Schlafly Brewery - Pumpkin Ale Review

Schlafly Beers

Type: Special Release Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 8%

Sight: Very deep amber red with a lighter orange hue at the base. It is a very beautiful shade of brown. The head pours roughly an inch thick with an off-white color. It dissloves to a thin film on the surface.

Aroma: Nutmeg and a little of the namesake Pumpkin pop at first then I get a light tingle from alcohol along with a deep malt base.

Taste: The top flavors are of clove, nutmeg and alcohol...The pumpkin comes in mellow at first then finishes strong with a nice malty backbone to bring things full-circle. The cinnamon is lax to me I really get more nutmeg and clove spice.

Overall: Someone on Twitter asked today if it was too early to be having Pumkin brews...because of the heat of summer still in full swing. I said it is never too early for pumpkin anything. I love pumpkin and could have it all year round...It  has a medium mouthfeel that leaves a little tingle of spice and alcohol at it's finish. Schlafly, being the first pumpkin beer for me of the season, has brought me back to fond memories of decorating the yard to scare the neighborhood kids, going to the local pumkin patches to do hay rides and such with my boys, and my favorite...horror movies. Thanks for refreshing my memories.

Score: 8.0/10

Dogfish Head - Ryehobeth(Brewpub Exclusive) Review

Type: Rye Brewpub rarity

ABV: 5.5%

Sight: Subdued, but still a flashy golden yellow with nice orange flashes in the light. The head pours thin and bright white with very light glass lacing.

Aroma: Very light nose with subtle hints of citrus and light rye essence. All in all very mild smells from within.

Taste: Biscuit and light orange are upfront with a mild spice from the rye. There is very little hop presence, which usually would be a bad thing to me, but not in the brew. It helps the flavors flow to a finish that is very easy with a little more citrus and maybe a hint of clove or corriander.

Overall: Very easy and enjoyable on the palate. Light but still enough character balance between the rye and citrus to give it a complex feel. The ingredients mix well with each other and balance nicely. Mouthfeel is ultra light with no significant aftertaste at all.

Score: 8.0/10

Dominion Brewing - Octoberfest Lager Review

Type: Octoberfest specialty lager

ABV: 5.6%

Sight: They say copper, but I would say it is more of a dark copper to dark-amber with lighter hues towards the base of the glass. It pours with a thin slightly off-white head that vanishes quickly to leave the surface wide open.

Aroma: Toasted malts, a hint of caramel, along with some spice of alcohol are the main tingles to the nose. On a deeper inhale you get a subtle but still noticable hop presence.

                                                                                           Old Dominion Brewery

Taste: First impression is of a deep roasted malt that plays well with a pleasant dryness. Those flavors meld into a cool tingle from that alcohol presence. The close gives a light hop bitterness that fades nicely to end.
                                                



Overall: My first Octoberfest of the season, and I was not disappointed at all. Dominion has done a great job of keeping the balance between the flavors of traditional Marzen/Octoberfest brews...Roasted malts, medium mouthfeel, light hops, and dryness that is clean and refreshing. A tad deeper in the copper tone than I might expect, but close there also. I Keep trying Dominion brews and continue to be impressed. Keep up the good work.

Score: 9.0/10

Dogfish Head Brewery Tour(Milton, De.) August 7th, 2010

Alright everybody, I started my vacation on Friday the 6th, and my first endeavour was to experience the brewery tour at one of the most respected Micro Breweries in the country, Dogfish Head on the eastern coast of Delaware in the small town of Milton.

The facility is modern and fairly large(they are adding more room for even more tanks), in the middle of a residential neighborhood that seems, was built around it.  I was there by myself(wife and family changed minds at the last minute), and was meeting a fellow beer lover...@brew_thusiast for the tour.

So without further ado I will let Mark(The Guide) take us through the journey of what is Dogfish Head Brewery. I enjoyed it completely and had a very good time shooting the poop with Brew_thusiast before and afterwards.

Dogfish Head Brewery Tour(Milton,De.) August 7th, 2010 from Jason Fellon on Vimeo.

Widmer Brothers - Drifter Pale Ale

Type: Pale Ale

ABV: 5.7%

Sight: Deep translucent rust-orange with a pretty light and fluffy white fingers thick head. That head dwindles done to a scarce white film on the surface.

Aroma: Awesomely sweet malt front with a come-from-behind hop bite that is very inviting...Me being a hop-head an all. A light spice comes through near the end to help close it out.

Taste: Those malts show through in the taste here as well as in the nose. Rich caramels that are sweetened to almost perfection. They lead to a nice orange hoppiness that is crisp and a nice enhancement to the fronting malts.

Overall: First Widmer Brothers brew for me and what a good first impression. This beer is deep and crisp with nice touches of malt and hop, that bounce off each other in harmony. The "Drifter" leaves a smooth, to non-existant aftertaste., while leaving a mouthfeel of light to medium.

Score: 9.0/10

Heavy Seas Brewery - "Letter of Marquee" - Mutiny Fleet - Rye Porter Review

Brewery: Heavy Seas Brewery - Baltimore, Md.

Type: Porter with Rye

ABV: 7.8%

Sight: Obvious opaque deep rich brown, almost black with a full fluffy tan head one finger thick. mild lacing along the sides of the glass leaving a thin film on the surface.

Aroma: Spice of rye and deep roasted malts pop in the beginning. Toffee, a tad coffee and some chocolate hits also. Maybe a touch of earthiness from hops.

Taste: Creamy chocolate and spice tingle the tip of the tongue. There is a mild bite to the sides of the tongue possibly from those surprising hops. Overtones of dry roasted malts actually take over nicely. The end is abrupt and mild...Not at all unwelcomed.

Overall: I get nervous about these homebrewers series beers, because most of them are hit or miss. This one isn't just a hit it is a Home Run...Heavy Seas found a good brew with this porter...From the addition of the rye to spice it up a little, to the hop surprises, its creamy, well-balanced with a nice medium  mouthfeel. Goes well with the cheese In the picture(Real Amish-made Guinness Port cheese), but could also go well on it's own. Congrats to the winners Frank Butt & Neil Heinlein on winning the Letter Of Marquee for this year. Good Job.

Score: 8.8/10

Lagunitas - Hop Stoopid Ale

Brewery: Lagunita's Brewery - Petaluma, California

Type: Imperial Indian Pale Ale

ABV: 8%

IBU: 102

Sight: Orange of light copper that is see-through with a nice fluffy white head that minimizes to a creamy film covering the surface. Nice lacing going down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Tremendouly hoppy with citrus of orange and lemon. A sweet light malt comes from behind nicely.

Taste: Smooth...Oh so smooth, crisp hop bite with a decent light dryness that I love. The middle is malty sweet and easily blends to a subdued finish.

Overall: This beer is superb. excessive on hop bitter and citrus character. Not to agressive as to be overwhelming. The malt is blended just right to have a light mouthfeel and a very chill aftertaste. Hell of a beer Lagunita's....If you like hops balanced nearly to perfection with malts, then this brew is for you. With this beer they put the "craft" in craft beer.

Score: 9.1/10

21st Amendment Brewery - Back In Black IPA Review

Brewery: 21st Amendment - San Francisco, California

Brief History: After meeting in 1995, Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan started the brewery in 2000, in the now hip city center, just 2 blocks from the SF Giants ballpark. O'Sullivan, moved to Berkeley and got a job as assistant brewer at the Triple Rock Brewery. Freccia was tired of LA and moved to SF to begin writing for the Celebrator Beer News. Freccia and O’Sullivan met at brewing classes at UC and became friends. During this time they came up with the plan for the brewery.
At the 21st Amendment, they celebrate the culture of the great breweries of old, making unique, hand crafted beers, great food, and providing a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere that invites conversation, interaction and a sense of community. (some content was abridged from the company's website)

Type: Black IPA

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 65

Sight: The deepest a brown can be without being black. The head pours pretty , tan and 2 fingers thick. Creamy on top and soapy on the sides.

Aroma: Roasted malts, mellow yeast and a little alcohol bite are the main characters the nose picks up.

Taste: A very clean malt that is deep in depth(roasted just right), to front the melange of a brew. Some coffee essence is there, along with a nice hop dryness. The finish is uneventful...In a good way.

Overall: I think this is my first black IPA, and I say "wow". Mouthfeel is light to medium with little or no aftertaste. You actually can get the best of both worlds out of this brew...Stout roasted malt and IPA hoppiness. Can't really go wrong with that and 21st Amendment did a great job in the mixing of the two.

Score: 8.5/10

Riverhorse Brewing Co. - Hop-A-Lot-Amus Review

Type: Unfiltered Double IPA

ABV: 8.5%

Sight: Opaque roasted brown body with a white thin head that mellows out to a very thin surface film.

Aroma: Grass, Hops, and Orange are the over-smells coming from the glass. A mild sweetness of caramel is there in the background.

Taste: Malt and alcohol are the big tastes that hit up front. A little hop bitter follows with a citrus tone, completing the initial tastes. That smell of caramel comes to fruition in the middle of it all. This caramel is the glue that keeps the front and back in a smooth blend.


Riverhorse Brewing Co.

Overall: This brew is a little backwards in its presentation. Most IPA's and DIPA's I've tried have the citrus and bitter up front and the malts are mostly at the end. Not a bad thing...to me it is an original thing and is what makes this brew distinct. The mouthfeel is medium and creamy with an orange aftertaste at the back of the throat.

Score: 7.9/10

(Old) Dominion Brewing Co. - Beach House Golden Pilsner Review

Type: Pilsner

ABV: 5.2%

Sight: Very nice translucent golden yellow body that pours with a thick fluffy white head. There is a thin fluffy film remaining on the surface after the head disappears.

Aroma: Wheat, yeast and a nice surprising hop presence lead in the fresh nose. Sweetness is light, if it is noticeable at all.

Taste: Surprisingly the light malts are the initial impact on the tongue. There are light lemon esters fighting through a light hoppiness. It finishes almost creamy with a tad tartness at the corners of the tongue.

Overall: Very good effort from Dominion. Refreshing and clean with a light to medium creamy-type mouthfeel. The aftertaste is a pleasant tartness to contrast the rest of the brew. A definite thirst quencher that is easily sessionable.

Score: 8.9/10

Old Dominion - Beach House Golden Pilsner

21st Amendment Back in Black Meat Lovers Ring Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound of lean ground beef
1/2 pound of deli cooked ham
1/2 cup of your favorite Bar-B-Que sauce
1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese
2 slices of american cheese
1 tspn. of fresh jarred garlic
2 Rolls of crescent rolls

10-12 ounces of 21st Amendment Back in Black

Steps:

1. Sautee the meats in a pan, draining the fat, then add the Bar-B-Que sauce and garlic. Then add the beer a little at a time allowing it to reduce down. Let meat cool down for about 15 minutes before using further.

 2. Lay out crescent rols in 2 layers in a circle pattern.

3. Lay meat mixture around the layed out crescents, leaving the center as a circle.

4. Add mozzarella on the top of the meats then add the sliced cheese on top of that.

5. Fold the outer tips of the rolls towards the center, covering the meat.

6. Pinch the folded parts to the center parts

7. Sprinkle more cheese on top of the dough.

8. Pop into the oven for 25 minutes at 375 degrees

Wolaver's "Pat Leavy's" - All American Ale Review

Type: Organic Amber Ale

ABV: ?

Sight: Golden brown with lighter tones toward the bottom. Barely any head comes through from the pour. Small lacing on the surface is white.

Aroma: Plentiful hoppy nose with a light malt backbone. No spiciness or alcohol characters come through to tingle.

Taste: Lotsa bitter bite from the major organic hop presence. There is a dry element in the front that i dig also. The malt is an undertone but does a good job of chilling things out to a decent balance. In the end you get a slight bite of alcohol on the throat.

Overall: A nice hop body that makes the malt an afterthought. The mouthfeel is light and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly sour on the corners of the tongue. For most a one an done, but for others it could be drank in moderation nicely.

Score: 7.8/10

                                                                                              Wolavers - Pat Leavys All American Ale

Kona Brewing Co. - Wailua Wheat Ale w/Passionfruit review

Type: Wheat Ale

ABV: 5.4%

Sight: Bright White-Yellow almost completely see-thru. A very thin head pours, then disappears very quickly. No lacing on the surface whatsoever.

Aroma: Very strong wheat essence with a citrus over-scent. Not pulling the passionfruit in the inhale, but getting more lemon.

Taste: Grains and yeasts are the main tastes i get up front. A sweetness of citrus then comes over the top to take over the whole thing. I assume that is the passionfruit. It is nice and mild...just enough to cover the grains but not too much to offend.

Overall: A refreshing and clean brew that has a nice light mouthfeel and almost no aftertaste. The passionfruit is definitely there but it isn't a distraction, its an addition to the smoothness of the beer. A great brew for the summer season or a regular day in the tropics.

Score: 8.6/10

Kona Brewing Co. - Wailua Wheat with Passionfruit

Dundee - Original Honey Brown Review

Type: Brown Lager

ABV: 4.5%

Sight: Transparent deep brown with lighter-brown almost golden hues throughout. Problem is that there wasn't any type of head to speak of through the pour.

Aroma: Nice light malt front with a tingly hint of alcohol that lead to the sweetness of the honey the deeper the inhale.

Taste: A little dryness up front with the honey showing through decently. The brew goes to a mild malt sweetness in the middle with a slight alcohol taste near the end.

Overall: Not bad, but definitely not what I was hoping for either. I wanted a dominant honey taste to be there, but actually got treated to a balance between the malt and the honey. The mouthfeel is light to medium with a slight sour aftertaste left on the tongue.

Score: 7/10


Dundee Beer

Dogfish Head - Namaste Review...100TH Beer Video Review

Beer review number 100 from The Beer Cruiser is a deserving brew from the masters over there in Milton/Rehobeth Beach Delaware...Namaste...A brew that is made with coriander, lemongrass, and orange peel. A refreshing summer seasonal, that hangs high with the likes of Sierra Nevada - Summerfest, and Evolution Craft Brewing - Summer Session...In my opinion.

I know the video is rough. I did it myself on a tripod with no editing...1 take and done. Bear with me on that please. Constructive critisism is always welcome.

Thanks for following on Twitter and being a friend on Facebook. If not hit those links to do so.

So without further commentary, here it is Beer Review #100:


Beercruiser.net - #100 Beer Review - Dogfish Head - Namaste from Beer Cruiser on Vimeo.

Old Dominion - Oak Barrel Stout Review

Type: Stout

ABV: 5.2%

Sight: Deep dark brown, almost black with a very eager fluffy lighter-brown head that is 2 fingers thick.

Aroma: Chocolate and coffee are up front with an alcohol tingle and a hint of vanilla coming through from behind.

Taste: Definite oak flavors comes through nicely. The roasted coffee and light tinges of chocolate and vanilla fight to overcome the dominance of oak, and actually do. Nice balance between the flavors overall from front to back.

Overall: If your into smoked flavors in your beer, you'll love this brew. If not, you'll like it. Nice light to medium mouthfeel. No hard aftertaste like there is in some stouts. A very refreshing beer, that being aged in the oak barrels has only helped.

Score: 8.2/10





Old Dominion - Oak Barrel Stout

Spoetzl Brewery - Shiner "Smokehouse" Helles Review

Type: Helles

ABV: 4.9%

Sight: Golden yellow with plenty of small bubbles of carbination rising to the surface from the bottom. The white head was lacey thin on the surface.

Aroma: Wow...smell lives up to it's name. Smokey wood-chip pop on top of a decent malt backbone.

Taste: malt on top of wood chips is the easiest way to describe it. Very unique to me. The smoke flavor is almost, I repeat almost overpowering. There isn't a big finish either meaning not really an aftertaste.

Overall: Unfortunately, not really impressed. It seems like they did this as a gimmick, instead of for the quality in taste. The smokey wood taste doesn't really add much to this brew. Could taste close to thier "Bock" without that smoked-woodiness. Mouthfeel though is light and if you enjoy the unique taste, it could be an okay session beer.


Score: 7.0/10

Shiner Smokehouse Helles

21st Amendment - Brew free or Die IPA Review

Type: India pale Ale

ABV: 7%

IBU: 70

Sight: Translucent dark-yellow with an overall golden tone. The head pours thick, white, and soapy...dissipating to a fluffy film on the surface.

Aroma: A strong citrus hop front. The malt holds up and supports the hoppiness and keeps it coming til the next inhale.

Taste: Nice malty front with a citrusy bite melded within that malt. It has a creaminess that feels smooth against the walls of my mouth.

Overall: Expected alot and was basically fulfilled. The IBU's are a little misleading to me. They are muted more than expected due to the hyper-maltiness. The mouthfeel is medium with a very light aftertaste on the tongue

Score: 8.6/10



                                                                                                          21st Amendment Brew Free Or Die

21st Amendment - Hell or High Watermelon Review

Type: Wheat

ABV: 4.9%

Sight: Nice straw yellow with a creamy fingers-thick head that evaporates to a thin lacey film on the surface.

Aroma: Grains and yeast cover the pleasantly moderate watermelon esters. Very inviting...

Taste: Mellow wheat front that is overpowered by a sweet watermelon. Malt follows from berhind and the melon comes back to reignite the sweetness. It has light to no aftertaste.

Overall: great idea of the watermelon infused wheat ale. Not to much fruit taste to make this weird or disgusting. It is a good balance between the wheat malt and melon juice. Definitely a sessionable brew with it's low ABV. Perfect for a summer day at the beach, especially because of the 12oz. can packaging.

Score: 9.0/10 


21st Amendment - Hell Or High Watermelon

Type: Helles


ABV: 5.7%

Sight: Straw yellow with a ever so slight tinge of orange to make it different. The head pours ultra thin and is gone instantly.

Aroma: Grainy and yeasty with no significant sweetness to speak of. Very mild to even a deep breath.

Taste: Almost the opposite of the nose...sweet malt comes through strong. A light citrus note hits also. The finish is clean and leaves a very light tingle to the back of the tongue.

Overall: Very refreshing and clean. A definite session brew. The mouthfeel is light. There is no aftertaste of any signifigance. Light alcohol content is another big plus to drink a few of these during a hot summer day.

Score: 7.9/ 10




                                                                                                                         Fordham Brewery