Article By: Zinswin

On October 25th I made a trip I was planning for almost a year. This was a quest to buy one of the world’s most hyped and treasured beers. It would take me on an epic 32-minute journey from my home to the heart of Brooklyn Center, MN. The heart of Darkness.

The previous night at 4pm I decided to prep. I had a growler of Surly Furious in my beer fridge that was taking up too much space, and it needed opening. I cracked it open and got to work. Opening a growler of Furious is not like shooting wamp rats back home. This is 64 ounces of 6.2%ABV beer. It was a good night.

The next morning at 7am I woke up. I planned on being there at 8 and I knew it was going to be in the 30’s, so I put on four layers of clothing and two pairs of socks. I double-checked my wallet since they were taking cash only. Six 750ml bottles per person, $100 for all six. My wife was also getting ready, but to go for a 5k race instead. (True love is forever, but it won’t stand in line for four hours to get six more bottles).

In the paper that morning was a short blurb on Darkness. It’s then that I was getting a bit nervous. They said that the first 700 were guaranteed beer. I have to get going. I grabbed the cell phone, but it had no charge so it was left behind. I kissed my wife and kids and headed out the door.

As I approached the exit ramp to France Ave, I got more and more nervous. Ed and Joe, the owners of Heritage Liquor down the street, told me they had a group of people coming with them in a camper and were going to get there at 7pm on the 24th. How many people were that crazy? I was about to find out. (more…)

Article By: Zinswin

In preparation for Surly’s Darkness day (Oct 25th) I’ve been drinking a veritable shit-ton of stouts to warm up my palette. I bought beer that I’ve tried before and some beer that I’ve always been curious about. I even opened up a bottle of my stash beer, the legendary Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

I’m drinking a lot of Russian Imperial Stouts in this article. What makes a beer an R.I.S.? Well, back in the day, Katherine the Great was visiting England. She loved the stouts there and wanted them back home. After she arrived home, the deliveries were never quite as good because fresh beer is usually the best beer. So, they put extra hops and malt in the beer. More than any sane person would want. Those beers were able to survive the trip because of the extra alcohol and hops. A new style was born and we have some great beer because of it.

You may have noticed that I like all the beers I review. Well, I don’t want to waste your time with beer that I don’t like. If I write about it, you can be sure it’s a beer that you may want to buy next time you go into the beer store. In this article, the beers are ordered by how I liked them, least to most.

You’ll also notice that almost all the beers listed here are pricey. There is a price to pay for greatness, and the ingredients from just one bottle of these could be used to make about 50 kegs of Miller/Bud/Coors light.

Oak Aged Yeti. Oak Aged Russian Imperial Stout. Great Divide Brewing Company. 9.5%ABV. $7.99/22oz bomber.

Pours as black as satan’s PJ’s. Nice thick caramel colored head that leaves spotty lacing.

Smell is newly cut, boozy oak with lots of astringency.

POW! This is an oak aged product that you can certainly taste the oak in. It gives off tons of new oak resin. Huge, thick mouthfeel. This one is a sipper in the most extreme sense. Rich cream. Bright bitterness in the hops. Burnt toffee. The alcohol is hidden very well; there is no heat whatsoever. As it warms, the astringency of the oak lessens and out comes the taste of one of those high quality dark chocolate bars made with 85% cocoa.

This took me over two hours to drink. Definition of a sipper beer. Recommended, if you like the taste of new oak.

Bell’s Expedition Stout. Russian Imperial Stout. Bell’s Brewery, Inc. 10.5%ABV $2.69/12 oz bottle.

Pours a deep black with a thick cocoa head. Leaves an oil slick where it once was on the glass.

Smells of molasses and a hint of yeast.

Thick waves of sweet molasses. Very full mouthfeel. Not a beer that is easy to drink, but in a very good way. Spicy black and white pepper notes. Burnt toffee is hiding behind the molasses. Cherry/vanilla/oak is hiding behind the toffee. Dried grass covers like an umbrella.

Yeti. Russian Imperial Stout. Great Divide Brewing Company. 9.5%ABV. $6.99/22oz bomber.

Pours pure black with a thick chocolate milk colored head.

Smell is condensed roasted malt with a touch of hops and a subtle nod to soy milk. A slight booziness fills the nostrils.

Nothing subtle in the mouth. Very exciting entrance and makes a bold statement of deeply roasted malt. The aggressive hops have a dried grass taste. Sweet molasses comes up a few seconds after tasting and lingers pleasantly. As it begins to warm, a hint of rye is found teasing in the boackground. The alcohol is masked very well and gives no hint that this is a 9.5% alcohol beer.
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Article By: Zinswin

Oktoberfest. ‘Tis the season to drink beer. And while I may be a few weeks late to the celebration, now is the time that you will be able to find Oktoberfest (or Marzen) style beers where you may live.
This style of beer originated in Germany, and was the last beer brewed in the brewing season. Summers in Germany were too hot to brew before refrigeration, so they put their last effort into their March (German: Marz, English: March) offering. The beer barrels were aged in caves over the hot summer, and when September rolled around the beer was ready. Because it needed to be higher in alcohol to survive the summer, it was brewed with more malt. It was also made with malt that was more heavily roasted so it comes out with an amber color.

Traditional Oktoberfest beer is sweet with little hoppiness. The mouthfeel is slightly thicker than water. It is specifically made to get you drunk. You are supposed to drink as much as you can when drinking this. I am not kidding.

Today I’m looking at traditional as well as non-traditional styles. My own tastes lean towards the non-traditionals, but none of these is a bad beer. I’ll start with most traditional and go to least.

Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen. 5.8% ABV. Purchased at The Cellars, Roseville, MN. $6.99/6 pack of 12oz bottles.

Pours a brown amber with a head that dissipates quickly. Smells of yeasty, lightly roasted malt.

Taste at first is something that I connect with an oxidized beer; a bit of a wet cardboard taste. This evolves quickly into a mild wet malt flavor. Very easy to drink and I can see how this can be easily thrown back in Munich in great quantities. I get a feeling, however, this would be better if it was imbibed in the Fatherland… it seems it just doesn’t travel well and would make a better showing in Munchen.

Overall, it is easy to drink and has a moderate alcohol content so it is fine for a gathering of people who aren’t very picky about their beer.

Don’t turn it down if someone hands it to you, but don’t go out of your way to get it, either.

Sam Adams Oktoberfest. 5.7%ABV. Purchased at The Cellars, Roseville, MN. $6.99/6 pack of 12oz bottles.

Pours a dark amber. Smell is sweet and lively.

This is a beer I can picture myself drinking on a mild early fall day outside. The malt is sweet and mellow and has the slightest hint of wine in it. The bitterness from the hops is so faint that you really have to concentrate to taste it. Well balanced and would pair nicely with just about any food you would throw at it, since it is so mild.

First time I had this I was new to drinking beer, was back in the Fall of 1996. I had it on tap at the Bodega Brew Pub in LaCrosse, WI, as a sophomore at Viterbo College. (I was with my parents and it’s legal to drink with your parents in good ol’ ‘skonnie.) I thought it was the most fantastic thing ever. My taste has changed (and probably this recipe) but this beer still holds a special place in my heart.

This is worth picking up if you are going to have an Oktoberfest party and you see it for a good price.
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Zinswin bring us another article in the Beer Talk series!

Article By: Zinswin

Of the four main ingredients in beer (water, malt, hops, yeast), the hop plant is the most interesting. Before hops, beer had all sorts of adjuncts to add varieties of flavor. This was because beer brewed with only malt was too sweet and cloying. Some examples of common ingredients added to beer before hops were figs, anise, and rosemary. (I’ve had beer made like this. It’s… interesting). Then one day in the 11th or 12 century, someone discovered that adding this cousin of cannabis to beer was the perfect compliment to balance out the sweetness in the malt. Since then, hops have been as essential to beer as malt.

So, we will explore the wonderful world of hops today. I am a self-certified hophead and I’ll review some beers that bring them to the forefront. Hops add bitterness and aroma to beer. There are many different types of hops and they all impart different qualities. Typical hop aroma descriptors include citrus, pine, and floral.

On a sad note, if you are a hophead, it’s a guarantee that your beer prices will go up for the next few years. Hop prices have dramatically increased due to the global market and have gone from around $3 a pound last year to upwards of $27 a pound two years from now. Gotta love commodities.

The fresher a hoppy beer is, the better. Hop profiles degrade quickly and a beer that was “awesome” today may be only “great” four weeks from now.

There are amazing food pairings with hoppy beer. This beer will destroy your taste buds, so you need to find a full flavored food to go with it. Buffalo chicken wings (I’ll give you my recipe sometime if you’re lucky) or strip steak from the grill will make you pound your fist on the table with a Samuel L. Jackson-esque, “fuck, yeah, motherfucker!”

I have included a wide variety of beers here that I hope will be available where you live. You should be able to find at least one.

All tastings done with a Duvel tulip glass.

Mojo IPA. Boulder Beer Company. 7%ABV. Purchased at St. Anthony Village Wine & Spirits, St. Anthony, MN. $8.49/6 pack 12oz bottles.

Pours an amber-straw color with a nice, thick, finely bubbled head. The head dissipates quickly but leaves a decent amount of lacing down the glass. Pine and white pepper with a hint of lemon are in the first sniff.

First taste gives a nice spicy bitterness and light malt presence. The hops impart a peppery taste with a slight hint of orange peel. If you love the bitterness that hops impart, this is a great beer for you.

Drinkability is very high. You’ll find yourself constantly taking small sips, wonder where it all went, and start from the beginning again. Just make sure you call a taxi when you go back out for that second six-pack.

Worth a try. (more…)

Our friend and fellow Minnesotan, Zinswin, brings us what we hope will be a regular feature here on Robot Panic. It’s all about one of our favorite topics..beer.

Article By: Zinswin

Mmmm… beer.

Homer aside, beer is awesome. Two years ago, beer was something I drank frequently but thought very little about. I was drinking good beer, but I still thought that beer was the hillbilly cousin to wine.

I was wrong. Beer is better than wine. It kicks ass. There are tons of good beers out there, and they’re probably at the store down the street from you. It’s been my mission this summer to try tons of new beers. I have succeeded. Somewhere along the way, I have become a beer nut, nerd… ubergeek.

It’s time to go to Beer School, son. Sit back, shut the fuck up, and I’ll share with you some great beer. If you’re lucky you may be able to get it where you live.

All tastings done with a Duvel tulip glass.

Arrogant Bastard Ale. Stone Brewing Company. 7.2%ABV. $4.99/22oz bomber. Purchased at Casanova’s, Hudson, WI.

I love this beer. It kicks your ass and you just have to keep coming back for more. Even the bottle is awesome… a line art gargoyle drinking beer. It’s dangerous as hell. It’s so good that I spent $40 on a cab ride in Vegas just to go to a liquor store that carried it because I wanted to bring some back to the Twin Cities. One week later I found out they started distributing in Wisconsin.

Pours a dark brown with a thick head that lingers. When held to the light an angry ruby red glows through the dark brown.

Quite a bit of malt comes through when smelling. Grapefruit is also present, but not overpowering.

This is a beer full of taste, not for beer sissies. Burnt caramel and toffee come to the front along with powerful bitterness. Smooth buttered rye bread is present in the finish. Some heat from the alcohol is present, but is very nicely balanced. Leaves lacing all down the glass as it empties. As it warms, sweetness becomes more prominent. For as powerful as the taste is, it is a very balanced beer and assaults all areas of the tongue as an equal opportunity destroyer. The higher alcohol content also means you can’t have more than a couple without being fucked.
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As you may have heard on the most recent episode of Drunken Gamers Radio, we went to Surly Fest this weekend and came back a little…uh…sideways. So what is Surly Fest anyway? Born in 2004, Surly Brewing was created by Omar Ansari in Brooklyn Center, MN, a northern suburb of Minneapolis. Almost immediately, Surly was met with rave reviews and local word of mouth spread like wildfire. It wasn’t too long after they opened that I heard about Surly from a co-worker whose enthusiasm for the beer inspired me to seek it out. Hilden and I headed over to a neighborhood bar in St. Paul and ordered a pitcher of Surly Furious and we were immediately in love. And ever since then, Surly has been our beer of choice. But we’re not the only ones. Surly has won numerous regional and national awards, including Brewery of the Year by Beer Advocate. Surly is also mentioned nearly every month in Draft Magazine. It’s amazing how quickly this local treasure has become national news.

So onto Surly Fest. Being a subscriber to Surly’s mailing list, I was delighted to read that they would be holding a massive party at their brewery and all Surly fans were invited. For $30, attendees received a German-made Surly stein, which would be filled four times with your choice of Surly beer. Entertainment included a couple bands, a brewery tour, and a little history from Surly’s founder. I snagged a couple tickets before they completely sold out, and we were on our way. Here are a handful of pictures.

I’ll start with some interior shots of the brewery.

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Ah, Kings. The drinking game with more names than Dracula and more rule variations than Calvinball. You know that one card game in Final Fantasy VIII where every person played it and every town had its own rule set? Kings is probably the closest possible card game toward representing such a phenomenon. I’ve played a crapload of this game back in the college times. I don’t remember any of those games having the same rules as another time. If I did anything from playing at a different college to going one town over, I’d have to relearn the rules all over again. Many-a-napkins were used in rewriting these temporary scriptures. The other problem I ran into is that no one person knows 100% of the rules, so almost as a common law, the first 15 minutes after deciding to play is spent piecing together the little bits everybody in the room knows about playing Kings. Of course, whenever we decide to play, nobody has a fucking computer around. Mind you that all this takes place after spending 2-3 minutes assessing that everybody in the room agrees we’re talking about playing the same game. Maybe you know Kings as Circle of Death, Avalanche, Waterfall, King’s Cup, or even Captain Dickhead.

Regardless, I grew tired of that twenty minute standing period filling up the cocktail napkin with pencil marks. I made a greatest hits version list of all the fucked up rules I’ve run into over the years. It was used a few times. It was successful.

Let me teach you how to play Kings:
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