Thursday, June 19, 2008

Nothin's Brewin'

I haven't brewed in a while so I thought I'd go to the next best thing: A list of the commercial brew I've got sitting in the beer fridge. Some good, some bad, and some really, really bad!
















From left to right:
Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat - A pretty good American wheat with hints of blueberry and lime. Not really my cup of tea, but not a bad beer on a hot summer night.

Alaskan ESB - A very good extra special bitter. Malty with very little bitterness and a small hint of hops. A very good early spring or late fall beer. This brewery is famous for their smoked porter. I didn't like that one very much, but I haven't liked any smoked beer that I've tasted.

Firestone/Walker Pale Ale - I've been drinking a lot of pale ales lately and this one is right up there with the best of them. Pours a light golden color with a medium malt presence with a very nice hop profile.

Green Flash Brewing West Coast IPA - A very, very hoppy IPA with a nice bitterness. Kind of a shocker if you're not ready for it. This is one big beer only for the serious hophead!

Deschutes Inversion IPA - I haven't had one of these yet, just bought the six pack last night at Bevmo. This is supposed to be a malty IPA with a good hop presence. Not over the top, but just right.

JB's (Trader Joe's) Winterfest Lager
- I brought this home from the cabin a couple of weeks ago and haven't had one since ski season. This is a very good lager with lots of dark malts. Tastes of molasses, brown sugar, caramel, and roasted malts. I plan on drinking this late Saturday night while swimming in the pool.

Not shown (and for good reason) New Belgium Skinny Dip - Absolute grossness in a bottle. Seemed like the brewery had an infection somewhere along the line. If not, the head brewer needs to change his recipes. Actually, the only thing I like from this brewery is their 1554 - Enlightened Black Ale.

So, that's it for now. I'll be brewing again next month - probably a SNPA clone or a Columbus IPA. And, the kegerator will be started. Pictures to follow!

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