I know it's only November and way to early to be thinking about Christmas. I'm usually the guy that gets frustrated with the Halloween stuff in the same isle as the Christmas stuff at my local Walgreen's. In years past I would think it was absurd that the department stores at the mall would have Christmas decorations up before November 1st. This year has been a year of change for me and through those changes I have learned to just go with the flow. One great old cliche is "If you can't beat'em, join'em." and that's what I intend to do this year.
Why not start Christmas early, it's the greatest holiday and greatest season of the year...every year. People tend to be more giving and a lot happier. The decorations look nice, especially when they are well done. Everyone loves Christmas, even the Grinch liked it in the end. To kick off my holiday mood I decided to give this years Anchor Brewing Christmas seasonal brew a shot. I have tried their seasonal brew in past years, every year for the past 5 or 6 to be exact. However, I can get away with using this beer under my try one new beer a week umbrella due tot he fact that Anchor changes the recipe every single year. So this years beer is brand new and I have never tried it before. I know it's a technicality, but hey it's a great brewery with great beer so I'm going to go with it.
Anchor's bottle just looks inviting, adorned with a Norfolk Island Pine in addition to the terms Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Even the writing is in a traditional red and green. When I opened up the bottle, the aroma of spices perked up my senses. The beer is deep brown almost black in color with a brownish tint to the head. It looks like a beer that will warm you up on a cold winter evening. The first sip is full of spices and the warmth goes into effect. This beer is so perfect for the season that it makes me want to run out to Old Navy and buy a gaudy winter sweater with a red nosed reindeer on it. This is a brew that makes me wish I was at a cabin with a fireplace and it was snowing outside. It makes me angry that it was sunny and 80 degrees today where I live.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? If this was a beer that was made all year round, every year, I would place this in my top ten or maybe even top three. Due to the fact that I will have to buy 5 cases of it before the season is over and ration it off throughout the rest of the year only to never have it again once it's gone makes me unable to place this beer in the top ten. I do have to say that also due to the fact that it is limited, makes it that much more enjoyable when drinking it. This brew is almost like a bottle of wine that you saved for a special occasion. Was it worth the price? Absolutely! I paid $8.99 for the six pack and there is no doubt that this will be stocked in my fridge from now through the new year.
I have to say that Anchor Brewing never disappoints. From the original Steam Beer to the Liberty Ale to the Summer Beer, Anchor Brewing knows how to make really good beer. I highly recommend trying this beer this season and stocking up before it's gone for good. This will be a beer that you will love to have throughout the holidays and beyond. Check out www.anchorbrewing.com for more information about their very tasty brews.
Merry early Christmas everyone!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Samuel Smith's India Ale
Last weekends Patriots / Rams game in London got me thinking. How ironic is it that a team named after the colonial men that fought for freedom from England played a game and were cheered for in London?! Our obsession with the royal family that we broke away from goes hand in hand with England's new found obsession for America's sport. Amazing how far we've come in a few hundred years. The game probably wasn't much to watch for the fans in London, the Patriots blew out the Rams 45-7. Good for my fantasy football team, bad for trying to create an atmosphere of competition. I guess the NFL feels like anything is better then an "exciting" 1-0 soccer match...snooze.
All of this got me thinking about all of the beers I've ever tried from England. Boddington's is very popular and very good; Newcastle Brown Ale, a very commercial brew, but also from England; and Hobgoblin, one of my new found favorites, are the only beers I've ever enjoyed from the English Isle. I decided it was time to again expand my taste mates and try another English brew.
This weeks new brew hales from Tadcaster, N. Yorkshire, England. Samuel Smith's India Ale caught my eye this evening at my local beer store. It was only sold in individual 550 ml bottles, so I decided to pick one up and give it a go. Mainly because it's brewed in England and in the town of Tadcaster, which sounds a little like Lancaster, where I used to live. I was a little leery because the bottle states that the beer is brewed from well water from the original well sunk in 1758. I spent a lot of time on my grandparents farm as a kid and if you don't know well water is not the greatest thing in the world. But I figured it's 2012 and it can't be that bad for you, might even be better then some of the "purified" water of today.
The bottle has a bright gold seal at the top, reminding of a Michelob I stole out of my grandmothers fridge at age 13. Getting the seal off was a bit of pain as well, but once opened it was well worth the trouble. The beer is amber in color and smelled of malts and caramel, with a brownish tinted head. It makes you think that this can't be an IPA it must be an amber beer. But a few sips later the hops showed up much to my delight. This is a very well made, very good beer. The hops are not overwhelming, but there with just enough of a hint. I was impressed overall with this brew.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? I can't place this in my top ten only because in my opinion it just doesn't beat out any beer I currently have in there. This is a very good beer that I will definitely enjoy again, but I can't put it in my top tan. Was it worth the price? No question here. I paid $3.99 for the bottle and I would say it was well worth it. I got a little over a pint and half out of it, so not quite two beers, but it was just enough to sit down and enjoy on a Friday night.
My overall rating would be a 3.5 out of 5. Quite an enjoyable beer with plenty of flavor to get you through a calm evening. If interested please check out www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk and I would highly recommend giving this beer a try if and when you can find it at your local store. I don't think you'll be disappointed at all.
Long Live the Queen!
All of this got me thinking about all of the beers I've ever tried from England. Boddington's is very popular and very good; Newcastle Brown Ale, a very commercial brew, but also from England; and Hobgoblin, one of my new found favorites, are the only beers I've ever enjoyed from the English Isle. I decided it was time to again expand my taste mates and try another English brew.
This weeks new brew hales from Tadcaster, N. Yorkshire, England. Samuel Smith's India Ale caught my eye this evening at my local beer store. It was only sold in individual 550 ml bottles, so I decided to pick one up and give it a go. Mainly because it's brewed in England and in the town of Tadcaster, which sounds a little like Lancaster, where I used to live. I was a little leery because the bottle states that the beer is brewed from well water from the original well sunk in 1758. I spent a lot of time on my grandparents farm as a kid and if you don't know well water is not the greatest thing in the world. But I figured it's 2012 and it can't be that bad for you, might even be better then some of the "purified" water of today.
The bottle has a bright gold seal at the top, reminding of a Michelob I stole out of my grandmothers fridge at age 13. Getting the seal off was a bit of pain as well, but once opened it was well worth the trouble. The beer is amber in color and smelled of malts and caramel, with a brownish tinted head. It makes you think that this can't be an IPA it must be an amber beer. But a few sips later the hops showed up much to my delight. This is a very well made, very good beer. The hops are not overwhelming, but there with just enough of a hint. I was impressed overall with this brew.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? I can't place this in my top ten only because in my opinion it just doesn't beat out any beer I currently have in there. This is a very good beer that I will definitely enjoy again, but I can't put it in my top tan. Was it worth the price? No question here. I paid $3.99 for the bottle and I would say it was well worth it. I got a little over a pint and half out of it, so not quite two beers, but it was just enough to sit down and enjoy on a Friday night.
My overall rating would be a 3.5 out of 5. Quite an enjoyable beer with plenty of flavor to get you through a calm evening. If interested please check out www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk and I would highly recommend giving this beer a try if and when you can find it at your local store. I don't think you'll be disappointed at all.
Long Live the Queen!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Spaten Oktoberfest
October may be my favorite month of the year and one of the many reasons is Oktoberfest brews. I have tried my fair number of Oktoberfest beers and enjoyed almost all of them. Originally Sam Adams Octoberfest was one of my favorites, but as time has passed and my tastes have expanded other beers have peaked my interest this time of year. Victories Festbier is one of my top ten beers, Blue Moon's Harvest Moon is a great beer and Stoudt's Oktoberfest is one of my favorite seasonal beers, I could go on and on. So since this week is the last weekend in October, I needed to honer Oktoberfest with a beer that I had yet to try.
A little history for those that don't know. Oktoberfest traditionally runs for a 16 day period from late September and ending the first weekend in October. Held in Munich, Germany it is the worlds largest fair; more proof that beer is good. The entire idea of a festival began all the way back in 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig, who would become King Ludwig, married Princes Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen (One needs a drink after saying that name). The people of Munich threw a festival every year thereafter to celebrate the marriage and like every wedding people drank...a lot. Oktoberfest has since grown and now all across the world festivals are held to celebrate not a wedding in 1810, but great beer. You see the Irish had it half right with the one day festivities of St. Patty's Day, the Germans took it to the next level with a 16 day festival, but us Americans said "What the hell, let's celebrate the entire month of October!".
Spaten beer is a traditional beer brewed in Munich Germany. I'm no Good Will Hunting, but Spaten Oktoberfest seemed like a good beer to try this week using the following formula: German beer + Brewed in Munich + October = Spaten Oktoberfest. "How you like them apples"? This beer is dark in color, mirroring most Oktoberfest brews. The smell of the beer reminds me of the smell of the day after a college basement party. Not in a bad way though, if that makes any sense to you at all. The taste is very good, medium to full bodied. It's not overly heavy where one or two will fill you up and have you reaching for the an-acids. It's more a beer that you could actually have a few of them and be alright. It's almost like the every day beer of Oktoberfest. Nothing great, but nothing bad either, just a good solid beer.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? Not so much, but I will purchase and drink this again. It's not a beer for a top ten list for me, maybe top ten Oktoberfest beers, but just not overall. Was it worth the price? I would have to say yes. I paid $7.99 at Whole Foods for it, or as we like to say Whole Paycheck. But as beer prices go today, I would say it's worth it.
A good, solid beer for the season, one that I will drink maybe every year around this time. My overall rating: 3 out of 5. Not great, not bad, just good. If interested in Spaten Beer check out www.spatenbeer.com. If you not interested in the beer, but you are interested in Oktoberfest, I would highly recommend the Spaten site. There are tabs for traditional dress, music and what to include to throw your own Oktoberfest, great site.
Bis zum folgenden Gebräu!
A little history for those that don't know. Oktoberfest traditionally runs for a 16 day period from late September and ending the first weekend in October. Held in Munich, Germany it is the worlds largest fair; more proof that beer is good. The entire idea of a festival began all the way back in 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig, who would become King Ludwig, married Princes Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen (One needs a drink after saying that name). The people of Munich threw a festival every year thereafter to celebrate the marriage and like every wedding people drank...a lot. Oktoberfest has since grown and now all across the world festivals are held to celebrate not a wedding in 1810, but great beer. You see the Irish had it half right with the one day festivities of St. Patty's Day, the Germans took it to the next level with a 16 day festival, but us Americans said "What the hell, let's celebrate the entire month of October!".
Spaten beer is a traditional beer brewed in Munich Germany. I'm no Good Will Hunting, but Spaten Oktoberfest seemed like a good beer to try this week using the following formula: German beer + Brewed in Munich + October = Spaten Oktoberfest. "How you like them apples"? This beer is dark in color, mirroring most Oktoberfest brews. The smell of the beer reminds me of the smell of the day after a college basement party. Not in a bad way though, if that makes any sense to you at all. The taste is very good, medium to full bodied. It's not overly heavy where one or two will fill you up and have you reaching for the an-acids. It's more a beer that you could actually have a few of them and be alright. It's almost like the every day beer of Oktoberfest. Nothing great, but nothing bad either, just a good solid beer.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? Not so much, but I will purchase and drink this again. It's not a beer for a top ten list for me, maybe top ten Oktoberfest beers, but just not overall. Was it worth the price? I would have to say yes. I paid $7.99 at Whole Foods for it, or as we like to say Whole Paycheck. But as beer prices go today, I would say it's worth it.
A good, solid beer for the season, one that I will drink maybe every year around this time. My overall rating: 3 out of 5. Not great, not bad, just good. If interested in Spaten Beer check out www.spatenbeer.com. If you not interested in the beer, but you are interested in Oktoberfest, I would highly recommend the Spaten site. There are tabs for traditional dress, music and what to include to throw your own Oktoberfest, great site.
Bis zum folgenden Gebräu!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale
With only two weekends remaining in October, I had to continue my new brew quest with a seasonal beer. October is a great month, football season is in full swing, baseball playoffs, Halloween and of course a slue of seasonal beers. Oktoberfest brews dominate the season, but pumpkin beers hold their own. I have already tried a pumpkin ale this season and loved it, even placing it in my top 10. So I figure I have one more weekend remaining in October after this one, I can push my Oktoberfest brew to next weekend and go with another hopefully tasty pumpkin ale.
Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale, termed on the bottle as America's Original Pumpkin Ale, has caught my eye the last few times I have gone to my local store. Pumpkin beers date back to colonial times here in America. The colonists were an adventurous bunch that loved their beers. Some of America's greatest history is rooted over a few brews at the town tavern. The reason for pumpkin beers is simple, pumpkins are native to America and they were readily available, so our four fathers said: why not drink it? Today's pumpkin ales use mostly pumpkin flavors and spices in their brewing process, it's very rare to find a beer that uses actual pumpkin. I do have to say, like many things, our founding fathers were onto something good, if done correctly.
I cracked the bottle and instantly smelled Pumpkin and spices. As I poured the beer into my glass the scent grew even more. The beer is a dark amber in color and to be honest smells like you could light it as a delightful candle when you have company over. The smell should have warned me, but I thought maybe this is a good thing. As I took my first sip I couldn't believe how overwhelming the taste of pumpkin and spices were. They just over take the beer and your taste buds, but not in a good way. I instantly had the thought of being a child that just said a curse word to my mother and she stuck a bar of pumpkin soap in my mouth as punishment, that is what this beer tastes like.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? An emphatic NO would be in order here. I'm not even sure I would purchase this beer again let alone place it among my favorites. Was it worth the price? Again, no to this questions as well. I paid $9.99 for the six pack and as I muscled down my first one I became angry knowing I still had five more in my fridge. If I could I would take these back for a refund.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, with any flavored beer the brewer must be careful to not overdo it. It's like a chef that adds to much garlic to a dish. Garlic is a great thing when used properly and in the right scale to the dish, same thing with pumpkin ales. Too much of a good thing is not the way to go. If interested check out www.buffalobillsbrewey.com, they may have something else to offer, but I would not recommend this brew. My final rating: 1 out of 5. I'll be tasting pumpkin until Thanksgiving after this beer.
Until the next brew!
Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale, termed on the bottle as America's Original Pumpkin Ale, has caught my eye the last few times I have gone to my local store. Pumpkin beers date back to colonial times here in America. The colonists were an adventurous bunch that loved their beers. Some of America's greatest history is rooted over a few brews at the town tavern. The reason for pumpkin beers is simple, pumpkins are native to America and they were readily available, so our four fathers said: why not drink it? Today's pumpkin ales use mostly pumpkin flavors and spices in their brewing process, it's very rare to find a beer that uses actual pumpkin. I do have to say, like many things, our founding fathers were onto something good, if done correctly.
I cracked the bottle and instantly smelled Pumpkin and spices. As I poured the beer into my glass the scent grew even more. The beer is a dark amber in color and to be honest smells like you could light it as a delightful candle when you have company over. The smell should have warned me, but I thought maybe this is a good thing. As I took my first sip I couldn't believe how overwhelming the taste of pumpkin and spices were. They just over take the beer and your taste buds, but not in a good way. I instantly had the thought of being a child that just said a curse word to my mother and she stuck a bar of pumpkin soap in my mouth as punishment, that is what this beer tastes like.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? An emphatic NO would be in order here. I'm not even sure I would purchase this beer again let alone place it among my favorites. Was it worth the price? Again, no to this questions as well. I paid $9.99 for the six pack and as I muscled down my first one I became angry knowing I still had five more in my fridge. If I could I would take these back for a refund.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, with any flavored beer the brewer must be careful to not overdo it. It's like a chef that adds to much garlic to a dish. Garlic is a great thing when used properly and in the right scale to the dish, same thing with pumpkin ales. Too much of a good thing is not the way to go. If interested check out www.buffalobillsbrewey.com, they may have something else to offer, but I would not recommend this brew. My final rating: 1 out of 5. I'll be tasting pumpkin until Thanksgiving after this beer.
Until the next brew!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale
In the spirit of the election year I needed to try a beer that I thought would best spotlight today's "great leaders". I looked for a presidential beer such as founding fathers, or a patriotic beer like Samuel Adams. The problem I ran into is that 1: I have tried everything Sam Adams has to offer and I have also had Founding Fathers (which sends a portion of the purchase price to support the troops, very patriotic to drink their beer). 2: Every beer out there that I am aware of revolves around great presidents or figures in our history and lets be honest today's blokes are not great.
In the state of mind created by car commercial, political commercial, beer commercial, political commercial, erectile dysfunction commercial, political commercial....back to show. In addition to presidential and vice presidential debates on every single channel except HGTV and ESPN (suggestion, PBS hosts them all and that's it.) I decided that the beer that I choose to try this week needed the right name for the state of our political system and election practices. When I stumbled upon Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale I knew I had found the brew. I know calling today's politicians stupid or in this case Stoopid may not be politically correct, but this is America and that's just how I feel.
I'll be honest, I had seen this beer a few times before at the store, but never ventured to try it. The reason being is that it's only sold by individual bottles at my local store. But given the spirit of the season and the quest to try 52 new beers in 52 weeks, I thought now would be the perfect time to give it a go. When I opened the bottle the smell of hops was borderline overwhelming. The beer is lighter in color; light amber not so much blond. Very minimal head, but it looks and smells inviting. The flavor of hops is powerful, this beer lives up to its name. It reminds me of Stoudts Smooth Hoperator (great name for a beer), where the beer is just consumed by the hops, creating a very dry flavor with an almost bitter finish.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? I am afraid not. Considering I am a pale ale, or IPA kind of beer drinker you would think I would be hop over heels for a beer like this but unfortunately not. The hops contained in this beer could flavor a six pack of pale ales, it's just too much. Was it worth the price? Yes it was, I paid $4.99 for a 22 oz bottle and I'm glad I only bought the one. If I would've paid $10.00 + for a six pack I would've felt that I had wasted my money.
My rating: 2 out of 5. It's a well concepted beer, but just not for me. If you are a hop nut then this would be right up your alley. If you had never tried a craft beer in your life, stay away from this one as your first because you will never return to a great thing, we would loose you to Miller Lite forever. If interested check out www.lagunitas.com for more information. I will say though I would be willing to try other beers from this brewery in the future and I may plan on doing that just to see if they have something much better to offer.
Until the next brew!
In the state of mind created by car commercial, political commercial, beer commercial, political commercial, erectile dysfunction commercial, political commercial....back to show. In addition to presidential and vice presidential debates on every single channel except HGTV and ESPN (suggestion, PBS hosts them all and that's it.) I decided that the beer that I choose to try this week needed the right name for the state of our political system and election practices. When I stumbled upon Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale I knew I had found the brew. I know calling today's politicians stupid or in this case Stoopid may not be politically correct, but this is America and that's just how I feel.
I'll be honest, I had seen this beer a few times before at the store, but never ventured to try it. The reason being is that it's only sold by individual bottles at my local store. But given the spirit of the season and the quest to try 52 new beers in 52 weeks, I thought now would be the perfect time to give it a go. When I opened the bottle the smell of hops was borderline overwhelming. The beer is lighter in color; light amber not so much blond. Very minimal head, but it looks and smells inviting. The flavor of hops is powerful, this beer lives up to its name. It reminds me of Stoudts Smooth Hoperator (great name for a beer), where the beer is just consumed by the hops, creating a very dry flavor with an almost bitter finish.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? I am afraid not. Considering I am a pale ale, or IPA kind of beer drinker you would think I would be hop over heels for a beer like this but unfortunately not. The hops contained in this beer could flavor a six pack of pale ales, it's just too much. Was it worth the price? Yes it was, I paid $4.99 for a 22 oz bottle and I'm glad I only bought the one. If I would've paid $10.00 + for a six pack I would've felt that I had wasted my money.
My rating: 2 out of 5. It's a well concepted beer, but just not for me. If you are a hop nut then this would be right up your alley. If you had never tried a craft beer in your life, stay away from this one as your first because you will never return to a great thing, we would loose you to Miller Lite forever. If interested check out www.lagunitas.com for more information. I will say though I would be willing to try other beers from this brewery in the future and I may plan on doing that just to see if they have something much better to offer.
Until the next brew!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Hobgoblin Dark English Ale
As a kid Halloween was one of my favorite times of year, second to only Christmas for obvious reasons. Halloween enabled you to dress up and be what ever you wanted to be for one day, or at least without people thinking "who's the weird kid?". We never spent much money on costumes and primarily made up our own with what we had in the house. I did however dress as the usual suspects from time to time, Dracula, Ware wolf and of course a Hobo. I was telling my wife the other day that one of my very first and fondest memories of Halloween was when I was in kindergarten. We had a dress up day and went on a parade around the local neighborhood, my mom was there taking lots of pictures like moms do and I got a ton of candy. What was I that year? It was 1983 and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi was the greatest movie ever to me, so Darth Vader it was. I think I may have even asked for an actual Ewok for Christmas that year was well. The older I get the more I miss 1983.
Now, at almost thirty five with a son who is about to turn two before the month is out, I've found out how little I have grown up. I still love the Star Wars franchise, the original three were the best. I also love any super hero, sci-fi, fantasy kind of movies. I am a "dork" at heart. So when I saw the label for Hobgoblin Dark English Ale I had no choice but to buy it. Given the season as well as my kid at heart psyche I thought this brew would be perfect (plus the bottle it pretty cool).
People say never judge a book by it's cover. That may be true when reading books and I've fallen victim to that a few times. But when it comes to beer it can be the complete opposite. Anchor Steam Brewing Co. uses a unique bottle and there beer is great. Sierra Nevada, though not an unusual bottle, it is different in its own way, is another great brewery. Grolsh beer, with the cork in the bottle is also a pretty good beer. I could go on, but I'm sure you get my point. This bottle is not only unique in marketing and labeling but also different with the bottle itself.
Hobgoblin is brewed by Wychwood Brewery in Oxfordshire, England. No it is not the beer of choice of Hogwarts, but if they ever make another Harry Potter movie, it should be. I was disappointed to have to pour the beer from the bottle into my glass, but my disappointment soon turned to happiness. The color is dark as the label says, not like a Guinness, but more like a Boddington's, with a thick tinted head The smell of spices and malt did not let down in the flavor. This beer will warm you up on a chilly fall night or even a cold winter day. Very smooth with great flavors of malt and caramel. There is no other way to put it, I love this beer!
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? Absolutely! It's one of the best beers I have had...ever. I'm usually an IPA / Hops kind of guy, but the flavor and taste of this beer is crafted perfectly. I am placing this beer at number 3 on my top 10 list, without hesitation. Was it worth the price? I have to say it is a little pricey. The going rate for a six pack is $11.99, I was only able to purchase the last three in the store, so I paid the prorated price of $6.00. But I would easily pay the asking price for 6 of these any day.
My rating: 5 out of 5. A great beer; heavy enough to only be able to have 2-3 in a sitting, which in turn makes the price of the six pack well worth it. I liked it enough to go on line at www.wychwood.co.uk to research their other brews and almost bought a t-shirt at £9.99, which converted is $13.02 USD. I might make the purchase, or just save the money and buy another six pack of this tomorrow.
Until the next brew...may the force be with you!
Now, at almost thirty five with a son who is about to turn two before the month is out, I've found out how little I have grown up. I still love the Star Wars franchise, the original three were the best. I also love any super hero, sci-fi, fantasy kind of movies. I am a "dork" at heart. So when I saw the label for Hobgoblin Dark English Ale I had no choice but to buy it. Given the season as well as my kid at heart psyche I thought this brew would be perfect (plus the bottle it pretty cool).
People say never judge a book by it's cover. That may be true when reading books and I've fallen victim to that a few times. But when it comes to beer it can be the complete opposite. Anchor Steam Brewing Co. uses a unique bottle and there beer is great. Sierra Nevada, though not an unusual bottle, it is different in its own way, is another great brewery. Grolsh beer, with the cork in the bottle is also a pretty good beer. I could go on, but I'm sure you get my point. This bottle is not only unique in marketing and labeling but also different with the bottle itself.
Hobgoblin is brewed by Wychwood Brewery in Oxfordshire, England. No it is not the beer of choice of Hogwarts, but if they ever make another Harry Potter movie, it should be. I was disappointed to have to pour the beer from the bottle into my glass, but my disappointment soon turned to happiness. The color is dark as the label says, not like a Guinness, but more like a Boddington's, with a thick tinted head The smell of spices and malt did not let down in the flavor. This beer will warm you up on a chilly fall night or even a cold winter day. Very smooth with great flavors of malt and caramel. There is no other way to put it, I love this beer!
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? Absolutely! It's one of the best beers I have had...ever. I'm usually an IPA / Hops kind of guy, but the flavor and taste of this beer is crafted perfectly. I am placing this beer at number 3 on my top 10 list, without hesitation. Was it worth the price? I have to say it is a little pricey. The going rate for a six pack is $11.99, I was only able to purchase the last three in the store, so I paid the prorated price of $6.00. But I would easily pay the asking price for 6 of these any day.
My rating: 5 out of 5. A great beer; heavy enough to only be able to have 2-3 in a sitting, which in turn makes the price of the six pack well worth it. I liked it enough to go on line at www.wychwood.co.uk to research their other brews and almost bought a t-shirt at £9.99, which converted is $13.02 USD. I might make the purchase, or just save the money and buy another six pack of this tomorrow.
Until the next brew...may the force be with you!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Tommyknocker Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale
It's the last weekend in September and it's hard to believe for me, but it's officially fall. That means it's time for Oktoberfest brews and pumpkin ales. When I lived up north in Pennsylvania, fall was easily my favorite time of year. I hated the heat of summer and loved the warm days and cold nights that the fall brought in. My initial thought process was to not try any new fall brews at all because living in South Florida, it never feels like fall. But I have to say I am very glad that I re-thought that premises and even here where it never gets cold I have eyed up a number of fall seasonal beers to try.
In general the shift from Southeastern PA to Southeastern Florida has been great. I get to go to the beach every weekend and wear nothing but t-shirts and shorts when I'm not in the office. The only problem is keeping my feet presentable all year long since my shoe rack consists of one pair each of brown and black work shoes and then nothing but flip flops. But as much as the weather and wardrobe are a plus, the non-change of seasons can be a drag. The fall in the north is cloudy sky's, football watching, crock pot weather which usually would turn into about ten pounds and maybe one additional pant size. Needless to say as I am sure you can tell from these first two paragraphs, I really miss the season.
My first fall brew is Tommyknocker Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale. I spotted it at my local beer stop and if marketing is your thing, an orange colored label for a fall beer is a must! When I poured it into my glass I was happy to see how dark the beer is and I immediately got a whiff of pumpkin and spices. The beer is very deep brown in color with a minimal eggshell colored head. Overall initial appearance and smells were very inviting and I was extremely excited to try it.
The problem with some fall beers and especially pumpkin ales is that sometimes the flavors and smells are just too much. You don't want to drink a Yankee Candle or feel like your taking a bite straight out of a pumpkin. The trick with any "flavored" beer is to give the drinker a touch or hint of the flavor without overwhelming them. This beer does just that, perfectly. The taste is excellent with the pumpkin and the spices blending together with the molasses they added to the brew. It just tastes like a fall day. This is the most enjoyable beer I've had in a very long time.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? For the first time, yes. It's not because I miss the fall season that much, this is just a great all around beer. Was it worth the price? I paid $8.86 for the six pack only because I got the last five remaining in the store (which looking back makes me wish the sixth brew was intact). That should have tipped me off right then and there. The usual price is $9.99 for the six pack and yes this is easily worth that price.
My rating is a 5 out of 5. Tommyknocker Brewery delivered a perfect beer for the season and this has now cracked the top ten. My former favorite pumpkin ale was Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale, but this has now taken over that title as well as number 6 on my top ten list, making it my new favorite fall beer. I can't put it in the top five only because it's a seasonal brew that you can really only drink during the season, but I will be sure to stock up before the fall season is over. For more information check out www.tommyknocker.com.
Until the next brew!
In general the shift from Southeastern PA to Southeastern Florida has been great. I get to go to the beach every weekend and wear nothing but t-shirts and shorts when I'm not in the office. The only problem is keeping my feet presentable all year long since my shoe rack consists of one pair each of brown and black work shoes and then nothing but flip flops. But as much as the weather and wardrobe are a plus, the non-change of seasons can be a drag. The fall in the north is cloudy sky's, football watching, crock pot weather which usually would turn into about ten pounds and maybe one additional pant size. Needless to say as I am sure you can tell from these first two paragraphs, I really miss the season.
My first fall brew is Tommyknocker Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale. I spotted it at my local beer stop and if marketing is your thing, an orange colored label for a fall beer is a must! When I poured it into my glass I was happy to see how dark the beer is and I immediately got a whiff of pumpkin and spices. The beer is very deep brown in color with a minimal eggshell colored head. Overall initial appearance and smells were very inviting and I was extremely excited to try it.
The problem with some fall beers and especially pumpkin ales is that sometimes the flavors and smells are just too much. You don't want to drink a Yankee Candle or feel like your taking a bite straight out of a pumpkin. The trick with any "flavored" beer is to give the drinker a touch or hint of the flavor without overwhelming them. This beer does just that, perfectly. The taste is excellent with the pumpkin and the spices blending together with the molasses they added to the brew. It just tastes like a fall day. This is the most enjoyable beer I've had in a very long time.
Questions: Does this beer crack the top ten? For the first time, yes. It's not because I miss the fall season that much, this is just a great all around beer. Was it worth the price? I paid $8.86 for the six pack only because I got the last five remaining in the store (which looking back makes me wish the sixth brew was intact). That should have tipped me off right then and there. The usual price is $9.99 for the six pack and yes this is easily worth that price.
My rating is a 5 out of 5. Tommyknocker Brewery delivered a perfect beer for the season and this has now cracked the top ten. My former favorite pumpkin ale was Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale, but this has now taken over that title as well as number 6 on my top ten list, making it my new favorite fall beer. I can't put it in the top five only because it's a seasonal brew that you can really only drink during the season, but I will be sure to stock up before the fall season is over. For more information check out www.tommyknocker.com.
Until the next brew!
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