Micro brewing post #1

So, as previously stated, Dave and I are venturing into the world of micro brews...I will be chronicling some of our ideas and stepping points here. I think I will probably leave out some of the finer points until we get them in a more concrete form, but we are already coming up with some great ideas for some very unique flavors of beer that might be perfect as a niche brew that hasn't been filled yet.





I guess the first thing we both need to learn how to do is actually "brew" beer...Dave and I both are going to start buy experimenting with some smaller DIY kits to get the feel of the process of brewing before transitioning into anything bigger. I have also ordered some books on the matter to try to learn from others who have been in the same boat that we are in: a desire to learn with little actual experience in creating. Here are the books I will (hopefully) have delivered to me tomorrow:

- Brewers Association's Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery
- Beer: Tap into the Art and Science of Brewing
- Designing Great Beers: The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles

I chose these book because I figured it was a nice variety of the things I am looking into at the moment: Start a brewery, Learning to make beer, and designing my own. I am eagerly looking forward into diving into my research, and I know that Dave is eager as well. For the most part, I feel we have a pretty firm grasp on a lot of the "business" aspects to running a business, so learning this part of the process will help me realize if this is something that could be a reality in the future, or perhaps a hobby that I enjoy for myself (or both ideally).

I'll be back with regular reviews in the very near future...my current diet doesn't really allow me much wiggle room for having beer, but this is something that I am making room for by cutting calories out of my day to make up for the beer. Look for more nutritional information in the summary part of my reviews as well. Lastly, stay tuned for a unique review on Sunday, as I will be presenting my first public beer tasting on Saturday evening! I will be sure to hound Jess to take some nice photos of me in my element!

My grandma and your grandma - Abita Jockamo IPA

Seems like my blog has been very "IPA" centric over the past few weeks...I am almost through with my current 6, so I will be certain to mix things up with the next 6. If you feel like there are any you would like me to test out, let me know (although I have some ideas that I think might be entertaining/funny).

Up today for tasting is the Abita Jockamo IPA:





Abita Brewing Co. is a new brewery to me, so I decided to do a little research into what they were all about before I sampled this beer. The brewery is located in Abita Springs, Louisiana and they actually make quite a few beers which I have heard of (the most famous I suppose would be the Purple Haze). If you get a chance, check out their website...it is one of the nicer ones I have seen from a brewery: http://abita.com/


The beer is a very pale amber color, which seems unique among many of the other IPAs I have tried...a nice head that, while decreases in size, has yet to fully disappear entirely (which I am not certain has anything to do with the quality of the beer, but I always find it desireable to have a few bubbles in my beer). The taste is smooth and mildly hoppy...a nice compliment to the look of the beer. Within writing this last paragraph, I have nearly completed my beer and cannot find anything to complain about it. A very tasty beer!

Here is some food pairing (directly from their website): "The spicy aroma of the hops contrasts nicely with the pleasant sweetness of the malts. Jockamo has a flavor that entices and excites the palate. The intense hop character makes it among the perfect choice to team up with many spicy dishes. Cheddar and strong farmer cheeses stand up well to Jockamo’s hoppy character. Cajun food is a natural pairing, as is Thai, or Mexican cuisine."


All in all, I would not only call this a wonderful IPA, but a great beer overall as well. The unassuming flavor is a nice introduction to IPAs for those who are unfamiliar, but will also please those (like myself) who are looking to test the ranges of beer from top to bottom. Beeritarian approved!


Flavor: Smooth and mellow hoppiness...not overpowering, but still noticeable
Color: Light amber/slightly reddish
Alcohol Content: 6.5% (by volume)
Average Price: $8.99 (6 pack)





Also, as a little aside, I wanted to let everyone know about my intentions on trying to brew and (eventually) sell my own beer. Dave and I have discussed this, and given our love of beer, this seems a logical conclusion. So, if you have any advice, words of encouragement, or ideas, please let me know!

Dave post: Natural Light & Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red

Dave again, this review is two-tiered. Firstly, I am reviewing one of my favorite (if favorite means most frequently drank) beers, Anheuser-Busch’s Natural Light. Suprisingly, it is a pilsner and not a lager, and gets far worse of a rap than it actually deserves. Up here in Boston, a 30 pack of Natural Light is $13.50. A 12 pack of bud light is $10.50. It is easy to see why Nat wins out so much of the time.

The second part of my review is about the glass. Boston Beer Company (brewers of Samuel Adams) is in Boston and they have a much-touted perfect beer glass. Features of this glass include a beaded rim (.com) to release flavor and aroma as the beer enters your mouth (.com), laser etched to release constant stream of bubbles, outward turned lip (.com) delivers beer to the front of the tongue where malty sweetness (.com )can be fully enjoyed.

I have taken a picture of the glass with the Natural Light inside of it to show how it looks.






First, the beer: the first sip reflects a very light flavor, actually quite reminiscent of a watermelon beer I reviewed back in February. Prolonged tasting does not reveal much more, it has a slightly lager-ish body, but there are few notes. The scent is strictly old-stadium/men’s restroom, and is classic American “beer” stench. That being said, it is terrifically easy to drink, and pairs well with strong-flavored foods that are helped by just a hint of beer flavor (think bar fare: pizza, wings, burgers, etc.)
.
The glass definitely produces a lot of bubbles, the beer has not stopped bubbling since I began this review. I do notice that the curled lip of the glass does let the beer hit your tongue in a way that spreads it evenly over the mouth. Though I am sure it is somewhat psychological, I would like to think that this glass does what it says it does: reveals the true body and flavor of the beer. In the case of Natural Light, it does reveal just how flavorless this beer is (without the aluminum can adding hints of nickels). It does make it easier to drink, which is probably the goal when Nat is on the table.


Flavor: Watery, light-lager taste
Color: Watery urine
Alcohol Content: 4.2%
Average Price: $2.99 (4 pack tall boy), $3.99 (6 pack bottles-hard to find) $6.99 (12 pack), $13.50 (30 pack). Depressing I know all this off the top of my head.



Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red





Today I am going to review a limited edition Samuel Adams Barrel Series beer. These are expensive, and are only sold in Boston (or online via Sam’s virtual store). They produce three at any given time. This is the Stony Brook Red, described as “Belgian style with a hint of tart fruit and toasted oak character.” These are all hand bottled and corked, so I had a fun time trying to get the cork out, shying away from it like it was about to explode. After five minutes of coaxing and trying to get my girlfriend Sara to open it, I sucked it up and did it. It opened with an audible pop, and immediately the scent of wine wafted into the air (weird.)

The color is deep amber, and reminds me almost of tobacco-spit. The scent is fruity-very much like wine or a deep Belgian abbey ale with some notes of cider.

First taste, here we go…

Doesn’t taste like beer. Strangely enough, first taste is of American cheese, followed by sour grapes. This is a sour beer, so the sour finish is to be expected, and is a refreshing change from the typical bitter finish of more hoppy beers.

The taste of barley or hops is nowhere to be found, replaced by a rich fruity body (.com) that turns sour when swallowed (.com). Sara says it is closer to cider than beer, and she is absolutely correct, which is funny given that this is brewed as a beer, and to my knowledge doesn’t contain apples.

Definitely a strong beer at 9% ABV, though this increases as it is bottle-conditioned and it is suggested that you let it age.

I am glad I sprung for the fancier limited-edition experience, though there is something to be said for the simplicity of a traditional beer. More of a sipping beer, it tastes like a combination of a lambic and a cider.

Flavor: Fruity cider, sour finish.
Color: Deep amber/tobacco
Alcohol Content: 9%
Average Price: $9.99 per 25.4 fl. Oz. bottle.

Considering I broke the bottle upon opening, perhaps its time to stop drinking? - Brooklyn East India Pale Ale

So, I think this beer may have to have an asterisk next to it...I hope the beer fairs better than the bottle did, considering the lip broke off into the bottle cap when I opened it: Brooklyn's East India Pale Ale.





The look of the beer is open for interpretation...I see no floating glass shards, so I will consider this a success. Also, on a side note, it is almost midnight, and Emma is looking so sleepy that I think this might be my last review...I would love to finish the last two beers, but I would hate to keep her up any longer with the lights and sounds of the tv.

The EIPA has a nice light amber color and a very aromatic hoppiness. FIrst taste (basically one huge gulp): A nice mellowness with a hint of sweet aftertaste...subtle, but unique. I would have another one of these without much hesitation. A very tasty beer that I would recommend to anyone!

Flavor: Hoppiness and yummy
Color: Light amber (Chris Parnell is hilarious)
Alcohol Content: 6.8% (per volume)
Average Price: £83.58 (per case)

Cant think of any clever monster puns - Brooklyn Monster Ale

Half way to the title! Emma is sleeping soundly on the couch, and I am beginning to feel the affects of the previous two posts. Let keep everything rolling along with a favorite brewery of mine that I was introduced to a little over a year ago during a visit to NYC to visit one of my best friends Nick: Brooklyn Brewing's Monster Ale.





Whooo! This beer has a very sharp flavor profile...tends to linger on the tongue a bit, which I havent quite figured out if this is a good or bad thing, The beer is, again, a nice amber color with no visible flaws. After another sip, I think that the lingering flavor will be deem a negative attribute. This beer is a bit too chemically for my tastes...I would avoid this if you can. Also, I aplogize about the length of these most recent posts. Here to the next three being more than 3 words!

Flavor: Chemically, strong...
Color: Deep amber
Alcohol Content: 11.8% (per volume...yow yow!!)
Average Price: $8.99 (6-pack)



I miss you Nick...do it NYC for me.

"Immortals... we put their name to the test" - Titan IPA

I really love the fact that Jess knows how much I love IPAs...after checking the fridge, I noticed that I have a few more pale ales to sample over this evening festivities...I will have it noted for the official record that my drinking partner is now asleep on the couch (what a wimp).

In honor of the strength that Emma shows when she jumps heroically onto the couch and thrust herself under her warm blanket, I will be reviewing ALONE (thanks Emma) the Great Divide Brewing Company's Titan IPA.





Titan looks much more like a traditional IPA vs. the Red Seal Ale...nice amber color, strong hoppy aroma. The first taste was very similar to the Red Seal Ale: surprisingly strong. However, unlike the RSA, I was expecting this beer to be a stronger flavor, so having it exceed my expectations would have to rank this beer a bit lower than I would have liked. It is not a bad beer, just perhaps a little more punch than I would have liked between bites of Chicken McNuggets.

I would probably recommend this beer for the sheer fact that I love a nice strong beer, but perhaps heed some caution before facing this Titan; the bigger they are, the stronger they hit...


Flavor: Strong, nearly overpowering, hoppiness...
Color: Medium amber color
Alcohol Content: 7.1% (per volume)
Average Price: $1.83 (bottle)

Awwww: Black eyes...Red Seal Ale

Well, I really shouldn't threaten myself with a good time...I told Jess that while she was on her trip to Georgia that I was going to do a 6 beer review. Well, she called my bluff and purchased me 6 different beers to do reviews on! Join me on my journey from beer to beer; sobriety to inebriation.


I chose this first beer in honor of my drinking partner for the evening (and a reason I am sure that Jess picked this beer as well): Emma! Both she and seals have much in common...long bodies, black eyes, smooth fir, and an overall cuteness about them.





Red Seal Ale is brought to us North Coast Brewing Company, the same company that makes Old Rasputin (reviewed a few posts ago by yours truly). I really enjoyed the Rasputin and at first glance it looks like I should really enjoy this beer as well. A great red color with no noticeable flaws (no cloudiness or specks). After pouring the beer, the head was quick to subside, but never quiet vanished.

My first taste was meet with much more bitterness than I had expected...much more like an IPA than I anticipated. After reviewing their website, I was surprised to see that this beer actually is an IPA! the color threw me off a bit, but the tastebuds are always batting 1000. The hoppiness grips you nicely without overpowering the smoothness of the beer. I am still slightly shocked by how wonderful this beer is!

I have reviewed so many other IPAs in this blog (in addition to trying so many others that have yet to be reviewed), so I dont think there is much more room for description on what makes an IPA great, but I will part is saying that this will rank among one of the best beers I have ever tasted (and Emma gives her approval too!)


Flavor: Smooth hoppiness, delicious...
Color: Flawless red hue
Alcohol Content: 5.5% (per volume)
Average Price: $8.79 (6-pack)



What a good drinking buddy!