Pour Me: New Belgium's Rampant

Sadly, all my tulip glasses have bought the farm

Has there ever been a time when you were cruising the beer coolers in your local convenience store, and stopped, shocked, and saw something you have never seen before? Sure, the first time was when I saw a 4-pack of Steel Reserve. More to the point, how about a nice craft beer that you have not seen at your fancy-pants grocery store or mega-liquor emporium?

I was shocked, SHOCKED I SAY, when I happened to be in, looking for something not terrible to drink, and happened across this New Belgium Explorer series, Rampant. Mixed in with Fat Tire and Trippel was this new box of beer.

Rampant is an Imperial IPA. This is a surprising addition to New Belgium's typically Belgium-rooted style beers. This is no Abbey or Trippel, but it is not a West Coast IPA either. It is a unique IPA that is surprisingly tasty.

Rampant pours a nice honey-amber-copper color, just like most IPAs. The head is frothy at the onset, but quickly fades into oblivion. The nose is quite hoppy, as the label intones. This is a hop-forward beer, to be sure, and is pretty bitter. My wife took a swig and made the face. You know the face when someone wants to try something, but really didn't expect it to be what it is? Yeah, that face. Anyway, I like it. Rampant packs a punch of alcohol, followed by crisp dryness. Rampant leaves you wanting another sip.

Rampant was my convenience store surprise for the year.

Cutting Class: Cuts of Beef Infographic

I love love love infographics. Check out this one about cuts of beef.

Cuts of Beef infographic by visually.

I never knew the difference between flank and skirt steaks. Interesting, right?

Pour Me: Peter's Brand (Trader Joe's)

Oh, Trader Joe's. The wait for your grand opening in Austin is still a ways off, but I can wait, knowing that everything in the store will be a fun adventure of trial and error. Sure, the closest location to me is currently 60ish miles away in San Antonio. Is it worth the drive, down I-35 just to shop there? Absolutely not. But, if you take a vacation day, and make a very pleasant day trip, why not stop by?

So that is what my faithful compatriots did for Good Friday. While the highlight was absolutely TJ's, the Blue Star Brewing Company did have some excellent fish and chips. Also, the not-so-touristy south end of the river walk is really cool, and a nice place to burn off the beers from Blue Star. Try it, sometime. If I would have had my wits about me, there would be a fish and chips review forthcoming, but I did not plan ahead. Damn.

Trader Joe's is (in)famous for its Two-Buck Chuck, the finest of all dirt wines. TJ's also has it's own label beers, and when I walked past this six pack of tall-boys, I knew I had to pick it up. At only $6.99, I would have been a damn fool not to, right? Right. In addition to loads of other goodies we purchased, I was most excited about cracking one of these open. Most tall-boys I buy these days are more expensive, and have 2 fewer cans. Would Peter's Brand Imported Lager Beer be any good? Probably not! But it was my mission to find out.

Now, the thing about cheap tall-boys is this: they don't deserve a frosty glass. Straight outta the can is the name of the game with these beers. So, I have no idea what the color or clarity of Pete's Lager is. Judging by the lip, I would say straw color to near clear. Yum. Same with the nose. It smelled like a pasteurized can. Though, when I took that first big pull, I immediately thought Heineken. Yes, this is exactly how I remember Heineken tasting, I thought. Further examination confirmed this. It has been a long time since I had a Heineken, but Peter's Brand is damn near what I recall. Somewhat sweet notes of hops, with a smooth finish, and slightly bitter. This is probably the best discount beer I have had in a very, very long time.

Peter's Brand Imported Lager Beer is infinitely drinkable. I would pick up several of these for an outdoor summer party, with a kiddie pool filled with ice and beers. At $6.99, it is a smoking deal.

Pour Me: Real Ale's Mysterium Verum "Imperium"

It has been a really long time since I did a proper brewery visit. The local breweries in Austin have very limited public times, and the one time I tried to attend one, the line, well, it was literally around the block. I suppose that is because this brewery is only open once a month for a tour, for a limited time on a Saturday morning. That, combined with my then pregnant wife resulted in a pass on the brewery tour. It was then I decided that next time, we would go to one that was a bit of a trek away.

Real Ale is located in Blanco, about 50 miles, and 60 minutes away from Austin. Their brewery tours are also pretty limited: Friday afternoons from 2-5. Yeah, who has time to take off work early and drive out to the hill country? We do, apparently. Mostly because we decided to blow town regardless, and took the afternoon off. Not only did we get to go to the gym, we also got to eat lunch together. It is totally worth it to take an afternoon off, especially when it is on a Friday.

Blanco is a pretty small town, so it was surprising that the Real Ale was so damn difficult to find. Looking at Google Maps on the phone, we are almost there, almost there, oops, we passed it. Where was it?! Well, after a bit of forward and back tracking, we found it, and the place was hopping! I guess there are quite a few people that take Friday afternoon off (or are just, you know, unemployed). Well, thankfully it was just a weird packing situation, there was not a crush of people like the previous brewery trip in Austin. My clan strolled up, and we were told the tour would start in about 45 minutes, and to help ourselves to some beers. Gratis. Free. Samples. Yo. Oh, we tried one of each of the beers present on the tap, and while the sample cups were small, the tenders let us roll up as much as we pleased. It was a fast 45 minute wait.

Real Ale had just finished an expansion, and the tour was quite lengthy, though quite informative. It was really fun, and if you are in the Texas Hill Country on a Friday afternoon, I highly suggest checking it out. The brewmaster was very knowledgeable, and everyone on the tour really enjoyed him. The best part was seeing the nascent canning operation, and seeing in the corner of their huge expansion this stack of Fireman's 4. Well, that, and the other best part was seeing where they kept the casks of beer experiments.

Mysterium Verum is one of their experiments. Real Ale takes different beers, and puts them in different kinds of barrels, and ages them for a set period of time. It is an ongoing process, and the one that they happened to have on tap was Imperium.

Imperium is Real Ales Lost Gold IPA aged in American Oak barrels for a minimum of 6 months. In addition, it is treated with a wild yeast found "in the skies around the brewery." Sounds terrifying  right? Well, the brewmaster told us that it is all good, so we believed him. It is a really terrific beer. The color reminds me of an unfiltered amber beer with a thin wisp of head. The nose is loaded with booze and peaches. This beer is tart. It really reminded me of Tart Lychee, which happens to be a very good thing. Imperium is very strong, and crisp on the pallet. On a warm day, it is quite refreshing. There is a nice tinge of malts, and a generous helping of hops. This beer transformed from an IPA to something quite a bit different: a sour ale. It is reminiscent of a jammy wine, only a bit tarter.

With these Mysterium Verum series, they are released only in kegs, so the odds of finding one is limited to the Austin area bars like The Draught House. Although, we did go to dinner in Blanco, and happened across a decent restaurant that had it on tap, and also had an awesome french dip.

I cannot highly recommend a trip to Real Ale enough. If you can budget the time, do it.

Pour Me: Sixpoint's 3bean

I have seen Sixpoint boxes everywhere, but have been intimidated by the box itself. An odd cube, I could not imagine how the beers were fit in there. Well, I finally got the gumption, and decided to try out 3beans.


It has been a very long while since I unboxed a pack of beer, and was left wanting when I opened this up. Sixpoints deals in cans, sure, but they are not your typical 12oz cans. No, these cans are like RedBull on HGH. Tall, extremely skinny, these beers are incredibly different than anything on the market. It baffled me. Confounded me. All that stuff that happens when ones brain cannot process. 

3bean is a combination brew made from Romano, Cacao and Coffee. Interesting, too be sure. Pouring out into a frosty glass (honestly, if you have ever poured out a RedBull, it is exactly like that sensation), 3bean is dark, with a nice milk-chocolaty head. The nose reeks of coffee, with heavy hints of toffee and/or caramel. It is one of the most aromatic dark beers I have had since that Mole Stout. Drinking this beer is akin to drinking an iced coffee. Coffee is the most predominate flavor, followed by subtle malt. In tasting, I noted "[3bean is] Like drinking an espresso out of the can." I really didn't care for it, despite my affinity for coffee and stout. I think I was just put off by the price of a narrow 4-pack ($10+ range) and the extreme potency of this beer: 10%abv. I wanted to like it, but it was just too much, the whole way 'round. 

I am tempted to try another Sixpoint beer, but I need a good recommendation, because clearly, I jumped into the deep end on my first go around. 

Tried & True: Planked Chicken Quarters with Lemon and Herb

Way back when I bought grilling planks from Woot!, I thought that fish was just about the only thing you could use them for. I would be set, because I got a twelve pack, and could reuse them a few times. They would last me quite a long time, considering we don't eat fish a whole heck of a lot. Then I discovered that, to my surprise, there is a lot of great stuff you can do with a plank other than fish.

For example, have you ever tried Planked Meatloaf? I did, and it was probably the best meatloaf I have ever made. So, when I was cruising Serious Eats, I happened across this Planked Chicken Quarters recipe, and knew I had to make it.

Chicken breasts are a mainstay in our house, and we do not venture outside of that very often. Once in a great while, we will do chicken wings, but mostly we stick to the huge bag of breasts (hehe) we get from Costco. Well, I was genuinely surprised that a 4-pack of chicken quarters was actually pretty damn cheap, per pound. This meal was going to be surprisingly cheap to make. Toss in some Mac&Cheese and cornbread, and you have a pretty hearty dinner.

Now, I was a bit intimidated by this recipe. Brining chicken? Making a baste? Seems pretty intense. Well, it is not. It is actually not as time consuming as I thought it would be. Soak the planks well ahead, then made the brine (water, salt and sugar: how easy) and tossed the chicken in. Then made the baste, which was less work than most dinners I put together. The only problem I encountered was getting enough of the baste made. I should have used one more lemon (the recipe must have been for those huge ones). Aside from that, it was easy, and incredibly aromatic.

Pat the chicken dry, season with salt and pepper and toss it on a oiled medium-heat grill. Now, I do not have a charcoal grill, and I am sure using one imbibes a fantastic flavor in the chicken, but, no. I am all about gas grilling, and it made grilling the chicken a snap. Oiling the grill really helps get the chicken off without ripping the skin off. The 5 or so minutes on the grill leave a great char on the skin. Now, the recipe has you char the planks, but I was reusing mine, so I didn't follow that. I am not sure if it I would have done that anyway because the planks I have tend to catch fire really easily, even though they have been soaked for a few hours. Next, you toss on the plank(s) and flip the chicken onto them. Baste liberally (I used all of mine). I turned the heat down a bit so the planks dont ingulf the chicken in flames, and close the lid. I had to leave mine on for about 5 minutes longer than the recipe, but, as always, use a good meat thermometer to make sure it is cooked through.

I highly recommend this recipe if you are serving a small group, and want to make a good impression. Try it out.

Via Serious Eats:

Ingredients

• For the Brine:
• 2 quarts cold water
• 1/3 cup Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
•  
• 4 whole chicken and thigh quarters
•  
• For the Baste
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, mashed with a pinch of salt into a paste
• 1/2 cup lemon juice from about 4 lemons
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
•  
• 2 wood grilling planks, soaked for 1 hour prior to use

To make the brine: Whisk together water, salt, and sugar in a large container until salt and sugar are dissolved. Cut 3-4 slashes down to the bone on skin side of chicken. Submerge chicken quarters in brine. Place container in refrigerator and brine for 1 hour.

While chicken is brining, place olive oil and garlic paste in a small nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. When oil starts to bubble around garlic, remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove chicken from brine, pat dry with paper towels. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place and allow to preheat for 5 minutes.Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place chicken over hot side of grill, skin side down. Cook until skin is browned and slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to tray.

Place planks over hot side of the grill until they start to char and smoke. Flip planks over and move to cool side of grill and arrange chicken quarters on top of planks skin side up. Brush chicken liberally with baste. Cover grill and cook until chicken registers 165°F when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of thigh, 20 to 30 minutes more.

Transfer chicken to serving platter and brush with baste again. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

Pour Me: Laughing Dog's The Dogfather

Just blogging about this beer makes me want to pick one up. Maybe 2.

Dogs are awesome. I have never really cared for cats, mostly because of terrible allergies, but also because I prefer the company of a companion rather than a roommate that I see on occasion, and tears around the house at full speed at 3 in the morning. Dogs are great because they need you to throw the Frisbee so you both can have fun. It's cooperative.

The best part about dogs is that they are chill. Seriously, look at Emma there. She is just chillin' during my Dogfather photo shoot. Sure, she would probably like for me to pour a bit out for her, but no, sorry Em, it's all mine today.

The Dogfather is the first beer I have had from Laughing Dog. I will make sure it will not be my last, because Dogfather is damn good. It is an imperial stout, and pours out like you would expect: very dark, with a milk chocolate head. Since it is a 22oz bottle, I decided to go for my big-boy drinking glass. There is miles of malt to the Dogfather. A hint of alcohol also is present on the nose, but not enough to make you think that this is 10.85%ABV. Sipping this beer is like chewing on some toasted malt. It is great if you like malt, but if you are looking for much else in a beer, you will be disappointed. One thing that I find about a lot of stouts is that they tend to be watery. Not so with the Dogfather. It is my definition of what a stout should be.

My goal is to find the Dogfather on tap. Hopefully at a dog-friendly restaurant.

Pour Me: Odell Brewing's Myrcenary

One of the best things about visiting New Mexico from Austin is being able to get Odell beers. Sure, seeing family is nice. The sights are great, and usually it's a fun vacation, but I swear, it gives me so much enjoyment to find Odell Brewing offerings. They brewed one of my all-time favorites: Easy Street Wheat. I believe the Easy Street is the pinnacle of wheat beers. They also brew a Cutthroat Porter that is one of my top-5 porters. So, I decided to grab a six-pack of Myrcenary on the way back to the land that Odell forgot.

Let's start with the label: sidecars are freaking awesome. And what is that, hops spilling out of those sacks? TOO COOL! Sorry, but I have to say that this is my favorite beer label to date. Myrcenary is a double IPA, just the ticket to warm the cold bones during the harsh winter of Texas. Well, actually, it is a good beer to have on those 70 degree days during winter. Myrcenary pours crisp and golden. There is a wisp of head that vanishes rather quickly. A tropical fruit nose greets you, followed by a more pungent odor of some funk. It is not bad, just different. This beer drinks easily, and has very strong fruity notes. There is actually quite a bit going on, and all of it is pleasant. Myrcenary drinks smooth, with a nice, crisp finish. At 9.3% abv, this is quite potent, but it is very easy to drink 2.

As much as I miss getting Odell's offerings in Texas, it is quite a pleasant treat to have one. I think if I saw Odell's in the store, I probably would have passed on this, but since I so rarely see it, I had to pick it up. I was well rewarded. Though, now I really would like to have more. So, if you can find Myrcenary, pick it up.

Pour Me: New Belgium's Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout

Odds are good that you won't be able to find this one because I waited forever to blog about it. Sorry. The worst part is that this beer is one of the best coffee/chocolate stouts I have ever had. And it's from New Belgium, a brewery not typically known for dark beers, let alone stouts.

It was surprising seeing this beer. New Belgium released a stout? Huh. I figured it was worth a try, though I made sure my expectations were in check. I really like stouts, especially coffee ones. Sometimes they can be incredible, but other times coffee and/or chocolate stouts can go really wrong.  More often than not, they are just unbalanced. Worse, they can be all booze and no real flavor. Coffee and chocolate stouts are a tough nut to crack. Thankfully, New Belgium nailed it.

Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout pours very, very dark. There is a milk chocolate head that evaporates fairly quickly. Looking at the blackness is somewhat intimidating. Though, being the seasoned beer drinker I am, I was up for it. The nose is potent on the malt, then eases into delightful coffee. I was surprised that there was no heavy booze order given that ICCS is 9%ABV.

This stout is probably the most balanced one I have ever had. The malt, coffee and chocolate blend perfectly, and each makes it's character known. The malt dominates on the first sip, then lets the coffee and chocolate hit the back of the tongue. It works wonderfully. Again, I was surprised that there was not a huge hit of alcohol. Consuming several of these would be quite easy, though you would regret it just as easily.

This Lips of Faith brew is absolutely fantastic, and a real progression on the Lips series. What I found interesting is that New Belgium uses locally roasted coffee for this beer. Very cool.

I sincerely hope that Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout makes an annual comeback, if not regular distribution. Well done, NB.

Visualized: A Wine Pairing Chart

This is a pretty neat little chart that shows, in general, what foods pair best with what wines. Handy for novices, though wino's like myself generally drink what we please what we like to eat.

Wine Pairing Chart infographic by madelinep.

Via: Visual.ly