Entries Tagged 'Beer Reviews' ↓

Last Thursday I participated in a “virtual beer tasting” put on by Dundee Brewing (@dundeebeer). Dundee sent out six pack with two each of the three beers for the tasting to the participants and Dundee’s brewer Jim McDermott walked us through tasting the Summer Wheat, Kölsch-Style Ale, and Stout via online video chat (kinda like Chatroulette but with more beer and less dongs).

Summer Wheat

This is an American wheat brewed with a bit of rye (40% wheat, 5% rye) and Chinook, Centennial, and Cascade hops. It uses an ale yeast and is unfiltered so it pours nice and cloudy. 4.5% ABV and 18 IBUs. This one surprised me. I wasn’t expecting to like it since I usually like stronger beers but it had a nice hop finish to it which made it more interesting. Great beach/pool/cookout beer.

Kölsch-Style Ale

Brewed with 5% wheat and Mt. Hood, Hallertau, and Galena hops this one comes in at 5.68% ABV and 10.5 IBUs. This was another good beer and one I’d buy for a cookout any time. Dundee suggested using this one to boil brats. I’m assuming they meant putting the beer in the boil but drinking it while boiling seems like a great pairing as well. This is available in the new Craft Pack along with the Stout, IPA, and Pale Bock Lager.

Stout

A bit on the sweet on the sweet/dry continuum, this stout is brewed with chocolate, coffee, caramel and four other yummy malts. 5.8% ABV and 15 IBUs. Yum. Yum. Yum! This was a really solid stout that I’ll be seeking out. This is available in the new Craft Pack along with the Kölsch-Style Ale, IPA, and Pale Bock Lager.

Thanks

Thanks to Dundee and Pete for sending me a sixer and letting me particpate in this. The format was interesting and it was good to hear what the brewer had to say as well as get feedback from the other bloggers, writers and other in the tasting. It is good to see Dundee brewing good beers and this definitely makes me think of them not just as the ones that make the Honey Brown. That’s a good thing.

Links to other write-ups on this tasting:

• A Trifecta of Dundee Brews Reviewed
• Dundee Summer Wheat, Kolsch and Stout

This past weekend Winter Springs, FL hosted the 33rd annual Central Florida Scottish Highlands Games, and what is a Scottish event without great beer.  Dunedin Brewing came with taps pouring 4 tasty beers.  While I’m far from being the Gary Vaynerchuck of beer, I do imbibe with some degree of discernment.  Being an outspoken fan of IPA’s though, I was a bit out of my comfort zone with this tasting but I’m not afraid to Hail the Ale whatever its particular variety.   In this video I review Dunedin’s Drop Kick Murphy’s Red and the Brewmaster’s Nitro Stout Special.  Enjoy!

Dunedin Brewing Taste Test at the CFL Scottish Highland Games
For more information on me, John Rife, check out my blog at www.ALocalFolkus.com. Cheers!

I have been following the “Beer Wars” movie and associated PR news in the beerblogohopsosphere over the past couple weeks and really wanted to write someting. Not something about the movie since I didn’t see it, but something about what it brought out. I never could quite get my thoughts into even a semi-coherent form.

So, I’ll just let Jay Brookston take it from here. Not only does he sum up much of what I’ve been thinking over the past few weeks, but he is a much better writer than I. The latter should not be news to anyone but my mom: she thinks I’m special and would have chuckled at the “brewhaha” reference that I refrained from using.

A few weeks ago, Flying Dog sent me a bottle of their Dogtoberfest Fall seasonal. I’m a bit late on reviewing this since I had to wait for most of the cold that had invaded my body to leave so that I could actually taste what I was drinking.

According to Flying Dog (and I have no reason to doubt them), Dogtoberfest is a “traditional-style Marzen, brewed with 100% imported German ingredients”. This is a lager that uses Light and Dark Munich and Vienna malts and is hopped with German Perle and Hersbrucker hops. ABV is 5.3% and IBUs are 30.

From the first sip to the last, this was a really good beer. It isn’t as malty as some marzens like the Brooklyn Brewing Oktoberfest I had a few days ago, but it has a great flavor and is very drinkable. This is a good beer for tailgating, grilling out, or just chilling out. I’ll definitely be buying this one throughout the rest of the much-too-short Octoberfest beer season.

Flying Dog kindly sent a bottle of their spring seasonal Garde Dog to HTA HQ. Garde Dog is a Biere de Garde or “a beer for the keeping” according to the info. provided with said bottle. I really don’t know why you’d keep this since once I drank it, I immediately wanted to have another one. I can’t see keeping these around long in my fridge or at a party.

According to Beer Advocate, the Biere de Garde style:

[...] is golden to deep copper or light brown in color. They are moderate to medium in body. This style of beer is characterized by a toasted malt aroma, slight malt sweetness in flavor, and medium hop bitterness. Noble-type hop aromas and flavors should be low to medium. Fruity esters can be light to medium in intensity. Flavor of alcohol is evident.

I’d say that in this case, Flying Dog nailed it. This is a great, easy-drinking beer. It would be perfect for a party or to introduce someone who doesn’t normally drink craft beers to something that has great flavors without being too extreme in any direction.

For your video enjoyment, Flying Dog has put together an interview w/their Executive Brewer to talk about Garde Dog. I’m embedding it below, but check the link if you want the higher-res version or are seeing this in your feed reader.

Flying Dog Brewery Garde Dog Biere De Garde from Flying Dog Brewery on Vimeo.