ChefDiddy.com Beer Reviews

Storm King Imperial Stout - Victory Brewing

Details: Created: Saturday, 07 January 2012 00:00; Written by Joe

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Beer: Storm King Imperial Stout

RateBeer.com Score: 100/100

Talked About, but not featured on S01E31 of the ChefDiddy.com Podcast

Good Beer Comes in Cans.

Details: Created: Wednesday, 01 February 2012 18:40; Written by D

Ok, I'd just like to start this review off saying that I'm going to try to write my reviews and content more often. Part of the reason for that is that a pretty damn good beer store, 99 Bottles, opened up down the road from me on Washington Pike in Carnegie. I'll be writing a full on review of 99 Bottles in a later post, once I've spent a little more time there. From my 2 visits this week, I've had a pretty good experience with the crew at 99 Bottles. Prices are exceptionally low, there's an excess of 200 bottles (despite the name) and 30 Drafts. Impressive selections and a nice clean, bright space to house them in. With a place like this open so close to where I live, I have a feeling my beer reviews will be more frequent.

Like the title of the article states, good beer comes in cans. Yeah, when I first thought of that title, I had just finished drinking 5 of the 6 cans I'm about to review, but I'm sticking with it even in sobriety.

Going from left to right, we have Brew Free or Die, and Back in Black by 21st Amendment Brewing, Oskar Blues Old Chub, and Moo Thunder, Pork Slap, and Heinnie-Weisse from Butternuts Brewing.

First off is a beer that ChefDiddy.com has already reviewed, but I feel the need to chime in and add my $0.02. 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die is an IPA with 70 IBU (a measurement of bitterness, for example: 'Triple Hopped Miller Lite' clocks in at roughly 9 IBU) This is a true-to-style IPA, enough malt and alcohol content to balance out what would be a puckering amount of hop bitterness in lesser beers. That being said, I have only 1 beer in the IPA category that I consider good enough to be a daily drinker, and that's Bell's Two Hearted Ale, and I most certainly hold this beer in the same regard as it, although I prefer the fact that the Bell's Ale is slightly less bitter. This is a very good IPA, and as previously stated, there is a kickin' picture of Abraham Lincoln (My 2nd Favorite President behind Teddy Roosevelt) right there on the can.

You Bring the Whiskey, I'll Bring the Rye.

Details: Created: Thursday, 22 March 2012 22:01; Written by Dennis

This article could also be titled "Two similar beers that are very different"

I apologize for my tardiness to the party, however my real job has become a pain in the dick. That being said, I know in the last post I said I was writing a review on 99 Bottles, I am still, however not yet ready to publish it, as I'm actually watching the store expand, progress and mature at the moment, and feel that writing about their coming on the scene to be one of the few truths of the Pittsburgh Craft Beer scene, not just another bottleshop opening up to take advantage of yuppies that will pay 5$ a bottle for Blue Moon, because Applebee's says it's a fucking craft beer. Yeah, I said fuck. I think these reviews from here on out will be profanity laced as I usually do them when I'm intoxicated.

Tonight, I drank two stout beers aged in oak barrels. Both have high alcohol content, both are darker than a coal mine, and both are relatively hard to obtain.

Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout - 11.2% ABV

This is a stout brewed with coffee and chocolate, aged in oak bourbon barrels.

If that doesn't say enough, you and I may not be able to be friends. Seriously.

This beer has 70 ibu's a number that would be puckeringly bitter for most IPA's, with the amount of adjuncts and sweeteners, the hops are present, but muted, exactly as they should be in a stout beer. It's thicker than a South Carolinian stripper named Godiva, and every bit as sweet. I've had this beer before, albeit 3 years ago in a place near Dupont Circle in DC that is no longer under the same ownership. My experience with it tonight is very similar to the one I had with this fantastic brew 36 months prior, as far as I can tell, I'll end up not tipping as well as I should on a very large tab, and exiting public transportation at the wrong stop, leaving me to make my way 30 blocks through our nation's capital. Wait, what was I talking about again? I guess what I'm trying to say is that, if you like a raging black out of a stout, I mean a real life, walking, talking, exigent circumstance of a beer, this is your beer. I'd give this beer an 11/10, but that's like... just.... my own opinion.... man.

Additional Photo 1, Additional Photo 2, Additional Photo 3, Additional Photo 4

Next, I drank:

Full Pint Rye Rebellion - Imperial Stout aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels - 11% abv

At this point in the night, the Penguins have thoroughly man-handled the Predators (that's how you'll find out what date I got my KBS on). This beer is everything the first beer is not, and to say that is no insult. This is a rye whiskey aged imperial stout. No coffee, no chocolate, just Pils, Crystal, Aromatic, Roasted, Rye, Crystal Rye, Flaked Rye, Chocolate Rye malts, and Columbus and Tettnang hops, clocking in at 55 IBU and a dry, crisp finish. Where the KBS was syrupy, this beer was still quite effervescent for being a dark beer. Not much of a head, but still, for a beer this heavy, it was more than enough. This is a fantastic beer.

If it hasn't already hit you, I'm a sucker for this style of beer. That being said. I've had many other beers that follow this style, New Holland Dragon's Milk being one, and these are definitely 2 of the best. (Nice name drop)

If you like a dark beer, either of these will be a treat for you. If you notice that I didn't mention a price for either of these beers, I feel that what I paid for these beers was more than worth it. If you disagree, hell, this is the Internet, that's what I'm here for.

Additional Photo 1, Additional Photo 2

Peace out girl scout.

If I haven't drilled it in yet in previous articles, you can follow me at @royalohbee on twitter, and 99 Bottles @99bottlespgh is located on rt 50 in Carnegie.