A perfect Sunday and a perfect Porter...sigh

Great Lakes Brewing Company

Edmund Fitzgerald - 5.8% ABV

So, truth be told, I have been slacking on my blog entries and really have no legitimate excuse.  Well, maybe...I got a kegerator in my house and have not been trying many different beers except for what my little companion is storing.  My first beer to be poured from my fountain of youth is none other than Edmund Fitzgerald from Great Lakes Brewing Company. 

This complex porter has an amazing body and flavor that makes me grin from ear to ear.  With a perfect pour the cascading black gold made my mouth water and heart skip a beat.  The color was as dark as night with a creamy head that hung out at the top of the glass for almost an eternity!  Ok, I may be exaggerating but as I was waiting to take sip I felt like time stood still!  While I waited, not so patiently either, I was able to breath in the aroma of chocolate, coffee, and toffee. 

Isn't it just beautiful?

With the first sip I knew I was about to have an affair with Edmund...shhh.  This beer had the usual flavors of a porter, such as a bitter sweet chocolate with a smokey finish.  I did enjoy it ice cold but as it got to room temperature all the ingredients began to intensify.  The chocolate got richer and a sweet toffee flavor emerged.  It had a full to medium body that had just enough carbonation.  Edmund Fitzgerald was so delicious that I quickly kicked the sixtel and broke out into sweat in fear I was not able to replace it fast enough! True story.

So, if you are in the mood for a classic American Porter look no further my friends.  Edmund Fitzgerald is available year round and it will only set you back about $10 for a six pack. 

Cheers!

~K~

 



The Tale of Two Christmas Ales

Tis the season to be on the hunt for the best of the best Winter Warmers.  I have tried several (shocking, I know) and to my delight I have not tossed any in the sink in disgust. 

Just to list a few...

Iron Hill Brewery - Winter Warmer

Flying Dog - K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale

Harpoon - Winter Warmer (My ultimate favorite)

Lancaster Brewing Company - Winter Warmer

All of the brews were pretty tasty and the Harpoon Winter Warmer is FANTASTIC! I serve it in a glass rimmed with a little simple syrup dipped in cinnamon and sugar.  Pure Christmas Bliss.

I would have liked to review each Winter Warmer but I decided  to pick just two and I thought the two with the same name was the ticket.  Christmas Ale by Great Lakes Brewery and St.Louis Brewery/Schlafly Bottleworks.

St.Louis Brewey/Schafly Bottleworks

Christmas Ale - 8% ABV

I happen to see it in the make your own six pack and thought, what the hell.  In the cart it went with a few other treasures. 

Hello, Christmas in a bottle!!!  Really!  I opened the bottle and instantly smelled orange and cloves.  The color of this bottle of Noel was a rich amber with a small creamy head.  It did not hold the head for long but it had a decent amount of carbonation.

I was not too sure with the orange action oozing from the bottle but the fist sip proved my intuition to be wrong!  What a well balanced, sweet, yet not too sweet, spiced, fruity, and just a drinkable beer. Oh, and with a respectable ABV of 8% I was feeling mighty festive after three bottles.

Great Lakes Brewing Company

Christmas Ale - 7.5% ABV

Even though they share the same name the two beers are completely different.  The Schafly Christmas Ale had an orange flavor that lingered with some clove but this number used honey, ginger, and cinnamon.  Great Lakes once again did not let me down.

After I emptied the bottle out into a glass. the head rose to at least 3 fingers high.  When the head slowly shrank a beautiful copper colored ale was left in the glass. 

The taste was constantly evolving.  I instantly tasted ginger, then honey, and last cinnamon.  The three flavors melted together to produce a well brewed ale.  Again, with a nice 7.5% ABV it left you no choice to feel all warm and fuzzy for Christmas.

So, if some of you faithful readers want to try a good Winter Warmer instead of trying to hide that obnoxious Elf on the Shelf try some of my picks!

Cherrs!

~K~





Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster

Last Monday I was schlepping my kids and running errands during the God-awful heatwave we experienced here in Jersey, and all I could think about was cracking open an ice-cold, delicious beer when I got home. Luckily, I had picked up a few from my LBS (Local Booze Store) the day before. I was in a hoppy sort of mood (as opposed to my usual maltiness), so once I was safely back inside my glorious central air conditioning I grabbed a Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster.

Oh. My. Goodness.

With an ABV of 9.1 and an IBU of 80, it is a luscious heavy-hitter for hopheads. It was 104 degrees that day with a real-feel of 108. I pictured myself standing under a waterfall of this heavenly hoppy-ness.
Or is it hoppy heavenliness?
Anyway, this beer is truly a monster of unfiltered, Imperial India Pale Ale deliciousness. I give it a GBF (Gab Buzz Factor) of 7. I was happy almost instantly!

If you're a hophead like me, try this beer immediately! No excuses! If you don't, I will send this child to your house with a bellyful of Skittles...

Blah ha ha!!

Cheers!
~G~

Great Lakes Brewing Co. Eliot Ness

Great Lakes Brewing Co. Eliot Ness 6.2%

Gab: This handcrafted Amber Lager from Cleveland, Ohio is a real treat. Not too light, not too heavy, just what you would expect from a great lager. I almost always prefer a hop-heavy IPA or a black-as-night Stout, but I will come back to this beer again and again. Great taste, gorgeous amber color, perfect summer-time beer for peeps like me who don’t care as much for the pale ales. I would give this a GBF (Gab Buzz Factor) of 5, not too shabby! My husband and I are expecting company from some loyal Yuengling-lovers in the weeks to come; I think I will be offering my guests Eliot Ness instead.

I wanted to add a brief note about Great Lakes Brewing Co. I'm very impressed by how environmentally-conscious these guys are. The label reads, “In memory of Eliot Ness and his paddy wagon of guilty criminals, we have the “Fatty Wagon” (minus the criminals). Our eco-friendly Fatty Wagon and beer delivery truck both run on straight vegetable oil (SVO),  which results in lower toxic emissions and a 25% savings over the cost of regular diesel fuel”. Nice! Additionally, Eliot Ness is brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516: only barley, hops, yeast, and water. I love this beer and look forward to sampling more of what Great Lakes has to offer!

 Kathleen is away for the week, , but we have some fun plans for this weekend. We'll have lots of pics and tales for you!

Cheers!

~G~



Blue Monkey Springfest 2011

Well, we made it! Ready for some highlights?

(Photo courtesy of Cory Dunsmuir)

We loved meeting the folks from Weyerbacher. Natalie DeChico was super-friendly and we both enjoyed tasting Verboten Belgian Pale Ale, 5.9% APV and 30 IBU. Gab likey'd, Kath - not so much.   BUT, my (Gab) favorite beer of the evening was Weyerbacher's Tiny, which I closely guarded and kept to myself. It is a Belgian inspired Imperial Stout weighing in at 11.8% - Not so TINY!!. You’ll find big chocolate and roasted notes, balanced with the Belgian flavors from the Abbey yeast strain. 

Nicole, Gab, and Kathleen

Brooklyn Brown Ale - 5.6% APV, was a fave of Kath's. Had a nutty, chocolate color, for what it's worth. Don't really know what color means for craft brews. Guess we have to drink some more to find out, huh?

Blue Point Blueberry Ale from Long Island was another fave of Kath's. Light on the APV (4.39%) with an equally low IBU, it smelled of blueberry lusciousness from the first sip. It is a nice, light, summer-drinking beer, perfect for outdoor parties.

Gab: Not my favorite, and an unexpected taste. I'm not a fan of mixing fruitiness and beer. I feel the same about wine, too! Give me pineapple in my vodka any day, though!!!

Mark Weinmann from Great Lakes Brewing Company was also extremely cordial and took time to talk to us as well. When he heard we were beer bloggers, he did not hesitate to top us off, blah ha ha! His lovely wife sent him to Springfest with wildflower seed packets, love it! Great Lakes Brewing Company is an environmentally-respectful and socially-conscious company. Their Edmund Fitzgerald Porter was another of our faves. Malty, Nutty, with a hint of coffee. 5.8% APV.

BOTTOM LINE: Our one overall favorite was Dogfish Head's Indian Brown Ale. Complete lusciousness! Described as "the original hybrid, a cross between a Scotch Ale, an India Pale Ale, and an American Brown. Our Indian Brown Ale is well-hopped and malty at the same time (magical)". 7.2% APV at a 50 IBU.  For me (Kath) I am so surprised I liked this beer.  I am a Hop-Hater from way back but I really liked this beer. I actually went out today to get a 6 pack. 

Gab: I LOVED Dogfish Head's Indian Brown Ale, but my #1 fave was Weyerbacher's Tiny. I was very privileged to have tasted it "under the table", I definitely owe my sister for not sharing. Thank you so very much, Natalie! 

One thing I was wondering about, though - where was Flying Fish???? I was so looking forward to sipping some Exit 9, and any Exit, for that matter!

What were your faves from Saturday night? Let us know in the comments, and tell us what you ran out to buy post-hangover on Monday!

Be back tomorrow for Wino Wednesday!

XOXO

K & G