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Beer Snob, The (43 items)

July 06, 2008
15:14
Buckbean Brewing: Original Orange Blossom Ale
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Buckbean Brewing Company was founded in 2007 in Reno, NV. They can their beer instead of bottling it for environmental reasons. According to their press release package, microbreweries only bottled their beers initially because the aluminum canning lines were not designed for smaller production, so glass bottles were their only option. So people began to [...]
July 02, 2008
14:42
Visit a fellow Nashville Beer Blogger
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I’ve recently come across a fellow Nashville area beer aficionado and blogger at [nashvillebeergeek.blogspot.com] Pay him a visit…he’s just started the blog recently but it’s already got a lot of good information, including some beer myths and the truth behind them. Pay him a visit today!
14:39
13th Annual Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza
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The 13th Annual Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza is back, August 1-2! Mammoth Mountain is proud to host a fantastic lineup of blues performers and over 50 of the top breweries in the country –outdoors among the pines with California’s Eastern High Sierra as a backdrop. This event has gained a reputation for being [...]
July 01, 2008
1:56
Flying Dog Garde Dog Biere De Garde
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Flying Dog sent me this brew a while ago. I tried it but lost my tasting notes. Well, tonight I decided to get some beer to do a new review and saw this beer. Thought I’d finally review this for my blog. So here goes… The Pour This poured with a two-finger head that dissipated quickly with [...]
June 28, 2008
17:09
Sam Adams Longshot: Grape Pale Ale
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Sam Adams has had a home brewing contest the last couple of years, and at least one random person’s brew and one Sam Adams employee’s brew get bottled for sale. This is one of the 2007 winners, developed by Lili Hess, winner of the Samuel Adams employee homebrew competition. According to the bottle, this beer is [...]
June 10, 2008
23:34
Sam Adams Longshot: Weizenbock
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Sam Adams has had a home brewing contest the last couple of years, and at least one random person’s brew and one Sam Adams employee’s brew get bottled for sale. This is one of the 2007 winners, developed by a Rodney Kibzey of Illinois. According to the German Beer Institute: Comparable to the barley-based regular Bockbier, [...]
June 07, 2008
15:18
Pyramid Brewery: Thunderhead India Pale Ale
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I don’t review higher alcohol beers very often. I suppose it’s because here in Tennessee, you can’t sell liquor (and high-alcohol beer) in the same store as regular beer, and the selection of higher alcohol beers is usually not a vast one. So I end up buying regular beer up to 6% ABV or so. This [...]
June 06, 2008
9:51
News of a new brewery, and new beer review coming tomorrow
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I tried Pyramid Brewery’s Thunderhead IPA last night. I’ll be posting that most likely tomorrow. It’s a higher alcohol beer than what I generally review (it’s only 6.7% though). I want to start doing more of those. Anyway, I received an email from someone at a new brewery based out of Reno, Nevada, Buckbean Brewing, and [...]
May 21, 2008
22:27
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale
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I’ve seen this beer before, but it recently came up in a beer-centric conversation with a friend, so I thought I’d give it a shot. According to the Terrapin Web site, Terrapin Beer Company was founded by two brewers who share a commitment to to creating world class beers unsurpassed in character and flavor. In a [...]
May 15, 2008
1:08
Flying Dog Kerberos Tripel
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So despite the fact that I’ve had a hard time posting reviews of the beers Flying Dog has sent me lately, they sent me another sample: Kerberos Tripel. This arrived on a good day as I was in need of a good beer but wasn’t planning on buying any until Friday.

Along with the bottle, they also sent a pretty handy chart (printed on both sides) showing their various beers and breaking down the malts and hops used in each, their awards, flavor characteristics, food pairings, etc. It’s available for download here.

Here is what Flying Dog has to say about this beer:

Kerberos is a bottle conditioned Belgian-style Strong Ale that weighs in at 8.5% ABV. It’s brewed with Pilsner and Aromatic malts and Golding and Saaz hops, yielding a deep golden to light copper in color. We recommend pairing Kerberos with poultry, creamy cheeses, fruit pastries or creme brulee.

Here’s what I had to say…

The Pour
Poured into a nice big pilsner glass, this showed an average, somewhat loose head that dissipated quickly, and leaving no real lacing on the glass. This brew was a bright golden copper color and definitely looked unfiltered. It looks like it will be a heavy, very slightly carbonated brew.

The Nose
This has a slightly sweet, slightly hoppy floral aroma. It smells like it will be a solid bodied beer that you’ll want to chew. You can pick up hints of bread or wheat in the nose as well.

The Taste
The body is indeed thick. It’s somewhat cloying and has an oily mouthfeel and does feel like something you could chew. None of this is really a bad thing, as it’s balanced out by the alcohol and hops, which are more noticeable at first. There’s also almost a wheaty flavor noticed after a few sips. After a few drinks the hops and alcohol become less pronounced, but you get the warmth of the alcohol all the way through. The mouthfeel doesn’t really change but it’s a somewhat pleasant presence.

Overall
This is like a thick, heavy pilsner. It seems to maintain a good subtle hoppiness, interspersed with wheat flavor making the occasional cameo. For a beer that is 8.5% ABV, the alcohol is slight noticeable at first, though very mellow, and just gets better as it warms your palate. All in all, this is great for those times you just want a good solid heavy beer to almost chew on. Very warm and tasty.

Recommended: Sure, but don’t buy it expecting beer to chug as you watch the game or hang out on the deck.

Price: Unknown

ABV: 8.5%
May 13, 2008
23:41
Try Flying Dog!
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As you know, Flying Dog sends me beers to try every now and then. Lately I’ve been really bad at getting reviews of those posted because I’ve been in school as well as working, and taking thermodynamics and dynamics at that as I study to be an engineer. Well, I was recently sent their Garde Dog: Biere de Garde. It’s a spring French classic with an American twist. Unfortunately, I lost my tasting notes, so I can’t post a review. They did, however, just send me their Kerberos Tripel, which I reviewed tonight and will be posting tomorrow. Come back tomorrow for that. In the meantime, make your next beer purchase Flying Dog. They’ve been doing great things lately. And visit their Web site!

Incidentally, ever since reviewing Land Shark Lager, I’ve had a lot of people disagree with my opinion of the brew, which is fine and understandable. But some folks have wanted to know what I would recommend instead. I hope to put together a list soon and post them here. So stay tuned!

Oh, and one more thing about Land Shark Lager….if you like it, by all means drink it! Drink what you like. I know there are beers I like that others don’t, but as long as I’m enjoying them that’s all that matters

Cheers!

The Beer Snob
April 01, 2008
11:38
New beer coming soon
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It seems the French are getting into the microbrew game. French brewers Avril Poisson have sent me a press release describing a new beer they’ll be introducing to the US late summer of this year. It’s called “Juste Plaisantant IPA” and is a very unique offering.

The beer will be brewed with the familiar Maris Otter and crystal malts and Fuggle and Golding hops, but will also feature dried and ground tapenade (a sort of condiment made of olives and anchovies) and lavender, to make it undeniably French.

While I’m not looking forward to it, I’ll give it a try and let you know how it goes.

Enjoy the day, this first day of the fourth month!

The Beer Snob
March 26, 2008
9:31
New review(s) coming soon
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I may have mentioned this before, but I am studying engineering as well as working full time, so I am left with precious little time for anything else, which is why I have been so remiss on beer reviews.

Flying Dog, however, just sent me a new seasonal beer to try, with another one coming April 1, so look for a new review in the next couple of days. I also have tasting notes from a couple of beers I tried a couple months ago, so look for those soon as well.

Cheers!
February 22, 2008
22:50
Highland Brewing Company’s Black Mocha Stout
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With it being fairly cold outside, my tastes naturally turn towards stouts and porters. This time around I decided to go for Highland Brewing Co.‘s Black Mocha Porter. I would have loved to have had this outside, in front of my outdoor fireplace, but that would have made it hard to write my tasting notes, [...]
16:06
The Beer Snob is not dead!
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I have not died….I’ve been swamped studying engineering and basically failing my Dynamics course (though I am doing well in Thermodynamics) and have been too busy to post. I have a couple reviews I’ve been sitting on though, so maybe I can get one posted tonight. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things and keep this updated more frequently. Look for at least one new review tonight.
January 04, 2008
0:36
Lindemans Kriek Lambic
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I’ve been wanting to try Young’s Double Chocolate Stout mixed with this Lindemans Kriek Lambic for some time now. For New Year’s Eve, I gave it a shot. But I did a tasting of the lambic itself first. Here are my thoughts. The Pour I poured this into a lager glass and it poured to a small [...]
December 12, 2007
14:51
3 new reviews coming soon
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I recently tasted the Flying Dog K9 Winter Ale and their Collaborator Open Source Doppelbock and will have those posted soon. I also found tasting notes for a beer I tried a couple of months ago, which I thought I had posted but had not. So look for that review as well.
December 01, 2007
1:02
Flying Dog’s Wild Dog
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Flying Dog seems to be a forward thinking brewery, as they send sample to reviewers such as myself, in order to generate publicity for their products. This time, instead of sending us one bottle, they sent three different beers for us to try. This is the first of three I’ll be trying. This is a [...]
October 26, 2007
13:54
Mississippi Mud
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Mississippi Mud is a beer apparently brewed by the Arizona Beverage Co., or so I’m told by a reviewer of the beer over at epinions.com, although the bottle says “Mississippi Brewing Co, Utica, New York”. I’ve had it before but I’ve wanted to review it for this blog for some time now. Here goes… According to [...]
October 19, 2007
15:32
Margaritaville Brewing Co.: Landshark Lager
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I am a Parrothead. I’m an introverted Parrothead who prefers to enjoy Jimmy Buffett’s music in solitude, and who’s only been to one Buffett concert so far, but a Parrothead nonetheless. So when I heard Bubba was coming out with a beer, I was thrilled! But then I tried Landshark Lager, and realized Bubba had [...]
October 17, 2007
15:52
New reviews coming soon
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I’m back from the beach, and while I didn’t get a chance to really sample any locally brewed beers, I did take tasting notes for two brews to be reviewed on this blog: First will be Jimmy Buffett’s Landshark Lager. I knew what to expect going into this purchase, but wanted to review it myself. In a nutshell: don’t buy it.

Second will be Mississippi Mud….found it at the grocery store there. Look for both reviews soon
October 09, 2007
14:54
Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale
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I spotted this a week or so ago while walking through a Publix. I’m not a big fruit-in-beer kind of guy, and their Honey Moon Summer Ale was a disappointment, but I love Blue Moon so much I thought I’d give this a shot. I wasn’t disappointed. First, here is what Coors had to say about their Pumpkin Ale:

From the 6 pack packaging:

A unique amber ale handcrafted with the flavors of fall, including vine-ripened pumpkin, cloves, nutmeg and allspice.

From the bottle neck:

This amber-colored, naturally flavored ale is brewed only in autumn and combines the flavor of vine-ripened pumpkin and spices with traditional crystal malt.

And now on to the tasting…

The Pour
This pours with a nice ruby-tinged amber color. I gave it a vigorous pour to see what kind of head it produced, and it gave me a high fluffy head with loose bubbles. It didn’t really lace the glass….the head seemed to slide around on the glass as one unit, as opposed to falling apart and lacing as it slid down the glass.

The Nose
On first sniff this smells like a typical amber ale. Nice hops, though the malt definitely takes center stage. Deeper sniffs, however, brought out subtle hints of the cloves, nutmeg and allspice. Quite pleasant.

The Taste
The first sip was interesting. It took another couple of swallows to get a feel for the brew. The pumpkin flavor is evident more as a sweetness than a definitive pumpkin taste. There’s just a tinge of spices, lurking in the finish. It is easy to go overboard spicing a brew like this, so the understatement was appreciated. By the 4th or fifth swallow I was really enjoying this beer. It seemed to have a smooth, round mouthfeel and a clean finish.

Overall
This is a tasty fall seasonal ale. It’s sweeter than a regular amber ale, thanks to the pumpkin. Nicely crafted. Enjoy this if you’re looking for a slightly different way to usher in the cool, crisp days of autumn.

Recommended: Yes, it’s a nice way to get in the spirit of fall.
Price: $7.49 for a 6-pack
ABV: 5.6%
Visit the Blue Moon Web site
October 08, 2007
10:02
The Beer Snob hits the road (plus a review coming soon)
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Friday of this week (Oct 12, 2007) I’ll be driving down to Panama City Beach for a very long weekend. I’m going to do my research beforehand to see if there’s any place to buy good local beer there so I can review them, but if you’re from the area or familiar with it, and know a good place to buy good beer or know a beer I should try, let me know! Either comment here or email me at thebeersnob@gmail.com. Also, let me know if you know any good local coffee places there, so I can buy some beans!

And incidentally, tomorrow I hope to be posting a review of a beer I just sampled this weekend: Blue Moon’s Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale. A hint of things to come: it’s got a nice pumpkin sweetness and doesn’t disappoint.
September 17, 2007
11:36
The new Stella Artois Web site is terrific!
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A still from “La Bouteille”.

I was in Lawrenceburg this weekend to attend the Fred Thompson event there, and forgot my invitation, so I didn’t have the username and password to get into the preview. Luckily for me, beer bloggers of a feather flock together and a fella over at Brew Brain was kind enough to send me the info so I could check out the site. Thanks Brew Brain!

So I visit the Web site and log in….and am transfixed as a movie begins to play. Opening to a dark alley and a creepy atmosphere, you are taken back to 1366. I won’t tell you the story of the movie, because I don’t want to ruin it for you, but the movie basically guides you through Web site. As it plays it hits certain points where it pauses, and you can enter the Web site at that particular entry point, or you can resume the film. They call it an interactive drama, and it is titled “La Bouteille”.

If you resume the film and watch it all the way through, you can get to any of the earlier entry points as well. Each tells a bit about the process of making Stella Artois, including the gathering of the hops and the harvesting of the barley.

The cinematic way of guiding you through the site really really works well and really gets you into the Web site. There is so much more there to explore but I’ll leave that to you. I believe it will be some time before I see all there is to see there.

The Web site debuts publicly tomorrow, Tuesday September 18, 2007, so be sure to check it out!
September 14, 2007
10:40
New Stella Artois Web site
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I was contacted recently by the folks at Stella Artois asking if I would like an official invitation to the preview of their new Web site, launching Sept. 18. I’ll take anything beer-related I can get my hands on, so I said yes! (Read about the coming site at their blog: [www.stellaartoisblog.com] It sounds like their new site is going to be a real experience, with cinematic clips (I don’t mean just video clips of, say, how they brew their beer, I mean mini movie type stuff). They have an amazing trailer on their blog as well.

I am really impressed with this whole marketing thing they’re doing. They are definitely taking things to a new level and generating a lot of buzz and excitement about their new Web site. I’ve never had a Stella Artois but I want one now and will definitely review one here soon.

A couple of days ago, I received my official invitation. I was expecting a small envelope….I was hoping for a beer sample to accompany the invitation. (A guy can wish, can’t he?) What I received was two invitations, each one in a big black mailing tube about as tall as my 3-year-old! There was a large poster inside, the official invitation, and a few of their cardboard coasters, which I was actually very happy to receive. I use a coaster like that at work for my coffee mug and the one I am using now is old and stained. At any give time it probably holds more coffee than my mug!

So tomorrow is the official preview of the Web site. I’ll do my best to check it out, somewhere between helping my wife set up her yard sale and checking out Fred Thompson’s appearance in Lawrenceburg (Fred 08!) and let you know all about it.
August 31, 2007
16:16
Sad news in the world of beer
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Beer critic Michael Jackson dies

The Beer Hunter has died of a heart attack at his home in London. According to the AP:

Jackson, known as “the beer hunter,” died Thursday of a heart attack at his home in west London. His body was found by his house cleaner, Paddy Gunningham, his long-term partner, said Friday.

She said he had kept writing and traveling, despite suffering from Parkinson’s disease, and that he planned to write a book about the ailment.

“He was simply the best beer writer we’ve ever known,” said Tim Hampson, chairman of the British Guild of Beer Writers. “He told wonderful stories about beer, breweries and far away places. He told the story of beer through people, and he was humorous and erudite at the same time,” Hampson told The Associated Press.

I bet they have fantastic beer in heaven. Godspeed, Mr. Jackson.
August 23, 2007
15:09
Flying Dog Brewery — Beer Dinners
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If you’ve read my review of Flying Dog’s Woody Creek White, you know they sent me a free sample to review for this site. I’ve recently been contacted by them again and have been shipped a bottle of their Dogtoberfest brew, which I’ll be reviewing very soon.

But they also e-mailed me about a new Web site they started, at http://www.beerdinners.com. According to their site:

A Beer Dinner is typically a four to eight course meal where a different style of beer is served with each course. Each beer is specifically paired with that course by the chef because the taste and flavors of the food and beer compliment each other.

They say these are usually held at breweries or high end restaurants, but this site is designed to help you host your very own beer dinner at your home! They offer full menus, tips and ideas and more. It sounds like this would be a fun thing to do, although I’ve never been one to pair a specific beer to a specific meal. (Basically because I wouldn’t know what to pair with what food).

Check out their site and host your own beer dinner! They make it easy, with recipes and pairing suggestions.
14:57
Schlafly Summer Kolsch Ale
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Schlafly beers are made by Tom Schlafly through The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc. (Visit the Schlafly Web site.) They’ve been incorporated since 1989 and had their grand opening in 1991.

First, here is what they say about their own beer:

Schlafly Summer Kolsch is a golden-colored, medium-bodied crisp and refreshing ale. This style, which originated in Cologne, is well balanced, mild mannered, and a perfect companion for the lazy days of summer/

Here’s what I thought:

The Pour
This poured a nice golden color, almost copper actually. The head was high and loose and somewhat long lasting. It left a decent amount of lacing on the side of the glass.

The Nose
The nose is hoppy and crisp. There are slight caramel and biscuit notes in the nose, and fruit appears as the beer warms a bit.

The Taste
They were right about this being a medium-bodied brew. It’s very smooth and very well balanced. Not too hoppy or malty…it really sits in the middle of that spectrum and just edges over to the hoppy side now and then. I didn’t taste a lot of complex and diverse flavors here, which isn’t necessarily bad. It tasted of nice hops, malt and yeast. It’s a nice beer. As it warms, caramel appears and the hops intensify just a bit, becoming a bit more aggressive on the finish (a very little bit more aggressive).

Overall
Overall this is a very well balanced beer, though as it warms it does give you a slight nudge towards hops, which is nice. Eminently drinkable and refreshing. Crisp and clean and just a good Kolsch ale.

Recommended: Yes….this is just a good solid beer that will grow on you
Price: Can’t remember exactly, somewhere around $8-$9 for a six-pack
ABV: 4.8%
August 09, 2007
12:14
Bluegrass Brewing Company Nut Brown Ale
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Today I come to you with a review of a beer I paid entirely too much for. Not that it’s an expensive beer….I think the place I bought it just has an overblown idea of the value of their products. The shop sold singles for $2.50 each, but you could mix and match a 6-pack for $12.50. I would have thought a prepackaged 6-pack would have been a normal price, but it was not to be. Needless to say, I won’t be returning there.

Anyway, on to the beer. Bluegrass Brewing Company, as the name implies, is in the state of Kentucky, Louisville to be exact. According to their Web site, they are the largest microbrewery in Kentucky. I’ve been wanting to try their brews for some time and just finally got my chance.

According to the bottle, BBC’s Nut Brown Ale is an English-style brown ale. Here is some information on this beer from BBC’s underwhelming Web site:

Description: Brewed with a blend of six different malts to give a medium-full body and a nutty after taste.

Malts used - Special Pale, Munich, Aromatic, Biscuit, Caramnunich, and Chocolate

Hops used - UK Challenger and Willamette

Food Pairing - Chocolate desserts, Beef dishes, mildly spicy dishes

Here’s what I thought…

The Pour
This beer pours to a nice auburn brown color. Light can pass through relatively easily, showcasing the beautiful red undertones in the color. There is a respectable head with minimal lacing on the glass.

The Nose
There are definite coffee, chocolate and smoky nutty notes present in the nose. I wasn’t expecting the chocolate as I hadn’t looked into what kinds of malts they used. The smell is quite mouthwatering.

The Taste
This beer has a great mouthfeel. The beer is smooth and medium to full-bodied. Roasted malt and coffee flavors stand out from the beginning. This is a very smooth and easy drinking brew and a terrific example of how a nut brown ale should be done. Midway through a bottle you notice your mouth is coated with nutty, coffee, chocolatey joy!

Overall
Overall, this is a great tasting nut brown ale! The nose and the taste combine in perfect harmony to deliver great flavors throughout. Very smooth and drinkable and great in any season.

Recommended: Without question!
Price: $12.50 for a 6-pack (should be cheaper for you…check the price 1st!)
ABV: Unknown
July 16, 2007
13:17
Blue Moon Honey Moon Summer Ale
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I picked this up to review because I just love Blue Moon more and more every time I try it. I wanted to like this beer, I really did…..but I just didn’t love it. Let me tell you about the brew. According to the bottle, this is an ale brewed with honey and orange peel. It also says it has the “fresh flavor of orange peel and real honey with pale malt and malted white wheat”. This beer was the winner of the Specialty Honey Lager or Ale at the Great American Beer Festival: 2006. Here’s what I thought…

The Pour
This poured with a nice medium thickness head. It seemed quite pillowy and creamy. The beer looks quite carbonated, with plenty of bubbles rising quickly to the surface for a long period of time. The color mat

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Beer Snob, The (43 items)

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