Beer Review – Maine Beer Company Zoe

As of this writing, Maine Beer Company lists a total of eight beers on their website. If you count this review, I have so far covered seven of them. I guess I’m sort of like Ray Kinsella from Field of Dreams when it comes to Maine Beer Company. If they brew it, I will buy it!

In case you don’t remember Field of Dreams, here’s a clip from the movie to refresh your memory…

Before we got on with this review, this is what Maine Beer Company has to say about Zoe, their happy, hoppy, amber ale:

Our take on an American amber ale.  Complex malt bill delivers notes of dark raisin, chocolate and biscuit.  Copious additions of American hops yield notes of pine and citrus.

And now for my impressions of this beer…

• Appearance:  The color is reddish brown and somewhat cloudy. Since I poured this into my glass somewhat aggressively, a thick, fluffy 2 inch off-white head formed rapidly and dissipated really slowly. Some lovely lacing remained on the insides of the glass as I slowly drank my beer.
• Aroma: I’m getting fresh out of the oven biscotti (the kind that are a bit overdone at the edges), hints of bittersweet chocolate, and honey from the malt, along with a strong grapefruit and pine scent from the hops.
• Taste: Rich and creamy mouthfeel, perhaps even a bit chewy. This beer has some serious body to it! Starts off with that semisweet roasted malt goodness. Bitter hops kick in towards the middle and lead you to a dry, mouth coating, and moderately bitter finish that lingers for quite awhile.
• ABV: 7.2%

It’s been a couple years since I tried Maine Beer Company’s Zoe. The first time around, I thought it was just ok, but in all fairness, I had it after a Peeper, so I was probably too starstruck at the time to realize how good Zoe truly is. While there are definitely oodles of hops at play here, once again, Maine Beer Company has done a fantastic job of keeping the bitterness in check with a healthy dose of sweet malty goodness. Great stuff and well deserving of its #1 Amber Ale ranking on Rate Beer!

Beer Review – Anchor Brewing Porter

As I am drinking this bottle of Anchor Brewing’s Porter and writing up this review, Mrs. G-LO is fast asleep in the room above me. Tomorrow morning at 8:30, she will be flying to San Francisco for the American Educational Research Association’s annual meeting (sounds like fun right?). It would have been great to join her in San Francisco for part of the trip (I’ve never been there), but due to work obligations (it’s budget season!), I wasn’t able to take any time off.

In honor of her journey, I decided that I would review this beer from San Francisco’s very own Anchor Brewing. I figured that if I couldn’t try this beer in its natural habitat, I may as well try it at home.

Here is some information about this Porter from Anchor Brewing:

With deep black color, a thick, creamy head, rich chocolate, toffee and coffee flavors, and full-bodied smoothness, Anchor Porter® is the epitome of a handcrafted dark beer.

A blend of specially roasted pale, caramel, chocolate, and black malts, along with our top-fermenting yeast, creates complexity without bitterness. The brew is hopped at a high rate, and naturally carbonated. The result is dark in the glass, but surprisingly light on the palate.

Anchor Porter® became the first modern American porter when it was introduced in 1972. As we celebrate its 40th anniversary, our porter continues to reward those who look beyond its intimidating appearance to discover its smooth, full-bodied drinkability. Anchor Porter® is the definitive American Porter.

Let’s find out if this beer is an American classic or simply just another beer…

• Appearance: Deep, dark mahogany color with a bit of light brown coming through at the edges when held up to the light. Thick, one inch tan head that dissipates slowly. Good bit of sticky lacing.
• Aroma: The nose is not nearly as robust as I would have expected when I first poured it, so I decided to douche it up with the camera while this beer warmed up a bit. Letting it sit was a good move! The classic Porter coffee and chocolate notes are front and center. The coffee is of the American roast variety, i.e. it reminds me of the Ellis or Lacas brand coffees that I have had on numerous occasions at one of the many Diners in the Philly/South Jersey area, and the chocolate is of the semi-sweet variety. Also getting hints of raisins and dried apricots.
• Taste: Medium bodied, i.e. not too watery and not too thick. Lightly carbonated with a somewhat creamy mouthfeel. A good bit of dried fruit sweetness at the onset followed immediately by a small dose of hoppy bitterness. From the middle to the finish, the roasted coffee and semi-sweet chocolate take over. Leaves you with a soothing coffee aftertaste that lingers for a few minutes.
• ABV: 5.6%

While I have had the Anchor Steam Beer on a few occasions over the years, for whatever reason, it wasn’t until recently that I started to dig deeper into the rest of Anchor Brewing’s line-up, and boy am I glad I did! In the past five months, I have grown to really appreciate their Christmas and Liberty Ales, and I am happy to report that their Porter is also supremely delicious. It has everything you look for in a dark beer but without the high octane punch of a Russian Imperial Stout or a Baltic Porter. Don’t get me wrong, I have grown to love those big beers, but they’re not something that I would want to drink on a daily basis. For those times when I crave a dark beer, but don’t want to go overboard, Anchor Porter is definitely worth considering. The verdict: a true American classic!

Beer Review – Great Lakes Alchemy Hour Double IPA

There’s no real story behind the purchase of this beer. I saw it on the shelf, was instantly intrigued, and since I really enjoy most of what Great Lakes Brewing Co. makes, decided to pick up a bottle for an eventual review. It’s as simple as that!

Here is what Great Lakes has to say about their Alchemy Hour Double IPA:

On the West Coast, surfers have a term for that perfect time of day, when the waves are breaking just right and it feels like you can ride forever. They call it Alchemy Hour. In Cleveland, our surfers have to work a little harder to find a perfect swell. Dressed in wetsuits, up at dawn, they camp out on the shores of Lake Erie in near-freezing temperatures, waiting for the ultimate wave. Crazy? Yes. Extreme? Definitely. Alchemy Hour Double IPA pays tribute to the North Coast’s unlikely surf bums and the ancient quest for liquid gold, wherever it may live: on the ocean, in a lake, in a bottle.

Let’s get on with my review…

• Appearance: Cloudy red-orange color. Not much in the way of foam, i.e. it dissipated pretty quickly. A bit of lacing, but nothing over the top.
• Aroma: Oodles of citrusy hops with a good bit of sweetness to back it up. Think honey tangerine and pink grapefruit with a drizzle of honey.
• Taste: Medium bodied with a healthy dose of fizzy carbonation. Much less aggressive than I was expecting. The citrusy hops and honey sweetness play very nicely together. There’s never too much bitterness, and it’s never overly sweet. And by the time you get to the finish, the hops don’t build up like they do in other double IPAs that I’ve had. Quite crisp and refreshing given the high alcohol content.
• ABV: 9.4%

While I’ve had an IPA or two from Great Lakes Brewing Co. (Commodore Perry IPA and Lake Erie Monster), I didn’t really love them (they were good, but not great). For whatever reason, the Alchemy Hour Double IPA has definitely won me over. This beer is beautifully balanced, and given it’s high ABV, it’s also supremely drinkable. Well done Great Lakes!

Beer Review – Budweiser Black Crown

During my hunt for the absolutely delicious Founders All Day IPA, I saw that Total Wine in Cherry Hill, NJ was selling singles of the Budweiser Black Crown. Since I was curious to see what this beer is all about, I decided to pick up a bottle as part of a mixed six pack.

Here’s what Budweiser has to say about their Black Crown:

Budweiser Black Crown is a new 6% ABV golden amber lager chosen by you, the people. Rooted in Budweiser’s rich heritage and authenticity, it delivers a smooth and distinct flavor you’ve come to expect from the King of Beers. Brewed with toasted caramel malt and a variety of American Hops, this drinkable golden amber lager is finished over beechwood chips for a smooth and distinctive flavor. Join the conversation now with #TasteIs.

Let’s find out if Budweiser brewed up something special…

• Appearance: Crystal clear amber color. Quite the noisy pour! All of that pop pop fizz fizz makes it sound like I’m filling my glass with seltzer. Zero head and zero lacing.
• Aroma:  It even smells like seltzer! Actually, it smells like a Yuengling Spritzer. I guess it smells kinda malty and sweet, but that would be quite a stretch.
• Taste: Watery mouthfeel and light carbonation. Would it have killed them to add some hoppy bitterness? Talk about an unbalanced beer! All I’m getting from start to finish is bland malt. And the aftertaste reminds me of wet cardboard. Let me clarify. This is what I imagine cardboard would taste like if you let it steep in stagnant water for 7 days.
• ABV: 6.0%

McDonald’s hamburgers. Cheetohs. Kraft Mac and Cheese. Instant Ramen Noodles. Hamburger flavored Doritos. Many of us would classify these foods as craptastic, i.e. so so bad, yet so so good (especially late at night and with a bit of buzz going on). I wish this beer fell into the craptastic category. What we have here is a beer that is so bland and flavorless that I wish it were awful enough to be considered craptastic. Bud Black Crown bored me to tears and almost put me to sleep. I never thought I’d say this, but this beer is making me crave a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy. Now I just need to find a snack that will get this awful taste out of my mouth!

But wait! There’s more…

If you’d like to read a bit more about this beer, click the following links:

• “Proof that Budweiser REALLY Wants You to Love Black Crown” by Jim of the Beer & Whiskey Bros. blog
• “Budweiser Bares it All with Black Crown (or is it Black Clown?)” by The Alemonger

And just to be fair, here’s a Bud drinker’s opinion about the Budweiser Black Crown:

Beer Review – Maine Beer Company Lil One

A few weeks ago, The Alemonger sent me a photo via text (for those of you that sweat the details, this happened on February 23rd at 5:01 PM) of the latest Maine Beer Company beer (i.e. Lil One) that he purchased at the Wegman’s Wine and Spirits store in Cherry Hill, NJ. Until I received his text, I had never heard of this beer. I like to think that I am up on the whole Craft Beer scene, but the truth is that there is way too much going on for me to keep up.

During out brief text chat, he claimed that he TRIED to get me one, but alas, he purchased the LAST bottle in stock. Only The Alemonger knows what really went down that afternoon, and given his propensity for being tight lipped when the circumstances demand it, I suspect that I will never know the truth about the Wegman’s inventory at his time of purchase. Thankfully, after a brief dinner at Pei Wei with the wife and kids a week or two after The Alemonger’s text, I made a quick stop at the aforementioned Wegman’s Wine and Liquor store and managed to secure a bottle of Maine Beer Company’s Lil One for my very own.

Here is what Maine Beer Company has to say about their Lil One:

This is our big winter beer. Hoppy, balanced, and full of warm belly cheer. Kevin created this brew and named it after his newborn daughter. This one got brewed once this year, and we hope that it brings some light to these cold, dark months. Drink it fresh!

And now for my impressions of this beer…

• Appearance: Cloudy red-orange color. Thick off white foam that maxes out at around 1.5 inches and then dissipates slowly. Clingy lacing as you drink it down.
• Aroma: Rich, resinous hop aroma upfront with a fresh baked shortbread cookie sweetness coming through in the background.
• Taste: Moderately carbonated with a very creamy mouthfeel. Starts off with that malty sweetness which has a cane sugar and honey like quality. The bitter hops kick in at mid-palate, but they don’t dominate the flavors since that sweetness is there to lend some balance. The bitterness intensifies at the finish, but never becomes overwhelming. Dry, astringent finish with the alcohol finally showing up to say hello.
• ABV: 9.1%

Maine Beer Company has done it again! Lil One is one seriously flavorful, and beautifully balanced beer. It has some serious hops for sure, but it also has a solid malt backbone to keep those hops in line. I know their beers are a tad on the expensive side (this half liter bottle cost me $7), but I think they are worth every penny. Any brewer that goes to the trouble of printing “Drink it fresh!” on one of their labels FOUR TIMES is obviously very serious about delivering a quality product to their customers. Cheers to a job well done!

Event Review – Fair Food Philly’s Brewer’s Plate 2013

This past Sunday, The Wookie, our friend Mike (an honorary Booze Dancer), and I attended Fair Food Philly’s annual Brewer’s Plate event at the National Constitution Center. This would be The Wookie’s second time attending this event (click here to read his review of last year’s event), and a first time visit for Mike and I.

Before I get into my event review, here is a bit of information about the Brewer’s Plate taken directly from a Fair Food Philly press release:

Fair Food, a nonprofit organization uniting local farmers, business and consumers, presents The Brewers Plate at National Constitution Center Sunday, March 10, 2013 from 5:30-9:00 PM. The organization’s largest, most popular and well-established fundraiser is truly a unique event uniting more than 50 local culinary outlets with an expected thousand attendees.

Outlet and beer pairings in the General Admission area are as follows:

• Brauhaus Schmidt/Street Food Philly and Neshaminy
• City Tap House and Troegs
• Fair Food Farmstand with McKenzie
• Iron Hill and Iron Hill
• Kennett Restaurant and Yards
• Khyber Pub Pass and Sly Fox
• London Grill and Desiato Cider
• Varga Bar and Brooklyn Brewery
• SPTR and Philly Brewing Co.
• Southwark and Nodding Head
• The Belgian Café and Fegleys
• Tria and Victory
• White Dog Café and Dogfish
• Alla Spina and Stoudt’s
• Keatings and Cricket Hill
• Guerrilla Ultima BBQ and Dock Street
• Field House and River Horse
• Bard Ferdinand and Lancaster
• El Camino Real and Weyerbacher
• Cedar Point Bar and Kitchen and Boxcat
• McCrossens and Prism
• Triumph and Triumph

Each restaurant has a little over a week to get creative with local dish ideas. Many of the restaurants and breweries are keeping their serving items under wraps as a surprise for attendants, but some interestingly imaginative dish ideas include Alla Spina’s mortadella hot dogs with red cabbage and pickles paired with Stoudt’s Karnival Kolsch; Cedar Point’s grilled cheese stuffed with BBQ portabella and apple slaw and Boxcar’s Mango Ginger IPA; and White Dog Café’s house-made scrapple sliders with Dogfish’s Chicory Stoudt. Additionally, lucky VIPrs will sample Victory’s newest not yet on the market creation and Weckerly’s Ice Cream ‘Man Full of Trouble’ flavor (porter with chocolate covered shortbread) created specifically for the event.

Keeping in mind that the list above does NOT include the food and beer pairings that were going on in the VIP area, and the desserts and spirits that were being served in the Speakeasy area, there is only one way to describe my experience at this year’s Brewer’s Plate: overwhelming, but in a very very good way! There was so much food and drink available, and I tried so many different things in such a short period of time, that by 7PM (90 minutes into the event with 120 minutes to go), I was really wishing that I owned a pair of Sansabelt pants.

While I would love to talk about every Craft Beer and food thingy that I consumed during this event, the truth is that we were moving so fast that I didn’t have time to take notes (I was also trying to get some decent photos AND socialize a bit, so multitasking was becoming increasingly difficult as I ate and drank my way through the evening. I know, I know. Poor me! ). Whether it was one of the casked Ales from Forest & Main, the Eclat Hop Wallop Infused Chocolate Truffles, the Duck Confit-Foie Gras Banh Mi (try saying THAT three times fast after having a few beers) from London Grill, the always superb Capogiro gelato, or even the beer-cured salmon from Bar Ferdinand, I can honestly say that everything which I consumed throughout the course of this 3.5 hour eating and drinking extravaganza was excellent.

One of the most interesting parts of the evening occurred at 7:15 when we took part in a beer and cheese pairing session which was led by Aimee Olexy of Talula’s Table in Kennett Square and Talula’s Garden in Philadelphia. Once again, I can’t remember the names of all the cheeses and beers we consumed, but I do remember the first beer/cheese pairing which I thought was particularly interesting…

On the morning of the event, Aimee whipped up a batch of fresh ricotta (which was of course made from locally sourced and uber fresh milk) that she planned to serve at these tastings. The ricotta was layered atop some home made granola, and we were instructed to try it with a wee sample of Troegs JavaHead Stout. I was truly blown away by this combination because the creaminess of the ricotta, the crunchiness and mild sweetness of the granola, and the boldness of the Stout all played together so beautifully that I can totally imagine having something like this for dessert. All of the other beers and cheeses were also outstanding, but once again, I can’t remember any other details. My only complaint about this portion of the evening has more to do with my approach to all of the eating and drinking than with the beer/cheese tasting itself. When you plan to consume vast amounts of food and drink at an event like this, the key to survival is constant movement (and Sansabelt pants!). As I told The Wookie at the beginning of the beer/cheese pairing, I liken what I was feeling when I first sat down at the table to fresh mixed concrete, i.e. as long as the concrete mixer keeps moving you’re fine, but once you pour it, it will start to set. Again, my fault, not theirs.

In addition to Craft Beer and fantastic food, there were also a bit of high test libations on hand to sample in The Speakeasy and VIP areas. The Philadelphia area is home to some outstanding brewers, but there is also a bit of a distilling Renaissance going on as well. Philadelphia Distilling brought their Bluecoat Gin and Vieux Carre Absinthe, Art in the Age brought their Root, Snap, Rhubarb, and Sage, and Dad’s Hat brought their White Rye and Rye Whiskey. I never made it to the Art in the Age table, but I did get to try the Vieux Carre Absinthe and Dad’s Hat Rye Whiskey. Both were highly enjoyable and served as a fine intermezzo as we took a small break from all of the Craft Beer and fine food.

While the food and drink were wonderful, what really made this event truly special were the people. From the volunteers and security people, to the people working at the tables pouring our drinks and serving our food, to all of those in attendance, the National Constitution Center was overflowing with enthusiasm and good cheer! Brewer’s Plate 2013 was an evening that I will talk about often. I can’t wait to see what they (literally) cook and brew up for next year’s 10th Anniversary event!

Just two more things…

#1 – In between all of the eating and drinking, I tried my best to do a bit of socializing as well, because as I said just one paragraph ago, it’s the people that made this event truly special. During the event we ran into Mr. and Mrs. Miracle Max, Pete LaVerghetta and his wife,  Ryan Hudak of the In Search of Beer blog who was there with his wife Leanne, Sean Mellody of Mellody Brewing, Ethan (thank you for not sporting the mankini!) of the Brewniversal blog, Dorrie of the Food Muses blog, Michele of the Stouts and Stilettos blog, and the Official Unofficial Photographer of all things Philly Beer, Stephen Lyford. It was a pleasure to share a drink with all of you!

#2 – Below are some photos that I took throughout the event. Hope you enjoy them!

Eclat Hop Wallop Chocolate Truffles

Aimee Olexy of Talula’s Garden

Hoppin John Orchestra

Stout Float

Vieux Carre Absinthe by Philadelphia Distilling

Weyerbacher

Cheese and Beer Pairing

Spanish Cured Ham Tease courtesy of Bar Ferdinand

Triumph Brewing

____________________________________________

Many thanks to the good people at Fair Food Philly for inviting us to this outstanding event!

Beer Review – Petrus Aged Pale

I bought this bottle of Petrus Aged Pale by mistake during a recent lunch time beer run to The Foodery. I know what you’re thinking. How does one buy a beer by mistake? Here’s how it happened…

After reading a positively mouth watering review of a Petrus beer on the I Think About Beer blog, I decided that I just had to pick up a bottle ASAP. The problem is, I picked up the wrong Petrus beer (the review was of an Oud Bruin, not a Pale Ale). Of course I didn’t realize this until I got home that night, but since I like Belgian beer immensely, and since I was curious to try any beer made by Petrus, I wasn’t too upset by my mistake.

Before I get to the review, here is what Bavik Brewery, the maker of Petrus Belgian beers, has to say about this beer:

Beer Review – Innis & Gunn Rum Cask

Recently, after meeting G-LO for lunch, I stopped in The Foodery and put together a mixed six. One of the bottles was Innis & Gunn’s Rum Cask. I selected the bottle as a result of the beautiful amber color that beckoned through the clear glass. It didn’t hurt that I was looking for something that I hadn’t had and I am a fan of Scotch Ales. Innis & Gunn is renowned for their oak aging process and went from using American oak barrels to maturing their beers in former whiskey and rum casks. This has taken good beer and imparted the characteristics of the oak, whiskey or rum barrels to elevate their beers to something special. The Rum cask is a Scotch Ale that is aged in recycled rum casks for 57 days. This beer was awarded a bronze medal at the 2011 International Beer Challenge. Other well regarded beers are the Irish Whisky Cask (a stout aged in Irish whiskey barrels for 60 days) which took the Gold Medal at the 2012 International Beer Challenge and the Winter Treacle Porter (a porter aged in oak for 39 days) that took the Silver at the 2012 World Beer Championships.

Here is what Innis & Gunn has to say about the Rum Cask:

Beer Review – Green Flash Le Freak

While doing a bit of Craft Beer/Wine/Whisky gift shopping over the 2012 holidays, I noticed that Green Flash has finally released 12 ounce versions of their Le Freak ale. Since I have yet to have a lackluster beer from this brewery, I just had to pick up a bottle!

Here is what Green Flash has to say about their Le Freak:

An ‘out of the box’ modern ale crafted by converging two beer styles, Belgian Trippel and American Imperial IPA. Dry-Hopped and Bottle-Conditioned – it’s a zesty brew with enticing American hop and fruity Belgian yeast aromatics.

Let’s get on with the review…

What would you add to a new home bar??

So I haven’t posted anything in several months. (The guys have been sure to point out my lack of posts).   Work, family, and life in general has consumed much of my writing time leaving only enough spare time for the occasional sarcastic comment.

The largest thing that has eaten up much of my free time is the design, planning, and construction of our home’s first floor renovation but it’s finally done.  The renovation just wrapped up this past week and my favorite piece of the renovated space is my new bar area (or as my kids call it: “Daddy’s Little Beer Kitchen”).

As you can see from the pic above my booze center is an empty blank slate.  It awaits it’s first beer, spirit, and/or cool bar tool.  So as I decide what will be included in the new bar I figured would ask everyone the following question: