Short’s Brewing Company- Ale la Reverend: False advertising!

I like beer. I like to drink beer all day long, especially on Sundays. The only problem is that the beers I like tend to be strong. If I drink Imperial IPA’s all day long I will be passed out on my bathroom floor by 3 pm. Luckily our friends at Short’s can empathize with my predicament. Apparently their friends like to drink as well. So they brewed a lower ABV session IPA for a friend’s wedding. I respect the commitment to a full day of drinking.

Ale le Reverand pours a hazy citrine with a ton of carbonation. The head was thick but light and airy. Even ten minutes after my pour the bubbles were still streaming like an glass of champagne. Short’s has crafted a delicious smelling brew here; it is earthy, sweet and full of hops. This beer has no signs of being a lighter version of an IPA. It actually reminded me of Stone’s IPA which is a stellar brew.

Short’s game plan is clear on this brew: make up for the lighter body with a shit-load of hops. This is one of the hoppiest beers I have had in ages. It was reminiscent of Victory’s Hop Wallop. My only real issue with this IPA is that is supposed to be a session beer. While delicious I could not imagine drinking this all day. The citrus hop smack is over powering and intense. Ale la Reverend is light in body but heavy in soul. This complex and brooding brew simply does not perpetuate good times and carefree partying.

ABV: 4.0%

Consumed: Pint Glass

Verdict: Buy A Twelve Pack.



New Glarus Breweing Company- Uff-da: Day four (seven days late)…

I know I promised a week of New Glarus reviews and a few people have asked me what happened to my write-ups? Well long story short, I got really freaking sick and I couldn’t taste or smell for over a week. I actually missed three days of work in a six day span and thought about going to the doctor on more than one occasion. Fast forward about ten days and I am back, so without further delay, I continue my New Glarus spree…

Uff-da pours dark, dark brown with miniscule crimson ringlets peeking through only the outer edge of the glass where light forces itself through with sheer will. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you if this beer had any carbonation, because of the muddy complexion. I know the head is thin and sparse and was gone in a couple quick minutes. Uff-da boats a great old timey molasses smell that reminded me of these kick ass cookies our neighbor used to make when my dad and I shoveled her sidewalk.  The aroma is heavy but also woody, earthy and a little sweet.

New Glarus is getting back on track with this brew after my last lackluster tasting. Uff-da is what most Amber Bocks wish they were. The flavor is full and true with hints of cedar, toffee and leather. The finish is a crisp and dry with a great hop balancing. There is something about Uff-da that would not allow me to set this beer down. I know Wisconsin (especially Milwaukee) has a strong German tradition and this beer will not disappoint. If you like your ales roasted with hints of coffee and chocalte, you may have found your ultimate winter brew. Well done New Glarus, Prost!

ABV: 6.7%

Consumed: Pint Glass

Verdict: Buy A Case!

Breckenridge Brewery Shares A Cab - Sale Of Ultra-Limited “SUMMER CAB RIDE” Beer In 750 ml Bottles

Denver, CO – November 3, 2011 – Breckenridge Brewery of Colorado, LLC, will sell precious few bottles of its rare beer “Summer Cab Ride” on Saturday, November 12, at its tasting room in Denver, 471 Kalamath Street. Summer Cab Ride is Breckenridge Brewery's send off to summer – its SummerBright golden ale aged in cabernet wine barrels to create a light, sessionable beer with an interestingly complex finish. The brewery has packaged just 240 hand-numbered 750 ml bottles with cork and wire bale closures which will be sold, first come first served, at 1:00 p.m. on November 12.

The bottle release party starts at 11:00 a.m. the day of the sale and includes a grand prize sweepstakes, live music by Stephen Marcus, and tastings of Breckenridge Brewery rare beers. The first twenty people in line for the Summer Cab Ride bottle sale receive a $10 Metro Taxi cab voucher. The grand prize is a certificate for a fifteen-person two-hour tour on the Denver Patio Ride – a fifteen-seat, pedal-powered bike ideal for downtown pub tours.

The brewery invites people to enter the sweepstakes for the Denver Patio Ride starting today via the sweepstakes link on the Breckenridge Brewery Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/BreckenridgeBrewery). The winner will be announced at 1:00 at the Summer Cab Ride 750 ml bottle release party on November 12 and must be present to win.

Bottles of Summer Cab Ride will be sold for $20, and are limited to two bottles per person. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. For more information, please contact Terry Usry, terryusry@msn.com, 720-490-6837.

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Breckenridge Brewery was founded in 1990 in Breckenridge, Colorado. In the past two decades Breckenridge Brewery has grown from a small 3,000-barrels-a-year brewpub to one of the most successful craft beer and restaurant companies in the nation. It now handcrafts over 37,000 barrels of fresh beer annually and owns and operates five brewpubs and ales houses in the state of Colorado.

New Glarus Breweing Company- Cabin Fever Lager: Day three (seven days late)

I know I promised a week of New Glarus reviews and a few people have asked me what happened to my write-ups? Well long story short, I got really freaking sick and I couldn’t taste or smell for over a week. I actually missed three days of work in a six day span and thought about going to the doctor on more than one occasion. Fast forward about ten days and I am back, so without further delay, I continue my New Glarus spree…

Cabin Fever Lager pours the color of honey with a flacky but overly abundant, snowy head.  The honey color is not overly surprising given that this beer is billed as “Wisconsin Style Honey Bock.”  You can really get the honey in the scent as well that mingles sweetly with a wheat/malt background. This lager seemed over carbonated to me but my I like thick, groggy ales. I most say this is one amazing smelling beer, I wanted to spread it on a fresh slice of morning toast.

I was very disappointed by this beers texture and flavor. The honey flavor is the initial mouthfeel and it’s awesome but the after taste is astringent and a little cloying to be honest. Cabin Fever reminded me a of sour apple juice. This is not what I have come to expect from New Glarus! Most of us need to make special trips to Wisconsin to score our New Glarus and I unapologetically advise my fellow Chicagoans not to waste precious trunk-space on this dud!

ABV: 5.5%

Consumed: Pint Glass

Verdict: Skip it!



Surly Brewing Company- Abrasive Ale: A Fond Farewell To Finnegan’s

For reasons I’ll explain here shortly, this is a review I have been putting off for a while now.  This beer represents a lot of things to me but most of all the end of an era.  If you’ve followed this site for the last two years you’ll know that I spend an inordinate amount of time at my favorite Craft Beer bar, Finnegan’s Irish Pub in Plainfield, IL.  Finnegan’s was closed a little over a month ago and life just hasn’t been the same.  There was a lot of shit flying around about why it closed and reasons for this and that but to be honest, I don’t give a shit.  Dale & Pam Lewis are two of nicest people I have ever had the chance to share a pint with.  They welcomed me into their business & beer family and my life has been richer for having become their friend.  The larger picture involves all of the amazing people that I had got to know and become friends with over the last year and a half all due to the existence of Finnegan’s Irish Pub.  There are relationships that I forged that I know will last a life time and I know that even though Finnegan’s is no longer there, the memories will last forever.  So what does Surly’s Abrasive Ale have to do with this?  This beer was given to me by Dale the second to last night I had spent at Finnegan’s.  It was the after party for the Midwest Brewers Fest at Finnegan’s and he was given a four pack by someone and I asked if I could have one and in true Dale fashion he replied, “No problem kid.”  I haven’t heard him say that in far too long.  This review is in honor of Finnegan’s Irish Pub as well as Dale & Pam, even though it no longer exists, it will always exist in a place in my heart and soul.

Surly Brewing Company classifies this brew as a Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) and their website describes Abrasive Ale as, “We brewed this beer originally at the end of 2008 as a farewell to growler sales. As usual, we underestimated the demand for the first Double IPA in Minnesota. We brewed the beer again in the spring and released it as a draft only beer. It was originally called 16 Grit, a size of abrasive grit used at the old Abrasive factory that once stood where the brewery now resides.”

Abrasive Ale pours a dark golden orange with a ¾” tan head.  The aroma is big grapefruit up front with flourishes of hops, additional citrus notes and caramel malts.

It is a total coincidence that today happens to be Surly’s Darkness day and thankfully Steve went up to stand in line to secure me a couple of bottles.  Now on to Abrasive Ale, I’m going to go out on a limb and state that in my opinion, Abrasive Ale is a far better double/imperial IPA than Pliny The Elder from Russian River and is right up there in my book with Dogfish Head’s Squall IPA as one of the best I have had.  Abrasive Ale is quite balanced and complex.  The flavor is malty sweet with a ton of citrusy hop flavor as well as other citrus fruit notes and a hoppy bitterness that is perfectly carbonated with almost no hint of the 8.8% ABV this beer boasts.  I have to say that I was expecting a little more “abrasiveness” but at this point my taste buds are pretty tolerable to the hoppiest of Craft Beers despite the Surly website stating that Abrasive rocks a 120ish IBUs.  I love this brew.  Surly Brewing Company has a world class brew with Abrasive Ale and it’s no wonder that Surly remains one of the most coveted Craft Breweries is the country.  Surly use to distribute to Illinois but a couple of years ago they pulled distribution to keep up with demand in their native state of Minnesota.  After this brew, I can say that I will be including in my evening prayers a return of Surly to the land of Lincoln.  Maybe once their new production facility is up and running we’ll see that happen, until then I may have to resort to frequent trip to MN.  More importantly, I would not have even had this brew if it wasn’t for my boy Dale and walking through the door of Finnegan’s Irish Pub in March of 2010 and the friendship that developed from there.  Dale’s influence and knowledge truly helped me dig deeper into my journey into the Craft Beer industry and I will always be truly grateful.

ABV: 8.8%

Consumed: Founders CBS Snifter Glass

Verdict: Buy a Keg

It’s Mountain Standard Time! - Odell Brewing Celebrates the Season with New Four Pack

Fort Collins, CO. – On November 5, 2011, Odell Brewing will celebrate the return of darker days with the arrival of Mountain Standard Double Black IPA. This year, the brew returns as a four pack offering.

Named for the time zone in which the brewery resides, Mountain Standard Double Black IPA features hops grown on Colorado’s western slope. In late August, the brewery production team ventured west to hand select the hops used. Cascade and Chinook varietals present a robust hop aroma and essence that complements the rich and roasty malt backbone.

According to the Draft Magazine review, “this brew’s enduring malt character and citrus hops illustrate how the two ingredients can find equal footing, even in a bold version of the emerging style.”

Odell Brewing will host a “Mountain Standard Bash” on November 5th to kick off the brew and celebrate Colorado’s ski and snowboard season. The outdoor event begins at 6 p.m. and will feature samples of the brew, live music, food trucks, a variety of local ski and snowboard purveyors, and a screening of the Teton Gravity Research film, Under the Influence. The brewery will also raffle a custom Odell Brewing snowboard by Oz Snowboards with proceeds benefiting the CSU Snowriders.

Mountain Standard Double Black IPA will be available November – early spring in the brewery’s ten state distributor region.

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Founded in 1989, Odell Brewing was started by Doug Odell, his wife Wynne, and his sister Corkie. Twenty-one years later, the culture of family and collaboration still thrives fostering a brewery full of beer-centric people. It is this passion for beer that inspires Odell Brewing to create quality, hand-crafted, innovative brews. In 2010 the brewery completed its fourth expansion, adding a wood-aging cellar, a 750 ml bottling line, and a 76 kilowatt photovoltaic system capable of providing 25% of the brewery’s peak energy demand. As a regional craft brewery, Odell Brewing is committed to serving the communities in which it distributes by sourcing local raw materials, and through its charitable giving program known as Odell Outreach. Odell Brewing was recently named a “Top Company of 2010” by ColoradoBiz Magazine and is an award winning brewery, nationally and internationally: 2011 Great American Beer Festival® - gold medal for Friek. 2010 North American Beer Awards – gold medal for Woodcut No. 3. 2009 BrewNZ Awards – gold for 5 Barrel Pale Ale. 2008 World Beer Cup® – gold for IPA. 2007 Great American Beer Festival® – gold medal for IPA.