Tanker Truck Series: Passion Fruit Gose

Tonight I am trying a brew that is perfect for the dog days of summer. Sometimes the hottest days come in the end of summer. August is the official beginning of the end for summer, I think the brew I am trying tonight is a way to deal with the heat of summer. It is a beer from a brewery I have tried before on this blog. 

Two Roads Brewing Company

The brewery is Two Roads Brewing Company, they are located in Stratford, Connecticut. Two Roads was founded in 2012, by four friends who always wanted to start a craft brewery. Two Roads is not just a logo on the label and the brewery, it's their philosophy. Life seems to always offer up two ways to go. Happens to that they prefer to take the one less taken and have some fun along the way. The Road Less Traveled is their philosophy for the beers and is on every beer. 

Can of Passion Fruit Gose by Two Roads Brewing Company

The beer I am trying tonight from Two Roads Brewing, is part of their Tanker Truck Series. It is their Passion Fruit Gose. Gose ales are an unfiltered wheat beer that are brewed with coriander and salt. This style of beer has a low bitterness and will have a complimentary dryness. This Gose, has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.2%. This beer comes in a 16 ounce can. I am curious to see what this brew is all about. 

Appearance of Passion Fruit Gose 

Comparison to Passion Fruit Juice

The aroma of this beer is very aromatic. The nose is hit with a wave of passion fruit aromas. There is a salinity or sour note to the aroma as well. The salt notes comes first than leads to a slightly tart or sour aroma. The aroma is a very fruity and juicy aroma that makes you want to dive right on into this brew. The head or foam of this beer was white and quickly dissipated after pouring this beer. There is no noticeable foam or head after it ran off. The color or appearance of this beer is very similar to passion fruit juice color. It is a golden hue with a cloudy appearance. 

Time to explore the taste of this Tanker Truck Series: Passion Fruit Gose. I took my first sip and I noticed to tartness of the Gose right away. I picked up on the souring notes as the first taste notes to this brew. The next taste note I picked up on was the passion fruit notes. The juice behind this brew is very noticeable and comes through after the initial tartness. The last note I picked up on was the salt notes. It blends into the tartness and adds a layer to the sour notes in the beginning. This ale finishes with a nice dry tart finish. The body of this Gose is a light to medium with a nice carbonation to the beer. 

Check out Two Roads Tanker Truck Series: Passion Fruit Gose

Overall, this is a really good Gose. The passion fruit and the tart notes in the Gose Style are a nice combination and blend seamlessly. It makes for a tart refreshing ale that is great to combat the hot summer days. I would recommend this ale if you are looking to get into sour style brews or fruit beers. The passion fruit is a great choice for this style beer. I really enjoyed this beer and the light body of the beer was crisp and delicious.

Check out Two Roads Brewing Company website and their social media: 

https://tworoadsbrewing.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TwoRoadsBrewing

Tweet @2RoadsBrewing 

https://www.instagram.com/tworoadsbrewing/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9257BnnrdukR10bCCwXdgA/

https://www.pinterest.com/tworoadsbrewing/

Doin' Thyme

Inside Birdsong Brewing Taproom

Sometimes you get lucky and get brews from friends or family from their vacations, if they think about it. Other times you have friends of friends share beers with your friend and in return the share it with you. Well the latter happened to me recently, a co-worker's friend came back from Charlotte and had gotten a beer she enjoyed from her friend in North Carolina. My co-worker knew I have had beer from the brewery that her friend got her beer from. We discussed the beers and I mentioned one of the beers I had before from the same brewery. She instantly got excited that I had tried the beer she had gotten and she offered to share one with me. I thought it would be cool to do a review of this beer from the brewery. I have had a few beers from this brewery from Charlotte, North Carolina and I can say they do a great job with their takes on beer and different styles of beers. Let's review the brewery that I am trying another brew from tonight. 

Throwback to my last visit at  Birdsong Brewing Company 

Birdsong was started by Chris and Tara Goulet, they partnered with Conor Robinson who thought Charlotte need a small neighborhood brewery. The brewery would be a place where folks could stop in for a pint or take one home with a growler. Birdsong started in 2011, since then they have brewed many different beers. With the rapid growth they purchased a building in the Belmont Neighborhood of Charlotte, NC. It was a 30-barrel brew house with room for up to 1,200 barrels of fermentation capacity. Birdsong opened up a new taproom in April 2015 and is geared up for a growth in production thanks to its creative and hardworking employees. Birdsong believes #CanDoWillDo which is their philosophy behind their passion. Birdsong believes in locally sourced and sustainability. They recycle the peanut shells from their taproom to a local cattle farm. and eighty percent of their production is draft beer. Kegs are the ultimate reusable product that helps them be sustainable and limit their discarded waste. They stay local and minimize transportation to keep a mindful approach economically and environmentally. The bottom line is not the only guiding principle. 

Can of Doin' Thyme

I have had the pleasure of visiting the tasting room at the brewery while I was on Beercation down in Charlotte. Let's discuss tonight's beer of the night, I am having Doin' Thyme Witbier by Birdsong Brewing Company. Doin' Thyme has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 4.3% and an IBU or bitterness of 15. From the can, "Our innovative Belgian-style Wheat uses coriander, lemon peel, and fresh thyme for a crisp, refreshing springtime treat. Using locally grown thyme from 100 Gardens in Charlotte, Birdsong is pleased to donate a portion of Doin' Thyme sales to help 100 Gardens in its quest to engage students and incarcerated individuals in learning new skills and actively helping the community." Great to see and learn how Birdsong walks the walk and helps support the local community. 

Appearance of Doin' Thyme Witbier

The appearance of this Witbier is typical for the style of beer that it is. Doin' Thyme has a cloudy pale appearance to it. There is a yellowish to golden hue about this ale. Noticeable amounts of carbonation in the beer and there is a thin layer of foam or head to the beer. The head or foam as you pour the beer is thick but quickly simmers away leaving only a remnant of the head or foam around the edges. Doin' Thyme has an interesting aroma for a Witbier. The aroma follows sort for a typical beer in this style, but there is a subtleness to the aroma as you take a whiff. The aroma is subdued. The spice notes are there and noticeable, the thyme is a major player in the spice aroma. As well as coriander is for this style of ale. The lemon peel and citrus aroma are in the background to the spice aroma. There is a crispness to the aroma that is inviting and makes you want to take a big gulp for your next sip. 

Birdsong Logo

I took my first sip and instantly notice the crispness of the beer. I notice the Belgian spices right away in the Witbier. It is not overpowering and does allow you to pick up on the spice notes in a Witbier. The coriander is present in the taste of the beer, which then allows the thyme to shine through. The thyme, I would have thought might have thrown of the style. But it played into the crisp wit style. The lemon peel and citrus notes come after the thyme and allow the drinker a break from thyme. The way these blend together is enjoyable and allows for a crisp light refreshing beer. The body of this ale is light to medium and the mouthfeel is crisp. There is a dry finish to this beer and the taste notes just mix so well together. 

Doin' Thyme Witbier 

Make sure that if you visit Charlotte, North Carolina, that this brewing company is on your list to visit. Their refreshing takes on styles of beers and their support for the community is fantastic and refreshing to see the involvement.  Doin' Thyme was a crisp and refreshing brew that I think anyone who likes Witbiers, would enjoy and should have on their list to examine. I look forward to the next time I visit the brewery. Hopefully it is on a THURsty THURsday and one of their release days. Doin' Thyme is a seasonal brew and is available from March to May.  I also saw on their instagram that Birdsong is going solar and that they will generate 50% of their power needs from solar panels they are adding. Sustainability is very important and the renewable energy source and locally sourced items are important to lowering their footprint. 

Check out Birdsong Brewing Company on their website and stay up to date with them on social media: 

https://birdsongbrewing.com/

https://www.instagram.com/birdsongbrewing/

https://www.facebook.com/birdsongbrewing/

Tweet @BirdsongBrewing

Fierce: Weiss Beer with a Napolianic Sour Streak

 Fierce Label 

Tonight I am trying a beer from a brewery I have not really heard about before. I have seen their beer and tried one, but I have not dived into more beers other than the one I tried. I know there are a vast amount of breweries out there and I focus on trying them all but sometimes you stumble across beer or labels you never seen before. I saw this label and a instantly moved to try it. I wanted to know more about this mouse on the label. I picked the style of beer that I was going to enjoy out of the two beers, I saw in the store  I was at.  

Let's figure out more about Off Color Brewing, which is where this beer for tonight is from. Off Color Brewing is located in Chicago, Illinois. I know that Chicago has numerous amount of breweries and I have even visited one in the area, but I had never heard of Off Color before seeing the label. John Laffler and Dave Bleitner the two founders studied at the famous Siebel Institute and began their partnership while interning at Metropolitan Brewing in 2008. After working for other breweries for a while, John and Dave decided they were going to focus on pursuing their own brewery. They obtained investors and then the opened up their own brewery. They have a location in Logan Square and are opening up a second location in Lincoln Park, near Goose Island. 

Bottle of Fierce by Off Color Brewing

The beer I am trying tonight is called Fierce. It is a  Berliner Weiss ale with a Napolianic sour streak. I do not know what that means, just thinking about it makes me want to know more about this brew. Fierce has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 3.8% and an IBU or bitterness of 3ish. Here's how Off Color describes the beer, "Troublesome's meaner cousin will flail your tongue as hard as he can, but being such a little guy, you'll probably just pucker up a bit. Spawned through an overnight kettle souring with our house lactobacillus culture, the wort emerges furious at what we did to it. Then just because, we pitch a saison yeast and allow it to free rise to it's further disdain. It comes out angrier than .... uh angrier than.... well, something really angry. But at 3.8% ABV there's no reason for you to be too afraid."

Appearance of Fierce 

Once poured, Fierce has a yellowish hue about it and has a thin layer of foam or head atop the glass. The beer does have a haziness to it, almost like it looks unfiltered. I begin to smell and pick up on the aroma and I think that it's sour bit is picking a fight with my olfactory senses. It's releasing punches of aroma that show of it's Napolianic sour streak. I notice the sour aroma first. The lactobacillus fermentation notes are the first thing I pick up on. Then it is followed by a citrus aroma. The citrus aroma that toys with my nostrils is a lemon zest aroma. The lemon zest picks up with the saison yeast notes and draws the drinker into its sour spice notes. 

Side of the label 

Diving into the tasting of Fierce, I was greeted with the same Napolianic sour streak in the taste buds. I notice the kettle souring aspect of the beer right away, because that is the first taste note that I picked up on. Fierce has a tart bite to it and then shows its subtle sweet side. The tart taste is backboned off a lemon zest tart bite, almost like biting into the lemon rind. Not something that you would enjoy initially, but you would enjoy the sour/tartness after a while. The wheat backbone of this beer does make this beer enjoyable because it gives the sourness a backbone to pair with it. For being a Berliner Weiss style brew the beer gives the drinker a shandy like vibe and would be something that could be perfect for a mimosa blended with a beer. Fierce has a light body with a dry finish. 

Check out Fierce by Off Color Brewing

I thought Fierce gave my a senses a run for their money and I actually thought that the sour streak was well designed in this style of beer. I know sometimes when people think of Berliner Weiss style brews they tend to think they want to make them not as sour. I think this is the right amount of sour, but I also think again you could use this for a  morning beer cocktail. It lends itself perfectly to a mimosa or a bellini style drink. Fierce is available from April til sometime when the leaves start falling. 

"We brew beer. Sometimes we do other stuff, but not as well."

Check out Off Color Brewing on their website and their social media:

http://www.offcolorbrewing.com/

 https://www.facebook.com/OffColorBrewing

Tweet @OffColorBrewing

https://www.instagram.com/offcolorbrewing/

Miami Weiss

M.I.A. Beer Company

There have been a variety of breweries that have been expanding their distribution into Pennsylvania recently. One of the most recent to expand into Pennsylvania;  is a brewery from Florida that I will be trying a brew from tonight. I have not heard much about this brewery or their beers, so I figured that I should grab one and see what they are all about. The brewery I am trying tonight is M.I.A Beer Company. M.I.A. Beer Company is located in Doral, Florida. The first thing I noticed about their beer cans were the color schemes they used on their cans, they are catchy and draw you to the beer. That's great marketing picking color schemes and styles that match those schemes. Here is a little about M.I.A. "our team is passionate about the quality of our beers. While many of our beers are inspired by traditional recipes, we pride ourselves on continually crafting new formulas and incorporating exotic and locally sourced ingredients. We are known for our vibrant branding and vast portfolio of unique brews infused with Miami's rich culture. M.I.A is owned by Eddie Leon, Johann Beckford, and Kevin Smith. The head brewer is Michael Demetrus formally of Finch's Brewing Company." According to Eddie Leon. "M.I.A. is excited to bring our line of Miami-inspired beers to Pennsylvania. We Have many vacationers who have discovered us, and now they can enjoy a little taste of vacation at home." M.I.A. Beer Company is ranked the ninth fastest growing production brewery in the United States as of 2016. 

As of June 1st, they are in PA. 

Tonight I am trying M.I.A. Beer Company's, Miami Weiss beer. Miami Weiss is a German Style Hefeweizen. This beer is their number one flagship beer and has an alcohol by volume or ABV of six percent.  Let's explore what Miami Weiss is all about. 

Miami Weiss Can by M.I.A. Beer Company 

The aroma of this weiss brew is very inviting and draws you in just like the appearance of the can, I first notice the traditional aroma that are in a Hefeweizen. I picked up on a bubblegum aroma right away. Which was followed by a spice, or a clove note again normal in a Hefeweizen, The last noticeable aroma for this beer was a fruity ester aroma, that reminds me of a banana aroma. All of these aromas are typical for a German Style Hefeweizen. The appearance of this beer is an orange gold hue to the beer. There is no noticeable haziness to the beer. There is good head of foam retention to the beer. The head at the top of the beer is an eighth of an inch in size. Some noticeable lacing around the edge of the glass. Last note about the head or the foam, even though its an eighth of an inch it is thick and off white in color. 

Appearance of Miami Weiss

Time to dive into the taste aspects of Miami Weiss. I took my first sip and was instantly hit with all the typical notes in the Hefeweizen. The first tasting note you get is the bubblegum note in the beer that is quickly followed up by the spice or clove note in the beer. There is a slight orange zest note this is blended into the first to tasting notes but does not overcome the first two notes. There is a lingering spice note after you finish your sip. The body of this Hefeweizen is light to medium. At first you start your sip and you think it has a light body, but then comes the medium body mouthfeel. The banana notes that were in the aroma, do not come through noticeably in the taste aspect of this beer. For me that is a plus, the clove and the bubblegum notes are enough to allow you to understand the Hefeweizen style in this beer. 

Have you tried Miami Weiss? 

I really enjoyed this brew from M.I.A. Beer company and I think they hit the nail on the head with the German Style Hefeweizen. The classic flavors and their twist on the style was pleasantly delicious. I look forward to trying more brews from this beer company. Make sure you look out for M.I.A. Beer Company near you. 

Check out M.I.A. Beer Company out on their website and their social media:

http://www.mia.beer/

Tweet @MIABeerCo

https://www.instagram.com/miabeerco/

https://www.facebook.com/MIAbeerco

LOMALAND

Bottle Bar East

  

Tonight I am trying a brew from a Beer Company that is coming into the Philadelphia Region, but has a solid following out in California. I was in Philly for Philly Beer Week and I stumbled into Bottle Bar East near Frankford Hall, which is where I spotted the beer I am trying tonight. I have heard good things about this beer company and I saw beer styles I enjoy, so I grabbed two of the beers from the brewery. Since obtaining these beers I have begun seeing beers from this beer company popping up at local distributors. I am glad to see them entering the Philadelphia market. I hope this can be the start of some more California craft breweries coming to Philadelphia. 

Modern Times Beer Company

  

Let's dive into the beer company I am exploring tonight. Modern Times Beer Company is located in Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego, California. They have a 30 bbl production brewery and tasting room. Modern Times obtained it name because of a beautifully crazy utopian community in 1850. "Modern Times" was a utopian community built on Long Island, New York in 1850, a bunch of wingnuts thought they could demonstrate to the world what a more perfect society might look like. The brewery was founded by Jacob McKean, a beer geek and former Stone Brewing Company employee. They picked the name Modern Times because they were fascinated by the colorful, ambitious, little pockets of history the develop in the folds of progress, the forgotten little paradises that barely register in the onward rush of civilization. 

   

Taste Room at Modern Times

Their beers are (almost always) named after real utopian experiments and mythological utopias. They focus on (non-monogamously) on aroma-driven, complex, flavorful, sessionish brews. They often brew hybrid styles, combining the features we like from established categories to create new, Island-of-Doctor-Moreau-style mash-ups. They brew loads of special releases and one-offs batches, allowing them to pursue their various whims. They have even dedicated a brew tank to beers fermented with Brettanomyces- an alternative yeast strain that is capable of producing distinct flavors, and their sour program is on its way. 

Label of Lomaland Saison

  

Time for a look at the beer I am sampling from Modern Times Beer Company. I am trying Lomaland Saison, which is their Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale. Lomaland got its name because of the brilliantly crazy utopian community that was the first settlement built on Point Loma, the San Diego neighborhood where their fermentorium is located.  Lomaland has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.5% and an IBU or bitterness of 30. 

Appearance of Lomaland 

Now time to talk about this beer I have been waiting to try, Lomaland has a bright hazy golden appearance to it. The foam or head of the beer lingers a little after you pour this beer, then it quickly dissipates and leaves no traces behind. The aroma of this beer is pulling me in further and further. I notice a barnyard aroma that could be attributed to a hay or straw aroma. The next aroma is a typical Belgian aroma of a bubblegum aroma. There is a subtle spice note that is noticeable because of the Saaz hop addition in the brew. The aroma and the appearance drawn you further towards the Farmhouse style ale. 

Profile of the beer on the can

I am ready to find out the taste of this beer. I took my first sip of this utopian brew and I was hooked to it, The first thing taste note I noticed was a fruity ester to the body of  the beer. There is a well balanced body to this beer. It switches taste notes effortlessly and makes notes hard to pinpoint. It sweet then hits you with a spice note, which then hits you with a bitter hint. The bubblegum aroma is noticeable in the taste, but I cannot say precisely when it hits you. I would say the it's paired with the fruity esters in the body of the beer. The beer has a light to medium body that finishes with a dry finish. There is a hint of spice that lingers on the tongue after you finish your sip.

Look out for LOMALAND 

Overall, I think this is a great brew and an awesome Saison. I might have to say this is the best Saison I have tried recently. The spice note that can be overpowering in this style is not the focal point of this brew. The body of Lomaland is smooth and leaves you wanting more of this beer. I think this beer could be dangerous on a hot day. The beer is sessionable and something that I think would take the bite out of the heat on a scorcher hot day.  

Check out Modern Times Beer Company out on their social media and their website: 

http://moderntimesbeer.com/tasting-room/point-loma

https://www.facebook.com/ModernTimesIsYourFriend

Tweet @ModernTimesBeer

https://www.instagram.com/moderntimesbeer/

Check out Bottle Bar East on their website and social media: 

http://bottlebareast.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BottleBarEast/

Tweet @Bottlebareast

https://www.instagram.com/bottlebareast/

Nerd Nite: Philly Beer Week with a Bunch of Nerds

Philly NerdNite at Frankford Hall 

Last wednesday during Philly Beer Week I attended an event that talked about beer while also enjoying some cold ones. The event was hosted by Philly Nerd Nite, and it was a beer event talking to people who enjoy beer. Thanks to the host Gina, Chris, and Simon for throwing a great event down at Frankford Hall in Fishtown of Philadelphia,PA.  

Tap List from Frankford Hall 

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast 

Oatmeal Stout 7.5% ABV 

Catered Dreams by Forest and Main 

IPA 6.0% 

Here is a little about Philly NerdNite, Nerd Nite Philly is a monthly meeting of the nerds. Our events strive to bring you intellectual, entertaining talks to broaden your nerdy knowledge. This event was centered around Beer and Philly Beer Week. 

Two of the organizers Chris and Simon. 

List of Speakers 

First, I want to talk about the speakers and what they talked about. 

Dr. Roger Barth 

The first part of the evening was spent talking about the "Origin of Beer." The speaker was Dr. Roger Barth, Chemistry Professor who teaches at West Chester University and is the author of The Chemistry of Beer. 

Talking about the Origins of Beer 

Dr. Roger Barth mentioned how the pyramid workers would be paid in beer and the reference to the old styles of beer from Dogfish Head Brewing. The followed an old recipe to create the beer called Midas Touch. 

Midas Touch Ancient Ale by Dogfish Head Brewing 

Dr. Barth also detailed the first mentions of hops in history, which was 822 A.D.  Listening to Dr. Barth was very opening and I really enjoyed the history aspect of his talk. 

Next up was Mary Grace Hodge and she discussed the Motivations for attending Craft Beer Events in Philadelphia. 

Speaker, Mary Grace Hodge 

Mary Grace did her Masters on this topic and the understanding on why people attend Craft Beer Events. She worked at Flying Fish Brewing and is currently teaching at Drexel University, she studied why people attended these events. Below there is a list of Push/Pull factors and Mary mentioned an factor for this event was Pull factor of Education. 

Push and Pull Factors to Craft Beer Events

I found Mary Grace take on the factors to be spot on and the discussion on why people attended events after was enlightening as well. Mary Grace talked about how early on women would go to these events because of their husbands and boyfriends, they would look for the lightest beers. They were not really interested in going to the events but because their significant other attended, they did as well. I think now that has changed a little, you see more and more ladies going to these events, they are not going after the light beers anymore. They are looking for the hoppy brews and the IPA's.

Last up was Yards Brewing Company. The speaker from Yards was Frank Winslow, he discussed the Rub on Hops. 

Yards Brewing 

Yards portion was an interactive look at hops. It was for the visual learners in the room. Frank Brought with him five different types of hops. A few of them were: Denali, Cascade, Amarillo, and Eureka. The hops came in some different forms brewers might deal with an example of one is hop pellets. During the presentation nerdnite enthusiasts sampled Yards India Pale Ale, as they discussed hops, which makes sense pulling the presentation altogether. Frank talked about the hops as the fruit of the plant and the names of the hop part called the Strombile. He discussed the Alpha Acids and how they were hydrophilic and enjoyed being mixed with water. 

Different types of hops 

Discussion on Hops

What are Hops? 

Frank discussed that hops grow clockwise up the vine. The discussion on hops was very in depth and hands on learning. Which I think is important for beer drinkers because if you enjoy hops the more you know about them helps you understand why you might enjoy that next IPA you drink. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this unofficial Beer Week Event. This discussions on origins of beer, why people attend beer events, and hops were all enlightening. I look forward to the next Beer centric discussion from Philly NerdNite. Thanks to Chris, Gina, and Simon for throwing a great night. As well for having awesome discussion with Dr. Roger Barth, Mary Grace Hodge, and Frank Winslow. I did enjoy the intellect and I enjoyed furthering my nerdy knowledge on beer.  

Check out Philly NerdNite Events and their social media: 

https://philadelphia.nerdnite.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nerdnitephilly/

https://www.instagram.com/nerdnitephilly/

Tweet @NerdNitePhilly