Brew Batch #34 Bavarian Hefeweizen

I haven't done a wheat since Brian and I contaminated the last batch when I first started brewing, man that was back in 04'? The Enabler and I knocked out this batch on his back porch and some brew of his own. This one is supposed to be an effervescent, cloudy hefe made with German wheat yeast. Got a cloudy and windy on this batch, so was this a good sign or nay? OG 1.040 +0.001@ 71F.

Our Tastes-- St. Teresè's Ale

And onto Highland Brewing Co.'s St. Teresè's Pale Ale . This has by far become my favorite and least indulged pale ale. It is a wonderful medium straw color whose nose is that of mellow pine that gives way to a nice blast of dry-hopped Cascade goodness, this is a great BMC conversion beer because those people can taste true Cascade hops. Made with Chinook and Cascade this beer is awesome. Have some now! 5.2%abv

Our Tastes-- Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Christmas in July! There was a fire sale on this at Liquor Barn in KY, so I picked up a few and here we go with Christmas Ale from GL (we've tried their stuff before, remember Eddie Fitz is a fav!) Color is slightly red with that typical holiday nutmeg color to it. Tight white creamy head that quickly dissipates. Aroma is a cinnamon, nutmeg, clover or light mint. Taste hits you as heavy ginger, citrus or orange. Made with honey and fresh ginger this one creeps up on you like Santa Claus at 7.5%abv. Goes well with fruit cakes and bread pudding. It's good in the summer but I bet it's great in the winter as the snow falls, I can see this beer being warmed almost like a cider.

Our Tastes-- Dogfish Head Festina Pêche

Still finishing out the "dog days of summer", Festina Pêche is our next brew. A pilsner pale color to this one that was shocking since it is made with real peaches. Nose is somewhat sour/tart possibly from the addition of lactic acid bacteria. It just clawed at my tongue after the first swalla. Made during the hot months, I'll be honest I may stay on the lawnmower rather than get off to have a cold one of these. It does however have it's own niche. Made in the Berliner Weiss style which was once called the "champagne of the North" by Napoleon's troops during their occupation of Berlin in 1809. Oddly enough this beer style is served many times as Himbeere (shot of raspberry) or Waldmeister (shot of woodruff) in a wide mouth goblet with a straw. Head is flat and that's it. 4.5%abv.

Our Tastes-- Dogfish Head Theobroma

"Food of the gods", is what we are trying today in tulip glasses to accent the color and nose. DFH's Theobroma was first bottled in 5/2008. Made from "honey, Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs (from our friends at Askinosie Chocolate), ancho chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds)." Color is that of orange blossom honey, head is flattening and there seems to be a slight particulate floating around. Nose is a bit bland for what seems to be the endless list of ingredients. Mouthfeel is full and creamy. There is an after-after taste of cocoa well after the mouth is clear. We can't tell if the warming note is from the alcohol at 9%abv or the ancho chilies; however, after reading about the annatto this could very well be the complexity of warmth and nutmeg that we taste. This recipe came from a chemical analysis of pottery in Honduras which dates human consumption of cocoa back to 1200 B.C. A very complex brew but I'm not sure if it's worth the price of every day drinking.

Brew Batch #33 XX Ale

Pulling experience from the olden days, where one brewed with molasses and just about anything that had fermentable sugar in it, I'm trying my hand at an XX ale. This batch ended up at 1.062+ 0.001 @ 73.7F. This is the first time I have brewed with treacle, which was a deep black half pint oil change of a 57' Chevy. this stuff was so sugar concentrated that when I scooped out the last bit, there were sugar crystals in the bottom, no wonder it sounded like I was a rolling sandpaper around in tar??!! This will go into 22oz bottles, everything else is going into the kegs for kegerator enjoyment.

Our Tastes-- Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout

This is the first legal high gravity beer The Enabler and I have tried. Yeti Imperial Stout. There is a nice delicatessen/wine store that has always had a great beer selection so when the legislation passed he was the first one to have his license in order so that he could start letting the good stuff flow. Dirk's Filet & Vine. GDBCo. has always made great beer but this one is interesting. The head pours the darkest (except for RR) gingerbread brown I've ever seen. There is a rich chocolaty nose and little lattice. Taste is heavy with an almost burnt malt flavor. Initially it drinks just fine, but then the overwhelming char comes in. Nice balance of malt and hop, 75 IBUs, 9.5%abv. Here's to not stagnating and pumping the standard. Medals in 05' and 08', so are our palates coming round or is this beer just this good?

Brew Batch #32 Scottish 60/-

I finished brewing this one right before I got married and decided to go with the Extra Pale Ale because the 80/- seemed to condition so well and Junk thought the force carbonation may be better covered by the hops. It has a great taste and light chestnut color. FG 0.998 +0.001 @71F to yield 3.86%abv, this promises to be a great session kegged beer for the next month or so. I've also picked up some good reading lately now that life had slowed a bit and my next batch is an XX Old Ale and either an IPA to throw in the fridge or a Bavarian hefe.

Our Tastes-- Bluegrass Brewing Company Scotch Ale

Finishing off the last of the growlers filled at BBC, I down the last pint or so of BBC Scotch Ale. No longer listed on the tap section, since they turn their variety very often (a great idea), this one is a wonderful malty offering. Used during the aging process were the Knob Creek and Woodford Reserve barrels that Jerry, the brewmaster, showed us during the tour. They had a whiskey cellar torn down and "donated" in trade for beer at there St. Mathews location. It was awesome. It held 30, 50gallon (size of a whiskey barrel, thought it was 31, but that's beer) bourbon barrels. And as warm as it was that day, it still seemed so cool with the gravel laid in the floor. Don't have the tech specs on this one and don't think I could type about them right now anyway. 8.8%abv!