Since my girlfriend loves the gonzo - Gonzo Imperial Stout

Well, it certainly has been awhile...No excuses on my part, although I could push out several very valid 'reasons'.

Let's jump right into it: Gonzo Imperial Stout





I am not certain why the Flying Dog brand of beers has such a love for Hunter S. Thompson (or, at least the artist that does all the drawing for his works), but it seems to me like this company uses this art all the time for their beers. I know a ton of people who really enjoy Flying Dog, but have never had the pleasure of getting to try one myself...

The beer is very dark and flows lightly into the glass...very little head for a stout, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this has a lot to do with the way I have learned to pour my beers for optimal beer consumption! The flavor is strong and has heavy undertones of dark chocolate. The strength of the beer is surprising, given how smooth it is to drink. The aroma is chocolately with slight hints of maple (although the beer has no maple taste to it).

This is a very tasty stout, but not one that I think I could handle for an entire evening of drinking. I would certainly recommend having this beer over dinner or with a chocolate dessert (Jess will be making a cake using stout from a future blog post: kamikaze gourmet...look it up!). Definitely have this beer whenever you are looking for a nice, strong stout!


Flavor: Dark stout with a nice, heavy undertone of dark chocolate
Color: Dark brown (almost purplish on the adhesion to the glass)
Alcohol Content: 7.8% (by volume)
Average Price: $5.99 (bottle)

Calories: 269
Total Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Carbs: 18.6 g
Protein: 0 g





P.S. I'll end with a promise...much more frequent posts in the future!

All mine comes from growing up on the streets: Sol Cerveza

This post was originally planned for Cinco de Mayo, but it seems that Once de Mayo...From what I hear, this is like the Corona of Canada, so we shall see if Sol Cerveza tastes like maple syrup and ham.





Jess told me that, like Corona, this beer should be served with a lime, but to truly test the flavor of the beer, I decided to do this review with just the beer only. The color is a light golden amber and has little head of which to speak. Sol Cerveza has a very similar aroma to Corona, but a unique sweetness after tasting. In fact, I would say that this beer tastes as if someone mixed Corona with Heineken, which might sound a little strange, but is actually a nice little twist on your traditional Mexican cerveza. I would think that this beer would be inhanced with a fresh lime.

I know that most people like to eat Mexican food when enjoying a Mexican beer, but I really enjoy have a good burger and fries, since typically these beers are lighter in consumption, and thus better suited to consumption while eating food.

A very tasty beer with a nice hint of sweetness...I would definitely recommend picking some up for your next Once de Mayo party!


Flavor: Sweet with a subtle hint of Heinekenish flavor
Color: Light amber
Alcohol Content: 4.1% (by volume)
Average Price: $14.99 (12 pack)

Calories: 143
Total Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Carbs: 11 g
Protein: 1.1 g

Wait, im NOT reviewing an IPA? - Sierra Nevada Stout

I have been a fan of Sierra Nevada since my first sip of it in a few years ago...however, I can say that my experiences have typically been with their different varieties of hoppier beers (IPAs, seasonal beers, etc.) The company itself has a very unique and inspirational history (the president began brewing in his garage and now has one of the largest microbreweries in the country...all with no paid advertising). Today, to experience more of their brand, I will be sampling the Sierra Nevada Stout.







Right off the bat, this is probably one of the darkest beers I have ever seen; imagine a Guinness without the defined head and unique bubbling. The aroma is nice and chocolaty, but not quite as potent as the aforementioned beer...The flavor is rich with a surprising (and pleasant) hoppy finish. I suppose that this is to be expected with a Sierra Nevada, as it seems that they pride themselves on the ability to infuse any beer the brew with a good amount of hops. The flavor is forward, but doesn't linger on the pallet much longer than it should.

All in all, I would say that this beer is a very tasty addition to my already beloved Sierra Nevada brand. If you are looking for a traditional (i.e. Guinness) flavored stout, I would probably steer away from this one, but if you are looking for something a bit more unique than your typical stout, then I would definitely recommend this beer!


Flavor: Chocolaty with a warm hoppy finish
Color: Dark brown (practically black)
Alcohol Content: 5.8% (by volume)
Average Price: $8.99 (6 pack)

Calories: 175
Total Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Carbs: 14.1 g
Protein: 1.5 g

Dave update: Eel River Brewing Organic Porter

This is my first foray into the organic beer area. Generally speaking, I am a firm believer that organic products do not taste any different from regular products, and when they do, it is largely due to self-persuasion. This beer pours dark, but clear, so the light causes a reddish brown hue top be seen. Head is chocolatey, but disappears quickly.

On the one hand, I commend this beer for using an organic approach AND producing a very good tasting porter for LESS than 6 packs of other porters or stouts can be had (50 cents less than Guinness for instance). It is tasty, and reminds me of one of James and I's newest favorites-the Harpoon Limited Barrel Series Oyster Stout, and is the closest I've found as a replacement. Do the organic ingredients matter? Probably not, but it is a tasty brew.


Color: deep reddish brown, but clear.
Scent:Malt, plain and simple.
First taste: chocolate front, leading to malt. Great malt flavor here.
Feel: Pretty heavy, but doesn't "slog" the way Guinness does, making it easier to drink.
Finish: Slight bitter touch at the finish, balancing the malt.
Alcohol Content: 6.3% ABV
Average Price: $8.50 per 6-pack of 12 ounce bottles.

Decisions, decisions...Microbrewing post

Well, a few weeks have passed since I last posted about my intentions to starting trying to brew my own beer with Dave...the last post was basicaly just an overview into the things he and I need to start thinking about before we begin this process. Since then, I have begun brewing my first beer (with the help of the Mr. Beer brewing kit, but brewing none the less).




Having done some research, I think that at this point in our lives, the best thing for Dave and I to focus on is getting a brewpub up and started before we could even imagine having the financial stability to focus solely on brewing. For those that are unaware of the differences, a brewpub is is basically a smaller brewery that also sells food. Everything that I have been reading tends to point out the fact that it is much easier to make money selling food than it is trying to convince people that your brand new type of beer is better than the normal beers they are used to buying (i.e. those huge brewing companies that make up about 90% of the market). I am not upset about this fact, especially since I think that Dave and I have the combined knowledge and business saavy to make something like this work to our advantage.

The stumbling block in my mind is mostly financial...Like I have said, I think that Dave and I are smart enough to run a business, and determined enough to make a unique varieties of beers. I am really unsure of how to even begin to figure out how much capital we will need to amass before we can start. The guy who created Tijuana Flats started with a $20,000...this seems a good spot to start thinking. In my mind, the yet unnamed brewpub would be half bar, half restaurant...I like the idea of a large bar with maybe 10 small tables filling in the rest of the area:

-Rent
-Equipment
-Insurance
-Ingredents (both food and beer)
-Salaries (employees and, ideally, Dave and I could manage to make some money too).


This isn't something I plan on jumping into tomorrow, so I have plenty of time to figure out all my expenses and save up some money (hopefully getting a loan for a brewpub would be easier than it seems getting one for brewery).

The other thing I have been tossing around in my head is location...Dave and I spoke about setting up shop in a college town, but I wonder if there is a demand for a higher priced mircobrew in a land where Natural Light is King? Perhaps we would fair better establishing ourselves in a downtown automosphere or a wealthier part of town? All things to think about while I am experimenting with brews and saving money to get everything started...

Couldn't let Dave go there on his own...La Fin du Monde

Well, it has certainly been a rough few weeks...ever since starting my P90X diet, I haven't been able to properly review as many beers as I would like to (thanks go out to Dave for picking up a lot of the slack), so I decided that today would be a nice day to treat myself to a good review. Dave previously reviewed La Fin du Monde (French for "The End of the World"), but since this is one of the beers that Jess purchased me for bachelor weekend, I wanted to do it justice and double review this one.





Unibroue Brewing is based out of Chambly, Québec...Canadian beers have always been interesting to me, as they mainly have 3 areas of influence (English, French, and American) and many tend to fold easily to American interests (lighter flavored lagers, etc). La Fin du Monde is a golden style Belgian ale, so it seems that the European side of this influence should hold firm in the beer.

First glance shows an especially clouded beer with little visibility and lack of any noteworthy head. The aroma is soft and citrusy and the color is a dark gold... The first taste is very complex: hints of a sharp hoppiness on the tip of the tongue that follows closely with a flowery sweetness. There is thicker mouth-feel which isn't overpowering and could possibly be explained away by the cloudiness of the beer. After his visit to Canada, Dave said that this is one of the area's most famous microbrews and, after tasting, I can clearly see why. This beer is complex in it's flavor and unique in taste. Strict Beeritarian approved!


Flavor: Hoppy beginnings with a sweet, flowery finish
Color: Cloudy dark gold
Alcohol Content: 9.0% (by volume)
Average Price: $3.00 (11 oz bottle)

Calories: 225
Total Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Carbs: 30g
Protein: 0g

QuaDave post - Canada is now suffering a beer shortage

I recently wrote about a trip to Montreal. Without rehashing, I’ll summarize and say my favorites (on draft in Canada) were the Le Cheval Blanc Stout (best stout I have ever had) and the Boreale Blonde.

I already reviewed the Labatt Porter. The rest are:

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Rosee d’Hibiscus





This beer comes from a small brewpub in Montreal that also has a bottling operation. Labelled as a wheat beer with hibiscus flowers.
Color: deep reddish amber. Unfilteres. Very little head.
Scent: Apples and flowers.
First taste: cider-y with a very hefe finish. Has more of a “beer” taste than the Sam Adams Stony Break read I reviewed earlier. Very crisp and refreshing.
Feel: Just like a wheat beer should: thick, but not so heavy as to be hard to take big sips of.
Finish: tart, like a dry cider.
Alcohol Content: 5.5% ABV
Average Price: $3.00 CAD (341 ML bottle)


Les Brasseurs RJ Belle Guele Originale





This is a pale lager that comes from a brewery consortium in Quebec (of which Le Cheval Blanc, which I mentioned above, is a part of).
Color: Golden. Nice and bubbly, with a nice foamy head.
Scent: beer. Crisp, clean, lager.
First taste: initial taste is a crisp, light malt. From there it expands to that of a traditional no-filler lager. Full-bodied, and refreshing. Tastes like a more-perfect version of a lot of American lights.
Feel: somewhat heavy on the tongue, lots of bubles.
Finish: malt to hops. Awesome beer!
Alcohol content: 5.2% ABV
Average Price: $2.50 CAD (341 ML bottle)


Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Peche Mortel





This beer comes from Dieu Du Ciel, whose Rosee d’Hibiscus I reviewed 2 days ago. This beer is described as an extra strong imperial coffee stout. It should be noted that this beer has received a rare “A” rating on beeradvocate.com (it is actually in their top 25 all-time list of thousands of beers).
Color: dark, black. Thick, foamy head that is chocolate in color.
Scent: chocolate, leading to coffee, to malt. Delicious.
First taste: strong stout, immediately followed by chocolate and coffee blended together. Hoppy finish. Complex is an understatement. Amazing beer, does not taste like it is 9.5% ABV.
Feel: surprisingly light, given how heavy and alcoholic this beer is. This stuff is drinkable, though it shouldn’t be.
Finish: Hoppy, but with a lingering espresso taste, that tastes exactly like a strong espresso.
Alcohol content: 9.5% ABV
Average price: $2.75 CAD per 341 ML glass, $5.00 CAD per European Pint.
Delicious beer. Wow.


Unibroue La Fin Du Monde-(Note: the end of the world is a fitting name for my last Canadian beer)





This beer is from Quebec’s most famous microbrew, known for La Fin Du Monde and Ephemere. It is describeae as a Triple Fermentation Extra Strong Ale. It comes wrapped in silver foil, so you know its fancy.
Color: straw and unfiltered. Looks like a hefe.
Scent: wheat and bananas. Reminds me of a hoegaarden, or other stereotypical white beers. Tastes like a white beer.
First taste: wheat, expanding to fruit and flowers. Crisp.
Feel: light for a wheat beer, but not as light as say Sierra Nevada wheat.
Finish: refreshing. Again, like dieu du ciel above, it does not taste as strong as it is. Another awesome Canadian beer.
Alcohol content: 9% ABV
Average Price: $2.99 per CAD 341 ML bottle, $6.99 CAD per 1L bottle
Another amazing choice from Canada.




Future Dave?