National Drink Beer Day 2015

Not to be confused with National Beer Day (apparently April 7th) to celebrate the Cullen-Harrison Act, this is an unofficial holiday with an origin I can't find. So I'll pour up something memorable and quaff down some Devil's Backbone Vienna Style Lager! It pours a head like a mane on a lion with about the same hue. Nose reminds me of sweet bread and the taste is unforgettable even though it was "boned" on 10/08/2014. Thank goodness it's been nice and cold. Made with Vienna, Pilsen, Dark Munich and Caramel malts balanced with Northern Brewer and Saaz this is a brew I would keep year round as my go to house beer. The smoothness is unlike any lager I've had. 4.9%abv plus silver and gold at GABF. When you look at the Aussie medals, it seems Foster's has a ways to go to catch up;)

Ten of Fitty Part Six, eh?

Continuing with Parallel 49, I'm trying The Toques of Hazzard. An IPA of course, in case you were wondering. Poured up a light clear straw with dissipating head. Not as heavy nosed as I would have thought for an Imperial "Pale Ale" or perhaps perfect considering it's wheat base. Nelson Sauvin and Citra hopped this one has a more red wine feel to the taste. There seems to be a burgundy/merlot wine must to the taste profile perhaps from the Nelson hops. Better than the triplets we just had in my opinion. 9.2%abv and a sweet Zamboni label for beer fridge magnet needs!

Ten of Fitty Part Cinq, eh?

Having an all day IPA taster looks to be where I'm headed, eh?. A product of Parallel 49 Brewing, Snap, Crackle, Hop is an Imperial Rice IPA. This is a first for me. Pouring a particulate, thick white headed marmalade, this brew whiffs of a heavy malt backbone and New Zealand Motueka hops. I've gotten into the Aussie/NZ line of hops of late and have already conjured a Koala bear IPA recipe that slowly creeps up on you and snuggles you into bed, but this is my first known swill of the Motueka. Wonder how they grow at 32.2697° N, 86.1402° W? The need for pseudophed has not gotten to me yet, but it's acoming. 9.3%abv and a wicked label for magnet making as a British Columbia head nod.

Ten of Fitty Part Fo'

Sliding into a A Little Sumpin' sumpin' ale by Lagunitas. 64.20 IBUs, 7.5%abv. Nose is an underlying citrus with bready backbone. I've had this one before but not blogged it so what better occasion. The 64 IBUs seem heavier than I would expect perhaps form the lighter malt backbone of this beer. After further research, the recipe on this one, the fact that it's a pale wheat malt bill explains alot. It's the smoothness of the wheat protein that lends to both the nose and taste. An absolute keeper that just seems to get better as it gets closer to room temp!

Brew Batch #68 Jake's Juice

Look, when 11 gallons just isn't enough and the last batch was so controversial among the panel, you brew it again going into hunting season. So the 2565 German yeast turned the heads of most, this batch just like the other half of the last one is 100% inoculated with 1010 American. The real fun for me behind this brew is that I feel like I have a great handle (or at least a better one) on kolsch styles, specifically honey kolsch. The only variant I would throw in if I could split a batch at this point would be a protein rest at about 120-122F and keep 2565, I think. Other than that I feel like I could put this beer up against any of the same and I rather like the idea of the honey not always being exactly the same. OG 1.050 +0.002@75F, spot on. See ya in 4 weeks!

Inaugural Beach Balls 10K

Late El Niño kept us from having a hot summer, (nothing like 2 years ago) so before we have an Indian summer we opted into Beach Balls this year as a transition from Hot Balls to Fall/Turkey Balls 10K beer worthy runs. Attendance this year was steady as we ran "the turn" for the Seaside Half Marathon from Rosemary Beach back to Seaside proper post office. Draper Lake was nice into Big Redfish, Alligator and finally the cooking started at Western Lake right in to the sun with no shade. At only 88F and 88% humidity, I thought this run would be "fun". But the last 2 under estimated miles of this mis-calculated 6.75mile "10k" began to steal the life out of me. Alas, our ever enduring sponsor BlackStone Brewer, Red, made sure there was some Session Player available. Now I've never had a session IPA and the thought has crossed my mind in the past that these beers were simply juked up pale ales, but no, there is a discernible difference, and that's not just the water weight loss talking! Somewhere above SN pale ale, level with SW 420 IPA but below Adam Bomb this citrus juicy full bodied low abv malted backbone IPA has won me. Much like I tell my wife she's my favorite (I've only had one;). The label is cool with the pick silhouette and I can only imagine the .73mm refers to it's thickness, crowns are about 4 times that?