The second beer from Gigantic is a dark saison. Here is my review of The City Never Sleeps.
Berliner Weisse review – Full Sail
The second and final review of the Berliner Weisse style comes from Hood River Oregon and Full Sail. It is part of the Brewer’s Share series that previously brought us an ESB and an Alt….
“The third beer in the series “Chris’s Berliner Weiss” developed by Assistant Brewing Supervisor, Chris Haveman will be released in 22oz. bottles and on draft in the summer. Chris’s Summer Delight is an unfiltered, refreshingly tart small batch Berliner Weiss beer, brewed with 50% wheat malt and just a touch of Hersbrucker hops A perfect German style sour brew with a dry finish for a hot summer day. ABV 4% IBU 9. Chris has chosen to support the Oregon State University Brewing Sciences Program, from which Chris is an alumnus. The program is one of the few in the nation that studies all aspects of producing beer, wine, and fermented foods.”
FoodGPS Teaser – Pumpkin Beers Review
I have waited until now to talk pumpkin beers. I know they are probably gone from most shelves to be replaced by Christmas ales but I celebrate my holiday’s in order and not in advance. I picked two pumpkin beers to compare. One from Sam Adams and one from Uinta.
Two gourd beers from two different parts of the country and both are pretty different. The Sam Adams poured a darker amber and had a noticeable lack of the pie spice (not a bad thing) and was a little more viscous and malty. It had a definite pumpkin taste. Sort of a yam taste.
The Uinta had a two tiered aroma. First the nutmeg and then a real jack o’lantern hit. The taste did not hold that though. There was some pumpkin flavor but it was more metallic and must have been on a lighter base beer because it poured a golden color.
I gave tasters to my sis-in-law to get her opinion and she agreed. (as well she should). She explained that the Sam Adams pumpkin would be much easier to drink a full glass of and had a more pleasing pumpkin taste. The Uinta tasted more like beer with pumpkin in her opinion.
As a further reference, HERE is the Beer Advocate list of pumpkin beers.
Iconic British Beers reviewed
I was expecting a certain flavor profile from these two standards and award winning beers from England but I was surprised by how they did not conform to my pre-conceived standards.
Worthington’s White Shield the older of the two. 1744 being it’s start date had a tinny apple aroma. It poured a pretty if standard orange color. Being a CAMRA award winner, according to the label, I expected something that I didn’t get. Maybe MolsonCoors has dumbed it down but it was light though it did have the musty British ale taste. It was also quite minerally as if the water was the star of the show and not the malt or yeast.
Old Tom was the tastier of the two. (My other beer taster enjoyed this as smoother and maltier). I agreed. It had an apple cider aroma and was smooth and a touch viscous. I got some anise notes in there as well. It was the more complex of the two with a touch of barrel agedness to it.
I would suggest grabbing the Old Tom’s first. It will challenge your opinion of British beer and make you yearn to taste it on cask i.e. real ale form.
Berliner Weisse review – Heretic Tartuffe
I was inspired to review this style of beer by the Unity 2012 beer that Eagle Rock brewed for L.A. Beer Week this year. And because I have seen a mini-flurry of the style resurfacing at pubs and bars. So first up is Heretic Brewing and Tartuffe….
Here is the website description from Heretic, “A tartuffe (tar-TOOF) is a hypocrite who feigns religious virtue. Heretic’s Tartuffe is our take on a Berliner Weisse-style ale. Our head brewer has a thing for this beer style. He loves the tart, refreshing character that comes from using lots of wheat malt and a multi-day sour mash. Try it by itself or mit schuss, the traditional German addition of raspberry or woodruff syrup. Either way, enjoying life is a true virtue.”
Prickly Pear Beer Review – Unity 2012
I helped “unwrap” prickly pears on the brew day and then I helped on bottling day as the finished beer filled up bottle after bottle so I am a bit biased about this year’s Unity beer from Eagle Rock Brewery.
And it lived up to it! You get a bright prickly pear flavor right off the bat. The beer then settles into some other exotic fruit notes before finishing with a real cereal grain end. And it is just tart enough and effervescent to really add another layer to a really low ABV beer. This one is under 4%. The only flavor that I didn’t get on the palate was the rye. Maybe it was working in other ways, but I did not pick up much spice but that is a minor quibble with a really strong Berliner Weisse.
Prickly Pear Beer Review – “Nopal de Trigo”
Prickly Pear is the official ingredient for the 2012 L.A. Beer Week and as I find and taste these special edition beers, I will review them. Some are only Union Station Finale available and will get reviewed later but first out of the gate is Cismontane Brewing and “Nopal de Trigo” a hefeweizen brewed with hand-pressed prickly pear juice.
As the photo shows, this pours a ruby red grapefruit color. The aroma does not include the clove and banana that you normally associate with a German style hefe but what I do get is a clear aloe, green leaf type of smell which is not an aroma that I have picked up on a beer before. The taste veers away from that into more of a strawberry and banana world. It is very fruity with a little bit of bitterness lingering at the back end. This style of beer (and the Berliner Weisse one as well) showcase the pear.
Beer Review – Longshot – Derf’s Secret Alt
One of the yearly traditions that I stay on the look-out for is the release of the Sam Adams Longshot winners. We end the month with a secret….
Derf’s Secret Alt
Created by Samuel Adams Employee Fred Hessler
“Fred wanted to go big or go home with his homebrew and decided to brew a kicked up Sticke Alt. This full-bodied ale has a big, malty character balanced by subtle orange and grapefruit notes from the hops. With a light amber color, this brew has a sweet finish.”
Beer Review – Longshot – Five Crown Imperial Stout
One of the yearly traditions that I stay on the look-out for is the release of the Sam Adams Longshot winners. The second beer to be reviewed is an Imperial Stout….
Five Crown Imperial Stout
Created by Joe Formanek
“For the past 15 years, Joe has been brewing his Russian Imperial Stout. This malt-forward brew has a rich complexity, with roasty and chocolate notes, yet enough hop bitterness to balance out the sweetness. This satisfying winter brew is full-bodied with an enjoyable velvety smoothness.”
Beer Review – Longshot – A Dark Night in Munich
One of the yearly traditions that I stay on the look-out for is the release of the Sam Adams Longshot winners. And this year I will be reviewing all three and we start with….
A Dark Night in Munich
Created by Corey Martin
“Corey has been working on his Munich Dunkel for some time and the result is this amber, medium-bodied brew. With a nice malty backbone, this lager has roasty, slightly spicy notes and a traditional doughy character from the yeast. It is well worth the time he took to perfect it.”