Great Divide – Wild Raspberry Ale

I’m not usually a fruit flavored beer guy, but I thought I’d step away from reviewing a pale or IPA for a second and try something different.  Great Divide is a well respected brewery so I figured I’d start there.

The first thing I noticed about this beer was the color, it has a dark ruby red appearance and not too much head.  I’d give it a medium body, super sweet in the beginning and ends up with a dry finish.  That’s also where you notice the raspberry flavor – in the aftertaste.  It was lighter than I expected but that works for a fruit beer, the refreshing nature would probably compliment a salad or something… but for some reason drinking beers and eating salads doesn’t go together for me.

One of the largest takeaways I got from this beer was that biases  can carry over in tasting.  I hope this doesn’t discredit my blog, but I guess I got inside my own head when trying this and didn’t give it the chance it deserves.

BrewDog – Dogma

This beer ended up in my fridge although I never purchased it, but after a couple weeks I decided the original owner wasn’t coming back and I went to work on it.  BrewDog is based out of Scotland and was started by two guys fed up with the microbrew situation in the UK.  They’ve made quite a name for themselves and this is one of their more popular experiments.

What’s nice is the diversity of ingredients they added to Dogma to make it interesting, on the bottle it notes honey, kola nut, poppy seed and guarana.  The honey stands out the most, and gives it a nice sweetness.  I couldn’t discern many of the other flavors (I’m not huge into kola nuts or guarana) but they tasted great assuming they were in there.  I would liken it to a belgian ale because of the spice, but it’s so much more than that.

Aroma comes in strong with citrus and honey blossom, there is a rather thick mouthfeel and the color is a copper amber.  At 7.8% alcohol it packs quite  punch, but isn’t noticeable when drinking it.  I highly recommend this as a beer for any situation, but most importantly if you’re looking to try something with  unique ingredients.

Longhammer IPA

Plenty of branding going on in this picture for Red Hook, a great Seattle based brewery.

There isn’t a lot that I would write about this beer, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  IPA’s are usually known for their content which is probably why I’ve reviewed so many in the past.  This beer is lacking in that aspect, I can honestly say it’s the lightest IPA I’ve ever had.

Here’s why you should buy it:
It’s the perfect stepping stone into hoppy beers.

You’ll notice in the picture the coloring resembles a pilsner: clear, light gold, and crisp looking.  That’s how it goes down too, you still get a great floral aroma but it’s a really smooth ride which is perfect for the summer when you don’t want something to weigh you down but want to enjoy something complex while taking in the weather.

Rating: 6.5/10

Hitachino Nest – White Ale

I’ve never really thought of Japan as a big name on the brewing scene. Sure I’ve done Saki Bombers before, but those beers never stood out to me in any way (maybe because of the manner I’m drinking them).

Hitachino Nest is not your average Japanese Brewery. They’ve been around since the 1950′s and fit the qualities of most micro-breweries in America, but you’ll still pay a pretty penny for these bottles since they’re not common imports. Although I’ve only had the white ale, it’s something to write about. It sticks closely to belgian tradition – be ready for the familiar flavors of orange peel, coriander and nutmeg. Overly tingly mouthfeel and a dry finish with a mild haziness to match. It’s refreshing but still has a medium to light body. What set this brew apart however was that the spiciness had a ginger quality to it and I got hints of Jasmine as well.

This beer is the my choice beverage to enjoy in Arizona right now, the orange tree’s are blossoming and the weather is perfect for sitting outside all hours of the day. I give it an 8.75 out of 10.

Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

I sampled this beer when I started this blog and didn’t think it was worth reviewing, but my second experience was much more satisfying. It comes out of Southern California by one of the larger names on the scene Stone Brewing Co.

I didn’t know how to classify it before but now I’d say it reminds me the most of a Nut Brown. There are subtle notes of coffee flavors from the malts and an even more subtle hop presence which gives a bittering mouthfeel. This mouthfeel is the only setback for me, the aftertaste lingered longer than I would have liked, but this encouraged me to leave less time between sips (not a bad thing). The “Oaked” label in the name really shows its presence in the aroma: it smells like an amazing outdoor grilling festival, and I was craving sauerkraut or grilled onions every time I took a whiff. It has beautiful brown-amber coloring as well, and a medium head.

7/10 (but my standards are higher than they used to be)

Fridge Logic

I haven’t posted in a while and that’s because a lot has been going on in my life, the past two weeks I’ve been moving into my new house and it’s taking up a lot of spare time. One of the best parts about having my own place though is deciding what beer to put in the fridge.

Stocking an abode with proper beverages is a nice touch, it automatically makes you a good host when you can offer different beer choices to a guest. I have been acquiring pint glasses from brew pubs I attended as well, so I have something nice to pour into.

I put a decent amount of thought into what beers would be showcased in my fridge and I think I have a pretty good setup. 12 beers at a time, because any more than that can be overwhelming and give off the wrong impression. I have select brews outside of this that I’m tasting at the time, or maybe that a friend has brought over, but there are three types of beers I like to always have on hand: Light Beer, Microbrews, and Premiums.

Any variation of these will be fine, but I’ve chosen: Miller Lite, Mirror Pond – Pale Ale by Deschutes, and Heinekin.

I like for my light beer to be domestic; America has become the master of low calorie/low carb beer, which may or may not be a good thing. These beers suit people on diets, blue collar workers who’ve finished up a job on your house or a game of flip cup. I’m not a fan of Miller, but it was passed down from the previous homeowner (thanks Anna).

Microbreweries are there for adventurous visitors to your house who no matter what their tastes are looking for an experience. I chose Mirror Pond because it’s a nice benchmark Pale Ale (it was also 9.99 for a dozen.) These beers should be Ale’s in order to add some body to your selections.

For the premium beer I like to choose something known worldwide, and imported. Heinekin, Stella Artois, Amstel Light, even Corona would be a good choice here. Giving these beers as an option makes a large impression on your visitor since these are usually the most costly.

The most important thing however, is that you give your guests a choice.

Winter Seasonal Review

The Selection

Seasonal beers are my favorite way to get a good grasp on the versatility of craft breweries. It forces brewers to be creative in order to fully capture not only the perfect combination of Hops, Malts, Spices and Citrus but to match that combination with the season. I chose seven winter beers from breweries I was familiar with and decided to find my favorite. I think the key to a good winter seasonal is making a beer with the proper amount of spice and malts to keep you warm even when it’s enjoyed ice cold.

7. Lagunitas – Brown Shugga
Petaluma, CA
9.84% alcohol
I guess the sugar was too much for me, which landed this beer in the 7th spot. The high alcohol content wasn’t noticeable which could be a bonus to some, but I found the thick body and overpowering spice the downfall, it was hard to drink. Beer should always be refreshing even in the coldest of times.

6. Sierra Nevada – Celebration Ale
Chico, CA
6.8% alcohol
There was a unique hazy copper hue, and it showed this beer was less filtered than the others, there was a mild spice in it which pushes what would be a pale ale into something else. But for a celebration ale, this one didn’t really stand out like others, Sierra Nevada has been around for a long time but their seasonals still don’t do it for me.

5. Big Sky – Powder Hound
Missoula, Montana
6.2% alcohol
This was the hoppiest of all the beers I tried, it had a powerful hoppy aroma and a great amber coloring. While it tasted like an amber it had much more bite than normal, which can be good in winter ale’s , but I would have liked more malts in this one considering the heavy body.

4. Blue Moon – Full Moon
Golden, CO
5.6% alcohol
This beer was rated highest by my brother and Dad but the roasted malts and dark belgian sugar didn’t add enough holiday flavor for it to be my favorite. It reminded me of a light beer, a pilsner maybe, but it had darker coloring and a much fuller body. This would be the best choice if I was having a lot of them because it went down uncommonly smooth for a heavy beer.

3. Deschutes – Jubelale
Bend, OR
6.7% alcohol
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for Deschutes, but their dark beers are so well done it’s just what I look for in a nice winter beeer. This beer had the darkest color and maltiest flavor but was still balanced enough to take third place, since it lacked that little something extra to set it apart from their usual brews.

2. New Belgium – 2° Below
Fort Collins, CO
6.6% alcohol
Copper hue with a piney aroma and wood flavored undertones, this sounds awkward but after a sip you’ll realize it’s subtle enough to work. Not too much hops or malt, but enough body to keep you warm. The dry hops are what I figure give this beer the unique woodlike flavor, and still very drinkable.

1. Anderson Valley – Winter Solstice
Boonville, CA
6.9% alcohol
Everything came together for this beer which is why I would rank it my favorite winter seasonal. It had a mild spice which I like in a winter seasonal but you only really picked up on it in the aftertaste. There was a nice hoppy aroma and Dark Amber color which excites your palate then it’s a smooth ride all the way till the finish. Easily the most drinkable beer I had of the night, it has just enough to keep you warm but not too overpowering in any way.

The Winner