HEMP HOP RYE

I just had a bottle of O'Fallon Hemp Hop Rye---it was not over hoppy, a nice copper/brown color--with some caramel flavors--likely related to rye.  I should have waited for it to be a little warmer--because my fridge was pretty cold---very interesting brown ale----I look forward to having another....O'Fallon in Missouri also make the 5-day IPA..which is very good.

It would be nice if HHR packed a little more whallop... 

http://www.hemphoprye.com/
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3268/56887http://www.ofallonbrewery.com/index.html


Another seasonal beer that you may be able to find is O'Dell Red Ale--not for wienies!  [from Ft. Collins Co.--more famous for Fat Tire at New Belgium---O'Dell pushes the envelope more---but Fat Tire--is a great place to start for newbies] I has a nice bunch of hops and a rich copper color---I cant wait to find some.  I also looking to Leinie's Big Eddy Springs--Imperial Stout--sounds yummy!  
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/39334
Here is to a warm fire and cool craft brew...

blonde fatale Peace Tree Brewing

Peace Tree Brewing in Knoxville Iowa is unable to keep up with demand for the "Blonde Fatale" beer they make....as soon as it is made, it is gone of the shelves of stores...
FROM PEACE TREE:
Blonde Fatale: This is an unfiltered Belgian Style Blonde Ale.  The beer is blonde in color from the pale malted barley varieties. It is delicately hopped with Styrian Golding and Celeia for medium bitterness and aroma.  Sugars are added for higher attenuation, following the practices of some Belgian brewers. Belgian ale yeast is used to add complex flavor esters. This beer is unfiltered and yeast is left in for additional conditioning. This beer is named Fatale because it is 8.5% alcohol by volume and will catch up with you if you’re not careful...

and at the brewery......I love the RED Rambler and the RYE Porter from Peace Tree---my favorite brewery in the state of Iowa....more about some links and the Blonde Fatale Beer below...

 I am wearing a Peace Tree T-shirt on the Oregon Coast from early October 2011....
George Clooney...I am not...
>>I have not tried this beer yet--but will soon...if I can find it...


HERE are some cool links about Peace Tree Brewing in Knoxville IA...
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/21818/60168
http://www.kcci.com/news/29887664/detail.html
http://www.peacetreebrewing.com/ 
http://desmoines.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/standard_photo_gallery/behind-the-scenes-peace/2105087/content
http://mwbeercollective.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/brew-for-thought-peace-tree-brewings-red-rambler/
http://beergeno.me/2011/11/peace-tree-cider/

      Pour a craft beer tonight!

Beer in BEND OREGON

First off:  I am the world's worst blogger....
Betty and I went to Bend Oregon in early October

and had a great time!  We went to about 9 or 10 breweries.  Some of these were Rogue, Deschutes, 10 Barrel, Bend Brewing and Ninkasi Brewing.

The highlights for me were a Double Red at Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene Or.,

and a Bourbon Cask Ale at 10 Barrel Brewing in Bend Oregon...

The red was amazingly malting with generous hops

--but not overly done.  This was my first

Cask ale.  If you are unaware they

take a used bourbon barrel and age the beer

in the actual used bourbon cask...it was phenomenal!  See the pics wow, what a great trip!

Brew Haha in Davenport

I am going to the BrewHaha in Davenport Iowa on Sep 17th!  Betty and I will stay with her cousin Anna Handsacker in Davenport.  This is a different kind of Brewfest...it will have the national homogenized brews + many wonderful brews from the midwest--they will have games, cheese tasting, some wine tasting and brews to samples...I am excited...the info available is a little skimpy...we will see what happens...

http://wqpt.org/brew/ 

1-5 pm Saturday September 17th Davenport Iowa 

There will be a comedy troupe and the band Wicked Liz and the Belly Swirls. 

Octoberfest Beer Abounds!

I am so excited!  There are many Octoberfest Beers on the shelf if you have a store that carries many craft beers, I hope you do.  I want to try Summit Octoberfest and Bell's Octoberfest.  Love that Michigan beer...I hope Jen and Matt have tried lots of Bell's--speaking of Bell's--Oberon is about the PERFECT summer beer.  Shiner from TX has an Octoberfest, I don't know if I will try it, there beer has been underwhelming to me...
I would also like to try Spaten Octoberfest on the German side and a great pumpkin ale...I here Dogfish Head's Punkin' beer is awesome.......here is to Octoberfest beer!  Enjoy it while you can.
Hoptober is tasty from New Belgium also... 
Review of Bell's Octoberfest Beer
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/32695 
Summit Brewing's Octoberfest Beer Info:
http://www.summitbrewing.com/brews/oktoberfest  
Beer Info rates Octoberfest beers in a top ten category:
http://www.beerinfo.com/index.php/pages/bestoktoberfestbeer.html 

I certainly would be thrilled to try the Staghorn Octoberfest from New Glarus in Wis. and the Left Hand Octoberfest from Left Hand Brewing in Longmont Co.  I have not had a bad beer from Left Hand Brewing--Great Beer... 

Kansas Beer? YES!

I was traveling through Kansas recently on my way back from going to Oklahoma to drop my son off at the U of Oklahoma in Norman---and what should I find, a brewery or two.  I know you are amazed that I would stop at such a place!  We stopped at River City Brewing in Wichita KS, very friendly--had an awesome red beer by the name of Rock Island Red...it was well balanced.  I prefer reds that have some hops and are not just malty...this brew had it all.  I talked to the brewmaster Dan and he said they have some really cool imaginative brew coming up weekly!  Now there is an inspired guy!  You rock Dan...I really love the idea of using Bulleit Borboun infused cherries in a beer, that was last thursday I missed it.  Bummer....
Please give them a shot if you are ever in Wichita...
http://www.rivercitybrewingco.com/
Here is a great article---a bit long but very good about the struggles of trying to bring quality beer to you...
http://freestatebrewing.com/history 
The brew in cans shown is Halcyon Wheat from Tall Grass Brewing in Manhattan KS.
I thought this was a fine summer beer---had a little sweet to it and great unfiltered wheat color--very enjoyable. 
http://www.tallgrassbeer.com/ 

craft beer in cans!

Craft beer in cans?   Yes it is becoming more and more popular---Fat Tire from New Belgium comes in cans...so does Island Wheat from Capital Brewing in Middleton, Wisconsin.  SKA Brewing in Durango Co. Has most all of it's beer in cans---the ESB from them was very tasty, by the way.  Free State brewing in Manhattan KS--also does cans...so does Great River Brewing in the Quad Cities, I quite enjoyed the Roller Dam Red Ale...cans are here and it is a good thing!
Great River Brewing:
http://greatriverbrewery.com/ 
More to come soon on my visit to River City Brewing Company in Wichita KS.  I met the  very friendly brew-master (River City Brewing Co.) named Dan there--who is cooking up some awesome brew...One next week with Bulleit Bourbon cherry infusion...Wow!
http://www.rivercitybrewingco.com/