Rod J Beer Review: Frankenmuth Twisted Helles

The Twisted Helles is a Summer Lager from the Frankenmuth
Brewery located in Michigan, which is also the state’s oldest brewery. It is a
seasonal meant to capture the essence of summer and pours out very nicely as a
Helles Lager. It is a decent golden straw color in appearance, which is capped
with a nice white head. Clarity is also nice as you really get to take in the appearance
of the carbonation doing its work. Aroma jumps out rather easily and the taste
does bring some crispness. The ABV is 5.5% and the IBU is 18. Check out the
video here to see more of my other thoughts on this beer.

Craft Beers Gone Wild Explores German Style Beers

So this week, we decided to take a look at German Style Beers. So what are these styles, well, there are many and check out this link here for an extensive list and details: http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/styles.html.

But for a quick summary:

Alkoholfreies (NA) Bier, Altbier, Alsterwasser, Berliner Weisse, Biobier, Bockbier, Dampfbier, Diätbier/"Diet Beer", Dinkelbier, Doppelbock, Doppelsticke, Dortmunder, Dunkel, Dunkelweizen, Dünnbier, Einfachbier, Eisbier, Eisbock, Emmerbier, Erntebier, Export, Festbier, G'frorns, Gose (Leipziger), Gruitbier, Hefeweizen, Helles, Helles Bock, Kellerbier, Kölsch. Kräusenbier, Kristallweizen, Lagerbier, Landbier, Latzenbier, Leichtbier/Light, Maibock, Malzbier, Märzen, Mumme, Ökobier, Oktoberfestbier, Pils/Pilsener, Porter, Radlermass, Rauchbier, Roggenbier, Russ, Schankbier, Schwarzbier, Starkbier, Steinbier, Sticke Alt, Urbock, Vollbier, Weihnachtsbier, Weissbier, Weissbierpils, Weizenbier, Weizenbock, Weizendoppelbock, Weizeneisbock, Zoiglbier, Zwickelbier

Rod J Beer Review: Frankenmuth Brown Hound Dunkel

The Brown Hound Dunkel Lager is an offering from Frankenmuth Brewery out of Frankenmuth, Michigan. This classic Munich Dunkel Lager comes with some good character and it takes no time to see how this has been a past medal winner. It is a five grain beer that pours a dark cherry brown color topped with a tan quickly dissipating head. At 5.1% ABV it is one that is easily sessionable and at 22 IBU, it can provide a nice malt forward experience. It is a little thin on the taste, but it can make up from that with its very appealing mouthfeel. The beer itself provides a nice roastiness that is highlighted by coffee and chocolate notes.

Check out my video to gather my other thoughts on this Michigan beer.

Rod J Beer Review: Talking Lagunitas Stoopid Wit

From Lagunitas Brewing comes Stoopid Wit, a Witbier that is
hopped up to another level. This limited release beer (July through September)
comes on at a 6.3% ABV and 50 IBU. Pouring a nice golden yellow color and
capped by a nice large white head, this beer comes at with you with hop
experience with a little Belgian-ish quality sprinkled on top. Aromas include a
nice citrus and floral burst with a spice kick, although the texture can be
seen as being a little thin. It is bitter, but it is not overbearing and it can
be a chuggable beer for some. For me, it proved to be an okay beer but check
out my video to catch my other views on this offering.

Rod J Beer Review: Talking Frankenmuth Batch 69 American IPA

Ah, what we do without friends? And my friends recently made a trip to Frankenmuth, Michigan, and they happened to bring me back the Batch 69 American IPA from the Frankenmuth Brewery. This IPA comes in at 6.9% ABV and 69 IBU, hence the name I am going to assume. The beer pours out a nice golden yellow-orange color that is capped by a nice foamy and rocky white head. The aroma is led by pine note and is then quickly followed up with citrus. The taste provides a mouthfeel that makes this medium body beer very thirst quenching and refreshing.

Check my video to find out more of my thoughts on this one and if it is one to be chosen.

Talking Sour Beers - Craft Beers Gone Wild

This week, Craft Beers Gone Wild looks at beers from the Sour beer style.

Sour beer styles:

While any type of beer may be soured, most follow traditional or standardized guidelines.

American wild ale

Beers brewed in America utilizing yeast and bacteria strains instead of or in addition to standard brewers yeasts tend to fall under the catch-all term American wild ale. These microflora may be cultured or acquired spontaneously, and the beer may be fermented in a number of different types of brewing vessels. American wild ales tend not to have a specific parameters or guidelines stylistically, but instead simply refer to the use of unusual yeasts.

Berliner Weisse

At one time the most popular alcoholic beverage in Berlin, this is a somewhat weaker (usually around 3% abv) beer made sour by use of Lactobacillus bacteria. This type of beer is usually served with flavored syrups to balance the tart flavor.

Flanders red ale

Descendent from English porters of the 17th century, Flanders red ales are first fermented with usual brewers yeast, then placed into oak barrels to age and mature. Usually, the mature beer is blended with younger beer to adjust the taste for consistency. The name comes from the usual color of these ales.

Gose

Gose (pronounced "go-suh") is a top-fermenting beer that originated in Goslar, Germany. This style is characterized by the use of coriander and salt and is made sour by inoculating the wort with lactic acid bacteria before primary alcoholic fermentation.

Lambic

Lambic beer is spontaneously fermented beer made in the Pajottenland region of Belgium and Brussels. Wort is left to cool overnight in the koelschip where it is exposed to the open air during the winter and spring, and then placed into barrels to ferment and mature. Most lambics are blends of several season's batches, such as gueuze, or are secondarily fermented with fruits, such as Kriek and Framboise. As such, pure unblended lambic is quite rare, and few bottled examples exist.

Oud bruin

Originating from the Flemish region of Belgium, oud bruins are differentiated from the Flanders red ale in that they are darker in color and not aged on wood. As such this style tends to use cultured yeasts to impart its sour notes.

Rod J Beer Review: Talking Jackie O's Mystic Mama IPA

Athens, Ohio is the home of Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery and the Mystic Mama IPA. This India Pale Ale comes in at 7% ABV and 130 IBU, that’s right, 130 IBU. But despite the high number, the beer doesn’t play out as high on the bitterness. There is that initial bitterness to be expected and there is a little harshness on the finish, but there is also a refreshing type quality with it. The beer pours out a nice golden straw color and is capped by a foamy that becomes rocky, white head. The mix of the five hops used creates a nice piney aroma that is also joined by notes of grapefruit and tangerine.

This medium to full body beer carries a nice dry texture with a very palatable amount of carbonation. It will be a winner for any hop head in my opinion, and one to definitely check out for sure. Check out my video review to gather my other thoughts.

Rod J Beer Review: Talking Stone IPA

The Stone IPA is an iconic IPA from Stone Brewing and is also listed in the book “1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die.” It comes on at a nice 6.9% ABV and 77 IBU so bitterness is to be expected. However, while it tends to present bitterness on the front, there isn’t much harshness on the finish. It displays a nice balance between the malts and hops, and sits well as a medium body beer. It may be a little too bitter for the IPA beginner, but to those that love hops it is a nice fit. When drinking it, there should be an expectation of a good duration of flavor that is highlighted by tropical and citrus notes in the aroma as well as the taste. This golden orange colored beer is definitely one of a delight and always seems to deliver.

Check out my review to gather my other thoughts on the Stone IPA.

Rod J Beer Review: Talking Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA

From Samuel Adams comes the Whitewater IPA, a hybrid of a
Wheat Ale and an India Pale Ale. This, what can be best described as an
Eclectic IPA, combines these two for what could be seen as an ale that is both crisp
and refreshing. Brewed with apricots and spices, it definitely brings some
unique characteristics that help it stand out as unique. The beer itself
provides a nice golden hue that is capped with a somewhat quick dissipating
head, but one will get the taste and aroma of the apricot as well as the pine
dankness from the hops. It sits at a nice 5.8% ABV and one should expect
bitterness, as it is also sits at 60 IBU.

Check out my review to find out more about my thoughts of
this offering from Samuel Adams.

Rod J Beer Review: Talking Samuel Adams Got to Gose

The Got to Gose from Samuel Adams is a 4.8% ABV Sour Ale
that is brewed using salt, coriander and also cucumber. It pours out a nice
golden orange color, which is illuminated nicely when held to the light. And
although there is a slight haze, the carbonation is easy to see as it streams
upward toward the white head that caps the beer. There is a spicy quality from
the Saez Hops that are used, as well as an earthiness created in the ale. There
is some bitterness up front which is then followed by a salty pickle taste on
the finish.

Check out the video to get my view on this beer.

Rod J Beer Review: Talking Samuel Adams Heaven Or Helles

Heaven Or Helles from Samuel Adams is a 5% ABV Lager that comes in at 20 IBU, and is described as a beer highlighted by spicy floral hop notes with a compliment of honey malt sweetness in the taste. Other expectations include that of a golden straw color with a slight haze, along with a flavor profile considered to be refreshing that make the beer highly drinkable.

Check out the video to gather my thoughts on this Helles Lager and to see if I think it delivers as expected.