DRAFT Magazine calls Short Course in Beer 'indispensable'.

Here's the review:

A tuition-free ride from beginner to beer aficionado. Students learn how beer is made, how to properly pour, pair and taste it; and even better, how to talk about it. A dictionary of beer jargon and a beer style guide--which both take a friendly, nonacademic tone--prove indispensable to the wannabe beer geek just getting his mug wet.
--
I've been walking around feeling indispensable all day.

DuClaw comes to City Tap House, Brings Barrels

You may have been wondering about what's behind the sudden proliferation of barrel- or bourbon-aged beers. The story is simple enough: the barrels that are used to store and age bourbon whiskey can be used only once. It's the law. So every release of Bourbon leaves behind a slew of orphaned barrels. Some of them end up filled with Tequila, some with Scotch whisky but the vast majority are being shipped to breweries to age and condition beer. Heaven's Hill Boubon, for example, supplies barrels to Goose Island and Founders. Woodford Reserve ends up filled with Brooklyn beer.

You may have already tried an example or two of bourbon barrel beer. You may have even found them sludgy and undistinguished and decided to let the whole fad pass you by. If so, DuClaw Brewery out of Baltimore is giving you reason to reconsider and they're presenting their case at City Tap House in Philadelphia.

Here are a few highlights:

Colossus (17.3% ABV) This staggeringly alcoholic monster is both surprisingly tasty and unboozy. Produced entirely by fermentation-no added alcohol-this golden ale has tropical fruit and honey notes, almost no head and a lush texture. Eminently sippable.

Retribution (11.5%ABV) This is the sort of beer I think of when Bourbon barrels are mentioned. Smoke, chocolate, coffee and dried fruit are all in perfect balance with the distinct taste of whiskey holding the whole thing together. A strong presence, it was not too much to go with City Tap's Hash nor did it lose its charm next to the sweet French Toast.

Barrel-Aged Euphoria (5%ABV) This beer with its ordinary alcohol level has just a hint of sourness-a quality that's unmentioned on the beer menu. The light tartness against the toffee/caramel makes it a beautiful companion to anything sweet and I imagine it would be a delight in the heat of summer.

A wink to the serious beer-lover from
the folks at City Tap Hous

Sweet Baby Jesus (6.5%ABV) The name is wonderful and it must be great fun to order one in a bar frequented by the clergy (they do have bars, you know). But I think you have to be of a generation whose beer taste isn't firmly moored to malt, spice and hops to enjoy this one. For us traditionalists, it's more like a weird soda pop. The next time I order something just for the pleasure of saying the name, I think I'll make it a Raging Bitch.

By the way, if you haven't been to City Tap House in Philadelphia or Washington, it's time you checked it out. They have a great beer list, extensive and sensitively chosen. They also have a brand-new draft system with 60 taps and a rigorous cleaning and maintanence program that delivers the good stuff the way it was meant to be. Service is aggressively friendly and efficient.