Brooklyn Brooklyner Weisse

I know I have covered a disproportionate amount of BB products,but there are quite a few of them and they are generally awesome. Pay attention to the word generally. I actually found one that I felt was nothing special. Brooklyn's own Hefeweizen, The Brooklyner Weisse.



I don't know much about wheat beers,so I'. not going to claim to be any sort of judge on this one. From what I understand, through research into this product via the internet, this isn't one of the best hefeweizens out there.

I do know what I experienced. The beer settled at a murky gold color with a quickly desintegrating head. It's smell,as I expected, was mostly of wheat. The taste was pretty citrusy,and those were the most outstanding characteristics I discovered. I think this would be a good session beer. Something to just sit around and drink,beer after beer. I'll have to try other wheat beers before I can form a better opinion. Until then, this one will have to do.

Tennants of Scotland

I read a great deal of talk in the beer community about the state of beer from Britain. Most of it is negative. I'm sure they, like me, started on the craft path through such UK favorites like Guinness and Bass. Two beers I used to love at one point but don't really care for nowadays. The same could be said for Tennants. If I were ten years younger, I would love it. Today..not so much.



The color was golden yellow with a small head whiter than I've seen in a beer. The smell was slightly hoppy,like the taste with something fruity about it. It went down pretty quickly with no real affect,considering the abv was less than 5%. I would drink Tennants if it were still available at the Coat of Arms in Portsmouth,NH, but I don't think it has been for a while. It was still better than 95% of American macros, which is still nothing to write home about but I had to give it something.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Sometimes you find a beer that makes you never wanna drink a different kind of beer again. Sometimes you don't have to go very far to find one of the best beers ever made. Sometimes......Oh I'll just shut up. I tried Brooklyn Brewery's crowning acheivement the other day, and I must say it made the Old Rasputin taste like cow piss. If this is what Russian Imperial Stouts are supposed to taste like,bring them all on.



Black Chocolate poured blacker than a trillion midnights. No light was getting through when I held it up to a bulb. Probably the darkest beer I have ever seen. The head was brown and creamy and there was an evident chocolate scent. It tastes sweet, but not sickly sweet, with a faint hops undertone. At 10.6% , I had a great mini-buzz after just one. This is the kind of beer you bestow upon people as a gift,which I'm probably going to do.

If you haven't tried Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout,your losing a very important life experience.

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

I was excited to finally get a chance to try a Russian Imperial Stout,which some regard as the king,or czar, of beer styles. The beer was first made in Britain for export to the Russian royalty during the 18oo's. Thankfully the style didn't die with the Revolution. I have heard people rant and rave about Rasputin for awhile now. This was my chance to give it a shot.



Old Rasputin started of with a thick,tan head and so dark that only the smallest amount of light escaped(I say a blood red sliver at the bottom of the glass). Upon further inspection through taste, I was bitten with the bitterness of a hops monster on the first sip. I thought the bitterness might die down as the beer got warmer, but it didn't. I'm not afraid of bitter beer, they are just not my favorite. I also don't enjoy sucking on lemons, if you can believe that.

Aside from the bite, I enjoyed all the other aspects of the beer. The malty smell was nice and so were the sweet undertones. The best part was probably the 9% abv. That always makes my experience more pleasurable. I'll buy it again when Brooklyn's Black Chocolate is out of season or if I'm in an area where it is the best thing around. Until then,there will be other Imperials to try.

Rogue Chipotle Ale

I like spicy. Not so spicy where it burns my mouth. But spicy enough that it almost nums my lips and tongue,and the tingling sensation stays for a bit. I found it in a beer yesterday. Not that I believe that beers all beers should be made with hot peppers. No way in Hell. But this is a good beer to try just once.



I've been eying this bomber for close to a week now. Yesterday I had a day off so the oppurtunity presented itself for me to travel for beer. So I went to Thrifty on Court St and picked this up as soon as I walked in the door. I let it chill for awhile upon arriving at home,because unlike most of the beer I get,this ale is meant to be served cold.

When poured into a pint glass, the color was a murky amber with a head about 1 finger wide that was as white as snow. The peppery taste isn't quite as evident in the initial sip as it is in the aftertaste. Even then its not mindblowing. Just tingly. The burp itself was fairly spicy. In the end,there really isn't anything special about it, besides being made with peppers. For me it was a novely beer. I probably won't buy it again,but I'm not going to bad mouth it to those who are interested in trying it. It's worht the experience.

Pacena

The beer distribution center closest to my house (6 blocks) carries a large collection of South and Central American Beers. I would assume it's because this is the prime cultural make-up of my neighborhood. This gives me the chance to find beers that the other stores don't carry. Beers like Pacena from Bolivia.



Pacena pored a light gold color seen in most of the American macros. The head was probably one of the most amazing I've seen. It stayed above the glass for at least 5 minutes before settling at about to fingers thick. Upon close examination,I found that the beer had a sweet smell with a bit of a bite. Pacena was smooth going down and starting to aquire a sweet aftertaste 20 minutes inot drinking it. Al and All, It wasn't a bad experience. I probably won't be buying it very often,but I really don't have anything negative to say.

Carib Royal Extra Stout

Yes, I have reviewed a Carib product before. Yes, It was not too long ago. Last time it was the Carib flagship lager. This time I bring you the Royal Extra Stout from Trinidad.



This is a sweet beer best served at about 50 Degrees. I mean sweet. As in dessert sweet,but you can't fully appreciate the taste unless it's kinda warm. I would have bought more if the store had it. Sadly,there was but one left that I didn't take in hopes that they might get the hint and order more. Apparently,most beer people aren't fond of of the sweet beers. I don't know whether to feel unschooled or sorry for them. I like it just fine.

Brooklyn Brewery...Brown Ale and Winter Ale

Lo and Behold!!!! I'm finally going to review a couple from my most local of Breweries. Brooklyn Brewery is actually located about 25 minutes walking distance from my place,15 minutes if i walked to the subway and took the train. I'm suprised I haven't yet took a tour. I have loved BB since I first visited NYC over 4 years ago,and now I am blessed with livng in the same area as one of the most renowned micro-breweries in America. Today I'm going to be giving you the scoop on the Brown Ale and 2006 Winter. Both great and both available almost everywhere in the city.



The Brown Ale poured a nice reddish-brown with a fairly good head. I noticed right of the bat that it smelled like grass. Not pot, real grass. From what I understand this was the hops. It wasn't very bitter,in fact it tasted quite nice. Fairly sweet and it went down really easy. A little too easy.

The Winter Ale was what started my adventure called Wednesday Night. A lighter color than the brown (obviously) and the head was about 2 fingers thick. The beer was pretty thick itself with quite a bit of flavor. Spicy even. Definetly something to sit by the fire and drink. Since I started drinking it as soon as I left the store, I didn't really start noticing the best parts until it warmed up for about 20 minutes. A mistake I've made less and less as I learn about beer. Overall, a great winter ale. I'll probably bring some up to VT for my in-laws to try.

Tecate

Being low on cash and feeling kinda trashy after a long day of work,I decided to try something equally as trashy. At least in the appearance department. Tecate is IMPORTED,so I guess it's not too bad(even though it's from Mexico.



Typical American Macro lager. Very little is special about the taste,piss gold in color, and goes down pretty easy without making the gasface. The head was about 2 fingers thick when poured into a pint glass,not that it matters considering this wasn't exactly top shelf. It did taste better than other Mexican cerveza's I've had,namely Corona. I would probably drink it again if the local bodega was out of Yuengling,which is always a possibility. I'll probably drink it again just because it's cheap and highly available and every once in awhile I like to get drunk(not to mention my neighborhood is majority latino).

Xingu Black Beer...

Don't be thrown off by the name and style. Just because it's dark doesn't mean it's a stout. Only in color is it anything like a stout(well...maybe a couple other things). This brazilian beer actually gets it's color from the dark hops that are used.



Xingu is quite the mindfuck. I thought it might be thick like a stout or a porter,but it was thin like a lager. It was quite sweet though,and smelled like berries and brown sugar. The head didn't last too long,but the lace crept slowly down the glass with every sip I took. It wasn't very expensive for a 12 oz. but I doubt I'll be getting this beer very often,unless I happen to go to Brazil. If that happens,it will be one of the first things I order.

The name doesn't sound very portuguese,does it?

Chimay Red

If you ever get into a conversation that involves Belgian beer,9 outta 10 times the word "chimay" is going to be mentioned. It doesn't necessarily mean it is the best beligian abbey in the world,they just happen to have better distribution than any other (with the exception of Stella....errr),so you'll fins there abbey ales in many places that have a decent beer selection. Just remember,budweiser isn't the best beer America has to offer.



I have put off trying Chimay until now because of all the hype. Now I realize the hype is just that...hype. Don't get me wrong,it's a good beer. It's just not the cream of the crop in the Abbey Ale world. Ommegang is brewed in NY,and I think it's a much better beer. I could possibly be trying the wrong Chimay. Only time will tell. But for now, I give you the Public Enemy Award for "Don't Believe The Hype".

Old Engine Oil

Old Engine Oil comes from Scotland,and is brewed by Harviestoun Brewery. It has a great name,almost unapetizing.



I initally started drinking the beer fresh out of the fridge. Bad move as I've come to learn with stouts that have real flavor. I didn't start finding the beer tasty UNTIL it had been sitting out for a half an hour. That's when a started notiving the choco nuances( I hate that word). The beer wasn't exactly dark like oil. When putting it to the lamp, quite a bit of light got through. But it was still darker than a porter, or a dark porter. I Haven't had a bad scottish beer yet,especially those that are WEE heavy. This was not,but it was still damn good at a little less than room temperature.

Frostbite Ale

Frostbite Ale is yet another craft brew from Upstate NY (obviously not hard to get around here) produced by the lake Placid Brewing Company,who's motto is "Real Town. Real Beer." Real crafty motto, if you ask me. The only thing I really know about lake Placid is the bad movie with the alligators. REAL bad CGI.



I thought that the beer would be best served cold,due to the name....I was quite wrong. I found that the beer got better as it approached lukewarm. A far cry than the hoppy bitterness my mouth received when I first started drinking it. I wasn't very fond of the 15 feet of frothy head that the beer produced as I poured iti into the glass. It took away a few minutes of drinking experience. I should have just drank it straight outta the bottle. Overall, the beer was pretty good, after it was warmed up a bit. I would buy it again,as long as started drinking it after an hour of pulling out of the fridge.

HB Mai-Bock

Maibocks are a pale-colored,strong german lager that are typically brewed in the spring. The HB mai-bock was definetely not pale,more of a coppery-amber. It was mos def strong. I'm talking 3rd and last beer of the night strong. This is one of the reasons I decided to try to drink only import and craft brew,because the alcohol % is more than 3.2%,which is what you'll find in most domestic American beers. This beer is also awesome because it has a goat on the label. My homeboys (and girls) in the League should dig that.



I couldn't really tell you much more about this besides that it's awesome. As usual that I've discovered with German beers,bochs in general, is the taste sensation you don't find in most american ales,even british ones for that matter. Apparently the HB Maibock is the oldest in Munich,where the beer is brewed. I hope to visit one day, as long as it secures my drunkiness for at least a week straight.

Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout

Brewed in the Henry Woods Redwood forest in California,I bring you Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout from the Anderson Valley Brewing Company. I haven't had a stout in awhile since I bored myself on Guinness years ago. This oatmeal stout makes Guinness look like juicy juice.



I'm sure this beer is brewed by bearded, nature worshipping hippies, which is not a bad thing. Alot of the West Coast breweries are owned and operated by the type of crunchy souls who enjoy the finer things in life,without getting too weird and psychadelic. Not too sweet,with a smooth taste and thick feel. When poured into a glass, it is quite dark with an inch of a head consisting of layers of tan. I also found it creamy with a bit of a chocolate aroma. If you're sick of Guinness and refuse to go light,try this one on for size.

The blacker the berry,the sweeter the juice.

Skullsplitter Orkney Ale

This Scottish ale has the best name ever. Named after Thorfinn Hausakluif(skullsplitter),who was the seventh Viking Earl of Orkney around 950 AD. Just a tidbit of history that can gleaned from any bottle of this high-alcohol(8.5%) robust ale.



Any man would snatch up this beer in a second based on the label. It reminds me a bit of McEwans Scottish Ale,the only other Scottish ale I've had. Sweet and smooth,both in taste and smell. It reminds me of whiskey or scotch in beer form,but not nearly as overpowering. I love the buzzy feeling after only 11.2 fluid ounces consumed over a 45 minute period. Pretty fuckin' sweet.

I need to come up with some kind of a ratings system.

Porkslap Pale Ale

If Bass came in a can,it would be Porkslap. The difference being Bass doesn't get a ton more bitter the longer the beer is exposed to air. Porkslap does. If your going to drink Porkslap, drink it fast.



Even though the label is entertaining and it's ironic to see craft beer come in a can, it was still something of a disappointment. This experience will make me think twice about trying a canned craft beer, which seems to be a pretty strong trend lately. I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover,so I'll just play taste baseball with this subject.

3 strikes and your out.

Carib

I have compared beer to Miller High Life in past writings. This is not because I hate the Champagne. I actually dig it when I'm feeling kinda poor but want the love only a bar can provide. It is true that it is about as cheap as my beer tastes go,and don't go that frequently. Miller created a good thing,and stuck with it,but there are also other companies that seem to want to stick to it too. Carib lager is one of those beers.



There really isn't much I can say about Carib that hasn't been said already. I first consumed it during my honeymoon to St. Maarten. It was cheap and plentiful,and Ingrid dug it. When I eyed it the other day for the first time in well over a year,a nostalic voice in my head told me to buy the 6-pack for $8.50...so I did. 3 days later and I'm still working on the six-pack. So it was well worth what I spent. It was also worth the memories of our island adventure. Now that Winter is soon to appraoch ,I need those memories as much as possible.

Ayinger Celebrator...

"Heaven" was closed the other night,just as I got to the doors,so I had to trudge a mile,with Annie B. by my side,down the mean streets of Park Slope(hehe). Destination.....Beirkraft. Beer store #2 in the Park Slope area. Beirkraft has a rather large and nice selection of grog,along with cheese and chocolate and all the other niceties that yuppies need in a one stop shop. Everything is refrigerated,unlike Eagle(Heaven),but the prices are also quite a bit higher on all the goods. I would rather refridgerate my holy liquids at home than to pay more for the same product. I'm sure I'll go back again(when eagle is closed).

Anyway..back to the beer...Ayinger Celebrator Doppelboch


My previous experience with Doubleboch has only been Sam Adams,which I found quite good at the time. Apperently,Doppelbochs are supposed to have an alcohol % quite a bit higher thn other lagers,something Sam Adams must have forgot about. Celebrator is a REAL german Doppelboch. It tasted quite good and made me feel nice once it was finished. Now that I have left New England,there is NO reason for me to stand by Sam Adam's products,not that I ever did,really.

A couple of fun facts about Doppelbochs:

The names of brews typically end in "-ator" to commerorate the original DB...Paulaner Salvator.

During the religious season of Lent, catholic monks were required to fast. Boch beers are higher in nutrients and food energy,which sustained the monks during the holiday. This is why bochs were traditionally brewed and consumed by monks.

Why does all my beer always come back to God?

Friday Night and Bluepoint....

My good friend Annie B. decided to come up for a couple of days,Friday being here arrival date. Like any good Portmouth townie,Annie likes to whoop it up with some good brews with good people in good places. We started off at the BCC (Bushwick Country Club) and ended up at the Brooklyn Ale House. The Ale House was small and smokey(no complaints),and had a great selection of beer on tap. Annie really dug the Delirium Tremens, more so then I did but I still think it's a good brew. I,on the other hand, had the Bluepoint Bluebeer Ale (http://www.bluepointbrewing.com/beer_information.html),straight outta Long Island. I'm not afraid of fruity beers like most people are. My wife,Ingrid, usually hates them. She didn't hate this one. The only blueberry ale I have had before this is Seadog Blueberry Wheat,which tastes great but keeps me on the shitter for the rest of the next day. A big payoff for a couple hours worth of taste sensation. Not so with the Bluepoint,but that probably has something to do with the lack of wheat. Since the wife enjoyed it, I will probably be getting to know this beer in close to a biblical sense over the next couple of months. If you check out the website, you'll also see that Bluepoint has quite a few brews out there. To tell you the truth....I'm not scared, I'll drink them all.



Nuff talk...more beer.