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New Beer Blog Goose Island Oktoberfest

In this 400th blog post, we are going to get into new fall seasonal from Goose Island. It is the return of their Oktoberfest after six years absence. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Chicago craft brewery. If you have not, please, read those beer blogs to get to know this brewery. Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear amber copper color without a head on the beer. The smell is caramel. The taste is a heavy sweet creamy caramel without an aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

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

Brewer’s Notes:

Brewed in the traditional Märzen style our Oktoberfest pours a brilliant copper over rose color with a bone white head. Notes of toffee and burnt sugar in the aroma and flavors of sweet dried apricots are delivered in a dry malty body with the mild earthy bitterness that is the hallmark of Hallertau hops.

Recipe Information:

Style: Märzen Alcohol by Volume: 6.4% International Bitterness Units: 17 Color: Copper Hops: Hallertau Malts: 2-Row, Carapils, Munich 10, C-20, C-40, C-120

Availability

Seasonal Bottles: 6pks Draft: 1/6 & 1/2bbl

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.gooseisland.com

Twitter; @gooseisland

In closing, over the years, I have grown to start to dislike fall beers. It just seems like they disappointment me every year to year. I was happy to hear that Goose Island brought back their Oktoberfest in package. This beer does not have that Goose Island taste like the rest of their beers. This beer is a little different. It is little bit more hoppier than the normal Oktoberfest. This beer is not my favorite but it is really good brew. It also gives me hope for all the fall seasonals again. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Fuller’s London Porter

Fuller’s London Porter is the next brew that will be featured on this beer blog. If you read my beer blog post on their ESB, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not read that beer blog post, please, that beer blog post to get to know this brewery. Let us get into the beer.

It has a jet black color without a head on the beer. The smell is rich chocolate black coffee. The taste of this light to medium body beer is dark chocolate and coffee with a dry dark chocolate aftertaste. It is not drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Fuller’s London Porter is an award-winning example of this historic English style; smooth and creamy with delicious chocolate and coffee flavors derived from the roasted malts.

The Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, has been brewing fine ales since 1654.

The Fuller, Smith & Turner partnership, dating back to 1845, brews an excellent range of award-winning ales, many of which are available in the USA, including London Pride pale ale and the world’s original ESB. I hope you will enjoy trying all our fine ales.

Here is a description from their website (www.fullers.co.uk):

London Porter

Fuller’s London Porter, is widely regarded as the World’s Finest Porter: having won awards all over the world, London Porter is regularly voted the number one Porter on beer websites such as http://www.ratebeer.com, a tremendous accolade to our brewing team. The origins of Porter date back to London in the early eighteenth century, and the beer has seen fame around the world, from Ireland to the USA and Australia. It was the dominant beer style in London for quite some time, and takes its name from the street and river porters of the city who carried goods around the streets.

Tasting notes

Fuller’s London Porter captures the flavours of those original brews perfectly, although you won’t find a cloudy pint these days! Rich, dark and complex, at 5.4% ABV the beer has an outstanding depth of flavour.
It is brewed from a blend of Brown, Crystal and Chocolate malts for a creamy delivery balanced by traditional Fuggles hops. The range of flavours works well with a wide variety of foods, ranging from rich meat dishes, to oysters, and even chocolate puddings.

Here is their website and twitter addresses;

Website: www.fullers.co.uk

Twitter; @London_Pride

In the end, this is a great classic porter from Fuller’s. This beer is rich and smooth with a ton of chocolate and coffee notes. There is a lot going in this brew. I can see many American Craft Breweries trying to make their own version of this great beer. If you love porters, this is one porter you have to try before you make any judgement on other porters in the world. This porter is in my top five porters of all time. 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 Dark Horse Safety Meeting IPA

In this beer blog, we are going to get into an India Pale Ale from Dark Horse Brewing. I had their Safety Meeting IPA on National India Pale Ale Day. Dark Horse Brewing was founded in 1998 by Bill Morse and Aaron Morse. They opened in Marshall, Michigan. They later moved to their current location off South Kalamazoo Road in 2000. They brew several different beer styles. They are known for their flagship which is called Crooked Tree IPA. Let us get into the beer.

It has cloudy amber color without a head on the beer. The smell is piney and citrus. The taste of this medium body beer is citrus to hints of pine with a wet hop finish. It is pretty drinkable.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.darkhorsebrewery.com

Twitter: @DarkHorseBrewCo

Happy IPA Day!, I enjoyed this beer and I love the hops that they used in this beer. This beer was pretty well-balanced beer. I was pretty stun by it. I was on my way back to Michigan from Chicago and I wanted to stop by the brewpub to have lunch. I had a few IPA’s at the brewpub and enjoyed them. I had a chance to talk to some of the regulars that come into the brewpub. Chuck was a really nice guy and I hope to meet him again the next time I come back through the brewpub. The food was great and everyone was really nice. I highly recommend this beer if it is still available and checking out the brewpub. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Blue Point Hoptical Illusion India Pale Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into one of my favorite India Pale Ales. I am talking about Blue Point Brewing and the beer is their Hoptical Illusion India Pale Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on this brewery, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not read those beer posts, please, read them to know everything about this brewery. Let us get into the beer.

It has a dark golden color without a head on the beer. The smell is weird malt to the beer. There is really no hop smell. The taste of this full body IPA is earthy to piney with a slight dry hop finish. It is pretty drinkable beer.

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

We won’t go as far as saying you’ll see things after partaking in a few, but one or two will leave you craving more. Ancient Egyptians stuffed their pillows with fresh hops, believing the hop’s aroma brought on intense, vivid dreams. Today, our classic, American-style India Pale Ale (IPA) features a rare hop grown exclusively on a small farm in Oregon. One taste and you’ll understand why we bought the entire crop. Our Hoptical Illusion IPA is brewed with a generous amount of this select hop that’s added five different ways for maximum hop flavor. The delicious, resiny, citrus-burst that you taste is the “Essence of the Hop” which is balanced by a malty backbone yielding an intense, golden ale. Hoptical Illusion tantalizes beer lovers’ taste-buds, while its colorful, psychedelic packaging is candy for the eyes.

1.064 OG and 66 IBU’s 6.8% ABV

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.bluepointbrewing.com

Twitter: @bluepointbrewer

Ending, I miss getting this beer in the Chicago market. However, I was visiting friends and family in Michigan, I was able to pick up some beer and this one of them. I love this India Pale Ale while I was there. I always call this beer the “Hippie Package” or “Hippie IPA.” I love the hops that they are using in this beer. I highly recommend you trying this great beer from the Long Island, New York brewery. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Blue Point Brewing Blueberry Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Blue Point Brewing. It is their Blueberry Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Long Island, New York brewery. If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know this brewery. Let us get into beer.

It has a clear golden color without a head. The smell is heavy blueberry. The taste of this light body beer is heavy blueberry notes. It is extremely drinkable beer.

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

Who knew that throwing some blueberries into a batch of beer one day would have worked out so well? While there’s no Oompa-Loompas involved in its production; there’s definitely something special that makes Blueberry Ale one of our top-sellers. First brewed in 1998, this delicious golden ale quickly became a year-round favorite. Our fresh Blueberry Ale offers an unusual twist on brewing that turns out to be a wonderful blend of fresh blueberries matched with a distinctive, thirst quenching ale. We carefully add 732 pounds of fresh, plump and juicy, handpicked, USA Northern Highbush Blueberries to every batch. Even before your first sip of Blueberry Ale, a strong, refreshing sweet fruit aroma emanates from the bottle, kicking your taste-buds into overdrive.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.bluepointbrewing.com

Twitter: @bluepointbrewer

Closing, I do get into my fair share of fruit beers. I love pretty much everything I have had from Blue Point Brewing. I had this beer for the first time in Cooperstown, New York. I have to say I was pretty impressed. I picked up this bottle on my way back to Chicago from Detroit. I wanted to re-try this brew just to make sure I still like it. This beer is pretty balanced from the golden ale and the blueberries. It is sweet but not overly sweet. 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 Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf Imperial India Pale Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Three Floyds and the brew is Arctic Panzer Wolf Imperial India Pale Ale. If you read my read my earlier beer blog, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read the history of this brewery. Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear dark copper to light amber color without a head on the beer. The smell is a fruity notes like mango. The taste is a huge and heavy mango notes with a dry fruit hop aftertaste. It is kind of drinkable beer. For an experience beer drinker, it is drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

A dry and stupendous hopped medium bodied Imperial India Pale Ale brewed with Canadian 2-row malt, dextrose sugar and lots of American hops. Arctic Panzer Wolf has superior aroma’s of marmalade, white wine, pine and apricot all mixed with an intense American hop bitterness. Cheers!

Here is a description from their website (www.3floyds.com):

9.5% ABV 100 IBUs

A massive IPA that will leave your palate its hapless victim. Scorched earth is our brewery policy.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.3floyds.com

Twitter: @3floyds

In closing, I will be first to say I am not a huge fan of this brewery because I believe their beers are overrated and over priced. I have to say I have been pretty impressed by this brew. I love the hops and the balanced from the malts. I love the aroma and the nice hops taste is really good. This brewery took their time to find the right hops for this brew. This is a well made beer and nice balance. I recommend you trying this beer. I would love to hear your thoughts on this brew and the brewery. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Three Floyds Evil Power Imperial Pilsner

In this beer blog, we are going to get into our second brew from Three Floyds Brewery. The beer is their Evil Power Imperial Pilsner. If you read my earlier beer blog on their Christmas Porter, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read that beer blog to get to know this brewery. Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear golden color with a semi white head. There is no smell to the beer. The taste of this medium body beer has a slightly crisp citrus with malt notes with a clean crisp dry aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

A fortified Euoropean Style Pils langered to perfection, brewed with Heavy Metal warriors Lair Of The Minotaur in commemoration of their 4th Full-Lenght release “Evil Power.” Available now at lairoftheminotaur.com 3floyds.com prosit skol cheers.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.3floyds.com

Twitter: @3floyds

Closing out, I have a problem with most craft breweries when they try to make a lager or pilsner. I will have to say I have had some really bad version of this classic beer styles. Three Floyds Brewing is one of the few craft breweries in the United States that made a great Imperial Pilsner. I have to say this brew has challenged Uinta Imperial Pilsner. I wish I could find this in the City of Chicago but I have to drive down to their brewpub. It has a beautiful color that welcomes you to drink this brew. There is a nice hop character but a nice malty blend with a nice crisp dry finish. I highly recommend you trying this brew. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

New Beer Blog Paw Paw Brewing K.U.A. Extra Pale Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into the first brew from Paw Paw Brewing on this blog. I had a chance to try their beer at the Michigan Brewer’s Guild Summerfest. I stopped by their booth and talked to them along with sampling their beers. I was back in Michigan this last weekend to see Tesla and Uncle Ted. I did stop by their brewpub but they were closed. I might make a trip back in to check out this brewery. Paw Paw Brewing is located in Paw Paw, Michigan by Ben Fleckestein and Ryan Sylvester in 2010. They had their grand opening in 2011. They brew several different beer styles and package them in bottles. I am looking forward to stopping in and trying everything straight from source. Let us get into the beer.

It has a hazel copper color with a constant white head. There is no smell to this extra pale ale. The taste is smooth caramel with a citrus hop finish. It is drinkable.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

This American pale ale carries tropical citrus notes and announces itself first with a golden color and wonderful aroma. Inspired by cyclists nationwide that ride the urban streets, this brew is sure to refresh.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.pawpawbrewing.com

Twitter: @pawpawbrewery and @2pawsbeer

In the end, this is an awesome beer. I have to say the newer craft breweries raising up in Michigan put the newer ones in Chicago to shame. Michigan is growing into a pretty important state for craft beer. They are a long ways off from Oregon and Washington. They are gaining ground pretty quickly. I love the hops that they use on this beer and yet there is a nice balance from the malt. This a well-built beer and you can tell that this brewery put some thought behind this beer. I will be looking forward to try rest of their beers. I recommend you driving to Michigan to get this beer in your hands. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Bastone Brewery Peanut Butter Noir

In this beer blog, we are going to get into another beer I had at the Summer Beer Festival in Michigan. The brewery is Bastone Brewery and the beer is their Peanut Butter Noir. The brewery is located at Royal Oak, Michigan in 2004. The brewery is named after a Belgian city. Their beer and food is theme after this great Europe country. I found this information on their website (www.bastone.net). Let us get into beer.

It has a peanut butter color without a head on it. There is not a smell to it. The taste is sweet peanut butter with a dry peanut butter aftertaste. It is not drinkable.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.bastone.net

Twitter: @bastonebrewery

In the end, I have to say I was pretty impressed by this beer. Everyone with me was looking at me weird when I brought it over to the group. This brewery did think out of the box which is a good thing. I am willing to try beers like this all the time. I have to say this was a really good tasting beer. I loved the aftertaste. I hate to say this. I could only have maybe 12oz pour of this beer. It is not thick but heavy. I just feel it is heavy and not drinkable. I really enjoyed this beer and I could not find anything on their website about this brew. I am looking forward to making a trip to this brewery the next time I am in town. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Great Divide Colette Farmhouse Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into the second of three beers from Great Divide Brewing. It is their Colette Farmhouse Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog, you know the history of this great Denver brewery. If you have not, please, read that beer blog post. Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear bright yellow to golden color with constant small bubbles. There is yeast in the bottle that will change it from clear to cloudy. The head is a constant white. The smell is a slight farmhouse but a fresh farm smell. The taste of this light body ale has slight lemon with some spices with a spicy to lemon but refreshing finish. It is a drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Colette is our homage to the saisons that Belgian farm workers have enjoyed for centuries. Brewed with barley, wheat and rice and fermented at high temperatures with a special blend of four different yeast stains, Colette is fruity and slightly tart, with a dry finish that makes it that rarest of treats – a beer as refreshing as it is complex.

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

COLETTE is our homage to the saisons that Belgian farm workers have enjoyed for centuries. Brewed with barley, wheat and rice and fermented at high temperatures with a special blend of four different yeast strains, COLETTE is fruity and slightly tart, with a dry finish that makes it that rarest of treats — a beer as refreshing as it is complex.

ABV.: 7.3%

AVAILABLE: Year Round

SIZES: 6 packs, 5 gal and 15.5 gal kegs

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.greatdivide.com

Twitter; @greatdividebrew

Ending, this is a pretty tricky ale to make for most craft breweries. There are several different Saisons on the market. It could be hoppy amber saison, hoppy saison, and a refreshing saison. This one to me is in the refreshing saison. It echos the classic beer style. It is well balance and gives everything that a saison fan is looking for in this beer style. I recommend you trying. Please, 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

Brewer’s Notes:

Recipe Information:

Availability

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