Bourbon County Season

Tastings:
Stone Stochasticity Project Master of Disguise
Rogue Double Chocolate Stout
Bourbon County Brand Barleywine (2014)
Bourbon County Brand Stout (2015)

Links:
http://www.stonebrewing.com/beer/stone-stochasticity-project/stochasticity-project-master-disguise
http://www.rogue.com/rogue_beer/double-chocolate-stout/
http://www.gooseisland.com/showBeer.html?name=bourbon-county-barleywine
http://www.gooseisland.com/showBeer.html?name=bourbon-county-stout

International Beer Day

We celebrated International Beer Day by drinking some beer.  Several really good ones and one real stinker.  This was also our first meeting broadcast live on Google Hangouts.

Tastings:
Sixpoint The Crisp [88]
Bauhaus Sky-Five Midwest Coast IPA [87]
Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout [78]
Stone Matt's Burning Rosids [86]
Martin City Coming Undone [n/a]
Wicked Weed Canvas Series: Montmaretto [n/a]
Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze [96]
Creature Comforts Tropicália [97]
Clown Shoes Extremely Angry Beast [93]

Links:
http://sixpoint.com/beers/core/thecrisp
http://bauhausbrewlabs.com/our-beer
http://www.rogue.com/rogue_beer/rogue-sriracha-hot-stout/
http://www.stonebrewing.com/burningrosids/
http://www.martincitybrewingcompany.com/
http://www.wickedweedbrewing.com/beer/our-beers/
http://www.3fonteinen.be/
http://www.creaturecomfortsbeer.com/tropicalia/
http://www.clownshoesbeer.com/beers/

The Matt's Burning Rosids beer commemorates the life of Stone brewer Matt Courtright who was tragically killed in a forklift accident at the brewery 2 years ago this month.

 

A Send-Off for One of Our Founders

Tastings:
Founders Blushing Monk 2015 [94]
Founders Big Lushious 2014 [89]

Links:
http://foundersbrewing.com/backstage-series/blushing-monk-2015/
http://foundersbrewing.com/backstage-series/big-lushious-2014/

Belgians & Sours

Tastings:
4 Hands Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown [86]
The Bruery Rueuze [93]
Boulevard Love Child No. 4 [96]
Boulevard Love Child No. 5 [96]
St. Bernardus Pater 6 [91]
St. Bernardus Tripel [95]
St. Bernardus Prior 8 [93]
St. Bernardus Abt 12 [99]
The Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout [94]
Charleville Box Of Chocolate [91]
Stillwater Artisanal Folklore [87]

Links:
http://4handsbrewery.com/our-beers/
http://www.thebruery.com/beer/rueuze/
http://www.boulevard.com/BoulevardBeers/love-child-no-4/
http://www.boulevard.com/BoulevardBeers/love-child-no-5/
http://www.sintbernardus.be/stbernarduspater.php?l=en
http://www.sintbernardus.be/stbernardustripel.php?l=en
http://www.sintbernardus.be/stbernardusprior8.php?l=en
http://www.sintbernardus.be/stbernardusabt12.php?l=en
http://lostabbey.com/beer/serpents-stout/
http://www.charlevillevineyard.com/?location=microbrews
http://stillwaterales.blogspot.com/p/stillwater-portfolio.html

From San Diego to Vermont

Tastings:
Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA [92]
Odell Footprint RegionAle (11 States) [86]
John Wyss Mead
Deschutes Conflux Series #3 Doppel Dinkel Bock [86]
The Alchemist Heady Topper [100]
New England Gandhi-Bot [98]
Unibroue La Fin Du Monde [96]

Links:
http://www.ballastpoint.com/beer/dorado/
http://odellbrewing.com/beer/foot-print/
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/video/doppel-dinkel-bock
http://alchemistbeer.com/
http://www.newenglandbrewing.com/brews.php
http://www.unibroue.com/en/beers/15

ACE Goes Underground

We're going to dial it back a notch or two to stay in everyone's good graces around the office.  Going dark on the calendar too, so keep an eye here and on Twitter.

Tastings:
Stone Enjoy By 4-20-2015 [98]
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA [95]
Ballast Point Victory At Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter [98]
New Belgium Lips of Faith Cocoa Molé [89]
Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale [66]

Links:
http://enjoyby.stonebrewing.com
http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/90-minute-ipa.htm
http://www.ballastpoint.com/beers/limited
http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/cocoa-mole
http://www.rogue.com/rogue_beer/voodoo-bacon-maple-ale

A Very Good Friday

Tastings:
4 Hands War Hammer Imperial IPA [93]
Rogue New Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta [87]
Boulevard Last Splash [84]
Boulevard The Calling [92]
Mother's Raspberry Imperial Three Blind Mice [87]
Stone Bourbon Barrel Arrogant Bastard Ale [87]
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout (2014) 13.8% [100]
Central Waters Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout [95]
Mikkeller Beer Geek Vanilla Shake Oatmeal Stout [96]
Terrapin Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout [96]
New Glarus Strawberry Rhubarb (2014) [96]
DuClaw Sweet Baby Jesus! (2014)  [85]

Links:

http://4handsbrewery.com/our-beers/

http://www.rogue.com/rogue_beer/new-crustacean-barleywineish-imperial-ipa-sorta/

http://www.boulevard.com/BoulevardBeers/last-splash/

http://www.boulevard.com/BoulevardBeers/the-calling/

http://www.mothersbrewing.com/news/springfield-raspberry-imperial-three-blind-mice-bottles/

http://www.arrogantbastard.com/bourbon/default.asp

http://www.gooseisland.com/beer/bourbon-county-stout.html

http://centralwaters.com/beers/brewers-reserve-series.php

http://shop.mikkeller.dk/shop/beer/mikkeller-beer-geek-vanilla-shake/

http://terrapinbeer.com/brew/monster-beer-tour/wake-n-bake-coffee-oatmeal-imperial-stout/

http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/index.cfm/beers/ourbeers/beer/strawberry-rhubarb

http://www.duclaw.com/beer/sweet-baby-jesus/

Spring Break

This was a combination of an impromptu meeting and a clean out the fridge session.  Jamie brought some Ballast Point beers back from vacation, Mike picked up some stouts over lunch, and Greg always has a full fridge.  Some IPAs, a bunch of stouts and a couple of sour ales made for a nice spur-of-the-moment line-up.

Tastings:
Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin
Leinenkugel Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout
St. Peter’s Cream Stout
Boulevard Spring Belle
Breckenridge 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout

Prairie Artisan Ales Bomb!

Prairie Artisan Ales Limo Tint

Prairie Artisan Ales Funky Gold Amarillo

Prairie Artisan Ales Cherry Funk
Coop Ale Works F5 IPA
River North IPA

Links:
http://www.ballastpoint.com/beer/sculpin/
http://www.ballastpoint.com/beer/grapefruit-sculpin/
http://leinie.com/#beers
http://www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk/products/porters-and-stouts/cream-stout/
http://www.boulevard.com/BoulevardBeers/spring-belle/
http://www.breckbrew.com/brews/72-imperial

http://prairieales.com/beer/bomb/

http://prairieales.com/beer/limo-tint-2/
http://prairieales.com/beer/funky-gold-amarillo/
http://prairieales.com/cherry-funk/
http://coopaleworks.com/beers/f5-ipa/
http://www.rivernorthbrewery.com/#!our-beer/c24i2

Free Stone Beer - If You Brew it Yourself

Stone Brewing Company is decommissioning their first beer, 19 year veteran Stone Pale Ale, from their line-up and they've decided to give away the recipe so people can brew it at home.

http://blog.stonebrewing.com/index.php/stone-pale-ale-recipe/

[unannounced]

A Friday afternoon with a few Buds turned into a small club tasting when we raided the fridge.

Tastings:
Hermitage Citra Single Hop IPA [84]
Stone Ruination IPA [96]
Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Extra! Ale [94]
Sixpoint Sweet Action [88]

Links:

http://hermitagebrewing.com/single-hop-series-citra

http://www.stonebrewing.com/ruin/

http://lagunitas.com/beers/little-sumpin-extra/

http://sixpoint.com/beers/core/sweetaction

Zymurgy’s 2014 Best Beers in America

As of June 19, 2014

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/news/zymurgys-2014-best-beers-america/

Top-Ranked Beers
(T indicates tie)
1. Russian River Pliny the Elder
2. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale ✔
3. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA ✔
4. Bell’s Hopslam ✔
5. The Alchemist Heady Topper ✔
6. Lagunitas Sucks ✔
7. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA ✔
8. Stone Enjoy By IPA ✔
9. Founders Breakfast Stout ✔
10. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout ✔
11. Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout ✔
12. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
13. Firestone Walker Wookey Jack ✔
14. Three Floyds Zombie Dust ✔
T15. Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin
T15. Sierra Nevada Celebration
17. Firestone Walker Double Jack
T18. Firestone Walker Union Jack
T18. Arrogant Bastard Ale ✔
20. Sierra Nevada Torpedo
21. Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
22. Russian River Blind Pig IPA
T23. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
T23. North Coast Old Rasputin
25. Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
26. Stone Ruination IPA ✔
27. Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
28. Russian River Pliny the Younger
29. Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro ✔
30. Russian River Supplication
31. Green Flash West Coast IPA
32. Surly Furious
33. New Belgium La Folie
T34. Founders All Day IPA
T34. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
36. Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale ✔
37. Stone IPA
38. Lagunitas IPA
T39. Russian River Consecration
T39. Troegs Nugget Nectar
41. Deschutes The Abyss ✔
42. Cigar City Jai Alai IPA
43. Bear Republic Racer 5
44. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy ✔
45. Surly Abrasive
46. New Belgium Ranger
T47. Ommegang Three Philosophers ✔
T47. Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald
T49. Founders Backwoods Bastard
T49. Odell IPA

From Doughnut to Pi

Tastings:
Stone Enjoy By 3.14.15
Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA
Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Ale
Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball
Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA
Freestate Old Brackus Barleywine
Uinta Anniversary Barley Wine Ale
Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Lemon Chiffon Cruller Ale
Martin City Barrel Aged Big Boy Stout

Links:
http://enjoyby.stonebrewing.com/stone-enjoy-31415-ipa
http://www.stonebrewing.com/collab/greentea/
http://prairieales.com/beer/prairie-ale/
http://lagunitas.com/beers/hairy-eyeball/
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brew/hop-henge
http://www.freestatebrewing.com/beer/old-backus-barleywine-ale-freestate-brewing-company/
http://www.uintabrewing.com/brews.php
http://buy.rogue.com/rogue-voodoo-doughnut-lemon-chiffon-crueller-ale/
http://martincitybrewingcompany.com/beers-on-tap

Food of the Gods

For Valentine's Day, we celebrated our love of beer by putting together a little chocolate & beer pairing.  Along with honey, chilies and annatto, Dogfish Head Theobroma is brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs from Askinosie Chocolate in Springfield, MO.

Tastings:
Askinosie 62% Dark Milk Chocolate + Fleur De Sel Sea Salt
Dogfish Head Theobroma [87]
New Belgium + Perennial Artisan Ales Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout (Lips of Faith) [84]
4 Hands Peanut Butter Chocolate Milk Stout [90]

Links:

https://askinosie.com

http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/occassional-rarities/theobroma.htm

http://www.newbelgium.com/Beer/LipsofFaith.aspx

http://4handsbrewery.com

A Hoppy Accident

 

At a recent visit to Gomer's Midtown over the lunch hour, I ran into someone else who was shopping for beer.  What are the chances?  When I spoke to her, she was said she was with the St. Agnes Parish school and was putting together a beer basket as an auction item for their annual school auction fund raiser.  When I asked her what she was looking for, she said limited release or seasonal Boulevard Smokestack beers.

At that point she had only procured a BBQ, an Imperial Stout, and a Crown Town from Gomer.  I knew I had a few in my cellar that were no longer available and would be great additions to the auction basket.  On behalf of the Ace Beer Club, I donated a Sporting KC Championship Ale, a Collaboration #4 Saison, and a Silver Anniversary Ale.

She was thrilled that she ran into me that day and very grateful for the donation.  She thought it was divine intervention, I think it was just A Hoppy Accident.

Tastings:
Bell's Hopslam Ale [99]
Schlafly Imperial Topaz [89]
Green Flash Le Freak [90]
Deschutes Zarabanda [86]
New Glarus Serendipity [96]
Breckenridge 471 Small Batch IPA [91]
Central Waters Seventeen [100]
Ommegang Three Philosophers [92]
Southern Tier Crème Brûlée [88]
Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad 2014 [95]

Links:

http://www.bellsbeer.com/brands/19-Hopslam%20Ale
http://schlafly.com/blog/2014/12/23/Imperial-topaz-ipa/
http://www.greenflashbrew.com/our-beers/le-freak/
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brew/zarabanda
http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/index.cfm/beers/OurBeers/Beer/serendipity
http://www.breckbrew.com/brews/471-small-batch
http://centralwaters.com/
http://www.ommegang.com/#!beer_three
http://www.stbcbeer.com/black-water/creme-brulee-beer-page/
http://www.boulevard.com/BoulevardBeers/bourbon-barrel-quad/

Growler Rescue

There once was a growler who traveled all the way from St. Louis to Kansas City.  He was a good little growler, filled with beer.  The problem was that once he left the safety of his pressurized keg, he would not very last long out on his own.  He was going flat.
The ACE Beer Club quickly assembled a crack team of beer drinkers on short notice to swoop in and save the little growler from his unfortunate fate.
If you have a growler in trouble, and no one else can help, maybe you can hire the ACE team.

Tastings:
Schlafly Coffee Stout [86]
Fort Collins Malt Monsters: Wallace, Wee Heavy [86]
Modern Times Black House [89]
Toppling Goliath Zeelander [96]
Stone Double Bastard [95]

Links:
http://schlafly.com/beers/styles/coffee-stout/
http://www.fortcollinsbrewery.com/brews/malt-monster/
http://moderntimesbeer.com/beer/year-round
http://www.tgbrews.com/site/beer/zee/
http://www.arrogantbastard.com/doublebastard/

Finally !!!

2015 Beer Release Calendars

http://www.porchdrinking.com/2015-craft-beer-release-calendars/

It's Cookie Season

Here's how to pair your beers with Girl Scout cookies.

http://beerandbrewing.com/VKm9gisAAF-R_rap/article/beer-pairings-for-girl-scout-cookies

Livin' the Dream

Today we came Out of the Ashes and into The Abyss: from the awful to the amazing.  We finished out the line-up with a local homebrew from Olathe which was aged on Wisconsin oak wood soaked in Maker's Mark Bourbon.

Tastings:
Deschutes The Abyss [100]
Firestone Walker Wookey Jack [95]
Het Anker Gouden Carolus Noel/Christmas [89]
Free State Winterfest [85]
Fort Collins Out of the Ashes Smoked IPA [79]
4 Hands Single Speed w/ Jasmine [80]
Livin' the Dream Wisconsin Whiskey Ale [homebrew]

Links:

http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brew/the-abyss
http://www.firestonebeer.com/beers/products/wookey-jack
http://www.hetanker.be/en/brewery
http://www.freestatebrewing.com/beer/winterfest/
http://www.fortcollinsbrewery.com/brews/outoftheashes/
http://4handsbrewery.com/our-beers/

Comments of the Day:
It tastes like a campfire.
Does that make anyone else just a little horny? -Lee