Friday, November 30, 2012

New Glarus Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale

New Glarus Brewing Company is from New Glarus, Wisconsin. They are distributed only in Wisconsin. This beer pours a dark honey golden, orange and amber in color. There is a short head of white to off-white foam. The aroma is very hoppy, full of thick, very ripe melons and tropical fruit, and some hoppy funkiness, along with citrus, orange and grass. The taste follows the aromas directly, particularly with cantaloupe and mango. It is perfectly carbonated and drinks easy and light despite its massive hop flavors. This is an excellent American pale ale, and a hop head's dream.


The Lost Abbey Devotion Ale

Lost Abbey beers are from the Port Brewing Company of San Marcos, California. This is a 6.25% ABV  Belgian-style pale ale. The bottle is ridiculously difficult to open, the cork breaks off, and a wine opener is required (used a two prong cork puller).

The beer pours a glowing deep orange in color. There is a thin head of just off-white foam. The aroma is a tart and fruity yeastiness over a pleasant maltiness. The taste is massively dry, leathery, horse blanket, with a definite bitterness. The mouthfeel is unbelievably dry and astringent, but also watery.  The aroma is tart, the taste is dry and funky, both are yeasty. I am sure there are people who love this, but it is underwhelming to me. Strangely the best part is the aftertaste, it lingers in the mouth with a pleasant and dry grain. In the end it is mildly pleasant, but still the main descriptor for me is underwhelming.


Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

This 8.7% ABV ale is from the Stone Brewing Company of Escondido, in San Diego County, California. This beer was first brewed in 2007 as their 11th Anniversary Ale. It is brewed with Chinook, Amarillo and Simcoe hops and comes in at 90 IBU's. It is a black IPA or American black ale.

The beer pours black as pitch, and if held to the light a very dark ruby and garnet can be seen. There is an inch of light brown head, of fairly thick foam. The aroma is a hoppy delight, big, round, full tropical fruit and melons. The hoppiness sits over a subtle dark roasted char. The taste is the perfect balance of the full tropical fruit and melon hops with a delightful dark roasted malt, with tones of tasty char and a hint of coffee.  The mouthfeel is smooth. This is sublime, they weren't exaggerating! This is hands down the best black IPA I have ever had. Most of them are imbalanced in some way, but this is what always existed in my head as what this style should be since I first heard the term black IPA.  It is perfectly balanced and the best of the style I have ever tried. Sorry for being so effusive, but this is one exciting beer! I'm giving it five out of five stars.




Weihenstephaner Pilsner

This 5.1% ABV pilsner beer is from the Weihenstephaner brewery in Freising, Bavaria, Germany. According to their bottle they are the world's oldest brewery (since 1040?!). The beer pours a pale golden yellow in color. There is a tall head of pure white foam, relatively long-lasting. The aroma is lots of golden grain, clean straw, a bit sweet, with floral and grassy notes. The taste is sweet golden grains, straw, with a floral and grassy massive bitterness on the end. It is a pure bitterness that works on the back of the tongue, but with no drying astringency. The aftertaste is strong and lingering, reworking the original flavors almost full bore. This is a very flavorful pilsner.


Friday, November 23, 2012

Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout

This is a 5.5% ABV oyster stout from the Flying Dog Brewery of Frederick, Maryland. It is brewed using Rappahannock River oyster shells, and its proceeds benefit the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration project. Their bottle art is by Ralph Steadman, long time illustrator for Hunter S. Thompson. The quote on the bottle is attributed to Hunter, "Good people drink good beer."

The beer pours black, very dark brown on the edges if held to a light. There is almost no head. The aroma is dark roasted malt, almost char, light ground coffee, with a tang on the end. The taste is very dark roasted malt, blackened toasted French bread, a hint, perhaps only in my mind, of the oyster shells. It is entirely dry and not at all sweet. It has a good, tingling yet subtle carbonation. This is an excellent stout!


Crazy Mountain Amber Ale

This 5.25% ABV amber ale is from the Crazy Mountain Brewing Company of Edwards, Colorado. It is named after a mountain located near the brewery owner's ranch. It uses Centennial and Cascade hops. 1% of the proceeds go to a sustainability charity.

The beer pours a deep amber in color. There is a tall inch of thick off-white foam. The aroma is malty, roasted and toasted, with a floral note on top. The taste is roasted and toasted malt with a floral hoppiness that provides some tang over the top. It is well carbonated with a stinging refreshment. This maltiness in this is nice, but to me the strong floral hops clash rather than complement. This doesn't work for me.




Keweenaw Red Jacket Amber Ale

The Keweenaw Brewing Company is in South Range, Michigan. This Oktoberfest-style beer takes its name from the old Red Jacket copper mine in the same region as the brewery.

The beer pours a glowing deep amber and copper in color. There is a tall billowing head of thick off-white foam. The aroma is tangy and yeasty over caramel malt. The aroma seems odd and the taste confirms it. The taste is very, very sour and tangy with only a little caramel malt in the background. I am pretty sure this can is infected and isn't right and is not how this beer is intended to taste. Too bad.


Keweenaw Pick Axe Blonde Ale

The Keweenaw Brewing Company is in South Range, Michigan. The beer pours a pale yellow golden in color. There is a tall head of pure white foam, thick and bubbly. The aroma is golden grain, zesty, grassy, with a touch of  bitterness. The taste is slightly sweet, golden grain, with just a touch of grassy bitterness on the end. I would actual prefer this if it had more flavors of the aroma in it, as it comes off a little sweet for me in the end. It is strongly carbonated and burns the mouth and throat in a refreshing manner.


Revolution Bottom Up

This is a wit beer (wheat beer with spices) made with organic malt, organic wheat, organic hops, oats, orange peel and coriander. It is from Revolution Brewing, which is located in Logan Square in Chicago, Illinois. They have a brew pub with good food and beer. It is definitely worth a visit if you are in Chicago. It is 5.0% ABV.

The beer pours a hazy yellow and golden in color. There is a short head of white foam. It is well carbonated. The aroma is yeasty, fruity esters including light banana, with the coriander also evident. The taste follows the aromas, toasted wheat, slightly sweet, tart citrus, with some banana and coriander. It has tingling carbonation and medium body in the mouth. The aftertaste is pleasant and reminiscent of the flavors.




Capital Brewery Island Wheat

This 4.2% ABV beer is made with wheat from Washington Island in Door County, Wisconsin. The Capital Brewery is in Middleton, Wisconsin (part of the greater Madison area).

The beer pours a hazy yellow golden in color. There is a tall head of pure, thick, white foam. The aroma is toasted wheat, grassy, a bit of lemon zest. The taste follows the aromas, zesty toasted wheat. There is nice tingling carbonation, but also a smooth creaminess to the mouth. This is a nice easy drinker.


Thursday, November 22, 2012

New Belgium Peach Porch Lounger

The New Belgium Brewing Company is in Fort Collins, Colorado. This is part of their Lips of Faith series. It is 9.4% ABV and brewed with molasses and lemon peel and peach juice added.

The beer pours a dark honey golden and peach flesh in color. There is a short head of thick and fine foam, just off-white in color that leaves sticky lacing. The aroma is tart, definitely some wild yeasts in there. The peach is subtle, as is the molasses, tangling in a sweet tang with the lemon peel zestiness. The taste is a sour, but malty ale, with the tartness tempered by the peach and molasses, but not conquered. There is a fine, tingling carbonation. The alcohol is detectable in the mouth, but really shows up as slow burn once swallowed. There is a spiciness to the finish. This is a nice take on a sour sipper.


C.I.B. Brewery Cheri Tart

The C.I.B. Brewery is a nano brewery in Carson, Iowa. The initials stand for Chefs In Black. They use wild yeasts in making their beers. This 7.2% ABV sour American ale used to be made with cherries, but due to short supply, they are no longer included.

The beer pours a medium dark brown and dark orange in color. There is a very large, foamy, bubbling, head, very light brown in color. The aroma is sour, light cherry, woody. The taste follows the aromas with the sourness up front, then an underlying maltiness. The light cherry becomes stronger in the aftertaste. It drinks creamy and ends quite dry. This is a very nicely balanced sour ale and I highly recommend it.


Hermitage Hoptopia DIPA

This 8.0% ABV Double India Pale Ale is from the Hermitage Brewing Company of San Jose, California. It has, by DIPA standards, a relatively low 65 IBU's. The beer pours a sparkling clear copper in color. There is a short-lived head of off-white foam. The aroma is hop forward, tropical fruit, grapefruit and melon. The taste follows the aromas, lots of fruits, over a solid, but not obtrusive, base of caramel malt, blending into tea with lemon. There is a grapefruit bitter and astringent finish. The mouthfeel is refreshingly light for all the flavor. I would never guess this has 8.0% ABV, it drinks quite easy. Hoptopia? Yes!


Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve Northwest-Style Lager

Henry Weinhard's opened in Oregon in the 1860's.  It was a regional powerhouse for over a hundred years; in  more recent years being acquired by Miller. The beer pours a pale yellow golden in color. There is a tall head of pure white, thick foam. The aroma is toasted golden grain, grassy, some straw, lightly floral. The taste follows the aromas directly. It finished relatively dry and with a mild bitterness. It is crisply carbonated. It's only drawback is a slight sour note in the aftertaste. When it comes to macro-produced American lagers, this is about as good as you are going to get, it is a winner in its genre.


Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Newcastle Winter IPA

This 5.2% ABV India Pale Ale is a limited edition release from Newcastle. Originally from Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, they are now owned by Caledonian Brewery of Edinburgh, Scotland.

The beer pours dark chestnut brown with a negligible head. The aroma has the distinctive Newcastle tang, floral, almost citrus, over caramel malt. The taste follows the aromas and ends with a tangy bitterness. It is quite bitter on the finish. This drinks like a tangy Newcastle brown with a bitter finish. It is enjoyable without being  mind-blowing.


Hermitage Sorachi Ace Hops IPA

This 7.0% ABV India Pale Ale is from the Hermitage Brewing Company of San Jose, California. It is part of their Single Hop Series. 

The beer pours a very deep copper and dark amber in color, almost trending towards mahogany and ruby. There is an inch of thick and creamy off-white head. The aroma is citrus, with lots of grapefruit and orange, over a sweet caramel malt base. The taste follows the aromas directly, lots of caramel malt, tea with lemon, loads of grapefruit rind and flesh and also creamy orange flavor. The finish has a substantial, but well-balanced and not overwhelming bitterness. The aftertaste is pleasant, malt and grapefruit. This is a tasty IPA!


Thunderhead Cropduster Mid-American IPA

The Thunderhead Brewing Company is in Kearney, Nebraska. They have a nice line-up of canned beers.

This 6.5% ABV beer pours honey golden and orange in color. There is an inch of pure white head. The aroma is citrusy and floral, lemon, lime and orange. The taste is slightly sweet malt, orange, citrus, floral, with a grassy and bitter finish. The aftertaste is pleasant sun tea and lemon with a light breadiness. It drinks easy and light with a nice carbonation. This is a tasty, very easy drinking IPA that is very enjoyable. It would be easy to drink more than one.


Saturday, November 17, 2012

Surly Syx

This is the sixth anniversary special release from the Surly Brewing Company of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. They are trying to finalize plans for a huge new brewery and taproom in Minneapolis near the University of Minnesota campus.

This release is a whopping 15% ABV. It takes its name not only from the anniversary, but from the special honeycomb chambers of six different woods in which it was aged. The beers pours an absolutely glowing orange in color. There is a tall head of just off-white foam that is not especially long lasting. It seems relatively well carbonated. The aroma is fruity, sweet, tangy, toffee, honey, orange, with a light sting of alcohol. The taste is surprisingly tangy and tart, like sour green grapes combined with sweet and tangy oranges, some sweetness, but not as much as the aroma, some toffee, a dry woodiness, quite spicy, with some alcohol heat. Generally such a high alcohol brings a cloying sweetness, but this is extremely dry and very tangy. The wood and hops used really tamed the 15% alcohol and although there are toffee flavors, there is not toffee sweetness. Impressively drinkable beer for its high alcohol.


Apostlebrau Pale Ale

If the bottle is to be believed, this is apparently the first Bavarian pale ale. It is naturally cloudy and is 5.0% ABV. Apostlebrau is in Hauzenberg, in the Bavaria region of Germany. The beer pours a deep, dark honey golden. There is a large thickly foamy white head. The aroma is mild, floral and grassy, a bit of golden grain. The taste is a lightly smokey and toasty golden malted grain, with a tangy yeastiness. and a grassy and moderately bitter hop finish that ends dry. It is has ample fine and tingly carbonation. The first pour of the bottle was clear, the second pour is quite cloudy. However, the taste does not change substantially once all the yeast is in the glass, just upping the tang a bit.


Krusovice Imperial

This is a 5.0% ABV Czech lager from the Kralovlsky Pivovar Krusovice in Krusovice, the Czech Republic. The beer pours a dark yellow golden in color, clear and well carbonated. There is nearly an inch of pure white head, that dissipates fairly rapidly. The aroma is malted golden grain, some straw, slightly sweet. The taste is slightly sweet malted golden grain, some straw, a touch of lager funk, with a bitter and grassy finish. It is nicely and crisply carbonated. Note the best Czech lager, but nice.


Sierra Nevada Estate Homegrown Ale

This 6.7% ABV beer is from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company of Chico, California. It is made with barley and hops grown in Sierra Nevada's own fields. It uses fresh wet hops and is certified organic. The beer pours a glowing dark copper and deep amber in color. There is a tall head of thick, creamy off-white foam. The aroma is hop forward, grapefruit, citrus, tea with lemon, and pine. The taste is crisp, astringent and bitter grapefruit, tangy citrus, sweet caramel malt, tingling and fresh pine. The finish is dry, with a lingering grapefruit tart bitterness. This is a very nice.


Butte Creek Organic India Pale Ale

The Butte Creek Brewing Company is in Ukiah, California and makes all organic beers. This IPA is 6.5% ABV. The beer pours slightly hazy and a glowing burnt orange in color. There is an inch of thick, creamy off-white foam. The aroma is citrus, citrus peel, some grapefruit, over caramel malt. The taste follows the aromas, creamy, caramel malt, orange, and touch of citrus peel. The finish is bitter and astringent in a grapefruit rind type of way. Very solid, and quite enjoyable.

Bell's Midwestern Pale Ale

This 5.2% ABV pale ale is from the Bell's Brewery of Comstock, Michigan. It is a blond ale made with Michigan grown barley. The beer pours a slightly hazy dark golden and orange in color. There is a tall head of thick white foam. The aroma is tangy, floral, grassy, straw and golden grain. The taste follows the aromas directly. The finish is moderately bitter and fairly dry. It drinks with a crisp and refreshing carbonation. The aftertaste is pleasant and reminiscent of the original flavors. Want a great tasting session beer? You found it here, don't miss this one.


Friday, November 16, 2012

Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest 2012

This is a wet hop ale from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company of Chico, California. They also do a Southern Hemisphere version when it is hop harvest season on the south half of the globe. Wet hop beers use freshly harvested hops as quickly as possible, before they dry. The beer is 6.7% ABV.

The beer pours a deep amber and copper in color, almost nearing a ruby tint. There is a very tall head of off-white foam. The aroma has lots of citrus, orange, tangerine, lemon, lime and grapefruit. The taste is citrus on a solid bed of roasted, toasted, dark caramel malt. The finish is moderately to quite bitter. There are notes of tobacco and dark tea with lemon. The mouthfeel is smooth. Well constructed, but not transcendental.


Founders Harvest Ale - 2012, 2014

2012: This 6.5% ABV beer is a wet-hopped ale from the Founders Brewing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It comes in at 70 IBU's. The beer pours a dark honey golden with an orange tint. It is amply carbonated and has an inch of white head. The aroma is very hop forward, with loads of tropical fruit, melon and some pine. The taste follows the aromas, tons of fruit on top of nicely toasted maltiness. It is hard to do justice to this beer with words, get it and drink it now!  This is an excellent IPA.


2014: This year's version is 7.6% ABV, but still 70 IBU's. The beer pours an orange-tinted honey golden in color. There is a tall, thick foamy head of white. The aroma is ripe tropical fruits and musk, guava, passion fruit, ripe tropical melons. The taste follows the aromas, hitting the same notes, with a fairly bitter finish that has grapefruit skin and pine needle bite. The beer is medium bodied with a lightly crisp carbonation. This is really nice, I can only imagine how good it would have been if I had been lucky enough to get it the week it came out!