Twasting Success and A Poll

We held our first beer “twasting” event over Twitter last Saturday. It was a lot of fun and a number of people participated as we sampled five different beer styles from five different great craft breweries. We hope to do this again in the near future but may change the format a little. If you could take a minutes and tell us what format you would like us do follow at our next beer twasting that would be awesome.

Arcadia Hopmouth vs. Bell's Hopslam

It is a battle of 2 hop titans – In one corner we have weighing in at 10% ABV and over 100 IBUs, Bell’s Hopslam Imperial IPA. And in the other corner, the challenger fighting out Arcadia and weighing in at 8.1% ABV and 76 IBUs is Hopmouth.

As soon as the bell rings Hopslam hits with a big bitter (in a good way) punch and you know it as you bring it to your nose. There is a whole lot happening in this beer – a high alcohol content that could make it too sweet or overwhelming, but it is balanced by all the hops this one packs.

Hopmouth starts with a jab by comparison. While it is a great beer, it is fighting in a higher class. The taste is not nearly as complex, but it is easier to drink. You might easily get knocked out by repeated jabs if you are not careful.

While for the long haul, I think I could drink more of the Hopmouth, ultimately, the winner by decision is Hopslam. It’s close with the Soviet judge scoring in favor of Arcadia, but the complexity going on caught us looking at the fancy footwork and getting knocked out.

Beer Twasting - April 25

On Saturday, April 25 we will be hosting our first “Beer Twasting” – a beer tasting done simultaneously over Twitter. Here is how it works: everyone participating will drink the designated beer at the designated time and tweet their tasting notes. Pretty simple, huh? We will be drinking 5 different styles of beer starting at 8:00 pm CDT. We will be selecting beer that should be available nationwide. If you cannot locate the designated beer, feel free to substitute a different brand of the same style. Just be sure to send out a tweet telling us what you are drinking. Here are the designated beers:

8:00 P.M. Ale/Saison – Boulevard Smokestack Series Saison - Brett

8:20 P.M. Wheat/Witbier - Allagash White

8:40 P.M. IPA – Avery Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale

9:00 P.M. Stout – New Holland The Poet

9:20 P.M. Wildcard – choose any beer you want. We are drinking Rogue Chipotle Ale

So gather your friends, grab some beer, and join us for our first Beer Twasting Party

New Holland The Poet

Last Saturday I was at one of my favorite places in the world - Lukas Liquor aka Disney World for drunks. Lukas has over 300 beers on hand at all times and on Saturday they usually have tastings. This Saturday was no exception. They had four beers to sample, three of which I have had, the one I did had not tried before was The Poet from New Holland.

The Poet is an oatmeal stout, which is a deep, almost black, beer that left a nice lacing on the glass. I could smell the oatmeal and got a chocolate note coming across like a lot of stouts. This one has a slight bitter bite but it is easy to drink. I liked it so much that I had to toss a six pack in the cart. This is one of the better stouts I have had from a brewery I was not very familiar with. The label is very cool and obviously a tribute to Edgar Allen Poe. This beer is worth checking out.

Michelob DunkelWeisse

We had a party this weekend and this was one of the many beers we served. I had to “accidentally” sample this one today as I was putting some beer back in the fridge. I dropped it on the floor and decided that it would be best if I just went ahead and drank it.

I will say that I have traditionally not been a fan of wheat beer. I think the first time I ever tried one it was a bad brand and since then have been reluctant. I have been stuck on IPA’s for so long and I am trying to branch out. Hence another reason to give this one a shot.

I really liked the color on this one and it poured with a strong head. It’s cloud, because it is I unfiltered. I could smell cloves and malt right away. The first sip did not impress me but as I got through the pint the more I was impressed. While it has a slight grittiness, it is a crisp beer with interesting, but not complex, taste.

The Flying Saucer - KC

Man, I love hanging out at The Flying Saucer. I was introduced to the Saucer on a trip to Memphis with my two long-time friends Ron and Rob. They are not fans of craft beer so it was a short stay, but I knew it was my kinda place. My next visit was in Houston during a convention for work. Downtown Houston in July is a miserable place but the Flying Saucer was our oasis. Most (OK all) of my per diem was spent there. Since then I have been to the Saucer in Little Rock (Hi Jessica!) and most recently, Kansas City.

Kat and I stopped to have one or two and a quick lunch. We had things to do. It's amazing how quickly time flies at the Saucer. Our quick lunch turned into a 5+ hour tasting extravaganza.

I started out with an Odell 5 Barrel IPA and Kat went with the Breckenridge Small Batch 471 IPA. I am a huge fan of Odell. Their Isolation Ale and regular IPA are two of my favorites. The 5 Barrel was good too, but one taste of the Breckenridge and I was ready to pour my pint on the floor. That beer is simply amazing. Strong strong hops and I guessed around 80 IBUs (It's actually 70). It was so good that in a way, starting out with such a great beer was kind of a bummer because the bar for comparison had been set so high. In that situation there is only one thing you can so - nachos. And the bratwurst nachos at the Saucer rawk.

It was time to move on and I next went for a brewery that I think has some of the best packaging in the business - Flying Dog. You have to love a company that has a shout out to Hunter S. Thompson right on the label. I had a Doggie Style Pale Ale in honor of the good doctor.

Up next was Bear Republic. We both love their Racer 5 IPA, which we almost ordered, but new was the order of the day and we went with the Red Rocket ale on the suggestion of one of the managers. Great choice. Bear Republic describes it as a a bastardized Scottish red ale. We just liked the bitterness. A nice choice.

Since we were in Kansas City, we had to have something from Boulevard. They have a the Smokestack Series out and we had the Long Strange Trippel based on the recommendation of new bar friends Cory and Danielle. They were in the Saucer watching their alma matter University of Northern Iowa play in the Missouri Valley Tournament on TV. They too were only planning on staying a short time. Turns out they are also geocaching nerds like us so the beer flowed more quickly. Strange. I also tossed back a Breckenridge Small Batch 471 ESB hoping to one-up Kat on the IPA, but I failed. Still, a very good beer.

The day ended with a Great Divide Hercules Double IPA. I think there were some other beers in between, but I cannot recall. After I ordered it, I realized I had this beer just last week on tap at the Rotten Apple. That did not diminish my enjoyment one bit.

The Flying Saucer is always a good time. We had some great beers, including one of the best I have ever had with the 471 IPA, and made new friends, who joined us later at the Improv to see Jim Breuer. We would have stayed even longer had comedy not awaited.

A Must For St Louis Area Beer Lovers

www.amalgamatedbrewing.com