Beer Place: The Griffon Pub

On a cold snowy early evening, I ventured to my home town of Niagara Falls to meet up with Hops Ryno for a few craft beers at The Griffon Pub.  I was also excited to meet up with Dave, a friend of mine that has been slinging beers to me for many years at The Griffon Pub and elsewhere.  Although I have been to The Griffon Pub a few times in the past, I had not been there for many months and I was looking forward to catching up with some friends and check out some good beers.

Perhaps I should have paid more attention to the weather forecast, because the roads were becoming increasingly dangerous.  I was driving a vehicle that is decidedly bad in snowy conditions, but I was on a mission.  Although the heavy wet snow was falling at a steady clip on this Thursday night, the parking lot at The Griffon Pub was near packed; a sign that not even bad weather can keep people away from good beer.  Here is a picture taken from outside The Griffon Pub.

After taking this picture, I brushed the snow off of my phone, quickly scurried inside, and headed to the bar.  The ambiance of The Griffon Pub was wonderful.  One of my first orders of business when I walk into a bar is to look around at the patrons.  If I notice that the patrons are not having a good time, that provides an indication that something is amiss.  As I made my way through the dinner crowd, seated in groups of two and four to a table, I noticed that everyone was smiling.  The cozy and warm atmosphere at The Griffon Pub provided a pleasantly-stark contrast to bitter cold outside.  Hops Ryno had anchored a spot at the bar.  After some seat-jostling, we settled in for our evening soiree with craft beer.  The following beer menu was accurate and up-to-date.

What impressed me most about the offerings at The Griffon Pub was that there really was a beer for everyone.  The The Griffon Pub had session beers mixed with heavy hitters and rare selections that spanned the entire spectrum of beer styles and tastes.  Their diverse beer menu ranged from Pilsners to sours, IPAs to Lagers.  Also, you can choose what volume you would like: a 6 ounce flight, 12 ounce, 16 ounce, or 22 ounce glass.  And pouring this vast array of beer at The Griffon Pub was the very excited bartender, Scott!

My initial thought upon perusing the plethora of beers was "Where should I begin?".  I immediately noticed a couple of the "heavy hitters" that I wanted to save for the end of the session, and I started my night with a couple of the lighter, less hoppy beers.  I began my night with a North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner, and a Resignation Brewery KCCO Gold Lager Pilsner.  I thought both of these beers were delicious and very drinkable, and I was off to a great start!  Except for the occasional glance to the window, I had all but forgotten about the snow outside.

After the Pilsner's, I tried a couple of the IPAs: Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA was an awesome beer, and the Longtrail Limbo IPA was great too.

Then it was time for the "heavy hitters" I had been saving.  The first one I was eager to try was the Thornbridge Halcyon American IPA from England.  I could tell right from the first sniff that this beer was going to be spectacular.  In fact, this beer turned out being my favorite beer of the night at The Griffon Pub.  Halcyon was a very drinkable, well-balanced IPA with a crisp finish.  Here is a picture of Dave serving up my Thornbridge Halcyon.

My last beer for the evening was the Allagash Interlude, an outstanding farmhouse/saison from Maine, brewed with both a farmhouse yeast and a Brett yeast.  This beer was delightful and complex, and I was glad I saved this beer for last because with the sour Brett flavors I may have had trouble going back to taste the other beers.  The Griffon Pub also had quite a robust selection of stouts, including the world-famous Founder's Breakfast Stout and local offering Flying Bison Brindle Porter.

I had a wonderful experience at The Griffon Pub.  The bartenders and patrons at The Griffon Pub were not phased by the weather, rendering the ambiance as delightful as the beers.  At one point a photographer from The Buffalo News took some pictures.  She commented that with the weather being so poor she was pleasantly surprised so many people were at The Griffon Pub.  After my beer adventures at The Griffon Pub, I was not surprised at all that so many people decided to brave the elements for a pint.  I did.  And I would do it again.  Maybe I'll pay closer attention to the weather next time.

The Griffon Pub
2470 Military Road
Niagara Falls, NY  14304

https://www.facebook.com/TheGriffonPub


 

Beer Tasting: Southern Tier 2X Presso

Another bitterly dark and cold night called for another bitterly dark and cold beer.  I have been wanting to try 2X Presso for a while, and tonight was the perfect chance to do so.  Perhaps a little known fact about me is that I don't drink coffee.  Or hot beverages in general (weird, right?).  But my anti-proclivity for coffee did not make me shy away from 2X Presso.  And I'm glad it didn't, because this beer is pretty damn good, even to a non-coffee drinker.

2X Presso is classified as a milk stout beer.  When making milk stouts, brewers add unfermentable sugars, usually lactose, to add body and sweetness to the beer.  Here is a picture of my Southern Tier 2X Presso, a Milk/ Sweet Stout beer with a #47 rank in category according to Beeradvocate.com.

Southern Tier Brewing Company: 2X Presso

ABV: 7.5%

Style: Milk / Sweet Stout

Rank: #47 in style

2X Presso poured a dark black color with a half-finger tan head.  2X Presso showed minimal lacing as the head dissipated.  The smell was malty and roasty, with coffee.  The taste of 2X Presso was about the same, with a distinct milky sweetness on top of a strong coffee, toasted malt base.   I didn't get much of the lemon peels, although they are claimed to be present.  2X Presso finished pretty clean, roasty, and sweet.  At 7.5%, 2X Presso definitely packs a punch while delivering a solid stout flavor.

If you like stouts I would recommend trying out 2X Presso from Southern Tier.  I purchased this beer at Consumer's Beverages.

Beer Science: Chemistry of the "Skunk"

This science installment deals with that all-too-familiar smell and taste some beers unfortunately acquire: the dreaded "skunk" beer.  I'll admit that until recently, I wasn't really sure why a beer became skunky.  This report will help clear up some of the mysteries and chemistry behind the "skunky" beer.

What Causes the Skunk to Happen?
Now, let me first start by saying that I have definitely tasted my share of skunky beers.  I grew up in Western New York drinking both kinds of beer: Molson and Labatt.  Growing up, we had no idea what caused the skunky beer.  We did notice, however, that the green Molson bottles tended to turn skunky more than the brown Labatt bottles.  That was an interesting and (as it turns out) important observation.  Green bottles do produce more skunky beer than brown bottles.  And there is scientific evidence to support that statement.

If you ask a random beer drinker the question "Why is your beer skunky?", you will probably get a variety of answers.  Probably top of the list are "The beer is old", or "The beer got too warm".  But did you know these are not the correct reasons?

The real reason why a bottle of beer gets skunky is because the beer was exposed to light.

That's right: the beer was "light-touched".  Beer bottles that have been exposed to open and direct UV light can skunk very quickly.  This effect is obviously more pronounced by direct sunlight, but can also happen under other types of fluorescent lighting.  And green bottles tend to allow more of the "correct" wavelengths of light responsible for skunky chemistry into a bottle than brown bottles do.  However, for marketing reasons, these green bottles tend to persist despite the fact they can produce a higher percentage of skunky beers under the same lightning conditions as brown bottles.  If you have tasted a Heineken, you know this flavor , because Heineken contains low levels of skunky chemistry normally and even intentionally.

What is the Chemistry of the Skunk?
Ok, so we know that light affects beer and produces a skunky smell and taste.  But how?  One of the main ingredients of beer is hops.  Hops plants (scientifically called Humulus lupulus), contain acids called isohumulones.  Isohumulones, also known by brewers as iso-alpha acids, are the compounds found in hops that impart the bitter flavor to beer.  Various chemical variations of iso-alpha acids exist, including humulone, adhumulone, cohumulone, posthumulone, and prehumulone.  During the brewing process, humulone present in hops is converted to isohumulone.  Isomhumulone is the chemical responsible not only for the bitterness of beer, but also is the chemical responsible for skunking.  Here is the chemical structure of humulone, the most prevalent alpha acid in hops, and isohumulone, the bittering chemical found after brewing wort at high temperatures.

 

The bitterness of beer is measured according to the International Bitterness Units (IBU) scale, with one IBU corresponding to one part-per-million of isohumulone.  This means that isohumulones have a very low flavor threshhold.

But what happens to isohumulones when you expose them to UV radiation?  With the help of other chemicals in wort, light interacts with hop isohumulones to almost instantaneously produce a chemical called MBT (3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol).

MBT (3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol)

You don't have to be a chemist to notice that a distinctive feature of MBT is the presence of the letters "SH".  "S" stands for sulfur.   The sulfur used to make MBT is derived from various amino acids and other chemicals present in the wort.  And herein lies the answer to the mystery of the skunky beer. The sulfur compound MBT is very easily perceived as a skunky smell and taste in beer.

In summary, hops contain alpha-acids.  During the brewing process the predominant alpha acid humulone is converted to isohumulone.  This provides beer with bitterness units.  UV radiation (sunlight, fluorescent lighting) can react with isohumulone.  More chemistry then occurs between isohumulone and other compounds found in wort and the result is the production of MBT.  And hence your beer is perceived as skunky.

But let's not forget about the skunk shown in the first picture.  What does this animal have in common with a skunky beer?  Skunks produce sulfur-containing chemicals in their anal glands to ward off predators.  Hence, a beer that contains MBT does in fact smell like a skunk's ass!

References Cited:
Skunked beer mythbuster
Home Brew Talk MBT
Hops Chemistry
Sulfur Compounds in Beer
Professor Beer
Coppertail Brewing: The Skunk

Beer Tasting: Pliny the Elder

I had the amazing opportunity to drink a Pliny the Elder in my possession.  In a blockbuster beer trade akin to trading Tom Brady for Peyton Manning, my cousin Hops Ryno traded two Heady Topper (from an original four-pack) for two Pliny the Elder.  Heady Topper is ranked #1 in style (#1 in top 250 overall), and Pliny the Elder is ranked #2 in style (#7 in top 250 overall) at Beeradvocate.com.  This beer was everything I had imagined a world-class beer to be: delicious, complex, well-blended, and drinkable.

Pliny the Elder is a perfect 8% ABV American double / Imperial IPA made by Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California.  Pliny the Elder is brewed with Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ, and Simcoe hops, and is best enjoyed when fresh.

Of course the name Pliny the Elder is a curious one, so I sought to determine where this name came from.  I found my answer at the Russian River web site:

"Pliny, the man, lived in the first century- 23 to 79 A.D. According to our brewing references, he and his contemporaries either created the botanical name or at least wrote about Lupus Salictarius, or hops, currently known as Humulus Lupulus. That was a very early reference to an important part of any Double IPA! Pliny the beer has now become one of our flagship brews!

Pliny the Elder was immortalized by his nephew, Pliny the Younger, who wrote about his uncle succumbing to ash and smoke during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. while rescuing people. Cheers to the scholar, historian, officer, writer, and Roman Naturalist- Pliny the Elder!"

 Pretty cool story, and an even better brew.  Here is a picture of my Pliny the Elder.

Russian River Brewing Company: Pliny the Elder

ABV: 8.0%

Style: DIPA (double IPA)

Rank: #2 in style and #7 in top 250 overall

Pliny the Elder poured a golden / copper color with a two-finger puffy off-white head that remained intact and dissipated slowly.  The smell was that of fresh floral, citrus, and pine with a hint of alcohol.  Pliny the Elder tastes as wonderful as it smells: the hops are delightful and forward, but mixed wonderfully with citrus tones.  Despite being an 8% ABV beer, the alcohol is well-blended and hidden by other flavors.  Pliny the Elder has a dry crisp finish that leaves you wanting more... and more... and more.

Pliny the Elder is an epitome of double IPA beers.  Pliny the Elder achieves a balance of malt, hops, and alcohol that many brewers strive for but few actually achieve.  Pliny the Elder is as well-rounded and drinkable as a double IPA will ever be.  I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy this Pliny the Elder.  Thanks Hops Ryno!

Beer Place: Gene McCarthy's

Nestled deep in the Old First Ward lies a wonderful Irish-themed beer haven called Gene McCarthy's.  I'll never forget my first trip to Gene McCarthy's.  A little over a year ago, my cousin Hops Ryno and I were looking for a new place to try.  Our criteria were simple: good food and good beer.  After some internet research Ryno texted "How about we try this place, Gene McCarthy's?"  We both agreed to give Gene McCarthy's a shot, and we are very glad we did!  Gene McCarthy's has now become a sneak-away spot for co-workers and friends and we find ourselves frequently leaving work a little early to enjoy a good pint and plate.

Now I understand that locals have known about Gene McCarthy's for a long time.  But for some reason Gene McCarthy's had eluded my radar.  I remember the first time I drove down Hamburg Street to Gene McCarthy's.  As my phone GPS guided me through the Old First Ward side streets and houses, I thought to myself "Is there really a bar at the end of this street?"  Gene McCarthy's blends right into the neighborhood, and might easily be mistaken for an ordinary house.  But what's inside is extraordinary.

Let's talk about the beer.  Most of Gene McCarthy's offerings are brewed directly on premises in an adjacent building to the bar known as Old First Ward Brewing (OFW).  And when the weather warms up, you can enjoy a pint of OFW beer in a beer garden located directly in front of the brew house.

Occasionally Gene McCarthy's will mix in some local brewery selections, but for the most part they are self-providing.  Head brewer Matt's beers do not disappoint a beer lover's palate.  Perhaps their two best-selling beers, "This is Not a Pale Ale" and "Hopster" are perfect every time.  Referred to regulars as "Not-A" (pronounced "nota"), OFW's Pale Ale is named after a nearby sign that reads "This is Not a Street".  Not-A is an extremely drinkable house pale ale, and a great first beer to sample from the board.  The "Hopster" is my personal favorite: a well-blended but deceptively strong IPA.  The "HO Oats" Oatmeal Stout is another delicious toasted malt offering.  Seasonal selections such as Black Santa and Rosemary's Snow Baby help round out their résumé of offerings.  All of Gene McCarthy's drafts are $5, rendering these beers one of the best deals in town.

On a sunny day the rays can be seen illuminating the bar through the colorfully-stained front door as if a beacon from above.  Gene McCarthy's is welcoming and warm.  Old and young folk alike are interspersed throughout this Old First Ward gem, telling stories in between sips of Red Clover Irish Red.

At night, the meticulously-decorated bar gets quite packed.  Whether before a Sabres home game or Friday night after work, locals and visitors rub elbows at Gene McCarthy's to enjoy a St. Patrick's Pilsner and fish fry.

 

If you love craft beer, you need to stop into Gene McCarthy's for a heavenly and reasonably-priced pint.  The beer board at Gene McCarthy's is built from a foundation of traditional standards and seasonal selections.  The staff is friendly, the atmosphere is cozy, and the beers are exceptional.

Gene McCarthy's and OFW Brewing
72 Hamburg Street
Buffalo, NY  14204

Gene McCarthy's Website

Beer Tasting: Victory Old Horizontal

Feeling a bit weary after a long day at work, I was secretly hoping that Victory Brewing's Old Horizontal would act as intended and put me horizontal for a nice winter's nap.  And Old Horizontal did not disappoint.

Victory Brewing lies about an hour outside of Philadelphia, and I have to admit I have always been a fan of their beers.  From Golden Monkey to Prima Pils to Hop Devil, Victory Brewing has been on my list for quite some time now as a favorite brewery.  Based on brewery reputation alone I decided to give Old Horizontal a taste.

Old Horizontal is a barleywine style ale, which is a very interesting style.  Perhaps a misnomer, this is definitely a beer and not a wine.  As their name suggests, barleywines are full of barley malts.  Another hallmark of barleywines is that they are often high in alcohol percentage.  This particular Old Horizontal weighs in at a massive and noticeable 11% ABV.

Here is a picture of my Old Horizontal.

Victory Brewing: Old Horizontal

ABV: 11%

Style: American Barleywine

Rank: #38 in style at Beeradvocate.com

Old Horizontal poured a medium copper color with a half-finger head that left only a small amount of lacing.  Old Horizontal smelled a bit sweet and not hoppy at all.  The aroma of a strong alcohol was definitely noticeable.  The taste of Old Horizontal was a light hops mixed with a faint toffee, caramel flavor.  An interesting bitter sweet aftertaste left an almost sugary / honey flavor on the lips.  And of course the alcohol was very noticeable during and after tasting.  The mouthfeel was a medium robust thickness.  The aftereffects of Old Horizontal are a definitely warming feeling in the lips, mouth, and brain and an impairment of judgment.

An interesting note about this beer is that you can actually age Old Horizontal for many years before drinking, like a wine.  Notice the "enjoy by" date on my beer is actually 06 Dec 2019.  However, my Old Horizontal didn't make it past 21 Jan 2015.  I'm curious to know what would happen to this beer in another four and a half years, so I'm motivated to go buy another one and store the beer.

In summary, Old Horizontal is a very strong adult alcoholic beverage that is light on hops, medium on sweetness, and heavy on alcohol.  You might want to make sure you are sitting down when you enjoy Old Horizontal.  This beer would be best paired with a bed.  Goodnight now!

Beer Tasting: Sierra Nevada Beer Camp

I've seen a few of my friends on Facebook drinking this beer, so I thought I'd give Beer Camp a taste.  Also, not too long ago I remember buying a 12-pack of Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale and remember being pleasantly surprised at how good that beer tasted- so my expectations for Sierra Nevada are high.

This particular Sierra Nevada beer is Beer Camp Across America.  The bottle reads "Join us to make this the largest craft beer celebration in history!"  The bottle-proclaimed beer style of this beer is a West Coast Double IPA.

I sought to learn more information about this "beer tour" and why I wasn't invited?  I see on the bottle this was in the summer of 2014.  So I traveled to the Sierra Nevada website to have a look.  Here is what I found.  Apparently there was a 7-city traveling beer festival.  The closest they came to Buffalo was Philadelphia, so that explains why I didn't really hear about the festival.  Below is a map of the festivals.  The other cities involved in this festival were: Chico (CA), San Diego (CA), Denver (CO), Chicago (IL), Mills River (NC), and Portland (ME).  Too bad Buffalo wasn't on the list!  But at least I could now explain what the bottle was referring to.

Sierra Nevada also released a really cool 12-pack where they had a bunch of different brewers all send in 1 beer to go in the pack.  You can find the details of the 12 different beers here.  To date I don't believe I've had any of these beers, and in fact the beer I am reviewing today isn't one of the 12 included in the mix pack.  I am assuming that Beer Camp must have been the advertisement beer?  But I'm really not sure.

Here is a picture of my Beer Camp:

Sierra Nevada Brewery: Beer Camp

ABV: 8.5%

Style: American Double / Imperial IPA

Beer Camp poured a hazy golden straw color with a full finger head.  Beer Camp has a floral/citrus smell mixed with a moderate hop presence.  The taste is bursting with citrus-flavored hops but the citrus goes away pretty quickly after swallowing.  There is also some malt presence and fruit left behind after swallowing.  But the citrus is really only there to bargain in an attempt to bargain with your palate and trick your brain into thinking that Beer Camp isn't as strong as 8.5%.  But it is.  I didn't really find that the citrus did a good job bargaining, but Beer Camp ended up being fairly well balanced for having a high ABV.

In summary, Beer Camp speaks of festivals past, a mysterious 12-pack that I'd like to find, and a balance of floral hops.

Beer Camp was purchased to Consumer's Beverages and is (ironically) the 2015 Edition is on the Beer Tour, but not this 2014 edition.  The 2015 edition is entitled "2015 Beer Camp Hoppy Lager".  I expect this will be out sometime in the summer.

Beer Science: What Puts the Funk in Brett?

If you haven't read part one of this two-part write-up, I kindly direct you for background information here. Now that some background details are out of the way, let me share with you some of my research and knowledge on Brettanomyces (pronounced "brett-TAN-oh-MY-cees", and referred to by the shortened name "Brett" here and elsewhere).  Brettanomyces is a yeast species, also known as "wild yeast".  Brettanomyces has long been known by brewers and wine-makers alike for the ability to produce interesting and complex flavor profiles.  In fact, some wine makers abhor the word "Brett" because for many wineries Brettanomyces is known as a spoilage yeast.  This yeast has been known to ruin batches of wine and beer.  So what's different about Brettanomyces from traditional yeast?

The flavors produced by Brettanomyces yeast are extremely deviant from a normal beer flavor.  Beer brewed with Brettanomyces can be overwhelmingly fruity, funky, and many other colorful words.  Specifically, the beer will taste very acidic- almost wine or champagne-like in character.  Despite the havoc Brettanomyces can cause on winery (and brewery) premises, wine-lovers tend to enjoy these flavors when present in beer because they are reminded of familiar wine tastes.  Beer-lovers enjoy these flavors because, when managed correctly, these flavors can be strikingly different and delightful from traditional Saccharomyces yeast beer flavors.  For a recent review of a Brett beer I tasted, click here.

What Do Brett Yeast Look Like?
So let's take a peek with a microscope at what Brettanomyces cells actually look like compared to "normal" Saccharomyces brewing yeast.  I searched for images that would show you the relative shape of the two species. 

 

 "Typical" Saccharomyces yeast cells.

  

Brettanomyces yeast cells.

Notice how different the cell morphology is between a Saccharomyces cell (top figure) and a Brettanomyces cell (bottom figure).  Although these are both yeast species, they are quite different in their morphology and certainly in their metabolism.  Brettanomyces yeast grow slower than Saccharomyces yeast.

Why Do Brett Yeast Taste So Funky?
As previously mentioned, Brettanomyces yeast can produce very unusual flavors.  But why?  Well, as all fermenting yeast, Brett yeast use sugars for energy and convert these sugars into alcohol and other products of metabolism.  The key phrase here is other products of metabolism.  In addition to alcohol, different yeast (strains and species) will produce different chemicals using different pathways.  These different chemicals result in a different tasting beer.  Brettanomyces and Saccharomyces species not only look different under the microscope, but they also produce different chemicals.

What Chemicals are Different?
The predominant chemicals that are produced by Brettanomyces species are known as phenols.  From my research, two particular phenols are noted as being responsible for the flavor profiles caused by Brettanomyces yeast:

4-ethylphenol (abbreviated 4-EP) : Tastes identified as: band-aids, barnyard, horse stable, antiseptic.

4-ethylguaiacol (abbreviated 4-EG): Tastes identified as: bacon, spice, cloves, smoky.

Interestingly, the ratio of 4-EP to 4-EG was determined to be important in flavor perception.  Beers that possess the same concentration of 4-EP, but different concentrations of 4-EG, may be perceived to taste different.  A summary of  Brettanomyces fermentation is shown below.

Brewers may also choose to add Brettanomyces yeast at a certain time point after Saccharomyces yeast has been added.  This can create even more complex flavor profiles, and presumably can help manage the funkiness of the Brettanomyces special flavors.

Where Can I Find a "Brett" Beer?
Beer containing Brettanomyces can be predominantly found in such styles as traditional Belgian ales, lambics, gueuze, saison, and farmhouse ales.  You can find Brettanomyces beers in stock at Consumer's Beverage locations as well as regularly on tap at Blue Monk and Moor Pat.



Here is a list of references that I used to help generate my report.
A great NYTimes article about Crooked Stave Artisan beer brewer Chad Yakobson.
A very mezmerizing video of vibrating French Saccharomyces yeast cells (WTF?).
A book on American Sour beers available for purchase.
A technical report on 4-EP and 4-EG from ETS Laboratories.
http://www.brettanomycesproject.com/
Huffington Post write-up on sours.

Beer Event: Buffalo on Tap

Buffalo on Tap yesterday was a four hour whirlwind of meeting brewers and distributors, enjoying the company of beer fans, and of course, drinking beer.  I had told myself that I would keep mental notes of some of the best beers and post a write-up on my findings.  But sometime around two hours into the event, I realized that would be impossible.  Not just because the beers were having their effect on my judgment, but because my palate was wrecked.  I did, however, take some very nice pictures!

My cousin "Hops Ryno" and I arrived around 11:55 am.  We had purchased VIP tickets, which meant that we would have a 1 hour head start on general admission participants.  Here is a picture of the line waiting to get in.  There were quite a few "VIPs" waiting to get in, but the line moved steadily once the gates were open.  We managed to get in right around 12:07 pm.

Waiting for entry to the event.

 

There were a few VIP area rare beers, but Hops Ryno and I decided that we could easily hit those later after the throngs of people were allowed entry at 1 pm.  So instead my plan was to hit all the local Buffalo brewers and marketers and introduce myself.

And of course my first stop was to say hi to Matt Kahn and Corey Catalano from Big Ditch Brewing.  I have to mention that Matt has been supportive of my blog from the beginning (thanks Matt!).  Must be the chemistry bond (see what I did there?) we share.  I enjoyed their Hayburner IPA early in the afternoon, and an experimental smoky beer late in the afternoon.

 

 Big Ditch Brewing Company

Next up was Southern Tier Brewing, and field sales rep Dave Giczkowski.  The Helles was my beer of choice here and to no surprise this beer was fantastic.

 Southern Tier Brewing Company

Ellicottville was next in line, where I met the cheerful and delightful Stephanie Crean.  My drink of choice here was the EBC Ski Bum, one of my new winter favorites.

  Ellicottville Brewing Company

Another of my favorite beer places was also in attendance, Woodcock Brothers from Wilson, NY.  I enjoyed the opportunity talking to Tim Woodcock and telling him in person how much I enjoyed Woodcock Brothers delicious beers and pizza.

 Woodcock Brothers Brewing Company

The folks at Hamburg Brewing were fun to talk to, and I can't wait to get down and visit the brewery for a review.  I tried the Irish Red and it was delicious!

 Hamburg Brewing Company 

Next in line was one of my local favorites, Community Beer Works.  I had a nice talk with Ethan Cox (not pictured, he was off hiding), but Drew was able to pour me an ABV IPA.  My co-drinker Hops Ryno proclaiming that the ABV was one of his favorites beers of the afternoon.

Community Beer Works

Resurgence Brewing was next, where Jeff Ware poured me a fantastic tasting sample of Resurgence IPA.

 

Resurgence Brewing Company

Tim Herzog from Flying Bison was also present, and I enjoyed a Scotch Ale at this station.

Flying Bison Brewing Company

Perhaps some of the rarest beers at the exposition were provided by Sarah Carruthers and Remarkable Liquids.  Here, we enjoyed such rare beers as Stillwater Classique, and Evil Twin Malatov Lite.

Remarkable Liquids

At this time Hops Ryno and I decided to relax and make some new friends.  I noticed this gentleman wearing an Untappd shirt so we decided to take a picture together.  We had fun talking to this crew about beer.

One other exciting development worth mentioning: I was excited to see that Rusty Nickel Brewing Company will be opening right next to Ebenezer Ale house.  This will be a fun place to check out soon!

Consumer's Beverage also provided a nice spread of some quality beer selections.

The afternoon rolled on, and we were happy to sample some other fine beers.  We were delighted that the lines really were not that long, and you could get to just about any beer you wanted within a couple of minutes.  Despite having thousands of people, the event was run smoothly.  The concession food was provided by Ebenezer Ale House.  Hops Ryno and I each enjoyed hamburgers and they were very tasty.

In general, we left feeling as if we had sampled pretty much all the beers we had planned to try ahead of time.  We were thankful there were no tickets required to exchange or drink limits.  Surprisingly, there didn't seem to be too many overly-intoxicated patrons and the event ran smoothly,

 

Beer Place: Brick Oven Bistro

Brick Oven Bistro is located in South Buffalo on Abbott Road.  Because I work a mere two miles away I am usually tempted to visit the Brick Oven Bistro by co-workers, especially on a Friday early evening.  So a couple of co-workers and I decided to hit the Brick Oven Bistro for a few early drinks.  From the outside, the Brick Oven Bistro has an unassuming but welcoming profile.  Lucky enough for me the sun was shining today ("what is that big glowing orb in the sky?"), so I was able to capture a nice picture of the exterior of the building.

I grabbed a bar stool with friends around 4:15 pm.  There were not many people there- which is exactly what I was hoping.  My friends Charlie and Debbie and I saddled up to the bar and began our journey.  I looked over the beer list and was very pleased.  They always offer some great drafts at the Brick Oven Bistro, at reasonable prices, and I appreciate the rotating craft beer selection.  The Brick Oven Bistro always has a solid 15 rotating craft beer selections.

I was VERY pleased to see a few local brewery offerings on tap, including Hamburg Brewing, Resurgence Brewing, Old First Ward Brewing, Community Beer Werks, and Big Ditch Brewing.  Without hesistation the first beer I ordered was a Big Ditch Low Bridge Golden Hoppy Ale.  I really enjoy this beer, and this was a great beer to sample first.  I'm sure you will be reading more from me about Buffalo newcomer Big Ditch Brewing in the very near future.

The bar began a steady influx of patrons.  People began entering the Brick Oven Bistro in pairs and three at a time until the bar was bustling with activity around 5:30 pm.  Because there were so many great selections to choose from I decided to try a flight of beers.

From left to right, I sampled an Anchor Christmas Ale, Gene McCarthy's Old First Ward Red Clover Ale, Community Beer Works The Frank, and one of my favorites, Sculpin IPA.  The flight was a great way to sample a few of Brick Oven Bistro's ample beer offerings.  I was then introduced to co-owner Chuck Goodspeed.  Chuck was amazingly attentive and served many thirsty patrons, but took time to say hi to my friends and I.  I asked Chuck if he had any special beers worth trying that might not be on the menu, and he said "You know, there's been one beer I've been wanting to try... be right back."  Chuck returned with a bottle of Resurgence Imperial Sponge Candy Stout.  He took a small sample for himself and then handed the bottle over to me.  I should have known, but I did not know, that Resurgence Brewing was selling bottles of this wonderful concoction!  I feel special that I was able to try one.

The foamy head of this beer tasted exactly like sponge candy.  The bubbly head and rich chocolate beer body reminded me exactly of what it's like to bite into a piece of sponge candy.  Of course this beer was 10% ABV so I had to have some food, else I would be calling a cab.  I enjoyed a bruschetta appetizer and filled myself with a hearty supply of bread, tomatoes, and spices before heading home.

Many thanks to Chuck Goodspeed and John Glavey for entertaining us tonight.  If you are in South Buffalo please stop into Brick Oven Bistro.  You will not be disappoined at the beer and the food is outstanding.  As their name suggests, Brick Oven Bistro delivers delicious brick-oven pizzas, but all of their food is delicious.  In addition, Brick Oven Bistro maintains an extremely respectable and rotating craft beer tap and bottle selection.

Their website is:
Brick Oven Bistro and Deli

Beer Tasting: Wychwood Brewery Hobgoblin

"What's your matter, Lagerboy, afraid you might taste something?" is the current motto for Wychwood Brewery's Hobgoblin.  Hobgoblin is a dark English Ale brewed in Witney, Oxfordshire, England.  Wychwood brewery produces about 8,200,000 liters of cask ale each year, and Hobgoblin is their flagship brand.  That's a lot of beer!  Their cool fantasy logo is one of the reasons I picked this beer up.

Here is a picture of the Wychwood brewery from their website.  The town of Witney was known for 3 "B's", blankets, beer, and bread.  Sounds like a nice town to me!

Hobgoblin is categorized as an "ESB", or Extra Special / Strong Bitter, and is ranked #48 in category.  Here is a picture of my beer.

Wychwood Brewery: Hobgoblin

ABV: 5.2%

Style: ESB

Rank: #48 in style at Beeradvocate.com

Hobgoblin pours a dark brown with a tinge of red and with a one-finger cream-colored head.  The smell is very malty, but also nutty with chocolate.  Hobgoblin is not really that bitter, despite being a beer in the ESB category.  But there is a certainly a touch of bitter on the back end.  A hallmark of good ESBs is that they are not really that bitter to the taste, ironically.

Hobgoblin will challenge your palate a bit, as I feel it's the subtleties and backnotes of the beer that make this beer stand out.  On a trivia note, Hobgoblin was presented by Prime Minister David Cameron to President Obama in a beer exchange in 2010.  Whether that fact entices you to drink Hobgoblin or not, that is your choice.