What can be said that hasn’t already been said?  As Old Brown Dog keg #4, I think it’s safe to say this is an annual tradition every fall… and every fall I’m surprised by how GOOD it is.

Categories: Past Brews, Smuttynose
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Per Kev’s suggestion, we’re putting Cisco’s “Whale’s Tale” on tap.  (It’s not ‘Tail”.)  There’s been a lot of people looking forward to this one – I suspect Pete and Jim will have to make guest appearances in the near future for some taste-testing.

Here’s what Cisco says about the beer:

Tasting notes: An amber English-style ale that has a nice balance between hops and malt. It’s the most popular of our beers and the most versatile in terms of pairing with food or people.

Randy’s comment: “Whale’s Tale is brewed with a blend of British and domestic malts and dry-hopped with a kiss of Kent Golding Hops. I love really strong hops but I made this more balanced so [my charming and lovely wife*] Wendy would like it.” *(Author’s note)

About the Name: If you’re not familiar with Nantucket history, you’ll be interested to know that this tiny island was once the Whaling Capital of the World. Knowing a bit of the history of a place can really help put life in perspective, and I like to encourage people to spend part of their time here visiting the Whaling Museum, the Oldest House, and the windmill. Calling our beer “Whale’s Tale” is a little tribute to the whaling era and a way to say hey, whales are people too! Let’s appreciate their contribution to Nantucket’s prosperity.

P.S. “Whale’s Tails Prince of Wales” is also a drinking game that Randy and Wendy played (independently, for they did not yet know one another) in their raucous youth, but that’s another sordid story or two altogether

Keg #40
Tapped 9/2/10 … Huge thanks to Lauren for a 9:58pm run to Colonial to keep the FFL guys from drying out.

Categories: Cisco, Past Brews
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This one also required a call to the brewery and special order to get but I think it will be worth it – at least according to Aaron Ouellette’s suggestion.  I had to pick the keg up at Ball Square Liquor Store in Somerville and while my experience there wasn’t great Erin, from the Woodstock Brewery, is amazing and is mailing me a tap handle for no other reason than I basically just asked.  AAA+ for Erin, I hope her boss is reading this post.

Woodstock’s description:

Pigs Ear Brown Ale won Grand National Champion for brown ales at the United States Beer Tasting Championships in 2004 and 2006. Medium bodied with a balance of roasted and crystal malts creating a hearty nutty flavor. Medium bitterness with a slightly sweet finish.
O.G. 1.054 / 25 IBUs / 4.3% abv

Even though it’s not a typical summer beer it sounds great (and has a “B” rating on BA).

Keg #39

Tapped 8/2/10 (before vacation)

Categories: Past Brews, Woodstock Inn
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Yes, we’re serving it again.  Great beer, cool tap handle, and Phoebe’s birthday.  We served it earlier this summer and it was hugely popular.  Belfast is a tiny Maine brewery so I love supporting them.  Their other beer, a porter, is quite elusive but I’m hoping I can order it through a local store (Harborside) in Maine and haul it home.

Belfast describes this beer as;

Lobster Ale is a dark copper “Red” ale with medium hop bitterness, flavor and aroma.  It offers the drinker subtle levels fo fruit-ester flavors and low caramel character.  Slight yeast haze and chill haze gives this ale a clear foamy rich head.  Belfast Bay Brewing Co. is near the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia where just about every brewery makes a red ale, unlike in the United States where red ales are not well known.  When my wife suggested that a brewery from Maine should make a beer called Lobster Ale, a red ale seemed to be the perfect brew.  Unlike our highly hopped neighbors beers, we decided to brew Lobster Ale to be very “user friendly”.  We cut down the hops and added slight amounts of black and dark crystal to the brew.  The result is a medium hopped, medium flavored, very drinkable red ale.

Check out their website; BelfastBayBrewing.com (Just make sure to turn your speakers down as their site is not very user-friendly)

Categories: Belfast Bay, Past Brews
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The nice thing about Gritty’s beers, other than tasting great, is that they’re available in tall 1/4 barrels, which I can fit in the kegerator next to a 1/6 log.  I was hoping for their summer beer, the Vacationland again but this should make a nice beer, too.  With a “B” rating on BeerAdvocate it should be a good beer to have on tap for a while.  I’m generally not a fan of super hoppy beers (namely IPA’s) but I figured I’d give it a shot.

Here’s what Gritty McDuff’s says about the beer:

Gritty’s 21 IPA is a unique blend of American hops with a British body utilizing English 2-Row Pale malts. This IPA starts with a hoppy aroma and taste; ending with a sweet finish. Plenty of Munich and caramalts are used to give the beer that golden hue. There are fifty-six pounds of Cascade Hops used in each 50 barrel batch that is brewed! Then we finish the beer with Willamette & Warrior Hops, (Warrior is a high-alpha acid variety of hops) All this leads to an IPA that is worthy to celebrate our 21st Anniversary!

Starting Gravity: 1069
Hops: (60 I.B.U.s) Cascade, Willamette, Warrior

Overall it was a pretty good beer – good, not great.  It was on during a notoriously slow time of the year (mid-to-late summer) but I probably wouldn’ t put it on tap again.  We kicked it while doing our 2010-2011 Fantasy Football Draft Night – it was the focus of nine guys for 3 hours until we killed it.  Had it not been for that, I suspect the “21” could easily have lived until early winter.  Phew.  My next IPA will probably be Dogfish Head unless someone can riddle me some kickass New England IPA.

Keg #37
Tapped: 6/16/10
Kicked: 9/2/10

Categories: Gritty McDuff's, Past Brews
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First, to say they have to work on their naming (read: brand) consistency is an understatement.  The Mercury Brewing Company of Ipswich, MA. makes beer, soda, and mustard.  The beer is branded as “Ipswich Ale” under which they have “Ipswich Summer Ale”, etc.  Is it Mercury Ipswich Ale Summer?  Ipswich Summer?  Regardless, they stick to their day jobs of brewing beer and do a damn fine job at it.  This one is on tap per request of Vogel.

It has a solid “B+” rating on BA and should make a great session beer, especially given it’s low ABV.  Mercury/Ipswich writes:

Ipswich Summer – A light-bodied, unfiltered Blonde ale that retains the bold flavors typical of an Ipswich Ale, our Summer Ale is light enough for a hot summer day and can satisfy even the most scorching thirst.

4.9% ABV
25 IBUs
Availability: Summer

Keg #36
Tapped 6/10/10
Kicked 6/17/10

Categories: Ipswich, Past Brews
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