New Brew Thursday - Doubleheader . . . Saranac Caramel Porter and Harpoon Chocolate Stout

Since I started writing reviews for the new beers that I drink I've notice an ever increasing awareness of the complexities of the flavors of different beers and a growing appreciation for styles of beer that I never truly enjoyed before.






Take porters and stouts for example.  I always considered them heavy beers with strong flavor.  This is true and yet it's not.  They certainly can drink like a meal but they can also spin an intricate web of subtle flavors that combine to make for a truly pleasurable drinking experience.




Saranac Caramel Porter . . . brewed by Matt Brewing Company is just a such a beer.  This 127 year old brewery located in the heart of the Adirondacks created a perfectly delicious porter.  





The caramel aroma and flavor are unmistakable and, yet, it is not an overly sweet beer.  Due to it's low carbonation, it pours with a light frothy head that dissipates quickly.  It has a soft mouth feel . . . very smooth.  Along with the caramel, there is a roasted malt flavor that finished slightly bitter . . . a nice balance of complex flavors.

A medium-ish alcohol content . . . 5.4% ABV . . . makes this a nice beer that you can enjoy a few over a couple hours and not be slammed.


All-in-all a very good beer.  Two-thumbs up!


Check out their other beers on the website or visit them on Facebook.

A stout that follows along the same lines is Harpoon Chocolate Stout.  You open that bottle and your pouring chocolate beer . . . dark chocolate beer.  Slightly sweet and a little bitter . . . a delight to be sure.

This yummy stout is brewed by Harpoon Brewery which has plants located in Boston Massachusetts and Windsor, Vermont.  

What makes this beer so chocolatey?  According to Harpoon it is brewed with an abundance of chocolate malt and a touch of chocolate. Enough said.  

It pours a dark rich brown . . . almost black . . . with a light brown head.  Chocolate, of course, is the primary flavor but there are hints of nuts and coffee, as well.  Not particularly sweet and finishes bitter with very little hoppiness.

This stout a got a nice mouth feel and is not overly carbonated.  It feels and tastes just right, in my estimation.  A beer to be savored and enjoyed . . . I think its a good curl-up-with-a-good-book beer or to be shared while relaxing good friends.

Just try to stop at just one.  Very drinkable at 5.9% alcohol by volume.

Cheers!

Check out their other beers on the website or visit them on Facebook.

New Brew Thursday - Doubleheader . . . Cavalry Brewing Hatch Plug Ale and XLimited Ale

I love micro brews . . . I especially love to find breweries as close to home as possible; you know, support the local little guy.  I'd be hard pressed to find a brewery as close to home as Cavalry Brewing Company . . . they are a scant 23.5 miles away in scenic Oxford, CT.


Cavalry is owned by one man who also happens to be the brewmaster, Mike McCreary.  In 2008, he fell victim to the economic downturn that is plaguing so much of our country.   He was forced to find an alternate means of making a living and decided to pour his passions into a bottle and make beer.  

The concepts for his beer tell a story . . . not just about the craft of brewing a good beer but about his experiences.  His first line of beers pay tribute to those experiences and to all the soldiers who fight for this country.


I'm a patriotic gal to the core and I love beer . . . so, of course, when I saw Cavalry's beer at my favorite beer store I snatched up a couple of six packs to give them a whirl.  

The first beer I tried was the Hatch Plug Ale.  


A happy tanker is a fat tanker and a real fat tanker is a Hatch Plug. This beer is named after a 1st Lieutenant that was traded for six M-16’s to another unit prior to departing for Iraq in early 2003. Hatch Plug went on to run the Baghdad airport and helped establish the telecommunications system in the region. Despite what we did to him he remains a good friend to this day.


It is made in the style of a classic English ale. 
I would describe it as an anytime anywhere kind of beer.  It's light enough to enjoy a few while hanging out with friends but complex enough to compliment a good meal.  


It pours with a thin head and is a lovely a reddish gold color.  It smells like . . . mmm, it smells very bready.  The yeasty aroma carries over very well to the palate and finishes with a bit of sweetness.  


It's a very good beer . . . dangerously drinkable . . . like you could drink the whole six pack in one sitting dangerous.  It's low alcohol content saves the day at 4.5% alcohol by volume.

The second of my Cavalry selections was called X-Limited Ale . . . Lot #2.  The 'X' is for experimental and the lot number one of two batches out.  The idea is to get a thumbs up or thumbs down from consumers . . . like a missile, this beer will be launched only if the drinkers deem it so.  The brewery wants to know if it's a "Patriot" or a "Scud"!


I say Lot #2 X-Limited Ale is a Patriot!  It is an Extra Special Bitter ESB, which is my first time trying this style of beer.  ESB is a strong bitter pale ale as opposed to an ordinary bitter in which is the category the average British IPA falls into.

The head on this beer was amazing!  It poured with a thick creamy head very much like a root beer and was a deep golden color.  The aroma made my mouth water with its citrussy hoppy nose.  It was very hoppy but not overpowering . . . pleasantly bitter with a hint of malty sweetness.  The flavors balance out nicely with just the right amount of carbonation. 


With a relatively low 5% ABV, I could enjoy a few of these ESB without feeling like I got hit by a missile.



I think this is a beer that should definitely go from experimental to full-on production.  Two thumbs up!



I'm looking forward to trying more offerings from Cavalry . . . cheers!


For more information on Cavalry visit their website.

New Brew Thursday - Doubleheader . . . BBC Russian Imperial Stout and Browar Amber Grand Imperial Stout

It’s clear that I’m a beerlover, but I have to say stouts and porters are not my favorite style of beer .. . but I can surely appreciate them for their richness and complexities and I’vethoroughly enjoyed one or the other on occasion.

The big question is what'sthe difference between a stout and a porter? This can be debated until the sun goes down and the keg is drained ofits heavenly, intoxicating nectar. 

There are many styles ofbeers but there are no hard-and-fast rules for what passes for particular variety.  The truth is that there really is no meaningfuldifference between a stout and a porter . . . although, arguably, a stout was atone time considered a strong . . . stouter. . .  version of porter.  Today? Different brewers have different interpretations.  And, if you ask me, it’s thoseinterpretations that make beer so friggin’ awesome!

And now . . . onto the beer.  St. Patrick's Day was approaching as I was making my selections and what's St. Patty's Day without a good hardy beer?  

In the cooler I spied Berkshire Brewing Company Russian Imperial Stout.  Stamped on the label?  Local!  That sealed the deal.  I'm a huge fan of local beers and micro-breweries.  

Berkshire Brewing Company is a young-ish company, formed in 1992 by two friends with a love for beer who wanted to produce a finely crafted ale.  The brewery is located in an old cigar factory in Deerfield, Massachusetts.  20 years later their nine year-round flavors and seven seasonal ales and lagers are distributed in five states and they continue to grow.

BBC Russian Imperial Stout pours a velvety black and forms a creamy head that dissolves into a lovely lingering lace on the glass.  Itsmells of chocolate and coffee with the flavors of each to back up the aroma.  This imperial stout is full flavored andcomplex.  The high alcohol content . . .8.5% alcohol by volume . . . warms you like a fine brandy.  This is an excellent sipping beer, to be savoredand enjoyed after a good meal.  Dessert in a glass!  Cheers!

Check out Berkshire Brewing Company's website and visit them on Facebook

~~~~

The porter I selected was not so local.  It haled all the way from Poland.  I chose Browar Amber's Grand Imperial Porter based on the label alone . . . classy, elegant.  And the name . . . it was so high falutin' . . . GRAND Imperial . . . it demanded to be consumed.  So, consume it I did!

The Browar Amber is a small brewery that was established in 1994.  It primarily distributes its beer regionally and has only recently started exporting to the United States and Canada. 

The Grand Imperial Porter is a good beer but not quite what I expected.  To the best of my knowledge, I've never had aPolish beer and certainly never a Polish dark beer. It is a Baltic style of porter which is black like an Englishstout but lighter in flavor; more like a strong, dark lager. 

I would classify the Grand Imperial Porter as a dessertbeer.    It is strong and sweet . . . very much asipping beer.  It pours dark as night.  A huge head is formed when it it is poured that dissolves into a light froth that clings to the side of the glass. It has a clearly defined dark chocolate flavor with only a hint of coffee.   I liked this porter but it was definitely not grand.  8.0% alcohol by volume.

Check out Browar Amber's website and visit them on Facebook

New Brew Thursday - Doubleheader . . . Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar and Lagunita Wilco Tango Foxtrot

Various and strangethe long-winded tale;

And halls, andknights, and feats of arms, display'd;

Or merry swains, whoquaff the nut-brown ale,

And sing, enamour'd ofthe nut-brown maid;

                                       James Beattie, The Minstrel (1771)

 . . . and so I sing the praises of Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar.  My first sip of this beer was reminiscent of the first home-brew my husband endeavored to make.  The likeness was remarkable . . . and that's a good thing.  

This Rogue brew is, as the name would suggest, a brown ale.  It poured with a light, fluffy head that quickly dissipated.  I was immediately stuck by wonderful nutty aroma and its inviting warm brown color.  The taste was rich and flavorful; hazelnut dominates this malty ale that finishes with a hint of sweetness.

Unlike lighter tasting beers that beg to be guzzled, this is a nice beer to sit back and relax with.  Wonderful after a meal to be sipped, savored and simply enjoyed.   Quite delicious.  6.2% alcohol by volume.

Rogue, located in Oregon, is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries; with its amazing variety of craft beers.  

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook 

Lagunita Wilco Tango Foxtrot  . . . a malty, robust, jobless recovery ale . . . WTF indeed.  

What’s in a name?  If youknow your military letter call signs, then you’ll know.  If not, well, I’m not going to spell it outfor you.

And the subtitle?  Abeer the jests about the current economy and the policies that have put uswhere we are . . . you know, $4 for a gallon of gasoline? 

A beer with a sense of humor; well, that only adds to the appeal.

It pours a rich reddish brown color with small head.  It has a malty aroma with mild hoppy undertones.  It’s slightly bitter upfront but notover powering and then finishes with almost chocolaty.  WTF is medium bodied, full flavored brownale. It goes down smooth and easy . . . and that’s pretty dangerous for a beerthat is nearly 8% alcohol by volume. 

The Lagunitas Brewing Company is a brewery located near Lagunitas, California.  They are known as much for their unorthodox approachto traditional beer styles as for their unique packaging.

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook  

New Brew Thursday - a doubleheader . . . 10 Penny Ale and Whaler Ale

Recently I was bonding with some adult members of my family. . . shooting pool and enjoying some cold brews at a local amusementcenter.  The bar had a couple of new (tome) beers on tap that were calling to me. They both appeared to be local brews . . . even better!  Of course I had to try them.

The first was a beer called Ten Penny Ale brewed by The OldeBurnside Brewing Company which is located in East Hartford, Connecticut.  That’s pretty darn local . . . to me. 

The brewing company is spinoff of the family-owned icemanufacturing business.   The ice business primarily services local businesses.   Theowner of the company . . . a beer lover himself . . . became curious about thevolume of water being carted off by regular consumers.  Upon asking what they were doing with allthat water they replied that they were using it to make beer.  What made his water so special?  Well, it turns out that the source of the waterused for the ice making business is similar in mineral characteristics to the watersof Burton-on-Trent, the source of water formany of the renowned ales of the United Kingdom.  Long story short . . . the brewery came tobe. 

Ten Penny Ale . . . their flagship brew . . . got its namefrom the olden days.  At a time when apint went for a nickel occasionally brewers would produce a special batch that theywould charge a whole dime for . . . hence ten penny ale.

Ten Penny Ale is a version of Scottish ale.  Scotch ale is a variety of pale ale with a high alcohol content and characteristically rich and malty.  

 

Flavor-wise, I think that The Olde Burnside versionof this ale falls in line with that description.  However, with a 5.6% ABV it isn’t quite asstrong as the typical Scottish ale . . . its not unusual for Scotch ale to havean alcohol content that exceeds 9% ABV.

Ten Penny Ale is a clean, flavorful beer.  The malt flavor is very much in evidence withdefinite caramel notes.  It’s got greatbody and goes down way to easy.  A verygood, well crafted beer, in my opinion. God, I love micro-brews!


For more information visit their website.

The second beer was Whaler Ale.  The Whalers are a local minor league hockeyteam and the beer is named after them. It just has to be a local beer no? Well . . . no . . . not really.  Iwas surprised and disappointed to find out that Whaler Ale is actually AnheuserBusch’s Budweiser American Ale repackaged as Whaler Ale.

With all the great locally owned and operated Connecticut breweriesaround why a huge company that produces copious quantities of mediocre beer?  I don’t know . . . someone didn’t think thatone through.   I kind of feel like I wasmisled into believing it was a local beer; I would have been happier knowing itwas a Budweiser product.

The beer wasn't bad but it is what it is . . . mass produced beer in the style of American Amber ale.  It was a little malty, a little hoppy with a slightly sweet undertone.   Don’t let my disappointment in the misguided marketing of the beer dissuade you from trying this beer.  It is refreshing and tasty and overall a good ale.  5.3% alcohol by volume.

New Brew Thursday- Doubleheader . . . Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA and Rogue Yellow Snow IPA

If you had asked me a month ago if I was a fan of India PaleAles I would have responded with a resounding ‘no’.  If you asked me today I’d say I’ve got ahankerin’ for some of that bitter, citrusy goodness!  Really! I think I just drooled a little simply thinking about one. Mmmm.

Why the sudden turn about? I don’t know.  Maybe IPA’s, likebeer in general, are an acquired taste and perhaps I’ve acquired thetaste.  Or, maybe I never had a good IPAand I’ve recently had a few very good ones. Perhaps, it’s a combination of the two. Whatever the case I thinking I’mliking IPA’s. 

Let me introduce you to a pair of IPA’s that have reversedmy opinion of the hoppy brew.

The first is Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.  Dogfish Head Brewery is based in Milton, Delaware and getsits name from Dogfish Head, Mainewhere the brewery’s founder spent his childhood summers.

 

As the beer poured into the glass the bright golden colorreally caught my attention . . . it was very rich looking . . . veryappealing.  The grapefruity aroma as I tookmy first whiff of the 60 minute was mouthwatering.  

The first taste was equally lip smacking.  The beer is citrusy and as hoppy as I wouldexpect an IPA to be with a bitter finish. Overall I didn’t think the hoppiness was overpowering and the tart fruitflavors were refreshing.  A verydrinkable and yummy beer. 

6% alcohol by volume.

Visit Dogfish Head at their website  or on Facebook 

The second is Yellow Snow IPA by Rogue Ales.  Frankly, I picked it because of the fun labeland a name that couldn’t be denied.  Thefact that I’m not (or wasn’t) and IPA drinker didn’t matter . . . I had to tryit!   All I can say is theYellow Snow was gooooood and didn’t not disappoint.

 

Rogue started out as a brewpub and is headquartered in Newport, Oregon.  It is a small but growing brewery with avariety of craft beers that are distributed throughout the United States.  I know this because I live all the way on theother side of the country and it seems like there’s a new Rogue beer to tryevery time I visit my local package store.

Unlike its namesake, Yellow Snow is immediately inviting . .. it is a deep gold color with bright fruity aroma of grapefruit with a hint ofpine.    The beer has a cloudy, unfiltered appearanceand pours a big head.   It’s hoppy, but not in-your-face or over thetop.   It rolls over the tongue with a hint ofcaramel and spiciness that fully compliments the citrusy, bitter goodness.  Yellow Snow is truly a good brew . . .twothumbs up! 

6.2% alcohol by volume.

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook 

I still aver that I am not a hophead, but I appreciate these citrusy bitter beers more and more as I have better and better ones.  Bring on the IPA!

New Brew Thursday - Doubleheader . . . Switchback Ale and Honker's Ale

One of our favorite restaurants, Red Park Steakhouse and Pub, has a hoppin' pub with some fantastic bartenders.  The bar is so much fun we normally dine in there instead of the restaurant.  

The pub has a large selection of standard beers with few rotating taps.  There's always something interesting and new to try.  They had two new (to us) ales on tap so we decided try a pair of ales.  Both were distinctly different with completely disparate flavors.


First up to bat was Switchback Ale.

Switchback Brewing was founded in 2002 by a couple of friends and is located in Burlington, Vermont.  I'm a big fan of small breweries, so anytime I get the chance to try a new microbrew I'm all over it.  This one didn't disappoint.  

Switchback Ale is brewed with five different malts, select hop varieties, and their own specially cultivated yeast.  The special brewing process uses the yeast to naturally carbonate the beer, and it is left unfiltered. 5.0% alcohol by volume. 

When the beer was set in front of me by the bartender I was immediately struck by the color . . . a beautiful reddish gold.   It was fairly clear for an unfiltered ale. The taste was refreshing; not overly hoppy, clean and fresh tasting with a nice malty flavor on the tail end.   It wasn't in-yer-face remarkable but overall it yummy and very drinkable.   If you're looking for something different to try, I'd say give it a go.

For more information you can find Switchback Brewing Company on Facebook.

Second in the line up was a beer by a fun name that couldn't be denied . . . Honker's Ale.  Brewed by Goose Island Beer Co. hailing from Chicago Illinois.  


Goose Island started out a single brewpub 1988 but was eventually sold to a better known brewery . . .  Anheuser-Busch . . . in 2011.  



The beer is distributed throughout the United States and England, but interestingly the Honker's Ale we enjoyed is made a little closer to home.  This variety and their IPA brewed specifically for the east coast in New Hampshire.  Does that make it a microbrew?  Mmm . . . I'm not so sure.


Honker's Ale is categorized as an English Bitter.  To me that brings to mind an acerbic hoppy taste but, in fact, this isn't the case at all.  British bitters are much milder than IPA's and are generally considered the mildest of English bitter ales . . . as opposed to best and premium bitter ales.

I would say that describes Honker's Ale pretty well.  It had a mild hoppy taste and was surprisingly light tasting . . . in other words, it is not a strong tasting beer.  It actually had what I would say was a hollow finish . . . not much flavor at all at the end.  4.7% alcohol by volume. 


Did I like it?  It thought it was good but not exceptional.  I can't say that I would buy it again; however, I wouldn't turn one down if someone handed me a glass.


Visit the Goose Island website for more information on this or their other offerings.