Deschutes Brewery Iversion IPA

The final beer in my Deschutes Brewery series.  This is their year round American IPA, can't wait to give this guy a try because I absolutely love the way they brew their hoppy beers.

Aroma - Piney, citrus, resiny hops.  There is a slight sweetness from the malt in the background.

Appearance - Beautiful amber.  Brilliantly clear.  Rocky off white head that laces as you drink.

Flavor - Pleasant hop bouquet, very piney, citrus peel, grapefruit, herbal, and floral, but not as intense as I was expecting.  Next you come to a hearty malt backbone; dark caramel, toasty, and biscuity.  Finishes with a nice firm hop bitterness.  No off flavors.

Mouth-feel - Medium-full, slightly .  This is the only downside of the beer, in my opinion, not as drinkable as some of their other beers.

Overall - A decent IPA.  The hops are there, right in your face with a firm bitterness.  I think that this one might be a little aged.  It comes across a little too sweet and the hop aroma and flavor are on the low side.  I'll have to try this one again.

Deschutes Brewery Twilight Ale

Here's the second beer in my Deschutes Brewery series, Twilight Ale.  This beer is along the style of a light American Pale Ale released for the summer months.  Here are my thoughts.

Aroma - Sweet hoppy yumminess!  Orange, floral, sweet.  Hints of caramel and fruity esters.

Appearance - Brilliant, clear, gold ale with a thin white head.

Flavor - Hops!  Very close to the aroma.  Awesome orange, citrus, and floral goodness!  There is a slight presence of toasty maltiness.  Hints of fruity esters.  Very flavorful for such a easy drinking beer.

Mouth-feel - Light on the palate, with medium carbonation.  Highly drinkable.

Overall -  Great summer beer for the cook out, beach, pool, anything that is summer.  Its a great fruity beer; orange and citrus.  It finishes dry to you don't have to wait around for your palate for the next sip on that hot day.  Grab one before they are gone!

Deschutes Brewery Obsidian Stout

Alright starting a Deschutes Brewery series.  My favorite go to Pale Ale is made by these guys, Mirror Pond.  So I wanted to give some of their other beers a try.  First I'll start with their stout, Obsidian Stout.  This stout is along the style of a Foreign Extra Stout.  This will be bigger and more flavorful than a Guiness.  Here we go.

Aroma - Upfront you get roasty grains, coffee, and chocolate.  I also get some hints of slightly sweet dried fruits and molasses.  There is also a touch of fruity esters.

Appearance - Black with ruby highlights when held up to light.  Nice tight tan head that laces.

Flavor - Nice and roasty, black coffee like.  Slight dark chocolate in the background with a hint of molasses and dried fruit, just like in the aroma.  Pleasant bitterness from the use of roasted grains and the hops.  Very balanced and dry.

Mouth-feel - Medium-full. Very silky and dry.  Very palatable.

Overall - This is a great stout!  The dark grains and malts play nicely to make some great coffee and chocolate notes while not being astringently bitter or burnt.  The mouth-feel is amazing, making this beer a treat to drink.  Go out and get some today!

Stone Brewing Co. 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA

 Alright, Stone Brewing Co. has put out their 14th Anniversary beer.  This is an IIPA, English style!  English pale malt with a ton of English hops.  I expect nothing but perfection from this beer.

Aroma - Straight up hops; earthy, floral, and citrus.  There is a slight sweetness, I'm not sure if it's from the hops or malt, but it's just amazing.

Appearance - Light gold, clear, thin white head.

Flavor - Upfront you get a lot or floral and earthiness followed with some slight citrus/grapefruit.  Hop flavors are followed by biscuit/toasty malt.  Nice and dry.  A very different IIPA.

Mouthfeel - Medium to Medium-light.  Nice and dry.

Overall - This is a very intriguing beer.  Super dry, tons of English hop flavors; very earthy and floral.  Just enough malt to balance the hops.

Great Divide 16th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

This is my first oaked IIPA!  This was recommended to my by my buddy as Spec's.  He told me it is a nice easy drinking 10% ABV beer.  So I picked it up and gave it a go.  I have had a couple beers from Great Divide Brewing Co. in the past and I haven't been disappointed.  Here are my thoughts.

Aroma - Earthy and floral hops.  Slightly sweet caramel.  A nice hint of oak; vanilla, sweet, toasty, and woodsy. 

Appearance - Clear, amber.  Thick head that laces as you drink.  Beautiful beer!

Flavor - First impression; super balanced and tasty!  Complex!  In the front you get a nice subtle charge of hops; mainly earthy and floral flavors.  Next comes the wood; smooth vanilla, oakiness, caramel notes.  To finish it all off is a nice caramel malt sweetness quickly followed by hop bitterness.  Deeee-licious!

Mouth-feel - Medium heavy, a nice beer to sit and sip on.  The finish is dry enough from the use of oak to be quite drinkable, you get some tannic qualities that help dry out and balance the sweetness of the beer.

Overall - What a great oak aged beer.  Super complex and drinkable.  If it wasn't for the wood this beer would not be as drinkable as it would.  I think the wood adds a dryness and body that can balance the caramel malt notes.  Give it a try you will not be disappointed.

St. Arnold Brown Ale

Alright here's another local Houston brewery, St. Arnold Brewing Co.  This is Texas' oldest craft brewery, and they have a strong following for a reason.  Some pretty damn drinkable and refreshing beers.  The way I like to test out a new brewery is to give their Brown Ale a try.  St. Arnold's Brown is along the style of an American Brown.  Enough yapping, time to drink.

Aroma - Pleasant caramel, nutty notes.  There is a faith chocolate aroma mixed in there.  Hints of floral hops present.  No fruity esters or off-aromas.

Appearance - This one is a little on the lighter side for an American Brown Ale.  Dark copper, clear, thin off-white head.

Flavor - Smooth, slightly sweet caramel note followed by chocolate.  Little to no roast present.  Hints of citrusy American hops accompanied by a refreshing hop bitterness.  A nice clean beer.

Mouth-feel - Medium carbonation.  Very drinkable and smooth.

Overall -  Good beer.  Smooth caramelly chocolate malt with a hint of citrus hops.  Nice and drinkable.  Very good with a burger!

Brooklyn Brown Ale

This is the final beer in my Brooklyn series.  One of my favorite beer styles, the Brown Ale!   Brooklyn Brown is an American Brown Ale which is not as malty as the English counterparts but has that American hop presence and finishes a little on the drier side.

Aroma - Hints of dark chocolate, toast, caramel, and slightly nutty.  Slight earthy-floral hop aroma.  Hint of fruity esters.

Appearance - Deep brown, clear.  Thin off-white head.

Flavor - Very malty, emphasis on chocolate, toasty, and nutty with a touch of sweet caramel in the finish.  Despite the sweet caramel, this beer finishes nice and dry, probably due the the roasty nature of the malts and the medium hop bitterness.  There is a slight hop flavor, very mellow.  Very balanced and drinkable.

Mouth-feel - Medium, finishes dry.

Overall - What a great American Brown Ale.  Delicious!  Plenty of malt complexity from chocolates to toast to nuttiness.  Medium hop bitterness to balance.  Dry finish... What more could you ask for in a great, easy drinking beer.  Pick this one up ASAP!

Brooklyn East India Ale

The third beer of the Brooklyn series of reviews.  This is Brooklyn's take on an English IPA.  An English IPA is a more malt forward beer compared to the American counterpart.  It is also not have as big a hop punch.  Let's get it on!

Aroma - Moderate floral, earthy hops.  Hint of grassy dry-hop.  Pleasant toasty-caramel malt.  Slight fruity esters.

Appearence - Beautiful, clear golden-amber.  Thin white lacing head.

Flavor - Hop bouquet up front; floral, earthy, grassy, slight citrus.  Assertive hop bitterness, but not overwhelming.  The malt backbone of this beer balances this bad boy; toasty, biscuit-like, slight caramel.  There is a nice fruity presence in the background that adds to the complexity, making this beer a great drinking experience.

Mouth-feel - Medium body, dry, but has a slight malty sweetness. 

Overall - What a great balanced hoppy beer.  Great complexity from all aspects; hops, malt, and yeast.  Plenty of hop flavor, not as much as an American IPA, but pleasing.  English malty presences, mmm mmm toasty.  Highly drinkable, highly recommended.

Brooklyn Lager

The second installment of my Brooklyn series, Brooklyn Lager.  This is definitely on the top of my list for favorite lager beers.  This beer is considered a Vienna Lager, kind of a little brother to the Oktoberfest.  Here are my notes:

 

Aroma - Toasty sweet malt.  Slight floral hops.  Hint of alcohol.

Appearance - Clear, amber lager.  Thin off white head that laces down the glass.

Flavor - Pleasant malt upfront; soft, toasty, bready, Munich like.  Sharp hop bitterness, slight floral hop presence.  Very balanced and clean.  Sweet malt after taste.

Mouth-feel - Medium mouth-feel and medium carbonation.  Soft across the palate.

Overall - What a great lager.  Represents what a lager is meant to be; clean, balanced, and very drinkable.

Brooklyn Pennant Ale '55

Alright, grabbed the Brooklyn Party Pack 12 pack.  This is the first of four beers in the pack.  Pennant Ale is an English Pale Ale.  Here are my thoughts:

Aroma - Toasty malt, background caramel notes.  Fruity esters. 

Appearance - Clear, golden ale.  Tight thin white head.

Flavor - Beautiful toasty-biscuity malt.  Slight caramel sweetness.  Touch of floral, earthy hops.  A balancing bitterness at the end.

Mouth-feel - Medium, with medium-low carbonation.  Drinkable.

Overall - A great session beer!  Tons of malt, very toasty and biscuity.  There are just enough hops to balance everything out.  I highly recommend this beer.

Samuel Adams Black Lager

This is my favorite Sam Adams beer and a style that is in the top of my favorites.  Let's dig in!

Aroma - Clean malt aromas.  Slight hint of coffee.  Very low sulfur like aroma, yeast derived.

Appearance - Very dark brown with ruby highlights when held against light.  A tight ring of tan foam lingers around the edge of the beer against the glass.

Flavor - Very clean.  Rich maltiness accompanied by a slight coffee flavor.  There is a hint of spicy, floral hops.  Bitterness is there, just enough to balance the sweetness from the malt.  Leaves with a pleasant sweet Munich malt taste.  No fruity esters present.  Great beer.

Mouth-feel - Very drinkable.  Medium bodied.  Medium carbonation.  Perfect for style.

Overall - What a great lager.  Complex rich malt paired with a slightly roasty coffee flavor that is balance by a touch of hops.  Clean lager fermentation.  Highly drinkable.

New Belgium Brewing Co. Eric's Ale

I am really intrigued with sour ales because of Justin Crossley with The Brewing Network.  He goes on an on about how good they are and I really had to try one for myself.  I grabbed this one off the shelf for two reasons.  One, its a (relatively) local brew.  Two, the description; "This is a sour ale for those whose don't like sour ales, and a fruit ale for those who don't like fruit ales."  So let's dig in and see what Justin is talking about:

Aroma - Sourness upfront.   Peach and floral hints in the background.  Subtle funkiness of a farmhouse ale, possibly from brettanomyces.

Appearance -  Clear golden ale.  Fluffy white head that dissipates to a fine lacing.

Flavor - Oh moley!  Nice clean sourness, hints of peach... champagne like.  Very dry.  I'm speechless.

Mouth-feel - Light, very dry.  High carbonation.

Overall - My first sour ale.  I was drawn in by the label, "This is a sour ale for those whose don't like sour ales, and a fruit ale for those who don't like fruit ales."  Very approachable beer, especially for those who aren't beer drinkers.  Very dry, like champagne, accompanied by the 7% ABV.  Hints of peach that goes perfect with flavors of this beer.  Highly recommended first time sour ale.  I'm in love.

Ska Brewing Modus Hoperandi IPA

Woohoo!  Another brewery putting out their craft in cans.  Ska Brewing Co. out of Durango, CO puts out some good brews inspired by Ska music and lifestyle.  Let's dig into their IPA, Modus Hoperandi.

Aroma - Smells like grapefruits, citrus, and pine.  Slight malty sweetness in the background there.

Appearance - Clear, amber, orange brew.  Thin white head.

Flavor - First thing that gets me is the balance of his beer.  There are a load of hops; grapefruit and pine.  Then comes a nice subtle maltiness, not too sweet or over-powering, but balanced.  A nice smooth bitterness finishes everything off.  I'm ready for the next swig.

Mouth-feel - Medium body and carbonation.  Nice and dry.

Overall - What a great easy drinking IPA!  Plenty of hop aroma and flavor, right on for the style.  Very balanced and easy to drink.  Time to go hit the poolside with a couple more of these!

Sierra Nevada XXX Fritz and Ken's Ale

This is the second installment of a dual tasting with Beaner.  This time we pop the cork on the first release of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.'s 30th Anniversary line-up of beers.  These beers are designed by the pioneers of craft beer; Charlie Papazian, Fritz Maytag, Ken Grossman, Fred Eckhardt, and Jack McAuliffe.  The first release of this series is a collaboration from Fritz and Ken, a Russian Imperial Stout.  Here's our thoughts:

Me:
Aroma - Coffee, roasty, molasses, burnt sugars, and dark fruits.  There is also a hit of hops that makes it way through.

Appearance - Deep black.  Opaque.  Thick, sticky, brown head.

Flavor - Roasty, but not acrid.  Hints of fine espresso.  Subtle molasses, burnt caramels, and dark fruits, prunes and raisins peak through.  Firm bitterness, both from hops and the use of roasted malts or grains.  Nice warming alcohol to dry everything up.

Mouth-fell - Full bodied, yet very drinkable.

Overall - Oh what a treat Sierra Nevada has made for us!  Great RIS, tons of roasty coffee flavors from the malts with complex caramels and dark fruity esters.  Pleasant, but in your face hop bitterness to balance the massive malt backbone of this brew.  Dangerously drinkable for 9.2% ABV.

Beaner:
Aroma - Coffee, dark fruits, and molasses.

Appearance - Very dark, opaque, black.  Thick head.

Flavor - Coffee and hops followed with a touch of dates and prunes.  Firm bitterness, yet very smooth.

Mouth-feel - Full bodied, yet smooth and easy to drink.

Overall - One of my favorites.  I love the coffee flavors.  A manly brew!

Oskar Blues Gubna IIPA

Oskar Blues Brewing Co. has recently released their Imperial IPA in cans.  I have been a fan of Oskar Blues ever since I was on my internship in Houston, TX where I had my first taste of their canned beers.  Everything from Ten Fidy to Dale's Pale Ale was great stuff.  So I had to try their IIPA.  Hops are in the spotlight of the IIPA; Oskar Blues uses all Summit hops through out this brew.  So I'm expecting some nice tangerine/orange citrus notes along with some resiny-dank flavors from this high alpha variety.  My broski, Beaner, is in town this week and he stepped up to the plate to give a go on this tasting and review.  I introduced him to the style by reading the Beer Judge Certification Progam (BJCP) guidelines for the style of IIPA.  Then I showed him some techniques of tasting/evaluating and walked him through what I was tasting so that he could get an idea of what he was tasting.  Here's what we thought:

Me:
Aroma - Hop blast to the sinuses!  Orangy, citrus, and drank!

Appearance - A wonderful orangy-amber.  Thin lacing head.

Flavor - Upfront bitterness followed by a hop punch; citrus, resiny-dank, and a hint of onion.  The bitterness is balanced with a hardy malt backbone but not sweet.  No harsh after taste, very clean.

Mouth-fell - Medium, medium carbonation.  Nice warming alcohol after you take a swig.  Smooth.

Overall - Great IIPA.  Very smooth drinking.  Great hop aroma and flavor, complex for just the use of one hop variety.

Beaner:
Aroma - Very hoppy.  Hints of orange citrus and reminiscent dank scent.

Appearance - Orange with hint of amber.  Small lacy head.

Flavor - Very hoppy!  Dank/oniony followed by a smooth citrusy malt taste.  Easy drinking.

Mouth-feel - Medium, medium carbonation.  Dry alcohol sensation, warming.

Overall - My first IIPA and review.  Smooth, great hop aroma, making this easy and fun to drink.  I didn't really like the dank/onion quality to the beer.  But overall this is a good IIPA, best beer I have had from a can!

Newcastle Brown Ale

Yum, Newcastle Brown!  This is by far one of my top five beers.  I love the complex maltiness and touch of hops to make this a incredibly easy drinking and tasty beer.

Aroma - Dark caramel and chocolate tones.  Sweet malt.  Hints of dark dried fruits, figs and raisins.

Appearance - Beautiful clear, brown ale with ruby undertones.  Thin head.

Flavor - Sweet toasty malt with chocolate, toffee, and caramel tones.  Slight hint of fruity esters.  A very delicate bitterness to balance the sweetness.  Dry finish.  Delicious!

Mouth-feel - Medium-light body.  Very drinkable.

Overall - A very nice Northern English Brown Ale.  Nice and dry with a toasty, toffee malty backbone  with a slight bitterness to balance this out.  I love it!

Widmer Bros. Deadlift Imperial IPA

Alright, the heat has hit here in Houston.  What I like most during the hot weather are some nice hoppy ales.  I went to my best bud at the local Spec's who recommended a four pack of Widmer Bros. Deadlift IIPA.  Here's my take on this brew:

Aroma - Fruity and citrusy hops.  There is a hint of sweet malt in the background.

Appearance - Clear gold with orange highlights.  Nice head retention.  Mighty tasty looking!

Flavor - Home run! Grapefruit twang up front followed up with a subtle orange hint in the hops.  A delicate floral bouquet is detected as I work my way down the glass.  There is a little caramel sweetness that follows the fruity hops.  As the beer makes it's way to the back of my palate, I get a nice charge of bitterness that balances all the fruity sweetness from the hops and malt.  Nicely balanced.

Mouth-fell - Medium mouth-feel.  Very easy to drink for an 8.6% ABV beer.  I can easily put back the whole four pack if I wanted without feeling full.

Overall - Quite a nice, highly drinkable IIPA.  I love the Alchemy blend of hops they use in their beers.  The blend is nice and citrusy and floral, the best of both worlds when it comes to hops in my book.  The malt is there just enough to balance the hops and bitterness.  I give it a big two thumbs up!

Magic Hat #9 clone brew

Time to brew again!  My Mums, step-dad Dan, and by broski Beaner are coming down to visit in mid-June.  So I wanted to have a nice lighter beer on tap that everyone would enjoy.  So I went to my favorite brewing resource, The Brewing Network, for a vision.  The Brewing Network has a show by the name of Can You Brew It? where listeners request their favorite commercial beers and have the crew try to brew a clone.  The crew, Jamil Zainasheff and Mike McDole, are two massively award winning homebrewers who have the techniques down-pat.  They interview the brewers who make these beers and probe for the recipes and how they go about it.  In August of 2009 they attempted and conquered the challenge to brew up Magic Hat #9, a wonderful, light, and fruity beer almost anyone can appreciate.  On to the recipe!

6 gallons post boil
60 minute boil
Original Gravity:  1.045
24 IBU
9 SRM

Grain Bill:
4.5 kg (10 lb) Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt
90 g (0.2 lb) British Crystal Malt 80 ºL
Mash at 152 ºF for 60 minutes

Hops:
7 g (0.25 oz) Columbus 14.4% AA - 14.5 IBU
14 g (0.50 oz) Amarillo 7.5% AA - 9.5 IBU

Yeast:
2 each of Wyeast 1968 London ESB or White Labs 002 English Ale.  Start fermentation at 66 ºF and let the temperature rise to about 72 ºF max for seven to ten days.

Brew day notes:

Made a 1 L starter with 1.035 wort at the beginning of the day to get my yeasty boys (1 pack of Wyeast London ESB) started and ready for what was I was making for them.  The starter also helped build up the cell count to almost double.

Wort making went really well.  Hit the mash temperature on the nose.  No problems with the sparge or boil.  Chilled the wort down to 62 ºF in about 40 minutes and then transferred it to my PET fermenter and pitched my yeast and they started up within about four to six hours.

A week later the yeast flocculated and everything looked to be finished up.  So I racked the beer out of the fermenter and into a corny keg which I let sit at room temperature for another week.  Then it was into the keggerator to chill and condition.

After a couple days in the keggerator, it was time to add the apricot extract.  The way I went about doing this was adding an ounce of extract at a time until I reached the same aroma and flavor as the Magic Hat #9.  It took three ounces to get where they were similar.  I think Magic Hat uses a different extract than the one I used, but I would have to say that they are pretty damn close.

But I would not call my attempt cloned.  My version came out darker than Magic Hat's.  This is due to a more vigorous boil I had this time, concentrating the color and adding a little more caramel sweetness.

Both of these beers are brilliantly clear, just the damn humidity is fogging things up.

None the less, this is still one tasty brew.

New Belgium Mighty Arrow

I was in the mood for a new American Pale Ale to try so I turned to New Belgium's offering.  Let's see how it sizes up!

Aroma - Hoppy, spicy-citrus notes.  Hints of biscuits in the background.

Appearance - Golden orange with a rocky off-white head.

Flavor - Upfront you get a nice hop bouquet of floral and spicy notes followed by a nice smooth bitterness.  Then comes the biscuity malt backbone comes to balance everything out.  Very smooth.

Mouth-feel - Medium body, very drinkable.

Overall - Decent APA.  I was expecting a little more citrus note with the use of Cascade and Amarillo hops.  But other than that, a very balance and easy to drink ale.

Magic Hat #9

Aroma - Apricots! Hint of sweet toasty malt in the background.

Appearance - Clear golden ale.  Thin white head.

Flavor - Upfront you get a slightly sweet apricot and then the flavor turns to a nice biscuit-like malt.  This is much like apricot preserves spread on a toasted biscuit.  The sweetness is nicely balanced with a little bit of bitterness that rounds out the whole experience.

Mouth-feel - Medium body, nicely carbonated.  Easy drinking.

Overall - This has to be my favorite fruit beers out there.  The apricot works perfectly with the malt flavors, just as if you spread some fresh apricot preserves on a biscuit.  Nicely balanced.  Everyone would like this one.

Abita Jackamo IPA

Just a random pick up here brewed by my neighbors in Louisiana.

Aroma - Piney and floral hops present, but a little on the low side, with a touch of sweet malt.

Appearance - Golden amber.  Light tan head that provides some nice lacing on the way down.

Flavor - Earthy, floral, and sweet hop flavor up front with a gentle bitterness.  Next you get a dark caramel, toffee-like sweetness that kind of lingers a little too long for my liking.

Mouth-fell - Medium body.  That sweetness seems a bit sticky and you need a little time between sips.

Overall - OK IPA.  Nothing to get excited about here.  I feel that if this beer had a drier finish and more hop flavor and aroma, it would be a lot more pleasing and drinkable.

New Belgium Mothership Wit

Another offering from New Belgium.  This time a selection that falls in the Belgian style ales, Wit.  This is a nice refreshing ale with a load of flavor.

Aroma - Spicy cloves upfront followed by a hint of citrus and sweet malt.

Appearance - Hazy straw yellow.  Not much head on this one, but there is a ring around the edge of the beer that laces down the glass.

Flavor - Upfront you get a crackery sweetness followed by the spicy, peppery phenols that you would expect from a Belgian yeast.  There are also hints of lemon-orange citrus and something slightly flowery or floral in the finish.

Mouth-feel - Very refreshing light to medium body.

Overall - Very nice Wit.  Belgian yeast characteristics balanced with a nice cracker-like malt.  Hints of citrus and flowers in the finish give this ale an interest depth that makes you coming back for more.  Refreshing!

Stone Brewing Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

MMMM, Stone Brewing.  Can't go wrong there.  Here's what I think of this dark hoppy ale

Aroma - Hops up front, grassy and slightly citrusy.  I pick up a slight roast in the background there.

Appearance - Very dark brown, almost black.  Ruby highlights.  Tan head that lasts.

Flavor - Upfront, hops sweet citrus, spicy, hint of grassy dry hopping followed by slight roasty malt backbone.  Smooth bitterness from the Chinook hops that balances everything out.

Mouth-feel - Medium mouthfeel.  Carbonation spot on, supporting the balance and drinkability of the beer.

Overall - Great Black IPA!  I like this one because there there is nice roasty tone in the background that is very interesting and keeps me coming back for more.  I love the hop combo used, nice citrus-orangy with a grassy dry hop presence.  Very balance and quaffable.

Imperial

Imperial, the beer of Costa Rica.  After my recent trip there, I am expected a nice light lager that finishes dry with a touch of malt to quench your thirst after exploring the rain forests.  Let's do this.

Aroma - Sweet malt, slight hint of corn, a touch of noble hop aroma.

Appearance - Brilliant straw yellow, tight white head that provides great lacing as you drink.

Flavor - Not a whole lot there.  Slight breadiness, dry alcohol, hint of noble hop flavor in the background.  Slightly fruity.

Mouth-feel - Light, easy drinking.  Medium high carbonation.

Overall - Imperial is probably how lagers were made before prohibition here in the US.  It is a very refreshing beer easy drinking beer.  More flavor than I was expecting with a hint of noble hop in the finish.  This out beats American swill any day.  Next time you are in Costa Rica in the hot rain forests, I recommend going for an Imperial lager as you take in the beauty around you!

Nethergate Old Growler

I got this beer from my fiance for my birthday, along with several other that will be reviewed here later.  Well I cracked with one open and poured it into a nice English style pint glass.  Here are my thoughts:

Aroma - Smells of dark fruits, dried figs, prunes, and raisins.  A pleasant slight roasty-coffee edge with a hint of sweetness in there somewhere.

Appearance - Dark brown/black with garnet highlights. A nice tight tan head.

Flavor - Slight roasty coffee with a pinch of sugar followed by some dried figs, maybe a hint of prunes.  Dark burnt caramel.  Fruity esters.

Mouth-feel - Medium-thick, very smooth across the palate.  Carbonation medium-low.

Overall - Very palatable, non-astringent, and great English style Robust Porter.  Easy session beer.

Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber

California Common... One of my favorite styles.  This style is an original American beer created in the San Fransisco area during the gold rush by German brewer.  Cali Common is known as a hybrid style, its not an ale nor a lager.  The style uses a lager yeast fermented near ale temperature which give a very unique flavor profile.  Enough beer geekiness, let's get drinking. 

Aroma -   Sweet toasty malt with a slight fruitiness.  A hint of spicy and floral hops.

Appearance -  Rich amber, little on the brown side.  Thick off-white head.

Flavor -  Rich and malty with a nice toasty flavor.  Slightly sweet caramel.  Nice balancing bitterness.  Floral hops in the finish.

Mouth-feel -  Medium.  Nice and easy across the palate.

Overall -  This is a nice malty lager along the lines of a Cali Common.  It is not as dry as Anchor Steam, but is loaded with flavor.  Very balanced and easy drinking.  I love the hop flavor that accompanies that nice toasty caramel malt.  Great beer, you won't be disappointed grabbing a sixer for this.

Spaten Optimator

Classic German Dopplebock.  High gravity, super malty lager.  Can't beat it on a night like this.

Aroma -  Dark caramel with a slight molasses tone.  I pick up some dark dried fruits, like prunes and raisins.  Nice sweet malt presence.

Appearance -  Deep rich red/brown with a thin tan head.

Flavor -  Dark caramel, plum, prune, raisin, slight toasty sweetness.  Very malty, lots of melanoidins providing emphasis of dark fruity caramel, kind of like Grapenuts.   Hint of alcohol and bitterness in the finish.

Mouth-feel -  Medium-full.  Medium carbonation.  Smooth drinking, well attenuated.

Overall -  Very rich, malty lager.  Hints of dark/dried fruits spread on crispy toast.  Very smooth due to attenuation.

I highly recommend this Dopplebock to anyone who hasn't tasted the style.

Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Ale

Southern Star Brewing Co. Pine Belt Pale Ale:  Craft beer in a can!  w00t!  Southern Star is out of Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston.  They make some great beers.  Here's my notes on Pine Belt:

Aroma - Hoppy; pine and citrus notes.

Appearance - Hazy golden orange.  A nice thick white head, finger-thick, that produces some lacing as you quaff.

Flavor - Bright and hoppy up front.  Resiny, piney, slight grapefruit.  Then you are welcomed by a subtle sweet caramel that is balanced next by a firm bitterness.  There is some great balance in this beer with a lovely hoppiness that lingers in your burps... MMM, mmmm.

Mouth-feel - Medium mouth-feel, slightly on the drier side.  Carbonation is spot on for the American Pale Ale category.  Rides across the palate with easy and carries the flavors.

Overall - This beer is fantastic!  Way better than the first time I tried it.  More hops are present this time around.  Seems a bitter drier too, adding to the drinkability factor.  I love the balance of this APA, I can easy knock back the 4 pack that this brew comes in.

Southern Star Brewing Co. is by far my favorite brewery in the Houston area.  Even though all of their brews are hazy, they pride themselves on that fact.  Their moto is "Clarity is overrated" - I agree.  Grab a fourer today ;)

Check out Southern Star Brewing Co.

Left Hand Milk Stout

I'm trying to review a variety of styles... Seems like all I have done are IPAs.  What can I say, I like my hops :)

Anyway, here's my review of my first Sweet Stout.  I have heard nothing but good things about Left Hand Brewing Company's Milk Stout.  So I had to give it a try.

I picked up with bottle at HEB Central Market and poured it into a 16 ounce plastic cup.  I love getting a beer and just chilling outside at this store.

Aroma:  This brew has a very nice aroma to it.  Nice sweet maltiness with hints of some dark chocolate and black coffee.

Appearance:  Dark, dark brown.  Thin creamy head settles out on top and lasts through out the pint.  Holding the beer up to some light, you see that there are ruby tones that shine through.  Very attractive beer.

Flavor:  First thing that hits the tongue is a smooth dark roasted coffee with a hint of cream flavor, slightly sweet chocolate tones.  The sweetness doesn't linger long as it is followed with a roasty bitterness of dark cocoa and roasted grains, but not as intense as say a Dry Stout would be.  That bitterness lingers around a bit, but I like that in my stouts.  It makes you want to take another swig.

Mouth-feel:  This beer is silky smooth.  Light on the carbonation, which is a good thing in the case of a stout.  You don't want that carbonation to accentuate the bitterness of the roasted grains making it too harsh, taking away from the drinkability.

Overall:  Good beer.  What I liked about this brew is the silky mouth-feel and slightly sweet chocolately-coffee flavors.  I recommend that you let it warm up a bit too, letting the full range of sweet, coffee, chocolate, and roasted flavors pop to balance the lingering bitterness that is left behind.  Thumbs up!

Check out Left Hand Brewing Company on the web and go grab a sixer!

Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot Ale

Poured out of a 22 ounce bottle into an imperial pint glass.  Picked this up at my local Spec's.  Here we go:

Aroma:  Piny, resiny hops with a sweet malt background.

Appearance:  Nice ruby brown.  Off white head that leaves lacing as you drink up.

Flavor:  First you get a quick jab of hop flavors: resiny, piny, and floral.  The hops are quickly followed by a sweet malty back bone with a light caramel and roasty notes.  The balance leaves the palate ready for the next sip.


Mouth-feel:   Medium carbonation.  Easy drinking.

Overall:   Lagunitas has never let me down.  This is a great Imperial American Brown Ale.  Perfectly balanced.  Awesome hop flavor and aroma for you hopheads out there.  Great caramely roasty maltiness.  Oh how I love brown ales.  This beer really gives me inspiration to brew.

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid

What makes this brewski so awesome in my book is that it cost me $3.99 for a 22 ounce bottle.  What a deal!  Let's get to the details!

Aroma:  HOPS!  I get a awesome whiff of citrus, grapefruit, and some floral notes.

Appearance:  Nice and clear, golden-orange.  Great head retention that leaves a sticky lace down the glass.

Flavor:  I'm picking up a lot of resiny, grapefruit, and background flower/floral characteristics.  Once you get walloped with the hops, there is a delightfully balancing malty crispness that smooths out that bitterness, making a very drinkable Imperial IPA!

Mouth-feel:  Medium body, supporting the drinkability of this 8% ABV, 102 IBU hop bomb.  Carbonation is dead on, not too sharp or flat, carries the hops wonderfully.

Overall: This is the first Imperial IPA that I thoroughly enjoyed!  I could go through a couple of these in a session.  What affects the drinkability of a beer the most is the balance between bitterness and sweetness.  Hop Stoopid nails down the perfect balance.  Don't take that the wrong way, there is a ton of hop flavor and aroma for all you hop heads out there.  Hands down, my favorite Imperial IPA!

Check out Lagunitas Brewing Company for more info on their beers.

Widmer Brothers Brewing W'10 Pitch Black IPA

 I picked up a 12 ounce bottle of this stuff at HEB Central Market.  I poured this brew into the plastic cup.  Here are my thoughts:

Aroma:  Sweet orangy citrus hops followed by some dry graininess.

Appearance:  Appears black, but when held up to the light there are ruby to brown tones.  A nice dense half inch head that dissipates to a nice lacing ring.  Beautiful looking brew, totally deceiving!

Flavor:  Hops!  Nice citrusy floral blast followed by a smooth bitterness.  Finishes with a nice dry malty backbone, no roast.  Slight lingering bitterness.  I'm ready for the next sip.  As the beer warms, you get a little more malty sweetness and orangy undertones.

Mouth-feel:  Medium body and carbonation.  Travels smoothly over the tongue.  Easy drink!

Overall:  This was my first Black IPA.  I have to say I'm glad it was this one.  I love the orangy citrus hops of this IPA and the supporting malt profile.  Very drinkable.  I could easily drink a couple in a drinking session.

Check out Widmer Brothers Brewery for more info on their brewery and beers.

Diabhal Rosta, the roasted devil

So its about time I brew.  I have been working some crazy hours the past couple days and just need to chill out a bit.  What better way than to brew!

My long time buddy, Jonny, and I came up with this recipe for an Irish Red Ale.  We were thinking of something that wasn't too sweet and had a nice toasty roast edge to it that you could sit and drink multiple pints at one time with out feeling bogged down.  

Being a style from across the pond, we had to go with Maris Otter Malt for the base.  The "MO" as we call it, adds a nice malty backbone that is prevalent in beers from these parts of the world.  To achieve the toasty roast edge we decided to throw in a bit of Special Roast Malt.  I love the stuff.  It is double malted and double kilned which gives this stuff some awesome nutty toasty flavors that you'd expect in an English Brown Ale.  To keep the sweetness at bay, we didn't want to use any crystal malts under 60ºL.  So we threw in dash of Crystal 60ºL and Crystal 120ºL.  The 60 gives you a slightly darker burnt caramel flavor which doesn't leave a ton of sweetness behind.  The 120 gives off a devilish red hue and a burnt, dry, raisiny dimension to the brew.  To top off the roastiness of this red, we went for some Pale Chocolate Malt which adds some roast without the acrid characteristics of say, Roasted Barley or even Chocolate Malt can bring to a beer.  

Keeping with style here, we picked a traditional English hop...  East Kent Goldings!  I love these guys for their flavor and aroma characteristics!  Beautiful gentle floral aroma and soft citrus flavor, mmm!  We are shooting for a BU:GU ratio of 1:2, to keep it on the maltier side.  We hit the devil with a 20 IBU charge at 60 minutes then a half ounce at flame-out for those aromatics!

I decided to use my house yeast, Wyeast 1335 British Ale II.  Jonny's recipe calls for the Guiness strain, Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale.  Just make sure you pick a yeast that can finish this brew to a fairly dry, shoot for an attenuation in the mid to upper 70's.

To the recipe!

Diabhal Rosta (Irish Red Ale 9D)

6.5 gallons

OG:  1.045

60 minute boil

FG:  1.012

SRM:  18ºL

Grain:

3.75 kg Maris Otter
225 g Special Roast Malt
170 g Crystal Malt 60°L
170 g Crystal Malt 120°L
170 g Pale Chocolate

Mash at 152ºF for 60 min.

Hops:

0.5 oz East Kent Goldings (7.2%) - 60 min - 20 IBU

0.5 oz East Kent Goldings (7.2%) - 0 min

Yeast:

1 pack Wyeast 1335 British Ale II

Start at 65ºF and let rise on its own until finished

That name, 'Diabhal Rosta' you ask?  Gaelic for Roasted Devil:  170 g = 6 oz x 3 = 666!  Get it?!?!

On to the brew day.  Started by preheating the mash tun with a gallon of boiling water.  I just let it sit in there until my mash water hits its temperature.  In this case I was shooting for 168ºF.  I got my 6 quarts of mash water up to temp.  Drained the preheat water off.  Tossed in the 6 quarts..... What the hell....  I now have dough in my mash tun!  I don't know where I got 6 quarts from but I was off, by 7 quarts.  Luckily I had that preheat water, added 3 more quarts to that and started heating that up to 168ºF.  Took only a few minutes.  No biggy!

After doughing in with the correct amount of mash water, I measured out my sparge water and double checked that stuff!  Got my 22 quarts of sparge water on the burner and cranked her up!  Everything was smooth sailing through the sparge.  I tried a new technique, heating the wort as it is lautering from the mash tun so that I don't have to sit around for 20 minutes after the sparge for the boil to start.  Worked like a charm, I was basically at boil 5 minutes after the sparge was complete!

One thing that this did to my process is that I had a large evaporation rate...  So my OG came out a couple points high and a little less wort into the fermenter.  Oh well, now I know.

Chilled my wort down to 65ºF in about 60 minutes and pitch my yeasty buds.

Fermentation took off in about 6 hours and finished up in 4 days!  Love my 1335!  The Diabhal Rosta is gonna rest for a couple more days then it will hit the keg for carbonation!

Look out for a review around St. Patty's Day!