Quick Sips: August 2010

Here is our first entry of Quick Sips, a super condensed and brief synopsis of some beers that we've had in the last few weeks. This one will include thoughts from the last few months.

• Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA tastes amazing fresh (less than 2 1/2 weeks old)
• Weyerbacher Tiny is incredibly delicious (on our fourth bomber)
• Dogfish Head SahTea isn't as good as last years (not enough cinnamon, clove and ginger spices)
• Southern Tier 2XIPA is amazing (but make sure it is fresh.) Blows away most IPAs.
• Bell's Hopslam wasn't as good as last years. Like most IPA's- Make sure it's fresh.
• Great Lakes Holy Moses was a great choice for a spring beer. Glad to see it back.
• Thirsty Dog has come out with three new crap beers (Barktoberfest, Whippet Wheat and Twisted Kilt) and one decent one (Cerberus)
• Some batches of Founders Devil Dancer taste like a THC producing plant.
• Heavy Seas Below Decks Cabernet Barrel Aged is probably the best fresh barleywine out there.
• Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale (Pub Exclusive) is just plain gross.
• Heavy Seas Smoke on the Water wasn't as generic as it's name. Worth the buy.
• Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale is a refreshing summer IPA.
• Great Divide Brewing has some great beers out there (Colette, 16th Anniversary, Titan, Yeti.) We're excited to try more
• Dark Horse has yet to come out with a beer I thought was above average (Crooked Tree, Sapient Trip, Scotty Karate)
• Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster was great fresh but had a tinge too much alcohol flavor.

Great Lakes Brewing Company The Wright Pils

Every so often, GLBC makes one of their brewpub exclusives available in bottle at their gift shop. The Wright Pils does not appear to be the wright choice. Great Lakes seems to make a great beer but they already have a Dortmunder, which is very similar in style to a pilsner. Also- what craft drinker really wants to spend the nine dollars on a pilsner? Not us but it's GLBC (we'll forgive them for Glockenspiel and Farmhouse) and we are faithful followers so here it goes:

The color and smell is typical of the style except for a light floral and sweet scent almost reminiscent of their Grassroots Ale. When the brew hits the tongue, you get a malt taste that is not so common in the style. The Wright Pils is well balanced but still has that pilsner fizziness that you'd expect. This medium bodied brew leaves you with a finish that thirsts you for more.

For a regular pilsner, you aren't going to find many beers better than this. It has all the characteristics of a great pilsner plus some malt happiness thrown in there for good measure. However, it is a pilsner- and pilsners are middle of the road and made for your average beer drinker. The craft spirit is alive in The Wright Pils so let's hope this keeps them on the wright track. How about Imperial Black and Wright Pilsner? Just a suggestion....

Oz Scale: 6.7

Mike Scale: 6.6

Great Lakes Brewing Co. Glockenspiel

Since the discontinuation of Moondog ESB and Holy Moses White Ale, Great Lakes Brewing Co. (GLBC) has introduced two new brews to the masses, Grassroots Ale (a siason) and Glockenspiel (a weizenbock.) Grassroots did not catch our hearts like Holy Moses or Moondog so we had high hopes that Glockenspiel, 12 oz bottles sold in a four-pack, would deliver us for mediocracy. With us today is our good friends as well as our part-time beer blog collaborators, Nick and Jason (aka J-Glock,) to give their spiels as well.

Glockenspiel chimes in at 8% ABV and pours a copper color with Jello brand banana pudding smell. With its full body mouth feel, this GLBC beverage hits the oral orifice with citrus-y hops and spices dancing on the tip of the tongue. The brew starts out bitter then becomes sour. As it swims down your throat, you are left with a sweet banana aftertaste with hints of clove and fig.

This is not an everyday brew, as it would best pair with bratwurst and other sausages than by itself. Compared to the other big brew four packs by GLBC, we would not drink this until we blacked out, nor would be stock it in a vampire's cellar. It does however, mow the grass of the fore mentioned farmhouse ale. It promises hell's bells, but all we are left with is some Australian band that only knows four chords and one drum beat.

Oz Scale: 6.8
Mike Scale: 7.0
Jason Scale: 6.8
Nick Scale: 7.2

It's the Most Wonderful Time For Beer: The 12 Beers Of Christmas (Part 1)

The first snow of the year and six
blind tasting beers sat before us. The colder it becomes outside, the better the seasonals seem to be. Ah, yes winter. Thicker, more robust ales come our way and we couldn't wait to share some with you. Being the label whores we are, we wanted to prove to our beer knowlege was up to snuff with a good old fashioned taste test- wine style. Our choices of the night were: Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser Ale, Blue Moon's Winter Ale, Great Lakes Brewing Co's Christmas Ale, Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale Summit Winter Ale and Bell's Christmas Ale. Our good friend and guest judge Nick helped us make sure we did not pass judgement because of the logo on the label.

The ratings and guesses:

Sample 1: Malty, Toffee flavor. Finishes average, taste does not linger.
Oz Scale: 6.0 (Summit)
Mike Scale: 6.7 (Summit)
Nick Scale: 7.5

Sample 2: Hints of ginger and cinnamon. Slight hops aftertaste. Swims down your throat.
Oz Scale: 7.9 (Great Lakes)
Mike Scale: 7.9 (Great Lakes)
Nick Scale: 8.4

Sample 3: It hits well but fails to finish close to expectations. It's a blue balls beer (you get all excited on the first sip but in the end you just find yourself holding yourself for comfort.) Could pass as a fall seasonal.
Oz Scale: 6.2 (Sierra Nevada)
Mike Scale: 5.4 (Blue Moon)
Nick Scale: 3.4

Sample 4: Sweet smell, average finish. Could pass as a spring seasonal or even a year long brew. Has a surprising slight kick. Slight malt finish.
Oz Scale: 6.8 (Blue Moon)
Mike Scale: 6.6 (Sierra Nevada)
Nick Scale: 5.4

Sample 5: Great kick, powerful finish. Sweet but sour. Malt and hops are balanced. Spices are subtle but welcomed.
Oz Scale: 7.7 (Flying Dog)
Mike Scale: 7.4 (Bell's)
Nick Scale: 9.0

Sample 6: Powerful taste in all the right ways. Hop aroma and taste. Slight sweetness.
Oz Scale: 8.2 (Flying Dog)
Mike Scale: 8.3 (Bell's)
Nick Scale: 10

Actual Brews:
Sample 1: Summit Winter Ale (Averaged 6.7)
Sample 2: Great Lakes Christmas Ale (Averaged 8.1)
Sample 3: Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale (Averaged 5)
Sample 4: Blue Moon Full Moon (Average 6.3)
Sample 5: Bell's Christmas Ale (Averaged 8.0)
Sample 6: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (Averaged 8.8)

Both Oz and Mike guess correctly on half the six beers. Surprisingly Flying Dog (being one of Oz and Mike's favorite brewing companies) did not live up the their standards.

Here is a look at the brews resting on the fresh snow:














And here is a look at them as the snow starts to melt (20 hours later, the next day and the following day)

Great Lakes Brewing Company's Oktoberfest

After a disappointing trip to Guitar Center, our mission had become clear: We needed to contribute to the beer and music blog. Our choice was marred by two delectable brews: Flying Dog's Dogtober Marzen or Great Lakes Oktoberfest. The choice soon became clear as the Oktoberfest was cold and it was a long journey home.

After a kiss to the lips, the dark amber lager crashes the deepest palettes of the tongue and lingers with malty sweetness on the sides of the tongue. The beer tastes clean and finishes so smooth that you are left with a difficult decision: Should I drink more or savor.... and then drink more? Let us be the first to tell you that drinking more always wins. We haven't ran into a brew that begs to be drank beer after beer in quite some time (see previous blog, we lie.)

Having been brewed under the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516, (Reinheitsgebot) this brew is not without flaw. Its flavor begs the question: Why can I not relish this beer slowly? Is beer not meant to be enjoyed to its fullest extent? (Bud Light drinkers need not apply this question.) In our never ending quest to bring knowledge of fine brews, we are sad to say that the drinkability of this beverage outweighs the taste. Not that the taste is bad, it is just WAY too easy to guzzle. It is 6.5% ABV, by the way.

Overall:
Mike Scale: 7.5
Oz Scale: 7.6