TNP. Tactical Nuclear Pigeon #1: Lagunitas Imperial Stout

By now most everyone who even drinks craft beer occasionally has heard of Brew Dog's Tactical Nuclear Penguin, and Sink the Bismark.  These beers are ice bocks, a process of distillation, not fermentation which is technically illegal in the U.S.  I won't bore you with semantics, just google it; there is plenty to read.  The gist is: water freezes at  32 degrees Farenheit, and ethanol (the stuff that gets you drunk) freezes at -173 degrees.  By freezing the water in a beer, you can remove it and have a higher alcohol product left over.  Pretty sweet eh?  This process is not illegal anywhere else, and even though it is illegal to produce an ice bock in the U.S., it is perfectly legal to import one for sale.  I know, go figure.

This production method is pretty labor intensive for breweries who usually need to transport the beer to big freezers at places like ice cream factories (like Brew Dog does) multiple times between removing the frozen water.  This fact, consumer demand, and shipping can drive prices through the roof.  It will cost you about $90 to get a bottle of the penguin delivered to your door here in the States.  Not to mention, it's not always available and you might have to wait.  I am impatient, and I don't normally want to spend $90 on one beer, so I got really bummed for a while until I remembered something:

I HAVE A FREEZER AND ACCESS TO TONS OF GREAT BEERS!

So I decided that once a week, I will take one of my favorite strong beers, freeze it, strain it, drink it, and then let you know what I think.  I will call it Tactical Nuclear Pigeon, because I will never have enough money to see a penguin in its natural habitat, but seeing pigeons is pretty much free.

Enough P.S. on to the beer.  First up:

Lagunitas Imperial Stout.  I chose this beer because it is delicious on its own, and it's only $4.99 for a bomber here in NYC.  It still weighs in with an original 9.6% ABV, which I planned to increase dramatically. 

My original plan was to freeze it in the bottle with the cap off, but then I realized it would overflow or explode, so I opted for a large plastic container.  I covered it loosely with the lid, and let it go in the freezer for 24 hours. 

What I got was three ounces of a very strong, concentrated version of the original beer.  A little more oily in mouthfeel, and with about 25% of the alcohol burn I expected.  It still retained all of the delicious molasses, caramel, and maltiness of the original brew.  Plus, it got me kinda tipsy, even though I was nursing it.

I realized a few mistakes from this original experiment, which I will correct next week to get an even better yield, but suffice to say: the pigeon is in the house, and here to stay! 

Review # 13 Eel River Brewing Company: Triple Exultation

Hey!  It's another Old Ale!  This one is Certified Organic to boot!  The folks at Eel River have won a number of awards for this fine beer, so when better to review it than right after Founder's Curmudgeon?

I really dig this beer and have bought on many occasions.  It pours a hazy amber color with a cream colored head that lasts a good while.  The nose of this beer is mostly what you would expect from an Old Ale, prunes or raisins, molasses, and malt.  But wait, whats that?  Are those hops I smell?  Yessir they certainly are.  Unlike most Old Ales the nice folks at Eel River have jacked up the IBU's in this guy to 100, adding some nice, although faint citrus aromas.

It has a very malty start with a sweet hop finish, notes of wood, tobacco,  molasses, caramel, and the above mentioned fruits.  The first few sips will create a slight alcohol tingle, as this bad boy clocks in at 9.7% ABV, but it diminishes quickly as the rest of the flavors do the talking.

What do I do?:  Drink it, silly!  If you are a fan of Old Ales, IPAs, or a tasty cheap buzz, this should be high up on your list.  It is widely distributed so there shouldn't be much trouble finding it at one of the quality craft beer stores in your hood.