Over the past few weeks I’ve tried some great beers, and am currently working on a way to post reviews on a more regular basis in order to share my drinking experiences with the craft beer community more often. Upcoming reviews include Singlecut Beersmiths 19-33 Lagrrr, Dean NW Mahogany Ale, and JAN Olympic White Lagrrr, Firestone Walker 16th Anniversary Ale, Founders Imperial Stout, Weyerbacher Yankee, and Blue Mountain Dark Hollow Imperial Stout.

After receiving lots of great feedback about the first episodes of my podcast I am pushing forward and seeking out more brewers and craft beer professionals to interview for future episodes. Episode 006 will feature John Holl, a seasoned beer writer who has published articles in various craft beer publications and books (his own and others). Look for that episode this coming Wednesday or Thursday.

Now on to the above picture… In collaboration with my cousin’s restaurant Et al Trattoria (Millburn, NY) and Stone Brewing Company; my older brother and I led a four course beer pairing dinner this past Thursday (1/10/13) evening. As Stone Brewing Co.’s first ever Kosher beer dinner it was great to have Dennis Flynn, Stone’s tristate representative there to talk about the beers and answer any questions that those in attendance had about the brewery and craft beer in general. I’ll be posting my thoughts on the dinner and each pairing as soon as possible.

Some beers I’ve had recently (all on tap):

• Wandering Star Zingari Wit- Great spice character along with a refreshing twang from the wheat and added lemongrass. 8.5/10
• Stillwater Artisanal Ales Folklore- Big roasty and smoky notes combine with a touch of Belgian yeast and dark fruit. Lacking a bit of balance. 6.5/10
• Blue Mountain Full Nelson – a refreshing pale ale with big and juicy citrus fruit flavors from the fresh cascade hops. 8.5/10
• Firestone Walker Pale 31 – Yet another amazing beer from Firestone Walker. Bursting with juicy west coast citrusy hop flavor, this beer has everything I look for in a pale ale. 9/10
• Alesmith Speedway Stout – As one of my favorite imperial coffee stouts I was glad to find this on tap at Ginger Man, an NYC beer bar this past Tuesday. Bold espresso coffee, dark chocolate, and dark fruit flavors hit my palate with each sip of this full bodied yet smooth (for its abv) stout. 9/10
• Ballast Point Sculpin dry hopped w/ Falconer’s Flight Hops (on cask) – Having tried other dry hopped versions of Ballast Point’s IPAs on cask I was excited to try this one. Big peach and grapefruit flavors were balanced by a semi-sweet bready malt backbone. As a hophead the hop flavors in this beer were quite satisfying. 8.5/10

Cheers!