Beer Review: Bell's Oarsman Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Four percent

Appearance: Bell's Oarsman Ale pours a lemon-like shade of yellow. There was a slight haze that gives the beer an appearance of slight thickness. There was decent visible carbonation. The head of the beer as about the thickness of a quarter inch and only left minimal lacing. I can certainly let that slide as I've read that Berliner Weisse brews aren't exactly known for their heads.

Smell: Overall, the aroma of this was loaded with wheat and citrus. There was also a bit of yeasty character to it. This smelled very sour and tart as well. I was reminded of when I used to purchase and open up a pack of Shock Tarts as a kid. I think I remember them being called that. Anyways, on with the review.

Taste: This was a very enjoyable tease upon drinking. On the very tip of the tongue it was a hint of sweetness. Then the tartness of the beer took over. It was a tasty lemon flavor. I mean that in more of a sour sense rather than a fruity one. As the sip drifted towards the back I got more of the wheat and yeasty characters in the brew. There wasn't any hop notes to be noticed or compliment in any way, shape or form! I enjoyed it that way. Any bitterness on the finish would have interfered with the crispness of this beer.

Overall Rating: 

This is one of my favorites. I'm not completely knowledgeable on the Berliner Weissbier style yet, but I really enjoy this beer on a hot day. Sweet, yet sour and very crisp and refreshing. Tastes amazing and plays like a lighter beer. I never fill full after having a couple of these. Bell's with another awesome beer.

Beer Review: Bell's Kalamazoo Stout

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Six percent

Appearance: Kalamazoo Stout has a dark body. It can be classified anywhere between a very dark brown and a black. There are highlights of both colors floating around in the body of the brew. The head is what made this stout one of my favorites in terms of how it looks. It was a lighter shade of beige, but the upper portions of it were a creamy white. That looked very appetizing as I went in for a few sips of this brew.

Smell: This smelled very dark, roasty and robust. The prominent scent I picked up was the brewer's licorice that's noted on the label. I love black licorice. So, this was a big plus for me. There was also a couple notes of chocolate and coffee. There was more coffee present between the two.

Taste: The black licorice was very present on the front of the tongue as was some dark, sweet and roasted malt. The chocolate that I picked up in the aroma seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by the malt bill in this beer as I wasn't able to get much of it. The coffee in the beer had a dryness that paired well with a nice hop bitterness on the finish. The aftertaste consisted of heat from the booze in this one. Not overwhelming at all. This stout wasn't as "chewy" as I would have liked it to be. If felt to be a little on the thinner side.

Overall Rating: 

This is a great stout if you're looking for a good one to drink. I love black licorice. So, this was an instant hit with me. This was very similar to the General Washington's Tavern Porter that I also love. The only difference as that the Tavern Porter had molasses. Something that's rare in stout today. In the Kalamazoo Stout, I would have really liked to have more chocolate as well as the beer playing a little thicker than it did.

Beer Review: Bell's Winter White Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Five percent

Appearance: Bell's Winter White wouldn't appear to the casual eye as a beer that comes out during the winter months. It pours a straw gold with tons of carbonation bubbles dancing towards the crown of the glass. The golden body is somewhat hazy, but this can depend on how much of the yeast you pour into your glass. I usually leave a good portion of it inside the bottle. The head is very thick after the pour and consists of thousands of tiny bubbles. It fades away quickly and surprisingly doesn't leave much lacing inside the glass.

Smell: This beer smells very zesty and citrusy. There's a good dosage of coriander and orange peel. It's the orange peel that provides you with that spiciness. There's also an aroma of wheat and yeast, as this is a wheat beer. It better be there!

Taste: I got the wheat taste on the front of the tongue. This had a subtle sweetness to it. As your swig makes its way towards the back of your tongue the yeast and spices take over. I can't say enough about the way the coriander and citrus works in this beer. The orange is tart at first, but as the sip makes its way to the ending stages there's a spiciness that takes over on the finish. Oh, and as for that carbonation? Just provides a wonderful texture which finely compliments the taste. Such a wonderful experience.

Overall Rating: 

This is probably my favorite winter seasonal beer. It in no way looks or acts like a winter ale. It's a wheat beer in almost every aspect. It has its own character and that's what makes this beer special. A good comparison to this is Troegs DreamWeaver Wheat. Bells Winter White is almost twice as spicy. DreamWeaver has more of a fruity undertone in the flavor. Both are excellent brews. I'f prefer this beer to appear a bit more full. Maybe that head can stick around longer and possibly provide more lacing? I think this beer's appearance is still open for experimentation. Maybe if you pour more of the yeast into it the head can be somewhat stronger.

Think Warm Thoughts

If my girlfriend's father ever read this post he'd laugh like hell. See, he grew up in North Dakota. So, extremely cold days like the ones we're experiencing in this area are pretty much nothing for him. One story in particular was one involving cold bad enough to worry him about his car not starting. I'm pretty sure it's been that cold around here.

I'm not too sure of the current weather in Michigan this week, but Bell's Brewery has a slight cure for those of us that are ailing from such frigid temperatures. As of last night its online store had a sale on Oberon Ale windshield scrapers! Keep in mind that I usually write my blog posts the night before you're able to actually read them. So, if the sale was only for yesterday I offer my apologies.

Another warming thing about this is the date of 3-25-13 on the handle of the scrapers. I'm assuming that is the anticipated release date of the famous Oberon Ale.

Just another thought that can provide warmth to those of us that hate the extreme cold. I might actually have to look past getting a Bell's sampler this year and snag a case of Oberon instead. For right now, Winter White Ale will suffice.

Beer Review: Bell's Amber Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 5.8 percent

Appearance: Bell's Amber Ale pours exactly what the label says it's going to be! Still, it's an attractive shade of amber. Only qualm I have about the appearance is that it does appear a bit murky. It kind of resembled mud. The head was frothy and a clear white. The retention of the head wasn't the best in the world, but you'll find a decent amount of lacing.

Smell: There was plenty of action in this beer's aroma. I got plenty of malts, which consisted mainly of caramel. I also picked up bitter scents of hops and pine. I couldn't believe it, but I could have sworn I picked up the slightest hint of lemon/citrus.

Taste: Expect a rush of sweet malts on the front of your tongue. As for the back, I got an awesome bitter sensation which must have been from both the pine and the hops. I didn't notice much carbonation in the brew's appearance due to the murkiness, but it definitely translated to a textured mouth feel.

Overall Rating: 

I hold a good number of Bell's beers in high regard. I'd usually give beers with an appearance such as this one a rating of three mugs, but since Bell's pretty much always puts a quality product out there I'll give the brewery the benefit of the doubt. The aroma and taste of this brew were both pretty amazing. The pine worked well with the hop content for a crisp finish.

Monday Rant: Not Too Hop-Cited

Many seasonal beer posts around the blogosphere begin in this sort of fashion. I typically start by saying it's that time of the year again and it certainly is. If you check out the social media accounts of your favorite beer distributors and shops I'm sure you'll find their mentions and walls cluttered with questions pertaining to when they will have Bell's Hopslam and Troegs Nugget Nectar in stock.

I had both brews for the first time last year. Suffice to say, Hopslam tasted pretty close to pure hop oil. It didn't taste balanced to me at all, but Nugget Nectar was more on that side. I decided that I could definitely give Nugget Nectar a few more goes.

I know I call myself a "beer snob," but in the craft beer world I could really be classified as more of a beer geek. I only named this blog as such and took on the Twitter handle I have because that's what I've been referred to over the years during my summer job throughout college.

I've only ever deleted a comment once in the young history of this blog. This one time I came across what could be referred to as a "beer snob." This person didn't approve of my thoughts on Hopslam and even went as far to throw the word irresponsible when he saw that I gave Blue Moon's Summer Honey Ale a better rating than his beloved ale saturated with hops.

The beer isn't trash, but I had to dig in the trash to find this old photo.

Trying and experiencing different type's of beer is the beautiful thing about craft beer. I'm all for civilized conversation when discussing beers (I'm especially alright with it in my comments section), but I don't see the need to bring it to insults. That's where I believe the line is when it comes to being what we classify as either a "snob" or a "geek."

Apologies in advance, but I don't hold biases towards certain breweries and against others. If I think a beer tastes, looks and smells better than another (even if it has a huge following) I'm going to rate it higher and enjoy it more. I obviously didn't enjoy Hopslam, but the ironic thing is that I love most everything else made by Bell's. I just don't particularly enjoy beer's that have a ton of hops. That's not saying that you're wrong for liking them that way. We all have our own preferences, correct?

So, please have all of the Hopslam you want this year. I certainly won't be keeping any away from you. I also won't judge you if you really enjoy it.

Beer Review: Bell's Pale Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 5.2 percent

Appearance: Bell's Pale Ale comes off as a straw gold. There are a few darker gold highlights throughout the body as well. A small tad of haziness prevents you from completely seeing through this golden spectacle. The head is thin, yet bubbly and frothy. There isn't much strength in the head's appearance. There's a decent, yet attractive rise of carbonation bubbles rising up the glass.

Smell: This beer smells very yeasty and grainy at first waft. There's subtle hints of grassiness and zesty citrus after a few more sniffs. Although, the citrus is extremely faint.

Taste: The citrus doesn't end up playing a role in the flavor at all. The grain is the most prominent flavor, along with the grassiness. The flavor is complimented wonderfully by a honey sweetness, which provides your tongue with a smooth finish. Very pleasant.

Overall Rating: 

This was a very interesting drink. I expect some putrid bitterness sometimes when i consume pale ales, but not in this case. I was shocked, yet delighted by the honey-like finish. Great product from the state of Michigan. This beer is to be renamed Midwestern Pale Ale as of next year, so take note!

Monday Rant: Bell's Cherry Stout is Kaput

I heard rumblings of the possibility of this over the last few weeks, but it looks as if Bell's Cherry Stout is a no-go for this year due to colder temperatures in the Michigan area, according to Beer Street Journal.

I was lucky enough to come across a tulip glass full of Cherry Stout last year. I somewhat enjoyed the sour tartness from the Michigan cherries that are brewed into it.

Other than that, I'm disappointed that the weather didn't cooperate this year. Now begins the rush to procure what cases/bottles are still remaining from last year's batch. I know where an entire case is, as I saw it at a certain beer distributor just a week ago. As always, I'm not telling where the exact location is!

I'm sure this has happened before to quite a few other seasonal beers due to weather and crops not being friendly towards the other. It kind of reminds me of Trading Places with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. The with a sub-plot about orange crops and the stock market.

 

Beer Review: Bell's Oberon Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 5.8 percent

Appearance: The Bell's Oberon Ale body has an orange color that is very reminiscent of the shade used on the bottle's label. It also embodies that haziness that characteristic of many wheat-style brews. It's cloudy, but doesn't appear to be too thick. The head is white and fizzy. It dissipates fast and leaves little retention.

Smell: The aroma that I got fro this brew instantly reminded me of a freshly-peeled orange. Few citrus beers get this nailed as close as Oberon does. A little bit of spicy/peppery notes follow that up before the usual wheat and yeast notes top of this wonderful smelling experience.

Taste: The orange citrus and spice provide a powerful combo on the tongue. The sweet and sour of the orange go perfectly with the spice. A bitter paleness from the wheat takes over on the finish. An excellent experience in terms of tasting.

Overall Rating: 

An excellent summer seasonal beer to come across. The citrus and wheat flavors go together well with each other in both the aroma and taste. The bitterness of the wheat in the finish is vastly different than any other of the style that I've come across.

Seasonal Look-Ahead: Summer Beers

Perfect for after a long day at work.

Last week, the Pittsburgh area was one of the hottest regions east of the Mississippi Rover with temperatures hanging around the upper 70's and even reaching 80 degrees at certain points. Pittsburgh even set a record for the month of March, with 11-straight days of high temperatures over 70 degrees. Coinciding with that is the early release of some of the craft beer industry's summer seasonal brews.

I'm not sure about everyone else, but I definitely could have used a few of them towards the end of some of the hotter days.

Today I want to highlight some of the summer seasonal brews I've been looking forward to along with some of my all-time favorites to consume after a long and hot day.

• Bell's Oberon Ale (MI) 5.8 percent ABV: This American Pale Wheat is arguably the the most-demanded summer beer in this region among craft beer drinkers, in my opinion. It's very fruity, but some zest balances everything out. This beer should be easy to find this week as Bell's Brewery just released it on Monday.

• Troeg's Sunshine Pils (Pa.) 4.5 percent ABV: Not for the faint of heart. Although it's one of my favorite beers to have during the hotter months, it's strength seems to deter some beer drinkers. Sunshine Pils is strong, bitter on the finish and very hoppy. My personal favorite summer seasonal.

• Sierra Nevada Summerfest (CA) 5.0 percent ABV: Summerfest is a pilsner-style lager that is hoppier than your traditional pilsner. That biscuity taste I look for in pilsners is a lot livelier in this brew.

• Harpoon Summer Beer (MA) 5.0 percent ABV: Summer Beer is a Kolsch. It's sharp in taste and is extremely lively on the head. Very spicy and tastes like citrus. A perfect beer to have while sitting out back in your personal garden.

• Southern Tier Hop Sun (NY) 5.1 percent ABV: Another Pale Wheat Ale, but Hop Sun makes a name for itself by imploring sweeter undertones. Hop Sun also features the usual citrus and zest taste you'd expect.

• Great Lakes Holy Moses White Ale (Ohio) 5.4 percent ABV: Holy Moses is a very spicy Belgian White. It's brewed with coriander and orange peel. Those ingredients might sound familiar to fans of Blue Moon Belgian White except you don't need the fruit garnish to fully enjoy this beer.

Just a few I've been lucky enough to sample over the past few summers. I'm hoping to try each of them at some point this summer and be able to share some thoughts on each that are quite a bit more in-depth. As always, I'm open for suggestions on other beers to keep an eye out for.