Nimbus - Red Ale

Dead Monkey

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Red Ale

Nimbus Brewing Company LLC

3850 E. 44th

Tucson, AZ USA

Est. 1996

www.nimbusbeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Clear, copper color.

Great malts aromas and splashes of floral hops are present in the nose.

Two finger firm crisp white head that leaves great spiderweb lacing.
Tastes lightly sweet from the addition of four kinds of malts.

Just the right amount of carbonation.

Balanced malt and hops flavor, light bodied. Slightly watery.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
There's that monkey again. This time e's running around with a pitcher and mug of frothy beer in his hand. He's dressed in what appears to be Roman gladiator garb, right down to the calf laced sandals. Hmmm...not sure I get the connection, but there's probably a good inside joke going on over at Nimbus.

As for the ale, it's plenty fine. There is a dry aromatic hops finish that is pleasant, not bitter in the least. My only slight is that for all the flavors and aromas in this beer, it was just a touch on the watery side. It could have used a bit more mouth feel. But is did not diminish the wonderful flavors that were present from the complex bill of malt and hops.

Hope that monkey doesn't run with scissors in his hand.

Green Flash - Hop Head Red Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Hop Head Red Ale

Green Flash Brewing Company

6550 Mira Mesa Boulevard

San Diego, CA USA

Est. ????

www.greenflashbrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.4 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Deep amber red color tone.

Pleasant caramel malts aromas mingle with resiny pine hop scents along with fruity citrus hop notes.
Two finger near tan colored, rocky head.

Head leaves spiderwebs of lace and covers to a cap right to the bottom of the glass.
Delicious sticky Amarillo hops that are balanced by creamy caramel malt sweetness.

Nice light carbonation.

Medium flavor, medium bodied.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Oh, my God....OH MY GOD! This is one delicious smelling, delicious tasting Red Ale!

Where do I go from here? Back to the fridge to look for more, but alas...it was the only one of these I brought back from the west coast. Arrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!!! So sad! Marvelous little Red that packs a punch of malt and hop taste. Tremendous balance and interplay of the malts and (dry hopped) Amarillo hops.

This is a multi-award winning beer that includes these medals:

• Great American Beer Festival 
  2009 Bronze–American Red Ale
  2007 Silver–American Red Ale
• World Beer Cup 
  2008 Gold–American Red Ale
• San Diego County Fair 
  2011 Gold - American Red Ale

The good elf Lupulin performs a 45 IBU tango for two with Madame Malt, and uses your tongue for their dance floor! Sinfully delicious...must get more....

SanTan Brewing - Epicenter Amber Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Epicenter Amber Ale

SanTan Brewing Company

8 South San Marcos Place

Chandler, AZ USA

Est. 2007

www.santanbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.5 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Dark amber color with deep orange tones.

Malted sweetness and gentle hops on nose. Caramel, some honey (?) and wet grain aromas.

Two finger bone colored head that leaves rings of lacing.
Tastes candy caramel sweet at first but mellows as the hops kick in. Stronger in malt taste than hops.

Not overly carbonated.

Medium flavor, medium bodied.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Within the past 24 hours, two earthquakes have struck in the US. Colorado had a 5.7 magnitude around midnight Mountain Time. And just within the last couple of hours, it was reported that Washington D.C. was rocked by a 5.9 magnitude quake. Ladders shook, chandeliers swayed and even beer bottles were heard to topple in fridges throughout the region. (Okay, I made that last part up.)


It might be a good time to check the status of my chiller out back, to inspect for any damages. Mmmmm, let's see. I'm thirsty. Why yes...that one there! It was a natural - - - Epicenter. Muahahahaa, I always go for the quick pun. Epicenter was fine choice during a crisis such as this. I found the brew to be leaning much stronger on the malt side, but not as "unbalanced" as the name might imply. A great choice for a "Code Red" emergency. Though it's brewed out west, the irony prevails that I should have it on hand for such an auspicious occasion, here in the east.


All things considered, it's going to take an act of God to shake up our nation's capital, figuratively and literally. If that doesn't do it, the other part of the one-two punch is coming. Hurricane Irene is slowly sweeping up the east coast and poised at D.C. One of The Reaper's better projects.

Hang onto you beer my minions...

Lagunitas - Censored Rich Copper Ale

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Censored Rich Copper Ale

Lagunitas Brewing Company

1280 North McDowell Boulevard
Petaluma, CA USA
Est. 1993

www.lagunitas.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.75 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Clear amber with copper tones.
Smells bready with caramel malt sweetness on the nose.
Nice, fluffy, off-white head, one finger high.
Good amount of ringed lacing on the glass.

Slightly less than average amount of carbonation.
Sweet malt flavor with just a bit of hops bitter finish.

Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Got to love the website when it reveals the ingrediatns as malt, hops, yeast and water. Really? What have I been drinking all this time? What? What?!? Whatever! Hey, I didn't start it...

"The original name of this original ale was originally derived from an origin so heinous that we cannot reveal its aboriginal oregeny. sorry. Actually, it's an easy drinking malty Copper Ale that goes easy on the hops. Whatever."

That's from their website, speaking about Censored. We will conclude with the fact that it is good. Gooood. Goooooooood. That is all...I f#ck!n' dig it.

Mendocino - Red Tail Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Red Tail Ale

Mendocino Brewing Company

1601 Airport Road

Ukiah, CA USA

(Saratoga Springs, NY)

Est. 1983

www.mendobrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.1 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper color.
Sweet malt notes with some hops detected.
Off-white one and a half finger head.
Lacing present until the bottom of the glass.
Medium amount of carbonation.
Sweet malt up front that changes mid sip to expose hops bittering.
Medium body. Enjoyable and easy to drink. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
This amber ale begins sweet and then shows a lightly bitter finish. Simple ingredients appear to do their best in this beer. It is right down the middle of the style and this produces full malt flavors with the balanced amount of bittering hops.The only thing out of the ordinary is a honey flavor on the aftertaste. But this is well received by my tongue.  The flavors are mild, the beer is extremely drinkable and overall, it is a solid amber ale.

I'm really getting into how the series of their beers are all done in a "birds of prey" motif. This one obviously named after the Red Tailed Hawk, is depicted beautifully as are all their bottle labels.

Tin Mill - Red Caboose Amber Lager

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Red Caboose Amber Lager
Tin Mill Brewing Company
First & Gutenberg
Hermann, MO USA
Est. 2005
www.tinmillbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = ?.? % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Yellow/amber color.
Malt grain with soft hops. Aromas remind me of potatoes.
Short head disappears to a cover but leaves clingy lacing.
Soft malt taste, proper lager style bitter hops finish that is long and tangy.
Soft carbonation.
Light body and a dry hops finish. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
I received this from a friend that is familiar with the Hermann, MO area, when she returned from a recent trip. If you look closely at the bottle label you will notice the faint etchings of a map. A map of the Hermann area, complete with the mighty Missouri River. I had not heard of this brewery, but got schooled by reading all about them on their website. All you need to know about how they approach beer is what I read, here:

At Tin Mill Brewery, we follow the Reinheitsgebot, or German Purity law, to the letter using no corn or rice in our beers. The barley we use is grown and malted in Germany and comes from some of the best barley fields in the world. Our hops come from the Hallertau Region of Germany about an hour north of Munich. Even our traditional copper brew kettles are imported from Germany.

Another thing Tin Mill does with their beers is Krausening.  This is a process currently used by only a few brewers in the United States.  They take beer that is almost finished fermenting and then they add a little newly fermented beer to recharge the fermentation activity to help naturally carbonate the beer. Then Tin Mill ages the beer in cold cellars for five weeks. This cold lagering process gives the beers a more balanced flavor with a clean finish and a true German style taste.

So you can see they are serious about their brewing. I was impressed by the way the hops stung long after each sip and also how the malt sweetness just wants to come out to play in a tantalizing way. I usually encourage others to try Amber Style beer as a gateway into fuller bodied beers. This is one great example of such a brew. It will change your mind about lagers and teach you how flavors can play in balance within the beer. Premium German ingredients also say a lot about the makeup and character of Red Caboose.

Note of interest - - - I could not find much about the Red Caboose Amber Lager on Tin Mill's webpages. It may have been a seasonal or been replaced by one of the other featured beers, (methinks it's the Maibock!)  No matter. I will look forward to trying more of their offerings knowing now how much they respect the brewing process.

Bear Republic - Ricardo's Red Rocket Ale

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Ricardo's Red Rocket Ale
Bear Republic Brewing Company
345 Healdsburg Avenue
Healdsburg , CA USA
Est. 1995
www.bearrepublic.com 


Brain Damage Quotient = 6.8 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 


Postmortem Brew Review
Rootbeer color.
Smell of malt and vanilla sweetness on the nose.
Tan head, about one finger high, covers to wisp.
Fair amount of lacing down the side of the glass.
Vanilla taste flirts through the malt body.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel. 


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another from the trip out west, Bear Republic self brands this as "a bastardized Scottish style red ale..." that traces it's origins to their homebrew roots. Well what do you know? Here's a bastard that anyone can like! The overall brown body has tinges of ruby around the edge of the glass. The bottom of the glass had about two inches of this redness showing, making it look like a real rocket at takeoff.

Delicious malts and vanilla notes all around make this a superb tasting amber style ale. Wish I'd grabbed a sixer of this stuff. Now I know what to look for, when I take off for my next trip to the west coast.

Terrapin - Big Hoppy Monster Imperial Red Ale

Dead Reptile

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Big Hoppy Monster Imperial Red Ale
Terrapin Beer Company
265 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA USA
Est. 2002
www.terrapinbeer.com
 
Brain Damage Quotient = 8.3% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark amber color that pours with a thick viscosity.
Sweet malty, brown sugar and stunning hops on the nose.
Slight off-white to tan colored two finger head.
Stringy traces of head cling to the glass.
Starts with big hops up front and switches to a rich malt backbone on the finish.
Viscous mouth feel.
Good amount of carbonation.
Medium bodied. Paradoxically, interestingly complex, yet simple. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Pungent hops and sweet malts are at play in this seasonal release.  The label warns, "WATCH OUT! THIS MONSTER BITES!" Although it falls into the style classification of an American Amber or traditional Red Ale, the label backs up the warning by declaring it in a style of its own, an Imperial Red Ale.

Now when you attach the word Imperial to a beer, you ust know that the brewers have gone into the lab to make something bigger thatn what is usually expected. Usually it falls into a darker or murkier body and you can be sure that big malts and big hops will be used in the lab.

Overall, I liked it. I found it had a surprising Jekyll and Hyde component as the flavors switched up from hoppy to malty. Very unique.

Watch out this snapping turtle doesn't bite you!

Ska - Pin Stripe Red Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Pin Stripe Red Ale
Ska Brewing Co.
225 Girard Street
Durango, CO USA
Est. 1995
www.skabrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.15 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber color.
Malt aromas with a nice hops smell.
Nicely foaming two finger off-white head with decent lacing on glass.
Nice malt taste up front with tasty finishing hops flavor.
Fairly active amount of carbonation.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
I have to admit it, there were only two reasons the mixed 12 pack of Ska came back with me from the 2010 Beer Bloggers Conference...

For one, I was looking for variety. The store I went to did not allow the breaking up of six-packs to choose singles. The mixed 12 pack allowed me several different beers in a box by a single brewer.  Since I had never tried Ska's beers before, that appealed to me. (Note to all you beer marketing guru's out there that these introduction boxes are worth continuing.)

Reason number two, really requires no explanation other than IT HAS A SKULL ON THE LOGO! Have you been paying attention? I love when I find a beer with grim markings. like this ale. The skulls seem to be a fairly common element on their labeling. Not certain what the bowling pins (and accompanying collision animation), and the chapeau have to do with it, but I like it! I guess it's what the"frame" of mind these slick hipsters from Ska are up to, when enjoying this refreshingly great Red Ale.

I certainly do get the idea of clenching a few hops buds in his teeth. The hops flavor is nicely done in this ale. And it's also sweet that the image runs in relief, as a watermark, on the white parts of the rest of the label.

Seems like Ska and I have a lot in common - - - skulls, bowling, lids (c'mon...#23...the headgear definition), beer and an off centered appreciation for all four! Grab your hat and some PinStripe and I'll meet you at the lanes.

Magic Hat - Hex Ourtoberfest

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Magic Hat - Hex Ourtoberfest
Magic Hat Brewing Company
5 Bartlett Bay Road
Burlington, VT USA
Est. 1994
www.magichat.net

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.4 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Rusty deep amber color.
Malt sweetness with slight dry nuttiness in aroma.
One finger off-white head that quickly vanishes.
Sweet caramel malt taste with lingering finish.
Minimal amount of carbonation.
Light to medium bodied.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
I guess that Oktoberfest is still hanging out in the fridge. I found this one on a routine check and decided to drink and review before the onslaught of Christmas beer arrives.

"Ourtoberfest" is a little touch on the sweet side for a Marzen, which is why it is actually classified as an American Amber or Red style ale. Nonetheless, a curious refresher that you can use to introduce your friends to a trade up from their yellow lager beers. A very likeable drinker.

Inside the cap says, "Just say 9" What does that mean? I dunno, but it's fun to say.

AC Golden Brewing - Colorado Native Lager

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Colorado Native Lager
AC Golden Brewing
12th and Ford Streets
Golden, CO USA
Est. 2008
www.acgolden.com
and
www.coloradonativelager.com
Brain Damage Quotient = 5.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (3 oz. sample)

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber color with orange hues.
Fresh hop aroma with grapefruit like citrus. Bread-like malt.
Slight off-white head that is one finger high and lasts.
Good amount of streaked lacing.
Tastes like it smells, hops and malts intermingle nicely.
Fair amount of smooth carbonation.
Medium to light bodied.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
This blog post was done live at the first ever Beer Blogger's Conference, held in Boulder Colorado. 108 bloggers were in attendance, from over five hundred identified blogs. Luminaries of the craft beer world also attended to serve as presenters and keynote speakers for the event. A "speed round" of blogging was held by 12 brewers, each bringing an exemplary brew to blog. 12 beers, 12 blogging tables and 60 minutes were allotted in a fun, free-for-all session. 

Round #6

A little "skunk works" from the MillerCoors company, AC Golden has become a bit of a proving ground for creating new brands within the MillerCoors family. Don't be put off by that prospect. When you are a large corporation you can provide resources for doing something different.  That's just what's going on here.  AC Golden is allowed the latitude to go outside the box of standard yellow lager and experiment.

Jeff Cornell

Head Brewer, Jeff Cornell was serving us information about the brewery's operation, along with the beer.  This is a far better than average lager style from a brewery using some tried and true mash tanks from Germany. Look at their website to see the craft equipment.  It is impressive. Lagers are some of the hardest to get right and too many folks are dismissive toward the style.  But when they are done right, they can satisfy your thirst for flavor. And this is a very tidy lager.

It is only available in the state of Colorado, so try some the next time you are there and see for yourself. I'm sure you will be impressed with the big effort from this small brewery. It's a win for MillerCoors, a win for craft beer and a win for the consumer.

Shmaltz - Coney Island Freaktoberfest

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Coney Island Freaktoberfest
Shmaltz Brewing
New York, USA
Est. 1996 (5757 Hebrew Metonic Cycle)
www.shmaltzbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.66 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Bloody, bright red color.
Main smell of malts; caramel right up front with a bit of hops.
Ruby red body with a funky pink head.  Leaves slight amount of lacing.
Syrupy sweet malt and hoppy taste. Leaning more on the malt side.
Medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
There are beers for every season and this autumnal season is no exception to the rule. Generally speaking, fall brings us two traditional staples of seasonal. The first is a Marzen/Oktoberfest style which are characterized by being easy to drink, for the festival it's named after. It has a little more kick than your average lager, but still easy to drink.

The second style falls into the fruit/vegetable category.  Yes sir, that would be the pumpkin beer. I refer to pumpkin beers as the Grateful Dead of beer.  You either love 'em or hate 'em. Take it or leave it. Just don't smash them.

The conundrum is that Shmaltz has made a little devil of a witches brew and invented their own niche among the fall selections. Oh, I'm talking about Freaktoberfest. Devilishly good at 6.66% ABV, this one has been salting away in the mortuary cooler for just the right occasion. That's no coincidence on the ABV. Nor the fact that it has 6 different malt and 6 different hop varieties packed inside, according to the label. Not to mention the bloody red color! They planned it all to be that way. Wicked, just wicked!

So while some beer may have a season, how many can say that they 'own the day'? Huh? Hmmm? Muahaahaahaahaaa! Buaaahahahaaahaaa! Muahaha! This is no Oktoberfest nor is it a pumpkin. 

Freaktoberfest - - - get your bony hands on some and enjoy it while you can, my friends! A trick for your eyes and a treat for your taste buds. Now...I'm off to scare the kiddies!

Rogue - St. Rogue Red

Taps for a Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

St. Rogue Red
Rogue Ales
2320 OSU Drive
Newport, OR USA
Est.1988
www.rogue.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.1 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (On Tap)


Postmortem Brew Review
Reddish copper in color.
Dry hoppy aroma; spruce scented.
Off-white head with good retention and lace.
Medium, active amount of carbonation.
Medium bodied.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Also on tap at the World of Beer, another fine Rogue brew for the Beertopia lineup.  This one has a distinct hoppy aroma and flavor.  It is dry hopping that brings the flavors out in this ale.  A nice but not overpowering amount of hops.  Easy to drink and oh, so tasty.

Get some religion and get this St. Rogue Red.

Fort Collins Brewery - Retro Red

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Fort Collins Brewery - Retro Red
Fort Collins Brewery
1900 East Lincoln Avenue
Fort Collins, CO USA
Est. ????
www.fortcollinsbrewery.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review 
Mahogany with ruby tones on glass edge.
Malt and an earthy smokiness present in the nose, along with some hops.
Foamy off-white head leaving decent amount of lacing.
Medium amount of carbonation.
Carmel malt taste prevails with a nice spicy dry hops finish.
Medium bodied. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Here is a very nice amber style beer that you can enjoy by the wagon load.  It's a simple little bottle of malt and a snap of hops to grab your tongue's attention.  Short and caramel malt sweet, just like this post.

Hitch yourself to this little red wagon.

Flying Dog - Old Scratch Amber Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Old Scratch Amber Lager
Flying Dog Brewery
Frederick, MD USA
Est. 1983
www.flyingdogales.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark amber color.
Minimal thin head that disappears quickly.
Sweet malt grain smell. Balance of  hops.
Light and dry with a slight fruit sweetness
Very light hops characteristic of 19.5 IBU's.
Very carbonated.
Light body.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another offering from the folks at Flying Dog.  It made a great impression in flavor as I switched to this unassuming amber style beer, midway though the afternoon session.

Nothing seemed out of balance for this tasty beer, except the nucleation was just a bit much.  That made the beer a bit harder to down, but helped to release some of the other beer gasses trapped in my gullet. The belches abounded.

It's very mellow and laid back, just like that old dog on your porch.  Good ol' amber.

Brooklyn Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Brooklyn Lager
Brooklyn Brewery
#1 Brewers Row
79 North 11th Street
Brooklyn , NY USA
Est. 1988
www.brooklynbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Clear, amber gold color.
Carmel malt and some floral hops brightness in aroma.
Off white foaming head goes to about one finger high.
Great streaked lacing up and down the glass.
Malty taste mixed with a slight hint of citrus; very tasty.
Light carbonation.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Good basic, solid lager.  Better than the majority of most other lagers. It will not treat you like the typical 'yellow' beer. After all, what would you expect from any beer out of the Brooklyn stable?

If you are not sure that lagers are for you, or even if you know that you dislike lager beers, give this one a try.  Its Vienna lager style might just win you over and make you love lagers again.

Laughing Skull Amber Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Laughing Skull Amber Ale
Atlanta Brewing Company
2323 Defoor Hills Rd. NW
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Est. 1993
www.atlantabrewing.com
also see
www.thevortexbarandgrill.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.7 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber color.
Malty smell with some hops bitter notes.
Tight, white two finger high head.
Decent amount of lacing on glass.
Medium malty taste up front with hoppy bite at end.
Light to medium mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Ah ha! That crazy eyed skull caught my attention while strolling down the liquor warehouse Memorial Day weekend.  I recognized that logo from a trip I made to Atlanta in the 1990's.  There was a joint called the Vortex that served up hamburgers about two dozen ways, offered around 100 different beers and had a profound amount of whiskeys.  That was it.  A simple formula.  Oh yeah, they had the craziest shit hanging off of the walls and ceilings.

So after a little digging on the internet, I discovered they are still in business with about three establishments now.  The original location is gone; the one where we stood in a line outside in the cold to get one of the 20 tables available.  It was worth the wait.  The food and bar were worth shivering a bit for and it certainly lived up to the hype at that time.

The Vortex is still serving the same type of  food and grog in their newer eclectic atmosphere restaurants.  They even sport the same psycho skull logo.  And much to my delight, there is a menu, a beer menu to be more specific that notes this amber ale is the "house brew". Check it out on page 2 of their "Booze Menu".

I loved them then, and love them more now, for growing in Atlanta and now reaching out with this amber ale.  Long live the Vortex!

Tröegs - Nugget Nectar

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Nugget Nectar
Tröegs Brewing Company
800 Paxton St.
Harrisburg, PA USA
Est.1997
www.troegs.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 4.0 (Sample) 

Postmortem Brew Review
Reddish orange color. Some particle suspension.
Citrus hops with sweet malt background.
Frothy white head with strings for lacing.
Big hops presence in taste without overpowering.
Moderate amount of carbonation.
Very easy drinker, but be careful of the high ABV.
Medium to heavy bodied.  Tremendous balance. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
Meeting new friends can be so much fun.  Our host Mark, the mastermind of Mr. Beery's, treated us this evening to a sample of his private stock from Tröegs Brewery.  This is the reason, dear readers, that you should pursue your adventures in craft beer.  The payoff in friends along with little gems of beer, such as this Nugget Nectar, is worth the pursuit.

This ale is incredible. It has a beautiful copper bodied color with 7.5% ABV to tantalize.  There are 93 IBU's of hops for us hops freaks.  Despite the 'hops grenade" on the label, you will get the pine/citrus hops notes on the nose, but amazingly they will not overpower the taste.  Superb balance of ingredients yields an excellent brew.  One whiff and one sip is all it will take to convince you that those boys in PA got their brewing stuff down pat.  Oh, it helps to share over a discussion about who crafts these beverages.

Once again, the formula for success is to seek out friend opportunities through you beer experiences.  That is the best way to bring out your true inner beer geek.

Blue Point - Toasted Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Blue Point - Toasted Lager 

Blue Point Brewing Company
161 River Avenue 
Patchogue, NY USA
Est. 1998
www.bluepointbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.3 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 4.0 (On Tap - Flight) 

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper color with orange tinges.
Caramel malt with bittering hop scent.
Two finger off-white head.  Lots of bubbles in the glass.
Tastes like the aroma; malty and bitter medium hops taste.
Fair amount of stringy lacing.
Medium bodied. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
The third of the four* in the flight, and no surprise here.  A good drinking, easy to handle lager from Blue Point.  I had found them first with the Rastafa Rye about a month ago,  I didn't like this lager as much as the rye, but I did find it a great example of what makes a good drinking lager.  Guess I'm just partial to the rye. 

Stone Cold Fact: Blue Point Toasted Lager is a Great American Beer Festival medal winner for Amber ales.

Anyway, do yourself a favor and put down your regular-ass lager and pick up one of these, instead! 

* - In case you are playing the home game, number 4 in the flight was Stone's Arrogant Bastard.  I have reaped and reviewed earlier date.

Belfast Bay - Lobster Ale

Dead Lobsta'

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Belfast Bay - Lobster Ale
Belfast Bay Brewing Company
100 Seaport Avenue
Belfast, ME USA
Est.1996
www.belfastbaybrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0  

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber with a reddish tinge, in color.
Sweet and malty with slight apple aroma.
Super tall foaming head that slowly diminishes to a thin cover.
The glass laces very nicely at first, then disappears.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Here's a tasty Red Ale that has a food pairing right on the label.  I guess the meaning is supposed to let you know that this Amber Ale or Red Ale as they call it, resembles the color of a lobster.  Clever!

Actually, The Reaper is more interested in telling you that a lobster is one of the freaks of nature that has an exoskeleton (its bones are on the outside).  Ummm, I guess that I just referred to myself as a freak, because The Reaper's bones are on the outside too!  Something in common besides the ale.

Back to the ale, it's a good easy drinker.  One you could have plenty of at your next clambake.  Goes well with just about all of that good food.  So when planning your next beach side clambake or kitchen counter tuna fish sandwich, keep this Lobster Ale in mind.