Hoggie's Beer Review

Peak Organic IPA - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-09-06T21:34:00.000-04:00

Red Stripe - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-09-06T21:26:00.000-04:00

Sword Swallower & Leftover Lunch - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-08-31T17:09:00.000-04:00

Tecate & Nachos (1 of 2) - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-08-24T09:18:00.000-04:00

Blind Faith - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-08-16T22:14:00.000-04:00

Bell's Batch 10,000 - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-08-15T19:36:00.001-04:00

Modelo Especial - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-08-15T19:36:00.000-04:00

Michelob Original Lager - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-07-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

Latitude 48 Deconstructed (5 Beer Review) - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-07-07T21:28:00.000-04:00

Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-06-23T14:47:00.000-04:00

G'Knight (f/k/a Gordon) - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-06-20T12:16:00.000-04:00

Horizon Red Ale - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-06-10T18:36:00.000-04:00

Keystone Ice - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-06-07T07:43:00.000-04:00

Hoegaarden - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-06-05T16:42:00.000-04:00

RastafaRye Ale (and BBQ Footage) - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-06-03T20:13:00.000-04:00

Hoptical Illusion - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-06-03T20:11:00.000-04:00

Best Brown Ale - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-05-31T19:20:00.000-04:00

Baltika 9 Extra Lager - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-05-28T17:59:00.000-04:00

Dog Bite High Gravity Lager - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-05-23T20:02:00.000-04:00

Long Hammer IPA - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-05-19T18:00:00.000-04:00

My Antonia - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-05-15T20:40:00.000-04:00

Headwaters Pale Ale - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-05-11T22:30:00.000-04:00

Sierra Nevada Old Chico Crystal Wheat - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-04-30T21:04:00.000-04:00

Industrial IPA - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-04-26T19:09:00.000-04:00

Terrapin Reunion '10 - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-04-12T22:04:00.000-04:00

Camo Black Extra - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-04-05T18:35:00.000-04:00

Kirin Ichiban & Bonus BBQ Footage - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-03-31T20:58:00.000-04:00

Big Hoppy Monster - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-03-28T21:55:00.000-04:00

Cigar City's Either and Or - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-03-27T13:09:00.000-04:00

St. Patrick's Day Triple Guinness Extravaganza - Draught, Extra Stout, F...

2011-03-17T16:52:00.000-04:00

Rolling Rock - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-03-08T19:07:00.000-05:00

Hoppe - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-03-06T19:58:00.000-05:00

Newcastle DraughtKeg Freshness Update

2011-03-06T13:55:00.000-05:00

Oxymoron - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-02-28T20:06:00.000-05:00

Newcastle Brown Ale DraughtKeg - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-02-26T17:51:00.000-05:00

Trade Winds Tripel - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-02-23T23:01:00.001-05:00

Walgreens' Big Flats 1901 Lager Beer - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-02-23T23:01:00.000-05:00

Miller High Life - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-02-23T23:00:00.000-05:00

Lukcy Basartd Ale - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-02-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

Message to my readers and viewers...

2011-01-06T19:22:00.005-05:00

Wassup everybody. Just wanted to let you guys know what was on the horizon. I will be settling into my new place in about 3 weeks and, hopefully, I will have a new HD camera so as to bring you kind folks better quality, beer related material. Expect a constant supply of new material to start showing up in mid-February.

I am now concentrating solely on video reviews but I plan to still post a text review every so often. I will, however, be posting every new video on this site as soon as it is uploaded. (You can thank the Google folks for that one, Blogger sites can now link automatically with youtube.)

As you may have noticed, I have re-vamped the site but it is still a work in progress, be patient, when I finish I will have all my reviews, video and text, accessible from the main page, along with whatever other quirky stuff I come up on.

I hope you all had a great holiday season and I wish you the best in 2011. As far as Hoggie is concerned, my goal is to keep bringing you guys quality beer reviews, info, recipes, and industry related news, as well as try to make youtube partner. So please, if you enjoy my videos make sure you subscribe to my channel on youtube.com, and make sure to comment and let me know if there is anything you would like to see.

I have about a dozen beers in the hopper just waiting to be reviewed, along with some other fun stuff (including another ice beer...), so stay tuned, there is a lot to come.

Thank you for your continued support. Take care and cheers!

Four Loko Cranberry Lemonade - Hoggie's Beer Review

2011-01-06T19:03:00.001-05:00

After 130+ videos in 16 months of reviewing all kinds of beer, this, amazingly, is my most viewed review...

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

2010-07-24T16:02:00.009-04:00

From the Harpoon Brewery comes this monstrous DIPA. 10% abv and it currently rates as an A- overall on beeradvocate.com. So, obviously, an IPA lover like myself had to check out Harpoon's latest offering.

I cracked it open and poured it into my new Palm tulip glass. It sure smells like a dipa...

The beer is a beautiful, clear amber color with a nice fingers worth of off-white ipa head. The nose is of fragrant piney, grassy hops over equally fragrant sweet malts with hints of caramel. There are also some ever so slight wiffs of alcohol in the nose.

The body is lighter than expected. The first sip goes down smoothly - a mild piney, and slightly citrusy, hop bite upfront followed by an almost light body of sweet malts. Upon swallowing, the hops make a return engagement and leave a floral, piney taste on the back of the tongue that is resinous but not overpowering. It is in the final swallow that one notices the 10% alcohol. It is not strong enough to distract from the taste or the overall enjoyment of the beer, but it is noticable to a seasoned palate.

I don't consider this beer exceptional but I do consider it very good. I will objectively call it a Glass FULL. I say objectively because I am not a fan of the bigger, and sweeter, imperial ipas. To me a malty ipa is a turn off. But this one, while having a strong malt presence, has a light enough body to make the malt sweetness and high alcohol seem less noticeable. As far as Harpoon beers go, this might be their best offering yet, in my humble opinion. Cheers!

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse

2010-07-20T15:15:00.009-04:00

I picked this up because I had heard a lot of great things about this beer. As the packaging clearly states, this is a Bavarian hefe-weisse imported from Munich. Even though Franziskaner is now part of the Spaten/Franziskaner/Louenbrau Group, which in turn is now owned by Inbev, Franziskaner's history dates back to the 1300's in Germany. Franziskaner means Franciscan and the name comes from the fact there was a monastary across the street from the original brewery.

This hefe pours a golden yellow color and it is hazy with a lot of carbonation. My pour gave me over an inch of fluffy, off-white hefe head. It had a very strong nose of spicy banana and clove, also earthy with hints of citrus.

The body is nearly medium with surprising effervescence. There is some carbonation up front, followed immediately by a sharp, hoppy bite from the noble hops. Hefes are light but the body of this beer has as much weight to it as a hefeweissen can have. The middle flows along the tongue bringing a in hints of wheat, fruit and a light sourness.

Easy to drink yet complex in flavor and character, this is not a hefe to take lightly. The combination of the lively natural carbonation and the tartness make it a very refreshing beer, yet the complexity of the flavors and the substantial body make this a beer than can be enjoyed anytime.

There is no freshness date and I can't help but wonder how fresh this beer is. I would love to try this beer fresh from the brewery someday. If it's this good like this then it must be amazing when fresh.

I have absolutely no reason not to call this beer a Glass FULL. Are there better hefes out there? Sure there are. But this is a great one and a classic from a very old brewery. A must for fans of the style. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Cheers!

Hercules Double IPA

2010-06-30T16:13:00.010-04:00

I usually dont drink IPAs out of a snifter but I'm making an exception for this big brew from the Great Divide Brewing Co. in Colorado. The Hercules Double IPA is a 10% abv monster that currently rates an A- out of 1100 reviews on beeradvocate.com.

This bad boy pours a dark, orange-amber, almost copper color, with a big, frothy beige head.It is hazy and full of sediment.

The nose is a killer combo of aromatic citrus hops and caramel malt. The malt levels are up for this one. Malt sweetness mixes in with fruity notes from the hops - orange along with mango, pineapple and starfruit. Smells good.

When you taste it your tongue is greeted by an intense hop bite upfront followed by rich, malty sweetness across the middle. More hop bitterness appears in the finish- the oily, resinous kind.

This beer is almost as sweet as it is hoppy. I would say it's almost a 60/40 mix. Hercules is a hop-bomb with a sturdy malt backbone to make it incredibly balanced, almost too balanced for my taste. Although at 10% the alcohol is almost perfectly masked. If you didn't tell me this beer was 10% I would never guess a number so high. It drinks about as easy as a rich, high abv beer can. Yes, the complexity of the flavors and overall smoothness make it hard for me to complain.

Even though malty IPAs are not my cup of tea, I feel I would be cheating this Herculean brew if I gave it less than a Glass FULL. It is a tasty, solid, well made, strong-ass, hop bomb, and a MUST for any DIPA fan, even though I don't see myself picking it up again anytime soon.

In-Heat Wheat

2010-06-08T21:34:00.006-04:00

Today we have the In-Heat Wheat, a Hefeweizen from the Flying Dog Brewing Company in Maryland and the second of four Flying Dog beers I will be reviewing. Of course, all four beers are courtesy of my friend Howard.

This one sure smells like a Hefe... hints of banana and clove with some vague hints of a spice I can't put my finger on. Typical of a Hefe, it is a hazy, unfiltered beer.

Surprisingly, it tastes hoppy. There are hints of lemon mixed in with those banana and clove notes from the nose. The banana sweetness from the yeast counteracts the citrus hop notes and gives it an odd flavor profile. I find it quite unbalanced. Refreshing, yes, but sharp and bitter and not very Hefe-like at all. More like a hoppy American wheat beer brewed with German yeast - the yeast gives it a slightly richer body but the combination is a bit off-putting.

Much like the Road Dog Porter, this is not a bad beer but it the flavors are not very balanced and it throws off the final product. Therefore, I consider this brew another weak Glass 1/2 FULL.

Road Dog Porter

2010-06-08T21:25:00.005-04:00

The Road Dog Porter from the Flying Dog Brewery in Marland, one of four Flying Dog beers I was given by my buddy Howard.

It smells roasty. Subtle chocolate & roasted malt sweetness with hints of earthy hops underneath that remind me of a rain forest. It smells a bit light-bodied, though...

First taste impression is thin, bitter and sweet.

This beer is all over the place. It starts off thinner in the mouth than the color lets on, with mild, mellow roasted chocolate sweetness in the middle and a hoppy bitter finish. There are hints of cacao in the aftertaste along with a touch of hop resin.

This beer is confused. It wants to be hoppy but there isn't enough body to balance it out. It wants to be roasty and chocolaty but it is too thin and too hoppy. It's not a bad beer, it's tasty for sure, but I find it unbalanced. My significant other disagrees.

I'm not impressed. Weak Glass 1/2 FULL.

New Beer Friday @ Hurricanes

2010-06-05T00:11:00.007-04:00

Ok, so I just got back from Hurricane Wings, our local beer haven here in Vero. Today Howard, the manager, just tapped two new beers, the Rastafa Rye from Blue Point Bewing & the Iniquity, a black IPA from Southern Tier. I had a pint of each.

The Rastafa Rye was the best rye beer I've had since I moved out of Miami. It is favorably similar to the Captain Smith's Rye Ale from the Titanic Brewery in Miami, which I consider my favorite rye beer so far. Light and simple, it goes well with food as neither the rye, the hops or the body of the beer are too heavy handed.

The Southern Tier Iniquity is an amazing brew, a blend of roasted malts and strong hops. The black IPA is a new category in the beer books and this is a lovely example of the style, a perfect dessert beer for a hop-head. If a dry stout and a west-coast IPA had a baby this would be it.

We also had the pleasure of sampling two other beers, the Lips of Faith Biere De Mars, an American ale from New Belgium that uses wild Belgian yeast, and the Old Foghorn Barleywine from Anchor.

The Lips of Faith was an interesting brew, fruity yet dry and a bit tart, it was light and would be incredibly refreshing on a hot summer day. My girlfriend said it tasted like band-aids and grass, I somewhat agree but found the beer to be a quality brew that has its place in certain situations. I was told it was based on a French farmhouse ale and shares characteristics with a Flemish Ale.

The Old Foghorn barleywine was the low point of the night, only because I am not a fan of English Barleywines and this is a pretty good example of one. Although it finishes a bit dry and slightly bitter, it is too sweet and just not hoppy enough for me. Specially since my only two other barleywine experiences were with Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Ale (2010) and Avery's Hog Heaven. Quality for sure, just not my cup of tea.

Sorry for the lack of pictures but I just wanted to recap my night of beer before I crashed out. Goonight.

A Proper Boston Lager

2010-05-18T21:10:00.006-04:00

I just wanted to post this picture I took a while back and give thanks to my pal Howard for the Samuel Adams Sensory Glass and to the Boston Beer Company for 25 years of a great American Lager. Cheers!

BierBreath on Twitter!!

2010-04-27T17:35:00.002-04:00

I'm on Twitter now!! Follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/hoggiesbeer and get all the updates about the website, the reviews, the videos and whatever other beer-stuff. Hit me up!

Terrapin Rye Squared

2010-04-17T18:02:00.010-04:00

Terrapin's Rye Squared. I've been wanting to try this beer since last year but I never got around to it. It is the limited release, Spring seasonal from the Terrapin Brewing Company in Georgia brewed in the style of a Double IPA with the addition of malted rye. It is a hefty 8.5% abv.

I learned to love rye beers after indulging, on several occasions, in the Captain Smith's Rye Ale from the Titanic Brewery in Miami. Since I moved out of Miami I have been longing for a good rye beer. I was hoping this would be it, since I tried Terrapin's regular Rye Pale Ale a couple of months ago and was not impressed at all. You can see that particular review here.

So here we go. I pop off the cap and pour in it a standerd pint tumbler. It is a clear, dark orange-amber color and it gives little head. The smell is an almost even mix of caramel sweetness and citrus hop. Where's the rye? I detect a hint of spiciness, buried somewhere under the hops and malt.

Tasting it brings the same question back into my mind - Where's the rye? I get resinous hop up front with a somewhat heavy malt middle - sweet, caramely and almost cloying. Major hop oil bitterness rides a wave of rich sweetness down your throat. Ah yes, there is a hint of rye back there.

To be fair, the rye came out a lot more as the beer warmed up, in the taste and the smell. So did the malt flavors, which were pretty strong to begin with.

For an 8.5% beer the alcohol is very well hidden. You do get a bit of warmth coming back up after a sip or two, but I'm sure that is easier to notice when you are actually looking for it.

This is an interesting brew, and a sipper for sure. In my opinion Rye Squared is a good brew but it is for those who like a heavy dose of hops AND malt at the same time, not for folks just looking for a refreshing rye beer.

I am temped to give it a 1/2 Empty simply because I think a brew name Rye Squared should have a stronger rye presence. But because it is an amped up imperial ale and not a run of the mill rye beer I will call it a Glass 1/2 Full. The rye is riding in the backseat behind the hops and malt but it is a pretty enjoyable beer if sweeter, maltier brews are your cup of tea. Cheers!

I Love Hurricane Wings (but only in Vero) - A great Friday night out!

2010-04-11T11:14:00.005-04:00

Hurricane Wings, Vero Beach. Not just a wing joint anymore.

Howard is the manager and the 28 taps are his babies. Aside from providing beer lovers in Vero a place to call home, he is also the only person "With the balls to tap a keg of Ruination". Those were his words last Friday night right before another keg went empty and Stone's enamel-stripping IPA was tapped for the first time ever anywhere in the county. And I was lucky enough to be the first person in this county, ever, to sip on a freshly poured draft of the stuff. Yay me!

It also helped that one of the latest additions to the draft line-up was the Summit Horizon Red Ale, a hoppy American amber ale from Minnesota. Two of those helped pave the way for the draft glory that is Ruination. For my previous review of Ruination, go here

Of course, aside from the 28 taps, about two dozen of which are of the micro variety, they also keep a few bottled brews as well. Taking with Howard about stouts, I mentioned the Bell's Kalamazoo Stout they serve in bottles. Tell Howard you haven't tried a beer and you will be trying it within seconds. As you can see in the picture above, my g/f and I got to split a bottle of this wonderful stout (and for the record thats the remainder of a Summit Horizon in the middle and the ungodly and yummy Ruination on the left.)

We love Hurricane Wings, Vero. The wings are great, sure, and the beer line-up beckons me on a nightly basis, but mainly we go there for the good company. Not only do Howard and Christina provide good company and good service but their antics behind the bar keep us entertained all night. That, and the fact that they have the Oaked Arrogant Bastard on tap make me want to spend every night there...

So if you are ever in the area, stop in for a bite and/or a quick beer fix. You won't be disappointed. And if you dwell far from the area, but have a nearby Hurricane Wings, pop into that that one and ask them why the hell can't they be more like the Hurricanes in Vero!

Random Old Review - Black Sheep Ale

2010-04-04T19:02:00.002-04:00

I decided to randomly feature one of my older reviews, so today I bring you my review of Black Sheep Ale, originally uploaded Dec 1, 2009. Enjoy and cheers!

Samuel Adams Variety 6'er pt. 3 of 3 - Black Lager

2009-12-11T16:41:00.004-05:00

Hopefully, you've already watched parts 1 & 2 so I don't have to explain how the idea for these reviews came to be. If not, here are the links for parts 1 and 2, directly on Youtube:

Now we have the 3rd and final beer of the collection - Samuel Adams Black Lager.

Now, this review is based on notes I took about 6 weeks ago when I had the 3 Black Lagers. I was originally going to wait around and review them all at once but I couldn't help myself.

It pours an almost black color that shows brown around the edges when held up to the light. The smell holds some coffee and cocoa notes. There are also slight caramel notes and toasted malt.

My first impression upon tasting it was that it was a stout brewed with lager yeast. Roasted malt, coffee and chocolate hit you right away, backed up by a certain crispness provided by the yeast. You also get a light kiss of hops in the finish. Also, the malt presence becomes stronger as the beer warms, as is usually the case with malty brews. The mouthfeel is around a heavy-medium.

In my opinion, this beer could be a little more bitter but, all in all, it is another winner from the Samuel Adams Brewmasters line. A great choice when you're in a stouty mood. There aren't too many 'black' lagers out there, so with that in mind, I call this beer a GLASS FULL - dark, different and tasty. Cheers!

Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale at P.F. Chang's

2009-10-10T19:05:00.004-04:00

I used to work at P.F. Chang's years ago. Earlier this year, they closed down my Chang's to remodel and enlarge it and I hadn't been back since it reopened. Last night marked my return.

It's nice to know the bartender. As we are all standing around up front, waiting for seats at the bar to become available, I have a look at the drinks menu. I see the usual suspects- adjunct lagers and Asian beers, and, what's this, Morimoto Soba?

A Rogue beer, a 22 oz bottle no less, at a mainstream, franchise Chinese restaurant? Before I have a chance to ask the bartender if this is what I think it is (it didn't say Rogue in the menu), one of my friends orders me one. Yup, low and behold, it is the same Rogue 22 oz bomber I had been reading about on Rogue's website only a few days earlier. Will wonders never cease.

So, thanks to this fortunate oddity of fate, I was able to sample another impressive Rogue beer. One I probably would have never bought myself, I might add. I won't review it from memory but I will say that it was a slightly hazy, light golden color and it didn't produce much head. The Soba (buckwheat) adds an interesting, yet hard to describe, taste to it. Smooth and slightly sweet, it is most noticeable in the finish.

The beer is light and thin, great to wash down lettuce wraps and crab wontons. The flavor the soba imparts on it may not be to everyones liking but it does make this ale an interesting change of pace and a memorable experience. It is, no question, a quality brew.

If your ever at your local P.F. Chang's, or neighborhood beer place, and you come across a soba beer, check it out. Who knows, you just might like it. Oh, and while your there may I suggest the Chengdu Spiced Lamb. Delicious. Thanks to Jen for the beer and to Luis for the picture. Cheers!

Mojo India Pale Ale

2009-09-30T18:47:00.003-04:00

Mojo. This was one of the more interesting IPAs on my must-try list. The name and logo design stood out, much like the other beer from Boulder Beer Company - Hazed and Infused, which was next to it on the shelf. Considering it gets a B+ out fo 550 reviews on Beeradvocate, I decided to roll the dice. I'm glad I did.

Mojo pours a clear deep gold/light amber color and gives a good chubby finger of head. Since I'm not a huge fan of malty IPAs, seeing it pour that nice, light color was a very positive sign.

This brew has a great color and a great smell. Immediately, grapefruit and pine began to rise out of the glass with soft hints of malt underneath. The hop aroma was resiny and zesty.

The taste is much like the smell, except the hops don't hit as hard up front as expected. They do hit you right away, carried across by out-of-the-way malt. The finish is hoppy- bitter and resiny although hop oil doesn't linger very much in the aftertaste. Don't get me wrong, the aftertaste is minimal but it's there, those hops don't leave without saying goodbye.

The (relatively) mild flavor up front is a bit disappointing but it goes down smooth and the finish is very nice and hoppy. The mouthfeel is on the medium side of thin, the carbonation is just about right and the 7.2% abv is almost unnoticeable. This is a very good IPA

Very good, but not great, though. It reminds me a lot of the Stone IPA, just a little less complex, a little less complete. Still, Mojo is a wonderful IPA and a strong Glass 1/2 FULL. Check it out and let me know what you think. Cheers!

Beer of the Day - Wexford Irish Style Cream Ale (with video)

2009-09-27T22:05:00.002-04:00

What's up everybody. I've been backed up again, editing my video reviews on a slow computer gives me less time to work on my written reviews, so today I bring you last Thursday's Beer of the Day.

This is Wexford Irish Style Creame Ale, a nitro-beer I picked up on a lark during my latest trip to Total Wine. It's from Greene King, the same folks who now own and brew Old Speckled Hen, and it's a 5% abv brew categorized as a Cream Ale on Beeradvocate.com with a B- overall out of 251 reviews.

Now, I love nitro-beers and I love Old Speckled Hen (nitro explained and beer reviewed here), so trying this beer was a must. Sadly, my normal reviewing process was disrupted so my review is based on my memory and my video, and won't be as comprehensive as I would like.

We start with the typical nitro-beer pour and the ensuing cascade. The creamy, foamy, frothy head that the nitrogen produces never fails to amaze. This one pours a lovely dark orange amber color, with the nitrogen produced fat finger of mousse like head.

As is typical of nitro-beers, the nose is relatively weak. Oddly, it smells a bit lager-ish, and there are hints of bread and malt in there as well.

Tasting it reveals a smooth, malty and slightly bready quality reminiscent of an English Pale. It is as creamy as expected and there is no metallic taste noted at all, unlike some other canned beers. Surprisingly, there are some hops in the finish, though mild they are certainly present. There is also an unmistakable pear taste in there. It's unexpected but not unwelcome.

This beer was a pleasure to drink but, admittedly, it is nothing out of this world. It is as smooth and creamy as advertised and it tastes good. Not great, though, just good, with no unwanted or offensive flavors to turn you off (unless you don't like pear). With that said, I call this beer a Glass 1/2 FULL, but not by much. A good beer to try out of curiosity or just the desire to have a cream ale, but not something to journey to the ends of the Earth for. Still, it's a must for nitro-beer fans, like myself. See for yourselves and let me know what y'all think. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Eye of the Hawk Review (with video)

2009-09-23T22:12:00.007-04:00

I had been seeing Eye of the Hawk, along with other Mendocino beers on the shelf at my local ABC for some time now. Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me (with the help of Beeradvocate).

Eye of the Hawk is categorized as an American Strong Ale on Beeradvocate.com and gets a B out of 336 reviews, so far. Now, American Strong Ale is just a catch-all category for any high abv beer that doesn't fit into any other category so I wasn't sure what to expect from this beer. What I did know is that Mendocino Brewing Company is highly regarded. Check them out at mendobrew.com.

This 8% abv brew pours a dark dirty copper color and gives very little head. The little head it does produce recedes quickly and half way through the glass there is nary a trace of head left.

The nose is of malt with hints of dark fruit and hints of hops. It is inviting but the malt is the predominant smell. The hops are hard to pinpoint but they are there.

The taste is of malt, dark fruits and mild alcohol up front, with weak but present hops on the finish along with alcohol warmth. Caramel malt mixes with plum and alcohol heat, specially as the beer warms. You also get a touch of hop resin on the tongue in the aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side of medium but, even with the little head, the active carbonation keeps it crisp. The 8% abv is not very obvious as one would expect and the beer is very well-balanced overall. It is a pleasure to drink even for someone like me who isn't a huge fan of malty beers. There is enough going on with this beer to make it enjoyable regardless of the malt or the abv.

This is not a beer I want to drink on a regular basis, and I might not ever have it again. But I still respect it as a special, well-made beer and I hold it in high esteem. Malty and complex, with enough alcohol to make it dangerous in the wrong hands, Eye of the Hawk is a memorable American brew and a Glass 1/2 FULL leaning towards like 3/4. Find out for yourself if you come across it. Cheers!

Beck's Octoberfest

2009-09-21T20:05:00.002-04:00

I just had to. Yes, it's a Beck's, yes, it's an Inbev owned, mass produced and over commercialized beer. But it was a new Beck's, a different Beck's, a darker Beck's. I had to try it. I never learn.

This thing pours a clear, dark copper, almost reddish color. The fizzy off-white head builds quickly and recedes quicker. The head, the green bottle and the smell are all typical Beck's.

The nose is that of a malty lager, which is what most Marzens, or Oktober Biers, are after all. There is a hint of caramel in there and a hint of hop.

The carbonation and the taste are very much like a regular Beck's, with the exception of the added malt. It is a bit thicker that a standard Beck's and a bit tastier too, but it's still a Beck's.

Even though this brew gets good reviews on Beeradvocate.com I have to say it is nothing special. It may be a good example of the Octoberfest style but I find it too much like the plain Beck's I used to drink back in the day. Again, there is nothing special here.

The only reason this even gets a weak Glass 1/2 FULL is because it is unoffensive, and because, by nature, Octoberfest beers are really nothing more that maltier, slightly spiced lagers. That's what this is and I'm sure there are better examples of the style out there. Have one of those instead. Cheers!

Beer of the Day - Titan IPA (with video)

2009-09-17T20:25:00.012-04:00

Yes, another IPA.

I couldn't help myself. Beeradvocate.com calls it World Class and it was staring me in the face when I went to my local ABC. What the hell.

The Titan IPA is from the Great divide Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado. It's an American style IPA with a 6.8% abv. Check out Great Divides website at greatdivide.com.

This bad boy is the color of a really dirty penny, almost brownish. It gives a finger plus (when not damn-near frozen) of white foamy head, typical of most IPA's. The nose is all malt. There is some piney hop underneath but it's mostly malt and very inviting.

Tasting it gives you hop up front, quickly followed by a smooth and ever present malt middle. It is very well balanced to the point that the hops are clearly there but don't bite up front or linger in the finish. The finish is balanced, without too much resin or malt sticking around for long.

The mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium and this beer is a pleasure to drink, even though I find it a touch too malty for my IPA taste. Still, it is balanced and tasty, and obviously made with care and quality. Great Divide is highly regarded for a reason.

So, even though I find this beer a bit too malty for my taste I still consider it a GLASS FULL. A rock solid IPA and good stuff all the way. Get some for yourself if you can. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Beer of the Day - Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

2009-09-08T22:55:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody, I'm still getting caught up on the reviews after the long weekend, so today I bring you last Thursday's Beer of the Day, Dogfish Head's 60 Minute IPA.

Dogfish Head Brewery is based in Delaware and their slogan is "Off-centered beers for off-centered people". Asides from some of their more unusual offerings, like their Raison D'Etre and Palo Santo Marron, their flagships are their IPA's, which come in 60 minute, 90 minute, and 120 minute varieties (those are the actual minutes in which the beer has hops added to it while in a full boil, or something like that). Go to dogfish.com if you want to know more and seek out the documentary Beer Wars if you want to learn more about Dogfish Head and it's founder, Sam Calagione. They are truly an American success story.

Though I have had one of their India Brown Ales in the past, I decided to start at the bottom and work my way up, so I picked up a 6 pack of their 60 Minute IPA at my local Winn/Dixie. They also carry the four packs of the 90 Minute IPA, I will picking that up sometime soon.

It pours a slightly cloudy dark golden color and gives a generous amount of foamy head with very small bubbles. The color is almost lager like and swirling the beer around leaves some nice lacing.

The nose is piney, very, very piney - the resin comes out in the smell. There are hints of malt in there somewhere but it's all hop. Pine with hints of grapefruit citrus.

Upon tasting it I discovered that although this beer is a bit thin, it is very smooth. The hop isn't as sharp, it doesn't bite as much as other IPA's. You can taste the hop, but it's more of a flavor, resiny and piney with a bit of grapefruit citrus and grassiness.

There is hop upfront but not as hoppy or harsh as some others - very easy drinking. The malt is there, subtley anchoring the hop, smooth and steady. There is hop oil on the finish but it doesn't linger very long at all, leaving a very mild and short lived aftertaste.

Overall, this is a good IPA but it is one dimensional. It's all pine. Sure it's light and easy drinking but there is just not enough going on to satisfy the hardcore IPA fans. This is a great IPA to down on a hot afternoon or maybe just something to give a Bud drinker to show him there's better beer out there. It is plain and thin but very well made and a pleasure to drink.

The truth is, I expected more but the fact of the matter is that this is Dogfish's ground floor offering. I shall be trying the 90 Minute very soon. Until then, I call this a solid Glass 1/2 FULL and urge any IPA fan out there to give it a shot. If it's not for you then I'm sure Dogfish Head has a beer right up your alley. Check them out if you can. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Harp Lager

2009-09-06T18:37:00.000-04:00

Here I go again with another impromptu review. I knew I was going to be working outside so I picked this up on a lark. Well, actually, the new green packaging caught my eye.

I don't really like reviewing lagers since lagers by nature have less flavor to them, no matter who brews them. But Harp is made by the same Irish folks who brew Guinness so a quality product is expected. Also, while lagers may not be as flavorful as ales, they are just as refreshing, if not more.

This brew pours a light golden color with a finger of white rocky head which recedes to a film rather quickly. It has the typical lager smell (or lack of smell), light hop, light malt, plus a hint of something vaguely Irish.

Tasting it you get a mild hop hit up front followed by a simple and subtle touch of malt across your tongue. The taste of lager yeast is unmistakable but there is also a hint of something else, almost sweet, that kind of reminds me of Irish cream.

All in all this is a very good lager, but it's just another beer on a shelf full of similar, and unremarkable, lagers. It is crisp and clean and easy to drink but that little hint of Irish is a nice touch and about the only thing that sets it apart from the pack. Still, it's a must for lager fans and a Glass 1/2 FULL. Cheers!

Witbier Face-Off - Blue Moon Vs. Shock Top

2009-09-05T11:35:00.001-04:00

A Witbier is a Belgian style ale that is unfiltered, made with high levels of wheat and always spiced, usually with coriander, orange peel and other spices. Also known as a White beer due to the cloudiness of the suspended yeast, it is a light and refreshing style many American brewers have taken a liking to.

With that said, I bring you a face off between two of the most popular (and commercial) American made, Belgian Style brews around today - Shock Top and Blue Moon.

Shock Top is a relatively new product, it's brewed by Michelob, which of course, is owned by Anheuser Busch. Blue Moon, although the packaging says some crap about the Blue Moon Brewing Company in Colorado, is actually brewed by the Molson Coors Company in a plant in Canada. So, yes, these two Belgian Style ales are really brewed by two of the biggest, baddest, over-commercialized, macro-breweries in the U.S.

Now, I had had a Shock Top on tap before and knew what it was all about, but with all the publicity Blue Moon got thanks to the Presidential 'Beer Summit' some time ago, I decided to pick some up and see for myself why it was so popular. That of course just led to me picking up some Shock Top for a true head-to-head comparison.

Before we get to the beers, let me make this disclaimer: I do not like this style of beer. It doesn't taste much like beer at all to me at all. Many taste like carbonated orange soda. I prefer beers that taste like beer but that is just my taste and since I know there are people who like this style, I am trying my best to be fair and impartial. And, to be honest, they can be very refreshing on a hot day.

We start with the Blue Moon. It pours a hazy, dark amber color with a chubby finger of head that dissipates and disappears completely. Completely! Not a good sign.

It has the typical light, clean, zesty, orange and coriander smell. Slightly sweet and under carbonated, it's thin and its bland.

Now on to the Shock Top. It pours lighter than the Blue Moon, but still hazy, with a head that recedes quickly but sticks around as a thin film.

This one has better carbonation, which you feel immediately upon tasting. Shock Top also seems lighter and crisper, and has a stronger orange taste.

So, having to pick a winner, I must chose the Shock Top. I pick this one only because it's lighter and better carbonated, making it more refreshing. I would rather have a real beer but if I had to have one of these twist-off, mass produced, American copies of an old Belgian style, a Shock Top will do just fine on a hot summer day.

Your mileage may vary, of course, and if you find that you like the style I suggest you seek out a real Belgian whitbier. I might pick one up myself one of these days. Cheers!

Beer of the Day - Bell's Oberon

2009-09-03T20:47:00.002-04:00

Hey, folks. I've been a bit busy lately so I've gotten a little backed up with my reviews. So today I bring you Tuesday's Beer of the Day, a tasty American wheat ale, Bell's Oberon.

Bell's Brewery is based in Michigan. I believe this is the third beer I try from them and they have always gotten high marks for quality and taste. They brew over 15 different beers and Oberon is their summer seasonal, although in Florida and Alabama it is available year round. Their website is Bellsbeer.com for anyone who's interested. By the way, on Beeradvocate.com this beer gets a B+ out of 950 reviews.

As you can read in the picture above, Oberon is a summer wheat beer, meant to be light and refreshing. I had originally meant to pick this up earlier in the summer when it was hotter but, then again, in South Florida it's always hot. That probably explains why they sell it year round here. I have found it in stock at Publix supermarkets in Pines and Doral, along with Total Wine, and it is on tap at the Yard House.

This brew pours a hazy, burnt orange color and gives very little head, which about typical for wheat beers. I must admit though, the smells coming from the glass almost threw me for a loop. It smells citrusy, wheaty and malty. A much heavier caramel malt smell than I ever expected in a wheat beer. Not a bad thing but not expected at all. Now on to the taste...

Wow. I get malty wheat and carbonation up front and a nice hoppy finish. This is possibly the hoppiest wheat beer I have ever had, even though it is amazingly well balanced against strong caramel flavor that carry across the middle. Those same caramel flavors also impart a malty touch in the aftertaste which is pleasant and short lived.

This is not your average summer wheat beer. The mouthfeel is almost medium, making this one heavier than most other American wheat beers. The hop levels are higher than expected but, as is the case with most American brewers, that's nothing new. What is unexpected is the higher malt content of this beer, which explains the darker, richer color. Again, it's not a bad thing, just not a typical characteristic of a summer wheat beer. Props to Bell's for being bold and doing something a little different.

The fact that this beer is richer and heavier than most in its class do take away some points for drinkability, I don't know if this is the brew I want after a couple of hours working in the sun, but I do know that it is a tasty and quality brew. I call this a Glass 1/2 FULL and then some, and I urge fans of wheat beers to seek it out and give it a taste. Feel free to drop me a line and let me know how that goes. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Chang beer & Suvi Thai

2009-08-30T10:40:00.005-04:00

So the other night my girlfriend and I hit up this amazing Thai place called Suvi. And this time, unlike our previous two trips there, I was in the mood for a beer with my dinner. A Thai beer.

Chang beer is advertised as Thailand's #1 beer. Beeradvocate.com categorizes it as an American style adjunct lager, which is typical of most Asian and Latin American imports.

Some Asian beers are rice lagers, which are basically just adjunct lagers that use rice as the adjunct. I can't be sure if Chang uses rice or not, all I know is that the taste imparted by the adjunct in question is unmistakable and not exactly pleasant.

Fortunately for me, the two beers I had were used mainly as fire extinguishers to put out the hot (as in temperature) and hot (as in tongue burning spicy) drunken noodles I had for dinner. If I had to have the beer by itself I doubt I would enjoy it much. I did like the Chang glass they served it in but thats about it.

Now as far as the food goes, I recommend Suvi to anyone who likes Thai cuisine. The food is wonderful, the service is great and the prices are reasonable. Check them out if you are in the neighborhood, just don't order a Chang. www.suvithai.com

Beer of the Day - Redhook ESB

2009-08-29T23:10:00.005-04:00

Forgive me, boys and girls, this beer was last Thursday's Beer of the day and I haven't had a chance to post the review until now. So here is my $.02 on Redhook ESB.

I need to stop buying beers just because they're on sale. That's how I ended up with this brew from the Redhook Ale Brewery, which is based in Seattle, although the 6'er I picked up came from their other Brewery in Portsmouth, NH. Now, I'm not saying that it's a bad beer, but buying beer based on sale prices is never a good idea.

For those that don't know, a Bitter is a type of pale ale and an ESB is an Extra Special/Strong Bitter, stronger and darker than a pale. So far, the only other bitter I've been able to sit and enjoy was Old Thumper, reviewed here.

This 5.7% abv brew pours a dark, dirty copper color. The beer itself is very clear and it pours with very little head, what head there is recedes quickly down to a clumpy film that stays for the duration.

The nose is not very strong but it's not bad at all. Biscuity, with a light hoppy twang - citrusy, and with a nice touch of caramel malt underneath. Very pleasant.

It tastes slightly bready with a light hop bite up front. All that rides on a solid malt backbone which becomes more noticeable towards the end and even more so as the beer warms. It is very similar in taste to Old Thumper and Fullers. The finish is slightly bitter, dry and ever so citrusy, but there isn't much of an aftertaste.

I read a review that said this beer was a little 'harsh' on the palate, specially in the finish- I can understand where that comes from. Harshness aside, it is crisp and well filtered, with a medium mouthfeel.

Redhook ESB is not bad and not great. It's a decent bitter, unexceptional but made from quality stuff. There are much better bitters out there but, for the price, I have no regrets. Definitely a Glass 1/2 FULL. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Shipyard Export Review

2009-08-25T19:08:00.007-04:00

My relationship with Maine's Shipyard Brewery started back in April, when my girlfriend picked up a Shipyard variety 12 pack while hanging out with her cousins. She ended up bringing home the leftovers, one of which was a Shipyard Export (along with some Old Thumper and a Blue Fin Stout).

While not being blown away, I did note it to be a tasty, well-made beer. Fast forward almost 5 months and add a sale at my neighborhood Winn/Dixie supermarket and, once again, I have in my fridge a Shipyard Export ale.

Upon checking out Shipyards website, www.shipyard.com, I learned that the Export Ale is their flagship beer. I also learned that it is a Canadian-style golden ale. Ok, not what I expected but, ok, lets give it a shot.

It pours a dark golden color with a finger or so of fizzy head that quickly recedes. It recedes but never disappears, a thin layer of head stays floating on the surface for the duration.

The nose is of biscuit with some light malt and some faint citrus hop. It's weak but nice and just a bit yeasty.

Tasting it yields some more faint citrus hop up front with a little bite from the carbonation. There is a very mild malt middle and a light, yet crisp, finish with more citrus hop. There is no aftertaste and there are no standout flavors. It is a simple beer, balanced but plain.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side of thin and the carbonation is well done, making this not a spectacular beer but one that is easy to drink and refreshing

It is almost lager-like with its subdued nose, lack of standout flavors and crisp finish. Unexceptional but good, great with food or really cold on a hot, sweaty day. Shipyard's flagship beer is a decent beer, well-made and to style, but not great by any means. A Glass 1/2 FULL but not by much. Check it out but don't expect a lot in the flavor department. Cheers!

Lagunitas 2009 Correction Ale

2009-08-22T17:50:00.005-04:00

Lagunitas is starting to become one of my favorite breweries. This is one of their limited edition brews which I luckily ran into at my local ABC Fine Wine & Spirits a week ago when I popped in to pick up some Red Seal and some Trois Pistoles.

Lagunitas 2009 Correction Ale. The label says specifically that it is NOT a Double IPA, just a good American Ale. Actually, it's a really good IPA, according to Beeradvocate.com and my own palate. The label also says this:

-click image to enlarge-

Yeah, Lagunitas has a flair for cooky and nonsensical blurbs on their beers and on their website. See what i mean for yourself at their site, www.lagunitas.com.

As far as the beer goes, the 22 oz bottle poured beautifully into my big-ass mug. A lovely burnt copper color with well over a finger of clumpy head. It looks great.

It smells great too. Piney, citrus hop with a nice dose of malt waft up through the thick head. There are also hints of sweet fruit, almost mango-like. All in all, a wonderful nose, appealing and inviting.

Tasting it gives you a hop bite up front, oily and almost zesty. The malt comes out steadily throughout - a solid, thick backbone that blends beautifully. The finish is piney hop and a coat of resin on the tongue that lasts a few minutes.

It has a light-medium mouthfeel which is about right for the style and about perfect considering the darker color of the brew. It is smooth and wonderfully, masterfully well-balanced. And a clumpy layer of head still remains, halfway through the glass.

This brew may be a touch too malty for an IPA but that may just be a matter of taste. Regardless, this is a rock solid beer and another winner from Lagunitas. No question, this is a GLASS FULL beer. Get you some before it disappears. Cheers!

Modelo Especial and Ernesto's Taco Shop

2009-08-22T16:30:00.007-04:00

I recently reviewed the Mexican beer, Negra Modelo, and was quite disappointed. Ever since, I have had it in mind to try a Modelo Especial, just to be fair and see what the lighter (colored) version is like. Well, last night, the time came.

Ernesto's Taco Shop on Kendal Drive fit the bill for the quick and dirty (and inexpensive) dinner my girlfriend and I required last night. While waiting in line I perused the beer selection and found the standard Mexican fare: Corona, Tecate, Pacifico and the Modelos. Why not? Let me get a Modelo Especial with my nachos, please.

Modelo Especial is categorized as an adjunct lager and it comes in a clear glass bottle, 2 things I'm not a fan of. Regardless, as I sat down to wait for our order I took a couple of long swigs from the chubby bottle the nice Central American man behind the counter had popped open for me. After a long and hot day at work the cold beer went down gloriously.

As is par for the course with adjunct lager, there was an obvious taste of grain apparent from the beginning. Even though I was given no glass to drink out of I could see this beer was a lovely golden color due to the clear bottle. The beer seemed just a slight touch sweeter than your typical Mexican lager and that, along with the cereal grain flavor, was nicely balanced against what I considered to be almost perfect carbonation making it crisp and refreshing.

On its own this beer is no better and no worse that your run-of-the-mill adjunct lager but it does a kick-ass job of washing down some good Mexican food. Not only did I have to get a second beer but I had to take a picture with my brand new phone. Ok, two pictures, and please excuse the messy looking nacho remains on my plate...

Yeah, so the beer is nothing special but Ernesto's is a great little spot for some authentic Mexican food. Plus, it's open 24 hrs. The nachos were amazing and my girlfriend really enjoyed her carne asada quesadilla. I believe their website is www.toomanytacos.com if you're hungry and in the area. Cheers!

Harpoon IPA Review

2009-08-16T19:11:00.012-04:00

Today I bring you an IPA from New England's Harpoon Brewery. I say New England because they have a brewery in Vermont and another in Boston. They have been in business since 1986 and are generally well regarded in the beer world. Their website is harpoonbrewery.com if you're interested in finding out more.

This is the second beer I have from Harpoon and I can't say the first one was a good experience. That was the Hefeweizen from their UFO line (Harpoon's UnFiltered Offerings), which I reviewed here. When I saw this IPA on the shelf of a Publix supermarket in Pembroke Pines, I knew I had found the right beer to give Harpoon a shot at redemption.

The Harpoon IPA is a 5.9% abv beer that has been brewed since 1993. It pours a copperish, light-amber color and gives a good chubby finger of head, although it receedes more than one would expect from a good IPA and leaves only scant lacing when all is said and done.

It smells of lovely hop, piney and floral, with malt underneath. It is not a strong nose at all but it is indeed appealing.

Then I taste it and everything changes.

WTF? This is an IPA? The hop flavor is there but it just kind of cruises by your tongue and waves. There is a solid malt backbone to hold things together but the lack of strong flavor, any flavor, jumping out is sad. No hoppy finish, no hop oil, no resin, no kick, nothing to remember it by. Ok, yeah, it is slightly hoppy on the finish but nowhere near enough.

On top of all that, it's thin! Easy to drink but thin and flavorless. Disappointing. And if that wasn't all bad enough, there is this odd, almost rubbing alcohol smell that developes and rises about halfway through the beer as it gets warmer. Never seen that happen before. Strange.

For these who think I'm slamming this beer as a total crap, think again. This beer is pretty well-made and is miles ahead of any BudMillerCoors product. The problem is that I bought it expecting an IPA, American style, strong and heavily hopped and that is not what this beer is. Compared to a standard American (specially a west coast) IPA this brew just has nothing going on. It is lame and tame just compared to my previously reviewed IPAs from Avery and Stone.

The thing is that, from what the Harpoon website says, this beer isn't meant to be like the standard American IPA fare. "Harpoon IPA is an interpretation of the classic English style using hops and malt grown in the United States." Ahh, that makes sense. Maybe in my ignorance I judged it too harshly. Also, Beeradvocate.com gives it a B out of 800+ reviews. So maybe this is what an IPA was originally like, before American brewers hopped the hell out of it. I can live with that.

So, taking all that into consideration I'll call this a Glass 1/2 FULL beer. It's not the best beer out there and the flavors could use a little more punch but it's obviously a quality brew. Just don't expect a super-hopped American IPA and you might just enjoy it. Try one for yourself and let me know. Cheers!

Samuel Adams Imperial Stout & The Verdict on the Imperial Series

2009-08-12T21:21:00.005-04:00

Hello, Faithful Readers, and welcome to another beer review. This time, I bring you the third and final brew from the Samuel Adams Imperial Series, the Imperial Stout.

I have previously reviewed the other two beers in the series, the Double Bock and the Imperial White, here. I liked neither, although to be fair, I am not really a fan of the doppelbock style in general. Still, for a die-hard Sam Adams fan like me, disliking 2 out of 3 was a major disappointment so everything came down to this final beer. Fortunately, I really like Russian Imperial Stouts, and besides, how can anyone screw up an Imperial Stout? Read the label and find out:

-click image to enlarge-

If you took a good look at the picture above you realize that aside from giving us some history on Russian Imperial Stouts in general, and info on this brew in particular, you see that they call this their 'take' on a RIS. And take it from me, a faithful interpretation of a RIS this is not.

As is typical for a stout this beer is thick and black. Light will not make it through. Sadly, not much head is formed. It takes a rough pour to get a finger or so of khaki colored, foamy stout head. The retention is not good at all and the lacing is very scant.

It doesn't smell like your average stout but that doesn't mean it's not inviting. There are notes of licorice and dark chocolate and roasted malt. It's also slightly bready and sweeter than expected, although there are hops back there somewhere. Complex indeed, with a hint of alcohol drifting up as well.

Upon tasting this viscous brew there is a thick hit of chocolate malt upfront. The licorice sweetness is apparent and consistant. The finish is of hop and alcohol, which makes sense since this is a 9.20% abv brew. While the alcohol taste is not strong, it is not inconspicuous.

I had a hard time pinpointing the odd mix of flavors present here but be assured that this is not your typical RIS at all. There is more to it but the bitter fruity sweetness mixed with the alcohol bite made me wish I had an Old Rasputin instead.

This stout isn't a bad beer, and it gets a B+ on Beeradvocate.com (out of 347 reviews so far), but it's nowhere near what I was expecting. Much like the Imperial White, the Sam Adams folks tried to experiment and failed with this idea, at least in my opinion. Some of you might disagree and I can understand why, therefore I will call this a Glass 1/2 FULL but include the following warning: This is a slightly different take on the RIS, it deviates from the norm and the taste reflects it. If you can handle that then you might just enjoy this well-made beer.

Now, as far as what I think about the Imperial Series as a whole? It is a plain and simple disappointment. They tried to get creative and make some really big, colorfull beers and fell short. Thats ok though, not every experiment is going to be a success. I still consider Samuel Adams to be the top brewer in America. But don't take my word for it, go find out for yourselves. Cheers!

Negra Modelo Review

2009-08-11T23:42:00.006-04:00

I'd been meaning to get around to this one for a while now. Today I give you my take on Negra Modelo.

You see, most Mexican beers (Corona, Tecate, Modelo Especial, etc) are just adjunct lagers, like Bud or Miller. Very few, like this one, are made in a different style and actually have some flavor to them. The Grupo Modelo website calls this a Munich type beer, which I'm sure is why Beeradvocate.com categorizes it as a Munich Dunkel Lager (dunkel = dark). A Dunkel Lager is just a lager brewed with more malt, making it darker and richer, but still not as heady or heavy as something like a stout.

I had had this beer before and liked it, so I had been meaning to get around to having it again to review it. Hindsight 20/20...

Well, it pours a dark brown color but upon pouring it I realized that not much head is forming. Never a good sign. The head dissipated quickly and left neary a trace. Disappointing.

Along with that typical clean lager smell there is some toasted malt and caramel in the nose, along with a faint touch of nuttiness. The maltiness is to be expected but overall, there's nothing special here.

I still had faith in this beer... until I tasted it. Toasted caramel malt came in behind the bubbly fizz of too much carbonation. There was some vague hop in the finish but mostly all I got was watery malt and carbonation. In a way, it was like a cleaner, more carbonated Newcastle. Again, never a good sign.

This beer is about as thin and watery as a beer this color can get. The carbonation is on the heavy side but it works for this beer, or saves it, depending on your point of view.

I expected better. This is a Glass 1/2 EMPTY beer. It's in no way horrible, there are no adjuncts and the flavors and balance are almost there, but it's weak and watery. This beer is better in the bottle and is still a good choice to wash down some Mexican food. Other than that, reach for something better. Cheers!

Beer of the Day - Stone IPA

2009-08-06T22:50:00.007-04:00

Today I bring you the Stone IPA, from the Stone Brewing Company in Kalifornia, makers of the highly regarded Arrogant Bastard Ale (and my personal favorite, the Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale).

I had this beer once before on tap at the Yard House (read about that experience here), and I felt the need to have it again so I had a buddy pick me up this 6'er at the Total Wine in Aventura. Check out their website at www.stonebrew.com or read the bottle below.

-click image to enlarge-

Stone makes big beers with big personalities and interesting names like, Arrogant Bastard, Levitation Ale & Ruination, and is considered one of the most popular craft brewers in the country. Their founder was also prominantly featured in this year's, Beer Wars documentary.

Now, enough of that, on to the beer.

This IPA pours a hazy amber color, with close to two fingers of a creamy, off-white head that never completely goes away. As usual, the pictures make it look darker than it is.

The floral hop hits you as soon as you pop off the cap. There's malt in there but it's buried under the piney, floral bouquet. Very impressive.

Upon tasting it, the hops hit you right away. Woah. Citrus pine resin attack your tongue immediately. It's so easy to not notice the malt that is subtle but consistant from start to finish. It should come as no surprise that the finish is hoppy. Floral resin that coats the back of the tongue. The aftertaste is slight, it never wears out its welcome.

This beer goes goes down oh so smooth but I suppose one must like IPA's to begin with to fully appreciate it. Also, one must be concious and careful of the 6.9% abv. Oh, and the lacing is pretty impressive as well.

This is a Grade A beer. Stone does not skimp on flavor or character and this beer has both to spare. The gargoyle been doing it's job and deserves a good pat on the back. A solid Glass FULL, a quality beer from a quality brewer. Maybe not he best IPA around but a good one, no doubt. Try it and see. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Sapporo Premium Beer

2009-08-05T21:34:00.005-04:00

I'm a sucker for a cool looking can.

This is the Sapporo Premium Beer. A 5.0% abv Japanese rice lager brewed under contract in Ontario. This is basically the same as an American adjunct lager, except the Japanese use rice as the adjunct instead of the cereal or corn common here.

This isn't the type of beer I usually drink but, like I said, I'm a sucker for cool, shiny can. Besides, I've had most of the other popular Asian beers, I needed to scratch Sopporo off the list. Done.

It's a 22 oz can so it's a no-brainer that I had to pour it in my big-ass mug. After pouring it, and cleaning up the minor spill that always seems to happen with big cans, I noticed that it is a very light, golden, straw color. Reminds me of Miller Lite. The head receeds quickly but never dies completely and does leave some light, scant lacing.

The smell is very clean, very subdued, much like a Euro lager. There is a touch of malt in there and a ghost hint of hops but nothing to really write home about. Now to taste...

Ok, there's carbonation up front, a mild, but present, malt middle and a bit of annonymous hop on the back end. There's also something else there, very slight... could it be the rice?

It finishes clean and the carbonation is about right for the style. It goes down smooth, with no metallic taste occasionally found in canned beer and none of the 'adjunct lager aftertaste' common with American light beers. Again, this slight difference might have to do with the rice, it's hard to say, and it might just be me.

I compare this beer to Miller Lite, only a it's a little better. Which is why I call this beer a Glass 1/2 FULL. Relax, I haven't hit my head, I know it's not a great beer, and it's not a craft beer by any stretch of the imagination, but for what it is, it's pretty damned good. It's a light beer, folks, and it's worth a try if you like light beer. Cheers!

The Beer Term Glossary

2009-08-05T21:21:00.003-04:00

I had this on the main page but I decided to move it here and give it it's own space. Hope it helps

ABV -

Alcohol % by volume

Adjuncts -

Unmalted grains (corn, rice, cereal, etc) used to supplement the main ingredients, often to cut costs

Ale -

One of the two main types of beer, (the other being Lager). Ale is brewed using a top-fermenting yeast.

Some of the more popular styles of ales are: Pale Ales, Amber Ales, Brown Ales, Porters & Stouts

Bomber -

A 22 oz bottle of beer

Bottle Conditioned -

When yeast is added to the bottle before sealing so that the bottle keeps fermenting after it leaves the brewery

Cascade (or Cascade Effect) -

The waterfall-like effect produced by nitrogen infused beers when poured

Draft (or Draught) -

Name used for any beer served on tap from a keg. Also used by some Nitro-can beers

E.S.B. -

Extra Special Bitter. A style of pale ale, especially strong or bitter

Head -

The fizzy foam that forms on the surface of a beer

Imperial -

Taken from the Russian Imperial Stout, imperial is now often used to descibe any beer with a high alcohol content

I.P.A. -

India Pale Ale, a very hoppy style of ale popular with West Coast breweries

I.B.U. -

International Bitterness Unit. A standard unit for measuring a beer's bitterness

Lacing -

Pattern of dried foam that forms on the sides of a glass resembling lace

Lager -

One of the two main types of beer, (the other being Ale). Lagers are brewed using bottom-fermenting yeast.

Some of the more popular styles of lagers are: Pilsners, Märzens & Bocks

Mouthfeel -

How the beer feels in your mouth- thick, watery, creamy, etc

Nitro -

Nitrogen gas used in some beers to create creamier head

Nose -

The smell the beer gives off

Seasonal -

Beers brewed in, and for, certain seasons. Light and refreshing for summer, dark and heavy for winter, etc

Session -

Drinking several beers in one sitting - A drinking session

work in progress... any suggestions?

Beer of the Day - Fire Rock Pale Ale

2009-08-04T20:08:00.006-04:00

Here we are with another impromptu review. This time around I bring you Fire Rock Pale Ale, from the Kona Brewing Co. in Hawaii. I was actually looking to pick up something else but I couldn't find it so I picked this up on a lark. Good move on my part.

I've seen some of Kona's beers around before but they never piqued my interest. As it turns out, Kona is a brewery that needs to be taken seriously. Hit up their website, www.konabrewingco.com, or click the picture below to read what they have to say about themselves and their beer.

click image to enlarge

I enjoyed pouring two of these bad boys into my 22 oz mug. The description on the packaging says this beer is a copper color, I disagree. I prefer to call it an amber, burnt orange color. It looks good though, and it gives a nice finger or so of head. Although it doesn't have the best retention, the head never disappears completely and does leave some nice lacing.

This pale ale has a strong and tasty nose. It's a very appealing blend of malt and citrus (grapefruity) hop with a hint of exotic fruit.

Taste-wise, it goes like this: Hop bite up front, solid malt middle, hop oil finish followed by toasted malt. That combination leaves a short-lived, but well balanced, aftertaste. There is also a touch of buttery biscuit in there as well. The hops are noticeable but rather tame by Pacific Rim standards, which makes this brew more like a hoppier English Pale. A beautiful middle-ground between a classic pale and an IPA.

Somehow, they managed to make this beer taste very (Hawaiian) tropical, with a fruit (pineapple, kiwi, starfruit) aspect that is interlaced with citrus hops.

It is well carbonated and, although it seems a little thin in the mouth, it is flavorful, refreshing and extremely drinkable at 5.8% abv. Have no doubt, Kona makes quality beer. And the novelty of being able to say you had a Hawiian beer is a nice bonus.

I enjoyed this beer but I doubt I will be buying it again, unless it's on sale or if I want to let someone else (like my g/f) experience it for themselves. It's good but those slight fruity notes just don't do it for me. Still, this is a Glass 1/2 FULL and a beer worth checking out. Don't take my word for it, pick it up if you come across it and let me know what you think. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Michelob Beach Bum Blonde Ale

2009-07-29T19:20:00.006-04:00

Why? Thats the question I have been asking myself since I bought this damned beer.

I bought this beer because when I saw it I was looking for something light and cheap. Plus, since I have been a fan of the new, revamped Michelob line, I figured how bad could this be. (Read more on my thought on the new Michelob line here)

Well, I cracked this 6'er open and learned that Bud is back to their old ways.

I had drank four over the last few days and saved two to drink and review. When that day came I decided to pour them both into my big-ass mug and have one good after work beer. Sadly, I bought this at the same time I had the previously reviewed Newcastle 12 pack, so I had a weeks worth of lackluster beer in my fridge. Oh well, live and learn.

This beer pours a very nice and very clear golden color. Blonde it sure is and it sure looks like a good summer beer. It pours with a big, fizzy head which quickly receedes but does leave some decent lacing.

It smells clean and very, very lager like. There is strong malt and subtle hop in the nose but I find it hard to beleive this is an ale. Now to taste it...

Yes, I have no doubt, this is a lager. This supposed ale was brewed with lager yeast because it tastes like a lager, clean and subdued.

Aside from that, even thought this is advertised as a malt-heavy beer, there are no strong flavors in it at all, not even malt. There is a weak malt presense and there is some hop in the finish but this is a weak, plain, and bland brew. It is thin, the finish is clean, it is decently carbonated and yes, sadly, it has drinkability.

Oddly enough, it seems just right because it looks exactly like the kind of beer the surfer dude on the label would drink. It is very inoffensive and quite refreshing, but this beer is too skimpy on flavor to be sold under Anheuser-Busch's craft line, much less to be called a summer seasonal. As a matter of fact, this had to be the most Budweisery beer I have tried yet from the revamped Michelob line.

Considering I haven't seen the other Michelob beers on the shelves that much anymore, it makes me wonder if A-B/InBev is giving up on their craft beer venture. This beer just does not compare to the other Michelob brews like the Dunkelweiss, Pale Ale, Irish Red, or even Shock Top. Not to mention, that the American Ale seems to be constantly on sale for $9.99 a 12 pack at both of the major supermarkets around here and the Michelob beers have become hard to find. I'll leave y'all to come to your own conclusions.

At the end of the day I call this lager mislabled as an ale a Glass 1/2 EMPTY. It is inoffensive, refreshing and easy to drink but is weak when it comes to flavor. Very weak. There are better summer beers out there. Buy one of those and enjoy. Cheers!

Beer of the Day Review - Rogue American Amber Ale

2009-07-28T22:33:00.006-04:00

Howdy, folks. As promised, I'm back with a fresh beer and a fresh review. After being stuck drinking Newcastle and Beach Bum (that review is coming soon) for the last week or so, when I went to the store this afternoon I just had to pick up something good. Therefore, today I bring you a beer that was actually supposed to be my 4th of July beer until plans changed - Rogue's American Amber Ale.

I hold Rogue Brewery in very high esteem. They make one of my favorite beers, Dead Guy Ale. My review of the Dead Guy is here and you can read more about Rogue and their beers over at rogue.com. The short of it is that they are an American brewerey based in Oregon that makes high quality craft beers.

This is their take on an American Amber, a loosely defined style that focuses on a heavy, but not overpowering malt presence, hence the color. Of course, with most American brewers you can expect a bunch of hops to be thrown in there as well for good measure, as is the case here.

This award winning brew pours a reddish dark-copper color and will easily give you 2 fingers of head if you're not careful. The head is nice and fluffy and the retention is great. This will leave some serious lacing.

The smell is a nice mix of malt and hop, although the hops come out strong on top with the malt being underneath the piney-citrus hop bouquet. If you enjoy hops than this beer might be right up your alley.

Yep, this thing is hoppy. The floral hop comes through upfront. The malt is present from the beginning but it is subtle and subdued. Consider it a mild, yet solid backbone of toasted malt. The finish is clean and a bit malty on the way down with a good dose of hop oil resin on the tongue. Again, this is not for the hop haters, but what do you expect from a west-coast brewer?

It is not the most evenly balanced beer. It is hop heavy, which is surprising because of the color, but it sure is well crafted. It is thin and either carbonated just right or carbonated too much depending on your taste. I say just right. This brew goes down smooth and it's easy to knock down a few with the low 5.6% abv.

This is a winner for sure and a 5 star American beer. It is not an amazing beer and there are no subtle complexities or explosive flavors here but it is a solid beer that is extremely well crafted and a pleasure to drink. Much like Dead Guy Ale, this is a beer that can easily grow on you. Therefore, I dub this beer a solid GLASS FULL. Sometimes, overall quality really does speak for itself. Buy it, drink it, enjoy it and let me know how great it was. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Newcastle Brown Ale Review

2009-07-27T19:28:00.009-04:00

Newcastle. More mainstream a beer than I usually tend to drink, much less review. But as common as this English ale is, I just had to put in my $0.02 for the sake of fairness. You see, I had this beer before on several occasions, but that was many years ago and I didn't like it much then. Now, with my wider knowledge of beer, my more refined palate, and my newly gained fondness of brown ales, I felt it was time to give it another try and reevaluate it.

The problem with that is that I'm leary of any beer in a clear bottle. Exposure to light, specially UV rays, can cause slight chemical changes in the beer, possibly affecting the taste and, more importantly, giving it that 'skunky' smell. That is the reason clear bottles are so uncommon. This may not be a big deal to most people (like Corona drinkers - Lime, anyone?) but my aim is to sample this beer at its best and I just can't trust a clear bottle that has been sitting in a cooler under bright lights for who knows how long.

Because of that, I had been putting off picking up some Newcastle for quite some time. That was until the other day when I saw the 12 packs on sale for $12.99 at my local supermarket. I actually had a different type of beer in mind for that day but I couldn't pass up the deal, considering that the 12 is a sealed box where the bottles are exposed to very little light, if any at all. The time had come.

So, after all these years I find myself once again with a Newcastle in my hand. Upon pouring it into my plain ol' pint glass I notice that this well known English brew is of a rusty brownish-reddish color and it gives a decent amount of fizzy head that receedes rather quickly into near-nothingness.

The smells aren't much to write home about. Tame malt and tame hops with maybe a touch of fruit in there somewhere. Overall a weak nose, clean and lager-like, which is never a good sign.

Things did not improve with the taste. All I got was watery (toasted?) malt, a dash of something almost nutty and a ghost hint of hops at the end. This is a brown ale, you're kidding right? For such a famed brew the flavors are all weak, bland and pedestrian. It's unoffensive and it's balanced but it's blah.

The mouthfeel is thin and crisp with a watered-down caramel aftertaste. It is easier to put down than an adjunct lager and highly drinkable if you're not interested in taste but if you want a tasty, flavorful beer than I'm sorry buddy, you're in the wrong place.

I hadn't bought Newcastle in years and after today I will not be buying it again. There are dozens of better English ales out there and hundreds of better brown ales out there. A glass 1/2 EMPTY teetering on completely empty. It's only saving grace is that it's unoffensive and easy to put down but it's still a complete disappointment for me. Your mileage may vary but proceed with caution and don't be afraid to let me know what you think of this one. Cheers!

Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock

2009-07-26T18:26:00.000-04:00

Today I finally give you my review of a beer I bought at least 4 months ago and finally opened over 2 weeks ago, the Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock. Sadly, I am again writing a review based more on my notes that my memory of the beer but, fear not, after this review I'll be completly up-to-date and only bringing you freshly sampled fare.

I had been saving this beer for a special occasion and the day my girlfriend and I moved into our new place seemed special enough to merit enjoying this $15 bottle of limited edition chocolatey goodness.

The Samuel Adams folks categorize this as one of their 'extreme beers' and it only comes out every two years (so I heard, I couldn't comfirm this). I won't bore you with the details of this beer, you can read them for yourself at www.samueladams.com, but just know that this beer is brewed with real, rare, cocoa nibs from a reknown Swiss chocolatier.

I picked this one up at my local Publix supermarket but it is a hard beer to find and rather pricey as far as 22 oz bottles go, although it is cool looking with the pewter lable. It's a keeper for sure.

This special brew pours a thick, near-black color that shows some red around the edges when held up to the light. The head is khaki colored and creamy, about a finger and a half's worth.

It smells malty - but wait, there's also some cocoa and some hops mixed in there as well. It's kind of stouty and inviting to say the least.

The taste is much like the smell, malts joined with chocolate and a touch of coffee, a slight bitter, grainy, expresso quality, with a taste and texture reminiscent of powdery cacao. On the back-end comes a hint of hops and the taste of cocoa nibs. Oh so tasty.

The beer is thinner than expected, considering the color, and amazingly easy to drink. It is complex, well-made, and truely special. I enjoyed it immensely and plan on picking up another bottle whenever I find one.

Remember that this is not an everyday beer, and not for those who don't like either dark beers or chocolate to begin with. So keeping that in mind, I call this a GLASS FULL brew as far as special beers go. If you're a stout lover or a chocolate lover, or both, I suggest you pick this one up whenever you come across it. Trust me, its worth the 15 bucks. Cheers!

And yes, I shared it with my girlfriend, a fellow beer lover and Samuel Adams supporter. She didn't like it as much as I did but she agreed it was quality stuff.

Beer of the Day Review - Flying Dog Classic Pale Ale

2009-07-21T18:23:00.008-04:00

Today I bring you last Thursday's Beer of the Day, a beer I knew nothing about and had never before considered buying, Flying Dog Brewery's Doggy Style Classic Pale Ale.

See, what happened was that I was at my local supermarket with the intention of picking up a 6-pack of the Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer, which was on sale, but as I was reaching for the Sierra I saw the 6-pack of Flying Dog and noticed the Hunter Thompson quote on the packaging. I immediately let go of the Sierra and grabbed the Flying Dog. Any beer with a Hunter Thompsoon quote on it is a beer I have to try. Click on the above picture to see if for yourself.

For those that don't know, Hunter S. Thompson was the famed gonzo journalist who garnered infamy in the late 60's and 70's with his drug fueled writings and misadventures through the American landscape. He was brilliantly, and accurately, portrayed by Johnny Depp in the movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and also had couple of hillarious appearances on Conan O'Brien before he passed.

As it turns out, the Flying Dog Brewery's founder was a friend and neighbor of Thompson, so the quote on the packaging, which reads: "Good people drink good beer", is not just a cheap marketing ploy. Of course, there is more to that story and a few more nutty quotes which you can read for yourself on their site, http://www.flyingdogales.com/.

Now, enough of that, on to the beer.

This sucker pours a dark copper color, just a shade or two lighter than the Red Seal previously reviewed. Its a nice color but it makes me wonder how they can get away with calling this a Classic Pale Ale when it's that dark. It gives good head when poured but quickly receedes to a thin film and leaves very scant lacing.

When you smell this beer you get the malt first, then a good dose of hops come through. It it a balanced and welcoming, if not subdued, nose with a touch of fruit (citrusmango) and an ever so slight hint of buttery biscuit. It has a clean smell in an almost lager-like way.

As is typical of American pales, this is a hoppy beer. Not super-hoppy but definitely more hop presence that the English Pale Ales one would believe this 'Classic" ale is patterened after. The piney-citrus hops hit you right away, then you notice the subtle but solid malt backbone. The carbonation is good and the finish is crisp with a miniscule touch of hop resin on the tongue.

This is an American Pale Ale all the way, and a good one at that. But after tasting Red Seal Ale two days earlier, and seeing how similar these beers are, I can't help but think of all the things this beer isn't. It's tasty and crisp and refreshing but this Dog is no Seal. It's good but not great. So with that said I call this a Glass 1/2 FULL beer. Definately worth trying out just for the crazy artwork on the bottle but if I had to recommend only one it would be the Red Seal. Your opinion may differ, though, so let me know what you think, remember feedback is always welcome. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Beer of the Day Review - Red Seal Ale

2009-07-20T18:39:00.008-04:00

I'd like to say Hello to all my readers from my new home. I recently moved and I've been without internet access until just last night. While internet-less over the last week I still managed to send out a couple of Beers of the Day, so now that I'm back online it is now time to post the reviews for those beers. I hope you enjoy.

Last Tuesday's Beer of the Day was Ruedrich's Red Seal Ale, from the North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, Kalifornia. The are the same folks who make Old Rasputin, one of my favorite Russian Imperial Stouts. Their website is www.northcoastbrewing.com and, in case your wondering, Ruedrich is the name of their master brewer, not the seal. Also, Beeradvocate.com gives this brew a B+ out almost 700 reviews (which is pretty damn good).

This beer is the color of a dirty penny, almost rusty, and it gives a finger or so of head which receedes rather quickly but leaves a nice 1/8" layer on the surface. It doesn't leave the best lacing but it does leave something for you to remember it by.

The smell of this beer is incredible and incredibly inviting. It is the perfect marriage of malt and hops, caramel and piney-citrus spiraling together out of the glass. Also, for an ale, it smells very crisp and clean.

Once you taste it you quickly get hit with piney, floral hops up front, immediately followed by solid malt undercurrent, which becomes more noticable as the beer warms. It finishes clean and hoppy with a mild touch of hop resin on the tongue that quickly fades. There is an almost non-exsistant aftertaste that, even though short-lived, manages to be half hop and half malt.

This is a crisp and hoppy beer, much like the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, only maltier. It is just about perfectly carbonated and incredibly easy to drink.

This is not an über complex beer. It is a simple but very well made and very well balanced beer. It is probably the most well balanced everyday drinking ale I have come across so far and it is quality stuff for sure. Like the label says: Water, malted barley, hops, yeast & thats all. No BS there.

Red Seal is tasty, balanced, refreshing, inviting and easy to drink. It is, like most west coast ales, a hoppy beer, so if you can live with that then you need to try this beer. A GLASS FULL all the way and another winner from North Coast Brewing. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Lagunitas Maximus IPA Review

2009-07-13T19:23:00.003-04:00

Today I bring to you the Maximus India Pale Ale, from the Lagunitas Brewing Company in California. It is categorized as an Imperial IPA, or Double IPA (DIPA), and is available, at least in my neck of the woods, only in these 22 oz bottles.

I picked up this bad boy at my local ABC Fine Wine & Spirits after a very hot and steamy day at work last week. I have grown fond of IPA's as thirst quenchers, and I must say that this one did an admirable job.

It pours a dark orange-amber with great, white, creamy head. The lacing it leaves is scant but the head pops right back up after a good swirl. It looks good in my big ass mug, thats for sure.

The nose is very malty with a good dose of hoppy citrus, but it is under the malt, although not by much. It sure has alot more caramel notes than expected. Or maybe I was just expecting a hop bomb and the sheer presence of malt threw me for a loop... There's a certain equilibrium to the smells coming from this beer.

Once you taste this beer you realize how balanced it is. Malt vs. hops in a never-ending battle. You get piney citrus hop in front of a solid caramel malt middle, followed by a hoppy, oily, resin finish. The 7.5% abv is so well hidden that I had to conciously look for it to find it. Even the little aftertaste there is is a seesaw of hops and malt.

This beer is a well made and amazingly balanced overload of hops and malt. The flavors dance on your tongue on the way down. It is strong but very easy drinking and, because of all that, quite possibly one of the most interesting beers I have ever had. It is a treat for sure and I highly recommend it. A solid Glass 1/2 FULL if not more. See for yourselves and enjoy. Cheers!

The Real Kings of American Beer - Sierra Nevada & Samuel Adams

2009-07-12T19:30:00.011-04:00

Samuel Adams Boston Lager & Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

These are the two most common and commercially available craft beers made in this country. Without them the craft beer movement wouldn't be where it is today and, because of that success, these two beers are available at almost every supermarket in the country.

Because they are so well known and widely available I have no intention of reviewing either of these beers. Even though I respect and love them both, I do have my preference, therefore, to be fair, I'm doing this not as a review, but an analyisis of the real Kings of American beer.

We start with the Sierra. I won't bother writing any background on this beer as you can clearly read it on the packaging:

-click image to enlarge-

This unfiltered ale pours a hazy golden color and gives about a finger's worth of white creamy head. Several streams of carbonation are visible rising from the bottom of the glass and it does leave behind some lovely lacing.

Many say that this is the beer (or at least one of the main ones) that started the trend of heavy hop usage in American brewing and it's easy to see why. The second you put your nose to the glass the hops hit you. Don't get me wrong, they are nowhere near as strong as in an IPA, but right away you can smell they piney, citrusy, grapefruity hop aroma, with a hint of caramel malt underneath. Although well hopped, it is a well balanced brew.

Upon tasting it you get a sharp but pleasant hop bite upfront (pine & citrus), some mild malt across the middle and a finish of hop oil bitterness that clings to the tongue. Very nice and almost perfectly carbonated.

This is a crisp ale that is easy to drink and refreshing as hell. I can completely understand why is has become so popular and It is one of my all time favorites. It is easily sessioned at 5.6% abv but it is not for people who don't like the taste of hops...

Sierra Nevada makes a lot of wonderfull beers. This is their flagship. Check it out and enjoy. Cheers!

Now on to that perennial classic, the Boston Lager.

The flagship beer of the Boston Brewing Company, Boston Lager has become a favorite the world over. It is so popular and so easily available that when all else fails, I know I can always just order a Sam Adams.

Again, I'll spare myself the trouble of writing some background on this beer and just let you read it off of the packaging:

-click image to enlarge-

This lager pours an almost copperish, reddish-amber color and easily gives a finger or two of creamy head. It smells very lager-ish, very clean with some floral & citrus hops and a touch of subdued malt.

On the way down you notice that it is smooth and well carbonated, with some nice hops upfront, reinforced by a solid malt backbone. The flavors are a bit subdued, as is normal for a lager, but it is still hoppier than most. In my opinion, that is what gives this beer its flavor and makes it a winner, all the while keeping a balance that make it incredibly drinkable and a great session beer. The 4.7% abv helps a lot too.

It is crisp, refreshing and has no aftertaste to speak of. It also leaves some great lacing on my Samuel Adams glass.

All in all, this is a wonderful beer and truely one of the best this country has to offer. I stay a huge fan of Samuel Adams and think that Boston Lager, and maybe a Samuel Adams Variety Pack, is a great way for the uninitiated to get into the world of craft beers. Pick some up for yourself and enjoy. Cheers!

Leinenkugel's Classic Amber Review

2009-07-07T23:16:00.007-04:00

My first experience with a Leinenkugel's beer was not a good one. My significant other and I had a very bad experience with Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat at the Pines Ale House earlier this year (flowers and fruit loops, thanks Atari!), so I was a bit leary when I saw this Classic Amber at my local Winn/Dixie supermarket. But, I figured, how bad can they mess up an amber lager? Besides, it was on sale. I wouldn't have bought it otherwise.

At first I thought Leinenkugel's was European. Turns out it's from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Still, I have a strong feeling that this beer is not very popular among Packers fans.

It pours a light, clear, orange-amber color which was a bit dissapointing. There isn't much of a nose on this beer but what smell it does give off is a typical clean lager smell. There is some subtle malt and some subtle hop and that's about it.

The taste is similar - nothing screams out at you, or even speaks in a loud voice. It just kind of says, "Hi, I'm a beer. Drink me." So I did. It is very smooth and very refreshing but the wow factor is nil. Subtle malt and subtle hop in a crisp yet bland beer. That 100% malted barley and those 4 kinds of hops mentioned on the packaging are nowhere to be found. The head is good though, it receedes but it doesn't die, but it leaves no lacing to speak of.

This is a boring beer. It's better than your standard adjunct lager by far but it is too weak and plain to be called an amber anything. It's easy to drink and it is in no way offensive so I'm calling this a Glass 1/2 EMPTY. Dont bother, there are so many better beers out there. Cheers!

Crappy Beer Alert - Foster's Premium Ale

2009-07-05T23:17:00.009-04:00

Foster's, Austrailian for urine. Don't believe the hype, the regular Foster's lager with the blue label is a crappy beer. It is intensely marketed in the States and is sold for premium, imported beer prices but, the truth is, Austrailians have better taste. I learned that the hard way many years ago and I tell whoever will listen to stay away.

Now, enter Foster's Premium Ale. It's an ale, it's supposedly premium and it comes in a green can. Hmmm... Since I saw a favorable review online I decided to pick up a can and see for myself if this 'new' Foster's was really anything special. Negative, ghostrider.

I popped open the big 25.4 oz 'oil can' and poured myself a glass. I also spilled quite a bit on my table. Spillage seems to be a common problem with these big ol' cans. Regardless, the beer pours a light orange-amber color and gives a fingers worth of big, bubbly head that quickly recedes and leaves not much of a trace.

It smells much like a bitter with some caramel malt and some lemony, soapy hop. There is also a hint of dried fruit in there plus a little something metallic.

Tastewise, the malts come through but are quickly chased out by the hops, which bring a bitter floral bite straight through to the bitter finish. All along there is a slight metallic taste in there as well.

This beer has a light-to-medium mouthfeel but it is way too crisp and over-carbonated for an ale. It's easy to drink but the taste just isn't right.

Here's what it says on the side of the can:

Ale with caramel color added. Brewed and packaged under the supervision of Fosters Austrailia LTD by Oil Can Breweries, Albany, GA and Fort Worth, TX

So, it's not really Austrailian and they had to add coloring to make it look right. That's 2 strikes. The fact that it just doesn't taste good is strike number 3. This is just another Foster's in a big gimmick can and it's a GLASS EMPTY beer all the way. I should have known.

Samuel Adams Imperial Series Review - Double Bock & Imperial White

2009-06-30T21:52:00.015-04:00

The Samuel Adams Imperial Series was released some time ago and recently I found two of the three at my local Publix supermarket - the Double Bock and the Imperial White. Ironically, the one I actually wanted, the Imperial Stout, was and still is, nowhere to be found. But, being the hardcore Sam Adams fan that I am, I decided to try them anyway. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have waited for the stout.

These beers are a special run of high alcohol beers sold only in four-packs. They average about 10% abv and are found for about $9 and some change. The first one I picked up was the Double Bock.

Done in the style of a German Doppelbock, which already has a high abv, this is a 9.5% abv brew that pours a reddish brown mahogany color and gives a good pinky finger of head.

It smells like caramel. Sweet caramel malt. A lot of it. And it tastes like malt, alcohol and hops, in that order. Thick, sweet malt upfront followed by alcohol and finishing with alcohol and vague hops.

This beer does not hide its high abv well at all, although, it does go down smooth. It still has the lager crispness but it is somewhat thick and almost stoutish, without the roasted malt coffee flavors.

It is a very straight forward brew, well made but too sweet and malty for my taste. I am not a huge fan of doppelbocks but I'm sure the malt lovers out there can appreciate this one. It's not for me but it's not crap either. A fair example of the style and a Glass 1/2 FULL.

click the picture to read the box

Now we move on to the Imperial White, a 10.3% abv brew that is supposed to be a 'roided up whitbier (wheat beer).

It pours a cloudy, diry, golden color and gives about a half inch of head. As soon as I smelled it I asked myself, 'This is a whitbier?'

It smells of caramel malt with a touch of alcohol and maybe a vague hint of orange somewhere behind the maltyness. It's very sweet and it reminds me more of the Double Bock than of any wheat beer. How a wheat beer gets this malty and sweet is beyond me.

Tastewise, we have malt and alcohol with very faint underlying citrus. Forgive me for being repetitive but if this is supposed to be a whitbier then what is all this caramel malt doing here?

This is a very sweet and puzzling brew. You can really taste and feel the high alcohol content. It is also thick, syrupy and unappealing. I didn't really enjoy the Double Bock but I'm not really a fan of the style and that's not the beer's fault. The problem here is that I really like wheat beers and this one was a complete disappointment. This is nothing lke a wheat beer at all. I'm sorry, Mr. Koch but you have really let me down on this one. This is a Glass EMPTY beer and a misleading, mislabeled mistake from the folks at Samuel Adams.

Try it at your own risk for this beer is not what it claims to be.

click the picture to read the box

The Yard House - Great food & 100+ beers

2009-06-27T22:32:00.005-04:00

So, my girlfriend and I ended up in the upscale mall, ahem, village, of Merrick Park here in Miami, excuse me, I meant, Coral Gables, Florida. We were in search of a place we had recently heard about called the Yard House. We had been told this place had a large beer selection and, coincidentally, we had just seen a billboard on US-1 which reminded us about it so we decided to pop in for beer and dinner. Smart idea indeed.

Goral Gables in general, and Merrick Park specifically, is a bougie place full of snobbie people in designer lables, high-end cars, botox and silicone. If I didn't know better those facts would be enough to keep me away from this place. Fortunately, I rolled the dice and discovered an great restaurant with amazing food and over 100 beers on tap.

http://www.yardhouse.com/

I had a burger, she had an ahi tuna salad. I know my burgers, she knows her tuna. We were both blown away. Be advised, the place is pricey but well worth it.

Now to the beer. I'm not reviewing anything but I want to show how lovely the beer menu is: I had a Fullers ESB, a Stone IPA and an Arrogant Bastard. She had a Bell's Oberon, a Spaten Optimator and a Samuel Adams Summer Ale. All were Draughts and all were served in standard pint glasses, except the Spaten, which was served in a goblet.

Arrogant Bastard

The Yard House, as the name implies, serves half yards and also offers a 'six pack' beer sampler. They have locations in 9 different states including several in California, Las Vegas and Hawaii.

Check it out, the food kicks ass and it's a beer drinkers paradise. Cheers!

Beer of the Day - Avery India Pale Ale

2009-06-25T22:28:00.007-04:00

Well, here it is, my first I.P.A. review. To be completely honest, I've been looking forward to this review, even though I wasn't much of an India Pale Ale fan until tonight...

What we have for today's beer is the India Pale Ale from the Avery Brewing Company in Boulder, Colorado. Their website is http://www.averybrewing.com/ for those that are interested.

For those that don't know, India Pale Ales started off as regular British Pale Ales, but in the 1700's a certain style of Pale began to gain popularity with the British troops stationed in India. Some say it was because that style was just popular with the troops, sailors and Indians of the time, while some say it's because beers with higher hop content and alcohol content just preserved better during those long ocean voyages. Either way, because of those long voyages from Britain to India, this style of beer has beer a popular mainstay for over 300 years.

Nowadays, I.P.A.'s seem to be very popular with west coast breweries. Many micro-breweries offer an I.P.A. or two in their line-up. I chose the Avery I.P.A. as my first IPA review mainly because I like their label (it pays homage to the history of the I.P.A.) and because it was readily available at one of my local Winn/Dixie supermarkets. Winn/Dixie's slogan has recently been: "Getting better all the time" and it's no bullshit, specially when it comes to the beer selection.

Now lets get to the beer. It pours a nice amber color with a couple fingers of white, chunky, creamy head. It's a head that never completely disappears and leaves some lovely, thick lacing on the glass.

This beer smells like hops! Floral, orange, grapefruit, sweet & sourness, with a hint of malt under it all.

The taste has a sharp hop bite upfront. It is piney, sour and citrusy, with traces of malt underneath towards the backend. It finishes relatively dry with some hop oil resin on the tongue that leaves a bit of an aftertaste which is not unwelcome.

It is pretty light bodied and is very refreshing and can be downed easily on hot summer day. Just be careful with the 6.30% abv.

India Pale Ales may not be for everyone and they certainly weren't for me a few months back, but for those like me who's palates have broadened and now like hops or for those adventurous souls who are just willing to try, these are quality, refreshing beers that deserve a taste. If you were already a fan of the style then pick up Avery's offering, it is a well put together brew that deserves a try.

This beer is hoppy and bitter but also refreshing and smooth. Avery has done a great job putting together a tasty, easy drinking I.P.A. I call it a Glass 1/2 FULL and recommend it to any beer fan in general or I.P.A. fan specifically. Keep an eye out for it. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Beer of the Day Review - Paulaner Hefe-Weizen

2009-06-18T23:04:00.010-04:00

Man, it was hot today. A typical hot, muggy, steamy South Florida afternoon. By the time I left work I was tired and dehydrated and in need of some liquid refreshment. If you have read some of my earlier posts then you know this is the perfect time for a wheat beer. Enter, Paulaner Hefe-Weizen.

Hefe-Weizen is basically German for wheat beer. If you want you can go here for more info on wheat beers in general: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_beer. I have had, and have reviewed, a couple of wheat beers in the past and have found them to be very, very refreshing brews, so today I decided to go straight to the source and try a German one.

Paulaner is a highly regarded Munich brewery who's beers are widely available in the States. This 6-pack was picked up at my local Publix supermarket. Interestingly enough, this was my first Paulaner beer but not the one I originally wanted to try. I had the Salvator Doppel Bock in line to be my first Paulaner but this heat and humidity made me change course and go for the Hefe. It is a decision I do not regret.

This unfiltered 5.50% abv beer pours a cloudy, deep, dark, hazy, yellow, almost golden color. The head is creamy and a few streams of carbonation are visible bubbling up from the bottom of the glass. A hard pour will net you almost 4 fingers of head, eventually it will fizzle down to about an 1/8 of an inch that will stick around for the duration.

It smells like wheat. Along with some citrus/lemony hop, some slight malt and strong hints of sweet fruit (banana, pear + others).

The taste is much like the nose but with more fruit and less malt, combined with some subtle hints of citrus and a light, hoppy aftertaste that doesn't hang around very long.

This is a light, crisp beer that is carbonated just right. It is incredibly refreshing after a long, hot day and goes down so smooth that one can knock down the whole glass without even realizing it.

Then, once the glass is empty, you realize that the beer leaves some thick trails of lacing that are reminicent of a nitro-beer...

Those Germans do not mess around. Paulaner has been brewing beer for 360 years and it shows. This is a very clean and complex beer that is a pleasure to drink, specially on a hot, sweaty day. One of the better wheat beers around. It won't knock your socks off but it will quench your thirst and then some. A solid Glass 1/2 FULL and a beer I would recommend to any fan of the style or anybody working out in the sun. Cheers!

(Oh, and a big thanks goes out to my lovely girlfriend for turing me on to wheat beers in the first place and to the nice lady who gave me the elegant Glenlivet pen I used to take my notes =)

The Beer of the Day

Beer of the Day Review - Old Speckled Hen (Nitro-can)

2009-06-16T20:45:00.017-04:00

I have been looking forward to this one.

What we have today is a 4-pack of Old Speckled Hen, an English Pale Ale from the Morland Brewery in the United Kingdom. Of course, these are nitro-cans, which, much like Guinness or Boddingtons, have a nitrogen filled widget inside which releases nitrogen gas as it is poured to help create the creamy head. The Youtube.com video link at the bottom of the post may help explain that a little better.

This is from the Wikipedia entry on Old Speckled Hen, for those that are wondering the reason and history behind the name of this beer:

Old Speckled Hen took its unusual name from an MG car which was used as a runaround for workers in the MG factory. Over years of service, the car became covered in flecks of paint, gaining it acclaim in the town and earned it the nickname "Owld Speckled 'Un", translated into Old Speckled Hen by Morland in 1979 when the brewery was asked by MG to create a commemorative beer for the factory's 50th anniversary.

Now on to the review.

This beer pours a lovely copper color that becomes visible once the nitrogen cascade is finished and the beer has 'settled'. Thanks to the nitro, the head is about a finger's worth and hangs around all the way to the end, typical of any nitro beer, like Guinness. Oh, and it also leaves some very nice lacing, visible even when you pour a fresh beer in the glass... (click on the picture to get a closer look)

Also usual for a nitro-beer, the nose is a bit subdued. I get hints of biscuit, malt, and a bitterness that is slightly hoppy and definitely metallic.

Once I taste it everything changes. Wow, this is smooth and tasty. Sweet malt and biscuit come through strongly up front, it goes down super smooth, then a strong (but nowhere near overwhelming) floral hop finish. It finishes with a clean hop bitterness that is in no way overpowering and leaves not much, if any, aftertaste.

Those sweet malts up front are surprising because they taste like the roasted malt one would expect from a nitro stout, particularly Beamish. Not as strong as they would be in the stout, but definitely there. Also, the metallic smell that is present in the nose amazingly does not present itself in the taste, unlike Boddingtons I can detect almost no metal taste in this beer at all. Most definitely a good thing.

You can definitely notice that famed British hard water element in this beer. Subtle and hard to describe, the cold, hard water feel and texture is there, if you know what to look for.

Like most nitro-beers this one goes down super smooth with a light, creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is listed at 5.20% abv but it is not very noticeable and these beers are very easy to put away.

There's not much else to say. This is a fine beer. A proper English Ale to be exact. Well made, tasty and easy to put down, this brew is a must for all fans of English Ales. My only complaint is the slight metallic smell and even then, it doesn't make it's way to the taste of the wonderful brew. This may not be the best English Pale around but, considering it's a nitro-can, I call this beer a Glass FULL. Tasty, well balanced and well put together, this beer is a must for any lover of English Ales or just good nitro-beers in general. I will be having this again very soon. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Crappy Beer Alert - Mississippi Mud

2009-06-14T23:08:00.012-04:00

Well, where do I begin?

I had been wanting to pick one of these up for some time and the other day I finally did... regretfully.

The bottle says Mississippi Mud and it is produced by the Mississippi Brewing Company in Utica, New York. Hmm, I didn't know there were swamps in upstate New York...

The bottle also says this is a Black and Tan made from a Continental Pilsner and a Classic Porter, another very suspect statement.

Let's cut the crap. This is sh!t beer. This thing pours a coca-cola color with a head that dissapates quickly and leaves no lacing whatsoever. The smell is a clean pilsner smell with a touch of roasted malt and something metallic.

The taste is of vague malt with some heavy adjunct/cereal and something almost metallic that is very unpleasant. It does have a very clean lager-ish feel, it is crisp, over-carbonated and very, very watery. Sure, it goes down easy and feels very light for a beer this color but the nasty taste makes it all for nothing.

This is basically a very cheap dark adjunct lager. Very cheap. This is a novelty beer, period. You buy this beer for the bottle only as it is a cool bottle but the beer is pure garbage. No more, no less. Stay away from this brew, the understaste is really bad. Glass Empty all the way. You have been warned.

Beer of the Day Review - Samuel Adams Brown Ale

2009-06-14T20:54:00.007-04:00

First off, let me apologize. This was Thursday's Beer of the Day and I've taken a few days to post the review. But yes, what we have this time around is a beer from the Samuel Adams' Brewmaster's line-up, one I absolutely loved the first time I had it - The Brown Ale.

This is an English Brown Ale at 5.35% abv. Regardless of what I think about this beer now, this is the beer that made me fall in love with English Browns. It is one of the more widely available Samuel Adams Brewmaster's beers, along with the Black Lager, Cherry Wheat and Boston Ale.

Before I begin, I must preface this review by stating that this beer had a freshness date of May, 09, and I bought and drank it in mid June, 09. Hopefully the beer was not compromised by age, if it was I noticed no obvious indicators.

This beer pours a beautiful reddish-brown color, kind of a light mahogany. It smells mostly of nutty caramel malt with a touch of bitterness.

Taste-wise, it's mostly malt again, the toasted/roasted kind, with some biscuit and nut flavors in there as well. It is well belended, with some hops and some biscuit riding strongly on the backend.

This Samuel Adams brew is incredibly smooth and complex with a medium body and light carbonation. It is an easy to drink beer and it is one I will be returning to every once in a while.

As I stated before, I loved this beer the first time I drank it. But now, after having tried quite a few other Brown Ales, I have realized that even though this beer is good, it is not up there with the best Browns. It is well made, well balanced, but still a bit pedestrian. So, with that in mind, I call this beer a definite Glass 1/2 FULL. All Brown Ale lovers should check it out and all Samuel Adams lovers should check it out. Enjoy it and let me know what y'all think. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Beer of the Day Review - Anchor Liberty Ale

2009-06-09T20:12:00.009-04:00

Today we're drinking a beer that I've been wanting to try for a while... Liberty Ale from the Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, Kalifornia. Check them out at anchorbrewing.com.

This beer was first brewed in 1975 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Paul Revere's historic ride. It is categorized as an American Pale Ale and seems to be held in very high esteem by the folks at Beeradvocate.com.

After a long sweaty day I felt like something light and hoppy so I picked this up at my local Publix. This 6'er went for $9.99 and was worth it without a doubt. (Though I do wish good beer was cheaper.)

The beers pours a cloudy golden-amber color and will give you almost 2 fingers of incredibly creamy, sticky head no matter how gently you pour. This smells drifting up are of malt, biscuit and citrus hop, with an underlying hint of sweet fruit. Inviting, to say the least.

Once I tasted this masterfull brew I noticed mostly some light malt and some piney, oily hop up front. The finish was of hop bitterness with a touch of oily hop resin on my tongue.

There are no standout flavors in this beer but it is well blended, well balanced and extremely well made. Considering that it is a west coast pale ale one would expect a whole lot of hops but this brew is not over hopped at all. You do notice the hops more than the malt but the mixture works together perfectly in this instance, at least in my opinion.

The mouthfeel is of a light-to-medium brew. It is smooth and crisp with a slight hop oil aftertaste that never wears out it's welcome and makes this 6.00% abv beer go down smooth as hell. Oh, and it leaves some great lacing too...

Conclusion, this is a kick-ass American Pale Ale. Liberty Ale indeed, it lives up to its name and is a great example of what an all original American beer should be. It is not a complex brew, but a well balanced Ale that is as great for a session as it it is for a hot sweaty afternoon of yard work. Memorable and easy to put down, I call this a Glass FULL. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Beer of the Day Review - Dead Guy Ale

2009-06-07T14:00:00.012-04:00

Welcome to the newly christened, www.BierBreath.com. To celebrate our new official web address we are going to start things of with a very special beer. Today I give you, Dead Guy Ale.

The Dead Guy comes to us from the Rogue Brewery in Oregon, a great company that specializes in making great beers with in-your-face artwork and packaging. See for yourself at www.rogue.com.

Personally, I love the name and the logo of this beer. So much so that I had to buy the pint glass when I came across it. The 22 oz bomber you see in the pictures comes from my only other experience with Dead Guy Ale several months ago.

Now, before I review this beer I want to clarify something. Even though it is called Dead Guy Ale, it is not an ale. This beer is a Bock, and a bock is a type of lager, which means your going to get a more crisp taste and feel along with a bit cleaner finish, all common traits of a lager. I'm sure the folks at Rogue know the difference but I guess with a name like Dead Guy we can allow them a little creative liberty. Now on to the review...

This beer pours a lovely orange-amber color, almost like a good apple juice, with a good finger or more of head, depending on the pour. The smells drifting up from the glass are very, very inviting. Heavy malt, some citrus-hop, and sweet fruit (mangopearpinapple) let me know right from the start that this beer is going to be special.

The taste is not as in-your-face as one might expect but it is subtle and delicious. The malt comes out strongly in the front and the hop comes out almost as strongly in the back with a hint of citrus all the way across. It has a light-medium body that goes down really smooth leaving a lingering floral hop aftertaste that is not unpleasant in the least. This brew is crisp and very refreshing in a very lager-like way.

Dead Guy Ale is a simple but well put together beer that is incredibly easy to drink. Don't take it lightly though, it is 6.50% abv and will kick you in the ass if your not careful...

When I first tried Dead Guy I couldn't understand what all the hype was about. I thought it was no big deal, just a plain beer with a cool name. Maybe I just needed some time, maybe I needed to broaden my palate, but this second time around I can appreciate this beer a whole lot more. It is simple but has a beautiful balance of flavors and amazing drinkability for a higher abv beer. Combine that with the name and the cool logo and you have a beer destined to have a cult following. I am definitely a believer now and I consider this to be a Glass FULL beer all the way. Get yourself some Dead Guy and see what I mean. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Special Review - Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout

2009-06-02T23:58:00.012-04:00

I wasn't supposed to be reviewing, much less drinking, another beer today but the adjunct lagers from earlier left me feeling unfulfilled, to say the least. That's why I call this a 'special review' because I bought this beer on a spur of the moment whim. Man, I am so glad I did it...

I have been dying to try a Samuel Smith beer for quite some time now, they get great reviews but they are a bit pricey. Now I see why. I paid almost 5 dollars for this 18.7 oz bottle of Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout and it was worth every penny.

This beer comes to us from Samuel Smith's Old Brewery at Tadcaster, North Yorkshire. They are one of the few remaining independant breweries in the U.K. They've been using their own strain of yeast since the early 1900s and the water used for brewing comes from a well sunk at the brewery over 200 years ago. Samuel Smith was first introduced to the U.S. market in 1978.

I took some of the foil off this big British bottle, popped the cap, and proceeded to pour it into my authentic British Imperial Pint 20 oz nonic pub glass. This beer poured black and thick and immediately gave me almost 3 fingers of abundant, khaki colored head. It is black in the glass but shows a red tinge around the edges when held up to the light. The nose is of sweet chocolate, roasted malt and a touch of coffee. The smell is similar to, and as inviting as, the aroma of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Then the time comes to taste it...

Heaven..!

Sweet, thick, deliciousness. Chocolate and oats and espresso with some drying bitterness on the finish. Wow.

This beer is full bodied and the mouthfeel reflects that. It is thick but in no way syrupy, it coats the tongue beautifully. It coats the glass beautifully too, I'm down to the last inch and there is still almost a 1/4 inch of head...

This is possibly the best stout I have ever had. It is most definitely the best oatmeal stout I have ever had. Ever.

I don't know what else to say. Obviously, I'm a fan of the style to begin with but wow, I didn't expect this. This is simply an amazing beer and an unequivocal Glass FULL beer, so full in fact that the glass is overflowing. This beer and the Oaked Arrogant Bastard I had on tap a few weeks ago are sitting alone at the top of my Utterly Amazing Beer list. Go see for yourselves, you won't regret it. Cheers, and thank you Mr. Smith!

Goodies from Argentina! Brahma, Schneider & Fernet Branca

2009-06-02T23:08:00.006-04:00

I have a very good Argentinian friend who travels back and forth from there to here on business. Since he knows I'm a beer aficionado he has been bringing me back some goodies...

The can of Quilmes you see on the left is from last trip, I drank that one many moons ago. What we have up for review today are the can of Brahma, the can of Schneider and a bottle of Fernet Branca. Let's start with the Brahma.

*Note - pictures are deceiving, beers are a lighter color than they appear!

It pours a straw yellow color which gives some fizzy head that recedes quickly. It has a tipical pilsner smell with a little something sweet in there that I just can't place. Adjuncts and a touch of malt for the most part.

Like the nose, the taste is of cereal with a touch of malt at the beginning and on the back end. There is a definite taste of cereal grains in there, more strongly noticeable in the aftertaste.

This beer is very light and drinkable but no strong smells or tastes are present. It's pretty much an American-style light adjunct lager.

Next up is the Schneider. It calls itself a Cerveza Rubia, Blonde Beer, and with the beer I knew exactly what to expect. The can actually lists the ingredients: agua, malta, cereales, lúpulo. That translates to: water, malt, cereal, hops. Cereal indeed.

It pours a light, golden yellow, lighter than the Brahma, and produces a finger or so of nice fluffy head. The head retention isn't bad and it does leave some very scant lacing. Sadly, and as promised, the nose is a heavy cereal smell. Pretty much a light American-style adjunct lager all the way here.

This beer has a light body but it is a bit richer than the Brahma. The taste is of cereal with a vague hint of something hop-ish, then more cereal on the backend and cereal in the aftertaste. There is nothing to be found here worth writing home about. A blind taste test with this, Bud Light and Miller Light would surprise and confuse a whole lot of people... Yup.

Finally, we have something that is not a beer. I had to look this up because I wasn't sure exactly what this was. It turns out that Fernet is a type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit, popular, and produced, in Italy. The label says 45% which, if that is abv, means that it is 90 proof.

Fernet Branca with Coke is a regional favorite of Cordova, Argentina, and I was given the bottle along with the recipie- 2-3 ice cubes, an ounce of Fernet and the rest Coke. So I did pretty much that...

Woah. Being used to the usual spirits popular in the states- rum, vodka, whisky, brandy, gin, this stuff takes a second to get used to. I won't try to review from memory (as I cracked it open about a week ago) but the closest I can get is peppermint liquer. It goes great with coke but the taste of mint is unmistakable, unfortunately my palate isn't sophisticated enough to pick out all the other spices it's made with. Good stuff though, and when mixed with Coke it creates a real thick, creamy head that leaves behind some foamy lace that Coke could never do by itself.

I really enjoyed it and plan to enjoy the hell out of what's left of the bottle. I suggest that anybody who is curious about Fernet either look it up on Wikipedia or just go pick up a bottle. A big thank you goes out to my buddy Federico for the liquid gifts and another thank you goes out to everybody reading this. To everybody in the States and in Argentina, Cheers!

Peg Leg Imperial Stout Review

2009-06-01T23:16:00.011-04:00

I do love Russian Imperial Stouts. They make for a lovely after dinner drink. Here we have another offering from Clipper City Brewing Company's Heavy Seas line, this one called Peg Leg. I hate to review two beers from the same brewery back-to-back but it just happened. I really can't complain though, Clipper City makes some good beer (www.ccbeer.com).

This beer is 8.00% abv, on the lower end of the spectrum as far as Imperial Stouts go, but it hides it's higher abv quite well. The alcohol isn't unnoticeable but it blends in nicely.

It pours pitch black. Light will not make it through this brew, not even around the edges, not even with a strong LED flashlight held up to the glass. There's not a lot of head to speak of, a slightly warmer bottle or rougher pour will get you about a half-finger, but it will still be completely gone in a few minutes and will leave no lace whatsoever.

There are some sweet alcohol notes and chocolate and roasted malt smells drifting up from my glass. The nose isn't too strong on this beer but sweet chocolate alcohol is obviously present, much like in a box of Godiva liquor chocolates.

Taste-wise, the same bitter-sweet chocolate alcohol is prevalent, along with a touch of roasted malts and just a hint of coffee. This is a slightly sweeter Imperial Stout than what I am used to but that is not a complaint. It goes down smooth with a lighter than expected body.

Unfortunately, even though one would think a beer this dark and this strong would be heavier, the mouthfeel is medium with very little (as in not enough) carbonation. It goes down smooth but leaves me wanting more. Something thicker, something fuller, something more... stout.

This beer tastes wonderful but the light body and lack of head and carbonation leave me feeling unfulfilled. In all fairness, these bottles had a Best Before Date of May, 2009, and I got them and cracked them open at the end of May, early June, so the beer may not have been at it's freshest. With that in mind I will call this beer a glass 1/2 FULL, as it is a tasty well made stout, even though there are much better Russian Imperials out there, like Old Rasputin. I do plan to give Peg Leg another chance with a fresher sample. I'll keep ya'll posted, but until then, Cheers!

*I had to come back and add this. Close to a week after posting this review I had my last bottle of Peg Leg. This one poured with some very nice head, tasted crisper, had more carbonation and left some beautiful lacing in my glass. I am forced to conclude that some, but not all, of the beers in the pack were effected by age and when fresh this is definitely a kick-ass RIS. Glass 1/2 FULL and then some. Just remember to keep an eye on the Best Before date...

Beer of the Day Review - Small Craft Warning

2009-05-26T22:05:00.013-04:00

I originally tried this beer on a lark and ended up liking it. So here I go with a review of a whole 6 pack. This is a 7.25% abv beer, categorized as an Imperial Pilsner by Beeradvocate.com. I call it an Americanized Pilsner, or as the packaging says Über Pils, either way it's a Pilsner heavy on the alcohol and not meant to be sessioned (it took me a week to drink all 6...) .

It is brewed by the Clipper City Brewing Company in Baltimore, MD and is part of their Heavy Seas line of high alcohol per volume (abv) beers. Go to www.ccbeer.com to learn more.

Let's review it, shall we?

It pours a dark, golden, apple juice color. Since I'm not big on pilsners, or lagers to begin with, this color is a welcome sight. If you pour a little rough you will get big head and lots of lacing. If your pour is more conservative you will get a quarter-inch of head,which receedes quickly to a thin flm, and very little to no lacing.

The smell is of mild hops and mild malt... very mild, with some lemon zest citrus and a touch of alcohol mixed in.

Taste-wise, you get your typical lager fizzyness with some mild hops and alcohol, and an almost sour, lemony taste on the back of your tongue as it goes down. There is also a slightly yeasty, buttery taste in there somewhere as well.

The mouthfeel is medium-thin but very crisp and refreshing, even with the high alcohol content. It leaves a fading touch of citrus hop/alcohol aftertaste which is not unpleasant at all. There is a slight warming sensation after you swallow, caused by the high alcohol content, noticible but not overbearing. It is very drinkable but if you're not careful the high abv will get you.

I'm not a huge fan of pilsners, or lagers in general, but I find this beer to be smooth and easy drinking. Unfortunately, it is also tame and not spectacular in any way. The taste is simply nothing to write home about. This is a simple, un-complicated beer - an unremarkable, easy drinking, high abv, American made, Pilsner. If your a fan of the style give it a shot, it's not bad. Just dont expect your socks to get blown off. I call this a glass 1/2 FULL but nothing to get exited about. Your mileage may vary. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Beer of the Day Review - Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout

2009-05-23T20:25:00.015-04:00

I saw this at a Winn/Dixie today and just had to pick it up. So what that it was $10.49 for a 6 pack of 11.2 fl oz bottles, it's a new Guinness! Here's what it says on the side of the 6 pack:

During 2009, Guinness is celebrating the 250 year anniversary of the signing of the lease on St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland by Author Guinness. To mark this momentous event, Guinness introduces a special commemorative stout. This premium recipe takes the flavor of Author's distinctive stout and balances it with an underlying taste of refreshment, delivering a unique Guinness experience.

This beer was introduced in the U.S. on April 24th, 2009 and will be available for about 6 months. It is 5% abv compared to the usual Guinness Draught at 4.2% abv. The packaging says Limited Edition and Beeradvocate.com defines this limited as being only brewed once. Some more information on the release of this beer can be found here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30093096/

I will definitely be keeping one of these bottles for the collection... Now, on to the review.

It goes without saying that I poured this beer into one of my Guinness tulip glasses. It is a solid black color but shows a reddish tinge around the edges when held up to the light. The head is tipical of non-nitro Guinness- thick, light-tan colored and easily reaches 3-4 fingers if poured sloppily. It leaves very nice lacing, as it should.

The smell is bitter. It's really hard to say more than that. There is another smell in there but I can't call it. It's just a bitter smell, with subdued traces of coffee and chocolate malts and hints of hop. In a weird way it reminds me of the Draught Guinness in that the nose is very underpowered.

The taste is all chocolate malts, with hints of espresso, that are bitter and acidic, but not in a bad way. There are more malts and some hops in there but they are hidden behind the somewhat heavy carbonation and overall bitterness. The finish is dry and kind of powdery, like some 80% cacao, with a slight touch of hops.

Now, as far as mothfeel and drinkability, this brew is the bastard child of Guinness Draught and Guinness Extra Stout. It is much thinner than the Extra Stout but not as much so as the Draught. It is way more carbonated than either and is definitely more bitter but, because of the carbonation and it's thinness, it is remarkably drinkable. These guys go down quick and easy.

This brew , in my opinion, is exactly what it should be for a limited run, celebratory brew. Consider it, 'an experimental change of pace'. As such, I call this beer a solid glass 1/2 FULL and hope that all the Guinness lovers out there pick it up to see for themselves what this beer is all about. It's not better than the pre-existing Guinnesses but it's a rare attempt to spice things up from the people that gave us the timeless classic. Check it out, it won't be here for long. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Nitro-Stout Cascade Effect (Beamish)

2009-05-21T20:49:00.009-04:00

A while back I reviewed Beamish Irish Stout. Afterwords, many folks kept asking me what a nitrogen beer, or a nitro-can, or a nitro-widget, or a cascade effect, is. So, I made a brief video showing exactly what happens when you open and pour a nitro-can beer (in this case Beamish Genuine Draught Stout in matching glass).

My apologies for the lack of audio (crappy camera).

The same thing will happen with Guinness, Boddingtons & Murphy's, or any other nitrogen-infused beer. Nitrogen + Beer = Cascade. Cool ain't it? I love looking at it almost as much as I love drinking it. Almost. Cheers.