Shiner Hefeweizen

5.4% abv
12 oz bottle
Spoetzl Brewing
Shiner, Texas, USA

This hefe pours a solid hazy golden color. If you don’t have that hazy look then you did not get that yeast into your glass. The aroma was kind of uneventful for what I was expecting. On the label it says it is brewed with orange and lemon peels – with honey added. I thought the aroma was grainier and wheat like with a little citrus.

The main tasting profile here is the citrus. The lemon flavor just seems to build as I drink this glass of beer. There is some spice, no clove, and a good earthiness from the mixture of wheat and grains. There is a hint of sweetness but, I don’t know if I can taste honey per say. Sorry, no banana.

The company recommends putting a lemon wedge in the glass. I don’t have a fresh lemon to give it a try but, I think it may help this hefe. Overall, I can say it is okay to good. It starts off good and goes down to okay because of the lemon rind note dominates the taste by the end of this beer.

Buy: Buy one bottle to see if you like it or not before you buy a six pack. If you like lemon – buy a 12 pack.

Beach Bum Blonde Ale

This is a summer seasonal beer from Michelob Brewing Co. It has a 5.4% abv and it comes in a 12 oz bottle. This beer is about packaging and trying to compete with the craft beers. It says on the bottle that they actually used some hops and malts, ‘Brewed with pale and caramel roasted barley malts, and Alsace, Hallertau and Cascade hops.’ I think they used as much roasted barley as they do in Bud Light. This is one tasteless blonde ale. Good flavored water though. Keep the money in your pocket or buy a good beer.

Buy: No way!

Gurkha Empire V and Sierra Nevada Summerfest

The Cigar

Wrapper: Ecudaor Connecticut
Filler:
Size: 5.5 x 52
My Strength Rating: 3.5

This cigar sports an attractive natural wrapper. The feel of the cigar is nice and firm. The smoke has a good cedar and fine white pepper quality. There is a smoothness to the texture that helps to maintain that mild to medium strength. It is a rather simple cigar. The mouthfeel and the overall strength rating does not change much at all during the smoking experience.

I selected this cigar to match with the Summerfest Lager because of its mild nature.

The Beer

5% abv
12 oz bottle
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Chico, California, USA
My Strength Rating: 2.5

The description on the bottle covers it pretty well: “Summerfest is a Pilsner-style lager brewed for enjoyment on warm summer days – featuring a slight malt sweetness, delicate spice and floral hop flavor, and a crisp, refreshing finish.”

This crisp summer lager has a clear bright yellow appearance. The white head did not stay around long and left no lacing on the glass. The moderate carbonation helps with that crispness to the mouthfeel. Overall a pretty clean tasting lager that is pleasing to drink. This would be a good step above your average lager. It is worthy of a try.

The Pairing

These two were meant for each other. They both have a smooth texture to the mouthfeel that makes a refreshing pairing. That mild-medium cedar flavor with a touch of white pepper from the cigar mixes well with the slight spice and sweet malts of the lager. If you are looking for a mild or mild-medium pairing this would be a good choice.

Hofbrau Dunkel

5.5% abv
11.2 oz bottle
Staatliches Hofbrauhaus
Munchen, Germany

This dunkel pours a dark bronze color with a light tan head. There is a slight roasted grain aroma. Oh, this is the one. Yep, this is the one I don’t like. This tastes like a mild boring coffee from a diner. You have had that coffee before where you think about is it the well water or is it just bad coffee.

So, there is a slight roasted malt taste with some boring rye bread note along with mineral like water taste.

Buy: buy one and see what you think first.

Hofbrau Hefe-Weizen

5.1% abv
11.2oz bottle
Staatliches Hofbrauhaus
Munchen, Germany

The name of this beer is actually Hofbrau Munchner Weisse. Hefe Weizen is a regional name for this beer.

This hefe pours a hazy pale yellow color with a fine white foamy head. The aroma is pure hefe weizen. Pleasant spice, clove, wheat, and grains dance on the palate. The taste should please most hefe weizen lovers. The clove and spice level is just right. The wheat and yeasty flavors are delicious. There a nice sweetness to the malts and there is also a slight lemon citrus profile coming from the hops. There is a soft banana note in the background. This is a wonderful complex hefe weizen.

Once I am out of here I am buying a six pack to go back home with.

This is a perfect hefe weizen for my summertime enjoyment.

My wife bought the hefe on tap and I got the bottle.  The hefe on tap looked like a filtered hefe weizen.  There was no hazy look nor a strong wheat flavor.  The bottle of course had all the sediment and when poured properly from the bottle it is just plain tasty.

Next day: Just picked up a six pack. I sure wish the blond on the box was here in Grindstone City serving me this hefe – the day would be perfect then.

Hofbrau Original

5.1% abv
11.2oz bottle
Staatliches Hofbrauhaus
Munchen, Germany

This beer pours a nice light golden color with a white head. The aroma is grassy and grainy. The flavor follows the aroma along with some bready-yeasty flavors. This is really hitting the spot. There is a good crisp and fresh feel to this beer.

This was also perfect while eating a brat here at the polka tent in Frankenmuth Michigan.

Buy: Must try – Pick one up today and start getting in the mood for the Oktoberfest beers.

Small Craft Warning Uber Pils: Review

7% abv
12 oz bottle
Clipper City Brewing Co.
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Solid golden color on the body and a fine white head of foam for her top. I like the deep golden color on this pilsner and it should be deep because they are calling it Uber Pils. And this is a tasty pilsner. There is a nice little fresh fruity style and sweet malts and a tasty herbal hops to keep those malts in check. There is a slight ‘soft’ white pepper note – I think it may be coming from the 7% alcohol. Overall a very tasty pilsner. I am going to put this in my top list.

Holy Sheet: Review

Uber Abbey Ale

9% abv
12 oz bottle
Clipper City Brewing
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

This Abbey like Ale pours a dark cola color with a thin tan head. As it settles into the glass the mahogany color comes through.

Last summer, I bought many of sampler packs of this Heavy Seas line-up and this was one that I really enjoyed. This is one complex tasting ale. As it says on the bottle, “…Grab a line…Holy Sheet!...or you’ll be swept overboard.”

There is a cola like character to the taste with a faint cherry note in the background. I really like the sweet caramel malts and the grainy flavors. The alcohol kicks in on the aftertaste for a nice little spice profile. The carbonation seems to be on the low side but, seems to be the right amount for this ale.

Pair this ale with a fine cigar

The Cigar

Gurkha Black Dragon
The coffee profile of this cigar should go well with this malty based ale. And it does! The sweet flavors of the malts are just perfect for a cigar with a coffee profile. This is a very fine pairing.

Bavarian Inn Fischer Platz

This outdoor polka music tent is a lot of fun during the summer months. I have been stopping by this place for years on my way to Grindstone City, Michigan. It is located in Frankenmuth Michigan right in the parking lot of the Bavarian Inn Restaurant. During the month of September they are open on weekends.

This is a great place to stop and have a sausage and a good German beer. They have Warsteiner, Warsteiner Dunkel, Hofbrau Hefe-weizen and Hofbrau Original, as well as, Labatt’s. They also have some soda drinks, coolers, wine, and some mixed-drinks. The food menu is short – hot dogs or brats. They also have some popcorn and pretzels for snack food.

While I am here I might as well do a HB review! and listen to some fun polka music. Yesterday was Fred Ziwich. Today is Joel Zwerk the Bus Driver and he is funny, at least his mother-in-law thinks so, but she is the only one here listening to him. Actually, it is not a bad crowd for a Thursday afternoon that looks like rain anytime soon. Come on up on September 17th and listen to him. (Octoberfeast Weekend)

Make plans for next summer to stop by the Fischer Platz in Frankenmuth Michigan and have a beer and a brat. Hopefully, Sadie (my dog) and I will see you there.

PEG LEG – Imperial Stout

By: Clipper City Brewing Co., Heavy Seas

8% abv
12oz bottle

On this cool summer night here in the tip of the thumb of Michigan I am going to pour myself this Imperial Stout that came in the Heavy Seas Sampler Pack.

Don’t be fooled by this short review, this is a tasty Stout. It is pretty straight forward, roasted coffee and a creamy dark chocolate. The dark chocolate taste transfers to the mouthfeel with a pleasing thick creamy style and low carbonation. The roasted coffee lingers on the palate for a bit of an aftertaste.

For a Russian Imperial Stout style it may be lack a little punch but, this is tasty. This is a nice break from those summertime beers.

Must Buy

the Big DIPA by: Heavy Seas

10.5% abv
22 oz bomber bottle
75 IBU (no way)
Clipper City Brewing
Heavy Seas – Mutiny Fleet

This is a double IPA? There are more malts floating around in this lost treasure than hops. The flavor was god offal. I poured it on the flower bed it was so bad. This is lost treasure that needs to stay lost. Leave it on the shelf for some other poor bastard that does not know any better.

Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet 2010 Letter of Marque

This is a Rye Porter
7.8% abv
1 pint 6 oz bottle
Cost: around 5 bucks in Michigan
Clipper City Brewery
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Pours a very dark almost black color. A tan head that hangs around. Heavy lacing on the glass. Big rich roasted malts that weigh on the tongue. A good medium roast coffee note along with a slight hoppy bitterness. Fairly smooth and a little creamy on the mouthfeel. Not complex but, that can be a good thing. It is pretty straight forward and ‘roasty’ tasting.

Buy: Yes, get one bottle and see what you think.

Heavy Seas - “HANG TEN”: Review

10% abv wow
12 oz bottle
Clipper City Brewing
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

This is a Weizen Dopplebock from Clipper Cities, Heavy Seas, line-up. This is one ugly looking beer. The sediment is so thick and the yeast is floating around like plankton. The aroma is all malts of course, it’s a dopplebock. There is plenty roasted malts and malty sweetness to delight a dopplebock lover. There is a milk chocolate profile that mixes in with the heavy rich wheat flavor.

Oh boy, here we go again with the freshness date stuff – I better start checking every purchase from now on – June, 2009! I bought this in July of 2010! Now, I have to get a fresh four pack to see how this stuff aged. The beer overall is not bad – it is not complex for a dopplebock but, that may be because of age – I don’t know?

For such a malt based beer it is not on overkill for sweetness. Oh, yes it is sweet – but, I find this very drinkable. Just be careful of the 10% abv. I’ll give a new review on this beer when I find a fresh one!

3 Different Berry Beers Tasting

Samuel Smith’s Strawberry – Purple Haze Raspberry Wheat – Southern Tier Raspberry Wheat
I did a tasting with these three Berry Beers using my 2 oz tasting glasses.

Sam’l Smith Organic Handcrafted Fruit Ale Strawberry
5.2% abv
1pt. 2.7oz or 550ml
Brewed at Melbourn Bros. Brewery and blended and bottled at Samuel Smith’s Brewery.
England
They say they use organic strawberry fruit juice in this ale.

Taste: This beer has a rich strawberry cream shortcake flavor. It is not overly sweet. This was actually pretty tasty to me and I hate these kind of beers. I don’t think I could drink more than a few ounces of this beer but, it is tasty.

Purple Haze Raspberry Wheat Brew
4.2% abv
12oz bottle
Abita Brewing Co.
Abita Springs, Louisiana, USA
It says on the bottle, ‘Purple Haze is a crisp American Style wheat beer with a fresh raspberry puree added after filtration.’

Taste: Not a very tasty berry flavor. There is a slight bitterness and a decent wheat profile to the taste.
I don’t think I would even want to drink one of these. Good thing the wife likes this stuff.

Southern Tier Raspberry Wheat Beer
4.5% abv
12oz bottle
Southern Tier Brewing Co.
Lakewood, New York, USA

Taste: This has a better raspberry flavor than the Purple Haze. It has a little sweetness, no bitterness, and a big watery edge. This is a little more drinkable than the Purple Haze. Once again, it is a good beer for the wife. I won’t be drinking this anytime soon.

If you have tried these before – what do you think?

Monk’s Café Sour Red Ale

5.5% abv
11.2 oz bottle (comes in a 4 pack)
Van Steenberge Brewery (I seem to like their beers)
Belgium
My Strength Rating: 4

This is an Oud Bruin style, meaning they take a mixture of young beer and old beer and blend them together and in this case they also age it in oak.

I have never had Monk’s Café before so, let’s see how it goes. First sip … its ok. No strong sour note as in vinegar sour. I have not had a sour beer in a year or so; the taste buds need to adjust a little. All right this has a tasty sour profile. After a few more sips my taste buds are ready to figure this Flemish Sour Red Ale out.

Let’s start with the finish – I think it has a clean and refreshing aftertaste. Not clean as in pilsner clean (void in taste). Think of mouthwash clean! You get a mouthful of mouthwash and swish it around and then after you spit out the mouthwash your mouth feels refreshed but still retains some of the mouthwash taste. Well, you get a mouthful of this mild sour ale and yes swish it around to get the full taste of this delicious sour ale. After you have swallowed the ale you are left with a refreshing mouthfeel. Also, think of a Champagne aftertaste – clean and tingly.

Get a big mouthful of foam – uhmm good. Taste that cherry-oaky taste within that foam – very good. While drinking this ale (3 bottle review over three different days) I really enjoy the balance of the mild sweet-sour style. I also have grown to like its complexities. Flavors of: green apple for a little tartness, green grapes for a little freshness, dark cherry for sweetness, with a slight oak background, and a cola like effervescence that just seems to explode when it’s in your mouth. This is delicious! Damn! Another new favorite in the makings.

Here is something I did not expect. Sour beer on a hot day? No way, right! Yes, this is very good on a hot day indeed. It is 91 degrees out with the humidity around 90+% and this Sour Ale is refreshing.

This is a living beer. Living beers have yeast added to them just before they are capped. This helps to build the taste profile, alcohol, and to help with the aging of the beer. Your ‘domestic’ type beers are dead beers. They have been cooked, processed, and pasteurized and then capped. They have no aging potential. That is why born on dates or expiration dates are so important (to a point). Also, all that yeast sediment floating around in your living beer – its vitamin B there in that glass.

Buy: Yes. If you have never had a sour beer before you need to build your palate. Buy Petrus Oud Bruin first and then try Monk’s Café. You will have to work on your perception at first. The first few sips or bottle – you will have to learn to develop your palate and change your thinking. Your brain is still thinking Bud-tasteless and then you sip this and your brain is still thinking this is a beer and this is Bud-tasteless and wham!!! Sour! And you will say I don’t like this. Then, look at the bottle and read, Flemish Sour Red Ale. Now, just sip it – slowly. Think about the flavors. Or just pour a big glass of foam and taste the head. The foam is really tasty, it has a cherry cola taste.

I’ll take this over an IPA any day of the week. Week-ends too!

Since I wrote this posting a month ago I went back to the store and bought a case of this ale.  This is a wonderful beer to end the night with after you have had a wonderful dinner.

Petrus Oud Bruin

This ale has a fine looking mahogany color. The aroma is sweet with an apple vinegar overtone. The taste continues with that wonderful apple vinegar profile. The super fine carbonation puts a nice tingle on the gums. This is a good beer to be introduced to sour beers. I enjoyed this flavorful ale. I plan to buy some more. I am not going to call it a must buy because of its unique taste profile. I will say it is a must try. Get one bottle and try it.

A Beer Review: Laguntas Pils

The Pilsner

Lagunitas Pils Czech Style Pilsner
5.3% Abv
12 oz bottle
Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Petaluma, California, USA

Pours a cloudy orange-golden color. White bubbles for the head. Fairly aggressive pour and got a one finger head. To me the aroma is like sweet grains.

I like the sweet grains and the slight spice that might be from the alcohol that plays on the tongue. The notes here remind me of pink pepper. Pink pepper has that sweetness with a little spice with it. There is a nice fruitiness. Some apple and a little lemon squirt that help to add some character. Overall I’ll call it good. Whether it is a Czech Style Pilsner – I don’t know. I think I have only had one true Czech Republic pilsner and that was too long ago. The more I drink this beer the more I like it. I’ll go to good +. This is not your Miller beer with its sugary sweetness and big watery profile. This beer has some nice flavors for a pilsner.

Buy: Yes, worthy of a six pack. Ditch that Miller bottle and buy this. At least this is a true American Made Beer!

Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout and Filet Mignon

This complex stout should make a nice marinade for my filet mignon. This stout has some solid sweetness, roasted malts, sourness (like milk sour), a citrus lemon bite, and some earthy and coffee notes. I am going to add a half a tablespoon of homemade vanilla bourbon to the mix.

I poured a little olive oil into a glass dish and coated both sides of the filets in the oil. I then poured the bottle of Double Cream Stout into the glass dish and placed the filets into the refrigerator till dinner time.

I cooked both 8 oz. filets on the grill with some purple cauliflower. Once the filets were medium-rare dinner was ready!

Oh this was sooo tasty. I recommend try this.

Brugse Zot

Who is Brugse Zot


Party Boy Today
6% abv.
11.2oz bottle
Br. De Halve Maan
Brugge, Belgium

The Brugs
Brugse is a 6% abv ale that pours a hazy golden color with a soft beige colored head. It leaves some nice lacing on the glass and the fine foam seems to be always present floating atop the ale. There is always nice sediment floating around that adds to the hazy look of this ale. That sediment is the living yeast that was added just before bottling – don’t worry, it is good for you. The aroma has a sweet bready nose. The taste can be on the complex side, with its sweet-sour taste with some nice spice, white pepper undertones and citrus flavors. The hops give me a nice grassy, spicy and lemon-like bitterness that is not overwhelming. The citrus profile tells me this would be a good blond to enjoy on a summer day. The sweetness mingles well, letting me know that the malts are doing their job too.

I took my friend Brugse Zot to a party today. The hot summer day seemed to be just right for this blond ale. I have had a few too many pilsner type beers on these hot days and thought it was time for some more flavor.

Must try

Who is Brugse Zot

A Woodsman Tonight

Looking at reading my description of this ale I thought I should get a good mild cigar with a solid woody taste profile. I enjoyed this ale this evening with an Indian Tabac Classic Corojo Chief Cigar.

The taste profile of the ale really helped to elevate the flavors of this cigar. This was a nice pairing.

A Beer Review: Wells Bombardier

The Ale - Wells Bombardier English Ale

After your nose passes the slight peppery and malty aroma your palate is greeted to an English Ale treat. The taste has a nice herbal hoppy bite with a rich malty characteristic. I get a cedar woody taste along with red apple freshness. This is a nice English Ale that is firm and crisp. The mouthfeel has a dry and nice bitter bite like an English ale. It is still refreshing due to the good watery edges and slight carbonation that helps to cleanse the palate. My strength rating is a 4.5 for this ale.

Sawtooth Ale by: Left Hand Brewing

5.3% abv.
12oz bottle.
27 IBU.
By: Left Hand Brewing
Colorado, USA

Nice clear amber color.  Nice malty and hoppy nose.  To me, I get a spicy, earthy, and citrusy hop flavor up front then a toasted slightly wheat/grain malty notes on the back. But, with each sip I notice a roasted malt like character on the nose. I really like the taste of this ale, which is classified as an American Style Extra Strong Bitter. There are nice flavors from the malts and the hops making for a tasty beverage indeed.

I will be buying this one again.

James Boag’s Premium Lager: Review

5% abv.
375ml bottle or 12.7oz.
From: Tasmania, Australia.

When I opened the bottle I could smell the fresh grains. A typical looking lager with a fine white head. It also has the typical lager crisp and clean taste. It has a delicate floral hoppy note that balances well with the pale malts for a smooth tasting beer. There is a nice grain or grainy taste that I like as well. This is a winner to me. I think I will buy a six pack of this the next time I stop by the store. This is a very good summer time beer. This should pair up well with most foods.

Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale: Review

A big one pint 6oz bottle.
11.1% abv.
95 IBU.

Pours a pretty looking reddish bronze color with a thin tan head. The carbonation must be toward the low side. The lacing on the glass is minimal if any.

The nose is malty caramel with some grapefruit citrus around the edges. My first sip seemed to be the opposite. Citrus-piney hops wash across the tongue and then the malty notes started to swirl on the palate. After that, it had a caramel malty flavor and citrus hoppy character all mingled together with every sip. I have to say I like the taste of this barley wine. The texture seems to have a creamy smoothness that is felt for a moment when the citrus aftertaste just coats the palate. The 11% alcohol can be felt as it warms the mouth and seems to give me a peppery prickly feel on the tongue. As I finish my first glass I can feel my body temperature warm from the alcohol. This would be nice on a cool spring or cool summer day – Okay, winter would be very nice.

Arrogant Bastard Ale: Review

7.2% abv
1pt 6oz bottle
IBU They are so Arrogant they won’t list it.
Stone Brewing Co.
Escondido, California, USA

Poured a deep amber color with a fine tan head (one finger - if). I get a very tart citrus – pine bite front and center. Then the malts waltz right in for a little sweetness. Take notice of a slight caramel and roasted caramel in the background. There is also faint pineapple sweetness. Pay attention if you burp while drinking this beer – yep – a pineapple burp. Then smell the beer – aroma of pineapple. The fine carbonation helps to clean things up on the aftertaste. It is rather smooth overall. I think you can play the game of ‘what do you taste’ while drinking this beer.

This Arrogant Bastard is a very good beer to drink and learn to recognize different flavors because it has some complexity. There are several faint flavors that are involved here in this ale beyond the obvious ones. I think pineapple for one. There is also what I call the interpreted flavor, I don’t really get a direct dark chocolate taste but, the dryness from the ale and the bitterness from the hops leaves me with this aftertaste like a dark cocoa 80% style – dry and bitter.

Now, this is a balanced beer. I hate it when you get one of those pilsners or lagers and they say it is a ‘well balanced beer,’ and the IBU is like 17. No, this beer is sugar and malts.

This beer gets better as it warms up. I think the next time I drink one I am going to let it sit till it reaches the temp of 45 to 50 degrees F. The pine – citrus bite is not as big when it was straight out of the fridge. The caramel flavors are a little more noticeable and the aftertaste seems to be stronger. A bit more of the pine on the aftertaste as it warms up.

For me this is a once a month or twice a month beer and I personally would only drink one of these big bottles in a night.

Buy: yes, learn to develop your palate. If you are ‘just starting’ to learn to drink better beer you may want to wait a few months till you try it. Pick one bottle up. 5 bucks for this size bottle in Michigan.

Lilja’s Heifer Weizen: Review

The Beer

Wisconsin Farmhouse Wheat Beer
? Abv
12 oz bottle
Sand Creek Brewing
Black River Falls, Wisconsin, USA

I have never had or seen this beer before and I am not too sure about this one. Why? You ask. It has three cows on the label. So, the name Heifer!

This beer is lively. There must be plenty of carbonation here. After having to aggressively pour a one finger head on the Summit Hefe, this one you have to be careful with because you will end up with a glass full of foam. The head has a pretty white foam. The body color is a hazy yellowish color. The aroma is a little soapy smelling – I just hope it does not transfer to the taste. Oh, it does not. But, this tastes like a good hefe weizen. The banana, clove, and spice, along with the wonderful wheat flavor is dancing across my tongue to my delight. There is a slight lemon citrus note as an undertone here. This is a very pleasant tasting Heifer.

Kellerweis Hefeweizen: Review

The Hefe

4.8% abv
12 oz bottle
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Chico, California, USA
My Strength Rating: 4

The Hefe pours a cloudy pale orange color. It has a nice white head that carries a pleasing Hefe Weizen aroma. A slight banana and spice profile. The clove flavor is pleasing to the palate. This is a very drinkable Weizen with only a 4.8% abv. Find yourself a summer day that you want to kick back and enjoy a nice Hefe Weizen. There is an herbal like aftertaste that lingers on the palate. The mouthfeel is quite refreshing. This would be good to pair with mild seafood dishes or veal chops.

Pugsley’s Signature Series Barley Wine: Review

8.5% abv

1 pint 6 oz bottle

Shipyard Brewing Co.

Portland, Maine, USA

The bottle covers it best. “This is a big beer made with six different malts (Pale Ale, Crystal, Caramunich, Wheat, Chocolate and Roasted Barley) and balanced with a very full hop charge of Summit, Challenger and Fuggles hops.”

This barley wine pours a deep brown color on the body and a tan head that dissipates quickly. The nose has a nice fruity aroma. In the taste I do not get that fruity aroma. The roasted notes are there on the taste buds. There is also a raisin like quality along with some grains play along. Not a big chocolate presence, I wish there was more. There is a good smoky quality to the brew. The hops throw in a bit of bitterness to balance things out. The flavors all seem to muddle together for an average tasting ale. To me the roasted barley and a hoppy bite seem to be the main players and then there is a sweet malty taste that appears now and then.