amber ale

New Beer Blog Coalition Brewing King Kitty Red Ale

When in Portland, I picked up this bottle from Coalition Brewing.  After we were done with Brewvana, a few of us went out and check out a few more breweries.  Coalition Brewing is a small brewpub on a side streets of Portland.  There is no history on the internet on this brewery.  They only have three beers that they put in 22oz bottles and this is one of them.  The rest of them they will fill up growlers for you.  This is the only beer I had and I fall in love with it.  Let us get into the beer.

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This beer has a nice red color with a white head on it. It has a slight malty to caramel smell to the beer.  The taste is a sweet malty carbonation with a slight bitter aftertaste. It is q pretty drinkable beer.

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

KING KITTY RED
5.74% ABV, 59 IBU, 11.6 SRM

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

King Kitty Red is a Northwest take on the typically malt forward style.  Brewed with four different hop varietals and a sweet malt backbone, this ale is balanced with a clean bitterness and enticing aromatics.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.coalitionbrewing.com

Twitter:  @coalitionbrewin

Closing out, I am not a fan of red or amber ales but this one is done very well.  I enjoy drinking this beer and I am down to one more bottle in my frig, which I am saving a little bit longer.  I do not know when I will get back out but I will be back at this little brewpub.  If you live in the Portland area, go and check out this brewery.  I am glad I stopped in and had a pint.  Put a bird on it and go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Milwaukee Brewing Hoptober Fest

While in Milwaukee, we are going to take a look at one of my favorite breweries in the city north of Chicago.  Milwaukee Brewing Hoptober Fest is one of their few Fall Seasonal.  If you read my earlier blog on their beers, you are pretty up to speed on this brewery.  If you have not, please go back and read the first part.  Let us get into the beer.

This is one of their many seasonal beers and a few in the Fall Seasonal.  It has a nice clear amber color with a little head on the beer.  The smell is like the traditional German Oktoberfest beers. It has a sweet malty smell to the beer. The taste of the beer is a sweet carbonate malty with a nice crisp malty aftertaste. This is a perfect beer for the Fall and drinkable too.

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

Our hoppy take on a classic seasonal German style lager. Brewed with pale ale, caramel, and toasted Munich malts that attribute a sweet earthy malty flavor, toasted aroma, and a bright orange hue. German Tettnanger hops add an herbal peppery flavor and nose.

One of my favorite parts about brewing this beer is that we’re participating in a seasonal brewing tradition that spans the globe. Since nearly all craft breweries take part in the Oktoberfest season, I like to try the different renditions side by side.

We use a traditional lager fermentation along side the traditional toasted Munich style malts. There are a lot of bready characters that come up during the brew. We wanted to brew a hoppier version of the brew, so we added Perle, Tettnang and Columbus hops.

The simple recipe hasn’t changed since we started brewing it in 2006.

Here is a video from Youtube (www.youtube.com):

http://youtu.be/MweezhrL7yM

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.mkebrewing.com

Twitter:  @mkebrewco

Closing out, I was not expecting a true Octoberfest Marzin style.  I thought it was going to be over hop amber ale or lager.  Here it is your normal Octoberfest that is slightly hop.  It is pretty drinkable and has a ton of flavor.  This beer just became my favorite fall beer.  This is a huge debate in my head between MKE Hoptober, Scharfly Pumpkin, or Brooklyn Oktoberfest.  I have to say they are all tied for first place.  I cannot make my mind.  This is good because all these breweries that make some awesome beers.  This beer I would run not walk and get some of this brew before it is all gone.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comast.net

Twitter:@djweiser

New Blog Roscoe’s Hop House Amber Ale

While shopping at Meijer, this is the last beer from the Roscoe’s Hop House.  There is really no history but please go back to my earlier blog to get a little bit of their history.  The beer we are going to feature is their Amber Ale.  Let us get into the beer.

This Amber Ale has a dark copper color without a head to it.  A sweet malty smell is in the beer. The taste has a sweet malty in the beer.  It is drinkable beer but it is kind of water down beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Harkening back to old world brewing styles, Roscoe’s Hop House uses the highest quality malts and hops to bring forth this smooth, bright-flavored Amber Ale.  With a nod to the past, this nicely balanced, true ale is brewed using traditional brewing methods for a unique flavor profile.  The password to our best kept secret is found inside the bottle.

Here is a few awards this beer won from their website (www.roscoeshophouse.com):

Gold Medal “Exceptional” – World Beer Championship, 2009

88 Points “Highly Recommended” – Beverage Testing Institute 2011

86 Points/ Best Buy – Wine Enthusiast, March 2010

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.rosceoshophouse.com

Twitter:  there is no twitter account

In closing, I love trying new beers all the time.  It keeps me up to speed on what breweries are doing around the country or the world.  However, I did kind of enjoy their other beers, I normally do not this about any beer but this beer is really bad.  I am not going to sugar coat it and be really nice about it.  There is a little flavor but it is really water down.  It is drinkable because of that fact.  I will go and drink a Pabst or a Rolling Rock.  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog De Koninck Anno 1833

Something different, we are going to get into an import beer from the import company called Duvel.  The beer that will be featured in this blog is called De Koninck Anno 1833.    The brewery was founded in 1833 in the Belgium city of Antwerp.  They brewery several different beers but this Amber Ale is their flagship beer.  It is only one of two beers that is in the states.  Let us get into the beer.

This beer is a nice amber color with a ton of white carbonation head. The smell ia not really good. It has a weird smell but as a beer drinker you never judge a beer by the look or smell.  The taste is the real story of it.  It has a slight carbonation with some sweet malty taste. It reminds me sitting around the camp fire making s’mores in the Michigan woods as a kid. It is very drinkable beer.

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

De Koninck is the brewery’s jewel in the crown. Its typical surprisingly malty flavour is appreciated by beer lovers worldwide. This amber-coloured top-fermented beer (25 to 27°) has an accessible taste and a low alcohol content. Brewed in the traditional way using water, yeast, 100% pure malt and pure hops. A natural product, in other words. And what about the slightly bitter finish? De Koninck uses organic Saaz-Saaz hops from the Czech Republic, natural barley and without the addition of maize or brewing sugars. One thing is certain: this delicious specialty beer is the ideal thirst quencher.  Alcohol content: 5.2% Vol.  Pour with a creamy head at 4-6° in the distinctive spherical De Koninck “bolleke” glass.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.dekoninck.com

Twitter:  There is no twitter account.

In closing, this is a very unique beer that comes out of Belgium.  When drinking this beer you would never thought, it comes out of Belgium.  When you think of Belgium, you picture chocolate and weird to different spicy to fruity beers.  This one is in its own little world.  I am not a huge fan of Belgium beers but I really like this beer.  It is very drinkable and have a ton of flavor without it being over spicy or hopped up.  I would recommend this beer to even your average or beginner beer drinker.  Oh I forgot to say this.  Fat Tire please go away because this beer will never been duplicate.  You loss!  You get nothing!  Good day beer!  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Starr Hill Amber Ale

While in DC for Savor, I had this beer at the Big Board in DC.  I saw this beer at the bottom of their list and it jumped out at me.  I did not know the brewery nor the beer.  Starr Hill Brewery was founded in 1999 by Mark Thompson in the state of Virginia.  I love their tag line they use for their brewery, which is “The Gift of Great Beer.”  They brew several different beer styles and they all sounds really good.  They are award-winning brewery.  There are several beers that are retired and they even sounds good.  I found this quarto on their website and then I will get into the beer.

Here is a quarto that I love from Mark Thompson on their website (www.starrhill.com):

“It is no secret that our mission is The Gift of Great Beer.  Every culture in the world has a fermented, cereal grain beverage that people use to sit around and talk.  I’m a steward of the product that enhances this things we call life.” ~ Mark Thompson

This beer is amber in color. Smells like sweet sweating socks in the beer. The taste of the beer is carbonation malty going on in it. It is a little water but this beer is very drinkable.  Starr Hill Amber is a great beer drinking experience throughout the drinking experience.

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

Irish Red Ale

Starr Hill Amber Ale is an award-winning Irish Red Ale. Brewed in the tradition of the great English ales, its rich honey color hints at its smooth, caramel flavoring. With a medium body and slightly sweet finish, this is an extremely drinkable brew that is characterized by rich malt taste and low bitterness.

This beer has won several awards and are the awards:

2001 Bronze Medal at Great American Beer Festival

2002 Bronze Medal at World Beer Cup

2005 Silver Medal at Great American Beer Festival

Here is their website and twitter address:

Website:  www.starrhill.com

Twitter:  @starrhill

Sad to look at an empty glass,  I really enjoyed this beer and it went awesome with my burger at the Big Board.  I love the drinkablity of this beer.  I really do not get into Amber Ales nor Irish Amber Ales but this is my first favorite Irish Amber Ale and Amber Ale.  Since I live in Chicago, I will be looking online to buy some to be shipped to my house.  Thank you Starr Hill Brewery for making a great Amber Ale that I really enjoyed.  Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser