Expectations

If I get told good things about a certain beer, I try to stay away from expectations.  Expectations can hurt your experience with any beer, and the experience is what I look forward to the most.

Sometimes when I drink a beer, I just don't know what to think about it. This Ayinger was one of those beers. I started drinking the Jahrhundert Bier with high expectations.  I was told that it was a great beer, something that I would enjoy.  I was hoping for a nice balanced beer, that would combine a nice sweet malt with a good hop backbone. What I got was just sweet, bready malt. A little too much. It was smooth and not over carbonated, but I needed the hops to crash it at the end and it never came. Maybe I was expecting too much.

The other side of the expectation story comes to Bear Republic Racer X.  This was a beer that I had been looking for ever since I knew it existed.  Racer 5 is one of my favorite beers available.  The beer is a very easy drinking West Coast IPA that feature the citrus characteristics of the hop, instead of the bitterness.  Racer X is a Imperial IPA, that is the spawn of Racer 5.  The major difference in the two beers is the factor of a bit more bitterness in the X (but it doesn't overpower the beer).  The beer was well balanced, with the malt pushing through after the initial hop citrus and bitterness.  Overall, this was a very drinkable beer, but one that you should watch out for due to the alcohol content.

Whenever a person has expectations, it is hard to hit it right on the nose.  Typically, the outcome is better or worse than expected.  In these two beers, I was able to get one that was better than expected, and another which was lower.

Have you had your expectations reached/fallen short lately?

Finally a BUFF Beer

I finally decided to open up the Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory collaboration Saison du BUFF.  I have been loving saisons for a couple of months now, but since I picked up the Saison du Buff, I have been on a IPA kick.  But today, after doing the yard work, I figure it would be a great treat.

The Saison du Buff is a collaborative effort between Greg Koch (Stone), Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head) and Bill Covaleski (Victory).  The BUFF part of the beer stands for Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor.  Seven years ago, the three brewers started this "organization" with the intentions to push the limits.  I personally think they did it to just have a bunch of fun.

First, the pour- I again allow the head to get out of control.  The color looks perfect for a saison, darker yellow- and very clear.  The nose is full of spices.  It is dominated by rosemary (one of my favorite meals is to have steak and rosemary potatoes- a smell I will never forget) and a nice minty sage.

First sip brings a good saison yeast taste to it.  Then, BAM! the spices kick in and run over you like a Mack tractor trailer truck going 70 miles per hour.  Big time rosemary.  HUGE rosemary.  The sage clears up the spices on the back of the tongue.

The beer is highly carbonated, as expected with a saison.  It is light in the mouth, and surprisingly smooth going down (the spices do not make it hard to swallow).  I think this beer is a drinkable beer, maybe have two or three, but I doubt I could handle any more than that.

Overall, this beer is very good.  A nice collaborative effort on the part of three great brewers.  This beer reminded me of the Jolly Pumpkin/Stone/Nogne O Holiday Ale collaboration that I tried last February.  A ton of spice, but everything works together well, creating a very good beer.
 

Dreaming of beer, and a Rant against ratings.

So I sit here thinking about the beers that I can't wait to drink in the future.  Checking out people's Top Whatever lists, looking for some hidden gems. So naturally, I start thinking about mid-January when I can begin drinking Nugget Nectar again.  My mind continues to wonder, so I decide to go to Beer Advocate and check up on the reviews.  The first review kind of blew my mind:

"Appearance was typical beer yellow with half inch head that lasted fairly long. Aroma was mostly citrus, especially grapefruit with piney notes. Flavor was pure hop bitterness with a touch of the grapefruit. Way too bitter! Mouthfeel was light to medium but balanced over the palate. Drinkability is low, it's just way too bitter, a real hop bomb. NOT recommended!"

It starts off with a description that I never heard of before (or saw as I have drank cases of this beer).  "Typical beer yellow"?  I have never seen a beer yellow NN- ever.  The Aroma and Flaver are spot on.  Yes, NN is mostly citrus- grapefruit and pine in the nose.  Yes, it is pure hop bitterness- have you seen the awesome label.

But then this person* goes off the deep end.  The lines- "Way too bitter!" and "NOT recommended" took me for surprise.  I must also note that this guy gave the beer a D.   D?!?!?!? How is that possible.  Then I came to my senses and thought about his remarks.  If you don't like hop bombs, or big Amber (Double IPA) ales, then no you won't like this beer.  But if you don't like those styles, why would you even pick it up? Again, did you not look at the label when you bought the bottle?

This reinforces my feelings about the overall ratings of the beers on Rate Beer and Beer Advocate.  I love the reviews, love other blogger's reviews and the such, but this guys D rating influences the overall score when he outlines exactly why it has an overall A rating.  I try my best to rate the beers to style.  I do not really like Scottish beers, I know this.  If I rate one on a rating site, I judge it based on what it should taste like, not whether or not I like the beer.

So anywho, I cannot wait to taste the sweet nectar from the gods again.  Are there any beers that you cannot wait to get again?

*this reviewer was all over the book on his other reviews as well.  Maybe it is inexperience, maybe he has a load of bad bottles.  I don't know, but I will not take his reviews for what they're worth.

The Session #42

This month's Session is brought to us by Ramblings of a Beer Runner and has to deal with:

"So I ask for this 42nd Session that you write about a special place in your life, and a beer or brewery that connects you to that place. It can be the beer from your childhood home, a place you once lived, your current hometown, a memorable vacation you once took, or a place you've always wanted to go to but never had the chance. Please take a few moments to think about the how the beer connects you to this place, and share this with us. Of course, the definition of "place" is rather open ended, and in some cases, highly debatable, so it will be interesting to see the responses on what constitutes a place."

In my beer life, I have had the fortunate ability to try some of the world's greatest beers, but there is one beer that holds a close place in my heart.  Yuengling Lager.
 
Is the the best beer that I have ever had? No way.  But it takes me back to my hometown with my friends.  I grew up 45 minutes from the brewery, and when we started drinking, that is the beer we had.  We shared many a beer on the front porch talking about religion, politics, girls and sports. Many nights, the only thing that we could agree on was that we wanted another beer.  These friends have been there for me (and I for them) through thick and thin, and still we get together and share thoughts over Yuengling.
 
Why wouldn't we drink it?  It is cheap, local, easy drinking and I think it tastes good- as I write this post, I am having a lager (that is how we order it- "give me a lager").

The Restaurant Search (Part 2)

My local restaurant search lead me to a brewpub that is less than 7 miles from my house.  Located in the town of Mt. Joy, Bube's Brewing is a modern brewery that is housed in the original building of a 19th century brewery.

This establishment hosts multiple dining rooms, including a Biergarden.  These rooms are all unique, with one of the rooms hosting murder mystery events.  The menu looked good to us, and we felt like braving the heat to sit on a patio, so we ventured over.

Walking into the large, warehouse/factory style building (you could tell it was old) places you with the option of dining areas.  We were led out back to the biergarden.  Even though it was hot (and it was made worse as we were placed in a corner with limited air movement), the open space was very nicely put together.  Trees were covering overhead, limiting the amount of natural light-- there was more than enough, but we could tell the difference when we left.  The service was pleasant and usually available.  The food was good, nothing special, but it made us happy.

But the beer was spot on. And it happened to be the reason that I wanted to go.  While waiting for our table (only 3-4 minutes), I spotted the brewery's beer board.  On top of that list was a Berliner Weisse- and I love sour beers (pictured above).  So my first beer was no hard choice.  The Berliner Weisse was nice and sour, with a quick bite in the finish.  My second beer was their Scottish ale.  It was not too peaty, which is how I enjoy the style.  Overall, I really enjoyed the beer, and will be back to try the others available.  They also had an ESB, Lager and Brown ale.  The only thing that I would have wanted was for the beer to be a little colder to start.  My fiance's mojito on the other hand, left much to be desired.

Great experience at a place I will be back to again.

Summer Beers

I am getting on the kick of making my list of what I like to have (or am having) during the summer.  The heat, humidity and yard work are all factors in the decision that needs to be made when it comes to beer.  You don't need to have a fruity foo-foo drink to enjoy the summer weather.

One of the best styles to have directly following yard work or any other outdoor physical activity is a nice crisp pilsner.  I love having a Sunshine Pils (Troegs).  This German Pilsner beats the thirst, while the light body of the beer doesn't weigh you down for the rest of the day. The hint of lemon and slight grassy taste are accompanied with a perfect amount of carbonation. Other Pilsners that I would recommend are: Victory Prima Pils, Stoudts Pils, Lagunitas Pils and, for the import crowd, Javer Pilsner.

Sometimes I like to keep the light body, but push the alcohol content to the roof with a Tripel. My favorite tripel is made by Selin's Grove Brewing, but unless you are close enough to grab a growler for home, you might never get it. So, go find what is on the back shelves at the beer store (many tripels are available in the winter, not so available in the summer).  The Bruery Trade Winds, River Horse Triple Horse and Unibroue La Fin du Monde are very good examples.  Be prepared for the 8-12% abv that comes along with the sweet nectar. You could, of course, go with any of the classic Trappist beers (Achel, Westmalle, or Chimay-my favorite) and be extremely happy.

If you don't like the pilsner and the tripel has too much heat, you could go with a nice "fruity" Saison (or Farmhouse ale).  The Saison of the Year (in my opinion) is the Stillwater Stateside Saison, made by a guy who decided this year to start commercially brewing, and hasn't been able to keep up with the demand.  This is a great saison, with an added hop kick to it.  Most saisons (as well as this one) are light bodied, lighter colored beers that have a zesty citrus kick.  The farmhouse name comes from a funky smell/taste that some beers have.  Some people love it, some hate it, but it is a very refreshing beer to drink during the summer. Saison Dupont is a classic example of the style.  Other beers to check out are Ommegang Hennepin, Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere and Great Divide Colette.  Brettanomyces are a strain of wild yeast that makes the beers have that funky, sour taste.  Nice word to look for on the bottle.

If I am going to a park or party or where ever and want to be "environmentally clean"- I'll grab my friends in a can.  The best- Oskar Blue's Dale's Pale Ale.  First time I brought a six pack of cans (with the dolphin killing plastic) to a party my friends thought I was crazy bring beer in a can.  Then they tried it.  Instantly, they were captivated by the taste.  Oskar Blues only cans and kegs there beer, and all the beer they make are winners.  From Dale's to Gordons to Ten Fidy, you can't go wrong if it has Oskar Blues's label on it.  Other canned beer that is good are the Caldera IPA and the beers brewed by 21st Amendment.

The last great summer beer to try, would be a wheat beer.  Whether you go with a Belgian Wit or a German Hefeweizen, the wheat beers give the light body, smooth taste that make drinking in the summer weather a good experience. Ayinger and Schneider Weisse are two great examples of hefeweizens that most beer drinkers would enjoy having, while Allagash White and Harpoon UFO are two good examples of witbier. 

Finally, the beer that has not left my fridge for a long time- Flying Dog Raging Bitch.  I feel this beer can be drank in any weather, and be kept on hand.  Hopefully, you like this quick list that I made up, and if you don't, comment below and we'll discuss.

Troegs Scratch #30- Bock

After a good workout, yes a workout, I decided to open the last of the Troeg's Scratch series that I had in the fridge.  It was Scratch #30, a Bock (some say a Jerman Bock, apparently a Helles/Mai bock).

It poured a nice light brown (a little darker than the picture makes it out to be), with a nice size head that disappears quickly.  The head leaves a nice lacing on the glass.

The nose presents a very nice hop/malt balance- but no over the top smells come about.

First sip is delicious.  Second sip recognizes a nice sweet, bready taste that is backed up with a good amount of hops (drys everything out).  Surprisingly, this is 7% abv, I would have never guessed.  As with the smell, neither hops nor malt dominate the taste.

This beer also has a nice balance of Carnation that allows the beer to be smooth going down.  A very medium to light body doesn't hold you down after drinking.  This is a very drinkable beer, and being the 7% could consider this dangerously drinkable-- the kind I like. 

Wish I could get more.  If you can find some of this anywhere, pick it up now!