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Pipeworks Brewing Company: Lizard King

Pipeworks Brewing Company: Lizard King

Hops: Mosaic

ABV: 6.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 4.04/5

In the land of the Windowsills, the lizard can is king!

The great Jim Morrison once wrote: “I am the Lizard King, I can do anything” in a poem named “The Celebration of the Lizard.” Although the verse was written in the point of view of a fictional author, fans of The Doors—possibly because the 60s were a hell of a time for drugs—assumed Morrison was anointing himself King of those little reptilian creatures, and the nickname stuck.

Pipeworks Brewing Company‘s Lizard King is an American Pale Ale hopped exclusively with Mosaic. It’s light, crisp and really delicious, with lots of incredible tropical, piney and citrusy goodness. One sip, and I really did feel like I could do anything! Is the Lizard King named after the great Jim Morrison? I wasn’t sure until I took a look at the description. A pale that “gets our mojo risin’?” Even Mr. Mojo Risin’ himself, Jim Morrison, could figure this one out, and he’s been dead since 1971. Also, how many nicknames can one man have?

Are you a lion in the street and roaming? Roam over to our Instagram to check this beer out!

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Oliver Brewing Company (with Stillwater Artisanal): Whipped 2.0

Oliver Brewing Company with Stillwater Artisanal: Whipped 2.0

Hops: Citra, Simcoe

ABV: 8.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Limited

@untapped says: 3.91/5

Are you ready to watch the Windowsill whip? Great! There will be no nae naes, though.

Maryland’s Oliver Brewing Company and Stillwater Artisanal—a gypsy brewery based in Brooklyn, NY—have collaborated on many beers. Although Oliver started in 1993, and Stillwater is just a baby (2010), the two seem to work really well together. This is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of hosting one of them on my Windowsill, but it won’t be the last.

The Whipped 2.0 was a really interesting choice for my first from this team. It’s a double IPA brewed with over 500 lbs of pureed mangos, flaked oats, lactose (for mouthfeel) and vanilla beans. The hop profile is actually really nice, too. 130 lbs of Citra and Simcoe hops are used to give it a nice, juicy, tropical deliciousness. Top top it all off, it’s a Nitro beer! This brew combines everything, from aroma to flavor to mouthfeel. Superb effort!

Check this great collaboration brew on our Instagram, now!

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Weyerbacher Brewing Company: Sunday Molé Stout

Weyerbacher Brewing Company: Sunday Molé Stout

ABV: 11.3%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 3.98/5

It might not be Sunday where you are, but it is on my Windowsill!

I love a good Mexican stout, don’t you? Chocolate, cinnamon and chilli peppers? Yes, please! I’ve always been curious though. Why do stouts amalgamate so well with the intense flavors from the peppers? It’s all about the thick body. As Bon Appetít Magazine said, the malty backbone of the stout is simply strong enough to support it all. The sweetness of the higher ABV highlights the flavor of the peppers, while the creamy body acts like a fire extinguisher, suppressing enough of the heat to make the beer comfortable to drink. It’s the best of all worlds!

The Sunday Molé stout from Pennsylvania’s Weyerbacher Brewing Company takes the Mexican stout one step further, really capturing the flavors of traditional Mexican molé poblano. Coffee, chocolate, heat and smokiness were what I needed from this brew, and those flavors were definitely playing a Ranchera on my tastebuds. This stout has it all: cocoa powder, cacao nibs; ancho, pasilla, mulato and chipotle peppers; and the cinnamon kick that brings it all together. Really liked this one!

Check out more delicious Mexican stouts on our Instagram, now!

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Founders Brewing Company: Kentucky Breakfast Stout (2017)

Founders Brewing Company: Kentucky Breakfast Stout

ABV: 11.8%

IBU: 70

Availability: Limited, new version released in 2018

@untappd says: 4.47/5

Let’s celebrate KBS Week on the Windowsill!

If you didn’t know, Founders Brewing Company is officially kicking off KBS Week today. The Kentucky Breakfast Stout is, once again, part of their barrel-aged series for 2018. This series will feature six releases throughout the year. The KBS is the first for 2018, and it releases everywhere this week. My bottle is from last year’s KBS release, which means I let it bottle condition for an extra year. Go get your bottle today!

The KBS is one of the better stouts I’ve ever had. If you’ve had the base beer, which is the Breakfast Stout, you know how good that is. Now picture that amplified to be a little beefier in alcohol content, and then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for a whole year. It’s delightfully creamy and chocolaty, and those bourbon undertones warm you up nicely on the way down. I’m happy KBS Week gave me a chance to finally pop the top on this one. So good!

Celebrate KBS Week on our Instagram, right now!

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Trinity Brewing & Evoke Fermentations: Super Juice Solution

Trinity Brewing & Evoke Fermentations: Super Juice Solution

ABV: 4.1%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Summer seasonal

@untappd says: 3.83/5

There’s a problem on the Windowsill, and there’s only one solution: Lost Photo Friday!

Trinity Brewing & Evoke Fermentations is all about finding solutions. Not just for beer-related problems, either. They also want to solve their patrons’ health problems. Starting after St. Patrick’s Day, they host a running group called Soul Runners every Monday at 5:45PM. Anyone—at any level of fitness—can come, and there are 4 and 8-mile (can we call these “Spaghetti, Spaghetti?”) trails. This is very smart business. Healthy customers live longer, and come back for more beer. Everyone wins!

When I had the Super Juice Solution over the summer, it was the first sour IPA I’d ever had. For whatever reason, the photo got lost in the BOW archives, but the beer is definitely one to be remembered. It’s soured with Lactobacillus delbrueckii yeast bacteria and uses fruity american hops for aroma and flavor. It’s a very juicy IPA that really refreshed me. And, at 4.1% ABV, your summer solution can involve more than one of these.

You have a problem, and the only solution… is Beers on Windowsills on Instagram!

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Last Stand Brewing Company: Black IPA

Last Stand Brewing Company: Black IPA

ABV: 6.9%

IBU: 70

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 3.81/5

Is that another stout on the Windowsill? Nope! It’s a Windowsill first—a black IPA!

What the hell is a black IPA, anyway? The style was recognized officially at the Great American Beer Festival… in 2010. Yep. It’s a baby! You might know it by a different name: the Cascadian Dark Ale, named after the Cascadian region of North America where it originated. Or maybe the India Black Ale? How about an American Black Ale? At the most basic level, it’s a beer brewed with dark malts and American hops, and a true Cascadian Dark Ale is made with ingredients from the Cascadian region. Now I know!

Let’s talk about Last Stand Brewing Company’s Black IPA. This was my very first black IPA, so I didn’t know what to expect. It was a little weird getting that hoppy aroma and flavor from a dark ale, but once I got over that, I enjoyed it. I do think the “black IPA” monicker is a bit misleading. This isn’t at all like an IPA, other than the hops. It was good though. More caramel and maltiness than an IPA would have, but good lingering and lacy hoppiness, too. Looking forward to exploring this style more in the future!

Check this one out on our Instagram. Give a follow, and enjoy great beer!

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Industrial Arts Brewing Company: Wrench

Industrial Arts Brewing Company: Wrench NEIPA

ABV: 6.8%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 4.22/5

The Windowsill’s got a couple of nuts and bolts loose after the last two days, so I grabbed a Wrench to get the fix done!

I’m starting to become a fan of New York’s Industrial Arts Brewing Company. I picked up today’s beer on two recommendations. The first was from @mikemags75, who told me to hit up a little market called @clintongourmetcorp. The craft selection here was unreal. Check it out if you’re near Times Square. The second recommendation came from the guy at the store, who said he was having trouble keeping the Wrench NEIPA on the shelves, and I should grab it now. Two amazing recommendations that really worked out for me. Thanks!

So why is the Wrench NEIPA so popular? It’s one of the juiciest New England Style IPAs I’ve ever had! It’s absolutely loaded “to the point of sickness” with Mosaic and Citra hops. It’s light, bright, crisp and wonderfully hazy, juicy and hoppy. This might be the perfect New England IPA! As the official description says, “after you drink this, you’ll be a certified JuiceWolf.” I’ll howl for that!

What more great New England IPAs? Check out our Instagram, now!