milwaukee brewery

New Blog New Glarus Black Top

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In this beer blog, we are going to take a look at the fifth of seven beers from New Glarus Brewing.  The beer is called Black Top.  If you read my earlier blog on their Fat Squirrel Ale, you are pretty up to speed on this brewery.  If you have not, please, go back and read the first part of that beer blog post.  Let us get into this Black India Pale Ale.

It has a dark brown to black color with a heavy constant white head on the beer.  It has a citrus smell to the beer.  It has a slight chocolate to citrus taste with a dry bitter aftertaste to the beer.  It is kind of drinkable beer.

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

We invite you to discover this newest beer style Black IPA. Political debate rages over the origins of this jet black beer as both coasts feel they deserve credit. Our Black Top is a pleasant road connecting Villages and Communities statewide on a ride of Black IPA discovery.

Expect this beer to pour a hop forward jet black glass brimming with aromatic bitterness.  Brewmaster Dan skillfully weaves molasses and chocolate malt undertones with a soaring rush of clean citrus and pine hop notes, to deliver a drinkable Black IPA. Savor Black Top, like Wisconsin’s miles of licorice ribbons of ink that meander through armies of corn and bovine mowed fields. Enjoy the journey on a road less traveled.  Happy Trails, Daniel & Deborah Carey

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newglarusbrewing.com

Twitter:  @newglarusbeer

In closing,  I am a HUGE fan of this beer style, which is Black Ales or Black India Pale Ale.  This has a ton of flavor.  It is just as smooth as Widmer Brothers Pitch Black.  It has a little bit more hoppiest and bitterest than that beer from Widmer Brothers.  This beer would be in my regular beer line up.  I really enjoyed this beer but I love Milwaukee Brewing Black Iron more but their beer is more of a seasonal.  New Glarus Black Top is available all the time and I will be drinking this beer when I get it in my hands when I cannot get Black Iron.  Great Job on this one, Dan!  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Brooklyn Lager Vs Samuel Adams Boston Lager

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Battle of Evermore, we are going to do something different.  I am taking two well-known craft lagers and putting them up against each other.  They are Samuel Adams Boston Lager, which is the flagship of the Boston Beer Company, and Brooklyn Lager, which is the flagship of the Brooklyn Brewery.  The reason why this challenge has come to head is the fact when both breweries started out they contracted their beers out to one brewery to keep up with demand.  Plus, it is Boston against New York City.  Both cities hate each other from football, hockey, baseball, and I believe basketball.  Both breweries were there from the beginning of the craft beer world.  I do not need to go over the history of these two breweries because I have done blogs on both breweries.  Let the fight begin!

Brooklyn Lager

Brooklyn Lager has a slightly hazel copper color without a head on the beer.  It has a sweet malty to a little caramel smell to the beer. It has a slight hoppy to malty taste with a nice crisp finish for the aftertaste.  It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Amber gold, with a malty body and a floral hop character. Brooklyn Lager is a revival of Brooklyn’s pre-Prohibition all malt lagers. This is the brewery’s first and best-selling brand. Brooklyn Lager is brewed only with malted barley, hops, water and yeast.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Samuel Adams Boston Lager has a clear copper color without a head on the beer.  There is really no smell to this beer.  This lager is sweet malty carbonation to it with crisp malty aftertaste. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Our original beer, brewed with Bavarian Noble hops. The balance of malty sweetness and hop spiciness in this brew sets the standard for all Samuel Adams beers.

What is the same between these beers?

Both beers are craft beers and are the flagship beers to each respected brewery. They are both pretty malty tasting lagers.

What is the differences between these beers?

Brooklyn lager is a little bit more hopper than Boston Lager and has a clean crisp aftertaste.  Boston Lager is a little bit more maltier and has a malty crisp aftertaste that last longer than the Brooklyn Lager.

The end, respect to both breweries, they both make some good beers.  Some of their beers are average to below average while some are above average.  You will get that from many breweries.  There are a very few that make all their beers really good.  Brooklyn Lager has a little bit more of a hoppy feel but yet enough of malty taste to give the best of both worlds.  Boston Lager is a little bit more maliter.  I have to say Brooklyn Lager is better.  Brooklyn is going with the old school taste that was going on in American before Prohibition.  Boston Lager is more American Craft Lager with a classic twisted.  I just feel Boston Lager is dying a fast death and needs to put down.  To me, Brooklyn Lager wins this battle and I wish more people knew about this great beer.  This is my thought pattern and I would like to hear your thought. Go get some Brooklyn Lager!  Raise your glass to a beer that should be classic American lager before and after Prohibition era.  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog New Glarus Brewing Fat Squirrel Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to take a look at seven beers from New Glarus Brewing.  Here is a little history of this great Midwest Brewery.  New Glarus Brewing Company was founded in 1993 by Deborah and Dan Carey in New Glarus, Wisconsin.  They are 21st largest Craft Brewery and 32nd largest brewery in the United States.  This brewery has won several awards for their beers.  They brew several different beer styles and their flagship is their Spotted Cow.  We are going to get into their Fat Squirrel first.  Let us check out this brew.

The beer has a clear brown color without a head on it.  The smell is a sweet maple malty to the beer. The taste is sweet malty and maple to it. The aftertaste is a hazelnut to it. It is a pretty drinkable for being a brown ale.

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

One deceptively springlike winter day, Brewmaster Dan walked hom from the brewery, sat down to dinner and said, “Boy there are some fat squirrels out there.  They’re running all over the place.  I think I should brew a Fat Squirrel Nut Brown Ale.”  Deb agreed and so another beer legend was born.

100% Wisconsin malt of six different varieties impart the natural toasted color to this bottle conditioned unfiltered ale.  Clean hazelnut notes result from these carefully chosen barely malts.  Hops from Slovenia, Bavaria and the Pacific Northwest give Fat Squirrel its backbone.

When the going gets tough remember to relax a moment and enjoy the “Fat Squirrel” in your neighborhood.  Truly yours, Daniel & Deborah Carey

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newglarusbrewing.com

Twitter:  @newglarusbeer

In closing, I really enjoyed this beer.  It is a little different from the rest of the Brown Ales that are in the market.  I really enjoyed the classic craft brown ales like Brooklyn Brown Ale.  This one has a really good twist to it.  There is other notes you do not get from the rest of the brown ales like a little caramel, which you will get from other brown ales, and maple notes.  I love brown ale and I have to say this Nut Brown Ale or should I say Fat Squirrel Ale is one of my favorite Brown Ale along with Brooklyn Brown.  Thanks to my friend for bring it down to Chicago for me to try it and blog about it.  This beer is worth a trip up to Wisconsin to try this beer out.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Milwaukee Brewery Tour And Brewery

While in Milwaukee, WI, as many of you know, I rode my motorcycle up to check out as many breweries in Milwaukee.  I had to stop by my favorite brewery, which is Milwaukee Brewery, and many of you know that I am a huge fan of this brewery.  If you read my earlier blog on their Pull Chain, you are up to speed on the history of this brewery.  If not, please, go back and read the first part of blog post.  Here is a little of their brewery.  Milwaukee Brewery started out under a brewpub in the city and it was called Milwaukee Ale House, which is still there.  I would recommend checking out their brewpub.  You will get a feel of the theme of their brewery and their beers.  There first beer was brewed in 1997.  Let us get into the tour and then a few of beers that I was trying that I did not blog.

Brewery Tour

The first thing I noticed about this brewery.  It reminded me of old school Goose Island in Chicago before they were sold to Budweiser.  They are very lay back and enjoy brewing beer.  This gives you  the hint of their packaging design and how they brew their beers.  I like how they broke up the brewery tour in parts with a beer break between each part.  They had several beers you could try and enjoy.  I also like that the tour guide had a microphone for most of the tour.  I have been on several brewery tours where they are shouting, yelling, or even screaming for the people to hear them.  We had Tom and he was awesome.  I had a great time listening to him because of his passion and love for his job.  You can tell he loves his jobs and he was not the only one there with that passion.  I really enjoyed this brewery and this tour. It is worth the $7.00.  Thank you MKE Brewery for welcoming us into your brewery.

MKE ULAO

This beer has a golden yellow color with a nice constant white head.  This beer really does not have a smell to it.  There is a little wheaty and yeast taste to the beer.  This is extremely drinkable beer and with a nice punch of 5% ABV.  As many of you know, I am not a fan of wheat, white, or hefeweizen.  I believe my taste buds are changing again.  I really enjoyed this beer and I recommend you trying this beer.  Go get some!

MKE Hoptober Fest

Please read the blog I will post later.  I went into more detail on this beer.

MKE Double IPA

This beer has a nice copper color with a nice white constant head.  This beer has a nice cirtus to piney smell to it.  The taste is about the same as the smell, which is cirtus to it.  The aftertaste is a bitter dry which is about right for my taste buds.  It is a pretty drinkable beer for being a big IPA.  I really enjoyed this beer and I wish it was in the package.  I will hunt down a bar in Chicago to drink it.  If I cannot find bar in Chicago, I guess it is another road trip to Milwaukee.  Go get some!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.mkebrewing.com

Twitter: @mkebrewco

Leaving Milwaukee, I had a great time and it felt like a huge beer party with all the beer drinkers at the brewery during the tours.  It was nice to see the brewery and meet some of the workers that work for this brewery.  It was also nice to go to the brewpub to see where they started.  This is a good brewery and I hope more and more people discover their beers.  Thank you for showing us around.  If you are around Milwaukee, please, check  this brewery out.  It is worth your money.  This is what you get for your money and it is one pint glass, brewery tour, sample any beer that is available, and two tokens to use at a selected bars in the area.  Go get some!   Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Milwaukee Brewing Hoptober Fest

While in Milwaukee, we are going to take a look at one of my favorite breweries in the city north of Chicago.  Milwaukee Brewing Hoptober Fest is one of their few Fall Seasonal.  If you read my earlier blog on their beers, you are pretty up to speed on this brewery.  If you have not, please go back and read the first part.  Let us get into the beer.

This is one of their many seasonal beers and a few in the Fall Seasonal.  It has a nice clear amber color with a little head on the beer.  The smell is like the traditional German Oktoberfest beers. It has a sweet malty smell to the beer. The taste of the beer is a sweet carbonate malty with a nice crisp malty aftertaste. This is a perfect beer for the Fall and drinkable too.

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

Our hoppy take on a classic seasonal German style lager. Brewed with pale ale, caramel, and toasted Munich malts that attribute a sweet earthy malty flavor, toasted aroma, and a bright orange hue. German Tettnanger hops add an herbal peppery flavor and nose.

One of my favorite parts about brewing this beer is that we’re participating in a seasonal brewing tradition that spans the globe. Since nearly all craft breweries take part in the Oktoberfest season, I like to try the different renditions side by side.

We use a traditional lager fermentation along side the traditional toasted Munich style malts. There are a lot of bready characters that come up during the brew. We wanted to brew a hoppier version of the brew, so we added Perle, Tettnang and Columbus hops.

The simple recipe hasn’t changed since we started brewing it in 2006.

Here is a video from Youtube (www.youtube.com):

http://youtu.be/MweezhrL7yM

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.mkebrewing.com

Twitter:  @mkebrewco

Closing out, I was not expecting a true Octoberfest Marzin style.  I thought it was going to be over hop amber ale or lager.  Here it is your normal Octoberfest that is slightly hop.  It is pretty drinkable and has a ton of flavor.  This beer just became my favorite fall beer.  This is a huge debate in my head between MKE Hoptober, Scharfly Pumpkin, or Brooklyn Oktoberfest.  I have to say they are all tied for first place.  I cannot make my mind.  This is good because all these breweries that make some awesome beers.  This beer I would run not walk and get some of this brew before it is all gone.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comast.net

Twitter:@djweiser

New Blog Brooklyn Brewery Pennant Ale ’55

In this blog, we are going to take look at another beer from the Brooklyn Brewery.  If you read my earlier blog, you know little about this brewery.  The beer that is going to be feature in this blog is Broolyn Brewery Pennant Ale ’55.  This beer is part of their everyday lineup of beers.  Just like the rest of their beers, Pennant Ale has classic European brewing style.  Let us get into the beer.

Pennant Ale has a dark deep amber color with a white head. It smells like pennies being cooked in a hot summer days.  This meaning is like a burn copper or like Carmel smell. It has a semi-light body with a slight honey to Carmel malt taste. It has a slight dry aftertaste but yet drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Pennant Ale is brewed from Scottish Maris Otter malt, which is justly prized for its toasty. biscuity flavor and the round smoothness it imparts.  Our house ale yeast brings out an appetizing fruitiess and ferments to a dry finish.  Pennant is best before the freshness date indicated.  For information write us at 79 North 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

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

As Brooklynites, we revere the memory of the 1955 World Champion Dodgers baseball team, so we had to name a beer in their honor. Brooklyn Pennant Ale is a honey-colored pale ale with a brisk malt palate and finely balanced hop character. Pennant is a traditional English-style pale ale. The pale ale style developed in the early 19th century, and was called “pale” because it appeared so in comparison to the darker ale styles of the day (East India Pale Ale was a stronger, paler, more bitter version of the style). Brooklyn Pennant Ale is brewed from Scottish Maris Otter malt, which is justly prized for its toasty, biscuity flavor and the round smoothness it imparts to beer. Our house ale yeast brings out an appetizing fruitiness and ferments to a dry finish. During 2005, Brooklyn Brewery will donate one dollar from every case of Pennant sold to the funding of the statue of Brooklyn Dodgers greats Jackie Robinson and Pee-Wee Reese planned for the Cyclones ballpark in Coney Island.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.brooklynbrewery.com

Twitter:  @brooklynbrewery

In the end, I really love this beer.  Brooklyn Brewery is a different pace to other Craft Breweries. This brewery is refreshing for any craft beer drinkers.  With all the over hopped beers and extreme beers in the market, it is very nice to have this craft brewery around in the market.  I do rotate this beer and their East India Pale Ale into my refrigerator with the rest of the craft beer I drink.  This is a good beer with a ton of flavor.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Roscoe’s Hop House Amber Ale

While shopping at Meijer, this is the last beer from the Roscoe’s Hop House.  There is really no history but please go back to my earlier blog to get a little bit of their history.  The beer we are going to feature is their Amber Ale.  Let us get into the beer.

This Amber Ale has a dark copper color without a head to it.  A sweet malty smell is in the beer. The taste has a sweet malty in the beer.  It is drinkable beer but it is kind of water down beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Harkening back to old world brewing styles, Roscoe’s Hop House uses the highest quality malts and hops to bring forth this smooth, bright-flavored Amber Ale.  With a nod to the past, this nicely balanced, true ale is brewed using traditional brewing methods for a unique flavor profile.  The password to our best kept secret is found inside the bottle.

Here is a few awards this beer won from their website (www.roscoeshophouse.com):

Gold Medal “Exceptional” – World Beer Championship, 2009

88 Points “Highly Recommended” – Beverage Testing Institute 2011

86 Points/ Best Buy – Wine Enthusiast, March 2010

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.rosceoshophouse.com

Twitter:  there is no twitter account

In closing, I love trying new beers all the time.  It keeps me up to speed on what breweries are doing around the country or the world.  However, I did kind of enjoy their other beers, I normally do not this about any beer but this beer is really bad.  I am not going to sugar coat it and be really nice about it.  There is a little flavor but it is really water down.  It is drinkable because of that fact.  I will go and drink a Pabst or a Rolling Rock.  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Redhook Brewery Pilsner

In this beer blog, we are going to sample another beer from the Redhook Brewery.  If you read my earlier blog, you know about this brewery.  I believe you know this brewery since it was one of the first of the modern era for Craft Breweries.  The beer we are going to feature in this blog is their Pilsner, which is one of their everyday beers.  Let us get into the beer.

Redhook Brewery Pilsner has a golden clear color without a head on it.  It has the normal malty smell of a pilsner. A sweet malty taste is what this Redhook brew is all about with a crisp dry aftertaste.  It is drinkable like all Redhook Brewery beers. The goal of Redhook Brewery is to make drinkable beers for beer drinkers to enjoy during any event.

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

Czech out Redhook’s newest brew.  Redhook Pilsner is crisp, golden lager that is modeled after those historic beers originally made in Plzeň, Czechoslovakia.  Redhook Pilsner’s maltiness is offset by amedium dose of Saaz hops and finishes with a clean, bright,thirst-quenching quality. A great “session” lager for when you’ve got a long day ahead of drinking.

Style………………….Pilsner
Abv…………………….5.3%
IBUs…………………..23 IBU
Original Gravity..12.3 degrees plato
Brewed Since………2010
Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.redhook.com

Twitter:  @redhook_brewery

In closing, I know I said this in my blog on their Longhammer India Pale Ale.  I really enjoy drinking their beers.  They are all very drinkable and that is the point of this brewery.  They have enough muscle or this beer they say it has a dark side to it.  This Pilsner has a ton of flavor and I know I will not get bored drinking this beer like most pilsner in the market.  I love my Frankenmuth Pilsner but Redhook Brewery Pilsner is a very close second place.  I really love their packages.  It gives this brewery that old school look going back before prohibition.  I recommend you trying this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Roscoe’s Hop House Craft India Pale Ale

In this blog, we are going to taste another beer from Roscoe’s Hop House, which is their India Pale Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on this brewery, you are up to speed for the short history I found on this brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a constant clear copper color without a head. It has no smell but maybe a slight circus smell.  This IPA has a sweet carbonation and citrus taste to it. It is more of an English India Pale Ale.  It is drinkable.

Here is a descripation from the beer bottle:

harkening back to old world brewing styles, Roscoe’s Hop House uses the highest quality malts and hops to bring forth this smooth, bright flavored India Pale Ale.  With a nod to the past, this nicely balanced, true ale is brewed using traditional brewing methods for an unique flavor profile.  The password to our best kept secret is found inside the bottle.

Here is an award for this beer from their website (www.roscoeshophouse.com):

Silver Medal – World Beer Championship 2012 86 Points “Highly Recommended” – Beverage Testing Institute 2011

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.roscoeshophouse.com

Twitter:

In closing, this beer is not really good.  It is not really hoppy enough to be an India Pale Ale.  This is more like an English India Pale Ale but I do not think it is not that hoppy enough for that beer style.  It is sad when their Pale Ale is little bit more hoppier then this India Pale Ale.   It is drinkable but that is all this beer has going on with it.  Do not go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Blue Moon Summer Honey Ale

In this blog, Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat Ale is going to be featured.  I told myself that I would never do a mass-produced beer.  Blue Moon is still kind of looked at as a craft beer still, which is kind of sad.  Blue Moon was launched in 1995.  It was created by Keith Villa, which was a brewer at Sandlot Brewery.  This brewery was own by Molson Coors which is now Miller Coors.  This Summer ale was launched in 2011, which was original called Honey Moon in 2006.  Let us get into this beer.

This is a clear yellow color without a head.  It has a constant bubbles in the beer. It has a slight honey smell. There is a ton of honey taste but no wheat taste in the beer.  It is a drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

A refreshing wheat ale crafted with clover honey for a hint of sweetness and a touch of orange peel for subtle citrus notes.

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

Ahhh…Summer Honey Wheat at Last.
When we first opened our doors in 1995, our summer seasonal was one of the first beers we brewed. Back then, we called it Honey Blonde Ale, and it was a favorite of baseball fans coming to a game during the heat of the Colorado summer. It took an extended summer break in 1999, reappearing in 2006 in time to win a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival® under the name Honeymoon Summer Ale and then again in 2010 as Blue Moon® Summer Honey Wheat.
The beer with more name changes than a professional athlete, today Blue Moon® Summer Honey Wheat is crafted with Colorado clover honey and orange peel for a refreshing taste that makes the most of sun-soaked days.
Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival®—Blue Moon® Summer Honey Wheat, Specialty Honey Beer Category.

Available in 12-oz. bottles, 6-pack, 12-pack, Draft

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com

Twitter:  no twitter address

In closing, I am not a fan of wheat ales and pretty much all mas-produced beers.  This beer is pretty bad.  I am only tasting a ton of honey and no wheat notes.  It is very drinkable that I will agree with.  There is better beers in the market that will give you same beer tasting notes.  All this beer is for the beginner in the craft beer world.  Once they explore this new beer world to them.  I know for a fact they will never go back as much as these beer companies think they will with their television ads.  I am not shocked that I did not like this beer.  I would say to pass on this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser