The beer is a Double IPA, clocking in at a clean 8.2% abv. Since I was working behind the bar when the beer first came out, this is not a virgin tasting. Going from my memory of 2 brewers and many years ago, I’m expecting a dreamsicle orange color with white head. The aroma was mango and peach, followed by a bit of piney resin and citrus pith flavor. It finished with a soft mouthfeel and little to no bitterness.

When poured from the can, the appearance was a darker, almost burnt orange with a white pillowy head and a hazy body. The aroma was lots of candied orange and peach, with just a hint of mango. On my first sip I got much more of the mango then came across on the nose, with a hint of grapefruit peel. On the retrohale, I had lemon and candied orange, followed by pine resin and a nice bitterness lingering on the palate. As the beer warmed up a little cantaloupe started coming out. The mouthfeel was not quite as soft as my rose colored glasses remembered, but was still very appropriate for a hazy DIPA.

Overall, this beer was a great walk down memory lane, and I can’t wait for the next cans.

Cheers, and Happy Drinking!

The post Whole Foods Market DL Double IPA Fresh From the Can! first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Whole Foods Market DL Double IPA Fresh From the Can! appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

For more detailed information, check out their social media and website.  

I honestly struggled a bit with how to judge this since it features both barrel aging and the addition of spices. If you will allow me a little latitude, I feel like for those of my readers that want to learn more about sensory and beer judging, it is worth giving a bit of an explanation.

In the BJCP guidelines, there are several categories that are judged using the base style of the beer and then considering how the addition of certain ingredients affects the overall beer. Some examples are the Fruit Beer Category, the Spiced Beer Category, the Wood Beer Category, and the American Wild Ale category. All these categories are judged with the characteristics of the base style as a guideline, with allowances for the effects the additional ingredients might have on the finished product. The overall theme in all these categories is that the base style of the beer should still be recognizable and is enhanced by the additions that were made without overwhelming the beer itself.

Laser Kraken will be judged with the base style, Imperial Stout, and I will take into consideration both the barrel aging and the spices with somewhat equal weight.

Aroma: The complexity of Laser Kraken’s aroma is unreal! When it is first poured, the overwhelming characteristic is a nice warm alcoholic note, which is bang on for Appleton Rum. It isn’t unpleasant or solventy but certainly makes its presence known. When drinking this beer, I highly recommend letting it warm up to at least 55°F as that is where all the wonderful richness and complexity start to come through. The roasted malt character here is lower than one would usually expect from an Imperial Stout but is explained by the barrel aging and the additional spices. The malt that does come through is a medium level of roast, an almost burnt brown sugar, and an overall impression of malt richness. Fruity esters here are low levels of dark dried stone fruits, like raisin, and are difficult to distinguish from the fruitiness coming from the Appleton barrel.  Hop aroma here is not noticeable, which is not unexpected from this style. The spices added here add another layer of aroma, just adding to the complexity. There is a hint of spiciness (from the peppercorns and cinnamon), a vanilla aroma from both the spice and the wood of the barrel, and a touch of woody sweetness from the nutmeg.

Appearance: This beer is a gorgeous dark reddish brown with some slight orange tones when light is shined through. It is not completely opaque, but certainly close. The head is a pillowy deep tan that has very little persistence.

Flavor: Even more complex than the aroma, is the flavor of Laser Kraken. It is nuanced and bold in each sip. The malt flavor here sticks out a little more than it does in the aroma and would be at the high level in intensity. It has the dark brown, almost burnt, sugar flavor with a somewhat bitter cocoa flavor. The same esters are present here in the flavor that were in the aroma and are at a relatively low level of intensity. The hop flavor level is low, but the bitterness from the hops is medium-high. This is great because it keeps the beer from being unbalanced, or too sweet. The characteristics both from the Appleton Rum previously stored in the barrel and some vanilla from the wood itself is present at a high level, but does not in any way overpower the beer. The spiciness from the added peppercorns, cinnamon, and nutmeg is at a low level. Each spice added gives the overall impression of the spiced rum that was used to age this beer. It is relatively dry with just a hint of lingering warmness when you finish each swallow.

Mouthfeel: Traditionally Imperial Stouts are at the minimum, full bodied. Laser Kraken is lower than that threshold, at a solid medium level. Barrel aging tends to add to the body of the beer but does add a slight level of astringency that can sometimes dry the beer out and make the drinker perceive it as being thinner than it truly is.

Overall Impression: If you could take the flavor profile of Appleton Estate Rum and make it into a beer, then Laser Kraken is what you have. This beer is incredibly smooth and easy to drink, with a complexity that makes me notice something a little different with each sip. This is a really fun beer to practice your sensory skills with because as it warms the flavors and aromas continue to unfold and change. I would strongly encourage you to try this beer if you have the chance, and perhaps buy a few bottles to hold onto as this beer would be a great one for cellaring.

The post Taste it First: Laser Kraken Rum Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – Lone Pint Brewery first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Taste it First: Laser Kraken Rum Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – Lone Pint Brewery appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Viva La Vida Mocha – Coffee Milk Stout 6.1% ABV

To me, this beer is very reminiscent of iced coffee with very little alcohol detectable. The scent of the beer is mostly coffee and burnt malts, although the coffee scent is faded a little. Taking a drink, the coffee and burnt malts are again prominent in the flavor of the beer. The coffee is a little subdued, just like the scent, but that just makes this one taste and drink like a dry porter. It is very drinkable and smooth, yet sits fairly light in the stomach. There’s a light harshness that allows creaminess to come through, yet I don’t believe there is lactose in the beer. 

Choosy Mom – Peanut Butter Stout 6% ABV

When people think of good peanut butter stouts in Houston, they often think of Tasty AF by Saloon Door Brewing. Though Choosy Mom doesn’t quite live up to its peanut butter counterpart in Webster, it’s still an alright beer. The taste begins with a very sweet milk chocolate taste that is backed by a bit of peanut butter flavor. The roasted malt is lighter upfront, with it getting stronger as the taste advances forward. As the beer warms up, the peanut butter becomes more prevalent. Right out of the fridge, the peanut butter was almost nonexistent. 

The post A Look at Eureka Heights’ Rereleased Stouts first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post A Look at Eureka Heights’ Rereleased Stouts appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

The three beers in question were Fruit Madness: Elf’s Blood, Special Drop #4, and Almost Apple Brandy Jacks. All three were delicious, and defied my expectation of what these styles can achieve. 

First up was the Fruit Madness: Elf’s Blood.

This is an imperial sour with raspberry, white chocolate, macadamia nuts, and sugar cookies. I went into this expecting a cloyingly sweet “beer” with almost a fruit smoothie flavor and a creamy mouthfeel from the white chocolate. In the best world, my hope was the acidity of the raspberry would tone down the sweetness from the sugar cookies. I was so happy to be proven wrong. It poured a beautiful fuschia with a quickly dissipating light pink head. The first sniff gave me a lot of raspberry with a hint of the sugar cookie that slowly gave way to the white chocolate as it warmed up. The first sip reinforced my expectations, being all white chocolate and macadamia nut, but as the beer washed across my palate, the acidity of the raspberry cleaned that sweetness off, making room for the crisp, clean sugar of the sugar cookie. That is then followed by the base acidity of the imperial sour and a little more of the macadamia nut. This cleansing acidity combined with the effervescent mouth feel made a beautiful beer drinking experience, leading you always into the next sip. It truly drank like a high end restaurant dessert. The only real disappointment of the beer was that I didn’t have it all to myself because I shared it with my wife, and it is 9% abv but drinks like it is 6%. Going into this beer, this was a style I had yet to have that I would consider well done. This sets a high bar now going forward.

The second of the beers I had was the Special Drop #4.

Hop Drop is a series they have of NEIPAs of varying hop and malt builds. This iteration showcases a new product the brewers at Ingenious are using. It is a new souring agent you pitch alongside your normal yeast strain. It produces lactic acid, and dies at 3.5%, making it a great option for breweries that want to play in souring, but don’t want the headache of traditional mixed culture yeasts. This is a long way of saying it is a sour Double NEIPA, clocking in at 8% abv. My expectations for this are that grassy hop flavor you get from dry hopping kettle sours paired with the creamy mouthfeel of a hazy DIPA. I poured it into my glass, and it looks exactly like I expected: a hay colored beer I can’t see through with a thick white head. Notes of lemon peel, mango, and a bit of breadiness greeted my nose, to be followed by some peach as it warmed up more. On the first sip, I got peach and lemon with a touch of acidity. As the beer warmed up the peach came out more, overwhelming the acidity. This was all backed up by a very creamy mouthfeel. Overall I do wish there was more of the sour side, but the beer was a delicious departure from the typical hazy IPA and makes me excited to try more beers using this new product.

The final beer was the Almost Apple Brandy Jacks, a blend of russian imperial stouts.

Part was aged in apple brandy barrels, and part was conditioned on Vietnameese cinnamon and the breakfast cereal Apple Jacks. CLocking in at 11% abv, this was the biggest of the three. I expected a booze forward beer and was hoping for an apple pie like quality from the apple jacks and cinnamon. The pour was pure darkness with an espresso crema colored head and a slightly boozy aroma. There was a little apple sweetness that grew as it warmed up. On the palate, it was a nice full bodied stout with a little grainy sweetness on the back end from the cereal. I was slightly disappointed by the lack of cinnamon, but the mouthfeel was exactly what I hope for from a big stout like this. It was viscous enough to represent the abv without being syrupy. Overall, a very drinkable stout with just a hint of the cereal and barrel to make it different from its competitors.

Sadly for everyone involved, Ingenious is now out of the Elf’s Blood, but I know I’m going to be keeping my eyes out for more like it from them. As for the other two, they were released last Wednesday, January 20, and are currently available out of their tap room. The Almost Apple Brandy Jacks is also going to be part of a virtual beer fest being put on by Hop Culture that celebrates breakfast and beer. Check out the festival and see what other beers are included here. 

Cheers, and happy drinking!

The post A Study in Subtlety: Ingenious Brewing Beer Reviews first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post A Study in Subtlety: Ingenious Brewing Beer Reviews appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

One thing that has continued to impress me is the diversity and creativity of stout styles that the HOU craft scene has been putting out in recent years. We are lucky to have stouts to fit anyone’s preferences. We have boozy Russian Imperial Stouts, sweet and creamy Milk Stouts, and even a few roasty Oatmeal stouts.

The following is just a small sample of the stout releases from the Greater Houston area, each unique and delicious in its own way. I would have loved to review more beers, but there are only so many high ABV beers I can drink and review and still retain my day job. In no particular order, here are the reviews from 11 Below Brewing, Local Group Brewing, & Southern Star Brewing.

11 Below Brewing- Positive Space & Coconut Space

Both beers are variants of the base beer, Negative Space. Since the base style Negative Space is known as a Sweet Stout, I will be judging each of these beers based on that style with allowances for the addition of fruits and spices.

Positive Space is a variant of Negative Space with added Chili, Cacao Nibs, and Vanilla Beans.

Aroma– The first big sniff of this beer is predominantly big and roasty malt. Right underneath that big malt aroma is some dark chocolate bitterness in there as well as a slight stone fruit ester that is reminiscent of plum or prune. There is no apparent hop aroma, and the only perceptible bitterness that comes through in the aroma comes from the dark chocolate bitterness of the cocoa nibs.

Appearance– Positive Space it is the color of dark chocolate and is opaque, meaning no light will shine through. When poured there is a creamy tan head that dissipates quickly leaving a ring of creamy tan foam at the top of the glass.

Flavor– The flavor is where this beer really shines. When sipping the beer, the first taste that hits your tongue is a roasty dark malt flavor with bitter dark chocolate and coffee notes. The chili in this beer lends little flavor to the beer but does add a hint of smokiness without any heat. As the beer warms the fruit flavor becomes more noticeable and is a plum/prune flavor that is like what was found in the aroma. There is no hop flavor here, but it is worth noting that even being quite a sweet beer it is still rather balanced which means the hops do lend bitterness and balance to the beer.

Mouthfeel– Positive Space has a medium body and tastes quite creamy, with a low level of carbonation. Positive Space coats the tongue with the sweetness without feeling oily, and there is an ever so slight tingle at the back of the throat that comes from the chilis. The added lactose in this beer adds extra creaminess.

Overall Impressions– Overall, this beer is an excellent example of a milk stout. The added lactose really makes this beer much creamier than its base beer, Negative Space. The cacao nibs add a level of bitterness that is not only tasty but helps to balance the sweetness that can sometimes be overbearing in some milk stouts. I wish that the chili contributed more flavor to the beer, but overall a fantastic and incredibly enjoyable beer to drink.

Coconut Space. This beer is simply Negative Space with the addition of shredded coconut.

Aroma– Boy is the coconut strong with this one! You can tell there must be a lot of coconut in this beer to come off stronger than the roasted malt. The coconut aroma is certainly more reminiscent of the fresh white flesh of the coconut, rather than toasted coconut. After the first hit of coconut there is the expected roasted coffee and bitter chocolate malt aromas. As the beer warms, the chocolate flavor becomes more pronounced. There are no hop aromas detected, and there are hints of dark stone fruit esters.

Appearance– In comparison with the Positive Space, this beer is slightly lighter in color with more of a mocha brown hue. Though dark, this beer is not completely opaque with slight ruby undertones when looked at through the light. When poured the head is a creamy caramel color and dissipates quickly with large bubbles. As with Positive Space, as the head dissipates a ring of foam encircles the top of the glass.

Flavor– With the first sip, roasted malt and chocolate come through first, followed by strong fresh coconut flavor. There is no hop flavor, but again this beer is well balanced by not being sickly sweet, so the hops are certainly there. Slight stone fruit flavor as the beer warms. My only critique is that there is a bit of a vegetal finish with this beer, which reminded me a bit of cooked green beans.

Mouthfeel– The body on this beer is medium low, which is a little low for this style. The creaminess here is perceptibly lower than Positive Space, presumably since Positive Space had the addition of lactose. There is a slickness on the tongue that might come from the oils in the coconut.

Overall Impressions– Overall this is a solid variant of Negative Space, and it certainly delivers the coconut promised in its name. Other than the slightly off-putting vegetal aftertaste, this is a solid beer.

Local Group Brewing- Gravity Dancer

Gravity Dancer from Local Group Brewing is an Oatmeal Stout with no additional adjuncts added.

Aroma– As expected, there is a medium amount of roasted malt flavor with bittersweet chocolate (like baking chocolate) and just a smidge of coffee and cream. Low hop aroma comes through as the beer warms with a suggestion of a floral orange.

Appearance– The color is an opaque dark chocolate brown, and when poured the head has medium to large bubbles and is light tan in color with excellent persistence.

Flavor– The first taste is a roasty malt followed by a bittersweet baking chocolate. Behind that is a bit of coffee. Low levels of citrus fruit flavor are present that could be either from the hops or the yeast.

Mouthfeel– The beer is medium-full in body and in carbonation. There is no warmth from the alcohol and a velvety smooth creaminess from the oats.

Overall Impressions– Gravity Dancer reminds me of a very mild Irish Extra Stout with more fruit flavor, creaminess, and sweetness. It is a beautiful Oatmeal Stout that is easy drinking and has a wonderful mouthfeel and flavor that can only come from Oat.

Southern Star Brewing Company- Drunken Comrades

The Drunken Comrades from Southern Star Brewing Company were a release that came in a box set with 1 of each Octobrist variant.

Rum Barrel Aged Octobrist

Aroma– Not surprising is that there is a strong boozy rum aroma that hits first, followed by a roasty coffee and just a hint of brown sugar/treacle sweetness. Not surprising in this style there is no hop aroma or any fruity characteristics that I was able to pick up.

Appearance– This was an opaque black beer with a gorgeous thick tan head made up of medium to large bubbles, that dissipated quickly.

Flavor– Similar to that of the aroma, there was a strong coffee roast flavor with a big hit of rum flavor. This beer is certainly balanced and is sweet without being cloying. The roasty coffee malt flavor lingers around and the beer finishes sweet.

Mouthfeel– This had a medium body to it with a silky mouthfeel. It was carbonated fairly low, and had a slight warmth from the rum barrel aging, but nothing too “hot” or unpleasant.

Overall Impressions– Overall I like this variant of Octobrist, it was exactly what I would expect from a rum barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout. In comparison with the Bourbon Barrel Aged Octobrist, I would say I love the body and sweetness of this version the most, but enjoyed the flavor imparted from the bourbon barrel more.

Bourbon Aged Octobrist

Aroma– Similar profile to the Rum Barrel aged Octobrist, but instead of the Rum fruitiness, there was a boozy and a bit smoky Bourbon edge to this beer. Still have the same dark sugar and coffee aromas with the roasty malt.

Appearance– Overall same appearance as the Rum Barrel aged Octobrist. Black opaque color, with a tan head made up of medium to large bubbles. I might say this version seems a little lighter in both color and head, but it would be a miniscule difference.

Flavor– I love the bourbon flavor in this beer, it seems to bring the beer back to a drier finish which helps temper the sweetness a little bit. Otherwise, the same roasty malt backbone with supporting flavors of coffee and dark sugars.

Mouthfeel– This is where I was a bit let down with this beer, the mouthfeel here was medium to medium low, which is low for this style. Just came across too thin for me. The beer was also a bit more carbonated than the Rum Barrel aged Octobrist. The warmth here was a bit higher than the Rum Barrel aged, but still pleasant and not hot.

Overall Impressions– Overall I preferred the flavor and aroma characteristics of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Octobrist, but liked the body and sweetness from the Rum Barrel Aged Octobrist. Overall great examples of Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stouts, and I certainly would drink them again.

The post Season of Stouts first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Season of Stouts appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

I’m proud to announce that Houston Beer Guide is making a triumphant return in January with new contributors, ready to document and share Houston’s finest craft beers, exploding beer culture and expanding beer scene.  We aren’t real professional journalists, just passionate beer lovers that want to give Houston’s beer community a voice. We hope you will stick around to listen to it.  

Hey, I’m Sylvia. For years, I’ve watched fellow friend, local homebrewer Josh Frink and his team of writers share their passion for craft beer through these articles of expression.  Through these simple writings,  I’ve seen the diversity of brews created and shared in this city truly represent the vast differences we share being craft beer enthusiasts and supporters. With what was once a small niche hobby, you can’t help but recognize that everyone  and their grandma is drinking nowadays and at the very least, tasting local craft beer.  Crazy beer releases that draw insane Black Friday-like antics still amaze me and I’m excited to see events like this foster the newest wave of craft beer drinkers to come.   Fruit forward ales, sugarly dessert-like concoctions and pickle beers seem to be everywhere but the return of the refreshing drinkable lager still remains the standard for your average craft beer drinker. Still in my opinion, traditional brewing techniques and brewing sensory training still remain to be a critical part of the ultimate execution of quality beer but yeah of course, it’s nice to see that the landscape has changed to include these fun ingredients.  Who doesn’t love a beer that tastes like their favorite food?  Not only do our beer taste preferences vary in choice, but the many ways we choose to enjoy these tasty malt beverages. Whether that includes chasing brewing trends, hunting “whales” or trading beers from other states or simply cracking open a no fuss favorite in the comfort of our home – beer has become a fulfilling yet functional hobby for many.  By contributing and leading the charge on the success of Houston Beer Guide, I hope to share my craft beer perspective and pledge to create a creative and safe place for other writers to do the same. 

My craft beer obsession became a “thing” a few short years ago while enjoying a delicious pork banh mi at a local sandwich eatery in Friendswood, just south of Houston.  Locals know this spot as the “original Nobi sandwich shop”.  There was a paper sign hung behind the kitchen counter that read “New Craft Beer Bar in Webster, Coming Soon”.  I had tried Sam Adam’s Boston Lager and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale before but never knew the quality of locally produced craft beer.  Enduring the awful acoustics and uncomfortable bar stools at this new craft beer pub, we quickly became ‘regulars’, drinking away all our extra cash trying everything in 5oz pours. At the time, the popular beer checking application, Untappd was recently released and we were busy trying to catch ’em all! Once we found a favorite, we made sure to get a free pint of it on Pork Chop Tuesday.  Over the years, my beer choosing habits slowly morphed into what looks alot like my dining preferences now. I make it a rule to try everything (at least once!) and never judge a beer by it’s label.  For me, purchasing power comes with the changes of the wind and is surprisingly synced with my vibe.  IPAs for the outdoors, stouts for the couch.  That being said, special thank you to the Nobi Public House family for being that special place to remember, you opened the doors to business and the door to my crooked craft beer heart.  I am thankful to have The Beagle right in my backyard as a place to remind me of my beer roots. 

Enough of that.  Let’s talk about this year….

This year kicked off pretty normal with 66 breweries in operation with brewers across the city steady filling up fermenters and planning the annual brew schedules with one thing in mind, to brew great beer for the amazing people of this city.  It’s no surprise breweries were laser focused on providing the best beer experience they could offer.  March arrived and we started taking notice of our everyday lives starting to change.  Many local breweries were forced to shut the doors to taprooms, finding creative ways to continue operating business, and asking their customers to support them more now than ever.  Beer fans across the city made sure to load up on grocery store essentials and canceled their plans to enjoy their beer without their friends – safely at home.    When May arrived, breweries were able to reopen tap rooms and patios for a short time before being ordered to close once again.  In mid July, TABC released guidance regarding a license modification that allowed breweries to operate to go sale with limited patio dine in service.  While that didn’t last very long, craft beer fans were already busy organized to take action by engaging with social media initiatives like The Houston Beer Run organized by an online Facebook group I help admin, Texas Beer Collective. This project was important because we knew that the only way these breweries would be around post-pandemic, was if we contributed our hard earned dollars towards the purchase of local independent craft beer.   On Friday July 24, TABC issued a different ruling regarding how the 51 percent designation is determined, meaning what qualifies a business as a restaurant (which can open for dine-in service) versus a bar (which can’t).  All this, requiring an additional permit to be legal. Good grief!  Fast forward to December, here we are, still trying to figure out how to balance our safety alongside the continuation of our lives and a bit of normalcy.  I don’t know about you but I’ve mastered the ability to enjoy a beer responsibly with a face mask if I have to, and I sure as hell don’t complain about it or give service staff a hard time. And you shouldn’t either.  

2020 was definitely NOT full of rainbows and sunshine and I’ve learned alot about my beer consumption, and the beer community around me.   Despite these current challenges, new brewery openings such as Local Group Brewing, Urban South HTX, and 6 Wards Brewing kept beer fans busy, trying new brews and visiting unexplored tap rooms to support beer to go.   I’ve learned that craft beer consumers are always challenged to try new beer recipes and this year was no different, despite the challenges that this pandemic brought.  I hope that through this that more consumers find value and more satisfaction supporting their local city’s craft beer business.  

Want a hoppy IPA, try out Spindletap Brewery in 5th Ward. 

 Looking for a dark decadent stout, try Saloon Door Brewing in Webster.  

Want a clean refreshing kolsch? Saint Arnold’s Lawnmower is still an old favorite that is available at most local gas stations even when you are in a hurry.  

This city has much to beer to offer and THAT IS WORTH CELEBRATING! 

I wondered what others thought about craft beer in 2020 so a few of new contributors chimed in with their thoughts……

“The surge of support from the beer community was amazing and I was happy to lead a route for the Houston Beer Run this year. I spent a lot of money in support of my local breweries and enjoyed seeing people that were not familiar with craft beer step in and explore! Because of the pandemic, consumers kept local to their neighborhoods so I am hoping 2021 allows folks to visit more breweries in our Houston area.   Also, as politically divisive this year was, beer remained the centerfold to keep craft beer drinkers united.  This year, I continued to enjoy one of my favorites, Gentleman’s Relish from Lone Pint Brewery.  This amazing brown ale not only comes in at a great price ($10 per 4-pack) but continues to be my go-to choice throughout the year. “ – Tristin Marcks

“This year, the resilience of Houston area breweries was on display more than ever.  Despite the hurdles, breweries continued  to show creativity by innovating new ways to stay engaged with the beer consumers.  As an example, Eureka Heights Brewing Co. continued to launch new beer releases each week, and while they aren’t the most eye-catching on social media, the beer was always delicious.   The beer that I enjoyed most this year was Taco Tuesday Mexican Lager with Lime from 11 Below Brewing Company.  – Cody Miller 

“Keep up the support, beer fans! Nobody wanted to be quarantined this year but it’s nice to see everyone still willing to check out new breweries!  Be sure to check out award winning Vallenson’s Brewery and taste any of the craft “tea” variants if they are on tap from Vallenson’s Brewing Company in Pearland. Good stuff!” – Bryan “Chops” Soliz

“I second the resilience. The ability to pivot into trying something new has proved to be instrumental for smaller breweries.  For a city this size, we thankfully noticed only a few closings which is very impressive.  The support from organizations like CraftPac, operated by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild has been instrumental to fighting for better beer laws and progressive beer legislation.  This is something I hope will continue in full force in 2021.  This year, I kept with my go-to options : Art Car IPA from Saint Arnold Brewing Company and Mini Boss from Eureka Heights Brew Co.” – James Weiss

James is right.  This city would not be where it is now without our loyal craft beer fans and beer industry advocates.  Pat yourself on the back for not only creating an industry that feeds a lot of families but is also home to the coolest, most down to earth people I know.  Because of you, this energy has resulted in an amazing city to drink beer in.  

 It wouldn’t be a goodbye article without an ode to those we lost during 2020.  Much love for our pals at Fetching Lab Brewery who’s taproom has permanently closed after nearly two years of operation.  #TeamAmber.  Thanks for having me along for all the great times and the opportunity to meet new friends along the way.  Right up there with Fetching Lab is Texas Beer Refinery, another lost brewery of 2020.   We certainly haven’t forgotten about the great times and tasty Mexican IPA. 

We hope you will visit Houston Beer Guide often to see what we are drinking and what craft beer experiences we are sharing.  If you are interested in sharing your perspective of beer in Houston, shoot us an email! 

Happy New Year!

– Sylvia B.

@Beerfedmother

PS.  Houston deserves to be among the greatest beer cities in the nation not only in our hearts, but everywhere.    

Houston Beer Month is launching August 2021.

Save the whole month. 

We don’t know totally what to expect yet, but we are working on it!  VIP tasting events, brewery appreciation specials, and the celebration of Texas craft beer! 

Houston Beer Guide is looking for local breweries interested in sponsoring or participating in Houston Beer Month, contact Sylvia at Cheers@HoustonBeerGuide.com for more details. 

The post Goodbye 2020 – Hello 2021! first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Goodbye 2020 – Hello 2021! appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Saint Arnold Divine Reserve 18 pours an inky black and weighs in at a beefy 13.4% ABV | Photo: Josh Frink for Houston Beer Guide

DR18 pours an inky black, with a very narrow ring of foam from the initial pour. This is black hole dark – I think it might actually be absorbing light. The aroma is a little figgy with dried fruit (prune and raisin), but it’s decidedly sweet with smells of toasted sugar and dark chocolate. Alcohol is definitely notable. As it warms in the glass the vanilla starts to bloom out.

The flavor hits hard with the dark roasted malts, tons and tons of plum and more raisin, a slight alcohol burn and something akin to the astringency of the peel of a stone fruit and the striking bitterness of a nibble of baking chocolate. Some Belgian-like yeast esters are behind all this I think, not so much earthy and peppery as stone fruit and green apple – but just a hint of that latter. I get the vanilla quite a bit more as I breathe out through my nose between sips – but in the beer itself it’s a flavor component and not a dominating element. The alcohol comes and it goes rather than just heating up the entire experience, which is pretty amazing considering the ABV. As it warms it gets decidedly better. The chocolate/roasted malt flavors really pick up, and the beer really rounds out at just above room temp, as it gets warmer the alcohol just takes over. Those magical moments at just the right temperature are really something special – all of the fruitness, a deep, rich dark malt experience and just a hint of vanilla – but they don’t last long!

My overall impression of this beer is mixed. Admittedly, whenever I drink a massive American imperial stout I can’t help but think of Deschutes Abyss and Avery Czar, which are my personal hallmarks. With that in mind, I want a little more dark roastiness than this beer gives me through the entire experience. The vanilla does a heck of a job of helping this beer wring as much of the ‘house’ character out of the Saint Arnold yeast as must be possible.

I am left wondering if all this fruitiness and heat are going to meld together into a greater whole as this beer ages and the vanilla falls away. Maybe in 6-12 months this beer will bring these big flavors together and deliver that transcendental experience I’m looking for. Given how previous Divine Reserve releases have improved over time I’d bet on it!

The Divine Reserve 18 bottles come with these special caps celebrating Saint Arnold winning Mid-Sized Brewing Company of the Year at last years Great American Beer Festival. | Photo: Josh Frink for Houston Beer Guide

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