Foothills January 2016 Hop Of The Month

For 2016 Foothills has changed directions and left their IPA of the Month in the past to create a hop of the month and try out different styles. The first release for January 2016 was Wakatu Vienna Lager. To me the 5.6% ABV beer was a tad sweet which may be due to the low bitterness of 19 IBU. 19 is low on the IBU scale for the style and I’d much prefer the high end of 30 to balance the malt character. Regardless, It was a tasty beverage and gave me exposure to the New Zealand hops which are kin to Hallertau since they were bred from that hop, but have more of a lime characteristic. If you see it, try it and see what you think.

Virginia Governor Announces Bipartisan Support To Maintain Reciprocity

Yesterday the Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced a bipartisan gun safety  deal which should maintain reciprocity with other states including NC. The deal will allow bills to pass which provide for reciprocity with any state which has a concealed handgun permit and in the meantime pushes back the date to end reciprocity announced by Attorney General Mark Herring to March 1 in an effort to allow time for the bills to work through the legislature. The bill is SB610 and the vote yesterday was 36-Y and 0-N. Passing the full legislative process in Virginia will probably take some time, but with the Governor’s announcement it seems like a done deal which is good news for those of us from North Carolina who may need to travel to Virginia and have a CHP.

Oregon Shooting Could Have Been Avoided – Comply

Plain and simple, Robert Finicum was shot because he did not comply. The FBI released a long video of the arrest of the protesters including the shooting of Finicum. In the video below you see the part where he swerves off the road and ditches the vehicle in the snow. He initially comes out with his hands up and then repeatedly reaches to his left side waistband at which time the officers shoot him. It was reported he had a pistol in his left coat pocket. Had Finicum simply complied and kept his hands up he probably would be alive today. I’m not sure why people want to resist instead of comply. Even if the officer is wrong when you comply you don’t run the same risk of being harmed as when you resist. What is really sad is all this could have been avoided had he simply exited the vehicle earlier and complied!

Initial Oregon Thoughts

I’m still not exactly sure what happened between the protesters at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and the authorities, but one thing is for sure, a person was killed and eight others are in jail. Supposedly the point was to educate people about the Constitution and government overreach, but I’m not sure they accomplished anything. Time will tell if the person who was shot was armed and threatening the Oregon State Police and FBI, but if not, I do hope whoever killed him is prosecuted. While I think organized legal protests should be held, taking over property which is not yours is not the best way to obtain public support for your cause. Over time more details will emerge and will hopefully paint a clearer picture of just what happened between the protesters and the authorities and why someone was killed.

Iodophor – Old Dog, New Tricks

Many years ago I worked on a newsletter article for my homebrew club and researched the various cleaners and sanitizers available. One of the inclusions was Iodophor and as it turns out I knew enough to be dangerous, but not enough to be correct. I’m not sure where I got my information back then and whether it was the bottle or the internet, but it doesn’t quite jive with what the manufacturer is promoting today. It seems my PPM were a bit higher, 50%, than what they should actually have been. No wonder I never had an issue using Iodophor. Anyway, another thing I learned recently is StarSan is not completely effective at killing Brett. So if that is your aim you need to look toward bleach (rinse, rinse, rinse, and rinse again) or Iodophor. Do yourself a favor and check out the National Chemicals website  or the AHA Forums before you mix up a big batch of Iodophor. You may learn something along the way.

2016 Beer Drinker Of The Year Competition

The Beer Drinker Of The Year competition took a hiatus in 2014 and 2015, but will be held once again in April at Wynkoop Brewing in Denver. It is a little different this year, the candidate uploads a resume or a video and then part of the competition is a popular vote which ends February 1. Three will be chosen to come to Denver and compete in the finals which will are April 2. There are some strong candidates this year hoping to be selected for the big show. I’ve looked over the resumes and candidates and suggest readers vote for this one although I may be slightly biased.

Scan the QR Code and vote!

Beer Cartel Hop Infographic

Beer Cartel out for Australia created a hop infographic and accompanying blog post which most beer drinkers and homebrewers might find interesting. Take a look at the infographic and read the blog. Makes me want an IPA!

Scotch Suggestions

I asked a buddy for Scotch suggestions and he sent me this list of 12 for under $50. Shopping list anyone?

Noah’s Mill

Back in October I mentioned how difficult it was to find Rowan’s Creek in some areas and that it was near impossible to find the big brother Noah’s Mill. Since then I was lucky enough to find a Rowan’s and a friend picked up a Noah’s for me. I’ll leave the Rowan’s impression for another day, but Noah’s Mill is the real deal. At 114.3 proof you would expect it to be boozy and hot, but it is not. Neat is the way to enjoy big bro to really pick up the spicy rye notes in the aroma and flavor. I picked up sweet brown sugar, leather, and a very nice oak which all worked together to create a $50 Bourbon worth every penny of the price of admission. Apparently at one time Noah’s was aged 15 years, but the bottle I have has no indication of age and some of the online sources say it is a blend of Bourbons ranging in age from 4 to 20 years. I tend to dislike hot alcohol Bourbons, and several have found Noah’s to be hot, but I did not. To me the alcohol was in check with the myriad of flavors. If you see a bottle give it a whirl, at the $50 price point it is the upper end of the spectrum for trying without a recommendation for me, but there were enough positives online for me to take the chance and I am glad that I did.

Powell & Mahoney Ginger – Best Price

This might be more Powell & Mahoney Old Ballycastle Ginger than you want, but I believe I have found the best price available. WalMart currently has a six bottle case for $41 +tax and it ships free with a $50 total purchase. I bought three bottles in February 2015 directly from P&M and gave one away and I am on my last bottle. IME so long as it isn’t opened it will keep so I figured why not get a case and a few more items to earn free shipping. At seven beans per bottle that is the least expensive price I have seen. If you are a fan of it like me, be sure to snag this deal in case it is short lived!