Ommegang Gift Pack

We only have six of these gems: Ommegang gift packs, retailing for about $20 a box, containing a limited edition 10-year anniversary glass, a limited edition 750ml bottle of Chocolate Indulgence (a new holiday beer) and a 750ml bottle each of Three Philosophers and Hennepin.

Soft?

A couple of weeks back, one my distributors dropped off a sample of the latest IPA (which will remain anonymous) for me to sample. I tried it at home later that night, and it was a truly horrible beer. Terribly unbalanced, the brew was so ridiculously over-hopped that I had the distinct flavor of bile (which I hadn't tasted since my college days, but that's another story) in my mouth for hours after I had taken my last sip.

India Pale Ales (aka IPA) have been one of the hottest craft beer styles on the market the past several years, and many self-described "hop-heads" can't get enough of 'em. There are some outstanding ones available (right here at Stimmel's Market), like Great Lakes Commodore Perry, Dogfish Head 60 Minute, Goose Island, Harpoon, Bell's Two Hearted and many more. The best India Pale Ales tend to balance the extreme hoppiness with a healthy dose of malted barley, resulting in fresh, spicy, citrusy beers that are framed by a slightly sweet breadiness.

Well, these days many brewers are trying to push the envelope on hoppiness, and in the process are kissing the malt good-bye. It's almost as if a bunch of guys are sitting around the brewhouse saying "Dude, let's put TWICE as much hops in the brew, that'll be COOL!". While creativity and experimentation are what make the American craft beer industry great, I believe the focus of bottling a new beer should be simple: Is it a well-made, quality product? Sadly, many are not.

And that brings me to my conversation with the distributor last week (after I had tried the IPA). When I told him that I thought the beer was out of balance, too hoppy, and just not very good, his reply was "Eh, you're just getting soft." Soft, no. Critical, yes.

Winter Whites

I sat down with some friends earlier in the week to taste a handful of white wines. As it gets colder outside, most of us tend to think about big, chewy red wines, and begin a Winter-long white wine-drinking hiatus. Well, we defied that trend, and blind-tasted Sauvignon Blancs - specifically two bottles of Sancerre from the Loire valley in France, and two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region in New Zealand. All four were quite good, but I especially loved the two Kiwi whites.

Nobilo SB (retails for around $12), nearly reminded me of an Alsatian white, as it showed vibrant, zesty tart fruit balanced by a yeasty breadiness mid-palate. The Babich SB (retails for around $13), as one other taster described, was "an explosion of citrus fruit" on the palate. Unabashed, grapefruit and orange peel jump out of the glass, and the flavors remain persistent. If you're looking for good, thought-provoking, reasonably priced white wines to enjoy year-round, these New Zealand Sauv Blancs will do the trick.

Layered

After a lengthy (i.e. 5 months) hiatus, one of the most popular Aussie Reds is finally back at Stimmel's Market. Layer Cake Shiraz, now at $15.99 a bottle, is still a great value; pick some up today!

Those Holiday Brews

We're knee-deep in the holiday season, and we've got a pretty incredible selection (ahem...if I may say so...) here at the market. So far, here are some of the seasonal brews now available:

Great Lakes Christmas Ale
Goose Island Christmas Ale
Bell's Winter White
Moylan's White Christmas
Buckeye Brewing Ho Ho Ho
Great Divide Hibernation Ale
Samuel Smith Winter Welcome
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Anchor Our Special Ale
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Delirium Noel
DeDolle Still Nacht
Rogue Santa's Private Reserve
Penn Brewing St. Nikolas Bock
Blue Moon Full Moon
Southern Tier Old Man Winter
Summit Winter Ale

...and more.

Cheers!

Kill Ugly Radio

The good folks at Lagunitas Brewing Company, out of Petaluma, California, happen to be big Frank Zappa fans. Really big. So big, in fact, they decided to honor Frank by releasing a special beer every year, named after his album covers. Last year's brew, "Freak Out" covered Frank's first album, but this year's brew, released here in Ohio yesterday, isn't called "Absolutely Free" (the title of Frank's second album). Instead, the Lagunitas guys, after talking with Frank's family, found out that Frank wanted to name his second album "Kill Ugly Radio". Well, the record company wasn't thrilled with the name, and it died on the vine - until now.

'Kill Ugly Radio" is an agressively hopped beer, veering into Double IPA territory, and can be had for a mere $3.99 per 22 oz. bottle. This is a no-holds-barred original brew; I think Frank would be proud.

On Pumpkins and Oktoberfest

The Autumn beers are here. So far (with more yet to come in the next few weeks):

OKTOBERFEST
Great Lakes
Brooklyn
Goose Island
Left Hand
Penn Brewing
Stoudt's
Bell's
Hofbrau
Ayinger

PUMPKIN
Lakefront
Dogfish Head
Shipyard
Brooklyn
Blue Moon