After thinking about it very briefly I realize that I have already forgotten the beer related goals that I set for myself this year.  That did not take very long.

The last bit of beer news for January . . .

• We are far enough into the year that it is time to stop looking back at what happened in the world of beer during 2011 and start seriously looking ahead to what will be another awesome year of beer.  I enjoyed reading 8 opinions from the Mid-Atlantic area even though I do not live in the area.
• A good article, but it mostly just makes me miss the beers from them that I cannot get down here.  Not that I don’t want an excuse to get to the Pac NW again.
• I have been hearing that this was where the brewery was going to land for weeks and weeks, but they have finally made it official.  After checking that out take a look at how some of it was conveyed on Twitter.
• One of the cool things in the craft beer world is the camaraderie among many of the brewers and breweries.  I am just glad that in this case means my supply of hoppy awesomeness will continue mostly uninterrupted.
• Just the other day I said that I thought their new seasonal would be great for summer instead of spring, but I am glad that they do not stand still and continue to tweak the family of beers they release.
• Not knowing the guy I only have what others are saying to give me an impression of the man he was.  That impression is very good.
• I am interested in trying this one more so because of the strawberries rather than the gluten-free aspect.  Also the sooner the rerelease of “Sucks” the better!
• Always hearing how great the water is there should mean that the beer from there has a really good base to start from.
• Crowd-sourcing a beer should bring some fairly interesting results.
• The concept seem to have worked enough to continue to expand upon it, but my biggest surprise is how cheap the beer is considering the prices of the coffee there.
• “Brewing beer is becoming an extremely popular endeavor.”  Shocking statement.
• Just trying to keep you aware of your beer options if traveling to the Czech Republic is something that you are considering in the future.
• Ambitious goals for 2012?  I would say planning for 20 new releases would qualify.

via http://flyingdogales.com

If my planning was better I would not have to leave the house today for anything other than work.  I do not need anything for Christmas gifts, but I do need some things for the house.  I should have known better than to put off getting dog food and such because now I will be battling the last minute Christmas gift shoppers when I could have avoided it.

Getting on with it . . .

• With another prominent fast food chain (and also a coffee chain) adding alcohol earlier in the year I guess it was only a matter of time before others followed.
• After recently sitting down to review Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA I am very glad to see it go into the rotation next year because I would love to have it fresh again sometime.
• This one is pretty much included in hopes that it adds some good mojo toward us getting some of this beer in Florida.  I would settle for a steady stream of anything from JP.
• Leave it to these guys to offer what sounds like the most interesting gluten free beer that I have seen to date.
• Speaking of gluten free beer, you may want to do a little research beyond just what the label tells you.
• It is pretty obvious that Fort Collins is a good destination for the craft beer lover, but not so obvious is how impactful the brewing industry is on the local economy.
• Getting to some of the legal stuff for the week . . .
• When local governments are on board things can actually get done quickly.
• It has never made sense to me that a brewery could not open a tasting room.
• Not being able to label a beer properly or market it also never made sense.
• I know that the NBA wants to grow the brand in China, but this partnership still confuses me just a bit.
• As a sucker for lists, these are some themes that grew stronger roots in the craft beer world over the last twelve months.
• If the world is going to end in twelve months I want some good beer to drink each month on the way out and I probably want to drink that beer in Seattle.

via http://beernews.org

These posts take as long as they do to put together because of all the stories that I choose to include I find myself ready about as many others that don’t make it.  The next thing I know more time has gone by than I wanted to spend.  Of course getting a few stories passed to me from The Wife does help a lot.

Good stuff this week . . .

• Maybe I fell asleep at some point this year because I missed the announcement that Sam Adams was going to release new beers so often that there is no way to keep track of them all.  There are three more on the way for the Brewers’ Choice Variety Pack in January.
• Aside from reading about his personal history and that of Sam Adams I got some good tips that I can use in life from reading this.
• With all of the barrel-aged beers out there I suppose it is good for marketing (if nothing else) to develop exclusive ties to the source of the barrels.
• One way breweries can continue finding inspiration for new beers or styles is to keep looking to the past.
• Or perhaps just discover an old shipwreck now and again.
• I think this is a great tool to help find places to fill a growler while traveling, but it also shows me that I need to be making trips to NYC and California more often.
• Not many details about the beer, but the Hanson boys are entering the brewing world.
• Any story about beer in New Zealand is always of personal interest to me as I hope to be able to visit some of The Wife’s family there some day.
• By comparison I really shouldn’t be bummed out when we receive slightly damaged packages at home.
• Ever wonder how the popular beers brands rate with social media users?
• It is amazing how many varieties of hops have to be developed just to ultimately have 2 or 3 that are sustainable for the brewing market.
• Closing with a good story with the Brewmaster at brewery that has been around for a much longer than most in the United States.

via http://whosisbrew.com

There is no good reason that I can think of not to share yet another Lagunitas beer review if I have one handy.  Sure I could break it up just to do so, but I will just wait to end the streak until later this week.  Besides though I do not love everything Lagunitas that I drink, I do not recall ever hating any of them either.  I tend to remember beers I greatly dislike even more so than ones I drool over.

Now on with the early-in-the-week review . . .

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)

Name: Maximus Ale

Style: (American) Imperial IPA

ABV: 8.20% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge, pulled only slightly early to warm some, then served in an oversized wine glass.

Aroma: Tropical fruity, citrusy aroma up front with maybe a little bit of spice.  Nice sweetness with a hint of warmth noticeable.  A full aroma overall, though the choice of glassware can certainly help that perception. – 9/12

Appearance: Medium orangey copper in color.  Slight cream color head that is thick with great retention and leaves a solid trail and legs along the glass.  Very clear with rising bubbles visible.  – 3/3

Flavor: A little hit of sweet malt up front that quickly moves to a bitterness that holds throughout.  Some citrusy hop flavor with a bit of a resin note.  Finishes a bit dry with some bitterness and sweetness holding on some. – 14/20

Mouthfeel: Medium(ish) body (maybe a bit thinner) with a fairly low level of carbonation.  Somewhat smooth, but with some astringency and warmth at the finish. – 3/5

Overall Impressions: Seems to have a similar profile as Undercover Shut-Down, but is definitely a lighter version.  Fairly well balanced components make it pretty enjoyable.  Nicer slightly cold and not too warm because then alcohol becomes too noticeable.  Not nearly my favorite Imperial IPA, but nice.  – 7/10

Overall: 36/50

Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Maximus Ale

When collecting a few bottles of beer here and there I never really put much thought into the order that they would ultimately appear here.  However after seeing everything in the refrigerator I start to pair beers off and that is why I have a second Lagunitas review for this week.  I suppose if I really had my act together I likely could have done an entire month instead of just one week.

Easing into the weekend with . . .

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)

Name: Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

Style: American Strong Ale

ABV: 9.87% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a snifter.

Aroma: Deep, fairly sweet aroma of dark fruit (raisins) with some fruity hop notes floating underneath.  Full, but not that big overall. – 8/12

Appearance: Full, rich, coppery amber color.  Slight cream color head that is pretty thick with good (or at least decent) retention, leaving a solid trail along the glass.  Quite clear with lots of tiny rising bubbles visible.  – 3/3

Flavor: Some bitterness up front over a pretty sweet malty base that is almost sugary.  Pretty thin and light in overall flavor, allowing the boozy warmth to come through a little bit too much.  Finishes smooth with some light bitterness and lingering sweetness. – 13/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a fine carbonation that gives the impression of it being a little low.  Pretty smooth on the palate, though the warmth is definitely there toward the finish. – 3/5

Overall Impressions: A little disappointed in this one overall or at least I am certain that this is not one of my favorite Lagunitas offerings.  Smooth and warming, but without much depth in flavor.  I am not sure if more carbonation would have helped, but I am sure that this is definitely one to drink a little on the warmer side.  – 6/10

Overall: 33/50

Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Undercover Shut-Down