Let's Talk Goose Island The Muddy - Video Beer Review #373

From Goose Island Brewing Company comes The Muddy, an American Imperial Stout that comes in at an ABV of 9% that is brewed with licorice root to create what they describe as “Amplified Sweetness.” One thing I like about this beer off the bat is the presentation from the label. It tells you just about all that is needed including the type of glass to use, how to pour, production date and how long to expect it to be good. They take the time to really inform the drinker, but now onto the beer.

The beer pours out a nice jet black color and is topped with a nice tan head that starts with some good foaminess and rockiness, before it starts to break down and leave behind some lacing. Since there wasn’t any way to see the carbonation, let’s take a look at the aroma.

The aroma does take a good whiff to initially come out of the glass, but it does grow as the beer warms. There are some good notes of toffee and caramel that provide a nice sweetness for the beer. The malts used, play out nicely in this malt forward beer and at a point come across as a candy sweetness.

But what about the taste, well, the beer carries a low bitterness upfront and a nice smooth taste. There is a nice creaminess in the texture, which adds a nice feel. There is that taste of the licorice but it does play out well even for me, as I am not the biggest fan of licorice. The body is that of a full body on the beer making it one a little more fitting for the Fall and Winter seasons. As far as other key notes about the flavors, they tend to get around the mouth nicely and there is a nice long duration. This is one more beer that also would pair up nicely with a cigar.

All in all, this is a nice offering from Goose Island. The beer is carbonated well and carries a nice strong texture as well as a great mouthfeel. If you are looking for a beer, especially one that may be like a dessert beer, give this one a shot.

Let's Talk JosephsBrau Hefeweizen - Video Beer Review #372

Trader
Joe's is a neighborhood grocery store with amazing
food and drink from around the globe and around the corner. One of the
things they also bring to their stores is their own beer line from under the
name of JosephsBrau Brewing. This is a look at their Bavarian Style Hefeweizen
which comes in at an ABV of 5.3%.

The beer itself pours out a nice amber colored beer that
produces a nice sudsy head that sits slightly off-white, or as some may say,
bone-white. There was a chill haze shown on the beer, although it was possible
to see some of the lively carbonation that was taking place. And as the head
dissipated, there was some nice lacing that was left behind as well.

As far as the aroma, the beer was positioned to offer notes
of bubble gum and citrus. While I did sense some of the bubble gum, there did
seem to be a lack of the citrus. But, what I did receive were the notes of
clove and banana which did stand out as they should, and did provide a nice
aspect to the malt forwardness of the beer.

The taste did offer a nice initial flavor burst and also
brought with it a nice refreshing quality. The texture on this medium body beer
wasn’t as thin as expected, and offered a good sturdiness and avoided being
watery on the taste. It definitely comes across as a nice beer for a warm day
and can definitely go down easily with its sooth taste. And on the back end,
there wasn’t harshness and the carbonation sits nicely on the palate. One additional
note would be that it is good to also let it warm a little as you drink it; the
aromas and flavors due become enhanced along the way.

Overall, this beer is a great craft beer value for what you
get in relation to what you pay. I have had others that have cost more that
haven’t been as nice as what this one offers. Not all have worked out on these
value beers from JosephsBrau, but this one is worth picking up for sure.

Let's Talk Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald - Video Beer Review #371

From the Great Lakes Brewing Company located in Cleveland, Ohio, comes the Edmund Fitzgerald. This 6% ABV Porter is a regular core beer for Great Lakes and is also listed in the book, "1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die."

The beer pours out a near jet black color, and is accentuated by a tan or beige colored head. Almost without delay, aroma notes are detected coming out of the glass and are highlighted by the smell of chocolate and coffee notes up front, and a subtle hint of a caramel sweetness on the back along with an espresso quality.

The taste proves to be somewhat flavorful and robust, and there is a good hit of some bitterness up front, followed by a nice crispness on the back end break. The flavors do to tend to get around the mouth nicely, and one thing that I enjoyed was the bit of smokiness that was shown. There is a nice good length on the duration of the flavor, and not really any harshness on the finish. The carbonation sits well, and creates a great overall experience with this medium body beer.

Overall, the Edmund Fitzgerald does well as representation of the Porter style, and that smokiness mentioned also makes it nice as one to pair with a cigar. One thing to note though is to let it warm up for a few minutes, as you don’t want this one to be highly cold. Doing so will ensure better exposure from the aroma and taste. But, this is definitely one to give a try.

CBGW Talks Oktoberfest Beers

Well with Oktoberfest in full swing, what better way to enjoy then with a show discussing Oktoberfest beers? So, that's what we decided for this one. 

Let's Talk Anderson Valley Brother David's Triple - Video Beer Review #369

From California’s Anderson Valley Brewing Company comes the
Brother David’s Triple, this Abbey Style Ale comes in at a nice 10% ABV and
with a subdued IBU of 15. As a Belgian Triple, it does seem to do well with
paying homage to the style.

The color of the beer that is poured is a nice golden amber
color with a head that is white but dissipates in a rapid fashion. It is a
bottle conditioned beer as there are some pieces of yeast that you may notice
inside of the beer. Nothing to worry about there, but if you are not a fan then
just know to be cautious with your pour as you proceed with doing so. Also on
the appearance, there is a noticeable haze so clarity did not show to be as
great.

Turning to the aroma, I will start by saying that there is a
nice complexity. The notes of coriander, clove, and orange blossom all come
together to form a nice sweet smelling concoction. There are also some notes
that are reminiscent of honey. There is some breadiness as well in the aroma
from the yeast, but the hops definitely take a back seat.

As far as the taste, the initial flavor brings a nice burst
that gets all around the mouth and into the cheeks area. There is a slight
bitterness as well as a nice little spice kick from the hops, but it does
smooth out quickly and is followed up by what are a nice creaminess as well as
a crisp break on the back end. The texture is very sturdy and holds together
well in the beer, the carbonation is not too heavy, and the body is definitely
a full one.

All in all, this beer is a very good one across the board in
my opinion. It is one that you don’t want to rush through. Take your time with
it, relax with it, and put your feet up with it. This beer does also make a nice
pairing for a cigar.

Let's Talk Bitburger Premium Pils - Video Beer Review #368

From Germany comes the
Bitburger Premium Pils, a 4.8% German Pilsner that carries the namesake from
Bitburger Braugruppe. This Pilsner pours out a nice golden straw color beer
with just about excellent clarity. You easily see the bubbles just streaming to
the top to reach the White sudsy head that also reciprocates leaving some nice
lacing as it fades away. This beer is not only the top selling beer in Germany,
but it is also highlighted in the book, “1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You
Die.”

Despite the appearance
though and what is some pretty good carbonation, the aroma does leave a little
to be desired in my opinion. It has a little funkiness from the yeast, as you
pick up that horse blanket smell that crawls out of the glass. It is bready,
but there isn’t much more than that, as the hops are definitely subdued.

As far as the taste, there
is somewhat of an initial flavor burst, and there are crisp and refreshing
qualities that can make the beer seem somewhat decent on a hot day. The
duration of the flavor is about average and the carbonation is okay. But I
don’t see this light to medium body beer doing much to knock anyone back. Why
is it Germany’s number one beer? My guess is that as a macro beer, it may be
the cost of it. Like many we see here in America, some of the biggest sellers
are also the cheapest to buy. That shouldn’t be held against them, but I would
say to temper expectations.

All and all, it was okay.
But for me, it was not my cup of tea. Or, should I say mug of beer?