The Light Side...

Now that spring (with it's cool and rainy days) has given way to summer (with it's sort of warm, occasionally sunny days) it's time to enjoy some Summer beer!

From the makers of an excessively conceited child born out of wedlock

From the makers of Arrogant Bastard comes a beer designed to celebrate (inside and out) the 13th anniversary of...

It's hard to believe...

It's hard to believe that prior to October 1978...

I almost forgot!

Although I wasn't wild about the Fiji babies, I did have a beer that I rather enjoyed...

Victoria Bitter... Not too shabby!

A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link...

With that in mind, I decided that in order for me to derive a fair and comprehensive conclusion about the current state of beer affairs in the greater Seattle region, it was time for me to take a break from the craft beer cortège, and try a brew or two from the other end of the spectrum.

Enter, Rainier Beer (or as my roommate so lovingly referred to it, “Vitamin R”)

Days and Breweries: Welcome to Seattle

Days in Seattle: 1
Breweries Visited: 1

How long do you think I can keep the 1:1 ratio going??

I think I smell a challenge!!

Summer of beer

Some people like Hefeweisen, some prefer an ice cold pilsner. For me, nothing says summer better than a delicious Pale Ale.

I recently cracked two new Pale Ales, and as I expected I would, enjoyed both thoroughly!

'Merica!

On this great day that is Independence Day, I'm reviewing a truly patriotic beer, an dry-hopped American IPA. I'm reviewing a beer that is very special to me because it is a beer that I made. It's my first home brew, and it's called Amateur Hour IPA.*

I have to admit, when the BrewsTraveller and I were brewing this beer we made a few mistakes (okay, we made A LOT of mistakes). I'm not sure why we made so many mistakes; maybe it was because it was our first attempt, maybe it was because we drank too many beers during the brewing process, or maybe it had something to do with the fact that we spent more time debating different names than actually reading the recipe. Whatever the reason, the fact is that we made so many mistakes during the brewing process, that after capping the last bottle and storing it out-of-site (to sit for the three weeks necessary for the priming sugars to properly bottle ferment and carbonate our beer) we both had serious doubts as to whether or not the final product would even be drinkable. After cracking a bottle (okay, more than a few bottles--you gotta do your QC right?) I am happy to report that against all odds, our first batch was a success!

Here's the rundown,
Color: Light, hazy, copper color

Head: Rich, thick, creamy, off-white head

Aroma: Hop-heavy (we used three different kinds of hops), and sharp, with pine aromas and a hint of green apple.

A.B.V.: Only God knows (one of our many mistakes involved eliminating any possibility of properly gauging the alcohol content. Using my acute powers of perceptions I'd have to guess it around 6 per cent. And if you're curious, the science behind said 'acute powers of perception' roughly translates to "well, I've had a few and I feel a little buzz, but not a big buzz...")

Okay, so subjectively speaking, it's not great, but after making it from scratch makes I feel it taste far better than if I had purchased it in a store. I can't wait to brew my next batch!

I hope you're enjoying a brew of your own today, whether it be home-brewed, craft-brewed, or hell, even mass-brewed. Whatever you're drinking, raise a glass, and cheers to the Red, the White, and the Brew!

-Prost!

D.Lux

*When it came to naming our beer, the only thing that Sully and I ever agreed on was that we should wait until we taste it before we make our final decision on the name. Since I'm writing this now and he's four thousand miles away in Spain, I'll take the liberty of going with the name that I liked best. :)

Deschutes Cascade Ale

This weekend I tried Deschutes Cascade Ale. The lable says it's: "Clean and crisp, with an herbal hop character and a smooth malt profile. A light-hearted citrus finish makes this the perfect thirst quencher." Unfortunately 'thirst quencher' is the part of this description that I'd agree with most...

Stuck Between Rock Bottom and a Great Brewery...

I can't say anything too good or too bad about this microbrewery (in fact, I’m not sure I can even say it’s a ‘micro’brewery . It certainly produces better beer than other national 'chain' breweries (i.e. Rock Bottom Brewery) but I think it would be more than a stretch to call it’s production ‘artisanal’. The food is good, nothing special, but consistent and tasty, and the service (at least at the Tempe location) is about par.


The most enjoyable part of a visit to the Mill avenue location is not the service, the food or the beer for that matter, but rather the location. Perched on the second story of Southwest corner of Mill Avenue and 5th Street the brewery offers spacious seating indoors as well as outdoors on their wrap-around balcony. Sure it’s enjoyable to sit and sip their signature Marzen dark Bavarian Lager with friends, but it's immensely more enjoyable to do so while sitting n their balcony where you can breathe fresh air, and enjoy the sights, sounds, and all around chaos that is Mill avenue on a Friday without any risk of an overly enthusiastic ASU bar-goer throwing up on your shoes.


Definitely worth a try sometime!

-Prost!
D.Lux

Great-Scot, It's Organic!

Great-Scot-It's all Natural!

1. Pale Ale -> Cool
2. Made in Scotland -> Super Cool!
3. USDA Certified Organic -> Double Super Cool!!

I picked up this bottle for little reason other than that it was the only Organic beer on the shelf. With as much beer as I drink (and I drink a lot of beer) it's not often that I try a type or style that I've never tried before. Although I consider myself a (mild) environmentalist enthusiast, I cannot remember ever picking up a bottle of 100 per cent USDA certified organic beer.* As with wine, produce, and pretty much any consumable product in the American market, in order for a label to carry the USDA Certified logo the product must be made 100% naturally (Read: no chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides or artificial flavorings).

Organic brewing isn't a new concept in beer. Hell, beer began as an organic product (now, admittedly although early beer was organic it most likely wasn't any good. In fact, in terms of flavor, and probably more closely resembled stale, fermented, bread-juice than modern beer). However, in recent years the concept of making beer organically has seen an increase and today more and more breweries are producing tasty, natural, beer.

So, enough flirting, lets get right to it with today's BREW REVIEW!

This beer is light straw in color with a hint of honeycomb-orange. I poured the beer right down the center of the glass and was rewarded with a nice, rich, white head. The aroma was extremely light and crisp (more akin to a Czech style Pilsner than a Pale ale) and didn't come off particularly complex.

Upon tasting the beer its high acidity and upfront bitterness dominated my palate. Beyond the zip of acidity, I was disappointed by an all around lack flavor and depth. I'm not sure if my palate is just condition to huge flavor-bombs after a month of almost exclusively drinking hearty winter warmers and rich, spicy, Christmas ales, but this beer just seamed to fall flat big time. There was some green-straw flavoring, and a touch of hops, but that's about it!

Overall I have to say I was not wild about it. On a hot summer day, if I don't have anything else in the fridge, maybe... but if that's all you can say about a beer, than it might not be worth picking up at all. I'm not discouraged though, I know there are some great organic beers out there, and I will find them. If you know of one worth seeking out let me know, I would love to try a few of the good ones so that the next time some one asks me 'hey, brew dork, do you know of a good organic beer I should try?' I can make a confident recommendation**

-Prost!

D.Lux

* I have to take it back already... just a couple of months ago I enjoyed a 'Au Natural' Organic Blond Ale by Grand Teton Brewing Company. Oh well, I'm sure there's still virgin beer-territory out there somewhere!

** What? You don't think I get that question? I get that question ALL THE TIME! I'm the Brew Dork Damn it! :-P

BREW REVIEW - JosephsBrau Brewing Company Dunkelweizen

Dunkelweizen.... Not a lot of people search it out on their Friday night beer run but I wish more did because it's a pretty delish' style. Simply put, Dunkelweizen is the darker, richer cousin of the more popular (at least States side) light and fruity Hefeweizen. Dunkel is German for 'Dark' while Weitzen means 'Wheat'.

While you'll be hard pressed to find a wide variety of them, most reputable vendors will keep at least a couple varieties on hand. They can be easy to miss but take my word for it, they're worth the extra lap around the German beer section.

The JosephBrau Brewing is a subdivision of TJ's Brewing Company and is produced in the same facility as their big brother in San Jose, California. Their Dunkelweizen is marketed as an amber, unfiltered, wheat beer.

When I poured the beer into a glass it showed a brilliant burnt-orange color. It was extremely cloudy and reminded me a lot of fresh-pressed New England apple cider.

The flavors were actually really quite nice. There was a strong malty component and an pleasantly nutty aroma. On the finish I noticed a light citrus fragrance which balanced out the darker richer flavors nicely.

Over all I was pretty happy with the beer. Coming from the Trader Joe's family I was a little afraid (see Trader Joe's Parallel Tasting) but as it turns out my fears were unfounded. And I shouldn't be surprised, like the great wine houses of Bordeaux, many of the larger mass-market brewers will bottle craft or specialty beers under pseudo-labels.

By the numbers, I give it an average score of 5/10 [Flavor 5/10, Balance 5/10, Complexity 5/10]. 15/30.

-Prost!
D.Lux

BREW REVIEW - Shipyard Ale

In case you didn't already know, this past weekend Maine celebrated it's annual Brewers Festival! As I currently live in Tempe, AZ (approximately 27 hundred miles away) I was unable to attend :(

Eager to raise a glass in honor of my home state I decided to scrounged through some of the least traveled corners of Total Wines & More until I found a familiar label. I was quite excited when I found exactly what I was looking for. The bottle I proudly carried it to the front of the store was none other than Shipyard Ale, a household name back home-but in Arizona-quite a treat!

Now Maine may not be the first state you think of when you consider great craft beer states, but what you should know, is that while places like Colorado, California, and Oregon have been enjoying craft-beer's center stage for decades, Maine has been slowly and surely been gaining momentum (and respect), as a true craft beer state. Blogger's like Luke Livingston have even gone so far as to create entire beer sites based on the platform that Maine (in Luke's case, Portland specifically) is truly among America's greatest producers.

So enough about Maine, lets get to the fun part, the BREW REVIEW!

When I tasted the Shipyard Ale today the first thing I though was 'this beer tastes nothing like I remember'. The second thing I though was 'come to think of it, it's been 5 years since I've last had Shipyard, and I can't remember at all what it tasted like!'

After clearing my head of any preconceptions, I took a deep breath, exhaled, and enjoyed a generous second sip...

The color was a pleasant golden amber and average carbonation. The beer was bone dry, devoid of any hop flavor, and extremely light on the tongue. Maybe the most interesting thing I noticed about the brew was that it had a remarkably high acidity. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a citric acid, but there was clearly a sharp, clean zing to it. The acidity, I think, would make this beer an excellent pair for food that was light, buttery, and delicious (something maybe like fresh Maine lobster tail dipped in a butter sauce?)

As a true Mainer, I refuse to order lobster in Arizona, but you can be damn sure that next time I'm in Bangor, I'll give this pairing a through testing!

By the numbers, I give it an average score of 5/10 [Flavor 5/10, Balance 6/10, Complexity 4/10].

15/30

-Prost!
D.Lux

BREW REVIEW - Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale

'Tis' the season for Pumpkin Ale!'

Dogfish Head is one of my favorite craft breweries. They produce unparalleled IPA's and a wide variety of other beers, each a unique twist on a traditional style and each indefatigably* delicious!

But today I'm not drinking any of their versions of traditional styles. Today, I’m drinking their Pumpkin Ale! And why not? Halloween is less than a week away, and when the holiday is done and gone the Pumpkin Ale will be quick to follow. So without further ado, lets get right to the fun part, the BREW REVIEW!

As soon as I cracked open the bottle a flood of aroma poured out of the glass. The intensity of the flavor was stunning, I literally had to look around to verify that I hadn't been teleported to my mothers kitchen by a strange external force. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramelized brown sugar seized my nostrils and set up camp. The beer was much lighter in color than I had expected, more of a yellow/copper than the expected golden brown, and had a beautiful bright clarity (there were no chunks of pumpkin pie crust as I'd secretly hoped).

When I finished pouring the beer I brought the glass close to my face and took in a long, unabashed sniff. Instantly I was filled with warm feelings as my mind raced over memories of holidays and time spent with family. I closed my eyes, held the glass still closer, and selfishly indulged in a second, and then a third long, deep, inhalation. Each draw revealed something different, a memory of dropping a pie (face down) when I was a touch too young to be 'helping' in the kitchen. I picked up a whiff of sweet cream and remembered the feeling of being cold and toasty warm at the same time. I remembered the utter satisfaction of a delicious dessert at the end of a great meal...

After a few more slow pulls I was finally ready to take my first sip. The beer felt much lighter on my tongue that I expected--the weight of two percent, when I was expecting whole milk--and the flavor, surprisingly, didn't parallel the aroma in intensity. After a second sip I made the perplexing and somewhat disappointing observation that the beer was almost a bit watery. Like many of the Dogfish Head beers the alcohol level is fairly high, at 7%, and that did give the beer some structure, but with as high as my expectations were, the flavor concentration was definitely let down. That said, I don't think it's a bad beer--quite the opposite--but I do think that it is a beer that leaves something to be desired. I have no doubt that next year the team at DH will roll out something great, but as for this year, I think the missed the mark. By the numbers I give it a 5 out of 10 [flavor 4/10, Balance 5/10, Complexity 6/10].

-Prost!
D.Lux

*I went back in forth quite a bit on what adverb to use here. The goal was to use a word that would both firmly emphasize the goodness of the beer, and not make me sound like a tool. I settled on 'indefatigably' which I think fails to satisfy either of the two criteria, but after saying it a few times I remembered what a cool word it was, and decided, what the heck-it stays!