Life On Tap

Dan pops open another Burnished from Return Brewing care of his brother-in-law while dissects it and is dreaming of food pairings.

STYLE: Red Ale – American Amber / Red
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Beautiful caramel/red in color with a nice fluffy, off-white head.

Caramel and fruit continue on the nose.

Nostalgic amber feel with caramel and a hint of cherry and some residual hop notes on the finish.

Light to medium body with soft/foamy carbonation.

This is a session ale, in my opinion, and I would have no issues throwing these back at a bar or wherever I am at. I was feeling lighter barbecued meats and pizza, but nothing too over the top so you can enjoy all the nuances of the brew in hand.

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 # 427: Burnished appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan enjoys his last Indian Ladder Farms Cidery and Brewery Cider Donut cider while recapping his experience at the NY Cider Festival.

STYLE: Cider – Herbed / Spiced / Hopped
INGREDIENTS: Cinnamon, vanilla
ABV: 6.1%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Straw yellow and a touch hazy with a small, white head and some lacing on the glass.

Fresh apples, cinnamon, and vanilla, with a hint at acidity behind it.

Liquid cider donut with a hint of tart on the finish, but not too cloyingly sweet.

Off dry with a lighter mouthfeel and gentle carbonation.

I know you all love cider donuts, so this is a hedonistic cider for sure. This is a great cider to have on its own, either as a snack or after a meal. I wonder if this could be gently warmed? Pairing-wise, I would go with apple-based desserts and/or some ice cream or custard equivalents.

I had such a blast at the festival…I HIGHLY recommend it. If you are just hearing about the NY Cider Festival care of the New York Cider Association from this, I hope to see you there next year!

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 # 426: ILFCB Cider Donut appeared first on Life On Tap.

On the eve of the NY Cider Festival in NYC, Dan cracks open his last Indian Ladder Farms Cidery and Brewery Northern Spy dry cider.

STYLE: Dry Cider (single varietal)
ABV: 7.7%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Limited)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Straw yellow in color with a bit of haze and a small, white head.

Apples all the way with a hint of earthiness.

Bright, fresh, and apple-forward, with a hint of tartness/acidity.

Super dry and crisp, with light carbonation and weight/mouthfeel.

I LOVE getting to try single varietal ciders…and Northern Spy is a New York state native one, so we do see them on offer from our cideries. While not an entry-level cider for someone coming from the macro/sweet ones, this can definitely showcase apple-based terroir when sampling. If you have not branched out to try single varietals or heirloom/wild blends, I highly recommend it as a palate exploration.

Pairing-wise, it’s easy to go the dessert route with various apple- or ice cream-based ones, but because it is so dry, I think some flatbreads or some chicken dishes would also go great. If you are just hearing about the NY Cider Festival care of the New York Cider Association from this, I hope to see you there next year!

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 # 425: ILFCB Northern Spy appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan checks out the latest addition to the Sierra Nevada portfolio, PILS, their take on Old World pilsner meeting brewing innovation.

STYLE: Pilsner – Other
ABV: 4.7%
IBU: 25
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Nationwide)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Super light/straw yellow and brilliantly clear with a white head.

Citrus hop forward, with a blend of juice and zest from orange and clementine.

Hops continue up front, with a nice hint of malt sweetness in the middle, finishing with more citrus and a hint of pine.

Light, dry, and crisp, with the carbonation gently rolling across the palate.

I think the cans are honestly adorable, and they are good for portion control, in case you are watching those calories or your intake. Pairing-wise, this is very versatile; bar fare is obvious, though it could handle pizza, Mexican, Thai, and other cuisines that are not too powerful in spice. This will not supplant my Pale Ale nor my Celebration intake for the winter months, but for sure a pleasant addition that I will pick up again.

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 # 424: Sierra Nevada Pils appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan resamples Burghers Brewing Company Gold Chains, a malt liquor done in collaboration with Barrel & Flow…releasing some flavor memory.

STYLE: Malt Liquor
ABV: 7.4%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Limited)
COLLABORATION: Barrel & Flow

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Super light/straw gold.

Corniness with a nostalgic but elevated nose memory.

Graininess and the corn continues, with a good level of balance.

Fairly soft carbonation with a bit of weight on the palate with some coating on the mouth.

I definitely did not notice the heat on this, so I am glad I took it slow. Pairing-wise I wanted a good, old stadium hot dog (or two) or grill glizzies to help soak it up.

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 # 423: Gold Chains appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan switches back into fall seasonal mode with Talea Beer Basically Pumpkin, a straight-forward (basic), pumpkin-spice autumn ale.

STYLE: Autumn Ale (Pumpkin/Yam Beer)
INGREDIENTS: Custom blend of “Pumpkin Pie” spices from Burlap and Barrel
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Seasonal)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Deep, dark amber with a pencil-width, red-hued/off-white head.

Spice hits straight away, with nutmeg leading with allspice, cinnamon, and clove following.

Pumpkin spice continues on the palate with an essence of pumpkin hinting in the malt bill.

Fairly light-bodied but with a smooth, coating mouthfeel.

This is super tasty and approachable…one you can definitely stock for your autumnal festivities. Pairing-wise, dessert with ice cream etc. would all work, while various spiced chicken or lighter meat dishes could 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 # 422: Basically Pumpkin appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan shares his final new beer from the Untappd Oktoberfest Box care of Half Time with Sapwood Cellars Sky Meadow – a wiesn/meadow festbier.

STYLE: Festbier
INGREDIENTS: German Pilsner, Vienna, Munich, and Chit malts; whirlpool addition of German Tettnang hops
ABV: 6.0%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Seasonal)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Beautiful light to medium gold with a white, frothy head.

Herbal and floral hop aroma leads, followed by bread flour and biscuits.

Herbal hop note continues on the palate mixing with a delicate and balanced malt profile.

Crisp, medium dryness, and light on the palate with mouth-coating carbonation.

This drinks way easier than 6%. German beer hall fare for sure…a lighter style of brat with a pretzel and spaetzle would totally hit the spot. PROST!

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 # 421: Sky Meadow appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan pops another on his way through the Untappd Oktoberfest Box care of Half Time with Pondaseta Brewing Company Volksbier.

STYLE: Festbier
INGREDIENTS: Medium Crystal, Munich, Pilsen, and Vienna malts; Hallertau Select hops; German Lager Yeast
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: 18
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Seasonal)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Light to medium orange/gold with fairly thick, off-white head.

Hints of caramel, toasted bread, and a noble, herbal hop aroma.

Biscuit and bread notes with a hint of caramel continuing from the nose.

Soft carbonation with a light-to-medium body and mouthfeel and fairly dry.

Always great to try a new brewery, and I loved how this refreshing festbier brought in some Märzen-like notes care of the darker-kilned malts in the grain bill. Yet again, I was craving pretzels and brats with this, though it could go with a lot of meat or cheese-based dish or even some ice cream to accentuate the caramel note. PROST!

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 # 420: Volksbier appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan continues his way through the Untappd Oktoberfest Box care of Half Time with Halfway Crooks Beer Fest Märzen.

STYLE: Märzen
ABV: 5.4%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Seasonal)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Medium gold/orange in color with an off-white, fluffy head.

Earthy/herbal notes from the hops lead for me with some bready elements coming after.

Crusty bread and malt take over the palate, with a gentle herbal hop note on the finish along with a pleasant minerality.

Soft and foamy carbonation accentuates the light-to-medium weight and silky mouthfeel.

Glad to taste a proper release from them, as I usually only get their collaborations with Threes. I wonder how their whole-cone version tastes in comparison. As with others of the same style, German Beerfest food to pair, specifically pretzels and anything bready as well as bratwurst. PROST!

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 # 419: Fest Märzen appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan starts his way through the Untappd Oktoberfest Box care of Half Time with Staten Island’s own Killsboro’s take on festbier.

STYLE: Festbier
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Seasonal)

Stats above taken from the brewery’s can and website.

Light gold in color, with a beautiful, white, fluffy head.

Breadsticks and more baked goods, with some earthy/herbal notes from the hops.

Fresh bread element leads with an earthy/herbal hop finish.

Light and dry, with a foamy carbonation and luscious mouthfeel.

Wish I had more of this to fill up my glassware properly! As expected, German Beerfest fare to pair, though anything with enough salt/fat would probably go great as well. PROST!

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 # 418: Killsboro Oktoberfest appeared first on Life On Tap.