Cock-a-Doodle-Do!: Tallgrass Velvet Rooster

 It turns out that today is CraftCans.com Craft Beer in Cans Day.    They are noting that January 24 is the anniversary of the first canned beer.  On that day in 1935, New Jersey brewer Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company first canned their Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale. A lot has changed since then, and most recently is the growing trend of craft brewers canning their beer.

Tallgrass Brewing from Manhattan, KS is leading the curve of this trend.  A little over a year ago Tallgrass switched over to an all-can brewery and have been going gang busters since.  Their latest offering is Velvet Rooster, the first canned Belgian tripel that I am aware of.  Innovation like this is getting notice across the country.  When I visited with the folks from Deschutes they were very impressed with what this smaller brewery from Kansas was doing.

Velvet Rooster comes in a four pack of 16 oz cans.  Tallboys!  I chose my Karmeliet Tripel glass to pour this tripel because I wanted to give it plenty of room for the head to expand.  The thick white foam nearly took up the entire volume of the glass.  The body below has a hazy honey color.

The smell has a pleasant sweet grain aroma with traces of melon and tropical fruits.  Taste has more of a mango flavor with vanilla notes.  This is a sweet beer, like most tripels are, but the dry qualities from the Belgian yeast keeps it from being too sweet.  The body has a creamy carbonation texture.  I would recommend sipping this slowly to experience the flavor changes as it warms.  This is another winner from Tallgrass.

Attention Chocoholics - Chocolate Ale Hits Next Week

"Life is like a case of Chocolate Ale...blink and it's gone"

The much anticipated Boulevard Chocolate Ale should start hitting KC shelves next week, probably on Tuesday.  Last year's release created a Chocolate Ale frenzy and it quickly sold out.  The collaboration with KC chocolatier Christopher Elbow was supposed to be a one shot offering.  Because of the high demand Boulevard has brought it back, and they promised that they made more to make sure more people can get their chocolate fix.  People are so antsy over this release, Boulevard had to explain some markets got shipments of Chocolate Ale before Kansas City.  Bottom line, it has to do with the mysterious Three Tier system.

I asked my local beer store if they were taking names for the release.  Some stores do and some don't.  Sometimes it depends on what their inventory is.  It would suck if a store didn't get enough to take care of everyone on a list.  Times like this it pays to be a regular.

Boulevard and Schlafly Proposed as Official State Breweries

On January 17th Missouri State Senator Maria Chapelle-Nadal, District 14 representing parts of Saint Louis County, introduced Senate Bill No 663 which would proclaim Boulevard and Schlafly as the official Missouri state breweries.

The Bill reads:

Section A. Chapter 10, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 10.190, to read as follows: 0.190. The Boulevard Brewing Company located in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Saint Louis Brewery, Inc. located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and commonly known by the brand name of "Schlafly", shall be selected for and shall be known as the official breweries of the state of Missouri.

75th Street Brewery Hosts The Big Chill

This looks like fun.  Our winter has been so mild so far, I'm expecting huge payback around February.  If that's true, high ABV beers and some chili will be just the thing.

Flights of Deschutes

Deschutes beers have been available in town for a bout a week now, however representatives from the brewery came into town today to make it official.  They hosted a release party at The Foundry tonight, featuring flights of the Deschutes beers new to our area, Mirror Pond, Black Butte Porter, Black Butte XXIII, The Abyss, and Hop Henge Experimental IPA.  I sat down with Brewmaster Brian Faivre, Digitla Marketing Manager Jason Randles, and PR Consultant Judy Campbell to talk about beer and kids.

One thing Brian seemed passionate about was aging beers.  On certain big beers from Deschutes, like The Abyss, they have a Best After date.  This indicates that the beer will age well and improve with time.  He explained that a lot of big beers, like imperial stouts, have too much "heat" in them when fresh.  Aging the big beer will help that heat mellow out and allows other flavors to come forward.  Brian explained that they have been working every year to find the right blend for The Abyss so it will b enjoyable fresh as well as with some age on it.  The trick is to have the self control to not drink the beer and let it sit.

Luckily, I still have a bottle of the 2008 The Abyss that I have been saving.  Brian said that '08 was a particularly good year and it has been aging wonderfully.  I have a feeling that I'm going to find an excuse to open it up sooner than later.

Show-Me I'm Back: Deschutes Black Butte Porter

So it has been a while since I have done a beer review.  There are a couple of reasons.  One, my body needed a break from alcohol.  I didn't go completely cold turkey, but I just needed to slow it way down.  It got to the point where it wasn't enjoyable.  When drinking beer isn't enjoyable, writing about beer is just torture.  Time to step back.  There has been enough time off, so I feel ready to ease back into blogging.

As I'm easing back in, I am reevaluating my goals for Show-Me Beer.  Posts may not be as frequent as before my break.  I have three active kids, so I can't cover the bar scene the way KC Beer Blog or STL Hops can.  That was actually never my thing.  I always preferred kicking back in my easy chair and enjoying a beer at home.  That's not to say I won't hit up a beer fest or a tasting on a rare occasion.  I will share news that I find interesting and relevant.  When breweries send out press releases, I will be sure to share those as well.

Speaking of press releases, Deschutes Brewery just sent me a release about release to the Missouri market.

(5, December, 2011 {I know, old news}) Deschutes Brewery officially announced today that it will begin selling Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale in Missouri starting the week of January 9, 2012!
Missourians along the I-70 corridor will be pleased to know they can extend the New Year celebratory festivities with Deschutes' Black Butte Porter, the nation's number one selling craft porter, in 22-ounce bottles and on draft.  For those who view dark beer with suspicion, this deep, velvety brew dispels lingering myths and has been creating zealous enthusiasts for over 23 years.  But the cup of kindness for auld lang syne doesn't end there: Mirror Pond Pale Ale will be bringing its own definitive Cascade hop aroma and hop forward flavor into play. The quintessential, deftly balanced pale ale will likewise be available in 22-ounce bottles and on draft.
Deschutes will also be bringing in a limited amount of The Stoic, Black Butte XXIII and The Abyss for Missouri's serious beer fanatics, as well as 22-once bottles of Hop Henge Experimental IPA.  Six packs of Mirror Pond, Black Butte Porter, Inversion IPA and Red Chair NWPA will be available later down the road.
"For years, our fans have been pleading with us to bring our beers farther east, and Missouri was the ideal step in that direction," said Gary Fish, president and founder of Deschutes Brewery.  "Our recent collaboration brew with Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City gave us a tangible knowledge of just how passionate Missourians are about their craft beer.  We're looking forward to formally introducing our beers tot he market there and getting to know the beer enthusiasts in this region even better."

The press release goes on about the distributors, but what really got my attention was that the release was wrapped around a 22-ounce bottle of Black Butte Porter!  I once had Black Butte XX, a limited release version of the porter, but I've never had the traditional Black Butte Porter itself.  The fact that the beer was free does not influence my review.

Poured into a pub glass, the head takes up the top third of the glass.  Awesome tan lacing sticks to the glass.  The body is a dark, almost black color at an arm's length.  As I pull the glass closer, I see there is some clarity around the edges with a dark ruby red core when held to the light.

Smell has the typical dark roasted aromas of a porter.  A little wood smoke, coffee and bitter chocolate.  The taste is smooth bitterness, with a hint of hops in the finish.

Mouthfeel is silky slick.  Very soft body and a moderate ABV of 5.2% enhances the overall drinkability.  What an excellent addition to beers available in Missouri

Local Investor Group to Buy 60% Stake in Schlafly Beer

St.Louis, MO -- January 4th, 2012 -- The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc., brewer of Schlafly Beer has signed a purchase agreement that will transfer a 60% ownership interest in the business to a local investor group led by Wes Jones and John Lemkemeier of St. Louis and including David Schlafly, also of St. Louis, the first cousin of Tom Schlafly, Co-Founder and President of the company. The agreement provides for closing upon issuance of necessary licenses and permits from federal, state and local governments, a process that could take several months.

 Tom Schlafly said, "The agreement with Wes and John meets the criteria we set back in June of 2010, when we first discussed a succession plan for ownership of the brewery. Senior and long-term employees will be able to purchase stock in the company; and I'm transferring a majority interest to local investors committed to keeping the business in St. Louis."

 Mr. Schlafly will initially retain an interest of approximately 20% and serve as Chairman of the Brewery. Dan Kopman, Co-Founder and current Chief Operating Officer, will own at least a 10% interest and serve as Chief Executive Officer. Ten percent (10%) of the business will be available for purchase by eligible employees.

 Mr. Jones said, "We are highly impressed by the business Dan and Tom have built over the past 20 years and the outstanding beers they produce under the Schlafly label. Added Mr. Lemkemeier, "We look forward to Dan and Tom's continued leadership of St. Louis's largest locally-owned brewery. We also welcome the Schlafly employees' having the opportunity to participate in the ownership of the business they have helped to build."

 Mr. Kopman said, "I'm very pleased by what Wes, John and their investor group bring to the table. Their focus on joining with management teams in long term investments in successful businesses makes them the right partner for us."

 The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc. has been producing fine craft beers in St. Louis since 1991 and recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. It sold over 42,000 barrels of beer in 2011, representing growth of more than 20% from the prior year. In 2010, the most recent year for which data are available, Schlafly was the 42nd largest craft brewery in the United States.

 http://www.schlafly.com

Deschutes Falls into The Well (And Lew's)

This just in!  Finally after much anticipation, Deschutes Brewery will officially arrive in Missouri.

For the Craft Beer enthusiast, The Well and Lew’s in Waldo will be one of the first in Kansas City to offer Craft Beers from the famous Deschutes Brewing Company in Oregon. “This has been a highly anticipated day in Kansas City when we can offer the Oregon based brewing company beer at our restaurants” said Chris Lewellen. “There has been a tremendous call for their beer and we finally have landed two of their most famous beers on tap starting Friday, Jan 6th. Craft beer has really taken off in our restaurants over the past few years and we look to offer our customers these types of specialty beers as soon they are available to us. Lew’s Grill & Bar will be offering Mirror Pond Ale on Tap while The Well will be offering both Mirror Pond Ale and Black Butte Porter. 

 Black Butte Porter rated 97 points by www.ratebeer.com and was the 5th ranked Beer of 2011 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Mirror Pond Pale Ale rated 92 points by www.ratebeer.com

Lew’s Grill & Bar and The Well are located in Waldo near 75th & Wornall Rd. in Kansas City, Mo. For more info go to www.waldowell.com or call 816.361.1700.

UPDATE:  As of 4PM today both The Well and Lew's will have Deschutes on Tap