Brew Review: Flying Dog Special Release: Wild Dog Weizenbock Ale

What's going on guys? This week I had planned on reviewing a Flying Dog Special Release: Weizenbock Ale. After I popped the cork (yep, it had a cork) I smelled it...and, to be honest, the smell scared me. Kind of a weak wine smell, a little grapy. But, I pushed on, undaunted. After pouring the beer I smelled it again. Still funky. I took a drink, passed it around to my roommates, and settled on my opinion. It sucked. Maybe I just don't get this style or maybe I got a bad bottle, but either way, it wasn't good. It was flat, wine-like but without any of the redeeming qualities of wine, and kind of tasted like alka-seltzered plum juice. I couldn't finish the bottle (it was a 750 ml bottle).

Needless to say, I give the Flying Dog Special Release: Wild Dog Weizenbock Ale a 1/1.

I'll try another tomorrow. I'm thinking of a good old standard Ale. See ya'll next time.

Brew News: Repealing the Sunday Alcohol Sales Prohibition

What's going on gentle readers? I've got some interesting Brew news today...

If you're like me and don't understand the "Blue" law, the weird law that makes Sunday alcohol sales illegal in Georgia, then you should go sign this petition to have it repealed. The law is about to be brought to a vote and if enough people voice their opposition, it may be overturned. Wouldn't that be something? Instead of stocking up on Saturday, running out early Sunday morning anyway, and hating your drunkard friends (and your drunkard self) for drinking the reserve supply, you can actually go to the store to buy more ON THE DAY YOU WANT IT! Novel idea, I know.

Here's an article about it in the AJC: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/18/booze_0219.html?cxntnid=biz021908e

And here's the petition again: http://www.petitiononline.com/GASB138/petition.html

Tell all your friends! Let's end Prohibition again!

Brew Talk: Classics

Hey guys, this week I want to talk about a few of my favorite beers. Even though I rarely drink them nowadays, a handful of beers still hold a special place in my beer-lover's heart.





Bass Pale Ale: Bass Pale Ale is a great beer. Period. Nothing fancy, nothing crazy, just classic high-quality beer. It doesn't even taste like a Pale Ale, really...more of a Brown Ale. But whether I want a drink or two at the bar or I'm in it for the long haul with a 12-pack, Bass is still my #1 pick. Manet painted it, Napoleon loved it, it was on the Titanic when it went down, and their red triangle logo was the first registered trademark in England...it's a classic.




Sam Adams Boston Ale: Boston Ale has always tasted similar to Bass for me. It's malty, smooth, and round. Sam Adams makes many, many fine brews, but this is easily my favorite. It's $1.00 cheaper than the other Sam beers too (I can't figure out why). If it was a buck more I'd still love it. When I interviewed the founders of Terrapin they said Jim Koch, the founder and president of the Boston Brewing Company (Sam Adams), is a big inspiration to smaller brewers everywhere. He sure knows how to brew a classic beer, as the Boston Ale proves.







Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: Sierra Nevada is generally regarded as one of the finest American breweries (along with Sam Adams and a few other, smaller companies). And it's with good reason. Their Pale Ale is crisp, heady, and super flavorful -after 12 bottles it still has kick. The Cascade Hops in the beer give it, and lots of imitators, its distinct bite, creating a true classic and almost single handily birthing the micro brew industry.






Newcastle Brown Ale: Last but definitely not least is another British standard, Newcastle. Newcastle has a special spot among what I consider good beer: whether you love beer, like it, tolerate it, or hate it, chances are Newcastle is going to be in your top 5 (maybe top 10 if you're more experienced). It's light, smooth, and somehow still really tasty. Flat out, this is a classic beer.

Brew Review: North Coast Brewery's Acme California India Pale Ale

Welcome back guys! This week I'm reviewing North Coast Brewery's Acme California IPA.


Before I picked up this bottle, I'd never heard of Acme. I had heard of North Coast, though, as they brew Red Seal Ale, a great, great beer. Apparently Acme was an old San Francisco/Olympia, Washington brewery that started back in 1869. North Coast resurrected the brand and they now make a Pale Ale and an India Pale Ale under the Acme name.


But enough about that. Let's get to the beer. Let me start by saying IPA's are in general my favorite beers. It's hard to make a bad IPA in my opinion. This, however, is not only not bad, it's incredible. Honestly, I think this may be the 3rd best single bottle of beer I've ever had (#1=Milwaukee's Best Light at the LaFayette Golf Course in LaFayette, Georgia. I was on the clock. And underage. And #2=Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at my kitchen table at Milstead Village in Kennesaw, Georgia. That was just a flat-out good beer. I think Boston's "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" was on the radio too, which was nice (If I ever own a bar, I'll play that every night 10 minutes before closing time).


As far as taste goes, there's really nothing new here. It's just a straight-up delicious IPA. It's super, super dry. The finish is really round and, again, dry and crisp. It's lip smacking good. There's not really much else to say other than I give it a 5/5. Try one as soon as possible. Total Wine in Kennesaw sells them in singles and six-packs (they have Red Seal Ale there, too, if you want to check that out as well...I suggest it).



I found a lot of great Acme art too. Check out the link to see old Acme logos, ads, and steins. It's really neat stuff.

Brew News: Terrapin Brewery Open for Tours

Got some brew news guys,

Terrapin opened up their brand new brewery yesterday in Athens. They're doing tours on Mondays and Thursdays from 5-7 plus the second Saturday of each month from 2-5. I went on the 2nd tour ever given yesterday, and I must say it was pretty cool. Getting to see where your favorite beer is made, who makes it, how it's brewed...it's neat. It makes the beer better too. They even had live music.

The facility is in Athens, Georgia at 256 Newton Bridge Rd. It's a fairly easy drive (and a decent ways from downtown) and well worth it. You can do the tour for free, but you only get a tiny medicine cup to sample their beers, or you can pay $7.00 for a free Terrapin glass and 6 tickets (each ticket gets six ounces of beer). They have Rye Pale Ale, Golden Ale, India Brown Ale, All-American Imperial Pilsner, and the just-out-of-the-brewery Rye Squared on draft.

Also, I was able to talk to the Marketing Director, Dustin Watts, and he said the India Brown Ale will start being bottled in the next few months (trust me, if you haven't had it...it's great). He told me that a new line called Side Project will be starting soon too, where single 50 barrel batchs of a special one time only brew will be made. The first one is called, ironically, Hop Shortage (there's a huge world-wide hop shortage). Be on the lookout.

Cheers!

Brew Review: Flying Dog Double Dog Double Pale Ale

Alright guys, this week I'm reviewing Flying Dog Brewery's Double Dog Double Pale Ale (that's a mouth full). This monster of a beer has double the ingredients of a normal pale ale and double the alcohol content (10.5% ABV). With that said though, this is a really smooth beer. It's by no means a session beer, however...one made me a little light-headed.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not normally a big fan of Flying Dog fan. Whether its Roger Steadman's (the guy who did the art for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) crazy gonzo art on the bottles or their too-big-to-keep-up-with beer line, they've never struck me as a serious brewery. This beer, though not great, has convinced me to give them a second look.

Double Dog is a thick, hazy beer. It's almost neon yellow. Even though the smell is a little thin, it has a nice fresh, citrusy aroma. Add that to the bottle art (rabid dogs running amok) and everything about this brew screams over-the-top. It really isn't though. While it it is very potent and definitely not for the faint of heart, it is a genuinely tasty beer.

At first it has a piney, citrusy taste -very abrupt and bright, maybe even tangy. That flavor stays with the beer all the way over the palate, but calms down a little toward the middle and back. The pine notes strengthen after each swallow too, making Double Dog enjoyable from beginning to end, if not leaving it slightly unbalanced. It is a double pale ale after all. Balance probably shouldn't be expected. The aftertaste was dry and bright and probably account for the strong pine aftertaste. The dryness did leave me hanging though, so this was an unintentionaly quick drink (I had to quinch my thirst, guys).


Terrapin makes a great double pale ale too, Rye Squared. It should be coming out in the spring. Sweetwater also has a good India Pale Ale (not quite double) and Atlanta Brewing makes a good regular pale ale called Peachtree Pale Ale. If you like Double Dog you'd like these too (and vice versa).

So with all that considered, I'm giving Flying Dog Double Dog Pale Ale a 3.5/5. This beer is a great example of a "super-beer," but it falls short in creating a complex taste. The taste notes are wonderful, but pretty straight-foward and without variety. Given the nature of the beer though, it may be hard to expect the subtle notes that other Pale Ales achieve. I'd only suggest this to folks who enjoy Pale Ales already or people who lean towards more hoppy beers.

Brew Review: Samuel Adams Double Bock

Hey guys,

Today I'm reviewing Sam Adams' Double Bock, a seasonal beer that the Boston Beer Company released this Winter. Until 2005 this beer wasn't able to be sold in Georgia because of its high alcohol content (8.8%); but now that it's here I can say, with only a hint of irony in my voice, "Thank you Georgia House Bill 645!"
(Before HB645 6% was the limit. It's now 15%!)

Seriously though, this is good beer. When I first started drinking beer my favorite brews were malty, sweet beers like Bass and Amberbock. I've since grown away from those beers, but Sam Adams Double Bock just made me remember why I loved malty beers in the first place.

The first thing you notice about this beer is the deep ruby color with very little head. It smells great too- like roses and weak whiskey. The first flavors to come across are warm, sweet, mild roasted malts. In the middle the flavors build up to show more of the cereal grain flavor and a smooth alcohol reminder that this beer is 8.8% ABV. It finishes smooth, with what I say (and my friends disagree) tastes like rose petals and velvet (if something can taste like velvet, that is). It left a pretty weak aftertaste, kind of dry and a little sugary. As I finished the beer I noticed it getting sweeter and sweeter, with less of the alcohol taste.

I'm giving Sam Adams Double Bock a 4.5/5. It's a great malt-heavy beer that gets everything right. I'm keeping it .5 short only because the sweetness would probably get old with a whole 6-pack. Still though, this is an excellent beer made by an excellent brewer.

Drink up!