Mom's Malt Barley Blog

Narragansett Bock Press Release

2012-02-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

NARRAGANSETT BEER RELEASES BOCK CRAFT BREW

Specialty Spring Seasonal Beer Offers Elegant, Spicy Flavor with Full Body and Balanced, Smooth Finish

Narragansett Bock is brewed under the supervision of award-winning Brewmaster Sean Larkin at Trinity Brew House in Providence, RI and Cottrell Brewery in Pawcatuck, CT with light and dark Munich malts, Pilsner malt, Malted Wheat, and hopped with Northern Brewers and Hallertau hops. A traditional Bavarian helles lager beer, Narragansett Bock is deeply flavorful with a rich golden color and full body. Drier, hoppier, and slightly more bitter than a traditional bock, it still has a relatively low hop flavor, making for an extremely approachable craft experience. Narragansett Bock is 6.5% Alcohol by Volume and 32 IBUs.

Narragansett Bock originally debuted in the 1930s after the repeal of Prohibition. Its popularity grew quickly due in large part to the annual Bock Beer Festivals held on the brewery's grounds each spring. The English translation of 'Bock' is literally 'ram,' and is the reason that the 'Gansett 'Bock Tallboy can features the animal in paying homage to German lore surrounding the beer's history. Many believe the brew's name originates from the abundance of billy goats that descended from the mountains in spring when the beer was brewed, while others claim that the term was used metaphorically to reference the strength of the beer.

For more info: www.narragansettbeer.com/products/bock.

Samuel Adams - Update & Honey Porter Review

2012-01-20T16:02:00.000-05:00

It's amazing to consider that one year ago, I began writing this blog. "Amazing" may sound like an exaggeration but truly, I simply envisioned tasting beer and writing about it for my friends, as a way to have an outlet, from the day to day stay-at-home mom gig. I didn't realize that through writing about beer, I'd meet great people who do the same thing and beyond. I've met down to earth local, Portland, Maine brewers; "big" time craft brewers like Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head; beer bloggers and social media gurus. All of them have one constant theme:  sharing the craft beer love aka community onto others. Which leads me to this next post. I'm sharing the link to the very first ever Samuel Adams blog post, as a tribute to being the first brewery I ever reviewed. In addition, I met a craft beer buddy, Nick, this past November via Twitter at the Maine Brewers' Fest. Ironically, he's a Mainer who is now doing the Samuel Adams newly debuted Twitter feed. If you're on it, follow him at: @SamuelAdams Beer!  Congrats, Nick! The next time you're back in town, let me know, I owe you a beer! Oh, and if Jim Koch needs a special palate to taste any upcoming beers, you know how to reach me!
Cheers!

Re-Post of my Samuel Adams Honey Porter review--the 1st ever on my blog!
Original post date: 1.7.11: (let's hope it's evident that the blog has evolved)!

The first beer to get reviewed in the blog--an ironic choice in that it has Boston routes as do I (BC alum & former Newton Public Schools Employee--Go Lions & Tigers!). The fate of being first is not always easy--(1st children know this all too well) & sadly, it is only first because it happened to be the last beer in our refrigerator. This lonely bottle was part of a six-pack purchased at a small beer store in early December in Scarborough, ME for under $5.00; quite the bargain, as it usually sells for $8 a six-pack. Being the smart shopper that I am, I scooped it up only to realize, after the fact,that it was on sale because the expiration date was earlier this fall. Alas, perhaps the taste could have been altered but given my desperation at 5pm, sometimes referred to by moms as the "witching hour," to drink anything with alcohol this past date wasn't a factor to me.  So while I was feeding the 6mos old in his high chair, flipping pancakes and burning pre-cooked bacon, I finagled the bottle opener and poured my first sips.

Taste: the honey comes through & definitely leaves you with a sweetness on your tongue
*although it is a porter, it is not overly heavy and very smooth.
**Delicious choice with bacon and pancakes :)
Color: dark almost like a coke
Thickness:  slight to moderate
Will it help me sleep better? Yes
Mom factoid: honey is a natural way to help little people (older than age 1) when they have a cough or sore throat--just give a teaspoon of honey during cold season!

Anchor Brewing Co. Our Special Ale 2011

2012-01-10T16:57:00.000-05:00

As told to us on the bottle, "This is the thirty-seventh 'Our Special Ale' from the brewers at Anchor. It is sold only from early November to mid-January. The Ale's recipe is different every year, but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew."

Brewery: Anchor, San Francisco, CA

Style: Ale brewed with natural flavors & with natural flavors added

Tasting Notes:

Aroma: Pine, resin, Birch wood & subtle malt notes

Taste: Malt forward (not overly sweet); husband described as tasting like drinking birch or root beer soda; detect pine flavors throughout but not in a harsh or bitter way. Really unique and refreshing on the palate.

Color: Amber stone

Thickness: Medium to full body; half-inch caramel colored frothy head which lingers and leaves delicate lacing in the glass. Nicely carbonated.

ABV: 5.5%; feels almost like a "session beer" where you can easily have more than one in a sitting.

Mom Factoid: This holiday offering from Anchor was one of the top vote getters in my, "What craft beer should go under my Christmas Tree" poll in December. I can't believe this is the first year I remember having it. Let me tell you, I really wish I had sought it out in previous years, as it's truly delicious. I love the symbolism they describe on their bottle, of trees representing the winter solstice and the idea that there is a rebirth when the seasons change. I think it's neat that a brewery puts some depth into it's beers. Cheers!

Special Note: I picked a Tuesday to review this beer as a shout out to my friends over at Brew England who coined the term: 'Tuesday Tasting' on their awesome craft beer blog. It is an honor to have been asked by them to draw your attention to an upcoming event in March, called 'Cure Me I'm Irish'. Please check out their website at http://brewengland.blogspot.com/ for further information on this worthwhile fundraising event & the breweries involved. Thank you!

Pretty Things Saint Botolph's Town

2012-01-06T08:03:00.000-05:00

Brewery: Pretty Things from Westport, MA
Twitter: @prettybeer
Website:prettythingsbeertoday.com

Style: Rustic Brown Ale
Bottle Notes: "This beer is inspired by Northern English dark ales and by St. Botolph, an Anglo-Saxon saint who gave Boston its name." "Saint Botolph's Town is a malty brown ale made with barley from Yorkshire and a blend of two yeast strains."

Aroma: Figs, malt, & dried fruit notes

Taste: Malt forward with caramel tones intertwined. Similarly, like the aroma, I detect a harmonious union of figs & dried fruit notes. Very little, if any bitterness in the finish. Quite a pleasant sipper, particularly on a cold night!

Color: Roasted deep brown chestnuts

Thickness: Beautiful lacing along the edges of the glass, coupled with a lingering top layer of a small yet creamy head ,which doesn't dissipate. Overall, it has a balanced carbonation with a medium to full, silky, smooth body.

ABV: 5.9%

Mom Factoid: Picked this bottle up over New Year's weekend while staying with family in Sudbury. I had heard wonderful things regarding another offering from them, Jack D'or, a Farmhouse Saison beer, which I also brought back with me to Maine. I tremendously enjoyed the Jack but didn't take notes & the bottle was finished before I thought to do it. So, last night, I was prepared for my tasting of the Saint Botolph's. I look forward to grabbing more offerings, these two included, the next time I'm in Massachusetts. Not only are their bottles "pretty," their beer is delicious! Cheers to discovering new craft beer in 2012!

Maine Beer Company News

2012-01-03T17:48:00.000-05:00

A short & wonderful documentary on the Maine Beer Company was released and can be accessed here: http://vimeo.com/m/32792047

Located in Portland, ME, I've been enjoying their beers for the past year and have reviewed their Mean Old Tom & Lunch. Check them out below:
Mean Old Tom Review
Lunch Review

Beer Advent Calendar Day 25: Gritty's Christmas Ale

2012-01-01T08:15:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I've been on an unplanned hiatus from the blog due to traveling over the holidays. I did have an opportunity to post a guest review over on the Beer Advent Calendar on Christmas Day! Talk about coming full circle--one year ago, I was contemplating starting a craft review blog & one year later, I was invited to participate in a collaborative craft beer bloggers project, with fellow bloggers from all over the country. How cool is that? Just goes to show, if you pay attention to your internal voice, the one that nudges you to take risks, good things will follow. I hope you all had a wonderful 2011 & a here's a virtual toast to an even better 2012! Cheers!

Beer Advent Calendar, Day 25:
Who doesn't love a beer with the promise of Christmas in each sip? I don't actually mean the "taste" of Christmas that one might associate with other holiday brews. You know, those that have: nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, all-spice, vanilla bean, honey, pine, miseltoe etc...No, Gritty's Christmas Ale contains zero additives, fruits or spices. This beer is more about celebrating the spirit of Christmas, here in Maine than it is about attempting to artificially taste it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a winter warmer beer that has a variety of holidayish flavors, but what I appreciate about this Christmas Ale is it's simplicity. I think sometimes in the race to buy our gifts we forget what the true spirit of the holidays is (more on this topic below in Mom Factoid). Interestingly, thanks to Gritty McDuff's clever packaging, they give you the image of Santa, in full regalia with his white beard, red hat and stockings stuffed with bottles of beer on the mantle. For me, this image evokes the perfect motif for a craft beer lovers Christmas celebration with family & friends during the holiday season.

Aroma: Malt balls with a subtle hint of caramel creme candy
Color: Pours a roasted chestnut brown with reddish hues glistening throughout the glass.
Taste: Malt forward with carmel notes on the tongue with a burst of mild bitterness on the finish. Balanced & clean on the palate.
Thickness: A medium to full body with a small quarter inch tan head that fades quickly. Yet, there's pretty icicle-like lacing that hangs around throughout the tasting. Carbonation is balanced.
ABV: 6.2%; Not that high of an abv for a winter warmer styled beer, which results in easily consuming more than one in a sitting.

Mom Factoid: As mentioned earlier, in the intro, I noted that sometimes in the race to buy our gifts, we forget what the true spirit of the holidays is. Particularly, as a parent, coach and/or teacher, one of our greatest daily challenges is to set a good example for the children we interact with. I find that the holidays can often bring out the worst in others with the mounting stress to buy more presents, without examining that it's in the shared act of giving that we truly gain an appreciation for what we have. These can be complex issues to work through but, what's been wonderful about blogging, this past year, has been the daily reminder that there is a collaborative spirit that exists between others. It's a spirit of sharing ideas, supporting each other's experiences and providing feedback that allows each of us to grow, not just our blogs but also ourselves. Truly, this Advent Craft Beer Calendar is a perfect example of the collaborative spirit--one that symbolizes being part of a community. It is this simple recognition, that we are not alone but part of a bigger world, that I hope to pass on to my Little Duo, as being the true essence of Christmas.

About Gritty's:
http://www.grittys.com/about.php

Oxbow Brewing Update

2011-12-13T18:45:00.000-05:00

Me & Oxbow Beer Head Brewer, Tim Adams
Novare Res Bier Cafe

This past weekend, I was at Novare Res, with a mom friend, and met local Maine brewer, Tim Adams, from The Oxbow Brewing Company, in Newcastle. I've had their Farmhouse Pale Ale back in October as pictured here:

But, this past weekend, I tried their Freestyle #2 (it's pictured in my pint at the top of this post, when I'm posing next to Tim). Wow, delicious! Sadly, I didn't take formal tasting notes, but it is described on their website as a, "Smoked Chocolate Stout - This dry, mysterious stout is designed to drink when the days begin ending earlier. American ale yeast, Belgian, German, and US Malts, US hops. 4.5% abv."
Furthermore, Tim's newest release, is a holiday beer, called Saison Noel, which is now available on draft at Novare Res, for their Bier Geek Christmas Celebration. I've yet to try the Noel but am hoping to get a chance before it runs out. Thus far, I've really enjoyed the offerings from Oxbow & after meeting Tim, a down to earth, easy to chat with guy, I hope to venture up to Newcastle, someday soon and tour his brewery.
Remember, this holiday season, support your local breweries. Cheers!

Brooklyn Brewery's Pilsner

2011-12-04T09:06:00.000-05:00

Liz's pretty photo of
Brooklyn Brewery's Pilsner

Below is a special guest post from my NYC "mom craft beer consultant" & longtime friend, Liz. I've known Liz since attending Boston College & we've remained close post college years as well. She recently relocated back to the East Coast, after living in LA for awhile, & has a daughter close in age to my son. You'd think since we both live on the same side of the country, now, we'd be able to get our act together and hang out, but sadly our paths have not crossed in a few years. However, through the beauty of the internet & cell phone use, we've stayed in touch and I really appreciate that she would offer up a fantastic review for you to enjoy. My hope is that she & her cool husband, Jason, will share future reviews too! Cheers!

Date of tasting: Saturday December 3, 2011

Who: Liz Cahill (with input from her husband Jason)

Where: Manhattan, NYC

On a chilly Saturday night in December, my husband and I decided to order in from our favorite pizzashop. I asked myself, what could compliment this delectable thin crust better then beer? Not much. So it seemed only natural that tonight should be the night that I write a guest post on my friend Cecily's amazing blog.

Knowing Cecily often reviews local Maine brews, I decided to show off a beverage from my own neck of the woods and chose Brooklyn Pilsner of The Brooklyn Brewery, which the company describes as a pale refreshing lager. Yum. My husband and I each grabbed a bottle & got down to business – here's what we found:

Aroma: The classic looking brew has a sweet malty scent.

Taste: As someone who hasn't made it her profession (or hobby) as a beer connoisseur, please excuse my inability to properly describe this beverage, but I'll give it my best! I found the first couple of sips to be smooth, if a little bitter. However, the smoothness overtook any bitterness by sip three. As a beer reviewing novice, I'll credit any bitterness to the brewing technique … or the malts … or the hops. Not quite sure – taste it and decide for yourself!

Color: Pretty and golden – clear (not cloudy).

Thickness: Not at all thick, this was your traditional go-to lager style beer.

ABV: 5.1%, but what does this mean? I'll just assume that anyone reading this knows way more about ABV then myself!

Mom Factoid: The pilsner style of beer began in the 1840s, emerging from central Europe – and it is now the world's most popular style of beer. According to Brooklyn Brewery, the Brooklyn Pilsner is brewed like its ancestors – from the finest European two-row barley malts. And because this beer is crafted in the style favored by NY's pre-Prohibition German-American brewers, it has a very cool historic factor. I felt like I was experiencing a little bit of the early 1900s with each sip! Who says drinking can't be educational too?

Polaris from Rising Tide

2011-12-01T17:13:00.010-05:00

Bottle #29 out of 336
Released 11.2011

Listed as a Best Beer of 2011 by Seacoast Beverage Lab

Aroma: Beautiful bourbon & vanilla notes

Taste: Bourbon, vanilla & caramel maltyness with a salt-water taffy-like finish. Lip smacking delicious!

Color: Midnight black

Thickness: Silky, smooth mouthful with a medium to full body. A deep, tan head, flecked with grains, lingered during the tasting and was met with a balanced carbonation.

ABV: About 8.5 %! After consuming the beer from my snifter glass, life felt right! I adore a craft beer that can alter your mindset & mood not because of the ABV (though this helps) but because of knowing the time, effort & craftsmanship that went into producing a special release. According to the hand-numbered bottle, the beer is, "unfiltered, unpasteurized and bottle conditioned."

Mom Factoid: Polaris is known as the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor; which is cool because Rising Tide produces a wheat stout called Ursa Minor. Interestingly, Polaris, is Ursa Minor Weizen Stout but barrel aged in bourbon barrels, that were previously used by Allagash Brewing Company for their Curieux. Love that there is a cohesiveness & a storytelling quality to the beer that Rising Tide brews! I am lucky enough to know the brewer, Nathan Sanborn & his wife, Heather. They embody what a local brewery is all about: creativity, optimism, hard work & a willingness to share it all with the Portland community. Speaking of, if you're in the neighborhood, they are having a tour at their brewery TODAY, December 21st at 1:30. Check out their website for further details at: http://www.risingtidebrewing.com/ or follow them on Twitter @risingtidebeer

Polaris aging in bourbon barrels!
8.2011

Hibernation Ale

2011-11-26T18:15:00.000-05:00

Hibernation Ale is another Great American Beer Festival winner from Great Divide Brewing Company, located in Denver, Colorado. According to the label it won a Gold Medal in 1997 and Silvers in 2003 & 2006. Additionally, if looking to pair the Hibernation Ale with food, the label suggests trying; Romano cheese, grilled beef tenderloin and an apple crisp with ginger ice cream. I haven't had the opportunity to check out the pairings, but I did have the chance to taste a few of Hibernation Ales while home in Binghamton, NY for Thanksgiving. Here are my thoughts:

Aroma: A slight blend of cinnamon & nutmeg spiciness with a deep lingering scent of caramel. Lovely!

Taste: Not overpowering with the caramel but definitely a malt forward flavor; think butterscotch chips & you're headed in the right direction! Yet, very balanced with a subtle bite of hops that create a mild bitterness in the finish.

Color: A beautiful, deep, caramel brown like an amber stone that you can not see through.

Thickness: Medium to full body that coats & creates a welcome stickiness of toffee like consistency in your mouth. Gorgeous pour with one inch of creamy, tannish head that leaves a delicate lacing in your pint.

ABV: 8.7%; Welcome winter brews :)

Mom Factoid: Sometimes the Thanksgiving holiday literally makes me feel like "hibernating," especially after eating delicious turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, decadent desserts & enjoying craft beer in excess. Ironically, it turned out that my favorite beer over the Thanksgiving holiday was appropriately named Hibernation Ale. I knew from having sampled Great Divide brews in the past, that I was in for a treat with their winter seasonal and I was not disappointed. Overall, the beer is very hearty & warming like you would crave in a winter beer. But, beyond those characteristics, the beer is, paradoxically, fresh, (bottled on 10.14.11) and slightly hoppy; two sought after qualities in craft beer but not necessarily present in every style you taste. Bottom line, if you like to hibernate, like me, during the winter months, you'd be foolish not to have Hibernation Ale along for your long journey. Cheers!

Maine Beer Week Update

2011-11-13T17:43:00.000-05:00

Maine Beer Week has been going great! Yesterday, I had the pleasure of chatting with Nathan Sanborn, co-owner & head brewer at Rising Tide, & his wife, Heather, at Novare Res Bier Cafe in Portland. They were both there for a "Meet the Brewer" event, during which they were able to discuss their Rising Tide Brewing Company mission and chat about their beers, with interested beer geeks, like myself, and fellow mom friend. Not only did we have a wonderful conversation with the Rising Tide folks but we also sampled their newest special release, Polaris, on tap. The beer is outstanding & I look forward to featuring it in more depth in a future post.

Nathan Sanborn & me :)
11.12.11
Maine Beer Week
Novare Res Bier Cafe
Portland, Maine

Maine Beer Week: Maine Beer Co. Mean Old Tom Round 2

2011-11-11T20:10:00.001-05:00

Mean Old Tom on cask at Sebago

I reviewed this beer back in March, 2011, but feel compelled to share it, again, with readers, as we are celebrating the First Annual Maine Beer Week, November 10-17, 2011, and Mean Old Tom just hit the shelves, again, in Portland. Actually, the husband brought home four bottles, tonight, all bottled on 11.10.11. Awesome! Can't wait to pour one over the next couple of days. But, since I couldn't wait for these bottles, I went into Portland last night and sampled a Mean Old Tom on cask at Sebago Brewing Company. Wow, talk about delicious. Okay, back to review, here it is but this time with pictures:

Mean Old Tom

The tenth beer to get reviewed goes by the name Mean Old Tom and is a stout aged on natural vanilla bean. I was tipped off to this beer by a local mom friend who spotted it at Whole Foods Market in Portland. It didn't take me long to remember all the necessities I needed to get from WF and off I went with Little J in tow, after Big Sister was happily playing at her Portland nursery school. May I digress momentarily and say that shopping with a sleeping baby is so much easier than shopping with a three year old, although I did miss the constant background question of, "Mom, can I get a cookie now?"
Anyway, this beer is made locally by the Maine Beer Company, who I'm a HUGE fan of as they produce an ale called the Peeper and another ale, an amber, called the Zoe, which is delicious! So, I was thrilled to hear that they released a stout, since I thoroughly enjoy stouts and the added vanilla bean is the perfect complement! Moreover, the bottle that I selected is Batch #1 which means I was tasting some brand new-to-the-world brew--exciting stuff! Not only was I excited, but it tasted fantastic and the story behind the name of the beer added to the fun of drinking it, as I have a very close friend named Tom who I thought maybe this was named after---just joking TP!

Taste: light vanilla bursts onto the palate with mild mocha hints in the background

Color: a deep almost chestnut brown

Thickness: light to moderate; very smooth almost silky with minimal head and a few bubbles

Will it help me sleep better? The perfect number of 6.5% ABV means I could do fine with just one but two would mean bedtime!

Mom Factoid: As mentioned earlier, I have a close friend named Tom which made me think of him while I was enjoying this brew. Isn't it funny how names transform us to places and memories of people who have those names? Speaking of, picking names is quite the adventure, between family ties, popularity rankings, meanings etc, you can have a blast or a headache leading up the the big day!

Mean Old Tom bottles

Rising Tide Polaris Launch

2011-11-09T08:18:00.000-05:00

Do you want to know what brew is in that barrel?

Mom Factoid: The latest release from Rising Tide Brewing Company: Polaris!

This brew is a stout aged in bourbon barrels that were shared by Allagash Brewing Company.
Polaris hits shelves in Maine tomorrow & there are only going to be 336, hand numbered, bottles available.

Hoping, I can get a few bottles, to help hold me over, the impending cold winter ahead.

Cheers!

Nathan Sanborn
Owner & Brewmaster at Rising Tide

PS Do you want to meet the brewer & learn more about Polaris & the great line-up of brews Rising Tide produces?
During Maine Beer Week, there are a variety of opportunities to do so, click here to find one!

PPS Get out & support your local brewery!

50 BACK The Brew of the Brave

2011-11-07T13:36:00.000-05:00

Press Release:

50 BACK Brings The Brew of the Brave to Maine
50% of Profits Supports Veteran's Organizations

Pepperell, MA (November 7, 2011) – With Veterans Day just a few days away, dozens of restaurants and retailers across the state of Maine are welcoming a new beer to their menus. 50 Back, The Brew of the Brave, will be available across Maine beginning this week. 50 Back, an American-style lager, proudly donates 50% of its profits to veteran's organizations.

50 Back was created by New England natives Paige Haley and Kimberly Rogers. Newcomers to the beer industry, Haley and Rogers came up with the idea of 50 Back after searching for a way to give back to Troops and Veterans. For every purchase of 50 Back Lager, the company donates 50% of its net profits to charities committed to supporting veterans and active duty service members and their families, all of whom who have sacrificed to protect our Nation and the freedom for which it stands.

"Veterans and their families sacrifice every day for the rest of us. We wanted to find a way to recognize their efforts," said Kimberly Rogers, Co-founder of 50 Back Brewing Company. "Now when the citizens of Maine toast the sacrifices of the brave service men and women, they can support them in a concrete way by helping the charities that assist them."

50 Back will be distributed by Mariner Beverages, Inc, a wholesale distributor of Fine Wines and Craft Beers in the state of Maine. Located in Portland, Mariner Beverage will be offering 50 Back to licensed restaurants and retailers from Kittery to Bangor/Ellsworth and seasonal deliveries to the mountains and Mt. Desert Island. Accounts across the state like Broadway Variety in South Portland, Food City in Bridgton, Bootleggers in Topsham, RSVP in Portland, and Brackett's Market in Bath are amongst those that will carry 50 Back.

"At Mariner, we strive to provide the best possible portfolio of beers and wines to our customers across Maine. 50 Back fits that category," said Tim Wissemann, founder and President of Mariner Beverages. "Not only is 50 Back a high quality brew, its mission of supporting military veterans and their families rings true to so many families across the state of Maine. We know our customers will support their efforts. We look forward to introducing them to 50 Back."

50 Back Beer is currently supporting four national veteran support organizations, including the USO, Homes for Our Troops, the Ahern Family Charitable Foundation, and America's VetDogs.

For more information about 50 Back and the charities they support, visit www.50Back.com.

Grocery List

2011-11-02T08:28:00.000-04:00

Mom Factoid: Most weeks, I try to hit the grocery store as infrequently as possible with the little duo. Alas, sometimes, this plan falls WAY short & we end up, there, zooming around in the double seat car cart, that impedes everyone's travel path, including ours! But, enough mini ranting about the challenges of grocery shopping with children.
This post is truly an infomercial for tomorrow's FIRST ever International Stout Day. What does this mean to you & me? Click here for the precise details, but bottom line, if you've ever wanted to try a stout, tomorrow's the day and if you're a stout lover like myself, you are thrilled to have a reason to find a tasty stout at the grocery store or wherever else your list takes you! Cheers!

Great Divide Brewing Company
Yeti Imperial Stout

PS Please leave a comment below if you plan to drink a stout & tell me what you plan to have. It will be neat to see the variety of stouts that people consume on International Stout Day!

Maine Beer Week Update

2011-10-27T07:34:00.000-04:00

In just two short weeks, the first ever Maine Beer Week kicks off. A range of events throughout the state begin on November 10th and run through November 17th. Not only is this week about supporting local craft beer but also supporting local retaurants & chefs who are pairing their delicious food with a variety of brews. Furthermore, there are some charitable events planned during the week as well. For more specific details on what is occuring during Maine Beer Week, read the schedule below:

Schedule of Events:

Nov 10

Five Brewers + Five Courses @ David's 11-10-11, starting at 6:00 PM, at David's Restaurant, Chef David Turin and five premier breweries will join flavors and kick off Maine Beer Week. The meal will include 5 perfectly paired courses. David's cuisine will be matched with beers from Oxbow, Rising Tide, Marshall Wharf, Maine Beer Co., and Baxter Brewing Company. To make reservations call the restaurant at (207) 773-4340.

Oxbow Night at Novare Res Bier Cafe
11-10-11, starting at 4PM. The brewers will be at Novare presenting their finest beers.

Beer dinner at Inn by the Sea
11-10-11, $42. per person including beer flight. Call for details (207) 799-3134.

Nov 11

Oxbow Night at Lion's Pride 11-11-11, starting at 5:00 PM, Oxbow Night at The Lion's Pride in Brunswick. The brewers will be presenting an enticing lineup of beers. 5-8pm.

Rising Tide Beer Dinner at Farmers Table
11-11-11, gathering at 6:00 PM, dinner starting at 6:30, at Farmers Table. Four courses with four Rising Tide beers. $65 per person, includes tax and tip. Please call for reservations, (207) 347-7479.

Maine Beer Company night at Novare Res Bier Cafe
11-11-11, starting at 4PM.

Nov 12

Goods from the Woods
11-12-11, noon to 5PM. Oxbow Brewing Company proudly presents "The Goods From The Woods", a first annual event at the brewery to celebrate Maine Beer Week. The brewery will be open for tours, samples, growler fills, and general revelry in the gorgeous farmhouse setting. Harvest Moon Pizza will be joining the party, offering brick oven pizza baked in their mobile oven. Please carpool, as parking space is limited. www.oxbowbeer.com and www.facebook.com/oxbowbeer for details.

Nov 14

Meet your local brewer dinner at Newcastle Publick House
11-14-11 Oxbow Brewing and the Newcastle Publick House will be collaborating on a beer dinner beginning with a "meet your local brewer" happy hour at 5pm. Dinner to start at 6pm, please call for reservations. (207) 563-3434.

Nov 15

Dian Fossy Gorilla Fundraiser at Nosh
11-15-11, starting at 6:00 at Nosh Kitchen Bar. Maine Beer Co. fundraiser for Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. 1/2 of Maine Beer sales go to charity.

Nov 16

Back Street Bistro Beer Dinner
11-16-11, starting at 6:00 PM, at Back Street Bistro. Oxbow Brewing is teaming up with the Back Street Bistro in Brunswick for a beer dinner in the upstairs bar. Please call for reservations, (207) 725-4060.

Rising Tide Brewers Night at Nocturnem Draft House
11-16-11, starting at 6:00 PM, Rising Tide pint glass giveaway at Nocturnem Draft House.

Nov 17

Total Tap Takeover @ Great Lost Bear
11-17-11, from 5:00 to 9:00pm, at Great Lost Bear, twenty-one Maine breweries are taking over. Every tap will be pouring award-winning drafts from Maine. Maybe better yet, the event supports Preble Street.

Beer Garden Dinner at Pairings and Penobscot Bay Brewery
11-17-11, from 6:30pm, at Pairings and Penobscot Bay Brewery. Chef Doug Winslow presents five courses paired with five Penobscot Bay Brewery Ales. $35 per person plus tax and tip. Reservations required. Call 207-223-4500.

Museum Monday

2011-10-24T09:55:00.000-04:00

Mom Factoid: Monday mornings, here in Portland, usually mean a trip with the little duo, to the Children's Museum! From 9-11AM, it is only open to members, which, typically, makes for a great playtime! Mondays, also mark an attempt at preparing a meatless meal for the whole family. What do your Mondays mean to you? Wish you could join us at the museum or for dinner? Sadly, my cooking isn't anything to focus on. Instead, I thought I'd provide you a chance to imagine yourself, walking the halls of a photography exhibit, featuring craft beer pictures that I've taken, these past few months. Cheers to having a meaningful Monday, in your neck of the woods :)

Mom's Brew Pics Photogallery

Part 2:

Allagash Coolship Red

2011-10-19T09:20:00.000-04:00

Brewery: Allagash
Location: Portland, Maine

Style: Described on the November 4, 2010 dated bottle, as an "ale aged in oak barrels with raspberries."

Aroma: Candied sweet tarts that have gotten damp/wet.

Taste: Tartly with an effervescence of mixed berries popping on your palate! Sour meets slightly salty in the finish. Very unique. But, I am someone who loves sour and salt so this combo appeals to me. A very nice beer that I would highly recommend trying, if you can find it (see Mom Factoid below for info).

Color: An incredibly brillant fuchsia pink.

Thickness: Light mouthful yet bubbles create a depth each sip; a scant white head lingers during the tasting.

ABV: 5.7%

Mom Factoid: This bottle was one of only 400 released back in late August at the brewery. I learned of this from one of the brewmasters' twitter feed & hustled over to pick up a bottle. Upon arriving, I learned you could purchase two bottles per/person for $15 each. I chose to only buy one as I wasn't sure what to expect with the brew & don't have $30 to splurge on my craft beer hobby. Anyway, I've since learned that these bottles were quite the hype, on the trading circuit, throughout craft beer geekdom. Maybe, in the future, I will try to purchase more of Allagash's speciality release brews & explore the unique trading world, that exists for fans of rare craft beer.
Speaking of, in less than two weeks, Allagash is releasing Ghoulschip on Halloween. The following information became available yesterday to the public via the brewery:

Oxbow Farmhouse Pale Ale

2011-10-13T07:46:00.000-04:00

Oxbow Farmhouse Pale Ale
Novares Res Bier Cafe
Portland, Maine

One of the newest & smallest breweries to emerge in Maine is located in a renovated barn on an 18 acre farm property in Newcastle. The Oxbow Brewing Company specializes in producing, "traditional Belgian farmhouse beers with contemporary American influence."

Recently, I was meeting friends, who were visiting Portland & I suggested rallying for a brew at Novares Res in the Old Port. I quickly glanced at the draft menu of brews & the Oxbow Farmhouse Pale Ale stuck right out. Once the server placed it in front of me, I immediately took a picture. This is one of the prettiest beers I've seen poured in a long time. Look at the beautiful oranges & yellows in the glass. Not only was the beer pretty, it was refrestingly delicious, sip after sip!

Since, I wasn't taking actual tasting notes during my visit with friends, here is the Oxbow description of its Farmhouse Pale Ale from their website:

"Our Farmhouse Pale Ale has a golden and unfiltered body, the spicy yeast notes of a Belgian Saison-style ale, and the citrusy hop character of an American Pale Ale. This beer’s creative merging of traditional styles embodies American farmhouse brewing at its finest."

Mom Factoid: If your mouth is watering, after seeing the Farmhouse Ale picture & after reading this post, you're in luck. Tonight, at The Great Lost Bear in Portland, you can meet the Oxbow brewers and try their beers. Sounds like a great way to go support local craft beer! Cheers :)

Follow Oxbow Brewing Company on Twitter: @oxbowbeer
Or find them on the web at: http://www.oxbowbeer.com/

Pumpkin Preview: Pumking, Smashed, Imperial & Punkin

2011-10-11T08:07:00.002-04:00

During the month of September, I had a poll question asking readers to vote on a pumpkin brew or two for me to taste once October arrived. The results of the Pumpkin Poll by percentages were:

40% Punkin by Dogfish Head
40% Pumking by Southern Tier
27% Smashed Pumpkin by Shipyard
18% Pumpkin Ale by Smuttynose
18% Pumpkinhead by Shipyard
18% Imperial Pumpkin by Weyerbacher

The reality is that I was not able to secure all of the above brews for the tasting, but in a herculian effort, I managed to finagle a trade, on the playground, the other day, for one Dogfish Head Punkin in exchange for a Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron! Additionally, I was also able to snag a Smashed Pumpkin by Shipyard a few weeks back, as I remember not being able to find those too deep into October last year. The Southern Tier Pumking I had on hand along with the Imperial Pumpkin by Weyerbacher. I can easily find Shipyard's Pumpkinhead & thus it doesn't appeal to me to add it in this post, as the ones I'm focusing on were more in the "speciality" pumpkin category.
As far as a formal tasting, I didn't do that. Instead, I shared the brews with the husband & the visiting younger brother & called it a night to "preview the pumpkins"!
Here are the pictures from the preview & a few comments on our reactions but I will let you make up your own mind when/if trying pumpkin brews this autumn.

Pumking by Southern Tier

The Pumking has a 8.8% ABV & I thought it would be neat one to share on the husband's birthday; given that he's a King! We both had high hopes for it, as it came highly recommended out in the beer geek world & also because we LOVE Southern Tier's Creme Brulee brew. However, both of us found this beer to be too syrupy & sweet without a balance of bold pumpkiness to offset the sweetness. The aroma was full of cinnamon & pumpkin overtones, but once I began sipping the liquid, it just didn't work for my palate. However, I know many folks who rave about this one, so if you can find it, you should give it a whirl and see what category you fall into.

Smashed Pumpkin by Shipyard

The next speciality pumpkin beer we had, this time joined by the younger brother, was by Portland's Shippyard Brewing Company. The Smashed Pumpkin is from their Pugsley's Signature Series & is a limited release offering, whereas their popular Pumpkinhead is now being distributed from August through Thanksgiving, for the first time this year. In terms of the Smashed, which has a 9% ABV, both the husband & brother felt this was the best pumpkin brew of the evening. It has dense flavors of cinnamon & pumpkin that hit your palate without the syrupy feel we hinted about from the Pumking. I too prefered this to the Southern Tier's but my favorites of the night are still to come.

Punkin by Dogfish Head

The next pumpkin beer we tasted was the offering from Dogfish Head, one of my favorite breweries. The Punkin has an ABV of 7% & isn't as boozy as the Smashed from Shipyard yet the flavors of pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon & nutmeg (as listed on the bottle) really meld well together. The result is a smooth sip of Fall in your glass. I found this one to be really enjoyable, whereas the husband & brother preferred the bolder pumpkin flavors of the Smashed.

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Last but not least, we sampled the Imperial Pumpkin Ale from Weyerbacher. This brew boasts a medium ABV of 8% so it wasn't as strong as the Smashed or Pumking but had more alcohol than the Punkin. Personally, by this point in the evening, my palate wasn't really able to distinguish all the separate flavors the Imperial has but overall, the brew was a nice pumpkin offering. Smooth, pretty in the glass, aromatic without being too powerful & had my personal favorite label (for what it's worth).

Mom Factoid: The Pumpkin Poll was a fun way to engage readers on the blog & the tasting was a fun way to interact with others, while enjoying a variety of beer. Therefore, whether it's a pumpkin style beer you're looking to try or a plethora of pale ales, ask around, get feedback & share your tasting with friends. Being social is key in exploring the craft beer universe & also in parenting!

GABF Silver Medal Winner: Sunshine Pils, Tröegs Brewing Co

2011-10-07T08:23:00.000-04:00

Last weekend finished up the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO. The medal winners are listed by Beernews.org here! Interestingly, I had one silver medal winner, from the German Pilsner category watching me from my fridge these past few weeks: Sunshine Pils, from Tröegs Brewing Co., in Harrisburg, PA. So, I decided I better check out what makes this an award winner!

Style: Pilsner aka Pilsener (defined as a pale, light lager)

Aroma: Blend of citrus & cleaning products.

Taste: Subtle lemon & pine tones hit the nose followed by a mild bitterness. Detected a cottony feel in my mouth as the tasting continued.

Color: Sunburst yellow

Thickness: Very light body with a beautiful & continual cascade of bubbles. Small white head lasting the duration of the tasting, leaving lacing along the sides of the pint glass.

ABV: 5.3%; Overall, an easy drinking beer with mild flavor. More typical of a summer beer choice for me than a fall brew choice, but depending on where you live & do (think tailgating), this could be a perfect pint.

Mom Factoid: Ironically, this past Wednesday, October 5th, marked two famous birthdays. First, the husband took the plunge further into his thirties & the other BIG birthday was the 169th celebration of the most well known Pilsner beer: Pilsner Urquell. Further irony, this weekend, here in Maine, we are supposed to have temperatures in the 80s, talk about getting a heavy dose of sunshine (but this time the kind with the vitamin D, not the Tröegs Sunshine Pils type from a bottlle)! However, if the warm temps inspire you to seek out a new beer, to taste this weekend, rally around a light bodied, low ABV & land yourself a Pilsner.
Cheers ;)

Flying Fish Exit 6 Wallonian Rye

2011-10-04T17:42:00.000-04:00

Discovered a gem when I decided to open Flying Fish's Exit 6: Wallonian Rye, which I've been saving since visiting Ocean City, NJ in August. Why I waited, I'm not sure, but wow, this is a tasty beer. Here's why:

Style: Belgian Style Ale with New Jersey Rye

Aroma: Apple spiciness

Taste: Spicy overtones of clove & citruses like a lemon peel combine with a malty backbone. Not detecting bitterness in this brew, which is fine by me. Overall, this is a beer that you should grab, if you can find it. Hint to Philly fans, you can!

Color: Hazy golden sunset with orange hues.

Thickness: Medium body; very delightful feel in the mouth. Half an inch of a white, creamy textured head, mixed with a cider like carbonation, producing a unique blend on the palate.

ABV: 7.5%

Mom Factoid: As noted in the intro, I bought this speciality bottle from Flying Fish, when I was vacationing with family, in NJ, back in August. Everytime, I think of my trips to Ocean City, growing up, I remember the fun, food and life lessons taught to me by my grandparents. So, this is a review dedicated to my Grandfather's memory, who passed a few years ago, during the early part of October. He lived a very rich life full of: family, friends, work as a surgeon for over fifty years & gave generously to his community & to many non-profit organizations. He was a true role model and is smiling down, winking at me & my little duo on a daily basis. Cheers to you, Pop Pop!

For more information on the Cherry Hill, New Jersey, based Flying Fish Brewery and their limited release Exit Series, go here: Exit Series

Press Release for Rising Tide Brewing Company

2011-10-03T14:02:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rising Tide Brewing Company Debuts Atlantis Black Ale, Brings Back Wheat Stout

PORTLAND, ME (October 3, 2011) – This week Rising Tide Brewing Company marks its first anniversary with the debut of Atlantis, the fourth offering from the small-scale brewery in Portland. Atlantis is a smooth and hoppy black ale with a touch of cherry-wood smoke. In celebration of its successful first year of operations, Rising Tide has also re-released Ursa Minor, the brewery’s unique winter seasonal, a wheat stout brewed with a Bavarian wheat yeast. Both beers will now be available year-round in 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select locations throughout Maine.

“We’re excited to celebrate our one-year anniversary with the release of Atlantis and the return of Ursa Minor,” said Brewer-Owner Nathan Sanborn. “Both beers highlight our passion for creating highly drinkable beers with unique and unexpected twists on traditional styles.”

In addition to Atlantis and Ursa Minor, Rising Tide’s year-round offerings include Daymark, an American pale ale with locally grown rye, and Ishmael, a American copper ale influenced by German altbier traditions.

Rising Tide Brewing Company is a family-owned brewery that specializes in artisanal, handcrafted ales influenced by brewing traditions from around the world. Brewed in small 90-gallon batches in their one-barrel brewhouse, these beers are bottled by hand and are unfiltered, unpasteurized, and bottle conditioned. With support from its distribution partner, Mariner Beverages, Rising Tide Brewing Company is available in a growing number of restaurants and retail shops throughout Maine.

Want to taste the new Atlantis on draft? Find it this Wednesday at Mama's Crowbar in Portland. They will be tapping the first ever kegs! So, come on out, support this local brewing company, chat with Nathan, the brewer, & enjoy fresh, delicious brew!

*all above information provided by Rising Tide via email & Facebook.
References:
www.risingtidebrewing.com
Follow on Twitter @risingtidebeer
Like on Facebook www.facebook.com/risingtidebeer

Great Divide Brewing Company Belgian Style Yeti Imperial Stout

2011-09-29T13:32:00.000-04:00

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company
Location: Denver, CO
Name: Belgian Style Yeti
Style: Imperial Stout

Aroma: A nutty yeast like aroma from the special strain of yeast that is used.

Taste: A strong coffee maltiness slams your palate & drives you to sniff more & take your time sipping this beauty of a unique Belgian style Imperial Stout. Smokey undertones present themselves as the tasting continues and the beer warms up. Overall, a deliciously unqiue beer & one that should be sought out.

Color: A dark chestnut brown.

Thickness: A medium to full body mouthful with excellent carbonation. Close to an inch of a tan, creamy head lingers leaving lacing along the glass.

ABV: 9.5%

Mom Factoid: Given that today marks the beginning of the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, I thought it was fun & appropriate to review a beer from Denver. In spirit, by drinking a beer from Denver, I'm transported out there, with everyone participating in the incredible three-day GABF events. Of note, in 1982, when Charlie Papazian, President of the Brewers Association first sponsored the GABF, there were only 24 breweries with 47 beers to sample. Whereas, the 2011 GABF features 466 breweries and 2400 beers. Talk about providing concrete evidence that the craft beer movement in the US is growing! Maybe, someday, I'll fly out to Denver and blog from the GABF, but until then, it's fun to hear about it from afar. Looking forward to learning which beers take home medals this year & crossing my fingers that a few from New England will be winners!

Maine Beer Week

2011-09-27T07:09:00.000-04:00

Maine Beer Week has been announced for November 10-17th.
As more information becomes available, I will post updates on the blog, Facebook & Twitter.
Can't wait to support local craft brewers in conjunction with local restaurants. Should be a fantastic week.
Make your reservations, early! Cheers :)

Guest Post from: Twilight Brewing

2011-09-25T16:29:00.001-04:00

My good friends at "Twilight Brewing" (aka home brewers) in Binghamton, NY have been kind enough to provide us with some tasting notes from their night at the Brew In The Zoo event that occurred last evening at Ross Park Zoo, in my hometown of Binghamton, NY. Though they aren't new to home brewing, they are new to sharing their tasting notes & are a bit nervous to have them 'published' on the blog. I assured them that their information was great, informative, witty and helpful to all craft beer drinkers.
Without further discussion here is their recap after tasting a plethora of beer out of, as they noted, blue plastic mugs while listening to Journey & Chicago over loud speakers:

Name: Nova Scotia Pale AleOrigin: Not positive but am going out on a limb here and will dare say Novia Scotia?

Style: Pale Ale

Aroma: A lovely caramel scent....not very hoppy at all.

Thickness: Very light

Taste: For those who don't prefer the bitter side, you may enjoy this light pale ale. Caramel bursts abound... very nice on an Autumn afternoon. Personally, I think a package of Whoppers malt bars would go nice with this- but maybe that was just my stomach talking! Would sample it again- one thumbs up.

Name: Leffe Blonde
Origin: Belgium

Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Aroma: Smells like a medicine cabinet!

ABV: 6.6 %

Color: Not sure- taste disoriented all my senses.

Taste: If you like the scent and taste of bandaids, this may be the right beer for you. Perhaps, I just don't have a sophisticated enough palette but I could not stomach this.... However, if you can get past the taste you probably will be feeling no pain for the rest of the night...Overall, I'd say leave the Leffe at home.....

Name: GooseIsland 312
Origin: Chicago

Style: Wheat Ale

Aroma: A bit of citrus

Color: Honey Wheat

Taste: Delightful. A very refreshing light wheat ale... with a fruity flavor that is not overpowering. It added a bit of a spring to my step....would definitely sample this again- I'm thinking in the Spring.

**For more information on Twilight Brewing, click below to check out my past review of their special Kentucky Derby brews that I reviewed here back in May.

Twilight Brewing Review

Mom Factoid: If in the Binghamton area, you can pick up Goose Island brews at Wegmans, as I did when I was visiting my parents back in August. Also, regarding Goose Island, my younger brother, Cedric, interned in Chicago over the summer for the WNBA Chicago Sky. He became a HUGE fan of the 312 & being the great younger brother that he is, brought me back a special six-pack of the Goose Island Harvest that I quickly enjoyed! From the below picture, you can imagine why! Cheers :)

Weekend Warriors

2011-09-18T13:58:00.000-04:00

Lots going on this weekend to share on the blog:

First on the list, the Switchback Brewing Company came to Portland's Brian Boru's on Friday & the husband, along with his fun co-workers, spoke to Bill Cherry the President & Brewmaster. After a lengthy chat, which included sharing a few brews, the husband came home with a pint glass for me & Bill's business card. He tells me that I'm invited to Burlington to tour Switchback & meet with the brewmaster to interview him for a piece on the blog. Super excited that we might take a 'beercation' to Burlington this Fall & super psyched that my husband is doing PR for my blog--what a win/win!

Next up, yesterday, Saturday, September 17, 2011, was International Zwanze Day & Portland's Novares Res Bier Cafe was one of only 21 places in the ENTIRE WORLD to have a barrel of Cantillon's Zwanze 2011. If you're like me, you have NO idea what Zwanze is or what type of beer it would be considered. Please click the following link, to understand more about Zwanze Day: International Zwanze Day. From what I've learned, based on that site, Zwanze is a collaboration of lambic beer & other ingredients. Lambic beer is a type of beer produced through, "spontaneous fermentation, its characteristics will by definition vary from one batch to another. On top of this, the types of barrels, fruits and hops used during production can sometimes cause the beer to mature in new and unexpected ways."
Ok, enough beer geekiness for you, the bottom line is that by the time the husband & I arrived at Novares Res to celebrate Zwanze Day, the barrel of the 2011 was gone but I was still able to try the Zwanze (2010) Blanche de Quenast & Classic Gueuze both from the Cantillon Brewery in Brussels, Belgium. I have never had lambic or sour beers before and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed them.
Here's a few pictures from yesterday's Zwanze Day in Portland at Novares Res:

Following the Zwanze event, the husband & I grabbed a bite to eat at The Grill Room in Portland. Delicious food & tasty local Allagash Black brew was consumed.

Last but not least, this weekend, I had the cool honor of writing a guest post for the blog Mug of Saint Arnold. My review focused on the Maine Beer Company's amber ale called Zoe.

Click Zoe to read the review over on Mug of Saint Arnold.

Cheers to a great weekend! Settling in for a snooze with the little duo on this Sunday afternoon, what about you?

Guest Post: Tequesta Hop Scotch Ale

2011-09-12T08:16:00.000-04:00

Excited to share the blog with a fellow beer blogger, Chalie Beatty, from Florida.
He writes his own beer blog, the Mug Of Saint Arnold, which you should check out the link at: Mug Of Saint Arnold & he's on Twitter @MugOfStArnold
The neat thing about having a guest post is that I'm going to do one on his blog too. One that focuses on a Maine craft beer; now just to pick one, taste it & review it....soon, I promise! Fortunately, Chalie is more organized and got his done for me. Based on what I've read & others he's posted over on his blog, it's time to vacation in Florida this Winter, for the sun & the brews! Enjoy & thanks, Chalie :)
Here's his take on Tequesta Hop Scotch Ale & the craft beer scene in Florida:

Florida has been known as a craft beer waste land, but that is rapidly changing. New local breweries seem to be popping up all over the place. One of these breweries is Tequesta Brewing Company. Initially their beers were being small batch brewed in a local restaurant. Quickly the beers grew such a following that brew master Matt Webster opened his own brewery and you can now find his taps throughout south Florida. Recently Webster released his first bottled beer, Hop Scotch. This ale was inspired by golf legend Alexander Findlay who built golf courses in Florida by blending Scottish golfing elements with the tropical paradise of south Florida. Hop Scotch is a Wee Heavy Scotch ale brewed with Amarillo and Citra hops to bring some tropical flavors to the traditionally malty beer.

Tequesta Brewing Company, Tequesta, FL
Hop Scotch Ale Wee Heavy with 9.5% ABV
Limited Release
Serving Type: 12 oz bottle
Served in a Snifter

Appearance- Clear mahogany body with high carbonation; short lived thin head
Aroma- Very tropical; notes of pineapple, oranges, orange zest
Taste- Notes of sweet toffee, caramel that evolve to the tropical hop flavors of fresh orange and pineapple
Mouth Feel- Medium body, smooth consistency
Overall Impression- Tequesta traditionally brews high quality beers that really complement the style. As a beer geek, I have been hoping to get a beer from Tequesta that really pushes my concept of a style and showcases some brewing creativity; Hop Scotch was that beer! I found the beer intriguing and unique. I really liked this beer and it has become my new favorite from Tequesta. I am so happy to have gotten to taste it and hope the beer returns soon.
Beer Score- 4.33/5.0 A-

Friday's Feature by Seacoast Beverage Lab

2011-09-09T16:10:00.000-04:00

As I was on route, to Fort Williams Park, with the little duo, earlier this morning, I received word from a fellow New England craft beer blogger that he was going to be posting an article on the community of New England craft beer bloggers. He was curious if it would be cool for him to include me in his article! Talk about making my Friday & for that matter my weekend! It's a wonderful feeling to have encouragement & support in any endeavor you take on in life & to have the blog receive recognition is a fantastic shot of adrenaline in my tired arms! Cheers to the other wonderful New England craft beer bloggers mentioned in the article! (Click here to read Brian's article):
http://seacoastbeveragelab.com/community-of-beer-bloggers/

Troegs Hopback Amber Ale

2011-09-08T14:28:00.000-04:00

Brewery: Troegs Craft Brewing Company, Harrisburg, PA

Style: Amber Ale

Taste: The perfect balance of malty & caramel sweetness coupled with hoppy floral tones. Very tasty!

Color: As the name indicates, "amber" is the dominant color seen. Although, look at your pint long enough and hints of copper, like an abundance of pennies, seem to float by too!

Thickness: Light to medium body. Nicely carbonated.

ABV: 6% making it easily drinkable.

Mom Factoid: The Troegs Brewing Company, from Pennsylvania, is one I've heard of but I can't recall trying their beers before this summer. So, when I was in my hometown of Binghamton, NY, last month, visiting relatives, I purchased a variety summer pack at Wegmans. This, Amber Hopback Ale, considered their signature brew, was my favorite, out of the group of: pale ale, sunshine pils and a wheat beer from the variety pack.
When Wegmans (which has closed due to today's flood) reopens its doors in Johnson City, my Binghamton buddies, should go find the Troegs Amber Ale & toast to surviving another record flood. My heart breaks for those being evacuated and affected by the rising water in Broome County. As of noon, today, CNN was reporting that 20,000 people were ordered to evacuate & this is prior to the rivers cresting. Sending positive thoughts & sunshine your way.

Geary's Pale Ale

2011-09-02T17:09:00.000-04:00

Brewery: D.L. Geary in Portland, Maine

Style: Pale Ale (Considered their flagship beer)

Taste: Mixture of mild malt with a slight bitterness in the dry finish. Overall, a pleasing combination for your taste buds. Lacks a strong aroma but don't let that fact mislead you in selecting this brew. It is a top notch pale ale.

Color: Amber & caramel hues glisten in the glass.

Thickness: Mild body with a less than quarter inch white head on the pour. Balanced carbonation.
Mom Factoid: Given that September is when school starts up, I decided to go 'old school' with this selection of a Maine craft beer. D.L. Geary's has a rich & long history when it comes to microbrewing in Portland, Maine and it claims to be the FIRST microbrewery on the East Coast. For a more detailed description of their past, check out this link: http://gearybrewing.com/pages/history.php
Also, in anticipation of things to come in their future, they announced, today, via Twitter & Facebook, that a new Third Silver series draught, Hudson Red, will be available next week! Cheers to what they've brewed in the past & to what they will brew in the future!

Coolship Beers--Allagash Brewing Company

2011-08-30T14:02:00.000-04:00

http://www.allagash.com/beer/coolship/

Quick, if you're in Portland, scoot over to the Allagash Brewing Company, to pick up a bottle of their Coolship Red! Only 400 bottles are available to the public...they will be gone FAST!

Portland Brew Festival

2011-08-30T07:51:00.000-04:00

Looking for an activity, involving New England craftbeer, cider & mead, over Labor Day weekend?
Check out the Portland Brew Festival website for more information on the upcoming inaugural two day event:
http://www.portlandbrewfestival.com/
Cheers:)

Mom's Brew Pics Photogallery Part 1

2011-08-27T09:51:00.000-04:00

I have determined I not only enjoy tasting & writing about craft beer but I also enjoy photographing the brew too! Cheers :)

Bar Harbor Brewing Company Thunder Hole Ale

2011-08-22T15:50:00.000-04:00

Style: English Brown Ale

Taste: Butterscotch & syrup flavors come through--not too sweet but the malt is a distinctive presence during the tasting; along with a mild chocolatey goodness in the finish.

Color: An acorn brown.

Thickness: A slightly, watery, medium bodied mouthful; with a good, balanced level of carbonation and a quickly fading white head. Did not notice lacing along the sides of the pint glass after the pour.

ABV: 4.8%--is low resulting in a high drinkability with this yummy brew! Speaking of yummy, it is an award winner along with other Bar Harbor brews. Of note, if in BH, the brewery is open seven days a week & offers free tastings! Talk about an added incentive to visit :)

Mom Factoid: The Bar Harbor Thunder Hole Ale was a gift from our neighbors, after we watched their kids, on a Sunday morning, earlier in August. They ran in the Beach to Beacon, a 10K road race, in Cape Elizabeth, that has runners finishing at Fort Williams Park. I've given props to Fort Williams before on the blog, but must do it again. It is a gorgeous park that should be included in a trip itinerary, if planning a visit to Maine. Back to my neighbors, how sweet & kind of them, to thank us, with delicious, local craft beer from the Bar Harbor region of Maine.

Full Sail IPA

2011-08-18T20:13:00.005-04:00

So wishing I could be out in Portland, Oregon these next few days to participate in a Beer Bloggers Conference but perhaps if the next one is closer, to me, in New England, I could attend. Instead, I will experience a taste of beautiful Oregon from the Full Sail Brewing Company in Hood River. Of note, when dating, my would be future husband, we traveled cross-country one summer and our favorite spot on the whole trip was Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. If you've never seen snow in July, this is the place for you; along with a view of the most gorgeous lake, in my humble opinion! Okay, back to the Oregon brew:

Taste: It is bitterish but not a huge hoppy bite--just enough to identify this as an IPA. Definite chewiness in the mouthfeel. Hints of citrus & pine come through in the finish.

Color: Golden amber!

Thickness: Nice medium body with a quarter inch white head which faded during the tasting. Decent carbonation.

ABV: A perfect 6%--just what I needed!

Mom Factoid: I love Full Sail's motto on their bottles, "Specialists in the liquid refreshment arts since 1997." How creative of them to link brewing with the arts because to brew is to invent something tangible with unique qualities which is art! And, the more beer styles I taste, the more I understand & celebrate the specialness each brewery has when producing their concepts. Cheers to thinking of craft beer as a form of artwork :)

Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale

2011-08-12T15:44:00.002-04:00

Taste: The beer is not overly flavorful, which isn't a bad quality for a refreshing ale! It lacks a strong hoppiness & isn't malty but it is trying to push through with a mild spiced fruit note.

Color: A pretty blend of golds like a sunset.

Thickness: A light to medium bodied American blonde ale, with one inch of whipping cream textured, white frothy head. Plus, the brew was nicely carbonated.

ABV: 4.6%

Mom Factoid: I enjoyed "pairing" this crisp, cold brew with fried seafood goodness at the Jersey Shore. If you have a family summer tradition, that involves vacationing, at the same place & eating the same foods, year after year, consider yourself lucky! I have been going to Ocean City, every year of my life, which is 30 plus years, and to be able to share this experience, now, with the little duo, is not only memorable but magical! And, to find tasty, local, Jersey craft beer from Flying Fish just highlighted the amazing week we've had!

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

2011-08-11T10:10:00.001-04:00

Taste: There is a distinguished malt quality, with an intensity that screams, "this stout is not for a newborn craft beer drinker!" Its sweetness is complex, with melting layers that appear as the, very slow, tasting continues--coffee undertones pop out on the palate & in the air. *I did not finish this pint as it became too boozey for me but would have made for a great pint to share with the husband--maybe on Stout Day in November :)

Of note, to me, the aroma is like fresh shucked corn. Perhaps that's the "ridiculous amount of barley" that is listed on the bottle label.

Thickness: A very full & dense body; with an inch of tan head that took it's time slowly fading, leaving delicate lacing along the sides of the pint glass, as I journeyed on in my quest of enjoying another Dogfish Head beer!

Color: Midnight brown--almost a coal black if I stare long enough. Bottom line, you can't see through it!

ABV: 18%--woah--be careful!!

Mom Factoid: The late afternoon thunderstorms at the shore were a welcome reprieve from the intensely icky heat and humidity that greeted us upon arriving to NJ from Maine. The change in weather changed my direction when it came to choosing my nighttime brew to taste. I wasn't feeling like a crisp summer ale. Rather, I was chilly, in sweats and seeking warmth and comfort in my beloved stout style of brew! I guess the weather not only affects what you can do outside but also can affect what your body craves with respect to eating & drinking.

Dogfish Head Festina Peche

2011-08-06T09:13:00.000-04:00

Taste: I could feel the inside of my cheeks puckering up as the beer met my taste buds--a refreshing blast of sour meets sweet with the peach concentrate--wow, tasty! Aroma was peachy too :)

Color: soft gold

Thickness: Very light in body; highly carbonated with an inch of white, frothy/foamy head.

ABV: 4.5% makes for an easy, two in a sitting, on a hot, humid August day.

Mom Factoid: August is the month of fresh peaches which means peach pie, Grandma Bertsch style! If you like creamy, sweet, juicy, chunky bites of luscious deliciousness, then this is a pie for you! Family recipe, available, if you ask me! I know what I'll be drinking when I bite into a piece of homemade peach pie! Cheers :)

Sebago Brewing Company's Frye's Leap IPA

2011-08-04T08:50:00.000-04:00

HAPPY International IPA DAY from Maine!

Taste: Citrusy with a grapefruit essence that dominates the hoppy finish. Malty presence that grows on me as the tasting continues, but not overwhelming sweet. Overall, a really delicious IPA.

Color: Caramel with subtle orange hues.

Thickness: Medium body with balanced carbonation; quarter inch white head.

ABV: 6.2%

Mom Factoid: After relocating, my first Maine Mom's Night Out was to the Sebago Brewpub in Scarborough, with the mom friends I made through taking my daughter to our local library's weekly story time! Just proves that when you facilitate social situations with your little ones, sometimes you're lucky enough to socialize too and meet great friends!

Dogfish Head Brewery's Bitches Brew via Boothbay Part 1

2011-08-01T16:48:00.000-04:00

So much to say about my "research" based trip to Boothbay this past weekend, for the first Craft Beer Comes to Boothbay tasting event, sponsored by the Maine Brewers' Guild, yet so little time, on my end, to provide the details in a tidy fashion. Please bear with me, if this post becomes a two-parter, as summertime napping for the little duo is hit or miss these long days!
Okay, let's start with the ironic nature of my experience: the festival had over twenty breweries from Maine--quite an impressive number for this craft beer loving fan. However, it wasn't the beer from Maine that captured my heart on Saturday, it was the beer from Delaware's Dogfish Head Craft Brewery--namely, their intense Bitches Brew which is categorized as a Russian Imperial Stout!
You might be puzzled as to how I could be sampling beer from a non-Maine brewery at this event, but long story short: the founder of Dogfish Head, Sam Calagione, named his brewery after an island in Maine, where he spent his summers as a youth. He knows the co-owner and founder, Win Mitchell, of the Boothbay Craft Brewery and decided to be one of the creators/sponsors of this new event, as a way of thanking & celebrating his Maine roots and fellow brew masters.
I casually spoke with Sam & his wife, Mariah, on Saturday, while we were eating tasty BBQ. They were both lovely and gracious with their time & super supportive of my beer review blogging adventure!
Speaking of beer reviews, let's dive into the Dogfish Head Bitches Brew! These are my tasting notes, prior to reading the description, honest! (Check out the picture, below, that I took of the signage provided by Dogfish Head at the event.)

Taste: Dark velvet, chocolate cake with a red licorice, fruity hops aroma--bold flavors & smells.

Color: Deep brown like roasted coffee beans.

Thickness: moderate to heavy in body, with a dark tan, thick, head; produces a full & creamy mouthful in which the aftertaste lingers.

ABV: 9% --Yum, this is definitely a slow sipper!

Mom Factoid: It turns out that Sam's mom, whom I met too, taught special education as well! So, when finding out that working with special needs students was part of my background, Sam gave me a nod of understood appreciation for how challenging that field is. Bottom line, I may have gone to the Boothbay event in search of the local Maine brew scene, but I left there feeling connected to the positive people from Delaware's Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and I know that I will be tasting as many of their beers as I can in the future for the "research" purposes of this blog! Cheers :)

PS Speaking of tasting beers, I did my fair share on Saturday and will focus on the Maine side of my field trip in Part 2!

Abita Jockamo IPA

2011-07-24T12:24:00.000-04:00

The latest poll question on the blog asked what type of brew I should have when eating lobster & the overwhelming answer was an IPA. So, I enjoyed a few IPAs over the past few days, in preparation for my lobsterfest, & this is the first review in the upcoming series.

Taste: First few sips unable to detect strong flavors; not overly hoppy & lacking a big bite in the finish. There is a significant malty presence as the tasting continues.
Color: Clean, crisp looking caramel with a small, tan head.
Thickness: Moderate body with a sticky, slightly chewy, almost cotton mouth texture on the palate; decent carbonation.
ABV: 6.5%, which really warms you up as you go on with the tasting.
Mom Factoid: According to the Abita website, "Jockamo is named for the tribes of dancing, singing, chanting “Mardi Gras Indians” who have marched in New Orleans for over 250 years." It would be fun, in the future, to head to Mardi Gras, sans kids, collect a few beads & enjoy some delicious brews, like the Jockamo IPA---a mom can dream , right?

Allagash White

2011-07-19T16:17:00.000-04:00

Allagash Brewery hailing from Portland, Maine (http://www.allagash.com/home) makes a version of a traditional Belgian wheat brew & calls it Allagash White. It's very popular in the local scene, as most any restaurant and/or brewpub in the area carries it on tap; which is the way I prefer this beer, not from the bottle. I haven't had it in a few years, but liked it the first time I had it and thought I'd give it a go, again, since it came in second in the Cooler Poll. Here are the results from my latest tasting:

Taste: Orange & citrus notes in the finish; Not intensely sweet but hints of sweet spices pop through as the tasting continues. The aroma gave off a grainy like wheat scent which is probably the yeast sediments in the pour.

Color: Hazy, faded gold

Thickness: Light body with a quarter inch, white head that faded very quickly. There is a pronounced carbonation--you can feel the bubbles in the sip popping in your mouth.

ABV: 5%

Mom Factoid: I can appreciate the orange & citrus flavors in this brew and find the more tastings I do, the more I enjoy detecting fruit & spices on my palate. In some ways, I feel I'm mirroring my littlest one, who is also learning what various foods taste like & is developing his own personal taste bud preferences. It's interesting how these change and develop over time, as we age & get exposed to new tastes in our environment. So, I guess the message is to continue to try new flavors, in both brew and food, because you never know when you might come across one that perks your palate!

Kennebec River IPA

2011-07-17T12:29:00.000-04:00

As you can see I dipped into the cooler this weekend. The Kennebec brew was brought to me by my craft brew fan neighbor, who happened to spot them at the Higgins Beach Market in Scarborough. Neither of us had heard of the Kennebec Brewery before but they are one of the breweries to be featured in the upcoming Craft Brew Fest in Boothbay, on July 30th, that I'm attending! So, I was excited to get a jump start on the tasting & give a preview of what's to come in two weekends. Here goes:

Taste: Aroma is sweet and it also tastes sweet & malty as opposed to bitter & hoppy. Interesting for an IPA. The aftertaste lingers as there's a tangible bite that leaves a chewy feel in the mouth.

Color: Caramel copper

Thickness: Very thick & frothy off-white head that appears to be creamy, leaving lacing on the cup. It is moderately carbonated and you can see active bubbles cascading in the cup.

ABV: 5.9%

Mom Factoid: This beer was divinely yummy & crisp and would make for a perfect choice on a lazy summer day, lounging in an Adirondack Chair--not that I have any if those days (but I do have the chairs)!

Mid-Summer News from Maine

2011-07-13T08:14:00.000-04:00

A mid-week post to say "THANKS" to those that provided feedback to me as I changed up the look of the blog. I hope you enjoy the new version, remember, this whole experience in blogging about beer is a learning process for me, so if you haven't given feedback but think there's more room for improvement on the blog, please leave a comment.
Also, as I await the cooler poll to close, which will determine the next brew I review, I wanted to share a few exciting announcements from the sunny state of Maine!
First, there is an upcoming Maine Craft Beer Festival on July 30th, from 1-4, in Boothbay. For more information on the event and to purchase tickets, click on the following link:
http://mainebrewersguild.blogspot.com/2011/06/maine-brewers-guild-to-host-craft-beer.html

Last, but certainly not least, there is a Maine Craft Beer Trail sponsored by the Maine Brewers' Guild (http://www.mainebrewersguild.org/) that showcases the incredible variety of craft beer within the state of Maine. The following link, takes you to the Maine Beer Trail pdf and provides short blurbs on each of the twenty-five breweries featured.
http://mainebrewersguild.org/BeerTrailWeb.pdf
Not that you needed more reasons to visit Maine, but I am biased when I say that this beer trail could be the calling card I need to rally a few more of my friends up here!
I hope your summer is going well, as I look forward to enjoying the rest of mine with friends, family and of course a few delicious brews!
Cheers :)

Red, Black & Blue

2011-07-05T13:00:00.000-04:00

Happy BELATED Fourth of July! Let's look at some colorful & tasty brews that I enjoyed over the holiday:

Magic Hat's Wacko

This brew was part of a beer trade with a friend! Love sharing as an adult :)

Taste: Slight sweetness in the finish; not sure if it's beets (listed as part of the ingredients) but it's good and very refreshing!

Color: Amber with cranberry rouge highlights

Thickness: Crisp and light bodied; yielded a half-inch, white, frothy, head which was quite pretty in contrast against the reddish hues.

ABV: 4.5%; high drinkability!

Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager

The brewery is from New Orleans (refer to resources list for more info). I purchased my two bottles @ The Cheese Iron!

Taste: Smokey with nut overtones; reminded me of a porter instead of a lager; delicious!

Color: A deep, dark, brown with a small, tan, head that lingered the duration of the pint.

Thickness: Medium-bodied producing a full mouthful.

Abv: 5%

Cisco Brewers Whale's Tale Pale Ale

A neat tid-bit of info regarding the name from their website: "If you're not familiar with Nantucket history, you'll be interested to know that this tiny island was once the Whaling Capital of the World."

Taste: Crisp & flavorful! I tasted malt overtones in the finish; not bitter or too hoppy.

Color: Beautiful, caramel, brown with an inch, plus, beige head.

Thickness: Medium-body with a balanced carbonation.

ABV: 5.6%

Mom Factoid: The Fourth of July was a HUGE holiday for me growing up. I spent many summers on the green in Montrose, PA: watching the parade, eating chicken bbq on my Grandma's porch, running the road races and watching the fireworks at Elk Lake. Now, with the little duo, we are starting our own traditions, one year at a time. Last year, it was teaching the three year old how to swing a bat, as she played tee-ball for the first time. This year, there was biking, baking & grilling! I sense, that however, we spend our future Fourths, the most important thing, is to enjoy the company of one another and to indulge on a few colorful brews! Hope your holiday was filled with many colorful moments too :)

Gritty's Vacationland

2011-06-24T18:47:00.000-04:00

I took a much needed, Friday, late afternoon, solo field trip to the Portland Pie Company, to pick up pizza for the troops. Given that it was 4:30, the bar was empty but the music of the Counting Crows, song being played was Hard Candy, transported me back to summers years ago, when I saw them perform live, with the husband, on Jones Beach in Long Island. I love that song & I love them! For a few minutes, I was in my twenties again and it felt great :)

Anyway, back to the brew, I tasted Gritty's Summer seasonal, which is called Vacationland. It's categorized as an American Blond Ale. I found it to be particularly yummy. Here's why:

Taste: Dense flavors mix together in the mouth. Malty but not overly sweet. Definite hop burst onto the scene in the finish.

Color: Mild bronze with hidden orange (almost like a game of peek-a-boo; now you see the orange, now you don't--very cool!)

Thickness: Medium body; poured from draft, produced a quarter inch, white frothy head that lasted the majority of the tasting.

ABV:4.9%

Mom Factoid: "Vacationland" refers to one of the nicknames Maine has! Not being a true Mainer, I'm still getting used to things up here, but I will say, if you've never been, you need to plan a "vacation" here!

Harpoon Summer Beer

2011-06-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

After 25 years, the Harpoon Brewery knows how to make quality brew! They've really hit the mark with their summer seasonal, available April-August, which we ended up enjoying this past weekend. When I asked the husband what type of beer he wanted for Father's Day, he first asked me what I would like to review (so sweet) and then suggested I look for this one. Not only did I find it, but I spotted it in cans, specifically a 12 pack, which was exciting!

So, since today, marks the summer solstice, I find it appropriate to share my tasting notes on this yummy, highly drinkable, summer brew:

Taste: The sip is like a cascade of flavors with no bitterness or hop. Rather, you are greeted with a sweet, crisp, light citrus blend on the palate! Upon sniffing the beer, I detected an orange floral aroma.

Color: faded gold

Thickness: Out of the can, the beer pours an inch thick, snow white, fluffy head that very quickly fades. The husband thought the carbonation level is perfect for this type of beer, a German Kolsch. According to the Harpoon website:

"Harpoon Summer Beer is a Kolsch style ale. Originating in the Rhineland city of Cologne (Koln), Kolsch ales have the characteristics that many people associate with lager beers. Kolsch is brewed with an ale yeast."

ABV: 5%

Mom Factoid: Not only did we celebrate Father's Day with our Harpoon Summer but we also celebrated our son's first birthday! May I add that the beer paired well with his cake :)

Love Beer. Love Life. Harpoon

(great motto)

Offshore Amber Ale Martha's Vineyard

2011-06-17T12:56:00.000-04:00

You might be wondering how I was able to taste brew from MV & the answer lies in my dad. He recently spent a week writing in Provincetown & was able to bring some bottles of the Offshore Amber Ale back for me to sample. Their website provides a brief history of the brewpub and can be accessed at http://www.offshoreale.com/
The Amber Ale is considered their "flagship" brew with a high level of drinkability for visitors of the island to enjoy. I may not have traveled to the island for my experience of being "offshore" but it sure is a tasty beer. If you're lucky enough to be traveling to MV or Cape Cod this summer, see if you can find some to try too!

Taste: Nutty with caramel overtones & a mildy sweet aftertaste

Color: Poured an acorn hazy brown

Thickness: Medium body, a very small head with barely any froth; low carbonation

ABV: 5.0 %

Mom Factoid: Back in my very early coaching days at Newton South High School, I had the extraordinary experience of taking a ferry over to Martha's Vineyard & chaperoning some members of my Newton South Girls' Basketball family! Iwould love to return someday with my own family & enjoy the beauty of Martha's Vineyard with them.

Shipyard Summer @ Famous Daves

2011-06-14T09:11:00.000-04:00

Weeks after taking tasting notes on Shipyard's Summer Ale, today, I woke up motivated to post them. Why you wonder? The place I had this beer is called Famous Daves (a bbq joint in Scarborough) & the husband goes by the same name...not the "famous" part but the "Dave" part! And, guess what he's doing tonight for a work-related, team-bonding activity? Drum roll.....participating in a private beer tasting at Gritty McDuffs in the Old Port. I'm not jealous, really, just finding the irony in the situation. I'm hopeful, that he will provide some quality tasting notes on the brews he tries & maybe share them as a guest post later on. Anyway, back to Shipyard's Summer release which is considered an American Pale Ale:

Taste: Crisp & refreshing; no bitterness! Aftertaste is non-lemony with a slightly malty finish; quite enjoyable as the sweetness is not overpowering for a summer brew. I was unable to detect a distinct aroma as the air in the bar was filled with deep bbq scents resulting in mouth watering drool!

Color: Draft pour yields a mild gold

Thickness: Mild body with very low carbonation. There was a small white, non-frothy head which didn't linger.

ABV: 5.10%

Environment: 3 flat screens in an open & airy bar with a friendly waitstaff

Mom Factoid: Given that the husband & I could eat bbq all the time, I'm wondering, if a family, can live off of bbq in the summer? Any recipe suggestions for kid-friendly bbq sides?

Saranac Pale Ale

2011-06-06T13:38:00.000-04:00

I've always enjoyed Saranac's Black & Tan and thought it would be fun to purchase their 12 Beers of Summer variety pack. My intent was to sample a few from the variety pack and share my opinions on more than one beer. I have sampled a few of them, but find that I only want to review their Pale Ale (read between the lines, the others: Kolsch, Summer Ale, Belgian White and Hefeweizen were decent beers but not ones I would pick again)! However, the Pale Ale was tasty and the opportunity to give a shout out to Utica, NY and the Boilermaker was too tempting--so here goes:

Taste: Mild bitterness, did not detect any sweetness; overall a balanced fresh flavor with a slight pop on the palate after the sip

Color: Pours a chrome color

Thickness: Medium-bodied smooth mouth full; Low carbonation; Plentiful frothy white head which diminished quickly after the pour

ABV: 4.7 %

Mom Factoid: Prior to having the little duo, I ran a few road races. One of the neatest was the Boilermaker Road Race, which takes place in Utica, NY. Its official sponsor is the Saranac Brewery. Check out this link to learn more about the brewery: http://www.saranac.com/
Besides being a 15K, which is a unique distance for a road race, after you finish running, you get to drink free beer courtesy of the Saranac Brewery. Check out the following website if you are interested in learning more about the race: http://www.boilermaker.com/
I'm hoping to run this race again, maybe next summer :)

Allagash Victoria Ale Premiere at Victoria Mansion

2011-06-06T08:39:00.000-04:00

Future field trip for this mom...upcoming event in Portland!

Sounds like the place to be....

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=np4zo6cab&v=001qTUVg_-IEA6znZSXJ49SHaaolwo1qaTu5gaVhhlA57KBnvU8Kl0Tkql_MaWSim5uPIbrAoBgR85QsCEOnwvXGEKDgYsjLBWNxhe14ID36vppTmiVK-U-QYLV3fHNcbwpKFgeY2Bz9XVDxzfYGGkAGFD1PfYOXp6zwjtuxN-FkUwZ62xOe16GYR3H_1QAElQI1pdmUzoPQSMwrp5aW-uPJw7x8j_UCiZnr6cJmcucbVD8A5n6edwfHzdvMbUEp8oVgvnMRLrVKDAPlOKoLw8dPA%3D%3D

Maine Beer Company's Lunch

2011-05-28T11:30:00.002-04:00

Is it time for Lunch yet? If you're in the Portland area, some day soon, you should head to Whole Foods and try The Maine Beer Company's latest addition to their expanding repertoire of delicious beers. Their newest is an India Pale Ale that they fondly call Lunch. According to the bottle, the name is derived from a story of a,"Fin whale that has been spotted off the coast of Maine since 1982-she has what looks like a bite taken out of her fin which adds to her unique character. We dedicate this beer to her determination & persistence."

Taste: floral aroma; a hoppiness is picked up each sip & aftertaste lingers more sweet than bitter

Color: Rich amber

Thickness: Frothy fluffy white head that lasts the duration of the pour producing a dense mouthful of flavor. Overall, a moderate thickness yet quite smooth and silky for an IPA

ABV: A BIG 7%

Mom Factoid: This beer was very fresh as the batch was from 5.18.11. How lucky to be able to drink fresh brew and eat fresh from local farms. I love this time of year--get out and support your farmers and brewers!
BTW, The Maine Beer Company donates their spent grain to local farmers. They recycle their grain bags and give 1% of all sales to environmental non-profits! How cool are they?

Yuengling Lager

2011-05-24T19:33:00.000-04:00

I RE-discovered one of my favorite beers, the Yuengling Lager, this past weekend, when visiting the Seneca Lake wineries with a group of great girlfriends. Drinking beer while exploring the Finger Lakes region of New York State seems blasphemous but I happily support my decision of packing a tasty cooler of brews for our bus trip to and from the wineries. Now that I'm in beer review mode, to switch to wine just wasn't going to happen, and surprisingly we discovered a winery on our trip that was brewing its own beer! It was like hitting the jackpot, because we decided to do our picnic lunch at Wagner's Winery which had a beautiful back deck area overlooking Seneca Lake. In addition, to the beautiful view, we indulged ourselves with an assortment of Wagner's homemade brews. Their lengthy beer selection ranged from stout, IPA, lager, pilsner, bock and a seasonal. My two favorites were the Grace House Honey Wheat and the Dockside Amber Lager. I didn't take notes but if you want more information on their beers, check out this link: http://www.wagnervineyards.com/Beers

Back to my old stand-by, the Yuengling Lager, which is from the oldest brewery in America dating back to 1829. The brewery, located in Pottsville, PA has a historic timeline you can learn about, if you follow this link: http://www.yuengling.com/our_story/

After all these years, I still think their lager, in a can, is pure deliciousness! Here's why:
Taste: Aroma is a tad nut-like with a mild malt candy flavor that is not too sweet; slightly carbonated

Color: Out of the can it pours a golden amber

Thickness: Soft white frothy head that lingers for a little bit after the pour; a light mouthful with a creamy fullness on the tongue that quickly fades

ABV: Only 4.9% resulting in a high drinkability as it goes down a bit too easy!

Mom Factoid: As, gasp, Memorial Day weekend approaches, Yuengling is an excellent brew for a BBQ & hanging out with friends and their brood!

Runabout Red Ale & Pamola Xtra Pale Ale

2011-05-19T10:26:00.000-04:00

I took a much needed, SOLO, field trip to Sebago Brew Pub, in the Old Port, during ACBW (American Craft Beer Week), to sample some special brews! I told the husband this was my variation of him going for a SOLO morning run! He said, "Go! Have fun but what should I feed the kids?"
Anyway, once I got there, the environment at the pub was lively and full of excitement for the release of rare craft beers! The menu of beer, not food, was long & descriptive!
I first attempted to sample a never before released beer called 'Lunch' produced by The Maine Beer Company (remember Mean Old Tom?) but that keg had already kicked (mind you it was only 6PM!) So, I went with another Maine brewery, Baxter Brewing Company, known for reintroducing quality beer in a can. I tried their pale ale which ironically was on draft and not in a can!
After polishing that pint, I knew I needed to look at a food menu, since I rarely have more than one beer in a sitting, due to my title of MOM & sleep deprivation! Anyway, I went out on a limb, ordering buffalo chicken tenders and proceeded to request a Sebago Runabout Red Ale to pair with the food!
While waiting at the bar to eat, my people watching & eaves dropping skills were in full on mode, and I happened to hear someone chatting about Lunch. I politely joined in the conversation and mentioned how bummed out I was that I missed my chance at trying that beer! The woman, who called herself Rory, empathized with me & cheerfully proclaimed that she knew where and when I could try Lunch! All of a sudden, I was in the "in" crowd and was readily soaking up their secret club information about Lunch:
-go to RSVP Beverage store in Portland
-at 4pm the following day
-Lunch will be poured & sold in bottles!
I nodded fervently while receiving these tips and said, "Thanks, I hope to be there! But, don't judge me if I also have my two little ones in tow!"
Stay tuned to see if I finally get to taste Lunch!

Beer descriptions from the menu @ Sebago: (My thoughts on the beers are beneath each of the brief summaries)

Baxter's Pamola Xtra Pale Ale (4.9% ABV):  "A pale brewed with a proprietary blend of North American 2-row malted barely, including barley grown in Northern Maine's Aroostook County.  Bright golden in color with a creamy head. Subtle malt and hop aroma."
CQC: pour produced a golden straw color; little head with mild to moderate carbonation; nice & light finish; overall a good beer

 Sebago's Runabout Red Ale (5% ABV):  "Our red ale has a malty sweet taste that comes from 3 different types of caramel malt. It is a clean, well-balanced beer that started as a seasonal ale.  It was so popular with regulars that we started brewing it year round in 2002" 
CQC:  pour produced a cranberry hued liquid; bursts of sweetness erupted with each sip; head stayed frothy & filled the mouth; delicious!

 For a complete list of all the beers served at the event go to: http://portlanddailysun.me/node/25265

Twilight Brewing

2011-05-16T18:31:00.000-04:00

On the VERY first day of American Craft Beer week (May 16-22), I'm VERY excited to be reviewing two home brews made by Twilight Brewing out of Binghamton, NY. Technically, TB hasn't been officially reviewed, so I feel honored to expose their beers to the loyal "followers" & readers of Mom's Malt Barley Blog! 
Naming your brew has power & prestige and in Twilight's case, they creatively tied their brews to an occasion-the Kentucky Derby! So, drum roll, the two beers getting reviewed are called: Along The Rail Pale Ale and Horsie-Weizen!
Now, for the results from their first public appearance!
 
Along the Rail Pale Ale:

Taste:  Vibrantly fresh with a noticeable crispness! There was a subtle bite coupled with a carmel sweetness! Overall, the beer was delicious!

Color: Appearance was a deep amber

Thickness: the pour produced a plentiful & frothy head! Mild-to-moderate thickness with a smooth and creamy finish.

ABV: 6%

Horsie-Weizen:

Taste: pleasant on the palate with lemon overtones (lemon wedge was placed in the glass as directed by the brew master); no bitterness

Color: a beautiful chrome

Thickness: after the pour there was a tiny head with a pretty array of sediment particles (the yeast); a balanced carbonation produced a light mouthful & finish

ABV: 5%

Mom Factoid:  When you raise kids, it's natural to want them brought up in a supportive community beyond their family members.  Proudly, I was raised for most of my childhood in Binghamton, NY as were the creators of Twilight Brewing. We share our hometown with Rod Serling, the creator of the Twilight Zone. He had this to say about his hometown:

"Everybody has to have a hometown.

Binghamton's mine.

In the strangely brittle, terribly sensitive

make-up of a human being, there is a need for a

place to hang a hat or a geographical womb to

crawl back into, or maybe just a place that's

familiar because that's where you grew up.  When

I dig back through my memory cells, I get one

particularly distinctive feeling-that's one of

warmth, comfort and well-being.  For whatever

else I may have had or lost, or will find,

I've still got a hometown.

This nobody's gonna take away from me."

Clown Shoes Clementine White Ale

2011-05-11T13:08:00.000-04:00

After watching the Curious George episode on PBS, where the Man in the Yellow Hat & George are stuck in the subway, for the 100th time, with the three year old, I was propelled to get this review written. I know, what does Curious George and brew have in common? Well, that remains to be seen, but in this particular episode there is a clown in the subway and the most recent brew I tasted was produced by a brewery called Clown Shoes which is located in Ipswich, MA.
I had heard of this brewery--Clown Shoes through some "research" of craft beer blogs and the following link will give context to their name: http://www.clownshoesbeer.com/about/

Taste: very light with a citrus peel aftertaste...not that enjoyable!

Thickness: very carbonated--too much for my liking as it seemed more like a soda than a beer

Color: an orange silhouette

ABV: 6%

Mom Factoid: Most days being a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) means you need to have a ton of tricks and a great sense of humor, very similar to a clown, minus the red squeaky nose! Another thing you have to have is an outlet or two from the repetitiveness of spending your days with little people. I've found that reading and writing are great outlets for me....along with tasting a variety of brews :) One of the best things I've read lately is a fellow blog called 'Dear Life, It's on. Love, Me'. This blog truly makes me laugh out loud every time there is a new post. All clowning aside, you should check it out too for a unique perspective on life at: http://dearlifeitson.com/

Magic Hat's Scrumptious Spring Lager

2011-05-10T18:47:00.002-04:00

By far, the best signage I've seen this year is from Magic Hat. Their Scrumptious Spring Lager label caught my eye in Wegmans. I was captivated by the colors and hence took more than one look at it in the cooler. I ended up getting some, back in April, while visiting my parents and actually took notes on my tasting but left the notes there. However, upon returning to Binghamton this past weekend for Mother's Day, (may I add that my ten month old son decided to officially call me "mama" on MD...true story) I found my notes and decided this brew and particularly its label were worth the wait for the official review.

The beer is a seasonal release, amber lager, only available from January 15th to March 31st, from Magic Hat, which is a Vermont brewery, located in South Burlington. I've enjoyed their beers over the years but never run into this one before, and I found it to be very good.

Taste: layered with sweet butterscotch not hoppy or sour in the finish

Color: Garnet with caramel overtones

Thickness: moderate head...goes down quite easily

ABV: 5.1%

Mom Factoid: Magic is an interesting concept in childhood. On the one hand, you want your kids "believing" in the impossible and on the other hand you're constantly answering their "why" questions about everything! Recent example from the 3 year old: "Mom, why do we have legs? Why do I have a big toe? Why do we have eyes?" Typically, I feel propelled, when I have the patience, to give her concrete information. Yet, it is a "magical" experience to watch their minds figure things out on their own and discover life's mysteries in front of you.

April Quads: Lake Placid Ubu Ale, Abita Turbo Dog, Sam Adams Noble Pils & Rising Tide Daymark American Pale Ale

2011-04-26T19:52:00.003-04:00

Since April is the fourth month, I'm attempting to write four mini reviews in one post! Time is running out for the month & I'm not pleased that there is only one review published on the blog. To clarify, I've tasted more than one delicious brew this month but haven't had the time to sit down and write about the tastings. So, let's get the party started!

The Lake Placid Ubu Ale is beyond yummy--perhaps, one of the best beers I've tasted in 2011. I had this when I was visiting Binghamton earlier in the month and both my dad & I couldn't keep enough of them on hand. There's a cool story behind this English-style ale from their website: "In 2000, the Lake Placid Pub was a stop for some White House interns accompanying Hillary Clinton on a trip through the area as she contemplated running for the Senate. The interns enjoyed the atmosphere and especially enjoyed Ubu Ale, the brewery's flagship beer. After hearing the story of Ubu's namesake, the friendly chocolate lab with a nose for great beer, the interns decided to bring some of the deep garnet English Strong Ale to President Clinton as a gift. Once he tried the brew, the President had the White House aides call the Pub to get more Ubu Ale for a party at the White House!"

Taste: silky smooth with a caramel malty finish--delicious!
Color: deep brown with maroonish tones
Thickness: mild to moderate with a cream colored head of bubbles that create a pretty froth
ABV: 7%
MomFactoid: Story on the bottle says that the village of Lake Placid, NY, was once a home to a legendary chocolate lab named Ubu! My kids would LOVE a dog as would the husband but honestly, I think we're a cat family. What about you?

Keeping with the dog theme, let's move onto Abita's Turbo Dog, which is a dark brown ale brewed with Willamette hops along with crystal and chocolate malts. This brewery is located in Louisiana but their beers can be found nationwide & their Purple Haze is one that I look forward to reviewing in the warmer weather, which should be here soon!
Back to their flagship brew, the Turbo Dog:

Taste: Very smooth with roasted nuts and chocolate bursts in each sip
Color: Super dark brown with an almost tan head of frothy bubbles
Thickness: Moderate to rich; not overwhelmingly thick
ABV: 5.6%
Mom Factoid: Thinking that a trip to the Gulf Coast would be a great family trip. Anyone been there & can recommend spots to visit, besides New Orleans?

I'm lacking a smooth transition from dogs to Sam Adams seasonal Noble Pils, but most days I don't have smooth transitions with my kids when we move from one activity to the next, but move on we do. So, the Noble Pils, a traditional Bohemian Pilsner, is an award winning brew from Sam Adams. According to its label, it is one of the only brews that uses all 5 Noble hops from the world's oldest growing region. Moreover, the seasonal late winter released beer, from January to March, is a reminder to us that the warm days of spring are just a few weeks away.

Taste: According to the husband, he tastes flowers! Not sure which ones, but I agree that there is a floral spring quality in the sip with a crisp finish that isn't bitter!
Color: Goldish bronze with yellow undertones
Thickness: light and airy
ABV: 4.9%
Mom Factoid: I recently traveled to Boston to see a Harvard Women's Lacrosse game & driving along Storrow Drive brought back tremendous memories of having attended school at BC. I can't wait to road trip again & explore the Boston Aquarium & Science Museum with the little duo! Perhaps, for the sake of the blog, I can fit in a stop at a Beantown brew pub too!

From Harvard we move on to the Portland brewery, Rising Tide, and its newest release, their Daymark American Pale Ale. According to the bottle, a Daymark is a navigational tool used on the water, which connects, in my mind, to the rowers one always views while driving along the Charles River (which I did last weekend when I was heading into Harvard Stadium to view the women's lacrosse game). However, it wasn't the name that captured my attention of this brew, it was the bright yellow label. Wow! I immediately equated the vibrant label to spring and even further to daffodils and Easter. Given this was last week, when I was grabbing sandwiches at the Cheese Iron in Scarborough, I had to hope that warmer weather was approaching & that spring was lingering. This internal hope was realized when the temperatures reached close to 70 degrees and the sun was shining brightly on Easter, here in the Portland region. The Daymark is a perfect selection for a sunny, joyous day.

Taste: light & slightly sweet; not lemony rather a dew drop scent and taste in the mouth
Color: bronzed caramel coin
Thickness: very light with minimal bubbles & head
ABV: 5.5%
Mom Factoid: Dedicating this review to a close friend's mother, who's favorite color was yellow & who sadly died two years ago, during the month of April from lung cancer. I thought of you, Jeannette, and your beautiful family when I toasted my glass of Daymark on Easter!

Ithaca Beer Company's Excelsior! Series

2011-04-05T18:36:00.001-04:00

I had VERY good intentions of trying to come up with a brew challenge during March Madness but couldn't quite pull it off this year....perhaps, Thing 1 and Thing 2 had something to do with my lack of time! So, onward and upward, a motto which works out perfectly with the beers I have had the privilege of tasting lately. My friend, Jeff O'Neil, affiliated with the Ithaca Beer Company, sent along speciality beers from their Excelsior! Series for me to enjoy.
The Excelsior! Series is IBC's:

"handcrafted speciality beers, issued in extremely limited runs. They meld complimentary flavors while defying existing style guidelines. These beers are unfiltered, hand-packaged and bottle-conditioned. Each one is alive, has a unique personality and may be cellared indefinitely."

The two Excelsior! Series beers that I will review, as the blog's twelfth and thirteenth beers, are: White Gold and Thirteen Anniversary Ale. I will save the Sour Blueberry Ale for later this spring or summer.

Both the White Gold and Thirteen came in pint bottles with unique labels describing their contents. The White Gold is characterized as a "Rustic Pale Wheat Ale" with Belgian influence. Additionally, the ale is brewed with "domestic barley and French wheat malts."
The Thirteen is described as a "Double Hoppy Wheat Ale" that has been brewed with "raw and malted wheat and flaked oats, assertively hopped with Citra and Sorachi Ace, spiked with an addition of orange and lemon peel and vigorously fermented with an American Ale Yeast."

Before I give my analysis of these two beers, let me just say that in receiving them, I felt like I had reached rock star status. Yes, Jeff and I are friends, but to taste beers that aren't typically available to the public felt really special and given that I just celebrated a special day--my 35th birthday--it was cool to sample these Excelsior! Series beers as a means of enhancing the celebratory spirit one feels as they age!

Onto the White Gold:

Taste: a hoppy very full flavored sip with a gardenesque floral scent

Color: extra golden like a bruised lemon peel

Thickness: especially bubbly producing a frothy head

ABV: 8%

Now the Thirteen Anniversary Ale:

Taste: the lemon was very pronounced, but not tart & helped to yield a refreshing sip; very aromatic, smelled like a spring day with each pour

Color: beautiful orange hues that contrasted the bits of sediment floating in the glass

Thickness: medium to moderate head; quite smooth

ABV: Happy Birthday to ME as it was 8.9%

Mom Factoid: Sometimes, you have to decide when is the best time to get your kids sugared up! Obviously, there is no magic moment to watch a sugar high, but since it was my birthday, I allowed the cake with an intense sugary frosting to be eaten prior to dinner by the three year old! It was fun and out of the ordinary and allowed for more time before bed to get the sugar out of her system! Cheers to a new year and more beer :) Thanks for reading!
**If you are interested in learning more about the Excelsior! Series beers, check out this link:
http://ithacabeer.com/excelsior.php

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

2011-03-22T13:35:00.000-04:00

The eleventh beer to get reviewed is Guinness' Foreign Extra Stout. I had NEVER heard of this beer so I was pretty sure that a leprechaun was watching over my shoulder & guiding me in my selection, as this is different from their traditional stout. According to their website description,"Foreign Extra Stout is brewed with generous hops and roasted barley for a bittersweet balance & full-flavored, natural bite. Developed over 200 years ago for global export from Ireland, the addition of extra hops ensured this Stout would arrive to its destination in perfect condition."
Of course, we needed to drink Guinness on St. Patrick's Day, the best holiday of the year according to my late mother-in-law, Kathy Charsky, to go along with our slow-cooked corned beef & cabbage meal, so I anticipated picking up a few Guinness, in their fancy cans, for the husband & I, but I eyed these GFES bottles being re-stocked and couldn't resist checking them out. My logic went like this:

It was 9:30am in RSVP beverage store, on the morning of March 17th, and they were already getting replaced on the shelf, so either the GFES are very popular or since the store just opened they were simply replacing what needed to be replaced.
I went with my first thought and scooped up the 4pack of gold capped bottles for us to help celebrate our Irishness!

These bottles also served as an informative resource, telling their reader that the GFES is, "A beer like no other. The most full-flavoured of all. Singular and striking. Uniquely satisfying. Refreshingly crisp. Always rewarding. Pure beauty. Pure GUINNESS." Even better, the ABV is listed as 7.5%!

Taste: A delight mixture of roasted nuts that finishes with a slight tartness but it's not overpowering!

Color: robust brown

Thickness: Light and silky with a pretty caramel tan head of bubbles

Will It Help Me Sleep Better? Best mug in my collection, straight from the Guinness Brewery in Ireland (thank you Emily Ross) says, "My Goodness, My Guinness"--Yes, of course it will help me sleep better, it's Guinness!

Mom Factoid: Urban Mom Legend tells that Guinness helps bring in your milk during pregnancy--how awesome is that?!

Maine Beer Week: Maine Beer Co. Mean Old Tom Round 2

2011-03-09T07:22:00.016-05:00

Mean Old Tom on cask at Sebago

I reviewed this beer back in March, 2010, but feel compelled to share it, again, with readers, as we are celebrating the First Annual Maine Beer Week, November 10-17, 2011, and Mean Old Tom just hit the shelves, again, in Portland. Actually, the husband brought home four bottles, tonight, all bottled on 11.10.11. Awesome! Can't wait to pour one over the next couple of days. But, since I couldn't wait for these bottles, I went into Portland last night and sampled a Mean Old Tom on cask at Sebago Brewing Company. Wow, talk about delicious. Okay, back to review, here it is but this time with pictures:

Mean Old Tom

Mean Old Tom bottles

Brooklyn Brewery Local 2

2011-03-08T07:41:00.003-05:00

The ninth brew was tasted while I was still in Binghamton on "vacation" last month! I had the privilege of sharing a special pint of the Local 2 Ale with my dad. A friend of his, from his Suds group, gave this pint to him straight from the Brooklyn Brewery. This beer was so delicious as it is an ale brewed with honey and citrus peel, a fantastic combination. A more detailed description of the ingredients off the bottle include: "We've combined European malt and hops, Belgian dark sugar, and raw wildflower honey from a New York family farm to create Brooklyn Local 2. Our special Belgian yeast adds hints of spice to the dark fruit, caramel and chocolate flavors."
A really neat experience with this pint was that you had to uncork it, like it was a bottle of aged wine or champagne, which created a celebratory moment in my parents' kitchen! So, if you are in the hunt for a special brew to enjoy at a festive event, search no further, the Local 2 is the perfect choice! Enjoy :)

Taste: beautifully sweet with a floral bouquet scent; like a liquid dessert, it was that yummy!

Color: Amber dark

Thickness: heavy head and very frothy

Will it help me sleep better? At a whopping 9% ABV it most certainly did!

Mom Factoid: According to my dad, a farmer at heart, he detected butter cups and red clover in each sip. I think it's fascinating that flowers are edible as well as beautiful. The fact that they are used in the brewing process just adds to their brilliance! Spring is around the corner, get ready to buy some seeds and plant flowers with your kids--watch them get excited as they grow & bloom in front of their eyes! What a great and fun activity :)

Brooklyn East India Pale Ale

2011-02-24T08:35:00.003-05:00

After the week from hell, in terms of the little duo coming down consecutively with a fever virus, I did manage to travel to Binghamton and have an opportunity to sample the eighth beer for the blog: Brooklyn's East India Pale Ale. The beer appeared at my dwelling, courtesy of my dad, who took a gamble at Cavanaugh's and brought a six-pack home for us to enjoy.
Ironically, without being prompted to select a brew from the state of NY, my dad must have had ESP because he picked one from the Brooklyn Brewery, which I have yet to visit but thinking it would make for a fun fieldtrip in the future.
My dad claims he bought the East India IPA, for me, because I mentioned I had enjoyed a Harpoon Belgian Ale (review pending) earlier in my visit, and that since the IPA was an ale, it should be similar. When I asked my dad if he had, really, read any of my earlier blog posts, that explain the differences between ales and India pale ales (refer to Otter Creek Black IPA post), he admitted he may have but didn't remember their distinctions (as they do exist and are significant)!
However, I was very grateful for his effort, to try to pick a tasty brew, and it really did prove to be a great choice for many reasons!

Taste: not overly hoppy or bitter rather malty and lightly sweet on the palate;
very tasty & enjoyable and according to my dad it was "yummy!"

Color: honey bronze

Thickness: A dense frothy head with minimal bubbles produces a lightness in each sip.

Will it help me sleep better? Powerful at 6.8% ABV; I could only manage half a pint with dinner or I would have fallen asleep before putting my troops to bed. However, one full pint would have been suffice for me per normal circumstances as well.

Mom Factoid: I paired the pint with my hometown pride, Lupo's Chicken Spiedies and found it to be the perfect complement. Interestingly, the Brooklyn Brewery website, gives you ideas for food pairings and even provides recipes for these dishes, which is rather resourceful & genius, as who has time to be thinking of food pairings and recipes when you've got toddlers?!
An example they gave for a food pairing for this beer is spicy crab cakes:
https://www.brooklynbrewery.com/index.php/recipes/

Peak Organic Espresso Amber Ale

2011-02-10T10:55:00.000-05:00

Peak's Organic Espresso Amber Ale, the seventh beer to be reviewed in the blog, was the brew I selected for Super Bowl Sunday! Why, you ask? Because, it is a "special" release ale produced in Portland in conjunction with Trade Certified espresso by Coffee By Design, another local Portland establishment. The word "special" drew me to it as the SB has somehow morphed into a "special" occasion with parties, food, friends, pools etc...This year, the husband and I quickly came to the realization that we'd be home bound with the little duo enjoying the actual game and forgo an invitation to a Japanese themed SB party.
We planned our detailed menu & indulged in tacos with the kids, danced to The Black Eyed Peas during halftime & the husband even watched the ending of the game on picture-in-picture on our TV while our daughter watched her favorite Angelina Ballerina episode...what a win-win for him (even won a little dough in his office pool too)!
But, this isn't about our SB party, it's about the brew, and, sadly, it was not that "special" for me! I've had other Peak beers, my favorite being their fall release of Maple Oatmeal Ale but this one just didn't do it for me. I found myself shaking my head while sipping it and swishing it around my mouth hoping it would start to taste better. According to their website, http://www.peakbrewing.com/, they produce their ale, "to start bright and lively from an abundance of Crystal Malts by establishing a strong contrast between front palate and back palate by adding generous amounts of Munich Malt, which provides a distinct toasty finish." Unfortunately, for me, their abundance of malts and my multiple tastings did not improve my experience with the beer. Here are my results after the big game:

Taste: malty slightly biscuity with a bittery (not buttery) aftertaste--like a hoppy floral tang
Color: brown with cranberry hues--quite pretty
Thickness: slight to moderate with little head and few bubbles
Will it help me sleep better? you would think so due to the high alcohol content at 6.8% ABV but with the espresso in it the opposite effect should have occurred...who knows? I don't think I drank enough to comment on the sleep or no sleep category, other than to say that I did manage to stay up for the entire SB game!
Mom Factoid: While this beer may not have been one that I'd choose again, I do applaud Peak's for trying to merge a mom's coffee addiction with a brew. In terms of coffee, there's nothing better than waking up to a strong pot of joe and meeting up with a mom or group of moms for a cup of coffee during a play date!

Otter Creek Alpine Black IPA

2011-02-02T16:07:00.000-05:00

The sixth beer to get reviewed is Otter Creek's Alpine Black IPA. Truthfully, I do not typically enjoy the India Pale Ale Style (aka IPA). It always tastes a bit too hoppy for me. Why is that?

Let me provide you with a quick history of India Pale Ales:

Originally developed in the late 1700's.
British breweries would send beer on boats to their troops & British expatriots in India.
However, due to a lack of refrigeration and lengthy ocean voyages (took closely five months), the beer arrived in an unfavorable condition.
The brewers back then knew both hops (where we get the bitterness in beer) and alcohol act as natural preservatives.
So, they came up with a brew that was very hopped and high in alcohol --- thus creating the "India Pale Ale."

However, I was swayed to try this one by the "black" associated with this version of an IPA, as I do enjoy darker beer. Plus, Otter Creek is a micro-brewery in Middlebury, Vermont (for more information on the brewery, refer to Mom's Malt Barley Resources) & with all of these snow storms, currently, and in the recent weeks, I had a desire to stay in the Northeast, particularly New England, and fill my pint glasses with tasty winter beers. Interestingly, while this beer is considered a winter seasonal brew, it first debuted this past July in Burlington, Vermont at the state's brewers festival as a small pilot batch. Yet, it was so well received that Otter Creek decided to release it has their official Winter Seasonal beer this year and I'm so glad they did!

Overall, when paired with tangy slow-cooked bbq ribs & cornbread, I really enjoyed this beer.

Psychologically, the brew completed a perfect winter's weekend night, when you sit bundled up by the fire, in long johns, exhausted by the frigid cold yet secretly excited for the next storm.

Taste: a deep rich hoppy almost citrusy aroma yet left a malty-mocha toasty finish in your mouth

Color: imagine walking in the Alpine white snowy woods & spotting a beautiful, dark chocolate, brown bear in your path...now imagine that color in your pint glass

Thickness: after a few deep sips, it felt silky smooth with a medium body and a decent head of white

Will It Help Me Sleep Better? I wanted to hibernate after consuming one bottle which has a 6% ABV

Mom Factoid: My "brown bear" reference to the beer's color, reminds me of the children's author, Eric Carle, and his wonderful books! I have read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" hundreds of times to the little duo! Ssh, I will tell you, there is a 'Red Bird looking at me'!

For a complete list of Carle's work, refer to this website:

http://www.eric-carle.com/ECbooks1.html

Narragansett Lager

2011-01-27T17:17:00.006-05:00

The fifth beer to get reviewed is a beer that claims to be "Made on Honor" & "Sold on Merit!" It also claims to be "famous!" These are some BIG phrases for a beer that I drank out of a can! Which is actually why I chose this beer....the can...talk about genius marketing! For me, the can evokes happy thoughts of summertime outdoor activities, when a cold can in your hand is the icing on the cake, whether it be by the pool, the lake, playing bocce ball, a competitive round of Beirut, a pig roast etc...the can = good times in the warmer months and that is why I went for it, admist all the other beers in my vision at the store.

According to this tall, slender yet attractive pint can, the Narragansett Brewery dates back to 1890 and has been brewing, "award-winning classic lager for more than a century." Furthermore, the can sold me on the catchy phrase, "Hi-Neighbor!" Isn't there some truth to that neighborly phrase when you drink out of can? It's as if you're at a tailgate wandering around and people keep calling you over, offering you a can from their cooler--yes, we know how to tailgate @ Boston College :)

Additionally, the can boasts, "If you're not drinking Narragansett, you're not from New England!" Interestingly, in all the years I've lived in NE, I've never heard of this beer. Moreover, the Narragansett Lager is NOT brewed in New England, but rather in Rochester, NY. The beers that are produced in Providence, Rhode Island are their Porter and their Bock. If you're into those types of brewery details their website has a lengthy historical biography which, if I had more time, I would share more details with you, but since I don't, it's an interesting read and can be found under Mom's Malt Barley Resources.

However, I will share a few facts about lagers and specifically their lager:

Lagers ferment at the bottom as opposed to ales that ferment on the top.
They take one to three months to ferment at a much colder temperature than ales.
There are various styles of lager (which in German means, storage) such as a Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Marzen.
The Narragansett Lager was the first beer brewed by “The Original Six” back in 1890; was the bestselling beer in New England from the 1930s to the 1970s; and was the official beer of the Boston Red Sox from 1944-1975.

Beyond just being a sucker for the can, I found the beer at Trader Joe's, which came highly recommended to me from a fellow mom, as a place to find beer on the cheap side of life. For $5.99, I came home with six sixteen-ounce cans. Do the math, that's a good deal! And, here is the crux of the issue that I had with the beer. It was a good deal but it felt like I was back in college buying cheap beer to either tailgate with or chug for fun beer drinking games & that I was not drinking the beer for taste. Don't get me wrong, the beer isn't bad, it's just not very flavorful. However, that didn't stop me from trying to pair the lager with our various dinner choices throughout the week (I did purchase a six-pack) in an attempt to find a winning combination. The night we had Thai food was probably the best in terms of balancing the spicy cuisine with a cold frosty beer.

Taste: a light to mild flavor with a refreshing finish
*contained a slightly metallic taste too but that's the can (I hope!)

Color: gold like a bale of hay on a warm summer's day

Thickness: very light body & when poured into a glass yields a plethora of bubbles & head

Will It Help Me Sleep Better: I would need more than one as it only has a 5% ABV

Mom Factoid: According to the history section on the brewery's website, a young artist by the name of Theodore Geisel aka Dr. Seuss, ("Green Eggs & Ham" anyone), was hired to design an icon for the Narragansett Brewing Company- Geisel designed Chief Gansett!

Rising Tide's Ursa Minor--Weizen Stout

2011-01-21T19:54:00.001-05:00

The fourth beer to get reviewed in the blog was a surprise selection. I was scooting through a local health food store--Lois' in Scarborough-- (truth be told I was actually there with the little duo to buy the soon to be 3 year old a cookie) when I couldn't help but peruse their "healthy" beer case. Given that I had zero time for this perusal, I quickly grabbed at the singleton beers and pulled out of the case an Ursa Minor Weizen Stout. Since I am a stout fan, the cool name was irrelevant, I just went with my gut knowing that sipping a stout sounded great. Lucky for me and for you, the brew proved to be a wise choice.

Later that day, I was able to do a little research and found out that the Ursa Minor Weizen Stout is from the newest brewery to open in Portland, Maine. The Rising Tide Brewing Company described as, "a family-owned craft brewery, specializing in artisanal, hand-crafted ales brewed in small batches (90 gallons at a time) in a one-barrel brewhouse." According to the bottle, the Ursa Minor is Rising Tide's version of a winter wheat beer that is, "perfect for an icy winter's eve." It has a,"German wheat-beer yeast and a base of malted wheat, along with a blend of dark crystal and roasted malts to create a wheat stout."

Even though, I am a big stout fan, I really didn't know what I was drinking, so by definition:

Stout beer is a dark, sometimes bitter beer that was first commercially produced in the 1730s.
Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically containing 7% or 8% alcohol.
The first stouts were from Ireland, where Guinness is produced.
Stout beer is composed of barley and varied types of malt resulting in large variety of stouts.
Variations include: Dry/Irish, Imperial, Milk, Oatmeal, Chocolate, Coffee and Oyster.

Taste: A nice mixture of strong nutty flavors blended with brief encounters of chocolate.
*This beer was an excellent complement to our pulled pork slow cooker meal! If you are familiar with The Dinosaur BBQ restaurant & sauces, you won't be disappointed with the outcome of this dish!
Color: very dark brown like a bold cup of coffee
Thickness: not thick, actually light with an airy quality to the body due to the wheat
Will it help me sleep better? Oh yes, with a 6.7% ABV, I was toasty which served as a nice escape from the bitterly cold & snowy weather conditions outside-ah January in Maine!
Mom factoid: When it's time to introduce your little people to the galaxy be sure to share with them that Ursa Minor is Latin for Smaller Bear when contrasted to Ursa Major. It is a constellation in the Northern sky. It is notable due to its location at the North Celestial Pole.

Gritty's Scottish Ale

2011-01-16T09:07:00.002-05:00

Perhaps, the fourteen inches of snow that fell earlier in the week impacted my choice to stay local, with the next brew selection for the blog. I was needing to feel the comfort of being with others, after being isolated & stuck at home with the little duo during the storm. The Scottish Ale proved to be a perfect choice, both psychologically and physiologically. While drinking the beer and eating a reuben sandwich with sweet potato fries, I felt as though I were at a pub without the "hassle" (ex: finding a sitter, changing out of pajamas, staying awake past 7pm etc.) of going to one! The beer not only physically warmed me up but it truly made me smile & warmed my psyche.

This double warmth propelled me to think of the unique places I have been in my lifetime, with friends, enjoying "interesting" conversation over a pint or two. Speaking of unique places, I will mention one here that I thought of & would recommend visiting, if you ever find yourself in Vestal, NY: The Ale House otherwise known as the "Beer Joint of Your Dreams!" A hidden gem for that region, if you're looking for a quick bite to eat, with a cold pint (they have an amazing selection from all over the world) and both good company and conversation. (Their website can be accessed under Mom's Malt Barley Resources.)

Back to the review, the Scottish Ale is from a local brewery, Gritty McDuff's, located in Portland, Maine. Here are a few points to note, after scoping out Gritty's website (listed under Mom's Malt Barley Resources):

Gritty McDuff's was established in 1988
It started as a small brew pub in Portland's Old Port (bonus, the husband works in the Old Port)
There are now three breweries state wide: (Lewiston/Auburn, Freeport (home of LL-Bean) & Portland--I have been here with an 18 month old--very kid friendly with a unique eating area with long tables that promotes sitting with strangers & making new friends)
The pub brewery in Portland (my next to neighboring town) produces five classic ales: Sebago Light, Portland Headlight Pale Ale (note Mom Factoid below), McDuff's Best Bitter, Best Brown Ale, and Black Fly Stout
Gritty's releases many seasonal ales depending on the time of year, so every January they release their Scottish Ale--which typically means a strong dark ale

Taste: I detected a bitterness but not too strong or hoppy; the malty flavors fill the mouth with each sip
*hints of sweet butterscotch pop onto the palate
Color: a deep bronze like a rich caramel
Thickness: heavy on taste but not thickness--thin to medium body
Will it help me sleep better? absolutely as it boasts a warm 6.3% ABV
Mom factoid: The Portland Head Light, located at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth (one of the coolest parks I have EVER been to), is the most viewed lighthouse in North America. FW has a great playground & with the ocean in the background you can't beat the view! If you are in the area, stop by for the view of a lifetime. For more information go to: http://fortwilliamspark.com/

UFO Harpoon's White Unfiltered Wheat Beer

2011-01-11T11:15:00.003-05:00

The second beer to get reviewed is in many ways the complete opposite of the Honey Porter. The UFO was like drinking "summer" in a glass! Wow--very refreshing...it could be the orange slice that I squeezed into the beer (a user friendly suggestion that is right on the bottle) but I didn't seem to detect "orange" per se, rather a light citrus blend on the palate.
Visually, once poured, the beer looked to be a mushed yellow & due to the falling yeast
sentiments I felt like I was watching a sunset with the variance of soft hues blending with each other in the glass.
Okay, but back to my reality, it's January in Maine and there's snow on the ground & we are most likely under a winter storm watch until April. So, how did this summery beer get into my fridge?
I asked the husband, who did the weekly grocery store run, to purchase, with thought, a beer for me to review. I suggested a winter beer (given the time of year) or a Maine beer (given we have a wide assortment of local breweries) yet, he came back with a Boston (Harpoon Brewery) white beer. Perhaps, this is a bigger commentary on the level of communication in our relationship, but regardless, he bought the six-pack (he gets extra points for purchasing more than 1 bottle) & clearly I didn't object. Interestingly, since the name of the beer is so dense (not UFO but the whole name), it propelled me to do some research; just a bit so I knew a little more about my subject (ah, the English education major in me is shining through). Let me share what I learned in my brief research:

wheat beers are a beer that not only have a large proportion of wheat but also contain a large proportion of malted barley (total coincidence with my blog name!)
"hefe" is German for "yeast" and is the name for unfiltered wheat beers
"unfiltered" is a beer that doesn't have the yeast removed from it
"white beers" are usually unfiltered & have a hazy appearance due to the presence of yeast

Taste: crisp & light
*One final thought about the husband, he christened our slow cooker with chicken & dumplings, which is what I paired the UFO with. Thus, comfort food met summertime last night which equaled deliciousness!
Color: muddled yellow
Thickness: light to moderate depending on the amount of sentiment you sip
*tends to be quite carbonated as well--a soda quality with the bubbles & fizz
Will it help me sleep better? yes but you'll need more than 1 as the alcohol content is only 4.8%
Mom factoid: due to the presence of the suspended yeast there is continuing fermentation in the bottle which produces lactic acid (you know that burning sensation, which is the lactic acid breaking down in your muscles, that you feel after chasing your kid(s) all day, everyday) and the lactic acid can leave a slightly sour taste

Samuel Adams Honey Porter part of the Brewmaster's Collection

2011-01-07T19:10:00.000-05:00

The first beer to get reviewed in the blog--an ironic choice in that it has Boston routes as do I (BC alum & former Newton Public Schools Employee--Go Lions & Tigers!). The fate of being first is not always easy--(1st children know this all too well) & sadly, it is only first because it happened to be the last beer in our refrigerator. This lonely bottle was part of a six-pack purchased at a small beer store in early December in Scarborough, ME for under $5.00; quite the bargain, as it usually sells for $8 a six-pack. Being the smart shopper that I am, I scooped it up only to realize, after the fact,that it was on sale because the expiration date was earlier this fall. Alas, perhaps the taste could have been altered but given my desperation at 5pm, sometimes referred to by moms as the "witching hour," to drink anything with alcohol this past date wasn't a factor to me. So while I was feeding the 6mos old in his high chair, flipping pancakes and burning pre-cooked bacon, I finagled the bottle opener and poured my first sips.

Taste: the honey comes through & definitely leaves you with a sweetness on your tongue
*although it is a porter, it is not overly heavy and very smooth.
**Delicious choice with bacon and pancakes :)
Color: dark almost like a coke
Thickness: slight to moderate
Will it help me sleep better? Yes
Mom factoid: honey is a natural way to help little people (older than age 1) when they have a cough or sore throat--just give a teaspoon of honey during cold season!