Crazy Cat Lady Beer - Monks on the Beach Black Belgian Imperial IPA

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Monks on the Beach Black Belgian Imperial IPA

Crazy Cat Lady Beer Co.

Gainesville, FL USA

Est. 2010

http://crazycatladybeer.com
and
twitter.com/CatLadyBeer

Brain Damage Quotient = 17.4 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Solid, deep brown color.
Sweet malt aroma with hint of yeast and alcohol.
Defined hops on the nose.
Moderate carbonation.
Two finger, caramel tan head with stringed lace.
Full mouth feel; malted bodied.  Full-on hops. Trace alcohol as it warms. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another of my special reviews by "pico brewers" - - - Black Belgian Imperial IPA by Crazy Cat Beer Lady.

To bring you up to speed, here's what I wrote in a past entry for Crazy Cat Lady Beer:

It's about friends, and beer. And then, it's about good friends and good beer. The FLAbrew crew came, saw and conquered a tweetup at The Cock & Bull in Sarasota recently. In the house were some of the best cellered micro beers and ales, opened between friends.

After a while, we all realized there was a bit too much to be drunk, even by us seasoned beer aficionados. What to do with all this good stuff? Well, this is where my good twitter friend Amie put a couple of her home brews in my direction. Remember, I said good friends and good beer...

Here's the brewer's self proclaimed Black Belgian Imperial IPA from Amie. What an outstanding billet! This 17.4% ABV 'bomb' has a bunch of great ingredients to pack a punch. Amie divulges this about Monks on the Beach,

"I brewed that {MOTB} for my Iron Brewer entry, and I'm pretty happy with it... ...We had to use chocolate malt, citra hops, and tea. That beer is made to be a black IPA (I hopped the hell out of it), and I wanted some serious malt presence, so I used a lot of it and Belgian Strong Ale Yeast so that it could turn all that lovely malt into alcohol." - Amie

It warms in the glass to bring out the malts and the yeast components in great aroma and tongue textures. A wonderful, make that dangerously wonderful concoction. The bittering hops round out the malty sweetness.

Amie admitted to me that the carbonation might be light:

"Unfortunately, I've never had one that carbonated.. but if you would shake it up, put it somewhere in the 70 degree temp range, it should carb up nicely in a couple of weeks."

Fortunately, I kept it stored at room temp for several weeks longer, then chilled it up for 48 hours. What you see in the photo is the carbonation results I got. I was expecting a wimpy head by her description, but instead was rewarded with a magnificent pour.

With a mouthful of a name and a mouthful of ingredients, I found this to be a very enjoyable brew. Banging hops with wonderful malt and yeast components. Cheers, Amie!

Sarah's Stash - Apple Beer

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Apple Beer

Sarah & Matt Home Brewing

Allston, MA USA

Est. 2009

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Cloudy amber orange color.
Spiced apple/citrus fruit nose.

Sweet apple taste with something of a chamomile tea flavor.
Clove and all-spice flavors present.
Active carbonation; zesty.
Three finger off white head with spotty lace on glass.
Light mouth feel. Nicely refreshing. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Home brewing is an extension of thought, a heartbeat of passion and sufficient curiosity to say, "I think I can do that." So many are home brewing these days, in large part to former President Jimmy Carter, who enacted legislation allowing American citizens to brew beer in their homes back in 1979.

Visiting with family and friends this past month, I was exposed to some home brew from a rather unlikely source. My best friend of thirty plus years, was holding onto a bottle from his daughter's home brewing adventures. Could it be that Sarah, this girl I held in my arms many years ago as a week old infant, is all grown up and making beer? It's true! I should not be surprised.  After all, I did mention that he is my BEST friend!

So during our abbreviated trip up north, we did gather for some good pizza and beer, when this bottle of apple flavored beer was produced. Sarah and friend Matt have been brewing since the fall of 2009 and were particularly active this fall as she states:

"...we had a couple types at one time. It [the apple beer] is actually the favorite out of all of our brews thus far. Our friends loved it. It was our first apple beer, so we have some notes for what we would like to do differently next time, but all things considered, it was a success."

Her favorite styles to drink when not brewing?

"Our favorite style of beer is generally Belgian Ales. Although, my tastes run the gamut."

It seems that grown up Sarah has tastes in spirits as well. I have found that many a beer drinker also has a few levels of indulgence once up to the brewing level and Sarah is no different. Scotch and bourbon, a couple of her uncle's favorites (that's me!)  We have so much in common. Her dad is proud of her accomplishments in life so far, and I am equally impressed with her range.

Go Sarah!

Crazy Cat Lady Beer - Cold Winter's Night

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Cold Winter's Night Spiced Cider

Crazy Cat Lady Beer Co.

Gainesville, FL USA

Est. 2010

http://crazycatladybeer.com
and
twitter.com/CatLadyBeer

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Beautiful orange/golden translucent color.
Sweet fruit smell with tart peppery twang on the nose.
Slight carbonation.
Swirling sweet apples accompanied by tart tracer zing of cranberry.
Clove and all-spice flavors present.
Short lived near white head with minimal lace.
Light mouth feel; syrupy with out cloying. Very refreshing. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
It's about friends, and beer. And then, it's about good friends and good beer. The FLAbrew crew came, saw and conquered a tweetup at The Cock & Bull in Sarasota recently. In the house were some of the best cellered micro beers and ales, opened between friends.

After a while, we all realized there was a bit too much to be drunk, even by us seasoned beer aficionados. What to do with all this good stuff? Well, this is where my good twitter friend Amie put a couple of her home brews in my direction. Remember, I said good friends and good beer...

Enter this beer come spiced cider, from her home-brew stash. I was in touch recently with Amie, asking if I could feature her beers on my blog. It was an introduction of sorts for me to begin entering some local pico brews. I want to show similarities between what macros and micros brewers do, and how you and I can do the same in the comfort of our own kitchens.

The spiced cider is billed as four percent-ish ABV, but as I write this post, my head is pleasantly buzzing in the comfort of the crypt's writing library.  The mulled flavors of the apple and cranberry are terrific. Though these are the two main ingredients at play in the taste, it seems that there's quite a bit more in the background.  Amie listed the rest of her billet of ingredients, "...oranges, cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger." Hmmm...just got the perfect inspiration for a metaphor...Rush is playing in the background at the moment. Three guys and all that sound! Well, the apples, cranberries and oranges are there with the rest of the wall of flavor. I think Amie is on the right track when she states,

"I wanted it to taste like the hot cider my mom made during the winter when I was a kid. :) And it does." - Amie

It does, indeed. And, as it warms in the snifter in my bony Reaper's paw, the flavors become more intense. Add to that the playful color of the brew. It really shines in my Spiegelau glassware. The best wassail you can imagine, because it's a beer.

Amie is adventerous in her beer making. The other brew she gave me is carbonating up, here at the crypt. It is a >17% ABV. You and I will have to wait for some other day for that post, as nature does its thing to bubble it up in the bottle.

Curl up by the fire with a "Cold Winter's Night" if you are lucky to get one from Amie!

White Sands - Longboat Key Golden Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Longboat Key Golden Lager
White Sands Brewing
Sarasota, FL USA
Est.2010
alesfromthecrypt.blogspot.com
and
firkinaround.blogspot.com

Brain Damage Quotient = ?.? % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0
 
Postmortem Brew Review
Light yellow-gold and clear in color.
Grain malt smell with a bit of hop aroma.
Fresh and yeasty smell.
Two finger, white fluffy head that leaves great lacing.
Grain and yeast taste; like white bread.
Very, very of carbonated.
Dry with bitter hops twang in finish.
Medium body. Easy to drink. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
I know, you've never heard of it, right?  Is it some exotic "must have" from some hole in the wall brewery?  C'mon, the anticipation is killing you....huh?

It's official, the Reaper has begun home brewing.  This is my first effort.  Named for the pristine white sand beaches of the west coast of Florida, I have entered the home beer making hobby. Alright, before we get too far ahead of ourselves it's time for full disclosure.  I had help...well - uh - er - ummm...ya' know; a Mr. Beer kit.

I'm already ahead of you with the snarky comments.  It's good for a first effort and although the review is here on the dark side at Ales From The Crypt, you can read all about it on the light side at Firkin Around, my alter, alter ego.

The brew was eh, so-so for a 'yellow beer' and a lager at that, but the box contains a blonde as well. We will be brewing that soon in the "Easy Bake Oven" of beer makers, so stay tuned for that.  I learned to follow the instructions to a 'T' and wasn't too disappointed with the outcome.  It taught me to home brew and now I want to scale it up a bit.

On another connection to Florida, I cracked open the first fully conditioned and chilled bottle to coincide with the 41st anniversary of the first lunar landing.  What was uttered so many years ago about the first steps on the surface of the moon could be said for my first home brew, "...that's one small step for man..."