Craft Beer NYC

The Kasteel Rouge is very unique Belgian beer that I first found at the B Cafe, an authentic Belgian culinary hot spot on the Upper West Side.   They have a diverse menu of draft and bottled Belgian and other western European ales.   The Kasteel rouge is a traditional Belgian ale flavored with cherries and added cherry juice.   They actual use the base of their Kasteel Donker and then add the infused cherry liquor.   This entry offers a very unique sweet fruit flavor and is traditionally served in a Belgian style stout glass.  Food pairing are challenging, but I would advocate anyone to try with an order of mussels or light chicken. The brewing story in Belgian dates back to the early 1800's and their current CEO is the 5th generation representative from the same family- Xavier Van Honsebrouck.  In the 1980's the family purchased the Ingelmunster Castle, which served as a icon and brand identity for their current Castle line starting with Donker, and then...

The story of Keegan Ales began in 2003 in Kingston, New York.  Their Mother's Milk has been a staple since.   It's a full bodied milk stout, but comes off a bit chalky.   A sweet mixture of sugar, milk, and an oatmeal, but is not one of my favorites.  The flavor and nose come off very bitter, and not as smooth as others in the milk stout category.  In 2010 it was declared one of the stronger North American stouts coming out of the northeast by the NY Times.   Keegan's is on the verge of becoming an impressive brewery in the Hudson Valley (just north of NYC), but we need to see some more diversity of flavors and lines before they can start to compete with the the top craft beers in the market right now. 6 out of 10 Stew Leonard's Happy Cows! http://www.keeganales.com/the-beers/

Milk Stouts are starting to fill up my queue- especially coming out of the winter season.   Although I'm starting to wonder why some of the better offerings are not pushed to year round production.  Listed as a limited release for the 2013/14 winter season, the milk stout coming out of Seattle is a great entry.   Using some of Seattle's signature Stumptown coffee, they combine magnum hops with northwest pale, Franco-belges kiln coffee, black, roasted and chocolate malts to create a solid and one of the best Milk Stouts to come to the Northeast. 5.6 ABV 10 out of 10 Black Hole Sun's http://www.elysianbrewing.com

The Black Lager is the second selection from Uinta that I have posted about recently.   This great brewer from Utah, is now offering a fully organic beer line in their arsenal.   This black lager is available in 12 oz cans or bottles, and pours with a true pitch black color.  Surprising bold and robust will only a 4% ABV, this complements a nice meal well.   The nose feels like a stout, but it doesn't overpower the taste and is very drinkable compared to a heavy flavored dark, milk, or coffee stout.   Uinta is committed to wind and solar powered plants and facilities for all their beer lines, and is passionate about their environmental stewardship as well as their focus on renewable energy efforts.   Since their 20th Anniversary they have divided up their beer lines into 3 distinct categories (Classic, Organic, and Crooked)  Their crooked line contains their version of Insanity- a 11% bourbon barrel aged barley wine ale. Available at Whole Foods in N...

More Coffee!   This one is a Coffee flavored American porter from the organic brewers of Vermont.  Wolaver's have a nice growing line of craft brews, including IPA's, brown ales, and oatmeal stouts, all brewed with organic and sustainably harvested ingredients. Their coffee porter is brewed with organic roasted barley, vanilla beans, and coffee from the Dominican Republic farm community of Alta Garcia.   Officially branded with the USDA Organic Icon, this one has a nice finish of vanilla and coffee.   Just say no to GMO's!  Including your Beer! 5.0% ABV 8.5 out of 10 Organic Beans https://www.facebook.com/wolavers

Superb!  Just plain awesome.  For a coffee champion nothing is better than blending the best of both worlds- Beer and Coffee.    The Ralph Steadman Kujo illustration is a nice compliment to this American Double Imperial Stout.   The coffee doesn't overpower the taste and hints of vanilla, toffee, and chocolate round out the notes.  I strongly recommend this one for the adventuresome drinker. 8.9% ABV 10 out of 10 Beans http://flyingdogales.com/beers/coffee-stout/

This gold medal award winning IPA is actually found commonly in a 12 oz. can.  Ballast is another great entry in the SoCal craft beer scene since 1996.   Started in San Diego's Home Brew Mart, where aspiring brew masters gather and exchange recipes, the Ballast brewing company was soon born out of the fun of home brewing and the experiences of Jack White.  Their year round line all named after different species of fish, offers a unique selections of flavors from IPA to Porter.  Great with chicken or BBQ dishes, this one is going to become a fridge staple for winter, summer, and everything in between.   Make sure you pour from the can into a tall pint glass, otherwise you will be tasting aluminum for dinner.   The cans remind me of Natural Ice in college, and how far we have come with fine crafted ales.   7.0% ABV 9.5 out of 10 Sculpin Stings http://www.ballastpoint.com/beers/year-round/