Beer Bums Meeting – June 2017

It’s Beach time in Texas so time for Beach Beers! Light, refreshing and goes down smooth while baking in the heat of the beach.  Some great beers in the group as usual with the Austin Beerworks ACTION a particular stand out for me.

Kona Brewing Big Wave Golden Ale

Harpoon Camp Wannamango

Austin Beerworks Action Pale Ale

Hops & Grain River Beer

Austin Eastciders Blood Orange Cider

Last Stand SMaSH IPA

Next Month, July - Axis of Evil Beers

The Brü Revü – Hops and Grain Porter Culture

First off, this can is sexy.  It took me a while to get this ravishing can in my beer fridge, but now my fridge is totally hip. A Baltic Porter from the great Hops and Grain brewery in Austin and once again they hit it out of the park.  The beer poured a pitch black with a decent tan head that left generous lacing.  The aroma was full on sweet malt with a slight roast and little to no hop presence.  Sweet chocolate and coffee hits you right out of the gate that transitions into a roasted malt that leaves a lingering malty bitterness on your palate.  I got hints of smoke deep in the roast, but this brew truly highlights the malts.  The Porter Culture was another highly drinkable brew and a full flavored and deep bodied Baltic porter.  Very clean and refined and everything you want out of a Texas porter.  I will be keeping a few of these in my fridge from now on, even if its just to raise the level of sexy.  With Zoe, the Greenhouse IPA series and now Porter Culture, Hops and Grain are on a roll.

Hops and Grain Porter Culture

The Brü Revü – Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA, December

This will be the last of my many Greenhouse IPA reviews as Hops & Grain has announced that they will begin to release the Greenhouse IPA on a regular basis rather than the monthly release.  They will continue to experiment with the dry hop dosage each time which will keep all us hop heads satiated.  This is great news in my mind as it can be a long dry few weeks between releases, and the continued experimentation will allow each batch to remain unique.  On to #12 (December) Greenhouse IPA which is a celebration of the past year of hop overload and experimentation. Twelve different dynamic hops went into the hop bill with Cascade, Centennial, NZ Wakatu, Chinook, Meridian, Mosaic, Nugget, Amarillo and Hersbrucker.  As you can imagine the hop profile is all over the place but in a good way. As typical the beer pours and looks identical every month with a deep golden amber and fluffy white head. The aroma was juicy with load of citrus and tropical fruits and a bit of oily dankness to boot.  The taste has it all.  It starts big with loads of juicy citrus and tropical fruits that ends with a piney earthy bitterness.  The whole rides an oily, dank hop profile that made my hop tastebuds tingle with delight.  This celebration to a year of hoppy love was a big, bold and bright IPA that was a pleasure to consume.  The past twelve months has been a fun ride and I look forward to the future of more regular releases and experimentation.  Great work H&G!

Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA

Top 10 Albums and Beers of 2014, Part 3

The return of my top beers and albums of the year.  A marriage of two of my passions: Beer and music.  The list comprises beers that were new in bottle or cans this year with a few minor exceptions. While I did try a lot of beer that was new to me this year, I didn’t try a lot of beers that were new in general. I know there were a lot of great beers debuting this year and this list is my tops of the few I tried. Same goes with the albums: I listened to a lot of new music this year so there are several really good albums that didn't make the list. As usual, these are all beers available in Texas at some time in the year, and in no particular order.

Part 1
Part 2

Infamous IPA

Pup - Pup

Pup and Infamous are both fairly new to the scene. While Infamous has been around Austin for a little over a year, this was the first year cans of the Infamous IPA were available in stores.  I had this several times on draft and the cans held that same hop punch in the face that I had come to expect.  Pup give you a similar punch in the face with the “Guilt Trip” opening to their self titled album.  The entire album is chock full of rockers and its the lead singer that gives it his all on every song that really carries this one.  Both great starts by new faces on the scene and I can’t wait to see them both grow.

Hops and Grain Porter Culture

Spoon - They Want My Soul

They Want My Soul and Porter Culture are both very sexy beasts. Spoon came out with another great album with that stark Spoon sound.  It didn’t take long for They Want My Soul to fit right into the Spoon lexicon and while it’s nothing ground breaking, it’s simply Spoon doing what it does best.  The Porter Culture was a deep dark Baltic Porter that continued Hops & Grains roll of canned releases. A malt forward offering that is everything you want and expect from a porter and Hops & Grain in general.

Armadillo Ale Works Brunch Money

Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal

Brunch Money and Sunbathing Animal are both a lot of fun.  Sunbathing Animal continues where Light Up Gold left off with all the off-beat and quirky lyrics over a stylistically unique brand of rock.  Sunbathing Animal is about their cat and one of my favorite songs of the year.  The album takes you in all directions, but its always a good time.  Brunch money is unique in its own right, being a blond stout of sorts.  There was a lot going into this blonde ale to trick your senses into thinking Stout, like coffee, maple syrup, lactose sugar, vanilla, and cocoa nibs. Taking my tastebuds on a ride this was a fun beer to quaff and definitely different.

(512) SIX

Lagwagon - Hang

Classic band and classic brewery.  I had no idea Lagwagon was coming out with an new album, and it was classic Lagwagon.  Pure punk greatness.  (512) can do no wrong in my eyes and their SIX was no exception.  A Belgian Dubbel which is right up my alley, by my favorite Austin brewery equals a win win for me.

Top 10 Albums and Beers of 2014, Part 1

The return of my top beers and albums of the year.  A marriage of two of my passions: Beer and music.  The list comprises beers that were new in bottle or cans this year with a few minor exceptions. While I did try a lot of beer that was new to me this year, I didn’t try a lot of beers that were new in general. I know there were a lot of great beers debuting this year and this list is my tops of the few I tried. Same goes with the albums: I listened to a lot of new music this year so there are several really good albums that didn't make the list. As usual, these are all beers available in Texas at some time in the year, and in no particular order.

Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA

Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else

Probably the two tops on my list.  Both stayed in heavy rotation all year and I found I couldn’t get enough of either.  Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA was a rotating IPA that featured a different hop profile every month and I was always sure to grab each months iteration.  Cloud Nothings came out early in the year and was prominent in my playlist all year, with “I’m Not Part of Me” my favorite song of the year.

Sixpoint Hi-Res

Andrew Bird - Things are Really Great Here, Sort Of…

Refined is a great word for both of these.  Andrew Bird have certainly refined his music at this point in his career and could sing the phone book and I would buy it and listen to it non-stop.  I really appreciate his musicianship and his entire catalog gets frequent listens from me.  The Hi-Res is a refined Triple IPA if that is even possible.  A huge hop animal that took no shame in being what it was.  An assault on your palate.

Austin Beerworks Heavy Machinery Black IPA

Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues

The Austin Beerworks Heavy Machinery Black IPA gets on this list as a technicality.  It was supposed to be the first release of their canned IPA series last year, but missed out due to reasons out of the brewery's control.  Instead they released it at the beginning of this year and it was tremendous.  I was new to Against Me! until SXSW when their raucous live show blew me away. Transgender Dysphoria Blues stayed in heavy rotation for several months afterwards and helped me relive that excellent live experience.

The Brü Revü – Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA, November

The #11 (November) Greenhouse IPA is a big juicy & resinous hoppy monster.  Dry hopping with Meridian, Liberty and Nugget hops, Hops & Grain delivered a divine IPA.   As usual the beer pours and looks almost identical each month with a deep golden amber and fluffy white head. The aroma was hugely fruity with a resinous pine note that was perfect right before the Holidays. The taste exploded with juicy tropical fruit tones that hit the Juicy Fruit description right on the head.  Underneath was a piney resinous hop body that revealed itself after the initial fruity onslaught.   This months iteration was a delicious IPA and beautiful beer all around. The Greenhouse IPA's are always easy to drink but this one was so smooth and drinkable I couldn’t put it down. Another great Greenhouse IPA and one of the best yet.  I don’t see these lasting long in my beer fridge.

Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA

The Brü Revü – Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA, October

The October (#10) Greenhouse IPA is definitely one of the more unique versions of  the series.  Hops & Grain used a blend of Crystal, Centennial, Bullion and Horizon hops to truly experiment with the flavor profile of this iteration.  As usual the beer pours and looks almost identical each month with a deep golden amber and fluffy white head. The aroma was very earthy and oily and while that may seem odd in a beer it worked very well in this case. The taste was where this IPA stood on it’s own as this was not your standard IPA but something bold and different.  It started with an earthy grassy punch in the face that quickly yielded to a melon and citrus smoothness with oily hop undertones throughout.  My first reaction was a bit of a shock as the aroma and flavor profile were a departure from the status quo IPAs, but as I continued to quaff I slowly began to love it. I will thoroughly enjoy every can of deliciousness, and anxiously await what is to come next month.  I love what H&G dreams up with each batch and how it is expanding my hop knowledge.  Kudos and keep it up!

Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA

The Brü Revü – Hops and Grain Pale Dog

I have had the Hops and Grain Pale Dog many times before, but know that they have been tinkering with the recipe to get it right where they want it.  This is not uncommon for a brewery and I like that H&G are always trying to get their beers perfected.  I don’t know if they are still tinkering, but I do know the Pale Dog now is really good.  The beer poured a golden amber with a very large fluffy white head.  This is a dry hopped pale ale and had a huge fresh hop aroma with lots of citrus and grapefruit rind.  The taste started with a sweet malt body that quickly transitioned into a grapefruit and citrus hop bitterness that is dangerously close to many IPA’s.  The dry finish left a lingering bitter coating on my palate that was a perfect ending to each sip. The Pale Dog was a well crafted Pale Ale that kept the hop level high as well as the drinkability.  This big flavorful beer is one I will highly recommend for a local pale ale option.

Hops and Grain Pale Dog

The Brü Revü – Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA, September

Number 9, Number 9, Number 9… According to the Greenhouse IPA site, Hops & Grain used a blend of Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo, German Hersbrucker and a hint of Meridian for good measure for their Greenhouse IPA #9 for September.  As usual the beer pours and looks almost identical each month with a deep golden amber and fluffy white head. The aroma had earthy floral hops with some resinous notes, but more on the floral side.  The taste started with floral tropical fruit and citrus but quickly changed gears to a sharp earthy and pine bitterness that left a nice resinous aftertaste on my tongue.  As with every Greenhouse IPA the wonderful hops are riding a nice sweet malt body that makes these brews easy to drink.  This version is definitely a more earthy and floral IPA and keeps the creative hoppy iterations of these Greenhouse IPAs on a high level.  So far Hops and Grain can do no wrong with these IPAs

Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA

The Brü Revü – Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA, August

August’s Greenhouse IPA is about balance.  According to the Greenhouse IPA site, there are definitive notes of lemon up front, an earthy middle and juicy finish.  Hops & Grain used a blend of 33% Centennial, 15% Mosaic, 15% Meridian, 15% Crystal, 15% Perle, 3% Bravo, 3% Falconer’s Flight to achieve their balance.  As usual the beer pours and looks almost identical each month with a deep golden amber and fluffy white head. The aroma was an initial lemon rind hop with some earthy tones underneath.  The taste followed with a definite lemon rind bitterness at the start that faded to a juicy dank finish.  It left a lingering bitter coating on my palate that had me anticipating the next sip.  As with every Greenhouse IPA this was easy to drink and this version was definitely the most balanced.   On those terms H&G definitely hit their mark and made another amazing iteration of the Greenhouse IPA and achieved balance… ohmmmm

Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA