Birthday = Pizza and a nice Stout

My birthday was Monday and my wife and son took me to Parry’s Pizzeria and Bar for a birthday brew and a nice pizza.  We ordered crispy green beans for an appetizer and the 5 bouroughs pizza for the main course.  I selected The Lost Abbey’s Serpent Stout (10.5% ABV), an imperial stout, for my birthday brew and it was excellent.  I had read and heard, via podcasts, about this beer and it lived up to everything I had heard about.  It was an excellent beer and I highly recommend it.  It is a big beer and is one to be slowly consumed and enjoy.

Website description – “The history of the bible and religion is indeed the struggle of good vs. evil. Our Serpent’s Stout recognizes the evil of the dark side that we all struggle with.  This is a massively thick and opaque beer that begs the saints to join the sinners in their path to a black existence.  Tasting Notes:  Pours dark and thick, with a creamy mocha-colored head and aromas of roasted malts, dark chocolate and french roast coffee.  The mouthfeel is full, smooth and round on the tongue. The taste is rich with deep roasted malts, cocoa, coffee and a touch of vanilla balanced perfectly against the alcohol to create an excellent winter warmer.”

URL - http://www.lostabbey.com/

URL – http://www.parryspizza.com/parrysbar/

I was running some errands a couple of weekends ago when I received a text from my friend Roger who was having lunch with Jay at Parry’s Pizzeria and Bar and I was right next to it.  I ran in to say hi and ordered a Moylan’s Kilt Lifter (8% ABV) Scotch Wee Heavy to enjoy as we chatted.  It was a very nice Scotch Ale and ws perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Website description – “Robust and Strapping , Our Scotch Ale takes BIG Beers to a whole new level. Rich malt balances perfectly with delicate hops to provide a concentrated and intense flavor; an ideal companion for hearty foods, or as a meal unto itsself. Allow this ale to warm slightly in your glass to enhance its truly bold character .Sharing is encouraged, as this is one beer that lives up to its name! Hey! No peeking! Slainté! “

URL – http://www.moylans.com

3 From Big Sky Brewing

Big Sky Brewing is based in Missoula, MT and offers a variety pack of 4 selections (3 each).  The one I purchased had Moose Drool (5.3% ABV), Trout Slayer (4.7% ABV), Big Sky IPA (6.2% ABV and 65 IBU), and Heavy Horse (6.7% ABV and 20 IBU).  On Friday, I sampled Montana Trout Slayer (Filtered Wheat Beer) and paired it with roasted chicken thighs, corn on the cob and green beans.  Trout Slayer pours straw-colored with a two-finger head.  Trout Slayer went very well this dinner and is an easy drinking ale. 

On Saturday, I switched to red meat and enjoyed a steak, corn on the cob and some sautéed Vidalia onions and mushrooms.  I enjoyed dinner with Heavy Horse (Scotch Ale) that pours garnet with a two-finger head that quickly resides.  Heavy Horse is a classic Scotch Ale that is malt-forward with little bitterness.  This is a very nice Scotch Ale and a real treat. 

Finally, on Sunday, I pulled out the spit and grilled a cheese and bacon stuffed chicken breast accompanied with a salad and sautéed carrots.  This dinner was paired with Big Sky IPA.  Big Sky pours orangey gold with a large head – I had to let it recede before emptying the bottle.  This is a really good IPA and I thought the hop bitterness was just right with the malt sweetness.  Big Sky IPA went very well with dinner – highlighted the blue cheese in the salad, the bacon in the chicken and the sweetness of the carrots.  If you have the opportunity to pick up something from Big Sky, I recommend it – the product is good and you get to sample 4 varieties if you select the variety pack.  Big Sky distributes to the Western states and as far east as Michigan and Illinois and then west of the Mississippi.

Bristol - Laughing Lab

Bristol is a small brewing in Colorado Springs and they took home two medals from the 2010 GABF.  No. 23 Barley wine won silver in the Barley wine-style ale and Laughing Lab - Scottish Ale ( 5% ABV and 19 IBU) was awarded a bronze in the Scottish-Style Ale category.  I had tried No.23 previously and I wanted to try Laughing Lab.  Being a Scottish-Style Ale, I knew Laughing Lab would be focused on malt sweetness with little to no bitterness from hops.  This is also (per the website) the most awarded beer at GABF with 9 medals - "Nine scottish ale medals since 1994 make Laughing Lab the most decorated Colorado beer at the Great American Beer Festival.® A careful blend of specialty malts gives Lab a nutty, roasted flavor that’s mildly sweet, but not too rich. Smooth and luscious!"   Laughing Lab pours an amber / tan / deep red and has a small head that quickly recedes.  It has a good malt aroma and is very drinakable.  This is a very good beer and I understand why it has won so many medals.  So far, I have enjoyed all that I have tried from Bristol.

Great Divide – Claymore

Great Divide’s Claymore is a Wee Heavy Scotch Ale (7.7% ABV) and has a malt focus as Scotch Ales do.  From a historical perspective, the Scotts only wanted to pay the Brits the minimum required for whatever they were purchasing from the Brits.  In the case of beer, the Scotts purchased hops from the Brits and they only used what was needed to preserve the beer and provide slight aroma and bittering.  The two word descriptors on the label of Claymore are “Hardy” and “Noble” and these words describe Claymore very well.  This pours dark reddish brown, almost – not quite, black and has a great aroma from the malt.  Good mouth feel and has an emphasis on sweet malitness aligned with the style.  Great Divide describes Claymore as “Named for a medieval Scottish sword, Claymore Scotch Ale is our tribute to the legendary “Wee Heavy” beers of Scotland. This malty, deep-ruby beauty features lots of caramel sweetness, a reserved hop profile, and a subtle warming character. Unlike its namesake, this beer only requires one hand, but it’ll still make you feel like nobility.”  Suggested food pairings are “Pot roast with roasted vegetables, seared lamb shank with white beans, bread pudding.”  Another nice one from Great Divide and I am looking forward to the Great Divide Triple Release Party on April 8^th.

Four Peaks Brewery - Kilt Lifter

Four Peaks is a brewery in Tempe, AZ and their flagship offering is Kilt Lifter.  Kilt Lifter is a Scotch Ale that has an ABV of 6.0% with an IBU of 21.  This one pours a dark amber color with very little head.  Kilt Lifter is on the sweet side with very little bitterness and a slightly higher alcohol content that is consistent with the style.  I paired this with a grilled steak, baked potato, tossed romaine salad, and mixed fruit.  This was not a bad beer and it has won a few awards for Four Peaks Brewery.  The website for Four Peaks highlights the other beers and I think the Peach Ale might be good for people new to craft beer or for those who say they do not like beer.  They seems to have a nice offering of eight different styles with some seasonal ones too.