Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band beer pairings

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50 years ago, at the beginning of June, one of the most iconic rock albums was released. Some could say it changed the course of music and whether you're a fan or not of the Beatles, you have to give mad respect for the audio engineering that went into this at a time where there were only 4 tracks. Now, in this digital age, you can have endless tracks and splice them together (I'm currently working on a 21 ½ minute song, sitting at 13 tracks for the first 9 minutes, still needing to add some).

Regardless, we figured what better way to celebrate an iconic album than to pair beers with it. We know that music and beer go hand in hand, which is why in our past reviews we always suggested a music pairing. We've attending some themed bottle shares where the beer was made for music, so pairing made it easy (Dogfish Head's “Bitches Brew” while cranking out the Miles Davis' album of the same name and Bell's Planetary Series while listening to Gustav Holst's The Planets to name a couple). This album, with its twists and turns throughout various music styles and themes, would be difficult to pick a single beer, so we went track by track to bring you this list.

1) Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

This starts with the sound of an audience chattering and some strings warming up, like a classical music concerto is about to begin. This kicks in with a steady beat of drums and bass before some distorted guitar sets the tone of the song. A very enthusiastic Paul McCartney belts out “It was 20 years ago today” for the iconic opening line. Some horns in the breakdown add another bit of depth to the song. The song ends in a segue to track 2.

Pair this with Bell's Oberon. An iconic wheat beer that's not your typical wheat. Citrus notes and spice change the game on this, much like the varying parts of the song. With this being 5.8% ABV, it won't wreck you before you make it to your next beer.

2) With a Little Help From My Friends

Yes, this is the theme song for the Wonder Years (when it was covered by Joe Cocker). Yes, Ringo's singing on this one (typically, Ringo songs would be hung on the fridge, so everyone can see it, much like a child's artwork). Piano and bass driven for the better part of the song. The call and response changes between the 2^nd and 3^rd verse- 2^nd verse Ringo starts followed by a response by the other 3, 3^rd verse it's the trio then Ringo. Musically, it's not that complex, letting the vocals and message shine through.

Yep, you guessed it. Pair this with a collaboration beer. Most collaboration beers are one off, so trying to pick one would be a pain in the ass. Here are some collaboration beers we've enjoyed in the past (to give suggestions)

Columbus Beer Week's Dysfunctionale

Stone's Dayman

Dogfish Head Saison du Buff (not sure if Victory and Stone are still doing versions of it; but DFH has continued to brew it more recently).

3) Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Vivid imagery on the vocals throughout the entire song with organ and drone sounds leading the verses, the pre-chorus being jazz-like drums and slide guitar, the chorus being upbeat and happy. This song is written about a drawing that Julian Lennon (John's boy) did. It was higher up on the fridge than most of Ringo's songs. Yes, we know the 'no, it's about LSD'... I'm pretty sure it's 50/50. So what do we have here, a song that's complex with many different layers, each one adding and improving.

Pair this with Pannepot Reserva, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale that is as complex as this song. Dark fruit, oak, chocolate, wine-like at times, caramel, the list goes on and on and on- much like the recording of this song (several takes, then combining the vocal tracks of take 18 with the drums from take 2 and the guitar from take 34 at half speed). We have not reviewed this for our blog, but have enjoyed it on several occasions, loving each sip, every time.

4) Getting Better

Harmonies throughout the song that's kind of upbeat. The song has a piano riff that rides throughout. A positive chorus reminds people who may be down “It's getting better all the time.” What else gets better all the time? Aging beers.

Pair this with a Speedway Stout from Alesmith, Big Bad Baptist from Epic, Dragon's Milk from New Holland. Put these in your cellar and let them age. We know, it's hard with such delicious brews, but trust us, aging these stouts will bring out different flavors and characters that will blow your god damn mind. Holy shit, I just realized, with how much we love these beers, we've never reviewed any of them. Fuck me.

5) Fixing a Hole

Baroque-style harpsichord starts off the song as the song progressively gets back to a more modern sound of a Fender Stratocaster and cymbals. The chorus starts off:

“And it doesn't really matter if I'm wrong I'm right

Where I belong I'm right

Where I belong.”

Paul McCartney with some deep stuff, making it hard to pick a beer. This song is kind of about the freedom to do whatever you want.

Pair this one with Rosa from Revolution Brewing. Revolution is a brewery that does their own thing (and makes fantastic beers in the process). Rosa is a hibiscus ale with a color that could beckon the line 'I'm painting the room in a colorful way.' This fantastic beer is a Summer seasonal, so you'll want to grab some now.

6) She's Leaving Home

A traditional-based song (as apposed to the modern based off the minor/major keys) with a small orchestra and the boys not on instruments (one of 2 Beatles songs to do so). The song was inspired by a newspaper article of a 17-year-old girl who ran away from home, going into several perspectives (Narrator, parents).

Pair this with a Trappist beer, our preference is St. Bernardus Abt 12. Traditional sounding song gets a traditional style that's still mind blowing and can bring a tear to your eye if you get deep into thinking about it.

7) Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite

The circus sound to this song goes without saying, as they lyrics are taken straight off of a vintage poster for a circus. If memory serves, John found it in an antique shop and it called out to him.

Clown Shoes needs to be consumed with this. Any of their beers would work, as they are are solid. Some of our personal preferences are the Unidragon series, Flight of the Angry Beast, Rexx... Ah hell, just pick up their beer.

8) Within You and Without You

George Harrison once again delving into blending Western and Eastern music, once again nailing it out of the park. Deep lyrics, a kick ass breakdown with a tamboura and a sitar trading off in a solo before being joined with violins and cellos. Not your typical hippie shit.

It would be easy to pair this with a beer from India, too easy. Good Juju by Left Hand Brewing is our pick for this. A 4.5% ale with ginger both fits an ingredient used in Indian food, but we also think the name pairs well with the theme of the lyrics.

9) When I'm Sixty-four

A classic sounding song about growing old together. Plans as a couple developing over top of clarinet sounds joining in with the Beatles in a 1940's sounding pop song. Will you still be sending me a valentine, birthday greeting, bottle of wine? No instead we'll be doing barleywine.

For this, pair it with Horn Dog by Flying Dog. It will age with you, and the name describes how I'll still be at the age of 64. (Note, our tastes have changed since the original Horn Dog review to where we love barleywines). Sucaba from Firestone Walker is another one that we haven't heard being pulled from the lineup yet, and it is as fantastic fresh as it is aged.

10) Lovely Rita

A love song to a Meter Maid with tongue-in-cheek humor. Everyone was writing protest and anti-authority songs, so Paul had a laugh about this. One of few songs I can think of that uses comb and wax paper as an instrument. I can type while staring at Jennie.

Now, we could have led you down a terrible path of a favor-rita by some mass produced shit, but no, we couldn't do it to ourselves, so we'll be damned if we suggest it to anyone. Westbrook's Key Lime Gose would be a pairing to have a 'margarita'-esque beer. If it's not readily available in your area, it is easily traded for (it's not a 'whale').

11) Good Morning, Good Morning

A song inspired by a Corn Flakes ad, this song talks about the troubles of being bored with life, kicking into jazzy breakdown that gets stuck in my head at least once a week (and has since 1996). What's not boring about life is this time that we live in and the great selection of beer.

Pair this with a breakfast stout- Founder's Breakfast is a solid one that's more widely available. It'll get you going for you mundane 9-5 that you despise, but the only reason you're doing it is for the financial commitment of keeping a roof over your girlfriend/wife's head. If not for her, you'd be gallivanting around town with your boys, but instead you wake up daily, slightly hung over, and go to your cubicle prison, dealing with shit head customers on the phone day in and day out, until it becomes a nuisance and you say “Mother Fucker!” each time the phone rings.... maybe it's time I change jobs... Regardless, breakfast stout for this one, it doesn't need to have oats in the mash, but the oats will give a thicker body. It will require the coffee and chocolate, you'll thank me in the morning. Flying Dog's Kujo gets an honorable mention here as well.

12) Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise

A faster, more grooving version of the opening track. Possibly the first remix in rock history. Instead of leading into a Ringo song, this leads into one of the most epic songs ever released.

We said Oberon for the opening track of Sgt Pepper's, as it's a nice segue. This is building up to a climax and is a reprise/remix. Stone's Ruination 2.0 is our pick for this. An 8% DIPA that will melt your face and call you a wussy (taking inspiration from their bottles), this fits right here (that's.... what.... she said?).

13) A Day in the Life

An iconic track with musical twists and turns that combine 2 different songs. The lyrics are taken straight from the newspaper (notice a theme on this album?)., but are laid out in a haunting manner by John. There is a part toward the middle where you hear George Martin counting with an entire orchestra playing their favorite notes while progressively getting louder. This leads into a key and tempo change into Paul's section of the song, a segment about getting ready for the day. Some epic strings, then back to John's haunting vocals, George Martin counting, strings..... the 'forever' piano note (which watching a recent documentary was like 7-8 pianos with the damper pedal pressed, then some studio magic).....

For this, we could do a number of beers. Jennie is thinking “Identity Crisis” by Mad Tree as it switches up flavor profiles between dark roasty notes of a porter/stout and big citrus hops like an IPA. My pick for this would be Barley's Point of Origin, as it has an ever evolving, changing taste.

Behind The Tap's Top Ten Beers of 2014

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Enjoy this review with Frank Turner & Jon Snodgrass "Happy New Year"

As we draw to the close of another year (thank goodness it's almost here!), we bring you our favorite beers that we drank this year. There were quite a few great brews to choose from, but these were the ones that stand out in our memories. Also, because we let the blog lapse for so long while my father's health was declining, there will be a significant amount of honorable mentions that were enjoyed and yet not reviewed.

Jennie's Favorites of 2014 (in no particular order):

Fat Heads Hop Juju
The mere, distant memory of this beer has me salivating for spring, when I will run all over Columbus in search of this. That chase will be well worth the effort in order to obtain this elixir of the gods.

Bell's Black Note Stout
This beer is as elusive as the Hop Juju, if not more so. An annual release that is a bourbon-barrel aged imperial stout, it reminds me exactly why Bell's is my favorite brewery. Boozy yet not too much with the bourbon, deep and dark with beautiful roasted and chocolate notes. I'm looking forward to having this again soon.

Jackie O's Paw Paw Wheat
While not a new beer in 2014, it was new to us, and so good that it earned a spot here. It's almost wine-like in its composition, delicious and bubbly and everything you would expect from a brewery with a cult following. And yes, I enjoyed it even more than Oil of Aphrodite, Dark Apparition, and barrel-aged Wood Burner (which, to be fair, was the most exquisite smoked beer I have had). This is light, refreshing, and quite possibly the best wheat beer I have ever had.

Toppling Goliath PseudoSue
A magnificent pale ale from a remote location in Iowa, Toppling Goliath has knocked it out of the park with PseudoSue. No wonder this beer is a hot commodity on the trade market. Any beer that causes Nathan and I to discuss divorce and him to get a job with Toppling Goliath in order to sleep in the stockroom must be worthy of a solid spot on our year-end list. (We didn't review Assassin, but we did have the good fortune to taste some of that deliciousness. It is every bit worthy of being on this list, as well, if only I had taken better notes!)

Weasel Boy Barrel-Aged Anastasia
Another offering from a fantastic stout night back in February, this beer was better-priced than most of the other "whales" we enjoyed, and if possible, even better tasting than most. I recall it being quite silky and with just the right amount of bourbon against a fantastic stout base. No wonder it has been awarded so many medals in the major competitions. I look forward to having this again very soon, especially if it means heading out to Weasel Boy (who also makes a mean rye beer, Wolverine).

Nathan's Favorites of 2014 (in no particular order)

Zaftig ZBS
A newer brewery in Columbus (opened in January) that puts out stellar beer. This is their BA Stout, and when it's available, it goes fast. This is a tap-room only release, so follow them on Facebook and Twitter to find out when it will be released (along with their other limited batches). This was- need I repeat it- KBS Killer.

Homestead Artists Series Vol II: Time (The Revelator)
You don't think with us being the founders, nay, discoverers of Hopsus that this would be a stout heavy list, did you? It's pretty balanced this year though- 4 stouts, 4 IPAs 1 pale ale and 1 wheat. Regardless, this locally made IPA was stellar enough to still long for this 11 months after first consumption.

Deschutes Chasin' Freshies
A juicy grapefruit, pine, and tropical hop bomb with an amazing aroma. We just started getting distribution of Deschutes this year and I look forward to trying more of the selections.

Flying Dog Kujo
Another fine selection from our epic stout night at World of Beer. One of my favorite beers of all time (ssssshhhhh! Don't tell the hops!). An amazing coffee stout that's 8.9% and tastes like a fresh cup of joe. This beer is what gave us the nickname Keg Killers a few years back.

Barley's Bourbon Meyer Buckeye Stout
A peanut butter chocolate stout that's bourbon barrel aged.... Let that sink in while your breathing increases and heart rate raises... Bourbon Barrel Aged Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout... It's available from time to time at Barley's Ale House. Follow them on Facebook to find out when those releases are.

Honorable Mentions (reviewed):
While narrowing down the 50-some-odd brews we reviewed this year, some just couldn't make the cut to the final 10. These are great beers and you should go find them.

Founders KBS 
Schlafly Tasmanian IPA 
Seventh Son Humulus Nimbus
Bell's Hopslam (draft-- because it is such a different beer on tap than in the bottle, different enough to still qualify for Jennie's favorite beer.)
Fat Heads Hop Stalker

Honorable Mentions (not reviewed):
We are sorry to these breweries that with the year we had (read: death, death, death, depression) we did not have the opportunity to fully review your beers. We did, however, enjoy them and thought enough of them to give them an honorable mention.

NoDa Hop, Drop, and Roll
Yup, hops. Copious amounts of hops. We obtained this from a friend/fellow beer writer after her visit to North Carolina. We should have thoroughly reviewed this as we thoroughly enjoyed this. Hopefully, soon, we'll obtain more and give it te proper Behind the Tap treatment.

Homebrew: Peter Schroder's Fired Up Angel (Eximius Brewing)
A beautiful stout with vanilla and scorpion peppers. I have often joked that the scorpion peppers must have been handled by angels, because their presence is so smooth and subtle. There is a lot going on in this beer, but between the silky mouthfeel and the hint of heat set against a beautiful stout, this beer still rings closely in my tastebuds' memories. If I am still talking about it a month after drinking it, it is certainly good enough to be a commercial brew. Actually, let's take that further: I would put this up against any commercial brew and it would outshine them. I had the honor of entering this into a competition for Peter, and the unanimous mutter around the table and in every conversation head since is that this is the best use of pepper ever in a beer. The beer took second place in the competition, but man oh man, I wish I could put this on my list of beers actually reviewed for the year, because if it wasn't my favorite beer of the year, it was right up there.

Zaftig ZBS

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Zaftig is a small brewery in Worthington, Ohio, basically a mile from the hell-hole that funds me. These guys are amazing. Brent, Jim and Jason are some of the nicest, funniest guys you'll meet. This company started off as homebrewers who moved into the big-time. They've been open for about a year now and produce big beers (2 beers under 9% ABV out of the 12-or-so they have on tap at any given time). The term Zaftig, well, look it up, go ahead, I have time.... OK, now you've looked up what Zaftig means, now you understand why it's perfect for a company that produces big beers.

This particular beer has an interesting life. It started off as their Black Perle stout (which is amazing to begin with), and the mad geniuses decided to obtain a bourbon barrel from Watershed Distillery (also local to CBus) and age it, hence the name ZBS (Zaftig Bourbon Stout). The results are fantastic.

This pours an opaque black with about a fingers worth of tan head that dissipates quickly. Yes, I know this is poured in a pint glass when the proper glassware should be a snifter, but this is my trusty pint glass that's led me through nearly 300 beer reviews. I forget what the ABV is on this, 9.5% or 9.8% I believe. The aroma on this is worthy being made into a candle scent. I would love my house to smell like this. Oak, roasted notes (coffee, chocolate), slight sweetness, slight bourbon. There is a whirlwind of flavors rushing around, trying to pick them out front to back is hard. Initially there is an oak and bourbon blast, then that tapers off as some slight sweetness casually walks you to a nice medley of coffee and chocolate. The chocolate steps aside, leaving coffee-esque tones that linger for a bit. The oak and bourbon come back on stage, so-to-speak, to take a final bow with the other flavors. The mouthfeel on this is amazing. It's medium to heavy, definitely a sipping beer. The carbonation on this is perfect for a stout. The finish on this is slightly sweet, leaving your mouth wanting more, and possibly a cigar. The alcohol on this really isn't noticed while drinking it (read: not boozy like some 9+% beers), but halfway through a pint of this, you'll start to feel the effects of this awesomeness. I finally found a stout I want on a regular basis (as I'm a hop head who loves big, juicy IPAs).

My hats off to the guys at Zaftig for this. I was touting this up as a Founder's KBS killer, in case you skipped the body of the review to just get to the rating.

5/5 caps

-Nathan-

We love the crew at Zaftig! Their beers are wonderful and they are a great group of people. Oh, and I want their brewing system, a big, beautiful Blichmann setup. Le sigh, frugal homebrewer problems. The struggle is real, people.

Candidly, we were debating on reviewing this or just drinking it, as it was a howler that has been in our fridge since Saturday, which was the release party for this. Hence the improper glassware, to be honest. I would have at least put it in a stemless tulip otherwise. But here we are, with our trusty favorite pint glasses. I'm also the girl who will drink straight from the bottle or can sometimes. This is why I consider myself more of a beer nerd than a beer snob. I know (and usually have) the proper glassware for the beer, but I don't always need to use it.

Nathan nailed the appearance. The head on mine has long dissipated but was a finger or so of deep khaki color. As it has warmed the aroma gives way to more bourbon in the nose. Currently this smells boozy as hell. Bourbon with chocolate, coffee, and notes of toasted oak. Taking another deep sip, I'm pretty sure my nose hairs just caught a buzz from this. Silky chocolate and coffee play on my tongue, then the bourbon makes a grand entrance with much fanfare, and that fades to this lovely oak note on the back end that makes me want to lick the barrel. I don't care if I get splinters. By the way, if you can obtain Watershed's products, their bourbon is fantastic, and that is coming from someone who is excessively picky on her bourbon. They also make a fantastic gin. But let us get back to the beer, because we need to discuss the mouthfeel on this. Velvet and satin aren't as smooth as this. Babies' bottoms aren't this smooth. Ron Jeremy doesn't have as many moves as this. Bill Gates isn't as rich as this. I would maybe liken the mouthfeel of ZBS to cashmere, because it's not only soft, but also luxurious and rich. Hands down, the best mouthfeel of a barrel-aged stout I have ever enjoyed. The oak and the bourbon in this are just perfect, when in so many beers I think they overwhelm the beer.

5/5 caps

-Jennie

Music Pairing: Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get It On"
Food Pairing: Chocolate cake, particularly the one made by Piece of Cake in the Short North for the release party (made with Black Perle, the non-BA version of this)
Cheese Pairing: Mascarpone

Founders Dissenter IPL

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Like your worst nightmare from a bad 1980's movie, we're baaaaaaaaack. We sure have missed you, and we promise to start working our way through our stash of yummy craft beers. Not that we haven't been drinking good craft beers while we've been on hiatus... I could only let the session IPAs sit for so long before they started to stale! And that, my friends, should be a capital crime. And speaking of 1980's movies, I'm totally loving Throwback Thursday on AMC tonight: Breakfast Club followed by Sixteen Candles? Yes, please (although it would probably be better to watch both on Netflix, so as to avoid commercial interruption)!

Tonight we bring you Founders Dissenter, an Imperial Pale Lager. This is a relatively new style to the craft beer scene, taking a lager and hopping it to IPA proportions. Last Winter, Sam Adams did an IPL, and I believe we picked up one in Illinois that was unavailable here in Ohio. Both were tasty. I love that Founders opted for this style in their Backstage series. I have high expectations from Founders, after all; they are a solid brewery who ranks highly in my top 5. This is especially remarkable considering they haven't made a lager in several years (15, I want to say?). And at 8.7% ABV, this should do the trick... impressive for a lager, even with the Imperial label. Shall we?

This came in a 750 mL bottle, AKA a wine bottle. I like those for sharing, which I sometimes struggle with, as an only child. It pours a beautiful, crystal clear golden color, just a tinge darker than most American fizzy yellow piss lagers. It had about two fingers of bright white foam when I initially poured it and that dissipated very quickly, as you can see from the photo (taken at pouring). Let's get into this aroma, because I'm pretty blown away by the couple of sniffs that I've taken. My olfactory nerves are assaulted with pine, grapefruit (zest especially), a little apricot, a lot of floral and grassy notes. What is really impressing me with this is how bright and fresh the aroma is. There is just a hint of cracker and bread in there, but ever so faint; this is (hopefully) going to be a hop showcase. It reminds me a lot of their All Day IPA, but the cracker/bread notes associated with the malt characteristics are even fainter. As I take my first sip, I'm tantalized by a fantastic lager that has been very well made and thoughtful hop additions that lend so much character to this beer. Now that it has warmed quite a bit, the maltiness of the brew really comes through at first. Initially, I taste a German-style lager, and then the hops start to shine. The same notes attributed to the aroma come through loud and clear on the back end of this. I'm tasting Centennial and Amarillo hops primarily, and I'm certain there are plenty of other hop strains in here. At the very end, there is a little warming, boozy kick to this. It's not remotely off-putting, but rather a welcome addition to my palate. It is  perfectly carbonated, and the maltiness leaves a pleasant stickiness on my lips.

Overall, Founders, as usual, knocked this out of the park. Well done, gents, well done.

4.7/5 caps

-Jennie


This has had time to warm up while Jennie took lead on this (and I enjoyed Sixteen Candles). The color is deeper, as Jennie mentioned. At this point, there is just a small ring of white foam, struggling to make its presence known after 'breathing' for a while. The aroma on this beckons Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing while "Cheek to Cheek" plays in the background (opening lyrics of "Heaven, I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak"). It's a refreshing blast of hops (see above for Jennie's description, because just like a picture on the wall, she nailed it). The aroma makes me drift off into a fantasy world where I'm riding a giant hop that's leaping over fields of grapefruit zest, pine trees, peach/apricot orchards, and the occasional grassy meadow.
But then this flows into the mouth with the greatest pleasure. Oh, Hopsus, thank you for blessing me on this day with this elixir you've graced your presence upon! There's a nice lighter Grape Nuts and biscuit combo for the malt backbone, but it doesn't distract from the glory of the hops. There is so much going on from start to finish, it leaves the mouth longing for more. A blast of apricot initially greets the taste buds, opening the door to the quick rush of friends it has brought along. The pine, grass and lemon flavors rush in, livening up the party. As the party starts to fade, good old grapefruit is there, lingering around until long after the party's over. Much like a good friend, he's there to help you clean up and plan the next one. There is a slight boozy note toward that back end that makes you aware this isn't your typical American piss lager.
This drinks smooth with a bitter, stickiness on the back end, letting you know there are copious amounts of hops used in the brew.  With each and every sip, I don't want to put down the glass, in fact, I wish this was a year round brew, as I could see this being a go-to beer.
As I haven't had too many IPLs, this beer saddens me, only because, from here on out, every IPL will be judged against this.

 4.85/5 caps

-Nathan-


Food pairing: Burgers, salmon, and corn on the cob on the grill
Cheese pairing: A grassy local farmer's cheese
Music pairing: Bob Marley, "Three Little Birds" -- because every little thing will, indeed, be all right after drinking this.

Best Fourth of July Beers

Before we begin our salute to America, remember to follow us on twitter, facebook, youtube, instagram  and on Untappd as jenniek and guitaristshad.

Nice warm weather, sunshine, fireworks and grilled food. Must be the Fourth of July, the day we celebrate our independence from the torturous monarchy. The burgers, brats and hot dogs are on the grill, potato salad and apple pie are on the table. The sun is shining as we do a count down for the local fireworks display. Wait, something's wrong. Something's missing. Beer. Oh, yes, beer. Carrying on a 238 year old tradition of freedom, we raise our pint glasses to our founding fathers who were half crocked when they sat down and hashed out the details that would become our Declaration of Independence.

Here are some brews that we think pair perfectly well for a day of celebrating the Red, White, and Blue.

Burger Classic

This is a regional beer out of Cincinnati. It's a smooth drinking American Adjunct Lager that has a nice malt and hop combo that most Adjunct Lagers lack. It's refreshing on a hot summer day and the lower ABV will help insure that you won't get too blitzed before fireworks. This is out inexpensive beer of choice.


Bell's Oberon

 Ah, Oberon. Dear Oberon. My gateway to craft beer. It's smoother than a baby's backside, this lusty pale wheat offering from Bell's. Weighing in at 6% ABV, it's completely refreshing on one of those sweltering 95-degree-with-98%-humidity summer days that plague this side of the country.


Boulevard's Unfiltered Wheat

You know it's a good beer if you're wanting it for a nice, Summer day; but you can't have it because they don't distribute to your state. A couple quotes from our previous review:
"Perfect lighter summer beer with hints of wheat and citrus, dry finish, nice smooth mouthfeel that's as refreshing as it is smooth."
"The nose is mostly wheat, with just a hint of lemony citrus."

Founder's All Day IPA

Another great choice for summer, especially for hop heads. It's a light, sessionable IPA that's hopped to beat the heat. Founders doesn't make a brew I don't like, but this is the best session IPA on the market, in my humble opinion.


3 Floyd's Jinx-Proof 

Hopsus gazed upon the beer world and noticed that there were not enough hoppy lagers. This saddened Him. He laid out the plans to the brew gurus at Three Floyds for what became this. Hopsus be praised for this 5.1% ABV with 35 IBUs (tastes hoppier than 35 IBUs)

Founder's Rubaeus

 Instead of eating fruit or one of those vodka-filled watermelons, drink a Rubaeus. Another wonderful offering from Founders, this raspberry ale is a fantastic brew. This is also a great beer for craft beer newbies, because it doesn't taste like beer, per se. It tastes like you ate a handful of raspberries. Or drank some yummy raspberry juice. Or rolled in a bed of raspberries. If you like raspberry beers (and I most definitely do), it's hard to beat this.

Flying Dog's Doggie Style

The wonderful wizards at Flying Dog have improved on this recipe since we reviewed it. They added Simcoe and Citra hop varieties, which adds more awesomeness. This is still smooth drinking, and for those who love hops on a hot summer day (or year round like I do), do yourself a favor and get a 6-pack.

Bell's Two Hearted

This is one of our go-to IPAs, and seeing as how it has recently been ranked one of the top beers in the USA in numerous polls, it deserves a spot on our list. I, like many beer geeks, like a nice hoppy beer in the warmer months. There's something innately refreshing about drinking a well-crafted IPA on a hot summer day, and this one fits the bill perfectly.

Other brews (not fully in depth as we haven't reviewed them)
Left Hand's Good Juju
Shocked we haven't reviewed this. It's a great beer with a nice refreshing blast of ginger that's crisp, clean and thirst quenching. Perfect for cornhole with friends, pool side drinking, cookouts, pretty much any Summertime activity.

Fat Heads' Sunshine Daydream
A great session IPA that we've longed for since hearing about it. Go to your friend's house, wrangle them out of their air conditioning and do some porch drinking with this. *Review Coming Soon*

Uinta's Sum'r
We enjoyed this at a friend's house last summer. A light golden ale, it's perfect on a warm summer evening. If I recall, it's moderately hoppy and greatly refreshing. It makes me miss Tire Bite from Flying Dog, but if you can find Sum'r, do yourself a favor and pick some up.

Homestead Beer Co's Station Master Session IPA
We had this on draft at Barley's Homebrew Competition (which we were finalists in). I wanted something lighter but with great flavor. I found it with this. Huge citrus flavor with the 96 IBUs on the lighter malt backbone that clocks in at 4.2% ABV. I love what Homestead is doing; if you make it to Central, Ohio, check them out for sure.

Knee Deep's Citra Extra Pale Ale
A little heavy compared to the others on our list, but well worth it. Fantastic flavor that's mind blowing. *Review Coming Soon*

Founders KBS

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Here we are on National Beer Day, with over 2 cases of beer stashed to review just for you. Honestly, it's been more of a Monday today than I care to even discuss (it's amazing sometimes just how brashly ADHD and dementia can clash), so I'm in the mood for some nice, strong beer. I didn't figure we'd sit on this particular selection for too long. Last week was an epic chase for the mythical beer that is Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. I get it... it's one of the top-rated stouts, nay beers, in the country, and we live in this strange microcosm of the craft beer world that is Columbus, which has given rise to Hopslamgate and other such nefarious and questionable business and trading practices. Last week could be summed up by being also called The Chase for KBS. It was released, 1 to 2 cases to each establishment, throughout the city, to those establishments who purchased the required minimum of their regular Breakfast Stout. Most places sold out in 20 or so minutes of their entire stash. I was #25 in line for a place that had 24 bottles to be had. They sold out before they even were supposed to begin selling it. This town is crazy for limited release craft beer, but that's an entire other blog post. Regardless, we have befriended a couple of retail establishments with honest and fair business practices, and we were handsomely rewarded.

Enough rambling. On with the beer. I have a badge on Untappd to unlock. Priorities, Jen! This pours a rich, opaque black with a finger or so of coffee-colored head. There is better head retention than I expected from an 11.2% ABV behemoth, and it is leaving a gorgeous, tight lacing on my glass (mine would be the snifter with a long stem). The aroma on this makes me wish I had saved it for next week, when Peanut is on spring break and I'll need a good, strong morning brew. It's predominantly coffee with notes of vanilla, chocolate, an almost nutty tone, and definite booze. Taking a sip, I immediately understand why there is so much hype surrounding this beer. It's smoother than a baby's backside. There is a blast of coffee and chocolate and roasted malty goodness up front, which quickly gives way to a soft vanilla note (and not that fake tastes-like-I-just-ate-a-candle vanilla). It fades to a faint bourbon note from the barrel aging (hence the Kentucky in the name), and the finish is all booze. Crap. This is fantastic. Easily one of the best stouts I've ever had. And I drank a LOT of their regular Breakfast Stout over the weekend. It's also velvet smooth from the oatmeal, and just silky fantastic in the mouth, with just enough stickiness. I never thought I'd say this, but it's worth $7 for a 12-ounce bottle.

I was just telling Nathan earlier that it was quickly turning into a whiskey kind of night. Scratch that... the KBS filled that void.

5/5 caps

-Jennie

In the brink of seeking out of this mythical beer, we came to the realization that we obtained 3 bottles somehow. The 3rd one is being added to the beginning of our beer cellar. Not trying to brag, more of befriend us in real life and we might share when it ages. How else does one start a beer cellar than with a hugely hyped, unobtainable brew?

But I digress as I continue on my portion of the review. Mine has had time to warm up as my Partner-In-Zymurgy took lead. She needed to zone out with good beer and good music. I, being the man I am, can show extreme patience. I mean, my 9-5 job is problem solving/baby sitting adults in a factory, so I need to show patience. And speaking of factory, I need to speed up the process on this review factory and get to the beer. Damn my wandering mind.

As I turn up the music of a local musician (Scott Gorsuch), I slouch back in the chair and admire the look of this. Jet black with a small amount of creamed coffee-colored head. The head is lingering around despite it being poured roughly an hour ago. The aroma is bourbon heavy, sweetness from the malt, and notes of vanilla and chocolate popping in to lend themselves to this dreamy concoction. Now for the part I've been longing for all day, the taste.... How do I describe this using actual words and not grunts and drooling? There's a rich chocolate taste up front with a strong kick of bourbon  following that. Shortly after, a nice vanilla bean flavor jumps in to tame out the bourbon and rides smoothly until the end. There's some sweetness to this, but not overly sweet, nor cloying. Definitely a sipping beer. This 11.2% drinks smooth with a slightly sticky, yet dry finish, like a good wine. With each sip, the flavor develops to more of a blending of flavors. The tongue is telling me to hold onto this tight, while gripping a knife in my other hand, in case of marauders trying to take on sip of this drink of kings. I haven't heard of reports of Hessian soldiers or other various bandits here as of late in the neighborhood, but I can't be off my guard for a minute. No, not on my watch.

5/5 caps

-Nathan-

Cheese pairing: Artisinal farmer's cheese
Food pairing: Red velvet cheesecake
Music pairing:  Alice In Chains "Jar of Flies" (yes, the entire album) or support local musicians