Life On Tap

Following a gathering in Montclair, Dan picked up a mixed case from Montclair Brewery. Leading off? Baobiere, a golden ale with baobab fruit.

STYLE: Golden Ale
INGREDIENTS: Baobab Fruit
ABV: 7.8%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 12 oz. cans/Draft (Year-Round)

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

Beautiful gold in color with a half-inch, white, foamy head.

Grainy malt immediately followed by elements of muddled nectarine, plum, and sweet lychee.

Fruit character continues on the palate with a moderate sweetness, with the baobab fruit providing a depth and complexity.

This has the weight/body/mouthfeel of 7.8% beer, but it drinks way easier.

I am glad this comes in 12-ounce cans, because its alcohol is super well-hidden. Pairing-wise, so many different ways to go, but marinated or spiced meat/poultry dishes or jack fruit would be mad tasty. Don’t stop there, and go for carnitas, pad thai, or beyond.

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 # 387: Baobiere appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan revisits Wayward Lane Brewing Earthrise On The Moon, a session stout he first had on the 2023 BiB Stout Show.

STYLE: Session Stout
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Limited)

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

Deep, dark brown in color with a good-sized, tan head.

Roast with a hint of toast, with a bit character of wet grain and pumpernickel.

I get similar notes to other dry stouts, with a roasted barley-like element leading off leading into a hint of toasted cacao nibs.

Great body and mouthfeel for a lighter ABV brew, with the carbonation accentuating the palate.

I lead off with this at last year’s Brothers In Booze Stout Show, and it still holds up. Pairing-wise, you could go dessert, but I was feeling more savory, with chicken mole on the brain.

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 # 386: Earthrise On The Moon appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan picked up and sampled the single hop Hazy IPA, Liquid Nectaron Crystals from Modist Brewing, from a recent bottle shop trip.

STYLE: Hazy IPA
INGREDIENTS: Oat malt, double dry hopped with hand-selected Nectaron
ABV: 6.4%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Limited)

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

Nectarine-flesh in color, with a fluffy white head and some lacing on the glass.

Nectarine and candied nectarine firmly hits your nasal receptors followed by a delicate impression of sweetness.

Muddled nectarine juice and fruit all the way with a marmalade-like finish.

Oat malt definitely accentuated the pillowy mouthfeel, leaving a pretty smooth texture with a good body and is moderately dry.

This brew makes Nectaron the star, no doubt, and gives the taster an idea of how hand selection coupled with recipe formulation can really accentuate the hop profile. Pairing-wise, I was thinking brunch…even thinking of the scone/marmalade combination, but also a spicy ceviche or fish/chicken dish with bright flavors.

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 # 385: Liquid Nectaron Crystals appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan enjoys Imagined Futures, a saison collaboration by Wild East Brewing Company with Holes in the Wall Collective.

STYLE: Saison
INGREDIENTS: Locally-foraged linden and lemon balm
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/Draft (Limited)
COLLABORATION: Holes in the Wall Collective


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

Medium yellow/gold in color with a small, white head.

A super-complex and estery aroma, featuring a mix of mushy grain and tree fruit.

Lemon zest with a hint of pith with some floral/herbal notes as well as sage-like/spices before a “hop kiss” at the end. A pleasant minerality persists on the palate from beginning through the finish.

Lighter to medium in body, with a gentle carbonation.

This one is super complex for such a small beer, as every taste highlights a different note. Pairing-wise, I was thinking about a Thai-inspired coconut-based dish or tamales, but saisons are generally amazing with food, so try something 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 # 384: Imagined Futures appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan opens (another) Persian Lager from Back Home Beer to enjoy some smooth, tasty refreshment during the weekend.

STYLE: Persian Lager
INGREDIENTS: Saaz Hops, Persian Blue Salt
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 12 oz. cans/Draft


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

Light straw yellow in color with a generous, fluffy white head.

A beautiful minerality leads into the grain notes and a hint of hay.

The salt addition really enhances the malt flavor and matches the herbal/spice notes of the Saaz hops.

Super smooth mouthfeel, effortlessly floating across the palate. It is just dry enough to keep you coming back for another sip.

Pairing-wise, I was craving oysters at the time, but I would honestly not mind having a constant stock in the fridge as refreshment after work or with whatever I might be snacking on.

If you have not yet tried any beers from Back Home, I urge you to do so. The stories behind the company and recipes are also a great experience. If you do not have access, please feel free to hit me up. Full disclosure: I did support their Kickstarter and am thoroughly looking forward to enjoying more beer.

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 # 383: Persian Lager appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan pops open the third of some offerings from Awestruck purchased on vacation, their flagship Hibiscus Ginger…another great entry.

STYLE: Herbed/Spiced Apple Cider
INGREDIENTS: 100% fresh-pressed NY apples, hibiscus flowers, and ginger
ABV: 6.8%
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz. cans/750ml bottles/Draft (Year-Round)


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

Beautiful, deeper pink in color with small-bubble carbonation.

Floral element from the hibiscus is backed up by candied ginger.

A little more on the sweeter side, with ginger zing and a hint of acidity leading, followed by the fruity and floral elements.

Fairly light in mouthfeel, with a mouth-coating element coupled with a hint of carbonation, making it an approachable sipper even with the higher sweetness factor.

I normally trend drier for most beverages, but I have come to appreciate many sweeter elements in a number of them, including cider. That being said, I think this is a great entry into some of the creative elements that can be brought into the cider category. Pairing-wise, I was leaning more into softer cheeses with toasted bread and some other lighter 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 Fools
Outtro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers

The post Episode # 382: Awestruck Hibiscus Ginger appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan drinks his final brew for his Oktoberfest celebrations, Lawson’s Fest Bier, while simultaneously dreaming about many, many pretzels.

STYLE: German-style Festbier
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: 20
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz Cans/Draft (Seasonal)


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

Medium yellow/gold in hue with a white, fluffy head.

Grain meets uncooked bread dough with a floral/spicy hop note.

Aroma notes continue into a delicious bready element with an interesting minerality coming in on the mid-palate.

Soft carbonation and light in mouthfeel. Dry and crisp enough to keep you coming back for more.

A great, sessionable foray into the style for sure. Food-wise, I would be downing mad amounts of pretzels. 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 # 381: Lawson’s Fest Bier appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan enjoys on another for his Oktoberfest celebrations with Queens-brewed Evil Twin TGI Oktober ’24, a German-style Märzen.

STYLE: German-style Märzen
ABV: 6.0%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz Cans/Draft (Seasonal)


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

Gold in color and a huge, fluffy, white head.

Graininess, breadiness, and slightly underdone biscuit on the nose.

Non-toasted bread continues on the palate.

Lighter in mouthfeel, but super crisp, clean, and easy-drinking.

This beer is deceptive…it drinks way easier than 6%, in my opinion. I was thinking wings would kill with this one, though other traditional German beer hall fare is fair (ha ha). 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 # 380: TGI OKTOBER ’24 appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan tacks on another to his Oktoberfest celebrations with Equilibrium Brewery Ein-Stein, a German-style Märzen.

STYLE: German-style Märzen
INGREDIENTS: German Pilsner, Munich, Vienna, and a touch of Dark Munich malts; Hallertau Tradition hops
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz Cans/Draft (Seasonal)


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

Burnt gold in color with a white, fluffy head.

Buttered pretzel, bread, and hint of honey.

Bread continues on the palate with hint of the noble hop presence.

Dry, clean, and a pretty full mouthfeel with soft carbonation.

Pretty true to style, and also super drinkable. Many could be had in a session. Once again, I was craving brats with this one. 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 # 379: Ein-Stein appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan continues his Oktoberfest celebrations with The Drowned Lands Brewery Winnow, a German-style Festbier with a unique malt and hop bill.

STYLE: German-style Festbier
INGREDIENTS: Munich, Maris Otter, Victory, and light crystal malts; German Hallertau Mittelfrüh, NY-grown Mount Hood, and NY-grown Crystal
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: N/A
AVAILABILITY: 16 oz Cans/Draft (Seasonal)


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

Light gold with a splash of darker color from the malt bill.

Earthy and spice from the hops meet the biscuity and bready elements from the malt with a hint of honey in the background.

Delicate balance between the malt and hops continues with similar notes from the aroma, with the specialty malts really pulling their weight by bringing complexity to the flavors.

Light and dry with a lovely mouthfeel and effortless to drink.

This is a really fascinating interpretation of the style. I could definitely see myself polishing up some liters of this in a tent for sure. Food-wise, I was craving brats all the way. 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 # 378: Winnow appeared first on Life On Tap.