Kasteel Rouge: Review

Castle Brewery

Van Honsebrouck, Belgium

Belgian ale brewed with cherries and cherry juice

Fruit Beer

8% abv

11.2oz stubby brown bottle

Appearance: dark cola body with a reddish tint; bridal blush one finger head; no lacing

Aroma: big time cherry, cola,

Flavors: big cherry cola flavor; light-moderate tart cherry; if there are any other flavors it is covered up by the big time cherry flavor

Mouthfeel: light-moderate tart cherry; cherry; and cherry on the aftertaste; light-moderate carbonation; but you don’t even think about the carbonation because of the cherry

To the Point: need I say it again … cherry; I think I am drinking a cherry cola; I don’t think I can finish even on bottle of this; half way thru and I am taking this glass to my wife; if you like cherry flavored colas this would be perfect for you; 

Schneider Weisse Tap 6 Aventinus: Review

G. Schneider & Sohn

Germany

Schneider-Weisse.de

Germany’s Original Wheat-Doppelbock Ale

8.2% abv

1pt .9oz bottle

$3.99 a bottle

When I saw Tap 6 on the label I thought they had a new version of my favorite Aventinus.  I looked it up and no it is not a new version just new labeling.  The best thing to me is the new price … it was only 4 bucks.  It was running around 5.50 for a bottle.  The first review of this beer was back in 2010.

Appearance: brown caramel body with a two finger bone white head that stays around a ½ finger till I finished the glass …. Little spot of lacing here or there

Aroma: rich malts; light toasted sweet caramel and fresh wheat front and center or is it the scents of banana, candied dark fruit, hint of clove - front and center; which-ever … it is great, very solid complexity; here is the best part … the aroma only gets better with each sip

Flavors: the flavor reminds me of dark spice fruit bread; dark bread, yeast, sweet golden raisin, and a faint touch of clove swirling around; there is a little sweet red banana bubble gum on the back of the palate

Mouthfeel: smooth, creamy, low to no carbonation, medium-full body, very complex on the nose and complex on the palate

To the Point: this is one great beer.  Years ago when I had it for the first time (the beer) … it was love at first sip.  

Lowrider Ale: Review

Cerveceria De Baja

Mexicali, Mexico

Cucapa.com

No date on the bottle

1pt 6oz bottle

$6.99 a bottle

7.2% abv

Style: rye beer

This beer has been retired so, let’s see how it has aged.

Appearance: a misty reddish amber body with not a lick of head; I had that bottle about 10 inches away from the glass trying to create some head;

Aroma: the rye and hops come together for a little funkiness; fruit and grains; the fruit reminds me of peach and pear

Flavors: nice spicy rye upfront; rye and summer fruit on the mid; touch of citrus on the back and grassy on the finish

Mouthfeel: low carbonation, nice spicy feel, medium body, grassy aftertaste

To the Point: a nice rye beer

Alfa Beer: Review

Athenian Brewery SA

Athens, Greece

5% abv

330ml bottle

$12.99 a six pack

Oh, I just can’t wait to be done reviewing these Lagers and Pilsners.  Drinking flavorful beers while just do you in for going back to plain Jane Lagers.  But, they do serve a purpose – they are refreshing on a hot summer day if you drink them ice cold. 

Appearance: crystal gold body with maybe a one finger white head that disappeared before my eyes; a spot or dot of lacing here or there.

Aroma: oh hum, another lager bouquet; in the bottle a little Euro must smell or green bottle smell; in the glass – sweet grains and grassy hop

Flavors: grainy, light herbal hop and dry grass, multi grain bread, for a Lager pretty good

Mouthfeel: crisp, refreshing, light flavors, light to moderate body, moderate carbonation,

To the Point: once again a typical Lager; average at best as far as Lagers go; refreshing and pleasing on a hot summer day.  Hard to justify the $12.99 a six pack.  

Mythos Hellenic Lager Beer: Review

Mythos Brewing SA

Greece

4.7% abv

11.2oz bottle

I am doing a three country Pilsner/Lager review day.  I started with Radeberger from Germany; the second one – Birra Moretti from Italy; and this one from Greece. 

Appearance: nice golden body with lively bubbles rising to the top with a finger and a half pour as snow head; it also leaves some lacing behind.  Damn good beer.

Aroma: fresh loaf of Wonder White Bread; that’s it folks

Flavors: buttered white bread, sweet broadleaf grass,

Mouthfeel: very simple; fresh, refreshing, crisp, clean; this beer is as clean as a beer can taste; no aftertaste well there is a little grainy feel; carbonation is lively; light body;

To the Point: I didn’t like this beer on the first couple of sips; the more I sipped - the more l liked it; it still is only an okay lager but, on a hot summer day and it is today – it is refreshing if nothing else and looking at those flavors I mean nothing else. 

As for the three different beers: I liked Birra Moretti; then the Mythos and in third place Radeberger.  To me all three were typical lagers; all three on the boring side of town; all three refreshing on a hot summer day.  

Birra Moretti Premium Lager

Heineken Italia, SpA

Udine, Italy

The Beer in Italy

330ml bottle

$11.99 a six pack

 4.6% abv

Appearance: super crystal pale yellow with a ½ finger white head that did not stay around long.

Aroma: very light overall; light grains, white bread, faint grass, an almost typical light aroma of a lager

Flavors: once again – a typical lager; fresh white bread, crisp grains, mild hops, little grassy like, seem to come together for a nice tasting lager; like a typical lager or pilsner the flavors diminish as it warms. 

Mouthfeel: crisp, fresh, pleasing, smooth, decent carbonation to keep it lively,

To the Point: a good lager, as far as, lagers go; 12 bucks for a six pack – I know I can find a better beer for this kind of money and not be stuck with some typical lager beer.  

Radeberger Pilsner: Review

Radeberger Exportbierbrauerei

Radeberg, Germany

4.8% abv

11.2oz bottle/330ml

$9.99 a six pack

Best before 6.20.13

Today is 6.23.13

Two interesting things on this bottle: 1) on the ingredients – hop extract; 2) Puerto Rico, Please Don’t Litter.  So, Puerto Rico must have a problem with throwing German Beer bottles out their car windows and littering the road sides.  And, dealing with #1 – ‘hop extract’ – this is Germany brewing the beer not some third world country that can’t grow any plant life on their soil and would have to buy hop extract to make a beer. 

I bought a bunch of these import pilsners because I need the bottle caps to finish my stud work around my shed door.  I only need 15 more caps to get to 600 different caps on that stud work.  Here is the other interesting thing, to me, I think I have all the different beer caps from the party store I go to and they have a huge

Selection.    

Appearance: crystal yellow with plenty of bubbles rising to the top with a ½ finger pure white head that lays on top during the drinking experience; spot lacing

Aroma: dry grass clippings, light must, light grain, not much else

Flavors: should have named this beer ‘not much else,’ dusty grains, very faint hop bittering, water, and not much else

Mouthfeel: thin, watery, decent fizzy carbonation, refreshing on a hot summer day if it is ice cold, as this beer warms the flavors diminish; just seems like a light pilsner; I had hopes for this German beer – oh well. 

To the Point: just lacks character; as far as pilsners go – it’s only decent; just because of the use of ‘hop extract’ I would never buy this beer again.  For 10 bucks a six pack you can do much better spending your money on something else.  

Shizuoka Natsurmikan Ale: Review

Baird Brewing

Numazu, Japan
Bairdbeer.com

Japanese Ale Brewed with additions of Natsumikan Fruit and Peel

Fruit Style Ale

6% abv

1pt 5.4oz bottle

$12.99 a bottle

The Super Fine Wine & Liquor in Canton Michigan

Appearance: misty golden orange body with a one finger white head

Aroma: wow, very aromatic, the fruity note is very nice and unique; berry like; white grape

Flavors: I don’t know what the Shizuoka Natsurmikans fruit smells like or taste like, let along how to say it, but it is flavorful.  Let me do my best to describe this ale: it reminds me of a sweet-tart mango-apricot-tangerine that is on the tart side; there is an herbal-spice note

It’s like mixing a fruity white wine with a light ale.

Mouthfeel: fine fizzy feel from the carbonation, tart, dry finish, has a refreshing feel

To the Point: I am not a fan of fruit style ales but, this is very interesting and tasty.  On fruity beers I am either giving the rest of the glass to my wife or pouring them on the grass.  I drank this 633ml bottle and I would drink another one if I had one.  I want to learn about this Shizuoka Natsurmikan fruit now.  I would buy this again.  

Ise Kadoya Triple Hop Ale: Review

Triple Hop Ale

Ise Kadoya

Ise, Japan

5.1% abv

1pt .9oz bottle

Appearance: nice deep amber body with a bone white two finger head; spotty lacing; almost ruddy brown on the second half of the bottle

Aroma: very nice aromatic nose; orange peel spice, a little summer stone fruit with a good touch of spring floral

Flavors: follows the nose, aromatic hops, floral, hint of lemon grass, undertone of stone fruit, light earthy yeast

Mouthfeel: moderate carbonation, medium body, light bitterness on the back and aftertaste, light earthy yeast lingers on the palate

To the Point: a tasty ale, sorry it’s not a hop bomb, I will buy a couple more on my next visit. 

T. Dub's Restaurant in Frankenmuth Michigan

If you follow this blog you know that I like to stop in Frankenmuth on my way to Grindstone City in the tip of the thumb of Michigan.  The Fischer Platz on the outside of the Bavarian Inn Restaurant is a great place to have a beer and listen to Polka Music.  Sullivan’s Black Forest has some real fine craft beers.  The Lager Mill beer store has a super fantastic selection of beers.  Well, T. Dub's is a little restaurant in the middle of downtown and they have a nice selection of craft beers on tap. 

I usually stop at T. Dub's for breakfast but, with a nice selection of beers on tap I am planning to stop by for a lunch and dinner.  I did get a chance to order a pizza to go, the day was too nice to sit inside and eat, and the pizza was very good.  Since, I was ordering this pizza to go this gave me the opportunity to try a beer that I have not had before – Kuhnhenn’s DRIPA – Double Rice India Pale Ale.

This 9.5% abv DRIPA is one tasty ale.  It has a nice golden body with a white head that leaves plenty of sticky lacing on the glass.  It is not overly bitter – kind of like pink grapefruit; has a nice malt presence; nice light crisp bitter aftertaste; the long grain rice must give this ale its mellow and crisp feel.  I am going to have to do a real review on this one day.  I really liked this ale. 

Look at this tasty pizza

I got: red onion, roasted red peppers, fresh garlic, feta cheese and spinach.

This is damn good pizza.  

Tsingtao: Review

Tsingtao Brewery Company

Qingdao, China

Tsingtaobeer.com

Pure Draft Beer

Style: Lager

4.3% abv

Appearance: pale yellow water with a one inch white head that leaves no lacing behind.

Aroma: green bottle funk, little skunky, little grass

Flavors: grassy, dusty grain, diluted corn, water, some nice flavors to fall asleep with

Mouthfeel: decent carbonation, clean, no aftertaste, ultra light  

To the Point: why bother – drink water and save the money

Pinkus Organic UR Pils: Review

Brauerei Pinkus Muller Munster

Germany

Merchantduvin.com

Unfiltered Pilsner Beer

500ml bottle

$3.99

5.2% abv

Appearance: misty golden-yellow body with a two finger white head that stays around for a while and not much on the lacing front; champagne like bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass

Aroma: grains, white bread, fresh and clean

Flavors: sweet grains; buttered biscuit; herbal-mineral water; little grassy on the back and aftertaste; lime water on the finish

Mouthfeel: firm carbonation; sweet up front; grassy feel lingers on the palate; light tart-twang on the finish; the tart-twang is reminding me of lime water;   

To the Point: a very tasty German Pilsener; perfect for the summertime 

Immortal Beloved Hefeweizen: Review

Cerveza de los Muerto Immortal Beloved Hefeweizen

Cerveceria Mexicana

Tecate, B.C., Mexico

11.2oz bottle

$9.99 a six pack

5.5% abv

Appearance: glowing orange body, looks like the orange on the bottle neck label, one to two finger white head that leaves no lacing

Aroma: big time banana flavored bubble gum; wheat;

Flavors: just like the nose sweet banana; wheat; orange; dry orange peel on the finish and aftertaste

Mouthfeel: mild carbonation; sweet; little dry on the finish;

Overall: while I like the flavors and its simplicity I just feel like something is missing; it reminds me Oberon from Bell’s – every time I drink Oberon I just feel like something is missing; try this Hefe you should like it – think of Oberon with a banana note to it

Reissdorf Kolsch: Review

Privat-Brauerei Heinrich Reissodorf

Koln, Germany

Reissdorf.de

500ml/16.9oz bottle

$3.99

4.8% abv

Appearance: light golden crystal clear body with a one finger white head that did not stay around long and leaves some lacing on the glass

Aroma: dusty grains, grassy, fresh biscuit, hint of floral

Flavors: white bread, light grains, sharp sea grass

Mouthfeel: light body; lightly dry feel; refreshing, crisp, fairly clean; grassy twang on the palate; light grassy aftertaste;

To the Point: a true Kolsch; drink it fast for the flavors break down fairly quick as it warms; I would buy this again; 

Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel: Review

Brauerei Aying

Aying, Germany

Authentic Bavarian Dark

500ml bottle/.5l/1pt .9oz

5% abv

$3.29 a bottle @

Lager Mill Frankenmuth

Appearance: nice mahogany body, somewhat clear, with a full two finger tan bubbly head that does not stick around long. Just what a Dunkel lager is going to look like – dark. 

Aroma: dark bready malts, lightly toasted grains, and not much else, very light overall

Flavors: light toasted sweet grains, dark bread like, caramel, fairly simple overall

Mouthfeel: low carbonation, toasty notes on the palate during and on the aftertaste, light bitterness, roasted sweet note

To the Point: a good Alt Dunkel, tasty, easy to drink,