Unita Brewery - Hop Nosh Tangerine IPA

by Daver!

Hidee-ho, beer campers. Yeah, long time no see, right?

As some of you may have noticed, summer is here. And that means swimming pools, popsicles, vacations and campouts to keep cool. And cold beer. The colder the better, especially here in Arizona. I have here a couple of beers with a strong citrus ingredient in their brewing, to make them more refreshing in these scorching months. Today, we have the Hop Nosh Tangerine IPA from Utah's Uinta Brewing Company, a citrus variant of their mainstay IPA.

Named for the Uinta mountains, this Utah-based brewery began brewing pale ales, porters and hefeweizens out of a former mechanics garage in 1993. They've expanded since then to add brown ales, barleywines and IPAs, selling 77,000 barrels as recently as 2014 with distribution to 32 states and the District of Columbia. Uinta stresses their green attitude, being the first Utah company to be 100% wind powered, adding solar power to their operations in 2011, and promoting on their website that "GREAT beer is brewed with environmental stewardship, support for community and a whole lot of passion."

But how's the beer?

Fun fact, the bottle's label suggests that this be served in a tulip glass. Luckily, I happened to have such a glass! For wine, but that's not my usual choice of beverage. On first pour, the head is pillowy but thin, and fades out fast while the remnants cling lace-like to the glass. The body crosses from the typical IPA amber straight on to a semi-clear orange color. The bouquet is clearly, obviously infused with citrus notes, with the pungent hops and sugary malt notes hovering in the background. The citrus is, for me, an exciting change from the usual caramel sweetness you find with most IPAs.

The tangerine flavors stand out, especially on the sides of the tongue, and overpowers the malt sweetness. The hops' bite is reduced, but kicks in to give this IPA a dry, pine-y, bitter finish. Overall, the mouthfeel is somewhat dry from both the acidity of the citrus and the bitterness of the hops.
Long story short, I liked it! It's more broadly drinkable IPA because of the citrus balancing out the hops, and the tangerine essence is especially refreshing when served cold. With an ABV of 7.3% it's not a beer to take lightly either. I would recommend it, but in moderation. The same easy drinkability makes it really easy to miss that higher ABV till it's too late.

That's all for today, next time I'll cover another citrus-brewed craft beer. Till then, this is your humble beer blogger signing off.

A Day at Mesa Beerfest!: Three Local Craft Brews

Desert Eagle Brewing Co.'s beer tent. You could wait in line, or walk down the block to the brewery.

I love beerfests. You get to sample a decent range of craft brews among a huge crowd of fellow beer aficionados for the whole day. Great way to chill! Unless some drunk fifty-something trips and spills his pint of dark ale down your back as you try to record your notes, I mean come the fuck on... but anyway. Mesa Beerfest just off of Main Street had a fair range of breweries out, including Desert Eagle Brewery which makes sense because it's also on Main. I'll be going into further detail about their brews later. Instead, let's sample a few that were new to me.

4216 N Brown Ave, Scottsdale AZ 85251

Based out of Scottsdale, Bad Water Brewery was established in 2012 with a farmhouse ale as its first batch on tap. They brought their inaugural ale to the beerfest, and I was happy to give it a chance. The body was a deep amber with thin foam that clung to the sides, even for a plastic cup. The body was cloudy with yeast, typical of a saison. Its bouquet was balanced with wheat and sugary floral notes, and a light fruity note like bananas. It reminded me of some hefeweizens, really. But the taste was definitely not that of a wheat beer, there was a mild hoppy bite that deepened the body through to the finish. It was crisp but not all that clean of a finish, with a nutty quality to it like that I've tasted in brown ales. It was good, and with an ABV of 6% it was overall a quality brew. But in all honesty there was very little to set it apart from saisons that I've tasted before.

1641 S Stapley Dr, Mesa AZ 85204

Next was the 480G IPA from the Beer Research Institute. Opened in 2014, this Mesa brewery specializes in Belgian-style ales and IPAs with a love for hops that borders on obsession. I myself have a passion for the hoppier brews, and with an ABV of 7.4% this one seemed to be the right choice. At first glance this "Best Coast"-style IPA had almost zero head on a semi-clear amber body, though the head may be due to BRI's keg running low by the time I reached them. The bouquet was clearly hoppy, with floral notes with a slightly sweet malt edge that's common to IPAs. The taste is incredibly hoppy, with woodsy notes like you'd find in a taste of scotch, and you can freely pick up notes of citrus zest in the finish. Several, ranging from orange to lemon to grapefruit. It's a broad range, circulating in sensation from the bitter hops to the sweeter malt and orange to the bitter grapefruit and back to hops. It's certainly unique in that regard from other IPAs, and had I gotten to it earlier in the event it would have been better, I'm sure. As it is, I can call it satisfying.

232 S Wall St, Chandler AZ 85225

And then we have The Perch Pub and Brewery, and their Uncommon Good Session IPA. While I do enjoy IPAs, sessions are the exception. They're lighter with the hops and the ABV, and frankly at that point I'd be better off with a simple lager. The Perch is based out of Chandler, and a glance at their beer menu will leave a beer drinker begging for flights. It's huge! Not only with their own brews, but also those from other breweries, totally over 40 at any given time, though at the time I'm posting this they do not have Uncommon Good on tap. The name of the pub comes from their hosting dozens of tropical rescue birds at their establishment. On first pour this IPA had a head that looked, well, so bubbly that it was more like a batch of fish eggs than a meringue. Again, this has to be because it was from a nearly-empty keg. The body was a cloudy amber, and the bouquet was hoppy but the malt makes it overall lighter and cleaner than with standard IPAs. The same goes for the taste, it's hoppy but much more modestly and with almost no bite in the finish. It's alright, and at a 4.9% ABV it's a little stronger than most other sessions. But it doesn't stand out enough to make me change my mind about choosing this over a summer ale or a true IPA.

All told, if you're inclined to try these yourself, you can't go wrong with a visit to these particular breweries around the East Valley. These brews are good quality, though they don't stand out as something to, say, request your local pub to stock in. There's a lot of craft brews out there, and they're all worth sampling, but it takes a little something special to go beyond sampling and into regular drinking. These three don't quite reach that level.

So many brewfests to come, so many new releases, and so many great beers out there to try out. More to come, my friends!

Uncle Bear's Grill &  Tap, from Chandler, was also serving, though I didn't get to sample from them this time.

Cartel Brewery Bière de Garde Farmhouse Ale

by Daver!

I'll be honest, I thought Cartel was just a coffee house.

Cartel comes in two forms, Cartel Coffee Lab and Cartel Brewery in Tempe, AZ. I've seen the coffee houses in a couple places around the Valley, the brewery escaped notice. I'll have to rectify that with a full out visit to the brewery, but that's for another time.

Cartel began its beer brewing in 2013 after already establishing its reputation for amazing caffeinated goodness in a college town. Fact is, the brewery is a couple doors down from their University Drive coffee house, on Ash Avenue. Hey, that's where my old comic book store was! Awww man, Ash Avenue Comics closed? Now I feel old. Anyway. Per their website at www.cartelbrewery.com they have several regular brews, but they do enjoy changing things up with a seasonal batch. Their wheat beer Bière de Garde is one such off-brand creation, available at establishments with an eye for quality on tap.

Pulled this off of Google Street, I had to make sure.
Man, I liked that comic book store too.

On this occasion, Bière de Garde was served me at Angel's Trumpet Ale House in downtown Phoenix. I consider it a great sign when the beer menu is on a huge slate board, constantly changing as the kegs run empty. Angel's Trumpet keeps theirs mounted over their line of taps, the very first thing you see on walking into the establishment.

The Bière de Garde is a French farmhouse ale, the name translates to "beer for keeping." Like a saison, it's brewed in the cooler months for summertime consumption. Traditionally, this was because in the years before refrigeration the cold would keep the batch from spoiling as it ferments. Now it's not yet really even spring, but in Arizona our late winters hit 80 degrees so there's not much cause to wait one season more.

At first glance you have a golden orange color to the body with a light foamy head. It's cloudy as well, from the yeast left over from fermentation. The foam clings to the edges as the head dissipates. The wheat-y bouquet is effervescent with notes of clove, citrus, bananas, and a light natural sweetness from the fresh malts used in the brew. The remnants of yeast gives it an almost nutty quality as well. On the tongue, that citrus is clearly grapefruit-y, and you have a more floral sensation as you roll it around. There's a slight hoppy bite as well, a bitter tingle. The brew has a 7.2% ABV, higher than most wheat beers but average for a farmhouse ale. That higher alcohol content gives you a warming sensation as it goes down, though the finish is not really clean or dry, in my opinion. And the taste lingers on the tongue, till the next drink. But would you want to take another drink?

Hark! A herald angel's wings! Glory to the beer and things!
Pulled from reviewthebrew.wordpress.com.

Yep! This Bière de Garde has a significant degree of depth to its consumption. It's stimulating and refreshing, starting off light but going down strong without being overwhelming. If you see this beer written on a chalkboard at the next bar you frequent, give it a try. Or better yet, head to Tempe for a flight of whatever they've got on tap. I know I will! I have to, to toast to the memory of my old comic book store.

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.)