Ommegang Three Philosophers (10/10)

Ommegang Three Philosophers is impressive on so many levels. It is a Belgian Quadruppel that is mixed with a cherry ale.

The color is a reddish dark brown. The tan head dissipates fairly quickly, and leaves very little lacing behind.

The flavor combines the spiciness of the Quadruppel style with a rich cherry sweetness. I am not usually a fan of cherries, but the flavor really works here (and in the similar Troeg's Mad Elf). The flavor ends with a warming "flambé" of alcohol warmth.

This is not a beer you will gulp down quickly, but one you will sip and savor.

I sampled this particular bottle at the Winking Lizard Tavern on Bethel Road.  I've purchased it at a number of retailers around town, including Kenny Road Market, Weiland's Gourmet Market, and The Andersons General Store.

ABV: 9.7%
IBU: 19
My Rating: 10/10

St. Peter's Cream Stout (7/10)

St. Peter's Cream Stout is made by the St. Peter's Brewing Company in the U.K.  It's delivered in an unusual looking green bottle, pictured at the left.

The aroma is that of chocolate and hops. The color is nearly black, as you would expect for a stout. There is a decent light brown head that quickly dissipates.

The flavor starts with a molasses sourness, with a light grain and hops bitterness.  That initial bitterness gives way to rich malt and some chocolate. The mouth feel is very thick and creamy. There is also a strong toasted grain note.

I like stouts, but they aren't my favorite beer style, and that will be reflected in my overall rating... which is a 7/10, but there are only a couple of stouts i would rate higher than that, such as Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro and Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout.

Beer Advocate rates this one 87-89/100 or "good".

I purchased this bottle at the Whole Foods Market near Sawmill and Rt. 161.  I've also seen it at Giant Eagle Market District at Kingsdale, Kenny Road Market, and Weiland's Gourmet Market.

ABV:  6.5%
IBU:
My rating: 7/10

Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet Plank II (10/10)

Much like Dogfish Head, Clipper City Brewing Company in Maryland is becoming one of my favorite breweries. Their Heavy Seas beers always seem to be a "best of breed" to me.

Plank II is no exception. It is a Dopplebock style beer, aged with Poplar and Eucalyptus planks. The woody notes jump right out at you from the start, but they are a pleasant addition to the malty sweetness of the beer. They give it a perfect balance. If I had to pick a few beers to be stranded with on a desert island, this would very likely be one of them.

Visitors to the Beer Advocate site rate it an 86, or "good".

I don't recall where I purchased this one, but Kenny Road Market or The Andersons General Store seems most likely.

ABV: 8.5%
IBU: unknown, but I would rate about 15
My rating: 10/10

Review: 101 Beer Kitchen, Dublin Ohio

On Saturday, my wife and I visited the 101 Beer Kitchen restaurant in Dublin, Ohio. It's located in a strip mall near the intersection of Hard Road and Sawmill, in the same center as the Kroger Marketplace (on the Hard Road end of the strip).  If you enter the Kroger Marketplace entrance that exits to Hard Road, you'll find it straight ahead of you.

The 101 Beer Kitchen opened on October 1, 2012.  Its motto is "Rustic food & Craft Beer"… something it lives up to well.

The menu will change a little throughout the year, so the items you hear about in this review may or may not be on the menu should you choose to visit the restaurant yourself.

The menu includes a very nice, if not a little unusual, mix of dishes.  The appetizers include house made soft pretzels, deviled eggs, loaded tater tots, and butternut squash perogies.  (My wife loved the perogies.)

The also offer salads, pizzas, and a nice list of sandwiches, including a burger, pork schnitzel, grilled cheese on sourdough, and salmon burger.

Entrees include herb roasted chicken, shrimp and grits, red chili, green chili, grilled Scottish salmon steak, beer steamed mussels, and a house made macaroni and cheese.

Owner and executive chef Thaddeus Kittrell prides himself on the fact that all the dishes are freshly made to order.  This freshness definitely shows in the finished product brought to your table.  I had the shrimp and grits, which included some andouille sausage.  It took me no time at all to polish it off.  The shrimp were much larger than those served in most restaurants, and were cooked and seasoned to perfection.  The grits were likewise excellent and complemented the shrimp and sausage well.  It was, without question, one of the best meals I've had in a long time.  For dessert, I ordered their dark chocolate mousse, which is thick, smooth, rich, and not overly sweet (exactly what you'd want it to be).

As you might expect from a place with a name like "101 Beer Kitchen", there is a great selection of beer available as well.

They actually provide a "beer menu" in addition to the food menu. Part of that menu is pictured at the left.

During my visit, the available drafts included Sixpoint Crisp Pilsner, North Coast Brother Thelonius, Delirium Tremens, Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, and Roebling Porter (among a total of at least 20).

The number of bottled beers was over 70, and included a number of familiar and

unfamiliar names.

There were even sixteen different Belgian style beers (only three of which I'd actually tried before, and I'm a huge fan of Belgian style beers.  That leaves at least a dozen reasons for me to go back.

I should also mention that the service we received during the visit was first-rate.  Food was brought out promptly, and was fresh and hot.  Beer arrived quickly, and was very nicely chilled.  Portion sizes are generous but not ridiculous.

While 101 Beer Kitchen isn't as inexpensive as a fast food chain, it's actually reasonably priced when you consider the quality of the food and the caliber of the service.  Appetizer prices range from $5.50 to $6.95.  Sandwich prices range from $8.95 to $11.95.  Entrees are priced between $9.95 and $15.95.  (Sorry for the blurry nature of the menu photos.  The iPad has trouble sometimes indoors, and it's not always easy to tell the photos are blurry until much later.)

This is very likely to become one of my go-to restaurants.  It's THAT good.  On my 1-5 scale for beers, this place is easily 4, and that's only because I've only been there once.  If future visits match up to this one, it'll quickly slide to a 5.

The Andersons General Store

The Andersons general stores are a very unusual and fun place to shop.  Inside them, you'll find an impressive array of merchandise, including fresh produce, meat, frozen foods, dry goods, home appliances, home improvement materials, animal feeds, kitchen utensils, bedding, and holiday decorations.  You'll also find an excellent assortment of wines and beers… which brings us to this review.

The beer selection at The Andersons varies slightly each time you visit.  As you can see in the image at the left, you'll find a nice assortment of craft beers there, some from breweries you'll instantly recognize (like Samuel Adams, Sierra Nevada, and Stone) and others you may not recognize (from Belgium, Russia, and Japan).  I'm always able to find a beer that I've never had (and which looks interesting), and several I've enjoyed before.

On my last visit to The Andersons, I was able to pick up a bottle of Baltika 4 Dark Lager, a Victory V-Twelve, and Baltika 9 Porter.  I also picked up a bottle of Rinkuskiai Before and After, a Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale, and a few others.

As you can see in the photo above and the one at the right, the selection of individual bottles available for purchase is quite wide.

This is a great way to try out a beer that might interest you because of its name, the brewery that makes it, the label on the bottle, or the type of beer inside it.  You can buy a single bottle this way and invest a minimum amount of money.  If the beer turns out to be great, you'll know to buy it again.  If it's not to your liking, you've only invested a few bucks in the individual bottle.

But The Andersons carries more than just a selection of individual bottles of craft beer. You'll also find a good assortment of 6-packs, 12-packs, and cases.

Although it's not visible in the photo at the right, on the other side of the brick wall you see in the image, there is a large walk-in refrigerator filled with a selection of their more-popular beers, including some of the mass-produced beers.  If you're looking for something "ready to drink" this is where you'll want to head.

In addition to the individual bottles, The Andersons also carries a variety of multi-bottle packs as pictured at the left.

In the photo at the left, you can see brews from North Coast, Stone Brewing Company, Cave Creek, Mt. Carmel (an Ohio brewery), and Elevator Brewing Company (also in Ohio).

Although I'm providing four photos here to give you an idea what the selection at The Andersons is like, you shouldn't come away from this article thinking you've seen everything they have to offer.

Because I don't want this article to be too long, I'm not showing you every aisle of beer they have.  For example, you're not seeing inside the walk-in refrigerator.  You're not seeing the beers on the end caps at the end of the aisles, or the displays in the aisles.



If you're much of a beer connoisseur, you'll probably find yourself browsing the selection at The Andersons for quite a while before you head to the checkout.

For those of you less interested in beer, The Andersons offers a selection of wines that is at least as wide as their selection of beer. (None of that is pictured here, either.)

In fact, the Sawmill location caters slightly more to wine drinkers than beer drinkers.  For example, some of The Andersons locations offer beer tastings during the week, which give you the opportunity to sample a number of beers inexpensively.  The Sawmill location, unfortunately, only offers wine tastings.  The wine tastings are held every Thursday from 6:30pm to 9pm (according to the calendar on their web site) and on Saturdays from 1pm to 4pm.

Many of the beers I review on this site have been purchased at The Andersons or at one of a few other places around Columbus that I shop for beer.  We'll look at some of those in a future article.

The Andersons General Store
7000 Bent Tree Blvd
Columbus, OH 43235
(614) 766-9500



To help give some idea of the selection you'll find at this store, I'm going to list below the names of the breweries whose products I found on the shelves at The Andersons during a visit in April 2013. This list is by no means complete but is as complete as I can make it without being plugged into their inventory system.

• 21st Amendment


• Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien


• Abita


• Acme


• Alesmith


• Almond '22 (Italy)


• Anchor


• Anderson Valley


• Asahi


• Avery


• Ayinger


• Ballast Point


• Baltika


• Bear Republic


• Belhaven


• Bell's


• Black Diamond


• Breckenridge


• Brew Dog


• The Brew Kettle


• Brooklyn Brewing Co.


• The Bruery


• Cervejaria Kaiser (Brazil)


• Chimay


• Clausthaler


• Columbus Brewing Company


• Corsendonk


• De Koninck


• Dogfish Head


• Dundee


• Dupont


• Duvel


• Elevator Brewing Company


• Emelisse


• Epic Brewing Co.


• Estrella


• Evil Twin


• Fat Head's


• Flying Dog


• Founder's


• Full Pint


• Fuller's


• Gaverhopke


• Goose Island


• Great Divide


• Great Lakes Brewing Co.


• Green's


• Gulden Draak


• Harviestoun Brewery


• He'Brew


• Heavy Seas


• Henry Weinhard's


• Hinterland


• Hitachino Nest


• Hof Ten Dormaal


• Hoppin' Frog


• Huyghe Brewery (Belgium)


• Indigo Imp


• Innis & Gunn


• Ithaca


• James Boag's


• J.W. Lees


• Kasteel


• Kentucky Ale


• Kingfisher


• Kwak


• La Baladin


• La Trappe


• Lagunitas


• Leffe


• Left Hand Brewing


• Liefmans


• Lindeman's


• Maredsous


• Meantime


• Mission Brewery


• Mt. Carmel


• New Holland


• Nogne


• North Coast


• O'Hara's


• Ommegang


• Orval


• Oskar Blues


• The Perfect Crime


• Petrus


• Porterhouse


• Reissdorf


• Rinkuskiai (Lithuania)


• Rivertown


• Rodenbach


• Rogue


• Samuel Adams


• Samuel Smith


• Scaldis


• Schneider & Sohn


• Sea Dog


• Shiner


• Shipyard


• Shock Top


• Sierra Nevada


• Sixpoint


• Smithwick's


• Smuttynose


• Southern Tier


• St. Ambroise


• St. Feuillien


• St. Peter's


• Sterkens


• Stillwater


• Stone


• Straub


• Tecate


• Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.


• Tilburg's


• Traquair


• Troeg's


• Tusker


• Two Brothers


• Uinta


• Unibroue


• Urthel


• Victory


• Well's


• Weyerbacher


• Widmer Brothers


• Williams Brothers


• Wittkerke


• Wychwood


• Young's

Elevator Brewing Bully Goat Ale (8/10)

Elevator Brewing Co. of Columbus, Ohio, produces Bully Goat. Bully Goat is a red ale aged for six months in Whiskey barrels.

The color is a slightly cloudy copper. The head is thin and white, leaving behind moderate lacing that dissipates relatively quickly.

The aroma is almost non existent but contains a touch of vanilla.

The flavor is relatively mild at first, even deceptively so. The initial mildness fades away fairly quickly to a complex mix of oak, vanilla, whiskey, and mild hops. You might even call this "intense". The finish is a charcoal-like bitterness that lingers a while.

I am a fan of oak aged and barrel ages beers, and this is no exception. It is similar to the Innis and Gunn brews. Elevator has done a very, very nice job here. This is a beer I will definitely have again, probably soon.

I've seen this at a number of retailers around town.  This particular bottle came from Kenny Road Market.

ABV: 6%
IBU: unknown (best guess, the upper end of the 20s or low 30s)
My Rating: 8/10

Dark Horse Sapient Trip Ale (6/10)

Belgian style tripels and quadruples are among my favorite styles of beer. Sapient Trip Ale is Dark Horse Brewing (of Marshall, Michigan) Company's version of the Belgian Tripel style.

It pours a somewhat pale gold color with a respectable head of whipped cream like foam.

The flavor is slightly off balance, tending toward hops. It is slightly sour, and slightly spicy. Hops bitterness is the dominant flavor. It's too dominant to suit me. I would rate it a 6/10. I really want to love this one, but I just don't.

Toward the end of the bottle, the beer is very cloudy with bits of white, grainy sediment throughout.

The Beer Advocate visitors, who like hoppier beers in general, rate this an 83/100, or "good".

I believe I purchased this at the Kenny Road Market or The Andersons General Store.

ABV: 9.5%
IBU: 30
My Rating: 6/10

Efes Dark (7/10)

Efes Dark is a dark lager from Turkey, which is fitting since I had it at a Turkish restaurant here in Columbus (Shish Kabob on Bethel Road... Recommended!).

It is pitch black in color, with virtually no head, and minimal lacing which vanishes quickly.

The flavor is quite good. There is a strong chocolate note to it, with a touch of smokiness as well. Overall, I find it well balanced.

Beer Advocate rates it A 72, or "average". I liked it a bit more than they did. I would rate it above average, and a beer I would be happy to have again.

I've not encountered it for sale in bottles yet, at least that I can recall.


ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 14
My Rating: 7/10

Old Monk 10000 Super Beer (5/10)

I admit freely that I bought this beer for only two reasons.  First, it was relatively inexpensive.  Second, it has a very amusing name.  But if you thought Old Monk 10000 Super Beer is a Belgian Trappist monk ale, you were mistaken.  This is malt liquor, brewed in India by Mohan Breweries and Distilleries Ltd.

The aroma out of the bottle is a touch “skunky” but not to the degree of a Heineken.  The color is a pale-to-medium yellow.  The head is white, relatively thin, and dissipates quickly.  There is minimal or no lacing.

What you’re probably wondering is “Is it really a ‘super’ beer?”  The answer, unfortunately, is a resounding “NO”.

Having said that, I wouldn’t say it’s a bad beer either.  It reminds me of Hayward’s 5000, Taj Mahal, and other Indian beers.  It starts a touch bitter, but not in a hoppy way.  It then gets malty and then a touch sour.  This flavor actually works well with Indian food.

The folks at Beer Advocate who rated Old Monk 10000 were a bit unkind. It rates a 63/100 or “poor” on their scale.  I definitely wouldn’t call it a “poor” beer.  It definitely isn’t the equivalent of Ommegang Art of Darkness or any of the Samuel Smith brews, but it’s not bad.

I purchased this beer at The Andersons General Store, but I've seen it at other retailers.

ABV:  8%
IBU:  unknown, but I’d rate it in the low 20’s
My rating: 5/10

Great Lakes Nosferatu (4/10)

Great Lakes Brewing Company's Nosferatu is an American Strong Ale. It pours a reddish brown with thin white head and lots of lacing. The aroma is undeniably hoppy.

The flavor lives up to the nose. It hits you with hops bitterness, followed by a maltiness and a hint of sourness. Bottom line... Hoppier than I care for. Not undrinkably hoppy, but well past my comfort level.

Not too surprisingly, the hop heads at Beer advocate love it. They rate it a 90, or "exceptional". For me, this one is a 2/5... Drinkable but not one I will likely order again.

I tried this at The Winking Lizard Tavern.  I've not seen it elsewhere but I am sure someone carries it.

ABV: 8%
IBU: 75
My rating: 4/10

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (7/10)

In past years, I noticed the existence of pumpkin ales, but never paid much attention to them.  They didn't sound very good to me.  Starting in 2012, though, I've started checking out as many as I can. I've been trying to find the one I like best. When I've compiled as many notes as I think I can, I'll put together a guide for the site.

So far, most pumpkin ales I've tried fall into one of two groups. Either they are barely distinguishable from a "normal" beer or they emphasize the spice element of pumpkin pie over anything else. Dogfish Head Punkin Ale is in the first group.

It pours a golden brown with a thin white head that dissipates quickly. It leaves behind a few small droplets of lacing.

The flavor hints at pumpkin, and you can detect some spices. Overall, though, it is very subtle. Even the hops level is mild. The subtlety isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you had handed me this, calling it a "harvest ale" or maybe even an Octoberfest, I might not even question it. It's a nice beer, and easy to drink. But it doesn't say "pumpkin ale" to me. I give it a 6/10.

The Beer Advocate reviewers disagree on this one, rating it 88-91 out of 100... Good to excellent.

I tried this particular glass at The Winking Lizard on Bethel Road.  I've seen the bottled version at a number of local retailers, including Kenny Road Market.

ABV: 7%
IBU: 28
My Rating: 7/10

Baltika 4 Dark Lager (8/10)

Baltika is brewed in St. Petersburg, Russia. I first encountered one of their beers at a Turkish restaurant here in Columbus. I enjoyed it enough that I picked up the Baltika 4 Dark Lager on a beer shopping trick. (My wife shops for shoes and purses... I shop for beer. Everyone goes home happy.)

Baltika 4 pours a deep mahogany with a generous tan head that dissipates relatively slowly. The aroma is mildly yeasty, with a hint of sweetness.

The flavor starts malty, then dries out a little, and ends with a grainy sweetness. Hops flavor takes a back seat here. You get a little of it in the middle, but just a pinch. It's a smooth, easy to drink beer. Definitely one I would recommend.

One of Baltika 4's best qualities is its price tag. The bottle pictured above should set you back about three bucks. Awfully good beer at that price.

The Beer Advocate crowd disagrees with me on this one, rating it merely average.

I've seen this locally at Kenny Road Market, The Andersons General Store, Giant Eagle Market District at Kingsdale, and a few other retailers.

ABV: 5.6%
IBU: unknown, but I would guess about 18
My Rating: 8/10