Beer!

[Ryan Ruck]

Depending on what is specifically in the pumpkin spices, without pumpkin, I suspect you could end up with more of a Belgian Saison style in terms of flavor.

[American Patriot]

That's what I was thinking too. We had some kind of idea of what is going to be in it, but I don't have the notes handy here.

[Ryan Ruck]

First review up tonight is one I just picked up last week from 3 Floyds called Robert The Bruce Scottish Ale

A bold Scottish ale with a complex malty body derived from roasted and crystal malts balanced with just the right combination of hops. This ale pours a deep ruby color, has a sweet malty nose with layered caramel and roasted notes and a full body. Robust yet smooth, Robert The Bruce is a malt lover’s delight.

Poured a clear, dark brown into an English Pint glass. Had a big off-white head the lasted for a little bit but faded to a thin topping. Has an aroma of malts, chocolate, and a little caramel. Taste is sweet and heavy with roasted malts along with a little caramel. The body is on the thicker side but not heavy. Not at all a complex brew but very tasty and smooth drinking! Be careful though, at 7% this one could sneak up on you! They say this is a malt lover's delight and they are spot on. I'm sure we've all heard of the "hop bombs", well, this one is a real malt bomb! As a fan of the maltier brews, this one definitely gets a hearty "recommend" from me.

[Ryan Ruck]

Next up tonight is a brew from New Holland I picked up a while ago. I'd had a couple out of the 6er they came in but I'm just getting around to reviewing it.

This is called The Carhartt Woodsman American Pale Ale.

Celebrates craftsmanship and hard work. Locally-grown Cascade hops bring a brightness to this barrel-aged American pale ale. Malt sweetness and toasted oak combine for a smooth, refreshing finish.

Poured a slightly hazy, light golden brown into a Shaker glass. Fluffy, off-white head that is a little persistent. The nose on this is caramel, slight malt, and an interesting fruit cocktail like scent. Tastes of some citrusy hops that have a hint of bitterness along with some mild oak and roasted malt. Pretty thin body. A solid, above average beer. I think it deserves better than the RateBeer score. Perhaps some folks looking to ding it because of the "commercialization" with the Carhartt name on it. Well, screw them, I love my Carhartt coat and this is a good beer.

[Ryan Ruck]

The next is the second in Bells' Planets Series, Venus - The Bringer Of Peace

Each offering is a different interpretation of the composer’s movements, like the above Venus, The Bringer of Peace. This edition is first and foremost a blonde ale, brewed with apricot juice, honey, cardamom, and vanilla beans.

Poured a solid gold into a Shaker glass with a moderate white head that faded fairly fast. This smells like apricots, warm sugar, and the pungent cardamom really comes through. The first thing you'll notice on tasting it is it is tangy, not offensively. Otherwise the taste is a lot like the smell with the sweet apricots and cardamom. You'll also get the vanilla beans that are in there. Body is on the heavier side of light. I can understand why some people might not like this as it has a lot going on but I think it is quite unique in the way it brings the flavors together. Nowhere near as good as Mars but good nonetheless.

[American Patriot]

Oh, I will have to find this stuff. My family on one side goes back to Robert the Bruce!!! (The rest of them were Irish thieves... I'm sure they were thieves. LOL)

First review up tonight is one I just picked up last week from 3 Floyds called Robert The Bruce Scottish Ale





Poured a clear, dark brown into an English Pint glass. Had a big off-white head the lasted for a little bit but faded to a thin topping. Has an aroma of malts, chocolate, and a little caramel. Taste is sweet and heavy with roasted malts along with a little caramel. The body is on the thicker side but not heavy. Not at all a complex brew but very tasty and smooth drinking! Be careful though, at 7% this one could sneak up on you! They say this is a malt lover's delight and they are spot on. I'm sure we've all heard of the "hop bombs", well, this one is a real malt bomb! As a fan of the maltier brews, this one definitely gets a hearty "recommend" from me.

[American Patriot]

Our Patriot Pumpkin was kegged yesterday evening after some rather long discussions of how much spices to add.

The beer is a dark red, almost a brown (but NOT QUITE) with a slight vanilla flavor, a light pumpkin pie tasting ale.

I can't wait to try it cold and carbonated. (Of course for those that don't know beer isn't carbonated until it is either bottled or kegged and has a secondary ferment in the bottles).

Normally at bottling time beer has some primer sugar added which kickstarts the left over yeast, which carbonates the bottles.

[Ryan Ruck]

Oh, I will have to find this stuff. My family on one side goes back to Robert the Bruce!!! (The rest of them were Irish thieves... I'm sure they were thieves. LOL)

Let me know if you can find it or not. I don't know if 3 Floyds distributes to where you are, they're in Indiana. If not I'll send you 2 bottles in exchange for that Pumpkin you're sending.

Our Patriot Pumpkin was kegged yesterday evening after some rather long discussions of how much spices to add.

The beer is a dark red, almost a brown (but NOT QUITE) with a slight vanilla flavor, a light pumpkin pie tasting ale.

I can't wait to try it cold and carbonated. (Of course for those that don't know beer isn't carbonated until it is either bottled or kegged and has a secondary ferment in the bottles).

Normally at bottling time beer has some primer sugar added which kickstarts the left over yeast, which carbonates the bottles.

So you did decide to go with that name.

Looking forward to giving it a try!

Got my copy of The Complete Joy Of Home Brewing from Amazon yesterday. Doing a quick browse over it, it looks exactly like the info I was looking for.

[American Patriot]

Awesome on the book! That is a good starter book. Don't get too fancy for your first couple of batches, don't do all-grains (find the malt extracts you need for what you're making instead, that's the majority of your fermentables, and the grains will be your various flavors, along with the hops and yeast types). But, just go very simple at first, you won't go wrong.

Main thing to remember is sterilize, sanitation, etc. Collect some old bottles (I collected a few cases of Guinness bottles for my first bottling, then later collected Grolsch bottles, cuz they are 1 pint, and are very sturdy, and the rubber seals can be bought online). But a run through the dishwasher, drain them and seal them prior to bottling is good. Use either bleach or get some sanitizer (One-Step its called). Helps to prevent bacterial infections and wild yeasts from propagating before your yeast has a chance to "Live the Good Life" LOL

I bottled four bottles of that stuff (because that's all I could bottle).

I'll figure out how to mail it. I want to wait a few days in case they turn into bottle bombs, ya know? LOL

*I* went with that name. There's some arguments about what we'll actually call it. All I can say is I'll call it GONE on Thanksgiving and the day after (there's 30 people coming for dinner)

[Ryan Ruck]

Just opened up a new beer from a new local brewery. The group that runs Party Source has expanded and opened up a full time brewery and distillery. The brewery is called Ei8ht Ball Brewing.

This is one of their first commercially packaged offerings, Reintarnation

Bourbon barrel-aged Tarnished Ale. GABF 2014 Bronze Medal Winner.

First off, the RateBeer page linked above lists it at 8.5% ABV but my label has 9.8% penciled in on it. Works for me! Poured a brown tinged gold, hence the Tarnished Ale name, into a Shaker glass with a very minimal, very light tan head. Oddly, almost no carbonation at all. Smells very heavily of bourbon oak, malts, and vanilla. Taste is a lot like the nose. Some booziness to it. The bourbon flavoring is very mellow. I really like the taste on this but I'm not sure how I feel about the lack of carbonation. It does set it apart because this is a good beer without being carbonated as much as a normal beer but, I can't help but wonder if the taste would be better with additional carbonation. Without any real carbonation, the body on this is on the watery side. Like I said though, I do like this one.

[Ryan Ruck]

Just opened a bottle of Greenbush Brewing Company's Broken Promises that I received along with my Bell's Mars from Michigan. The bottle says this is, interestingly, a Wheat IPA.



No official description on this.

Poured amber into a Shaker with a moderate gold-tinged, white head. Has a citrus hop smell along with some other fruits. Also smells a little sweet. Hoppy bitterness up front on the taste. The wheat is noticeable. Has a bit of malty flavoring too. The body is moderate and on the dry side. The wheat and IPA makes for an interesting mix. Interesting but not my cup of tea. At 73 IBU it is a bit more bitter than I prefer.

[Ryan Ruck]

Another Greenbush brew up. This is their Brother Benjamin DIPA.

This beer was developed as a collaboration with Mark Richman, the lucky winner of the Taste of the Nation "brewer for a day" silent auction item. This is one monster of an imperial IPA, brewed with a bit of honey and beet sugar.

Pours a lot like the Broken Promises. A bit darker and more clear because of the lack of wheat. Heavy, sweet pine hop aroma like a traditional IPA. The IBU rating on this is quite a bit higher than Broken Promises at 114 versus 73 but this is much more mellow. There is a bit of hop bite up front but it softens quickly. The sweet honey comes through definitively and I think this, along with the beet sugar, is what helps tame this. Malt flavoring on the backside. Body is on the heavy side of medium and a bit sticky. I like this a lot better than Broken Promises. Well executed DIPA!

[Ryan Ruck]

Just opened up a bottle of a very interesting brew. This is one from Stone's Stochasticity Project called Master Of Disguise

It is an Imperial Golden Stout.

Yes, you read that correctly! A golden... stout.

Things aren’t always what they seem, but not all deception is devious. Some illusions and misnomers lead to life’s most delightful surprises. Case in point-this beer, the yang to the yin that is the black India pale ale. Once revolutionary for its onyx appearance, it is now an accepted and beloved member of the India pale ale family tree. Thus we took the spirit of a dark brew-the time-honored stout-and applied a similar science of thought, brewing it to the golden-hued. That is what this experimental series and its latest creation are all about. Cocoa and coffee beans impart roastiness sans darkening to this brew, while flaked oats provide an enveloping mouthfeel. The result is a stout that looks more like a blonde, but is a raven beauty at heart.

Poured a dark amber into a Snifter with a smallish off white head that vanished very fast. The nose is overwhelmingly dark roast coffee. Like you just opened a bag of freshly ground beans. Very appealing! There's a little cocoa in there but it seems hard to notice. Taste is very mildly bitter coffee with a touch of chocolate to go with it. A little bit of alcohol in the taste as well. Body is medium. The taste becomes more in depth as it warms up.

On its face, it may seem like this beer is a gimmick but, it is a well executed gimmick that can back it up! Definitely recommend this one!

[Ryan Ruck]

Decided to do a second review tonight. Another offering from Clown Shoes. This is their Reindeer Games Bavarian Style IPA.



No official description on this one.

Poured a wine red into a snifter with very minimal head that didn't last long at all. This smells mostly of tropical fruit and hops. Taste is a lot like the smell with this one. Piney flavors brought on because of the hops. Moderate, lasting bitterness. Body is moderate but on the thinner side. Not bad but nothing I'm going to get all that excited over since it is a bit more bitter than I prefer.

[American Patriot]

Clown Shoes? LOL

[Ryan Ruck]

Yep!

I've had a couple other of their brews. They're based out of Ipswich, MA and they seem to do a pretty decent job brewing!

[MinutemanCO]

FWIW, Ipswich, MA has the best fried clams ever. Would go great with the beer. Lived near there for a spell.

[MinutemanCO]

You see, now I'm hungry. Damn beer thread.

[American Patriot]

yum. clams and beer.

yum


did I say YUM?

[MinutemanCO]

Bavarian Style India Pale Ale...

I wonder how many other cultures can be woven together in the process of creating new and different beers?

"Backwater, Blue-collar, clam digger, Freistaat Bayre, Limey, towel-headed , brew pub American version of some beer or other"