Total Wine delivers

On a (planned) whim, I stopped by my local Total Wine last Saturday. I've been meaning to get in there for weeks. I love their single bottle section, and I was hoping to find a batch of new seasonals to try. What a good idea that was.

I picked up a bottle of 400 Pound Monkey from Left Hand Brewery. I'm not a big fan of primates, but they make a good beer. It's an English style IPA that likes to play around on the malt side of the tree. I think that's why I enjoyed it more than a typical IPA. The orange and bread like aroma was nice. The mixture of hops and caramel was the surprise. It has a nice mouthfeel, and a clean finish. While it might not be for everyone, and really doesn't fit into one particular catagory, it is an enjoyable beer. Grade: 3 Burps

I've been a fan of Odell Brewing Company from hello. I've been lucky enough to experience most of their beers over the years via Beerfests. To have it available on the shelf is a wonderful thing. Their Cutthroat Porter is one of my favorites.

I love me a nice, dark, and malty porter, and that is what you find in a pint of Cutthroat. I have enjoyed it before, and I will enjoy it again. I felt that I needed to give it the props it deserves. Now this isn't a seasonal, but to some a porter wouldn't qualify as a Spring beer. I beg to differ.

I'm a huge fan of dark and malty London ales, so I could be biased in my opinion. However, even the Queen enjoyed it. She seems to prefer the hops side of the spectrum (Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA), but she said it was good. How can you go against the Queen? I know I can't. Grade: 4 Burps

There was 1 bottle of North Coast Brewing Scrimshaw left. Lucky me. It's a pilsner style beer which surprised me. I'm not a guy who usually drinks a beer like this, but I was willing to give it a try. I'm happy I did.

It has a light and clean aroma, with an unusual medium body. Much more than I would have expected from a Pilsner. I wasn't expecting the dry, wheat overtones. I think that's what pleased me. It's a very drinkable beer. Grade: 3 Burps

But my favorite of them all was Garde Dog Biere De Garde from the guys at Flying Dog Brewery. I've said it time and time again, they just get it. I love these guys, and Garde Dog is another example why. Their interpretation of the French style "Beir DeGarde" is better than I expected. The temperatures are hitting the high 80's out here in desert lately, so this it perfect session beer on a Saturday night. Who am I kidding, it's a 5.5 abv from Flying Dog. You can have one any day of the week.

It's a nice, clean beer that's very easy to drink. A crisp floral aroma is what you notice first. The taste is lighter with a slight hint of hops, spice, citrus, and malt. I wouldn't call it a medium feel, but it's almost there.

This would be a great "cross over" beer for someone looking to experiment a little. To take that next step past Deschutes and New Belgium. This isn't a Kronenbourg 1664, it's a Flying Dog! Grade: 4 Burps

There you have it. 4 new beer reviews. Take my advise and give them all a try. I'm sure you will find one in there that you might add to your beer fridge on a regular basis.

-Cheers

A new keg for Christmas

I ordered my keg from BevMo today. It was a long and strenuous process. But I feel I mad the right decision. The masses will thank me next weekend for having such a beer available. So what is this new tap going to be pouring?

Firestone Walker - DBA. The Double Barrel Ale is exactly what I was looking for. An English style ale is what my kegerator has been missing. Next to a Marzen, a good English Ale is nest on the list.

It should be ready to pick up and tap come Thursday. Lets all cross our fingers it works out according to plan.

-Cheers!

New Beer a Day, still going.

I had so much fun last week going through all the different beers I had in my beer fridge. So much fun, that I decided to keep it going. Instead of adding another keg to my kegerator as I originally planned to do, I am on a binge. I am finishing off all the beers I have been saving in my beer fridge. So hold on, this is going to be a fun ride.

I have had my mini fridge full of quality beer from some of the the most amazing breweries. There must be a beer from 20 different breweries in there, from all around the world. I don't know why, I but I have been saving them. Why? I don't know. I guess they are kind of like baseball cards to me. When I go to the beer store, I look for those rare cards, I mean beers, that I think are going to be special. When I find one, I buy it, and put it in my beer fridge. Every so often, I will open it up to look at my collection. It is rare that I will actually take a bottle and drink it.

But a couple weeks ago, I did it. I took a bottle out of my collection, and I drank it. O man, was it good! Then I thought to myself, what am I doing? There is always a new beer to try. I can always buy a another one. What have I been depriving myself of? Great Beer, that's what.

So, here is the list.

Dogfish Head - Chicory Stout
What can I say about Sam Calagione and Dogfish Head Brewery? Nothing but good! I love this brewery. Not to be confused with the equally amazing brewery, Flying Dog, Dogfish Head just gets it. When it comes to extreme beers, they are the leaders. This week, I tried a bottle of their new seasonal, Chicory Stout. I don't think this one qualifies as an extreme" beer, but it sure qualifies as "good". Yes, I liked it. Are you surprised? I'm not. It really was a good beer. With a rating of 5.2 abv, I think this could become a session beer for me. I liked the dark color and coffee aroma. It has a dark color and smooth finish. It does have a hint of woodsy tastes, giving it that right hint of robust taste. Overall, the smooth, chocolaty flavors make me a fan.

Grade: 4 Burps (yes, the grades are new. I think I needed to come up with something)

Witchwood Brewery - Hobgoblin Ale
I have had this before at Beerfests. But this was the first time I bought a bottle for home enjoyment. What was a dumb decision. I loved this beer. As I sipped it from my imperial pint glass I stole from a pub in London, I kept thinking, "This is so good". I should have bought this before". To be honest with you, the bottle is small. Only 11.2 Fl.Oz. (330ml). For a little more, I can buy a full pint of Fuller's. So that is what I usually do. My bad. I am huge fan of the English Ales. And Hobgoblin has deepened this love. It has that creamy, caramel, and malty taste I love so much. It is such a smooth example of an English Ale. It goes down so fast. It left me wanting another one.

Grade: 4 1/2 Burps

Bear Republic - Red Rocket Ale
Hmmm.....I like it? Yes, I like it. I do. But I don't know why I don't love it. But I do really like it. I think my bias towards the European style beers alters my opinions when it comes to the West Coast breweries. And the battle for West Coast supremacy is a vicious battle. Bear Republic is a good brewery, but not my favorite. But they do make some good beers, like Red Rocket. Great color, good head, and a nice taste. An equal share of malt and hops gives the beer a good balance. Well, the hops might linger a little. That is the only think that stops me from giving it a higher score. Overall, it is a good beer. It is a staple in my beer fridge.

Grade: 4 Burps

Grolsch - Premium Lager
I like the bottles. And I like the fact that I drink a few of them at a time. I would call this a typical European Lager. That isn't a bad thing. But it isn't one of the quality Lagers I come to expect. It is clean beer, but has a light flavor. It is still better than an American mega-brew. However, your money would be better spent on a German beer. But I like the bottle.

Grade: 3 Burps

Fullers - 1845 Ale
Are you ready for me to blatantly tout another one of Fuller's Ales. Well, I am going to do it anyway. I Love Fuller's. And I love their ESB. It says it right there on the label, it ale is "Extra Special". I have to agree. Yes, I am biased, but I think you would be too. It is just such a great ale. It has such a great taste and aroma. I know you will like it. So I strongly recommend that you find it, and try it.

Grade: 4 1/5 Burps

I have more to write about, but I gotta go. Tomorrow night maybe.

-Cheers!