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!