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New Beer Blog New Belgium And Red Rock Brewery Paardebloem Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample a brew from New Belgium and Red Rock Brewery.  I am  talking about Paardebloem Ale from New Belgium’s Lips Of Faith Series.  If you read my earlier beer blog post on New Belgium’s brew, you know the history of this Mountain area craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read those posts on this Fort Collins brewery to get to know them.  Red Rock Brewery is located in Utah in the Salt Lake City.  It opened its doors in 1994.  Their goal is to make the highest quality product and great craft beer to their beer drinkers.  They are now packaging several different beer styles.  They are always looking to grow the different beer styles.  Let us get into the beer.

This ale has a cloudy golden color with a nice small bubble white head.   The aroma has a nice peach notes.  The taste has an up front sweet peaches note to a slight tartness notes with a nice oak and pepper aftertaste.  It is a nice refreshing sipping beer.

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

Using dandelion greens to bitter a Belgian-style ale blossomed from our brewers collaborating with Red Rock Brewing. These being our sixth interpretation together since 2008, expect a wonderfully complex ale fermented with wild Belgian yeast and blended with just a touch of wood-aged beer. Bitterness imparted from dandelion greens and grains of paradise will have you blowing wishes for sips.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com and www.redrockbrewing.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium and @redrockbrwing

Closing out, I normally get pretty nervous with beers that are in 22oz bottle.  I just feel sometimes I do not get my money worth.  I understand it cost the breweries a little bit more to make some of these special brews.  I am glad they do because they get pretty creative on this beers.  Paardebloem Ale is in that area of being creative.  I have to say I really enjoyed this beer and I feel it is well worth the money that I invested into it.  I am not a fan of Peach but I love the combination of the Peach and beer.  It is a nice refreshing but sipping beer.  I highly 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 Surly Brewing Over Rated! West Coast Style IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample a brew from Surly Brewing.  If you are a long time reader of this blog, you know I posted a review on a live blog at Savor a few years ago in Washington D.C.  This beer is their Over Rated! West Coast Style IPA.  Surly Brewing was founded by Omar Ansari in 2005 at Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis.  They brew several different beer styles.  Let us get into this West Coast Style IPA.

It has a cloudy golden color with a white head that disappears over time. The smell is citrus with hints of orange. The taste is refreshing citrus notes with a dry hoppy aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer can:

It’s been said; “It’s easier to brew an extremely hoppy beer than an extremely balanced beer.”  And you known us, we are always looking for the easy way out, so we jumped on the West Coast IPA Bandwagon and brewed this dry and hoppy ale.  “Surly’s a little gimmick beers,”  and maybe we ware OVERRATED, but at the end of the day, it’s just a beer.  If you like it, great, so do we.  If you only liked us when we wer small, then leave this one on the shelf.  Let one of the fanboys grab it.

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

Overrated

It’s been said: “It’s easier to brew an extremely hoppy  beer than an extremely balanced beer.” And you know us, we are always  looking for the easy way out, so we jumped on the West Coast IPA  Bandwagon and brewed this dry and hoppy ale. “Surly’s a little bit of a  one-trick pony, they just brew gimmick beers,” and maybe we are  OVERRATED, but at the end of the day, it’s just a beer. If you like it,  great, so do we. If you only liked us when we were small, then leave  this one on the shelf. Let one of the fanboys grab it.

STYLE: West Coast IPA
MALT: 2-Row, Belgian Crystal
HOPS: Columbus, Centennial, Cascade, El Dorado
YEAST: English Ale
OG: 15.5º Plato
ABV: 7.3%
COLOR: 4.5 º
SRM IBU: 69
AVAILABILITY: Cans, occasionally throughout the year

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.surlybrewing.com

Twitter:  @surlybrewing

In the end, I was pretty excited to see they landed in  the Chicagoland area.  When I was in town, I picked up a four back of this brew and their flagship beer.  I did not enjoy this IPA as much as I did their flagship, which is Furious IPA. I enjoyed this beer very much but the hops.  The hops make this brew pretty drinkable and light in body.  Unlike other west coast style IPA.  I believe that is what Surly Brewery was going for in making this beer.  This is a seasonal brew.  It is a good beer but I love their Furious IPA more.  I recommend you trying 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 Short’s Brew Controversial Ale (Hangin Frank)

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample out Controbersial Ale Aka Hangin’ Frank from Short’s Brewery.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on Short’s Brewery, you know the history of this Northwest Michigan craft brewery.  If you have not read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, please, read them to get to know this Michigan craft brewery.  Controversial Ale comes with a controvasial story behind it.  Frank was one of the brewmasters at Short’s Brewery and he was one that came up with the recipe for this American Style IPA. He hung himself and the brewery released the beer with the recipe he came up with.  They named it Hangin’ Frank.  It recieved a ton of press but not in a good way.  It was pulled from the shelves and renamed as this brew as you can see in the above photo.  Below is the original label of the beer. Let us get into this brew.

It has a light hazel dark copper to light amber color with a nice white head that disappears over time.  The smell has some citrus notes.  The taste has a light carbonated citrus notes with a dry hop to slight citrus aftertaste.  It is pretty drinkable IPA.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

A state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – “turned in an opposite direction,” from contra – “against” – and vertere – to turn, or versus (see verse), hence, “to turn against.”. Perennial areas of controversy include history, religion, philosophy, politics and beer labels.

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

ControversiALE, FKA Hangin’ Frank, is a tribute to Simcoe hops. Simcoe hops are extremely sought after and limited, so Short’s is excited to share this brew with Michigan craft beer lovers every spring. The earthy, citrus and pine-laced aroma is instantly delectable. A large amount of toasted grains and high alpha hops form a perfect union that creates the sensation of toasted sourdough covered with grapefruit hop marmalade. While this beer is hopped like IPA, it drinks like Pale Ale. The light, refreshing qualities of this beer make it perfect for springtime.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Websie:  www.shortsbrewing.com

Twitter:  @ShortsBrewing

In closing, I love how this craft brewery honored one of their past late employees.  The story of ths beer is amazing and sad.  I hope Frank rest in peace.   I love how everyone is all about local and Michigan craft beer.  I heard it all about it when I lived in Chicago.  It is nice and a great idea to support your local business.  However, a line needs to be drawn, the product needs to be good.  I am not saying beer is bad because it is not.  It is a great brew.  I just feel it is not as good as everyone in the State of Michigan makes this beer out to be.  I just feel because it is made here that means good?  It is blind good to some.   I like this beer but it is not the best IPA that have ever had.  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 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 Old Dominion Brewing Double D Double IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample Double D Double IPA from Old Dominion Brewing.  If you read my earlier beer blog post on their Morning Glory Espresso Stout, you know the history of this East Coast Craft Brewery.  If you have not, please, read that beer blog post to get to know Old Dominion Brewing.  Let us get into the brew.

This Double IPA has a clear slightly dark copper color with a nice  white head on it.  The aroma has tropical fruit notes.  The taste has mango to citrus notes with a dry hop aftertaste.  It is a sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Her parents named her Deanie Davis.  Uncle Same assigned her call letters: Double D.  This daring Imperial IPA detonates at 50 IBU’s and 9% ALC. by Vol.

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

Double D Double IPA

Double D is a full-bodied Imperial India Pale Ale, flaunting sultry guava, mango, and tropical fruit aromas as a result of dry hopping with Citra, Zythos and Crystal hops. Brewed with light toasted malt and Bravo bittering hops, this double delights with smooth warming alcohols and a torrid finish.

  • 9.0% alc/vol
  • 90 IBUS
  • Best IPA Atlantic City Beer Festival
  • Pale, Munich and Chocolate Malts
  • Zythos, Crystal, Citra and Bravo Hops
  • Available In 12oz bottles, draft and in the Pinup Pack

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.fordhamanddominion.com

Twitter:  @DominionBrewing

In the end, I have enjoyed most of their beers.  I know being a reader and someone who knows me away from the words of this blog.  I am pretty big fan of this brewery.  I love how this Double IPA drinks.  It has all the hop character that I love.  I love how the hops kick off tropical fruit notes.  I just think it is pretty funny how I am not a fan of tropical fruits.  LOL!  I love them in my beer. This beer is not a drinkable beer but it is a nice sipping beer for a hot summer day or night.  This is a great beer with nice packaging.  I love the play on words for the name of this beer.  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 Flying Dog In Heat Wheat

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While at Ashley’s Westland, I had a chance to sample another brew from Flying Dog.  It is their In Heat Wheat.  It is a German Style Hefeweizen, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite beer styles.  If you read my earlier beer blog post on their Doggy Style Pale Ale, you know the history of this East Coast Craft Brewery.  If you have not, please, read to get to know Flying Dog Brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a cloudy golden color with out a head.  It had a white head at first but disappeared pretty quickly.  The aroma has notes of wheat, yeast, and banana.  The drinking experience is light in body with light carbonated wheaty notes.  The aftertaste is a nice banana notes finish that leaves the palate fast.  It is pretty drinkable.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.flyingdogales.com

Twitter:  @FlyingDog

In the end, I am not a huge wheat beer fan but Hefeweizen has won me over.  I love my porter, stouts, and India Pale Ales.  For the longest, I have kept myself in the area of brews.  Since I am writing and blogging now, I have been exploring more beer styles for reviews asides my favorite beer styles.  The first thing I love about In Heat Wheat.  It is a refreshing and a nice drinkable beer.  I love the aroma and tasting experience.  It has a nice banana notes. I highly 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 Harpoon Brewery Rich And Dan’s Rye IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into the second brew from Harpoon Brewery.  It is their Rye India Pale Ale.  If you read my beer blog post from two days ago, you know the history of this East Coast Craft Brewery.  If you have not read that beer blog post, please, read it to get to know Harpoon Brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear copper color with nice white head on this Rye IPA.  The aroma has a spicy hop notes.  The taste has a slight carbonated spicy citrus notes with a dry hop finish.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

A new take on IPA style, this beer has a dry, subtly spicy character derived from the rye malt, and a complex body balanced by a marked hop flavor and aroma.  Cheers!

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

After 25 years of running a brewery, Harpoon founders Rich and Dan thought it was high time they brewed a beer together.  Truth be told, they didn’t want their name on it.  Truth really be told, they have a running joke as to whether it’s Rich and Dan’s Rye IPA or Dan and Rich’s Rye IPA. Regardless of the order, the point is the same: they’ve been friends for three decades and still love having a beer together. It’s a testament to great beer and friendship, and it made sense, in this case, to name names. Grab your pals and toast to friendship with this Rye IPA!

Description

This beer is brewed with hops, a variety of malts, our proprietary yeast – the same yeast we’ve used since first brewing Harpoon Ale – and more hops. A lot more hops. Centennial and Chinook, and the dry hop addition of Falconer’s Flight add a multidimensional hop character, and the combination of Pale, Rye, Caramel 60, Flaked Rye, and Vienna yield a complex malt body that stands up to the spiciness of the rye and the pronounced hop flavor.

Tasting Notes

  • Appearance:  hazy, deep orange with a reddish hue
  • Aroma: citrus, fruity aroma with an underlying spice note
  • Mouth feel:  medium-bodied, slightly chewy
  • Taste: the spice from the rye is balanced by the malt blend
  • Finish: dry, distinct hop finish

Here is a video from their website (www.harpoonbrewery.com) and YouTube (www.youtube.com):

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.harpoonbrewery.com

Twitter:  @harpoon_brewery

Ending, Rye IPA are fastly becoming a very popular and growing beer style in the India Pale Ale styles.  It gives the craft beer and hophead drinker something else then the normal India Pale Ale.  White IPA, IPL, and Rye IPA are new and growing.  There are craft breweries pushing the limits of their brewery to give the craft beer drinker something different.  I like this Rye IPA but I know there are better ones on the market.  This one is in my top five of Rye IPA’s.  Unlike most Rye IPA’s on the market, this is one of the few that is available all year-long.  I highly 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 Harpoon Brewery Leviathan IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample the first beer on this blog from Harpoon Brewery.  It is their Leviathan IPA.  I have been meaning to get around to write reviews on this brewery.  I am a fan of their IPA.  Harpoon Brewery was born in 1986 by Rich Doyle on a piece of paper while in Harvard Business School.  He teamed up with Dan Kenary and George Ligeti to start brewing their beers.  Harpoon Brewery brews several different beer styles and cider. They are best known for their IPA and Hefeweizen. Let us get into this beer.

It has a clear copper color with a nice white head.  The aroma has some tropical fruit notes.  The taste has some tropical fruit notes with a nice malty backbone.  The aftertaste is a bitter hop finish.  It is not over overpowering.  It is a sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Massive and complex hop additions yield a powerful bitterness that is steadied by sweet malt backbone in this colossal IPA.

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

We welcomed the challenge of brewing a 90 IBU Imperial IPA that would showcase glorious American hops while maintaining a multi-dimensional character. Bring on the hops!

Description

This Imperial IPA is brewed with loads of pale malt and just enough caramel malt to provide a sweet malt backbone to balance the hop intensity. We used a mix of our favorite American hops including Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, and Amarillo to create a complex hop flavor and lingering bitterness. Harpoon’s proprietary yeast lends fruity esters, while dry-hopping at the rate of over one pound per barrel produces this beer’s massive aroma.

Tasting Notes

  • Appearance: Clear, yellow/orangey in color
  • Aroma: Tropical fruit hop
  • Mouth feel: Full-bodied
  • Taste: Tropical fruit hop
  • Finish: Dry, bitter finish

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.harpoonbrewery.com

Twitter:  @harpoon_brewery

In the end, Harpoon Brewery did a great job on this brew.  I love the color and aroma.  The aroma comes from the hops that kick off some nice tropical fruit notes.  The drinking experience is the same as the aroma.  The presentation is nice from the color and head on this Double India Pale Ale.  I really enjoyed drinking this brew.  It has everything that a hophead could want in an Imperial IPA.  I highly recommend this brew.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser