Our Tastes-- Anchor Christmas Ale

Never far from a good taster, I happened upon some Anchor Christmas Ale while in Mount Olive and being the beer adventurer that I am, I took to it. This is the 33rd time this beer has been offered starting in 1975. It's a guarded recipe with a base and a subtle change every year. Many keep a few bottles and try them with others as they come down the bottle line or even try those within the same year later to see how they age. The abv is also a changing %. They also change the label every year, incorporating a different tree, the symbol of renewal with the changing of the seasons. Grab some of this years, even Merry likes this dark beast;)

Brew Batch #24 REINKE'S REVENGE 2007

What better way to celebrate Christmas than by bottling excellent beer. Reinke's Revenge went to the bottle with Merry's help tonight (a little out of practice she is, had some serious dribbling going on). Overall though probably my best batch of this stuff ever. Weird it ended up 1.020+0.00 @62F giving it 8.7%abv!!! The only reason I can think of is the fact that I used the propane burner this time, did it extract a little more sugar from the grain? 48&1/2 long neck browns with the standard pitch black crown and 1 clear. Can't wait for a vertical of this stuff!

Our Tastes-- Squatter's Provo Girl

Recently, The Enabler's mom-in-law (so to speak) made a trip to Utah where she was able to pick up several magnificent beers for us to taste. Provo Girl made by the Squatter's Brewery is the 1st one I'm trying tonight and I've got to tell you the aroma of this fine pilsner was the utmost characteristic that I noticed. It has a great light blonde color and the head dissipates to leave a slightly broken foam. I think she was able to visit the brewery but unfortunately the website for the brewery is under construction so all I have to go on is the label info. Says it is brewed with Magnum hops then lagered for a true German experience, 4%abv. (site back up)

Product Endorsement

Normally I won't endorse items on this page because it may show favoritism and people love to boycott certain ideas of others. I've showcased a couple of items in the last few years that I truly believe are a furtherment of mankind such as the Igloo Fire & Ice grill, Thermocell's Mosquito Repellent System and now I am proud to endorse Samuel Adams handcrafted pint glasses.

Sam Adams has created the Ultimate in glasses. According to Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams ,"It's been a personal passion of mine to create a beer glass that elevates the craft beer drinking experience. We wanted to create a glass that offers beer lovers a full sensory drinking experience by fully showcasing Samuel Adams Boston Lager's complex balance of malt and hop flavors. This glass achieves that mission."
Tiax, the world-renowned sensory experts, worked closely with Jim to identify and evaluate the functional design features needed in a glass to showcase the key attributes of Samuel Adams Boston Lager®. The key requirements for the perfect glass for Samuel Adams Boston Lager included: delivering sweetness from the malt; maximizing the hops aroma and flavor; maintaining the ideal temperature; supporting a rich and creamy head; and sustaining the right amount of carbonation.

Our Tastes-- Blue Moon Harvest Moon

Gettin' it on like Donkey Kong we try Blue Moon Harvest Moon. The pumpkin ale now distributed by Coors. Not my favorite out of the bunch. But a 5.6%abv that gives a taste of the season. Again not my favorite orange mellon bevvy. Damn thing just tastes like pumpkin rind with no cinnamon or nutmeg. So, in conclusion, we rate them from best to worst: Saranac, Shipyard, Blue Moon.

Our Tastes-- Saranac Pumpkin Ale

FRD with some Saranac Pumpkin Ale: medium brown to orange with no head. The website leads to little info other than 5.4%abv and a matching of fowl and game birds. The nutmeg is heavy but nice for a seasonal. Nuff said. KOKO (keep on Keepin' on). As good, if not better than the Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale.

Our Tastes-- Shipyard PumpkinHead Ale

Keeping with the whole taster motif we started a short fall taster with the pumpkin ales. One of the few Shipyard brews that I can open and finish, they've made one of the best pumpkin ales I have ever had. This one pours a bland orange color but redeems itself with a cinnamon and pumpkin taste like no other plus nutmeg. There's not a lot on the site about it but the 4.5% makes it almost a session beer.

Our Tastes-- Yazoo Hefeweizen

To throw a little light craziness in at the end of the mix we're trying the latest additon to the Yazoo family, Hefewezien. This beer won gold at the GABF in 2004. There's not much on the bottle short of the snakes and naked lady. This wheat beer is made with 70% wheat and a special ale yeast. When The Enabler and I made the field trip to the brewery they still had the prototype bottle with label sitting on the shelf in the tasting room. It pours with the usual wheat characteristics that I have waxed on about many times. So sit back and break the brown/black monotony with this summer brew.

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Double Bock

Just for fun we threw the Double Bock in there at the end of the sampler to see how it faired against the others. BAM!! At first sip I felt a sharp pain in my left eye. It pours a light/medium brown with little head (like most high content beers do). As the site says due to legal restrictions it's not available in AL, so it's a bootleg, which I have found to be the best. Here's to hoping the Bill goes through the AL state legislature next year along with the HomeBrewing Bill since that's still illegal here. You can smell the heavy malt bill in this one fo'sho! At this point I don't really care about the hops and malt involved, the 8.8%abv speaks for itself. Salut!

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Black Lager

Finally, the last beer in the Winter Sampler line-up is the Black Lager. This beer pours an almost abyssal black minus any head at all. Unlike porters and stouts that come from Britain, this is a schwarzbier. Instead of being heavily hopped and Brit this one is German and lightly hopped and uses a lager yeast. This type was big in East Germany before the unification and became a staple brew at SA in 2004. Characteristics 4.9%abv and 191cal/12oz.

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic

Continuing with the Sam Adams Winter Sampler taster, the Cranberry Lambic. This one has a nice orange/brown color with a hint of red and little head. The bitter fruity aroma is so apparent that you can hold the pint away from you and it still wafts to your nares. The cranberry is absolute on the palate. Don't like it at Thanksgiving? Don't drink this beer! This is a wheat beer brewed with cranberry juice and maple syrup from New England. A few charateristics Spalt-Spalter Noble hops are the only addition, W-68/ale yeast strain is used, 5.9%abv and 200cal/120z.
Check out the history of the true lambic.

Lost Photos of Green Monster

Finally, for your viewing pleasure...pics of the Hempen Hulk Batch. This one should just about be ready for tasting...hope I don't rip my pants;)

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Holiday Porter

Now this is a keeper!! The Holiday Porter is the greatest beer out of this batch yet. It pours a great tan to light brown head with traditional porter malt bill aroma. Brewed with Fuggles, East Kent Goldings, and Spalt Spalter.. porters in the 18th century asked brewers for a beer to reinvigorate them during break and the porter was born. Truth that great beer cometh from hardest working folketh! Made with 5 different malts and falked oaks this one is 5.8%abv with 211cal/12oz.

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

Next up in the sampler tasting is the Old Fezziwig Ale. I've never had one of these but it smacks at first taste of a phenolic dunkel and matches color of a deep brown. It's namesake comes from The Christmas Past spirit in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Made with 2-row pale, Munich 10, chocolate malt and Caramel 60. Oddly enough it also has the same Noble hops that are in the Boston Lager. First brewed in 1995 and discontinued, it's popularity brought it back in the Winter Sampler in 2000. 5.9%abv and 210cal/12oz.

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Blech! It's been since 2002 when I had this beer last and the taste to me is still the same. We're trying the Samuel Adams Winter Sampler starting with the Boston Lager. We just got through seeing the commercial on the Discovery Channel as we watch Planet Earth and I'll just use Jim's words, "When you pour a Boston Lager it pours a golden brown, then you put your nose to it and I smell flowers, these are called hops." That's about all the kind words I can say about it. Even Indiana, my dog, won't drink this stuff. Introduced in 1985 using Jim's great-great grandfather's recipe (initially named for him Louis Koch Lager) it went on to be named "Best Beer in America" at the GABF only 6 weeks after coming out. A few chrarcteristics: 4.9%abv, 2-row pale and Caramel 60, Hallertau Mittelfruh and Tettnang Tettnanger, 170cal/12oz.