Review: Bush De Noël (Scaldis Noël)

Brasserie Dubvisson Fréres


Grade:  B+

Appearance: Pours a brownish-orange with a dirty white head that leaves good lacing.

Smell: Strong Belgian yeast and alcohol aromas.  Smells of cherries, plums and raisons.  Candy sugar and caramel linger as well.  Alcohol presence is strong, but blends in well with the various flavors.

Taste: Lots of dark fruit and yeast up front, followed by sweet, candied malt.  The dry alcohol finish is complimented nicely with slight spiciness.  Not as complex as others of the sytle, but the few flavors are good.

Mouthfeel:  A medium, chewy mouthfeel with bubbly carbonation, especially at the finish.  Yum.

Drinkability: This little 8 oz. bottle packs a 12% ABV punch.  Needless to say, it is a sipper.

Overall: This is a well crafted Belgian Strong Ale.  It lacks complexity, but in this case, simple is better.  It is boozy, but compliments the flavors, like a fine liqueur.  Well done.  I'm going to pick up a couple more to age.

(Wanted to review it in my snifter, but I couldn't find it.)

Review: Wilco Tango Foxtrot

The Lagunitas Brewing Co.

Grade:  C+

Appearance: Pours a dark ruby color with a big, frothy off-white head that lessens, but leaves thick, sticky lacing.

Smell: Strong pine hops with thick malts and citrus notes.  Undertones of coffee, caramel and dark fruits.  It definitely smells like an American Strong Ale.

Taste: Strong taste of roasted malts and burnt brown sugar.  Some faint toffee, vanilla and citrus.  Light hops linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel: On the heavy side of medium with medium, airy carbonation.

Drinkability: While the 7.8% ABV is hidden well, it is a heavy, malt forward beer.  If you are drinking this on a full stomach, forget about asking for another.

Overall: This is a pretty average strong ale from a great brewery that should be better.  There aren't enough hops to balance out the heavy malt.  However, the hops really show up towards the end of the bottle, as it gets warmer.  This is a respectable strong ale that is easy to find, but there are better ones out there.

News: The Top 10 Selling Beers in America 2011

According to beer sales, the Top 10 (per market share) are as follows:

Grandpa: "I remember when beers cost 15¢!"

1.  Bud Light: 19.2%

2.  Budweiser: 12%

3.  Miller Lite:  8.6%

4.  Coors Light:  7.8%

5.  Natural Light:  4.2%

6.  Corona:  4%

7.  Busch:  2.8%

8.  Busch Light:  2.8%

9.  Heineken:  2.4%

10.  Miller High Life:  2.3%


What decade are we in?  Are we still in the decades where the the only beers around were beers like PBR, Budwesier and Schlitz? Can anybody else see what is wrong with this list?  The fact that beers like Busch and Busch Light are on it should be enough of a clue.  Seriously, America?! It seriously makes me throw up a little.  I just want make it clear that I am not blaming the older beer consumers or the college kids.  Most of the older crowd grew up 20-30 years ago when only PBR, Miller and Coors were around.  And most college kids drink it to get wasted on a budget.  To be frank, this is an embarrasing list.  The prominent beer countries of the world, which are Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic, are laughing in our faces. Come on America!

"There are hot girls in their ad! I'm going to
buy their beer!"

Anheuser-Busch spends over $1 BILLION A YEAR on marketing.  $1 BILLION! Do you know why?  It is the only way to convince consumers to drink their beer.  None of their advertising discusses the quality of their beer or how great of a product it is.  They put out stupid commercials trying to be clever and funny only to distract consumers and hide the truth.  They know their beer is crap, but they don't want you to know that. They count on the fact that you will ignore the quality and drink Bud Light because everybody else does and it is the trendy thing to do.  And don't get me started with MillerCoors' "Man card" bs.  The way I see it, you shouldn't even have a "man card" if you are drinking Miller Light, or any light beer for that matter.  People say they hate Target and Wal-Mart because they put local business out of commission.  Well guess what?  Anhesier-Busch and MillerCoors are the Wal-Mart and Target of beer.  Why Americans continue to support them is beyond me.  Considering that not one quality beer is on this list is flabbergasting and seriously scares me.

I have heard numerous reasons why people choose to drink those beers instead of real beers:

"I'm happy drinking a watered down light beer
because I need to lose weight."

"I am trying to lose weight," or "I can't afford all the calories a better beer provides."  

First of all, if you are worried about your weight, you shouldn't be drinking beer at all.  Period!  Drink wine or have a mixed drink.  If you want to have a beer, suck it up and drink a real beer!  Instead of pounding a 20 pack of Bud Light, buy a six pack of an enjoyable, quality beer and drink it in moderation.

"These beers are cheaper."

With the price of these beers steadily rising, the price gap between these cheap beers and good quality beers has narrowed.  I even went to the store the other day and compared.  A six pack of Budweiser was priced at $6.99 and a six pack of Sierra Nevada was priced at $7.99.  Only a dollar more!  Its not like choosing the cheaper beers will save you a bunch of money or will give you a higher alcohol content.  Its just choosing lower quality, watered down beers with the equivalent alcohol content of a good quality beer. 

"I like the taste."

If you say this in regards to any of the beers mentioned above, you don't like beer.  Period! None of those "beers" should ever be considered beers.  Beer doesn't taste like carbonated water and corn adjuncts.  They are a beverage made with the crappiest and cheapest ingredients.  They then water it down making it easier to pound a six pack in 10 min., thus increasing their sales and profit margin.  It no coindidence that a 20 pack of Bud Light is usually cheaper than a 12 pack of Bud Light.  It's all about quantity over quality (and yes, I am picking on Bud Light for several reasons).  If you drink those beers, its fine, but please don't call yourself a beer drinker.

So there you have it, folks.  The top 10 selling beers in America.  Sigh....

Review: Pike Dry Wit

The Pike Brewing Co.

Grade:  C-

Appearance: Pours a hazy pale orange with a weak white head that reduces to a thin layer of foam and laves ok lacing.

Smell: Yeasty with fruity notes and coriander.  Some wheat, lemon grass and spices are present as well.  A bit of orange peel and possibly grains of paradise.

Taste: Almost tastes like a hybrid of an American wheat and a wit.  Dry citrus notes of wheat take over the start.  The various spices of cinnamon, coriander and lavender show up.  Mid-palate there are accents of graham crackers.  Finishes bone dry with some residual spices.

Mouthfeel: Light for a wit with medium, almost creamy, carbonation.

Drinkability: Its refreshing and light in flavor and body until the finish.  Like most wits, its pretty drinkable.

Overall: It is what it is: a dry wit.  However, this one  just has too many spices and not enough malt.  The taste is bone dry throughout and leaves me wanting a bit sweeter wit that isn't a spice bomb.

Review: Grand Cru Winter Reserve

Flying Fish Brewing Co.

Grade:  B

Appearance: Pours a somewhat cloudy white orange with a soda-like off-white head that reduces quickly and leaves traces of lacing.

Smell: Classic floral and fruity Belgian yeast with some honey, light caramel and lemon citrus.

Taste: Yeasty with some wheat and malt sweetness.  Simple, light flavors of hop bitterness and lemony citrus.  Finish is slightly dry and yeasty with some hops and lemon.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate, tickling carbonation on the tongue.

Drinkability: Strong.  This is a lighter and refreshing Belgian style ale.  The yeast is there, but in moderation and the lemon notes balance it out.

Overall: I enjoyed this brew.  Its nothing extraordinary, but the flavors are clean, distinguished and in balance.  I would easily buy this again when I come across it.  I'm not sure why it is a "Winter Reserve" because I can drink this all year, especially in the summer.

Review: Scuttlebutt Porter

Scuttlebutt Brewing Co.

Grade: D-

Appearance: Pours the classic porter black with a tan head that dissipates to solid, sticky lacing.

Smell: Sweet, roasted malts with chocolate and a bit of coffee.  There is some tartness, toffee and slight biscuit flavors.

Taste: Strong coffee and sour tartness with dark fruit.  Fairly astringent and possibly infected.  There is a light flavor of malt and dark chocolate.  It finishes dry, tangy and roasty.  Not much else is going on.

Mouthfeel: Thin and watery for a porter with medium carbonation.

Drinkability: The light body makes this porter easy to down, but the astringency prevents me from having another.

Overall: Not a very good porter.  Thin, watery and strong sour tartness makes for a below par porter.  This is my first beer from Scuttlebutt and I don't know if it is infected or plain bad.  I will give the brewery the benefit of the doubt and vote infected.  I will revisit this one if I happen to come across it again and see if I get the same results.

Review: Leavenworth Boulder Blend Dunkelweizen

Fish Brewing Co.

Grade: D+

Appearance: Pours a cloudy dark brown with an amber tint.  The dirty white head fades fast and leaves weak lacing.

Smell: Sweet malts with a bit of chocolate and caramel mingled with some wheat and yeast.  The smell is pretty muted.

Taste: Toasty malts and a light choclate flavor.  No wheat-like characteristics at all.  Some spices and clove notes are there.  The finish is slightly toasty with minimal hops. That's about it.

Mouthfeel:  Lighter-bodied with medium carbonation and pretty smooth.

Drinkability: Decent.  Light toasted malts with a pretty thin body makes this very sessionable.

Overall:  The label says, "Alpine-style Dark Wheat Ale."  Where is the wheat?  Where is the weizen yeast?  I can't find them.  This is a decent dunkel, but in no way should it be considered a dunkelweizen.  It seems more like a Munich Dunkel to me, but that's it.

Brewery Trail: San Diego, CA

Coronado Brewing Co., Ballast Point Brewing Co., and Green Flash Brewing Co.

(Sorry for the lack of pictures.  Blogger makes it really difficult to post multiple pictures.  I have to move to a real website soon. If you want to see more pics, email me. Thanks!)

Two weekends ago I went on a San Diego brewery trail, which included the breweries of Ballast Point, Coronado and Green Flash.  First up was Coronado.  When we arrived, it was a lot smaller than I expected for a brewery that bottles and distributes their beer.  I wasn't expecting anything like Stone's brewery, but something a little bigger than what seemed to be a little in-house microbrewery or brew pub.  I asked our server if we can get a tour with no luck.  He said they are expanding and will soon be giving tours, but they currently cannot give tours because of the lack of space inside the brewery. That was a bummer.  Anyways, me and my sister each got their five beer sampler.  Both samplers had the same four beers, Orange Ave., Golden, Mermaid's Red, Islander IPA, with a fifth one that we got to choose from a list.  I got the Idiot IPA and I honestly forgot which one my sister chose. It doesn't really matter because none of the beers were anything special or memorable.  They were all pretty watery and lacked in flavor.  There was also a menu of craft beers that they served from other breweries. It wasn't on the list, but I have been dying to try a couple beers from a brewery in northern California, Russian River Brewing Co.  So I asked if they served it, in the off chance that they did but didn't have it listed.  They didn't have it, nor did they have any of the beers they had listed.  So it was a pretty wasted trip to Coronado Brewing Co.  Not only was their beer average and couldn't get a tour, I couldn't even try any other quality beers from other breweries. Luckily it was only a 10 minute drive.  Up next was Ballast Point Brewing Co.

Five beer sampler at Coronado Brewing Co.

After a 15-20 minute drive, we arrived at Ballast Point Brewing Co.  It was located in a nice commercial area, with corporate offices and buildings, similar to the area which Stone Brewing Co. is located.  We walk into the small tasting room, where there we about 10 people inside.  They had all nine of their beers on tap, also a small fridge with bombers and six packs of some of their beers.  I was even happier when their big flat screen TV was airing the UNLV vs UCSD game.  Not only was there good beer, but I got to watch the game I was expecting miss.  So we ordered one full sampler of nine beers from Amber, the tasting room manager.  Man, do they make good beers! Their selection ranged from IPAs and porters to stouts and pale ales.  They were all excellent beers, but if I had to choose my favorite, it had to be the Sculpin IPA.  It was malty and had nice hop additions and a nice, full body.  We got there around 2 pm, but there next tour wasn't until 5 pm and we couldn't wait around until five.  We talked to Amber and told her we were from out of town and explanined how far we had to drive to be there.  She finally caved in and agreed to give us a private tour, which was really nice of her!  Nobody else was on the tour but me, my cousin and my sister.  She showed their whole indoor operation of fermentation tanks, whirpools, mash tuns, etc.  They also had a giant lagering and conditioning fridge.  This thing was huge! There were hundreds of kegs with cases and cases of beer stacked along all 4 walls.  The kegs were all different and creative, one of which, a jalapeno pale ale, really caught my eye.  It sounds so good!  She told us that they are expanding and growing so fast that they actually had to put some tanks outside, behind the building!  Inside, there was also a small distillary tucked away in the corner where the brewers are distilling liquors, such as whiskey and vodka.  It was awesome! Not only do they brew award winning brews, their liquors have also won numerous awards.  Amber also told us of the laid back nature of the brewery.  She said one brewer actually came across a bunch of meat that he didn't know what to do with, so he smoked the meat right there in the brewery. It was pretty funny.  The tour was so great that I didn't even think about taking pictures.   After it was over, we bought some bottled beers and Bloody Mary mix made by the brewery.  We thanked Amber for the awesome tour and headed to Green Flash Brewing Co., which was right down the street.  Luckily, we left just in time as a couple brewery tour buses pulled up.

Four of the nine samples from Ballast Brewing Co. inside the tasting room

You would never guessed Green Flash's was a from the outside of the building.  It looks like a really nice and big corporate building from the outside.  We walked into the huge tasting room, which happened to be right inside the actually brewery.  You had to tasting room and bar and on the other side of the 4 ft tall gates, which was where the brewery was.  We ordered their sampler, which must have included 11 or 12 different beers.  The beers ranged from a barley and saison to an imperial IPA and a Trippel Ale.  They were all great and we finished them in no time.  As we were sampling the brews, there was the owner of the brewery just casually walking in and about the tasting room talking to different people.  I went up to him and introduced myself.  I was telling him how great his brewery is and asked him a bunch of questions. He even gave me the email address for his head brewmaster, Chuck Silva.  He was a really nice guy, but seemed a little buzzed, not that I can blame him.  If I had access to beer that good anytime I wanted, I would do the same.  Afterwards, we signed up for the tour and were on it about 20 minutes later.  Our tour guide was the same guy I had when I visited Stone Brewing Co. about a year ago.  This brewery was huge compared to Ballast Point.  Their tour was pretty boring and didn't even compare to the one we got at Ballast Point.  After the tour, we sampled a few more beers and asked the guide why he was working for Green Flash.  He said that Stone was becoming a "circus" and he wanted to be back working for a smaller brewery again.  I bought a shirt and a couple bottles of their Barleywine and took off.

Aging casks at Green Flash Brewing Co.

With the exception of Coronado Brewing Co., it was a great time with some great beers. I have to say that Stone and Green Flash better watch out because Ballast Point has the beers to give them a run for their money.  With the addition of Stone and Pizza Port last year, I have visited five breweries in San Diego and still have a bunch more to go.

Review: 120 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head Brewing Co.

Grade:  B-

Appearance: Pours a golden yellow with a deep orange tint at the bottom half of the glass.  The weak white head reduces to respectable lacing.

Smell: Sweet caramel malts and fruit citrus.  Zesty hops are there, but take a backseat to the big alcohol aroma and sticky sugars. Not very complex.

Taste: Booze, booze and more booze.  At 18% ABV (No, that is not a typo. This IPA is 18% ABV!), I am not surprised.  A lot of caramel sweetness and subtle hop bitterness.  This thing is really sweet and boozy.  Some floral notes show up at the finish, along with strong alcohol warmth. Damn, this brew is sweet!

Mouthfeel: Like a liquor, it is thick and full, almost like a very thin syrup.  The carbonation is moderate, but lets the thick body take center stage.

Drinkability: Very low. Besides the monstrous ABV, this brew is too sweet and boozy to have more than one.  It leaves the mouth extremely sweetened and sticky.

Overall: This beer has been on my wish list for over a year now and is almost what I expected.  I expected a sweetness from the high amount of malt and sugars to build the 18% ABV, but the hops are not as pronounced as it should be for an Imperial IPA.  Luckily, I bought two bottles, with the other one going into my beer celler to age for a while.  It definitely needs some aging.

Review: Mendicino Oatmeal Stout

Mendocino Brewing Co.

Grade:  C-

Appearance: Pours black with a tan head that vanished immediatly, leaving good lacing.

Smell: Coffee, dark chocolate and oatmeal.  A hint of citrus, dark fruits and molasses.

Taste: Roasted malt, sweet chocolate and strong molasses. There is not much oatmeal flavor for an oatmeal stout.  A touch of toffee with just enough bitterness to balance it.  The finish is slightly bitter with some dark fruit and sour tart.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation.  Pretty creamy and smooth, leaving an oily mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Drinkability is good.  Its a creamy oatmeal stout, but light enough to have a few without filling you up.

Overall: This is a solid beer, but a sub par oatmeal stout.  Its a simple tasting beer that should have put much more emphasis on the oatmeal.  It is an oatmeal stout after all, and kind of a tease.  It makes me want to go out and pick up a heartier and fuller oatmeal stout when I am done with this one.

Review: Ommegang Belgian Style Pale Ale

Brewery Ommegang

Grade:  B

Appearance: Pours a golden orange with a big fluffy white head that doesn't go away and leaves thick, sticky lacing.

Smell: The classic and delicious Belgian yeast with banana, clove and dried tropical fruit.  There is also some toasted malt and lemon.

Taste: Light malt with some citrus and yeast.  Dry white grapes and light noble hops round out the finish.  Its well-balanced and smooth.

Mouthfeel: Fairly light bodied with high carbonation.  Leaves the mouth dry and slightly sour.

Drinkability: This one is easy drinking.  The Belgian yeast isn't too overwhelming and offers a decent amount of hops. Not to mention the light body as well.

Overall: Its a crisp, refreshing Belgian Pale Ale.  This would be a great entry-level beer for those wanting to get into Belgian brews.  All the classic flavors are there, but not in an overpowering way.  Good stuff.

Review: Clown Shoes Lubrication

Mercury Brewing Co.

Grade:  C-

Appearance: Pours a stout black with a tan head that desinigrates to a good lacing.

Smell: Dark, roasty malts with mocha and bitter coffee notes.  Citrus hops are picked up under the thick hue of chocolate.  Smells delicious.

Taste: A strong burst of roasted malt with the addition of cocoa at the start.  Followed by a moedrate bitterness that hangs around for a while.  Slight metal is tasted on the back-end.  The taste is mostly roasty and pretty bland.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body with elevated carbonation at the finish.  Somewhat creamy, but not smooth.

Drinkability: Not the greatest.  It is hard to have multiple servings with the inconsistent mouthfeel and subtle metallic aftertaste.

Overall: This was a promising beer, but not too impressed.  The smell and beginning of the taste is good, but the finish is anything but good.  I don't see myself picking this one up again.

Review: Diamond Knot Brown Ale

Diamond Knot Brewing Co.

Grade: D+

Appearance: Pours a dark brown with an amber tint.  The massive cream-colored head collapses in half, leaving a dense one finger head and good lacing.

Smell: Toasted malts, sweet caramel and strong nuttiness.  There are faint hints of chocolate and molasses. Slight hop notes linger. Pretty nice smelling brew.

Taste: Sweet upfront with toasted malt and roasted nuts.  Molasses, light caramel and toffee are in there as well.  It gets kind of woody with a touch of brown sugar.  The finish is toasty and slightly bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and extremely over carbonated.  It almost feels like your drinking soda water at the finish.  Its not liked I shaked or dropped the bottle. Horrible mouthfeel.

Drinkability: While the body is over carbonated, it has the balance to put it away quickly.  On the other side, that same high carbonation prevents me from having another. 

Overall: If there is one pet peeve I have with beer, it is over carbonated beer.  It gives the beer a gassy, airy taste and takes away the levels of flavor.  The smell is the strong point and the taste is mediocre.  In Diamond Knots defense, it could have been an accidentally over carbonated bottle.  In any case, I will probably try it again if I come across it, but won't be making any special trips to pick up another one.