Just plain bad

I see these Schlitz signs all around Chicago so I decided it was time to try one. Bad idea. I don't know if I can accurately describe this beer: cold (good), skunky (bad), a little malty (good), carbonated (good), and weirdly tangy (not good). What was I thinking?

Better pictures of the butternuts

Packaging sells

Imagine you're in upstate ny at a giant chain grocery store looking for beer. The selection is good, but you want something you can't get at home in Illinois. On the shelf you see this 12-pack of cans from Butternuts Beer and Ale. The cans have funny pictures and wacky names: Porkslap Pale Ale, Heinnieweisse Weissbier, Snapperhead IPA, Moo Thunder Stout. The pictures are even better. We didn't know if the beer would be good, but we really didn't care; the price was right and the pictures were fun.

Bonus! The beer was overall pretty good. The stout was exceptional.

The case contains this explanation of their beer: "on this converted dairy farm nestled in the idyllic Butternut Valley of Upstate NY we have created a beer drinker's utopia. Here the ingredients are simple and natural. The brewer's art is practiced with reverence and creativity. And craft beer becomes more drinkable and easier to enjoy. Why? Because we are smarter, better looking Brewmasters." I could not have said it better.

Porkslap!

This pale ale is pretty good. But the can is hysterical so it deserved its own blog entry.

Sonny Listman, the boxer

This is Makers Mark, ginger ale, and rose with lemon juice. Somehow I think I was responsible for the entire group getting these shots. Mine might be different, but I have a heavy makers taste. Not bad.

Pinot noir

This tasted very good. Then we tried it with a slice of orange and the acid in the wine exploded in our mouth. :( wow. I liked it by itself. It is smooth. The oak casks mellow the acid. Very nice.

Chardonnay!

This is zolo Chardonnay from the Andes in Argentina. The grapes are 100% organic because there are no bugs that live there and the grapes are not sprayed with any insecticides. The water is all from snow melt. This tastes a little dry and not too sweet. I enjoyed this wine.

Beer school with wine?

This is cava - as I understand it, it's a Spanish sparkling wine like champagne. The bubbles are tiny and rising fast! I've been told that the smaller the bubbles and the faster they rise, the better the champagne. I'm getting ready to ask the question ...

Lager

Stiegel lager. I like this lager. It's a little sweet and doesn't taste like a German pilsner masquerading as a lager. A good choice.

Don't let the glass (or the name) fool you

This is a Sprecher Hefe Weiss, which is brewed in Wisconsin. I try not to put lemon in my beer these days, but this was a fairly malty unfiltered Hefe Weiss, so I squeezed in the lemon. Ah, better. But I sort of wish it was an Erdinger.

Hoppy

Maybe it's just me, but this whole concept of wet hops seems new or at least relatively new. This is a beer by Great Divide that is brewed with wet hops. Although I liked this, I did not like it as much as the other harvest ales I've tried recently which were also brewed with "wet hops." I felt like this was a little too bitter - just for the sake of being bitter.

I <3 blackberries

Last year I was in Seattle during their blackberry season and there were large fresh free wild blackberries all over the place. Yummy! When I was a kid, we had fresh blackberries in our yard and I loved them. So, naturally, I was interested in this blackberry witbier. I would have enjoyed just a little more taste of the blackberries, but I liked this a lot more than their cherry wheat, which I think is too sweet.

Mmmm... Malty

This DeKonick said it was "malty." I wasn't sure whether or not to believe the hype so I tasted my friend's beer. Yup, it was malty, which I like, but not too malty. I would describe it as a cross between a trippel and a brown ale, with a little bit of hops. Overall, I liked this more than I remember liking my last DeKonick trippel.

New Holland

Hopavour! Hop on board this mildly bitter ipa that has a crisp finish. Nice.

Seasonal beer from Abita

This is a pecan harvest ale from Abita. It has a sweet aroma and a slightly hoppy finish. I like Abita and this is no exception.

Sierra Nevada Chico Single Estate

This is a limited edition wet hopped ipa with hints of pine, burnt sugar grapefruit and lemon.

Ah ... Piece at last.

Left to right - the baron Von awesome (wheat), worryin' ale (English session ale), and Roland the headless assistant brewer (oatmeal stout). All are good, but I'm particularly enjoying the oatmeal stout tonight. Fall is here.

SOS

Save our Shore. This is a pilsner by Abita that also benefits the gulf coast region. I liked the way it started, but it finished a little odd, not quite as crisp as I expected. I can't quite explain it, but it finished a little tangy. However, others loved it, so check it out.

Flemish sour ale

About three years ago I discovered Flemish sour ales. And I liked them. This is a limited edition sour ale by Ommegang. I really like this ale. If you can find it, try it!

Wi / il / Wi / il / Wi / il

So, we set off for a fun day of apple picking in rural Wisconsin just across the border. Unfortunately, I was in charge of the directions and I was under the weather. We missed the turn and ended up in Wisconsin. We turned around and went back into IL, found the right turn and headed west for ten miles before heading into Wisconsin. No more apples, but we went into the pumpkin patch and picked pumpkins. Then we went to a liquor store and tried to buy new glarus. No luck. He directed us south a few miles. Unbeknownst to us, we ended up back in IL. No new glarus. Back a few miles into WI for a case. Finally. I got one bock. It is nice and malty. Finished pretty crisply. Not a lot of aftertaste. But a little short on flavor for a new glarus. Overall, ok. But I expected more.

Second!

Spaten Octoberfest. It tastes very good with a little orange rind. It has more flavor than the Hoffbrau.

Octoberfest!

Back at beer school. This is the first beer of the night - a Hofbrau Munchen. It's good, but I think I'd like it a little more malty.

Bell's Oarsman

Described as a Berliner-Weiss, sort of. It's good but finishes a little sour, which I like.

A beer on a boat

I know that I've had Beck's before, but I don't think I've had it on draft and certainly not with such a nice foamy head. The draft is better than the bottle or can and the cool boat ride helped!

More kolsch!

We sat outside at a nice brauhaus near the cathedral and enjoyed dinner and a kolsch. This tastes very similar to the others that I have had here, but the restaurant was pretty cool.

Black bier!

I made it out of Cologne and tried a German black bier. This was very good - I could taste the malt, but it was not overpowering. It was smooth and finished crisply, but not tartly. Three people tried it and we all liked it!

A pilsner!

This was my first non-kolsch! I like German pilsners and this was no exception. Tomorrow we are taking a day trip outside Cologne, maybe I will try a new style of beer!

An education on kolsch

Informative and interesting. Yeah, and delicious!

My first kolsch

This was my first kolsch in Cologne and I liked it very much. I had also been awake for nearly 36 hours and had just trekked across the city with 75 pounds of luggage. Still, I think it's pretty good.

Kolsch, kolsch and more kolsch

Cologne is known for its kolsch. Every restaurant or bar offers basically one beer - and it's a kolsch. I think this is my favorite, although I'm not sure there is a huge difference among those I've tried. The locals say the water gives it a special taste, much like the brewers of Coors and Budweiser. I believe the Colonians, not sure about the rest!

A story for every beer

Lately, I've been taking some criticism about the content of my commentary on the beer blog. So, for this beer, I'll tell you a story because, let's face it, can I really give you tasting notes on this? If you want a cream ale, try Anderson Valley's Summer Solstice Cream Ale. If I have not blogged about it, here you go. It's awesome - complex, smooth, not too malty, not too hoppy, just right. And a fun can that looks like rootbeer.

But, I digress. Back to the Genny. This is one of the first beers I ever drank. I think I was about 7 or 8. Then, for my 10th birthday, I had a little party at my house. We were going to drive the tractor (stop laughing) with the wagon full of picnic supplies out into the forest for a picnic. We had a great idea - let's take a six pack of my dad's Genny and hide it in the wagon for the party. I executed the first part, but then my friends also put all the food and non-alcoholic beverages under the blanket, thereby raising all parental suspicions. Needless to say, my mother pulled back the blanket and there was beer! Oops. That explains a lot, doesn't it. Genny cream ale is not worth the trouble I got into! Nor was it worth the $4 I spent on it last Saturday.

Beer quotes = fun

Tripod

It's a beer and a tripod! St. Pete's organic English ale. Malty and a little tangy, if that applies to beer. Overall, not my favorite English ale, but pretty good!

FFF Gorch Fock

Halles style lager, finishes a little sweet. Not bad.

Dizzy

Billed as a true blonde, this is dizzy. If it were a true blonde, it might be ditzy. Putting that aside, this is a nice blonde ale and a good drink for a hot summer day.

The future of beer

Here's your shout out, bi#*£! This beer is from the future. It was bottled in December 2010. Or simply a mis-stamp. This is a black Belgian style double ipa, a collaboration between Brewdog and Stone Brewing. It is 8.6% abv, but sort of tastes stronger and has a nice malty / mocha finish.

Capital

Island wheat. Hmmm. The capital is pretty, but not on an island. The beer is smooth and easy to drink.

Wheach

O'Fallen Wheach - a very nice peach aroma. Smooth and refreshing. Surprisingly good.

Cherry Wheat

Bell's cherry wheat. Nice cherry taste, finishes a little tart. Creamy smooth, but nicely carbonated. The consensus was bell's > sam's.

Widow maker

A friend brought me this special can of Keweenaw Widow Maker, which is named after a mining tool that was used in the copper mines in northern Michigan. It earned the name because it produced a lot of dust and the men who operated the tool died of diseases related to the inhalation of dust. It is a very dark beer, but not as malty as you might expect, and it has a slightly hoppy finish with a lingering chocolate taste. Very enjoyable, even on a hot summer night. Thanks, ndh!

Bamb!

Some friends bought us a growler of this New Holland limited brew. I opened it, took one whiff and thought, hmmmm... This smells a little off. I poured a glass and dove in. Delicious. Starts with pomegranate and finished with clove. Very enjoyable.

FRB, this one is for you!

A very nice, smooth oatmeal stout. Great pour, luscious creamy head that lasts. Overall, a hit.

Shoreline IPAs

You have to love the names, even if you don't love the beer.

Queen Mum - a smooth English IPA. Very easy drinking.

Sum Nug - a slightly higher octane IPA with more of a hoppy kick.

3 Sum - the real deal high octane IPA. This ale will kick your taste buds and leave you senseless. Great name. Need I say more?

Avery Maharaja

A 10.3% abv American Imperial IPA. Hoptastic. In the middle, a little sweet, then kicks some major hoppiness.

Cheap thrills

At Piece pizza and brewery having a Cheap Thrills. It is a witbier, but doesn't have a real strong coriander taste. The first sip was ok, the second was better. We'll see about the rest of the pint.

Saison du Buff

A collaboration among Dogfish Head, Stone and Victory. It is named for
"brewers united for freedom of flavor." You gotta love a beer that is
brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Duping avec Les Bon voeux

A strong farmhouse ale (9.5% abv) with lots going on - a funky yeasty
taste, some honey, and a little hoppy bitterness. Overall, not my
favorite farmhouse, but pretty enjoyable.

Three Floyd's Handshake of the Devil

Collaboration between Three Floyds and the band Bible of the Devil.
Starts sort of hoppy (65 ibu) but finishes really smooth.

Stone Cali-belgie

Ipa. Passion fruit. Cantaloupe. Orange.

Two brothers bitter end cask ale