Beer Review: North Coast Old Rasputin

This is a Russian Imperial Stout which is basically what it sounds like; a more intense version of a stout.

The beer pours a jet black liquid; impenetrable by light. The head is a nice coffee color, about an inch right up to the edge of my pint glass. The head retention is excellent and the lacing on the side of the glass leads down to a creamy top of the beer even when almost gone.

The aroma is a big mix of dark chocolate and malt upfront with some mild hoppy scents on the back end. Thick smell that sticks in your nostrils; very inviting.

Like the smell, there's lots of dark chocolate and roasted malt tastes that dominate here. Some hoppiness is detectable and there is a very faint kick of alcohol in the aftertaste. Overall not a bitter taste (in fact somewhat sweet) but there is some bitterness on the back end. Complex throughout; definitely tastes like a BIG beer.

Not too heavy on the palate for an Imperial Stout; consistency is less thick than oil but certainly thicker than a normal stout. Compliments the chocolate taste quite nicely.

Not highly drinkable; it too me around 15 minutes to finish a glass but those 15 minutes were delicious. At 9% alcohol, even more than one of these will affect you a little bit.

Paid $8.99 for a 4-pack so more expensive (per bottle) than many value beers but if you love bold, flavorful dark beers than this one is a must try.

Score: A-  4.0/5

Beer Review: Flying Dog Raging Bitch

This is a Belgian Style IPA.

The beer pours a dark orange shade with a smallish 1cm head. There is some nice lacing on the glass as the head recedes.

Very hoppy in the nose, some yeast notes as well. Smells very clean.

Taste is wonderfully full bodied; bready malts upfront with some hop flavors throughout. The Belgian yeast definitely shows with the nice full taste throughout. Hops are faint at the end of the sip but you get a fruity, slightly bitter aftertaste.

Substantial on the palate; definitely feels heavier than an American IPA but not as crisp.

Satisfying after 2 bottles; at 8.3% abv, more than that will give you quite a buzz. Not exactly filling but very easy to stop after 1 or 2.

Picked a 6-pack of this for $9.99 + tax. I think it's an excellent value for the great taste you get.Widely available and a great example of an under appreciated style.

Score: A-  4.25/5

Beer Review: Ommegang Hennepin

This is was my first beer of a style called a Saison.

The beer pours a light, golden color. Brighter (almost luminescent) than a macro lager. I poured conservatively because last time I had this beer the large, fluffy head overflowed  out of my 22oz glass.

There is a Floral scent. Also smells of Citrus fruits and lots of spices; very pleasant overall.

The citrus taste mirrors the smell, it has a kind of richness I believe can be attributed to the yeast. Takes a little bit to get into the taste, maybe because this is my first saison but about halfway through the beer I was like "wow." Very very tasty. Yeast, clove, a mix of fruity tastes dominate.

Seems light at first but as stated above there is a certain richness to it (typical of Belgian style beers). Excellent palate experience.

I found myself getting a little full at the end of this glass, but very satisfying. The 7.7% abv is invisible.

This is an excellent, consistent beer that always hits the spot. Serve it cold, but not too cold as all of the different flavors will not shine through if it's too cold. At $11.99 for a 4 pk it's not a steal by any means, but definitely worth a try. You won't be disappointed.

Score: B+  4.0/5  
(I think it's worth explaining that if price were not a factor at all, I would have rated this beer a 4.5/5 but the relatively high price warrants a half point subtraction.)

Beer Review: Anchor Steam Beer

Anchor is a company based in San Fransisco but they distribute all over the country so it is readily available.

The style of this beer is a California Common/Steam Beer which means it uses a different yeast strain than other lagers.

The beer pours a mild amber color with a nice 2 inch head. There's great retention on the side of the glass and the head sustains for the duration of the glass.

There's some general bitterness in the nose that comes together as a distinct hop note as you drink it. Some faint sweetness detected in the smell as well.

The taste is rich for a lager; some malt flavor upfront with a nice dosage of earthy hops on the back end. Ever so slight citrus taste through the middle as well. Overall a very “clean” taste but definitely more bold than your average lager.

Not a whole lot of carbonation in this one. Doesn't feel heavy on the palate but more substantial than expected.

I drank this a lot faster than I drink most 12oz beers; the bold feeling experienced does not in any way make you slow down and savor it. The 4.9% abv wont put you down if you have a bunch of these.

Overall I was very impressed with this beer. I've seen it around for $9.99 + tax for a 6-pack so it's a good value but the higher price prevents it from being a great one.

Score: B+   4/5

Water, Malt, Yeast and Hops: Moving Beyond the Corny Macros

One of the arguments I see a lot when people say they don't drink craft beer is that "craft beer doesn't taste good." This is a disturbing accusation considering the fact that my argument for craft beer has been predicated heavily on the fact that it tastes so much better than generic light lagers. First of all, for a generation that gulps hard alcohol on the regular it's hard to believe that people can mistake a flavorful beer for disgusting. That being said, I will admit, many styles of beer are an acquired taste. The key is being willing and open to trying new things that could open up a new world of sensational taste for your palate. Now, breaking down this anti-craft beer sentiment reveals a familiar source of animosity; the status quo beer culture. Annheiser-Busch and MillerCoors have so taken over the brewing scape that to the uninformed consumer, their beers (those of AB and MillerCoors) are what beer should taste like. This is not only quite far from the truth, but it is a manipulation that runs to the core of our very society. For years people have bought macro lagers such as Bud and Coors because of the shrewd marketing tactics and the ability of these companies to flood the market with their product; after a while, it becomes the psychological norm for beer. That sweet, grainy water that comes out of a cold activated can is what people have come to accept as the standard for beer. This explains why many have such an aversion to the bold tastes of craft beer; they believe there's something wrong with the beer because its not the comforting metallic taste caressing their tongue. In 1516 in Germany (long before the birth of the American Adjunct Lager), the most famous beer regulation in history was passed; the "Reinheitsgebot." This law promised German consumers that only water, malted barley, malted wheat and hops would be used to make their beer thus ensuring that their beer was held to the highest taste and quality standards (credit http://www.brewery.org/library/ReinHeit.html). Many of the most renowned brewers also adhered to this including the world famous Trappist monks in Belgium; brewers of some of the worlds finest ales. This, my dear readers is what beer was supposed to taste like. Unfortunately, the American Adjunct Lager adds lower quality grains like corn to the brewing process making the beer taste sweet, but in the process diluting the amount of quality barley and hops put into the beer. If you feel so inclined to now visit one of the fine craft offerings at your local store or bar, try to appreciate the quality ingredients put into it and the resulting flavors. It is entirely possible that you will not enjoy this beer the first time you drink it but I hope its unique taste will inspire you to look beyond what society tells you beer should be and find one that excites your taste buds in a way that macro lagers cannot.

Choosing Your Beer: Don't be a Slave to Prices

Its pretty easy to see that the primary reason people buy macro lagers (Bud, miller, Coors) is the price; they tend to be quite a bit cheaper than microbrews. This mentality is one akin to buying fast food; we as Americans have been condition to believe that "getting more for your dollar" means getting the most product you possibly can. The fatal flaw with this reasoning is that quantity comes at the expense of quality in any product and, at least in my opinion, quality factors just as much (or more) into value as quantity. Beer is no different. It is true that college students in particular are very budget conscious so maybe they can't afford a $10 bottle of beer every few days but my message applies very much to them as well. In choosing macromanufactured beer you are ignoring a key aspect of the food and beverage consumption process; enjoyment. I recognize that perhaps you are reading this and thinking "but I only drink beer to get drunk" and I'll just say that I'm not out to change college culture but why can't you have a great drinking experience in the process? In the end, the key is making the choice to drink something that it brewed with quality ingredients and will make for a delicious glass of beer over something that's $2 cheaper. At its core, it is a quality of life question. You want to live in a nice apartment or home in a safe, convenient area and you want to have a reliable computer that performs well so why lower your standards for the beer you drink?

Beer Commercials: forshadowing a spiral into stupidity

I don't know about anyone else, but I think beer ads on tv are pretty ridiculous and while I'm able to laugh at some of them, the vast majority I find to be an insult to men and Americans in general. One in particular stands out as exceptionally base and impudent:

Let me just say that if my girlfriend left a trail of rose petals to the bedroom, I know what the hell is up right away and my pants are off before I get through the kitchen. I get the whole joke about men loving their beer more than their women and that it's supposed to be funny but beer companies are simply taking advantage of American love of humor by inundating you with comedic crap that distracts from the fact that their beer doesn't taste like beer should. I've always thought that advertising by focusing on something inconsequential to to the product itself (like cold activation windows here or feeling cool, like you see in countless commercials these days) was cowardly. It's shrewd, but mostly cowardly. Why can't the just talk about the taste of the beer? Even Miller Lite makes more of an effort by touting their "triple hops brewing process" (ask me why that's a scam)! In the end I guess they have no choice because there really isn't much to say about their beer other than it's about as easy to drink as water... I think that's Bud Light's marketing strategy, isn't it?

Beer Review: Blue Moon Belgian White

I wanted to kick off this blog's reviews with a beer that would appeal to a wide variety of drinkers and one that is a great gateway to the world of craft beer. This beer is made by Blue Moon Brewing Co. which is owned by Coors. It's available in 6 and 12 bottle packages. It is a Belgian style Witbeir.

I poured this beer from a 12oz bottle with a best by date of January 24^th 2011, into a pint glass, without the orange slice garnish that blue moon recommends. There is about an inch head that completely dissipates in a matter of seconds; no lacing on the glass. The beer is a very cloudy yellow/gold.

The beer smells like orange peel, lemon and a musty smell that I can't quite put my finger on; perhaps the citrus-yeast combination makes for a funny smell.

Tastes pretty sweet; lots of citrus flavors upfront; orange and lemon mostly but a doughy taste through the middle and no real aftertaste to speak of. Yeast notes accompany all the aforementioned tastes.

The beer feels more substantial than your typical American Wheat beer; not heavy on the palate by any means but it seems the fact that it is brewed with oats makes for a slightly fuller feel. Carbonation is mild but noticeable.

I only had one on this occasion but I could have downed several; it's a very drinkable brew at 5.4% abv.

A 6-pack of this beer can be had for $7.99 plus tax most everywhere. Considering the taste and the price point, it makes a good beer for those transitioning from bud/miller/coors beers.

Score: B  3.5/5

Beer Reviews!

One of the main things I want this blog to accomplish is to give people easy recommendations on what kind of beers they can buy to start off and continue their hop filled journey with. I'll probably throw some reviews in there that you might not necessarily want to try if you are brand new to craft beer, but it will be good reading nevertheless. Reviews will be written taking into account the 5 aspects of a beer one should take note of when evaluating it (credit beeradvocate.com): Appearance, Smell, Taste, Mouthfeel and Drinkability. After commenting on each of these, you will find an overall grade for the beer, out of 5, at the end of the review. Some people might ask why I don't take value or cost into consideration when reviewing a beer and the answer is this: craft beer isn't about penny pinching to get as much beer as you can for a night of getting wasted, it's about savoring a truly unique and delicious beer. Since the purpose of this blog is to appeal to college students however, I will note the price of a 6-pack (or 4-pack or single bottle as the case may be) in the review. Hopefully one of my reviews will inspire you to pick up some of that beer yourself!
Cheers!

Mission Statement

The mission of this blog is as follows: "To inform the masses, especially college students, as to alternatives to drinking mass produced, over-advertised beer."

I hope you'll stay tuned for reviews and rants about beer. Cheers!

The Inception

Beer, one of the oldest beverages known to mankind has a rich history that unfortunately has been perverted and ultimately forgotten by American society. Our mass production culture has forced beer drinkers into a hole in which they are brainwashed to consume flavorless swill known as the American Adjunct Lager. You may know this beer better by the name Budweiser or Coors or Miller. Whatever the name, you have a right to know what these companies want to keep from you: there is better beer to be had. It's true! Lying just beyond the box of cold activated cans in your neigborhood package store is a 6 pack of a locally brewed German style lager, or an American Pale Ale or an Imperial Stout. If those terms or some of those terms mean nothing to you, check out this link to read up on the vast array of styles that are available. If you can't find something there that you absolutely love, then by all means; go back to your "vortex bottle" and be happy but if you are ready to delve into a new world filled with intriguing and complex flavors, please go out and buy a sixer of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Sam Adams Boston Lager and taste the difference for yourself!