flying dog – double dog double pale ale

You need to have a seat for this one. This is not a tailgate beer or something you drink just to wash down some buffalo wings. It’s large (10% abv) so moderation needs to at least be considered. As with most Imperial style beers, it’s a sipper to say the least. I’d classify the pour as kind of a creeper. The head seems to appear out of nowhere and will suprise you a little. Mine had a pretty heavy amount of residual settling in the bottom of the bottle, so be careful with yours, unless you’re partial to your pints looking like a snowglobe. The aroma is a little misleading, as it’s not the hop explosion that you would expect, but rather, a heavy and bready feel is the most noticeable characteristic. The more subtle overtones, however, of fruit, brown sugar, maybe something pineappleish in there somewhere are nice and hint at the complexity to come. The flavor is heading in a barleywine direction, with a heavy fruit and dense malt texture. The bitterness of the double hopping and the high alcohol content makes the back end nice and sharp, with a nice lingering, bitter finish. Probably the most intense and complex beer I’ve had from Flying Dog, and I like it a lot. I’ll probably only opt for one at any given sitting though. Cheers ~G

score – 4.25

Dogfish Head – 60 minute IPA

If you’re familiar with Dogfish Head then you’ve tried this beer; but I thought I would start my reviews with the most accessible offering first, then move to the big dogs (with fish heads…weird). The 60 minute pours like a typical IPA, capping out somewhere between a one and two finger head which lasts a good while. The nose has a nice hint of grapefruit and the hops come right on out to meet you. The flavor is great – easy to drink, but it has some complexity as well. As with most Dogfish heads, it’s got that smooth mouthfeel and maltiness that’s really a trademark of the brewery, coupled with a nice sharp bitterness which lingers for a bit. More subtle flavors hint at caramel and cream, but the hopping lends an evergreen quality that add to the beer’s drinkability. I like this beer a lot. Worth a try, even for the casual beer fan. Cheers, ~G

score – 4.25

Michelob Ultra

I typically enjoy a great American IPA, but I thought I’d explore some of the lighter, pilsner-style beers which are so popular in bars and Applebee’s restaurants throughout the world. I’m just kidding, this beer is only good for people trying to ween themselves off wine coolers.

– that would be a 1

Sierra Nevada – Harvest Fresh Hop Ale

When I first heard of the Harvest Ale, I made it my mission to find one here in Nashville – a town not noted for being all that friendly to hard-to-find beers. Well, thanks to my buddy Jim, I found one. By one, I mean one beer. Hey, at least it’s a big-ass bottle. So, I picked a night, poured a glass, and waited with anticipation as the head rose nicely in my pint. I was really interested in how the fresh hops would affect the nose, so I took a big sniff of the 3 finger head and found, honestly, not a whole lot. The explosion of fresh Cascade that I expected was kind of neatly tucked away in there somewhere. I could live with it, though, so I moved on to actually drinking a sip or two. What I tasted reminded me of a slightly skewed version of the Anniversary Ale, with an earthy quality to it. One noticeable change from the other Sierra beers was that the Harvest has a much more pronounced bitterness, which makes sense, and I did enjoy that aspect of the beer quite a bit. The body is medium, color is a really nice copper and super clear – that part is actually pretty impressive. Overall, I’d give it a “really?” It’s good, not groundbreaking. I’d certainly have one again, but I’m not going to go too far out of my way to find it. Cheers ~G

score 3.25

Sierra Nevada – Anniversary Ale

If you’re a fan of Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, you’ll really dig the Anniversary Ale. It’s a beautiful beer, with it’s copper coloring and long-lasting, rocky head – which sustains with nice lacing throughout the life of the pint. The taste is essentially a more refined version of the Pale, with a little more Cascade presence on the nose and body, and a slightly more malty mouthfeel. It’s good. Real good, actually. I’ve seen some other reviews which make this beer seem kind of average, but for me, this beer’s best quality is it’s accessibility. A beer doesn’t have to do something revolutionary or radical to be good, and I’m actually impressed more with balance and drinkability than with a quirky recipe. </vent> Anyway, pick some up if you can find it and I think you’ll find that this offering may not push the boundaries of beer making, but it’s damn good with a burger. Cheers~G

score – 3.25

Behind the Beer

The nice thing about brewing your own beer is sharing the finished product with your friends. Part of the excitement is not only the way it tastes, but the story of how the pint was created. A couple of my buddies have taken their obsession hobby to a new level of geekdom by not only brewing their own beer, but they have created a site dedicated to bringing you the story behind the beer. The idea is to contact beermakers who are consistently putting out quality beers, then hound them until they finally submit to an interview. So far, so good, and the content is slowly accumulating into a nice little site. They are also video geeks, so all of the future video content will be top-notch, hi-def, h-264 encoded, now I’m just making things up, awesome video. Stay tuned for updates or check it out for yourself. Drop ‘em a line if you have suggestions – they’re super cool and up for anything. Cheers ~G

My Beer Blog

Hey everybody,

I guess it was time for me to start a WordPress Blog, so here it is. I’ll post every now and then on things I like – mostly beer, I’m guessing. Check back in whenever you want an update on what I’ve tried recently. I plan on doing my own version of tasting notes and ratings, but will look for you guys to post your own favorites, or not-so-favorites. Cheers. ~G