Urban South Rectify Coffee Porter

Urban South Brewing, New Orleans, LA A Coffee Porter that combines the best local Joe and brew — a nod to 18th century London bag porters who needed a dose of beer and caffeine to rectify their mood.  Don’t we all? 5.8% ABV Dark brown/black in color with a coffee nose.  Tastes like iced coffee….

Chafunkta Kingfish Ale

Chafunkta Brewing Company, Mandeville, LA A light colored American Cream Ale with minimal hop flavor and a hint of lingering sweetness.  It’s crisp and refreshing like a lager, with the flavor and complexity of an ale. 5% ABV This beer is gold/amber in color with a malty, almost sweet, nose.  Malty sweetness dominates the palate,…

Wayward Owl Brewery

3940 Thalia St, New Orleans, LA Located in the former Gem Theater which retains it’s fascade.  The interior is one big room with varnished picnic tables, leather couches, movie theater seats complete with cupholders and bar seating.  Air conditioned and more open than either NOLA or 40 Arpent; Urban South is also open, but not…

North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg, CA Brewed in the tradition of the 18th century English brewers who supplied the Russian court of Catherine the Great, Old Rasputin develops a cult following wherever it goes.  It’s a rich, intense brew with big, complex flavors and a warming finish. 9% ABV Dark brown/black in color with…

Blue Tarp Last Place Stout

Blue Tarp Brewing Company, Atlanta, GA Big n’ bold and as black as night, big hoppy bitterness, and rich deep coffee notes up front fade away to a delicate dark chocolate sweetness.  Rolling in at 12.5% ABV, she is made for sipping and perfect for those long winter nghts to come. 12.5% ABV Dark as…

Homebrew Cautionary Tale: English Mild Ale

We brewed an English Mild, “Through a Mild Darkly” from Palmer’s Brewing Classic Styles in mid-November to have the beer ready to drink by the holidays.  We sampled the beer a few days early to see if it was worthy of bringing along on our trip to visit Fr. Jack’s family.  It did not disappoint: like…

Southern Star Buried Hatchet Stout

Southern Star Brewing, Conroe, TX You hold in your hand a stout for stout lovers.  Buried Hatchet is brewed with a large quantity of brown malt reminiscent of a traditional pre-industrial Revolution malt profile.  This stout is full of robust, roasted flavors which intermingle with a bittersweet creaminess that concludes to a perfect, warming finish….

Santa Fe Imperial Java Stout

Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM 8% ABV Dark brown in color with a nose of a fresh cut green pepper.  There is a bit of bitterness that is more like a tannic coffee than a bitter beer.  No sweetness at all.  Needs a bit more bitterness in our opinion, but, overall, a tasty…

Left Hand Black Jack Porter

Left Hand Brewing, Longmont, CO Slight malt sweetness with notes of dark chocolate, espresso and herbal hops.   6.8% ABV Brown in color with a nose of just malt.  Light for a 6.8% Porter and sweet: more chocolate than coffee.  Large Marge finds this beer cloying while Father Jack does not.  Not a bad beer,…

Eel River Porter

Eel River Brewing Company, Scotia, CA 5.8% ABV The Eel River Porter is a very dark brown color.  It has a sweet chocolate smell – like Hershey’s Special Dark.  It tastes very sweet, but not cloying.  It has a bit of a coffee taste on the back end.  This reminds Father Jack of Hershey’s syrup….

Bell’s Christmas Ale (Scottish Ale)

Bell’s Brewery, Comstock, MI From the Bell’s farm to your holiday.  A smooth, highly drinkable, malt driven ale, made with Michigan grown barley and a blend of Pacific Northwest and Michigan hops.  A bit of cheer from the north country, sure to make any occasion festive. 5.5% ABV Hazy amber in color with a nose…

Bell’s Winter White Ale

Bell’s Brewery, Comstock, MI Bell’s Winter White Ale is a bright alternative to dark and heavy winter seasonal beers.  This stylish and refreshing wheat ale is fermented with Belgian yeast, yielding a mix of clove and fruity aromas without the use of any spices.  An ideal beer for embracing winter. 5% ABV Hazy gold in…