CASA FERNANDEZ MIAMI

Sunday evening I decided to sit on the Porch of Wisdom and have a stogie!  Lately the Glacier and I have been buying cigars like firearms.  We figured having over 300 cigars each was a bit excessive considering there are several in our collection we haven't even smoked yet!  So we made a pact to start smoking and rating all the brands we haven't had the pleasure of trying.  This past Sunday I decided to try my Casa Fernandez Miami robusto.

Casa Fernandez Miami is a 100% Nicaraguan Puro utilizing a variety of authentic Cuban seeds and "AA" tobacco leaf from Aganorsa. A unique super-premium cigar, the Miami exudes perfect balance, complexity, aroma and flavor.  Cigar Aficionado rates the Miami a 90.

The cigar was easy to get started.  Right off the bat I got a hint of it's full flavored rep.  It started out bitter and leathery.  I've had a lot of Nicaraguan cigars that have started similar to this.  The ash was brittle and fell off easy and had a dirty gray color.  The burn was uneven which can be attributed to the cigar being a little wet.  I had it stored close to my humidifier and I think I should have let it sit out awhile.  Midway through the cigar I got a lot of nutty notes with hints of coffee.  The draw wasn't particularly great and again this might be attributed to a bad batch?  

I thought the Miami was ok!  I have never tried a Casa Fernandez cigar prior to this.  I have seen a few adds for their brand and I was at Binny's a few months back and decided to grab one to sample.  Like I said I thought it was ok but nothing to write home about!  But don't let my opinion dissuade ya, crab one for your humidor and light it up and see for yourself!

Cheers!

STONE DAYMAN COFFEE IPA @StoneBrewingCO

Every so often you taste an amazing beer that just blows your mind.  Well that happened to me this past Sunday.  I was in Champaign for a bit and on my way home I decided to stop by the Black Dog in Urbana to grab some of the best BBQ around.  As I weaved my way through the crowds waiting to get a table and bellied myself up to the bar I got a weird feeling.  I opened up the menu and went straight to the beer on tap list.  Before my eyes appeared Cask Conditioned Stone Dayman Coffee IPA!  

Now I do twitter a lot.  It allows me to sort through bullshit and get the info I want in a short amount of time and I don't have to worry about some dumb bitch airing out her life problems like on Facebook!  For the record dunts, no one cares you have a headache or can't decide what to eat!  Anyway I follow Stone Brewery on twitter.  So a few weeks back I say they were doing a special collaboration with Alemans and Two-Brothers breweries in the form of a coffee IPA!  WOW that sounded odd and I instantly began my quest to find this beer.

A few weeks back GQB7 and I were in Champaign and I decided to stop by Friar Tuck.  Right there on the shelf was a shiny brand new bottle of Daymans!  So of course I bought it along with some other beer I don't need.  I took it home and put it with the other 50 or so 22 oz bombers I am aging @ McHooligans!  

So like I said Sunday I was at Black Dog and saw that they had Cask Conditioned Daymans!  Not sure how many of you are familiar with the term cask conditioned beer is unfiltered and unpasteurized beer which is conditioned (including secondary fermentation) and served from a cask without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure.  If you haven't tried a cask conditioned or cask ale then I highly recommend it if you ever run across some in a pub.  It's a different taste!  Anyways I instantly ordered up a 12 oz glass of Daymans to go with the sweet ass meal of Rib Tips, Sweet Potato Fries, and Pit Beans I had!  

Beer Advocate rates Dayman Coffee IPA a 92, which is spot on!

The color of the beer gives you know indication it has any type of coffee in it whatsoever!  

I've tried coffee stouts and porters and let me tell ya, they're blacker than the ace of spades!  Dayman has a light carmel color almost like a really watered down coca cola!  sticking my nose in the glass left no doubt that this beer indeed had coffee in it.  The coffee aroma was strong to the smell!  I gave it a sip and coffee noted exploded in my mouth then quickly faded to a straight up moderate to strong hop blast!  I was blown away and it boggled my mind how these guys could brew such a complex beer!  Who the hell combines coffee and india pale ale?  It was crazy.  After about half the glass the 8.7% ABV was pretty evident because this beer was threatening to kick my ass!  Drink after drink I was blown away by the coffee to hops taste!   If I had to compare it to something then it would be like getting some Starbucks chocolate covered express beans and putting a few in your mouth then chewing and taking a drink of a nice tasting IPA!  

Daymans in an amazing beer.  I liked it so much that that evening I decided to take the bottle I had boughten a few weeks prior and share it with a few guys over Game of Thrones!  Again this beer blew me away.  It was not the cask conditioned beer but a bottled version with carb!  It was just as good!  Sadly everywhere I have went that initially had Daymans is sold out of it!  Apparently it is a hit!  So if you're somewhere that has this beer I suggest you buy more than one bottle because you'll love the shit out of it!  

Cheers!

LAGUNITAS SUCKS...IPA @LagunitasBrewCo

Don't let the title fool you, this is a fantastic beer!  When me and the boys schedules don't jive then GQB7 is wing...girl for road trips!  We've hit some cool dives up and sampled some great beers and had some saweeet grub as well!  GQB7 is cool as shit and she's up for having beers and doesn't get all weird after we kill BBQ at Black Dog!  She's fun...so take note ladies, there's at least one among your gender who's evolved past crying about ridiculous shit!

GQB7 and I went on a Binny's run in Champaign a few weeks back and decided to grab a bite to eat at the Big Grove Tavern!  I've heard it's an awesome place to grab food and brew!  Clowns make a Bacon Macaroni and Cheese...sounds like a good way to commit suicide!  Anywho we stopped in and ordered up a couple 10 0z glasses of brew!  Big Grove has a pretty nice selection of regional craft beers.  In fact Big Grove is a pretty swank place to relax have a beer and eat.  So if you're in Champaign and want to get some good grub downtown hit it up, won't be disappointed!  

As I looked at the menu I saw two (2) offerings by Lagunita, California's Lagunitas Brewery.  Both the beers were IPAs.  I've tried the regular Lagunitas IPA so I decided to try this Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute IPA!  

Beer Advocate rates Lagunitas Sucks a 97...that's right a fucking 97...BOOM!

I'm a huge Zombie Dust fan and I pretty much compare all my beers to it!  I'm not going to waste your time, this beer tasted very similar to Zombie Dust with a little more hop!  GQB7 even liked it and she isn't a big fan of the bitter stuff unless you're talking about me, I'm a tad bit on the bitter side if you've read Captain Fantastics!!!  

So on our way back home I decided to stop at Friar Tucks and see if they had any Lagunitas Sucks in bottle!  They did!  Like the over the top dude I am I decided to by a few 6-ers!  Got home and placed them in the beer stash!

I tried one the other night (pictures)!  Popping the top there is a definite hop aroma that you instantly smell!  Giving it a poor into a pint glass the color of the beer is a light to medium amber color!  The head is thick and full of bubbles almost dish sudsy.  The first sip you get the citri-hops and notes of floral with a tad bit of fruit!  The follow is a full hop flavor with slight slight malt and a nice hoppy finish!  If you've ever tried Zombie Dust I'd say Lagunitas Sucks is a little less floral and more hoppy!  It's now in my Top 5 IPAs and I have about a case now after a few more trips to Champaign!  I highly recommend this beer if you're a hop head like myself!  Pick up a 6-er at Binny's or Friar Tuck!!

Cheers

VICTORY STORM KING

When Turbo, the Assassin and I went on our road-trip to 3 Floyd’s we sampled a lot of good beers.  It so happens that at some craft breweries they serve “guest beers” which are beers they have on tap brewed by other craft breweries.  That’s where we discovered Storm King Imperial Stout by Victory Brewing! 

Back in my college days I was a huge stout fan thanks to my roommate the Wesel.  We drank any and every stout from Guinness to Beamish…most being English imported stouts.  Those stouts were bitter and although good, lacked complex taste!  Enter the Imperial Stout.  Imperial stout, also known as "Russian imperial stout" or "imperial Russian stout," is a strong dark beer or stout in the style that was brewed in the 18th century by Thrale's brewery in London, England for export to the court of Catherine II of Russia.  In 1781 the brewery changed hands and the beer became known as Barclay Perkins Imperial Brown Stout. When the brewery was taken over by Courage the beer was renamed Courage Imperial Russian Stout.  It has a high alcohol content, usually over 9% abv. 

Over the past 3 years I’ve tried several Imperial Stouts and they’ve all been fantastic, some even fantastically strong.  That definitely applies to Storm King!

Beer Advocate rates Storm King a 92 which is awesome!!

Popping the cap there is an almost coffee aroma that is really evident maybe even with a hint of chocolate.  The Pour is smooth and aromatic.  The beers head is not thick and creamy like a traditional stout but rather thick and foamy laced with air bubbles!  With an imperial stout I usually let it warm to room or near room temperature.  I find that this releases the full flavor profile and I believe stouts are meant to be drunk at room temperature like they’re traditionally served in the Commonwealth of England!  Taking the first drink an almost coffee-malty flavor even maybe sweet washed across the palette.  After a few drinks notes of chocolate malt are definitely evident with a slight bitterness.  Do to the higher alcohol content there is a slight hint of bourbon that may or may not be evident to some!  

I think this is one of the better Imperial Stouts I’ve tried in recent months.  I’m an IPA guy so I mainly drink IPAs, but when I drink Stouts I tend to only drink stouts because I find mixing and matching beers to be not so smart in the grand scheme of things!  If you’re a stout coinsurer then I recommend you head to your local Whole Foods or Binny’s and grab a 6er of Victory’s Storm King!  You won’t be disappointed!

Cheers!

FAT HEADS HEAD HUNTER IPA @FatHeadsBeer

It's not often I taste a beer and right off the bat I say "I like this, I like this a lot"...but that was the case when I tried my first pint of Head Hunter IPA by Cleveland's own Fat Heads Brewery!  I know I know me liking a beer from that hole Cleveland is absurd given my hate of the Browns, but that's just for the football team.  If Cleveland can have a brewery that produces a kick-ass IPA like Head Hunter then more power to em...I'm on board Cleveland, but fuck a bunch of you Brownies!  

Beer Advocate gives Head Hunter IPA a 98 which is the highest rating I've seen on any IPA I've tried! 

Before I give my review I need to give credit where credit is due.  Turbo discovered this beer at Fridays a few weeks back.  At that time I couldn't drink do to some health issues which I think I have gotten past?  Turbo said this was one of the best IPAs he had tried and admittedly I was skeptical because anything Turbo tries is the best ever!  But he was spot on!  This was a fantastic beer and maybe one of my favorite beers period.  

Head Hunter starts out with fruity, floral notes similar to that of 3 Floyds Zombie dust.  The citric-hops are very evident.  A hoppy, bitter taste in the middle with a full body slight malt to dry finish follows the floral notes. If I had to compare Head Hunter to another beer I would say it's most like a cross between Zombie Dust and Ranger IPA which are two of my favorite IPA if not beers period!  

If you like IPAs and you live close to Terre Haute, Indiana TGI Fridays have 7 kegs of Head Hunter IPA and I highly recommend you try it!

Cheers

STONE IPA @StoneBrewingCo

When I was getting divorced one of the first beers I tired was from Stone Brewery.  I’ve reviewed some Stone beers before most notably the Arrogant Bastard Ale.  One that goes unnoticed for me is Stone’s IPA which is retarded considering how much of a Hop-Head I claim to be.  GQB7 and I were in Champaign a few weeks back and we stopped at Faren’s Pub and they had Stone IPA on tap so naturally I ordered up a pint and let the enjoyment commence.

First released in 1997 this Left Coast IPA utilizes Columbus, Chinnok, and Centennial hops..  by definition an IPA is hoppier and higher in alcohol content then its little brother , the pale ale!  Stone IPA is one of the most well respected and best-selling IPAs in the country.  This award winning golden beauty explodes with citrusy flavor and hope aromas, all perfectly balanced by a subtle malt character!  This crisp, extra hoppy brew is hugely refreshing on a hot day, but will always deliver no matter when you choose to drink it.

Beer Advocate rates Stone IPA a 95 which is excellent on all levels!

At 6.9% ABV and 77 IBUs Stone IPA is the quenticential IPA for anyone who likes IPAs or are getting into them.  The first sip is a bit harsh as the bitterness overwhelms your palet.  But after a few drinks the flavor profile explodes and you soon realize why this is such a highly rated IPA.  I recommend Stone IPA if you like for instance New Belgium Ranger IPA… they are very similar!

Cheers!