Fall Beer Favorites 2015 Oktoberfest and Pumpkin beers

The craft beer thing started with a taste of Sam Adams Boston Lager, but the real kick came with a Sam Adams Octoberfest. This fall beer showed me there was so much more taste out there than the light lagers. 

It also showed me that if you bend with the seasons there are new tastes as the leaves and flowers bloom, die and the snow covers the ground to the thaw as it starts all over again.  So as we approach the winter season of beers...I am going to go back and show you my favorites from this fall season.

Also when I started this journey to try and expand my beer pallet Sam's Octoberfest was my GO To Beer. To some extent it still is (as in when the fall season hits and I see it on the shelf for the first time that year (always buy a case of this) But as I also learned a few years ago seasonal beers are wonderful because like a damn Disney Movie they go back into the vault at a certain point till the next year. And when you hoard so much that you are still drinking it a few months before it comes back, it is not as special. Yep! I did this with Sams Octoberfest a few years back.

Anyway This fall I tried to hit most of what I could as far as Octoberfests, Pumpkin and overall Fall type brews. Here were some of my favorites. All of these could be on my Beers to try before you die, but figured I would seperate them to save room for other beers. So I will not rate these but know if it is on here it is at least a 3 beer rating. If it is exceptional I will tell you it is a 6 pack

I started the season out with Boulevards Bob's 47 Oktoberfest from Kansas City.

Staying in the state Of Missouri I went to one of my favorites from just across town in Schlafly's Oktoberfest. As far as This style beer goes I would say this is 1B when it comes to my favorites a definite 6 beer rating, so if you are in St Louis and it is October try it.

Another tasty beer I tried early on in the season was From Left hand Brewing their Oktoberfest was very good and as you can see by the blurry picture I was enjoying them that night.

The next one up was a tricky find this year for some reason my usual places were sold out or just did not stock it (shame on them) Sierra Nevada almost never disappoints me (not a fan of their crisp lager but that is about where it ends everything else I have had rules) And their version of Oktoberfest is awesome, now there are the couple I like better but I would give this one maybe not a 6 pack but a 5 beer and a shot shout out. Excellent beer. 

Of course the 1A of Oktoberfest is Sam Adams Octoberfest to me the original and still one of the best tasting out there. it is still a "Go To" fall beer.

I always grab at least a few 12 packs and now usually drink a few into the winter season but no further than that. An absolute 6 pack rating on this bad boy..Love it

And now Beers that I rarely drank in the years past Pumpkin ales. I have had sips here and there but never really tried them so I made a point to try a few this year. 

The first was from New Belgium Brewing another brewery that can always be relied on when you buy a six pack of beer. And New Belgium's Pumpkick was really good 

One of two pumpkin beers I had tried before this year (both local to St Louis) was O'Fallon Brewery Pumpkin Beer  A very good consistant brew. If you like pumpkin beers this is a good one. I highly recommend it

Another great Local Pumpkin Beer is From and the other I had tried last year is from  Kirkwood Station Brewing Co A great little brewery right in the town I live in. Solid taste 

Now since Sam Adams make one of my favorite fall concoctions I saw this, Pumpkin Batch on the shelf and had to give it a try. I can say a good solid beer but after some others I was a little disappointed (as far as pumpkin goes) Don't get me wrong if you are starting out and trying some of these next year start here it is a great Pumpkin beer just not tops compared to these others. Again though a great place to start

Now for the two best this season. First from New Holland (who also makes one of my favorite Bourbon aged beers Dragon's milk) Comes not only a very cool label but an excellent tasting Pumpkin beer Ichabod has flavor like you would not believe an absolute 6 pack if I ever drank one. 

And finally the best label and pumpkin beer of this fall season a dark concoction Black ale with all the pumkin flavor and wickedness to match their label. Again sorry those outside the area but Urban Chestnuts Count Orlock  Black Pumpkin Ale is tops this season. 

It only comes in a four pack but each bottle is a pint and not very expensive my wife and I have only a couple left in the fridge and those may be gone this evening. high praise for this yummy 6 pack beer rated beer

Beers To Try Before you Die or the Beer Bucket 52 List 49 of 52 Bourbon Barrel Aged Arrogant Bastard

If you thought you were not worthy when it came to the Original Arrogant Bastard, then you can just bow now to that great flavor aged in Bourbon barrels. What a Flavor

Bourbon Barrel aged Arrogant Bastard   

and Hell I can say the same for  Sublimely Self Righteous Black IPA (which I can not believe was discontinued...Bastards!!!)

  It is a toss up between this one, RuinTen Triple IPA or Self Righteous Bastard Black IPA

as far as which is my Favorite Stone Brewing concoction. So this is going to be a two for one (since RuinTen has it's own post already, and I know I know this would technically make this 53 beers when it is done but I don't care it's my blog I can do what I want. And the fact that the  Sublimely Self Righteous Black IPA  is really no longer available but I was too damn lazy to post earlier...Well you get it)

First let's go over the Bourbon Barrel Aged Arrogant Bastard, What can I say that I have not above. it is all the goodness of an Arrogant Bastard that has been aged in those wonderful Bourbon Barrels. 

And If you can by chance get your hands on a Sublimely Self Righteous Black IPA  

it is so good. 

A sweet rich stout like taste but with all the goodness that come from Stone in their Bastard series of beers.

Both these beers are tops in my eyes as I throw out a 6 pack for each one. 

You may not be able to find  Sublimely Self Righteous Black IPA  anymore but grab some Bourbon Barrel aged Arrogant Bastard   You will be happy.

To view what all the ratings mean go to the 52 Beers to try Before You die Bucket list page

Disclaimer I am a beer drinker and a beginner home brewer the above is only my taste buds telling me what I enjoy, it is not the law or rule of the land, these would be the beers that I am grateful to have tried before the day comes when I pass on and meet my maker.

Beers To Try Before you Die or the Beer Bucket 52 List 48 of 52 Urban Chestnut Fantasyland Midwest coast IPA

As I round up the rest of my IPAs from over the summer months I have to mention Urban Chestnuts Fantasyland Midwest coast IPA. 

Yes you read that right Midwest coast. Where is that? Well it is in St Louis and as far as it saying midwest coast, it also says Fantasyland..so you get it. It is technically a "West Coast Style" IPA, but When I think Urban Chestnut I think St Louis so I will call it a St Louis Style (or MidWest Coast Style) IPA a great summer drink not too heavy but full of flavor.

As You can see I was enjoying a bottle while I watched some MMA a perfect beer for doing just that. Relaxing with some friends and watching sports.

I am going to give this bad boy a good 5 beer rating. 

I have had IPAs I enjoyed more, but this one I enjoyed a lot at that time.

To view what all the ratings mean go to the 52 Beers to try Before You die Bucket list page

Disclaimer I am a beer drinker and a beginner home brewer the above is only my taste buds telling me what I enjoy, it is not the law or rule of the land, these would be the beers that I am grateful to have tried before the day comes when I pass on and meet my maker.

Beers To Try Before you Die or the Beer Bucket 52 List 47 of 52 Arrogant Bastard from Stone Brewing

You're not worthy...You really are not. Arrogant Bastard Ale from Stone Brewing is an old stand by beer whenever you can't find something that tickles your fancy. An excellent Ale, that will not disappoint.

Although Stone makes some Brews that are even better this is the base beer as far as I am concerned and as I stated above it is go to when you can't decide on something else or you are just not being as adventurous with your drinking time this weekend as you were last week. 

So I am going to go ahead and give this good old boy a 5 beer rating, 

just enough wiggle room for something like Bourbon Barrel aged Arrogant Bastard  (can you guess the next Beer you should try?) 

Or their super special RuinTen Triple IPA

I can without a doubt recommend all three of the above beers

To view what all the ratings mean go to the 52 Beers to try Before You die Bucket list page

Disclaimer I am a beer drinker and a beginner home brewer the above is only my taste buds telling me what I enjoy, it is not the law or rule of the land, these would be the beers that I am grateful to have tried before the day comes when I pass on and meet my maker.

How do I Connect One of My Favorite Cars and Beer in a Post? Glad you asked!

Okay I am a fan of old cars. I am not just a Ford, Chevy, or dodge Guy I like them all I am a fan of Cool cars. But I do have favorites and one of those is The Shelby Mustang 

I will take mine in Blue please...Oh Thank you!!!

So what do cars have to do with beer? and more specifically one of my favorites? I am glad you asked...

Carroll Shelby Licensing has partnered with Wicked Eye Products and is brewing three beers. The High Octane IPA, 

The 427 Big Block Stout 

and the Venom Lager.

 Now they are not yet available in my area so I am very sad about this, but As soon as my beer hunting ass can find them I will give you all a grand review.........

New Shelby Craft Beer

www.shelby.com.

Beers To Try Before you Die or the Beer Bucket 52 List 46 of 52 Stone Ruinten Triple IPA

Okay it has been far and in between on my Bucket list posts, but since I was running out of room and had over 5 months left in the year I was starting to get a bit more picky as to what made the list for the year. SO I was making sure I tasted a bunch and had to choose some that may not make it (does not mean they were not good just put aside for now) As well as splitting some of the seasonal beers for their own post. Anyway, this is a beer I had a little while ago. And as usual Stone never disappoints Just like their Double IPA Ruination it is excellent. Being a Triple of course you would want to say as a Hop Head it is better, (and if I had to pick yes I would go with the triple, but not because it is better just different, hell I could always drink Ruination) 

RuinTen Triple IPA is magnificent. It is a special release from Stone Brewing and I already can't wait for it to come around again. An excellent beer for IPA lovers and a great all around strong beer for anyone who wants to give it a try.

I am going to go ahead and give this beer a big old 6 pack rating,

 it is one of the better beers of the year so far. I highly recommend it.

To view what all the ratings mean go to the 52 Beers to try Before You die Bucket list page

Disclaimer I am a beer drinker and a beginner home brewer the above is only my taste buds telling me what I enjoy, it is not the law or rule of the land, these would be the beers that I am grateful to have tried before the day comes when I pass on and meet my maker.

Bike Ridin' Babes!!!

As Oktoberfest hits the Shelves Some summer time classics from 2015

Since Octoberfest is officially on the shelves and I decided not to include all my seasonal in my 52 Beers Bucket list, I figured I would share some of my summertime favorites, in no particular order just some great refreshing lighter style beers to enjoy on those swamp ass summer days. I will include all the links for each beer and spare you the technical explanation of each, only my opinion

The first comes from right here in St Louis (I know that does not help those outside of the area but if you are in town pass on AB and visit Schlafly) 

First if you are a "light" larger fan but want to try something with a little more taste to it Schlafly Kolsch is a gateway beer for you. It is crips and light I used to grab one of these after a run or walk on a hot day. You can get this bad boy year round so even in the winter if you are in the mood for a lighter easy drinking beer this is the one.

From the same brewery their seasonal Summer Lager is another great beer for a hot day, with a bit of citrus (or lemon flavor) flavor this one is a nice beer to grab a couple after being outside in the heat Schlafly Summer Lager

Now this beer has been a go to staple on my seasonal beers from the begining I always pick up at least a six pack of this every summer. Sam Adams Summer Ale  

Ranks right up there with a clean refreshing beat the heat style of beer. I don't need to say much about it other than grab a six pack next summer and enjoy.

The nest beer is another nationwide available beer. From Deschutes Brewery in Oregon Their summer seasonal Twilight Summer Ale Leaning a bit more to a hop flavor it is one of this years new finds for me and I am glad I found it..Yum!!  

Also From Deschutes, although not my favorite summer time beer, but still worth a taste (especially if White IPAs are your thing) Chainbreaker White IPA is a year round flavor that might just be in your wheelhouse.

 Deschutes never disapoints, I have enjoyed every beer I have cracked open from them thus far, so when I say not my favorite, I mean of all the deschutes beers this one is just a little lower on the list.

Another local spot for me (or you if you are in the St Louis Area) is Urban Chestnut 

Is their Zwickel Bavarian Style Lager It is a year round beer and I am not always big on Lagers but this one is tops I could drink this one anytime anywhere..Good Beer

I know this next one looks strange but at the time I tried this My son was just born. I do want to say Sierra Nevada is another brewery that never fails to kick out some greta beers, but thier summertime beer Summerfest Crisp Lager was not my favorite. Being used to the hop filled goodness with most of what comes out of Sierra Nevada this one was just a little bit of a let down, not bad but not my favorite.

On the other hand One of the best for a hot summers day as far as my taste buds are concerned from Sierra Nevada is their Flagship Pale Ale. Nice clean hoppy goodness in a bottle excellent beer

From Lagunitas Brewery Maximus IPA 

This is an IPA that is another great year round beer but also very nice in the summertime, One of my wife's all time favorite beers

And the final entry, although there were so many good beers I tasted this summer for the first time, I only have so much time in the day and there is always next year Comes from Stone Brewing Co. I have not had a beer tht i did not like from Stone but needed to pick something with a more summertime feel to it, so I went with their Go To IPA it is a year round release but reminds me of summer (so if I feel the need for a summery beverage in the middle of February I have a "Go To")

There were so many more but I figured I could make an IPA round up as another post, and although I included some IPAs I included them because they reminded me of summer

Beers To Try Before you Die or the Beer Bucket 52 List 45 of 52 Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA

I do not usually spend almost 20 bucks on a four pack, but it was my birthday I had 10 percent off with a VIP membership and I bought a few beers that day so why not? 

I had waited almost a week to try this beer that my wife actually found while we were shopping for a cart full of great beer.

Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA weighs in at 12 percent ABV 112 IBUs and clocks in as a very high rating from most of the sites. it is dry hoped with ten different varieties of hops and all I can say is this beer is fantastic...

It was like a Strong Scotch Ale crashed into a great IPA, everything about it from first sip to last was wonderful. Although I could not afford this beer on a regular basis (good thing it is a limited release) I would drink this everyday if I could. I am going to give this a full on Six pack rating one of the best beers I think I have ever had.

To view what all the ratings mean go to the 52 Beers to try Before You die Bucket list page

Disclaimer I am a beer drinker and a beginner home brewer the above is only my taste buds telling me what I enjoy, it is not the law or rule of the land, these would be the beers that I am grateful to have tried before the day comes when I pass on and meet my maker.

Tales From The One Gallon Brew....Warrior Double IPA From Brooklyn Brew Shop

SO it had been a while since I had time to brew anything. When I had the opportunity to get a small batch in knowing I had the day off and was going to enjoy some UFC fights that night I figured why not brew up some ingredients we already had (a Huge plus as I said before on the small bates grabbing a few from Brooklyn brew shop and having them on hand whenever I get the itch) Anyway we went with the Warrior Double IPA, this time I was not going to try and alter it at all but go strictly by the recipe.

Got some Water going and we (My sister in law and I) were off

After the normal brewing process and sparge I got to enjoy my new Wort Chiller (a very handy Birthday gift I received that day to help with the brew) and I can say as someone who has only used Ice baths on the small batch this was awesome (the down side was outside temp was around 95, so the last few degrees getting it to 70 was tough)

Anyway we got the IPA into the Bucket and enjoyed a few beers that day. 

The first was our very own Memorial Day Kolsch

 (Our little Veterans group brewed it on Memorial day and it was now ready)

I can say one of the two best we have brewed (the other being our Imperial IPA)

The other we tried that evening was Incredible and will be up soon as I gather all the reviews I have had while on hiatus. 

Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA (a Beer at about 5 bucks a bottle so nothing you would drink all the time) But well worth the money all I will say here was it was like a Scotch Ale crashing into a great IPA anyway there will be more on that soon.