#7. Alpine Spring - Boston Beer Company

Today I am trying a new beer from the Sam Adams people, Alpine Spring. Now I have been a fan of Sam Adams for a long time. I feel that modern craft brewers owe some level of gratitude because Sam helped launch the microbrew craze. However, that was then and this is now. Based on their website they make over 40 different beers which makes me curious as to if the brewery can consistently crank out quality, tasty brews.

Since the label reads that it is an unfiltered beer, I immediately think that this is similar to a hefeweizen. I pour it into a wheat beer glass and take notice of the cloudy, but slightly darker than pale body. The head is very white, with dense bubbles.

On the nose there is citrus and some pineapple. A faint sourness is there too, almost like lemon. There is a subtle little hint of pine. As the beer continues to warm up I get Lavender coming through (which I love - my favorite scent).

The taste is a little malty with some hop bitterness on the back of the palate. I get a little citrus flavor , that of maybe lemon. But it isn't the tangy part of the lemon or the zest, but rather the pith. It is a little unpleasant and the bitterness lingers a bit.

This would be a good beach beer that you could pound all day, but so is Coors Light. I had higher expectations for this beer like I do with all the Sam Adams varieties, but this one is too light on flavor to really stand out. I don't quite get why this one was made with all the other varieties Sam makes. I give it an 80 out of 100.

#6. Baltika 7 - Baltika Brewery

I have to admit, I was a little scared about this one. Mother Russia has never been one for quality and a Russian friend of mine thought I was crazy to try it. In the back of my mind I thought maybe blindness or even death, but what the hell.

First off, it is a green bottle which tells me this might be a little skunky. I have to admit though that I don't mind skunkiness all that much. Call me weird. This one has an unusual crown that looks almost like an old fashioned pull-top. It comes off with a nice "pffttt" like you get with a bottle conditioned ale.

As I pour it into a pilsner glass, I am first noticing the very pale, straw color. This one starts to remind me of a typical American lager.

On the nose there is a slight skunky smell, but nothing too offensive. Outside of that there is a smell of sweetness probably coming off adjuncts in the malt. My guess is a lot of rice and corn, yet their website makes no mention of anything but pale malt.

Drinking it, I am amazed to find that this beer has no flavor whatsoever. The only thing that gives me a hint that I am drinking beer is the slight bitterness of hops and carbonation. I might as well be drinking water. This is probably the lightest bodied, lightest flavored beer I have ever had. If you go to their website and get past the initial load, there is an ocean scene which is appropriate - this is my new "canoe beer." A special shout out to the honey once the website completely loads - I'd buy beer from her.

They describe the beer as one with "special mildness" which is probably putting it lightly. I can't give this one a score.

We now have "beer" in Texas!

In another victory for the abolishment of antiquated, stupid laws in this state, a judge last month struck down laws that relate to what we call beer here in Texas. Anything below 5% ABV could be labeled as "beer" while stuff above that limit had to be known as "ale" or "malt liquor." Another silly law prohibited brewers from being able to tell consumers where to find their suds. Those laws are no more! You can read more about it here in a blog post from the good folks at Jester King Brewery.

#5 John Durgin Ale & Boston Trip

So I haven't been exactly on the ball with the blog lately, but that is because I was traveling on business all last week. I have been to Boston many times and with breweries like Samuel Adams and Harpoon right there, I always seek out beers that I probably cannot find in Texas. Only once did I find something that fit and that was for John Durgin Ale that I found at the restaurant Durgin Park in the Quincy Market area.

This was a surprisingly tasty brew being that it was a private label beer for the restaurant. I have found those to be hit or miss, but was one that stood out a bit.

The beer is brewed by Harpoon and is named for one of the restaurant's namesakes (the other being Eldridge Park).

I was with a few business associates and didn't take any notes, so this is going to be by memory. The pour was a golden, slightly orange hue with a good head. As you can see from the picture there is a good amount of lacing as the head dissipated. The aroma was piney with a slight hint of citrus. There was a subtle smell of malt, but mostly the pine and citrus. On the palate was a little bit of malt, but then a good dollop of the hops broke through. This is an American Pale Ale (I think) and it immediately reminded me of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but with a smaller amount of the piney hop flavor. I would definitely drink this one again as it was smooth and flavorful. This would be a good brew for those that like a little bit of hoppiness, but can't go all the way with an IPA. Very well done at an 88 out of 100.

If this was the only local beer I had, what else did I drink? Mostly wine with dinner as I had steak and Italian while I was there. I was also fortunate to find a small, mostly hidden bar that was featured in the Food & Wine list of Top 50 Bars called Drink. I read some of the reviews off Yelp and Urbanspoon and it piqued my curiosity. One one hand you had a lot of people say it was fantastic, then others say that the long waits on the weekends (several hours) made for an overrated experience. I found basis for both sides of the argument.

We arrived about 5:00pm after our last meeting ended and it was damp and dreary outside. Surely nobody would be tying one on in this kind of weather on a Thursday, but the place was already hopping. The place is in the lower level of a nondescript office building with no visible external signage. This place would be easy to miss if I hadn't already known what to look for (thank you, Yelpers).

For my first drink I asked the server about the house specialty which his reply was a smug and arrogant "Anything." Fine - bring me back anything. The drink was called a "Fort Point" which was Rye Whiskey, Grenadine, and I believe Benedictine. For my palate I could not taste anything by the whiskey, but then again I am a hard liquor wuss. Too many times growing up did I throw up on Tequila, Rum, or Vodka that I still have a hard time downing fire water. But I still think it was a well-crafted drink because there were no odd flavors that you get with cheap booze. And at $12 this was not made with cheap booze.

The next drink was placed directly with one of the bartenders which numbered about 4. When she asked what I would like (again in a rather smug way), I said "I don't care." She walked off and consulted what appeared to be an encyclopedia of drinks and came back with a drink called "I Don't Care." Touche, my dear bartender.

This drink was more my speed. It also had some Rye Whiskey, but also featured Creme de Minthe and Grenadine. It was cool and refreshing and the flavor of the whiskey was nicely balanced against the mint.

I hope to get back to regular drinking soon. In the fridge I have a nice, big bottle of some Belgian Ale and a 22oz bottle of some sort of Russian beer that cost me $1.50. I am sweating that one a bit.

#4 Annual Grand Cru - BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse

The second beer tonight was courtesy of date night with my 2 year old daughter. BJ's Brewhouse is a California based chain that is modeled after the brewpub style that has become very popular. From their website they say most of their establishments do not brew on premise which is a shame, but in the name of quality control I guess that makes some sense. What I have found on the internet says that all beers come from either 2 of their own breweries or contract brewers.

I have visited a few brewpub establishments over the years and for the most part their products have been mostly passable. My expectations for a large brewpub chain probably fall somewhere between average to slightly above average in terms of flavor and quality. I have been to the BJ's in my neighborhood several times, but usually opt for a beer from other brewers which is a little bit unusual for a brewpub. They have a fantastic selection of Belgian beers for a casual restaurant.

The Annual Grand Cru is brewed every year and is available January/February. It is a heady 10% ABV and has won some awards, so lets see how it goes.

First off I have to comment on the head. It consists of very fine bubble and is very creamy. When I took my first sip I was a little surprised at the amount of creaminess to it and it made for a good start.

The color of this beer is like a light amber, only not clear as say a lager. Definitely in the style of a Belgian tripel although they do not classify it as such.

The nose on this one is muted which I think stems from the temperature of this beer - it is American light beer cold. If you put this one in a Coors bottle the rocky mountains would be blue its so cold. After letting it warm up a bit I pick up a faint smell of banana and some spice along with the slight mustiness of a stale beer. Not sure if this is because of unclean lines, but I can definitely smell it.

Tasting it, this beer has a light mouthfeel. The flavors I pick up are orange peel and coriander, heavy coriander. My first batch of homebrew had a very similar flavor profile which is not the biggest compliment.  There is a lingering bitterness in the aftertaste along with a tinny, metallic finish. This is most noticed when I drink it solo and it is not perceptible with food. I am really into Belgians these days and if I were to crave one, this would not satisfy my craving.

I have tasted most of the brews at BJ's and have found them to be fairly bland, bordering on conservative. It is almost like they are a brewpub for those that regularly drink Bud and Coors and play it safe. This one is probably one of the better beers I have tried there, but again it is probably a little safe for the style of beer. 80 out of 100.

#3 Sawtooth Ale - Left Hand Brewing Co

One of tonight's entries comes from the good folks in Longmont, CO at the Left Hand Brewing Co called Sawtooth Ale. This is an American ESB which comes in around 5.3% ABV.

Left Hand produces one of my favorites in their Milk Stout. Some of the first "good" beers were stouts and I like that creamy, luscious style that you get from a milk stout or an oatmeal stout. I haven't had too many from Left Hand and I think this is the first time I have tried this one, so here it goes.

First thing -  I need to work on my pouring technique. I am pretty sure this one would have had a decent head if I would just do it like it is supposed to be done, so let's not dwell on my head deficiency.

On the nose I get a subtle woodsy scent, almost like hay or sawdust. Not piney at all. There is a hint of caramel lingering around too. There is a little sourness too, which I dig.

The color is light amber, almost going to pale which probably stems from the wheat that is used.

The flavor is more malty than anything, but again that wheat is tempering things out. The back end yields a slightly herbaceous tone, but nothing in your face. There is very little carbonation which is indicative of this style along with the lack of bitterness. This is a fairly clean flavored beer that goes down easy.  Not a bad one, but not one that keeps my interest. 84 out of 100.

50 Best Beers in America

Several months back, Zymurgy magazine published a list of the 50 Best Beers in America as voted on by their readers. Not quite sure I agree with the title of the list since I can get Chimay in America and surely one of theirs would have cracked the list. Maybe they should have called it "50 Best Beers Brewed in America."

Anyways.

I thought it would be fun to seek out and try as many as I could just so I can hang a little mental trophy in my head to say I have accomplished something. Here it is almost 7 months later and I think I have tried all the ones I possible can find in my area of Texas - these are denoted in bold & underline. At least one (Pliny the Elder) was found during a trip out to San Francisco, but most others were found locally.

3 things:

1. Not bad progress, although disappointed that some of these are not distributed in my area.
2. My list would be different as would most everybody's. I liked Pliny the Elder, but it would not have been my #1. My favorite Oskar Blues beer isn't even on  the list (Gordon or G'Knight).
3. I am a sucker for lists.

1. Russian River Pliny the Elder
2. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
3 (tie). Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
3 (tie). Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout
5. Bell’s Hopslam
6. Stone Arrogant Bastard
7. Sierra Nevada Celebration
8 (tie). Sierra Nevada Torpedo
8 (tie). Stone Ruination 
10. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 
11. Stone Sublimely Self Righteous
12. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine
13. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
14 (tie). Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
14 (tie). Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
16 (tie). Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
16 (tie). New Glarus Belgian Red
18. North Coast Old Rasputin
19. Bell’s Expedition Stout
20 (tie). Deschutes The Abyss
20 (tie). Left Hand Milk Stout
20 (tie). Odell IPA
20 (tie). Samuel Adams Noble Pils
20 (tie). Surly Furious
20 (tie). Troegs Nugget Nectar
26 (tie). Rogue Dead Guy Ale
26 (tie). Samuel Adams Boston Lager
28. Anchor Steam
29 (tie). Bear Republic Racer 5
29 (tie). Ommegang Three Philosophers
29 (tie). Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
29 (tie). Three Floyds Alpha King
29 (tie). Three Floyds Dark Lord
34 (tie). Avery Maharaja
34 (tie). Dogfish Head Indian Brown
34 (tie). Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
34 (tie). Three Floyds Gumballhead
38 (tie). Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
38 (tie). Lost Abbey Angel’s Share
38 (tie). New Belgium La Folie
38 (tie). New Belgium Ranger
38 (tie). Oskar Blues Old Chub
43 (tie). Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
43 (tie). Great Divide Yeti
43 (tie). New Belgium 1554
43 (tie). Russian River Blind Pig
43 (tie). Ska Modus Hoperandi
48 (tie). Alesmith Speedway Stout
48 (tie). Dark Horse Crooked Tree
48 (tie). Green Flash West Coast IPA
48 (tie). Summit EPA
48 (tie). Victory Prima Pils

#2 Brooklyn Winter Ale - Brooklyn Brewery

Today's brew is a seasonal from the folks over at the Brooklyn Brewery - the Brooklyn Winter Ale.

This one is a beautiful copper color (I need to work on my photography a bit - its hard to tell from my picture) with a short-lived, off-white head.

There is not much going in the way of the nose. I pick up the malt and a slightly earthy component, almost like a compost mulch smell. There is a slight mustiness to it, but not in a bad way at all. I pick up a little caramel and toffee at the end. One thing I have noticed in really smelling my beer that differs from smelling wine is just how tight he nose is at first. I definitely need to let the beer warm up a bit before I can pick up anything. I also have noticed with this one that I need to take about 5-10 second breaks before sniffs which I don't tend to need with wine. But anyways, I have been taking some whiffs in now for almost 10 minutes and it is opening up more.

On the palate it has a very light mouthfeel with little carbonation. The flavors are definitely very malty with a slight sweet tinge. Based on what the Brooklyn Brewery website says about this beer, there are some American roasted malts and that is the predominate flavor that comes across. There is an ever so slight bitterness on the mid palate and some caramel, but not much else.

When I think of winter beers I really associate darker, heavier styles with lots of spice. This one is a little dark, but not very heavy at all and is mostly sweet malt in taste. It is only 6% ABV and somewhat reminds me of a American bock than anything else. Not a bad brew, but nothing that stands way out either. 82 out of 100.

#1 - Brother Thelonious - North Coast Brewing

This is my first beer review and I already think I have messed it up a bit. For the greater part of my drinking life I have been throwing them back straight out of the bottle. I live in Texas and the longneck is a way of life, so the idea of glassware is something of an afterthought.

This beer pours well with a head of very fine bubbles. I poured it into a Belgian ale glass which was probably the wrong choice. I should have broke out my Chimay chalice because I could not detect any kind of a nose at first. After a few sips I sniffed again and out comes the banana, clove, and a faint hint of caramel. There is a little bit of another spice, but it is a little hard to pinpoint at this time.

The color is a dark amber, close to a dark maple syrup.

The mouthfeel is fairly light in my opinion. The classic Belgian tastes of banana and clove come through, but there is also a bit of nutmeg which is not one of my favorites. I like bitterness of hops, but not really the bitterness from nutmeg. Not sure if it is used, but I definitely pick up something like it on the back end and it is a little cloying. Maybe it is molasses.

At 9.4% ABV I expected this one to be a little hot, but the sweetness of the malt really balances it out. I could pound a few of these and not realize the high alcohol content unlike that of say an imperial stout.

After about 3/4 of the beer gone, the taste still lingers a bit which would be OK if it wasn't for that nutmeg-like flavor.

All in all I think this is a pretty decent Belgian style ale. The bitterness of the nutmeg or molasses is not enough to drive me away entirely, but there are other ales in this style that I prefer. 86 out of 100.

So - here it is, 2012 and the need to feel like I am doing something different and more profound than I did in 2011. Aside from the obligatory resolutions of weight modification, financial independence, and fitness attainment, I thought it would be good to try this blogging thing again. Not that my first attempt was all that bad, writing is just not my forte. However, drinking is somewhat of a talent if I were ever to have one. I like to imbibe on occasion, so that is what I am going to blog about this time around. Maybe this will help me keep focus and interest in putting things in my mind down on electronic paper.

I was never great in English. I can spell fairly well, but probably butcher most known rules of sentence structure. Suck it. It shouldn't take proper grammar to get my words across and everybody will know what I am saying even if I add a comma somewhere it doesn't belong. But I do want to try and exercise the creative side of my brain before it really turns into Jell-O.

Now back to the drinking. Like I said, I imbibe on occasion. I probably got my first taste of alcohol stealing wine coolers out of my folks fridge back in junior high. We had this field not too far from the house and the guys and I would spend hours every day in the summer waxing poetic about some skin mag that one person brought along with a beer or 2 that we were able to steal. Back then my parents drank mostly the hard stuff, so on occasion I would take a wine cooler that had taken up permanent space in the ice box. I think they were remnants of a party that my parents had thrown and nobody was drinking them, so why not me. They were California Coolers I believe (..."one more reason to hate California" was the way the jingle went).

Then there was high school and the requisite weekend party where for some reason alcohol showed up. Back then I was a cheap date - 2 beers tops and I was out. I also had this fascination for Malibu Rum and Orange Juice. I can still taste it now and it conjures up a whole lot of interesting memories.

College was where I really began to drink. Yes there were times of excess and we will leave those stories for another time. I am talking about being selective in what I drink, thinking about what I like, and seeking out items to expand my palate. Before this time I still drank mostly Malibu and OJ, but also a lot of Coors Light because that is what everybody usually drank. At the time I thought it was the greatest thing in the world and to this day will still have one on occasion, but mostly I consider it "canoe beer." Drinking it was like having sex in a canoe - it's fucking close to water. It was around this time that I made my first trip to a brewery and discovered what I thought at the time was something so fabulous and tasty, that it has helped fuel my curiosity for good beer today. During an officially sanctioned university trip to Seattle, I stumbled across the Red Hook Brewery and took the tour and had a fresh pint in their on premise bar. That was good stuff back then and it made all the other things I was drinking so boring. Pity part is that the local stores never carried anything that I considered good by this new measure. About the most interesting beer we could find at the time was this one called Simpatico which probably wasn't all that great either.

Fast forward to now - I started following Gary Vaynerchuk and his Wine Library TV (http://tv.winelibrary.com/) videos a few years back and really got interested in wine, pushing aside beer for a while. The great thing about his videos was the way he described what he was tasting by using very colorful and off beat terms. In episode #98 he describes the taste of a wine by saying it tasted like deer roadkill mixed with cherries. I took some wine classes after that and really enjoyed tasting and describing wine even though I didn't have the flavor histories that some of the others had - to this day I have no idea what cassis tastes like even though I see a lot of wines have this component. Gary also did videos of other tastings and several of them were on beer. In one episode he had Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery, and the discussion centered around the notion that tasting beer can be just an interesting and thought provoking as tasting wines. I still like drinking wines, but I have been on a beer kick ever since and try to find something new whenever I get the chance.

So here it is - the real reason I am writing this blog. Along with my new found fondness for beer I have taken up home brewing. With my first batch long since bottled, I am trying to figure out what my next style will be. I have gone back in my mind and tried to remember the styles and flavors that I dig, but sometimes have trouble remembering ones I haven't tasted in a while. Statisticians call it "recency effect" where I can recall the most recent items over the older ones. I decided I needed to log all the different beers I am trying and blogging seemed like a halfway enjoyable way to keep track and possibly share with others.

The rules are simple - when I try something new I will blog about it. No emphasis on local beers or anything like that, just whatever I pick up at the store and bring home will suffice. I may throw in the occasional wine or other spirit (I dig high end rums and scotches), but mostly this will be about the beer I try. Prost, Salud, Skål, Cheers, Sláinte, and Bottoms Up!