Beer Review: Dundee Stout

Anyone who knows me knows that I am partial to the dark side, and beers are no exception. Dundee Stout is dark, dark enough that only a tiny bit of light makes it through. the color is a deep chocolate brown, a quickly dissipating head, but plenty of flavor: roasted overtones, with just a hint of chocolate. A great representation of the style. Not a fan of dark beers? Try this one anyway and see what you think.

Beer Review: Dundee Pale Bock Lager

Almost the perfect bock, lots of malt and not much else! Clear beige color, no head, very drinkable. This is what a bock should be: nothing fancy, no exotic flavors, just cool, clean, refreshing lager.

Dundee Kölsch

Dundee, along with Sam Adams was one of the first craft variety packs that I tried. Last year Dundee, brewed by the Gennessee Brewing Company of Rochester NY, had a variety pack consisting of Honey Brown Ale, Porter, Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Wheat, and Pale Bock. It was one of my favorites, and the only one where every variety was a winner. This year the craft pack includes a stout, the return of the Pale Bock and India Pale Ale as well as a Kölsch-style ale.

A Kölsch is best served at "cellar temperature", about 50°F. the head is small, the color a coppery amber, the taste reminiscent of nuts and butterscotch, similar to a Belgian wit. This could either be a sippin' beer, or a quantity beer fit for Nick's July 4th extravaganza. 

New Belgium Skinny Dip

Pfffssst....

Sierra Nevada Summerfest

Clear as spring water, crisp, slightly hoppy taste. Unusual for a summer seasonal in that it's a Pilsner style lager, while most of the summer beers tend to be ales. Not much more to say other than this is a lawnmower, post-basketball, grillin', out-in-the-hot-sun type o' beer.

Boulevard Zōn

As much as I've always loved the dark beers, the stouts and the porters, the imperials and the Baltics, summertime is the time for the summer ales, the shandys, plae ales and IPAs. Let us not forget a perennial summer favorite, the Belgian White, aka the Witbier. Boulevard's Zōn is a great example of the style. Lemonade colored, a small snow-white head, with a buttery taste laced with citrus and caramel, Zōn is a perfect match for salads, seafood or maybe some mild cheeses. This is most definitely an ale to sit and savor.

Jockamo IPA from Abita

Good introductory IPA. Most India Pale Ales are so hoppy that beer novices are turned off and don't acquire the taste for them. Jockamo gives you the citrusy goodness of a decent IPA without the intensity that newbies run from.

Abita Amber

By the makers of Turbodog. Nothing special really, tasty, smooth, but doesn't really stand out from the crowd.

Weyerbacher 'Fourteen' Special Dark

I didn't do this on purpose, but it seems like I left most of the 'high octane' beers for the last couple of days. This one is an 'anniversary' beer in honor of Weyerbacher's 14 years brewing craft beers. They call it a wheat wine ale, and it tastes similar to the barleywines that I've had this week. The color is a caramel brown, the head is kind of small, and the taste has hints of raisins, cinnamon, brown sugar and a nice warmth from the extra alcohol (11.8 ABV). I'm really getting to like these 'wine' beers!

Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot

Ruby-red colored, no head to speak of, which seems to be typical of this style, the barelywine ale. 11.1% ABV, but not much noticeable alcohol heat, but a full, complex flavor nonetheless. Lots of stuff in here, caramel, fruitiness, almost like a dark red wine. I'm going to just stop writing about it and sit down and drink it...go have one yourself.

Weyerbacher Autumnfest

Weyerbacher, which has the best name of any beer out there: Old Heathen, serves up this Octoberfest style beer 9which apparently isn't a lager as most Octoberfests are). Coppery Amber (or strawberry gold) in color, with a healthy three-finger head. Not much out of the ordinary, pretty much a standard Octoberfestbier (and that's not a bad thing)

Sam Adams Longshot Winner: Michael Robinson's Old Ben's Ale

NINE % ABV! DANGER WILL ROBINSON! DANGER! DANGER!

It's a pretty cool thing that they do, this home brew contest, and since I discovered it I look forward to trying the new ones. Coppery color, quickly vanishing head with some brown lacing left behind, heavy malt influences and  very hoppy as well. Sweet, brown sugary/mapley taste. Very nice....aaaaahhhhh

Sam Adams Longshot Winner: Jeremy White's Lemon Pepper Saison

I was trying to figure out what was the odd taste hovering just beyond identification range and had to look at my reviews of some of the old variety packs to figure it out. The first taste to hit the ol' taste buds reminded me of the bubble gummy-banana of the Dunkelweizen that was part of the harvest collection of 2009. Aside from that, there's a spicy (not hot...maybe I mean peppery) tone to this ale that mixes well with the lemon. Not a bad summer ale, wouldn't mind having another!

Sam Adams Longshot 6 Packs are Here!

Sam Adams Longshot 6 packs have hit the stores !
BOSTON, April 8 — Samuel Adams is proud to announce that New Hampshire resident Michael Robinson’s Old Ben Ale and New Mexico resident Ben Miller’s Mile High Barley Wine are hitting the shelves nationwide after besting more than 1,300 entries and being chosen as the winning homebrews in the 2009 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest. Samuel Adams encourages homebrewers across the United States to test the boundaries of brewing, recognizing the most talented homebrewers for their innovative and creative brews year after year through the Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest.

The 2010 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest is offering a new challenge for homebrewers across the country this year. Through the new Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest Category 23, homebrewers are being asked to submit their most creative homebrews yet, using unique or wacky ingredients in the brewing process and sending in a Category 23 beer as defined by the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). Two winning brews will be chosen amongst all of the entries and the lucky homebrewers will have their unique brews made available nationwide in 2011, just as Ben and Mike are experiencing now with their win in the 2009 contest.

In addition to Mike and Ben’s winning brews, Samuel Adams also honors Employee Homebrew Winner Jeremy White for his Lemon Pepper Saison. All three winning homebrewers had the opportunity to brew alongside the Samuel Adams brewers in Boston. Their bragging rights also include having their recipes bottled and available nationally in the 2010 LongShot variety package, hitting shelves this month.
Samuel Adams employees compete in their own homebrew competition, a tradition the company started in 1996, encouraging employees to channel their passion and knowledge for craft beer while experimenting in their own kitchens as Jim did 25 years ago with his great-great grandfather’s recipe. Jim and the other brewers at Samuel Adams spend a day tasting the homebrews submitted by novice and more experienced homebrewers in the company, and choose three finalists that stand out from all of the employee entries. These three employee homebrewers attend the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) and ask festival goers to taste and vote on their favorite. Last September, GABF attendees chose Jeremy’s brew as their favorite.
“It’s my hope that through the Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest, I’m able to give homebrewers who really love the hobby and are passionate and committed to brewing better beer the opportunity to achieve the ultimate homebrewer’s dream, making their beer available to beer lovers across the country; one that I have come to realize with Samuel Adams Boston Lager.” Jim continued. “Mike’s Old Ben Ale, Ben’s Mile High Barley Wine, and Jeremy’s Lemon Pepper Saison are exceptional brews that are truly a testament to homebrewers’ ability to produce unique and flavorful beers that continue to push the limits of brewing.”
A panel of industry judges including Jason Alstrom and Todd Alstrom of Beer Advocate, Jay Brooks from Celebrator Beer News, Julie Johnson of All About Beer, Bob Townsend from Southern Brew News, and Tony Forder of Ale Street News joined Jim Koch in selecting the 2009 consumer winners. Together, they selected the winning brews based on the American Homebrewers Association BJCP guidelines. Each beer was carefully evaluated by style category and judged on how well the style characteristics and flavors were achieved.
Michael Robinson’s Old Ben Ale is a malty English-style brew boasting notes of dried fruit, nut, and caramel. A slight bitterness balances the combination of five malts in this full bodied beer. Light brown with reddish highlights and good clarity, the ingredients of this English-style brew are all American with the exception of the yeast which is distinctively English. Created to enjoy on cold nights or as an after dinner treat, Mike’s Old Ale is 9% alcohol by volume, about twice that of the average beer. An experienced homebrewer, Mike was recognized as a finalist in the 2008 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest, as well as in the 2007 Samuel Adams® Patriot Homebrew Contest.
Ben Miller’s Mile High Barley Wine is a dark red, flavorful brew with rich plum undertones to complement its caramel malt flavor. A self-proclaimed ‘hop head,’ Ben used several varieties of citrusy American hops in this beer, creating its resiny aroma followed by clean bitterness. Ben’s Barleywine is his 100th homebrew, brewed to commemorate two years of enjoying the hobby.
Jeremy White, who works in the IT department at Samuel Adams, channeled his love of Belgian beers to create his Lemon Pepper Saison, a classic Belgian-style brew. Jeremy’s flavorful, refreshing and lighter-bodied beer is brewed with Grains of Paradise, an exotic tropical spice also found in Samuel Adams Summer Ale. The peppery flavor is complemented by a slightly sweet aroma with hints of vanilla and citrus, making this beer the perfect cool down to a hot summer day.
2010 SAMUEL ADAMS LONGSHOT AMERICAN HOMEBREW CONTEST CATEGORY 23
Creativity is key in the 2010 Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest Category 23. This year, aspiring homebrewers are tasked with pushing the boundaries of brewing by submitting their most original brews that don’t fit into any of the traditional BJCP style categories. Homebrewers must submit brews that fall into the BJCP’s Category 23 only. The winning specialty beers will be brewed and distributed nationally.
Interested beer drinkers can go online to www.SamuelAdams.com for contest rules, regulations and information on purchasing a homebrewing kit. In addition, they can download Jim Koch’s video, “The Art of Homebrewing” offering his personal tips on making a successful homebrew. Entries must be received between May 17 and May 28 and the winners will be announced at the 2010 Great American Beer Festival.
Jim Koch knows first hand the challenges and the personal rewards of creating a quality homebrew. He brewed the first batch of Samuel Adams Boston Lager in his kitchen in 1984. Now, 25 years later, Koch is a recognized pioneer of the U.S. craft-brewing revival. He continues to push the boundaries of brewing, by leading the charge in the extreme brewing category, and follow his passion for elevating the craft beer-drinking experience.

Lavista's Own 'Certified Evil' by Lucky Bucket

From the Lucky Bucket website:
Certified Evil is the result of a 2008 collaboration project with Todd Ashman of Fifty Fifty Brewing in Truckee, California and Matt Van Wyk of Oakshire Brewing in Eugene, Oregon. Each brewer set out to create a dark Belgian strong ale with their own unique spin on the style. Since the first collaboration, six new breweries have been added to the project to invent a truly unique beer. This beer is properly named Certified Evil.
The new Certified Evil recipe is more complex and interesting than the brew from 2008. This new beer blends Certified Evil aged in Cabernet barrels for one year with a younger batch of oaked aged Certified Evil. The combination makes for a vibrant yet smooth and elegant taste. The recipe also includes a wide variety of complex sugars including turbinado sugar, molasses and honey. To ensure this sweetness is balanced, a small amount of Lucky Bucket IPA is blended into the beer building a nice dry finish. The result is an amazingly complex beer. Truly a must try to any craft beer lover.

Let's start off with the fact that Certified Evil is 12.5% ABV, so it's a strong 'un!

The beer pours a deep coffee brown, with no head to speak of. The first taste that hits the tongue is nutty-coffee. A little bit of molasses with the second sip. Surprisingly, not much noticeable heat from almost triple normal alcohol content, but it's there nonetheless! The more I drink, the more I can taste the oak, and a little bit of cinnamon. This should not be consumed cold. I let it set on the counter for a while before drinking. Good stuff!

Acme California Pale Ale & California IPA (India Pale Ale): North Coast Brewing

Eh...

The early promise of some of the North Coasts that I tried hasn't carried through to some of the latter ones. Does "California" in "California Pale Ale" indicate no hoppiness, no uniqueness? Not a bad brew overall, but there's a grapefruity overtone that I don't find all that pleasant. Nothing overtly wrong with it, it just doesn't sing to me like Red Seal and Rasputin do.

Maybe it's because it's 1:58PM and I'm not eating anything with it...just trying to cut 'em some slack!

Now the IPA is a bit better. Like the first Acme, the color is a golden hue with a little reddish tint, very cloudy, most likely unfiltered. This a bit on the mild side in the IPA spectrum, but in a  good way. I can see knocking back a few of these on a hot summer night with the grill going.

Abita Purple Haze

Okay, I have mixed feelings about fruit in beer, and they're not even calling this a "beer" or an "ale", but a "raspberry flavored wheat brew" - a "fruit flavored malt beverage". What?

Anyway, I suspect this would taste okay ice-cold on a hot day, but it's almost midnight and it's raining, so maybe I'm in the wrong mood. Nothing really special about this "malt beverage".

Steelhead Double IPA by Mad River

About a finger's worth of head topping a cloudy amber colored brew. The first sip unveiled the typical India Pale Ale aroma and taste. Additional sips revealed hints of orange and lemon, even a little grapefruit. This is one strong ale, but not overwhelmingly bitter, very drinkable, extremely thirst quenching.

Steelhead Scotch Porter from Mad River

Pours a steep head that last a few minutes before retreating to brown lace around the rim; dark brown, almost black color. Nice roasted peat and caramel flavors, sweet, bit not overly so. I'm pairing it with a cherry pie, maybe not the best choice, but that's what's working tonight! Heavy malt zing. Wouldn't mind trying this again...one at a time though.

Steelhead Extra Pale Ale from Mad River Brewing

Another offering from Mad River. This one's a pale ale, I'm not sure what's "extra" about it, but it's not too bad. It's got a mild citrusy flavor, but not the bite that you'd expect from a pale ale, more like a summer ale or even a weal lager. Well, you can't win 'em all!

Mad River Brewery: John Barleycorn Barleywine Style Ale

Hey! I just got punched in the face with a fistful of hops! And a 9.1% ABV! First, follow this link for a definition of barley wine :
"It is called a barley wine because it can be as strong as wine; but since it is made from grain rather than fruit it is in fact a beer." (Quote from wikipedia)
When poured, the head was virtually nonexistent, dissipating almost immediately; the color is a deep mahogany and the taste, as I alluded to before is heavy on the hops and you can really feel the heat of the higher alcohol content. It reminds me a bit of Scottish Ale, with hints of smokiness and peat, lots of caramel. Supposedly you're supposed to drink this from a snifter, but I've got it in Sam Adams glass. One of these days I'll have to get a collection of the different types of glasses that the real beer fanatics drink from. Not your everyday ale, but a nice cold-weather treat.

Abita Ale: Turbodog

Turbodog is a dark brown ale brewed with a combination of pale, chocolate malts. Abita classifies it as an English brown ale. It has a chocolaty flavor, a dark reddish brown color and not much of a head. Very rich, medium thick texture. Mild, but discernible hoppiness. A good one that I'll definitely have more of.

Scrimshaw Pilsner by North Coast Brewing

These North Coast guys know how to brew! Before the review, a thank you to Brian & Mark from one of local beer distributors who set me up with a mixed case of craft beers for me to sample. These guys (especially Mark) know their beers!

Okay, it's a Pilsner, the style of beer that includes most of your major brews, but as I sit here looking at it on the table in front of me, it looks like a Hefeweizen, amber-gold, with a slight cloudiness that comes when you brew unfiltered wheat. But it is definitely not a wheat. taste reminiscent of freshly-mown grass, with a little bit of citrus. Crisp and clear, with a quickly dissipating head. Not as unique as the other North Coast offerings, but a fine lager just the same.