GUESS WHOS BACK!!

Hello fellow beer comrades. It has been quite some time since my last blog post. I graduated college and moved to Chicago for work. I recently just moved to Houston and will have more time to begin blogging again. I will be updating my blog weekly and am going to try to amp up the incentives to being an active member on my blog. Since I began my blog I have started home brewing, and would like to share insight into creating your own microbrew. 

Je Maintiendrai ~ Brett

Where's the best beer in America?

Here’s the top 10 states in terms of overall number of medals.
1. California – 474
2. Colorado – 322
3. Wisconsin – 232
4. Oregon – 170
5. Pennsylvania – 162
6. Texas – 133
7. Washington – 114
8. New York – 98
9. Missouri -90
10. Massachusetts – 76

I thought this was a very interesting chart to share with my followers. Enjoy!

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat

Appearance: Nice, bright golden-yellow look. Ok on the foam and good on the lacing I guess. Seems to be on the light side regarding wheat beers (as evident by the fact that it's a pale wheat ale).

Smell: Lemony with a fair amount of grain as well. It's a pleasant and subtle smell. No malt and not many hops.

Taste/Mouthfeel: 312 tastes like an above average beer. It has a nice crisp bite to it, making it refreshing. Doesn't really have a distinct taste and is a kind of watery. I guess some bitter/sour citrus.

Drinkability: Very drinkable for a wheat beer, considering the refreshing bite.

Overall: I would highly recommend this beer. It is rich in flavor and easy to drink. Great year round beer!


Rating: 4.7/5


Goose Island Brewery

Delirium Tremens

Appearance: Bright golden color, clear, medium head with good retention & lacing

Smell: Belgian yeast, very fruity and floral

Taste: Up Front: All kinds of fruit, bready malts. Finish: Spicy with mild hops

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a crisp/sharp carbonation

Drinkability: Very drinkable for a moderate-heavy drinker. 

Overall Impression: This is a very tasty Belgian Strong Pale Ale. I would strongly suggest it!


Rating: 4.7/5

Pilsner Urquell

Appearance: Pours out in a pale gold color with a ton of foam. Not overly carbonated either.

Smell: Smells great...like lemon and fresh grass. Also a ton of hops.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Also tastes great...also like lemon and fresh grass. Has the right amount of bitterness and leaves no bad aftertaste. Very hoppy.

Drinkability: Easy to drink, although definitely a beer to savor and enjoy.

Overall: Great introduction to real European pilseners. It's not too scary, but definitely more exciting than the American counterpart.


Pilsner Urquell Webpage

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Over the past week I have been very intrigued by Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale.


Appearance: A beautiful golden brown.

Smell: Aromatic, with a spicy sweetness, and floral notes.

Taste: A great mix of bitterness with the fruit and hop notes. It is a wonderful balance, and very impressive for a bigger company such as Sierra Nevada. Very nice, not too full, or imposing. Slightly malty, and compliments the slight bitterness that hits the pallet early in the taste.

Drinkability: As always, one of my favorite beers, and a great choice for most any occasion, a great pale ale, and deserves great recognition. Pick a case up!


Rating: 4.2/5


Official Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Webpage

Hofbräu Original

Appearance - Miniscule head, very clear dark gold, moderate carbonation. Light lacing. Looks tired.

Smell - Slight skunk present, remainder of the smell is hoppy with a trace of spice.

Taste - This isn't bad at all. Its like a maltier pilsener with maybe a half strength hop bite at the finish.

Mouthfeel - There is more carbonation bite to it than the appearance lets on, which is a good thing for this kind of lager.

Drinkability - This is actually pretty good for a lager. If I want a lighter colored lager and not looking for the more intense bitterness of a real pilsener then I would probably grab one of these. Pretty impressive overall considering the type of beer.

Below is a link to their website: 

Hofbrau Brewing Website

Strongest Beer in the WORLD

Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog on Vimeo.

http://www.brewdog.com/tactical_nuclear_penguin.php

Tactical Nuclear Penguin

ABV: 32%

OG: 1092

Malts: Marris Otter, Dark Crystal, Caramalt, Chocolate Malt, Roast Barley

Hops: Galena, Bramling Cross

Mini Bar Crawl

This is a map leading you from Carthage to 3 very good bars in Kenosha. I have been to all of these establishments and would recommend checking each one out if you have not already.
View Mini Bar Crawl in a larger map

Beer Education

I have been a member of Beer Advocate for the past year and it is a very good website when looking to find out anything about beer. From brewing advice to pouring advice it provides you with a rating system on how good an actual beer is. I have followed the rating system when selecting a new beer to try and it has not failed me yet. I will provide you with a link so you can get access to Beer 101. I highly recommend browsing the site next time you are looking to find a new flavor of beer to enjoy. ENJOY!