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Apr 07
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Buy me a beer that I can blog about... Read MoreEpisode 34 – 12/7/2010
Dec 10
Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale
Old Fezziwig Ale, by Samuel Adams.
The bottle is a stock bottle. 12 ounces. The label is well, its a label. Its not bad… it just doesn’t make itself stand up and want to be counted. Rather full bodied with sweet toffee, caramel, and roasted chocolate undertones. Cinnamon, ginger and orange peel chime in as well. I could not help, detecting, however, the overwhelming undertone of
metal. Don’t ask, but it has happened to me with other beers.
The COMPASS test… FAIL!
[FYI - For a free, in-person class on how to do the COMPASS test, inquire within. You must provide
the beer.]
You can drink this beer as a mass consumption beer, but I would save it for more holiday or occasion
meals.
You can read a little about this brewer here – http://www.samueladams.com . This brew in particular…
http://www.samueladams.com/enjoy-our-beer/beer-detail.aspx?id=93fe771b-3f68-4b4d-8de8-ebf83f9b
ff4e .
This brew is a XXX according to me and my beer classification system.
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Episode 33 – 12/3/2010
Dec 03
Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale
Winter Abbey Ale, by Blue Moon
The bottle is a stock bottle. 12 ounces. The label is very classic Blue Moon. Full moon view, snow-capped cabin.
Honorable mention / shameless plug – this sample was donated by the Sauers (Chris and Kim).
Delicious selection. It was a light brown / golden almond complexion. A very nice brew, cooked up with caramel and toffee. It is perfect for rich meals, especially meaty meals.
It is available only in November through January.
The COMPASS test… fail.
[FYI - For a free, in-person class on how to do the COMPASS test, inquire within. You must provide the beer.]
You can drink this beer as a mass consumption beer, or as a social meal beer. A good winter selection, and it will warm you right up.
You can read a little about this brewer here – http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/ .
This brew is a XXXXX according to me and my beer classification system.
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Episode 32 – 11/26/2010
Nov 26
Genesis Ale, by He-Brew
It was bound to happen. I was wondering in the back of my mind, can beer be Kosher?
He-Brew Genesis Ale
I’m not Jewish, but I love some traditionally Jewish foods… and I figure – brew? Hell, why not? (Wait, should I have said that?)
The bottle is a stock bottle. 12 ounces. The label is quite intricate, with the He-Brew brand logo there, in Hebrew font. It had next to no head… just a few fine suds to take the compass test… that’s it.
This selection wasn’t bad. It was a light brown / golden almond complexion, with a light nose. The taste was a mild bitter.
The COMPASS test… PASS! Finally… after weeks and weeks of fails… a PASS. WooHooooo…….. Okay moving right along.
[FYI - For a free, in-person class on how to do the COMPASS test, inquire within. You must provide the beer.]
You can drink this beer as a mass consumption beer – and I bet is popular at bar mitzvahs. But I don’t know that for sure. I never went to one, or had one. It is also great with meals. A good mid-season selection. Fall… spring. Its good, and flexible.
You can read a little about this brewer here – http://www.shmaltz.com . This brew in particular… http://www.shmaltz.com/HEBREW/genesis_messiah.html
This brew is a XXXX according to me and my beer classification system. I just hope I am safe in posting this….
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Episode 31 – 11/19/2010
Nov 19
Rude Elf’s Reserve from the Allentown Brew Works
The bottle is a stock bottle. 12 ounces. The label is scary. It is an elf. He looks intoxicated, and seems to be one of those “angry drunks”… the kind of guy that turns into a real jackass after a few brews?
- Rude Elf’s Reserve
Well, this elf is smashed, mad, and can make toys better than anyone you know! And he probably has a few pointers on brewing delicious holiday / special occasion beverages.
This was delicious. Absolutely delicious. It is a Belgian style ale, that has been brewed with pale & caramel malts, dark Belgian candy sugar, and hints of holiday spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & clove. You can smell it, and taste it. Yet it never loses the brew taste impact. The brewer recommends stashing some away in your beer cellar “to discover it’s ‘true meaning.’”.
[I have to get a cellar... sorry I could not resist- "It rubs the lotion on it's skin; it does it when it's told"... NO.... not that kind of cellar... I digress...]
The COMPASS test… No – FAIL. It sort of failed by default because the head and suds dissappeared so fast.
For a free, in-person class on how to do the COMPASS test, inquire within. You must provide the beer.
You can drink this beer as a mass consumption beer. I highly encourage it during the holiday seasons. It also is a great rich meal brew. Its delicious, and flexible.
You can read a little about this brewer here – http://www.thebrewworks.com . This brew in particular… http://www.thebrewworks.com/brews/rude-elfs-reserve/
This brew is a XXXXX according to me and my beer classification system. It is just that good!!!
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Episode 30 – 11/12/2010
Nov 12
Molson XXX.
The bottle is a stock bottle. 12 ounces. The label is foreboding. It is a scary, white with gold trim – “XXX”.
Many beer enthusiasts may not like this brew… it has a yellowish complexion, and is technically a malt liquor. I like those, for they pack a little more punch with 7.3% alcohol content.
Molson XXX
It’s a little rough, and it’s main job is to get you a little smashed in little time. This will do it for you. For what it is, and what it does, I like that. There is honestly in it. XXX makes one think of poison. Right? (hah! sure…) – well, to the enthusiast, this might be that. I don’t think it’s that bad though. In fact for what it is… I liked it. If you were to get a six-pack of these babies and start drinking at the beginning of a 1.5 hour movie, you might be out before the half-way point. I do not recommend that… I just want to give you an idea of what can happen when you drink this many this fast.
The COMPASS test… PASS! FINALLY! I really must know what this means. I keep making up stuff, and there has to be a reason for why it behaves this way for some beers, and not, for others. As I moved, the suds adjusted themselves so that they aligned with the polar magnetic fields. My offer is still good…the free, in-person classes on how to do the COMPASS test; how it works, why, and I will make it sound scientific… if I can… still applies.
You can drink this beer as a mass consumption beer. I wouldn’t do anything beyond that. In my opinion, the purpose of this beer is to get you somewhere, and quick.
You can read a little about this brewer here – http://www.molsoncoorscanada.com/ .
This brew is a XXX-XXXX according to me and my beer classification system.
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Episode 29 – 11/05/2010
Nov 05
The bottle is a stock bottle. 12 ounces. No big surprises there. The label is kind of cute. A white-haired dog, that reminds me of the sheepdog that always kept Wile E. Coyote from taking off with the lambs in the pasture.
I must admit, I was a little taken back by the prospect of drinking brew that had fruit in it, nevermind blueberries. Now, I like blueberries, okay? And I enjoy a good brew. Dur.
“]![Sea Dog Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale [BluePaw]](http://www.thebeeroftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/seadog_wildblueberrywheatale-150x150.jpg "Sea Dog Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale [BluePaw]")
![Sea Dog Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale [BluePaw]](http://www.thebeeroftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/seadog_wildblueberrywheatale.jpg "Sea Dog Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale [BluePaw]")
Sea Dog Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale [BluePaw
Mixing them together? Well, I almost balked; however, when I started this project, I promised that I would be open-minded, and diverse in my selections. I’m glad I did. This was a pretty good mix. The beer was unique in that it is a wheat beer, combined with the slight nose bearing hints of blueberries. You can also detect a tint of blueberry flavoring in the brew itself. To me, kind of thick for a wheat beer, which would make it a good late summer / early fall or spring light brew. The fruit taste wasn’t overbearing and if the timing (I hate this word) would have been better, Blue Moon might have had this idea… or Sea Dog would have grabbed the Blue Moon name… that is op-ed, of course, and just my opinion. Thus, the title – op-ed. You do get that, don’t you? 
The COMPASS test… FAIL. As I moved, so did the suds. You saw my note last week about the week prior’s note… about the free, in-person classes on how to do the COMPASS test; how it works, why, and I will make it sound scientific… if I can.
You can drink this beer as a mass consumption beer, and I am sure with seasonal meals as described above. It’s categorically “both”.
You can read a little about this brewer here – http://www.seadogbrewing.com . The brew itself – http://www.seadogbrewing.com/seadogbrews.php .
This brew is a XXXX according to me and my beer classification system. Not bad… but I am still not crazy about having fruit in my beer. It is definitely worth a try, however.