food

New Beer Blog Sierra Nevada Coffee Stout

We are going to sample another brew from their new sampler pack, which is called Snow Pack. It is their Coffee Stout. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on this West Coast Legend craft brewery, you know the rich history of Sierra Nevada. If you have not, please, read them to get to know this craft brewery. Let us get into this Coffee Stout.

It has a jet black color with a creamy tan color head. The aroma has a slight chocolate and a heavy coffee notes. The taste has a burn malty and coffee notes with a dry chocolate to coffee aftertaste. It is a nice sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Our coffee stout combines malt flavor and roasty coffee for notes of baker’s cocoa dark fruit and espresso in a complex blend of warming flavors.

A cup of joe and a bold beer can thwart the winter cold, so we blended them for the ultimate warmer. Our Coffee Stout is a fusion of dark roasted malts and rich cold-brewed coffee for layers of bittersweet, fruity, dark chocolate and carmel-like flavors.

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

Coffee and craft beer are both drinks that inspire passion in the faithful. As we dreamed up ideas for a winter beer, they seemed destined to come together. There isn’t much that’s more comforting on a cold day than a cup of great coffee, and even more so when blended with the rich flavors of a dark and roasty stout. Our Coffee Stout brings the best of both brews with flavors of baker’s cocoa, dark fruit, and a bittersweet roasted malt body.

While the exact origins of porter are hazy, the development of stout is more straightforward. By the 1700s bolder, high-alcohol versions of any style of beer were referred to as “stout” or strong. By then, porter was far and away the most popular beer style in the British Isles, and clever breweries began advertising the stronger versions of their beers as “stout porter.” By the late 1800s, regular porters had fallen out of favor and stout porter, or simply stout, took their place. There are many different varieties of stout ranging from the light bodied, low-alcohol Dry Irish Stout to the viscous, rich and strong Imperial Stout.

Malted barley generally falls into two camps: base malt and specialty malt. Base malt is highly modified malt that is responsible for producing the bulk of the fermentable sugars in the beer. Specialty malt is malt added for its flavor, color or effect on the body and mouthfeel of the finished beer. Specialty malts are typically produced by kilning and/or roasting barley. Caramel malt is made by placing germinated barley with a high moisture content directly into a roaster. The resulting malt produces unfermentable sugars during the mashing process, adding sweetness and body to finished beer. Roasted malt is base malt that has been placed in a roaster similar to a coffee roaster to produce deeper, darker, baker’s cocoa and espresso flavors like those common in a porter or a stout.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.sierranevada.com

Twitter: @sierranevada

Closing, I was pretty excited to see Sierra Nevada was making a coffee stout. Their normal stout is beyond underrated on the craft beer market. Sierra Nevada does not make a bad beer. All their beers are beyond better than most craft breweries. This coffee stout is a nice gateway beer to stout and coffee stout world. The coffee beans are not overpowering like most coffee stout. There is a nice balance that makes it uniquely drinkable for the beer style. 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 Rochester Mill’s Brewery Pine Knob Pilsner

In this beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from Rochester Mill’s Brewery. It is their Pine Knob Pilsner. They will be sending this out in package here soon. This is a sample from the brewery. If you read my earlier beer posts on their beers, you know the history of this Michigan craft brewery. If you have not, please, read them to get to Rochester Mill’s Brewery. Let us get into this Pilsner.

It has a clear golden color with a white constant head. There is really no smell on this beer. The taste has a sweet malty and hoppy notes with a nice crisp aftertaste. It is extremely drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer can:

Introducing out latest release. Pine Knob is light golden in color and crystal clear. Locally brewed beer that uses the highest quality ingredients available to deliver the crisp, refreshing, and flavorful taste you expect from a world-class Pilsner style beer. Hops are prevalent, with a clean bitterness and a floral flavor and aroma. Pine Knob Pilsner is smooth and crisp with a refreshing palate, making this an enjoyable, anytime, go to brew.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Twitter: @rochmillsbeerco

Website: www.rochestermillsbeerco.com

In closing, the key to any beer or brewery is the water. If they have a great water source, they have one of best fresh body of water in the world. They have what it takes to be a good brewery. The rest is the creative mind of the brewmasters. The selection of the hops, barley, recipe, and malt is the rest. I believe this brewery has all those elements. Most people think of this brewery as one beer brewery. Yes, their milk stout is awesome but they make a great IPA, and red ale. Of course, this Pilsner is pretty good. They are a pretty balance craft brewery. They kept to the classic beer style of the Pilsner. Once again, it comes down to a great water source. Rochester Mill’s Brewery has Michigan water that everyone around the world wants. This is a great beer. 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 Magic Hat Snow Roller Hoppy Brown Ale (2014)

In this winter beer blog, we are going to sample the new winter seasonal from Magic Hat Brewery. It is called Snow Roller Hoppy Brown Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this craft brewery. If you have not, please, read them to get to know this craft brewery. Let us get into this brown ale.

It has a clear brown color with a nice white head on this brown ale. The aroma has a fated nutty notes. The taste has a nutty notes with a hoppy malty dry finish for the aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable winter ale.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

The ancient ritual of brewing a distinctly rich and flavored beer is a performance to behold. Our mysterious melange of time-honored ingredients harmonize with chaotic chemistry humble patience, and blind faith to create this unique beer to share in the rousing company of kindred spirits. Cheers!

Here is a description from their website (www.magichat.net):

Winter calls for walls of white and the Snow Roller begins his work. Riding in on wicked winds, he dusts the naked trees and covers the brown barren fields that gasp a bitter breath at the touch of snow. No place is left free of flurry by his icy surf, save for those gathered together in good spirits. Bundle up and let the Snow Roller take your soul for a roll.

Snow Roller rides a brisk hop wind that blows a bold bitterness across malt flavors of caramel and toasted biscuit.

Malts: Pale, Victory, Chocolate, Caramel 40L, Caramel 120L
Hops: Apollo, CTZ

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.magichat.net

Twitter: @magichat

Closing, this is beyond their best seasonal beer. It is perfect for the season and it is kind of same as some of the winter seasonal but still unique to separate itself from the rest on the market. They are feeding the current theme in the craft world and it is hops and hoppy beers. This is what makes this beer special. It has a nice hoppy notes with malty to caramel notes. I enjoyed this beer and I am looking forward to having a few more pints of this awesome liquid. 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: @djweiser16

New Beer Blog Why And Why Not Drink Local Craft Beers And Ciders?

In this special beer blog, we are going to get into a hot issue in the huge growing market of craft beers, ciders, and breweries. There has been a huge growth and it is coming out of the mass produced beer companies. There is home brewers taking their passion of beer making to the public. The questions that I am going to try to answer for myself are “Why And Why Not Drink Local Beers And Ciders?”

Why Drink Local Craft Beers And Ciders?

It is pretty simple. Money stays in the state and/or the local area. There will be more jobs created because of these breweries. The money keeps coming in and out of the brewery. It works if the brewery is buying supplies from local companies and most do this practice. Most craft breweries take homes in old and empties buildings. They resolve these old buildings back to the way they were back in their heyday. Of course, they put their brewery and restaurant in them. The other things that these breweries in most cases. They create more jobs at distributors. They hire a marketing firm or their own people to run it. Just like most businesses, they will put money back in the economy.

Why Not Drink Local Craft Beers And Ciders?

I get beat up about half of the time when I bring this up to people at craft beer bars or stores in my local market. I get it because everyone wants to support their local businesses and I am one of them. I have to be honest with myself and others around me. I heard this when I lived in Chicago and now here in the Michigan. When traveling to other cities around the US, I saw these same signs and heard it from the locals. When trying these beers or ciders at home or your local watering hole, be honest to yourself because it will save you from the painful drinking experience. I had a pretty ugly drinking experience with a local craft brewery in Chicago. I kept on telling myself that I love this beer and brewery. I just finally admitted to myself that they are not that good. I started to look at local craft brewery in a different light. I give breweries credit when they put a good beer to the market. I also give them credit for thinking outside the box.

In closing, I am not saying do not drink local beers and ciders. If their beers are good, drink them and support them. If their beers are not good, you as a beer drinker, customer, and buyer needs to send them a message. They need to improve or go away. This is the ugly side to the business world. I am catching myself doing it it again. Just be honest with yourself about these beers or ciders in your area. There is new craft breweries opening every day and there will be more good to great beers and bad beers. Remember, you are voting with your wallet. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Support the local good beer and let the bad go away. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser16@gmail.net

Twitter: @djweiser

Instagram: @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Mountain Town Brewing Train Wrack Amber Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into a brewery for the first time on this blog which is Mountain Town Brewing. It is their Train Wrack Amber Ale. Here is a little history from their website (www.mountaintownbrew.com):

In 1996 Mountain Town Station Brewing Co. & Steakhouse opened its doors as a premier restaurant, wine cellar and micro brewery; and has grown ever since in its menu concept, wine inventory and beer recipes. In 2007, a separate company was formed called Mountain Town Brewing Company. This new brewery operation is strictly manufacturing and packaging using the same recipes that have been successfully developed for years at the brewpub. In 2008, shipments of beers such as the Gamblers Golden Ale, Railyard Raspberry Wheat and Cow Catcher Red Ale were flying out of the brewery and into restaurants and bars across Michigan. Look for these and many more beers at your favorite bar and restaurant. If they don’t have our beers request that they be put on tap!

As you can see they brew several different beer styles from cans and bottles. We are going to get into the beer.

It has a cloudy amber color with a nice white head. There is really no smell. It is pretty fade. The taste has a malty notes with a hint of honey aftertaste. The honey makes the aftertaste smooth and a crisp finish. It is an extremely drinkable beer.

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

Trainwreck Amber Ale

An American Amber Ale brewed with maple syrup and honey to give it a full body and smooth sweetness

Approach with caution. This one will sneak up on you! Brewed to keep us warm in the winter months, but easily enjoyable any time of the year. Syrup and honey give this beer an irresistible sweetness that makes it impossible to have just one. No matter what you pair this one with make sure you get plenty to eat or you might find out how this beer got its name.
ABV – 8.2%

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.mountaintownbrew.com

Twitter: No Twitter Address

Closing, this beer is pretty interesting brew. I was taken a little back when tasting this beer. I did enjoy it. I did not know how the honey would work with this amber ale. I had honey in beers and amber lagers. I was pretty interested to see how some of the malty to some fruity notes would react with the honey sweetness. This is average beer and it is nothing special. I recommend you trying this beer just because how unique it is. 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 New Belgium Pumpkick Ale (2014)

In this fall beer blog, we are going to get into this year’s limited release from New Belgium and it is Pumpkick Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this employee owned brewery. If you have not, please, read them to get to know this craft brewery. Let us get into this pumpkin ale brewed with cranberries.

It has a clear copper to bronze color with a white constant head on this fall seasonal. The smell has a pumpkin to cranberry notes. The taste has a slight pumpkin but the cranberries take over the taste profile. The aftertaste is a heavy cranberry notes. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

What’s that bite of tartness doing in a pumpkin beer? Adding the unexpected kick of cranberry juice to brighten this traditionally spiced seasonal ale. PUMPKICK is brewed with plenty of pumpkin juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, but it’s the cranberries and touch of lemongrass that’ll have you hunt and pecking for more.

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

What’s that bite of tartness doing in a pumpkin beer? Adding the unexpected kick of cranberry juice to brighten this traditionally spiced seasonal ale. Pumpkick is brewed with plenty of pumpkin juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, but it’s the cranberries and touch of lemongrass that send your taste buds sailing. Available in September and October 2014.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.newbelgium.com

Twitter: @newbelgium

In the end, this is the beer that brought me back into trying and retrying New Belgium’s beers. I will be up front and say I did not like their beers or most of them. I was excited to see this beer coming back for at least one more season. New Belgium Brewery makes the same seasonal for at least two years and then switch to a new one. They wanted to see if they could get one more season out of this brew. There is lack of cranberries this season. The new fall seasonal is Tour De Fall. I might try to get a review up before the end of the season. Pumpkick was my favorite fall beer from last season. This year was a little disappointed. I felt that my bottles did not have enough of the cranberry notes. I loved last years more. There was not as much cranberry notes as this year’s brew. It is still a great brew. I highly recommend this brew. Go get some before it disappears again. Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter: @djweiser

Instagram: @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga’ Substitute Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into a special release from Lagunitas Brewery. It is their Sucks Brown Shugga’ Substitute Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this craft brewery. If you have not, please, read them to get to know this craft brewery. Let us get into this beer in quart bottle.

It has a clear bright golden copper color with a white constant head. The smell has a heavy citrus notes with a slight caramel notes. It is really fated. The taste has citrus to a slight creamy caramel notes. The aftertaste has crisp dry bitter finish that is pretty smooth. It is pretty drinkable beer.

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

Originally brewed in 2011 as a Brown Shugga’ substitute, due to construction-induced capacity issues. But we liked it so much it had to make a return trip.

AVAILABLE: LATE NOVEMBER thru JANUARY
ABV: 7.85%
Sold as: 6-Packs & Kegs (plus 32oz Quarts in select markets)
Net contents: Ounces and ounces of Malt, Hops, Yeast and water.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.lagunitas.com

Twitter: @lagunitasbeer

Closing, I have always loved Lagunitas Sucks. I am always sad that this beer is only a seasonal. This Sucks is their Brown Shagga edition. Plus, I love that it comes out in 32oz or quart bottle. I am saving my bottle. When I visited the brewery in Chicago this last summer, they were selling these bottles and I wanted to take it home. The problem was that I flew out of Chicago. I love all nice caramel to citrus notes. They picked a nice selection of hops and build a well design malty backbone. I love this beer and I will have a few more bottles in the neat future. 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 Stone Brewery Coffee Milk Stout

In this beer blog, we are going to get into a new beer from Stone Brewery. It is their Coffee Milk Stout. 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 craft brewery. Let us get into this new beer.

It has a jet black color with a brown color head. The smell has a creamy chocolate to slight coffee notes. The taste has creamy chocolate with a slight burned coffee notes. The aftertaste has a heavy coffee finish. It is a sipping beer but kind of drinkable.

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

There’s no shortage of talented people at Stone, and each makes their presence known in their own unique way. Brian Gallagher, a brewer who learned the art of fermentation in the UK, used the beer you now hold, a take on a traditional English milk stout, as his vehicle for personal expression. Originally brewed as a limited edition offering at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, this coffee-laced milk stout quickly became a favorite among Gallagher’s peers. Made bittersweet and creamy while remaining smooth and easy-drinking thanks to the addition of milk sugar, it’s clear in one sip why this is a brew we needed to share with fans everywhere.

Here is a youtube from the brewery about this beer and history:

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.stonebrewing.com

Twitter: @stonebrewingco

In the end, I love this beer and I hope they make it as an everyday beer. This is why. I was stun by the pice for the alcohol percentage. I just thought this would be a pretty simple beer to make. The price is high because the limited cases in the market. This is a great beer asides that one negative mark. Milk stout shines with a nice blend of coffee. It has a nice creamy easy drinking notes with a nice coffee aftertaste. If you are not a fan of coffee or stout, you will not like this beer. If you are a fan, you need to hunt this beer down and try it. This is a great beer and I hope they make more to get a lower price in the market. 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 New Belgium Saison Harvest Ale (2014)

In this fall beer blog, we are going to get into New Belgium Saison Harvest Ale. This beer was their fall seasonal back in 2007. Every season, New Belgium brings back seasonal back to life in their sampler pack. The sampler pack comes with two bottles each of three of their selected everyday beers. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this craft brewery. If you have not, please, read them to get to know New Belgium Brewery. Let us get into this Saison Ale.

It has a nice clear golden color with a nice white constant head. There is some nice small constant bubbles in middle of the beer. The aroma has a nice Belgian spicy notes. The taste has a nice refreshing citrus notes with some spice kick. The aftertaste has citrus finish. It is extremely drinkable.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Brewed with a yeast harvested from Belgium, our SAISON has a just-picked freshness reminiscent of the farm-house ales produced each fall in Blegium. Pale bronze in color, this delicately hopped ale has a bright, yeasty, artisanal quality worthy of toasting those long autumn sunsets.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.newbelgium.com

Twitter: @newbelgium

Ending, I really love this beer and I wish it was still in six packs form. I love how this brewery change-up their seasonal every two to three years. It could be a good thing or a bad thing. If there is a seasonal that you are not a fan of it, you will be looking forward to the new one to come out. I love how they revisit some of their old seasonal in their sampler pack. This is a perfect and true to the classic saison style. It is not overly hop but it is not under hop. It is refreshing and keeps you coming back for more beer. I recommend this beer and their fall sampler pack. 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)

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

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