I'll try to keep this short. We went to The Foundry tonight (new website, by the way) and noticed something significant: they've moved the McCoy's taps from the wall to the center bar island, opening all of the wall taps to third-party brews (finally!!). One of the biggest wishes we've had about The Foundry is that they'd open up more of their taps to non-McCoy's brews, because the McCoy's brews are on tap about 30 feet away. They had a better idea: add more taps.I sampled their 10th anniversary and Rye of the Tiger beers tonight (but closed out the evening with the always-favorite Maudite). The 10th anniversary was really good, but I wasn't in the mood for such a strong beer (Yes, I know, I got a Maudite. It's different. Honest.) The 10th is actually 3 years old and is quite boozy, warming, and a bit hoppy with lots of bread and caramel in flavor. There are some fruity esters, but they're not overwhelming. If you're looking for a balanced American Barleywine, I would recommend this one. It was served on tap at a good carbonation level and just a wee bit on the chilly side. Let it warm up before fully enjoying.
I tend to find McCoy's beers to be middle-of-the-road, but the Rye of the Tiger ale was also very good. No detectable off-flavors and a nice pale ale with the spiciness and mouthfeel you'd expect from rye. I do think this would have been better for the early-spring days of late March or early April, but it's a nice change from the heavy, malty brews of winter.
Cheers!
I really want to get out to try the Rye of the Tiger, but weather is working against me. I get the feeling that rye is going to be the trend for 2010, the way collaborations were the trend for 09
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