The weather here has been getting warmer and more humid each and every day, so I was very much looking forward to some refreshing beer on Wednesday evening at Celebration Town Tavern.  Even with the fans and misters going on the outdoor patio area, it was still pretty darn hot and sticky.  Then again, I probably should have sat myself directly under one of the misters.  However, chatting about beer with @willspot, @atmybar, @bbhart, @icejunkies, and @towntavern made time quite enjoyable despite the heat. 

The misters are your friends

One of the contenders had to be pulled from the competition at the last minute, so Dogfish’s Festina Peche was replaced with Blue Moon’s Honey Moon Summer Ale.  Quickly moving past my opinion that it does not qualify as a craft beer to be included in this month’s vote, the final roll call for the event was:

• Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager (Chico, CA) – Czech Pilsener
• Sam Adams Summer Ale (Boston, MA) – American Pale Wheat Ale
• Brooklyn Summer Ale (Brooklyn, NY) – English Pale Ale
• Honey Moon Summer Ale (Golden, CO) – American Pale Wheat Ale

A view of the contenders

 After taking in the aromas and flavors of each, my short notes went something like this: 

• Sierra Nevada Summerfest – Not much overall aroma (clean) and a pretty bitter/hoppy pilsner flavor.  Quite refreshing though.
• Sam Adams Summer Ale – Lightly sweet and citrusy aroma.  Wheat is obvious in the body with some spice and fairly strong notes of lemon.
• Brooklyn Summer Ale – Some resiny/floral hop notes and breadiness in the aroma.  Flavors are smooth with some nice earthy hop flavors and good malt undertones.
• Honey Moon Summer Ale – Lightly sweet aroma with smooth sweetness and crisp carbonation on the palate.  The honey does come through in the flavor.

So after that are there any predictions as to what my vote and final order of the four was?  No need to build suspense, so without further delay my vote was: 

1. Brooklyn Summer Ale – most well balanced flavors of the four.
2. Sierra Nevada Summerfest – bitterness became thirst quenching
3. Sam Adams Summer Ale – lemon flavor was too much for me
4. Honey Moon Summer Ale – just not much of anything there for flavor

The interesting thing for me with this vote was that had I put them in order after my first taste of each, it would have been the exact opposite of what it turned out to be.  As the beers warmed some, the hop characters of the Brooklyn opened up and smoothed out nicely whereas the lack of substance in the Honey Moon became more obvious when not ice cold. 

Remember which was which?

As always though, I am only one vote among the many that attend the monthly Tweetups at CTT.  After all of the votes were tallied it was a very close race between two of them.  Drum roll, please.  The winner and new resident of the “Micro of the Month” tap handle is Brooklyn Summer Ale!  It narrowly beat out Honey Moon Summer Ale to win the battle of the summer seasonals. 

Be sure to stay tuned to find out what the lineup of beers will be for the Tweetup  next month looking to take Brooklyn Summer Ale’s spot!

After having a good group of beers last week, I was glad to have some numbers left over from those same Twitter people to go with again this time.  They seemed to have some good number picking mojo going and with a few other numbers written down as backup I figured we would have another nice group of brews this week. 

Before moving along I must remind you all that the next Tweetup at Celebration Town Tavern is one week from today.  Check out the beers that will be up for “Micro of the Month” election this time and I will see you there! 

Though it was a bit hot that day, Bill and I settled in at the outside bar with Rich and the misting fans.  Being in the shade with the misters and having a bit of a breeze made for a comfortable beer drinking environment.  

Wanting to start the afternoon with something different, we split a Schaefer (number 85 via @GRPasswater).  It was certainly a new beer for me as I don’t remember even being in the same room as a can of it before.  However, I was a bit hesitant to drink it after Rich wouldn’t look directly at the can as he placed it in front of us as if it was his kryptonite.  It poured a pale yellow color with a bit of sharpness and light graininess in the aroma.  Though there was a slight sharpness at the finish, there was not much in the way of flavor overall.  The good thing is that there were no harsh or off putting flavors either. 

Something new for me.

This beer (as is the case with all of this style) is best very cold, though it does not go downhill much as it warms.  Since I would drink this one (at $3) over say a Heineken or a Bud, I settled on a 2.5 for a final grade, as did Bill (though I may have talked him into that).  I said at the time that it would make for good beer pong fodder and I think that is a pretty accurate description.  Since it is very light and crisp I would say this can pair with your typical fried or spicy bar food like onion rings or chicken wings.  With that said, if I were to pair a beer with food I would go for something that brought some more flavor of its own to the table. 

Claim to fame?

Since we had a few pale ales among the numbers to choose from we decided to do a side by side comparison for our next beers.  The competitors would be a Lagunitas Pale Ale (via number 44 from my new favorite running back) and a Sam Adams Pale Ale (via number 83 from @word_czar).  Since the numbers shifted a bit with the newly added beers I actually crossed off number 51 (Michelob Ultra) for the Lagunitas, which seemed like a good trade for me.  The Lagunitas Pale Ale is a $5 beer and the Sam Adams a $4, so that was something to consider as we evaluated them. 

The two beers poured an almost identical golden color with maybe a hint of orange.  That is pretty much where the similarities ended.  In taking in the (hop) aromas of each it became apparent that we had an American Pale Ale in one hand (Lagunitas) and an English Pale Ale in the other (Sam Adams).

The contenders at the weigh in.

The Lagunitas had a very bold, bright citrusy, slightly floral hop aroma with a light sweetness in back.  The flavor led with a big hoppy (somewhat resinous) bite up front that fades to a pretty dry finish with a good amount of bitterness still present.  It did seem very IPA-like, though it did not bring much in the way of malt character to balance out the equation. 

The aroma of the Sam Adams was a bit flat and earthy with a faint malty sweetness underneath.  The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy and it has an even malty flavor that leads into some bitterness toward the finish.  Though it does not bring a ton of flavor to the table (especially when compared to the Lagunitas), is does have a nice balance of components. 

The grades for the two were very close, but for completely different reasons.  You really have to be in the mood for some big, hoppy bite if you go with the Lagunitas (though the edge come off a bit as it warms) and the Sam Adams is the more drinkable option of the two.  With that Bill gave the Lagunitas a 3 and the Sam Adams a 3.5.  Though there are better options on the list, I would drink them both again and gave them both a 3.  If necessary I would give the Sam Adams the edge (toward a 3.5) since I could have a few without ravaging my palate.  In pairing food with the two, I would go with the spicier foods for the Lagunitas and probably couple the Sam Adams with some nicely grilled meat (steak or pork). 

Also had dueling head retention.

Last up was a Hercules Double IPA (number 33) via @willspot.  This was a beer that was saved specifically to close an afternoon/evening visit with.  With the big flavors and 10% ABV, this one would have been hard to follow with anything else.  It poured a deep coppery amber color and I could actually smell some of the aroma at arm’s length as I poured it into the glass.  The aroma was (surprisingly) malty overall without much in the way of hoppy characters.  It was a bit sweet and caramelly with what seemed to be a slightly smoky note in back.  The hop bitterness is even from start to finish, but it is well supported by a nice (somewhat toasty) malty background.  There are good flavors throughout with notes of sweetness and nuttiness and a slightly roasted characteristic.

A fine way to wrap up the day.

This is another one of those beers that is great if you have time to sit down with just one.  The edges of the bitterness calm some as it warms and you get a different range of flavors as you sit with it.  The high ABV is also well balanced in without it becoming too apparent.  After all of that it should not be too much of a surprise that Bill and I both gave it a 4.5.  I originally wrote down a 4, but I did like it better than the Sam Adams Double Bock, so I bumped it up.  Either way it is a good one.  I would tend to drink it without food, but the caramelly notes would be nice with red meat and overall I think it would be interesting with some good, pungent cheeses. 

I have a thought to go with my closing remarks for this post.  First, a big thank you goes to Rich for hanging out and talking beer with us at the outside bar.  Also, I must again thank the Twitter folks for helping me choose the good brews.  Now for my thought.  What is it going to take for me to give a beer a 5?  I wish I knew.  That is (obviously) a perfect score in this system and is there such a thing as a perfect beer?  I would hate to give a 5 to one and then have another that I enjoy more.  Maybe I will have to go back after all is done and choose my favorite of the bunch as the lone 5.  We shall see. 

For those keeping track, that is now 37 down and 62 to go!  

Stay tuned . . .

Another early afternoon visit to Celebration Town Tavern with Bill yesterday of course meant crossing off a few more beers from the Beer Club list, but on this occasion there was also much to discuss.  We started off going over some options to modify the bottle list a bit in the near future.  A handful of beers are coming off the lineup, so that means that some new beers have a chance to be added in.  Be sure to keep an eye out for some new arrivals.

Then I would say the largest amount of the discussion after that was of another event coming up very soon.  One week from today on Wednesday, March 31^st starting at 5:30 will be the second monthly Tweetup at CTT!  Since so many things worked well at the first one last month, some of the fun will be familiar for those who joined us for that one.  For those of you who missed it, I will give you some incentive to make it there this time.

It is that time again.

For the folks attending the Tweetup there will again be beer.  Of course you would expect that anyway, but there is another special opportunity to sample a few beers not typically on the list at CTT.  With The Brew Crew Team continuing to be on board for the occasions, each person coming to this Tweetup will be given a flight of four beers to sample.  After tasting all four, everyone will vote on the beer that they enjoyed the most and more specifically for the beer that they would order on their own if they were to visit again.  The winner of this vote will be added to the draft selection at CTT for at least the near future.

Last month’s winner was Orange Blossom Pilsner and it is currently holding down a tap position as it waits for the next winner to take that slot.  We are trying to think of an appropriate name for that rotating tap to have going forward, so if you have any creative ideas please be sure to share them.

Time to name the heir to the OBP tap handle!

I have said it before, but how often do you get to help select the beer list where you go for Happy Hour and the big games?

Now comes the exciting part of announcing the four beers that will compete for inclusion on the draft list for the month.  I think there is a good range of styles here for everyone as well as two that are already on the Beer Club bottle list.  So if you have been hesitant to try them at CTT before, you will have a free shot at doing so next Wednesday.

The four beers and styles this month will be:

• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Chico, CA) – American Pale Ale
• Abita Andygator (Abita Springs, LA) - Doppelbock
• Dogfish Head Aprihop (Milton, DE) – American IPA (with apricots)
• Avery White Rascal (Boulder, CO) - Witbier

If that isn’t enough incentive to stop by a week from now, there is live entertainment lined up to start around 7 PM!

Come enjoy the great weather at the outdoor bar.

I am looking forward to seeing the founding members who were there last month and hopefully many new faces.  The Wife and I will be running around with cameras and I will likely be taking some notes so we should be easy to pick out of the crowd.  Please do say hello if you see us.  Last month was a lot of fun and I have no doubts that this one will be even better!

See you there!

Today is the perfect day for part two of the recap for the first Celebration Town Tavern Tweetup, since I think we all could use a little break from reading on a Monday.  The only thing that can make having a new video recording toy to play with better is having a spouse that not only takes great video, but also is an editing virtuoso.  I can only hope that The Wife can teach me to do some of the same as well as she does.

This was my first experience at a Tweetup and if you have not been to one before I think this first video might give you some incentive to make it out to CTT next time.

As mentioned in previous posts and in that video, there was a flight of four beers to be voted on for inclusion on the draft list at Celebration Town Tavern.  It turned out to be a really close result, only decided by a single vote!

One last look at the contenders.

Sometimes things work out even better than planned.  We already had a good interview with @TomtheBeerguy that I was excited about sharing here on the site.  So you can imagine how much sense it makes to share the video now that his beer, Orange Blossom Pilsner, was the winner of that close contest (with Oberon Ale a close second)!

Getting to meet the people that make the beer and hear some of the back-story behind the product seems to make the brews even more enjoyable.  I think you all will want to try some Orange Blossom Pilsner or Toasted Coconut Porter after watching this . . .

Yes he really is that much fun to be around!

A good time was had by all and I am already looking forward to the next one.  I will be sure to announce the date here so you can put it on your calendar!

Stay tuned . . .

Before getting to the beers that were crossed off the Beer Club list this week, I must make mention of a great event here in Orlando that is quickly approaching again.  Taste of the Nation Orlando is a really awesome event that The Wife and I have attended a few times since moving to Orlando.  Even more than that, the evening benefits Share Our Strength and its efforts to fight child hunger in the United States.

If that was not enough reason to go, from now until next Friday, April 16^th you can get 15% off your ticket by using the code “TAXORL” when you by your tickets for Taste of the Nation Orlando.  So to recap, it is a great event, it benefits a great cause, and you can get your tickets at a discount.  Need I say more?!

Now we can move back to the beers for the week . . .

Screens are in and ready for the rain!

I again reached out to the world of Twitter this week to get the numbers for my beers.  I will thank all three folks in turn, but there is one that gets a much bigger thank you than the other two.

The first number that I went with was 34 (via @willspot), which turned out to be a Heineken Light.  Now I like @willspot and have met him a few times, but for making that the first beer of the afternoon I must thank him the least of the three!  It pours a very clear pale straw color and has a very light grainy (corn-like) aroma that almost has a buttery quality. It should be no surprise that it drinks a lot like a glass of water, with very little overall flavor.  It does have a bit of harsh crispness and a minerally quality to it that actually gets worse as you drink it (the first sip was the best).  That is likely because this beer needs to be ice cold to be at all enjoyable.  It does not drink well as it warms.

Heineken Light

If I had to rank the three beers that I drank that day this one would be at the bottom without a doubt, though I gave it a generous grade of 2 (Bill gave a slightly higher 2.5).  My benevolence was in part due to the fact that I know that there are a few beers on the list that I will enjoy less.  I would much rather have a Bass Ale or a Brooklyn Lager (to name a few) at the same price (of $4) if given the choice.  The high carbonation and crispness would cut into a spicy dish a bit or would offset your fried foods such as onions rings or calamari pretty well.

Only a slightly bigger thank you will go to @KENLarch for picking number 6 and an Avery White Rascal.  For those of you not at the last Tweetup at CTT, this one was my last place finisher in the beer flight vote.  I love Avery overall, but not this one.  It pours a hazy honey-like color and has some light spice and citrus notes in the aroma.  The beer has a light body and is pretty smooth though there is something in the herbal, citrus, yeasty flavor that leaves a slightly unpleasant finish.  Maybe this is simply a style that I am struggling to come around to?

Avery White Rascal

Even though Bill and I agreed that we would only drink this one to cross it off the list, it is a better value than the Heineken Light (both priced at $4).  With that I gave it a 2.5 (if only because it had actual flavor when compared to the first) and Bill gave it a middle of the road 3.  I do think that the beer would go fairly well with most salads and any fish or chicken dish that has not been fried.

Rocky Mountain IPA

Certainly the biggest thank you of the day goes out to @KatyAtTBF for choosing number 72 and a Rocky Mountian IPA from Fort Collins Brewery.  It was nice to close the afternoon with the best beer and my favorite style of the three.  It pours a brownish copper color and has a slight bit of haze to it (though mostly clear).  The aroma was good overall, with a really sweet, hoppy profile that had notes of floral and citrus.  The hop bitterness in the flavor is nice, but very prominent.  It does have a nice amount of sweetness to balance out the hop flavors that do become a bit resiny as it warms some.  There is some dryness at the finish that does linger a bit.  The beer really grew on me the more I drank, which is the case sometimes with IPAs.This beer was certainly the best of the three for me and at the same price of $4, it was the best value in my mind.  I have certainly had better IPAS, but this was a good one as Bill and I settled on matching grades of 3.5.  This beer can stand up to bigger flavors and can offset some fat in a dish so I would recommend a pairing with maybe some fried shellfish or a burger with bleu cheese.

As my closing note to this post, I really would like to thank the three folks for choosing my numbers for me.  All of the beers have to be crossed off eventually and getting a few less enjoyable ones out of the way means there is only a higher concentration of good ones left to choose from.

For those keeping track, that is now 17 down and 82 to go!

Stay tuned . . .