Saturday, June 28, 2014

Duclaw Brewery, Neon Gypsy IPA

DuClaw Brewing Company
Neon Gypsy IPA
www.duclaw.com
6.5% ABV
Package: 6pack 12 oz. bottles
Personal Rating 9.4/10
Style Rating 8.9/10

New for 2014, DuClaw has released yet another IPA to add to their already fantastic lineup entitled
Neon Gypsy! A citrusy blast of lemon and grapefruit with notes of pine hops blends very nicely with
their new creation and lends itself to fall in line with their IPA gallery, yet stand apart with its unique
attributes. This is a must have for summer time and has quickly become a best seller for DuClaw.
Dave Benfield, creator and owner of DuClaw, began brewing beer in college and soon after changed
his mind about following his major in school and pursued the world of brewing craft beer. DuClaw
was founded in 1996 outside of Baltimore, MD and within a few years time expanded to 4 locations
with state of the art brewing facilities taboot. With their catchy branding and marketing, they have
risen to the top and have become highly respected as a peer and competitor in the craft beer
community.

DuClaw has yet to let me down on any of their beers. Every brew in their catalog has a personality
of its own and characteristics that differentiate them. In the past, I have sampled multiple recipes
from one brewery and discovered only slight variances from beer to beer. However, DuClaw has
managed to really hit the mark in individualizing every beer they produce allowing them to cater to a
vast audience and truly stamp each beer its own distinctive role.

I am thoroughly impressed with the Neon Gypsy IPA. It’s a citrus bomb of grapefruit on the front
end blended carefully with piney hops and a well-rounded, smooth finish. Copper gold in color, the
Neon Gypsy pours with a nice foamy, white head followed by the perfect amount of carbonation. It
commands the rules of an IPA with its bitterness and also adds just a touch of sour providing an
atypical mixture that is quite enjoyable. I highly recommend this new creation from DuClaw. Some
have argued this is not a session IPA due to its 6.5% ABV, but I strongly disagree. For me, this is
exactly what I want in a session IPA and the alcohol content does not intimidate nor deter me in any
way. The Neon Gypsy is a very well balanced, refreshing, zesty beer, and lives up to the respected
reputation from DuClaw. Cheers and enjoy!

Wanna try it now? Order it online at whitehorsewine.com

Oskar Blues, Ten Fidy Imperial Stout


Oskar Blues Brewery
Ten Fidy
10.5% ABV
Imperial Stout
4 pack 12 oz. cans
Personal Rating: 9.3/10
Style Rating: 9.7/10
Availability: Seasonal

The guys that brought you the famous Dale’s Pale Ale, Old Chub, and Yella Pils also have devised this delicious, complex imperial stout entitled Ten Fidy.  This is an absolute must have for your craft beer collection and puts many other stouts I have had in the past to shame.  

Classified as a Russian Imperial Stout, it was inspired by the recipe used by brewers back in the late 1700’s.  Its history traces back to London, England and was created as a strong, dark beer used for export to the Russia Czars.  Among its other notable characteristics, its classification is mostly due to the high alcohol content.  Packed with enormous amounts of chocolate and roasted malts, the Ten Fidy boasts a bold malt character, high ABV rating, and almost a fruity or cherry finish on the tail end.  

Oskar Blues Brewery is a Colorado based operation that started roughly 10 years ago and has recently expanded their company into North Carolina allowing for 2 locations in which to produce high quality craft beer and also meet the demand of the public.  Owner/founder Dale Katechis runs an organic farm on premises where he harvests his own hop farm annually for use in his diverse collection.  The popularly known Dale’s Pale Ale is their staple beer and certainly has made quite an impact on the general public and craft beer consumers.  The Ten Fidy is only a seasonal beer from their repertoire (as stouts are mostly a fall/winter beer) but if you can find it out of season, it is absolutely worth a spin on the palate and promises not to disappoint.  

I did not find this pours with a big, thick, creamy head like one would expect from a stout even when aggressively poured, but its low level of carbonation is most likely the correlation between the two.  Either way, it did not affect the drinkability or overall presentation of this beer.  I am very fond of their commitment to canning over bottling.  I think their choice to stick to cans and shy away from flashy labeling on bottles allows the beer and recipe to speak for itself.  Though sold in 4 packs of 12 ounce cans, I would not suggest finishing them in one sitting.  I put the Ten Fidy in my personal category of dessert beers; to be enjoyed slowly after a meal.  

Be sure to try the Ten Fidy for all you stout lovers out there!  I thoroughly enjoyed the roasted malts and complexity of chocolate and cherries.  Cheers!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

What's New in the Market

Not only do we have soups and sides, we are now making homemade specialty sandwiches and salads using fresh, local ingredients! Try the Prosciutto & Mozzarella, made with 18 month aged Prosciutto di Parma, fresh mozzarella, vine ripened tomato, field greens, and a homemade basil pesto or the Fig & Brie made with French brie, caramelized onions, fig conserves, and arugula. 

The Proscuitto & Mozzarella sandwich

The Market strives to use locally sourced, seasonal, organic ingredients whenever possible and we are proud to support our local farmers. Along with four gourmet sandwiches on the menu, we also have salads and sides, homemade daily using the freshest ingredients from Jah's Creation Organic Farm in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. We also source our produce and some local cheeses through Zone 7, a farm fresh distribution service that connects farmers with restaurants and eateries.
The Caprese Sandwich with mozzarella, vine ripened tomato, basil, arugula, and a balsamic reduction

We have a selection of traditional sides to go with your sandwich such as pasta salad or fruit salad as well as unique choices such as our Curried Chicken salad made with a homemade mango chutney or the Mediterranean Tuna Salad. 

Our salads are made fresh daily with local organic greens. The Provence salad has Bibb lettuce, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, shaved fennel, and parmigiano reggiano with a homemade lemon thyme vinaigrette. Or go with the Spring Salad that has field greens, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and goat cheese with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Special Salad of the day: Local Organic Bibb lettuce, organic cucumbers, strawberries, gorgonzola dolce, and candied pecans served with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Sandwiches:

Proscuitto & Mozzarella - 18 month aged prosciutto di parma, mozzarella, vine ripened tomato, house made basil pesto, & field greens $8.99

Fig & Brie - French brie, fig conserves, caramelized onions, & arugula $7.99 (V)

Goat & Mango - Goat cheese, house made mango chutney, sliced apples, & field greens $7.99 (V)

Caprese - Vine ripened tomato, mozzarella, basil, arugula, & balsamic drizzle $7.99 (V)

Salads & Sides:


Provence Salad - Local organic Bibb lettuce, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, shaved fennel, parmesan regganito, homemade lemon thyme vinaigrette $6.99 (V) (GF)

Spring Salad - Field greens, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, crumbled goat cheese, homemade balsamic vinaigrette $6.99 (V) (GF)

Along with our everyday menu items, we have daily specials! Check them out on the Market menu page! The Market counter is open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-7pm and Sunday 11am-5pm. Salads, sandwiches, and sides are available for take away during regular store hours in the grab & go case.