Craft Beer

[Guardians GM (John)]

Welcome to my corner of the world where I cover craft beer.



Big into NE IPAs and bourbon barrel stouts. I will be posting recommendations throughout the year.



Stay thirsty my friends!

[Guardians GM (John)]

Westbrook Mexican Cake

Westbrook Mexican Cake

It's stout season when it is below 80 degrees! This is a heavy hitting 10.5% imperial stout that is brewed with cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, and habanero peppers.

I prefer to let this one warm up a bit to let the habanero fill out the glass. Not overpowering, but a nice punch.

[Guardians GM (John)]

Double Dry Hopped Green Street NEIPA by Trillium


www.trilliumbrewing.com/ddh-green-street

My strategy to finding the juiciest and freshest IPAs around is to actually go to the brewery. The NEIPAs that you find at your liquor store are probably good, but they are a ticking time bomb. Most IPAs lose their flavor after 90 days. Some beers that are not pasteurized go even quicker. Always check the brew on date!

Anyway, Trillium has a brilliant NEIPA program and their Green Street is in collaboration with Other Half, one of the best craft brewers on the East Coast. I found this particular IPA to be amazing. Light, well balanced, and a perfect six pack to bring to a Red Sox pre-game.

[Guardians GM (John)]

Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout

foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/cbs/

Brewed using Founders very underrated Breakfast Stout, this delicious 11% bourbon barrel stout spends one year inside of a bourbon barrel buried more than one mile below ground in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Then aged again inside of a barrel of Michigan maple syrup, CBS sets the standard for bourbon barreled beers. Amazing notes of maple, coffee, and chocolate.

If you have had it great, if you have not had it, then cross this off your bucket list now. After one more release this December, they will be retiring this beer again.

[Guardians GM (John)]

Great Lakes Brewing Company Christmas Ale

www.greatlakesbrewing.com/christmas-ale

Weighing in at 7.5% ABV, this spiced lager brings in a bunch of honey, nutmeg, and spices to bring in the holiday season. This beer took home the 2017 Gold Medal by the Beverage Institute, and the spices do not over power this ale. I always look forward to the Ohio holidays with this malty spiced ale, and now has distribution across most of the United States.

I would be remiss in this holiday beer post and not bring up Prairie Christmas Bomb, Troeg's Mad Elf, and last but absolutely not least Thirsty Dog Brewing's 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale.

[Guardians GM (John)]

Bomb! by Prairie Artisan Ales


prairieales.com/bomb

This lovely imperial stout weighs in at 13% ABV and has strong notes of coffee, cocoa nibs, and a bourbon barrel that comes through strong but not overpowering. Amazing, amazing BBA stout. The 2018 version is a double edged sword. The coffee and barrel came through quite well. However, Bomb! is worldly because of its vanilla beans and ancho chili peppers permeating through every sip. Given the 3 year age, these adjunct flavors were gone.

All in all, fantastic beer, but always a great reminder you need to drink adjunct bourbon barrel stouts soon after distribution.

Cheers!

[Guardians GM (John)]

The Craft Beer Corner is back after another crazy hiatus! I am making my annual pilgrimage to Trillium Brewing in Boston this weekend. I can't think of a better way to usher back these beer reviews than covering one of the more unique stouts that Trillium has to offer.



Buncha Bananas


Why am I bringing bananas into a beer review on a baseball message board? That's because Trillium and many local breweries have taught me to not judge a beer by its cover. This heavyweight stout comes in at 11.5% ABV and uses hundreds of pounds of imported wild Thai bananas that are hand roasted at Trillium's expanded brewing location in Canton, MA.

Upon first taste there's an immediate rush of carmelized banana flavor mixed with their trademark base stout that comes with big robust flavors including chocolate. The banana flavoring came off organic and pure - I felt like I was drinking a liquid form of maduros, which are fried wild plantains and a Cuban delicacy. I was surprised at how rich and how real this stout comes at you. Absolutely delicious and sets the stage for what Trillium can do with simple ingredients.