Sometimes We Just Stay Home and Drink: #12: Mast Landing Sacca Rappa India Pale Ale; Westbrook, Me.

Date:  June 9, 2019  —

The Story— One of the best beer stores in the country is Julio’s in Westboro, Mass., a short drive west from Boston.   They have hundreds of beers, which is impressive enough, but those hundred change with the seasons and the onslaught of new breweries.  The sell all beers by the can or bottle.   We drive from the DC area to the Boston area at least twice a year and return with many dozens of beers we have not tried.

One of the new breweries on our last trip north was Mast Landing in Westbrook, Maine not too far Northwest of Portland.  It’s a homebrewers turned-pro operation, but in our limited sample these guys brew like experienced pros.   .  The Northeast style is usually hazy and sometimes so “unbitter” that it’s gummy.  This sort of fits the style but there’s a balance that does not always make it into the can with this style.

The Beer– More fruit than bitter and as much chalk as fruit.  Big grapefruit throughout.  Herbal smooths somewhat as it drinks.  It’s Northeast, but nicely brewed – hats off to Mast Landing!

Value —  Good.  We’re looking forward to trying more of their beers — if we can just retire and travel from brewery to brewery.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

Sometimes we just stay home and drink beer — hundreds of them over the course of the year as we hunt for a new favorite.  The searching for the beer of the day never stops, so for a while, there will be fewer travel-oriented posts and just some to-the-point descriptions of beers we’ve enjoyed.

We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers, and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Sometimes We Just Stay Home and Drink: #11: The Veil Sleeping Forever, Imperial Stout, Richmond, Va.

Date:  June 8, 2019  —

The Story— The Veil has become a cult brewery – cans sell out almost instantly.  think of it as Virginia’s Alchemist. We’re skeptical about cult brews, but we were certainly impressed by this beer from The Veil.    We had the chance to taste this exceptional beer at the Blue and Gray beer event earlier in the year.

One of the highlights of the event is a bottle share– you bring in one or more bottles that you think most people in the room may not have tried and get to have a — respectfully small– sample of fifty or more beers that you’ve never seen.  It started years ago with a few friends and brewers and has grown to a small mob.  We try to bring something we’ve picked up in Massachusetts and hold back from the first rush.  There’s always a few beers than don’t get gobbled up that are prize winners for us and we can take a guilt-free portion size (about 10 cl each) to write up.

The Beer–  Very rich with very deep roast.  Lots of chewy chocolate with some fruit as it stays rich.  From Ellie: Wow so big, and rich with hidden booze and chocolate sauce.  One of our best this year.

Value —  Very good.  We don’t know what you’d pay for this at the brewery, but we’re sure it’s well worth it.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

Sometimes we just stay home and drink beer — hundreds of them over the course of the year as we hunt for a new favorite.  The searching for the beer of the day never stops, so for a while, there will be fewer travel-oriented posts and just some to-the-point descriptions of beers we’ve enjoyed.

We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers, and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Sometimes We Just Stay Home and Drink: #10:  Brewport Hartman Gold Ale; Historic Gold Ale, Bridgeport, Ct.

Date:  June 7, 2019  —

The Story—  We sang Jeff Browning’s praises yesterday, but had to give him another day for this gem.

Once upon a time, when there were lots and lots of breweries in America, though fewer than we have now, brewers didn’t feel they had to be “unique” to be successful – or even useful for their communities,    Freshness mattered in the 19th century, and although the rail network made national distribution possible, it didn’t guarantee the beer would be treated well at every step along the way — any more then than now.   Brewers sold to local markets relying more of freshness than distinctiveness to sell beer.  The approach can still be found in Germany, though it gets harder every year: “why should we dink your beer?”   “Because it’s OUR beer!!”

This is a marvelous opportunity to step back to those days in America — a gold ale that’s just brewed to be good.  And it is good.  I so wish this brewery weren’t five hours away from our home town.

The Beer–  Chewy and malty and clean. Gloriously even pale malt. Almost fruity and almost lager-y. Stays even.  It’s just a good beer.

Value — Very good.   Maybe excellent considering…

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

Sometimes we just stay home and drink beer — hundreds of them over the course of the year as we hunt for a new favorite.  The searching for the beer of the day never stops, so for a while, there will be fewer travel-oriented posts and just some to-the-point descriptions of beers we’ve enjoyed.

We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers, and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Sometimes We Just Stay Home and Drink: #9: Brewport Seventh Inning Session IPA, Bridgeport, Ct.

Date:  June 6, 2019  —

The Story— We’ve known Brewport’s founder and brewer, Jeff Browning, for many years.  We see him almost every year at the Blue and Gray Beer Convention in Northern Virginia, which started as a can trading show and has evolved into a all-thing-beer event.

Jeff was the brewer that put New Haven’s iconic Bru Room at Bar on the map.  A few years ago he split off to create his own brewery in Bridgeport and has probably done as much as anyone in the business to find and recreate 19th century history in beer form.   He’s one of the most generous people we know — he runs his own hospitality room at Blue and Gray which is a calm respite from the sometimes packed main hospitality room elsewhere.

He’s also a heck of a brewer.   Session IPAs are increasingly popular, but really hard to brew.   The tendency is to play to a hop addicts need for hops without the malt that makes those hops enticing.  Jeff has managed to retain some malt character while still providing a good hop smack in this exceptional SIPA.   At 4.6% it’s a true session– at least in the United States– but it drinks like a true beer.

The Beer– Big flavor! Chewy roast with hops and some husky malts. Herbal with a bit of toast and some slight hop resin.  Herbal with soft toast wraps it up.

Value — Very good.  But also very hard to find.   If you’re anywhere neat Bridgeport, take the detour and grab a pizza while you’re there.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

Sometimes we just stay home and drink beer — hundreds of them over the course of the year as we hunt for a new favorite.  The searching for the beer of the day never stops, so for a while, there will be fewer travel-oriented posts and just some to-the-point descriptions of beers we’ve enjoyed.

We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers, and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”

Sometimes We Just Stay Home and Drink: #8: DuClaw Retribution 2018, Baltimore, Md.

Date:  June 5, 2019  —

The Story—  DuClaw hasn’t reached the distribution levels of Dogfish Head or Heavy Seas, but it’s been a creative and professional brewery even since its brewpub days in Bel Air, Maryland.   Their strong beers are both interesting and professional, and this showcases the brewery’s ability to turn out mind-bending strong beers that nonetheless sip easy and long.  At seven bucks it’s something of a bargain and I wish I had corralled a few more to lay down.

The Beer-Wow.  Very rich, dark chocolate.  Heavy cream, herbal and fruit and orange are underneath it all.  Oh, big, oh, big, oh roast chocolate plus… yum.   Ellie found it unctuous if somewhat hot.

Value —Good to Very Good.   The can might put you off, but get over it–it’s the 21st century.  A value in any container.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

Sometimes we just stay home and drink beer — hundreds of them over the course of the year as we hunt for a new favorite.  The searching for the beer of the day never stops, so for a while, there will be fewer travel-oriented posts and just some to-the-point descriptions of beers we’ve enjoyed.

We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers, and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”