Who Is That Strange Man?

Could it be?

Been there, done that.

The Beer Fridge

Its looking a little lonely. Between travel and my deep love for fresh tap beer, the fridge has gotten bare.

Pictured: Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (limited release!)
Brewer's Art Green Peppercorn Tripel (new!)
Founder's Breakfast Stout
Clipper City Pale Ale

Look for those to disappear Super Bowl Sunday. At least three of those beers will be phenomenal. I'm spoiled.

Miscellaneous

As noted at Yours For Good Fermentables, Brewer's Art is now selling bottled versions of their Green Peppercorn Tripel which is a fantastic brew.

Be sure to also check out YFGF's photo review of the new Abbey Burger Bistro in Federal Hill.

Also, a more comprehensive, informed discussion of the history of beer and cans.

On February 11th, Frisco Grille will have a firkin of Troegs' famed Nugget Nectar.

DuClaw has a growler fill special all this weekend, Friday through Super Bowl Sunday. New growler fills will be $4 off, and regular refills will be $2 off.

Just ... dammit.

HowChow ably explores the Howard County beer scene, with some too-nice words to say about this little project that is Baltimore Beer Guy. The "Sudsy Triangle", I like that.

Nice thread find at ChowHound -- finding Russian River and Bell's beers in Washington D.C.

Just a reminder given the snowy weather of late, $1.50 National Bohemians at Todd Conners in Fells Point on snow days.

They also have a "weekly draft beer special", rotating every Friday and selling that selection at a Happy Hour price all day and night.

The Perfect Pour in Columbia is will be pouring samples of Innstadt Bock Weisse, Old Suffolk English Ale and Rogue Mocha Porter on Friday from 5-8 PM, and Anderson Valley Brewing (High Rollers Wheat, Hop Ottin IPA and ESB) on Saturday from 3-7 PM.

They're also selling cases of loose bottles of Yuengling for $14.99 and 12 pack bottles of Tsingtao for $11.99 to mark the Super Bowl. They also promise Iron City and Iron City Light by 5 PM Friday for the Steeler faithful (boo!).

Amusingly, Frederick based Flying Dog (whose tasting room BBG reviewed this week) announced the arrival of their French styled Garde Dog -- named after the French Biere De Garde style -- this week "wee wee, haw haw!" heh.

Garde Dog has a lighter body and is subtly sweet but also has a complex yeast character and balanced malt profile. Traditionally brewed in the winter and consumed in the Spring and Summer months, "Biere de Garde" means "beer for keeping," but you'll have to pick it up soon because it's just a seasonal brew

They've got a busy week ahead of them. There's an in-store tasting at Ye Old Spirit Shop in Frederick on the 30th from 4-7 PM, an in-store tasting at Westridge Liquors in Frederick on the 31st from 2-5 PM, and a tasting at Tenley Whole Foods in Washington D.C. from 1-4 PM on the same day as part of a regional tasting.

They'll also participate at the "A Taste of Blakefield" at Loyola Blakefield from 5-9 PM on February 7th. They'll then appear at the Montgomery County "Beers & Cheese" on February 8th from 1-4 PM as part of a regional beer tasting.

Finally, later in the month they'll arrive at the venerable Brickskeller in Washington D.C. for a strong beer tasting on Feburary 25th at 7 PM. I hunch that'll be one of those $35 Brickskeller events so you might want to check out the Brick's website if you plan on attending.

Oh, and they're also on Twitter. Should BBG set up a Twitter page?

Mahaffey's change of course: they've found an old school beer they haven't done before -- Old Milwaukee Light. Be on the lookout for that.

They're taking pre-orders for 1.5 L bottles of Duvel, $30, let Wayne know ASAP if you want one.

Upcoming beers: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, Ommegang Rare Vos. Oh and they still have the Ola Dubh 40 cask on as of last night. Only six were made available in the entire United States.

Reminder: the week of February 1st is IPA week at The Judges Bench in downtown Ellicott City. Its been a while since I've been there, I'll have to sneak in for a late night at some point.

We're getting that much closer to the great Belgian Beer Fest at Max's as well. It runs February 13th-15th. Just about time to start doing my homework on what beers I most need to target. Here's the final tap list, posted at Yours For Good Fermentables.

Beer Haiku Daily has a dilemma about the beer fest that isn't. Everyone knows about it, for better or worse and its gonna be jammed just like last year.

Joint Baltimore Beer Guy, Summer of Beer Homebrew Update

On my recent trip to California I made a stop at my friend Steve's -- of Summer of Beer fame -- place, to make a batch of beer. That is, basically watch him make it after he'd procured all necessary ingredients since I'm such a novice at this.

We settled on a Belgian Strong Pale/Golden Ale to make. After much debate various malts and yeasts were decided upon. It would have been one yeast strain but I'm crazy and didn't feel like doing things perfectly by the book.

The brewing was fun, and we enjoyed much delicious beer in the process. But that's over with and its now in that intermediate stage of fermentation for a bit. Steve was kind of enough to send along a few photos of the early fermentation. It isn't much to look at but I thought I'd share. Can't wait to see how this puppy turns out.

Update: one more image -- initial fermentation complete!

Review: Flying Dog Brewing Tasting Room

The folks and myself made our way west to lovely Frederick, Md. Saturday to revisit the Flying Dog Brewery and tasting room. Flying Dog relocated to Maryland from its home base in Colorado several years ago, acquiring and sharing its current facility with Wild Goose Brewing.

Flying Dog is open on Saturdays from 130-4 PM, with tours at 2 and 3. We skipped the tour this time, but its usually lively and casual and recommended if you have the time and haven't done it before. Flying Dog also has a small gift shop to pick up glasses, shirts, clean growlers and so on.

The tasting room was the focus for us this time. Most of their regular lineup was pouring, except they had subbed the Kerberos Tripel for an offering from their Wild Dog series, Dog Schwarz. That Dog Schwarz, bytheway, was quite smokey. I was expecting something a bit more sweet and subdued, but this came out like a smoked/rauch beer, such as Alaskan Brewing's Smoked Porter or the famous German smoked beers from Schlenkerla in Bamberg.

Additionally, they had a full line of Wild Goose taps including their winter seasonal Snow Goose and their fall seasonal pumpkin beer. Flying Dog also had a cask although it wasn't pouring, and a "nitro blend" with their Horn Dog Barley Wine and something else mixed in there. For those unfamiliar, a nitro tap is what something like Guinness usually (always) is poured from, it seems to soften the beer and creates that cascading effect which is so visually enticing. The reason I was excited to go, however, was the day-of availability of their spring seasonal offering, the Garde Dog modeled after the French Biere De Garde style beers.

The tasting room inevitably ends up a very lively place packed with people, but Flying Dog has wisely done some things to tone it down a tad. The last time I was there, you could purchase a glass for $5 and there would be pretty much unlimited half-pours. Now, all the glasses are marked with a 6 oz line and you are handed (6) fanned bottlecaps upon entry to redeem for tasters. What you choose to do with them is your discretion.

I targeted the Garde Dog but was told they were out. Stunning. However, about an hour later I found them pouring from the Garde Dog tap, so I guess another keg had been put on, which didn't last long either. I had it from a bottle once last year and enjoyed it, but like many beers this came across much more lively and fresh on tap, even at just over six ounces. It was spicey and earthy, pale in color but not so floral or funky as some saisons but in a similar general range of flavor to it. I was hooked.

Equally impressive, and to my surprise, was their Doggie Style classic pale ale. I've generally passed over this beer, but several ounces in it woke me up a bit. The flavor was solid, but what really hit me was the aroma. It reminded me of some of the great IPA's and pale ales I had been enjoying recently in San Diego. Checking their literature, Flying Dog named the hops: Northern Brewer and Cascade. It was described as having a "powerful Cascade hop aroma with a sweet caramel body and a distinct hop bite. Dry hopped during fermentation with a shitload of Cascade hops".

Which prompted me to text my friend Steve, Anchorman style, "I love Cascade". I love Cascade!

Only now have I begun paying attention to hopping and the details behind beers, so apologies for sounding like a novice at times even a year into this Baltimore Beer Guy thing. I don't homebrew although I am looking into that. However I did work with Steve to make a Belgian Pale Ale on my recent trip to California, more details about that later in another entry. But back to Flying Dog.

Everything else there was fun, obviously we didn't try every beer, but got around to most of Flying Dog's offerings and a few from Wild Goose, which tends to be a bit conservative in flavor for me. They're modeled more after British ales and lagers, so are more subdued and classic in temperament.

It is also worth mentioning Flying Dog offers growler fills. They sell growlers in the store, but many people there had brought their own various growlers to take home the good stuff. Near the entrance to the tasting room there is a beer fridge where guests can get take-home 4, 6 and 12 packs of whatever Flying Dog's put in the fridge. As mentioned here a few days ago they also have 12-packs of the 7-oz "pony" bottles, that are available. I saw one customer also had a 750ml bottle of the Dog Schwarz ready to go.

This being winter, everyone was crammed inside, but in warmer times there's a patio that I've read employees will sometimes crank out the BBQ, and people can generally relax just outside the tasting room. The patio covering was draped with hop vines last time I was there, but was empty this time. Hopefully those make a return.

Coming up ... a review of Growlers (Gaithersburg, Md.)

Pictured above: two nice ladies we met at the tasting room, Deborah and Barb; Baltimore Beer Guy feeding the goose

Coming Up

Reviews of Flying Dog's tasting room and Growlers of Gaithersburg.

Good times.

More Diamondback Tavern Info

We've written a bit before about the Diamondback Tavern, a Maryland-themed eatery and bar in downtown Ellicott City.

One of the managing partners, Lee, emailed yesterday to clarify some things about their beer program. As suspected, Guinness and Yuengling probably aren't going anywhere, but they've got four other taps to work with and continue to rotate things in (Lee mentioned Rogue's Dead Guy Ale is on right now).

They're doing their best to not simply sell out to big sellers of the Bud/Miller/Coors variety, which is admirable especially at a new place in a bad economy in a location that simply hasn't done as well in Ellicott City for whatever reason. Their efforts are risky and should be applauded in that department.

They'll also be working on hopefully acquiring at least one very recognizable and popular local tap, I'll leave that to them to announce if/when that happens. In the meantime, they've made it clear they care about good beer and are putting their money on some good taps. I encourage you to visit them.

First enticement: $2 draught beer all day on Sunday. You know you want it. Parking is in the lot just across the street from the Tavern, just off the main drag. The Tavern itself is up the hill a touch from the T-intersection at the center of downtown Ellicott City. I strongly recommend visiting them to grab a bite and a beer as a pregame of sorts before strolling the Ellicott City shops or taking on its other beer wonders: Ellicott Mills Brewing and The Judge's Bench.

Jack's Bistro Beer Dinner

The hits keep coming.

One of the specials at Jack's Bistro in Canton is a Thursday beer dinner. For $20 you get a two-course meal and a matching beer.

Ellicott Mills Brewing New Website

The headline does most of the work here.

The old site was OK and this new one has potential but I hope its still a work in progress because there's a lot of tiny little errors that need fixing. They mention what beers are currently on tap and what's upcoming (great!) but there's no way to link to it and add it to my sidebar right now.

The intro video is nice though, something I've noticed if you click around at Victoria Gastro Pub's website as well.

More Updates

This is what happens when I skip town for a bit ... backlog.

The 2nd Chance Saloon, newly opened in Columbia, is now blogging. Or, we hope they're blogging, its just one entry right now from January 7th.

Hair O' The Dog Wine & Spirits in far out Easton, Maryland, also has its own interesting blog. Not being a born/bred Marylandian (sp?) I don't have much affinity for parts beyond the Chesapeake and they're a bit of a hike but its still Maryland and well, they care about good beer so they'll soon be merrily indexed here.

And just so we're clear, Maryland is up there with two-piece Michigan among the oddest shaped states in the union. Any other favorite oddly shaped states worth mention?

So Yeah Dood has finally launched. Interesting, informative and thoughtful beer blog, it is.

File this under muddled and confusing: Wharf Rat is sold, but stays open, the original Fells Point property stays in the hands of the old owner, the newer property on Pratt Street stays open with the new owners. Except there was a rumor it closed and Beer Advocate noting it as "closed" added to the confusion. But now it really is closed starting January 30th, for renovation you see.

Got all that?

Beer In Baltimore's on top of things though, so keep track of all that, over there.

Blob's Park has officially opened. Here's the dates/times (and entertainment schedule):

Friday & Saturday doors open 630 PM, music from 8 PM to midnight, closes at 1 AM
Sunday doors open at 2 PM, music from 4-8 PM, closes at 10 PM

Mark your calendars, the first week of February is "IPA Week" at The Judge's Bench in downtown Ellicott City. I haven't been there in a while (or Ellicott Mills Brewing), should make my way over especially since its so close. Its a nice place, if a bit tiny, with really easy parking and 17 above average taps and a well-organized bottle list. They also do some take-home beers, kind of cool.

Greg from the Food, Wine Beer & Culture website continues to do some excellent beer exploration, hitting up Flying Dog and Brewer's Alley in Frederick, Red Brick Station in White Marsh which I need to visit at some point, Kooper's in Fells Point, and Red Star in Fells Point.

Its an interesting and versatile blog he's put together discussing home brewing, dining, cooking, wine and the like.

And this, from my friend Dan in California who passed this along -- Coors celebrates the 50th anniversary of their introducing the brewing industry and the world to the aluminum can. Environmentally friendly, replacing the old -- now collectable -- tin cans. The can is making a comeback in craft brewing, and I support the movement.

Its more portable than bottles, does a much better job of protecting the beer and its flavors from light, no longer imparts odd flavors, and can be reused and cheaply. Botters are more aesthetically pleasing and easier to display and collect and don't give off that cheap look aluminum cans do, but they're not as good for the beer.

Thanks Dan.

And finally, I'll have a discussion about downtown Ellicott City's Diamondback Tavern in an upcoming entry. They sent a nice email along which I need to respond to (as well as Dan's, actually), but I'll tease with this:

$2 tap beer, all their tap beers, all day Sunday at Diamondback. Not bad, hm?

Beer Pairing Question

I don't put much thought into pairing beer with food. Maybe I should, but while thinking about local culinary treats, its worth contemplating about what beers might best go with them.

Crabs are an obvious local favorite, and at least when doing them pick-and-eat style, the pairing is simple enough. You need a more mild beer that does just a mild scrubbing job and doesn't overpower the crab's delicate flavors that are already contrasted with the heat emanating from the various Old Bay influenced seasoning. Old school offering National Bohemian is an obvious, local choice. Same with a Clipper City Pale, or McHenry Lager, or a Yuengling, and so on and so on.

Whats more interesting is considering what to pair with pit beef. What do you think?

Its an interesting preparation of meat, fairly cooked on the outside with some nice caramelization and charring going on, while inside it can get moderately pink and raw. Its not the most complex combination of flavors around, even with some horseradish or BBQ or whatever inspired toppings (at least when done sandwich-style) come to mind.

At first glance something dark and roasty and robust is considered. A thick, chocolatey, or coffee-ish or toffee-like stout or porter perhaps? No, maybe not, those are more of a sipping beer. They're casual and so is the meal, but it doesn't seem quite right.

More or less a hop-head, I find a refreshing west coast IPA can go with almost anything, but even here, it might be just a bit overpowering and not in harmony with the pit beef.

Perhaps more of an east coast pale ale or IPA is in order, with more subdued hops, a stronger, roastier malt background providing some balance and pep without being overbearing. Maybe even a British-styled bitter, hopefully casked with its more delicate carbonation and warmer ambient temperature. Its something you can drink all day and not feel bad about.

Or perhaps something more readily available and macro: a Bass, a Harp, a Smithwicks?

I really don't know. What are your thoughts? Any out of left field Belgian offerings come to mind?

Catching Up

Today there's a free (via RSVP) "Soup for the Beer Lover's Soul" event at Flying Dog in Frederick, a pairing between themselves and the always excellent Frisco Grille which makes great Southwestern food.

On Friday January 23 Flying Dog will participate in an Annapolis pub crawl, starting 9 pm at Davis Pub then moving to Boat Yard Bar and Grill, Armadillo's, Acme, Rockfish and Ram's Head (down bar).

Also, they'll hold a release party for their Garde Dog (spring seasonal Bier De Garde style) beer on Saturday January 24th at the Frederick Beef O'Brady's from 8-11 pm.

Flying Dog, thanks to some unique bottling equipment inherited from their current location, has come out with a "small bottle" 8-pack of their Canis Major series beers. Its a great way to drink smaller portions of their higher-alcohol offerings, at just 7 ounces/bottle.

This Friday, the Bel Air DuClaw will be tapping a pair of firkins: a blueberry version of their Kangaroo Love and a double dry hopped Venom. Taps go on at 5 pm.

On Friday at The Perfect Pour in Columbia from 5-8 pm Suzanne from Washurn Distributors will have the Biere Du Boucanier (Belgium) sampler pack available. On Saturday from 3-7 pm winter beers is the theme with local-made Wild Goose's Snow Goose and Magic Hat's Roxie Rolles and more. New beers include Harpoon Hiberna and Magic Hat HIPA 12 packs.

Mahaffey's in Canton promises a casked keg of 40-year-old single malt scotch Ola Dubh around mid-weekend. This is a hard-to-find beer, and potent at about 14% ABV. Sadly their email says the old school beers thing they had going has ended as they've "done them all".

Clipper City's Saturday tours remain open except for what looks like February 7th. Tasters are free with the purchase of a $5 souvenir take-home glass. RSVP's are recommended for the 1 and 230 pm tours.

Their Holy Sheet Belgian style beer, is beginning to ship so be on the lookout for that. Apparently the new movie "He's Just Not That Into You" is set in Baltimore and makes use of various Clipper City beers and signage in its bar scenes. Clipper City's Oxford Organic line of beers is rumored to be featured on an upcoming episode of the "Emeril Green" show on the Discovery Network.

On February 11th Clipper City will have a pint night and bring a cask of their Holy Sheet at Grand Cru from 5-7 pm.

Just a reminder, the great, and I do mean GREAT, Max's Belgian Beer Fest will be held from February 13th-15th at ... Max's in Fells Point. Here's an updated tap list, about 90% complete.

These folks really, really don't like Budweiser.

On Thursday February 12th, Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia will hold a Stone Brewery beer tasting. Tickets are $85 and include a full meal paired with Stone's Levitation Ale, IPA, 2007 Double Bastard, Smoked Porter and 2006 Russian Imperial Stout.

Ruddy Duck Brewery has yet to open but is now slated to begin business in late April to early May 2009.

The Baltimore Sun recently reviewed the Abbey Burger Bistro in Federal Hill, which features several Belgian-style beers. I'm really looking forward to heading over there at some point.

This person is attempting to catalog every beer available in Maryland. Godspeed.

The great Brewer's Art is currently featuring their Cerberus Tripel and La Petroleuse on tap.

Help HowChow: Best Beer in Howard County

Our friend at the HowChow blog is doing a great series on Howard County dining and related. Check his site for the whole series but right now he's inquiring about best (burgers and) beer in Howard County. Be sure to leave a comment.

Frisco Grille is atop my list, but the Judge's Bench and Victoria Gastro Pub do excellent work with their taps and bottles as well. The Perfect Pour is an amazing bottle shop in the area and I have to at least mention the two breweries, Ellicott Mills and Bare Bones although Bare Bones really doesn't get much love from the beer geeks although their Hef has always been decent enough the few times I've been there.

Night In

InNOut double double (no onions, extra cheese) and grilled cheese (off the not so secret menu, no onions, extra cheese).

Plus, I picked up a cold Port Brewing Wipeout IPA and Boulevard Brewing Saison at BevMo. Good times.

And and and, Orval is I think $5.49 here, way cheaper than what I've seen in Maryland.

Ridiculous

So I'm back in San Diego for a while ...

One day, I hope, what San Diego has as far as beer, will happen in Maryland.

Look at what is possible on this Friday alone:

Stone Brewing has tours at 2 and 6 Monday through Friday. They'll also have a special Smoked Porter + Vanilla Bean on cask. Lost Abbey just down the road, is open from 4-8 and they're holding some kind of welcoming event as they hired a new brewer from the excellent Boulevard Brewing, complete with some special brew they've put together for the event.

Other breweries with tasting rooms and/or tours on Friday and Saturday include AleSmith, Green Flash, Ballast Point, Alpine and Lightning among others.

At perhaps the greatest bar in the world if you dig hoppy beers, O'Briens, they're having a Green Flash event with 10 taps. And then Summer of Beer Steve tells me at a place I also need to check out named Downtown Johnny Brown's, they have Ballast Point's wonderful Sculpin IPA on tap right now. Tentatively we have plans to check that out (or O'Briens, or La Jolla Brew House or Toronado or Hamilton's or...) and catch the Ravens game down here. Good times.

I've got some things to do Friday so I'm pulling my hair trying to figure out how much if any of that I can squeeze in especially with traffic and family but wow. The best and worst part is its not any particularly special weekend, there's just a ton of great beer down here and the big boys tend to have something going on all the time whether its special beers, events, growler fills and so on.

All that said, I've got my eyes on the prize, one of the greatest beer events anywhere, the February 13th-15th Belgian Beer fest at Max's in Baltimore. San Diego would be lucky to have that kind of event, glad we have it in Baltimore though.

Interesting Mail

I'll post a photo at some point, but Jessie who runs HoCoBlogs sent me something from her personal collection -- an old "Baltimore Brew" bottle opener. I don't know much else about it, but its darn cool Breweriana. The opener also has Vaughan and Chicago etched into it and the handle has a beer bottle design etched in it.

This thing just looks old and awesome, a definite collectible from another era. I'll update as I find more information about it.

Many thanks Jessie!

Happy New Year

Er, Brew Year?

Anyway, hope your New Year's Eve festivities were safe.

Hopefully I don't take for granted that last year I was able to drink great beer all over the United States, from Florida to Maryland, to Washington D.C. to Las Vegas, Northern California and San Diego.

I can't wait to see what 2009 brings, particularly in Maryland!

Friendly Rivalry With Frisco Grille

Frisco Grille, easily one of the best beer spots in Maryland -- and the region -- happens to be a Penn State bar. I, on the other hand, happen to be a USC fan and alum. The two schools happen to be playing a little football game in Pasadena on January 1.

Yeah.

If you take a look at their electronic beer menu inside the bar (one of my favorite bar concepts, BTW), owner and Penn State alum Adam snuck in a little beat USC logo a while back, something I didn't notice right away. Funny guy.

Miscellaneous

Pabst Blue Ribbon, on tap? Hmmmk.

Dog Pub has remedied their website and it looks much improved and useful. Nice work.

A year/beer in review post? Might be a good idea. BTW I tried that Hoppy Otter IPA tonight ... yeeeeeech. I hope the problem was that it was skunked. Beautiful label but that was about as far as the pleasant experience went. Hopefully the Nogne O IPA I also purchased at The Perfect Pour is an improvement.

Red Brick Station's current seasonals on tap include a Scotch Ale and a Schwarzbier.

Looks like Franklin's has a legitimate website for once. They were briefly featured in a D.C. area public television program about "local" dining/drinking.

Victoria Gastro Pub's website has added some pictures, so you can get a feel for the overall layout and vibe. Personally I love the setting and bar and can't wait to try the outdoor patio in the summer.

As noted by Beer in Baltimore, Blob's Park will reopen for a New Year's Eve Party, $50 with music, a traditional German food buffet, doors open at 6:30 and festivities until 1 AM or so.

I've been reading this in bits and pieces. It looks like I'll be making a collaborative brew with my friend Steve who writes Summer of Beer the next time I'm out in California. Should be interesting. I tried homebrewing once when I lived in Florida and it was a disaster, but hopefully this experience sharpens my awareness of the process and I can make a batch or two of my own this year.

The old man gave me two beer books for Christmas: Microbrewed Adventures by Charlie Papazian and Michael Jackson's Eyewitness Companions book Beer. Can never have enough beer reading material around.

Brewer's Alley New Beer Tasting

This Monday, December 29th Brewer's Alley in Frederick will release its 13-month-old, cask-aged Scotch Ale. Brewmaster Tom Flores will also be at the bar from 4 PM to 6 PM.

Here is more background:

This beer has been aging in a Stainless Steel Cask since last November, you don't want to miss this. There is only one cask, so get here early!

Scotch Ale is the term used for a strong style of beer from Scotland which has been brewed for hundreds of years. We offer this style now because of the cold weather. Usually, the warming sensation of a beer like this goes nicely with the cold fall and winter months.

What distinguishes Scotch Ale from other beers is its very rich malt character, residual sweetness, delicate fruity bouquet, and overall flavor intensity. The maltiness and the color originate from the use of highly kilned grain (Roasted Barley and Dark Caramel Malt). The hops used are an aroma variety which do not lend much bitterness, but provide enough hop flavor to balance the malt sweetness.

We used a special strain of yeast which accentuates the maltiness by not being as aggressive in fermentation as our house ale strain. This leaves more sweetness in the beer at the end of fermentation than is usual for many other beers.

This beer will be served in specially shaped glasses. We use a thistle (or tulip) glass which allows the beer to be held in the hand to warm it up and release the aroma into the flared top-portion of the glass. Enjoying the aroma for a few moments like this before the first sip is a great way to explore all the nuances of this hearty brew.

Crazy Smelling Beer

In a good way.

Legacy's Hoptimus Prime, on tap, at Frisco Grille. I don't know how to describe it other than it had a rocky head and one of the most unique smells I've ever picked up out of a beer. I suggest heading over there to get a sniff yourself, its intoxicating.

Merry Christmas

To you and yours, or whatever holiday you're celebrating or not celebrating.

So, how about a beer? Ho, ho, ho!

I know what beers I'm itching to drink ...

In The Mail

A nice collection of beer goodies sent from my good friend and California native Steve, who writes the Summer of Beer blog. Many thanks.

One bottle each:

Gueuze Girardin 1882
Lost Abbey Carnevale Ale (a saison/blonde)
Port Brewing 2008 Ne Goeien Saison
Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

That is an awesome haul I'll have some fun with as we head closer into the cold Eastern winter.

Miscellaneous

I didn't realize this: Baltimore city has Sunday limitations on beer/alcohol sales?

For the next few Sundays, beer, wine and liquor stores will be open for business! I'm not sure how long they will be, or if many people know this. The Wine Source was dead today, and they're only doing this one more Sunday and that's it. And you probably don't even care if you live in Howard County where you can buy this stuff on Sundays anyway. But for those of us in town, it's a nice, if brief, change.

Blue laws strike again.

I was just about to write on this and it looks like the Sun has taken notice as well: Blob's Park getting nearer to its opening. At its website there is the following note:

Check this website next Wednesday (12/24/2008) to find out if we'll be open for New Year's Eve. I'm working at a fever pitch doing everything in my power to make this happen, but it's still not certain at this point. Thanks for your patience.

The Baltimore Sun reviews Canton's Hudson Street Stackhouse and notes the following:

Belgian and German labels dominate an impressively curated beer list

Looking at the picture in the article there are some decent taps with Hoegaarden, a Troegs handle, looks like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, a Boddingtons Pub Ale, Guinness, what looks like a Leffe and a few others. It has potential.

Charles "Chuck" Cook, a Maryland native and esteemed beer writer writes Belgian Beer and Travel and it is now linked here at Baltimore Beer Guy. His most recent entry is about a trip to Belgium to observe the Lambic breweries and blenderies. How exciting!

Heroes Pub, not sure its been mentioned or linked on here. Its near Annapolis, claims to have 48 taps. Anyone been there/can vouch for it? I'll add it to the maps and lists soon and hopefully visit at some point.

The venerable Brickskeller in Washington D.C. just cobbled together a ridiculous amount of winter beers (140+ bottles), hurry down to them in Dupont Circle to enjoy a few, the list is way too long to post on here but there's a post in Beer Advocate's Mid-Atlantic forum documenting a good number of the offerings while they last.

Columbia's great bottle shop The Perfect Pour is doing a broadly defined "Holiday Favorites" tasting Saturday from 3-7 PM. Be sure to swing by.

Mahaffey's in Canton notes that they will open late on Christmas eve and at 6 PM on Christmas Day.

This is a little late but DuClaw's Venom Pale Ale is back for a limited time, they started pouring at all locations on Wednesday until whenever its gone.

At Victoria Gastro Pub there will be a few special events for Beer Club members only. Be sure to sign up and ask as I don't want to give everything away but Monday night they'll have something neat going on from 6-8 PM and then they'll open some very rare bottles on New Year's Eve if you join Victoria's (pricey) New Years Eve party.

This may also be a bit old but hopefully ongoing, reduced price Heavy Seas t-shirts ($9.99) and pint glasses ($1.99) at Clipper City while supplies last.

Todd Conner's in Fell's Point is offering $1.50 Natty Boh's anytime it snows in Fells Point. Quite the hook.

HomeBrewBeer.net did the Flying Dog tasting room thing which reminds me I need to get back there hopefully soon, its a great time. Oh, and Clipper City, a tour I have yet to take.

"Belgian Beer" tag on Flickr. Awesome.

This has potential.

Input and Suggestions Always Welcome

Many thanks to reader David for sending in two suggestions for the Howard County Beer Map, which I've since added (Pine Orchard Liquors and Village Wines and Liquors).