     Duck-Rabbit Schwarzbier (The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery)
Ahh yes, another of the Duck-Rabbit beers. This time a lager, one of only two they've ever brewed. Schwarzbiers are not all that popular it seems and a good one is hard to come by. Considering the folks at Duck-Rabbit have never steered me wrong I am looking forward to trying this "summer" offering smack dab in the middle of a New England winter. May the schwarz be with me. From the Beernews Site: "This will be a refreshing summer beer (sometimes referred to as a black pils). In Duck-Rabbit fashion, we’ve made ours extra schwarzy. It’s very dark and quite roasty. Lot’s of Hallertau hops give this an authentic German character." Here we go... Pour - yep, its pretty obvious that this beer pours pretty damn dark. There is a reason the style is simply known as "black beer" in German. Thin white head on top, it looks ominous and foreboding.
Aroma - dark roasted malts, dark roasted coffee grounds, charcoal, soy sauce, liquid smoke and finally a bit of burnt sugar.
Taste - light in body for the color, don't let the darkness fool you. This is a very smooth and deceptively light as far as flavor goes as well. Very much a lager brewed with dark malts with not a lot of sweetness and some dryness in the finish, sort of like that last sip of coffee. There is a bit of a hoppy bit in the aftertaste that I didn't pick up on the first couple sips.
Overall - Very roasty, toasty and malty but also very easy drinking. If you're looking for a dark beer other than a porter or stout then check this out sometime. Duck-Rabbit continues to impress.
Would I buy more of it? - absolutely. I wish I could buy a mixed case of all of their beer releases!
Note - What is the deal with the hat the duck is wearing on the label? I have been trying to figure it out but can't. I can only assume this is some sort of traditional German hat but I am having no luck finding out what it actually is, although it appears to be a baseball-style cap. Oh well, anyone want to enlighten me?
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Fisherman's Navigator Doppel Bock (Cape Ann Brewing Company)
Definitely one of my favorites from Cape Ann Brewing. Unfortunately, for me, Navigator is a seasonal release as I'd be happy to buy it year round. From the Cape Ann site: "Fisherman's Navigator is a German-style Doppel-bock of exceptional quality, flavors and body. With a toasty biscuit-like malt backbone, its unlike any beer you've had while managing to remain strictly within a centuries old style. Slightly sweet to offset the higher alcohol content, it's a grand version of a classic. This is the Cape Ann Brewing Company's winter seasonal and is a different take on the usual winter offerings. " Here we go... Pour - auburn, reddish brown with some orange thrown in the mix as far as color goes. Nice foamy white head thanks to the lager yeast.
Aroma - sweet, sweet malt, brown sugar and caramel as well as some cherry and apple smells.
Taste - caramel and brown sugar flavors abound as well as some of that slight cherry and apple I smelled. Very crisp yet malty and clean with no off flavors. A very smooth drinking dark, strong lager.
Overall - while it may not be exactly the same as some of the foreign versions of the style, Navigator is a solid strong lager with plenty of taste and body but still has a bit of bite in the finish.
Would I buy more of it? - yes, especially if I see it in tap somewhere.
Note - Some of you may have seen the film American Beer, if you have you may or may not realize that Cape Ann Brewing's Head Brewer and Co-Founder Jeremy Goldberg was one of the the friends that took part on that epic 38 breweries in 40 days tour throughout the US.
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Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Brl. Stout (Bluegrass Brewing Company)
My first review of a beer from the Bluegrass state. What better way to accomplish this than by drinking a bottle of one of the best beers available from Kentucky. If you think of Kentucky you think of bourbon so its only fitting that this stout be aged in bourbon barrels. Should be some tasty stuff... From the Bluegrass Brewing site: "Aged for two to three months in McLain & Kyne Jefferson’s Reserve bourbon barrels, this stout is a richly flavored sipping beer, with a smooth chocolate taste and a hint of bourbon." Here we go... Pour - dark as night and inky, very atramentous. Rather light in carbonation which seems pretty par for the course when it comes to strong barrel-aged ales. Once things settle in the glass its merely a black liquid with a super thin ring of off-white foam encircling the glass.
Aroma - the first thing that hits my nose is the dark roasted malt and coffee ground aromas. Once those fade I catch some faint hints of vanilla and cream. Smells very much like a shot of espresso with a sugar cube in it.
Taste - one sip and the smoothness of barrel aging is apparent. This is like sipping half and half as far as the texture goes. Lots of dark roasted flavors are there along with some sweet vanilla and some tangy bourbon-esque flavors. Very easy on the lips and tongue and quite delicious.
Overall - not an overly strong bourbon flavor but to me thats okay. Its there but very light however the softness of this beer really shines and we can thank the wood for that. Some vanilla and tannin flavors but the roasty, dark coffee flavors seem to take center stage. I really enjoyed this for what it was with no premonitions whatsoever.
Would I buy more of it? - I probably would. If I am every traveling through Kentucky I'll definitely look for it. Thanks goes out to my friend Kevin in Lexington for hooking me up!
Note - Some more about the bourbon that was once held in the barrels this stout was aged in, "McLain & Kyne, known for their quintessential "Very Small Batch" bourbons, represents the quality and integrity only found in handcrafted products. Utilizing indigenous grains—corn, malted barley and rye—as well as the renowned clean, crisp limestone water of Kentucky—bourbon is the true spirit of America."
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  What exactly is an "Oyster Stout"?
So, what exactly is an "oyster stout" anyways? Is it a stout made with oysters? Is it a stout brewed traditionally to be drank while eating oysters? Is it just a name? Inquiring minds want to know, well at least this inquiring mind. After hearing recently that the Harpoon Brewery's next 100 Barrel Series release will be an Oyster Stout, I became interested in the history and the namesake behind this relatively obscure, and rather odd sounding, beer style. The History Like a lot of ales, the "oyster stout" traces its roots back to England. However, these stouts were not actually made using oysters, they were simply a drink that went well with the bivalves of note. You see, oysters then were sort of like the burgers of today's pub fare. Many taverns and pubs served them and as stouts were a popular beer they ended up being a nice accompaniment to the dark, roasty beer. Unfortunately for both the oyster and the stout, times became tough. Stouts eventually lost a battle with pale ales and oyster beds declined and the gastronomical duo went their separate ways. It wasn't actually until 1929 that a stout was actually brewed with oysters. This feat was accomplished by a brewery in New Zealand and is still being done by Three Brothers in Christchurch. Since then a number of English brewers have brewed an oyster stout, some were bottled and some were not. Today a variety of breweries all over the world are brewing a stout with oysters but how exactly is the oyster used in the brewing process? The Process So, how do brewers actually use the oysters when making an oyster stout? Like many other "additional" ingredients added to basic beer styles, they are simply added to "the boil". By "they" I am actually referring to either the oyster shells or the actual oysters themselves. 21st Amendment in San Francisco uses 50 lbs of shells in a batch, which is a lot considering thats fully 1/16 of the weight of the grain used. Harpoon's new release "Island Creek Oyster Stout" was brewed using several hundred oysters that were to the brew kettle. Regardless of what part of the oyster you use to make an oyster stout, its still an oyster stout. The Taste Lots of folks talk about the astringent taste of a stout and how that meshes nicely with the briny, mineral-y flavor of the oysters. Sounds good to me as I can't really imagine brewing an IPA using oysters. Only one real way to describe the taste and that is to get some oyster stouts and do a tasting. More on that to come... Pairing What should you pair that oyster stout with anyways? Well, you could do the expected pairing with oysters but really this style of beer will go well with any shellfish. You could also pair it with a clam or fish chowder. Conclusion (what did we learn) Some "oyster stouts" are brewed with the shells and some with the actual oysters and some are even brewed with no part of the oyster whatsoever and just use the name to imply its pairing with the mollusk (cheaters). Oysters and stouts have been enjoyed together for a long time. Based on the recent resurgence of the style by breweries such as Harpoon and Flying Fish, it seems the harmonious combination will continue to find themselves together for a long time to come. Cheers!
Posted by Russ |
  Warmer Winter Winter Warmer (Cigar City Brewing Company)
I am pretty excited to crack open this medicinal looking quart of goodness from Cigar City. Having only tried one of their beers before and finding it absolutely amazing I certainly have high expectations for this one. Hopefully I'll get a chance to visit the brewery next time I am visiting family in the Tampa area. From the Cigar City site: "We brew this English-style Old Ale with American hop varietals to celebrate the idea of a snowy winter landscape, if not so much the reality of it as we experience it here in Florida. Dark copper to amber in color, it has a complex citrus and caramelized toffee aroma with underlying notes of chocolate. The flavor begins with a dark caramel to medium toffee sweetness balanced by a firm citrus dryness and then moves into a forward malt character with hints of chocolate and rye in the finish and a lingering citrus and pine note. It pairs well with spiced ham and ridiculously warm winters. Enjoy one with the air conditioner turned down low." Here we go... Pour - caramel colored pour with some reddish-orange highlights when held to the light. The head on this is pretty thin and wispy but what can you expect from a beer that weighs in at 10%.
Aroma - stewed apples, brown sugar, sweet dark malts, a little boozy with a nice little nip of citrusy hops. This reminds me of a barleywine quite a bit, especially with the pronounced hop aroma.
Taste - wow. This is brewed with chocolate rye malt and you do get some of the spiciness from that along with a good dose of dark malty sweetness that is reminiscent of a Tootsie roll or cocoa powder. I also get dark fruit flavors like raisins and prunes as well as a citrusy flavor from the hops. The carbonation levels for this beer are perfect. Its not syrupy or cloyingly sweet whatsoever and the carbonation really helps this beer be extremely easy to drink even at 10%.
Overall - Tons of flavor and a lot of complexity make this beer a nice one to sip and enjoy at the end of the day. It has some nice spiciness as well as a great hop finish that keeps your nose in the glass practically. Great stuff from Cigar City. Cheers guys!
Would I buy more of it? - yes and yes. Apparently they have a version of this in their "Humidor Series" as well. I really want to get me some of that!
Note - A big thank you to Todd Sturtz down at Cigar City for sending this along. In return he'll be getting some hoppy goodness from the Northeast. I hope you like what I got you. Cheers!
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The future of beer drinking?
Is takes a lot of thinking outside the box, or can or bottle for that matter, to come up with a completely new and unique way to transport beer from place to place. Sure, we can make aluminum bottles but what about something entirely new? Enter the "CarboPouch". The CarboPouch is just one of several pouch-based liquid transport vessels developed and marketed by Beverage Pouch Group, a company based in Sarasota, Florida. Their BeerPaQ line of draft beer carriers, collectively known as CarboPouches, enable the beer drinker to fill various sized pouches (8, 16 or 64 oz.) from a draught line in an easily portable way that also protects draft beer's sensitivity to oxygen. Pretty awesome, but how does it work?
"The organoleptic film structure ensures no off flavor. The patented film structure is designed to handle the pouch “stretch” after filling and carbonation expansion. The automatic filling process is such that there is no headspace after filling. The three-side seal pouch has a smooth side comfort grip feature. The combination of these factors makes the CarboPouch™ a true economical innovation for distribution of craft draft beers to the consumer’s home. Sports functions now have a package!"
My question is, are there anyone using this product? It seems pretty sensible to me and with a little branding for a particular brewery it could be a big seller. While this may or may not be the future of beer drinking let us all remember that people scoffed at the idea of beer in a can once. Cheers!
Posted by Russ Labels: Comments (2) / Comment
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Unique Beer Glasses: Now You Can Impress All Your Friends
The future looks bright for beer drinkers so it only makes sense that the vessels that deliver our constantly re-invented elixir should also follow suit.
What - its a recycled Grolsch bottle made into a beer goblet. Why - Eco-friendly and green (in more ways than one) Where - GreenGlass (UK) How Much - $15 (set of 2)
What - its a collapsible plastic pint glass
Why - You are sick of drinking straight from the bottle when standing around a campfire or keg.
Where - Fred and Friends
How Much - $7.99
What - its a mug that encapsulates a wine glass
Why - Why not? So you look tough drinking a cabernet or a particularly nice Belgian ale.
Where - Fred and Friends
How Much - $19.99
What - its a double-walled glass
Why - so your drink is not affected by the warmth of your hands and will stay cooler longer plus it looks badass. Where - Amazon How Much - $22.95 (set of 2)
Hopside Down Beer Glass What - pretty self explanatory...also this is double-walled.
Why - again, why not? Purely for turning heads this also seems to be a pretty solid looking drinking vessel worthy of some decent brews.
Where - Fred and Friends
How Much - $19.99
Posted by Russ |
Groundhog Day Beer
Straub, located in St. Marys, PA, has been specially labeling their light lager as Groundhog Brew since 2000, and is only available in the local area at this time of year. More info can be found on the official Groundhog Day site located here: Here's to Phil actually predicting an early Spring for once... Posted by Kelly |
If you are in the vicinity of beautiful Punxsatawney, PA on this day of days (Groundhog Day) then you have the rare opportunity of not only seeing the most famous rodent in the land - but also picking up some beer in his honor. Namely Straub's Groundhog Brew, 2010 edition.  Bully! Porter (Boulevard Brewing Company)
I've had a number of beers from Boulevard's "Smokestack Series" but this is the first of their regular releases I've actually had the pleasure to try. I'm a big fan of a well brewed porter and I've heard great things about this one. From the Boulevard site: "The intense flavors of dark-roasted malt in Boulevard’s rendition of the classic English porter are perfectly balanced by a generous and complex hop character. Bully! Porter’s robust nature makes it the ideal companion to a variety of foods, from seafood to chocolate." Here we go... Pour - classic dark brown to black look of a well brewed porter. Thick yellowish head made up of lots of tiny crammed together bubbles.
Aroma - dark-roast coffee, dark roasted malt, burnt wood, vanilla and cream.
Taste - full-bodied, very flavorful porter. All of the big roasty flavors of a solid porter. Bitter dark roasted malt up front as well as dark coffee and cocoa flavors and some nice sweetness with an almost creamy like aftertaste. There is definitely some hop bite to this brew, its citrusy and sharp and stays on the tongue for a bit after every sip.
Overall - If you like your porters to have a lot of flavor, this has flavor and loads of it. Bittersweet and robust. This is an excellent porter with lots of body and taste.
Would I buy more of it? - definitely. I'll be in Kansas City in May and I'll be paying a visit to the brewpub for a pint or two.
Note - the term "bully" has several meanings, one of which is "excellent or very good". This was a popular phrase uttered by Teddy Roosevelt who was known to say that many things were "bully"! I am not sure if that is where the name of Boulevard's Bully! Porter comes from but that is my guess.
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