I know you're all surprised that I'm starting this entry off with yet another Toppling Goliath beer.  This time I went for the Mosiac hop bomb Pompeii.  It's exactly what I've come to expect in an IPA from TG.  Loads of amazing aroma, good malt body, and loads more of hop flavor with not too much bitterness.  They always do a great job of balancing their IPA's just right so they're incredibly hoppy without being overly bitter.  Another great example of a Midwest IPA.

I've been saving this bottle for over 6 months to split with my brother in-law.  So, when he came over on Father's Day (to bring me the bottle of Pompeii,) I had to open it up.  This has to be one other the better Barley Wines I've ever had.  Another perfectly balanced beer with the thick, sweet malt, and citrus, hoppy bitterness.  Now I wish I would've grabbed a few more bottles when it came out!

You may also notice my son's new Skylander toy holding my Father's Day gift, a new beer bottle opener/magnet.

Lagunitas Sucks!  Great name and even better beer.  This is by far my favorite offering from Lagunitas that I've had so far.  They make very solid IPA's, but most are just a bit too bitter for my taste.  This one I found not quite so bitter, with a ton of citrus hop aroma and flavor that makes it a pretty damn good brew.  https://lagunitas.com/beers/sucks

I haven't had a lot of Mikkeller beer in the past, what I had was always good, but not blow me away good.  To be honest, their high price tag is usually enough to keep me from trying more.  I found this IPA, Better Half, while I was on vacation, and decided to give it a try.  I was very pleased.  It is a solid IPA, with great aroma and flavor, but again, just a bit too bitter on the back end for me.  But still, if it was a bit cheaper, I would have no problem buying a 6 or 12 pack of these for camping.  They also recently brewed a Double IPA with Toppling Goliath called Nelson Schmelson, which will be in my next entry.  I've heard mixed reviews of it, but I'm very excited to try it.

One of my favorite breweries, Single Speed out of Cedar Falls, got together with another good Iowa brewery from Iowa City, Backpocket.  They brewed this magnificent Golden Bock.  This is not a style I would normally buy, but I decided to support my local breweries, and was rewarded for it.  Huge, thick, malty body, with loads of hoppy goodness.  For less than $5, this 7% ABV treasure is an absolute steal.

I'm about 2 weeks out from my last spinal steroid injection, and yet again, no super powers.  Oh well, at least I'm starting to get relief from the back pain again.  Who knows, maybe next time.  Tomorrow is my family's annual golf outing, I'll be riding along in the golf cart enjoying a few brews instead of golfing, so we'll see what makes it into the next entry.  I also hope to be doing a brewery tour or two soon.

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Don't forget: Life's too short to drink bad beer!

Dogfish Head

Sometimes you just need to get away.  One of my favorite spots to go is Rehoboth Beach, DE.  Great beaches, seafood, amazing beer, and lots of things to do with the family.  Every time I go to the East Coast, I have to pick up some Yuengling Lager.  I know some craft beer enthusiast may give me a hard time about that, but you can't beat a Yuengling Lager on a warm summer day at the beach or at home in the back yard.  https://www.yuengling.com/  For the same price as Budweiser, you get a full flavored lager you can actually enjoy.  They are America's oldest brewery for a reason.  They know how to make good beer.

About 12 years ago, I stopped at a brewpub in Rehoboth Beach for lunch with my wife and my sister.  Not being that into craft beer, I ordered the Pale Ale (about the only beer I really liked at the time.) It was fantastic.  I saw a sign for a Punkin Ale, I've never heard of such a thing, so I decided to be adventurous and give it a try.  What I tasted blew my mind, and changed my life forever.  Since that beer, I've been trying all different styles of craft beer, and have been homebrewing for nearly 10 years.  All because we stopped at Dogfish Head for lunch.  http://www.dogfish.com/

The brewery was started by Sam Calagione 20 years ago, and he pushed the limits of what beer could taste like.  One of the things that he was a pioneer in was continuous hopping.  Prior to that  all brewers added the hops at the beginning and the end of the boil, with some adding a third edition in the middle.  Sam used this old electronic football game, and a bucket with holes drilled in it to shake, and drop the hops in throughout to boil.  It may sound silly now, but it was revolutionary at the time.  Now Dogfish Head is famous for their continually hopped IPA's like 60, 90, and 120 Minute IPA. Below, is the original 10 gallon Sabco Brew Magic that Sam used to start the company, which is now the 11th largest Craft Brewery in the country.

One of my favorite brews is the Palo Santo Marron. http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/palo-santo-marron.htm   It's a 12% ABV Brown Ale aged in the tanks seen here.   Some of those tanks are made of Oak to age beers like Burton Baton as well.  By now you may be wondering how I've gotten all these pictures of this amazing brewery?  The answer is Dan Weber.  Dan is a fellow Iowan who worked for Millstream Brewery before leaving for Dogfish Head nearly 4 years ago.  Here's a bit of info in this link.  https://badassbeer.wordpress.com/2014/01/19/dogfish-head-newsletter/
Dan is now the brewery supervisor at Dogfish Head, and with luck, and help from my brother in-law, Chad, I was able to get a private tour of the brewery from him.

Not only was I blown away by the shear size of the brewery, I was also blown away by Dan's generosity.  He took me and my father in-law, Larry around the entire brewery for nearly 2 hours on his afternoon off.  He indulged me lots of pictures and questions.

Dogfish Head is a special place for me, as it sparked my passion for craft beer, I've even received an email from Sam Calagione years ago.  So for Dan to take time out of his day to show me around, it was truly amazing.  Hopefully I'll get to buy him a beer at Single Speed or Toppling Goliath next time he's in Iowa.

Pictured to the left are some of the fermenting tanks.

We also got to sample a few beers prior to our tour.  I enjoyed a Festina Peche, Grateful Dead American Beauty (a new favorite of mine,) 90 Minute IPA, and a Palo Santo Marron.

Pictured to the right are kegs waiting to be shipped out, about 2 weeks supply or so.  We saw them on the way into the bottling facility and I had to grab a couple of photos of all that beer.  Below are about 2 weeks worth of beer bottled and ready to be shipped out.  It was hard not to pull a Scrooge McDuck and dive into all that wonderful beer!

On our tour, Dan showed us brewhouse 1 and 2, the wood room, the fermenters, brite tanks, keg fillers, the warehouse, the bottling line, the laboratory, and more.  This was a day that I won't be forgetting for a very long time.  To be in the mecca of Craft beer was truly awe inspiring.  And, after 2 hours of standing and walking, my legs were shot, so the best thing for us to do, was head back to the beach side condo for some more beer!

In case you didn't know, Dogfish Head also has a distillery.  It had been in the brewpub, but it's growing so much it has a new home at the brewery.  This is the distillery as they're still getting it ready for operation.  Their Honey Brown Rum is ridiculous, and my mother in-law, Ruth is a big fan of their vodka.
http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-spirits/index.htm

After a great week on the beach with my family, it was time for the 19 hour car ride home.  Never a fun thing!  We made it back home safe and sound, and are trying to get back into our regular schedule (also not easy.)  I had to try out my new IPA glass this week.  Dispite being packed into our car like sardines on the drive home, my Dogfish Head IPA glass made it safe too.  Picture is my Triple Double IPA.  After a few weeks in the keg, this brew has come into its own.  This is one of my favorite beer that I've brewed in the past 2 years.

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Cheers!

Is this Beer Heaven?

 With all the amazing beer and brewery choices out there, it gets a little overwhelming when choosing what to have.  Lately, I've decided to stick with the breweries I know and love, and try more of what they have to offer.  This week, I started off with InterGalactic Warrior from Toppling Goliath.  http://www.tgbrews.com/beer.html#igw  All they do is make great beer, and this just helps add to their growing legend.  To be honest, when they first started out, I kind of scoffed at their name and reason behind it.  I thought this tiny brewery in Iowa has no business going after the "big guys."  Boy was I wrong.  Clark and the gang have done nothing but produce amazing beer, and have truly made a name for themselves in the craft beer world.  They've proven they can brew terrific beer, grow at a reasonable pace, and have one of the best marketing plans in the business.  People just can't get enough of them, and with good reason.  Cheers to TG, and another fantastic IPA in IGW.

      Another Iowa brewery that should get more attention is WestOBeer.  This is only the second beer of theirs I've had, and I have really enjoyed each one.  http://westobeer.com/styles/  This is their Smoked Red Ale.  It already had a non believer in me, as I don't particular care for smoked beers or Red Ales.  Again, I was forced to rethink my preconceived notions, as this beer was incredibly enjoyable.  Just a hint of smoke, great malty balance, and very smooth.  I was extremely impressed with this brew.  Now, they just need to start distributing to my side of the state!

 I like to think I make some pretty good beers too, maybe not on the same level as the two mentioned above, but still pretty good.  This is my Triple Double IPA.  Brewed with 3 kinds of hops (Citra, Mosiac, and home grown Nugget,) and sitting at 7% ABV, I'm pretty pleased with the way this beer has turned out.  If I'm nitpicking, I would replace the Mosiac hops with either more Citra or some Galaxy hops the next time.  Other than that, I have enjoyed my first two glasses from the keg.  This beer is very young, and I expect its flavors to round out a bit in the upcoming weeks.

Pictured above is our new Welsh Springer Spaniel puppy Arson, and his new best friend, our Golden Retriever, Toby.  Arson is finally making progress on his potty training, and has really become a part of the family.  We are all so glad he's a part of home, well, maybe the cats aren't.

I have a private tour set up up with on of my favorite breweries in the whole world.  Tune in next time to read all about it!

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Cheers!

The Brigade

 A few weeks ago, I was looking through a cupboard, and I came across a Black and Tan Turtle that my brother in-law Chad gave me.  Since it hadn't been used yet, I figured it was well past time to break it in.  What you see on the right was the result.  A really nice mix of a refreshing Pale Ale, with the smooth creamy Stout.  This is something I need to do more often.  Thanks Chad!

 I like green tea, and I like IPA's, so this has to be good right?  Not so much.  Don't get me wrong, I've had many beers that were way worse than this, but I will not be buying this again.  There was a green, plant like flavor that I could not get over to enjoy this brew.  To be honest, I was pretty disappointed.  No worries though, Stone makes lots of other great beers for all of us.

A few weeks ago, my Uncle Bill passed away.  I was blown away at the amount of people that showed up for his visitation.  For over 4 hours, there was a constant line of people coming to show their respect.  There was never less than 100 people (probably closer to 150) in line at one time.  Bill spent many years as a volunteer firefighter, and was obviously influential for many of his fellow firefighters.  At the funeral he had a firefighter escort and tribute.  It was one of the most touching ceremonies I've ever seen.  Below is my son, Joseph, in front of the Blasen Brigade fire truck that Bill built.  Bill's son Chuck is now carrying the torch, so to speak, as a firefighter himself, and can be seen at parades driving this truck around the Dubuque area.

 With Spring arriving, I figured it was time to brew an IPA of my own.  Of course I had to have an IPA while brewing for inspiration, so I chose Schlafly's Tasmanian IPA.  This is one of my favorites, easily in my top five IPA's.

This time I brewed an IPA with pellet Citra and Mosiac hops, and nearly a pound of home grown Nugget hops from the freezer.  I also added a large bottle of peach mango juice to the fermentor to enhance the citrus flavors from the hops.  This one is still in the fermentor, and will be transferred to a keg soon.  It should end up around 7% ABV, and so far, it smells amazing, regardless of what my wife says.

In the last blog, I introduced you to Arson, our Welsh Springer Spaniel puppy.  This is him after his first bath, as you can see, he was not impressed.  We are still working on potty training, but he sleeps through the night, is getting along with our other dog and our cats, and is fitting into our household nicely.  He's extremely smart and loving, and is turning into a really good dog.  Now if he'll just stop peeing in the house!

 In many of the online beer groups I'm in, people have been raving about Surly's Abrasive Ale, a Double IPA.  Surly is brewed in our neighbor to the north, Minnesota, and they recently started to distribute here in Iowa.  Every store I went to had quickly sold out of this brew, so I did what anyone would do, and grabbed a 4 pack on a recent trip to MN.  At $18 a 4 pack, I asked several people if it was worth it, and they all said yes.  After trying it, I'd have to agree.  http://surlybrewing.com/beer/abrasive-ale/  The Warrior and Citra hops hit you from the aroma, to the oil, to the tropical taste.  This beer is loaded with hops, yet at over 9% ABV is dangerously smooth and easy to drink.  I'm 3 for 3 with Surly beers so far, and really need to try more from them.  This is a brewery to keep an eye on.

One of the best parts of the Craft Beer craze, has been the access.  For years I've read about certain breweries or beers, and now I'm able to find many of them in stores locally without driving across the country.  It seems like a few of Breckenridge Breweries beers have been available in Iowa for a while now, but just recently, they've been distributing more variety to us.  This 72 Imperial was a gift from my friend Pat.  Now I owe him, because this was fantastic.  Smooth, thick, and creamy, this is what a Cream Stout should be.  http://www.breckbrew.com/brews/barrel-aged-72-imperial  This is a must try beer.

Next time you head to the store, be sure to pick up a beer that you haven't had before.  I like to do the 6 pack samplers, than if I really liked something I may go back for a 6 pack of that beer, it's a great way to see what's out there.

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Pappy Van Crinkle

 You may have heard of the legendary Pappy Van Winkle before.  When my good friend Pat came to visit recently, he brought this treasure to share.  This particular bottle had been aged for 20 years, and I think that time was well worth it.  This was easily the most complex bourbon I've ever had in my life, and may ever have again for that matter.  Pat was generous enough to share this rare find so we could enjoy the smooth, rich and chewy bourbon.  The taste of oak and vanilla and a bit of molasses was also evident.  If you ever have an opportunity to try this elusive White Whale do so, and you won't be disappointed.
Below is a combined haul that Pat and I had in possession, and it was worthy of a photo.

 How do you follow up maybe the best bourbon in the world?  With one of the best stouts that I've ever had, that's how.  By now, you're probably sick of me saying how great Deshutes Brewery is, but I can't help it.  They make amazing beer, and this is one of the best yet.  http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brew/the-abyss You can click on the link for more of a description on this beer, but let me just tell you it was complex and amazing.  Thick, rich, black as midnight, great stout flavor with molasses cutting through.  This is another bottle that if you see it, don't let it get away, or you will deeply regret it.

 This is the first beer of the Planet series by Bell's that I came across, so I had to try it.  Now I wish I didn't.  I'm a huge fan of Bell's overall, but this one was definitely not to my liking.
http://bellsbeer.com/planets/mercury/  The Belgian style ale boast complex flavors, but I just tasted an "off" funk and straw.  This is not a beer I will be drinking again, but am still interested in trying more of their Planet series as I'm sure they can redeem themselves.

 Meet the newest addition to our family.  Arson is a 12 week old Welsh Springer Spaniel.  We will be his forever home, while co-owning him with the breeders so they can show him, and if he does well, maybe breed him a time or two.  For us, he's just part of the family.  He's moved right in taking over Toby's bed, chasing the cats, and unfortunately, peeing on everything!  We are still working on the potty training.  Toby and him are getting along great.  It can get a bit chaotic with the two of them, but hopefully now the rain will stay away, and we can play outside more.

In other news, my Uncle Bill passed away this week.  This has been a bit of a shock for the whole family.  I justed wanted to say how loving and kind he always was, and I'll never forget him.  Bill insisted on installing the first set of hand controls in my car when I was learning to drive, because he cared, and knew how important it was for me to be able to do normal things.  It's sad it takes losing someone to make you realize what an incredible group of friends and family you have in your life, and I've truly had amazing ones in mine.

Iowa Beer

 With new breweries popping up all the time, Iowa is quickly becoming a beer powerhouse state.  There are so many great options available it's hard to know where to start.  Toppling Goliath in Decorah has already made a name for themselves in the national beer industry.  Golden Nugget is a prime example of why.

Sure they make other great beers like Pseudo Sue that get more attention, and their barrel aged beers are really what has gained them national attention.  But when I'm looking for a great IPA, Golden Nugget is at the top of my list.  Now that this beer is readily available, I think it gets overlooked, but it's solid from start to finish.  Fresh hop aroma hits you right way, good solid malt backbone to compliment the loads of fresh nugget hops that go into this IPA.  Yet it's still incredibly smooth, and no too bitter.  Seriously in my top 3 best IPA's I've ever had.  Cheers to Clark and the gang at TG!
http://www.tgbrews.com/index.html

 I've heard a lot about this brewery online lately, but they don't sell in my neck of the woods.  Luckily, my amazing wife, Tonya, picked up this beauty on her latest business trip to Des Moines.

It's easy to see why this is a gold medal beer from the 2014 Great American beer Festival, especially as it warms to room temperature and breathes a bit.  Wow, there is a lot going on in this beer, from the chocolate to vanilla, great malt flavor, and again, it's extremely smooth and very drinkable.

Great work by the guys at West O Beer, I'm looking forward to trying more of their brews, and even have a Smoked Red Ale waiting in my fridge.  If you're in central or western Iowa, you need to seek their out their brews.
http://westobeer.com/

Okay, so Bell's isn't an Iowan brewery, but the are a Midwestern powerhouse.  This Michigan based brewery has been producing amazing beers for a while now, and it's great to see their expansion into Iowa.

Michigan is well known for their cherries, so it only makes since to make some beer with them.  Bell's produces another solid brew with their Cherry Stout, and they do a good job balancing the cherry flavor with their malt.

Bell's is one of those breweries that at any given time, you will find some in my collection, they just make good beer.  Period.

It seems spring has come early in Iowa this year.  The sun is out, the snow is mostly gone, and even the birds are chirping.  Spring is an interesting time of year, because you want to start drinking the lighter beers like IPA's and Wheats, but I know I still have some great Stouts in my collection that I can't let go to waste.  Either way, I know it's time to fire up the grill, and of course enjoy some great craft beer while doing so!

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For other Iowa beer releases and reviews, also check out @iabeerbaron on Twitter.
Also, check out my fellow small town Iowan, Ronnie at http://lifetimebeerbook.blogspot.com/
Remember, life is to short to drink bad beer.

The Land of Cheese and Beer

 In my last blog, I said how New Glarus was one of my Top 3 favorite (non-Iowan) breweries and Enigma is a huge reason for that.
This is a Sour Brown Ale (see link below,) aged with cherries in oak barrels.  If you're not familiar with sour beers, this will be a beer experience like none other.  It's sweet, sour, smooth, yet complex, and always leaves you wanting more.  The first time I had one, I was bewildered by such a brew, and about half way through the glass, I decided it to be one of the beers beers I've ever had.  That still hold true today.  This is a limited release, and only sold in Wisconsin, so hurry to the land of cheese and beer before it's gone!

Pictured below is their Belgian Red with loads of cherries.  It makes the perfect desert beer, it's very sweet, so you might want to share the bottle with someone.
http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/index.cfm/beers/ourbeers/beer/enigma

Desert in a glass

Several weeks ago I brewed a Porter with my fater in-law Larry.  Two weeks ago, I kegged the beer along with a very strong pot of dark roast coffee, and what you see below is the end result.  This young beer already had a thick foamy layer, leading to a smooth, and thick body for a very tasty beer.  This one needs to age a bit, and maybe a touch more carbonation, but it is a winner.  Thanks Larry for the help brewing, now you need to come over and help drink the "Old Man's Coffee Porter."

I'm going to keep this entry short, and in turn, will be adding another very soon.  A few Iowa beers will be highlighted next time.

Cheers!!!