Life On Tap

If Dan sees a rauchbier, he will buy said rauchbier. This one is from the fine folks at KCBC: As The World Burns.

STYLE: Rauchbier
INGREDIENTS: Munich and traditional Beechwood-smoked malt from Bamberg; German-grown Perle hops
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Super, deep dark brown with some ruby along the edges, and a foamy, frothy, tan head and some lacing.

Campfire, bacon, toasted bread a la an Irish or English breakfast.

Aroma notes continue, though more subtle, with toasted bread and smoked meat elements are more forward.

Medium body with soft carbonation and a velvety mouthfeel.

If I see a rauchbier, I will almost definitely buy it because I do not see them often. I had just seen a video about half-smokes in DC, so that was a clear pairing idea, though any other smoked meats, barbecue, or other typical dishes would work.

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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 457: As The World Burns appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan was elated to find a beer from Montclair Brewery at his local, so he pours Peoples Republic of Montclair, a Belgian Dubbel.

STYLE: Belgian Dubbel
ABV: 7.9%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Dark amber with some dark orange along the edges, and some nice lacing and an off-white, foamy and frothy head.

Coriander leads followed by dark fruit/dates.

Dried fruit and caramel-like sweetness a la Basic 4 cereal.

Medium body and moderately dry, smooth mouthfeel, and soft carbonation.

I would love to have this (and more) on my next visit to Montclair…LOVE the vibe there and I highly recommend it if you’re in northern New Jersey. FYI you cannot detect the ABV on this, so definitely go slow on this one. This is a food-friendly brew, and I was feeling hearthy poultry/fowl dishes like chicken with chili sauce.

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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 456: Peoples Republic of Montclair appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dark mild? YES PLEASE! Dan cracks The Quarry from Ever Grain Brewing Company in Camp Hill, PA to slake his English beer thirst.

STYLE: Dark Mild
INGREDIENTS: British pale and specialty malts; East Kent Goldings hops
ABV: 4.2%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Medium to dark brown with edges of ruby and a tan, large-bubbled, fluffy head.

Caramel and dark caramel leads, with toasted bread following and some roasted malt and shaved chocolate.

Roastiness leads with some additional elements from the aroma coming in, and finishes with a slate-like minerality.

Light on the palate and moderately dry, with fairly soft carbonation.

Again, if I see a dark mild, I will almost definitely get it. This is pretty accurate to style and sessionable, with many pairings available with pub fare, wings, and definitely watching a soccer match.

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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 455: The Quarry appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan checks out a new hop technique in the form of Nelson Bliss, showcased in Aurora Brewing Company’s hazy IPA of the same name.

STYLE: IPA – New England / Hazy
INGREDIENTS: Nelson Bliss from Freestyle Hops
ABV: 7.3%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Hazy and dark yellow, with fluffy, white head.

Tropical notes immediately hit, with pineapple, pineapple candy, and a blend of guava and passionfruit with lemon and lime zest.

Lemon/lime continues from the aroma, followed by a Five Alive-like flavor, with a finish of pineapple juice with corresponding acidity and juiciness.

Moderately dry, with a medium body and moderate, soft carbonation.

I am looking forward to having more beers with this experimental process, as I would love to see how “hop husbandry” will play a role in hop farming moving forward. Pairing-wise, I was feeling something in a Southwest flair, a la fish tacos.

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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 454: Nelson Bliss appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan shucks open a rare oyster stout with Union Street Brewing Company’s Oysters In My Pocket, a collaboration with Montauk Catch Club.

STYLE: Oyster Stout
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)
COLLABORATION: Montauk Catch Club

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Super dark brown burgeoning on black, with a tan, fluffy head and some legs on the glass.

Caramel hits first with some dark roast coffee coming after.

Caramel, high concentration cacao, and finishing with that dark roast coffee and saline-like minerality.

Drier than expected, super smooth with soft carbonation and mouthfeel, and a medium body.

Oyster stouts are about as rare as they come, style-wise…glad I could get this one. Pairing-wise, cream-based desserts for contrast, though pecan pie also came to mind; oysters are a clear savory play, though chicken or lighter meat dishes like beef stew with not too high a spice element

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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 453: Oysters In My Pocket appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan enjoys a celebratory beer from a recent haul: Strong Rope Brewery 10th Anniversary Golden Ale, with Vienna malt and Bell Captain hops.

STYLE: Blonde / Golden Ale – English
INGREDIENTS: Vienna Malt and Bell Captain hops
ABV: 5.1%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Beautiful gold in color with a white, foamy head and light lacing.

Lemon and honey sweetness leads, with some stony minerality coming in later.

Toasted breadsticks lead, with lemon/lemon verbena on the mid-palate, with a lovely saline note coming in later.

Lighter in body, crisp, and mouth-coating, with soft carbonation and mouthfeel.

Once again, I am happy to see this style being pushed into the ether. Pairing-wise, cheese was the obvious choice, but chicken satay or a bean dip might also be interesting.

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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 452: 10th Anniversary Golden Ale appeared first on Life On Tap.

Care of @scotchfullyyours, Dan ends the night with a Beer Tree Brew Lunar Guidance, an often not produced baltic porter.

STYLE: Baltic Porter
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Super, deep, dark brown with a tan/light brown, large-bubbled head.

Caramel leads, followed by a vinous and dark fruit note, and then molasses.

Dark fruit, dried dates/figs, molasses, and a roasty element behind all of it. This develops with complexity as it warms up.

Medium to strong body with soft carbonation and a supple mouthfeel.

I see baltic porters even more rarely than standard or robust porters. This was an amazing nightcap, but beef stew, braised ribs, and slow cooked meals would sing with this for sure. See Episode #394: Lily’s Elixir or the official website for more information on Baltic Porter Day.

Thanks again to @scotchfullyyours AKA Doug Zeigler (Speakeasy Conversations, Mortal Content, The Cult Bar) for sharing!

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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 451: Lunar Guidance appeared first on Life On Tap.

Care of @scotchfullyyours, Dan explores a French-style lager from West Kill Brewing: Fur-Bearing Trout, brewed with French ingredients.

STYLE: French-Style Lager
INGREDIENTS: French Pilsner malt; French Strisselspalt hops; Lagered in Toasted French Oak.
ABV: 5.0%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

A little chill haze out of the fridge, though boasting a gold-like yellow with a white, foamy head.

Graininess meets a floral hop element.

Clean, with a bit of sweetness from the malt, with the floral hop profile continuing into a slate-like minerality.

Refreshing, mostly dry, and crisp, with foamy carbonation and light body.

I feel the world of pilsner is spreading out from the OGs of Czech and German, as we have seen Italian and West Coast come up as well. Because of the refreshing element, I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing some more of these on the market. Pairing-wise, I would go lighter with pairings due to the floral and other subtle elements; was feeling Loire-based aged goat cheese (Selles-sur-Cher and the like), a light and rustic sandwich or flatbread would be lovely with scallions or shallots.

Thanks again to @scotchfullyyours AKA Doug Zeigler (Speakeasy Conversations, Mortal Content, The Cult Bar) for sharing!

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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 450: Fur-Bearing Trout appeared first on Life On Tap.

Care of @scotchfullyyours, Dan pops an internationally-inspired Dark Lager from Zeroday Brewing and starts dreaming about barbecue.

STYLE: Dark Lager
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: 21
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Dark brown with a half-inch, foamy, tan head.

Deep, dark caramel/burnt sugar with toasted bread/Maillard reaction notes plus herbal hops.

Caramel notes continue along with the toasted bread.

Fairly light on the palate with a medium body, soft carbonation, and fairly dry finish.

This was trending more Tmave for me, but totally approachable. Pairing-wise, those Maillard-reaction notes lead me to barbecue, leading towards pulled chicken or pork with some sweet sauce.

Thanks again to @scotchfullyyours AKA Doug Zeigler (Speakeasy Conversations, Mortal Content, The Cult Bar) for sharing!

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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 449: Zeroday Dark Lager appeared first on Life On Tap.

Care of @scotchfullyyours, Dan enjoyed a Skibsøl (“ship beer”), a light, smoked ale in the collaboration from West Kill, The Fountain.

STYLE: Historical Beer (Skibsøl)
INGREDIENTS: Beechwood-smoked, rye, and chocolate malt
ABV: 3.8%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)
COLLABORATION: The Fountain, a novel by Casey Scieszka

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Super dark brown with a fluffy, off-white head.

Blend of ash and smoked meat, remeniscient of rauchbier.

Mixture of barbecued meat/Maillard reaction, ash, some spice, and some burning leaves on the retronasal.

Light on the palate, with a smooth carbonation and enveloping mouthfeel.

I really have developed a love of these lighter, smoked beer styles, and this (my first), will hopefully not be the last one of these “ship beers”. Pairing-wise, having this with jerky on a ship would make a lot of sense, though onshore, I would say smoked meat, hearty stews/soups, darker brats, and aged cheese.

Thanks again to @scotchfullyyours AKA Doug Zeigler (Speakeasy Conversations, Mortal Content, The Cult Bar) for sharing!

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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 448: The Fountain appeared first on Life On Tap.