Tag Archives: black tuesday

Black Tuesday 2015, 19.9% and NO WAX?

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Having just zwickled 2015 Black Tuesday, carbed and cold, I’m excited to write this. I feel like I’m addressing the crop report to Wall Street in the movie Trading Places, where thousands will throw tiny pieces of paper in the air after hearing this news.

GNAG2731Two new things for Black Tuesday this year: This year’s version is the biggest yet, at 20% 19.9% ABV. It may have been the carbonation on the brite tank, but this BT is akin to a honey-bourbon, but instead of honey, caramel, toffee, vanilla and chocolate poke through, like BT. It’s delicious. It seems a bit thinner, but in my opinion this is a good thing. I didn’t really have time to break it down or do a side by side comparison. For my money, I’ll buy all I can this year. Also notable this is the last BT brewed on the old brewhouse.

bt_nowaxAnother big bit of news? Maybe no wax. That’s correct. New bottles may have this classy foil top. I’d rather have a reason to dig in my Black Tuesday without a knife, and to possibly break the beer community out of the gothic era with wax dips.

What’s your opinion on wax? Let us know.

 

 

 

A Little Tuesday Morning Beerporn (and Beerporn Party)

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With the wife at work and the kid at school, the two dogs and cat are ushered out of the office. The cat’s proclivity to cock-block the mouse and bite one’s wrist while pulling a mid-morning web sesh is astounding. The computer hums its way alive and I shamefully open an incognito internet window. With the windows drawn and the web page loading, I rifle through my jeans for that ‘special’ credit card…the one my wife knows nothing about.

Just like that, I’m drooling over one of my favorites. She’s thick, bubbly and curvaceous with a round dimply bottom. Having ‘had’ her a few times in the past, I know what she’s all about, and trust me, she’s worth the trouble. As the clock strikes 10, the show is live and I’m ready to rock out.

Feeling charged, my heart pounds with excitement in my creaky wooden office chair. Then…the screen freezes. “Sonofa…” I say while fingering my thin black refresh key over and over in frustration. “No data received” and “webpage not available” error pages fly by. I reboot…twice. Damn Black Tuesday always gotta play hard to get! Sheesh. All this for a beer! What did you think I was talking about? A few hours later I finally got it up (the website) and splurged on a few bottles (for his pleasure).

There’s no Beerporn in the Champagne Tasting Room

btparty_cambria

Eight hours later, I’m outside The Bruery near their red grain silo for session two of the Reserve Society exclusive Black Tuesday party. Being the last Tuesday of October, the air is surprisingly still and scentless. The Lime Truck sits off to the side, sizzling seasonal fall sprouts; their smoke plume sailing cluelessly over the 57 South.

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Spinning pearls with Erin Hill

Inside, I’m always impressed with The Bruery’s Black Tuesday parties. The gals are dolled in pearls and hats; the dudes are dapper in ties and slacks. Even the tasting room is filled with festive balloons and streamers. The enigmatic 18% ABV Russian Imperial Stout sits patiently about to be sprung from bourbon barrel solitary confinement. This year, the addition of Glencairn glassware kicks this party to a whole new classy level. As if sipping plain Black Tuesday isn’t good enough, the Bruery is serving up seven different looks at the base beer like a fashion show. Notes on each:

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1) Boysenberry Black Tuesday on Cask – Poured by a lovely debutante with angled eyebrows, this beer is a throwback to post-party IHOP flapjack sessions to absorb   whiskey and beer in our aching college bellies. Boysenberry Black Tuesday should be served in IHOP’s syrup containers…the one where you pull the thumb trigger back as it oozes all over your piping hot butter melting pancakes.

boysen

No one ever expects a local Boysenbrue collaboration.

The more you know about the Boysenberry:  The berries were developed by a local Anaheim horticulturist in the 1920’s named Rudolph Boysen. After an accident where he broke his back, he abandoned his vines. Walter Knott of Knotts Berry Farm was able to revive some of the dying vines and named them after the originator. Cheers to local collaborations!

2) Raspberry Black Tuesday on Cask – “What’s your name?” asks Sara while pouring a dose from the cask. “Greg”, I reply. “I like your feather, did you have to earn it?” “Nah” she says walking away to help someone else. Raspberry BT is very similar to Boysenberry with a Sees candy raspberry cream flavor (my favorite). After a few sips, I opt to dump the rest with a shocked “WHAT?, YOU’RE GOING TO DUMP THAT?” screech from an excited pony tailed guy named Kate here with his mom. “It’s not that I didn’t care for it, it’s just waaaay too sweet for my liking” I mention to him while he shakes his head in horror. Note that I rarely finish a >10% beer I’m not in love with. Don’t hate. There’s five more variations to get through, suckas.

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Nitro? I couldn’t tell.

3) Nitro Black Tuesday – I had high hopes for Nitro Black Tuesday, like Niagara falls high hopes. Either I got a mis-pour or this beer wasn’t ready. I wanted to watch a cascading nitro waterfall show and lick Black Tuesday froth from my stache. I got neither. If I ever see BT on Nitro again, you bet your ass I’ll stab hobos to get a pour.

P1060833The Glencairn glassware choice blew me away. It’s a standard crystal whiskey glass consisting of a simple bulb and flute. The basic idea is to fill the bulb area halfway (~2oz) allowing aromas to develop in the other half. The flute concentrates the aromas, enhancing the nosing experience. The thick heel of the glass is ideal to slam on the bar to let your server know you’re ready for another hit. The stylish barbacks did a great job rinsing and pouring samples mid-bulb allowing the aromas to parfait beautifully. Although the glass isn’t generally purposed for 38 degree cold liquid, the small girth of the glass ensures your balmy mitts will warm it up to the recommended 55 in a jiff. The waiting is the hardest part!

Re-enacting an awkward wedding moment with Cambria.

Re-enacting an awkward wedding moment with Cambria.

4) Some Mo Black Tuesday is German chocolate cake in liquid form. As my favorite cake, this beer is packed with coconut, caramel and chocolate all up in your face…just like a wedding where the bride and groom smears cake all over each others faces.

Hottenroth – Palate cleanser of the Gods!

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the paparuetzi

5) Grey Monday – Holy hell, this is nice. Not just drinking it, but inhaling it…then exhaling it after a sip. Nice Nutella note that rides over the chocolate. This beer makes me want to eat hazelnuts with chocolate and drink bourbon to wash it down. Grey Monday is a food pairing in a glass.

P10608516) Melange #1 – (Basically Black Tuesday blended with Oude Tart) As my palate is basically destroyed from the stock market crash of 1929, this beer is a time machine. Pouring cloudy dark brown with a effervescent body, the fruity tart zing gives me some much needed mouth to mouth resuscitation. I’m kicking myself for not buying a bottle of this!

P10608307) 2013 Black Tuesday – My tongue is like a piece of beef jerky at this point, but I can’t physically leave without sampling the pep pep of them all: The bubbly and curvaceous 2013 Black Tuesday. Expecting nose-hair frying booze, I’m treated with two nostrils full of my favorite things: bourbon, chocolate and some sloppy dark fruits. Black Tuesday’s flavor is decadent, sublime and surprisingly smooth. Perhaps it’s the booze talking, I think 2013 is the smoothest day zero release yet. Normally I don’t like to open Black Tuesday until it’s slept a year in the cellar, but this girl is ready to twerk her dimply round bottom all up in my face, like NOW.

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Not a reserve society member? Memberships are on sale now via their website. Know a member? Make sure and have them buy tickets to get you in to their Barrel Aged Beer Party on 11/16! Login to your Bruery account and visit this site for tickets and info: https://www.thebruerystore.com/p-121-barrel-aged-beer-party.aspx 

 

 

A Perfect Storm / The Bruery Black Tuesday Release Parties (2012)

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Patrick and Rachel Rue relive their Black Tuesday prom.

“I thought I had messed up raising my son” said a well-dressed older gentleman in a bow tie and extra-extra long grey suit. “Who’s your son?” I asked. “Patrick Rue”. I could tell by the gleam in his eye, Michael Rue (President of the Bruery) is proud of what his son has created. Even the lore of Black Tuesday, an epic brewday-gone-wrong, has turned into something magical. The mere fact that 3,000 bottles of the $30 beer sold out in ten minutes is proof Patrick Rue knows what to do when life hands him lemons…throw them in a bourbon barrel and hope for the best.

Peanut Panna Cotta w/Toasted Marshmallows

The 2012 Black Tuesday party and beer release is double the size of last year. The party has expanded to the Bruery Provisions and the new tasting room at two sessions a piece. With the beer, production was up and more variations are available at the parties, giving fans a chance to try special cask, randall’d and tap versions of this enigmatic Imperial Stout.  At Bruery Provisions, each variation is paired with a perfectly crafted dish! Here’s a write up of the tail end of Bruery Provision’s party, and my notebook notes verbatim of the full party at the Tasting Room. Please, enjoy.

Bruery Provisions Session One:

Faster than lightning strikes, tickets to the party at Provisions disappear.  I’m all about pairing beer with food and I’m quite curious how a complex 19% ABV bourbon barrel-aged beer will fair with food. What the hell would I pair? S’mores or maybe a nice Macanudo Robusto Cigar, or perhaps a nice triple-cream Brie glazed with a honey-bourbon reduction? I know, it’s not an easy beer.

Lukcy Basardts on the patio of Bruery Provisions

Arriving at Provisions as the sun sets, the squeaky back gate is all that welcomes me. The quiet crowd outside must be content as everyone is sipping gently with pinkies out. The outside air is refreshing, golden and still. Birds flutter inside the nearby hedges, snuggling in for a nap after eating artisanal crumbs all day. Going inside, I’m met with some serious 1920’s zing! The ambiance is brought to life by the smiley staff completely and not cheaply dressed to the nines. Ladies are elegantly draped with long strands of pearls, throwback hair feathers and flapper dresses. Gents are dashed in everything from bowler hats and suspenders to pinstripe three pieced suits. Tyler King, man of infinite fashion skills, even had a grey button-up short sleeve shirt (with shorts). One can always spot the artist at a show, I suppose.

Provisions kitchen coordinator Bryan Liem set out to prove his mad pairing skills with five versions of 2012 Black Tuesday.

  • Black Tuesday (straight) with Wild Mushroom Mole, Masa Cake & Sesame seeds.
  • Grey Monday (Hazelnut version of BT) with Blue Cheese cold smoked over Hazelnuts, Dried Figs, Fresh Pairs & Toasted Hazelnuts.
  • Black Tuesday Cask with Coffee & Vanilla served with Coffee & Vanilla Pulled Pork Slider w/Coffee BBQ Sauce on a pretzel bun.
  • Black Tuesday Cask ‘Banana’s Foster’ paired with Peanut Panna Cotta w/Toasted Marshmallows.
  • Black Tuesday Randall with Mint Chocolate next to Goat Cheesecake, Raspberry Coulis & micro Mint.

“I really wanted to do at least a couple of savory dishes to show Black Tuesday can be paired with a variety of dishes. I thought the vanilla brine I did for the pork added just hint of vanilla to really bring it out in the BT.” Bryan Liem, Bruery Provisions Kitchen Coordinator

courtesy Bruery Provisions facebook page.

Overheard inside, “The pulled pork dish and coffee Black Tuesday easily won best in show, best beer and best pork dish I’ve had.” Said a random lady. Kendra, Provisions GM agrees, but mentions the Smokey Blue by Rogue Creameries paired with Grey Monday was a close runner up. Anytime you can get a complex cheese that’s been smoked for three days over hazelnuts with a complex hazelnut beer, you’re in for a sure mouthgasm! Everything was delicious and perfectly paired.

Overall, session one at Provisions was super mellow. It was nice to see it wasn’t over-crowded, guests had plenty of elbow room to shmooze around and take photos. More on the beer in the next segment, but five variations of Black Tuesday with paired food is plain brilliant. Bryan Liem has some serious mad skills and I can’t wait to see what he has in store in the future!

Bruery Tasting Room Session Two

I took four pages of notes in a spiral SPAM notebook during the party; here they are verbatim.

Bruery BT 12 party

Dan from out of the park pizza is here with a Brewluminati shirt. He “probably should have been put on Ritalin, but his mom didn’t, thankfully, Fuck that shit” says Dan. Doors open, clock strikes 8 and Black Tuesday flows quick, thick and black like a 1970’s blaxploitation film. A hundred voices corrupt the fall night and are buzzing consciously with phones and beers in hand. Untappd is tappd out, thankfully. I don’t normally check in tasters, but this has more booze than a standard 12oz’er. Glasses clank unheard among Hipbone Slim & the Kneetremblers ‘Snake Dancer’. “Cheers!” screams a table with necks stuck out. Music is all encompassing and volumetric, throwback blues jam thick like a Black Keys Pandora playlist. Black Keys? Black Tuesday. Nice to meet you. Likewise. Pleasure.

Staff is sexy, dipped in classy 20’s garb. Crowd is sloppy with tshirts and tennies. Sitting by the last-call bell and firkins, wooden handle, 8” ringer. I’d ring the server’s bell like Anita Ward. Sitting by the casks, people yell drink orders without saying please and not tipping, “BANANA AND GREY MONDAY” yells a puffy guy that looks like Clint Howard. Lee Fields ‘Who do you love?’…great song…tappin my feet, sipping, scribbling, eavesdropping, heaven.

Vanilla coffee cask best I’ve had all year. On par with Smog City’s Groundwork Coffee Porter that took gold at GABF; fucking crazy good beer. After two pours I get a case of the sweats. Spoke to Jeff Duggan at Portola Coffee Lab in Costa Mesa; “the coffee is a lighter blend than Portola does normally, we ground it this morning to drop in the cask.” he says while hauling bottles to a work party. Vanilla? Not really punchy aromatically. There are GROUNDS in my beer! I repeat, there’s GROUNDS in my beer! Coffee character is perfect; it smooths out fresh BT perfectly, 19%? Nofa King way. I want this beer bottled..now. Ya heard.

Hitting more CASK action: Banana’s Foster. Boozy bruleed banana that bounces on the palate like a real creamy banana. Banana fumes after a sip! On the belch, more banana fumes! Michael Rue gave me his on the way out. “I barely touched it.”

MINT – was this through a randall? I didn’t see Randall anywhere. Imagine Chocolate Rain with some cooling, boozy mint. Least Fave. Not bad by any means, but the bar has been raised. Last year’s BT S’mores cask wasn’t that distinct. This year, variations are nuanced and  a force to be reckoned with.

*Show a tweet with #BlackTuesday and get a free BT ’11. Done and done. Wow so smooth compared to ’12. Def going to bury my ’12 in the backyard like a dog.

Hottenroth – Palate cleanser of the Gods.

Grey Monday – Sweet hazelnuts! Sexy decadent hazelnuts tap dance in my mouth. Time to convert BT to P.

Straight BT ’12: Graham Crackers all day long like Heather Graham in Bowfinger. Deep dark fruit vanilla followed by bourbon, oak. Boozyness clashes with hoppier finish not prevalent in BT ’11. Baby Black Tuesday needs to mature, cut teeth and get potty trained.

Dan Auerbach ‘Streetwalkin’ blastin’. Serious Portola coffee sweats going on! Buzz hit! Caffeine too. Intense. Life of a beer blogger is always intense. Bank on that.

Ashley, peacock feathers, pearl necklace and beer. Best seat in the house!

Chocolate Rain materializes in my tasting glass. Manliest goosebumps ever. This is the point where they all start to blend in. Chocolate is decadent, smoothing. Wish I had a doggie bag for this. Time for food. Lime Truck ran out of food. Bastards.

The crowd is apologetic and nice with the tight squeeze. Overheard: “scuze me, sorry, may I get through here, sorry, pardon me, whatcha drinkin there? Didn’t I see you at another event?” “Tuesday, Monday, Tuesday, bananas!”  “Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, did you hear the Coffee cask is great? Anything? Nothing.” “Damn son.”

Overall! Great party, pretty much perfection! Was a little loud, but hell, I’m old. Next year I hope do the same thing. The beer is pretty much phenomenal and this year was an improvement with the variations. Portola Coffee / Vanilla cask Black Tuesday I will pretty much swoon over for weeks to come. I hope it makes a return throughout the year!

Initiating the Society | The 2012 Bruery Reserve Society Party

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Pulling up to the Phoenix Club at 10:20 A.M. while listening to Spoon’s 10:20 A.M. is a sobering reminder of how much synchronicity I deal with on a daily basis. Even freakier as the song ends right as I turn the car off. Don’t you love that?

It’s raining mash paddles and beards as I puddle-trot to the non existent line outside the huge German festhall tent typically used for the Phoenix Club’s Oktoberfest. I wander around the lines of people like I’m stumbling through a corn maze of mid-morning groggy beer geeks. The most recognizable person in the crowd I spot is Phillip Macnitt, the bearded “Indoctrination Specialist” from Stone Brewing Company. Super Cool beard, bro.

As this is an initiation party, I expect to see Patrick Rue in a hooded cloak wielding a flame-branded mash paddle while barking orders at the new recruits. “Bend over you slime!” <whack> “What’s my name?!?” <thwack> “Wrong! It’s Professor Snicklefritz!” Unfortunately there was nothing of the sort. This is a typical Bruery party where everything is meticulously planned, organized and no drama of any sort. These guys do parties almost too perfect after learning some things from last year’s Reserve Society party that had members in cattle lines for just about everything.

Right out the gate, Bottle Station 1 nabs of 3 out of my 10 precious drink tickets. I kick it off with 2009 Papier, 2010 Coton and 2011 Cuir. What a start! Pulling a Bruery Anniversary Ale vertical tasting at 10:30 A.M. on Saint Patrick’s day is what this is all about. Each beer is different, yet related like sisters. One gives no head, one smells like bourbon and gives substantial wood and of course there’s the Cuir of the bunch that swings both ways. Each beer paints such a clear picture of what the Bruery is all about. Rich, complex sophistication that makes my eyes roll and taste buds melt. These beers make me glad to be alive and I’m rolling only three deep.

Bottle Station 3 burgles two more of my precious wrist-tickets. Batch 50 and Melange #1 get the nod. My pour of Batch 50 was completely flat, but still an interesting taste of a Geuze. Melange #1, a blend of Oude Tart and Black Tuesday, made me smirk with its deep, dark, tart funkyness. With only a 2.5oz pour, it left me wanting more. Melange is such a tease like that.

Halfway done with my tickets, I trade my food ticket for some catered Beachwood BBQ. Pulled pork, brisket, beans, bleu cheese grits, portabella mushrooms and slaw were the options. Having eaten at Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach, the catered version is a mere shadow of itself. The Spicy BBQ sauce was so thin it ran around my plate like I was panning for gold. That, mixed with the brisket grease made my plate look like Kim Kardashian sat on it. Edible? Yes. Pretty? Hell no. Better than a food truck from last years party? I suppose. The slaw and grits were the true stars of my plate. As all of the seating was taken, many stood around or had a pow wow on the cold, damp floor. For a $50 party, the lack of adequate seating was baffling.

As I start on the second half of my drink tabs, I visit with Jonas of the Bruery who is manning Draft Station 1. I fetch a firkin pour of Sour in the Rye with Kumquats which is a refreshing surprise. Such a perfect piquant beer as the kumquat’s natural sour citrus elevates the ale in a bright and sunny way. I’m temped to steal some Kumquats from a neighbors tree and squeeze them in my beer with a lemon press when I get home. Maybe I’ll try Kumquats in a homebrew Wit or a sour of my own. We’ll see. I love inspiring beers and this was one of those.

Four Tickets left I hit the brakes and decide to chat with guest tap hosts. Nate Squillace from Hangar 24 was out of Pugachev’s Cobra and refused to break into session B’s supply. Hangar 24’s Barrel Roll series has eluded me once again! I sneak up on Jeremy Raub of Eagle Rock Brewing and he cons me into trading a drink tab for a Deuce. Well worth it too, their second anniversary brew “Deuce” is an ultra-imperial version of Solidarity, their black mild. Having had Solidarity at their brewery a month back I was blown away that so much flavor and complexity could be squeezed in a mild. Deuce is a Bigalow beer! I also ran into Jarred Dooley, former Bruery employee, current Playground “Director of Libations” in Downtown Santa Ana. I wish I had a cool title like that! We chat about their recent tap take over from Ballast Point, who really brought their “A” game with rare stuff one can only get at their brewery in San Diego.

The Draft truck outdoors nabs two more of my tabs. Despite my blog post from yesterday proclaiming that green beer is unfiltered leprechaun urine, I was curious to try the Bruery’s take on it. Green Centennial Hop Oil added to my Humulus Lager made a great on-the-spot dry hop. Others were more adventurous getting Bootleggers Knuckle Sandwich with the hop oil, making a murky green swamp water looking concoction. Should I be worried that I pee’d green after drinking this? I hope not. Other tab? Einer’s Folly. Not sure who Einer is, but I really liked this beer. The draft truck treated me right!

One ticket left. It reminds me of being at a dance at the end of the night, frantically trying to get the hottest lady left. Otiose would be that lucky broad. If it were a real lady, I would have struck out having figured the name is French and pronounced it “oh-TWAH”. The server corrects me rather astutely with “OH-shus”. Bearded guy behind me orders one as “OH-tee-us”. The guy after that simply says “OH-uh, the third one down.” “It means Idle Hands”, the smug gal tells us as we simultaneously say “Ahhhh!”. Apropos name for being out of drink stubs.

I head out and I’m greeted by a faint rainbow as Craic Haus (local Irish Rockabilly band) plays ‘Bottom of a Guinness.’ I swear there’s a Leprechaun in my car stereo today. If Tay Zonday’s Chocolate Rain came on, I would shit a pot of gold.

Occupy The Bruery | We are the 99% that can’t get Black Tuesday

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I hope they have a sense of humor at the Bruery :)Surely everyone has read about the Wall Street crash of 1929. Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, saw a $30 Billion prolapse on the New York Stock Exchange. People lost life savings, houses and businesses. With prohibition also a factor of the time, poor bastards didn’t even have a delicious Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout to fall back on. I’m sure they were pissed!

Fast forward to today, people still feel the economy’s giant boot pressed firmly on their necks…losing life savings and homes all at the hands of the top 1% that control banks and corporations. At least we have delicious craft beer to sip and reminisce about the good old days before the world was a fanny pack filled with hot steamy Liger turds on a toboggan going off a cliff only to land in a penguin exhibit. Have you smelled a penguin exhibit? Good lord! So stinky!

Every year around September, the buzz about The Bruery’s Black Tuesday begins. The Bruery Reserve Society emails are broadcast to every major beer news outlet, blog, and beer related forum. People want that beer! Imperial Stouts (or RIS) are one of my favorite styles of beer; yet I’ve never tried Black Tuesday. I wouldn’t mind a glass to enjoy next to a crackling fireplace, snuggled up with my gam-endowed wife while smooth jazz plays on a vintage 1979 RCA HiFi. What makes Black Tuesday so hyped? Is it better than other Imperial Stouts? What’s the story behind it?

Strip Chess with my old lady! BOW CHICA WOW WOW!

Through my formidable detective work (youtube) I learned how Black Tuesday was born at the Bruery. Head ‘Bruer’ Tyler King was at the Yard House hammered drunk sloshing a half-yard of Racer 5 (allegedly). He was thinking of a recipe to deplete all the half-bags of malt lying around. He came up with a “kitchen sink” Imperial Stout that would do the job. During the 16 hour brue day for the beer, a mash paddle was accidentally left in the tun and got stuck in a valve. There was hot mash spewing everywhere! “Patrick was burned on the arms…it was bad” says Tyler. They aged the beer in bourbon barrels and the rest is history. The name derives from the color of the beer and the historic connotations of the historic stock market crash eighty years prior. I’m not sure if the price is a throwback to the $30 Billion lost back in 1929, as bottles are $30. It is also released on the last Tuesday of October, giving a nod to the wall street crash date.

Purchasing a bottle of black Tuesday is similar to traders in 1929 trying to sell off their worthless shares on the NY Stock Exchange floor. Black Tuesday morning at 10AM, the Bruery website sale opens; freezes, and every last drop is gone-baby-gone! If you happen to be a big Bruery fan, you can also join The Bruery Reserve Society; which gives you priority to purchase three bottles. The release party is Black Tuesday evening on 10/25 hosted in two sessions. The party sold out in five minutes! Feel free to drop by with your protest sign “I AM THE 99%”!