Seasonal « THE BREWSKI REPORT

September 23, 2012

Great Divide’s Wild Raspberry Ale Beer Review 9.23.2012

Filed under: Great Divide Brewing — Tags: 4.25 Rating, 5.6% ABV, Bad Back, Baseboard, Bottle, Chili, CO, Cooking, Curb, Domestic, Fridge, Fruit/Vegetable Beer, Garage, Grass, Great Divide, Great Divide Brewing Co., Hauling, Lumber, Motorcycle, Mowing, Pirate Day, Plywood, Recycle, Recycled, Refrigerator, Ruby Red, Seasonal, Semi-Trailer, Talk Like A Pirate, Trim, Truck, Wife, Wild Raspberry, Wild Raspberry Ale, Wood — Tommy Brewski @ 7:13 am

Great Divide's Wild Raspberry Ale

TBR Reports on Great Divide’s Wild Raspberry Ale
File Date: 9.23.12

File Name: Talk Like A Pirate Day?
The Beer: Wild Raspberry
Type: Fruit/Vegetable
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 5.6% ABV
Brewer: Great Divide Brewing Co.
Web Site: www.greatdivide.com
State/Country of Origin: CO, USA
Brewer Info: In 1994, Colorado’s craft beer scene scarcely existed, but Brian Dunn recognized Denver’s potential to be a great beer city. Combining his business background with his passion for beer, which was developed through his international travels and his experience as a homebrewer, he decided to start a brewery. He set up shop in an abandoned dairy-processing plant at the edge of downtown Denver and began brewing the beers that would eventually carry Great Divide Brewing Company to its status as one of America’s most decorated microbreweries and would help transform Denver into an international destination for beer lovers.

Brewer Brand Hype: WILD RASPBERRY ALE is a unique, thirst-quenching ale fermented with real red and black raspberries. Its balance of malt and fruit flavors make it a beer lover’s fruit beer.
Label: Wild Raspberry Ale. Ale Fermented With Raspberries. Flavorful. Ruby Red. Refreshing. Wild Raspberry Ale is a unique, thirst quenching ale fermented with real red and black raspberries. It’s balance of malt and fruit flavors make it a beer lover’s fruit beer. Suggested food pairings: Spicy Mexican food, creamy blue cheese, fruit desserts. Best of the Rockies, US Beer Tasting Championship, Summer 2007; Regional Champion, US Beer Tasting Championship, Summer 2004; Regional Champion, US Beer Tasting Championship, Summer 2003.

The Brewski Review: Arrrg! No, it’s not Talk Like A Pirate Day. This is me saying my back is killing me. Spent some time cleaning in the garage today so I can bring my truck home. It’s a long story. Anyway, I need it back so I can buy some 4×8 sheet of plywood to make a large barn door in my garage. I’ve been installing some baseboard trim in the garage (recycled, dry van, semi-trailer interior forklift skirting - that’s a mouthful) and had to move everything around. It’s a mess. More stuff than room. But all the moving around, unloading the motorcycle from the truck, reloading a non-working fridge then unloading it at the curb, mowing the grass, yadda, yadda, yadda. I’ll be taking some pain killers tonight so I can get some rest. I’m just as broke down as my motorcycle. I came inside exhausted. My wife is cooking chili so I thought a nice beer would be good. I’ve been putting down these seasonal fruit beers before the season leaves us. This Great Divide version of raspberry flavor is pretty tasty. It isn’t overwhelming, but strikes a nice balance with the beer. It’s also a beautiful ruby red color. Poured with minimal head. My advice? Skip the heavy work. Just open one of these up and enjoy yourself.

Drinkability: Yes. Would surely drink again.
Appearance: Beautiful Ruby Red as noted.
The Buds: Nice raspberry roundness.
TBR Cap Rating: 4.25 out of 5 caps.

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March 12, 2011

Pyramid Brewery’s Snow Cap Winter Warmer 3.12.2011

Filed under: Pyramid Brewery — Tags: 3.25 Rating, 7.0% ABV, Bottle, Foamy, Fridge, Good Man, Last Seasonal, Northern States, Outside, Pyramid, Pyramid Brewery, Seasonal, Snow Cap, WA, Warmer Weather, Winter, Winter Warmer, Yard Work — Tommy Brewski @ 11:16 am

Pyramid Breweries Snow Cap Winter Warmer

The Brewski Report Reviews Pyramid’s Snow Cap
File Date: 3.12.2011

File Name: The Last of The Seasonal Beers
The Beer: Snow Cap
Type: Winter Warmer
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 7.0% ABV
Brewer: Pyramid Breweries, Inc.
Web Site: www.pyramidbrew.com
State/Country of Origin: WA, USA
Brewer Info: No relevant information on the brewery origin on-line.

Brewer Brand Hype: Deep mahogany in color, our full-bodied winter warmer is brewed in the spirit of British winter ales. Crafted with a flurry of roasted chocolate and caramel malts, and generously hopped, it delivers a smooth finish that makes this beer the perfect cold weather companion.
Label: Life is what you pour into it. Your thirst for life demands an offering that can match it. With the artistry of our brewing, we’ve created in every bottle an adventure worth sharing with friends.

The Brewski Review: Rather bitter aftertaste. Large foamy head at the pour. I don’t think I’d try another Snow Cap. Given my desire to find the best beers that suit my palate I’d move on and try something else in a Winter Warmer. But it won’t be until next winter season. This is the last of the Winter Seasonal beers I’ve had tucked back in my fridge so it’ll have to wait until the end of ‘11. Besides, it’s time to get outside and do yardwork, pull down the deer netting, pick up twigs and branches, get the rest of the leaves off the groung, fertilize the yard, etc. I like living in the Northern states but the winter blah’s can a good man down.
Enjoy the warmer weather everyone!

Drinkability: Would try another Winter Warmer.
Appearance: Dark amber brown in color.
The Buds: Bitter aftertaste.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.25 out of 5 caps.

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March 6, 2011

Samual Smith’s Imperial Stout 3.6.2011

Filed under: Samual Smith Old Brewery — Tags: 3.75 Rating, 7.0% ABV, Athletic, Bottle, Fall, Imported, Malty, Not My Thing, Russian Imperial Stout, Samual Smith, Samual Smith Old Brewery, Seasonal, Syrup, UK England, Winter — Tommy Brewski @ 10:52 am

Samual Smith Old Brewery's Imperial Stout

The Brewski Report Reviews Samual Smith’s Imperial Stout
File Date: 3.6.2011

File Name: A Heavy Beer For Slowing Things Down.
The Beer: Samual Smith’s Imperial Stout
Type: Russian Imperial Stout
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 7.0% ABV
Brewer: Samual Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Web Site: www.merchantduvin.com
State/Country of Origin: UK (England)
Brewer Info: The Old Brewery at Tadcaster was founded in 1758 and is Yorkshire’s oldest brewery. Samuel Smith is one of the few remaining independent breweries in England, and further is the last to utilize the classic Yorkshire Square system of fermentation solely in stone squares. The rich Samuel Smith strain of yeast at The Old Brewery dates from the early 1900s. Hops are hand-weighed by the master hop blender, and the brewing water is drawn from a well sunk over 200 years ago. First introduced to the U.S. market in 1978 by Merchant du Vin, Samuel Smith beers quickly became the benchmark ales for the emerging craft beer movement. To this day, they remain among the most awarded. All Samuel Smith beers are vegan products, registered with The Vegan Society

Brewer Brand Hype: Russian imperial stout was originally brewed in Great Britain to satisfy the Czarist courts, who were great connoisseurs of Champagne, caviar and the art of the table. Because it was transported across the freezing Baltic, Russian imperial stout was brewed with a high level of alcohol. Rich, flavorful, deep chocolate color, scented and roasted barley nose. Complexity of malt, hops, alcohol and yeast.
Label: Contractors To Her Majesty’s Forces. Brewed at Samual Smith’s small, traditional British brewery with well water (the original well sunk in 1758 is still in use), best barley malt, roasted barley, yeast and hops to create a rich flavourful ale; deep chocolate in colour with a roasted barley nose and flavour that is a complexity of malt, hops and yeast. Fermented in ’stone Yorkshire squares’. This distinctive type of ale was originally shipped to imperial Russia; it was a favourite of Russian nobility.

The Brewski Review: Very much like drinking syrup. Very malty and bitter. Pitch black in color with a large head on the pour. I don’t think it was bad but Russian Imperial Stout isn’t my thing. Too heavy. It would take some getting used to if I wanted to pop one of these open at the end of the day to relax. Good for fall or winter. I think it would tend to slow me down in the Spring/Summer. Heaven only knows, I need something else to slow down this uber-athletic body of mine.

Drinkability: No. Not my thing.
Appearance: Large head and pitch black.
The Buds: Bitter. Very malty. Like drinking a syrup.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.75

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Goose Island’s Mild Winter Beer Review 3.6.2011

Filed under: Goose Island — Tags: 3.75 Rating, 5.6% ABV, Bottle, Chicago, Domestic, Fridge, Goose Island, House, IL, Mild Winter, Relatives, Research, Rye/American Ale, Seasonal, Six Pack, Stress, Weather, Wife — Tommy Brewski @ 10:19 am

Goose Island Brewery's Mild Winter Ale

The Brewski Report Reviews Goose Island’s Mild Winter
File Date: 3.6.2011

File Name: Mild winter my buttski! Glad March is upon us.
The Beer: Mild Winter
Type: Rye/American Ale
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 5.6% ABV
Brewer: Goose Island Beer Company
Web Site: www.gooseisland.com
State/Country of Origin: IL, USA
Brewer Info: In his travels across Europe, beer-lover John Hall had enjoyed a distinctive local brew in each region he visited. Hall was convinced that Midwesterners could produce beers as good or better than those he’d tasted in his travels. Living on the shore of the largest system of fresh water on the planet Earth, in a city with rapidly evolving tastes – John decided that his hometown, Chicago, would be the ideal place to do just that. The key to building interest in craft beer, Hall decided, was to allow consumers to watch the brewing process – while providing them with the then-novel experience of enjoying a wide variety of distinctive beers that had been produced on-site. Hall wanted to not only cater to his customers’ tastes, but to challenge them as well. Goose Island’s brewers set to work crafting a diverse selection of unique beers – and on Friday, May 13, 1988 the Goose Island Brewpub was born. It turned out that John was right; Chicagoans palates evolved rapidly once Goose Island’s Brewpub opened its doors and introduced the city to distinctive craft beer. By 1995, the brewpub had become so popular that John Hall and his son Greg, who had by then become Goose Island’s brewmaster, decided to open a larger brewery and bottling plant to keep up with demand. Finding still more room for growth, in 1999 the father-son team opened a second Goose Island Brewpub just a stone’s throw away from historic Wrigley Field.

Brewer Brand Hype: Toffee brown, medium-bodied, with a creamy head and an aroma of raisins and freshly baked dark bread. Mild Winter’s rich caramel malt and spicy rye flavors are sure to take the bite out of whatever Old Man Winter brews up for you this year.
Label: Serve Mild Winter in a Willi Glass.

The Brewski Review: Nice deep amber/brown color. Or, as Goose Island states - toffee color. I thought it was tasty and so did my wife who wanted me to purchase a six pack. Of course, I beat her to the punch and drank most of it before she had the chance. Hey, I need a drink to help me unravel from a metally stressful day of having to deal with the weather, house, my job/boss/coworkers, whatever excuse is handy. But, March is here upon us so we’ll be shelving the seasonal winter brews for the time being. I beleive I have one more tucked back in the fridge I need to polish off. I’ll take care of that soon. Would I drink this again? sure. Maybe I’ll have to visit Goose Island next time I’m in Chicago to visit the relatives. You know, for research.

Drinkability: Bought a whole six pack. So, yes.
Appearance: Large head. Deep amber/brown color.
The Buds: Tastly winter ale.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.75 caps out of 5.

Best Big City In America - in my humble opinion.

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December 23, 2010

Clipper City’s Winter Storm ESB Review 12.23.10

Filed under: Clipper City Brewing — Tags: 3.5 Rating, 7.5% ABV, Bottle, Category 5 Ale, Clipper City Brewing, Cold Weather, Domestic, ESB, Extra Special Bitter, Fall, Favorite Season, Fourth, Heavy Seas, Holidays, Hot and Humid, Hurricane, Journalistic Endeavor, List of Beers, ME, Move, Northerner, Ruby Color, Seasonal, Snow, Spring, Tolorance, Water, White, Winter, Winter Storm — Tommy Brewski @ 8:39 pm

Thar She Blows - A Category 5 Taste Sensation?

The Brewski Report Reviews Clipper City’s Heavy Seas Winter Storm “Category 5″ Ale
File Date: 12.23.10

File Name: Winter Ranks Fourth in Seasons
The Beer: Heavy Seas Winter Storm
Type: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (ESB)
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 7.5% ABV
Brewer: Clipper City Brewing Co.
Web Site: www.clippercitybeer.com
State/Country of Origin: ME, USA
Brewer Info: Brewed by Baltimore’s Clipper City Brewing Co., Heavy Seas is produced by Baltimore craft beer pioneer Hugh Sisson – the brewery’s founder and managing partner – and Brewmaster Ernesto Igot, formerly brewmaster at San Miguel Brewery in the Philippines. After successfully lobbying the Maryland Legislature to legalize brewpubs, Hugh began brewing professionally in 1989 at his family’s Baltimore pub – Sisson’s – which was coincidentally Maryland’s first brewpub. In 1994 he left Sisson’s to found Clipper City and has been involved in all aspects of the business – brewing, finance, marketing, and sales. Combined, Hugh and Ernie represent over 50 years of experience in developing, producing, marketing, and selling fine beer. Totally driven by a passion to make richly flavored beers, they are also focused on making beers with finesse and balance. Their wealth of experience gives them a firm foundation in the values of traditional brewing methods, yet they also share a desire to create new beer experiences. The result is a brand that captures the best of both worlds – modern beer thinking blended with the best elements of traditional methods.

Brewer Brand Hype: Our winter ale brewed with copious helpings of English malts and both U.S. and English hops making it a ruddy hued Imperial ESB in style. Full malty flavors dancing with powerful hop aromas and a lingering yet firm hop bitterness. Pairs well with very sharp cheddar, stews, and grilled ribs. Available October – December.
Label: This here pounder has a fine layer of yeast at her bottom. It won’t send you to Davey Jones’ locker, but will protect your brew from the rigors of life at sea. Hang on…it’s a Category 5 Ale! With a full ruby hue, vivid malty flavor, and earthy hop aroma, Winter Storm is an original - an Imperial ESB for the winter months.

The Brewski Review: I’m tired of winter already. Look at the street in front of my house (see picture below). Just kidding. I will say though, my tolorance for winter has abated in my ‘experienced’ years. I don’t really mind the cold weather so much as the snow. Just tired of it all. Move to FLA you SAY? No. Too humid and hot. Fall is my favorite time of year followed close by Spring. That’s why I’ll stay up north. Part of my journalistic endeavor here is to isolate the best beers to drink in any season. So, at some point down the road I’ll at least have a list of winter beers to keep me warm inside while I wait out the cold season. Like this Clipper City Brew: it a nice winter beer. Hearty with an bitter finish (obviously). But, there were some nice hop and malt characteristics in the taste. Nice tasting ESB.

Drinkability: Yes. Would purchase again.
Appearance: Medium ruby color.
The Buds: Good malty flavor.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.50 crowns out of 5.

The snow has really piled up on the street in front of my house.

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December 18, 2010

Breckenridge’s Christmas Ale Beer Review 12.18.10

Filed under: Breckenridge Brewery — Tags: 2.75 Rating, 7.4% ABV, Aftertaste, Beer Label, Breckenridge Brewery, Christmas Ale, CO, Domestic, Graphics, Green, Holidays, Muddy Head, Retro, Seasonal, Winter Warmer — Tommy Brewski @ 8:19 pm

What A Great, Dark Rich Color.

The Brewski Report Reviews Breckenridge’s Christmas Ale
File Date: 12.18.10

File Name: Great shelf appeal.
The Beer: Christmas Ale
Type: Winter Warmer
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 7.4% ABV
Brewer: Breckenridge BBQ & Brew
Web Site: www.breckbrew.com
Country of Origin: CO, USA
Brewer Info: Back in the 1980s our founder, Richard Squire, had a dream – to ski all day and drink great beer every night. Since he lived in the snow-kissed Rocky Mountains, fulfilling the skiing portion of his dream was easy. But the great beer part – at a time when a “microbrew” was a rarity – that was another story. So Richard started brewing his own, more flavorful beers for himself and his thrill-seeking ski pals. His homebrewed creations were a hit, and soon Richard was spending more time brewing than skiing. So he chased after another dream – making exceptional beer for a living. In February, 1990 that dream became reality when Richard opened the original Breckenridge Brewery & Pub in the town of Breckenridge, Colorado. Richard’s ski bum days were over, and so were the days of bland beer for the folks in Colorado’s ski country.

Brewer Brand Hype: The chill of a Colorado high-country winter calls for a beer with extra flavor and warming characteristics. Here it is. Breck Brew’s Christmas Ale. At over 7% alcohol, with a sturdy texture and rich flavors of caramel and chocolate, our holiday seasonal is the fermented equivalent of a good fire. The ultimate winter warmer.
Label: Plenty of good cheer. Good friends ever near.

The Brewski Review: As for the beer, I wouldn’t recommend this one. It looked good in the glass: Brown to ruby brown in with a nice foamy, muddy colored head. The head dissipated quickly. The taste though, wasn’t very pleasant to me. It had a very strong aftertaste. I drank about 3/4 of the bottle and had to pour the rest down the drain. I didn’t get sick, but it was not an enjoyable beverage for me to drink. I really wanted it to taste good just because I loved the retro holiday label which looked so cool. Can’t judge a book by it’s cover.

Drinkability: Most likely not.
Appearance: Brown to ruby brown in color
The Buds: Big aftertaste. Malty and Bitter.
TBR Cap Rating: 2.75 out of 5.

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December 10, 2010

Rinkuskiu’s Missing Elf Double Bock Beer Review 12.10.10

Filed under: Rinkuskiai Brewery — Tags: 3.75 Rating, 9.5% ABV, Christmas, Doppelbock, Family Room, Holiday Decorating, Holidays, House Work, Imported, Kids, Lightweight, Lithuania, Missing Elf, Naturally Fermented, Old Age, Rinkuskiai, Rinkuskiu Brewery, Seasonal, Sleep — Tommy Brewski @ 7:53 pm

Santa Would Be Completely Useless If He Pounded A Couple Of His Missing Elf.

The Brewski Report Reviews Missing Elf Doppelbock Beer
File Date: 12.10.10

File Name: Getting Old Has It’s Price
The Beer: Missing Elf
Type: Doppelbock
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 9.5% ABV
Brewer: Rinkuskiu Alaus Darykla
Web Site: www.rinkuskiai.lt
State/Country of Origin: Lithuania
Brewer Info: Brewery Rinkuskiai. Birzai region has been known as the capital of Lithuanian brewers. Beer has been produced here for many centuries. There are 4 large breweries and many small breweries in Birzai region that produce more than 15 mln liters of beer per year for just 35 thousand population of Birzai! Birzai people have deep beer drinking traditions and one person drinks as much as 160 litres of beer per year! No festival or family parties start and end without dark and rich beer with a slight sweet taste that usually deceives guests thinking that the beer is very light. Unfortunately, they find themselves ending the party too early… If you have never visited Lithuania it is worth to come here and see kind and merry people of Birzai region and drink a nice glass of good traditional beer. Cheers! Brewery Rinkuskiai was established in the year 1991 in Birzai region known as Beer Country in Lithuania. The brewery stands No 5 in the market right after four largest breweries in Lithuania. Rinkuskiai beer is natural. Only pure high quality water, original yeast, hops and traditional light malt is used for production. For some brands caramel malt is used. No pees, rice and other non-malt products are used for Rinkuskiai beer production. Rinkuskiai beer quality is the result of old traditions of Beer Country, experience of the past generations, and innovations of the modern days. That makes Rinkuskiai beer one of the most exclusive in Lithuania.

Brewer Brand Hype: Naturally fermented.
Label: Brewery Rinkuskiai was established in the year 1991in Birzai region known as Beer Country in Lithuania. Rinkuskiai beer quality is a result of old traditions of Beer Country, experience of the past generations, and innovations of the modern days. That makes Rinkuskiai beer one of the most exclusive in Lithuania. Beer Missing Elf is naturally fermented, the most heating and famous beer of Beer Country!

The Brewski Review: This appears to have a Christmas / Seasonal flavor to it so I pulled it out of the fridge and poured a glass. I would have to say it was very buttery tasting. It was rather mild and not very bitter. Not much of an aftertaste. It was a decent beverage. I would have to say I guess I’m beginning to be a lightweight in my older age. This beer about put me to sleep. I was doing some work around the house when I drank this and after finishing, I was all but useless. I layed on the family room floor and wanted to sleep but my kids made sure that wasn’t going to happen.

Drinkability: One pint of seriously high ABV.
Appearance: Light golden color
The Buds: Buttery tasting. Quick head dissipates fast.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.75 out of 5

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December 3, 2010

Bell’s Brewery’s Winter White Ale Beer Review 12.3.2010

Filed under: Bell's Brewery — Tags: 3.75 Rating, Architectural Flare, Bell's Brewery, Bottle, Build Larger, Burning Wood, Combination, Domestic, Fall Project, Firewood, MI, Not Competed, Outdoor Fire, Seasonal, Spicy, Winter Projects, Winter White Ale, Witbier, Wood Crib — Tommy Brewski @ 8:32 pm

The color isn't all too appealing. Looks like a typical American Adjunct Beer.

The Brewski Report Reviews Bell’s Brewery’s Winter White Ale
File Date: 12.3.2010

File Name: Winter Wood Project
The Beer: Winter White Ale
Type: Witbier
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 5.0% ABV
Brewer: Bell’s Brewery Inc.
Web Site: www.bellsbeer.com
State/Country of Origin: MI, USA
Brewer Info: Bell’s Brewery, Inc. formerly Kalamazoo Brewing Company, founded by Larry Bell as a home-brewing supply shop in 1983, sold its first beer in 1985. Originally brewing in a 15-gallon soup kettle, the company has grown remarkably. Bell’s Brewery has grown from a tiny operation renting part of a former plumbing supply warehouse to a bustling, regional craft brewery. Although the “microbrewery” revolution began on the West Coast in the 1970s, the Midwest saw this brewing development much later. Bell’s Brewery stands as the oldest craft-brewer east of Boulder, Colorado. Originally self-distributed, Larry and crew brewed, bottled and delivered all of the beer to market for the company’s first four years. By 1989, Bell’s was shipping over 500 barrels annually and assigned its first wholesaler to further establish itself across the State of Michigan. After struggling several years to produce and sell robust, full-bodied ales against a tide of a mass-market domestic beer, Bell’s began to see the demand for craft beer grow dramatically. Bell’s soon ventured outside Michigan, continuing its solid growth and developing a reputation across the Midwest for the unique style and flavor of its Bell’s brands.

Brewer Brand Hype: A Wheat Ale brewed with American Wheat and a proprietary blend of Hefe and classice Belgian-style yeasts. A refreshing winter alternative created from the subtle fusion of two classic flavors.
Label: A seasonally nuanced wheat ale that is both stylish and refreshing.

The Brewski Review: Nice winter beverage. Spicy, just like other seasonal beers. Quite tasty. This one is a witbier but with the spices it changes the flavor quite a bit for me. I like witbier and I like the winter seasonals, but it’s hard to say that the combination of the two create a beer better than the flavors unto themselves. Just the same this is a worthy beverage that you’ll enjoy on a nice cool fall or winter day. Like when your outside getting your house ready for cold weather onslaught. I managed this pretty well myself. The largest project was the need to build a larger wood crib. All the wood has been put into the crib and covered for the winter but the project isn’t complete. I need to build a roof over it and add some other minor ‘architectural’ touches. If it’s going to be in my back yard I’m going to make it look relatively pleasing. I don’t want to stare at a pile of wood every day. When it’s complete I’ll be sure to post some pictures but until then here’s what it looks like right now.

Drinkability: Would drink this again.
Appearance: Pale golden color.
The Buds: The spice flavor is quite tasty.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.75 out of 5.

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November 12, 2010

Spoetzl Brewery’s Shiner Holiday Cheer Beer Review 11.12.2010

Filed under: Spoetzl Brewery, Zombies — Tags: 3.25 Rating, 5.4% ABV, Christmas, College Course, Domestic, Dunkelweizen, DVR, Head Shot, Holiday Cheer, Holiday Season, Movies, Seasonal, Shiner, Shiner Bock, Spoetzl Brewery, Strategy, Survivalism, Television Series, The Walking Dead, TV, TX, Unliving, Zombie Diet, Zombie Flicks, Zombie Girls, Zombie Speed, Zombie Stripper, Zombie Survival — Tommy Brewski @ 11:32 am

What do Holiday Cheer and Zombies have in common? Absolutely nothing.

The Brewski Report Reviews Shiner Holiday Cheer Dunkelweizen
File Date: 11.12.2010

File Name: Zombie Survival 101
The Beer: Shiner Holiday Cheer
Type: Dunkelweizen
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 5.4% ABV
Brewer: Spoetzl Brewery
Web Site: www.shiner.com
Country of Origin: TX, USA
Brewer Info: From its earliest time under the Shiner Brewing Association in 1909, to that fateful day in 1914 when Kosmos Spoetzl saw an opportunity to bring classic Bavarian Brewing traditions to his fellow immigrants, through the “Great Experiment” of Prohibition and and Great Depression, the “Little Brewery” has stuck to what they know best - handcrafting the finest beer.

Brewer Brand Hype: Happy Holidays from the “Little Brewery” in Shiner, TX. We hope you enjoy your Shiner Cheer, an Old World Dunkelweizen brewed with Texas peaches and roasted pecans. The malty flavors of this dark wheat ale are enhanced through the use of malted barley and wheat. And Kräusening ensures a smoothness that makes the subtle peach and pecan flavors all the more satisfying. May your days be merry and bright and your Shiner be cold. Prosit!
Label: ‘Tis the season for cheer. Happy Holidays from the “Little Brewery” in Shiner, TX. We hope you enjoy your Shiner Cheer, an Old World Dunkelweizen brewed with Texas peaches and roasted pecans. The malty flavors of this dark wheat ale are enhanced through the use of malted barley and wheat. And Krausening ensures a smoothness that makes the subtle peach and pecan flavors all the more satisfying. May your day be merry and bright and you Shiner be cold. Prosit!

The Brewski Review: I generally don’t watch too much TV. When I’m with the kids it’s usually an animated show or DVD. In a rare moment when the kids aren’t around you can find me scanning the channels for a good movie. If one isn’t showing at that particular point in time I’ll list the movies I’ve captured on our DVR (a great invention by the way). This is also good for the very few series that I’ve actually liked to watch but are aired after my 10pm curfew. One more to add to the list is ‘The Walking Dead’. I love a good zombie movie. Who doesn’t? The idea of having to live amongst the ‘unliving’ is appealing in a survivalistic sort of way. Where would you go? What would you do? It’s all about strategy. Someone should start a Zombie Survival Course at the university educational level. There are so many variables: are they fast or slow zombies? Will they come out in the light or are they dark dwellers? Is the head shot really the universal method of incompacitation? How bad do they smell? There are so many questions that need answered. AND, I’d bet you’d get to watch some killer zombie flicks. And, when your at home doing your zombie ‘homework’ you should crack open one of these beers: Shiner’s Holiday Cheer. This beer was my first Dundelweizen. To be up front, I hope they all don’t taste this way. I thought this beer lacked flavor. It didn’t jump out at me like, ‘Man, I have to have this again.’ I thought Shiner Bock was fabulous so I’m not down on the brewery. Maybe I’ll try another next holiday season.

Drinkability: Beer with Peaches and Pecans?
Appearance: Dark amber in color. Big head.
The Buds: Didn’t hold out much flavor.
TBR Cap Rating: 3.25 out of 5.

Classic Zombie Business Attire.

The Uber Killers - Nazi Zombie Dead Squad.

There's even stripper zombies in case you were not aware.

Also quite unknow to many, zombies follow a strict nutritional diet.

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October 5, 2010

The Brewski Report and The Harvest Moon

Filed under: Educational — Tags: Autumn, Autumnal Equinox, Crops, Earth, Educational, Fall, Harvest Moon, Hunter's Moon, October, Seasonal, Seasons — Tommy Brewski @ 6:39 pm

Desert Harvest Moon Rising. Can you hear the coyote's calling?

The Brewski Report Files This Post Under Educational
File Date: 10.5.2010

File Name: What Is A Harvest Moon?

The harvest moon is the moon at or about the period of fullness that is nearest to the autumnal equinox. The harvest moon is often mistaken for the modern day hunter’s moon.

All full moons rise around the time of sunset. However, although in general the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day, as it moves in orbit around Earth, the Harvest Moon and Hunter’s Moon are special, because around the time of these full moons, the time difference between moonrise on successive evenings is shorter than usual which means that the moon rises approximately 30 minutes later, from one night to the next, as seen from about 40 degrees N. or S. latitude, for several evenings around the full Hunter’s or Harvest Moons. Thus there is no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise around the time following these full moons. In times past this feature of these autumn moons was said to help farmers working to bring in their crops (or, in the case of the Hunter’s Moon, hunters tracking their prey). They could continue being productive by moonlight even after the sun had set. Hence the name Harvest Moon. The reason for the shorter-than-usual rising time between successive moonrises around the time of the Harvest and Hunter’s Moon is that the ecliptic—the plane of Earth’s orbit around the sun—makes a narrow angle with respect to the horizon in the evening in autumn.

The Harvest Moon is said to come before or after the autumnal equinox. It is simply the full moon closest to that equinox. About once every four years it occurs in October (in the northern hemisphere), depending on the cycles of the moon. Currently, the latest the Harvest Moon can occur is on October 7. Often, the Harvest Moon seems to be bigger or brighter or more colorful than other moons. These effects are related to the seasonal tilt of the earth. The warm color of the moon shortly after it rises is caused by light from the moon passing through a greater amount of atmospheric particles than when the moon is overhead. The atmosphere scatters the bluish component of moonlight (which is really reflected white light from the sun), but allows the reddish component of the light to travel a straighter path to one’s eyes. Hence all celestial bodies look reddish when they are low in the sky.

The apparent larger size is because the brain perceives a low-hanging moon to be larger than one that’s high in the sky. This is known as a Moon Illusion and it can be seen with any full moon. It can also be seen with constellations; in other words, a constellation viewed low in the sky will appear bigger than when it is high in the sky.

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