Winners so far are Fulton war and peace and Odell Red. Losers include vampire beer nerds and foot temperatures.

First in line at firkin fest!

Thirty Sixth Meeting

Meeting #36! Here we are at Dan Turnbull's home for the latest installment of beer club. He's going from noob to brother right before our eyes. He chose a style we haven't done yet- Maibocks. It's just a little bit early so not all of the breweries have released their version yet, but we have enough to field a solid beer club.

First up we have a German version of this beer brought to you by Aktien-Braureri Kaufbeuren Heller Belli Bock! Abv = 6.9%. It pours a really clear, thin looking gold color. It has little to no head on it. It's thin and wet at the beginning but ends up with a sweetish, caramelly spicy kick. Some similar notes as an Oktoberfest.

BPA: 3.11

Secondly we have Smuttynose Maibock, which is described as A Robust Seasonal Lager. No duh, this thing comes in at 8.7% LOL! This one pours much cloudier than the last, but it smells the same. It's pretty strong tasting- here's an accurate formula. This beer:Last beer::Double IPA:IPA. We have just found out this is the highest rated beer of the night and second highest Maibock on BA. Let's rate

BPA: 3.28

Next up we have another German beer. The name of the brewery is too long to type but the beer is called Wohn's Heller Bock. This one is also surprisingly strong- 7.2%. This pours similar to the last German one- a little more clear than the American one. However, this is pretty smooth, yet it has a nice lager kick. So far all three beers have had very similar flavors. Tastes like May.

BPA: 2.76

Tom J brings us not a bonus beer, but bonus quantity! Somehow, somewhere he came upon a growler of Rogue Dead Guy Ale. Which doesn't make a ton of sense, considering Maibocks are lagers. This one also pours a cloudier like the other American one. It smells sweet and scrumptious. This is quite an interesting tasting cup of liquid. This is definitely the hoppiest one we've had yet- but it's a smooth hoppy.

BPA: 3.13

Schell's Maifest is our next beer. This is the first American Maifest that looks like a German one. It smells spicy and sweet, as is the wont of the style. This one definitely has a big kick at the end and I can't tell if it's alcohol or hops or the sweetness of the malts. This is another sneaky 7.2%. Our first MN beer in quite a while, I think.

BPA: 2.99

We decided to switch up the order a bit so we can pit the two locals in a head to head matchup.... presenting Summit Maibock at 6.7%. This is another clear pour with a slight sticky head. Wow- this has quite a different smell than the last several. Malts malts malts, all I taste is malts. It tastes like crackers or bread- really malty with just a slight tinge of the Maibock taste we've seen with every previous offering.

BPA: 2.61

Capital Brewery's Maibock is up next @ 6.2%. 6.2%?? We haven't had anything this low in over a month. Another crispy, clear pour... perhaps it's not a continental thing, but rather a high alcohol trend. This is yet another malty, bready offering. Although, this one is a little smoother than the last.

BPA: 2.75

I believe this is our last Maibock of the night before BONUS BEER! We have Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock. It looks, pours, and smells the same as the original few. There is a nice malty presence with this guy. Well the beer club has become more involved with Tosh.0, once again, so let's move on.

BPA: 2.86

BONUS BEER TIME! Derek brings to us Green Flash Imperial IPA. Daddy, this one is 9.4%. It pours a slightly cloudy orange. Oh boy- that's pretty tasty. Citrus, tons of hops... good stuff. This beer is eliciting howls from the gallery. It's just a strong flavor- lots of hops, malts, and alcohol. Let's rate

BPA: 3.55.

Last beer of the night is another BONUS BEER. We have a beer that was literally released today. Odell Friek is a lambic with cherries added, then raspberries were added later in the process. It was later aged in Woodcut barrels for 2 years. It's pour looks like raspberry juice. It smells slightly tart- similar to Supplication. Wow this stuff is really really dank. To all the readers of this blog that aren't in the club (Dan Carroll), I would recommend buying or trading for this beer if you're into sours. It's not quite as sour as a standard sour, but it still has a brett kick that works with the tart cherries. I somewhat regret sharing this with the rest of beer club.

BPA: 3.8

Thirty Fifth Meeting

Here we are at Mike's house for the 35th meeting of beer club. Tonight we're tasting double IPAs for the second time. The first time was a drunken disaster. We'll see how this round goes with slightly less samples. We have a promising list of beers that we haven't had before, including our first beer from the American Southeast. There are merely 5 brothers here tonight: Mike, Tom B, Turnbull, Colin, and Belfry, but that has nary stopped us from having a good time! Bring forth the grog!

First we have a top-notch double IPA from a top-notch brewery. Three Floyd's Dreadnaught comes in at 9.5%. It pours a dark gold color that is surprisingly transparent. It smells of flowers and grapefruit. It has some nice bittering hops, but then... wouldn't you know, tropical fruits drop ordnance on my tongue! It's Turnbull's bday today, so there is no doubt about him catching a hot buzz.

BPA: 3.7

Next we have a beer nobody north of the Mason-Dixon has tried before. Olde Hickory Death By Hops. The beginning of the name screams "old," but the end screams "2012 is coming." Turnbull poses "should we drink this...?" This one comes from North Carolina at a mere 7%. It pours a pretty cloudy golden color. The label looks like it was printed out on one's personal computer. This one tastes hoppy, but it seems like it doesn't have a lot of malt to mix with it. Ehh.

BPA: 2.88

Third up is the first of Turnbull's offerings: Double Bubble which is 9.2% and comes at us from just over the border in River Falls. This one is more of a light golden color with a nice foam head. If that last one was overly hoppy, this one is overly malty. This is definitely pretty smooth, and at this ABV, this could be a steal of a deal if you're looking to catch a yeoman's buzz on a nice summer afternoon.

BPA: 3.06

Turnbull's second beer is Moylan's Moylander. There can be only one Moylander (which should be their slogan). 8.5%, I've been told. This one is fairly balanced and tasty. Yikes, on to the next already.

BPA: 2.94

Belfry's offering is Lagunitas Maximus. This one comes in at 8.2%. This one pours an extremely transparent color. It smells fruity and hoppy. This is a nice, balanced beer. It's smooth and the hops come on towards the end. It has a nice blend of fruit, malts, and hops. Belfry has terrible taste in beers! I had no idea.

BPA: 3.02

Next we have Port's 4th Anniversary Double IPA. This one comes in at an even 10%. We've reached double digits! It pours a cloudy golden color- which is what I expect ouf of this style. It smells really fruity with a hoppy nosekick sandwich. Boy, that is a mango taste. Almost as mango-y as Mango Mama. This one is going over with the gallery. Citrus bomb, hop backbone, with enough malts to make it bearable.

BPA: 3.76

Colin's beer is Southern Tier's Oak-Aged Unearthly. This one is going to bring a hop presence to our mouth holes. This one is 11%. Special note: we're doing this side-by-side with a regular Unearthly. An unprecedented experiment funded exclusively by the WTBC. Innovation happens here (TM). They pour a similar color. Time for smellz. The smell of the oak is pretty subdued and it tastes very smooth. Colin sez "I noob slurz." The oak aged version is definitely smoother, but both are delicious. Things are flying off topic. Let's rate!

BPA: 3.78

Note: Due to crappy internet connections, the last two reviews weren't saved and were lost forever in space and time. See below.

Troeg's Nugget Nectar
BPA: 3.46

Fantome Saison
BPA: 3.4

Thirty Fourth Meeting

Inside this beer picture I've carefully hidden a cast member of Real World Las Vegas. Look closely. Can you find her??

Here we are at my house on Dubbel night. We haven't tried this delicious style yet and we're long overdue. Tonight, in attendence is Joe, Lampe, Brent, Derek, Belfry, Colin, and Tom B, with Casey and Bob here for moral support.

Colin's here. Let's get this party staaaaarted!!

First, we have St. Bernardus Prior 8. The Nard Dog generally brews a strong beer, but when I buy his craft I normally reach for the quad. This one rolls in at 8%. It pours a dark red/maroon color. It smells strongly of dark fruit- a similar smell to Bernardus quad. Adjectives being thrown at me, "earthy," "esters," "raspberry snuffy." I find this quite flavorul and its a lot sweeter and lighter than the quad. Quite good and I can't wait to see how this lines up against the others.

BPA: 3.31

Next we have an American offering. Goose Island has recently gotten into Belgian styles and they seem to be a lot better than their regular line. Colin brought Pere Jacques which is another 8%er. This one is a similar color but pours a lot lighter. It smells a little fruity but a lot hoppier than the last one. Joe said "OOOF, mouthfeel.com." Yes, definitely hoppy. Suspended sea monkeys! They're suspended in the liquid much like Project Alice. This is way different than the last one.

BPA: 3.13

Trappistes Rochefort 6 is our next beer. I'm really excited for it and I'm not sure if I've ever had it. It's a 7.5%er, which seems to be the norm for the style. This smells like more biscuits and triscuits than sweet candi sugar. Definitely full of malt and it ends with a kick of Belgian candi. There couldn't be three more beers of the same style that are more different.

BPA: 3.30

Derek brings to us Ommegang Abbey Ale. This one is 8.5% and garners an A+ rating from the Bros. This pours a darker maroon color. This one smells of intense fruit, a lot like the first one. It starts with the same fruits as the Bernardus, but then a really malty, roasty flavor kicks in. Another beer that tastes quite different, but still delicious.

BPA: 3.27

Lampe says corked and caged. He brings to us La Trappe dubble, which is by Koenigshoeven. 7%, this ale is. Boy it smells goooood. It probably pours the darkest and thickest of them all. It's basically a quad with less alcohol. Most people agree this is the best one of the night. Dark fruits and caramel is evident. Let's rate.

BPA: 3.53

Up next, we have Trappist Achel 8 Bruin. I don't know what most of that title means. Except for the 8, because this is 8%. This one has plenty of fruit, but is followed up by hops. This one is fruity, and SURPRISE!... Joe brought it.

BPA: 3.17

Last, Brent brings us Affligem Dubbel. 7%, yarrrr! Standard dark maroon, caramelly, dark fruity. This might be the average of all the flavors. I think people are more interested in Tosh.0 than the beers at hand. Whoa I'm pumped for the bonus beer.

BPA: 3.04

Last! Bonus beer! And it's a good'un. We have Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Cherry Stout. It's coming in at ???? This is one beer that doesn't advertise its ABV. It smells mostly of coffee and chocolate. Where's the cherry? Only time will tell. Oh boy, that's tasty. There's bourbon, chocolate, coffee, and finally cherry. Time for the puppy bowl!!!

BPA: 3.23

That was an extremely tasty beer club, where almost every beer fell within a small range.

Thirty Third Meeting (1 Year Anniversary)

Tonight's meeting is marked by a momentous occasion- tomorrow night is the Wild Turkey Beer Club's 1 year anniversary. We have the most spectacular selection of beers seen in a beer club and one that would rival even the most prestigious beer event. We have several of the toughest-to-get and most highly regarded beers of their style. The meeting includes everyone to have participated in beer club- all 11 of us- which is a record.

We're going in a slightly different order tonight. We want to keep similar styles together, so we're starting off with sours and lighter beers and ending with the imperial stouts.

First up, Tom B brought Deschutes The Dissident. This Flanders Oud Bruin is 10.5% alcohol. There are cherries and a certain sour kick at the end, but it won't make you pucker. You can taste the alcohol in this one as well, which is unusual for the style. Tasty for sure, although it's not my favorite sour. It is a little too much for a style that is known for subtlety.

BPA: 3.31

Batting second is Joe's beer, Westmalle Tripel. This one is #58 on BA and comes in at 9.5%. This might be one of the lighter beers of the evening. It pours a cloudy golden color and smells of candi sugars and black pepper. There is definitely a bite to this one. Not the smoothest tripel but a solid beer.

BPA: 3.23

Next, Tom J brings us Chimay Blue, which is a delicious Belgian Strong Dark Ale. This one is brewed at a monastery in Belgium by religious guys. 9%! This one is the lightest yet. It's a dark maroon color and smells of gingerbread and plums. Gingerbread salad. Joe says "Mark me down for an A." Too bad he's rating out of turn! Hehe : ) Mmmmmboy, that's refreshment.

BPA: 3.71

Mike obtained the next beer in a trade. Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter is its full name and it comes in at 10.5%. I was probably most excited for this and Parabola when I saw the beer list for tonight. it pours a jet black with a brown head. Coffee smell (TOM J F!!! TOM J F!!!). It tastes like a coffee... vanilla... porter. Boy, that's a taster, alright. I'm not normally a big porter guy but that's the tops.

BPA: 3.61

Turnbull brings us Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. I remember drinking this with my fake ID at Old Chicago in Uptown a smooth decade ago. This comes in at a standard English Stout level of 5%. It's jet black but relatively light on the tongue. It's slightly sweet and easy to drink.

BPA: 3.05

Derek procured a Surly 4, their 4th anniversary ale. Obviously this has been aged for about a year because their 5th anniversary is going on right now. It's known as a Milk Stout which is 10% booze. Derek seems to be having trouble with the wax. It pours another dark black color and smells a little coffee-y. Woodpond thinks it tastes like a good cup o Joe. What say you?

BPA: 3.07

Wild card Woodpond was a last minute addition to the meeting. He brings to us New Holland Night Tripper Imperial Stout, which I may or may not think is a nod to Girl Talk. This one is a 10.8% Imperial Stout that I nary have seen before. This is a hoppy stout, that's for sure. Not dissimilar to Victory Storm King. It's not quite as smooth so the booze is evident. Let's get this meeting moving...

BPA: 2.65

Belfry brings us Firestone Walker. This one comes in a box, yo. It's packaged similar to a scotch and approaches its ABV. 13% boyeeeee. I've been waiting to try this one forever. Mike thinks this one is a pair 'o' bolas. Oh boy, this one smells delicious. Smells of molasses, chocolate, and burnt hot dog salad sandwiches. A pretty serious Imperial Stout experience. You're a serious goofball if you ain't think this an A.

BPA: 3.73

Colin was kind enough to donate to us a Surly Darkness. This is one delicious stout that comes in at 10.3%. I think there is some serious beer degrading going on here. We have so many delicious beers tonight that it's hard for "some people" to give all A's, although if we brought the worst beer of the night to Mexican night it would be an easy A. Well, this Darkness has more noticeable chocolate and hops than the last, but I don't like it quite as much.

BPA: 3.76

Next in the ultimate Imperial Stout showdown is The Abyss, by Deschutes. This one is 11%. Brent brought us this delicious treat and I think he just slammed his glass. I'm pretty sure everyone is feeling the healthy buzz provided by all these beers. Obviously side topics are reigning.

BPA: 3.55

Lastly, we have Lampe's Mirror Mirror Barleywine. Always a good option, this one comes in at 11%. This is a solid barleywine- spicy and... barleyish? I always find it difficult to describe a barleywine, like a strong ale. Either way, it's tasty. We're now talking about shirt matches and the boo box.

BPA: 3.63

SUPPLIES BEER!! Colin's taking a page from Lampe's book and bringing an extra surprise beer. We have Deschutes Black Butte XXI, which is an American Porter at 11%. A dark black, but this one is much roastier than the Ballast Point one. It has a thinner mouth and tastes much more like a standard porter.

BPA: 3.29

Thirty Second Meeting

Tonight we are here to celebrate the baptism of Lampe into official brotherhood. He's on top of hosting duties for the first time and the theme is canned beers. Tonight, Lampe will be joined by Derek, Mike, Colin, Brent, and I.

First up, Lampe brings to us Tallgrass Oasis. A beer I've never tried from a brewery I've never tried. This guy is a double IPA coming in at 7.2% ABV. This pours a darker amber color than most double IPAs and there is a definitely sea monkey presence. It smells bitter and citrusy, but it has a pretty thin mouthfeel. There are some bitter hops in the beginning, but they kind of dissipate.

BPA: 2.57

Next up is an old familiar face- Surly Coffee Bender. We've all had this several times and its a taste festival. It's classified as an American Brown Ale, but there's an obvious coffee kick. The beer we just tried was a bit cold, so it dulled the flavor a bit, but we all know what this tastes like. Let's rate...

BPA: 3.15

Derek brings us Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale. This one comes from Denver by way of Hudson, Wisconsin. Wow, new record for noob slur! Mike just misconjugated a really easy verb. Let's not Dale's Pale Ale with Casey's roommate Dale. This beer does not DVR the O'Reilly Factor and watch it, standing up, with the volume turned all the way up. This stuff is just a standard, tasty pale ale. Standard hazy orange color, nice medium mouthfeel, and a good balance.

BPA: 3.57

Next we have Surly CynicAle. This is sort of a cross between a Belgian Golden Ale and a Saison. It pours a relatively clear golden color and smells of candi sugar. It's just a perfect blend of candi sugar and smoooooooth aaaaale flavorrrrr. Hide your kids, hide yo wife, it's time to rate.

BPA: 3.27

Up next, we have HOLY CRAP DEREK JUST BROKE ONE OF KELLY LAMPE'S CHAIRS! BAAAAHAHAHAHA! On to da next... Mike brings us Young's Double Chocolate Stout. It's a tallboy can, much like Guinness. It also tastes similar to Guinness... quite roasty and smooth, but not boozy or too flavorful. I definitely think the chocolate goes a long way.

BPA: 2.95


See Derek, this is why we can't have nice things


Lastly we have 21st Amendment Back in Black IPA. Black IPAs are the trendy new thing amongst brewers- even newer and trendier than sours. If you want to impress your beer geek friends at the Bryant Lake Bowl, make sure you say you went to an underground beer festival in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that featured strictly East coast Black IPAs. This beer pours... SUPPLIES!.. a dark, almost black color. It smells and tastes hoppy, even fruity. Let's end this session.

BPA: 3.07

Surprise last beer! We have Panil Barriquee Riserva which is a Flanders Red Ale from Italy. How bizaaa! It looks and smells like a standard Flanders Red, but there is a definite Brett kick on the tongue. A delicious surprise, it is.

BPA: 3.57





We're approaching our 1 year anniversary, although we're not sure what we're doing for it. Stay tuned, all 6 non-member readers!