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!

Thirty First Meeting

We're at Derek's house for our 31st meeting with a grab bag of beers. There are some interesting options tonight that can't be obtained in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul/Golden Valley metroplex. Let us begin.

First up, we have a brand new style unseen in this beer club. Dogfish Head's Theobroma is a Chile beer. A chile beer that comes in at 9%. It pours pretty transparent, but it has a lot of flavor. It's relatively flat but has a full mouthfeel. Sweet, with a slight chili pepper taste at the end. I guess it's pretty good. The cocoa powder is the most notable flavor in this thing. PS- we're drinking out of Northwest Airlines cups served in an NWA tray.

BPA: 2.89

Nextly we have Avery The Czar. This is a repeat offender, but we haven't had the newest vintage. This is a hoppy imperial stout. Let's see how this rates compared to the last time we had it.

BPA: 3

Third up is Dogfish Head Bitches Brew. This is a much-coveted Imperial Stout that nobody here has tasted yet. This is another 9 percenter. Belfry is reading the story on the bottle, yet people keep interrupting. This pours like a standard RIS. It has a little bitter chocolate taste in it, as well as a little coffee. It has a slightly thinner mouthfeel than most of the big RIS's that we've tasted. A pretty smooth, well-rounded beer.

BPA: 3.56

Batting fourth is Half Acre Big Hugs. That sure is a silly name for an imperial stout! This one is 9.5%. It sounds like the theme is catch-a-buzz night. The picture on the bottle tittilates me. Oh boy, THAT'S-A COFFEE MEAT-A-BALL!! There's a lot of coffee and a little bitter chocolate. Let's rate.

BPA: 3.09

Next up is Bell's Double Cream Stout. It's milky millky riiiiiiiiiight. This one is an American Stout, which comes in at 6.1%. The cream refers to the mouthfeel, not the ingredients. That's what BA says, folks, and I'm sticking to it. It's way less flavorful than the previous stouts we've had.

BPA: 2.93

Mike brought a beer that I've never heard of from a brewery I've never seen before, yet it pours a beutiful orange. It's Gandhi Bot DIPA from New England Brewing Co! C Everett Koop, that's hoppy smelling! It's a bitter ale, that's for sho. Not a lot of citrus hops, though.

BPA: 3.4

Brent brings to us Lagunitas Sumpin' Wild. This is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale that comes in 8.8%. Tastes a little bit like Cynic. A very tasty Belgian Ale, indeed.

BPA: 3.54

Last up, we have Lampe's signature beer. It's Trader Joe's Vintage 2010 Ale, which they release around Christmas. Meeeeeerry Christmas, WTBC! This stuff tastes like cinnamon. It's a dark plum color. I'm running out of words to write about things. There are far too many distractions- Mount K2 debates, banjos, Gophers basketball, and Jimmer Fredette. Let's rate this before we have to pull out sleeping bags.

BPA: 3.05

Thirtieth Meeting

We're celebrating our 30th meeting in South Minneapolis by drinking South of the Border beers. That's right, it's Mexican night. We have homemade guacamole and American Adjunct Ale for all!

Arrrrrriba!!! First up is Pacifico. This fine American Adjunct Lager rolls in at 4.8%. It pours a transparent, light golden color with no carbonation to behold. It has kind of a sweet, corny... ahem... MAIZE taste. Pretty drinkable, I guess. Just light and smooth. If I wasn't drinking a double IPA on the side I might get really sick of this.

BPA: 1.62

Next up: the beer I would buy in college right after Christmas break because I could afford $10 6 packs for a couple weeks. Corona Extra! I picked up some Coronitas at Liquor Barrel, so we each get our own 7 oz. bottle. This stuff is 4.6%, BUT IT'S MASKED WELL BY THE COMPLEX FLAVOURS! Cool, Turnbull just did the straw-in-the-bottle trick. "This has gotten me laid on more than one occasion," Turnbull. This stuff is basically the same as the last, except less flavorful, if that makes any sense.

BPA: 1.06

Thirdly we have Dos Equis Lager Especial, senor. This comes in at a strong 5%, which surprises me. I assumed this would be like drinking a bunch of O'Doul's. It looks, smells and tastes almost the same as the last 2. Bienvenidos Miguel! A bit late, aren't we? I guess there's not a lot to say about this that hasn't been said about the last. A fine beer to drink at 2 in the afternoon in 90 degree heat.

BPA: 1.22

This next beer was picked up by Belfry next to the Home Depot. He told it to get in his truck to help him with a project in his yard. This one is the Dos Equis Amber, and it actually is dark. It's a darker amber color, yet it has no carbonation either. It definitely tastes the same as the others, but there's a faint hint of the amber malts. "There's a time and a place for Dos Equis Lager, but this stuff just tastes like Mexico trying to do a craft beer," Tom B.

BPA: 1

Last Mexican beer of the night is Negra Modelo. This is considered a Munich Dunkel Lager. Fun fact: Mexican ranchero music has a polka element in it because of the German immigrants in the 1800s. They started all of the Mexican breweries and combined polka with Mexican folk music. All of these beers smell like water.

BPA: 1.38

Lastly we have something as off-topic as possible. Mike brought "The Most Mexican Beer At His House." Being part of the white upper-class, this was a 3 Floyd's Double IPA. Although I will not complain. First taste: ellicited a wolf howl from Baron von Turnbull. 9.5%, this one is!

BPA: 3.53

That'll do it. Adios MUCHACHOS!

Beer Stats

We've hit the 200 beer mark, so it's time for another epic beer stat breakdown.

By country:

US- 153
Belgium- 24
Germany- 15
Japan- 7
Canada- 2
Austria- 2
China- 1
Czech Republic- 1
England- 1
France- 1
Norway- 1
Scotland- 1
Thailand- 1


By State:

California- 36
Colorado- 23
Michigan- 15
Minnesota- 15
Oregon- 11
Wisconsin- 10
New York- 8
Ohio- 8
Missouri- 6
Pennsylvania- 6
Illinois- 5
Massachusetts- 4
Delaware- 1
Idaho- 1
Maryland- 1
Maine- 1
Montana- 1

By brewery (min. 4):

Stone- 7
Town Hall- 6
Great Lakes- 6
Rogue- 6
Goose Island- 5
Sierra Nevada- 4
Great Divide- 4
Odell- 4
Bell's- 4
Founders- 4
Ommegang- 4
Southern Tier- 4
Victory- 4
Kiuchi- 4

# of beers we've tried in BA's top 100:

37

Our top rated beer:

Russian River Supplication- 4.0

Our lowest rated beer:

Miller Lite- .67

Twenty Ninth Meeting

Our 29th meeting takes us to Blent's prace, located deeeep in the Far East. The Missionary, Friar Belfry, was brave enough to take over blogging duties because I came down with a nasty case of SARS. If you can't tell, the theme is Asian beers.

Asian Beer Club

Tsingtao ABV – 4.8% Actually brewed in China
Uuuuuuggggh this is awful, says Colin. Tastes like fresh mountain water with a hint of hops and barley.

Mountain Water makes
Fresh beer diluted malt, hops
Finest Chinese beer

BPA: 1.75


Sapporo ABV – 5.0% brewed in Ontario

Pairs well with sushi says I.

Starting now and retroactively I’m putting the reviews into haiku

Sweeter than the last
Brings honor to Japan (goooong)
Nice job Canada

BPA: 2.01


Hitachino XH ABV- 8% Brewed in Japan

Legit brew hoppy yum
Malt and spice saki present
Sea Shepherd saves whales

BPA: 3.04


Hitachino Japanese Classic Ale ABV 7%

Cedar taste lingers
Light and crisp finishes clean
Tradition fulfilled

BPA: 2.8


Hitachino Espresso Stout ABV – 7.5%

Not from Kentucky
Breakfast worthy coffee taste
Supplies! no legumes

BPA: 2.85


Carpenter’s Mikan Ale ABV 6.5% Brewed in Japan

Saison from Japan
From Mt. Fuji snow monkey
The Shokunin spirit

BPA: 2.96


Hitachino Nest Real ginger brew ABV 7%

Spicy ginger nose
Bubbly ginger on my tongue
small owl respect

BPA: 3.15


Asahi Super Dry ABV5% Brewed in Toronto

Mountain water none
Uneventful to the max
f-ing Canada

BPA: 1.5


Chang ABV 5% Brewed in Thailand

Elephant Ass Chang
Chang Chang Chang Chang Chang Chang Chang
Angry Birds Alert

BPA: 1.45


Morimoto Black Soba Ale ABV 4.8% Brewed in NYC!?!?! j/k Portland but same difference for asian beer club

Confused global theme
Continental mishap, JOE
disORIENTed

BPA: 2.89