Posts Written ByJulia Burke

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor A porter brewed with 100% brettanomyces, this is a collaboration beer brewed at Ithaca Beer Company with brewer Bobby Barrar of Iron Hill Brewing Company in Media, PA. It takes on the delicious combination of dark and sour. A sexy brownish-black in a pint glass with a half-finger camoflage-brown head, Dark Humor is aptly named. On the nose, chocolate milk (think Nestle Quick) and roasty malts are yummy and almost,  just almost, hide the whiff of sour cherry. That cherry's not shy on the palate though. Delicious sour fruit cuts right through the milky texture,…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Responding to increased demand for their beer thanks to a growing local following and massive critical acclaim, Captain Lawrence Brewing Company has announced a move and an expansion. The Pleasantville, NY brewery is moving five miles away to a bigger and better home at 444 Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford. After over five years in business, Captain Lawrence has built a booming base of tasting room visitors and achieved cult status across New York State and beyond for its innovative and delicious brews, which include a popular IPA and the Smoked From the Oak…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Like every TasteCamp attendee, I

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor What's better than maibock season after a long winter and a late-bloomer spring? This one from Flying Bison Brewing Company is a deep, bloody orange-amber color with a delicate one-finger head and faint lacing.  The nose is all chewy, warm cinnamon-raisin bread and orange zest, with some pecan and nutmeg. A big spicy gingerbread palate with a hint of sweetness and balanced carbonation makes for a tasty drinking experience; the solid banana-bread malt bill and crisp, spicy finish, with good length, make for a delicious take on this undeservedly little-known seasonal style. Hops are more…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor Brooklyn Main Engine Start is the first beer out of the gate of Brooklyn's spanking new brewhouse, and it's a cool lesser-known Belgian style: the Abbey "singel," which is the lightest of the Trappist styles. Traditionally drunk at lunchtime (but then, so am I), singels are a simpler, lower-alcohol alternative to the better-known and more wallop-packing dubbels and tripels. This particular one is only 6% ABV, which is apple juice for most of today's DIPA and quad lovers. Main Engine Start pours a surprisingly clear (according to the brewery it's unfiltered) toasted straw gold color…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor What

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor I spent last weekend at my best friend

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor This glistening lager pours a glowing well-hydrated-post-water-bottle urine color with no head or lacing to distract from the pure, unadulterated aromas bursting from the nose. A glorious flavor profile of sweat, tears and gonorrhea enlivens the palate and transports the drinker back to freshman orientation, with lascivious notes of latex, metal can and couch pizza supplanting the usual malt profile. The palate is akin to licking the undercarriage of a Hummer: fascinatingly steely and rusty with hints of kerosene and douchebag. A long, almost-too-long finish ensures the place of this memorable beer in the sense-memories…

By Julia Burke, Beer Editor This weekend hundreds of beer drinkers gathered on Grand Island to celebrate a single passion: homebrewing. The "Amber Waves of Grain Homebrewing Competition," hosted by the Niagara Association of Homebrewers, celebrates the ultimate in "drinking local" over two days of tasting and judging over 420 entries, from double IPAs to meads to barleywines. The quality of the homebrews I tasted was unequivocally impressive. Of the beers I tasted in the American Stout/Imperial Stout/Foreign Export Stout category, almost all were pleasures to drink, and one was so good I would have chosen it over many classic…