I had to eat something to keep from getting sick. Unfortunately soup was the only thing in my apartment. I spilt some on the floor and neglected to clean it up before putting the pot on the stove and sitting down. When I saw the soup boiling over I ran into the kitchen, slipped on the wet floor and hit the pot which shot boiling chicken soup into my face. The scream I let out was one of the loudest I’ve ever heard. The next day my face was so messed up that people at work forced me to go to the emergency room. I waited two hours for a doctor to give me a sample size Neosporin and a pamphlet on reconstructive surgery. I was not happy. Luckily the burns healed and I’m not a freakish mess today, but I can thank the idiot for that experience.

One night I got off the bus and had to pee so bad that I decided to run the three block hike to my apartment. I got four steps into my job and fell flat on my face, cutting up my hands on the sidewalk. Another night I didn’t notice an air conditioner coming out of a house window and walked head first into the corner. When I moved out of the area a little piece of my head was still embedded into corner of that AC unit. Another night I was there with a buddy of mine and proceeded to do more shots then I’ve ever done in my life. Unbeknownst to my friend every time I took one I put the shot glass in his bag. When we went to leave his bag must of weight at least twenty pounds and to this day he still have those shot glasses. That was also the same night I learned just how expensive a strip club can be in NYC.

I don’t drink nearly as much as I use to back then and I’ve cut hard liqueur completely out. I can say The Village Idiot was the first place I tried Brooklyn Lager and in many ways opened me up to the world of craft beer but I’d be bullshitting if I said I went there for fresh brews. I think we all had a bar like the Village Idiot at some point in our lives, and if you didn’t you’re really missing out on something. After it closed a little part of me died and I spent the next few years trying to find a spot that could take it’s place. I never did. Which is probably for the best really but still the Village Idiot will always hold a special little place in my heart. I rarely go down to the meat packing district anymore. It’s gotten a lot classier, which is a major reason why the Village Idiot couldn’t afford the rent anymore, but when I do and I walk by the old spot I still get a little misty. It’s been occupied by a few different restaurants over the years and I always wonder if the people eating there know what had been on those floors years ago. For their sake I hope not. Go bless you Chim-Chim, whoever you are.

Sierra Nevada – Harvest Series Wet Hop Ale

When I was in middle school for three days I tried to work at the strawberry farm near my parents house. I failed miserably. Outside of being color blind and not being able to tell what a ripe strawberry liked like I also learned quickly that my husky frame did not do well with manual labor. People like me aren’t meant to be in the field for more then ten minutes at a time. I burn easily.

All this makes me appreciate Sierra Nevada and their Harvest Series. A series of beers that is made with freshly picked hops from Yukma Washington and brought directly to the brewery. A lot of people do a lot of picking to make this happen. Yes I’m 99% sure there’s a machine they use to pick the hops but still, it sounds like a lot of work.

I got my hands on their 13 release of the Wet Hop Ale in the series. A sparky little brew with a big hop bite to it. I don’t really know what makes a beer sparky but it sounds kind of nice and then 24 oz bottle that this comes in is doing me good right about now. Joe’s getting a buzz people! But let’s step back for a minute. The aroma of this one like a magical field of hops that just sprouted in my apartment. Little bit of malt and citrus some around too but all about hops. The taste, oh the taste my friends. Sharp hop bite with a nice amount of bitter going on. Great fresh hop taste. Not that I know what fresh hops taste like but I assume it’s like this. Sweet malt taste that balances everything out. If you like the hops, and I bet you do, you should give this one a go. It’s up there on my list of favorite IPAs.

Sierra Nevada - Harvest Series Wet Hop Ale

Sierra Nevada - Harvest Series Wet Hop Ale

Flying Fish Brewery Company – Exit 1 Bayshore Oyster Stout

Let’s take a trip on the happiest road in the world my friends. A magical road that leads to a land of sunshine and gumdrops. A trail so full of wonder and delight it could only be called one thing, the New Jersey Turnpike. Saw that coming didn’t you? You may of heard about the good people over at Flying Fish Brewing and their Exit Series line of beers that celebrate every exit on the greatest highway in the nation. Each stop on the trip highlights another great thing about New Jersey.

Last week I got my hands on their Exit 1 Bayshore Oyster Stout. “Oyster?!” you might be saying right now, “What kind of shit are they trying to pull here Joe!?”. Well I’d first as you not to swear, this is a family site. And second I’d say yes they do actually put oysters in the beer, Delaware oysters to be precise, and it’s wonderful. They give the beer a great creamy texture without any of the strange flavor you might be thinking you’ll get. The beer as more of a rich chocolate flavor and coffee aroma. A bit of a smokey armoa and flavor also but all around a really great beer from what is so far a great series of brews.

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Dogfish Head – Chicory Stout

People toss around the word “love” too much these days. You don’t love Snookie from “Jersey Shore” you’re just envious of her lifestyle and want to be a part of it. But my friends I’m going to go ahead and say it, I like Dogfish Head’s Chicory Stout. I want to date it. If it would have me I would take it away for a romantic weekend getaway and propose to it. We’d have a destination wedding and live happily ever after. My wife knows about this and is fine with it. Well let me clarify that she’s ok with me loving the beer but she thinks the fact that I want to date it is kind of weird. We all have our quarks though.

What makes it so good? It’s like drinking a big tall delicious cup of the best black coffee your. The best cup of coffee your undeserving mouth has ever tasted. Yeah think about it. The aroma is something children dream about at night. Dark chocolate notes dance along with the coffee aroma, both playing nicely with the chicory. The taste is so wonderful I almost cry every time I take a sip. If you’ve ever had coffee down in New Orleans, or at least some place that puts chicory in their coffee, you already have a good idea of what’s going on here. Dark a big dark roasted flavor that just perfectly balanced. The beers got big flavors all around and full bodies but drinkable. Just an all around great beer, it’s defiantly my favorite stout and possibly my favorite beer. There, I said it!

Dogfish Head - Chicory Stout

Dogfish Head - Chicory Stout

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Welcome to the Y2K + 10

Let’s take a look back and reflect on all the exciting things we’ve been through together this past year shell we? We’ve drank a lot of beer, we’ve toppled a alt-rock superstar in the NYC marathon and we learned how to love again. Sure all of this was lost a few months back when the site crashed but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful. Wait, no I’m pretty sure it does. Anyway let’s move on and make 2010 the most acceptable year to date!

A lot of people have posted their beer picks from 2009. I’m not really sure how that’s going to help anyone but if I was forced at gunpoint to pick my favorite beer of last year I’d have to go with Dogfish Heads White Squall IPA. I’d then ask you why you’ve got a run to my head over some stupid beer pick. It made me want to hug and kiss the bottle, which I did. The wife is still mocking me. I wish I could put a link to my review of the beer but remember that crash we talked about? Man you never listen to me.

Favorite beer stop of the year would have to go to Stone Brewing out in San Diego California. An amazing location that if they would allow me to I’d move in. A great brewpub, an acre garden that you can hang out in and a big ass beer selection that allows you to try not only Stone’s beer but others from the area. Great time.

What’s in store for 2010 here at Beer And Joe? Well I’d like to promise you more posts but I won’t lie to you. I’m pushing for at least one a week, hopefully more. Let’s not lie to each other though. Hopefully some guest bloggers will stop by also because lets face it my grammatical errors can only keep people entertained for so long. But where ever this year takes us I will make this one promise to you, you’ll most likely be disappointed by me. You’re welcome!