Black Bear from Bear republic Brewing Co.

Hello all, it's been a long time since I have been blogging but I figured why not. I tried a new beer today and since I need more calories in my diet plan, I figured why not a nice Stout. This one that I tired is from the Bear Republic Brewing Company in Sonoma Co. California. I wanted a nice dark stout and that is what I got with this one. It's called Black Bear!
I picked a good one and for 5 bucks in the 22oz bottle, it was a steal compared with other Stouts. This poured out pitch black with a solid two finger cap of brown foam, A perfect looking stout. Light carbonation bubbles quickly rising to the top give the head excellent retention. After most of the head was down I put my lips to the glass ready to taste from the pitch blackness within. Nice!! A sensation of malt with coffee and chocolate laced in the background. If you don't like a little after taste of malt and a little bitter you would not like this bear. It has an over all strong taste but no alcohol at the back. The carbonation is not noticible like some beers. I would say if you like a strong but smooth Stout/dark beer by all means try this one from Bear Republic Brewing Company in Sonoma Co. California

Hey I figure I better put up a blog for the year as I see I haven't been on here for a year... well, it's been a long year. I am currently working for the Citadel Saginaw cluster and on the air Saturday morning from 9-2pm on WHNN and part of the Early Shift on WIOG weekdays from 6am to 10am. Nothing new as far as the health goes, but that is a good thing as to nothing to report. Other than that not a lot has changed for the past year.... may have some news before the new year which I will post if something happens!!

Ok Ok, so I haven't been on here for a loooonnnnngggg time but I thought I'd put something up here since I got up early this morning and am ready for the day already. First off, I've been going to Ross Medical Education Center in Saginaw since April for Dental Assisting and I'm now done with the classroom and on to the Externship for 180 hours. I am doing my externship at Aspen Dental. It's nothing like the classroom and I don't think anything could have prepared me for the fast pace of how things work. Yes it was the same way when I got in the radio business some 20 years ago and I just have to remember that I didn't know everything then either(and still don't). So all in all I hope to find a job in either radio or dental assisting when I'm done around Christmas.

Other than that not a lot has changed. One thing that Aija has started is making bath products like bath bombs, lip balm and lotion bars. Just click on the link below and you'll find everything you need to know about her products...
Ok I haven't been drinking my usual Stouts since they are more expensive and in the summer stouts are harder to get in the "off season". Most stouts are made in the fall/winter. I just bought one that I like but it's still not as good as the Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout that I've had in the past... The new one is from Stoudts Brewing Company in Pennsylvania and it's called Fat Dog. It's an Imperial Oatmeal Stout which of course makes it more alcohol content. This one has 9% by volume, and the appearance is black at first, but there's a reddish opaqueness upon further inspection that becomes quite noticeable when held up to the light. It has a moderate tan head that fades to a nice heavy film over the top. I thought this one had a lot of carbonation but as it got to a more room temperature it was quite nice. The flavors were of different chocolates with just a hint of coffee. This one wasn't the perfect stout but it was pretty good. Stoudts Brewery makes quite a few different seasonal brews and others year round. For over 20 years, Stoudt’s Brewing Company has grown and evolved from a small brewery with limited draught distribution, to a packaging regional microbrewery with distribution in 10 different states, producing over 10,000 barrels a year. Even with the growth over the years, one thing has always remained constant, and that is the attention to detail that goes into every batch of handcrafted beer that is traditionally brewed, packaged and sold with passion by our small team of hardworking dedicated employees. Here's a list of what they offer, some in their brewery only and some on the shelves...

Pumpkinlicious - Oktoberfest beer with generous amounts of roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg, added to the finishing tank.

Bock - a re-visitation of the original Stoudt’s German-style lager, dark amber color, sweet, malty, full bodied, 5.5% ABV
For Take Out

Belgian Quadruple -"Brewer's Reserve" This copper colored Belgian style ale has a good balance of malty sweetness and hop bitterness.It is full bodied with hints of banana and raisins derived from the Belgian yeast strain used.This ale finishes with a slight warmth, and pleasant aromatic hop flavor.40 IBU's, 11% alcohol by volume

Bock - a re-visitation of the original Stoudt’s German-style lager, dark amber color, sweet, malty, full bodied, 5.5% ABV

Upcoming Brewer’s Reserve styles

Peppercorn Pumpkin Ale ( a.k.a. Peppercornhole) - A mild ale with roasted pumpkin and spices added to boil, and a peppercorn tea added with the aroma hops) DRAFT ONLY
Imperial Pumpkin (a strong ale with pumpkin and spices added to the boil. Generous amounts of hops. High ABV) DRAFT, MAYBE BIG BOTTLES
Bourbon Barrel aged Robust Porter (Robust Porter aged in whiskey barrels for 1 year) BIG BOTTLES ONLY

So there ya go, Beer and school! Now you are caught up on what's going on... pretty much anyway. I'll try and have more up here before the new year but I don't foresee much new before the new year.

Yeti Imperial Stout

Hello all, yes it's been a long time since I've blogged but not really a lot going on right now. Back in school which is going very well. "A" average so far after two grading periods and should have another "A" after the 3rd grading period which ends next Friday.

Ok Ok... now to the beer. This one I've had at the house for some time but I never put it in the fridge. Now if you like Stouts you know that you shouldn't drink them at Fridge temp but a little warmer... brings out all the flavors and this one is GOOD!!

This beer is from the Great Divide Brewing company in Denver CO. and it's called Yeti Imperial Stout which by class is a Russian Imperial Stout. WOW is this one good!! It's a full bodied stout with 9.5% alcohol. This beer has won some pretty good awards like:


Bronze Medal
Great America Beer Festival, 2008

Silver Medal
Great American Beer Festival, 2005

Bronze Medal
Great International Beer Competition, 2005

So I opened this 22 oz bottle and started pouring it and it is black. I had to take a sip right away which wasn't bad in flavor... but let me tell you after it got a little warmer and not ice cold, boy did the flavor come out. This one as I said before is dark with a nice taste of toffee, caramel and some coffee flavor, even a little vanilla. The toffee flavor really comes out and hops too. You of course notice the 9.5% alcohol but it wasn't too bad. I've had some with this or a little more and you would think you needed a chaser after it. This one would really be a nice complement with steak, strong/salty blue cheese, or chocolate. Yes I said chocolate which you may find weird but boy do they go good together.
If you find yourself in Denver you may want to stop in as this brewery is one of the best in the nation. Great Divide Brewing Company was founded by Brian Dunn in 1994 in Denver, Colorado. When he opened his microbrewery, it was one of only four in Denver; by 2007, there were over 90 microbreweries in the state, second only to California. Three months after brewing its first batch of beer, it won the first of the brewery's twelve Great American Beer Festival and four World Beer Cup awards. By 2007, Great Divide was ranked by RateBeer.com as the 23rd best brewery in the world with three of the world's top 100 beers. In December 2008, Beer Advocate magazine ranked them as the seventh best brewery on the planet. If you do happen to stop by you can sample both on tap and their bottles.

Lion Stout

Hey all, had this one a few weeks ago... Lion Stout from Ceylon / Lion Brewery Limited of Sri Lanka I was waiting to write a review on this until their web site was up (under construction) but can wait no longer as I want to try another one. Lion stout was pretty good and very dark. I was unable to see any light through my glass as I held it up to the light. It has a medium tan size head that fades quickly. When I took my first sip, I noticed a taste of chocolate and coffee. Deep ruby black in color with a tan lacing in my glass. Hints of toffee and vanilla as well. I found this one very nice and easy to drink with 8% alcohol. It's full of flavor and if you can find a bottle, try it.

I did splurge on a case of Mexican beer (which you can find at Sam's Club) for 20 bucks... not a bad price. It has 4 different kinds of Mexican beer, 6 bottles each. First of all is SOL http://www.sol-beer.co.uk/home.html. Sol was first made just outside of Mexico city in 1899 and was named El Sol which is Spanish for the Sun. In 1924 by popular demand 2 breweries were needed and the name was changed to just Sol. It's really not a very good beer by beer standards but I first had this one in Acapulco so it reminds me of that. On a hot 90 degree day, a ice cold Sol is pretty good. You could just drink a domestic and you wouldn't know the difference! Second in the Mexican beer pack is Tecate from Tecate in the Mexican state of Baja California. Nothing special here but you do get that Mexican taste... if you put salt and lime on the rim of the bottle.

Third and Fourth is Dos Equis lager and amber... you know the commercials of the Most Interesting Man in the World...
Yeah, I hate those commercials too! The beer is good and actually Dos Equis Amber is the first Mexican beer I had. I stayed with my brother at his apartment in the Twin Cities and he bought some for us...Long time ago! In Acapulco you couldn't get the Amber and I was told that it was an import beer only. You could only get the green bottle which is the Lager. These two are my favorite of the pack but I must say I still like Corona the best with no Lime. Yes you may think I'm crazy but that's the way we had it on the beach as the limes were really bad. So for Mexican beer this pack is not bad, not great.

Another Good Beer

Hey all... Time for a new beer to try and review and I really like this one. It comes from the Shmaltz Brewing Company in New York and this on is the JEWBELATION TWELVE which is a special brew that will not be brewed again. So if you can get a hold of this one, get it now because it is good. This one is a Limited Edition Holiday Seasonal Brewed With 12 Malts & 12 Hops Soaring To 12% Alc. This one is kind of funny if you go to the link above with the website... Jewbelation Twelve will bring a nearly miraculous warming glow to store shelves in 22 oz. bottles and a very

limited amount of draft for select bars nationwide from October 2008 through March 2009.


About Shmaltz Brewing Company

Established in San Francisco in 1996 with the first batch of 100 cases of HE’BREW Beer bottled, labeled, and delivered by hand, Shmaltz Brewing Company introduced 6-packs in 2003 and moved its production East to the acclaimed Mendocino Brewing Company’s Saratoga Springs, NY brewery. 2003 to 2007 saw over 550% growth in sales, with over 3 million bottles sold to date. HE'BREW’s award-winning lineup including its flagship Genesis Ale and Messiah Bold as well as Rejewvenator (Summer 2008 seasonal), Origin Pomegranate Strong Ale, Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A., and the “extreme” Chanukah annual, Jewbelation, are available in
over 25 states through over 30 wholesalers at more than 1500 retail specialty shops across the U.S. including Whole Foods, Beverages & More, Total Wine and Cost Plus.
Shmaltz Brewing beers have appeared in such distinguished media outlets as The New York Times, CNN Headline News, The Onion, The Today Show, Bravo, NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” New York Magazine, Newsweek, SELF, Men's Health, BUST, Playboy.com, Associated Press, Reuters,MSNBC, San Francisco Magazine, The Jerusalem Report, New York Jewish Week, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, and Forbes.com. For more information.

OK... on to the beer which is a Brown Ale but I didn't know that until I saw the web sit. This one is thick! If you think Guinness is think you have no idea. I loved this one and hope I can get another bottle of it. Great taste, very well hopped and it was chewy. I know it was liquid but after you have a few mouthfuls it really describes it well... Chewy!, but I still loved it. If I didn't know what kind of beer it was I would think it was an Imperial Stout. It was so good with 12 hops and 12 malts...chocolate, malty, caramel with a hint of figs or raisins... oh so yummy. This one is definitely not for those who like the miller lites of the world. Or if you are thinking of having more than 2! 12% of alcohol makes it go along way and being so thick... it's a meal! I would recommend this one and I would have to say it's at the top of what I've had so far in tastings on here. It is think and really chewy but the flavor is so good. You can take a sip and taste one thing... and take another and find something else in there that you can pick out... WONDERFUL!!!

Beer No#4

Hi again, it's time to tell you about a beer that I really like. This one is made with espresso and is high in alcohol. It's from Southern Tier Brewing company in Lakewood NY. It's the high octane Jah-va Imperial Stout.
Here is what their website had to say about the Jah-Va Imperial Stout..."Three thousand feet above sea level in the misty mountains of Jamaica, some of the world’s finest Arabica beans are hand picked on their way to becoming Blue Mountain Coffee. Halfway around the world, plump spring barley grows to maturity in the loamy soil of North America while aromatic hops are cultivated to exacting standards. Here in our kettles, these three special ingredients are blended to create a heady mixture of sweet sugar, dark roast, and complex flavor. Please enjoy this brew in moderation." Enjoy in moderation because this one packs a punch at 12% alcohol. This Stout has a 2-row pale malt / caramel malt / chocolate malt / black malt / roasted barley / cascade & Columbus hops / Jamaican blue mountain coffee. When you pour this one, it comes out of the bottle and fills the snifter glass with a black color with ruby highlights. The head of the beer is a caramel cream color that looks like it wants to be in my tummy. When you smell this one the coffee been and chocolate really come through. Now the alcohol is pretty high in this one at 12%, but it really was smooth and easy to drink. It was noted that good food pairing would be Cheese (buttery; Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss) General (Chocolate, Digestive) Meat (Beef, Smoked Meat, Game, Grilled Meat). You can really taste the chocolate and roasted coffee in this one. If you are looking for a beer to watch football with this one might not be the one. But if you want a beer to just drink and enjoy every sip, try it.

Now I also had another beer that was written up in Beer magazine (which if you love beer you would like this magazine). I'm sure some of you have tried it too and it was from the Spoetzl Brewing Company in Shiner Texas... Shiner Bock! I wouldn't waste your money on this one unless you like the Bud's and Miller's of the mass produced beers ( which I do). This one was watery and very carbonated and fizzy with not a lot of taste. I thought I was buying a beer that was special... I was wrong.




Now on to other news and that is that I'm starting School tomorrow, Monday April.20th. I decided to go back and take classes at Ross Medical Education for Dental Assistant. I still am looking for full time work but I need to find a new career as there are way too many Announcers out of work right now with limited jobs available. So there ya go... I may have to put a new beer in the fridge for this afternoon as I tried both of the ones above about a week or so ago.

3rd Beer Tasting

This week I decided to have a beer that I also had for the first time last year at the World Expo of beer. This week we head to New Holland Brewery in New Holland Michigan. The beer this week is Dragon's Milk! From the looks of it you would think it was a Stout but it's really an Ale. I liked it when I had it a year ago in a small amount but a big bottle was too much of this one. The flavor's were good with a noticeable vanilla taste with toffee plus a sweet chocolate taste. This beer is aged in oak barrels and that taste comes thru in the alcohol, with a high 9% in this one. The color was very dark, with a slight hint of red. With such a high alcohol content, it's not at all hoppy and the carbonation is there but noticeably lower than other beers, making it very smooth. In a small amount like a half a glass I would like it but the sweet flavor of this one gets old to me after a while. Good thing I was able to only buy a single of this one. If you like a smooth, sweet, high alcohol content ale this one may be for you! Next week I picked up one I'm really looking forward to made with expresso as one of the main flavors.

Beer tasting

Well it was time again to try a different beer and well, I cheated because I've had this one before. Up next is an Oatmeal Stout from Breckenridge Brewery in Denver. I knew I liked this beer the first time I had it and that was about a year ago at the World Expo of Beer in Frankenmuth MI. Frankenmuth is the host of the World Expo of Beer in May (same day I proposed to my now Fiance) and is hosted as a fundraiser for the Jaycees. I tell ya, if you like different beers this is the place to go. We had a blast, but it was crowded and by 5pm it was packed with a lot of people who I hope weren't driving. You buy tickets and then one ticket is one sample which is about 2 or 2 and a half ounces of the beer. Some of these people must of had at least 10... 20 samples because they could hardly stand. It was a good time and we hope to go back again this year but of course we will see. Now on the the beer...

Breckenridge Brewery - Oatmeal Stout

Here's the story of Breckenridge Brewery: Back in the 1980s our founder, Richard Squire, had a dream – to ski all day and drink great beer every night. Since he lived in the snow-kissed Rocky Mountains, fulfilling the skiing portion of his dream was easy. But the great beer part – at a time when a "micro brew" was a rarity – that was another story. So Richard started brewing his own, more flavorful beers for himself and his thrill-seeking ski pals.

His home brewed creations were a hit, and soon Richard was spending more time brewing than skiing. So he chased after another dream – making exceptional beer for a living. In February, 1990 that dream became reality when Richard opened the original Breckenridge Brewery & Pub in the town of Breckenridge, Colorado. Richard's ski bum days were over, and so were the days of bland beer for the folks in Colorado's ski country.

Today Breckenridge Brewery continues to work hard to satisfy the thirsts of discerning beer drinkers. Richard's original recipes – and a handful of seasonal creations – are now handcrafted at our three Breckenridge Brewery locations in Colorado. In 1992 we opened our sister brewpub in downtown Denver, at 22nd and Blake Street. Just a block from Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, our Denver brewpub is home to locals, baseball fans and Denver visitors who seek a quality meal and craft beer with character.

In May 1996 we expanded our family again with the opening of our brewing and bottling facility in Denver's historic Golden Triangle neighborhood. Here our brew masters and staffers craft and package the bottled and kegged versions of our nationally acclaimed beers. An adjoining tasting room allows guests to savor their brews in a cozy setting, in full view of the brew kettles and bottling line.

Sure, our growth means we're spending a little less time on the slopes and in the high country. But we're not complaining. In the past two decades we've grown from a small 3,000-barrels-a-year brewpub to one of the most successful craft beer companies in the nation. We now handcraft nearly 30,000 barrels of fresh beer each year and sell it across Colorado and 25 other states.

This beer is so smooth and yummy, even my fiance likes it with its coffee notes. I would have to describe it as Bold but very smooth, Rich in flavor with a nice taste of coffee and chocolate, that good Oatmeal taste and a good amount of hops. I must say if you don't like a hoppy beer this one may not be for you with the after taste quite hoppy. But... it's not to much for me as the coffee and chocolate are also tasted after it goes down. As you can see by the picture it's 12 ounces and not a pint. That creamy head you see is full of flavor with the oatmeal making it! This is one of my favorites when it comes to dark beer. Here's some quick facts about Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout :

Beer Style: Specialty Stout
Flavor: Chocolate coffee maltiness, round oatmeal mouth feel with very slight hop character
Yeast: Top Fermenting Ale Yeast
Malts: Two Row Pale, Caramel, Roasted Barley, Chocolate, Oat Flakes, Black
Hops: Chinook, Perle
Color: Black
Bitterness Units: 31
Alcohol By Volume: 4.95%
Alcohol By Weight: 3.96%







They have what looks to be a good recipe for BBQ sauce with the Oatmeal Stout on their website.

The Players

Oatmeal Stout

* 1/2 cup molasses
* 1/4 cup mustard
* 1/2 cup chili sauce
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1/4 cup powdered onion
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/2 cup Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout

Details

Combine all the players in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes

So there ya go with this weeks addition of beer tasting. Next week it's another beer I've had at the World Expo of Beer as well. I couldn't really remember what I liked about it but I know it's good.

Trying New Beer

Well hello one and all. I haven't been blogging much lately since there is really nothing new to talk about and Aija and myself don't go out anywhere since the money is really tight right now. I thought I needed something to do so... why not try different beers and see if I like them. I'll be trying different beer about once a week and blogging about it. Before I get into the beer for this week... This is where I like to go in Saginaw for different beer and that is this place pictured below which is Oppermann's Keg and CorkThe nice thing about Oppermann's is that if they can get it shipped to them you can get it even if they don't carry it. Now I've never tried it and I'm guessing that a case of beer special ordered would be pretty expensive. Also you really don't need to order it since they have so much to choose from already. Here's three pictures from the store to get you an idea of how big it is and how much really unique items they have. This is the beer isle...These are all the single shown here and from there it goes down and gets into the 4,6,12 packs and cases. Also along the wall they have coolers with beer. Next is the liquor Section which if you're looking for a cheap bottle of say vodka, you might not find it here. They have some really high end stuff and different kinds of liquor from around the world. And last but not least is their biggest section which is their wine. Row after row of wine from around the world. So if you are in the Saginaw area and looking for that hard to fine beer, wine or liquor? You may want to try Keg and Cork.

And now on to the beer tasting

The first beer I thought I would try is St.Peter's old-style Porter which comes in a Pint bottle. It's brewed at St. Peter's Brewery situated in Suffolk England and imported by Eurobrew Inc. out of Maryland. This is what the brewery's web site had to say about the beer...

"This fine beer is a blend of a mature old ale and a younger light beer – just as a true Porter should be. The marriage produces an extremely characterful brew which is dark in colour and complex in taste. CAMRA Champion Beer of Suffolk 2005 / Bronze medal CAMRA Winter Beers Festival 2007."

Now as for the taste of the beer it was pretty good. It was a little light for my taste. When I think of a Porter I think of a dark rich beer and this was on the light side. It had a good flavor consisting of caramel toffee, coffee, and brown sugar taste to it. The finish was a little bitter but the coffee flavor really came thru and was quite nice. It had a good color too it and nice head as you can see, and the flavor was OK. I must say I probably won't be getting this one again but if you like the lighter side of Porter, you may like this one. Well there ya go, the first beer review. I think I'll keep going on the Porter's and Stouts. I think I have a nice Oatmeal Stout I'll have on here next week. Until then it's back to the cheap American beer brewed in mass quantities.