Happy Easter

Good morning,

Just a quick note to wish you and yours a Happy Easter.  No beer reviews today, but I'm sure I'll be enjoying some fine craft beers and home brews as I visit with family.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Scarface Imperial Stout

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Scarface Imperial Stout.

Commercial Description:
"Speakeasy Ales and Lagers is happy to introduce Scarface Imperial Stout. A complicated brew – behind its fiercely black exterior is a mélange of subtly different roasted malt flavors that add nuance and depth to a style of beer that is too often heavy and one dimensional. To add a bit of roundness to the flavor we diverted about 20% of the brew into our Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, one of which we topped up with cacao nibs from our friends at local San Francisco organic chocolate makers, TCHO, for a period of oak-aging before blending it back into the primary batch. This is a special beer that reveals a little something different about itself every sip. Malts: American 2-row, Belgian Dark Caramel, French Coffee Malt, Chilean Black Malt and English Roasted Barley Hops: Columbus Alcohol by Volume: 9.5% 70 IBUs"

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours jet black with a nice tan head and spotty lacing.

Aroma: Roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, toffee and caramel.

Taste: Dark chocolate, sweet caramel and roasted malts, bitter espresso, anise and toffee. Some hop bitterness on the finish.

Overall: Big, solid and rich, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Scarface Imperial Stout has a nice balance of flavors.  Weighing in at 9.5% ABV I found this beer to be very drinkable and enjoyable.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Jester King Craft Brewery Wytchmaker Rye IPA

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Jester King Craft Brewery Wytchmaker Rye IPA. I was extremely excited when I saw this on the shelf at Mission Liquors in Fremont. I hope they make it a habit of getting Jester King Craft Brewery beers.

From the Jester King Craft Brewery website: “Earthy rye and piny hop flavor and aroma meet spicy, funky characteristics from our farmhouse yeast in this American-inspired farmhouse ale.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a hazy orangish brown with a huge off-white head and lots of sticky lacing.

Aroma: Spicy rye, citrus, tropical and pine hops and some bready malt scents.

Taste: Toasty and grainy malts, rye bread spice and sweetness, citrus and pine hop bitterness and a finish that’s caramel malt and a tad bit chocolate malty.

Overall: Crisp and smooth, Jester King Craft Brewery Wytchmaker Rye IPA is an amazing Rye IPA.  I found this beer to be incredibly drinkable and at 6.8% ABV the bottle was easy to polish off.  I had the chance to try Beer Geek Rodeo the Jester King/Mikkeller Collaboration Imperial Oatmeal Stout when I was in Texas and it was incredible.  Jester King Craft Brewery is yet another brewery I wish I could more often in NorCal.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Stone Brewing Company Enjoy By 04.01.13 IPA

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Stone Brewing Company Enjoy By 04.01.13 IPA. I received this bottle as a gift yesterday and promptly poured, drank and reviewed it seeing as I had little time to enjoy this beer by.

From the Stone Brewing Company website: “You have in your hands a devastatingly fresh double IPA. While freshness is a key component of many beers - especially big, citrusy, floral IPAs - we've taken it further, a lot further, in this IPA. You see, we specifically brewed it NOT to last. We've not only gone to extensive lengths to ensure that you're getting this beer in your hands within an extraordinarily short window, we made sure that the Enjoy By date isn't randomly etched in tiny text somewhere on the label, to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of retailers and consumers. Instead, we've sent a clear message with the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right now to enjoy this IPA.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a huge white head and sticky lacing.

Aroma: Citrus, tropical and pine hops and a slight malt sweetness scent.

Taste: Grapefruit, tropical fruits and orange are followed by pine hop flavors. Sweet and bready malts then hit my palate followed by more hop perfection.

Overall: Supremely drinkable, Stone Brewing Company Enjoy By 04.01.13 IPA is a beer to covet.  This beer totally lives up to the hype and represents everything that’s good about the style.  Dare I say it is the perfect IPA?  I don’t know…but it certainly is close.  At 9.4% ABV the alcohol was extremely well hidden.  If you find it, buy it.  You’ll be glad you did.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai Aged on White Oak IPA

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai Aged on White Oak IPA.

From the Cigar City Brewing website: “This is an American White Oak-aged version of Jai Alai India Pale Ale. The white oak adds smoothing notes of vanilla and slight hints of dill to the aroma and flavor profile. The finish is elegantly dry due to the light tannin notes from oak aging and though still loaded with hop flavor, hop bitterness is more restrained.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a copper orange color with a huge off-white head and sticky lacing.

Aroma: Tropical fruits, vanilla, oak, citrus, pale and caramel malt.

Taste: Caramel and pale malts balanced well with citrus and tropical hop bitterness. Vanilla, oak, pineapple and mango flavors swirl around my palate.  Same great Jai Alai flavor, but mellowed with the oak and accented with vanilla.

Overall: Delicious, incredible, fantastic… Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai Aged on White Oak IPA is like nothing I’ve ever tasted.  At 7.5% ABV this is yet another beer that I wish I could get my hands on all the time.  Cigar City Brewing wins again!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Ovila Abbey Quad Brewed with Plums

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Ovila Abbey Quad Brewed with Plums.

From the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company website: “Rich, dark, and infused with the complex sweetness of abbey-grown plums.

Ovila Abbey Quad is heady with aromas of caramel, rich malt, and dark fruit balanced by the spiciness and delicate fruity notes of a traditional Belgian yeast. This complex beer is a collaboration between Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux. It features sugar plums grown on the grounds of the Abbey and harvested by the monks in Vina. We hope you enjoy this collaboration ale.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours dark brown with red highlights, a nice tan head and sticky lacing.

Aroma: Sweet caramel, plum and other dark fruits, Belgian yeast, spice and vanilla.

Taste: Begins sweet with dark caramel malt, candi sugar, plums, raisins, vanilla, Belgian yeast, clove, cinnamon, toffee and a slight cocoa flavor. Dry finish with a slight alcohol heat.

Overall: Full bodied and smooth, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Ovila Abbey Quad Brewed with Plums is very enjoyable.  This easy to drink 10.2% ABV offering is well worth trying.  I liked it so much that when my sister-in-law came to visit from Chico and I had a choice of ANY Sierra Nevada Brewing Company beer-filled growler I chose this one.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BEER

Great video...check it out...


Cheers!

Mark Harvey

Cigar City Brewing Florida Cracker Belgian-style White Ale

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Cigar City Brewing Florida Cracker Belgian-style White Ale.

From the Cigar City Brewing website: “Pours cloudy straw in color with moderate notes of orange peel, coriander and hints of vanilla. Flavor has upfront citrus with coriander notes that lead into lemon/lime like notes and finishes with citrus and flowers. Incredibly refreshing and drinkable.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a hazy pale yellow with a slight white head and sparse lacing.

Aroma: Citrus, coriander, banana, wheat, vanilla, bready malt and Belgian yeast.

Taste: Citrus, sweet malts, coriander, bready malts, banana, Belgian yeast and vanilla.

Overall: Refreshing and fantastic, Cigar City Brewing Florida Cracker Belgian-style White Ale is yet another example of why Cigar City Brewing is one of the best breweries around (in my opinion).  At 5% ABV this sessionable offering is something I wish I could get my hands on not only for summer, but for year-round drinking.  LetsPour.com sells this one (and others from Cigar City Brewing), but you’ll pay a premium for it.  Is it worth it?  I’d say “yes”.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Hangar 24 Craft Brewery Double IPA

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

Tonight’s featured beer is Hangar 24 Craft Brewery Double IPA.

From the Hangar 24 Craft Brewery website: “Assertive and drinkable. Double IPA is California’s gift to beer lovers. Ours is brewed with four distinctly American hops: Centennial, Citra, Columbus and Simcoe, all beautifully balanced by five malts and generous additions of local orange blossom honey. An intense sensory experience — the fresh aroma of citrus, pine and grapefruit with the bold taste of hops and sweet honey.

Additional Information:

This beer was first brewed to celebrate American Craft Beer Week in 2010. The Double IPA style is distinctly American, and so are the flavors of the specific hops used. This beer was an instant hit (Southern Californians do love their hops!) and we plan on brewing it throughout the year whenever our production schedule allows it.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a golden orange with a large off-white head and lots of lacing.

Aroma: Great hop scent to include a mix of citrus and tropical fruits with sweet caramel and toasted malts and a faint hint of honey.

Taste: Hops hit first with a nice mix of grapefruit, pine, citrus and pineapple followed by sweet caramel malt, biscuit malt and a nice honey finish.  Malty and hoppy and sweeter than I expected this is a winner.

Overall: Well balanced and very drinkable, Hangar 24 Craft Brewery Double IPA is another solid beer from the Redlands, CA brewery.  At 9% ABV this beer is a real treat and one that I would recommend seeking out.  Keep your eyes peeled, Bay Area…Hangar 24 Craft Brewery beers will be available locally very soon. Pick some up!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)

Ska Brewing Company Steel Toe Stout

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

Since I am going to see The Specials tonight I thought I should feature a beer that would go along with my Two-Tone roots. Tonight’s featured beer is Ska Brewing Company Steel Toe Stout.

From the Ska Brewing Company website: “Milk meets its maker. It’s as though a cow stared into the face of God and as God told it the meaning of life we grabbed its udders and squeezed out a bucket.

This traditional English Cream Stout is brewing with actual milk sugar to create a creamy and sweet brew.  Jet-black in color, the latte frothy head will make you mooo for more”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours nearly black, with no head and thin lacing. Could have been the airplane flight from Phoenix...

Aroma: Toasted and roasted malts, chocolate, caramel, lactose, coffee and vanilla.

Taste: Flavors follow the nose – rich and creamy milk and semi-sweet chocolate, coffee, roasted and caramel malts and a mild hop presence.

Overall: Balanced and incredibly drinkable, Ska Brewing Company Steel Toe Stout is delicious.  At 5.4% ABV I wish I had more than one and wish I could get Ska Brewing Company beers here in the Bay Area. I recommend this one.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

If you haven’t already, please like the NorCal Beer Blog on Facebook (here)