5/30/12 Saw Tooth Ale by Left Hand Brewing Company

Last night I got back on track with a more detailed review of Saw Tooth Ale from the Left Hand Brewing Company. I had received this beer the other day from a colleague of mine from work. This time after reading an article about the proper way to drink beer I figured I would try and start shooting for a more refined drinking style. According to the article and from comments I have received from people on this blog you should never drink beer out of a frosted mug. So this time I rinsed out my frosted mug to bring it closer to room temperature. I know there is certain temperatures that you should drink each beer but I have not gotten that refined yet so I still shoot for whatever the temperature is when it comes out of the fridge and almost every time it varies greatly. Last night it landed in at 49.6 degrees a lot warmer than usual. I am guessing that is in part from the room temperature glass. The pour yielded a small head of about 1/4" that was fizzy and off white in appearance. The head lacing was minimal and the small head dissipated quickly. There was no visible carbonation with a hazy clarity and an orange color. The aroma was citrus with a taste that reminded me of a semi sweet white wine. The flavor was light and the body lacing was excellent. The mouth feel was dry with a middle tongue hit and fair body lacing. This was a pretty good beer that I would definitely have again. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

Information from myfitnesspal.com

Left Hand Brewing Company - Sawtooth Ale

1. Servings:  12 oz. 1 oz.

Calories	155	Sodium	0 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	0 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Vitamin A	0%	Calcium	0%
Vitamin C	0%	Iron	0%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Information from Left Hand Brewing Company

UNPRETENTIOUS.
OUR ORIGINAL FLAGSHIP.

Two guitars, bass and drums.It's all you'll ever need. Sessionable. Unpretentious. Our original flagship. Proof that a beer can be both complex and balanced. Malty chewiness slowly transitioning over to herbal, earthy hops with a dry finish. Brewed to be enjoyed with friends and to stimulate serendipity.

STYLE

American Style ESB

COLOR

Amber

BODY

Medium-bodied

ABV

5.30%

IBU'S

27

PLATO

12°

PKG

6-pack, 12-pack, Keg

MALTS

Pale 2-row, Crystal, Munich, Wheat and Black Malt

HOPS

Magnum, US-Goldings, Willamette and Cascade

5/29/12 Shock Top Raspberry Wheat

Last night it was Memorial Day and it was a Monday at Dorko's in Mount Carmel and Trivia was on and Shock Top Raspberry Wheat was on tap. Coming in it looked to be a great night. They had a beer I hadn't tried and there was a trivia celebrity in the house. The daughter of our trivia moderator had graced the bar with her presence and we knew it was going to be a tough win. The cards were stacked against the RZA from the start but we managed to start off after the first round just shy of first but that was the closest we could make it and our hosts daughters team just kept on creeping up and ended up tied for the win but the totally blew it in the end with the tie breaker. The team that had Rivers's daughter on it is legendary at Dorko's for constantly coming up short for tie breakers. So much so that if we go into the tie breaker with them we start counting the money before they answer the tie breaker question. So onto the beer. I didn't prepare for a new beer so I didn't have all my stuff with me but I got one picture and I do remember that the beer had a murky quality to it and not much of I white head to it. The color was on the orange side and it had a really good raspberry flavor to it and it was super easy to drink. I enjoyed ever minute of it and I would certainly have another given the opportunity. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

I also had a Keystone Light because it was cheap and it wasn't on my list.

Information from myfitnesspal.com

Shock Top - Raspberry Wheat

1. Servings:  12 oz. 1 oz.

Calories	168	Sodium	0 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	15 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	2 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Vitamin A	0%	Calcium	0%
Vitamin C	0%	Iron	0%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Information from Shock Top web site

SHOCK TOP RASPBERRY WHEAT

Raspberry Wheat delivers the same smooth taste of Shock Top, with a hint of raspberry flavor. This traditional Belgian-style wheat ale is brewed with essence of wild raspberry and hand-selected hops. It’s this combination that gives it its crisp and distinctive Shock Top taste, with its own flavorful twist. This unfiltered ale has a light-golden color and a smooth finish, and if you’re curious, it technically doesn’t, not count toward your daily fruit intake.

We know you’ll enjoy drinking Shock Top Raspberry Wheat as much as we enjoy brewing it.

5/28/12 Michelobs Original Lager

Memorial Day is finally here and kicking off summertime has been the plan for the weekend and one of the beers I chose to kick off my summer with was Michelobs Original Lager. I had tons of activities I did this weekend which included drinking some beers that were previously not on my list and I figured I'd do mini reviews of the three I hadn't reviewed. Overall this weekend so far I had a Michelob Original Lager, Bud Light Lime, Yuengling Light, Ommegang Three Philosipher, a Miller Light, and I tried some of my sisters Sam Adams Summer Ale. The first two I had at Uncle Cones on Saturday night with my brother, sister, future brother-in-law and a former colleague of mine. I can't remember for sure if this was my first Michelob Original Lager or not but I was surprised that it wasn't that bad. It was a decent representation of a lager with a thickness that seemed more on the porter side but without the porter taste. I had it right out of the bottle and it had a taste different from anything I have had in the past couple of months. I couldn't quite put my finger on what the exact flavor was but it was pretty decent. Overall it was on the bottom of the three that I had that were new but still not a bad beer. I had a little of the Sam Adams Summer Ale at a Family reunion on Saturday. The Summer Ale and the Three Philosophers were both pretty good and I would rate them both pretty equally. The Summer Ale was good and something I would definitely consider a good cook out beer and the Three Philosophers would have been better out of a glass than drinking out of a bottle but I was grilling and the bottle was more convenient so it just worked. Overall It was a good weekend with some pretty decent beers. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

Information I got from Michelob's Website

Michelob Original Lager is a malty, full-bodied European-style premium lager. From its inception to today, it stands out as a distinctive, high-quality beer for connoisseurs.

Our Original Lager is brewed traditionally, using European noble aroma hop varieties and a 100-percent-malt blend of the finest two-row and caramel malts. It is fermented and aged with our classic lager yeast strain, and cold-matured for balanced crispness.

Taste: Spice, citrus, round malt character, hints of caramel and toffee, balanced and complex hop flavor. Style: European-style premium lager.

Ideally serve in a Pint Glass

Learn More About Glassware 

CRAFT FACTS

ABV: 5.0%, IBU: 18

Information from Ommegang Website

Three Philosophers is a unique blend of a Belgian-style strong dark ale and Liefmans Kriek, an authentic cherry ale from Belgium. Cherry chestnut in color, it's opaque but not cloudy with full carbonation topped by a smooth, tan head. Flavors and aromas of roasted malt, molasses and brown sugar, dark fruits, brandied raisins and chocolate, Three Philosophers has notable sweetness with low hop bitterness. The mid-palate shows a soft malt center which gives way to a dry, warm, wine-like finish.

The strength and complexity of this beer make it a good candidate for ageing gracefully, as spicy sherry and port notes should intensify.

When simply pairing this it is important to keep in mind that you need a dish that is going to stand up to the big alcohol, rich malt, and subtle cherry. Think hearty; stews, fatty meats, gooey, stinky cheese, and you cannot go wrong. Try this beer as a marinade or in a sauce. In a marinade, the alcohol naturally breaks down the proteins in the meat, tenderizing it, while the flavor of the beer is absorbed. For a sauce, simply reduce over low flame with some additional sour cherries, wait till half is reduced, season with salt, pepper and sugar plus a touch of cream and you are ready to go.

Information from Sam Adams Web Site

Flavor: Crisp, tangy, and refreshing. Slight citrus and spicy flavor

Color: Golden with a slight veil, 6 SRMOriginal Gravity: 12.3° PlatoAlcohol by Vol/Wt: 5.3%ABV - 4.1%ABW
Calories/12 oz.: 166

IBUs: 7
Malt Varieties: Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend and malted wheat
Hop Variety: Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble hops
Special Ingredients: Lemons and Grains of Paradise
Yeast Strain: Samuel Adams ale yeast
Availability: Seasonal (April - August)
First Brewed: 1995

Saranac Brewery Single Malt Ale

Last night I had a Single Malt Ale from the Saranac Brewery. Now you may be wondering what is a single malt? Well in this case its just a name. Saranac is using it to refer to that it is as unique as a single malt whiskey and it is definitely a very unique beer at least for me it was. Out of the fridge the temperature came in at 47.5 degrees with an average head at 1 27/32" in a pint glass. The head appearance was a rocky off white that quickly dissipated and left some excellent head lacing. I could see no visible carbonation in this normal clarity beer that had an amber color. The aroma was that of dough with a taste that I can only compare with close to sherry. The flavor started out light and grew in intensity rather quickly and the finish lingered nicely. The beer left a watery feel in my mouth and hit my tongue in the middle. After finish the glass had some good lacing left on it and as I sat back and pondered my review I realized that I really enjoyed this beer. It was something different in flavor that I seemed to connect with and if the opportunity arises I will definitely have another. Now sadly this beer was from Saranac's spring offering and now they have moved onto summer so if you want one you'll have to hope that they bring it back next spring. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

Information from Saranac website

Single Malt

Brewers Notes:

We use 100% Scottish Maris Otter Malt. Traditionally used in the distilling industry. The combination of the Scottish Malt and slow aging process produces a unique brew as distinctive as single malt whiskey with a flavor than any other beer.

Beer Style: English Style Brown Ale 
Malt Selections: Custom Malted Maris Otter 
Hop Selections: English Fuggles 
Color: Amber 
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium 
Food Companions: Venison, Green Salad 
Alcohol By Volume: 5.5% 
Original Gravity: 13.0 
Availability: Seasonal 

5/21/12 Negra Modelo

Over the weekend while attending a wedding in Bloomsburg I tried a new beer. It happened to be Negra Modelo. I had never heard of this beer so I figured I had to try it. The first thing I noticed was the interesting bottle. It had a foil wrapped cap which I thought was pretty interesting. The bottle really didn't give you much of any information other than it was a Mexican beer. I didn't have it out of a glass and I didn't have my review form on me so this won't be my normal detailed review. I also forgot to take pictures so shame on me for that one. This happened to be the best Mexican beer I have ever had. It had a really good flavor that both me and my wife liked. It was super easy to drink and I ended up having another. What did surprise me was that basically no one at the wedding was drinking this awesome beer. I am guessing because like me they hadn't heard of the beer and therefore were afraid of it. This is why I continually preach trying new things. I could have stuck with the Yuengling they had but then I would have never know or had the pleasure of sampling this great beer. So my recommendation is always to try new thing you never know where you might find something you really love. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

No company website but Beer Advocate has a picture and some good information

Nutritional Information from myfitnesspal.com

Beer - Negra Modelo

1. Servings:  1 bottle

Calories	169	Sodium	0 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	14 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Vitamin A	0%	Calcium	0%
Vitamin C	0%	Iron	0%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.