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New Blog Birra Del Borgo Extra Re Ale

In this blog, we are going to get into a beer from Italy.  It is an American India Pale Ale from Birra Del Borgo Extra Re Ale.  There is no information on this brewery just ratings from Ratebeer and Beeradvocate.  Then I finally realize to look at the bottle and I found a website of the brewery.  The brewery was founded in 2005 so it is a young brewery.  They brew several different beer styles.  It is a wide range of beer styles.  Let us get into their India Pale Ale.

Re Ale has a ton of carbonation so please pour it slowly in the glass.  It has a deep amber color with a nice white head. The smell is of orange and some citrus in the beer. The taste is very unique for being import beer plus an India Pale Ale.  It has a nice sweet carbonation circus with a nice dry hop finish. This is a very drinkable India Pale Ale from Italy.  Yes it is from Italy.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Ingredients: water, barley, malt, EXTRA hop, yeast.  Unpasteurized, unfiltered, bottled-conditioned.  Serve at 53 to 57 F.  Natural yeast sediments on the bottom.

Here is a description from their website (www.birradelborgo.it):

Extra-hopped version of Reale

A derivative of our regular ReAle, the hops are varied especially in quantity: a huge amount is added in a different technique. All the hops are added during the last 10 minutes of the boil, using 3 times more than regular ReAle. The result is an explosion of perfumes, in a range from citrusy to resiny (pine resin and incense). The mouth feel is dry, with immediate bitterness, then it finishes with a beautiful, persistent tangerine note.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.birradelborgo.it

Twitter:  @BirraDelBorgo

In closing, just want to thank my friend that share this bottle with me, I am really stun this came from Italy and it being good.  I do not think I have to say what you think when you think of Italy? It is wine, wine and more wine.  I love the complex taste that I get from this India Pale Ale.  I love the funky to spicy taste and then the run on the hop taste.  This is not a cheap beer.  I believe my friend pay $80.00 for a case of 12  11.2oz bottles.  I would go and hunt this beer down.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Lucky Bucket Pre – Prohibition Style Lager

In this blog, we are going to get into the second beer, which is Lucky Bucket Pre-Prohibition Lager Style, from my Beer of the Month.  I did a blog post yeasterday on their Heartland Wheat Ale and I wrote a little history on the brewery.  Let us get into their Flagship beer.

Lucky Bucket Pre – Prohibition Lager is one of their everyday beers. When poured in the glass, it has a nice clear and amber color with no head on the beer. It has a s’more like smell, which I mean it has a malty smell to the beer. The beer has a malty dry and crisp aftertaste to it. This beer style shows us beer drinkers what an American Lager should be than the water down beer that is being shoved down our throats. Also, what beers were like way back in the day.

Here is a video off their website (www.luckybucketbrewing.com):

Lucky Bucket Pre-Prohibition Lager

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

A lot of things go into making a great beer.  This Pre-Prohibition style lager, for example, combines 100% malted bareley with just the right amount of hops, making it smoother and more flavorful than today’s typical lagers.  But the most important ingredient isn’t on the label; it’s our passion for quality that goes into every Lucky Bucket Brew.  So take another drink and savor what real beer is all about.

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

Everyone loves a great drinking beer; a brew you can drink again and again and enjoy every sip every time. Lucky Bucket Pre-Prohibition style Lager is exactly what the palate craves.

Pre-Prohibition style salutes a time when lagers had greater character and more distinct flavor, when beer wasn’t full of the additives found in many of today’s mainstream lagers. Lucky Bucket’s version has a light, malty flavor that’s easy on the palate. Filtered twice, the subtle maltiness nicely balances a floral hop. Dry-hopped with a fresh blend of aromatic West Coast hops, Lucky Bucket Lager is a great session beer with an ABV of 4.5% and 20 IBU’s.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.luckybucketbrewing.com

Twitter:  @luckybucketbrew

In closing, Lucky Bucket Brewery has done a really great job on this lager.  I do not understand why we have the normal American Lager that we have today.  It is sad when you hear lager; I bet you think of the the mass produced American Lager.  There is nothing wrong with those beers.  The problem I have is Prohibition put several breweries that brew this great style of beer out of business.  Since the Craft Beer movement, they have been dead or loss.  It is nice to see this Lager Beer Style coming back to life.  Now the mass produced beer companies are starting to see this movement and now they are bring their recipes back to life.  One is from Coors with their Batch #19 that is only available in draught only.  Lucky Bucket Brewery for being a young brewery has a bright future and their Pre-Prohibition Style Lager is going to push them into the light of craft beer drinkers around the country.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Lucky Bucket Heartland Wheat Beer

In this blog, we are going to try a few beers from my Beer of the Month.  This time around is Lucky Bucket Brewing Company Heartland Wheat Beer.  Lucky Bucket Brewing Company was founded in 2008.  There is really no more information on this brewery since it is very young.  There website has some great information that is where I found when this brewery was founded.  Let us get into the beer.

Lucky Bucket Wheat Beer is part of their everyday beers. When in the glass, it is of a bright yellow and a little cloudy without a head. There is a smell of citrus with a little lemon in the beer. The taste of this wheat beer has a citrus to slight lemon along with carbonation.  The aftertaste is non existence in this beer.  Lucky Bucket Wheat Beer is very drinkable beer.

Here is a descriation from the beer bottle:

Lucky Bucket Heartland Wheat Beer is a refreshing ale.  Brewed with the same high quality water, yeast, hops and bareley as our other beers, this beer also includes a special fifth ingrediend, golden wheat from the American Heartland.  Adding weat creates a soft-bodied beer that pairs perfectly with the citrus variety hops that we add during the brewing process the result is a tasty beer with a fresh finish.  Enjoy!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  http://www.luckybucketbrewing.com

Twitter:  @luckybucketbrew

In closing, I am not a fan of wheat beers and I have said it before in earlier blogs.  I make myself laugh because I still keep trying them.  Lucky Bucket with their Heartland Wheat Beer has won me over.  This is a tasty beer with a lot of good things going on in the beer.  It has a nice balance to make this hop head happy.  I am excited to say but yet sad this would be a beer I would be drinking if I could get it.  There was no information on their website so I do not know if they still make this beer.  It might be a seasonal but if you see it, pick it up and try it.  I recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Lost Coast Alleycat Amber Ale

In this 99th blog post, we are going to get into the second beer from Lost Coast Brewery from my Beer of the Month.  The first one we did was their Great White Ale.  You can read that post to get a little history on the brewery.  Lost Coast Alleycat Amber Ale is part their everyday beers and now let us start pouring the beer into the glass.

Lost Coast Alleycat Amber Ale is a different pace for an American Amber Ale. When poured in the glass, it has a nice amber color without a head. There is really no smell to this amber ale. The taste has a spicy malty without any aftertaste. It is very drinkable beer.

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

ABV 5.5%

A full-flavored amber ale made with roasted caramel malt. Richly colored and medium-bodied, Alleycat is an assertive blend of malts with a sprightly cascade of hops.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Full-flavored amber ale made with roasted caramel malt and spicy German and American hops.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:   www.lostcoast.com

Twitter:  @lostcoastbrewer

In closing, I did not like this beer very much.  The spices that are in the beer just threw me off when I was drinking it.  However, I can see other people liking this beer, there is nothing wrong liking Lost Coast Alleycat Amber Ale.  I have a  hard time finding an American Amber Ale that I really like so I believe it is not the beer.  It is just me. It is drinkable and will give the beer drinker a nice experience.   Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Innis & Gunn Original Oak Aged Beer

Starting a new tap, we are going to sample out another barrel age beer.  This time around it is Innis & Gunn Original Oak Aged Beer.  This brewery was started in 2003.  There is really nothing more on this brewery.  This beer is aged in a barrel for thirty days.  Let us get int othe beers.

When pour in the glass, the beer is a nice copper color with a kind of head.  It has that import smell. It has a malty earthy taste to it. It is very smooth for being a full body beer. It is very drinkable.  The more the beer drinker is drinking this beer. He or she will start to experience a little vanilla and oak taste from the beer.

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

This is our flagship beer, the one whose discovery led to the formation of the company back in 2003. Since then we’ve won a string of awards for Original, most recently a third consecutive Modern Monde Selection gold award.
Like the world’s great wine and whisky makers we strive for depth of flavour, complexity and mellowness in every beer we produce. Innis & Gunn Original typifies this approach.
Its lengthy 77-day maturation imparts flavours of toffee, vanilla and oak that perfectly complement the beer’s backbone of luscious malt and fruity hop notes.
The oak helps to give Innis & Gunn Original its appealing colour and also mellow the alcohol character, so although the beer is 6.6%, it’s very smooth and easy to drink.

Here is a descriation from the beer bottle:

To make Innis & Gunn we hand-select barrels which are packed with the most delicious oak flavors.  Over many weeks our unique maturation slowly unlocks these flavors from deep inside the oake grain, the beer growing in character with every hour that passes.  Only when it has matured to perfection do we bottle and release it.  The result is a refreshing honey-hued beer with aromas of vanilla and toffee, and a malty, lightly oaked finish.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.innisandgunn.com

Twitter:  @innisandgunnuk

Closing out the tab, just like the Kentucky Barrel Aged Ale, this beer is not a stout but an ale.  I really love this beer but the price turns me off a little bit.  I understand the price point because it is an import beer and the process it goes through.  There is a ton of flavor going on in this beer.  To me, what makes this beer so special, it is the complex tasting that is being experience.  Your mind is telling you that you are tasting this but then your taste tells you something in the beer.  It is drinkable and exetremely fun to drink.  Thanks to my friend for sharing this beer with me!  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale

Starting a new blog, we are going towards the south of the United States to take a look at Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.  The Alltech’s Lexington Brewing Company has been in business since 2000.  A doctor that was doing beer brewing as a hobby wanted to do something he loves doing and that is making beer.  That is really how this brewery was born.  Let us get into the beer!

Kentucky Ale is put into some fresh drain bourbon barrel and is aged to make this beer called Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.  This beer is a nice amber color with a constant white head to it.  The smell is a nice earthly wood.  As far as the taste, it has an oak, vanilla to heavy bourbon going on in it.  It is very drinkable and dangerous for the ABV being 8.2%

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

Award winning Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale®is a unique sipping beer with the distinctive nose of a well-crafted bourbon.  Our Kentucky Ale is aged for up to 6 weeks in freshly decanted bourbon barrels from some of Kentucky’s finest distilleries.

Subtle yet familiar flavors of vanilla and oak are imparted to this special ale as it rests in the charred barrels.  Pleasantly smooth and robust, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale may also be served as an aperitif or after dinner drink.

Here is a video from their website (www.kentuckyale.com) and Youtube (www.youtube.com):

Kentucky Ale

Here is their website and twitter addreses:

Website:  www.kentuckyale.com

Twitter:  @kentuckyale

Closing the tab, let me say this once and I know the brewery will love to hear this from me.  We, Chicago, gave birth to Goose Island Bourdon County Stout and when we hear Barrel Age Beers, we think it is going to be a stout.  This beer is NOT a stout.  Before the beer is put into the barrel, it is a their normal Kentucky ale, which is between an English Pale Ale and Irish Red Ale.  I really like this beer.  I am a huge fan of barrel age beers and this gives me a little something different then a porter or stout in a barrel.  You can taste more of the bourdon in this beer then a stout that is aged in it.  Stout over takes all the taste from the bourdon barrel.  This beer is very drinkable and I can drink this beer anytime of the year.  I can see a new trend in the craft beer world and I am proud to say this brewery has started.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Milwaukee Brewing Outboard Cream Ale

In this blog, we are going to try yet another brew from the Milwaukee Brewing.  We are going to touch one of many summer seasonals from them.  It is called Outboard Cream Ale.  If you read all my blogs on this brewery, you know a little bit of this brewery.  Let us get into this brewery.

It has a nice bright clear yellow color with no head on the beer. There is a smell but I just do not know what it is right now.  It kind smells like a pilsner. The taste is very smooth and creamy lager like but not as hoppy like a pilsner.  This beer style is not a classic style. It was created by Germans that came to the states trying to create their beers here but came up with new beer styles. It is very refreshing and drinkable.

Here is a descriation from their webiste (www.mkebrewing.com):

Beer

Cream Ales are true American styled brews. Mimicking European light lagers, the Cream Ale is brewed utilizing the top fermenting Ale yeast resulting in a more complex flavor and nose. Cream ales traditionally are brewed with a blend of malted barley and corn grits for a light body and golden straw color. A very slight hop presence helps round out this simple but refreshing beer.

History

The terms “Outboard” and “Evinrude” have become synonomis. The first practical Outboard motor was invented by Ole Evinrude in 1909 as a way to give your arms a break from rowing that boat! It’s said that Ole and his girlfriend Bess were enjoying their day on Okauchee Lake on a hot summer day when she asked for some ice cream. Ole rowed to shore and by the time he had gotten back the ice cream had melted.

Always facinated by motors, Ole was self taught. He spent 5 years hopping from job to job learning about steel, manufacturing and engineering. He came back to Milwaukee and set up shop. Eventually he employed 300 people.

Cheers to Ole, and the way he changed the way we use water today!

Brewer

After a long day of post digging, the Outboard is what I reach for.

The simplicity of this classic American style has only a handful of ingredients. The few ingredients we use leave little room for error, although the recipe is straight forward, mistakes will be very noticeable. We use a high quality pilsner malt and a clean citrus smell during the boil. The ale fermentation for this brew leans on the cool side just to cut back on ester production.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.mkebrewing.com

Twitter:  @mkebrewco

In closing, I really did not like this beer.  It is a summer seasonal and what I have been saying in most of my blog post.  I am not a fan of Summer Seasonals.  Milwaukee Brewing Company Outboard Cream Ale is a very drinkable beer.  I believe what turns me off about this brew it is the light in body.  I believe to me it does not have enough flavor to it.  Asides that, I am a huge fan of this brewery and this is the first time I do not like one of their beers.  Just because I do not like this beer.  It does not mean you will not like it. Please, go try this beer and reach your own judgement on this Cream Ale.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde Summer Brew

In this blog, we need to travel west to visit one of the original craft breweries here in the states.  The brewery and brew is Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde Summer Brew.  I wrote earlier post on Widmer Brothers Russia Imperial Raspberry Stout and there is a nice belief history on that blog.  If you have not read it, please, go back and read it.  If you have, we will now move on to this Summer Beer.  Let us do this beer.

Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde Summer Brew is their Summer Seasonal from this brewery.  This beer is a very bright golden clear in color with no head.  It has a slight citrus smell to it.  It has a very light in body with a slight lemon carbonation taste. The aftertaste is very light. This is a very sessionable and refreshing beer for the summer.

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

Citra hops lend their name to this interpretation of a golden ale. But that’s not all they bring to the party. Their striking citrus aroma and thirst-quenching flavor are the perfect pairing for soft malt notes. Together they create a beer that’s full in flavor and uniquely refreshing.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.widmerbrothers.com

Twitter:  @widmer_brothers

In closing, I am not a fan of many summer seasonal but this one is not bad.  However, I know myself, I know I will get very bored with this beer pretty quick.  This is just me and it might not be the case for you.  This is a very drinkable and refreshing beer and perfect for the hot summer days.  This brewery has taken classic beer style and put their twist on it.  I just feel this beer is missing something to me.  It is still a good beer and I could see myself enjoying it the rest of this summer.   Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Lake Placid Craft Brewing Hefeweizen

In this blog, we are going to get into the second beer that I received from my Beer of the Month.  This brew is called Lake Placid Craft Brewing Hefeweizen Wheat Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on their Barkeater Amber Ale, you know a little bit of this brewery.  Let us get into this all year-long beer.

This beer ia a nice cloudy golden color with a little constant head to it.  You can smell lemon to citrus in the beer. The taste is a little citrus and a lot of banana clove in it. This beer is very drinkable and stays true to the German Beer Style.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Lake Placid Hefeweizen is brewed with German wheat and barley as well as authentic German yeast, resulting in tasty esters, a touch of clove spiciness, and a cloudy, golden appearance.  It’s a perfect complement to sunny, summer days and cool, Adirondack nights.  Here’s to summer!

Here is a description from their website (www.ubuale.com), which I believe this is the right beer:

5.0% ABV

High Peaks Hefewiezen is a German Style Wheat Beer. It is yellow/pale orange in color and is cloudy in appearance. It is a very unique beer that is fermented with an ale yeast from Weihenstephan, Germany (pronounced Vine-Schte-fawn). Hefewiezen (pronounced Hefay-vite-zen) actually means “wheat beer with yeast”, which is why we do not clarify this beer. The thick cloudiness is actually the yeast suspended in the beer. The yeast contributes a unique flavor with a strong banana and clove character.  It has a very spicy aroma with hints of banana and clove in the aroma as well. It is brewed with 50% malted wheat, in place of malted barley, and hopped with noble hop varieties originating in Germany. It is not a bitter beer style, therefore letting the wheat flavors and yeast flavors dominate.  Traditionally, this beer is often served with a lemon in it, however, we do not recommend it. This beer will be on tap throughout the summer until roughly mid September.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.ubuale.com

Twitter:  @ubuman

In closing, just like their Barkeater Amber ale, this beer style is not my flavorite out in the market.  I HATE this beer style along with whites, and wheat ales.  I realize that “hate” is a very strong word to use but that is how I feel about this classic beer styles.  If you read any of my blogs, I am very honest about the beers but I will tell you if it is a good beer or not.  Plus, just because I say the beer is not good that does not mean you will not like it.  With that all said, this beer is pretty good but I canot see myself drinking this in my regular lineup.  They did a very good job keeping it to true to the German Beer Style with a little twist.  With the huge growth of Wheat Ale, I believe this beer should be doing very good right now. I know the ones in my market, which is Chicago, are doing very well.  I have to say this brew has to be one of the best one in the Craft Beer market.  Good job on this brew!  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Chouffe Houblon Chouffe Tripel IPA

In this blog, we are going to take a look at another brew from the Chouffe Brewery.  The beer is called Houblon Chouffe Tripel India Pale Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on their La Chouffe then you know a little bit about this brewery from Belgium, let us get into the beer.

This beer is a bright golden with a slight cloudly along with a nice constant white head to it.  A heavy citrus smell is kicking along with some species too. As far as the taste of this awesome Belgium, the beer drinker will taste a very sweet carbonation citrus upper cut in your face along with a nice hop finish that lingers afterwards for a bit after the beer drinking experience.  It is very drinkable for being a highend Tripel IPA.

Here is a descripation from the bottle:

On its journey across the globe the little Chouffe wander through beautiful hopfields.  The overwhelming aroma of these little hop flowers such as Tomahawk, Amarillo and Saaz mesmerized him.

Back at home in the Ardennes, he crafted a new recipe combining this heady array of hops with the depth and body of his favorite style “Tripel”.  Thus, our little Chouffe’s new inspiration Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel was born.

Here is a descripation from their website (www.achouffe.be):

Description :

The HOUBLON CHOUFFE was brewed for the first time in 2006.  It is an ‘Indian Pale ale’ type of beer, with a harmonious balance between a marked bitterness (three types of hops are used to make it) and a pleasant fruitiness.  The HOUBLON CHOUFFE is unfiltered, and re-fermented in the bottle as well as in the keg.

Packaging :

330 ml bottle

750ml bottle

20 litre keg

Alcohol  :

9% alc./vol.

Original extract :

18 °Plato

Serving temperature :

4 to 10°C (bottle)

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.achouffe.be

Twitter:  @chouffeusa

In closing,  this is my favorite beer from this brewery.  I love how you get the nice hoppy taste but still get the funky Belgian taste.  I know I have yelled at craft breweries for saying their beers are Belgian Style IPAs.  I do feel the same way towards this brewery, however, they put the word “Tripel” and they put more depth on the hops to make it a little different then the old classic beer style.  The craft beers that said Belgian India Pale Ale are really Tripels that I have had in the market.  Please chellenge me on this beer style, I really want to back off this issue.  Asides that, I really love this beer for many reasons.  It is well balance, drinkable, and a nice spicy kick to the beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser