Brew York State of Mind

It’s with a heavy heart that I leave the Great State of Texas. Dallas has been good to me these past months. However, tomorrow I’m Eastbound and down, ready for all the crappy weather the great Northeast has to offer. I won’t be riding solo, I’ll have my dad with me, but posts may be scarce over the next few days.

Poppa Beer

A 16′ truck and beer are not to be mixed. Though this truck will be carrying a good deal of brew home for me. In order to ease my transition home, I have:

• Shiner: three (3) cases @ 24 bottles/case
• St. Arnold Elissa: three (3) sixers
• Ranger IPA: one (1) case @ 24 bottles/case + one sixer (for good luck)
• Southern Star Pine Belt IPA: one (1) four-pack @ 16oz/can
• Harpoon Leviathan: one (1) four-pack (minus one from last night’s review)
• Avery Collaboration: two (2) bombers @ 22oz/bottle
• Widmer Black IPA: three (3) sixers
• Miscellaneous: Thirty-three (33) bottles @ 12oz/bottle, three (3) bottles at 22oz/bottle

I don’t care to do the math, but it makes me happy to know that I‘ll be transporting (possibly illegally) a lot of beer across many States. Now, some beer porn:

Thankfully, my truck is Franzia-free

Shiner Hefeweizen

Spoetzl Brewery
Shiner, TX
Hefeweizen

Despite last night’s Shiner fail, I’m going to give this Shiner Hefeweizen a go. Maybe it’s the spring rain, maybe it’s forward thinking to the beer I’m going to enjoy all summer at Zum Schneider, maybe I’m just desperate.

The pour is typically lively, flinging three fingers of foam up the glass. More than a half-inch is retained and the rocky, cloudy head is sticking to the sides of the glass.

Maybe just half a weizen.

The color is a hazy goldenrod, burnished with a bit of orange evident. The carbonation is steady with both very fine bubbles, and larger globes heading to the surface.

The nose is clean and grassy, with some green apples and a plastic-y phenolic smell. It’s not unpleasant, but it smells very much like plastic or transparent tape.

The mouthfeel is pretty good, much fuller than I expected. The initial flavor is a subtle grain and cereal that is slightly tinny. A kiss of citrus – literally like a quick squeeze of lemon – provides just a hint of astringency to the start of the finish, which ends with a clean, if slightly twiggy, flavor.

All in all, this is not bad, but it is lacking the more cleansing abilities of most wheats. There is no real hefe tang to this. If you don’t like wheat beer and you have to drink a wheat beer and, like me, just want a Ranger IPA, it’ll do, but it’s not going to make a run at any beers from Ze Fathaland.

You passed, Shiner. BARELY.

Know what I give you?

F+

Shiner Blonde

Spoetzl Brewery
Shiner, TX
Blonde

The pour is very pale yellow, with lively carbonation that helps support a quarter-inch of soft, pure white head. The retention seems decent.

The nose is as grassy and green as most of the Shiner brews, though this smells a bit thinner than some of the other similarly golden samples. The bottle claims that it contains both Euro and US hops, which is always a lovely-sounding idea. Some faint notes of grape and a touch of rain, but that’s about it.

The mouthfeel is thin and, while the carbonation is good, the anorexic body leaves you with nothing but the effervescence and makes you think you’re drinking seltzer. What flavor exists is not bad, by any means – some faint grassy hops, a little bit of pleasant wet loam – but there’s too little to make a strong assessment. Essentially, this tastes like a watered-down or even ‘light’ version of Shiner’s Kosmos.

At 4.4%, it’s a session beer, and you could easily put away many of these without any serious deleterious effects, but you might as well save room in your belly and wallet for something with some more substance.

The lacing isn’t all that bad either, leaving a pocked coral wall behind, but that’s about the best this brew has to offer save for maybe some thirst-quenching during a really serious softball game.

Shiner Kosmos

Spoetzl Brewery
Shiner, TX
Kosmos Reserve

Named after the original Shiner brewmaster, Kosmos Spoetzl, this beer is meant to be a German-style lager similar to what Mr. Spoetzl initially brewed.

A pillowy, pure-white head stands to about a half-inch before settling to a  solid quarter-inch, maintained by agitated, snaking strands of carbonation.

The clarity is crystal clear, and the color is a bit more gold than straw, perhaps with a drop of orange.

The nose is very clean – a slightly candied aroma of malt, followed by fresh cut grass and barnyard rain.

The mouthfeel is pretty good, coming across a bit on the thin side though the bubbles help you overlook that. The first flavor is a very twiggy greenness that borders on metallic. The hops do their part to bring out a thoughtful, if not elegant or subtle, bitterness. The finish is smoother and creamier than you might expect from such a hoppy beer.

Similar to their Dortmunder-style Frost, Kosmos Reserve makes you think ‘Pilsner.’ The clarity, color, and Noble bitterness are reminiscent of those Bavarian styles. This is a smooth session beer that will provide a bit more substance than many of the bigger American lagers, and is worth a try.

Real Ale Brown Ale

Real Ale Brewing Co.
Blanco, TX
Brewhouse Brown Ale

This Real Ale sampler pack is great as it provides three different beers – two bottles each – rather than just one bottle of six types, the way Shiner does it. This allows for sampling for reviewing, and sampling for enjoying. The final in this threesome is the brown ale.

There is no rocky billowing head, which isn’t altogether unusual for a brown ale. The effervescence is good though, as is the clarity.

The color is a bit on the red side of cola brown. There is more orange and brick red in there than brown.

The nose is sweet and bready. Some mild toasted grain notes rise up under the warm brown bread body. A faint whiff of what smells like Noble hops comes through the roasted grains a bit.

The mouthfeel is full, with impressively more body than you might think from such a translucent brown ale. The effervescence is fairly lively and carries a nice cleanliness that pairs perfectly with what turns out to be a very subtle yet present roastiness. Brown sugar, fresh bread crust, and just a bit of malty toffee. Some hops help to dry out the finish, preventing this from coming across as sweet.

This is a great subtle brown ale. For those of you who are a bit wary of the burnt quality that can accompany some browns, check this out. It is smooth and dry, but carries enough flavor to pair with food.

Real Ale Pale Rye Ale

Real Ale Brewing Co.
Blanco, TX
Full Moon Pale Rye Ale

Well, after a reasonably successful review of Real Ale’s Rio Blanco yesterday, why not try another?

The pour yields a rocky, slightly yellowish head that clings to the side of the glass as though the beer were wearing grampons.

The color is an impeccably gorgeous light coppery orange. There is plenty of turbulent effervescence circulating up from the center etching of the glass.

The nose is wet grain, all the way, though some slightly vinous stone fruit comes through just before a subtle but present aroma of oily hops.

The mouthfeel is pleasantly milky and the rocky head and fine carbonation helps. The first sip gives you almost all hops – it’s wonderful. Grapefruit and some bitter tobacco residue hit you first and foremost, though the rye shows up with a slightly spicy-yet-smooth breadiness towards the back and helps temper the bitterness just a tad. The finish relies on the hops to seal the deal, and they perform nicely.

All in all, an excellent RyePA, with good body, plenty of hops, and some really nice lace curtains.

Real Ale Pale Ale

Real Ale Brewing Co.
Blanco, TX
Rio Blanco Pale Ale

Except for Fireman’s 4, I’ve avoided Real Ale because of the brewery name – ‘real ale’ being what Brits call cask-conditioned beer and the movement toward beer stewardship. A bad reason, I know. Nonetheless, Real Ale comes highly recommended by Texans, so who am I to discriminate. Anyway, I really like the green of the label.

A frothy, off-white head rushes up to about an inch before descending rapidly, though the large mug I’m using may have attributed to the dispersal.

The color is a deep honey gold, with burnt amber orange notes, pretty good clarity, and slow, widely-spaced carbonation.

The nose is maltier than you might expect at first, but the hops come through, and they are interesting, for sure. Citrus notes are evident – grapefruit and orange – but a grassy, lagery aroma seems to propel itself forward. The bottle advertises that the beer is “accented with Czech Saaz hops”, those most noble of Noble hops used in pilsner, so everything makes sense.

The mouthfeel is excellent. More carbonation than you’d expect after glancing at the few pearl strands around the glass, and a sweet, buttery texture. The first flavor is certainly grain – barley cereal or toasted oatmeal – but this sets the stage for a sort of honey-crisp snap that rides a wave of slightly citric hops into a stellar tangy finish.

At 5.3%, it’s a great, almost-session brew that has a great body and a lot of complexity. Sort of like all those artist/lingerie model types you always meet.

Shiner Black Lager

Spoetzl Brewery
Shiner, TX
Bohemian Black Lager

The pour yields a gently rising tan head the settles to almost half an inch and stays put. The beer itself is dark, but not quite opaque; when held to the light, shades of garnet and cola shine through the edges.

The nose is toasty and bready and slightly sweet – like burnt waffles or brown sugar and melted butter. A slight green-twig wetness hints at the Saaz hops that are used here, but we’ll see if they cut through the roasted malt.

The mouthfeel starts off as a bit thin, but fills in a bit as the carbonation that caused the creamy head to appear cascades across the palate. There isn’t a ton of body, but there is a nice progression of flavors that is cooperative, if not balanced.

First, a white-bread airiness hits you. It’s chewy, but not complex. Next, the roasted grain comes in with touches of almond and maybe a bit of cinnamon. Finally, things are tidied up with some grassy hops that are just a bit on the watery side of things.

Overall, this is an eminently drinkable brew – perfect for a replacement in your line of session brews when you want something that’s not golden. Shiner is never the most daring of breweries, but they certainly put forth an effort to make a wide array of easy-drinking beers and you have to love that in a time when many people think that bigger beer is better beer.

Also, this dark lager leaves some really elegant doily-like lacing down the glass. Worthy of a bonus pic.

St. Arnold Spring Bock

St. Arnold Brewing Co.
Houston, TX
Spring Bock

With spring weather upon the Great State of Texas for moment, I went looking for some appropriate brews. I stumbled upon a six-pack of St. Arnold Spring Bock. Since I dig this weather, am newly obsessed with bock beer, and spend my days composing love-filled sonnets to St. Arnold beer, I figured this was perfect.

The color is crystal clear amber like it was just dug up from a Baltic forest; some yellow tones near the edges of the glass really enhance the clarity. Straight, steady streams of bubbles ascend the glass, with a few pearl strands that expend themselves quickly, forming an off-white head that descends slowly with some light lacing.

Check out the apropos hilarity under the cap

The nose is almost all malt with a faint wet-straw aroma and perhaps overripe orange peel. There are some hints of peppery Euro hops, too. Initially, a sweet, slightly toasty aroma emerges, followed by a background of fresh nuts.

The mouthfeel is exceptionally full, assaulting all corners of the palate. At first, there is a creamy feel, like an ale, but the malt character really starts to pick up, simultaneously hitting on sweet caramel notes and a bread-like chewiness. Finally, as the warmth of the alcohol starts to outweigh the smoothness of the malt, some grassy, peppery notes kick in thanks to the Saaz hops.

All around, this is a stellar bock with a big malt character and a 6.4%ABV to back it up, but it uses the Pilsner-style hops well and finishes the sip on a slightly spicy note so you don’t feel like you just got butted by a goat.

Gingerman Beer and Chocolate Pairing

The Gingerman Dallas held a Valentine’s Day Beer and Chocolate Pairing on Saturday and I somehow managed to convince my significant other to attend with me. Not only that, but she got into it, ordering a Spaten and brats with mustard. It’s a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Supplying sheets with the beer and brewery information, as well as which chocolate to pair with each, the Gingerman did a great job of encouraging the participants to pay attention to what they were drinking and to take tasting notes.

The turnout was pretty good and the place was just about full, upstairs and down. With a seat by the window, we had good natural light to look at each brew. There were a couple of reps on hand, though a few got waylaid by the weather, and a roof collapse at the Rahr brewery kept their reps understandably occupied (apparently, everyone at Rahr is OK).

First Pair
Spaten Dunkel Lager
Spaten-Franziskaner Brau
Munich, GER

Riesen Chocolate Caramels

Spaten’s Dunkel is a deeper-than-cola brown with nice red tones. A slow, fine effervescence and an off-white head create a nice looking beer in the short glasses. The nose is mellow with soft notes of caramel and corn and a touch of brown sugar. The mouthfeel is semi-full and not too sweet. This pairs well with the Riesen which brings out some of the more subtle toffee flavors and the beer’s clean finish washes out the slightly cloying sweetness of the candy. Both the beer and chocolate here were pretty mellow, on the whole. A good start.

Second Pair
Brooklyn Brown Ale
Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn, NY

Homemade Brownies

Brooklyn’s Brown Ale is a stalwart in their line of year-rounders. The clarity is good, and the color is also cola brown, though a bit redder in the light than the Spaten, with a tanner head, and considerably livelier carbonation. The nose has a fairly strong aroma of floral hops and some nuttiness – hazelnuts and almonds. The start is very malty with chocolate notes, some brown bread, and a strong, fruity hop finish. This all coupled perfectly with the chewy, molasses-like sweetness of the brownies. The slightly cooked edge to the brownies also helped bring out a certain amount of depth to the brown ale that was then cleansed by the tart hops.

The chocolate, without the brownie or Riesen, or the Greatest Love of All.

Third Pair
Summit Oatmeal Stout
Summit Brewing Co.
St. Paul, MN

Dark Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans

This is a nitrogen-pushed stout, and provided an all-but-opaque blackness with some bruised purple on the edges when held to the light, and a tan head. The nose is very roasty with some coffee notes, as well as almond, vanilla, and smoke. The mouthfeel is surprisingly thin, though not necessarily in a bad way. With such a strong aroma, this should come across as an aggressive stout, but the nitrogen system imparts a softness and creaminess. The dark chocolate and the espresso beans help elicit some of the complexities of the beer, but the texture of the beans as they’re chewed does more to create balance than the flavor alone.

Fourth Pair
Blue Moon Belgian White
Blue Moon Brewing Co.
Golden, CO

White Chocolate Cake Balls

This was not a pairing I was eager for; neither white ales nor white chocolate are necessarily my favorite, and I was perplexed by the choice of the M-C’s Blue Moon over something like New Belgium’s Sunshine Wheat which Gingerman had on tap, but I wasn’t so disappointed with the results. Predictably, the beer has a hazy hay-color, with some more lustrous edges of orange straw, all topped with a fine white head. The nose has a lot of lemon, bright orange, and hints of coriander and mustard seed. There is a decent mouthfeel, with lemon and orange being the predominant flavors, but there is no real tang to the beer. The cake balls were like lemon cake iced with white chocolate. They had a real sponginess with a slight bitter edge from lemon or orange juice. They were a bit heavy, but all the flavors worked well together and the beer was light enough to accommodate some sips after eating.

Beer nerdery at its finest

Fifth Pair
Rahr Bucking Bock
Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.
Ft. Worth, TX

Chocolate Chip Cookies

A maibock, this beer has ruddy hints of amber in its core but leans more towards pure gold in color. The carbonation is slow and steady and the head is just off-white. There is sourdough bread on the nose, along with something a bit sweeter, like honey or confectioner’s sugar. The flavor also touches on some of that faint sweetness, though a smooth buttery feeling is the main thing with just the slightest grassy hop kick towards the end. There is some warmth here, but this is a very subtle 7.5%ABV. The butter and brown sugar of the cookies helps accentuates this mellow brew and perhaps serve to dampen the alcohol kick that it possesses, even if you hardly notice it at first.

Sixth Pair
New Belgium Ranger IPA
New Belgium Brewing Co.
Fort Collins, CO

New Belgium Chocolate

This is a brand new release from New Belgium and deserves its own full review, which I’ll try to do this week. The beer is deep gold with a fine white, billowy head that rises from the pearl strand effervescence. The nose is all West Coast hops, definitely Cascade (plus Simcoe and Chinook, as I learned) with florals and more pine than citrus. The mouthfeel is full, and dry, while the flavor is peppery with some strong grapefruit touches. The chocolate is a dark chocolate with the New Belgium logo. You take a bite and get bitter dark chocolate as expected, but a slow onset spiciness rises up. Cayenne pepper in the chocolate helps you appreciate the spiciness and the sere quality of the hops.

Seventh Pair
Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout
Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Petaluma, CA

Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds

As expected, this beer is almost entirely opaque, with a deep, dark plum tinge to it on the edges. The head is dark tan and full. Coffee and a woody roasted quality take over the nose, but this is mellower than the Summit. The mouthfeel is very full with tart coffee that hits on prune, with warming alcohol that brings out more prune and rich cherry. The deep dark chocolate is a bit too sweet, though I see what they were trying to do with the almonds to try to bring out the roasted notes of the brew. You’ll need more than a couple of almonds to help soak up the over 9% ABV here.

They look messy...

Eighth Pair
Great Divide Wild Raspberry
Great Divide Brewing Co.
Denver, CO

Hershey’s Raspberry Bliss

Ah, fruit beer. While it flouts my sensibilities, it also shows the versatility and range that beer has. The color of this beer is beautiful – very red and deep amber with a lot of touches of crimson, and a white head. The nose is fruity, like a bowl of berries, but also pleasantly hoppy. The grapefruit of Cascade comes through, and berry is definitely discernible. The mouthfeel is good, if a bit perfumy, and there is a jam-like quality to the feel of the flavor. However, this beer is impressively balanced, and the fruit flavor is ambient and is tempered by some really nice floral hops. The milk chocolate is too sweet, emphasizing the fruitiness of the beer, but the hops manage to help tamp down the cloying candy. That said, even on its own, this chocolate isn’t that great, though the beer is a very nice surprise.

Ninth Pair
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine
Sierra Nevada Brewing
Chico, CA

Intense Dark Chocolate

Joy of joys, a Sierra product makes the cut here. If Sierra Nevada started making laundry detergent, I’d drink it. The Bigfoot is paired with a big square of Ghirardelli (sticking to the West Coast) dark chocolate. The beer is deep orange, with vermillion and amber swaths running through it in the light, and some brown in the center. A yellowed head appears and sticks around, hugging the inside of the glass, too. The nose has the Sierra nose: strong florals, sticky pine, and ripe citrus. The mouthfeel is full and the hops certainly outweigh the malt, but some sweetness permeates the bite and accompanies the alcohol warmth which is certainly warm, but not uncomfortable. The whole thing has an exceptionally dry finish, even after the malt flavors come by, ending up with tart grapefruit. The dark chocolate is intense and mellows the beer a bit; the rich cocoa is almost fruit-like in its tartness and accentuates the hops in the back of the sip. This is a combo worth trying the next time you have some Bigfoot around.

Thanks to the Gingerman Dallas for a successful event, and for truly showing that I could live without chocolate, but never beer.