"Insane" IPAs

As someone who has been on a major IPA kick for the past month (since finishing the book "Hops and Glory") I wish I had attended this event!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/trends/trends-features/are-you-man-enough-for-this-beer/article2138932/

Tasting Notes - Oatmeal Stout

What surprises me about this batch is that different bottles have different tastes. Some are dark and clearly stout like, while others are more akin to Newcastle Brown. Not sure why this is so. The bottles that are properly stout like have a nice flavour and a good thickness to them. The "brown" bottles are a little thin. Hmmm.

Mmmm, wheat beers

A story about one of my favorite styles of beer

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/wine/beppi-crosariol/wheat-kings-fruity-spicy-beers-for-summer/article2087297/

Beer Number 1,000

At long last my friends (or iRob at least), I give you beer number 1,000!

Beer 1,000 was Budvar Krouzkovany Lezak (yeast ring lager - 12°). This is a krausened version of Budvar, served on tap at the Masne Kramy pub. The added yeast makes this beer slightly more bitter than the bottled or normal draught versions, and also gives it a slightly more complex taste. I highly recommend it!

The Road to 1,000 - number 999

Our Czech trip had now taken us into Budejovice - home of the original Budweiser. As is often sadly the case, there are all sorts of great beers brewed by the brewery that you can't find in Canada. Such was the case with beer number 999 - Budvar's dark beer, Budweiser Budvar Tmavy Lezak. This was a smooth dark lager with a slightly bitter aftertaste. We drank it at a great pub / restaurant owned by the brewery - Masne Kramy.

Good NY Times article on homebrewing

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/garden/home-brewing-need-a-beer-hit-the-basement.html?_r=1&src=rechp

The Road to 1,000 - numbers 997 and 998

Another two-fer! In the Czech Republic this is rather easy, as establishments all tend to sell only one beer makers product, so you can sample multiple beers from the same brewer at one sitting. In this case, the beer was the "Master" brand by Plzensky Prazdroj. Number 997 was the Master Tmavy (dark). According to its website, it is "the 18° special, full-flavoured beer". I found it to be fairly sweet. Number 998 was the Master Zlaty (Gold). It has a deep gold colour, and is 15 degrees. It is slightly dry with a caramel start and a bitter aftertaste.