Oktoberfest! San Tan Brewing Company Oktoberfest German Style Lager

Hello hello! Daver here, still sampling and strangely sober.  Aw yes, now we’re talking, this here is a local brew coming from a well-covered brewery here.  Behold, the San Tan Brewing Company’s submission in the seasonal style beers, the Oktoberfest German-style Lager.

Sigh. And it's in a can. Why do you do this to me, San Tan?

Well, I can’t very well hunt down a bar that’ll be serving it on tap. OK, I probably could, but it’d be too late to post about and I’d lose the capacity for rational thought and coherent sentences. I’ll just bite the bullet and go with what we’ve got here, commercially available. Once again, served in the jam jar mug. I really ought to invest in a proper stein for these German style brews.

On first pour, you have a clear, amber body, with a thin head that fades out quickly. The bouquet is modest but vividly more interesting than in other similar brews. There is a more profound malty sweetness, perfectly balanced with the tang of the hops and the yeast. It's a more robust experience for the tongue as well, the tang is almost like an orange rind, but the malt flavor is still clear and present. The ingredients list shows six different malts used, I like this variety. It's not dry at all, though it's still somewhat crisp, like the bite of a gala apple. It's a good relax-o-beer, with an ABV of 5.5% that's not over the top in alcohol content.

So, despite the dreadful presence of an aluminum container, this was a solid hit for San Tan Brewing Company. And a beer worthy to call itself German-styled. And that is the last of the Octoberfest beers for this month. Thanks everyone, now go forth and sample them for yourselves. Responsibly, of course. Prost!

Oktoberfest! Abita Brewing Co. Octoberfest Marzen Style Lager

Greetings my fellow fall-fest fans, Daver here to once more imbibe a seasonal sample and relate the results of my research and reactions. Gods do I love October! 

I've chosen a brew from this side of the Atlantic but just barely this side of the Mississipi, the Abita Brewing Company's Octoberfest Marzen-style Lager.

A quick perusal of the blog archives will show I’m a little partial towards the Louisiana-based Abita Brewery. Haven't had a bad brew with their name on the bottle yet, let's see if the streak holds with this one. Once again, I’m serving this with the 12-oz jam jar with the handle. I have no idea what they’re actually called, but jam jar mug is as good as it gets.  Side note, the bar where I first saw these used claimed that these were pint glasses and charged me as much. LIES!!!  Will never go back to *establishment deleted* again.

On first pour, this lager has a dark, coppery, amber color, a clear body with a thin head that fades quickly. The bouquet is richer than anticipated, notes of sweet malt cutting through the expected tang of hops and yeast. A higher content of malt used in brewing is behind that, no doubt. It's a broader, full bodied experience for the palate. The tang is thinner,  more subtle, but it's ever present. The finish is still dry, but not so crisp and clean.  With an ABV at a respectable 5.4%, you'll be able to enjoy it casually this time of year.

In summation, if the German import was a basic brew done with great care to its substance, this Lousiana batch has more style to it. Yeah, I'd definitely drink this again. You should too!

Oktoberfest! Weihenstephaner Festbier Märzen

October's a special time of the year for me, friends. Halloween and the cooling temperatures, and all the costumes you could ask for till the next convention. And Oktoberfest!

Yes, I realize that Oktoberfest proper was a few weeks ago. Sue me, you’ll still see these brews on the shelves for a little while. So for the occasion, I thought I'd give a try of some brews specifically for Oktoberfest. The first is a German import, Weihenstephaner’s Festbier Marzen.  Weihenstephaner has been brewing since the year of our Lord 1040, in the town of Freising, in Bavaria, Germany.  Almost ten centuries of Old World brewing expertise, let’s see how this goes.

an import, Weihenstephaner’s Festbier

On first pour, it's got a modest head that thins out quick but lingers as a thin layer on the top and clings a little to the edges of the glass. It's recommended to drink a marzen from a mug or stein. Full disclosure, my mug is big enough for three pints so instead I've used my jam jar pint glass.  What? There’s several drinking establishments out here that use those damn glasses at the bar! Ok, they’re hipster recycle-chic bars, and I only went that one time, but they’re still completely legitimate. Moving on, the bouquet is like a stronger pilsner, the faintest of sweet malt with a tang from the hops and yeast.  The body is a clear effervescent gold. It's a simple brew if one compares it to craft brews from the New World, but wow. You can clearly taste the ingredients. The barley, the subtle hops, and the yeast just sidling in, they’re well balanced. It’s a crisp brew that avoids real bitterness, with a clean finish. It's not fancy, but damn good quality. Most American lagers, or “macrobrews,” who dreamt up that sobriquet anyway, how they have that stronger tang that turns into a rough, skunky, bouquet? This is what those brews only wish they could be. You would need an actual skunk to make this brew curdle. This goes in crisp as a winter chill, finishes smooth as a frozen pond, with a respectable ABV of 5.8%. Do you want to build a snowman? Prost!

And if that’s too long for you, here’s the short version. I liked it, it’s good, try it yourself.

Ommegang Brewery - Game of Thrones "Three Eyed Raven" Dark Saison Ale

Hi everyone, Daver here and I'm back with another of Ommegang Brewery's Game of Thrones licensed products, their "Three Eyed Raven" Dark Saison Ale. So far these licensed brews have been amazingly good, better than most other licensed products. Lookin' at you, video game adaptations.

From the label, this is described as a hybrid of a farmhouse ale, or saison, and a dark beer "a delectable blend that both deceives and thrills the senses." Interesting claim. It first went on sale in April of this year, around the premiere of Season 5 for the series. Here's a little history about the saison. Farmhouse ales were pale ales, originating from Belgium, that were brewed during the winter for summertime consumption. Brewing in the colder months was common before there were such things as a refrigeration, to prevent spoilage of the fermenting batch from the summer heat and bacterial contamination. Those early batches were low in alcohol content, intended more for refreshment than intoxication, but as brewing technologies improved the ABV increased to as high as 8%.

Now, there's different types of dark beers, such as dark lagers, porters, brown ales and doppelbocks. The darker the beer, the more earthy the flavor and the thicker the head. These generally have more of a coffee bean or nutty character, with varying hints of sweetness and cocoa or vanilla, and a somewhat dry finish. They also typically, but not always, have a higher alcohol content than the pale ales; it seems to depend on the quantity and quality of the yeast used in the fermentation process. In my humble, less-then-professional opinion, this dark saison has qualities similiar to a porter and a doppelbock. I'd judge that Ommegang used brown and dark malts in place of the traditional lighter ones in the brewing process.

It's recommended to drink a farmhouse ale from a tulip glass, so I used my souvenir tulip glass from Pat O'Brien's. The label includes serving instructions, like pouring it slowly into your glass of choice to avoid disturbing the bottom-settling yeast. On first pour it has a thick, meringue-like head, that faded slowly. The body was a semi-clear brown in color, like a fresh pot of coffee.  Mmmm, coffee sounds good right now (it's morning as I write this, a little early for a cold one). It's effervescent, there's a carbonated fizzy sensation in the middle. The bouquet has similarities to hefeweizen in my opinion, spices and possibly cloves, and even bananas. No doubt this is from the yeast. It's no wheat beer, so no citrus notes, and it's bolder than a hefeweizen at that. It's a full body at first, that almost tropical blend of banana and clove and malt on the tongue with a hint of hops for a kick. But it's also lighter than it looks, so don't be fooled. Just because it looks like a stout, doesn't mean it'll feel like a stout. It finishes clean and dry, drier and crisper than most dark brews while cold but less so as it warms. Forewarning, the yeast will become more noticeable as it warms up. Remember, higher yeast content means higher ABV. With an ABV of 7.2%, this brew will hit you like an uppercut.

In summation, I quite enjoyed this. Like the "Taking The Black" brew, it's not really a beer for casual drinking, unless you can drop the cash on a case of this. I would certainly advocate drinking this anytime, not just in the summer. Fortunately, there's still plenty of "Three Eyed Raven" available at retail stores, and with Ommegang bringing back other brews in their Game of Thrones series, it's not likely to run out anytime soon. So check it out, bring it to a viewing party for the Season 6 premiere to toast Jon Snow's return or whatever. Speaking of return, I oughta try the "Iron Throne" ale now that it's been re-released. But that's for another time. Till next time, I'm Daver, and the bar is closed.
(I really oughta work on that closing line.)

San Tan Brewing Company - Part 4: So Long, And Thanks For The Beer

Greetings fellow beer snobs, it's me again, your humble beer imbiber Daver with the final chapter in my examination of local brewery San Tan Brewing Company.  I wasn't all that sure there was anything left to say about San Tan, so I went back for one last sit-down at the bar. Glad I did! I sampled four of their specialty pilot concoctions, and a year-round brew that's only available on draft. We'll start there, with the Sunspot Golden Ale.

Sunspot Golden Ale is an American blonde ale, a clear yellow in color with a modest head at first pour that fades out fast. The bouquet is light, I can just barely pick up notes of wheat and barley, likewise with the body when it reaches your tongue. The finish is crisp and clean, but a little more robust than I would expect from a blonde ale. It's simple, well-crafted, and its light flavor and cleaner finish makes this an ideal summer brew! Why isn't this one in stores?

Now we're on to the pilot brews, available only at the tap. The Imperial IPA Heavy D is a stronger version of San Tan's Devil Ale, a deep, foreboding red ale with a thin head.  The bouquet is sweet with notes of caramel, citrus, and hints of the hops. The hops bitterness is strong, just at the utmost limit of tolerable. Harsh like Kentucky bourbon, a robust body that isn't too heavy, with a rich finish.

Next is the Moonjuice I.W.A., the acronym stands for India Wheat Ale. An American IPA, it looks like a hefeweizen brewed like an IPA. The Moonjuice is a dark yellow color at first pour, with a thick head, a light floral scent, and the taste of bananas balanced with the hops' bitterness and notes of lemon limey goodness.

The Hibiscus Pale Ale, pictured above served in a goblet, is a brew the color of a red chardonnay. In fact, chardonnay is an accurate descriptor overall, this is like beer brewed from a good table wine. The head lingers, fadining unevenly and clinging to the glass sides. Floral bouquet, rich flavor like a wine cooler that means fucking business, and oddly refreshing in the finish. Can you tell that I liked this a lot? I liked this a lot. Please, San Tan, make more of this!

And the Arizona Farmhouse, a Farmhouse ale being a brew crafted in cooler months and held in storage till summer, has a cloudy yellow color and modest head that fades fast. The cloudiness is likely from the yeast in its brewing, and you can pick up hints of the yeast in the flavor, as well as a more prevalent banana character. The bouquet also has notes of banana and faint yeast traces, but also cloves and clover. The finish is unusually fizzy, but that's normal for a highly carbonated beer like a Farmhouse ale.

Friends, if you want to try anything by San Tan Brewing Company? GO TO THE ACTUAL BREWERY. Sure, they have six packs in the store, and a few of them are actually pretty good, but San Tan is the example proving that beer is better on tap than in the can, and at that best at the source. Plus, their pilot brews are always changing, between those and their seasonals, you won't know what you'll get. Hell, by the time you read this, the batches will have changed and no telling if those I've just told you about will come back. I really enjoyed the pilot brews, the care and creativity that goes into them makes me want to go back to see what they'll have now.

In conclusion? San Tan is like a star baseball player, they won't hit them all out of the park, but when it's a home game, they hit it right into the stadium lights showering sparks all over Robert Redford.

SanTan Brewing Company - Part 3: On Tap and Served Cold

Hey there, beer drinkers, Daver here! Welcome back for more craft brews by the good people at the San Tan Brewing Company. This time we've got some offerings from their brewhouse in Chandler, two that are only on tap and their fall seasonal, a real tale from the crypt. And I have to warn ya, boys and girls, it's not pretty. Let's get on with it, here's the Gordo Stout, the Negri Nitron, and Count Hopula.

I don't know, am I supposed to like the grainy, earthy texture to the Gordo Stout? Aromatically it was chocolatey, a good sign at first. The head was thick from the nitrogen infused in the brew, and colored a rich pale mocha. The body itself was a deep dark brown, almost black. There were strong coffee and cocoa notes in the taste, like a dark roasted mocha venti with hardly any sweetener, and it started out just as smooth, not too thick and not watery at all. The finish was dry, but a little too chemical-y that I would guess comes from the nitrogen. And the graininess became more and more pronounced, which personally ruined the experience for me. Would not recommend.

Next up was the Negri Nitron, a black IPA poured from a nitrogen tap. Like the Stout, it had a thick nitrogen-enriched head, and there were notes of coffee and oranges in the bouquet. Body-wise, the hops came through loud and clear, biting with caramel and cream tones to soften it somewhat. The nitrogen aftertaste was present as with the Stout, what the hell is it with nitrogen? Maybe I just don't like beer infused with nitrogen. I wasn't completely dissatisfied, the smoother hops sensation is enough to at least merit a second chance, but I won't go out of my way for another Nitron.

I have to explain, I had the Count Hopula seasonal IPA last August, prior to my visit to the brewhouse, and as a seasonal it'll no doubt be on shelves again in time for Halloween . Consider this a preview! The body is daaaaark, a deep red with a thick head. It had an intense hoppiness, and it was nearly as rich as a stout in flavor if not in thickness. I tasted some chocolate undertones, but that might be the malt coming through. If you like IPAs then by all means give it a try, it's got a lot to offer. But honestly, the strength of the hop might put off the casual drinker. Still, clever name.

I've heard it said that India Pale Ales in general are an acquired taste, but these nitrogen infused brews?  I can't imagine the palette who would enjoy these. I'm sure there are those who prefer them, but I'm not one of them. 

Worry not, though. This isn't the final summation of my San Tan observations, there's one more entry to go before we conclude this brewery review. 

San Tan Brewing Company - Part 2: More In The Market

Told you I'd be back with Part 2 in a little bit! Helps when you backed up most of your original notes and content. Remember kids, keep your backups local, you never know when the "cloud" will burst.

So, where were we? Of course, let's resume on a high note with San Tan Brewery's Hefeweizen. Their wheat beer is the first exception to my "can bad, glass good" rationale! It tastes good coming out of the can, with a modest ABV 5.0, and the well balanced blend between banana and citrus flavors still comes through. The problem comes from how strongly carbonated it is, which takes a bit to mellow out but overwhelms the finish at all times. When poured into a glass, you get a modest head that takes a little while to dissipate, obviously because of the carbonation, and the foam does not cling or linger on the glass. The color is a clean but opaque yellow. The bouquet is strong with bananas and some lemon orange, and you can pick up further notes of spice in the taste. I think an orange slice garnish would really enhance the experience. Normally I think if you need to garnish a brew with something like a piece of fruit that it's a poor sign for the beer (Corona and Dos Equis, you oughta be ashamed of yourselves. Go to your corner!). For this, I'd forgive it.

Then we have their Epicenter Amber Ale. Oh, sweet taste bud-shaking Epicenter. On first pour, it's a clear amber, with a thick and effervescent head that leaves a little lacework in foam clinging to the glass. The bouquet is rich, the sweet malt intermingling with nut and honey notes in perfect harmony. The taste is full nutty goodness, with notes of maple syrup and the most subtle hint of coffee, with an ABV of 5.5. I found the finish to be surprisingly dry for an amber ale, and I can't say it's a bad thing. This I would strongly urge to drink from a pint glass, out of the can and you end up with a watery taste, almost no nuttiness, and a weird metallic ting in the finish. But served in a glass, this was easily my favorite of San Tan's core brews. In fact, I'd even say it's one of the best ambers I've had.

In the interest of journalistic integrity, the seasonal for this part of the review is not available till the winter, but at the time I first wrote this, the Sex Panther Double Chocolate Porter was the seasonal available.. Very smooth and chocolate-y, with an ABV of 6.5, everything that I wished that Barrio Brewery's Mocha Stout had been. On first pour, it's a dark cloudy brown with a thick head that ringed the brew. The foam neither clings nor lingers in any fashion. The bouquet is rich with coffee and cocoa, but also raspberry notes. The raspberry carries over to the flavor, as well as nutty elements, and a strong mocha that covers the carbonation that I'm coming to recognize as a San Tan signature. It has bite, not like from hops, but like you'd get from a spoonful of powdered baking cocoa mixed into your milk because you thought it was just like Nes-Quik. But that bite fades out, and is replaced by a smooth semi-sweet finish.



Overall, their consumer market offerings offer something for everyone. The Hefeweizen and Epicenter are easy to drink for casual drinkers and beginners alike, and are all-around really good. The Devil's Ale and IPA I'm sure would please those with more refined and experienced palettes; personally, they make me crave a better IPA. The seasonals are a palette expander, an introduction to something that your average beer drinker might not seek out or have the opportunity to try otherwise. San Tan's beer is a prime exemplar of the effect the serving method has on a brew's drinkability. They're quality brews, with more than a little imagination, and I have to admit I'd ask an establishment whether they had San Tan's wheat beers or amber ales on tap. But just those beers.

And it's not over yet! My resurrected coverage of the San Tan Brewery continues, with a visit to the brewery itself where several of their specialty beers are only available on tap.

San Tan Brewing Company - Part 1: On The Market

Hello my friends, it's your humble beer blogger Daver again, and today on tap we've got a, shall we say, reprint of a review? You see, for several months I was contributing content to an Arizona web-zine, but the site has since changed its focus from local events and reviews to a blog about the editor's friends' parties. Can't say I agree with the new direction, but it's not my webspace or my problem. But that means that everything I contributed? HOSED. Now, I just can't be having with informative beer reviews being lost, so I'm importing what I've backed up, starting with the San Tan Brewing Company.

Based in Chandler, AZ, San Tan opened in 2007 and has since earned name recognition around the Valley as one of the top breweries in Arizona. This brewery has created a diverse range of craft brews to offer at their microbrewery restaurant in Chandler's historic district, at bars around Arizona, and in grocery stores and liquor stores. They're popular enough that they've been working towards expanding their distribution to neighboring states for almost a year now. San Tan offers their four most popular brews in six packs of aluminum cans, and a rotating seasonal at their respective time of year.  

Wait, aluminum cans? Oh dear... as a beer snob, I'm prejudiced against anything aluminum smaller than a keg jacketing my beer. It just doesn't taste right to me! Nobody should have to drink from the can. But in the spirit of fairness, let's see how these cans stack up. We'll start with two of their year-round offerings, and one of their seasonals.

First we've got the Devil's Ale, their pale ale offering.  On first pour, the head is thin and fades out fast. It clings to the glass unevenly, and doesn't linger for long either. It's a clear amber colour. The bouquet is surprisingly strong with the malted hops, an almost pungent sweetness if you tilt the glass back a bit to increase the surface area of the top of the brew in the glass. OK, that might be a little more complicated than you should have to go for drinking any craft brew, but it works that way. Taste-wise, oh yes. Strong with the hops, it is. But not that strong. You really have to drink this in a glass to get the full experience. Straight out of the can (dear god I hate cans) it's almost watery with the body. Poured properly, you get the effervescence of the carbonation and a bit of bite. The carbonation fades out faster than usual, and the brew mellows out as it does to the point the hops become the finish instead of the body. There's almost none of the caramel-y sweetness you'd expect from a brew with malted hops. Seriously, drinking this out of the can and out of a glass is like night and day. Night. And. DAY. At first I thought it was a let-down even with an ABV of 5.5 because of the can, but I'm glad I went a little further.


Next is the Hop Shock IPA, and boy howdy the hops are strong with this one. On first pour, it's a clear amber with a porous head. The foam doesn't cling to the sides of the glass, but rather hangs and slips slowly into oblivion. I can taste the malt, and I can smell it in the bouquet, a sweet and slightly citrus-y aroma. The but the hops are extraordinarily bitter. The body feels a little syrup-y in the finish, and notes of tangerines come through. Carbonation seems to be a thing, San Tan brews lose their fizz fairly quickly. This doesn't hurt the brew, it's just interesting. And with an ABV of 7.1 that's a lot of interest. Again, pouring this in a glass makes a vast difference over drinking it out of the can.

Now, the seasonal selection for today is the Mr. Pineapple, a Pineapple Wheat Beer. Oh man, that would probably pair well with a krabby patty. How did they come up with this? That's not to say it's bad, it's quite refreshing, as expected from a spring wheat beer. On first pour you get a head of foam that pops and sizzles, and fades out completely with no lacing or drizzling along the glass. The color is a cloudy dark yellow, like the syrup from a can of sliced pineapples. It has similar notes of banana in the taste and bouquet as you'd find in the Hefeweizen, and floral notes and some coriander, even a hint of oregano if you can believe that, that pleases the nose. And with an ABV of 5.0, the alcohol content doesn't overpower the overall quality. You can easily taste the real pineapple juice balanced out with the banana, that citrus-y tang all the way to the finish. Unlike most of the others, the San Tan carbonation was modest and subtle, fading into the background with each sip without going flat. All told, for a funny concept, it works really damn well.


Check back in a little bit for Part 2, I'll be covering an amber, a wheat beer, and their seasonal porter. Fun times, my friends.

Ommegang Brewery - Game of Thrones "Fire and Blood" Red Ale

Thought you'd heard the last of me, eh?

Hello and welcome back to what's on tap and served cold, where brews get imbibed.  I know some of you are excited for the new season of Game of Thrones in April, so excited! So scared! Not me though, I'm not really a fan, and I have books to read.  But I know for you Westerosi, three more months is a long time to wait.  So, ease your anticipation by trying another of the Ommegang Brewery's licensed brews from your favorite fantasy series. Today we've got the batch from the Season 4 premiere,  the "Fire And Blood" Red Ale.

The first thing that jumps at you is the label art, there are three different labels depicting each of Daenerys Targeryan's fire-breathing gamebreakers.  You are under no obligation to collect all three, they're just nifty. I hope there's prints of the dragon art that can be purchased. I should look that up. 

The label reads, "Born of fire, like Daenerys' dragons, this ale's deep, dark red hue evokes their every blazing breath. Sweet malt succumbs to wispy dryness, tinged with nutty spelt, spicy hops and rye, as ancho chilies portend piquant dark fruit.  Pour slowly, to not disturb yeast sediment, but with vigor to make a luxurious head and free the bouquet." Wonderful, my beer has an instruction guide. And a cork. Take care in opening this up, it's not like champagne. For one, you'll actually want to drink this.

On my first pour, there is a head thicker than dragonscale, and more unruly than a hungry Drogon with vigorous bubble popping. The body is dark red, and cloudy with yeast. It has favorable parallels to a heifeweizen, with its cloudy yeast body and a rich vibrant bouquet.  To me, it was ripe with corriander, what at first I thought was clove but really was the chilies, some floral and fruity notes. I swear I could detect the presence of banana in this batch, probably from the diversity of the malts: pilsner, Cara-60, Midnight Wheat, flaked rye and spelt. There's also a vibrant hops flavor, a mix of CTZ, Styrian Golding, and German Tettnang, that pairs well with the de-seeded Ancho to give its bite some real teeth. The hoppy chilie bite smooths out at the back of your tongue. The malt and the chilie balance out, the sweetness of one and the bitterness of the other. A full bodied, powerful brew, like Balerion of ages past.  Speaking freely, this goes straight to your head, one bottle will knock you on your ass, I'm not even kidding. What's the alcohol content for this? By the Seven, 6.8% ABV?! Drink this with friends, my friends. I bet a slice of blood orange would compliment this like crazy. This is so good. The Ommegang brewers put in overtime to make this one special!

This is encouraging for the quality of the next licensed brew, an Abbey Dubbel named "Valar Morghulis." I'll report on my findings as soon as I find a bottle. Till then, I'm your humble beer blogger, and the bar is closed.