9. Clipper City Yule Tide

Clipper City is an excellent local brewery, and their limited edition Mutiny Fleet line of 22-ounce beers is something I haven't kept up with as much as I'd like. In any case, 'tis the season, so I was compelled to pick this up when I saw it.

Vitals:

• Name: Clipper City Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet Yule Tide Belgian Tripel Ale
  

• Brewery: Clipper City Brewery
  

• Style: Belgian Tripel (Categories 18C, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

• Alcohol: 10.0%

• Serving: 22-ounce bottle, chilled, served in a freezer-stored Guinness historic-style pint glass

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

• Appearance: 4 - Pours a cloudy amber, with a white head foamy head that fades quickly to minimal lace.

• Nose: 6 - Spices, cloves, and a bit of fruit. A bit tamer than expected.
  

• Taste: 6 - Hit of spices, estery-fruits, and sweetness upfront, with the aforementioned sweetness and a booziness asserting themselves more in the middle. Sour notes and alcohol in the finish.
  

• Mouthfeel: 5 - Light to moderate-bodied with minimal carbonation, but with a cloying, syrupy quality. Moderate spicy aftertaste.
  

• Holistic: 4 - Somewhat disappointing. This seemed a bit unfocused compared with other Belgian Tripels. The flavors involved weren't distinct, and the persistent sticky-sweetness with the sour notes was a bit of a turn-off.
  

Overall: 25 - Clipper City makes several quite enjoyable Belgian-style beers, and I went in with the assumption that this higher-ABV, limited edition would be more of the same... and it just didn't quite work for me. This isn't a bad beverage by any stretch, but clearly did not attain a level of complexity and balance I'd expect from a high end "flagship" holiday brew. Worth seeking out only if you are a Clipper City fan or a completest.

8. Troegs Mad Elf Ale

This is one of my favorite seasonal beers, and I picked some up as per my annual compulsion. I'll admit a special fondness for this beverage, as it plays an important role in the genesis of my online handle of "Cmaaarrr!!!" But that is a tale for another time...

Vitals:

• Name: Troegs Mad Elf Ale
  

• Brewery: Troegs Brewing Company
  

• Style: Fruit Beer, based on Belgian Strong Dark Ale (Categories 20 and 18E, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

• Alcohol: 11.0%

• Serving: 12-ounce bottle, chilled, served in a freezer-stored Samuel Adams Boston Lager Pint Glass

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

• Appearance: 6 - Pours a deep reddish-brown, with a minimal white head that fades quickly to nothing.

• Nose: 7 - Dominant cherry aroma with a strong undercurrent of malt.
  

• Taste: 8 - Bready malts and cherries upfront, moving to a strong hit of sweet and spicy cherries in the middle, which fades to a slight alcoholic bitterness in the end. Honey and other spice flavors are subtle throughout.
  

• Mouthfeel: 5 - Moderate-bodied with minimal carbonation, and a mild spice aftertaste.
  

• Holistic: 7 - A well-crafted brew that manages to centerpiece the cherry and honey components, yet keeps them well-balanced in the overall style. I suspect that a bit more carbonation, as well as drinking this at a slightly warmer temperature, would inspire an even higher rating.
  

Overall: 33 - This is a great, strong holiday beer that carries a truly unique character, and doesn't fall into the "holiday brew trap" over over-spicing. While certainly one of the more balanced fruit beers I've had, the strength of the cherry flavor can be a bit much if consuming several in a short timespan. Recommended as a necessary, but occasional, winter beverage.

Oh, and a very Happy Thanksgiving to all whom it applies to. :)

A New Beer Exp[ CONTENT OVERRIDE: KILROY2.0 IS HERE!!! ]

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7. Dogfish Head Lawnmower

During a recent dinner at the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD, I elected to try the Lawnmower, which is billed as their "starter" beer for people who are used to drinking the standard American lager. I figured that I needed to try it once, and that it couldn't be that bad...

Vitals:

• Name: Dogfish Head Lawnmower
  

• Brewery: Dogfish Head
  

• Style: American pale ale (Category 10A, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

• Alcohol: 4.0%

• Serving: draft pint
  

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

• Appearance: 3 - Hazy straw yellow with a scant white head that faded to a faint lace.

• Nose: 1 - A hint of bready malt, but barely present.
  

• Taste: 4 - A gentle hit of grassy hop bitterness upfront, with grainy malts predominating through the middle to the finish.
  

• Mouthfeel: 4 - Light-bodied throughout, with a small amount of carbonation. No aftertaste.
  

• Holistic: 4 - Clearly better than any American lager, but not something I'd seek out in most circumstances, especially given that it's only served at Dogfish Head alehouses where every other beer available is far more interesting.
  

Overall: 16 - In the interest of full disclosure, both stronger beer and rich food were had before trying the Lawnmower, which very likely downplayed my appreciation. Other reviews I've seen have scored it significantly higher in the nose and taste departments, which may also have been a keg factor as well. In any case, not something I'll seek out again, but definitely recommended for those not used to the strength and richness of Dogfish Head's other brews.

Beer & Bacon Post Mortem

Beer and Bacon
Originally uploaded by DocOperon

The Heavy Seas Beer & Bacon Festival last weekend was quite the worthy experience, even if work obligations earlier in the day meant that Laura and I could only visit for a short (and late) lunch.

I was able to sample my favorite of Clipper City's offerings, Loose Cannon (an IPA I'd compare favorably to Stone Brewery's Ruination or Dogfish Head's 90 Minute), as well as their Pale Ale (a quite solid British style), Gold Ale (very solid American style), and Prosit (an "Imperial Lager" of the new Mutiny Fleet line). The list of various eateries offering bacon foodstuffs was impressive, although most of them didn't quite live up to the epic-level bacon tastiness I had envisioned. The clear best of these was the station serving up a rotating selection of different bacon, as pictured above.

All in all, a good time. Hopefully, the sold-out success of this event will spur Clipper City to host more like it in the future.

The Heavy Seas Beer & Bacon Festival

This coming Saturday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and to celebrate, Clipper City Brewery is holding an event, much like last year. This time around, they have billed it as The Heavy Seas Beer and Bacon Festival. Behold the glorious details from a recent email:

The Heavy Seas Beer & Bacon Festival
September 19th
Noon - 4pm
...at the Brewery

15+ Bacons, 10+ Beers, 10+ Restaurants, Live Music From Dirty Secret and More! Baltimore's Best Brewery and Over 10 of its Finest Restaurants have convened to salute nature's greatest food: Bacon!

Tickets are only $40 and include ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE beer and fabulous bacon.

Just a sampling of what you can expect…
Bottomless samples of Heavy Seas favorites and some special new brews made up for the occasion.
Special "Treasure" For Anyone Who Dresses as a Pirate - since it is National Talk Like A Pirate Day.
15+ Different Bacons From All Over The World.

RESTAURANTS AND FOOD STATIONS CONFIRMED WITH MANY MORE TO BE ADDED:

Abercrombie Restaurant and Lounge - Bacon Donuts
Alonzo’s – Bacon Explosion / Cocoa Crisps
Bacon Salt
Bad Decisions
Captain Thom’s – Cannon Fire Cornbread & Butt Blaster Baked Beans
Crazy Lil’s – Bacon Mac & Cheese
Ciao Bella
Vande Farms Meats
Squealin’ Sauce – Piggy Candy
Sweet Cascade’s – Bacon and Chocolate

...more coming soon!

Despite being trip booked with work and social activities this weekend, I will be making time to attend. Tickets are limited, and more information about the event and ticket availability can be found here. It's the best beer in Baltimore and tasty swineflesh... for all that is good and pirate-y, you must go.

6. Dogfish Head Theobroma

To say that I have been anticipating this beer for quite awhile now is understatement most pure. After giving up actively looking for it, due to scarcity of supply, I finally stumbled on a few bottles at the King's Contrivance Liquors and Smoke Shop last weekend. The hype of this brew's ingredients and origin were nigh-legendary - but did it live up to my expectations?

Vitals:

• Name: Dogfish Head Theobroma
  

• Brewery: Dogfish Head
  

• Style: Spice/herb/vegetable beer (Category 21A, BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines)

• Alcohol: 9.0%

• Serving: 25.4-ounce bottle, chilled, served in a freezer-stored Samuel Adams Boston Lager Pint Glass

Scoring (in solidarity with Charlie the Beer Guy):

• Appearance: 6 - Pours a peach-amber color, that resides clear in the glass, and is a deep gold towards the bottom. The head is foamy and white, fading slowly to a moderate lace.

• Nose: 5 - Subtle, with notes of citrus, honey, cocoa, and a spicy background.
  

• Taste: 7 - A solid mix of equal parts fruity base and honey, with a hint of cocoa in the background. The chili flavor builds up strong in the middle and through the end, where it leaves a pleasant burn in the aftertaste, mixed with a residual sweetness.
  

• Mouthfeel: 8 - The body and carbonation are medium and well-balanced, and consistant throughout each drink. Beyond the chili spice, there's little aftertaste to speak of.
  

• Holistic: 6 - The varying tastes and ingredients are so well balanced that beyond the chili flavor, none of them stand out. The cocoa in particular seems to be barely present, and lost in the shuffle.
  

Overall: 32 - A good beer, but not at all what I was expecting. From the initial descriptions of ingredients, I was looking for a cocoa/chocolate punch that never came, but was pleasantly surprised by the chili intensity. All in all, far more balanced than I anticipated, and quite quaffable. It strikes me as been good for an occasional glass, but not quite unique enough to seek out on a regular basis.