Wasatch Summerbrau Lager ....

Tonight I will have a Summerbrau Lager from Wasatch Beers.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 5.6% ABV.

This beer poured with a medium, white head.  Beer color is a medium yellow.  The aroma is mild, with some sweetness, yeast and a fruit/floral note.  Taste starts of with some serious malt and grain, but then transitions to a fairly grassy and somewhat sour finish.  The sour sticks around for the aftertaste.  Mild to medium bodied.    

Wasatch Beers

Park City, Utah

www.wasatchbeers.com

Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye Ale ....

Tonight it's back to Texas: Full Moon Pale Rye Ale from Real Ale Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 5.7% ABV and 42 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, almost tan colored head.  Beer color is a cloudy orange-ish amber.  The simple aroma has some rye malt and a little caramel-like sweetness.  There is much more to the taste than there was to the aroma, but subtle.  Some definite grainy malt and a little sweetness.  Maybe just a touch of citrus and pine.  A hop bitterness comes through at the end.  Nice mouth feel.  Leaves you with a little bitter aftertaste.

Real Ale Brewing Company

Blanco, Texas

www.realalebrewing.com

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid ....

Time for some (hopefully) hoppy goodness: Hop Stoopid from Lagunitas Brewing Company.  8% ABV is listed on the 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle, as well as 106 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thin, off white head.  Beer color is a golden amber.  The aroma is very nice, with grapefruit and some more exotic citrus.  Other fruits.  There seems to be a  little underlying sweetness, like honey.  Makes my mouth water a little.  The citrus is also in the taste, with the bitterness advancing to some pine as well.  But not overly bitter.  Some nice malt balances it out.  There is also some spice.  A little carbonation for mouth feel.  Leaves you with a mild sour/bitter note for the aftertaste.  This one really hits the spot, especially after last night's very mild sampling.

Lagunitas Brewing Company

Petaluma, California

www.lagunitas.com

Kona Longboard ....

Today's beer is Longboard Island Lager from Kona Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The Kona web site shows 4.6 % and 18 IBUs.

Longboard poured with a small, almost white head.  Beer color is a paler yellow.  Aroma is mild, grainy, with a little citrus and some sweetness.  Mild bodied.  Very straightforward, not as complex as the aroma.  Some malt and a little grassy.  The quality appears to be there, but just too mild for my taste buds.  Almost no aftertaste.

Kona Brewing Company

Kailu a Kona, Hawaii

www.konabrewingco.com

Pyramid Curve Ball ....

Tonight I will have a Curve Ball Blonde Ale from Pyramid Breweries.  The twelve ounce bottle lists 5% ABV.  The web site shows 18 IBUs.  This is a seasonal available April to July.

Curve Ball poured with a very thin, off white head; almost nonexistent.  Beer color is a medium gold/yellow.  The aroma is bready/yeasty, with some spice and sweetness mixed in.  A little fruit.  Mild to medium bodied.  There is some malt, with a mild fruity/floral note in the background.  A little grassy.  There is some spice on the finish.  A very small amount of bitterness and grass in the aftertaste.  

Pyramid Breweries

Seattle, Washington

Berkeley, California

Portland, Oregon

www.pyramidbrew.com

Wasatch The Devastator ....

My beer for today is The Devastator, Double Bock Lager, from Wasatch Beers.  8% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.

This beer poured with a small, tan colored head.  Beer color is a dark amber, bordering on brown.  The aroma has some cocoa, caramel, molasses.  The taste has some sweetness, cocoa, a little bread.  Not as heavy as you might think - medium bodied.  The higher alcohol makes itself known, but not obtrusively so.  Leaves you with a small amount of bitterness and alcohol for the aftertaste.

Wasatch Beers

Park City, Utah

www.wasatchbeers.com

Redhook Pilsner ....

Tonight I will be trying the Pilsner from Redhook Ale Brewery.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 5.3% ABV.  The web site lists 25 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thin, off white head.  Beer color is a medium yellow.  There is a small amount of sediment.  The aroma is mild, with the main note being sweet malts; a little bready.  Mild to medium bodied.  The taste is all pilsner, but not in a boring way.  Bready, malty.  A little sweet on the finish.  Just a very slight "beer" aftertaste.  This would be a nice summer beer for when you are having several!

Redhook Ale Brewery

Woodinville, Washington
Portsmouth, New Hampshire

www.redhook.com

Boulevard Tank 7 ....

Tonight I will have a Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale from Boulevard Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 8% ABV.  Their web site lists 38 IBUs.

This beer poured with a medium, bone colored head.  Beer color is a medium yellow/gold that is very cloudy with a lot of sediment.  The aroma is very balanced between yeast and citrus - a little more citrus than most of the beers I have tried in this style.  A good amount of carbonation and malt in the mouth feel.  Mild to medium bodied.  The taste is very balanced as well; malt, yeast, citrus, spice, a little sweetness.  No one thing really stands out over the others, which makes it very refreshing and drinkable.  It hides the higher alcohol pretty well.  Slight bitter finish and aftertaste.  Very nice.

Boulevard Brewing Company

Kansas City, Missouri

www.boulevard.com

Twisted Pine Hoppy Boy ....

Tonight I will try a new brewer for me, Twisted Pine Brewing Company.  The beer is a Hoppy Boy India Pale Ale.  A coworker brought me this beer since I am a fan of IPAs.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 6.2% ABV and 65 IBUs.

This beer poured with a VERY thick head; one that was a little creamier in color than bone.  Beer color is a light to medium yellow, with a little orange, and somewhat cloudy from a lot of fine sediment.  Good amount of carbonation in the glass.  Pleasant, mild aroma - hops and citrus, slightly sweet.  Carbonated/malty mouth feel.  The taste is malty, with a vegetal/grassy quality.  There is some bitterness, but it seems to be more pine-like than citrus.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little of that bitterness.  Not your standard IPA flavor profile, but interesting.

Twisted Pine Brewing Company

Boulder, Colorado 

www.twistedpinebrewing.com

New Belgium Trippel ....

Tonight I will try a Trippel from New Belgium Brewing Company.  This one is brewed with coriander.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 7.8% ABV.  The web site lists IBUs at 25.

Trippel poured with what appeared to be an off white head, but it was so thin it was hard to tell.  Beer color is a medium or slightly darker gold/yellow.  The aroma has some yeast, sweet fruit, a little banana and spice.  Medium bodied.  The taste is much like the aroma.  It is balanced with yeast, fruit and the coriander.  The spice does come through a little more in the taste.  The carbonation and higher alcohol are definitely present. The alcohol seems to stick around more than taste in the aftertaste.

New Belgium Brewing Company

Fort Collins, Colorado

www.newbelgium.com

Santa Fe State Pen Porter ....

Tonight I will try a new brewer for the year - Santa Fe Brewing Company.  Actually, I don't think I have ever tried any of their beers.  The first will be a State Pen Porter.  The twelve ounce bottle lists 6.4% ABV.

This beer poured with a thick, darker, rich brown head.  Beer color is a dark blackish brown - no light shines through when the glass is held up to the light.  There is a very nice aroma with coffee, cocoa and caramel.  The taste has a definite hit of coffee that stands out to me more than the other notes.  Some sweetness, caramel and cocoa.  Maybe a little note of higher alcohol.  Nice mouth feel, but not as heavy as I expected.  Medium bodied.  A little aftertaste of coffee and cocoa.

Santa Fe Brewing Company

Santa Fe, New Mexico

www.santafebrewing.com

Magic Hat Elder Betty ....

Tonight I will have an Elder Betty (Elderberry Weiss) from Magic Hat Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle lists 5.5% ABV.  The web site shows 13 IBUs.  This is a seasonal available April through July.

This beer poured with a small, off white head that dissipated quickly.  Beer color is a medium golden shade.  The aroma has wheat, caramel and sweet fruit.  The taste has a definite fruit note; berries or almost a sweet grape, although not overpowering.  The wheat, clove and higher carbonation you expect from a "Weiss" are there as well.  Fairly crisp and clean finish with very little aftertaste.  I wasn't sure what I was going to think about this one, but I did end up enjoying it.

Magic Hat Brewing Company

South Burlington, Vermont

www.magichat.net

Rahr Buffalo Butt ....

Tonight my beer is Buffalo Butt from Rahr & Sons Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 4.5% ABV and 25 IBUs.  The style is listed as an amber lager.

Buffalo Butt poured with a small, light brown head that dissipated very quickly.  Beer color is a clear amber.  The aroma is bready, with some caramel.  Taste has bread, toasted malt, caramel, spice and a small amount of bitterness.  Fairly mild, but the taste grows on you.  A little bitter and malt in the aftertaste.  

Rahr & Sons Brewing Company

Fort Worth, Texas

www.rahrbrewing.com

Lagunitas IPA ....

Today I will have the India Pale Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company.  6.2% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.

This IPA poured with a small to medium, bone colored head.  Beer color is a darker golden yellow; not quite into the amber range.  There is some fine sediment moving around in the glass.  The aroma has some sweet citrus, but not overpowering.  I would say more lemons and oranges.  Maybe a little pine.  The taste is more of the same.  You get some citrus nicely balanced with the malt, then a little pine builds on your tongue.  Medium bodied.  Slight bitter aftertaste - just enough to let you know you had an IPA.  This is a very balanced, tasty India Pale Ale.  

Lagunitas Brewing Company

Petaluma, California

www.lagunitas.com

Dogfish Head Festina Peche ....

Saturday night brew?  A Festina Peche from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales.  It is a seasonal "brewed with peach concentrate".  The twelve ounce bottle shows 4.5% ABV.  The web site lists 8 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, white head which dissipated quickly.  Beer color is a pale yellow.  The aroma is of wheat, but if you really get your nose in the glass, the fruit comes through fairly strongly.  Taste is heavy on the tartness; no real sweetness that I expected.  Peaches, wheat and malt.  Higher carbonation.  The aftertaste leaves you with just a little of the fruit and tartness.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

Milton, Delaware

www.dogfish.com

Arrogant Bastard Ale ....

Tonight I will have an Arrogant Bastard Ale, which is brewed by the Stone Brewing Company.  The 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle shows 7.2% ABV.

This beer poured with a thick, tan colored head.  Beer color is a dark reddish copper.  The aroma has some lighter, sweet citrus and a little caramel.  Taste is malty, with a quick hit of citrus that is more bitter than the aroma.  There is also pine, caramel, a little fruit and a slight hint of the alcohol.  The bitterness sticks around for the finish and the aftertaste, but it is not overly mouth-puckering.  Just nice and bitter.

 

Brewed by Stone Brewing Company

Escondido, California

www.arrogantbastard.com

New Belgium 1554 ....

Today's beer is 1554 "Enlightened Black Ale" from New Belgium Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 5.6% ABV.  The web site lists IBUs at 21.

1554 poured with a medium, rich brown head.  Beer color is a dark reddish brown.  A small amount of light shows through the glass when held up to the light.  The aroma is primarily malt and cocoa, with a little dark fruits.  Medium bodied. The taste is much like the aroma - malt and cocoa, maybe a little dark fruit.  Thicker mouth feel.  The cocoa stays with you; it even seems like there might be a little left in your mouth.

New Belgium Brewing Company

Fort Collins, Colorado

www.newbelgium.com

Great Divide Wild Raspberry Ale ....

Tonight I will sample Wild Raspberry Ale from Great Divide Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 5.8% ABV.  It is fermented with red and black raspberries.

This beer poured with a small to medium head, that was a lighter brown in color, but with perhaps a slight reddish/pink tint.  Beer color is a darker copper leaning towards brown, but there is a definite red tint to it.  Aroma is sweet and fruity, but not cloyingly so; some hops and caramel/brown sugar.  The taste is a good combination of lightly wheaty malt and the fruit.  You definitely taste the fruit, but it is not distracting.  There is a tartness towards the end that is probably increased by the fruit.  Aftertaste is slightly sour/tart.  I am usually not a big fan of fruit beers, but this is nicely balanced and very enjoyable.

Great Divide Brewing Company

Denver, Colorado

www.greatdivide.com

Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen ....

Tonight I will have a UFO (UnFiltered Offering) Hefeweizen from Harpoon Brewery.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The Harpoon web site shows 4.8% ABV and 19 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thin, white head.  Beer color is a cloudy pale yellow; reminiscent of cloudy lemonade.  Aroma is fairly mild, with wheat and honey, maybe some light citrus.  The taste is more of the same - non-overpowering wheat.  A little grassy and some spice.  Very little aftertaste.  Light and refreshing, but with enough going on to be interesting.

   

Harpoon Brewery

Boston, Massachusetts

www.harpoonbrewery.com

Big Sky Summer Honey ....

Today I will have Summer Honey, a seasonal brewed with honey and spices, from Big Sky Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 5% ABV.  The web site shows 20 IBUs, and that this beer is available April through September.

This beer poured with a medium, off white head.  Beer color is a fairly bright golden/yellow.  The aroma is mild, with some sweetness and spice; somewhat floral.  Mild bodied.  The taste is malty and grassy, with some sweetness, wheat and spice.  Very little aftertaste; just enough that you know you have had a beer.

  

Big Sky Brewing Company

Missoula, Montana

www.bigskybrew.com

Deschutes Twilight ....

Tonight's beer is Twilight Summer Ale, a seasonal available from May through September, from Deschutes Brewery.  The twelve ounce bottle lists 5% ABV.  The web site shows 35 IBUs.

Twilight poured with a thick, bone colored head.  The beer color is a medium yellow/gold.  Aroma is fairly mild, with citrus and grains.  Mild to medium bodied.  The taste is primarily malty, with a small amount of citrus and sweetness.  Very little bitterness.  Slightly dry.  Very refreshing and drinkable.

Deschutes Brewery

Bend, Oregon

www.deschutesbrewery.com

BrewDog Hardcore IPA ....

Saturday night - Hardcore IPA from BrewDog.  The 1 pint, 6.4 ounce bottle shows 9.2% ABV.  The web site lists 150 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, tannish head.  The beer color is a VERY cloudy amber/orange.  It is reminiscent of crystallized honey.  Aroma is not that strong - citrus, sweet fruit, honey; not as tangy as I expected.  The taste has an overall fruity/citrus juice quality, somewhat sweet.  Caramel, honey, a little spice.  A light bitterness builds on your tongue, but it is very much in the background.  A little warmth from the alcohol and the slight bitterness linger around for the aftertaste.  Definitely different than the imperial IPAs I am used to, but very interesting and enjoyable.

BrewDog

Fraserburgh, Scotland

www.brewdog.com

New Belgium Abbey ....

Tonight's beer is Abbey, Belgian Style Ale, from New Belgium Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 7% ABV.  The web site lists 20 IBUs.

Abbey poured with a small, tannish colored head.  Beer color is a dark copper.  Aroma is yeasty, with cloves and banana.  The taste is sweet; bread, spices, malt, dark fruit.  Almost a little smoky.  A little warmth from the alcohol.  Very little aftertaste.  Nice!  

New Belgium Brewing Company

Fort Collins, Colorado

www.newbelgium.com

Anchor Steam ....

Today I will have an Anchor Steam from Anchor Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 4.9% ABV.

This beer poured with a small, off-white colored head.  The beer color is amber, maybe leaning slightly towards copper.  In the aroma I am getting grains, caramel, maybe a tiny bit of citrus.  Taste:  toasted malt, bready, some bitterness.  There is an almost "crisp" light fruitiness to it, kind of like an apple.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little dry bitterness.  A refreshing and interesting beer.    

Anchor Brewing Company

San Francisco, California

www.anchorbrewing.com

New Belgium Dig ....

Today I am having Dig Pale Ale, a spring seasonal, from New Belgium Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle lists 5.6% ABV.  Their web site shows 36 IBUs.

Dig poured with a thick, creamy colored head.  Beer color is an amber/copper.  The aroma has a little citrus, sweet caramel; heavy on fruit.  The aroma seemed like it might be a little overly sweet, but the taste didn't go that way.  Taste has bready malt, caramel, spice and a little bitterness.  I would have liked a little more citrus/hops in the taste, but it turned out to be a fairly complex, tasty beer.

New Belgium Brewing Company

Fort Collins, Colorado

www.newbelgium.com