Ding Dong Bell's

 

Wow. March already. Daffodils are blooming and trees are budding. Soon the summer ales will be hitting the shelves again. Ahhh... One more reason to love summertime.

I tried a brew from Bell's a while back and reviewed it here. Two Hearted Ale. It is one fine beer. So I thought if that one was so good, maybe I should try another one from Bell's. They have an entire end cap of all the Bell's brews at my favorite beer store. I stood there and deliberated over which one to try next. After much reading and studying (and wondering if the employees were beginning to get suspicious of me lingering there so long) I finally just reached out and grabbed one at random. It was the Midwestern Pale Ale. Like the Two Hearted Ale, I wasn't a fan of the label design (the curse of being a professional artist for 30 years is that you let your design sense overpower rational thinking sometimes).

– Just a side note about the label art on the Midwestern Pale Ale bottle: It's a painting of a red barn. I don't necessarily have anything against paintings of red barns, but this particular painting looks like something your semi-talented Aunt Betty would paint after she's been taking painting classes at Viv's Art Nook on Wednesday nights for a month. Not the quality of something you'd expect to see on the label of a nationally distributed beer. Plus, all of Bell's labels look like they were designed as high school graphic design projects. The look doesn't reflect the quality contained inside the bottle.

But with the tired old saying of "don't judge a book by its cover" playing in my head, and the fact that I didn't like the Two Hearted Ale label art either, I took it to check out.

The next day I popped open my first Midwestern P.A. to have with dinner. We were having cheeseburgers and sweet potato fries. What better dinner to have a beer with? I took a nice long sip.
Initially, I thought it was OK. Then immediately an overwhelming twang of bitter weirdness, followed by an unpleasant aftertaste of a whole other level of bitter weirdness. I almost hate to say it, but it tasted very close to a mainstream beer like Bud or Coors. It's been a while since I've tasted one of those, but that was the taste this beer recalled. I thought I must be drinking it wrong. So I took a bite of my burger and another healthy sip of M.P.A. ...Same thing. So I blamed the sweet potato fries.

A couple of days later, I thought I'd give it a second chance, except this time I would have it without eating anything. I cracked open number two to have while I was preparing dinner. Big sip. Same taste. I had to declare the sweet potato fries innocent.

I thought I'd give it one more chance a few days later. I had been at band practice. I was hot and sweaty after a three hour rehearsal and loading and unloading my drum kit. I ask you - what better time to have a beer than after that? BIG gulp gulp gulp... Ahhhh! I was very thirsty. Let's just say it DID quench my thirst, but it tasted the same. Three strikes and you're out. I have three left if anyone wants to give it a try to see if I'm wrong.

Would I buy this beer again? I'm checking the "No" box.

Take Your Pilz

Trader Joe's Josephsbrau Plznr

We don't have a Trader Joe's market in my town, so when I go to a town that has one, I try to stop by and stock up on all kinds of goodies that aren't available at my local Kroger, Publix, Walmart, Target, etc.

It had been a while since I'd visited a TJ, and I noticed they have jumped on the craft beer bandwagon. One thing that's nice about TJ's is that you can get quality products for low or reasonable prices. Unlike Whole Foods, where I walk out with at tiny sack of groceries in my recycled organic hemp shopping bag with $150 less in my wallet.

They had a handful of different "store brand" brews, and they were cheap. About $3 - 4 less than what I was used to paying in my favorite beer store for a fine brew. So I grabbed a six pack of the "PLZNR" Czech Style Lager for $6.99. 

The next evening I popped one open, got my favorite beer glass out of the fridge (not the freezer - but that's another topic of discussion) and poured it. It made a pretty nice head. It began to dissipate rather quickly. As you can see in the photo, it had gone down considerably before I could line up the shot. It has a nice color. I raised it to my mouth... and that was when I got my first whiff of doubt that this was going to be a good brew. The smell was... shall we say... not good? But I wasn't going to let that stop me. I took a nice big sip, another nice big sip. Pause. Another nice big sip. 

Hmmm. How shall I say this? Was it awful? No. Was it great? Absolutely not. How about good? Was it good? Mmmm... no. Was it OK? Mmmm... yes. Light carbonation, bitter, a hint of citrus.

I guess the best conclusion I can come to is that it is drinkable. That's not saying a lot, but in all honesty, of the six I bought, there are only three left in the fridge too weeks later, so somebody's drinking them. And since I'm the only beer drinker in the house... Plus I could not, in good consciousness, offer a friend or family member one of these.

I would say if you want to try a very good pilsner, get a Lagunitas PILS or Blue Paddle by New Belgium. You can't go wrong there. I would avoid the Josephsbrau PLZNR. I love Trader Joe's, and I'll try some of their other store brand beer offerings, but I won't be buying this one again.

Would I buy this beer again? Not to be redundant, but no.

Three's Company

OMG have I had some great beer lately!

It's been a while since my last post, and even though each one of these beers should have their own individual post, I'm going to lump them all together, because I love them all three almost equally, and they are all three IPA's.

I'll start with the Sorta IPA from Tailgate Brewery. Tailgate is a Nashville brewery and I've reviewed one of their beers before (Blacktop Blonde). I was at a local restaurant and saw that they had Sorta on tap. I asked the bartender about it, and she offered me a sample. I took one sip and I knew before I'd finished the tiny glass she'd given me that I liked it - a lot. I ordered a tall 20-ouncer. Delicious. The perfect beer to have with wings, burgers, fried pickles, just about anything. It's a low-alcohol IPA, only 5%. All the better. I can have more! It's a mellow tasting IPA that's not bitter, has a bit of a citrus flavor and doesn't hit you upside of the head with hoppiness. Go get some now. Yes, it comes in a can, but don't let that deter you. I got over the "I must have my beer in bottles or from the tap syndrome" quite a while ago. 

The second is Bell's Brewery's Two Hearted Ale. Recommended by my pal, Sir Richard Hunter, who got me the Newport Storm Brews that I have raved about previously. I thought if he liked it, it must be good. Oh yeah. Was he ever right. I think they should re-name it "Magic Ale", because they must be using some kind of magic to brew this fine ale. It's got it all going on in just the right measure. The perfect balance of hops, malt, and pixie dust. I don't know if it's the water up there in Michigan where it's brewed, or what. But whatever it is, it works and I will be buying many more Two Hearted Ales.

The third is Lagunitas Maximus. This is another one of those happy accidents that occur sometimes. My lovely wife (who is not a beer drinker) mentioned she was going to stop by my favorite beer store (to pick up a bottle of wine) and asked if I wanted her to pick up some beer (by the way, the answer to that question is always "yes"– even if I have beer in the fridge). I had tried a Lagunitas Chzec Style Pils that I really liked, so I asked her to pick up a six pack of that. I spelled "Lagunitas" for her, and "Pils". I told her it has "PILS" huge in all caps on the carton. Then I made the mistake. I told her it has a little dog's face on the label and the carton. Well, when she went in the store, she was looking for the beer with the little dog's face. Of course, Lagunitas puts the little dog's face on all of their brews (of which there are many), so... she grabs the first one she sees with the dog's face and brings it home.  It was Maximus Ale. I read the label and it sounded like something I wouldn't like. She offered to take it back the next time she was out, but I thought I'll give it a chance. If nothing else I could take with me to the next holiday get-together I attended and leave it in their fridge. 

I finally cracked one open a few days later and "ding ding ding ding ding" we have a winner! I was expecting an overpowering, smelly, bitter ale and it was none of those. There are hints of pine and hops, and they have kept it all reigned in and made one fine brew. It's got a rather high alcohol content (8.75%), so it should be enjoyed in moderation, but it's one tasty brew.

There's no way I'm going to be able to pick a favorite of the three. It's like choosing your favorite child or your favorite Beatles song. It's just not possible. I would say definitely try all three. If you're not an IPA fan, or you're on the fence about IPA, maybe go with Sorta IPA first. If you like that one, you'll LOVE the other two.

Would I buy this beer again? Big YES on all three

All three score BIG on...

Not Just Any (New)Port in a Storm

I can't seem to let go of summer. I never want it to end. Therefore, as a way to hang onto it a little longer, here's a review of a Summer Hefeweizen in mid-October when most beer drinkers are well into the fall beers.

I'll start off right away by saying this is a fine Summer Hefeweizen from Newport Storm. Brewed by Coastal Extreme Brewing Company in Newport, Rhode Island. When I say "fine" I don't mean "fine" like your teenage daughter says "fine" when you tell her to turn off her cell phone and do her homework. I mean "fine" like it's used when you describe certain automobiles, old-world craftsmanship or Corinthian leather.

I have a "special place in my heart" for Hefeweizen. It was the first type of craft beer I'd ever tried. It's because of Hefeweizen that I became aware of all the great craft brews out there. It was my "gateway beer".
I've sampled several "Hefe's" since then, and I have to say this one is way up there on the Chart of Deliciousness. I poured it into the glass. A nice chunk of sediment drifted down to the bottom.  I recommend you always pour Hefe's into a glass as opposed to drinking it out of the bottle if you can. That way you're sure your getting all the sediment that adds to the special taste. I immediately noticed the darkish yellow color. Not a "bright" yellow/orange like some Hefe's. The fluffy, white head dissipated quickly. It was half gone by the time I got my camera on and trained into position. But no matter. I could smell the citrus aroma from a foot away. It has a very rich, smooth taste. And no, I didn't drink it with an orange slice or lemon slice. I'm OK with people that do that, but it's not for me. Why sprinkle a spoonful of sugar onto a slice of cake? The cake is better without it!

This is one delightfully tasty Hefeweizen. I gotta hand it to the guys up there in that little bitty state. They know how to make a tasty Hefe.

I have to acknowledge Richard Hunter (aka "Sir Richard) for the unbelievable effort he underwent to get this beer to me. It's only available in summer in certain parts of the northeast. He saved it and packed it with his other luggage when migrating back south from his summer vacation home in Rhode Island. I live in middle Tennessee and he lives in south Alabama on the Gulf Coast. We have a mutual friend in south Alabama who I visited last month. Sir Richard met us in Mobile, AL to make the hand-off. Not only did the package contain this particular beer, but three others from Newport Storm, all of which I plan to review (an Amber Ale, a Pilsener and an IPA). Super duper huge thank you to Sir Richard!

Would I buy this beer again? If only I could

Hoppy To See You Rating: 4.5 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5

Summer Lovin'

Photo: Victory Brewing Company

Summer is over. There's no denying it. The temperature and leaves are dropping and the fall beers are falling onto the shelves. But I grabbed one more summer ale to try before they (and summer) went away– Summer Love Ale from Victory Brewers in Pennsylvania.

For some reason I had high expectations for this beer. Maybe it was the design of the label, maybe the name, I don't know what it was exactly that drew me to this beer in the store, and why I thought it would be good. I wouldn't call it a bad beer by any stretch of the imagination, but I wouldn't call it a great beer by any stretch of the imagination, either. It stays right there in the middle of the road.

When I poured it from the bottle, I found it to have a bright yellow/gold color, and somewhat bubbly head. It has a slight hint of lemon which didn't really do much for me. It does go down easy and is somewhat refreshing. I found it to be just a little bitter, but not distractingly so.

Maybe it was because I had such high expectations for it that I was a little disappointed. I certainly didn't have any trouble drinking any of the six I bought! But I found myself reaching for one of the other beers in the fridge, and often passing on the Summer Love. For the longest time there was one still left after going through two or three other brands of beers that were sharing the fridge. 

Victory brews dozens of other beers and I'm sure I'll be trying many of them. But this one will probably not find it's way into the fridge again. There are just too many great and unknown beers out there to try.

Would I buy this beer again? Not Likely

Hoppy To See You Rating: 2.5 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5

Vienna Lager from Devil's Backbone

Photo: Devil's Backbone Brewing Company

Once again, I was in my favorite local beer store to choose a couple of new beers I hadn't tried. Fortunately, it's not difficult to find a beer I haven't tried. Also fortunately, there are so many to choose from.

I had finally made my choice of one beer, and decided I was going to pick up a six-pack of one of my favorites - Tailgate's Blacktop Blonde. I was searching the shelves when one of the employees could tell I needed help finding something. I asked him where the Blacktop Blonde was and he took me to an aisle I thought I had already searched thoroughly. Sure enough, there was a hole where the Blacktop Blonde was supposed to be. I guess I'm not the only one that likes it. 

Sitting next to the hole was Vienna Lager from Devil's Backbone Brewing Company in Virginia. The beer store guy said they had just gotten it in and it was a "solid" lager. I wasn't sure how much of a compliment that was, but it was time to go, so Vienna Lager it was. 

When I poured it, I wasn't expecting such a beautiful amber/chestnut color. It had a nice head and looked delicious. Anticipation built as I raised to to my lips. I took a rather large sip. I took another rather large sip. I guess I was expecting a little more richness form such a "pretty" beer. I don't want to use the word "light" but I don't know what other word to use. When I say it was light, I don't mean that as a criticism, it was just that I wasn't expecting it. Just like the guy at the beer store said. It was a "solid" lager. Very little bitterness, goes down easy, good color, nice head, and tastes good. The very definition of "solid". If you associate lager with those mainstream beers, you should give Vienna Lager a try. See what a good (solid) lager should taste like.

Would I buy this beer again? Mmm... probably

Hoppy To See You Rating: 3.25 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5

Blue Paddle

Photo: New Belgium Brewery

Yet another beer from New Belgium. A pilsener. Yes. A pilsener. 

OK, I'll admit I bought this beer by accident. I was in my favorite beer store, overwhelmed with all the choices as usual. It was the Friday before a holiday weekend and the place was very busy. Normally when I go, there's hardly anyone there (an advantage of being self-employed and able to run errands in the daytime during the week). But for some reason (OK, the lovely wife was out of wine and couldn't face the holiday weekend without the grapes) I found myself dodging and weaving around folks in the rather narrow aisles. I saw the Blue Paddle and it had a nice, friendly look about the package. It sparked memories of playing ping-pong when I was a young lad... even though I always seemed to lose. I found out later that it got its name from the instrument that was used to lovingly remind a New Belgium employee to behave when he was a child. 

I kept looking, dodging, weaving. 

The lovely comes up behind me, wine in hand, ready to go. I happened to be standing by the Blue Paddle again, so I grabbed it and we headed to check out.

By dinner time I was anxious to try the new beer I had gotten. It was sufficiently chilled and dinner was almost ready. I got one out, got out my favorite glass and was looking at the label. What? It was a pilsener! New Belgium makes a pilsener? Why, yes. Yes they do.

I thought about it and came to the conclusion that if New Belgium made a pilsener, surely it wouldn't taste like "those" pilseners... would it?

I poured it into my glass. Yes, it was that light yellow color that we're all familiar with. I didn't get much of a head. Kinda wimpy and almost disappeared before I could get a photo of it. I sort of blamed myself for that. I could have poured it better. So I let that go.

I took a robust sip, fearing the worst. 

Hey! Not bad! Not bad at all! It's much richer than what I'd braced myself for. It has a slight, very slight bitterness but a twinge of sweetness to take the edge off of the bitterness. I don't mean to sound like it's bitter, because it's not. No more bitter than you'd expect from a good pilsener, I suppose. Alcohol content is below 5%, so you're good for more than one if you so desire. Which, by the way, I do. 

I must say that if you associate pilsner with "those" beers, you should be pleasantly surprised by Blue Paddle. This one is a great choice if you're considering trying something other than "those" beers but have been hesitant to take the leap. It could be a good "gateway beer" to all the wonderful choices that are out there... Blue Paddle among them.

Would I buy this beer again? Signs Point to Yes

Hoppy To See You Rating: 3.5 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5