Life On Tap

Dan cozies up with another fine example of one of his favorite styles, Greenpoint Beer’s Obscura schwarzbier.

Greenpoint Beer Obscura

STYLE: SchwarzbierABV: 4.9%IBU: 23AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce Can; DraftStats above taken from the brewery’s can/website.

Appearance

Deep, dark brown burgeoning on black with a half-inch, tan head.

Aroma

Chocolate nibs, espresso notes, bready malt.

Taste

Roast continues on the palate along with most of the flavors from the aroma. Aftertaste of espresso and chocolate is lovely.

Mouthfeel

Super dry, espresso-like mouthfeel/finish.

Overall

Fried food, proteins, and cheddars to the moon with this one. I love schwarzbiers so much that I would drink them year-round (hint hint brewers 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

Even though it was a school night, Dan was unable to resist temptation and opened the Other Half Brewing Dusted for a blast of hops.

Other Half Brewing Dusted

STYLE: Imperial IPAINGREDIENTS: Galaxy T-90 hop pellets; Cashmere, Citra, Mosaic and Loral cryo hopsABV: 8.0%AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce Can; DraftStats above taken from the brewery’s can/website.

Appearance

Brilliant medium to dark/burnt orange with a nice, tight-bubbled, fluffy head.

Aroma

Complex. Citrus, tropical, herbality (OH signature), and a hint of floral notes.

Taste

Muddled orange and mango, with tree fruit taking over the mid-palate. Herbality takes over on the finish.

Mouthfeel

Soft, velvety mouthfeel with carbonation gliding across the tongue.

Overall

If I was blind tasting this, I would not peg it for an 8% ABV…very dangerous. This is definitely one to have during a session or tasting with friends/family, but could also go with various well-spiced dishes.

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 picked up a non-local American Wheat to-go, Civil Society Brewing Pulp, while out having a beer to support one of the local bars.

Civil Society Brewing Pulp

STYLE: American Wheat AleINGREDIENTS: Wheat, Pilsner malt; Mosaic hops throughout including double dry hopABV: 6.3%AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce Can; DraftStats above taken from the brewery’s can/website.

Appearance

Hazy, almost burnt orange with a large, foamy, white head.

Aroma

Fresh-squeezed citrus juice.

Taste

Fresh-squeezed plus a faint bitterness from the dry hop.

Mouthfeel

Mouth-coating, with roundness from the wheat, and soft carbonation.

Overall

This has more hop presence than most American wheats and almost hits the pale ale level, but is still thoroughly drinkable. A lot of different food pairings, though I was leaning towards fish or seafood, lighter fowl, or even something like Saag Paneer or a cream-based dish.

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 channels Han Solo when sampling an earlier recipe of DuClaw Brewing’s Never Tell Me The Odds. May the malt, water, yeast, and hops be with you.

DuClaw Brewing Co. Never Tell Me The Odds DIPA

STYLE: Double IPAINGREDIENTS: Pilsner, oats, and wheat; Calypso, Mosaic, Comet, and Bravo hopsABV: 8.0%IBU: 50Gravity: 18 PlatoAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce Can (Limited Release)Stats above taken from the brewery’s can.

Appearance

Hazy, medium-yellow to golden, with a foamy, white head.

Aroma

Mix of stonefruit, melony elements, and some citrus as well.

Taste

Intriguing hop combination for sure on this with similar notes from the aroma continuing and some residual sweetness.

Mouthfeel

Dry, with a lovely, smooth mouthfeel from the grain bill.

Overall

I could not taste the 8.0% ABV, and for some reason, I felt the need to drink this with plantains…so make pair it with your Cuban and related dishes.

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 goes a little tropical/Parrothead-style with this Pina Colada DIPA care of Industrial Arts’ State of the Art series.

Industrial Arts State of the Art Series – Pina Colada DIPA

STYLE: Double IPAINGREDIENTS: Wheat, pineapple, toasted coconutABV: 8.1%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce Can (Limited)Stats above taken from the brewery can.

Appearance

Dark yellow, juice-like color and consistency with a slight off-white head.

Aroma

Straight up pineapple juice. Coconut milk follows up to complete the piña colada aroma.

Taste

A balanced piña colada, highlighting all flavors. No residual hop bitterness detected.

Mouthfeel

This one is supple and full coats the mouth, which I bet is care of the high wheat amount.

Overall

Even though it is 8.1% ABV, I still feel this is a sipper by the pool, beach, or outdoor party for sure. Tropical fare like fish tacos or luau-style with seafood, poultry, and lighter meats.

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 tastes another one care of Laura in the Daddy Porter’s Beer Group from WI’s The Brewing Projekt, a double IPA called Big Shooter.

The Brewing Projekt Big Shooter

STYLE: Double IPAINGREDIENTS: Citra, Mosaic, and Sabro hops; honeyABV: 8.0%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce Can (Limited)Stats above taken from the brewery can.

Appearance

Hazy, dark yellow burgeoning on bright orange with a light, fluffy, tight-bubbled head.

Aroma

The honey sweetness popped, with citrus elements hitting next followed by hints of cantaloupe and apricot.

Taste

Some residual sweetness possibly from the honey mixes with the fruit-forwardness of the hops. Juicy but balanced.

Mouthfeel

Round and supple mouthfeel.

Overall

This beer masks the 8% ABV quite well. I was feeling varied cheddars, fondue, or tagine-based dishes to highlight the citrus elements.

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 tastes one from Hermit Thrush Brewery in Vermont, their Green SIPA kettle soured IPA with 100% local hops and native lactobacillus.

Hermit Thrush Brewery Green SIPA

STYLE: Kettle soured India Pale Ale with 100% local hopsINGREDIENTS: Local hops, native lactobacillusABV: 6.8%IBU 68 IBUAVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce CanStats above taken from the brewery can.

Appearance

Dark orange/amber with an off-white head.

Aroma

Wild, sour berry with a mix of lemon/lime.

Taste

Balanced tartness with light lemon/lime/light berry continuing with a sour citrus in the mid-palate in the realm of clementine/Mandarin orange family.

Mouthfeel

Vinous-like in mouthfeel with a nice weight and scrubbing bubbles effect.

Overall

Country or rustic dishes with local fowl and seasonal ingredients or perhaps seafood or oysters. Super intriguing for those that are fans of tart or sour ales.

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 tastes Vennture Brew Co’s Doughnut Don, an imperial stout with doughnuts, coffee, and vanilla, via a beer exchange from Wisconsin.

Vennture Brew Co Doughnut Don

STYLE: Imperial Stout with adjunctsINGREDIENTS: Over 200 Crullers from Cranky Al’s, Colombian coffee, vanillaABV: 9.8%AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce CanStats above taken from the brewery can.

Appearance

Deep, super-dark brown with a tan head.

Aroma

Colombian coffee roast up front, with dark cacao nibs following and some sweetness and hint of vanilla.

Taste

Nice Colombian roast with vanilla and dark cacao nib/chocolate continuing from the aroma with all flavors in balance. The doughnuts might have contributed to the biscuit-like element combined with the malt.

Mouthfeel

Silky mouthfeel with a good bit of weight on the palate.

Overall

I really liked that the flavors are well-balanced together and that the flavors were not too extreme. This is great for desserts, be it crullers, ice cream, or floats, and savory-wise, it would be cheese or big, spice-rubbed meat. If someone makes you an offer of a can, you cannot refuse.Many thanks again to Laura H. in Daddy Porter’s Beer Group for this super-limited release via the share.

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 a fruited sour with cherry, guava, and Mandarin orange from The Brewing Projekt, Puff Tart XL, via a beer exchange from Wisconsin.

Puff Tart XL — Cherry, Mandarin & Guava

STYLE: Fruited SourINGREDIENTS: Cherry, Guava, Mandarin Orange, Marshmallow flavorABV: 8.0%AVAILABILITY: 16-Ounce CanStats above taken from the brewery can.

Appearance

Smoothie/slushie-like, almost Bloody Mary-like in color via the fruit infusion.

Aroma

Straight up Maraschino cherry, candied strawberry, a touch of the guava, and a sugar-like note likely from the marshmallow.

Taste

A good blend of all the fruit present, with the guava leading off, strawberry following, then sweet cherry cleans up. Fairly sweet which makes me wonder about residual sugar.

Mouthfeel

Smoothie all the way as expected. Coats the mouth but goes down way easy.

Overall

This was very intriguing on a sensory perspective. “Smoothie sours” are extremely popular all around the US, so I believe this would be fairly sought after. While I personally would not have more than one in a sitting (you would not guess this was 8% while drinking), I would say if you have not tried one of this style yet, do so to see where you stand. Pairing is cheesecake all the way, though I would love to see this as a component in a beer-based Rice Krispie Treat.Many thanks again to Laura H. in Daddy Porter’s Beer Group for this super-limited release via the share.

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

Earlier in the pandemic, Dan cracks a super-limited release via a beer exchange from Wisconsin: Third Space Brewing Mystic Pancakes.

Third Space Brewing Mystic Pancakes

STYLE: Barrel-aged Imperial Cream StoutINGREDIENTS: Wisconsin maple syrup, Stone Creek 3 Volcanoes CoffeeABV: 10.7%AVAILABILITY: 12-Ounce Can, Draft (Super-Limited)Stats above taken from the brewery can.

Appearance

Super dark brown with a fluffy, mahogany head.

Aroma

A fight between bourbon and the ingredients at first, though my memory tells me it’s a big, fresh pour of maple syrup on chocolate chip pancakes. After the initial aroma fades, the dark coffee roast comes in leaving a cafe con leche kind of note.

Taste

It’s the pancake house fantasy from the nose, washed down with an excellent dark roast coffee all in one, but are able to separate the components. All the bourbon barrel character but with no heat and great balance with the ingredients.

Mouthfeel

They called this an imperial cream stout for a reason, and I am here for this smooth, creamy, and velvety mouthfeel.

Overall

This variant off of their Mystic Knot was super tasty, and could definitely be done as breakfast/brunch beer (with or without pancakes) or with/as dessert. If you have a chance to taste the variants, go for it. Many thanks again to Laura H. in Daddy Porter’s Beer Group for this super-limited release via the share.

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