california beers

New Beer Blog Anchor Brewery Christmas Ale (2015)

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Anchor Brewery.  It is this year’s version of their Christmas Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this West Coast craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this California craft brewery.  Let us get into this Winter Ale.

It has a black color with constant tan color head. The smell has a sweet malty to light alcohol with a hint of chocolate to coffee notes. The taste of this medium body beer has a dry malty to slight coffee notes. The aftertaste has a dry malty with a hint of alcohol notes. It is a sipping beer

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

This is the forty-first annual Christmas Ale from the brewers at Anchor. It is sold only from early November to mid–January. The Ale’s recipe is different every year—as is the tree on the label—but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew.

Our tree for 2015 is the Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara), better known as the California Christmas Tree. Native of the Himalayas, it takes its name from the ancient Sanskrit devadaru, meaning timber of the gods. This coniferous evergreen, with its gracefully droopy branches and blue-green needles, has been a San Francisco favorite for over 150 years.

The annual search for the perfect tree for our Christmas Ale label usually takes us far afield. This one began and ended with the search for a parking space near the Brewery! Getting out of the car, we couldn’t help but notice the way the late-afternoon sun danced amid the branches of two lovely Deodars just half a block from Anchor’s front door.

Our longtime label artist Jim Stitt—who has been drawing trees for us since 1975—loved “our” Deodars and, like us, was amused that they were about as local as local gets! His charming illustration evokes the radiant beauty of our arboreal neighbors as well as the spirit of the season. Cheers from the Anchor brewers!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.anchorbrewing.com

Twitter:  @anchorbrewing

In the end, this beer is like a tradition of going home for the holiday.  I always pick up a six pack of this beer every year.  I will be honest right now.  I was not a fan of the last few years.  I love this years. This year’s just blew me out of my mind.  It is very well balance.  I love the how it is pretty dry.  I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Coronado Brewing Blue Bridge Coffee Stout

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample the second beer from Coronado Brewing.  It is their Blue Bridge Coffee Stout.  If you read my earlier beer blog on their everyday IPA, you know the history of this California craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read it to get to know Coronado Brewing.  Let us get into this coffee stout.

It has a jet black color with a tan to light brown color head. The aroma has a heavy coffee with a burn chocolate notes. The taste has a smooth creamy chocolate with a dry coffee aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Just as the iconic Coronado Bay Bridge connects our island home to the mainland, this java-tinged dry stout, brewed using dark roasted coffee beans from a local San Diego artisanal roaster, provides a bridge uniting craft beer drinkers with CBC’s rich, flavorful SoCal brewing traditions.

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

Just as the iconic Coronado Bay Bridge connects our island home to the mainland, this java-tinged dry stout, brewed using dark roasted coffee beans from a local San Diego artisanal roaster, provides a bridge uniting craft beer drinkers with CBC’s rich, flavorful SoCal brewing traditions.

Details

Style: Coffee Stout Malt Profile: 2-Row, Crisp 45, Simpson R.B. Ingredients: Café to dark roast coffee-10lbs per 10bbl Hop Profile: Northern Brewer Yeast Profile: Cal Ale IBUs: 27 Alcohol by Vol: 5.40% Sizes: Bottles: 22 oz. | Draft: 1/6bbl & 1/2bbl

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.coronadobrewingcompany.com

Twitter:  @CoronadoBrewing

In the end, I was pretty excited when this craft brewery hit the shelves here in Michigan.  I have been wanting to try their beers.  I love my coffee stouts.  It was a no brainer to pick up bottle of their coffee stout.  I was not impressed with this beer.  It just seems a little water down.  It is not good and it could be better. It is pretty than most on the market.  There is better coffee stouts on the market.  It might be ok in the warm weather in California.  Here in the Midwest, we need a heavy stouts and porters.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Buffalo Bill’s Brewery American’s Original Pumpkin Ale (2014)

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In this fall beer blog, we are going to get into the Oringal Pumpkin Ale from Buffalo Bill’s Brewery.  Buffalo Bill’s is one of the oldest brewpub in the United States.  It opened in 1983.  It was opened right after the laws changed.  Bill Owens, who is the founder and owner, wanted to serve homemade food with some great beers.  In 1994, Bill Owens sold the brewery to Geoff Harries.  Geoff worked with Bill in 1987 as the orinigal brewmaster.  Geoff grew the brewerey into 40 states in the United States.  This is information was pulled from their website (www.buffalobillsbrewery.com).  Let us get into this pumpkin ale.

It has a slightly cloudy amber color with a white head at first.  The smell has a light to slight cinnamon notes.  The taste of this medium body beer has a cinnamon notes with a crisp cinnamon finish.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

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

Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin pie in a bottle

America’s Original Pumpkin Ale was first brewed in 1985. Made with real pumpkin, it has a golden amber color, and the sweet aroma of pumpkin pie. This brew is perfect for Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkin Ale is available from August – November

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.buffalobillsbrewery.com

Twitter:  No Twitter address

In closing, here is the pumpkin beer that started this mass trend right now.  Every fall, we have a flood of Oktoberfest and Pumpkin beers hit the market.  It is alwasy nice to go back and try the beer that started that trend.  I had this about four or five years ago and loved it.  I wanted to retry it.  I still love this beer.  I have to say it is better than most pumpkin ales on the market now.  There are some really bad pumpkin ales on the market.  It is so disappointed us beer drinkers have not send that message that these beers are not good.  I mean we vote with our wallet or money.  It is a nice message not to buy them.  This one is good and you need to try or retry it.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Green Flash Brewing Double Stout Black Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from Green Flash Brewing from California.  Thanks again to my friend Jay for sharing this brew with me.  If you read my beer blog post earlier, you know the history of this brewery from the southern part of California.  If you have not, please ,read that beer blog post to get to know this brewery.  Let us get into beer.

It has a jet black color with a creamy tan color head on this stout.  The aroma is chocolate, hint of coffee, and toffee notes.  The taste is a creamy chocolate with a chocolate and caramel aftertaste.  This double stout is a scary drinkable.

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

Double Stout Black Ale

Golden naked oats mashed with dark crystal and robust roasted malts create a luscious black brew with satin-smooth finish. An old-world style, done the Green Flash way. Big, bold, flavorful and complex.

ALC. BY VOL. 8.8% | IBUS: 45

  • World Beer Cup   2010 Silver–Other Strong
  • California State Fair   2009 1st Place – Foreign-style Stout 2008 1st Place – Imperial Stout
  • Los Angeles County Fair   2009 Silver – Imperial Stout
  • San Diego County Fair   2012 Bronze – Bold Stout

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.greenflashbrew.com

Twitter:  @Greenflashbeer

In the end,  this is a big beer and stout.  It is nicely balance and extremely drinkable.  It rich and full of flavor.  This brewery knows how to make some great beers asides India Pale Ales.  They are not like most breweries that know how to make one beer style great and rest of their beer styles are bad or good.  This brewery took some time and learn how to brew beer.  They put some thought behind this beer and rest of their line up.  I love this beer and I will be drinking it again down the road. I highly 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 Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from Sierra Nevada.  It is their winter seasonal called Celebration Fresh Hop Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on their Beer Camper, you know the history of this brewery.  If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer post.  Let us get into the beer.

This beer from Sierra Nevada is called Celebration Fresh Hop Ale. It has a deep hazel copper color without a head on the beer. The smell is citrus to the beer. The taste is dry carbonation citrus with a dry aftertaste.

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

Festive fresh hop holiday fun.

The start of Celebration season is a festive event. We can’t start brewing until the first fresh hops have arrived, but once they have the season is officially under way! First brewed in 1981, Celebration Ale is one of the earliest examples of an American-style IPA and one of the few hop-forward holiday beers. Famous for its intense citrus and pine aromas, Celebration is bold and intense, featuring Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops—honoring everything we have at Sierra Nevada.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sierranevada.com

Twitter:  @sierranevada

Closing out, this is one of my favorite beers in the winter season and Sierra Nevada Brewery.  This is everything that I want out of a winter seasonal.  I love the hoppy taste and a great malty backbone. Most winter seasonals are jacked up with nutmeg or cinnamon and this brew gives you a different side of the season l.  I realize that craft breweries are going back to more the traditional beer styles and getting away from the over hop beers.  If you have not had this beer, I recommend you picking up a six-pack and try this great beer.  Let me know what you think of this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser