Avery The Reverend ....

Friday night and time for a serious beer: The Reverend, Belgian-Style Quadrupel Ale, from Avery Brewing Company.  10% ABV is listed on the 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 24 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thin, tan head.  Beer color is a darker copper.  The aroma has dark fruit, fermented fruit, brown sugar, lots of molasses.  Sweet.  Also some yeast when you get your nose deep in the glass.  The taste is much like the aroma: sweet, brown sugar, molasses, dark fruit.  Some taste of the higher alcohol.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little grassy/metallic note on the tongue.  I really enjoyed this beer, but if you don't like sweet and higher alcohol, it is probably not for you.

     

Avery Brewing Company

Boulder, Colorado

www.averybrewing.com

Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale ....

Tonight I will have a Red Rocket Ale from Bear Republic Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 6.8% ABV.  The web site lists 67 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, tan head.  Beer color is a very dark copper leaning towards brown.  The aroma has dark fruit, caramel, brown sugar - overall sweet.  The taste has more of the same, but with some nice hops thrown in - adds a little bitter, citrus and pine.  Bready.  On the strong side of medium bodied.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little of the bitterness and some sweetness.  Tasty!  

Bear Republic Brewing Company

Cloverdale, California

www.bearrepublic.com

Adelbert's Tripel B ....

Tonight I will try a beer from a newer Texas brewery, Adelbert's Brewery in Austin, Texas.  The beer is Tripel B, Bad Boy Brew, a Belgian-Style Tripel Ale.  9.3% ABV is listed on the 1 pint, 9.4 ounce bottle.

Tripel B poured with a small to medium, white head.  The beer is a medium to darker yellow/gold, and very cloudy (it is bottle conditioned).  The fairly mild aroma has yeast and wheat, and some vegetal/grassy notes.  Fairly high, effervescent carbonation.  Medium bodied.  The taste has yeast, wheat, some fruity/citrus notes, pepper, clove.  Fairly sweet.  A vegetal finish.  Slight taste of the higher alcohol, but you really notice its warmth as it goes down.  The aftertaste leaves a little bit of sour on the tongue.  

Adelbert's Brewery

Austin, Texas

www.adelbertsbeer.com

North Coast PranQster ....

This evening's beer is a PranQster, Belgian Style Golden Ale, from North Coast Brewing Company.  7.6 % ABV is listed on the 12 ounce bottle.  The web site shows 20 IBUs.

PranQster poured with a small, off-white head.  Beer color is a medium yellow.  The beer is cloudy with a fair amount of sediment.  The aroma has some yeast, banana, floral notes, pepper.  The taste is more of the same: yeast, pepper, spices.  Not overly yeasty, very balanced.  Some sweetness.  A hint of the higher alcohol.  A little citrus on the finish.  Higher carbonation. Medium bodied.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little yeast, maybe a little grassiness. Nice beer!  

North Coast Brewing Company

Fort Bragg, California

www.northcoastbrewing.com

New Belgium Fat Tire ....

Today I will have a Fat Tire Amber Ale from New Belgium Brewing Company.  5.2% is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 18.5 IBUs.

This beer poured with a medium to thick, creamy colored head.  Beer color is amber.  The aroma is earthy, nutty, toasted and has a caramel sweetness.  Mild to medium bodied.  The toasted character and earthiness carry over to the taste.  Bready, some caramel, vanilla, spice.  The taste is not as sweet as the aroma.  It seemed a little thin and mild at first, but the flavor kind of builds on you.  Almost no aftertaste; just a touch of bitter and vanilla.    

       

New Belgium Brewing Company

Fort Collins, Colorado

www.newbelgium.com

He'brew Genesis ....

Tonight I will have a He'brew Genesis, Dry Hopped Session Ale, from Shmaltz Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  No data listed on the bottle or web site, but Beer Advocate shows 5.6% ABV.

Genesis poured with a medium, creamy colored head.  Beer color is an orange-ish amber. The aroma has some fruit, citrus, brown sugar - an overall sweetness, but fairly mild.  Mild to medium bodied.  The taste is sweet as well.  There is a fruity/floral quality, but it is balanced by a mild bitterness that comes in later.  Also some roasted malt and caramel.  A little thin in the mouth.  The aftertaste leaves a mild bitterness on the tongue.  Although it seemed a little thin, I really liked the balance and flavors on this one.  Great beer when you want something a little lighter, but with good flavor.

 

Shmaltz Brewing Company

Saratoga Spings, New York

www.shmaltzbrewing.com

Saint Arnold Oktoberfest ....

The beer for today is an Oktoberfest from Saint Arnold Brewing Company.  It is a seasonal, available August through October.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 6% ABV and 24 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, not quite tan head that dissipated quickly.  Beer color is copper.  The aroma has some sweetness and fruit.  Mild to medium bodied.  The taste has some caramel, then fruit develops that is reminiscent of apricot.  There is definite malt, but the taste has an overall sweetness like the aroma.  Quite a bit of carbonation.  Very little aftertaste; just a little fruit/floral sweetness.

Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Houston, Texas

www.saintarnold.com

Jester King/Mikkeller Drink'in The Sunbelt ....

Tonight I will try a beer from another Texas brewery that I have not yet sampled from this year: Jester King Craft Brewery.  It is actually a collaboration with Mikkeller from Denmark - Drink'in The Sunbelt, Organic Hoppy Wheat Beer.  It is a limited summer release.  The 1 pint, 9.4 ounce bottle shows 3.9% ABV and 43 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thick, bone colored head.  Beer color is a slightly cloudy, medium gold/yellow.  The aroma has a very lemon-like citrus note that is appealing.  There is a little wheat and grass as well.  Medium bodied.  I somewhat expected this to be a 'wheat' beer, but it is really more like an American pale ale.  The citrus and a little pine are the predominant flavors, with a consistent bitterness.  It is not overpowering, but has that pine note that really keeps it on the palate.  Some malt and wheat balance it out nicely.  Dry finish.  The aftertaste leaves you with a dry bitterness.  A nice, balanced, light summer beer.

Jester King Craft Brewery

Austin, Texas

www.jesterkingbrewery.com

Mikkeller

Copenhagen, Denmark

www.mikkeller.dk

Rahr's Blonde ....

Tonight's beer is a Rahr's Blonde, Munich-Style Helles Lager, from Rahr & Sons Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 4.8% ABV and 22 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thick, white head.  Beer color is a bright, medium yellow/gold.  It has that kind of simple, bready aroma you expect from a lager.  There is a little sweetness and maybe a little spice.  Mild to medium bodied.  A good amount of carbonation.  Some bread to the taste, maybe a little pepper and citrus.  A little hop bitterness builds towards the end and sticks around for the aftertaste.  This is a simple, crisp and refreshing beer that would make a nice summer beer.    

Rahr & Sons Brewing Company

Fort Worth, Texas

www.rahrbrewing.com

Sierra Nevada Tumbler ....

Today I am sampling a Tumbler, Autumn Brown Ale, from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.  It is a seasonal.  5.5% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 37 IBUs.

This beer poured with a medium, not quite tan head.  Beer color is between a copper and brown.  Some light shows through all of the glass when held up to the light.  There is toasted malt (almost to the point of being burnt or smelling like smoke), and caramel in the aroma.  Medium bodied.  The taste is toasted malt, a little cocoa and some caramel.  A good amount of carbonation.  A little thin in the mouthfeel.  The aftertaste leaves you with some of the smoke, a little bit of a metallic taste and some bitter.    

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Chico, California

www.sierranevada.com

Magic Hat Hex ....

Tonight I will have a Hex Ourtoberfest from Magic Hat Brewing Company.  It is a seasonal available from August through October.  5.4% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 25 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small to medium, creamy colored head.  Beer color is a medium to darker amber.  The aroma has some sweet caramel, grain and a little spice.  Medium bodied.  The taste has some toasted malt, bread, spice.  Not as sweet as the aroma.  Very mild underlying bitterness.  Fairly high carbonation.  The aftertaste leaves a little of the mild bitterness.  

Magic Hat Brewing Company

South Burlington, Vermont

www.magichat.net

Pyramid Snow Cap ....

Today's beer is a Snow Cap Winter Warmer, a seasonal, from Pyramid Breweries.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 7% ABV.  The web site lists IBUs at 47.  

Snow Cap poured with a small, rich brown head.  Beer color is a reddish brown.  When the glass is held up to the light, you get a small amount of light through the whole glass.  There is some sweetness to the aroma, with toffee/caramel and dark fruits; maybe a little cocoa.  Medium bodied.  Taste is malty, with cocoa and spice.  Not much fruit in the taste, nor is the taste as sweet as the aroma suggests.  A little underlying bitterness.  The aftertaste leaves a little of the cocoa feel on the tongue, but very little taste.
 

Pyramid Breweries

Seattle, Washington

Berkeley, California

Portland, Oregon

www.pyramidbrew.com

Rahr Gravel Road ....

Tonight I will have a Gravel Road, German-Style Altbier, from Rahr & Sons Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The Rahr web site shows 7.25% ABV and 60 IBUs.  This is a seasonal, available July through August.

Gravel Road poured with a small, tan to brown colored head.  Beer color is a darker copper or brown.  Although fairly dark, you can see a fair amount of light through the glass when held up to the light.  The aroma has a roasted or burnt quality to it, with some cocoa and caramel sweetness.  Medium bodied.  The taste follows the aroma, with toasted malt, caramel and cocoa.  Mild underlying bitterness.  Maybe a little thin in the mouth feel.  The aftertaste leaves you with some cocoa and mild bitterness.  Not overly complex, but a nice flavorful beer.

Rahr & Sons Brewing Company

Fort Worth, Texas

www.rahrbrewing.com

Left Coast Hop Juice ....

Tonight I will have a beer from another brewery that I have not sampled from this year: Left Coast Brewing Company.  The beer is Hop Juice Double India Pale Ale.  9.7% ABV is listed on the 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle. Their web site shows 82 IBUs.

Hop Juice poured with a medium to thicker, creamy colored head.  Beer color is more of a copper, and very clear.  The aroma has citrus and sweetness, with a caramel/brown sugar note.  Medium to full bodied.  Taste starts with sweet malt, then some real citrus rind and pine bitterness hits you pretty quickly.  Some definite warmth from the higher alcohol.  Dry finish.  The aftertaste leaves a dryness on your tongue, and some pine bitterness.  This beer has the smooth, hoppy characteristics I expect from a double IPA.  Thumbs up!

Left Coast Brewing Company

San Clemente, California

www.leftcoastbrewing.com

Boulevard Zōn ....

Today I will try a Zōn from Boulevard Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site lists 4.4% ABV and 15 IBUs.  They show this as their version of a Belgian style witbier, brewed with coriander and orange peel.

This beer poured with a medium, off-white head.  Beer color is a medium yellow, and very cloudy.  The aroma has the yeasty, spicy, tangy qualities you expect from a witbier.  Taste is a little milder than I expected, compared to the aroma.  The yeast, wheat, citrus and spice are there, but mild.  There is a little sour/bitter on the tail end of the sip.  The spice has a peppery quality that is interesting.  You are left with a little of the sour and spice in the aftertaste.

Boulevard Brewing Company

Kansas City, Missouri

www.boulevard.com

Abita Purple Haze ....

My beer for the day is Purple Haze from Abita Brewing Company.  It is brewed with raspberries; added after filtration.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 4.2% ABV.  The Abita web site lists 13 IBUs.

Purple Haze poured with a small to medium, bone colored head.  Beer color is a slightly orange-ish gold.  It is very cloudy, with a lot of various size sediment in the glass.  The aroma has some wheat, with fruit and vegetal notes.  I don't get a particular 'berry' scent in the aroma.  There is a prominent berry note to the taste, but it is not overpowering.  You get the malt first, then the berry comes in on the back of the taste.  The raspberry is a nice balance of sweet and tart.  Not overly complex, as the malt and berry are about all I am getting.  The aftertaste is slightly metallic with a bit of the berry.  Although I am not normally a fan of the fruit beers, this has a nice balance and is one I would drink again.    

Abita Brewing Company

Abita Springs, Louisiana

www.abita.com

Brooklyn Pilsner ....

Tonight I will have the Pilsner from Brooklyn Brewery.  5.1% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 33 IBUs.

This Pisner poured with a medium, off-white head.  Beer color is a medium yellow.  The aroma is malty, with a little lemon, spice.  Medium bodied.  The taste has malt, grain, grassy qualities, a little spice.  There is a nice bitterness that gives the beer some depth and variety; more so than most pilsners.  A dry finish.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little of the dry bitterness.  

 

Brooklyn Brewery

Brooklyn, New York

www.brooklynbrewery.com

Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 12 ....

This evening's beer will be another from Texas' Saint Arnold Brewing Company: Divine Reserve No. 12.  It is a limited release.  One pint, six ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 10% ABV and 50 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, not quite tan head.  Beer color is an orange-ish amber.  There is a fruity quality to the aroma, with some alcohol, malt and a caramel/brown sugar note.  The taste has some malt, citrus, spice and a definite 'boozy' high alcohol quality.  A very slight bitterness.  Very effervescent.  Would be good sipped slowly in a snifter-type glass.  The brewery suggests this would be a good beer to age, and I agree.  Some time would take the edge off the booziness and add some deeper, mellow flavors. 

Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Houston, Texas

www.saintarnold.com

Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA ....

Tonight I will have a beer from a brewery I haven't tried yet: Bear Republic Brewing Company.  It is a Racer 5 India Pale Ale.  7% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 75+ IBUs.

Racer 5 poured with a small, off-white head.  Beer color is golden, and there is a fair amount of fine sediment in the glass.  The aroma has some grapefruity citrus and maybe a little pine, but is not overly sharp.  The taste has more pronounced grapefruit and pine, which give it a nice dry, bitterness on the back of the tongue.  Enough malt to balance things out, but the hops are still predominant.  A little caramel sweetness.  Medium to full bodied.  The aftertaste leaves the dry bitterness on the back of the tongue.  This is a smooth, flavorful IPA that I would definitely drink again.   

Bear Republic Brewing Company

Cloverdale, California

www.bearrepublic.com

Tommyknocker Maple Nut ....

Tonight I will have a Maple Nut Brown Ale, from Tommyknocker Brewery.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 4.5% ABV and 20 IBUs.  It is brewed with pure maple syrup.

This beer poured with a small, almost tan head.  Beer color is a darker brown.  When held up to the light, you can see red highlights and some fine sediment in the glass.  The aroma has some nice mellow cocoa, some bread.  There is what seems to be an alcohol scent, but this is pretty low in alcohol so maybe its more of a fermented dark fruit aroma.  I do get a little maple/brown sugar in the aroma as well.  The taste has some malt, cocoa, and a mild sweetness.  I don't really get the maple as a taste.  Mild to medium bodied.  A little "thin" in the mouth.  Slight cocoa aftertaste.

Tommyknocker Brewery

Idaho Springs, Colorado

www.tommyknocker.com

Great Divide Rumble ....

Tonight's beer is a Rumble, Oak Aged India Pale Ale, from Great Divide Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 7.1% ABV.

Rumble poured with a medium, creamy colored head.  Beer color is an amber/copper.  The aroma has some mild citrus/pine, but it is mellow and sweet, more like an imperial IPA.  Also some honey, caramel.  Medium bodied.  The oak is present in the taste.  The hops are there, and add a bitterness, but the sharp citrus or pine notes seem to be mellowed by the oak.  Malt, bread, caramel and vanilla.  There is an overall warmth.    The aftertaste leaves you with some bitterness and a malty vanilla.  A nice mellow IPA, but I prefer a little more citrus in the taste.

Great Divide Brewing Company

Denver, Colorado

www.greatdivide.com

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale ....

Friday night and time for a big beer.  Tonight I will have Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale from Stone Brewing Company.  The 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle shows 8.7% ABV.  The Stone web site lists 90 IBUs.

This beer poured with a medium, chocolaty brown head.  Beer color is a dark blackish brown.  When held up to the light, the tiniest amount of light can be seen through the sides of the glass.  The appearance is that of a dark porter, or a stout.  But the aroma has the orange and grapefruit sweetness of a very smooth IPA, or more like a double IPA.  The taste has the citrus and pine of an IPA, but there is some heavier roasted malt in the background more like a stout, with a little chocolate.  There is a nice pronounced bitterness throughout.  The higher alcohol is present, but the complexity hides it well.  Medium to full bodied.  The aftertaste leaves you with some bitter and a little cocoa.  This is a very interesting and tasty beer.  

Stone Brewing Company

Escondido, California

www.stonebrew.com

Full Sail Limited Edition Lager 05 ....

Today's beer is the Limited Edition Lager 05 from Full Sail Brewing Company.  5.6% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 28 IBUs.  They describe it as an amber lager.

This beer poured with a very thin, quickly dissipating head that appeared creamy in color.  Beer color is a brownish copper.  The aroma is toasted malt and caramel.  Mild to medium bodied.  The taste is much the same as the aroma, with toasted malt and caramel.  There is also breadiness, a little spice and a slight bitterness.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little spice and bitterness.   

Full Sail Brewing Company

Hood Rover, Oregon

www.fullsailbrewing.com

North Coast Scrimshaw ....

Today I will have a Scrimshaw, Pilsner Style Beer, from North Coast Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 4.4% ABV and 22 IBUs.

Scrimshaw poured with a small, off-white head.  Beer color is a medium yellow.  The aroma is milder, with some grains, and a little citrus/fruit.  Though not usually a big fan of pilsners, I like this.  It has some nice malt and grain up front, then some citrus.  It thins out towards the finish, but doesn't seem to get "grassy" like some other milder beers.  There is a little bitterness, but it balances with everything else and doesn't really make you think "bitter".  A very mild grain and bitterness in the aftertaste.  For a milder beer, I could drink several of these.      

North Coast Brewing Company

Fort Bragg, California

www.northcoastbrewing.com

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager ....

This evening I will try a Strawberry Harvest Lager from Abita Brewing Company.  4.2% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows IBUs at 13.

This beer poured with a small, white head.  Beer color is a paler yellow, similar to lemonade.  The aroma has a real strawberry sweetness to it.  For some reason, it reminds me of strawberry icing.  There is some malt and grains in the taste, but the strawberry really takes over quickly.  Its not completely overpowering, but very "up front".  The finish is somewhat dry.  Very little aftertaste, maybe just a little strawberry.  This beer is more fruity than I like, but I have to say the strawberry is very "natural" tasting and pleasant.

Abita Brewing Company

Abita Springs, Louisiana

www.abita.com