Allagash Coolship Red



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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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!