Nearly two years ago I sat down in front of my video camera to share my beer collection with others. I had no idea how many people would eventually come to watch my sessions, and how many people would ultimately get something out of it. Including myself! Either through comments, personal messages, or donations, many of you have expressed your appreciation for my work here, and I am forever grateful for that. Having recently reached my 200th unique beer review means that I have shared a great deal of info and have experienced a good amount of beer. But today I find myself at a stopping point for the site. Call it “going out on top” if you will, but for me today marks an end to something I hold very dear to my heart…The Hopry. Please take a moment to watch the above video. I’m happy to receive any comments you may have. And please know that I have deeply enjoyed my (our) time here.

Best Wishes and Cheers!
Mark Starr

Session # 200
Pelican | The Perfect Storm
English Barleywine | Pacific City, OR | 13.5% ABV

One year ago: Hoppin’ Frog Barrel-aged B.O.R.I.S.

There were some days I never thought I’d make it to 100 reviews, let alone getting to 200 reviews. But alas, today I have made it and Tim Pratt joins me once again to share a beer I’ve been staring at on my shelves for a long time. The Perfect Storm! It’s a beer I wanted to try so badly that I actually reached out to the brewer of Pelican Pub & Brewery. I was lucky enough to get one sent to me and I’ve been hanging on to it for a special occasion. Today is that day. As Tim and I poured this monstrous beer in our glasses, we noticed a couple things. First, was that the room instantly smelled like a bourbon barrel explosion. Second, was the fact that this beer didn’t pour as gooey and big as we thought it would. It had a nice dark mahogany color with a fair amount of head resting on top, but we could see the bottoms of our glasses. We thought this was a bit odd. The nose was of dark fruits, burnt caramel, brown sugar, and TONS of booze. One sip set us back further than planned because the amount of heat coming off this beer was numbing. Once this burn subsided, toffee, oak, and vanilla laid on our tongues for a few minutes. But at the end of the day, the annihilation of that booze was too much to take. Was their good flavor? Yes. Was it drinkable? Ummm…no. I can tell you that our score was collaborative but mine was much lower than Tim’s. I was pretty disappointed for a beer I’ve been waiting ages to drink. Firestone Walker’s Abacus eats this beer’s lunch all day long… So get it instead.

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This beer has been retired.
Listening To: Joy Division “Atmosphere”



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Session # 199
Odell | Deconstruction Ale
American Wild Ale | Fort Collins, CO | 10.5% ABV

One year ago: Odell India Pale Ale

Over the course of the last year or so, Odell Brewing out of Fort Collins, CO has been making their fair share of barrel-aged beers. At least five that I can think of off the top of my head. Today’s beer, Deconstruction Ale, is a blend (if you will) of three different beers. One aged in oak barrels; one aged in bourbon barrels; and one aged in wine barrels. There is also a portion of it that is just Strong Ale. But there was definitely some thought put in to the blending of this beer. Out of the bottle came a huge jet of white foam before I could even pour it into my glass. It kept creeping throughout the review. The vibrant orange color, however, was amazing. That soft pillowy white head rested right on top. Aromas of funk, oak, citrus and spice abounded. The flavor didn’t stray too far and really reminded me of Orval or Russian River Temptation. Lots of Belgian yeast funk, citrus and oak were predominant on the tongue followed by a nice dry and effervescent finish. Definitely an enjoyable beer if you like funky barrel-aged flavors.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Menahan Street Band “Home Again”



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Session # 198
Boulevard | Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout | Kansas City, MO | 11% ABV

One year ago: Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout

Today is the first time on The Hopry I will have reviewed the same beer twice. I have generally stayed away from this because I want to get to as many different beers as possible. However, I enjoyed the 2008 release of the Boulevard Imperial Stout so much, that I actually gave it a perfect score (one of only three beers). So I just had to revisit it in the form of this 2011 release. More specifically, though, I wanted to revisit the “un-infected” batch # 1. I missed this in the review, but 46% of this one was aged in barrels, while the 2008 was only 10%. The color was near pitch black with touches of ruby red coming through when held up to the light. A chocolaty head formed on top before a nice bourbon aroma filled the air. Immediately this beer smelled great with dark fruits up front followed soon by oak and vanilla. It smelled very Belgian for sure. On the palate, not quite as big as you’d think for an 11% ABV beer, but there was definitely enough barrel and bite to make you happy. It finished with burnt caramel and dark fruits and that signature Belgian stamp that Pauwels is so good at doing. Not as good as the 2008 for sure, but definitely better than the infected batch # 2 from 2011.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Wilco “I Might”



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Session # 197
De Struise | Black Damnation IV
Imperial Stout | Oostvleteren, Belgium | 13% ABV

One year ago: Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout

When a stout coming from Belgium clocks in at 13% you know you’re going to get something massive. That’s just exactly what I got from this iteration of the great Black Albert from De Struise. What the fine gentlemen from this brewery have done is taken their Black Albert Imperial stout and created numerous variations of the beer. There’s the Mocha Bomb, Black Mes, and Coffee Club to name a few. Today we look at the Coffee Club (aka IV). It poured so dark that I didn’t even have to hold it to the light. I knew nothing would come through it. A nice chocolaty head formed on top and started to unleash some rich coffee aromas into the air. After digging further, miles of dark roasted malts and deep dark burnt caramel followed. The flavor was pretty much the same with tons of bitterness from the coffee that even finished a bit tart like espresso. The chocolate and burnt caramel soon followed and left my tongue on the side of the road for dead. Another huge stout from Belgium. If you like them big, you’ll probably like this one.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Joni Mitchell “The Hissing of Summer Lawns”



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Playlist # 4 | “Inspiring Food Vids”

It’s true that craft beer is really the heart of this website, but who doesn’t love a good bite of food as well? Today I’m sharing three truly amazing videos with you that focus on various types of foodstuff. And they’ve all been very inspirational to me in one way or another because it’s really the craft and passion of these folks that motivate me to learn more about what they’re doing. Whether it’s artisan chocolate made by hipsters, rare fruits in remote locations, or basil pesto (one of my absolute favorite things on earth to eat), I think you’ll find something to love about all of these videos. CHEERS!

September 2011 Featured Brewery

Location: Lawrence, KS
Founded: 1989
Distribution: Kansas & Missouri
Contact: (785) 843-4555
Website: http://freestatebrewing.com/

By Barry Grass

Did you know that the world’s best beer in the American Barleywine style is brewed in Kansas? It’s true, by one measurement anyway. Go to BeerAdvocate.com, click on the styles page, find ‘American Barleywine’ and then go to the ‘View Top Beers’ link. You will be taken to a list of the top 50 American Barleywines by aggregate ranking on BA’s system. That top spot? It isn’t held by Old Ruffian. It isn’t held by Bigfoot. It isn’t held by Behemoth. It isn’t held by Doggie Claws. It isn’t even held by Gratitude. No, sitting pretty at that number one spot is Old Backus Barleywine, a winter seasonal from Free State Brewing Company out of Lawrence, Kansas. Two questions typically enter the mind of the Beer Advocate user who stumbles upon this discovery. The first question is “A Kansas brewery makes America’s best Barleywine?” The second, no less surprising, question is “Wait, they make beer in Kansas?”

They do indeed make beer in the Sunflower State. The most visible confirmation of the fact lies in the colorful 16oz. cans from Manhattan, KS’s Tallgrass Brewing, who are enjoying a surge in distribution reach. But the state hasn’t been brewing for very long. The state legislature took until 1987 to allow small breweries and brewpubs to operate legally. That new law was a sharp change of direction for a state that so thoroughly embraced the proscriptions of the Drys and teetotalers, that so embraced Prohibition. After all, Carrie Nation, whose free-swinging hatchet destroyed plenty of barrels of beer, founded and ran her temperance movement out of the state of Kansas. 1987 was a landmark year in the state. Until 1987 you not only couldn’t run a brewpub or microbrewery in KS, you couldn’t even run a bar. It was illegal to serve alcohol by the drink in the state until 1987. Even to this day the subject of alcohol in Kansas is a tricky one. Most communities still prohibit alcohol sales on Sundays, and grocery stores are still unable to sell any sort of beer beyond the interminable 3.2 % ABV beer. Kansas is one of eight states that have never officially ratified the 21st Amendment (which repealed Prohibition).

But as anyone who has stopped into a liquor store or brewpub in Wichita, Topeka, Manhattan or Lawrence can tell you, Kansas is no longer suffering from a dearth of craft beer. Lawrence’s Free State was the very first business to take the legislature up on their 1987 invitation, opening the doors to its brewpub in 1989. Located in an old trolley station, Free State’s interior speaks to elegant simplicity. There’s lots of blonde woodgrain and brass poles, giving the place an old-style charm that fits perfectly with Mass St.’s hip, retro-chic atmosphere that students at the University of Kansas flock to. The food is simply prepared but always fresh and bold. Perhaps the most obvious way that Free State speaks to simplicity is in the transparency of their brewery; diners & drinkers both see brew kettles from the dining room & the bar.

The décor may be simple, but the lineup of beers at Free State is anything but. Sure, they have a core lineup of year-round beers that, yes, come straight out of a brewpub that flourished in the 1990’s craft boom: a pale ale, an unfiltered wheat beer, an oatmeal stout, etc. But they also make a dizzying amount of seasonal beers throughout the year: steam beers, imperial stouts, experiments with rye, helles lagers, quadruples. The taps rotate frequently – and I mean frequently; when their Twitter account announces that Josiah Miller IPA (which Mark Starr gave a score of 7,000/100) is on-tap then you’d better get over to Mass St. immediately – which keeps customers coming back and allows the brewery to make expensive behemoths like the aforementioned Old Backus. Oh, Old Backus. Flavors of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon roll dough, cookie dough, sourdough bread crusts, prune, brown sugar, blackberry jam. It’s like MaltSlam! And it’s worth every single penny it’d take to trade for a growler. I’ve never had a better American Barleywine.

While Old Backus and its 2,000 pounds of malt per batch gets beer nerds in a tizzy, it is Free State’s lighter, more sessionable offerings that the brewery truly specializes in. Their flagship beer, Ad Astra Ale (named after Kansas’ state motto, “Ad Astra per Aspera”), is an altbier. How many breweries hang their hat on an altbier? Ad Astra is full of caramel and tobacco, orange peel & oolong tea.

After over twenty years of serving the Lawrence community with fresh beer, Free State is starting to expand their reach. They’ve installed a small bottling line, and are currently distributing six-packs of their Ad Astra Ale, Copperhead Pale Ale, Oatmeal Stout and Wheat State Golden throughout Kansas and in the Western area of Missouri. Their distribution deals also allow them to send kegs of their beers to bars in their distribution network, allowing consumers in Kansas City to drink a fresh pint of a seasonal beer like Brinkley’s Maibock without having to drive into Lawrence.

It took so long after Prohibition for Kansas’ brewing scene to get back on its feet, but the future is on the up-and-up. Free State Brewing Company started it all, a textbook example of how just one brewery, just one place taking time to make excellent craft beer, can be the catalyst for creating an entire beer culture.

Popular Beers: Old Backus Barleywine, Copperhead Pale Ale, Ad Astra Ale, Josiah Miller IPA

Session # 196
Kern River | Citra DIPA
Imperial IPA | Kernville, CA | 8% ABV

One year ago: Pretty Things Jack D’or

As someone who caught the craft beer bug because of Bell’s Hopslam (reviewed here), I can tell you that I have always been on the hunt for the next best Double IPA. I’ve had Pliny the Elder, Dreadnaught, Double Jack, and many others. These have all lived up to the hype, but rarely do Imperial IPAs match my appreciation for my first love. Today’s beer comes pretty damn close. The Citra DIPA from Kern River satisfies just about every element that I look for in an IPA. It poured a very warm orange color with a slight bit of hop haze and frothy off-white head. Before I could even get my nose into the glass the heavenly smell of peach, mango, papaya, and sweet pine pummeled my face. But getting in there further…yep…this is a righteous smelling beer. The flavor basically followed the same formula with boatloads of tropical fruit and pine with some nice light bready malt underneath just to wrap it all up in a pretty little bow. This was everything I’d hoped for: fresh; clean; and beautiful in every way. Thank you, Juan!!!

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Faith No More “Epic”



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Session # 195
Fantôme | Printemps
Saison / Farmhouse Ale | Soy, Belgium | 8% ABV

One year ago: Craft Beer Paintings

The last time Tim and I got together to review a Fantôme beer, the results were worse than what we’d hoped. Upon opening their flagship Saison (reviewed here), we couldn’t help but call the beer “vomity.” After having the Printemps, however, we are both convinced that the bottle we opened before was infected (in a bad way). This beer poured the exact color you would expect from a Saison, bright and warm yellow with a touch of cloudiness and a soft pale white head. Strong aromas of lemon, grass, and Belgian funk started to appear as we lowered our noses to the glass. THIS is how a Belgian Saison should smell. As we sipped, the lemon took center stage, with a very astringent and bitter lemon peel behind it. The grassiness and spiciness from the hops wasn’t far behind. The mouthfeel was pretty light for an 8% beer and we both felt that this was quite refreshing and drinkable at that ABV, too. Now I’m ready to track down more Fantôme beers since this was much better than our last experience!!!

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Stephen Malmus & the Jicks “Tigers”



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Session # 194
Founders | Nemesis
American Barleywine | Grand Rapids, MI | 12% ABV

One year ago: Dark Horse Reserve Special

As we approach 200 sessions, I felt it only necessary to start pulling out some big beers I’ve been sitting on for a while. And since Founders is my favorite brewery, why not open this Nemesis from 2010. You know it’s going to be a good beer, right? Well it poured darker than your typical American Barleywine with its very dark brown (almost ruby) color. A small but supple medium-tan head formed on top that looked very inviting. The dark fruits that you’d expect began creeping out of the glass immediately. Rum-soaked raisins and oak were at the forefront with some sweetness and booze on the nose as well. First sip unveiled a good grassy hoppiness followed by rich sweet dark fruits (figs, plums, etc). The finish was surprisingly dry for a Barleywine. This was not my favorite offering from Founders, but it was overall a pretty easy-drinking beer for 12%.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer was a one-time release only.
Listening To: Max Tundra “I Wanna Be Your Lover” (Prince cover)



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Playlist # 3 | “Beer & Music – What’s Better?”

If there are two things in this world I love more than just about anything, it’s beer and music. In fact, I purposely started adding music to each of my reviews because I also thought about starting my own music blog just before The Hopry was birthed. But now that I’ve focused on beer I just don’t have time for a music blog. Regardless, today I’ll be sharing my two passions with you in the form of three fun and entertaining videos that focus on…you guessed it…beer and music. So go grab a good beer, locate a comfy chair, and enjoy today’s playlist. Cheers!

Session # 193
Ithaca | Flower Power IPA
American IPA | Ithaca, NY | 7.5% ABV

One year ago: Dark Horse Too

Thanks to Big Mike for offering this one up for the show. It’s the Ithaca Flower Power IPA, which many claim to be one of the best IPAs to come from the east coast. It certainly poured into the glass more like a west coast IPA with its warm yellowish-orange color and off-white head. My nose easily picked up the citrus (tangerine), grapefruit, and herbs. On the palate, there were wonderful notes of herbal and grassy hops with citrus and pine to finish it all. Overall, this was an enjoyable and easy-drinking IPA. I’d say get it if you can, but chances are if you can get it you’ve already had it.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Grateful Dead “Sugar Magnolia”



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Playlist # 2 | “Cocktails, Soda, & Poop!”

We’ll be back tomorrow with another beer review. In the meantime, today’s playlist will be featuring four different videos for you. Don’t fret, though, because all come out to be less than nine minutes in total. I’ll be sharing everything from brewers to craft soda to cocktails to…well…poop. Kinda. Anyway, sit back and grab a beer. You’re sure to like at least three of these videos. Cheers!

Playlist # 1 | “Beer & Cocktails”

Today is the beginning of a new segment on The Hopry called “Playlist.” Quite simply, these are videos I’ll be sharing with you on off-days; or days that I’m not posting a review. The point of these videos is to share other YouTube videos with you that have inspired me in one way or another. If they haven’t inspired me, they’ve certainly brought me joy from watching them. So I hope you like these and see a video that does something for you, too.

Let us know your thoughts by rating and commenting on this video.

Session # 192
Green Flash | Silva Stout
Imperial Stout | San Diego, CA | 10.1% ABV

One year ago: Goose Island Night Stalker

And just like that we come to the end of Green Flash week on The Hopry. Feels like it went by in a day. Maybe that’s because I reviewed all these in a day! LOL! Anywho, today’s beer is the brewery’s barrel-aged stout that was release at the brewery only in four packs. It’s called Silva Stout (which is named after brewmaster Chuck Silva). I got one bottle and have been reserving it for the day Green Flash became available here in KC. Having had the Double Stout the night before, I was hoping the Silva Stout would be much better with the barrel-aging process. As I poured it I could already smell oak and vanilla, but the sight of the beautiful head really made me happy. Digging further in the glass, those vanilla and oak characters really came to the front. It was soon followed by dark chocolate pudding and some roasted grain and malt. The flavor was just as I’d hoped, which is miles ahead of the Double Stout. The vanilla and sticky chocolate were up front on the tongue and as it went to the mid-palate the roasted coffee and malt characters showed up. The blending and aging was really well done indeed. Wish I had another bottle…

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found at the brewery only.
Listening To: M83 “Midnight City”



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Session # 191
Green Flash | Imperial IPA
Imperial IPA | San Diego, CA | 9.4% ABV

One year ago: Wachusett Larry IPA

Everyone knows Green Flash is notorious for making hoppy beers. When I first had the West Coast IPA (reviewed here), I marveled at the insane amount of hops used in the beer. But now it’s time to step it up a notch with the brewery’s Imperial IPA. It appeared in the glass just as one might think, with its pale yellow-orange color and a nice frothy off-white head. The nose presented a good amount of dank pine, tangerine, and even mango. Very tropical! The flavor, however, presented a bit different profile. After the strong bitterness subsides, pine and grapefruit peel take over. This is flavor to the max, but there’s nothing here that hasn’t been done before.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Four Tet “Locked”



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Session # 190
Green Flash | Hop Head Red
Amber / Red Ale | San Diego, CA | 7% ABV

One year ago: Wachusett Larry

It’s been a long time coming for me to have Green Flash on the show for an entire week. After hearing of their soon-to-be arrival in Kansas City a couple months ago, I’ve been planning this week of reviews. First up is their Hop Head Read, which is classified by the brewery as a Red IPA. Upon pouring this beer, you can’t help but love the frothy and inviting tan-colored head. After giving the amber color a quick peek, the aromas of caramel malts, pine, and citrus sneak into the room. The first sip unveiled a good amount of sweetness and bitterness that facilitated grassy and citrusy flavors. A gentle pine finish makes this beer very easy-to-drink.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Umberto “Welcome to the Chill Zone”



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Session # 189
Southampton | Cuvee des Fleurs
Saison/Farmhouse Ale | Southampton, NY | 8.2% ABV

One year ago: Goose Island Night Stalker

If you go back and read my Top Five Beers for Spring article (found here), you’ll see that today’s beer is on that list. It’s called the Cuvee des Fleurs from Southampton Publick House. It’s brewed with lavender, calendula, rose , chamomile, and hops (duh). Upon pouring this beer into the glass, a huge off-white rocky head formed on the top of the glass. The beer itself was very clear with a warm golden color. The nose was clearly Belgian with the banana and clove. Then the lavender came to the front soon after. Rose water followed gently behind, but it never over-powered the spice and pepper aromas from the yeast. With a great mouthfeel, the beer delivered spicy yeast, banana cotton candy, and lavender the most. It finished dry and just perfectly coated the tongue for a refreshing spring/summer type of beer. Rating: 91/100

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Supertramp “Logical Song”



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Session # 188
HaandBryggeriet | Akevitt Porter
American Porter | Drammen, Norway | 10% ABV

One year ago: Central Waters Peruvian Morning

HaandBryggeriet is a small Norwegian brewery making some very unique beers. Their Norwegian Wood (reviewed here), was very strange in that it tasted like Christmas trees and berries. But it was enjoyable nonetheless. Today I have a beer from the same brewery, but this time they’ve used Akvavit barrels to age their American-style Porter. The color on the beer was very dark brown bordering on jet black. Holding it up to the light highlights a touch of ruby red. The aromas jumped out of the glass with chocolate, musty cave, and a faint touch of woody character from the barrels. The taste didn’t wonder too far from the nose. Up front there was a good amount of bitterness and roasted chocolate character from the malts. A nice coffee bitterness followed, but there was nothing unique about the taste as the barrel-aging would have suggested. At 10%, though, this was a very easy drinking Porter. Not sure I’d go out of my way for another one, but it was certainly a joy to drink. Rating: 85/100

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Jib Kidder “Do It All the Time”



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August 2011 Featured Brewery

Location: New Brighton, Minnesota
Founded: 2000
Distribution: on-site only (for now…)
Contact: 651-636-4670
Website: barleyjohns.com

By Barry Grass

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are the source of some of the best beers in the Midwest. Everyone knows the big names in Minnesota brewing. Summit has been the staple of the Minnesota beer scene since 1986, and Surly has in recent years captured the hearts of the beer nerd set. New breweries are opening all of the time: Fulton and Flat Earth and Harriet are each starting to pick up some buzz. Deserving of equal mention is the aspect of the Twin Cities beer scene that links Summit to Surly, the establishments that existed in the years before the craft beer renaissance: the tried-and-true Minnesota brewpubs. A quirk in Minnesota’s beer distribution laws makes it difficult for brewpubs to get their beer distributed, so the brewpubs that opened in the late 90’s have largely stuck with being brewpubs, their beer only available on-site. That level of scarcity has helped the reputation of Twin Cities’ Town Hall Brewery, who’s Masala Mama IPA is the stuff of legends on the BeerAdvocate community. For whatever reason, Minnesota’s other old-guard brewpub, Barley John’s, has not received the same response from the online beer communities.

Barley John’s was founded by brewer [Barley] John Moore in March 2000, in New Brighton, Minnesota. The whole operation – brewery & kitchen & seating – is crammed into a small, wood-paneled box that formerly housed a Chinese restaurant, perhaps a diner. There is a “made-from-scratch” ethos that permeates the place. The food is not uncommon for a brewpub – pizzas and burgers and pastas and if you want bacon boy you got it – but everything is hand-made and/or locally-sourced. The bar itself, and the custom shelving behind it, were made from Minnesota maple (from John’s grandmother’s front yard, to be precise). The tap handles eschew any sort of uniformity for the purposes of branding; each one is made by a local artisan, some crafted by a glass blower, others by someone who makes chain mail and swords.

The beer, of course, is Barley John’s most prized “made-from-scratch” product. For the most part, John fashions his brewery what he calls a “pre-prohibition” sense. He’s a stickler for style – don’t get him started about whether 8%-ABV-or-above hoppy ales should be allowed to be called IPAs instead of Double IPAs, or whether anything with an ale yeast can be labeled an Oktoberfest – and it shows in his faithful recreations of classic German and English styles. Barley John’s always has three traditional beers on tap: Little Barley Bitter, Stockyard [English] IPA, and Old Eight Porter (their beloved Baltic Porter). But their flagship beer is quite innovative in comparison – a brown ale brewed with a solid amount of Minnesota wild rice. John calls it Wild Brunette, and it uses the flavor of the wild rice as a true ingredient (as opposed to the calorie-cutting use that industrial rice has for industrial lager breweries).

Barley John’s makes plenty of season offerings, of which there are always a couple on-tap at the brewpub. These range from their popular Maibock, to ESBs, wits, & Tripels. But what gets Barley John’s the most attention from beer nerds nationwide (though less attention than they perhaps deserve) are its barrel-aged beers. Barley John’s has been brewing up 13% ABV, spirit-heavy brews for years. The local demand for their Dark Knight – a double-fermented Baltic Porter aged for one year in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels – has Barley John’s brewing it year after year. And if you make it into the brewpub, ask a regular about that one time Barley John’s put out a version of its Rosie’s Old Ale that was aged for a time in a 15-year Pappy Van Winkle barrel.

Because of Minnesota’s current distribution laws, if you want a taste of that barrel-aged goodness, then right now your only recourse is to visit the brewpub and hope they have something rare on-tap. But that may change in the future. John Moore has been a central force behind legislation that proposes to allow brewpubs to sell their beer in liquor stores. And while that bill didn’t pass during Minnesota’s last legislative session, he plans on refining and reintroducing the bill next year.

Regardless of what happens, Barley John’s looks to continue to be the stalwart presence in the Minnesota beer scene that it has been for over a decade now. In the meantime, beer tourists going to the Twin Cities for Darkness Day should make room for Barley John’s in addition to visits to Surly and Town Hall. It’s quieter, more old-world in approach, and doesn’t have much of an online presence, but it is a key element of making the Twin Cities the beer destination that it is.

Popular Beers: Old Eight Porter, Wild Brunette, Dark Knight

Session # 187
Lost Abbey | Devotion Ale
Belgian Pale Ale | San Marcos, California | 6.25% ABV

One year ago: Boulevard Imperial Stout

Lost Abbey, out of southern California, can be hit or miss. Many people complain about carbonation issues in the bigger beers, while others complain about the price of their beers. Well…honestly I’ve never really had any major issues with carbonation but I agree on the cost concern. But today’s beer is one that didn’t have either of these issues. The Devotion Ale is a dedication to the Belgian monks who brew beer with a different ending goal – to serve their monasteries. When I opened this Belgian Pale Ale I thought it could go one of two ways. I’d had it tucked away in my basement behind some other bottles for a while and didn’t know how great it would be. However, I can tell you we were both quite happy in the end. It poured into our glass with a vibrant straw yellow color with a nice fluffy off-white head. Before we investigated the aromas in the glass, a gentle funk began to fill the room. But once we dug further this beer was surprising in that it smelled more like a light American Barleywine than pale ale. Sticky fruits, toasted sugar, warm caramel were at the fore. Then a nice floral component rounded out the aromas. The taste wasn’t too far from that with its nice caramel and bitter-dry finish. Again, not much different than what you might imagine a light Barleywine might taste like. Rating: 85/100

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Radiohead “Staircase”



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Special # 19 | New Holland Mad Hatter Tasting

Sometimes when I’m beer shopping I find myself scratching my head over my purchases. I mean I fully admit that I have a problem when it comes to mulling over labels and new beers. And the labels on these beers (done by Kyle Bice) are simply amazing. My first instinct is usually to buy beer “for the show,” yet I’m rarely willing to drink these beers off camera. Well on this day, there were three different versions of New Holland’s Mad Hatter IPA and I decided to just get all three and do a tasting to enjoy the differences in each. Here we have the Farmhouse Hatter, Black Hatter, and Rye PA Hatter side-by-side. Watch the video to see where I landed on these very unique variations on the IPA style.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
These beers can be found in these states.
Listening To: Wee “You Can Fly On My Aeroplane”



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After the Show # 6 | “Chewiness”

It’s always nice to have someone to share amazing beers with. This one was no exception. And right after we got done reviewing this beer, we couldn’t stop talking about how chewy it was on the palate. In fact, Tim knew this would be a big beer based solely on the Original Gravity (OG) and Final Gravity (FG) found on the back of the beer label. We’re pretty confident that if you don’t truly understand what “chewy” means as it relates to beer, you definitely will once you try this monstrous brew from Jester King.

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Session # 186
Jester King | Black Metal
Imperial Stout | Austin, TX | 10.4% ABV

One year ago: Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad (BBQ)

\m/ o( – _ – )o \m/

When I first saw the label art on the Black Metal from Jester King, I knew I was going to have to get a trade together very quickly. I mean…how could this beer go wrong with that much awesomeness on the outside. We’re not supposed to judge books by their covers, right? Well when we busted the cap on this 750ml of black sludge we knew it was going to be good. It poured with a dark tan (milk chocolaty) head. The aromas of chocolate, blueberries, dark fruits, and coffee began to fill our noses immediately. But it’s the first sip of this beer that just makes your heart sink. The mouthfeel on this beer is like silk sheets on your tongue and then monstrous amounts of flavor just pummel your palate. It’s enough to put a smile on your face. This beer delivers everything you would hope. And yes, it makes you want to listen to a bit of black metal, too. Below is my favorite doom metal song ever… ENJOY! Rating: 96/100

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People have purchased in these states.
Listening To: Monument of Urns “Cruelty”



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Session # 185
Boulevard | Collaboration No. 2 (with Deschutes)
White IPA | Kansas City, MO | 7.4% ABV

One year ago: Boulevard Collaboration No. 1

Last year when Boulevard Brewing Company teamed up with Jean-Marie Rock of Brasserie d’Orval, none of us here could believe it. I mean I have to believe that even for brewmaster Steven Pauwels, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to brew with one of the best Trappist monasteries in the world. The result of that experiment, an Imperial Pilsner, was truly amazing (as can be seen here). Well here Tim and I are back nearly one year later (to the day) with the second collaboration, aptly titled Collaboration No. 2. This time Boulevard teams up with Deschutes Brewery out of Oregon. Pouring this very effervescent and beautiful yellow beer from the bottle, we knew this would be a great Belgian-inspired beer. The aromas of lemongrass, banana bubblegum, floral grass, and cotton candy began to fill the room. The first sip unveiled a very easy drinking beer with loads of Belgian yeast, banana, lemongrass, and a very faint amount of sage. It was unbelievably drinkable to say the least, and a very successful collaboration, too. Rating: 90/100

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This beer can be found in these states.
Click Below to Hear: Okkervil River “Kansas City”



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