3.30.2012

Friday night.. no plans.. long week.  BEER!

Lighting Brewery - Thunderweizen Ale 

The sole survivor of the Great California Beer Catastrophe 2011.  Lightning Brewery apparently utilizes science and chemistry to optimize the brewing process..  this is their 5.5% ABV traditionally-brewed Hefeweizen.  Perfectly hazy and a lovely golden yellow pour..gigantic fluffly head.  A wheat-driven nose with the usual orange peel, clove and slight banana aromas.. a touch of yeasty funk, too.  A straight-up German Hefeweizen..not clear and watery like our versions.  Drying at first..  then light bready malts with the orange/banana combo that Hefes are so known for.  A touch of the clove with a kick of funk and yeast at the end that leaves your mouth watering..  Hands down my favorite Hefeweizen, shame it's San Diego local  =(

3.24.2012

Saturday night.. what better to do than invite my boy over, throw the B's game on and share some beers!  He just got a new job, so he brought over his 2010 Utopia we've previously shared to celebrate the event!  And.... a few others for good measure!

3.22.2012 - Hooker Chocolate Truffle

Pushing like 8 or 9 days straight of at least 1 beer.. let's keep it going!

Picked up this lil gem from the good folks at CBC..  #1 cause the name makes me giggle #2 cause I can't pass up any chocolate beer of any sort!  Thomas Hooker - Chocolate Truffle Stout.  5.9% ABV and 20 IBUs.. their seasonal offering.  A motor oil-like pour with a thick fluffy mocha head that lingers the whole way through.  The nose is heavy on the chocolate with mocha and chocolate milk..smells like the shavings of chocolate truffle you get on your dessert at a swanky restaurant.. oh wait, that's the name!  Spot on aroma!  As for a stout.. its a bit light on the body and has a touch too much carbonation, but holy hell!  The taste!  Creamy and utterly chocolatey!  A slight hoppy bite kicks it off.. but then it's a malty showcase.  Roasted malts with dark chocolate, black coffee and bits of caramel malts.  The real star is the finish...  they added local cocoa powder and 'dry-nibbed' the brew and the finish is pure chocolate!  It lingers and coats your entire mouth.. amazing!  For a low ABV beer, there's a warming bite at the end which helps the light body.  Awesome dessert beer!

Homebrews

No, no, not mine.  Which is OK, cause any chance to have some good homebrews is fine by me!

Lucky enough to have a friend whose roommate brews and is pretty damned good at it too.  Gave me a couple bottles a few short months back and finally getting around to enjoying some.  Just so happens today is the first day of Spring, so I'm gonna sip on some Pumpkin ales!

3.19.2012 - 100 Barrel Series #38

Eh, Monday.  Beer.

Might as well!  Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #38 - Docesna Czech Hop Harvest Ale.  6.15 ABV and 335 IBUs, an homage to one of the premier hop growing regions of the world (thanks, Harpoon website!) using a more unknown varietal.  A super clear chestnutty brown pour with a huge, residual head, this beer eminates caramel malts and nutty notes.  Woody, syrupy undertones with just a bit of earthy hops, a very thick nose, if you want to call it that.  A sweet, smooth brew to start off with with caramel malts, slight toffee and maple syrup..  this is followed by nice bright floral hops with lemon peel, grassy notes and a bit of roasty malts, graham cracker-like.  Sweet, almost chewy finish.  Pretty damn nice, but a little confusing.. if it's meant to showcase some lovely Czech hops, let the beer do so!  This was a bit too malty to be called a "hop harvest ale".. but nice nonetheless!

Post-St. Paddy's "Snow Day"

So, it's the day after St. Patrick's Day, gotta get yourself back to level, right?  AND it's like 70 today here in New England?  Well, a beer named ironically to drink today seems like a good choice!

More Winter 2012 and Bottling Day

Well, howdy!  Got some more winter seasonals for ya as well as some updates on the latest homebrew!!

Lovely looking brew getting transferred to the bottling bucket..  actually a bit more golden than it looks in this picture.  It'll be a Belgian-style pineapple Wit..  with a tentative (and offensive) name of Overdose on Pineapple Wit-ney Houston.  Too soon?  Blame you local brewer!  I got part of the suggestion by one.. but I ain't gonna cause a Backlash and name the brewer..  naw, that'd be wrong.  Anyway.. it's a Wit, with orange peel, coriander, light Belgian candi sugar featuring a citra dry hop along with 40oz of crushed pineapple.. BOOM!  First taste has a lot of potential..we'll see in a few weeks!!

winter 2012 pt IV

Might as well start kickin through some more of the winter seasonals, not only seeing as the spring seasonals are rolling out, but New England actually got some snow the other day!!  Crazy!