Month: February 2014

New Beer Blog Buckle Down Brewery Stompbox Stout

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When in Chicagoland area, I had to chance to stop by one of my new favorite craft breweries in the Midwest.  I am talking about Buckle Down Brewery.  When I was in town, they launched one of their newer beers, which is Stompbox Stout.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts, you know the history of this new Midwest Craft brewery.  If you have not, please, go back and read those blog posts to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into the brew.

It has a jet black color with a nice lace tan head.  The aroma of this stout has chocolate notes.  The taste has a chocolate with roasted malt.  The aftertaste has an alcohol finish that bites at the end.  It is a sipping beer.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.buckledownbrewing.com

Twitter:  @BuckleDownBeer

Leaving town, I will be back to this brewery in some shape or form.  Buckle Down Brewery makes some great beers.   I was glad I was in town for the launch of their Stout.  I knew if their Porter was awesome.  There is no way in Blue Hell they would find away to mess up their Stout.  I was clearly right.  This is a great Stout with a nice chocolate notes and a nice bite of alcohol at the aftertaste.  If I still lived in Chicago, this brewery would be my source of beer.  I will be back visiting them now and then.  I highly recommend you trying this beer.  They are worth the road trip into the south side of Chicago.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Ram Brewery Dubbel Trouble

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When in Chicagoland area, from my blog post from a few days ago, I stopped by one of my old hang outs.  It is Ram Brewery.  The beer that I had a chance to try is their Dubbel Trouble.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on this craft brewpub, you know the history of this west coast brewery.  If you have not, please, read those earlier beer blog post to get to know this brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

This Dubbel is a dark brown to black color without a head on this Belgian style ale.  The smell has a sweet candy.  The taste is a sweet candy licorice with a licorice aftertaste.  It is a sipping beer.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.theram.com

Twitter:  @theRAM

In closing, there are little craft brewpubs or craft breweries.   They always find ways to mess up a good Belgian Style Dubbel.    I have to say I was pretty impressed with Ram’s version of this Belgian classic.  I love the color, aroma, and tasting experience.  It is like a sweet candy throughout the drinking experience.  It is a nice sipping beer.  I am so glad I stopped in and say hi to everyone.  I had to chance to sample out these two great brews.  I highly recommend you trying this brew, if you are in the Wheeling, IL area.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Ram Brewery Ice Breaker Oatmeal Stout

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When in Chicagoland area, I was able to stop by one of my old watering holes.  I am talking about the Ram Brewery.  I was able to try their Ice Breaker Oatmeal Stout.  If you read my earlier blog posts on this craft brewery, you know the history of it.  If you have not, please, read those post to get to know this brewpub.  Let us get into this Oatmeal Stout.

It has a jet black color with a nice creamy tan head.  The smell is a chocolate and coffee notes for this stout.  The taste has a chocolate and coffee at the middle of pallet to watery notes on back half.  The aftertaste has chocolate that hangs around a bit.  It is a sipping beer.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.theram.com

Twitter:  @theRAM

In closing, this would be a stout if I still lived down the street.  I would be filling my growlers up on weekend with this stout. This is an awesome stout.  This is one of the best brews that this little brewpub made.  I also love their IPA’s.  I know the brewmaster pretty well and I was happy to see the assistant moved over to the other location in the Chicagoland area.  I know for a fact he will be brewing some awesome beers and improving the beers from the last brewmaster.  The last brewmaster was good but not good enough.  If you are in the area, I recommend you getting by the Wheeling location to try to brew.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Music Monday Blog Shinedown Amaryllis

In this Music Monday Blog, we are going to get into the latest from Shinedown.  It is Amaryllis.  We will get into the history and then the music from this new record.  Let us get into the history.

History:

Shinedown was formed in 2001 in Jacksonville, Florida with members, who are Brent Smith (Lead Singer), Brad Stewart (Bass), Jason Todd (Guitars), and Barry Kerch (Drums).  Shinedown’s first record, which was “Leave A Whisper,” was released in 2004 under Atlantic Records.  Shinedown’s second record, which was “Us And Them, was released in 2005.  Their third record was “The Sound Of Madness.”  This was their most successful record to date.  This is also the frist record without Brad Stewart on bass.   Eric Bass, who is bass player, replaced Brad Steward.  and Zach Myers, who is a guitar player, joins the band.  Shinedown’s fourth record, which is Amaryllis, marked the first time band history Zach Myers as the only guitar player and the new one in this band.    Let us get into the music.

Song List:

Adrenaline

There is some nice drumming at the beginning.  I am loving the music and drumming in this song.  The singing is pretty strong.  I love the pace of this song.  There is some awesome lyrics.  This is a great opening track.  The drummer is playing out of his mind.  I love the focus on him on this song.  I love the short and to the point guitar solo towards the end of the song.

Bully

This was the first single of this record.  I love the guitar work at the beginning.  I love the bass playing during the main part of the song.  There is a nice pace on “Bully.”  I am not really a fan of the lyrics but it is still a pretty good song.  I love the melody and the singing on this song.  There is some strong back up vocals on “Bully.”  I love the guitar solo towards the end of the song.

Amaryllis

This is the title track of this record.  I love the acoustic guitar at the beginning.  I have always loved his singing voice.  I love the backbone of the band.  The bass and drum playing is solid.  This song kind of reminds me of something that Goo Goo Dolls would have written.  I love the lyrics.  This is a pretty solid song.  There is a nice guitar break towards the back half of “Amaryllis.”

Unity

I love the keyboard playing at the beginning with a nice solid playing from the guitar, bass, and drumming over the top of it.  I love the singing and some pretty good lyrics.  I love how the mix a disturbed and acoustic guitar.  There is a nice melody.  There is a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song.  I just wished it was a little bit longer.   I love the ending of “Unity.”

Enemies

I love the effects on the guitar at the beginning of “Enemies.”  I love the music and melody.  This is my favorite song on this record so far.  I love the lyrics.  I love the ending of “Enemies.”

I’m Not Alright

I love the music.  I am not really a fan of the lyrics but the singing on “I’m Not Alright.”  There is some playing from the drummer and bass player.  This song seems like it needs a guitar solo to break up the singing a bit.  I just feel this song could be a little bit longer.

Nowhere Kids

There is some solid music.  I love the singing and lyrics are average.  I love the melody from the singer.  I just feel the same way about this song to the last one.  I just feel it could use a guitar solo about the mid-point of the song to break up the singing a bit.  There is nothing wrong with the singing.  I just hearing too much of it.

Miracle

I love the guitar work at the beginning.  There is some nice simple drum beat.  I love the singing over the top of it.  I love the music.  I love the lyrics.  They put some thought on this song.  This is a great rebound song from the last two songs.  I just wished there was a guitar solo.  It is still a solid song.

I’ll Follow You

I love the piano playing on this song.  There is some solid singing and well written lyrics.  I love the music on the main part of the song.  I love the pace of this song.  Here is a song that does not need a guitar solo.  The guitar solo that is on this song is pretty good and well placed.  It did what I wanted in the last few songs.

For My Sake

I love the guitar playing at the beginning.  I love what they did in the main part of the song.  There is some nice lyrics and melody.  I love the pace of “For My Sake.”  This is one of my favorite songs off this record.  I love the guitar playing on this song.

My Name (Wearing Me Out)

There is some nice music at the beginning of this song.  I love heavy drumming on this song.  I love the pace of this song.  The bass playing is solid.  There is some nice lyrics with some feeling and soul to it.  This is a nice driving song.  I could get some speeding tickets with this song playing.

Through The Ghost

I love the acoustic guitar at the beginning.  There is some nice music on “Through The Ghost.”  I love the singing and the lyrics.  This is a nice song to finish “Amaryllis.”  The only problem I have with this song is that it is a little too long.  I love the ending of it.

Line Up:

  • Brent Smith – Vocals
  • Zach Myers -Lead And Rhythm Guitar and Backing Vocals
  • Barry Kerch – Drums and Percussion
  • Eric Bass – Bass, Piano, and Backing Vocals

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.shinedown.com

Twitter:  @Shinedown

Closing, I love Shinedown.  I do not understand why I did not get into them right away.  It took me a little time but I have been a pretty big fan since.  There are some pretty good songs off this record.  It is not like their last record, which was “Sound Of Madness.”  I still enjoyed it, however, I just feel there were too many filler songs to get the record out.   These are songs they put on the record to get it out to the market.  I just wished there were more guitar solos towards the end of the record.  There are songs that need solos and there are songs that do not need them.  There were a few songs screaming for guitar solos.  This band has not put out a band record and this one is not one.  They are working on their next one but I recommend you picking up this one to get yourself through until it comes out.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Troubador Obscura

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In a foreign land, we are going to sample out of Troubador Obscura during Belgian Week at Ashley’s Westland.  The brewery was founded in 2000 by Kristof De Roo, Rikkert Maertens, Stefaan Soetemans and Sven Suys.  They are known around Europe as the 4 ‘Musketeers’.  They brew in the traditional and classic Belgian beer styles in past.  This brewery brew several beer styles and they do them well.  They do not let anything out of their brewery unless it is up to their standards.  I like that.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a dark brown with some reddish tones for the color with a constant white head.  The aroma has slight chocolate with notes of cherry to fruit.  The taste has an aged malty chocolate notes with a cherry aftertaste.  It is a pretty drinkable beer.

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

Troubadour Obscura is a dark red-brown colored beer, with a rich, malty body combined with different touches of a stout but in a very nice balanced way: roast, chocolate, coffee, vanilla. A mild stout with a Belgian body!

Specifications:

Alcohol (V/V): 8,2%

Stamwort: 18

Plato EBC: 110

IBU: 35

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.troubadourbeers.com

Twitter:  @Troubadourbeer

In first glance, it took one sip of Obscura.  I was in love with this brew.  It took me a few sips to get to know everything that is going on in this complex ale.  I love the chocolate cover cherry notes I received out of the this brew.   I can see the vanilla and coffee notes also.  I tasted that towards the end of the glass.  There is a ton going on in this beer and I love that.   It is a drinkable beer but I found myself sipping it.  I wanted to taste everything that was going on in this brew.  I highly recommend this brew.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog New Belgium Spring Blonde

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample out the new spring seasonal from New Belgium Brewery.  It is their Spring Blonde Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog on their beers, you know the history of this brewery.  If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know this Colorado craft brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear golden color with a nice white head.  The aroma is like lemon notes.  The taste is refreshing malty to cirtus notes with a nice malty aftertaste.  It is a nice drinkable beer for the spring time.

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

Blondes are a favorite style among New Belgium employee-owners who have celebrated their 5-year anniversary with a spring trip to Belgium. These travels inspired our Spring Blonde and brought some old Belgium to New Belgium. Brewed with pale and Munich malts, this golden ale pours bright copper and holds a strong, white head aloft. A nose of lemon peel, pepper, and fresh-baked bread entice a sipping. Spring Blonde drinks malty, sweet and wonderful. And the easy Nugget hopping pedals towards a dry, lightly bitter finish. Shed that coat, grab some bikes, and crack some beers.

Here is a video about this beer on their website (www.newbelgium.com):

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

In closing, I will be the first to say that I am not a huge fan of Spring and Summer Seasonals.  There are some pretty good Spring and Summer Seasonals released every year into the market.  I try them every year and I say the same thing over and over again.  They are too light for me but that is by design and I understand why.  New Belgium Brewery is always putting out new seasonals and pushing themselves.  This is not my type of beer style and it does not make any of these Spring and Summer Seasonals bad.  The one thing that I did like about this brew has a nice malty to citrus notes and refreshing drinking experience.  It is perfect brew for the Spring Season.  I recommend this brew.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser