Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Fifty West |Rum Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout | The Ghost of Imogene

Every once in a while a beer comes along that reminds you why you first fell in love with craft beer. Most of us probably remember the beer that set it all into motion. Despite having tried so many different beers, there will always be room for a beer that takes everything to another level.

Last night, that beer for me was a rum barrel aged Russian imperial stout called The Ghost of Imogene. 

Named after a woman who was shot in 1927, Imogene Remus was suppose to be watching after her husband's illegal whiskey distilleries while he was in jail. George Remus came home to find he had been betrayed by Imogene. With the help of a federal agent who was responsible for putting Remus behind bars, Imogene and Franklin Dodge sold all of Remus's belongings and distilleries. After leaving the court house to file for divorce, Imogene was shot by her revenge hungry husband. Remus went to the police station to turn himself in and claimed to have lost the gun he used in the murder of his wife. In early October, you can visit the ghost of Imogene. Rumor says she's been spotted several times in a long black dress.

 
I'm not entirely sure what came first, the beer, or the name. Either way, this beer has all the dark thick plot twists of the story behind its name. There is a romance between the sweet and oaky aromas. The first sip coats your entire mouth like silky dark chocolate. The heat and spice in your sinuses of the rum give this beer a shot of something to be taken vey seriously. Now that you respect the beer, it finishes by lingering in your mouth with oaky and dark fruit tones. I picked up notes of dark grape used in a very distinct red wine.
 
 
 
The label art is beautiful, intriguing and unique without being "trendy" or over done. That's something I think we can agree all Cincinnati breweries have done very well.
 
 
 
If you were lucky enough to score a bottle, let me know what you thought about it by leaving us a comment. This is a great conversation beer. I'm DYING to hear what other people have to say.
Sorry, Imogene. Too soon?
 
Rest in  peace, Imogene. That was kind of bitchy of you to sell all of your husbands whiskey distilleries, but I think your husband may have over reacted a bit.
 
I'll write short post about how the Whiskey aged version compares to this one.
 
Until then, Stay buzzed Cincinnati.
 
 

Friday, April 25, 2014

UPDATE | What are the Jerks up to now?

Happy Friday Everyone!

Warm weather is finally starting to creep into Cincinnati. With such a harsh winter behind us, it's not a far fetched assumption to make that this summer will be huge for our local breweries. Our beautiful city will be buzzing with events this season and there will be plenty of craft beer to help us chase a buzz.

No doubt that the Jerks are new to the scene. However, we have been drinking craft beer for years. A decent number of bloggers are already writing about the craft beer that Cincinnati has to offer and they're doing a great job. This doesn't mean that we are not going to write about the beers we drink. There is a lot of beer out there. We would hate for the other bloggers to feel pressured to try them all! We're here to help. :)

With that being said, we have big plans to fill a void that you didn't even know you had. I think that will be the key to a successful blog. The Jerks want to provide a fresh prospective and new ideas. Our plan is to bring more to this ongoing party here in Cincinnati. What if someone forgot dip for the chips?! Or we run out of ice?! Or those little sword tooth picks for the BBQ weenies?!

Anyway, it's Friday. You ain't got no job. You ain't got shit to do!

If you got that movie reference then we can be friends.

As we gear up to blow your mind, You can follow us on Twitter for sneak peeks, @Cincybrewjerk

On Instagram

http://instagram.com/p/nMYbqqM0I2/

And coming soon

Our Facebook page.


Friday, April 18, 2014

Tap That Cincy Craft | Mad Tree taps Bourbon Barrel Aged Axis Mundi

Tonight at Mad Tree Brewing they will be tapping the Bourbon Barrel Aged Axis Mundi.

www.MadTreeBrewing.com

The Jerks are headed that way. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Night Shift Limousine

Home
We mentioned in our previous post that we would be writing about a unique and totally kick ass way to tour Cincinnati breweries. We received a couple emails about the mention and promised to write sooner than later. It's a company called Night Shift Limousine. They give Brewery Tours, Winery Tours and special events. Now, this is not your typical limousine. Your tour will be guided in a 6 person, renovated Hearse. Yes, a Hearse. While visiting Bad Tom Brewing, we watched as six men stumbled into the tap room. They all had the same thing to say about their tour. Pure Awesome. They were having a great time. The hearse was loaded up with snacks and drinks. We walked outside to get a look at this strange ride. Brad, the driver and owner of Night Shift Limousine, met us and gave us a quick tour. One look inside and we decided...this is ABSOULTELY going on the Jerks list of things to do this summer.
 

 

 

 
 Brad explained the pricing and the different tours and told us business is going well. Personally, I think it would be exponentially kick ass to rent this baby for Halloween. Slap on some fake blood and have Brad drive us around so we can stumble through breweries? YES.
 
 

 
 I took some pricing information about the brewery tours straight off of the website.

www.NightShiftLimousine.com

513-685-LIMO (5466)


 
 (That champagne bottle can easily be replaced with a growler.)
 

The Craft Brewery Tour is available on Friday evenings starting between 5:00 -6:30PM, Saturdays at Noon and between 4:30 -6:30 PM, Sundays at 12:30 PM.  We spend approximately 45 minutes at each of the 3 breweries we visit. Each person gets an average of about a pint of beer at each brewery. The size and number of tastings varies with each brewery. For example, some breweries will be six - 3 ounce tastings, another might be four - 4 ounce tastings and another might be three - 5 ounce tastings or even four - 5 ounce tastings. All together each person willl get about 48 ounces of premium craft beer.
A group of six can visit 3 breweries for $54 per person.
Group of 6 for $324 - $54 per person
Group of 4 for $284 - $71 per person
One couple for $250 - $125 per person
 

The tour meets in the parking lot of the Anderson Town Center. Other locations for pickup and drop off can be arranged, simply call or email with the address and we will let you know if it is possible and if there is an additional charge. Certain restrictions may apply.
Breweries on the tour include:
Bad Tom Brewing, formerly Double Barrel Brewing
Mad Tree Brewing
Mt. Carmel Brewing Co.
Listermann and Triple Digit Brewing
Rivertown Brewing Co.
50 West Brewing

 

 I'm sure you can find 5 other friends who would spend $54 bucks to get driven around to breweries and get 48 ounces of delicious craft beer. You guys can pitch in and buy a growler, fill it, and drink it between breweries...and VOILA.. you're drunk..in a hearse...with your buddies.

So call Brad and reserve a night. May is Chickow month at Triple Digit. I suggest going there on your tour. Load a growler up with your favorite Chickow and be on your way.


I said Chickow too many times and just got droll on my friggin keyboard.

NightShiftLimousine.com
brad@nightshiftlimousine.com
513-658-LIMO (5466)

 

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Bad Tom Brewing


 

 The Jerks were down a man this weekend, but we didn't let that stop us from hitting up a couple breweries. From time to time, we will be using the blog as an excuse to go have a couple beers. Don't confuse the Brew Jerks with guys who just like to sample. We like to DRINK beer. So, don't be surprised if our plan is to stop into a couple breweries and we end up only visiting one.
We're probably drunk.
Hey, shit happens.
Our promise to bring you honest, detailed, and reliable information about Cincinnati breweries stands no matter how long it takes us to shake our hang overs.

On Saturday we ventured out and had our livers set on Bad Tom Brewing. The location is very unassuming. We passed it up the first time and went through a couple rounds of "Is that it?" "That one?" "Right there?"
 Yeah. That's the one.
As we first stepped in, there were only 4 or 5 other people sitting at the bar. A man named Sean greeted us and actually started a genuine conversation. (Something we really appreciate.) Sean placed out some laminated information about each beer on tap. That was really helpful. I don't much care for staring up at a chalk board with only the name and ABV written down. Each of their beers has a unique story behind it, with a unique brewing technique. They serve flights of four and six.. $10 for six?
Yeah, I'll have that.
As he poured each beer, he placed them on their corresponding info sheets.

The garage door was open and letting the warm sun shine in, the fresh air in our lungs, the beer glowing in the sun light, Sean's hair blowing in the wind.
I think the Jerks are in love.
With the beer.
Sorry, Sean.

Our flight starts with their flagship brew,

Bad Tom Ale :  6% abv
An Easy drinker. A classic well rounded American Brown Ale. It seems like everyone has found something they like about this beer. Its smooth, and not too heavy. If you are new to trying craft beer, this beer is perfect. Nothing too in your face. The story behind the name Bad Tom is not only bad ass, it gives you the feeling that you're throwing back a cold one with one of Kentucky's most notorious criminals. Cheers, Tom.
 

 

 Old Abe American Ale : 10% abv
Holy Strong Ale, Batman. This does not drink like a ten percent-er. Beautiful color. Mellow fruit up front, finishes clean, with a touch of berry. This will probably be my 4th of July beer. I will not be setting off any fireworks whilst drinking it, because my plan is to be partially inebriated by the time it gets dark enough to set them off.  Merica...
 
 
 Addlehead IPA : 6.6%
This beer can throw you for a loop. With IBU in the 90's, you'd think it would punch you in face with hops. Not the case here! This IPA is heavily malted and that's masking most of the hops. Another easy drinker, light, and still plenty of flavor.
 
 
 Kloppenburg Helles : 5.8% ABV
This beer is difficult to write about if you'll allow me to be completely honest with you. A bit of grassy taste. Soft carbonation, and a bittersweet finish. Poured beautifully and obviously a gorgeous color. There wasn't very much going on though, not our favorite here at Bad Toms.



Black Kettle Stout : 5.8%
 I could probably write an entire post about this stout. Ultra dark pour with beautiful, creamy, tan head. chocolate and vanilla nose. Then, BAM. First taste, a raw and almost spicy cinnamon. Finishes sweet with a thin mouthfeel. My fellow Brew Jerk said that this one had a bit too much going on in his opinion. I disagree. I think it's very well balanced and intriguing. I heard that Bad Tom's will be, or already has brewed some of this with peppermint tea infused. Either way, I need to get my hands on some of that beer.
...Mother of Christmas....




Brother Clementine Belgian Ale : 6.5%
Last, but not least. The Jerks agreed. This one is our favorite. Like I said before, maybe it was the warm weather, sunshine, and wind flowing through Sean's hair, but this brew hit the spot. They decided to replace Belgian wild yeast with American Yeast and combined with a three grain, two hop formula and brewed it with whole clementines. It's not a beer that the Jerks typically agree on. Most of us don't like citrus fruit forward beer. There are so many on the market that they all sort of taste the same now and I'm a little burnt out on the orange beer flavor. But this... This is so well done. A little yeasty and bitter. A sort of spicy and bitter citrus that ends with a bite. We took this one home in a growler. We buckled him in, drove him home, and shared him with our friends around a bon fire.

 
We decided to get a pint each before we left. I settled on the Clementine Belgian Ale, and my buddy got a pint of Old Abe. (Pictured above; left to right) We relaxed while Sean educated us on his Great Great Uncle, Bad Tom Smith.
Bad Tom Smith was hanged in 1895 for six murders to which he confessed before his execution. Sean tells the story much better than I could. Just another great reason to stop into the brewery. There is a DVD and a Book  right there at the brewery that tells Tom Smith's story. They also have T-shirts and growlers and pint glasses. All sporting Bad Tom and his killer mustache.
 ( No pun intended.)  
 
 
 
While we enjoy our beer and the company of friendly people starting to roll through the door, a Hearse pulls up and lets six men out of the back. A company called Night Shift Limousine gives brewery tours around Cincinnati. In a Hearse. We'll be doing a post about them soon, so stay tuned. Until then you can visit NightShiftLimousine.com and book your brewery tour for you and five friends.
 
 

 

 

 
 The Jerks highly recommend visiting Bad Tom Brewing. Say hello to Sean for us and let him know that the Cincy Brew Jerks sent you. We'll end this post with a quote from Bad Tom Smith himself, moments before he was hanged.




"Friends, one and all, I want to talk to you a little before I die. My last words on earth to you are to take warning from my fate. Bad Whiskey and bad woman have brought me where I am. I hope you ladies will take no umbrage at this, for I have told you God's truth."

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 
 

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Mellow Mushroom

What's up, guys? Happy Tuesday.

The Brew Jerks planned on taking a trip down to another brewery tonight but we got hungry and impatient so we decided to stay a little closer to home. We ended up at a restaurant called Mellow Mushroom. Its located in Union Centre off of Floer Dr. They serve stone baked pizza with crazy flavors and they have a great selection of craft beers. We started off with a Breakfast Stout by Founders Brewing Co. Unfortunately, it was not the famous Kentucky Breakfast Stout.  Still, it was delicious and a great place to start the night. Its an 8.3% Imperial Double Stout. A fresh-roasted dark coffee to start and finishes with bitter chocolate notes. I see keg and eggs in my future.

I did, however, hear from a very definite source that The Dingle House located right across the street in Union Centre will tapping KBS April 15th at around 4pm. The Beer Jerks will be there. So make sure you stop and say hello!


After we finished our pizza, ( We tried the Holy Shitake Mushroom Pie. It was pretty good but its really hard to enjoy your pizza when you paid $15 for a damn small.) we moved on to the flight. Four Beers for $7.

1. Bell's Two Hearted Ale : Always good. Intense, fruity, floral and a hoppy finish.

2. Ommegang Rare Vos.: Whoa. Super interesting. Very different. Its spicy, bitter and kind of soapy? In a good way.

3.Brooklyn Black Double Chocolate Stout : Starts with sweet caramel and finishes with smooth dark chocolate. Good stuff.

4. Stone IPA: Stone brewery has quite a few different IPAs. This was just your basic IPA. Nothing too exciting. The IBU had to be pretty low on this one. I hear some of their other IPAs are out of this world. If you've tried one, Write about it and send it to me. We will post it on the blog.

I know. We didn't drink any Cincy beers. We'd like to save those reviews for the next time we are actually at those breweries.

Mellow Mushrooms does serve a great selection of Cincinnati craft beers. They had Rhinegeist on tap, along with some choices from Mt. Carmel and Christian Moerlein. They have TONS of bottled and canned beer.

Our calendar is filling up fast. We will be hitting up all the great local festivals and events. We take pictures everywhere we go and love to talk to people about their favorite beers. The Brew Jerks like food, too. So, we will be stopping into local restaurants. If you have a suggestion for us, again, just shoot us an email.

See you guys around the Nati.
Cheers to Cincy Beer! 

Monday, April 7, 2014

Rhinegeist Brewery

Happy National Beer Day!


Another excuse to go try some of Cincinnati's great craft beers.

Tonight we visited Rhinegeist. Its located in "Over the Rhine". It was the original Moerlein bottling plant built in 1895. Ya know, the year when the only two vehicles in the state of Ohio supposedly crashed into one another? Ah, the good old days. One thing is for sure, The only two things crashing into one another at Rhinegeist are great beer and a great time. (shut up.. that's not corny...who asked you?) Rhinegeist is German for " Ghost of the Rhine".  Rightfully so.  These people are bringing back the Ghost of the great brewing district of Cincinnati. If you are a local you know that "Over the Rhine" is a place that many consider unsafe. I'm not going to lie to you. My Navigation was not being crystal clear on this location and all I could think was "Shit...shit...shit...". I pulled my car into the parking lot, crossed the street, walked inside and immediately heard the echo of people having a great time. I was desperately thirsty and excited. I bolted up the stairs to find a... group of people playing wiffle ball?  WTF?  This is suppose to be a brewery! Not a damn Little league tournament. Where am I? It doesn't matter. I can smell the sweet smell of wort. I need beer.

I stroll over to the bar and a guy named Kevin is ready to get me started. They serve flights and the first four he pours me are as follows;

Cougar :  4.8% Golden Ale that at first sip is nothing to be excited about, but after the third or fourth sip you realize this is a very well done ale. Respectful, flavorful and smooth.

Uncle:   3.8% English Mild that is fresh and delicious but still... not my favorite.

Truth: 7.2% IPA that is refreshing, sweet, and everything else you would expect from a well crafted IPA.

Luck : 4.5% Irish dry stout that is rich, flavorful and well, again nothing terribly unique but still a very well crafted dry stout.


While I am finsihing my flight, I am listening to what other customers are ordering. Truth and Cougar are very popular. I'm not entirely sure how I missed it on the board, but a gentleman with a long, red (and pretty glorious) beard comes to the bar and orders a Mastodon. (9.8% Belgian strong Ale.) For those of you who were not paying attention in 4th Grade, A Mastodon is that huge mammal that resembles an elephant, but basically use to run around the Cenozoic Era and fuck shit up with its massive tusks. You dont just name a beer after such a huge, bad ass creature and expect me not to give it a taste. Just looking at it glowing in its beautiful snifter would make anyone blush. Its amazing. Its sweet, with hints of Plum and Cherry (but not too sweet).  Its substantial yet refreshing, unique, and intriguing. Its a beer that keeps you coming back for more. (Try and remember that its 9.8% beer though, be careful. Or get trashed, who gives a shit, we don't judge. Just don't drive.)


A perfect brewery for a rainy day. If you live in Ohio, you know as well as I do that no one knows exactly what the hell is going on with the weather. It's a safe bet to make that no one is going to piss on your parade at Rhinegeist.




Kids are welcome and there is plenty of space for them to run around without getting into trouble. You can truly enjoy your beer. Relax and go play some wiffle ball, drink some beer, and hang out with Kevin the bartender. Kevin will take great care of you and can answer any and all questions you may have, make sure you leave him a hearty tip.



















What do YOU think about Cincinnati Craft beer?

Welcome to The Cincy Brew Jerks!

The blog where you can read all about the delicious and unique craft beers made right here in Cincinnati! We have several contributors ready to talk about their favorite beers and breweries.

With several articles already being written, we'd like to extend the invitation to anyone who has a passion for Cincinnati beer.

Send us what you've written and we will review them and post the best ones! If it's funny, clever, honest, or if you're just plain drunk, we want
to hear from you.


Send your article and pictures to CincyCraft@gmail.com

Bottoms up, Cincy!