Archive for the 'Beer Reviews' Category

Page 4 of 5

Steamwork's Brewing Co's Conductor Imperial India Pale Ale

Published on April 23, 2009 in 2009 and Beer Reviews. 0 Comments

An example of an American IPA . Color can range from pale golden to red and often are cloudy. The American IPA is typically big on hops and often a little herbal or citrus flavor. If you get a good one, bitterness will be present. They tend to be medium in body with a mild malt character.

This IPA comes to us from the Steamwork’s Brewing Company in Durango, Colorado. They began in 1996 by opening their first brewpub with what they say was a simple mission “brew world class beer; be a value-conscious culinary leader; celebrate the heroes of our community; generate revenue for our shareholders – all while having fun.” Being located in the middle of the fabulous Rocky Mountains, allowed these folks to take advantage of the industrial mountain history of Durango. Taking an old automotive center built in 1921, they turned it into a state-of-the-art brewery, even using the plethora of concrete, steel and exposed wooden timbers to retain the original industrial feel of the place.

conductor-imperial-india-pale-ale

Typical for and IPA, this one is a deep copper color that really looks like and old copper brewing kettle. The carbonation is great with bubbles just bursting to the top producing a thick lacing that sticks week to the glass.

The smell of hops hits you immediately, almost disguising the malt and slight hint of spice.

To smell this one is divine. The strong hop smell is also a strong hop tatse. Although I can’t place the exact one, spice is definitely present here. Just enough of a bite to enjoy, but not too bitter.

Mouthfeel on this one is good, nice and crisp. The longer it lingers the more the bitter hops come out.

I’ve had Steamwork’s Steam Engine Lager and was somewhat dissapointed, however with this one overall, I was both impressed and surprised. The ABV of 9.2% is higher than average for most IPA’s, although of is not that noticeable making it potrtially dangerous. Went well with the Italian Mozzarella brick oven pizza we had for dinner.

Avery Brewing Co's Brabant

Published on April 16, 2009 in 2009 and Beer Reviews. 0 Comments

Stepping out of the norm for me, I tried one I had not seen before. Avery Brewing Co’s Brabant. This one just landed at the Flying Saucer and was served by Ang, the server who saved me from a very long wait! This is one is what is known as a Wild Ale. Beers of this type have an advantage other brews do not, although it is typically Belgian yeast, it’s got a bit of a wild side. The yeast is what is known as Wild Yeast, that is it is not added in intentionally. It comes from barrels that have previously been used for other purposes. Yeasts such as Brettanomyces are sometimes seen. You never know what you are going to get when this gets added in, so look out!

Avery Brewing out of Boulder, Colorado has just released this seasonal. Avery tells us that this was was aged for eight months!

brabant

This one pours a beautiful deep copper, brownish color into a tulip glass. The color almost reminds you of a Port. Although the head pours minimal and stays that way, the lacing left behind sticks well to the glass. This is definitely brewed at the right temperature.

The aroma shocked me. Although you never know what you get with a Wild Ale, when sniffing this one, I immediately was hit with aromas reminiscent of a wine such as a red. Likely that Avery used wine barrels to age this one! The scent of red wine is almost overpowering enough that you miss the faint hint of yeast and hops.

The taste was very similar. Almost like a sour, I tasted mostly the Zinfandel and not much else. Although not billed as a fruit ale, it almost acts like one. Similar in some ways to Dogfish Head’s Red and White. Hard to taste the yeast, but it was there. Reminded me in many ways of a Port, much as the color does.)Just now I look at the label and see that it’s aged in Zinfandel barrels!

Mouthfeel was descent, crisp and refreshing as the alcohol comes it you on the back end. A nice full bodied ale.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable beer. Surprising for me, as I’m not a huge fan of Wild Ale’s. Although this one reminded me too much of a lambic or a fruit ale, for what it’s trying to be, it was good. Definitely went well with the fresh off the grille burger topped with Gouda cheese!

Flensburger Weizen

Published on April 10, 2009 in 2009 and Beer Reviews. 2 Comments

Going for something light tonight, I went with a German Weizen, or Heffe-Weizen, from the Flensburger Brewery in Flensburg Germany. Beers of this style are of south Germany in origin and have a higher amount of wheat. ‘Hefe’ itself means ‘Of Wheat’ and this style does bring it. As a result, they often have a pale yellow cloudy look to them. The extra wheat often lends this style to be more flavorful than most wheat with the exception of a Belgian Wit.

In the 1930s …” Flensbury Brewery developed into one of the biggest in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein – carefully managed by Emil Petersen, an honorary consul. With his determinedly forceful, farsighted and focused approach he laid the foundations for future success. Although all other breweries dropped the swing-top bottle, Flens did not. And still sells beer in swing-top bottles today.”

flensburger-weizen

Appearance for this one was light straw slightly cloudy in color. It poured nicely into a pint class producing a minimal head typical of this type of Weizen and left a small a mount of lacing that stuck well to the glass.

Aroma was that of strong Belgian yeast, with smells of citrus, malt and a faint hint of spice. Almost made you feel as if you were in the presence of fresh baked bread.

This one tasted much as it smelled, definate bread flavors, yeast, spice and the citrus I smelled earlier presented itself as a nice orange accent.

Mouthfeel was crisp, medium in body and went down smooth.

Overall this was a great example of a German Weizen. If you want to have something light, but with character this is a good everyday brew! Not sure on the ABV, but felt around 5.5% or so.

Hoogstraten Poorter

Published on April 7, 2009 in 2009 and Beer Reviews. 0 Comments

I decided to go outside the norm for my porter this time and landed myself what is known as a Baltic Porter. Porters of this style were usually made stronger than their English cousins, but share many of the characteristics. Usually dark brown in color, cloudy with a smoky flavor and a thick head.

The Sterkens Brewery in the village of Meer in the North of Belgium has been brewing since 1651 and kept sales in Belgium until about 1990 when then began to export overseas. Today, approximately 95% of there production is shipped overseas.

hoogstraten-poorter

The appearance is definitely all porter. I poured this one into a pint glass nice an slow. The result was a very nice thick head that dissipated to a sustainable thin one minutes later. The lacing produced was medium in texture and hung on the glass well.

The aroma was what caught me by surprise. Usually a porter will have a nice smoky malt aroma, this one did not. Although I smelled the spiced choclately aroma usually found in a porter, and a malt presence was also felt, just not typical of a porter.

The taste was about what I expected after sniffing this one. Chocolaty flavors, hints of spice and a mild smoky flavor. For those in the know, there is a difference between a porter and a smoked porter. Granted, the latter is more of an American invention. However most porters still have a smoky taste. This was weak in that department. However, it had a very creamy taste to it, typical of a Belgian brew.

As to the mouthfeel, this was also different that most porters. very crisp and light the longer you savor it. Not typical for a porter.

Overall, I was not as happy with this one as I expected to be. That maybe due to my expecting a typical porter. When you stop to consider what this beer is trying to be though, a Belgian take on a Baltic Porter, it likely succeeds, although with an ABV of around 7%, it was too light for me. Since I was having light fare tonight anyway (a roast beef snadwich), it went nicely with it.

Freetail Brewing Co's 3Tail Belgian Golden Strong

Published on March 29, 2009 in 2009 and Beer Reviews. 0 Comments

Another gem from Freetail Brewing in San Antonio. As the winter is waning, brewer Jason Davis has replaced seasonals such as La Muerta with something for the spring and summer. Enter their 3Tail Belgian Golden Strong.

freetail2

This one is an example of a Belgian Strong Ale. This style is similar to a regular Belgian pale, but better. They tend to be golden in color, straw colored sometimes. They have a higher alcohol content that is not often noticed, but sometimes almost too present!

Freetail’s 3Tailpours a beautiful deep golden color, that is slightly cloudy as well. Medium had that dissipates to a very nice thin sustainable head. Lacing sticks well to the glass throughout this experience.

Aroma is of spiced orange or coriander. Strong yeast smell, balanced out by a modest amount malt.

To taste is just wonderful! The yeast realm comes out, but the surprises the alcohol kick that gets you, but gets you over the course of enjoying the brew. Predominant, by subtle as well.

The longer the one lingers the more the alcohol comes out. Very crisp and medium in it’s consistency.

Overall this was a great example of the style. Something special and something to enjoy daily as well. This weighs in at 8.9% ABV and would go well with a turkey and gouda sandwich.

Freetail Brewing Co's La Muerta

Published on March 22, 2009 in 2009 and Beer Reviews. 0 Comments

Freetail Brewing Co is one unique brewpub, determined to change your perception of beer and of Texas craft brews (Yes, we have very good craft brews here in Texas)! Born out of inspiration in 2005 while at Chama River Brewing Co., in Albuquerque, NM, owner Scott Metzger and brewer Jason Davis have created a very unique brewpub that has paid homage to Texas and its inhabitants. Metzger and Davis got Freetail of the ground in the later part of 2008. Every beer at the place has Texas brewed all over it! Metzger says he has three goals with Freetail: To make the best beer in Texas; the best pizza in San Antonio; and have most knowledgeable and friendly wait staff. He also has this to those who say they don’t like beer: “You just haven’t met a beer that you like!”

La Muerta is an Imperial Stout. Beers of this style tend to be higher in alcohol and malts than you average stout. Not a lot of carbonation, but include roasted malt and chocolate flavors. Moderate to high ABV’s fruit flavors and some spice can be tasted.

This one pours smooth into a pint glass and has a very deep mahogany color to it. Once it settles, it produces a nice one finger lacing that dissipates into a wonderfully thin one. Moving it around a little while getting a whiff, you can see the nice thick lacing that it leaves.

Now that I get a chance to really take in the aroma of this one, you immediately smell the smokey flavor and chocolate that define this one. Roasted malts and coffee come soon after that, making my mouth water for a sip!

Many try to brew a Stout and some succeed, many do not however. Upon tasting this one, Freetail succeeded. A good balance of roasted malts, chocolate flavor and smokie goodness. What I like was that the longer this one lingered, the more the chocolate and smokiness came out. Thick the longer it lingered, but very crisp to the taste.

Overall, a nice Stout. This one definately stands up to other heavyweights out there. With it weighing in at around 8% ABV, you can enjoy a great Stout and not take a hit on your sobrierty! Although I enjoyed this one in the mid afternoon during a warm Texas spring, it went well with the Gouda cheese and crackers I had.

Independence Brewing Company's Oatmeal Stout

Published on March 17, 2009 in 2009 and Beer Reviews. 0 Comments

This one is an Oatmeal Stout. Typically, these generally have a nice roasted malt mash feel to them. Oats are usually common (obviously!) and many are sweet and have an extra something that a regular stout doesn’t have, a little sweetness. Hints of hops are often present, but not overpowering.

This one is brewed by the Independence Brewing Company out of Austin, Texas. Independence began its run at brewing craft brews in 2004. Rob and Amy Cartwright, their dog Jasper, now Indy as well, take a true love for beer and turn into great beer that we can all enjoy.

bootlegger_mural_night

This pours into a tulip glass a very nice deep brown, almost black in fact. It’s so thick, Superman couldn’t see through this one! Guinness beware! I nice thick head to start that settles into a pleasurable thin head which leaves a lacing that makes the glass all giddy!

To smell this one, is to experience great pleasure. If the pugnant chocolate aroma doesn’t get you, the actual oatmeal smell from the oats will. I took a sip as quickly as I could, but then had to sniff this one again. Wow, unusual to have a local craft brew come out with a stout this nice.

To taste this one is to experience an Oatmeal Stout that truly speaks for this style. The chocolate comes out immediately hits you and then the oats. Kind of like having a bowl of chocolate oatmeal! The taste of hops does not seem that prevalent.

The longer this one lingers, the more the oats come out. What surprised me, was that I seemed to get more of the hops as well. Very thick, but not so thick that it becomes a meal all its own.

Over all, I was more than impressed (if you couldn’t tell!). I am a huge lover of Stouts and Porters, Stone’s Imperial Russian and Oatmeal Stouts in particular, but this impressed me. Hidden away in the heart of Texas’ capital, a gem of a brewery awaits those that are willing to seek it out. Not sure what the ABV is, but seems around 7-8%. Paired nicely with the chicken wrap, chips and queso I had for lunch.

Brooklyn Bewery's Local 1

Published on March 12, 2009 in 2009 and Beer Reviews. 0 Comments

This one is an example of a Belgian Strong Ale. Ales of this type are a stronger versions English Pale Ale and still golden in color.They have a much a much higher alcohol content by nature that is not always evident, but usually sneaks up on you. They can have a nice spice to them. This is a powerful ale, yet mild in in flavor and usually has nice head to it.. Hop and malt are usually present, as well as hops and some fruit.

Brooklyn Brewery has a solid rep on the east coast, but I have found a few of their brews, the IPA and Pale Ale, lacking. The Brewery has a noble mission and a great heart though. They continue the grand tradition of breweries in New York City with their opening in 1987. Until then the last successful commercial brewery in New York was Schaefer and Rheingold who closed in 1987. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani even cut the ribbon at their opening. Brooklyn Brewing’s history.

local-11

The appearance of this one is what you would expect in a strong ale. Definitely golden in color, this poured well into a pilsner glass producing quite a lot of bubbles with a moderate cloudiness to it. Great head to it, stays a nice one finger for a while, thus producing very nice lacing.

Aroma was that of yeast (almost of fresh baked bread), hops and citrus. Although, there is a definite hint of alcohol on the nose of this one that brings the citrus out.

The taste was refreshing to me and not quite what I expected. The alcohol had a definite presence, but not overpowering. The hops and yeast definite balance this one out, allowing you to enjoying the lighter aspects, namely the flavors of coriander or orange.

The had a nice crispness to it, and the longer this one lingered in your mouth, the more the alcohol came out.

Overall, this was very pleasant. I was not aware that Brooklyn re-fermented this one, which is not all that common these days. They ferment it with a belgian Yeast strain for a few weeks, then filter it out and add new yeast in with sugar. The re-fermentation process often creating natural carbonation. I had this one over the course of a couple of hours, allowing me to really enjoy it. It weighs in at 9% ABV and went very nice with the Grilled Chicken with sauteed onions and cesar sald I had for dinner.

Ayinger Brau-Weisse

Published on March 6, 2009 in 2009 and Beer Reviews. 0 Comments

This one is an example of a German Heffe-Weizen. These are of south Germany in origin and have a higher amount of wheat. ‘Hefe’ itself means ‘Of Wheat’ and this style does bring it. As a result, they often have a pale yellow cloudy look to them. The extra wheat often lends this style to be more flavorful than most wheat with the exception of a Belgian Wit.

I tend to favor the more solid and thicker Belgian Wit’s, however Ayinger has begun to convince me that they are just plain solid all around.What’s great, is that their new more advanced brewery features a restaurant with a what they refer to as the ‘Beer Experience’. This amounts to what we in the states would call a beer dinner. They serve several brews, each paired with dishes such as a pork belly roast with dark beer sauce.

As with the Dunkel, I poured this one into a Weizen glass. This was nice medium golden straw color, very cloudy with a nice set of bubble floating to the top even after the pour. It has a nice one finger head in the beginning that settles into a thin layer after a few minutes, leaving a decent lacing on the glass.

Aromas of heavy yeast, bread and citrus, orange perhaps, are prevalent. A very subtle spice and hops smell round this out.

As this one goes down, the yeast and bread hit you immediately. As it lingers, a nice crispness from the hops and spice round it out. A definite Heffe flavor to it, but also reminiscent of a pilsner a little. Some malt perhaps?

This went well with the the Mexican chicken and rice for dinner and at 5.1% ABV, you can have more than one.

Mississippi Mud

Published on February 15, 2009 in 2009 and Beer Reviews. 0 Comments

This brew is what is known as a Black and Tan. Black and Tans are typically the mixture of a lighter colored beer, such as an American or English Pale Ale, and a darker beer, often a Stout. The Black and Tan is believed to have begun in pubs, specifically in Britain and have caught on recently in the united States. The origin of the name is debatable, however what is consistent is that most Black and tans are someones Pale Ale or lager, topped with Guinness Extra Stout. There are even variations of how to pour a Black and Tan!

The one thing that is interesting about the Black and Tan, is that it is not a style per say, more of just a beer mixture, something to be tried from time to time. Although you will see this in many bars or pubs in the U.S. and Europe, as well some pre-packaged blends, many breweries have not gone down this road. In fact, it seems that some in Britain do not like the concept of the Balck and Tan as something akin to beer heresy. I admit, I was skeptical as well.

I poured this one into a pint glass and upon first glance, it is deep brown in color, with a light tan tinge to it (gee, did I say tan? What else I guess, with this being a Black and ‘Tan’ review!). It has a minimal head, which didn’t stick around, but did leave a nice lacing on the glass.

The aroma is what I expected, a combination of a nutty, chocolate stout and the slightly hoppy and spiced ale. However, in addition to these aromas, there were malt undertones.

The taste is not what I expected. Although you taste much of what you smell with this one, the combination is that of either a weak ale or a weak stout. I couldn’t tell which and not the best combination. A chocolate flavor was predominant, with a hint of bitterness.

The longer this one lingered, the more the Ale becomes predominant.

Overall, this was ok. I won’t rush out to buy it again, but would recommend that it gets tried at least once. It weighs in at around 5% ABV, so it will not knock your socks off. Not sure what this would pair well with however…