January 31, 2012
The Brü Revü – Lagunitas Our Own Bavarian-Style Doppelweizen
To start this is a different beer for Lagunitas as they always have a beer with big hops, or at least some form of their signature hops. Their DoppelWeizen is a double wheat beer or similar to a weizen bock which typically has little hop bitterness and is heavy on the malts and wheat profiles. The Lagunitas version was much a much lighter cloudy orange color. There were lots of bananas and cloves in the aroma and my first taste was amazing. I really love this style and there are few beers of the style available. Despite the light color the taste was very full and heavy on the caramel malt, banana, and wheat with lots of complexity that hid its high alcohol content well. I thought this was a fantastic beer and Lagunitas treated the style with respect.
January 30, 2012
South Austin Brewing Co. Grand Opening Party
Saturday, February 11, 2-7 PM
415 East St. Elmo, Unit 1D,
Austin TX 78745
(directly across from Music Lab)
From their website:
Please join us for authentic Austin music and the first opportunity to try our Belgian-style beer. Brewmaster Jordan Weeks will be on hand to give tours and talk about his specialty Belgian Style Golden Ale and Saison D’Austin. There will be souvenir tasting glasses and Tshirts for sale.
Live music is provided by The Everydudes. Yumé Burger, a new Austin food truck, will be on site vending freshly prepared meals. This will be a certified Green Event with 100% compostable recycling.
Spread the word, bring your 21-and-older friends, and come celebrate the craft beer resurgence in Austin!
The Brü Revü – Real Ale Lost Gold IPA
I have been waiting to try the Real Ale Lost Gold IPA for a while. I have a lot of respect for Real Ale as a local brewery and they have some truly fantastic beers such as the Devils Backbone and Pecan Porter. I had the Lost Gold on draught and it poured a golden amber. It is definitely a maltier IPA which gives it a good balance, but it could have used a bit more hops for my tastes. I don't mean to take away from the Lost Gold as it is a fine beer and a good local IPA option. Ultimately this is another great offering from Real Ale that is definitely worth your time and taste-buds.
Look a picture from an actual bar! Not my kitchen or backyard!
Look a picture from an actual bar! Not my kitchen or backyard!
January 27, 2012
The Brü Revü – The Lost Abbey Judgment Day
The Lost Abbey Judgment Day is another San Diego beer that I had been saving in my fridge, and another great beer that is not available in Texas. I bought a small 12 oz bottle that was corked which was a nice touch. The Judgment Day is a Belgian style Quadrupel and I could tell it was a big beer from the moment I popped the cork. There were strong Belgian aromas as I poured this dark brown cloudy beer that had lots of gorgeous settlement. This was a thick brew with very strong raisin, caramel and burnt sugar flavors with a slight bitter alcohol finish. This is a great American interpretation of a Belgian style and its obvious The Lost Abbey knows what they are doing. It’s a shame I only brought back one sample of their lineup and that you cannot get their great beers in Texas.
January 26, 2012
The Brü Revü – Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
The legendary Young's Double Chocolate Stout has always been a favorite of mine. The name lets you know what you are in for and it doesn't disappoint. It pours pitch black with little to no head, but I had it in a bottle and not the draft can which would give it a nice creamy head. There is a chocolate aroma and a taste almost of chocolate milk but with a slight bitterness in the end. The bitterness lingers on the palate to give it a dark chocolate finish and keep it from being overly sweet. The bottle is not as creamy as on draft or out of the draft can, but it is still a great beer. Everyone should be sure to try this legendary brew and you will keep coming back for more.
January 25, 2012
The Brü Revü – Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
Can Dale’s Pale Ale be the best craft brewed beer in a can? I haven’t tried them all, and I know Oskar Blues has several other canned options that look great, but Dale’s Pale Ale is one of the best beers I have had in a can and rivals some of the best bottled Pale Ales. There are lots of hops in this one that pushes it on the verge of IPA territory. Dale’s Pale Ale maintains a nice hop presence while staying fresh and highly satisfying. Definitely a pale ale for a hop head, and maybe too much hops for someone looking for a milder pale ale. I really enjoyed this one and canned beer or no canned beer; this is a fantastic pale ale!
January 24, 2012
The Brü Revü – Real Ale Coffee Porter
Real Ale's Coffee Porter is one of their seasonal offerings that is brewed with Ruta Maya shade grown organic coffee. It pours an opaque black with a small tan head and an aroma of chocolate and coffee. The taste has a nice hint of coffee with some chocolate and roasted malt. The coffee is subtle and adds a nice smooth balance to the porter. This is a highly drinkable beer from Real Ale that exhibits depth and complexity. The coffee porter is a top notch beer from a great local brewery.
January 23, 2012
The Brü Revü – North Coast PranQster
PranQster is a Belgian Style Golden Ale and another fantastic offering from North Coast. These guys really have their act together as I struggle to find a beer of theirs I do not like. It’s a Belgian Style so right off the bat it was going to be hard to disappoint. It poured a honey gold color with a nice head and that signature Belgian yeast aroma. The taste was of sweet malt and a slight citrus tang with the Belgian yeast clove and banana. The PranQster was a delicious beer that satisfied all my Belgian beer tastes. I highly recommend it for anyone with a love for Belgian style beers.
January 20, 2012
The Brü Revü – Port Brewing Old Viscosity
Old Viscosity from Port Brewing is another San Diego beer that I brought back from our vacation. The Old Viscosity is described as an American Strong Ale and I can't think of a better way to describe it. Wow, this was a big one! It pours like used motor oil, dark and thick with a large tan head. I let it sit and warm a bit and the aroma sent notes of sweet malts, vanilla and booze. The taste was like a huge barely wine brewed with loads of chocolate malts and notes of vanilla, dark chocolate, a bit of coffee, and booze. You can taste the oak barrel aging and it gives it some nice depth and a really smooth character. The Old Viscosity is a big and bold exceptional beer that is something really special. It’s too bad it's not available in Texas as I would be sure to always have one in my fridge.
January 19, 2012
The Brü Revü – Independence Brewing Convict Hill Imperial Oatmeal Stout
The first time I tried the Convict Hill Imperial Oatmeal Stout was at one of the Independence Brewing open houses. It was a really hot summer day, and for whatever reason the keg was dishing out a lot of foam, but I found the stout to be really refreshing and fantastic. I had to follow that up with their bottled offering to see how it fared, and it was still great. It pours a thick black with a nice tan head with hints of chocolate in the aroma. The taste is of dark chocolate malts and oats with a slight sweetness on the back-end. It is a very smooth medium bodied stout that is excellently balanced. It clocks in at above 9% ABV and you can barely tell. This is a very high quality local Oatmeal Stout from Independence Brewing.
January 18, 2012
The Brü Revü – Lagunitas Lucky 13.alt
A simple review would be to say the Lucky 13.alt is another excellent Lagunitas beer with the trademark big hops with a touch of sweetness, but that’s too easy. The Lagunitas Lucky 13.alt is an alternative take on their Lucky 13 Imperial Red Ale that pours a dark dirty blonde with plenty of hops in the aroma. The initial taste was like biting into a big juicy grapefruit that kept my mouth watering and wanting more. There was a light malt on the end that adds a lingering sweetness, but it was the big sweet grapefruit flavors that kept me coming back. The Lucky 13.alt is a seasonal offering that is only available for a short time and it’s easy for me to end this with “another excellent Lagunitas beer”.
January 17, 2012
The Brü Revü – North Coast Brother Thelonious
North Coast Brewing Company is another great brewery from the West Coast and their Brother Thelonious is an outstanding Belgian Style Abbey Ale. It pours a dark brown and amber with a nice creamy head. The aroma is a dense, spicy dark fruit that give you a hint of what your tastebuds are in for. The taste is a very deep and intense spiceness that exudes the Belgian yeast flavors with a sweet caramel and molasses. Brother Thelonious is very complex from the banana and bubble gum flavors of the Belgian yeast to the spicier and sweet dark fruit. I really enjoyed this beer and for an American version of a Belgian Abbey Style Ale it is fantastic. It is thick and complex and gives you a lot to chew on while taking your taste buds for a ride.
January 16, 2012
The Brü Revü – New Belgium Belgo IPA
The Belgo IPA is a newer addition to New Belgium’s regular line-up via the explorer series, and began as one of their Lips of Faith beers. The Belgo is a Belgian Style IPA that poured a dark gold with a white head. I let it sit and warm to allow all of the flavors and aromas to reveal themselves. You get the signature Belgian yeast aroma of sweet cloves and bananas with a bit of hops as well. The taste was complex with the Belgian yeast hitting you first with the bitter hops on the back end. The mouthfeel was creamy smooth on this well balanced beer which made the Belgo dangerously easy to drink considering its 8% ABV. This was a different but fantastic beer and a great addition to the New Belgium line up.
January 13, 2012
The Brü Revü – Lagunitas Censored (Kronik) Rich Copper Ale
I am way behind on my beer review postings as I have photos and reviews that are now months old. In an effort to catch up I am going to try to post a review a day amongst other things…. enjoy!
The Censored Rich Copper Ale is just that, Copper. This is Lagunitas’ version of an Amber and it pours a nice deep copper color with a significant creamy head. Lagunitas has dialed back the hops a bit with a much maltier profile that exudes caramel, toffee, and rum. There are the signature hops on the back end to leave you with a slightly bitter finish, because this is Lagunitas after all. I am having trouble finding a bad Lagunitas beer and each new offering I try keeps leaving me impressed. This is a brewery and a beer I can easily recommend.
January 12, 2012
The Brü Revü – Rochefort Trappistes 8
Rochefort is back in Texas! This may not be big news to some, but it hasn’t been available here for several years. Now it is officially back. My dad picked up some of the Rochefort 8 and was nice enough to let me try one. This is a step down from their 10, but it was still phenomenal. It poured an opaque brown with a decent head and lots of spices, sweet malts, and caramel in the aroma. The taste was deep and complex, while not as intense as its bigger brother it was still big and bold. The 8 is still ranked as one of the best beers in the world and it was mmm mmm good. It’s great to have it back in Texas.
January 9, 2012
The Brü Revü – Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale is one of the few Christmas/Holiday beers that I look forward to each year. It is an IPA that is a “Fresh Hop Ale” which means it is brewed with the first, fresh hops of the growing season. It pours a deep amber color with a good sized head and loads of floral hop aroma. The taste is big hops with a slight malty backbone, but mainly the big piney hops. While it leaves a lingering bitter pine finish, and I lean towards the more citrusy hops, I found this Celebration Ale nicely balanced and very drinkable. It’s a shame I will have to wait until next year to get more!
January 6, 2012
Beer Bums Meeting – January 2012 – Favorite Beers of 2011
For this meeting we brought our favorite beers from 2011. Maybe a beer we tried for the first time and really loved, or one we just couldn’t stop drinking, etc. It was a great collection for the month and a wide variety. It was hard to pick a favorite, but the Trois Pistoles and Leviathan were really tasty!
Next Month, February – Uncle Billy’s BBQ Tour and Tasting?
Next Month, February – Uncle Billy’s BBQ Tour and Tasting?
January 5, 2012
The Brü Revü – BJ’s Brewhouse Grand Cru
I was in Clear Lake (one of many Suburbs of Houston) over the Holidays and on a brief respite from all the chaos my wife and I made an escape to BJ’s. BJ’s Brewhouse is a chain brew pub that makes decent beer and has several good beers on draught besides their own house brews. I also knew that over the Holidays they have their seasonal Grand Cru which is one of their best beers. Their Grand Cru is a Belgian style that reminds me fondly of the old Austin, Celis Brewery Grand Cru from back in the day. The beer came to me looking a little over carbonated but a nice golden color with plenty of the fruity Belgian esters. It was a very nice smooth and slightly sweet brew with enough bitterness on the end to keep it highly satisfying. It hides its high alcohol content very well and with one down I easily wanted another. Alas, it was back to the chaos! I recommend you make it to your local BJs while the Grand Cru is still in season, you will not be dissapointed.
January 3, 2012
Pint Glass Nights - January
Misc. pint glass nights around Austin for January. Buy the beer, keep the glass.
Gingerman – Mondays, at 6 PM
Jan. 02 New Belgium Snow Day
Jan. 09 St. Arnold Santo
Jan. 16 Rahr Winter Warmer
Jan. 23 Oskar Blues
Jan. 30 Avery
Draft Pick – Tuesdays, at 6:30 PM
Check their calendar for glass updates
The Tavern – Tuesdays
Check their facebook page for glass updates
Zax Pints and Plates – Wednesdays, at 6 PM
Jan. 04 Sierra Nevada Celebration
Jan. 11 Oskar Blues Brewing
Jan. 18 St. Arnold Winter Stout
Jan. 25 Duvel
Flying Saucer - Wednesdays, at 7 PM
Jan. 04 Houblon Chouffe
Jan. 11 Kostritzer Schwarzbier
Jan. 18 Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
Jan. 25 Breckenridge 471 IPA
Draught House – Wednesdays
Check their twitter page for glass updates
January 1, 2012
The Brü Revü – Alesmith Speedway Stout
The Alesmith Speedway Stout is an Imperial Stout brewed with coffee beans and is in the top 10 best beers in the world in many "best beer" rankings. That is some good company and speaks to the high level of quality that Alesmith consistently delivers. I made sure to bring a Speedway Stout back with me from San Diego and it had been "aging" in my fridge for about 6 months. I figured Christmas Day was a good enough reason to pop open the Speedway Stout and give it a try. The beer poured a pitch black with practically zero head. The aroma was of coffee (of course), dark chocolate, and vanilla. The first taste was stronger coffee and chocolate which mellowed and became much smoother and decadent as it warmed. The Speedway Stout clocks in at a 12% ABV so by the time I finished my first glass I though this was easily the best beer on the planet! In retrospect I would put it up there with some of the best beers in the world, but to call it the best is more a matter of taste and mood. This was a truly great beer that I was happy to get the opportunity to try. It's a shame we cannot get it in Texas as I would love to drink more of this world class beer.
Alesmith Speedway Stout
Alesmith Speedway Stout
