The Windowsill is simply out of this world for Stout Season today!
Have you guys heard about the Russian Revolution? No, not the Communist one back in 1917 that I covered in my post about The Czar from Avery Brewing Company. I’m talking about the Russian craft beer revolution! Back in 2014, the Russian currency collapsed, making many things unaffordable for the Russian people. One of those things was foreign beer. But, from a tragedy, arose a great thing. When they couldn’t afford to get outside craft beer, many Russian people just decided to make their own. Over the last five years or so, the Russian craft industry has boomed, and there are now over 100 craft breweries in the country. That boom is partially why we got today’s Windowsill brew—the Space Soyez Sauce.
Back in 2015, Brooklyn’s Other Half Brewing Co. teamed up with Moscow’s Zagovor Brewery. Zagovor is the Russian word for “conspiracy,” and the brewery bills itself as a provider of “craft beer from the deep end of the Moscow underground.” There’s no conspiracy behind today’s beer, though. It’s phenomenal.
Another classy bottle from Other Half. The contents inside were even better! (Credit: Martin Stezano / Beers on Windowsills)
I can honestly say that the Space Soyez Sauce is one of the more unique beers I’ve ever tried in my life. The base beer is a really solid imperial stout, but the two breweries put out three other varieties as well. All three varieties are aged in red wine barrels with Ararat brandy-soaked birch staves thrown in for good measure. One of them went to market just like that, but the other two are special. One is also aged on cherries and vanilla. The one I got, that you see in the photos, is aged on raspberries and cocoa nibs. I love nibs!
This variant is phenomenal. Every flavor is palatable. The rich chocolate, the red wine notes and the raspberries all shine through. The base stout is also quality, smooth and delicious despite the high ABV. When i first poured, the lack of thick head kind of made me pause, but the nose and flavor knocked it out of the box for me. Sadly, it’s not in production anymore, so you’ll have to dig to find it. I got my Space Soyez Sauce at Decicco & Sons!
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Is it too late for a Christmas post on the Windowsill?
I don’t know, but it’s definitely been too long since I had a SingleCut Beersmiths selection on the Windowsill. For those of you unfamiliar with the Queens, New York brewery, y’all better get familiar. Whether it’s their array of hoppy, hazy, juice IPAs or their collection of delicious stouts, everything they make is awesome. Also, their brewery, and all of their beers, are named in reference to something related to classic rock.
This beer lived up to its name. Absolutely electric! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)
Owner Rich Buceta specifically loves himself some David Bowie, which is where the Electric Blue name comes from. In 1977, Bowie released his 11th studio album, “Low.” Although it wasn’t embraced initially by critics, it is considered one of Bowie’s best, and most influential, outputs. The first single off of that album was a little song called “Sound and Vision.”
It’s a bit of a somber tune in which Bowie sings the following lines: “Blue, blue, electric blue / That’s the colour of my room / Where I will live / Blue, blue.” According to Genius Lyrics, the song is about someone who is depressed and bound to their room, with only the light of their black and white TV to brighten their existence. Super sad.
The beer itself is a Double Dry-Hopped IPA that SingleCut refers to as Weird & Gilly’s slightly bigger brother. As with most of their beer recipes, I couldn’t find the exact hop bill for this one, but the Electric Blue did taste very similar to to what I remember Weird & Gilly tasting like. Super juicy and delicious. Extremely hoppy and hazy. Solid IBU, too. So good! I definitely wasn’t blue after sipping this one on Christmas Day.
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Slide. Slide. Slippity slide… on the Windowsill today!
I’d like to thank the bartender/bottle shop guy at @deciccosbeer for recommending today’s Windowsill brew. He told me it would be delicious, and he did not lie. Have you guys been to DeCicco & Sons? There are a few locations in the Westchester County, NY area, but my go to is the location in Armonk. It’s your typical grocery store, but the craft beer selection is out of this world. Downstairs, there’s an entire row of fridges dedicated to cans. That’s all well and good, but the real main event is upstairs. That’s where the bottles live… not to mention an entire full service bar with food. Yep. A full bar inside a grocery store. Crazy! If you’re near the area, you have to visit!
Come along. you know you want to! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)
The Fantastic Voyage is an imperial milk stout at hear—creamy and strong with a roasty base. The special ingredient is the “heap” of dried coconut that’s added in the whirlpool. Tastes like coconut, chocolate sweetness and loveliness. It’s a massively good beer from the St. Louis-based Perennial Artisan Ales. They’ve been around since September of 2011, but this was my first beer from them. I’m definitely thirsty for more.
Final review: If you have a chance to try this beer, do as the great Coolio once said to do: “Come on y’all, let’s take a ride / Don’t you say shit just get inside!”
Had to include this for you guys… It’s much better than Lakeside’s original jam… no disrespect meant!
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Established in 1979, Boulder is known as Colorado’s first microbrewery. It was started by two physics professors, Randolf Ware and David Hummer, and their associate, Alvin Nelson. At the time it was established, it was only the 43rd licensed brewery in the United States. For context, there are now at least 41 in just Colorado, according to wikipedia. The company has undergone several name changes, from Boulder Brewing Company to Boulder Beer Company to Rockies Brewing Company and then back to Boulder Beer in 2005.
The Killer Penguin, of which I have two different bottles on the sill today, is their Barleywine Style Ale. It’s a limited small-batch release which, according to Boulder Beer, is a “dark garnet red in color with a candied-fruit like aroma and flavor.” Boulder says it’s big and smooth, and “perfect to share among friends.” It’s one of their most rare and sought-after bottled beers. The 2009 bottle says they only brewed one 50-barrel batch per year. Not sure if that still holds true, though.
Look at those badass labels! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)
The first bottle you see is from 2009, and was gifted to me by great friend of the Windowsill, @one_ill_tom. He bought it on a trip to upstate New York, from a random bottle store that had a cellar sale. Aside from the coloring of the label, you can also see that this Killer Penguin was part of BBC’s Looking Glass Series of more experimental brews.
By the time the 2014 bottle came around, things got different. The label is darker and more menacing, and, frankly, better drawn. You can even see the Penguin’s other eye. The Looking Glass Series label is also gone… guess that branding was no longer being highlighted.
I’m not sure if I am going to open these, or try a little harder to collect more from other years, but whenever I do open them, I’ll definitely do a vertical tasting and let you guys know!
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It puts the lotion on its beer, or else it gets the hose again!
You know me. I love to fill my sills with beers that have creatively-inspired names. The Chrysalis into Beauty from New Paltz, NY-based Foreign Objects is inspired by, as the can says, “one of the greatest literary characters of all time”… Hannibal Lecter. If you haven’t seen Silence of the Lambs, spoilers are a-coming. Although, to be fair, it’s nearly 30 years old, so just go watch it.
In the movie, young FBI agent Clarice Starling is on the hunt for a serial killer named Buffalo Bill, whose calling card is stuffing a Death’s Head Moth cocoon down the throat of his lady victims (and also skinning them to make a suit for himself). Bill’s motivation for all of this was transformation. Transforming himself, and transforming his victims.
What does this have to do with anything? Chrysalis. Chrysalis is the hard shell that surrounds bill’s moths (and butterflies and other insects that use cocoons to transform), ushering their transition to beauty. Chrysalis into Beauty! Do you see?
That label art is also inspired by the movie. Do you all remember Buffalo Bill’s Dance scene? You know… the tuck? Bill says a little something while applying his lip gloss… it’s what the can says… but it’s not “drink.” It’s another word that ends with K. We’ll keep it clean for you Windowsillers, though!
Love the backstory behind the Chrysalis’ name! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)
OK, now for the beer. Untappd says the Chrysalis into Beauty is an Imperial IPA, but Foreign Objects calls it a New-American Hoppy Ale. It’s brewed with Simcoe, Centennial and Mosaic hops. If you know your hops, you know that’s a killer combo. Whatever you want to call it, I really enjoyed the aroma and taste of this beer… even more than fava beans with a nice chianti.
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I’ve been hitting the bourbon barrel-aged stouts hard so far this month, but I might have to stop after today’s Windowsill brew. It’s unbelievably good!
Last week, I took a trip to Port Chester, New York for an eye doctor appointment. As I always do when I go to Port Chester, I stopped by Port Chester Beer Distributors—one of the best beer stores around. I went there with an intent to browse, but I ended up picking up a Founders Brewing Company CBS for my buddy Brian, a Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy from Oskar Blues Brewery and, at the recommendation of the PCBD guy, the Bakery by The Bruery. Best recommendation ever!
Check out that beautiful label. (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)
The Bakery is an imperial stout aged bourbon barrels with coconut and natural vanilla flavor added. Bruery founder Scott Rue told The Full Pint that macaroons inspired this brew. Said Rue, “Macaroons bring back nostalgic feelings for me. As a kid, I would beg my Mom to buy them and devour them in one sitting. In college, my girlfriend (now wife) would buy fresh, chocolate-dipped macaroons from the campus coffee shop, which further fueled my appreciation for the dessert.”
So, did Rue do it right? Hell yes. I definitely taste what he was going for in the Bakery. I think the first word that comes to mind when I think of this brew is creamy. Super creamy. It’s also got some really good sweetness and, although you can taste the bourbon barrel character in it, the boozyness is not at all overpowering. This is how you barrel age a stout. So good!
Head over to Instagram to check this one out right now!
Today, we have a bottle of Avery Brewing Company’s The Czar, an Imperial Stout… from 2013! I got this baby from my good friend Tom, who graciously gifted it to me for my birthday this past summer.
Not all of my beers are for drinking, but I still want to show them off, so we’re starting a new recurring series on the Windowsill. These won’t be reviews, just an exhibition of sorts. Let’s call it… Cellar on the Sill!
That wax seal tells you all you need to know, right? (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)
The Czar is part of Avery’s Dictator Series (along with the Maharaja Imperial IPA and the Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest), which was discontinued in 2017 (except for the Maharaja). It’s name, and the art on the label, is inspired by Russia’s last emperor, Nicholas II. Long story short, the House of Romanov ran Russia for over 300 years, until a guy named Vladimir Lenin came along and riled up the proletariat—that’s the working class—to the point of inciting a Karl Marx-inspired communist revolution.
Lenin wasn’t a fan of the Romanovs, and said specifically that Nicholas II was “the most evil enemy of the Russian people, a bloody executioner, an Asiatic gendarme…a crowned robber.” When the revolution hit, the Romanov family was gruesomely executed, ending the House of Romanov’s reign.
Look at this mug. (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)
Politics aside, the Czar is a pretty solid representation of Nicholas II. For one, it’s an Imperial Stout, which was essentially invented by British brewers in the late 17th century so that they could ship their stouts to then Russian dictator Peter the Great. It’s brewed with German Hallertau hops and English London Ale yeast, which fits into Nicholas II’s family tree, since he was first cousins with both England’s King George V (seriously, have you seen the resemblance?) and Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II. Royals gonna royal, I guess?
There’s more to this beer than a good name, though. I can’t give a full review until I try it, but from what I hear, it’s one of the better Imperial Stouts out there. I wonder how it has aged? Hopefully better than the 300-year Romanov family reign. I don’t need a revolution in my stomach!
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Non-alcoholic craft beer? Now I’ve heard everything… and tasted it, too, thanks to Athletic Brewing Company!
We’re doing something very different with the windowsill today—a brewery intro unlike any other we’ve done before. Athletic Brewing Company in Stratford, CT opened its taps in 2018, and is owned by Bill Shufelt. What’s so special about this place? Well, what Athletic does is very unique. Nobody else on the entire East Coast does it, and only two other places in the entire United States. What is it? Non-alcoholic craft beer!
Some of you may have stopped reading, but those of you who haven’t must be as curious as I was when I heard about this place. All of my memories of non-alcoholic beer are basically of O’doul’s (“What beer drinkers drink when they’re not drinking beer”)… awful.
Athletic is different. Shufelt was about to get married, and wanted to improve his life through health and fitness. Too many weekend nights drinking led to too many hangovers and unhealthy meals, which didn’t vibe too well with his demanding financial career. He cut the booze and never went back to it, but still enjoyed going to bars and hanging out. Unfortunately, there was not a lot for him to drink in a lot of public places. One thing led to another, and here we are.
When I heard about his brewery (thanks to the gang at @203local), I reached out via DM and Bill Graciously agreed to send me some beers to sample. When I got their package, I was very impressed. Bill sent me three different beers: The Upside Dawn Golden Ale (3 cans), the Run Wild IPA (3 cans) and the Local Harvest IPA (6 cans). The packaging was lovely, and even included stickers and other information about the beer and brewery.
All that matters is the taste though, right? Especially if the beer isn’t going to wow you with a hefty ABV. Well, here are my thoughts. This is the best, and most well-crafted, non-alcoholic beer I have ever tasted. Here’s how the beers did, for me.
Upside Dawn Golden Ale
The Upside Dawn golden ale from Athletic Brewing Company. (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)
ABV: <0.5%
IBU: 15
Calories: 50
Tasting Notes: The Upside Dawn was light and crisp with some good floral aromas.
Availability: Year-round
Run Wild IPA
The Run Wild IPA. (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)
ABV: <0.5%
IBU: 35
Calories: 70
Tasting Notes: The Run Wild was hoppy and had some good IPA qualities with a nice bitter finish.
Availability: Year-round
Local Harvest IPA
The local harvest seasonal IPA. (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)
ABV: <0.5%
IBU: N/A
Calories: N/A
Tasting Notes: The Local Harvest IPA is a fall seasonal from Athletic. It, too, was pretty hoppy and had some interesting flavor.
Availability: Fall seasonal
All that being said, as well-crafted as these beers were—considering that they can’t rely on the alcohol content for sales, I would argue that what they’re doing is harder than “normal” brewing—it’s not for me. The concept of the “beer without a buzz” is not something I’ll probably ever truly be into. Also, although the beers had some solid flavor, that too doesn’t compare to a “regular” IPA or Golden Ale. I love everything Athletic has done, and I will cheer them on from afar and wish Bill well with his company, though.
If you want to drink beer, but want a healthier option that won’t get you drunk, definitely check these guys out. They’re local, and they’re doing great work. Cheers!
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Who knew the passion fruit had such an interesting backstory? First of all, the name comes from the fact that it’s one of the many species of passion flower. In the 1700s, the plant was named by missionaries in Brazil who were trying to convert natives to Christianity. It was also known as “flor das cinco chagas,” which means “flower of the five wounds.” It was specifically used to teach the natives about the crucifixion of Christ.
An upside down exclamation point? ¡Español! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills
In Portuguese, it’s known as the maracuyá, which comes from a Guarini word meaning “nursery for flies.” Sounds kind of gross, no? In the Dominican Republic, it’s known as chinola, which originates from China, which is where the orange originated (they’re similar looking). Finally, in some other Spanish speaking countries, it’s known as parcha… which is where the name for today’s beer, from the Springdale Barrel Room, comes in!
The ¡Parcha! Is a nice little concoction that I am pretty passionate about (see what I did there?). Springdale took a saison, added passion fruit juice to it, and then aged the entire thing in oak barrels for six months. The resulting brew is a little more tart than most saisons, almost like a wild ale. That being said, the sweetness from the passion fruit provides some solid balance of sweet and sour. Aside from the sweetness, the passion fruit flavor really stands out, unlike some other passion fruit beers I’ve had. Pretty enjoyable bottle of parcha infused ¡Parcha!
Can my Windowsills withstand 20 tons worth of barleywine?
A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I decided to use our cheat day (as it relates to diet, not… whatever you’re thinking) to get some pizza and drink some craft beer. I’d heard that PizzaCo, in Stratford, CT, had really great pies and a solid selection of crafty goodness, so we decided we’d go there to kill two birds with one stone.
When we got there, the pizza looked awesome, and the beer menu was on point. There was, however, one problem: it turned out they were directly across the street from one of my favorite breweries—Two Roads Brewing Company. As they say, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Our plans changed immediately. We decided to take our pies to go and saddled up to the Two Roads tasting room bar to eat it. Best of both worlds!
In case you wanted more of the backstory, it’s all on the back! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on windowsills)
The 20 Ton Ale is one of the beers off Two Roads’ “Beers from the Vault” menu (and part of their Road Less Traveled series), but they also had bottles in the retail shop, which is where I picked this one up. Things got a little out of hand on Thanksgiving, and my friend Mike and I uncorked it and fired it up. It’s a blonde barleywine, which means you know it has some heft to it (12% ABV). It’s hopped aggressively with Northwest hops and made with heirloom malts. Overall, it was pretty tasty. Oh, and it’s named after the 20 ton crane that adorns the middle of Two Roads’ century-old building.
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