Life On Tap

Dan opens Gondola Session, a Session IPA from Common Roots Brewing Company, as his eighth beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Common Roots Brewing Company Gondola Session

STYLE: Session IPAABV: 5.2%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, Draft (Seasonal)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can, website, and Untappd.

Appearance

Light and golden in appearance with a centimeter or so tall head.

Aroma

Orange leading off with a hint of tropicality behind it a la guava and under ripe pineapple and a hint of resin.

Taste

Citrus led the nose, but tropicality hits harder on the palate with the guava coming in spades followed by citrus notes and the finish with a hint of guanabana.

Mouthfeel

Pinch of dryness helps the weight from the mouthfeel, which is great for a session beer.

Overall

I would knock back a great many of these at the beach or similar venues for sure. Pairing-wise, lighter preparations of wings or fish (Mahi-Mahi) tacos that would meld with the tropical and citrus notes would probably sing.

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 Collab Button Brew, a brown ale/cider blend from Rare Form Brewing Company, as his seventh beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Rare Form Brewing Company Collab Button Brew

STYLE: Brown Ale/Cider Blend with cranberries and cinnamonABV: 6.6%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans (Limited)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and Untappd.

Appearance

Deep brown in color with off-white almost tan head.

Aroma

Festive, holiday smell with the cinnamon and cranberry leading off with a hint of roastiness from the brown ale portion.

Taste

Super-intriguing, with both parts of the blend expressing their flavor profiles before the fruit and spice come into overlap. The cranberries persist for a long time on the finish.

Mouthfeel

Similar to a brown ale in weight, with the cider and tartness from the cranberries offsetting a bit.

Overall

A fascinating blend to be sure…I am super glad I got to try this, though your mileage may vary if you do not like cranberry. Pairing-wise, I wanted a Gobbler Sandwich aka Thanksgiving Leftovers of turkey, cranberry, etc., though I could see this as a pre-Thanksgiving aperitif of sorts.

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 Greenhouse Oat Lager, a foudre-aged American Pale Lager from Evil Twin Brewing, as his sixth beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Evil Twin Brewing Greenhouse Oat Lager

STYLE: Foudre-aged American Pale LagerABV: 5.0%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, DraftStats above taken from the brewery’s can, website, and Untappd.

Appearance

Light to medium gold with a nice, white, fluffy head, and a little chill haze from the fridge.

Aroma

Floral note hits the nose first followed by a baguette-like bready smell.

Taste

Helles-like malt flavor with some of the biscuit quality in the background and a touch of the oak character with earthiness/woodiness.

Mouthfeel

Refreshing, with a full-flavored mouthfeel from the foudre.

Overall

I could definitely see myself having quite a few of these outdoors at Evil Twin or elsewhere…definitely in warmer weather than right now in NYC. Pair it with light bar fare, nothing too powerful in flavor.

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 Layover Lager, an American Pale Lager from Destination Unknown Brewing Company, as his fifth beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Destination Unknown Beer Company Layover Lager

STYLE: American Pale LagerABV: 5.4%IBU: 0AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, DraftStats above taken from the brewery’s can and Untappd.

Appearance

Light gold in color with a tight-bubbled head and a little chill haze right from the fridge.

Aroma

Behind the malt bill, lemon and key lime zest mixed with herbality.

Taste

Lemon/lime continues with an herbal quality almost like a mix of basil, tarragon, and thyme with a grainy note from the malt in the middle of the palate.

Mouthfeel

Pretty good body and carbonation for a lighter lager.

Overall

Lots of food options, but I wanted to baste some fish or light fowl packed with lots of herbs. Thai chili wings also came to mind, but it would be pretty easy to have a few.

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 Pulpit Supply, a Brown Ale from Wolf Hollow Brewing Company, as his fourth beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Wolf Hollow Brewing Company Pulpit Supply

STYLE: American Brown AleABV: 5.2%IBU: 30AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, DraftStats above taken from the brewery’s can, website, and Untappd.

Appearance

Darker brown with some ruby notes in the light with a tan head and some lacing.

Aroma

Citrus-forward, with some floral, Baby’s Breath-like notes followed by some malt sweetness burgeoning on dark caramel.

Taste

Hop presence comes in on the second half, but it is balanced with some of the malt sweetness pushing forward.

Mouthfeel

Silky, with a nice weight on the palate.

Overall

I am all about old English pub dishes like Shepherd’s or Chicken Pot Pie or Fish and Chips with this. Chili or using this to braise meat could be interesting as well. It is on the lower ABV side, so you can definitely put a few of these away.

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 Seance Weather, a Vienna Style Lager from Paradox Brewery in North Hudson as his third beer from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Paradox Brewery Seance Weather

STYLE: Vienna Style LagerABV: 4.72%IBU: 0AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, DraftStats above taken from the brewery’s can, website, and Untappd.

Appearance

Amber/burnt orange in hue with a sizable, persistent white head.

Aroma

Malt-forward, with toffee, Maillard-like, toasty bread.

Taste

The maltiness continues on the palate with a nice breadiness and light toffee finish.

Mouthfeel

Clean, dry, easygoing on the palate.

Overall

Pizza, wings, or whatever you want with this…very versatile. You could have a bunch of these for whatever occasion 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 cracks Queen City Pils from Poughkeepsie-based Zeus Brewing Company as his second from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Zeus Brewing Company Queen City Pils

STYLE: German-style PilsnerINGREDIENTS: Pilsner malt, German noble hops (I believe)ABV: 5.2%IBU: 15AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, DraftStats above taken from the brewery’s can, website, and Untappd.

Appearance

Yellow in color and clear with a small, white head.

Aroma

Baked bread with floral notes from the hops.

Taste

Balanced and refreshing with no harsh hop bite on the finish.

Mouthfeel

Crisp, clean, and light on the palate.

Overall

Pair this with German beer hall fare, no doubt. Would love to go up there and visit in nicer weather to have this from the source.

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

After finally fighting off a cold/sinus infection, Dan pops open an award winning beer, Kold One, as his first from the NYS Craft Beer Box.

Mill House Brewing Company Kold One

STYLE: German-style KolschINGREDIENTS: Pilsner and Vienna MaltABV: 4.6%IBU: 19AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, DraftStats above taken from the brewery’s can, website, and Untappd.

Appearance

Yellow/golden in color and clear with a white, fizzy head.

Aroma

Crackery, bready, and some citrus note and herbality.

Taste

More malt-forward and doesn’t have too much of a hop bite.

Mouthfeel

Smooth and light on the palate.

Overall

This is a great lead-off beer for any type of day and/or outside drinking as well as after mowing the lawn. I was feeling a German-style soft pretzel, though this beer can pair with a variety of bar fare.

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 finally gets to sample the seasonal from Hardywood, Virginia Blackberry, care of friend @RVABeermeister earlier during the pandemic.

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Virginia Blackberry

STYLE: Fruited Belgian-Style White Ale/WheatINGREDIENTS: Saaz hops, Virginia blackberriesABV: 6.8%IBU: 12AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, Draft (Seasonal)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and Untappd.

Appearance

A touch of the berry mixture gives a dark orange almost light ruby in color with a nice off-white head.

Aroma

Beyond the obvious blackberry notes, there are some nice wheat and rye-like grain notes but it really evoked summer to me.

Taste

Mild tartness, but the fruit itself is vibrant, bright, and refreshing. Hops are not as much present on the taste, but provide the backbone with the malt bill to enhance the fruit.

Mouthfeel

Crisp finish with a lovely mouthfeel that glides across your tongue.

Overall

1,000 pounds of blackberries for every 30 BBL…wow. While I could drink these all afternoon, this is the perfect beer to open when you just start grilling to help get your palate going. It would likely pair with lighter fair, definitely some mild to medium cheeses with accoutrements.

Thank you so much to Sterling aka @RVABeermeister for sharing this one!.

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 sips on another pilsner variant from Ardent Craft Ales, Bohemian Pilsner, care of friend @RVABeermeister earlier during the pandemic.

Ardent Craft Ales Bohemian Pilsner

STYLE: Czech-style PilsnerINGREDIENTS: Czech floor malt, Saaz hops, and a Czech lager yeastABV: 4.8%IBU: 27AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce cans, Draft (Limited)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and Untappd.

Appearance

Yellow/golden in color and clear with a fluffy, white head.

Aroma

Grain plus the characteristic “deli” note I often get from Czech-style pilsner.

Taste

Amazing balance between the grainy Czech malt notes and the more earthy Saaz hops.

Mouthfeel

Dry and crisp with smooth carbonation.

Overall

Another solid pilsner variant from Ardent: sessionable and refreshing. Pairing-wise, I want something hearty like some meat dishes but everything from wings to hot dogs to your preference would work. This is the kind of beer I would continually enjoy on a brewery patio with friends.

Thank you so much to Sterling aka @RVABeermeister for sharing this one!.

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