Final Friday at New England Brewing Company

Hubby and I recently attended Final Friday at New England Brewing.  Final Friday is their monthly open house where you get to sample their beer, mingle with other beer lovers and enjoy a live band  . . . all of this at the brewery with the beer making staff.  Basically, a beer drinkin' rockin' good time!


$5 at the door gets you three tickets good for three 10 ounce beer samples.


We arrived just at the start of the soiree . . . 6 PM . . . and the there were already quite a few people there.  Comfortably crowded I would say; room to mingle, check things out and get a beer.

Hubby and I took our cups, dropped a ticket in the bowl and got our beer samples.  Being the IPA lover that I am, I started out with the Sea Hag IPA.  We made our way over to the stacks of pallets loaded with empty cans and sampled our . . . well . . . sample.  


Yummy!  Sea Hag . . . my first time drinking this beer.  It is an American style India Pale Ale.  I liked it . . . I liked it a lot.  It's hoppy and bitter without being overpoweringly so.  The hops are citrusy with plenty of the lemon and grapefruit that I love.  The malt gives the beer a caramel flavor that lends a slight sweetness that blends quite nicely with the bitter hops.  Over all . . . a very good IPA . . . I loved it.  (6.2% ABV)



As we were finishing our first beer we noticed the crowd was noticeably thicker and the temperature was rising in the relatively small space.  And . . . a line was begining to form to get the beer.  So, we hopped in line for our second sample.  Just as we were getting our cups filled the band started and the place was a'rockin'.












My second choice was an Elm City Lager.  This is a German style pilsner.  Again . . . I really liked this beer.  Light, tasty and exceedingly drinkable. This is what a lager should taste like . . . mildly sweet, slightly bitter, clean and smooth.  A sesionable beer to be sure at 5% ABV.  Really quite nice.  An all around good beer!


While sipping my beer I skulked around a bit checking out the equipment . . . tanks, canner, etc.  I happened to look up and spied a red monster dude hanging out on a beam and Elvis perched on top of tank.  


There were kegs and KEGS waiting to be filled.  


But, the pallets of cans and the tanks themselves filled most of the space . . . which was surprisingly small.

By the time we finished our second beer the place was packed . . . and we were sweating like crazy.  A very hot, humid day and a room filled with beer swizzling people makes a very sultry environment.  And the line to get beer . . . looooooooong.  


We eased our way into the line to get our final sample.  I decided to go with the Sea Hag . . . as it was that or the Elm City.  We squeezed our way over to the open overhead door to get some fresh air . . . it was brutally hot.


Mmm . . . out of beer?  Sometimes life is crap.  :)


As we finished up we were ready to get gone.  As crowded and hot as it was we still left happy . . . sweaty but happy.  I'm looking forward to heading back to New England Brewery for another Final Friday.



For more information check out NEBC's website or visit their Facebook page.

Coronado Brewing Company IPA's

While I was searching my local beer store for something new-to-me, I came across this trio of IPA's  from Coronado Brewing Company.  The brewery is located in . . . of all places . . . Coronado, California.  Shocking, I know.  

The mermaid on the bottle grasping a mug a frothy beer is what initially caught my attention . . . after all, who doesn't love a drunken fish girl?  Oh, come on, admit it, you do . . . we all do.  Or maybe its just me . . . whatever.

Anyhoo . . . being the hop loving, bitter beer guzzling chick that I am I felt compelled to give these fin tailed ladies a try.  So I did.

Hoppy Daze is a spring seasonal offering in the style of an unfiltered Belgian IPA.   Brewed with Belgian yeast, it is a bit different than the IPAs I'm used to drinking.  

It pours a hazy golden color with a medium-ish white head.  It is clearly unfiltered . . . I like that because it adds character to the beer. Immediately discernible are tropical fruits . . . pineapple especially . . . that are an interesting contrast to the bitter hops and the toasted malt.  It's sweeter than I would generally prefer in an IPA but not bad.  The hops lend a citrussy flavor that compliment the fruity sweetness and balances the whole thing out.  Hoppy Daze finishes crisp and clean with a pleasant lingering bitterness.

Although it is a bit sweet for my taste there are plenty of hops to enjoy.  It's a very refreshing, drinkable brew that I wouldn't mind revisiting. (7.3% ABV)

Islander IPA . . . wow!  Good beer!  It pours a rich golden color with a thick frothy head.  It's got plenty of that grapefruity, piney hoppiness that I love so much with a touch of tropical fruitiness that is simply complimentary without a lot of overt sweetness.  But what stood out the most was a wonderful caramel flavor that made Islander oh-my-goodness yummy!  It's a fairly strong beer, 7% ABV.  There is a noticeable boozy quality that doesn't detract from the beer at all, but it is clearly there.  It finishes light with a touch of bitterness . . . mmmm, makes me want to go for more.

Overall, this was my favorite of the bunch . . . this mermaid has it all going on.  Really and truly quite delicious.

Last but not least is the Idiot IPA . . . it's okay, I've been called an idiot a time or two.  This one is an Imperial IPA and it's a big beer . . . as an Imperial style beer should be (8.5% ABV).  It's strong, it's hoppy and it's gosh-darned good.  


It  pours amber with a white frothy head.  I was immediately struck by a wonderful piney grapefruity aroma . . . I love that!  If you like hops, then this is it . . . plenty of bitter hops with some citrus fruit and earthy spice and balanced by a mellow sweet maltiness.  It finishes crisp with a touch of bitterness that is quite nice.  Very  will done . . . not too bitter, not too sweet . . . a very good, strong Imperial IPA.  








Three cheers for Coronado Brewing Company!  I look forward to trying their other beers.  YUM!



Visit Coronado Brewing Company's website or check them out on Facebook!

Clown Shoes Vampire Slayer

Clown Shoes Beer has only recently been allowed entry into Connecticut.  My first taste of beer from this brewery was when hubby and I were out to dinner and found Tramp Stamp Belgian IPA on tap . . . it was a truly amazing beer.

So, when I spotted  Vampire Slayer  on sale at my local beer store I immediately grabbed a bottle. Vampire Slayer is an imperial American stout brewed for their second anniversary.

The label sports a young man in the process of impaling a vampire in the heart with a stake  . . . the young man is wearing clown shoes, of course.  Heh!  Rumor has it that this beer is supposedly brewed with holy water and malts smoked with ‘vampire killing stakes.’  I'm dubious but I'll go along with it just for fun. 

The beer pours a rich dark amber with a thick tan head.  Strong coffee and chocolate prevail in the aroma so I was looking forward to my first sip.  All I can say is "wow!" . . . I literally said that when I tasted it.  It is so smooth and creamy it's like drinking velvet.  Yummy coffee chocolate velvet.  

There are other flavors that come through as well; such as caramel and a bit of smoke.  And there is a slight but definite booziness to this stout.  Not surprising considering it is a hefty 11% ABV.  

Stouts and porters are not my favorite style of beer but I think that this is a seriously awesome beer! Give it a go . . . mmm, mmm, good!

Visit Clown Shoes' website or check them out on Facebook.

Double Tap Mexicano

Mmm . . . cerveza fria . . . there may nothing better than an icy cold beer.   Well, mostly.


Today I'm reviewing a pair of Mexican beers: Sol and Tecate.  unbeknownst to me when I picked up this pair of cervesas, both of these beers are brewed by the same company Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery which is a subsidiary of Heineken International.  This brewery is a large operation that has been in business since 1890.  





I can't say that I loved either one of these beers.  They are your everyday, run of the mill beers . . . nothing special . . . that doesn't make them bad, just not outstanding.  Don't get me wrong . . . I like light beers.  I think they have their place in the beer drinking scheme of things.  I equate it to drinking water with alcohol and I drink this alcoholic water quite often.





Tecate . . . Cerveza Tecate-Con Carácter  . . . beer with character, so they say.  Personally, I think that's a bit of an over statement.  It is an American Adjunct Lager.  This style is comparable to beers like Pabst Blue Ribbon, Rolling Rock, etc. - mass produced to be inexpensive.  It's so called because it uses adjunct cereal grains, like rice and corn, to cut costs.


Tecate is very light and unremarkable.  If your looking for a beer with low alcohol content (4.5% ABV) that you can consume in quantities on a hot and sweaty day . . . this is your beer.  Overall . . . meh.







I could say the same for Sol . . . only more so.  It is marketed as "The original Mexican sunshine beer" is a blond Mexican, light, festive and refreshing golden colored pilsner-style beer. Sol is brewed in the style of an American Light Lager with an even lower alcohol content (3.7% ABV).   It is extremely light and I thought a little skunky tasting.  However, I find that is often the case with beers packaged in light colored bottles.  



Again . . . meh.


You may say . . . but, but, but they're a subsidiary of Heineken.  Yeah, well, I don't like  Heineken , either.  The only Heiny you'll catch me grabbing is my hubby's.  Just sayin'.








Cringe if you want . . . but I'll stick with my Keystone Light when I want alcoholic water.  


Cheers!




For more information visit the Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery website. 

Chatoe Rogue OREgasmic Ale

A new-to-me ale that I picked up recently was Chatoe Rogue OREgasmic Ale brewed by Rogue Brewery. Rogue is easily one of my favorite micro-breweries.  Located in the pacific northwest they are another brewery that made their start as a brew pub but have now expanded distribution so that we on the east coast may enjoy their yummy beers.

OREgasmic Ale is one of four special brews that are marketed as GYO (grow your own).  This particular beer is made with Dare malt and Revolution hops which Rogues grows on their micro farms . . . get it?  GYO?  

This ale has a golden amber color that holds it's creamy head.  Pouring this ale will release a piney/fruity aroma.  OREgasmic is a full bodied beer that tastes of hops and malt and caramel . . . an amazing blend of flavors that are very well balanced.  It finishes clean with little to no after taste.  Quite delicious!  6.0% ABV

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook 

Fuller's Organic Honeydew

You won't find me buying anything . . . including beer . . . based solely on its organic-ness.  In my opinion, a lot of organic stuff isn't as all natural as the manufacturer would like us to believe.  Just because you're buying something that hasn't been subjected to antibiotics, hormones or pesticides doesn't mean that it's source hasn't been genetically modified . . . what's worse?  Definitions of what can be considered organic is a bit dicey.  Okay . . . I'll step down off my soap box . . . 



That being said, I decided to give a couple of organic beers a try and I did purchase them based on the their organic-ness.  Am I a hypocrite?  No . . . I did for no other reason than to earn a badge on Untapped.  April is Organic Beer Month and in order to earn this badge one must consume two organic beers . . . easy enough.  I think I can manage to choke down a beer or two.  Who says we don't need no stinkin' badges??





I chose this beer completely at random based only on the fact that it claimed to be organic.

Fuller's Organic Honeydew is . . . in a few carefully chosen words . . . an incredibly divine brew.   This beer is like none I've ever had before . . . and I've drunk a lot of beer in my time.


Brewed by Fuller Smith & Turner in London England, this ale is sweet-mother-of-God good.  I'm might be willing to sacrifice a baby cow to the gods of beer for this deliciousness in a bottle.  Yeah, I liked this beer.  Can you tell?

Its flavors are an interesting blend of two ancient styles of brew . . . mead and beer.    It pours a golden color with a rapidly diminishing head.  I was immediately struck by the honey taste.  Fear not, this beer is not overly sweet but has distinctive honey flavor. . . real honest-to-goodness honey . . . followed by a mellow maltiness.  Not a hint of bitterness here.  Smooth . . . easy to drink.  Too easy . . . this is a beer I could drink all day long on a hot summer day and feel refreshed with every mouthful.  






And, for all you greenies, this is an organic beer.  So feel free to indulge while you're out there saving the world.

Unfortunately, it is not available in six packs . . . 16.9 oz singles only.  Seriously, give it a go.  I don't think you will be disappointed.  This ale is truly the nectar of the gods!   (5% ABV)


For more information go to the Fuller's website or visit them on Facebook.

Harpoon Chocolate Stout

Since I started writing reviews for the new beers that I drink I've notice an ever increasing awareness of the complexities of the flavors of different beers and a growing appreciation for styles of beer that I never truly enjoyed before.


Take porters and stouts for example.  I always considered them heavy beers with strong flavor.  This is true and yet it's not.  They certainly can drink like a meal but they can also spin an intricate web of subtle flavors that combine to make for a truly pleasurable drinking experience.







A stout that follows along along those lines is Harpoon Chocolate Stout.  You open that bottle and your pouring chocolate beer . . . dark chocolate beer.  Slightly sweet and a little bitter . . . a delight to be sure.

This yummy stout is brewed by Harpoon Brewery which has plants located in Boston Massachusetts and Windsor, Vermont.  

What makes this beer so chocolatey?  According to Harpoon it is brewed with an abundance of chocolate malt and a touch of chocolate. Enough said.  

It pours a dark rich brown . . . almost black . . . with a light brown head.  Chocolate, of course, is the primary flavor but there are hints of nuts and coffee, as well.  Not particularly sweet and finishes bitter with very little hoppiness.

This stout a got a nice mouth feel and is not overly carbonated.  It feels and tastes just right, in my estimation.  A beer to be savored and enjoyed . . . I think its a good curl-up-with-a-good-book beer or to be shared while relaxing good friends.

Just try to stop at just one.  Very drinkable at 5.9% alcohol by volume.

Cheers!

Check out their other beers on the website or visit them on Facebook.

Lagunita Wilco Tango Foxtrot

Lagunita Wilco Tango Foxtrot  . . . a malty, robust, jobless recovery ale . . . WTF indeed.  

What’s in a name?  If you know your military letter call signs, then you’ll know.  If not, well, I’m not going to spell it out for you.

And the subtitle?  A beer the jests about the current economy and the policies that have put us where we are . . . you know, $4 for a gallon of gasoline? 

A beer with a sense of humor; well, that only adds to the appeal.

It pours a rich reddish brown color with small head.  It has a malty aroma with mild hoppy undertones.   It’s slightly bitter upfront but not over powering and then finishes with almost chocolaty.  WTF is medium bodied, full flavored brown ale. It goes down smooth and easy . . . and that’s pretty dangerous for a beer that is nearly 8% alcohol by volume. 

The Lagunitas Brewing Company is a brewery located near Lagunitas, California.  They are known as much for their unorthodox approach to traditional beer styles as for their unique packaging.

Visit Lagunitas at their website  or on Facebook  

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA

I would, by no means, call myself a hophead.  In fact, it was only recently that I came to appreciate the hoppy goodness of a good IPA.

Why the sudden turn about?  I don’t know.  Maybe IPA’s, like beer in general, are an acquired taste and perhaps I’ve acquired the taste.  Or, maybe I never had a good IPA and I’ve recently had a few very good ones.  Perhaps, it’s a combination of the two. Whatever the case I thinking I’m liking IPA’s.  

Frankly, I selected the Yellow Snow IPA by Rogue Ales it because of the fun label and a name that couldn’t be denied.  The fact that I’m not (or wasn’t) and IPA drinker didn’t matter . . . I had to try it!   All I can say is the Yellow Snow was gooooood and didn’t not disappoint.

Rogue started out as a brewpub and is headquartered in Newport, Oregon.  It is a small but growing brewery with a variety of craft beers that are distributed throughout the United States.  I know this because I live all the way on the other side of the country and it seems like there’s a new Rogue beer to try every time I visit my local package store.

Unlike its namesake, Yellow Snow is immediately inviting . . . it is a deep gold color with bright fruity aroma of grapefruit with a hint of pine.    The beer has a cloudy, unfiltered appearance and pours a big head.   It’s hoppy, but not in-your-face or over the top.   It rolls over the tongue with a hint of caramel and spiciness that fully compliments the citrusy, bitter goodness.  Yellow Snow is truly a good brew . . .two thumbs up! 

6.2% alcohol by volume.

Visit Rogue at their website  or on Facebook 

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

If you had asked me a month ago if I was a fan of India Pale Ales I would have responded with a resounding ‘no’.  If you asked me today I’d say I’ve got a hankerin’ for some of that bitter, citrusy goodness!  Really!  I think I just drooled a little simply thinking about one. Mmmm.

I've seen Dogfish Head beer on tap at a lot of the pubs and bars that I've visited.   The intriguing name invites one to take a sip and sample their wares.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.  Dogfish Head Brewery is based in Milton, Delaware and gets its name from Dogfish Head, Maine where the brewery’s founder spent his childhood summers.

 

I decided to try one of their beers, basically because I hadn't had too many IPA's and wanted to expand my beer drinking horizons.  If I see something on tap all over the place I get the notion it might be a good place to start.  


So, I got a bottle.  As the beer poured into the glass the bright golden color really caught my attention . . . it was very rich looking . . . very appealing.  The grapefruity aroma as I took my first whiff of the 60 minute was mouthwatering.  

The first taste was equally lip smacking.  The beer is citrusy and as hoppy as I would expect an IPA to be with a bitter finish.  Overall I didn’t think the hoppiness was overpowering and the tart fruit flavors were refreshing.  A very drinkable and yummy beer. 

6% alcohol by volume.

Visit Dogfish Head at their website  or on Facebook 

Switchback Ale - Switchback Brewing Company

One of our favorite restaurants, Red Park Steakhouse and Pub, has a hoppin' pub with some fantastic bartenders.  The bar is so much fun we normally dine in there instead of the restaurant.  

The pub has a large selection of standard beers with few rotating taps.  There's always something interesting and new to try.  While enjoying our appetizer we decided to go with a Switchback Ale.

Switchback Brewing was founded in 2002 by a couple of friends and is located in Burlington, Vermont.  I'm a big fan of small breweries, so anytime I get the chance to try a new microbrew I'm all over it.  This one didn't disappoint.  

Switchback Ale is brewed with five different malts, select hop varieties, and their own specially cultivated yeast.  The special brewing process uses the yeast to naturally carbonate the beer, and it is left unfiltered. 5.0% alcohol by volume. 

When the beer was set in front of me by the bartender I was immediately struck by the color . . . a beautiful reddish gold.   It was fairly clear for an unfiltered ale. The taste was refreshing; not overly hoppy, clean and fresh tasting with a nice malty flavor on the tail end.   It wasn't in-yer-face remarkable but overall it yummy and very drinkable.   If you're looking for something different to try, I'd say give it a go.

For more information you can find Switchback Brewing Company on Facebook.

Sap House Meadery

This week is vacation week . . . unfortunately for everyone else, as well.  So much for a peaceful week in the White Mountains glutting on micro-brews and majestic snow covered mountain peaks.   Don’t get me wrong . . . we are still imbibing quite ubiquitously on liquid bread but it’s not so quiet with all the invasive rugrats crunching crumbs and whatnot.  


It amazes me how many parents drag their kids into bars and pubs when there are plenty of kid friendly places to be visit.


Not to be deterred, we will not sequester ourselves in our small but cozy room with our faces glued to our laptops and noses stuffed into a book . . . or Kindle, as it were . . . although we will make plenty of time for that as well.

The other day we ventured out to a local meadery owned and operated by a couple of young men in Center Ossipee, New Hampshire . . . the Sap House Meadery.  Center Ossipee is by no means a bustling metropolis . . . it a quaint little town that is quiet in the winter time and teeming in the summer due to the plethora of lakes in the area. The Sap House is a small establishment located in what was once a local grocery.  

Owners Ash Fischbein and Matt Trahan (from left) 

Owners Ash Fischbein and Matt Trahan (from left) 
As we walked in the door we were greeted warmly by a pleasant relaxed atmosphere and one of the proprietors, Ash Fishbein, who was offering up samples of his wares.  We also met co-owner Matt Trahan and Mom.


At the time of our visit, the business has been in operation for just over a year.  And, by the looks of things they are off to a great start.  The presentation of their product is tasteful as are the contents they contain.

Like many of the businesses in this area, they make every effort to support the regional economy by using only locally produced ingredients for their meads.  And, when that is not possible, they make sure that the ingredients are fair trade certified.

We did a sampling of their four main offerings and one seasonal.  We were not disappointed.  They were all quite different and delicious . . . not typical of the meads I’ve had in the past, the Sap House meads are less sweet and on the drer side.


Ash, mazer (slang for mead maker) extraordinaire and our bartender for the sampling . . . besides plying us with the lovingly made luscious liquid . . . regaled us with the history of mead and its primary ingredient honey.

If you’ve never had mead it’s very different from wine or beer.  It is, in fact, a honey wine that is millennia old . . . archeological discoveries as far back as 8,000 to 12,000 B.C.  At its simplest mead can be described as an alcoholic drink of fermented honey and water.  Of course, modern mead makers have expanded the basic recipe.  At the Sap House Meadery, they offer up a rich Vanilla Bean, smooth Sugar Maple, citrusy Hopped Blueberry and dry-ish pyment (which is made with a red wine grape juice) called Ossipioja .  All in all . . . YUM!

Honey . . . the main ingredient in mead . . . has been forever used for food and medicinal purposes.  As Ash describes it . . . the honeymoon has long been a wedding tradition.  The honey in honeymoon comes from an old northern European custom in which newlyweds would, for a month, consume a daily cup of mead.  It is thought that the honey would increase the chances of a boy child being conceived.    If nothing else the intoxicating effects of the mead would surely encourage  . . . uhm . . . sexy time.

Not surprisingly, mead was the preferred drink during the Meditteranean “Age of Gold” . . . however, interestingly enough, the word for drunk in classical Greek translates to "intoxicated with honey".

We walked out of the store feeling the pleasant effects of the mead and four bottles of the heavenly nectar.  We were in no way dissatisfied. . . in fact, we were extremely impressed.  Cheers guys!!  We will be back.