If any of you have add Captain Lawrence’s Golden Delicious you know how good an ale soaked in these Apple Brandy Barrels.  So of the Smoke from the Oak Series, their Apple Brandy version is the one I’m looking forward to the most!  It even sounds cool, Apple Brandy Barrels and this is Scott Vaccaro’s decided to use Apple Brandy Barrels, “I have to tell you, it is getting harder and harder to find new and exciting barrels to age our Smoked Porter in.  This one was simply dumb luck smacking me in the face as I perused the shelves at my local liquor store.  Apple Brandy has been produced in this country for centuries, so why not age our full bodied Smoked Porter in freshly emptied barrels from one of America’s oldest distilleries.”

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I’m very happy that California based brewery Firestone Walker has graced New Jersey with their beers!  This is one of the  breweries that I’ve heard so many great things about but have rarely had the opportunity to enjoy. I first had Firestone Walker’s Double Jack on draft at the Cloverleaf Tavern, a couple days later I visited one of my local Beer Stores, Amanti Vino and they still had some left. I had to get a bottle because it was so good on draft..

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I Just finished upgrading my Jockey Box (post to come soon) and I deserve a beer, but I wanted something different tonight.  I’ve indulged in a ton of IPA’s over the last week since my Buddy Jake sent me a huge box of goodies from the Midwest.  Tucked away in this box of ridiculously twisted IPA’s there was a lone bottle of New Glarus’s Unplugged Apple Ale.

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I can’t tell you how long I’ve been looking forward to drinking these beers.  I first saw Cuvee Series 1 and Cuvee Series 2 on my local beers stores’ shelves almost 2 years ago.  With the idea of having a horizontal tasting of them, I’ve been holding onto them for two years waiting for Cuvee Series 3 to grace our shelves.  Then, a couple weeks ago I happened to see a random tweet about Southern Tier’s Cuvee series 3 would be available in an extremely limited quantity in Georgia.  I immediately emailed my local guy and said when are we getting them in NJ.  He told me, “We’re not”.  But, he also said let me see what I can do.  What ever magic he worked I had 6 bottles for myself and a couple other #brewyork’ers 2 weeks later.

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Lucky for me I stopped into one of local Beer Stores, Amanti Vino and the Beer Manager, Thad said they had just got in the Aecht Schlenkerla Eiche Oak Smoked Doppelbock and I should try it.  When I had heard Schlenkerla made an Oaked Smoked Doppelbock, I had to try it.  I’m a huge smoked beer fan and even bigger fan of the over the top smoked beers of Schlenkerla, with the Urbock being my current favorite.

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A couple nights ago, I braved the blinding snow to hit the CopperMine Pub’s monthly homebrewers meetup.  There I meet up with some great local homebrewer’s including Robert Olsen.  Bob has been brewing quite seriously of late gearing himself for a run at a brewery, Bolero Snort.  On my way out Bob gave me a bottle of his Wee Heifer’s Fruitcake to try, which I’m really looking forward trying since his IPA from earlier that evening was frigging awesome!

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