A UFO on my patio on a Sunday Afternoon

Harpoon Brewery - Harpoon's Unfiltered Offerings

UFO Pumpkin - 5.9% ABV

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon the Mr. and I wanted to kick back, fend off the mosquitoes, and enjoy a nice fall brew.  We decided on an unfiltered gem produced by Harpoon Brewery.  Typically I am not a unfiltered kinda gal but Rob swore to me that this was not like the others.  I do not say this often, and I am sure he is not going to read this blog entry, so I will say...he is right.  There I said it,  and I shall never speak of it again.

As soon as I flipped off the cap, the bottle released a subtle, yet inviting aroma.  It was of pumpkin and sweet malts. Ahhh, my lovely Munich malts, how I love thee.  I poured the beer with total reckless abandonment primarily because I was thirsty and did not want to waste any more time!  Beer does get warm in August pretty fast.  Just sayin.  

Since the beer was poured into the glass with no caution it produced a rather high foamy head.  It did not grace the top of the beer for long so it was not a disaster.  What the head did leave behind was a gorgeous amber colored beer with a slight haze.  The smell of spices and pumpkin were now more prevalent but still not overwhelming.  

The taste and feel of the beer was just as it looked and smelled.  It was smooth and had a mildly sweet start with a perfect finish of pumpkin pie spices.  Again, it was not overwhelming in the spices or as bold as the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin, but it worked for what I was expecting and wanted to drink.

This is going to definitely remain in my fall line up and I am sure there are a few more pumpkin beers left for me to discover.  So, until then...I will leave you with a little song to get you all in the pumpkin mood. 

Cheers!!!!

~K~

My Pumpkin Porn

Southern Tier Brewery

Imperial Pumking - 8.6% ABV

It is still hot as balls outside but the pumpkin beers are chilled just right!  I know, it is still summer and all the little cherubs are still out of school and Mr. Softee is still taring down the neighborhood streets...but I can't help myself when it comes to pumpkin beer!  Some may say I have an unhealthy obsession with pumpkin beer, but I think that my palate is more sophisticated and I know what GREATNESS tastes like.  True story.

In the past year I have tasted, chugged, overindulged, and just sat back and enjoyed many different pumpkin beers. A few of those beers have made the cut to earn valuable shelf space in my beloved beer fridge, but some will remain in the store to trick some poor unfortunate soul in taking them home.  Sniff...sniff.  

My personal fall lineup

To start my pumpkin reviews I must pay homage to my first love, the PUMKING.  Yes he looks a bit devious and maybe offensive to the faint of heart but he is my lover.  He had me in a trance with the first sip and to be quite honest all the other pumpkin brews are unknowingly compared to him.  A few have held a spot next to the Pumking, but many have failed.  

The Pumking  is produced by Southern Tier Brewing Company located in Lakewood, New York and has grown to produce around 50,000 barrels of beer annually. They are on schedule this year to make over the equivalent of  2 million pints of  Imperial Pumking alone! Apparently I am not the only freako that is smitten over this beer.

Once opened you can smell sweet malts and nutmeg with a hint of pumpkin.  The pumpkin scents pick up as it is poured into my waiting tulip shaped glass.  I probably should pour it gently but my heavy hand created a pretty frothy head that thankfully disappeared rather fast.  What remained in the glass (but not for long) was a copper colored ale with a light carbonation. The first sip is just perfect.  It is smooth, sweet, and is well balanced between the pumpkin and nutmeg.  

I certainly can not recommend this beer anymore than I have so I have left a little pumpkin porn for your viewing pleasure in case you are on the fence.  Cheers!

~K~

Jesus Hath Cometh

I know, you are all saying "where has my amazing beer blogger gone?" or you may be thinking WTF sister get to drinking!  Now, to put all the rumors to rest and the uncertainty you may have in my blogging abilities I am back to blogging and I brought my brother for the ride!  (If you have not heard the rumors they may have said I never came back from Vegas after winning $.20 and lost my mind).

Rumors.

Now, for the review...

Evil Twin Brewery
Even More Jesus - 12% ABV



My first encounter with this gem was a picture on Facebook and  I just had to find this to try it for myself.  I sent a picture to Ryan and we were on a quest to find the golden labeled treasure.  Unfortunately this beer was not available across the bridge but Ryan tracked it down for us to try and review.

Kath - This beer was amazing from start to finish. It had a strong aroma of vanilla, chocolate, and coffee.  All of which I expected and love.  Once poured the color was almost black and the head was a thin caramel color that seemed to float.

The taste, oh my LORD the taste.  It was rich, chocolaty, and bitter sweet.   The body on this beer was super rich and malty that the 12% ABV was not overwhelming. Even More Jesus may be Even  More than I can handle...Blah ha ha!

Ryan - What we have here is a wonderful bottle of "Even More Jesus" by Evil Twin brewing.  Evil Twin brewery is located in Denmark and to date I've not had a beer from them that I did not like.  It's a damn shame since their beers come with a high price tag as well as I don't think a whole lot of it gets imported to the U.S. and I believe I read somewhere that they have only been importing here since 2010.  On to the actual tasting.

This imperial stout pours pitch black and hardly has any head at all.  I can smell a little coffee maybe some fudge and roasted malts.  The body is real thick and not much carbonation.  You can taste the roasted malts and some bitter chocolate and finishes strong and sticky.  The 12% ABV is well hidden.  Overall this is a great Imperial Stout and if you can find it you need to get a couple.  While I hold this brew in high regards I prefer Evil Twin's Soft Dookie over this but hey, I'll take both if I can find it.

Since the name of this delectable brew is Even More Jesus I figured why not picture an AR15 M4 Carbine which our U.S. military has been using to send folks to meet the man himself for years.  The Ar15 M4 is a weapon patterned after the original Armalite AR-15 which was designed by Eugene Stoner in the late 1950's.  He is one of the most highly regarded U.S. military arms designers of the 20th century.  The Ar-15 platform is lightweight, air cooled, gas operated, magazine fed semi-automatic weapon.  This weapon sends a .223 caliber projectile down range at a stunning 2900 feet per second (that's really fast, FYI).  Also, not only does the U.S. Military use this weapon platform but many police departments do now as well especially since the infamous North Hollywood bank robbery shootout where the police were completely under armed.  

I hope you enjoyed my review as well as the bit of weapon history.  

Cheers!
K & R

A Tan, the Beach, and a Blonde.

River Horse Brewing Company

Summer Blonde Ale - 4.5% ABV

Ahhhh, Memorial Day Weekend at the Jersey Shore.  It has been a family tradition for the past eight years to pack up the cars (we have since moved on to glorified minivans) with beach gear, beloved stuffed animals, and beer...lots of it!  Among the two cases of  mixed 6 packs,  River Horse Summer Blonde Ale made the trip to kick off the summer.  

This ale looked like a  lemon meringue pie poured in a glass!  Under the one inch white frothy head a  hazy yellow beer waited to be enjoyed.  When the head dissipated and the haze vanished it left a gorgeous golden yellow ale. The aroma had a very faint citrus scent with a mild hop undertone.

The body was light , super smooth, refreshing, with a fair amount of carbonation.  It had a sweet malty flavor of bread rather than a caramel malt. The finish was dry and crisp.  The level of hops were low to maybe moderate which balanced out the beer perfectly.  This my beer enthusiasts is a spot on example of a blonde ale.  It had the right color, aroma, ABV, drinkabilty, and just the right amount of hops.

I would have to say this beer is going to be my GO TO beer this summer.  It is the PERFECT baseball watching, backyard tanning, and can't believe the kids are home for 10 long weeks kind of beer!

If this is your style of beer then drive on up to your local beer enabler's store to get yourself a six pack, case, or a sixtel.  I have purchased all of the above, and to have this beer on tap...well it is a wonderful thing.

Cheers!
~K~

My Neighbor Had Me at Stout!

Hello my fellow beer lovers...miss me? Wondering and waitng for me since it has been 30 plus days since my last confession?  Do not fret, I have not stopped drinking! I repeat...I am still drinking. I have also repented for my lack of entries.  I have had multiple beers and said 4 Our Lagers. Hopefully this will make you all forgive me and welcome my snarky reviews. 

In the past month I have had several different kinds of beers since I am on a quest to find the perfect summer beer.  You all know I am a Porter Whore but I think it is time to move on to maybe an Ale or a middle of the road Lager.  Here is a list of some of the beers I have sampled (just a few I will list, no need to sound like a functioning alcoholic).

Tire Bite Golden Ale - Flying Dog Brewery - 5.1% ABV

Not bad, fruity, and it was a bit unusual.  It kinda grew on me after I had half the bottle.  Not kegerator worthy but I would drink it again.

Sam Adams Summer Ale - Boston Beer Company - 5.3% ABV

This is the perfect beer to sit back and drink all day while watching the Phillies suck it.  It is light with some lemon characteristics. 

Colette Farmhouse Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company - 7.3% ABV

Gehhh. My beer enabler said this was a perfect summer beer and he loved it.  Good news Bruce...there will be plenty on the shelf cause I will not be buying anymore. 

While I was on my quest,  I was distracted by a bottle waving back and forth over my fence that put me into a drooling trance.  What!  A stout?  I can never say no to a stout!  Instantly I skipped over to the fence to retrieve the glistening bottle from my neighbor, who will remain nameless (Clare you know who you are).  Could drink-O-clock come faster, please?

Old Dominion Brewery

Oak Barrel Stout - 6.1% ABV

First I have to say...what a find!  This is a well crafted oak aged beer at an exceptional price!  Oak Barrel Stout is fermented with vanilla beans and oak chips to create a well balanced beverage.  My local beer enabler lists this at $9.99 for a six pack!  I know, freaking awesome right? 

It pours a rich, deep brown with a mesmerizing amount of cascading. The aroma wafting from the tan head was pretty faint.  Maybe a sweet toffee scent or caramel.  I almost did not want to disturb the amazing site, but I could not resist! 

Hello Lover - is what popped into my head with the first sip, then the second pull shouted... HOLY SHIT this is a great beer! 

The body was not too heavy despite it's rich appearance and for an oak aged stout it did not have the bold alcohol taste.  This is definately a perfect example of an American Stout.  You can certainly pick up the vanilla beans as the beer starts to warm up as well some smokey malts.  

So, there you have my review.  Hopefully it was worth the agonizing wait.  Blah ha ha!!!   

Cheers!

~K~

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~

 



Chicory Stout made me SMILE

Dogfish Head

Chicory Stout - 5.2% ABV

Dogfish Head has been very consistent on producing quality beer and they did it once again with the Chicory Stout.  Even with the low ABV of 5.2% I was very impressed.

This beer was not only pleasing to the palate,  it was pleasing to the eye.  The color was almost jet black with a fair amount of carbonation bolting to the top.  A mocha colored head finished the picture perfect beer.  A coffee and charred wood scents rose from the glass that would make any beer lover's mouth water. Sigh, I need a moment to gather my thoughts.

Don't you wish you could reach in and grab this beer?  

The flavor was just as I expected, coffee with a  smokey backbone.  It was a light to medium bodied beer that left a little hint of chocolate sweetness on my tongue.  This is a well balanced coffee porter that I will certainly get again and again.

Cheers!

~K~