The Beer Cellar

11th Mar 2013

So a lot has changed since December 2011

First and foremost, I forgot about you beer-cyber world. But I wanted to rant about the changes in the last year point five.

Currently homebrewing is a big part of my life. I have made four beers, with all grain brewing really taking center stage in my mind (and abroad?!) Metaphors.

Secondly I have started an untappd and twitter page (@vivalabeergeek / https://twitter.com/vivalabeergeek) both of which have been disastrous to my finances- aka I’m buying way more craft beers and such. But on the bright side of these economic middle-ages, I’m glad to say my knowledge has expanded ten-fold.

From now on I will make two promises with this blog. 1. My photographs of beer will attempt to be more interesting and of a higher caliber. 2.I will attempt, in this blog, to bring forward beer in a way I would have wished to have been presented it. Thus I will start to categorize how I believe everyone should examine good beer. Pretension will all be avoided.

I will talk about beer by focusing on look, smell, appeal (sweetness vs bitterness), uniqueness (original flavors), textures/thickness (aka body) and overall quality of the session.

I won’t be able to talk about every beer I drink, let alone photograph them all. But with your patience, I hope you come to enjoy this blog. Cheers.

29th Dec 2011 | 1 note

Nothing says wonderful like free beer. Except when it’s gone bad. And it could have been so good!

25th Dec 2011 | 18 notes

If we had George Washington in our time the socio-economics of politics may be a bit different today. But the beer would probably remain the same. Yards has rereleased their tavern series and yesterday, Christmas eve, I was finally able to recoup from family and festivities with the of beer our forefathers. Tavern porter has come out the most ideal of the three 18th century recipes from yards. It is strong and sweet with a hint of smoky notes. And at 7% George Washington would have gotten drunk off of a handful of these.

So cheers this holiday season and enjoy this one with friends and family. If you have never gotten into the porters, nothing says a fresh start like tradition. It isn’t the most phenomenal porter but it sure is easy drinking with philly heritage. That sure will warm your bones.

Dark beer: 9/10 Classic American: 9.5/10 Aroma: 8/10 Beers for beer haterd: 7/10 Originality and complexity: 8/10 Overall: 8.5/10

25th Dec 2011 | 14 notes

Dark beer: 9/10 Classic American: 9.5/10 Aroma: 8/10 Beers for beer haterd: 7/10 Originality and complexity: 8/10 Overall: 8.5/10

15th Sep 2011 | 4 notes

I’ve been Lazy: The rest of the Summer into Autumn brews:

So as summer concludes and a cold rain marks both a change of mood and season as I sit in my attic/apartment of the new house with my friends Kyle and Ryan, I am reminded that I have left you all hanging about the remaining three beers of my under $12 six pack. So, for the sake of clarity and direction, I will make this short and sweet:

Troegs Java Head: Heavy and loving, Troeg’s Java Head does not necessarily remind me of a cup of coffee as much as I had hoped. Instead, it is powerful and quite overwhelming. But at 60 IBUs the power comes mostly from it’s weird blend of malts and flavors, it does not come from the hops. The cocktail of flavors reminds me of what it’s like to put too many ingredients into an omelet: Sometimes you forget there is egg in there. Though a bad metaphor, my point is Java Head has failed to convince me that it is necessarily a ‘go-to’ beer for the changes of season. It was enjoyable and original, but not one I will pick up again soon. And the semi-psychadelic label does nothing to alleviate the confusion which is this beer.
Dark Beer: 8/10
Blends: 7.5/10
Aroma: 7/10
Slow Sippers: 8.5/10
Overall: 7.75/10

Walt Wit Unfiltered Belgian-style White Ale:
Now this is what I’m talking about. All summer I was looking for a comparable American White/Whitte/Whit/ Belgian beer. Though not 100% as unique as those crazy Bavarian bottles, Walt Wit is a great end of summer Ale that I can proudly say grants me permission to like Philadelphia a little more (don’t worry, Philly sports will never appeal to me).
Though only rated at B- on Beeradvocate, Walt Wit rates higher in my book because its Brewing Company (simply called Philadelphia Brewing Co) has concoted a winner amongst mostly average or slightly above average brews. The greatest trait of Walt Wit is its safe balance of drinkability (at only 20 IBUs) and obnoxiously pleasant natural flavors. This beer pours a cloudy grapefruit yellow (like the color of the label) and it smells of semi-sweet nectar. My only qualm with this beer is it’s weak alcohol content. At 4.5% the Philadelphia Brewing Co. decided to play it cool for the sake of flavor here. It does not compare with Golden Monkey by Victory which is the perfect marriage of high alcohol content 9% and excellent flavor.
Classic American: 9/10 (with a name like Walt Wit, it’s gotta be good)
Pub Standards: 9/10
Aroma: 8.75/10
Beers for Beer haters: 9.25/10
Surprises: 9/10
Dark Horse: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Post Road Pumpkin Ale: This is what a beer would taste like in Hogwarts. No joke, (and not a bad thing). To sum up all the great aspects of this beer, Post Road isn’t just Pumpkin flavored beer: it is a pumpkin pie injected into a biting, semi-sweet, but mildly malty ale. Post Road pairs excellently mostly with light food, but demands being polished off as a meal on its own.
Now onto the Hogwarts thing: this beer brings up memories of butterscotch, scarves, and the growing up process that parallels both Harry, Ron and Hermione. But let’s be real, drinking a chalice/goblet/pint of this brew will urge you to scoff at first years or it will lead you into a drunken Quiddich match. Ok, time to Expelliarmus this lame comparison. Plain and simple, Post Road is filled with aromas and tastes of butterscotch, nutmeg, and sweet pumpkin. My only complaint is consistency. I bought another six pack of this after the first glass and only enjoyed three out of the six bottles in it. Someone should cast a quality-control spell…
I wonder what a glass of this would taste like with a bit of whipped cream vodka? Bad idea? Probably:
Blends: 9.5/10
Pub Standards: 9.5/10
Aroma: 9.75/10
Seasonal Concotions: 9.25/10
Surprises: 9/10 (not a huge surprise, since it does come from Brooklyn!)
Originality/Complexity: 9.5/10
Overall: 9.5/10

7th Sep 2011

McNeill’s Dark Angel Imperial Stout

10% ABV

Guest contributor Jeremy Ferris

My consumption of McNeill’s Dark Angel Imperial Stout, brewed in Brattleboro, VT, sits comfortably alongside other Vermont classics - Magic Hat, Otter Creek, and Long Trail. I found a 22 ounce bottle in a general store in southern Vermont, after a kickass job interview at a bookstore, where my interviewer claimed I was on a slippery slope to becoming a junkie - I swear it went well. The bottle of McNeill’s boasts 13 awards both within the US and across the entire world! Hot damn! I took some home after the cashier was skeptical that I could be older than, like, 16.

I figured some local pride was in order, picked up a couple large bottles of stout (Blue Fin, from Maine, will be next), because it’s becoming that season - I wore a fleece lined corduroy jacket while playing fetch with my border collie - and sat chillily on my porch quaffing the stout, poured into a standard pint glass. The beer, and this thought remained through my consumption of the whole pint and six ounces, from first pour to last sip, was very thick and syrupy, almost to a fault, but good for a early autumn (?!) day full of promise. The head on the first pour was disappointing, though the second yielded a voluptuous foam reminiscent of the crema of an espresso, medium tan; the most beautiful head I have ever seen on a beer. I was surprised by the hoppiness of it, the high alcohol content reminded me of a barley wine style beer, but with the roasty coffee and nut flavors one should expect from a stout. Very velvety, some vanilla action going on; as I sat on my porch and strummed my guitar I was shanghaied by the high alcohol content. A lot of other, less distinct, flavors kept bubbling up through. I was constantly surprised, sometimes spicy, a hint of whisky, sometimes sweet, but always bitter and creamy. At the end of my bottle I began to share it with a cup of green tea and honey, which complimented it well and shouldn’t be discounted.

I have been waiting for a sufficient beer to devote attention and time to before contributing to the Beer Cellar (Point’s Nude Beach, I’m looking at you) - McNeill’s Dark Angel Imperial Stout was plenty worthy - because unless something really really sucks, a negative review is just complaining. But McNeill’s breaks free! Let’s not forget the handrawn graphics on the label, a fuchsia angel head with horns and a flaming goatee surrounded by pentagrams - sort of Ed Hardy but a little bit less douchey, although it does use Comic Sans. The beer hits hard and heavy, as evidenced by the high alcohol content, and is definitely sip-worthy. Each time the glass is raised to the mouth, the best course of action is a swish before a gulp, to ease the almost-too-syrupy quality of the stout. But autumn is upon us, my friends, the temperature dips below 60 and the trees turn, so we need all the help we can get from hearty and flavorful brews and stews.

Dark Beer: 9.5/10

Slow Sippers: 9/10 (about an hour-and-a-half for a pint and six ounces, without any stimulating dialogue)

Surprises: 7/10

Good with food: 8/10 (does another (hot) beverage count? I still wish I was eating sausage with

peppers and onions or something with this.)

Classic American: 10/10 (Woo Vermont!)

Overall: 9.25/10

31st Aug 2011 | 1 note

The “August into Autumn Under $12 Custom Six-Pack” Challenge (Part 1)

As a special deal (for neglecting you wonderful readers) I will review the first three beer for which I had hoped would aspire in me great desire for Autumn. What I learned from these three beers is that Autumn is about flavor and moving forward. One of these three beers has now become a favorite of mind, one more is excellent, and one has failed miserably to inspire me.
————————————————————————————————-

First the bad news (i.e. the loser). Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Orange Blossom Cream Ale was recommended to me by a salesman at my local beer emporium. He swore by the beer’s flavor and originality, and when I asked him how it would stand up if compared to other end of the summer and beginning of the autumn beers, he told me I would undoubtedly drink the cream ale into fall. But he was wrong.

When I think Cream Ale, I think Genesee Cream- the cheapest and dullest contribution to beer ever to come out of Rochester, yet a brew that I (and many people I knew) thrived on (warm and cold) because of our Rochester pride. Yes, Buffalo Bill’s Orange Cream blows Genesee out of the water, but that’s like…comparing Apples to Oranges, Tang to Sunny D (you get the picture). For the price Orange Cream should taste better than 2 for a dollar beer. But Orange Cream stops there. One is overwhelmed by an overly fruity, highly carbonated, and artificial sugar-like flavor. There is no maturity to the flavor, and very little of a pleasant aftertaste. But I should have known better, at 13 IBUs maturity isn’t the key focus of this ‘seasonal ale.’ Certainly this is a beer for a younger palate. And, I should have listened to my gut by looking at the kitchy label before packing this into my custom six pack.
Blends: 6/10
Aroma: 7/10 (Mildly pleasant at first, but slightly sickening as you continue to drink)
Slow Sippers: 4/10 (Fails to enjoy)
Fruit in Beer: 5/10 (Unless flat off-brand orange soda is your thing)
Originality/Complexity: 5/10
Overall: 5.25/10

Now for some better news: It’s time to grow a stronger palate and review Raging Bitch from Flying Dog. This Belgian-style IPA is a rather strong (8.3%) Medium/high biting (60 IBU) sweet malt IPA meant to both pain and pleasure you. For me, this was one of my first forays outside of tradition IPAs and American Pale Ales that left me impressed, but desiring something better.

With potent strong flavors of cherry/fig/grapefruit this beer certainly stands up to its name. As a craft ale, it stands up to its price and its allure. But as a bit of a warning, choose wisely before cracking open this beer. It certainly has its time and place for the overtly-strong approach reminds me of that one relative you need in moderation. At times I was not sure what to make of the sweetness of the beer paired with the hoppiness. It really did bite me, but it was not a light beer. But after about six ounces, I knew how to handle this beer- slowly. And like one learns to adapt to moldy cheeses, one must learn to adapt to Raging Bitch’s unique (semi-acerbic) taste. This is not a good ‘let’s polish a six pack’ beer. But I am looking forward to trying another single bottle of it with dark chocolate or spicy food.
IPAs: 8.5/10
Pub Standards: 7/10 (Basically not one I think I’ll find or actually purchase with strangers and large groups)
Slow Sippers: 9/10
Surprises: 9/10
Clever Name: 9.25/10
Good with Food: 8.5/10 (It seems like it would be excellent when paired with spicy or strong sweet flavors)
Overall: 8.5/10

And now for the best news. Wolaver’s Oatmeal Stout (from the Otter Creek brewery in Vermont) is both thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring. It is the rookie that pushes aside the veteran Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout (which is also an excellent beer). From first smell I was greeted by a butterscotch aroma, and at first taste I had the recollection of burnt buttered toast with light goat cheese. As a beer, this oatmeal stout had an unfiltered bite but was not paired with an overwhelming heavy carbonation. Plain and simple, I’d drink this beer alongside my coffee and cheerio’s each morning if I could.
Additionally, Wolaver’s Oatmeal stout seems to have a special place at night. I can see it now, after a long fall photoshoot, I would crack open a bottle of Wolaver’s Oatmeal even before taking off my boots and my coat. It’s the perfect working-gentleman’s ‘chest-hair’ beer. What I mean by this (isn’t that ladies shouldn’t drink it, on the contrary), but that it makes you feel good in a very honest unpretentious way. And that leads to my final comment on this beer: it is inspiring because it seems as if Wolaver’s is a fairly new or fairly small and growing brewery. Their webpage hasn’t even been fully developed. This tells me that honest beers are finding an honest place within the craft market. And for that, I will keep buying you Wolaver’s Oatmeal Stout.
Dark Beers: 9.75/10
Classic American: 9/10 (or an American approach to a market I thought was dominated by the Brits, and a flavor to cherish)
Pub Standards: 9.5/10 (I’d drink this if it was on tap throughout October and November)
Surprises: 9.5/10 (I thought it would be average, or a little above average like many of the brews from Vermont that I have tried- I have a strong amount of pride and bias for Pennsylvania, New York and most of the non New England North East breweries)
Originality/Complexity: 8.5/10 (Consistent and compelling; a step in perfecting an already good concept in the Oatmeal Stout)
Overall: 9.25/10

25th Aug 2011 | 8 notes

Partner in crime

(Source: droppedintothesand)

17th Aug 2011

New beer challenge to look forward to in the coming weeks

Sad days call for a new beer challenge.

I cannot wait for the Fall, so I’m already breaking in the beers meant for the end of September/beginning of October. And, without school to fill my days and my time, I’ll have plenty of time to try these and many other Autumn brews.

But, since it is still August, I’m trying some Summer beers recommended for me. One is a Philadelphia brewed Belgian ale, another is a honey-orange brew, and the final is a flying dog Belgian IPA. Consider those my coda to the summer’s brews. Then, by September I’ll review some toastier, more robust stouts and an ale. That will be my introduction to a new season, and hopefully one a many new beginnings. Gentlemen and ladies, cross your fingers for me .

Under $12 Custom Six Pack: Summer into Autumn brews

Walt Wit Unfiltered Belgian-style White Ale (Philadelphia)
Buffalo Bill’s Brewery Orange Blossom Cream Ale (California)Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian-style IPA (Maryland)
Post Road Pumpkin Ale (Brooklyn)
Troegs Java Head (Pennsylvania)
Wolaver’s Oatmeal Stout (Vermont)

14th Aug 2011 | 5 notes

Rohrbach’s Blueberry Ale:
4.6 ABV

I’m going to be 100%honest here: Rohrbach’s Blueberry Ale is by far on my top five list of favorite beers. This is not because it is the best beer out there. But to me beer, like life, is so much more complex than about being perfect.

Corney cliches aside, Rohrbach’s Blueberry Ale represents three things for me. The people that matter, the concepts into which good beer should be devoted, and how the surprises to be had in a beer can be a gateway into enjoying beer.

Rohrbach’s is an amazing product of Rochester New York. Alongside such products of this small city which include the University in which I obtained my bachelor’s degree, Rohrbach’s makes up the essence of which for me is Rochester:

I first tried Rohrbach’s Blueberry Ale at a Rochester Red Wing’s AAA baseball game. It was interesting, but I would soon learn the importance of how good this beer could be in the presence of good company. I bought my first growler/tumbler of Rohrbach’s blueberry ale when my best friend visited me that same summer. We sat on my porch and finished the entire thing in less than two hours: it was way too easy to drink this blonde ale infused with natural blueberry.

I kept the beer in the back of my mind through the winter of 2010 and 2011. Certainly four months of snow and overcast skies were not ideal weather for a super flavorful but light blueberry beer. I drank many a stouts and porters. But then another great friend of mine came to visit in April and I no longer needed an excuse to bring back the ale.

I have drank this beer with some of the greatest company. Certainly my opinion of this beer was influence by the fact that they held very strong opinions of the beer. Our passions for the flavor and experience have influenced my love for the brew.

Much like music and art, great beer is best shared with others. But it seems like Rohrbach’s has also devoted a great deal of time to making quite a unique and original brew. Every other fruit beer I have tried pales far behind in comparison. Unless they hint at subtle fruit flavor (as Leffe blonde does with banana), or unless they are lambics, most wheat beers with fruit infused do not use the fruit flavor to compliment, but rather they alter the flavors. Blueberry Ale is unique because blueberry dominates the palate without overwhelming: Malt is complimented by a tender and refreshing blueberry linger. The beer is drinkable and flavorful.

Plain and simple, I don’t feel slightly uncomfortable with Blueberry Ale’s aftertaste. With UFO’s rasperry hefeweizen or Long Trail’s blackbeary wheat, I felt punched in the mouth by bitter, rather sour tastes. And, honestly sour and beer don’t mix for sour is to beer as expired is to milk, as moldy is to bread. You get the idea.

But Rohrbach’s blueberry ale does have a few flaws. The first one I noticed is consistency. I have bought five growlers of the beer so far, of which two were phenomenal, one was good, and one was mediocre. In other words, there is a slight gamble between each growler. So, I would highly recommend that if you come in contact with the brew, buy two [Cha ching]. The second flaw is that (as with all Rohrbach ales) it must stay cold at all times. This is because the Rohrbach’s is a small brewery that only brews their beers (as far as I know) in 64oz growlers or keg. As a result, though there is a unique and old-fashioned feeling to drinking their beers, they are pasteurized, and if they leave refrigeration for too long they will spoil. The final flaw isn’t so much a bad one (and it probably aided the great experiences I’ve had with the brew). But, once you open a growler, it must be finished in two days. As a result, you cannot selectively drink this beer like you would a six pack of bottles. But to be honest, this 4.6 ABV beer drinks quite quickly, and for two people a 64 ounce growler grants a good (classy) buzz. So invite your friends and get plastered (preferably outside)

Finally, Rohrbach’s, I owe you a huge nod. You enlightened me into the endless possibilities of beer. And honestly, you also made me realize a beer doesn’t have to be everybody’s favorite to be your favorite. Duh!

(Rohrbach’s if you ever read this, please start distributing outside of upstate NY.)

Blends: 9/10
Fruit in Beer: 10/10
Pub Standard: 8/10 (Because they don’t sell it at enough places but they should)
Seasonal Concoctions: 9/10 (Few summer ales trump this on my ‘hell yes it’s on tap’ reaction)
Aroma: 9/10 (It smells like blueberries right away, and blueberries are good for memory and brain function, thus this beer must be good for you! [don’t hold me to that])
Surprises: 9/10 (the worst part of the surprise of the beer is how quickly it is finished. At 64 ounces, it’s like 4 pints, and at about $10 a growler ($8 + $2 growler deposit) it is only slightly cheaper than Yuengling on special)
Overall: 9.5/10 (Love it! Support Rohrbach’s!)