Beer:30... Mt. Carmel Springtime Ale.

Sometimes, you get tired of heavy, dark beers. Sometimes the time is just not right for a stout. The heaviness of a dark beer on a warm day is too much to bear. That is why I like to switch it up with beers, drink a certain style for a bit, then flip the incoming flow to the opposite side of beer. That bill has recently been filled with Mt. Carmel's Springtime Ale:

Mt. Carmel is my favorite out of the local breweries, so take that into consideration here. But, their Springtime Ale delivers. Brewed in the "Scot's Tradition," this beer pours a nice amber coloration, with a decent white head. The beer flows over the taste buds like a light beer with real beer flavors, such as malts, spice, and in lack of better terms, an earthly feel. Just what you would expect from a spring seasonal. The beer finishes dry, and I would call it the perfect lawn mowing brew. It also works well in the garage, as you can tell from the picture above.

This beer is a favorite of mine, especially for this time of year. I would call it a beer drinker's light beer, only due to the lower alcohol level. This is definitely what I needed, especially after spending this winter drinking heavier octane brews. Once again, well done Mt. Carmel. I need to head back to the brewery to get my growler filled again!

Cheers!

Beer:30... 21st Amendment Lower DeBoom Barleywine.

Yesterday I took out my wife for her birthday lunch at our favorite restaurant in our little burg, Padrino (Check them out here. Not only is their food top notch, but their beer list is one of the best in the Cincinnati area. Anyway, once inside the restaurant, I glanced at the taps and spotted something that I had not seen before. Enter 21st Amendment's Lower DeBoom Barleywine:

If you remember, I first noticed 21st Amendment with their winter seasonal, Fireside Chat (Review here). Definitely a tasty brew, which got me interested in the brand. This beer, however, was completely off of my radar. Here is why:

This beer is part of their "Big Can" series, which basically is a keg only, three times a year or so release of a limited, small batch beer. Luckily, Padrino scored a keg of this monster, here are my thoughts...

The beer pours into your snifter like most barleywines, with a ruby hue, topped off with a decent sized, almost creamy head. Flavor wise, this barleywine delivers. Nice fruity flavors blend with malt goodness and hints of toffee, finishing with a nice bit of alcohol. Easier to drink than Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot, or Anchor Brewing's Old Foghorn. Not knocking those two beers, but this beer is special. The flavors blend so nicely, and more start to show themselves once your glass has warmed a bit. I found myself wanting a second glass, but since it was my wife's birthday lunch I had to refrain, luckily for me since this beer is around 10.5% ABV.

This has been a solid barleywine from 21st Amendment, and one of the best that I have had. This beer ranks up their with Great Divide's Old Ruffian for me when it comes to the style. I will be heading back to Padrino to have some more of this delight. Well done!

Cheers!

Beer:30... Smuttynose Baltic Porter.

Smuttynose Baltic Porter. This is a beer that I have wanted to try for some time now, finally had the chance the other day. Since dark, heavy porters are one of my favorite styles, it was inevitable that I would have to try this one out. And after just one bottle, I will say that this beer is going to be a staple in my arsenal.

Part of their "Big Beer Series," this beer is only available is the larger, single bottle. Once opened and poured into your glass, it pours super dark with a decent sized tan head. The beer has a sweet smell of malts and chocolate. The taste follows suit, with added coffee flavors and a hint of vanilla. Lots of flavors are happening here, I will admit probably some that I am missing, but it is never overwhelming, it all balances nicely. This beer is an absolute pleasure to drink.

Thankfully Ohio is one of the 19 states that Smuttynose ships to. After this beer, when I see the brand I will be picking it up. Well done Smuttynose!

Be sure to check out their site here.

Cheers!

Beer:30... Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.

Started in 1867, Leinenkugel Brewing has deep roots in the upper Midwest. Ask most folks in the area, and I am sure they have heard of them, and especially their most popular (I would say) Sunset Wheat. Based out of Wisconsin, they are still relatively small, but since 1988 have been owned by SABMiller giving them a little bit more exposure. Lately they have been releasing smaller batch, higher alcohol brews, as is the case with this, their Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.

Malts are the name of the game with this beer, and also style. Using a blend of eight different malts, this beer reaches malt levels that you are not normally going to find in a good beer. Once poured into your glass, the usual malt smells hit your nose. The appearance of the brew is a nice dark amber/ruby coloration, with a little head which dissipates quicker than I expected. Once the beer hits your mouth, the malt flavors show up once again. Lots and lots of malts flavor, which with using eight different types you would think it would be very complex. But in actuality, it is not. It balances nicely with a sweet, although heavy mouth feel, and finishes with a medicinal type taste. This would be attributed to the higher than normal 9.5% ABV. It is a good tasting beer, but heavy enough that you are not going to drink that many.

This is a quality beer from Leinenkugel, which was a little unexpected. Not a phenomenal beer mind you, but still very respectable. I really enjoyed this one, and plan on exploring this brand a little further. If you are into malts, I would definitely suggest this one for your palate. Check out their site here.

Cheers!

Beer:30... Great Divide's Hades.

Hades, the Greek God of the Underworld. Not your typical namesake for a beer. But, Great Divide Brewing Company is not your normal brewer. Time for Greek mythology:

Hades, the eldest son of Cronos and Rhea, (Titan siblings) older brother of Zeus. After his birth he was devoured by his father to prevent an eventual uprising among the Gods. Luckily for Hades, Zeus freed his siblings, then with the help of Hades and Poseidon (another brother) they overthrew their father. Afterwards, I'm sure a party ensued, and the three split up kingdoms to rule; Zeus the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades drew the short straw to rule the underworld.

Fast forward quite a few years, and many Greeks viewed Hades as evil. I believe that in reality he was just misunderstood. From most accounts, he was a just and fair ruler of the underworld. Unless you tried to take one of his constituents, or messed with his wife. You can't blame him for that. Also, he loved dogs. And since his beloved canine was the Cerebus, obviously he was a supporter of his local pet shelter (That was an ugly dog). Take all of that into account, and I bet spending all of that time in the darkness of the underworld probably gave him an insatiable appetite for a good brew.

Whew, that took a little longer than expected. Enough of that, enter Hades, the Belgian style Ale:

Out of the bottle, the beer pours a nice golden hue, similar to the mineral. Since Hades is the God of the Underworld, that includes all minerals, so this is probably appreciated. The carbonation is evident on the pour, and it rushes to the brim of your glass as fast as a cheetah, only to retreat at a leisurely pace, leaving behind very minimal lacing to the glass. The aromas of this beer hit your nose while the glass is still sitting on the table. Very fragrant and strong, with hints of some sweet malts and Belgian yeast. The taste is really surprising, with a small hop bite, but mostly a yeast flavor stays for the duration, and finishes nice and dry. I would call this a great recreation of a Belgian ale, with an American edge to it. I will definitely be buying more of this, especially for summer lawn mowing sessions.

This beer delivers, I would venture to say as well as Charon the ferryman delivers the souls of folks to the underworld.

Once again, well done Great Divide!

Cheers!

Beer:30... Beers to Avoid.

The title of this post says it all. Beers to avoid. Only going to dive into three today, but these are the worst that I have had in the past couple of months.

We will start with this:
Bluegrass Brewing Company Bourbon Barrel Stout

Image from lyketodrink.blogspot.com

While creating my own sixer one day, I was surprised to see this beer hiding on the rack. Normally selling only in 4 packs, hovering around $10, this was the perfect pick for the mix your own situation. I do enjoy bourbon, so this style of beer seems like a great idea to me. However, this specific model is to be avoided. There is a slight bourbon flavor, but not much. All I was picking up was a very bitter, smokey, harsh metallic, and even cheap tasting beer. I love a bitter beer, but this was different. Nothing about it seemed to warm me over. After it warmed for a bit in my glass, nothing seemed to improve. So on that note, a big congratulations goes out to you Bluegrass Brewing, you are the first beer that I have dumped out for 2012. Bravo.

Moving on, this beer should be on the list, just following the Bourbon Stout:
Bud Light Platinum

While scanning a random service station's beer selection on Super Bowl Sunday, this beer caught my eye. Bud Light in a blue bottle? Never one to shy away from clever packaging, I just had to take a look, just to see what Budweiser was up to. 6.0% ABV for Bud Light? Interesting. I passed on it, bought some beer with flavor, and continued on my way to the football party. Once there, lo and behold, a shiny blue bottle peeked out of the cooler surrounded by craft beers. So, I had to try it out. Survey says? I would call this Bud Light with a spoonful of sugar dumped into it. As you can tell by the photo, still looks the same. Basically, it is still the watered down, rice lager that you all know. Only it will get you drunk I assume. I would imagine, much to the chagrin of Budweiser, that this will be the choice of the new generation, aka, the underage. Way to go Bud, ruining the future taste buds of America.

Lastly, this guy needs to be thrown into the mix:
Yuengling's Bock Beer

Image from portchesterbeer.com

I touched on this beer on a recent post (Check it here.) so I will not go into that much, if any detail about it. It just needed to be here to round out the list.

So there you have it, three beers to avoid for this time of year. I will admit, the Bud Light was no surprise, but the other two were huge disappointments. I expected better. Til next time..

Cheers!

Beer:30... A Tale of Two Bocks...

Beer comparison time! Enter two similar, but very different beers: Troegs Trogenator, and Yuengling's Bock Beer.

Let's start with Yuengling. Yuengling is still relatively new to the Ohio beer scene, and their lager rolled through the state with an almost legendary status. It is a good lager, but it is still just a lager. You can't really dress it up more than that. What Yuengling does well though, is that it is a "gateway beer." It is introducing the mindless Bud Light zombies of the world to real beer flavor. For that they deserve a tip of the hat. Anyway, on the popularity of their lager, Yuengling rolled out their first seasonal in this area, the Bock Beer.

First off, it has great packaging. Almost a retro feel to it, and of course, the image of a goat that has become synonymous with the style. The label is classy. Unfortunately with this one, that is all that is classy. This is by far, one of the worst beers that I have ever had. I would hardly call it a bock beer even. The beer pours like a nicer bock beer, but once the beer hits your taste buds it is all downhill from there. Not much on the sweet, malt flavor, but more on the bitter end. It has an almost bad lager taste, almost metallic, and finishes a little dry. Not a good representation of the style at all. For the oldest brewery here in the States, I expected a little more than this. This is now on my list of "Do not buy."

Next up is a similar beer, in Trogenator. This beer is a classic. Granted, it is a little heavier on the alcohol, at 8.2% compared to 5%, but this beer makes Yuengling take a backseat. The beer, like Yuengling's, pours like a bock should. The difference here is that the Troegs version has a more sticky head, that laces the glass nicely. For the taste, the sweet maltiness redeems any bad thoughts of the style from Yuengling, with even a touch of caramel. Well balanced, slightly sweet, with perfect carbonation, this beer is in my top five of all time. I will admit, it has lived on that list for some time now. When it comes to bock beers, you will be hard pressed to find a better representation of the style.

So there you have it, two bocks, two very different outcomes. For both beers coming out of the Keystone state, it is amazing at how different they really are. Sure you could argue that one is just a bock beer, and the other is a double bock, or that the higher alcohol content clouds your tasting vision, etc. But when it comes to flavor, and drinkability, Trogenator wins hands down. To me, it is worth the extra $3-4 for a six pack.

Cheers!

Beer:30... Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn.

In life, beers come and go. Every now and again you will find a beer that you are absolutely crazy about, then all of a sudden it is no longer available. The shelf life for some brews is unfortunately just too short. Luckily, that is not the case with this beer. Anchor's Old Foghorn has been around since 1975, and was the "first modern American barleywine." I have wanted to try this for a while, lets pull the anchor and set sail...

This beer pours like your typical barleywine, showing up to play in a nice, amber/ruby appearance, with an off white head that bubbles to the top. It doesn't stick around for very long, with little lacing, if any left on the glass. When you tip the glass up for a drink, the pleasant aroma of fruit mixed with the smell of alcohol hit your nose. It smells good, but it is not as strong of a smell as some other recent barleywines that I have tasted. Moving on to the taste, it is very different than most that I have ever had. The carbonation is very different, and after some reading, it is very different. To achieve this type of carbonation, Anchor uses a natural process, unfortunately called "bunging," to give the beer a champagne type carbonation. Interesting, but it fits very well. Horrible name though. Anyway, this gives the beer a special occasion feeling, which makes it a pleasure to drink. More of a sipping beer, the flavors are a nice mix of sweet fruits, a bit of malt bitterness, and finishing with a nice, almost bourbon alcohol feel. Overall, this is not your run of the mill barleywine, a very good choice if you are into the style.

The only downfall that I believe that this beer has though, is it's price. I know, a quality product demands a premium price. I understand that. But at around $17 for a six pack, that price makes it hard to swallow, especially with quite a few comparable barleywines at much cheaper prices. As far as barleywines go, this one is a classic, with almost a legendary status, so for that reason it will be my special occasion barleywine. Well done Anchor!

Cheers!

Beer:30... Cincinnati Beer Week Collaboration Barleywine Ale.

I will be the first to admit that certain beers get me excited. There is nothing like a quality beer, and nowadays there are many different brands and styles to choose from. Something magical happens though, when multiple brands come together to produce a limited, special brew for a special time. Thanks to this being Cincinnati Beer Week, that time is now.

Cincinnati Beer Week is a celebration of the libation. Running from Feb. 2nd to the 9th, many local venues and local breweries are participating to make this inaugural year a week to remember. And what would a beer week be without a special beer? So in the true fashion of collaboration, all of the major players in the Cincinnati beer arena came together with the common goal, to make a beer for this special week. Enter the Barleywine Ale:

Today I was lucky enough to stop by the Mt. Carmel Brewing Company on my way to drop off my wife's lunch at her workplace. I will admit, if you are not paying attention, you will drive right by the brewhouse. It was very cool to see where one of my favorite brands was made, and to chat a bit with some of the nice folks there. After filling my growler, and picking up a pint glass, I was out the door to head home.

Barleywines are interesting beers, and this one is no exception. Poured out of the growler into my glass, it gives you the ruby coloration that Barleywines are known for. Once in the glass, the smell of this beer is gorgeous, hitting you with sweet fruit, some citrus, and balanced with the smell of hops. The smell reminded me of Great Divide's Old Ruffian a tiny bit, due to the hops. When the beer hits the taste buds though, all of those scents come together to make an amazing flavor. The beer has a sweet taste, which flows nicely with the hop bitterness, a bit of vanilla in there, and the alcohol finishes it up quite nicely with a warming sensation. I have not found an alcohol content on this one yet, but I am sure that it is quite high. This beer finishes, and makes you wish you had another. Luckily, I bought a 64oz. growler.

So take all of the craft beer companies in one city, put them into a room, and give them the goal to make a beer for one week, the inaugural Beer Week. For some reason, I keep getting the mental picture of the council scene from the "Lord of the Rings" where all of the factions are deciding what to do/how to get rid of the ring. Except all of the members in the roundtable are beer Gandalfs, super wise to the craft of beer making, and the quest at hand is a Barleywine quest. Be sure to look for this beer in your own travels, especially during this special week here in the Cincinnati area. I will be buying some more, and I suggest you do too before it is all gone.

Now if only I could find a bottle or two to put away in my cellar...

Be sure to check out these links:
Cincinnati Beer Week
Christian Moerlein
Listermann Brewing
Mt. Carmel Brewing
Red Ear Brewing
Rivertown Brewing
Rock Bottom Brewery

Cheers, and happy Beer Week!

Beer:30...Great Divide's Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout.

Continuing with my recent indulgence with Great Divide, lets take a walk with the Yeti. I will be the first to admit, I am a huge yeti fan. And by huge, I mean obsessed. I love the concept of sasquatch. I am planning a bigfoot tattoo. My dream bicycle is a Yeti 575. My favorite beef jerky is Jack Links. Wait, did I just say I have a favorite beef jerky?

Are you starting to see a pattern here? Bigfoot/sasquatch/yeti is everywhere, and I do believe that they are still walking around today. One can dream right? Anyway, I have been excited to try this beer for some time, and magically, it happened to appear in my local store's beer aisle. So like the good cryptozoologist that I am, I let it walk right into my cart. Enter the Yeti Imperial Stout:

Right off the bat, this beer smells nice. I love coffee, and the mixture of coffee and beer is one of my favorite things that I have encountered. The scent of this beer is similar to walking into my locally owned coffee shop. Nice coffee flavors, with a tiny hint of chocolate hit your nose with full force. Moving on to the taste, the coffee beats out all other flavors to your taste buds, but others start to show their colors as the glass starts to disappear. I am picking up hints of chocolate, and also a tiny bit of vanilla at the end of each sip. There is also a slight oak feel that lingers after each drink, which makes complete sense, and the beer finishes off with you wanting another drink. Overall, I wouldn't mind if this beer was in my fridge on a regular basis.

So, does it fill the big shoes set forth by our favorite hairy hominid? Yes, and then some. While there are many beers that fill this genre, this beer has to be at or near the top of the list. This is a solid offering from Great Divide, and one of the best beers that I have ever had the chance to drink. I will now officially say that Great Divide is one of my favorite beer companies to date. This is a classic, timeless beer.

Cheers!

Beer:30... Marshall Brewing Co. Atlas IPA

In the world of beers, especially craft beers, there are rarities. Some are rare due to being brewed in small batches, which translates into high price tags. Some are rare, just because they cannot be found in your local area. That is where your friends/family come in. That was the case with this beer, enter Marshall Brewing Company:

Marshall Brewing Company is an Oklahoma based brewery, out of the city of Tulsa. Only selling in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas, this beer is going to be quite rare in most of the world. Luckily, a friend passed one on to me after the long journey from Oklahoma to Ohio. Here are some thoughts:

First off, the beer has a nice, slightly subdued, IPA aroma coming straight out of the bottle. This is not Stone Brewing here, no hops punch in the face. Just a nice, dare I say "pretty" fragrance that is not too strong, but not too light. That smell transfers over quite well to the taste side of the beer, making it a very balanced brew. Nothing really jumps out at you, but everything blends together quite nicely. This is an easy drinking IPA. Also at 6.5% ABV, it is not going to put you into an early nap time. I can appreciate that.

The label of the beer has a picture of Atlas holding up the world. I would venture to guess, assuming though since I have not had any of their other products, that this beer carries the company as their flagship beer. If not, a beer this balanced and easy to drink should. My interests have been piqued, hopefully I can find some of their other offerings in the near future. Next time I find myself in Oklahoma though, I am going to find some to bring back with me to the Buckeye State.

Cheers!

Beer:30...Great Divide's Hoss Rye Lager.

Flannel has always been a staple in my wardrobe. Ever since I was a kid growing up in the middle of nowhere, flannel was just part of the local uniform. Functional and stylish. At least until the 1990s. Every now and again, much to my wife's chagrin, I break out a few pieces from my rock and roll days and sport it like a trophy belt buckle. Not that I have one of those or anything... anyway, when I caught a glimpse of this beer, I knew it had to come home with me:

Enter Great Divide Brewing Company's Hoss Rye Lager. Right off the bat, with the subtle lumberjack flannel backdrop of the label, this beer screams "I love Soundgarden!" Well maybe not that exactly, but I am sure it screams something.

Normally, I do not get myself all excited over lagers. Sure, there are a few that are quite tasty, and since I have been jamming on Great Divide's products here lately, I thought this deserved a spin. After a sixer of this, here are the thoughts:

Right out of the gate, it pours a nice amber color. I love a beer with a good color palate, and this beer does not disappoint. Beautiful color that you normally would not see on a lager. One of the beers best attributes though is the smell. Flagrant sweet smells hit the nose coming from the malts, and some darker fruits. This leaves a little to be desired once it hits the mouth though. Granted it tastes great, but the smells from this beer are heavenly for a lager. Apart from that little note, the flavors of this beer make it a great Oktoberfest/Marzen style that makes me wish it were fall. Smooth and easy to drink, the rye spiciness gives a different touch to the flavor which then finishes nice and dry. This is a great version of the Marzen style, and I am planning on remembering this beer anytime that I want to pretend it is October.

So take a flannel bottle, and put some Oktoberfest style brew in it, and that makes a winner in my book. It makes me extremely happy that this beer is available year round, so it can be Oktoberfest at any point in the year. So by the transitive property, that also means that I can wear flannel at any point of the year as well. Double win. Now off to drink and listen to Soundgarden...

Cheers to you Great Divide!

Beer:30...Stone Ruination IPA.

Around six years ago, I had my first taste of Stone Brewing Company. I had just moved to southern California, and my weak beer palate was just beginning to dive into some of the more flavorful beers on the market. Then I was introduced to a beer called Arrogant Bastard Ale, and down the rabbit hole I fell. Stone has been one of my favorites ever since...

Enter their Ruination IPA. Called "Ruination" due to the fact that after drinking this beer, you will have an altered view of beer and how it should taste. A word of warning: If you have never liked the flavor of hops, or do not like beer outside of the norm, this is not for you.

This beer is bold, and amazing. Once you crack open the bottle, the smell of hops tickles your senses. Pour it into your favorite glass and the appearance is very light, almost looking like a "normal" light beer. Once you start to drink it though, those hops knock you back to reality, making you realize that you are drinking a quality brew. Other flavors start to make an appearance as well, like grapefruit and a touch of pine, but mostly what you are going to get are hops. This makes complete sense, due to written on the bottle, "100+ IBUs." That is big. This beer is also 7.7% ABV, which packs a punch. One big bottle is really all that you need. Luckily, as you can see from the picture, those big bottles fit nicely in your bicycle's water bottle cages.

Over the next few weeks, I plan on revisiting some of Stone's other offerings, check back for that, and if you see any bottles with Stone written on it, definitely check it out!

Beer:30... Great Divide Old Ruffian.

There are a lot of beer companies that I have had and then forgotten about. Sometimes, you are at a bar and there is a special beer on tap, so you have a glass and it's the most amazing beer that you have ever tasted. A lot of times, it fades to the back of the mind due to other circumstances, ex. events, conversation, too much to drink, etc. Sometimes you pick up a random bottle or two of a far off distant company, enjoy the beer, and then forget all about it. That happened to me with this company, Great Divide Brewing. Not that the beer was forgettable, just that I could not remember the company name...

My first dance with Great Divide came in the form of their Oak Aged Yeti imperial stout. An amazing beer that was big in flavor, that always stuck in the back of my mind. The problem was I could not remember who made it, I could only remember the clever name of it, due to me being a Sasquatch enthusiast. Sure I could have looked it up, but sometimes I am a bit lazy I guess. Anyway, while scanning the beer isle at my local grocer, I spied with my little eye this dandy of a brew:

Old Ruffian barleywine style ale.

Barleywines are one of my all time favorite styles of beer. My very first taste into the complex world was from Brooklyn Brewing with their Monster Ale, back in 2003. From then on, I have searched out for more and more barleywine ales to quench my thirst. Enter this beer...

At first taste, the familiar flavors of a barleywine hit you, but this beer hits you with a hint of hops. The label of the beer says a "huge hop character," but I would not go that far. When I think of huge hops in a barleywine, I immediately think of Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot ale, which punches you in the taste buds with hop flavor. With GD's Old Ruffian, the hops are more subdued, which makes this beer more drinkable in my opinion. I should point out though, when I say "subdued," that is only in comparison to SN's Bigfoot. The beer does boast 90 IBUs, which definitely puts it in the "hoppy" category.

The major difference of this barleywine compared to others that I have had though, is it is more balanced, drinkable, and smooth. All of the ingredients in this beer work well together, each one complimenting the other. I would go as far as calling it a more refined Bigfoot ale. That is in no way a knock on either beers, but at first taste, side by side, Old Ruffian will be easier and more enjoyable to drink. This is now the beer I am going to recommend to folks when they want to try out the style. Hands down, best barleywine that I have ever tasted.

Now that this beer is under my belt, I don't believe that I will be forgetting the Great Divide name any time soon. And also, for style points, I need to pick up one of these:

Well done, now I need to go on a beer run...



Cycling jersey photo from Great Divide's site.

Beer:30... Sam Adams Black and Brew Coffee Stout.

Back a few years ago, a friend handed me a couple bottles of Sam Adams with plain labels, the only words printed on them were, "Coffee Stout." That was it, nothing more, nothing less. They were part of a tasting event where the taste testers could vote on which beer became the next specialty six pack. The contest was between this "Coffee Stout" and a blackberry witbeer. Not to anyone's surprise, the witbeer won, and the coffee stout fell to the wayside. Disappointed that I would never get to drink that beer again, I made them last for at least two days. What can I say, it was good. Once they were gone, I began my search for a similar style of beer infusing the bitterness of coffee with a darker, heavier malt beverage. Lots of different brands came and went, but I still thought of my first coffee stout.

This year, Sam Adams relased unto the world their winter seasonal 12 pack, and lo and behold, there is a beer called the "Black and Brew Coffee Stout." Yes please. Let's see how this beer holds up to how amazing I remember it, as this was in my beer tasting infancy...

For starters, I am a little biased, for I love coffee. I would say that I am as much of a coffee snob as a beer snob. Well, maybe not that much, but thanks to my in-laws, I have been well versed in the world of delicious java. And this beer has the java. Straight from the label, it states that they use 1.5 pounds of Sumatran coffee per barrel of beer. That is a lot of coffee.

The beer pours more bubbly than you might expect, due to it being a version of an English stout, rather than a traditional Irish one. The beer has WAY more carbonation than a silky Guinness, but this beer is a whole new beast. Roasted coffee beans is the first taste that hits my mouth, hangs out for a bit, and the beer finishes with a nice, bitter bite of dark chocolate. Very pleasing to the taste buds. One of my favorite aspects of this beer though, is the smell. Being a zookeeper, my sense of smell is somewhat distorted, but the scent of this beer cuts through my weakest sense and hits me like my kitchen early in the morning. Coffee is the best part of waking up right?

This beer is a pretty good one if you are into coffee. It is not an overpowering flavor by any means, but it is definitely there when you take a sip. Bravo goes to Sam Adams for at least making this beer to throw into their holiday 12 pack, hopefully they will start making a full on dedicated sixer of this delicious beer. If they made the blackberry witbeer (Which is awful in my opinion) they could add one more sixer variation. At least we can all hope...

Beer:30... Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale.

Rogue Ales from Oregon, puts out quite a variety of delicious beers. Starting with their most popular, Dead Guy Ale, and on down the line to this delightful beer, Santa's Private Reserve Ale. They have a knack for putting beers out there that are a little outside of the box. Not as much as the over-hyped Dogfish Head, but just as interesting. Let's dive into this one:

Santa's Private Reserve is an amazing beer. Amazing smells coming from this beer, and the taste that follows is just as well. Not much spice flavor coming from the beer, which is a nice surprise due to this being a winter ale. Spice is a tricky ingredient for beers, and in my opinion it usually does not work. This beer has a nice balance of malt, and hops, and a nice clean finish, due to the higher carbonation. It is very easy to drink. It reminds me a bit of Alaskan Winter ale or even Sierra Nevada Celebration slightly. All in all, a very good, easy to drink beer.

Rogue is one of my favorite beer companies, and this beer makes me like them even more. One that I am looking forward to is their John John Juniper, which is aged in Gin barrels and brewed with juniper berries. As one who likes Gin, that sounds fantastic.

This beer is a must drink for this time of the year, if you see it, definitely pick up one of the big bottles and enjoy by your Christmas tree. I know I did. "From Oregon with love," is what this beer should have on the label.

Cheers!

Beer:30... Old Milwaukee's new ad campaign...

Stumbled across this today, thanks to my cousin Wes. Thanks for the heads up. The story goes that Will Ferrell approached Old Milwaukee to do some ads for them, for free. No one knows why. Must be a fan. I know I am a fan of these videos. Enjoy!







Which one is your favorite?

Beer:30...Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. Stout.

Today is a special day. December 5th, a day that most people do not even recognize. Today is the day that beer was given back to the people just 78 years ago. If you still have no idea what I am talking about, today is the anniversary of the 21st amendment, the repeal of prohibition.

For my personal celebration, I pulled from the lineup of my favorite local company, Mt. Carmel. I had never had their stout before, and after searching around for it, yesterday it made the journey back to Milford with me. So without further ado:

I love stouts, absolutely one of my favorite types of beer. This beer is a solid representation of what a good stout should be. Dark appearance, a tan colored head, and a somewhat bitter chocolate flavor round out this beer. It is more carbonated that the stereotypical stout, like a creamy Guinness, but a great flavor overall. This is a solid beer that does everything well, but nothing superbly. A "Jack of all Trades" if you will. That is in no way a knock on the brew, it is good. My opinion could very well be a little altered due to the fact I have been drinking Imperial stouts of the Russian variety lately. Regardless of that, this is a good beer, which I am glad that I finally found. Once again, well done Mt. Carmel.

Hopefully this finds you drinking a finely crafted beer on this special day in beer history!

Cheers!

Beer:30... Sam Adams Winter Lager.

Continuing the trend of winter beers, next up is this brew:

Sam Adams knows a thing or two about craft beer, starting in 1984 with the now famous Boston Lager. Being one of the craft pioneers, they continue to make beers a little outside of the box, but not too far out of the norm. That is where this beer comes in.

The Winter Lager is Sam's winter seasonal(obviously). This beer is smooth, with a nice flavor overall, but something is missing to me. It seems like a weak version of their Boston Lager, with a tiny bit of spice. The taste is very dulled down compared to other winter beers, which is quite the surprise here. I would venture to call it a Boston Lager without the bite. It is good, and it goes down smooth, but nothing spectacular. Sam puts out some good, different style beers, and I feel that this one misses the mark.

Sam Adams is a great company, with a long history in making great beers. I would almost consider them a "gateway" beer. Basically meaning that this beer, and others from them, could be a great entry into the craft beer market when just learning about your own palate. Sam Adams is also my go to bar beer in non urban areas, which usually has a horrible beer selection. It doesn't matter how far away from civilization that you travel, even the smallest, podunk country bar usually has a bottle or two of Sam Adams for the "city folk." I am okay with that, and I am sure that Jim Koch is too.

Beer:30... Christian Moerlein Christkindl Winter Wamer.

When you think of Cincinnati, does beer come to mind? I would guess not, but in all actuality, it should. This city has a rich German heritage that fueled a massive beer industry in the 1800s. Sadly, most of the breweries did not survive prohibition. One of those breweries that died off but came back was the Christian Moerlein Brewing company.

Christian Moelein was a German immigrant who arrived in the area in 1841 after growing up in Bavaria. If you know anything about beer, you probably know that Bavaria is the place to be for a good brew. Reinheitsgebot anyone? Moerlein knew a thing or two about it, and started up his own brewery here in the area in 1853, which it ran until prohibition, and came back in 1981. The Moerlein company that we know of today came about in 2004. Since then, they have been putting themselves back on the craft beer map, and this beer is one of my favorites of the season. Enter the Christkindl Winter Warmer:

Winter beers are supposed to be a little spicy, and from the last few beer posts, you are probably getting that by now. This beer is heavier on the malts than the spices though, which is not a bad thing at all. The beer has a subtle sweetness, mixed with a mild carbonation, and a hint of spices, that makes this a Cincinnati classic. This is one of my favorite seasonal beers, not my favorite overall, but a solid brew. This is also not the heaviest of the Winter Warmers that I have tried, at only around 6.95% ABV, but this beer is very easy to drink. And by easy to drink you can put down a few before you realize it. Sometimes Moerlein can be hit or miss with me, but with this beer and their Saengerfest Maibock, they make me a believer in the brand.

Good things coming in the future for Moerlein. The Moerlein Lager House will be a brand new microbrewery and restaurant on the Ohio River. I read not long ago that they will have around 100 historic Cincinnati beer recipes at their disposal to experiment with to make your beer experience that much more exciting. It is supposed to open in 2012, which cannot come soon enough! I think Mr. Moerlein would be excited himself.

If you haven't already, check out their website.

Cheers!