Armadillo Ale Works: Brunch Money

A buddy of mine brought me a bomber of Brunch Money from Armadillo Ale Works at our Deep Ellum Tap Takeover. I love my beer friends. They always hook a sister up! This ale was brewed at Deep Ellum Brewing Co., so it was kind of divine, and I think the dudes from Deep Ellum enjoyed seeing their beer everywhere!

Anyway. I’ve been waiting for my best friend to come into town so we could drink it. So she rolled in the other night and we couldn’t help ourselves. And let me tell you. So many crazy flavors going on here! This imperial golden ale boasts maple, lactose, vanilla, cacao nibs and coffee from Bookish Coffee Roasters out of Denton, Texas. So malty, and smooth. The lactose gives it a rich mouthfeel. It is initially very sweet, but as it opens it you really get the coffee, chocolate, maple with the vanilla rounding out everything nicely on the finish. I never checked the ABV so about halfway through when I was giggling like a little school girl I realized it was 10% ABV. So, yeah. It’s boozy. But, the kind of boozy that sneaks up on you. I didn’t mind. It seemed to aid our shenanigans that evening!

I was very impressed. As a craft beer drinker, I come across some that sound amazing, but sometimes fail to deliver. This breakfast bomb was on point from start to finish. Literally, like maple-pancake-goodness in your mouth! Sadly, it is a Limited Release. So, should you ever come across it you should most definitely pick up a bottle or two. Very well done Armadillo!

Photo Cred: @hungoverhaley

Cheers!
Brew Nette

A skunked Christmas ale and a photo bomb!

Well folks. I had a Beer that Saved Christmas from Prairie in the closet from last year. I brought it for me and my Pops to open. Unfortunately, it was really skunk and it sadly was poured down the drain. So, sorry Prairie! However, before I cracked said skunky bottle I snapped this holiday cheer-y picture by my Mom’s shabby tree. Notice in the background. That’s my dog Lolly. Just photobombing the hell out of my picture! She never lets me have any fun!

Anyway…not every beer goes as planned. Sometimes things don’t age well. Sometimes the dog photobombs your pic. And sometimes your mom gives you an inflatable turkey in your Christmas stocking (wth?!).

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!

Cheers!
Brew Nette

Stretching Your Dollar: Is Elasticity Craft Beer’s Biggest Threat?

Here is some really interesting perspective on the craft beer trend and the consumers dollar. Will we continue to purchase the latest, greatest brew without a thought about how much it costs? Great read!

This Is Why I'm Drunk

Every story started deserves an ending.

Remember my last post and the inner struggle between a local beer and national one? The difference of a couple bucks was enough. In lieu of a beer brewed within a short driving distance, I bought the new Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale, made with Neomexicanus hops. The price certainly helped, but the promised experience of enjoying a beer created with what is essentially “experimental” (read: new) hops pushed me over the edge.

Also, I’m still not buying the $11 bottle of “imperial amber ale” brewed several miles from where I type this.

At the core of my decision was the reason I’ve become so adamant for craft beer in the first place – quality and variety. As Greg Engert recently pointed out, we shouldn’t let the sole idea of “drinking local” cloud that search:

We began by decrying the lack of variety, the lack of…

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Just What Is Craft Beer?

I get this question all the time. What is craft beer? Is it just a new form of snobbery?

Here is a great definition of craft beer. Beyond this definition I think I would add that craft beer is about normal peeps like you and I who love to brew something creative and meaningful. There’s always a story behind the brewery and the beer in your pint glass. It’s a true form of fellowship! Throw in a little exquisite facial hair, some fancy snifters and barrel aged brews…and boom! You’ve become the ideal craft beer connoisseur!

Cheers!
Brew Nette

Brew Your Own Beer Blog

Craft beer is rapidly starting to be the toast for the alcoholic beverages scene with everyone from experienced beer experts to those who might have originally preferred wine having concerned.

So what is craft beer?

Coming from in the UK in the Nineteen seventies, craft brewing has now seen its development because a lot more individuals have a go at the craft beer movement than in the past. A chemical-free, hand-crafted liquor that uses natural ingredients, craft beer’s recognition may be ascribed to a move away from additives and mainstream brands in favor of more artisan goods that are brewed in more compact amounts..

Just what exactly separates it from regular beers?

To begin the word ‘craft’ often symbolizes the attitude towards brewing, not just the end product. These beers will often be viewed as experimental anyway and tend to be brewed inside a wider array of ABV (alcohol content)…

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Beer Review Ratings Explained

Craft beer reviews dissected and explained!!

The Buzzing Geek

The beer reviews are based on a few factors: aroma, appearance, taste, palate, & overall. These are rated on the following scale:

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Casked: Green Flash West Coast DIPA with Mango&Green Chile

I was sitting at the bar at Meddlesome Moth in Dallas, when I spotted a chalkboard overhead that said…CASKED ALE. Okay, I see you! I have an affinity with casked ales as of lately. Why?

They are always special. Cask Conditioned, extra ingredients, and possibly something rare!

They’re in a cask. Casks are cool. They’re fun to pour beer out of. They look cool. They’re the way the founding father’s of beer meant for beer to be enjoyed!

So now that we’ve established that let’s talk about what was in this bad boy: Green Flash West Coast DIPA with Mango & Green Chile. Sounds pretty awesome! Obviously,being a double IPA this beer was hoppy as hell. The mango was very present, a little bit of citrus hops, and then the very loud and proud green chile on the back end. I was currently munching on some Chicken Skins (like pork rinds…but a little more awesome) and this beer paired really nicely with the asian persuasion sauce that accompanied them.  The beer had awesome lacing, was full bodied, and kind of non-existent head…but, it was still good! This was kinda boozy…8.1% ABV. I’m not a huge fan of the latest trend to throw peppers, sriracha, and other spicy things into a brew but this one was alright.

So. Should you ever stumble upon a cask sitting, glistening on the bar top, you should partake in a pint. Or two. You never know what could be inside!

Cheers!

Brew Nette

Brew Nette talks beer in Times Record News!

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/business/local/businesses-riding-the-wave-of-craft-beers_22366295

 

Cheers!

Brew Nette

Lakewood Brewing: The Tour

I was going to be in Dallas this weekend, so of course I had to stop by and check out a local brewery. What better way to celebrate Dallas brews, than to head over to Lakewood Brewing Co! I pulled up to the Lakewood’s brewing facility, got my beer tickets, and heading straight over to the taps! What did my little peepers see? The Temptress Milk Stout on DRAFT. On a nitro line! Did Santa come early? My snifter was soon filled with the ever delish, dark and dank stout that I have come to love. I gave my self some time to sip and swoon. Temptress starts off with perfect chocolate-y notes on the nose with a nice, thick, creamy head. Flavors of caramel and milk chocolate give this stout a sweet, rich body. The lactose milk sugar produces a smooth, creamy, mouth feel. If you haven’t ever had a milk stout…try one. It will change your prospective on stouts. About ten or so minutes into sipping this beauty, it started to really open up. The initial flavors turn into rich chocolate and coffee notes that were perfect for the gloomy weather outside. Sitting pretty at 9.10% ABV, it also did a pretty good job at warming me up! But, alas, before I knew it my glass was empty!

I found my way back to the taps again (shocker), and got a snifter of their holiday seasonal…Holiday Bonus, an American Porter brewed with chocolate and bitter orange peel. Now, as a kid I loved these little orange and chocolate jelly stick things we used to get in Colorado, so I was more than intrigued. I’ve been known to power through a whole box of those in a sitting. This porter was tasty! Really, really nice lacing and a nice brown head. Roasty chocolate flavors lingered, and the bitter orange peel was a nice complement. Towards the middle of the snifter, the flavors opened, and the orange peel really started to poke through. My homebrew buddy from LandR Boys Brewing, says that orange is one of the hardest flavors to carry through in dark brews..so I was impressed!This porter is 9.10 % ABV, yet it is very drinkable and sits light on the palate. Definately, a “holiday bonus” (see what i did there, lol)!

They started the tour…some nice info about the brewery. They use pellet hops typcially from Poland, sometimes Washington. So nice insight on how they brew, and they even tuned us in to the soon to be released and coveted Bourbon Barrel Temptress in the works right now! Yum! They are also expanding into a new brew facility next door and using their old facility for packaging. There was talk of a wild ale…and hopefully they will be expanding further north (maybe to my shop…please!) soon.

I spoke with the tour guide after, and he asked if I would like to open up something a little special. Um, yas? Is that even a question? He brought out the fourth installment of their Legendary Series: Antigoon’s Revenge a belgian-style golden ale. This brew was made to honor a dear friend of the brewmaster, and it didn’t dissapoint. This brew is extremely boozy sitting at 12.0% ABV. Nicely sweet, boozy and nice citrus notes at the front. A very nice Belgian…and an awesome visit to Lakewood Brewing Co.

I look forward to next years brews from Lakewood! Until then, off to enjoy my super cool beer swag they gave me…a Temptress tee, and some awesome glassware!

Cheers!
Brew Nette