BEER 091112

Happy 911!  In honor of the second worst attack on American soil I'm offering up some more beer reviews!  What was I doing September 11, 2001?  I was sitting in an office in the middle of nowhere doing paperwork wondering why I had a one night stand with some slut and dating a religious maniac! Of course both of those took a back seat when the attacks happened.  As I headed home at the end of the day I had to pinch off a shit and my truck was on E!  All the gas stations were backed up and gas prices spiked.  Even Taco Bell was packed...apparently all the fat pieces of shit thought terrorism was going to effect fast food so they loaded up!  I drove 23 miles on E in a Dodge Ram pinching off a shit!  As I got home to my parents house I rushed into the house and barely made it to the pot before I shit myself!  To this day that is one of the best shits I've ever taken!  Thanks Osama Bin Laden!  On with the Beer!

First up is ....Surprise a Pale Ale!  Silver Back IPA from Wynkoop Brewery!  I first tried this beer last December when I flew out to spend my birthday with Steveo.  Mine's on the 5th and his is on the 7th (the date of the worst attack on American soil).  We celebrated by microbrew crawling and hitting a cigar bar!  Good times.  One of those microbews was Wynkoop Brewery Colorado'’s first brewpub, Wynkoop Brewing Company was founded in 1988 by a group of young entrepreneurs and urban pioneers led by former Denver mayor and current Governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper.  Wynkoop is a great brewery!  I thought the scenery and the taproom was great!  We stopped in and had a few of their beers that night.  Among those beers was Silverback Pale Ale!

Silverback Pale Ale is a standard west coast style pale ale with a solid hoppy presence that's done in a can without apology. And none is needed; it's totally enjoyable.

Silverback pours unfiltered, copper, with a white head that sits on top of the body and dots the pint glass with spots. It smells of citrus hops and caramel malt with biscuits and bread. It's crisp, finishes clean, and drinks easy at 5.5% alcohol.

Beer Advocate rates Silverback Pale Ale an 82.

Admittedly I was pretty buzzed by the time we hit Wynkoop up so I can't remember if I liked Silverback!  So on my May visit to run the Bolder Boulder I grabbed a 6 pack and smuggled it back here!  

I'm mixed on Silver Back.  I think when I'm drunk I like it more than when I'm sober...not unlike Labambas Borritos!  The taste seems very earthy to me for an American Pale Ale.  I guess I've just had so many hopped out beers that the hop profile of Silver Back really doesn't do anything for me.  Big Cookie had this one pictured and seemed to like it so I guess it just depends on who you are!  That being said if you ever find yourself in Colorado try one and be sure to hit up Wynkoop!  

Sierra NevadaSouthern Hemisphere Harvest Ale!  Heeeeyyyy it's not an IPA...GO FUCK YOURSELVES!  

I have to admit I love Sierra Nevada's beers.   One of my favorites is their Bigfoot Barleywine style ale!  That is some kickin shit!!  

I picked up this bottle of SH Harvest Ale a few weeks back on a doughnut trip to Baesler's Market!  It was flat out popping on the shelf and the tag "NEW" hanging below it had me at hello!  Sierra Nevada describes their SH Harvest Ale as:

Our newest addition to our Harvest family is Southern Hemisphere Harvest. This is the first time we know of that an American brewer has put out a beer with fresh-picked hops from the southern hemisphere. The inaugural ale will debut in late April and will feature fresh Pacific Hallertau, New Zealand Motueka and New Zealand Southern Cross hops, all from New Zealand.

Like our Celebration Ale, the fresh hops in this beer are dried right after being picked then shipped immediately to Chico for brewing so that they retain their peak aromatics and flavors. To ensure the freshest hops possible, we went to the added expense of flying these hops from New Zealand to Chico so we could brew with them the week after they were picked.

Beer Advocate rates Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale a 91.

I shared this with Turbo and Big Cookie the other night during the Giants vs. Cowboys game!  The Assassin couldn't make it for reasons unknown but rumor has it it was female related!  Anyways I loved this beer.  It had a very nice hop profile with floral hints!  The beer was smooth.  I didn't think it was too malty or too hoppy.  I highly recommend this beer if you can find it.  I went back to Baesler's but it was sold out!  I'm kicking myself in the ass because at $4.99 a bottle I should've bought a few for the winter!  Live and learn!  

Well that's it for now!  I'll be back with other amazing beers here in the next few weeks!  McHooligan's is now open and it will become the central location for beer tasting down the road!  I'm even working on a podcast!  

Cheers!