new york city

New Beer Blog Brooklyn Brewery Blast Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample a brew that I have been searching for the last few years.  I even tried to trade with a friend on the east coast.  He could not find it last year.  I believe he did not want to share.  I am talking about Brooklyn Blast Ale, which is Double IPA.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this east coast craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know Brooklyn Brewery.  Let us get into this Double IPA.

It has a slightly cloudy copper color with a white head on this double IPA. The smell has a citrus notes that shines strong in this brew. The taste has a strong malty backbone that let the citrus notes shine bright in this ale.  The aftertaste has a dry hop finish. It is a nice sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

We brew our beer in New York, about halfway between the hop fields of the Pacific Northwest and the hop fields of Kent, England.  So in The rambuncious IPA we call BLAST! we use earthly English hops to build the foundation and bright citrusy American hops to bring the noise.  British and German malts brace up a beer that’s beautifully hoppy, strangely quaffable and oddly compelling.  You won’t even know what hit you.

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

We brew our beer in New York, about halfway between the hop fields of the Pacific Northwest and the hop fields of Kent, England. So we use earthy English hops to build the foundation and bright citrusy American hops to bring the noise in the rambunctious IPA we call BLAST! British Maris Otter and German Pilsner malts lends solidity, balance and bready flavors to brace up a beer that’s beautifully hoppy, strangely quaffable and oddly compelling. Minerally hop bitterness is followed by a shock wave of flavor and aroma. You won’t even know what hit you.

Style: Double IPA
Malts: Scottish Floor-malted Maris Otter, German Pilsner Malt
Hops: Willamette, Magnum, Cascade, Fuggle, Aurora, Zythos, Bravo, Simcoe, Sorachi Ace, Amarillo, Experiment 6300
Alcohol by Volume: 8.4%
IBUs: 53
Original Gravity: 18.8° Plato
Calories: 251 (per 12oz)
Food Pairings: Very spicy Thai dishes, fiery Indian vindaloos, Mexican dishes featuring habañero chilies, Jamaican jerk chicken, and robust cheddars.
Availability: Year-round
Format: 15.5 gal kegs; 5.2 gal kegs; 24/12oz bottles

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.brooklynbrewery.com

Twitter:  @brooklynbrewery

Closing,  I am not a huge fan of Brooklyn Brewery but I respect them from where they were and what they have done so far.  They brew more of the traditional beer styles.  It is fine.  I love their Pilsner and Brown ale in their everyday line up.  I was pretty happy to see Blast! as an everyday beer.  It is a smart move with the growth of IPA’s.  I love it. There is a nice balance and does not drink like a double IPA.  This is what makes beer pretty special.  This is one of their best beers asides their chocolate stout.  I highly recommend.  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 Sixpoint Brewing Diesel

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into one of my favorite breweries out of New York City.  The brewery is Sixpoint Brewing and the beer is their winter seasonal called Diesel Stout.  If you read my earlier beer blog on their beers, you know how I feel towards this brewery and the history of it.   If you have not, please, read the beer blog called Sixpoint Brewing Apollo.  Let us get into this great stout.

This winter seasonal has a jet black color with a light tan color head to the stout. The smell is a chocolate with a citrus to the beer. The taste is a complex full body beer. It has a chocolate to coffee with piney with a dry chocolate aftertaste. It is drinkable beer to me but I can see people thinking it is not a drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer can:

Each dawn is clear cold air bites the throat.  Thick frost on the pine bough leaps from the tree snapped by the diesel.  On the darkest days of the year, light becomes a luxury.  Just when you think you cannot penetrate the darkness…SNAP!  Light pieces through the roasted pine forest.

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

Diesel

Winter

This undefinable black brew is part black IPA, part American Stout, but 100% Diesel powered. Robust chocolate and roasted flavors, with thick pine hop flavor and aroma.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sixpoint.com

Twitter:  @sixpoint

Closing out the winter season, I am sadden by the fact that winter is ending because I love the fall and winter sesaonal beers.  Spring and summer seasonals beer are not one of my favorites.  I really loves this beer because it gives you something little different.  However Sixpoint Brewing gives the craft beer drinker something different, this is way I love Sixpoint.  The craft beer drinker will get the stout and then the snap of the piney at the back part of the tasting experience.  The piney hops echo in the aftertaste.  This is a beer that will give you more for the beer drinker.  If you are looking for the normal stout, this beer is not for you.  If you are a stout or hophead that is looking for something different in your beer, this beer is perfect for you.  I know this beer is not going to be for everyone.  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 Roit Immortal Soul

In this music blog, we are going to check out one of my favorite underground metal band called Riot.  The last record from this great band out of Brooklyn, New York is called Immortal Soul, which is their fourteen studio album.  Riot was formed in 1975 by the late great guitarist Mark Reale.  They reach their peak a little bit in the early 1980’s but had a long successful career.  The band went through so many line up changes but yet had a different sound in each of the eras which makes this band unique.  Riot had fourteen studio albums, three live albums, one greatest hits, and one ep album that was only released in Japan.  Let us get into the music.

Riot

Mark wrote a nice in your face guitar riff in this song.  It is a pretty fast pace song.  It has the classic sound from Thundersteel along with great singing.  Mark also wrote a nice guitar solo, which he has been known for throughout the years.  It is a well written song and great song opening song for this record.

Still Your Man

Still Your Man has a nice guitar and bass riffs throughout the song.  There are hard-hitting and in your face drums.  The singing is nice and fits the music along with great lyrics.  This song finishes nicely.   Nice job on this song!

Crawling

Crawling has a nice start to the song and I love how they did it.  There is a nice heavy guitars with a great short solo at the beginning of the song.  The singer has a nice vocal melody and great lyrics.  I love the feeling and the sound of this song.  There is a nice simple guitar solo towards the end of the song along with a great finish to it.

Wings Are For Angels

This song has a nice fast pace drums with a simple guitar riff to fill into the song.  I believe his singing and voice does not fit with the music.  I love the music.  They did an excite job on it.  The drummer is playing his ass off on this song.  There is an awesome guitar solo and it has to be one of the best ones on this record.  Wings Are For Angels has a nice ending with drums and guitar.

Fall Before Me

Fall Before Me has nice guitar and drum work along with a nice touch with the acoustic guitar.  The music in this song is a great fit for this singer.   He wrote some great lyrics.  This song sounds like a rock anthems form the late 1970’s.  I love it.

Sins Of The Father

Sins of the Father has a nice guitar at the beginning with drums.  Tony Moore is singing very nice here with some great lyrics.  So far this song is my favorite song on this record.  I love the fact with all the line up changes they stayed true to their sound that they have created throughout the years.

Majestica

This is an intro song for the next song.  It has great guitar riff that fits in the old 1980’s metal pop sound.

Immoral Soul

Majestica runs into a nice drums with guitar work in Immoral Soul.  There is also a great bassline.  Tony has written some great lyrics and is singing his ass off in this song.  Mark of course wrote a great guitar solo.  The band did a great job on the ending of this song.

Insanity

Insanity starts out with the singer and then the guitars enter with the drums and bass.  In this song, everything is floating around the singer, which is change of pace from the rest of the songs on this record.  This is a great song.  This song is showing the finest work from Mark’s guitar work.  Nice touch on the fading ending it fits the mood of the song.

Whiskey Man

Whiskey Man has a nice guitar intro.  I love the lyrics but some parts of this song his vocals really does not fit with the music.  The lyrics are sneak up in your face along with the singing.  This is not greatest guitar solo but it fits in the song and music.  Most bands get it.  Not all songs need guitar solos or drum fills.  Sometimes the most simple thing is the right thing.

Believe

Believe starts out with a nice angry guitar intro with the drums and bass.  This is a well written song all the way around.  Riot did a great job on this song.  I love the time changes and the great finish to the song.

Echoes

Echoes has great guitar work from high to low.  There is a nice flow with the lead vocals and nice touch on the back up vocals.  This is my favorite song on this record along with Sins Of The  Father.  This song was a the perfect song to finish up a record and a great career.  It is so sad because this band should have been bigger then what they were in the world of music.

Roit line up on this record:

  • Tony Moore – Lead Vocals
  • Mark Reale – Guitar
  • Mike Flyntz – Guitar
  • Don Van Stavern – Bass
  • Bobby Jarzombek – Drums

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.riotsweb.com

Twitter:  no twitter account

In closing, I really enjoyed this record and all their records throughout their career.  When I discovered this great band, I had to pick up all their records.  It is sad to see this be their last record but at least I have this great music to listen to rest of my days on this earth.  I love how they stayed true to their 1970’s sound but yet pulled off their slight thrash metal days in the 1980’s.  My two favorite songs on this record is Sins Of The Father and Echoes.  I wish I would have seen this band play live along with several other bands. I did not get a chance to see them live.  Go check this record out and let me know what you think.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Sixpoint Autumnation

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In this fall beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Sixpoint Brewery.  This beer is their fall seasonal called Autumnation.  If you read my earlier blog on their Apollo, you are know the history on this brewery.  If you have not, please, read the first part of that post.  Let us get into the beer.

This fall seasonal has a clear copper color without a head on the beer.  The smell is a slight piney to it. There is no smell to this beer. The taste is a sweet carbonation to earthly with a dry bitter aftertaste. It is kind of drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer can:

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seem in one autumnal face.  One of the most special times of the year for craft brewers is the hop harvest.  The Autumnation celebrates this season by harnessing pumpkin and fresh “wet hops” chosen by our fans.

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

Autumnation

Autumn
Our Autumnal brew is made with subtle pumpkin and spice, but its prominent feature is the fresh harvested “wet-hops” that are added. New hop strain and selection every year. Autumnation 2012 features Citra Hops.
ABV 6.7%
IBU 74
SRM 15

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sixpoint.com

Twitter:  @sixpoint

In closing, I really enjoyed the change of pace that this beer gave me to the rest of the fall beers on the market.  Do not give me wrong, I love my fair share of pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers.  I love the hoppy taste and yet the beer pulled out some malty taste.  I have not been disappointed with any of the beers that Sixpoint has put out on the market.  I really need to make it to Brooklyn to check out the brewery.  If you have yet check out their beers but read all my post, go get some and stop reading for a bit.  You will not be disappointed with this brewery that is taking the traditional beer styles and put a twist on them in a good way.  This beer is no different.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Sixpoint Brownstone

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In this blog, Sixpoint Brownstone will be featured in this latest edition.  If you read my earlier blog on Sixpoint beers, you are pretty up to speed on this brewery.  If you have not, please, go back and read the first part of that blog.  Let us get into the beer.

Sixpoint Brownstone has a brown color with a heavy carbonation to the beer.  It has a sweet malty smell to the beer.  The brown ale has a sweet malty taste with a nice malty aftertaste.  It is extremely drinkable for being a dark beer. Most general beer drinkers see a dark beer and believe it is not drinkable. In some cases, some dark beers can be drinkable more then their golden to white looking beers.

Here is description from the beer can:

…..and coming out of the brownstone house to the gray sidewalk, the watered street, one side of the buildings rises with the sun like a glistening field of wheat.  Brownstone is our bedrock; the first fortress of Sixpoint.  Mahogany malt and balanced bitterness is our home.

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

…and coming out of the brownstone house to the gray sidewalk, the watered street, one side of the buildings rises with the sun like a glistening field of wheat.
Brownstone is our bedrock; the first fortress of Sixpoint. This mahogany-hued brew has elements of roasted barley and a hop-forward profile.
Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sixpoint.com

Twitter:  @sixpoint

Closing out the blog, I really enjoy drinking beers from Sixpoint Brewery.  I am glad that they are in Chicago market.  I love how this brewery takes a classic beer style and put their twist on it.  It gives the craft beer drinker a new drinking experience.  To me, this is one of the best brown ales on the market.  My two favorite brown ales are this one from Sixpoint and Brooklyn.  The thing is that they are two different twist on the same beer style.  I would think it would be nice if Sixpoint, Bronx Brewery, and Brooklyn Brewery should do a beer together.  It should be called New York Gangster Take Me Down Ale.  I do not know.  I am thinking out loud in words on this blog.  Sixpoint did a great job on their new can beer, which is Brownstone.  Go get some!  Drink it! Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Brooklyn Summer

In this blog, we are going to get into the last summer seasonal and one of my favorite of this season, which is very rare.  The beer is Brooklyn Summer.  If you read my earlier blog on their Brooklyn Brown, you know a little something on this brewery.  I try this in their can and bottle.  I was wondering if there was a different from the can and the bottle.   There was a little differences between the packaging.  The first thing is the carbonation from the can to the bottle was different.  Let us sample them out.

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Brooklyn Summer Can

It is a clear golden color with a constant white head.  There is a heavy carbonation to this beer.  It has a very sweet smell. It is a light in body with a sweet light very malty taste without an aftertaste. It is easy to drink for the very hot Summer days.

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Brooklyn Summer Bottles

Just like the can, it has the same golden color without a head on the beer.  In the bottle, it has less carbonation.  It has a very sweet malty smell.  The beer has a sweet carbonation malty taste without an aftertaste. It is extremely drinkable beer.

Here is the description from the bottle and can:

Brooklyn Summer Ale is a summer refresher with a difference.  The difference comes from the malt-100% British two-row barley, prized for superior taste.  Our Summer Ale is gold in color, with a soft bready flavor, snappy clean bitterness and bright hop aroma, and will taste best before the date indicated.  For information about special events and tours at our New York City facility, check brooklynbrewery.com, or write The Brooklyn Brewery, 79 North 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11249

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.brooklynbrewery.com

Twitter:  @brooklynbrewery

In the end, this light in body beer with its refreshing taste brings that old school feel to the beer drinker.  It is different then all the rest of the other Craft Summer Brews out there.  American Craft Breweries do American style lager or some wheat and that is not my mug of beer.  I still want something with some flavor to it.  This brew from Brooklyn brings me exactly what I am looking for in a summer seasonal.  This is a great beer and I am sad to see this season ending.  If you can still find it, go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Brooklyn Brewery Lager

The feature beer in this lastest edition is Brooklyn Lager.  If you read my earlier blogs on this brewery, you are pretty much up to date on Brooklyn Brewery.  If you have not, please, go back and read the first part of the Brooklyn Brown post to get to know this great New York City brewery.  Let us get into beer.

Brooklyn Lager is part of their everyday lineup of beers and is their flagship beer. It has copper to almost amber color with a constant white head on the beer.  It has a heavy malty smell to the beer.  This lager has a taste of a sweet malty and crisp malty finish to it. It is extremely drinkable.

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, and will taste best before the freshness date indicated.  Please write us or visit the brewery Saturdays noon to 5pm, at #1 Brewers Row.  79th North 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211, or our website at www.brooklynbrewery.com.

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

In the late 1800’s Brooklyn was one of the largest brewing  centers in the country, home to more than 45 breweries.  Lager beer in the “Vienna” style was one of the local favorites. It is amber-gold in color and displays a firm malt  center supported by a refreshing bitterness and floral hop  aroma. Caramel malts show in the finish. The aromatic qualities of the beer are enhanced by “dry-hopping”, the centuries-old practice of steeping the beer with fresh hops as it undergoes a long, cold maturation. The result is a wonderfully flavorful beer, smooth, refreshing and very versatile with food. Dry-hopping is largely a British technique, which we’ve used in a Viennese-style beer to create an American original.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.brooklynbrewery.com

Twitter:  @brooklynbrewery

Ending the beer tab, I will be honest about this beer.  I was not a fan of this beer at first but over the years it has grown on me.  I believe my taste buds are changing again.  This lager is what an American Lager should be not what the mass produced beer companies are putting out there.  I am not saying they are bad lagers and beers.  For me personally, I enjoy more of a malty taste.  This is a great beer with a ton of flavor and a nice hop touch to it.  If you enjoy lagers, I would give this beer a shoot and let me know what you think about this Brooklyn Lager.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Brooklyn Brewery Pilsner

Starting a new beer tab, we are going to get into another brew from Brooklyn Brewery and the beer is Brooklyn Pilsner.  If you read my earlier blog on one of their other beers, you are pretty up to speed on this brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

Brooklyn Pilsner is part of their everyday beers. It has a clear golden color with constant white head and bubbles.  There is really no smell to the beer. The taste is a dry slight carbonated to it with crisp finish. Just like all Brooklyn beers, it has that classic European style to it. This pilsner is extremely drinkable and perfect for anytime of the year.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Brooklyn Pilsner is a pale refreshing lager, brewed in the style flavored by New York’s pre-Prohibition German-American brewers.  Brooklyn Pilsner tastes best before the freshness date indicated.  Please write us or visit the brewery Saturdays noon to 5pm.  79 N 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211, or visit our website at www.brookynbrewery.com.

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

Brooklyn Pilsner is a refreshing golden lager beer, brewed in the style favored by New York’s pre-prohibition brewers. In the 1840’s, the pilsner style emerged from central Europe to become the world’s most popular style of beer. Like its ancestors, Brooklyn Pilsner is traditionally brewed from the finest German two-row barley malts. Germangrown Perle and Hallertauer hops provide a crisp, snappy bitterness and fresh, floral aroma. The flavor of the malt comes through in the finish. We ferment Brooklyn Pilsner at cool temperatures, and then give it a long, gentle maturation (lagering), which results in a beer of superior complexity and smoothness. We believe that you will find there to be none finer. Unlike mass-marketed so-called pilsners, Brooklyn Pilsner does not contain cheap fillers such as corn or rice, nor does it contain any preservatives or stabilizers. Brooklyn Pilsner is the real thing.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.brooklynbrewery.com

Twitter:  @brooklynbrewery

Closing out the tab, I have really been enjoying Brooklyn beers.  This beer style is slowly becoming one of my favorite beer styles.  I really love the clean crisp finish and the medium body.  It has a ton of flavor and perfect for any season from the Summer to Winter.  If you love pilsners, this is one beer you need to try a few times.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.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