Ah, a restocked Beer Fridge

Being out of town left the Beer Fridge pretty empty. Fortunately, I go to Cabo San Lucas for a conference, then I get back and my lovely wife restocked the fridge with the new Sam Adams Summer Pack (lacking the gag-worthy Cherry Wheat and Blackberry Witbier coming in as a great replacement), the Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout and this month's beer of the month club.

So many to try...so little time.

Beer Fridge on the Road - Seattle Part Duex

After getting some great food and beers at Emmett Watson's, we headed down Pike Street Market and eventually landed at Pike Brewing Company. I love going to this place - the atmosphere is unique (so much crap on the walls, it's not funny) and the beer & food are excellent. If you happen to be there for grub, try the Pike's Ale Braised Bratwurst with Sauerkraut. It's made with the beer that I tried there, the Pike Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale.

The Kilt Lifter is not a robust of a Scotch ale as its Southwestern brother - the Four Peaks Kilt Lifter. That said, this is a really good Scotch ale. There was a lightly sour, smoky taste to it, with a lot of bold malt. The color is perfection - a nice ruby/caramel color, which is very fitting for a Scotch ale. Like I said, not as "rough" as the Four Peaks, but the different flavor was really appreciated and the ABV is a bit higher than Four Peaks (6.6% ABV vs. 6.0% ABV), so it can creep up on ya.

And as a parting note, these were the delicious oysters we got at Emmett Watson's...so good.

Beer Fridge on the Road - Seattle Part Uno

Gah, I love Seattle. I don't get to go there as often as I like, but when I do, I just have a blast. This trip, we had a great lunch over at Emmett Watson's Oyster Bar. And having gotten stuck in traffic on the way to Pike Street Market, this sign hit me just right. I think "traffic" in ABQ ends up costing you about 10 minutes...not an hour. Anyway, all that freeway traffic made me hungry and thirsty.

The first offering of the day was the Maritime Pacific Nightwatch Dark Amber Ale. This brew was a really dark, tasty beer. Even with the sharp malt taste, the beer doesn't have a strong scent (if any smell at all!). The Nightwatch is really smooth and crisp, with no after-taste at all. It's at 5.5% ABV, so a good sturdy beer. And boy, did it taste good with the oysters we had.

The Hales Mongoose IPA was...different. I expect an IPA to have certain characteristics - hops, bitterness, dark golden color. The Mongoose IPA didn't really have any of these features. The hops were really understated...too subdued for my taste. The bitter taste wasn't there either and the color was almost a dark amber, not an IPA. This wasn't a bad beer...just really disappointing as an IPA.

Later this week, we'll check out another brewery in Seattle, then we'll head north to Alaska and Canada...eh?

Best Gift Part Deux - Grand Teton Brewing Teton Ale

The 2nd brewery that I got this past month from my Beer of the Month Club was Grand Teton Brewing Co out of Victor, Idaho. Never been to Victor, Idaho, not sure if I'm really planning on it, but after trying some of their beers through this club, I may just have to swing into town.

The Teton Ale, which is Grand Teton's Amber ale, is a pretty good showing from the great potato lovers in Idaho. It's got a sharp malt taste to it, very characteristic with what you would expect out of the amber. There is a really nice, smooth taste and ultimate finish, with very little bitter taste (only 24 IBUs). Just shy of 5.0% abv (4.98%...not sure why we can't just round up, but oh well), it's a little on the light side on how many you will need to start considering going to Jiffy Lube (see the Spaten Optimator review for that one...).

Would definitely recommend the Teton Ale - I also got the Old Faithful Ale as part of my shipment, but we'll get to that one later.

Cape Ann Brewing Fisherman's Ale

I love my wife - she picks way better gifts for me than I do for her and I am happy to admit that...she's way more creative and thoughtful. I usually go and get her whatever she has clearly mentioned that she wants and I get excited to give it to her and end up telling her before the gift giving occasion. Anyway, anniversary #4's gift was a membership in the Beer of the Month Club. Through an act of God, I managed to miss out on the month where Santa Fe Brewing was one of the selections. Instead, I got a brewery in Yellowstone and Cape Ann Brewing, of which we'll check out the Fisherman's Ale today.

This was a very clean, pretty light beer. The bottle and all the info that came with the beers called it an "American style kolsch" beer, which I totally agree with. It's got a light ale taste with a hint of sweetness and caramel. Don't expect much (if any) aftertaste, as it's really subdued. Not bitter at all (only 24 IBUs) and a pretty standard alcohol content (5.0% ABV). Tina really enjoyed this one, as a fan of lighter beers. It was a little too light for my taste, so if I would happen to be at the brewery, I wouldn't get it again. Not that it was a bad beer...just not my flavor.

Marble Brewing IPA

I really enjoy going to Marble Brewery - it's a really low key, chill environment with some damn fine beer. It's sister brewery - Chama River - is good too, but a little uppitity for me at times. Marble has recently distributed some of their beers (Amber, Wildflower Wheat and IPA) in stores, but there's something to be said about getting it straight from the tap.

Obviously, I've been on an IPA kick lately. The really unique hop aroma and taste has worked for me and I like trying different types. I have to say that of the IPA I've tried that are 1) available in Albuquerque and 2) come in quantities of more than a 22 oz bottle, I think that the Marble IPA is probably the best.

At 6.2% ABV, this isn't the most potent IPA I've had, but it's balanced so you don't fall off your bar stool. They use a nice variety of hops (Columbus, Amarillo and Centennial), which I haven't really seen in other IPAs and adds to the beer's unique tart flavor, with very little aftertaste. With a nice golden color and a hint of citrus scent, this is one fine beer to smell, see and taste.

You can find Marble beers at the brewery itself, Kelly's Liquors, Quarters, Smiths, etc... Many of the local restaurants serve it on draft (know it's at the Standard Diner and Nob Hill Bar & Grill). Definitely worth a try!

Kelly's Robust Porter

I haven't really ventured into Kelly's darker beer offerings much. I think the Dunkelweizen was as far as I had gotten, but figured it was time to try something different and expand my horizons. The Kelly's Robust Porter fits that profile of dark beer extremely well - put that up to the light and you're not going to see very much passing through that beer.

With only 40 IBUs, this beer has a medium bitter taste which sticks with you a while after each sip. The hops used in the beer are light enough, though, to reduce the hop aroma from the beer, allowing the really great malt smell work its mojo. You can taste the roasted malt really well and it's really tasty. I was pretty surprised with the quality of this beer and its complexity of not just being a malt brew.

Bridgeport Ropewalk Amber

One of the things I've noticed since starting this beer blog is that there are a number of beers that I have seen quite regularly, but never bothered to try. The Bridgeport Ropewalk Amber Ale is one of those beers - it's circus-y label stands out enough to draw your attention, but I never dared to try it as I went for the tried and true beer. I regret that, especially after tasting this brew.

There's a nice sweet first scent on the Ropewalk Amber that caught my nose. The malt offers a smooth, very lightly sweet taste. With a 5.6% ABV, the beer has some strength behind it, but the use of the Crystal Malt and "Northwestern Hops" (whatever those may be) are blended just right to make it a really enjoyable beer with (again) just that hint of sweetness. The caramel, amber color is right on too. I really enjoyed the Ropewalk and will definitely be trying out some more of Bridgeport's offerings.

Odell Brewing 5 Barrell Pale Ale

Quentin, our faithful beer guy, at Quarters on Wyoming and Montgomery, had recommended the Odell Brewing IPA last month and it was a nice brew. So, figured it wouldn't hurt to sample some of Odell's other offerings. Today's is the Odell Brewing 5 Barrel Pale Ale. Now, the story they tell on the label/box is that Odell's process is to experiment with new beers by using this 5 Barrel pilot system, which allows the brewers to try out new things without wasting a much of supplies on a large batch. Sounds interesting, but was it successful with this pale ale?

The Pale Ale has got a nice hop aroma to it, but lacks that strong hop taste that you would expect out of an IPA. There is still that bitter taste to it, but it's more subdued. I would gather it has to do with the brewery's method of adding the hops and using fresh whole hop flowers in the process. It's definitely unique, but nothing that is mind-blowingly different, which is ok as I prefer the more subtle changes. Everything else about this beer, including it's 5.2% ABV, is pretty consistent with what you'd expect in an American-style pale ale.

Isotopes Triple A Blonde

Leave it to Albuquerque to base their minor league baseball team after an episode of the Simpsons... "Mesquite-grilled onions. Jalapeño relish. ... Wait a minute, those are Southwestern ingredients. ... Mango-lime salsa? That's the kind of bold flavor they enjoy in ... Albuquerque!" Of course, since baseball is the American pasttime, it's very important that you honor that holiday with beer.

With Mrs. D, Mama D and Brother D in tow, we headed to 'Topes Stadium to enjoy the Isotopes hopefully beat New Orleans. The odd thing about the Isotopes beer venders is that if you get Coors/Bud Light you end paying like $6.25 per beer. Buy something "fancy", such as Blue Moon, Fat Tire, etc..., you're up to $7.50. If you're bold enough to go for Guinness, plan on shelling out $8 for that beer. However, if you're smart and head to the west side of the stadium, you can get a nice microbrew made especially for the Isotopes for the nice price of $6.25 - take that Coors!

I got the Isotopes Triple A Blonde for the game. It's got that perfect blond coloring and malty, refreshing taste that you would expect from a blond ale. There's a light sweet finish, with no aftertaste. A warning, though - I think that the vendors don't have the beer at the coldness that I appreciate. The beer got warm pretty quick, which made the beer a little tougher to enjoy and not nearly as refreshing. Not to say you should suck down the beer to enjoy it while it's cold, but with that said, you will probably WANT to suck it down.

The Isotopes also offer their Slammin' Amber, which we'll take a look at in a future post. Both the Slammin' Amber and Triple A Blonde are available at local stores, such as Smith's, Albertsons, Kelly's, Quarters and the Triangle Grocery in the east mountains.

Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA

Boy, I do enjoy the Flying Dog brand of beers. Readers of this blog know of my affinity for the Flying Dog In Heat Wheat - probably my favorite American style wheat beer. So, I figured it was time to branch out and try one of their other beers, and since I was on an IPA kick, why not try the IPA?

I would definitely call this brew a quality IPA. There is a great amber color (see picture!) and strong hop taste that is characteristic of the IPA. I got a big bitter hit that doesn't stick around all that long, with a long, very lighter aftertaste. With a 7.1% ABV, this beer has a kick to it, and with a 60 IBU rating, it's got the bitter hop taste to back up its IPA status.

Very good beer from a great brewery - go hit this one up!

Kelly's Belgium Dubbel

Mama D really enjoys Kelly's - I think that everytime she's in town, we end up going there. That usually works for me, as the food is good enough and the beer is tasty. I've brewed beer there, which is a blast, and the brewers themselves are very knowledgable. Having learned this the hard way, I've had a few instances where I didn't necessary get what beer I ordered. It hasn't gone all that well and there was one instance where I had ordered a Hefeweizen and received a Dunkelweizen instead and I had to argue how it wasn't physically possible that what I got was a Hefeweizen. But I digress.

This time around, I got the Belgium Dubbel. The Kelly's folk call it a double strength Belgium, and I can see that. The beer has a very interesting smell, bordering on sweet. You get a really smooth taste with a bit of malt and NO aftertaste at all and extremely low bitterness (only 30 IBUs). The Belgium Dubbel also had some nice clove, cinnamon and hint of fruit to it, which is pretty characteristic of the Belgium type beers. With a 6.3% ABV, this beer has some strength behind it, but not a beer that you drink and feel you got punched in the face.

Not a bad brew if I do say - I tried the Robust Porter as well, but that is a beer for another day!

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

I never really had many Stone Brewing beers before I started my little hobby here. I had always seen the bottles with that bastardly little demon/gargoyle holding a beer. I had been warned that the beer had a kick, which was evident when I had the Arrogant Bastard Pale Ale at Murphy's in Prescott. Imagine my surprise when I was presented a bottle of the Stone Cali-Belgique IPA by a great guy, Mr. Trimmer. As expected, this was a fine, fine brew.

Like the Arrogant Bastard Pale Ale, this is a bold, hoppy beer. The color is perfect - a nice gold that is characteristic for an IPA. The beer provides that crisp, bitter hop taste, but it's definitely not overwhelming. Tina is not a fan of IPA and she thought this beer was tasty, so that's a good sign (at least in my book!) What is unique about this beer is the use of Belgium yeast, which infuses a unique flavor in the beer. While the Cali-Belgique IPA is in all aspects an IPA, that yeast changes the flavor ever-so-slightly to have it stand out as not just another IPA.

Just FYI if you go look for this beer, you'll probably notice that the bottle says either "Cali-Belgique" or "Cali-Belgie". Apparently, the Belgiums speak either French or Dutch and depending on where the yeast was harvested it from, depends on what "Belgium" translates to. So, 1/2 of the bottles will say Belgique and the other half say "Belgie". Same beer, different translation.

If you are a fan of IPAs, you'll want to try this beer. If you like Stone Brewing beers, you'll want to try this beer. If you like beer - TRY THIS BEER!

Samuel Adams White Ale

To be green or not to be green, that is the question. If you read the review of the New Belgium Mothership Wit, you'll remember that I didn't think that the beer was all that for the whole organic thing. You'll also remember that I preferred this brew, the Samuel Adams White Ale. It's not organic (or at least, not to my knowledge) and it's WAY less expensive. In fact, I got a 12 pack from Quarters last week for $7.99 because the Summer Ale is coming in as the current seasonal beer and the White Ale had to go!

Like most Belgium white ales, the Sam Adams White Ale has that cripsy, light taste with the flavors of coriander, spice and orange. The citrus taste is a bit more subdued in this one, leaning more to the malt than the Mothership Wit. There is a hint of bitterness at the tailend, but not much. It's got a really light body but really good flavor and it's very refreshing, especially on a hot day. The beer is at 5.4% ABV, so it is a pretty strudy brew.

While Sam Adams is not a microbrew by any means, it's a good solid beer for a good price. If given the choice between the Mothership Wit and the Sammy White Ale, I'm going to go with the patriot, not the hippie.

New Belgium Mothership Wit

Tina found this brew when she was at the grocery store and hadn't seen it before. I can't say I had ever tried it, so it made it a perfect specimen for this blog. Now, if you know much about New Belgium Brewing, you'll know that they are very aware of their carbon footprint and are all about alternative energy and sustainability and hippie crap like that. If you know me, I am not.

In fact, I will only care about conservation and sustainability if it is 1) easy to implement and 2) will require little or no cost to do. For example, Tina and I recycle...because I just toss the bottle into a bin and not the trash can. Easy, simple, no cost.

So, why would I go on a rant on green, hippie things? Well, the New Belgium Mothership Wit is a "USDA Organic" beer. This tells me that this beer will be more expensive than other similar beers, because being greeny costs too much and that cost needs to be passed through to us consumers.

The beer itself is a good Belgium white beer - very light and crisp. You can definitely taste the coriander and there are the flavors of citrus, orange and a touch of malt. There is a bit of a sour aftertaste that sticks with you a minute, but nothing that makes you want to brush your teeth. The beer is very refreshing, especially on a hot day where you want something cold and light.

Personally - I'd take the Sam Adams White Ale (which we'll see on here in due time), as I prefer the taste and price (which is easily a few bucks cheaper than the New Belgium). The Mothership Wit is not a bad beer, by any means. If you're a die-hard New Belgium fan, then you'll probably really like it and not mind paying an extra buck or two to make sure that the beer industry doesn't kill the planet a little bit more.

Sierra Nevada Summerfest Ale

I was out in Phoenix last weekend and while hanging out between plans (pool and charity event), a beer while enjoying the heat sounded really good. So, my buddy and I stopped at Fry's and got this lager - the Sierra Nevada Summerfest Ale. I really like Sierra Nevada's regular pale ale - it's almost the beachmark of other pale ales I've tried.

With that in mind, the Summerfest was underwhelming. The malty taste reminded me of a Heineken or Beck's, but not in a bad way. With 32 IBUs, there was a bitter, medium bodied flavor. It's not overly alcoholic (5.0% ABV), so having one or two isn't going to knock you off the bar stool. This is definitely a beer that would be good if you were working in the yard because it was very refreshing. Honestly though, I had higher hopes for this beer.

Four Peaks Brewing - Take 2 Beers and Call Me In the Morning

I hit up Four Peaks Brewery again last time I was in Scottsdale and polished off the last two beers I have not had the pleasure of trying. I haven't been to Four Peaks at night before and it was a really chill atmosphere. There was a nice breeze and with their bay doors to the patio open, it was relaxing to sit back, chill and enjoy some beer.

First up was the Four Peaks HopKnot IPA. If you read my post on the last trip to Four Peaks, you'd remember I was really disappointed with the RAJ IPA that I had. Having tried the HopKnot, I wish I had ordered this brew instead. There is a really sharp bitter hop taste with a mild, but clean, aftertaste. I read a bit about the process by which Four Peaks brews this beer and it sounds different - they use 4 different types of hops and add them at four different times. I wouldn't say that this process makes HopKnot break any IPA boundaries or does something so unique that I would need to order mass quantities and store it, but it does produce one damn fine IPA.

The Oatmeal Stout was the last beer of Four Peak's regular offerings to try and it was a fine finish. The first thing that came to mind when the beer came was "Did I order a Guiness on accident?" It seems like they used nitrogen rather than typical carbonation. The beer itself was extra smooth with a smoky, almost-chocolate taste. Neither me or my friend, Louis, got any oatmeal taste from the beer, but I guarantee it's in there somewhere. If I had a choice between this and a Guiness, I would pick the Oatmeal Stout, as it lacks that odd aftertaste that I really don't care for with Guiness. I would definitely order this tasty stout again!

Breckenridge Agave Wheat

The final beer at the Yardhouse I had was this very flavorable wheat beer from Breckenridge Brewery in Colorado. The Breckenridge Agave Wheat is definitely an American-style wheat beer with a light fruity taste that gets stronger with the aftertaste. Like expected, there is no bitter taste at all (according to their website, it's only got 9 IBUs. Compare this to the 90 IBUs in the 90 Minute IPA that was reviewed earlier!). If you dislike bitter beers (not the kinda that cause Bitter Beer Face), I think you'll really enjoy this brew.

A very crisp beer, it really hit the spot after a big ol' burger and the heavier (and much more alcoholic) beers that I had earlier. The Agave Wheat only has a 4.2% ABV, so you could polish off a number of these and not be a sluring mess. There is no need for a lemon or orange in this beer - I think the agave nectar that they use in the beer more than flavors it and I'm not sure if I would mess with that by dunking a lemon chunk in there. The coloring is oddly similar to my friend's Stone IPA, so not as light as you would expect from a wheat beer.

Breckenridge puts out some good beers and this brew follows suit. If you're looking for a good wheat beer, I would definitely recommend the Agave Wheat.

New Belgium 1554

The 2nd draft I had when I was at the Yard House was the New Belgium 1554. I've had this a long time ago at La Posada in Winslow, AZ, but only vaguely remembered that I enjoyed it. Upon recommendation from a friend (thank you Rebekah!) who found it at Zinc's on draft, I figured I'd give it a shot again. Fortunately, that enjoyment from before stuck around this time.

When you get this beer and perhaps wait for the head to settle down, the first thing you'll notice is that the head looks like foamy chocolate - not quite the traditional white that you see in nearly all other beers. The beer itself has a very smooth, rich mocha/coffee taste to it. You definitely get the malt taste in there, but nothing that is overwhelming or offputting. There is absolutely no aftertaste, so once you've had your drink, you've got a fresh mouth for the next.

The food came about the same time as this beer and it was an excellent combination - I had the BBQ-Bacon burger and the rum BBQ sauce that went with the burger complimented perfectly with the 1554. Upon inspection of the 1554 website, some foodie says the beer works very well with meat (not that beer doesn't...).

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

This past weekend, I took a trip to Phoenix as part of my regional director job for the Active 20/30 Club and decided some lunch at one of my favorite places was in order. Located in Scottsdale Fashion Square, the Yard House features roughly 120-150 beers on tap. And we're not talking 40 versions of Bud/Bud Light/Miller Lite/etc, these are finely crafted beers from all over the country. Today's beer - the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA was the first out the gate.

Now, probably the first thing I should have noticed (and did) was that there was a little asterisk (*) by the beer's name. This little guy indicated that the 90 Minute IPA is only served in pints and not in the 1/2 yard and yard containers. This meant to me that this beer means business and it did.

Coming in at a staggering (and stumbling) 9.0% ABV and 90 IBUs, this beer had a really strong hoppy taste from the get go. The hops tasted different than other IPAs I've had, but upon further research, I couldn't find a specific type, which I have a feeling is because they want to keep it under wraps. The beer takes a flavor journey as it starts with the bold hop and medium bitter taste, then hangs out with a mild sour aftertaste. The finish, likely from "Mystery Hops", was unique and unlike other IPAs, adding just a hint of sweetness.

The scent was great - especially when I got a little too close to the foamy head and snorted it. Nothing like hops IN your nose - did not ruin the enjoyment of the beer by any means. The high alcohol content sticks with you a little bit, so if you're looking for a similar quality, but not as alcoholic or bitter, go with the 60 Minute IPA which is 6.0% ABV and 60 IBUs. I didn't get a chance to try that one, but it was also served at the Yard House.

This was a great IPA and would highly recommend it if you happen to catch it in the liquor department or happen to be in Delaware where the brewery is.