I went out on a beer run looking for something different and I thought have I had a Russian beer? And I couldn’t remember having such, so finding one became somewhat of a mission and that is how I ended up with this one. The Baltika #9 Extra is seen as a strong lager from the Baltika which is located in St. Petersburg, Russia and is exported to 40 countries around the world. It is part of the Carlsberg family of breweries so it is considered a macro brewery, which is something that I found out later but that’s okay. I am just happy that I was able to find one and look at giving it a try.
So let’s talk a little about this beer which comes in with an alcohol content of 8% ABV. The beer pours a nice golden straw color capped by a decent white inch and a half head, although it did dissipate quickly. Clarity was very nice as the carbonation streamed nicely up the glass and as far as aroma; the notes of the sweet malt climbed out of the glass with ease and was able to provide nice aromatics of the barley used with a hint of the hops on the back end.
Taste on the beer was also flavorful enough for a consistent enjoyment and for a higher alcohol content beer, it did provide a nice smoothness and a came across as a nice medium body beer. There was some breadiness of course, but it is a lager so that was also expected. Carbonation sat well and wasn’t over done which was nice as it left a good mouthfeel and a nice tingling in my cheeks.
So how was my score on this one overall? It received a decent and doable 74 out of 100.
Score Makeup:
Appearance – 10 out of 15
Aroma - 12 out of 15
Flavor – 11 out of 15
Palate – 11 out of 15
Overall – 30 out of 40
See my video review below to see the actual discussing of the beer in more detail…Cheers!
The Rally Drum Red Ale from Great Lakes Brewing is a May
offering that coincides nicely with the baseball season and is one that can be
enjoyed in the heat of summer or the game in a way that is as nicely balanced
as the hops and malts used. It definitely packs a nice bitter kick but is not
overly bitter and it swings away with some great hop and malt flavor.
Stats slide in on this beer at 5.8% ABV with an IBU of 45. It doesn’t carry any thinness and stands
sturdy in the box with its smoothed out texture. Lacing is good as a left
behind reminder of what was in the glass, although the duration of the flavor
will also serve as a nice reminder as well. Bang the drum for this one as Great
Lakes delivers once again with a solid hit of a beer.
Overall Score of this one totals a solid 88 out of 100 for me!
Score Makeup:
·Appearance – 12 out of 15
·Aroma – 13 out of 15
·Flavor - 13 out of 15
·Palate – 14 out of 15
·Overall – 36 out of 40
See my video review below to see the actual discussing of the
beer in more detail…Cheers!
Who doesn’t look good in a Tuxedo? By that thought process, if Tuxedo is on a beer then wouldn’t that follow the same thinking? I sure hope so as I decided to pick up the Pennsylvania Tuxedo from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery following this idea. I mean it is bold to put a Tuxedo on a beer, all dressed up like that I’m thinking this one may be tasty for sure. Noted as a Pale ale brewed with spruce tips, this fine looking beer comes on with an alcohol content of 8.5% and an IBU level of 50. And without further ado, let’s get this one undressed and see what it has to offer.
Grab a pint; click the video and join me while you “Get Your Beer On!” Cheers!
Moody Tongue is a microbrewery out of Chicago, Illinois and recently we have started to get some of their beers in our area; and with a name like Caramelized Chocolate Churro Baltic Porter, it was almost an automatic get in my cart as I saw this one on the shelf. Now granted, porters are usually a mix bag for me because of what I usually find in their thinness, but definitely wanted to give this one a shot to see how it delivers. The alcohol content on this one brings it in at an even 7% ABV, and looking forward to seeing how the Mexican cinnamon and Madagascar vanilla come together. Let’s see how it does.
Grab a pint; click the video and join me while you “Get Your Beer On!” Cheers!
The Red Velvet from the Ballast Point Brewing Company is one beer that I had saw numerous times but consistently just passed over in the past, this last time though I decided to call its number and give it a look. Now I am a fan of velvet cake so I am really interested to see how this beer plays out. Reviews I know have been mixed although I have tried to ignore many so that I am not biased by the opinions of others. The idea of beets being used in beer is not one that is all that appealing to me either, but I am willing to take the challenge so that you and others can know what to expect. The alcohol content for this nitro oatmeal stout is 5.5% ABV and IBU is 35, so let’s see how it does.
Grab a pint; click the video and join me while you “Get Your Beer On!” Cheers!
My pick up of what I can best describe as the ABInBev subsidiary brewery IPA variety pack led me to coming across this one from Goose Island Brewpubs and a subsidiary of Goose Island Beer Company. The Peach Fuzz IPA seems to be a limited as well as seasonal offering that uses peach puree in the fermenting process, and carries an alcohol content of 6.1% ABV. Outside of these little details not much else was readily found about this beer. It’s almost like a mystery, so cue the Scooby-Doo music and let’s see what’s hiding in this beer.
Grab a pint; click the video and join me while you “Get Your Beer On!” Cheers!
The final beer that I looked at from the 2017 Boston Beer Company’sSamuel Adams Summer Variety Pack was this one here, the Samuel AdamsHefeweizen. Coming in with an alcohol content of 5.4% ABV, I am hoping this one lives up to my expectation. A Hefeweizen done right can be a nice refreshing beer for sure and that is always welcomed. Described as one to be hazy which it should be from the wheat used, this is their take on the German style of beer. They note to expect aromas of clove and banana, along with a bready malt character. Yes indeed, this one sounds good to me thus far.
So with this all being said, you know what to do. Grab a pint, click the video below and join me to “Get Your Beer On!” Cheers!
The Samuel AdamsGolden Hour from Boston Beer Company is a Helles Lager that was part of the Summer Variety pack offering this year. The beer itself is of the Helles Lager style and is hopped with German Noble hops to add a spicy feel to the beer and to compliment the sweetness of the malt. Alcohol content for this one comes in at 5% and IBU is noted at 20, so there should also be a light crisp bite as well. It is a seasonal so it is only available for part of the year, and I am looking forward to tasting and see what this lager has to offer.
This all being said, you know what to do. Grab a pint, click the video shown below to see and hear my thoughts, and join me to “Get Your Beer On!” Cheers!
I have to admit that over time I have become more of a sour beer fan and as a part of the summer variety pack from Boston Beer Company this year, they included the Samuel Adams Berliner Weisse which carries an alcohol content of 4.8% ABV. A good Berliner Weisse is one really suited for a hot summer day with its refreshing quality and usually low ABV. Even 4.8% is a little high for this style which traditionally may be more down around the 3% area, but us Americans always like to step it up. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one looks, smells and most importantly tastes.
This all being said, you know what to do. Grab a pint, click the video shown below to see and hear my thoughts, and join me to “Get Your Beer On!” Cheers!
For me, one of the fun things about making road trips is also looking to locate beers that may be available in the area. Usually this deals with mainly craft beers, but occasionally I will also pick up “crafty” beers which are craft beers that are no longer recognized as such now based on the definition of the brewers association which has been the group tasked with setting the standards of defining craft beer. Their standards tend to be arbitrary to me, but it is what it is and people have to have something to follow for a somewhat definition. Anyway, let’s get back to the trip.
Because of the way that we have a three tier distribution system in the U.S. as it pertains to beer, it definitely pays to look for local beers when in different areas to see what may be being explored by brewers. There are so many factors that go into the making of a beer that one might be able to find a nice surprise when doing so. This is what I try to seek out, and this time my trip was to Charleston, West Virginia, so my wife and mother could visit family. After a little checking around I was able to find one store that had craft beers that seemed worth a trip. That blew my mind. I am used to having a bevy of choices, but markets do matter and this seemed to be a limited one. I guess I am just spoiled by what I have here in the Cincinnati area, and thank goodness I do.
Anyway, I ended up going out to a location called The Liquor Company which I was able to locate using Yelp, although the directions from my GPS were terrible. I had to pull over in a Taco Bell parking lot and call, and the guys there were helpful in me securing the proper route which I appreciated. Once there, I was able to locate where some bottles could be purchased individually, which is what I like to do. They did have some local six packs but just didn’t want to load up on those this time. The store is a decent store by the way, and the guys were quite helpful. Funny thing is though; it had a lot of space yet to be filled. I almost felt like I was standing in a flea market, but hey, there were deals to be had for sure which you can see by checking out my video below. Let me know what you think too. Did I find any of your favorites?
This all being said, you know what to do. Grab a pint, click the video and join me to “Get Your Beer On!” Cheers!
MadTree Brewing, another one of my great local Cincinnati breweries had recently released their Dreamsicle in cans for the first time a couple of months ago, and I happened to pick up one to actually give it a swirl. Now the funny thing about this beer is that it hadn’t been planned to do so previously, but credit an April fool’s joke gone wrong as to how this came to be. Dreamsicle was first introduced in 2014 and in previous years it was only served on tap. However, this past April a joke was made saying it was going to cans. However this was not the case, but the mention and strength of the crowd uproar was so strong that MadTree was pretty much pushed into canning it. And today, here we are with another addition to the canning line. This being said, never underestimate the power of the customers and the will of the people. Okay, so what about the beer.
Dreamsicle is a Kolsch that is highlighted in its flavor by tones of vanilla and orange, and reminiscent of those ice cream desserts that we remember as children. It has a light alcohol content of 4.7% ABV and a low smoothed out IBU of 11. I have had this previously on tap and I am just hoping the can keeps it just as delightful. Well, all this being said it’s time to see what this ale has to offer. So, you know what to do.
Grab a pint, click the video below, and join me to “Get Your Beer On!” Cheers!
