Beer-a-Day #311

I was at my favorite retailer recently and I was able to score seven craft beers in cans. So, I’m declaring this “Can Week”.

First up: Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues.

Dale’s Pale Ale is our flagship beer and America’s first hand-canned craft beer. It’s an assertive but deftly balanced beer (somewhere between an American pale ale and an India Pale Ale) brewed with hefty amounts of European malts and American hops.

It features a merengue-like head, a copper color, and a hoppy nose, thanks to a big post-boil addition of Centennial hops. To complement its hoppy first impression, Dale’s also sports a rich middle of malts and hops, and a bracing finish. Dale’s is 6.5% alcohol by volume, and features 65 International Bittering Units.

We think of it as the perfect, everyday beer for hopheads like us. Dale’s Pale Ale’s rich flavor has helped us make many new fans, and its numerous honors have helped us kick huge holes in the misconceptions regarding cans.

Muddy amber with a little haze; off-white head with lots of lacing. Nice big piney and resiny aroma from the hops. Nice “backbone” and plenty of bitterness in the finish. A glorious beer for my fellow hop-heads.

Beer-a-Day #310

Old Brown Dog has been cited as a classic example of the “American Brown Ale” style of beer. Compared to a typical English Brown Ale, Old Brown Dog is fuller-bodied and more strongly hopped.

It’s the color of a strong tea, with an off-white head. Smells very “bready”. Malty, with a bit of roastiness and a bit of hop bitterness. I’d gladly have this again.

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog

Beer-a-Day #309

A special top-fermenting ale yeast is used during fermentation and is responsible for many of Liberty Ale’s subtle flavors and characteristics. Carbonation is produced by an entirely natural process called “bunging,” which produces champagne-like bubbles. Dry-hopping (adding fresh hops to the brew during aging), imparts a unique aroma to the ale. It is a process rarely used in this country today.

Dry-hopping is rare? I don’t know about that.

Pale yellow with a creamy white head. I smell some fruitiness (apples perhaps) and some spice. Maltiness in the beginning but plenty of hops in the finish. That’s darn good.

Anchor Steam – Liberty Ale

Beer-a-Day #308

It’s the color of weak coffee and clear. I get a little caramel aroma and maybe a little chocolate. Balanced sweetness with no bitterness in the finish. In spite of being imported in a clear bottle this is fresh and delicious (unlike the one I tried for O-fest 2009). This is really good, and I wish I had more than the one.

Newcastle Brown Ale (UK)
Newcastle Brown Ale (US)

Beer-a-Day #307

A very pale beer brewed as a lager and which has a crisp, assertive Czechoslovakian Saaz hop character. This beer took 6 weeks to produce because the strain of yeast we used has a slow and cold fermentation, which results in a very smooth beer. 4.3% alcohol by volume.

This was the first Brewer’s Alley beer I ever saw in a bottle. (They’ve recently changed the label to match their other bottles so I don’t have a picture.)

Pale straw with a white, fizzy head. A slight nuttiness and fruitiness in the aroma. Pleasant malty sweetness with nice bitterness. One of my favorite beers to have after a rough day of yardwork.

Brewer’s Alley

Beer-a-Day #306

Visitors to Smuttynose Island, peering across the dark waters of Gosport Harbor towards the ragged rocks of neighboring Star Island, are sometimes startled by the fleeting sight of mysterious, alluring creatures swept up from the Atlantic’s cold, inky depths. Or so they tell us.

Our Star Island Single is an eminently sessionable, abbey-style ale offering a beguiling mix of flavor and refreshment. This medium-bodied golden ale features a slight residual sweetness from Honey Malt and hints of citrus and tropical fruits from the unique Belgian yeast it is fermented with, leaving a crisp dry finish. Enjoy it sociably while you savor good times, tall tales, friendly company & life’s unexpected pleasures.

Sounds really interesting, plus both my girls are fascinated by mermaids.

Light yellow with a little chill haze. Aroma is light and vaguely reminiscent of soap. (Uh-oh.) Taste is fruity and dry. I’m not liking it much, though.

Smuttynose Star Island Single

Beer-a-Day #305

Our Kölsch is pale gold with light body and a slightly dry palate. It has a mild bitterness and delicate hop aroma. This beer is a clean and pleasant thirst quencher, which earned a Bronze Medal at the 1998 Great American Beer Festival. 4.6 – 5.0% alcohol, by volume.

Brewer’s Alley Head Brewer Tom Flores calls this (which happens to be their most popular brew) a “gateway” beer.

Pale gold with a fizzy head. Aroma is slightly floral. Light without being too light, with just enough bitterness. I like it.

Brewer’s Alley

Only. Two. Months. To. Go.

274. Blue Point Oktoberfest
275. Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter
276. Atwater Block Dirty Blonde
277. Kona Brewing Longboard Island Lager
278. Victory HopDevil
279. Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest
280. Victory Storm King Stout
281. Boont Extra Special Beer
282. Trois Pistoles
283. Captain Lawrence Smoke From The Oak – Apple Brandy Barrel Aged
284. Southern Tier Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout
285. Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse
286. Clipper City MärzHon
287. Stone Brewing Levitation Ale
288. Goose Island Honker’s Ale
289. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
290. Flying Fish Imperial Espresso Porter
291. Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
292. Ithaca Cascazilla
293. New Holland Brewing The Poet Oatmeal Stout
294. Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils
295. Barley and Hops Annapolis Rocks Pale Ale
296. Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen
297. New Holland Ichabod
298. Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine
299. Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti
300. Tröegs JavaHead Stout
301. Smuttynose Robust Porter
302. Wild Goose XPA
303. Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale
304. Stoudt’s Double IPA

Previously:

• January recap
• February recap
• March recap
• April recap
• May recap
• June recap
• July recap
• August recap
• September recap

Beer-a-Day #304

Our IPA is a strong, full bodied ale with intense hop character and deep golden color. Multiple kettle hop additions and generous dry hopping contribute to the powerful yet smooth and fragrant hop character of this beer.

Pale gold in color. Hop aroma is soft and floral, but the hops really come through in the taste. Big and fragrant but not overpowering. This does not taste like it is 10% ABV.

Stoudt’s Brewing

Beer-a-Day #303

Deep, nearly opaque amber color with a good inch of creamy-looking head. Piney and resiny aromas, with a bit of vanilla I think. Nice, big hoppy flavor with a little bit of sweetness in the finish.

Oh, I’m worthy brother.

Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Beer-a-Day #302

The Extra Pale Ale is a new addition to the Wild Goose family of English-inspired ales. The XPA’s nose has herbal-like undertones of citrus and pine. A refreshing light to medium-bodied ale with a balanced malt sweetness and spicy, citrus hop character. A clean, crisp finish makes for a great session ale for people who prefer maltier styles.

Five percent may be a bit high for a session beer, but I am glad that Flying Dog kept around the Wild Goose line.

Pretty light amber and clear; head is fizzy and drops fairly quickly. I get some floral and earthy aromas. Flavor is light with a pleasant bitterness without being a tongue-stripper. I could see having a bunch of this, especially at a barbecue.

Wild Goose XPA: Extra Pale Ale

Beer-a-Day #301

This hearty, mahogany colored ale is brewed to evoke the dark, full-bodied ales that were a favorite of dockworkers and warehousemen (hence the name “Porter”) in 19th century London. It is a good bet that when Dickens’ Mr. Pickwick sat down for a pint, he would have been drinking an ale much like our Robust Porter. This is a smooth and very drinkable beer, characterized by its well-balanced malt and hops, plus subtle notes of coffee and chocolate.

It’s the color of coffee with a chocolate head. Nice roasty coffee aroma with a bit of chocolate, as promised. Body is lighter than I expected, but it’s still darn good.

Smuttynose Robust Porter

Beer-a-Day #300

JavaHead Stout contains a blend of locally roasted espresso and Kenyan coffee beans by St. Thomas Roasters in Linglestown, PA.

JavaHead’s recipe is based off of our original oatmeal stout. After the boil, the hot wort passes through our hopback vessel on it’s way to fermentation. Packed full of whole leaf hops and a bed of ground coffee beans, the hopback vessel is similar to using a huge French press, intensifying the coffee nose and releasing subtle hints of coffee flavor. The result is a lush oatmeal mouthfeel balanced with cocoa, roast and subtle coffee flavors.

Three. Hundred. Beers.

Wow.

I honestly wasn’t sure I’d get this far. And, frankly, I’m glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I need something special to celebrate with. I probably should be having a beer made with coffee this late in the evening, but what the hell.

Dark and dark, with a thick, creamy head. Coffee and resiny hops in the aroma. Nice and smooth with that nice coffee bitterness. Boy, that’s good.

Yay me.

Tröegs JavaHead Stout

Beer-a-Day #299

…Yeti Imperial Stout’s sophisticated sibling. They may be from the same clan, but they have entirely different personalities. Oak aging gives a subtle vanilla character, rounding out Yeti’s intense roastiness and huge hoppy nature. Who says you can’t tame a Yeti?  (9.5% ABV)

Pours as dark and thick as used engine oil; the head looks like a chocolate milkshake. Lots of nice roastiness with some vanilla in the aroma. You can really taste the oak. That’s some good stuff.

Great Divide Brewing

Beer-a-Day #298

By far the biggest dog in the yard… Horn Dog Barley Wine is a dark and malty English-style Barely Wine that is aged for a minimum of three months before being packaged. Like a fine wine, this beer will only get better with age when stored at optimum conditions.

According to the label, this is VINTAGE0811. November, 2008 I assume? Well, then. It should be nicely aged.

Golden brown and an almost syrupy texture. Aroma reminds me of spicy dried fruit. Some vanilla in the taste and more of that dried fruit.

You know, I didn’t used to like barley wines; they were just too thick for me. But I’ve come around to liking them. This is simply delicious.

Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine Style Ale

Beer-a-Day #297

Ichabod combines malted barley and real pumpkin with cinnamon and nutmeg in a delicious and inviting brew. A rewarding complement to many dishes, Ichabod pairs well with autumnal foods such as poultry and root vegetables. After dinner, try it with your favorite dessert!

Pale gold and clear. Cinnamon is quite pronounced in the aroma. Light flavor and spicy. Interesting.

New Holland Brewing

Chili and beer (not to be confused with chili beer) is an awesome combination. This pairing is one of my all time favorites. I have many chili recipes but my standard is a favorite of everyone in the family and it is the easy to make. 

Chili con Carne

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium to large onion
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (about 1 lb.) tomatoes
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon cumin
About 4 cups cooked dark red kidney beans, plus ½ cooking liquid; or 1 large can (1 lb. 11 oz.) kidney beans, not drained
2-4 green onions
1 small avocado
cheddar cheese
1 lime

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; add onion and cook until soft. Add beef and cook, stirring, until meat is brown and crumbly. Spoon off excess oil (only if the meat wasn’t lean enough -I like to use 90%-95% lean meat and just leave the juices). Stir in tomatoes and their liquid and break up with spoon, salt, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. In a blender or food processors, whirl a third of the beans until smooth, adding their liquid as needed; stir into meat mixture. Then add whole beans, along with any remaining liquid, to meat. Simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Garnish with green onion, avocado, cheese and lime wedge.

You can add tomato juice if too thick, or add some cornmeal if too thin. I often double this and play with the spices.

Many beer styles seem to get along with chili. Use can have a stout, a porter, a pale, even a brown or a bock. I suggest your favorite. In the case I am having a Green Flash West Coast IPA.

To make it even better, just add a football game. (Also checkout one from Al)

Beer-a-Day #296

This is, perhaps, the quintessential Märzen.

Not quite as orange as Americanized versions of the style, clear, with a nice off-white head. Mild aroma with some roastiness. Malty, of course, with caramel and a hint of the hops. Good stuff. Now I’m craving bratwurst and sauerkraut.

Paulaner

Beer-a-Day #295

Pours a pale straw golden with a moderate white head. A bright, crisp aroma of floral, pine, and citrus accompanied by a malt backbone. At first taste good hop bitterness presence that turns to slightly bready malt sweetness that finishes dry and clean with hop flavor that lingers letting you know you just drank a great pale ale.

We were at Barley and Hops to celebrate and so I availed myself of the Annapolis Rocks Pale Ale. I like it quite a lot, and it’s my wife’s favorite beer there (which is why she stole mine).

Nice amber color and a spicy hop aroma. A lot of grapefruit and spice hop flavor. Delicious.

Beer-a-Day #294

Our new canned good is a delicious, small-batch version of the beer that made Pilsen, Czechoslovakia famous. Mama’s is made with hearty amounts of pale malt, German specialty malts, and traditional (Saaz) and 21st century Bavarian hops. It’s the perfect antidote for the watered-down, cornfed versions of pilsner clogging America’s shelves. Our first canned lager, it’s also fermented at cool temperatures with a German yeast. While it’s rich with Czeched-out flavor, Mama’s gentle hopping (about 35 IBUs) and low ABV (just 5.3%) makes it a luxurious but low-dose beer. Look for our Gold Metal Winner on US shelves in March. Sadly, the Feds rejected our “Take Two and Call Us in the Morning” line on the can.

Classic yellow with a bit of haze and a finger’s worth of white head. Some floral aroma with a bit of that quasi-metallic lager yeast aroma. Clean and bready, if there is such a thing. A worthwhile brew.

Oskar Blues