2011 September | GreatBeerNow.com

Search Results Archives: September 2011

September 27, 2011

Big Sky IPA: Smooth IPA from the Mountain West

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic, Microbrews — Tags: beer, bitter, India Pale Ale, IPA, Missoula, Montana — 2 Comments

Montana is, as we all know, a state in the Mountain West. Its population is low, there are no large cities, and it derives a good deal of revenue from tourism. But there is more to Montana than outdoor scenery- the state is also known for its craft brewing business and Missoula’s Big Sky Brewery is one that has enjoyed a good deal of national success. One of its many fine products is Big Sky IPA, a hoppy yet smooth brew.

Beer Bio:

Style: American IPA

Calories: Unknown

Carbs: Unknown

Alcohol Content: 6.2 percent by volume

Big Sky IPA is amber/orange in color and its well- filtered processing results in a clear, see- through body. The nose on this beer is caramel- like, spicy, and citrusy with some floral notes. A standard pour is all that is necessary to produce a noticeable head of foam and it leaves a generous amount of lacing as you drink.

Moving to the taste, Big Sky IPA has a flavor that emphasizes the spicy, citrus hops common to many IPA, with flavors of grapefruit, pine, orange peel, and even a touch of pineapple. A nice caramel- malt backbone holds everything together and provides some balance to the taste, even though it still leans toward the bitter side with 65 IBU.

Big Sky IPA is a tasty American style IPA, with a medium body and a slightly oily mouthfeel, Most people have likely not heard of this brewery, but Big Sky is making a name for itself and is aggressively distributing its products to more and more areas of the United States. Just recently, it showed up on the store shelves here in Houston, Texas, and having not seen it here before, I was instantly attracted and grabbed a six pack to go.

Big Sky IPA is a memorable brew and one quality that will appeal to many is its lack of hop attitude. Now, I am fully aware that there are many hopheads out there who crave the bitter sensation that only a bold IPA can bring, but a milder IPA like Big Sky IPA does have its usefulness. It offers easy drinkability and is much smoother than most. Its malt contributions arrest the bitterness before they have a chance to become extreme and this makes it a good IPA for those who are not yet accustomed to the style or who have tried IPA in the past and have been scared away due to the extreme, hair- raising bitter flavor.

Big Sky IPA is, overall, a tasty IPA and one of the few examples of its style that is smooth enough to qualify as an everyday drinking type of beer. It isn’t easy to find, but if you happen to be within Big Sky Brewing Company’s distribution area, I recommend giving this beer a try.

Rating: 7 Cheers out of 10

September 22, 2011

Home brewing kit under $40.00

by nitengale32 — Categories: Uncategorized — No Comments

Does someone in your family keep saying they want to brew their own beer? This is a great way to get them started (and possibly meet any gift requirements like a birthday that are coming up). For less than $40.00 you can give them the gift of home brewing and beer all in one easy to use kit.

Then you can add

Mr Beer Ingredients

and

Beer For A Year Purchase beer mixes for a year and receive seasonal shipments (4 times a year) of your favorite beer mixes & Booster.

September 15, 2011

Amstel Wheat Bier Ready to Launch

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Media, Imports, Macrobreweries — Tags: Amstek, beer, bier, Heineken, light, wheat — No Comments

Amstel, a Dutch brand sold under the Heineken umbrella, has announced a new beer. The product is Amstel Wheat Bier and it is going to be offered first in upscale taverns and pubs in seven U.S. cities: New York, Boston, Providence, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Chicago, and San Francisco. Distribution across the United States is planned for later this year.

According to Amstel, this new wheat bier is an authentic European wheat beer brewed according to Amstel’s strict craftsmanship. Amstel Wheat will offer a deep golden hue with hints of orange and amber. The aroma will emphasize floral notes, fruit, and bread while the taste will be slightly fruity with delicate hops. The flavour will lean toward the sweet side and will likely be smooth and drinkable.

Samples of Amstel Wheat will be provided at consumer sampling events with the beer served in authentic European wheat bier glassware. This type of glass is tall and includes a wider rim. It is intended to highlight the taste and appearance of wheat beer and it should help to showcase the product’s look and aroma.

Amstel hasn’t introduced a new product in more than ten years so the addition of Amstel Wheat to the lineup is certainly welcome news. However, when I imagine what this new beer will be like, I can’t help but display my skeptical side. After all, Amstel products are not known for their memorable taste and do not come even close to the flavor and complexity exhibited by a fine craft brew. Amstel Light, the company’s best selling brand, is very weak and watery and my concern is that Amstel Wheat will be nothing more than a wheat- enhanced clone of the company’s flagship product.

I won’t know for sure whether Amstel Wheat will prove itself worthy until the product gains national distribution so I will save any official criticism until then. Who knows- it might turn out to be a worthwhile brew with a taste and quality on the level of Amstel Gold or Amstel 1870 (two of the better Amstel products, although both are far from stellar). It could be one of the better products in the Amstel family and a beer for the ages. It could surpass Amstel Light and even other American and German wheat beers in overall quality and taste. It could win national awards and take home dozens of medals to its parent Heineken.

It could do any number of great things, but I wouldn’t bet on any of them.

September 14, 2011

2012 Entertainment Books = Entertainment Savings

by nitengale32 — Categories: Uncategorized — Tags: entertainment, travel — No Comments

Have you picked up your Entertainment Book for next year? Not only do they make great Christmas gifts but they can help you with much of your holiday shopping, travel and even save money when you “get there.” Use coupons for store, for rental cars, airfare, hotels. We pick one up for the cities we travel to and use them for entertainment and dining – which of course leaves us with more money for tasting and treating at local breweries and brew pubs!

September 11, 2011

Freestyle Wheat: Independence Brewing again Fails to Impress

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic, Microbrews — Tags: Austin, beer, Independence, summer, wheat — No Comments

Summer beers are usually oriented toward refreshment and more often than not, these products contain a percentage of wheat malt. One wheat- based brew made in the Lone Star State is Freestyle Wheat, a product from Austin’s Independence Brewery.

Beer Bio:

Style: American Wheat Ale

Calories: 144 per 12 oz. serving

Carbs: Unknown

Alcohol Content: 4.9% by volume

Freestyle Wheat Beer is yellowish/golden in color with a slight chill haze. The carbonation in this beer is active and it forms a white head of foam that is short lived and leaves little or no lacing. The nose on this beer is sweet and grainy, with hints of spice and apple/citrus in the background.

Moving to the taste, Freestyle Wheat Beer offers flavors of sweet grain up- front, with a small amount of clove and other light spice coming through in the finish. There is only a small amount of bitterness and it quickly makes way for a return to the flavor of sweet malt in the aftertaste. The beer is brewed using American two- row pale malt and white wheat. The finished ale has a bitterness rating of only 18 IBU.

Freestyle Wheat is one of several products from Independence Brewing and, like other malt beverages from Independence, it is very average in overall quality. It does offer some decent refreshment qualities but it reminds me of other Independence Brewing products for one simple fact: It is just not that impressive. It is certainly an acceptable beer that most anyone will find agreeable enough to drink, but those who crave a complex craft beer with personality will find it disappointing.

I’m not one to add fruit to my beer, but Freestyle Wheat Beer has a taste and character that almost seems to beg for an additive. There is a certain level of fruitiness to this beer and because it is so ordinary, it might actually be enhanced with a slice of lemon. This isn’t what most craft beer lovers want in a malt beverage- we usually want our beer to taste great all by itself- and it doesn’t say much for the underlying product.

So, in summary, Freestyle Wheat Beer is an average beer from a company with mostly average products. It fails to impress, but it also succeeds at quenching thirst and it is the type of summer brew that most anyone will find at least good enough to finish. It isn’t a bad wheat beer, but it leans toward the boring side and isn’t a brand I am likely to seek in the future.

Rating: 5 Cheers out of 10

September 6, 2011

Yuengling to brew its first ever Oktoberfest

by bryancarey — Categories: Breweries, Domestic — Tags: Marzen, Oktoberfest, Yuengling — No Comments

Mention an American brewery with a long history in the business and one company that is certain to come to mind is Yuengling. The Pennsylvania brewery has been in operation for more than 180 years and it continues to inspire those who appreciate its family history, brewing tradition, and stick- to- it perseverence that has kept the company going for so many decades.

But in spite of Yuengling’s long history, one product it has not produced is Oktoberfest, or Marzen. Yuengling brews its flagship lager, a light beer, black & tan, porter, and a few others, but the company has never ventured into the land of Oktoberfest. But this is about to change very soon- in a matter of weeks, in fact.

In 2011, Yuengling has announced its plans to brew its first ever Oktoberfest beer and fans of both Yuengling and the Oktoberfest style couldn’t be happier. Many craft beer lovers have wondered why Yuengling has waited so long to produce a beer in the Marzen tradition but they need not wait any longer. Yuengling is going to produce, package, and sell its first ever Oktoberfest in a matter of weeks.

So, how will the latest addition to the Yuengling family taste? Will it measure up to the Oktoberfest products brewed by other craft breweries? These are not easy questions to answer with certainty, but if I had to place a bet, I would say that Yuengling Oktoberfest will be a little lighter than similar offerings by other breweries (like Sam Adams Oktoberfest). However, I predict it will still flavorful and memorable and with a character that is German- influenced, like one would expect from Yuengling- a company with a German heritage.

Yuengling has been brewing beer for almost two centuries and it is nice to see that the company is ready to brew and bottle a beer in the Marzen/Oktoberfest tradition. It remains to be seen (or shall I say, tasted) how this beer will stack up with other Oktoberfest products, but with Yuengling’s name on the label, I have no doubt that it will be a beer of character and quality.

Look for Yuengling Oktoberfest very soon in stores where Yuengling products are presently sold.

Welcome »

Categories »

Recent Comments »

Recent Posts »

GreatBeerNow.com