Dogfish Head Obsession

I recently became infatuated with Dogfish Head beers. I've had a fair share of 60 Minute IPAs in the past, but at the Sun WineFest a few weekends ago I was able to sample a range of Dogfish Head beers and talk to the guy running their booth about the beers. So within the past few weeks, I have had been snatching up DFH wherever and whenever possible...a sixer of 60 Minute at Whole Foods...a serving of 120 Minute on draught down at Deep Ellum (which, at 20% ABV, will give you a swift kick for sure). And this week, a lovely lady was kind enough to bestow me with a pack of 90 Minute IPAs for my birthday.

I actually can't remember the last time I was able to appreciate a range of beers so much (namely, the 60, 90 and 120). You can taste the similarities between each upon the first taste, but they have their own complexities which make them so damn good and unique. As I right this I am wishing I had a bottle of each in front of me, but the 90 Minute has gone far beyond filling my needs for a delicious brew.


The beer pours amber/gold and rather clear (clearer than I expected), with nice head retention and solid lacing from start to finish. The taste and smell of this beer is pretty complex, with hops evident up front. Upon tasting, vanilla extract seems to come out first, and a trailing taste of licorice finishes. Ticking in at 9% ABV, it is on the boozey side, however the potency doesn't come through too much while drinking. More than the alcohol, the hops will be element that keeps reminding you of what you're drinking. If you are into IPAs I would definitely recommend this beer (and of course the 60 Minute). Since it is an Imperial IPA aka Double IPA, it is on the more potent side, but the drinkability is so good it really is tough to pass up.

Timothy Taylor's Landlord Ale

During a summer trip to Yorkshire, I can remember driving through villages looking for this one pub that served a beer my Dad kept calling 'Timmy Taylor's.' He would obsess over this beer. Being young at the time, I wasn't too interested in crazy British beer so I didn't think much of it. The young really are foolish.

This is probably the best session beer, if not one of the better beers, I've had. Timothy Taylor's Landlord culminates all that is a great, true British beer. The Timothy Taylor brewery makes five or six different varieties of beer (including a bitter), but the Landlord is known as the bread and butter of the lot. Served as cask-conditioned, the feel and overall sensation of the beer is amazing. Unfortunately, you won't be finding any Landlord on cask in the U.S....actually it will be hard enough to find a bottle. My reason for writing this was because I was able to bring a few bottles back on my most recent trip. Luckily they all survived, and were worth the extra weight in the suitcase. Although the bottled version of the beer doesn't taste as good or have the same smooth feel as the cask, it is still a worthy ale.

Beer Review: Otter Head

I picked up a bottle of this from Blanchard's.They had two beers from Otter Brewery, the Otter Head and the Otter Ale.

I was honestly caught a little off guard from the Otter Head, but it is by no means a bad beer; it is actually pretty tasty. I think I was expecting something a little different from this English strong ale. The beer pours an amber, brownish-red color with a "murky" finish once settled. There also wasn't much of a head to the beer , which works with the thinner feel the beer had.


There was definitely the taste of the barley wine, and the taste stays in the mouth a good time after. At 5.8% it is the strongest beer that Otter Brewery produces. The taste of the alcohol is there, but not overwhelming; a very drinkable brew...could be dangerous on draught. I would order the Otter Head if I saw it on draught. Would I buy it from the store again? Sure, it might make a good fallback brew. And I definitely want to try the Otter Brewery Bitter.

Cheers!

Orlio Organic Common Ale

"Tastes like beer." - Jordan

That pretty much sums up Orlio Organic Common Ale. But I guess that's the point right? I mean with a name like Common Ale you probably can't expect something too amazing, organic or not. We needed some beer as our stock was running pretty low (a lonely Dale's Pale Ale and some Bud Light made the fridge look meager), so we grabbed a variety of brews from Blanchards. I decided to go for a sixer of some organic beer, and the label on the Orlio stood out.

At first the Common Ale reminded me of a simple American beer like a Budweiser or something, but with a little extra flavor towards the end. For an ale I was really expecting something with more taste, and maybe for it to be a little more bitter. But the more I drank it, the more I enjoyed it, something I was not expecting to experience after the first taste. I haven't had many steam beers besides Anchor Steam varieties, but the similar taste is there.

Would I buy it again? Maybe if the price was lower; at $9.99 for a six pack the Common Ale is definately not priced as one. I suppose that's due to the "organicness" of the beer. But at $10 for 6 I can't help but explore other (more inspiring) options.

Cheers!

Oakham Ales Bishops Farewell

Being a fan of English bitter ales and in particular Oakham Ales Jeffrey Hudson bitter, I had a feeling I was going to love this ESB. Just like the Jeffrey Hudson, the Bishops Farewell was served on cask at Deep Ellum. I am confident in saying that is one of the reasons this beer tastes so damn amazing. The Bishops Farewell, although a similar type of bitter, tastes and looks quite a bit different than the Jeffrey Hudson. It pours a lighter golden color and has a fruity, "flowery" taste. I wouldn't have guessed it from the taste, but being an ESB the Bishops Farewell is a little stronger than the Jeffrey Hudson.

With the thoughts of both Oakham Ales, I wondered if it would be possible to visit the brewery soon. I am heading over to my parents house near Cambridge, UK in May, and it turns out the brewery is only about an hour away!


Don't worry, there will be plenty of photos after that trip...

Cheers!

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier

I'm not a big drinker of wheat beers...in fact I can't think of a time when I've gone out of the way to really drink one. I'll have a UFO or a random one down at Deep Ellum from time to time, but that's about it. On a recent trip down to Blanchard's I decided to have a go and went for the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier. The Weihenstephaner Brewery (that's the English site right there, helping you out) is the oldest existing brewery in the world, producing delicious beers since mid 700 A.D. So when I saw a bottle of the Hefeweissbier with the label stating "Oldest Brewery in the World," I had to try it out.


The Hefeweissbier pours a deep orange color with a light, airy head. Taking my small amount of knowledge with wheat beers, the Hefeweissbier tastes like a genuine wheat beer. It definitely has a light earthy taste to it, and alcohol doesn't seem to come on until the end, and even then it isn't very pungent. For a beer that I typically don't drink, I did enjoy it. Would I order one at a bar? Probably not, but that's just because it isn't my style. However, if you like hefeweizens and other wheat beers, I would definitely try the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, because it is one of the better ones I've had.

Cheers!

Sixpoint Craft Ales

I had only become aware of Sixpoint Craft Ales recently on a trip to The Publick House. They had made Sixpoint Ales it's own section on the beer menu, so I figured it had to be something special. Being the curious person that I am, I asked what the deal was with this brewery...apparently its tough to come by, so when its around they love it. The Sixpoint brewery is located down in Brooklyn, New York City. I had a couple pints of the Sweet Action, which is a blonde ale. After the first sip I knew why they made such a big deal out of this beer, it's amazing. I also had a taste of the Sixpoint Brownstone; I typically don't drink brown ales but it was also pretty tasty.

About a week later I went back to The Publick House, hoping I would be able to have a few more pints of the Sweet Action, but it just so happens they were already out...booo. I figured that I wasn't going to be tasting a Sixpoint brew for a while, but leave it to Deep Ellum to pull one out of the woodworks. Jordan and I made it down to Deep Ellum a couple days and there on the beer menu was the Six Point Bengali, the Sixpoint IPA. I was only able to have a pint of the Bengali, but it's a great IPA.

If you see any Sixpoint brews at a bar I would suggest grabbing one...you may have a hard time finding another.

Cheers!

A Case of Yuengling!

Beer is a great gift, there is no denying that...especially if it's a beer that you hardly ever get to drink. My lovely girlfriend Leslie was kind enough to bring back a 12-pack of Yuengling bottles from her trip to upstate New York. Yeungling is a great American lager, brewed down in PA and can only be found in a few states.


For a lager, Yuengling pours pretty dark and has a nice thick head. In my opinion, it is one of the best American lagers, especially when compared to Budweiser or Coors beers. I really wish we could buy Yuengling at more liquor stores around Boston, or even get it on draught. If anybody knows where I can pick some up around Boston in the future, let me know.

Cheers!

Living the High Life

As my love for great beer has grown, I've also realized how much I have underestimated a great American beer...Miller High Life. I honestly had never even had this beer before until a few months ago. Good ol' Green Briar in Brighton serves a bucket of the champagne, and that was my first experience. So now every once in a while at Deep Ellum I'll have a bottle of it too. And I love it...it tastes better than Miller Lite, and has some actual flavor compared to light beers like Bud Light and Coors Light. And what's better is that the stuff is even cheaper that the other light beers! The High Life bottle is actually a pretty cool design too.


Now, go ask my roommate if he'd like a High Life. He'd probably say something along the lines of "Get that shit out of my face" blah blah blah...actually I know a few people who would say that. BUT I DONT CARE!! I stand by my new found love of the Champagne of Beers; Miller High Life.

Cheers!

Beer Review: Dale's Pale Ale

What comes to mind when you hear "canned beer"? Cheap, watery, college...uncomfortable mornings? Maybe all of the above. However, there is hope for the canned beer, as I found out last weekend at the Mohegan Sun 2008 WineFest. Dale's Pale Ale is brewed by the Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, Colorado, and is by far the best canned beer I have ever had. Somehow they have managed to rid every negative taste from a canned beer and bring forward all the taste of a well brewed pale ale.


But why the can over the bottle? For those too lazy to read through their website, they list a few reasons, all of which seem to make sense. New aluminum cans are coated inside with a water-based coating so the beer and metal never touch; the can protects the beer from oxygen and light, both of which can lead to a nicely skunked beer; and cans are always a better choice for outdoor festivities.

For a list of bars and liquor stores that carry Dale's Pale Ale click here. Personally, I will be running down to Marty's on the corner of Harvard Ave. and Commonwealth Ave. to pick up a case.

Cheers!

Beer Review: Harpoon Munich Dark Ale

Being from Boston, Harpoon is a popular beer in a lot of the bars in the area. We've been to the Harpoon brewery for some festivals and I get the IPA at bars from time to time, but never get the stuff on cask. Leave it to Deep Ellum to have this delicious brew available as their cask.

Now I hadn't had this beer before, even out of a bottle or regular draught, so I can't compare the bottle to cask in this beer review. The beer is medium bodied, very dark in color, and has a smooth taste. The head on the beer seemed to stay intact the whole time, always a nice treat. It wasn't a beer that I would order time and time again, however it was definately one of the better beers that I have had from the Deep Ellum cask. The Munich Dark Ale is great for the cold winter nights we get up here in Boston...which is probably why I went down two days later it was already gone :(. Damn New England weather.

Cheers!