Nashville Beer Geek - Beer Reviews - News - Events

An Update On Tennessee Senate Bill 2167

2012-01-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

Great work by Doug Brumley over at The Fledgling Brewer. Apparantly high gravity beer is not the target. Read more. However, it's still a huge concern the the language was vague enough that it could include craft beer. We still need to contact our legistlators to be sure that they exclude ALL high gravity beer in the final language. And for the record, I am not in favor of the unelected ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Commission) having discrentionary power to make rules in regard to liquor sales in TN. Stay tuned....

Smitty

Tennessee Legislators Want To Limit Sales of High Gravity Beer

2012-01-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

For crying out loud. Just when craft beer is on the up and up, we have boneheaded legislators sneaking in a bill to kill the momementum. That in turn puts brewers and retailers at a disadvantage, and causes money to leave the state. Craig Mangum, Nashville Beer Geek's legal consultant (not really, just sounds cool), has analyzed the bill and with an op ed. If you have the time, please contact your legislator and voice your opposition to this bill. I have been told that phone calls have more impact than emails. Read more (it's also reposted below)

From Craig Mangum' Beer Law Blog:

Big Brother wants to tell you how much high gravity beer you can buy and how many you can consume in one sitting. On Wednesday, a bill was introduced that requires the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission to limit the amount of “certain high alcohol content beverages” that a liquor store can sale to a customer in one day. The bill would also require the ABC to limit the amount of “certain high alcohol content beverages” that can be sold to a bar patron in a single day.

The bill as proposed is bad policy for too many reasons to list. Some of the highlights:

I.                    The bill requires the ABC to set the limits. No discretion.

The bill is straightforward in one regard; Tennessee ABC must pass rules and regulations restricting the sales of high alcohol content beverages. No discretion.

II.                  The Bill passes the buck to the ABC to set the limit on how many high-alc beverages can be sold.

If limited discretion to pass rules restricting the sale of high-alc beverages was bad, giving unlimited discretion on what limits can be set is worse. Is one high-grav beverage per sitting enough? What about a limit of one six pack per customer? The ABC has huge discretion in this area. Proponents of the bill will likely argue that the ABC will promote reasonable restrictions. Maybe it will (Though I would argue that any restriction is unreasonable). However, is this the type of discretion that should be given to non-elected officials? Moreover, the ABC could easily change its rules year to year and wouldn’t need legislative approval to do so.

III.                The bill only targets high-alc beer, not wine or spirits.

The Bill requires “certain high alcohol content beverages” be (further) regulated but does not define what constitutes a “certain high alcohol content beverage”. What high alcohol beverages are to be targeted? It is clear from the synopsis of the bill and the language used that the intent of the bill’s sponsors is solely to regulate high-alc beer. The only type of “high content alcohol” mentioned in the synopsis of the bill is beer. Moreover, within the current Tennessee statutes only the definition of beer with more than 5% abw is labeled “high alcohol.” Wine is simply defined as fermented grape juice (not to exceed 21% abv).

While sales of wine and whiskey could certainly be restricted by the language of the bill (if beer above 5% abw is high alcohol, so is wine and spirits); the bill does not require that all “high alcohol content beverages” be regulated in this manner. Will the commission limit the amount of wine or whiskey that can be sold to a single customer in a single day? Don’t bet on it. This bill was clearly targeted at high alcohol beer.

IV.                Bad for business.

Tennessee certainly does not have the worst beer laws; that distinction belongs to Mississippi. However, it’s still not a stretch to state that Tennessee is not the most beer-friendly state. For Sierra Nevada to even consider Tennessee as a destination for its new brewery project, Tennessee’s laws had to change. This bill is a step backward. Even if the ABC sets “reasonable” restrictions, this bill does not promote a friendly climate for breweries, distributors or restaurants/bars.   It is simply bad for business.

There are numerous other problems with the bill, such as how it will be enforced (will ABC require liquor stores create a daily list of people who buy high-alc beer and the quantity purchased?). At the end of the day, the State should not tell its citizens how many Dale’s Pale Ales (6.5% abv) they can have, especially when there is no limit on the amount of Sierra Nevada Pale Ales (5.6% abv) one can purchase. This is government paternalism at its worst.

Currently, the bill has been sent to the Senate State & Local Government committee and has yet to reach committee in the house. There is still time to contact your legislators and the committee members to stop this bill from passing.

Beer Review - Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye

2012-01-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

Do you like Sierra Nevada? Do you like hoppy rye beers? If so, you are in luck because Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye hit Nashville shelves yesterday. It's a new beer in their portfolio that will be replacing Glissade as an early winter seasonal. Enough bs...let's pop the cap on this.

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. -Chico, CA

ABV: 6.6%

Smitty's Review: Sampled at 50 degrees. Pours medium orange amber with an ivory head that dissipates to a 1/8" retentive ring, sparce lacing. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Aroma of floral hops and sweet fruity ale esters, which has a house character that I recognize instantly. The malt profile is quite nice - in which the rye blends nicely with the toasty and caramelly notes. The bitterness is spicy and assertive, with almost a mild pepper-like quality to it. As far as attentuation, this definitely leans to the drier side. Long hoppy and dry finish, with a hint of orange and tea coming in as well. As it warms, I sense a small amount of alcohol.

This is an excellent beer and worthy of a repeat buy. I think Sierra Nevada has a winner, and I am not going to miss Glissade one bit. I love the label as well. But for those that do not like, or have a low tolerance for hops, you may want to pass on this one.

• Rating*: 9 out of 10
• Recommended Food Pairing: Cured meats, soft buttery cheeses, pork loin, rotisserie chicken
• Value: Moderate at $9.99 per six pack
• Beer Audience: Hop heads
• Where to buy: Craft beer specialty stores like Midtown, Frugal MacDoogal, J Barleycorn, Red Dog, Graces Plaza, etc.

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

Smitty's Tips for 12 South Winter Warmer

2011-12-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

I am excited, how about you guys? I know most of you have attended beer festivals and know the routine. But just in case there is anyone somewhat new to a high alcohol beer festival, I thought I would share some pointers. Please don't take this as me acting like some know-it-all. I am just trying to be helpful so that everyone has a blast. Cool?

1. Unlike the summer beer festivals, these beers will be 40-50% higher in alcohol. So do the math. Twelve 2 ounce pours over 1 hour will be 24 ounces, which is about the size of a bomber. If you go at that pace for 4-5 hours drinking 9-11% beers, you are likely to get pretty messed up. Trust me on this - these beers sneak up on you FAST. There are over 100 beers, so you are unlikely to try them all. Just pace yourself and keep track of how much you are drinking. I have seen seasoned beer festival goers drink too much too fast. Let's just say - they did not remember much. I don't know about you all, but I want to remember the great beers I try. As they say, "It's a marathon, not a sprint."

2. Drink lots and lots of water. I drink water in between every beer. It keeps you hydrated in addition to slowing down your drinking pace. Sure it will be more trips to the porta john, but you'll thank me in the morning.
3. Do not start the festival on an empty stomach. There will be great food vendors there as well, so refuel with more food midway through the festival.
4. Beers will run out during the festival, so I suggest you hit the ones you really want to try first. I like to map my top 15 or 20 before hand.
5. If there are people behind you in a serving line, be polite and step aside once you get your pour. Try not to congregate or chat at the serving table. It's an etiquette thing....
6. Make sure you have a designated driver or take a cab home. .08 is the legal limit in TN and it does not take much to reach it, especially at a high gravity beer festival. A DUI will go on your permanent record and will cost you $3-$5000 and 48 hours jail time. It also jeopardizes the safety of others on the road. Don't risk it. That ends the PSA.

See you there!

Smitty

December - New Brews and Other News

2011-12-05T06:21:00.000-08:00

Seasons Greetings craft addicts. Lots to report this month. First, 12 South Winter Warmer is this weekend. Unfortunately if you don't have a ticket, it's sold out. There will be over 100 beers to sample, many of which are special release, rare, or out of market beers. I will running around helping out organizer Matt Leff and other volunteers. Come up and say hi!

I am really excited about the announcement that Green Flash Brewing Co. is coming to TN. Hopheads rejoice! The west coast goodness will be arriving in January. Their Belgian stuff ain't bad either! Expect an appearance at 12 South Winter Warmer. Read more below:

Just wanted to let you Middle-TN folks know that we (BountyBev) will be releasing Green Flash to the Middle TN market in January of 2012! The initial launch will be with Hop Head Red, West Coast IPA, Le Freak and their new brett, belgian pale-Rayon Vert! It looks like Q1 of 2012 is gonna be a doozie!

Cheers,

Joshua Scutella

Director & Better Beer Guy

BountyBev

Have any of you tried beers from Calfkiller? If not, the Calfkiller Beer Dinner is a good opportunity not only to try the beers, but to meet the brewmasters as well. It will be held at the Flying Saucer on December 19th at 6pm. Read more below:

“Calfkiller is a spectacular brewery that has become incredibly popular in the Nashville area,” said Brandi Allen, general manager of Flying Saucer. “The Sergio brothers are doing some amazing things at their brewery, and they have been great about showcasing some really fun elements in their beers. We know our guests are going to love whatever surprises they have in store for us!”

Admission is $25 for U.F.O. members and $30 for non-members. The event is sure to reach capacity, so customers are urged to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets can be purchased at Flying Saucer or by calling 615-259-3039.

The Belcourt Theatre will be showing the documentary Beer Wars on December 15th. Doors open at 6:30pm and admission includes two free pints of Yazoo and a Q&A discussion panel afterwards. Click here for pricing and ticket information. Sorry that I won't be there, but I have a brewery in Muster, IN to visit. Wink!

Midtown Wine and Spirits reports that they have received Lakefront IPA, Lakefront Holiday Ale, Ommegang Adoration, New Belgium Prickly Passion Saison, and Schlafly Christmas Ale. No word on my perennial favorite Sierra Nevada Celebration.

See ya at the Warmer!

Smitty

Beer Review- Stone Vertical Epic 11-11-11

2011-11-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Veterans Day everyone. Special thanks go out to all who have served our great country. I raise a glass to you all. Now on to the beer....

Far starters, I like Stone Brewing Co. They brew good beers and have great branding and marketing in the arena of craft beer. Plus they have one of the most impressive headquarters I have ever seen in my beer travels. If you are ever near Escondido, CA, I highly recommend you check out Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens. Since it's November 11, 2011, I figured that the new Vertical Epic 11-11-11 would be the perfect beer to review.

Stone Vertical Epic 11-11-11

Stone Brewing Co. -Escondido, CA

ABV: 9.4%

Smitty's Review: Sampled at 50 degrees. Pours copper amber with a dissipating beige head. The aroma was nice, which smelled like cinnamon red hot candy and banana-esque esters. Medium bodied with average carbonation. The Belgian malt backbone is toasty with a hint of chocolate, but cinnamon and Anaheim chiles really take center stage here. They blend really well and do not overpower with spice or heat. Yeasty and warming finish, but perhaps too heavy on Belgian phenols that come across as medicinal and musty. While this beer is complex, I don't find the ingredients to be harmonious. I am probably going to be in the minority here, but this beer is sort of a letdown. It's more odd than it is enjoyable. I still think that any adventurous craft beer drinker should give this a try. It's only going to be around this one time, and they are flying off the shelves pretty fast to collectors. Feel free to comment on your impressions.

• Rating*: 6.75 out of 10
• Recommended Food Pairing: This would ruin a meal for me, perhaps some mild white cheeses.
• Value: Moderate at $8.49 per bomber
• Beer Audience: Adventurous craft beer drinkers
• Where to buy: Craft beer specialty stores like Midtown, Frugal MacDoogal, J Barleycorn, Red Dog, Graces Plaza, etc.

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

New Brews & Other News - November

2011-11-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

First the bad news. If you have not heard, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. eliminated Tennessee off their short list. Doug Brumley over at Fledgling Brewer broke the news. I have no hard feelings toward Sierra Nevada. Business decisions are not always easy to make among finalists. They have not released any explanations or listed factors that led to the elimination. Hopefully this will be a lesson to lawmakers that antiquated beer laws need to be changed because they are hindering economic growth. Speaking of Sierra Nevada, Celebration should be hitting the shelves any day now - how ironic.

On the high gravity side: Abita has released 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog. It's basically an imperial version of Turb Dog with vanilla. I think I may need to try this one. Sweewater's winter spiced beer Festive Ale is also on the shelves, and very tasty. I know that this is a little late, but there may be a few bottles from the Samuel Adams Small Batch Series releases floating around. Look for Vixen Choclolate Chili Bock, Tasman Red IPA, Griffin's Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine, and Third Voyage Double IPA.

On the low gravity side: Look for Yazoo Fall Lager anywhere Yazoo is sold. If you like a lager with an extra hop kick, you want to check this out. I also spotted Hop Project 60 on the shelves.

The Music City Brewers Brewoff is this weekend. It is being held at the Mariott in Goodletsville. For more information, visit the website here.

12 South Winter Warmer sold out in about 3 hours! Sadly, there are people scalping these tickets on Craiglist. I know that it's the norm for sold out events, but selling tickets for a CHARITY EVENT to line your own pockets is not cool. Matt Leff from Rhizome Productions really knows how to put a beer festival together. He is bringing in lots of special and limited release kegs, including an offering from Jackie O's (Athens, Ohio). Christmas will be coming early for the beer geeks and tickers.

For those of you attending, be sure you have a designated driver or take a cab home. Many of the beers will have a higher alcohol content and will impair your ability to legally drive, in addition to threatening the safety of others on the road. A DUI in TN is very costly and will be on your record for life. Be responsible. End of public service announcement.

That's it for now. I will try and find a beer to review in the next week or so.

Cheers

Smitty

Tennessee Beer Festival tomorrow

2011-10-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

There are still tickets left for the Tennessee Beer Festival held at the historic Two Rivers Mansion, held this Saturday Oct. 15- noon to 5. I have yet to check this one out because it conflicts with my children's soccer games. The ironic thing is that it's held about 1 minute from where they play. Oh well. If you like craft beer and need something to do, you can get information and tickets here

Oh yeah...parking is FREE!

A Few Important Reminders.....

2011-10-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

I apologize that I have not been more active over the last two months. It's my peak season for my business and I have little time to do anything but work and sleep. The good news is that life is about back to normal, I can start posting more often.

Before I scoot, there are two important things you all need to be aware of (if you are not already). First, 12 South Winter Warmer tickets go on sale Friday at 9 am CST. There are only 750 tickets, and IT WILL sell out fast. Don't wait. Worst case scenario, you can sell them easily if you have to cancel. UPDATE: Event is SOLD OUT. I have spoken with organizer Matt Leff a few times over lunch, and he let me in a few of the offerings. I can assure you all that no one will be disappointed. I have a good feeling that Matt is going to raise the bar Nashville and regional beer festivals. In fact, I'll most likely be helping out! Here is an excerpt from the official website:

"The 12 South Winter Warmer is Nashville's first and only winter beer festival. This will be an epic day in Sevier Park showcasing the finest stouts, porters, barley wines, winter seasonal's, and barrel-aged beers. To make this event an even more memorable time for our guests it will be limited to 750 people. Tickets will go on sale October 14th at 9 AM CST, and are $45. Tickets include festival entry, tasting glass, and unlimited 2 ounce samples."

Need something to do on Saturday Oct. 22? Check out the Flying Saucer Fall Beer Festival. It's really more of a "nano festival", but it is well-organized with a smaller, but quality selection of craft beer. Tickets are $25 online, and $30 the day of the event. It's held right out in front of the venue, and goes from 2pm to 9pm. It definitely gets my recommendation based on my experience last year.

Now it's time to try Red Brick Double IPA and go to bed. Have any requests for beer reviews? Shoot me an email. Cheers!

Smitty

Upcoming Festivals For October

2011-09-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hello craft addicts. Again, sorry I am not quite as active this time of year, but I have to earn a living and this is my peak season. Let's cut to the chase. You have two beer festivals to choose from in October (or you can go to both).

There is the Nashville Beer Festival on Oct 1st. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the official web site. Some of the breweries reported to be making an appearance are Boscos, Blackstone, Calfkiller, New Belgium, Brooklyn, Stoudt's, Chattanooga, Starr Hill, Caldera, Kona, Innis & Gunn, Red Hook, Ft. Collins, Widmer, Magic Hat, Butternuts, Atlanta, Hat Trick and Broadcast.

On October 22, you can also attend the Flying Saucer Fall Beer Festival. It goes from 2pm-9:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.beerknurd.com/stores/nashville/ . I attended this festival last year and had a blast! While it is a smaller festival when it comes to quantity, it is well-organized and focuses on quality. Don't believe me? Take a look at the line up:

West of Eden Tent

Lazy Magnolia Sweet Potato Stout – Kiln, MS

Schlafly American Pale Ale – St Louis, MO

Left Hand Sawtooth ESB – Longmont, CO

New Belgium Lips of Faith (Kick) – Fort Collins, CO

East of Eden Tent

Terrapin Hopsecutioner – Athens, GA

Boston Beer Company – Boston, MA

Ommegang Abbey Ale/ Witte – Cooperstown, NY

Highland Oatmeal Porter – Asheville, NC

Local Tent

Jackalope Bear Walker Brown – Nashville, TN

Calf Killer Sergio’s Ole Evils Ass Bullshit Ale – Spartan, TN

Chattanooga Imperial Pilsner – Chattanooga, TN

Yazoo Cask Ale – Nashville, TN

Captain’s Picks Tent

Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale – Chico, CA

North Coast Old Rasputin – Fort Bragg, CA

Victory Prima Pilsner – Downingtown, PA

Heb’rew Lenny’s Bittersweet IPA – Saratoga Springs, NY

Ur not Worthy Tent

Dogfish Head Red & White / Punkin – Milton, DE

Lucky Bucket Certified Evil / IPA – La Vista, NE

Rogue Chatoe OREgasmic Ale – Newport, OR

Stone Brewing Belgo Anise/ Russian Stout/ 15th Anniversary Black IPA– San Diego, CA

Full Pint Tent

Stoudt’s APA – Adamstown, PA

Sweetwater Sch’weat Pale Wheat – Atlanta, GA

Brooklyn Brown Ale – Brooklyn, NY

Hap ‘n Harry’s Lager – Nashville, TN

And finally, on the 15th you can attend the Tennessee Beer Festival at Two Rivers Mansion. For tickets and breweries, click here.

That's a lot of beer festivals in one month! Now it's time for some shut eye. Hopefully when things slow down I can review a few beers. Feel free to send me suggestions (brewers send me some samples..wink wink).

Smitty

12 South Winter Warmer

2011-09-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Stop what you are doing and mark your calenders right now. Tickets for 12 South Winter Warmer go on sale in about a month. Tickets are limited to 750. Mark my words, IT WILL sell out. This event is being organized by Matt Leff, the same craft beer aficionado who put together the awesome East Nashville Beer Festival.

I recently met up with Matt to hand off some beers from my travels up north, and he listed off a few of the kegs that will be present. If you like barrel-aged and limited release beers, then you will be one happy attendee. All the players in the Nashville beer scene will be also present. Check the website or facebook page for more info.

Sorry for the long hiatus. I am in the height of my busy season- but i will be back in full force soon. The good news is that there are other Nashville bloggers to keep you company (look to the right)

Cheers

Smitty

Waz Goin On?

2011-07-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'll try to make this quick and as unprofessional as possible.....

Blackstone Brewery's bottling line is up and running, which means you have access to more locally brewed beer in bottles. Look for them any day now. Congrats to Blackstone for the successful expansion. I have been a fan and patron for years. You guys rock!

Music City Brewers Festival is this Saturday, but you can also partake in some pre-festival celebration fun. On Friday July 29th, you can try the Schlafly Dry-hopped APA on cask at WOW Cafe at 4pm (Mt Juliet). This is a great beer and the east side does not get much craft beer love- so jump on that opportunity. Later on 12 South Tap Room will have a Cask Beer Extravaganza starting at 6pm. Get there early.

I have been getting a few questions about the Nashville Beer Festival at Riverfront Park on Oct. 1st. Yes, tickets are on sale and you can purchase them at their website. As far as breweries, I have no idea who is officially participating, but I am told that it will be posted soon.

For those going to the Music City Brewers Festival....stay cool. I am skipping it this year, as I'll be heading back to Illinois for a few weeks. And yes, I will be beer hunting and tasting lots of craft beer.

Cheers

Smitty

Like Sours? Check This Out

2011-07-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Nashville's own Brandon Jones has started a blog dedicated to sour beers. He is an expert homebrewer, beer collector, and aficionado- so the blog is guaranteed to be informative and insightful. See link below

Embrace The Funk

July - New Brews & Other News Part Two

2011-07-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

It's official. Calf Killer will take over six taps at 12 South Tap Room on July 22. Even better, you have a chance to meet the brewers. I am checking on the exact time, but assume it will be sometime in the early evening. These guys brew some nice beers, so try to check them out and welcome them to Nashville. Thank the dudes over at Bounty Bev for bringing them to town.

I hear that there are still day session tickets available for the Music City Brewer's Festival. Visit their web site to purchase tickets. I don't plan on going this year, but you never know.

On the low gravity side, look for the IPA and Red Ale from Marble Brewing out of Albuquerque, NM. I am hearing good things. I just picked up a six of the IPA for $8.99 at Midtown and will find out for myself. Midtown was also filling growlers of the limited Sierra Nevada Bonaroo Ale, which is supposed to be an American twist on a Farmhouse Ale.

One the high gravity side, Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison has just arrived. I was extremely happy to see that Boon Oude Gueze Traditional Lambic Ale on the shelves. This is tasty blended lambic aged in oak vats for two years. Right next to it was Boon Kriek Mariage Parfait Old Style Cherry Lambic. This beer is great now, and will also cellar very nicely. I expect the hardcore beer geeks to snatch these up quickly, so don't wait too long. Don't forget that there are still some old stock bottles of Lindeman's Cuvee Rene floating around, which is a very nice Gueze. Nashville has lacked selection in the Lambic department, so it's nice to see some progress.

I am sure I forgot something, but that's all I can think of for now. Cheers!

Smitty

July - New Brews & Other News

2011-07-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

Do you like Saisons? I sure do. Brooklyn Brewery Sorachi Ace has hit the shelves and this one is a must. The Japanese Sorachi Ace hop adds some very nice lemon grass characteristics and blends perfectly with the farmhouse style yeast strain. Look for it at your favorite Liquor store with a good high gravity selection.

Remember how the East Nashville Beer Festival kicked ass? Organizer Matt Leff is at it again with the City House and Brooklyn Brewery Craft Beer Dinner. Click here for more information. Also, if you don't get an answer, keep calling. You darn well know if Matt is involved, it won't suck. Space is limited. UPDATE: Sold Out

Sparta TN brewers Calf Killer are coming to Nashville! For those that missed them at East Nashville Beer Festival, these guys really know how to brew. According to Josh at Bounty Bev, expect a killer release party at 12 South Taproom very soon.

Stoudt's high gravity beers are fresh off the truck. Look for the IPA, Fat Dog Imperial Stout, and Triple.

That's it for now. Heading out to get some Sorachi Ace!

Smitty

Beer Review- Caldera Hopportunity Knocks

2011-06-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

Hello craft addicts. The high gravity beers from Caldera Brewing Company are now hitting the Nashville shelves thanks to the good guys at Bonus Bev. I hope to review all of them, but I only picked up this and the Vas Deferens (hilarious name) on this beer run.

Hopportunity Knocks Ale

Caldera Brewing Company - Ashland, OR

Style: IPA

ABV:6.8%

SMITTY'S REVIEW:

Sampled at 50 degrees. Pours a medium orange amber with a light beige head. Pleasant yet assertive floral nose. Medium bodied with average carbonation, with a very slight chalkiness in texture. Flavor has a caramel and Germanesque malt backbone that is countered by an aggressive citrusy hop bitterness, heavy on the grapefruit rind with a hint of orange. Finish is bitter and dry, with a tea like astringency at the tail end.

Overall, a very enjoyable beer. I am a big fan of Centennial hops, and this beer is loaded with them. I am not a BJCP beer judge, but I would guess this is in the 80-90 IBU range. However, I think this beer would be even better by backing off the Munich malts a tad, or by having another hop variety to added for some complexity. But I am a very very picky person when it comes to this style, so just ignore me. This is worth trying, and if you are after a citrus bomb, this should make you a hoppy camper. Yeah, that was a bad attempt at craft beer humor huh?

Rating*: 8.5 out of 10

Recommended Food Pairing: BBQ, Cajun Food, Spicy wings, Tex Mex

Value: As far as bombers go, moderate at $6.99 per 22 ounce bottle.

Beer Audience: Hopheads

Where To Buy: Midtown, Red Dog, J Barleycorn, Frugal MacDoogal

Low gravity Caldera beers to try: IPA, Pale Ale

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

June Brews and Other News

2011-06-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

I am busy busy busy. Ever heard the phrase "cramming 10 pounds of sh*t into a 5 pound bag?" That's what I will attempt to do with this post. When I started this blog, I had to hunt for craft beer news in Nashville. Now I can't keep up!

For starters, SB1224 was signed into law by Governor Haslem. Now we wait and hope Sierra Nevada locates their new brewing facility and restaurant to Tennessee. Sources tell me that they really like the location in Alcoa, TN. Again, thanks to all of you who called and put pressure on the lawmakers to remove the "pilot project" from the bill.

Music City Beer Festival is fast approaching and session B is sold out. I may skip it this year. Crowds and hot weather don't mix well with me.

As for high gravity news...Stone Belgo Anise Russian Imperial Stout has hit the shelves. I am rather excited to try this one. It's an Imperial Stout brewed with Anise, aged with oak chips, and pitched with a Belgian yeast strain. I am hearing great things. For you fruity types, Bridgeport Stumptown Tart arrived at Midtown Wine and Spirits. It gets better! The better beer guys at Bonus Bev inform me that Caldera Brewing high gravity beers arrive next week. Look for Vas Deferens, Hopportunity Knocks, Old Growth, and Rauch Ur Bock.

New Belgium's bike festival Tour De Fat hits Nashville on July 9th. Check out their website for more information.

Nashville Beer Festival will be held on October 1st at Riverfront Park. Tickets go on sale August 1st and are $30. There is also an optional VIP ticket that gets you into a small pre festival event Friday night. As of this post, I have not seen a list of breweries, but I can tell you that the organizers are committed to bringing in some quality brewers. More information can be found on their website, including sponsorship information.

And last the entry for the night is in regards to the Starr Hill beer dinner at Flying Saucer. I am too lazy to type this out, so I will paste the flyer below. Cheers!

Smitty

Blackstone Launch Party Tomorrow

2011-05-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the short notice. I just returned to town. For those that are interested, I pulled the details from the Facebook page.

"Blackstone's award winning draft beer is back in Middle TN! $2 Pints / Appetizers / Killer Cheese's 4p-7p. Come sample classics like St Charles Porter and Chaser Pale. We will also be introducing our dry hopped American Pale Ale (APA) all brewed at Blackstone's brand new 15,000 square foot packaging brewery! The jukebox will be loaded with good tunes and I will be giving away some tickets to Music City Roots too! So swing on by and celebrate Nashville's most award winning beer's return to the draft market... bottles will be coming in July! "

When: May 31st
Where: The Beer Sellar
Time: 4:00pm

Hop Project #50 Now Available

2011-05-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Yazoo asked customers to vote on their favorite Hop Project. That poll was conducted on their blog and the winner was #13. This was rebrewed for #50, so those of you that missed it now have another chance to try it.

How can you tell if you are looking at a six pack of #50? The notching on the side bottle label should indicate 3rd week of May. Grab some now before they are gone. I bought mine at Kroger, so it should not be too hard to find.

Cheers,

Smitty

High Alcohol Beer Bill To Become Law

2011-05-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

The House conferred on SB1224 this morning and it's heading to Governor Haslem's desk, where it is expected to be signed. Now we wait for Sierra Nevada to announce the location of it's east coast brewing facility. I have a very good feeling that they will choose TN.

Local blogger Doug Brumley did an excellent job on recapping the final phase of it's passage. I can't possibly do any better, so I am going be lazy and refer you over to his blog.

http://www.fledglingbrewer.com/nashville-beer-scene/high-alcohol-beer-bill-sb1224-passes-tn-senate/#comment-588

Have a celebration beer and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Cheers,

Smitty

Beer Review- Schlafly American IPA

2011-05-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

I meant to review this beer a week ago, but with all the craziness surrounding SB1224 and amendment 2, I kind of got sidetracked. Oh well. When people mention beer and St Louis in the same sentence, most people think Clydesdales and beechwood-aged swill. Not me! I think of Schlafly. Let's pop the cap on this one!

Schlafly American IPA
St Louis Brewery - Maplewood, MO
ABV:7.2%

SMITTY'S REVIEW:

Sampled at 45 degrees. Bottled conditioned with a date of 5/03/11. Pours a nice orange amber with an off white head. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Aroma of pale malts and floral hops. Malt backbone is extremely pale, with some notes of toffee and toasted malts. Mid palate attacks you with a bold bitterness, with nuanced flavors of tangerine and pine. Strong dry and hoppy finish with grapefruit rind lingering on the palate. This is a solid IPA for those who prefer a West Coast style IPA. I liked that this beer covered a nice sprectrum of hop flavors. A definite repeat buy for me. This type of IPA goes downhill quick, so I would grab a six ASAP if you can still find one.

Rating*: 9 out of 10
Recommended Food Pairing: Thai cuisine, tacos carne asada with pico de gallo, BBQ
Value: Average at around $10.99 per six pack
Beer Audience: Hopheads
Where To Buy: Liquor stores with a high gravity beer selection
Other high gravity Schlafly beers to try: Pumpkin Ale (fall), Imperial Stout, Barleywine, Irish Style Extra Stout
* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

Jackalope Brewing To Open Tomorrow!

2011-05-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

Senate Bill 1224 passes, and now we find out that Jackalope Brewing is opening tomorrow. What a way to round out American Craft Beer Week in Nashville! Doors open at 4pm. No growlers, just pints and flights for now. Read more here

Not sure if I can make it down, but I will certainly try.

Cheers,

Smitty

5-20 Update on Senate Bill 1224

2011-05-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Senate reconvenes at 1:30 pm, and the chances of them voting on the bill this afternoon look good. Check back for updates

Smitty

UPDATE: The bill has passed the Senate! Right now it's unclear on whether it has to go back to the house or conference. All these procedures and rules make my head hurt. But I think it's safe to state that TN brewers WILL be able to brew high gravity beer in the near future. We also need to hope and pray that Sierra Nevada chooses TN for their new brewing facility/restuarant.

Now I can get back to enjoying what is left of American Craft Beer Week and perhaps catch on my normal blog posts. Many thanks to all of you readers and facebook members that called and emailed your Senators. I have no doubt in my mind that Amendment 2 would have been snuck through had we not alerted the lawmakers. Social media played a HUGE role because it allowed all of us local craft beer enthusiasts to mobilize on such short notice.

Have a beer!

Smitty

5/19 Update on Senate Bill 1224

2011-05-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

Session begins at 8:30, and the bill is number 38 in line. I'll have the video streaming in the background and will post an update IF they get to it today. It's funny that the summary reads as follows:

"As introduced, decreases from two to one the number of years that an individual, shareholder, or transferee must reside in Tennessee following an application for a retail liquor store license; decreases from 10 to five the number of years that an individual, shareholder or transferee must have resided in Tennessee to receive a retail liquor store license. "

No mention of "high alcohol beer." Think they are trying to downplay that part of the bill? Hmmm

back to work,

Smitty

10:25 UPDATE: Recess until 4pm. They could try to lump this in with a bunch of other bills and pass this today. If it needs to go up for debate, then we are looking at tomorrow or Saturday.

1:48 UPDATE: TN is getting national attention over SB1224. Check out the link below to the Forbes article
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/05/18/business-us-high-alcohol-beer_8472312.html

4:23 UPDATE: Senate to reconvene at 6pm instead of 4pm.

9:39 pm UPDATE: The Senate has adjourned for the night. They start back up in the morning. Nothing to report tonight. Darn!

SB1224 Goes To The Senate Floor Tomorrow

2011-05-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

I am on my lunch break, so I have to make this quick. I have not been able to get an answer as to level of opposition in the full Senate. Therefore I highly recommend that you let your Senators know that you now support SB1224. The "pilot program" part has been removed. So what does this all mean? Frankly I suck at deciphering legal mumbo jumbo and none of my sources have posted any analysis yet. But in a nutshell you can look forward to:

*All TN brewers can brew high gravity beer with the proper license.
*With a restaurant license or limited license, high gravity beer can be sold and served on premises
*There will be a limit of 5 gallons (corny kegs) per person per visit.
*Tastings can be offered on premises, and I THINK retailers can do this as well.

As far as high gravity beer being sold in the liquor stores, that is going to remain the same because that is a distribution issue. Distributors have deep pockets and a strong lobby in the legislature- so don't expect that to change anytime soon. I hate that system as well, because it forces me to drive 15 miles each way to purchase high gravity beer. It's just not a very consumer-oriented way to sell beer, especially for those that live outside a metropolitan area. Beer should be sold under one roof. You don't see wine split up do you?

Because of the press and attention to craft beer in TN, there are plans to form a non-profit advocacy group so that brewers and consumers have a official and unified voice for lawmakers and the press. I'll keep you posted.

That's it for now. You all have your assignment. Let's hope for victory number 2 tomorrow.

Smitty

Read The Latest Version of SB1224 Here

2011-05-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

The good guys at Knox Beer Snobs snagged a copy of the latest bill. I have not had time to read it myself, but here you go:

http://knoxbeersnobs.com/wp-content/uploads/SB1224_2011_05_17.pdf

This still has to go to the senate floor, so the fight is not over. The good news is that hardest part should be past us. As long as there are no other cryptic surprises hidden in this bill, we will need to lobby all the non-committee senators to vote yes. With all this press, I would not be surprised to see anti-alcohol groups come out of the woodwork. We can't let our guard down. Thanks to all you craft addicts that emailed and called your lawmakers. They mentioned all the emails in the meeting. I have no doubt it made a difference in the outcome. Treat your self to a beer!

Stay tuned.....

Smitty

Revised Version of SB1224 Gets Full Support From Committee

2011-05-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Great News! They heard our calls and emails. They pulled the pilot program and no limit on breweries! Lots of other goodies as well that will be a big boost for craft beer. Now it's off to the Senate Calendar Committee and then the floor. This is the biggest hurdle.

We still need to lobby the non-committee Senate members to vote yes, so don't celebrate just yet. If the bill passes the Senate, you can pretty much count on Governor Haslem will signing it.

Regarding Sierra Nevada, we are only a finalist among a few other states. We need to lobby them to choose TN, so feel free to call or email them as well. Sierra Nevada in TN would be a HUGE boost to the economy and Tennessee's image on the national craft beer scene.

That's it for now

Smitty

Another Statement From Sierra Nevada

2011-05-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

This was just posted on Ratebeer.com. If you are a member or want to sign up for free, you can post a question:

Hello all.

The response from Sierra Nevada was written to clarify our position on the bill. Bottom line, if we can’t brew our beer, we won’t be coming to TN. That said, we have no interest in excluding any brewers anywhere in the state from brewing whatever they want. While it’s true we may have provoked the bill into writing, we didn’t have any input on any of the language or amendments.

Here’s your chance. If you have questions for Sierra Nevada. Ask here. I’ll be checking back throughout the day.

Cheers!
-Bill
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

SB1224: Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee To Meet Today

2011-05-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

I know it's craft beer week, but my mind is focused on this bill. Hopefully I can find some time to review a beer or two.

Here has what has been reported thus far. Thanks to all those good beer folks who feed me all of this information. The bill has been referred back to comittee, and they will meet at 1:30pm. You can watch the meeting live at http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/livevideo/

Let's hope that all of our phone calls and emails pay off. Many thanks to all the media outlets that covered this story. Momentum seems to swinging in our favor, but anything can change when you have politicians involved.

If you want to get a commercial lawyer's take on the circumstances surrounding SB1224, check out Craig Mangum's blog at http://www.beerlawblog.com/2011/05/origins-of-amendment-no-2-to-sb1224.html

That's it for now. Let's keep the pressure on!

Smitty

Sierra Nevada and SB1224

2011-05-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

Bill Manley from Sierra Nevada sent me an email. I don't want to publish it's contents without his permission. What I can tell you is that they are in 100% agreement with our stance that the bill should not harm any TN brewers. They did make that known to lawmakers- so that is good. Also- TN is just a finalist for the brewery and this law is there to keep us in the running. We still have to hope for Sierra to locate here if we get this bill perfected and passed.

Not only would a Sierra Nevada brewery/restuarant help the local economy of Blount County, it would be a HUGE boost to the Tennessee's national image on the craft beer scene.

Stay tuned

Smitty

UPDATE: Read the official statement from Sierra Nevada
http://beernews.org/2011/05/sierra-nevada-brewing-issues-statement-on-tennessee/

Beernews.org Picks Up The Story On Sierra Nevada and SB1224

2011-05-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

Worth reading, and a great site to bookmark. One of my favorite resources for craft beer news

http://beernews.org/2011/05/sierra-nevada-east-hq-search-moves-to-tennessee-as-local-liquor-law-debate-ignites/

Keep up the pressure and contact any other media outlets. Nashville Business Journal should have something soon.

Smitty

Tennessee Beer Laws: Update on SB1224

2011-05-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

A member in the Nashville Beer Geek Facebook group just posted on my wall. Senator Bill Ketron stated that he will move in committee to remove amendment 2 from the bill, calling it "a terrible amendment".

Let's keep our fingers crossed, and keep calling your Senators. Tell them that our local TN craft brewers should not be treated as second class breweries, restricting their ability to compete with those out of state breweries.

A few readers have posted an email response from Senator Johnson:
"I have spoken with Sen. Yager regarding your concerns. He has assured me that he will remove any language that is harmful to current or prospective brewers. I will continue to monitor the legislation to be sure.Thanks for the email

Hearsay this morning was that Governor Haslem supported the bill. Several of us on the Facebook page started calling. Johnathan Borsodi of Marble City Brewing Co. posted this message:
Per Mark Cate, Special Assistant and Policy Advisor to Gov. Haslam, "We agree that the amendment as written will not work and are working to find a better solution."

We have some momentum! Spread the word and get people to call and email those lawmakers. It's not over yet. I will post updates as they come in

Smitty

A Nice Summary of the SB1224 Situation

2011-05-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Local beer blogger Doug Brumley has written an excellent article explaining the circumstances surrounding SB1224. I highly recommend that you read it, because he explains it better than I. Click here to be redirected to The Fledgling Brewer blog

A few readers have posted this email from Senator Johnson:
"I have spoken with Sen. Yager regarding your concerns. He has assured me that he will remove any language that is harmful to current or prospective brewers. I will continue to monitor the legislation to be sure.

Thanks for the email."

Hearsay is that Governor Haslem supports SB1224 with Amendment 2. Call his office and ask to speak with constituent services and explain your opposition to the amendment. We want all TN brewers to have equal access to the high gravity permits.

Check back for updates and don't let up on these lawmakers. Let's keep the momentum going.

Smitty

Say No To Senate Bill SB1224

2011-05-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

If you have not heard, the TN state senate will be voting on SB1224 this Tuesday. I have chosen to oppose the bill because of an amendment that would restrict the high gravity permits to only three breweries in the entire state. The bill started in the right direction by redefining high gravity beer. However, it took a severe turn for the worse with amendment 2, which is nothing but special interest deals in disguise. Don't believe me? Read the bill yourself. Please note- Yazoo is not part of those secret deals. They have had their high gravity permit for almost two years.

I am all for redefining the cap on craft beer, but not when the law discriminates against TN craft brewers and restrains their ability to compete in the marketplace. Lawmakers need to go back to the drawing board. This bill is bad for craft beer, and puts TN craft brewers at a competitive disadvantage. The senate votes on this bill on Tuesday! I urge you to contact your state senators and tell them you oppose SB1224. Below is a sample letter from an anonymous TN brewer, and I think it sums up the situation very well:

"______________are opposed to Amendment No. 2 to SB1224 in its current form.

While we are not opposed to legislation that would allow the production of malt beverages greater than 5 % alcohol by weight, Amendment No. 2 to SB1224, as propose...d, would restrict this legitimate business activity to only three breweries in the state. This would leave the other 20 (approximate) breweries in the state at a competitive disadvantage.

Our businesses are growing concerns creating economic activity and, more importantly, new jobs, in the state of Tennessee . If the economic opportunity presented in Amendment No 2 to SB 1224 was available to all Tennessee breweries, we would support the amendment. However, as the Amendment is presently written, we would become a second class brewery even though we are required to pay the same taxes and have the same standards both federal and state as those brewers who are favored.

The standards put forth in the amendment for being permitted to brew high alcohol content beer in the proposed amendment are not uniform throughout Tennessee . In east Tennessee the favored brewer must be from a municipality whose population in the 2000 census is between 7700 and 7800 people and whose county population in the 2000 census is between 105,800 and 105,900. However the “standard” changes for West Tennessee . In West Tennessee there is no population rules but it must be a brewer who has the ability to brew two million (2,000,000) barrels of beer. The rules also state that only 1 brewery per Grand Division can qualify for the special permit.

This law is restrictive to commerce in Tennessee and will create a hardship to those brewers who qualify in every way to brew but cannot meet the special interest rules. I might add there is no restriction to out of state brewers to brew and import and high alcohol content beers in Tennessee ! "

I'll save you the detective work. The East TN favored brewer must be in.....Alcoa! That's right, that district Senator wants an out of state brewer (rumored to be Sierra Nevada) to set up shop there and get that special permit. And Memphis? A wisconsin-based brewery bought the old Coors building, so lawmakers wrote in those special requirements just for them. Don't get me wrong, I am pro business guy and I am all for bringing in new companies to TN. But what I don't support special interest deals that hurt our TN based brewers.

Beer Review- Victory Headwaters Pale Ale

2011-05-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have always been a fan of Victory Brewing Company, so I was pretty excited to see them introduce a new beer to the Nashville market. Before they had broad distribution, I used to make "special trips" to visit a vendor that was near the Downingtown, PA brewery (I miss that job). Since the hot weather is approaching, this will be a good time to review another session beer

Victory Headwaters Pale Ale
Victory Brewing Company- Downingtown PA
ABV: 5.2%

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
The pure water we receive from the East Branch of the Brandywine Creek that begins its journey to us just under 14 miles from where we brew with it. We’ll be celebrating this water (insert your lite beer joke here) with our anniversary beer, Headwaters Pale Ale, due to be released February 15, 2011. Now, considering that beer is the product of four simple ingredients and the three other than water rely on water for their existence, we’ve had a fair amount of latitude in paying homage to water in our beer. So, we’ve played all of our cards deftly, bringing the hops, malt and yeast in harmony, with our great local water as the conductor in Headwaters Pale Ale.

SMITTY'S REVIEW:

Sampled at 50 degrees. Pours a nice orange amber with an off white head. Medium bodied with a steady carbonation. This has a mild, pleasant aroma of orange peel and ale esters. Lighter side of medium bodied with steady carbonation, with a texture that is thin without being watery. The malt profile is a subtle blend of toffee and caramel, with a hint of toastiness. This is countered by a tangerine-like hop bitterness, with the attentuation not overly dry or sweet. Semi-dry hoppy finish with notes of lemon grass.

There are a lot of mediocre Pale Ales out there, but this one is a well-crafted standout and fine example of the style. Beer enthusiasts who desire bolder flavors and lots of bitterness will probably find this beer boring. But those who appreciate a balanced session beer should give this one a try.

Rating*: 9 out of 10
Recommended Food Pairing: Wings, Spicy cuisine (Thai, Mexican, Cajun)
Value: Average at around $9.99 per six pack
Beer Audience: Anyone who appreciates a well-crafted session beer
Where To Buy: low gravity specialty beer stores
Other low gravityVictory beers to try: Prima Pils
* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

May High Gravity Arrivals

2011-05-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

If you read the previous post, some new high gravity beers distributed by Bonus Bev are now here. From Fort Collins Brewing, look for bombers (22 ounce bottles) of Wheat Wine and Incredible Hop. I had the Incredible Hop the other night and it should please any hop head. It has some slight similarities to Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster, but with earthier hops and a much bolder bitterness on the finish that lingers on the palate. Expect to pay around $8.99 per bomber.

A shipment of Ruckus Brewing Hoptimus Prime just arrived at Midtown Wine & Spirits and few other select locations. At $5.99 per bomber, this is a good value for a quality Double IPA. As with any Double IPA, freshness is key. Drink them sooner than later.

Look for these beers at any liquor store with a decent high gravity selection, or contact Josh at Bonus Bev to find the nearest retailer.

That's it for now. Cheers

Smitty

More News From Bonus Bev- Better High Gravity Beer Guys

2011-04-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

Real quick as I have some invoices to tend to, I would like to give some cool news! Next week we will be getting in a nice, new shipment of Fort Collin's Brewing Co and with that order we will have this years Helles Bock, Wheatwine and Incredible Hop part 2 (imperial India red)! I am going to try my damnedest to get this out into the market at the end of week- at least on premise to a couple of people if I have time. I should spread the market pretty good the following week and I am hoping I can roll out Ruckus Brewing's Hoptimus Prime DIPA. If you haven't heard of the FT. Collin's Incredible Hop Series, it's a one-off series of highly hopped imperial beers released quarterly. The first was there Imperial Cascadian dark ale (which we missed), this one is the Imperial India Red, third quarter will bring the Imperial Wheat IPA and fourth quarter will bring the Triple-Double(Imperial Belgian IPA).

We hope everyone had a great time at the East Nashville Beer Fest because we had a blast and found it to be a huge success and look forward to next years! Until next time, drink craft beer and don't kill puppies!

Cheers,

Joshua Scutella
Director & Better Beer Guy
BonusBev
joshua@bountybev.com

Random Beer News

2011-04-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

This will be short. I still have to pay Uncle Sam and work has been hectic this week. First, the bad news. I am reading reports that Avery Brewing will cease all shipments to TN. I had a feeling this was coming, based on increased demand and my conversations with an Avery rep at the Great American Beer Festival. I buy many of their beers on a regular basis, so I will hate to see them go. However, our state distribution laws and taxes do not make it easy for craft brewers. I apologize if this offends a few of my retail friends, but craft beer needs to be sold under ONE ROOF WITH ONE DISTRIBUTOR. Our current system hurts the consumer.

New shipments of Jolly Pumpkin have arrived on the high gravity side. Look for La Roja and Oro De Calebaza. They are a great artisan, Belgian style brewery- check them out. If you can still find any, New Belgium Le Terroir is an excellent beer for you sour heads. It's so good I went back an bought another.

That's it for now. Check back for my review of the East Nashville Beer Festival and my interview with Zac Tiemert of Lucky Bucket Brewing Co.

Cheers.

Smitty

Left Hand Leaving Tennessee?

2011-04-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

Boulevard, Dogfish Head, and now Left Hand? Anyone see a pattern here? Local beer blogger nashvillebeerhunter.com posted this in our Facebook group. More details to follow, but it looks like no more Left Hand Milk Stout, at least for east TN.

Bounty Bev and better beer guy Josh Scutella tells me that TN is divided into three markets, and that our Mid- TN market was not mentioned as getting the axe. I will post the news (or rumors) as I hear them.

Smitty

Dogfish Head Squall IPA- Drink Now or Wait?

2011-04-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

As you all know by now, Dogfish Head is pulling out of TN because they can't meet demand due to the Brewmaster TV show on Discovery Channel, blah blah blah. The good news is that Nashville just received a shipment of Squall IPA before the pull out. For those unfamiliar with this beer, it's basically 90 Minute IPA, but unfiltered and bottle conditioned (like it used to be).

I decided to stop in at Grand Cru Wine and Spirits because I was in the area. If you have not been there, it's cool little shop with a friendly staff. They selection is small, but they make up for it in quality. Plus they sell singles, which saves me the expense of buying an entire six pack. I saw that they had bottles of Squall IPA and decided to grab one. The clerk then recommended that the beer be cellared for a few months before opening. You can imagine my reaction. To a hop head, aging a Double IPA is unheard of!

"No way- with IPAs, the fresher the better!" I replied. She then told me that there was a notice from Dogfish Head inside the case, recommending that this beer be stored for a few months before consuming. I was perplexed and felt like a douche at the same time. Certainly the brewery would not release a beer before it was properly conditioned in the bottle. Or would they?

I left the store with my Squall IPA, New Belgium Frambozen, and Sam Adams Wee Heavy. While driving home, I realized that I probably came across as a self-righteous beer snob. If I did, my apologies go out to that employee. I get rather passionate about my hoppy beers and I don't like seeing them sold or consumed past their prime. But I still wanted to know what the heck that note was about . As soon as I arrived home, I raced to the laptop to seek the advice of the fellow hopheads on our Facebook group. Their conclusion was what I was thinking all along...open the darn thing and find out.

The clerk and Dogfish Head were correct. Technically, this beer was not ready to open as bottle conditioning was not complete. However, my home does not have style guidelines. There is an overwhelming consesus among craft beer enthusiasts that hoppy beers are best consumed fresh, because bitterness fades with each passing day. So what should you do?

If you want more balance between the malt and hop flavors, along with proper carbonation- give this beer some more time in the bottle. You'll sacrifice SOME bitterness, but will get more toffee and caramel malt notes in return. Two months may be pushing it- I say split the difference
If you enjoy aggressive or bold bitterness, don't mind softer carbonation, and are willing to sacrifice some appearance- Drink it now. Sometimes it's ok to ignore brewer intent

With craft beer- there is no right or wrong. It's all about what YOU like. Taste is subjective. I need to remember that next time I am conversing with the good folks who sell me beer.

This will be the last post before the East Nashville Beer Festival. As I predicted in several posts- it sold out. I hope you all bought tickets. I will be a wearing a shirt that reads "If it's not craft, it's crap." Come up and say hi and share a beer. I enjoy meeting other craft beer enthusiasts

Cheers

Smitty

An Update From The Better Beer Guys....

2011-04-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

Hey There,

Happy April everyone! We got some cool things transpiring next week as we prepare for the E. Nashville Beer Fest so I figured I should fill you in on some BountyBev/BonusBev stuff. Cool? Ok good, glad we are on the same page.

Next week we we have a couple of shipments hitting our dock, we have Reading Premium coming in which is a good retro/value brand resurrected by Ruckus Brewing as well as Ruckus's Hoptimus Prime DIPA! I am not sure I am going to be able to shoot it out to the market next week as we are still awaiting Label approval from the state but if it goes through we might get some bombers out on premise by end of the week. Also, Christian Moerlein ales and lagers will be touching down as well with there IPA and OTR beers. Moerlein makes some quality beer and I think you will really enjoy there OTR ale. Last on the new arrivals will be another Lucky Bucket shipment with the much anticipated Certified Evil on board! This will not go out immediately as we are still getting some paper work filled out from the Brewery but you will be able to try it at the East Nashville Beer Fest and meet Zach Tremert, the man behind Lucky Bucket Brewing co! Our first lines of "High Gravity" beers will be pouring in through out the next month or so with additions from Stoudt's, Sprecher and Caldera so I will keep you guys posted on that, where, when etc... I will post links below to some of the stuff mentioned above so you can chicky-check some of this stuff out.

I am so excited for next Saturday and the East Nashville Beer Fest it's insane! I can't wait to see everyone there and share some better beers and chat it up. We (BountyBev) will have new versions of our Better Beer Brigade T-Shirts for sale and Tattoos as well so be sure to check that out when you see Kurt, Eric or I around the festival. Be sure to find Matt Leff, the creator of this awesome event and thank him for the hard work and time he put in to make it happen. Until next time, have a craft beer and chill!

http://www.ruckusbrewing.com/
http://www.readingpremium.com/
http://www.luckybucketbrewing.com/

All Hail Craft!
Joshua Scutella
Director & Better Beer Guy
BountyBev & BonusBev
joshua@bountybev.com

The Art of Beer

2011-03-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is concluding its four-part “art of” tasting series with “The Art of Beer,” 6-8 p.m., Thursday, April 7, at the War Memorial Auditorium. The educational wine, spirits and beer tasting series is sponsored by Lipman Brothers.

The “Art of Beer” two-hour tasting of selected high gravity beers will be led by a representative from each of the three featured craft breweries: Chimay, Yazoo and Abita. High Gravity Beer is a long-standing European tradition and is growing in popularity in the U.S. The term is used to designate specialty craft beers with an increased gravity "pull" in the fermentation process. They are higher in alcohol because they contain more sugar and other ingredients that are used to create complex, flavorful and unique beers. High gravity beers are meant to be sipped and appreciated, even paired with foods like wine. Light refreshments will be served, including an array of award-winning cheeses courtesy of Cabot Creamery of Vermont, hot dogs and brats from The Dog of Nashville, and pizza provided by the Mellow Mushroom.

The Chimay Brewery is a Belgian brewery founded in the Scourmont Abbey in 1862. Its Trappist monks still produce the rare, true Trappist beers in much the same way as they did 150 years ago. Profits from the sale of Chimay beers go to the financial support of the monastery and the less fortunate and disenfranchised of the world. James Williams, National Sales Manager will present Chimay Red, White and Blue from their portfolio.

Yazoo Brewing Company, founded in 2003 by Vanderbilt University graduate Linus Hall, is the local favorite with craft brew loyalists worldwide. The Yazoo Brewing Company is located in Nashville not far from TPAC, in The Gulch. Linus and Yazoo’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Neil McCormick, will present the local favorite, Yazoo Sue.

Abita Brewing Company, located 30 miles north of New Orleans in Abita Springs, Louisiana, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It is the oldest and largest craft brewery in the Southeast. Scott Hamil is the Brewery Representative and will offer the famous Jockamo and Andygator.

Ovila Dubbel Now in Nashville!

2011-03-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Back in August, I received the press release (see below) about the collaboration of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Trappist-Cistercian Abbey of New Clairvaux. Word on the street from Matt Leff (East Nashville Beer Festival) is that the Oliva Dubbel is on the shelves at Midtown Wine & Spirits. Supply will be limited, so grab one while you can. According to one of my friends on the west coast, this beer is excellent and authentic enough to satisfy any Belgian beer purist.

"For nearly 1000 years, monks have been brewing ales behind monastery walls. Their closely guarded traditions and techniques produced styles of beer unlike anything else in the world. These unique Trappist-style Abbey ales are known for their uncompromising quality and compelling flavor. In 2011, Sierra Nevada and the Trappist-Cistercian Abbey of New Clairvaux are working to bring this centuries-old tradition to America with Ovila—the nation’s only authentic Trappist-style Abbey Ale.
This series of three Belgian -style Abbey ales is made in accordance with the centuries-old tradition of the monks. Each beer will be only be available for a limited time and will rotate through the seasons. The first beer in the series, scheduled for release in March, will be a Belgian-style Dubbel brewed with authentic Trappist yeast. The second beer in the series, scheduled for release in July, will be a Saison, the traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ale made in honor of the Monk’s dedication to labor in the fields surrounding their abbey. The third will be released in time for the holidays. It will be a Trappist-style Quadrupel rich with dark fruit flavors and the unique wine-like characters of these strong Abbey ales.
Proceeds from this project will benefit the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in their efforts to rebuild an architectural marvel—a 12th century, early-gothic Cistercian chapter house—on their grounds in Vina, California a few miles north of Sierra Nevada’s home in Chico. The medieval chapterhouse—Santa Maria de Ovila—was begun in 1190, near the village of Trillo, Spain.
Cistercian monks lived, prayed, and worked there for nearly 800 years. In 1931, California newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst purchased the abbey and shipped it to Northern California. Hearst’s plans were never realized, and the stones fell into disrepair. In 1994, the Trappist-Cistercian monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux, gained possession of the ruins, and began the painstaking stone-by-stone reconstruction of the historic abbey.
Located in Vina, California, the Abbey of New Clairvaux is a Cistercian Abbey of Strict Observance (Trappist). The abbey was founded in 1955 on 590 acres of Leland Stanford’s famed Vina Ranch. The monks follow the Rule of St. Benedict—Ora est Labora (Prayer and Work) and spend their days in prayer, meditation, and tending to the labor of the working farm located at the abbey."

Dogfish Head Pulling Out Of TN

2011-03-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

I am sure that those of you that belong to online beer communities like Ratebeer and Beer Advocate have already read this, but Dogfish Head is pulling their entire portfolio out of Tennesse. They were at maximum production, and then the Brew Masters TV series created a demand that they can not meet. 14 other states are also on the chopping block. People are already flocking to TN liquor and beer stores and stocking up.

I know that I will miss Squall, Festina Peche, and Palo Santa Marron. As much as I hate seeing a brewery leave Tennesee, that will leave room for others to move in.

April Can Not Get Here Soon Enough!

2011-03-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

For starters, the East Nashville Beer Festival is less than a month away. If you have not purchased your tickets, I would suggest you stop reading and take care of it. This event is likely to sell out. Unlike previous local festivals, this one is going to focus on quality, and will offer more out of market beers and limited releases. I am excited about it.

Bounty Bev will be bringing in a few high gravity beers that have me jumping up and down. The first is Lucky Bucket Certified Evil. This is a collaborative Belgian Strong Ale aged in Cabernet barrels for one year. Sounds pretty effing good doesn't it? A secret informant tells me that it might be at the East Nashville Beer Festival as well. If the brewer is going to be there, why wouldn't the beer? Now go buy your tickets. The other beer is Ruckus Brewing Hoptimus Prime. Sound familiar? Yes, it's the same beer as Reading Pennsylvania's Legacy Brewing Hoptimus Prime. This is being contract brewed at Lion in Wilkes Barre, PA by the old Legacy brewmaster. Same recipe I am told. Look for 22 ounce bottles of this Double IPA to run about $6.99!

Speaking of Lucky Bucket, more IPA and Pre Prohibition Lager have hit the beer stores again. Pick up a six of each. You will not be disappointed.

Soon we will finally get to try beers from Jackalope Brewery! When? Where? That's right! East Nashville Beer Festival. April 9th. Get your tickets now!

Do you want to check out another cool Nashville based beer blog? Check out Craig Mangum's Beer Law Blog. Craig knows his beer because he shows up to the same places I do. His latest entry is about...East Nashville Beer Festival. Get your tickets now!

Did I mention the East Nashville Beer Festival? I swear Matt is not paying me. Yes, I bought my ticket at Midtown's beer store. This is a charity event after all. I just like to promote craft beer in Nashville, even if that means bugging the shit out of you. Until next time, I am off to Florida to enjoy some warm weather, and perhaps some beer from Cigar City.

Cheers

Smitty

Beer Review- Lucky Bucket IPA

2011-03-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

Josh Scutella over at Bounty Bev is an avid beer aficionado like myself. When they recently introduced Lucky Bucket Brewing Company to the Nashville market, he HIGHLY recommended the IPA. He thought that it had similarities to Caldera IPA, which was more than enough to peak my interest. The problem was that Lucky Bucket IPA was in limited supply and was flying off the shelves. Lucky for me, I got the second to last six pack at J Barleycorn. Don't worry, more fresh six packs will be here any day now.

Lucky Bucket IPA

Lucky Bucket Brewing Co. -LA Vista, NE

ABV: 6.3%

Smitty's Review: Sampled at 50 degrees. Pours amber orange with a frothy ivory head that dissipates to a ring. Nice inviting floral hop aroma. Lighter side of medium bodied with steady carbonation and resiny texture. Caramel malt backdrop with a bold piney and grapefruit rind bitterness, with just a hint of orange. Less residual sugars than usual, making this lean toward the dry side. Long hoppy and grassy finish with a bit of a peppery bite at the very end. I picked up a very slight hint of astringency as well. Overall, a nice IPA for those that like an aggressive bitterness. Is it as good as Caldera? There are two ways to find out. The first is to find my review of Caldera. The second is to have a beer with me an ask me in person. What I can tell you is that this will be a repeat buy.

• Rating*: 8.5 out of 10
• Recommended Food Pairing: Spicy foods- Thai, Mexican, Cajun. Buffalo Wings, Pepperjack Cheese.
• Value: Moderate at $11 per six
• Beer Audience: Hopheads
• Where to buy: Craft beer specialty stores like Midtown, Frugal MacDoogal, J Barleycorn, etc.

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

Many thanks to the good folks at Bounty Bev for bringing the craft beer to Nashville. Look for this brewery at the East Nashville Beer Festival. Tickets are still available, but they are going fast. This is a festival you will not want to miss- trust me on this. I have had beers with the organizer Matt Leff and it's going to kick butt. Don't forget to join the Nashville Beer Geek Facebook group. Cheers

Smitty

Beer Review - Oskar Blues Old Chub

2011-02-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

I was hanging out at Hamilton Creek Brewery and brewer Scott S hands me four different Oskar Blues beers He generously brought them back from the Ale for The Trail beer event and requested that I review them for the blog. I will be honest - I have tried all four beers numerous times. I am very familiar with this brewery, and have even visited their Longmont Colorado location. One thing I have not done is review any of their beers. I think it's about time so let's go!

Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale

Oskar Blues Grill and Brewery- Lyons, CO

ABV: 8.0%

Smitty's Review: Canned on 1-31-11. Sampled at 55 degrees in a British pint glass. Pours cola brown with a two fingers khaki colored head that diminishes to a retentive ring. Aroma of sugary malts, bread, and bold fruity ale esters. Lighter side of medium bodied, with light texture and soft carbonation. Flavor of brown sugar, hazlenut, raisen, and berries that transitions to a faint peaty finish. You can tell that hops are there to bring balance, but I could not detect any significant characteristics, as they have melded nicely into the beer. Alcohol becomes more noticeable toward room temp, but in a good way. All in all- a perfect Scotch Ale and a benchmark for an American interpretation of the style. You read that correctly- it's perfect. I would not change a thing.

• Rating*: 10 out of 10
• Recommended Food Pairing: Roast beef, game, chicken, mild cheeses, creme brulee, fudge brownies
• Value: a tad on the high side at around $10.99 per six, but worth the price
• Beer Audience: Anyone who enjoys craft beer, especially those who like malt forward UK style beers.
• Where to buy: Most liquor stores with a high gravity beer section should have this.

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

Thanks to Scott and the Oskar Blues Rep for donating the beers. I will be reviewing the others soon, so check back soon or join the Nashville Beer Geek Facebook group. Cheers

Smitty

Quickie Beer News

2011-02-18T17:18:00.000-08:00

Tired. Long week

Main Street Brewfest in Franklin on March 12. Click here for more info

Bounty Bev got their high gravity license! That means more high gravity love coming to the music city. The first to make an appearance is Sprecher Kreik at J Barleycorn. Speaking of Bounty Bev, they brought in Lucky Bucket IPA to the low gravity stores. If you can still find it, it's very nice if you like bitter, citrusy IPA's. I think I will have one tonight with pizza.

Yazoo will have their Black Saison on tap this weekend until it runs out.

As if you do not need another reason to go to the East Nashville Beer Festival, they are giving away Great American Beer Festival passes to ALL SESSIONS as a door prize. What do you have to do? Bring a new or lightly used children's book. If any of you win them and can't go, you can help out a poor beer blogger by donating them to me!

If anyone is on Facebook, I am getting near 100 members in the group in case you have not joined. Wink wink.

There's the doorbell. Pizza is here!

Smitty

Yazoo Beer Dinner at Flying Saucer

2011-02-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 11, 2011 – Flying Saucer Draught Emporium will host a beer dinner featuring Yazoo Brewing Company on Wednesday, March 9 at 6 p.m. at its location at 111 10th Ave. South, Suite 310, with special guest Linus Hall, Yazoo founder and brewmaster.

Producing some of the most popular craft beers in the region, Nashville-based Yazoo Brewing Company has become a favorite of locals and is sought out by craft brewing loyalists all over the world. Flying Saucer will offer nine different Yazoo beers paired with three food courses during the dinner, and Hall will discuss each beer during the course of the meal.

The menu will include a first course of cabbage salad with fried green tomatoes, which will be paired with Yazoo’s Amarillo Pale Ale, Dos Perros Ale and Hefeweizen; the second course will include a smoked chicken and bratwurst gumbo and will be served alongside Yazoo’s Spring Wheat, Hop Project and Onward Stout beers; and a dessert of peach cobbler with cocoa and porter will be paired with Yazoo’s Sly Rye Porter, Sue and Nashville Porter for the final course.

“Yazoo is our hometown beer, and it holds a special place in the hearts of all Nashville beer lovers,” said Brandi Allen, general manager of Flying Saucer. “This dinner gives our customers a chance to sample a wide variety of what Yazoo has to offer and also enjoy a great three-course dinner and meet Linus, the mastermind behind the Yazoo name.”

Admission is $25 for U.F.O. members and $30 for non-members. The event is sure to reach capacity so customers are urged to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets can be purchased at Flying Saucer’s location at 111 10th Ave. South, Suite 310, or by calling 615-259-3039.

http://www.beerknurd.com/stores/nashville/

Beer Review- Samuel Adams Latitude 48

2011-02-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

I figured it was time to review a beer purchased off the grocery store shelves. Kroger to be exact. Be forewarned, I am very finicky with IPAs because they are one of my favorite styles.

Samuel Adams Latitude 48

Boston Beer Company- Boston MA

ABV: 6.0%

SMITTY'S REVIEW: Sampled at 50 degrees. Pours translucent orange amber with light tan head that dissipates to a retentive ring. Medium bodied with a steady carbonation.Aroma of citrus and pine,with a hint of malts in the background. Initial flavor of caramel and toasted malts, transitioning to a tamed spicy, juniper-esque bitterness. Finishes with an assertive flavor of bitter grapefruit rind, but with some mildly distracting soapiness. Perhaps my standards for IPAs are a little higher than normal, but I found this beer to be average at best. Filtration took away from some of the mouth feel, and the hop profile is not that exciting. It's lacking the cohesiveness and complexity of a great IPA, at least for me. Sorry Latitude 48 fans, this one is not doing it for me. The good news is that you all have another IPA choice to throw in your shopping cart. I'll stick to Sweetwater IPA as my "Kroger beer" until the next challenger steps to the plate.

Rating*: 7 out of 10

Recommended Food Pairing: Pepperoni Pizza, Buffalo Wings, Mexican Food

Value: Average at around $7.99 per six pack

Beer Audience: Hopheads

Where To Buy: Almost any place that carries Sam Adams products.

Other Sam Adams Beers To Try: Noble Pils, Black Lager, Cream Stout, Imperial Stout, Double White

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

February New Brews And Other News

2011-01-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

I know, it's not quite February but who really cares? Let's start off with the East Nashville Beer Festival. Tickets go on sale tomorrow. Raise your glasses to organizer Matt Leff, who pretty much single handedly put this entire thing together- permits and all. Knowing Matt, there will be plenty of quality craft beers being poured. Tickets are very limited, so don't wait! Go to their web site for more info.

Local craft beer distributor Bounty Bev continues to bring lots of new craft beer. Here is an excerpt from their posting on Beer Advocate:

"New seasonals are going to start rolling in the next two weeks including Sprecher Maibock and Dry Irish Stout (which is now year round), Stoudt's Carnival Kolsch is going to be hitting shelves late this week and next week. Look for the Sprecher Maibock in the generic seasonal 4 pack and Dry Irish should have its own 4 pack. In two weeks we will be launching Lucky Bucket Brewing company with their two year rounds, Pre Prohabition Lager and IPA. The IPA may be the best IPA we have launched since Caldera. When I poured the sample in my glass there was a piece of a hop leaf in the glass! The IPA is going to retail for $10.99 and the Lager for $9.99, we are unsure if we are going to have any draft as of yet"

Do any of you have an Iphone or Ipad? If so, check out Brew Vault. This community based app was developed right here in Nashville! I have not had a lot of time to mess with it, but so far I am impressed. It will come in very handy when I need to take tasting notes or look up beers when I am traveling. Best of all, I only paid 99 cents. I'll try to post a review later. Grab it before the price goes up.

That's it for now. Cheers!

Smitty
"If it's not craft, it's crap"

www.swbandproducts.com

www.seansmithdesign.com

Nashville Beer Summit 1.0

2011-01-25T06:41:00.000-08:00

click here to see more photos

In my efforts to promote craft beer in Nashville, I do as much social networking as I can. Fellow beer aficionado Tim Duncan and I decided that it was time to get everyone together and share our collections of beer. We invited retailers, home brewers, beer aficionados, and members from Beer Advocate, Ratebeer, and Facebook. In an nutshell, anyone we could think of. We referred to the gathering as the "Nashville Beer Summit 1.0." The kinds folks at Cool Springs Brewery were kind enough to let us reserve the upstairs, which gave us plenty of room to socialize and enjoy all the wonderful beer. Click on the link to see lots of great photos (taken by Timothy Duncan)

I could not have been happier with the turnout. In addition to the Ratebeer and Beer Advocate members, representatives from Cool Springs Wine & Spirits, Chuck's Wine & Spirits (KY), Moon Wine & Spirits, and East Nashville Beer Festival were in attendance.

I don't recall drinking a bad beer the entire afternoon, but the following were some of my personal faves for the day (some of which I have already had)

New Glarus Raspberry Tart

Goose Island Vanilla Bourbon County Stout

Jackie O's Rum Barrel Aphrodite

Jackie O's Sweet Chocolate Love

Russian River Pliny The Elder

Cigar City OR

Cigar City Caspricho Obscura #4

Cigar City Cedar Aged Jai Lai IPA

Boon Oude Gueze Marriage Parfait (2003 Vintage!)

Alaskan Barleywine 2009

Laurelwood Green Mammoth Organic IPA

If you are wondering how to participate in the next beer summit, you can join Beer Advocate or Ratebeer (or both) and follow the local forums. Membership is free and you do not have to rate beers to participate on the sites. You can also shoot me an email and ask to be on the invitation list. These tastings are open to anyone who enjoys drinking and sharing craft beer. Space was limited at this event, which was why I did not have a dedicated blog post about it. Hopefully we will have more space at the next one. Cheers

Smitty
www.swbandproducts.com

January: New Brews & Other News

2011-01-20T15:18:00.000-08:00

For starters, let's discuss some new high gravity arrivals- Victory Yakima Glory (Black IPA), Sweetwater Happy Ending (Imperial Stout), Rogue Double Mocha Porter (Imperial Porter) , Het Anker Lucifer Belgian Ale (Belgian Strong Ale), and Belgoo Magus Artisnal Belgian Ale (Belgian Strong Ale). Hey retailers- can you please break up the Belgian 4 packs? $20 is a little steep.However, I am glad to see more Belgian beers show up in Nashville. Oh yeah....this years batch of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot is here!!!!! Even better, it's only $12.99 a six pack and these age very nicely.

For you sour heads, I am told that a shipment of Lindeman's Cuvée René was released to J Barleycorn. We don't see many examples of Gueze in this market, and this one is worth a try.

Land Rover of Nashville will be hosting a tasting event entitled Ale For The Trail, which is a fund raiser for the International Mountain Biking Association. A $25 donation gets you a custom glass and the opportunity to sample a handful of craft beers. More information on the event and registration can be found by clicking here

For those out in Franklin, you now have another place to drink craft beer (and boring macros if you so desire). Broadway Brewhouse has opened their fifth location at 1855 Galleria Blvd (old Texas Roadhouse location). Unlike their two locations downtown, it's non-smoking. I have not visited this location yet, but I did see the tap list and it's worth stopping by.

Beer Review- Flying Dog Raging Bitch

2011-01-16T08:44:00.000-08:00

Every beer reviewed was selected and purchased by me...until now. The nice folks at Flying Dog Brewery decided to send me bottle of their Raging Bitch Belgian Style IPA. It was a nice surprise because I had not tried that beer. I have to thank fellow beer blogger The Beer Snob for passing my name to Flying Dog's marketing department.

Flying Dog Raging Bitch

Flying Dog Brewery- Frederick, MD

ABV: 8.3% IBUs: 60

SMITTY'S REVIEW: Sampled at 50 degrees (do not drink this any colder- trust me). Pours orange amber with an ivory head that dissipates to a retentive ring. Medium bodied with a soft and very slight sticky texture, along with a medium-fine carbonation. Complex aroma that is floral and yeasty, with a hint of funky Belgian Farmhouse Ale esters.This has an extremely pale malt backbone that showcases the tangerine-like hop flavor, along with some mild spice phenols. The attenuation of the Diablo yeast strain provides just enough residual sweetness to provide balance, but also provides some dryness and phenols to give the beer a nice Belgian character. Long, clingy, and dry bitter finish with some distracting astringency.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit, even though I did not care for part of the finish. I am left wondering why I had not tried this sooner. Perhaps I take this brewery for granted because of their wide distribution. A little more aggressive in perceived bitterness when compared to Stone Cali Belgique or New Belgium Belgo, which are Belgian IPA shelf mates in the Nashville market.

Rating*: 8.75 out of 10

Recommended Food Pairing: Pork Chops, Game, Sausage, Fish, salty white cheeses

Value: Average

Beer Audience: Hopheads and Belgian beer drinkers. May be a little aggressive for the beginner palates

Where To Buy: Liquor stores with a good high gravity beer selection.

Other Flying Dog Beers To Try: Gonzo Imperial Porter, Double Dog Double Pale Ale

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

More Progress At The New Blackstone Facility

2011-01-06T07:15:00.000-08:00

Midtown Now Doing Growler Fills

2011-01-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

I just received the following email from Midtown. Don't forget that other retailers such as J Barleycorn, Mt Juliet Beer Company, Whole Foods Green Hills, and Woody's Smokes and Brews also do growler fills.

It has been a long wait, but our growler system is up and running.

Midtown Beer & Cigars is pleased to offer Left Hand Milk Stout, Yazoo Pale Ale, Yazoo Sly Rye Porter and Yazoo's Fall Project.

We've got two different growler options for you:

Bring in your own growler and fill up on any of the Yazoos for $8.99 or the Left Hand for $11.99!

Purchase a growler from us and get the Yazoos for $12.99 or the Left Hand for $15.99!

High Gravity Arrivals Just In Time For The New Year's Eve

2010-12-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

I apologize for being late in reporting this. Tennessee only received nine cases of Brooklyn Black Ops, and Nashville got five of them. I stopped by Midtown Wine and Spirits today and they still had a few left. You have to ask for it, or they may reserve one if you call (I wouldn't wait too much longer). Red Dog out in Franklin is sold out, and Moon Wine & Spirits did not get an allotment from the distributor (which is silly, but I guess that's normal with these limited releases ). This is an Imperial Stout that is aged in Bourbon barrels, with Champagne yeast added later for carbonation. The result is a great Imperial Stout with some nice complex barrel traits, and a softer body and dry texture. The price is steep at $21.99 per bottle, but if you split it between 3 or 4 people, it's definitely worth it. Enjoy it as an after dinner sipper or pair with a dessert, like chocolate cake or vanilla bean ice cream.

For Terrapin fans, this year's batch of Wake N Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout is here in 4 paks. I enjoy this beer fresh, but it will age for 1-2 years. They have also released the Side Project 13 Big Daddy Vlady's Imperial Stout, available in bombers for under 8 dollars. I will be trying this one tomorrow night at tasting, so check back under "comments" and I will give you my thoughts.

Harpoon is making an appearance on the high gravity side with Leviathan. The brewer classifies this as a Imperial IPA, but at 10% and a maltier backbone, I like to think of this as an American Strong Ale. Either way, it's worth checking out. Expect to pay around $12 per 4 pak.

That's it for now, until next year.

Cheers,
Smitty
"If it's not craft, it's crap"
www.seansmithdesign.com

New Brews Just In Time For The Holidays

2010-12-22T06:07:00.000-08:00

Midtown Wine & Spirits just sent me this email. I have not tried the Left Hand, but the Stone Cali Belgique is excellent when fresh:

Left Hand Wake Up Dead Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout

From Left Hand: Just like the Bolsheviks of the early 1900s, our barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout doesn't happen overnight. Patience is required. Wake Up Dead hibernates in our cellars for over 12 months before being blended to woody perfection. Hints of raisins, cherry, licorice and toffee, followed by earthy, herbal hop notes that rise up, joining you in your fight for a better life. Don't be afraid of the dark. All power to the stouts!

$9.99 / 22 oz
Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

From Stone: When reading the name "Stone Cali-Belgique IPA", "Cali" hints that it is a California-style IPA, and this brew has an undeniable Belgian influence, indicated by the word "Belgique" (which is how Belgium's French-speaking population says the word "Belgian." The Dutch-speaking Belgians say "Belgie").

We carefully selected a Belgian yeast strain that illuminates a fascinating new aspect of the beer that is otherwise quite simply Stone IPA. The result is both completely new and different, while still being recognizable as a Stone brew -- and Stone IPA in particular. Think of it as an otherwise identical twin to Stone IPA that was raised in a Belgian Culture. Literally.

$6.99 / 22oz

Flying Saucer New Year's Eve

2010-12-22T06:01:00.000-08:00

Here is the press release on Flying Saucer's New Years Eve Party:

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium will host its annual New Year’s Eve Party on Friday, Dec. 31 at its location at 111 10th Ave. South, Suite 310, with live music by Peter Moon.

One of the most anticipated bashes of the year, Flying Saucer’s New Year’s Eve party will feature live music from Peter Moon beginning at 9 p.m., a champagne toast at midnight and free party favors.

“The best and most memorable way to ring in the New Year is at Flying Saucer,” said Brandi Allen, general manager of Flying Saucer. “Renowned ukulele player and guitarist Peter Moon is sure to draw a large crowd, so with the event featuring his musical blend and our ambiance, we expect a great turnout. And, with a $12 cover, our party is just as reasonable as it is a must-attend event!”

Admission is $12, and the event is sure to reach capacity. Early arrival is suggested.

The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium was founded in 1995 in Fort Worth, Texas. Offering a wide variety of imported and domestic quality craft beers, as well as a full pub menu, The Flying Saucer family has now expanded to 14 locations in Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Missouri.

For more information, please call (615) 259-3039 or visit

Terrapin Beer Tasting Tomorrow

2010-12-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

Beer tasting with Spike from Terrapin Beer Co.
Saturday, December 18th, Cool Springs Whole Foods
1st tasting 3-4:30 p.m.2nd tasting 4:30-6 p.m. | Details
Join us as we welcome Spike Buckowski, founder and brew master of one of our regional favorite breweries and try some of his fabulous Terrapin beers, including the new seasonal MooHoo Chocolate Stout made using Nashville’s own Olive & Sinclair chocolate. You must register for this class at customer service or by calling 778-1910 to receive your confirmation number.

I will not be there because I am enjoying the craft beer scene in Chicago. Cheers

Smitty

Beer Review- New Belgium Vrienden

2010-12-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

The latest New Belgium offering from the Lips Of Faith Series is a collaboration with Allagash Brewing Co, an excellent artisan brewery out of Portland, Maine. I wasted no time picking up a bottle once it hit the Nashville shelves.

New Belgium Vrienden (Lips of Faith Series)

New Belgium Brewing Co. & Allagash Brewing Co.

CLASSIFICATION: Sour Ale/ Wild Ale
ABV: 8.5%

Smitty's Review: Sampled at 50 degrees. Pours copper amber with a one finger, fluffy ivory head that dissipates to a retentive ring. The aroma is a wonderful blend of cherry, potpourri, brett esters, and flower petals. Medium bodied with a soft carbonation and somewhat creamy texture. Initial flavor of grainy pale Belgian malts that quickly transitions to a moderate tartness, with notes of culinary herbs and sour fruits. Finish is very acidic and somewhat dry, with a lingering acidity and dirtiness on the palate.

This is a solid beer with a tamed use of wild yeast strains. I would say that this is more of an "intermediate level" beer for venturing into sour beers. I will admit that my expectations were very high, since Allagash was involved. Did they meet them? Not quite, but I still enjoyed it. This one is not as complex or cohesive as La Folie or Tart Lychee, which are my favorite New Belgium sours.

Rating*: 8.25 out of 10

Recommended Food Pairing: Shellfish, Salmon, Goat Cheese, White Stilton cheese

Value: Good. $8.99 per 22oz is a respectable price for a wild beer

Beer Audience: Not for the pedestrian palate. Leave this for Sour Heads and those venturing into sours

Where To Buy: Wine and Spirit stores with a craft beer selection

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

New High Gravity Arrivals- December

2010-12-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

There are a few interesting beers showing up just in time for the Holiday. One that I have been waiting for is Sam Adams Infinium ($19.99 per bottle):

Boston Beer founder Jim Koch describes this long-awaited beer as a deep golden, bubbly ale with a fruity aroma and contains 10.3 percent alcohol, more than twice that in a Sam Adams Boston Lager.

He goes on to say, "The flavor idiom would be sort of in between a champagne, a dessert wine, and maybe a Sam Adams Noble Pils. You get some of the body and mouthfeel of a beer, some of the hop character of a beer, but it's very dry and acidic without being thin. And then it has some of the fruitiness -- pear, apple, peach, apricot notes -- of a dessert wine."

Starr Hill The Gift Winterbock Lager is their first high gravity offering ($10.99 per 4 pak) and is described as follows:

A German-style Hellerbock with a few twists, The Gift is Starr Hill's holiday offering. The beautiful golden color only hints at the fire inside. Made with two-row and Munich malts and balanced with German noble hops, The Gift is the perfect accompaniment to any holiday event or festivity.

Also look for two new arrivals from New Belgium, Frambozen Raspberry Brown Ale (6 packs) and Lips of Faith Vrienden Ale (22 oz with Brettnoyces for you sour heads).

I am off to my nearest Wine and Spirits store. Cheers!

Smitty

Using Wine Gadgets For Beer- Part 1

2010-12-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

Vacu-Vin Wine Saver

I hate bombers. "Bombers" are those 22 ounce bottles that many breweries use to bottle their special release and high gravity beers. Why? Because they usually contain too much beer for one sitting. For example- Stone Russian Imperial Stout. It is a great seasonal that we can purchase here in Nashville, but only in bombers. A bomber packs around 600 calories and 10.8% abv. Too many of those and I will end up looking like pre Subway diet Jarrod.

If you can relate to that predicament, The Vacu-Vin Wine Saver is neat solution. Although it's designed for wine, it does a respectful job with beer. The device pulls a good amount (but not all) of the oxygen out of the bottle. The beer stays carbonated for at least 24 hours, with just a very slight amount of oxidation (but not enough to distract from the overall flavor profile). To get the maximum effect, I recommend you follow these guidelines:

Use with high gravity beers that have a bold malt base, like barleywines and imperial stouts, as the stronger flavors help mask the oxidation. Oxidation will be more evident in beers with pale malt base, so I recommend just finishing the bottle in those cases.
Leave the bottle at least half full. Otherwise there is too much head space resulting in less carbonation and more oxidation.
Drink within 24 hours. Beyond that, the beer will taste oxidized and stale.
Avoid using the Vacu-Vin on those rare or prized beers. Drink those under prime conditions to get the full experience.

Now I can enjoy a nice barleywine or an imperial stout as a night cap, and save the other half for the following night. I am finally able to casually drink down my beer cellar, and I owe it all to the Vacu-Vin. Stay tuned for part two, where I unveil another cool wine gadget. I'll give you a hint- it solves another problem associated with bombers.

Cheers!

Smitty
"If it's not craft, it's crap"

Blackstone's New Facility Under Construction

2010-12-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

They hope to be up and running in March. I can't wait!

Cheers!

Smitty
"If it's not craft, it's crap!"

www.seansmithdesign.com

Will You Be One Of The Lucky Bastards?

2010-11-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

I just returned from Midtown Wine and Spirits. Stone Lukcy Basartd (it's spelled correctly) was fresh off the delivery truck when I walked in. This is a one time release to celebrate Stone Brewing Company's 13th Anniversary. It is a blend of Arrogant Bastard, Double Bastard, and Oaked Arrogant Bastard. Sounds great! The bad news is that they only had two cases allotted to the store and it's a two bottle limit. Hurry before they are gone.

Also on the floor was Sweetwater Dank Tank Imperial Pilsener. There was only one case of that with a two bottle limit as well.

If you have a fat wallet, you can get the Schmaltz Brewing Jewbelation Gift Pack. It's vertical of all Jewbelations going back to 8, and it includes a free tasting glass and candles to create a minora out of your empty beer bottles (yeah, stupid gimmick I know). The bottles ARE NOT vintages, but re-brewed versions. This package is very limited in this market. Just how much? $32. Steep- but no one ever said that this hobby is cheap.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and don't forget to grab your favorite craft beer to pair with that turkey

Smitty

Beer Review- Terrapin Moo Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout

2010-11-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

It's been about a month since my last review, which is too darn long if you ask me. The next victim is Terrapin Moo Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout. I am a big fan of this brewery and wasted no time driving to the beer store to grab a six pack.

Terrapin Moo Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout

Terrapin Brewing Company- Athens, GA

CLASSIFICATION: Sweet Stout
ABV: 6%

Smitty's Review: Sampled at 50 degrees. Pours an opaque deep brown/black with dissipating one finger brown head. Nice aroma of wet roasty grains, wood mulch, and dark chocolate.Creamy mouthfeel with semi-soft carbonation. Initial flavor of dark bakers chocolate and mild roast coffee. Mid palate brings out nutshells, hazlenut, and husky grains. There is a strong, non-cloying residual sweetness to round things out. I could sense the hops for balance, but not enough to pull out any flavor characteristics. Finish is plummy with very slight, but a distracting astringency that lingers for a bit.

The finish could be better, but I still enjoyed this beer. With the sweetness and rich flavors, I don't see myself drinking more than one per sitting. In other words, this six pack may last a little longer in my beer fridge!

Rating*: 8 out of 10

Recommended Food Pairing: Ice Cream, Cake, Chocolate, Tiramisu

Value: Good at $8.49 per six pack. Purchased at J Barleycorns Beverage Barn

Beer Audience: Stout and Porter drinkers, Chocolate fans

Where To Buy: Most retail craft beer stores, Whole Foods

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

The Science of Beer

2010-11-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

I wish I knew a few more details- but it sounds like a great way to educate and introduce people to craft beer- Smitty

The Science of Beer

Adventure Science Center invites you to join us for Science of Beer, an informal beer tasting event and a little science education too!

Wednesday, Dec. 22
6:30 – 10 pm
Adventure Science Center

Beer: Yazoo Brewing Company and Lipman have teamed up with local and regional breweries to bring you a variety of beer styles and brands to taste.

Science Fun: ASC’s education team has put together some exciting live demonstrations, all related to beer. Plus, explore the entire Center as we take you on a beer-themed scavenger hunt.
$20 – Single Ticket

$100 – SIX-PACK, Buy 5, Get 1 FREE!

Buy Tickets now! You must be 21 or older with valid identification to attend.

East Nashville Beer Festival

2010-11-20T06:09:00.000-08:00

Yes folks, it looks like we are getting yet another beer festival! Beer aficionado Matt Leff recently moved to Nashville and immediatly started organizing the event. I like a guy with priorities! As a harsh critic of beer festivals, I think Matt is on the right path by having the event in the spring AND hosting it in East Nashville. This is a perfect neighborhood for a beer festival. He is focused on offering quality craft beer and possibly some out of market beers.

On Monday, they are submitting their park use application to the city. Following approval, they will then need to apply to the Beer Board. If those approvals go through, an official announcement with ticket information should follow and will be posted here and on their web site.

The festival is at 50% sponsorship. Please spread the word that there are more sponsorship opportunities available. Contact Matt directly at matt@eastnashvillebeerfest.com. You can also visit their Facebook page by clicking here.

Cheers

Smitty
"If it's not craft, it's crap"

New Brewery Coming To Nashville!

2010-11-17T06:36:00.000-08:00

Craft beer culture in Nashville keeps growing! I have been reading the buzz about on a few beer forums, but it is now official. Jackalope Brewing Company is set to open in spring of 2011 and will be located at 701 8th Ave South. Robin Virball (President) and Bailey Spaulding (CEO) will be running the operation in an 8,220 square foot facility that will feature a tap room. No official tap room hours have been set, other than that they will be limited afternoon/evening hours during the week. The tap room will feature four beers, including a rotating seasonal. Availability outside the brewery will be keg only, distributed by the good folks at BountyBev (great choice!). I will post more info as I receive it, but I can't wait to try their offerings.

Murfreesboro may be getting a new brewery as well. Mayday Brewery is now officially an LLC and you can follow their progress on their blog here. Best of luck to them!

Do you have any other local beer news? Shoot me an email and I will post about it. I am all about supporting the Nashville beer scene. Cheers!

Smitty
"If it's not craft, it's crap."

More November Arrivals

2010-11-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

The goods just keep a coming! I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Grand Cru, which is a dry hopped blend of Oak-Aged Bigfoot, Celebration, and Pale Ale. I decided to pick up two bottles and popped one open almost immediatly. I have to admit that this beer is a little young, and perhaps a disappointment. I found the finish to overly boozy and peppery. I am going to let the second bottle sit for six months in hopes of the flavors melding. Don't let my opinion prevent you from trying this beer. It's a one time release and several of my respected beer aficionados really like it.

The holiday beers are showing up as well. Noel de Calebaza is an oak-aged Belgian Strong Ale from the Dexter, MI brewer Jolly Pumpkin. At around $17 per 750ml, this may seem a little pricey, but they are a great small artisan brewery. These types of beers take more time and care to produce. Another arrival is the Shelton Brothers import Nøgne Ø Winter Ale, a very nice dark ale worth trying.

I appreciate your continued support of craft beer. Cheers!

Smitty
"If it's not craft, it's crap"

This Is Rad!

2010-11-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

New Arrivals For November

2010-11-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

Before I start, don't forget about the Nashville Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival tomorrow. Tickets are still available. For more info, visit their website.

I have anxiously been awaiting Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, and now it's here! Don't expect a liquid hershey bar, this beer is bold, roasty, and bitter like a good Imperial Stout should be. This beer also cellars nicely for about 2-3 years. At 10.1% abv, one of these will make a nice night cap during these winter months.

Another new arrival is New Belgium 2 Below, a winter warmer ale that comes in at 6.6 abv. I have not tried this one yet, but I will share my thoughts when I do. You can find both of these beers at any liquor store with an extensive craft beer selection.

On Wednesday night, I was lucky enough to sample the Yazoo Barrel Aged SUE. This is a version of the GABF Silver Medal winner that was aged in Corsair bourbon barrels. It was enjoyable, especially if you like bourbon. However, I thought that the bourbon masked some of the great characteristics of the regular SUE. There is one more keg left that will be tapped. When? Where? Follow Yazoo on Twitter to find out.

Cheers

Smitty

Flying Saucer Fall Beer Festival

2010-10-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

click here to see more photos

I have been to many many beer festivals. I sort of have a love/hate relationship with them. I love sampling the beers and hanging with fellow beer aficionados. I hate the crowds, long lines, obnoxious drunks, and event planning oversights. The good folks at Obsidian Public Relations offer me some media passes, so I brought along my notebook and a beer- loving photographer (even though I was going to attend anyway). Keep in mind that I was only at the event from 12 to 3pm. Here are my thoughts based on my personal criteria:

Event Scheduling: Excellent. Let's face it, fall is the best time of year for an outdoor festival. Our summers are way too hot for a beer festival. Eliminating the multi-session concept and having the event open from 12 pm to 10 pm was more convenient and flexible.
Lines: There were not any. Not for entry, not for beer, and not to use the rest room.
Cost: Very reasonable for a beer festival. Admission was free, but you could purchase a $20 tasting card, which enabled you to sample ten 4 ounce beers. For $1 more, you had the option to purchase a pint glass which enabled you to a 16 ounce pour at the "Full Pint" tent after every 3rd beer sampled. Tokens for pints and food were also available.
Beer Selection: Good. 24 beers from US craft brewers covering a nice range of beer styles. I think the only weakness in the line up was the lack of another solid Belgian style offering. There were six tents with four beers each- Local, West US, East US, High Gravity, Captain Keith's Picks, and a Full Pint Tent. I appreciated the absence of macro breweries and "alco pops" like Mike's Hard Lemonade. I seemed to remember a mention of rare or out-of-market beers in an email, but none of those made an appearance during my visit.
Food: I can't really comment since I did not eat. But it looked good!
Facilities: Good. This was just a typical tent set up in the parking lot, but there was plenty of room to walk around. They also provided a large tent for seating. Rest rooms were available inside, as well as porta potties outside. I had no problem getting water to cleanse my palate and rinse my glass.
Staff: Friendly and personable. They all appeared to be having fun and enjoying the festival

Attendance: A nice mix of age groups. The attendees were very civil and outgoing. It was about at one third capacity when I left.

I believe that a good beer festival is about quality, not quantity. Every beer listed on the tasting card was a quality-made offering. Larger festivals often only give 1 or 2 ounce pours and a cheap plastic mug. This minimizes the olfactory and tasting experience. Flying Saucer provided 4 ounce pours in a glass taster, which was far more optimal for beer tasting.

I am not sure if this was intentional or not, but the event planners removed the annoyances assoicated with many beer festivals. I raise my glass to a successful event. I shall return next year. For those that were there after 3pm, please post your comments (good or bad).

Nashville Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival

2010-10-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Geez! Nashville is overflowing with beer festivals this year. That's a great sign that beer culture is growing in the Music City. If you have nothing to do on November 6, I'd suggest that you check out the Nashville Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival held at the Municipal Auditorium. I tried to take advantage of the $23 groupon offer, but it sold out quickly. Tickets are now back to full price. Bummer!

If you need more information on the event, you can can visit the official website.

Cheers!

Smitty

Grab Your Wallet- Lots Of New Arrivals!

2010-10-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

If you are heading to the Flying Saucer Beer Festival on Saturday, you may want to stop by Midtown Wine & Spirits (or your favorite high gravity beer-friendly liquor store). There are lots of new beers worthy of your frog skins.

For starters, Victory Moonglow Weizenbock is highly recommended. If you are a fan of the classic Schneider Aventinus, I think this is almost as good. As a fan of Harvest Ales, Terrapin So Fresh & So Green is a new one I look forward to trying.

Do you like chocolate, stouts, and a little heft in your beer? Rogue Double Chocolate Stout has just arrived. Speaking of dark beers, Atlanta Brewing Company is also on the high gravity side with their Red Brick Porter- available in 4 paks.

Now to the low gravity side of things. The good people at Bounty Bev should be stocking beers from Buckbean any day now. Look for Black Nody Lager, Tule Duck Red, and Orange Blossom Ale- in cans. Fellow Nashville beer blogger The Beer Snob has reviewed a few of these, so go over there and check out his blog. Negotiations have finally ended with Milwaukee-based Sprecher. Expect to see these beers in November.

Now it's time to finish my Goose Island IPA (sorry, not in Nashville...yet) and rest up for the Flying Saucer Beer Festival tomorrow. See you there! I'll have my "If it's not craft, it's crap" Tshirt on. Cheers

Smitty

Flying Saucer Beer Festival This Weekend!

2010-10-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

I know I posted this a few weeks back, but I wanted to remind everyone that the first annual Flying Saucer Beer Festival is this Saturday. I believe it runs from noon until 10 pm. The great thing about it is that admission is free. If you want to sample beers, you can buy a tasting card for 20 dollars. No tickets, no long lines to get in, and hopefully no obnoxious drunks! There will be several tents and random rare beer offerings throughout the day. I hope to make an appearance at some point. Cheers!

October: New Brews & Other News

2010-10-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

For starters, don't forget about the first annual Tennessee Beer Festival this weekend. It looks like tickets are still available. Expect about 25 breweries and around 90 different beers.

Stone Vertical Epic 10-10-10 is on the shelves for a very limited time. For those of you unfamiliar with this series, it's part of a 12 part series that started back on 2-02-02. The purpose of the series is to cellar each year and have a vertical tasting in 2012. I always purchase one to drink, and another to cellar. This year's release sounds interesting:

"Fermented with the legendary Ardennes strain of Belgian yeast, 10.10.10 is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale brewed with pale malt and triticale (a cross of wheat and rye), hopped with German Perle hops, and steeped with chamomile during the whirlpool stage. In secondary fermentation, we added a juice blend of Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties."

I also picked up a bottle of Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Wet Hop Harvest Ale. If you are a hop head, I highly recommend you grab a bottle. This is a very nice beer where the malt profile is as integral as the hop schedule (see my review on the previous post).

Also available is Oxymoron, a collaborative beer between Terrapin and Left Hand Brewing Co. It is described as "an American-style IPA brewed with three German malts, six German hops varieties, and a lager yeast strain."

For those willing to part with $13.99 for a 500ml bottle, Samuel Smith's Stingo has made it's second annual appearance in Nashville (thanks to the anonymous reader for the correction). It's an English Strong Ale that has been aged in oak casks, and I hear it's pretty tasty. However, my wallet is a little thin these days and I may have to pass.

That's it for now. Cheers!

Smitth

Beer Review- Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Wet Hop Harvest Ale

2010-10-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year when all the Harvest Ales start showing up on the shelves, and hopheads journey down to the beer retailers to get the wet hop goodness. This is my first time trying the Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Wet Hop Harvest Ale, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to share my thoughts.

Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Wet Hop Harvest Ale

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co- Chico, CA

Commercial Description:
Each Fall, hops reach their peak flavor-bursting with aromatic oils that give ales layers of complex flavor and aroma that can only happen at harvest time. For us, fall comes twice a year-once in each hemisphere. This Harvest Ale features "wet" or un-dried whole-cone hops from Yakima, WA that are plucked from the vine and delivered to our brewery within 24 hours of picking.
ABV: 6.7%

Smitty's Review: Sampled at 55 degrees. Pours a beautiful deep copper amber with a two-finger light beige head that dissipates to a ring. Nice webby lacing that clings to the glass all the way to the end. The nose is a balance of caramelly malts and fresh crushed hop cones- which give off an aroma that reminds me of an orange grove. Medium bodied with carbonation that is on the softer side of medium, and a slight creaminess in texture. The malt profile is a nice compliment to the hops, as opposed to pale backdrop. It is an interesting mix of bready malts, caramel and rye. The hops really dominate mid palate, with an assertive grapefruit and piney bitterness that carries through to the long , semi-dry finish.There is an strong amount of hop oils that cling to palate, and I mean they really cling. I will be tasting this tomorrow!

If you are a hop head, you should really enjoy this beer. I think this is Sierra Nevada's Best Harvest ale to date. The fresher the better. Grab this sooner than later.

Rating*: 9.5 out of 10

Recommended Food Pairing: Grilled meats, sharp or spicy cheeses

Value: Good at $4.99 per 24 ounce bottle

Beer Audience: Hop heads and experienced craft beer drinkers.

Where To Buy: I picked this up at Midtown Wine & Spirits, but other liquor stores with a good craft beer selection should have this.

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

Corporate Hospitality and Craft Beer Appreciation

2010-10-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted about organizing a craft beer tasting for a corporate hospitality suite. The client wanted to provide something beyond a typical open bar. The only hurdle was that I was only allowed to select beers from the hotel's distributor. After sifting through pages and pages of boring macro beers and "alco pops," I found six respectable session beers for the tasting flight. Every audience is different, so it will be interesting to see how the react to my selection. I just printed out the table placards, and now it's time to find my sport jacket. Oh yeah...it's tomorrow night. Wish me luck!

Smitty

Beer Review- Dundee Oktoberfest

2010-10-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

I figured that since October upon us, it was time to review a Märzen. A good friend of mine recommended that I give Dundee Oktoberfest a try. I was a bit reluctant because I have not enjoyed any Dundee offerings. While they have the craft beer styles and packaging, I have never found their quality to be that great. Priced at $6.99 per six, I went ahead and took another gamble.

Dundee Oktoberfest

Genessee Brewing Company- Rochester, NY ABV: 5.5%

Pours a translucent copper orange with a two finger ivory head and lively carbonation. Nice head retention and spotty lacing. Aroma of bready malts, fruity esters, and cheap lager. Lighter side of medium bodied with average carbonation, but with a smooth mouth feel. This starts off with the traditional Munich and Vienna malt flavors of bread grains and caramel, but those flavors weaken mid palate to muted spicy hops. The beer finishes with faint vegetal and corny off flavors (which may be a result of DMS), and leaves a mild soapy bitterness at the back of the mouth.

With craft beer, I believe that you usually get what you pay for, and this beer is a good example. I would skip this one and pay the extra few dollars for an Märzen (Oktoberfest) from Paulaner, Ayinger, Brooklyn, or Spaten. Am I a beer snob? Nah, I just have high standards.

Rating*: 6 out of 10

Recommended Food Pairing: German food, pork chops

Value: average at $6.99 (considering the quality)

Beer Audience: non finicky Lager drinkers

Where To Buy: Most grocery stores and retail beer stores. SEASONAL

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

Weekend Beer Events

2010-10-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Looking for something to do this weekend? If you want to try some great homebrew, check out the Music City Brew Off this Saturday at the Goodlettsville Marriot. In the mood for German beers and a more family friendly environment? The Oktoberfest in the Germantown neighborhood is worth considering. I may try to hit the brew off if my wife will watch the kids. See you there?

Cheers!

Smitty

Moon Wine & Spirits

2010-09-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

Do you love craft beer AND wine? Do you live or work near Brentwood? If so, I recommend you check out Moon Wine & Spirits located 6910 Moores Lane in Brentwood, TN. Manager Sean McKay has knowledge about beer and wine- which is something you don't find very often. He is a regular attendee at many beer tastings. When he returned from his trip to France, he brought some rare French brewed (Belgian style) beer to share with the group. Swing on by and tell him Smitty sent you.

Terrapin Hop Harvest Festival in Athens, GA

2010-09-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks, I won't be able to make this one. I am resting my liver and my kids have soccer. Sorry for the late notice, but this would be a fun trip for those looking for something to do tomorrow.

Terrapin Beer Co is hosting a celebration of “everything hoppy” with their 1^st annual “Hop Harvest Festival” this weekend Saturday September 25^th from 4:30 - 7:30pm.

The featured beer of the night will be the first ever pouring of Terrapin’s new fresh hop (or “wet –hop”) limited-release beer “So Fresh & So Green Green”. This very special beer is brewed with Amarillo hops cones flown in overnight from the Yakima Valley in Washington earlier this month. Brian “Spike” Buckowski, co - founder & brew master at the brewery, plans to make this beer annually so Saturday will be the beginning of a Terrapin tradition!

Terrapin will also serve 6 casks of ale each dry hopped with a different variety of hops. These casks will offer people a unique tasting opportunity to identify the distinguishing characteristics of different hop varietals. These unique casks will be tapped at 5:30.

Other plans for the festivities include!

Special guests John Isenhour from Hop Union and Patrick LaZell from Country Malt Group/Canada Malting Company to explain the unique role hops play in the brewing process and to educate visitors about the history and biology of these bittering beauties.

· Farm 255 will have their mobile Farm Cart on hand with locally grown farm to table goodies for sale.

· Live music by the Welfare Liners local Athens Bluegrass favorites.

· Hopzilla, Big Hoppy Monster, Hopsecutioner, Hop Karma and more of your favorite hoppy beers from Terrapin!

Terrapin Beer Co. Brewery is located at 265 Newton Bridge Road in Athens, GA. If you can’t make it to the festival Tours of the brewery are offered every Wednesday through Saturday from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. The tours are an excellent opportunity to taste Terrapin's full line of award winning beers and see the brewing process firsthand. www.terrapinbeer.com.

Great American Beer Festival- Day Three

2010-09-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

After a good night of rest, my friend and I were dropped off in front of the convention center about 90 minutes prior to the AHA members Saturday session. Since I had time to kill standing in line, I carefully planned out my route to try the beers I missed on Thursday's session.

Once inside, I wasted no time following my route. I took a short break to watch the award ceremony for the Smoked beer category, because I was confident that the local Yazoo SUE would take a medal. Sure enough, I was right and they won a silver! Congrats to Linus and crew! Let's not forget Blackstone Brewery, who also received a Silver medal for the St Charles Porter.

There were so many excellent beers that I don't think I can mention them all, but I can give you the highlights. New Glarus is always a staple for fruit beers, but Rocky Mountain Brewery was a pleasant new discovery. Da Yoopers (cherry), Tathonha Blueberry Ale, and Eat A Peach were excellent fruit dessert beers. The Tahonha tasted like liquid blueberry pie!

Some respected beer aficionado friend recommended Bellingham based Chuckanut Brewery. I sampled the Helles and the Pilsener, and they were outstanding. These folks know how to make a good lager, and I don't say that very often.

For Imperial Stouts, Goose Island Coffee Bourbon County Stout did not disappoint. It had a thick and oily mouthfeel with intense flavors of vanilla, dark chocolate, bourbon, and mild coffee. I think my favorite in that category was the Fifty Fifty Imperial Stout, brewed in Truckee, CA. It was perfectly balanced and had a more sessionable mouthfeel- just the way I like it. It sort of reminded me of North Coast Old Rasputin.

My favorite hoppy beer of the session goes to Bear Republic Ryevalry, which ended up getting a medal. The oddity goes to Short's Spruce Pilsener. Think of a hoppy pilsener with tons of spruce needles, or what I referred to as "Christmas tree in a glass."

Before the session ended, I had to swing over to the Russian River booth to get my fix of Pliny The Elder and Supplication. We then decided to leave early to beat the crowds at Falling Rock Taphouse. Once there, we were happy to get full servings of beer. We chose Russian River Redemption, Pliny the Elder, and Oskar Blues Barrel Aged Old Chub with Cherries. It was also a great place to socialize with members of the craft beer industry. I had a nice chat with an Avery Brewing rep and discussed distribution in Nashville. Brewers and staff from 21st Amendment and Inland Empire joined our table for beers and fun conversation. We skipped out on the Dr Bill tasting in the basement, because we had "palate fatigue" and our designated driver was en route.

I had a great trip. I thank my awesome wife for holding down the fort and my good friend Shannon for providing a place to crash. I met many new beer aficionados and tried several outstanding beers. Anyone who is a lover of craft beer owes it to themselves to make a trip to this Festival. You won't regret it.

Cheers

Smitty

Great American Beer Festival- Day Two

2010-09-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ok. I did not attend the festival on Friday. I took the time to explore by following two fellow beer geeks on a brewery crawl. My first stop was Avery Brewing Company in Boulder. At 11 am, the place was packed with only one person pouring beer! I took a brief tour of the brewery and when it was over, they had more help. I tried the Jim's Pilsener, Jerry's Roggenbier, Brett IPA, and Missionary Man.

The next stop was Liquormax in Loveland. I was expecting a larger selection of beer based what the locals told me. However, I was extremely excited to pick up three beers from one of my favorite breweries- Russian River. My haul was rather small- Russian River Consecration, Russian River Supplication, Russian River Temptation, Alaskan Barleywine, and Goose Island Sophie.

From there headed to Fort Collins and stopped for a late lunch at Big City Burrito. Then it was off to New Belgium Brewing Company. They really laid out the welcome mat with free samples (they were not really keeping track of the 3 beer limit), gourmet finger food and desserts, and guest beers from Elysian. They have a very impressive facility and I highly recommend a visit. I did not do a tour because it was full. The standout beer on my flight was the Tart Lychee Sour Ale.

Once we finished up at New Belgium (I could have stayed longer), we stopped in at Odell Brewing Company, which was only a few minutes away. The tap room staff was prepared for the large crowds had a very efficient and organized system for pouring beers and sampler trays. The standout for me was the British-esque Cutthroat Porter. The odd beers were the Curry Wheat and a double Marzen with Brett.

My friends left Odell to head to the festival and I decided to make one more stop at the The Tasty Weasel, which is the Oskar Blues tasting room in Longmont. I had a 10 ounce serving of the Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy, which was excellent. This place has a lot of character and is definitely worth a visit.

From there I headed back to my friend's house in Erie. We enjoyed a white chicken pizza and opened the Goose Island Sophie and Russian River Temptation amongst friends and neighbors. A full day indeed!

Cheers!

Great American Beer Festival- Day One

2010-09-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

Lucky for me, my flight was not delayed and I arrived in Denver on time.... to hit rush hour. By the time I reached the convention center, the members only entrance line must have been two blocks long! I will give credit to the event organizers, they really know how to move a line quickly. I was inside sampling beers within 20 minutes of the doors opening.

For this session, I tried to stay away from the stronger beers since I had to drive later that night. As far as IPAs, the standouts for me were Russian River Hopfather and Fat Heads Headhunter IPA. I also sought specialty beers and styles that I have never tried, such as the refreshing German style Gose from Portsmouth Brewing.

I finally sampled Triumph Brewing Jewish Rye after missing it several times at the brewpub, and it was outstanding. I don't know what brewing techniques were used to create it, but it tastes like a liquid artisan rye bread. Shorts Brewing was pouring their experimental brew Key Lime Pie, which was made with marshmallow, graham cracker, and lime. To be honest, it fell very short of matching the description.

Several outstanding coffee stouts were being poured. My favorites were Hopping Frog Cafe BORIS, Kuhnhenn Creme Brulee Java Stout, and Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout.

I did not have much time to venture in to the sour beers. Cascade Apricot Ale, Cascade Bourbonic Plaque, and New Belgium Imperial Berliner Style Weiss were the three standouts. A big disappointment was Sam Adams Kriek. It tasted artificial and was no where near the flavor or complexity of an authentic Kriek. As with Cherry Wheat and Cranberry Lambic, fruit beers are not their forte. I hope to try more sours during Saturday's session.

Today I am off to Fort Collins, Boulder, and Longmont for brewery tours and brewpubs.

Cheers

Smitty

Beer Festivals & Other News

2010-09-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

The Great American Beer Festival starts tomorrow in Denver. This will be my second year attending, and this year I will be going to the Thursday session and Saturday AHA Members Session. I plan visit some breweries in Boulder and Longmont on Friday. Check my FLICKR photo feed on the right for live pics.

Nashville has a few upcoming beer events. The Tennesse Beer Festival on October 16 will be held at the Two Rivers Mansion on McGavock Pike. Tickets are still available.

On the following weekend, The Flying Saucer will have it's first annual Fall Beer Festival. It runs from Noon to 10 pm, and will have 6 beer tents and food. You will also have the option to purchase a 10 beer tasting card and glass for $20. There is no cover for this event.

J Barleycorn beer store is now selling growlers to go! They have four taps that will rotate. Swing by or give them a call to see what's pouring. That's it for now. I have to finish packing. If any of you locals are heading out to Denver, shoot me an email so we can meet up for a pint!.

Cheers

Smitty

New Brews Reviews

2010-09-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

I picked up three somewhat new beers to the Nashville market and could not decide which one to review. What the heck! I figured that I would give an abridged review of all three. Without any further delay, here it goes.

Abita SOS- Abita Brewing Company- Covington, LA
This is a special release Pilsener that donates 75 cents per bottle to the Gulf Oil Spill relief effort. What also makes it interesting is that it is a Weizen Pils, which is a Pilsener made with wheat. Pours a straw golden with a slight haze, sudsy white head, and spotty lacing. Lighter side of medium bodied with average carbonation. Nice aroma of pilsner malts, lemon, dough, and herbal European hops. Flavor of pilsner and pale wheat malts, biscuit, and lemon grass countered by a nice spicy bitterness. Semi-dry hoppy finish with a hint of white pepper. A well-crafted beer, and probably one of the best offerings ever released by Abita. A repeat buy for me (and I don't say that very often). Enjoy this with grilled meats, Thai cuisine, BBQ, and cajun food.

Smitty's Rating*: 9 out of 10

New Belgium Belgo IPA- New Belgium Brewing Company- Fort Collins, CO

This is a Belgian style IPA from their Lips of Faith Series, which is an American IPA that uses a Belgian yeast strain. Pours orange amber with an ivory head. Nice perfume-like aroma of Belgian yeast esters, apricots, and potpourri. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Flavor of caramel, honey, and a hint of bubblegum with some earthy grapefruit rind bitterness. I think the balance of residual sugars is perfect. Yeasty finish with grassy hops and soap, with a very very slight amount of alcohol. This is a solid example of the style. Enjoy this with beef, pork, chicken, or white fish.

Smitty's Rating*: 8.75 out of 10

Moylans Nor Cal Pale Ale- Moylans Brewery & Restaurant- Novato,CA
Moylans is a great West Coast brewery that is new to Nashville. Everything they produce is excellent. Pours a nice medium orange amber with somewhat creamy ivory head and webby lacing. Aroma of citrusy hops. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Flavor of pale toffee malt with an assertive citrus rind and herbal bitterness. Long dry and grassy bitter finish with clinging hop resin. This one is for the hop heads and guaranteed to sand blast the palate. Perhaps a hair over attenuated for my tastes. This would pair well with pizza, wings, and Thai Cuisine.

Smitty's Rating*: 8.75 out of 10

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

You can find these beers at any fine Wine and Spirits store with a craft beer selection. Now it's time to start packing for the Great American Beer Festival (I have to gloat). Until next time- cheers!

Smitty

Blackstone To Resume Bottling in 2011

2010-08-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

I participate in several in online beer communities, and there is a beer aficiando in Knoxville that digs up and posts all kinds of Tennessee beer news. Let's refer to him as Lithy. I offered him guest permissions for the blog and I am waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I am free to repost anything he shares in the forums.

I have run into the Blackstone Brewery owner at a few local beer tastings, so I knew something was on the horizon. Well it's now official. Expect Blackstone to be bottling and kegging at their new facility in early 2011. More info can be found in this Nashville Business Journal article. This is great news and yet more growth for the Nashville Craft Beer Scene. Thanks for the official scoop Lithy!

Smitty

Beer Review- Ass Kisser Double IPA

2010-08-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

I went to visit one of my beer mentors a few weeks ago down in Dallas, Texas for a weekend of craft beer drinking. My flight was late getting in Friday night, so we stayed in drinking draft homebrew and a 1989 Thomas Hardy's Ale. The following night was crazy, as I got to experience my first North Texas Homebrewers Association pool party. Sunday I wanted to hit a few beer bars to try offerings from Texas craft breweries. We started at the Ginger Man in Plano for a special keg tapping of Rahr & Sons End of Winter Warmer, an English Strong Ale aged in Kentuck bourbon barrels.

The district sales manager from Rahr & Sons happened to be there, so I took the opportunity to discuss the release of Ass Kisser Double IPA in the TN market. Since I had a bottle sitting back at home, I wanted to find out more about it. The beer is contracted brewed for Ass Kisser Beverage Company, who produces wines with the same Ass Kisser name. Apparantly they also wanted to have a beer available to compliment their product line. And that...is the rest of the story.

Ass Kisser Double IPA-
Ass Kisser Beverage Company (contract brewed by Rahr & Sons, Ft Worth, TX)

Commercial Description:
Ass Kisser Double IPA is a rich malty ale that has warm caramel notes that ope up as it warms up to your glass........ ABV: 9%

Smitty's Review: Sampled at 55 degrees. Pours a nice amber with a dissipating ivory head. Piney hop aroma, but as it warms I pick up carmelly malt, raisen, and alcohol. Lighter side of medium bodied with a soft carbonation. Mouthfeel is definitely more British in character. Starts of malty with strong notes of caramel and wet grains, but the piney and earthy hops quickly dominate mid palate. Long, dry bitter finish with some clinging resin and a slight astringency. There is some alcohol warmth as it goes down the windpipe.

I am not sure I would classify this as a Double IPA. This comes across more as an English Strong Ale or perhaps even an American Strong Ale. It does not matter because classification does not cloud my enjoyment of a beer, and I enjoyed this one.

Rating*: 8 out of 10

Recommended Food Pairing: This one is tricky for me with the malt and hops combintation. I recommend Stilton cheese, game, cured meats.

Value: Moderate at $6.99 per 22 ounce bottle

Beer Audience: Hop heads and experienced craft beer drinkers.

Where To Buy: I picked this up at Midtown Wine & Spirits, but other liquor stores with a good craft beer selection should have this.

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

Boulevard Is Pulling Out Of Tennessee

2010-07-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

Yes folks. Boulevard is pulling their entire portfolio out of Tennessee due to lack of sales. That's too bad because their Smokestack Series were excellent, and the lower gravity selection were a decent budget beers (especially the Single Wide IPA). Tennessee still has a long way to go before we have a "beer culture," as in states like PA, IL, OR, and CA. Retailers and distributors (Lipman and DET listen up), craft beer can't sell itself. If you want a product line to catch on, PROMOTE IT! We have lost good beers because of non existent promotion and marketing, such as Great Divide, St Bernardus, and now Boulevard. I really wish this distributors would hire reps that are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about craft beer, not bean counter types who think Blue Moon and Gennessee Cream Ale are top notch beers.

On the up side, I hear Goose Island ( from my home state of IL) will be here soon. As to what beers, I have no idea. Hopefully the high gravity beers, as well as the standard session beers. Let's hope the distributor does not F this one up.

Cheers!

Smitty

Should I Post Video Reviews?

2010-07-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

I know other bloggers have ventured into video reviews, so I was curious if there was any interest on this blog. I have pondered the idea for some time, but I kept putting it off. The one thing I like about written reviews is that the audience can derive the information at their own pace, or skip over the information they don't need. A video requires that one sit through the entire clip. However, if I decide to do a video review, I will keep it simple and to the point. What do you all think?

Smitty

Should Yazoo Can It?

2010-07-13T22:10:00.000-07:00

Head honcho Linus Hall at Yazoo is asking us that question. He is pondering the idea of switching from bottles to cans. He wants the Yazoo drinkers to vote at the Yazoo Blog.

I do realize that bottles are synonymous with craft beer, but I firmly believe cans are a better choice. There are several reasons:

lower dissolved oxygen levels since there is less air space
easier and cheaper to recycle
beer gets colder faster
impervious to light (light is very bad for beer)
cheaper to package and transport
less restrictive to consume at places like pools, beaches, events, etc.

As far as adding a metallic taste to the beer, that's just misinformation. Cans are now 100% aluminum and have a tasteless water based liner on the inside. In a blind taste test, you will not be able to taste the difference between a canned or bottled beer fresh from the brewery. Now a bottled beer that has sat in direct or direct light for a month WILL taste different- and worse.

I vote for cans. What about you?

Smitty

Oh Heck Yeah! Moylan's Finally Arrives In Nashville

2010-07-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

I know I mentioned that they were coming, but beers from the California brewery Moylan's are now on the shelves! For the hopheads, there is the Hopsickle Imperial IPA, Moylander Double IPA, and Nor Cal IPA. For those that prefer less bitterness in their beer, go for the Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale or Danny's Irish Red Ale. I have yet to have a mediocre or bad beer from this brewery. Let's show them some Nashville beer love so that they stick around for awhile. Expect to find these at liquor stores that carry a craft beer selection (Midtown, Frugal MacDoogal, Graces Plaza, Red Dog, J Barleycorn, Total Beverage, etc. )

The Music City Brewers festival is fast approaching. Get your tickets soon because some sessions are already sold out. For more information, visit http://www.musiccitybrewersfest.com/tickets.html . This is a great way to sample the retail and locally brewed beers that are available in the Nashville market. They also have regional brewers that are not locally accessible. I went last year and I must say they have really improved the organization of the event. The lines are still extremely sllllllow, so get there early. I doubt that I will be attending this year because I need to start saving my limited funds for the grand daddy of them all, The Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Co. Being a beer aficionado is not cheap.

Cheers!

Smitty

It's July- Beer and Fireworks!

2010-06-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

I made my monthly round to my beers stores and it did not come home empty handed. For starters, Stone Brewing 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA is here on a very limited basis, so grab it while you can. I wasted no time! As mentioned in my last post, Terrapin Side Project 11 Boom Shakalager Bavarian Style Imperial Lager was now on the shelves.

Making its debut in the Music City, Rahr & Sons Brewery released the Ass Kisser Double IPA. I have not tried it yet, but I will post a comment once I open my bottle. You all know I am a sucker for Double IPAs.

Sam Adam Long Shot Series is FINALLY being distributed in Nashville. Available in mixed six packs, these beers are the winners in a nationwide homebrew competition of over 1500 entries. The winners for 2010 are Lemon Pepper Saison, Mile High Barleywine, and Old Ben's Ale. I just finished the Lemon Pepper Saison and I found it to be a very good twist on the style. It was a very balanced blend of pale wheat malts, herbal hops, citrus, and peppercorns that transition to a nice dry finish.

Expect the great west coast offerings from Moylan's to be here very soon. I know that I am excited, especially about the hoppier side of their product line.

Have a good 4th of July. I know I will

Cheers,

Smitty

Early Summer Arrivals

2010-06-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

The beers just keep coming to Nashville. It's hard for me to keep up! For starters, Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere is now on the shelves! Yes the 750 ml bottle is $10.99, but it's worth every penny. This is an outstanding Saison from Jolly Pumpkin, a small artisan Brewer out of Dexter MI that specializes in Belgian beers.

On a recent trip to Midtown Wine and Spirits, I spotted Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian Style IPA. I have not tried this one yet, so feel free to leave a comment and let everyone know how you liked it. I grabbed a six pack of the special release Schlafly American India Pale Ale. If you love IPAs like I do, this is also highly recommended. It is somewhat similar to Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA, but has much more intense citrus hop flavors, especially in the grapefruit bitterness department. I dig this one so much that I just may go grab a few more 6 packs before it's gone.This Midwest brew can head to head with the West Coast IPAs. Get it. You won't be sorry, except for when you still taste hops when you are drinking your morning coffee.

McNeill's Brewery added a few more offerings to the Nashville market. Look for the Extra Special Bitter and Dead Horse IPA.

Finally, the marketing department at Terrapin kindly sent me a press release of beers to expect this month, as well as next month. They are as follows:

June Releases:

Side Project Volume 11 - Boom Shakalager: Spikes latest improvisational beer creation is a lager crafted with all German malts, hops and yeast "for an aggressive flavor that will wind most anyone's cuckoo clock!" That last part is straight from Spike. This amber beer has balance of sweetness and bitterness complimented by a bombardment of citrus from a dry hopping with German Tettnanger hops. 22oz bottle

Gamma Ray - This is our second vintage of this massive wheat beer brewed with local Georgia coast Tupelo and Sourwood honey. At 10.8% ABV the Gamma Ray got a real punch but tasting this well balance beer you wouldn't know it. We love it for its broad pairing potential and intense flavors. 12oz bottle

Double Feature - Session Two of the Georgia Theater Sessions - This special series of beers, there will be four, is a fundraiser to support rebuilding the Georgia Theater, an Athens Ga landmark that burned down in 2009. This session is named for the period around 1918 when the theater was renovated into an art deco movie house. This "Belgian-Style Dubbel" is brewed with 100% Belgian Malts and authentic Trappist yeast and has all the characteristics of a fine Trappist Ale. 22oz bottle

As a special bonus, each 22oz bottle will be in a sealed container and one box of each release will contain a Golden Ticket for a lifetime pass to the rebuilt Georgia Theater. The ticket from session one has yet to be found!

July Releases:

Reunion Beer - A Beer for Hope - Belgian Style Scotch Ale - This is the second time Terrapin has participated in this annual fundraiser for the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research. With all the malt back bone of a traditional Scotch Ale, this beer combines malt, hops and a nontraditional Trappist yeast to place this beer in a category all its own. 22oz bottles

That's it for now. I have beer to drink. Cheers

Smitty

It's Craft Beer Week!

2010-05-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

Yeah. So what? Every week is craft beer week for me! How about you? I know several craft beer bars and Brewpubs are running some sort of special. Call or check their web sites. Expect to see a lot of craft beer articles in the press, some good and some boring. If you see the quote "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" attributed to Benjamin Franklin in an article, stop reading. The author is guilty of journalistic malpractice since this quote is fictitious and easily verified via Google. It makes you wonder where they are getting their information and research for the article. East Nashville's 3 Crow Bar even has a nicely made sign with this quote above the tap handles...sigh! I really wish they would at least cover Franklin's name to prevent any further misquoting.

Beers from Stoudt's Brewery will be arriving in Nashville bottle shops by early June. Like Victory, they are based in eastern PA and brew some very solid beers. Stoudt's Pilsener will be a very nice addition to Nashville's improving selection of domestic Pilseners (Victory Prima Pils, Sam Adams Noble Pils, Brooklyn, etc.) I also recommend their Pale Ale as well.

On May 24 at 6pm, Flying Saucer will be hosting a Terrapin Beer Dinner. The event will be hosted by Brian “Spike” Buckowski, founder and brewmaster at Athens, Ga.-based Terrapin, and will feature seven beers accompanied by a three-course dinner. Dinner will include a fresh buffalo mozzarella salad, followed by an entrée of smoked chicken on wild rice and accompanying sauce and a dessert of chocolate mousse with fresh berries. Featured beers include Terrapin’s SunRay Wheat Beer, Rye Pale Ale, Hopsecutioner, Hop Karma Brown IPA, Monk’s Revenge Belgian-Style IPA, Rye Squared and Capt’n Krunkles Black IPA. Tickets for the event can be purchased at Flying Saucer and are $30 for U.F.O. Club members and $35 for non-members. Reservations are required as tickets are limited.

It's that time of year when Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hop Ale is on the shelves for a limited time. Expect to pay around $5 per 22 ounce bottle, and the fresher the better.

That's it for now. Time to open a craft beer and hopefully you are doing the same. And no...Blue Moon (brewed by Coors) does not count.

cheers

Smitty