Life On Tap

Dan opens Minkey Sunrise, a fruited sour from Thin Man Brewery Company, as his fifteenth beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Thin Man Brewery Minkey Sunrise

STYLE: Fruited SourABV: 7.0%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, Draft (Occasionally)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can, website, and Untappd.

Appearance

Pink, like a Tequila Sunrise in color.

Aroma

Amalgamation of middle-ripe mango, passionfruit, raspberry, and peach candy on the nose.

Taste

Passionfruit kicks it off with a bracing acidity reminiscent of Minky Boodle and the mango and raspberry join the ride in the mid-palate.

Mouthfeel

The fairly dry finish and carbonation help balance the acidity for me, leaving a pretty smooth mouthfeel and finish.

Overall

If you know anyone who is into fruited sours, definitely snag a can for them. I would say the acidity might be a little much for a first-time or casual taster, but I thought this was full of deliciousness. This would be fun to do a float with a peach or mango sorbet, though iced or cream cheese-frosted cakes would be a fun pairing or even carrot cake.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

Dan opens Cold Day IPA, an American IPA from Montauk Brewing Company, as his fourteenth beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Montauk Brewing Company Cold IPA

STYLE: American IPAABV: 6.7%IBU: 22AVAILABILITY: 12-Ounce cans, Draft (Seasonal)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and Untappd.

Appearance

Translucent dark yellow/light orange with a fluffy, white head.

Aroma

Citrus up front, with some tropical notes coming in later with some orange marmalade.

Taste

Lighter, citrus juice overtones a la mimosa.

Mouthfeel

Smooth, fairly dry, with a pleasant mouthfeel from the carbonation.

Overall

This is definitely one you could have with your lobster roll or even just hanging out in Montauk. The sub-7.0% ABV makes it easy to power through more than one 12-ounce can no matter where you might enjoy it.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

Dan opens Ash, a wild, dark ale from Plan Bee Farm Brewery, as his thirteenth beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Plan Bee Farm Brewery Ash

STYLE: Dark AleABV: 6.0%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 375ml Bottles (Year-Round)Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle and Untappd.

Appearance

Deep, dark brown with a lush, off-white to tannish head.

Aroma

Roast, a bit of ash, cinder, and dark cacao nibs underneath all of it.

Taste

Roast and some other notes from the nose follow through, but the finish has powerful taste of dried fruit (dates). Complex in nature, with dark chocolate Raisinets coming to mind with a hint of acidity.

Mouthfeel

Soft, supple, and glides across the palate.

Overall

While there are various pairing routes you could go, like say, chocolate cupcake, I feel this complex brew would be great in the fall and winter by the fireplace or just to cozy up with by yourself or with loved ones.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

Dan opens Super Fanatic, a cream ale from Reinvention Brewing, as his twelfth beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Reinvention Brewing Company Super Fanatic

STYLE: Cream AleABV: 4.7%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, Draft (Year-Round)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and Untappd.

Appearance

Light yellow/straw hue with a pretty hefty white head.

Aroma

Honeysuckle/floral note hits first followed by the corny/grainy notes that are common in the style.

Taste

True to style with the grain notes continuing with a hint of earthy and floral notes.

Mouthfeel

Light on the palate with a crisp and dry mouthfeel.

Overall

This is definitely the kind of beer you want to crush a game of your preferred sport to spectate. Hot dogs, pretzels, nachos…they would all work great with this for sure. I would love to know if this is served in any ballparks out there.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

Dan opens Fun Old-Fashioned Family Christmas, a Christmas Ale from Alewerks Brewing Company, as a gift from Secret Santa in Virginia.

Alewerks Brewing Company Fun Old-Fashioned Family Christmas

STYLE: Winter Ale (Christmas Ale Brewed with Spices)ABV: 8.0%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, Draft (Seasonal)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can, website, and Untappd.

Appearance

Darker brown with a tannish head.

Aroma

Allspice and nutmeg hit first, followed by orange peel, ginger, vanilla, clove, and cinnamon after.

Taste

All spices are present on the palate, but do not overpower one another and are not cloying how some winter ales present.

Mouthfeel

Fuller body with an appropriate carbonation and velvety mouthfeel.

Overall

Fireplace beer after a meal or perhaps with a fruitcake or rum cake. A lighter-bodied cigar might be a fun pairing as well.

A huge thank you to Hamilton and Michelle for sharing this one via Secret Santa.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

Dan opens Tyson’s Grandma, a spiced, hazy IPA from Aslin Beer Co, as a gift from Secret Santa in Virginia.

Aslin Beer Co. Tyson’s Grandma

STYLE: IPA with pecan flavoring and cinnamonABV: 6.5%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, Draft (Seasonal)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and Untappd.

Appearance

Translucent and almost hazy looking like fresh squeezed orang juice with a frothy head.

Aroma

A lot of vanilla right off with a little cinnamon and pecan hiding behind other spice notes.

Taste

A hint of all the flavors from the nose with a hazy IPA base behind all that with the malt.

Mouthfeel

This has a weight that is fairly similar to other hazy IPAs I have had and the carbonation was a bit softer to reflect that smoothness.

Overall

This was a fascinating beer to try, as most dessert IPAs go more for the milkshake route instead of the pastry. If you happen to enjoy pastry beers and you see it, you can give it a shot. I tend to shy away because of the lactose issue with many dessert beers.

A huge thank you to Hamilton and Michelle for sharing this one via Secret Santa.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

Dan opens Cranberry Bog, a fruited sour from Tin Barn Brewing, as his eleventh beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Tin Barn Brewing Cranberry Bog

STYLE: Fruited SourABV: 5.0%IBU: 0AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, Draft (Seasonal)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and Untappd.

Appearance

Reddish hue almost like raspberry ginger ale with a small off-white head.

Aroma

The cranberry hits you even inches away from the glass, with candied and canned cranberry coming at first with a tart, cranberry sauce coming after.

Taste

Tart cranberry leads off clearly with some sweetness to match the acid level.

Mouthfeel

These is an appropriate amount of carbonation and weight on the palate for a sour.

Overall

This would be a fun one to have at the Thanksgiving table for sure. The fruity nature of could be a fun, different companion to your Beaujolais Nouveau or American Zinfandel at the table to be sure.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

Dan opens the Duvel Jamaican Rum Edition as a special bottle for the 300th episode to reflect on his beer experience.

Duvel Jamaican Rum Edition

STYLE: Belgian Strong Golden AleABV: 11.0%IBU: 40AVAILABILITY: Bottle, Draft (Limited)Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle and Untappd.

Appearance

A little darker than typical Duvel with a nice carbonation out of the bottle.

Aroma

Vanilla hits hard and fast first with some oak, golden raisin, and dried date in the background for me.

Taste

Similar profile on the palate with golden raisin, dried date, and oak character with vanillins and other flavors coming through. A hint of warming note from the alcohol.

Mouthfeel

Carbonation adds to the full mouthfeel here…definitely feeling the depth of it.

Overall

I want a rustic chicken dish though a tagine play would be kind of interesting or go kind of desserty with the creme or custard-based. Mad tasty for sure.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

Dan opens Nice & Naughty, a Christmas Ale from Naked Dove Brewing Company, as his tenth beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Naked Dove Brewing Company Nice & Naughty

STYLE: Christmas AleABV: 5.5%IBU: 15AVAILABILITY: 12-Ounce cans, Draft (Seasonal)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and Untappd.

Appearance

Ruby-esque and amber in hue with an off-white, fluffy head.

Aroma

Allspice hits your nose first, with a host of other holiday spices and malt sweetness.

Taste

Winter warmer in flavor profile for sure. The spice continues with a nice malty back coming through.

Mouthfeel

Mouthfeel is fairly full and provides a warming feeling without expressing alcohol.

Overall

One could definitely put a few of these away to stay warm during the holidays. Try it with your Christmas goose or maybe some carrot cake for a bit of fun.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

Dan opens Xtra Gold, an American Tripel from Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, as his ninth beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company Xtra Gold

STYLE: American TripelABV: 9.3%IBU: 45AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, Draft (Past Seasonal)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can, website, and Untappd.

Appearance

Medium golden with some yeast haze and a white, fluffy head with lacing.

Aroma

Belgian Tripel yeast esters with banana on the back.

Taste

Esters lead, but the hops provide balance. The yeast profile continues with a hint of banana but has some other bready and sweet notes.

Mouthfeel

Full mouthfeel but the hops do not let it become too sweet or jelly-like.

Overall

This drinks way easier than the actual ABV, so be careful slamming these back. Cassoulet and other hearty, rustic dishes featuring beans, chicken and/or broth or some bar food.

Cheers and remember:

Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry.

All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers