brown ale

New Beer Blog Short’s Cinnabilly Doppelbock

image

In this beer blog, we are going to sample Cinnabilly Doppelbock from Short’s Brewery.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Michigan craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know Short’s Brewery.  Let us get into doppelbock.

It has a clear amber to brown color with a tan color at first but over time, there is no head.  The smell has a sweet malty to cinnamon notes.  The taste has sweet malty notes with a rush of cinnamon on the back-end. The aftertaste has a heavy cinnamon that rushes away.  It is a sipping beer.

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

Cinnabilly has an appealing look and aroma. This clear, caramel colored gem emits a soft potpourri of cinnamon sticks, brown sugar, and hints of vanilla. Sweet malt flavors allow for an array of sensations, ranging from toasted almonds to cinnamon graham crackers. The pleasant addition of cinnamon creates wonderful accents throughout the beer that are never overwhelming.

7% ABV

30 IBU

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.shortsbrewing.com

Twitter:  @shortsbrewing

Closing, at one time this Michigan craft brewery was in my top ten.  Since moving back to Michigan, I have been retrying their beers and have been pretty disappointed.  I have to say there is some things you do not add in some beer styles.  This brewery would have noticed it but they keep making more and more different beer styles to their family of beers.  I bet they are in double-digit for seasonals.  There is nothing wrong making a ton of beer styles.  As long as your quality does not take a hit.  I believe their demand is pretty high on most of their beers and they are rushing beer to the market. Quality is more important than quantity.  This beer style is a great beer style and I have seem craft breweries do different things with it.  I thought this was a great idea.  I was wrong thinking that.  I put some thought while drinking it.  I was wondering why I was thinking that.  The cinnamon overpowers great things that are in Doppelbock.   I am really disappointed and I wish I never try it.  It is hard for me to say that because I love beer and craft beer.  I do recommend it to try it at least once but I bet you will be disappointed.  I will give them credit for trying something. It seems that is all I am doing now with Short’s. Don’t go get some!  Drink it!  Not enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Abita Turbodog

image

In this beer blog, we are going to sample Turbodog Ale from Abita.  If you read my beer blog posts on their beers a few days ago, you know the history of this southern craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know Abita Brewery.  Let us get into this English Brown Ale.

It has a nice dark brown color with a nice white constant head on this English Style Brown Ale.  The aroma has caramel, toffee, and slight chocolate notes.   The taste of this light to medium body beer has a light carbonated chocolate notes with some toffee notes.  The aftertaste has toffee notes.  It is drinkable brew.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Turbodog is a dark brown ale brewed with pale, caramel and chocolate malts and Willamette hops. This combination gives Turbodog its rich body and color and a sweet chocolate, toffee-like flavor.

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

Turbodog® is a dark brown ale brewed with pale, caramel, and chocolate malts and Willamette hops. This combination gives Turbodog® its rich body and color and a sweet chocolate, toffee-like flavor. Turbodog® began as a specialty ale, but has gained a huge, loyal following and has become one of our flagship brews.

This ale pairs well with most meats and is great served with hamburgers or sausages. It is a good match with smoked fish and can even stand up to wild-game dishes. Turbodog® is also great for marinating and braising meats and cooking such things as cabbage and greens. Colby, Gloucester, Cheddar and blue cheeses go nicely with Turbodog®. It’s perfect with spicy Louisiana jambalaya or Spanish paella. Some even like it paired with chocolate!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.abita.com

Twitter:  @TheAbitaBeer

In the end, I have enjoy my fair share of American and English Brown Ale. Turbodog is an English Style Brown Ale.  This brew has a ton of flavor and I can see many brown ale fans enjoying this beer.  This beer is in my Top 5.  I love Turbodog, Goose Island Nut Brown Ale, and Brooklyn Brown Ale.  It is a medium body but is pretty drinkable.  I can see this beer go with just about any dish.  I love to see how it would go with some chocolate ice cream with some hot fudge on top of it.  I 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 Beer Stores In Southeast Michigan And West Of Detroit Part 1

(www.509beerstore.com)

In this beer blog, we are going to talk about liquor stores in my area of Michigan.  I just moved back in October so please, give me feed back if I missed a store.  As you know, I am a huge beer fan and a craft beer fan.  I will be the first to say I was spoiled in Chicagoland area with great beer stores.  It was between Binny’s, Cardinal Stores, and some of the chain stores there.  When I moved back, I knew Michigan craft beer market was huge on Michigan beers, which should be the case.  There are so many beers, and breweries in every market around the country.  I know Michigan is in that same situation.  Where do I go to buy some great beers?  I had no idea.  I did Google search after Google search.  I came up with a list.  I even did something I hate doing walking in and out of stores.  I do have a list and I am going to be up front and honest.  Here we go!

Beer Baron (Livonia, MI)

Beer Baron is a little bit north of Wine Palace by 7 mile on Middlebelt.  When I went, they were working on the store.  The staff there was nice and let me walk around.  He let me take my time and asked if I needed help.  This was the opposite of Wine Palace.  They have a great beer selection and some pretty good prices.  I was pretty impressed.  This is a beer store and it is pretty clear to that fact.  The two things I did not like about this store.  One, the store is in chaos.  There is beer everywhere.  Two, when I went, the staff did not know anything about beer.  Their parking lot is a lot easier than Wine Palace.  I recommend this beer store.

Wine & Barrel (Livonia, MI)

I did not want to drive up to Beer Baron and I am staying away from Wine Palace.  I just went to Wine & Barrel that is right down the street from my place.   There is some nice parking at the side of the building and they are not that busy like the last two stores.  The first thing, I did not like is the guy does not take pop cans.  You are a liquor store that sells rum and you do not sell pop.  I guess not rum and coke for someone in the area.  I am just saying.  I was not happy by that.  Now, I have to go two places to get my errands done for returns.  Who will go there and buy their liquor just to go somewhere else to get their pop?  I was not too impressed by their beer selection.  I did not like the fact you could not buy single beers (12oz).  They had beer store selected ones available.  It was like it came from their breakage area.  I thought their prices where too high like Wine Palace.  I get it that these stores need to make some money.  There is a level where it will keep people out of your store.  This store has a huge area for beer brewing supplies.  I thought that was really cool when I was walking through but after looking at that the beer selection.  I started to have a different attitude towards the store.  Their beer area is all over the place.  I mean you have craft beer with imports beers and the other way around.  This is so not profitable for the store.  Their beer customers that are looking at crafts beers are not seeing all their crafts or import beer customers in one area.  They have to walk around the store and I know I might have missed something.  It can be the same for their mass-produced beer customers.   I just feel they make more money off their beer supplies.  There is nothing wrong at being just a brewing supply store.  I will pass on this store.

Mid-Joy Liquor Store (Livonia, MI)

The first weekend I was back in Michigan.  I wanted to go beer shopping so I thought I would go back to my old liquor store when I first lived in the area.  They have a pretty nice selection.  I was enjoying it until I started noticing that everything I was picking up was out of date.  I was pretty disappointed pretty quickly.  This store went hard into the craft beer without the consumers to support it.  I never went back into this store.  I might again but I think I just might stay away.

Keg & Wine Party Store (Redford, MI)

I found this store looking for a Cider from Woodchuck Hard Cider on their website.  The parking lot could be better but that is not point of this review.  The store inside is pretty nice and clean.  Everyone is nice and helpful.  They have a great selection on beers and spirits.   I was pretty impressed.  I will have to say it is better than Wine Palace.  The only thing I do not like about this store.  I can not buy single bottles and/or cans of beer (12oz).  You have to buy the six or four pack.  I will be back to this store and I recommend this store.

Holiday Market (Canton, MI)

Whenever I would come in town, this was the store I would go to in the beginning.  They had whole warm shelf aisle in this grocery store for craft beer.  I was amazed at the selection.  I always picked up beers that I could not get in Chicago.  I started to realize pretty quickly that they were not selling through most their beers.  This store at that time had a ton of out of code beers.  This is a great store but buyer beware.

Super Fines (Canton, MI)

This store is at the top of my list.  They have just about everything in this liquor store.  If they do not have it, they will get the beer or whatever you are looking for at that time.  If it is sold in the state, they will get it.   You can do mix six packs in every price range.  You can buy single beers too.  They have a pretty big spirit selection.  This is a great beer store and I highly recommend it.

Closing, I know I have not covered everything liquor stores in the Southeast Michigan.  I am looking at just craft liquor beer stores.  I am not going to just the neighbor store.  I went to ones that claim they are a craft beer store or I know they have a pretty big selection.  I know there are more out there.  I will keep searching.  I loved Super Fines in Canton, Beer Barton in Livonia, and Key & Wine Party Store in Redford.  I will never go back into Wine Barrel and Mid-Joy Liquor Store in Livonia.  If there are any other stores, please, let me know.  I would love to hear your thoughts on these stores.  I will be writing a new review here shortly.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Off Color Brewing Scurry

image

Starting new beer tab, Off Color Brewing is the featured craft brewery on this beer blog.  This is their frist appearance on this blog.  The beer that will be sampling is Scurry and tomorrow will be their Troublesome Wheat Beer.  Off Color Brewing was founded in the later part of 2012 to early part of 2013 in the western part Logan Square in Chicago.  The founder are John Laffler, who was part of Goose Island brewery team, and Dave Bleitner, who was part of Two Brothers Brewery team.  Their goal is to brew beer that they will enjoy and something different then the norm on the market today.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a dark brown to a slight amber or dark brown reddish color with a semi constant white head.  The smell is honey with hints of caramel.  The taste is a smooth and slight creamy honey with a nice creamy chocolate aftertaste.  It is a extremely drinkable beer.

Here is a descriation from their website (www.offcolorbrewing.com):

SCURRY

Dark Honey Ale

This surprisingly dry beer retains all the aroma and nuance of honey (from bees) and molasses (not from bees) creating a perception of sweetness through cool, controlled fermentation. Because we’re sweet enough damn it.

ABV:5.3%
HOPS:Strisselspalt, Nothern Brewer, Hallertau Hersbrucker
IBU:18