Beer Review: Braxton Blown Gasket

Braxton Brewing Company is one my local breweries here in the
Cincinnati area, and this is a look at their Blown Gasket. This Limited
Seasonal Release comes in at a nice ABV of 7.5% and 20 IBU and let’s take a
look at it to see how it compares.

Commercial Description:

Brewed
for those times when you need to blow off a little steam. Blown Gasket is a
darker offering with a moderately strong malt character. Notes of toffee and
chocolate, this porter is robust as a new gasket kit, black and smooth like
poured oil, delicious black oil.

Accolades: Bronze Medal at Alltech
Commonwealth Cup

Beer Review: Uinta Jacked Be Nimble

Just when I think that I am done with pumpkin beers, I end
up finding Jacked Be Nimble from the Uinta Brewing Company. This pumpkin beer
is no ordinary one though, as it is an Imperial Pumpkin Ale coming in at 11%
ABV. Besides that fact, it is also a Black Pumpkin Ale aged in Bourbon Oak
Barrels, so how could I pass on it? Let’s see how it compares.

Commercial Description:

A jump from one of our seasonal favorites, this Imperial
Black Pumpkin Ale pours dark and is jacked with the taste of toasted oak and
rye. Pumpkin and spice aromas play with flickers of barrel-aged character kindling
tight bitterness and a bold caramel malt finish.

Beer Review: Arrogant Who You Callin' Wussie

Stone Brewing…Arrogant Brewing…who really knows anymore, but
this is about Who You Callin’ Wussie which is a year-round release from
Arrogant Brewing. This German Pilsner comes in at an ABV of 5.8% and 47 IBU and
is designed to bring back the nobility of the Pilsner, let’s see how it does.

Commercial Description:

For far too long the tyrannical industrialized beer
overlords have disgraced and cheapened the noble heritage of the pilsner with
their relentless multi-generational downward drive to commercialized
homogenization. Over decades, this once vaulted style has been slowly and
methodically gutted, bringing forth a soulless and anemic result, all the while
spending billions in advertising to convince the unwitting public that their
fizzy yellow end result was beer. Well, I will not have it. We are striking
back for true craft by stealing the pilsner back from their evil clutches, and
restoring it to its almighty glory. They do it cheaply. We do it right. Choose
vapidity, or choose righteousness...but whatever you do, choose wisely.

Release Date: June 27, 2016

Style: Northern German Pilsner

Alc/Vol: 5.8%

Available In: 16oz cans in six-packs
and draft

Distribution: Nationwide

Get Social: #WhoYouCallinWussie

IBUs: 47

Fresh for: 150 Days

2016 Beer and Other S*** with CBGW

The crew got together to reflect on 2016...

Beer Review: DuClaw Funk Blueberry Citrus Wheat

If you ask if I like Wheat Ales then I will say sometimes, but if you ask if I like Pale Wheat Ales then I will say most likely. This somewhat seemingly new hybrid has become somewhat of a favorite style for me, and that has led me to try from DuClaw Brewing and their Funk Blueberry Citrus Wheat. This Pale Wheat Ale comes in at a 5% ABV and 16 IBU, so not too hoppy really. Let’s see how it compares.

Commercial Description:

The traditional American Wheat Ale serves as a solid baseline, but we couldn’t be content until we tore the roof off this sucker! Funk, our Blueberry Citrus Wheat Ale, sets the rhythm with a soulful fusion of American wheat and hops, before unleashing a stunning encore with big notes of blueberry and Meyer lemon. It’s no jive, you’ll just dig it!

Style: Blueberry Citrus Wheat Ale

Color: Light Golden

Hop Variety: Cascade, Columbus

Grains: Pale Malt, Wheat Malt, Blueberry, Meyer Lemon

Availability: 12 oz. Bottle / Keg / Seasonal 

Beer Review: Stone Stochasticity Project: Grainiac

So Stone Brewing decided to make a batch of beer using 9
grains and 4 hops and that mix created what is now the known result of
Grainiac. This Red Ale or American Amber is part of their Stochasticity Project
and comes in with an 8.5% ABV and 60 IBU. Let’s see how it goes and read more
about this beer under the commercial description.

Commercial Description:

This hoppy, deep amber-hued beer was created to shine a
light on rare, unexplored grains seldom used in the brewing world. In addition
to barley, wheat, rye and triticale, we added malted millet and malted
buckwheat to bring the total unique grain count to nine. The earthy, nutty
notes of granola found in this experimental multigrain malt bomb are
complemented by the citrusy, piney flavors of four classic American hops. We
dry-hopped the beer with Cascade and Centennial hops at the end, adding more
citrus notes and rounding out the grain bill’s rich, bready character.

Give Me Five With Adelbert's Brewery

Recently I had the pleasure of talking with Sarah Zomper Haney, General Manager and Marketing for Adelbert’s Brewery out of Austin, Texas about taking a look at their beers for some reviews per her asking. Those reviews can be and will be found on the site here, but we also had the chance to look at featuring the brewery for a “Give Me Five” segment which you will find here. I am pleased for the opportunity to find out more about the brewery and also bring that information to you.

Click Image For Website

1) When did the brewery become established?

The brewery was founded in late 2011.

2) How did you come about starting the brewery?

Scott Hovey was an avid home brewer who was ready to leave his former career in engineering. He went to a Craft Brewery Conference and fell in love with bottle conditioned ales.

3) What makes the brewery unique?

We use a multi-temperature decoction mash to extract more flavors from the grains. It's not something every brewery does but it creates more complex flavors that we're aiming more. We bring in all of our grain from Belgium, the UK or the Czech Republic. In addition, about 80% of our hops used are European Noble Hops. We are as authentically made to a traditional Belgian as you can get in Texas. We also propagate our own yeast at the brewery.

In regards to barrel aging, we own over 300 barrels. Some have been aging for over four years! Our barrel aging program includes red wine oak, whiskey, rum and gin barrels!

4) Where do you envision the brewery heading in the future?

We did two major changes in 2016 that will direct the future of the brewery. First, was we introduced our first canned beers, Naked Nun and Hibiscus Saison. Canning is new for us but a direction we are focusing on heavily in the future. We will be introducing more sessionable, easy drinking beers in 2017, including a Mango Wit and a Blonde Ale.

Second, we switched to a brewpub status. In Texas, that means we can now sell beer to go directly from the brewery (production breweries, which we were before, cannot). This has opened up the opportunity for us to do offer taproom only releases. Currently, we are releasing a Barrel of Love 3-Bottle pack in the taproom. It has 2015 Barrel of Love (a whiskey barrel aged quad that spent nearly a year in the barrel and a year in the bottle), 2016 Barrel of Love and Blackberry Barrel of Love (a blackberry infused version). They come in an awesome gift box too. The Blackberry Barrel of Love is only available in our taproom.

5) How many offerings does the brewery provide?

At any given time, we are cranking 11+ styles of beer! We make ten year rounds in addition to special releases and barrel aged beers. Right now we have Vintage Monks, a sour blonde aged in wine oak barrels, bottle conditioning until its release in March 2017. We are also testing several of the fruited sours as we speak. Needless to say, it’s rarely a boring week at the brewery.

Conclusion:

Adelbert’s Brewery seems to be on to something, and Austin, Texas, you seem in store for some great beer. Thanks again to Sarah for reaching out, check them out here:  http://adelbertsbeer.com/ and here are some more images from the brewery in closing. Cheers!

 

    

Beer Review: Adelbert's Travelin' Man

Austin, Texas is the home of Adelbert’s Brewery and recently
they reached out to me to take a look at some of their beers, and this is my
first look at their Travelin’ Man, which is their handcrafted Belgian IPA. Of
course, my attention was gained when I saw Belgian and then IPA right behind
it. Coming in at a 7% ABV and 55 IBU, this is one beer that I am looking to see
how it compares. Let’s check it out!

Commercial Description:

This deep golden ale possesses an aromatic nose with floral
and fruity notes. Its flavors are a blend of warm, soft biscuity malts followed
by a complex, clean finish. With this ale, we aimed to create an easy drinking,
one-of-a-kind IPA that leaves you wanting more. This beer was formerly, the
Traveler - renamed in 2015. 

THE STORY: The Travelin’ Man is homage to Del’s lifetime of
traveling. From Colombia to Kenya and everywhere in between, Del experienced
the world in ways few others ever will, and we are forever grateful for his
stories. We hope to inspire you to go out and make your own adventures.

2014 Craft Beer Awards Gold Medal

Beer Review: Rhinegeist Hugh

Back again going local with another choice here from
Rhinegeist, and this time it is their Hugh. This Hefeweizen Ale comes in with
an ABV of 5.4% and a low IBU level of 10. Discussed with having notes of clove
and banana, let’s see how this one compares to the Bavarian Style as intended.

Commercial Description:

Hugh (5.4% | 10 IBU) is the newest brew to join
our can cadre. This traditionally brewed Bavarian-style Hefeweizen serves
light notes of clove and banana atop a creamy yet dry wheat character. Cares
drift by the roadside as Hugh leans into turns on his motorbike, passing
blurred golden wheat fields, his chuckles drowned out by the guttural groan of
his thrusting engine.

Malts: Pilsner, 2-row and
wheat 

Hops: Magnum and
Hallertau Blanc

Beer Review: Rhinegeist Crash

A look at one of my home area breweries has produced this
look at Crash from Rhinegeist Brewery. This American Pale Ale comes in with an
ABV of 5.4% and an IBU level of 44. It has been brewed to create what seems to
be a “crashing down” of hop flavors. Let’s see how it compares.

Commercial Description:

An
explosively hoppy pale ale, Crash combines potent aromatics of Azacca, Equinox
and Cascade hope to combust with tropicality, citrus, peach, tangelo &
papaya - a kinetic & delicious hop explosion.

Beer Review: Guinness Rye Pale Ale

Guinness is a name known throughout the world of beer, but
mainly for their varieties of stouts. But this review isn’t about those beers;
this is about their Guinness Rye Pale Ale. Yes, Guinness has joined the ranks
of providing a Pale Ale beer in what seems to be an effort to diversify their
offerings. This Rye Pale Ale comes in with an ABV of 5% and an IBU level of 18.
Let’s see how it compares.

Commercial Description:

Guinness Rye Pale ale is rustic ale with citrus notes and a
slight earthy, spicy character to the finish. The rye grain used in the brewing
process gives the ale a peppery bite that gets balanced nicely by the
grapefruit and citrus flavor from the Mosaic and Cascade hops.