west coast

New Beer Blog Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale


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In this beer blog, we are going to get into The Hairy Eyeball Ale from Lagunitas Brewery.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this West Coast Brewery.  If you have not read those posts, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know Lagunitas Brewery.  Let us get into this American Strong Ale.

This American Strong Ale has a dark amber color with a fluffy to a cream head.  The aroma has a strong malty to an alcohol notes.  The taste of this full body ale has a strong malty alcohol snap.  The aftertaste has a malty dry finish with alcohol burn down the throat.  This is a nice relaxing sipping beer.

Here is a desciriation from their website (www.lagunitas.com):

A roasty, toasty, malty, hangover-halting beer. Especially formulated for when you wake up feelin’ like you need to shave your eyeballs to see the new day.

AVAILABILITY: NOVEMBER 2013
ABV: 9.4% IBU: 56.66
Sold as: Bombers & Kegs
Net contents: Ounces and ounces of Malt, Hops, Yeast and water.

Closing, this beer has a ton going on in it. It has nice flavor yet a nice sipping beer anytime of the year. I love the back story on this brew. It has a nice alcohol bite and nice malty notes to keep you coming back for more. I highly recommend 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 New Belgium Fat Tire Ale


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In this beer blog, we are going to sample a flagship beer, which is Fat Tire Amber Ale, from New Belgium Brewery. It was a beer inspired from a bike ride in the Belgian county side. If you read my earlier beer blog posts, you know the history of this craft brewery. If you have not read those posts, please, read them to get to know New Belgium Brewery. Let us get into this Amber Ale.

It has a clear amber color with semi constant white head on this Amber Ale.  The aroma has a malty to biscuit notes.  The taste of this light to medium body beer has a malty to biscuit notes with a hint of light carbonated caramel.   The aftertaste has a caramel to nice refreshing hop finish.  It is an extremely drinkable beer.

Here is a descriation from the beer bottle:

Fat Tire Amber Ale perfectly balances biscuit-like malt flavors with hoppy freshness.  Named in honor of a storied bike ride through Europe,  Fat Tire cruises with Belgian imagination and inspiration.

Here is a descriatin from their website (www.newbelgium.com):

Named in honor of our co-founder’s bike trip through Europe, Fat Tire Amber Ale marks a turning point in the young electrical engineer’s home brewing. Belgian beers use a far broader palette of ingredients (fruits, spices, esoteric yeast strains) than German or English styles. Together with co-founder Kim Jordan, they traveled around sampling their homebrews to the public. Fat Tire won fans with its sense of balance: toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness. Fat Tire: Pairs well with people.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter: @newbelgium

In closing, this light to medium body amber ale packs a ton of flavor and punch.  It is drinkable for anytime of the year.  It is a nice craft beer to get your American Lager drinkers to try.  It is also a great beer for the experience craft beer drinkers to revisit and enjoy it all over it again.  I love the story behind this beer and I love the fact they made American version of De Koninck.  It is fresher and packs more of a drinkable style.  This beer can pair with any food dish that is what their website says.  It is better with people.  I recommend you trying this beer or retrying it.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram: @djweiser13

New Beer Blog New Belgium Brewery Ranger IPA


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Starting a new beer tab, we are going to try and I mean retry New Belgium Brewery Ranger IPA. After years of their fans requesting, an India Pale Ale was finally made its debut in their line up. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Mountain area craft brewery. If you have not, please, read those posts to get to know New Belgium Brewery. Let us get into this India Pale Ale.

This India Pale Ale has a clear copper color with a nice white constant head on it.  The smell has hints of citrus and slight piney notes.  The taste has a slight citrus carbonated notes with a dry piney hop finish for the aftertaste.  It is a drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Tip your hat to our Beer Rangers in the field who inspired this will-balanced IPA packed with Simcoe, Cascade and Chinook hops. Count on citrus aromas and piney surroundings.

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

Ever met a New Belgium Beer Ranger? They are our beloved folks out in the field. Spanning all 29 of our states from the Pacific to the Atlantic, our Beer Rangers do their best to protect, to pour and to partake. And explore many a beer from many a brewery, they do.

Bring out the hops! This clear amber beauty bursts at the starting gate with an abundance of hops: Cascade (citrus), Chinook (floral/citrus), and Simcoe (fruity) lead off the beer, with Cascade added again for an intense dry hop flavor. Brewed with pale and dark caramel malts that harmonize the hop flavor from start to finish, Ranger is a sessionable splendor for all you hopinistas. Thank your Beer Ranger!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

Closing out my tab, I have to say it took me a ton of time to start liking this beer.  I do not know why.  I will say my first impression was not very good towards this craft IPA.  However, after a ton of research, I have a new thought pattern towards this IPA. I have to say I like it now.  It is in my top ten of craft India Pale Ales.  I love the hop collection and the selection.  The malty backbone was well designed.  I wish I could find this beer in cans.  I am pretty happy to see this beer in their first sampler 12 pack cans.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  djweiser13

New Beer Blog Stone Brewery Stochasticity Project Grapefruit Slam IPA


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In this beer blog, we are going to get into a new project called Stochasticity Project from Stone Brewery.  It is their Grapefruit Slam IPA.  There will be a series of different beers released under this name.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this craft brewery.  If you have not read those posts, please, do so to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into this big beer.

It has a clear copper color with a nice white head on this IPA.  The aroma has a heavy grapefruit and hints of citrus notes.  The taste of this medium body beer is a heavy grapefruit notes.  The aftertaste is a dry bitter hop finish that will keep you drinking more of this brew.  This India Pale Ale is a sipping beer.

Here is a descriation from the beer bottle:

Stochasticity

There is no happenstance or coincidence.  Dumb luck is a fallacy and randomness a commonly accepted mistruth.  Much of what seemingly falls into place and seems so natural is a result of Stochasticity, a concept embraced and exalted by this special and unpredicatable series of beers, where exotic notions, ingredients and ideas coalesce at an interesting and often unexpected endpoint.

Stochasticity Project Grapefruit Slam IPA

India pale ales harness the inherent flavor characteristics of hops to bring forward familiar flavors of pine, resin, spice and citrus.   In some cases, those botanincals are so potent, they exactly mirror specific edibles.  Such is the case with Centennials hops, which hail from the Great Northwest and come across on the palate like a mouthful of citrus fruit.  That sensation is amplified with this, the first beer introduced via the Stochasticity Project, a double IPA brewed with Centennial, Chinook and Magnum hops as well as an immense dosing of fresh grapefruit peel.  The result is over-the-top bittersweet grapefruit intensity that is a once refreshing and bracing in its citrusy bitterness.

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

Stochasticity Project

Grapefruit Slam IPA

STYLE: Double IPA ABV: 8.2% IBUs: 95
Description

India pale ales harness the inherent flavor characteristics of hops to bring forward familiar flavors of pine, resin, spice, and citrus. In some cases, those botanicals are so potent, they exactly mirror specific edibles. Such is the case with Centennial hops, which hail from the Great Northwest and come across on the palate like a mouthful of citrus fruit. That sensation is amplified with this, the first beer introduced via the Stochasticity Project–a double IPA brewed with Centennial, Chinook and Magnum hops as well as an immense dosing of fresh grapefruit peel. The result is over-the-top bittersweet grapefruit intensity that is at once refreshing and bracing in its citrusy bitterness.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.stochasticity.com

Twitter:  @STCHPRJCT

Closing, this beer was something else and that is all in a very good way.  I love the heavy aroma and taste of grapefruit.  I just found it funny that I hate the taste and smell of real grapefruit.  This is a pretty big beer and the beer drinker should not take this brew lightly.  It is a sipping brew, however, it is very nice to drink in any part of the year.  I wish this beer was all year long and was put in 12oz bottles.  I am not a huge fan of 22oz bottles.  At least, it came with a good price.  Most 22oz bottles are overpriced and that is my thought.  I get it.  These beers cost a little more than most beers to make. I recommend you trying this beer. I will be looking for one more bottle befoe they disappear.  Plus, the next beer when it is released to the public.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog New Belgium Trippel Ale


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In this beer blog, we are going to sample Trippel Ale from New Belgium Brewery.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their their Fall Seasonal, which is Pumpkick Ale, you know the history of this craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read the beer blog posts to get to know this 100% employee owned craft brewery.  Let us get into their Trippel Ale.

This Trippel Ale has a clear golden color with a nice white constant head.  The aroma has a heavy coriander and other spicy notes.  The taste has a Belgium spices and heavy coriander notes.  The coriander lives and hangs around a bit in the aftertaste.  This Trippel Ale is kind of drinkable but it is more of a sipping ale.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

A Belgian yeast strain, a trace of coriander, and a blast of hops is the triple-threat this Belgian style ale struts out each time you reach for our bottles conditioned Trippel.

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

Our Trippel Belgian Style Ale (pronounced triple) opens with a bold blast of hops that slowly gives way to the fruity esters implied by our Belgian yeast strain. In the Belgian tradition of brewing singles, doubles and triples, Trippel is the strongest with the longest fermentation. Remarkably smooth and complex, our bottle-conditioned Trippel is spiced with a trace of coriander.

Here is ther website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

Closing, New Belgium has made several Belgium beer styles ales.  This brew is not different than the rest of the beers in this beer style.  There is not many Trippel Ales brewed with coriandor.  I am not a fan of this brew because of the coriandor in it.   However, this is a good beer and New Belgium made a great beer here, I highly recomend 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 New Belgium Mighty Arrow Pale Ale


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In this retro beer blog, we are going to sample a beer, which is Mighty Arrow Pale Ale, from the past that came back in Folly Pack from New Belgium Brewery.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of New Belgium Brewery.  If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

This pale ale has a clear golden color with a nice constant white head.  The aroma is a nice citrus notes.  The tasting experience has a light carbonated citrus notes with a dry hoppy citrus to dry bitter finish for the aftertaste.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

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

Mighty Arrow Pale Ale provides lots of pleasurable sniffs from Amarillo and Cascade hops with a fetching honey malt base. This is our brewed tribute to Arrow, Kim’s Aussie/Border Collie mix who ran (literally) New Belgium for 12 years. When she wasn’t patrolling the brewery grounds, she was famous for her office visits: She never met a tummy rub she didn’t like. Atta girl, Arrow. Mighty Arrow makes its return as the revival beer in Folly Packs from January to April 2014.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

In closing, I was pretty sad when this beer was retired.  I learned at the beginning of the year that this brew was returning to the market.  I was a little upset that I had to buy a whole sampler 12 pack bottles to get the bottles.  I wished they would release it as 6 pack again.  I understand why they did not do that.  I love this beer and I love the hops to the malty backbone.   It is pretty drinkable and it is perfect for the spring and summer time.  I wish they would put this in their everyday beer line up.  This is a great brew and I would hurry to the store to get this beer before it disappears again.  I highly recommend this Pale Ale.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog New Belgium And Red Rock Brewery Paardebloem Ale


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In this beer blog, we are going to sample a brew from New Belgium and Red Rock Brewery.  I am  talking about Paardebloem Ale from New Belgium’s Lips Of Faith Series.  If you read my earlier beer blog post on New Belgium’s brew, you know the history of this Mountain area craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read those posts on this Fort Collins brewery to get to know them.  Red Rock Brewery is located in Utah in the Salt Lake City.  It opened its doors in 1994.  Their goal is to make the highest quality product and great craft beer to their beer drinkers.  They are now packaging several different beer styles.  They are always looking to grow the different beer styles.  Let us get into the beer.

This ale has a cloudy golden color with a nice small bubble white head.   The aroma has a nice peach notes.  The taste has an up front sweet peaches note to a slight tartness notes with a nice oak and pepper aftertaste.  It is a nice refreshing sipping beer.

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

Using dandelion greens to bitter a Belgian-style ale blossomed from our brewers collaborating with Red Rock Brewing. These being our sixth interpretation together since 2008, expect a wonderfully complex ale fermented with wild Belgian yeast and blended with just a touch of wood-aged beer. Bitterness imparted from dandelion greens and grains of paradise will have you blowing wishes for sips.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com and www.redrockbrewing.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium and @redrockbrwing

Closing out, I normally get pretty nervous with beers that are in 22oz bottle.  I just feel sometimes I do not get my money worth.  I understand it cost the breweries a little bit more to make some of these special brews.  I am glad they do because they get pretty creative on this beers.  Paardebloem Ale is in that area of being creative.  I have to say I really enjoyed this beer and I feel it is well worth the money that I invested into it.  I am not a fan of Peach but I love the combination of the Peach and beer.  It is a nice refreshing but sipping beer.  I highly recommend this brew.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog New Belgium RyePA


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While in Fort Collins, Co, we are going to sample another brew, which is RyePA, from New Belgium Brewery.  I was pretty excited to get out there. I had a great time at the brewery.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Top Five Craft Brewery in the States.  If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know New Belgium Brewery.  Let us get into this Rye IPA.

It has a clear copper color with a nice constant white head.  The aroma has piney, earthy, and spicy notes.  The taste has a medium carbonation with malty and piney notes.  The aftertaste has a dry hoppy finish.  It is pretty drinkable beer.

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

Artisan maltster River Bend Malt House of Asheville, North Carolina, kiln a perfect rye. And when you pair gobs of their spicy rye with heaps of spicy hops you get a great Hop Kitchen Beer. This unique, and collaborative, Rye IPA boasts a bold blend of Simcoe, Galaxy, Cascade, and Mosaic hops to bring a thunderous 75 IBU. Have a sip and feel the bang.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

Closing out my day at New Belgium, I had a great time at the brewery and I hope to return their again soon.  I had a chance to go through a whole brewery tour and try several beers.  I trird to get take notes on as many beers as I could.  When I sipped this beer, I knew I had to write a review on this RyePA.  I love the sweet and bitter from this beer.  It is in that order on the tasting experience.  There is a nice malty backbone that holds up to a nice selection of hops used in this beer.  Rye IPA’s are quickly becoming a pretty popular beer style in the IPA world.  I will have to say this is the best Rye IPA that I have ever had.  I love Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA.  New Belgium has topped it and took it to the next level.  I wish I could get this in Michigan but I guess I will have to find someone to trade with to get a few bottles.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog New Belgium Wild (2) Dubbel


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While in Fort Collins, we are going to get into another brew from Fort Collins, Colorado, which is New Belgium Brewery.  The beer is their Wild (2) Dubbel.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on this brewery, you know the history of New Belgium Brewery.  If you did not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know the 100% employee owned craft brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has nice dark color with a nice white constant head.  The aroma has a sweet candy notes.  The taste has a sweet licorice notes with a nice licorice aftertaste.  It is a nice sipping beer.

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

Wild2 Dubbel ale, our mahogany-hued autumn ale spiced with schisandra, opens with the floral, earthy notes of fall itself. Schisandra berries, known as “five-flavor fruit,” possess all five flavors: salty, sweet, sour, spicy and bitter. This malt-forward dubbel ale is fermented with a Trappist yeast and finishes dry and slightly sour with a touch of bretta. Lasso a bottle!

ABV
8%
IBU
30
Yeast
Trappist Ale Yeast
Calories
235
Hops
Target, Goldinas, Liberty
Malts
Pale, Munich, Carmel 80, Special-B, Wheat, Chpcolate Wheat, Oats

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com

Twitter:  @newbelgium

Closing out the first night, this was something else.  I enjoyed drinking this Belgium Style Dubbel.  There is a ton going on with this beer.  I know when I had this beer I had a few so if my tasting notes are off.  Please, let me know and I will correct.  I enjoyed the beer and wanted to share my thoughts on the beer.  Every time I sip this beer.  I pick up more and more as far as tasting notes and flavors.  I picked up candy notes like licorice.  However, their website site, talks about salty, sour, etc.  You can see that above.  The point is this is an awesome beer that New Belgium is brewing.  It highly recommend you trying this beer.  Please, let me know what you think.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Beer Blog Stone Brewery Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale


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In this beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Stone Brewery.  It is their Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog post, you know the history of this brewery.  If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know Stone Brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a jet black color with an off white color head.  The aroma has a slight chocolate but a heavy citrus notes.  The taste has a chocolate to citrus notes with a dry chocolate to hoppy bitter finish for the aftertaste.  It is a sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

We’re brewers whose substantial mettle and idiomatic approach to brewing allows us to consistently creat works of art such as this justifiably self-righteous ale.  Its bitterness hits our sweet spot.  Its blackness lightens our hearts.  Its liquid dichotomy pulls it all together in this sublimely sacrosanct ale.  Thus the name we are compelled to give it – Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale – serves as a remember of just how good we are, in both liquid and verbal form.

First brewed in 2007 as the Stone 11th Anniversary Ale, this ale was an instant hit.  With us.  Other folks with great taste loved it too, but we were focused on how much we liked it, and we felt it was truly sublime.  That euphoria didn’t last long though, as it was soon replaced with the grim reality that when we sold out of it there wouldn’t be any more.  For us.  And that was simply unacceptable.  So, we now bless ourselves, and you, the enlightened, with this ale full-time.  Thusly, you may now revel in you own self-righteousness as you see it with this glorious example of ours.  You are genuinely welcome, as it is our pleasure.

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

  • Style: Black IPA
  • Alc/Vol: 8.7%
  • IBUs: 90
  • Available in: 22oz, 12oz Bottles & draft
We’re brewers whose substantial mettle and idiomatic approach to brewing allows us to consistently create works of art such as this justifiably self-righteous black IPA. Its bitterness hits our sweet spot. Its blackness lightens our hearts. Its liquid dichotomy pulls it all together in this sublimely sacrosanct ale. Yes, we damn well know our stuff here at Stone, and it would be irresponsible of us not to acknowledge how remarkable this heavenly creation of ours is. Thus the name we are compelled to give it — Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA — serves as a reminder of just how good we are, in both liquid and verbal form.

We’re certainly not perfect. Too often, we allow our modesty to get the best of us as we’re simply not inclined towards senseless braggadocio. When you’re good, you’re good. And when you do something great, the least you can do is acknowledge it. Others benefit from knowing. In this case, we find that we are compelled to point out how amazing this ale is that we rightly call the Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale.

First brewed in 2007 as the Stone 11th Anniversary Ale, this ale was an instant hit. With us. Other folks with great taste loved it too, but we were focused on how much we liked it, and we felt it was truly sublime. That euphoria didn’t last long though, as it was soon replaced with the grim reality that when we sold out of it there wouldn’t be any more. For us. And that was simply unacceptable. So, we are now blessing ourselves, and you the enlightened, with this ale. Thusly, you may now revel in your own self-righteousness as you see fit with this glorious example of ours. You are genuinely welcome, as it is our pleasure.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.stonebrew.com

Twitter:  @stonebrewing

In closing, I enjoy myself a nice Black IPA.  I have been searching for a better one that would top the last one.  I am a huge fan of Porters, Stouts, and IPA’s.  This is a great combination for the Hophead and Porter or Stout fans in the world and it is Black IPA.  I love the hop character of the citrus with some nice chocolate notes.  The hops are pretty strong on this Black IPA.  I enjoyed this Black IPA.  I hope you try this beer and let me know what you think.  Stone Brewery did a great job on it.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser