What better time to review a special collaboration beer by two of the world’s hottest and well-respected craft breweries, than Craft Beer Week. My Antonia, a continually-hopped Imperial Pilsner, spawned from the partnership between Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head (Delaware, US) and Leonardo DiVencenzo of Birra del Borgo (Borgorose, Italy) in 2008. A fantastic creation that displays the camaraderie and support among craft breweries around the world. In addition, this is the first Dogfish Head beer to be made available in the state of Arkansas.

Classic novels and beer?! Sign me up!

My Antonia pours a hazy straw yellow in color with massive carbonation, which produces a magnificent, lingering head that recedes into a web of lace. Go easy while pouring this beer, as it doesn’t appreciate confinement. The aroma is very refreshing with notes of floral spiciness, fresh bread, and grassy hops. The taste of this beer is wonderful and multi-layered. It begins with a moderate amount of dry sweet-straw malt and notes of tropical fruit and citrus hops that are accentuated by pine hop bitterness and a touch of honey.  This leads to a finish of grapefruit and pilsner malt to round out the satisfying experience. The mouthfeel is perfect for the style with a medium-light body and crispness provided by the carbonation. My Antonia disguises its 7.5% ABV and would make a great session beer, perfect for warmer months.

As we continue to enjoy Craft Beer Week here in Arkansas, it is exciting to take a look back over the past three or four years to see how much the craft beer scene in Arkansas has grown during that time. The continued love and support from our in-state beer enthusiasts ensures us many more years of progression and advancement in our craft beer market. Things are looking up.

LOVE CRAFT BEER. IT WILL LOVE YOU BACK.

We gave this beer 4 diamonds:

This beer will be gone soon as it is a limited release. Get yours today at the following Craft-Beer-loving locations:

The Vineyard – Fort Smith

Crossover Liquor – Fayetteville

Liquor Mart & Wine Shoppe – Fayetteville

The Bottle – Fayetteville

Liquor World – Fayetteville

Macadoodles – Springdale

O’Looney’s – Little Rock

Colonial Wines & Spirits – Little Rock

Flying Saucer – Little Rock

Westrock Spirits and Wines – Little Rock

Big Orange – Little Rock

Sullivant’s Liquor – Little Rock

Springhill Wine & Spirits – North Little Rock

Lake Liquor – Maumelle

Poinsett Package – Harrisburg

107 Liquor – Sherwood

Behold:  a full week dedicated to craft beer.

If you have been waiting for a reason to buy that bomber of craft beer at your local liquor store, now you have a reason.  For it’s AMERICAN CRAFT BEER WEEK my friend!  What is this splendid week of bliss, you say?  It’s a celebration of the very emotion, the very skill, the very art and the very brotherhood that is craft beer.

The following video mentions the success story that is craft beer; that craft beer is about American grit, creative ability and hard work, that it’s a success story; and result of hard working Americans.

This is what we celebrate when we toast craft beer.  We cheer for independent American spirit.  We support American ingenuity.  We imbibe the amazing labor and talent of fellow Americans…rather than a mega corporation that brews up cheap beer for the profit of foreign CEOs.

Let’s toast to that!  If you are searching for a beer to drink this week – just scroll down and pick one out ftom our blog!

CraftBeer.com’s American Craft Beer Week from Brewers Association on Vimeo.

Beer Review/PSA – Green Flash Hop Head Red
Style: Red India Pale Ale
ABV: 7.0%
Drink if you like: delicious hops, sweet baked desserts, things with red labels.

A “Hophead” is described by Urban Dictionary as “someone who enjoys really hoppy beers, or drinks hoppy beers exclusively. Most likely this person is a beer-geek or craft-brew drinker”.

Close your eyes and picture the first Hophead that comes to mind. You got ‘em? Now, ask yourself “if asked to be a character witness for this person, would I have to bend the truth?” If the answer is “no”, then this person you are picturing is either a Hophead imposter or you don’t know them well enough.

With all due respect, every Hophead I’ve ever known has had a crazy streak in them. Not the “oh, [person’s name] so cray” type, I mean “the Psychologist will see you now” type…but they mean well. They really do.

The Chicken or the Egg: Hopheadedness is not an inherited trait. Instead, this peculiarity is manifested over years of hop exploitation. The user’s body begins to crave the citrusy/herbal/fruity/piney bitterness that hops provide. This compulsion, in turn, begins a mind-altering transformation that bleeds over into the Hophead’s daily life, which leads to an existence solely based on eccentricism, extravagance, and unreserved craziness…but the adoring kind. Pine-tree-licking and grapefruit-seed-snorting are only seen in the most extreme cases

Hop Head Red is dry hopped with Amarillo Hops – prepare to take a trip to this wonderful place!

But, alas, there is now an FDA approved therapeutic treatment within our state borders that aims to dissuade this behavior in a very humane way. The name of this over-the-counter remedy is Green Flash Hop Head Red. At the onset, this hazy amber tonic welcomes the patient with a calming aroma of citrus, as well as a subtle addition of rich caramel malts. The taste provides a perfect balance of caramel sweetness, bready malt, and a lingering dose (70 IBUs) of Columbus, Nugget, and Amarillo hops that impart flavors of citrus and pine. The medium-bodied concoction has the appeal of hop bitterness with a cleverly disguised malt body that is sure to facilitate stability to the loved ones in your life.

We gave this beer 4.5 Diamonds:

Think of how the indulgent Hopheads you know could benefit from this wonderful medicinal brew. You can pick them up at the following locations:

Spirits Shop – Fayetteville
Dickson Street Liquor – Fayetteville
The Bottle – Fayetteville
Liquor World – Fayetteville
Tanglewood Branch – Fayetteville
Crossover Liquor – Fayetteville
Macadoodles – Springdale
Popatop University – Little Rock
Grapevine Wine & Spirits – Little Rock
Willy D’s – Little Rock
Vino’s – Little Rock
Yancy’s Wine and Spirits – Little Rock
Big Orange – Little Rock
Westrock Spirits and Wines – Little Rock
Hillcrest Liquor – Little Rock
Flying Saucer – Little Rock
Sullivant’s Liquor – Little Rock
Colonial Wine & Spirits – Little Rock
Palarm Creek Liquor – North Little Rock
Springhill Wine & Spirits – North Little Rock
Pat’s Beverage Shop – North Little Rock
The Vineyard – Fort Smith
In Good Spirits – Fort Smith
71 South Liquor – Fort Smith
Shamrock Liquor – Fort Smith
Town and Country Liquors – Fort Smith
Cheers Liquor – Fort Smith
Lake Liquor – Maumelle
Judicious Spirits – Mountain Home
Jack’s Package Store – Mountain Home
Holiday Store – Paragould
The Party Liquor Store – Paragould
Porter’s Liquor – Augusta
Bayman Liquor – Cotter
Poinsett Package – Harrisburg
Redfield Liquor – Redfield

This man was an AMAZING president!

Recently it was International Beer Day.  Raise a glass of beer to help celebrate America’s first correction to an experiment-gone-wrong: prohibition.  On this day, year 1933, we made beer legal again.  That’s worth celebrating!

Your local Arkansas Beer Geek bloggers will be drinking a beer or two in honor of FDR, and one of the beers on our list is Green Flash Imperial IPA.  We are having a “big-boy only” beer rule – and this is the brand new big boy IPA of Arkansas.  Green Flash brews some amazingly crafted beers – and their specialty is HOPS.  So just imagine when they wanted to brew an imperial / double American west-coast style IPA; they made a hop explosion.  If Michael Bay was the director of an excessively hopped beer – this hop action movie would be his choice.

Let’s blow this beer up!

shout out to drinkingrealbeer.com for the photo

Green Flash Imperial IPA pours an intriguing golden yellow with orange highlights.  It has a solid, thick and inviting head.  You could smell the hop blast as soon as you popped the cap.  You’ll find big orange-like citrus notes, fresh pine needle, that skunky cannabis aroma you smelled that one time in college, grapefruit and some sweet floral notes.   Time for flavor detonation.  A very slight alcohol burns coats your tongue as you feel the bitter awesomeness.  Huge notes of  PINE – BOOM.  Grapefruit – KABLOW. PUNGENT HOP BITTERNESS ALL OVER – KABREECHHHHHAAAWWHHHHH!  There is a slight biscuit backbone to this beer, but in true west coast style, don’t expect to notice it.  This is a hop showcase – balance will not stand in the way.

This is a great beer to celebrate a true American beer innovation: the Imperial IPA.  We own hop bombs like we own the great majority of the world’s military might.  Strong, excessive, and awesome.

Ask your local beer merchants for this beer – if they don’t have it, they may be communists.

We gave this beer 4.5 Diamonds.

The Feast of St. Patrick has been observed by the Catholic Church since the early seventeenth century. This official Feast Day was originally designated to commemorate St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity to Ireland, though this day has taken on more of a secular meaning in the last century. Now celebrated with a plethora of festivals, parades, and green clothing, St. Patrick’s Day in America has become a day of partyin’ it up* as well as a changing of seasons.

*Catholic faith and Irish roots not required

Arkansas Beer Blog would like to suggest that you skip the green beer this year and reach for something more pleasing and palatable. It is well within our power (we Googled it) to appoint an Official Beer of St. Patrick’s Day 2013, and we will do so now. Ladies and Gentlemen, we introduce to you:

Green Flash Double Stout
[queue fireworks, applause, and tiny Leprechaun doing the Harlem Shake dancing a jig]

We trew in a’ittle Irish folk art fur ya!

We chose this beer for a variety of reasons. Green Flash Double Stout is double-dark, double-creamy, double-satisfying, double-balanced, and double-damn-good. Let’s kick this party off:

Green Flash Double Stout pours black with three fingers of mocha foam that creates a beautiful, enduring lace. Once this beer opens up, we are met with the inviting smell of chocolate cake, roasted grains, and smoky coffee. This is one of the most well-balanced Stouts we’ve had in some time. The taste mirrors the aroma with a surplus of silky chocolate, roasted malts, and caramel that sits well on the tongue. These flavors subtly transition to tastes of bitter coffee, smoke, and dark chocolate. The smooth and creamy mouthfeel adds to the gratification of this wonderful beer.

A lot more can be said about this beer, but for the sake of brevity, trust us on this one. Swing by your local store and pick up a 4-pack of Green Flash Double Stout this week. Crack one open and thank St. Patrick and Green Flash for their good works.

We gave this beer 4 diamonds:

You can find this beer at the following honorary Irish-for-St.-Patty’s-Day locations:

Colonial Wine and Spirits – Little Rock

Dickson Street Liquor – Fayetteville

Lake Liquor – Maumelle

Hillcrest Liquor and Fine Wines – Little Rock

The Bottle – Fayetteville

Flying Saucer – Little Rock

Liquor World – Fayetteville

Springhill Wine and Spirits – North Little Rock

Old Chicago – North Little Rock

Friendly Liquor – Fayetteville

Big Orange – Little Rock

Tanglewood Branch – Fayetteville

Vino’s – Little Rock

Style: American IPA

ABV: 7.3%

Drink if you like: grapefruit, citrus flavors, amazing-hop-forward beers, surfer culture, gnarly 360 pop shuv its.

Let’s just address this evil rumor about the two guys behind Arkansas Beer Blog who had “accidents” in their respective pants when hearing about Green Flash coming to Arkansas.  Some horrible gossip out there is now claiming one of us handsome and witty bloggers needs a diaper for when he gets his hands on the first batch.  WELL…  I HAVE MY DIAPER ON!

Hop heads, unite!

As you can see, we are excited to welcome Green Flash Brewing to Arkansas.  These guys have been making quality beer for a long time.  They are located in San Diego, CA – which is something of a Mecca for hop-lovers.  This area of the world has changed what America thinks of IPA and Imperial/Double IPA beers.  In great American tradition, our hopped-up brews are bigger, bolder, and jam-packed with flavor. Green Flash has helped blaze this trail.  Here is some history.

We can now experience one of the best IPAs in America, and quote me, the world. There will always be the hard-to-find small batch beer that was “way better but you had to be there man” and therefore the people who tell those stories.  There will also be people who confuse this beer for a Imperial/Double IPA – believe me, it’s wonderfully and intensely hoppy, but may not be the most hoppy beer you’ve ever had….. or then again – it may be.  Considering all this – the wonderful thing about this beer is supply.  They make this beer year-round, and they make a LOT of it.  It’s a very special thing when you can have such a high quality beer nearly any time you wish – this is the type of Arkansas we want my friend!

There is one important note – since this beer is SO NEW to Arkansas, many liquor stores have NOT ordered it yet!  Please do your duty as a beer geek and call, request and DEMAND Green Flash be available to you and your loved ones. One simple task – many great rewards.

Let’s drink this beer!

West Coast IPA pours with orange and amber hues.  As you pour, your heart starts to race – because you can already smell the hop awesomness in this beer.  Lean in and take a sniff- you’ll find a wallop of fresh pine needles, grapefruit, lemon, herbs, and some sweeter malts to attempt to round the nose out.  Diaper is secure.  As you take your first drink, you’ll get a wonderful bitter BITE – a strong sensation to your tongue and nose – followed by flavors that follow the nose: grapefruit, mango and pine resin.  As it moves to the back of your mouth down the hatch, you’ll find some important flavors to balance this beer: lemon zest and sweet cookie like malts.

Wow… That was nice!  It used to be a rare thing to have this beer here in Arkansas; your beloved bloggers used to show off this beer like a badge of honor.  “Where can I get this?” was a frequent question, and our sad yet boastful response was “Sorry, you can’t get this in Arkansas.”

Well, times are changing, my fellow craft-beer-loving friends!!

Go find this beer!  If not, be sure to demand this beer!  Available at:
Colonial Wine and Spirits – Little Rock
Dickson Street Liquor – Fayetteville
Lake Liquor – Maumelle
Hillcrest Liquor and Fine Wines – Little Rock
The Bottle – Fayetteville
Flying Saucer – Little Rock
Liquor World – Fayetteville
Springhill Wine and Spirits – North Little Rock
Old Chicago – North Little Rock
Friendly Liquor – Fayetteville
Big Orange – Little Rock
Tanglewood Branch – Fayetteville
Vino’s – Little Rock

We gave this beer 5 diamonds:

Heading to the White River or surrounding areas to slay trout? Don’t forget to drink craft beer too!

A few weeks ago, your friendly ABB bloggers headed north with some friends for a trout fishing weekend. Several miles from our destination, we found ourselves on the outskirts of the picturesque Mountain Home, Arkansas. Our eyes affixed on the winding roads and our ears consenting to the genius lyrics of Tom Waits. We had no intention of slowing down until we reached the trout waters, yet as we topped a hill we noticed a glorious oasis in the distance. The truck instinctively slowed, blinker engaged, and we pulled into an attractive and modern rocked building with an enticing sign that read “Judicious Spirits”. We are, admittedly, suckers for beer stores. Even though our vehicle was stuffed to the gills with beer (strike the aforementioned statement if this interferes with state law) we had to take this opportunity to investigate.

We walked inside and were instantly greeted by the owner, Eve, and her associate Katherine. We were floored at the layout of this liquor store. Copious amounts of wine, liquor, and beer lined the organized aisles. We were asked if this was our first trip, at which we answered “yes”. We were given a tour of the facility as well as a crash course of their website and facebook page on their accessible computer kiosk (very handy for looking up beer ratings!). Katherine pointed us in the direction of the beer and away we went. A top notch craft beer selection awaited; and it was laid out in alphabetical order, no less. To our left, a self-contained section named “Brew Bayou,” a 28 degree beer cave. To our right, “The Grotto,” a 45 degree wine cave. We were in heaven. As we shopped around, we inquired more about their business. After further discussion, we found that these ladies had recently started the aptly named Brew Belles Beer Club for Women. This club was designed to introduce women to the world of craft beer through education, discussion, as well as tastings and pairing information. They organize tasting events on a monthly basis. Men are allowed to attend, but only if they wear a dress, which actually sounds like a small price to pay.

We ended up buying some more beer and made some new friends in the beer business. We would like to raise our glasses to these wonderful women for providing Arkansans and out-of-state residents alike with an exciting selection of craft beer as well as their promotion of craft beer education. We encourage you to stop by Judicious Spirits and tell them Arkansas Beer Blog sent you. Also, check out their website and Facebook accounts for valuable information on the world of craft beer.

Oh, and we finally made it to the trout cabin. We drank big beers, caught big fish, and ate an entire cow.  Stuffed with cheese.  And a roasted pig.  It was a good weekend.

We gave this retail establishment 4 diamonds.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Belgian?  Check.  Historic brewery with hundreds of years of tradition? Check.  Will it get better with age?  Check.  Santa hat?  Check.

St. Bernardus follows the seemingly Belgian Christmas tradition of making a  really strong beer that gets you a little tipsy around your extended family; whom have all crowded into your home for the Holidays.  They won’t notice though!  They are too busy commenting on the handsome Monk on the label.  What is he doing, anyhow?  Singing?  Waving his finger at you for being on the naughty list?  As you hear these arguments, you will step in and explain how he’s drinking some world class beer…. then you’ll get in an argument with your cousin about that thing he did last year.  He just won’t let it go.

Jeez.  You go back to enjoying the beer, which smells of caramel, cloves, and dark, raisiny figgy fruit. The taste gives you dark fruit as well as tree fruit, brown sugar, caramel and classic bready malt backbone. Hints of spice legitimize the label. The high ABV is subtle, but provides a great warming quality.

Trust us beer geeks – this is the perfect gift for someone who appreciates good beer, or for someone who just wants a little liquid relaxation while dealing with dozens of people who claim they are related to you.

We gave this beer 4.5 diamonds

Dansk Mjød Viking Blod
ABV: 19%
Style: Mead

After spending his early life traveling aboard longships and raiding North Atlantic islands, Gøttrik grew tired of the Viking grind and opted for an opportunity in the new world. Now four years removed from his life at sea, Gøttrik found himself with a successful book-keeping career for a mid-sized accounting firm. While he excelled at his job duties, sadly, Gøttrik was not able to gain full acceptance from his coworkers.

Standing in a dimly-lit corner of the seasonally-decorated office building, Gøttrik the Norse Accountant was attending his fourth company Christmas party in as many years. Just as all the parties before, Gøttrik sat in silence as he watched the others flutter around, spouses in tow, drinking their domestic beer and boxed wine, and making small-talk about subjects unimportant. His attempts to involve himself in the conversation were unfruitful, much to the blame of his armament, a large, unsightly, battle-scarred axe he carried at his side. Gøttrik, wearing a woolen overtunic, leg wrappings, leather boots, and horned combat helmet was never informed there would be a tacky sweater contest with prizes awarded. His haggis dish had nary a spoonful removed. Yet, the most painful part of Gøttrik’s evening occurred when his Dirty Santa gift, an unassuming, ceramic bottle of Mead, was left on the table as the party ended. Gøttrik reflected on the night’s events. His bushy face winced as his blood began to boil. His Norwegian roots were beginning to surface for the first time in four years as he raised his axe and let out a scream “ODIN!!”.

A sad tale, indeed, but it is our hope that this story raises awareness of a very similar issue. The issue of Mead. Mead is a fermented honey wine that dates back to 7000 BC. Much like Gøttrik, Mead has a hard time finding a secure place in today’s society. We aim to change that.

Introducing Viking Blod.

Historically accurate photo of Gøttrik Ginsburger, the ancient accountant who discovered that drinking mead is cool.

Viking Blod, at 19% ABV, is described as Nordic honey wine with hibiscus and hops added. Brewed from a recipe that dates back from the year 1700, Viking Blod is fantastic creation. The dark ceramic bottle definitely adds to the experience.

Viking Blod pours a deep golden color with no head, which is expected since this style has no carbonation. Aromas of flowers and honey sweetness are present. The first sip is a shock to the taste buds in a very good way. The sweetness is short-lived as other flavors take over. The taste is very complex with hints of floral and herbal notes along with honey, pepper, caramel, and hibiscus. The alcohol is warming but, surprisingly, not overly apparent. The mouthfeel is oily and full. What a wonderful deviation from the norm from the world’s oldest fermented beverage. This Mead can also be served warm as a winter warmer. A perfect addition to the Christmas drink list.

We ask that you open your heart and your mind and offer acceptance to Viking Blod, as the beautifully concocted beverage it is. Gøttrik would be proud.

Scaldis Noel
ABV: 12%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

When I first took a drink of this beer, I actually thought I was drinking some hard liquor.  “What’s this awesome stuff?”  I said, not realizing that it was beer.  Yes, perhaps I was wearing sunglasses inside a house (during a loud party) and perhaps my eyes weren’t focusing as well as they should… But upon further inspection I DID figure out that this was a wonderful beer.  The whole carbonation thing gave it away.  You will find sweet cognac notes in this beer, dark rum, burnt sugar and some Christmas magic.  It’s a sipper if there ever was a one.  Treat it properly!  Don’t try to pour and chug; unless you are about to fight a polar bear.  I have a few of these in my personal cellar, and I’m REALLY looking forward to opening an aged one up this Christmas. If you buy this as a gift, remember to tell that lucky someone that it only gets better with age.

We gave this beer 4 diamonds

Remember – if your local store isn’t carrying this beer – ask for it!