Craft Beer and the Great Outdoors

The great outdoors and beer have always gone hand in hand. Drinking a hand crafted beer made of natural ingredients in a natural setting seems all too fitting. For those of you attempting one last hike before summer has gone and needing a packable libation to offer the nature gods I suggest:

Double Stout by Green Flash Brewing Co, San Diego, CA: 8.8% ABV 

What makes this beer a great companion for the outdoors is it's dangerous drinkability. You're thinking, come on! It is 8.8% and it's a double stout, how can that be drinkable? But Chuck Silva and his team of talented brewers have found a way to bottle the sexiest dark ale I have imbibed in a long time. Put a pint glass in your pack. You will want to pour this one in a glass so you can enjoy the roasty, chocolate notes on the nose and after the first sip, when your vision comes back into focus you will understand what I'm talking about. The silky smooth body on this beer is well deserving of the term sexy. Enjoy. 

Freedom lights the way!
Stay strong, brew on.

Tell me of brews you've enjoyed lately, while hiking or just daydreaming of the outdoors!

3 American Variations on Pale Ale

A trio of pale ales that despite their similar covers, display a diverse range of pale ale flavors.

For starters, the Blue Heron Pale Ale by Mendicino Brewing Co, CA: 6.2% ABV, clear Deep GoldAmber color, hops are Cluster and Cascade with a NW style lightly sweet caramel malt base and a hop boquet that covers the spectrum of spicy, floral, piney, and herbal. A great west coast example.



Next, Rio Blanco Pale Ale by Real Brewing, TX: 5.3% ABV, Amber color, A very European interpretation of a pale ale made in America. Real Brewing Co. uses Czech Saaz hops, a 'noble' hop, that gives this beer a wonderful pilsner lean. The malt base here most likely contains light Munich. Texas has a history of making more traditional beers and it does not surprise me that the Rio Blanco Pale ale has a European influence. It's what the locals like down here.



Savannah and I ended on Torpedo Extra IPA by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, CA: 7.2% ABV, brilliant carnelian color, a glimmering beacon of what an Am. IPA has become from the diehards that demand them, flavorful, strong and bold. This beer utilizes a piece of hardware that Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. calls, the hop-torpedo, or what I would guess to be a hopback. Fresh beer is pushed thru a hopback that is filled with fresh hops (Magnum, Crystal and Citra in this case) striping the cones of their lupulin oil and ending up as that bold, fresh flavor in this IPA.

3 IPAs from around america showing the diversity and enginuity of craft beer in this country. The Rio Blanco was a surprise hit with its use of Czech Saaz hops. It is amazing to me the limitless ways in which brewers interprate a style of beer. Centuries of brewing knowledge re-interpreted for local paletts all across the country, that is what makes the American craft beer scene so exciting. And in the words of my girlfriend Savannah who is racing across West Texas at the moment, we concur "They were all good beers".

Stay Strong, Brew On.

Paceña vs. Baltica

The official Beer of bolivia this beverage provides what a beer should first and foremost provide: refreshment on a hot day. Now, to say this beer is a light Pilsner is the understatement of the year. However, what it lacks in grain bill complexity this brew makes up in being smooth. I am a Manny's man first and foremost, but I must say this beer is a rival for the smoothness. Also, every Paceña tastes the same, which can not be said for many beers, and I think is an admirable quality in a Pilsner. Now, the title of this post proposes a battle of sorts and that is with the only other beer I've had down here: Baltica. The locals and non-alcoholic types seem to scorn this beer but I find it quite interesting on the palette. Where as the Paceña finishes with a smooth, sitting in a cool swimming pool sort of way, Baltica takes the bitter route which provides complexity. Daring, in terms of Bolivian brew. But before you get all heiniken on me, the bitter is more of a citrus-y rather than your typical bitter, and therefore places on my list of beers I will try again. As a true, true fan of Rodeo Pale Ale, and all of its citrusy notes, I say if you ever find yourself in a Bolivian Dive, you're being risky anyway so why not give the cold refreshing Baltica a taste, if only to wash down the delicious MSG included in every meal. On a sad note since I doubt either beer use much hops I have no IBU's on either, and all I can say is that the alcohol content is way way down. Baltica is only at 4.5% and Paceña doesn't include that information on the bottle. No matter your take in this battle, I myself playing Switzerland, may you enjoy your next brew.

Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2010

I picked up a couple of these limited edition bomber size stouts (one to enjoy and the other to age so I may be reviewing this one again in about 6 months) from Plaza Liquor.

Pours a deep, ominous black, this already seems like my kind of beer.

The head is a frothy espresso color and dissipates into a thin film that leaves some nice lacing.

Moving quickly to the nose, there is the expected roasted malt and coffee and also hints of anise, currants and a slight smokiness. As the label correctly states, this brew is "intensely aromatic."

Wow, the taste packs a big punch right off the bat. Espresso, mocha, and long, dark chocolate finish. It has an incredibly oily palate that seems to coat the mouth with deliciousness. Slight hop character comes through as well. This stout really does have it all, a very well balanced example of the style.

Although the alcohol is hidden well by the complexity, half way through this one and I can feel the effects of this 10.5% ABV stout. Definitely not a session beer.

This one comes highly recommend for me. I can only imagine what the aged version has in store.

I am a man of simple Beer.

Went to Duck Island last night and had a couple beers: Schooner Exact- Brown Ale, and Iron Horse- Rodeo Pale Ale. The brown ale was pretty decent. Lagunitas, although I hate to say this, should take a leaf out of the book of schooner Exact regarding Brown Ales. It wasn't to sweet, yet it provided that comfortable feeling we look for in a brown. They hopped it with something a tad spicy. I'm not a big brown fan but I give the schooner a definite 8 out of ten. Now the rodeo pale ale is my kind of beer. Again Iron Horse created a magnificent brew. Incredibly smooth, this was one of the best session beers I've had in a while. They hopped it with the standard Pac NW cascade and maybe amarillo (I haven't checked). Very Aromatic, very citrusy this thing left nothing to clog the palette. The next time y'all are out beer tasting and want that last beer but don't want any surprises that make you not want to finish the pint, grab the Iron Horse and you will drive (or be driven) home a satisfied man.

Maredsous 8: Dubbel

This beer cost me 3 cents and a tv. In order to pay for this beer, my financially strapped, withered, post-collegiate soul had to sell a tv to Pawn X-Change on Lake City way. There I was, prying 5 bucks from the girl behind the x-change counter while the couple to my right received two hundred bucks for a handful of jewelry and the dude on my left, with crusty eyes because he mistook a bong for a cup of coffee this morning, sold his 29 years worth of video games for a minor fortune. The girl behind the counter, feeling munificent, handed me my cash and I promptly headed 4 doors down to the beer store...

Dubbels as I've come to learn, are a belgian style of brown beer with a high alcohol content, this one being no exception.

The color was a deep mahogany, reminiscent of a well aged brown leather wallet and the head poured a good, two fingers with a delicate froth that lasted through the end of the beer.

As I stuck my nose into the glass, I wasn't struck with a strong aroma. On this particular Dubbel it was fairly soft with a hint of raisin which followed through into the palette. The raisins are accompanied by dark fruits and roasted chocolate tones.

The trophy of Maredsous is its body. A fantastic balance between syrup and water, a good two percent milk that washes away and leaves a hint of flavor and a cerevisaphile saying, "what was that?... I need more."

Review of Goose Island 'Matilda,' Belgian style ale

Got this one from one of our distributors down here, this is a Belgian-style pale ale.

Pours a slightly hazy, orange-amber with a frothy, off-white head that dissipated quickly.

The smell is a sweet, honey, with a junipery, clovey spiciness with some phenols coming through. Also an apparent lemon, citrus character

The subtle hoppiness shines through in the taste to balance out the sweet flavors. There is also a slightly sour note of fermented fruit (apple, peach?) that shows up in the long finish. There is a hard crispness from citrus but overall a oily, velvety smooth body.