east coast

New Blog Sixpoint Resin

In this blog, Sixpoint Resin is going to be the feature beer.  Sixpoint Brewery is from Brooklyn, New York City which was founded in 2004.  They brew several different beer styles and put a twist on them.  I have blogged on this brewery several times.  I believe the only beer that I am not a really big fan of their Rightlous Ale.   I need to retry that beer again.  I am not a big fan of Rye Ales.  Asides that I really enjoyed the rest of their line up and it includes this beer.  Let us get into this beer.

Sixpoint Resin is an Imperial India Pale Ale.  It has a nice copper color with a little white head in the beer. It has a heavy citrus to piney smell to it. The taste is a sweet carbonation citrus with the dry hop aftertaste.  It is very drinkable for the style of beer.

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

Resin

Whatever flames upon the night. Man’s own resinous heart has fed.  A beer that celebrates the extraction of hop resin for a concentrated yet balanced brew. View the story of the Resin below.
Here is a video on their website (www.sixpoint.com):

Sixpoint Resin

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sixpoint.com

Twitter:  @sixpoint

In closing, I am a huge hop head and this lives up to the hop muscle that I am looking in an Imperial India Pale Ale.  I love the overall beer taste.  It has a nice malty backbone which is important with these Imperial and Double IPAs.  There is not too many craft breweries that has done this right to their beers.  Some breweries can not even get their normal India Pale Ale right.  I love how it is drinkable with a serious big punch of 9.1%.  This is my go to Imperial IPA and it is pretty much always in my refrigerate.  Go find this beer and I will be disappointed if you do not fall in love with it.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Lake Placid Craft Brewing Hefeweizen

In this blog, we are going to get into the second beer that I received from my Beer of the Month.  This brew is called Lake Placid Craft Brewing Hefeweizen Wheat Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on their Barkeater Amber Ale, you know a little bit of this brewery.  Let us get into this all year-long beer.

This beer ia a nice cloudy golden color with a little constant head to it.  You can smell lemon to citrus in the beer. The taste is a little citrus and a lot of banana clove in it. This beer is very drinkable and stays true to the German Beer Style.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Lake Placid Hefeweizen is brewed with German wheat and barley as well as authentic German yeast, resulting in tasty esters, a touch of clove spiciness, and a cloudy, golden appearance.  It’s a perfect complement to sunny, summer days and cool, Adirondack nights.  Here’s to summer!

Here is a description from their website (www.ubuale.com), which I believe this is the right beer:

5.0% ABV

High Peaks Hefewiezen is a German Style Wheat Beer. It is yellow/pale orange in color and is cloudy in appearance. It is a very unique beer that is fermented with an ale yeast from Weihenstephan, Germany (pronounced Vine-Schte-fawn). Hefewiezen (pronounced Hefay-vite-zen) actually means “wheat beer with yeast”, which is why we do not clarify this beer. The thick cloudiness is actually the yeast suspended in the beer. The yeast contributes a unique flavor with a strong banana and clove character.  It has a very spicy aroma with hints of banana and clove in the aroma as well. It is brewed with 50% malted wheat, in place of malted barley, and hopped with noble hop varieties originating in Germany. It is not a bitter beer style, therefore letting the wheat flavors and yeast flavors dominate.  Traditionally, this beer is often served with a lemon in it, however, we do not recommend it. This beer will be on tap throughout the summer until roughly mid September.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.ubuale.com

Twitter:  @ubuman

In closing, just like their Barkeater Amber ale, this beer style is not my flavorite out in the market.  I HATE this beer style along with whites, and wheat ales.  I realize that “hate” is a very strong word to use but that is how I feel about this classic beer styles.  If you read any of my blogs, I am very honest about the beers but I will tell you if it is a good beer or not.  Plus, just because I say the beer is not good that does not mean you will not like it.  With that all said, this beer is pretty good but I canot see myself drinking this in my regular lineup.  They did a very good job keeping it to true to the German Beer Style with a little twist.  With the huge growth of Wheat Ale, I believe this beer should be doing very good right now. I know the ones in my market, which is Chicago, are doing very well.  I have to say this brew has to be one of the best one in the Craft Beer market.  Good job on this brew!  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Lake Placid Craft Brewing Barkeater Amber

In this blog, we are going to check out a new brewery for me and a beer from my Beer of the Month.  The brewery is Lake Placid Craft Brewing and the beer is Barkeater Amber.  The brewery was founded in 1996 by Christopher Ericson in Lake Placid, New York.  They started out as a small brewpub and started to grow from there.  Their Flagship beer Ubu Ale has been the shining star in their lineup.  It has been enjoyed by countless locals and tourist that heard stories from others.  The great story of this brewery and brew came from their website when President Clinton requested several cases for a White House party.  Let us get into this great beer.

Lake Placid Barkeater Amber Ale is one of their seasonal.  This beer has a dark amber color without a head. It has a heavy malty smell to the beer. The taste is of carbonation to sweet malty taste. The aftertaste is dry with along carbonation.  This beer is very drinkable.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

“Barkeater” is a translation of the Mohawk word for the Adirondack mountains, but we prefer drinking a beer rather than chewing on trees.  Deep amber in color, Barkeater Amber blends a smooth, medium body with the subtle balance of American hops.  Here’s to the Adirondacks!

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

5.3% ABV

This is an American-style amber ale that has been around for many years. It is one of two amber ales that we regularly brew at the pub, this being the drier hoppier of the two. Barkeater Amber is brewed with a variety of crystal malts which gives its red color and slightly sweet malt flavor. It has four hop additions, with the last addition being a relatively large addition of Willamette hops.  This beer has a fairly dry finish and has been a local favorite for about 15 years

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.ubuale.com

Twitter:  @ubuman

In closing, there is not too many American Craft Breweries that can get this classic beer style corrected.  This brewery has found a way to get this classic beer style correct while making it their own unlike other craft breweries. I am for one not a huge fan of this beer style.  However, this beer is right up my alley because of the time frame it is available, it is very drinkable and a ton of flavor going on in this beer.  I cannot see myself drinking this all year long but I would rush to the store when it comes out as a seasonal beer.   Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Yuengling Brewery Traditional Lager

In this blog, we are going drive to a brewery that I really wished they would come to Chicago.  The brewery and the beer I am talking about is Yuengling Brewery Traditional Lager.  On their label on their beer bottle tells us a little history of this brewery.  They are American’s Oldest Brewery started in 1829 by David Yuengling in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.  They brew several different beer styles.  They are tied with Boston Beer Company for most sales from an American owned brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

This beer is a dark copper to light amber in color with no head.  There is a smell. I make it out to explain it but it smells really good. The taste is a sweet carbonation.  It is very drinkable.  This is what an American Lager should taste like not what is being put in your glass today.

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

An iconic American lager famous for its rich amber color and medium-bodied flavor – with roasted caramel malt for a subtle sweetness and a combination of cluster and cascade hops, this true original delivers a well- balanced taste with very distinct character.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.yuengling.com

Twitter:  @yuengling_beer

In closing, I really enjoy this beer and just what I said at the top of this blog.  I wish it was here in Chicago and I understand why they do not come here.  This would be my everyday beer if it was here.  This beer is really old school in a very good way.  It is very drinkable with a ton of flavor for being one of the mass produced breweries.  I still believe they are a craft beer but I know many craft beer drinkers do not look at this brewery as a craft brewery.  This is a very good beer and I hope to get back east coast to try their beers.  I hope you can go and get some!  Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Sixpoint Brewery Sweet Action

In this blog, we are going back to New York City in the Brooklyn area.  We are going to check out another beer from the young and upcoming brewery called Sixpoint Brewery.  After talking about Blondes, Redheads, and Brunettes from Fireman’s Brew, it is time for some Sweet Action.  If you read my earlier blog on their Apollo then you have an idea on this brewery, let us get into this great beer.

This beer has a nice copper color with next to no head to it.  The smell is earthy to piney. The taste is a carbonation to citrus overload with a hoppy aftertaste.  It is very drinkable beer. It ia full body with a ton of favor going on in it.

Here is a description from their can:

Ah love is bitter and sweet, but which is more sweet the bitterness or the sweetness, none has spoken it.  Sweet Action is an idea; a concept.  It is simple representation of what makes beer great – the marriage of barley and hops, in a harmonious balance of sweet and bitter.

Here is a description form their website (www.sixpoint.com):

Ah love is bitter and sweet, but which is more sweet…
The original Sixpoint style- hard to define, but perhaps that’s why people love it. Part pale ale, part wheat, part cream ale- all Sweet Action.
Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Twitter: @sixpoint

In closing, this beer is different beer then what is out there and I have had in a long time.  It has the best of three different worlds.  The three worlds are part wheat, pale, and cream ale.  I was pretty scary to try this beer because of the part wheat in it, which if you read my earlier blogs you know I am not a fan of wheat ales.  I will try a beer at least three times before I draw my judgement on it.   I am not going to say this is my favorite beer from this brewery or on the market because that would be a flat-out lie.  I love their Resin, which I do need a write a blog on it, but I could see myself buying this beer here and there to enjoy it.  This is a very good beer and I can see many beer drinkers enjoying it.  I have been writing blogs on beers that are not in Chicago Market and I am happy that this brewery and their beers are available in Chicago.  Go get some!  Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai India Pale Ale New Blog

In this blog, we are going to dig into a brewery and beer I have been wanting to try in a long time.  I have to give a shout out and thanks to my friends Dean and Dee Dee for bring back some bottles to me.  The brewery and beer are Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai India Pale Ale.   I cannot find any history on this brewery.  I did multiple searches on the net and I cannot find anything.  On their website, they have a nice history on Tampa Bay City breweries but nothing on them.  Let us get into the beer.

The beer has a slightly cloudy copper color in the glass with no head. It has a little citrus smell to this IPA.  It has a grapefruit and carbonation with a dry grapefruit aftertaste to the beer. It is a very drinkable beer.

Here is a description on the beer bottle:

Jai Alai, the “merry game” is a game native to the Basque region of Spain.  Tampa was once home to this high speed game, but sadly all that remains here is this India pale Ale that we brewed in tribute to the merry game.  Pair Jai Alai India Pale Ale with Empanadas, Deviled Crabs and other spicy dishes.

Here is a description on their website (www.cigarcitybrewing.com):

Jai Alai, a game native to the Basque region of Spain, is played on a court called a fronton. Jai Alai players attempt to catch a ball using a curved mitt whilst the ball travels at speeds up to 188mph! Proving they have a sense of humor the Spanish dubbed this game, with its ball traveling at racecar speeds, “the merry game.” Tampa was once home to a bustling Jai Alai fronton but sadly all that remains of Jai Alai in the Tampa Bay area is this India Pale Ale that we brew in tribute to the merry game. The India Pale Ale style of beer has its roots in the ales sent from England to thirsty British troops in India during the 18th century. Pair Jai Alai India Pale Ale with Beef Empanadas, Deviled Crabs and other spicy dishes.

Tasting Notes

Pours copper in color with notes of citrus and tropical fruit in the aroma. Flavor has upfront citrus bitterness with a hint of caramel and citrus and tropical fruit hop notes in the finish.

Medals

2010 Best Florida Beer Championship – Gold Medal

2011 Best Florida Beer Championship – Silver Medal

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.cigarcitybrewing.com

Twitter: @cigarcitybeer

Closing out, for the wait unit I recieve a bottle in my hands, this beer was not disappointing at all.  This beer lives up to what I was hearing about this beer.  Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai India Pale Ale is not like the other IPAs in the market.  It is very drinkable and has a nice favor to it. I just wish I had more bottles in my refrigater.  This brewery has done a very good job and I cannot wait to try their other beers. I really love this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

Sebago Brewery Frye’s Leap India Pale Ale

In this blog, we are going to get into another brew that I got out of my Beer of the Mouth.  The beer is called Sebago Brewery Frye’s Leap India Pale Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on their stout then I will not have to go over the history of this brewery, let us get into the beer.

This beer is a dark yellow to a light copper as far as the color with a white head. The smell is very earthly with a little piney in it. The taste is sweet carbonation with a little grapefruit kick in it. The aftertaste is dry hoppy that will keep you drinking this beer.  To me it kills the beer experience. It is too much for the aftertaste.

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

Frye’s Leap IPA is an  intense experience.  It is a hoppy  medium-bodied ale and is full of character.   From the caramel malt which gives our IPA its golden color to the  distinct fruity hoppiness, this beer is every bit as exciting as its namesake,  the popular cliffs on Sebago Lake.   Enjoy this  refreshing beer with seafood, spicy foods and all things grilled.  Take the Leap!

BEER DETAILS:

Style: India Pale Ale

History: First Brewed in 1998

Orig. Gravity: 15 °P

Color: Light Copper 12 SRM

ABV: 6.0%

IBU’s: 55

Pairing Suggestions: Spicy foods, vinaigrettes, & grilled vegetables

During the British rule of India in the late 1700’s breweries would send their beer  to the troops. Unfortunately, the long, warm journey would ruin the delicate  pale ales. To solve this problem, brewers created India Pale Ale, a stronger ale with high levels of  hops and alcohol for preservation. We have followed the British tradition and  created Frye’s Leap IPA with hops and malt grown in the United States.

Frye’s Leap IPA gets its name from the popular cliffs on Sebago Lake in Southern Maine.  Locals and tourists alike pull up in their boats to watch daredevils scale and jump from cliffs.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.sebagobrewing.com

Twitter: @sebagobrewing

In the end, this beer name has an interesting local history.  This is a tasty India Pale Ale.  It is not one of my favorite but if I am on the east coast.  I will be drinking this beer when I am there.  It is a drinkable beer but that after taste which I know most beer drinkers like but it just killed it for me.  I would hunt this beer down and please let me know what you think.  Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Frankenmuth American Batch 69 IPA

In this blog, we are going to sample out my favorite brew from Frankenmuth Brewery and the third of four beers that will be featured this blog.  Please go back to my earlier blog on Frankenmuth Brewery Blonde to get to know this brewery, if already read it then you already know this brewery.  The beer that we will be experience is Frankenmuth Brewery American Batch 69 IPA.  If you look at the beers that we have done from this brewery between the Dunkel to Blonde and then Pilsner, they are all German base beer style.  This brewery went outside of their comfort zone and did American beer style.  This speaks out open minded a brewery can be to bring beers to their fan base.  It does not go just for Frankenmuth Brewery.  There is another brewery down in Texas that just put out their first pale ale.  Frankenmuth Brewery have been brewing this beer for a while but with a huge growth of pale ales and IPAs.  Breweries are doing IPAs and pale ales or doing different things with them.  Let us see where this brew ranks to me in the world of the India Pale Ales.

This beer in the glass is not your normal India Pale Ale color. It has a clear yellow color to beer with a light white head to the beer. Smell is of light piney to earthy. This India Pale Ale has a sight citrus carbonation taste with a dry hoppy aftertaste.  To me, the hoppy aftertaste is just right. It is not overpowering like other IPAs aftertaste.  This beer for hoppy IPA is really drinkable.

Here is a description from the beer bottle and their website (www.frankenmuthbrewery.com):

A medium light bodied India Pale Ale with an intense hop aroma and flavor. This IPA will wake up your senses to fine American hops to discover tastes of citrus, flowers and pine.

ABV 6.9%  IBU 69 Best with strong, spicy food and bold appetizers.

Here is their twitter and website addresses:

Website: www.frankenmuthbrewery.com

Twitter: @FB1862

In closing,  I really love this drinkable India Pale Ale from Frankenmuth Brewery.  This is a very well balance beer and just like most India Pale Ales it is perfect with spicy foods.  If I could get this beer all the time, it would be in my refrigerator on day-to-day basis.  I know I said this before in other Michigan beer blogs but I will say it again.  I am not a fan of any Michigan breweries but Frankenmuth Brewery has won me over to like at least one brewery.  Do not just get go out and hunt this beer down but go find the rest of their beers.  Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Boston Beer Company Samuel Adams Weihenstephan Infinium Ale

In this blog, we are going to dig into my first review on a joint journey between Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company) and Weihenstephan Brewery. Both breweries have done this brew, which Infinium Ale, together for the last few years. If you read my earlier blog on Sam Adams beer then you know about this brewery, Sam Adams is a well known brewery so you might already know about them. Weihenstephan Brewery is new to me so let us get into the history of this brewery. There are documents saying this brewery was brewing beer back in 768, however, most people feel they were founded in 1040. To this day, they claim to be the oldest working brewery in the world. This beer that they did with the Boston Beer Company better be a really good beer with the rich history of this brewery. Speaking of which, let us sampling out this beer.

The carbonation is very heavy extreme as like all Belgian Style beers but it is controlled unlike most beers in this style. The beer color is light copper.  The smell is a slightly citrus with a spicy kick going on in the beer. The taste is very strong citrus with a ton of spices checking you in the boards throughout the beer drinking experience.  It is a very drinkable beer and next to nothing as far as the aftertaste.

Here is a description from the bottle and website (www.samueladams.com):

Our brewers worked for two years with the world’s oldest brewery, Germany’s Weihenstaphan to create this unique new beer style. A ground breaking brew, made with only the four traditional ingredients, malted barley, hops, water, and yeast, Infinium™ is a crisp champagne-like beer with fine bubbles and a fruity, spicy aroma. The crisp clean malt character and delicate fruit notes in this beer are complemented by a slight citrus flavor from dry hopping with Bavarian Noble Hops. Bottle conditioning adds another layer of complexity and light spice notes.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:

http://www.samueladams.com

http://www.weihenstephaner.de/

Twitter:

@samueladamsbeer

@weihenstephanfs

In closing, I really enjoyed drinking this beer. With the rich history from both breweries, this beer did not disappoint me one bit. The complex taste of the beer did not take away anything from the drinkablity of the beer. I would love to pick up another bottle to see how this beer will ages in a year. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Flying Dog Cherry Sour Ale

While in DC for Savor, this is my last beer I had outside of Savor.  It was in basement of this bar where I had DC Brau Hell’s Bottom Stout.  I cannot remember the bar name.  Flying Dog had tap take over which is where a brewery switches all tap handles to their own beers.  The brewery puts some special beers on tap.  I had two beers at Savor from this brewery and I am a huge fan of this brewery.  Let us get to know the back story of this brewery.  Flying Dog Brewery was founded in 1990 by George Stranahan and Lydia McIntyre in Aspen, Colorado but they later moved to Denver, Colorado.  They moved to Maryland after they brought the Wild Goose beers and then sold it to the Logan Shaw Brewing Company.

This beer is a cloudy reddish color to it.  It does not really have a smell to the beer.  The taste is sweet carbonation cherry going on in it.  It was not drinkable and really bad. The marriage between the cherry and the sour was not happening in this beer.

Here is a website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.flyingdogales.com

Twitter:  @flyingdog

Closing out my trip to DC for Savor, I really hate to say this about this brewery.  I have to say this beer was a huge disappointed from this brewery.  I love this brewery and I follow them for everything they do in the craft beer world.  I have to call it the way it is on this beer.  However, with that all said, I know there will be a group of beer drinkers out there that will love this beer.  Just because I said I do not like it that does not mean you will not like it.  I am really looking forward to seeing Cholocate IPA to hit the market and I trying their Oyster Stout.  This brewery is not afraid to push the limits in the beer world and I respect them for what they are doing in the craft beer world. Slayer the person wanted to see my thoughts on this beer. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser