midwest

New Blog Bell’s Brewery Two Hearted Ale

In this blog, we are going to sample out one of an India Pale Ale from one of many craft breweries from Michigan. Bell’s Brewery is the most well known one from Michigan. Bell’s Brewery was founded in 1983 by Larry Bell in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This brewery is brewing several different styles of beer.  They are not just well known in Michigan but around the Midwest.   Let us get into this beer right now.

The beer in the glass is darker yellow in color. The smell of Two Hearted Ale is a strong citrus to piney to it. The first thing the beer drinker will experience from this beer is the rush of the carbonation and then heavy citrus taste. This is a very well balance beer and has a quick crisp aftertaste along with citrus punch to this India Pale Ale.

Here is a description from the bottle:

An India Pale Ale style well suited for adventurous trips to the Upper Peninsula. American malts and enormous hop additions give this beer a crisp finish and an incredibly floral hop aroma.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: http://www.bellsbeer.com

Twitter: @bellsbrewery

In closing, I would not say this is not my favorite but I would not say I highly dislike the beer. It is very drinkable and has a ton of favor going on in it. I would not drink it on a regular basis because of the high price point on a six pack bottles. I honestly do not think it is worth the price. There is a little value but not much. With all that said, I am not saying this beer is bad. I just feel I could drink another beer in the same beer style and get the same thing while saving money in the process. I recommend you, the craft beer drinker, to try it or retry if it has been a long time. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Upland Dragonfly India Pale Ale

While in DC for Savor, this beer I had at Church Key Bar and Grill in DC.  Lolita had this beer first and I wished I order this beer as my first one.  It does not matter because I had the chance to have this great beer.  The beer I am talking about is Upland Dragonfly Ale.  Upland Brewery was founded in 1997 by Marc Sattinger, Russ Levitt and Dean LaPlante in Bloomington, Indiana.

This beer is a copper in color with a little head on it. It is piney to earthy in smell. It is a smooth sweet circus carbonation in taste. This beer is very drinkable brew.

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

India Pale Ale originated when the British Empire was at its height. British soldiers and civil servants were stationed all over the globe (including India), and regular ales could not survive the long journey by sea to reach them. The British solved this terrible dilemma by adding excessive amounts of hops to their beer–using the preservative properties of hops to increase the life of their beers.

Our Dragonfly India Pale Ale is true to this tradition, featuring seven hop additions to create a powerful hop profile. A solid malt base, however, tempers the bitter American hops, giving Dragonfly a balance not often found in this style. The end product is a well-balanced, malty beer with the crisp taste of hops and an exceptionally floral nose.

Here is their website and twitter address:

Website: www.uplandbeer.com

Twitter: @uplandbrewco

Empty beer glass, this is a very good beer.  I love drinking this beer.  It is very well made and balance for being an IPA.  This beer is very drinkable and sessional.  I just wished the Church Key Bar where I was at in DC had more beers from this brewery.  I will be hunting down more of their beers.  I will also be making a road trips to Indiana to visit the brewery, since, I live in the Chicago area.  If you live in the states where they sell their beers, I am jealous and you should try their beers.  Please let me know what you think about the beers.  Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Summit Saga India Pale Ale

Starting a tap, we are going to explore a new brew from the Summit Brewing Company.  The new brew is called Summit Saga India Pale Ale.  Summit Brewing Conmpany was founded in 1986 by Mark Stutrud in St Paul, Minnesota.   It is nice to see this brewery trying to do something new in their beer portfolio.  When they started releasing their Unchained Series, there was a change in the air in the Summit Brewery.  They were doing beers that fit the St Paul area.  Now they are trying to grow even more in other areas of the states.  This beer is their second new beer this year. The first new one was their new Summer Ale replace their old seasonal, which was Summit Hefenizen Ale. Let us get into the beer.

It has a light copper color. It has a grapefruit to mango smell with a little spicy. The taste of the beer is of grapefruit and mango with a slight carbonation taste. This is a very drinkable beer. This is a slight different IPA then what is on the market.

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

Named after the Norse goddess Sága, drinking companion of the God Odin. With a divine tropical fruit hop aroma and clean, assertive bitterness.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.summitbrewing.com

Twitter: @summitbeer

Closing the bar, I love this beer and I am happy to see this brewery doing something new and different. There are a few beers that from this brewery. I love their EPA, maibock, porter, winter ale, and oatmeal stout that I wish was package. The rest of their beers are average. This is my thought pattern not yours. Make sure you try their beers and draw your judgment on them. However, this beer to me has brought them back to the front of the line, I cannot wait to see how this beer does against rest of the beer market. Enjoy it! Drink it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:@djweiser

New Blog Big Horn Ram Blonde Beer

In this blog, I am on location at The Ram in Wheeling, IL. This is the third blog on this brewery, please look back at the older blogs on back story if this brewery. If you have read them, then you know about this beer.

We are going to talk about one of their everyday beers called Blonde Beer.  It sits in the glass as a clear with a yellow to golden color. There really is no smell to this beer. As far as taste, you can taste the carbonation while the sweetest kicks in halfway through the tasting experience.

There was a menu lying around so here is the description of the beer:

Big Horn Blonde award-winning golden ale, light bodied with mild malt sweetness and delicately hopped for a crisp, refreshing finish.

ABV 4.4% SRM 6.0 IBUs 20 Grain Pale Munich Hops Cascade and Willamette.

In closing, I am going to be honest.  I am really not a fan of this beer nor the style. I really can see people loving this beer. It is a very drinkable beer and session. It is a perfect day like today in Chicago where it is 90+ degree today. This will make the American lager drinker to the wheat beer drinker happy. I do not see many hop heads liking this beer. Enjoy it! Drink it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

Milwaukee Brewing Booyah (MKE)

In this blog, we are going to talk about this great brewery from Milwaukee, WI.  You already know about this brewery from my Pull Chain blog.  Here is my second beer from this brewery and it is called Booyah.  It is an American Farmhouse Ale.  A small bit of history on Farmhouse Ales, they were made way back in the day in Belguim on farms, which hints Farmhouse.  The owners of the farms would brew this beer to be very drinkable and refreshing for the workers that work on their farm.  So you can just picture all the different styles of taste on this style, which is a case to this day.  There are several arguements on what is a saison to farmhouse.  I believe they are the same thing with different sub categories.  MKE style has a ABV 6.5% IBU 20, which is taking from their website.

Here is a great youtube from MKE website about the beer.  www.mkebrewing.com

http://youtu.be/gsS_Vi7T0PA

Let’s talk about the beer now.  This beer pours like a darker farmhouse ale.  It is like a golden amber.  It is not really cloudy like most farmhouse ales.  The taste is a little weird but in a very good way.  It is very drinkable as close as balance are you going to get.  Just like other farmhouse ales, it is very refreshing.  You get the farmhouse hoppiest but has the amber.  This is a very good tasting beer.  Even though it is all year beer.  This beer is perfect in spring, hot summers, and warm falls.

A few ways to get information on this brewery.

Website www.mkebrewing.com

Twitter @mkebrewing

In closing, this beer is excite and you need to search it out.  This brewery is making some great beers that I believe most people haven’t really check them out.  If you are up in Milwaukee, stop by this brewery.  Don’t do the boring Miller Brewery Company brewery tour.  There is nothing wrong with it.  There is a small engine that can brewery making some great beers that needs some loving.  Drink it, Enjoy It, and Metal it!

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Twitter @djweiser

Email djweiser16@gmail.com

Milwaukee Breweing Company Pull Chain

Welcome back to another craft beer blog by myself Bill DJ Weiser.  We are going to talk about The Pull Chain from this great from WI.  It is their American Pale Ale.  First before I get started I wanted to give you the information on how to get hold of this brewery.

Website is www.mkbrewing.com

Twitter is @MKEbrewco

I will be posting more on this brewery.  I am looking at making a trip up to the Brewery in May.  That depends on my motorcycle since I was in a crash today.  I am fine need not to worry about this metal head.  Well anyways let’s get into this beer.

This is a American Pale Ale that is what it is on the neck of the bottle.  I will say they are not lying about it.  It is a well balanced West Coast Pale Ale.  It is copper in looks.  Nice hop finish.  It is a pretty straight front Pale Ale.  It is not over bitter like most West Coast Pale Ale.

I really like this Pale Ale and I believe you should go out and look for this beer.  Drink it and enjoy it!

Cheers

Bill DJ Weiser

twitter @djweiser

email djweiser16@gmail.com

Ram Brewery Wheeling IL

I love supporting great brewpub with great food.  I didn’t realize I had one in my backyard.  I am talking about the multiple locations brewpub called The Ram Brewery.  Their beer is a really good for a great value for the price.  This is a perfect place to take people that are new to craft beer world that want to sample new Craft Beers.  The other one I would say in the Chicagoland market would be the #1 craft in Chicago which is Goose Island Brewery.  They have two location in the city but if you are in the burbs of Chicago The Ram has two location in the Northwest.

To get information and see updates and news on this company.

Twitter @theram or @therambrew (wheeling location)

Website is www.theram.com

The Wheeling location has special on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday.  They have a sampler plate just like every other brewpub.  Go and drink to support some great craft beers!  Cheers!