Dundee Kölsch Style Ale Beer Review #Kölsch #craftbeer

Dundee Kölsch Style ale is brewed by Genesee Brewing Co. / Dundee Brewing Co. in New York, United States.  This wheat beer weighs in at 5.1% ABV with about 10 IBU’s.  I got this beer from my dad and am pretty excited to try it.  CHEERS!

Appearance- Fully transparent brew with about a 1.5 finger of head with tightly compacted bubbles.  The color is close to like a roasted straw with just a very small hint of brown.  This beer has mildly high carbonation with actually really good lace retention.

Smell- There is not much to the smell honestly.  I get like a sweet malt with hints of like a corn or some sort of graininess.  Now that I am smelling it more, I actually pick up like a bit of honey with some roasted malt.  Very little on the nose though, I really had to search for it.

Taste- Wow taste is much better than the smell.  I really only get like a wheat and malt sweetness but I at least get something out of it.  This is definitely a grain centered beer with like a little bit of a honey back ground.  There is a slight grassiness to the end of the beer that makes it crisp.  It is a very sweet beer the more it warms up.

Mouthfeel-  The look is actually kind of deceiving there is a bit of a medium body to this beer.  It is quite pleasant actually.  This beer is highly sessionable with the low ABV and I would definitely consider this a lawn mower beer.

Overall, it is a mediocre beer.  I know it is a wheat beer so that is usually not my style; however I could see this as a sessionable tailgating beer.  I would recommend this definitely as a transition beer that could really turn someone into a craft drinker eventually.  CHEERS!

Oskar Blue's Ten FIDY Russian Imperial Stout #imperialstout #beerreview

Oskar Blue’s Ten FIDY is a Russian Imperial Stout from Oskar Blue’s Brewing Company in Colorado, but this one was brewed in Brevard, North Carolina.  This beer comes in with a big 10.5% ABV and 98 IBU’s.  This beer was canned only 3 weeks ago so it really is pretty fresh.  This is the first time I have had this beer and it was not cheap, so let’s hope it was worth the cost.  Hope you guys enjoy!

Appearance- Wow literally black as night, it is totally black.  There is a beautiful one inch head that is burn khaki brown with pretty small bubbles.  The head is lasting incredibly for such a high ABV beer.  In addition, beautiful lacing on the glass; wow very creamy looking.

Smell- Big dark chocolate and cocoa hit the nose really hard.  Which is then followed by a nice burnt roasted malt scent.  Huge amounts of coffee just penetrate your nostrils with a bit of dark fruits like raisons for sure.  Great smelling beer without a doubt.

Taste- Nice bitterness that just dances and lingers on your tongue upfront.  Right as it subsides though huge coffee and burnt malt come storming through.  Massive amounts of a dark chocolate sweetness followed with some toffee and vanilla undertones.  Definitely a hint of booziness though which is to be expected with a high ABV brew.

Mouthfeel- Very heavy bodied brew, it is very creamy the whole time in your mouth.  It just holds to your teeth beautifully.  It is a little warm the whole way down but boy is it good.  This Russian Imperial Stout goes down very smoothly and is highly drinkable, definitely not a session beer though.

Overall, probably one of the best Russian Imperial Stouts I have had yet.  It really through me off guard for being so tasty.  I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys stouts, DEFINITELY not a transition beer.  I think it tastes some developed taste buds to enjoy this beer.  CHEERS!

Founding Father's Lager Beer Review #beer #lager #beerreview

Today I am reviewing Founding Fathers Lager Beer.  It is brewed in Long Lake, Minnesota with an unlisted ABV.  I got this beer actually because it said on the bottle “50% of all profits of Founding Fathers products are donated to the families of the United States Military.”  Therefore, ‘Merica and support the troops! Enjoy the review!

Appearance- This brew has a nice amber brown color with about a 1 finger off white head that lasts a little while actually.  There is high carbonation and is totally transparent.  The more I look at it the more reddish brown it becomes it looks like a nice lager.

Smell- Wow off the front of the nose, huge roasted malt hits me.  After looking into it further, there is definitely a graininess present with a crisp finish.  I don’t smell a lot out of this beer it is just consumed by the roasted malt.

Taste- Lots of roasted malt and barley especially on the back of the tongue.  There is a biscuity and bready finish to this lager and not so much a grassiness.  The roasted malt really isn’t balanced too well though, there is only sweetness without much of a hoppy finish.

Mouthfeel- The color is deceiving.  It is incredibly light in the mouth and going down.  This beer is highly sessionable with such a low ABV and really does not fill you up whatsoever.  I get very little coating on the teeth.

Overall, it is an okay beer.  I do not really enjoy it a lot, but it is definitely better than some lagers (duh).  But really I would never buy it again except for the fact that it helps families in need.  I would recommend this as a tailgating beer for buddies who really don’t like craft beer but want something else as a change.  CHEERS!

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale Beer Review #craftbeer #brownale

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale is from Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster, England.  It is 5.0% ABV and has 31 IBU’s.  This was another beer we sampled in a beer tasting event that I put on.  I cannot wait to review it.  Enjoy!

Appearance- Very murky golden brown beer.  There is a little white head with high amounts of carbonation.  It is see through, but there is little visibility to say the least.  There is very nice lacing the entire way down the glass.

Smell- Big hazelnut and pecan slam you right in the face with a huge amount of malt sweetness.  There is definitely a toasted malt/barley smell.  Honestly, I know it is crazy but it smells like the candy twizzlers.

Taste- As cliché as it is I am getting crazy amounts of nuts.  There is a lot of hazelnut and roasted malt that just radiate with high amounts of sweetness.  I might even be getting a bit of like a dehydrated papaya.

Mouthfeel- Medium body that does leave a little bit of a nice coating on the teeth.  Very high drinkability, it goes down dangerously smooth.  I would really consider this a sessionable beer I could drink many of these in a night.

Overall, best brown ale I have ever had.  I think it just matches the description of a brown ale.  Anyone, I mean anyone, could enjoy this brew.  I highly recommend it to anyone and I would definitely buy this beer again.  CHEERS!

Rogue Juniper Pale Ale Beer Review #craftbeer #paleale #review

Juniper Pale Ale is brewed by Rogue Ales in Oregon State.  It is a 5.4% ABV brew with 34 IBU’s.  Juniper Pale Ale is a winter brew that is considered an herb/spiced beer.  My friend brought this over for a beer tasting so I cannot wait to review it.  Enjoy!

Appearance- This is a cloudy golden orange color brew.  With an aggressive poor a one finger head form and the high carbonation held it for a nice while.  In addition, this beer is highly transparent you have no problem seeing right through it.  Finally, it leaves nice lacing the entire way down the glass.

Smell- Right off the nose you get nice amounts of pineapple, peaches and even a little bit of pine.  A little malt sweetness is also there, just to bring the right balance to the brew.  With another sniff I am really getting more of the tropical notes with some softer fruits such as pear presenting itself maybe even a little floralness.

Taste- I am getting a nice floral and tropical hop on the tip of the tongue.  The pear becomes much more clear and even a little bit of dark fruits.  There is also a great malt sweetness to this beer.  Honestly the taste is much different than what I got in the smell.

Mouthfeel- Very light to medium body, for being a winter beer it feels more like a summer one.  However, it is very sessionable.  You cannot taste any of the alcohol which is expected and there is a high drinkability.

Overall, this could be a big transition beer for transferring being into the world of craft beer.  Not my favorite beer for sure but I did enjoy it.  I probably would not buy it, but I am glad I got to try it.  CHEERS!

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy Beer Review #craftbeer #weissbeer #review

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy from Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company comes weighing in at 4.2% ABV with 13 IBU’s.  This is definitely a blown up mainstream craft beer, since it actually has air time.  I figured since summer just ended I’ll try one out so it keeps the season going.  Hope you enjoy!

Appearance- I actually really like the appearance.  It is a very hazy brew that almost looks unfiltered.  With an aggressive pour there is about a 1 finger head with very little retention.  The color itself is a very pale yellow with a lot of haze to it.  It honestly looks quite nice.

Smell- Right off the initial nose, I of course get lime and lemon right away, but there is actually a decently strong vanilla aroma to it that I enjoy.  With the second sniff, I get a faint malt mixed in with even more lime than before.  The vanilla is really surprising me, if you look for it you’ll definitely pick it up.

Taste- The initial taste is very mild with undertones of lime predominately.  Immediately followed by almost a rancid malt after taste.  If placed on the tip of the tongue the lemon does really pop out, with just a bit of that sweet smelling vanilla.  Summer Shandy is kind of a huge let down on the taste, not a whole lot going on with it.

Mouthfeel- Incredibly watery and has a high drinkability.  I think this could definitely be a session beer for anyone because it is extremely thin and light.  It is OBVIOUSLY a summer beer.  It really reminds me of a pineapple brew I had in Taiwan incredibly watery but goes down smooth. 

Overall, Summer Shandy is decent.  I would drink this as a lawn mower beer if someone gave me it.  I would not ever buy it for myself mainly because that is not my go to brew.  I would recommend it to anyone who wants a Shandy in the summer, but not to any serious craft beer fanatic.  This is highly sessionable to say the least. CHEERS!

Shipyard Brewing Company Export Ale #blondeale #review #beer

Shipyard Export is brewed in Portland, Maine from shipyard brewing co.  It is a 5.1% ABV and a blonde ale.  Well, I got this brew from my good buddy and I am excited to try it. I am not a huge fan of blonde ales, but I am ready to review it.  Enjoy!

Appearance- For being a blonde ale, this beer is much darker than a regular blonde.  It is almost a brown orange instead of a straw yellow.  With an aggressive pour a two finger head appeared and it is lasting a bit.  It is totally transparent and highly carbonated.

Smell- A really rich malt hits the nose after the first initial smell.  I can smell a little bit of roastiness to the malt, but then followed by a bit of a grassy and crisp ending to it.  Definitely a grainy brew, but way less grassy than most blonde ales.

Taste- Off the initial taste, really all I get is a roasted malt on the tongue.  There is a little bit of a sour aftertaste as well.  With the second gulp, I do get more of that grain and a certain spice to it.  The aftertaste though on the second sip is actually kind of gross.

Mouthfeel- Definitely a medium bodied beer.  The drink-ability is actually pretty high, but I can actually taste the alcohol which is strange since it is only 5.1%.  I think it could be session-able but I am just not a huge blonde ale fan.

Overall, I would recommend this beer to someone I want to bridge over into the craft beer world.  It is a crafty enough but normal enough to get someone to transfer to the good side.  However, I would never buy this again for myself or any of my craft drinking friends.  CHEERS!