when you think about beer as much as we do…
Last night, I enjoyed Boulevard Brewing’s Seeyoulator Doppelbock, which is part of the Smokestack Series. It is a bottle conditioned doppelbock lager, and has been aged on cedar.
Upon tasting, it had a sweet, malty flavor. With the finish, there was a hint of spice. According to Boulevard, this is due to the cedar aging. After trying it, it is now one of my favorite releases in the Smokestack Series.
Have you tried Seeyoulator? What did you think?
Knoxville, Iowa recently welcomed a brand new brewery, Peace Tree Brewing. This brewery started production within the past few months, and had a Grand Opening on March 19, 2010. From their website, the brewery bottles three types of beer, although they create other types to be served in their taproom:
Red Rambler: This ale is brewed with the finest quality pale, caramel, and lightly roasted malts. This complex combination of malts, contribute to the deep red color and malty flavor. This is balanced with the flavor, bitterness and aromas of three varieties of hops. The IBU’s are around 35. Top fermenting ale yeast is added to create this well rounded beer.
Hop Wrangler: Joe’s multinational take on a classic IPA. IPA’s are known for their intense hop bitterness, flavor and aromas. First, Joe used American and English malt, then American and English hops are added during the mash, first wort, boil, and finally it’s dry hopped for aroma. Belgium gets involved with the yeast and a special candy sugar finish for smoothness and flavor.
Rye Porter: High quality pale, caramel, chocolate and Munich malts get a boost with roasted and chocolate rye. Dark and Light Belgian Candy Sugar is added to the kettle during the boil for smoothness and flavor. Belgian yeast gives off some fruity esters and the brew is delicately hopped so as to not overpower the malt flavors.
I look forward to trying the quality beer Peace Tree distributes, and look forward to additional offerings. Luckily, we get a chance right away by visiting Short’s Burger & Shine in Iowa City, who is now serving the Hop Wrangler IPA.
Have you tried any Peace Tree offerings yet? Let us know what you think!
Over the weekend I had the chance to sample the 21st Amendment Ale by Court Avenue Brewing Company (CABCO). This ale is a rye pale ale, aged in Templeton Rye whiskey barrels.
Right off the bat, the 21st Amendment Ale smells of caramel and a bit like whiskey. The taste has less bitterness than I would expect from a rye pale ale, but since it has been aging in whiskey barrels for a while, it’s not surprising because hop bitterness decreases over time. It has a slight whiskey flavor, and because of the rye, has a nice, crisp finish. The aftertaste leaves a bit of a sweet, whiskey-like flavor, but not so much that you think you are drinking straight-up whiskey.
It was a very flavorful ale that was perfect for my after-dinner drink.
Let me know if you’ve had CABCO’s 21st Amendment Ale, and what you thought.
If you are looking for an unusual taste, Festina Peche (pronounced pesh-ay) by Dogfish Head of Milton, Deleware might be your beer. It is based on the Berliner Weisse style, which used to be fairly prominent in Germany, particularly Berlin, but sadly, today there are just a handful of these breweries left.
Festina Peche is a wheat beer that has strong sour “tang” to it. During the process of fermentation, peaches are added to give the beer a slight peach flavor, and make the beer more complex. This contrasts from a standard Berliner Weisse, where a sweet syrup, usually raspberry or woodruff, were added to the beer at serving time, instead of during the brewing process. Like a Berliner Weisse, Festina Peche is a true session beer, measuring in at only 4.5% ABV.
Based on my tasting, the beer was indeed sour, very little bitterness (if any), and didn’t have much hint of peach. I thoroughly enjoyed the beer, and it was very tasty. It finished clean, and left a spectacular sour taste. It would be nice and refreshing on a hot summer day.
Have you tried Festina Peche or a Berliner Weisse?
My favorite homebrew supply store, Midwest Supplies, moved to their new location today, and are having a move-in sale this Wednesday, March 24, 2010. All in-stock items will be 10% off for online orders. Time to stock up on brewing supplies!