The more current reviews are closer than this summer seasonal evaluation might lead you to believe. I pretty much shut down the beer review efforts for the entire time of the fall seasonals this year. That does not mean that I did not have my fair share of pumpkin beers and Oktoberfest brews, it just means I did not bother with the formal note taking process. It was quite nice to just enjoy beers for a while without doing that, but it also does not help me learn as much. So soon will be more recent ones with some winter seasonals and a new approach to my personal reviews. Until that time I choose to still think that it is summer in my mind.

For the first review of this week . . .

Brewery: Gritty McDuff’s Brewing Co. (Freeport, ME)

Name: Vacationland Summer Ale

Style: (American) Blonde Ale

ABV: 4.90%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. Gift from Cousin Adam.

Aroma: Nice sweetness with a fruity character that seems to have a tart quality to it.

Appearance: Golden straw color. One finger plus off-white color head with pretty good retention and leaving some laced trail. Very clear with some rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Nice even maltiness with some bitterness shortly after and with some fruit flavor floating underneath. Also an underlying earthy character and some light dryness at the finish that lingers nicely.

Mouthfeel: Light body with a moderate level of carbonation. Smooth and lightly creamy on the palate.

Overall Impressions: Really interesting underlying fruity and earthy flavors that combine very nicely within the overall. Seems to have a little of quite a wide range of flavors and is very easy drinking. Would definitely like to try again when in Maine again (closer to the source).

Grade: B

Gritty McDuff's Brewing Co. - Vacationland

I find myself trying to figure out how I am missing the picture for this one when I have the photo for another beer that I evaluated on the same day.  That is quite strange.

Orlando Brewing is really the only show here in town and I don’t find myself down there as often as I should or would like to.  Aside from just wanting to support my local brewery, the other reason I like to go to the tasting room is for the other beers.  I (generally) like the other styles of beer they offer at the brewery much more than the brews that are more widely available in bottles around town.  Of course enjoying beer at the source certainly helps the enjoyment as well.

Now on with the show . . .

Brewery: Orlando Brewing Partners, Inc. (Orlando, FL)

Name: Blonde Ale

Style: American Blonde Ale (Specialty Beer)

ABV: 4.73%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.  Gift from the Carlins.  Organic brewery.

Aroma: Grainy, somewhat bread-like aroma with a slight sweetness.

Appearance: Straw to honey in color.  One finger, white, frothy head with decent retention and leaving a slight trail.  Very clear with many small rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Mild graininess with some slight dryness at the finish.  Not much in the way of hop flavor.

Mouthfeel: Light body with a high level of carbonation that lends some bite/sharpness.  Slightly creamy.

Overall Impressions: Very easy to drink, but rather bland in flavor (maybe I just expected more).  Drinks much like more commercial lagers/pilsners.  Not my favorite of their beers.

Grade: C

Assuming you are in the general area of Orlando look for the brown bottles with green and yellow labels.  Orlando is written on a black banner across the middle and Blonde Ale is in yellow block lettering.

As much as I am a sucker for an interesting label, I am also one for a style that I have not tried previously or one that is relatively new to me.  Since I enjoyed the Maibock from Fort Collins, I had little hesitation in trying their Wheat Wine as the first of the (unofficial) style for me.

To me the body that the wheat provided struggled to hold up against the higher ABV and muted the bigger flavors of what would be a Barleywine, but I will continue sampling others for comparison.  A rough job, I know!

Now on we go . . .

Brewery: Fort Collins Brewery (Fort Collins, CO)

Name: Wheat Wine Ale

Style: American Barleywine (?)

ABV: 9.33% (+/-)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge (52 degrees +/-) and served in an oversized wine glass.

Aroma: Light, sweet, slightly fruity aroma with some faint notes of caramel and alcohol in back.  Interestingly, the aroma really fills the nose despite being relatively light overall.

Appearance: Full amber to copper color.  Short, solid, frothy, cream color head with good retention that leaves a solid trail.  Pretty clear (though dark) with some rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Light sweetness initially with some bitterness and a low level of (hop) spiciness after that.  Relatively mild flavors overall with a sharp, somewhat minerally dryness at the finish.  The alcohol also comes through at the finish and dominates the previous flavors left on the palate.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with a moderate amount of carbonation that is very volatile when agitated.  Smooth and creamy with some warmth from the middle through to the finish.

Overall Impressions: The first wheat wine for me and there was certainly a noticeable difference in mouthfeel versus a Barleywine.  The warmth (and bitterness) becomes too dominant with the lack of a big, malty profile.  Not really that well balanced and one that does not get better as the glass empties.  The Wife gave it a one sip and done C.

Grade: C+

Fort Collins Brewery - Wheat Wine Ale

A closer look.

In case you choose your beers from above.

There are thoughts in my head to interrupt the “I lost the photos” beer review series now and then just to mix things up a bit.  I am thinking of doing some reviews out of order as a way to throw in some old ones with those that are a bit more current (and that have photos).  This idea comes up as I post this review for a 12^th anniversary brew when I have recently evaluated the 13^th anniversary beer from the same brewery.  After realizing that I feel that I should make some effort to stay a bit more current.  I will see what happens in the coming weeks and months.

Now then . . .

Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Co. (Saratoga Springs, NY – based in San Francisco, CA)

Name: Jewbelation Twelve (12^th Anniversary Ale)

Style: American Brown Ale

ABV: 12.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge (52 degrees +/-) and served in a pint glass.  Brewed with 12 malts and 12 hops.

Aroma: Sweet, rich maltiness with some dark fruit notes (fig-like?).  A slight hop nose in background with some very, very slight alcohol.

Appearance: Deep, dark brown color.  Slight, deep brown (suede-like) head with decent retention (slow dissipation) and legs.  Opaque, though some visibility through edges.

Flavor: Big malty, slightly toasty flavor with some hop bitterness toward finish.  Some warmth from middle on and strong flavor(s) at finish that fades quickly with some lingering.  Good balance overall with the malt up front with hoppiness following.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with a moderate amount of carbonation.  Smooth and creamy on palate with some very slight astringency near finish.

Overall Impressions: Tons of flavor that seems to be a bit different with every sip.  Very enjoyable and warming as the alcohol is well balanced into the overall flavor.  Very high alcohol for style ( typically 4.3-6.2%).

Grade: A

Everyone drifts off in thought of other things on occasion.  I probably do it more than the average person or at least more than I should.  Today, I have decided to share some of the daydreaming I did the over the last few days since it was all about beer and brewing.

I figured that I could not really hurt myself with a rake, so I was able to let my mind process other things while cleaning up the yard for spring.  My mind would have been in another place as I raked leaves anyway, but the fact that I had brewing supplies on the way certainly gave me something to focus on.  Welcome to the obsessive part of my brain.

I can already smell the grains

It has been a few months since I have last brewed anything at home, so I have been anxious to get back into it.  Now that my reserves have been depleted and I have more than enough empty bottles, I am ready to jump back in.  After putting (too) much thought into it I decided that the next three batches will be:

• Black Ale – Inspired by the imperial version I had at the FBG Beerfest
• Hefeweizen – In response to requests by multiple parties and as a good base for fruit experimentation.
• Saison – My first Belgian and to have ready by summer.  I missed brewing in time for a spring seasonal and would like to get on track for future seasons.

Since I have only two primary and two secondary fermenters, this presents a planning challenge for me.  I have learned lessons from having all the equipment tied up in the past and would like to make it easy on myself this time.  That and I need to plan out what to sanitize now, what I can wait on, etc.

The empty bottles are waiting

Starting off I have to decide which one I brew first.  My initial thought was the Black Ale, but that presents a few problems.  I have plans to add some bourbon and vanilla to the secondary fermenter for that one and let it sit there a bit longer than normal (for me) before bottling.  So that would tie up a piece of equipment for more time meaning that I would have to wait to brew at least one of the others for a while.  Also it will be a pretty strong flavor and I don’t know that I want a Hefeweizen going into the fermenter after it.  Of course it would be cleaned and sanitized, but I am slightly neurotic like that.

OK, so what about one of the other two going first?  I have (at he very least) tentative plans to incorporate a new type of fruit (for me) into at least one of those batches, if not both.  That could very well mean that I split the batches after primary fermentation to get some fruit beer and some of the original, unaltered style.  So either way that would tie up both secondary fermenters for some time making the order of things more difficult to coordinate efficiently.

Splitting batches will be after primary this time.

With all of that under consideration, if the fruit component that I intend to use does not arrive or is not made available right away maybe the Black Ale wins by default?  Or maybe I just brew the Saison and forget about any fruit going into that one?  I suppose I could even go ahead with the Hefeweizen without the fruit.

Might need a replacement bottling wand to be safe.

I know I shouldn’t put this much thought into it, but I do.  Or at least when I have hours of yard work to do and plenty of time to daydream of more enjoyable activities!