Schneider & Brooklyner - Hopfen Weisse

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Hopfen Weisse

Schneider & Sohn GmbH

8938 Krum Ave.Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany
Est. 1872

www.schneider-weisse.de 

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.2 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 16.9 

Postmortem Brew Review

Murky golden yellow color; a little bit turbid in appearance.

Spice, banana, citrus fruit and bread on the nose.

Some good lacing at first from the near-white head.

Bready upfront with clove like spice and some citrus in taste. Hops finish is pronounced.

Moderate carbonation. 

Light to medium bodied. Alcohol is only slightly detectable, if at all.
Complex for a hefe.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

This is the Schneider version or a brew that is the result of a friendship between Brooklyn's Garrett Oliver and Schneider's Hans-Peter Drexler. The two brewers had admired each other's differences in styles; Garrett's hoppier side and Hans-Peter's soft & smoother style. This concept brought them together to produce a hoppy style wheat beer. This was a perfect collaborative symbiosis for the two brewers as well as the two styles. The resulting weissbock beer is dry-hopped using Hallertauer and Saphir hops. (Note: The body is a bit disturbed as it appears to be left unfiltered. Best to gently roll the bottle to incorporated any sediment residue.)

Who knew this could exist in a weiss? Certainly Garrett and Hans-Peter did. The ending result is a smooth and soft wheat beer that has a strongly pronounced amount of hops. Unusual for a wheat, but wonderful to behold.

Oh yeah, beware the generous 8.2% ABV in the equally generous 16.9 ounce bottle. This ain't your standard summer refresher hefeweizen. But, do enjoy, nonetheless. Their website called it "Hoppy Fireworks!"

I'd love to find some of the stateside Brooklyn equivalent.

Samuel Adams & Weinhenstephan - Infinium 2010

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Infinium 2010
Samuel Adams
Boston Beer Company
Boston, MA USA
Est.1985
www.samueladams.com

Weihenstephan 
Bavarian Staats-Brauerei
Weihenstephan, Freising Germany
Est. 1040

www.weihenstephaner.de

Brain Damage Quotient = 10.3 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 25.4

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy golden yellow color.
Sweet maltiness. Banana notes.
Big, tightly bubbled white head that sticks around.
Bubbly, effervescent foam leaves behind little lacing.
Starts sweet in taste with malt and banana flavors. Finishes tart, tight and dry like champagne.
Big carbonation.
Light and dry mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
This is the year to replace your champagne or other fine sparkling wine with a beer. 2009 was the year of the beer.  For 2010, beer has become a suitable accompaniment for the holiday festivities. Infinium is the collaborative effort of two galactic and stellar breweries. The young meeting the old.  The master Jedi Weihenstephan and the young knight Samuel Adams.

Weihenstephan: I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.
Reinheitsgebot: He will learn patience.
Weihenstephan: Hmm, eh, much anger in him, like his father. 
Reinheitsgebot: Was I any different when you taught me? 
Weihenstephan: He is not ready.
Sam Adams: Yoda!?! I am ready...Ben, I can be a Jedi! Ben, tell him I'm ready...
Weihenstephan: Ready are you? What knows ready? For 800 years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained! The Jedi must have the most deepest commitment, hmm, the most serious mind. This one, a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away, to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm! What he was doing! Hm..adventure! Eh, excitement. Heh, A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless.
Reinheitsgebot: So was I, if you remember. 
Weihenstephan: He is too old. Rest! Too old to begin the training!
Sam Adams: But I've learned so much. 
Weihenstephan: (sigh) Will he finish what he begins?
Sam Adams: I won't fail you. I'm not afraid.
Weihenstephan: Wuuuh...you will be...you will be! 

And it seems that the young apprentice of 25 years can learn a thing or two from the master of 1000 years. As we also know, the young Jedi did prove his worth in helping to topple the evil empire. It's no secret, Darth Vader is a Bud Light(saber) kinda' guy.

If you are in the market to try a bubbly brut beer, look no further. The foil neck wrapper has a 2010 printed on it, making me think that there will likely be several sequels.

Sierra Nevada - Fritz & Ken's Ale 30th Anniversary

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Fritz & Ken's Ale 30th Anniversary
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Chico, CA USA
Est. 1980
www.sierranevada.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 9.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 25.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Inky blackness, the color of spent motor oil.
Sensual roast malt tones. Chocolate notes. Some oatiness.
Nicely foaming two finger head with good lacing on the glass.
Roasted malt and chocolate flavors.; interestingly complex.
Active amount of carbonation.
Nearly no alcohol taste for such a high ABV.
Rich, velvety and full bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Sensational occasions call for sensational ales. Christmas around the crypt this year was a bit extra special, so we pulled out this beauty to celebrate the day. As is often said, "...it is far better to give than receive." So sharing with close family was especially rewarding for me, and those that tasted were equally excited to receive.  Fritz Maytag and Ken Grossman really have something special to celebrate with, right here.  This is a one off, singular release to commemorate the 30th year of Sierra Nevada. Certainly, something of a sensation in terms of brewing craft beers for 30 years.

These two pioneers of the craft beer and ale movement would likely be on the "Mount Rushmore" of brewing, if there was ever such a national monument. Hmmm...something worth thinking about.  But now, on to the ale.  This is one helluva beautiful Imperial Stout. Impressive black color, not unlike that you may have seen while changing the engine oil on your car or truck. Rest assured, it tastes equally impressive as the color. Deceptively easy drinking at 9.2% ABV, I found it hard to resist pouring a bit more into my snifter after each sip. No boozy undertones or aftertaste - rather a delicious river of exquisite roast malt flavor and chocolaty backbone. Superior to any I have sampled previously. Okay, I really liked it!

At this writing, it is still available on shelves if you look real hard in you local stores. Worth the price since you'll likely not see it again. Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary.

Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head - Life and Limb

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head - Life and Limb
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Chico, CA USA
Est. 1980
www.sierranevada.com
http://www.sierranevada.com/about/content/life-limb_release.pdf  

Dogfish Head - Shelter Pale Ale
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
6 Cannery Village Center
Milton, DE USA
Est. 1995
www.dogfish.com
www.dogfish.com/community/news/press-releases/life-limb/limb-life-brews-at-sierra-nevada.htm 

Brain Damage Quotient = 10.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 24.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark brown color.
Roasty malt aromas with caramelized candy sweet smell..
Slightly less than one finger of foamy tan head.
Not much head retention, but there are scant 'legs' of lace like in distilled products.
Dried fruity taste with immediate bit of sourness that immediately smooths to maple sweetness.
More grassy sweetness from the birch syrup and a slight nutty finish with a small bite of hops.
Medium carbonation.
Medium bodied mouth feel. Very smooth and balanced. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Good things happen when good people come together with a passion for beer.  Ken Grossman and Sam Calagione of Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head breweries have come up with this collaborative strong ale.  Made from exotic things such as pure maple syrup from Sam's family farm in Massachusetts and estate barley grown by Ken's "farm" at the brewery in Chico.  Not your ordinary ingredients in beers and ales, but we aren't talking about your ordinary brewers here.

The counterpart to this brew was "Limb and Life", made from the second runnings and brewed to an ABV of 5%, or half that of its bigger brother.  Limb and Life was available in select locations on tap and meant to be the session ale whereas Life and Limb was meant to be sipped.  I was fortunate to be in the store when their one and only carton of Life and Limb was opened.  I have been relishing sampling this bottle for several months now.

This ale has a unique taste.  I am glad to have aged it for several months so all those flavors could commingle.  It would make a wonderful after dinner sipper.  It goes equally well on a sunny, lazy Sunday afternoon, which is how the gang and I enjoyed it.

As The Reaper,  it's my job to know about life and limb, but it appears these two beer maestros were able to drop some knowledge on me with their "Life and Limb"  Muahahaha.  See if you can't still get your hands on this while it may still be available.