Fiery Foods Fest 2014

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We returned to the North Market Fiery Foods Festival this past weekend. This marked our second time there (see previous Fiery Foods Festival post for reviews on beers from Elevator and mead from Brothers Drake). The Wargos and our family decided to tag team the event again. We picked up 3 hot sauces, a hot pepper jam, and talked with Ed Currie, the mad scientist who created the current world's hottest pepper (Carolina Reaper).

After having some gut wrenching, painfully hot pepper and cheese pizza, we decided to mellow out with some good beers.

Seventh Son
Humulus Nimbus Pale Ale

Unfortunately, we did not get a picture of this. The mind was not working with a gut full of pain. We picked this up at the festival (they were the only brewery who was in attendance, for some reason). They had two selections, a brown ale and a pale ale. I figured, having a stomach full of intense pain, a pale ale would be easier to drink and more soothing. Mind you, sometime soon, we'll have to redo this review, as at this moment, my senses were askew, due to the heavy onslaught of habanero, ghost, scorpion, and other hot peppers. [Side note: Nathan entered the hot pizza challenge, which entailed eating an entire pizza that was made of crust, cheese, and really hot peppers, such as bhut jolokia, Trinidad scorpion, and possibly Carolina Reaper. He made it through 4 pieces before he tapped out. To be fair, Jennie had two bites of this vile concoction and was sidelined for two days.] This poured a nice golden, amber color with decent amount of white head. A faint aroma (again, possibly because of the flogging my senses recently lived through) of hops and caramel. This was smooth drinking (and helped sooth the beast that was wreaking havoc on my previously iron stomach). Hop heavy, being grapefruit and tropical flavors with a nice caramel backing that blended perfectly, not too hoppy, not too malty.  Medium body, with a light lingering of hops on the backend. A slightly sticky finish that didn't linger. We're definitely interested in trying more of their brews (especially as they're local. And trust us, try the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, their American Strong Ale. That deserves some love from Hopsus).

Suggested Pairings:
Music: White Stripes, "Ball and a Biscuit"
Cheese: Monterey Jack. Just not pepper. Please, dear cheese gods, no peppers required after that hellacious pizza experience. Crackers, minimal cheese, and copious peppers do not equal pizza. Please find Mikey's Late Night Slice for their ghost pizza challenge next year.
Food: Shrimp California Roll. Eat the pickled ginger. Trust us on this, especially if it's at the Fiery Foods Fest.

4.2/5 caps

After we finished our Annual Assault of Capsicum, we decided to head over to Barley's Ale House (across the parking lot from North Market) for a beer. Well, as is tradition between the Wargos and our family, one pint turns into more.

Barley's Ale House
Bourbon Meyer Buckeye Stout

(Barley's Bourbon Meyer- Photo by Nathan Shadley)

 Angelo is a God among men for concocting this beer (well, this and Beastie Boysenberry.... but that's another post that has not been written). As we walked in, he happened to notice us as he was filling a pint and we were waiting to be seated. He asked if we had tried this yet; well, needless to say it ended up being our first beer there.

So, Jennie had a conversation on Facebook awhile back (that she doesn't fully recall) whence it forthcame. It seemed to be early fall, and several people had chimed in about peanut butter porters and stouts. Two homebrewers and a professional brewer professed to brew their own idea of what this should entail on their next brew venture. One ended up being Jennie's Birthday Brew, a peanut butter porter. The other that we've seen come out of this ended up as Bourbon Meyer Stout.

This poured a deep, rich, opaque brown with a small amount of creamed coffee head. The aroma was fantastic! Peanut butter-heavy with some oak, vanilla and bourbon notes lending a welcoming addition. Mike and Trish wanted to drown in the aroma (our words, not theirs, but theirs were quite similar... Mike actually did take forever to smell his portion and waited to actually drink it for a long time, which, if you know Mike, is rather unlike him. Trish waited even longer. Peanut, at our side, just complained about how Jennie had overly hopped the porter for her Birthday Brew, even though he only has tasted -- and will taste -- the wort). The flavor is almost like the aroma. Peanut butter-heavy, with gentle flavors of cocoa, wood and bourbon. This isn't overly boozy, which we find rare with barrel-aged brews. This drinks smooth with very light carbonation. A nice dry, woody finish tops this off to make something all other barrel aged stouts should be judged against.

Suggested Pairings:
Music: The McCoys, "Hang on Sloopy"
Cheese: An entire cheese plate, replete with grapes and strawberries to recollect your favorite PB&J
Food: Sauerkraut balls from Barley's Ale House #1

5/5 Caps

We decided to stick around for another one, and the Wargos ordered the Christmas ale.

Barley's Ale House
Christmas Ale

(Barley's Christmas Ale- Photo by Nathan Shadley)

It's February. It's cold. We've hit a record number of snow in Central Ohio (as of the 15th, it's the 4th snowiest Winter on record with 45.8 inches so far, 5 inches behind the #3 spot, which was 1909-1910). With that being said, it's still a good time for a Winter Warmer style. Me (Nathan) personally, I'm not a huge fan of the WW style; it's too overdone nowadays. But regardless, when a beer is placed in front of me, I will not complain.

This poured a deep garnet color with a small amount of white head. The aroma on this is deep and complex. Malt-heavy with the typical WW spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, being the most common) lending a nice addition, but not overwhelming. The flavor is similar to the aroma, being malt-driven with hints of the spices. The spices don't try and overwhelm this (a problem I have with most Winter Warmers), which was pleasant. This is one of the best Christmas Ale/Winter Warmer styles I've had.

Suggested Pairings:
Music: Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite"
Cheese: Butterkasse
Food: Ham with pineapple. Or a turducken. Because why the fuck not?!

4.6/5 Caps

As we were leaving, we decided to pick up a growler for later on in the evening. I tried the Aphrodite, but thought it would be too much clove for Jennie's liking (I love clove; Jennie's not a big fan). I decided to go with a classic.

Barley's Ale House
Centennial IPA

(Barley's Centennial IPA in Growler- Photo by Jennie Koeper)

We took this growler of Centennial IPA back to the Wargos where we had dinner (pretzel burgers and a salad). The stomachs were still reeling from the atrocious pizza from earlier, so we decided to tame the lion, so-to-speak, with some more good beer. Good people drink good beer, eh, Hunter?

This poured a gorgeous copper color with decent amount of white head. The plastic, summertime themed cups we poured this in made me forget that it was bitterly cold outside. Damn deception. An
IPA in a summertime cup is a warm feeling.... Damn this winter. Hopsus, we supplicate you to please --PLEASE!!!!!!! -- save us and bring us into Spring, with new life forming and the bitter cold fading away. Regardless, I seem to be getting sidetracked. The aroma on this was nice earthy and citrus tones with a very dank note. The flavor is fantastic. Caramel and biscuit malts lend themselves perfectly to the herbal, earthy and citrus notes from the hops. We're familiar with the Centennial hop strain, but the hop characteristics being so complex must be from the blend of Williamette and Fuggle being in there as well. This is fantastic. This is smooth drinking with decent carbonation (even after 5 hours in the growler). This has a nice balance to it that leaves the tongue longing for more. There is a slight resiny feel to the finish. According to Barley's website, this is 7.6% ABV with 71 IBU.

Suggested Pairings:
Music: The Damned Things, "We've Got A Situation Here"
Cheese: Wisconsin sharp Cheddar, as long as they're not beating the Buckeyes in [insert sport here]
Food: The beer cheese dip with pitas, available at Barley's Ale House #1

4.8/5 Caps

Stout Night

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On January 23rd, we went to a event at World of Beer. This event had an epic beer selection. We took notes on our Untappd application.

Beer # 1
Bell's Black Note Stout

(picture of Bell's Black Note Stout- Photo by Nathan Shadley)
 
Oh, Bell's Black Note Stout. We've hunted for you for about a year. You are an elusive one. Finally we were able to catch you and enjoy your bliss. A barrel aged behemoth that is sought out by many, your 11.8% ABV was well noticed.

This was available on tap. The pour was pitch black with small amount of light caramel head. The aroma on this was fantastic. A lot of roasted, some chocolate, and some bourbon notes come through with the initial sniff. The taste is not disappointing. Roasted, molasses, brown sugar and chocolate toward the foreground, with some bourbon, oak and vanilla flavors coming through toward the back. This was thick and syrupy with decent carbonation, smooth sipping beer with some alcohol bite and bitterness on the backend. This makes up for the parking meter outside eating an extra quarter.

Suggested pairings:
Music: Miles Davis, "Bitches Brew"
Cheese: Parmiggiano-Reggiano
Food: Creme brulee

5/5 Caps

(side by side Bell's Black Note Stout- Photo by Jennie Koeper)


Beer # 2
Bell's Hopslam (draft)

(Bell's Hopslam in foreground, Flying Dog Kujo in background- Photo by Jennie Koeper)

We've previously reviewed Hopslam, and rightfully so as it's Jennie's favorite beer. We had the opportunity to have this on draft, and of course, we took advantage of this. The aroma is citrus (possibly Citra) hop heavy with hints of honey and pine. A lot heavier, fresher flavor on draft than in a bottle. The appearance is about the same (only different being this was in the proper glass for this). The flavor is much better on draft as well. A fresh blast of pine, followed by an onslaught of citrus. This finishes bitter and more resiny (as opposed to honey) than the bottle.

The residual staling of hops on my tongue...
The warmth of alcohol coursing through my veins.
-Ode To Hopslam, Jennie, 1/15/2012





Suggested pairings:
Music: The Ramones, "I Wanna Be Sedated"
Cheese: Vermont white cheddar
Food: Baklava

5/5 Caps

(Flying Dog Kujo and Bell's Hopslam- Photo by Nathan Shadley)

Beer # 3
Flying Dog Kujo

 (Flying Dog Kujo- Photo by Nathan Shadley)

Oh... Ho ho ho... This beer... Oh, yes, this beer. This saddens me that it's been so few and far between that I can obtain this. I personally love this beer, possibly my favorite beer of all time. We had this first in January of 2012. After that, we couldn't find any until May 2012 (while healing from my broken foot, Jennie found some old stock). We were hoping for a release last year that we could review, but unfortunately, it never made it to Ohio. I've been longing to have this sweet bliss bless my mouth again, and on this fateful night, it happened (actually, this and Black Note are the reasons we made sure we attended this).

This was the first time having this on tap. This poured black as coal with a light caramel lacing on along the edge of the glass. The nose was very faint, but upon deep sniffs, nothing but a good coffee. The flavor on this is roasted malts and coffee. Heavy on the coffee. Mmm, coffee. Jennie picked up heavy vanilla toward the back that I didn't. For being 8.9 % ABV, this is smooth drinking, with decent carbonation and a slightly sticky (sweet-like) mouthfeel. I find this interesting that this beer has less reviews on both BeerAdvocate and RateBeer than Black Note. Does this mean this is a harder to find beer? Regardless, I personally would bathe in this daily if it were readily available.

Suggested pairings:
Music: Mad Season, "Long Gone Day"
Cheese: Double Gloucester
Food: Belgian waffles or pain au chocolat

5/5 Caps

Beer # 4
Weasel Boy Barrel-Aged Anastasia 

(Weasel Boy B.A. Anastasia- Photo by Jennie Koeper)

This has been building a lot of hype around Central Ohio. Weasel Boy is out of Zanesville (30-40 minute drive from Columbus) and has had limited distribution here. The first time we saw this was at Kenny Road Market, which was priced at $50 for a pre-filled  growler. Ouch. The regular Anastasia was a Bronze medal winner in 2010 and Gold medal winner in 2012 at GABF, so we had to try this. At 10% ABV, Jennie decided to have this alone (as someone had to drive) with a couple sips from me.

Black as coal pour, decent carbonation with an off white head that was noticeable and lingering. At this point, the notes we were taking became 'humorous,' more or less, as we were feeling the previous heavy-test brews. What I can make from our notes is this had a flavor of chocolate that blended into an intense coffee flavor with some oak, bourbon and vanilla toward the backend.  This drank smooth as velvet with a slight tickle of the throat from the carbonation. The ABV was not really noticed while drinking this (unlike the Black Note Stout). "Totes Ma Goats Amazeballs" in the notes a few different times...

Suggested Pairings:
Music: Tchaikovsky, "Swan Lake". Yes, the entire opera.
Cheese: Baby Swiss from Amish country
Food: Georgian shashlik, a kebab from the Caspian Sea region

5/5 Caps



Beer #5
Bell's Smitten Golden Rye Ale

(Bell's Smitten- Photo by Nathan Shadley)


We rounded out the night with a good old standard, Bell's Smitten. This was poured from the bottle into a pint glass. We've previously reviewed this, so for our review, please click the link to it.

(Bell's Smitten- Photo by Jennie Koeper)

Homestead Artists Series Volume II: Time (The Revelator)

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Homestead is just down the road from us. We've previously reviewed their Claim Jumper IPA and have been intrigued by them since. Local brew with a great IPA, sign me up. We were excited when we saw this at Palmer's, and this became part of our Christmas gift from our friends (they gave us a Visa gift card, it bought this and the Orthodox from Actual Brewing). This is bottle #163 of this brew. 163 sounds lucky to where I might play the lottery with those numbers.

This poured weird. I poured Jennie's first, crystal clear amber with about a finger worth of thick cream head. When I poured mine, I noticed there were chunks of sediment that came pouring out of bottle. Some large chunks that floated to the top with the carbonation. My sample is a hazy amber with sediment chunks. Now, this would be off-putting to a normal person, but I've had more sediment in a glass than this. The aroma is a slice of Valhalla. Nice citrus and tropical fruit nose with a hint of sweetness. The flavor is.... okay... I literally just stopped typing and said "Holy Fuck!" This is great. What you pick up in the nose, you get in the taste, only in a huge juicy manner. The tropical fruit pops with a nice blend of orange and some zest. This isn't overly bitter, nay, juicy and refreshing. This is what my birthday home brew should have been like! I'm excited. This gets my mind racing trying to think of how to even find the proper wording to give homage to this! After the initial burst of juiciness, there is a nice biscuit and caramel blend of the malt flavors that join together in perfect unison with the hops. If you're put off by sediment in beer, man up. This is worth every delicious sip. The mouthfeel is smooth and refreshing, like drinking a glass of OJ. Jennie better hurry up before I drink her half. Homestead's website lists this at 6.3% ABV with question marks as the IBUs. It's so good though, I'm fine without knowing the IBUs.

This is fantastic and well worth the money. I would expect to have paid a lot more than $5.99 for this bomber with the quality of product. This is a religious experience in a bottle. There will always be room in the fridge and my heart for Homestead now.

5/5 caps (wish I could give it higher)

-Nathan-

I'm not quite sure how to follow this up... other than I have promised to show Nathan the expression on my face when I take a sip. I was rather impressed with Homestead's Claim Jumper IPA, and I really want to try their Stove Pipe Winter Porter. I love that they're pretty readily available within the Columbus market, and they're really reasonably priced. I also love that they make sessionable beers, and that's their focus.

I can keep my partner-in-zymurgy waiting no longer. My glass has absolutely no sediment, although I'm not opposed to a little chunk in my beer on occasion. It's a lovely medium orange-amber color with a hint of off-white creamy head still gracing the top of my portion. The aroma is tantalizing, with soft-yet-bright citrus notes and caramel teasing my nostrils. OK, I took a sip. My reaction was not quite as over-the-top as Nathan's, but it didn't disappoint. A dreamy look crossed my face, and I said, "Oh, this is good." It's really juicy at the front and middle, and then fades to an earthier note, finishing quite dry. There are discernible pineapple, caramel, papaya, and general citrus notes in here that are fantastic, which fade into grapefruit zest toward the end. The biscuit and caramel notes that were noted earlier dance in and out amid the tropical citrus joy. Like Nathan, I simply adore the juicy notes in here.

To stave off Nathan from drinking my portion while my hands were covered in paint, I had Dad take a sip. His reaction was, "Oh, that's really good!" Then he promptly went to bed, as any good 79-year-old should do.

This beer has me longing for a beach-side chair in a tropical location, such as Fiji, where exotic fruits aren't considered exotic. It's a wonderful detractor from the several inches of snow we were inundated with earlier today.

Cheese pairing: Vermont sharp white cheddar
Food pairing: Quiche Lorraine, because of the fantastic contrast with the juicy notes. And everything goes better with bacon, nay?
Music pairing: Son House "John the Revelator"

5/5 caps

-Jennie

Sierra Nevada Blood Shot (Beer Camp #95)

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It's certainly been an eventful day here, what with being snowed in and following Hopslamgate 2014. For those who are unaware, a certain Columbus craft beer retailer has been accused of illegally buying the entire stock of Hopslam from a nearby grocery store. We're not going to get in the middle of the debate, as we're friends with both the craft beer retailer and the brewery who made it common knowledge among the Columbus craft beer scene. We didn't witness the transaction, so it's not up to us to decide whether a major transgression was committed. But the seamier side of me has enjoyed watching the fur fly in this debate. And you know what makes the unfolding drama even better? A craft beer from another brewery that isn't affiliated with the local kerfuffle. We're also watching the red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets as they climb the standings in the Metropolitan Division. Beer and hockey is a fabulous combination, in case you were unaware.

Let's discuss the Beer Camp series from Sierra Nevada. Every summer, Sierra Nevada hosts "beer camp", where every day normal people come together (by invitation... you can apply here) and learn how to brew beer. They brew several varieties, and release their favorite styles. This one, #95, is an imperial red ale that was brewed during the 2013 session.

As promised, this pours a lovely garnet color with a khaki-colored head that dissipated quickly, leaving a ring of lacing at the edge of my glass. The nose on this is precisely what I would expect from a red ale: caramel, bread, and a faint tinge of pine and grapefruit from the West Coast hop varieties used in this. Let's take a sip. There's some brown sugar and caramel sweetness up front, which fades quickly into the notes of pine, grapefruit, and an earthy note that come in toward the end. There is a faint sting from a boozy note, but it's not overwhelming (and at 8.5% ABV, it shouldn't be). It finishes bitter and dry, and there's almost a metallic note toward the middle and end. It's a little sticky sweet up front, which fades about halfway through the taste.

Overall, it's a solid beer. Unfortunately, my benchmark for all imperial red ales was set by McCarthy's Bane, and this one doesn't quite equal that. At the same time, it's certainly not a bad beer. I saw some Beer Camp 2013 on the shelf at a favorite local retailer this week (actually, where we obtained this), if you're interested in buying some.

4/5 caps

-Jennie

Well, Jackets lost, damn it. Thanks for cursing us, Jennie. But, it's been an interesting day. Hopslamgate has been an interesting read, especially with people coming out of the woodwork to give their take on it. As a neutral 3rd party, I will base my opinion when there are actual facts given by Premium and Bell's on this matter.

With that out of the way, I continue on this beer trek that is Sierra Nevada. An 8.5%, 95 IBU brew from a beer camp, yes please. We had one of their beer camp series a few years back, when one of the bartenders from Bob's Bar made a brew with Sierra. It was fantastic, so I'm hoping this is as good.

This pours a nice dark garnet color, with khaki colored head. The head on mine has lingered, surprisingly, as Jennie did her portion of the review. The nose on this is fantastic. Caramel, bread, citrus with a tinge of pines. The flavor on this, at this point is, hop heavy all the way around. There are earthy, pine, and citrus flavors up front with a twist of caramel malts balancing in the middle. The ending is a West Coast Hop blast. A nice herbal tea like flavor is faint in the aftertaste. This is smooth drinking, with a slightly resiny stickiness on the tongue. The 8.5%, at this point is not noticed while drinking, but is noticed after 6 ounces of goodness are sitting happily in the stomach. I just realized I was zoning off for about 10 minutes thinking about a concert I went to 10 years ago. Ambulance LTD. They were opening for the Killers at the Newport Music Hall. Ambulance stole the show, in my opinion, to where after the show, I got their autographs on the concert ticket. I wasn't interested in meeting the Killers (who were just up and coming with the release of Hot Fuss). If you haven't heard them, youtube them. And while you're on youtube, look up our video from our trip to Elevator. With that being said, I end this in order to get to the next beer, and later, to the neighbors for some drunken cards.

4.3/5 caps

-Nathan-

Cheese Pairing: Brie, Camembert
Music Pairing: Ambulance LTD "Heavy Lifting"

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Behind The Tap's Top 10 Beers of 2013

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Hello readers!

As we come to the close of another year, we figured we'd compile a list of our selections for best beers we've had this year. It's been a roller coaster, but we think we've narrowed it down.


Nathan's Selections:
(in no particular order)

Flying Monkeys Smashbomb Atomic IPA
We recently discovered this, but it's left a lasting impact on my tastebuds. I cannot wait to have more of this sliding down my throat.

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf
The tropical fruit and citrus of the hops have made this linger in my mind, I cannot wait to find another release of this (why is it Three Floyds brews are hard to find in Ohio?!).

Knee Deep Simtra
We had this back in January. Damn, has it really almost been a year? This left such a lasting impact that I've been CONSTANTLY searching for this. Knee Deep is really hard to find, and hopefully when they expand their capacity, we'll obtain more Simtra.

Founders Harvest
We're actually enjoying the last of our stash of this while compiling this list. Clearly I'm a hop head. Okay, fine, I have a problem with loving hops....

Flying Dog Gonzo...but you wouldn't think I'd forget one of my Doggies from the list did you? Gonzo, the Imperial Porter named for the man, the myth, the legend; Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. There's a reason this beer has been a perpetual favorite of mine since roughly 2008 (when I literally stumbled upon it).

With my favorite 5 of the year being chosen, I turn it over to my partner-in-zymurgy.


Jennie's Selections:
(in no particular order)

Knee Deep McCarthy's BaneThis is the beer that changed red ales for me. The artwork, the hoppiness, the name, the amazing balance to this beer made me want more of it, particularly weekly while watching "The Americans" on TV when it returns in February. Make it happen, please. Someone. Anyone.

Bell's The Oracle
This became my new Hopslam, particularly since Hopslam was, well, less hoppy this year. Ha. I'm wearing my Hopslam shirt right now. Can't wait til January (when Hopslam will be released), but The Oracle quickly wormed it's way into my heart and wiggled into an overlapping spot of favorite beer ever.

Stone/Two Brothers/Aleman Dayman IPA
This was the perfect combination of two of my favorite beverages, coffee and beer. We had both been intrigued when this became available, because Nathan has been wanting to make a coffee IPA for a couple of years. I just hope that, when we do, it's at least half as good as this. It's an interesting combination, but in this brew, it worked oh-so-well.

St Bernardus Abt 12One of my goals for 2013 was to expand my horizons on the Belgian front. We've sampled several, and this was my favorite (Orval and Trappistes Rochefort 10 deserve honorable mentions, as well). It's such a complex beer, wonderfully nuanced and with such wonderful flavors, my stomach starts growling as soon as I contemplate cheese pairings (Havarti might be a fantastic start, as would be a great Parmiggiano-Reggiano, but those are both for actual sampling and not just what I am plotting).

Thirsty Dog Citra DogMy love of hops is well-documented. This particular beer stood out to me because it's relatively local, it's a fantastic showcase of my favorite hop strain, and it's fantastically crafted. This should be on constant rotation in our refrigerator.

Honorable Mention

We have both loved Stone's Enjoy By series that it certainly deserves honorable mention. Each time it's released in Ohio, we procure a bottle (we stopped reviewing it each time because the recipe doesn't change). It's solidly fantastic, a great showcase beer from a fantastic brewer.
With that, we hope you are enjoying your end of 2013. Personally, I can't wait for this year to be over and to usher in 2014 with a bang (and several craft beers, of course).