Southampton's Russian Imperial Stout Release Party 2014

Each year breweries from around the world create their signature beers for the enjoyment of their loyal customers, who know that they will be getting a beer that they love from the companies they trust. Southampton Publick House is one of those very companies. Every year around the end of January they release their Russian Imperial Stout both on tap and in bottles for all beer lovers to enjoy. The same day they also release some of their very limited brews, some of which have never seen the light of day before. Attending one of their release parties (they usually fall on a Saturday) is the only way to try these beers for yourself and to grab a couple of bottles before they're gone until next year.

The 2014 RIS release party fell on February 8, this past Saturday. Without question Rob, Tom and I made the journey to the Publick house about an hour away so we could revel in some fine beer drinking.

The view of the Publick House on the cold morning of February 8, 2014

We arrived at the Publick House extra early so we could each get one of the beer tickets they were handing out at 9AM, guaranteeing you the maximum number of bottles of each beer. On each ticket you then write in how many beers you would like to purchase, within the limit. They also list the price of each beer and the size of each bottle.

Besides Russian Imperial Stout, which they have every year, this time they had Scotch Ale and Double Ice Bock available for purchase. Southampton Scotch Ale is described as being brewed with traditional Scottish "Golden Promise" malt to deliver the biscuity, slight vanilla character and balanced with imported UK hops. It is 8.4% ABV. The Double Ice Bock is produced when a Bock beer is partially frozen to increase its alcohol content. The process is done twice which why it is called a Double Ice Bock. Its resulting ABV was that of a whopping 18% and the reason why it was only sold in a 7oz bottle and you could only buy one.

After filling out my beer ticket I spent some time talking with the Brewmaster of Southampton, Evan Addario. He asked me where I was from and we talked about the beers he brews. He made me feel welcome and I could tell he loved his job with how friendly he was, especially earlier in the day when he was handing out beer tickets with a big smile on his face as he greeted everyone.

Myself and Brewmaster Evan Addario

We then waited until the Publick House was set to open at 11AM. The time came and we shuffled inside with the rest of the crowd. Evan handed out complimentary Southampton pint glasses to us as we all passed the front counter. The turn out was great and there was a lot of people just as excited to try these delicious beers on tap as we were.

Everyone attending was all smiles as they drank some tasty Southampton beer

As we paid for our beers I got my first taste of Southampton's Scotch Ale in the pint glass provided.

I was met with a very pleasant surprise. The Scotch Ale both smelled and tasted like caramel, sweet delicious caramel. I loved it and couldn't get enough. I even told Evan on 2 or 3 different occasions, as he was passing by, how much I liked it.

Rob also got a Scotch Ale on tap, while Tom went with the Russian Imperial Stout for his first pint.

Good Beers, Good Times

I tried some of Tom's Russian Imperial Stout and while I did like it, I didn't enjoy it as much as the Scotch Ale.

I ended up buying 1 bottle of the Russian Imperial Stout, 2 bottles of the Scotch Ale and 1 bottle of the 7oz Double Ice Bock.

I thought it was funny how much smaller the bottle of Double Ice Bock was compared to the other two offerings. I've never seen beer sold in that small of a bottle before.

 

On a side note, the Southampton employees who were collecting our orders for us after we showed our receipts were super friendly. They wanted to make sure we got our bottles as quickly as possible with little to no waiting.

 One of the smoothest transactions

After we finished our first pints, we put our purchased bottles in my car and went back inside for some brunch on the restaurant side of the Publick House.

For $15 bucks we got to choose whatever brunch item we wanted as well as an included 12oz draft pour. I ordered the french toast with a side of bacon and a plate of scrambled eggs with toast. Each meal was complete with a garnish which included a piece of strawberry and an orange slice. I chose a 12oz of Scotch Ale to go with my meal.

The best breakfast I've had in a long time

The food was delicious. Everything about it was perfect and I couldn't have asked for a better breakfast. There was nothing left on either of my plates by the time I was through.

Overall my experience at the 2014 Southampton Russian Imperial Stout release party was everything I hoped for plus more. Tom walked away with 3 bottles of Russian Imperial Stout, while I had a spread of everything that Southampton had to offer that day.

Tom and I with some of the beers we purchased

I want to personally thank Evan and the rest of the Southampton crew that made this day possible and so memorable for me and everyone else who attended. I will be back every year you guys have a release party.

Here's a few more shots I took during the day of the event:

  The line outside the Publick House to get a ticket

Tom, myself and Rob waiting on line

 

The view of the bar

Southampton Publick House is located at 40 Bowden Square in Southampton, NY. They serve brunch and lunch from 12-3PM each Saturday and Sunday and are open 7 days a week for dinner. They have rotating out-of-this-world offerings on tap and I have never left disappointed.

If you liked this blog please check out some of the other ones I've written on my page here including my zany retelling of the Southampton release party I went to two years ago.

Wild At Heart (Ommegang)

The Brewery Ommegang has been beefing up their beer catalog lately with the creation of new brews. Last year they released two Game of Thrones themed beers starting with a Belgian Pale Ale called Iron Throne and then following up with the oh so delicious Take the Black Stout, which I had the pleasure of drinking.

Ommegang, a brewery once known for five or six of their regularly brewed beers is now broadening their horizon. A new series of beers called the Brewmaster's Obsession Series is making its way to beer stores all across the United States.

The first beer that caught my interest was Wild At Heart, an American Wild Ale with sour notes.

To make an American Wild Ale you introduce "wild" yeast or bacteria into the beer during the brewing process. There are three different techniques for doing this and one involves using sour-mash techniques.

I'm a big fan of sour/fruit inspired beer and I can happily say that Wild At Heart provides a pleasant beer drinking experience. Amber in color, the beer poured with a good amount of head.

The aroma was that of sour fruits, including mango, pineapple and passion fruit. The taste was spectacular. Just like a wolf (such as the one on the front of the bottle) is drawn to fresh meat, I couldn't help myself and had to keep drinking Wild At Heart after taking the first sip.

Soo good

The beer had the perfect balance of sour and subtle fruit flavors and had a slightly tart aftertaste. I felt like the fruit was more noticeable in the smell while the taste was dominated more by the sourness. Wild At Heart isn't for everyone, especially those that don't like a sour taste with their beers. I however love sours so it was a great beer for me to enjoy.

Wild At Heart was brewed by Brewery Ommegang located in Cooperstown, NY. Its ABV is 8.0% and is available at most local beer shops. 

Shipyard Mint Chocolate Stout

Cold weather to me could mean many things. A nice fire built in the fireplace, a marathon of a tv show we've been meaning to catch up on (in my case Homeland), finally beating those video games that we haven't had time to play and delicious dark and refreshing beer.

Last night as I cruised through half of season 2 of Homeland, I cracked open a bottle of beer that I had been saving for just a night: Shipyard's Mint Chocolate Stout.

After being disappointed by the somewhat lackluster Stone Collaboration Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout I decided to give Shipyard's brew a try. I was left with a much better taste in my mouth thanks to my favorite Maine brewer.

To start, Shipyard's Mint Chocolate Stout was frothy after being poured into my mug. Always a good thing. The first smell I noticed was a spearmint aroma with a hint of coffee.

The taste was that of chocolate with a mint aftertaste. Toasted malt and barley also came through, as well as some coffee flavors.

If you're expecting this beer to taste like a scoop of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream then you will walk away disappointed. I learned from my last experience to not hype up the beer too much and instead appreciate it for what it does well. In this case, a good chocolate stout with a slight mint flavoring.

At times while drinking Mint Chocolate Stout I felt overwhelmed with how strongly the beer smelled of mint. It was a little oversetting, but after getting used to it, the beer stuck with me as one of the better mint chocolate beers I have tried.

If you're looking for a new beer drinking experience and have a love of mints, look no further than Shipyard's Mint Chocolate Stout.

Mint Chocolate Stout was brewed in Maine by Shipyard and has an ABV of 9.0%. It is available in most beer stores although I picked up my bottle from Lake Ronkonkoma Beverage.

Schlafly Oatmeal Stout

So while finishing up the last two episodes of season 1 of Homeland, I decided to enjoy a light, but tasty beer in the form of Schlafly's Oatmeal Stout.

You might remember Schlafly as the same company who won my award for best Pumpkin Beer of 2013 after doing a blind tasting of six different pumpkin beers with Tom and his mom.

Prior to drinking the pumpkin ale they brewed, I had never heard of the company Schlafly. So when Kurt of Bullseye Wholesale Beverage posted on his Facebook page that he had some Schlafly products available I didn't hesitate to take a drive over and pick up a six-pack of their Oatmeal Stout, especially after how much I loved their pumpkin ale.

Being a stout it was dark brown in color, almost bordering on black. Poured from a 12 ounce bottle, it had a small amount of head that was a little less than what I would have liked, but just enough for me to enjoy.

My first impression upon smelling Schlafly's Oatmeal Stout was a delicious blend of coffee and chocolate mixed in perfect harmony.

The taste was also well balanced and was everything I would expect from a stout. Coffee and Chocolate were the most prevalent of the flavors I tasted and a malt aftertaste was noticeable minutes after taking each sip. Beer Advocate members who reviewed this stout also tasted raisins and oatmeal (obviously) in the beer as well.

Overall I enjoyed Schlafly's take on an Oatmeal Stout and I would gladly drink more of it in the future. I still have a couple of bottles left, so whenever I'm in the mood for a good stout I'll be prepared!

Schlafly's Tap Room is located in St. Louis, Missouri. Their Oatmeal Stout is 5.7% ABV and perfect for anyone who likes darker beers, especially those with rich flavors that break the unconventional mold of the average beer. 

Give Schlafly a try, you won't cry!

Our Special Ale 2013 (Anchor Christmas Ale)

In the spirit of getting the Spadanuta Family Christmas Tree last weekend, I decided to drink a beer that was very festive in appearance. It even says Merry Christmas and Happy New Year on the bottle's label. Thanks to Erica for getting me this one.

Before you is a beer created by Anchor Brewing Company for the last 39 years. It's called Our Special Ale and this one was their 2013 edition. This offering is truly special each year as every batch is brewed using a different recipe from year to year.

Right out of the bottle the smell of Christmas spices is evident and the dark color of the beer alluring. I was expecting it to be lighter in color and more like an IPA since there was a Christmas tree on the label and I always associate IPAs with a fresh pine scent.

 
The aroma of Our Special Ale is so complex that it was hard for me to put a finger on all the different smells I was experiencing. I associated the smell with a variety of holiday treats you might enjoy, including gingerbread men, molasses cookies and the delicious caramel and toffee bars my aunt likes to make each Christmas. There was also a sweet maltiness that was noticeable as well.

This is beer form? Yes please.

The smell complimented the taste perfectly and it had a very rich and robust flavor with a sweet aftertaste. Nutmeg and gingerbread flavors stuck with me throughout the drinking process, while caramel and molasses also came through with each sip. Simply put, I loved Our Special Ale and couldn't get enough of it. Before I knew it my glass was empty and I was down to my last sip of this delicious beer. 

One thing is for certain though. I will be drinking this beer this time again next year.

Anchor's Our Special Ale is only sold from November to mid-January each year and has an ABV of 5.5%. I highly suggest it to any beer lover looking for something new to try or anyone who loves the aroma and taste of holiday spices and Christmas cookies.

Phil tested, Phil approved for your holiday enjoyment

Take the Black Stout: A Game of Thrones inspired beer

Winter is coming!! Or at least the final showdown in the console war between Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One. The third and final episode in South Park's "Game of Thrones" trilogy airs tonight at 10 PM on Comedy Central, so what better way to send off Matt and Trey's playful nod to Game of Thrones than to talk about a Game of Thones inspired beer?

Called Take the Black Stout, this Belgian Dark Ale was brewed by the Brewery Ommegang located in Cooperstown, NY. It stands at 7% ABV, is brewed with star anise and licorice root and is as dark as the carpets of the palace were after the Red Wedding took place.

Robert Baratheon tested, Robert Baratheon approved

In addition to the licorice root and star anise, Take the Black Stout is also brewed with chocolate, caramel and roasted barley malts. This results in a variety of flavors that start sweet, become hoppy and finish with a roasted fruity taste. It could also be described as earthly.

To simplify, Take the Black Stout has the hoppy aroma and taste that you would expect from an IPA with chocolate and caramel flavors coming through as well. There is also a sort of raisin like flavor and aroma that accompanies it throughout the drinking process. The roastedness makes up the majority of the aftertaste. 

Needless to say I enjoyed drinking Take the Black Stout out of my gold rimmed Ommegang goblet as I watched the first two episodes of South Park Game of Thrones. If the beer was this good every night for the members of the Night's Watch I wouldn't hesitate in joining them, well maybe if it wasn't for the White Walkers and their zombie minions wanting to decapitate us at any given moment.

Almost worth dying for

Unfortunately, if you're hoping to try a bottle of Take the Black Stout it will be very hard to find. It was released at the beginning of November and only one batch was brewed by Ommegang. Such is the story of all their limited must-have beers. If you're lucky though you may be able to find a bottle at a beer store hidden on the shelf among all the commoner beers.

South Park's final Game of Thrones episode which pits the boys against one another to try to get an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 as part of a 96% off Black Friday deal airs tonight. HBO's Game of Thrones is expected to come back late April or early May 2014. Until then happy beer hunting and try your best not to cross the path of Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons.

 

2013 Lake Ronkonkoma Beverage Beer Raffle

This year Big John and the rest of the Ronk Beverage crew decided to hold another beer raffle...this time on Friday, November 1, 2013. Their last raffle, which occurred in March of last year, was a huge success and an event that I immensely enjoyed. This year they upped the ante and had 72 bottles of beer to raffle off to their favorite customers.

The majority of the beers at the raffle were aged for one or two years and came from Big John's own personal collection, which he had been saving just for this raffle. Bourbon County, Founders, Brooklyn Brewery and Sierra Nevada were just some of the great breweries that had themselves represented.

Before the raffle began at 10 PM, everyone was welcome to come into the store and enjoy a free glass of Palm beer as they discussed their favorite beers with other beer lovers in attendance (we even got to keep the glass after the raffle was done!). 

Eagerly awaiting for the raffle to begin

Everyone was given 24 (I think that was the number) raffle tickets and was able to divide them up as they chose, to have a better chance of winning the beers they were interested in. If you got your ticket pulled you were entitled to buy the beer you had won. Some of the more highly desired beers included Bourbon County Coffee Stout, Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Firestone Walker's 16 Anniversary Ale and Sierra Nevada's Barrel Aged Bigfoot. Tom and I divied our tickets up and the raffle began shortly after we were done.

Big John gave another one of his heartfelt speeches that was both brief and right to the point. He thanked everyone for coming out and said little else besides: "Let's get to the raffle!"

With the help of his girlfriend Lindsay (who also works at Ronkonkoma Beverage) they pulled ticket after ticket and called the numbers on each. Every winner excitedly came up to the table full of fabled beers and redeemed their prize.

Both John and Lindsay had a blast while raffling off beers

The raffle lasted a little under an hour, until all the beers were claimed. I'm about 99% sure that everyone in attendance walked away with at least one prize, while there were a lucky few people who came away winning multiple rare beers. 

Tom, who only was interested in the Barrel Aged Bigfoot and the Firestone 16 Anniversary Ale (there was only one bottle in the raffle) ended up winning the 16 Anniversary Ale (so lucky!) and buying a four pack of Sierra Nevada's Narwhal Imperial Stout.

Tom was more than happy with his winnings

I ended up winning a bottle of the 2012 Stone Collaboration beer Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout (which I was ecstatic about) and DevESTATEtion by Sierra Nevada. Big John also ended up letting me buy unclaimed bottles of Sierra Nevada's Harvest Ale and Avery Old Jubilation Ale. 

 John Sr. and Lindsay ringing up some of the lucky winners

Tom and I had a great time and there was nothing but smiles among the crowd of people who showed up at Lake Ronkonkoma Beverage on November 1, 2013. Needless to say, they held yet another successful beer raffle this year with many happy customers who had the chance to bring home beers (and they did) that are no longer available to buy in any beer store. I still think however that the biggest smiles that night belonged to all the employees of Lake Ronkonkoma Beverage.

Thank you for the great time John and crew. You know I will be there every time you decide to have another beer raffle and I will always blog about it.

Your Friend,

Phil Spadanuta

The beers I took away from 2013 Ronkonkoma Beverage Beer Raffle