One of the longest running messageboard discussions here on Columbus Underground is about a popular topic that most everyone enjoys: beer. For over five years, our readers and regulars have been contributing their recommendations to the 50+ pages of favorite brews. That can be a lot of data to wade through, so we asked five of those regular readers to single out some of their favorite picks of the moment for Beer Week 2013.
Here’s Jack Sheets’ top three picks:
Old Rasputin – North Coast Brewing Company (Russian Imperial Stout)
When it comes to choosing a stout, it’s certainly no easy task given the heavy hitters and cult-classics that fall under this category. You can wait in line to have your Vanilla-Aged Dark Lord brewed on a full moon, and that’s great. I’ll just run to my corner store and grab me a pack of year-round available Old Rasputin from North Coast, and smile the entire trip home.
It pours black as midnight with a beautiful, brown cascading head that looks like it came from a nitro can. As for the taste, think chocolatey, roasty, & malty with just enough espresso undertones and hoppy bitterness. Insanely well-balanced, it really doesn’t get much better.
Columbus Underground is celebrating Local Beer this week, brought to you by our friends at Savor Growl. All this week we’re featuring articles on breweries, beer shops, tastemakers, growler fill stations and more!
Sculpin IPA – Ballast Point Brewing Company (American IPA)
Originally named, Northstar IPA, Ballast Point’s Sculpin is a West Coast IPA lover’s dream come true. It’s no secret that California yields some of the worlds greatest IPA’s, but I tried to stick with a theme of beer that’s readily available here in Ohio. Just look for the bottle with the goofy looking fish on it.
Seemingly without fault, this is what I reach for when I want to be reminded of what hops are all about, without shredding my tongue in the process. A world-class IPA.
Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout – Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Milk / Sweet Stout)
For my last beer I wanted to pick a wild card beer, something a bit out of the ordinairy. I’m choosing a dessert beer, rather, THE dessert beer. Going to a party or gathering and want to blow peoples minds, including non-craft beer drinkers? This is your weapon of choice: a chocolatety atom bomb of pure deliciousness.
One bottle is enough to share, due to the overwhelming sweetness, and did I mention it tastes like chocolate? I’m not talking hints here people, this beer is straight melted chocolate to the gullet. Enjoy reaping the compliments and explaining to people where you bought it. A guaranteed people-pleaser, and an amazing after-dinner indulgence.
For more beer-related discussion, CLICK HERE to visit our messageboard.
Photo by Logan Miller of www.LCMphoto.org.
From August 12th to August 18th, Columbus Underground is Celebrating Local Beer Week, brought to you by Savor Growl. Stop by their shop at 2991 Indianola Avenue on Thursday, August 15th to get 50% off your growler container purchase and 10% off all growler fills between 6pm and 9pm!
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