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Hell Or High Watermelon – 21st Amendment

April 25, 2013 in ale, beer, brewery, craft beer, San Francisco, Video Blog, watermelon beer, watermelon wheat beer, wheat beer

Summertime is approaching! What is more summery than a wheat beer brewed with watermelon? I’m typically not a fan of wheat beers or beers with fruit in them, but Hell or High Watermelon by 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco is surprisingly refreshing, crisp and dry. It’s 4.9% ABV and only 17 IBU’s. I’d have on on a hot summer day barbecuing burgers in the park.

21st Amendment Brewery
563 2nd Street
San Francisco, CA
21st-amendment.com

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Black Shirt Brewing

February 24, 2013 in ale, beer, brewery, colorado, craft beer, hops, microbrew, pale ale, sour

With a plethora of breweries opening in Denver in 2013, breweries have to set themselves apart. Some may focus on sours, or organic or heavy metal theme, or, like the most recent brewery I’ve sampled, red beers. Black Shirt Brewing in Denver set themselves apart with a unique and fantastic take on reds.

A bit of a breakdown. Pale Red (5.2% ABV, 35 IBUs) clean and crisp pale with citrus aromas and just enough hops to intrigue you. BSB Red (6.5% ABV, 42 IBUs) their original beer – with coffee, caramel and dark chocolate, with citrus and fruity undertones. The Red Saison (6.5% ABV, 42 IBUs) has a balance of coriander, clove and pepper spices, and a bit toffee and caramel finish. Red IPA/Chinook (5.5% ABV, 85 IBUs), as always,

I’m a hop head and love IPAs. This IPA has a nice floral aroma with earthy spice and a touch of pine (yum yum!), but it’s not an IPA that will punch-you-in-the-face-hops, it’s well balanced. The BSB Sour Marsh Red Saison (6.5% ABV, 10 IBUs) is quite interesting, not a typical tart sour. Light sours notes, with the sweetness of toffee and spice. The Red Porter (6% ABV, 40 IBUs) is also a fantastic treat. Black coffee and dark chocolate notes with a bit of caramel and a slight bitter finish. On a cold snowy night, I finished my evening with a glass.

3719 Walnut Street
Denver, CO 80205
(303) 993-2799
www.blackshirtbrewingco.com

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Hangar 24 Winter Warmer

December 23, 2012 in ale, beer, brewery, craft beer, Uncategorized, Video Blog

I’ve spent some time in the Phoenix airport this week waiting for flights, drinking what I can for decent beer…but I did have some time to edit the second BeerSnobChick vlog! I’m a huge fan of winter beers. I love the cinnamon, cloves and maples used in beers during this time. Hangar 24 from Redlands, Calif. was wonderful enough to send their fantastic Winter Warmer.

Hangar 24
1710 Sessums Drive
Redlands, CA 92374
(909) 389-1400 ‎

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Maui Brewing Co.

November 20, 2012 in ale, coconut porter, hops, IPA, Maui Brewing Co., porter, Uncategorized

Beer, beach, beer, sea turtles, beer!

That’s exactly what I got on my venture to Maui. Of course I had to stop at Maui Brewing Co. The ambiance is very relaxed, board shorts and bikinis…what else would you expect in Maui? I of course had to have the regulars, and a couple of my favorites, Coconut Porter and Big Swell IPA.

Coconut Porter is robust, malty and deliciously coconutty with an ABV of 6%. Big Swell is brewed with four different Northwestern hops and dry-hopped, it is 6.8 ABV with 50+ IBU’s, so not too terribly hoppy (if you don’t like hops that is).

What’s super cool about Maui Brewing? The production facility in Lahaina has been outfitted with solar panels to provide a clean, environmentally-friendly power source. Their spent beer grain is donated to local farmers for feed and compost, contributing to local sustainability. And, they’re on the can-train! They don’t bottle their beer, but can their beer to keep their coastline free of debris.

Okole maluna (cheers)!

Maui Brewing Co.

4405 Honoapiilani Highway Lahaina, HI 96761

(808) 669-3474

www.mauibrewingco.com

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Coronado Brewing Company

September 30, 2012 in ale, beer, Coronado Island, craft beer, hops, IPA

The dozens and dozens of times I’ve been to San Diego and Coronado Island, I had never made it to Coronado Brewing Company. I stopped by after watching a prone paddle board race. Even better, my best girlfriend loves IPAs as well, so we got a sampler of the IPAs Coronado had on tap.

We’ll start with their “Crown Series” that are around all year. Frog’s Breath IPA is 6.5% in ABV and 70 IBUs (international bitter units). It’s brewed with Centennial and Summit hops and full of citrus like lemon, lime and orange. Originally Frog’s Breath was a collaboration of two home brewers, and quickly became a favorite. It also pays tribute to the local military.

Then onto Idiot IPA which is also a regular on tap. It is 8.5% ABV with 90 IBUs!! Wowza! It’s brewed with a stupid amount of hops, including for four C’s – Cascade Centennial, Chinook and Columbus – in addition to Nugget hops with tropical notes.

Next is their seasonals, to start, Islander IPA at 7% ABV and 75 IBUs. Islander IPA is named after Coronado Island, their original IPA and their most prideful – Islander is full of Cascade, Chinook and Columbus hops, and has bursts of piney, apricot, mango and grapefruit. Can you imagine the shores of Coronado? And next…

Sock Knocker IPA ,8.4% and 90 IBUs. A really fantastic Imperial IPA that’ll literally knock your socks off! It did mine! Sock Knocker is made with 5 pounds of hops per barrel of Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Lots of piney and citrus aromas.

Coronado has a really roomy area, patio, spacious booths and is a great place to have a few pints after hitting the beach. I’ll be back, and can’t believe I hadn’t been there before.

Coronado Brewing Company
(619) 437-4452
170 Orange Avenue Coronado, CA 92118
www.coronadobrewingcompany.com

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Affligem Abbey Ale

August 10, 2012 in ale, Belgian-style, Video Blog

Affligem Abbey Ale try the oldest style Abbey ale made by monks!

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Saison du BUFF Dogfish Head

April 29, 2012 in ale, beer, craft beer, Dogfish Head

Saison du BUFF is a really exciting beer. It’s a fantastic collaboration between some big hitters: Dogfish Head (Milton, DE), Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA) and Victory Brewing Company (Downington, PA). Saison du BUFF was first brewed at Stone in 2010, and then replicated at each of the other two breweries – same recipe, same ingredients, three different breweries.

Saison du BUFF is a 6.8% ABV Saison brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Dogfish Head version has a medium body, crisp finish. The spices this beers is brewed with is very pronounced, but it’s an excellent combination. I’m going to hold onto a few bottles and save it for the fall (when I’m particularly craving a good spiced beer). Perhaps I’ll crack it during Turkey Day this year.

BUFF is brewed three times, once at each brewery using the same recipe. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the first version this years from Dogfish Head.

The expected release dates for each brew are as follows:

Dogfish Head – March 2012 release
Victory Brewing – April 2012 release
Stone Brewing Co.- Late May 2012 release

Dogfish Head

320 Rehoboth Avenue

Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

www.dogfish.com

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Petrus Aged Pale (Flanders Oud Bruin)

April 19, 2012 in ale, pale ale, sour

Sour beers are interesting; you either love them, or hate them, or (hopefully) learn to appreciate them.

The first time I tried a sour at GABF in 2010 with BeerSnobDaddy I said aloud, “Why is this even a beer?” But I’ve grown to have a great fondness of sour beers, and Petrus is a sour worth seeking out.

Petrus Aged Pale (Flanders Oud Bruin) from Brouwerij Bavik in Belgium. It’s gold in color, with just enough head on the pour. It’s aroma is sweet and tart, with green apple, citrus and a bit of oat (it’s been aged in an oak barrel, so I’d think so!). It’s sour, but not too sour, very smooth and drinkable. Someone said to me it tastes like a Sweet Tart to them. 7.3% ABV.

A little about sour beers: brewing is done is a sterile environment, sour beers are made by allowing yeast strains or bacteria into the brew. Often times brewers will add fruit, like cherries or raspberries during the aging to cause fermentation. These beers are unpredictable and take months to ferment and sometimes years to mature.

The next time you come across a sour beer, really take the time to smell and taste what’s in your glass. Enjoy!

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