Monday, November 23, 2009

Blanche de Bruxelles - Excellent!




Now this is an example for excellence. Produced by the Lefebvre Brewery, Blanche de Bruxelles is how a witbier should taste. (This brewery produces one of my other favorites, Barbar). I didn't know this fact until after I tried this great witbier. The website gives some brewing information (http://www.brasserielefebvre.be/produits.php?pro=blanche&lang=en) stating that it is brewed very slowly. The ABV for this witbier is 4.50%. The appearance is a hazy straw colored beer. The aroma; AWESOME. It smells like sweet fruit candy. The head is white. The carbonation is low and is an easy drinker. I didn't detect alot of bitterness. The flavor is sweet, and the spices with coriender are blended to perfection. Buy six for yourself, and six for your friend. I really could drink this all day long. It is a great witbier. Now I have to try Lefebvre's other beers. I grade this beer an A. Go out and try one yourself.






Beer Messenger



Follow Beer Messenger on Facebook and Twitter.



What new beers have YOU tried today?

Scrimshaw Pilsner - Another North Coast Beer



I like pilsners. Really I do. And I like some of the beer produced by North Coast (http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/). When I picked this beer up, at first I didn't realize it was a North Coast beer. The ABV for this beer is 4.40%. The IBU's listed for Scrimshaw Pilsner is 22. The website doesn't give alot of brewing information about this lager. The color is a medium yellow with a white head. The aroma coming from this lager is a sweet floral smell. I can also describe it is a light buttery smell. At first taste, I sense hops and malt at the beginning, but it doesn't follow thru. There does seem to be an odd after taste I cannot pin down. It is not a bad taste, it just seems a bit odd there at the end. The mouthfeel is light which surprised me. It reminds me of seltzer water. This is not a great beer, but it is not a bad beer either. I know North Coast can produce some very good beer, I just wished there was a bit more effort put into this pilsner. If North Coast can produce "Old Ale", a wonderful beer, then they I would imagine they could do the same with a pilsner. I wouldn't mind having this beer as a single again. I would buy one for a friend. It is an easy drinking beer. I grade this beer a B-.

Kirin Ichiban Japanese Rice Lager - It has malt and hops!


I decided to try this beer on a lark. I never have tried Japanese beer before. There is not alot of information about the beer on the website http://www.kirin.com/beers.htm. The website suggests malt and hops make Ichiban a great beer. I beg to differ. Just because you include malt and hops does not make a beer great. The brewer has to do something with the beer. Make the lager special, make it unique, strive for excellence. I think you know where this review is headed.


To begin with, the color of this beer is pale yellow. The head is white. The odor produced by this lager is a malt aroma. I have experienced this taste of beer only a few times prior. I would describe it as being a very "wide flavor". This is not a good or bad thing. The flavor seems to be very broad, hitting many more taste buds unlike most beers that I would describe as having a narrow flavor. Malt is the biggest flavor in this lager... and thats about it. This is not a complex beer. And this may be the problem. Kirin Ichiban is a simple lager without alot going on. It is simply a very basic beer. Where is the unique flavor, a special taste in the beer? It isn't there. It is not a horribly bad beer, there just doesn't seem to be anything great or good about it. Would I buy it again? No. Would I recommend to friends? No. Sorry Kirin Ichiban Lager, I have no love for you. I grade this beer a D.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Dogfish Head Festina Peche - Surprisingly Interesting



What did I say about not judging a beer by its label? From the get go I thought there would be a problem with this beer. The beer I am talking about is Dogfish Head Festina Peche. Right on the label it states "brewed from peach concentrate". There you have it. I was SURE this beer would have a very sweet, syrupy, artificial taste, since it was made from peach concentrate. I really made the wrong call on this beer by judging it from the label alone.




Dogfish Head produces this interesting beer. Their website, http://www.dogfish.com/, gives some information about how this beer is produced. The style of this beer is a neo-BerlinerWeisse. These beers are very tart, some people say they are "sour". Dogfish Head, you have made me a fan of this style of beer.




The ABV for Festina Peche is 4.50%. The aroma I picked up when Festina Peche was opened is a sweet peach smell along with a little alcohol. The head is white and the color of the beer is light yellow. It appears to look like a cider. The mouthfeel is a bit champagne like. It is a dry beer. WOW! The taste is tart. I totally did not expect that at all, just from reading the label. There is some peach flavor, but the tart flavor is dominating. If you know what Sweet Tart candy tastes like, then this is very close. I did notice an odd after taste, but the more I had, the less I noticed the after taste. The after taste wasn't bad, just something different. I did not notice any hops flavor or bitter taste. Just alot of tart that goes a long way. Dogfish Head Festina Peche was very surprising and very good. Would I buy it again? Yes I would. It is different and a very good beer. Try one for yourself. I grade this beer an A-. If you haven't tried a tart or "sour" beer, you don't know what you are missing.




Follow Beer Messenger on Facebook, and Twitter. What new beer have YOU tried today?




Cheers,




Beer Messenger

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Xingu Black Beer - Back in Black


Here is a beer that is not typical. Not only is it a black beer, but it is also made in Brazil. The beer website http://xingubeer.com/ informs the reader that the beer is named after the Xingu River in the Amazon Rainforest. There is not alot of information about how the beer is created, although it does state how the beer gets its coloring; black roasted malts from South America. Xingu black lager has an ABV of 4.60%. The aroma from this lager is a slight dark fruit odor. When poured Xingu produces a dark brown head. The color of this lager is near black. At first this beer may appear to be intimidating. Do not let looks deceive you. By appearance alone, you would expect a harsh, deep coffee flavored drink. Think again. The taste of Xingu is wonderful. This lager is often described as "silky", and that would be an appropriate description. It has a light mouthfeel, and is sweet tasting. I do not detect any bitterness. There isn't any particular taste that really stands out, but this lager doesn't need it. The few flavors do come together very well. It is not complex, but it does not need to be. Xingu is an easy drinking beer. The cost is about $9.00 for a six pack and well worth it. I would recommend it to friends, and would definitely buy a six pack for myself. I grade this wonderful black lager a B+. "Yes I'm Back in Black"

Follow Beer Messenger on Facebook and Twitter.
What new beers have YOU tried today?

Beer Messenger

Monday, November 16, 2009

Kona Longboard Island Lager - Wipeout



Let me first state that I have tried other beers produced by Kona Brewery. I judge beers by taste alone, not by who brews them. Some breweries make both good and fair beers. When I spotted this beer, I thought I would give it a try. The official website http://www.konabrewingco.com/ gives little information about the beer itself, although it does provide a long list of awards their beers have won. In all fairness, your beer could have won hundreds of awards, but that doesn't shade my grading of this lager. It is what it is. I do have to give Kona points for the website, it is presented very well.


After opening the beer, I detect the aroma of a traditional lager. There is a sweet malt smell but little else was identifiable. I didn't note anything else particularly special. Longboard Lager has a golden color when poured. The head is white and it soon dissipates. The mouthfeel was lighter than I expected. The taste was pretty basic. I taste malt, annnnnnddd.... malt. That's it. This is a very basic lager. Longboard tastes like a very average lager. It is not a bad beer, but not great either. I really want to call the brewery and say, "Do something with it!". There is a solid base taste to this lager. Now build upon it by adding something to it to make it unique or exceptional. I believe this could be a good beer if only some experimentation was done to improve it. Would I buy this again? Probably not. In my opinion this is a very average lager. I do wish it were a better lager. I grade this beer a C+.




Follow Beermessenger on Twitter, and Facebook.


What new beer have YOU tried today?


The Beer Messenger

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Sinebrychoff Porter - Can I have a beer with this bottle of coffee?



WOW! Really, can I have a beer with this bottle of coffee? This porter is WAY up there with a roasted coffee flavor. Sinebrychoff Porter is produced by the Sinebrychoff Brewery (http://www.sinebrychoff.fi/) in Finland. This brewery has been making beer for 190 years and was the first industrialized brewery in the Nordic countries. Most notably, two of the beers produced by this company (the porter being one of them) made Michael Jackson's list of 500 best beers. The ABV for this porter is 7.20%. The color of this beer is black. It is an intimidating looking beer. The aroma from this porter is sweet, roasted malt. Now for a few surprises. This porter has a HUGE flavor of roasted coffee. The coffee flavor dominates this porter. I am also detecting a chocolate taste as well. Although the bitterness is rated at 45 EBU's, I really didn't pick up much bitterness because of the overwhelming coffee flavor. Also I was expecting a much harsher mouthfeel by looks alone, but I was pleasantly surprised that the mouthfeel was lighter. There is an alcohol burn near the end, but it doesn't detract anything from the porter. Sinebrychoff Porter is a smooth drinkable beer, IF you enjoy a HUGE coffee flavored porter. I would drink a single for variation sake. This bottle of porter cost $3.99. I grade it a B+.
Follow Beer Messenger on Facebook and Twitter.
Cheers,
Beer Messenger

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Barbar Belgian Honey Ale- A great surprise


Barbar Belgian Honey Ale is a great surprise. I wasn't sure what to expect from this beer. The label did have an exotic look. Barbar Honey Ale is made in Belgium and the ABV is 8.00%. The brewery website (http://www.brasserielefebvre.be/) gives some information about how this beer is produced. What I found interesting is that the water used to produce this beer is drawn from springs at the brewery and a unique strain of yeast is used for fermentation. The special yeast is probably part of the reason for the spicy, exotic taste. The color of this beer when poured is yellowish with a nice white head. Breathing deeply, the aroma of this beer is that of alcohol and banana. What it reminds me the most of is banana bread. The taste of the beer is a sweet, banana, honey flavor, covering up the alcohol well. The flavor also includes citrus and spice. This is a very well blended beer. All the flavors come together very nicely. Carbonation for this ale is medium. It is a real easy drinker. Would I buy this beer again? Oh yeah. I would recommend it to friends. The cost for a single bottle was $3.49. I grade this beer an A. Make sure to give this beer a try.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Coopers Vintage Ale - Hello Australia


Coopers Vintage Ale is brewed by Coopers Brewery in Southern Australia. The brewery website http://www.coopers.com.au/home.php does offer information about the history of the brewery (hey, they have Clydesdale horses too) but not alot of information about each beer they brew. The ABV for this vintage ale is 7.50%. This bottle of Coopers Vintage Ale was purchased for $4.49. When I opened the bottle the aroma I first experienced was fruit and caramel. Think of sweet candy and that is the aroma. The carbonation was small and the color of the ale was brown. Not alot of head happening with Coopers Vintage Ale. When tasting it, the first thing to come to mind is caramel and malt. There is also a slight roasted taste deep in the background. This is not a complex ale in any sense. Sometimes an ale does not need to be complex to be good, but in this case, it does distract from the flavor. There just isn't anything special occurring with this beer. Its straight fore ward, caramel and malt flavor. Thats it. There is nothing unique to this ale. In my book I have to take off points for this inadequacy. I do believe this ale could have gone somewhere with a bit more effort, but it seems lacking in taste. It is not bad, but it could be much more in regards to flavor. Would I buy this ale again. Probably not. I grade Coopers Vintage Ale a B-.


Make sure to follow Beermessenger on Twitter!

What new beer have YOU tried today?

Beer Messenger


Monday, November 2, 2009

North Coast Old Stock Ale - Its great to be old






Old Stock Ale is produced by North Coast Brewing Company (http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/). The website offers some information about how this beer is made. Let me first state that if I were judging this beer by label alone, I wouldn't give it high marks. My first impression from the label is that this is a boring beer. It just doesn't stand out. I was very surprised by this beer. Old Stock Ale is a big beer, the ABV is 12.5%. The color of this beverage is dark brown. The head is tan, but does not last long. What odors are detected from this beer? Toffee, chocolate, dark fruit and a roasted coffee aroma. When I first tasted this ale, the first thing that came to mind was WOW. The taste is very complex. The oak is evident, along with dark fruits, carmel, and a somewhat roasted flavor. I seriously could not get enough of this brew when I first tasted it. The alcohol does create some fire in the taste, but it goes very well with this ale. Out of the beers that I purchased that day, this was the one I picked to be least of my favorites. Was I wrong. Labels can lead you in the wrong direction easily. Picking a beer by its label is just as good as choosing blindly. Great beers have bad labels, and bad beers can have good labels. (I will be writing about this topic in the future). Go and try North Coast Old Stock Ale. You will not be disappointed. I grade this beer an A.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale



What is in a name? From the brewery website (http://www.dogfish.com/), this beer is named after the Punkin Chunkin event in southern Delaware. The website goes on to suggest foods to pair this beer with. The alcohol by volume for Punkin Ale is 7.00%. This brew pours an orange-ish amber color. The medium sized head is cream colored. The odor from this beverage is that of cinnamon, spices, and nutmeg. I am not detecting alot of pumpkin in this drink while sniffing it. The carbonation is medium. The taste? I notice malt, some spices (cinnamon is one of them), and a brown sugar quality. Like the smell, I am not noticing alot of pumpkin in the taste. The blend of ingredients does come together well. The malt, spices and brown sugar definitely dominate the taste of this beer. Although this beer is not outstanding, the overall quality is good. I grade this beer a B to B+. Happy post Halloween.

Victory Hop Wallop - Hello Hops!



To start with, the Victory website (http://www.victorybeer.com/) gives a little information about the ingredients for this beer. German Malt and American hops go into this hoppy brew. The ABV for this beverage is 8.50%. To begin with, the color of this drink is yellowish. The color of the head when poured into a glass is white. When smelling this beer the first thing to come to mind is pine. A very fresh, flowery aroma is experienced. There may be a small citrus odor as well. So on to the drinking part. Hello hops! The hop taste is at the forefront of the flavor. Actually the hop wallop lasts from beginning to end of the drink. And it is a very nice crisp and clean taste. There is nothing added to clutter your drinking experience. This beer is simple, (this does not detract anything from the beer) it gives you what you came for; hops. Hop Wallop doesn't lead you astray from its goal. It takes you directly to the hops. Do not pass go, go directly to hops. Better yet, it is not over hopped. The hops cover the alcohol fairly well in this brew. This beer says to me, "You want a good hoppy beer? I'm the one". I grade this beer an A-. Buy one for a friend, but buy a few for yourself.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Why try new beers?



Why try new beers? Imagine that you drink the same beer every day of your life. Boring right? Once you get past the huge beer producers, you find there is a extensive selection from great craft brewers world wide. Do you like sweet fruit beers? Try a Lambic. Belgium brewers are a great source. How about a nice witbier with a slice of orange or lemon. This sounds great on a hot summer day. Many good weissbiers are made in Germany. In the mood for a large hoppy beer? Craft brewers in the United States are brewing up very flavorful hoppy beers.


Take a risk, try a new beer. Ask around in the store where you purchase your beer. You will probably get good suggestions. Do not buy a six pack or a four pack at first. Try to purchase a single beer and see if you like it. Will you always like every new beer you try? Probably not. By trying new beers, you will most likely find some beers you will end up buying again and again. In turn, you will end up sharing your new discovery with your friends. I recently bought a friend a great beer he had never tried before. The alcohol content was high, but the taste was great. At first he was wary of the alcohol content, thinking it would taste bad. After he tasted it he loved it.


Afraid of the beer style? I had this same problem for years. You do not try new beers because you have little or no information about them. At first we judge beers with our eyes. Black beers, are you kidding? Since they are black, they must have a very harsh, roasted malt taste. Not so. Some of the best beers I have tried have been black beers. I am now a fan of black beers. How about those hoppy beers? These have a taste range from slightly hoppy to huge hop bombs. And better yet, since there are many different kinds of hops, the tastes of these beers are just as varied. Try them. Mixed beers? What? Mixing two beers together? You can’t do that. Why not? I first tried mixed beers in Munich, Germany years ago. It was great. Do I always drink mixed beers? No, but on occasion mixed beers are a treat. What about those high alcohol content beers? They must taste a lot like a wine or a shot of hard liquor. Wrong. When these beers are made with the right ingredients, these beers have little alcohol taste and are fabulous. I highly recommend high alcohol content beers. These beers are some of my favorites.


Craft brewers may make only a small amount of beer compared to the big brewers, but they win medals at G.A.B.F. (Great American Beer Festival) time and time again. I recently tried a new beer and WOW, it knocked my socks off. After doing some research, I found this beer did win medals at G.A.B.F. Do not be afraid of the unknown beer. Don’t follow the crowd drinking bad tasting beer. Take a leap, and try a new beer. You never know how great that beer is going to taste.


Cheers!


The Beer Messenger


You can follow The Beer Messenger on Facebook, Blogspot, and Twitter.