Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA

Widmer Brothers Brewing located in Portland, OR has been around since 1984...back in the early days of microbrews! They brew a wide range of styles and are likely to have something everyone can enjoy. They also have a Brother's Reserve line of specialty limited release brews in boxed 22oz bottles....look out for these at your local package store. Today I'm sampling their Pitch Black IPA!

Pours a nice deep black with some dark brown edges along with a khaki head that leaves some spotty lacing as it falls. Aromas kick off with some solid roasted malts and a blast of floral and citric hops with Cascades taking their place nicely. Quite enjoyable with a cocoa/coffee undertone.



First sip brings tasty roasted malts upfront with touches of coffee, cocoa and caramel. The hops flow in quickly bringing citric and floral accents along with a nice dose of bitterness. Good balance overall as it finishes with some lingering hops.

Mouthfeel is smooth and medium bodied with good carbonation - just an easy drinking brew overall. A solid black IPA that I was glad I picked up and tried. Hope Widmer keeps brewing this one.

Overall this brew gets a Great! from me....tasty stuff!

Check out the rest of the Widmer Brothers Brewing lineup at http://widmerbrothers.com/

Half Acre Meat Wave Released!

Half Acre Beer Company in Chicago, IL has been a great addition to the Chicago beer scene and they've been brewing, canning and bottling some really tasty brews! One of my favorites is their pale ale, Daisy Cutter, which comes in 4 packs of 16oz cans which are great for the outdoors, beach, etc.

They just released, on Friday May 20th, a new beer called Meat Wave, an English India Pale Ale with earthy hops. It should still be available at the brewery in 22ozhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif bottles for $8.99 a piece or they will do growler fills for $15 ($19 if you need a growler). The label is AWESOME:



I was lucky to drink this brew this weekend via a friend who got a growler. Great malt balance with earthy, somewhat piney hops that were fresh and vibrant. Some spice in there as well with a healthy dose of bitterness. Pretty easy drinking and happy to have been able to sample it....go get some yourself :-)

Check out more from Half Acre by surfing on over to http://www.halfacrebeer.com/home.php

Three Floyds Evil Power Imperial Pilsner

Here's a new release in 22oz bombers from Three Floyds in Munster, Indiana. This one is called Evil Power Imperial Pilsner and was brewed to celebrate an album by the band Lair of the Minotaur. Billed as a "fortified European-style Pilsner, lagered to perfection" at 7.20% ABV and 56 IBU.

The beers pours into my glass a brilliant golden orange with great clarity and a half inch of bubbles on top. Aromas big on doughy, toasted malts upfront with some semi-sweet fruity accents. Tons of grassy, herbaceous hops are right behind that. Slightly spicy as well.

First sip brings crisp semi-sweet malts that have a doughy/grainy flavor that quickly moves into bright grassy, earthy herbal hops. Flows down with some fruit and spice notes along with a good hoppy bitterness as well. Finishes clean with some lingering hoppy spiciness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and highly carbonated. Goes down pretty smooth. A tasty amped up pilsner that doesn't deviate too far from the original style. Glad I grabbed a bottle of this at Dark Lord Day...not sure if it was distributed to stores at all or not....



Overall this earns a rating of Enjoyable from me!

Check out the other great Three Floyds brews by surfing over to www.3floyds.com

“The 10 Best Beers for Tech Geeks"

Here's a fun top 10 list featuring some tasty craft brews that was posted over at the Bachelors Degree Online Blog.

Check it out by surfing to:

http://www.bachelorsdegreeonline.com/blog/2011/the-10-best-beers-for-tech-geeks

This list actually hits on quite a few obscure craft brews and I thought it was a pretty fun read....let me know what you think of it!

NEWS - Founders to Re-Release Blushing Monk

Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids, Michigan is set to release a beer from the past that I have loved. Blushing Monk was last brewed back in 2007 and released in 22oz bottles. It was a huge Belgian style ale fermented with tons of raspberries. The 2007 release weighed in at 12.3% ABV.

Starting this year, Founders will be releasing beers in 750ml bottles under the Backstage Series moniker. Blushing Monk will be the first release.



Per Founders:
"We're not going to reveal the entire lineup yet, but it will be full of taproom favorites that have been offered throughout the years. We plan to release two or three in the series this year."

Also, if you're anywhere near Grand Rapids, Michigan you should definitely check out Founders Fest on Saturday, June 18, 2001 from 3pm to 11pm.

Tons of bands, brews and a great time all around.

For more info surf over to:
http://www.foundersbrewing.com/?event=founders-fest-2011

New Belgium Trippel

New Belgium Brewing Company located in Fort Collins, Colorado brews up a wide range of beers. They are an extremely environmentally friendly brewery and even their website is run via wind power! You may well already be acquainted with their most popular beer, Fat Tire Amber Ale.

Today I am sampling one of their Belgian style ales, Trippel. It comes in at 7.8% abv and is brewed with coriander and hopped with Saaz, Liberty and Target hops.



Pours into the glass a bright golden color with a creamy two fingers of head on top of the brew. Nice active carbonation. Aromas kick off with sweet malts, spice, Belgian yeast and some fruitiness. Coriander comes through nicely as well.

First sip brings a mix of sweet malts, fruit and spice. Coriander flows into yeast esters. There's some heat on the way down along with a lingering spicy aftertaste. Finishes with some lingering fruity sweetness.

Mouthfeel is easy drinking with fast moving carbonation. Goes down smooth, albeit a bit on the sweet side for me. A good American tripel, however it doesn't beat out its Belgian counterparts in my humble opinion.

Overall this brew gets a rating of Enjoyable from me!

Check out more from New Belgium at http://www.newbelgium.com