Sweet Baby Jesus and Blah Blah Blah beers offer signature notes | The Triangle

Sweet Baby Jesus and Blah Blah Blah beers offer signature notes

I wouldn’t expect a place called Miller’s to serve a wide array of beers. Honestly, when I saw the restaurant, I assumed that Miller beer was branching out and came out with a restaurant where they only sold Miller in its various forms, from Lite to High Life. On the contrary, it’s a wonderful sports-bar restaurant with good food, great layout and truly remarkable service. When I say its service is remarkable, I mean that it was good enough for me to actually take notice how friendly and attentive the staff was.

When I went there, the restaurant were transitioning from the fall beers to winter ones, and thus, didn’t have an up-to-date tap menu. They saw I was truly interested in making an informed decision, and brought me out a hand-scrawled list. Incredible! I ended up having two different beers with my meal. Consider this first review a bonus! DuClaw Brewing Co. has gone and produced a porter called Sweet Baby Jesus. Aged in red wine barrels? Is there a ritual where the brewer turns water into it? Well, if by ritual, you mean the brewing process, then I suppose there is. Despite all those great ideas to go with the name, its actually chocolate peanut butter flavored.

It’s pitch black and should be served warmer than most beers. The darker beers like to be served closer to room temperature to let themselves shine the best. Some brewers add ingredients to accentuate flavors. You’ll see things like coffee-infused stouts or porters because the beer naturally has a slight coffee flavor to begin with. That’s not accentuating, that’s substitution! Porters are naturally dark and sweet, so someone must have thought it reminded them of chocolate. Peanut butter and chocolate is a match made in heaven. The nuttiness isn’t cheap or candied, and overall the beer isn’t sweet as you might expect. Go out and try it now, even if you aren’t religious, because I give it an 8.5 out of 10. I’m totally okay with that, but things are more amazing when you get those flavors without.

If only I told you about a beer that fit that description. Congratulations! Following my Sweet Baby Jesus, I had a different beer, Blah Blah Blah India pale ale. 21st Amendment Brewery makes today’s crowned selection. I smelled it and was overwhelmed with fruits. Strawberry and grapefruit hit me before I even smelled beer. I took that first telltale sip. My pupils dilated and I whipped out my phone. It was undoubtedly fruity, and I wanted to see what fruit they added to it — none. I got a second opinion from my mom, who might be the solitary reason Fresca exists. Grapefruit sums this beer up, but it’s not as bitter as either a grapefruit would be, or a normal IPA. It’s delightful and cheery. My mom hardly drinks beer, but she told me she wanted to go out and immediately buy a case.

The brewers here have done some amazing things. They claim to use five different types of hops and what I can only assume is witchcraft to coax out flavors in ways I never thought possible. I can only give this beer a 10 because of how incredible it is. Solidly, unequivocally perfect. I could tell you about citrus hops and you’d think, “Yeah I had one and it tasted like hops with a bit of lemon peel.” This tasted like fruit first, hops almost never — unheard of for an IPA. If you like cheer and wonderment, be glad there’s a brewery that still can create magic. Go pick some up now!