Month: January 2013

New Beer Blog To Ol Brewery Launch Party In Chicago

In this beer blog, we are going to get into a beer launch in Chicago. The brewery is To Ol Brewery from Denmark. To Ol Brewery was founded in 2005 by Tobias Emil Jensen and Tore Gynther. They are traveling rogue brewers. Where they think their beer styles will be brew best that is where they will go to. They brew in Europe and United States. This is what makes this brewery unique and their beer is pretty much one and done, which makes their beer pretty special. Let us get into the beers.

Goliat Coffee Stout

This stout has a black color with a tan head on the beer. The smell is a strong coffee and chocolate to the beer. The taste is a strong chocolate to toffee with a heavy aftertaste. This is a sipping beer.

Here is a description from the website (www.to-ol.dk):

Goliat Coffee Imperial Stout

The great warrior of Gath. The mighty champion of the Philistines. Embedded in ancient folklore and religion. Coming from the World of Old. His size and stature is not human. He is bigger. The armor of Goliat is black. Creamy black lacings. Stands with a towering height. He can grab elements from both earth and heaven. Earthy, roasted, notes from the earth. Warming, pungent, sweet notes from the skies. His heart is beating slowly, almost endlessly slow. This man is thought to be invincible!

Ingredients: Water, barley malt, roasted barley, dark cassonade sugar, flaked oats, hops, gourmet coffee and yeast.

10.1% ABV / Net content 375 ml (12.7 FL OZ)

Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium.

San Frontiere

This Belgian Blonde has a golden clear color with a white head on the beer. There is really no smell to the beer. The taste is a carbonation sweet with a tart and barnyard aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.to-ol.dk):

Sans Frontiere Belgian Ale

“Heaven knows no frontiers, and I’ve seen heaven in your eyes”

This is how the Frontier beer series lost their ground, missed direction and finally found themselves again. This beer has no frontiers, meaning that it can now pick and choose among brewing specialties. Instead of being an IPA, this is a rather a Belgian ale, hopped and dryhopped with continental european hops and refermented with brettanomyces. A tart, picturesque and rural beer.

Ingredients: Water, barley malt, hops, Rock Candy, yeast and brettanomyces. 7% ABV / Net content 750 ml (25.4 FL OZ)

Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium.

Final Frontier

This double IPA has a light copper color with a white head on it. The smell is a citrus to the beer. The taste is a strong citrus and carbonation with a dry hop to mango aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.to-ol.dk):

Final Frontier DIPA

“Nature is Satan’s Church”

This is it! The sequel to the hop success of First Frontier. This beer is the final in every way. We recommend it as the final of your evening! This is an extremely potent and yet well-balanced Double India Pale Ale. This beer is well suited in extreme environments, whether it be Siberian winter, Volcano eruptions on Java, Danish earthquakes(They exist!) or rush hour. This beer is seeking out frontiers and built for the test.Ingredients: Water, barley malt, flaked oats, Hops (Simcoe, Centennial, Columbus) and yeast.

9% ABV / Net content 330 ml (11.2 FL OZ)

Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium

Black Ball

This porter has dark brown to black color with a tan head on the beer. The smell is a chocolate to roasted coffee to the porter. The taste is a carbonation sweet chocolate with a burn roasted to the beer. The aftertaste is a roasted citrus to the beer. It is kind of drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their website (www.to-ol.dk):

Black Ball Porter

Black Ball is a potent porter, boasted with dark cassonade sugar and a good heap of American hops to rebalance the edgy and full-flavoured malt profile. You will find notes of chocolate, caramel and sulphur. This results in a porter with a broad and delicate mouth feel, capable of a good kick and does not leave the mouth voluntarily.

Black IPA? No way! Hoppy Porters is here to stay!

For a perfect evening, Black Ball blends perfect with a Black Rocket from the Pivovar Matuška brewery and Mikkeller Black Hole (Royalties to Theis!)

Ingredients: Water, barley malt (Lager, smoked, chocolate, cara munich and brown), roasted barley, flaked oats, dark cassonade, hops and yeast.

7.1% ABV / Net content 330 ml (11.2 FL OZ)

Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium

Mine Is Bigger Than Yours

This ale has a light clear copper color without a head on the beer. There is a slight to fate sweet malty smell to the beer. The taste is a sweet with a strong wine to the beer. The aftertaste is sweet raisin to it. The aftertaste is like a whiskey burning down your throat but calm. It is a sipping beer.

Here is description from their website (www.to-ol.dk):

Mine is bigger than yours Barley Wine

“When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite”

This beer is a big fat beast packed with every potent ingredient we had at the brewery. This tons of malts and hops combined in one big fat, yet balanced brew.

It jumps higher than yours, it builds houses bigger than yours, It’s mama is fatter than yours, it chops wood faster than yours, it’s father is could beat yours…. No reason to say, but Mine is bigger than yours!

Ingredients: Water, barley malt, flaked oats, light candy sugar, hops (Columbus, Simcoe, Citra) and yeast.

12.5% ABV / Net content 375 ml (12.7 FL OZ)

Brewed at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium

Here is their webiste and twitter addresses:

Website: www.to-ol.dk

Twitter: @toolbeer

In closing, I enjoy all of these beers. As a rule, I like to age my Barley Wines at least a year before trying them. I believe this Barley Wine is ready now, which is pretty rare. I am not saying Barley Wines are not ready now. Some barley wines are just too young coming out to the market and they are better when they age in the bottle. The porter is like any other porter but it is pretty good beer. I really enjoyed the stout and I believe it is best beer of all these beers. Their Double IPA is really smooth and drinkable. It is not over the top hoppy like most Double IPA. I recommend you trying these beers. I believe you will like at least a few of them. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Deschutes Brewery Mirror Pond Pale Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Deschutes Brewery. The beer is part of their everyday line up of beers. The beer is called Mirror Pond Pale Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog on their beers, you know the history of this beer. If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer blog. Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear copper color with a white head on the beer. The smell is a malty citrus to it. The taste is a carbonation earthly with a dry citrus aftertaste to the beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

If you could only listen to one album forever, what would it be? At least there’s Mirror Pond when it comes to Pale Ales.

Here is a description from their website (www.deschutesbrewery.com):

This is base camp, where any craft brew exploration begins. A distinct hop nose and hop-forward flavor make Mirror Pond the quintessential Pale Ale. It is aromatically complex, multi-layered, and unmistakably “right.”

Malt: Pale, NW Pale, Crystal, Carapils Hops: Cascade

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.deschutesbrewery.com

Twitter: @deschutesbeer

Closing, this is not my favorite beer from this beer company. I am really not a fan of this beer. I pick it up because every time I go west and have this beer. There is better Pale Ales in our market here in Chicago. Just because I do not like it does not mean you will not like this beer. Please go try this beer and let me know what you think. I am serious. I want to hear your thoughts if you like or not, please let me know. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Deschutes Brewery Red Chair NWPA

In this beer blog, we are going to get into the seasonal for Deschutes Brewery. The beer is called Red Chair NWPA (Northwest Pale Ale). If you read my earlier beer blog on their beers, you know the rich history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer blog. Let us get into beer.

This seasonal pale ale has a clear copper color with a white head on the beer. The smell is vague piney to earthly to the beer. The taste is a carbonation earthly with a dry piney aftertaste that linger. It is drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Witness the subtle aromatic seduction of the original Northwest Pale Ale. Another slap at brewing convention. Another kick in the pants. Enjoy.

Here is a description from their website (www.deschutesbrewery.com):

The citrus punch of a big IPA, minus the one-dimensional hop sledgehammer. Seven select European and domestic malts round out the edges for a complex, copper-colored brew. Like its namesake ski lift, it’s an insider’s ride to fresh thrills.

Malt: Pale, Crystal, Munich, Carapils, Pilsner, Carastan Hops: Cascade, Centennial

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.deschutesbrewery.com

Twitter: @deschutesbeer

Closing, this was a pretty enjoyable beer. The problem I have with this beer is the bottle says pale ale and the website is saying this is India Pale Ale. I will be honest this does taste like an IPA but more like an English style India Pale Ale. If this is a Pale Ale, which I do not believe it is, this is better than their Mirror Pond Pale Ale. I really love this beer. I will add it to my line up until the season ends. I recommend you trying this beer if you are a pale ale to india pale ale fan. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter

In this beer blog, we are going to take a look at another beer from the Deschutes Brewery. The beer is their flagship called Black Butte Porter. If you read my earlier beer blog, you know about this brewery. If you have not, please, the first part of that beer blog. This brewery has been around for a while so you might know about this brewery pretty well. Let us get into the beer.

This porter dark brown to black in color with a light tan color head on the beer. The smell is a slight coffee to the beer. The taste is a dry chocolate to a little coffee to the beer. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from beer bottle:

AHH, Our creamy contrary flagship a dark zig to the usual zag.

Here is a description from their website (www.deschutesbrewery.com):

With a dark beer as our first and flagship brand, Black Butte defined Deschutes as a radical player. A slight hop bitterness up front enhances the distinctive chocolate and roasted finish. It’s prized for its creamy mouthfeel and intense complex flavors.

Malt: Pale, Carapils, Chocolate, Crystal, Wheat Hops: Cascade, Bravo, Tettnang

Watch Brewer Veronica Vega talk about the wisdom in failure and the brewery’s flagship beer, Black Butte Porter.

Awards

Bronze Medal, Brown Porter

2009 Great American Beer Festival

Best Porter

2007 Readers’ Choice Awards, Northwest Brewing News

Gold Medal, Porter Category

2007 Australian International Beer Awards

Silver Medal, Porter Category

2006 Australian International Beer Awards

Silver Medal (88 – Highly Recommended)

2005 World Beer Championships

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.deschutesbrewery.com

Twitter: @deschutesbeer

Closing out, this is an extremely creamy and drinkable porter. It is a little different then the rest of the porters on the market. The key to this porter it is the fact it is drinkable and sessionable. In other words, you can have several of these beers in a seating. It is pretty balances with the hops but yet gives you a ton of chocolate notes. Black Butte being a full body beer has a ton of flavor and I am glad it is in Chicago. This is a great beer for any season and any weather. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog O’so Brewing Hopdinger

In this beer blog, we are going to sample a new brewery to hit the Chicago market from Wisconsin. The brewery is called O’so Brewing and the beer is their Hopdinger. O’so Brewing was founded in a small town in Wisconsin and design to give the local people some good craft beer. They had some help from the Central Waters and Point Brewery and they are also good friends. It does not say when they were founded on their website but they are a pretty small brewery. O’so is in the town of Plover, Wisconsin. I wish I could find more on this brewery. Let us get into the beer.

This beer has a clear, constant bubbles, and copper color with a constant white head. The smell is a citrus to the beer. The taste of this pale ale is a sweet citrus and grapefruit together. The aftertaste is a dry citrus to the beer. Being a full body beer, it is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Pungent, Hoppy, Crisp, Floral, Bitter, Piney, Resinous, and Engaging

Join the fight against boring beer at osobrewing.com brewed and bottled by O’So Brewing Company Plover, WI Discover the art of freestyle brewing.

Here is a description from their website (www.osobrewing.com):

Hopdinger^TM

This pale ale is generously hopped yet balanced through the use of Munich and Crystal malts. Hops added after fermentation gives this American classic an intense aromatic bouquet. Enjoy! ABV: 6%, 49 IBUs, 14 SRM

Available Yearly!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.osobrewing.com

Twitter: no twitter account

In closing, this is not my favorite pale ale and it is just like the rest on the market. If I can get the same pale ale cheaper, I will pass this beer. I really hate to say it. This is a great beer but I just feel the price I am paying is not really worth it. If you love pale ales and think it is worth it, please, drink it and support this little brewery. I do recommend you trying this beer. I believe you will find the same thing I did about this beer. Please, let me know about your thoughts on this brewery. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Saugatuck Brewing Neapolitan Milk Stout

In this beer blog, we are going to check out a newer brewery from Michigan. The brewery is called Saugatuck Brewing Company and the beer is called Neapolitan Milk Stout. Saugatuck Brewing was founded in 2005 in Dougles, Michigan by Barry Johnson. In mid 2008, the next part of their plan was in motion, which was to start bottling their beers. Let us get into this beer.

It has a jet black color with a tan head on the beer. The smell is milk chocolate to chocolate milk. The taste is a silk to smooth chocolate to the beer. The aftertaste is roasted chocolate to coffee to the beer. It is close to the ice cream. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Nostalgic flavors of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla… Our flavors the Mt. Baldy radar tower a local landmark installed by the U.S. Air Force in 1937.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.saugatuckbrewing.com

Twitter: @saugatuckbrew

Closing, milk stouts always had that feeling of drinking ice cream. Saugatuck Brewing took it to the next level. They design this milk stout to totally take on ice cream feel. I had it in the bottle and I could pick up Neapolitan Ice Cream, which I remember as a kid eating it all the time in Michigan growing up. I am pretty impressive by this beer and I might have to retry their beers again. I recommend this beer. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Ghostrider White India Pale Ale

While in Milwaukee again, we are going to get into a beer at John’s Hawks in downtown Milwaukee. I have to say this bar has a great beer selection and awesome food. It is a hidden gem in Milwaukee and I hope more people find this bar soon. I could not find any information on this brewery. I found the brewery site with the same name but this beer is not listed. I do not want to give wrong information. Let us get into this great beer.

The color is a hazel yellow without a head on the beer. The smell is a fresh grass and more earthly to the beer. The taste is a wheaty to yeast with a sweet carbonation earthly to the beer. The aftertaste is not really there but fate. It is a pretty drinkable beer for wheat and IPA fans.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Legend has it the Ghostrider roams the high-desert seeking revenge on those who stole his recipe for the perfect IPA. … we might be in trouble.

Here is a description from a beer blogger like myself (www.utahbeer.blogspot.com):

It’s looking to be a White Xmas this year at Wasatch Brewing. Yesterday we had the debut of Switch, a Port barrel aged Belgian style Witbier. Today we have its cousin, an aggressively hopped – hybrid beer called Ghostrider White IPA.

First of all it has one of the best looking labels to adorn a local bottle in quite some time. Inside is a beer style that’s becoming very popular in the U.S., the White IPA.

At it’s most basic, a White IPA is a beer that mixes the hop-character and brewing techniques of an India Pale Ale with the wheat base and spice additions of the refreshing Belgian witbier.

GhostRider pours a cloudy, light straw color with a nice sudsy white cap. The nose is full of citrus with hints of wheat and coriander. The beginning of each sip starts out like a wheat beer with notes of biscuit, coriander, lemongrass, and orange peel. Mid palate big citrusy tangerine hops “pop” adding a bit of bitterness to the back of the tongue. Swallowing the beer releases more of the soft and grainy wheat flavors with an emphasis on coriander & cloves in the finish. 6.0% ABV in 12 oz. bottles

This is a nice twist on an IPA. It takes many of the traditional characteristics of a Witbier and combines them with an intense hop character. The flavors come together quite nicely to make this easy to drink, smooth, enjoyable beer.

In closing, I am not a huge fan of this new trend in the IPA sub categories. I am hoping it is a trend because White India Pale Ales are growing pretty fast. There is new White IPA popping on the market everyday. I have to say I did enjoy this beer very much. It was not over the top with yeast or wheaty taste. It was pretty balance. I have to say I pick up more hints of the hops. I would add this to my line up if it was available in Chicago. I recommend this beer if you can find it in your market. I know this is not available in the Chicago market. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Milwaukee Brewing Anodyne Brown

While in Milwaukee again, I went on the Milwaukee Brewing Brewery Tour and I saw this brown ale. This was experimental beer and it is called Anodyne Brown Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog on their Pull Chain Pale Ale, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer blog. Let us get into this beer.

This coffee brown has a brown color with a white head on the beer. The smell is a coffee. The taste is hazelnut cover coffee with a dry aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.mkebrewco.com

Twitter: @mkebrewco

Closing out, this American brown ale infused with coffee has a ton going on in it. I love the smooth and drinkablity of it. The brown and coffee is not overpowering. It has a nice balance between the two elements in this beer. Just what I said above and about Dark Matter, this is a experimental beer. I have to say this brewery has found ways to push themselves forward and the craft beer world. I just wish more people would get to know their beers and brewery. I wish more beer bloggers would share more love to them. This is a great beer and I hope to see it in bottles or cans in the future. Go do their brewery tour. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Milwaukee Brewing Double IPA

While in Milwaukee again, I was up in Milwaukee to see my friends from Milwaukee Brewing. The name of the beer is called Dark Matter. If you have read my earlier beer blog on their Pull Chain, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer blog. Let us get into the beer.

This Double IPA has a golden to amber color with a white head. There is not a smell to the beer. It is hard to smell in while on the brewery tour. It has a sweet silky citrus taste without aftertaste. It is extremely drinkable beer for being a big beer.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.mkebrewing.com

Twitter: @mkebrewco

In closing, I do not know if this is one I had back in the fall but this Double IPA is amazing. I really enjoyed the one in the fall and I loved this one too. It was hard to smell the beer in the brewery so if there is a smell I am sorry I did not pick it up. I love the taste of the hops and the balance of the malty backbone. This was a smooth Double IPA. Uinta Detour Double IPA is my favorite but I have to say this one sets the standards for me for some double IPA’s in the Midwest Breweries. I wish this was in bottle or cans. I hope they do it in the future. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Milwaukee Brewing Dark Matter

While in Milwaukee again, I went back up to Milwaukee to visit my friends from Milwaukee Brewing Company. I wanted to meet Kurt and try some beers I can not get down in Chicago. Kurt is a very nice guy. I have to say he has to be the nicest brewer I have ever met. Believe me, I have met several ones. I hope to have a beer with him really soon. If you read my earlier beer blog on their Pull Chain, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please read the first part of that beer blog. Let us get into beer.

Dark Matter has a jet black color with a brown to tan head on it. The smell is a chocolate to toffee to the beer. It is hard to smell while on a brewery tour. The taste is a chocolate malty sweet with light carbonation. The aftertaste is a smooth burn down the throat. This is true to German style but took to the next level. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.mkebrewing.com

Twitter: @mkebrewco

In closing, this was experimental beer. I have to say it was very smooth, rich, and with full body flavor. I love the smell, taste, and the aftertaste. This beer does not drink like a 10.5% ABV beer. I am glad I was up in Milwaukee to try this beer. I do not know if I have ever saw Imperial Schwarzbier. I have had normal Schwarzbier and I love this German beer style. I hope they get a response to this beer and they put it into cans in the future. I recommend you trying this beer and their brewery tour. It is one of the best ones in Milwaukee. I believe I learn something new the last two times I went on it. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

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