Shock Top Belgian White
Well, I saw this beer on the shelf. I wasn't sure what to do. Michelob Brewing Company making a Belgian Wit? Hmmm.... I put it part of a mixed six pack with some other stuff just so I could say I gave it a whirl. Looking at the bottle, I sorta had a hard time taking it seriously. I chilled it and popped the cap and poured...
This beer is unfiltered, which is normal for the style. As you can see in the photo, there is a cloudy appearance from the yeast sediment in the bottom of the bottle. The head formed rather nicely, but it was very short lived. It's gone and I'm not even half way through the glass yet. I went to the Michelob website to see what there was to see, and it seems that they are making some beers these days that might appeal to the craft and micro crowd. The Belgian White has a nice citrus aroma from the additions of orange peel and coriander. The website boasts a medium body for this beer, but my my personal standards, I don't think it quite makes it. It's a little on the light side for sure. This beer has an ABV of 5.2% and an IBU of 10 which is normal for the style. It's definitely a sweet beer.
I'm glad I took a look at the Michelob website. They have a couple pale ales, a porter, an irish red, amber bock, dunkel weisse, honey wheat, and a few others I might give a whirl if I can find them...
This beer isn't the best Belgian Wit I have had, but it's decent. It's definitely worth a try.
Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan
Here's a cool video of Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan from the 1983 "In Session" performing Matchbox Blues. I always check amazon.com's daily 'deal' in the mp3 downloads, and I picked up the mp3 CD of this session today for $1.99.
Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock
In the past, I have normally avoided blondes... at least when we're talking about beer. In the past few weeks, I have been reconsidering that. These beers have their place in the world. In most cases when I see a "Blonde" name on a beer, I stereotype it as a micro or craft brewer's offering to the BudMillerCoors crowd. In reality, I really believe that IS the case. The difference between the blonde offerings from micro/craft brewers and the big beer companies is the flavor and ingredients used to get there. The micro/craft beers have a slightly (only slightly) heavier body but the mouth feel and flavor is usually impressive compared to their rice-boiled counterparts. As a home brewer, I have never cooked up a blonde but I'm going to do one very soon. Why? Well, there are a lot of people in the BudMillerCoors crowd. One of my personal objectives this year is to get a couple of my friends interested in home brewing so I can have someone to brew with rather than doing it by myself all the time. If I brew a good blonde and pour it down the necks of those friends who say they don't like home brewed beer, I might just come up with some converts who might become more willing to expand their beer horizons. I know that when you take someone who has never really consumed any real beer and give them a home brewed stout, porter, or some other really thick beer, they will generally spit it out. They just aren't used to what happens to the old taste buds when they collide with a high gravity home brew. You have to convert them slowly!
Anyway... this brings me to today's sampling from Gordon Biersch Brewing Company in San Jose, California. The Blonde Bock isn't really a member of the family of blondes that I discussed above. It's a blonde, but it's also a bock. The actual origin of bocks is a bit of a mystery but it dates back to medieval times in Germany when monks would brew some really strong beers for sustenance during periods of fasting. The heavy body and higher sugar content would provide that sustenance. This blonde bock has a great malt flavor with a medium offering of hops which creates a very nice balance. The blonde bock is also ringing in at 7% alcohol which gives it a nice bite. The higher alcohol content also makes this beer best served at a little warmer temperature. 55° F seems pretty nice to me. I'm excited about trying some more Gordon Biersch brews since they are now locally available to me...
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout
Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout is another beer that has been on my to-do list for a while. After tasting the Rogue Shakespeare Stout and being told that this was a comparable beer, I had to push it towards the top of my agenda. Standing up against the bard himself will be quite a task. The Shakespeare Stout was one of the best of its type I have ever tasted, so let's have a look at this offering.
Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout poured nicely and a very rich and creamy brown head graced the sampling very easily. This beer is practically black but there are some hints of amber around the edges of the glass. The aroma of roasted barley and black patent malt got my taste buds excited pretty quickly. The taste of this beer excellent with a very smooth and velvety mouth feel with a full body and pronounced hop presence. The dark malts linger on the tongue for a beautiful smokey finish and after taste. Like other beers of this style, it is heavy, and really makes a nice dessert drink. It would also make a nice liquid in a vanilla ice cream float.
After working my way through this victorian pint (18.7 ounces / 550ml), I'm not quite ready to make the call on whether or not this is worse, equal to, or better than the Rogue Shakespeare Stout. While the Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout is a fantastic beer, I think I'm going to have to do a side-by-side tasting of these two in order to make a decision on my personal favorite. Life was much simpler when I drank Coors Light.
** Note of Interest **
I'm going to be writing a weekly beer review for the Hickory Daily Record's Superbuzz, which is their weekly entertainment paper. I'm going to be reviewing some of the same beers I have written about here as well as new samplings, but those reviews are going to come in a little different format. Check it out if you get a chance!
Home Brew Drop-In Party
Saturday, June 27th from Noon until whenever (or 8pm)
This is an all-afternoon drop-in party if you would like to stop by. I'll be making home brewed beer and another batch of home brewed hard cider during the afternoon. I'll also have samples of my last few brews available for tasting along with snacks and soft drinks. If you have ever been interested in seeing how beer is made, this will be your chance! If you also make beer, you are welcome to come brew with me!
You can come for the entire day or just stop by if you have a chance. Bring your own beer and cooler! We'll be running from Noon until whenever. The brewing process will start sometime between noon and 1pm and last until sometime between 5pm and 6pm. The beer that I'll be making this time will be an all-grain beer, and it will also be my first attempt at making beer this way.
Feel free to bring friends and/or family members. Everyone is welcome :)
I'm hosting this brew party at Tonya's house in Valdese. Her address is:
101 St. Germain Ave., Valdese
Her house is located directly behind the big gray Waldensian Church. It's the tan colored brick house on the corner directly across from the back side of the church. If you need additional directions, please feel free to contact me.
If you are on Facebook, let me know and I'll get you on the event page there...
Weyerbacher Slam Dunkel
Today's sampling is from Weyerbacher Brewing Co. in Easton, PA. Slam Dunkel is billed as a double dunkelweizen ale and boasts a hefty 7% ABV.
One tidbit I usually fail to comment on in my reviews is some of the beer terminology that could possibly be cryptic to the casual beer drinker, so let's talke about dunkelweizen for just a moment... Whenever you see weizen or wit in the beer name, it means you are dealing with a wheat beer. Wheat beers are made from malted wheat and barley rather than just malted barley. Dunkel is German for dark, so a dunkelweizen is a dark wheat beer, and the style originated in southern Germany.
Weyerbacher originally released the Slam Dunkel in 2007 as a small batch release, but later continued to include it as a seasonal brew due to it's wide popularity. The dunkel part of this beer comes from the addition of chocolate malts in the brewing process. Slam Dunkel also exhibits the common banana and clove aroma that is common in wheat beers, but it's more subdued in this brew. Slam Dunkel is also bottle conditioned, so it does have the traditional yeast sediment on the bottom of the bottle. Due to the higher alcohol content of this beer, it is another brew that is best served at a slightly warmer temperature. I believe that 55° is just about perfect for this one.
As I have commented earlier, I really like wheat beers on a hot summer day. The dunkelweizen doesn't really fit the same bill though. It's a heavier beer and not as crisp as a regular wheat brew.
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