Be sure to check back over the long weekend.

The story itself isn’t that interesting.  While having a pizza one night, the owner of NY Pie mentioned there was a new beer on tap, Long Hammer.  I’d never heard of it and he was glad to let me sample it.  Given the rather weak selection of beer, I was pleasantly surprised by a big floral, hoppy IPA that was also quite easy to drink.  But more than the hops, what sticks with me to this day is the name Long Hammer.  This isn’t the same thing you or I might say, this is a name a man transplanted from the Bronx says.  The “o” is long, and the “r” took off early to catch the Yankees game.  It’s a name that will forever be ingrained in my brain.

The Long Hammer pours a rather light yellow, much lighter than most IPA.  The aroma is full of hops, big grapefruity, floral hops.  The flavor is slightly sweet and again, full of those hops.  While there are lots of hops in this beer, they aren’t overly bitter.  Jen, who hates hops, commented that the beer smelled like flowers.  I really like this IPA, it’s a little light fr the style, coming from the West Coast, but doesn’t sacrifice the hops.

There’s a definite crowd of people out there that aren’t fans of this beer.  I’m not sure why, since many of the complaints I’ve heard say this beer isn’t hoppy enough.  I can agree that this is an IPA for the masses, but I wouldn’t say it is a bland beer by any means.  As usual, grab one for yourself and make your own decision.  Hopefully, it won’t inspire a bronx cheer on your part.

By the way, if you’re in the mood for a good pizza, definitely visit NY Pie, they’re one block east of Russian River on 4th street.

Due to the delays associated with the “Money” label, Lucky 13 jumped Money in order of release and Money hit the shelves late.  So while the release schedule says we should have seen Undercover Ale in stores this month, we are just getting into the stocks of Money.  With the winter season about to be on us, this apparently created a problem.  Undercover Ale will now be available next March, with the Imperial Red 6-packs, originally due this month, to be available in September.  The winter bombers will still be the Cappucino Stout and we’ll see those in a month or so, with Brown Shugga closing out 2008 with an October or November release.  My guess is when the Imperial Red are gone, we’ll see Brown Shugga.

As for Money, if anyone has been looking for this on draft, the word is that Lagunitas decided not to keg it.  Pretty simple.  Thanks to Staphanie for being such a help.

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Charlie Papazian posted this today and I think it’s a great resource for anyone looking to give beer tasting a serious try.  He breaks down the basics of what you’re looking for.  After that, it’s just a matter of drinking more beer and tuning your craft.

Beer Examiner – How to evaluate beer. Tasting beer with a purpose.

After years of drinking this brew straight out of the bottle and usually rather impaired, I realized I had no real idea of what this beer was about.  My memory told me it was a strong beer, but I couldn’t nail down the style.  Despite having drank this beer many times, it occurred to me I was essentially going into this blind.

The Hawk pours a cloudy honey color, very different than the barleywine amber I had anticipated.  The aroma is full of yeasty esters, banana and clove, and a touch of sweet malt and alcohol.  Tasting this beer again really opened my eyes.  The style resembles more of a Belgian Tripel with an American twist than anything.  The yeast carries the load in this beer with the hops finishing the job.  When cold out of the fridge, the alcohol blends into the beer and the sweetness of the malt joins the flavors of the yeast on the main stage.  Unfortunately, as this warms a bit, as a stronger beer is traditionally served, the alcohol becomes a little overpowering.  Regardless, this is a very good beer.

What amazes me most when I drink this beer is the change in my own palate.  I knew I liked good beer, and I knew I liked hops, but beyond that, I really didn’t know much about what I was drinking.  We drank Eye of the Hawk because it tasted good and it carried quite the kick.  To drink this beer again today, I can appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the beer as well as identify it as a unique beer.

While I still consider myself quite novice when it comes to the subtlies of beer, it is reassuring to see some growth.  Also, it is a bit inspirational.  Think of all those beers on the shelves that I’ve ignored over the years, having grown tired of them in years past.  Maybe it’s time to revisit some of these beers.

Midas Touch pours a light amber with a thin head. The aroma is more like wine than beer. The flavor is similar to a oaky California Chardonnay with a little froth. There’s a flavor reminiscent of mead mixed in that’s rather dry and crisp. The grapes add a subtle sweetness, bit it is very faint.

I told a wine drinking friend that this reminds me of a chardonnay and she told me I was wrong. This is possible, because I really don’t know much about wine, except that I prefer reds.

In the end, I didn’t enjoy this much. It’s a different beer, that’s for sure, and worth experiencing, but I wouldn’t want a 6-pack in my fridge. I’m still interested in the idea of reviving ancient brews. This trend seems to be catching on with a few brewers so lets see what may come down the line.

Let me introduce the group: Bill the bartender, Dean the restaurateur, Chris from Agilent and 3 others at the bar, who I didn’t get a chance to actually meet. Tastes were poured and passed around. Dean read the label to us to give us an idea of what we had in store.

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