Black IPA: SO GOOD

Grand Teton Trout Hop Black IPA! I first had it on tap at Cato's, and loved it, so tonight the Lumberjack found me a bottle for an early xmas present. YUM.

Smells super hoppy - piney & a little citrusy. I especially like the strong bouquet while sipping. Tastes like piney hopes, with a nice malty base. A little sweet, a little spicy. It's everything I love about Black IPA. Perfect balance of a dark smooth stout and a lively hoppy IPA. Strongly suggested! Merry Christmas.

Difference of Opinion

Tastes like bandaids wrapped in bacon. Translation? I find it revolting, the Lumberjack loves it.

Abita!

Abita Christmas Ale. It's good. I would write more, except I already did and then the draft disappeared while I was checking on whether Drake's spells it "Jolly Roger" or "Jolly Rodger" (it's the former). So now I'm annoyed. But basically this beer is good. A brown ale that tastes more like a red (that's where "Jolly Roger" came in). Spicy, warm. And only 5.5% ABV, so nicely drinkable. The end. Thanks, Louisiana.

Making Beer out of Lemons

While I'd rather not be in Florida, seeing as how a family emergency brought us here, the silver lining is...Cigar City Brewing!

Upon our arrival into Tampa, we went to The Independent which I found on BeerFly. It was hilarious to walk in and see Lagunitas on tap!

The bartender was awesome - very friendly and welcoming. When I asked for something local, she suggested Cigar City, and I tried Jai Alai, an IPA. So delicious! Pretty honey colour, smells sweet and hoppy. Slightly syrupy, nice mouthfeel. The hops are fruity and nicely balanced. I didn't check the ABV, but it seemed like the deceptively strong kind of beer!

Then we had Marshall Zhukov, an imperial stout. This beer is THICK, pours like motor oil. Very strong. Smells sweet and a little smoky. Tastes intense, like getting smacked in the face. Typical malty flavour, with a hint of prunes and raisins. This beer is definitely meant for sipping!

It's unclear how much longer we'll be here - but definitely long enough to try a few more locals.

WHAT IS THIS BEER?!

City Beer Store, Friday evening. Tried a black rye IPA from somewhere local, but didn't have my notebook so I didn't write anything down. I thought I would remember - I WAS WRONG. Dammit. This beer was DELICIOUS. The black IPA is quickly becoming my favourite style, and this one was exceptional. Dark, sweet, nice hoppy crispness. Delicious coffee and tobacco flavours around the edges. Every sip had a hint of something new - it was one of the most complex beers I've had in awhile. Unfortunately City Beer is closed today so I can't figure out what this masterpiece was. Insert frowny emoticon here.

UPDATE: thanks to my friend via Facebook, I now remember that this is Iron Springs Black Magic Rye Black IPA.  It's not listed on Beer Advocate, which is why I couldn't figure it out.  Iron Springs is an awesome local brewery (up in Fairfax).  You should go, and drink their beer.  You won't be disappointed.

Cato's Ale House

Grand Teton Black Cauldron Stout, and Bombay by Boat IPA on cask.

Holy shit. Friends, I live in Beer Nirvana. aka this beer is AWESOME.

At Falling Rock!

It's cool & dark in here, and we have huge comfy chairs to eat our
burgers in. Unfortunately I let the bartender pick my beer for me
(usually this yields exciting surprises), and he poured me a Stone
IPA. Oops. I guess I should have specified that I wanted something
that doesn't come from the same place as me!