Every child is different

I'm not sure how many of you have kids or have children in your lives, but whether you do or not I am almost certain you can understand that all kids are different. I did not fully understand what this meant until my wife and I had our first two boys (we have three). Aiden, my oldest, was a very quite baby(most of the time). On the other hand we have our second child Mason. As a baby Mason was extremely active and would NEVER sit still.


Today Aiden is 6 and Mason is 5 and I have reason to believe they have switched personalities, Mason is now quite content to play alone while Aiden at times is rambunctious and boisterous.

The reason I bring up kids tonight is obviously because my beer is like my fourth kid! Seriously, though its because just like kids, every beer is different, even in the same family. One IPA is not the same as another IPA. At the same time one stout is not the same as any other. This continues down each family of beer.

I would also like to apologize to my faithful fans...all 3 of you! I know it has been awhile since I have posted, but it has been for good reason; family, school and work. So tonight I am bringing you two beers. They are completely different in style, taste and even from different continents!

My first beer tonight I want to give a big thanks to Downtown Wine and Gourmet in Harrisonburg, Va (also thanks to my brother Rob, who actually WENT and got the beer--a lot closer for him!). They were able to hook me up with a beer from a Virginia brewery that I cannot get up my way. It is called Striped Bass Pale Ale from Devils Backbone. Of note is that all proceeds go to the preservation of the Chesapeake Bay waters. This beer is so clean and light, it has one of the most refreshing taste. The floral hop flavor is light and cleanses your mouth of its own flavor, inviting you to drink up. This beer is one of the clearest brews I have seen in a long time, slight carbonation bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass giving it a classic beer look. It also has a subtle citrus smell/flavor which would make this the perfect summer session beer if it weren't for the fact I didn't have it then! If you can get this around you I highly suggest getting more than one, with its relatively low ABV you can drink it all afternoon!

So, on to the next! I have recently been on a stout kick trying to expand my experiences. On my weekly trip to Total Wine I found something I had only ever read about, the brewery Nøgne Ø out of Norway. The name of the brewery means naked island, which is symbolic for Norway. I went with their Imperial Stout, I am glad I did, not only does it fit into this posts premise, but it is also an amazing stout! This beer is so striking when out of the bottle, it is a smooth black pour that comes out of the bottle like chocolate syrup with an obsidian color and a fluffy brown head on top that slowly disperses. The mouth feel is amazing! It coats your tongue and mouth with a thick layer of soft alcohol. It has a slight coffee after taste coming from the burnt malts used during the brewing process. It is the perfect dessert beer (which is the reason I had to open it when I did, Mallory wanted to try it!). This is definitively on par with Dark Hollows from my previous post!

It is always cool to get something local and from not so local and compare the two. They may be complete opposites  but both breweries have brewed amazing beers and I cannot wait to try more!

I would also like to throw out, if there is any beer you want me to try and feature please feel free to email me or contact me in your preferred manor (andrewbutler85 on twitter, maamrb5@gmail.com or facebook.com/cheersdaddy)

Cheers and thanks for spreading the word!

International IPA Day

Hoppy IPA Day everyone...get it, hoppy!? I make myself laugh sometimes (admittedly more often than other people really). If you have not already heard , which if you are reading this I doubt thats the case; today is the second official IPA Day(IPA Day history). IPA day was created by online personalities Ashley Routson of Bison Brewing in California (Bison Brewing) and Ryan Ross of Karl Strauss Brewing Company (Karl Strauss Brewing Company). They wanted something that would unite the whole craft beer world, from California to Maine to Europe and beyond. I think it worked. I saw some statistics today and there were 6.4 thousand tweets with hashtag #IPADay and 4.7 thousand blogs/posts. It is amazing to me that the craft beer world is still so small and that people have not caught on yet!

I must admit that I have been excited and anxious about writing this particular blog post for the past week or so. The IPA beer has become the staple of just about every American Craft Brewery, and no two brews are alike while some breweries like Sierra Nevada and Oskar Blues have two different strong Pale Ales, so I knew I had to find a brew that was new (at least to me) and write a poignant and informative review. I have succeeded in finding a newer IPA I even went with a Double IPA and hopefully I will succeed in the latter.

Tonight was my last evening of manual labor with my dad for a little while, how long, I do not know. It is also the last night that I have to stay home alone and dress myself in the morning! The dressing myself is the scary part..trust me, I can however tie my own tie...YAY ME!

The beer that I am drinking tonight is from the Long Trail Brewmaster Series: Double IPA. It clocks in at 8.6% ABV with an 86 IBU rating. What this means to you is that this is a strong, bitter beer, at least in theory. Long Trail has brewed this IPA with the decidedly American Chinook and Cascade Hops. The Cascade hops give the beer a distinctive floral and "citrusy" taste while the Chinook hops give smokey and herbal flavors. This special bottle gives the drinker instructions on how to pour as well as what kind of glass to pour into. This being the big beer it is you will want to pour slowly so that the head does not get so big that you cannot drink right away. You will also want to serve this beer chilled at around 45-50 degrees, which in my opinion is to keep the alcohol flavor somewhat suppressed.

Upon tasting this DIPA your mouth is hit with the hops and all the floral and citrus flavors, but what Long Trail has done really well is bring out the malt flavor. If you let the brew sit on your tongue (its hard not to swallow good beer right away as I am sure you know this already) you can really feel the low carbonation of the beer and the alcohol softly hits the back of your nose. This beer gets better as you continue to sip and I will say my second glass was a lot better than my first, which is very impressive.

I am considering the purchase of another 1.6 pint bottle for ageing purposes, just to see how the character will change. Overall I enjoyed this beer, maybe not one I would get for an everyday drinking session, but one I would get for special occasions or special dinners, but make sure you are having a strong meat like beef brisket or grilled Lamb...at least that's what Long Trail says! Don't take my word for it, take theirs!

Happy reading and Cheers!

Virginia Craft Beer Month

August has been named the official Craft Beer Month by the awesome state of Virginia. I am proud to call Virginia my home state! Having been born and raised within 20 miles of where I now live. Some may say that is sheltered, nay I say, it is loyalty!

Tonight is night number two of home alone for me so instead of just coming home after work I decided to help my dad with his first major project post retirement...Redoing the deck at mom and dads house! So obviously I needed a beer when I got home. By the way congrats dad!

I had a big decision tonight well I mean not really THAT big but big enough; do I go with one of my go to beers or do I try something I've never had before. In true craft beer enthusiast style I went with something I have only ever read about. I decided on a brewery by the name of Devils Backbone Brewing Company more specifically I chose their brew Belgian Congo Pale Ale (Devils Backbone Brewing Beers). I actually just read about this company today in an article about the Virginia Brewers Guild and the Brew Ridge Trail (Read the article here). 

Not knowing much or anything really about this Pale Ale I decided to do some research first. Devils Backbone was founded in 2008 in the heart of Virginia; Lexington Virginia to be exact. For a "newer" brewery they have certainly made quite the impression, by winning a few awards at the GABF (if you consider a lot a few!). Steven, the founder is actually from Virginia as well and even from the same area as I am which makes me like this brewery even more. 

My first impression of Congo was typical IPA with a piney, floral smell right out of the bottle, I was curious about the Belgian aspect of this brew, but after pouring into the everyday pint glass this must be the clearest Pale Ale I have ever seen, you can read the writing on the bottle through the glass! I take my first sniff and realize my initial thought is wrong...dead wrong! Yes you get that pine/hoppy smell, but take a deeper breath and there is lemon and orange in there! This is the first place I sense the Belgian twist. Of note upon pour is a beautifully white head that develops and lingers around for a bit.

This is not a "big" beer, yes it does have 50 IBU's which is a lot by every day standards, however among IPA's these days this is typical and not over powering at all. The beer has a great feel on the tongue, big sips are easy to take and can multiple very easily! While sitting on your tongue you can really taste the Belgian style of this Pale Ale, just like a true Belgian it finishes with a hint of citrus and fruit. What I really love about this beer is that there is absolutely no bite at the end. Most IPA will pucker your mouth and you really have to be a true craft beer person to want more, but not this awesome beer from the great state of Virginia! This beer may have just become my favorite beer and that is saying something when I rarely get the same beer twice! 

I will definitely pick up another 6 pack next time I throw some steaks on the grill and I suggest you do the same! 

Happy reading and Cheers! 

(spread the word!)