Month: May 2017

Stacey and Leigh were on special assignment this week, so Carrie and Lauren were joined by guest co-host Cohorn from the podcast Talk Nerdy to Me.  The three of them discussed the merits of shower wine, talked wrastlin’, debated on what fictional sport they would watch if it was real and of course drank some beer.

Listen to “Episode 63 Girls, Beer, Nerds” on Spreaker.

Carrie wasn’t going to do a sharin’ beer this week, but once she saw the above at Liquor Barn she knew she had to make it so.  Cohorn, Carrie and Lauren all partook in Ommegang Brewing’s Game of Thrones inspired beer aptly called Bend The Knee.  This beer is a golden ale brewed with honey and is one beer in a series of three inspired by the book/tv show.  Although Chris doesn’t watch the show he did like the beer and found it drinkable and just a little sour.  Lauren loves the show and the books and also really liked this beer, although she did cheat on it a little bit, having tried it earlier in the weekend.  Carrie was slightly disappointed in the beer finding it a little to tart for her liking, with not enough honey.  She was expecting more of a mead type product, but this didn’t deliver that.  It wouldn’t be something we would buy on the regular, but if you like Game of Thrones or are throwing a Game of Thrones themed party it would be worth picking up.

Cohorn picked up a growler of Country Boy Brewing’s Cliff Jumper IPA for his guest hosting beer.   Country Boy is one of the founding craft breweries in the Lexington area and it’s hard to go wrong with any of their products.  Cohron informed us that this is his favorite of all the beers that Country Boy brews so he definitely enjoyed it and recommends it.  If you are looking for a straight forward IPA with a lot of flavor, a nice balance of citrus and not too much bitterness on the back-end pick up a growler fill of this at either Country Boy’s Lexington or Georgetown locations.  It’s a real bargain on $10 growler fill days.

 

Lauren chose her beer this week in honor of Memorial Day.  Dog Tag Brewing’s Legacy Lager is not only a great beer, but it supports a great cause and the art work on the can is really worth checking out.  100% of Dog Tag Brewing’s profits go to support Gold Star Family initiatives, which support impact projects of remembrance.  And each can has the information of a fallen soldier on the back.  The beer itself is pretty much a standard lager that is definitely drinkable on the patio or after some yard work, but the mission of the brewery really is more important than the beer.  Visit Dog Tag Brewing Foundation to find out more.

Since this weekend was also the “official” start of summer Carrie picked up Victory Brewing’s Summer Love Ale.  Victory makes other fine beers,  and this one is no exception.  It has some citrusy hoppiness and a classical pilsner flavor.  It’s a summer seasonal so enjoy it on the patio, at the pool, while mowing the lawn or after and in the air conditioning away from the heat.   This is a six pack buy for sure.

Beer fans rejoice! You can actually major in beer! Join us as special guest Dr. Chris Paumi discusses the basics of fermentation science and the program at Eastern Kentucky University. We share our excitement about University of Kentucky softball, the French Open, and of course Stacey provides a spoiler-free Twin Peaks review. Finally we’ll take you on a trip down memory lane as we recall the joys of Natty Lite and other college brews.

Listen to “Episode 62 We’re going back to school at Beer U” on Spreaker.

The sharin’ beer that we had this week came from the home brewery of our guest Dr. Chris Paumi.  His blueberry hefeweizen was the perfect combination of fruit and hefe flavor that you want.  If he sold this we would definitely by it.

Leigh’s pick this week comes from Shacksbury brewing in Vermont.  This was another pick up from Pivot brewing’s package sale area.  At 6% it’s on the high-end of the cider spectrum, but it definitely delivers what it promises, light, sparkling and dry with a nice balance of fruit and acidity.  If you are looking for a basic cider that isn’t one of the bigger named ones pick this up.

In addition to his own beer, our guest Chris also picked up a DuClaw Sweet Baby Jesus Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter. Having lived in Baltimore Maryland, Chris is a big fan DuClaw products and this was no exception.  Carrie had this beer on a previous episode and also liked it, but didn’t find it peanut buttery enough.  Chris also liked it, but thought it had a lot of peanut flavor.  He didn’t think he could have more than one even though he liked all the flavors.  Carrie and Chris both endorse this beer if you are looking for a solid chocolate peanut butter porter.

Stacey’s pick this week comes from Green Flash brewing in San Diego.  Their Passion Fruit Kicker fits right in with Stacey’s summer beer theme that she’s been working on for several shows.  This is an easy drinking American pale wheat ale with a tropical twist, great for the cooler, the pool and mowin’ the lawn.  It fits great in a koozie and 5.5% you can definitely drink more than one.

 

Lauren went local with her pick this week.  West 6th Brewing’s Milk Stout  isn’t a summer beer, but that doesn’t matter because it’s a great beer.  It’s a big flavorful stout in a big bottle.  Barrel aged and brewed with fresh coffee this is one that you should check out at any time of year.  Lauren really really liked it.

Carrie’s pick this week comes from New Holland Brewing.  New Holland makes some quality beer and they’re pub crawl a few years a ago in Lexington was awesome.  Hoptronix is Double IPA made with Mosaic Hops (Carrie’s favorite hop).  The space invaders themed label, unfortunately the beer isn’t.  Carrie was really disappointed in the flavor.  Mosaic hops add a fruitiness to a beer, but none of that came through with this one.  It was very bitter on the front end and almost slightly skunky.  This was picked from the singles shelf, so it’s possible that it had been sitting there for a while effecting the taste.  Carrie would give it another chance if it was on draft, but probably wouldn’t buy it in bottle form again.

 

On Saturday Lauren and Carrie along with the CFO ventured to downtown Lexington, Kentucky to take in the sights and sounds of the Alltech Craft Beer and Food Fest.  This beer festival keeps getting bigger and better and this year was no exception.  There were breweries from all over the state of Kentucky and the country, not to mention food and live music throughout the day.   This craft beer festival is also a great value, for $30 ($35 at the door), you get a small tasting glass and 20 tickets, even though the tasting glass is small, 20 pours of various high percentage beers will hit you quicker that you think.  With 51 breweries to choose from, most offering two or three selections, in addition to special tappings throughout the day it was really difficult to drink all the beer, but we gave it our best shot. (All the beers that we did drink will be in another post).

This year Alltech moved the event into a bigger space, which was awesome!  We always like to get there early, before the crowds start rolling in, but even when more people started to show up later in the afternoon it still didn’t seem that crowded.  There was plenty of space to walk, sit, stand and get more beer.  The longest beer lines were for the special tappings, but even those didn’t feel as crowded as they had in years past.

We’ve been to outdoor craft beer festivals, and drinking outside is always awesome, but it was nice to be in a climate controlled area since it was very hot, humid and threatening rain throughout most of the afternoon.

Instead of trying to announce what was being tapped at what time, they installed these great video screens to inform you of the latest special tapping.  It was just a matter of remembering to look up.

Even in small quantities, high percentage beer can sneak up on you.  One of the best ways to help with that is food and there was plenty to choose from.  The bbq nachos from the Sweet Spot were exceptionally tasty and at $7 were also a great value.  Some festival goers chose to bring their own food in the form of the pretzel necklace.  We’ve talked about pretzel necklaces on the show before and even after Saturday we still aren’t convinced that these provide much sustenance, but we counted 50 people wearing them before we left for the day.

Another great thing that the festival does is provide free coffee and water stations throughout the venue for either designated drivers or those wanting to pace themselves.

In addition to craft beer there were also opportunities to  use your tickets to sample craft bourbon, vodka and other spirits.

 

Overall we can’t say enough good things about the Alltech Craft Beer and Food Festival that closes out Craft Beer week in Lexington every year.  More beer, more food and more space!  If you have never been you need to check it out and if you have been then you know you should definitely come back next year.

 

 

 

 

This week we’ve got lots of updates related to the local craft beer festival, plus softball, EPL, and tennis, not to mention our friendly wager with the Ridin’ Pine Show. We feature what is probably the first-ever Twin Peaks Royal Rumble, in anticipation of the new series starting on Sunday. Who will be the last one standing–The Log Lady, Agent Cooper, BOB, or someone else…Find out in this wonderful and strange episode, and also enjoy Stacey’s birthday shotgun round!
Listen to “Episode 61 A Damn Fine Podcast” on Spreaker.

This week’s sharin’ beer comes from Rogue Brewery in Oregon.  Rogue is the maker of many fine products, Arrogant Bastard Ale is one of their classics.  In keeping with the Twin Peaks theme of the show we decided to try their Revolutionary Blend Cold Brew IPA.  This beer is blended with 200 gallons of Stumptown Coffee Roasters’ famous Cold Brew Coffee.  Stacey and Lauren aren’t huge IPA fans, but they did like this beer.  Many coffee infused beers are dark, but Revolutionary Blend had a nice light color and the coffee really came through in the beginning.  As the beer warmed up it did lose some of its coffee flavor, but wasn’t overpowered by the hops at any point.  If you are looking for a lighter drinking coffee infused beer we would definitely recommend picking this up.

Leigh’s pick this week comes from New Day Brewery in Indiana.  Leigh had New Day’s Breakfast Magpie a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it (listen to this week’s episode to see how it influenced her softball skills).  On Lauren’s recommendation she decided to try Johnny Chapman (insert bad Red’s closer joke here) a hard cider infused with sorghum aged in bourbon barrels.    At 12% it’s pretty stout.  We all had a taste and agreed that it was pretty sweet to start out.  It opened/warmed up as the show went on and the sweetness was replaced by a bourbon flavor.  This high gravity cider is definitely for sippin, if you don’t like a lot of sweet up front go with the Breakfast Magpie.

 

Stacey’s pick this week comes via Carrie.  We’ve had Uinta (listen to this week’s episode for how to pronounce Uinta) products before and their Birthday Suit Sour Cherry Blonde Ale didn’t disappoint.  This beer had everything that Stacey loves sour, fruit, lightness and a lower percentage in a big bottle.  It was the perfect  beer to celebrate her birthday.

 

Lauren’s pick this week comes from Breckenridge Brewery.  We’ve had Breckenridge products on the show before and have pretty much liked everything they brew.  Normally Lauren is not a fan of hoppy beers, but she really enjoyed the Ophelia Hoppy Wheat Ale.  This was a refreshing ale with just a hint of hops. definitely keep this one in your summer cooler rotation.

In honor of craft beer week Carrie’s pick comes from Lexington’s own Alltech brewing.  This is another seasonal offering from Alltech, Carrie had their Blackberry Porter on a previous show and really enjoyed it.  The Peach Barrel Wheat Ale was just as good as the Blackberry Porter, but in a different way.  The peach flavor was fairly strong and came through even at the end.  Since this is a wheat ale there was also a slight peaches and cream flavor that was nice.  The bourbon flavor wasn’t as strong as it was on the Porter.   The biggest draw back of this beer is the price point, at $13.99 for a four pack it’s expensive, but if you can find this in a singles section of your local liquor establishment then definitely pick it up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In our second Kentucky Derby special episode, 32 fictional horses enter, but only one will leave in our Best Fictional Horse Ever bracket. We’re joined by special guests Andrew, drummer from EZRA, and long-time listener, Barbara. Recorded live at a Derby party, you can bet there’s some joking around about hats, bourbon, bronies, and so much more.

Listen to “GBS Special Ep A Lump of Ponies: An Underhorse Story” on Spreaker.

Since this was a special episdoe Carrie kept it Brockmire (if you aren’t watching Brockmire you should be) and enjoyed some Sazerac Rye (aka Baby Saz).  With a price point of $30 this is a very good sippin rye whiskey, that is if you can find it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lauren dove into the Beer Roulette cooler for this show and pulled out a shiny silver bullet from Feb. 2017.  Not much to say on this one other than it was Coor’s Light and even though it was passed it’s freshness date at least it wasn’t skunked and Lauren did finish it.

Special guest and friend of the show, Andrew, went with a show favorite, West Sixth IPA.  This is a great IPA, which Carrie and the CFO enjoy often.  If you’re looking for a standard easty drinking IPA check this one out, it’s local to Lexington, but is available outside of Kentucky.

Stacey had wine in a cup, which she drank, but really not sure what kind of wine it was so, sorry no review.  Although, she did have a shot of tequilla before we started recording.

 

 

 

On first Saturday in May all eyes turn towards the Commonwealth of Kentucky to watch the fastest two minutes in sports.  On Friday the Fillies run for the Lillies at the Oaks.  Nothing beats a good Derby Eve or Derby Day party, but,  unfortunately Derby week in Louisville has been taken over by events like Thurby, a made up “tradition” that by our account is just an excuse for people to drink on a Thursday.  We’re not sure why you would need an excuse to drink on a Thursday, but there you are.   We can tell you that Hunter S. Thompson never needed an excuse to drink on a Thursday other than the fact that it was Thursday.  We’re pretty sure he wouldn’t be on board with Thurby either, but he did love the Kentucky Derby and he wrote what is considered the definitive article about the Derby experience.  The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and depraved was written in the 1970’s, established his brand of gonzo journalism and still remains a must read during the first week in May.  The Kentucky Derby is Decedant and Depraived is to The Kentucky Derby what the Night Before Christmas is to Christmas Eve, a must read once a year.  So forget about Thurby, grab your favorite adult beverage of choice and enjoy the best article ever written about The Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved  HUNTER S. THOMPSON

What exactly is a Derby Nacho Hat? You’ll have to listen to Episode 60 to find out. We briefly visit the phenomenon that is Competitive Hobbyhorse as well as discuss qualities to look for in (real) horses, including our own early Derby picks. We talk about the NFL draft, the latest in EPL and tennis, and of course, beer and cider. There may have even been a brief discussion of how babies are like bulldogs. Give us a listen and tell your friends!

Listen to “Episode 60: Derby Nacho Hat” on Spreaker.

Sharin’ Beer: 

Since it is Derby week this week, Carrie couldn’t resist having Lauren and Stacey try Braxton Brewing’s Kentucky Home, a Mint Julep Style Beer, it’s an Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels and finished with Mint.  The Mint Julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby and pretty much consists of bourbon, a simple syrup and mint.  Some people like them and some people hate them, generally if you’re from Kentucky you drink at least one on Derby Day whether you like them or not.  We were hoping that this beer would be a good alternative to a classic mint julep, but even though Braxton is a Kentucky based brewery we just didn’t get a lot of the julep experience we were looking for.  We actually expected the beer to be a lot darker than it was and while there was an actual nice kind of minty/grassy flavor to the beer neither Carrie, Stacey or Lauren got much bourbon flavor from it.  If you’re looking for a bourbon barrel beer this probably is not the one for you, but if  you’re not a huge fan of bourbon and want the whole julep experience without force drinking yourself one at a derby party, then pick this up.

Leigh’s pick comes on the recommendation of Lauren and is from New Day Brewing in Indiana.  The Breakfast Magpie  is a black raspberry mead infused with espresso reserve coffee beans.  It poured a nice dark color and the nose was immediate raspberry.  We actually passed it around the table and all tried a bit before we recorded and we all agreed that it was delicious.  The raspberry gave way to a subtle chocolate flavor and then coffee on the back-end.  This is a highly recommend by all of us, it’s 8% and gluten-free!

Stacey’s pick this week comes from Avery Brewing.  Stacey is really sticking to the summer lovin’, koozie fittin’, pool drinkin, patio sittin’, lawn mowin’, bbq eatin’ beers for the next couple of weeks.  The Liliko’i Kepolo Tropical & Tart didn’t disappoint.  This Belgian Wit with Passion Fruit definitely delivered what it promised on tartness and fruit flavor.  It hits all summerin’s you can think of for sure.

Lauren’ pick comes from the same brewer as the sharin’ beer, Braxton Brewing company.  The can is interesting because it really is designed to be stored and opened upside down.  Since Haven is labeled as a slightly cloud Hefeveizen we all agreed that the upside down thing is probably to prevent sediment from settling., although Lauren though there maybe some gimmick to it also. Either way the beer was a solid Heffe, not too heavy tasting.  Definitely a beer you could have a few of on a nice day.

Carrie’s pick is from Dark Horse Brewing.  Carrie wanted to stick with a horse theme this week and this was as close as she could find.  Rain in Blood (a play on the Slayer song as well as the Slayer logo) an Orange Pale Ale  was less scary than its name implied.  As far as orange flavored beers go this one was a bit different, but in a good way.  Instead of having jus a boring orange flavor it actually tasted a little bit like those candy orange slices that your grandma always had sitting in the candy jar.  It was orange/sweet enough to be noticeable, but not so overpowering that you couldn’t taste the beer, which was a nice pale ale, not too hoppy.  If you aren’t into heavy fruit beers, but are interested in trying something with a little unique fruit flavor then get in the pit with this one.