Recent drinks 5/5/13

I know this post's a bit delayed, but with finals week I was drinking a bit less than usual. Now that I'm on the eve of my last final of the semester, things are finally returning to full swing. I'm about to raise a glass here in my own home, but first here's a recap of some drinks I've enjoyed in the past couple weeks.

Stone Smoked Porter (Stone Brewing Company)
For the uninitiated, Stone is not a brewery known for their subtlety. The fact that this beer doesn't pour straight out of the bottle breathing fire is surprising, yet that's not to say that this drink isn't intense. Indeed, with a creamy smokiness more akin to actual wood smoke than the barbecue type of flavor that many other smoked porters carry, this beer is not for the novice drinker. What you'll find here is a dense, delicious, and frothy beer that you can sip slowly on a long night spent in quiet reflection or in the company of good friends. Regardless of the setting, this is definitely one of the better smoked porters out there, period. Grab a bottle and treat yourself properly.

Camp Braggot Ghost Stories (Cigar City/B. Nektar Meadery)
To call this collaborative brew "interesting" or "creative" would be doing it a disservice. The beer pours far darker than I would have anticipated, with an almost fruity nose and a full foamy head. The marshmallow characteristic that is so often associated with this beer is absolutely present, but less so than I had expected. Instead, this is a well-rounded, albeit very sweet, dark and delicious beer. The honey flavor is strong, but not so strong that I would advise non-mead drinkers away from it. Instead, view this as an intriguing and successful experiment in the art of brewing. I'd be delighted to see this one again, although knowing Cigar City's affinity for limited run beers, I doubt it will be any time soon.

Xingu Black Beer
Xingu seems to be a one-beer kinda brewery, so no need to list who makes it. This one caught my eye because my semester's ending and I seem to desire things that are foreign or otherwise "exotic" right now. Clearly my subconscious wants a vacation. With this in mind, I thought to myself that I'd never had a Brazilian beer before. Now I have. It's surprisingly smooth for being a darker beer, yet it's not too light on the palate either. If I wanted something I could sip on for hours, I'd go for this. It's dark without being unpleasant on a hot day.

Dragonhead Stout (Orkney)
This one was purchased based on the label and the fact that I haven't had many Scottish beers. I mean, I love stouts, and it's got a warship or something on it. The beer doesn't disappoint either. It's thick and heavy as crude oil yet the 4%ABV means you can sit with a couple of them in a row without it knocking you out. A really good stout for the times when you might want a smooth yet heavy drink that sits in your stomach like a small meal.

Whiskey Drinker

Greetings readers. Some of you may have noticed that my beer reviews have been slightly less popular than my music reviews. While I'm not eager for popularity necessarily, the popularity of a post does reflect the interests of my readers. With this in mind, I'm changing the nature of my beer-related posts yet again. Unless I experience something quite interesting, I'm going to round up the beers I consumed in any given week with a brief description. This spares me the trouble of writing lengthy reviews for every drink I have and it spares my readers a series of beer posts when it's obvious that most of us are here almost exclusively for extreme music. I'm not sure if this will always be a Sunday thing, but I'm eager to get this started and I think it'll be good fun for all of us. That said, here's what I've been drinking this week.

Evander Brown Ale (Cigar City)

This one has a beautiful caramel body with a thin, almost nonexistent head. The aroma is rather subtle, but the flavor here reminds me of a blunter, more spiced version of the pumpkin beers that show up in the fall. The pumpkin itself is absent, but nutmeg and cinnamon are absolutely dominant flavors in this thin and delicious brown ale. The aftertaste settles in with a light cocoa flavor, somewhat reminiscent of some darker beers I've enjoyed recently from these guys. I'm not always into things that remind me of pie, but this is worth checking out if you're into the style.

Zinneke Belgian Style Stout (Smuttynose)

This beer is ridiculous. It's like somebody made it just for me. I'm not a big whiskey drinker, but bourbon barrel beers just really seem to do it for me. The sweetness of the Belgian yeasts plays nicely with the bitterness of the whiskey barrel as they blend smoothly into a really well-rounded and tasty stout. It's dark, heady, and refreshing. Some people only drink stuff like this in cold weather, but I'm sitting on my sunny porch and loving life right now. Highly recommended, as most Smuttynose Big Beer Series release are.

Positive Contact (Dogfish Head)
This beer is a collaborative effort with and a tribute to rapper Del The Funky Homosapien. While hip-hop and related genres aren't my specialty, I feel the man's legendary status is well-earned and this beer does proper justice. A light and smooth drinker with surprising spice and sweetness from a pairing of cider and cayenne flavors (among many others). Perfect for warm evenings spent in the company of friends. I listened to a tape by No Pleasure in Life while drinking this, but the song this was named after makes quite a good soundtrack too.

Hunahpu's Imperial Stout (Cigar City Brewing Company)

I never thought I'd get to write a review of the legendary Hunahpu from Cigar City, but my roommate was lucky enough to obtain a bottle for household sharing. This beer is released one day each year for the public's consumption, and the crowds come in from all around the country. Last year I remember speaking to folks who had traveled down from New York, and I somehow I doubt they had the farthest journey. Blessed with a near-perfect track record with ratings of 100 from pretty much every beer resource, this drink's growing legend seems intent on competing with Pliny the Elder. Regardless, when this showed up in my home, I knew I had to try it.

Hunahpu pours dark, heavy, and with one of the thickest and darkest heads I've ever seen. This beer isn't just a stout, this is a stout for people who like it dark and heavy. In other words, this is possibly one of the most worthy brews featured here. The chocolate aroma is intoxicating, just in case the 11% alcohol isn't high enough. The smoothness of the beer masks the heaviness well, although a heavily roasted flavor lingers on the back of my palate as I swallow each sip. Obviously this beer is being shared between four people right now, and it's still strong enough for each of us. While it tastes good enough to hoard, it's strong enough and worthy of sharing. I doubt most of you will have the opportunity this year, but keep an eye on Cigar City's website and make travel plans for Hunahpu's Day 2014. I promise it'll be worth it.

Batch 69 Double Cream Ale (Cigar City)

As a Tampa resident, I often get to enjoy many rare and fantastic beers that those outside of my area can't easily obtain. While I know that local brewery Cigar City is rapidly making a name for itself within the craft beer community, I'm not sure how easy it is to find some of their special releases like this. I feel quite fortunate to live nearby, as this American strong ale is mighty delicious.

While similar in color and body to many IPAs, this beer has less of a hoppy bite and more of the light citrus flavor that is characteristic of the style. This beer isn't an IPA though, so there are a few other qualities that distinguish this from some of its hoppy cousins. There's a noticeable sweetness here, with hints of cantaloupe and vanilla playing on my tongue to balance out some of the lighter characteristics that I'm less fond of. This beer has the sweet maltiness of my favorite dark beers but with a drinkability that is generally reserved for lighter ales. This beer could easily bridge the gap in drinking habits for fans of dark and light beers alike.

While you may have to hunt a bit to find this amusingly named brew, it's worth every second (and penny) you spend obtaining it. Grab a bottle while they last, I'm not sure how long you can find this treat.

Year End Extravaganza: Review of Cigar City's Moat Water

As we wrap up the year's festivities this evening, it's time to raise a toast of sorts to the things that make our lives better. I can't think of a better way to do so than with a beer honoring the Skate Park of Tampa's 20 year anniversary, which falls in 2013. Even though Cigar City is far younger than the Skate Park, they've crafted a very mature beer for this special occasion. It's a dark, delicious stout, with smoky hints of vanilla and dark coffee melting into a smooth maple finish. The legend behind this beer is that there's a drainage ditch behind the Skate Park lovingly referred to as "the moat." A liter of the water from the infamous moat was taken back to the brewery where it was mixed in with the batch of beer, providing the name (and a sense of dread) to this delicious beer. While the drink sounds dangerous, welcoming in a new year with a small and delicious risk is quite suitable and appropriate. Drink safely and in good health. Here's to another year of stellar beers and music!

Quick Fix: Cigar City Brewing Company's "Good Gourd"

I'm starting a new feature here on this blog to share new finds of mine that I'm unable to fully document. Whether I hear a great new band while visiting a friend or drink a great new beer at a bar/brewpub/brewery, I want to be able to share it with you guys. This debut post is about an excellent seasonal beer from a local brewery that is gaining national attention. Cigar City have done the seasonal pumpkin beer serious justice with their Good Gourd. I had it on tap at my local hangout, the Independent Bar and Cafe, and found it surprisingly good. It tastes strongly of nutmeg and has a smooth flavor with hints of cider and chai tea. This delicious beer tastes more like gingerbread than a slice of pumpkin pie, and I'm quite okay with that. It's an incredibly limited run, but it's available each year. Find it at your local beer retailer while you can. If you're local to Florida you'll find quite a few options. If you aren't, I recommend hunting this one down. Possibly the best pumpkin beer I've tried this year.