Dayblazer, the easygoing ale from New Belgium is one of their more recent releases and I found this blonde ale to pretty much be just that. The beer for me proved to be light to medium in body and was able to be consumed rather easily. The ABV of this ale is 4.8% and with an IBU of 13, the beer was balanced well and pretty smooth. I found some of the tones in aroma and taste to be that of a citrus nature with this golden straw color beer, making it a nice one for spring and summer for sure. My Untappd rating for Dayblazer was a 3.5 and check out my video to see my other comments about this one from New Belgium.
Brewer Notes:
A deliciously refreshing golden ale, at 4.8% ABV, brewed with the finest malts and hops giving a sweet, crisp citrus finish with just a hint of honey. Available in 12-oz. and 24-oz. cans.
VISUAL Blond color with uniform medium haze. White foam and light lacing.
AROMA Low overall aroma built on malt in the form of corn chips, cereal, vanilla and honey; balanced with some flinty sulfitic, isoamyl acetate, and herbal grassy hop aroma.
FLAVOR Light initial sweetness followed by a subtle hop bitterness; neither overpower.
The Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing is a Belgian-Style Tripel and my latest beerventure. This Tripel has an ABV of 9.5% and IBU of 25, and carries the characteristics that we have come to know and love about Belgian ales. It poured a great golden color and the aromas jumped out of the glass highly reminiscent of what was expected. The taste proved to be smooth as the sweetness of the malts and was in good balance against the hops and the yeast, and had the little spice kick that is also common among this style of beer. This one was definitely a treat now as it was my past experiences. My Untappd rating on this one was a 4.25 and check out my video below to see more of my thoughts about this ale.
Brewer Notes:
Experience the sweet, sensual aromas and flavors of our famous Belgian-style tripel. Immerse yourself in rich notes of fruit and spice and savor its dry finish.
Nose is loaded with Belgian yeast character. Banana, clove, isoamyl. Body is equally fruity with light earthy hop character. Boozy with a dry finish.
Food Pairings
Sheeps' milk cheeses and seafood
Serving Suggestion
Serve at 45° F. Tilt bottle slowly into glass making certain that pour is sufficiently vigorous to raise a foamy head. Try to avoid pouring the last dregs as the yeast sediment is not the most favorable part of this beer. Savor the experience slowly as the ale warms.
Availability
Available year-round in 12 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans, and 750 ml caged-and-corked bottles as well as on draft.
The Prima Pils from Victory Brewing is a 5.3% ABV German Pilsner that I found to have nice crisp and refreshing quality. It poured out a nice golden color, although the head was a little lacking and thinner than expected. Aromas were decent and the hops balanced well as they were also able to be noted in the taste as well. My Untappd rating on this lager was a 3.5 and check out my video below if you would like to see more notes on this one.
Brewer Notes:
Prima! It’s a German exclamation of joy. It’s a recognition of accomplishment. It’s what escaped from our lips the first time we sampled this mighty pilsner recipe. With heaps of whole flower European hops and fine German malts, we achieved the bracing herbal bite and smooth malt flavor that we sought. Prima… an exclamation of Victory! Prost!
Loads of earthy, herbal noble hop character with subtle malt complexity in the aroma. Flavor is very hop forward with ample bitterness. Balanced malt and clean fermentation.
Food Pairings
Seafood, burgers and pizza
Serving Suggestion
Serve at 42 F pouring carefully. Drink quickly not allowing the beer to warm very much.
Availability
Available year-round in 12 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans and on draft.
Another beer and another beerventure as this time, I took a look at Blue Point Brewing’s Toasted Lager. This American amber red lager comes in at a decent 5.5% ABV and 28 IBU. Malt forward? Yes indeed it is, and the 6 malts used blend nicely forming a good malt backbone in balance with the hops. Refreshing and tasty for sure…in fact, toasted fits nicely in its name. The beer itself while not considered craft now based on the definition applied, is still a pretty good one in my opinion. Of course, we will see if this changes over time, but as for now I would say give it a try. My Untappd rating on this one was a 4.5 as it does well hitting the style for which it is aimed. Check out my video below if you would like to see more.
Brewer Notes:
Toasted Lager was originally named for the “toasted” characteristic of our original direct-fire brick kettle. Our World Beer Cup gold medal winning flagship brew is brewed with a blend of six specialty malts for a flavor as rich and unique as the town it’s from. Toasted Lager’s balanced flavor of malt and hops makes for easy drinking and our special proprietary lager yeast produces an exceptional, long-lasting smooth finish.
From Victory Brewing and the Blackboard Series comes their Cream Ale With Cold Brew Coffee (No. 5), cream ale infused with coffee. This coffee blonde brew comes in at an ABV of 6.5% along with 18 IBU, and the coffee aroma does dazzle nicely and the taste and flavor follows right along. This proved to a pretty solid beer overall for me and also poured nicely on the appearance. My Untappd rating on this one was 4.25 and it is one that I would definitely drink again. Check out my video here to see other characteristics that I liked about this one.
Brewer Notes:
Blackboard #5 – Cream Ale With Cold Brew Coffee. Fragrant coffee aromas surface from this smooth cream ale. Cold-Brewed coffee adds rich, roasty notes to this medium-bodied and effervescent brew.
Clean blonde brew, unassuming. Coffee aromatics surprises the nose. Smooth roasted flavor all derived from the addition of cold brewed coffee on a lightly bready base.
Availability
Available in 12 oz. bottles and on draft from February through May.
The Grandes Lagos from Great Lakes Brewing is a North American Adjunct Lager that is described by the brewery as a Mexican style lager that uses Hibiscus flowers in its brewing. The beer does pour out a brilliant color that I would best describe as pink or blush, and pretty wine like. Clarity is very nice on this one but as far as I know, all of the beers are at Great Lakes as they filter them all before going to bottle. Not too heavy at all, this 5.5% ABV beer is one definitely well suited for spring or summer as it doses deliver a nice refreshing quality. The head proved to be a little thinner than I expected but what wasn’t thin was the texture which was nice. While this one didn’t knock me back as much, it definitely has a spot to be enjoyed. My Untappd rating on this one for those that may be counting was a 3. Find out more of my thoughts on this beer by checking out the video here as well. Cheers!
Brewer Notes:
Colorful hibiscus flowers bloom against a picturesque malt backdrop in this refreshing cerveza from south of the border (of Canada, that is).
FLAVOR: A breezy getaway accented by beams of golden malt and a tart, pink-tinged hibiscus sunset
PACKAGING: 6-pack, 12-pack bottles, Draft
ABV: 5.4%
IBU: 20
PAIRS WITH: Shellfish, fruit desserts, and spring break
The Victory Headwaters Pale Ale from Victory Brewing out of Pennsylvania offers a decent American Pale Ale experience. My experience with this 5.2% ABV Pale Ale is that it poured out a nice golden straw amber color that while slightly hazy, did have somewhat of a brilliance about it. Through this veil of haze, I was able to notice the carbonation that was somewhat lively and lead up to a well-produced head that over time left some lacing behind as I consumed it. The aroma kicked out easily and well, providing those common notes of tropical and citrus. These were also able to be picked up in the taste as well, which also lead to a pleasurable mouthfeel.
This one definitely provided a full taste and although it was around sessionable level, there was no thinness about it. Carbonation worked well on my palate despite the liveliness seen in its appearance, and the bitterness was at a good level providing a nice smoothness. Taking this all into account and then matched with its nice duration, it was easy for me to score this as a 4 on Untappd and is definitely one that I would drink again. Check out me video below if you would like to see my full review. Cheers!
Brewer Notes:
Crisp and aromatic, this boldly-hopped American ale balances notes of citrus and tea-like earthiness from American hops with a subtle German malt base.
So I decided to make a beer run on my lunch break and thought once again, it would be fun to bring you guys along for the ride. So, here we go. D.E.P.’s in Fort Thomas, Kentucky is another one of the stores in my beer rotation and this one has proved to be more of a standout as it pertains to large close-out deals. There always seems to be some good choices and deals around, and it’s always fun to find them. Come along inside as I take a look! And if you are in the Cincinnati area then here is their website if you decide that you may want to visit: http://depsfinewine.com/.
The Samuel Adams Irish Red from Boston Beer Company was up next for my latest beerventure, and this Irish Red Ale comes in with a 5.8% ABV and 25 IBU. Out of the bottle it poured a great vibrant red color with great clarity. The aroma provided a nice sweetness along with some breadiness from the malts. But when it came time for the taste, it provide for me a slight medicine feel at points. It was very easy drinking though, but that aftertaste did linger at points. The texture was semi-dry with a slight watery effect on the back end in my opinion. This one while it wasn’t all bad, it didn’t really stand out in anyway. Even on the appearance and having the great color, the head seemed to be just way too thin for this one. Considering its appearance, aroma, flavor, palate and overall characteristics, I ended up scoring this one a 3.25 on Untappd. Have you had it yet? If so then tell me what you thought about as well and check out my video if you would like to see the video review of this one.
Brewer Notes:
This hearty brew is full of rich malty character inspired by the red ales of Ireland. We use caramel malts for a deep, smooth malt backbone and balance them with earthy English hops for a comforting and satisfying brew.
STYLE: Red Ale
AVAILABILITY: Year Round
HOP VARIETIES: Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble hops, East Kent Goldings, and Fuggles
MALT VARIETIES: Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend and Caramel 60
COLOR: Deep red, SRM: 30
ALC. BY VOL/WT: 5.8%ABV - 4.5% ABW
IBUs: 25
CALORIES: 190
From Spoetzl Brewery and the Shiner label comes the Cold Brew Coffee Ale, a 5% ABV and 15 IBU brew that is collaboration with one of the local coffee shops in Austin, Texas. Noticing this and my fondness of coffee, I decided to pick it up and give it a taste to see how well it was done. Check out my video here to see what I thought.
Brewer Notes:
For our 108th birthday, we’ve brewed up something special. Our first coffee ale, crafted in collaboration with Austin’s own Chameleon Cold-Brew, made with dark-roasted specialty malt and Chameleon’s beloved cold-brewed coffee, it’s sure to wake up your tastebuds. But it won’t be here forever, so pour yourself a fresh cup while you can.
Alltech Lexington Brewing out of Lexington, Kentucky had recently introduced their Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale and I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised as I sat down to get a taste. This 5.5% ABV cream ale has a nice smoothness to it and caused me to be reminded of the flavors from drinking cream sodas when younger; they really did do a good job on the style. And at 22 IBU it has a nice sweetness to it from the malts and it all tended to come together nicely in my opinion. The vanilla and bourbon come through nicely and for one that is not usually a cream ale fan, I would have no problem drinking more of these. In fact I did, but check out my video here to see my other thoughts on this beer that surprised me.
Brewer Notes:
A perfect blend of vanilla and bourbon notes make this cream ale irresistible.
Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale is our take on a classic American style of beer. We took a cold-conditioned cream ale, brewed with a hint of flaked corn and bourbon vanilla beans, and aged it in freshly decanted bourbon barrels for a minimum of two months. Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale's medium body and 5.5% ABV make it the perfect barrel-aged beer for an all day event.
