21st Amendment Brewery Bitter American Extra Pale Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is 21st Amendment Brewery Bitter American Extra Pale Ale. 

From the 21st Amendment Brewery website: “If you’d been rocketed into space against your will, you might be a little bitter too. Bitter American is our long-overdue tribute to unsung, unwitting heroes everywhere. This American session ale packs a lot of hop and malt flavor into a refreshingly lower-alcohol brew, making it the perfect beer to have on hand when you have a little history to make.

Bitter American is available year-round, in six pack cans and on draft. This extra pale session ale has lower alcohol but all the flavor and hop aroma you expect from a much bigger beer. Give one, or three, a try.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a copper color with a nice white head and nice lacing.

Aroma: Strong citrus and pine hop scents mixed with sweet and biscuit malts.

Taste: Great citrus and pine hop flavor balanced with caramel and biscuit malts.

Overall: Incredibly drinkable and tasty, 21st Amendment Brewery Bitter American Extra Pale Ale is highly sessionable at 4.4% ABV.  The great hop profile and slightly sweet malt finish makes this a really nice beer to drink several of.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Payback Porter

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Payback Porter. 

Commercial description: “American hops provide a smooth distraction for Payback Porter’s robust strength, which is concealed within the shadows of dark imported malts.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours black with a nice mocha colored head and thick lacing.

Aroma: Coffee, chocolate, caramel, roasted malts and piney hops.

Taste: Chocolate, caramel and roasted malts, slight coffee flavor, smoky with a mild hop bitterness.

Overall: Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Payback Porter is a nice robust Porter perfect for winter weather.  At 7.5% ABV the alcohol is well hidden.  Maybe not my favorite Porter, but I’d certainly drink this one again.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Blueberry Oatmeal Stout

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Blueberry Oatmeal Stout.  Each year we (my wife and I) await the release of this beer.  In years past I’d buy a case (or so) as it was my wife’s favorite beer.  It still is a favorite, but there’s much beer to be had.  Anyhow, I thought it was time to pick up another six (strictly for review purposes) and get on it.  Need to support the local brewery!

Commercial description: “From Buffalo Bill’s Brewery, one of America’s first brewpubs comes the perfect winter seasonal beer. At 7.5% alcohol, this award-winning brew is a true winter warmer. Blueberry Oatmeal Stout has hints of chocolate, oatmeal and fresh blueberries. A wonderful pairing of flavors! Great for the holidays and for those who enjoy discovering new beers.
30lbs of blueberry per batch.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown, nearly black with a small tan head and some lacing left around the glass.

Aroma: Huge sweet blueberry scent followed by toasted oats, roasted malts, coffee and chocolate.

Taste: Much like the scent with blueberry taking center stage, sweet roasted malts and toasted oats.  The coffee and chocolate flavors are muted, but apparent.

Overall: Smooth, rich and easy to drink, Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Blueberry Oatmeal Stout is a beer to seek while it’s available. Weighing in at 7.5% ABV don’t let the blueberry taste fool you.  This beer will crush you (after a few) if you’re not paying attention. Pure blueberry oatmeal goodness!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Widmer Brothers Brewing Brrr Seasonal Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Widmer Brothers Brewing Brrr Seasonal Ale. 

From the Widmer Brothers Brewing website: “Warm up with a cold one. Or Two. Our winter Red Ale is the perfect treat, naughty or nice.  The deep red body fills your glass and a citrusy hop aroma fills your nose. Then caramel and chocolate malts reward you with a perfectly balanced, malty sweet flavor and velvety finish.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear amber with a thin off-white head and spotty lacing.

Aroma: Citrus, pine, caramel, toffee and slight spice notes.

Taste: Hops hit first, citrus and pine followed by sweet caramel and chocolate malts. Slight spice presence.

Overall: Balanced and delicious, Widmer Brothers Brewing Brrr Seasonal Ale is a bit hoppier than most winter warmers (in my opinion), but that doesn’t mean I didn’t completely enjoy it.  At 7.2% ABV and dangerously drinkable I’ll look forward to this seasonal release from Widmer Brothers Brewing.  This one is worth picking up again and again.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Lagunitas Brewing Company Fillmore Fusion Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Lagunitas Brewing Company Fillmore Fusion Ale. A co-worker and fellow beer aficionado (Reggie) texted me a photograph of this beer and asked if I had heard of it or tried it.  I had not.  I asked if he’d pick me up a bottle (strictly for review purposes) and thankfully he did.

Commercial description: “Brewed to honor the 100th Anniversary of the building housing the historic Fillmore Theater in San Francisco. The resulting 5% ABV beer utilizes a new, experimental hop called ADHA 483.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear golden orange with a white head and good lacing.

Aroma: Grapefruit, pine, tropical fruits, citrus and a nice malt presence.

Taste: Lighter and fruitier than their IPA, the hop profile is amazing.  Grapefruit, orange, tropical fruit and pine hops balanced well with biscuit and caramel malts.  A slight rye spice note can be found in the background. This hop variety doesn't seem to add too much in the way of bitterness.

Overall: Clean, extremely drinkable and hard to classify, Lagunitas Brewing Company Fillmore Fusion Ale isn’t an IPA or a Pale Ale.  This beer is very unique (like the Fillmore) and at 5% ABV you can enjoy its uniqueness over and over again (if you can find it).  I need to ask Reggie to pick some more up for me as I can tell this will be yet another favorite beer from Lagunitas Brewing Company.  Yes, folks, they did it…again.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Green Flash Brewing Company Saison Diego

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Green Flash Brewing Company Saison Diego. 

From the Green Flash Brewing Company website: “Unfiltered golden farmhouse ale, brewed with Seville orange peels, Chinese ginger and grains of paradise. Light, bright, spicy aromas, lively carbonation and earthy flavors co-mingle with musty notes that add funky complexity.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a fluffy white head and nice lacing.

Aroma: Tart and slightly funky, Belgian yeast, lemon zest, clove, banana, orange peel and earthy.

Taste: Crisp and clean with Belgian yeast character, orange peel, citrus, bready malts and a slight ginger flavor.

Overall: Extremely drinkable and refreshing, Green Flash Brewing Company Saison Diego is delicious.  Since Green Flash Brewing Company doesn’t list the ABV (and neither did the bottle) I’ll have to go with this probably weighing in around 4.5% ABV.  This is really easy to drink a lot of and I encourage that (responsibly, that is).

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

New Albion Brewing Company New Albion Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Samuel Adams (The Boston Beer Company) New Albion Brewing Company New Albion Ale.  After hearing about and reading about this beer (and not having been old enough to try it when it was originally produced) I was really excited to find a six pack of it so quickly after its release.

From the Samuel Adams (The Boston Beer Company) website: “Brewed solely with American Cascade hops, New Albion Ale is a golden American Pale Ale that holds a distinct citrus hop note and subtle piney character. A delicious brew, it's no wonder New Albion Ale inspired so many of the Pale Ales we drink today.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a frothy white head and nice lacing.

Aroma: Bready malts, citrus, floral and grassy hops and a slight caramel scent.

Taste: Citrus, floral and grassy hop flavors are balanced nicely with a nice grain bill consisting of grainy, bready, caramel and biscuit flavors.

Overall: A very nice tasting American Pale Ale, New Albion Brewing Company New Albion Ale is light and refreshing and very enjoyable.  I’ve had two of these now and I’m getting hooked on it.  Weighing in at 6% ABV I am so happy Jim Koch and Jack McAuliffe brought this legendary beer back for another generation of beer lovers. Do yourself a favor and pick up a six pack of this, Google search the history of Jack McAuliffe and New Albion Brewing Company and enjoy this one.  I know I did.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Bear Republic Brewing Company Big Bear Black Stout

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Bear Republic Brewing Company Big Bear Black Stout. 

From the Bear Republic Brewing Company website: “Big Bear is a big, black, stout you can really sink your teeth into. The bold, roasty, caramel malt flavor is balanced by Centennial and Cascade hops.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a dark brown, nearly black with a nice dark beige head and spotty lacing.

Aroma: Chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, smoke, caramel and brown sugar.

Taste: Chocolate, caramel and roasted malts up front followed by a smoky, coffee, burnt bitterness.  Hop bitterness balances this one out perfectly.

Overall: Smooth and creamy, Bear Republic Brewing Company Big Bear Black Stout is incredibly drinkable.  At 8.1% ABV the alcohol is barely noticeable.  Another excellent beer from Bear Republic Brewing Company!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

North Coast Brewing Company Grand Cru

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is North Coast Brewing Company Grand Cru. 

From the North Coast Brewing Company website: “Reminiscent of North Coast Brewing's Gold Medal-winning Twentieth Anniversary Ale, North Coast Grand Cru is brewed with pilsner malt and agave nectar, then aged in oak bourbon barrels.

We've had a good time exploring the brewing possibilities outside of the standard beer styles. North Coast Grand Cru doesn't fit neatly into any established category. We brew it exclusively with Pils malt with an addition of agave nectar in the kettle. The beer is then fermented with the same Belgian yeast that we use to ferment our North Coast Brewing Le Merle. It's subtle, complex and lightly hopped with a deceptive 12.5% ABV, and aging it in oak gives this unique beer an extra dimension. The result is really "champagne-like."”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours an excellent honey golden color with a slim off white head and spotty lacing.

Aroma: Belgian yeast and candi sugar, fruit, caramel, vanilla, oak and spice.

Taste: Vanilla, Belgian yeast and candi sugar, biscuit and sweet malts, banana, cloves, orchard fruits and oak.

Overall: I completely enjoyed North Coast Brewing Company’s Grand Cru.  I found it to be complex and delicious although very sweet.   The 12.9% ABV is well hidden.  This is certainly a nice winter sipper.  I have a couple more bottles for cellaring.  I believe this one will mature with some age and be fantastic!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey