Blue Monkey Tavern

Recently, the executive offices of The Ferment Nation were evacuated for an emergency bar review drill. This is a standard procedure for us as we always want to be prepared for that 3am call when it comes. Not a phone call, the last call. Preparedness is next to Godliness as far as The Ferment Nation is concerned.

So, El Presidente and the VP convened their emergency meeting of preparedness at a South Jersey gem of a bar, The Blue Monkey Tavern at the Collins House in historic Merchantville, NJ. With an impressive beer list, and hearty appetizers, it was a very productive meeting.

If memory serves me correctly, El Presidente started off with a Pranqster Belgian and the VP began the night with Magic Hat's Lucky Kat IPA. These were followed by a Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard for the Pres, a Weihenstefaner Hefe Weissbier for the VP. These tasty beers were used to wash down some eats provided by the Blue Monkey. When it comes to nachos, the VP is very picky. The Blue Monkey gets a A for effort by providing salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, but the refried beans made the center of the nachos quite a mush, not the best. However, the VP rated the chicken quesadillas highly: hearty and tasty, reasonably priced for the sheer weight of the dish.

Before the night was over, El Presidente could not resist a Southern Tier Unearthly IPA. Were international beer peace accords discussed? Not to my knowledge. Was a working budget established for 2010? Definitely not. Has a return trip the Blue Monkey been scheduled? It is only a matter of time.

--From the office of the VP

Widmer Hefeweisen (Citizen Review)

Widmer Hefeweisen:

"Even keel hefeweisen--

not offensive, but not

that different from others

drinkable but not exceptional.

Reminds me of Hoegaarden.

Lemon makes it better."

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: .50

Stlye Points: .50

Personal Preference: .75

Total Score: 2.75 Flags

--Reviewed by Citizen Cheryl Selah

The Brew Club features The Ferment Nation

Hey! Our friends at The Brew Club are letting us explain the story of The Ferment Nation. Check out what El Presidente has to say, and while you're at it, check out The Brew Club. Thanks!

Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Extra! Ale (Presidential Brief)

What: Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Extra! Ale 8.74abv
Where: The Pour House (Westmont, NJ)
When: October 26, 2009, 9:18PM
What-have-you: "Lagunitas 'lil sumpn extra' ipa at pour house. Very floral and drinkable. Sweet yet dry. Hops are lively!"

See the label and Lagunitas' PDF press release [HERE]

Zombies at the Quarry House!

Ack! Zombies! When you walk down 13 stairs underground after passing through some kind of plywood canopy on some side street in Silver Spring, MD, the last thing you want to see are a bunch of zombies shouting "Brains!" at you.

That is of course unless it is Halloween time!

Self-described as "Silver Spring's favorite dive for over 70 years", The Quarry House Tavern, is located on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, MD. A delegation from the Ferment Nation on a purely diplomatic mission entered the unassuming bar in the midst of some kind of Zombie Bar Crawl I suppose. Lots of make-up and rotting flesh. At least I hope that was make-up. We started off with a round of beers on tap: Ommegang Hennepin Farmhouse Saison (see the red arrow below). At 7.7% abv, that round of Belgian beers got the party started off right. We eased into some other beers by perusing their impressive beer menu.

Some other highlights of the night were a hoppy "one-two punch" of Victory's Hop Wallop and Green Flash's Imperial IPA in a big bottle, Smuttynose's Pumpkin, Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning Uber Pils, Boddington's Pub Ale, PBR tallboys (yeah!), Pyramid's Audacious Apricot Ale, not to mention some shots of Tequila (I didn't ask what brand, but they cost $3.00 each, so I definitely should not ask now), Jack Daniel's, and Blonde-Headed Sluts.

Top those drinks off with a friendly wait staff and luscious, hot tater tots, and a good time was had by all. If you are not afraid to go subterranean in the D.C. suburbs, check out the Quarry House.

Pumpkin Beer Chart (Happy Halloween!)

Halloween Greetings from The Ferment Nation. Click on the image above to see a larger version of a chart doing some comparison work with 10 different pumpkin beers! Mini-reviews with overall scores, abv percentages, and in what glass you are likely to be served the beer. Disagree with the ratings? E-mail us!

Stay safe out there. Happy Halloween!

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale (Presidential Brief)

What: Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale 6.3%abv
Where: The Institute Bar (Philadelphia, PA)
When: September 26, 2009, 6:00PM
What-have-you: "Holy moly. This beer could be a little overwhelming if you're a beginner. Draft is way more wine-like than the bottle version. Draft is also a little less creamy but no less impressive. Awesome."

Read all of our Pumpkin Beer Reviews!

Wild Goose Pumpkin Patch Ale (Presidential Brief)

What: Wild Goose Pumpkin Patch Ale 6.0%abv
Where: The Institute Bar (Philadelphia, PA)
When: September 26, 2009, 6:00PM
What-have-you: "This beer possesses an extreme funk; kinda weird and wacky. Blow out a pumpkin candle and lick the wick if you want to approximate the flavor. So I should probably come back to this brew and give it another chance in a few minutes.......... Okay, let's see here... this isn't very good. I guess I was right the first time."

Read all of our Pumpkin Beer Reviews!

Dock Street The Great Pumpkin (Presidential Brief)

What: Dock Street The Great Pumpkin 5.75%abv
Where: The Institute Bar (Philadelphia, PA)
When: September 26, 2009, 6:00PM
What-have-you: "Ale first, Pumpkin second. Very even and very drinkable. Nothing crazy or scary going on here."

Read all of our Pumpkin Beer Reviews!

Taj Mahal Premium Lager

From the office of the Vice President:

I can't help but look at the beer and wine section of any restaurant's menu, but you can't always expect to get a quality import beer from the country whose cuisine is represented by the American restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised to see "Taj" listed on menu while enjoying a fine Indian meal at the Bombay Grill in Frederick, MD [see a map]. When the waiter brought the 22oz. bottle to the table, it was interesting. There was the Taj Mahal right on the label. Taj Mahal Premium Lager Beer it read. Product of India, and imported by a Californian company if I recall correctly. The beer was served nice and cold, and it had a nice golden color to it. Not much in the way of head, and when I tasted it, it didn't have too much in the way of flavor either. At 4.5%abv, it tasted like a fairly bland beer.

In my opinion, The Ferment Nation enjoys normal diplomatic relations with India, and all-in-all, I feel a certain affection for the nation. True story: a guy in India saved my ass (and my computer's ass) when I corrupted the Windows Explorer shell (I don't know how). I've also seen the movie Gandhi plenty of times (poor Ben Kingsley has been reduced to doing horrible sci-fi pics), and I love Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, so you can imagine I was a bit disappointed with this less than dramatic Indian beer. However, I got to thinking. Indian food can be spicey and filled with interesting flavors. And when you go to an Indian restaurant, you're going for the food not for anything else. So, was Taj Mahal Premium Lager a great beer? No. But did it provide a nice, cold, refreshing drink to wash down all that tasy Indian food? You bet your Lamb Vindaloo it did!

So, good beer is hard to come by, and a country like India has got to have their Miller, their Budweiser, their Coors, and I think this is pretty much what this was. Not a craft beer, but it got the job done, and when you have a tasty meal with good friends, the beer always tastes pretty darn good anyway.

Holy Mackerel Mack in Black

Holy Mackerel Mack in Black:

This Imperial Black Ale brewed with pomegranates is pretty sumptuous. It manages tart and sweet adn creamy and full-bodied with no problems at all. Mack in Black is a smooth fruit beer with the strong framework of a toasty ale, bordering on porter. The hop profile is subtle -- a modest presence in the finish -- but the pomegranate juice really nails it down, offering up a mellow and accessible flavor experience.

Many fruit beers are a little too sweet for my tastes. Or too tart. Or too heavy-handed. Or too boozy. Mack in Black is certainly a fruit beer but it is pleasantly complex and rich. It is most likely meant to be a dessert beer and I don't disagree. At 8% abv, it earns the "Imperial" moniker but won't beat you up. I may only choose to drink one and enjoy it and then move on to something else a little crisper and drier. I say this because if I were to drink two in a row, the math would become a little fuzzy: you know that beerquation when two equals five, plus a shot of Jager equals inexcuseable behavior, minus common sense plus pounding headache.

I would recommend Mack in Black to lovers of fruity porters and stouts and anyone who is afraid of dark beers because they might be too bitter. It is chocolatey and toasty but not bitter in the slightest. The Gordash Beer Company is new to me but I'm looking forward to more offerings.

Holy Mackerel Mack in Black:

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: .875

Style: .95

Personal Preference: .925

Total Score: 3.75 Flags

Citizen Review Cheryl Smuttynose Porter

Smuttynose Porter:

"A little watery -- expected

more bitter + less sweet

a decent porter"

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: .25

Style Points: .50

Personal Preference: .50

Total Score: 2.25 Flags

Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale (Presidential Brief)

What:Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale 5%abv
Where: The Institute Bar (Philadelphia, PA)
When: September 26, 2009, 6:00PM
What-have-you: "Dry and boozy with a warming quality. This would be good to take with you on a hayride on a chilly night."

Read all of our Pumpkin Beer Reviews!

Laughing Dog Cream Ale

Laughing Dog Cream Ale:

There aren't a ton of Cream Ales out there so I'm happy to try one if it is available. This one from Laughing Dog is brewed with lager and ale yeasts. The texture is certainly interesting (perhaps due to the tag-team yeast concoction) and fizzy on the tongue. This cream ale is just a bit tart -- not exactly like a Flemish Sour brew but a bit metallic and zippy.

The color is pale yellow and Laughing Dog Cream Ale is just a touch cloudy. It reminds me a little bit of a wheaty pilsner at first sight but finishes much more tart. There's just a bit of lemony aftertaste when you've finished the first sip.

Overall, I'd say that the Laughing Dog Cream Ale is an okay brew for thirst-quenching on a hot day but it's not my favorite Cream Ale. I have to say I was expecting something more... well... creamy.

Laughing Dog Cream Ale:

Representation: .75

Accessibility: .85

Style: .85

Personal Preference: .80

Total Score: 3.25 Flags

River Horse Tripel Horse (Citizen Review)

River Horse Tripel Horse:

"Very sweet not cloying

but not a lot of body

or aftertaste -- I expect

more dimensions in a tripel"

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: .25

Style Points: 1.0

Personal Preference: .25

Total Score: 2.5 Flags

--Reviewed by Citizen Cheryl Selah

Elysian Dragonstooth Stout (Presidential Brief)

What: Elysian Dragonstooth Stout 7.2%abv
Where: The Blue Monkey Tavern (Merchantville, NJ)
When: October 16, 2009, 10:05PM
What-have-you: "Blue Monkey. Elysian 'dragonstooth stout'. Rich up front and bitter finish dry? Hoppy? Body lightens up at the end and aftertaste is toasty."

Gritty's Halloween Ale

Gritty's Halloween Ale:

This may be the only Halloween Ale I've ever had. Pumpkin brews are usually geared for the haunted holiday but this is NOT a pumpkin beer at all. Gritty's Halloween Ale is an Extra Special Bitter Ale with a pretty stable malty base and nifty bitter finish. The coppery color matches the aroma: kind of earthy and metallic with a tang at the end.

Gritty's Halloween has a light to medium body and an interesting flavor. There may be just a hint of caramel in ther, or perhaps vanilla. But it's not sweet at all. kind of like a cowtail candy without the sugar. I'm not sure that makes any sense.

You know, here's an interesting tidbit: I drank about half this beer from the bottle before pouring it into a pint glass. Truth be told, I prefer it from the bottle. The air from sipping gives it just a little lift. Definitely on the short list to bring to a Halloween party. The scary label and specificity of the title make it a no-brainer. But aside from that, it's an interesting selection because of the earthy undertones and bitter "snap" at the end.

I've been to Gritty McDuff's in Portland, Maine a few times now. It is certainly a worthwhile stop in a very lively and cool town. Awesome place to visit -- recommended highly by the Cabinet.

Gritty's Halloween Ale:

Representation: .90

Accessibility: .925

Style: .85

Personal Preference: .875

Total Score: 3.55 Flags

Terrapin (Side Project) Gamma Ray (Citizen Review)

Terrapin Beer Company's Side Project Volume 3 - Gamma Ray:

"Terrapin Gamma Ray - like a bowl of self-milking honey wheaties. More smooth than sweet. Very interesting and delicious."





--Reviewed by Toastmaster General

Southampton Pumpkin Ale

Southampton Pumpkin Ale:

Ooh. This is pretty nice. The pumpkin and spice flavors are lively and seasonal -- definitely got that pumpkin pie thing going on. The body is light to medium with a nice effervescence. Southampton is not over the top in style but has plenty to offer. Very accessible as well, with a fun burst of flavor but keeping it cool at 5.5% abv.

I can't help but compare Southampton to two others we've seen before: Southampton seems to posess the body that Shipyard Pumpkinhead is shooting for. At the same time it tones down the sweetness and intensity that Saranac Pumpkin gives us. Southampton looks quite comfy between the two and is recommended as a "bring with" to Halloween parties. Maybe a Thanksgiving Day Parade or football tailgater. Thanksgiving Dinner? Maybe not, but I suppose that's up to you.

Southampton Pumpkin Ale:

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: .95

Style: .875

Personal Preference: .875

Total Score: 3.7 Flags

Read [ALL OUR PUMPKIN REVIEWS!]

Stone IPA (Citizen Review)

Stone IPA:

"Notes of clover and cinnamon with a good, hoppy finish."

Representation: 1.0
Accessibility: 1.0
Style Points: 1.0
Personal Preference: 1.0

Total: 4.0 Flags

--Reviewed by Citizen George Mangini