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One of a few from West Kill Brewing care of @scotchfullyyours, Dan samples Gone Afield, a wheat beer with orange, chamomile, and coriander. West Kill Brewing Gone Afield STYLE: Wheat Beer/Witbier/BlancheINGREDIENTS: Coriander, orange, and chamomileABV: 5.2%IBU: N/AAVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draft (Limited)Stats above taken from the can/website/Untappd. Appearance Hazy, medium gold/yellow with a white, fluffy head. Aroma Orange hit first, followed by the floral notes from the chamomile before the coriander/spice element lands, with an impression of malt sweetness. Taste Sweet bread/honey bread meets the orange and coriander notes with a subtle floral element. Mouthfeel Refreshing, light and slightly off-dry, with soft, foamy carbonation. Overall It’s great to see wheat beers out and about. Not typically my favorite style, but when they’re well-executed, they are still pretty delightful. Pairing-wise, I would definitely go lighter on flavors, maybe goat or lightly flavored cheeses, flatbreads, or something fresh that can complement the orange, chamomile, and coriander notes. Thanks again to @scotchfullyyours AKA Doug Zeigler (Speakeasy Conversations, Mortal Content, The Cult Bar) for sharing! Cheers and remember: Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry. All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers The post Episode # 445: Gone Afield appeared first on Life On Tap.

Care of @scotchfullyyours, Dan opened a Crooked Mouth Brewing Melisandre, an Irish Red Ale, which you don’t see often. Crooked Mouth Brewing Melisandre STYLE: Irish Red AleABV: 5.0%IBU: 26AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/draftStats above taken from the can/website/Untappd. Appearance Lightly-tinged copper and reddish in hue with a slightly off-white head. Aroma Sweet caramel malt meets the earthy/spicy/floral hop notes. Taste The earthy hop notes hit first, with the sweet malt and caramel element following on the mid-palate. Mouthfeel Smooth carbonation, light, refreshing, and moderately dry. Overall I don’t see Irish Reds around much, but they are flavorful and food-friendly when you might not have other distinct styles you are craving. Pairing-wise, I think general pub fare would be great from wings to Southwest Egg Rolls. Thanks again to @scotchfullyyours AKA Doug Zeigler (Speakeasy Conversations, Mortal Content, The Cult Bar) for sharing! Cheers and remember: Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry. All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers The post Episode # 444: Melisandre appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan cracks open a gifted bottle from Dad On Tap, Troegs Independent Brewing LaGrave, a Belgian Golden Tripel. Troegs Independent Brewing LaGrave STYLE: Belgian TripelABV: 8.0%IBU: 31AVAILABILITY: 300ml/12.7 oz bottles (Limited)Stats above taken from the bottle/website. Appearance Brilliant gold in color with a fluffy, white head. Aroma D’Anjou pear hits first, followed by bread and breadstick. Taste Bread and Champagne-like notes lead from the yeast character with some fruity elements interjecting into the mix. Mouthfeel Smooth mouthfeel and medium body with some scrubbing bubble-like carbonation. Overall Thanks again to Dad On Tap for sharing! Pairing-wise, I was feeling a lighter chicken preparation, or something rustic with baked potatoes. Cheers and remember: Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry. All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers The post Episode # 443: La Grave appeared first on Life On Tap.

While picking up some beer, Dan grabbed a single can of Shop Talk, a collaborative coffee stout with Ninth Street Espresso. Other Half Brewing Doug STYLE: Coffee StoutINGREDIENTS: Ninth Street Espresso Alphabet City Roast; Rahr 2-row, Flaked Oats, Weyermann Munich Type 1, Weyermann CaraFoam, Simpsons Brown Malt, Simpsons Crystal Dark, Weyermann Chocolate Rye, Weyermann Carafa III Special; German Herkules hopsABV: 6.0%AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans (Limited)Stats above taken from the bottle/website. Appearance Super dark brown with a light tan head and large bubble carbonation. Aroma Medium coffee roast leads, with a blend of milk and dark chocolate and impression of creaminess. Taste Freshly roasted coffee again starts with dark chocolate and dark caramel blending together with slight roast bitterness. Mouthfeel Medium-to-full body, smooth and creamy with soft carbonation. Overall I love coffee stouts, and I will almost always drink or buy one as long as they are lactose-free. This also can introduce roasters new to you, which is also neat since they also deal in fermentation. Pairing-wise, coffee-based or creamy desserts like cheesecake, but it would be interesting to try it with roasted meat or braised roast beef. Cheers and remember: Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry. All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers The post Episode # 442: Shop Talk appeared first on Life On Tap.

Dan snagged Other Half Brewing’s Doug, a Cascadian Dark Ale (AKA Black IPA) off the shelf for a taste of nostalgia. Other Half Brewing Doug STYLE: Black IPA / Cascadian Dark AleINGREDIENTS: Maris Otter malt; Simcoe, Centennial, Chinook, and Columbus Cryo hopsABV: 7.2%AVAILABILITY: 16 oz cans/Draft (Limited)Stats above taken from the bottle/website. Appearance Super dark brown with a light tan, foamy, and large-bubbled head. Aroma Pine/resin hop notes right off the bat with a mix of coffee roast and a sweet almost molasses-like element. Taste Hop and roast bitterness lead, with some medium-to-dark roast coffee, and a hint of residual malt sweetness, and a cola note in the mid-palate. Mouthfeel Supple and soft, with the foamy carbonation adding to that with an off-dry finish. Overall I will almost always taste or buy a Black IPA, as they tend to bring a bit of the nostalgia play to my palate. This one is an excellent entry, and doesn’t finish bone dry like many of yesteryear. Pairing-wise, anything with meat or chicken would be great, with chicken mole hitting my mind first, though anything with fat or spice that the hop bitterness can cut through or that the malt could complement would work. Cheers and remember: Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry. All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers The post Episode # 441: Doug appeared first on Life On Tap.

The final bottle from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan toasts with a Pet Nat dry one, String Theory, from South Hill Cider. South Hill Cider String Theory STYLE: Cider – Dry (Pet Nat)ABV: 7.1%RS: 2.6%AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited)Stats above taken from the bottle/website. Appearance Slightly hazy but translucent and orange/gold in color with tight, ascending bubbles. Aroma Herbal note leads with an impression of tart fruit and a hint of honey. Taste Honey hits first, with peach following and finishes off-dry. Mouthfeel Fairly light on the palate, mouthcoating and with mild carbonation. Overall This was a fun one to close out the haul with for sure. I definitely would recommend to a natural cider or wine enthusiast. Pairing-wise, I would go with some lighter flatbread preparations, mild to medium-strength cheeses, and perhaps sabayon or other related desserts Cheers and remember: Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry. All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers The post Episode # 440: String Theory appeared first on Life On Tap.

The eleventh of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan tastes Autumn’s Gold 2024 from Eve’s Cidery. Eve’s Cidery Autumn’s Gold 2024 STYLE: Cider – Traditional / ApfelweinABV: 8.2%AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited)Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle. Appearance Beautiful medium to dark gold with a very effervescent, white head. Aroma Earthy and herbal notes from the European varietals lead, with a pleasant acidity impression blended with floral and oaky notes. Taste Bright, with some acidity in the third quarter with fruit elements, a hint of skin contact and a granite/slate minerality. Mouthfeel Very effervescent, large bubble carbonation with a medium body/mouthfeel. Overall I think this is a great cider to introduce people who have had the major producers but want to start to dip their toes in craft cider. When cidermakers can grow their own, it really envelops the terroir of that orchard. Pairing-wise, this is great for an autumn or winter meal with poultry/fowl or lighter meats, cheese, or a berry-based dessert. Cheers and remember: Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry. All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers The post Episode # 439: Autumn’s Gold 2024 appeared first on Life On Tap.

The tenth of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan resamples a single varietal from Asturias, Collaos, from Treasury Cider. Treasury Cider Collaos STYLE: Cider – Asturias Dry (single varietal)INGREDIENTS: Collaos applesABV: 7.4%AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited)Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle. Appearance Medium yellow in hue and clear, with very small, tight-bubbled carbonation. Aroma A distinct acid note that hits first, with some woody/oaky notes along with some earthy and fresh herb nuances. Taste Starts off with the tartness before transitioning to an oak tannin note, with the expressive fruit coming together with the earthy elements and hint of funk. Mouthfeel Fairly dry, with the a medium body and slight carbonation. Overall I love cider from Asturias, and would have loved to enjoy this from a porrón. Pairing-wise, I want rustic dishes or tapas, with fresh spices/herbs a plenty. Cheers and remember: Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry. All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers The post Episode # 438: Treasury Cider Collaos appeared first on Life On Tap.

The ninth of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan has another Kingston Black from Eve’s Cidery’s North Orchard. Eve’s Cidery North Orchard Kingston Black STYLE: Cider – Dry (single varietal)INGREDIENTS: Kingston Black apples from their North OrchardABV: 8.0%AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited)Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle. Appearance Gorgeous, medium yellow/gold and very effervescent with small-bubble carbonation. Aroma Sweet and floral notes hit first with a hint of salinity and burst of fruit, which is similar but a little different from the previous Kingston Black ciders I’ve tasted. Taste Like other Kingston Black single varietals, there is some tartness mixed with earthy and herbal notes and a bready quality underlaying the sweet fruit on the mid-palate. Mouthfeel Pretty dry but delicate, with the small-bubble carbonation and a light-to medium body and mouthfeel. Overall I really love getting to taste different single varietals made of the same apple, as it really digs into the terroir where each one was grown as well as the cidermaker’s approach. Soft cheeses, salads, flatbreads would all be great, though it’s probably also so on its own. Cheers and remember: Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry. All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers The post Episode # 437: North Orchard Kingston Black appeared first on Life On Tap.

The eighth of many from the New York State Cider Festival haul, Dan cracks another single varietal, Treasury Cider Brown Snout. Treasury Cider Brown Snout STYLE: Cider – Dry (single varietal)INGREDIENTS: Brown Snout applesABV: 8.3%AVAILABILITY: 750ml bottles (Limited)Stats above taken from the brewery’s bottle. Appearance Effervescent with cascading, tiny bubbles, golden in color, with a fluffy, white head. Aroma Herbal notes lead followed by some earthiness, grassiness, and tart impression. Taste Earthy and herbal notes continue with some residual sweetness and tannin structure. Mouthfeel Lighter in body, super dry, with the carbonation adding a lovely “scrubbing bubbles” element. Overall If you are into rustic, English cider, this is definitely one for you. Pairing-wise, lighter cheeses a la aged goat cheeses to lighter cheddars hit me first, though some lighter meats and flatbreads would sing as well. You should open this up in the early afternoon on a weekend for sure. Cheers and remember: Life’s a tap…drink up ’til it’s dry. All music on this show came to us from the now defunct Music Alley.Intro: “Meet Me At The Bar” by The Beer Drinking FoolsOuttro: “Bubblegum and Beer” by The Supersuckers The post Episode # 436: Treasury Brown Snout appeared first on Life On Tap.