Two Brothers Outlaw, India pale ale

I picked up a six pack of this IPA on a whim, a new wine/beer store that opened up on my street recently while on the way to watch some football. The new store was great, pretty good selection of craft beer, definitely some room to add more but they had some rare stuff. One of the best parts about this place was how they chill beer (if you want it cold). Upon checking out the owner asked if I wanted it cold (obviously, I did), he then tossed it in this cooler thing and said, 3 minutes and its perfectly chilled. 3 minutes, a quick chat about beer and it was perfect. 

Hooray technology!

Moderately heavy, yet very hoppy india pale ale definitely lives up to its name. It has a deep aroma and you can just about smell how think and wonderful it is. Outlaw is dark in color and has the cloudiness that you would find in a typical IPA. Overall I think this is a pretty good beer, not my favorite IPA but I would definitely grab it again if I wasn't thinking about gambling on a new beer as I did with Outlaw. 

ABV 6.3% 

Rating: 3/5 

Beer Advocate rating: 82

Colorado Native, AC Golden Brewing

The first review from a non brew of the month is one of my favorite destination beers, currently unavailable to me in my current city. Colorado Native from AC Golden Brewing 

Colorado Native is a fitting name for this delicious lager as all of its ingredients come from within the state. Rocky mountain water, Colorado grown barley from the San Louis valley, the oldest strain of brewers yeast in the state and Colorado grown hops. All perfectly bended to form one of my all time favorites. 

I discovered this beer a few years ago just after it had been released, unaware at the time that it was brand new. Now I make absolutely sure that I have more than a few while in Colorado (about 4-6 times a year). I love this beer so much that over one of our summer trips I drove back two cases and slowly enjoyed all 48 of them, well worth the 16 hour drive. This post was written while on our most recent trip, enjoying a cold one after a long day of skiing just a few days ago.

This lager is crisp, dark amber in color, uniquely pale and finishes smooth. Its quite possible that this beer is also brewed with the tears of the rare Colorado Mountain Unicorn, which would explain my addiction to it. I love this beer so much that last summer on one of our many trips up to the mountains I drove 2 cases back to Chicago and enjoyed all 48 of them one by one. 

Took a tour of the Coors brewery and visited Golden last summer

Brewed within the heart of the Coors Brewery in Golden Colorado, this is a small batch brew that produces big flavor and incredible commitment to perfection and I just can't get it here in Chicago. 

ABV: 5.5% 

Rating: Another 5/5 

Oak Barrel Stout, Old Dominion Brewing

Hands down the best beer of the first shipment, this stout delivers on every aspect I can think of.  I even caught myself almost drinking all of them in one sitting but thankfully cooler heads prevailed and I still have one left to enjoy (not anymore...). Extremely dark in color with a hint of deep brown this stout is both rich and smooth and has an amazing smokey finish to it that really defines the beer. Brewed with 7 different malts and 2 hopes that are dry hopped with vanilla beans and toasted oak. Absolutely amazing beer and if it were available to me here in Chicago I would go out and buy many, many more.

Checkout the other Old Dominion lineup as well as see what pairs best with these brews

ABV: 6.1%

Rating: a well deserved 5/5 

Dominion ALE, Old Dominion Brewing

Founded in 1989 Old Dominion was one of the first breweries in the Washington DC Metropolitan area rolling out an award winning lineup of great beers from the start. In 1995 Fortune Magazine named Old Dominion "One of the 50 best breweries in the US". Unfortunately for me it seems this beer is only available on the east coast so if you happen to live out that way check out where you can buy it and enjoy some of their other varieties for me. 

Dominion ALE

For a beer this dark it is surprisingly light and very crisp. Medium bodied lots of hops with hints of nuts, oats and toffee yet it is not as bitter as I expected. Creamy texture with a clean finish that has an earthiness to it that defines this brew. To me this beer is just ok, not bad,  but not great either as nothing really stands out as far as complexity or flavor are concerned. Don't let that fool you, if you're a fan of English style pale ales give this one a try. As always, drink what you like and try something new.


ABV: 5.4%
Rating: 2/5

Alleycat Amber Ale, Lost Coast Brewery

Dark amber in color,  lighter in taste yet full in flavor. The end has a definite hint of spice as this beer contains both German and American hops. They are nicely blended and help give this ale a complexity that is different in other ambers I've tried. Overall this is a good beer, very flavorful and I think I could easily have a few of them in one sitting. Not the best beer I've had but definitely a great option to taste for yourself and see what you think. 

Be sure to check out where you can find this beer locally. Just today I saw this at my local Trader Joe's here in Chicago 

ABV: 4.8% 

Rating: 3/5

Awards 

Indica IPA, Lost Coast Brewery

Lost Coast Brewery was founded in 1990 by Barbara Groom and Wendy Pound, making it one of the only female owned and operated breweries in the US. Brewing mostly English-style ales with a west coast California twist. 

Indica IPA

Not as hoppy as I was expecting but still has tons of flavor, aroma as well as a full body. Light amber in color and is very refreshing, this would be a great summer beer for the hop lover. Overall a good IPA. The 2nd tasting confirms my initial thoughts and after having some other IPA's in between I will say that this one is not my favorite but its definitely a good beer. It opens up nicely and has a great aroma, with citrus flavors and a light bitter after taste (the key to a good IPA). 

5.5% ABV 

Rating: 3/5 

A Brew Review Introduction

I have always been particularly fond of beer and over the years have developed a taste for "good beer", no longer can the basics of Miller Lite or other big brewery pilsners quench my thirst (although fine for sporting events). Call me a beer snob I don't care, life is short, drink what you like.

My brothers bought me a beer of the month club for Christmas this year and I've decided to review the journey of deliciousness for future reference, and to give me something else to do. Each month I get three beers, four different styles, from two different breweries, 12 in total. With each tasting I'll add a bit more to my thoughts and post the final results, because I also enjoy picking up new 6 packs from my favorite toy's r us for adults (Binnys Beverage Depot) I'll post on some new discoveries that don't arrive by mail.

Obviously this is going to be a lot of fun (mostly for me)

Its my beer in a box

The company sending me these great brews each month is The Original Craft Beer Club, check out their site and signup if you want to get beer in the mail. The box is completely unmarked and due to their packaging you can't even tell there are bottles inside, the perfect disguise.