Evolution

For Tasting Tuesday, Christian has a local beer with a big reputation.

Over the last couple of years, word has spread around Maryland about Evolution Craft Brewing. But because of its location on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay, I'd really only had a taste here and there at festivals.

It's only been recently that I started to see it in our area, but several friends (and online beer geeks) had told me to find some of their Lot No. 3 IPA.

So on a recent trip to the beer store, I happened to see a bottle that was calling my name.

It pours a dark gold color with good carbonation. It's a solid 6.8% ABV, so the alcohol content is slightly higher than other IPAs.

The taste that immediately hits you is the grapefruity hops, with a little pine, and even a little lemon or orange mixed in. It's even slightly sweet, which helps balance the flavor. The thing is, this beer is very hoppy and fruity, but isn't absurd in its potency. It's actually very balanced and drinkable.

So did it live up to the raves? It sure did. This was a really good west-coast-style IPA, and one that I'd recommend to beer geeks and casual beee fans as well. You definitely have to like a hoppy beer, so if that's not your flavor, skip it - but definitely try one of Evolution's other offerings.

Cheers!

Christian & Eric

Key porter

For this week's Tasting Tuesday, Christian has a porter from one of Baltimore's newest breweries.

For several months last summer, we'd been hearing good things about Key Brewing Co. But it wasn't until October that we were finally able to track some down. One sip of their Spot Buy IPA made me realize that the beers from this new brewery were no joke.

So when I came across their Rye Porter recently, I had to give it a try. As expected, it pours a dark, opaque black with a tan head and good carbonation. It's a mild 5.5% ABV, which is also typical of porters.

The taste is predominantly dark chocolate with mild coffee. It also has a bready taste (also typical of English porters) with a mild bitterness and a slightly dry finish. 

Overall, it's a good porter. To be honest, I'm not sure that the rye adds much to the flavor, so don't let that dissuade you from trying this. I had it from a can, but I think this could be really nice on tap to really bring out the flavors a bit more, maybe even on nitro to give it a creamier body.

As with other beers I've had from Key, this one makes for a very drinkable beer. If you're in the Maryland area, it's definitely worth looking for.

Cheers!

Christian and Eric

DragonsMilk

For Tasting Tuesday, Christian has a beer that'll warm you up on a cold day.

Recently here in Maryland, we had a streak of chilly, breezy days with lots of winter fun including freezing rain and sheets of ice. Perfect weather to stay indoors, right?

Right. So since I wasn't going anywhere, I decided to open a bottle of New Holland Brewing's Dragon's Milk barrel-aged stout.

With an alcoholic content of 11% ABV, it was a good thing I wasn't going anywhere, either, because it's one that'll catch up with you. It pours a dark black color with mild carbonation.

The first thing you notice is a strong, welcoming vanilla aroma. This finds its way to the taste, which also has a pleasant coconut flavor and even some mild, dark fruit flavors. You actually don't get much bourbon until you swallow it, then it shows up in the aftertaste and warms your throat. One thing I noticed is that if you inhale a little before swallowing, the extra oxygen really brings out the bourbon taste.

I've recently become a big fan of bourbon-barrel aged stouts, and this is one I'd keep in mind. It's a bit too dry for my taste, but its mild bourbon flavoring makes it a great introduction for anyone wanting to give this style a try. 

What's your favorite barrel-aged beer (or bourbon)? Let us know in the comments so we can look out for it. 

Cheers!

Christian & Eric

Ellicott Mills Marzen

For this week's Tasting Tuesday, Christian has a German-style beer that's survived disaster. 

It was the night of Saturday, July 30th, when severe thunderstorms blasted their way across central Maryland. Within minutes, what was a minor inconvenience to most of us turned into a raging flood that roared its way through the historic town of Ellicott City. Cars and slabs of sidewalk piled up at the bottom. Businesses were wiped out. Two people perished.

Ellicott Mills Brewing Company was one of the hard-hit businesses. The staff spent months repairing the basement, foundation, and first floor of the brewery. It's only been a few weeks since they've been reopened for business.

So on a recent trip there, I made it a point to stop by the brewery where Carrie the bartender met me with a warm smile and a pint of their Marzen.

Marzen, a German-style red ale (similar to an Oktoberfest), is a malty, easy-drinking beer. This one pours a dark, reddish amber with good carbonation. These tend to be around 5-6% ABV, and that's about where I would guess this one to be.

The taste is a malty sweetness with a slight hoppy bitterness, which is spot-on to this style of beer. And it's deliciously smooth. 

If you're in the area, check out this cool, little town and this brewery full of European-style beer amazingness. You definitely want to stop in for a few pints - and the great vibe.

Cheers!

Christian and Eric

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

For this week's Tasting Tuesday, Christian has one of the best Imperial Stouts he's had in a good, long while.

Imperial stouts (sometimes also called Russian Imperial stouts) tend to be boozy, English-style stouts with a more pronounced hops flavor. They were originally brewed for the Russian monarchs who, at the time, preferred the British beers, but also wanted a higher alcohol content since they were used to distilled spirits like vodka. Because travel across Europe took a while, the Brits added extra hops, which helped keep the beer fresher for longer.

Put all of these together, ratchet it all up several notches, and you get Ten Fidy from Oskar Blues. 

Named for its high alcohol content of 10.50% ABV, this thick, blacker-than-black  stout pours like a 50-weight oil out of the can. It settles nicely into a glass with good carbonation and a dark brown head.

As expected, you taste a lot of sweet maltiness, along with a smoother, milk chocolate and vanilla flavor, along with some subtle coffee and dark fruits (like raisins). You also get a mild creaminess from a little bit of oatmeal that's added in the mix. But the biggest flavor is a great, booziness that warms your chest, and stays with you in the back of your mouth.

Don't let that scare you - like most beers from Oskar Blues, this one has a lot if big, complex flavors going on but mixed with a drinkable smoothness. 

That being said, this isn't for everyone. Most wheat beer or lager fans are likely to shy away from this one. But if you like stouts or porters, this one will blow your mind.

Cheers!

Christian & Eric