The Ale Runner

NOLA Brown Ale

The Ale Runner — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:49:09 +0000

What follows is the May 22nd edition of my weekly column written for DIG Magazine.

The Crescent City has but one commercial brewery, and that is the New Orleans Lager & Ale Brewing Company – NOLA for short. It was founded in 2008, and in a short period of time has become one of the top names in Louisiana for local hand-crafted beer.

NOLA’s Brown ale was one of its original flagship brews, and it still proves to be popular today. While technically it is an English dark mild ale, NOLA Brown is a light-bodied, but full-flavored ale. It pours a deep brown with hints of ruby when held up to the light. The nose is a faint caramel and roasted chocolate with some molasses notes. The taste is a bit roastier than the aroma, yet it is an easy-to-drink beer with a light mouthfeel and virtually no hop presence.

One of the best features of NOLA Brown is that it weighs in at only 3.9 percent ABV, which is even less than your typical domestic light beer. That means you can drink several in a sitting, making this one a great introduction to craft beer, especially if you’re looking to drink a locally brewed ale.

You can find six pack cans of NOLA Brown in any supermarket around town for about $9, as well as on draft at many local restaurants.

Read more about the craft beer scene in Louisiana at www.TheAleRunner.com and on Twitter @TheAleRunner.

Toasting American Craft Beer Week

The Ale Runner — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:43 +0000

I’m taking part in the group toast right now to celebrate American Craft Beer Week. Cheers!

Stone Espresso Imperial Russian Stout

The Ale Runner — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:20:52 +0000

What follows is the April 24th edition of my weekly column written for DIG Magazine.

While most people dread the letters “IRS,” there are beer lovers that look forward to seeing it every year. Stone Brewing’s Imperial Russian Stout (IRS) is, fittingly, released on April 15 each year. Stone also brews a variant of its IRS in odd numbered years, which means 2013 sees the release of the Espresso IRS.

This beer pours jet black with a tan head that fades rather quickly. Dark chocolate, caramel, dried fruits and coffee aromas meld together well, enticing you to take that first sip. Roasty chocolate bitterness and a hint of vanilla are present upon first taste, followed by a big espresso flavor with the finish. There is a hint of alcohol burn, which quickly fades, leaving you wanting for more.

Stone uses several hundred pounds of Ryan Bros. coffee espresso beans in each batch, and the coffee flavors really accentuate what is already a world-class imperial stout. This is a limited edition beer, so don’t put off grabbing one, or you may be left out.

Find both variations of Stone’s Imperial Russian Stout in 22 ounce bottles at Calandro’s Supermarket for $7.

Read more about the craft beer scene in Louisiana at www.TheAleRunner.com and on Twitter @TheAleRunner.

The Bulldog Baton Rouge announces American Craft Beer Week events

The Ale Runner — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:32:03 +0000

AMERICAN CRAFT BEER WEEK EVENTS AT THE BULLDOG BATON ROUGE

American Craft Beer week is a once a year event to sample the best beers that our craft brewers have to offer. Don’t miss this special chance.

Monday (5/13) 4pm-close
American Craft Beer Week Kickoff - receive two raffle tickets for every craft beer purchased. Throughout the week, receive one raffle ticket for every craft beer purchased. At the end of the week, a winner will be chosen to receive a bottle of Westvleteren 12 – the highest rated beer in the world (and very hard to find)!

Tuesday (5/14) 7-8pm
Abita Special Release – Turbodog aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels

Wednesday (5/15) 6-7pm
Tin Roof Special Release – Coffee Porter aged on bourbon soaked oak chips

Thursday (5/16) 6-8pm
Stone Brewing Best By 5/17/2013 IPA + a surprise variation of one of your favorite Stone brews + free Stone glass
Harpoon Barrel Series + free Harpoon glass
Brooklyn Brewmaster Series + free Brooklyn glass

Friday (5/17) 5-6pm
NOLA Brewing Special Release - Girl Scout Cookie Specialty Cask Irish Channel Stout brewed with chocolate and mint

Friday (5/17) 6-7pm
Samuel Adams Little White Rye

Saturday (5/18) 5-6pm
IWS Showcase – Special tapping’s of specialty beers from artisan brewers. Prairie ‘Merica, Brash Bullocks, Yeastie Boys, Pot Kettle Black

Sunday (5/19) all day
All day: Pot Luck – come get the best sort of leftovers ever!

Lazy Magnolia to debut a new summer seasonal

The Ale Runner — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:00:22 +0000

Lazy Magnolia, Mississippi’s first craft brewery, will debut a new summer seasonal later this month. Backwoods Belgian is a Belgian style golden ale brewed with honeysuckle that weighs in at 8.5% ABV. Look for it in 4-packs of 12 ounce bottles and on draft soon. As they say, “Cheers Y’all!”

Tin Roof Brewing announces American Craft Beer Week events

The Ale Runner — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:41:37 +0000

Baton Rouge’s Tin Roof Brewing has lined up several events and one off brews in celebration of American Craft Beer Week, which is May 13th through 19th. See below for what’s going on:

Baton Rouge

Monday May 13th - The Cove – Part 1 of English Yeast Project – “Parliament Pale Ale” — Voodoo Bengal fermented with 1099 Witbread — Mild malty, slight fruity flavor, good flocculation, less tart and dry than normal British ale yeast.

Tuesday May 14th – The Chimes Covington - Part 2 of English Yeast Project – “Blonde- James Blonde” — Tin Roof Blonde fermented with 1099 Witbread.

Wednesday May 15th - The Bulldog - Parade Ground Coffee Porter aged on bourbon soaked oak chips for 6 months.

Thursday May 16th - The Pelican House - Double Dry Hopped Juke Joint IPA — Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade, Columbus — A hop head’s dream.

Friday May 17th – Food Truck Friday Benefiting Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge at the Brewery — Working on a cask conditioned Voodoo Bengal with the hopes of serving this night at the brewery.

Friday May 17th – “Manchester Brewnited” – Perfect Tin fermented with 1099 Witbread at Barley Oak.

Also Chili Pepper Blonde will be served sometime during ACBW but haven’t got the final details.

New Orleans

Tuesday May 14th - Wayfair 6:30pm beer dinner with Bayou Teche, Saint Arnold, Lazy Magnolia.

Wednesday May 15th - Tin Roof pint night at Uptown Bulldog – all beers on tap, Manchester Brewnited – Perfect Tin fermented with1469 West Yorkshire - Chewy malt, nutty, moderate stone fruit flavors.

Thursday May 16th - Avenue Pub hops night 5-7pm featuring Double Dry Hopped Juke Joint IPA — Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade, Columbus.

Thursday May 16th – 7-9pm at Evangeline “throw ya dukes up, ya heard” with Bayou Teche featuring their firkin and our chili pepper blonde.

Friday May 17th - “Parliament Pale Ale” Voodoo Bengal fermented with 1469 West Yorkshire at Midcity Bulldog.

Saturday May 18th - locals night at Avenue Pub 5-until, Blonde James Blonde- 1469 West Yorkshire.

Be sure to check out one or more of these events and special pours for American Craft Beer Week.

Parish Farmhouse IPA releases today

The Ale Runner — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:49:36 +0000

What follows is the April 24th edition of my weekly column written for DIG Magazine.

Parish Brewing, which is located just to the west in the Lafayette suburb of Broussard, is primarily known for their Canebrake wheat ale. However, as the brewery grows, they are able to make more special release beers. Last December saw the release of the Grand Reserve, a barleywine style ale with a limited production of about 1,300 bottles.

This week, Parish releases their newest ale, Farmhouse IPA. It is the marriage of a traditional farmhouse saison with an American IPA. This one pours a golden straw color with a huge head, requiring a patient pour. The aroma is fantastic, with banana, lemon zest and spicy rye, as well as floral hops. An incredibly effervescent mouthfeel is present, which accentuates the bright hoppiness. With a finish that is spicy and pleasingly bitter, it leaves you wanting more.

The blend of the Belgian-Franco yeast with copious amounts of Crystal hops gives this beer a wonderful balance. It’s one you will not want to miss, and it’s brewed right here in Louisiana. Nearly 4,000 bottles of Farmhouse IPA were produced, but it will likely sell quickly.

Parish Farmhouse IPA was released on May 1st and is already flying off the shelves. Go grab some now before it’s all gone!

Pelican House is now officially open

The Ale Runner — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:00:17 +0000

Baton Rouge’s newest craft beer bar and whiskey house is now officially open. Offering 136 different draft beers, a huge whiskey list and numerous cocktails and wine selections, The Pelican House opened its doors at 4pm this evening. I was able to check it out a couple times over the past week for its soft opening, and it is impressive to say the least.

Pelican House will open at 4:00 each day this week, and have a limited menu selection. Beginning May 6th, they will open at 11:00 AM and feature a full lunch menu as well.

Go check it out and let me know what you think. Chances are I’ll run into some of you there.

Stone Enjoy By 05.17.13 IPA

The Ale Runner — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:20:09 +0000

Some of you may remember that I mentioned back in March that the Stone Enjoy By IPA would be making an appearance in Louisiana. This IPA is brewed specifically not to last. The version we got here in Louisiana is the Enjoy By 05.17.13 and was bottled on April 12th, which was 2 weeks ago as of this writing. Stone then shipped immediately to all the markets that were to receive this beer and over the past week, it’s been showing up in bottle shops and tap houses on a very limited basis. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a few bottles of it, so I figured I’d share my thoughts.

This IPA pours a golden orange color and has wonderful clarity. There isn’t a whole lot of head on it, and even that dissipates rather quickly, but it does leave some nice lacing behind on the glass. The aroma is full of fruity hops, with mango and even peach hints. There are big fruity hop flavors immediately on the first sip, which mellow into a very light bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium without a big resinous finish that many Stone IPAs are known for. And for me, this is a good thing. The label says this beer is 9.4% ABV, but I’m hard pressed to find much booziness at all. In fact, it’s really really easy to drink. The hop forward flavor shines through and it’s somewhat unbalanced in that there isn’t a lot of malt sweetness. Again, that’s good for me. I’ve really enjoyed this beer both times I’ve tried it over the past couple days.

This one is a definite 4.5 out of 5 bottle caps!

I look forward to enjoying this one over the coming weeks. For those of you in Baton Rouge, The Chimes East has it on tap right now, and The Pelican House will have it when they open on Monday, April 29th. Be sure to tweet about it so Stone will bring it back to our area. Use the hashtag #EnjoyBy #NOLA or vote on the Stone Enjoy By website.

Have you tried Stone Enjoy By IPA yet? What are your thoughts?

Saint Arnold ICON Blue

The Ale Runner — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:55:03 +0000

What follows is the April 24th edition of my weekly column written for DIG Magazine.

When you say “Cascadian dark ale,” most people will have no idea what you’re talking about. However, this style of beer has grown in prominence over the past several years. They are also better known as black IPAs, which is quite the oxymoron. After all, how can anything be both pale and black?

The Icon series from Houston’s Saint Arnold features a quarterly release of different styled beers, with different colors used for each release. The Icon Blue is a Cascadian dark ale that weighs in at 7 percent ABV. It pours a dark black with a light-colored head. The aroma is an artful blend of roasted dark malts and citrusy hops. The roastiness lasts from the initial taste through the finish, yet it is balanced by a nice hop bitterness. As the beer warms, the hop flavor begins to shine and comes to the forefront. It’s important to serve this beer at a cool, but not cold temperature, with the optimal range being 45 to 55 degrees. This allows all the competing aromas and flavors to come out, and adds to the experience.

Get it before it’s gone, because the next in the series will be released in June.

Saint Arnold’s Icon Blue can be found in four-packs for around $9, and on draft at various bars and restaurants all over Baton Rouge.

Read more about the craft beer scene in Louisiana at www.TheAleRunner.com and on Twitter @TheAleRunner.