brewery

New Blog Sebago Brewery Lake Trout Stout

In this blog, we are going to talk about a beer I received through my Beer of the Month. This brewery is unknown to me just like this brew. This brewery was founded in 1998. They offer a full line of different beer styles all the east coast.

This beer is black in color like your normal stout with a constant light brown head.  The smell from the beer is strong chocolate. The taste is not very good to be honest. The beer starts out water tasting and then a chocolate taste along a strong chocolate aftertaste.

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

Lake Trout Stout is midnight black with a thick and creamy head.  It is a full bodied stout brewed with oatmeal and plenty of hops to balance the roasted barley. Our stout is an experience.  It tastes the same way it looks – dark and rich. It is named after the famous deep water Sebago Lake Togue or Lake Trout which inhabit the depths of Maine’s deepest lake. Enjoy.

BEER DETAILS:

Style: Stout

History: First Brewed in 1998

Orig. Gravity: 13.5 °P

Color: Midnight Black 170 SRM

ABV: 4.7%

IBU’s: 32

Pairing Suggestions: rich sauces, grilled meats, or chocolate

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.sebagobrewing.com

Twitter: @sebagobrewing

In closing, I love stouts in every style, however, Irish Dry Stout is very dry and I feel you need to drink a water with this style of beer. This beer is good but not bad. Since I cannot get this beer in Chicago, I will be enjoying my last two bottles of this brew. Drink it! Enjoy it l! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Dogfish My Antonia Pilsner

In this blog, we are going to dig into Dogfish Head My Antonia Pilsner.  Here is a little history of the brewery called Dogfish Head Brewery.  It was founded in 1995 by Sam Calagione in the state of Milton, Delaware.  They try to do different things to the old classic beer styles.  Their tagline says it all, which is “Off-centered ales for off-centered people.”  They do several different styles of beer that they sell out in the market.  They were featured in documentary “Beer Wars” and the TV show called “Brew Masters” on Discovery Channel.

This beer is your normal german pilsner. It has a ton of carbonation in this 750ml bottle. It is slightly cloudy with a golden to yellow in color. It has a slight circus smell or nothing in the smell from the beer. The beer has a tastes of circus with carbonation in it. The aftertaste is dry that will make you want to drink water with the beer. The dry aftertaste is slightly bitter that comes from the hops, however, it is not a huge bitter aftertaste like from IPAs.

Here is a description from the bottle:

This here beer is a lagerific departure for our ale-centric brewery.  A marriage of old world tradition and new world innovation, My Antonia is brewed with pilsner malt and continually-hopped with a blend of Noble and West Coast hops.

Here is a story on their website (www.dogfish.com):

My Antonia (named after the Willa Cather read), is a continually-hopped imperial pilsner. This lager for ale lovers is citrusy, sweet and refined.

My Antonia started out as a collaboration beer when Sam brewed it atBirra del Borgo (hope you can read Italian) outside Rome, Italy, with owner/brewer Leonardo DiVencenzo in October 2008. In 2010, we began brewing My Antonia here in Delaware for U.S. distribution.

As an aside, in June 2009, Leonardo came over to Delaware and brewed our original batch of Namaste with us at our Rehoboth Beach brewpub. And Leo is also one of the brewers involved in the Eataly project in New York City. What goes around, comes around.

Anyhoo… here is our Quick Sip Clip of Sam chatting about My Antonia with his Italian-American grandmother Jessie Calagione (they sometimes veer a bit off topic, but we think it’s a great video and love her ‘cash customers’ story). Cheers!

Here is a few ways to get to know this brewery:

Website: www.dogfishhead.com

Twitter: @dogfishbeer

In closing, I respect these craft breweries for their beer passion they have for this art. Dogfish Head is a great brewery and I love many of their beers. I love how this brewery pushes the limits of beer drinkers taste buds.  However, this beer and many of their beers that are in 750ml, I feel are not worth the money you are paying for what is in the bottle.  Let me say this, the beer itself is pretty good but for the price I feel it is not worth the money. I do love some of their beers that come in 750ml bottles.  I love their Black and Blue, Bitch’s Brew, and a few others. If you are a huge pilsner fan, I believe you will love this brew for the difference that it bring to the beer style. Enjoy it! Drink it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Big Horn 71 Pale Ale

In this blog, we are going to talk about another brew from the Big Horn Ram Brewery called 71 Pale Ale. You know the history of this brewery from my earlier blogs. This beer has the 71 for the year that the brewery was founded. In some cases, you can call this their flagship beer.

This beer sits in the glass as slightly cloudy golden color.  The smell of the beer is little earthy.  The taste is a nice well balance beer. It has a sweet then heavy carbonation taste. The aftertaste has a nice bitter hop kick to it. This beer is perfect in any season and very drinkable.

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

A distinctly drinkable pale ale brewed with a touch of rye and a blend of 5 hops. Deep copper in color with subtle spicy rye character and an enjoyable hoppy flavor.

Here is sources to get to know this brewery:

Website: www.theram.com

Twitter: @theram

On ending, like this beer and all the rest of the beers that are made at Big Horn Ram Brewery, they are designed for you to have more than one beer.  They are all very drinkable and sessional.  The 71 pale ale is one of my favorites at this great brewery.  It gives everything I am looking for in pale ale.  Go find your nearby Ram Brewery to eat and drink.  Enjoy it!  Drink it! Metal it !

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Uinta Dubhe Imperial Black IPA

In this blog, we are going to talk about another small brewery called Uinta Brewery from Salt Lake City, Utah.  We talked about Hyve in my earlier blog.  I voiced how it was very disappointed and I did not like it.  This time around we are going to talk about one of my favorite beer from them.  The beer we are going to sip and visit is called the Uinta Dubhe Imperial Black IPA.  This beer style is a marriage of two awesome styles of beer.  Porter or stout meets IPAs.  You can’t go wrong with that.  This is the latest trending beer style out there right now.

This beer in the glass is black until you put it up to the light then it becomes a dark brown.  The smell of the beer is of sweet circus. The taste of the beer is slight chocolate and kick of carbonation to circus kick. The aftertaste is very dry but in a good way.  The dryness from this beer is from the hops and the IBU is over 130.  Just picture yourself eating chocolate cover orange and you will understand this style a little bit better.  It is not fully like that but it gives you a better idea.

Here is a descripation from their website (www.uintabrewing.com):

Toasted, chocolaty dark malts align with an astronomical amount of hops.

They put this also on their website (www.uintabrewing.com):

Named Utah’s Centennial Star in 1996, Dubhe (pronounced Doo-bee) illuminates the front of the big dipper from 124 light years away. Dubhe, also known as Alpha Ursae Majoris, is a red giant that appears orange in color and has a mass 4x that of the sun.

Here is a few places to get information on this brewery:

Website: www.uintabrewing.com

Twitter:  @uintabrewing

Setting up the tap again, I really love this beer.  I love all three beer styles that go into this one beer style.  It is a wet dream for people that enjoy all factors that this style and this beer brings to your coffee table or bar.  This is one of my favorite one in the Black IPA market along with Widmer Pitch Black IPA. Pitch Black and Dubhe are the same style but totally different.  I want you to go out and hunt this beer down and try it.  Please let me know what you think and send a message to the brewery.  Breweries love to hear from us beer drinkers.  Enjoy it!  Drink it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Central Waters Illumination Double IPA

In this blog, we are going to take a look at a beer from a small brewery from Amherst, WI called Central Waters.  This brewery is powered by solar power.  They are very green on everything with packaging and energy use.  This brewery has been in business since 1996.  Mike McElwain and Jerome Ebel are the founders of this brewery.  Their packaging is very dull and boring, however, we do not judge on packing just the beer inside.  They brew several different styles. The one we will be talking from Central Waters called Illumination Double IPA (India Pale Ale).

This beer in the glass is a cloudy light copper color.  When smelling it, you will get a strong piny smell from the hops in the brew.  As far as tasting the beer, it is over load of circus to earthy sweetest with a very dry aftertaste leaving in your mouth.  I really do not like this beer because several factors.  The one thing I do not like, there is not enough malt backbone in this beer.  The other thing I do not like about this beer is the over hop in the beer.  This beer is another cookie cutter of all the rest of American Double IPAs out there.  I am not saying all are bad but there are better ones out there.  However, after killing this beer, the plus for this beer is it is a great value for the price you will be paying for it.

Here is a descripation from the bottle:

Can you say palate wrecker? This Double IPA comes in at 108 IBUs, as hoppy as it gets with a mouthful of citrus flavors.  Grab one today and Illuminate your taste buds.

Here is a few sources to get to know this brewery better:

Website: www.centralwaters.com

Twitter: Not one listed

Setting up the bill, this is not a beer I will run out and get when it comes out.  It is a seasonal four pack from Central Waters.  If I am in the mood and I see it, I will drink it.  If there is another Double IPA at the bar, I hate to say I will drink that.  Just because I did not like this beer.  This does not mean that you will not like this beer.  This brewery cannot be judge on this beer and you should not judge them for this beer nor blog.  They do brewery some awesome beers.  This one is not one of their best ones.  Enjoy it! Drink it!  Metal it!

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Perennial Artisan Ales Saison de Lis

In this blog, we are going to talk about a brewery, who is called Perennial Artisan Ales, that was founded in 2011.  This brewery joins an awesome current lineup of craft breweries in and out of St Louis, MO. This blog will feature one, which is called Saison de Lis, and there will be two more blogs, which are called Hommel Bier and Hommel Bier,to follow.

Just like a normal farmhouse saison ale, it is cloudy and golden to yellow in color. The smell is slightly circus to very earthly.  This Saison just like others is very drinkable and refreshing, which is why this beer style is brew by farmers on their farms in Belgium for their workers.

Here is a few sources to get to know about this brewery:

Website: www.perennialbeer.com

Twitter: @PerennialBeer

On ending, this beer is in big bottles and I am really not a fan of beers in these big bottles.  Unless, it is a really big beer and this saison is only 5% in ABV.  This beer is pretty good but not for the packaging size and price.  They did a very good job doing the American version of this beer.  I would say try it and put your thoughts on this beer.  It would be neat to check out their Brewpub some time in the future.  I will have to hunt down their other beers.  They are brewing some interesting beers.  Overall, this beer has a market just like every beer but I am not the market.  Enjoy it! Drink it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Perennial Artisan Ales Black Walnut Dunkel

In this blog, we are going to talk about the second of three beers from Perennial Artisan Ales.  The beer we are going to talk about from this brewery is called Black Walnut Dunkel, which is their spring seasonal.  If you read my blog on Sunday, which is Perennial Artisan Ales Saison de Lis, you will know about the history.

While the beer is sitting in the glass, it comes across as a light brown in color with constant head.  The carbonation during the pouring process is pretty normal for a German Dunkel.  The smell is like roasted chestnuts over a fireplace during the Christmas holiday season. This beer has a taste of a black walnut ice cream. Going deep in detail with that statement. It comes across as a slight sweet chocolate taste with mild walnut sweet aftertaste.  You will taste the walnut throughout the drinking experience but it is there but not really there. I am not a brew master but for reason I am getting some vanilla taste.  I really do not know where that vanilla is coming from in this beer.  It is a very drinkable in the spring to fall season and that is why it is a seasonal.

Here is a description from the bottle:

Black Walnut Dunkel is our first foray into German-style beer.  Originally brewed for an underground beer dinner with our friends at entre, BWD is a rich, malty Dunkelweiss with 250 pounds of Missouri black walnuts.  Game birds, such as quail, pair nicely with the unique, earthy character of the walnuts.

Here is a few sources to get to know about this brewery:

Website: www.perennialbeer.com

Twitter: @PerennialBeer

Closing out the tap, I know what I said in my other blog about their other beer, however, this beer being so different then what is out in the market.  I will pick up a bottle of this beer to pair it with a dessert, salad, or what it says on the bottle wild game.    I am a huge fan of German Weiss more than another wheat out there.  I am a huge fan of this beer.  It is a very good beer and I believe you should search this beer out.  It will be available in all big craft beer stores.  Let me know what you think of this great beer.  Enjoy it! Drink it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Perennial Artisan Ales Hommel Bier

In this blog, we are going to talk about the final beer from the Perennial Artisan Ales that I got my hands on in the Chicago market.  They have a few more beers that I believe will not be available just yet in this market.  The beer that will be feature is their Hommel Bier.  This brewery goal is take American and Belgian styles and do something different within reason.  Hommel Bier is a Belgian Style Ale.

This beer pours into glass with huge carbonation just like your normal Belgian Strong Golden Ale.  The head is very constant with a slightly cloudy golden color to the beer. It has species and slight circus smell. The taste is sweet and carbonation with a bit of a bitter aftertaste.   It is kind of dry for the aftertaste. This beer is drinkable at anytime of the year.  It has a nice spicy kicking in this beer just like your normal Belgian style.  Just reading the description, I believe the spices are coming from the Belgian Yeast.

Here is description from the bottle:

In the hop capital of Belgium, Hommel is the word for Humulus, the plant genus where hops reside. Our Hommel Bier defies tradition by combining North American malts, Pacific Northwest hops, and a Belgian yeast strain.  The result is a beer that combines earthy and spicy tones from the yeast with a slight orange note contributed by the hops.  We think it’s buzzworthy.

Here is a few places on the web to get some information about this brewery:

Website: www.perenialbeer.com

Twitter: @perenialbeer

Closing out the tap, this beer like their Saison.  I honestly do not think it is a good value in a 750ml bottle.  However, this beer has a lower ABV, which is 5.9%, then other Belgium or styel, it puts it at a value and drinkable then them.  What I mean by that, you can drink all day and do not have to worry about getting tank.  Duvel, for example, you will have to worry about the ABV because it is 8.5%.  Since this is a small brewery, there will be a limited supply in the market (I am assuming.  I could be totally wrong on this theory.  I am just using my experience at searching for beers from smaller breweries.  I hope I am wrong on this theory.).  I believe craft beer drinkers will hunt this beer down even more then other beers that are easier to find.  Go find this beer and let me know what you think. Enjoy it!  Drink it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Widmer Brothers Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout ’12

In this blog, we are going to talk about a very limited release around the country. I have been wanting to try this beer and I could not find a bottle.  I finally found a bottle but I had to get some help from a few people.  Widmer Brothers is the second oldest brewery from Portland, Oregon.  Bridgeport beat them by a few weeks to have the title of the Oldest Craft Brewery.  Well both breweries are really good at what they do.  Well back to Widmer, the whole idea of the brewery is give you something different from the classic beers from around the world.  I believe the brothers of Widmer has done a very good job.  There pale ale is different from what is out there now.  It has a heavy grapefruit smell and taste.  Let us talk about this beer now.

This beer is black as black can get with a dirty head that is constant. This beer smells like chocolate cover raspberry smell with hints of roasted malt smells. This beer taste like dark chocolate cover raspberry with a roasted and carbonation.  For this beer being a big beer style, it is a very drinkable beer.  You will only have one beer and make it with some kind of dessert.  I did my bottle with vanilla ice cream.

Here is a description from the bottle:

An extremely rich and complex beer.  The addition of raspberries during the fermentation process results in an almost purplish opaque color with a beautiful brown head.  Warm chocolate and roasty notes complement the hop bitterness.

Here is more information on this beer from their website (www.widmerbrothers.com):

ABV 9.3% IBU 70

Malts: Pale, Roast Barley, Caramel 60L, Midnight Wheat, Chocolate Malt

Hops: Alchemy, Willamette, Cascade

Here is a few sources to get more information on this great brewery:

Website: www.widmerbrothers.com

Twitter: @widmer_brothers

In closing, this is not one of my favorites from this brewery but it is still a great beer.  This beer is perfect for a beer dinner.  They pick the right fruit to put into this stout and make it perfect for a spring seasonal.  Rasberries are not over powering but enough for you to enjoy the sweetness of them and the chocolate in it.  If you see a bottle, I would pick it up.  This beer in the Chicagoland area I would say big craft stores where you can find this beer.  Enjoy it! Drink it! Metal it!

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Big Horn Ram Blonde Beer

In this blog, I am on location at The Ram in Wheeling, IL. This is the third blog on this brewery, please look back at the older blogs on back story if this brewery. If you have read them, then you know about this beer.

We are going to talk about one of their everyday beers called Blonde Beer.  It sits in the glass as a clear with a yellow to golden color. There really is no smell to this beer. As far as taste, you can taste the carbonation while the sweetest kicks in halfway through the tasting experience.

There was a menu lying around so here is the description of the beer:

Big Horn Blonde award-winning golden ale, light bodied with mild malt sweetness and delicately hopped for a crisp, refreshing finish.

ABV 4.4% SRM 6.0 IBUs 20 Grain Pale Munich Hops Cascade and Willamette.

In closing, I am going to be honest.  I am really not a fan of this beer nor the style. I really can see people loving this beer. It is a very drinkable beer and session. It is a perfect day like today in Chicago where it is 90+ degree today. This will make the American lager drinker to the wheat beer drinker happy. I do not see many hop heads liking this beer. Enjoy it! Drink it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser