Mahalo Maui Brewing Co.

Aloha my fellow craft beer Ohana! 

Today we are gonna take a trip down to the Hawaiian islands with Maui Brewing Co.'s flagship Coconut Hiwa Porter.

This dark ale can totally "hang 10" with the rest. What stands out right up front is the distinct flavor of toasted coconut. That rich full flavor is followed by tones of a creamy mocha. Please don't let that scare you off however. Maui Brewing made sure that this brew stayed true to the robust flavor that a porter should have. If you're a fan of dark ales, this should definitely be a staple in your beer fridge, if available. Not to mention it pairs fantastically with homemade chocolate chip cookies.

 (Thanks honey..)

Taylor gives this Hawaiian native a 3.5 out of 5.

Bosnian Beer?

When anyone goes on a vacation and ask me if I want a souvenir, I always request a local craft brew. This time, I got to experience a treat to a beer from the land of Bosnia.

My great friend, and cousin, just returned from a month long trip to Bosnia, and surrounding European countries. What better souvenir than a local beer that I would never be able to have otherwise! So here it is...

Niksicko Dark Beer

Pronounced: Neek-Shesh-Co. It reins from the country of Montenegro, just south of Bosnia to be exact. This beer is quite delicious, given its mysteriously vague title of "dark beer". It is dark....and full of complexities. It had a reminiscent "bitter hop" flavor more common to an IPA, and a smooth nuttiness likened to a porter or even a stout, but without the feeling of having to chew it before swallowing. The finish was dry from whatever hops were used. It made me feel like it was a hybrid between an IPA and a Porter, then it hit me... BLACK IPA! Eureka! 

What is a Black IPA you may ask? Well, a Black IPA, or Cascadian Dark Ale, is an ale that ranges from dark brown to pitch black and showcases malty and light to moderate roasty notes and are often quite hoppy generally with the use of American hops.

Anyway, if you ever find yourself in Bosnia, or heck, if you live there and are reading this now, hunt down this brew. Its a delightful beer to have, and quite frankly, if you're in the beautiful country of Bosnia, you have to enjoy it with a beer.

Taylor rates this experience a 4 out of 5.

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Huntsville and the 805

Ah, Huntsville. A place I've visited many times throughout my life, yet I haven't actually explored the local scene very much, if at all. Luckily, some of my best friends have recently moved in the area and showed us around town this past weekend. One of the notable places (at least for the sake of this blog) is Campus No. 805! 

The old school has been revamped for the use of cool shops and small businesses, and more up my alley, a couple of fantastic breweries. So obviously we had to check them both out! 

Numero uno on the list is Yellowhammer Brewing.

Yellowhammer is quite exceptional in the craft brew industry. Its no wonder that head brewer Keith Yager was named Brewmaster of the Year in 2016  at the inaugural Alabama State Beer Championship. A high caliber of brews, and many of them are on tap. (pictured bellow)

My choice, after a few free samples, was Groovy Dan's Groovy IPA.

Among the many IPA's offered, this was the one that really caught me. It features a nice body, with an exceptional amount of hop to it. Overall it is a dry IPA, to my satisfaction. Yet, it retains a smooth finish at the end. Needless to say, I was happy with my choice.

Taylor rates a 3.5 > 5 for this groovy brew.

My wife chose a brew seemingly a bit more fruity, yet still packed a full flavor.

Belgian Pear Pale Ale

This Pale had a very noticeable pear tone, but remained on the safe side of the "wine-cooler status". I would hardly call this fruity though. It had a wonderful array of hop flavor that kept it full bodied, while still feeling light.

Taylor rates a 3 out o' 5

Last on the list is my good friend Tyler's choice. He went with with one the seasonals, the Frankenhammer Belgian Strong Ale.

This brew had a very wonderful "Nutty" scent, and a bold flavor and an almost creamy finish. Upon research, Yellowhammer explains it as a "malty palette that finishes dry with a slight chocolate roast and woody finish." 

Taylor gives this a 4 out of 5 (at least for the season...ha.) 

Next, we went Straight to Ale... no really...that's the brewery.

The place itself was pretty cool to visit. As you make your way, you pass through where all the magic happens...

...and then you walk in. 

Seems to be a typical brewery pub, bright, loud, TV's and music and an array of taps to choose from. But hey! We're with locals remember? They then take us to a secret door, that leads to the "Speak Easy". A dark room with booths, tables, and taps where you can just chill and enjoy the delicious food and brew. I got a flight here obviously.

My choices were the flagship Monkeynaut American IPA, Pumpkin Lilly Flag Pumpkin Milk Stout, He ain't Hefe German Style Hefeweizen, and the Monkeyhot Habenero IPA.

All were exceptional and delicious in their own ways, especially the flagship Monkeynaut. However, the Monkeyhot was something I have never experienced. Essentially its the flagship, just with a bite of habenero. It doesn't burn the mouth, rather it burns in the back of your throat as would a typical bourbon. With the spice, its almost like taking the dregs of a hot toddy and pouring the Monkeynaut right over it. Quite an experience.

My second favorite of the flight was the Pumpkin Milk Stout. As a white girl would say, I just can't even. Dumb hipster jokes aside, this stout was actually light on the whole "PSL" craze that happens this time of year. It had a full body, and a creamy finish, as would any milk stout. The nuttiness of the brew reminded me of coffee, and the pumpkin flavor was definitely a good fit in there.

Notable mention was the Brother Joseph Belgian Dubbel

  

If you're planning on having an array of brews here, this Dubbel is a perfect start. "It's a gateway into other beers and food" is how my friend Tyler described it as he sipped. It's definitely one to try.

Taylor rates Straight to Ale Brewery a 4.5 out of 5, just to keep them humble.

All in all, the 805 is a great place to chill with friends on a Saturday evening. Plenty of good brews and foods to choose from between the two breweries, and a plethora of activities to join in on throughout the old campus. (like axe throwing)

So if you find yourself in Huntsville, Alabama, defintily stop on in!

Schafly Brewery

So I decided to post. It's been awhile guys. This doesn't mean that I have not been drinking beer it just means I am not slowing down enough to compose my thoughts and write them down.
  We took a short weekend in St Louis and stopped by Schafly Brewery for a taste. As you enter the tap room you'll notice two areas to enjoy a brew. We took the one to the right. There are twelve taps to choose from and since I would be driving later that day I decided on a white lager. This beer was not the average lager that you normally buy from St Louis, if you know what I mean. It provided that smooth lager taste light and airy with a subtle hint of citris and tartness that is reminiscent of a sour.
Matt gives the Schafly white a 3.5 of 5

Here's some pics of our visit.

Kayaking and Beer: The Dynamic Duo.

What better way to spend a lovely end of summer Saturday than with good beer and a kayak on the river? I honestly can't think of much! That's just how I intended on enjoying two excellent craft brews, one even being a Nashville, TN native. We started our relaxing river excursion at the Narrows of the Harpeth in Pegram, TN. A beautiful and easy 3 hour paddle from point A to point B with no worry to be had......

 Brew Numero Uno: Terrapin Maggie's Peach Farmhouse Ale

 

This was such a refreshing ale, while not entering the realm of "wine-cooler status" with its peachy flavor. The seasonal ale from Terrapin has a delicate balance of hops with peaches and spices that give it delicious and noticeably fruity flavor and aroma, yet the Golding hops used in the brew keep that sweetness from becoming undesirable for my preferences. Albeit I probably would not grab this brew anytime other than summer activities, but hey... that's is probably why the Georgian Brewmasters dubbed it a seasonal. If you have any more activities to be had for the remainder of the summer, grab yourself a case of these and enjoy! 

Taylor gives this brew a 3 out of 5

Check out that Tennessee Sunset on the Harpeth River.

As the evening wound down to the end, we sat and enjoyed the sunset, and yet another delicious beer from our local Blackberry Farm Brewery.

Blackberry Farm puts out some good beer. This Screaming Cock Pale Ale is no exception. I myself prefer a pale ale or its distant cousin the IPA, so obviously I have high recommendations for such. I was quite surprised to find such a fruity first impression with this, that I just couldn't place my finger on. Upon research I couldn't really find much info on it, other than the questionable source that mentioned fruity tones of raisins and dried plums. Honestly, I can concur with that. Whether it be the power of suggestion, or the uncertain facts that may exist, I do not know. Despite not knowing anything about this brew, (Hops used, potential dried fruits, etc.) I honestly don't give a flying feather. Its a darn good pale ale and you'd be slightly crazed to pass this one up.

I, Taylor, drop a whopping 4 out of 5 for this angry chicken.

Narrows of the Harpeth time lapse

     

The Great Smoky Mountains and Good Beer

As a marriage approaches, a bachelor's trip is usually planned. Mine took place in Gatlinburg,TN this past weekend with some very good friends of mine! The Appalachians showed us a good time, and obviously good craft beer was consumed....

                                                                            Day 1

After the long 5 hour drive to the cabin, it was time to unwind and relax as we awaited the remainder of the crew to arrive. Yazoo's SUE was the brew of choice. This Imperial Smoked Porter is quite magnificent. Yazoo claims it to be a "big, rich, smoky malt bomb of a beer" and that it is. By smoking the barley malts over cherry wood, they achieve that immediate smoky flavor. It almost reminds me of delicious smoked bacon, and come on... who doesn't love that? It has a nice hoppy finish that come from the Galena and Perle hops used in this brew as well. Overall a good beer.
                                            I, Taylor, give Yazoo a 3.5 out of 5 on this porter.

Day 2

Up next was Delirium's Deliria Blond Belgium Ale. This beer was a bit ironic to have on this trip. After a day of hiking, spirited driving on mountain switchbacks, and seeing a black bear, this was a great ending adventure for my palette. The irony lies in the fact that this ale is brewed once a year to mark International Women's Day, and a group of sweaty, testosterone filled men enjoyed it. ( I honestly could've taken that bear on had it been necessary. ) Despite minuscule ironies, this is one good Blond Belgium. The pale blond color is exactly what you'd expect in this style of ale. ( Yet more irony. ) The aroma has a pleasant fruity background, almost mimicking a white wine with some hops thrown in for good measure. The flavor is similar, with fruity apple tones and a mild bitter finish. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "It's so choice, that if you have the means I highly recommend picking one up".

4 out of 5 for this Ale.

Please enjoy these sights from Day 2.

Cades Cove

 Black Bear

 Abrams Falls

Day 3

Ah, the final leg of our sojourn. Before we packed up and headed home, we stopped in to Smoky Mountain Brewery for some darn good beer. If you're ever in Gatlinburg, you have to make a stop here and try some beer. I did a 5 beer sampler and had choices between the Brew-master's specials, which included a citrus IPA and a rosemary infused Wit Wheat Ale, as well as the appropriately named Black Bear Ale and Smoky Mountain Honey Saison, all recommended by our waiter Joe. However, their Dark Ale Porter was what I found myself continually sipping. This desire became fertile, and gave birth to a growler...

5 out of 5 for great pricing, outstanding service, and wonderful brews. 

Thank you Smoky Mountain Brewery!

All said and done, Gatlinburg, TN is a great place for anyone wanting to get away to the eastern mountains. And good beer can easily be found there awaiting a glass to fill. Arrivederci my fellow craft beer enthusiasts and adventurers.

Smoky Mountain Brewery Facebook

Some images provided by : capture615

Oskar Blues' Pinner Throwback IPA

I came across this brew by total random happenstance. Due to my mountain climbing, outdoors-man background, the label drew me in with phrases such as "Pack it in, Pack it out" and "infinitely recyclable".
...But enough hippie mumbo-jumbo! This is an impressive IPA indeed! I'm not one to consider an IPA "refreshing" per say, but this is just that. This is due to the wonderful variety of hops that Oskar Blues has concocted, inciting flavors and aromas of tropical and citrus fruits, pineapple being a dominate flavor.Yet, the finish is smooth and nutty, a common aftertaste among IPA's. Fruitiness aside, this beer maintains that bold IPA "hop" that we know and love. All things considered, an IPA isn't my first, or heck...even third choice to end activities such as a good 5.11 climb or long hike, or even simply mowing my lawn. However, I feel as though this beauty would easily fill the beer void on such occasions.

So I applaud you Oskar Blues Brewery, for giving me a change of heart on when I feel an IPA is appropriate.
Henceforth, I, Taylor, give this beer a confident 3.5 out of 5. A worthy rating for any brew of this stature.

Evil Twin Brewing + Blackberry Farm Brewery's From Tennessee with Smoke Smoked Farmhouse Ale

So first of all, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Taylor, Son of Matt, and I am putting my metaphorical "2 cents" into this blog. I feel like some life needs to be brought back into the fun we have here, even if it be some years later. So let's start with a brief rundown of my day, only then to be followed by a review of the aforementioned brew. Let us begin...
My day was filled with a hard day at work, topped off with building stresses from my upcoming wedding, only to be followed by the realization of my bank account hitting an all time low. All up until the moment i popped the cork on this delicious Smoked Farmhouse Ale by Evil Twin Brewing and Blackberry Farm Brewery. All my troubles were drowned away in the smokey aroma that filled my sniffer. As a Tennessee native, I can confidently say that the nail on this brew was hit directly on the head. Aside from the sensation of smelling a slow smoked rack of ribs come from a bottle, the flavor profile was just as exquisite. Not in a "Holy crap what am i drinking" kinda way. Rather, It was a sensation that was thoroughly enjoyed. As mentioned, this ale has a intoxicating smokiness that only seems to be compared to the BBQ from the state it was created in. A full bodied flavor was to follow, finished off with a smooth aftertaste.

My knowledge on beer is at present limited, but i give this beer a 3 out of 5 stars by itself. However, should you choose to accept, pair this Ale with a perfectly seared steak, and that 3 jumps up a grade to a 4.

Steak anyone?