The Brü Revü – Baltika 6 Porter

I have often seen the inexpensive Baltika beers at the store and viewed them as a cheap higher alcohol beer with not much to offer.  A friend turned me on to the Baltika 6 a told me that it is actually a really good porter and one they covet.  I figured for two bucks it was worth a try!  The Baltika 6 is a Baltic Porter which are typically strong and sweet and the 6 is no exception.  It poured a dark brown to black with a thin tan head.  The first taste was instantly molasses, dark and sweet.  The sweetness remained as it warmed, but the molasses relaxed a bit with a fuller malt profile.  Overall was impressed with the Baltika 6 and will pick one up every now and then although I am still afraid to try to rest of their line-up!

Baltika 6 Porter

The Brü Revü – Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

The Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA was my gateway IPA.  Up until then I liked the smoother maltier beers and was not much into the bitter hops.  I was slowly coming around to a hop headed love affair when I bought a case of the 60 Min. at CostCo and never looked back.  The IPA poured a golden orange with an off white head.  There were plenty of citrus notes in the aroma that followed through to the taste.  The hoppy flavors were well balanced with a malty backbone which could explain my ease into this IPA.  The citrusy hops began my passion and the creamy mouthfeel kept me coming back.  After trying many other IPA's I still find the Dogfish 60 Minute IPA is a great IPA and perfect standard bearer for the style.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Beer and SXSW 2012

SXSW 2012 has come and gone and I saw some great bands and had a fantastic time. In the world of beer SX can be a bit of a challenge. Spending $4 on a Lone Star (that was $2 just a day before) can get tough to swallow.  While I don't mind a Lone Star, drinking them all day can wreak havoc on my head and stomach. Luckily we were able to find some decent and surprisingly great beers during our forays into the trendy hipsterville of our live music capital.  Day one I was saved by a Real Ale Firemans #4 on draft no less.  After several Lone Stars, the Fireman’s 4 was sweet relief for my palate.  In addition, they had Strongbow Cider in a can which was perfect for my better half who can’t drink beer as she is gluten free. The best find was on day two when the venue had a “Belgian Beer” in a bottle that simply said Omer. It was a Bockor Omer Traditional Blond which I had never seen before.  It is a Strong Belgian beer at 8% abv and was a shock to my beer senses.  It was full bodied with a high level of complexity and all the kids were drinking it down.  I hope to find this one again so I can enjoy it again, but I am having trouble.  All that said, while you can easily enjoy a Lone Star or 4 while at SXSW, if you are lucky you can find a beer oasis in the desert of big budget brewery beers.

Real Ale Firemans #4
Bockor Omer Traditional Blond
Strongbow Cider

Firemans #4, Strongbow, and Cloud Nothings....  Cheers!  Cloud Nothings were great BTW,














Are you staring at my Omer?

Beer Bums Meeting – March 2012 – Circle Brewing’s 1 Year Anniversary

For March meeting we attended Circle Brewing’s 1 year anniversary.  We were able to taste most of their beers with the standouts being their Hefe, Nightlight Stout and my personal favorite which was the Epic Hop Bock.  The rest of their beers had very similar flavors and profiles to me and nothing really stood out.  According to their blackboard they follow the German Purity Law in their brewing using only Water, Hops, Grain and Yeast.  Their Blur Texas Hefe had a really strong banana and bubble gum yeast flavor that asserted itself on the nose and taste.  It was a great example of a German style hefeweizen and was easy to drink. The Nightlight Irish Stout was very tasty as well with a nice smooth flavor with just a hint of roasted chocolate.  The highlight for me was the Epic Hop Bock which is their version of a hellerbock.  It was very similar to the Rogue Dead Guy Ale, but maybe with slightly more hop bitterness.  I really enjoyed the Epic and it proved to me that Circle Brewing knows what they are doing.

Circle Epic Hop Bock
Circle Blur Texas Hefe
Circle Envy Amber ESB
Circle Alibi Blonde Bock
Circle Hooligan Hoppy Irish Red
Circle Nameless Winter Warmer
Circle Nightlight Irish Stout

  
The Beer Blackboard.









The Envy Amber ESB.  My first taste.

The Hooligan Hoppy Irish Red.  This one was getting better...

The Nameless Winter Warmer and the Alibi Blonde Bock.

 OK, that's just a pint of grain....  don't drink it!





 







 

And I will leave you with a shot of the main brewery area with the bright shiny tanks full of beer, full of potential.

The Brü Revü – Kapuziner Schwarz-Weizen

The Kapuziner Schwarz-Weizen is technically a Black Wheat beer which is slightly different than a Dunkelweizen and not quite a full Schwarzbier, but firmly in the middle.  The bottle was one of those cool German flip tops that made a loud pop when I opened it.  It poured an opaque dark brown with a full head with great retention.  Overall the palate was light and thin for such a dark beer and the flavor was subtle with roasted malt, caramel and a bit of wheat.  The flavors became more pronounced and complex as it warmed.  This was definitely a lighter beer than I was expecting, but a solid German beer nonetheless and highly drinkable.

Kapuziner Schwarz-Weizen

Pint Glass Nights - March

Misc. pint glass nights around Austin for March.  Buy the beer, keep the glass.

Gingerman – Mondays, at 6 PM

Mar. 05       Brooklyn Lager

Mar. 12       Red Hook ESB

Mar. 19       Staropramen

Mar. 26       Kostritzer

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

Mar. 07       Assorted Favorites

Mar. 14       Franziskaner Hefe Weisse

Mar. 21       Real Ale Cask Night

Mar. 28       La Trappe Isid’or

Flying Saucer  - Wednesdays, at 7 PM

Mar. 07       Sierra Nevada Ovila

Mar. 14       St. Patty’s Day Glass Night

Mar. 21       Duvel Art Glass

Mar. 28       Staropramen

Draught House – Wednesdays

Check their twitter page for glass updates

The Brü Revü – Jester King Wytchmaker Rye IPA

The Jester King Wytchmaker Rye IPA is one of my favorite local beers. I always have a tough choice between the Wytchmaker and the 512 IPA, but I am never disappointed with either beer.   I had the Wytchmaker in a 750 ml bottle that was a bit over carbonated, but was still in excellent condition.  It poured a golden amber with a healthy head that persisted for the entire tasting.  This rye IPA had a creamy mouthfeel with good hop bitterness balanced by the rye malts.  One change I have heard of late is that Jester King has switched to a farmhouse yeast over an English Ale style yeast.  This bottle was with their older English ale yeast, so it will be interesting to try it with their newer farmhouse yeast to see the differences.  Again this is a great IPA and one of the best local beers available.

Jester King Wytchmaker Rye IPA

 

The Brü Revü – Rogue Dead Guy Ale

The Rogue Dead Guy Ale is a German-style Maibock and this was my first experience with the beer, but definitely not my last.  As a Maibock this beer is all Malts with just enough hops to keep it balanced.  My first recommendation is to let this one warm up before you begin to drink it.  Served Ice cold the Dead Guy Ale can taste like a cheap gas station beer, but once it warms all of the deep malty character come out.  It pours a honey color with an off-white head and sweet caramel aroma.  The taste is all malts, with big sweet malt and caramel notes and a nice depth that lingers on the palate.  This is a definitely a complex beer for a Maibock and a great counterpoint to all the IPAs I have been drinking lately.  It has deceptively high alcohol content for the very smooth and easy drinking beer. The Dead Guy Ale was a nicely balanced and outstanding beer.

Rogue Dead Guy Ale