New Brew Thursday - Coronado Brewing Company IPAs

While I was searching my local beer store for something new-to-me, I came across this trio of IPA's  from Coronado Brewing Company.  The brewery is located in . . . of all places . . . Coronado, California.  Shocking, I know.  

The mermaid on the bottle grasping a mug a frothy beer is what initially caught my attention . . . after all, who doesn't love a drunken fish girl?  Oh, come on, admit it, you do . . . we all do.  Or maybe its just me . . . whatever.

Anyhoo . . . being the hop loving, bitter beer guzzling chick that I am I felt compelled to give these fin tailed ladies a try.  So I did.

Hoppy Daze is a spring seasonal offering in the style of an unfiltered Belgian IPA.   Brewed with Belgian yeast, it is a bit different than the IPAs I'm used to drinking.  

It pours a hazy golden color with a medium-ish white head.  It is clearly unfiltered . . . I like that because it adds character to the beer. Immediately discernible are tropical fruits . . . pineapple especially . . . that are an interesting contrast to the bitter hops and the toasted malt.  It's sweeter than I would generally prefer in an IPA but not bad.  The hops lend a citrussy flavor that compliment the fruity sweetness and balances the whole thing out.  Hoppy Daze finishes crisp and clean with a pleasant lingering bitterness.

Although it is a bit sweet for my taste there are plenty of hops to enjoy.  It's a very refreshing, drinkable brew that I wouldn't mind revisiting. (7.3% ABV)

Islander IPA . . . wow!  Good beer!  It pours a rich golden color with a thick frothy head.  It's got plenty of that grapefruity, piney hoppiness that I love so much with a touch of tropical fruitiness that is simply complimentary without a lot of overt sweetness.  But what stood out the most was a wonderful caramel flavor that made Islander oh-my-goodness yummy!  It's a fairly strong beer, 7% ABV.  There is a noticeable boozy quality that doesn't detract from the beer at all, but it is clearly there.  It finishes light with a touch of bitterness . . . mmmm, makes me want to go for more.

Overall, this was my favorite of the bunch . . . this mermaid has it all going on.  Really and truly quite delicious.

Last but not least is the Idiot IPA . . . it's okay, I've been called an idiot a time or two.  This one is an Imperial IPA and it's a big beer . . . as an Imperial style beer should be (8.5% ABV).  It's strong, it's hoppy and it's gosh-darned good.  


It  pours amber with a white frothy head.  I was immediately struck by a wonderful piney grapefruity aroma . . . I love that!  If you like hops, then this is it . . . plenty of bitter hops with some citrus fruit and earthy spice and balanced by a mellow sweet maltiness.  It finishes crisp with a touch of bitterness that is quite nice.  Very  will done . . . not too bitter, not too sweet . . . a very good, strong Imperial IPA.  








Three cheers for Coronado Brewing Company!  I look forward to trying their other beers.  YUM!

Visit Coronado Brewing Company's website or check them out on Facebook!

New Brew Thursday - Clown Shoes Vampire Slayer

Clown Shoes Beer has only recently been allowed entry into Connecticut.  My first taste of beer from this brewery was when hubby and I were out to dinner and found Tramp Stamp Belgian IPA on tap . . . it was a truly amazing beer.


So, when I spotted  Vampire Slayer  on sale at my local beer store I immediately grabbed a bottle. Vampire Slayer is an imperial American stout brewed for their second anniversary.


The label sports a boy in the process of impaling a vampire in the heart with a stake  . . . the young man is wearing clown shoes, of course.  Heh!  


Rumor has it that this beer is supposedly brewed with holy water and malts smoked with ‘vampire killing stakes.’  I'm dubious but I'll go along with it just for fun. 


The beer pours a rich dark amber with a thick tan head.  Strong coffee and chocolate prevail in the aroma so I was looking forward to my first sip.  All I can say is "wow!" . . . I literally said that when I tasted it.  It is so smooth and creamy it's like drinking velvet.  Yummy coffee chocolate velvet.  


There are other flavors that come through as well; such as caramel and a bit of smoke.  And there is a slight but definite booziness to this stout.  Not surprising considering it is a hefty 11% ABV.  


Stouts and porters are not my favorite style of beer but I think that this is a seriously awesome beer! Give it a go . . . mmm, mmm, good!


Visit Clown Shoes' website or check them out on Facebook.

New Brew Thursday - Double Tap Mexicano

Mmm . . . cerveza fria . . . there may nothing better than an icy cold beer.   Well, mostly.


Today I'm reviewing a pair of Mexican beers: Sol and Tecate.  




Unbeknownst to me when I picked up this pair of cervesas, both of these beers are brewed by the same company Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery which is a subsidiary of Heineken International.  This brewery is a large operation that has been in business since 1890.  





I can't say that I loved either one of these beers.  They are your everyday, run of the mill beers . . . nothing special . . . that doesn't make them bad, just not outstanding.  Don't get me wrong . . . I like light beers.  I think they have their place in the beer drinking scheme of things.  I equate it to drinking water with alcohol and I drink this alcoholic water quite often.



Tecate . . . Cerveza Tecate-Con Carácter  . . . beer with character, so they say.  Personally, I think that's a bit of an over statement.  It is an American Adjunct Lager.  This style is comparable to beers like Pabst Blue Ribbon, Rolling Rock, etc. - mass produced to be inexpensive.  It's so called because it uses adjunct cereal grains, like rice and corn, to cut costs.


Tecate is very light and unremarkable.  If your looking for a beer with low alcohol content (4.5% ABV) that you can consume in quantities on a hot and sweaty day . . . this is your beer.  Overall . . . meh.







I could say the same for Sol . . . only more so.  It is marketed as "The original Mexican sunshine beer" is a blond Mexican, light, festive and refreshing golden colored pilsner-style beer. Sol is brewed in the style of an American Light Lager with an even lower alcohol content (3.7% ABV).   It is extremely light and I thought a little skunky tasting.  However, I find that is often the case with beers packaged in light colored bottles.  


Again . . . meh.


You may say . . . but, but, but they're a subsidiary of Heineken.  Yeah, well, I don't like  Heineken , either.  The only Heiny you'll catch me grabbing is my hubby's.  Just sayin'.









Cringe if you want . . . but I'll stick with my Keystone Light or Bud Light when I want alcoholic water.  Cheers!


For more information visit the Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery website. 

New Brew Thursday - Laughing Dog Tripleheader

Whilst out searching for new brews, I came across this trio of pups.  I couldn't decide which of these I wanted take home so I took all three . . . which is exactly the reason I never go into a pet shop.  


The canine inspired labels are what drew me to the bottles, the hoppy contents are what put them in my basket . . . I felt a need to quench my IPA thirst.  And, these puppies did the trick.


The Laughing Dog Brewery is located in Ponderay, Idaho . . . the land of potatoes and beer.


Inspired by Ben the dog and a love for good beer, the brewers aim for simplicity in their beers . . . in nearly all the Laughing Dog brews water, barley, hops and yeast are the only ingredients.



Their motto: "Fetchingly Good Beer"!


As we sat down to enjoy this trio of India Pale Ales we decided to go in order from lightest to strongest.

We started with Rocket Dog Rye IPA.  I'd never had a rye IPA, so I didn't know what to expect.  It poured a light golden color that was fairly cloudy with a decent amount of head.    Reading other reviews of this same beer, I expected it to smell of rye bread and a hint of orange . . . it did not . . . not at all.   Frankly, it smelled awful and it was tough to get past that.  But, I held my nose and took a sip.  

Of the three this was my least favorite, but at least it tasted better than it smelled.  It was hoppy but not overly so, citrusy and a little bitter with another flavor I couldn't quite identify . . . perhaps the rye.  


Again, other reviews I've read rate this beer much higher and describe a much better flavor than I experienced.  I'm thinking that maybe I got a bum bottle.  I'll have to try it again sometime.    



Rocket Dog . . . 6.9% ABV





Next up was the Dogzilla Black IPA . . . this was one way better from the get go.


As its name would imply, it is pretty dark for a pale ale.  This beer poured a dark reddish brown color with a seriously big rootbeer-like head.  It smelled citrussy, piney . . . mouthwateringly hoppy.  It was an interesting mix of grapefruit, bitter chocolate and roasted malt . . . balanced and delicious. 





If you like a bitter, hoppy beer you won't be disappointed . . . I wasn't.


Dogzilla Black IPA . . . 6.9% ABV

Last but not least, my favorite of the group . . . Alpha Dog Imperial IPA.  Strong and hoppy  goodly amount of head.  I drool just thinking about it.


It pours a bright gold fluffy head that diminishes quickly leaving a nice amount of lacing behind.   Citrus, pineapple, and pine infuse the aroma.  The taste hops, hops and more hops . . . wow.   From the nose to the palate . . . lots of grapefruity goodness, lemon and a touch of sweetness to finish it off.

 I could definately taste the alcohol but it didn't detract from the overall flavor of this beer.  Nicely carbonated, lightly sweet and smooth.  


Yum.


Alpha Dog Imperial IPA . . . 8.7% ABV

Visit the Laughing Dog at their website or on Facebook.

New Brew Thursday - Double Tap . . . Southern Tier 2X Stout & Marston's Oyster Stout

I recently ventured into a new realm of stouts . . . I tried a milk stout and an oyster stout.  


Milk stout are not made with milk, per se.  They are called milk stouts (AKA sweet or cream stout) because they contain lactose, which is the sugar that is extracted from milk whey.  The yeast used to make beer is lactose intolerant . . . which is to say that the yeast cannot ferment this sugar . . . and because this sugar is left unmolested by the brewing process milk stouts are sweeter in tasted and creamier in texture.    


Oyster stouts . . . are they actually made with oysters?  Yeah, some actually are . . . not all, but some.  Some brewers will chuck a handful of oysters in to the batch, some will used crushed oyster shells in the brewing process.   

There is a 300 year long history of pairing oysters with beer.  Why?  They taste good when you consume them together . . . much like red wine and dark chocolate.  Brewers didn't start adding oysters to beer until the 1920's; the added proteins add body to the finished product but most of the mollusky essence is cooked out. You don't see a lot of true oyster stouts these days.  Many oyster stouts are so-called because they pair well with the slimy buggers.    Read the label if the thought of oysters in your beer turns you off.

I enjoyed a Southern Tier 2X Stout at one of my favorite restaurants for beer, Plan B.  


Southern Tier Brewing Company is a smallish brewery in Lakewood, New York.  They make several varieties of craft beers that are sold in most of the United States and exported to several other countries, as well.


2X is a double milk stout.  It is dark and rich with a creamy mouth feel.   The  thick tannish head holds out for a little while and grabs the sides of the glass for some nice lacing effects.  It is sweeter than a typical stout but not sweet-sweet, if you know what I mean.  


2X has notes of dark chocolate, vanilla and malt with a mildly bitter finish.  A light boozy burn is evident due to the high alcohol content; 7.50% ABV.

This is a big . . . but not huge  . . . beer.  2X has lots of flavor and body with a smooth clean aftertaste but it's not gut-busting heavy.   Simply put . . . it's a good beer.

Check out Southern Tiers other offerings at their website or on Facebook.

Marston's Oyster Stout . . . 


Marston's  Beer Company has several breweries across the pond in merry ol' England. And is considered Britain’s largest premium ale brewer.

Marston's is one of those not made with oysters oyster stouts.  But is touted as being a beer that goes well oysters.


This is a very dark stout . . . nearly black with a quickly dissipating tan head.  It has a creamy, smooth texture that should be expected with this style of beer.  It tastes of chocolate, coffee and hints of fruit and finishes with a mildly hoppy bitterness; overall, a nice balance of flavors.

This stout is rather light, due to it's low carbonation and low alcohol content, which makes it very drinkable (4.5% ABV).


I liked it . . . but didn't love it.  I can't say I'd run out and grab a few but I certainly wouldn't turn one down, either.  


Check out Marston's other offerings at their website or on Facebook.

New Brew Thursday - Double Tap . . . Cavalry Brewing Hatch Plug Ale and XLimited Ale

I love micro brews . . . I especially love to find breweries as close to home as possible; you know, support the local little guy.  I'd be hard pressed to find a brewery as close to home as Cavalry Brewing Company . . . they are a scant 23.5 miles away in scenic Oxford, CT.


Cavalry is owned by one man who also happens to be the brewmaster, Mike McCreary.  In 2008, he fell victim to the economic downturn that is plaguing so much of our country.   He was forced to find an alternate means of making a living and decided to pour his passions into a bottle and make beer.  

The concepts for his beer tell a story . . . not just about the craft of brewing a good beer but about his experiences.  His first line of beers pay tribute to those experiences and to all the soldiers who fight for this country.


I'm a patriotic gal to the core and I love beer . . . so, of course, when I saw Cavalry's beer at my favorite beer store I snatched up a couple of six packs to give them a whirl.  

The first beer I tried was the Hatch Plug Ale.  


A happy tanker is a fat tanker and a real fat tanker is a Hatch Plug. This beer is named after a 1st Lieutenant that was traded for six M-16’s to another unit prior to departing for Iraq in early 2003. Hatch Plug went on to run the Baghdad airport and helped establish the telecommunications system in the region. Despite what we did to him he remains a good friend to this day.


It is made in the style of a classic English ale. 
I would describe it as an anytime anywhere kind of beer.  It's light enough to enjoy a few while hanging out with friends but complex enough to compliment a good meal.  


It pours with a thin head and is a lovely a reddish gold color.  It smells like . . . mmm, it smells very bready.  The yeasty aroma carries over very well to the palate and finishes with a bit of sweetness.  


It's a very good beer . . . dangerously drinkable . . . like you could drink the whole six pack in one sitting dangerous.  It's low alcohol content saves the day at 4.5% alcohol by volume.

The second of my Cavalry selections was called X-Limited Ale . . . Lot #2.  The 'X' is for experimental and the lot number one of two batches out.  The idea is to get a thumbs up or thumbs down from consumers . . . like a missile, this beer will be launched only if the drinkers deem it so.  The brewery wants to know if it's a "Patriot" or a "Scud"!


I say Lot #2 X-Limited Ale is a Patriot!  It is an Extra Special Bitter ESB, which is my first time trying this style of beer.  ESB is a strong bitter pale ale as opposed to an ordinary bitter in which is the category the average British IPA falls into.

The head on this beer was amazing!  It poured with a thick creamy head very much like a root beer and was a deep golden color.  The aroma made my mouth water with its citrussy hoppy nose.  It was very hoppy but not overpowering . . . pleasantly bitter with a hint of malty sweetness.  The flavors balance out nicely with just the right amount of carbonation. 


With a relatively low 5% ABV, I could enjoy a few of these ESB without feeling like I got hit by a missile.



I think this is a beer that should definitely go from experimental to full-on production.  Two thumbs up!



I'm looking forward to trying more offerings from Cavalry . . . cheers!


For more information on Cavalry visit their website.

New Brew Thursday - Double Tap . . . Switchback Ale and Honker's Ale

One of our favorite restaurants, Red Park Steakhouse and Pub, has a hoppin' pub with some fantastic bartenders.  The bar is so much fun we normally dine in there instead of the restaurant.  

The pub has a large selection of standard beers with few rotating taps.  There's always something interesting and new to try.  They had two new (to us) ales on tap so we decided try a pair of ales.  Both were distinctly different with completely disparate flavors.


First up to bat was Switchback Ale.

Switchback Brewing was founded in 2002 by a couple of friends and is located in Burlington, Vermont.  I'm a big fan of small breweries, so anytime I get the chance to try a new microbrew I'm all over it.  This one didn't disappoint.  

Switchback Ale is brewed with five different malts, select hop varieties, and their own specially cultivated yeast.  The special brewing process uses the yeast to naturally carbonate the beer, and it is left unfiltered. 5.0% alcohol by volume. 

When the beer was set in front of me by the bartender I was immediately struck by the color . . . a beautiful reddish gold.   It was fairly clear for an unfiltered ale. The taste was refreshing; not overly hoppy, clean and fresh tasting with a nice malty flavor on the tail end.   It wasn't in-yer-face remarkable but overall it yummy and very drinkable.   If you're looking for something different to try, I'd say give it a go.

For more information you can find Switchback Brewing Company on Facebook.

Second in the line up was a beer by a fun name that couldn't be denied . . . Honker's Ale.  Brewed by Goose Island Beer Co. hailing from Chicago Illinois.  


Goose Island started out a single brewpub 1988 but was eventually sold to a better known brewery . . .  Anheuser-Busch . . . in 2011.  



The beer is distributed throughout the United States and England, but interestingly the Honker's Ale we enjoyed is made a little closer to home.  This variety and their IPA brewed specifically for the east coast in New Hampshire.  Does that make it a microbrew?  Mmm . . . I'm not so sure.


Honker's Ale is categorized as an English Bitter.  To me that brings to mind an acerbic hoppy taste but, in fact, this isn't the case at all.  British bitters are much milder than IPA's and are generally considered the mildest of English bitter ales . . . as opposed to best and premium bitter ales.

I would say that describes Honker's Ale pretty well.  It had a mild hoppy taste and was surprisingly light tasting . . . in other words, it is not a strong tasting beer.  It actually had what I would say was a hollow finish . . . not much flavor at all at the end.  4.7% alcohol by volume. 


Did I like it?  It thought it was good but not exceptional.  I can't say that I would buy it again; however, I wouldn't turn one down if someone handed me a glass.


Visit the Goose Island website for more information on this or their other offerings.

New Brew Thursday

I’m kind of a beer aficionado . . . that is, I enjoy a variety of styles and flavors of brews.  When I see something new I actively seek it out to try it.  Hubby and I both log our beer drinking activities on Untappd.com which is a social network for beer enthusiasts.

Don't get me wrong . . . I don't claim to be an expert on beer.  I just know what I like . . . and don't like.


Also I am . . . by no means  . . . a beer snob.  I'm as happy to drink a cheap-o mass produced beer as I am a $25 a bottle limited edition micro-brew.  It depends on the where and when and what for of the beer drinking situation.

Untappd has badges for different things . . . drinking a certain number of dark beers, or drinking a beer at the brewery where it is made, or on a drinking holiday and so on and so forth.  They have a badge for what they call New Brew Thursday . . . which is if you consume a new (to you) beer three Thursdays in a thirty day period you get a badge . . . and then a different degree of badge going forward.

This has been a motivator . . . albeit a minor one . . . to try new and interesting beers . . . on Thursdays. 


In an effort to share my experiences with the new and interesting brews we are enjoying I’ve decided to do a post on Thursdays reviewing the beers we drank the previous week.

I hope you can take some of my experiences and apply that knowledge to future beer purchases and consumption.

Cheers!