Show-Me Beer

Who's the Boss: Boulevard Boss Tom's Golden Bock

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:39:00 PST

Boulevard's new spring seasonal, Boss Tom's Golden Bock, should be hitting shelves soon. Irish Ale needs to sell down some more before Boss Tom will get released. If you can't wait for the six packs, you can probably find some in Boulevard Sampler 12 packs.

Boss Tom is replacing last year's Maibock, which was only released on draft. Unfortunately I was unable to try the draft version. The recipe was changed up a little for Boss Tom. Slightly different grain bill, a little higher ABV. I would still call Boss Tom a Maibock though. Boulevard was kind enough to reserve a couple of 12 oz bottles for me, however that does not influence my reviews.

12 oz bottle poured into a Smokestack tulip. Mild off white head quickly recedes, though a solid ring maintains around the edge. Color is a clear golden yellow. Very straight forward, very traditional.

Smell has a mild spicy hop, but mostly has a fresh apple sweetness. Taste is not overwhelming, it is mild and relaxed. Apples play a big part of the taste too. It is a little more than apple juice, but not as heavy as a cider. Hops come in more grassy. There is a little peppery warmth in the finish.

Mouthfeel has a light/medium body. A little heavier than the Pilsener, but still crisp. Very smooth and refreshing, this would be great with a heavy meal. I am definitely grabbing a six pack when this hits the shelves.

Get in Mah Belly! O'Fallon Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:04:00 PST

O'Fallon is gearing up new limited releases, The Brewer's Stash Series. The first release is a Wee Heavy Scotch Ale (be sure to say this in your best Fat Bastard accent!). Scotch Ales are malty strong ales with a full body. The wort is caramelized in a long boil, which adds sweetness and alcohol content. O'Fallon's will clock in at 10.4% ABV. Four packs of 12 oz bottles should hit shelves this spring, though you might find a keg or two at some beer events.

Enter the Dragoons: Moylans Irish Dry Stout

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:28:00 PST

We are zeroing in on the first Amateur Drinking Day of the year, AKA St Patrick's Day. KC does a pretty good job St Patrick's parade, but you wouldn't catch me dead at the parade. Parades are like watching really slooooow traffic. Not my idea of a good time. We do usually go to the North Kansas City Snake Saturday carnival, once again bypassing the parade. The kids like the carnival rides, and I think it's an important cultural experience for them to meet real Carnies.

This is not to say we don't celebrate. Hell, my best friend is a green-blooded Mick from Éire. That said, it's a little hard to break him away from Guinness. Every year I try to find something to break him out of his 250 year rut. This year I'm trying Moylan's Dragoons Dry Irish Stout. Moylan's has been available in our market for a little while now. The Dragoons comes in 22 oz bottles and priced at $4.50.

Poured into a 20 oz mug. Creamy looking mocha colored head starts off at two fingers width and recedes to a tight foam cap on the surface. Color is dense black/brown, no light comes through.

Smell has a sweetened coffee aroma with hints of chocolate. Chocolate comes out more in the taste. Still mildly sweet with a roasted bitterness.

Mouthfeel has a slick creamy texture. Guinness is the standard for a Dry Irish Stout. This version has more body and flavor than Guinness. Solid stout and enjoyable.

Prayers for Spring: Cathedral Square White Ale

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:59:00 PST

Cathedral Square Brewery, Missouri's newest brewery, has just hit shelves in my area. They are so new, their website is still under some construction, but they do list a few St Louis location that have their beers on tap. They have two initial offering, Belgian-Style White Ale and an Abbey Ale. Both come in 22 oz bottles and are priced at $4. I decided to start with the White Ale. The weather was really nice today, and Spring Fever is starting to set in at work. I wanted something light, crisp and clean.

White Ales, or witbier, are unfiltered wheat ale and are usually spiced with coriander, orange peel, and other spices. Wheat ales are usually lighter and crisp, and the added spices increase the refreshing zing

22 oz bottle poured into a pilsener glass. Very tall initial head that dies down at a quick pace. It leaves a thing film on the surface and a few spidery thin rings of lace. Color is a hazy reddish gold.

Smell has a pleasant savory spice. A mild green grass hops mingles with the other spices. Not a lot of citrus, though I think I get a hint of lemon from the wheat. Taste has a pleasant peppery finish. An oaky vanilla comes in as it warms. Body has a clean finish.

Nice solid offering from a new brewery. Nothing mind blowing, but this beer could be a foundation for Cathedral Square.

History Lesson: Lemp Brewery

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:57:00 PST

I friend sent me a link to this. Pretty interesting bit of St Louis beer history

Stuff To Do: March Taste Beering at Grinders

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:17:00 PST

Next week Grinders is holding one of their beer dinners, or a Taste Beering as they like to call it. This month they are teaming with Schmaltz Brewing for a collection of He'Brew and Coney Island beers.

Here is the menu:
1.) Albino Python: paired with morning glory muffins with charoses.
2.) Coney Island Lager: paired with mini bagels with cream cheese, lox, capers, and red onion
3.) Messiah Bold: paired with reuben pizza
4.) Jewbilation 13: paired with smoked brisket with house made Jewbilation bbq sauce on challah bread
5.) Human Blockhead: paired with chocolate dipped coconut macaroons

Tickets are $30 so get your reservations in.

I Can Handle the Dark Truth

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:43:00 PST

Dark Truth is on the shelves now. Boulevard's new spring seasonal Smokestack, and number 14 in the Smokestack series, is upon us. This 9.7% American Imperial/Double Stout has a history with last year's Imperial Stout. The recipe was tweaked, so it's similar but
different.

750 ml corked and caged bottle, poured into a my Smokestack tulip glass, quite appropriate. Tall and chunky head, the color of cola foam. Dark tan with a hint of red. Color is a dense cola brown. Light just skirts around the outer edges of the glass, I cannot see into the center.

Smell is a little light at first. It needs to warm up a little to expand. When at the right temperature there is a mild spiciness from the hops that lingers with a dark fruit sweetness. There are some plums, dried dark berries and fig leaves. Espresso bitterness comes in strong with the taste and then shifts to a ghostly raspberry tartness.

Mouthfeel is a little light for an Imperial Stout, but the complexity of flavors makes it an after thought. Carbonation is strong and keeps the flavors agitated. There are tons of layers here. It's easy enough to drink through, but slow down and really explore. Eye popping.

This particular bottle was complementary of the brewery and came with a sample of Christopher Elbow Chocolates. Are you kidding me? Elbow Chocolates gives one of the most mind blowing, orgasmic taste experiences I've ever had. This sample had a Venezuelan Dark - Dark chocolate ganache of 70% cacao from Venezuela, and a Raspberry - A layer of fresh raspberry pate de fruit topped with a dark chocolate-raspberry infused ganache. OMFG! I still get shudders just thinking about it. I think my favorite was the Raspberry because it blended with the fruitiness of the beer. We also had some Elbow Chocolates left over from Valentines, so I shared a Caramel with Raspberry heart with my wife. Oooh yeah! Do yourself a favor, get a bottle of Dark Truth and some Elbow Chocolates, you will not be disappointed.

Best Batch Yet? Bell's Batch 9000

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:11:00 PST

I like a lot of things in this world. My family. Beer. A well prepared steak. The sunrise. The Beatles Abbey Road album. That 30 minutes of peace that I get when I drive to work in the morning. One of these things is Bell's Brewery. I still have yet to find a Bell's beer that I didn't like--and most of them I love. Though, like anything worth having or liking, Batch 9000 doesn't just hand itself over willingly to you. It makes you work for it.

Before I get into the review, let me say that if you have a chance to try this beer, do. If you love beer, you won't regret it.

Batch 9000 pours a dark brown root beer color. I had to keep telling myself that it was an American Strong Ale, not an Imperial Stout, as Bell's had previously brewed for one of their "Batch" releases. It had a thin light brown head that didn't last long (almost no lacing) and a heavy alcohol smell. Literally the first words out of my mouth after the first drink were "Holy shit." Now I know those are not technical beer review terms. But true ones nonetheless. Let me try to elaborate on that first reaction. The taste is heavy...complex....challenging. This is a serious beer. A lot of alcohol. A lot of molasses. And a deep, dark, rich soy sauce character. The description says that it is brewed with Brewer's licorice, but I didn't get a whole lot of that. The molasses contributes to a mouthfeel similar to some Ports I have had. Like a cough syrup (consistency--not tastewise) it coats your mouth and has a slow burn all the way down.

Now, those are my tasting notes. They are easy because they're quantifiable--it either tastes like soy sauce to me or it doesn't. Ask me if I LIKED the beer or not and well...that's not as easy to answer. Batch 9000 is a serious beer and difficult to pin down because of the drinkability factor. I think that I could literally drink a case of Two Hearted with no problem (aside from the obvious resulting drunkenness). However, I could not fathom polishing off a six pack of Batch 9000 (nor do I think that is Bell's intention). So does that mean I like it or dislike it? I'm not calling the store to see if they have any left. Nor am I driving to the 2 or 3 bars I know who have it on draught (for all the hype, I certainly thought I would be). But that doesn't mean I dislike it, right? There are plenty of beers I like that I wouldn't do that for. So I don't know. Batch 9000 has it's place as a serious beer. A beer that you don't casually drink. A beer that you discuss and ponder and consider. A beer that just might challenge the way you think of the world around you. Maybe. Just don't ask me whether or not I like it.

-The Hopostle
"True friends stab you in the front."
--Oscar Wilde

Plowed

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:56:00 PST

The flu knocked the crap out of me, quite literally. I have been pretty much out of commission since my last beer review. At first I had thought I had just over-did it with a big beer, but when I came home with a 102 temp I knew something wasn't right.

Now after nursing my system for a few days I finally feel good enough to have a beer. I wanted to try something a little on the tame side so as to not to completely shock my system. Luckily I still had some beers from my Red X beer run, including some Crown Valley Brewing Plowboy Porter. I really enjoyed the Antique Amber Lager I had reviewed earlier, plus Crown Valley has just announced a new beer to their line up. So I thought this would be a good way to start.

12 oz bottle poured into a standard shaker pint. Tall two and a half finger width of light tan head. The head has a chunky and sticky texture and leaves moderate lacing. Color at first seems a solid dark brown, yet when held to the light it reveals a dense clarity and a reddish brown color.

Smell has an earthy herbal aroma. I get sarsaparilla and licorice with a chocolate malt background. Taste is not as sweet as the smell. It is more bitter and herbal. It could be that the herbal quality is just more intense. Still very earthy with a little hint of mint. Chocolate malt still keeps balance.

Mouthfeel is on the light creamy side. Not overly filling, actually pretty satisfying texture. The herbal quality is an interesting take on the porter. This is a good one to give a try.

Something I had done when I first started Show-Me Beer was match a song to a beer. I was using Blip.fm, but it has been awfully glitchy lately. Some friends have started using lala, so I thought I would give it a shot. So, for Plowboy Porter, I give you Plowed by Sponge.

Plowed - Sponge

Schlafly Announces Beer Production Expansion

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:25:00 PST

STL Today just posted an article about Schlafly's beer production expansion that includes contract brewing with out-of-state breweries. I had heard a little bit about this during the Schlafly Bottleworks tour I went on.

St. Louis Brewery Inc. has tentative agreements with brewing sites in Stevens Point, Wis., and Latrobe, Pa., company co-founder Dan Kopman told the Post-Dispatch. The brewer will begin making some lager-style beers in Wisconsin as early as this summer in an effort to keep up with booming craft-beer sales.

The arrangement allows Schlafly to act as a tenant, renting brewery equipment and space from the out-of-state beermakers. The move is more cost- and time-efficient than building a third local brewing site, Kopman said.

Since there is a canning line at the Latrobe facility, there may be an option to can some Schlafly beers. This would be a great addition to the canned craft beer trend.

From The Hopostle - Stout Spending

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:18:00 PST

Out of the blue I get an email from a guy in St. Louis asking to write for Show-Me Beer. How humbling is that? Not only is someone reading this thing, they want to play in my sandbox too. So here's The Hopostle, Show-Me Beer's new contributor. The Hopostle says "I am a converted Bud Acolyte from St. Louis, spreading the good word about good beer." I can tell you right now there's more to this guy than that, but I'll let his posts speak for him.

I am always on the lookout for good beer that is not going to make my wallet sigh with buyer's remorse when I come home from the beer store. Blame it on the economy. Blame it on the fact that my mother bought generic brand groceries when I was a kid. Whatever. I'm kinda cheap. Which really sucks when you are a beer geek. It is a good thing that my wife supports my habit. So, perhaps the geekiest thing that I could do is take really a good (meaning expensive, of course) beer and find a cheaper alternative to it. And so I give you the "Special Release" Schlafly Extra Stout.

Schlafly released this beer in St. Louis a couple weeks ago. I first had it at the St. Louis Centennial Beer Fest at the end of January, which must have been an early release because the Schlafly website said it wasn't released at their tap room until mid February. Whatever the case is, it's here now. And I've got to say, I like it. I waited until I could get my hands on a full bottle before doing any serious tasting.

The beer pours a nice deep, almost black color. The head is a light, fluffy tan with decent retention and slight lacing. I've found that (as with most stouts) the key to this beer is the temperature. When first poured--straight from the fridge--it felt a little thin and lacked the taste I remembered from the festival. However, when given just a moment to collect it's thoughts, this beer turns loose. The flavor is intensified, bringing out the dark roasted chocolate, bittering hops (45 IBU) and slight alcohol tinge from it's substantial 8%.

I tasted this beer parallel to a Founder's Imperial Stout (one of my all time favorites). For those who are unaware, Founder's is about 9 bucks a four pack and the Schlafly is around 8 bucks a six pack. Now, I will not attempt to make the case that the Schalfly was better than the Founder's. It wasn't. There is no denying it. Founder's make incredible beer. But just HOW much better is the Imperial Stout than the Extra Stout? Literally 2% ABV and 4 bucks a sixer better. For my money, not enough to just write the Schlafly beer off. Plus they're local to me. And local is always better, right? Now if I could only convince Founder's to move it's operations to Missouri, we wouldn't have this problem.

"True friends stab you in the front."
--Oscar Wilde

So what do you think? I am looking forward to more reports from the east side of the state. I had always wanted Show-Me Beer to cover the entire Show-Me State, but since I'm in KC it's a little hard to be everywhere.

Cheers and Beers!

Rye-On-Rye on Me

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:49:00 PST

I got the call at work, "Hey baby, I just called Bubbles and they are getting a shipment of Rye-On-Rye today, so I asked them to save a couple of bottles for you." My wife rocks! And sure enough, as I walk into Bubbles and turn the corner around the counter, Vi gives me a warm greeting and pulls out two bottles of one of the most anticipated local releases this year. Boulevard's Rye-On-Rye has been on the beer geek radar for months. And it is finally here.

750 ml corked and caged bottle, number 1229 of 12148. Poured into a Smokestack tulip. Huge three fingers width of head jumps to the rim. Even from a pretty soft pour, I had to go down on that head like a cheerleader on prom night to keep it from spilling. The foam has an egg cream tint, and is very slow to recede. Garlands of lace circle the glass. The body color is a dark burnt orange, which has a surprising clarity revealed only when held to the light.

Smell is very pronounced from the pop of the cork. Very tart, with an orange zest and a dark toasted rye. Taste is never overly "whiskey". I get more of the barrel. It is a spicy raw oak wood blended with the sharp bite of the rye. There is a mild vanilla finish with burnt orange bitterness.

Mouthfeel is a little lighter than I expected, plus the carbonation is very aggressive. It smooths itself out in the end. Not a flaw but more of a surprise. This is a great sipper and demands some summer sausage.

Momo Loves Bigfoot

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:05:00 PST

Did you know that Missouri has it's own Bigfoot-like monster? It's true! Sightings of the Missouri Monster, or Momo, has been reported throughout Missouri, even in St. Charles County. But the most famous sightings occurred in Louisiana, Mo., a town of fewer than 4,000 people. Located in Pike County, Louisiana lies 75 miles northwest of St. Charles County.

Witnesses claim to have seen a huge, hairy, hulking creature stalking the woods and lonely country roads. The creature is similar to the well-known Bigfoot of the Pacific Northwest, only more otherworldly. It has glowing orange eyes, a pumpkin-shaped head, three-fingered hands and leaves three-toed footprints. Unlike the shy Bigfoot, this aggressive creature is known to kill animals and antagonize humans

Over the past few years it seems that Momo has attempted to adapt to the modern world. There are many official websites dedicated to the monster. He even has his own Myspace page. I said he was attempting to adapt to the modern world, I didn't say he was successful.

Throughout most of the year Momo prefers the anonymity of the internet. However, Momo will venture out of his wooded lair this time of year in pursuit of the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot. Momo loves Bigfoot. Nobody knows what causes this attraction. It could be the aroma of the hops match the musk of the female version. If it does have something to do with a mating ritual, it's an odd ritual. Momo is known to hoard bottles of the barleywine for years.

If you do spot Momo, please do not approach. He is notoriously aggressive, and will probably be drunk.

Weston's New Lab Partner - Brew Labs #1 India Pale Ale

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:37:00 PST

Weston Brewing has released a new limited edition series called Brew Labs. The first offering is an India Pale Ale and come in 22 oz bottles, priced at around $4.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. Nice two fingers width of dirty white head. Good retention on the head, though lacing is mostly spotty. Color is a dark copper red with a dense center. Solid streamers of carbonation swirl up from the nucleation spot.

Smell has a pronounced graininess from the crack of the crown. Very unusual for an IPA. There is a dry roasted bitterness in the malt, but I'm not getting much in the way of a hops bitterness. Taste has some lemongrass sweetness, but it is still dominated by a toasty malt character.

Mouthfeel has a light body with a biting carbonation. It still drinks pretty well. This is probably best offering to date from Weston, and I'm glad to see improvements from them. Even still, for me this is not very successful as an American Double/Imperial IPA. The label says it has IBU's at 89, but I don't see it. Hops seems secondary. I think it would greatly improve with some additional dry hopping.

Border Skirmish - Free State is Coming to Missouri

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:38:00 PST

Exciting news coming out of our neighbors to the west. Free State Brewing out of Lawrence, KS will start distributing in Missouri this year. Free State opened in 1989, and was Kansas' first brewery in 100 years. In 2008 they suffered through a fire that destroyed their bottling facility. That fire caused $1 million in damages and delayed the bottling production until this year.

I spoke with Dave, one of the Beer Guys, and he gave me some general information. They have signed a contract with Major Brands Distributors, and should have kegged beer in Missouri shortly. Bottled beer should be on the shelves by April. The initial release will be year round offerings of Ad Astra Ale, Copperhead Pale Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Wheat State Golden Beer, and seasonal Stormwatch Ale. Future seasonals will include Maibock and Papermoon Pils. If everything goes to plan they are hoping to bottle some of their bigger beers, like Old Backus Barleywine, in 750s or 22 oz bombers.

Boulevard Rye-on-Rye Out Next Week

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:45:00 PST

Rye-on-Rye, the new Boulevard Smokestack release, should be on shelves next week. This will be a very limited release, so get them while you can.

From the press release:

KANSAS CITY, Mo., February 15, 2010 – Boulevard Brewing Company, the Midwest’s largest craft brewer, today announced the release of Rye-on-Rye, a new entry in its growing portfolio of barrel-aged beers. The fourth in a series of limited release offerings in the acclaimed Smokestack Series, Boulevard’s line of award-winning artisanal beers, only 10,000 750ml bottles of Rye-on-Rye are being produced. The beer is expected to arrive on store shelves later this month.

While rye is more often associated with whiskey than with beer, in early 2009 Boulevard acquired a number of seasoned rye whiskey barrels from the famous Templeton Rye micro-distillery. “We were excited to get these casks, though initially we weren’t quite sure what to do with them,” said Steven Pauwels, Boulevard brewmaster. “Our brewers decided that a rich, tawny beer brewed with a significant portion of rye would best complement the characteristics of the charred oak whiskey barrels. We’re very pleased with the results.”

Two kinds of malted rye provide a spicy sweetness, giving way to notes of caramelized wood and the citrusy tang of Perle, Magnum, and Saphir hops. Rye-on-Rye was aged in the wood barrels for 11 months, and contains 11% alcohol by volume and 40 IBUs.

Templeton Rye was created after Prohibition banned the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in 1920. Certain enterprising residents of the small town of Templeton, Iowa chose to become outlaws, and began production of this high caliber and much sought-after whiskey. The brand was resurrected in 2001 by current generations of some of the original founding families.

Like other Boulevard Smokestack Series offerings, Rye-on-Rye is best enjoyed as a sipping beer. It pairs well with braised short-ribs, a hearty lamb stew, or a classic pastrami-on-rye sandwich.

Women are from Venus, Biere De Mars

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:13:00 PST

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope everyone got to spend time with your special loved one. My special loved one knows the way to my heart is through a beer glass and got me a fine selection of beers to go into that beer glass. This year the bouquet of beers included a New Belgium Biere De Mars from the Lips of Faith series. The Lips of Faith series have a distinct screen printed bottle, and I'm starting to see these in more places, like my local Hy-Vee.

22 oz bottle poured into a Boulevard Smokestack fluted tulip. Mild white head that leaves trace lacing on the glass. Color is a hazy orange. Smell is a mixture of orange peel and spices. Ginger and with dusting of cinnamon. Taste has a burnt orange reduction. The finish has an oaky vanilla. The bottle says there is an "unidentified flying Brettanomyces" in it, but I don't detect any funk. That may come out with some aging, but this is good enough fresh. Mouthfeel is a little thin compared to the taste. That's a little contradicting but that's OK. Sometimes a little contradiction is good to spice up your life.

Antique Computers and Beer

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:38:00 PST

This week I did my beer run at Red X, and I happened to walk into the middle of one of their wine tasting nights. I should have known something sinister was up when I had to circle the parking lot to find a space. Inside was a mad house. Red X is a huge store, but it was packed with hundreds people from all parts of town getting lit on free wine samples. I just wanted some beer. The guys from Weston Brewery did have one table where they were sampling their new IPA. Priced right at $4 for a 22 oz bomber, I thought I would give it a shot. Also in the Missouri beer aisle were beers from Crown Valley Brewing out of Sainte Genevieve, MO. This is the first time I have seen Crown Valley on our shelves, so I was very interested. They had five styles of beer plus a seasonal Strawberry Cider. That's a pretty strong showing for a new market. I went with the Antique Amber Lager and the Plowboy Porter.

When I got home I went to their website to find out more about them. On the page about their beers it was telling me to down load Silverlight to view the details. What the hell is Silverlight? I'm not the most techiest of guys, but I like to think I know what's going on. It turns out it does pretty much the same thing that Adobe Flash does. And it turns out I don't have a clue as to what's going on in the tech world. So I download it, install it, restart the computer, get pissed off at error messages, try it again, just to look at some beer labels online. Screw it, I need a beer.

I started with the Antique Amber Lager. I wanted something a little lighter to clear the head. 12 oz bottle poured into a large hefe glass. Tall white head, surpassing the two inch mark. The head has some pretty good legs, but when it did recede it did not leave much lacing. Even still, the lacing left trailing spider webs around the glass. Color is a clear, newly minted penny, copper. Medium amounts of carbonation activity rises to the surface.

Smell was very pronounced as soon as the crown was popped. Clean, husky barley aroma with just a hint of spicy hops. Noble hops give the flavor a little spicy tickle. The malt has a slight caramel sweetness, but over all the grain flavor shines through.

Mouthfeel is very clean even though the body has a noticeable density. I had two of these tonight and was quite pleased. Solid crafting here.

Boss Tom is Bock

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:48:00 PST

Label art for Boulevard's new offering was just posted on the Wine & Cheese Place blog. Boss Tom's Golden Bock is the bottle version of the Maibock that has previously only been available on draft. Maibocks are a traditional spring lager, Mai being German or May. They tend to be lighter in color than other bocks with more of a hops presence. I missed out on the draft version, so I am interested in trying this bottled.

From the neck label:

From 1925 until 1939 Kansas city was controlled by the powerful political boss Thomas J. Pendergast, whose "Goat" faction feuded with rival "Rabbits" for partisan dominance. The atmosphere of graft and lawlessness fostered a boom in jazz clubs and speakeasies, earning our town the title "Paris of the Plains"

Once again Boulevard is showing some subtle humor with the label. Bock beers are traditionally associated with goats, which then ties in with the little history lesson on the label.

Stuff To Do: 75th St Mardi Gras Brewmaster Dinner

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:24:00 PST

Continue the New Orleans celebration next Tuesday, Feb 16th, at the 75th St Brewery.

In the News - Beer is Good for You

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:59:00 PST

Beer is good for you

Well duh!

that is all

Show-Me More MO Brewers

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:43:00 PST

One of my readers serving our country in Afghanistan has just informed my that the list of Show-Me MO Brewers is incomplete. First of all, thank you Kyle for serving our country. I wish you a safe journey and when you make it to KC I would be honored to buy you a beer. Secondly, thank you Kyle for reading my dopey blog. Thirdly, lets take a look at some more MO brewers.

Saint Louis area
Morgan Street Brewery
Bottoms Up Brewery *It appears that they might only have one original beer?
Highlands Brewing Co.
Mattingly Brewing Co.
Buffalo Brewing Co.

Sainte Genevieve
Crown Valley Brewing and Distilling Co.
Charleville Vineyard & Microbrewery

Cape Girardeau
Buckner Brewing Co

Aurora
Bootleggers Restaurant and Brewery

Columbia
Flat Branch Pub and Brewing
Broadway Brewery

Jefferson City, MO
Prison Brews

Please let me know if there are any other breweries out there that I don't have listed.

Saint Lou Brew: Schlafly Bottleworks Tour

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:51:00 PST

Last day in Saint Louis I had to go to the Schlafly Bottleworks tour. I have gone to Schlafly's Taproom a number of times and always had a great time. Bottleworks sounded like a lot of fun, so me and my buddy Kopper headed down to the brewery.

Our tour guide was Alex. He was a cool guy. Since it was just the two of us he gave us more of a personal, inside look at the brewery. He explained the Bottleworks was built in an old grocery store. There are still some grocery carts around that the brewers use to haul ingredients and supplies around. Right now Schlafly is experiencing so much growth that the bottling line is working at full capacity. One thing Schlafly is looking at to meet demand is to contract some of their beers to be canned at the brewing facilities in Latrobe, PA.

After the tour we got our samples. I went with a Blackberry Cider, Saison, and the Pale Ale. All was very good, but I was especially blown away by the super fresh Pale Ale.

C1 - Threeway Collaboration Tapped

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:27:00 PST

Last December I told you about a new collaboration brew coming from Schlafly, O'Fallon, and New Albanian, and how I thought it would never make it to KC. I was wrong. Last night a keg of C1 was tapped for Flying Saucer's Rare Beer Night. KC Wort Hog and Chimpotle were also there to check out the beer.

C1 is a Oak-Aged-Dry-Hopped-Smoked-Rye Pale Ale, an everything includig the kitchen sink conconction. At seven sharp the tap was opened up for ordering. It didn't seem like a mad rush, but it was pouring pretty steady for the first 10-20 minutes. Served in a standard pint glass. The head is white and sticky. Lacing stuck to the glass all the way down to the last sip. Color is a dense and hazy amber.

The smoked malt comes in first in the nose, then shifts to a fruity and floral hops. Taste is a lot more fruity than what I expected. It come through as pinapple. That would be from the dry hopping with aromatic hops like Simcoe. I don't get much rye flavoring, but it does have an impact on the texture. Very full and smooth body. It was a little too sweet for me, and that could be because so much stuff is going on. It's a bit of a mess.

Schlafly's local sales rep Gary Briggs was there, and he said the whole collaboration was kind of a joke. He said the brewers wanted to be "obnoxious" with how much stuff they threw at the beer. The guys just wanted to get together and see what happened. The end result is interesting to say the least. It's not a horrible beer, but one best left as a one shot. I would say go for it if you get a chance to try it, but one pint should be enough.

Beer Rangers Lead the Way...To More Beer

bort11@gmail.com (Drunk-Monkey) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:09:00 PST

New Belgium just launched their new year round beer, Ranger IPA. I dropped into my local Hy-Vee and saw no less than three end-of-aisle six pack displays, as well as sixers and 22 oz bombers in the cooler. The six packs are priced at the standard New Belgium $8, and the bombers were $2.50.

22 oz bottle poured into a Dogfish Head tulip. Tall and chunky white head, well over an inch. Great legs on that head too. Slow to recede and keeps clinging to the glass. Nice lacing all around. Color is a clear copper. Clean bright coloring.

Smell has a mild pine hoppiness. It is clean smelling with a hint of honey sweetness. Taste is equally mild. That is not to say it is weak or bad. Far from that. It seems more relaxed and less intense than may other American IPAs and APAs.

Mouthfeel is very soft and smooth. That greatly increases the drinkability. This is not a challenging beer. If you want a challenging beer, get something from the Lips of Faith series. I like this a lot better than Fat Tire. This may be my new favorite everyday New Belgium.