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!
Friday, October 26, 2012
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)