Thoughts on Beer

Fat Tire in a Can

With Memorial Day signifying the start of summer, it’s about time to think about putting away the bottles and bringing out the cans for a nice relaxing boat trip. But instead of the traditional macro-brewed cans on the boat, why not try something a bit more delicious?

Some of your favorites happen to be in non-breakable aluminum, and just so happen to be a bit more “green”. Oskar Blues, the brewery made famous for canning all of their massive brews (Dales Pale Ale and Old Chub are some great examples) outline the benefits of why they use cans on their website:

Unlike beer cans of the past, today’s aluminum can and its lid are lined with a water-based coating.  Beer and metal never touch and there is no exchange of flavor.Aluminum can keeps beer fresher for longer by fully eliminating the damages of light and ingressed oxygen.

Lightweight cans enable Oskar Blues to reduce its fuel costs and carbon footprint for shipped beer by 35%.

Highly portable, unbreakable cans enable craft beer lovers to easily enjoy great beer in places where glass bottles are not welcome or allowed: the beach, pool, boat, trail, river, slope, tub, golf course, backpack and others.

Cans are the most easily and frequently recycled beverage package in the world.

A recycled aluminum can generates 95% less pollution than one made from scratch and requires 96% less energy.

One recycled can saves the energy equivalent of 6 ounces of gas or the electricity to power a guitar amplifier for two hours.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, I had a chance to try Dales Pale Ale, and as soon as you cracked open the can, you got a big whiff of citrus.  That’s a great pale ale.  Some of my other favorites include New Belgium‘s Fat Tire, Leinenkugel‘s Summer Shandy, Shiner Bock, and even Boulevard‘s Unfiltered Wheat can be found in aluminum bottles.

So, when you can’t have glass bottles, go for one of your favorite craft brews in a can!

What’s your favorite canned beer?  Do know of any other craft brewers canning their beer?

Great Divide Brewing Co Oak Aged Yeti Stout

One of the beers I purchased the last time I came East but didn’t have the chance to try until this trip was the Oak Aged Yeti Stout, from the Great Divide Brewing Co in Denver, Colorado.

All I have to say is “Wow!”  It was a nice, thick imperial stout with a ton of flavor and complexity.

Initially, it smells like coffee.  It’s very malty and leaves your mouth with a slight warming sensation because of its strength.  It is very smooth going down, and it leaves your palate flavored like coffee, chocolate, and vanilla.  It was a very complex and deeply flavored beer, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Have you tried the Oak Aged Yeti Stout?  What was your opinion?

Southern Tier Brewing Co Gemini

I had the chance to try Southern Tier Brewing Company Gemini, based in Lakewood, New York.  It’s a 50/50 blend of their unfiltered Hoppe and Unearthly beers.

As an IPA, I was prepared for an ultra hoppy beer, but it was an excellent blend that was very smooth.  It didn’t have too much bitterness, and was very balanced.

The beer had four different types hops in boil, and five types of dry hops.  This contributes a ton of citrus and floral flavor that balances out with the thick malt flavor.

I have to say, this was a great beer.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone.  Don’t let the IPA label scare you because the hop flavor and aroma was very subdued, but just be prepared for it to be thicker than your regular Pale Ale or other session beer.

Have you had Gemini?  What did you think?

Lagunitas Brewing Wilco Tango Foxtrot

I went East (specifically New Jersey), and if there’s one thing I enjoy about going East, it’s trying beers that haven’t made it to Iowa yet.

One of these I had the chance to try is Lagunitas Brewing Company‘s Wilco Tango Foxtrot.  On the label it says “We’re not in the black, we’re not in the red.  Does that mean we’re in the brown?”

It seems to be a stonger brown ale/red ale (it’s listed as 7.83%).  Right off the bat, it smells like coffee and chocolate.  The color is darker than a red, yet lighter than a brown.  It tastes like roasted malt, and has a nice strong malt flavor.  Because of the strength, it leaves a slight alcohol flavor with a little bit of warming.  The hop finish leaves a bit of slight citrus and herbal flavor.  It was a nice beer that would be great in colder times.

Have you tried Lagunitas Brewing Company’s Wilco Tango Foxtrot?  What did you think?

Yesterday I successfully put up my second hop trellis, for the Cascade hop bed and two Hallertau hop beds, bringing the total hop beds to six.  The two Hallertau beds used the “Jumbo” rhizomes from Freshops.

When I previously bought hop rhizomes, I got the standard size, but after seeing the viability of the Jumbo varieties (it looked like a small tree trunk), I would definitely recommend buying the jumbo rhizomes from Freshops.  In both cases, the rhizomes have vines over a foot tall within a few weeks.

As for the other three beds (Golding, Tettenang, and Willamette), I have one Tettenang hop vine that has already reached the top, and is about a foot above the trellis!

Stay tuned for updates, and I’ll see if I can snap a few photos of the setup, too.