Pangaea: Not Just Any Super Continent

Hey Gang!

Wow it's been awhile since our last post but we're back in a serious way! Moving to a new place sure takes some time to get everything set up but now that we're in good shape we've got our own home brews on the way. That's right, in conjunction with Good Brew Hunting I'll be starting my home brews under the Rayje Brewing name but with the same bulls-eye Good Brew Hunting logo. Once our first batch, the .38 Amber, is ready to drink we'll be doing tastings from both room temperature and cold conditioned bottles over several months to gauge the flavor. I hope to be as hard on myself as I am on other beers as I expect the same level of flavor from myself as other craft breweries (obviously on a smaller and INITIALLY less sophisticated level). Stay tuned!

What better way to get back in to the beer tasting spirit than to go out on a cultural limb with Dogfish Head's Pangaea! We've reviewed Midas Touch awhile ago and while I wasn't the biggest fan of the beer, I applauded Dogfish Head  for their bravery as conjurers of beer recipes. Pangaea is one of their unique "Occasional Rarities" and the ingredients are quite varied. A dash of flavors from the 7 continents (Antarctic water, Australian crystallized ginger, Asian basmati rice, African muscavado sugar, South American quinoa, European yeast, and North American maize) were enough to peak my interest and give it a shot.

The color (a yellow gold with hint of amber), carbonation (tiny bubbles instead of any head) and smell (there's more than a hint of wine in her) made me ask myself if I poured a chardonnay. The bottle recommends a snifter or wine glass but I have those rad martini glasses and I think it gives it the appropriate breathing room. Can't wait to find out what's beneath this complicated continent.

Wow...So lets roll back to my review of Midas Touch. I recall saying it was a wine trying to wear beer clothing. This time, we have the opposite problem/flavor combinations.  This is a beer dressed as a wine. Everything going in to this beer told me to expect a heavy wine flavor. Not the case. At the start there is the tiniest of wine influence what I would attribute to the fusion of ginger in to the other six ingredients. From there we enter into a wit bier (European yeast and quinoa are most likely the culprits here). Maybe that Antarctic water is who I can thank for the refreshing beginning and end to the beer. Oh, and somehow that wine influence returns at the end, waiting behind a corner to pop out and surprise me before it completely left my palate.

Surprisingly refreshing, incredibly complex yet simple and elegance. The bottle intimidates like a Beethoven symphony but you're romanticized by Stravinsky violin elegance. I can't imagine a more perfect harmony of several ingredients to complete a unique beer from beginning to end. I was expecting originality but not perfection from Dogfish Head in this beer but, for what it is, that's what they've given me. I'm only too happy to reward Pangaea with a Scottish PINTRS score. Till next time!

Shipyard Sets Sail

Hello all!

Today we've got one of the more popular of the craft breweries (at least in New England), Shipyard Brewing Company.  A brewery with it's roots grown deep in Maine, the brewery has some serious success throughout the country and is able to boast a 38 state market.  That's no small feat for a craft brewery and today I picked up their flagship (no pun intended) beer, the Shipyard Export Ale.

Shipyard Export is hard to miss on your local liquor store's shelf.  It's label is very matter-of-fact and looks classy not cheesy.  Shipyard Brewing Company provides some great in-depth information on each of their brews, including a specific breakdown of hops, yeast, and malt used. It's described as lightly sweet, subtle, and clean at the finish. Do they pull it off?

Ignoring the strange curvature of this photo, the color is really quite pretty. It's sharp and golden color is inviting and it is devoid of smell. On first taste you'll want to draw comparisons to a flagship ale of one of the Big 3. However, take some more time with it. It's definitely refreshing, but there is a lot of subtle flavor to discover. There are slight citrus undertones with the sweetness, quite flavorful but homely simple all in the same.

Maybe not full in flavor, but easy to drink with plenty of flavor to last throughout the glass.  Maybe the name is affecting me, but this really is the perfect beer for a clam boil. I'm comfortable in giving it a UK PINTRS rating, as it is a great flagship ale for a brewery that has a lot of depth. Consider this a nice tip to a bigger iceberg.

A Placid IPA

Hello all!  We're going back to Lake Placid Brewing Company to give their Lake Placid IPA a shot. Again, I recommend checking out their website as the story behind the brewery, especially their Ubu Ale, is pretty cool.

The IPA selection from Lake Placid Brewing Company has the same logo as their Ubu Ale but with color variations.  I'm partial to how they've designed the labels across their selections as it makes them very recognizable regardless which beer but is also subtle enough to differentiate from the four selections they offer.

The IPA has very little smell after pouring, with a large head that settles quickly.  It's color is a darker-than-amber variation in the IPA category. Lake Placid Brewing Company describes this IPA as overloaded with American hops. If by overloaded they mean tame, then yes. Seriously, this IPA is much more refreshing than I originally expected and was somewhat light on the hops.  This could be the kind of American hops used (sorry, no further information there). In either case, they did successfully manage to create a balanced IPA. Along with the balance is a pleasant but slight malt sweetness.

There isn't much else going on in this IPA but I think as IPAs go it's a nice selection to have, especially for the casual IPA drinker.  It's hard to pull off a subtle and flavorful IPA.  Not quite as good as it's Ubu Ale, the Lake Placid IPA earns itself a UK PINTRS score.

Ubu is more than just an Adirondack

Evening all!

Tonight we begin the first of two reviews of the Lake Placid Brewing Company. Lake Placid Brewing Company is the culmination of two people who loved the craft of beer and took up residence in a small pub in (you guessed it) the village of Lake Placid.  The flagship beer of the brewery, Ubu Ale, will be the subject of tonight's review.  This is, literally, a presidential beer and I highly recommend checking out the Lake Placid Brewing Company website for the full story.  After reading it, I was excited to see what could be so special in this bottle (though, given the president in question and his taste in women, perhaps I should have approached it a little more cautiously...)

Now that you see the label of the beer (and if you know what an Adirondack village is) you know where I went with the title.  It's simple yet effective.  This is the flagship of the brewery and it stands on it's own two feet.  The label is a little 'busy' if I want to get picky.  A solid tone label with the Adirondack chair and the title would help it stand out a bit.  Now what's under the cap?

You'll notice the beer has little to no head.  I was somewhat surprised at that considering it's described as an English Strong Ale and I would expect a little bit more in such an ale.  The smell was very distinct to stat with, first with a molasses sweet smell with the scent of chocolate.  This quickly faded to the background and provided a hint of the smell for the rest of the tasting.

Upon taste, I was impressed with the smooth, rich, malt flavor.  Described by Lake Placid Brewing Company as deep garnet red but really looking more brown, it certainly delivered on the flavor I would expect with a beer of reddish hue.  It reminded me of dark chocolate; balanced in sweetness and bitterness that felt genuine.  When the beer is described as being complimented by just the right amount of English hops I have to agree.  Hardly over powering but certainly there in adding depth to the beer.  The beer left behind a stickiness which resembled a scotch ale both on my palate and in the glass but with less bite.  

This beer belongs beside you, certainly in an Adirondack chair, relaxing by the camp fire or as a colder day on the beach begins to end.  It's much more refreshing than it's darker hues would suggest, and it has a level of complexity which is astounding given it's relatively simple ingredients and description from Lake Placid Brewing Company.  The beer deserves a French on the PINTRS and I can't wait to drink the rest of them!

Hurricane Kitty Lacks a Category

Good evening all!  First a little admin news.  My blog was recently reviewed! Check out the review at The Kindle Blog Report to see the review.  Now, on to today's review.

We're sampling another brew from the Keegan Ales.  Last time I was more than pleased with their Mother's Milk and today we're trying Hurricane Kitty.

Hurricane Kitty is billed as an India Pale Ale (IPA).  Keegan Ales gives a great description of the beer's history and flavor, so I'll display that here:

"This brew is a coppery and heavily hopped India Pale Ale. Named after brewmaster Keegan’s grandmother whose driving earned her quite a reputation with local police racing her six children to and from a local Long Island beach ferry during the 1960′s, Hurricane Kitty is the undisputed family favorite. We try to make the hop bill read as aggressively as her driver’s record."


With a beer that has as rich a history as this one I was quite excited to see what makes Hurricane Kitty different than your run-of-the-mill IPA.

The aroma of the beer was nothing unexpected.  There was a tinge of sweetness along with some citrus backgrounds.  The Frosted Mug states the beer's head hangs around much longer than you'd expect.  Seeing this for myself was pretty interesting.  It's not a large head but it certainly hangs there and adds to the taste on the first swallow.  The color is a deep coppery color, so still nothing too surprising here.

About that first taste.  The IPA flavor is dead on with the exception of refreshness.  The beer has a very distinct bitter citrus flavor which will hang around your taste buds for awhile.  There's also the malt sugar flavor interlaced within this bitterness but it doesn't come through quite strong and is well overpowered by the bitterness.

This is definitely an IPA, but nothing else.  Where Mother's Milk was unique and flavorful, Hurricane Kitty is predictable and found lacking.  I don't hate the beer, so I'll be given it a US PINTR in the system.  I just wish there was something more, or something more unique, to enjoy.

Son of a Peach with a Pit

Hey brew lovers!  We're back with another iteration of Good Brew Hunting.  Our schedule is set and ready for new posts at least once a week so make sure to stay on top of us as the weeks go by.

This weeks review hails from the RJ Rockers brewery from Spartansburg, South Carolina.  If I rated beers on websites alone, RJ Rockers gets high marks for both website design and content.  I won't steal their thunder, but I highly recommend visiting the RJ Rockers website and perusing their various tabs.  I was really intrigued by their focus on sustainability.  The best beers are represented by wholesome natural ingredients and it seems like RJ Rockers really has an appreciation for the craft.  Now for the beer!

Today's selection is RJ Rockers's Son of a Peach American wheat ale, a Gold Medal winner at the Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition in the Fruit Wheat Beer category.  As is the case with their website, RJ Rockers deserves high marks for their bottle/label design.  That peach sure looks like an angry S.O.B. and it would really stand out when stacked aside an aisle of craft beer selections.

(Sorry about these angled photos, must have been that East Coast earthquake tilting my equilibrium!)

I was impressed when I popped the top of this brew.  The color of the beer in this picture really doesn't do it full justice.  It had a fleshier tone, dare I say closer to a peach color.  I was thrown off a bit by the amount of sediment I saw but I wasn't completely surprised.  A bit of sediment in an American wheat ale isn't all that strange, but it is something you will notice when pouring.  The aroma tempted me with the peach fruit ale I was promised on this label.  It had a wonderful sweet peach smell that was really more reminiscent of a dessert than just the fruit itself.

The taste...left something to be desired.  Maybe it was the smell that had me expecting more from this brew.  It certainly was complex, but I'm not sure it was complex in a good way.  It was a light beer and was certainly more of an American wheat ale than anything else.  Granted, that's exactly how it's sold on the bottle.  When you smell that aroma though you will most likely get stumped by the actual taste.  It just doesn't carry over the sweetness I would've expected.  There really is very little fruit flavor inside the beer but definitely had the light but noticeable aftertaste of a white or wheat beer.

This beer is going to get a US PINTRS rating.  It's a light summer beer that will appeal to the general mass, but I felt like this was a missed opportunity.  RJ Rockers had the chance to really make a fusion beer with very positive complex flavors working and it just didn't happen.  It's like an unripened peach;  refreshing but not nearly as good as it could be.  I look forward to more beers from this brewery thought as they have the right mentality for an American craft brewery that's sure to breed success.

120 Pulls a 1080

We've talked about Dogfish Head brewery before.  They've been able to establish themselves as a US-wide high quality craft brewery that happens to have a few alehouses (where I highly recommend sitting down and grabbing a bite with your brew).  They have a few of what they call "Occasional Varieties" in their beer selection.  The one we're tasting today is the 120 Minute IPA.  I highly recommend checking out the Dogfish Head video regarding 120 Minute IPA.

The labels from Dogfish Head are well done and each of their selections stand out well against each other. There's still not much style to the outside of the bottle, but it speaks of an gentlemanly elegance.  Does what's in the bottle match up?

You'll see I poured in a pilsner-like glass, which I knew was not for this beer's ilk. But I like continuity and you can see the fullness of the beer when stood up within this glass. If a beer could pour like molasses this one would have.  There was a syrupy-thickness to the pour which was further emphasized by the overpowering aroma as the beer was poured out.  The smell of this IPA permeated throughout my bedroom with a pungent, malty alcohol wafer that's sure to intimidate.  On to the taste.

And what a first taste it was.  If we're talking about beers who can TKO just about any other beer, this is it. There's nothing really like this beer, and you can tell from it's strength just how much an impact being aged a whole month with whole-leaf hops has.  My palate felt like this was a beer that had nuzzled up with a warm whiskey barrel and comes out wanting to show the kinds of mountains beers can climb. Syrupy, sticky sweetness which sits in your mouth (and a slap of hardcore alcohol which warms the blood) on every taste.

After a few sips, I switched the glass.  My glass selection is somewhat lacking but this particular martini glass worked great as I was able to keep the beer at just the right cold temperature I wanted. My recommendation? Find this beer, buy it, and age it a little more too. I love this beer as an after dinner drink.  Drinking this in a nice snifter glass, 120 Minute IPA belongs rick with that high backed dark leather chair with an ABV that can light it's own pipe. Complicated brilliance in a bottle, this commands a Scottish PINTRS score.  Be warned, this beer will kick your ass and not feel bad about it.

Stung By Uinta

So here's the thing about Utah.  There are some alcohol laws found in a few other states that key in on low-alcohol beers.  I'm usually turned off by low-alcohol beers because...well...I like alcohol.  I like it at a high content and I think you get your most refined but creative beers at the high alcohol beer level.  Uinta is going to try and prove me wrong today with HIVE Honey Stung Ale.

There it is.  Nice labeled bottle and if you can tell from the picture, it comes in a stouter bottle not the typical long-neck variety.  It stands it apart from all the other beers in the fridge (there are a lot in there, so it's important to stand out).  But what's on the inside?

Color is not the mead-like color you may have thought about in a 'honey' ale.  It's kind of like a tanned sandalwood color. The head is close to a summer ale (predicted that) but the color was certainly darker than expected.

Inside the bottle we have exactly what Uinta describes on their website; a bittersweet swallow.  This beer is highly carbonated in a very refreshing way.  It's bitterness reminds me of a copper/amber ale.  It leaves us off with a hint of sweetness that you have to go digging with your tastebuds to find.  When you compare this to a certain brewery's Honeymoon it comes up short. It certainly does impress for its 4% abv and for that we'll give it a satisfying, but not exceptional, US PINTRS rating.  Till next time!

Hippo over the River Saison

Tonight is a review from a brewery I have a love affair with River Horse Brewing Company.  Their website isn't as impressive as their beers.  I've grown quite fond of this gem along the Delaware River, and have high hopes for our taste this evening.

Each season,  River Horse Brewing Company does a different beer under its Brewer's Reserve label.  This season is a first tasting for me, they're Saison Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale.  This is a style of beer I've yet to taste so I decided to do a little research about what a saison farmhouse ale is all about.  According to Wikipedia, the saison ale originated from Wallonia, a French-speaking region of Belgium.  The beer was meant to be refreshing but local alcohol content so as not to easily intoxicate it's primary consumers, farmers.  It was meant to be just strong enough to prevent spoilage.  The US versions of saison ales are less concerned with the ABV content and more concerned with getting the hoppy base flavor just right.

The picture above doesn't do the beer's color justice.  The head is light and with a fizzy consistency.  It's got the sweet smell I'd expect from a honey ale or mead.  I was excited from the moment I poured it and was expecting the refreshing flavors of a Belgian wheat summer ale.

Wow, these flavors were complex.  It's hard to break down the complexity of all the flavors at work but I like to think of it as an explosion of spices and hops.  Lighter on spice than a Christmas ale which gets overpowered with nutmeg, but definitely a cavalcade of different spices at work here.  As far as getting a hop base right which is in traditional saisons, it's definitely there in force.  The two combine for something not quite light enough for a hot beach day but I look forward to coming home from a day of work and letting my body soak in the deliciousness that  River Horse Brewing Company has created with this saison.  I can't wait to stop by and hear the story behind this recipe from some of their staff.  This beer doesn't QUITE survive the test of all seasons that I'd like to see in a Scottish PINTRS, but it most certainly deserves a French rating. Till next time!

Going Several Rounds with Brawler

Hello everyone! Another installment of Good Brew Hunting coming at ya, this time sampling one of two brews I have from Yards Brewing Company, a Philadelphia-centric brewery with a lot of promise.  

Today's beer is Brawler, what's advertised as a craft beer in the style of English session ales.  WTF is an English session ale you ask?  Session ale is just your standard ale, in the case an English standard ale.  

Here it stands after the pour (mmm, I just love me the sight of a frosted glass).  The aromas are nothing noteworthy.  If you try REAL hard you may be able to detect a hint of malt.  It poured smoothly with a modest foam head.  The beer is described ruby in color but it's really a tarnished brass color; think the color of brass rings at an old-style carousel.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, go find an old-style carousel where they have brass rings and you'll have a simple but fun time. 


Tasting yielded a toasted malt flavor but without the sweetness.  More bittier than the classic American ale, but not offensively so.  The malt and bitterness bring out a light beer that could stand in the ring as a fall or winter selection.  Honestly, the beer has more flavor than most beers with an ABV of 4/2%.  It's always impressive when a beer can do more with less and in the case Yards Brewing Company deserves a tip of the cap for Brawler.  I feel comfortable with giving the beer a US rating on the PINTRS, and look forward to tasting some more!

Taking A Sip of a Mother's Milk

Hey everyone! Wow it's been awhile, but that's okay because we're back with fervor and a passion to drink.  Just look at all the beer in this fridge begging to be sampled!.

Tonight we're bathing in the beer teat that is Keegan Ales, located in Kingston, NY. That's right, I said teat, because one of their stand-out brews are Mother's Milk, a oatmeal milk-like stout.

The bottle is nothing special, but it's not hiding what it is.  I like the label for it's crisp, modern-like lettering.  But what's it look like when the cap gets popped?

Gorgeous, that's what.  Seriously, this is a MILF of a beer as far as milk stouts go.  Pour is rich, dark, molasses, chocolate liquid that came smooth.  The color is pitch black...or is it? When people think opaque beers, Guinness comes to mind.  This is more like trying to look through a worm hole, where a caramel-tinge is being sucked in.  The head had a soft caramel color throughout and immediately piqued my interest.  And the aroma! Very inviting, malt and slightly sweet with a hint of bitter.

What's in the taste, because that's where it counts right?  No disappointment that's for sure. First is an undeniable smooth taste that comes with an oatmeal milk stout. Also an enjoyable malty sweetness.  What's in it that may come as unexpected?  I think hints of coffee are an incredible addition.  Did I mention bitter chocolate? I know I didn't, but I will! It's there, part of that sticky sweetness and part of the acceptable bitterness.

So where does Keegan's Mother Milk stand in our PINTRS?  I feel comfortable giving this a French rating, as it really stands out against other, simpler, less-inventive milk stouts.  Bravo Keegan Ales! 

Trust the Midas Touch?

Hey everyone!

And no, today's post hasn't turned this blog into an auto-mechanic forum.  Dogfish Head Brewery, one of the premier craft breweries around, also has one of the widest variety of craft beers.  One of these is Midas Touch.  The recipe for the brew is a Turkish recipe similar to one supposedly found in the tomb of King Midas himself (go ahead, check out the Wiki article for this ancient Greek mythology here).  Is this brew a royal flush, or more worthy to be flushed?

The bottle itself is pretty cool, and it stands out amongst the Dogfish line while keeping the trademark shark logo along the top of the bottle.   Dogfish describes the brew as balancing between mead and wine and as props to the website also suggests some tasting notes we should be looking for inside the bottle.  They include honey, saffron, papaya, melon, biscuity, and succulent (I question biscuity being a word but whatever).

It certainly pours light, and just looking at the picture above you can almost see that line Dogfish talked about as balancing between mead and wine.  It's a light golden color, and gives off the faintest, almost dainty sweet aroma of a flower.  So far, so good....

On the first sip I'm expecting some good ol' honey sweetness...and it's just not there!  This is one crossdresser of a beer.  It's a beer that wants to be a wine, or a wine that wants to be a beer.  I want to say its refreshing but, for me, it's almost slightly offensive to the palate.  It does have complicated flavors and distinct grape dryness with florals bordering close to what I'd expect to see in gin.  It maintains a particular dryness throughout, for better or worse.

If you can tell through this review, I wasn't a huge fan of it.  But I won't give this beer a bad rating just because I didn't like it.  It's notable for it's ingenuity and I can see how this beer will appeal to different kind of folk throughout.  As an aside, I also tasted this beer recently on tap and was more impressed by it flavors (yes I know, tap beer is tops anyway).  The beer deserves at least a Imperial PINTRS, for ingenuity but for also missing some of the mark when translated to the bottle.  Till next time!

How worthy is Witty?

Another long-overdue brew tasting! First let me say, the number of my reviews are not equal to the beers I'm drinking (the sign of a reviewer should be the true love of what he/she is reviewing so in this case, drinking lots of beer!).

Today we're looking at a selection from Chameleon Brewing Company.  Chameleon is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their mission is simple: they're in the business of making "innovative craft beers true to the American spirit."  For me, that means they're in the business of making beers that don't suck. Let's see whether my first experience with Chameleon is mission accomplished.

We're kicking back a bottle of Witty, a white wheat ale brewed with spices.  The Frosted Mug (the newsletter that comes with my beer shipment. See my earlier entries to catch up) gives Witty a description pretty floral in nature.  Ginger, coriander, lemongrass, pink peppercorn, and tangerine gum are all in a cloudy golden colored brew. We're supposed to be looking for some apple and even rye toast as it finishes.  Talk about asking a lot from a single beer! Oh, and that's a pretty cool label design.

While pouring this beer, I noticed some sediment on the bottom. It may be natural, given all that's going on in the bottle.  Not unexpected and it didn't transfer to the glass.  Also notice the huge head on this baby!  Could've been a difference in temperature between bottle to glass (or a shitty pour on my part) but I think Witty is somewhat heavy anyway.  The head is frothy.  It's aromatic too, light and hoppy with something I think is somewhat bitter.

On first swallow, I noticed how light the beer was in contrast to how strong and how many flavors were inside. The flavors are just light enough to be considered subtle, but strong enough to bring out individualities. Summer-like flavors (lemongrass and ginger for me) are matched by the citrus which must be attributed to the coriander (citrus spice) and the tangerine gum.  Crisp and clean finish and start, with flavor in the middle. That's a beer I can kick back often.

How do I know this beer was a good ol beer I'd love to keep in my fridge? It was over before I knew it!  That's the sign of a good beer in the white ale category (or any category, right?) and I look forward to more from this brewery.  This beer, for it's ability to separate itself from the class, deserves a French PINTRS mark.  Till next time!

Stone Cat Swatting at Bitter

Welcome to another Good Brew Hunting!

Today we're taking aim at Stone Cat Brewery's Extra Special Bitter (ESB).  Stone Cat is actually just one of the Ipswich Ale Brewery's lines established in 1999.  The brewery has been serving up beer since 1991 though this is the first time this native New Englander (Rhode Island to be precise) has heard of this brewery. Now I know Ipswich has some well-renowned clams, but can they serve up a beer worthy of merit?

Amazing Clubs' newsletter The Frosted Mug describes ESB as being quite smooth despite what it's name would suggest. Gotta say, I'm loving the label. I'll be one of the first to admit, I've judged a beer by it's label.  I've found good craft breweries put as much ingenuity on the outside of their bottle as they do in. A lack on the outside isn't a good start, but here we have something unique and eye-catching.

All Stone Cat Brewery gives us to go with on their website about ESB is that it's "dark, well-balanced, copper-colored ale is smooth and satisfying with a malty sweetness." Amazing Clubs adds that it has "an earthy hop taste with a wonderfully clean and healthy finish." Well, the picture sums it up that the beer looks as described. Dark amber is a good visualization for both its color and clarity. What should be added in the website's description is the flavorful aroma. Tart and fruity with some hops in the air, I was looking forward to what my taste buds would be telling me.

The best way to taste this beer in your head is think of an IPA. It lacks some of that citrus in an IPA, but overall flavor is powerful. It's really a balance of the citrus in an IPA and the flavor undertones in a copper ale.   It maintains some good carbonation throughout the bottle and has a much stronger alcoholic flavor to it than the 5.6% a.b.v. would suggest.

There's still bitterness here, there's no denying it. But bitter isn't bad! It's tart without the sour, and in a beer with a correctly described malty sweetness the two tastes fit together well. I'm giving this solid performance in the bitter beer category a Imperial PINTRS score. Can't wait to drink more!

A note: I've only spoken highly of this beer, so why haven't I gone higher than an Imperial score? Because in a  Frenche or Scottish score, I'm looking for more. More is different in each beer. It's usually something ingenious, something that really drives off the normal beer course. I can't tell you what was missing from this one, cause I only know it when I taste that it is there. Let the quest for great brews continue!

Does Blue Heron have the wings to take flight?

Hey all!

WAY behind on my beer tastings, which just means I'm gonna have to drink more these next couple of weeks! Our last beer from the Mendocino Brewing Company is Blue Herron Pale Ale. The beer does have an awarding tradition. In 2010 it won a Silver Medal at the California State Fair (which is more prestigious than it sounds) and, according to Mendocino's website, a Bronze Award at the Great American Beer Festival (year unknown).

The beer has an average head that is quite frothy. As far as aroma, it's non-existent. Well, not completely. There is a VERY faint sweet smell to the brew, but nothing that really would enhance the drinking experience.

The best way to sum up the beer once it's been poured is light in color, light to drink. As described by Mendocino, Blue Heron is supposed to live up to the foundational qualities of an IPA with high alcohol content (6.1% ABV here) and high hoppy flavors. What does that actually translate to once you start drinking? This beer is easy to drink, with a heavy note of citrus on the taste buds. Surprisingly, this beer really doesn't have any of the signature 'cloudiness' I'd associate with these flavors. Mendocino said they were going for blend here, and they hit the mark. A little bitter and not overly hoppy. There is a slight, raw citrus aftertaste, but the more you drink it subsides substantially.

My verdict? A Flanders in the PINTRS. Not a creative IPA, is very baselines, but does not suck. I had a bit of an argument with myself about whether I can get disappointed at something for it being what is was. It's a pleasant brew, but not something I'd order by choice given other options. It certainly would deserve being kept in the fridge by someone who prefers a lighter, but not summer, beer.

Stegmaier takes a pot shot at IPA

Hey all!

It's been quite some time since I've posted a review, and my beers are piling up in my fridge, so time to catch up!  I reviewed Stegmaier Winter Warmer as my first review in the blog and we're back to their second offering in my monthly taster, the Stegmaier IPA. 

Stegmaier describes their IPA as an India Pale Ale "with attitde."  After the pour, the bulletin visualizes the beer as having a deep amber color with smells of "peach butter on rye toast as well as sweet carmelized nuts." Ok, let's cut through the flowery description and see what's actually in this beer.

Deep amber is a stretch for illustrating this color and is lighter than I expected. The head is heavy, as you can see, and the aroma is a balance of crisp alcohol with a light sweetness behind it. On the first taste you get the power of strength from the hops which reminds me of a heffeweizen (looking back, the color is right on par with one too).  There's a lot of sweet/sour citrus flavor here (think white grapefruit with some of the peel).

The carbonation is light on the tongue, starting heavy and finishing lighter. The sweetness of the beer is left behind on the palate and again I can't help but compare it to grapefruit. A hint: on one swallow, let it sit in your mouth for a bit. It leaves behind a sweet bubbling on the tongue that is delightful.

This beer manages to maintain it's flavor on every sip, and that's saying something. I find this a particularly delicious IPA and rate it a French on the PINTRS scale. Till next time!

Talk About Tail

Welcome all for another edition of Good Brew Hunting!

Our brew today hails from the West Coast, brought to us by Mendicino Brewing Company. While the company's website leaves something to be desired as far as design, it is full of information on their beers. They have two breweries, one north of San Francisco and one at Saratoga Springs, NY.

Today our tasting from Mendicino is Red Tail Ale.  Red Tail is considered the brewery's flagship beer, brewed as an amber ale. Of note is the brewery's use of bottle conditioning their beers, whereby fermentation continues in the bottle after bottling by adding active yeast right before capping.  So what's behind the plumage of this Tail?

Poured, the beer has a nice light brown tone. Best way to think of this is your common acorn color. The beer's head is actively bubbling at the pour and is of similar consistency to your common amber ale. There's nothing of note regarding the beer's aroma, perhaps slightly floral but that may be a stretch.

The beer does shine on taste. First sips are a delicate balance of sweet and hoppy bitterness. You don't have to go too deep in the flavoring before sensing the caramel in the brew either. The carbonation is also perfectly blended for a beer with full flavor.

There isn't too much more to say about Red Tail Ale as it really isn't complex for an amber ale. But it strikes me as the perfect foundational beer for a brewery to stand upon. This is the flagship of Mendicino Brewing Company for all the right reasons. In closing, because it's such a solid performer as an amber ale, I give it a UK rating.

Copper Sinks with Saranac

Good Evening All! Time for another beer review in my quest to test some of the best out there.

Saranac is one of the more recognizable of the American craft brewers, owned by the FX Matt Brewing Company and is located in Utica, NY. Saranac and it's history is well described in the FAQ at the top of the Saranac website and I encourage those of us interested in the history of the brewery to turn there.

What we poured this evening from Saranac was their India Copper Ale. Described as taking India Ale to "the next level," Saranac didn't do anything particularly ingenious in this one. They state that this brew is the product of careful paring of malts with the traditional hoppiness of an India Ale. Well let's see what that actually means for our taste buds.

Here's the pour. You'll notice the beer has the typical medium copper tone, but isn't too shaded. The head on this one is light and bubbly, nothing too serious or complex. Taking my first sniff of the beer it gives off a mild aroma, again nothing too complex. If I could say anything about the aroma, it was slightly bitter but not unexpectedly in an India Ale.

When I took my first sip, I noticed a lot of flavor. A nice, hefty punch inside the mouth. As I finished my sip (or gulp, really), the beer left what could best be described as a slight metallic taste in my mouth. Reminded me of copper, really, but that's pretty much the style of the beer anyway. A note: if you take a bigger mouthful of this beer, I experienced a tangy or bitterness towards the back corners of my mouth. Really interesting when compared to a sip. Do both and see what you think.

The beer retained a delightful fizzy-ness with each swallow. It really felt like an end-of-autumn beer. What wasn't retained? My continuing interest in the brew's actually flavor with each continued taste. It just lost my interest. It didn't retain what I would have characterized as a flavorful beer after a third of the glass was empty.

As I stated, there was nothing particularly amazing with this beer. It targeted to India Ale category and hit all the marks. But it didn't do anything to separate itself from the pack. I was waiting for it, but it never came.  For that, the India Copper Ale from Saranac only stacks up to a US on the PINTRS. Till next time!

-JDM

Keeping Warm with Stegmaier

Our first tasting everyone!

And this was one I was looking forward to as soon as I opened the box. Stegmaier Winter Warmer is brewed by Lion Brewery.  After seeking advice from the big G (and I don't mean God, he takes too long to answer) I found Stegmaier Brewing Company, a gold medal winner in its own right and the original brewer of the Winter Warmer, was bought by Lion Brewery in 1974.  Lion Brewery, also brewer of the Lionshead label, brews its beers in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.  Ok, our foundation is set, let's jump into the brew!

Here the brew is after the first pour. You'll notice the head is nothing huge and the beer itself has a deep copper tone to it. On my way to taking my first sip, a nice deep breath fills the nose with an aroma teetering on sweetness. The newsletter provided by Amazing Clubs, The Frosted Mug, made note of the fruity aroma and it's obviously there.

The first sip was impressive. The beer itself was full of flavor with a noticeable but not strong bite.  Behind a subtle strength, you can pick out the pleasant hop flavor that was, like the bite, not too strong but not too mild. Were Goldilocks a drinker, and whose to say she wasn't since she states bears were talking to her, this would be her selection for the just right winter beer in flavor.

 The frothy entry that is described for the beer is correct in some way, but could be interpreted wrongly. As it looks, the beer head itself is not what I would classify as frothy. However, it is bubbly and feisty for it's size. The flavors in the head perfectly match that initially aroma. The Frosted Mug describes the overall flavor as "a combination of spicy cinnamon raisin toast and peach pie crust." I don't think anyone will confuse this beer with the sweetness that is described, but if you can imagine a dry yet slightly sweet flavor with a lightly fruity aroma I can see how that description is appropriate. When finishing the swallow, Winter Warmer creates a fun fizz going in and down the hatch.

Lion Brewery says this beer is great in front of a warm fire on a frosty night. I'd have to agree. In fact, it's easily one of my favorites as a winter ale and were you to stack this against a well-known brew like Sam Adams Winter, I'd say Winter Warmer comes out the victor every time.

So, how does Winter Warmer stack against the Good Beer Hunting's Pint-tastic Rating System (PINTRS)? I think we have a solid Imperial in our mugs here. Till next time!

- JDM

First step into a much larger world...

To all those who have found their way to my blog:

Welcome. A little story about how this blog came into being. My wife, through her wisdom, decided that a great Christmas gift for me this year would be putting me in a Beer of the Month club (from AmazingClubs.com). When I unwrapped my gift (a piece of paper promising the delivery of said deliciousness)  I learned this club entailed not just one type of beer per month. It would be two different types of beers from two different breweries a month (4 total different beers a month).  After we talked about how excited I was for the beers to start pouring in (haha) she suggested "you should start a blog when you taste them." 

Truly brilliant, and here we are today.  The beers are on their way and the frosted mugs are ready. I'll be posting my tasting thoughts on the beers as they come in from the viewpoint of your regular, every-day beer drinking who sways to the microbrew. I'll be posting information about the beer and the brewery in my tasting posts, and will also try and learn a little bit about the American micro-brew and brew tasting in general along the way. Hop on for the ride.