today's beer of the day - 17. @stbcbeer #phin&matts #extraordinaryale

Today on TBD - 17. Southern Tier Brewing Company, Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale.

"To label a beer as Extraordinary is to trust its ingredients from the start". Well that's just what Southern Tier has done, they have created a great American Pale Ale that has some of the best whole hops and the choicest malted barley. This beer is a harmony of both toasty malts and sharp citrusy spice and they parade around your mouth and tongue in harmony to create a truly enjoyable beverage.

As you pour this beer you will notice its golden wheat coloring, almost an amber but slightly lighter. You will see its ample head and note the carbonation dancing along the sides of the glass as it is resting. As you lift it to your snout (uh, I meant nose) you will smell the toasted malts and you will note the sweet citrusy flavor as you take your first swig. It has a bitter nip to it as you swirl it in you mouth yet it is smooth and soothing as you drink it down. In my opinion they have managed to deliver a well balanced brew that I think you will enjoy from the first one to the last, then you will want to go and get another. I recommend you do that, just let your buddy drive you to get that next 6 pack. Unless he has had one of is own, then I say buy more to start with. Enjoy!

Check out the video below too, funny stuff!

Referenced from Southern Tier Brewing Co. 

today's beer of the day. @sierranevada @newglarusbeer #thereandback #englishstylebitter

Today on TBD, Sierra Nevada's There and Back. It is an English Style Bitter that was made in conjunction with New Glarus Brewing Company out of New Glarus, Wisconsin.

"For beer folks, Chico, CA, and New Glarus, WI, are must-see capitals on the U.S. brewing map, but getting between the two is no simple feat. There and Back is named for the planes, trains, and zeal needed to connect them. This classic English-style Bitter is a complex yet easy-drinking mix of toasty malt and a fruity, herbal hop flavor."

"There and Back is a classic, sessionable, English-style Bitter—easy-drinking but full of flavor. It features nutty, toasted Golden Promise and English Crystal malts balanced by a solid dose of zesty hops, with a fruity dry finish from the use of an authentic English yeast."

My impression of SN's There and Back is: that it is milky amber in color with some carbonation and a good head. It has a fruity smell with notes of malt as well. It has a thick but smooth feel in the mouth and you can definitely taste the fruitiness of the beer and the toasted malts. It has a slightly bitter aftertaste and feels a little heavy on the palate but is smooth going down. Overall I feel that this is a solid beer that is enjoyable to drink! It has an ABV of 5.6%, which doesn't have the kick of some of the higher octane beers but you will definitely enjoy this beer regardless. This 12 pack was $30 at the store and for the quality of the beers it has been a bargain.

Referenced from Sierra Nevada.

Beer purchased at Lewisburg Spirits and Wine.  lewisburgspirits@suddenlink.net.

today's beer of the day. @sierranevada @firestonewalker #torpedopilsner #hoppypilsner

"Torpedo Pilsner is a hop-forward take on the crisp classic lager. We and the folks at Firestone Walker share a passion for New Zealand hop varietals, so we loaded our legendary Hop Torpedo with southern hemisphere hops for a fruity, floral twist on the pilsner style."

Taken in my kitchen.

"Torpedo Pilsner ditches the traditional German “noble” hops and heads south of the equator for inspiration. With a traditional golden malt body, this “kiwi” pils features intense fruity and floral New Zealand-grown Motueka and Southern Cross hops, making this an alternate and delicious take on the classic pilsner."

Also taken in my kitchen.

My take on this beer is; that it has a pale wheat coloring and good carbonation with a great head when it is initially poured out of the bottle. I would even go so far as to say that it is frothy. This is a hoppy beer that feels thin and crisp and it nips the sides of the tongue as you drink it. It reminds me of the classic lager somewhat but with enough of a difference to make it interesting. Classic lagers don't tend to be my favorite beers, I will drink them if offered but typically won't buy them myself. This is a better version in my opinion, and of course it is a pilsner after all. It is not however the best beer in this 12 pack, that being said it is definitely a worthy addition. My overall impression of this beer is that it was a good beer and if I purchased this 12 pack again I would not hesitate to drink it. This beer also had a respectable ABV of 5.2%, so it has a little more kick than your average beers. This 12 pack was $30 at Lewisburg Spirits and Wine. I still say though if you average it out it is still cheaper than going to the local pub. Good work as usual Sierra Nevada and Firestone Walker! Thanks for a memorable 12 pack of killer beers!

Referenced from Sierra Nevada.

Beer purchased at Lewisburg Spirits and Wine. Their email is: lewisburgspirits@suddenlink.net

today's beer of the day. @sierranevada @bpbrewing #electricray #indiapalelager

As has been the case so far with the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 12 pack, this is another good beer. This time they collaborated with Ballast Point Brewing Company. "As ever, San Diego’s Ballast Point looked to the sea for the inspiration behind Electric Ray. A play on the fish’s scientific name—Torpedo californica—this beer pays homage to our mutual home state, as well as to our Hop Torpedo, the source of much of the big flavor in this high voltage, hop-forward Imperial Pale Lager."

"Electric Ray is an IPL—Imperial Pale Lager—combining intense citrusy and floral American hop aroma with the clean, crisp, classic malt body of a robust blonde lager. It is both traditionally dry-hopped AND torpedoed with whole-cone American hops for an intense grapefruit and rose-like nose."

My impressions are: Electric Ray IPL has a pale amber color and a good head when initially poured out of the bottle. The head dissipates fairly quickly and there is moderate carbonation noted while it is resting. I also really enjoyed the color scheme on the bottle, very fitting with the name in my opinion. The aroma is that of floral hoppy-ness. I feel that this beer has a very interesting flavor too, kind of a citrusy grapefruit flavor with some torpedo in there as well. You can definitely taste the citrus but it is not overpowering to the hops however. It has a smooth feel in the mouth and it finishes with a mild bitterness and a hint of sweet. I really like this beer, it is a good mix of flavor and kick. It is a super solid edition to this 12 pack and I definitely would enjoy drinking it again! The cost of the 12 pack was $30, but if you average that out it is $2.50 per beer so it is still cheaper than the local pub. My only question to both Sierra Nevada and Ballast Point is: What does the I stand for in IPL, India or Imperial? Either way thanks again for another good beer guys!

Referenced from Sierra Nevada.

Beer purchased at Lewisburg Spirits and Wine in Lewisburg, WV.

today's beer of the day. @sierranevada @oskarblues #canfusion #ryebock

"Our friends at Oskar Blues pioneered great beer in a can and, as mutual members of the canned craft club, this partnership was a perfect fit. CANfusion is a coming together—a fusion, if you will—of flavors from across the spectrum of brewing: spicy rye, tangy wheat and a bright citrusy hop aroma."

Picture taken on my counter top.

"Oskar Blues is the granddaddy of canned craft beer. Like us, they have a fun-loving passion for the outdoors and bikes. It was a natural fit for them to adopt cans as a portable, durable way to tote their favorite beer on the trail, and in the process they  paved the way for all other craft brewers to follow."

"CANfusion is a dry-hop rye bock with a complex malt body that launches a peppery blast from the rye, balanced by a fruity hop aroma. As the style suggests, it was dry-hopped for an added aroma punch from the unique citrusy and spice-like Australian Ella hop varietal."

Upon first impression of this beer the color is dark amber, it has a good head at the initial pour but it dissipates quickly. There is carbonation noted and you can smell the citrus. There is a fruity taste with a sharp aftertaste that disappears quickly. The feel in the mouth is kind of dry actually but still thick as well and it sticks to the tongue as it goes down. This is a good drinking beer and you will enjoy the fruity and spicy combination as you drink it. It is another solid beer in this 12 pack. The only drawback is the price, however if you consider that a beer at your local Irish Pub is $5 per glass you will get over that pretty quickly. Oh and at 7.2 ABV it will remind you that you aren't drinking your average beer. Another solid beer from the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 12 pack! Great work guys!

Referenced from Sierra Nevada.

Beer purchased from Lewisburg Spirits and Wine in Lewisburg, WV. The coolest small town in 2011.