Chang beer & Suvi Thai

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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