Glissade Golden Bock appeared in our local grocery store within the last couple of weeks and you know I had to give it a try. There’s two reasons for that. One, I’m a fan of golden bocks (and other color bocks, for that matter). And two, Sierra Nevada’s consistently good quality. It is a new…
What I’m about to say might be considered blasphemy by some in these parts, but I’ll say it anyway. Big Sky Brewing’s regular lineup of beers doesn’t really “do it” for me. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying it’s bad beer. Far from it. I’m just reinforcing the basic tenant of this blog which…
I’ve talked to a lot of craft beer drinkers with whom I share a curious tendency. When a brewery gets “too big” we tend to turn up our nose and figure there’s no more “craft” to the craft brewing. I’ve heard this a lot about Sam Adams. Same with Widmer once they were bought out…
Black IPA. Huh? This was a new one for me, though after reading up about it one could certainly say black IPAs are a strong trend. Whenever enough brewers set out to try something like this it invariably triggers a debate about beer styles. Create a critical mass around a central theme and the beer…
Yes, I’ve blogged about Blacksmith Brewing Co. before and it won’t be the last time. It would be my “home” brewery – that comfortable place that’s easy to stop by at a moment’s notice – except for the fact it is 25 miles south of Missoula. We headed down the Saturday of the new years’…
There was a time not long ago when I figured I would never welcome a strong dose of hops into my beer world. But that was before I tried IPAs like Blackfoot River’s Single Malt IPA and Tamarack Brewing’s Headwall Double IPA and realized IPA doesn’t have to mean tongue splitting bitterness. Sure, hops are…
Count up another success for Kettlehouse and their ever rotating selection of fun, small batch beers. I didn’t have a chance to ask about this one, though I did overhear that there wasn’t much left. From the title, I assume it has an old bongwater porter base, but there’s no mistaking a hefty quantity of…
Since it is the great holiday week between Christmas and New Years, I took the liberty to stop in at the Rhino in Missoula one afternoon to catch up with a friend and see what new beers were among the 50 or so on tap. I’m usually pining for snow each day of winter and…
As a malt preferring beer drinker, Marzens have long been a favorite. Marzen style beers were originally brewed in March and brought out during the time of Oktoberfest and are frequently labeled as Octoberfest beers. They are rich, malty, somewhat toasty beers without being too sweet. The lagering helps bring out the malt flavors. They…
This beer from Red Lodge Ales had just been put on tap at Brooks and Browns in Missoula when we stopped in before heading to the Wilma to watch the national championship game with 1,000 of our fellow Griz fans. Alas, the Griz didn’t prevail, but the beer was a winner. It is a golden…