February Beer of the Month- Yazoo Hop Project #10

Yeah I know......it's March and I am late again. Yes folks, I am going local this month. It's no secret that I love hoppy beers and apparently Yazoo brewer Linus Hall does too. He has been brewing a series of IPAs referred to as Hop Project, in which he varies the varieties of hops for each batch. Hop Project #10 is available at the brewery and select beer bars (#11 is also out). Yazoo has also announced that they received ATF label approval and Hop Project will be in bottles very soon! Linus stated that each bottling will be slightly different from each other. You will be able to check the bottling date and reference the web site to see which batch you have. Nashville needs more quality IPAs on draft and in bottles, so there is plenty of room in my "beer fridge."

Yazoo Brewing Company ( Nashville, TN )

Description: This particular incarnation used Cascade and Amarillo in the mash, Columbus for first wort, Galena at the beginning of boil, Simcoe, Amarillo, and Cascade the last five minutes, and Galena, Cascade, and Amarillo for dry hopping.


Smitty's Review: I sampled this at about 45 degrees from a growler. Pours orange amber with half finger off white head. The nose is about as good as it gets, fully loaded with floral hop goodness. If you want more hop aroma, you would have to chop up a handful of freshly picked hops and vigorously snort them. Medium bodied with a nice earthy mouthfeel. Flavor of pale malts that provide a backdrop to a tame, but dominating grapefruity hop bitterness. There is an average amount of residual sweetness. The bitter finish is sharp and mildy grassy.

Recommended Food Pairing: White cheeses, Thai or Indian food, Wings, Shellfish, Grilled meats (steak, pork, chicken)

Where To Buy: Yazoo Tap Room right now. Check back at Yazoo's web site for additional places to sample on draft. When released, bottled version will be at most specialty beer stores.

New Beer Sightings- February 2009

This might as well be an addendum to my previous post. Last night I went to check out a friend's band at 12 South Taproom and Grill, and was very excited to see that Terrapin Oak-Aged Rye Squared was on tap. Compared to the original version, this is drier with some spicy woodiness. Speaking of rye, I saw that Yazoo Rye Saison is now in bottles. Now will Yazoo PLEASE bottle the Sly Rye Porter?

Before calling it a night, I had a bottle of Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA. As with most of their beers, this does not disappoint.

I have reports that Oskar Blues Ten Fidy is hitting the shelves soon (liquor stores). This is an Imperial Stout..............in a can! And a good one too.

That's it for now. Time to get on the treadmill.

Smitty

Bigfoot Sighting 2009!

I don't get out to the Cool Springs area very often. When I do, I always try to swing by Woody's Smokes and Brews, as well as Cool Springs Wine and Spirits located next door. I had a gift certificate to use at Woody's, and I saw lots of new beers on the shelf. Hell yeah! Keep these new beers coming!

Magic Hat H.I.P.A
Lost Coast 8 Ball Stout (recommended)
Lost Coast Alley Cat Amber Ale
Lost Coast Great White
Starr Hill Jomo Lager
Starr Hill Dark Starr Stout
Starr Hill Northern Lights
Coney Island Lager
Coney Island Albino Python White Lager

I walked out with the Magic Hat H.I.P.A and Boulder Hazed and Infused (I had a hop fix). The Magic Hat must be fresh, because it's very tasty right now, full of sweet citrusy hop flavor. My wife had a bad day, so I went next door to get her some wine and to check out the high alcohol beer lineup. Yes folks, I saw Bigfoot! Sierra Nevada Bigfoot that is. Grab it while you can because once it's gone, you have to wait until next year. I also spotted new offerings from Sam Adams; The Imperial White Ale and Imperial Double Bock in 4 packs. . Unfortunately I was too low on cash to grab everything I wanted. Maybe next month

I was a Frugal MacDoogal last week and noticed that they still had the extremely limited Terrapin Side Project Dos Cocoas Chocolate Porter. This will not be made again so you better hurry up if you want to try it.

That' all for now. Please support craft beer by purchasing these new arrivals.


Smitty

January Beer of the Month- Saison Dupont

As usual, I am late again. This month I decided to pick a summer beer. Why? Because it's a great beer and is new to Nashville. Saison DuPont is a Saison (French for "season"), which is a Belgian summer ale. The style originated as a beer for farm workers who were entitled to up to five liters throughout the workday during late summer harvest season.

Saison Dupont Vieille Provision ( Dupont Brasserie, Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium )

Description: Saison Dupont is a classic Belgian farmhouse ale. This is a beautifully balanced, complex beer that has a refreshing fruitiness and long, dry finish. It is bottled unfiltered so it may be cloudy or have a slight sediment but this is normal and perfectly natural.


Smitty's Review: Pours a hazy gold with a thick frothy head. Wonderful complex aroma of lemon rind, fresh hay, yeast, fruit. Very nice feathery and earthly texture, with a non-prickly carbonation. The flavor is so well-balanced between lemon, spice, pineapple, bread, and herbal hops. There is a nice harmony between the sweetness, dryness, pale malts, and bitterness. Finish is semi-dry and yeasty. Sourness or acidity is not overdone . A classic example of the style and very refreshing. I have seen this been in 750ml bottles AND 4 packs.

Recommended Food Pairing: This is a very versatile beer for pairing. I recommend Sausage, BBQ, Spicy Thai Cuisine, Game, Fruit based desserts, Shellfish, Mussels

Where To Buy: Midtown Wine and Spirits, but I am sure other craft beer friendly liquor stores in the area are carrying this. Call ahead to be sure.