Life On Tap

Care of @scotchfullyyours, Dan pours Fog and Folklore, a hazy IPA from GearHouse Brewing Company from Pennsylvania.

STYLE: IPA – New England / Hazy
INGREDIENTS: 2-Row Pale malt, flaked oats, flaked wheat, malted oats, malted wheat; BRU-1, Galaxy, and Mosaic hops
ABV: 7.0%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Super orange in hue and hazy, with a white, fluffy head and a little lacing on the glass.

Guava hit first, followed by pineapple, peach, and some pear.

Guava, followed by some of the other tropical notes from the aroma.

Fairly dry, medium body, with soft carbonation and mouthfeel.

Super interesting and tropical-forward for sure. Pairing-wise, I was feeling ceviche would go great as well as fish tacos, poke, or anything to embrace those flavors.

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 # 447: Fog and Folklore appeared first on Life On Tap.

Care of @scotchfullyyours, Dan unmasks KCBC Devil You Know, an American IPA hopped with Centennial, Nelson Sauvin, and Chinook.

STYLE: American IPA
INGREDIENTS: Malted barley; Centennial, Nelson Sauvin, and Chinook hops
ABV: 7.0%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Beautifully clear, medium yellow in color, with a frothy and foamy white head.

Grapefruit juice/peel hit first, with muted pineapple, and a little white grape.

Similar notes to the aroma, with pine and resin mixing in with pineapple juice in the mid-palate and some lemon/lime notes towards the end and finish.

Dry, keeping you coming back for another sip, with zippy carbonation and medium mouthfeel.

As of the time of the recording, Daredevil:Born Again is airing, and this is sort of a tie-in to it. Pairing-wise, you can go a lot of different ways with it, but I was feeling Thai chili wings or something with a bit of spice to hold up against the hops notes.

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 # 446: Devil You Know appeared first on Life On Tap.

One of a few from West Kill Brewing care of @scotchfullyyours, Dan samples Gone Afield, a wheat beer with orange, chamomile, and coriander.

STYLE: Wheat Beer/Witbier/Blanche
INGREDIENTS: Coriander, orange, and chamomile
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Hazy, medium gold/yellow with a white, fluffy head.

Orange hit first, followed by the floral notes from the chamomile before the coriander/spice element lands, with an impression of malt sweetness.

Sweet bread/honey bread meets the orange and coriander notes with a subtle floral element.

Refreshing, light and slightly off-dry, with soft, foamy carbonation.

It’s great to see wheat beers out and about. Not typically my favorite style, but when they’re well-executed, they are still pretty delightful. Pairing-wise, I would definitely go lighter on flavors, maybe goat or lightly flavored cheeses, flatbreads, or something fresh that can complement the orange, chamomile, and coriander notes.

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 # 445: Gone Afield appeared first on Life On Tap.

Care of @scotchfullyyours, Dan opened a Crooked Mouth Brewing Melisandre, an Irish Red Ale, which you don’t see often.

STYLE: Irish Red Ale
ABV: 5.0%
IBU: 26
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft

Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd.

Lightly-tinged copper and reddish in hue with a slightly off-white head.

Sweet caramel malt meets the earthy/spicy/floral hop notes.

The earthy hop notes hit first, with the sweet malt and caramel element following on the mid-palate.

Smooth carbonation, light, refreshing, and moderately dry.

I don’t see Irish Reds around much, but they are flavorful and food-friendly when you might not have other distinct styles you are craving. Pairing-wise, I think general pub fare would be great from wings to Southwest Egg Rolls.

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 # 444: Melisandre appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan cracks open a gifted bottle from Dad On Tap, Troegs Independent Brewing LaGrave, a Belgian Golden Tripel.

STYLE: Belgian Tripel
ABV: 8.0%
IBU: 31
AVAILABILITY: 300ml/12.7 oz bottles (Limited)

Stats above taken from the bottle/website.

Brilliant gold in color with a fluffy, white head.

D’Anjou pear hits first, followed by bread and breadstick.

Bread and Champagne-like notes lead from the yeast character with some fruity elements interjecting into the mix.

Smooth mouthfeel and medium body with some scrubbing bubble-like carbonation.

Thanks again to Dad On Tap for sharing! Pairing-wise, I was feeling a lighter chicken preparation, or something rustic with baked potatoes.

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 # 443: La Grave appeared first on Life On Tap.

While picking up some beer, Dan grabbed a single can of Shop Talk, a collaborative coffee stout with Ninth Street Espresso.

STYLE: Coffee Stout
INGREDIENTS: Ninth Street Espresso Alphabet City Roast; Rahr 2-row, Flaked Oats, Weyermann Munich Type 1, Weyermann CaraFoam, Simpsons Brown Malt, Simpsons Crystal Dark, Weyermann Chocolate Rye, Weyermann Carafa III Special; German Herkules hops
ABV: 6.0%
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans (Limited)

Stats above taken from the bottle/website.

Super dark brown with a light tan head and large bubble carbonation.

Medium coffee roast leads, with a blend of milk and dark chocolate and impression of creaminess.

Freshly roasted coffee again starts with dark chocolate and dark caramel blending together with slight roast bitterness.

Medium-to-full body, smooth and creamy with soft carbonation.

I love coffee stouts, and I will almost always drink or buy one as long as they are lactose-free. This also can introduce roasters new to you, which is also neat since they also deal in fermentation. Pairing-wise, coffee-based or creamy desserts like cheesecake, but it would be interesting to try it with roasted meat or braised roast beef.

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 # 442: Shop Talk appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan snagged Other Half Brewing’s Doug, a Cascadian Dark Ale (AKA Black IPA) off the shelf for a taste of nostalgia.

STYLE: Black IPA / Cascadian Dark Ale
INGREDIENTS: Maris Otter malt; Simcoe, Centennial, Chinook, and Columbus Cryo hops
ABV: 7.2%
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/Draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the bottle/website.

Super dark brown with a light tan, foamy, and large-bubbled head.

Pine/resin hop notes right off the bat with a mix of coffee roast and a sweet almost molasses-like element.

Hop and roast bitterness lead, with some medium-to-dark roast coffee, and a hint of residual malt sweetness, and a cola note in the mid-palate.

Supple and soft, with the foamy carbonation adding to that with an off-dry finish.

I will almost always taste or buy a Black IPA, as they tend to bring a bit of the nostalgia play to my palate. This one is an excellent entry, and doesn’t finish bone dry like many of yesteryear. Pairing-wise, anything with meat or chicken would be great, with chicken mole hitting my mind first, though anything with fat or spice that the hop bitterness can cut through or that the malt could complement 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 # 441: Doug appeared first on Life On Tap.

The final bottle from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan toasts with a Pet Nat dry one, String Theory, from South Hill Cider.

STYLE: Cider – Dry (Pet Nat)
ABV: 7.1%
RS: 2.6%
AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited)

Stats above taken from the bottle/website.

Slightly hazy but translucent and orange/gold in color with tight, ascending bubbles.

Herbal note leads with an impression of tart fruit and a hint of honey.

Honey hits first, with peach following and finishes off-dry.

Fairly light on the palate, mouthcoating and with mild carbonation.

This was a fun one to close out the haul with for sure. I definitely would recommend to a natural cider or wine enthusiast. Pairing-wise, I would go with some lighter flatbread preparations, mild to medium-strength cheeses, and perhaps sabayon or other related desserts

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 # 440: String Theory appeared first on Life On Tap.

The eleventh of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan tastes Autumn’s Gold 2024 from Eve’s Cidery.

STYLE: Cider – Traditional / Apfelwein
ABV: 8.2%
AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle.

Beautiful medium to dark gold with a very effervescent, white head.

Earthy and herbal notes from the European varietals lead, with a pleasant acidity impression blended with floral and oaky notes.

Bright, with some acidity in the third quarter with fruit elements, a hint of skin contact and a granite/slate minerality.

Very effervescent, large bubble carbonation with a medium body/mouthfeel.

I think this is a great cider to introduce people who have had the major producers but want to start to dip their toes in craft cider. When cidermakers can grow their own, it really envelops the terroir of that orchard. Pairing-wise, this is great for an autumn or winter meal with poultry/fowl or lighter meats, cheese, or a berry-based dessert.

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 # 439: Autumn’s Gold 2024 appeared first on Life On Tap.

The tenth of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan resamples a single varietal from Asturias, Collaos, from Treasury Cider.

STYLE: Cider – Asturias Dry (single varietal)
INGREDIENTS: Collaos apples
ABV: 7.4%
AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle.

Medium yellow in hue and clear, with very small, tight-bubbled carbonation.

A distinct acid note that hits first, with some woody/oaky notes along with some earthy and fresh herb nuances.

Starts off with the tartness before transitioning to an oak tannin note, with the expressive fruit coming together with the earthy elements and hint of funk.

Fairly dry, with the a medium body and slight carbonation.

I love cider from Asturias, and would have loved to enjoy this from a porrón. Pairing-wise, I want rustic dishes or tapas, with fresh spices/herbs a plenty.

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 # 438: Treasury Cider Collaos appeared first on Life On Tap.