Beer of the Day Review - Small Craft Warning

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

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)

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.

Beer of the Day Review - Old Thumper Extra Special Ale

Yes, this was one of the original Beers of the Day, so I had to do it one more time, this time with a review.

Old Thumper is brewed by Maine's largerst brewery, Shipyard Brewery, under contract from Ringwood Brewery in Hampshire, England. This is why the bottle says Ringwood Brewery in big letters and Shipyard only in fine print. I first tried this beer out of a Shipyard variety pack and thought it was a Shipyard creation. Nope, this recipe comes from across the pond, and is brewed at Shipyard under the watchfull eye of Alan Pugsley, who trained and worked at Ringwood Brewery for many years. Pugsley supposedly ships the famed Ringwood yeast and the 'finest ingredients' directly from England to recreate, in Maine, the unique flavors of Old Thumper...  or at least that's what the writing on the bottom of the 6-pk says.

The packaging says Extra Special Ale and on Beeradvocate.com it is categorized as an ESB (extra special bitter). Basically what that means is that it is bitter and it is strong and it's an ale. Right up my alley =)

It pours an almost copper color with a nice finger or so of head which eventually recedes to a nice layer skimming the surface of the beer. It leaves behind some light, but very nice lacing with pretty good carbonation.

Smell is of caramel malt with a buttery yeast smell and a little more than a hint of hops also coming though. The taste is much the same, caramel malt and some vague fruit, with a medium body and a dry, bitter, medium-hoppy finish. The ringwood yeast does impact it's own flavor on the brew but I have yet to put a finger on it. It is not undesirable though, and I suspect, make me like this beer even more. 

I completely understand why this beer is such an award winner:

This is Extra Special Bitter is favorably comparable to the world renown Fuller's ESB. I call this beer a glass 1/2 Full and even though most say that it's not better that the Fuller's, it can sure hold its own. If you see it, pick it up. I will, because I sure as hell enjoy it. Cheers!

The Beer of the Day

Wheat Beer Review- Sierra Nevada & UFO Hefeweizen + SA Summer Ale and a burger

My girlfriend left these beers at my house so, you know, eventually, I had to drink them. She is a fan of wheat beers, I'm not, but wheat beers are known to be very refreshing and I came back from the outdoor shooting range today drained, sweaty and dehydrated. So, y'all know what happened next...

First, we have the Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., in Chico, CA (www.sierranevada.com).

It pours a light, hazy, golden color, kind of like a cloudy lemonade, with a nice amount of white head. This is an unfiltered beer, so good luck trying to see though it. The smell is mostly of wheat, slightly hoppy with a touch of lemon. The taste is very much like the smell- wheaty and citrusy with some mild citrus hop on the backend. This is a thin, crisp and very refreshing beer. The finish is crisp and very dry and when you're done there's some nice lacing on the glass to look at.

All in all, this beer goes down like heaven after you've been outside in the Miami heat for a few hours. I'm still not a huge fan of wheat beers but lately I've realized they have a place and a purpose. This one is, most definately, a glass 1/2 FULL, almost pushing 3/4. Get yourself one... Cheers!

Next up, we have the UFO Hefeweizen, from New England's Harpoon Brewery (www.harpoonbrewery.com).

This, of course, is another unfiltered wheat beer. Hefe is German for yeast and weizen means wheat. This one also pours a light gold, cloudy lemonade color but does not develope as much head as the Sierra Nevada, nor does that head that it does develope last very long at all. Also, it seems under-carbonated and, conversely, it leaves no lacing to speak of.

The smell is of wheat and lemon and the taste makes me think of wheaty lemon water. Not hard to drink at all but not special in any way- and definatly thinner than the Sierra. It had some bite to it and felt slightly chewy when the head and carbonation were present but they didn't last and even that couldn't save it from being blah. Once the head and carbonation were gone this truely became wheaty lemon water.

Pure blandness and the fact I'm not a huge fan of wheat beers make me call this one a glass 1/2 EMPTY. It's not bad, its just whatever. There are better wheat beers out there, like the Sierra Nevada. But dont take my word for it, go and try them for yourselves... 

+ _ - | - _ + _ - | - _ +

Now, remember what I said about wheat beers having a place and a purpose? Well, the other night the g/f and I went to Outback Steakhouse. For those that don't know, Outback has some kick-ass burgers and they stock the Samuel Adams Seasonals, which right now happens to be the Summer Ale, also an unfiltered American style pale wheat ale like the Sierra and UFO. 

I spent the second half of my workday last friday drooling over the thought of one of those kick-ass burgers and a Summer Ale so, of course, when I got there I had to get it in the 'Big Bloke' 22 oz mug.

Actually, I had to get two of them =)

So yes, wheat beers have a time and a place, and they go great with a burger. I must admit that the Samuel Adams Summer Ale is the better beer, in my opinion, but it is brewed with lemon zest and 'Grains of Paradise', a rare pepper from Africa that gives it a distinct taste and an unfair advantage. Maybe one of these days I'll give the Summer Ale a full-blown review but until then I suggest anyone who is curious, or just lives in a hot ass climate, go pick up a 6'er and give it a try on a hot summer day. I promise it'll do ya right. Cheers!

Beer of the Day Review - Beamish Draught Irish Stout

Let me start by saying that this is a biased review. I LOVE Draught Irish Stouts. I consider Guinness Draught to be the 'Nectar of the Gods'. I plan to eventually shell out about a grand to get a home keg set-up with the nitro tank so I can enjoy Guinness on tap at home. Also, I consider Murphy's Irish Stout to be just as good as Guinness. Now enter into the equation Beamish Draught Irish Stout, from Beamish & Crawford in Cork, Ireland. (FYI, draught is just a different spelling of draft, it's pronounced the same.)

The reviews on Beeradvocate.com were good and the price was great so I picked up a 4-pack of nitro-cans at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits in Doral. Truely one of the best beer decisions I have ever made.

Forgive my blasphemy but... this may be better than Guinness! It pours with less head than Guinness, even with that same nitro widget bouncing around inside my can like an agitator ball in a can of Krylon. The head might be slightly less but it's still creamy and the color is still black with a touch of red around the edges when held up to the light.

For the uninformed, some beers, like Guinness, use nitrogen to help create that thick, creamy head. Nitro is the only way Guinness is poured on tap at any bar and to help recreate that at home the widget was created, which is basically just a little ball with nitrogen in it that is placed inside the can (or bottle). When the beer is opened the change of pressure releases the nitrogen and it mixes with the beer and creates that cascade effect that looks like an upside down waterfall in the glass and forms that wonderful creamy head. (I'm in a rush so that's the quick and dirty explanation. For a more on point, technical breakdown hit up Wikipedia.)

Now back to the review - this beer may be better than Guinness! Nitro beers are known to not have much of a smell, somehow this is a side effect of the nitro, but what I can smell is basically roasted malt, some chocolate malt and coffee. The taste is bitter but sweeter than Guinness, mainly roasted malt and chocolate. Don't get me wrong, the sweetness is a good thing and in no way overpowering.

As far as the mouthfeel, that is pretty much like Guinness & Murphy's, which is thin and ever so slightly chewy. Some folks don't like the nitro-stouts because they are so thin, some might even call it watery. Those folks want something rich and hearty and full-bodied. There's nothing wrong with that but rich and hearty is usually not as easily drinkable as light and thin, so there, to me, is the beauty of the nitro-stout. Combine that with a 4.10% abv and we have a beer that you can drink as long as you want.

So at the end of the day, I learned that Beamish is a great beer, sweeter than the typical Irish Dry Stout and incredibly smooth... and it leaves some nice lacing, too. If Beamish was as popular and as available as Guinness then I would be drinking Beamish instead. Unfortunatly, it isn't so I'll just have to enjoy it whenever I encounter it. 

With all that said, and my obvious bias laid out on the table, I hereby pronounce this as my first Glass FULL beer. If you don't like Guinness then don't bother with this one but if you do like Guinness then you need to try Beamish, it's just that much tastier. Cheers!

I just found this video about Beamish, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGukSK33QRs

The Beer of the Day

Unibroue Beer Review - La Fin Du Monde & Maudite

Unibroue. Kind of a funny name, ain't it? Well, for those that don't know, Unibroue is a French-Canadian brewing company based in Quebec. They make a bunch of high-quality, Belgian style ales. I have been hearing (and reading) about them for quite some time so when I saw these the other night I had to pick them up.

What we have here is a 12 oz bottle each of La Fin Du Monde (The End of the World), a Belgian style Tripel, and a bottle of Maudite (Damned, or Maldito for the Spanish speakers), a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Both are bottle fermented, or 'lees on yeast', which means yeast was added to the bottle before sealing, which means the bottle will continue to ferment long after it has left the brewery. These beers can be stored (cellared) for years allowing the fermentation to continue and the beer to mature. Go to www.unibroue.com if you would like to know more. 

Forgive me for being unprepared, the Tripel is meant to be served in a chalice or goblet. Sadly, I had neither at the time and had to settle for the trusty Sam Adams tulip glass. I think it worked well but I wish I had had the proper glassware.

La Fin Du Monde poured a cloudy, dirty, golden color with almost two finger head with very tiny bubbles and active carbonation. I read a review that said it had 'champagne like efervesance...' that about sums it up. The head lasted throughout and there was a bit of lacing left on the glass. The nose is of banana and dried fruit. The taste is much like the nose- wheaty, with touches of bananas, dried fruit and, maybe, perhaps, pineapple? There are some hops in there but it's hard to put a finger on them. The finish is relatively clean with no lingering aftertaste.

For a 9% abv this beer hides the alcohol very well. It has a thin to medium body and mouthfeel and is very easy to drink. This review doesn't do the beer justice, it is a very complex beer. This might actually be the most complex beer I have ever had. Yes, there is that much going on with it. Try it for yourself and see.

This is a glass 1/2 FULL all the way. I'm tempted to rate it higher but I'm not familiar enough with the Belgian styles to say this one is that good. But dont be surprised if I come back in a year or two and say it is. This beer is incredibly well made and the exquisite taste is worth the money. Cheers!

Now for the Maudite. This one poured a hazy brown, the same color as a Tamarindo Jarrito (again, for the spanish folks out there). As with the Tripel it pours with really good head, maybe two fingers worth, all tiny bubbles. The nose is all wheat, malt and fruits. Banana, peach, pear, raisin, they all work their way in there. The taste is the same as the nose but with a dose of hops on the backend and a hoppy, alcohol finish with a chewy mouthfeel. The aftertaste is of hops and alcoholic fruit.

The Maudite does not do as good a job of hiding the alcohol as the La Fin Du Monde, but it does a respectable job nonetheless (it's 8% abv). This is a more straight forward brew with its own subtle complexities but regardless, it is SMOOTH.

Just like La Fin Du Monde, I rate this as a glass 1/2 FULL beer and wouldn't be surprised if someone more familiar with Belgian style ales called this a 5 star beer. I am not familiar enough with the Belgian style to do that but I completely understand that Unibroue makes quality stuff. See for yourseves and let me know what you think.... Cheers!