New Brew: Allagash Haunted House

Allagash Brewing is one of those breweries I wish I was able to drink more beer from, but unfortunately the distance from Boise and their distribution footprint does not make that possible. Kris sent this beer to me knowing I am a fan. I also enjoy dark ales so a “hoppy dark ale” is right up my alley.

The Allagash Haunted House pours a pitch black opaque with a strong beige head with small dense bubbles. The aroma projects roasted malt with hints of coffee.

The flavor is just like the aroma…right off the bat you get the roasty character with the mids providing a slight light roast coffee flavor. There is also a hop presence in the flavor, but with the roast it is difficult to pick out the distinct characteristics. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. The finish is dry and ends with a fading hop and roast.

Overall I gave this beer a 4.5 cap rating. I am not sure why I couldn’t go full 5 but when I finished the beer I was very satisfied but felt it a 4.5. Maybe it was the guilt of rating my last two beers a 5. Regardless, this beer is great and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

New Brew: BarrieHaus Beer Co. 2022 Oktoberfest Gold

Kris was kind enough to include two Limited Release Oktoberfest beers…the Marzen I wrote about yesterday and the Gold I am writing about today. Two great beers with different characteristics. Both beers could easily be your daily drinkers.

The beer pours a beautiful golden color with a slight haze. The head was an off white standing about a half finger high and disappeared in a couple minutes.

The aroma has the typical bread dough malt with a touch of caramel and some sweetness coming out as well. It is a welcoming fragrance that urges you to take that first sip.

The flavor is fantastic. You get that bready malt with some caramel in there giving you some sweetness. The good thing is there is a slight bitterness that cuts the sweetness off and makes the beer very well balanced. There is also some floral notes from the hops. Everything blends together to make a great experience.

I gave this beer a 5. Not a 10 out 5…but just a 5 out of 5. This is a good example of a beer I expect to drink when I see “Oktoberfest” or “festbier” so it is top of the charts for the style.

New Brew: BarrieHaus Beer Co. 2022 Oktoberfest Marzen

I am lucky to have a great friend in Tampa, FL with my co-host Kris McKenzie. He sent me a care package with some BarrieHaus beers. We did an interview with them on the Fermented Reality Beer Cast and I really wanted to try their beers. I was told they were going to send me some beer but it never transpired.

So last night Kris and I recorded Ep215 a few days early and we did tasting notes on two BarrieHaus beers. Both were fantastic with one of them getting a 5 cap rating. Kris sent me two Oktoberfest fest beers and I decided I needed to drink the limited release 2022 Oktoberfest Marzen tonight.

So I cracked it open and poured it into a pint glass. The color is a rich copper with a half finger beige head. The aroma is typical amber lager like…notes of bread dough and dark sugars. The flavor is so good. You get a combo of bread dough and toasted biscuits…yes both. The beer is not sweet. It is perfectly balanced. It is clean and not too heavy. The bitterness is just enough to cut any excessive sweetness. It is perfect. The best Marzen I have ever had. A 10 out of 5.

I know it sounds crazy…is it really that good?! Yes, it really is that good. A small disclaimer…I have never had fresh Marzen from Germany…so maybe I will find a better Marzen there. But since I am not planning a trip to Germany any time soon…this is my all time favorite Marzen. BarrieHaus Beer Co is a fantastic lager brewery. Go to Ybor City, FL and experience great lager beers.

New Brew: Thornbridge Pardus Banoffee Imperial Stout

So my buddy Alex brought me some beers from Europe. I had my first Budapest beer and a couple of Thornbridge beers from England. I have really enjoyed all the beers from this brewery.

So I pop the top on the 16oz can and pour it into the glass. At first I’m thinking it looked thin and really had a limited head. A good thing I don’t judge a beer by its pour alone.

So I bring the glass to my nose and the first thing that comes to my mind is a creamy caramel coated banana. The caramel aroma has that super creamy character. The banana is very subtle. I am intrigued by the aroma so the anticipation of the taste has peaked my interest.

The flavor followed the aroma. The caramel flavor is so creamy and rich. Imagine biting into a rich Belgian chocolate filled with creamy caramel…that is exactly the flavor I tasted with a hint of banana as well.

The mouthfeel is full, smooth and silky. The finish is not too sweet and very satisfying. I gave this beer a 4.75 and I am not sure why I didn’t give it a 5 cap rating. Most likely a flaw due to me drinking a few beers prior to this one.

Beer In Front Awards: Deschutes Black Butte Porter

So I’ll be posting each beer I rate for the 2022 Beer In Front Awards. Visit the website at beerinfront.com and the Awards page.

My next beer for judging is one of the beers I have been drinking for over 30 years. It is the first dark beer that rocked my socks off. It is the Deschutes Black Butte Porter.

The appearance is not so grand. It has an almost completely opaque dark brown/black color with a tan head that barely elevated a 1/3” and dissipated to a light film almost immediately. I rated this a 7 for appearance.

The aroma is nice, but also not super impressive. It has a light roasty and more burnt toffee aroma. And that is it. So it gets a 7 for aroma.

The flavor is mostly that burnt toffee but it is so pleasant and not too sweet. I really love the flavor of this beer. So I give it a 9 for flavor.

My overall rating is just an average of the scores. I drink a 6 pack of this beer at least once every 3 months. I really do enjoy it despite the overall 8 rating.

New Brew: Level Crossing Suss It Out Rye IPA

So I was looking through the beers at Brewer’s Haven, one of our local home brew shops and bottle shops, and I saw “Rye I dis Pale Ale” and automatically put it in my bag. I love rye in beer. I looked at the name of the brewery and I had never heard of Level Crossing Brewing out of Salt Lake, UT. Well I guess it was time to try them out.

The beer pours to a beautiful slightly cloudy amber/orange color with a slight off white head that disappeared quickly.

The aroma is subtle with citrusy notes and pleasant rye spiciness. Needless to say I was eager to taste this beer. Now I need to confess my blindness to purchase any beer with rye led me to obtaining a beer 7 months old…an IPA at that…so I was beginning to show concern.

The flavor delivered on both the citrus hops and rye spiciness. The body is substantial and lends to a decent malt bill and heavy resinous hopping. I can only imagine what this beer provides fresh.

Overall I am very satisfied with the beer and surprised how an Utah brewery impressed me so much with a big hoppy IPA.

I gave this beer a 4 cap rating for now and may raise it once I have a fresh sample.

Beer In Front Awards: New Belgium Fat Tire

So I’ll be posting each beer I rate for the 2022 Beer In Front Awards. Visit the website at beerinfront.com and the Awards page.

My next beer for judging is probably one of the first craft beers a lot people tried. It is a beer I drank a lot of when I was first on my craft beer journey and my wife for years called it Flat Tire. It is the classic Fat Tire from Colorado brewery New Belgium.

The appearance is a slightly cloudy golden amber with a nice fluffy off white head that stood three fingers high and jetted above the rim of my glass. I gave it a 7 for appearance.

The aroma is all caramel malt and maybe even some toffee. Not all that spectacular so I gave it a 5.

The flavor was much more lackluster than I remembered. It has a watery mouthfeel and was very subdued. Very disappointing and that six pack I bought will be a chore to finish. I’ll probably save it for my wife’s friends that don’t like strong beer flavored beers. I gave it a 3 for taste.

Overall I am rating this a 5 out of 10.

New Brew: OEC Obscura Baltic Porter

A few years ago OEC Brewing out of Connecticut started distributing their coolship beers to Boise. I grabbed a few and instantly fell in love. Over the years I have continually drank new beers as well as some of my favorites coming from this brewery and I have never been disappointed.

Today I am drinking one of my favorite styles, the Baltic Porter. I am so happy the Baltic Porter has become more popular with craft brewers.

The Obscura from OEC is very good. It is hard to describe the aroma and flavors because it is so complex and rich in favor. But if I tried I would say it has a toffee base with dried dark fruit and some tobacco mixed in for good measure. It does not come across sweet but is very well balanced with the flavors leaving only the hint of sweetness.

This is a beer I recommend anyone able to purchase try and I am sure you will enjoy it.

New Brew: Von Ebert Cold Pale Pils

I fell in love with Von Ebert the moment I tasted the beer beer. The brewery is out of Portland, OR and makes some very good beers…both lagers and ales.

The beer I’ll be talking about today is their Cold Pale Pils. It came in a 16oz can and poured a clear, effervescent straw color with a fairly minimal white head.

The aroma has a distinct grapefruit fragrance and lets the drinker anticipate the hoppy flavor.

The flavor didn’t disappoint and had a pronounced grapefruit. There is also cereal malt flavor and in the finish some grassy notes show up while providing a crisp, dry and slightly bitter finish.

I’ll tell you, I really enjoyed this beer. It was a worthy hoppy pils.

Beer In Front Awards: Anchor Steam Beer

So I’ll be posting each beer I rate for the 2022 Beer In Front Awards. Visit the website at beerinfront.com and the Awards page.

My next beer for judging is a classic West Coast beer out of San Francisco. It’s the Anchor Brewing Steam Beer.

The appearance of this beer is very nice. A clear, golden amber color with a nice dense off white head. This gets an 8 for appearance.

The aroma comes across bold with a bread dough malt fragrance. You also get a sense of sweetness from the aroma. I give it a 7 for aroma.

The taste was a surprise because I assumed it would be all bready malt. But it was mildly bread mixed with some tobacco and/or figs and burnt sugar. I gave it a 7 for flavor.

Overall I enjoy this beer and it is unique flavored and not just another lager. Overall I rate this beer a 7.

2022 Beer In Front Awards: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

So I’ll be posting each beer I rate for the 2022 Beer In Front Awards. Visit the website at beerinfront.com and the Awards page.

My next beer for judging is a beer from a brewery that was very popular in the early 2000’s. It is Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. I first tried beers from this brewery around 2007 when my wife found a loophole to have beers shipped to a local store. The mark up was crazy and she paid over $40 for a mix six pack. Needless to say none of the beers live up to the price tag. One of those beers was this 90 minute IPA.

For appearance I have to admit it is a beautiful beer. It has a deep amber color with a big, fluffy and creamy off-white head that stuck around for the entire consumption. It is a clear beer as well with a good amount of bubbles rising throughout. I rated this a 9 for appearance.

For the aroma I must admit I was very disappointed. I mostly smelt doughy bread malt with a hint of piney hops. This only scored a 5 from me.

The taste is different than most IIPAs. It has a distinct malt backbone with a strong pine hop flavor that blends into a sweet orange hop flavor. Having both bold malts and bold hops surprisingly balanced very well and makes for an enjoyable drink. For the taste I gave it an 8.

Overall this beer is good, but it is not a beer you want to have a second one in the same day. It is heavy and cumbersome and a bit strong. So my overall rating is only a 7.

2022 Beer In Front Awards: Big Sky Brewing Moose Drool

So I’ll be posting each beer I rate for the 2022 Beer In Front Awards. Visit the website at beerinfront.com and the Awards page.

My next beer for judging is a style that gets little love, but is a great one to bridge between the lighter lagers and the stronger porters and stouts. It’s the brown ale. The Big Sky Moose Drool is a classic brown focused on malts.

For the appearance it is a beautiful deep mahogany red/brown with a tan head. It is also clear with no cloudiness. I really like the appearance so I gave it an 8.

The aroma is sweeter and gives off a Carmel and toffee fragrance. It is enjoyable but not over the top. I gave it a 7.

For the flavor you get a lot of the caramel and toffee flavor and even some dates or figs. I really like the flavor and it has sweetness to it but not overly sweet. I gave this an 8.

Overall I do enjoy this beer and for a brown ale it hits on a lot I look for in the style. I gave it an 8 overall.

2022 Beer In Front Awards: Widmer Brothers Hefe

So I’ll be posting each beer I rate for the 2022 Beer In Front Awards. Visit the website at beerinfront.com and the Awards page.

I’m starting off with a familiar beer to most on the West Coast…the Widmer Brothers Hefe which is an American Hefeweizen.

The scoring is simple…rate from 1-10 on appearance, aroma and taste as well an an overall rating. As everyone knows, I rate by style so this will go against my preference for American Hef.

For appearance it is a very nice golden color with a substantial white creamy head. It’s a 7.

For aroma it has a somewhat fruity and floral hop fragrance mixed with some grainy malt. It is also a 7.

For the taste, I get some of the fruity and floral flavors as well as some graininess. But the finish is far too bitter for a Hef in my opinion. I drop a 5 for taste.

Overall I’m rating this a 6.

New Brew: Boneyard Beer Crooked Pilsner

So I have loved Boneyard Beer ever since I first stepped foot into their original brewery and tasted every beer they offered in 1oz tasters. Now that they distribute to Boise, I find myself buying six packs of their beer every week, usually the RPM IPA. But now I have found the not-so-hoppy beer I will substitute in-between.

This Crooked Pilsner is everything I enjoy in a Pilsner. I have never been a fan of the big noble hop earthy bitterness, but I have grown to appreciate them over the years. But this American Pilsner variant is right in my wheelhouse.

The beer has a great aroma of bread dough malt that follows right into the initial flavor. Quickly a light floral hop flavor balanced out the malt and the beer ends with a subtle bitterness that brings it all together while maintaining a very drinkable and refreshing, crisp experience.

New Brew: Reuben’s Brews Stay Frosty Cold IPA

So I have been raving about all the great Cold IPAs I’ve had in the last couple years. I was skeptical when I first heard another IPA subcategory was being brewed. Anyone who has been a long time listener knows how much I hated the Brut IPA. The good news is I have thoroughly enjoyed every Cold IPA beer I’ve had to date…at least 20 from breweries around the country.

So the latest entry is from one of my favorite breweries, Reuben’s Brews and it is called Stay Frosty IPA. This beer has big floral resinous hop flavor with a nice malty backbone that is crisp and clean. It was nice to have a clear IPA with a hop profile not citrus or tropical fruity (of course I love these types of hoppy beers).

I now have an app on my phone that allows me to post to the website so expect more of these small blog posts.

Cheers! Denny