Purple Haze

ABITA! Brewing Company

Tonight  I am trying a beer from down south. I have heard about this brewing company, but have not been able to try anything by them until now. I am trying a beer from Abita! Brewing Company. Here is a little information on Abita according to their website: "founded in 1986, the Abita Brewing Company is nestled in the piney woods 30 miles north of New Orleans. In its first year, the brewery produced 1,500 barrels of beer. We had no idea what we started. Customers loved our beer! By 1994, we outgrew the original site (now our 100-seat brew pub) and moved up the road to a larger facility to keep up with demand." Abita is located in Abita Springs in Covington, Louisiana.  

Label for Purple Haze 

I am trying Purple Haze by Abita Brewing Company. Purple Haze is a raspberry lager. Purple Haze has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 4.2% and an IBU or bitterness of 13. Let's see what's behind Purple Haze. 

Bottle of Purple Haze

Aroma of this beer is interesting and unique. I notice right away the raspberry aroma, an aroma that might bring bad berry memories up. I think the raspberry aroma is not over powering but is very noticeable. The other noticeable aromas are the malt aroma and yeast aroma typical in a lager. The subtle aroma I noticed was a citrus aroma that paired with the raspberry aroma. The citrus and raspberry aromas are delightful. Appearance of Purple Haze is different and interesting. It almost looks like the beer is unfiltered. There is a haze no pun intended, to this beer. The haze is some fruit pulp in the beer. I think the color of Purple Haze is a golden amber hue.The foam or head of this beer as you pour it leaves a good inch layer of foam. Then the foam quickly dissipates and leaves a thin layer atop the glass. 

Appearance of Purple Haze

After thinking about the aroma and the appearance, I am ready to try this lager. I took my first sip and the first thing I thought of was how crisp and light this beer was. The raspberry taste is noticeable but is not overpowering like some fruit beers can be. I notice the raspberry and citrus notes in the beer that help make this brew light and refreshing. Purple Haze has a medium body that goes down smooth. I think the more and more I drink this beer the quicker it is going down. There is a malt and yeast note in the beer, but that is coming from the style of beer, Purple Haze is. 

Check out Purple Haze by Abita Brewing Company

Overall, I think that Purple Haze is a good beer. The smoothness and the crispness of this beer is astonishing. I really enjoyed Purple Haze. If you are into light beers and craft beers this is something you should check out. The raspberry lager is definitely a craft beer aspect and Abita did it very well. The lightness of this beer is something someone that is not into craft beer can get behind and still enjoy this beer.  

Check out Abita Brewing Company on their website and their social media: 

https://abita.com/

https://www.instagram.com/abitabeer/

Tweet @theabitabeer

https://www.facebook.com/abita

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3fqpewZIVlDgb5HavFp8xw

OKTOBEERFEST

Octobeerfest

Everyone knows what Octoberfest beer they enjoy. For some, they hear it's late September/Early October and you think I want an Octoberfest. I know some people wait for Sam Adams Octoberfest to come out, but for me I was interested in the others out there. I went around to some bottle shops and grabbed as many as I could to see who had the best Octoberfest brew out there. In this post, I will be sampling twelve different Octoberfest beers and seeing which one comes out on top. I am not drinking all 12 at once, I will be sampling two beers at a time with water breaks in between. I want to make sure by the last one you are able to tell the difference between them all. Each Beer will get a little excerpt on it. Examples like What brewery, ABV, IBU. a picture and then minor notes on it.  By the end I will pick my favorite and see which one came out on top.  Some Oktoberfests are Marzen Lagers, Marzen means March. These beers are brewed in March and served to celebrate the harvest and beginning of fall. 

Let's start it up

First pair up is a pair of local breweries. 

Oktoberfish by Flying Fish

Flying Fish Oktoberfish was first released in 2002  by Flying Fish Brewing Company. Flying Fish is located in Somerdale, New Jersey. Oktoberfish has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 6% and a IBU or bitterness of 18. Copper hue appearance, caramel aroma. light to medium body. 

Oktoberfish Appearance

Not the biggest fan of this beer, but does hit all the traditional notes of an Fest style beer. Little too much biscuit taste notes and the floral/bitter notes turned me off Oktoberfish. 

Oktoberfest Sly Fox Brewing 

Sly Fox Brewing Oktoberfest Lager, won a Great American Beer Fest Bronze Medal in 2013. Sly Fox Brewing is located in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Oktoberfest Lager has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.8% and an IBU or bitterness of 25.  pale copper hue, malt forward aroma, light body. 

Sly Fox Appearance

This beer had too much of a noticeable hop taste. I noticed the hops right from the beginning sip. The malts are noticeable in the taste.      

Next pair up: 

Oaktoberfest by Firestone Walker Brewing

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest Inspired by their hometown of Paso Robles (Pass of the Oaks). Firestone Walker is located in Paso Robles, California. Oaktoberfest has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5% and an IBU or bitterness of 24. Pale golden hue, subtle spice aroma, floral grassy aroma, light body. 

Oaktoberfest Appearnce

For me this taste almost more like a saison. Spice notes are evident and not really much of an Octoberfest taste. Good brew just not what I think of for an Octoberfest brew. German style hops are noticeable but that is really all that is. 

Oktoberfest by Block House Brewing

Block House Brewing Oktoberfest one of Block House newest brews. Block House is located in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. Oktoberfest has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.5% and an IBU or bitterness of 20. Amber hue, sweet aroma. full body 

Block House Appearnance

There is a subtle sweetness to this beer but the hops over run my taste buds. 

Oktoberfest by Susquehanna Brewing Company

Susquehanna Brewing Company Oktoberfest. Susquehanna Brewing Company is located in Pittston, Pennsylvania. Oktoberfest has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 6.2% and an IBU or bitterness of 22.

Copper amber hue, malted aroma, light to medium body. 

Susquehanna Appearance

Malt forward taste to this Oktoberfest with a subtle spice note to lessen the malt presence.  

Festbier Victory Brewing Company

Victory Brewing Festbier. Victory Brewing Company is located in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Festbier has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.6%.  Deep copper amber hue, roasty taste, caramel sweetness medium body. 

Festbier Appearance 

Festbier has a little bit of everything to enjoy. There is a subtle hop note and a sweetness to this beer. 

Oktoberfest by Newport Storm Brewery

Newport Storm Brewery. Newport Storm Brewery is located in Newport, Rhode Island.  Oktoberfest has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.6% and an IBU or bitterness of 14. Light copper color, spice/malt aroma.

Appearance of Newport Storm

Spice taste right away that mixes towards a hop/malt note. Too malt forward for my liking

Oktoberfest by Brooklyn Brewery

Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest. Brooklyn Brewery is located in Brooklyn, New York. Oktoberfest has alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.5%. Reddish Amber hue, malt aroma, light body. 

Brooklyn Oktoberfest Appearance

Nice balance of malt to hop in this Oktoberfest. There is a subtle sweetness that shows up.

Oktoberfest by Summit Brewing Company

Summit Brewing Company Oktoberfest. Summit Brewing Company is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Oktoberfest has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.7% and an IBU or bitterness of 30. Light copper hue, malt forward aroma. 

Oktoberfest Appearance

Toffee taste as you take the first sip. Light to medium body. Subtle hop finishing note. 

Blöktoberfest by Atwater Brewing

Atwater Brewing Company Blöktoberfest. Atwater Brewing Company is located in Detroit, Michigan. Blöktoberfest has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 6.10% and an IBU or bitterness of 32. Aroma is sweet and fruity, deep amber hue.

Blöktoberfest Appearance

Blöktoberfest has a mild sweetness that finishes with a crisp hop bitterness. 

Dogtoberfest by Flying Dog Brewery

Flying Dog Brewery Dogtoberfest. Flying Dog Brewery is located in Frederick, Maryland. Dogtoberfest has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.6% and an IBU or bitterness of 30. Amber hue, malt sweet aroma. 

Dogtoberfest Appearance

Sweet taste with a malt backbone. Dogtoberfest has a light to medium body, with a slight hop note finish. 

Dead Ringer Oktoberfest

Ballast Point Dead Ringer Oktoberfest. Ballast Point is located in San Diego, California. Dead Ringer has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 6% and an IBU or bitterness of 26. Deep amber hue, malt forward aroma. 

Dead Ringer has a medium body. There is a sweetness and a subtle spice note to this Oktoberfest. 

After trying twelve different Oktoberfest beers, I have narrowed it down to my top three. The top three are in no particular order because to me the were the best. Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest, Victory Festbier, and Ballast Point Dead Ringer Oktoberfest. These three beers were the ones that stood out the most to me. I know everyone has their own opinions and I welcome your thoughts on what your favorite Oktoberfest beer is? 

Websites for each are as followed:

 Flying Fish:

https://www.flyingfish.com/

Sly Fox: 

http://www.slyfoxbeer.com/

Firestone Walker: 

http://www.firestonebeer.com/

Block House Brewing:

https://blockhousebrewingcompany.com/

Summit Brewing: 

http://www.summitbrewing.com/

Flying Dog Brewery: 

http://flyingdogbrewery.com/

Susquehanna Brewing: 

http://www.sbcbeer.com/verification/index.php

Victory Brewing: 

http://www.victorybeer.com/

Ballast Point:

https://www.ballastpoint.com/

Brooklyn Brewery:

http://brooklynbrewery.com/

Atwater Brewing: 

http://www.atwaterbeer.com/

Newport Storm Brewery: 

http://newportstorm.com/

Maduro

Cigar City Brewing Logo 

I have been exploring for more and more beer that I have not tried. I found one that I have not sampled before from Florida. I am sampling a brew from Cigar City Brewing. I have heard good things about Cigar City, but have never tried one of their brews before. Cigar City Brewing is located in Tampa Bay, Florida. Florida is a state known for its theme parks from Universal and Disney World, Cigar City has as popular as a destination. Cigar City Brewing has incorporated the Latin Culture and the history of tobacco manufacturing. Cigar City shows the culture of the area through beer names, recipes and its labels. An example of such as Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale. From Cigar City about them: "At Cigar City Brewing we make beer we like to drink and toast those who choose to drink with us. Behind all our beer is the philosophy that quality is achieved by giving first rate ingredients to first rate people in a space where they are free to pursue their passion. We acknowledge that what we do at Cigar City Brewing isn't for everyone, but we welcome all."

Maduro Brown Ale in can from Cigar City Brewing

Tonight I am trying Cigar City Brewing Maduro. Maduro is a Brown Ale. This ale has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.5% and an IBU or bitterness of 25. 

Appearance of Maduro

Appearance of Maduro is chocolate brown color. There is a deepness of the chocolate brown color and a fullness to the color of the beer. There is a slight ring of foam around the top of the glass and the foam as you pour is quick to dissipate. The aroma of this beer is roasty and malt forward. I notice a roasted aroma almost like freshly ground espresso. There is a toffee and caramel aroma that is in the aroma and interesting. The last aromatic note that I picked up on was a hint of chocolate. 

Based off of the aroma and appearance I am looking forward to trying Maduro. At first sip, I notice the first flavors I picked up on were the caramel and toffee notes. Then I began to get hit with a switch in flavor that migrated towards chocolate notes. The next note after the chocolate taste note is the freshly roasted espresso notes. In this beer there is complexity in each note and the switch to each taste note is done so smoothly. The last taste note is as I finished my sip was a peanut note, that made the beer finish like a nut brown ale. Maduro is complex and smooth. This ale is a full bodied beer with a sessionability. Mouthfeel of this beer is full and the beer finishes smooth. 

Check out Maduro Brown Ale

I thought Maduro has a complexity that makes this a unique beer that I have not had before. There are many different taste notes in this beer. There is a roasted note to this beer as well as a malt forward presence to this beer. In my opinion, this beer is a good brew that has almost two different styles in one. There is the brown ale traditional notes and then the finish of the peanut note, gives this beer a nut brown ale finish persay. I think that Maduro is a good brew. This is just my opinion and I think that the two meet in the middle of the beer and combine for a complex brew. 

Check out Cigar City Brewing on their website and their social media: 

https://cigarcitybrewing.com/

Tweet @CigarCityBeer

https://www.instagram.com/cigarcitybrewing/

https://www.facebook.com/cigarcitybeer

Lazy Bird Brown Ale

Birdsong Brewing Company, Charlotte, North Carolina 

Tonight I am trying one of the beers I brought back from my beercation in Charlotte, North Carolina. I figured since it is getting cooler out and we are headed into dark beer territory, that I would open one of the beers in this style. I sampled many brews from my trip down to Charlotte, I wanted to make sure I could do a post for each brewery while I was not in Charlotte. I am trying a brew from Birdsong Brewing Company. I visited them during my beercation and I sampled one of their THURsty THURsday creations, a Green Tea Saison. I really enjoyed that Saison and hopefully I am able to visit the brewery again sometime soon. Time to learn about Birdsong and the beer I am trying tonight from them.  Below are a few pics from my visit to Birdsong Brewing Company. 

Outside of Birdsong Brewing Company

Taplist when I visited

Birdsong Logo 

Jalapeno Pale Ale on tap

Benzie Box, Green Tea Saison 

View of the Taproom

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. 

Lazy Bird Brown Ale Birdsong Brewing Company

The beer I am trying from Birdsong Brewing Company is their Lazy Bird Brown Ale.  Lazy Bird is an American Brown Ale. This ale has an alcohol by volume or ABV 5.5% and an IBU or bitterness of 45. 

Appearance of Lazy Bird Brown Ale

Appearance of Lazy Bird is complex. When first looking at the beer it looks black almost like a stout. Then when you look at it towards a light you notice the brown in the ale. Colorwise I would say the appearance is a meeting between black and brown. The color wheel color I would choose about this beer, is a deep brown Mahogany. The foam or head of this beer is a mix of white and brown. The blend creates a tan foam atop the beer. It has a nice retention and leaves a thin layer atop the glass.  Aroma of Lazy Bird is as complex as its appearance. First aroma I notice in this beer is the coffee aroma. After the coffee note I began noticing the roasted malt aroma that blended well with the coffee aroma. There are some subtle sweet aroma notes that are noticeable and the major one is a chocolate sweetness aroma. There is noticeable lacing around the edge of the glass almost reminds me of a stout. 

I am curious about the taste of Lazy Bird and to see if it is like it's aroma. I took my first sip of Lazy Bird and I was excited to drink more of it. I noticed right away, the taste lined up with the aroma. The first taste note was the roasted malt notes in the beer. The roasted notes are followed up by a hop bitterness that is subtle and not overpowering. In my opinion the hop note is just enough to change the taste away from the roasted malt notes in the beer. After switching from roasted to hop bitterness, there is another taste note change. That is a change to sweet and coffee note. The sweetness note is a mild almost like a bittersweet chocolate and then the last taste note is coffee. The body of this beer is smooth and the mouthfeel is medium to light. First you get the fullness like a stout and then it finishes light and smooth.  

Checkout Lazy Bird by Birdsong Brewing Company 

I am glad I picked this beer to review from Birdsong Brewing Company, this beer is right up my ally and I really appreciate the beer. Lazy Bird gives the dark beer fan of me exactly what I wanted. The roasted and coffee notes. The other side of me says it gives me a hint of hops that I can enjoy. I think that Birdsong gave a little of everything in this beer and even made it smooth. If you are looking for a brew to enjoy that is dark and you are near Charlotte, North Carolina, check out Lazy Bird Brown Ale by Birdsong Brewing Company. Also if you like to check out new beers make sure you stay up to date on the THURsty THURsday blog. That is where you can find out information on new beers from Birdsong Brewing. 

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

https://birdsongbrewing.com/

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

https://www.instagram.com/birdsongbrewing/?hl=en

Tweet @birdsongbrewing

Breakfast Stout

Stout Season is upon us! Founders Brewing Company 

As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, we approach my favorite season of beer. Stout Season is beginning now and I am so excited, for all the different stouts out there. Tonight I am trying a brew that has always been on the list and something I always look for during this time of year. But first let's explore the brewing company that makes the stout. Founders Brewing Company is the brewing company that brews the stout for tonight. I am trying their Breakfast Stout. Founders was started in 1997, by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers both started off with steady jobs, then deciding they needed to follow their passion into beer they quit their jobs and focused on the brewery. They immersed themselves figuring that if you going to do it, you need to live it. On the verge of bankruptcy, the Founders crew decided to brew beer that made them interested in beer to begin with. They focused on complex, in your face ales, with huge aromatics, bigger body, and tons of flavor. The Founders family is a passionate group of beer enthusiasts the grew around a simple thought. "We don't brew beer for the masses. Instead our beers are crafted for a chosen few,a small cadre of renegades and rebels who enjoy beer that pushes the limits of commonly accepted taste. In short, they make beer for people like them" 

Founders Brewing Company Breakfast Stout

Imperial Double Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Stout

Founders Brewing Company is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have evolved into one of the highly recognized breweries in the United States. The beer for tonight is Founders Breakfast Stout. Breakfast Stout has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 8.3% and an IBU or bitterness of 60. This stout is an Imperial Double Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Stout. The image of the front of the bottle is genius. It is a kid having his bowl of cereal for breakfast, which this brew is like having breakfast in a beer. You have your oatmeal, chocolate and coffee/espresso notes to this beer. The label makes me think of my inner child and how much I enjoyed breakfast. 

Label for Breakfast Stout

On to Breakfast Stout. 

Pouring this beer into the glass I noticed its rich dark color appearance. As it filled the glass I began to notice the color more and the color of the foam at the top of the glass. Breakfast Stout has a deep dark black colored appearance, almost like a black coffee appearance. The foam has a tan tint to it almost like a cinnamon colored head. The head of the beer lingers around the edge of the glass, but leaves a thin layer in the middle of the glass. Aroma of this beer is out of this world. I notice right away that there is a coffee aroma that has a hint of bitterness to it. Followed by a chocolate aroma. The chocolate and the coffee aroma pair in the bitterness aroma in the beer, Almost like the use of dark chocolate in the beer. The beer has a very complex aroma. First you get the bitter aroma, followed by roasted aroma notes. The last aroma note is a soft smooth oatmeal aroma that ties it all together. 

Appearance of Breakfast Stout

Taste is where I am eager to try this brew. I took my first sip and I am in heaven. The first thing you notice is the light to medium body. It starts light and moves to a complex medium body. As I took my next sip and finished it, all I could think about was the bitterness throughout the stout. Not in a bad way, the flavors are full flavors that bring out each note. The first thing I notice flavorwise was the bitter coffee note, like having your first sip of a black coffee. Paired off of this note is the bitter dark chocolate notes in the beer, almost like you are looking for a higher percentage of cacao in your chocolate. The bitter note then transitions to a mild sweet note to combat the bitterness. Perhaps like you wanted to add creamer into your black coffee or a milk chocolate piece. The bitterness still lingers and gives way to a spice note in the beer. Tries to warm you up by giving a subtle but noticeable hint of heat paired with a subtle vanilla note. The last thing I noticed in this beer the more I take sips of it, is the smoothness and the oatmeal notes in the beer. 

Check out Founders Breakfast Stout

You'd think with all these notes that it would be tough to hit them all in the beer. Founders Brewing Company did a great job making all the flavor noticeable in the stout. The tricky or sneak part about this beer is that in my mind it does not drink like it's higher alcohol content. It is smooth and drinks like a five or six percent stout. The ABV is noticeable in the beer the more and more you drink, but this beer is delicious and something that you want to keep having more of. There is a complexity to this beer and the more you appreciate this brew, the more you notice the subtle nuances of the Breakfast Stout. This is a beer for beer enthusiasts to appreciate and enjoy. 

Check out Founders Brewing Company and stay updated with their social media: 

https://foundersbrewing.com/

Tweet @foundersbrewing

https://www.facebook.com/foundersbrewing

https://www.pinterest.com/foundersbrewing/

https://www.instagram.com/foundersbrewing/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOZyS2btMd4QNwRUJoBxNOw