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PappyVanWise

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  1. PappyVanWise
    And beer experts appear to agree: The Best Beers to Drink with Burgers
  2. PappyVanWise
    I was hoping I'd like this a little more, with the big splash Boulevard made in Richmond, also for purely selfish reasons. This is a beer from Kansas City, and I'm a Kansas City Chiefs fan, so I was hoping I could find a beer to drink through football season, while watching the boys improve on last year's 2-14. Having it between the two other IPAs, it just wasn't a stand out. Back in Black is a much smoother version while All Day has the bite with less alcohol, making it a better choice for a session beer. Luckily Boulevard has a big portfolio available in this market, so I'll drink on and find something that could work.
  3. PappyVanWise
    The first time I had an All Day IPA it was at a late spring vegetarian cook out. For some reason, it came across as way too bitter to enjoy with any of the food. I can't recall exactly what was on the menu, but it was some variation of grilled vegetables with baguettes. This weekend my wife cooked up some obscenely thick hamburgers topped with point reyes blue cheese, and this my friends, was a beer and food match for the ages. The fat from the burgers did a great job cutting the bitterness of the hops, resulting in the smooth tasting session beer I was hoping for. Blue cheese is a vice of mine, and I had never thought to pair with an IPA, but it also worked pretty well. I think salty cheeses in general would hold up to this well. To be honest, the bitterness I remember from my first All Day IPA session wasn't here from the onset. The hops profile was more on the piney side again and away from the citrus ones, but with the low alcohol content, the pine wasn't overwhelming like in the higher alcohol IPAs. Looking at Beer Advocate, I might be mixing up pine and fresh cut grass...but neither are flavors I really look for. Sorry HT didn't have it, but the Total Wine on W Broad Street had plenty. It's only 98 miles from Arlington, so hop on down, it's also right next to the newest Buz and Ned's.
  4. PappyVanWise
    Just to revive a long dead thread, I went to a Catoctin Creek tasting at Morton's in Richmond last night. Scott Harris was presenting four spirits and gave a little background on each one, as well as the distillery in general. I don't know if he does these road shows a lot, but I found it very informative a great introduction to the brand. He brought the Watershed Gin, Roundstone Rye, Mosby's Spirit, and 1757 Brandy. I'm not much of a brandy drinker, so it was a good opportunity to taste something I would usually ignore at the store. Now I might pick up a bottle just to have around the house in case of emergency. It's nice to have some house liquors distilled so close to home.
  5. PappyVanWise
    From reading the review, my big takeaway is that Olive Garden warrants at least one star from Tom.
  6. PappyVanWise
    Another request from the field, and an excellent pairing to last week's Single-Wide I.P.A., we have Founders All Day IPA. The All Day IPA is named because it is a session beer clocking in at a low 4.7%. Right now it's only available in bottles, but Founders is supposed to be be releasing cans later this summer. I had this a few weeks ago, and remember thinking it's pretty good for a cookout beer. Founders has been one of my favorite breweries since the first bottle of their breakfast stout oh so many years ago. This is their newest "fully available" beer, and, as of May, has become their top seller. Although I do love their beers, I didn't know much about the brewery aside from them being Michigan-based. Here's some history on their name from a MLive.com: The brewery's official corporate name is actually Canal Street Brewing Co., an homage to the area in Grand Rapids where several breweries were located in the 1800s. The brewery's original location was on Monroe Avenue, formerly known as Canal Street. "We were playing off of this whole throwback thing," said co-founder Mike Stevens. Early beer bottle labels featured a historic black-and-white photo of four local brewers sitting on a large wooden beer barrel. The word "Founders" appeared above the photo. "It literally stood for the founders, meaning the some of the original brewers of the beer movement in Grand Rapids," Stevens said. "Then everyone started calling us Founders because that's what was on the beer label." A customer offered to design a better label in exchange for some free beer and came up with the logo known today. Looks like six pack bottles are widely available (reported sightings at Harris Teeter in Arlington), and should be about $10. Special bonus if you attend Founders Fest this weekend, Don will waive your membership fees for 2014. Enjoy, Eric
  7. PappyVanWise
    I'm Jewish and I kind of look like a Viking, or at least did in my long hair and bearded college days. Some of my friends back then wrote a song called Eric The Viking Jew in my honor, and it just kind of stuck.
  8. PappyVanWise
    Last year, Man vs. Food’s super glutton Adam Richman hosted a Best Sandwich in America bracket style competition. The winner for the Mid-Atlantic region was a fried chicken liver sub from The Black Sheep, besting a Baltimore crab cake and the Washington W Hotel’s chicken club (perhaps the Fast Gourmet chivito was declared ineligible). Today, I found myself close enough to The Black Sheep to stop in for lunch. It is pretty close to the VCU campus, and I imagine they have a steady stream of customers at all hours. They are open breakfast through dinner. After a quick glance at the menu, I decided on the USS Congress described as chipotle roasted pork shoulder simmered in a tomatillo barbeque sauce with grilled pineapple & a Mexican style pickled pepper & cabbage salad, loaded into a toasted French baguette. The first thing you’ll notice is that the sandwiches aren’t referred to as subs, grinders, hoagies, or any other familiar term, they are called battleships, and all named in honor of said ships. Secondly is that the prices seem absurd, $12 for a “half” $18 for a “full”, that is until you realize the half appears to be over a foot and the whole is enough to feed three or four people. Although the dining room is quite charming, I got my battleship to go. By the time I got home, my lunch was still warm and delicious. In my head, I was thinking the flavors would be similar to District Taco’s al pastor, but it was much more a bbq shoulder that happened to be served with pineapple. The pickled pepper and salad gave it a banh mi vibe, but it all worked very well together. Even after the twenty minute car ride, the veggies still crunched and the bread wasn't too soggy from the sauce. I imagine they do a lot of to go orders, and know how to pack their food. Coming from the interstate, instead of through the city, it’s very easy to get to from the Belvidere exit off 95 South. The first trip was worth it, and I’m looking forward to exploring the rest of their menu. They don’t have a website, but use Facebook to post their menu and information. Bonus points for making their page public, so you don’t need an account to view it, The Black Sheep Facebook Page.
  9. PappyVanWise
    I've enjoyed the past few beers under 6% ABV, so I thought I'd find another to throw out there, and Single-Wide I.P.A. it is. Boulevard was founded in 1988 as a local brewery for Kansas City but has grown to be the 10th largest craft brewer in the country (and yes, we can argue about the definition of a craft brewery, 160,000 barrels sounds like a lot to me). Boulevard Brewing is new to the Richmond area, and perhaps to Virginia altogether. The local Whole Foods had a roll out similar to the one New Belgium had in Arlington when it became available. From the website: "Boulevard Single-Wide I.P.A. is our take on a style that originated in 18th century Great Britain. This American version"”inspired by our Smokestack Series Double-Wide I.P.A."”boasts a heady combination of six varieties of hops, some of which were employed for dry-hopping." It's at 5.7% ABV and claims to have a mix of six different hops listed on the website. It comes in 6 packs of bottles for about $9, and both the VA and MD Total Wines show it as in stock. Boulevard recommends to pair it with spicy or cajun foods. Happy Drinking, Eric
  10. PappyVanWise
    Hey Jake, I just saw (5 days too late) that you did a tasting at J Emerson down the street from my new Richmond digs. Was this a one time thing or do you come down regularly?
  11. PappyVanWise
    Yes, it is the newest Bon Chon franchise, but not in Arlington. This one happened to open up this week in Richmond. It's in a 2 mile triangle with a Hooters and Buffalo Wild Wings, so the Wing Wars have begun.
  12. PappyVanWise
    And where did I dine (and in what city)? Here's a hint, this was day two of a soft opening, with tomorrow being the grand opening.
  13. PappyVanWise
    As promised, I drank this by the pool this weekend. It's still as crisp as I remembered, but, and I don't know if this is thanks to the Dr's note above, I couldn't get the piney-ness out of my head. It smelled of pine and definitely had a pine flavor to it. Now this isn't a bad thing, it was just a flavor that overwhelmed the first few sips. After that, it did mellow out, and I wonder if poured into a glass or pulled from a tap, the pine wouldn't be so prevalent. I am a hops guy, but really don't know the flavor profile of each varietal. I've been slow to realize saying you like hoppy beers is like saying you like edible food. There's so much variety in hops, it's good to know what you like. I looked up the beer on 21st's website, and according to them it is Columbus for bittering, with both Columbus and Centennial for flavoring. In comparing this to the other canned beer from Memorial Day weekend, Hardywood Cream Ale, I'd say the biggest drawback was the alcohol content. Back in Black at 7% and the Cream Ale at closer to 4.5% made a big difference. While I still enjoyed the BiB, it wasn't the smooth summer beer that the Cream Ale turned out to be.
  14. PappyVanWise
    Pardon my first selfish post of the VBT, but I have to rave somewhere about this local product. For those of you who aren't familiar with Hardywood Park, it is one of the breweries that have started to put Richmond on the beer scene map. They gained some notoriety with a 100 point rating from the Beer Advocate boys for their Gingerbread Stout. Along with Strangeways, Center of the Universe, Lickinghole Creek, Extra Billy's, and the grandfather of them all Legend, Richmond has started to make a name for itself in beer. Cream Ale is a personal weakness of mine. Back in the days of the good Brickskellar, I drank through their entire stock of Pelican Kiwanda Cream Ale. They never got any more, and I had to have a friend from Portland bring some to me when he visited the East Coast. I've never found a cream ale that quite hit me the same way, until I picked up a six pack of these cans ($10 at Total Wine Richmond). According to the Hardywood PR team (who are very good btw), "in 1935, Richmond, Virginia made beer history as the first place ever to sell canned beer, a cream ale from Krueger Brewing Company". This brew is supposedly a tribute to that. It doesn't redefine any style or stake new ground, but it is an excellent cream ale. The alcohol content is a low 4.4%, and the color is a light pilsner. Regardless of what I said about Back in Black, this is my new go to canned beer for this summer. It's light, it's crisp, and it's smooth, and I imagine it pairs with any meal you care to eat outside. I don't think Hardywood cans and bottles make their way to DC, but keep an eye on the Churchkey Twitter feed or have someone you know from Richmond bring some to you. This is a brewery that is doing some really exciting things and should become a national player, or at least national name, within a few years. -Eric
  15. PappyVanWise
    It was for sale for one day in the US, on December 12, last year...or 12/12/12. The monks apparently needed to raise some capital to rebuild their roof. They partnered with Shelton Brothers importers and Total Wine to sell six pack "bricks" that came with two chalices. I think that Laurel was the only one in the DMV to carry it. I was lucky enough to have someone in Raleigh pick me up a brick, but I haven't opened it up yet. They had to be sold at a set price $85, but quickly showed up on eBay for $500. Some Total Wines had big parties and others just put them on display and limited buyers to one brick.
  16. PappyVanWise
    Slate appears to agree in yesterday's article: Against Hoppy Beer (but not in my never to be published article 'How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Hop Bombs").
  17. PappyVanWise
    Back in Black is an American Black IPA from the good folks at 21st Amendment Brewing. The brewery is a few blocks from AT&T Park, home of your World Champion SF Giants. It opened in 2000, founded by a former brewer from Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse in Berkley. In 2012, 21st Amendment planned to case 45,000 barrels of beer, up from 28,000 in 2011. I thought this was an interesting (wikipedia-sourced) fact, 21st Amendment's retail beers are canned in Cold Spring, Minnesota to contain costs. I wonder how common a practice this is for urban breweries. After looking at some reviews online, I guess I can categorize this as a guilty pleasure of mine. I usually associate Bells Oberon with late Spring and watching baseball, but a few years ago this became my sitting around the pool beverage of choice. It's a very easy to drink beer for almost pushing 7% ABV (clocks in at 6.8). The brewery says this beer was inspired by the midnight ride of Paul Revere, taking the traditional English IPA recipe and "Americanizing" it by adding dark malts. Though the Beer Advocate bunch might not enjoy it as much as I do, I find it a very interesting combination. Drinking it out of the can is fine, but pouring into a glass makes for an interesting juxtaposition. The dark color makes you prepared for a thicker stout, but the IPA flavors and lightness are there. It's pretty cool to fool your brain like that. Maybe you can pour a stout and this, and do the Pepsi challenge. I think some people call these types of beers Cascadian Dark Ales, but that could just be a Northwest thing. Available in six packs of cans for about $10 at Total Wine Mclean, and I know its everywhere else in Arlington. I think 21st Amendment has creeped its way into the Giants and Safeways of the world, too. Happy Drinking, Eric
  18. PappyVanWise
    Basically I was just asking someone to post a beer or two while I'm still opening boxes and unpacking, or message me a suggestion, and I'll post it. My few trips to the store have shown a vastly different selection than what was available in Arlington, so I didn't want to pick things no one else could get. I would suggest everyone look into Richmond's Hardywood Brewery, they are doing some interesting things. I don't think they are available retail around DC, but I saw a keg in the queue when I was last at Churchkey. I'll post one today, since I have some time.
  19. PappyVanWise
    Hello to everyone who is still checking in with this forum. At the end of April I moved to Richmond. Although it is only 90 miles away from my former home in Arlington, the beer market is completely different. A quick trip through Whole Foods showed tons of new labels, and only a handful of familiar ones. So please, if you see something in your local market that you want to discuss with everyone...Post it and we'll try to find it. If you have something in your fridge already, let us know and we'll drink it with you. I've found that in the summer I buy a lot of six packs, and have them brought over by friends, only to have one or two stragglers left in the fridge These solo guys are perfect for tastings. If you look in your fridge, see one lone bottle staring back at you, post about it. That being said, I think I found something to post about for this weekend, so stay tuned! Thanks, Eric
  20. PappyVanWise
    Del Ray Cafe...should that even count?
  21. PappyVanWise
    Time for another beer, also it is the first request from the community. Victory brewing began in 1996 and has locations around Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Prima Pils and Golden Monkey might be their best known brews, but this swing session saison is a newcomer to their lineup. Here's a PR blurb stolen from Beer Pulse which was quoting Beer Advocate, which I think makes this post and the original 2nd cousins once removed. "I'm thrilled to announce that March 1st will mark the launch of our brand new spring seasonal, Victory Swing Session Saison. Swing represents a blend of American and European brewing traditions, made with both whole flower US-grown and German noble hops, and an heirloom Belgian farmhouse yeast strain. Swing is brewed with wheat, rye, oat and barley malt, as well as peppercorns and lemon zest, to evoke an herbaceous, bright, citric and robust yet eminently refreshing character at 4.5% ABV." I was able to find it at Arrowine for $10/6, and Total Wine McLean is showing it's in stock as well. According to SeekaBrew.com Victory has distribution in DC and MD, so hopefully everyone will be able to find it. Beer Advocate is lukewarm. Happy Drinking, Eric
  22. PappyVanWise
    In my limited cocktail ordering experience, a Sazarec is probably the most varied recipe I get. Got to give credit to a bartender at Green Pig Bistro, who told me he didn't have the right ingredients but would give it a shot. I think I basically got a chilled pernod with a twist, but an A for effort.
  23. PappyVanWise
    No Bells for our friends to the North, which is a shame. It has become an easy grocery store find in Arlington, and should be blowing macrobrews off the shelves. As far as this beer, I'd list it under nothing special. The flavors weren't really there and it was pretty much forgettable. It was the kind of beer that you start thinking about your next beer halfway through. That being said, I had a Founders All Day IPA after this, and I did prefer the Dig. That might've been because the Founders was all hop and nothing else. American breweries might need to go back to the drawing board for session beers, if these two are prime examples. Anyone have a request for the next beer? I was thinking of Dogfish 61 minutes, but it is getting trashed on BeerAdvocate, and don't want to have people throw away their $10.
  24. PappyVanWise
    I was always curious about WTSO Platinum, Jay. I had seen it mentioned on Berserkers among other places. I figured you had to hit a spending minimum to get an invite, but all you need to do is ask?
  25. PappyVanWise
    The 2010 has finally made its way to Arlington. Saw it on the shelf at Whole Foods at a whopping $35. Even with shipping it is cheaper to order from one of the many New Jersey outlets.
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