Pint Side

This blog entry is going to hop over to another type of vine and preview the new arrivals on tap for the beer tasting Saturday night, January 28, 2012. 

First up is a "local" offering from Boone Brewing Company,


their Blowing Rock IPA Ale which was once described to me as "an IPA for beginners." 

Next in line is another IPA, this one from Heavy Seas.



For those familiar with IPA's (which I will describe a little more in depth later for those who aren't), no you aren't seeing things.  This IPA is indeed black.  The style may be an oxymoron but fans of Heavy Seas' Loose Cannon will likely enjoy the addition of black malt.

*Beer trivia fact - IPA is the acronym for India Pale Ale.  First brewed in the 18th century, this pale ale was heavily hopped for preservation as it was shipped to India for consumption.  They tend to have high IBU's (International Bitterness Unit - Blowing Rock IPA's is 60 IBU and Black Cannon coming in at around 100 IBU's).  

Late breaking news on Saturday night's event.  We have had to make a substitution in our line up and instead of the Black Cannon, we will now be sampling 21st Amendment Brewery's Back in Black Black IPA.  This is a new to us craft brewery and they have some pretty exciting things on tap.  Check out their website at:  http://21st-amendment.com/ 


Next on board is a traditional German Pilsner, from Ureich Brewery.

 
 Pilsners are a type of pale lager.  (Lager:  German meaning storage). The name from the city of Pilsen (Plzeň), Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, where it has been developed since 1842.  Pilsners usually have a very light, clear colour from pale to golden yellow, and a distinct hop aroma and flavour.

And to round out the evening, things will go to the dark side for "dessert" with Terrapin Beer Company's Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout.


 Stouts are dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. "Nourishing" and sweet "milk" stouts became popular in Great Britain in the years following the Second World War.  "Chocolate stout" is a name brewers sometimes give to certain stouts having a noticeable dark chocolate flavour through the use of darker, more aromatic malt; particularly chocolate malt — a malt that has been roasted or kiln until it acquires a chocolate colour.  Moo-Hoo, (as do some of the chocolate milk stouts - Young's Double Chocolate Stout and/or Rogue Brewery's Chocolate Stout) add actual chocolate to the brewing. 

Should be another fun night with our buddy Ben.