976. Great Divide Brewing – Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
Nov27

976. Great Divide Brewing – Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti

It has been ages since I’ve sat down and been able to complete another beer review. I’ve tried several times throughout the year, and something always pops up. Back in February, I changed jobs again, and this new gig has been keeping me very busy. We’ve also done several college visits for my son, who is a senior in high school. We also took a big trip to Italy for our 20th anniversary. With everything going on,...

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975. Full Sail – Sanctuary Belgian Style Dubbel 2010
Dec31

975. Full Sail – Sanctuary Belgian Style Dubbel 2010

It’s New Years Eve and I thought I’d crack open a few beers. After starting the night with a couple IPAs, I thought I’d dig into the beer fridge and see what I could find. I had a craving for something a little malty, and I’ve been sitting on this beer for over a decade now. When I was an intern at Full Sail Brewing in 2010, I helped John Harris brew this beer. They also had the first batch of this beer on hand...

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660. (Updated) Goose Island – 2016 Bourbon County Brand Barleywine
Dec21

660. (Updated) Goose Island – 2016 Bourbon County Brand Barleywine

I’m appreciating that with my new job, I’m off work for the next two weeks. Today, I was able to get some housework and raking done, and now it’s time to relax. I decided it’s time to start cracking into more beers in the beer cellar, and I’ve had my eye on this one for a while. After 5 years of aging, I figured it was time to crack it open. Location: Poured into a snifter style pint glass at my home in...

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974. Rockwell Beer Co. – Blackberry Plum Polymath
Dec04

974. Rockwell Beer Co. – Blackberry Plum Polymath

Our family spent the morning delivering poinsettias for church and then we picked up some gingerbread house kits for the kids. Now I’m settling in to watch football on this chill weekend. A couple months ago, I went to St. Louis to visit my dad and stopped by Rockwell to see my fraternity brother who is the brewmaster there. I left with several new and interesting beers to try. This was one of them. Location: Poured from the pint can...

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973. Rockwell Beer Co. – Foeder Bock Doppelbock
Nov05

973. Rockwell Beer Co. – Foeder Bock Doppelbock

Several weeks ago, I went down to St. Louis to visit my dad, and help my cousin move into his dorm at Washington University. We then picked up Pappy’s BBQ for lunch and stopped by Rockwell for a beer, and to see my fraternity brother who is the brewmaster there. I got a chance to catch up with him for a bit and he grabbed a few beers for me to bring home. As the weather here cools down, I thought this would be a great fall beer to...

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972. Rogue Ales – Dead Guy Ale
Nov02

972. Rogue Ales – Dead Guy Ale

We had our annual Halloween party this past weekend, and as usual, we bought a bunch of beers that related to the holiday, including this one. As I was cracking open this beer tonight, I wondered if I had taken the time to review this beer yet. I was a bit surprised that I had not, because I think it was one of the first craft beers I’d had, and was my introduction to the flavorful beers brewed by Rogue. Location: Poured into a...

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971. Rockwell Beer Co. – Velour Tracksuit IPA
Oct19

971. Rockwell Beer Co. – Velour Tracksuit IPA

It’s been a while since I’ve taken the time to sit down and really sip on a beer. I started a new job about three months ago, so it’s taken a while to get into the swing of things. A few weeks ago, I went down to St. Louis to visit my dad, and help my cousin move into his dorm at Washington University. After we moved him in, we picked up Pappy’s BBQ for lunch and stopped by Rockwell for a beer, and to see my...

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970. Samuel Adams – Griffin’s Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine
Jul04

970. Samuel Adams – Griffin’s Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine

It’s Independence Day and I decided to dig deep into the beer fridge to see what I could find. I pulled out this big barley wine from Sam Adams that I think I’ve had in there since about 2012. I think it was part of a 3-pack of Sam Adams big beers for the holidays back then. My dad was visiting, so we just relaxed on the couch and watched fireworks while I sipped on this big beer. Location: Poured into a TEKU style pint...

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969. Swamp Head Brewery – Big Nose IPA
Jun26

969. Swamp Head Brewery – Big Nose IPA

It’s been a super rainy weekend so far – as we’ve gotten 8.5 inches of rain the last 24 hours. I’ve worked on our sump pump and have been checking the house for leaks and water intrusion all day. So after a long day, I knew it was time for a beer. I picked up this beer during our spring break trip to Florida, and have been meaning to review it soon. Location: Poured into a pint glass from the 12oz can at my...

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968. Brew Bus Brewing- You’re My Boy Blue Blueberry Wheat Ale
May26

968. Brew Bus Brewing- You’re My Boy Blue Blueberry Wheat Ale

When we arrived at our condo for spring break, I picked up a bunch of local beers for our time on the beach. One of them I knew I had to grab was this one. When we vacationed here a few years ago, a fraternity brother introduced me to a mutual friend and fraternity brother who owned the Tampa Bay Brew Bus. He was an incredible guy and I’ve been watching his career progress on social media since that day in 2012 we connected at...

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967. Motorworks Brewing – Intellectual Property Ale IPA
Mar26

967. Motorworks Brewing – Intellectual Property Ale IPA

As I mentioned in my last post, we are spending spring break in a condo in Indian Shores, Florida. When we got here, I picked up a bunch of local craft beers to try, mostly IPAs. I haven’t heard of this brewery or this beer, but since it was based in nearby Bradenton, FL, I thought I’d give it a try. Today we’re just relaxing on the beach, so I thought I’d sip this and do this review while soaking up the sun....

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966. Wicked Weed – Pernicious IPA
Mar25

966. Wicked Weed – Pernicious IPA

We are spending spring break in a condo on the beach in Indian Shores, Florida. When we got down here, I picked up a bunch of local craft beers to try, mostly a bunch of IPAs. I know Wicked Weed sold out to AB-Inbev, but when I visited their brewery in Asheville, North Carolina, I thought they had some really good beers. Since I can’t get this one at home in Illinois yet, I thought I’d give it a try. Location: Poured into...

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965. Maplewood Brewing – Son of Juice IPA
Mar13

965. Maplewood Brewing – Son of Juice IPA

It’s been another Saturday filled with home projects, but now it’s time to grab a beer and watch some March Madness. This beer was given to me by my sister a couple months ago, and I figured I’d better drink it before the hop flavors fade too much. It looks like a hazy IPA and I appreciate the fact that they have the ingredients printed on the side of the can, so I can see what hops they used. Location: Poured from...

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964. Rockwell Beer Co. – Sven Kölsh Style Ale
Mar12

964. Rockwell Beer Co. – Sven Kölsh Style Ale

TGIF! I’m watching my Mizzou Tigers in the second round of the SEC basketball tournament and decided to crack open a beer. This beer was given to me by my Mizzou fraternity brother who happens to be the brewmaster at Rockwell Beer Co. Location: Poured from the 16oz can into a Pilsner style glass at my home in Bloomington, IL. Numbers: 5% ABV, ~150 Calories Appearance & Aroma: This beer has a bright golden color and is...

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963. Keg Grove – Cheat Code Pilsner
Mar07

963. Keg Grove – Cheat Code Pilsner

It’s been a fairly relaxing Saturday. I started cleaning out my car in anticipation of our upcoming family spring break trip to Florida. I got a lot of work done outside, because the weather was so nice. Then, I got to watch my Mizzou Tigers basketball game in our hot tub. So, after dinner, I decided to crack open a beer I got a couple weekends ago when I helped with a fundraiser at Keg Grove Brewing Company. It’s called a...

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962. Deschutes – Obsidian Stout
Feb20

962. Deschutes – Obsidian Stout

I’ve spent most of today trying to troubleshoot our hot tub. So, while it’s filling up with water, I thought I would grab a beer to take the edge off of my frustration… and to sit down and watch basketball. My sister gave me this beer a couple of months ago. Although I’ve been to Deschutes brewery in Portland and had it there, I noticed I hadn’t reviewed it yet. It says it’s bottle conditioned on...

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961.  Deschutes – The Abyss 2015 Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged
Jan02

961. Deschutes – The Abyss 2015 Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged

It’s been a pretty relaxing holiday break, and I spent most of the day watching Mizzou basketball and the college football bowl games. As I’ve been looking into my beer cellar, I’m realizing there are a lot of great beers, but I’m not sure how much longer several of them will last. So, after having the Full Sail Black Gold vintages, I thought I’d try one of these Deschutes barrel aged beers. The label...

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960. Full Sail – Black Gold Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2006, 2009, 2011
Dec11

960. Full Sail – Black Gold Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2006, 2009, 2011

2006 Black Gold Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout TGIF! It’s been a great Friday because I Took the day off work, and did a little bit of Christmas shopping. So after a busy day at the stores, I came home and decided to break up in a big beer from the beer cellar. This beer was given to me by John Harris when he was the brewmaster at Full Sail Riverplace and I got to brew with him as part of my cuisinternship. I’ve been...

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Great Gift Ideas for Beer Lovers
Nov30

Great Gift Ideas for Beer Lovers

If you’re looking for something for that beer geek in your family, and are considering a nice beer drinking shirt, then here are more than a few ideas.  If you are the beer geek in the family, perhaps you could leave this list lying around or leave it up on your computer screen for someone to find.   Great Craft Beer Well, the most obvious gift for the beer geek is beer.  If you’re not familiar with craft beer, a good...

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959. Cigar City – 2014 Winter Warmer
Nov28

959. Cigar City – 2014 Winter Warmer

It’s Thanksgiving weekend, and without any family visiting, it’s been pretty relaxing. It’s a football Saturday, and so I got in the hot tub and watched the Mizzou-Vandy football game – getting to see Sarah Fuller, the first woman play in a major college football game. Tonight, I’m just hanging out, watching TV, and eating leftovers from our Thanksgiving dinner. Since I’m approaching the last couple...

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