session beer

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 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 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 Leinenkugel’s Lemon Berry Shandy

In this blog, the beer that will be feature is Leinenkugel’s Lemon Berry Shandy.  Leinenkugel’s Brewery was founded in 1867 by Jacob Leinenkugel and John Miller in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin,  It was sold to Miller Brewing Company in 1988.  They are known for their Summer Shandy.  Lemon Berry Shandy, which is a limited edition, is a line off their Summer Shandy.  Let us get into the beer.

Leinenkugel’s Lemon Berry Shandy is a limit edition and a summer seasonal.  It has a light cloudy copper color without a head on it. The smell is a ton of berry wheat to it. The beer taste is like their Berry Weiss but a small hint of lemonade to it.  The aftertaste is about the only time to me you will taste of beer.  To me, this beer is water down vision of their Berry Weiss. It is drinkable beer.

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

Light, crisp and perfect for every season. Our Leinenkugel’s Lemon Berry Shandy is Weiss beer brewed with blackberry juice and natural lemonade flavor. And the best part is this Shandy is available year round. So now every season is Shandy Season.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.leinie.com

Twitter:  there is no twitter address.

Closing out, there was so many rumors about mixing three Leinenkugel’s beers.  I guess this brewery got wind of it and made this beer.  I am not saying this brewery is mixing their beers and then bottle it.  This beer is fishly like that.  I really did not like this beer.  It has a light body and too fruit to sweet for me.  I love sweet but this is not the right kind of sweet for me.  If you are a fan of their Summer Shandy, I would recommend you trying this beer.  I  believe you will like it.  Plus, just because I did not like, it does not mean you will not like it.  I just wanted to give my  thoughts on it.  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 Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale

In this blog, we are doing the last one from Blue Moon Brewing Company.  The beer is Harvest Pumpkin Ale, which is their Fall Seasonal.  If you read my blog on their Summer Seasonal, we are pretty much up to speed with the brewery.  I will not bore you with the history again.  If you have not read it, please go back to read the first part of that post.  Let us get into the beer.

Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale is their seasonal six-pack and twelve pack bottles.  It is also part of their fall sampler twelve pack bottles. It has a deep dark copper color without a head on the beer.  The smell to the beer is a cinnamon and a ton of nutmeg and a slight pumpkin.  The taste is a cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little pumpkin.  The aftertaste is a little wheat to yeast to this fall seasonal. It is drinkable.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

A pumpkin ale crafted with autumn’s bounty of vine-ripened pumpkin and flavors of cloves, allspice, and nutmeg,  Then brewed with a touch of wheat for a smooth, lightly spiced finish.

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

In 1995, we crafted our first autumn seasonal—Pumpkin Ale. At the time, Oktoberfest beers were in high demand. For our version, we wanted to create a beer that was a little different than what was already out there and complemented the season by highlighting the flavors we’ve all grown to love during this time. It was so popular that it became the first nationally available pumpkin ale. Harvest Pumpkin Ale, as it’s called now, is crafted with pumpkin and spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice for a taste you’ll want to fall right into.
Available in 12-oz. bottles, 6-pack, 12-pack, Draft
Ingredients and Profile
Malts: Munich, Caramel
Hops: Hallertau
Our Twist: Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Allspice
IBUs: 16
Original Gravity: 15º Plato
ABV: 5.7%
Appearance:  Deep amber-colored ale with brilliant clarity and a rich, white head.
Aroma:  Very complex aroma consisting of malty spice notes.
Taste:  The taste starts out with assertive malty notes and is quickly balanced with the right amount of harvest spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. There’s a small amount of bitterness to keep the malt sweetness from building up.
Mouthfeel:  A medium-bodied ale with just enough carbonation to balance the rich caramel character.
Finish:  Finishes with a smooth, clean malt and spice taste. Hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and malt gradually fade.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com

Twitter:  there is no twitter address

In closing, being one of the first Pumpkin Ales, it does not mean that it is a good beer.  It is a drinkable beer but this is a really bad beer.  I had several different Pumpkin Ales so far this season and this is at the bottom of the list.  I am not saying it because it is made from a mass beer company.  I just gave them credit in a few post earlier.  This beer is really bad and you can find it everywhere.  I know for a fact if you do want to try, which I will suggest it, that you could find it for a pretty good price in a bar or where beer is sold down at the store level.  I just want to hear 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 Blog Blue Moon Carmel Apple Spiced Ale

In this blog, we are sampling out another beer from the Blue Moon Brewing Company and the beer is called Carmel Apple Spiced Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on their Summer Ale, you are pretty much know about this brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

Blue Moon Limited Autumn Release Carmel Apple Spiced Ale is part of their fall sampler twelve pack bottles.  It has a copper color without a head on the beer.  The smell is caramel apple with cinnamon and touch of nutmeg to it.  The taste is of cinnamon caramel to apple. It is sweet yet extremely drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

This copper-colored ale is crafted with caramel malts, cinnamon, and fresh apple juice to stir up the tastes of fall.

Thank you to all our fans that helped us craft this limited autumn release.  For this fall seasonal, we blended fresh apple juice with cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel malts for a warming spice taste.

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

So Crisp, You’ll Want to Bite Right Into It.
Limited Autumn Release.
In anticipation of the blue moon on August 31, 2012, we reached out to our fans to help us craft our next Blue Moon®. We started by taking suggestions from our fans, and then we brewed three beers based on their input. Then came the hard part—tasting the beers. Our fans voted for their favorite, and with that we now welcome Caramel Apple Spiced Ale to our collection of limited seasonal releases. We blend apple juice with cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel malts for a warming spice taste to stir up the tastes of fall.
Available in 12-oz. bottles, Brewmaster’s Autumn Sampler Pack
Ingredients and Profile
Malts: Pale, White Wheat, Caramel, Munich
Hops: Spalt Select
Our Twist: Apple Juice, Cinnamon, Nutmeg
IBUs: 16
Original Gravity: 14º Plato A
BV: 5.8%
Appearance:  Rich copper with high clarity and a creamy head.
Aroma:  Warm spice aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg with hints of apples and caramel malt.
Taste:   A seasonal blend of spice and caramel malts that highlight the crisp apple taste.
Mouthfeel:  Medium to full-bodied ale.
Finish:  Spice gives way to a smooth apple finish that cleans up nicely.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com

Twitter:  there is no twitter address

In the end, this beer is shocking good and taste like by the name of the beer.  It is a liquid form of a Caramel Apple you would get out in a farm or what your Mom use to make.  This is the point why we drink these craft beers.  It should touch our past experiences.  This beer has done that to me.  I really enjoy this beer and it comes accross more as a dessert beer.  This is not a beer you can enjoy all day because it will be too sweet for after a while.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!   \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser