Samuel Adams - Choclate Bock

Its been a long time since I've reviewed something from Sam Adams. And what else could be as deserving of my next review as a recent release that was placed at eye-level in my local grocery store (sometimes I swear that they do that just for me). Shiny metallic label, dark black bottle... it called my name. My friend went down to Sam Adams for a beer dinner a few weeks ago and got to taste this at the brewery, making me exceptionally jealous. So I had to pick this up. In fact, I picked up two and gave one to another friend of mine to congratulate them on their engagement.

The pour is opaque brown/black and it seems to absorb all the light that hits it. There's no head to speak of at all, just a black depth that resembles squid ink. Bocks are one of the oldest styles of beers, brewed to be warm and dark and often brewed for special occasions. This isn't a particularly special occasion, but I couldn't wait to open it because I'd heard such great things. 

The smell is like a Grade A maple syrup, its vanilla, sweet and perfect for an after Christmas dinner. The taste, too doesn't disappoint. Those maple notes come right though, and so do some dark cocoa chocolate and vanilla tastes. This is very warming, smooth and lightly carbonated. The finish is very smooth and the chocolate lingers in your mouth for a while after the liquid is gone.

This one is a sipper, and the 750 ml bottle could easily be shared between four people in small wine glasses. This is rich without being heavy, but its certainly something for a winter's night. I recommend it highly.  I have to say that every sip of this made me happy yet sad. Happy that it was so delicious, sad that after every sip there was less left in the glass. 

So, take it from the Beer Babe. Take your sweetheart out for a walk in the snow, and come back and sit by the fire with this, just keep a bottle waiting for a cold winter's night.

Fort Collins Brewing Company - Z lager

I haven't had much from Fort Collins, perhaps due to their complete lack of proximity to New England (they're in Colorado) but I was lucky to see this at Oliver's in Albany. Though it is named a 'Lager' it is far more than a simple lager. The label features a 'z' burned into a piece of wood, surrounded by flames. Though I thought this was cool, I didn't realize its significance until I read further. This, was a Rauchbier, which features malts which are roasted prior to brewing (historically over actual fire). So, because I liked the Rogue Smoke Ale (also a Rauchbier) I was excited to try this.

It pours a dark amber, with a quickly fading head. The smell is a combination of maltiness and the smell that gets left in your nostrils after a bonfire. The smokiness in the smell is quite inviting.

The taste is smooth yet smoky, a gentle caramel malt with a little bit of savory malt. The overall taste is one that is approaprite for dinner, or by itself, and is a really unique taste. There aren't too many Rauchbiers out there, so its nice to get to taste a really good example of one. Though I'd have to have the both side by side to say which I liked better (the Rogue or the Fort Collins) I'd say that either are a treat for the beer lover, just because its a different taste than the same old wheat beers or IPAs. 

5 beers to bring to Thanksgiving dinner (2008)

Its that time of year again - traveling through traffic, waiting in line at the airport, re-uniting with family, eating deliciously rich bounties of food and pie, smelling the kitchen flavors mixing in the air, relaxing with a full belly in the living room with "the guys" or discussing the recent election with grandma at the kitchen table... thanksgiving is a unique combination of food, drinks, family, awkwardness, love and dysfunction. 

Beer always has a place at my thanksgiving, and I love bringing beer for food pairings and sparking conversation to my thanksgiving dinner table. Some of these beers I chose for their novelty, discussability, some for their taste, and some that could be a gateway for non-craft beer drinkers to get into. Whatever you choose to bring to your own family dinner, don't be offended if someone doesn't like a beer. Remember, there's a beer out there for everyone, it just might take a few tries to find the style that they like.

Last year, I recommended : Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale, Blue Moon Belgian Wheat, Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout and Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic. For explanation of those choices, check out the 2007 Thanksgiving post.

So here are my five beers to bring to thanksgiving dinner this year:

1.) Budweiser American Ale - Now, for those beer geeks who are tempted to leap at my throat here, hear me out. If your family, like mine, has spent their entire lives drinking lagers, pilsners and things in a can, all of these other beers can seem "weird" "frou-frou" "different" "strange" or even "scary." But Budweiser's decision to make an ale can be a type of gateway beer into other crafty brews that have been around longer. I'm planning on giving this one to my dad who's obsessed with Bud Light Lime right now, to wrap his head around the taste of an ale. Its not intimidating, not overly strongly flavored, but is a different animal than the pilsners and the almost clear yellow drinks that my parent's generation associate with beer. 

2.) Allagash White - This is a great wheat beer and I'm told that it goes very well with Turkey. Also, this beer is of an entirely different category than the typical ale or lager, but has a really friendly citrus/wheat taste that most people enjoy, without being really heavy on the alcohol. It's almost a great alternative for white wine at dinner, and it can be served in wine glasses as an interesting presentation. 

3.) Rogue Dead Guy Ale - Once you've introduced the ale, an interesting comparison can be made between the Dead Guy ale and the Bud. The Rogue is a little sweeter and has more depth of flavor, and goes really well with some of the side dishes of a classic thanksgiving - green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce.  

4.) Peak Organic Maple Oat Ale - So, you've got a hippie aunt or cousin that loves granola, but they don't like beer? What about this one - organic, made with local ingredients. A beautifully balanced and slightly sweet brew that seems made for the beginning of winter. This one is a nice complement to a lot of the earthy flavors of the meal. And if you're having a 100 mile thanksgiving, then this is a must-have. 

5.) Sam Adams Chocolate Bock - This beer is a heavy dessert beer, that may or may not go well with pie, but is a good alternative to the post-dessert coffee. It has a mapley chocolaty taste and is thick, dark and warming. It's a great end of the night beer, and something that you can take the large bottle of and pour into smaller glasses as almost a nightcap. Its taste is not bitter and is quite pleasing, even for those who have never had a bock before or don't know what it is. Its also pretty easy to find and has a really neat bottle with a metallic emblem as the label. I found it on the end cap of my supermarket's beer section. Its worth looking for, and worth picking up if found.

There you have it. Have a great holiday and enjoy it safely!

-The Beer Babe

Victory Golden Monkey (Tripel)

Not in the mood for hoppiness tonight, I felt my hand magically drawn towards the monkey-buddha on the label. 

This one pours a nice golden color with a warm wheaty and fruity (bananas?) sweetness in its scent. Just what I wanted on this night. It pours thick with a white head, a few straggling bubbles coming to the surface minutes after pouring has stopped. 

The taste is spicy, smooth and thick, with a taste that shoots up your nose while you're drinking it. I know that sounds dumb, but I can smell it even more as I swallow. It is a tripel through and through, and a really pleasant representation of one.  Its delightful to imagine drinking this with banana creme pie, or something else that is rich in its sweetness. (Creme brulee?)

This is a treat, and I know its a little difficult to get around here (Thanks Tully's) but I'll be seeking it out again.

Interestingly enough, I accidentally found that Golden Monkeys are actually an adorable, yet endangered species. Should you be moved by their cute little blue faces, you can read all about them at The Nature Conservancy's page on them.

Also, for all you Victory fans out there who insisted, yes, I have gotten my little mitts on some Hop Devil, and you'll be seeing a review from me soon, the next time I get in the mood for something hoppy.

Lagunitas Maximus India Pale Ale

This bottle has been in my fridge for far too long. Since the end of summer, even. So, it got the vote for tasting tonight by default from the 'get outta my fridge' principle.

This one pours orange with a smell that could singe your nose hairs with a sting of strong, yet somehow unfamiliar hops. There seems, almost, a smell of honey, or some other kind of sticky sweetness in its aroma.

The taste, too, has a hint of something unknowable. The hops hit that I was expecting just, doesn't show up. It threatens, and you can taste the alcohol, the malts and a hint of the hops. But for something so powerful, this finishes by gliding into oblivion instead of a punch. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike it, but I expected more hops from something that smelled like it had them. Where do they go? Where my missing socks go, I suspect.

This one isn't bad but isn't on my top list of IPAs I'd evacuate in a hurricane. Its just that, for something so intimidating sounding, it came up a little short.

Rogue - Shakespeare Stout

Ah rogue, how I love thee. 

I don't even remeber when I picked up the Shakespeare stout, its been in my tasting fridge for a long time. The copious amounts of harvest ales and pumpkin ales may have distracted me from a few darker ones waiting in the wings.

This one pours a deep, sensuous opaque dark brown to midnight black and has a nice roasty smell. This one is what you think of when you think of a great dark beer, tempting you from the bartop, poured just right. 

This one tastes like a stout is intended to taste. Smooth, roasty and thick enough to be hearty but not thick enough to be syrupy. It leaves a malty taste in your mouth after swallowing. 

This is a classically wonderful brew. This is yet another one that if you don't think you like dark beers, you should allow it the opportunity to woo you. A winner all around. Go Rogue.

Weyerbacher - Quad

I feel like I'm going back in time, investigating the mysteries of the origin of a superhero. One of my favorite brews is Weyerbacher Blasphemy, their quad, taken to new heights of insanity by aging. So, when I saw the quad itself, I felt like I wanted to go back to the roots of one of my favorite things.

The quad pours, as most quads do, with almost no head, in a syrupy continuous pour with a steady cloudy dark amber. The smell is silky and alcoholic, that kind of intoxicating Belgian smell that makes a beer-lover swoon. 

I was surprised at the taste of this one. The Blasphemy is balanced and smooth, sweet, alcoholic and warm. The quad is much sharper. I feel like the aging process must have mellowed the alcoholic sting - this one you can taste and feel. I like it, it doesn't hurt the beer, but I can feel the tingle and sting of the 11.8% ABV. This is a fine brew and something that you could sip all night. It is one of those that you can't drink quickly, and wouldn't want to drink straight from the bottle. The sweetness is a really nice touch, and in the end it is something extremely refined and enjoyable.

Weyerbacher's website says that it goes best in a brandy snifter or wine glass, and I'd agree. It is also the strongest beer they make, confirming my suspicion that the alcohol mellows in the Blasphemy a bit. I really wish I could get Weyerbacher here. I'd save this for special occasions. This would have been a good one to have on election day - just for the quad representing the four years ahead - and for the alcoholic content to soothe voter fears as they stayed glued to the television all night. 

This is also something that I would like to age myself, and the next time I see this I'll be putting it away. 

Budweiser - American Ale

Yes, as wierd as this may be, I am reviewing this, and I'm proud to be doing it. I don't see this beer as a threat to the craft industry, and I'll tell you why. This does the opposite. It won't be stealing craft beer drinkers away from great microbrews, but maybe it will prime the palate of the American beer drinker to get used to ales instead of the lagers dominating the macro breweries. 

It might be darker in color, have a different yet approachable taste for the beer drinker, and be almost like a 'gateway' beer into other interesting brews. For the serious beer taster, this may not be anything to write home about, but I consider it to be an interesting invitation to the beer-curious out there. So, as a beer reviewer, I'm giving a little column space to this brew. If it tempts one person to try it, or one person to break away from the lager-dominated taps, then so be it.

This one pours darker than I'd expect, a nice dark amber. It also comes with a decently foamy head. This, upon first examination, could be seen across the room by a beer babe like me as something interesting in a glass. The smell is a bit maltier than hoppy, but not that sick stale beer smell that I sometimes associate with other Bud products. The taste too, is that of a respectable ale. Nicely balanced, no aftertaste, smooth mouthfeel. 

This isn't a beer to give a "nice attempt" or "its okay" to. It is actually a really well done ale. I'm not saying that out of pity either. I could order this with a meal and not be let down too much. For the doubters out there, at least give it a try, or hesitate before turning up your nose. 

So take it from the beer babe. If your dad, like mine, has been drinking nothing but Bud (or, worse, Bud Lite Lime - sorry Dad...) slide this across the table at him this Thanksgiving. He might just be ready for something familiar, yet tasty. You can really introduce him into the craft beer world later. Just remember, baby steps. 

Harpoon - Old Rusty's Red Rye Ale

Part of their 100 Barrel series, Old Rusty's Red Rye Ale was released in May of 2008. Not to be confused with The Old Crustacean Barleywine (I dunno, crusty, rusty... they got tangled in my head) from Rogue.

Brewed with the supervision of an old Harpoon friend and former brewer named Rusty, this one is a pleasing red color coming out of the 22 oz bottle. 

It pours with a really thin head. The smell is strong of hops and some kind of fruitiness. It doesn't smell like a straight IPA but of something sweeter and maltier.

The taste is a very delightful rye ale. The first bit of taste is hoppy and carbonated, a tiny sting of bubbles, followed by a bready yeasty taste and a rye finish. It has a nice complexity to it but doesn't play games in your mouth. This one is satisfying and yummy, I am beginning to get a real attachment to anything with rye - it just adds a level of savory goodness that reminds me of delicious grain. 

This would be a perfect pairing for a roast chicken dinner because it would bring out some of the spices like oregano or paprika. 

This one is a find, taste it if you find it!.

 I'll grab their newest release, the Glacier Harvest Wet Hop Ale when I see it :)