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New Beer Blog Tallgrass IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to take a look at one of my one of my favorite brewery that is not in the Chicago market.  The beer is Tallgrass India Pale Ale.  If you read my earlier blog post on their 8-Bit Pale Ale, you know about this brewery.  If you did not, please, read that beer post on their flagship beer.  Let us get into this beer.

The color is light cooper with a hint of amber with a semi white head on the beer.  The smell is earthly. The taste is earthy with a dry piney aftertaste.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from their beer can:

Bombastically Hopped.  Surprisingly Malty.  Pour a Pint…..

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

IPA (ABV 6.3%, 60 IBU)

Our third beer, Tallgrass IPA, is an India Pale Ale that is rich, complex, and flavorful. We are proud to be the first brewery here in the Great Plains to have the first brewed, cans, and draft IPA out on the market!

Tallgrass IPA originally came to life as a creation during Jeff’s early homebrewing days (batch Numero Uno), and it was consumed in short order by his friends who came over to cook out and help with the next batch. After some modifications over the years (because nobody’s rookie homebrew batch tastes all that great, but your friends will tell you it does) the recipe was dialed in to become what is now Tallgrass IPA. We love this beer and think you will too!

What is with the name “India Pale Ale”? Well, India Pale Ales have a history that reaches way back to the days of the British Empire and the need for good and proper British beer for the soldiers in India. It just so happens that hops not only taste and smell great, they also have natural preservative properties that help keep beer fresher. Obviously, there was no way to keep beer cool on the long voyage around Cape Horn from England to India, so the intellectual forebearers of modern microbiology (genius brewers of course!) figured that if some hops were good for storage then heaps of hops would be great!

With this technique, these hero brewers and their hops kept the beer good and the soldiers of the empire inebriated, even in the furthest corners of the globe. Even more, the hoppiness of the IPA preserved not only the beer itself, but the great taste it created has preserved the style as one of the most popular beer styles in the world in the 21st century. If those brewers weren’t knighted by the empire back then, they should have been!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.tallgrassbeer.com

Twitter:  @tallgrassbeer

Closing out, so far all the beers that I had from this brewery.  I have loved to death.  I love their packaging to the liquid.  This India Pale Ale is great but I do believe this beer is not an American India Pale Ale.  It has more a feel of English style IPA and with the description from their website, I believe they are embracing it.  Most American IPA are very hoppy and this beer is not.  That is why I am basing my facts on that.  I am not a brewer.  If they believe it is American IPA, it is American IPA.  This is my thought pattern.  I highly recommend this beer and I love this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Flying Dog K-9 Winter Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from Flying Dog Brewing and the beer is called K-9 Winter Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog, you know the history of this brewery.  If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer blog.  Let us get into this great brewery.

This beer is part of the 12 beers of Christmas from Countryside Bar.  It has a hazel copper color without a head on the beer.  There is no smell to the beer.  The taste is sweet carbonation malty without an aftertaste to it. It is very warmly so it lives up to being a winter warmer. This is a sipping beer.

Here is a descriation from their website (www.flyingdogales.com):

Alchohol By Volume: 7.4%
Availability: Winter release
Hop Bitterness: 30 IBU
Specialty Malts: Changes with each release
Hops: Changes with each release
Yeast: English Ale

If it tastes like Christmas, it probably works with K-9. Flavor notes: Sweet malt base with roasted, nutty, and spicy flavors  Pairs with: Buttery cheeses; sweet breads; spice cake; squash, yams, and sweet potatoes; hearty meats and stews.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.flyingdogales.com

Twitter:  @flyingdog

Closing, this beer is not a session beer but it is just a great beer.  I love how complex the taste of this winter warmer.  This is a sipping beer and take your time in the cold winter days.  There is a ton going on in the beer.  I love the warmth when this beer goes down my throat and how sweet the beer comes across.  I love this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from Sierra Nevada.  It is their winter seasonal called Celebration Fresh Hop Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on their Beer Camper, you know the history of this brewery.  If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer post.  Let us get into the beer.

This beer from Sierra Nevada is called Celebration Fresh Hop Ale. It has a deep hazel copper color without a head on the beer. The smell is citrus to the beer. The taste is dry carbonation citrus with a dry aftertaste.

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

Festive fresh hop holiday fun.

The start of Celebration season is a festive event. We can’t start brewing until the first fresh hops have arrived, but once they have the season is officially under way! First brewed in 1981, Celebration Ale is one of the earliest examples of an American-style IPA and one of the few hop-forward holiday beers. Famous for its intense citrus and pine aromas, Celebration is bold and intense, featuring Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops—honoring everything we have at Sierra Nevada.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sierranevada.com

Twitter:  @sierranevada

Closing out, this is one of my favorite beers in the winter season and Sierra Nevada Brewery.  This is everything that I want out of a winter seasonal.  I love the hoppy taste and a great malty backbone. Most winter seasonals are jacked up with nutmeg or cinnamon and this brew gives you a different side of the season l.  I realize that craft breweries are going back to more the traditional beer styles and getting away from the over hop beers.  If you have not had this beer, I recommend you picking up a six-pack and try this great beer.  Let me know what you think of this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Bell’s Winter White Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Michigan brewery known as Bell’s.  The beer is their winter seasonal which is called Bell’s Winter White Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on their Pale Ale, you know the history of this brewery.  If you have not, please, read the first part of that beer post.  Let us get into the beer.

This Winter White Ale from Bell’s is part of the 12 Beers of Christmas at Countryside. It has a hazel straw like color without a head on this winter seasonal.  There is a yeasty to wheaty smell with a little corridor smell to it.  The taste is yeasty and species with a dry slight lemon aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable for the beer style.

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

Taking its cues from Belgian-style white ales, Bell’s Winter White Ale offers a lighter yet abundantly flavorful alternative to the traditional heavy winter warmers. Fermented with a Belgian ale yeast, this blend of barley & wheat malts yields a mixture of clove and fruity aromas, all without the use of any spices. Deliberately brewed to retain a cloudy appearance, Bell’s Winter White Ale is a beer for embracing winter.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.bellsbeer.com

Twitter:  @bellsbrewery

Closing, I do not know why craft breweries put out White, Wheat, etc in the middle of the winter.  It is different then the rest of the craft breweries.  I am not saying this is a bad brew.  I am not a fan of it but they did a great job on it.  I always see this beer in my market in the middle of the summer.  The distributor does a really bad job with this brewery’s beer.  This brewery will sell more of this liquid in the spring and summer.  I recommend this beer, if you are a fan of white, wheats, and hefeweizen.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Anderson Valley Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to sample out another brewery that I have been wanting to try their brews out for a while.  Anderson Valley was founded in 1987 by David Norfleet and Kim and Ken Allen in Boonville, California.  This brewery was sold to Trey White with two silent partners in 2010.  They still brew several of David Norfleet’s beers and have added on since he sold the company.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear copper color without a head on it.  The smell is a strong cinnamon and a little caramel to the beer.  The taste is a smooth and silk caramel with a touch of cinnamon.  There is really no aftertaste to the beer.  It is kind of drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Brilliantly clear dark copper color with a dense tan head. Caramelized malty and spicy aromas redolent of cinnamon, allspice, black currant, and black licorice. Pleasantly creamy, with a silky body, sweet caramel flavor, hints of seasonal spices and a clean, malty finish.

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

The holidays are a special time in Anderson Valley. The days are darker, weather colder, and foods richer. And Anderson Valley’s Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale is perfect for this time of year. Deep amber in color, with an inviting aroma of spice and nutmeg, it was made for the turkeys, cranberries, hams, and yams of the holidays. WinterSolstice Seasonal Ale evokes a crackling fire, drifting snow, and smells of home. A hint of spice and hop bite to balance out the creamy and smooth mouthfeel, and medium sweetness.

As with all of our products, Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale is never sterile filtered nor heat pasteurized.

6.9% ABV6 IBU

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.avbc.com

Twitter:  @avbc

Closing, this beer was an awesome beer.  I was pretty stun on how good it was to the rest of the winter beers I had so far this season.  It is kind of drinkable beer.  I love all the flavors that this beer has kicking around in my mouth.  I really hate when breweries uses the term “winter warmer.”  It is really not a beer style but more and more it is starting to become a beer style.  This is why.  Most brewmasters I talk to about their beers and I bring up what is the beer style of your “winter warmer.”  Pretty much all of them could not nail it down to a beer style.  With all of this said, I recommend you as a craft beer drinker to try this beer.  Please, let me know what your thoughts on this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Ska Euphoria Pale Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Ska Brewing.  The winter seasonal is called Ska Brewing Euphoria Pale Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on their Ska Mole Stout, you know a little history on this brewery.  If you have not, please read the first part of that beer blog post.  Let us get into the beer.

This beer is part of the 12 days of Christmas at Countryside Bar.  It has a clear copper color with a semi white head on the beer.  There is a slight sweet malty citrus smell to it. The taste of the beer is a carbonation citrus with a grapefruit aftertaste. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.skabrewing.com

Twitter:  @skabrewing

In closing, I really enjoyed this beer.  I love the fact you can get in cans, which is starting to become a huge trend in the craft beer world.  This a good beer for the winter season but I wish it was a beer all year long.  I enjoy the beers I had from this brewery asides their Mole Stout.  I can only drink 6oz and I need to move onto another beer.  It is still good but just do not like the feel that beer does to my throat.  If you love pale ales or india pale ales, you will enjoy this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Smuttynose Winter Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to take a look at a beer called Winter Ale from Smuttynose Brewery.  I do not know this brewery that well so I was looking at trying this beer out at Countryside Bar.  Smuttynose Brewing was founded in 1994 by Peter Egelston in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.    They brew several different beer styles.  I will be trying some other brews from this brewery.  Let us get into this beer.

It has a clear brown color with a constant white head on the beer.  There is really no smell to the beer. The taste is a sweet malty with a dry aftertaste.  It is a pretty warm beer going down the throat.  It is a nice beer for the winter months.  I would say this is a marathon beer not a speed drinking beer.  It is a nice Dubbel.

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

Smuttynose Winter Ale is a full-bodied, amber beer brewed with a special Trappist ale yeast. Stylistically reminiscent of a Belgian Abbey Double, it features fruity aromas and flavor, balanced by soft Crystal hops. Warming, mellow & pleasantly complex, Smuttynose Winter Ale is your perfect cold weather companion.

SMUTTYNOSE WINTER ALE CONTAINS NO SPICES

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.smuttynose.com

Twitter:  @smuttynosebeer

Closing out, I did enjoy this beer and I am looking forward to checking out their other beers that they have out in my market.  I love the looks to the taste of this beer.  This is a great beer sitting by the fireplace with a nice cigar.  I recommend you trying this beer and let me know what your thoughts.  If you had some of their beers, please let me know which is the next brew I should have from this brewery.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Southern Tier 2xmas

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to sample out Southern Tier 2xmas.  Southern Tier was founded in 2002 in Lakewood, New York by Phineas DeMink and Allen Yahn.  They ship beer around the world and of course most of it is in the United States.  They brew several different beer styles and putting their stamp on these classic beer styles.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a cloudy amber color without a head on the beer.  The smell is a cinnamon to nutmeg to the beer.  The taste is sweet carbonation cinnamon to nutmeg. The aftertaste is a dry slight bitter with cinnamon and nutmeg to it. It is perfect for winter and not really drinkable.

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

Swedish flags are a fairly common sight in our part of the country.  Holiday parties often have warm concoctions of spices and booze at the ready to knock the ice off of toes while raising spirits.  We were inspired by a Gloggy party, deciding on the spot to brew a beer that pays tribute to this Nordic tradition.  2xMas Ale combines traditional brewing ingredients with figs, orange peels, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and ginger root.  Its a holiday addition to the 2X line and another reason to toast to the season, but unlike Glogg, we recommend serving this one chilled.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.stbcbeer.com

Twitter:  @stbcbeer

Ending, I will be honest on this beer.  I do not know how I feel about this beer.  There is a ton going on in the beer.  It is complex and ton of flavor.  To me, it just seems like this beer wants to be sweet but then wants to be hoppy for the winter season.  It is not one of my favorite but it is not a bad beer.  There are fans out there for this beer.  I am starting to think I do not like Christmas beers and it is not because of this beer.  I love winter warmers and winter seasonals.  I wanted to try this beer and it is out of my system. I will have at least a few every Christmas or winter season.  This is a beer you can have pass Christmas and yes, it is still in code after Christmas.  There are beer drinkers that see Christmas on beer packaging and think the beer went bad.  I recommend this beer and this brewery.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Great Divide Hibernation Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to do the 12 days of beer at Countryside Bar.  The first beer of the twelve days of Christmas is Great Divide Hibernation Ale.  Great Divide was founded in 1994 by Brian Dunn in Denver, Colorado.  They brew several different beer styles.  Their Denver Pale Ale was one of three craft beers to be feature at the Denver Broncos new football stadium in 2001.  Let us get into the beer.

It is a cloudy amber color without a head on the beer.  There is really no smell maybe slight malty to it.  The taste is a sweet carbonation to caramel with a little hazel aftertaste to the beer.  This beer is the type of beer that the drinker will have one maybe two and will move on to the next beer.

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

HIBERNATION ALE has been our celebrated winter tradition since 1995. This robust, dry-hopped ale has a malty richness balanced with a complex hop profile and hearty, warming character.

ABV.: 8.7%

RATE BEER: 98

AVAILABLE: Seasonal

SIZES: 6 packs and 5 gal kegs

Awards:

1997 Great American Beer Festival, Gold Medal, Strong Ale/ English-Style Old Ale
1998 World Beer Cup, Silver Medal, Strong Ale/English-Style Old Ale
2003 Great American Beer Festival, Silver Medal, Old Ale
2006 Great American Beer Festival, Silver Medal, Aged Beer

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.greatdivide.com

Twitter:  @greatdividebrew

In closing, I enjoy the balance this beer has and warmth that it peers out with every sip.  This is a good and easy to drink.  I could have a few and I need to move onto the next beer.  There is not too many good English-Style Old Ale in the market.  I have been wanting to try this beer a few winter seasons ago.  This program that Countryside had going made me try it.  I recommend you trying this beer if you are a fan of English Ales or winter beers.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Great Lakes Christmas Ale

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from this program at Countryside beer.  The brew that will be featured is Great Lakes Christmas Ale.  Great Lakes Brewery was founded in 1988 by Patrick and Daniel Conway in Cleveland, Ohio.  Great Lakes Brewery brews several different beer styles.   Let us get into the beer.

It has a nice clear copper color without a head on the beer. The smell is a cinnamon, nutmeg, and candy canes. The taste is a sweet carbonation cinnamon overload. This beer is like drinking a candy cane in a liquid form. There is a little cinnamon aftertaste. It is really not drinkable but it is on the borderline.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Our full-bodied, spirited ale is as festive as the season. Its copper color and flavorful taste are a combination of cinnamon, ginger and honey, so we ask that you “savor the flavor, responsibly ”

This beer is traditionally brewed from all natural ingredients: barley, hops, yeast, and water. No chemicals or preservatives are used.

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

A holiday ale brewed with honey and spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.greatlakesbrewing.com

Twitter:  @glbc_cleveland

In closing, this beer is one I will have one and I need to move onto another beer.  This does not mean this is a bad beer.  It is way too sweet to have one or more to me.  This beer is perfect for holiday desserts.  I did enjoy drinking and I try to have a few during every winter season.  If you like winter beers with ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, I recommend you trying this beer.  I have a feeling you will enjoy this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Merry Christmas and Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser