Posts Tagged ‘Bottle’
Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Hex Ourtoberfest: strange name for a strange brew.
TBR Reviews Hex Ourtoberfest Ale and the Lazy Movement
File Date: 10.20.2011
File Name: Overabundance of Lazy People
The Beer: Hex Ourtoberfest
Type: German Ale
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 5.4% ABV
Brewer: Magic Hat Brewing Co./North American Breweries
Web Site: www.magichat.net/
State/Country of Origin: VT, USA
Brewer Info: North American Breweries, one of the largest and fastest growing American-owned beer companies in the United States, owns and operates four U.S. breweries and six retail locations in New York, Vermont, California, Oregon and Washington. The company was formed in 2009 and is headquartered in Rochester, NY – which is also home to the Genesee Brewery. Since 1878, the Genesee Brewery has brewed and sold the historic line of Genesee beers. Today that brewery also makes Dundee Ales and Lagers, the Original Honey Brown Lager, Seagram’s Escapes and many other beers under contract from other companies. We brew one of the company’s most popular craft beer brands – Magic Hat – from our Vermont brewery. Our west coast brewing teams handcraft the award-winning Pyramid and MacTarnahan’s craft beers. NAB also owns and markets strong import brands including its flagship beer Labatt Blue and Labatt Blue Light, which maintain strong market share among the Great Lakes region and beyond.
Brewer Brand Hype: A malty amber ale with hints of toffee and caramel and a slightly smokey finish.
Label: The ancient ritual of brewing a distinctly rich and flavorful beer is a performance to behold. Our mysterious melange of time-honored ingredients harmonize with chaotic chemistry, humble patience, and blind faith to create unique beers to share in the rousing company of kindred spirits. Cheers!
The Brewski Review: Wasn’t particularly fond of this beverage that’s why I gave it the rating I did. It wasn’t a terrible brew I just didn’t care for it. Didn’t connect with it. It’s hard to describe considering that I prefer malty beverages more so than the uber-hoppy styles we see so much of these days with the overabundance of IPA’s. Just like the overabundance of lazy people in this country. I don’t connect with them either. Take a look at the Occupy ‘movement’ - if you want to call it that. To me it’s a non-cohesive collection of individuals who can’t agree on anything other than they want to be catered to. A group of underachievers who grew up in a time when the liberals in this country made sure every child was told they did a ‘good job’ even though they failed miserably. No hurt feelings. A time when everyone in the class, from the A student to the F student, received a trophy for doing a swell job at learning. Now, here they are adults, upset that they aren’t being mollycoddled like yesteryear. No one telling them what a great job their doing. No one given them what they desire. Not able to put forth a good days effort to EARN what you get. Why do you think the Libs love this movement? It plays right into their cradle to grave government assistance agenda. If they were any smarter, the occupy movement would understand that the best organization to protest would be the Federal Government for squashing the private sector and eliminating all the jobs. But that’s too heady for them to understand.
Drinkability: Probably not.
Appearance: Deep golden bordering on amber
The Buds: Malty as promised.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.25 out of 5.
The OWS 'movement' is a tragedy in itself. It certainly doesn't represent the 99% of Americans.
Tags: 3.25 Rating, 5.4% ABV, Bottle, Cradle to Grave, Democrats, Earn a Living, German Ale, Government, Hex, Lazy, Lazy People, Liberals, Magic Hat, Magic Hat Brewing, Movement, No Jobs, North American Breweries, Occupy Movement, Occupy Wall Street, Ourtoberfest, Overabundance, Private Sector, Squash, VT
Posted in Magic Hat Brewing, Politics | No Comments »
Saturday, October 8th, 2011
Dogfish Head's try at my seasonal favorite - pumpkin ale.
Dogfish Head’s Pumpkin Ale Just Won’t Cut It For This Frustrated American
File Date: 10.8.2011
File Name: The struggles of being underwater.
The Beer: Pumpkin Ale
Type: Pumpkin Ale
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 7.0% ABV
Brewer: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Web Site: www.dogfish.com
State/Country of Origin: DE, USA
Brewer Info: The story of Dogfish Head began in June of 1995 when we opened Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, the first state’s first brewpub opened in the resort beach community of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The plan was to bring original beer, original food, and original music to the area. With the popularity of the pub growing, it was quickly apparent that the 12–gallon brewery would not keep up with demand. We built a new brewery and underwent a thirty-fold expansion of the brew house! We outgrew our distributing brewery in a couple years and in the summer of 2002; we moved our entire production brewery up the road to Milton, Delaware into a 100,000 square foot converted cannery. Around the same time (just to keep thing interesting), we built a distillery on the second floor of our Rehoboth Beach brewpub, so we could make vodka, rum and gin.
Brewer Brand Hype: A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. We brew our Punkin Ale with pumpkin meat, organic brown sugar and spices. This is the perfect beer to warm-up with, as the season cools. Punkin Ale is named after a locally-famous and seriously off-centered event here in southern Delaware - Punkin Chunkin (check out some of these Discovery Channel videos of Punkin Chunkin, you gotta see it to believe it!). In fact, Punkin Ale made it’s debut as it claimed First Prize in the 1994 Punkin Chunkin Recipe Conest - yes, that was a full 6 months before we even opened our doors for business. Punkin Chunkin has grown in size and scale with pumpkins now being hurled more than 4,000 feet through the air! If you come down to see if for yourself - come by and visit us. Since then, we’ve brewed Punkin Ale each and every fall. It is released right around September first each year. When you find it, grab some extra because it’s usually gone by Thanksgiving.
Label: A full bodied brown ale brewed with real pumpkin, brown suger, allspice, cinnamon & nutmeg.
The Brewski Review: I’m not ranking this pumpkin ale high on my list of favorite pumpkin ales. It has a gorgeous copper color and pours with a sumptuous head but it doesn’t have that pumpkin pie flavor I’m looking for. Others may not care for the pumpkin pie flavor but, to me, that’s what these beers are all about. This one just didn’t do it for me. The allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg weren’t as bold as I would have liked them to be. But then, of course, there are many things that aren’t as good as I’d want them to be. Take, for example, my finances: I don’t have nearly as much as I’d like. In reality, it’s less than ‘nearly as much’ and closer to ‘I drive a 15 year old car and can’t afford to upgrade because I’m under water on my mortgage’. But wait, it’s even worse than that! This taxpayer could save thousands if we refinanced our house, which we can’t do, because as you may have guessed, we’re under water on our mortgage! So, like so many of you out there, we struggle to get buy each and every day. Drinking an occasional beer is just a small reward that keeps me hanging on - day in and day out. And, by golly, if I want pumpkin pie flavor, dang it, I won’t settle for anything less!
Drinkability: Probably not. Would seek out another pumpkin ale.
Appearance: Visually appealing.
The Buds: Not very pumpkin pie-ish.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Tags: 3.5 Rating, 7.0% ABV, Allspice, Bottle, Cinnamon, Copper, DE, Dogfish Head, Dogfish Head Brewery, Domestic, Mortgage, Nutmeg, Pumpkin Ale, Pumpkin Pie, Refinance, Struggles, Taxpayer, Underwater, Underwater Mortgage, Vehicle
Posted in Dogfish Head Craft Brew | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
Drink in the hipster vibes by downing this brew.
TBR Reviews Brazil’s Hipster Palma Louca Pilsener
File Date: 10.5.2011
File Name: The Hip Beer for Young and Talented Brazilians.
The Beer: Palma Louca
Type: German Pilsener
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 4.5% ABV
Brewer: Cervejaria Kaiser (Heineken)
Web Site: http:www.kaiser.com.br/maioridade
State/Country of Origin: Brazil
Brewer Info: Minimal brewer history.
Brewer Brand Hype: Palma Louca is a very refreshing and light beer, brewed by Heineken Brazil with the finest imported malts and hops. It is a beer for the Brazilian style of fun, to be enjoyed by friends on the beach, or at hot nightclubs and lively restaurants.
Palma Louca wants to tell the world about Brazil’s fascinating culture and the love for life and pleasure that Brazilians share. Its website, written by young and talented journalists, shows you the good stuff Brazil has to offer. A high quality brew, produced in the typical Brazilian style of refreshing lagers with full flavor and character. Bottled by Heineken, one of the world’s largest brewing groups, that produces other famous brands such as Heineken, Amstel, Sol, Dos XX, Xingu Black Beer and others.
Label: Escape to Palma Louca. Wild Palm. Cerveja - Pilsen - Beer
The Brewski Review: Palma Louca positions itself as the hipster in the crowd; i.e. ‘written by young and talented journalists’ that play up the culture and life in Brazil. I certainly don’t knock the pride they exhibit for their native land but I think they do their best to use the beer as a means to market ply their journalistic endeavors and showcase the young, urban lifestyle. It’s difficult to find anything worth reading about the beer. The Palma Louca website sheds little light on the brewer itself. Cervejaria Kaiser’s web site doesn’t even mention any information regarding the brewer’s history or Palma Louca beer iteself, but does reference it’s parent company Heineken. Not that all this matters. If you like the beer and want to be a hipster like the image Palma Louce mirrors, then by all means drink up. It’s actually an average beer: a decent summertime thirst quencher that’ll go down cold on a nice hot Brazilian day. I just prefer to learn a little more about the history of the brewery and the beer itself rather than an image an advertising company is pushing.
Drinkability: Would drink again.
Appearance: Straw golden color.
The Buds: Nicely balanced pilsener taste.
TBR Cap Rating: 4.0 out of 5.
Tags: 4.0 Rating, 4.5% ABV, Advertising, Bottle, Brazil, Cervejaria Kaiser, German Pilsener, Heineken, Heineken International, Hipster, Image, Import, Palma Louca
Posted in Cervejaria Kaiser | No Comments »
Monday, September 26th, 2011
The Dark Goodness of Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout
Tommy Brewski Knocks Back An Oatmeal Stout
File Date: 9.26.2011
File Name: Tommy’s First Oatmeal Stout.
The Beer: Oatmeal Stout
Type: Oatmeal Stout
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 5.9% ABV
Brewer: Otter Creek Brewing/Wolaver’s
Web Site: www.wolavers.com
State/Country of Origin: VT, USA
Brewer Info: Located in beautiful Middlebury, Vermont, we shipped our first keg of Copper Ale in March of 1991. Four years later, after quickly outgrowing our original site, we moved into a new state-of-the-art brewery just down the street. In 1998, we began producing Wolaver’s Certified Organic Ales in partnership with Panorama Brewing Company. Both brands have flourished as beer drinkers throughout the northeast have enjoyed craft ales, and as the focus on sustainable farming and living has blossomed. In May of 2002, the Wolaver family purchased Otter Creek Brewing. Otter Creek remains a family owned Vermont company and produces all Otter Creek and Wolaver’s brands for distribution throughout the country. We brew and bottle all of our beers in small batches to ensure freshness and consistent quality. We use natural Vermont water, the best domestic malt and hops available, and our own top-fermenting yeast. All Wolaver’s beers are made with no less than 98% certified organic ingredients. Our brewery and our Wolaver’s brands are certified organic by Vermont Organic Farmers. Otter Creek ales enjoy a complexity of flavor, natural carbonation, and a creamy texture that is favored by beer enthusiasts at pubs and restaurants throughout the United States.
Brewer Brand Hype: Minimal brand marketing on the web.
Label: Certified Organic by Vermont Organic Farmers. Since 1997 Robert and Morgan Wolaver have combined their passion for exceptional ales with their belief in the benefits of organic farming to create Wolaver’s supurb handcrafted ales brewed with only the finest organic barley and hops grown by small independent farms.
The Brewski Review: Very tasty and mild. I was expecting something a little more bitter but was pleasantly surprised. It looked like molasses on the pour and finished with very little mud colored head. It was a little on the creamy side but not too much. By the looks I would have expected more. This happened to be my first Oatmeal Stout so I rank it high on my list of types. I’m definitely gravitating toward the more malty beverages than the hoppy variety.
Drinkability: Definitely.
Appearance: One word: Molasses.
The Buds: Nice and malty. Very mild.
TBR Cap Rating: 4.25 out of 5 caps.
Tags: 5.9% ABV, Black, Bottle, Creamy, Dark, Dark Beer, Domestic, Malty, Molasses, Otter Creek, Otter Creek Brewing, VT, Wolaver's, Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout
Posted in Otter Creek | No Comments »
Sunday, September 11th, 2011
'Certified Organic' so says the brewer.
TBR Reviews Eel River’s Organic Amber Ale any My Recycling Habits
File Date: 09.11.2011
File Name: A Greenie’s Beer Delight
The Beer: Organic Amber Ale
Type: American Amber/Red Ale
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 4.8% ABV
Brewer: Eel River Brewing Co.
Web Site: www.eelriverbrewing.com/index.html
State/Country of Origin: CA, USA
Brewer Info: “When you’re cookin’ up 5 gallons of beer at home and screw it up, oh well. But when you’re brewing 50 gallons at a time you better know exactly what you’re doing.” That was Eel River Brewing Company co-owner Ted Vivatson back in 1996 explaining why they hired a top notch professional brew-master when they first opened. As avid home-brewers, Ted and partner Margaret Frigon had a vision of excellent hand crafted beer and great food in historic surroundings. The vision came to fruition in 1995 and the beer begin to flow at the former site of the Clay Brown Redwood lumber mill in Fortuna, California. Remnants of the old mill can still be seen in Eel River Brewing Company’s Beer Garden, one of the best places in the world to enjoy some of the best beer in the world on a sunny day. Inside the Taproom you’ll see historic photographs of the mill and various other Humboldt County scenes from days gone by.
Brewer Brand Hype: Eel River Brewing Company, brewers of California’s first Certified Organic Ale, proudly brings you our Organic Amber Ale. Unique in flavor and purity, this medium bodied beer has a hoppy bouquet and a distinctive rich taste with a caramel-like sweetness that is balanced with a liberal dose of certified organic Pacific Gems and Hallertau hops, imported from New Zealand. Pure taste, pure ingredients, pure good.
Label: Certified Organic. Product of Northern California. Eel River Brewing Co., Scotia, CA
The Brewski Review: The brewers web site notes this as a rich copper color. I liken it more to a dark amber than a copper. Maybe you would call that close enough. But ‘Certified Organic’? I’m not much of a greenie other than doing my fair share of recycling, but this is good beer. I like it’s mild taste. The hoppy bitterness is present but it’s not in your face. Just the way I like it. I endorse the owners efforts to go green by using biomass to power the plant, but I don’t think that adds to the taste. To me, it’s more of a marketing gimmick and personal choice than a method to turn out an excellent tasting beverage. But, I’ll cut them some slack if they keep turning out good tasting beers such as their Certified Organic Amber Ale. And, just because I feel like doin’ some good, I’ll recycle this container for others to enjoy - minus the beer of course.
Drinkability: Would drink again.
Appearance: Dark amber color.
The Buds: Nice mild tasting amber ale.
TBR Cap Rating: 4.0 caps out of 5.
Tags: 4.0 Rating, 4.8% ABV, Amber Ale, Bottle, CA, Certified Organic, Domestic, Eel River, Eel River Brewing, Green, Marketing, Marketing Gimmick, Organic, Recycle, Recyling, Red Ale
Posted in Eel River Brewing | No Comments »
Saturday, September 10th, 2011
Siren Amber Ale for the devil in all of us.
TBR Reviews North Peak’s Siren Amber Ale (or, Devil Girl Beer)
File Date: 9.10.2011
File Name: Sirens and Devil Girls Go Head To Head.
The Beer: Siren Amber Ale
Type: American Amber/Red Ale
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 5.0% ABV
Brewer: North Peak Brewing Co.
Web Site: www.northpeakbeer.com/
State/Country of Origin: MI, USA
Brewer Info: Legends of the north woods all start with a simple story at a single point in time. Our yarn began when the entrepreneurial Carlson, Lobdell and Czaplicka families signed the deed to a deserted candy factory in downtown Traverse City, MI. Within its cavernous brick walls the North Peak Brewing Company was established in 1997, where brews and food of uncommon quality were the focus. As the days passed into years, their passion for brewing grew and led them down paths travelled by other like-minded individuals. The result of this rendezvous of North Peak Brewing Company’s Jon Carlson and Greg Lobdell, and Ron Jeffries of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales was the spawning of Northern United Brewing Company in 2008. Headquartered in their secret forest hideaway on Old Mission Peninsula, these brewing elders recruited the final full-time member of their clandestine council in August 2009 — brewmaster Mike Hall (who had consulted on numerous other endeavors). Their mission was simple: take the well-respected name of North Peak and build upon it with craft beers of the finest, hand-made quality using ingredients borne of the northern Michigan landscape. This is why North Peak brews whenever possible with Michigan malted-grain, hops and water. Over the next three months, Mike and Ron collaborated on recipes that drew from their nearly 50 years of combined brewing experience. In late 2009, at their new, secluded state-of-the art brewing facility on Old Mission Peninsula, the first bottles of Siren Amber Ale, Diabolical IPA and Majestic American Wheat rolled off the bottling line.
Brewer Brand Hype: Its call is intoxicating. An aroma that beckons you to pull up a stool and linger over it’s toasted malt character. Next, a deep kiss of liquid lust that will caress you tongue, thanks to an array of toasty Pale, Crystal (30 and 75) wheat, Carapils and roasted barley malts balanced by the subtle bite of Willamette and Fuggle hops. It’s a brew that will seduce your heart, mind and palette.
Label: Brewed Up North. Traverse City, Michigan, USA
The Brewski Review: Pleasantly suprised by the mild taste. Most of the amber ales that I’ve tried have been higher on the bitterness scale. This is more subdued and for me that means it more appealing to my taste buds. So, it’s well balanced between the malt and hops. Good for those that don’t care for the bitter aftertaste of some brews. On the marketing side, I have to add that I like the label: simple and eye catching with the red and white. The name stems from Greek mythology, the Sirens (Greek singular: Seiren; Greek plural: Seirenes) were three dangerous bird-women, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. But, for me, the little logo represents more of a little devil girl. Perhaps the beverage should have been named Devil Girl. And, they should have hooked up with the artist COOP (at coopstuff.com) who draws some mighty awsome designs - many of which involve devil girls. If I was still in my single dude-man bachelor days, my house would be decorated in Coop designs. I’m not paid to plug his work, but if you like simple retro looking graphics about girls, cars, robots, etc., check out his Coopstuff website.
Drinkability: Most definitely.
Appearance: Deep amber color.
The Buds: Refreshingly mild.
TBR Cap Rating: 4.0 caps out of 5.
One of Coop's Devil Girl poster designs.
Tags: 5.0% ABV, American Amber, Bachelor, Bottle, Coop, Coop Designs, Coopstuff, Devil Girl, Domestic, Graphics, Greek, Label, MI, North Peak, North Peak Brewing, Red, Red Ale, Retro, Seductresses, Shipwreck, Siren, Siren Amber Ale, Tire, Wheel, White
Posted in Beer Girls, North Peak Brewing | No Comments »
Friday, September 9th, 2011
Is that a great looking beer or what?
The Brewski Report Reviews Red Rocket Ale and Road Warrior Funk.
File Date: 9.09.2011
File Name: An Unfortunate Snap Back To Reality
The Beer: Red Rocket Ale
Type: American Amber/Red Ale
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 6.8% ABV
Brewer: Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Web Site: www.bearrepublic.com
State/Country of Origin: CA, USA
Brewer Info: Bear Republic Brewing Company (Bear Republic) was founded by third and fourth generation Sonoma County residents. From the humble beginning of home brewing to the demanding process of commercial brewing, came the realization that to produce the distinctive flavors and aroma we found appealing required the founding of our own Brew Pub. Through this process owners Richard R Norgrove, and wife Sandy, Richard G Norgrove, (Brew Master) and wife Tami, developed the style and mark of Bear Republic’s award winning, hand-crafted lagers and ales. Located in historic Healdsburg, California, where hop kilns from another era are still visible, our products are brewed and aged using the traditional “art” of the masters. Bear Republic’s family business is unique, from the mother who greets you at the door, to the son who brews the ales, the father who pulls tap and the daughter-in-law who keeps the books. The Norgroves invite you inside for healthy food and drink for the enjoyment of the whole family. Our goal is to create and cultivate a Brew Pub and Restaurant that the locals can call their own and that makes visitors feel at home. We work hard at fostering a sense of loyalty and tradition from eras gone by.
Brewer Brand Hype: Red Rocket Ale is a bastardized Scottish style red ale that traces it’s origins to our homebrew roots. This full bodied and hoppy brew finishes on the palate with sweet, caramel malt flavors.
Label: Red Rocket Ale is a bastardized Scottish style red ale packed with distinctive flavors and an aggressive hop character rivaled by none. This unfiltered, bottle-conditioned, amber colored ale, breaks all style molds. Keep refrigerated, beer is perishable, real ale is alive, yeast is good, serve at 45 - 50 F.
The Brewski Review: Whoa! Heavy on the hops bitterness scale for this ale. Bear Republic wasn’t affraid to go all out here on the hops. I pulled this one out of the fridge after a weary and long return trip home from our favorite vacation spot. I’ll have to admit, the hoppy taste snapped me back to reality pretty quickly. You know how you get in that long, road warrior funk? Your bum aches, your legs get numb and you start to drift off in your head about how much you hate work and if you could only win the lottery you’d buy that vacation house that only millionaires can afford. This, punctuated by listening to a mind numbing marathon of childrens animated videos started to make me lightheaded. But, as I noted earlier, this beer is the antidote. Very hearty and warming. Great for a nice cool, damp and overcast day. Oh yeah, the vacation? Great. I only wish we could have stayed longer. The upside was a free hotel room. Cashed in all those reward points I’ve been stacking up. Cha-Ching! More money for beer.
Drinkability: Yes. Would drink again.
Appearance: Deep amber - almost brown. Min. head.
The Buds: Super hoppy brew with a high ABV content.
TBR Cap Rating: 4 out of 5 caps.
Vintage Red Rocket Racer Tin Toy Car.
Tags: 6.8% ABV, American Amber, Bear Republic Brewing, Bottle, Bum, CA, Childrens Animated Video, Collector Item, Domestic, Driving, Free, Hotel, Lottery, Money, Points, Red, Red Ale, Red Rocket, Red Rocket Ale, Red Rocket Toy, Road Warrior, Tin Car, Vacation, Vehicle, Vintage
Posted in Bear Republic Brewing Co., Toys, Vehicles | No Comments »
Friday, September 2nd, 2011
The Bit in Bitburger stand for Bitter.
TBR Reviews Bitburger Premium Beer and Turning Into My Parents
File Date: 9.2.2011
File Name: You Don’t Know What Your Missing
The Beer: Bitburger Premium Beer
Type: German Pilsener
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 4.8% ABV
Brewer: Bitburger Brauerei
Web Site: www.bitburger.com
State/Country of Origin: Germany
Brewer Info: In 1817 Johann Peter Wallenborn set up a brewery in Bitburg to make top-fermented beer. In 1839 his widow, Anna Katharina, took over the business before her daughter, Elisabeth, married Ludwig Bertrand Simon in 1842 and Simon continued to run the company. In 1871 their 24-year-old son Theobald Simon succeeded his father, investing in the expansion and modernization of the brewery. This included an ice-cooled artificial cellar designed to keep temperatures at the same low level, all the year round, making it possible to brew new bottom-fermented beers. In 1883 Bitburger brewed its first Pils beer. The first Bitburger Export led to activities in nearby Luxembourg, where a representative office was set up in Echternach in 1886.
Brewer Brand Hype: Bitburger guarantees premium quality and enjoyment. Drawing on almost 200 years of expertise, the full-bodied, light Bitburger Premium Beer is of course brewed according to the German Purity Law. Its popular, dry-finished, hoppy taste has secured Bitburger Premium Beer its position as Germany’s no. 1 draught beer.
Label: Premium Beer Product of Germany.
The Brewski Review: The BIT in Bitburger may stand for the hefty bitterness of this hoppy brew in my humble opinion. This one was cold and crisp and ultimately refreshing. Although, it leaves more of an aftertaste than I prefer. Call me a sissy if you will. I’m just not one to seek out really hoppy beverages. Would I drink this one again? Yes. If it was handed to me. Doubt I’d spend money to purchase a six-pack. I tend to favor more balanced flavors. My mother always used to say ‘You don’t know what your missing.’ whenever I turned down a dish at the table (primarily squash - yuck). Yes. I do know what I’m missing. That’s why I don’t eat it. Has anyone else had a mother or father say that? I think it’s ingrained as a parent because now I find myself saying it to my daughter with any food other than chicken dipped in ranch dressing. Drat! I have become my parents.
Drinkability: Definitely.
Appearance: Golden yellow w/ minimal head.
The Buds: Refreshing but a little on the bitter side.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.75 out of 5 caps.
Using the girls to sell the brand.
Tags: 3.75 Rating, 4.8% ABV, Bitburger, Bitburger Brauerei, Bitburger Premium Beer, Bottle, Chicken, Daughter, Father, Food, German Pilsener, Germany, Gold, Import, Mother, Parents, Ranch Dressing, Son, Squash, White
Posted in Beer Girls, Bitburger Brauerei | No Comments »
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
Keo Premium Beer Straight From Cyprus
The Brewski Report Reviews Keo Premium Beer and A Lament For Better Times.
File Date: 8.21.2011
File Name: Are Cyprus’ Politicians Any Better Than The American Variety?
The Beer: Keo Premium Beer
Type: American Adjunct Lager
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 4.5% ABV
Brewer: Keo Limited
Web Site: http://www.keogroup.com/
State/Country of Origin: Cyprus
Brewer Info: KEO is a public limited company formed in 1927 with its shares quoted and trading in the Cyprus Stock Exchange. It is a member of the Hellenic Mining Group whose varied interests in mining, cement production, consumer goods and banking make it the largest industrial group in Cyprus. The KEO Brewery was the first to be built in Cyprus. Production of KEO Beer -a Pilsner type Lager Beer- started early in 1951. The original brewery had a small production capacity of about 300,000 gallons annually. In order to meet the ever-increasing demand, the company has carried out substantial extensions to the plant and the equipment now used being the most up-to-date machinery in the brewing industry. The brewery is currently capable of producing over 30,000 hectoliters of beer monthly.
Brewer Brand Hype: KEO is an exceptional lager type beer, brewed from the finest malt and the choicest hops, long matured, bottled fresh and unpasteurised, to retain its natural flavour, aroma and freshness.
Label: Gold medal for excellence Brewing International Awards. Brewed on the island of Cyprus.
The Brewski Review: American Adjunct Lagers always seem to taste the same. This one may have had a little more flavor but it isn’t anything to write home about. Definitely not worth paying a premium in price over a domestic brand. I guess the only cache would be to brag about drinking beer from Cyprus. Whoop-de-do. What would impress me would be drinking this beer IN Cyprus. Then it would have some unique appeal. But, to drink it in a broken down town in a financially busted state isn’t anything to get excited about. It should actually propel me be purchase the cheapest beer I can find and drink in mass quantities to relieve myself from the thought of all the crooked, power hungry and dishonest elected officials we have and how they’re wrecking it for the rest of us. I think if I wasn’t underwater on my mortgage I’d move somewhere else. This lament, I’m sure, isn’t shared by myself alone.
Drinkability: Ah, probably.
Appearance: Very light golden color.
The Buds: Average adjunct lager.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.5 caps out of 5.
Educational Tidbit: In case you didn't know where all the wars, oil, men with speedos and Cyprus are, please review the map above.
I'd pull up a beach chair here and drink a native KEO Premium Beer.
Tags: 4.5% ABV, American Adjunct Lager, Beach, Better Times, Blue, Bottle, Broke State, Crooks, Cyprus, Dishonest, Elected Officials, Imported, Island, Keo Ltd, Keo Premium, Keo Premium Beer, Lament, Map, Mass Quantities, Men With Speedos, Oil, Politicians, Power Hungry, Ruining America, Sky, Speedo, Underwater Mortgage, War, Yellow
Posted in Educational, Keo Limited, Politics | No Comments »
Sunday, August 14th, 2011
Celebrator - the beer with the white goat around the neck.
The Brewski Report Reviews Celebrator’s Doppelbock and Marinating BBQ Pork Ribs
File Date: 8.14.2011
File Name: Beer Used As A BBQ Ribs Marinade?
The Beer: Celebrator Doppelbock
Type: Doppelbock
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 6.7% ABV
Brewer: Privatbrauerei Franz InselKammer KG/ Brauerei Aying
Web Site: http://en.ayinger-bier.de/?pid=263
State/Country of Origin: Germany
Brewer Info: In 1876 the father of the Ayinger Brewery, Johann Liebhard, took over the agricultural and forestry estate “Zum Pfleger” with tavern and butcher’s shop, which had been family property since circa 1810. His wife Maria, a postmaster’s daughter from Markt Schwaben, was, as were all women of the brewing generations, the central pillar of support in the running of the business. In the economic high spirits of the 1870’s following Germany’s victory over France, Johann Liebhard applied his acute business acumen in deciding to found his own brewery. This was not so unusual at the time, which is why there were some 6,000 breweries in Bavaria alone in the 1880’s. Of these, approximately 650 are still in operation today.
Brewer Brand Hype: A beer that has a dominant malty taste. This beer’s origins in a monk’s recipe are reflected in its heartiness. The Pope of Beers, Conrad Seidl, describes it as: “Almost black with a very slight red tone, a sensational, festive foam and truly extraordinary fragrance that at first summons up visions of greaves lard. The first taste is of mild fullness with an accompanying coffee tone, which becomes more dominant with the aftertaste. There is very little of the sweetness that is frequently to be tasted with doppelbock beer.” The Ayinger Celebrator has been ranked among the best beers of the world by the Chicago Testing Institute several times and has won numerous platinum medallions..
Label: Finest Bavarian Double Bock Beer.
The Brewski Review: Dark and mysterious. Actually better than I had anticipated (C’mon…who doesn’t anticipate the taste of a beer before cracking it open?). I expected it to be creamier than it was but that didn’t detract from it’s flavor. Since I was eating UTX’s Honey Wheat Braided Twists with this (which, by the way, are pretty tasty themselves) I can’t give you the snobby breakdown on a nano-flavor level. It was more substantial, heavy and sweet than most beers I usually drink and that was the appeal. I was going to drink this with dinner tonight - BBQ ribs - but couldn’t wait. It was also coincidental that, when listening to the car radio the other day, that if you really want tender ribs, you should marinate them in a dark beer overnight. They say the acid in the malts break down the fat in the meat. Of course, I didn’t want to waste this beer as a marinade so I’ll have to wait until we purchase our next slab. Sounds rather delicious doesn’t it? If anyone has tried this please let me know. I’m curious to know what beer and BBQ sauce you used and how they turned out.
Drinkability: Would drink this again.
Appearance: Super dark with maximum head.
The Buds: Good. Heavy and full of flavor
TBR Cap Rating: 4.25 out of 5 caps.
Don't these look simply delicious? I can't bear to watch the food network like my wife. It makes me hungry.
Tags: 4.25 Rating, 6.7% ABV, BBQ, BBQ Pork Ribs, Billy Goat, Bottle, Brauerei Aying, Car Radio, Celebrator, Celebrator Doppelbock, Cooking, Delicious, Doppelbock, Double Bock, Food, Germany, Goat, Grilling, Imported, Listening, Marinade, Marinade Overnight, Pork Cut Diagram, Pork Cuts, Privatbrauerei Franz, Radio, Ram, Recipe, Ribs on Grill, Tender Ribs, UTX's Honey Wheat Braided Twists, White Goat
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