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!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Harpoon Summer Beer
I know it's almost October, but I couldn't resist trying this summer beer when I saw the price. One thing about being a middle class family man is that you are constantly on a budget. This can at times hinder the decision making when it comes to the things you enjoy...How many rounds of golf can I play each month? How many times can we eat out? etc...Same goes for beer drinkers. Yes I can grab a great beer for $10.00 a six pack, but then I may only be able to grab that six pack for the weekend; so when I see a potential great beer or one that I already know is great, on sale, I have to jump on the deal. For this week, my one new beer is Harpoon Summer Beer. Usually priced at $14.00 for a twelve pack $30.00 and up for a case, my price was $6.99 for a twelve pack (cans).
That's right, you read it correctly, I said CANS. I know there may be a fopaux in regards to canned beer among beer snobs alike, but this is not your typical Coors Light can with blue mountains. Cans seemed to have made a come back since about 2010 and I finally jumped on board this year. Living in an area where you can drink on the beach, but you can't bring bottles, one must adapt. At first your choices seem limited, a Stella Artois or a Boddington is what I would've recommend before expanding my horizons. While on vacation in early August I read an article in Outside Magazine by Scott Yorko, Top 10 Canned Beers of 2012. Excellent article that really opened my eyes to the possibility of not having to suffer through the same old' same old when it came to canned beers. Due to that article alone canned Sierra Nevada Pale Ale became my beer of choice all summer long, as well as the Sierra Nevada Torpedo. To be honest sometimes there's just nothing like a canned beer on a hot summer day.
Continuing on my journey back to the occasional canned beer when I saw the twelve pack of the canned Harpoon Summer Beer, coupled with the price, it was a no brainer. I've always been impressed with Harpoon's products, you can note that their IPA is 9th in my top ten list, so I assumed I was getting a great brew. My assumptions every once in a while come true and that is the case here.
I cracked the can and some head flowed onto the top of the can which reminded me that I may want to turn the refrigerator temp. up. The color is light, but not like a "light beer", it has some texture to it. There is a slight smell of spices to it, with just a hint of lemon. It has a great flavor, very crisp and refreshing (could be because it's 90 degrees outside today...again), but I have to say I love the lightness, it just tastes like a warm day. Excellent beer that I would recommend on any spring or summer day, this could be an everyday kind of beer that would keep any beer drinker very happy. If you are a Kolsch style beer drinker I would highly suggest giving this beer a shot, to add a comparison it reminds me of Stoudt's Karnival Kolsch. Harpoon describes it best on the can, "...golden, light bodied, crisp. Perfect for summer." I can't describe it any better then they already did.
Questions: Does it stand a chance to crack the top ten? Great beer but unfortunately no, top fifteen or so, absolutely. Was it worth the price? Duh, for what I paid for it, it was a steal. Is it worth the usual everyday price? Definitely, I would spend the asking price on this beer with no hesitation or regret.
My rating: I give Harpoon Summer Beer a solid 3.9 out of 5. For more information check out: www.harpoonbrewery.com and if your interested in revisiting good canned beers check out http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/food-and-drink/Shift-Pale-Lager.html by Scott Yorko.
As written on the Harpoon can, "Lover Beer. Love Life."
That's right, you read it correctly, I said CANS. I know there may be a fopaux in regards to canned beer among beer snobs alike, but this is not your typical Coors Light can with blue mountains. Cans seemed to have made a come back since about 2010 and I finally jumped on board this year. Living in an area where you can drink on the beach, but you can't bring bottles, one must adapt. At first your choices seem limited, a Stella Artois or a Boddington is what I would've recommend before expanding my horizons. While on vacation in early August I read an article in Outside Magazine by Scott Yorko, Top 10 Canned Beers of 2012. Excellent article that really opened my eyes to the possibility of not having to suffer through the same old' same old when it came to canned beers. Due to that article alone canned Sierra Nevada Pale Ale became my beer of choice all summer long, as well as the Sierra Nevada Torpedo. To be honest sometimes there's just nothing like a canned beer on a hot summer day.
Continuing on my journey back to the occasional canned beer when I saw the twelve pack of the canned Harpoon Summer Beer, coupled with the price, it was a no brainer. I've always been impressed with Harpoon's products, you can note that their IPA is 9th in my top ten list, so I assumed I was getting a great brew. My assumptions every once in a while come true and that is the case here.
I cracked the can and some head flowed onto the top of the can which reminded me that I may want to turn the refrigerator temp. up. The color is light, but not like a "light beer", it has some texture to it. There is a slight smell of spices to it, with just a hint of lemon. It has a great flavor, very crisp and refreshing (could be because it's 90 degrees outside today...again), but I have to say I love the lightness, it just tastes like a warm day. Excellent beer that I would recommend on any spring or summer day, this could be an everyday kind of beer that would keep any beer drinker very happy. If you are a Kolsch style beer drinker I would highly suggest giving this beer a shot, to add a comparison it reminds me of Stoudt's Karnival Kolsch. Harpoon describes it best on the can, "...golden, light bodied, crisp. Perfect for summer." I can't describe it any better then they already did.
Questions: Does it stand a chance to crack the top ten? Great beer but unfortunately no, top fifteen or so, absolutely. Was it worth the price? Duh, for what I paid for it, it was a steal. Is it worth the usual everyday price? Definitely, I would spend the asking price on this beer with no hesitation or regret.
My rating: I give Harpoon Summer Beer a solid 3.9 out of 5. For more information check out: www.harpoonbrewery.com and if your interested in revisiting good canned beers check out http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/food-and-drink/Shift-Pale-Lager.html by Scott Yorko.
As written on the Harpoon can, "Lover Beer. Love Life."
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Flying Fish: Farmhouse Summer Ale
Welcome everyone to a blog about beer. I know, it's the first of it's kind, never been done before...a stroke of genius. Of course I'm being sarcastic, in fact if you Google Blogs About Beer your screen should show just under 300,000,000 hits. So why would I start a blog about my thoughts on good, craft beers? Well, basically because beer is my hobby. It's what I enjoy, not every night of the week, but most Thursday's, Friday's Saturday's and Sunday's. Don't get the impression that this blog is about some college kid that drinks Keystone Light all weekend and as a result thinks that he can not only be a beer expert but he can also advise you on the inner workings of the inner toilet. That would be wrong, that kid graduated from college in 2001. No, this blog is written by me; a close to 35 year old man with a wife and child in addition to a steady professional job, just trying to do the best that he can in everything that he does, probably like most of you reading right now. This blog is written by a beer advocate borderline enthusiast with really no other outlet. My wife does not drink at all, so my thoughts on the new summer kolsch that I picked up this week appeal to her about as much as her thoughts on the latest episode of Gossip Girl appeal to me. So if you choose to read and I hope that you do, my thoughts will be bestowed upon you...thoughts on beer not girly shows.
I have listed my top ten beers to the left on this site. I plan to add and thus remove some beers as I try new brews. My goal is to try at least 1 new beer a week for the next 52 weeks and allow my thoughts on these beers to flow onto this page. As I sit writing this I am enjoying my very first Flying Fish: Farmhouse Summer Ale. One of the benefits of living in Florida is that it's summer all year long so summer brews never go out of season. One thing I will not do is bore you with long winded descriptions of "A light body, with a mild nuttiness on the pallet...yada...yada...yada... I will give you color, smell, light - full bodied in flavor and what the beer made me think of or reminded me of. I will also answer questions such as: Does it crack the top ten? Would I buy it again? Was it worth the price? I hope to treat this as a conversation that I would have with my friend, not a competition. Finally I'll give a rating of 1-5, five being the best and one being the worst.
So let's get started with beer numero uno. That's Spanish for number one, another thing you must know living in South Florida. Flying Fish: Farmhouse Summer Ale. Very light in color, not like a Miller Lite or Coors, all though lighter then most beers I'm used too but it's on par for a summer beer. No real smell of hops; if you can't tell by my top ten, I love IPA's and thus love hops. I became addicted to them when my best friend who home brews used cascade hops for a home brewed IPA... amazing! But I digress, it does smell refreshing and light. For a summer ale, this has a lot of flavor to it, borderline light/medium bodied. This to me would be a great Saturday late afternoon beer; finished mowing the lawn and washing the cars; got showered up waiting for the evening to roll around. That is the exact time that I think this beer would be perfect for.
Questions: Does it stand a chance to crack the top ten list? I don't think so; not because it's not a well made beer, because it is, but because it just doesn't fit my style of flavor for favorites. I will say though that if you enjoy a nice blonde/light ale style brew than I would certainly recommend this to you. Even if your not a lighter beer kinda guy, I would say it's worth a at least a taste if you can buy individual beers and make your own six pack wear you live, toss one of these in before the cold weather kicks in. Was it worth the price? Going to be completely honest here, I got this on sale for $3.99 for the six pack at a local store, so because of that price, yes it's well worth it. If I had to pay $8.99 a six pack, I don't think I would make the purchase. I would put it towards a better summer brew like Sierra Nevada Summer Fest or Victory Brewing: Summer Love.
My rating would be a 2.5, not great but definitely not bad. If your interested checkout: www.flyingfsh.com for more information.
Until the next brew!
I have listed my top ten beers to the left on this site. I plan to add and thus remove some beers as I try new brews. My goal is to try at least 1 new beer a week for the next 52 weeks and allow my thoughts on these beers to flow onto this page. As I sit writing this I am enjoying my very first Flying Fish: Farmhouse Summer Ale. One of the benefits of living in Florida is that it's summer all year long so summer brews never go out of season. One thing I will not do is bore you with long winded descriptions of "A light body, with a mild nuttiness on the pallet...yada...yada...yada... I will give you color, smell, light - full bodied in flavor and what the beer made me think of or reminded me of. I will also answer questions such as: Does it crack the top ten? Would I buy it again? Was it worth the price? I hope to treat this as a conversation that I would have with my friend, not a competition. Finally I'll give a rating of 1-5, five being the best and one being the worst.
So let's get started with beer numero uno. That's Spanish for number one, another thing you must know living in South Florida. Flying Fish: Farmhouse Summer Ale. Very light in color, not like a Miller Lite or Coors, all though lighter then most beers I'm used too but it's on par for a summer beer. No real smell of hops; if you can't tell by my top ten, I love IPA's and thus love hops. I became addicted to them when my best friend who home brews used cascade hops for a home brewed IPA... amazing! But I digress, it does smell refreshing and light. For a summer ale, this has a lot of flavor to it, borderline light/medium bodied. This to me would be a great Saturday late afternoon beer; finished mowing the lawn and washing the cars; got showered up waiting for the evening to roll around. That is the exact time that I think this beer would be perfect for.
Questions: Does it stand a chance to crack the top ten list? I don't think so; not because it's not a well made beer, because it is, but because it just doesn't fit my style of flavor for favorites. I will say though that if you enjoy a nice blonde/light ale style brew than I would certainly recommend this to you. Even if your not a lighter beer kinda guy, I would say it's worth a at least a taste if you can buy individual beers and make your own six pack wear you live, toss one of these in before the cold weather kicks in. Was it worth the price? Going to be completely honest here, I got this on sale for $3.99 for the six pack at a local store, so because of that price, yes it's well worth it. If I had to pay $8.99 a six pack, I don't think I would make the purchase. I would put it towards a better summer brew like Sierra Nevada Summer Fest or Victory Brewing: Summer Love.
My rating would be a 2.5, not great but definitely not bad. If your interested checkout: www.flyingfsh.com for more information.
Until the next brew!
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