Farmhouse Ale Moo Thunder Stout

I first heard of Farmhouse Ales from a friend of mine who noted that he had just picked up a fantastic variety pack of great beer in CANS!

Being skeptical I couldn't seem to find it

anywhere to try it for myself, but did manage to try the Pork Slap Pale Ale at a friends once. Upon entering my local Sunnyside Beer World I found a whole cornucopia of Farmhouse Ales (actually the Butternut Brewery), so I decided to take a shot with the Moo Thunder Stout. First off, the can designs look like they were designed by someone

much too young to purchase adult beverages.

They are cartoony and put a smile on my face right away. Moo Thunder is a milk stout

and while being carbonated as opposed to nitrous

(like a Guinness or Old Speckled Hen) it still is remarkably creamy, no small wonder. The taste is pure malty stouty goodness with an abundance of chocolaty finish. This would go great with with the classic "meat and potatoes" type dish, or better yet, with a chocolate dessert.

I'm giving it a 4.5 outta 5, it's not my favorite stout out there(Young's Double Chocolate Stout), but it's pretty damn close. (and at a $1.50 a single at in NYC not bad either)

Sunset Wheat (Whole Foods, Upper West Side)

The Upper West Side is home to a long list of bars with taps of excellence, but sometimes you run out of money. When that happens, there's Whole Foods. With a beer selection rivaling many liquor stores and blowing the rest out of the water (not to mention their"fill your own Growler" section), the wholesale grocer allowed us to continue our journey.

With our day saved, we found this guy and had a taste at our Master Brewer's apartment. Leinenkugel's "Sunset Wheat", although a year-round brew, says "Hi, I'm Spring" then smashes you in the face with a bag of fruit. You've got to like wheat and citirus to like this one, but if you do then go snag a pack because your all set for tonight. Definatley a wheat-lover's beer, this guy is pale as a horseman and has a not-so-suble fruity aftertaste. It can be overwhelming at times if your not in to coriander, and definatly cannot be mixed with stouts. Overall, though, I liked it enough to give it a 4 out of 5.

http://www.leinie.com/sunset_wheat.html

Website suggests serving it with cheese. I suggest serving it with 65 degree weather and the month of March.

Island Creek Oyster Stout (Amsterdam 106, Upper West Side)

We made the trek out of Sunnyside to an old faithful named Amsterdam 106. Profile to come, lets get down to the beauty on the screen:

The picture does it no justice, but this is Harpoon's "Island Creek Oyster Stout". To be fair, it's really Kate Tame's "Island Creek Oyster Stout", as it is part of the 100 Barrel Series that was inspired either by a divine revelation or a group that really loves making beer. Essentially, they've invented Russian Roulette for beer except losing only means a trip to the porcelin god, while wining is a taste explosion. Every couple of months one of Harpoon's brewers gets to spin the chamber and invent their own brew which is then, in turn, fed to the general population. The result? Our first 5 out of 5.

The dry stout is a thick mix of smoked hickory, coffee, and chocolate perfectly blended to give it a smooth, warm taste. The coffee taste dominates, though not so much as to burn out the taste after a few. If you want my opinion: grab a four pack, shelf the Guiniess, and enjoy this St. Patrick's with a new taste (if not a new look).

http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/index.cfm?pid=28515

Boston is good for something it seems...

Anchor Steam (Maggie Mae's, Sunnyside)

I decided to do a little traveling to find a new beer this weekend, though I have several sitting at home. Found this guy at an Irish pub called "Maggie Mae's" less than a block from the apartment. The bar had some good reviews, but quickly disappointed thanks to blasting b-lot techno-pop and a crowd that made the Jersey Shore look like a WASP wedding. The same, unfortunately, can be said about the beer. With a name like "Anchor Steam", I expected a hardy, unfiltered shore lager. I got water instead. It's clean and crisp, but in the same manner that water is clean and crisp. Any taste it does have vanishes immediately, leaving you ready for the real beer. An ABV of 4.9% doesn't redeem it either. Not totally for the dogs though. I would take it over a shwag any day, and there are far worse things. I wouldn't gravitate to it in a store, but it could be a relief in if you find yourself at a college town nickle night. Think of it as a top-shelf beer pong beer.

Anchor Brewing's "Anchor Steam Beer": 3 out of 5

http://anchorbrewing.com/beers/

I've got 2 more and a profile in reserve. In the mean time, I wander on...

Railbender (Beer World, Sunnyside)

Beer World will keep me satisfied for a while. I grabbed this one based on the description on the box which reads, "Hop on the Train...Ride off the Rails". With an ABV of 6.8% and a smooth, mild taste, it lived up to its claim. Its hop-y aftertaste gave a little flare that kept it from growing dull through the night. I'd classify it as a high end middle-of-the-road ale. Definitely a classic taste to it.


Erie Brewing Company's "Railbender Ale": 4 out of 5

http://www.eriebrewingco.com/beer_railbender.html

I'll be looking for something a little darker and a little more extreme next time.

The Censored (Beer World, Sunnyside)

I've decided, based upon my love of beverage, that I want to know more about the wonderful beer world that is out there. As such, I have begun a delicious journey to find and sample as many different types of beer as I can afford. What better place to start than Beer World, right here in Sunnyside New York:

Lagunitas' "The Censored Rich Copper Ale": 3 out of 5

Drinkable for the whole night while maintaining a distinctive flavor.

http://www.lagunitas.com/beers/censored.html

A copper ale is an ale that is aged in oak casks. This allows it to keep its copper color and gives it that distinctive middle-of-the-road (between hops and malt) flavor.

Let the Beerventure begin!