Hell or High Watermelon

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Al

Beer-a-Day #336

The definition of summer in a pint glass. This unique, American-style wheat beer, is brewed with 400 lbs. of fresh pressed watermelon in each batch. Light turbid, straw color, with the taste and essence of fresh watermelon. Finishes dry and clean. 5.5% ABV – 17 IBUs

Summer is but a memory. It’s currently cold and rainy outside. The beauty of beer, though, is that it can take you anywhere. And where I’d like to be right now is lounging in my hammock on a lazy summer day.

Pale yellow with a little haze. I was afraid the watermelon would smell like a Jolly Rancher, but it’s not nearly as overt. Taste is light, but I’m not sure about it. Maybe it’s because I’m not a big fan of watermelon. Still, considering my experiences with fruit beer, it’s not too bad.

21st Amendment Brewery

Brew Free or Die IPA

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Al

Beer-a-Day #317

I was at my favorite retailer recently and I was able to score seven craft beers in cans. I declare a “Can Week”! (But, sadly, this is the end.)

Today: Brew Free or Die IPA from 21st Amendment Brewery, a famous brewpub in San Francisco that only recently started canning some of their beer. (I couldn’t get ahold of their Hell or High Watermelon wheat beer for this week. I hope to get some soon.)

Brewed with some serious west coast attitude. This aromatic golden IPA starts with a sucker punch of six different hops to the nose, quickly balanced by a solid malt back bone. Our top selling beer at the pub, this IPA starts big and finishes clean leaving you wanting more.

Amber with an orangish cast. Some fruit and resiny aroma from the hops. Has a very nice finish. Why, yes, I do want some more.

Caldera IPA

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Al

Beer-a-Day #316

I was at my favorite retailer recently and I was able to score seven craft beers in cans. I declare a “Can Week”!

Today: IPA from Caldera Brewing a small microbrewer in Ashland Oregon and the first in Oregon to can their beer.

An American-style India Pale Ale brewed with plenty of body and an assertive hop profile.

Medium amber and clear. Lots of grapefruity hop aroma. That’s pretty good, although I’m finding it a little harsh in the finish. My wife rather likes it, though.

Caldera Pale Ale

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Al

Beer-a-Day #315

I was at my favorite retailer recently and I was able to score seven craft beers in cans. It’s time for “Can Week”!

Today: Pale Ale from Caldera Brewing a small microbrewer in Ashland Oregon and the first in Oregon to can their beer.

A West Coast-style pale ale balancing plenty of hops with a malty backbone.

Straw colored with a white head. Fruity aroma; reminds me a bit of pineapple. The bitterness from the hops sneak up on you. This is good. I’d gladly have this again.

Caldera Ashland Amber

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Al

Beer-a-Day #314

I was at my favorite retailer recently and I was able to score seven craft beers in cans. Can you say “Can Week”?

Today: Ashland Amber from Caldera Brewing a small microbrewer in Ashland Oregon and the first in Oregon to can their beer.

A crisp, well-balanced, refreshing amber. Simplicity is the key to this recipe.

Clear amber with a cream-colored head. Aroma has a bit of vanilla and piney hops. Flavor is crisp and light without being too light. This is a quaffable beer. I’ll have this again.

Oskar Blues Old Chub

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Al

Beer-a-Day #313

I was at my favorite retailer recently and I was able to score seven craft beers in cans. Why not “Can Week”?

Today: Old Chub from Oskar Blues.

Old Chub is a Scottish strong ale brewed with hearty amounts of seven different malts, including crystal and chocolate malts, and a smidge of US and UK hops. Old Chub also gets a dash of beechwood-smoked grains imported from Bamburg, Germany, home of the world’s greatest smoked beers. Old Chub is 8% alcohol by volume.

While Dale’s satisfies our hop addiction, Old Chub takes care of our deep affections for malt.

The cola-colored beer (almost black) features a tan head, a creamy, skim-milk mouthfeel, and rich, semi-sweet flavors of caramel and chocolate throughout. The addition of smoked grains gives Old Chub a delicate kiss of smoke on the finish.

Old Chub is the beer equivalent of a lightly smoked single malt scotch, or your favorite dark chocolate. We call it Rocky Mountain Mutha’s Milk. People who tell us defiantly, “I don’t drink dark beer,” often fall deeply in love with Old Chub. We can’t blame them.

Dark coppery color. Warm, almost smoky aroma. Big, malty flavor with a good bit of complexity. That’s pretty good, although I don’t think I’d want it more than occasionally.

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

Posted on November 8, 2009 by Al

Beer-a-Day #312

I was at my favorite retailer recently and I was able to score seven craft beers in cans. A perfect excuse to make this “Can Week”.

Next up: Ten Fidy Imperial Stout from Oskar Blues.

It’s the beer equivalent of decadently rich milkshake made with malted-milk balls and Heaven’s best chocolate ice cream. Ten FIDY is about 10% ABV and is made with enormous amounts of two-row malts, chocolate malts, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops. Its huge-but-comforting flavors hide a whopping 98 IBUs that are deftly tucked underneath the beer’s mountains of malty goodness.

Deep, opaque brown, with a head that looks like chocolate mousse. Lots of chocolate roastiness in the aroma. Boy, that smells good. The taste doesn’t disappoint. It’s big and malty and the bitterness, if anything, seems understated. That is really good.

Dale’s Pale Ale

Posted on November 7, 2009 by Al

Beer-a-Day #311

I was at my favorite retailer recently and I was able to score seven craft beers in cans. So, I’m declaring this “Can Week”.

First up: Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues.

Dale’s Pale Ale is our flagship beer and America’s first hand-canned craft beer. It’s an assertive but deftly balanced beer (somewhere between an American pale ale and an India Pale Ale) brewed with hefty amounts of European malts and American hops.

It features a merengue-like head, a copper color, and a hoppy nose, thanks to a big post-boil addition of Centennial hops. To complement its hoppy first impression, Dale’s also sports a rich middle of malts and hops, and a bracing finish. Dale’s is 6.5% alcohol by volume, and features 65 International Bittering Units.

We think of it as the perfect, everyday beer for hopheads like us. Dale’s Pale Ale’s rich flavor has helped us make many new fans, and its numerous honors have helped us kick huge holes in the misconceptions regarding cans.

Muddy amber with a little haze; off-white head with lots of lacing. Nice big piney and resiny aroma from the hops. Nice “backbone” and plenty of bitterness in the finish. A glorious beer for my fellow hop-heads.

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