Posted on
by

New Sour Beers: Rojzilla & La Roja du Kriek

(DEXTER, Mich)—Jolly Pumpkin’s quintessential beer – La Roja – may be hard to find, but two new specialty brews will hit the marketplace in limited quantities this month and are sure to quench the thirst of sour beer lovers around America. Rojzilla and La Roja du Kriek will be distributed in Michigan and 34 other states during the brand’s “April Showers Bring Jolly Pumpkin Sours” campaign.

La Roja (7.2% ABV | 25 IBU) was the second beer to be released by Jolly Pumpkin, after opening in 2004. This artisan red ale, brewed in the Flanders tradition, is deep amber in color with earthy caramel, spice and sour fruit notes that are developed through natural barrel aging.

Flanders ales are fermented with usual brewer’s yeast in an unfiltered and unpasteurized fashion, then placed into oak barrels to age and mature. The mature beer is then blended with younger beer, to adjust the taste for consistency. The name comes from the usual color of these ales, which are descendent from English porters of the 17th century.

Due to the extensive time involved in the production of La Roja, it is only released in limited quantities and is considered one of the most sought-after sour ales in the country. Continue reading →

Posted on
by

A Beer review of Ommegangs most recent Game Of Thrones inspired Beer

Valar Morghulis. But not until trying this beer. It does feel like the winds coming down from the north are carrying an ill breath with them as of late. Is there some unknown danger that lurks beyond the wall? Is it the feeling of forces gathering around me that makes my bones ache as if in a deep freeze? Or is it the ever present knowledge that winter is coming that makes my blood run cold… Nope, it is the fact that it is April here and I just saw it snowing. It is the cold that makes me cold. I have found one way to fend back the harsh bite of what Michigan spring has become, and it comes in a bottle from Brewery Ommegang. Check out my cryptic review of The Three-Eyed Raven. Continue reading →

Posted on
by
This post was written by KARL SMALLWOOD from TodayIFoundOut.com

Oxford University
Oxford University is well known for being one of the most prestigious and elite places of learning in history. Over the years, it has seen some of the finest minds the world has ever known pass through its halls. It’s also the place where over six centuries ago a bunch of students and a fair number of townsfolk were killed in a riot over a pint.
Continue reading →

Posted on
by

Nostalgia is a funny thing.  Something will worm its way into your mind, and then you will start to see it everywhere.  The connection is often extrememly tednuous as well. Sure, sometimes itis obvious.  Sometimes you hear a Cyndi Lauper on the radio that reminds you of that scene in Goonies when you can see the video playing on the tv as they walk past.  Then you are thinking the rest of the day about the Fratellis chasing Rudy and his buddies thru caves to find One Eyed Willie’s treasure (heh).  (did you know that Sloth was in Ice Pirates?)  But other times, that song you heard on the radio, reminded you of a time when you were talking to someone that was telling you about a friend who really liked that song, but all you could think about was how uncomfortable the chairs that you were sitting in were and now your ass is starting to hurt.  And other times, there is no connection at all.  Which brings me to Short’s Brewing Company’s Beard of Zeus.  This beer should make me think of Anchorman, or The Magic Christian (check it out and you will forever after pronounce Zeus, zay-us).  Nope, this beer tastes like Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas.  Go Figure.  Check out my cryptic review after the break. Continue reading →

Posted on
by

Welcome to a new feature that I am going to try out for a bit to see how it goes. I am going to pick up a sampler pack of beers from a single brewery and go through it one at a time, leaving my thoughts here for you all to read in order to help you become more informed and responsible beer drinkers.  Or, I’m just going to gush of the beers I like and rag on the ones I hate and tell you if a pack is worth picking up or if you should avoid it.  Most samplers have 12 beers in them 3 each of 4 different styles, so I am going to have to say that for a sampler to be worth picking up, 3 of those 4 beers had better be pretty good.  So let’s begin with what I am going to call, “Stuck in the Middle with Brew.”2014-11-18 20.36.09

Today I have the Folly pack from New Belgium brewery.  New Belgium has been around for a while, but they have onlly recently started to distribute in Michigan.  And when they did, it was hard to swing a dead cat without hitting someone singing the praises of Fat Tire and how wonderful it is that we can finally get this wonderful beer that had for so long been something that required a trip out of state. So this may be my first time putting down on record what I think about the beers that have come out of this big little brewery from Colorado.  The Folly comes with their Blue Paddle Pilsner, Snapshot Wheat beer, Ranger IPA, and Fat Tire Amber. Continue reading →

Posted on
by

My brother used to have a poster on his wall called ship of fools (you can buy it here), depicting a group of ducks on a boat, singing and laughing away, blissfully unaware of the raging storm around them.  Somehow this beer gives off the feeling that I imagine those ducks have.  It feels like it knows what it is doing, and what it thinks it is supposed to taste like, but it isn’t working.  At least not the way it hopes to.  Instead there is a different feel and flavor coming out.  It is a good flavor, but it doesn’t feel intentional.  Another way to describe it, perhaps a clearer explanation(although probably not) can be found after the break.  Enjoy my cryptic review of Odd Side Ale’s Pineapple IPA. Continue reading →

Posted on
by

I have an opinion about pumpkin beers.  And since I have a website dedicated to craft beers, I suppose that I should not be keeping my opinion to myself.  But as the saying goes, “if you don’t have anything nice to say..”  The End.

But in all seriousness, it isn’t the _all_ pumpkin beers are horrible.  I distinctly remember having a pumpkin beer once.  It was on Gordon street. ahhh, I once new a pumpkin beer on Gordon Street, but that was a long time ago, and its name is now long forgotten.  And to be honest, I have really been trying to find that beer again.  And in doing so I subject myself to all manner of pumpkin beers that I find, but I still haven’t rediscovered that ever elusive, good pumpkin beer.

So I figure, why don’t i just get a sampler of pumpkin beers and bring you all along for the ride.  After all it is the season, judging by the sheer number of these things I see on the shelves, some of you must enjoy them.  So we can work through these beers together, and who knows, we may find gold in them there hills. Continue reading →

Posted on
by

If you have five and a half minutes to spare, and have ever thought about what goes into making that delicious brew that you like so much, you could find worse things to do with your time than check out this video. It comes from the PBS series It’s Okay to be Smart, where you can find some great bite-sized information nuggets to fill your brain.  Here they visit Jester King Brewery in Austin, TX to explore the chemical process that goes into making their farmhouse style beers.  They have also linked to some other helpful information in their description including

  • some Beer Chemistry
  • a little Beer History
  • and a few other great resources for a deeper look into, and comes out of beer and alcohol in general

Continue reading →

Posted on
by

Sometimes you want to go…  Just had to get that out of the way.  Now this beer review has a little bit of background music going through your head.  I have to admit a healthy amount of skepticism when approaching a beer with such a big name licensing deal going on here.  It kind of stinks of macro beer dullness.  Not literally of course, I haven’t even opened the can at this point.  Upon opening opening the can of Norm’s Amber Ale (and expecting instead a poor imitation of beer)  I found that there was actually a fairly pleasing, if simple, flavor contained within.  I would say that what this beer really has going for it, is the element of surprise.  Check out my cryptic review after the break of Norm’s Amber Ale.
Cheers! (Sorry, i couldn’t help it)
Continue reading →