Beerblogga Bloopers

Home Brew Ideas

I've decided to brew some beer. It's been a while since I've brewed but I have some time on my hands and a friend has generously offered the use of his equipment while another has offered to help me brew a batch. Payment is obviously beer.

So I think I would like to make an Amber or Red.

Can anyone tell me what their favorite Amber or Red is, what flavors and aromas they like in their beer and when they would be available to help me bottle :-)

Another consideration is the name. All great beers must have a great name. It must encapsulate the style of beer, the emotion which went into the brewing of said beer and something to do with the brewing location. Open to suggestion.....

Cheers,

Matt the Beer Blogga.

Fullers ESB - Chiswick, London, UK

Fullers ESB - 4/5

If you are not familiar with Extra Special Bitters let me give you a quick run down. ESB's are not overly bitter as the name would have you believe. English ESB's are generally light in carbonation, dark gold to copper in color, and have really even balance of malt to hops. You can drink them cold, but I think you will get the best out of them if consumed a little cooler than room temperature.

I have a soft spot for Fullers Brewery as I lived 10 minutes down the road from it in Hammersmith, London. I was in the European deli around the corner from my house here in San Diego and found that they had a huge selection of English beers. How stoked am I?

Fullers ESB is dark amber in color and goes down smoothly. You will never hear me describe beers as creamy; it's just wrong! It's mildly sweet with a toffee and nutty aroma and is balanced perfectly by the hops.

If you haven't tried or are a little intimidated by English brews then I recommend Fullers ESB. It will not disappoint.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale - Chico, CA

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale - 4/5

When the skys go grey and the weather turns cold most people look forward to open fires, hot chocolate and the usual wintery things. For me, winter means seasonal ales and Sierra Nevada has really made a top drop.

It pours a darkish amber color and boasts moderate to strong hops with a very mild sweetness.

Being early December, this is the perfect time of year for full bodied, darker ales. It's very drinkable on its own it will pair perfectly with your roast turkey dinner.

Hop Ottin’ IPA – Anderson Valley Brewing Co – Boonville, CA

Hop Ottin’ IPA - 4/5

As far as IPA’s go this is one of my favorites. Hop Ottin’ IPA has strong hoppiness however is really well balanced. You will get a sweet maltiness followed by a fragrant, citrus hop smack in the face.

Coming in at 7% ABV, a few of these bad boys will have you on your way.

The best part is, you should be able to buy Hop Ottin’ IPA at your local grocery store. A great brew and easy to obtain equals a winner in my book.

Fat Tire Amber Ale - New Belgium Brewing Co - Fort Collins, CO

Fat Tire Amber Ale - 4/5

Fat Tire is a brilliant, easy drinking amber ale. It has subtle caramel and roasted notes and a light balance of citrusy hops. Carbonation is light so it’s a really decent consumption beer.

I’m totally stoked that my wife is a fan of amber ales, particularly this one as I can pick up a six pack of Fat Tire and she’s just as happy as I am.

Enjoy it on its own or with BBQed pork or BBQ chicken pizza.

Mavericks Alection Winner Obama '08 Presidential Ale - Half Moon Bay Brewing Co – Half Moon Bay CA

Mavericks Alection Winner Obama '08 Presidential Ale - Half Moon Bay Brewing Co - 2/5

Obviously the name and label attracted me to this one. I really don’t have anything positive to say about this beer other than it clearly did not resemble an ale or winner as the name would have you believe.

I really wanted to like it but I think the only thing going for it was the label. It seemed overly carbonated and somewhat bland in flavor.

The 3rd finger you see in this rating is appropriately placed as an F-You for poor execution to what could have been great. If Half Moon Bay Brewing Co were smart they would have made this beer a light brown ale or porter with class and charisma .. at least something which resembles its namesake. Perhaps McCain Loser Lager would have been more appropriate for this one?

Stone IPA – Stone Brewing Co - Escondido, CA

Stone IPA – Stone Brewing Co - 4/5

You've heard me rant on about overly hoppy beers in the past but this IPA is exceptional.

Although very hoppy, I find it to be smooth and well balanced with a light citrusy taste.

This is not a consumption beer in any way. I often find myself wanting something a little lighter after about 3 or 4 of them so I usually reserve Stone IPA as an accompaniment to a big, meaty, juicy burger. The ultimate paring in my eyes.

Rogue Chocolate Stout – Newport, OR

Rogue Chocolate Stout - 4/5

As you can see by my facial expression this dark little wonder took me by surprise.
If you’re a chocolate fan like myself you will love this drop.

The smell alone is intoxicating and it has flavor to match. You will get a nice roasty, chocolaty malt taste up front and a very faint coffee taste bringing up the rear.

Enjoy it on its own or as a stout float over some quality vanilla ice cream. Trust me on this one.

Carlton Draught | "Big Ad"

This is an oldie but a goody from Australia. Carlton Draught is what I drink when I'm in Melbourne. Not the fanciest of beers but it tastes like home.

A formal introduction

Beer me!

I really need to teach Charlie this...

Awesome Beer Fetching Dog - Watch more Funny Videos

Hitachino Nest White Ale - Japan

Hitachino Nest White Ale - Japan

3.5/5

A white ale from Japan you ask? Yep, and it was pretty darn good. Before Hitachino, had you asked me to summarize Japanese beers I would have said they were light, crisp, fizzy and dry.

This little ripper however, opened my mind to experiencing the full range of Hitachino Nest beers and to start exploring other Japanese craft brews.

I would liken this beer to European style white ale and not American hefferveisen.

My first impression was that it was overly carbonated but after it settled in the glass for a few minutes it was perfect. It pours a light golden color and has a bright white head with bright, bold spiced aromas and flavor to follow. Thanks to Virginia and Jeff for putting me on to this hidden Japanese gem.

Primo Island Lager – Hawaii (Pabst Brewing Co, Il)

Primo Island Lager – Hawaii
3/5

Hey bruddah. Primo is the official beer of the Hawaiian Islands so what more could you want on a hot sunny day than a bottle of Primo. Lite in flavor, color and carbonation, Primo has a faint grassy and citrus taste. I would consider Primo to be a large consumption beer best reserved for summer BBQ’s and picnics.

Next time you’re at the store try substituting your regular Mexican domestic for a sixer of this ono brew. Thanks Adrienne for the donation.

Aloha,

The Beer Blogga

Too hop or not too hop

Humulus lupulus or hops are the little flower clusters added during the hopping process of beer brewing. Hops were originally used to prevent or slow down spoilage of beer and are still used today to add flavor and bitterness. The idea is that a good beer should contain a harmonized balance of bitterness to maltiness.

Bitterness of beer is measured in EBU (European Bitterness Units) in Europe and in IBU (International Bitterness Units) in the US. To put things into perspective, an average IPA (India Pale Ale) which is known to be one of the more ‘hoppy’ varieties of beer would normally be around 70-100 IBU, whereas something much lighter like Heineken comes in at around 23 IBU.

For your average beer drinker, the IPA style may be a little too hoppy. I personally enjoy my beer at around 70-80 IBU with other flavors going on than plain old hoppy bitterness. You’ll often hear me raving on about how awesome the San Diego microbrew culture is. I feel blessed to be surrounded by passionate beer enthusiasts, brewers and breweries. There is, however, an exception to this. I feel that some Southern Californian breweries have gone “hop crazy.” Some of the beers available now are so hopped-up that their IBU is off the scale. I enjoy a nice hoppy beer as much as the next guy, but I really think some of these breweries are going overboard. You can pretty much guarantee that anything with ‘hop’ in the name will be one of these ghastly creations. They will almost always have some kind of bright, animated graphic on the label which is aimed to appeal to the macho, yuppie , 20- to 30-something year old mook who has nothing better to do on a Friday night than to impress his mates by downing a sixer of the hoppiest concoction he can get his Neanderthal hands on.

This all takes me back to London where it’s very common to get together once a week for a curry and a few pints. I read one day in the London Metro paper that most guys who order immensely hot curries admitted to not enjoying them at all. They are simply trying to act manly in front of their pals who in turn are also ordering the hottest curry on the menu. Personally I find some of these hopped up beers unpleasant to say the least. There is far too much emphasis on adding hops for the sole purpose of hitting a high IBU rather than adding some bitterness to balance the rest of the flavors. I recall recently waking up in the middle of the night to a horrible case of cotton mouth as a result of drinking a few overly hopped beverages the previous evening. I liken this to the next morning’s bathroom blues after a hot curry.

As with our allies across the pond and their attraction to overly hot curries, these hop-crazed fat heads are doing it for one reason that I can see: to show off. What ever happened to good old fashioned cigarettes?

Cheers,
Matt the Beer Blogga

Bear Republic - Ricardo's Red Rocket Ale - Healdsburg, CA

Bear Republic - Ricardo's Red Rocket Ale

4.5/5

If you enjoy your red ales then Red Rocket is a must. I was put onto this one by a friend at work and I rate this as my favorite red ale, hands down.

It has a really nice balance of hops to malt which is everything I personally look for in a beer.

You will get a very faint citrus hop aroma followed by a chocolate / caramel malt bringing up the rear so you could almost call this a red IPA.

This is a drink anywhere, anytime kind of beer. I dedicate this post to my boy Charlie.

David Mitchell rants about Beer Advertising

Ayinger Bruä-Weisse - Aying, Germany

Ayinger Bräu-Weisse - 3.5/5

Anyone who frequents the Beer Blogga or knows me well enough will understand that I'm not the greatest fan of hefeweizen style beers and may question my rating on this wheatie treat.

I've changed my attitude recently. For my birthday my friends Virginia and Jeff hand selected a few beers for me to drink and write about.

The Ayinger Bruä-Weisse being amongst the chosen was really pleasant. I didn't want to like it but in all honesty I found it very refreshing and quite tasty. It pours golden and cloudy as any good wheat beer should. It's fruity (banana) and spicy on the nose and goes down rather smoothly. Just this last weekend I saw Ayinger Bruä-Weisse at my local European market so I think I shall be purchasing some this summer.

As a result of my new found friendship with Ayinger I am strongly considering rekindling my relationship with Hoegaarden as you can pretty much get it anywhere now. Thanks to Virginia and Jeff for getting me back on the wheat beers.

Sugar cane

Yeah I know what you're thinking. This is a beer blog, not a cocktail blog..

When a good opportunity falls in your lap you have to roll with it, hence I feel this is blogable.

One of the software engineers at work is constantly bringing in all kinds of fresh produce from his property. Last week he brought in several seven foot sticks of sugar cane. As the office is full of immature geeks like myself we used the cane sticks for ninja fights and various other geeky props (picture Gandalf on the stone bridge..'you shall not pass'). So after much pondering, myself and some colleagues felt the best use for sugar cane would be to somehow incorporate it with alcohol.

Now I'm very much a fan of the traditional mojito with raw cane sugar. One balmy summer evening found my Sarah and I at the Elephant Bar in San Marcos for pre-movie drinks where we discovered they make a rustic style mojito with a sugar cane stick as a garnish. The idea is to sip on your cocktail and then chew on the sugar cane for some sweet, sugary goodness. Not the best mojito I have had but definitely decent and loved the idea of the sugar cane.

When cocktail hour rolled around this weekend, a lack of rum and mint in the house forced me to try something new. We recently discovered sweet tea vodka which mixes really well with lemonade. Pictured above is sweet tea vodka lemonade with a sugar cane garnish. The sweetness of the sugar cane perfectly balances the acidity of the lemonade which makes for a very tasty and refreshing cocktail. I cannot recommend this enough including the sans-sugar cane version if your local Ralph's doesn't happen to stock it.....

I'm thinking this very well could me my cocktail for the summer of 2010.

I am now stocked to make mojitos and have just enough sugar cane left over for this coming weekend. I'm really looking forward to it.

Now I figured I would be subject to criticism if I failed to mention beer in this post so here it is. My suggestion to my buddy Chris who's a keen home brewer was to throw a few stick of sugar cane into the boil during hopping stage. I'm sure some of the fresh sweetness and earthy aromas would be extracted and produce a very nice home brew. I'm really hoping he gives this a shot. I might even have to volunteer with the bottling.

So ladies and gents. If you ever find yourself in possession of some sugar cane.. think drink.

Cheers,

Matt the Beer Blogga

Trailer Oz and James Drink To Britain

Oz and James Drink to Britain is about 2 classic English gentlemen in a classic English gentlemen's car driving around the UK and Ireland with one thing on their minds... to find the drink which represents Britain. A must-watch for any beer, wine, whiskey, gin or cider enthusiast.

I just finished watching this series and I must say, I got an overwhelming desire to hop on a plane and head back to the UK, rent a van and tour the British Isles. This is something I should have done while residing on the other side of the pond. My dream is to one day hit up the UK, Ireland and Belgium with my traveling and drinking partner in crime, Sarah. One can only dream.

Some like it hoppy

This is a great little snippet talking about the brew culture in San Diego.

Stone Brewery Movie Nights

Stone movie nights are back May through September.

Grab your Mrs or your buddies and a blanket and head over to Stone for a pint and a movie.

http://www.stoneworldbistro.com/movies/

Pizza Port Perfection

Pizza Port (Port Brewing) does it again. On tap right now they have a top brew called Palapa Pale Ale.

It’s mildly hoppy with a nice florally finish. It went amazingly well with the Cajun Beer Buddies and Monterey pizza. I left “The Port” with a smile on my face and a growler of PPA for my buddy Chris. Happy 30^th mate, see you at Stone on Saturday.

Palapa Pale Ale is currently on sale for $12 per pitcher so get it while you can.

Cheers,
Matt - The Beer Blogga

Stay Tuned

Hello fans of the Beer Blogga.
I apologize for the lack of entries over the past several weeks.

Work and studies has been hectic and as much as it saddens me to say, keeping my from drinking and writing.

I have tried a few new brews recently and will write about them in the upcoming weeks.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned.

The Beer Blogga

Tap Room No. 21 Moes Backroom Pale Ale - Novato, CA

Tap Room No. 21 Moes Backroom Pale Ale

3.5/5

Thankfully these guys have redeemed themselves with this tasty pale ale. Unlike their lager which I rated low, this yummy little number will tantalize the taste buds.

It pours a clear light amber color, has a hint of hops and is followed by a very slight bitter after taste.

Over all it's pretty decent and has restored my faith in the brewer.

Pick up a sixer with your next pizza.

Lost Coast Brewery Alleycat Amber Ale - Eureka, CA

Lost Coast Brewery Alleycat Amber Ale

4/5

Another one of my favorite Californian brews, Alleycat is a nice malty Amber Ale. It is lightly hoppy with a subtle caramel note. In my opinion, the perfect balance.

Just like the funky artwork on the label, this beer is fresh and hip.

It's a very drinkable beer so be warned that too many and you might find yourself out the back of the bar conversing with the Alley Cats.

Steel Reserve 211 - Iwindale, CA

Steel Reserve 211

1/5

Wow. Not sure where to start with this one.

After recently gaining permanent residency to the US a close friend showed up to my house. He brought with him a can of this utterly putrid "malt liquor," a can of cheez whiz and promises of the "American Experience."

No need for words when one sip forces me to pull a face like in this photo.

I was completely dumbfounded that such a horrible concoction existed and more to the point, that people actually drank this stuff.

It's incredibly cheap and boasts a whopping 8% alcohol volume so you would at least hope it might have drinkability going for it right? Very wrong. It tastes so bad that I had no choice but to fill my mouth with cheez whiz. Oh yeah, pairs well with cheez whiz.

San Miguel - Spain

San Miguel

2/5

Here we have ourselves an example of a rather bland lager. It's quite light and easy to drink but not something I would consciously go out of my way to purchase again.

I first drank this in Barcelona which is perfectly fine as I always make a point of drinking the local brew wherever I go. Unfortunately it's not as good as I remember and I can't imagine I will go out of my way to drink it again....that is unless make my way back over to Spain some time.

Spain should really stick to making other quality products such as the Seat automobile.

Tap Room No. 21 Moes Backroom Lager - Novato CA

Tap Room No. 21 Moes Backroom Lager

2.5/5

This is not a beer to write home about. Ironically I'm writing about it. I guess you should be warned.

I chose this off the shelf at the supermarket as it looked interesting and was quite cheap. Should have known better.

It had a slight metallic smell which put me off from the beginning. I'm afraid it didn't taste that much better. It was drinkable enough but I fear I wasted my money purchasing a 6 pack.

I will not be purchasing this beer again however I'm interested to try other beers from this Brewer mainly as I'm always looking for that diamond in the rough... that huge taste to cost ratio that we're all chasing.

Karl Strauss Amber Lager - San Diego CA

Karl Strauss Amber Lager

3.5/5

This little award winning amber colored gem is one of the best bang for your buck beers I have come across recently. We're talking strictly flavor to price ratio here.

Karl Amber has a generous caramel note and is mildly hoppy. It's twice filtered which give it a nice light amber luster.

I find it to be one of those rare full flavored beers which you can manage to polish off several in one sitting. Fortunately my local Costo sells it by the case (24) at a very reasonable price.

Try Karl Amber with meaty Pizza, Pork or Steak. The subtle sweetness to the amber lager will pair nicely with these meats.

Shiner Bock - Shiner TX

Shiner Bock

3/5

Don't be fooled by the name ladies and gents. Although it's a Bock style beer it seems to lack the boldness and body of a typical Bock.

Don't get me wrong, it's good, but good in a comfort staple kind of way.

I give it points for drinkability but other than that I don't feel it has a lot going for it other than a nice bright label. At the risk of retribution from my manager, I dare say it's a tad bit forgettable.

It might go well with some ribs, brisket or something greasy and fried, Texan style.

Dundee Honey Brown Ale - Rochester NY

Dundee Honey Brown Ale

3.5/5

Now I'm not usually a fan of sweet beers so I usually stay away from honey ales. This little award wining gem is a light golden brown color with a subtle hit of honey on the pallet. I really didn't want to like it but I have nothing bad to say about it. Very much the underdog and a winner in my book.

The perfect drop to accompany a decent slice of barbecue chicken pizza.

Beck's - Germany

Becks

3/5

Some people may disagree with my rating on this one. I feel too many green bottled beers get a bad wrap. Although known to be a little "skunky" I find Beck's is a crisp and refreshing beer and best enjoyed super cold. It's one of those beers that slides down so well after several hours of yard work.

Sam Adams Boston Lager - Boston MA

Sam Adams Boston Lager

3/5

Sam Adams Boston Lager is by no means amazing, but for a mass produced, corporate beer it really is quite decent.

Most restaurants and bars will have Sam Adams. It's a great party beer because not only is it relatively inexpensive but you don't feel like a cheapskate offering it to your friends.

I'm not going to go out of my way to pair it to any specific food but as mentioned, it's a great party beer and will be a hit at your next BBQ.

Ballast Point - Yellow Tail Pale Ale- San Diego CA

Ballast Point - Yellow Tail Pale

4/5

Definitely a possibility of finding a permanent place in my fridge.

Yellow Tail Pale is based loosely on German style pales and is moderately hoppy with a clean bitter finish. It's a tasty consumption beer when you're looking for that tasty ale to accompany you to a summer BBQ and conveniently comes in 6 packs.

You will find Yellow Tail Pale and others in the Ballast point range in most chain supermarkets in San Diego.

Just like the big Tuna Fish on the label suggests, it will pair well with grilled fish or light seafood.

Ballast Point - Calico Amber Ale - San Diego CA

Ballast Point - Calico Amber Ale

5/5

This award winning ale is possibly one of the best beers I have discovered to date in the US.

This little beauty is a light golden amber in color and is mildly hoppy with smooth caramel notes. Inspired by English ESB's (Extra Special Bitter) it is the perfect balance of flavor and bitterness.

Enjoy it on its own or pair it with a steak, lamb or even grilled fish.

Welcome to the Beer Blogga

Hi all and welcome to the Beer Blogga.

The aim of this blog is to document my experience with beers. I feel that far too many beer critique sites get too fancy with their wording. With this blog I want to keep it interesting and at a level that us "average Joes" can understand.

Having lived in Australia for the first 25 years of my life then moving over to England and getting the opportunity to explore most of Europe, I have been fortunate enough to expose myself to some amazing beers, some pitiful beers and pretty much everything in between.

Before moving to California, I like many had a low opinion of American beers. This is mostly due to the Budweisers and Millers being heavily marketed all over the world as American Beer. Of course if this is all you have to go by you would expect the worst like I did. Little did I know, I was to be pleasantly surprised when discovering that the mico-brewery and craft beer culture is alive and kicking here in the US. San Diego alone is home to many micro-breweries and I am very happy to have set up camp where people are proud to drink their locally brewed craft beers.

I will start by retroactively adding entries from my Facebook photo blog and try to add a little more detail to my entries.

Ratings will be out of 5 and will follow this format:

5 = Fantastic
4 = Very Good
3 = Good
2 = Forgettable
1 = Very ordinary

I would be more than happy to receive comments and questions and would love to know if you agree or disagree with my critiques.

Thanks for stopping by.

Matt - The Beer Blogga