Monthly Archives: January 2013

Tyranena Devil Made Me Do It! Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Porter

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Oops! Drained the glass before I remembered to snap a photo.

Oops! Drained the glass before I remembered to snap a photo. Please accept this label image as a shabby substitute.

Friday night is pub night, so I’m broadcasting on location from Jordan’s Big 10 Pub, where some of the finest minds in the midwest gather weekly for thoughtful discourse on the most salient of topics. While Fridays are always cause for celebration, this one called for a little extra revelry in honor of a fairly successful attempt at the GRE this morning.

I asked my compatriots to make tonight’s selection, and they managed to claim the last pitcher of Tyranena’s latest release from its Brewer’s Gone Wild series, Devil Made Me Do It! Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Porter. Before I get into the beer, I should admit extreme bias on this one. Tyranena Brewing Co., out of Lake Mills, WI, is easily among my favorite breweries, and I have a strong affection for its Brewer’s Gone Wild offerings, which are outrageously bold limited-release beers, typically with absurdly high alcohol content.

Regardless, Devil Made Me Do It is unbelievable. Thick and viscous – almost chewy – it’s sweet and chock full of intense, roasted chocolate and coffee flavors. Combined with a smooth, velvety mouthfeel and a hint of lingering bitterness, Devil Made Me Do It is unadulterated beer euphoria. The facts:

Tyranena Devil Made Me Do It! Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Porter
Style: Imperial Porter
Availability: Limited release
ABV: 7.5%
Hops: Not specified
Notes: Thick and viscous, with intense coffee and chocolate flavors.
More Info: http://www.tyranena.com/
My Take: Great googly moogly, this stuff is liquid euphoria.

IMPORTANT NOTE! Bockfest tickets go on sale at noon on Sun. 1/27. Get ’em at Capital Brewery, Steve’s Liquor, or Star Liquor. More info here: http://brewdujour.com/events/bockfest-ticket-release/

Tallgrass 8-Bit Hop-Rocketed Pale Ale

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Tallgrass 8-Bit APA: Tasty enough to melt a hop-hater's heart

allgrass 8-Bit APA: Tasty enough to melt a hop-hater’s heart

After yesterday’s Scotch Ale faux pas, I made sure to select a slightly lighter accompaniment to my GRE study session this time around. A Tallgrass 8-Bit APA that has been taunting me all week fit the bill perfectly. Typically, pale ales don’t excite me, but 8-Bit’s charming can art tugged at my little geekling heartstrings. A brilliant marketing scheme on the part of Tallgrass, an 8-bit rocketship graphic was all it took to get a pale ale into this hop-hater’s cart.

My questionable weakness for cute can art aside, I’m glad that 8-Bit found its way into my fridge. This “hop-rocketed” APA from Manhattan, KS based Tallgrass Brewing was superb. I expected a harsh bite on the front end, but was instead pleasantly surprised by complex fruity and yeasty flavors, which gave way to a gentle wave of bitterness. The finish was clean, without the lingering notes of floor cleaner that I find so unpalatable in most pales ales. The goods:

Tallgrass Brewing Co. 8-Bit Hop-Rocketed IPA
Style: American Pale Ale
Availability: Year-round
ABV: 5.2%
Hops: Magnum, Centennial, Cascade, Galaxy
Notes: Yeasty, fruity notes at the front give way to a pleasant wave of bitterness. A superb pale ale.
More Info: http://tallgrassbeer.com/beers.html
My Take: Tasty enough to melt this hop-hater’s cold, cruel heart. Bonus points for the cute can.

Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale

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Founders Dirty Bastard

Founders Dirty Bastard: A poor study aid

On the off chance that I decide to hang around academia after I graduate in May, instead of heading back to the real world, I’m taking the GRE this week. While it’s apparently common to spend a few months studying for this thing, I registered for it 2 weeks ago and the extent of my preparation has so far consisted of buying a study guide.

With 2 days until the exam, I thought it might be time to crack open that study guide. Naturally, I assumed that a delicious beverage would be a helpful aid to the learning process. When I conked after 20 minutes of studying, however, I realized that an 8.5% Scotch Ale was perhaps an unwise choice. Let this be a lesson, dear readers: while Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Style Ale is pretty fantastic, it is a rather poor study aid.

Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Founders is well-known for its line-up of heavy-hitting, eccentric ales. Shockingly, I have experience with very few of them, including this fine Scotch-style specimen. Like any good Scotch Ale, Dirty Bastard is dense and malty, with a notable whiff of alcohol on the pour. Standing above the crowd, however, Dirty Bastard lacks the unpleasant (in my opinion) syrupy sweetness that plagues many Scotch Ales and features pleasantly subtle notes of smoke and peat. The facts:

Founders Brewing Co. Dirty Bastard
Style: Scotch Ale
Availability: Year-round
ABV: 8.5%
Hops: Not specified
Notes: Dark and malty, but not too sweet. Hints of smoke/peat at the finish.
More Info: http://foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/dirty-bastard
My Take: Stellar example of a Scotch Ale done right. May I have another?