Help Alabama Home brew!

In 1978, post the prohibition era, President Carter signed a bill to legalize home brewing federally. Since then, 49 states have legalized home brewing, leaving only Alabama the lone state where home brewing is illegal. That doesn't mean that there aren't any home brewers that call Alabama home, in fact most who home brew in the Yellowhammer State are not even aware that home brewing is illegal there. 

Not every state was quick to change their home brewing laws but with the surge in interest for craft beers and home brewing, many states are taking measures to capitalize on the craft beer industry. In 2009, Utah legalized home brewing. In 2010, Oklahoma passed their own legalization law and just over a month ago, Mississippi legalized home brewing by passing a new law on March 18th. 

A bill (HB9) to legalize home brewing in Alabama was reintroduced this year and it if passes, it will give the home brewers in Alabama the same privileges that every other state offers their home brewers. However, The only way the Alabama lawmakers will pass the bill is if enough of their constituents contact them in support of the bill to alleviate their fear of voting in favor of any alcohol-related bill in Alabama. 

Here's where you can help. We need to spread the word and help out our fellow home brewers Alabama. During the legislative session between now and May 20th, the Senate Rules Committee controls which bills are brought before the senate for a vote and there are only a few days left in the session. You can click here and contact the members of the Senate Rules Committee and politely ask them to place HB9 on the Special Order Calendar as soon as possible. All the contact information is on the page. Also, you can visit Right to Brew, which is the home brew legalization organization involved in the effort, for more information. Lets band together and help our our fellow home brewers/ craft beer enthusiasts. Cheers!

Get low, get dirty and have yourself a good time. KCCO!

Ballast Point - Double Dorado

"On a quest to make delicious beers, our brewers have continually sought creative new ways to accentuate the delightfully aromatic and flavorful qualities of hops. Hopheads rejoice! Dorado Double IPA takes hops to a new level. Mash Hopping, First Wort Hopping, Kettle Hopping, and Dry Hopping create an award winning beer that embodies San Diego’s reputation for making world class IPAs. Our bottle Robust Series gives all beer lovers an opportunity to try our most rare beers, previously available only on draft at select tap houses. Enjoy! Get the Point! World Beer Cup 2006 Bronze Award Winner"
                                                          - Ballast Point Brewing Company

  

Brewery: Ballast Point

Beer: Double Dorado

Style: Double IPA

ABV: 10%

For many years Ballast Point's home brew mart/ tasting room served as my happy hour hangout. While they do not have an official happy hour, their prices might suggest otherwise. 4 ounce tasters for 1-2$ of great beer is hard to beat and it was here that I started learning about all of the different ways to add flavors to your beer. I have always considered Ballast Point to be on the cutting edge of the craft beer industry as they have served chili infused beers and added new twists to their core beers for many years. Look at them today, they have just released their canned line of beers and they are selling as fast as they can be put on the shelf. 

There is no surprise there, Ballast Point's beers are solid. BigEye is a great IPA. Sextant is a flavorful stout. Sculpin is excellent! But before my love of Sculpin came about, something you will hear plenty of come the time of review, my first Ballast Point favorite was Double Dorado. The robust hoppiness packs as much of a punch as the whopping 10% ABV, giving my palate that bitter kick it craves. 

The golden body glows with it's white creamy head, deceivingly hiding its power. The aroma is heavy with pine and grapefruit goodness. The initial flavor is packed with floral, fruity hoppiness followed by more of the same hop flavors with a strong malt back bone. Ballast Points gets it, and yes, Hop heads will rejoice! 

Aroma: 8

Appearance: 4

Flavor: 8

Palate: 4
Style Rating: 9/10

Overall: 24/30

FLBP? KCCO!!

Breckenridge Brewery - Small Batch 471

"Hoppy? Brother, 471 IPA redefines hoppy.
471 is a small batch, limited edition ale that was created by our Brewmaster to separate the weak from the strong. 471 is a double IPA, that combines Pale, Munich, Caramel-30, Carapils and Torrified Wheat malts, with Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe and Fuggles hops. It has a big sweet mouthfeel, followed by more hoppiness than you've ever had at one time. Enjoy."  

                                                                - Breckenridge Brewery

Brewery: Breckenridge Brewery

Beer: Small Batch 471

Style: Double IPA

ABV: 9.2%

According to this USA today article, Colorado ranks third in the best craft brew states, which ranks states on how many breweries it hosts. Although only 6 breweries behind Washington, Colorado ranks number 2 in heart because of the quality of the breweries coming out out of rocky state. Home to craft beer powerhouses like Avery and New Belgium, Colorado also hosts great craft breweries like Left Hand and Breckenridge which aren't as widely distributed. So when I saw the opportunity to try an IPA from Breckenridge, I jumped on it. 

Founded in 1990 by resident ski bum, Richard Squire, Breckenridge became Colorado's third craft brewery. He envisioned serving fresh, quality beer and homemade food in a relaxed atmosphere that everyone could enjoy. 2 years later they expanded to Denver and became the first Colorado brewery to package craft beer in 6 and 12-packs. Today, Breckenridge Brewery crafts as much as 52,000 barrels a year. 

Small batch 471 pours beautifully, modeling its copper hue and its creamy white crown. The aroma is full of hoppy, citrusy scents with a slight toasted malt back bone. The smooth flavor comes through with his heavy malt base and finishes with a mighty bitterness that could only be brought to you by the combination of Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe and Fuggles hops. All in all, a solid double IPA worthy of a try, so get one if you can.  

Aroma: 7

Appearance: 5

Flavor: 7

Palate: 4
Style Rating: 8/10

Overall: 23/30

Random Facts. KCCO!

Karl Strauss Brewery - 24th Anniversary Ale

"When we cut our teeth in the beer biz back in ’89, the thought of wild or spontaneously fermented ales left more than a sour taste in people’s mouths. Twenty-four years later, the mouth-puckering tartness of sour ales is craft beer’s newest obsession – an obsession we’ve been perfecting over the past few years. So, as a tribute to the times, we’ve brewed a Flanders-style Sour Red Ale to commemorate our 24th Anniversary. Keeping with Flemish tradition, our 24th Anniversary Ale is an expertly blended combination of oak barrel-aged and freshly fermented sour red ales. The resulting brew is both tart and complex, boasting layers of cherries, pomegranate, currants and toasted oak"
                                                   - Karl Strauss Brewery

 

Brewery: Karl Strauss Brewery

Beer: 24th Anniversary Flanders Style Ale

Style: Flanders Red Ale

ABV: 7.5%

Founded in 1989, Karl Strauss is San Diego's oldest surviving brewery and is credited with launching the county's craft brewing industry. Many of my first craft beers were from Karl Strauss such as Red Trolley, Endless Summer and Tower 10. These beers were consistently in my rotation while in my youthful craft beer career. But as my craft beer repertoire expanded I lost touch with these San Diego classics. 

What better way to revisit Karl Strauss's beers than by enjoying their anniversary ale celebrating 24 years in the craft beer industry. This years anniversary ale was a Flanders-Style ale, which is a type of sour red ale originally brewed in Belgium. Other examples of this type of beer are Rodenbach's Grand Cru and Duchesse de Bourgogne. 

A distinct sour scent, shared by most sours, was prevalent but was also followed by hints of oak. The murky reddish body was capped off with a small off-white head. Initial flavors are great as tart cherries ease the pallet but the beer ends with a sort of . . . sweetness (for lack of a better word) uncommon in sours. It's as if the sour flavors are flowing smoothly and about to climax but then suddenly drop into a flavor I really cannot put my finger on. Although it is worth a try, Karl Strauss's 24th anniversary didn't really satisfy my sour taste buds. 

Aroma: 6

Appearance: 4 
Flavor: 6 

Palate: 3

Style Rating: 7/10

Overall: 19/30

Chive Everywhere. RAK! KCCO!!

 

Battle of the Beers!! Stone Brewing Company - Espresso Imperial Russian Stout VS 2012 Imperial Russian Stout

"2013 Odd Year Release
Like the classic version, this Odd Year edition was brewed in the authentic, historical style of an imperial Russian stout, but with the addition of several hundred pounds of espresso beans from our friends at Ryan Bros. Coffee. Layers of flavor and complexity augment an already enigmatic brew, leaving this darkly delicious libation positively brimming with deep, rich espresso flavors that meld beautifully with the roasty bitterness of the dark malts. "

"2012 Imperial Russian Stout
The über-dark, wonderfully rich Stone Imperial Russian Stout—now in its twelfth release—is one of the world’s highest rated beers.This year’s version is full-bodied… very rich and smooth,” says Brewmaster Mitch Steele. “The taste is all about malt, with coffee and dark roasted malt flavors in the forefront, a subtle yeastiness mid-palate, and hops present on the back end.”

                                   - Stone Brewing Company

        

VS 

Stone Brewing                          :Brewery:               Stone Brewing 

        Espresso IRS (2013)               :Beer:      Imperial Russian Stout (2012)

IRS                                          :Style:                             IRS

  11%                                         :ABV:                            10.5%

As I looked in my beer shelf, I thought it would be fun to do a series of beer battles, pitting one beer against another that are within similar styles. Since I had two versions of Stone's Imperial Russian Stouts, I thought I'd have them go up against each other in a sort of scrimmage.

If you are familiar to the beers from Stone Brewing Company, you know that they go big. Huge flavor, high alcohol by volume (ABV), generously hopped and all around great beers. So there is no surprise that their version of a stout would be anything less than an Imperial Russian Stout. The style of beer gets its name from old brewers of England who wanted to make a stout that was strong enough to make the journey to the Baltic states of Russia and that would please the Russian Imperial Court. In doing so they needed to add more hops to make the beer last until it arrived at its destination as well as brew a beer that was high in gravity. Nowadays, beers with imperial in the name, signifies that the beer contains more ABV, malt and/or hops than  normally used, something that is typical of Stone beers. 

Stone's odd beer for odd year released this month was a version of their IRS brewed with espresso beans from Ryan Bros coffee. The nose screams of delicious coffee and chocolate notes. Pouring black and wearing a frothy light brown head, the beer gives off a menacing look. But one taste of its rich chocolate and espresso flavors melt your palate. 

Espresso Imperial Russian Stout

Aroma: 8

Appearance: 4

Flavor: 9

Palate: 5
Style Rating: 10/10

Overall: 26/30 

The classic (2012) version of the beer is just as equally great as the odd year release. Huge notes of chocolate and toasted/roasted nuts fill the nose. Same pitch black body crowned with a light brown head. I could really taste the delicious caramel and chocolate flavors throughout the beer. 

2012 Imperial Russian Stout

Aroma: 7

Appearance: 4

Flavor: 9

Palate: 5

Style Rating: 10/10

Overall: 25/30

The Winner: Although the Espresso version of Stone's IRS narrowly out-pointed the classic 2012 version, the REAL winner here is your palate. Either of these beers will take your palate to a sweet wonderland. With an ABV of 10.5+, both beers will definitely give you a good buzz too. This battle is similar to that of the Chargers first string offense going up against it's first string defense, there wasn't a true winner. However in the weeks to come, the battles will get harder and there will only be one winner. 

Happy Hump Day. KCCO!!

                             

Golden Road Brewing/ Tony Darts Away

A couple of weeks ago I had planned on visiting my good friend, Javier, who lives in Hollywood. Knowing my love for craft beer, he had planned on taking us (Steve aka Big Red and I) to a couple of the local breweries. Eagle Rock, Angel City and Golden Road. However, his job is extremely demanding and he was called into work on Saturday. So we found ourselves in Burbank after he was off and he decided to take us to Tony's Darts Away. 

Luck would have it that Tony's Darts Away is one of the best craft beer bars in the Los Angeles area. Tony Yanow, owner of Tony's Darts Away as well as craft beer bar Mohawk Bend and Golden Road Brewery, is passionate about IPA's. One can tell from the continually rotating 38 taps, which showcases a beer list with one page of IPA's and another page for everything else . This place made me feel like I had never left the craft beer scene in San Diego, every beer I had there was great. The beer gods were on our side as it was also Tony's Darts Away 3rd anniversary celebration. For the anniversary Tony wanted to create a beer that was worthy enough for the occasion and also represented his love for IPA's. Enter Darts Away IPA. 

Brewery: Golden Road Brewing

Beer: Darts Away IPA

Style: Double IPA

ABV: 9.6%

Tony, the staff at TDA and Golden Road's head Brewer, Cole Hackbarth, picked flavors together that would best represent the bars personality. Whether it be lugging grain bags or adding ingredients to the mash, every member of the TDA team assisted with the brewing process, a very special and personal touch added to this great beer. The nose is full of citrus and pine notes and while my pour had no head, the amber body was very enticing. Initial flavors of pine, grapefruit and is followed by a smooth yet bitter finish. Fresh hops are abundant in this fantastic double IPA. Kudos to Golden Road Brewery and the Tony's Darts Away team.

“It was meant to be an anniversary beer only, but the response has been so overwhelming that we may need to brew it again soon.” – Tony Yanow

Aroma: 8

Appearance: 4

Flavor: 8

Palate: 4
Style Rating: 9/10

Overall: 24/30

While in Burbank/LA, I wanted to try beers I wouldn't normally try and with the 3 year anniversary celebration, TDA brought in a great list of beers. Highlights from the day were Golden Road's own It's not always sunny in L.A (a great black IPA), Wolf Among Weeds (a tasty hop forward IPA) along with the Bruery's White Oak (a wonderful blend of Golden Belgian and an aged Golden Belgian), San Diego's own Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin among others.....that I'll need to refer to my untappd account to remember. However, the good news is that the great beers of Golden Road brewing are coming to San Diego. Starting tonight at Hamilton's Tavern the Golden Road team will be there answering any questions, come by and check them out. 

Beer list: 

Wolf Among Weeds IPA
It's Not Always Sunny in LA
The Big Le "Brah" Ski
Golden Road Berliner Weisse
Point the Way IPA
Trouble Ahead Red
Kolsch
+cask of Get Up Offa That Brown w/ Handsome Coffee 

Great point! KCCO!

Green Flash - Palate Wrecker

"Palate Wrecker was originally brewed for the Hamilton’s Tavern 2nd Anniversary celebration. It’s the most complicated West Coast–inspired IPA we have ever brewed—mashing and sparging with hopped wort, in addition to our hop layering regimen for IPA. By popular demand, it is now released for the world to enjoy."

                                                - Green Flash Brewery

Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Company

Beer: Palate Wrecker

Style: Double IPA

ABV: 9.5%

With the amount of new breweries opening up in San Diego, such as Mad Lab, Thorn Street and Saint Archer, I find myself rushing to try their newest beers and in doing so, bypassing some of the older and more established beers. These new breweries are striving to make a name and are taking craft beers to a whole new level, with Mad Lab's Succubus (a tasty Mango Blonde) and Thorn Street's Smuggler's cove (an Agave Amber), its easy to get caught up in the frenzy. I knew that in doing this blog, I would have to revisit some old favorites, sucks to be me right? Hah! But what I didn't know was how much my palate has matured and has come to appreciate some of these older beers that I had taken for granted. 

I've had Green Flash's Palate Wrecker many times before and always placed it as a SOLID beer. But I didn't really recognize the exquisite flavors contained in this beer until I recently re-tasted it. Placing a number value on certain categories helps me see things in perspective The aroma is everything you want in a west coast style double IPA. Hop heavy with hints of grapefruit and pine while the body flaunts its stark amber hue and creamy white head. Palate Wrecker delivers with piney, floral and grapefruit flavors and ends with a bitterness that surely does wreck thy palate. Any beers that are drank immediately after Palate Wrecker do not taste the same as this beer truly lives up to its name. 

Aroma: 8

Appearance: 4

Flavor: 8

Palate: 4
Style Rating: 9.5/10

Overall: 24/30

It's Monday, you can use some Motivation. KCCO

The Bruery - Sour in the Rye

"We brewed this ale with around 40% rye as a base malt and let our sour yeast and bacteria eat away at it in oak barrels for over a year creating a sour ale with a complex character of rye spice, oak and a subtle funk."

                                                              - The Bruery

Brewery: The Bruery

Beer: Sour in the Rye

Style: Sour, American Wild Ale

ABV: 10.75%

The Bruery is a small craft brewery located in Orange County and are known for their unfiltered and bottle conditioned beers. Bottle conditioning is a process where the beer is carbonated naturally in the bottle through a secondary fermentation. The name is a fusion between 'Brewery' and their family name Rue and I can say that everything I have had from the Rue's has been great. 

I love sours but there are a couple things to know about entering the sour beer world. First, most sours are expensive. Sours are aged in old wine or oak barrels for months, or they are bottle conditioned. Either way they need to be stored and we end up paying for the lengthy process. Second, sours are generally recommended to be enjoyed slowly and with a sharp cheese. I guess because some sours are so close to wine in taste, so when I drink a sour I usually have it at the end of my drinking session. 

Poured slowly, Sour in the Rye has a deep amber body. Hazy and without a head. You can smell the sourness up front, along with a slight maltyness. The flavor is amazing, everything I want in a sour. A minor malt flavor initially hits which is quickly followed by a smooth sour ending screaming of elegance. I gave my wife a taste and she tried to steal it from me. It's THAT good. With a 20$+ price tag per bottle, it should be. For sour fans, this beer is a must try. 

Aroma: 6

Appearance: 4

Flavor: 8

Palate: 5
Style Rating: 9/10

Overall: 22/30

Daily Morning Awesomeness. KCCO!

Alpine Beer Company - Nelson

"An outstanding hop from New Zealand, Nelson Sauvin, is generously used throughout the brewing and dry-hopping of this unique beer. European rye is added for a smooth, malty addition to flavor."

                                                    -  Alpine Beer Company

Brewery: Alpine Beer Company

Beer: Nelson

Style: IPA

ABV: 7%

I'll admit, I was not familiar with Alpine Beer Company until late last year. As a work commitment I was asked to drive out to Yuma, Arizona and it was during that long drive that I decided to take advantage of my eastward journey and make a stop in Alpine on the way back. Living in Chula Vista with a wife and two kids, it's tough to justify going out to Alpine for beer, especially beer that I was not familiar with. It's not like you see many Alpine bottles at the local bottle shop/liquor store either. So I had asked a few friends of mine, craft beer lovers like yourselves, if they wanted anything from the brewery. My good friend Steve Nelson, aka big red, of course asked for a bottle of Nelson. Be it fate or be it luck, I am truly grateful for these series of events. 

I picked up a bottle of Nelson myself and it kicked off my love for Alpine Beer Company, I have been HUGE advocate for them ever since. Nelson is an excellent IPA! The body is Kate Beckinsale in Van Helsing, sexy. Nelson models its bright golden body and is topped off with a marvelous white head. The aroma is fresh and full of hoppy peach and mango scents, it makes the beer very inviting to drink. The initial flavor pleasures your palate with a smooth malt flavor (Rye malt) and hints of tropical fruits, courtesy of the Nelson Suavin hops. It finishes with a sleek, fruity and flavorful bitterness that makes this beer very easy to drink. Nelson Sauvin is a type of hop grown in New Zealand and when used correctly, gives a beer an amazing flavor. Alpine Beer Company uses it perfectly in Nelson. 

There are other beers who utilize the powerful flavors or the Nelson Sauvin hops; Mother Earth's Kismet, Karl Strauss's Big Barrel and Widmer's Nelson Imperial IPA to name a few. If these are some beers that you like, you are a fan of the tropical fruit flavors of the Nelson Sauvin hops. 

We can all agree that it would be great to see Alpine Beer Company's beers readily available but as stated in an earlier post, the low supply and rarity of their beers adds to their mystique. If you have the time, take a trip out to Alpine and visit their brewery and you can see for yourself why their production is so low. Their brewery is tiny, but you can bet you will get your money's worth with any of their beers. 

Aroma: 9

Appearance: 5

Flavor: 9

Palate: 5
Style Rating: 10/10

Overall: 28/30

Let me help you. KCCO

City Beat's Festival of Beers

This Saturday April 20th, CityBeat is holding their annual Festival of Beers. VIP tickets are sold out but they still have General Admission tickets available HERE. GA tickets are good for unlimited tasters from craft breweries ranging from San Diego's own Monkey Paw, Hess, Indian Joe, Thorn Street, Automatic and Saint Archer to other great craft breweries Sierra Nevada, North Coast, Hangar 24, Avery, Drakes and Golden Road. That's right, UNLIMITED tasters from 2-5pm. 

The Festival will be held outside, in front of the historic Lafayette Hotel and music will be provided by some of San Diego's favorites; Family Wagon, The Palace Ballroom, The Paragraphs and Okapi Sun. Proceeds from this event benefit the San Diego Music Foundation. If you would like more information about the Foundation, Click Here. Come down and join the wife and I and many other craft beer lovers in what is sure to be some great fun!

Remember, do not drink and drive. The Festival is teaming up with Uber so you can ride in style to the 6th Annual City Beat Festival of Beers! Uber is an on-demand luxury car service accessed through a mobile app. With a few taps of the app, anyone can get a ride and a private driver experience! To get $20 off your first Uber ride in San Diego, sign up HERE, or download the mobile application, and enter the promo code FESTIVALOFBEERS.

Hump Day. KCCO

Russian River Brewing Company - Pliny the Elder

"Pliny the Elder is brewed with Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ, and Simcoe hops. It is well-balanced with malt, hops, and alcohol, slightly bitter with a fresh hop aroma of floral, citrus, and pine. Best enjoyed FRESH! That is why we make it in such limited supply. Actual bottling date is printed on each bottle!

After much research in beer books, brainstorming, and deliberation, we came up with "Pliny the Elder". Pliny, the man, lived in the first century- 23 to 79 A.D. According to our brewing references, he and his contemporaries either created the botanical name or at least wrote about Lupus Salictarius, or hops, currently known as Humulus Lupulus. That was a very early reference to an important part of any Double IPA! Pliny the beer has now become one of our flagship brews!

Cheers to the scholar, historian, officer, writer, and Roman Naturalist- Pliny the Elder!"

                                                                   - Russian River Brewing Company

Not my best pour, I know :(

Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company

Beer name: Pliny the Elder
Beer Style: Double IPA
ABV: 8.0 % 

Somewhere around 5 years ago this beer changed my palate and the way I tasted beers. After first hearing about Pliny, it took several months before I was able to try it, so my anticipation was high. Has anyone ever recommended a movie to you? They try and build it up saying how amazing it is and every time they see you they remind you of it. Maybe they can't even control themselves and start reciting lines from the movie. Your anticipation builds and you go into this movie expecting something great. Then when you watch it, it just seems like an average movie. Well that did NOT happen here and Pliny definitely lived up to its hype. 

The aroma is packed with citrus and piney excellence. Although my pour did not do Pliny any justice, the body is gorgeous. The bold and rich gold body is crowned with a pearly white head. My first thought of the flavor is that it is FRESH!! The malt base compliments the hops perfectly, giving the initial flavor a slight sweetness along with a light bitterness. Then your palate is greeted with a refreshing bitterness done to perfection. Excellent beer!

The good folks over at Russian River have been brewing some fantastic beers since 2004 and the demand for their beers keeps increasing. But expanding their production has not gone any further than mild conversation between owners Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo. As much as I would like Pliny or Temptation or any other their beers to be readily available,  I think some of the mystique behind their beers is that they are so exclusive, unless you live near the brewery. All I know is that every time I see a Russian River beer at the local bottle shop, I'm getting it. And you should too! 

Hint: There are times when liquor stores and bottle shops here in San Diego have some Pliny in their back stock, you just have to ask them about it. 

Aroma: 9

Appearance: 5

Flavor: 9

Palate: 5
Style Rating: 10/10

Overall: 28/30

Mind the Gap! KCCO

Alpine Beer Company - Exponential Hoppiness

"A West Coast Triple IPA
Very popular. A complex hopping method where each hop addition is double the previous amount. More hops in the hopback and then two dry-hop sessions. The second dry-hop session is with whole hops and oak chips. "                                                            - Alpine Beer Company

Brewery: Alpine Beer Company

Beer: Exponential Hoppiness

Style: Triple IPA

ABV: 10.75%

San Diego is home to many craft breweries. Some of them are good, offering a few oustanding beers, some of them have separated themselves from the rest, by offering a great lineup of mainstay beers, and then there are others who seem like they do no wrong; Alpine Beer Company is one of those breweries. Duet, Nelson, Pure Hoppiness, Captain Stout and Alpine Ale are all amazing beers and I would drink them on a regular basis if I could. So when I do get the chance of getting a bottle of theirs, I jump on it. This time I was fortunate enough to get a bottle of Exponential Hoppiness. 

EH=PH^2 describes the beer as being a version of Pure Hoppiness (squared) and as Alpine states, the hopping method in complex where each hop addition is double the previous amount. The result is a tremendously hoppy and flavorful triple IPA. Hints of grapefruit come through the hops along with a slight maltyness. The amber-orange body is inviting and disguises the power of Exponential Hoppiness. Initial flavor is true to its name, hoppy and bitter and marries great with the malt base, finishing with a strong and refreshing bitterness. GREAT IIIPA!!! Highly recommended. Keep your eyes out for more Alpine Beer Company beer reviews. 

Aroma: 8

Appearance: 5

Flavor: 8

Palate: 4
Style Rating: 10/10

Overall: 25/30

Get Low, Get Dirty and have yourself a good time. KCCO

Yankees Craft Beer Bust!

This year the New York Yankees decided to tap into the ever growing craft beer world by opening a concession stand, named the "Craft Beer Destination". Locals were excited to get the opportunity to enjoy craft beer while watching their home team (the Yankees) play, who wouldn't be? Fans expected to see some craft beers from New York's famed Brooklyn Brewery, or perhaps Ommegang brewery, who recently collaborated with HBO's a Game of Thrones and released a Belgian Blonde ale, Iron Throne. 

At first glance the concession stand gives you a brew pub feel with its arty chalkboard beer list but a closer look at the list reveals that in fact there aren't any crafts beers to choose from. Instead, they offer Blue Moon, Leneinenkugel's Summer Shandy, Crispin Cider, and Batch 19 which all exist under MillerCoors corporate umbrella. Although those beer may be good, MillerCoors products do not meet the traditional definition of "Craft" as established by the Brewers Association, which requires small production and independent ownership. Fans have been publicly expressing their outrage over this failed attempt at deception and Yankee's Stadium responded by changing the name of the concession stand to "Beer Mixology Destination."

Yankee Stadium isn't the only baseball park that is trying to tap into the craft beer market, in Detroit at least seven craft breweries, including Bell's, Founder's, and New Holland have beers offered at Comerica Park. In Baltimore, Oriole fans have can easily find beers from Maryland and Delaware, Heavy Seas, Dogfish Head, Flying Dog and Evolution among them. And although the Padres are just 2-10 to start off the season, Petco Park is heralded by craft beer and baseball fans alike for their beer selection. Offering great brews from San Diego's own Stone Brewery, Karl Strauss, Ballast Point, and Green Flash. The next time you're at Petco, take a picture of your craft brew with Petco in the background and send it to me. Cheers! 

FLBP? KCCO!!