pale ale

New Blog Lagunitas India Pale Ale

New beer tab, Lagunitas India Pale Ale is the feature beer in this new beer blog.  It is part of their everyday six-pack beer.  If you read my earlier blog on their Fusion 8, you are pretty up to speed on this brewery.  If you have not read it, please, go back to read the first part of it.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a dark golden color to copper color with a constant white head.  It has a citrus smell to this IPA.  The taste has a sweet slightly carbonation to citrus taste with nice citrus to piney aftertaste.  It is drinkable for being a West Coast India Pale Ale.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Thanks for choosing to spend the next few minutes with the special homicidally hoppy ale.  Saavor the moment as the raging hop character engages the Imperial Qualities of the Malt Foundation in mortal combat on the battlefield of your palate!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.lagunitas.com

Twitter:  there is no twitter address

Closing out the beer tab, this beer is a really awesome beer.  To me, this India Pale Ale is a dessert for IPAs.  It is very well balance and has a nice malty backbone.  It is drinkable and I cannot wait for their brewpub to open here in Chicago.  This brewery makes several great brews and puts their own twist on it.  Their beers are worth the value that you pay at the Beer Stores.   You can not say that about all the beers that are in the market.  If you are a hop head or looking for a good India Pale Ale, you need to find this beer and try it out.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Tallgrass Brewing 8-Bit Pale Ale

In this blog, we are going to get into the Tallgrass Brewing 8-Bit Pale Ale.  Tallgrass Brewing was founded in 2006 by Jeff Gill in Manhattan, Kansas.  They brew several different beer styles and they are only available in draft and cans.  They are available in the Midwest, Mississippi, and Minnesota.  The history of this young brewery is very little but I found this information all on their website (www.tallgrassbeer.com).  They are not in the Chicago area and I wish they would come to Illinois.  I had a friend being me a four pack back for me to try it and blog about it.

8-Bit Pale Ale has yellow cloudy look to the beer with a constant white head.  The carbonation is pretty high on this beer so pour it slowly in the beer glass.  To me, the beer has that funky Belgian yeast smell to it, which I do not believe they use Belgian yeast.  The beer drinker will smell spices with some earthy to it.  As far as the taste of this beer has an earthy taste with a nice sweet aftertaste.  It has that feel of Belgian Pale Ale to this beer.  It is an extremely drinkable beer with nice old school video game graphics on the 16oz can.

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

8-Bit                 

Hop-Rocketed Pale Ale

(ABV 5.2%)

Just like those classic video games we all grew up with, 8-Bit Pale Ale is spectacularly simple at first glance yet remarkably fun and complex when you get into it.  Our Hop Rocket infuses the character of Australian grown Galaxy Hops into an American Pale Ale, giving a unique tropical, almost melon aroma in a classic American style.

IBU: 40

Malts: 2 Row, Victory, Vienna & Munich

Hops: Magnum, Centennial, Cascade & Galaxy

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.tallgrassbeer.com

Twitter:  @tallgrassbeer

In the end, Tallgrass Brewing did a great job using Galaxy Hops.  I love the graphics on the can and the name of the beer.  Being a beer fan and video gamer, this is my beer of choice while playing the video games and it will be in my regular beer line up.  I had a friend of mine that watches G4TV saw this beer on one of their shows.  She forward it over to me and that is when I started doing some research the brewery and beer to find out where I can pick up this beer.  I had another friend visiting family in Kansas so I asked her to pick up some beer for me.  I really love the body and favor this beer kicks out.  It is your standard American Pale Ale but it has a huge Belgian Pale Ale feel to it.  It has a nice balance from the malts and hops to give a nice punch and full favor.  8-Bit Pale Ale is drinkable and I believe it will make every beer drinker love this beer.  Hey Chicago, we are not that far from Wisconsin.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

New Blog Geary’s Hampshire Special Ale

Starting new tab, Geary’s Hampshire Special Ale, which is an American Strong Ale, is going to be feature in this beer blog.  I have wrote about their Pale Ale in one of my earlier blog.  If you read that blog, you are pretty much up to speed on this brewery.  If you have not, please go back and read that first part of that blog post.  Let us get into the beer.

This American Strong Ale has a clear blood red color without a head.  It has a amber like color to it. The smell is sweet carmel malty to it. The taste is sweet carbonation malty carmel with a dry sweet malty that last a while in the beer drinker.  It is extremely drinkable and dangerous for the beer drinker.

Here is a descripation from their website (www.gearybrewing.com):

Hampshire Ale

Once Maine’s legendary seasonal specialty, Hampshire is now available year round. Hampshire has a huge toasted malt flavor balanced by assertive hoppiness. The finish is long and lingering with the malt and hop notes blending with alcohol warmth. Original gravity – 1070; alcohol by volume – 7%; two row English malts (pale, crystal and chocolate); Cascade, Mt. Hood and East Kent Golding hops.
Availability: Year round

Original gravity: 1070

Ingredients: Two row English Malt (pale, crystal and chocolate); Cascade, Mt Hood and East Kent Golding hops.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.gearybrewing.com

Twitter:  @gearybrewing

Closing, I am glad to see this brewery in the Chicago market again.  I will be drinking and blogging on this brewery a little bit more.  This beer is full of flavor and comes with a huge value for the price you will be paying at the beer store.  I love the heavy malty and sweetness.  Plus, it does not taste like 7% ABV beer that is pretty dangerlous to the beer drinker.  This is an awesome beer and very well made.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Blog Magic Hat Company Blind Faith IPA

Magic Hat Company Blind Faith IPA is going to be featured in this blog.  Magic Hat Company was founded in 1994 in Burlington, Vermont.  Magic Hat brought Pyramid Brewery in 2008 and later in 2010, they were brought out by North American Breweries from Rochester, New York.  Let us get into the beer.

Magic Hat Blind Faith is their India Pale Ale seasonal.  It is available in six-pack bottles and part of their sampler pack.  It is a slightly cloudy copper color with a white head at first.  It goes away after a while. There is really no smell to the beer.  The taste is a grassy to earthly hop taste to it and has a dry mango aftertaste.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Magic Hat is presenting our year long “Tour of IPAs!”  Please join us in welcoming to the stage our revolving roster of FOUR features, specially formulated to entertain the palates of hop lovers worldwide.  Smell the hops, taste the hops, love the hops…. and stay “On Tour” with our quarterly cabaret of IPAs.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  http://www.magichat.net

Twitter:  @magichat

In the end, I have to be honest which I am through these blogs.  It has got me in trouble at times.  I am not a huge fan of this brewery.  However, of late this brewery has been trying to do different things, this India Pale Ale is one of them.  In the craft world now, American Craft Breweries do not know when to stop  making their beers over hop.  It is nice to have a nice English India Pale Ale, which is what this Magic Hat beer.  They are flipping the hops for the turn of the seasonal, which I love to get a different twist on IPA.  I know Samuel Adams did that with their IPA but in a sampler pack which was a few years ago.  Widmer Brothers are doing that to their IPA and I really enjoyed their Fall, Winter, and Spirng IPA in that line.  Magic Hat Blind Faith IPA is coming out of its seasonal so I would go head out and find this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Lagunitas Brewery Fusion 8

In this blog, we are going to check out Lagunitas Brewery and the beer is Fusion 8.  Lagunitas Brewery was founded in 1993 by Tony Magee in Petaluma, California.  They brew several different beer styles but they are known for their India Pale Ale.  This brewery is expanding to Chicago in 2013 and they are hoping to have their taproom open in late 2012. Let us get into the beer.

I was told when I was at the Blues Bar that this was a  special beer for Chicago.  I cannot find anything on their website or the internet.  It has a dark deep brown color without a head.  It has a chocolate and slight citrus notes for the nose. It has a sweet chocolate to slight citrus taste.  It is drinkable beer.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.lagunitas.com

Twitter:  no twitter address

In closing, I enjoyed drinking this beer and I have enjoyed many of their beers.  I cannot wait for their taproom to open and to see what they will do when they get their brewery up and running.  I heard some special things are coming to us craft beer drinkers. This is a really good beer and I wish it was in package.  Just what I said above, I believe this is just in Chicago so I hope they do some more brews like this beer.  Do not worry beer blog reader, I will be doing more blogging on this brewery soon.  Go get some if you can find it!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Sierra Nevada Brewery Beer Camp 2012

In this blog, we are going to take a look at another set of beers from Sierra Nevada Brewery.   If you read my earlier blog, you know a little something about this brewery.  The set of beers is coming from a sampler pack called Beer Camp.  Here is the beers, which are Oatmeal Stout, Floral IPA, Imperial Red Ale, and Imperial Pilsner, that are being featured in this blog.  Let us get into the beers.

Sierra Nevada Brewery Imperial Pilsner

This beer has a clear golden color with a constant white head on this pilsner. It has a fresh air smell to it. The taste is a sweet carbonation with a crisp dry slight hoppy aftertaste. Sierra Nevada Imperial Pilsner is extremely drinkable and will get beer drinkers in trouble if they are not paying attention.  I recommend trying this beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Packing a big hop-forward punch and bright crisp finish, this golden pilsner features a hearty dose of “sticky,” resinous Crystal and Pacifica dry hops, which balance the light-bodied yet complex malt backbone.

Sierra Nevada Brewery Imperial Red Ale

The red ale in the glass is a dark amber color with somewhat of a white head on it. It has a sweet raisins smell to it. The taste is of a sweet carbonation malty with a weird aftertaste. I cannot really decide it to you. It is drinkable until that aftertaste.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

This Imperial Red Ale takes the intense hop profile found in a traditional double IPA and turns up the malt.  It has big aromatic hop notes of grapefruit, peach, and melon-balanced by a smooth and surprisingly robust malt body.

Sierra Nevada Brewery Floral IPA

This beer has a copper cloudy color with a constant white head on it. The smell of flowers is what this India Pale Ale has going on with it. The taste is of a citrus to piney with a dry hoppy aftertaste to it. It is drinkable India Pale Ale.

Here a description from the beer bottle:

This unique take on the traditional IPA style pairs the bold and intense aromas of wholel-cone hop “flowers” with aromatic natural rose hips and petals for complex aromas and unexpected flavors.

Sierra Nevada Brewery Oatmeal Stout

It is black in color without a head on this stout. It has a chocolate to toffee smell to this Sierra Nevada Oatmeal Stout. The taste is burn malt to milky chocolate notes to the beer. It is extremely drinkable and will be troublesome to most beer drinkers.

Here is a description from beer bottle:

This big oatmeal stout is midnight black in color-with a big, roasty, mocha-like aroma.  It has a silky body from the use of rolled oats, and a round and lasting finish.  Perfect as an after dinner treat.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sierranevada.com and www.sierrabeercamp.com

Twitter:  @sierranevada

In the end, this was a really good set of beers in this sampler pack with a great value.  There are a few higher end beers for $19.99 price point, which makes this a great value.  I love all the beers in this pack but the Imperial Red Ale.  I believe that is the weakest one of the four.  This is the order of the beers I like and it is Oatmeal Stout, Imperial Pilsner, Floral IPA, and Imperial Red Ale.  I did blend the Imperial Red Ale and the Floral IPA into one glass.  It was pretty good.  I highly recommend you trying Beer Camp.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Schlafly Pale Ale

In this blog, we are going to sample out the flagship beer, which is Pale Ale, from Schlafly Brewery.  Schlafly Brewery started to brew their beers in 1991 and was founded by Dan Kopman and Tom Schlafly.  Their goal was to brew some good beers in the downtown St Louis area.  They are now being distribute to nine other states asides their home state.  Some of these states are part of them like Illinois.  Schlafly Brewery is now brewing several different styles of beer and over 25 seasonal brews.  I know the last time I was down there when my sister lived there.  They were just getting into the 750ml bottle business.  This is a really good brewery and St Louis should be proud to have them in their backyard.  Let us get into my favorite beer from this brewery.

Schlafly Pale Ale has a beautiful copper color with a nice white head. It has a malty smell with a slight citrus to it.  The taste has a malty, honey, and Carmel with a slight dry aftertaste.  It is drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Schlafly Pale Ale is a rich, amber-colored, medium-bodied, Bristish-style ale with a smooth mild hop character.  Perfect for those hot summer days and nights as well as a cozy winter fire.

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

Our flagship Pale Ale is a smooth, balanced, copper-colored session beer with mildly spiced flavor and aroma from the East Kent Goldings hops. The bready, lightly caramel malt complements the hint of fruitiness contributed by the London Ale yeast, making it satisfying and authentic; the perfect flagship beer for Schlafly.

Sixteenth century brewers created amber beers by using a form of coal called coke to roast their grains. Coke burns hotter and more steadily than wood without imparting the foul odors from coal. It allowed brewers to produce caramel malts that were paler alternatives to the common brown porters. At about the same time, Flemish migrants introduced hops to English beers and soon this ale became the chosen style of England from the mid-16th century until the end of the 20th century. Today, brewers outside England have adopted the Pale Ale and made it one of the leading styles of the American craft beer movement.

ABV:   4.4%   |   IBU:   25

Appearance: Amber red, bright

Process: Classic English

Hops: East Kent Goldings, Northdown, Pilgrim (UK)

Malts: 2-row and caramel malted barley

Yeast: London Ale

OG: 11.2

SRM: 13.5

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.schlafly.com

Twitter:  @schlafly

In closing, this is not at the top of my list of beers to drink from Schlafly but it is right there.  Most flagship beers from breweries, I am not normally a fan of it.  This beer, I will drink when it is around my place or out and about in bars or restaurants.  If there is another Schlafly beer that I like and available there.  I will drink that one first over this one.  Please, do not take this the wrong way.  This is a well done up beer.  It has a ton of flavor and drinkable in any season.   I am really not a fan of the english style pale ale.  I will say this is better than most english style pale ales out in the market right now.  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 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 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