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Beer of the Week: Aslin Purple Banana

12/6/2019

Pete
Took a few weeks off from this due to Thanksgiving, but I had plenty of beers. The best of the bunch: Aslin Purple Banana
Description: Not really sure why this has banana in the name when there's no banana in it. It tastes like a chocolate covered strawberry with a drizzle of peanut butter. On the sweet side, but delicious.
What you should know: This is 15% alcohol. Very dangerous. I'm starting to see Aslin more and more in Boston, and I'm not complaining.
Recommendations: The super strong stouts from Aslin are unreal - definitely have them whenever you see them. Better yet, have a face-off between Aslin and Trillium's outrageously strong stouts. I don't know who will win those battles.

DrinkCraftBeer Beer & BBQ 2019

12/5/2019

Pete
Going so long between posting beer fests wasn't an oversight, I just didn't go to any in between February and November. Hopefully I will do better next year. Anyways, here's what I thought about this event.

The Event: Hosted by DrinkCraftBeer, this fest has been around for a few years. It's only the 2nd time I've gone, but it's been around longer. It's at the Cyclorama in Boston, and there are 25 local breweries and cideries, as well as 7 BBQ joints. You can find something for everyone, though it's definitely a beer-drinker's event. The vast majority of beers are NEIPA's, which makes sense given that it's local stuff from New England. You also get samples from all 7 BBQ joints. They're relatively small, so don't plan on this being dinner, but also don't come full. If you do plan on having dinner here, definitely plan to buy something (fortunately all the BBQ places have stuff for sale). There was also a pickle shop giving out samples, which were awesome. One of the BBQ shops ran out of food very early for some reason. I'm not sure how that was possible, but whatever.

My Experience: I went to the 3rd session, Saturday evening. It was my 2nd year at this fest, and I learned some things from the previous year. The beer list is available in advance, so I looked that up and picked 15-20 that I REALLY wanted, and another 30 or so that I also wanted. I went full nerd, printed out the map and color-coded it so I knew where to go. I managed to try 38 different samples, which is definitely high for me for one of these. I didn't get to all that I REALLY wanted because some of the lines were long, and I prioritized trying more things to waiting in line.

The Beers: The best one I had was a version of Channel Marker Siren, which was the 2nd beer I had (my judgment unaffected by alcohol consumption). It's a sour with a decent balance of fruitiness. Other beers that were notably good: Vitamin Sea AU Jus (NEIPA), SingleCut Diamond Star Halo (NEIPA), and Trillium Plum Fated Farmer (wild ale) and Dialed-Up (NEIPA). There were plenty of other good ones, including some dark beers, but those were the best of the best.

Recommendations: This festival is pretty manageable due to the small number of breweries. They will publish a beer list in the week or so leading up to it, but don't expect it to be entirely correct. Still, look at it and decide if there's anything you really need to get. A few of the beers (and food) will run out towards the end. Don't expect any of the lines to be too long at this fest. Some of the food lines can look long, but I even waited in a line (for food) that went across the entire venue and it only took 10 minutes.

Everything you really want to get (both food and beer), get in the first 2 hours, then explore. If you are focused on beer, just skip the cideries, there will be plenty of different beers to get you through the fest. If you like everything, just wander around trying stuff. Ask the brewers which ones are the most popular and start with those - they're popular for a reason.

Beer of the Week: Nightmare Windlass of Erasmus

11/13/2019

Pete
Stayed in all (3-day) weekend, but I drank plenty of singles I got at the new beer store near me. It was a good weekend. The best one I got came highly recommended: Nightmare Windlass of Erasmus.
Description: Quite sour, noticeable saltiness, with obvious blackberry flavor. The saltiness along with tart fruit reminds me of oysters with mignonette, though it's much fruitier and tart than that.
What you should know: This is a contract brewery based out of New York, but the beer was brewed in Boston. Their website is a bit of a trip, so just stick to Untappd if you're trying to find their stuff.
Recommendations: I had this beer with mussels, and I couldn't have been happier with that choice. You definitely want to have it with something salty, because its flavor can be overwhelming. Either that or just enjoy its lonesome.

Beer of the Week: Other Half Deep Orbit Cygnus

11/8/2019

Pete
Went to NYC this past weekend to visit Josh. We had numerous beers. The highlight was a trip to Other Half. The best of the bunch: Other Half Deep Orbit Cygnus.
Description: When I saw an imperial stout brewed with Snickers and Butterfinger, all I could think was: this is likely going to be more gimmicky than good. You know what: it is gimmicky, but that doesn't mean the beer isn't incredible. Jet black with no noticeable head, could be confused with flat cola. The flavor is just plain old Butterfinger with a little hint of peanut and caramel (aka Snickers). It's also a bit boozy tasting, but that's hard to avoid at 15.5% (sheesh).
What you should know: Other Half makes some incredible beers. They make some gimmicky-sounding things, but the flavors are really there, and it's hard to argue.
Recommendations: Take a trip to Other Half next time you're in NYC. It's a bit hard to get to, but it's worth it. Stick with the 4oz pours: they make strong stuff.

Beer of the Week: Definitive Behind the Light

10/31/2019

Pete
Built my own 6-pack and had a few others this week, so plenty of good ones to choose from. The best: Definitive Behind the Light DDH IPA.
Description: Smells like it's going to be a juice bomb. Taste is ultra juicy with a tiny bit of dank in the background. A little melon flavor lingers after you put it down.
What you should know: Starting to see more and more Definitive here in Boston, and I'm drinking everything I can get my hands on. I've had 13 so far (though a few of those were when I went to the brewery).
Recommendations: Get on the Definitive train. It's going to be full soon, though they'll probably have the money for a bigger train.

Beer of the Week: Grimm Double Negative

10/25/2019

Pete
Skipped a week as I got married and went on a honeymoon. Not a ton of good beer options on the honeymoon (had about 30 margaritas though), but fortunately for everyone, I had some good beers on the wedding night. The best: Grimm Double Negative.
Description: Just a rich chocolate bomb right here. There's some subtle coffee smell, but this really highlights chocolate. It's 10% too, so byeeeeee.
What you should know: Yes, this is a picture from my wedding night. We (read bride, groom, and most of the wedding party) went to the bar after. I have no idea how everyone managed to rally after a 45-minute bus ride back from the wedding. Also, I've highlighted Grimm IPA's on here before, but this is the first stout.
Recommendations: Have one of these. Good luck stopping there.

Beer of the Week: Stellwagen We are your Oat-verlords

10/8/2019

Pete
Took advantage of a beer store opening near me this week. They sell single cans without much of an upcharge (if any), so I can easily try a bunch of stuff. The best one I had: Stellwagen We are your Oat-verlords.
Description: Not only do the oats lend a bunch of creaminess to this, but it actually tastes oat-y. That, along with the blast of citrus you normally expect from a NEIPA, and a hint of peppery-ness at the end, make this a great beer.
What you should know: This brewery is only about a year old, but they're already distributing to stores and on tap at some bars.
Recommendations: Give one of their IPA's a shot. I've also had a sour from them that was just OK, but I'm excited to try more as they grow into themselves.

Beer of the Week: Trillium Mosaic Cutting Tiles

10/3/2019

Pete
Unlike last week, I had a reasonable number of beers this week, but what I lacked in quantity, I made up for in quality. Trips to Trillium Greenway will do that, especially when they have some guest taps available. The best: Trillium Mosaic Cutting Tiles
Description: Super citrusy, and a little sweet with the honey, but balanced really well with a background earthiness from the Mosaic. Comes together dangerously easy to drink.
What you should know: Had a couple really good stouts, and an even better sour from guest breweries while I was at Trillium, but they couldn't compete with this one.
Recommendations: Get to the Greenway before it closes for the season.

Beer of the Week: Mystic Danger! Danger!

9/27/2019

Pete
I had an outrageous number of beers this week. Only a few of them were actually good. The best: Mystic Danger! Danger!.
Description: It looks like and is described as a pretty standard New England IPA. You might expect a super juicy blast of flavor, even after you give it a smell, though there's quite a bit of dank mixed in there. The flavor is more dry and peppery than you'd expect, but if you like that, you'll love this.
What you should know: It's pretty safe to say that this will be the last Mystic beer of the week. Mystic announced today that they are going to shut down their doors for good. It's a sad day.
Recommendations: They're still doing some releases and their beers are still in stores, so get out there and stock up.

Beer of the (half) Week: The Rare Barrel Map of the Sun 2018

9/20/2019

Pete
I am coming through on my goal of getting a 2nd one up this week, as I had 10 new beers in the last 2 days, with lots of good options for a post. The best of the bunch: The Rare Barrel Map of the Sun 2018.
Description: Really sour with a subtle fruit finish. The apricot comes through for sure at the end to balance the puckering you might be doing, but is still subtle enough to let the acidity dominate.
What you should know: The Rare Barrel, as you might guess, does only barrel aged beers, and they can take years to craft. It leads to some delicious, expensive offerings.
Recommendations: If you find these on tap, like I do, great - go for it. If you have access to the bottles, find some friends to share them with, as they can be pretty intense, so you're going to want to split them.