13 Beers of Festivus: Day 2 Full Sail Session Black Lager

Full Sail Session Black Lager
Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR
Schwarzbier
5.4% ABV
18 IBU
BA: Not Rated
Ratebeer: 85(92 style)
Gary's Wine (consumed at home)
12/15/10
$1.49 in Ommegang Witte glass
       Full Sail Session Black Lager is a beer from Oregon that has only been available in the New Jersey market for about a month.  It poured a dark, think, deep black color.  There was a thick, bubbly head of about one finger in size that dissipated slowly.  Upon pouring it seemed highly carbonated as if it were a soda, but as I learned upon tasting, this beer was not to be judged on its looks alone.  At just 5.4% ABV and 18 IBU the Session Black is just that, a session beer.  A session beer is a beer of which several can be consumed over a drinking session without getting the drinker drunk.  There is absolutely no alcohol burn while drinking and it goes down deceptively smooth.  It drinks like a fairly light lager with a little extra malty flavor with some caramel and really light hints of chocolate.  This beer probably won't offend or impress anyone.  The biggest draw of this beer is the cool short, fat bottle that it comes in.  I picked up a single bottle at Gary's Wine in Wayne, NJ for $1.49 and it was also available in 12-packs.  They also sold the Full Sail Session Lager.  I would imagine that it tastes much the same with less caramel.  I wouldn't really recommend this for our more advanced followers, but if you're just starting your craft beer journey, this is a nice way to dip your toes in the deep end.  Its nothing wild, but the color will play tricks on you.  I'll give the Full Sail Session Black Lager 3.5 pints but only because of its quirkiness and price.  For a few more dollars than the big boys but less than most craft brands, pick up a 12-pack for you and a friend if you don't really want to get drunk, but want some flavor. 

13 Beers of Festivus: Victory Storm King Stout

I am honored to be kicking off the First Annual 13 Beers of Festivus Reviewathon! Every night starting tonight through Christmas, Aaron and I will alternate reviewing a different beer for your enjoyment. To get this party started, I sampled an impeccable beer for the frigid winter months, Victory Storm King Stout.

Storm King pours an extremely dark and dense color, impossible to see through and absolutely as dark as night. It is topped by a tan head that is thick and sticky and has amazingly good retention - it hung around for the duration of the session! The lacing on the side of the glass was thick and tan and also lasted long into the session. Bringing it to my nose, I immediately smelled chocolate and coffee, which was expected. Caramel also found it's way into the aroma, giving off a subtle sweetness, but, from experience, I knew that I would find almost no sweetness when tasting. And I was not disappointed. At first, I was hit the enormous mouth feel due in part by the carbonation. I had not taken a large sip but it felt like a lot. Texturally, it was thick and chewy and a literal mouthful, like a meal in a glass. Then the bitterness hit, but not the over-the-top-hop kind of bitterness. This bitterness came from the chocolate and coffee notes that dominate the palate; no sweetness to be found. Further into the session, the brew turned out to be quite smooth despite the thick, big mouth feel. It lingered nicely on the tongue, on the bitter side, but for this hop-head, it's not unwelcome. It even felt somewhat chewy after it was gone but that didn't last as long as the warming taste it leaves behind. Throughout, however, the astringent taste of alcohol is prevalent, which isn't surprising considering it weighs in at 9.1%! Overall, it is quite an amazing brew, very tasty, though chewy, good notes of chocolate and coffee and the more subtle caramel, but the alcohol kind of gets in the way. I still rate Victory Storm King Stout 3.5 out of 5 pints and recommend to those who like dark beers that are high in alcohol. It is a tried and true beer for the cold months that will warm you all winter long!

Pumpkin Beer Matchup

Happy Thanksgiving (for those of you who read this)! Okay, I admit this is a little late in the season for this, but it will be good for future reference. My brother, my uncle and I compared two pumpkin beers on Thanksgiving that have been recommended to me as the best. Both beers have been recommended to me as the best of the pumpkin style so I had to try them side by side and decide which one is actually the best (at least in my opinion). Feel free to do the same, if you can find any, or wait until they come back around next year.

Pumpkin Beer Championship Match:
Southern Tier Pumking vs. Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale

In one corner, the Southern Tier Pumking. Bottled in a 750mL, it poured a vibrant, clear orange color with very minimal head that dissipated quickly. The first sniff gives off an aroma of sweet pumpkin while leaning more towards pumpkin pie than an actual pumpkin. Nutmeg was the prevalent spice with maybe a little cinnamon hiding behind. Upon tasting, it was medium to full body and a lot sweeter than I expected. I've had a few other pumpkin beers in the past that was nowhere as sweet as this. The sweetness gave way halfway through, though, surrendering to strong notes of nutmeg and cinnamon. The finish was slightly bitter and really lasted long after swallowing. The lingering bitterness and spiciness was enjoyable and really added to the flavor. Pumking was smooth, easy to drink and very enjoyable.

In the other corner, the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Bottled in 12oz bottles that come in a 4-pack, it poured a lot darker than it's competitor. Instead of a clear orange, it poured a dark brown that wasn't all that dense with a small head that didn't stick around. The pumpkin aroma was strong and smelled more like a pumpkin than like a pie. It was powerful enough to overwhelm the underlying spices. I had a difficult time finding the cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and clove that the bottle claimed was in there. The beer had a fuller body, definitely strong, more bitter taste of pumpkin with very little spice to counteract. It wasn't like taking a bite out of a pumpkin but it was all I could detect and it wasn't nearly as sweet as Southern Tier's version. It finished dry and bitter (in a good way) but it faded relatively quickly. No lingering spices or bitterness on this one.

And the winner is.....

Southern Tier Pumking! If I were to crave a pumpkin beer next year, this would be the one I would look. There was just enough sweetness without being cloying and boasted a much nicer blend of all of the ingredients. No one spice or flavor overpowered the others as the Weyerbacher tasted more like pumpkin than anything else. The Pumking was smoother, easier to drink and a lot more flavorful and enjoyable. I don't want to come off as anti-Weyerbacher's pumpkin ale. I just prefer the one from Southern Tier. Weyerbacher's had its own positives and is definitely worth picking up and trying for yourself. But personally, next year, I'm going with Southern Tier.

Once again, I apologize for doing this taste test this late into November since it's unlikely that you will find any left in stores. (For the record, last I checked, there were still two 4-packs of Weyerbacher left in the Shop Rite Wines & Spirits in Emerson, so make haste if you want to try it!). Hopefully when next August/September comes around, you can pick up both and do your own taste test!

Brooklyn Brewery

   Well I'm back on the blog saddle and my first post in a long time is about my wonderful trip to an industry party at the Brooklyn Brewery.  The tap list for the night included all of the delicious beers in Brooklyn's year-round line, as well as, three brewmasters reserve beers, Detonation Ale, little brother Blast, and the newest beer of the line, Cuveé Noire.  Also included were Brooklyn's large bottle offerings.  The brewery itself is tucked into an industrial area, but is more than worth the treasure hunt.  When you arrive you open a large barn door to reveal a scaled down version of a brewing and bottling setup(most Brooklyn beers are produced upstate, but Brewmaster's Reserve beers are brewed and bottled in house).  As you walk past the brewing equipment you walk into a small but adequate tasting room with 8 taps.  There are a few benches and a few communal picnic table, true beer hall style, and on this night there was a small food spread set up on the side of the room.  
    The first beer I tried on the night was the newly-released Brooklyn Cuveé Noire.  Every description I read about this beer defined it as undefinable.  And they were all 100% correct.  This beer pours out a deep dark black with a nice creamy, foamy head.  To a casual observer the first thing that comes to mind is stout.  There is a nice roasted malt smell, but also a good hoppy smell that confuses you.  Upon the first sip you're completely dumbfounded.  It has a rich hop profile of the best imperial IPA, the roasted malty flavor of a nut brown ale, the sweetness of a belgian, and the creamy smoothness of a stout.  This beer is incredibly complex and dangerously drinkable at 8.7% ABV.  This beer is an absolute 5 Pints out of 5 along with the brewery itself.  
     Also try the Detonation Ale and the Blast if you have the chance.  The Detonation is an imperial English style IPA and the Blast is a flowery west coast style Imperial IPA.  The Detonation can currently be found on tap at The Shepherd and the Knucklehead so none of you, my readers, have an excuse to not try it.  Blast is produced in small batches every year so keep an eye out for it.  
       I want to give special thanks for making this night possible to my new colleague Sean from Beekman's Wine in Glen Rock(look for much better beer selection there soon) and Mike from Brooklyn Brewery.  I'd also like to thank Garrett Oliver, brewmaster for Brooklyn Brewery for hosting an amazing evening of beer.  I will certainly be returning to Brooklyn Brewery soon.

Harpoon India Pale Ale

Name: Harpoon IPA

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA

Style: India Pale Ale

ABV: 5.9%

IBU: 42

Date: October 11

Price: $8.99 for a 6 pack at Shop Rite Wines & Spirits of Emerson (shameless plug, I manage the beer in that particular store)

So, I'm Josh, co-writer on this here blog for hopheads. As mentioned above, I work with beer all day every day and, with Aaron's help, have experienced and love microbrews, the hoppier the better! But enough introductions...on to my first review!

So Aaron started off this blog with a palate-destroying Triple IPA, so whaddya say we back up a few steps and delve into something more of a crowd-pleaser? Allow me to introduce you to, Harpoon Brewery's flagship beer, their India Pale Ale. Now don't let the name 'India Pale Ale' scare you away and think this is a super hopped up unapproachable brew for the serious hopheads only. Quite the contrary. Harpoon's IPA is definitely a "beginner's IPA".

Into a generic pint glass, it pours a very nice orange-amber and is relatively transparent. There is a very thin line of pasty-white head that hovers and lingers at the edges of the glass with sticky lacing. The hops reach the nose quickly but they aren't very strong. No cringing in fear from overt bitterness. The aroma is both floral and has hints of pine with a subtle sweetness hiding just below the surface. It smells as light as it is, particularly light for an IPA.

The first sip grants a fantastic hop-forward, pine-like taste that quickly fades behind the malt sweetness. The hops return to linger and dance softly on the tongue in a long, dry finish but is actually quite refreshing. Gloriously non-existent is any hint of alcohol even though it pushes 6%; it's hidden very well underneath the malt and hops. A crazy hop-head might feel cheated due to the beer's thinness and easy drinkability but it's not a bad choice for a regular macro-drinker wanting to try something different without going overboard. As previously mentioned, it's a crowd-pleaser. It's not a bad beer to kick back with while watching some football on a Sunday or BBQing with friends. So drinkable for an IPA, you could put down two or three without leaving your tongue decimated or your head too woozy.

My rating: 3.75 pints out of 5. I, myself, do like a hoppier beer, but this is a very nice, smooth, easy to drink IPA that is sure to keep people coming back (like me!) or help newbies get started on the road to some of the crazier brews out there (i.e. the Devil Dancer that Aaron reviewed in July). Affordable, approachable...it's no wonder it's Harpoon's number one selling beer.