when you think about beer as much as we do…
Shiner Oktoberfest
I was recently in Northwest Arkansas, and had a chance to pick up a six-pack of Shiner Oktoberfest. This recipe has been brought back after a five year absence, and I’m glad they did.
It was a smooth Oktoberfest, and had a hint of burnt malt flavor. It had considerably less body than a few of my favorite Oktoberfest beers, but it was definitely drinkable. It finished nice and sweet.
Have you tried Shiner Oktoberfest? What was your impression?
Joey (right) and I (left) at the Festival
This past Sunday, the sixth annual Iowa Festival of Beers was held in Amana, next to Millstream Brewing.
This year was very exciting because of the opening of a few new breweries in the past year, including Peace Tree Brewing and Madhouse Brewing, along with the availability of “high-proof” beers.
In addition to the Iowa breweries, several of the area homebrew clubs, including those from Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, were able to share beers by several of their members.
Some of my favorites included Peace Tree’s Cornucopia, a farmhouse ale (saison), made with sweet corn.
Also, there were several beers from Old Man River Brewery and Restaurant in McGregor, Iowa that were very good, including a dunkel.
The local news was also there, and my friend, Joey, and I ended up in one of the cutaway shots (see the photo). It was a great day with great beer.
Did you get to the Festival of Iowa Beers 2010? What was your favorite?
Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale
It’s that time of year again, when the leaves lose their green color, it becomes cooler, and football season starts. It’s also time for the fall seasonals!
One of my favorite styles is Oktoberfest, but Sierra Nevada was first to the punch for fall seasonals by releasing their Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale in early August.
It was a nice brown ale. It initially smelled like roasted malt, with the flavor like roasted malt. It finished with nice roasted aftertaste with a hint of chocolate. It was a smooth brown ale that had just a hint of hop flavor.
Have you tried Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale? what did you think?
Tettenang Hop Vine
Cones on the Vine
Since I last posted about growing hops, the Tettenang hops continued to flourish. There were enough ripe cones that this past weekend, I brewed a German Fresh Hop Ale (Harvest Ale) using 2.5 oz of fresh Tettenang hops, picked off the vine Saturday morning. It should be ready within the next couple of weeks, and I’m excited to try it!
Did you grow hops this year? What was your result?
New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red
If you remember from our trip to New Glarus Brewing Co., I had a pint of the Wisconsin Belgian Red, and was excited to take one of the bottles home to enjoy it later. This beer has won several awards for New Glarus, including several Gold Medals at the Great American Beer Festival.
The other day, a couple friends and I cracked open the bottles of Wisconsin Belgian Red we had brought home.
First, the review: initially, it smells strongly like cherries. The taste is a full cherry flavor. It continues with the cherry flavor. It is a great beer, and, dare I say it, it almost was too intense. It left a great cherry flavor in my mouth.
Chocolate Cherry Layered Awesomeness
After we enjoyed a bottle of the Wisconsin Belgian Red, we decided to try something new: a layered chocolate-cherry beer. As you can see in the photo, we used my favorite beer, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout (the can that has the Nitrogen releasing widget inside). It was a hit!
The smooth chocolate flavor played very well with the strong cherry flavor, and the entire layered drink was great! I had previously tried a different chocolate-cherry layered beer with Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat with the Double Chocolate Stout, but the use of the Belgian Red was a great choice.
Have you had the Wisconsin Belgian Red? What was your take on this flavorful beer?