Friday, September 30, 2016

Schell's Chimney Sweep with Cocoa Nibs

This beer is from the August Schell Brewery of New Ulm, Minnesota.  It is a limited release variation on their Chimney Sweep smoked lager that can be found in their Prost fall sampler pack. Schell's brews a wide variety of beers, both under the Schell's label and as contract brewers.  In addition, they now own and brew the Grain Belt line of beers.  They are the second oldest family owned brewery in the United States (over 150 years and counting).  I think that Yuengeling is probably the oldest family owned brewery.

The beer pours a dark brown, nearly black, and dark ruby in color. There is a relatively short head of light tan foam. The aroma is dark roasted malt, with a hint of smoke, and quite a bit of cocoa. The taste follows the aromas, and amps up the smokey note. The beer drinks easy, a touch of smooth softness, with light carbonation. The finish is dry, with a light dark cocoa bitterness.


 




West O 6 Foot 6 IPA

This is a 6.6% ABV India Pale Ale that uses Horizon and Glacier hops. It 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 lightly hazed, deep golden and apricot in color. There is a short head of white foam. The aroma is light, citrus, orange, very light tropical notes. The taste follows the aromas, with the tropical notes being passion fruit and guava. The beer drinks very easy, a bit smooth, with soft carbonation. The finish is dry and with moderate bitterness. This drinks nice enough, but doesn't overly impress.

Summit 30th Anniversary West London-Style Ale

This 4.9% ABV English-style bitter is from the Summit Brewing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. It is brewed to celebrate their 30th year.

The beer pours dark golden with just a tint of copper. There is a half inch of white, foamy, bubbly, head that is not long lasting. The aroma is light, nutty malt, with a note of lagerish funk. The taste is nutty, tea, a bit of citrus and floral notes, with a lager/pilsner bite. The finish is very dry and moderately bitter. The beer drinks very easy with perfectly strong and refreshing carbonation. This is easy to drink, interesting, but very subtle. I look forward to drinking a couple more and trying to get a better handle on it.
 


Schell's Keller Pils

This is a German keller style pils from the August Schell Brewery of New Ulm, Minnesota.  Keller is German for "cellar" and it is generally an unfiltered, unpasteurized, more malty lager. It is the limited release selection in their Prost fall sampler pack. Schell's brews a wide variety of beers, both under the Schell's label and as contract brewers.  In addition, they now own and brew the Grain Belt line of beers.  They are the second oldest family owned brewery in the United States (over 150 years and counting).  I think that Yuengeling is probably the oldest family owned brewery.

The beer pours a lightly hazed golden yellow. There is a tall, thick, bubbly head of white foam. The aroma is French bread, bread dough, sourdough bread, grassy, with a light, crisp, citrus fruitiness. The taste follows the aromas, crisp, dry, bitter, bread and citrus. The beer drinks very refreshing, with a carbonated zing. This is wildly drinkable.

Clown ShoesThird Party Candidate

This is a 7.0% ABV hoppy pale lager dry hopped with Idaho 7, Sterling, and Columbus hops. It is from Clown Shoes Beer of Clifton Park, New York.

The beer pours gleaming golden and honey in color. There is a half inch of white foam head. The aroma is citrus, passion fruit, and a bit of tea. The taste follows the aromas, tangy fruit, citrus, passion fruit, with an astringent yet herbal/fruity tea note, ending with a moderately hoppy, grassy bitterness. The beer drinks smooth and easy with tingling carbonation, a real pleasure in the mouth.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Toppling Goliath Imperial Golden Nugget

The Toppling Goliath Brewing Company is in Decorah, Iowa. They make the best beers in Iowa, and some of the best beers in the country. This is their Golden Nugget beer amped up into a Double IPA.

The beer pours hazy, the color of a dark orange-tinted honey. There is a tall, thick, foamy head of white. The aroma is a huge blast of tropical fruit, mango, mango skins, with a touch of dankness. The taste follows the aromas, and you can feel the top of your head lifting off and exploding with the huge wave of tropical and dank flavors. This is juicy and rich. The finish is dry and fairly bitter. The beer drinks very smooth, with soft, tingling carbonation. The alcohol is high enough to have a noticeable warming effect on the throat. This is the type of explosion of hop flavor beer that makes Toppling Goliath so loved.

 
 
 
 

Confluence Brewing Company The Cheese Party Pale Lager

The Confluence Brewing Company is in Des Moines, Iowa. This 4.7% ABV beer was brewed in collaboration with the American Cheese Society.

The beer pours a dark golden in color. There is nearly an inch of white foamy head that quickly dissipates. The aroma is straw, lager funk, a touch of honey and bread, with a light fruity, floral note. The taste follows the aromas note for note. There is some sweetness in the beer, but the finish is mostly dry, with very light bitterness. The beer drinks easy, a touch of smoothness, with moderately biting carbonation. This is a good, but not great, lager.
 
 
 

Confluence Brewing Company Kiano's Cut (TR)

The Confluence Brewing Company is in Des Moines, Iowa. This 9.3% ABV beer is a double rye double IPA aged in Templeton Rye whiskey barrels.

The beer pours hazy, the color of dried apricots, orange and honey golden. There is a relatively short head of white foam. The aroma is rye whiskey, orange peel, orange marmalade, and tangy, astringent oak. It smells like a wonderful rye and orange liquer cocktail. The taste follows the aromas, mixing rye, oak, and fruit, especially orange, along with a touch of pine. It is sweet, tangy, fruity and bitter all at once. The finish is dry and quite bitter, amplified by the astringency of the oak. The beer drinks very smooth, with a soft, yet stining, tingling of carbonation. Oh, this beer is wonderful.


 
 

Bell's Octoberfest

This 5.5% ABV Marzen style Octoberfest beer is from the Bell's Brewery of Comstock, Michigan. They have not released this in bottles for several years.

The beer pours copper and amber in color, very clear. There is an inch of whtie to off-white head that is not long lasting. The aroma is a crisp, bitter lager, with straw and grass, that is extra malty, a light note of sweet potato. The taste follows the aromas, a very malty lager, combining sweet, dry and bitter. The finish is dry, crisp, biting. The beer drinks easy, nicely carbonated, refreshing. This is a nicely done, quaffable take on the style.


I see I tried this in 2011, was that when it was last bottled?  This5.8% ABV beer pours an amber-copper-orange in color with a small off-white head.  The aroma is malty, slightly sweet, but also with a tart grassiness and light floral aroma.  The taste is a lightly sweet maltiness with a fresh, sweet, grassy and floral finish with a light and dry bitterness.  Tasty.

 







Beck's Oktoberfest

This 5.2% ABV Oktoberfest beer is from Beck's (their website seems to be trying oh so hard to be hip, and appears to have exactly zero information about their beers). Beck's used to be brewed in Germany, but now, as part of In-Bev, it is brewed in the U.S. (Folks, if I have not reviewed a beer, then I try it to put it on here, but dang, if I wanted a "German" beer, then I want it to have been brewed in Germany.)

The beer pours a dark amber in color. There is over an inch of bubbling off-white, foamy head. The aroma is malty, caramel, toffee, lightly nutty. The taste follows the aromas, hitting the same notes, and coming to a dry and fairly bitter finish. The beer drinks with a crisp and refreshing carbonation. The flavors have a little problem holding up on the aftertaste, giving some off flavors. Outside of that this is fairly drinkable.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Ballast Point Sea Monster

This is a 10.0% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with oatmeal from the Ballast Point Brewing Company of San Diego, California. 

The beer pours black, with a tall, thick, foamy, head of tan foam. The aroma is dark roasted malt, chocolate, cocoa, very light star anise. The taste follows the aromas, but kicks everything up a notch. The flavor is much more intense than the aroma. The beer drinks very smooth and creamy. The finish is mostly dry and moderately bitter. It is warming, but holds its 10% ABV well.
 

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Boulevard Funky Pumpkin Spiced Sour Ale

This 5.8% ABV spiced sour ale is from Boulevard Brewing of Kansas City, Missouri.

The beer pours a glowing light copper and gold. There is a short head of white foam, not long lasting. The aroma is fall pumpkin spices, cinnamon and nutmeg and the like, along with light pumpkin, light funk, and light leather notes. The taste is tart, funky, with light pumpkin, spices and leather. This is spicier in the aroma than in the flavor, but it is nice that it is not overwhelmed by its spices like some pumpkin beer. The finish is tart and dry, with some lingering spices. The beer is smooth with moderate carbonation, drinking easy.
 
 

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Foster's Lager

This 5.0% ABV lager is from Australia, but the Foster's product for consumption in the US is now brewed here (it is now a SABMiller brand).

The beer pours a clear yellow golden in color. There is an inch of white, foamy head. The aroma is bright, a bit grassy, with golden cereal grain, and a touch of damp cardboard. The taste follows the aromas note for note. The finish is dry and lightly bitter, but with a touch of metallic. The aftertaste is light cardboard and very light circus peanuts candy, with the chemical astringency of artificial sweetener. The beer drinks with a strong and refreshing carbonation. This is pretty darn bad. I have not had a Foster's lager in ages, and I won't have one again soon. Like most beers that are this bad, it is moderately better directly from the can, but that is not a lot of improvement.