Microbrew Madness!

It's easy to get into homebrewing and easy to get out homebrewing, but I recently found a happy place so that it doesnt matter if I am homebrewing or not. It's not a new phenomena. It's been around for decades now, but I am into it more than ever. It also goes great with homebrewing because it opens up the idea to more recipes and clone-like beers. It's called microbrew, and New Jersey's loose liquor licenses allow me to obtain these beers individually and at cheap costs versus pennsylvania.

Why would I drive to NJ just to get beer? It's simple. I drive to NJ to work, so i just make pit stops to pick up a new brew here and there. I stumbled upon this one particular liquor store that carries a large, constantly varying supply of 22-24 oz individual bottles.

I've been stocking up and am aging some of the better beers, but also have some beers available to me for immediate consumption. I will be posting them as I get them and encourage you to make suggestions to me. I'm always willing to try a beer for the first time.

In the first week, I obtained:

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Specialty Ale - A Healdsburg, California production. It is a high performance, turbo charged, alcohol burnin monster ale with dual overhead hop injection, made with 18% rye. This beer sits at 8% ABV. check it out at www.bearrepublic.com

Status: Consumed! This was an exceptional brew. Full-bodied, heavy beer intended for men with hair on their chests.

Hoffmann Lager Doppel Bock - A Roselle Park, NJ local commodity made by Climax Brewing Co. This lager is brewed with the strict German Purity Law, Rhineheitsgebot. This doppel bock is brown in color with a massive malt profile and soft chocolately notes accententuated by by noble hop aromas and flavors.

Status: Consumed! An amber dark beer, also full-bodied. I kicked back 64 ounces of this high alcohol beer and passed out drunk on the couch. Absouletly recommend it.

Stone IPA - India Pale Ale brewed and bottled by Stone Brewing Co. in San Diego, CA This 6.9% hop overload is just that. To say that this IPA is deliciously hoppy would be putting it modestly. Stone IPA has a big hop aroma and big hop flavor. Combine the two and you get the result of beauty.

Status: Aging

Lagunitas Limited Release Wilco Tango Foxtrot - An incredible name for a beer I must say, this West Coast Petaluma, CA beer is a Malty, Robust Ale with 7.83% ABV. All i can say is, I can not wait until the day where I am thinking WTF, how about a WTF? Wilco Tango Foxtrot, you are my hero and can not wait to consume you.

Status: Aging

Stone Smoked Porter - brewed and bottled by Stone Brewing Co in San Diego, CA. This 5.9% bottle is currently aging, though I have enjoyed this beer many times in the past. This dark, malty, smoky porter is great for BBQ meats and chocolates, cheesecakes, and other rich desserts. In this fantastic porter you will find rich chocolate and light smoky undertones complimented with hints of licorice and dark fruit, and perhaps some caramel.

Status: Consumed and Aging

Chimay Grande Reserve - Brewed at Scourmont Abbey and Bottled by Bieres De Chimay, Belgium. This 9% trappist ale is just that. Certified Trappist. A trappist ale certifies that it was brewed within the walls of an existing trappist monastery under the control of the trappist community. A major part of the sales revenue is used by the monks to support charitable works. This beer was designed partly by the exceptional yeast isolated by Father Theodore. Combine that with the purity of the protected water of the abbey's wells and you have one tasty Chimay. Chimay is aged for a lengthy period and served slightly chilled. I love this beer!

Food for thought - The best brewery to operate is by employing people that don't consume alcohol. This ensures maximized profits. Sell it to me, I'll drink it and enjoy it and in doing so, my buzz helps charities.

Status: Enjoyed and Aging

Noteworthy Remarks

Some noteworthy remarks are in regards to the origins of the IPA (India Pale Ale) and the German Purity Law. India Pale Ale's were simply put, an accident that resulted in great hoppy flavor. English Pale Ale's were shipped over seas to its British soldiers fighting in India a long time ago. It would take months for the beer to be shipped from Britain to India, so brewmasters used extra hops so that the beer would keep fresh for the 6 month voyage. Hops are a natural preservative, so if you add more hops, you are adding more preservatives. The result of a super-hopped English Pale Ale.........an India Pale Ale loaded with hop flavor and hop aroma. Not intended for the MillerLite wussy.

The German Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) is just what it says. The Germans have long held high standards to what is utilized in its beers, so they designed a set of standards. The law states that all German beers must made using water, barley, and hops, and nothing more. Sounds like most beer, right? Wrong. Beers use flavorings, corn maize, brown sugar, dark candi sugar, etc. to produce their beers. This law originates back to 1516 ( I believe King Henry VII). The only odd thing about the original law is that yeast was not mentioned, which was later added to the law in the 1800's. Commercial breweries and even microbreweries love to market their beers as abiding brews of the German Purity Law. Look for it on certain beers.

Conclusion of the Day

Don't think for 30 seconds that the above list are the only beers I have ever consumed, these are beers that I am just recently collecting, aging, consuming, and profiling for my own enhancement in beer flavor, character, aroma, origin, etc. I will surely add more in the near future, so please check back and post any comments below.