winter seasonal

New Beer Blog Motor City Works Winter Ale (2014)

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to sample Winter Ale from Motor City Works.  If you read my earlier beer blog post on their India Pale Ale, you know the history of this Detroit base craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this Michigan craft brewery.  Let us get into this winter ale.

It has a cloudy amber to bronze color with a white head on this winter ale. The smell is non existed. I cannot pick up anything. The taste has a sweet malty notes with notes of spruce tips notes. It has a nice malty aftertaste. It is kind of drinkable.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Motor City Winter Ale is a rich barley wine style ale.  Deep amber in color, full and malty in taste complemented with a hint of spruce and an ABV that will keep you warm all winter long.

The thin layer of sediment at the bottom of each bottle is the mark of our all natural brewing process.  Unfiltered, Unpasteurized… Naturally!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.motorcitybeer.com

Twitter:  @motorcitybeer

Closing, I do not why I keep trying their beers.  They are like Atwater Brewery.  They do not make good beer.  I rather drink a Budweiser before I have to force another beer from either brewery down my system.  I have not had everything from them.  It is too late because the beers that I already had.  I am not a fan. Spruce tips and spices are not a good mix.  They did a bad job using spruce tips.  It did not go over well in this ale.  I believe they should take some notes from Alaskan Brewery.  I do not recommend this brew.  Don’t go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Founders Backwoods Bastard Ale (2014)

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In this special beer blog, we are going to sample a special limited beer, which is Backwoods Bastard Ale, from Founders Brewery.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Midwest Craft Brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this Michigan craft brewery.  Let us get into this beer.

It has a nice dark ruby-red color without a head on this barrel aged ale. The aroma has a sweet malty to slight bourdon along with some vanilla and other earthly notes. The taste has a sweet malty, alcohol, and earthly notes. The aftertaste has a nice warm alcohol finish. It is a nice sipping beer.

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

Expect lovely, warm smells of single malt scotch, oaky bourbon barrels, smoke, sweet caramel and roasted malts, a bit of earthy spice, and a scintilla of dark fruit. It’s a kick-back sipper made to excite the palate.
  • ABV: 10.2%
  • IBUs: 50
  • Availability: November

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.foundersbrewing.com

Twitter:  @foundersbrewing

In the end, I kept on hearing this is the beer that you need to try from a Michigan craft brewery.  It is a must find and try.  When I hear it was released, I rushed out and found a few bottles.  I was pretty excited this beer.  I love ales aged in barrels.  I am a huge fan of old ales, wheat wines, and barley wines.  I have said it is a nice sipping beer.  I love the sweet malty to alcohol notes.  There is a pretty nice balance.  I have to say for the price and I was looking for more out of this beer.  I just believe it is not worth it.  I will get at least a bottle every year but I am not going out of my way like I did this year.  It is beyond overrated.  Let me put it this way.  It is very good beer but not the best in this beer style that I have had in my lifetime.  If you see it, try it.  I would love to hear your thoughts.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gamil.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Bell’s Christmas Ale (2014)

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into another brew from Bell’s Brewing.  It is their Christmas Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Michigan craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know Bell’s Brewery.  Let us get into this Christmas Ale.

It has a clear dark copper to amber color with a white constant head. The smell has sweet malty to other spices that are fated to hard to pick up. The taste of this winter warmer has a slight carbonation to sweet malty with a slight alcohol burn for theaftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

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

The basic inspiration for Bell’s Christmas Ale was to create a sessionable holiday beer, using locally grown malt, which would stand apart from the array of spiced winter warmers that are typically introduced this time of year. In contrast to many other seasonals, Christmas Ale doesn’t contain any spices: all of the dry, toasted notes & subtle toffee flavors come from the 100% Michigan-grown barley, custom malted by Briess Malting, while a blend of hops from Michigan & the Pacific Northwest lend earthy, herbal aromas. At 5.5% ABV, it stands as a smooth, highly drinkable beer intended to complement holiday menus, not overshadow them.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.bellsbeer.com

Twitter:  @BellsBrewery

In the end, I enjoyed this winter or Christmas beer.  I have to say this.   Christmas has come and gone once again.  This does not mean that is beer is bad or out of code, if it is still on the shelf.  This goes for all seasonals.  Will it go out of code later on?  Yes, I am not an idiot.  I just hate hearing beer drinkers saying these beers are out of code the day after the holiday.  There is a nice balance but I love the nice alcohol notes for the finish.  This is one of my favorite beers from Bell’s Brewery.  If you see this beer, I would try it.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email: djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter: @djweiser

Instagram: @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Stone Brewing Smoked Porter Chocolate And Orange Peel

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In this seasonal beer blog, we are going to get into another beer from Stone Brewing.  It is Smoked Porter Chocolate and Orange Peel.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this west coast craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know Stone Brewing.  Let us get into this porter.

It has a jet black color with a nice tan head that disappears. It is semi on there. The smell has a smoke chocolate notes. The taste has a slight smoke chocolate with an orange aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

We decided early on that we wouldn’t do seasonal beers for the sake of doing seasonal beers.  Summer ales and winter lagers certainly have a ring to them.  Big-beer focus groups prove consumers get a kick out of them and macrobrew marketing analyses suggest they sell well.  But for us, beer comes first, much as Stone Smoked Porter came first.  Actually, it came second – oddly enough, in the form of a seasonal.  Our co-founder and original brewmaster, Steve Wagner, thought it would be an innovative creation suited for winter…and it was.  Legend has it Greg’s Mom agreed.  So, rather than relegating fans to nine peat-smoked-porterless months and building revenue-generating fervor for the cold season, we made it a year-round release.  Nowadays, we brew a trio of tasty takes on this smoky, sultry vanguard.  But the closest they come to being “seasonals”  is that they are enhanced with seasonally driven ingredients such as vanilla bean and chipotle peppers.  This version, released in the literally gray area separating sunshine and snowfall, incorporates dark chocolate and dried orange peel, making for a semisweet, citrus-nuanced porter that comes across like a break-apart chocolate orange enjoyed by a campfire.  It’s not a seasonal – it’s just a phenomenal beer, regardless of the time of year.  Throw out the calender and enjoy.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.stonebrewing.com

Twitter:  @stonebrewingco

Ending, I never thought I would see the day that Stone Brewing is doing a seasonal.  It is kind of crazy to think about it.  This craft brewery thinks and runs in their drum beat.  They do not what everyone else is doing in the world of craft beers.  They felt the time is now to make a seasonal.  I have to say they did a great job on this brew.  I did not know how the orange peel would go well with the smoked porter.  I do enjoy it. It has a weird twist and this is how this craft brewery is successful.  There is a nice balance from the chocolate, porter, and orange peel.  The smoke porter part is not overpowering everything in this beer.  I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Sierra Nevada Boomerang IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into Boomerang IPA from Sierra Nevada.  This beer came out of the their new Snow Pack Sampler pack.  This is the only way to enjoy this brew.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this West Coast craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this American craft brewery.  Let us get into this IPA.

This India Pale Ale has a clear golden color with a nice white constant head. The smell has a citrus notes. The taste has a citrus notes with a dry bitter aftertaste. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Boomerrang is an American IPA that slings fruit-forward and floral flavors of Australian hops for an assertive intercontinental escape from winter’s grasp.

Over the years we’ve developed a love for hops from the Southern Hemisphere.  These ‘down under” varietals taste like no other, and we’ve thrown heaps of them into Boomrang IPA to showcase their unique tropical, floral and fruity aromas.

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

Certain regions produce hops whose flavors are simply unlike any others. This is the case for many of the hops coming out of the Southern Hemisphere—specifically, those from Australia where the hops are famous for their floral character and enticing fruit-forward aromas. These one-of-a-kind hops were the inspiration for Boomerang, a “Yankee-Aussie” IPA featuring the light malt body of an American IPA blended with the robust flavors of Southern Hemisphere hops.

Hop farmers, breeders, brewers and brokers are always looking for new and interesting hop varietals with compelling flavor characteristics and intriguing properties. Sierra Nevada has a unique relationship with hop growers and often has access to limited and experimental varieties. Some of the varietals, while interesting, don’t add enough value and never make it into commercial production, while others—like the recent hop Citra—take the brewing world by storm. Every day new varietals are being tested and some have become signature flavors for Sierra Nevada.

We work hard to get strong hop flavors into our beers and one of the ways we do that is through dry hopping. Dry hopping refers to the addition of whole-cone hops to the fermentation tanks. The addition of hops to cold beer allows the aromatic oils and resins to infuse the beer with flavor and aroma without adding any additional bitterness.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sierranevada.com):

Twitter:  @sierranevada

Closing, I loved this beer.  I just wish it was one of their everyday beers.  I understand why it is not one of their everyday six-pack.  They are using a special hops just like their single hop and harvest ales.  It makes a ton of senses why it is in their sampler pack.  There is some nice tropical to floral notes.  I really enjoyed aroma and taste profile from this beer because of the hops they picked in it.  There is a nice well build malty backbone.  Sierra Nevada has proved with this beer alone that they are pushing the limits of craft brewery.  If you can find this sampler pack, I highly recommend you trying this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Sierra Nevada Coffee Stout

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We are going to sample another brew from their new sampler pack, which is called Snow Pack.  It is their Coffee Stout.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on this West Coast Legend craft brewery, you know the rich history of Sierra Nevada.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into this Coffee Stout.

It has a jet black color with a creamy tan color head. The aroma has a slight chocolate and a heavy coffee notes. The taste has a burn malty and coffee notes with a dry chocolate to coffee aftertaste. It is a nice sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Our coffee stout combines malt flavor and roasty coffee for notes of baker’s  cocoa dark fruit and espresso in a complex blend of warming flavors.

A cup of joe and a bold beer can thwart the winter cold, so we blended them for the ultimate warmer.  Our Coffee Stout is a fusion of dark roasted malts and rich cold-brewed coffee for layers of bittersweet, fruity, dark chocolate and carmel-like flavors.

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

Coffee and craft beer are both drinks that inspire passion in the faithful. As we dreamed up ideas for a winter beer, they seemed destined to come together. There isn’t much that’s more comforting on a cold day than a cup of great coffee, and even more so when blended with the rich flavors of a dark and roasty stout. Our Coffee Stout brings the best of both brews with flavors of baker’s cocoa, dark fruit, and a bittersweet roasted malt body.

While the exact origins of porter are hazy, the development of stout is more straightforward. By the 1700s bolder, high-alcohol versions of any style of beer were referred to as “stout” or strong. By then, porter was far and away the most popular beer style in the British Isles, and clever breweries began advertising the stronger versions of their beers as “stout porter.” By the late 1800s, regular porters had fallen out of favor and stout porter, or simply stout, took their place. There are many different varieties of stout ranging from the light bodied, low-alcohol Dry Irish Stout to the viscous, rich and strong Imperial Stout.

Malted barley generally falls into two camps: base malt and specialty malt. Base malt is highly modified malt that is responsible for producing the bulk of the fermentable sugars in the beer. Specialty malt is malt added for its flavor, color or effect on the body and mouthfeel of the finished beer. Specialty malts are typically produced by kilning and/or roasting barley. Caramel malt is made by placing germinated barley with a high moisture content directly into a roaster. The resulting malt produces unfermentable sugars during the mashing process, adding sweetness and body to finished beer. Roasted malt is base malt that has been placed in a roaster similar to a coffee roaster to produce deeper, darker, baker’s cocoa and espresso flavors like those common in a porter or a stout.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sierranevada.com

Twitter:  @sierranevada

Closing, I was pretty excited to see Sierra Nevada was making a coffee stout.  Their normal stout is beyond underrated on the craft beer market.  Sierra Nevada does not make a bad beer.  All their beers are beyond better than most craft breweries.  This coffee stout is a nice gateway beer to stout and coffee stout world.  The coffee beans are not overpowering like most coffee stout.  There is a nice balance that makes it uniquely drinkable for the beer style.  I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Magic Hat Snow Roller Hoppy Brown Ale (2014)

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to sample the new winter seasonal from Magic Hat Brewery.  It is called Snow Roller Hoppy Brown Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into this brown ale.

It has a clear brown color with a nice white head on this brown ale. The aroma has a fated nutty notes. The taste has a nutty notes with a hoppy malty dry finish for the aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable winter ale.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

The ancient ritual of brewing a distinctly rich and flavored beer is a performance to behold.  Our mysterious melange of time-honored ingredients harmonize with chaotic chemistry humble patience, and blind faith to create this unique beer to share in the rousing company of kindred spirits.  Cheers!

Here is a description from their website (www.magichat.net):

Winter calls for walls of white and the Snow Roller begins his work. Riding in on wicked winds, he dusts the naked trees and covers the brown barren fields that gasp a bitter breath at the touch of snow. No place is left free of flurry by his icy surf, save for those gathered together in good spirits. Bundle up and let the Snow Roller take your soul for a roll.

Snow Roller rides a brisk hop wind that blows a bold bitterness across malt flavors of caramel and toasted biscuit.

Malts: Pale, Victory, Chocolate, Caramel 40L, Caramel 120L
Hops: Apollo, CTZ

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.magichat.net

Twitter:  @magichat

Closing, this is beyond their best seasonal beer.  It is perfect for the season and it is kind of same as some of the winter seasonal but still unique to separate itself from the rest on the market. They are feeding the current theme in the craft world and it is hops and hoppy beers.  This is what makes this beer special.  It has a nice hoppy notes with malty to caramel notes.   I enjoyed this beer and I am looking forward to having a few more pints of this awesome liquid.  I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it! Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser16

New Beer Blog Goose Island Festivity Ale (2014)

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into the latest version of Goose Island Christmas Ale.  This year the brewery has rename the brew to Festivity Ale.  They felt calling it Christmas Ale that after the holiday, people stop drinking and buying it.  They are correct.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this Midwest craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know Goose Island Brewery.  Let us get into this winter ale.

This brown ale has a nice bronze to brown color with an off white to light tan color head. The smell has a caramel with a slight floral notes. The taste has a creamy caramel with a dry nutty aftertaste.  It is a nice sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Brown Ale

Caramel and dark fruit malt flavors swirl inside a creamy toasty brown ale.

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

Festivity Ale

Brewer’s Notes

Every year we brew a brown ale to celebrate the holidays. To make each year’s special, we alter the recipe. This year we wrapped caramel and dark fruit malt flavors inside a creamy toasty brown ale. May your holidays be filled with Festivity.

Recipe Information

  • Style: Classic Ales – Seasonal
  • Alcohol by Volume: 7.7%
  • International Bitterness Units: 50
  • Color: Ruby Brown
  • Hops: Pilgrim, English Golding
  • Malts: Special Pale, Bon Munich, Caramel-60, Caramel-120, Rice Hulls, ECJ Sugar

    • Availability

    Seasonal (November – December)


    Available
    Bottles: 6 Pack

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.gooseisland.com

Twitter:  @gooseisland

Ending, every year, I get excited for Fall and Winter seasonals.  This beer is normally at the top of my list.  I will say the last few years.  I have been pretty disappointed with this American Brown Ale.  This year has been promising for the future years.  Goose Island is known to change the recipe slightly every year.  I love this year’s ale.  They did a great job.  It is so much better than last year.  This beer will have the malt head of the world wishing for more of this ale.  I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Rochester Mills Snow Daze (2014)

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In this winter beer blog, we are going to get into the winter seasonal, which is Snow Daze, from Rochester Mills.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this Michigan craft brewery.  Let us get into this beer.

It has a dark amber to brown color with a nice white color. The smell has a malty to alcohol notes. The taste has a sweet malty to alcohol notes with a heavy alcohol aftertaste. The aftertaste has a nice burn down the throat but it is slight.  It is pretty drinkable for the beer style and it will get some craft beer drinkers in trouble.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.cplanet.com

Twitter:  @Rochmillsbeerco

In the end, this beer has a ton going on in it.  There is some nice complex notes that will keep the beer drinker sipping it until he or she figures it out.  This is a great beer and I love the alcohol notes.  It gives something different with the nice sweet malty notes.  This beer does not taste like 10.2% beer.  It is drinks like a 5% brew.  There is some nice malty notes that will get the malt head going crazy over this beer.  I do not see anyone drinking more than one.  This is a beer that you have one and have to move onto to another one.  I highly recommend this beer.  Draft only for this year but next year it will be in draft and package in 2015.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Lake Of Bays Old North Mocha Porter

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into Lake Of Bays Old North Mocha Porter.  This craft brewery is from Canada.  They are part of the government back company in Canada.  There is not much history on this craft brewery.  There is nothing on their website and not much on the website.  Let us get into this porter.

This porter has a jet black color with a light tan color head that is really not there anymore. The aroma has a coffee to chocolate notes. The taste has a nice creamy chocolate notes with a dry coffee finish for the aftertaste.  It is a sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Best enjoyed with a hearty meal and a nip in the air, this porter derives its rich character from roasted barley, chocolate malts and locally roasted coffee.  Bold and robust, Old North Mocha Porter is a faithful expression of the intrepid frontier spirit.

Here is a description from their website (www.lakeofbaysbrewing.ca):

Roasted barley and chocolate malt lend this porter its full, rich character, and the addition of locally roasted coffee takes the flavour profile still further. This is the fourth year we’ve brought you this delicious autumn seasonal, brewed in collaboration with Diesel House Coffee Roasters. A fitting tribute to the Old North we call home.

Tasting Notes

Pours almost black with beautifully creamy, mocha-coloured foam. Upon further inspection, the colours are actually deep ruby, garnet and dark brown. The aromas include cappuccino, mocha, chocolate and vanilla with a hint of molasses and pie crust. The flavours include subtle sweetness with dark chocolate, mild coffee and tiramisu. The mouth feel is dry (fairly mild) with some initial sweetness. The finish is medium-to-moderate bitterness that lingers and delivers a nice coffee profile that arrives quite late. 8% alc./vol.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.lakeofbaysbrewing.ca

Twitter:  @LB_brewing

Closing, I have to say I enjoyed this beer.  I know most breweries in Canada makes some great brews.  Their weakest is beyond far better than most bad craft breweries in the states.  There is a nice balance from the coffee and the porter notes.  Porter has some burn chocolate and natural coffee notes.  Lake Of Bays added some coffee and made it a focus on in this brew.  They did a great job to make the coffee notes shine but not over take the beer.  This is a like an cold Mocha coffee.  I highly recommend this beer if you can find it.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser16@gmail.com

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13