Lager of the Lakes from Bell’s Brewery is a Pilsner style beer that comes in at an even 5% ABV. This Michigan beer provided a nice appearance with its hazy golden straw color and white foamy head, although the head did dissipate at a pretty quick rate. Carbonation was deceiving for the appearance whereas it didn’t look as lively although the taste did confirm that it was. Not over carbonated, but lively enough to let me know it was there as it sat on my palate, before the journey it would take down my gullet. Both aroma and taste were somewhat pleasant on this one, nothing to knock me back but enough for me to enjoy. As with a majority of lagers that I have sampled, yeasty on the aroma but not overly and unlike some of them, a nice pick up of the hops on the back end. These hops also transferred well into the taste which did have a nice pop of flavor as the beer provided a medium body experience. There was some thinness in the texture, but that was expected. Overall, I think it is a decent beer that will work well for many on a warm or hot day. My Untappd rating on Lager of The Lakes was a solid 3.25 out of 5.
Following in the tradition of Czech Pilsners by offering a combination of firm malt and herbal hop bitterness, Bell’s Lager Beer is as refreshing and crisp as a swim in the Great Lakes.
This is a quick minute look at the Apollo Hop which is a hop that many use for bittering, and is also a hop that stores well due to its durability and high alpha value. It is mainly used for Pale Ale style beers including Pale Ales, Extra pale Ales and IPAs. This is due to its range of Alpha Acids being from 15% to 19%, making it great for bittering beer. But done right and late in a boil it can also be used to add flavors as the aromas often noted are citrus, grapefruit, orange, pone, resin and cannabis. This is a nice versatile hop indeed for those that want that bite.
I had a chance to catch up with Randy Schiltz who is owner and brewmaster for Wooden Cask Brewing Company here in Newport, Kentucky. He and his wife Karen had invited me to come by to check out their new release of Corruption which will be released on Saturday, June 17th. This video is our discussion around the beer and some of the other happenings at Wooden Cask, as well as some discussion around the craft brewing industry.
As for the beer itself, Corruption is a barrel aged version of Reformation which is Wooden Cask’s Scottish Ale. This version will be offered at an ABV of 10.2% and will be offered on draft or in bottles. You can see my take on this beer in the video but to give you a short synopsis, the beer is very smooth and does well providing good tones in both the aroma and taste. The beer was well blended and the tastes of vanilla and chocolate come out very easily. It isn’t overdone in any way and for me; it left a smooth and tasty experience. This one will be a dangerous one for some. I will provide a more in depth separate review as well, but you will be able to see much of those notes here too.
Disclaimer: Beer was provided by Wooden Cask Brewing for this sneak peek release and opinions are that of my own and in no way influenced by the receiving of the beer in this preview. I stand by all comments made.
The Censored Rich Copper Ale from Lagunitas is an American Amber Red Ale with an ABV of 6.7% and IBU of 39. It was also the subject of my latest beerventure which you can see here. Pouring a nice coper color this ale did lead with a nice malt flavor, and the taste received was somewhat smooth. However, overall it didn’t do too much for me to really stand out but was still solid enough as a good beer. My Untappd rating for this one was 3.25, and feel free to check out my video here for further details.
Brewer Notes:
Malty, Roasty, and Deceptively Smooth
This Amber-esque ale gets more of a cocoa-toasty flavor from the use of chocolate malts.
ABV: 6.70
IBU: 39
O.G.: 1.06
Availability: Unlimited Release
Introduced: 2001
Pair With: Kronik Chili with four fried chickens…and dry white toast
Originally called the Kronik, this beer was censored by the federal label-approving agency, the BATF -- they claimed the word had some sort of Marijuana reference. We slapped a "Censored" sticker on it as a joke and they accepted it. Check out the UPC code...
With a name so scandalous we couldn’t put it on a beer label... the (Censored) Ale is a Malty, Roasty, & Deceptively Smooth, Rich Copper Ale that tackles dry mouth… Take a tech-taste in, #MouthFeels: Censored. Cheers!
On a whim I decided to pick up Mysterium from DuClaw Brewing during a beer run, and I have to admit that I am glad that I did. For one the beer itself is a limited release offering so it’s a matter of getting it when once can. But away from that, the beer itself did provide some great aroma and flavors that were unexpected. While the appearance was decent enough even with a reduced head, everything else delivered pretty well on this beer that has an ABV of 5% and IBU level of a smooth 21. The beer just blended together very nicely and while I had no idea of what is cardamom, I didn’t care. By the end it was like cranberries and gingerbread, and provided an overall good experience. My Untappd rating on this one was a 3.5 and check out my YouTube video to see more.
Brewer Notes:
This mystical, medium-bodied, 5% ABV, light amber Belgian Spiced Ale features subtle malt and hop profiles that compliment its complex and spicy blend of flavors. Chamomile, grains of paradise, cardamom and phenols (fruit flavors) produced by a special strain of Belgian yeast combine to make this ale a mystery, and a bottle, you’ll never want to get to the bottom of.
STYLE: Belgian Spiced Ale
COLOR: Light Amber
HOP VARIETY: Hallertau
GRAINS: Pale Malt, Dark Munich Malt and Flaked Rye
From Germany with love well actually from my buddy Gary, but either way the Weihenstephaner 1516 from Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan is a beer that I recently had the pleasure to enjoy as the subject of this latest beerventure. The Kellerbier itself has an ABV of 5.6% and an IBU of 25. As far as appearance this beer proved to pour a brilliant golden color, as far as aroma it offered great notes of fruit and as for taste, just a pure delight in my opinion as it was as smooth as could be. My Untappd rating for this one was an easy 4.5 and one that I will drink again at some point for sure. Check out my video here though to see my other thoughts.
Brewer Notes:
The Weihenstephaner 1516 is a bright amber colored cellar beer with a fruity-fresh hop flower, a full-bodied body and a pleasant caramel. In the brewing process of the 1516, the Braumeister have considered the traditional way of producing a marten beer. For example, the beer of dark Munich and bright Pilsner malt, combined with traditional Hallertauer hop varieties, such as the rare variety Hallertauer Record, matures long and cold in the historic vaulted cellars on the Weihenstephaner mountain and is not filtered before bottling. Due to the long storage, the bottom fermented yeast naturally settles on the ground and the beer thus obtains an opal opacity and a balanced taste.
Fits with grilled meats and fish, roasts, cheese as well as other hearty dishes.
The Weihenstephaner in 1516 was honored in honor of the 500-year Bavarian purity and is offered only seasonally, at the spring time.
Brewed with the centuries-long beer experience at the Weihenstephaner mountain.
