S-H-V Archives – A Night With The Hops

Blueprint Brewing - BouNilla Black

Aug 202010

Among many other reasons, part of the addiction that develops when you start brewing has to do with what you learn from batch to batch. It is definitely a process where you get better at some things while at the same time adding items to the list of things to be worked on. In the case of the Black Ales, they turned out much better as a split batch than either of the first few I attempted. On the other hand, the bourbon and the vanilla did not work out for me perfectly and that only makes me want to try using them again in future batches. Fortunately, not working perfectly still leaves me with a bunch of beer to drink!

Now for the other half of Draft Day Ale . . .

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: BouNilla Black

Style: Black Ale (Specialty Beer)

ABV: 4.94% (+/-)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. Bourbon and vanilla bean added to secondary fermentation. Reviewed next to unaltered black ale half of batch.

Aroma: Low roasted malt notes with an even caramelly bourbon aroma (though not too strong) and some very faint vanilla. Really as expected.

Appearance: Black (dark, dark brown) and slightly lighter than the unaltered half of the batch. Slight dark cream/tan color head with decent (though not good) retention that leaves a slight trail. Opaque, though clear with rising bubbles visible when held to light.

Flavor: Mild roasted malt with some lightly sweet notes (vanilla?). A faint bourbon character with some dryness and bourbon flavor at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body (lighter than Draft Day Ale) with pretty low carbonation (though has become higher as it ages in bottle). Very smooth and probably too smooth without the balance of some higher carbonation.

Overall Impressions: Needed some more carbonation (maybe it sat too long in secondary). Bourbon and vanilla flavors really mellowed the roasted character and bitterness. My first use of both bourbon and vanilla in a beer that was another good experiment for record and one that needs another go.

Grade: B- (ish) . . . Probably toward B being much like though completely different than Draft Day Ale.

4813796936 d580478042 Blueprint Brewing BouNilla Black

Blueprint Brewing - BouNilla Black (on the right)

Epic Ales Terra Saurus & Simple Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 182010

In order to eventually throw away the various scraps of paper on my desk that have beer notes on them I have to somehow translate the scribbling into writing. After working through the first half of this sheet previously, today’s entry should be enough to finally send it to the recycling bin.

There are two reasons that I have considered all of these beers from Epic Ales as ones that possibly fall into the Specialty Beer style. The first is that Cody uses sake yeast for his creations, which does not exactly appear in any of the style guidelines (that I can remember). The second is that Cody himself did not really have a direct answer when I asked him the styles of we tasted that day. Though they are at least based in part on a specific style I don’t think they really align directly with one in the end. That is not a bad thing at all, but I thought I should explain my notes a bit.

For the first of two for today . . .

Brewery: Epic Ales (Seattle, WA)

Name: Terra Saurus

Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer? Stout? Specialty Beer (probably)?

ABV: 4.50% (?)

Location: Epic Ales brewery (with Cody) and Seattle Jeff’s apartment

Tasting Notes:

Brewed with both dried and fresh shitake mushrooms. Cody says they do affect the head retention (among other things).
Black . . . really dark, dark brown color.
Nice roasted aroma with faint notes of sweetness.
Smooth, with a slight roasted bitterness bite and some sharpness up front that leaves immediately.
Hint of earthy character.
Really awesome with the cheese pairing in the tasting room. The two bring out the best qualities of each and I think the beer is slightly better with the cheese than without.

Epic Ales - Terra Saurus

A beautiful sight.

And now for the second . . .

Brewery: Epic Ales (Seattle, WA)

Name: Simple Ale

Style: American Amber Ale (probably Specialty Beer though)

ABV: 6.00% (?)

Location: Epic Ales brewery (with Cody) and Seattle Jeff’s apartment

Tasting Notes:

Hazy copper in color with a thick, frothy head that leaves a solid trail.
A bit of fruit in the aroma . . . apricot? With honey sweetness?
Lightly sweet with some earthiness.
Slight bitterness that lasts through to finish.
Good carbonation with a slightly dry finish.
Interestingly nice.

4772228667 63b3e49357 Epic Ales Terra Saurus & Simple Ale

Epic Ales - Simple Ale (and a sunset)

Cheers!

Epic Ales Solar Trans-Amplifier & Simply Summer

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 142010

It is fun to see what I find written on the various sheets of paper that end up on my desk. What I found today will turn into a “B Notes” post for a few brews enjoyed while we were in Seattle last month.

We had the opportunity to stop by Epic Ales on our first day in town and we were able to try some very interesting beers. What I found fascinating about the beers we tried (beyond flavors like ginger and chamomile) was the mouthfeel of them all. Cody uses a sake yeast to ferment his creations and it lends a very unique characteristic to them all. Certainly a place to visit if/when you are in Seattle.

Now on to the first of two for today . . .

Brewery: Epic Ales (Seattle, WA)

Name: Solar Trans-Amplifier

Style: Spice/Herb Beer (maybe considered a Specialty Beer)

ABV: 5.00% (?)

Location: Epic Ales brewery (with Cody) and Seattle Jeff’s apartment

Tasting Notes:

Hazy orangeish honey in color.
Lightly sweet herbal aroma . . . definitely pick up the chamomile.
Slight sweetness to flavor with herbal notes from middle to finish . . . reminds me of drinking a chamomile tea.
Light spiciness underneath . . . perhaps the ginger?
Nicely crisp via a fine carbonation.

Epic Ales - Solar Trans-Amplifier

And now the second . . .

Brewery: Epic Ales (Seattle, WA)

Name: Simply Summer Ale

Style: Saison (again might be considered Specialty Beer)

ABV: No idea

Location: Epic Ales brewery (with Cody) and Seattle Jeff’s apartment

Tasting Notes:

Pale, hazy, white grapefruit juice-like color.
Lightly citrusy (lemon) aroma with a hint of spice behind.
Flavor is very similar to aroma with a light sourness thrown in.
Well carbonated with a bit of bite and sharpness (at a nice level)
Very nice dry finish.
To me it is like drinking a dry Saison . . . Cody compares to a beer from southern France (he referred to as “goat beer”)

4772220621 c4ac427b45 Epic Ales Solar Trans Amplifier & Simply Summer

Epic Ales - Simply Summer Ale

Cheers!

Bison Brewing Company - Pumpkin Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Mar 232010

Again I will post a pumpkin beer review out of season. It worked a few weeks ago, so why not throw another one out there for future reference? I guess that is what happens when I let too many evaluations pile up in the hopper. My hope is to catch up with my reviews enough in the next few months so that I can be a bit more timely with my seasonal reviews for this year. Maybe that means I need to slow down on trying new beers for a while, but that just will not happen!

I wanted to like this one, I really did. The Wife had high hopes as well for a good, organic pumpkin beer option, but this one really did not deliver for us. It definitely did not hurt to narrow down the pumpkin beer options for us going into fall this year though.

Brewery: Bison Brewing Company (Berkeley, CA)

Name: (Organic) Pumpkin Ale

Style: Vegetable Beer

ABV: ??

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $4.99 for 1pt. 6oz.

Aroma: Some spice (though not too much) and a sense of sharpness on nose.

Appearance: Medium copper (to amber) color. Three finger cream color head with medium amount of retention and trail. Clear with many rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: No real pumpkin or spice flavor to it with a sharp, metallic flavor that is slightly lingering at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium to high carbonation. Slight slickness on the tongue (coating after smoothness) and some astringency.

Overall Impressions: Could sense the sharpness, but more in the flavor than expected. The overall flavor is just not there. Drinkable, but not very enjoyable to the point that I will not be purchasing again (with so many other good pumpkin beer options out there).

Grade: C-

Bison Brewing Company - Pumpkin Ale

Shipyard Brewing Co. - Smashed Pumpkin Ale

Beer Reviews 2 Responses »

Mar 142010

The fourth day has finally come and with it the fourth pumpkin beer and the end of this short series of posts. If you are at all confused, where have you been these last few days?! Go ahead and check out the entries from Blueprint Brewing, Smuttynose Brewing, and Weyerbacher Brewing to get yourself caught up with the whole pumpkin beers in March thing.

We first heard of this creation when The Wife and I were vacationing with family up in Maine and visited Shipyard Brewing last fall. At the time the beer was not even available at the brewery because it sold out so fast. We knew that Shipyard brews were available here in Florida so there was at least a small chance that we would see some on the shelves when arrived back home. Obviously we got lucky and found a bottle one day without even looking for it.

Be sure to read all the way to the bottom as the long awaited judgment on the flight from The Wife is revealed!

Now to wrap things up . . .

Brewery: Shipyard Brewing Co. (Portland, ME)

Name: Smashed Pumpkin Ale (Signature Series)

Style: Vegetable Beer

ABV: 9.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge (51 degrees +/-) and served in a pint glass. $8.99 for 1pt. 6oz.

Aroma: Low, but prominent pumpkin spice aroma (mostly nutmeg to me) and a clean aroma overall.

Appearance: Amber in color with a slight orange/copper hue. Slight dark(er) cream head that quickly dissipates with no trail. Crystal clear with few rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: The pumpkin spice flavors are prominent with a sugary sweetness underneath. The spiciness carries through to the finish and lingers slightly. Really full flavor overall that is like liquid pumpkin pie.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low(ish) carbonation. A low amount of warmth is noticeable.

Overall Impressions: Most pumpkiny pumpkin ale that I have tried (to date) and is definitely at the top of the Shipyard family for me. The aroma really carries through to the flavor. Fitting/appropriate for the holidays (Thanksgiving or Christmas).

Grade: A

4240767145 47dd924a0c Shipyard Brewing Co. Smashed Pumpkin Ale

Her final decisions have been made . . . read below.

As for the final rankings from The Wife and her blind tasting:

Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale (very close 1^st and 2^nd)
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale (very close 1^st and 2^nd)
Blueprint Gourdeous One
Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale (distant 4^th)

She fell right in line with the final grades that I had when drinking the four of them side by side. I don’t know that it means we are correct, but I now know what to look for on the shelves and what to brew at home next fall.

Cheers!

Weyerbacher Brewing Co. - Imp. Pumpkin Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Mar 132010

All of these reviews for pumpkin beers are making me thirsty for them again. Unfortunately there are none (or at least very few) on the store shelves, but I do have a few of my Gourdeous One’s left to help satisfy that craving. If you are not sure what I am talking about check out the first beer and the second beer in this ongoing series of four pumpkin beer reviews.

Today we are continuing on up the gravity ladder by going to an imperial version of a pumpkin ale from Weyerbacher. I think that is one of the first adjustments that I would like to make to my own version. Though it has a low enough ABV right now to be extremely drinkable, I would like to bring that up quite a bit to add a warmth to it that would be more appropriate to the season. I guess I need to start planning my triumphant return to pumpkin beer brewing, as I know the time will be here again before I know it.

Now to continue . . .

Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co. (Easton, PA)

Name: Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Style: Vegetable Beer

ABV: 8.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $2.99 per 12oz.

Aroma: A more complex, spicy pumpkin pie-like aroma (cinnamon, cloves, etc.) with molasses-like sweetness underneath.

Appearance: Deep amber to caramel color. Slight off-white head that quickly dissipates with no trail. Clear with few rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Malty sweetness that is dark brown sugar/molasses-like. Low spiciness (carried through/similar to aroma) with very low bitterness. Clean, but slightly lingering finish (good though).

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low(er) carbonation. Really smooth and somewhat creamy with some slight warmth.

Overall Impressions: Quality ale flavors underneath pumpkin spices. The warmth is well balanced in to the whole. Nice overall flavor profile(s).

Grade: A-

Two days later and she is still working through the flight!

Smuttynose Brewing Co. - Pumpkin Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Mar 122010

If you are curious why I am posting a review for a pumpkin beer in the middle of March, please check out yesterday’s entry. Today I shall continue on with the flight that we started with my home brewed pumpkin ale (Blueprint Brewing Gourdeous One).

That means moving along to the pumpkin offering from Smuttynose Brewing Company as the second of the four. It is not too surprising that aside from my own version, the remaining three are from breweries in the northeast. Having grown up in Northern New York, I think pumpkins are more appropriate for that kind of climate anyway.

As much as I don’t really enjoy many fruit beers (though I am slowly coming around a bit to them), I do love a good pumpkin beer for some reason, especially when the weather is a bit brisk. Maybe that is why I waited until the days were colder here in Florida (December) until cracking these open?

Enough rambling, let us continue . . .

Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Co. (Portsmouth, NH)

Name: Pumpkin Ale

Style: Vegetable Beer

ABV: 6.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $1.99 per 12oz.

Aroma: Light, clean pumpkin spices (mostly nutmeg and cinnamon?) with malty undertones that are pumpkin bread-like.

Appearance: Light amber to golden color. One finger cream color head that is frothy with good retention and some trail. Very clear with many bubbles visible.

Flavor: Moderate maltiness with some hop bitterness. No pumpkin flavor noticed. Some harshness at finish that is almost metallic.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with moderate carbonation. Creamy and smooth.

Overall Impressions: The finish definitely hurts the overall. Really no need to drink again, mostly because there are many other quality pumpkin ales out there.

Grade: C

The Wife still enjoying the flight of pumpkin beers.

Blueprint Brewing - Gourdeous One

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Mar 112010

To start off this post I must let you know that I realize that it is not exactly pumpkin beer time of year anymore. Over the holiday season The Wife and I did a flight of four pumpkin beers and I am just now getting around to passing along the results. All of this will still be useful (at least for me) since three of the four beers will be brewed again this year and the fourth is my home brew, which I will want to make again later this year.

With that out of the way I can let you know that today will be the first of four consecutive days that I will post the reviews for the pumpkin beer flight that we did. I can also let you know that all but one of the images from the occasion was lost in a hard drive crash so you will see that single image over and over. Take that as a warning for those who don’t back up their photos, I know we learned our lesson.

I reviewed each beer individually, but I gave The Wife a blind flight of the four to see where she would put my home brewed version of pumpkin ale (Blueprint Brewing) among the others. I will reveal her final rankings in the last of these four entries.

Let’s get started . . .

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: Gourdeous One

Style: Vegetable Beer

ABV: 4.13% (+/-)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.

Aroma: Smooth pumpkin spices noticeable (mostly nutmeg) with some slight sweetness underneath (brown sugar?).

Appearance: Deep amber to brown color. Two finger (plus) cream color head that is thick with good retention and laced trail. Clear with tons of bubbles visible.

Flavor: Low maltiness with a hint of sweetness. The flavors of real pumpkin are noticeable. No real bitterness and a clean finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with high carbonation that leaves some bite. Crisp and slightly creamy.

Overall Impressions: Pretty darn good, though other bottles from the batch have been a bit tastier. Will make again with some slight tweaks to the recipe. Definitely good enough for a revisit.

Grade: B+

The Wife enjoy her pumpkin flight.

Dogfish Head - Midas Touch

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Dec 012009

“Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Month” has officially leaked into December with this evaluation and will do so even more with another to come this Friday. It was not intentional, but I was left with a few of the more interesting beers for this week, including this one based on an ancient Turkish recipe discovered in the tomb of King Midas. Being brewed without hops gives this one a very unique flavor profile (that The Wife enjoyed a lot) and is certainly worth a try if you have the opportunity.

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware)

Name: Midas Touch

Style: Spice/Herb Beer

ABV: 9.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a white wine glass. $3.99 for 12oz.

Aroma: Sweet aroma of grapes (prominent). Clean and crisp sauvignon blanc/riesling-like nose.

Appearance: Golden color with strong orange tint (honey-like, probably influenced by the saffron). Slight, off-white head that quickly dissipates with no trail and very slight legs. Very clear with a few bubbles rising.

Flavor: Moderate grape flavor on a background of light maltiness and a slight bit of honey sweetness. Some dryness at the finish that stays on the palate a bit.

Mouthfeel: Light body and pretty high carbonation with some bite (champagne-like). Smooth and crisp with a slight warmth at finish (enough to let you know it is 9%).

Overall Impressions: Drinks like a light bodied beer, but with a lot of flavor. Seemingly a direct midpoint between beer and champagne. Very pleased to have tried and quite different than anything I have tasted to date (that I can recall).

Grade: B+

Point of entry

Dogfish Head - Midas Touch

One Step Closer

Brewing No Responses »

Nov 252009

The attempt to make a video of the bottling process for my pumpkin ale did not turn out as I envisioned, so a written update will have to do this time. I had very good reactions to the video for racking the pumpkin ale, but my editing skills were not up to the task of turning the long bottling footage into something of reasonable length. No worries though as I will figure out what to do for next time. Refining my video making skills will run right along with refining my brewing skills, which I am more than OK with.

So my pumpkin ale has been in bottles for about a week and a half now. If you are curious about the bottling process check out what I did with the honey porter a few months ago. The procedure was exactly the same except I was using all recycled bottles this time rather than brand new. I ended up with fifty 12-ounce bottles even after spilling at least one bottle worth on the floor.

A few days ago marked one week, so I opened a bottle for sampling to see how things were coming along. It has carbonated very well and the flavor is pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. I wished the aroma was a little more prominent, but it seems like it will turn out to be a winner. The Wife enjoyed it very much and we are looking forward to the official “release” in about a week or so.

If you need proof of it being in bottles, just take a look at what the Chief of Sanitation is resting on.

Dedicated to his work

Stay tuned for the review!

Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Nov 242009

Unfortunately most of the fall seasonal beers are long off the shelves before Thanksgiving comes around as the winter beers seem to come out earlier and earlier every year. This one is consistently at the top of the list for me when it is released each year and I held onto a few (along with some other pumpkin beers) to enjoy in November. The Wife even used a Punkin Ale to make (some very good) bread with earlier this month. Be sure to put this on your shopping list for autumn next year.

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware)

Name: Punkin Ale

Style: Vegetable Beer (based on American Brown Ale)

ABV: 7.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $8.99 for a 4-pack.

Aroma: Pumpkin pie-like spices (definitely nutmeg and some allspice). Full malty sweetness and seems like a real pumpkin aroma is there (in back).

Appearance: Medium brown color with copper tint. Slight cream color head with good retention and no trail. Mostly clear with some haze.

Flavor: Medium maltiness with slight toasted and caramel notes. Very slight hint of pumpkin spice flavors. Extremely low hop flavor and bitterness with a hint of dryness at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with fairly high carbonation (has slight bite). Smooth with a very slight warmth.

Overall Impressions: Good beer for those who don’t like pumpkin beers (or think that they don’t). Great balance of pumpkin aroma and maltiness in flavor. Nice beer for the season . . . at the top of pumpkin beers for me (pending further research). Maybe slightly high alcohol for style (4.3-6.2% for Brown Ale).

Grade: A-

The entry point

Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale

Moving Some Beer

Brewing 4 Responses »

Nov 072009

For the second entry regarding my attempt at brewing a pumpkin ale at home I decided to take a break from writing and give you all a break from reading. I wanted to get some more practice with making video content and this was a perfect opportunity for that.

Now that the mixture is back in the friendly confines of the bathtub bubbling away, I present you with how it got there.

Williams Bros. Brewing Co. - Fraoch Heather Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Sep 112009

It’s possible for me to blame the palate confusion I had with this beer on the fact that it was one of my earliest reviews, but I don’t believe I would fare any better today. Spice, herb or vegetable beers are not that common a beverage choice for me (even since this review), so I don’t have much more experience in those evaluations. Combine that with the fact that I wouldn’t know what heather was if it was growing in my back yard and I really had/have no chance at accurately describing this beer. I have found out that people have been brewing with heather for thousands of years, so they certainly must know what they are doing.

Brewery: Williams Bros. Brewing Company (Scotland)

Name: Fraoch Heather Ale

Style: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer

ABV: 5.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge and served in a Mug/Stein

Aroma: Slight yeast(?) aroma and a clear/clean floral background. Light bit of malt.

Appearance: Light honey color. Slight white head that quickly dissipates. A bit cloudy, but clearly visible bubbles along glass.

Flavor: Malty (in a green/not roasted way). Low hops and a floral to grass like undertone. Dry finish with a slight linger.

Mouthfeel: Light body with medium carbonation. Smooth to almost creamy on palate.

Overall Impressions: Flavors are certainly new to me. Drinks easily and not at all harsh. Floral nose is stronger than in flavor. Will need to sample more S-H-V- beers for comparison.

Grade: B (or so)

Williams Bros. Brewing Co. - Fraoch Heather Ale

Follow Me

Categories

In case you missed it

What Was Said

Contact Me

Blueprint Brewing - BouNilla Black

Epic Ales Terra Saurus & Simple Ale

Epic Ales Solar Trans-Amplifier & Simply Summer

Bison Brewing Company - Pumpkin Ale

Shipyard Brewing Co. - Smashed Pumpkin Ale

Weyerbacher Brewing Co. - Imp. Pumpkin Ale

Smuttynose Brewing Co. - Pumpkin Ale

Blueprint Brewing - Gourdeous One

Dogfish Head - Midas Touch

One Step Closer

Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale

Moving Some Beer

Williams Bros. Brewing Co. - Fraoch Heather Ale

Calendar of Posts

Will Tweet for Beer

99 Bottles

Follow Me

Categories

In case you missed it

What Was Said

Contact Me

Calendar of Posts

Last chance to find what you are looking for!