Thread O' Beer!

[bac0n]

Haha, we are getting dumped on down here. It is glorious. And speaking of which...

Day Nine: Christmas Cart
Wheat Ale w/ Cherries & Spices | Golden Road Brewing | LA, CA.



Yeah, it's about half past fuckit, the snow is coming down hard outside, the heat tape is on, and I have no place I need to be. Besides, I just gave myself an early Christmas present and booked an appointment for a colonoscopy next May and I am feeling a bit celebratory, so it's beer time. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a gaggle of cherries mixed into a beer?

Cherries are one of those few fruits which, in my mind at least, is particularly well suited for beer, and when these beers use them well, it can be sublime. Think Ommegang's Three Philosophers. I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it. So, this beer brings with it some high hopes. Lets see if it measures up.

Taking a whiff, you could be forgiven for thinking you were being handed a glass of mulled cherry cider. Along with the cherry, I am picking up strong notes of cinnamon and clove. At first taste, that cherry is there to greet you, along with it a very pleasant acidity. Hot on its heels, though, are the spices: cinnamon and clove again, but I am also picking up gingerbread to boot. This beer is like one of those gingerbread houses, but in a good way. After all the spices fade, I am left with the pleasant sweetness and that ever so slight tart of those cherries. Kinda like the soft glow of the Christmas tree at night after all the chaos of the evening that preceded it has faded, and it's just you, your significant other, and the peace and quiet.

All in all, I rather enjoy this beer, but 14 ounces is enough for one sitting. It is not a porch pounder by any stretch of the imagination. But there ain't nuthin wrong with a beer that beckons you to slow down a bit. Though I recognize that gussied up beers such as this are not everyone's cup of tea, I do enjoy them on occasion, especially on days like these where I am appreciative of a nice warm house. I'm gonna give this a 4/5 - great.

[bac0n]

Day Ten: So-Lo
American IPA | Goose Island Brewing | Chicago IL



Okay, one good beer deserves another, right? Time to get caught up and do day ten, which, uh-oh is another Goose Island IPA. As those who have been following along at home know, day two or thereabouts I had their standard issue IPA, and that one was pretty much a decent enough beer that couldn't stick the landing. And this one... interesting - it's a low calorie IPA. Not a session IPA, not a low-carb IPA, but a low-calorie one. And interestingly enough, at an 8.4% ABV, it is a rather strong one too, flirting with Imperial levels of alcohol. So, I guess Goose Island is making a beer for people who wanna get fucked up without fucking up their waist line. Can they pull it off?

In short, no. While things seem to start nice on the nose - there is plenty of resin making me think it's West Coast Inspired, along with some sweetness and notes of grapefruit - things go sideways quickly when it hits my tongue. At the start, it hits with an assertive bitterness, which won't.... stop.... The only accompanying flavor is a withering astringency, and good God, it will not go away. A half hour later, I can still taste it.

Needless to say, I did not make it far with this beer. Maybe three sips and this went down the drain. I am not getting half in the bag drinking a beer that tastes like tree bark. Time to drink a decent IPA, to at least get this fucking taste out of my mouth.

This one gets a 1.5/5 - bad.

14 beers to go! On the upside, I am finally all caught up!

[Gizmo]

11. Santa's Blonde Ale (Kehrwieder Kreativbrauerei)



A nice simple beer tonight, after the hard and sour beers from yesterday. Santa must like a standard beer, as there's nothing of note in this one. That's kind of in the style though, as a blonde ale is pretty basic itself. It's easy to drink, for sure, and I could knock back a few of these any time. Nothing about it says holiday's other than the name, but it's still and alright ale.

13 beers to go.



EDIT: I don't take my own pictures, as I'm too lazy, but not too lazy to spend twice as long trying to look up a good picture of some of these! Anyway, I've learned a good way to determine if your beer glass is clean is to look at the head. If it's baby suds, much like a latte, then you got yourself a nice clean glass. If it has big bubbles as pictured above, it's probably a dirty glass. Good luck with your drafts for the rest of your life!

Also of note, since I've gotten into the craft brew scene, I've also made a point of rinsing my glasses out with cold water prior to the pour as well, just to help ensure a nice clean pour.

[Gizmo]

12. Apocalyptic Thunder Juice (Amundsen Brewery)



It's another New England IPA, and this one didn't impress me upon the pour, looking clearer than expected, and not putting off much aroma. It did haze decently in the glass, however. As for the drink, it hits with a lot of straw/malt flavor, not as strong as a grassy hop, but more IPA than NEIPA. I expect some fruit and citrus, and cream. After it warmed a bit, it did cream out a bit, and the citrus is beginning to peak through a bit, but still with the straw up front. It'd be alright for an IPA, but I put it on the low side for a NEIPA.

Halfway to Christmas!

[Gizmo]

13. Ruedi (Flugge)



So this thing calls itself a Saison, a session beer if you will, meant to be easy drinking at any time, generally during the season of the spring. So fruit and floral are expected, generally, as well as a nice ABV that offers itself to multiple pours.... Or maybe 9% ABV!?! Did not expect that. That said, this drinks like a saison, very floral flavored, with some citrus kick, and way too easy to drink for a 9%-er. I feel like spring is in my mouth as I drink away. It's pretty good, and since today was a fairly warm December day, it actually fits in a bit. Would have to be really careful if I had a case of this.

11 beers until the fat guy.

[bac0n]

Day 11: Brrr Hoppy Red
Winter Warmer (?) | Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Portland OR



Wow, I was caught up for one whole day. ONE. WHOLE. DAY. But after the celebration that was enjoying the 14 inches of snow that came down on Friday was the hangover that was shoveling on Saturday. Oh, and there was a holiday party on Saturday, and my FIL was serving Drambuie, which is the funnest word in any language, and, where was I going with this?

Anywho, the wifey and I took this and Sunday's offering with us to Chateau de Scar to enjoy while we were playing a game of Capone, where we were cronies of the titular crime boss running speakeasies, and apropos to this list, I was the henchman in charge of the beer operation, and somehow managed to come out on top after spending the entire game convinced I was screwed and I would be murdered by my patrons. Okay, not sure where I am going with this either.

Scar and I split this beer, so I'll let Scar chime in on this one, but here is what I remember of this one. The nose was slightly sweet, but not cloying, I remember picking up notes of brown sugar from the red malts, no doubt. Taste wise, there's an initial bite with resin up front, definitely a west coast influenced beer.

Now, the genre of this beer as listed on Beer Advocate is Winter Warmer, so that's what i went with, but I always found that a rather nebulous term. You could be forgiven for calling this a Red IPA, and if you like IPAs with the body of a brown and a twinge of sweetness, then I think you'll enjoy this one too. Nothing to go crazy about, this beer, but I enjoyed it all the same. Pleasant is the word that sticks in my head. I'm gonna give this a 3.5/5 - good.

Thoughts, Scar?

[Ezee E]

10. County Fair Cobbler (Wiley Roots Brewing Co.)



I had no expectations upon seeing this one come out for tonight. Strawberry cheesecake at least seems to fit an after dinner profile. It's apparently a sour, with strawberry puree, cinnamon, graham crackers, vanilla and lactose. A creamy sour, which does smell of strawberry on the pour. Tasting, it's smooth and creamy with tartness, which is coming from the strawberry flavor more than the sour, but I can taste the sour on the back end. The cinnamon and graham is there a bit as well. It kinda does taste like a strawberry cobbler. Strawberry is one of my lesser favorite fruits, so I'd be interested in trying this with other fruits. It's decently good.

14 beers remain.

I've had this one. Enjoyed it!

[Scar]

Day 11: Brrr Hoppy Red
Winter Warmer (?) | Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Portland OR



Wow, I was caught up for one whole day. ONE. WHOLE. DAY. But after the celebration that was enjoying the 14 inches of snow that came down on Friday was the hangover that was shoveling on Saturday. Oh, and there was a holiday party on Saturday, and my FIL was serving Drambuie, which is the funnest word in any language, and, where was I going with this?

Anywho, the wifey and I took this and Sunday's offering with us to Chateau de Scar to enjoy while we were playing a game of Capone, where we were cronies of the titular crime boss running speakeasies, and apropos to this list, I was the henchman in charge of the beer operation, and somehow managed to come out on top after spending the entire game convinced I was screwed and I would be murdered by my patrons. Okay, not sure where I am going with this either.

Scar and I split this beer, so I'll let Scar chime in on this one, but here is what I remember of this one. The nose was slightly sweet, but not cloying, I remember picking up notes of brown sugar from the red malts, no doubt. Taste wise, there's an initial bite with resin up front, definitely a west coast influenced beer.

Now, the genre of this beer as listed on Beer Advocate is Winter Warmer, so that's what i went with, but I always found that a rather nebulous term. You could be forgiven for calling this a Red IPA, and if you like IPAs with the body of a brown and a twinge of sweetness, then I think you'll enjoy this one too. Nothing to go crazy about, this beer, but I enjoyed it all the same. Pleasant is the word that sticks in my head. I'm gonna give this a 3.5/5 - good.

Thoughts, Scar?

I enjoyed it. Felt like a mash up in a good way. Not too hoppy, smooth, a touch of sweetness. Doesn’t hit you in the face like a claw hammer…. Better than the Fade to Black I enjoy from Broken Clock. That’s the Dark Ale IPA blend that tries to be both and gets a pass, but not exceptional.

I might pick some of this up. That is, when I’m not looking for something reliable, something you can count on. Something…. Trusty.

[Ezee E]

I'm back on.... for a day.

I grabbed some others for next week.

But here's another one that I tried, so you didn't have to.

I've had my batch of christmas sours and porters, but haven't had an ale just yet.

Frosted sugar cookie? Alright.

It's certainly sweet. It's touted as a vanilla ale, and boy is that vanilla present. I'm typically a fan of vanilla, but this was way overdone. A tester may have been nice at a brewery, but an entire bottle? Oof... I'll push through.

[bac0n]

Haha - I did happen to see that one in the bottle shop. I was half tempted to get a bottle for the wifey as a joke, but thought the wiser of it. Just the thought of it makes me want an insulin shot.

[Gizmo]

14. Jaaar(Tanker/Icebreaker collaboration)



Another NEIPA for me. When I selected this one, I thought it was called Icebreaker, which seemed good for the winter, not realizing that Icebreaker was just another brewery collaborating with Tanker, whom I've had a few of. I'm gonna come out and say that this one is not doing it for me. It has a very soapy taste going on, and none of the creamy fruit I want in a NEIPA. I'm sure bac0n could better describe what's wrong with this, but it's not even good as a non-NEIPA.

10 beers remain

[Gizmo]

15. Who Will Buy?(Blech Brut)



After disappointment from a style I really enjoy, today I come across a style I normally don't go after. But this one is exactly what I needed, an easy drinking tasty IPA. The Simcoe hop isn't one I'm strongly in favor of (I usually go for the citrusy C-hops), but it's pretty good in this one. The malt bill is what's carrying this one, and I'm sure the yeast is helping as well, but I'm really bad at yeast. There's a good caramel sweetness that the hop is trying to chase away, as it follows behind the malt. I've done a pretty good job of getting well down to the bottom of this glass in a hasty manner.

9 beers to go.

[bac0n]

Day 12 - Mango Cart
Fruited Wheat Ale | Golden Road Brewing | LA CA



Okay, I have two beers I've tried and took notes on, but haven't actually written up yet. Time to catch up, so these next few may be a bit less verbose than my other reviews.

So, with this one, we got another fruited beer from Golden Road, who's previous two beers that I've tried I have rather enjoyed. And with this one, we have a mango wheat ale. Mangos are without a doubt my favorite fruit, and I predict that mango coupled with the banana notes prevalent in most wheat ales will make for a rather tropical beer. But the more important question is: does it put the "man" in "mango"?

In a word, no, it doesn't put the man in mango, that is, if you equate "manly" beers as beers that taste like beer. This does not taste like beer. It's more like a cider, to be honest, but don't get me wrong; that does not make this bad, per se'. It starts out strong on the mango, there is some pear sweetness in there too, and as expected, some banana notes, and a sweet/tart taste down the middle evocative of, you guessed it sweettarts. From start to finish, there is also a nice acidity. But no bitterness, no malts, none of that stuff in any appreciable form.

Sure, it looks like a beer, has the body of a beer, but if you blindfolded me and told me this was a tropical cider, I would believe you. I'm gonna give this a 3.5 (good) on terms of enjoyment factor, a 2.5 (mediocre) on style adherence, which averages out to 3: serviceable.

[bac0n]

Day 13 | Hazy Jack
Pale Ale | Widmer Bothers Brewing | Portland OR



This one I had last night before I traipsed on out to see JD McPherson put on his phenomenal Christmas show, and here are the hastily scratched together notes I took as I was simultaneously trying this beer and getting dinner on the table:

On the nose, there is a lot of tangerine. Taste-wise, it is on the hoppier end of the pale spectrum, venturing into the IPA realm, actually, ala Cigar City's most excellent Jai Alai, which looks like it finally admitted it was an actual IPA. This too is a very IPAesque beer masquerading as a pale, but I like it all the same. It leans citrus like the east-coasters tend to do, but remains nicely balanced with a firm malt backbone. The bitterness hits hard on the front, but mellows out fast allowing the other characteristics of this beer to shine through.

This is a solid pale, one of the better ones I've had in a while. I would definitely get it again. I'm gonna give it a 3.75 - good, borderline great.

Only two behind!

[bac0n]

Day 14 | Altered Contact
American IPA | Elysian Brewing | Seattle WA



Well, what have we here, a Tart IPA, which could mean essentially anything. Now, if it was Goose Island making this beer, I would have cut the middle man and poured this directly into the toilet, but this is Elysian, who have a pretty good track record so far this December, so I'm going into this with more than a small amount of optimism.

On the face of it, it looks inviting enough. The head is pretty creamy, but it dissipates pretty quickly. Sticking my nose into the glass, I am getting a noseful of grapefruit, and a nice waft of peppery funk. Oh yeah, the welcome mat has been laid out. Taking a taste, the first thing to hit the palate is fuzzy nectarine coupled with an acid bite, followed up with a nice tart twang. From there, I am picking up a bit of good old fashioned funk, just enough to add a bit more depth, certainly not overwhelming by any stretch of the imagination. Alongside, I also detect granny smith apple and some tannins. Body wise, it's in the middle, about the same weight I would say as a porter, which makes the creamy finish all the more enjoyable.

In the end, this is another fine offering by Elysian, who in my eyes are the brewery to beat in this advent calendar so far. I'm giving this a 4.25 - great, borderline awesome. I nice beer to sip if you're looking for something complex but not pretentious.

Almost caught up, and we got 10 beers to go!

[Gizmo]

16. Dessert in a Can - Mamma's Cherry Pie (Amundsen Brewery)



I've had a couple other of these "Dessert in a Can" beers, and they've all been really good, and exactly as advertised, so I keep going back to try more. I'm a sucker for those sweet beers (when done right) that most beer lovers don't care for. This one took a bit to actually get the cherry in. It's a lot of chewy, chocolate up front, and I would have guessed a chocolate cake drink if blindfolded and told to guess. But the cherry is in there, especially in the nose, and with just a subtle sweetness on the tongue, almost hiding in the malt. I think I like this one quite a bit, the more I sip on it.

8 beers remain.

[bac0n]

Day 15 | 312 Urban Wheat
Wheat Beer - American Pale | Goose Island Brewing | Chicago IL


It's Day 15 and... uh oh, Goose Island is back up to bat. It's kinda like watching a major league baseball game and it's your team's pitcher coming up to bat (that is, unless you're an Angels fan). Based on past experience, you're pretty sure they are gonna be an easy out. Well, Goose Island has served up a mediocre beer and an outright steamer this round, so I am trying this beer with more than a little bit of trepidation.

And what, exactly, is an urban wheat ale, I wonder? Specifically, what characteristics differentiate it from other wheat ales? Is there a rural wheat ale? Does it smell like cow shit? How about a suburban wheat ale? Does it call the cops if you're "ethnic"? Inquiring minds want to know. But lo, I digress.

Anyway, the good news is that this beer is a much more pleasant experience than the two goose islands that preceded it, but admittedly the bar is pretty low. On the nose, I pick up hints of citrus, orange in particular, albeit subdued. Taste wise, all I can say really is that is clean, crisp and easy drinking - low on bitterness, and lighter bodied than many beers of this type, definitely a summer beer.

Competent, but not exciting, I would probably reach for this more in the summer, but Bell's Oberon is the undisputed champ in this category, and it is always, always, the wheat beer I am going to reach for between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which is when I get a hankering. All the same, I'm gonna give this beer a 3.25 - serviceable/good.

[Scar]

Going high class. Having a Ham’s at a bar in the theater district while Wendy meets Nita Strauss.

[bac0n]

Day 16 | Big Ballard
Imperial IPA | Red Hook Brew Lab | Seattle WA



So, tonight we have ourselves a DIPA. Good thing I have nowhere I need to be, because 1) I tend to suck them down WAY too quickly and 2) at 8.5 ABV and up, it doesn't take a lot of these to get me drunk off my gourd. So here goes. Pray for me.

As the impeccably framed picture above shows, it has a nice creamy head, though bummer that it doesn't stick around for very long. Taking a whiff gives me a whole lotta caramel apple, and, well, booze. Better get a comfortable chair for this one, and thank God I have my bathrobe on. I might pass out half way in and wake up at 4am.

Taking a taste, the hops hit hard at first but fades to malty sweetness, with some citrus, marmalade maybe, sure, marmalade, that's the ticket, the orange kind, along with some piney notes, striking the middle between east and west coast influences. It straddles the line quite well. Also, just a hint of pepperiness, but that may just be me. Body wise, it is about what I would expect of an Imperial, though thankfully not thick and turgid like too many I've tried. On the contrary, it is nice and smooth all way way through, almost creamy even. Though nowhere near a porch pounder, this is much more quaffable than a lot of DIPAs I've tried.

For Imperials, this is a much more accessible entry than most I've tried, which can get so thick, what with trying to shove in hops for the sake of shoving in hops that it all seems masturbatory in the end. As much as I like IPAs, I am glad that those gilded days have passed and calmer heads have prevailed. I must say - I like this DIPA, and I'm glad they shoved it into this advent calendar, cuz I likely wouldn't have tried it otherwise. I'm gonna give this a 4 out of 5 - great. I'll likely pick up a six when I am in the mood for a DIPA and want to venture out from my usual suspects.

Getting close! Eight days to go!

[Gizmo]

17. Malinois (apparently) (Panzer Brewery)



Another raspberry beer (I purchased my 24 in 3 separate online shopping waves, so this was unintentional, but I'm a huge raspberry fan, so I'm not mad). The previous one I called potentially my favorite beer ever, so this one has a high bar set in that similar beer category. That said, this one is really tasty as well, with a more subtle raspberry flavoring (though more prevelant than my cherry beer yesterday). It won't top Ssssluuurp, but calling a beer my favorite, this many hundreds (thousands?) of beers into my life, I don't much expect many to compete. This beer does, however, make for a really good raspberry beer, and one I'd seek out any time, as well.

7 beers remain, as we're just a week away from the fat man.

[Gizmo]

18. Imperial Affogato Stout (The Garden Brewery)



Well, nothing says the season to me like a nice dark beer, and we've got another one tonight. Large, higher ABV, and cold brew? Could be an interesting night trying to sleep for work in the morning! This one smells of coffee, and vanilla, a nice welcoming aroma. Taking a drink, and it's very smooth, with the coffee and vanilla creating a wonderful almost chocolate velvet flavor. The swallow is leaves a lingering sweet acid taste, and again a bit of a dark chocolate type feel to it. This is pretty yummy, but maybe a bit strong on the coffee. It's pretty good, but not quite great.

6 beers remain.

[bac0n]

Day 17 - Green Skies
New England/Hazy IPA | Widmer Bros Brewing | Portland OR



And this is another beer that I drank last night, taking notes as I was doing so, but didn't get around to writing up until today: the Widmer Bros entry into the overcrowded Hazy IPA field. But will this beer be a Big Balls, Love at First Feel sorta Rocker, or will be it a Dirty Deed Done Dirt Cheap, Problem Child type a deal? By the Love of Angus, lets hope it's more the former than the latter.

On the nose, I pick up a bit of malt sweetness, not much, but there is some green apple and a hint of spice in there. With a somewhat troubling first taste, I was picking up vegetal notes, which is a red flag for bad malt and/or yeast going into the brew, so I took a few more tastes and wasn't picking that up, so you may want to take that with a grain of salt.

Now, The mouthfeel is smooth, the malts lend a hint of caramel, but what is missing from this beer are the defining citrus notes. The hazies I enjoy the most are literally bursting with citrus character, but I'm just not picking that up here. It's just kind of run-of-the-mill.

As it stands, I'm gonna give this one a 2.5 - mediocre. It just seems like a hazy IPA so concerned with not offending anybody, that it doesn't really please anybody either. Plenty of better hazies on the market out there, such as Fair State's Spirit Foul - now THAT is a hazy.

[Gizmo]

19. Schankbier (Giesinger Brau)



A nice simple American style lager is on the docket after the days of stronger beers. I think they were trying to make it American style in hops too, as it is a lot more hop forward than I would expect in a lager. It comes across much like an ale to IPA, with the light body and hop forward mouth. Combine that with the naturetrub (or unfiltered style), I might have guessed that this was someone's homebrew ale, and not something out of Munich. It's decent, just surprising for what it's listed as.

5 beers remaining.

[Ezee E]

Love the Van Halen funko.

[Gizmo]

20. Special X-Mas (Brau Quadrat)



Well, for a "special X-Mas" beer, I'm having a hard time figuring out just 2 things: 1) What makes it special? 2) What makes it X-mas? Don't get me wrong, this is a very decent dunkel bock, that's nice and creamy and malty. But that's it, it's just a nice standard German dunkel bock. Easy to drink, and I could see myself ordering this with dinner out, as I lean toward the dunkels on tap. But there's nothing different about it.

Only 4 beers remain!