Lagunita Pils

I'm a big fan of Lagunitas beer. Their brew is consistently oh-so good. So, when I spotted Pils on tap at my favorite spot for hot wings and cold beer, I immediately requested a pour.

Lagunitas Pils (6.20% ABV) is a Czech style pilsner.

It pours a hazy golden color with a very dense head of foam.

The aroma is remarkably tropical for a pilser - namely pineapple. There some bread / cracker notes, as well.

The taste is crisp and clean. Malty, doughy, and - again -  pineapple. There is a whisper of floral hops that adds just a touch of bitterness. The finish is dry with a nice lingering tropical aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is light and bubbly.

Lagunitas Pils is a well balance tasty pilsner. Remarkably refreshing and ridiculously drinkable. I'm a fan!

Overall: very good!

Yuengling Lager

It's here!! It's here!!  Oh my sweet goddess Ninkasi, who sleeps on a bed of the floofiest foam and cleanses her body in the purest of ales, Yuengling is here! It's here!! It's here!! It's here!! 

I remember the last time I had Yuengling on tap. It was in Pennsylvania many years ago at a little neighborhood dive bar in Lancaster County that served up ice cold Yuengling and the rockin'est ribeye!

Flash forward 15 years and here I sit in my favorite little neighborhood bar - Porky's Cafe - once again drinking Yuengling on tap and nomming a wicked good ribeye steak!  

Serendipity is what it is!!

Shandy

We were at Porky's Cafe the other night for our usual Wings and Beer / date night. We got our usual cold beer and hot wings.

I didn't see any new to me brews on the draft beer menu. I asked and the beer babe said they had Saranac Shandy in a can. Okie dokie, I'm game for that.

Shandy (4.20% ABV) is lager and lemonade. It says so right on the can. It also says "How cool (and crisp and refreshing) is that? Pucker up, you're gonna want to kiss us for this one."

I don't know about that, I've never had a shandy that really impressed me. Narragansett's was so bad I poured it down the drain. Pint and Panels wasn't overly impressed with this one. That didn't deter me though. On person's poison is another person's nectar.












Jaime brought me a can and then posed for photos. She even poured it for me!! She's WAY accommodating. That's why we love her!

Saranac Shandy poured a clear lemony yellow with a big floof of white foam that quickly settled.

The aroma? Lager and lemonade. Duh. :-P

The taste is big time lemonade with some beerness hanging around in there. What I like about it is that it's not sicky sweet or cloying. A good mix.

It's very light and quaffable. It goes down easy and low in alcohol, which makes it ideal as a refresher on a hot summer.

It's not great but it doesn't suck.

Overall: good.

Festina Peche

 After a week of romping around in the White Mountains riding motorcycles and swilling beer, we returned to our Wednesday night haunt, Porky's Cafe, for good food and cold beer.

I asked the bodaciously cleaved bartenderess, Katalin, if there were any new brews on tap.

To my delight, she said, "Yes! A new beer from Dogfish Head. It's a sour."

I was all into that like hops in an IPA!

So I got a pint. And then another.

OMG YUM!

Not only did I get to enjoy a delicious new beer but I also got a new badge from Untappd for the pleasure.

Pucker up, buttercup!!




Festina Peche (4.50% ABV) by Dogfish Head is a sour beer in the style of a Berliner Weisse brewed with peaches.

It pours a slighty hazy honey gold with a thick foam that quickly thins out

The aroma is almost lemon-aid-ish.  There's no doubt that this is a sour from the get go.

The taste is a burst of amazing tartness. It's juicy and flavorful. I didn't get any peach flavor, though. There's a bit of funk hiding in the background but it is mostly crisp, dry, and puckering.

The mouth feel is light and gently carbonated.

Festina Peche is a beer I could drink lots and lots of. It's refreshing and goes down ridiculously easy. A perfect summer beer.

Overall: awesome

Breakfast!

It was date night. As usual. hubby and I were monging on hot wings and washing them down with cold beer. When all of a sudden our hot blond bar maid appears at our table bearing a tray of an unlikely combination of stuff.

A shot of clear liquid. A shot of orange juice. A strip of bacon.

Uhm . . . okaaaaay.

Breakfast is served.

Riiiiight.

Never one to let booze go to waste I followed her instructions to the letter. I knocked back the first shot; which turned out to be half Captain Morgan spiced rum and half Buttershots buttscotch liquor.  Followed immediately by the shot of orange juice. Then the bacon.

Jumpin' Jehosaphat! It tastes just like breakfast! I shi!t you not. It like I just ate a pancake smothered in butter and syrup with a side of bacon and orange juice.

CuhRazy!!! Crazy good!

Chocolate Wheat

Date night is a weekly staple in my life with hubby. It's a great way to break away from everything - including computers and television - and just focus on cold beer, good food, and each other.

What girl doesn't like to receive chocolates on a date? Well, this girl for one. I like chocolate but I don't love it and I could definitely live without it.

So, when I saw the new beer on tap at Porky's (our date night hotspot) I was less than enthusiastic - Shock Top Chocolate Wheat. I haven't been a huge fan of Shock Top since they sold out to Anheuser-Busch and, frankly, chocolate wheat beer sounds yucky.

But, being an intrepid beer enthusiast, I had to at least give it a try. It was hard going into the whole thing with an open mind, but I did my darnedest.

I was not, however, brave enough to go for a full pint. So, I asked for a sample.

Chocolate Wheat was dark brown with a thin skim of foam on top.

It smelled like chocolate, it tasted like chocolate. But not much else. It certainly didn't taste like beer and no trace of wheat. It was very much like a thin chocolate soda.

Not much going on here but chocolate. Which is great, I guess, if you like chocolate.

Overall: meh

Slumbrew Snow Angel

Date night found me enjoying hot wings, cold beer, the company of my adoring (if not adorable) husband,  and a new craft beer from the tap list!

Oh, and a hot oil pizza with shrimp! Heavenly!

Don't you love it when the stars align and all is right with the world?

The new-to-me beer was Snow Angel by Slumbrew (AKA Somerville Brewing)

Snow Angel (9.00% ABV) is an imperial IPA.

It was served in a nonic pint glass. The color was a slightly hazy aurous red-orange. It had a fluffy head that left behind scattered lacing.


















The aroma was a hop explosion of mouth watering proportions with underlying juicy fruit notes.

The taste was big time hop forward; grapefruit and resin combined with sweeter tropical fruits.  Malt and biscuit round out the flavors to create nice balance. A delicate black pepper quality builds on the palate and adds character. The alcohol is well concealed. The finish is hops and more hops.

The mouth feel is medium approaching full with lively carbonation.

Snow Angel is a hop lovers delight! I thought it was exceptionally good and reminded me of Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA.  Don't pass this one up if you see it! Delish!

Overall: very good.

Cold Snap

There's no denying it's winter time. It's freaking cold out there! In fact, it's been beyond freezing for days and days. It appears that there is no end in sight. One might go so far as to say that we're well into a cold snap.

When I spied Samuel Adams' new winter brew on tap - ironically called Cold Snap - I had to give it a try.

Cold Snap (5.30% ABV) pours a cloudy honey orange color. The thick creamy head quickly dissipates but leaves behind loose lacing.

The aroma is wheat mingling with soft spices and lots of sweet orange.

The taste is a burst of wheat and orange. This is a relatively sweet beer and not even a little bit bitter. The coriander spice notes are much more subtle but linger in the finish.

The mouthfeel is medium and smooth.

This is a supremely drinkable, slam-backable beer. I can say this without hesitation because I knocked one back in short order and was ready for another. I like it. I like it a lot.

Overall: very good

Hop Session **RE-revisited**

My quest for the freshest White Birch Hop Session continues.

I have been trying to find Hop Session for months. Read about my previous experiences here.

This time I did not seek out the brew, but quite happily found it on tap at my favorite place for hot wings and cold beer - Porky's Cafe in Shelton CT

I'm thinking if it's on tap, it's probably pretty fresh. Porky's cycles their guest tap brews pretty fast and this one wasn't there last week.

Hop Session Ale (5% ABV) was served in a classic shaker pint.

pours a hazy golden amber with a floofy root-beer like off-white head. It leaves behind amazing glass grabbing lace.

The aroma is a burst of citrussy and earthy hops.

The taste is nice hearty grapefruit and resinous hops. Bold but not biting. The underlying sweet malts balance out the flavors but does not overwhelm.  The finish is bitter and dry.












The mouth feel was very fuzzy with loads of carbonation.

The fresher Hop Session the bolder the hop profile. However, it's not a super hoptensive beer. It's nicely bitter and well balance. It's a good sessionable brew and never overpowering.  Good stuff. Get some! But get it fresh!

Overall: very good

I believe that the inevitable conclusion to my quest will lead me to the White Birch Brewery. I believe if that ever happens, I will stick a straw in the vat and sample directly. It doesn't get any fresher than that!!

There is a precedence!

@ Woodstock Inn Brewery

(203) Lager

Another successful evening out drinking cold beer and hot wings. The food was great, the beer was cold.

By all accounts, a good time was had by all.

We had Jaime modelling the latest Porky's fashion. And Katalin held up the bar in grand style.

Everything was great. There was even a new-to-me beer on tap. However, when I saw who it was brewed by I was less interested, but intrigued nonetheless.

The beer was (203) Lager by Stony Creek. I've never had their beer but I have some issues with the "brewery" itself.

You see they are a contract brewer. Which, in itself, is not problematic to me. What I do take issue with is that they hide it.  Their website makes make it appear as if they brew they're own beer in Branford. When, in fact, their beer is brewed by Hooker. But you need to do a bit of digging to find out that information.

The point is, I don't hate contract brewers.  What I don't like is a brewer who promote the illusion of having an established brewery and producing their own beer. Making no mention of contracting out their brewing nor of the brewery who is doing the work.  Meanwhile, another brewery is making their beer and slapping the other brewery's label on the bottle.  Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't have respect for that.

Yes, I know that the contractor uses the other brewer's recipe.  And, if they are reputable, will respect the recipe and follow it to the letter.  I also know that not all breweries who produce contract beers are so dutiful. And, for that, I have even more disdain.


All that ranting and raving aside, I was still curious about their beer since I'd never had it before. So I ordered one.

(203) Lager (4.7% ABV) was served in a standard shaker pint.  It was a nice clear amber color with a finger of bright white foam that left next to no lacing behind.

The aroma is light and inoffensive; there is pretty much no smell at all.

The taste is equally light and unremarkable. There's nothing stand-out-ish about this beer.  In fact, it's fairly watery and tasteless from start to finish.

Drinkable? Yes. It goes down easy.

Would I recommend it? No. There's really nothing to it. To me it tastes like an uninspired super light adjunct lager.

Overall: meh

<< The look on his face pretty much sums it up.

If you're thinking I'm just being harsh and/or unfair because they contract out their brewing, nothing could be further from the truth. I'm a huge fan of Evil Twin and Terrapin and Brash and other brewers that contract out all or some of their beers. I simply did not like this beer. If I did I'd be honest enough to say so.

Abita WIP / Dogfish Head American Beauty

If you are a regular reader of my blog then you know that once a week hubby and I have a date night usually consisting of hot wings and cold beer. If you're new to my blog, well,  then now you know.

Porky's Cafe in Shelton, CT is like our Cheers. We don't get Norm'd but, without having to say a word, we promptly get served a pitcher of cold beer and a pair of frosty mugs followed shortly by a heaping plate of saucy hot wings.

As per tradition, the pitcher is always some macro light beer; usually Coors Light or Bud Lite. Scoff, if you will, but I'm no beer snob and I like cheap cold beer with my hot wings. It is what it is.

That being said, I look forward to seeing what's on their rotating tap. It is often a micro beer I haven't had before and that is my dessert.

I was thrilled this week to discover that they had installed a second set of taps! Oh my sweet lord! So this past week I got to try two new to me craft brews! Score!

WIP (7% ABV) by Abita is a Wheat India Pale Ale. Think hopped up hefeweizen.

It was served in a Samuel Adams pint. It was a hazy honey color with a finger of white foam that diminished but retained throughout.

The aroma was clearly wheat with hints of banana and a sharp tang of citrus hops.

The taste was primarily wheat with some banana, clove, bubblegum accompanied by a mildly bitter citrus bite. The finish was slightly bitter combined with some lingering sweetness.

The mouth feel is light and smooth.

Abita WIP is tasty and drinkable but nothing special.

Overall: good


American Beauty (9.00% ABV) by Dogfish Head is an American pale ale. Inspired by the Grateful Dead it was brewed with - get this - granola. I was never a fan of the Grateful Dead but I'm a HUGE fan of this beer!

It was served in a Samuel Adams pint. It was a clear amber bordering on red with a frothy floof of white glass grabbing foam.

The aroma was droolworthy.  The aroma is malty and you can really smell the granola. There is some hoppiness wafting about in the aroma, as well.

The taste is mostly sweet offset by some bitterness. A solid malt backbone with honey and granola clearly discernible. More subtle flavors of grain and nuts come through, as well. The hops are gentle and barely make an appearance.  There is mild alcohol warming but nothing too distracting.

The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth with low but lively carbonation.

Dogfish Head American Beauty flippin' ROCKS! Get some!

Overall: excellent

Pumpkin Ale

'tis the season for pumpkin beer and here is another of many I've tried this year.  This one was on tap at my favorite place for hot wings and cold beer - Porky's Cafe in Shelton, CT.

Before I get to the beer, I have to say the wings were saucy, spicy and extra good. And the porketta sandwich was oh so SO good; nicely spiced roasted pork topped fresh mozzarella and cherry peppers! Drooooool.

The beer was Blue Point Pumpkin Ale (6% ABV). It was served in a pint glass. It was a dark chestnut brown with orange highlights and came with just a ring of foam around the edge of the glass.

The aroma was full of rich pumpkin spices. This is a very pumpkin pie smelling beer.

The taste wasn't quite what I was expecting. Although the pumpkin was in the forefront, the spices were subdued. So it was a lot less flavorful spice-wise than I had been lead to anticapte based on the smell.  That doesn't mean I didn't like it, it was good, it was just different than I thought it would be.

The mouthfeel was medium with nice carbonation.

Blue Point Pumpkin is on the lighter tasting side of pumpkin beers; more subtle. It is tasty and drinkable.

Overall: Good

A Little Sumpin' Wild

It a little over a year ago that I first tried A Little Sumpin Wild at our favorite weekly hot wings and cold beer spot, Porky's Cafe in Shelton, CT. I'm not inclined to review the same beer twice but this is an exception to that self imposed rule.  A Little Sumpin Wild is a seasonable beer that is not brewed the same way every year, so every batch is different. This is my review from last years's version:

It wouldn't have taken much to convince me to try this year's version when I saw it on tap at Porky's. But then I saw this and was the last twist my arm needed.

2013 A Little Sumpin Wild ( 8.8% ABV) is brewed with Westmalle Trappist yeast that is known for creating distinctive flavor characteristics in beer; some of which are bubblegum, clove, banana.

It was poured from the tap into a Lagunitas mason jar by the lovely and talented, Katalin.

It was a bright honey color with a floofy head that hangs on and leaves behind a spiderweb of lacing on the glass.

The aroma is huge! My nose was pleasantly assaulted by bold citrus aroma with underlying biscuit and grain. I could've sat there and smelled that beer all night. But why smell it when you can drink it!

The taste is a mouthwatering - literally - explosion of hoppy goodness. Bold citrus and juicy fruits mesh well with the sweetness of the malt. The yeast "off" flavors really come into focus at the end but more subtly than last year's version. The finish is a yummy lingering hoppy bitterness that I simply adore.

The mouth feel is spot on medium with nice tingly effervescence.

The flavors in A Little Sumpin' Wild are bold and wonderful.  I love this beer! In my recollection, I'm tempted to say I liked the 2012 version better but this one by no means sucked.

Overall: Excellent

Porkin' out on a full pint of Half Full Bright Ale

Once again, date night found us at our favorite place for hot wings and cold beer.  Danielle greeted us with a pitcher of cold beer and a pair of frosty mugs and Katalin served us up some spicy wings that were just as saucy as she is.

I would also like to point out that the wings were especially tasty for some reason.  Very saucy, peppery and quite a bite.  YUM!








I'm always happy to see a new craft beer on the board and happier still to see it's a local brewery.  So, of course, I ordered a pint.

Bright Ale (5.20% ABV) is the gateway beer brewed by Stamford, CT brewery Half Full.  It is a pale ale / blonde ale hybrid.

In the glass it is, indeed, a bright ale.  It is a clear, effervescent gold just a hue shy of honey.  There was little head to speak of, just a halo of foam around the edge of the glass.












The aroma was very lemony, somewhat astringent with a hint of soap.

The taste is immediately lemon followed directly by the bitterness of grapefruity hops. The finish was crisp and clean.

The mouthfeel was very light and the beer goes down quite easily.  

My husband thought Bright Ale tasted like lemony disinfectant.

I thought the taste was odd and definitely a little detergent-like; perhaps the combination of lemon and bitter hops.  It was a little off putting but drinkable.  

I'd be interested in what others experienced when they drank Bright Ale.  

Overall: undecided

Porkin' out on Beer and other stuff

Me and hubby's weekly date night found us once again at our favorite wings and beer hangout - Porky's Cafe.   We were greeted by the lovely and talented beer maidens, Katalin and Danielle.


A pitcher of cold beer and a pair of frosty mugs were brought to our table forthwith and an order of hot and saucy wings were delivered shortly thereafter. 

As I was sucking the spicy wings sauce from my fingers I happened to glance at the beer menu above the bar and spied not one but two new-to-me beers listed there - Brooklyn Summer Ale and Allagash Odyssey. WOOT!

Summer Ale (5% ABV) by Brooklyn Brewery

My experience with Brooklyn beers has been mostly meh.  I have a theory as to why - read about it here. So, since I was fully expecting to dislike the Summer Ale and didn't want to have to actually pay for the stuff, I asked for a sample.

When Danielle placed the glass before me I chuckled knowingly.  My expectations were soon to be realized.  I just knew it!  The beer was as pale or paler than the Bud Light in my frosty mug - paler even! 

Don't judge me! It's a tradition - hot wings and Bud Light.  Besides - it's like drinking water and you have to drink water sometimes.

There was little aroma to speak of except a light metallic scent that wafted forth.  Uh huh.  I knew exactly where this is leading. 

I ventured forth, nonetheless, and took a sip.  I was like, "Oh!" Then I was like, "Hmm." Then "Huh."

Hubby said, "You're going to have to get a pint now, aren't you?"

That's right.  I actually liked it.  I know!  I'm as surprised as anyone.  But it was actually fairly tasty.  Light but tasty. 

Summer Ale is malty with a burst of citrus and had a nice crisp finish. The mouth feel is light and very drinkable. This is a great sessionable brew, perfect for the hot days of summer.  

Overall: Good.

Odyssey by Allagash Brewing is a Belgian Strong Ale.  Strong is right!  It weighs in at a hefty 10.40% ABV. 

Since we didn't want to get knocked our butts, hubby and I decided to share a glass.  I took a taste and then he took a taste.

The interesting thing about beer is that people experience them differently.  The case in point is Odyssey.

We can both agree on the appearance which was deep and dark with a thick off-white head.

Me:  The aroma was very wheaty and a bit malty.  The taste was very big on wheat but also fairly sweet and malty with a touch of fruit. The finish was crisp and dry.  The mouthfeel was heavy and somewhat creamy.  Smooth. 

Hubby: The aroma was smokey and sweet smelling.  The taste was smokey with a larger than normal barley profile.  Sweet and malty almost like a smokey barleywine.  

After he pointed the smokiness out to me I could pick it out.  He got no wheat and I got no barley.  I could taste and feel a definite alcohol presence whereas hubby experienced none.  Very interesting.

Here's the thing.  Beer advocate describes Allagash Odyssey as follows:

A dark wheat beer aged for ten months, a portion in oak barrels and the remainder in stainless tanks. The recipe includes 2-row barley, malted wheat, a generous amount of roasted barley and Belgian candi sugar. This deep brown beer boasts an aroma of black treacle and raisin. The flavor hints at dates, with a mildly roasted finish imparted by aging in both medium and heavy toast American Oak barrels. The finish is dry, punctuated by vanilla.

Between me and hubby we nailed the brew right on the head. But separately we experienced only some of the aspects of this complex beer. 

Overall: Very Good!

Proost!!