Monday Rant (On a Tuesday): More of This

As most of you know, I'm an ardent supporter or corn in craft beer. I don't view adjuncts as these unworthy ingredients in beer. I think if done well adjuncts like corn and rice in a beer can catch on. The only problem is that there aren't many in the craft beer community.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that East End Brewing just outside of Pittsburgh was planning on putting a Cream Ale on tap at the brewery location in Larimer. I finally got a hold of some of said Cream Ale and must admit that it's fantastic. Sweet, but not too sweet. Nice and malty. Perfect if you're worn out and/or thirsty. This gets the job done.

It doesn't look like the strongest beer in the world, but it doesn't have to be that way to get the job done. These types of brews need to catch on. Especially in the Pittsburgh market. Maybe the East End offering can be the one to ignite the flame?

I sure as hell  will do my best to spread the word about how good this beer is with an ingredient(s) that are usually frowned upon. I also think it's worth mentioning once again that East End is making a habit out of using corn in beer and thus making me happy. Corn was also used in the Pennsyltucky Uncommon special brew that was released during the 2013 edition of Pittsburgh Craft Beer week.

Monday Rant: Taproom Eavesdropping

Trust me. The title I've chosen for this post will probably not go in the direction that you might expect it to. Some people out there have a notion that eavesdropping should be considered bad or rude. I'm quite the opposite. I love eavesdropping mostly based upon the fact that I'm good at it. I can pick up conversations from half-way across a bar or office. Not much gets past me. Like my uncle I'm quite astute.

A growler of this, please.

To stop "Rambling On" as the famous prophet Robert Plant once said I'll quickly get to the point of what this post intends. I stopped up at East End Brewing  yesterday afternoon to fill up my two growlers and nab a bottle of the elusive Toaster Imperial Stout. As it usually works out when people go there, the brewery can't legally sell you a pint of beer in the taproom. Still, you can try a few sample glasses worth of whichever brews you very well choose (I promised that I'd work the phrase "very well" into my personal vocabulary).

Sometimes the people that work there talk to some of the visitors/customers that come in. That's a good think. I've met some cool people at breweries. I overheard, or eavesdropped to fit in with the title I chose, a conversation about a beer East End intends on releasing in the taproom within the next week or two. The two words that grabbed my attention? Cream Ale.

I haven't came across many Cream Ales in the Pittsburgh area let alone the craft world. Those two worlds excite me. Why do they excite me? Because of adjuncts. I know many of you hate it, but adjuncts in beer are once again the subject of yet another rant on this blog.

I also rudely picked up another word in the conversation I was listening to - corn. Possibly one of my favorite beer adjuncts. East End has been one of the leaders in the area with using corn in beer. A case could also be made for Straub in St. Mary's. I'd argue that it's close enough to Pittsburgh.

To put it simply, I might be making a trip to East End for a second week in a row if I catch wind of this Cream Ale tapping at the brewery. You can bet the farm that I'll be back on here being an internet tough guy arguing that corn in beer is a good thing.

Beer Review: Anderson Valley Summer Solstice

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Five percent

Appearance: Summer Solstice doesn't immediately look like a summer beer, but that isn't a bad thing at all. Still, it pours a pretty copper chroma. and features hues that are both orange and red. A very flashy and colorful body. The head is mostly white, but still has a slight presence of beige in it and left some decent lacing clinging to the glass. I looked close and noticed dozens of bubbles within the dark body of the brew. The bubbles that made up the head were pretty defining. Unlike other bubbles I've seen in other beers prior. Pretty unique.

Smell: Lightly toasty, but mainly sweet. The malt smells very sweet and smooth, but there's just an interesting roasty profile to it. Also, I picked up some caramel scents. It was as if it was almost as if it's sugary and spicy, too.

Taste: This was very sweet, malty and full of caramel up front. The head added a tasty touch of cream on the front as well. The finish was very, very smooth and featured a sweet and nutty presence. Kind of like a nut roll. The spiciness of the beer provided a small kiss before everything went down. The sweet malt and nut flavor only intensifies as the beer is able to warm.Once again, very unique. This brew looks a bit on the heavier and thicker side, but plays light and refreshing! The plethora of carbonation in this just added to the crisp and refreshing aspects of this.

Overall Rating: 

I remember my first encounter with this beer. I was in a bar and ordered a pint glass of it. When it got there I was confused. My stomach sank as I didn't expect this to be on the darker side. I've grown to love this beer and how it's dark sweetness miraculously plays light and makes this a great summer selection. I've discovered that some batches of this tend to play differently. I feel like I've tasted it about three different ways, but when I've had a good one I can definitely taste it. This will forever be a beer I seek every year.

Monday Rant: Oh, So Sour

For only the second time in my young experience with craft beer I've had to make a face quite close to that of the old Bitter Beer Face ads when some of us were growing up. Except that it wasn't because of the bitterness of the beer, but for the sourness of it.

I'm sure we've all wandered into a bad batch or bottle of beer at some point. This phenomenon almost kept me away entirely from Oatmeal Stouts. One of the first ones I ever had had a sour taste to it. Still being a newbie to craft brews, I thought this indicative of the style. It only took some time to realize that the particular batch might have been contaminated or spoiled in some form.

The second time was over this past weekend. I bought a case of Anderson Valley's Summer Solstice. My dad opened a bottle for himself as did I. I knew there was something wrong on the very first sip of mine. A strange sourness. Like that taste when vomit just gurgles up near your mouth and you get a small taste of it. Yea, it's not too appetizing.

I cross-tasted the other bottle which seemed to taste as the beer should. I can only hope that the rest of the case tastes fine and the problem is restricted to just that bottle. Still, I've never had this happen in a case of beer prior to this incident. I guess we can all agree that it's a good thing. I think most of our brewers do a good job of keeping things clean and taking care of their product. I'm extremely thankful for bottled-on dates, but unfortunately I haven't located anything as such on this case nor on the bottles.

The only question I have that comes out of this is if anyone else has had this happen when you bought a case of beer. Has it usually been restricted to just a bottle or two or does it tend to be the case with the rest of the bottles?

Beer Review: Erie Derailed Black Cherry Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Five percent

Appearance: Derailed  Black Cherry initially has the look of a wheat beer (although it's a cream ale). It's a fluorescent shade of orange and features a bit of fogginess throughout the body. The beer is crowned with what's a thick and fluffy head at first, but some weak retention caused it to fade away fairly fast. Aside from that, there was a tiny bit of ample lacing left on the inside of the glass.

Smell: The cherry in this beer was apparent almost immediately. It both sweet and tart. I feared that it would be dominated with an aroma that was too sweet, but I was fortunately proved wrong. It also doesn't smell artificial as plenty of cherry beers do.

Taste: Once again the cherry is the dominant sensation. It hits the front of the tongue with a sweet and tart punch. There's also a subdued maltiness to it that you won't catch until the aftertaste. Not much hop presence at all to compliment everything else.

Overall Rating: 

When you look at cream ales, it's a style that usually has its malt and hop characters toned down. So, the lack of it here is actually correct. The only reason I took some points away is the fact that I prefer a cream ale with either a strong malt or hop character. That's strictly a personal preference. I also wish I could have had a head on this beer that didn't run off so fast.

Beer Review: Appalachian Brewing Cream Ale

Serving Type: Draft

ABV: 5.5 percent

Appearance: Cream Ale has a golden, but still opaque look to the body. It appears so hazy and thick that not much carbonation is noticeable. It's crowned with a quarter inch of foamy, white head which stays on the beer for a good while. So, get used to it being there. Overall, a very attractive and appetizing beer.

Smell: This beer gives off an initial aroma of sweetness and malt, but has a strong backbone of hops that was stronger in any cream ale I've had previously. As you know, I'm usually a big proponent of being adventurous within the beer style.

Taste: The taste doesn't travel too far from where the smell leaves you. It's sweet initially, but the hoppy backbone seems like it gets upset and dominates the flavor and aftertaste as it goes down. In essence, it goes from sweet to tangy.

Overall Rating: 

I really enjoyed this beer. Going from sweet to tangy in one gulp is quite an adventure. The maltier brews I've had at Appalachian Brewing have been outstanding, in my eyes, to say the least.