I just had an epic idea. As I sit here at Rock Bottom Brewery near my home amongst a plethora of micro's (brews that is), I thought of a great way to get a documented recollection of some good beers along the way.... 30 Brews in 30 Days. A Tasting Tribute to ME.
Rules: Must be a N American Brew. USA and Oh, CANADA! Locale need not be important. I will be in a few states and 2 countries this month, so I should get a great sample size.
Here's the Rating breakdown and scales:
Malt Roast Darkness: 1-5
*1 being the lightest roast and 5 being the darkest. (1 think Michelob Ultra, very transparent; 5 think Guinness)
Hoppiness: 1-5
* 1 for low Hops, 5 for Uber Hoppiness. (This will be my opinion, since I will not take into account the IBU scale, since many beers do not post this value on the label)
Flavor Profile
*My general description of the flavor and tastes of the beer. Does it remind me of an oak barrel filled with Band-Aids (a Scottish Ale I once tried) or have hints of ginger, nutmeg, etc.
Overall Rating: 1-10
*I'll base my personal preference on a 1-10 scale.
I'll post the Ratings under the "Comments" Section (Below) for the month of February. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Here we go - Prost!
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Day 1 - "Frozen Tundra Alt" by Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
ReplyDeleteMalt: 3.5 of 5
Hops: 3.5 of 5
Flavor: Aromatic, a little 'tinny' at first, but the dark malts make it smooth. EtOH shines through (i.e, strong, not necessarily a bad thing!), good finish.
Overall: 6.5
Day 2 - "Winter Wheat" by Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery - Milwaukee
ReplyDeleteMalt: 1.5 of 5 slightly opaque
Hops: 3.5 of 5 Hoppier than most lighter malts
Flavor: Brilliant first sip. You can taste the hints of orange and nutmeg (cinnamon?). Very flavorful winter beer. Fulfilling yet light.
Overall: 7.5 A better winter Wheat beer - saying a lot since winter wheats are not usually my first pick.
Day 3 - "Big Easy Imperial Mai Bock" by Lakefront Brewery - Milwaukee
ReplyDeleteMalt: 1.5 of 5 with a reddish hue
Hops: 3 of 5 Hops presence similar to most Lakefront brews, but not over the top for this maibock
Flavor: To me, it tasted very plain jane malty beer. The aroma was not that strong, hops finish was well balanced; higher ABV shone through but felt like I was trying to identify the taste. Had flavor, but just felt it was a little short in taste for my liking and didn't set itself apart.
Overall: 6 based on the fact that it is still a quality beer, with a grown up flavor and hops/ABV. Not as good to my palate as many other Lakefront Brews.
Day 4 - "Dortmunder Gold Lager" by Great Lakes Brewing Company
ReplyDeleteMalt: 1.25 - slightly darker than your typical American Lager. A definite blonde beer.
Hops: 2.5 of 5 - very well balanced bitterness
Flavor: Had a distinct flavor, unique to itself and was not your typical run-of-the mill lager. Tasted like Bread, the malts and grains shone through and I swear I even got the mild yeast tasted. Best thing I could think of was 'liquid bread'. ABV 5.8% and not a bad finish.
Overall: 5.5 I'm more of a darker roast with more balance beer liker. I can see why the Dortmunder has won so many awards, as it's truly a good beer. Just not my favorite flavor (ie, gold lager vs pale ale).
Day 5 - "Eight Ball Stout" by Lost Coast Brewery: Eureka, CA
ReplyDeleteMalt: 5 - very Dark as a Stout should be; looks like a Cola for those unfamiliar with a Stout coloring. I'd be worried if it looked more like Mountain Dew vs. Pepsi.
Hops: 2
Flavor: Yummy! (yes, I said Yummy). The aroma of chocolate and oats made me want to drink it prematurely (before smelling, that is). Very well balanced, smooth, perfect amount of carbonation (vs. an Americanized Guinness). Slightly sweet. Great aftertaste.
Overall: 8.5 High rating because I've had some bad Stouts in my day - but this is a real winner. I'll be out in CA the next few days and plan on having more in between my other samplings!
Day 6 - "Furthermore Knot Stock" by Furthermore Brewing: Black River Falls, WI
ReplyDeleteMalt: 2 of 5 Caramel-like color
Hops: 3.5 of 5 A good Hoppy punch in the mouth.
Flavor: You ready for this? Black Pepper and Hops. Yep, Crushed Black pepper and hops. The scent of pepper was evident as I opened the bottle and poured it into my pint.
Overall: 7 Not a bad tasting well rounded beer once you bypass the peppery taste. I like the idea, and it is in the style of a pale ale. Hoppy, strong beer flavor, bitter and malty. I'd prefer it icy cold, can be overwhelming at warmer temps (it was sitting on my desk for awhile!)
Day 7 - "Blueberry Oatmeal Stout" by Buffalo Bill's Brewery: Hayward, CA
ReplyDeleteMalt: 5 of 5 Almost has a rootbeer-like color with a reddish hue. A very small amount of light gets through the dark color
Hops: 3 of 5 Good balance of bitter and flavor.
Flavor: Dark chocolatey flavor with hints of the blueberry and a nutty flavor. Good carbonation for a stout similar to the 8 ball by Eureka (see above). High EtOH (alcohol) content is prominent (7.5%ABV. Sweet aftertaste.
Overall: 7 of 10 A good beer, but I could only have 1 at a time due to its sweetness factor. Real easy to drink though - it went down the hatch pretty quickly I might add.
Day 8 - Racer 5 IPA (American IPA) by Bear Republic Brewery: Healdsburg, CA
ReplyDeleteMalt: 2 of 5 - Deep golden color
Hops: 5 of 5 - a Rio-quoted "Hoppy slap in the Face!"
Flavor: Very aromatic and hoppy taste; flowery, hoppy after taste.
Overall: 7.5 of 10. Good IPA. Get ready for a "Hoppy slap in the Face" if you dare this IPA.
Day 9 - Oat Stout by Karl Strauss Brewery: San Diego, CA
ReplyDeleteMalt: 5 of 5 Dark, coffee colored beer - Duh. A Stout.
Hops: 2 of 5 Avg bitterness for a stout.
Flavor: Chocolate and oats were definitely prevalent. Good carbonation.
Overall: 8 of 10 Above average rating for a Stout. Tasted unique to itself - oakey cask-like flavor with Chocolate and Coffee aromas.
Day 10 - Amber Lager by Karl Strauss Brewery: San Diego, CA
ReplyDeleteMalt: 2.5 of 5 Golden Brown; opaque with a little transparency
Hops: 1 of 5 I expected a bitter taste, but I felt the bitterness was pretty bland. NOTE: the waitress told me "Amber Ale" so I thus was surprised when it was a Lager.
Flavor: Think of it like an American Lager, but with microbrew flavor. Caramel-like, malty, good after-taste. Would be a good beer to pound while tailgating.
Overall: 7 of 10. Not at the top of my list for Microbrew lagers, but not a bad beer.
Day 11 - Arrogant Bastard Ale by Stone Brewing: Escondido, CA
ReplyDeleteMalt: 2.5 of 5 Reddish brown, transparent
Hops: 5 of 5! Pow, right in da Hop-kisser! Hoptastic. Hopulation: 1 Million. Huey: "Hop, Lock and Drop it". "Hop, in the name of Love" You get the idea...
Flavor: You guessed it - hoppy. Screaming of IPA, high EtOH content but you can't tell because of the flowery-aroma of Hops. Good aftertaste.
Overall: 8 of 10 I loved it. Good Pale Ale but you must like hops (I love to chew on them while on brewery tours) or forget it. Take a hike. I'd like to take a hike while drinking this because I felt like one with nature after drinking this.
Day 12 - Chocolate Porter by Hangar 24 Brewery: Redlands, CA
ReplyDeleteMalt: 5 of 5 Dark Chocolate Colored beer; I'd say a 'light black' or dark brown if that makes sense.
Hops: 2 of 5 Very Smooth, not too bitter, like a Porter should be.
Flavor: Delish. Chocolatey, smooth, not too bitter, good balance, and a little sweet. I like sweeter beers - heck, I like anything with sugar in it. The restaurant only gave me 9oz due to the higher EtOH content 8%.
Overall: 8.5 of 10. Great Beer. Glad I had some while in Carlsbad - Note: only can get in SoCal. I'll keep my eyes and nose open for more of their beers next time in in town.
Day 13 - Ravell Porter by Magic Hat Brewery: Burlington, VT
ReplyDeleteMalt: 5 of 5 Must be a Stout and Porter week
Hops: 2 of 5 Smooth balance of bitterness. I think the IBU was around 24.
Flavor: the Porter is brewed with Vanilla bean - I didn't taste it at first, but after the beer sat awhile and aerated a little, the next few sips the vanilla shone through. A little 'tinny', lighter than most porters I've had.
Overall: 6.5 of 10 Not at the top of my porter list, but not terrible. I felt it was a little 'flat' or 'boring.' I felt like they took a wonderful beer and added extra water to it. NOTE: I wonder if this had been shelved for awhile since brewing stops mid January. I'll consider this and try it again at a later date.
Day 14 - Fatty Boombalatty Belgian Style Ale by Furthermore Brewing: Black River Falls, WI
ReplyDeleteMalt: 1.5 of 5 Golden in color, mildly opaque.
Hops: 5 of 5 Lotsha hopsh. But great tasting bitterness level.
Flavor: Belgian. Not waffles, but beer. Smells like a German Beer hall. A true 'white beer', Wheatey, Tangy more hops than a typical Belgian brew. Surprising yet delicious.
Overall: 8 of 10 It's a swift kick in the junk on flavor, but I loved it, especially because I generally do not favor 'white' beers and Belgian style ales.
Day 15 - Island Lager by Granville Island Brewing, Vancouver, BC
ReplyDeleteMalt: 0.5 of 5 - looks like a typical American style Lager
Hops: 1.5 of 5 - not too bitter
Flavor: Canadian. Tastes like a stronger (5%) American (N American in this case) style lager.
Overall: 4.5 of 10 Not my favorite malt lager
Day 16 - Spring Pale Ale by Okanagan Spring Brewery: Delta, BC
ReplyDeleteMalt: 3.5 of 5 Transparent, golden brown/reddish color. Looks like a Leinie's Red almost.
Hops: 2 of 5 I thought it would be more bitter, but not so much
Flavor: Tasted strong, but lacked the hops that I longed for.
Overall: 5 of 10. Didn't really commit to a strong malt, hops, or Strong Ale taste that I am used to. Maybe I'm a hops-whore, but I felt it was a weak showing. Smooth finish, good session beer.
Day 17 - Kokanee by TM/MC brewing: Creston, BC
ReplyDeleteMalt: 0.5 of 5 It was really light colored. Almost like a watered down Miller/Budweiser beer.
Hops: 1 of 5
Flavor: Surprisingly bold. Take a Budweiser or a MGD and fatten it up. Strong American/Canadian lager. Very Refreshing. Malty and grain-ey.
Overall: 6 of 10. Good head, nice finish, very refreshing. I'd pound one on a hot summer day at a tailgate for sure!
Day 18 - Honey Brown Lager by Sleeman Breweries: Guelph, ON
ReplyDeleteMalt: 2 of 5 Golden, Caramel color. Looks like brandy in a glass or cream soda
Hops: 1 of 5
Flavor: Delicious. Caramel like taste with malt. Definitely a lager like flavor.
Overall: 8 of 10. Great session beer. I could drink these all day. Goes great with pizza.
Day 19 - I.P.Eh! by Russell Brewing
ReplyDeleteMalt: 3 of 5 - mildly transparent, reddish brown
Hops: 5 of 5 Beautifully flavored with lotsa Hopsa!
Flavor: Very Flowery, hoppy, and doesn't leave much taste for anything else.
Overall: 8 of 10. One of the better IPA's I have had. Great job Canada, you impressed me again!
Day 20: Fiddler Oatmeal Stout by Potosi Brewing Co.: Potosi, WI
ReplyDeleteMalt: 5 of 5 - Mildly transparent for a dark stout beer. Looks like rootbeer in the glass
Hops: 3 of 5 Flavors of hops shine through. Unusual in some of the stouts I've had in the past
Flavor: Well carbonated, oatey flavor, mildly sweet but not overwhelming.
Overall: 7 of 10. Well rounded stout. Good balance, smooth finish. Solid finish and aftertaste.
Day 21: Badger Porter by Sand Creek Brewing Co: Black River Falls, WI
ReplyDeleteMalt: 4.5 of 5 - A Darker Caramelly-brown malt, not as dark as other porters I've seen.
Hops: 3 of 5. Pretty good balance of bitterness and malt flavor.
Flavor: Tasted like a good 16 oz stout with about 4 oz of water added. The taste was great though, but was 'lighter'(and by lighter I don't mean coloring ladies) tasting than most. Surprisingly good though.
Overall: 7 of 10. Not great, but not bad either. I'd stock my fridge with them. They get the Peter Griffin "3 Q's and a Batman symbol" sign of approval.
If you like IPA's you should give Potosi's Snake Hollow a try! My favorite!
ReplyDeleteWill give it a try! Thx for posting.
DeleteDay 22: Rocky's Revenge by Tyranena Brewing Co: Lake Mills, WI
ReplyDeleteMalt: 4 of 5 Reddish brown, transparent.
Hops: 3 of 5 Good balance of bitterness for the flavor profile of this beer.
Flavor: unlike other beers I've tasted. You can definitely tell the beer is aged in Bourbon barrels - good finish of whiskey. Good malty taste.
Overall: 9 of 10. Delicious. I love beer, and I love bourbon. this beer was wonderful. Well balanced, not overhyped in 1 flavor area (malt, hops, water, yeast, or some other non-Reinheitsgebot ingredient). 2 words - Yum-Me.
Day 23: Maple Nut Brown by Tommyknocker Brewery: Idaho Springs, CO
ReplyDeleteMalt: 4.5 of 5 Very deep dark brown, slightly transparent
Hops: 2 of 5
Flavor: Sweet, smooth, delicious. Slight aftertaste of Maple.
Overall: 8.5 of 10. Very palatable and drinkable. I could drink this beer with breakfast - honestly. Tastes even better at about 45 degrees (F). The malts and flavor are crisp, clean, and yummy. Yeah, I said it - yummy.
Day 24: Batch 19 Prohibition Style Lager: Miller Coors Brewing.
ReplyDeleteMalt: 2.5 of 5 - golden brown color. Darker than most 'macro brews'
Hops: 2.5 of 5 - Mildly hoppy, very smooth.
Flavor: Good malt, hops, carbonation, alcohol balance. Tastes like a flavorful lager should. Take Miller Lite, add a touch more hops, a touch less 'pick', slightly darker malt and it tastes like that. Really - it's that simple.
Overall: 8 of 10. I'd score this a 9 or 10 if I know it wasn't a macrobrew. Wonderful beer though. I might start buying this as my go to beer considering it stays arounc.
**Note: It's Batch 19 "Pre-Prohibition Style Lager"
DeleteDay 25: Black IPA by Alaskan Brewing: Juneau, AK
ReplyDeleteMalt: 5 of 5 Dark, cola-like color
Hops: 5 of 5 Hoppy, but not stupid-over-the-top. Aromatic aftertaste.
Flavor: Crisp, clean, bitter. Good malt balance to counter the hoppiness. Black IPAs are a great idea because the darker malt can balance the hops.
Overall: 8 of 10. Damn good IBA. I'd like to do a side-by-side blindfolded taste test with Lakefront's IBA to see what Alaskan is working with. Well looky here - a Lakefront IBA in the fridge. Prost!
Day 26: Paddy Ale by Wild Onion Brewing Co: Lake Barrington, IL
ReplyDeleteMalt: 2.5 of 5 - Caramel golden color, mildly opaque
Hops: 5 of 5
Flavor: I was distracted by the flavor and I cannot put a finger on it. Tasted hoppy, malty, but I am wondering how and what the beer was sitting/fermenting in. Note - the beer is from a can, and I didn't check the date, so I'm wondering if this affected flavor.
Overall: 6 of 10. A puts-hair-on-your-chest brew, and I like when beers are bold enough to be brewed in a can, but I think the brewing process can affect the flavor this way. I'd like to re-try on draft and see what the beer really tastes like.
Day 27: Horizon Red Ale: Summit Brewing co: St. Paul, MN
ReplyDeleteMalt: 3 of 5 - Darker golden brown with Reddish color. (not just a clever name!)
Hops: 4 of 5
Flavor: good balance of the 4 beer ingredients. Tasted wonderful at colder and warmer temps - you'll notice I like to let my beer sit awhile to really taste the flavors in it.
Overall: 8.5 of 10. This is getting close to the perfect beer for me! Delicious!
Day 28: Adams Whitewater IPA by Boston Beer Company, Boston, MA
ReplyDeleteMalt: 2 of 5 - lighter colored malt for this IPA
Hops: 5 of 5 - Super aromatic and Hoppy! Smelled wonderful!
Flavor: Jump-kick in the face of hops, plus a little apricot taste and mildly sweet. Very tasty indeed!
Overall: 8 of 10. Sam Adams can't do me wrong. That Jim Koch must have the same taste-buds that I do because i tend to like all their beers.