1/26/12 Stoudts Gold Lager

So yesterday I was doing my daily chores and playing around on the internet and found a good site for vegans looking for coupons. The site is thevegancouponer.blogspot.com and it just started out but has some decent coupons on it. I was also mulling around in my fridge last night trying to figure out what beer to drink and I decide upon Stoudts Gold Lager. I figured the first one was pretty good why not try another from the variety pack.  The temperature was good at 40.2 degrees with a large head at 3 1/2" with a white fizzy appearance. It had excellent head lacing and the head dissipated slowly. The carbonation was soft with a sparkling clarity and a gold color. It had a floral aroma and a clean crisp taste that is hard to describe flavor wise. The flavor was light and the finish was average with a dry mouth feel. The tongue hit was a distinct middle hit with good body lacing. Overall I would give it an A-. It was a great beer to have with just about anything with great flavor and easy drink ability. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

1/23/12 Saranac White IPA

So two nights ago I decided to break into the case of "What ales you" by Saranac which I got from Brewer's Outlet in Pottsville. I've read some reviews on Saranac's White IPA and it seemed very promising and if you like IPAs you should like this take on them. I will say I am not a huge fan of IPAs. The temperature was 36.9 degrees with a large 3 1/2" head. The head was fizzy off white in appearance with fair head lacing. The head dissipated slowly with fizzy carbonation. The clarity was opaque with gold color. The aroma and taste had a grapefruit feel to it. The flavor was heavy with average finish length and a creamy mouth feel. The tongue hit was towards the front with fair body lacing. This beer is unfiltered and I would rate it around a B. I thought it was something different but a bit to heavy for my taste but if that is your thing then you should enjoy this beer. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

Information from Saranac website

White IPA

AVAILABLE NOW!

Availability: What Ales You?, 12 pack, 6 pack, draught

Brewers Notes:

Saranac White IPA is a tasty innovative twist on a traditional IPA.  We've taken a delicious American IPA bursting with Citra hops, and given it a whole new direction by adding the refreshing fruitiness of orange peel & coriander and the softening characters of wheat malt and oats.  You'll notice the complex hop flavor you've come to expect in an IPA, balanced with the extraordinary bright flavor of a wheat beer.  Cheers to twisting tradition! 

Beer Style: Hybrid IPA/Belgian White
Malt Selections: 2 Row Wheat Oats
Hop Selections: Citra
Color: Pale Straw-Hazy
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Bleu Cheese, Poultry, Pork
Alcohol By Volume: 6.0%
Original Gravity: 14.8

1/22/12 Guinness Black Lager

So last night in an effort to get some good sleep when having to wake up at 4:00 AM I decided to try the Guinness Black Lager. Now over the past couple of months I have really begin to enjoy having dark beers something that previously I had only sampled on rare occasions and like I've said in the past I've yet to have a bad one. So as per the instructions on the bottle I served my beer at an icy 32.8 degrees. The head was huge at 7" and it had ice floating to the top. The head was foamy with a dark color and excellent head lacing. The head dissipated slowly and the carbonation was lively. The clarity was opaque and the color was black with a roasted barley aroma and just a clean crisp taste. The flavor was moderate with an average finish length and a dry mouth feel. The tongue hit was towards the back with excellent body lacing. Overall I would rate this beer an A just because it has great drink ability and isn't very bitter and is such a crisp taste. It definitely isn't as smooth as Guinness but still a pretty amazing beer. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

Information from Guinness Black Lager Facebook page

It’s not often that GUINNESS® launches a new beer, because when we do we want to do it right. This is a lager, so it is crisp, tastes refreshing and has plenty of Guinness flavor. We’re very excited about this beer and we’re sure you will be too. Will be arriving in stores September 2011. Enjoy.

Fergal Murray, our master brewer says: ‘With Guinness Black Lager we really wanted to build on all the elements that people love about Guinness. We take immense pride in the quality of our product and ensured that we built on the Guinness legacy when creating this distinctive and refreshing lager. I have no doubt that Guinness and lager fans alike will enjoy this unique tasting new lager.’

Maintaining the high Guinness standard was so important when we were creating this lager. The Guinness Master Brewers have used the finest lager hops, yeast and traditional cold brewing methods, with their signature roasted barley, to create a truly original black lager with a deliciously distinctive flavor and a deeply refreshing taste. There’s no way we could have settled for less.

This is a great beer for a barbeque or to chill poolside, but please remember GUINNESS encourages you to drink responsibly.

Information from myfitnesspal.com

Guinness - Black Lager

1. Servings:  11.2 oz bottle 1 oz bottle

Calories	135	Sodium	0 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	11 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	1 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.

1/20/12 Stoudts Scarlet Lady Ale

So yesterday I got another three beers from a trade and they were all from Stoudts out of Adamstown, PA. I was excited to try them because I like supporting PA breweries. I had also seen a comment about one last night on the Brewer's Outlet in Pottsville Facebook page so I thought I would try that one. So last night after finishing eating for the day I sat down with a Scarlet Lady Pale Ale. The temperature was super cold after being in the freezer  for 30 minutes it came in at 31 degrees even just south of freezing. The head was huge at 4" with a fizzy light brown appearance. It had excellent head lacing with a head that didn't dissipate and medium carbonation with a flat clarity and orange color. The aroma was grainy with a lemon taste and a moderate flavor. The finish was short with a watery mouth feel and a middle tongue hit. The body lacing was excellent and overall I would rate it an A-. It had a very clean crisp flavor that was easy to drink. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

Information from Stoudts website

1/19/12 Coopers Brewery Original Pale Ale

So I have been trading tons of beers lately and now I have about 22 different beers to drink and the number continues to grow almost daily. So last night I was looking for something from outside of the US so I decided to go with Coopers Brewery Original Pale Ale from Australia (this was purchased at Brewer's Outlet in Pottsville but I'm unsure if they still have any). The temperature came in at a balmy 42.3 degrees with a small 1" head and a foamy off-white appearance. The head lacing was excellent and the head dissipated quickly. The carbonation was medium with an opaque clarity and a orange body color. The taste was hard to place I would say like an orange raisin honey taste and a light flavor. The finish length is average with a buttery mouth feel and tongue hit behind the back. The body lacing was excellent and overall I would rate it a B+. It was a good unfiltered beer that had a very different taste and some sediment that the bottle says that when you pour if you pour carefully that it can be left in the bottle. The other option is to mix it up. I decided just to drink it and it didn't really have any taste. Thanks for reading and as always drink responsibly.

Nutritional information from myfitnessplan.com

Coopers - Original Pale Ale (Green)

1. Servings:  375 mL 1 mL

Calories	131	Sodium	0 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	6 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 Coopers website

Coopers

pale ale

Guaranteed to turn heads, this is the beer that 

inspired a new generation of ale drinkers. With 

its fruity and floral characters, balanced with a 

crisp bitterness, Coopers Pale Ale has a compelling 

flavour which is perfect for every occasion.

Naturally fermented in the “Burton-upon-Trent” 

style, a secondary fermentation creates the 

trademark sediment that gives ‘Pale’ its fine 

cloudy appearance.

4.5% Alc/Vol

Beef in Coopers Pale Ale

I NGRE D I E N T S . . .

750g beef (topside, chuck, rump etc), diced

2 tablespoons of plain flour

1 teaspoon beef stock powder

2 tablespoons of olive oil

4 medium brown onions, quartered or 8 pickling onions

2 cloves garlic, crushed

375ml bottle Coopers Pale Ale*

1.5 cups beef stock, 1 bay leaf

fresh oregano and parsley chopped

freshly ground pepper, salt to taste 

Place flour and beef stock powder into plastic bag and add beef. Shake until well coated.

Heat oil in heavy bottomed casserole dish that has a lid, add beef and cook until well

browned, remove. Add more oil if necessary, add onions, garlic and cook until golden.

Return beef to pan and add stock, beer, bay leaf, oregano, salt and ground pepper to

taste and mix well. Cover and cook on a low heat for 1.5 hours. Remove lid and reduce

to thicken (adding flour if necessary). Stir in fresh parsley and more salt and pepper to

taste. Serve with mash, couscous or soft polenta and a bottle of Pikes Shiraz.

*Pale Ale is great, however Sparkling Ale, Stout or Dark Ale will do as long as it’s Coopers!

1/16/12 Harpoon Munich Type Dark

So I am very disappointed I am not able to attend trivia tonight because of the inclement weather. That being said I figured it will still be a good night to drink and write a review. So tonight I decided to try the Harpoon Munich Type Dark. I decided to have it in a pint and it poured out at a nice 39.5 degrees. The head was average size at 2" with a foamy medium brown color. The head lacing was excellent and it dissipated slowly. The carbonation was lively with a dark clarity and a ruby color. It had a floral aroma and a roasted toffee taste. The flavor was moderate with an average finish length and a watery mouth feel. The tongue hit was towards the front and the body lacing was excellent. Overall I would give it a B+. It was super easy to drink but I prefer a slightly lighter flavor and am not huge on anything with a toffee taste but that is my personal opinion. Thanks for reading and as always please drink responsibly.

Information from myfitnessplan.com

Harpoon - Munich Type Dark Beer

1. Servings:  12 fl oz 1 fl oz

Calories	175	Sodium	0 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	17 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 Harpoon website

HISTORY OF THE STYLE

BEER SPECIFICATIONS
Style:	Munchen Dunkel
History:	brewed since 1998
Orig. Gravity:	14.5 P
Color:	Mahogany 80 EBC
ABV:	5.5%
IBU’S:	35
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS
shellfish, game, chocolate desserts

The name of this Harpoon beer leaves little to the imagination: it is dark in color and its origins are in Munich. The Munchen Dunkel style, as it is known, was brewed throughout the Bavarian region of Germany with a notable presence in the cities of Kulmback and Erlanger as well. Munchen Dunkel is considered the traditional beer of Munich and can be found in taverns throughout the city and region. Although this style has been around for centuries, it enjoyed its height of popularity in the 1800’s, primarily from 1840 to 1890. Today this style can encompass a wide range of dark lagers.

Most beers brewed in this style can be described as having a toasted or chocolate flavor with low bitterness and little hop aroma. Each brewery, however, takes creative license in crafting their own beer by varying the color, malt, and hopping rate. The Harpoon Brewery is no exception.

 

BEER CHARACTER

Harpoon Munich Dark is a blend of dark malts that creates a deeper hue than some other beers brewed in this style. The grains which create a malty chocolate-like flavor also add a warm malty nose that mingles with the subtle hop aroma. This medium bodied beer is balanced quite well with a moderately bitter hop finish.

The overall character is rich malt and chocolate balanced with a crisp hop bitterness.

 

  

AVAILABILITY - Year Round