Hardywood Park Craft Brewery "Hoplar"

Here we have Hardywood Park's "Hoplar"... Which is an imperial IPA of 8.5% ABV and aged on Treecycled Virginia Tulip Poplar wood. Hoplar is a collaboration beer with Richmond based Citiwood.

A little on Citiwood.... So I used to work in a print shop that did all the laser engraving for Ed from Citiwoods "Treecycled" plaques etc. First off Ed is a super guy. Basically what Citiwood does is that Ed goes around the city collecting naturally felled trees a la lightning/wind/age and so on. He then Treecycles them in to some pretty amazing stuff! An extraordinary woodworker that guy!! www.wetreecycle.com Check it out!

What is this a woodworking blog???

I've had every Hardywood beer that has been bottled since they opened save the extremely rare Quadrawine. And while I have really enjoyed them all Hoplar has been my favorite. Naturally I'm stoked its back out and am excited to tell you about the 2013 vintage.

Pours the color of harvest ready wheat with a 3/4 inch head that is beautiful.

Smells of pine and slight citrus and hints of wood.

Hoplar starts with delicious slightly caramel malt notes but its quick. Then you get the big dose of pine from the hops! A small amount of citrusy hop comes through but I get mostly pine. Which as far as I'm concerned is a great thing! Then there's the wood. Not wood like a big barrel aged beer but just a really lovely earthy wood profile that accompanies the hops fantastically and makes it different and adventurous!!! The beer goes down and ends where it begins with that delicious malt and a slight pine aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is on the thin side of sticky which is perfect for this beer I think.

This is still my favorite Hardywood beer to date! Their portfolio is amazing and who knows what's in the future but three cheers for Hoplar!!

4.3 of 5

Cheers friends!

Schlafly "Tasmanian Style IPA"

You ever had a beer from a brewery that doesn't get enough credit? I have.... I've been drinking Schlafly brews ever since I moved back to VA from Texas when I bought and fell in love with their Pumpkin ale.... It's in my top 3 for the style!

But this post is about Schlafly's Tasmanian IPA. An Imperial Pale Ale hopped with Australian sourced hops only. 7.2% ABV.

The beer pours bright pale straw that is tinged gold in good light. About half an inch head that went away pretty quick... But the foam is leaving its mark on my glass. This stuff smells great for being almost 4 months old (yes I like my IPAs super fresh). BIG grapefruit, luscious and full.

This beer tastes amazing! The flavor goes right in to that mega grapefruit kick from the hops.... Just slightly bitter but mostly just big citrus! Yum!! Then you get the malt skeleton of the thing and it just keeps staying great.

The body on this beer is pretty thick and syrupy, which I'm calling a good thing! It coats your palette and doesn't let you forget that your drinking a really well made beer!!

I'm going to come right out and say this but this beer, while not the same, is definitely living in the same house with Heady.....

I think this beer is gone for the season but their American Style IPA is out now and is also great... But that's another review!

4.3 (only cause its not super fresh) out of 5!

Cheers!

Title of blog

"So put your wine into glasses, and your cider in pewter cans, but John Barleycorn in Thee Old Brown Jug, he proved the strongest man"

Great little article on Hunahpu's day!

Wish I could have been there... But this great beer writer was!

http://americancraftbeer.com/item/hunahpu-s-day-a-craft-beer-pilgrimage-ends-at-cigar-city.html

Perennial Artisan Ales "Vermilion Winter Ale"

Personally, I'm incredibly excited about Perennial's arrival in Richmond! This was the second beer I tried from these guys out of St Louis Missouri.

There's a bit of a buzz surrounding this brewery and after enjoying 2 of their offerings it's apparently a much deserved buzz!

"Vermilion" is an English Barleywine of a hefty 10.5 % ABV. English Barleywines are some of my favorite beers. Unlike their American counterparts, English versions of these decadent beers generally have no hop profile to be found. Just big chewy , toasty, caramel indulgence.

While Perennial is quite an American brewery their take on this classic English style did not disappoint! In fact, had someone handed me a glass and told me to guess I'd have guessed it was imported! The high ABV was completely masked by huge notes of sweet caramel. As with keeping in line with the style I got almost no hop presence in the nose or taste. The body on this beer was fantastic as well! Big mouth filling richness! Color was deep chocolate brown. An insanely great beer!

I enjoyed this traditional English Barleywine with some spicy general tso's chicken (my wife was craving Chinese take out) and while I had been a little worried about the pairing it worked quite splendidly.

4.5 out of 5

I will definitely seek this beer out again. And I'm jazzed to try more from Perennial Artisan Ales!

intro to my new beer blog.

Setting this up really fast before heading out to work.... This is where I will be posting pictures, commentary, reviews, questions et al about my personal experiences with the world of beer from now on. It will be fun with no pretense! If you have ever found yourself reading any of my many FaceBook posts about beer please join and follow this blog. Ill try and make a real entry tonight but for now, welcome!

Cheers!
Jay