I really enjoy Bell’s Brewery’s Beers (there’s a tongue twister for ya!)

From previous post you will read that my friend and I ran into Larry Bell at the 2009 Philly Beer Week.  I saw him again a couple of weeks later at RFD in Washington DC tapping his Oberon beer for the summer season.

He was (and I presume still is) very easy going and willing to sit and talk about life, beer, and everything.  His brewery used to be called Kalamazoo Brewing … he changed the name in 2002, but he’s still making really good beers.   The one I had tonight was the Java Stout.  Wow!  The coffee just jumps right out at you in this one. If you have a spicy burger or a nice steak and you want to enjoy it with a beer this would be the one.  It really complimented the burgers I threw on the grill.

Enjoy,

Beer Mentor

Today is an off-kilter beer from an off-kilter company.  Left Hand Brewing.  Ever since I sampled the Left Hand beer at the Great American Beer Fest in 2003, I’ve been a big fan.  Today’s beer is a relatively new one from them … the 400 pound monkey.

This beer is an English-style IPA (seems a lot like what I define as an East-Coast IPA).  The hops are prevalent in this beer.  It’s well-balanced though and makes it a pleasure to drink.

The only problem I have with any IPA that doesn’t go over the top with the hops is that it leaves me craving more hops.  So I end up bringing out an even more hopped up beer then the last one.  If I want subtle from a beer, I don’t pick an IPA … so I’m not sure why anyone would want to try and make a subtle IPA.  Oh well, the joy of trying new creations — that’s why I love American Craft Brewers!

Beer Mentor

Today I moved away from the IPAs … I’ve been on a long kick with them … but I think it’s just because I’m catching up from my six months away from them.  Plus, I really like IPAs.  Oh well.  Another of my favorite styles is the Saison.  I was at Whole Foods today and ran across this beer.   My daughter collects bottle caps so we were looking at beers from that perspective.  The Heavy Seas brewery has a pretty cool bottle cap…especially if you like pirates, which she does.  Then I looked at the Bottle: Red Sky at Night. I couldn’t tell what this beer was until I looked closer.  As soon as I saw it was a Saison, I got a sixer.  ha ha!

If you are really observant, you’ll see that this is poured in a Schneider-Weisse Beer glass — I’d just enjoyed an Aventinus before trying this Saison.  That may have clouded my judgement a little.  This was a decent Saison … once I was halfway through with it, the flavor of the Saison really started coming through … that subtle wheat … nice mouthfeel.  Yes, I will drink the rest of my six-pack, unless my daughter beats me to it! LOL!

Beer Mentor

Today I tried a beer from a newer brewery: Mikkeller.  This brewery has only been around since 2006 … a couple of homebrewers in Denmark that decided to open their own brewery.  Homebrewing is a common starting point for many of today’s craft brewers…thank goodness!  I believe homebrewing really gives these craft brewers the right perspective in starting out and then developing as a brewer.

This brewery has been experimenting with single hops in a beer.  This version is the Nugget hop.  Since I grow the nugget hop and will be using it in my next brew, I thought I’d give this one a try.   It is a very nice IPA. The Nugget Hops work throughout … nice bittering/flavor and a good aroma.

Even without having brewed with my nugget hops, I’m excited to make my next IPA.  I will have to keep my eyes open for some more of these Mikkeller brews.

Enjoy,

Beer Mentor

Went back to the Southern Tier stash tonight.  This time I was sampling the India Pale Ale.  I will tell you that this is a well balanced IPA, with the malt standing out in the flavor at the beginning with a nice finish of bitterness in the hops.  Nice nose, good clarity, good aroma.

It is what I classify as a very nice East Coast-style IPA.

Beer Mentor

Hairy Eyeball?  I found this one over at the Whole Foods near my house.  According to the Lagunitas website, this was a New Year’s Day release … what you would call a “seasonal beer.” LOL!  Fortunately, it was still there when I shopped for it … and it had time to “age” a little on the shelf.  At about 8.3% abv, it probably needed a little development.

In their virtual description of this beer, Lagunitas states that it doesn’t follow any style.  I agree — however, it was a very nice flavored beer…the alcohol was very apparent; however, the hops balanced it very nicely.  Overall, this is a good beer, but definitely not a session beer!

“Here’s lookin’ atcha!”

Beer Mentor

If you’ve not had a Weyerbacher beer, you have been depriving yourself.

Of course, I have to tell you … the packaging kind of put me off before.  The cartoon characters kind of made me discount this beer.  Now you don’t have to tell me “not to judge a book by its cover, blah blah blah.”  I realized the error of my ways without any help from the rest of you!

Get this beer!  Tonight I had the Double Simcoe IPA.  This beer rocks!  Again, you have to like this style — but if you like the Imperials (this one is 9% ABV), you will definitely like this beer … and, so far, there hasn’t been a Weyerbacher beer I didn’t like.  I’m putting them back on the “Beerflix” list as I work through a new beer every day … LOL!

Beer Mentor

I was surprised by a friend’s refrigerator today — I opened the door to retrieve another Sam Adams Lager when I saw this green-labeled bottle behind a couple of condiments.  I pulled it out and peered at it (without my reading glasses) and was able to decipher that it was a Czech Beer.

Once I put my reading glasses on, I realized it was calling itself a Hefeweizen Lager.  This was an interesting concept to me.    Here is the website of the actual brewery.  Those who don’t speak Czech might want to click this link.  This brewery has been around since the 1500s, so you might think they brew some decent beer … you wouldn’t be mistaken.

Although I didn’t get the full flavor of this beer (I failed to pour it completely in my glass … so I didn’t get all the Hefe-flavor) … this was a good beer.  I would recommend it to someone who is looking for a change of pace from a normal Hefeweizen but still wants that wheat-character.  I will definitely be trying it again.

Beer Mentor

I picked up a six-pack of this “Irish Pale Ale” at a Harris Teeter store.  That was a mistake.

I think when I saw the word “Irish” I was thinking an Amber or a Red Ale (something similar to the very nice Sam Adam’s Irish Red).   However, when I poured it, I was disappointed.  Let me first say that this beer is drinkable.  It could definitely qualify as a session beer if all you wanted was something to drink while doing something else.  However, if you want to savor this beer, you will be disappointed.  When you look at the reviews and then taste it, you will see what I mean.  It is bland.  It doesn’t seem to fit any style and it just sits there in the bottle and then in the mouth.  You will think later, yes I drank a beer … but it wasn’t what I expected.  Hopefully the brewery can tweak this one and bring out some characteristic to make it good.

Oh, and for my subject, the Pub (McSorley’s Ale House) is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) Ale House in New York City.  The bottle has a good presentation on this pub.  I would love to visit this pub just for the history.  I have it down on my list of places to visit.  Hopefully you see it on this blog in the near future.

Beer Mentor

Today I was over at Sine’s Irish Pub in Pentagon Row (Arlington) for a military promotion ceremony and party.  I was also heading over to a party at a friend’s house and what beer did they both have on tap?  The Widmer Hefewizen.  I thought it only appropriate to roll in, sample some at both locations, and provide my feedback.

I like this Hefe.  It has all of the characteristics you expect from a nice German-style wheat beer — it hit the spot considering it was nice and warm today.  Is it the greatest Hefe? No.  Is it drinkable + affordable.  Yes.  Of course, if you are going to drink a Hefeweizen … my opinion is to go with the experts … the Germans.  But, if this is what’s available and  you are craving a Weizen … it works!

Oh, and I was happy to see the tap lines at Sine’s were clean!  Yes!

Beer Mentor