Month: March 2014

New Beer Blog Abita Christmas Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to sample several beers from Abita Brewery.  The first one is their Christmas Ale.  Abita Brewery was founded in 1986.  It is located at  Abita Springs, Louisiana.  They brew several different beer styles from Lagers and Ales.  They are best known for their Purple Haze, which will be reviewed on this blog in a later date.  Let us get into this Christmas Ale.

It has a clear dark amber color with big bubble and white head.  The aroma has ginger to cinnamon notes.  The taste has ginger, cinnamon, and slight caramel notes.  The aftertaste has ginger finish.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

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

Christmas Ale

Abita Christmas Ale (November – December) rounds out our calendar. Each year at the Abita Brewery we craft a special dark ale for the holiday season. The recipe changes each year so that Abita Christmas Ale is always the perfect gift. Its spicy character is excellent with traditional holiday foods such as gingerbread or spiced nuts. Try some blue cheese or a creamy Camembert with a Christmas Ale.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.abita.com

Twitter:  @TheAbitaBeer

Closing, I do not get into too many Christmas beers.  This brew has a nice aroma of ginger and cinnamon notes.  I love the tasting experience of all the spices.  This is a pretty good beer for a winter season.  Here is my only problem I have with most or all Christmas Beers.  They are way to spiced up.  There is nothing wrong with that because most people are looking for that in their beer in winter season.  This brew is not over the top like most Christmas beers.  It is just right for me.  I enjoyed this Christmas Ale.  I recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Paw Paw Black River Oatmeal Stout

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While at Ashley’s Westland, I had a chance to sample another beer from Paw Paw Brewery.  It was Black River Oatmeal Stout.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this westside Michigan craft brewery.  If you have not read those blog posts, please, read those posts to get to know Paw Paw Brewery.  Let us get into this Oatmeal Stout.

It has a jet black color with a nice creamy small bubbles and a tan color head on this Oatmeal Stout.  The aroma has roasted malty to some chocolate and coffee notes.  The drinking experience entitles a smooth to creamy chocolate notes.  The aftertaste has a dry coffee notes.  It has a medium to heavy body.  It is a sipping beer.

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

Black River

Black River Oatmeal Stout is a very smooth slightly chocolaty stout. Pleasing mild roast, rich bitterweet chocolate and chocolate ice cream flavor. Terrific mouth feel, clean & drying in the finish. For the stout drinker this is a must try.

Here is their website and  twitter addresses:

Website:  www.pawpawbrewing.com

Twitter:  @2pawsbeer

Closing, Paw Paw Brewery does not make a bad beer.  Every beer that I have had from this brewery are awesome.  This oatmeal stout is awesome.  I love the chocolate notes and heaviest from the body.  It might be a sipping beer but you can relax when drinking this beer.  The mouthfeel is a cream chocolate notes.  I really enjoyed this beer and I will be hunting this beer down in bottles in my area.  I hope to see it on draft in the future 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 Ghost River Golden Ale

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While in Memphis for a Layover, we are going to try a beer from Ghost River.  It is their Golden Ale.  This is the first time on this blog that this brew and craft brewery.  I cannot find any history on this craft brewery from Memphis.  They have two all year-long brews and four seasonals.  Let us get into this Golden Ale.

It has a slight cloudy golden color with small bubbles going up from the bottom of the glass.  The head is a white and constant head.  I am not picking up any aroma.  The taste is a nice refreshing to lightly carbonated.  It has nice lemon to citrus notes.  The aftertaste has a light carbonated to citrus finish.  It is pretty drinkable.

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

Golden Ale
Munich and caramel malts and German variety hops,
mellow and refreshing

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.ghostriverbrewing.com

Twitter:  @ghostriverbrew

Leaving Memphis, I was pretty excited to get to Memphis.  I wanted to see what craft beers they had on draft at the airport.  I have to be honest I was not impressed.  There is very few bars in the airport or where I was at in the airport.  I saw this one and ordered it.  I was pretty excited because I usually like Golden Ales.  I will say it is pretty drinkable and refreshing beer.  It has a nice head and color to the beer.  However, I was not too impressed with it, I just feel the money you invest in this beer.  You are not getting your money worth.  I just found this beer not that good.  I can see people liking this beer and you might be one of them.  I am glad I tried it but I will not buy it again.  If I was you, I would pass on this one.  Let me know what you think and please, try their other beers.  Maybe it is just this brew.  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog New Belgium RyePA

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While in Fort Collins, Co, we are going to sample another brew, which is RyePA, from New Belgium Brewery.  I was pretty excited to get out there. I had a great time at the brewery.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Top Five Craft Brewery in the States.  If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know New Belgium Brewery.  Let us get into this Rye IPA.

It has a clear copper color with a nice constant white head.  The aroma has piney, earthy, and spicy notes.  The taste has a medium carbonation with malty and piney notes.  The aftertaste has a dry hoppy finish.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

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

Artisan maltster River Bend Malt House of Asheville, North Carolina, kiln a perfect rye. And when you pair gobs of their spicy rye with heaps of spicy hops you get a great Hop Kitchen Beer. This unique, and collaborative, Rye IPA boasts a bold blend of Simcoe, Galaxy, Cascade, and Mosaic hops to bring a thunderous 75 IBU. Have a sip and feel the bang.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

Closing out my day at New Belgium, I had a great time at the brewery and I hope to return their again soon.  I had a chance to go through a whole brewery tour and try several beers.  I trird to get take notes on as many beers as I could.  When I sipped this beer, I knew I had to write a review on this RyePA.  I love the sweet and bitter from this beer.  It is in that order on the tasting experience.  There is a nice malty backbone that holds up to a nice selection of hops used in this beer.  Rye IPA’s are quickly becoming a pretty popular beer style in the IPA world.  I will have to say this is the best Rye IPA that I have ever had.  I love Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA.  New Belgium has topped it and took it to the next level.  I wish I could get this in Michigan but I guess I will have to find someone to trade with to get a few bottles.  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 Wild (2) Dubbel

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While in Fort Collins, we are going to get into another brew from Fort Collins, Colorado, which is New Belgium Brewery.  The beer is their Wild (2) Dubbel.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on this brewery, you know the history of New Belgium Brewery.  If you did not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know the 100% employee owned craft brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has nice dark color with a nice white constant head.  The aroma has a sweet candy notes.  The taste has a sweet licorice notes with a nice licorice aftertaste.  It is a nice sipping beer.

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

Wild2 Dubbel ale, our mahogany-hued autumn ale spiced with schisandra, opens with the floral, earthy notes of fall itself. Schisandra berries, known as “five-flavor fruit,” possess all five flavors: salty, sweet, sour, spicy and bitter. This malt-forward dubbel ale is fermented with a Trappist yeast and finishes dry and slightly sour with a touch of bretta. Lasso a bottle!

ABV
8%
IBU
30
Yeast
Trappist Ale Yeast
Calories
235
Hops
Target, Goldinas, Liberty
Malts
Pale, Munich, Carmel 80, Special-B, Wheat, Chpcolate Wheat, Oats

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

Closing out the first night, this was something else.  I enjoyed drinking this Belgium Style Dubbel.  There is a ton going on with this beer.  I know when I had this beer I had a few so if my tasting notes are off.  Please, let me know and I will correct.  I enjoyed the beer and wanted to share my thoughts on the beer.  Every time I sip this beer.  I pick up more and more as far as tasting notes and flavors.  I picked up candy notes like licorice.  However, their website site, talks about salty, sour, etc.  You can see that above.  The point is this is an awesome beer that New Belgium is brewing.  It highly recommend you trying this beer.  Please, let me know what you think.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser