Friday, May 27, 2011

Memorial Day Weekend Beer Review!

Thank you to those who have served, my father, Uncle Bobby, Mr. Vinica, Don Walters, Billy Morissey, Mr. Martin these are for you.....(and do I have a line up!)

1) Sierra Nevada - Summerfest - 5.0% - It says it's a lager on the bottle but it is listed on BA as a Pilsner, who knows? What I do know is that a low amount of alcohol doesn't mean no taste!

2) The Bruery - Marron Acidifie - 8.5% - Dark Ale Sour Ale aged in Oak Barrel - Collaboration with Cigar City - Been holding on to this for a while....I'm really starting to get into these sours...this one is certainly a sipper!

3) Peak Brewing - Hop Noir - 8.2% - Black IPA - Looks likes a stout and tastes a bit more like one as well with just a little bitterness. Tasty though, easily drinkable. Beer 777, I think I have fast tracked it to 800 with some of the seasonal releases! Mix a sixes certainly help!

4) Sixpoint - The Crisp - 5.4% - These guys have just released their tasty concoction in cans. The artwork is stunning, they have a bar code label that is going to piss a lot of people off, and the beer is great. This one is a Vienna lager. Session beer's should all be like this. Sixpoint is from Brooklyn, I love that borough!

5) Riverhorse - Saison - Nice Farmhouse Ale - I could drink Saison's all day!

6) Riverhorse - American Amber which leads us to......

7) Riverhorse - Lager - Another go to beer...I'm getting lazy!

Monday, May 23, 2011

During the week beer review

Had a couple of sessions hanging aound and may go to the city this weekend and try to find some Sixpoint in cans.

1) Buffalo Bill's Brewery - Alimony Ale - 6.8% - OK maybe not a session ale. Different type of IPA as the malts were very pronouced against the hoppy bitterness. Not quite sure how this got to Connecticut but glad it did!

2) Southampton - Biere De Mars - 6.5% - I was off on the sessioniability wasn't I - Anyway nice Farmhouse ale. Bready malts and honey. Would buy again!

3) Smuttynose - Summer Weizen 5.5% - Tasty Summer beer (had on the first night it seems like summer). I am going to have to try some more of these summer beers as they will get me closer to 800 and I have been neglecting the style (my fault).

4) Saranac - Hefeweizen - Another Summer Beer, per review of my records I have not reviewed enough from these folks. That stops now. Again, I really like this style.

5) Saranac - Kolsch - Nice light lager..good night!

Coninuing on then....

6) Harpoon Summer - Another Kolsch...Summer might not be that bad of a season for beer.

And then the insanity begins!

7)Widmer Brothers - Galaxy Hopped Barleywine Ale - 9.5% My type of summer drink! This is actually kind of tasty, the alochol sets in but you don't get that malt bomb as the hops are really present. Might want to age a bottle of this!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Rapture Beer Review!

I don't think buying beers on Ebay is a path I want to be going down, but the horse has left the barn!

1) Widmer Brothers - Nelson Imperial IPA 8.6% - Ha Ha! Just the famous Nelson quote from the Simpson's. This is a very solid DIPA. Access to this brewery is a bit spotty in CT. I need to get some more of their brews as this is quite tasty!

News note - Apparently we live in the golden age of beer. Nice.

2) Cavalry Brewing - Marauder IPA - Abv unknown. Kind of a weird beer. A little malty no real hops presence. I saw a review that called it an unsweetened Ice Tea and I thought that was accurate.

3) Boulder Beer Company Hoopla Pale Ale - 5.7% Brewed for a Music Festival in Colorado, release dated May to September 2011 so I was very surprised to find this in New Haven, Connecticut. This pours a nice amber color, two finger head. Hops are slight and bitter, mostly malty taste. Nice beer to kick off a Sunday....could see myself going back to this over the summer. First beer I have added to Beer Advocate!

$) Southern Tier = Cuvee 3 Way too sweet. Done!

Pliny the Elder

Russian River Brewing - Pliny the Elder - 8%

This one deserves its own review

Bottle dated 4-28-11. Poured into a Russian River Pint Glass...

Appearance) Nice hazy yellow with a full head. Very nice lacing.

Smell) Get a very nice sweet aroma.

Taste) Starts out sweet with the citrusy hops followed by a bit of bitter grapefruit zest that quickly dissipates with the malt. This beer prepares you for your next taste!

Mouthfeel) Nice and lightly carbonated.

Overall) A classic what more can I say.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Time to compile!

Man 756 was kind of a lame review. Must have been the 13.5% ABV. Was going to elaborate on this one after the fact but figured I'd let the record stand as is!

The way I am going to pick up an easy 5 more is the new Sam Adam's release Latitude 48 IPA - Deconstructed where they brew a single hop version using Hops that are grown at the 48th Latitude. This is an outstanding idea by Sam and I may pick up another 12 pack in short order! (Freshness date says this should be good for the Fourth of July!)

1) Sam Adam's Latitude 48 - Hallertau Mittelfrueh - 6.0% Going to try and see if I can distinguish these but we will see. This hop to me is a bit sticky sweet. Am interested to see where this review goes. Hopefully better than the last one!

2) Sam Adam's Latitude 48 - Zeus - 6.0% - So far this one is ahead as I like the little more bitterness to the sweetness noted above. Need to find the one with that Citrus balance!

3)Sam Adam's Latitude 48 - Simcoe - 6.0% - Tasty but Zeus is still ahead. This is a little more bitter but with a real pronounced grapefruit zest taste. Still haven't gotten the Citrus balance that I want! Should finish these tomorrow!

4) Sam Adam's Latitude 48 - Ahtanum - 6.0% - Isn't this the 3rd Pharaoh or something like that? Anyway Zeus is still ahead but this one is nice. This might be the IPA to introduce to non beer geek friends.

5) Sam Adam's Latitude 48 - East Kent Goldings - 6.0% - Too malty Zeus wins! I definitely recommend the 12 pack for the deconstructed series!

6) Sam Adam's - Wee Heavy (Imperial) - 10% - Not a huge fan of the style (Scotch Ale) but this is one of the better one's. The Beer Advocate rating is way too low. This is not an overpowering malt bomb and is insanely drinkable.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

756

Kuhnhenn - Bourbon Barrel Aged Fourth Dimentia - Done!

755 - I tie the Hammer!

Firestone Walker - 14th Anniversary Ale 12.5% (Ouch!)Poured into a Brandy snifter (for good cause)! No head or lacing at all. A little nice lightness around the edges from the top but looking at a very dark brown at the bottom. Smell - Bourbon and Vanilla, little bit of coffee. Taste - Jackhammer, this one comes at you big time. To me this is part Quad, part stout and part barleywine! Overall - I need another bottle of this to age!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Weekend Beer Review!

Damn Blogger messed me up yesterday!

1) Pretty Things - Once Upon a Time 12-6-1855 - East India Porter - 6% They say that most of the English Beers shipped to India (hence IPA) were porters so they brewed a porter based on what would have been available in 1855. Not sure about the history of all this but it is fun to try new styles and see someone push the envelope. The brewer is fun to talk to! This is beer 750. On my way to Hank! (most likely next week). I do though have the beer that will be 800 in the house!

2) Captain Lawrence - Saison - Not sure of the ABV would guess 6 to 7%. They just released this and I picked up a growler at DeCicco's. Tasty classic Saison style, love the funkiness! This style has really grown on me. By the way, I may meet and pass Hank tomorrow as I found an absolute classic way to inflate the numbers! Hey, I am a compiler!

3)Captain Lawrence - Fresh Chester Pale Ale - 5.6% - I am pretty sure I had this with MC at a cask fest at Rattle n Hum a couple of years ago. Don't remember being overly impressed then but this is very nice. I'm guessing it was a fresh keg tap at DeCicco's. You can't go wrong with the Captain!

3) BluePoint Pale Ale - 5.0% Nice hoppy presence!

4) Wachusett - Belgian Style White - 4.5% - Nice refreshing Belgian Wheat Ale. Nicy spicy banana/peach taste. That is beer 754. Got a couple of big ones coming to tie and pass Hank!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Mid Week Beer Review!

Boy Tuesday is not mid week....anyway had a classic lying around and figured I'd give it a go!

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel - Peche Mortel - 9.5% - Was lucky enough to have had this on cask once and then was able to find a bottle. This was poured into a Brooklyn Brewery Snifter. Jet black, not much of head, medium lacing. Smell - Nice Sunday morning hanging in coffee! Taste - Coffee plus, I like the way there is a bit of sweeter chocolate in the beginning that is followed up with a mild bitter after taste. Very smooth moouthfeel, not a lot of carbonation. Overall - This is too easy to drink at 9.5% Can very easily see why a lot of folks like this.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Weekend Beer Review!

Going to continue with the sessions and then hopefully build up to a couple of big boys pre Derby!

1) Victory Headwaters Pale Ale - 5.1% - East Coast version of SN PA. Grassy hops and easily drinkable. Certainly one of those beers that you can transition someone to craft! Beer 741...getting close to Hank!

2) Harpoon Oyster Stout - 5.1% - Tasty but not sure what the Oysters do!

3) Dogfish Head - Hellhound on My Ale - 10% - This is very good not sure if you can get in CT yet. Kind of like a high test summer shandy! This was released by Dogfish to commemorate the 100th birthday of Robert Johnson. Well done. The bottle artwork is fantastic. This is a keeper!

4) Sierra Nevada - Beer Camp 37 - Weizenbock - 6.8% - Nice take on the style. I have had Aventinus and this is a much lighter version. I like the beer camp concept that SN has done. Hope they continue with it.

5) Sierra Nevada - Beer Camp 16 - Juniper Black Ale - 8% - Interesting type of beer. Chocolate Malt with some gin type flavor (I guess from the Juniper). I thought it was a black IPA but apparently it is a Winter Warmer. Nice beer!

6) Sierra Nevada - Beer Camp # 8 - California Common - 6.5% - Never heard of the style called California Common. Guess it had to do with the brewing method. Could also be called a steam beer but that is trademarked by Anchor. Who knew!

7) City Steam - Naughty Nurse - Nice to review something in state (but do have to admit that English Bitter is not my favorite style). Anyway need to go for a growler soon.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Mid Week Beer Review!

Heading to a new client next Monday so took this week off. Had a very lame beer review last week. Time to make it up!

1) Sam Adam's Light 4% - One of tastiest light beers out there. I am going to be doing some session beers coming up!

2) Sam Adam's - East West Kolsch - 5.0% - Refreshing and delicious!

The battle for Dark Lord is joined! (And it has been won!)

3) Kuhnhenn - Blackberry Porter - Another tasty offering. I like the fruity taste with the chocolate undertones. This works!

4) Sierra Nevada - Best of beer camp 29 - DIPA - the Ghidorrah from Decicco's. Alex said they changed the recipe, So I am re reviewing this. Somewhere between a Celebration and a Torpedo and that is a great thing!

5) Sam Adams - Summer Ale - nice light ale with a bit of lemon. This actually may be my go to summet beer (until I change my mind tomorrow)!