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Have A Beer And A Smile 2018!

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   Have A Beer And A Smile!

Howdy Doo Buckaroos and how the heck are you?

    I Am The Beer Whisperer

    Beervangelist, Prolific Beer Drinker, Purveyor of Wisdom

And …

         All Around Good Guy! 

Last year at this time, the July feature was, “Have a Beer and a Smile”.

My wife and I were dealing with losing our house, grieving the loss of our son 4 years prior and just trying to find a way to move forward.

The article was about trying to focus on the positive. Bad things happen, you can use it as an excuse to become bitter or as a reason to become better.

As I pondered what subject to do this months feature on, I happened to re-read the article from last year.

I thought about the changes we’ve went through from last year to now and it seemed like the topic should be revisited.

And … That brings us to this year.

The one bedroom apartment that we had moved into was starting to feel a bit small and it was becoming apparent that her mother, who was just shy of 91 at the time, was going to need to move in with us so …

Yeah, you guessed it! We needed a little bigger place, so we found a 2 bed, 2 bath duplex that would work.

So, we moved that cranky old broad, err, I mean, lovely woman in with us.

 

For the last 2 years I’d been working for a craft brewery in Springdale Ar. Being down there for the week and returning to Springfield Mo most weekends.

After 2 years, being gone so much was getting tough on my wife who has many health issues and I’d worry about leaving her by herself.

I thought I had another job in the industry lined up, so I gave notice and went back to Springfield.

Long story short, the job fell through, but as I was in the process of finding employment, surgery was scheduled to repair a torn meniscus on my knee.

About 3 weeks after that surgery, another was scheduled to repair a hernia that had progressively gotten worse.

So, I ended up having 2 surgeries in a months time. It’s just over a week since the surgery as I write this and I’ve been unemployed longer than planned, but everything seems to be healing well.

 

Anyway … Once again, it serves no purpose to dwell on the negative, as my dad used to say,”no use looking up a dead horses ass”!.

You can find excuses to be bitter or reasons to be better.

So …. Have a Beer and a Smile, or as the late, great Warren Zevon said, “Enjoy Every Sandwich”!

I say enjoy every beer, from the selection to the pour, to the aroma, to the taste, the whole process. Enjoy every second, savor every moment!

If you get a bad one, move on and pour the next one knowing that it only gets better.

    Once Again, I Am Tom The Beer Whisperer

Beervangelist, Prolific Beer Drinker, Purveyor of Wisdom and …

      All Around Good Guy! Cheers!

 

 

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Craft Beer That Tastes Like Beer, Can Be!

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   Once Upon A Time, Beer Was About Being Beer!

After decades of American beer getting watered down and diluted by cheap adjuncts, in the late 70’s a few early brewing pioneers, Jack McAuliffe of New Albion and Fritz Maytag of Anchor just to name 2, set out to make REAL beer again. They were attacked by the big guys but made enough headway for breweries like Sam Adams and others to propagate the “Microbrew”.

And it was good …

And then came the “Brewpub”, which was to the 90’s what the sports bar was to the 80’s.

Many of these early Brewpubs didn’t last for the long haul, but they reminded folks what real beer tasted like and introduced many to new beer styles.

Throughout the 2000’s, with an occasional up and down, what eventually evolved into craft beer flourished.

We saw the revival and in some cases the rebirth of many classic styles.

The Zwickel, The Berliner Weisse, The Gose etc …

Then American craft breweries took those existing styles and kicked it up a notch.

The IPA became the Double/Imperial IPA, beers found their way into every spirit barrel imaginable and … it was still good!

We added 100 sub-styles of IPA, okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but not by much.

But, Oh No, that wasn’t enough.

In came raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, dingleberries, okay, not dingleberries, but we did run the whole damn thing through the garden but that was still not enough.

Then the beer had to taste like chocolate, peanut butter, marshmallow, Graham cracker, goat cheese … okay, I just made up goat cheese, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a goat cheese beer out there somewhere.

We’ve used beard yeast, yeast cultivated from the cootchie of a supermodel, yeast cultivated from the pubic hair of an aboriginal pygmy elder, okay, I made up that one too, but you get the point

ENOUGH? NO!

Then someone decided glitter should go into beer. Why? NO ONE KNOWS!

Those that like the idea have said to me,”It’s just fun Tom” or “Why are you trying to stifle our creativity”.

Hey, like what you like, but glitter, really?!

Now, I’m sure that it’s not the end for crazy flavors and experimentation, but we are starting to see many craft breweries bringing back beer that tastes like beer. We’re seeing more classic English styles like the Mild or Bitter, many are doing German and Czech style pilsners, some doing better versions of American style lagers, more accessible craft beers, beer without pretention, and quite frankly, it’s overdue.

   REAL BEER Is Back!

Oh yeah baby, beer is back!

I’m loving that the craft Pilsner is being brewed more frequently, clean malt, crisp and refreshing, spicy, earthy and herbal hops, oh baby, a beer that tastes like beer, what beer was meant to be.

We are also seeing craft brewing heavyweights like Founder’s, Firestone Walker, Sierra Nevada putting out quality lagers, and behold, real beer is back and it’s good!

Will it stick?

Oh, who the hell knows. I mean, 30 years ago could any of you have predicted glittering mountain oyster beard beer? I think not.

The truth is these styles never really went away and they’re not going anywhere, but it’s nice to see them in the forefront of the craft brewing industry rather than an afterthought or sidekick to the latest hipster craft beer trends.

This latest shift shows that you don’t have to stand in line for great beer, fine beer doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg and come in a 750. It can even be merely labeled a “shelf” beer.

So, for the time being, I for one am enjoying the resurgence of real beer, what craft beer started out to be, a beer that tastes like beer …

   And IT’S GOOD!

  I Am Tom The Beer Whisperer

Beervangelist, Prolific Beer Drinker

Purveyor Of Wisdom

   And … All Around Good Guy!

 

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Has Craft Beer Jumped The Shark?

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Well, Howdy Doo Buckaroos and how the heck are you?

I am Tom The Beer Whisperer

Beervangelist

Prolific Beer Drinker

Purveyor of Wisdom and …

All Around Good Guy!

    Has Craft Beer Jumped The Shark?

Bull testicle beer. Beard beer. Vagina beer. Glitter beer.

Given that those all have been made into beer, some might say that it’s more of a question of when craft beer jumped the shark.

 

   The Beer Moral High Ground

Oh yes, both craft and macro drinkers like to claim superiority.

Who’s right? Well that depends on who you ask.

The Craft Point of View …

Macro beer is swill that uses cheap malt and even cheaper adjuncts. The result is something that barely resembles beer and drank by those more interested in getting drunk than drinking a quality product.

The Macro Point of View …

Craft beer isn’t real beer! They like these mamby pamby peach pumpkin pineapple creations, that’s not beer.

Who’s right?

Both sides have valid points.

Us craft beer drinkers like to hammer macros for the adjuncts, rice, corn, corn syrup, corn sugar etc …

And somehow we discount that chocolate, raspberry, coconut etc … Are also adjuncts.

It’s hard to claim that you’re the one drinking REAL beer, maintaining superiority while you’re drinking a mango, pineapple, peanut butter, Graham cracker beer aged with yeast cultivated from the pubic hair of an Aboriginal pygmy elder with glitter floating around in it!

    The Evolution Of Craft Beer

What started as microbrew and independent brews morphed into what we now call craft beer.

It started with a few brewing pioneers that were tired of what beer had become and wanted to brew a beer that more closely resembled pre-prohibition beer. And they did, and it was wonderful!

Until …. Well, Americans did what Americans do.

Most early examples of craft beer was based on classic English, German and Belgian styles.

Then American Brewers said,”Hold my beer and watch this!”

    More, More, More

IPA’s went from 5% abv to 6%, to 7% to … Double/Imperial, 8%, 9%, 10%, holy cow, we can’t stop.

Then we decided that everything should be barrel aged.

Bourbon barrels, Rye barrels, Scotch barrels, Sherry barrels, heck, let’s just age it in all of them!

But that wasn’t enough.

We decided beer shouldn’t taste like beer.

We added peanut butter, raspberry, marshmallow, every fruit imaginable, but that still wasn’t enough.

Look Out, I See A Shark!

Oh yeah, beer was made from yeast cultivated from beard hair, vagina yeast and now glitter is being added to beer.

“Jump The Shark”

A pop culture phrase that came from an episode of “Happy Days”.

“The Fonz” must somehow save the day by water skiing over a shark that for some odd reason ended up in a fresh water lake.

Too far?

Well, Henry Winkler that played the character has pointed out that the show lasted a few more years after that episode.

So, did it really “Jump The Shark” or did it just run it’s natural course?

And that’s the question, has Craft Beer gone too far or is it just running it’s natural course?

If you’re asking me if I like the current hipster/gimmick marketing trends, the answer is no, however if you’re asking me if I’m going to stop drinking craft beer, the answer is also no.

So no, I’m drinking good beer until I can’t anymore, but …

No glittering mountain oyster beard beer for me and when I want the taste of vagina, I’ll eat one!

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Center Ice Brewing St Louis!

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CENTER ICE!

Howdy Doo Buckaroos and how the heck are you?

I recently discovered Center Ice, a relatively new St Louis craft brewery.

I hate to write a puff piece, but by the time I finish this article, it’s probably going to sound like a love letter.

My experience at this brewery was so amazing that I felt that they deserved to be spotlighted.

I’d describe Center Ice as a craft brewery/sports bar hybrid, with both hockey and baseball playing as I walked in.

They don’t serve food but are connected to arguably the best BBQ in St Louis, Pappy’s.

I was greeted immediately and was given a beer menu. I ordered and was promptly served, and here’s the amazing part, the beertender was friendly and even smiled!

I know, really! In a craft brewery no less, a friendly and helpful bartender with no sign of pretentiousness anywhere!

Before I finished my first beer, head brewer Bill came out and greeted me and didn’t seem to mind answering all of my questions.

In between beers, I was offered a few samples of others, it would have been rude of me to decline!

I was given a tour of the joint and was told about future beers on the way, including some barrel-aged specialties.

All the beers I ordered and sampled were darn good, but two of them really stood out for my taste buds.

The “Grim Reaver”, a 7.5% delectable Red IPA.

The other, “Chirp City”, described as a Pale Ale that uses an obscene amount of lemon zest.

Bill liked to describe most of the brews as “approachable” and he’s not wrong, but all have subtleties and nuances that raise them well above just “approachable”.

I don’t think it’s enough anymore for a craft brewery to just be good. While many have chosen to become “Specialty” breweries focusing on the latest trendy style and customer service be damned, Center Ice has chosen to focus on the total package. Understanding the brewing process and making fine beer, yes, but also creating an atmosphere that keeps you coming back.

Center Ice, for me anyway, is the epitome of the neighborhood bar, in this case, the neighborhood craft brewery!

And yes, I will be back!

I Am The Beer Whisperer

Beervangelist, Prolific Beer Drinker

Purveyor of Wisdom and …

All Around Good Guy!

 

 

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St Patrick’s Day/Month With The Beer/ Whiskey Whisperer!

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Well, Howdy Doo Buckaroos and how the heck are you? I Am Tom The Beer/Whiskey Whisperer, Bervangelist, Whiskeyvangelist, Prolific Beer/Whiskey Drinker, Purveyor Of Wisdom And All Around Good Guy!

Here at the Beer/Whiskey Whisperer Pub one day isn’t enough to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, so we celebrate all month long.

Pictured are past party favors as we work up to this year’s festivities.

Last year, my wife and I met some friends at Hopper’s Pub in Waynesville, here are a few shots from there.

Casual atmosphere, a surprisingly varied beer list, and the food was done right.

 

And then my wife and I took a drive to West Plains to visit my friend Phil Wages @ Wages Brewery. Wages is a small brewery in West Plains with limited hours, but if you can find them open, they are craft beer gem.

Yeah Baby, but I wasn’t done yet! After the 2 hour drive back, I had just enough time to visit Andy & John at Show-Me Brewing in Springfield Mo! 

No green beer here, but we do take a few American liberties with the holiday as well. I do tend to revisit a classic Guinness, but do drink mostly American craft and good whiskey, Irish and otherwise.

So throughout the month, I’ll post the haps(Forgive the 80’s slang, sometimes I regress) with thoughts and photos.

St Patrick’s Day has always been a big deal for our family.

When our kids, Kalysta & Seamus, were little, the “Leprechaun” would visit. He’d come in, scatter a few things, roll potatoes around in the living room, but he’d always leave them each a treat, a toy or something that they’ve wanted.

As they got older they’d help plan and prepare the days’ menu. We’d do the Irish/American classic corned beef and cabbage and every year it seemed, Seamus would learn about a new Irish dish, so we gradually added items. Shay and I would typically plan and prepare the meal, while my wife would do the baking, soda bread etc … with Kalysta and Seamus assisting.

And we’d watch 2 movies every year, sometimes more, but always these 2, “Darby O’Gill And The Little People” and “Luck of The Irish”.

The point is that although I certainly enjoy my Irish and American craft beer and whiskey, that’s not all the day can be about.

St Patrick’s Day can and should be as much about family as anything else.

More Past St Patrick’s Day Shots!

Pictured above is Colcannon, one of Shay’s favorites.

 Smoked corned beef!

And a few more …

  An

Okay, that was more than a few!

And now on to this year’s festivities!

 

I started off with the classic Guinness Extra Stout.

Oh, the classic! This beer is most Americans intro to the stout. With so many American craft versions available, this one gets overlooked. However, after revisiting it, I really don’t understand the disrespect this classic gets. Big roasted malts, creamy, slightly dry and bitter in the finish and a perfect introduction to St Patrick’s Day.

I wanted to have an Irish Car Bomb, but not having any Jameson or Bushmills, I decided to improvise and do an Irish/American Car Bomb. So, I used a classic and distinctive American whiskey, black label Jack Daniels Old No. 7. My chugging skills ain’t what they used to be, but I managed to get ‘er down and she sure was tasty!

From there to a Guinness Draught to a Guinness FES to a … well, you get the point, it’s St Patrick’s after all.

Pictured above is my “Irish” stew. Maybe not 100% traditional, but Irish in spirit. I used pork in place of lamb, whole baby red potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and mushrooms, and it sure was tasty.

I did a corned beef and cabbage as well, but I got so excited I didn’t get any pictures, but I do love corned beef and I’ll add leftover pictures later.

Oh yes, the leftovers are always the best!

I love corned beef hash and homemade hash is just the best. Plated there on the good china is the hash, 2 eggs over medium and a biscuit.

I had good beer, fine whiskey and  homemade food. I felt my son Seamus with me the whole time while I was prepping, cooking and serving the food and it felt good to do again.

Well, that’s the end of St Patrick’s day and the weekend is almost over, but I’ll carry the celebration on the rest of the month.

I hope you all had a good one with a only a minor hangover, thanks for listening …

I Am The Beer/Whiskey Whisperer

Beervangelist/ Whiskeyvangelist

Prolific Beer/ Whiskey Drinker

Purveyor Of Wisdom

And …. All Around Good Guy!

 

 

 

 

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10 Ozarks “Must Try” Beers!

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The Ozarks region encompasses Southwest Mo and Northwest Ar. I was asked to compile 10 “Must Try”Ozark’s beers for Ozarks Hills and Hollows Magazine. I chose 5 from SWMO and 5 From NWA Here are those 10 beers/breweries:

 10 “Must Try” Beers Of The Ozarks!

1)  “Ozarks Farmhouse French Style Saison”  Hungry Hollow Brewing, Cassville Mo

I recently stumbled across this new brewery more than just a little off the beaten path. She comes in at 8%, bright & floral on the nose, aromatically stunning. A tad sweet initially with notes of notes of honey accented by the bready pilsner malt, fruity in the middle with hints and pear and sweet apple finishing crisp, clean and dry on the palate.

2)  

That’s The “Sleeping Bear” a 9.8% Imperial India Dark(Black IPA). From Show-Me Brewing, Springfield Mo

A home brew shop with a taproom running up to 12 taps that they’re brewing 10 gallons at a time. This is their fall/winter seasonal Imperial IPA and my absolute favorite of the style.

3)   

“Salted Cherry Sour” Bentonville Brewing, Bentonville(Rogers) Ar

A 4.3% Gose, those that know me know that I’m not a big fan of the style or cherries, but this one is crafted so impeccably that it made a believer out of me. Salty & tart as per style with bold sour cherry notes and wildly refreshing, it does the style and the Ozarks justice.

4)  

“Arkansas Farmhouse” The flagship beer for Saddlebock Brewery in Springdale Ar

In the interest of full disclosure, I am employed by this brewery, however, my first video for this beer was done a little over 2 years before my employment. 9.2%, using grits and rice that are locally milled giving it a uniquely Arkansas twist to the classic style.

5) 

“MILF” from Mother’s Brewing, Springfield Mo

This is a great big 11% multi-barrel aged Imperial Stout that employs raisins and cacao nibs. An annual winter seasonal, this one ain’t for weak, only a true beer lover can handle this MILF!

6) 

“Slaughter Pen” IPA from Bike Rack Brewing, Bentonville Ar

Newly canned for 2017, this IPA feels like an NE/ West Coast hybrid, slightly hazy, bright citrus, a hint of stone fruit accented by tropical fruit notes, good anytime, but perfect for Spring/ Summer drinking.

7)  

“Wet Hop Pilsner” from Springfield BrewCo, Springfield Mo

Served there in my 2018 Mug Club glass. At 6.25% this is a big pilsner, giving you everything you want in the style and so much more!

8) “APA” Ozarks Beer Co, Rogers Ar

They like to keep most of their brews around the session range and this local classic at 4.3% is no exception. It’d be difficult to walk into any bar or restaurant in NWA and not find this one on tap.The locals demand it and one sip and you would too.

9) 

“Java The Kolsch”  4 By 4 Brewing, Springfield Mo

A 5.5% Kolsch that takes it to another level with the addition of coffee, making it approachable and refreshing, yet complex and satisfying.

10) “Citadel” Tripel from New Province Brewing

New Province opened in early spring of 2016 and I proclaimed at the time they were one to watch.

This Tripel @ 9% ABV lives up to any perceived hype, aromatically spectacular and wildly palate pleasing.

Although these are numbered 1 through 10, they aren’t in any particular order of importance, all speak to the Ozarks, and I’m sure this goes without saying, but all pictures are mine, no stock photos, no professional photographer. Just a guy who loves beer and his phone!

I Am The Beer Whisperer

Beervangelist/Prolific Beer Drinker

Purveyor of Wisdom and …

All Around Good Guy!

 

 

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Beer, Don’t Judge, Drink, Enjoy, Repeat!

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 Are All Beer Created Equal

I had many darn fine beers in 2017. Some of them hard to find masterpieces, like the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.  And some that may have been considered merely “shelf beers”.

Oh yes, the “shelf” beer, the utility infielder of the craft beer world.

Believe it or not, there are some “craft” beer drinkers that think any beer that they don’t have to stand in line for hours to get and spend a ridiculous amount of money on is somehow unworthy.

Hence the derogatory moniker “Shelf Beer”. Or, as us unpretentious just call them, “BEER”!

I mean, why can’t we just enjoy ALL good beer, all quality beer? Why do we need to exalt some over others?

It has limited availability it must be better, right? It costs more, it must be better, right?

WRONG! Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!

Enjoyment need not be a special release. It just has to be the right beer at the right time, regardless of price or availability.

 Judge Not, That Ye Not Be Judged

Why do so many “Beer Geeks” think that every beer should be judged, graded or put on lists?

Why can’t we just enjoy every beer for what it is?

I DON’T KNOW!

And why do so many so-called “Beer Reviewers” feel that they are qualified to judge a beer when they don’t understand style?

Again, I DON’T KNOW!

Many beer reviewers don’t think style is important. Really! As bizarre as that sounds, I’ve had this argument with a few.

So… they feel they are qualified to call themselves a “Beer Reviewer” on one hand, and then admit on the other hand that they don’t understand the style.

It doesn’t make much sense, does it?

 Just Drink, Enjoy, Repeat!

Yep, I think it should be that simple.

Beer was meant to be enjoyed! We don’t need to judge or put on lists, just drink and enjoy. This ain’t complicated folks!

We all have styles we enjoy more than others, it does not mean that one beer is better than another.

QUALITY! It should be about quality! If a beer is of equal quality, one is not better than another. You may prefer one to another, that does not make one better.

A simple concept that the pretentious beer drinker for some reason just does not get.

  For The Love Of Beer …

Yep, just love the beer! Be passionate about the beer, whatever beer you are drinking.

Beer shouldn’t be used as a status symbol.

And if you feel a need to brag about a beer that you have found, you’re drinking craft beer for all of the wrong reasons!

I Am The Beer Whisperer

BeerVangelist

Prolific Beer Drinker

Purveyor Of Wisdom

And …

ALL AROUND GOOD GUY!

Bottom line …

Don’t be a pretentious ass, just enjoy the fact that we have so many great beer choices. Enjoy then all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Roast Me, Toast Me, Decoct Me, Chuck Me In A Barrel!

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 I Am The Beer Whisperer

Beervangelist, Prolific Beer Drinker, Purveyor of Wisdom and All Around Good Guy!

Howdy Doo Buckaroos and how the heck are you? As the weather cools down and we head into the holiday season, it’s time for big & bold craft beers.

 Roast Me, Toast Me, Decoct Me And Chuck Me In A Barrel!

Oh Yeah Baby, That’s What Daddy Like!

As much as I hate the cold, I love the big malty, high ABV fall/winter beers. Getting a start on it, yesterday I had 4 stouts and a doppelbock for good measure.

Don’t get me wrong, at some point during the season I will have an IPA, but I am enjoying these big ol’ brews.

So Cheers Y’All and enjoy all the big beers available to us and I’ll virtually share as many as I can with you!

      THE COFFEE STOUT

Pictured are 3 fine examples: Public House Brewing, St James Mo

Giddy Goat Coffee Milk Stout

Mother’s Brewing, Springfield Mo

Winter Grind Coffee Stout

And ….                                 4 Hands Brewing St Louis Mo

Zellige Moroccan Coffee Stout

Three distinctively different interpretations of a coffee stout.

The Mother’s Winter Grind is a classic American Stout married with locally roasted coffee.

The Giddy Goat from Public House is a coffee milk stout, slightly sweet giving the illusion of coffee with cream and sugar.

The Zellige from 4 Hands, a Moroccan Coffee Stout is exactly what it sounds like. Brewed with enough spices to satisfy the Hipster coffeehouse junkie that tries it!

I cringe when I hear,”I don’t like that style”. Almost every style has dimension and sub-styles. The coffee stout is a perfect example. They can be as simple as a coffee stout or a coffee milk stout or you can even spice it up a bit, coffee house style. You can even go “Imperial” on it’s keester or barrel age it.

The point being, any one of these 3 would be a perfect brew in lieu of coffee after your holiday dinner.

       The Barleywine

Traditionally, the barleywine is a high ABV beer anywhere from 8% ABV and up with no particular grain bill.

Pictured are 2 fine barrel aged examples, The First:

Mother’s Foggy Notion: An 11% Barleywine aged in Madeira barrels.

They haven’t brewed this in a couple of years due to difficulty in procuring the right barrels, and was just brought back for this 2017 Vintage.

Big, rich & malty, oaky and a tad sweet with sherry notes from the Madeira barrels, a perfect fireplace sipper for those chilly fall/winter nights.

The 2nd:

Boat Town Brewing Barley’s Whine: A whiskey barrel aged barleywine from a small craft brewery seemingly in the middle of nowhere doing some amazing brews, this being one of them.

This was an unexpected gem! Forgive the reuse of adjectives, but it’s big, rich, malty & decadent finishing oaky dry with a hint of lingering whiskey notes.

Because there are no clear style guidelines, the barleywine can consist of any mash bill. So, although this beer is always big & malty, flavors, viscosity and IBU’s can vary greatly with the English variety typically lower in IBU’s and American varieties typically hoppier.

Once a lost style, now found and thriving!

Pure Deliciousness!

   The Doppelbock

According to style guidelines they run between 7% and 12% ABV, but from my experience most seem to run between 8% to 10% , but the one pictured is 7.8%.

It’s the Springfield Brewing Co. Double Track Doppelbock

You taste rich, bready malts and as per style has low or no residual esters.

This style seems to be most popular with older beer folks like myself with younger folks leaning towards hoppier styles. For me, this is a classic and a perfect fall/winter brew!

And Now, As Promised …

     The Holiday, Double/Imperial IPA

Oh Yeah Babe!

The classic perennial fresh hop IPA, Sierra Nevada “Celebration”!

First brewed in 1981, it’s one of the earliest American craft examples of the style. 6.8% 65 IBU’s and showcasing the Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops, this fresh hop IPA is a classic and shows that the IPA can be a perfect cold weather beer.

     The Double/Imperial IPA

What I love about this style is it can be as mysterious as the Barleywine. The one pictured is the White River Double Gravel Bar, 9.2% 90 IBU’s. While this one is more of a nouveau IPA, lighter in body and color and  very fruity. Other than big abv and hopped to high heaven, there isn’t any rules.

Case In Point:  Sierra Nevada Fresh Hop Double IPA

Yes indeed, a double IPA really can be that dark and not called an India Dark or Black IPA, in fact, there was a time when the Double was primarily that color.

The point being a style doesn’t have to be one dimensional and this one in particular, being full bodied, earthy & herbal, is perfect for winter drinking

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA!

Making it’s first appearance in my neck of the woods is this masterpiece.

Listed as between 15% – 20%, 120 IBU’s. It almost belongs in a category all by itself as somewhere between an IPA and a Barleywine.

$36 a 4 pack, making it about $10 a beer with tax. Even being the tightwad that I am it’s worth every penny. I popped one open on Christmas eve and it sure hit the spot.

 

 

     B-B-B- Barrel Aged Baby!

My earliest recollection of this style is the Bourbon Barrel Stout. And although they’re still widely done, you can also see virtually every beer style barrel aged. From spirit barrels, to wine barrels to just oak, they do add flavor and dimension.

My thoughts on the AB-InBev owned Goose Island Brewery aside, you can’t deny that the BCBS is a classic example of a bourbon barrel aged stout.

I refuse to wait in line for anything, but I found this the Monday after Black Friday just sitting on the counter with a handful of it’s friends for $11.99. For that price I decided to revisit the classic.

BCBS aside, barrel aged option are abundant these days.

 

The MILF for instance! No, No, No, get your mind out of gutter, the multi-barrel masterpiece from Mother’s that typically comes out in Feb. However, they do variants that they release throughout the year. Pictured is their Brandy barrel variant that is exquisite!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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With A Little Help From My Friends …

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    I Am The Beer Whisperer

Beervangelist, Prolific Beer Drinker, Purveyor of Wisdom and All Around Good Guy!

I’ve been drinking what’s now commonly referred to as craft beer for over 30 years now. Back then it wasn’t a movement or a hipster hobby. We just wanted better beer than the American Adjunct lager.

I was tagged with the name “Beer Whisperer about 8 or 9 years ago and it just stuck. Since then I’ve also been referred to as a “Beervangelist”. Someone who praises the virtues of good beer. I love seeking out, drinking,taking pictures of, writing & talking about and sharing good beer. To be honest, most craft beer lovers do, especially sharing!

                 The Social Beer

Through social media, I and other beer geeks, have been able to read about, learn about and discover beers that we may have not been able to otherwise come across. I’ve traveled and met folks due to social media. I’ve also had folks travel my way and bring beer not available in my neck of woods. Occasionally, people even(gasp) send me beer, legalities notwithstanding!

                           Show Me The Beer

Here’s a few pictures of beers I’ve been able to drink because of the kindness of my friends ….

Well, there’s a few of them anyway. We’d be here all day if I posted all of them!

     And In Conclusion ….

Beer friends really are the best! I have a few really good ones that take care of the Ol’ Beer Whisperer. Last weekend a beer friend that happens to be an amazing brewer invited me to be a homebrew beer judge at their Oktoberfest celebration. Let me tell you, that was a hoot! We all benefit from friendships, but I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of mine that have been there for me over the years. The Beer Whisperer Salutes You!

 

 

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Happiness Is A Good Beer!

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Howdy Doo Buckaroos! I Am The Beer Whisperer, Beervangelist, Prolific Beer Drinker, Purveyor Of Wisdom And All Around Good Guy!

I started this website a couple and a half years ago. Initially I wasn’t sure of the direction I wanted to go. It was going to be focused around beer, but should I focus on reviews or beer geek hot topics? The answer came a few months ago and by accident. I’m a quirky guy, so I thought the website should reflect that. Over the last year it’s become sort of a combination of diary/memoir and random thoughts.

Writing for this website and my Facebook page as well as my Youtube and Facebook videos have become my therapy.  Even with the growing expense of craft beer/whiskey, it’s still cheaper than a shrink and pharmaceuticals. Believe it or not, the only medications I take are Aleve, Zyrtec and Prevacid, the goofy is all natural folks!  I act like this all the time so nobody knows when I am drinking.

I just popped the Elusive IPA from Public House Brewing Rolla/St James Mo. A 6.8% IPA. So named over the difficulty small breweries have in procuring certain hops for an IPA. I don’t know all the hops that were involved, but I was told they used hops that may be considered not typical IPA hops. This cleverness and ingenuity is what many smaller craft breweries have to do because the bigger boys buy up in large quantities the hops that happen to be trendy at any given time. The result is an enjoyable, drinkable and balanced IPA. Maybe not a hop heads dream, but incredibly tasty just the same as well as affordable.

That IS what craft beer is about! Being good beer! It’s not about the 100 ingredient or kitchen sink beers. It’s not about over hyped and trendy styles. American craft beer is about the cleverness and ingenuity of craft beer owners/brewers to make American beer relevant again. We’re not only relevant, but American craft is and has been for many years now on the forefront and the cutting edge of the industry. Both big and small, we’re now we’re seeing craft breweries world wide take their cue from American craft breweries.

Sometimes us craft beer folks focus too much on hype and trends instead of just drinking and enjoying the beer. Hence the title,”Happiness Is A Good Beer”. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is when I find a beer I haven’t seen before that’s surprisingly affordable and yet amazingly good. The hype won’t go away and trends won’t stop and the prices will keep going up, but good & affordable craft beer is still out there.

So keep buying good craft beer! Big or small, some breweries may fail and some may be bought out, however there’s no shortage of fine craft breweries across the country. So get out there and support them!