Minute Beer Buzz: The Saaz Hop

A quick minute look at the Saaz Hop which is a hop for adding flavor and aroma to beer, mainly used for pilsners.

Saugatuck Starburst Wheat | Craft Beer Review

Starburst Wheat is American Pale Ale from Saugatuck Brewing Company out of Michigan; it has an IBU level of 25 and an ABV of 5.1%. The style of Pale Wheat Ale is one that I have started to really enjoy as it adds additional hoppiness, and this one does a nice job of doing so. The ale is not overly bitter and delivers good flavor as well aroma due to the dry hopping used. If you like hoppy wheat ales then this is definitely one to try. My Untappd rating given for this one was 3.75 and check out my video review to see my other thoughts.

Brewer notes:

An explosion of tart, fruity flavors will erupt in your senses as you take your first sip of this perfectly balanced wheat beer. The sensation can only be matched by the brilliant aroma from dry hopping with massive amounts of Amarillo and Motueka hops.

ABV: 5.1%

IBU: 25

Malts: 2-Row, Wheat, Munich 10, Munich 60, Rice Hulls

Hops: Simcoe, Citra, Motueka, Amarillo

Availability: Year Round in 4 6-pack 12 oz bottles and 1/6 & 1/2 bbls.

Blue Point Hoptical Illusion | Crafty Beer Review

Hoptical Illusion is an American IPA offering from the Blue Point Brewing Company. Due to of course ownership and the accepted guidelines for craft beer, this one does fall outside of that due to the ownership. With that being said, this “crafty” beer does provide similar quality to some offered by some of the craft breweries. This 7% ABV and 70 IBU beer does possess the qualities of the style, although I did find it somewhat muted in respect to taste, flavor and aroma. My Untappd rating for this beer is 2.75 and check out my video here to see my other thoughts on this ale.

Brewer Notes:

To brew this award-winning well balanced IPA, we add plenty of hops five different ways. Adding it five ways allows the “Essence of the Hop” to really shine through and give Hoptical Illusion its signature resiny, citrus-burst punch. From aroma to first sip, this beer is sure to be one of your new favorites.

ABV: 7.0 IBU: 70 OG: 1.061 Availability: Year-Round

Minute Beer Buzz: The Warrior Hop

A quick minute look at the Warrior Hop which is a fine hop for bittering beer...

Great Lakes Oats MacDonald Pale Ale | Craft Beer Review

Oats MacDonald Pale Ale is one more offering from the Great Lakes Brewing Company, and I recently had a chance to check this one out as part of their fridge filler variety offering. This Pale Ale poured out a brilliant and vibrant golden color with a good amount of foaminess for the head. The aromas did provide some of the qualities of your usual pale ale, although this one was a little more malty than expected. Carrying a 5.7% ABV and 35 IBU, even the non-hop beer lover may be able to slide into this one as a transition to hoppier beers. If you have had Lake Erie Monster or Chillwave then I would consider this almost a lighter version of those. The beer was a solid one for me as I gave it a rating of a 4 on Untappd. You can see more of my opinion on this one by checking out my video below.

Brewer Notes:

E-I, E-I-O! With creamy oats here and citrus notes there, this smooth golden Pale Ale recalls the grain silos and rolling acres that line our Midwestern highways and byways.

FLAVOR: Fruity hop aromas roam free-range through a bountiful field of oats and golden malt

PACKAGING: Fridge Filler Variety Pack

ABV: 5.7%

IBU: 35

PAIRS WITH: Roast Chicken, English cheeses, and fields of gold

BEER AVAILABILITY: March

Great Lakes Lightkeeper | Craft Beer Review

The Lightkeeper from Great Lakes Brewing was one of their offerings of their fridge filler pack recently which I was able to pick up on a beer run. This was one of the four beers included and it is a Blonde Ale that carries an ABV of 6.6% along with an IBU of 30. The beer did pour a nice color and did have some good substance to it, but overall it didn’t do as much to really stand out and kind of sat as an average one for me. The flavors were okay but not very long lasting, and the aromas tended to also be faint. A bad beer by no means, but there was just not as much to it in my opinion which is why it may have been a part of a variety pack. My Untappd rating on this one was 3.25, and check out my video here to see the rest of my opinion on this beer.

Brewer Notes:

Inspired by Marblehead Lighthouse (the oldest operating on the Great Lakes) our Blonde Ale's effervescence is guided home by a shimmering beacon of dry and fruity hop flavors.

FLAVOR

Aglow with crisp hop aromas, an incandescent golden hue, and a smooth, navigable malt finish

PACKAGING: 12-pack cans

ABV: 6.6%

IBU: 30

PAIRS WITH: Salads, Sushi, and clear skies

BEER AVAILABILITY: March