Heady Topper

Wow, what a great beer!  So delicious, so drinkable, so sad I can't have a stockpile of this around at all times.  Until last week, I wasn't sure when I'd ever have a chance to try Heady Topper, the much sought after double IPA from The Alchemist Brewery (Waterbury, VT).  I read that The Alchemist was going to start distributing Heady Topper to Philly and within a week I had a couple of cans in my fridge.  Score!

According to their website (http://www.alchemistbeer.com/), "The Alchemist Brewery is currently focused on brewing one beer perfectly. Heady Topper, our flagship Double IPA, is not intended to be the biggest or most bitter. It is meant to give you wave after wave of hoppy goodness on your palate. Tremendous amounts of hops will creep up on you and leave you with a dense, hoppy finish in your mouth. So drinkable, it’s scary."

This beer is not over the top, instead it is perfectly balanced with all of the qualities one would seek from a DIPA.  The sweet maltiness and mild carbonation do a great job providing a substantial, yet non-overpowering, counterweight to this 16. oz hop bomb.  There are loads of complex piney, earthy, citrus hops that resonate in your mouth long after you try pouring out a last drop of goodness from the empty can.

Great job to The Alchemist for making this delicious hop nectar available in the 215.  Heady Topper is one of the best DIPA's I've ever tasted and it's probably the best canned beer I've ever had!  I really hope that there is going to be an Alchemist event planned during Philly Beer Week.  Fingers crossed!!      

Glassware courtesy of Brawley's Beverage (The best bottle shop in Charlotte, NC)  http://www.brawleysbeverage.com/

Uinta Hop Notch IPA

I just finished up food shopping and realized that we could use some more beer in the house.  I mean, what fridge is actually ever truly "full"?  There was a display set up advertising Hop Notch and it totally caught my eye.  Appealing label, cool graphic.  I really wasn't sure what to expect from this IPA and it totally blew me away!  After popping off the cap, the sweet smell of citrus hops, pineapple juice and honey instantly made me happy with this purchase.  The delicious scent translated extremely well to the flavor of my first sip. This beer tasted incredibly fresh and I wasn't surprised to see that it was bottled on 4/2/12...just over a week ago.  It's pretty amazing that we're able to get something that fresh all the way from Utah in just over a week after it's bottled.  Hop Notch is very drinkable (dangerously drinkable) for a 7.3% brew.  As with all IPA's, I'd suggest consuming it as fresh as possible because over time some of the bold qualities I admire in Hop Notch will fade and mellow out.  I loved this beer and strongly recommend picking up a 6-pack of this stuff SOON!  I plan to buy more...tomorrow.

The Bottle Shop at Local 44

I went to the Bottle Shop at Local 44 last night and was highly impressed.  The folks at Local 44 know their beer and it definitely reflects in the great selection of bottles offered in their new shop.  Local 44 is one of my favorite bars in the city and what I consider to be the best bar in West Philly. There is always a warm, neighborhood feel and they consistently have a fantastic tap list.

Two weeks ago, Local 44 expanded by adding an attached bottle shop next door to the bar.  According to their website, "Our bottle list rounds out at just over 500".   The shop is basically divided into 2 areas.  There is a refrigerated section with single bottles and 6-packs that is separated by style (red & hoppy, Belgian, etc.).  The highlight of my visit though was the second room, located a few steps away, that housed a remarkable selection of high class craft beers.  The aesthetic layout to showcase the bottles was simple by design yet visually appealing to a very high degree.  I could easily spend a good amount of time looking around here!  Some examples included Rodenbach 2009 Vintage Oak Aged Ale, Firestone Walker 14th and 15th Anniversary Ales, and also brews representing Lost Abbey, Dogfish Head, Russian River, and Trappist Achel.  A lot of hard work went into the construction of this shop and it definitely paid off! 

In addition to the bottles, there are also 2 taps of hand-pumped ale pouring behind the counter.  Customers can sit at the 4-seat bar and enjoy a fresh glass of beer while shopping.  Currently on tap: Yards ESA and Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA.

Along with Local 44, the staff at the bottle shop are very friendly and approachable.  Definitely ask any question you may have because the guys here are extremely knowledgeable about the products they sell.  I already drank the beer I purchased last night (Port Brewing Co. Mongo IPA, Weyerbacher Simcoe IPA) so I guess I'm already due for another visit.  See you soon!



http://local44beerbar.com/bottleshop.htm

I just realized that Hawthorne's 3rd Annual IPA Block Party is the day before the Broad Street 10-mile run.  AGGHHH!!!  Oh well, I'm sure that being fueled by hops and Gatorade will eventually push me across the finish line.

http://hawthornecafe.com/

Tröegs Nugget Nectar....hmmm...

Nugget Nectar used to be one of my favorite PA beers.  I would look forward to its release each year and grab a case as soon as it hit the shelves.  I'm afraid that trend might've come to a halt.  Over the past couple of years I have felt the main elements that initially drew me to this beer have faded.  Nugget Nectar's once sharp citrus and sweet fruit notes seem to have been edged out and overpowered by pine and malt, thus taking it from extraordinary to ordinary.  I started thinking this with last year's release and my feelings were confirmed when I cracked into my first bottle of this season.  Unfortunately, this was a disappointing purchase considering the many other options that fall under the same price point.  Nugget Nectar is still a solid beer from a great PA brewery (http://www.troegs.com), but it just doesn't have the same taste and qualities that I originally fell in love with.  I'm not sure what has happened here, but one thing is certain for next year...I will purchase a single bottle or try it on draft before I commit to buying another case.  Here's hoping for the best, as the glass is always half full.    

Pliny the Younger...Finally!!

Yesterday I made it over to Eulogy Belgian Tavern for their tapping of Pliny the Younger, a triple IPA from Russian River Brewing Company.  I had tried Pliny the Elder (double IPA) a few times before, but I had yet to get my hands on it's elusive big brother.  After waiting in line for nearly an hour, I eagerly sat down at the bar and was finally able to order my first (and second) glass of Pliny the Younger.  From the overall citrus, pine punch in the face to the lingering hop presence, this brew was unbelievably tasty down to the last sip.  It was as if someone mashed together grapefruit, unripe mango, loads of incredibly fresh resinous hops, tropical fruits, and more hops!  The complex, layered taste resonated in my mouth long after the final sip.  Tastiest burps too!  My only minor complaint was that it seemed a bit boozy towards the bottom of the glass as it warmed up.  Considering Pliny the Younger comes in at a whopping 11%, the fact that the alcohol is masked so well during the majority of the glass is very impressive.  Overall, I found this brew to be perfectly balanced, representing the qualities of a basically flawless IPA.   

   

Currently, Pliny the Younger is rated as the #1 beer in the world on Beeradvocate.com (http://beeradvocate.com/lists/popular).  Is this actually the best beer in the world?  Probably not.  Is this the best beer I've ever tried?  Definitely one of the best, but not #1 on my list.  Is this the most memorable, delicious beer I've tried in recent years?  Absolutely!  Pliny the Younger was certainly worth the wait and I look forward to another glass of it sometime in the near future.  

Thanks to Eulogy for hosting this event!  http://eulogybar.server101.com/

[Proceeds from Eulogy Belgian Tavern's Pliny the Younger event were contributed to the Philadelphia Asian Arts Initiative.] 

BrewOneFive is here to represent the 215...Let's do it!!