Sunday, March 23, 2014

Deschutes Red Chair NWPA

This 6.2% ABV Northwest Pale Ale is from the Deschutes Brewery is in Bend, Oregon on the banks of the Deschutes River.

The beer pours a slightly hazy amber and copper in color. There is a tall, thick, foamy head of off-white to very light tan. The aroma is fruity, orange, strong tea, almost chai, a bit spicy to piney, a bit herbal, over a solid malt base. The taste follows the aromas, tangy fruit spars with sweet malt tones to a draw of nicely balanced flavors. Medium bodied, moderately carbonated, a really nice easy drinker.



Goose Island 312 Urban Pale Ale

This 5.4% ABV beer is from the Goose Island Beer Company of Chicago, Illinois. Now that they are owned by Anheuser-Busch In-Bev, this is brewed in Baldwinsville, New York and Fort Collins, Colorado. According to the bottle, since they are from the city that invented the skyscraper, they constructed this beer "on a balanced malt backbone so the citrus hop aroma and crisp flavor can stand tall."


The beer pours a clear, gleaming, light copper in color. There is a short and thin white head. The aroma is lightly fruity, tangy, zesty, citrus, grapefruit, passion fruit, a touch of peach. The taste is crisp toasted malt, tiniest bit of nuttiness, lightly covered by the hop fruit flavors. There is a light bitterness on the finish. This drinks very crisp and refreshing. The flavors are light, but it is a nice easy drinker.


O'Fallon Zeke's Pale Ale

This 5.1% ABV sessionable pale ale brewed with Galaxy hops is from the O'Fallon Brewery of O'Fallon, Missouri.

The beer pours a light copper in color, very clear. There is a short, relatively thin head of off-white foam. The aroma is hop forward and very fruity, citrus, peach and blueberry. The taste is fruity hops, following the aromas, over a toasted and caramel malt base. It is light to medium bodied with a crisp and refreshing carbonation. The finish is dry and lightly bitter, but with a touch of grapefruit sting. One could consume vast quantities of this beer, oh it is tasty and drinkable! Do they serve this at the St. Louis Cardinal's stadium?  They probably don't, since it is "Busch" stadium, but they should.


West O Pilsner

This 6.0% ABV pilsner beer is from the West O Beer Company of West Okoboji, Iowa. They invest part of their sales in the preservation and improvement of the Iowa Great Lakes Region.

The beer pours a pale, golden yellow in color. There is a short head of white foam. The aroma is lightly sweet, grassy, golden grain, touch of straw. The taste follows the aromas, matching all the same notes. It has a moderately bitter finish. It is medium bodied, smooth, crisply carbonated. This is a very good American pilsner beer.


Saturday, March 22, 2014

Anchorage Darkest Hour Stout

This is a Belgian-style Imperial Stout aged in French oak pinot noir barrels and rye whiskey barrels. It comes from theAnchorage Brewing Company of Anchorage, Alaska and is a whopping 13% ABV It is brewed with Summit hops. It is triple fermented. First with a Belgian yeast, then in the Pinot Noir and rye whiskey barrels. Finally, it ferments again in the bottle with a wine yeast.

The beer pours a dense black, a bit like used motor oil. There is a short head of brown foam, dark as brown sugar. The aroma is vinous, tart, a touch boozy, raisins, prunes, some dark roast, brown sugar, vanilla, light whiskey. The taste hits all the notes of the aromas, but adds in much more dark roast, adding notes of char. The tastes meld together quite well, and the flavor is more harmonious than the aroma which is a cacophony of differing notes. 


Central Waters Glacial Trail IPA

The Central Waters Brewing Company is in Amherst, Wisconsin.

This is my early 2014 tasting of this beer, below our my thoughs from nearly three years ago. The beer pours copper and amber in color. There is about an inch of thick off-white, foamy head. The aroma is as much, or more, malt than hops, with lots of caramel, some sweet potato, and a bit of orange. The taste follows the aromas, lots of malt, a bit of fruit, mostly orange, and a moderately bitter finish. If this is an IPA, it is definitely British style.  If it is not supposed to be British style, then it is a failure.

2011: This beer pours orange-copper-amber in color with a slight off-white head.  The aroma is more malty than hoppy, this bottle, unfortunately for an IPA, being several months old.  The beer tastes like a great nut brown ale with a bitter finish.  It is a great brown ale, but a poor IPA.  Guess I will need to look for a fresher bottle to experience its hop element fresh.  2nd tasting - Now it is July 19, 2011 and I have another that was bottled in June.  Let's see how different it is fresh.  The beer pours the same orange-copper in color with a slight bright, glowing quality.  The head is still off-white, but pours thicker and more vigorous.  The aroma is citrus, grapefruit and a touch of pine over a nutty malt base.  The hop notes of the aroma are apparent in the taste, but even fresh this is not a massively hop forward IPA.  There is still a strong nuttiness in the taste.  This is much better balanced fresh, the hops are more apparent, but it is not a fruit-forward hop bomb by any means.  The aftertaste is extremely bitter and dry.


Brau Brothers The Ringneck Braun Ale

This brown ale is from the Brau Brothers Brewing Company originating in Lucan, Minnesota, but now of Marshall, Minnesota.

The beer pours a dark chestnut brown in color with an amber/orange tint. There is a short lived head of light tan foam. The aroma is roasted and toasted malt, darkened caramel, a touch of nuttiness and a mineral tang reminiscent of north English and Scottish ales. The taste follows the aromas directly, adding in some dark fruits. The finish is moderately bitter and fairly dry. This is a very nice Scottish/English style brown ale. 





Backpocket Raygun IPA

This 7.6% ABV India Pale Ale is a collaboration with the Raygun t-shirt company of Des Moines, Iowa. It uses Galaxy and Topaz hops and comes from the Backpocket Brewing Company of Coralville, Iowa. This beer is the second release in their Lab Series, where they get a little more adventurous and try out some new styles.  If you are ever in the Coralville/Iowa City area, or just driving by on I-80, this place is definitely worth a stop.

The beer pours dark honey golden with an orange/amber tint. There is a tall, thick head of off-white foam. The aroma is citrusy, tropical fruits, passion fruit, tangy, with light floral notes. The taste follows the aromas directly, it is citrusy, fruity, round and smooth, with good mango coming through on the end. It is fairly bitter on the finish. It is medium bodied and  moderately carbonated. This is a very good IPA, I was so glad they bottled it. However, fresh out of the tap at the brewery it is out of this world, get there if you have the chance!


Stochasticity Project Grapefruit Slam IPA

According to the bottle, this India Pale Ale with grapefruit peel added is from the Koochenwagner's Brewing Company of Escondido, San Diego County, California. This also just happens to be where Stone Brewing Company is from, with Stochasticity being a Stone product. 

The beer pours a gleaming copper and amber in color. There is about an inch of off-white foamy head. The aroma is citrus, passion fruit, grapefruit peel, flesh and juice. There is a sweet and tangy grapefruit note that reminds me of the Caribbean grapefruit soda, Ting. The taste is a blast of fruits, especially grapefruit (no surprise), followed by an immediate and massive wave of astringent bitterness. This is like drinking grapefruit tonic water, but with a better body. I like parts of this, but its bitterness rises to ridiculous levels, and this from a dedicated hophead. Stone has some really good beers, but too often they seem to substitute massive bitterness for making truly complex and flavorful beers.


Zipline NZ IPA

This 6.8% ABV beer is from the Zipline Brewing Company of Lincoln, Nebraska. This beer features New Zealand hops, thus its name. Zipline only recently started bottling its beers.

The beer pours a clear copper in color. There is a short head of off-white foam. The aroma is tangy citrus, tangerine, mandarin orange, passion fruit, and a very light touch of mango. It has a spicy quality. The taste hits all of the tangy fruit notes of the aromas melding nicely into a toasted and slightly caramel maltiness. There is a moderate bitterness on the finish that increases in intensity as you drink the beer. The finish is quite dry. It is medium bodied with a soft, yet intensely crisp carbonation. It drinks quite easily. Well-balanced, and solidly constructed.


Friday, March 21, 2014

Local Option Voku Hila

This is a 6.0% ABV Maibock lager from Local Option. The bottles are brewed and bottled by Pub Dog Brewing in Westminster, Maryland, but Local Option is a pub from Chicago, Illinois, with their own brewing division called Bierwerker.

The beer pours an orange honey golden in color. There is a tall, thick, foamy head that is white to off-white in color. The aroma is malty, sweet potatoes especially, tangy, fruity, grassy. The taste is rich and malty, fruity, tangy, yeasty, grassy, with a bitter finish that is somewhat metallic. It is medium bodied, smooth, with a subtle carbonation. This is a really nice beer except for the metallic note.


He'brew Death of a Contract Brewer Black IPA

The He'Brew line of kosher beers is from the Shmaltz Brewing Company of Clifton Park, New York. They are "The Chosen Beer." This 7% ABV beer is brewed using 7 malts and 7 hops and commemorates that Shmaltz now has their own brewery. From 1996 until 2013 they were contract brewed.

The beer pours a solid black in color. There is about an inch of thick, foamy, light tan head. The aroma is dark roasted malt, char, a bit of coffee, along with fruity, especially orange, and piney hops. The taste is a very good blending of dark roasted malt flavors, dark cocoa, char, coffee, along with the fruity and a bit piney hops. This is a really nice black IPA. Some black IPA's are predominantly hops incongruous with their dark roasted malt and some are the reverse. This is one of the few that blend them together in a nice balance.




He'brew Hop Manna IPA

The He'Brew line of kosher beers is from the Shmaltz Brewing Company of Clifton Park, New York. They are "The Chosen Beer." This 6.8% ABV beer is dry hopped with Centennial, Cascade and Citra hops, and also uses Warrior, Amarillo and Crystal hops. The bottle has a long, Biblical explanation of the term "manna."

The beer pours a lightly hazy copper-orange-amber in color with over an inch of thick, foamy, off-white head.  The aroma is fruity, tangy, citrusy, orange, slightly spicy, a bit of grass, with caramel malt notes underneath.  The taste is also fruity and tangy, orange, grapefruit, tea with lemon. It has a nice, smooth mouthfeel and a quite bitter and dry finish. It drinks very refreshing. Very solid, not spectacular, it is worth trying.




Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Stillwater Existent

This 7.4% ABV beer is from Stillwater Artisanal Ales. It was brewed and bottled in Stratford, Connecticut. The beer pours mahogany in appearance, with ruby when held to the light. There is a short head of light brown foam. The aroma is dark roasted malt, tangy yeast, sweet, a bit smokey. The taste follows the aromas, the dark roasted malt blossoming into char, with a coffee-like bitterness. There is sweetness, but the tangy yeast and dark roasts keep it in check. The finish is fairly dry. It has very fine bottle conditioned carbonation. There is a hint of peaty smoke. This is nicely done.


Local Option Blood Ov the Kings

This is a 6.0% ABV wheat ale named after the 1631 invasion of Germany by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. The bottles are brewed and bottled by Pub Dog Brewing in Westminster, Maryland, but Local Option is a pub from Chicago, Illinois, with their own brewing division called Bierwerker.

The beer pours a dark amber in color, a bit hazed, with a tall and very thick head of light tan foam. The aroma is yeasty, malty, earthy, tangy. The taste is toasted malt and grain, lightly fruity, yeasty, and quite bitter. It is medium bodied and crisply carbonated. This is an interesting beer, like a mish-mash of an ESB, a bit of Maibock, a Belgian golden ale, with the bitterness of an IPA. It all works and is tasty and worth trying. 


Monday, March 17, 2014

Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout

This bourbon barrel aged stout is from Central Waters Brewing Company of Amherst, Wisconsin. It is part of their Brewer's Reserve series.

The beer pours black, with very dark brown, ruby and garnet on the edges when held to the light. There is a short and thin head of light brown foam. The aroma has a nice waft of bourbon, lightly boozy, vanilla, brown sugar, oak, and a bit of dark roast. The taste follows the aromas directly, hitting all of the same notes, adding a bit more char. This drinks sweet, but not too sweet, very smooth, with a moderately to fairly bitter finish with a lingering melding of char and bourbon. I know there are some who would want much more dark roast notes out of this style, but this one is so smooth and pleasantly drinkable, I can’t complain a bit.


Toppling Goliath X Hops Pale Ale (Rainbow)

The Toppling Goliath Brewing Company is in Decorah, Iowa. They make not only the best beer in Iowa, but some of the best in the entire nation. This is the last of five releases in their new X Hop series. They will each have a unique color to their label, and each color represents a new experimental hop. They encourage people who try the X Hops beers to provide their input back to the brewery. They will then try to encourage hop growers to grow more of these new hops so as to have more regular production of some of these varieties.  (See Red here and Green here and Blue here and Yellow here and Orange here). This is the mixing of all the single varieties together in one beer.


The beer pours a cloudy deep honey and orange in color. There is a tall, thick, foamy head that is off-white in color. The aroma is citrusy, tangerine and grapefruit, passion fruit, a musky funkiness, with some mango. The aroma tingles like frost in the air in a pine forest. The taste is a perfect amalgam of all of the aromas. The finish is quite bitter, even astringent, giving the effect of biting into grapefruit rind. There is then a wave of strong sun tea with lemon, then back to the bitterness. It then mellows out into an aftertaste true to the original flavors, weaving in and out with the bitterness.  The mouthfeel is smooth with a tingling carbonation in the background.

This is a subtle and sublime mix of all of the original X Hops flavors, part of each of them can be detected here, but they mostly are in a well unified whole. This has gotten lower ratings (that I have seen) than the single hop releases.  I think it has to do with this not blasting you with any one flavor, it is much more subtle (don’t confuse my use of subtle here to mean it lacks flavors, it has them aplenty, they are just are well blended into each other).

After having had all X Hops releases, I would, merely as personal preference, rate them as follows:  Green is the clear number one for me, Red second, Rainbow third, and the Blue was last.  Orange and Yellow are in a fight for fourth and fifth place that I don't think I could resolve without drinking them head to head. Keep in mind, rating these is like rating your children, you actually love them all.


Sunday, March 9, 2014

Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine Ale

This bourbon barrel aged barleywine is from Central Waters Brewing Company of Amherst, Wisconsin. It is aged for a year. This is the 2014 vintage.


The beer pours a very dark amber, garnet, burnt orange in color. There is a short, light tan head. The aroma is sweet, caramel, sweet potatoes, bourbon, with a bit of a fruity tang and some vanilla and wood. The taste follows the aromas directly. This is malty and sweet, with just enough hops and wood to prevent being cloying. It is full-bodied, round and smooth, not at all boozy despite its 11.5% ABV. I wouldn’t mind just a bit more bourbon. It will be nice to revisit this in a couple years and see how it develops.

I tried this again on February 21, 2015 and it is drinking great, wonderful toffee, caramel and butterscotch flavors, and the bourbon is still rocking, along with a woody astringency to keep the sweetness in check. This is just an awesome beer!




Prairie Puncheon

This is a 7.0% ABV farmhouse ale fermented in oak barrels. It is from Prairie Artisan Ales of Oklahoma. Prairie are tenant brewers, they do not have their own brewery, but go and brew themselves at other's facilities, which from every bottle I have seen is the Krebs Brewing Company in Krebs, Oklahoma. 

The beer pours a hazy golden yellow in color. There is a short and thin head of white foam. The aroma is very tart, with a very light funkiness and very light wood. The taste is tart, yeasty, fruity, sour, a bit funky, with some oaky woodiness. The beer is fairly dry, and did I mention tart? Nicely done, but just not enough going on other than the tartness. Now, on the other hand, the more of this I drink, the more I like it, it does grow on you.


Saturday, March 8, 2014

Crooked Stave Surette

This 6.2% ABV saison aged in oak barrels is from the Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project of Denver, Colorado.

The beer pours a dark golden with a tinge of bronze. There is a short white head. The aroma is very tart, a bit funky and earthy, a touch of wood. The taste follows the aromas directly, with a very smooth melding of the tart (throwing off fruity notes), the funk and the wood. There is a bit of a white wine quality, a very tart pinot grigio mixed with a round and oaky chardonnay.  The beer is smooth and round, yet tart. 


Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

This old standby is from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company of Chico, California. This is part of their new 4-Way IPA variety pack. The others in the pack are Blindfold Black IPA, Snow Wit White IPA, and Nooner Session IPA. It is 7.2% ABV.


The beer pours a deep copper and amber in color. There is an inch of thick, somewhat creamy very light tan head. The aroma is citrus, passion fruit, pine and light melon. The taste is piney, lightly fruity, over toasted caramel malt base, with a blisteringly bitter finish. The beer is medium-bodied and smooth. One of Sierra Nevada’s many can’t go wrong beers.


Sierra Nevada Snow Wit White IPA

This 5.7% ABV white IPA is from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company of Chico, California. It is part of their new 4-Way IPA variety pack. The others in the pack are Blindfold Black IPA, Nooner Session IPA, and their old standby Torpedo Extra IPA. This beer uses seven varieties of new dwarf hops, combined with a Belgian yeast strain.


The beer pours a cloudy golden yellow in color, a bit like a dark lemon meringue with an orange tint. There is a dense head of pure white, matching the lemon meringue pie effect. The aroma is citrusy, passion fruit, grapefruit, herbal, with the Belgian yeast apparent with its fruity esters. The taste matches the aromas directly, and the beer drinks extremely smooth, almost creamy. It has a fine, dense carbonation that increases the smoothness of the mouthfeel. The finish is moderately bitter. This is really excellent!


Ommegang Game of Thrones Take the Black Stout

This 7.0% ABV stout is from the Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York. Ommegang is part of the Duvel family, and is essentially a Belgian brewery plopped down in New York State. It is one of their special releases tied to the HBO television series Game of Thrones, which my wife has recently gotten me addicted to. This one is a stout brewed with star anise and licorice root. The label features a weirwood tree, where Jon Snow swore his oath to the Night's Watch. This is the second Ommegang Game of Thrones release, the first was Iron Throne blonde ale, the third will release March 31, 2014 and is Fire and Blood Red Ale which will feature the three dragons of Daenerys Targaryen on the labels. 


The beer pours blacker than a crow, as black as the members of the Night’s Watch, completely black and opaque, even when held to the light. There is a tall, bubbly, foamy head of light brown. The aroma is smokey, charred, with light anise and black licorice. The taste follows the aromas, with the smoke less than the anise and licorice in the flavor, and adding in notes of very dark bittersweet chocolate. It is full-bodied and smooth, with a fine, bottle conditioned carbonation.




Local Option Morning Wood

This is a 7.3% ABV amber ale made with coffee and aged in oak (no not this Morning Wood, and no, definitely not that morning wood). The bottles are brewed and bottled by Pub Dog Brewing in Westminster, Maryland, but Local Option is a pub from Chicago, Illinois, with their own brewing division called Bierwerker.

The beer pours a deep amber in color. There is over an inch of light tan foamy head. The aroma is coffee, a bit sweet, dark caramelized sugar, a light touch of oak. The taste is smooth, drinks like a highly sweetened coffee drink with cream, yet carbonated. The wood notes are present, but subtle and leave a lightly dry, woody bitterness. This is excellent!