jester king news

Check out the latest news from Jester King. They expect to be bottling their Wytchmaker Rye IPA and Commercial Suicide very soon. However, Texas won't be seeing them on shelves for another 6-8 weeks.

They're also playing around with a wild farmhouse ale, barrel aged of course. The consensus after recent tastings is more time though. I think Jester King is teaching all of us a lesson in patience...le sigh.

If you haven't had a chance to try Jester King's Wytchmaker Rye IPA or Commercial Suicide, you can still get it at a select few pubs. Draught House and Whip-In both have them on tap. The Wytchmaker Rye IPA is a great IPA...creamy in texture, hoppy in flavor and a little dry at the end. The Commercial Suicide is a low alcoholic brew with great flavor and very easy to drink.

Does anyone know where else you can get these brews?

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lips of faith le terroir

This sounds absolutely delicious, and I sure hope Texas gets bottles of these!

http://beernews.org/2010/12/new-belgium-le-terroir-heading-to-bottles/

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black star co-op grand opening and inaugural tapping of their house beers

December 10-12 will be Black Star Co-op's Grand Opening! But wait, there's more. Not only is it the grand opening celebration, but they will also be unveiling their house beers High Esteem and Double Dee. I'm very excited about this. Aren't you!? Here are the descriptions of these two beers from their website:

High Esteem
One of our most conventional beers, High Esteem is akin to a pale ale with a few twists. A touch of rye, a dash of honey, and a generous dry hopping add up to make High Esteem a refreshing mix of flowers and spice. A great beer to cut the 100-degree Austin heat. 5% abv.

Double Dee
Rich and malty, Double Dee complements our High Esteem with a modest bump of malt presence, alcohol, and residual sweetness. Brewed with an addition of kettle sugar, the flavor is toasty and nutty with a hint of raisins, and is balanced by an herbal hop finish. 6% abv.

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boulevard smokestack series now in 4-packs

Went to Spec's today and picked up a 4-pack, yes a 4-pack, of the Boulevard Sixth Glass Quadrupel. Quads are so great during the winter season, being very malty and warming. Unfortunately, they were out of the Tripel, Wit, and Tank 7 Saison, but the Quad will do just fine. Hopefully they get more Tank 7, as it's one of my favorite saisons on the market.

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strongest beer in the world

A Dutch brewery called 't Koelschip (The Refrigerated Ship) has now stepped into the crossfire of the title for World's Strongest Beer. BrewDog's End of History is no longer the strongest beer (even at 55% abv). Nope, the strongest is now at 60%, or 120 proof. Yes, you heard right...60% abv. There are only a few spirits out there that are stronger than this beer (Absinthe, Bacardi 151, and Everclear).

Not really sure what to think of all this. I mean, as long as the beer tastes good, then go for it. Hopefully these brewers aren't brewing these strong beers just for the sake of being a strong beer.

For more information on this brew:
http://eater.com/archives/2010/07/29/dutch-brewery-unveils-new-cheaper-strongest-beer-in-the-world.php

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glass night by jester king at black star

Tonight is glass night (buy a pint, keep the glass) at Black Star Co-op, and it's local sensation Jester King this time. They have both the Wytchmaker Rye IPA and Commercial Suicide on tap, but tonight they are also tapping the Whiskey Barrel aged Commercial Suicide (yum!). If you haven't had a chance to try Jester King yet, head on over to Black Star Co-op and try one of these beers. The Wytchmaker Rye IPA is creamy, sweet, and bitter. The Commecial Suicide is easy to drink...a nice session beer that packs a lot of flavor.

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a hoppy thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. I sure did. It was filled with food, family, and of course, craft beer. For a pre-dinner drink, I tried the Boulevard 21st Anniversary Fresh Hop Pale Ale. Unfortunately, there was no glassware I could pour the beer into, so I had to stick with a plastic cup. This beer was, well, kind of boring for me. I don't know, maybe I wasn't totally in the mood for it. I'm going to give it another chance, and use glass to pour it into of course. However, there didn't seem to be a lot of balance in the beer. The aroma seemed a bit off-putting, and the head dissipated quite quickly. Like I said though, there was a lot going on around me so maybe I couldn't fully enjoy the beer.

Post dinner, one of our good friends from Atlanta brought with him some home brew. He made a Belgian style Dubbel. Admittedly from him as well, there was little head with the beer (happened to me a couple times too). However, the aromas were very floral, peppery, and sweet. The flavor profile was malty, floral, and it had a creamy texture that was very nice too. It was easy to drink, and of course with any home brew, it put a smile on my face. I'm leaving one bottle in the fridge to age, so let's see what it tastes like in 6 months.

What did everyone else drink for Thanksgiving? Did any pairings stick out as being exceptional?

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