west coast

New Beer Blog Laughing Dog Brewing Anubis Imperial Coffee Porter

In this beer blog, we are going to sample out first brew from a brewery, which is Laughing Dog Brewing. I was excited to try it. The beer is their Anubis Imperial Coffee Porter. Laughing Dog Brewing is a young company. It was stated in 2005 in Sandpoint, Idaho. They brew several different beer styles. They brew up to 15 different beer styles. They have won several awards for their brews. The dog that is featured on their beer bottles, logos, etc is their family dog, who is Ben. There is not too much information for this eight year old company. Let us get into beer.

It has a jet black color with a constant tan color head on this coffee porter. The smell is toffee and hints of coffee. The taste of this imperial coffee porter is a creamy sweet black strong coffee with roasted coffee notes. It is not drinkable beer unless the beer drinker is a coffee porter and stout and then it is drinkable.

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

Anubis Imperial Coffee Porter

A complex Imperial Coffee Porter made with Evans Brothers cold-pressed coffee. Subtle chocolate, and coffee notes are balanced by black malt bitterness and malt sweetness. Available year-round in 22oz. bottles and kegs.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.laughingdogbrewing.com

Twitter: @LaughingDogbrew

In closing, this brew is pretty good. I was not too familiar with this brewery. I was pretty interested to sit down to try this beer and do some back history. Some reason, I believed I saw their brews in the State of Illinois. However, this brew is pretty complex that is extremely good thing, the notes go from chocolate and coffee notes. I will have to trade with my friend to get a few more of their beers. I believe they are not available in the a Michigan. I 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 Revolution Brewing and Firestone Walker Brewing Dos Osos India Pale Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into a brew where two craft breweries teamed up to brew. I am talking about Dos Osos India Pale Ale from Revolution Brewing and Firestone Walker Brewing. This is a special and limited edition brew. If you read my beer blog posts on both of these breweries, you know the history of both of them. If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know both of these breweries. Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear deep golden color with a constant white head on this India Pale Ale. The smell is a heavy grapefruit with a slight orange. The taste is about the same with some carbonation notes. The aftertaste is a sweet grapefruit notes. This is an extremely drinkable beer.

Here is a description from Revolution Brewing’s Website (www.revbrew.com):

Dos Osos

Dos Osos, or “two bears,” IPA is a collaboration brew with our great friend Dustin Kral who is the lead brewer at Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, CA. Named after both the bear on the California State flag and the Chicago bears this IPA is described as a Central Coast IPA, named for California’s Central Coast. As with most West Coast IPAs, our version in not bogged down with lots of specialty malts and is dry, crisp and clean which is a trademark of the hoppy ales from both Revolution and Firestone. 2-row, Munich, and a touch of cara-pils lend a subtle malt base to which the layers of hop character are built upon. An array of hops including Warrior, Chinook, Centennial, Cascade and Citra infuse this ale with aromas and flavors of fresh flowers, citrus and passion fruit. The finished product is a clean refreshing IPA with a crisp bitterness and wonderful hop bouquet.

India Pale Ale

ABV 6.6%IBU 75

Profile: Dos Osos, or “two bears,” IPA is a collaboration brew with Firestone Walker Brewing Company.

Color: Deep Gold

Availability: 1/6bbl, 1/2 bbl, 22 oz.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.revbrew.com and www.firestonebeer.com

Tiwtter; @revolutionsbrew, @RevBrewChicago, and @firestonewalker

Closing, this beer has been on my radar since it came out. I keep on picking it up at the liquor store and pulling it back down on the shelf. I knew I was leaving the Chicago area to move back to Michigan. I wanted to make sure I had at least one before I leave. I have to say I am not disappointed one bit. Both craft breweries did a great job working together to make a really good brew. It is well-balanced from the malty backbone to the hops. If you can find a bottle, I highly recommend you trying this brew. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Wieser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter; @djweiser

New Beer Blog 21st Amendment Brewery Hop Crisis Imperial IPA

In this beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from 21st Amendment Brewery. It is their limited release brew, which is called Hop Crisis Imperial IPA. If you read my earlier beer blog posts, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not read those beer blog posts, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know this brewery. Let us get into the beer.

It has a cloudy straw to golden color with a constant white head on the beer. The smell is a heavy tropical fruit to this IPA. The taste of this light body beer is a sweet tropical fruits like mango to pineapple. The aftertaste echoes the taste notes. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a descriation from their website (www.21st-amendment.com):

Shaun and Nico have to break out of Alcatraz. And fast. The Hop Syndicate is hoarding hops, depriving the people of their right to hoppy, aromatic beer. Join Shaun and Nico on their adventure to Free the Hops! First, they plan a daring escape through the sewer pipe, then they surf monster waves on ironing boards, and finally they attempt a high speed cable car getaway.

Hop Crisis. Crisis? What Crisis? A few years ago, when hop prices shot through the roof and the worldwide hop market went into a tailspin, at our pub in San Francisco we decided there was only one thing for us to do. We made the biggest, hoppiest IPA we could imagine and aged it on oak for good measure. This Imperial IPA breaks all the rules with more malt, more hops and more aroma.

Alcohol Content 9.7% by volume

Color Gold

Bitterness Units (IBUS) 94

Bittering Hops Columbus, Centennial, Cascade

Yeast Top Fermenting Ale Yeast

Malts Pale Malt, Munich, Dextrose

Special Ingredients Aged on Oak

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.21st-amendment.com

Twitter: @21stAmendment

End of the hops, this beer is something else in a very good way. This is Imperial India Pale Ale and it does not drink like one. It is light to medium in body for the type of beer style. I love the hops that they used in this brew. It has a well made malty backbone to balance with hops that are being used in it. The hops kick off a nice tropical fruit notes. If you are in the west coast, I highly recommend you stopping into their brewpub in San Fran. They service some great food and you can purchase some of their beer to go from the brewery. I highly recommend this brew too. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Redhook Brewing Out Of Your Ground Pumpkin Porter

In this beer blog, we are going to get into a two-year old fall seasonal from Redhook Brewery. It is their Out Of Your Ground Pumpkin Porter. If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their brews, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know this brewery. Let us get into beer.

It has a black and brown color without a head on this fall seasonal. The smell is chocolate cover pumpkin. The taste of this light to medium body beer is chocolate cover pumpkin with a fade smokey pumpkin aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

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

Out of Your Gourd Pumpkin Porter is dark chestnut-brown in color and is made with pureed pumpkin. Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger are added to the whirlpool and maple syrup is added during fermentation. This full-bodied, rich roasty porter makes you want to eat turkey and watch football, or build a bonfire.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:Website: www.redhook.com Twitter: @redhook_brewery Ending, I am a huge fan of Redhook as many of you know by reading on this blog. This is not one of my favorite beer from this brewery or fall seasonal. This brew is still a really good brew. It has a nice balance from the pumpkin and porter. It has taste of chocolate cover pumpkins. This is a great sessional fall beer. This is a beer you can drink during fall cook out or bonfire without having something too heavy. This is a great brew and Redhook brewery did a great job on this brew. I recommend you trying this brew. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/ Cheers! Bill DJ Weiser Email: djweiser13@comcast.net Twitter: @djweiser

New Belgium Pumpkick Fall Seasonal

In this beer blog, we are going to get into the new Fall Seasonal from New Belgium Brewery. It is their Pumpkick Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog on their Imperial IPA, you will know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read that beer blog post to get to know this Colorado brewery. Let us get into the beer.

It has a light copper color with a constant white head on this fall seasonal beer. The smell is heavy pumpkin with slight cranberry notes. The taste of this light to medium body is a cranberry and pumpkin notes with a pumpkin aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

What’s that bite of tartness doing in a pumpkin beer? Adding the unexpected kick of cranberry juice to brighten this traditionally spiced seasonal ale. Pumpkick is brewed with plenty of pumpkin juice cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, but it’s the cranberries and touch of lemongrass that send your taste buds sailing.

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

What’s that bite of tartness doing in a pumpkin beer? Adding the unexpected kick of cranberry juice to brighten this traditionally spiced seasonal ale. PUMPKICK is brewed with plenty of pumpkin juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, but it’s the cranberries and touch of lemongrass that send your taste buds sailing.

Birthdate: July, 2013

ABV: 6.0%

Hops: Target

Malts: Pale, Munich, Caramel

Fruits/Spice: Pumpkin juice, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Cranberries, Lemongrass

Here is a video on their website (www.newbelgium.com) about food pairing:

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website; www.newbelgium.com

Twitter: @newbelgium

Closing, I am not a really huge fan of this brewery, however, the last few new brews that they have release. They are winning me over pretty quick. I love their Rampant Imperial IPA and Shift Pale Lager. This beer that is being feature is really good gives me hope more for this brewery and all fall seasonals. This pumpkin beer is pretty well balance with the complex favors in it. There is a ton going on in this brew. It is not over the top from the pumpkin and cranberry. 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 Moonlight Brewery Death And Taxes

In this beer blog, we are going to get into a beer that I found while out in San Francisco. The brewery is called Moonlight Brewery from Santa Rosa, California. The brewery was started by Brian Hunt in 1992. Death And Taxes is their flagship beer. They do not package any of their beer. They only sell their beers in kegs in the northern part of California. Let us get into the beer.

It has a black color with a semi tan head on the beer. The smell is roasted malts to coco notes. The taste is smoked with coffee to slight chocolate notes. The aftertaste is a dry crisp coco to it. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

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

A very dark yet surprisingly light-bodied Lager beer, crisp and refreshing with no heaviness.

Alcohol 5.0% vol

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.moonlightbrewing.com

Twitter: no twitter address

In closing, I found this beer at a bar, which is Toronado Bar, that my work took us to for a few beers. I did not want anything heavy. I wanted something with flavor but yet a light in body. I will say this beer covered all those things that I was looking for in a beer. This has some nice notes but yet pretty drinkable. I recommend you trying this beer if you are around the northern part of California. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

New Beer Blog Stone Brewing Wootstout

In this beer blog, we are going to get into a special limited release and special beer to me. It is from Stone Brewery and the beer is their Wootstout. This brew was team brewing process from Drew Curtis, Greg Koch, and Wil Wheaton. If you read my early beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not read those posts, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know this brewery. Let us get into the beer.

It has a jet black color with a constant tan to light brown head on the beer. The smell is chocolate cover pecans. The taste of this light to medium body beer is chocolate cover pecans notes. There is some vanilla notes that blends nicely with the pecans. The aftertaste is a dry coffee to toffee pecan aftertaste. For being a stout, this is scary and extremely drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

“Wil Wheaton first called us in 2004 to ask if it’d be OK for him to put the Arrogant Bastard logo on this blog’s website (back when people still asked permission to do such things), and I just so happened to answer the phone (back when I still answered the main line sometimes). Since he was so damn enthusiastic about our beers, I said ‘Sure, no problem.’ all the while thinking ‘ Hmmm… this guy’s name sounds familiar.’

Months later, in a serendipitous turn of fate, I reached out to our 10,000th email newsletter subscriber … drumroll … Wil Wheaton. Since his gigs in the iconic Stand By Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wil has become quite the renaissance man, adding author, w00tstock innovator, and homebrewer to his resume. His enthusiasm for the fermentable arts and our beer was such that after many occasions of sharing grog over the years, we decided it was time to brew in collaboration.

It was no-brainer for us to choose Drew Curtis – who many know as the twisted mind behind Fark.com – as our third cohort. Drew was an old friend of Wil’s that I had serendipitously met (when he saw me and told me, ‘Dude, I love your beer!’) and enjoyed many beers with at the famous TED confenece three years in a row. The beer you told before you is an Imperial stout made with wheat (Wil pretty much insisted), and we also paid tribute to Drew’s Kentucky roots by adding rye and pecans to the mix and partially aging the beer in bourbon barrels. The result? Nothing short of serendipitous.”

Greg Koch @stonegreg CEO and Co-founder, Stone Brewing

“Being a geek isn’t about what you love: it’s about how you love it. I’m a sci-fi geek, a disruptive technology geek, and a tabletop game geek. I’ve been lucky to do lots of work in those fields, but this is the first time I got to be a professional beer geek, and it was awesome.”

Wil Wheaton @wilw Actor, Homebrewer and Professional Geek

“Beer tastes like my website … all over the map, but I’ve never met a beer I didn’t like.”

Drew Curtis @drewcurtis Founder, Fark.com & News Geek

www.stonebrewing.com/collab

Here is a description from their website (www.stonebrewing.com/collab):

From the most unlikely yet intensely imaginative trio that is actor and uber-geek champion Wil Wheaton, alternative news website Fark.com creator Drew Curtis and Stone CEO/Co-founder Greg Koch, comes an imperial stout unlike any ever made. Brewed with rye, wheat malt and pecans and partially aged in Bourbon whiskey barrels, this viscous yet silken brew erupts with an oaky, nutty bouquet and rich flavors of vanilla, toast and bitter chocolate. Enjoy now or cellar this celebration of nth degree passion and geekery applied most gracefully to the craft of brewing and collaboration-Drew Curtis/Wil Wheaton/Greg Koch Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.stonebrewing.com/collab

Twitter: @stonegreg @wilw @drewcurtis and @stonebrewingco

Closing out, many of these beers hit the shelf and go pretty quickly. In most cases, these beers let many of the beer drinkers down with the liquid. This brew is totally different. These three guys put a ton of thought behind it and put their stamp on it, which you can see the details above in description from the beer bottle selection. This is a great brew. I love the stout and the wheat malt makes this stout light in body. I love the chocolate and the pecans gives this brew another element. It blends nicely with the beer and then age the beer in barrels that gives some nice vanilla notes. If you can find this 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 Great Divide Hades Golden Belgian Style Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into the last of the three beers from Great Divide Brewing that I am reviewing on this blog. It is their Hades Belgian-Style Ale. It you read my earlier beer blog post on their beers, you know the history of this brewery. If you have not, please, read those beer posts to get to know this brewery. Let us get into the beer.

It has a slight cloudy golden color without a head. The smell is between malt to citrus but very fade. It is hard to pick up. The taste of this medium body ale is a slight carbonated back hop to malt with refreshing with a slight citrus finish. It is a session beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Hades is a Begian-Style golden ale brewed with a rare Belgian yeast stain that gives a complex spicy flavor and aroma. Noticable hops and medium malt character make it a very well-balanced crisp ale.

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

HADES is a Belgian-Style golden ale brewed with a rare Belgian yeast strain that gives a complex spicy flavor and aroma. Noticeable hops and medium malt character make it a very well-balanced, crisp ale.

ABV.: 7.8%

AVAILABLE: Year Round

SIZES: Included in Brewers’ Picks and Big Show 12-packs only

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.greatdivide.com

Twitter: @greatdividebrew

In closing, this is one beer style. I believe are hardest to match to the classic beer style and put your own twist. It is just like lagers most craft breweries can not make a good one. Great Divide did a great job coming as close as they can and putting their twist on their version of Duvel. I have to say I was pretty impressed about it. I recommend you trying this brew and please let me know if I am right or wrong. I would love to talk about beer with you. 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 Colette Farmhouse Ale

In this beer blog, we are going to get into the second of three beers from Great Divide Brewing. It is their Colette Farmhouse Ale. If you read my earlier beer blog, you know the history of this great Denver brewery. If you have not, please, read that beer blog post. Let us get into the beer.

It has a clear bright yellow to golden color with constant small bubbles. There is yeast in the bottle that will change it from clear to cloudy. The head is a constant white. The smell is a slight farmhouse but a fresh farm smell. The taste of this light body ale has slight lemon with some spices with a spicy to lemon but refreshing finish. It is a drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Colette is our homage to the saisons that Belgian farm workers have enjoyed for centuries. Brewed with barley, wheat and rice and fermented at high temperatures with a special blend of four different yeast stains, Colette is fruity and slightly tart, with a dry finish that makes it that rarest of treats – a beer as refreshing as it is complex.

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

COLETTE is our homage to the saisons that Belgian farm workers have enjoyed for centuries. Brewed with barley, wheat and rice and fermented at high temperatures with a special blend of four different yeast strains, COLETTE is fruity and slightly tart, with a dry finish that makes it that rarest of treats — a beer as refreshing as it is complex.

ABV.: 7.3%

AVAILABLE: Year Round

SIZES: 6 packs, 5 gal and 15.5 gal kegs

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.greatdivide.com

Twitter; @greatdividebrew

Ending, this is a pretty tricky ale to make for most craft breweries. There are several different Saisons on the market. It could be hoppy amber saison, hoppy saison, and a refreshing saison. This one to me is in the refreshing saison. It echos the classic beer style. It is well balance and gives everything that a saison fan is looking for in this beer style. I recommend you trying. Please, 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 Ram Tap Party Wheeling Location

In this beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from Ram Brewery in Wheeling. This is another seasonal release and tap party. If you read my earlier beer blog post, you know the history of this west coast brewery. If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts. Let us get into the beer.

It has a slight hazel dark copper color with semi constant white head. The smell is a citrus to piney. The taste is carbonated citrus with a nice dry hop finish. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the tap party:

Lotsahops Double IPA

A big bold citrusy IPA taken up a notch to approximately 80-90 IBU’s. It starts off with a good malt base to keep the bitterness in check and finishes with a good hop punch to wake up the palate. ABV about 7.0%.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website: www.theram.com

Twitter: @theram

In closing, this is a well made beer from this brewpub. I enjoyed drinking their beers. They have great deals on their beers and you cannot complain about their food. This Imperial IPA is really well balance from the hops and malts. They did a great job with picking the hops. I love the hop character in this brew. I really recommend you driving and trying this beer. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

Anubis Imperial Coffee Porter

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