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May 20, 2012

Search Results Category: Beer Reviews

September 27, 2011

Big Sky IPA: Smooth IPA from the Mountain West

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic, Microbrews — Tags: , , , , , — 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

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September 11, 2011

Freestyle Wheat: Independence Brewing again Fails to Impress

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic, Microbrews — Tags: , , , , — 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

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August 24, 2011

Reader share: Five Favorite Organic Beers

by nitengale32 — Categories: About Beer, Beer Reviews, Microbrews — Tags: , — No Comments

Excerpt . . . According to Mason Walker, author of Organic Beer Industry Flourishes, “In 2009, the organic beer sector more than doubled the $19 million in sales reported just four years prior in 2005.” But to simply say that a beer is organic can be confusing, as there are actually several different levels of organic certification. The highest of those levels is “100 Percent Organic,” which means that all ingredients and processing aids are organic. This is followed by “Organic,” which means that at least 95 percent of the ingredients and processing aids are organic. According to Brittany Dern, author of The Big ‘O’ – Defining Organic Beer, the other five percent is usually made up of the hops, since it can be difficult to find organic hops in great quantities. With this in mind, let’s take a look at a few examples.

Continue reading Five Favorite Organic Beers

 

Do you have a favorite beer, beer recipe or beer pairing you would like to share with Great Beer Now?  Then Contact Us we would love to hear from you.

 

 

 

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August 19, 2011

The Best of Four Peaks Brewing Co – Tempe, AZ

by nitengale32 — Categories: Beer Reviews, Beer Travel, Breweries — Tags: , , — No Comments

Excerpt . . .

As a fan of craft beers, I’m always eager to try out local microbreweries. My favorite in the Phoenix metro area is Four Peaks Brewing Company. Located close to the ASU campus at 1340 E. 8th St. in Tempe, it is easy to find. Their hours are from 10 am – 2 am on Sunday, and 11 am – 2 am Monday through Saturday.

Beers: They have eight year-round varieties. By far, my favorite is Hop Knot, which is an awesome hop-heavy I.P.A. with an alcohol content of 6.7%. Coming in second is their Oatmeal Stout, which has an incredible creamy-malted chocolate flavor.

Continue reading The Best of Four Peaks Brewing Co – Tempe, AZ

Hampton Inn - Phoenix-Midtown (Downtown Area)

Hampton Inn – Phoenix-Midtown (Downtown Area)

Hampton Inn – Phoenix-Midtown (Downtown Area) > PHX > 160 W Catalina Dr > Phoenix > AZ > 85013>

Location.
This city center property is located in Phoenix, close to Heard Museum and Sunnyslope Mountain. Also nearby are US Airways Center and Chase Field.

Features.
Hampton Inn Phoenix Midtown (Downtown Area) has an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness facility. Business amenities include a business center, wireless Internet access, and business services. A hot and cold buffet breakfast is complimentary to guests. Event facilities at this 2.5 star property consist of conference rooms and banquet facilities. This 2.5 star property provides an airport shuttle (surcharge). Guest parking is complimentary. The staff can arrange event catering and dry cleaning/laundry services. Additional amenities include laundry facilities, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and air conditioning in public areas. This is a smoke free property (fines may apply for violations).

Guestrooms.
Amenities featured in guestrooms include air conditioning, coffee/tea makers, and free local calls. In addition, amenities available on request include wake up calls. 25 inch televisions with pay movies are available in guestrooms. Business friendly amenities include multi line phones, desks, and voice mail. All guestrooms provide microwaves and refrigerators. Bathrooms provide bathroom phones and hair dryers. Guestroom services include housekeeping. Rollaway beds are available on request. All guestrooms at Hampton Inn Phoenix Midtown (Downtown Area) are non smoking.

Notifications:

  • There are no room charges for children 18 years old and younger who occupy the same room as their parents or guardians, using existing bedding.

    • Additional fees and deposits may be charged by the property at time of service, check in, or check out.

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      June 18, 2011

      Fireman’s #4 Blonde: Refreshing Ale with some Chocolate Notes

      by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic, Microbrews — Tags: , , , , — No Comments

      Texas is a rising star in the craft beer world. The state ranks second in population, but its craft brewing industry ranks below that of less populous states. However, the craft brewing industry is on the rise in Texas and one good example is Real Ale Brewing of Blanco, Texas. I have had the pleasure of sampling many Real Ale products and one of my latest adventures is Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale, a golden ale.

      Firemans #4 Blonde

       

      Beer Bio:

      Style: American Blonde Ale

      Calories: 160 per 12 oz. serving

      Carbs:  16 grams per 12 oz. serving

      Alcohol Content: 5.1 percent by volume

      Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale is clear, well- filterd beer with a straw- colored body. This ale emits a nose of lightly grassy hops and light citrus, with a touch of yeast. The head of foam starts out nice, but it doesn’t hold itself together very long.

      Moving to the taste, Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale offers the taste of lightly roasted malt, grains, and biscuits along with a citrus and pear flavor, as well as some yeast flavor and a hint of chocolate. A slight bitterness closes out the drinking session and the beer remains crisp and clean throughout.

      I don’t normally go for lighter beer, but I do make exceptions to this rule during the summer. Lighter beers are good during the warmer months for the obvious reasons: They are less filling and more refreshing, making them a good beverage option in the sweltering heat. My experience with Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale was, indeed, a reponse to my quest to find a better beer for the hot, dog days of summer. And what I discovered is that this beer actually isn’t as light as I first thought, yet it is still a crisp, refreshing beer overall.

      Fireman’s #4 Blonde has a nose like a typical light ale, but the taste is slightly different. The most interesting flavor dimension is one you wouldn’t expect: chocolate!  I conducted a small amount of research and I can find no evidence that chocolate malts or any other chocolate- tasting ingredient is used in the production of this beer. Yet, Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale does offer this unusual flavor dimension along with more commonplace flavors for this style, such as grain, yeast, and citrus.

      Another nice feature with Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale is its crisp, clean flavor profile. This ale is filtered thoroughly, with a great deal of clarity and cleanness that many might feel is taken too far. However, there is no need to worry. Real Ale might have over- filtered, but the clean profile doesn’t mean the beer is without any flavor. It still has some interesting tasting notes and it is the type of beer that will be enjoyed by most everyone.

      In summary, Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale is a tasty blonde ale that offers good refreshment with some interesting flavors. There is little bitterness in this brew (only 21 IBU, to be exact) and with its agreeable flavor and overall refreshment, it makes a good session beer and it is the type of product that newbies and seasoned beer connoisseurs will all find to their liking.

      Rating: 8 Cheers out of 10      
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      September 13, 2009

      Refreshing Mango Flavor in a Malt Beverage Alternative

      by strive4impact — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic — 2 Comments

      Malternatives are similar to beer and while not usually as good as the real thing, there are a few exceptions.

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      September 9, 2009

      Samuel Adams Octoberfest Helps Kick Off the Fall Season

      by bryancarey — Categories: Award Winning, Beer Reviews, Domestic — No Comments

      Now that Fall is here, it is time once again to enjoy a Samuel Adams favorite: Samuel Adams Octoberfest.

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      September 4, 2009

      Samuel Adams Brown Ale is Truly the People’s Choice

      by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic — No Comments

      Boston Beer and its Samuel Adams brand continue to create memorable brews that span a wide range of styles. Boston Beer and its founder, Mr. Jim Koch, continue to educate the world on the greatness of beer by brewing various styles and, starting in 2005, Boston Beer began something new: It started an annual tradition that asked the public to vote on a new Samuel Adams beer, between two competitors. The first winner in this contest was Samuel Adams Brown Ale.

      (more…)

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      August 24, 2009

      New Zealand Hops in an American Pale Ale

      by strive4impact — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic — 2 Comments

      One newer product from Sierra Nevada that continues this tradition of excellence is Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop Ale, a beer brewed with New Zealand hops. Find out why I enjoyed this beer!

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      August 20, 2009

      Celis White: An Authentic Belgian Brew Made in America

      by strive4impact — Categories: Award Winning, Beer Reviews — 8 Comments

      Celis White is medium in body and it ranks as a great- tasting witbier for most any occasion. It won a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2003 and the Michigan Brewing Company did the brewing world a great service when it revived this brand several years ago. It ranks among my favorite American versions of the Belgian style.

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