Martin House Plum Pudding

Lately, i have been a total sucker for dessert beers.  I just can't help myself.  And so we have Plum Pudding, a sour plum ale with lactose and fig from the always interesting Martin House Brewing.  The 5.3% ABV beer pours a murky brown with an off white head and smells of plum and fig and sugar.  The flavor is a tart, but not overly tart, mix of fruit and malts with some subtle vanilla notes and a tangy finish.  It's a total holiday brew, and i am here for it.

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Hitmaker Accidental Trappist Belgian Tripel

Managed to get out into the hill country again yesterday to give one of the new brewers on the block a good try, and found the lovely Accidental Trappist Belgian Tripel from Hitmaker Brewing.  The 8.8% ABV brew pours gold with a white head and smells of molasses, spice, and a hint of caramel.  The flavor is a mix of molasses, spice, and yeast, with some notes of banana and alcohol in a lacy mouthfeel.  Good, good stuff.

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Acopon Homunculus

We spent some of yesterday afternoon out in the Texas hill country for a friend's housewarming party.  So naturally on the drive back i dipped into the pride of Dripping Springs, Acopon Brewing, for a crowler or two.  Homunculus is a British dark mild, and pours a brownish black with a minimal white head.  The easy drinking 3.5% ABV brew smells of malts and molasses, those same notes hitting the tongue along with some hints of chocolate and mild tea.  What a lovely way to close out the weekend.

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Martin House Half Baked

Fort Worth's Martin House Brewing probably makes some of the best and most complex beer here in Texas, and i've got to tip my hat to them as their Half Baked Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Pumpkin Pie Ale (that's a mouthful) was an excellent dessert beverage post Thanksgiving dinner a couple weeks back.  The 12% ABV beer pours a dark black with an off white head and smells of oak, whiskey, and pumpkin spices.  The flavor is a heavy mix of said whiskey and pumpkin spices, along with some actual pumpkin notes and some hints of vanilla.  Wonderful stuff.

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8th Wonder BrewGK Apple Kolsch

Every Thanksgiving, i pretty much pick out three different beers to accompany my day, something sessionable for the bulk of the day while i cook, a dinner brew, and then something a little heavier for dessert.  This year's pregame drinker was the BrewGK Apple Kolsch, a 5.7% brew collaboration from Houston's 8th Wonder Brewery and rapper Bun B.  Pouring a nice gold with a bubbly white head, the beer almost smells like a cider, the apples heavy on the nose.  The flavor is a tasty mix of said apples with some spices and hints of caramel, a wonderful brew that paired well with all the different food coming out of my kitchen.  Thanks Bun B!

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Pinthouse Breakfast at Klaus

Saturday brought us Pinthouse Pizza's annual Jaguar Shark release party, this time around with a number of variants of the brewer's barrel aged imperial stout. Unfortunately, i was not lucky enough to make it out there to wait in line and cop a couple of bottles. But fortunately they still had some when i went yesterday. Hooray! Anyway, while there, the wife and i sampled Breakfast at Klaus, a Jaguar Shark variant brewed with maple syrup, cinnamon, and blueberries. The 10.5% beer pours a dark black with a tan head and smells primarily of maple syrup and oak, with some hints of blueberry, chocolate, vanilla, and booze. The flavor is a boozy mix of malts, maple, and blueberry with the cinnamon spice on the back end to keep things lively. Ain't no party like a Jaguar Shark party cause a Jaguar Shark party don't stop.

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The Bruery Vermont Sticky Maple

We're getting closer and closer to the holiday season, so it's time to start seeking out a more decadent variety of beer.  The Vermont Sticky Maple, a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout from The Bruery, is one such beer.  Pouring a dark, brownish black with a tan and bubbly head, the 11.3% beer smells of malts, oak, maple syrup, chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon.  The flavor is similar, a sweet and sticky mix of said maple syrup, chocolate, vanilla, and whole lot of oak and bourbon.  Have one before or after your big family meal.

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Brunch Money Imperial Golden Stout

A lot of brewers experiment with different levels of breakfast beer, either making them light and slammable, or going the other direction and incorporating some traditional breakfast flavors in the brew.  The Brunch Money Imperial Golden Stout from Armadillo Ale Works favors the latter.  And to great effect at that.  Pouring a nice and hearty gold, the 10% ABV brew smells of malt, vanilla, maple syrup, and hints of waffle.  The flavor is a sweet mix of vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and those same maple syrup and waffle notes with some boozy hints on the back end.  If you're looking for a brunch beer, this one's got you covered.

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Rahr & Sons Den of Sin Pumpkin Ale

They're vanishing from the shelves now, giving way to Christmas and winter ales, so i figured i should get one more pumpkin ale on the books before 2019 eventually wraps up.  And the Den of Sin Pumpkin Ale from Fort Worth's Rahr & Sons is a wonderful example of the style to end on.  Pouring a dark brownish amber, the 7.8% ABV ale smells of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pumpkin.  Flavors of pumpkin and holiday spices abound with notes of brown sugar and malt, a sweet libation to ride out the fall season to.

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Goses Are Red

I'm always game for trying different styles of beer.  Honestly it's half the reason i do this little blog.  Anyway, i recently tried Goses Are Red, a sour, fruited gose style beer from The Bruery that's basically the beer version of a rosé.  The 5.6% ABV brew pours a clear amber with shades of pink and quickly dissipating, very carbonated head.  Aromas of fruit, spice, coriander, and a mild funk pair well with those same flavors of fruit and spice, along with some grape notes and an all around tartness that's clean and crisp from start to finish.  Drink this one with dinner.

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Prairie Artisan Rainbow Sherbert

We're finally starting to get some fall weather around here (which means it's in the '80s), but here's one last summertime brew to taste before the days really start to shorten.  Prairie Artisan Ales' Rainbow Sherbert is a sour ale that pretty much tastes like...you guessed it...rainbow sherbert.  The 5.1% ABV beer pours a slightly hazy gold with a little, quickly dissipating white head.  Aromas of fruit, citrus, and an overall tartness abound.  Flavors of orange, pineapple, and raspberry hit first with some sourness on the back end along with just a hint of funk.  Drink this as a farewell to the summer.

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4th Tap Brut of All Evil

Since we seem to be in the throes of an endless summer around these parts, i erred on the lighter, fruitier side of the beer spectrum over the weekend with the positively delightful Brut of All Evil from Austin's 4th Tap Brewing.  A 6.5% ABV Brut IPA with strawberry and watermelon, the beer pours a crisp, clear gold with a slight amber tint and a white head.  Aromas of strawberry and watermelon hit the nose with a slight flourish of hops, and the flavor is refreshing blend of the said strawberry and watermelon that finishes slightly bitter with a dry mouth feel, a wonderful Sunday beer.

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Roughhouse Ona Farmhouse Amber

With so many different breweries continuing to pop up in Austin and the surrounding hill country, it's hard to get around to sampling all of them.  But i try.  From San Marcos comes Roughhouse Brewing and their delicious Farmhouse Amber called Ona.  Pouring a nice amber (naturally) with a dissipating white head, the 6.3% ABV brew, refermented with dried Montmorency cherries, smells of grains, spice, and said cherries.  The flavor is one with the aroma, the cherries having a very balanced feel throughout, and some hints of tartness.  All in all, a lovely beer to close out the summer with.

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Bell Springs Extra Special Bitter

A couple of weeks ago when my wife and i spent a day and night out in the Central Texas Hill Country to celebrate our anniversary, one of the places we visited was the Bell Springs Winery in Dripping Springs, as it was next door to where we were staying AND they had recently added a brewery to their business as well.  And so i spent a lot of that Saturday with their Extra Special Bitter in hand.  Pouring a nice brown with a white, quickly dissipating head, the 6.16% ABV brew smells of malts, grains, and notes of chocolate and caramel.  The flavor is a wonderfully balanced mix of said malt and chocolate notes, light bodied and easy to drink, perfect for a weekend jaunt into the country.

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Southern Star Cygourd

I feel like there are not a lot of Texas breweries that do pumpkin ales, so when i find one that does, i tend to jump on it.  And so i enjoyed some libations from Southern Star Brewing out in Conroe, Texas over the weekend with their delicious Cygourd.  The 6.3% ABV pumpkin ale pours an amberish brown with a white, quickly dissipating head and smells of the usual suspects: nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice, and pumpkin of course.  Some pumpkin ales go heavy on the pumpkin and some go heavy on the spices.  Cygourd splits it right down the middle, an even smattering of both pumpkin and pumpkin spices in light bodied and easy drinking brew, with the spice lingering a bit on the tongue.  Great stuff and just in time for the season.

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Acopon Old Pounder

Over the weekend, my wife and i celebrated 11 years of marriage by ditching the kids with their grandparents and venturing out into the Central Texas hill country to take in some breweries we'd not been to before.  Out of the bunch, my favorite was the relatively new (2 years old) Acopon Brewing in Dripping Springs.  Country meets goth in the best way possible.  I enjoyed everything i tried, but the brew that hit me in all the right spots was the Old Pounder, a 5.4% ABV old style ale and variation of an ESB.  Pouring a copperish brown with a white head, the beer smells of malts and notes of toffee and chocolate.  The flavor combines said malt with some biscuit notes and some subtle chocolate vibes.  Delicious.  I'm going to have make the drive back out there again and soon.

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NXNW Iron Mermaiden

So yesterday, i completed my goal of hitting 40 (which later became 50) breweries/brewpubs over the summer of 2019, kicking things off Memorial Day Weekend and closing them out this Labor Day Weekend.  Magic number 50 ended up being Austin's NXNW Restaurant and Brewery who happened to be celebrating their 20th anniversary.  To celebrate, they were offering up a batch of their Iron Mermaiden, a sour, barrel-aged Irish stout brewed with tart cherries.  Pouring black with tan and foamy head, the 6.5% ABV beer smells of malt, oak, cherries, and a whole lot of sour funk.  The flavor is sour and malty, but with the sweetness of the cherries taking over a little bit more on the back end.  Overall, a pretty well balanced brew, and a great way to end my summer quest.  Good job everybody!

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Southern Heights Este Lager

As my summer brewery tour comes to its eventual close next weekend, i managed to knock off 3 more over the weekend, one of which was Austin's Southern Heights Brewing.  The place had a cool and relaxed vibe and some tasty brews.  One i enjoyed in particular, especially in this 100+ degree weather we've been struggling through of late, is the Este Lager, a 5.25% ABV Mexican style lager brewed with corn...or i guess maize if we're gonna be legit.  Light, refreshing, and summery, the beer pours a nice, clear straw color with a quickly dissipating white head.  A slightly sweet aroma of malt and grain prevails, with those same notes hitting the tongue.  Basically, it smells and tastes like a great beer, and it's a perfect brew for summertime.

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Brewtorium Barrel-Aged Little Ivan McGregor

My wife's been gone all weekend on a girls' trip to Vegas, leaving me as a de facto single dad over the weekend, but on Friday before she left the following morning, she and the kids accompanied me to The Brewtorium in Austin for dinner and beer.  She's nice like that.  Anyway, their Barrel-Aged Little Ivan McGregor, a combo Scotch ale/imperial stout was delightful.  Pouring a dark, deep brown with an off white head, the 11.5% ABV beer smells of toffee, vanilla, chocolate, and booze, those same flavors prevailing throughout.  Rich.  Complex.  Delicious.

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Devil and The Deep Over Current Belgian Tripel

At the start of the summer i decided it would be a good idea for me to attempt to go to 40 different breweries by Labor Day (the kinda sorta official end of summer).  Well, i ended up hitting #40 a week ago when i was in Galveston with a whole four weeks left to go.  So now, i'm sitting at 44 and shooting for 50.  Anyway, #40 was a brewery i've never been to before, the relatively new Devil and The Deep Brewery, and i really dug their Over Current Belgian Tripel.  The 9.5% ABV brew pours a nice gold with a full white head and smells of spice and Belgian yeast with some notes of banana and some floral hints.  The flavor has those same banana notes meshing with the other spices in a beer that tastes and feels strong, yet is still very easy to drink.  I'll have to come back next time i'm on the coast.

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Black Star Co-op Wish You Were Queer

Laying off the Spokane brews for now, as i could probably wind down the year writing about another one every week, and circling back to Austin.  Wish You Were Queer is a sour fruited ale from Black Star Co-op, a 6.5% ABV brew that pours a thick, hazy gold with a white head.  Aromas of fruit and tartness abound while notes of peach and passion fruit round out the flavor in a concoction that never gets too sour.  And sales of the beer benefit Out Youth, so goodness all around.

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Bellwether Second Breakfast

Still remembering and pining for all of the excellent beer imbibed in Spokane a couple of weeks ago, and beginning to notice a definite beer for breakfast theme among many of the brews that made their way into my open hands, open mouth, and open heart.  And so we have the Second Breakfast, a non-traditional Hefeweizen from Bellwether Brewing.  Pouring a nice straw-tinted gold, the 5.7% ABV brew has aromas of banana, bread, and some slight lemon zest.  The flavor has notes of said banana and bread along with some hints of honey, and the aforementioned lemon to keep things crisper.  All in all, it's an easy drinker and a perfect beer for summertime, breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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Whistle Punk English Mild

In general, i'm a beer after noon kind of guy, though when vacation mode kicks in, sometimes that internal rule gets thrown to the wind, particularly when i come across something that just works for breakfast.  And that brings us to the English Mild from Spokane's Whistle Punk Brewing.  The 3.9% brew pours a lovely transparent and amber-ish brown with a white head and smells of lightly roasted malts, bread, and some very subtle hints of florals, herbs, and tea.  The flavor is earthy and  just slightly bitter, but with hints of caramel and plum, and the aforementioned herbal notes giving the brew an unsweetened tea feel, both in taste and the overall light mouthfeel, a wonderful accompaniment to any breakfast.

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Grain Shed Purple Egyptian

Whenever i travel, it's pretty much a given that i'm going to make it to a brewery or two or fifteen.  That's what i did in Spokane, Washington over the weekend, and out of all of the beer consumed, tried, and tasted, the Purple Egyptian from brewery/bakery called The Grain Shed left all other brews in the dust.  A 6% ABV old ale, the beer pours gold with a frothy, slightly off white head and smells of grain and notes of fruit and molasses.  The Purple Egyptian grains, harvested from the Nile River Valley in Egypt, bring out subtle dried fruit notes to the flavor, that along with the malts makes for an earthy, complex, yet very refreshing beer.  You could drink this one for breakfast...and we did.  I can't wait to get back there again.

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Oddwood Ales Vermillionaire

Seriously, i am all about the pink beers this summer.  I can't control it.  I can't help myself.  Anyway, in my ongoing quest to visit 40-50 breweries this summer, i managed to get my wife and kids to join me at Oddwood Ales in Austin for some beer, some pizza, and some free video games.  The kids particularly enjoyed the video games.  I enjoyed the beer.  And my favorite was the Vermillionaire, a 6.6% ABV sour brew barrel fermented with raspberries.  Pouring a solid pink with an off white, pinkish, and quickly dissipating head, the beer smells of raspberries, cherries, and a slight tart funk.  The flavor is a crisp and sour mix of said raspberries and cherries that never goes overboard in any particular direction, making it a perfect after-dinner drink.  I even brought a bottle home.

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Celis Waller Kriek

I've been on a fruity and sour beer kick of late, so much so that i actually had to decide which one to write up today.  I settled on the Waller Kriek, a Belgian Kriek Lambic from Celis here in Austin due to the brewery's recent financial struggles.  The 5% ABV beer pours a pink hue with a white and quickly dissipating head, and smells of tart cherries and a slight funky spice.  The flavor is sweet and tart, the cherries up front with a sour finish, a great Saturday afternoon kind of brew.  Get it while you can.

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Humperdinks Raspberry Blonde

Over the weekend i met up with my family in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to watch my niece play some softball and spend some time with everyone.  While there, i made it over to Humperdinks Brewpub, a place with a little bit of nostalgia for me as it was a joint my dad used to frequent years ago.  To be honest, i think he just enjoyed that they have a beer called Buttface Ale.  My sons enjoyed that too.  And so, after a Buttface Ale for my dad, i had their Raspberry Blonde.  Pouring pink with a light pink and bubbly head, the 4.7% ABV brew smelled of...you guessed it...raspberries, along with some citrus and spice notes.  The flavor was a crisp and refreshing mix of...you guessed it again...raspberries, along with those same citrus and spice notes.  A very pleasant summer beer that may be too sweet for some, but complimented my dinner of fried food perfectly.

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Family Business El Verano Single-Hop Juicy IPA

Yesterday was Father's Day and somehow i convinced my family to go with me to not one, but two breweries out in the Central Texas Hill Country.  My boys even seemed to enjoy themselves at both Jester King (there were goats!) and Family Business (there were naps!), and i had a healthy sampling of brews from both locations.  One of the (many) highlights was the El Verano from Family Business, a single-hop Juicy IPA that pours a hazy, wheaty gold with a white head and smells of orange, citrus, apricot, tropical fruits, and summer.  The flavor is a wonderful mix of said fruit notes with some melon and a slight hint of bitterness.  And even at 6.6% ABV, it was thirst quenching easy drinker for a warm day.  Happy Father's Day to me.

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Real Ale Skullberry Strawberry Milkshake IPA

It was hot as hell here yesterday, a bad omen for the rest of the summer, but at least i had the wonderful and delicious Skullberry, a strawberry milkshake IPA from Real Ale, to cool things off.  The 6.2% ABV brew pours a hazy, unfiltered gold with a solid white head and smells of berries, fruit, mildly dank hops, and maybe just a hint of cream.  The flavor is a sweet mix of berries and hops with a touch of lactose to soften the mouthfeel and a hint of vanilla.  What a fantastic summertime beer.  I imagine i'll be drinking throughout the season.

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Compadre Love Buzzzz Golden Ale

So, a couple of weeks ago, i got this idea in my head that i need to hit up as many breweries as possible over the summer, and i settled on the magic number of 40 (though secretly, i'm actually hoping to do 50).  It's an endeavor maybe, especially with the whole full time job and kids and home ownership and stuff, but i think i can do it.  And i'm giving myself from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend...you know, the summer.  Let's do this!  Anyway, my quest began over Memorial Day Weekend with a lunchtime trip to a brand new brewery in the greater Austin area, Round Rock's Compadre Brewing.  Sampling a few of their wares, the highlight for me was the Love Buzzzz, a 6.3% ABV Golden Ale that poured a nice crisp gold (of course) with a quickly dissipating white head.  The brew smelled of floral and subtle fruit notes with some honey, grain, and hints of spice, the flavor being similar but with a nip of alcohol on the back end, a good lunchtime brew.  Much thanks to Compadre who, knowingly or not, began my stupid quest with me.  Cheers!

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Community 3D IPA

I've been an a hazy and juicy IPA trip of late.  Well, really for the last couple of years, as has the craft brew industry at large, but over the weekend i went with something a little more intense.  The 3D IPA, a triple IPA from Community Beer, uses 6 different kind of hops to wallop the senses.  Pouring an amberish gold with a big white head, the beer smells sweet, notes of pineapple, melon, and some tropical fruits abounding, along with some hints of malt and a subtle dankness.  The flavor is similar to the nose, the pineapple notes hitting first, followed by a warm alcohol feel and some caramel notes.  It's an interesting, heavy brew, 12% ABV with a veritable explosion of sweet, bitter, and booze on the tongue.  Give it a shot, but tread carefully.  And enjoy the pair of 3D glasses that come with the 4-pack.

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Zipline Copper Alt

Another brew from the Valentine's Day present my wife gave to me, a gift that keeps on giving, a sampling of beer from around the country, the Copper Alt from Nebraska's Zipline Brewing is a great anytime beer.  Pouring a dark amber with an off white head, the 5.2% ABV beer smells of grain, toffee, nuts, and earth.  The flavor is a balanced mix of roasted malt with subtle notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and a hint of biscuit all in a clean finish.  I'd pair it with anything.  Great job Nebraska!

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Martin House Bubble Haze Bubblegum Milkshake IPA

Fort Worth's Martin House Brewing has a pretty great track record with the quality of the beer, and they're never afraid to attempt new things.  And that brings us to their Bubble Haze, a 7.3% ABV hazy bubblegum milkshake IPA that tastes so much better than it probably has any right to.  Pouring a hazy gold with a bubbly white head, the beer smells of candy and bubblegum with some hints of fruit and subtle dankness.  It has a lacy mouthfeel that clings to the tongue, flavors of bubblegum, light citrus, sugar, and that dankness again rounding things out nicely, all with a slightly bitter finish.  Bravo.

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TUPPS Full Grown Pastry Chef

TUPPS Brewery out in McKinney, Texas, northeast of Dallas, puts out a pretty great imperial stout called the Full Grown Man, and seasonally, the brewery releases variations of said great imperial stout, all of which are wonderful.  The most recent is the Full Grown Pastry Chef, a decadent version of their imperial stout brewed with chocolate and raspberries.  The 11.8% ABV brew pours a dark black with a tan head and smells of roasty malts, chocolate, raspberry, and some hints of booze.  Flavors of chocolate and raspberry are heavy in the front of this full bodied beer, roasty and boozy notes lingering with some hints of other dark fruit and molasses.  A fine dessert beer all around.

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4th Tap Supernaut Imperial Stout

My ability to do all of the nerd things that i enjoy is much more difficult than it used to be.  Having kids will do that kind of thing.  And sure, i got to go out with my fellow vinyl nerds a couple of weeks ago for Record Store Day, but i have not yet been able to go and see "Avengers: Endgame," and i have no idea when that will be remedied.  It's just hard to coordinate all this kind of stuff when you've got a kindergartener and a 3-year old with needs and demands of their own.  Anyway, one of my nerd things that i very much love to do is watch the triumphant return of Joe Bob Briggs on Friday Nights for "The Last Drive-In."  For the uninitiated, it's a horror double feature full of Joe Bob's unique commentary that streams on Shudder.  And it starts at 8PM central time when my boys are still both awake and wanting to watch Power Rangers or Trolls or whatever else there in to at that given moment.  So i don't always get to watch it live.

But every now and then, my sons pass out early, exhausted from their week, and i get to sit in my dark living room, beer in hand, and watch some splatterfests.  Most recently, my beer of choice was the excellent and excellently named Supernaut, a 12% ABV imperial stout from Austin's 4th Tap Brewing.  The beer pours black with a brownish tan head and smells of chocolate, roasted malt, and molasses.  The flavor is a balanced mix of sweet and bitter, toasty malt notes combined with the chocolate with a lacy, kind of oily finish, a fantastic heavy brew to watch monster movies to.  It may be my go-to on Friday nights for the foreseeable future.

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And then subscribe to Shudder so you too can be a fellow Drive-In Mutant.

Pinthouse Pizza Electric Jellyfish IPA

Local brewpub/pizza eatery Pinthouse Pizza opened in Austin about six and a half years ago, and quickly cemented themselves as a go to place for beer lovers.  Now, they've got two additional locations and their Electric Jellyfish IPA (now finally being canned) has fast become THE local fave of the greater Austin area.  And why not?  It's damn good.  Pouring a hazy golden wheat color, the 6.5% ABV New England style IPA smells of fruit and citrus along with some floral and hop notes.  The flavor is a mix of grapefruit, pineapple, and other citrusy fruits with a medium to thick mouthfeel and some slight dank and hoppy notes on the back end.  I can drink this everywhere.

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Vista Seeking Sakura

I had a pretty excellent weekend the last couple of days full of records, breweries, bad movies, crawfish, and more.  And, after our last few attempts were struck down by rain or cold, the wife and kids and i finally made it out to Vista Brewing to sample their wares, eat some food, and enjoy the beautiful scenery in the hill country.  I tried several beers, but top marks have to go the Seeking Sakura, a wine barrel aged brett ale with cherries.  The 6.3% ABV beer pours a pink amber with a white and bubbly head and smells of cherries and tart fruit.  The flavor is tart, but not too sour, with a kind of lacy mouthfeel, lots of cherries, and slight funk.  It was a lovely brew for a sunny Saturday afternoon, and i made sure to bring a bottle home.

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Brieux Carré Phuk Boi

Another beer from my New Orleans trip last weekend, the naughtily named Phuk Boi from Brieux Carré Brewing Co. was the perfect kind of decadent yet easy drinking libation a crawl through the Crescent City calls for.  The brewery was also only 4 blocks or so from the house we were staying in.  A 6.1% ABV sour raspberry milkshake IPA, the beer pours a hazy gold with just the slightest of pink tints and smells of raspberries, citrus, and a hint of dankness.  The flavor is sweet and tart with the raspberries hitting on the front end, culminating in a lightly bitter, yet still tart, full-bodied milkshake feel on the back.  Tasty and easy to drink, seek out a Phuk Boi next time you're bumming around or near the French Quarter.

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Parleaux Beer Lab Berry Curie

I just got back from a lovely weekend in New Orleans, and as i was only there about 48 hours, just barely skimmed the surface of the city's craft beer scene.  I did make it to a couple of places though, and one of those was the Parleaux Beer Lab in the Bywater neighborhood.  A wonderful selection of beers to choose from, i started with the Berry Curie, a boysenberry/blueberry sour gose.  The brew pours a reddish pink with a light white head and smells of fruit, citrus, flowers, and sugar.  The beer is sweet from the added berries with a pleasant all around tartness with maybe just a hint of salt.  And at 3.8% ABV, this is one of those springtime day drinkers that goes great with backyards and sunshine.  I will have to get back there someday.

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Adelbert's Darkness Comes Alive Porter

Though they're generally way more known for their Belgian-inspired wares, the good folks at Adelbert's Brewery in Austin have concocted a damn, fine coffee milk porter called Darkness Comes Alive.  And aside from the excellent name, the beer is great too.  Pouring a dark brownish black with a light tan head, the 6% ABV brew smells of roasted malt, coffee, and notes of cocoa, vanilla, and cream.  The flavor is a smooth, medium mouthfeel mix of said roasted malt, coffee, and cocoa notes with some hints of spice and an overall creamy finish.  I very much enjoyed this beer and intend to drink more of it.  You should too.

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Spindletap Houston Haze IPA

I do love me some hazy IPAs, and i love how prevalent the style has become, popping up in each and every brewery across the country.  Not to be left out, Houston's Spindletap Brewery offers up their excellent Houston Haze IPA, a 6.5% ABV brew that pours a hazy (naturally), orange and gold with a white head.  The beer smells tropical, notes of orange, mango, pineapple, and more hitting the nose along with some light floral hints.  The flavor is sweet and fruity, said tropical notes hitting the tongue first before giving way to some bitter hop notes and a slight bite on the back end.  It's a great addition to the style.

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Oddwood Ales Green Hill Zone IPA

I started my vacation officially at 5PM on Saturday, and the first thing i did was make my way over to Austin's Oddwood Ales for the first time to meet some friends from out of town and enjoy a beer.  The place was pretty cool, and the beer was great.  The 6% ABV Green Hill Zone IPA really hit the spot too.  Pouring a hazy gold with decent white head, the beer smelled of citrus, orange, and pineapple, with those same notes at the forefront on the tongue with just a hint of bitterness.  A smooth, easy drinking IPA i'm sure i will want to enjoy once it starts getting hot around here.

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Hamburg Hoppenstance Double IPA

My wife sometimes does this cool thing where she signs me up for a beer-of-the-month kind of thing, usually as a gift for Valentine's Day or Father's Day or something, and then i reap the rewards.  From my latest delivery, i got the Hoppenstance Double IPA from New York's Hamburg Brewing.  The 8% ABV brew pours a light gold with a white head and smells of tropical fruit, grass, and some light dank notes.  The flavor is a smooth (especially for a double IPA) mix of citrus, grass, lemon peel, and some peppery spice.  This is a great brew to start the springtime with, even if it is abnormally cold in Austin today.

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Austin Beerworks and Sun King Brewing Body Spray Brut Double IPA

I'm sick today, body aching and throat scratchy, and have spent most of my time in varying degrees of sleep.  Quite honestly, the last thing in the world i want right now is a beer.  That being said though, i did enjoy a few over the weekend.  And the Body Spray Brut Double IPA, a collaboration (collaberge) between the folks at Austin Beerworks and Sun King Brewing, was a wonderfully strong libation to enjoy before the plague found its way into my home.  The 10% ABV beer pours a nice golden straw color with a bubbly white head and smells of tropical fruit, floral hops, and resin.  The flavor is a dry mix of floral and citrus hops with some subtle notes of sweet and tart and some warming alcohol notes that hit hardest in the chest and stomach.  Someday i'll be well enough to drink again.

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Deschutes 2017 The Abyss Rum

Finally getting around to writing about the The Abyss Rum, Deschutes' rum-barrel aged imperial stout from 2017.  I think i bought the bottle either in December of '17 or January of '18, then kept it locked away until Christmas, where it, along with a dozen other bottles accumulated over the year, was drunk with gleeful merriment.  It was worth the wait too.  Pouring a dark black with a tan head, the 13.9% ABV brew smells of rum, oak, roasted malt, cocoa, molasses, vanilla, and licorice.  Flavors of chocolate, malt, dark fruit, and toffee mesh well with the subtle oak and rum notes in this medium bodied beer, creating a pretty decent version of the brewery's staple.  As usual, i will stand by any version or year of The Abyss.  Find one...or more.

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Strange Land Grand Cru MMXVII Belgian Quad

I am a big supporter of Belgian Quads, and i've got to admit that the style is probably my favorite kind of beer.  And so, i try as many as i can find.  Austin's Strange Land Brewery's Grand Cru MMXVII Belgian Quad was one of the more recent.  Clocking in at 8.7% ABV, the beer pours an almost rose-tinted, transparent black, or deep, dark amber with a white head and smells of cherries, dark fruit, molasses, and some hints of oak and cognac.  The flavor is sweet, the fruit notes up front and center with some secondary yeast and malt flavors behind.  Not a bad little brew.

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Martin House Erebus Scotch Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with Coffee

I'll admit it.  There are times when i'll grab a new beer simply because the packaging and labels are so intriguing/amazing.  And so, here i am with the Erebus, a Scotch barrel-aged imperial stout with coffee from Martin House Brewing.  The 2-cans-in-a-box set up is pretty cool, especially with the creepy comic book artwork.  But none of that would matter if it wasn't good.  And it is!  Pouring a dark black with an off-white head, the 12.99% ABV brew smells of roasted malt, coffee, oak, and a little booze.  The flavor is the same, with some very subtle dark fruit notes and a dry finish.  Check it out.

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Great Divide Barrel Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Great Divide's Yeti Imperial Stout is great enough on its own, but barrel aged...man.  The 12.5% ABV delight pours a dark black with a tan head and smells of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, oak, tobacco, and a hint of vanilla.  Flavors of chocolate, toffee, oak, booze, and some dark fruit notes abound in a medium sticky mouthfeel that gets better and better as the beer warms.  It had been awhile since i last enjoyed a Yeti, but i'm back on that wagon now.

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Deschutes Black Butte XXX

I'm going to be writing about my Christmas beers for weeks.  It's a shame they're all gone, when i really could have used one last night after the refs stole the NFC championship and a trip to the Superbowl from my Saints.  But, moving on.  Deschutes consistently knocks it out of the park, which is probably why they've been around for 30 years.  To celebrate that milestone, the brewery released their Black Butte XXX 30th Birthday Reserve, a barrel aged imperial porter that weighs in at 13.6% ABV.  The beer pours a dark brownish black with a tan head and smells of malt, oak, chocolate, and some hints of dark fruit.  The flavor is a boozy mix of chocolate, oak, malt, and again those hints of dark fruit, all in a heavy mouthfeel that hangs on the tongue for a while afterward.  And you can really feel that 13.6% ABV.  An outstanding anniversary brew from an outstanding brewery.

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Fremont B-Bomb Bourbon Abominable Winter Ale

My habit of amassing bottles of beer to consume at the end of the year over the holidays yields all kinds of goodies that i'm then spending weeks to catch up on and write about.  Over Christmas of 2017, an amazing friend of mine was visiting from Washington state and delivered a veritable smorgasbord of fantastic brews from the Pacific Northwest.  One of those was the B-Bomb Bourbon Abominable Winter Ale from Fremont Brewing.  Keeping it stowed away in a cupboard for a year was a challenge, as i desperately wanted to try the thing, but i'm glad i did, as it was the perfect brew to spend Christmas Eve with after the kids had gone to bed and we'd finished wrapping and putting out the presents.  This wonderful 14% ABV brew pours a dark brownish black with a light tan head and smells of oak, bourbon, spices, vanilla, coffee, and maybe even a little bit of tobacco.  The flavor is a warming mix of caramel, vanilla, roasted malt, oak, spice, and booze.  I should drink one of these every Christmas.

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