When I purchased several, quite overpriced import, Coedo beers, each bottle had a little label attached. The label touted that their beers had received a superior taste award in 2008 from Monde Selection, which appears to be a consumer testing organization in Brussels . I agree that Coedo makes an above average beer, especially when compared to most Japanese beers, their beer doesn’t blow me away. It is drinkable, refreshing, crisp, pairs well with salty food, and has flavor. Coedo Kyara, along with Coedo Ruri, which I also reviewed, both fall along these lines.

The brewery describes this beer as follows:

Rich golden brown with tinges of red – this is the color of Kyara Beer. Beneath the rich aroma of the hops and the finely textured head awaits the rich smooth taste of 100% malt. This beer is made to savor, and even if it is not fully chilled, the full-bodied flavor does not diminish. The name “Kyara” comes from the incredibly fragrant Aloeswood tree, and represents this beer’s unique color and aroma.

Where I Found It. Suruki Supermarket in San Mateo, CA.

Serving Type. 12 oz. bottle to a glass.

Date Reviewed. November 7, 2009

Appearance. Kyara has a white head with loose bubbles the head doesn’t have very much staying power. This beer has a golden-yellow with a tinge of orange. I think this beer might suffer from a tiny bit of chill haze because it was ever so slightly cloudy when I first poured it and it cleared up as it warmed up.

Smell. The aroma of this beer is rich, malty, with a hint of the lager yeast used to brew this beer. The hop bouquet is earthy and spicy. In conjunction with these aromas is a hint of copper.

Taste. The hint copper smell in Coedo Kyara is more pronounced in the taste but does not distract from the rich malty sweetness. The bitterness is smooth, subdued, and balanced by the rich malt. The bitterness is likely under 30 IBUs, which is what you would expect for this style of beer. On the whole, this beer tastes like a Japanese beer but with more rich malt flavors. With that said, it is a god beer but not spectacular. Being that it has such a premium cost, it might be worth waiting for it to go on sale before buying some.

Mouthfeel. This is a light bodied beer that is nicely carbonated and goes down smooth.

Overall. This is a very easy beer to drink and it goes great with burgers. It would likely also pair well with pizza or Japanese food.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (6%): 3.5
• Smell (24%): 3.5
• Taste (40%): 3.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
• Overall (20%): 4.5
• Total: 3.5

Information

• Style: Vienna lager
• Brewery: Coedo
• Alcohol by volume: 5%
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.81 (as of May 17, 2010)

Other Reviews

• MoIppai – Coedo Kyara
• BrewReview – Coedo Kyara
• Odakyu Beacon – Kyara by Coedo
• Beer Advocate – Coedo Kyara
• Rate Beer – Coedo Kyara

I received a special can of Tule Duck Red as a sample from Buckbean Brewing Company before the official cans were released so my photos of the can may not represent what you’ll find in the stores. This red ale is refreshingly different from other West Coast breweries in that it is not super-charged with the 3Cs (Cascade, Centennial, Chinook), instead the hops reveal themselves as more herbal and floral. The malt of this beer also gives is a sweeter flavor.Buckbean Brewing describes Tule Duck Red Ale as follows:

This red, robust ale combines a silky smooth, rich body with a fruity, caramel malt flavor and a soft herbal dry hopped finish. A full flavored, classic beer that pairs well with hearty foods of all types.

Date Reviewed. August 21, 2009

Where I Found It. Sent to me by Buckbean Brewing.

Serving Type. Can to a glass.

Appearance. Tule Duck Red Ale has a deep red-brown mahogany color and almost matches the color on the can. The head is off-white yellow-tan that is almost like a cappuccino. It is such a deep color it is hard to ascertain the clarity but it looks to be slightly hazy. The head has a mix of tiny and medium sized bubbles and lasts about as long as you would expect.

Smell. This beer has a sweet roasted malt aroma with a biscuit quality and with a touch of brown sugar and caramel. Unlike others of this style that I’ve had recently, it doesn’t smell like brew day or a brewery, fresh malts. This doesn’t mean there is something wrong with the beer, just an observation and quite to the contrary the aroma of this beer is great. It also has a little hint of coffee smell but a sweet and roasted coffee smell and not a burnt or woodsy. The hop aroma enhances the sweetness with floral notes and a hint of vanilla.

Taste. Tule Duck Red Ale has a sweet roasted flavor almost a woodsy earthy but weak roasted coffee with a touch of sugar added. I has little bit of caramel.  It also has a bit of bitterness that somewhat adds to the coffee flavor. The sweetness is malty but seems a little candy like.

Mouthfeel. This is a medium bodied beer with an average amount of carbonation.

Drinkability. This beer goes down smooth and is easy to drink. The candy-like sweetness is a little different and would probably keep me from having more than two, at the same time I rarely want more than two of event the best beers before I move on to try something else, sometimes it’s even just one.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.0
• Smell (20%): 4.5
• Taste (40%): 3.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
• Drinkability (10%): 3.5
• Overall: 3.80

Information

• Style: red ale or amber ale
• Brewery: Buckbean Brewery
• Alcohol by volume: 6.2%
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.19 (as of May 15, 2010)

Other Reviews

• Drinkhacker.com – Review: Buckbean Brewing Company Beers
• Basically Red – To be Read, Basically – Buckbean Brewery Tule Duck Red Ale, Orange Blossom Ale, and Black Noddy Lager
• Beer and Whiskey Brothers - We Love You Buckbean!
• The Beer Snob – Beer Review: Buckbean’s Brewing’s Tule Duck Red Ale
• Beer Goggins – Bucking the Trend: Reviewing 3 of Buckbean Brewing’s Finest Beers
• Beer Advocate – Tule Duck Red Ale
• Rate Beer – Buckbean Tule Duck Red Ale

The brewery origin of this beer called Duke’s Big Ass Bock are a bit convoluted. First, the brewery is not “Duke’s” it is listed on the bottle as “The Wheat Beer Company.” The beer itself is actually brewed by the Jack Russell Brewing Company in Camino, CA (which is now under new ownership) for “The Wheat Beer Company,” which doesn’t seem to have it’s own home page or any other presence for all that I can gather. So is it contract brew or just an alias for Jack Russell Brewing? Whatever the case may be, I pick up a 1 liter bottle and enjoyed it. Apparently there are mixed reviews so I must have lucked out with a decently produced bottle of this beer.The Jack Russell Brewing Co. says the following about this beer:

Also for “The Wheat Beer Company.” Another southern German-style wheat beer, a bit stronger and more robust than the hefeweizen; also has a hint of coriander.

Where I Found It. BevMo in Sacramento, CA.

Date Reviewed. June 13, 2009

Serving Type. 33oz pop-top bottle to a pint glass.

Appearance. Big Ass Bock has a pleasant dark orange hue and is slightly hazy in appearance. The head is white with lose bubbles and does not last very long at all.

Smell. The aroma of this beer is sweet malted grains without a roasted flavor. It also has a very nice honey aroma with an orange blossom or jasmine flower bouquet. Unless the hops are providing the sweet citrus bouquet there is no discernible hop notes in the smell.

Taste. Big Ass Bock has a nice malted barley sweetness with hints of biscuit. The sweetness, however, is not sugary sweet and the sweetness is blanced by just a hint of bitterness. The bitterness enhances the spicy flavor of cloves which was not detectable in the smell of this beer. The honey aroma follows through in the taste but the orange blossom bouquet is not present in the taste. The differences between the taste and smell of this beer make it very interesting and it all seems to fold together into a nicely refreshing beer.

Mouthfeel. This beer is a smooth and easy to drink medium bodied beer. The carbonation level on this beer is high. Immediately after pouring you can see many bubbles steaming to the top of this beer. You can definitely feel the effervescence while drinking this beer.

Drinkability. Despite the higher alcohol content of 6.8% this is a very drinkable beer. It is refreshing, smooth, and pleasant to drink.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 3.5
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
• Drinkability (10%): 4.5
• Overall: 3.9

Information

• Style: weizenbock
• Brewery: Jack Russell Brewing Co.
• Alcohol by volume: 6.8%
• Beer Advocate rating: 2.48 (as of May 9, 2010)

Other Reviews

• Beer Advocate – Duke’s Big Ass Bock
• Rate Beer – Dukes Big Ass Bock

Lost Coast Brewery, out of Eureka, California, is the maker of several great beers such as Downtown Brown, Great White Beer, and Alley Cat Amber. Tangerine Wheat is one of their two fruit beer offerings, the other being Raspberry Brown. Tangerine Wheat is a refereshing beer that is great for warm summer weather, BBQs, and easy drinking.

Lost Coast describes Tangerine Wheat Beer on their website as follows:

A refreshing citrus ale, Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat combines our Lost Coast Harvest Wheat with natural tangerine flavors. Brewed with a combination of wheat and crystal malts, and finished with Perle hops.

Where I Found It. BevMo in Sacramento, CA

Review Date. July 24, 2009.

Serving Type. 22 oz. bottle into a glass

Appearance. The head of Tangerine Wheat Beer is thin and white with very loose bubbles. The head lasted only a few seconds and just barely longer than a soda. The color of the beer is a burnt orange honey color and it has a slight haze.

Smell. The bouquet of this is a strong tangerine or sweet orange and you can almost smell all parts of the tangerine from the peel to the flesh. It’s almost like you just opened up a fresh tangerine. There is little to no malt aroma or hop bouquet. Although the smell is strong it is not like candy.

Taste. If you like fruit beers that do not hide the fruit, then Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Beer is a beer for you. This flavor is full of the citrus of the tangerines with enough of a malty sweetness to remind you that this is still a beer. There is also a hint of bitterness in the finish. The fruit even gives this beer an ever so slight tartness that complements all of the other flavors.

Mouthfeel. This is a medium to light bodied beer, which is not over-carbonated, keeping it as a beer and not a soda. It does, however, feel a bit watery.

Drinkability. Tangerine Wheat Beer is refreshing, smooth, and thirst quenching. On a warm sunny day this beer is the perfect complement.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 3.0
• Smell (20%): 4.5
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.0
• Drinkability (10%): 4.0
• Overall: 3.80

Information

• Name: Tangerine Wheat Beer
• Brewery: Lost Coast Brewery
• Style: fruit beer
• Alcohol by volume: 5.0%
• Hops: finished with Perle hops
• Malt: wheat and crystal
• RateBeer Info for Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Beer
• Overall Score: 43
• Style Score: 76

Other Reviews

• Must Love Beer – Lost Coast Brewery Tangerine Wheat
• Left 4 Beer – Tangerine Wheat (Lost Coast)
• Beer Advocate – Tangerine Wheat

Devine Rebel is an “extreme” collaboration beer between Mikkeller (Mikkel Borg Bjergsø) of Denmark and BrewDog of Scotland. This is an interesting beer that where one-quarter of the beer has been aged in oak Seyside Scottish whiskey barrels. It was also brewed using a single hop variety and both an ale yeast and a champagne yeast, likely to boost the beer up to 12% alcohol by volume.

Mikkeller considers himself to be a “gypsy brewer” in so much as Mikkeller is a one man operation that only produces collaboration beers with breweries in Europe and the United States. It’s actually a quite interesting idea for a beer company.

Brew Dog is famous and controversial for creating the first 32% supposed beer, called Tactical Nuclear Penguin, but it is more like an ice-beer-brandy concoction. My opinion is that is is both beer and brandy.

Brew Dog has a blog post that explains just a little bit of the background of Devin Rebel.

Date Reviewed. April 28, 2010

Where I Found It. Healthy Spirits in San Francisco, CA.

Serving Type. 11.2 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance. Devine Rebel is slightly hazy with beer-bottle-brown color. The combination makes the beer look a bit muddy. It’s not the blue background in the photos, it does look muddy. The head is tan and has poor head retention.

Smell. This beer has a malty nose with noticeable (but not in your face) Scotch and woody aromas. The maltiness also has a brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla quality to it. As the beer gets closer to cellar temperature the scotch notes come out more. Despite the high alcohol content, this beer does not have a strong pure-booze smell to it, just the Scotch notes.

Taste. Devine Rebel reminds me of a strong, woody, barley-wine. There is plenty of roasted malt sweetness combined with a balance of hop bitterness that makes the sweetness a bit like molasses. When combined with the woody and Scotch flavors, it adds an interesting complexity. There is also hint of dried fruit like dates. This beer definitely has a boozy astringency to it from the alcohol content, which was masked in the aroma. Devine Rebel is a strong beer with bold flavors that are interesting but also sometimes rarely clash. The most interesting aspect of this beer is the noticeable Scotch flavors, which are just the perfect amount. Not too overwhelming and so faint you barely would know it was there.

Mouthfeel. The mouthfeel of this beer is thick and full-bodied with low carbonation with a bit of tannins.

Drinkability. This is a strong, boozy, barley-wine-esque beer with some interesting flavors of Scotch whiskey barrels. Maybe it is the alcohol but my first impressions were not as good as my final impression of the beer. If you see it in the store, it might be worth picking up a bottle but it is not worth calling around to see who carries it or still has a bottle left on the shelf.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 3.0
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
• Drinkability (10%): 3.5
• Overall: 3.7

Information

• Style: Barley-wine
• Brewery: Mikkeller and Brew Dog
• Alcohol by volume: 12.1%
• Hops: a single variety
• Other ingredients: ale yeast and champagne yeast.
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.94 (as of April 28, 2010)

Caption on the Bottle

The following caption appears on the side of the bottle:

In a rock ‘n roll collaboration, 2 of Europe’s most extreme. experimental brewers have combined forces, talents and ideas to produce this innovative ale.

Uniting inspiration, ingredients and people form around the world this beer was brewed and aged at BrewDog in Scotland.

This rebellious beer is partially aged in oak Speyside whiskey barrels and partially aged in stainless steel, combines and ale yeast and a champagne yeast and showcase a single hop variety.

Other Reviews

• The BeerCast – BrewDog/Mikkeller Devine Rebel 2010
• Blog 0′ Beer – Tasting Notes: BrewDog / Mikkeller Devine Rebel
• Hedonist Beer Jive – MIKKELLER/BREWDOG “DEVINE REBEL”: THE WALLET AND THE DAMAGE DONE
• Two Parts Rye – Brew Dog Mikkeller: Devine Rebel

Other

This is Day 1 of 47 Days of Beer 47, in which I plan to post 47 articles in 47 days. This year, 2010, I launched this idea on April 28 but in 2011 I’ll plan to start on April 7 also known as 4/7.

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout is the union of an imperial stout with coffee which produces a very interesting and tasty beer. It is produced by one of Japan’s first craft breweries, Kiuchi Brewery, who has been brewing beer in Naka-shi, Japan since 1996.

I had this bottle around for several months and I was waiting for the right moment to decide to open it. When I read and reported that California Assemby Bill 1958 is in committee and might outlaw beer that contains coffee, I thought it was just the right moment to not only open my bottle of Espresso Stout but also encourage you to crack open a bottle of coffee infused craft beer.

Date Reviewed. March 12, 2010

Where I Found It. City Beer Store in San Francisco, CA.

Serving Type. Bottle into an imperial pint glass.

Appearance. Hitachino Espresso Stout has a dark black color but when you pour it out you can see that the beer is crystal clear. The head has a spot on espresso crema color. In fact, had I poured of this beer into a shot glass (and let the head settle a little) it would look exactly like a shot of espresso. The head of this beer is foamy, frothy, and quite nearly permanent. It took a very long time for the head to settle and left plenty of lacing on the side of the glass. It is quite the sight.

Smell. This beer has a chocolate, coffee, and mocha aroma. The chocolate aspect of the aroma is almost like chocolate syrup which further reminds me a a sweet dark chocolate mocha. The smell also has a nice espresso roast quality to it. There is also a hint of a fruity smell like pears.

Taste. The flavor of Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout really lives up to its name but is not quite as interesting as the smell and appearance. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a very tasty beer and there is no denying the coffee flavors. The bitterness of the hops and roasted malt combined with the coffee make this beer taste like a shot of espresso with a touch of dark brown sugar added to it. Add the silky texture to the mix and it is almost like an espresso con panna but not quite as sweet. There is an earthy spiciness to this beer like cola and anise or maybe just a touch of each. Finally, this beer is also a bit boozy, which might be expected at 7.5%, and slightly yeasty.

Mouthfeel. This beer is full bodied and moderately carbonated. Despite the foamy and frothy head, this beer is by no means over carbonated. It is just shy of a syrupy texture.

Drinkability. The bitterness of the roasted malt and/or coffee in Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout is a little distracting to the overall taste. Combine that bitter coffee flavor with 7.5% alcohol by volume and this is not a session beer but definitely a unique brew that very enjoyable.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.5
• Smell (20%): 4.5
• Taste (40%): 3.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Drinkability (10%): 3.5
• Overall: 3.95
  

Information

• Style: Imperial stout
• Brewery: Kiuchi Brewery
• Alcohol by volume: 7.5%
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.04 (as of March 11, 2010)

Other Reviews

• Frosty Goodness – Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout. Coffee + Beer = Sink.
• Thom’s Beer Blog – Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
• Good Beer and Country Boys – Hitachino Nest Beer Espresso Stout
• Enkidu Brew - Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
• Beer Geek Heaven – Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
• Beer Advocate - Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
• 97 Bottles – Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
• Draft Mag – Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
• The Full Pint – Review – Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

Hop-15 Ale is a big double IPA brewed by Port Brewing in the town of San Marcos, CA in the San Diego area. This 10% alcohol by volume beer is brewed using 15 different varieties of hops that are added every 15 minutes. It was originally brewer for the 15th Anniversary of Port Brewing but is now available year round.

Hop-15 Ale has received numerous awards. The brewer’s website lists them off as follows:

It has won two silver medals at the Great American Beer Festival. It also was named Alpha King in 2004 and received a first place award at the Bistro Double IPA beer festival in Hayward, CA. Hop 15 remains won of the stickiest most resinous beers we have ever tasted and for that, we are thankful it is on tap at our brewery each and every day.

Where I Found It. BevMo in La Quinta, CA.

Date Reviewed. June 10, 2009

Serving Type. 22 0z. bottle to a glass.

Appearance. Hop-15 has a hazy appearance with an orange, clover-honey color. The head is an off-white tan color and the head does not last very long. The head does, however, last as a very very thin layer of loose bubbles on the top of the beer.

Smell. The hop bouquet of this beer is leafy green hops with a touch of pine and a hint of citrus and maybe just a bit of pineapple. The hop bouquet is not quite as intense as other IPAs and Double IPAs that I have tried recently. The aroma has a subtle roasty malt sweetness.

Taste. Hop-15 Ale starts with a smooth hop bitterness that is followed up by a bite of bitterness on the finish. The hops flavor is primarily spicy with a touch of pine. The citrus does not come out in the taste but I taste a little pineapple with the sweetness from the malt. It has a nice roasty and malted barley sweetness that smooths out the bitter hops that are jam packed into this beer. Although there is a lot of alcohol in this beer, this beer is not harsh and lacks astringency.

Mouthfeel. This is a medium to full bodied beer with plenty of carbonation that you can feel. The mouthfeel is about right.

Drinkability. Although Hop-15 is not a session beer due to the 10% alcohol by volume, it is a big giant tasty beer. After trying trying this beer, anything other than an IPA might taste flavorless. It is surprisingly smooth for being loaded with hops, which is likely due to the sweetness of the malt.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 3.5
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
• Drinkability (10%): 4.0
• Overall: 3.85

Information

• Brewers info: Hop-15 Ale
• Style: Double IPA
• Brewery: Port Brewing
• Alcohol by volume: 10.0%
• Original Gravity: 1.086
• Final Gravity: 1.014
• Hops: 15 different varieties
• Malt: Two Row and English Light Crystal
• Beer Advocate rating: 4.23 (as of September 25, 2009)

Caption on the Bottle

The following caption appears on the side of the bottle:

Out beer oozes all the hop goodness you would expect to find in a double IPA. In your nose, you will experience a citric hop quality which is balanced by a slight malt sweetness. The essence of a great double IPA is hops and as such the beer finishes with a pronounced spicy hop bite. Thankfully, for all of us hop-heads, we have decided to brew this beer more than once a year. Look for Hop 15 to make an appearance from time to time when space permits us to brew this one, one of our favorite ales.

Other Reviews

• Core Brewing – Pizza Port Hop 15
• The Full Pint – Review: Port Brewing Hop 15
• The Drunken Polack - Port Brewing Hop 15 Ale
• Slashfood – Port Brewing Hop 15 – Beer of the Week
• Hedonist Beer Jive – Port Brewing’s “HOP 15″ – Eeven a Giant May Stumble
• Beer Advocate – Hop 15
• Rate Beer – Pizza Port Hop 15

While visiting Southern California recently I met up with Ryan, a good friend of mine from college, and we headed to the Yard House in Pasadena, CA. If you are not familiar with the Yard House, it is a chain of bar and grill restaurants in Southern California where they have on the order of 100 different beers on tap. If you go, I suggest surveying the tap handles while you wait for your table. Upon leaving I discovered that there were a few offerings that were not listed on the menu.

One of the beers that I selected was Avery White Rascal from Avery Brewing out of Boulder, CO. Avery is a brewery that has been coming up in some of the beer reviews on other blogs and so I thought I would try some of their brew. White Rascal is a traditional Belgian style witbier brewed with two-row malt, Belgian wheat, Czech Saaz hops, corriander, and Curacao orange peel.

Avery Brewing provides the following description of White Rascal on their website:

A truly authentic Belgian style wheat or “white” ale, this Rascal is unfiltered (yup, that’s yeast on the bottom) and cleverly spiced with coriander and Curacao orange peel producing a refreshingly fruity thirst quencher.

Where I Found It. I found this beer on tap at the Yard House in Pasadena, CA.

Serving Type. This beer was served on-tap into a pint glass.

Appearance. White Rascal has a nice white frothy head that lingers in the form of a thin layer of foam on the top of your beer until the last drop.  It is pale yellow-white in color and cloudy in appearance, both are attributes to be expected from a Belgian witbier.

Smell. The aroma of this beer has the expected Belgian yeast smell but it is slightly subdued and not overwhelming. The aroma has a smooth ripe banana smell and light accompaniment of cloves. It has a hint of citrus and and sweet grains.

Taste. White Rascal has a light grain-like sweetness that can be described as refreshing and not sugary. There is just the lightest hint of bitterness, with only 10 IBUs, and it is enough to balance the light maltiness in the beer. The orange peels come through with a some citrus flavor in the finish.

Mouthfeel. The mouthfeel is that of a light-bodied beer with just the right amount of carbonation. It was just a touch watery tasting and based on the final gravity I’m surprised it is not more watery tasting. The original gravity is listed as 1.050 and the alcohol content is 5.6% so, based on calculations, this makes the final gravity 1.007.

Drinkability. Just like many beers of this style, White Rascal is a very drinkable beer appropriate not only for warm weather but also for a slightly chilly evening. Although I prefer Flying Dog’s Woody Creek White, this beer comes in at a close second and I would drink it again and again.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 4.0
• Smell (20%): 3.5
• Taste (40%): 3.5
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
• Drinkability (10%): 4.0
• Overall: 3.65

Information

• Style: Belgian witbier
• Brewery: Avery Brewing
• Alcohol by volume: 5.6%
• Original Gravity: 1.050 (12.4 Plato)
• Final Gravity: 1.007 (1.8 Plato)
• Hops: Czech Saaz
• Malt: two-row malt, Belgian wheat
• Other ingredients: Curacao orange peel, coriander
  
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.69 (as of April 5, 2009)

Other Reviews

• Mike Loves Beer – Avery White Rascal
• Just  Beer: A simple beer blog – Avery White Rascal
• Fermentedly Challenged – Avery White Rascal review
• Daily Beer Review – White Rascal Belgian-Style Wheat Ale
• Beer Diary – Avery White Rascal
• Drink Craft Beer – A Battle Of Wits – Craft Beer Takes On Blue Moon
• Bearded Brewing – Beer Reviews- North American Belgian White (Wit)
• Rate Beer – Avery White Rascal
• Beer Advocate – White Rascal
• 97 Bottles - Avery White Rascal

In a previous article about the SF Beer Week Canned Craft Brews event, I briefly mentioned some of the benefits of craft beer in a can. Buckbean is very interested in both dispelling the myths as well as promoting the benefits of beer in a can. These are some of the points that the brewery makes:

• Cans have had inert, flavorless linings since the 1980s, meaning no metal flavor
• Cans can go where bottles cannot: golf courses, camping, parks, etc.
• Cans are more environmentally friendly
  • Since they are lighter than bottles, they require less fuel to ship. Trucks go partially empty with bottles due to weight concerns.
  • Cans don’t require paper labels and glue.
  • A case of cans uses 70% less paper and cardboard than a case of bottles.
  • Cans are more easily recyclable.

Of the craft beer that I have tried in cans, with Original Orange Blossom Ale as no exception, I have not detected anything that tasted like metal. Since I always pour my beer into a glass, I never literally taste the can itself.

Now onto the specifics of Original Orange Blossom Ale. The idea for this beer style came from the brewer, Daniel B. Kahn, in the 1990s while he was living and brewing in Riverside, CA to accompany the Orange Blossom Festival. Buckbean claims that Dan originated this style of beer and thus include the term “Original” in the name of the beer.

If you enjoy beer that are, as the folks at Dogfish Head put it, “off-centered” or extreme, then you might enjoy this beer. Otherwise if you are a conformist to the Reinheitsgebot and dislike beer with adjuncts, herbs, or spices, then you might not like this beer. The orange blossom bouquet and flavor is quite prominent. I find this to be a very interesting and refreshing beer that will go great with food. Just before I tried this beer I had some Japanese yaki soba fried noodles and it would have been excellent with that. It should also pair well with spicy food like Mexican and especially Thai food to complement the lime, spiciness, and saltiness found in many Thai dishes (at least the ones that I eat and prepare).

Where I Found It. A sample can graciously provided by the brewery. Thank you Buckbean!

Serving Type. From a 16oz can into a pilsner-like glass.

Appearance. Orange Blossom Ale pours our of the can smoothly with a nice thick frothy white head. The head lasts much longer than I would have expected. When the head receded, it does not leave much on the glass. The beer is hazy and has a color that is somewhere between dark honey and light amber.

Smell. Upon opening the can, the smell is bready and yeasty. As the beer is poured into a glass and brought to your nose the full affect of the orange blossoms come into play. The bouquet is fruity and sweet-floral, like the scent of jasmine flowers, or orange blossom flowers. The fruitiness isn’t the typical citrus-from-hop but more like a tropical-orange fruit juice cocktail. I pick up fruitiness like passionfruit with a little white grape juice. The combination of these flavors creates a candy-like odor. The floral bouquet is quite intense but in the background there is still a hint of malted grains, letting you know that this is a beer.

Taste. Original Orange Blossom ale has a sweet honey maltiness without actually being sugary. There is a touch of hop bitterness making it crisp and clean coupled with a floral and fruity orange flavor. This beer should be great with salty food as well as spicy food. It will be especially tasty ice cold on a hot summer day.

Mouthfeel. This beer is a light to medium bodied beer that goes down very smooth. There is a slight bitterness that lingers on the tounge with the floral flavors. For some reason, I feel that I want more effervescence

Drinkability. Original Orange Blossom Ale is highly drinkable and very refreshing.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 3.5
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 3.0
• Drinkability (10%): 4.5
• Overall: 3.9

Information

• Style: Herb/Spice Ale
• Brewery: Buckbean Brewing Company
• Alcohol by volume: 5.8%
• Hops: “American” hops
• Malt: Munich and light caramel malts
• Other ingredients: orange tree flowers
  
• Beer Advocate rating: 3.12 (as of March 28, 2009)

Caption on the Can

The following caption is found near the bottom of each can:

This well balanced, full flavored, copper colored ale combines the smooth, creamy flavor of Munich and Caramel malts and bright, refreshing American hops with the rich flavor and aroma of real orange tree flowers. A real treat for the sesnses!

Other Reviews

• Fermentedly Challenged – Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale review
• The Beer Snob – Buckbean Brewing: Original Orange Blossom Ale
• The Barley Blog – Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale
• Beer & Food – A taste of … Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale
• A Beer Sort of Blog – Buckbean Brew Review
• A Roughneck’s Take on Beer - Buckbean Orange Blossom Ale
• Beer Advocate – Original Orange Blossom Ale
• Rate Beer – Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale

Lager Diabla is an exceptionally easy drinking lager that is lightly bodied with a clean/crisp finish. This beer is a California Lager.

The description of “crisp” fits perfectly and at 5.4% alcohol by volume it is also an easy drinking session beer.

Where I Found It. I had Lager Diabla at the Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company headquarters in Belmont, CA on Beer Friday, which happens on the last Friday of every month.

Serving Type. When I sampled this brew, it it was served from the tap into a pint glass.

Appearance. The color of Lager Diabla beer is yellow with a tint of orange and is slightly cloudy. This gives it the effect of appearing like a yellow gemstone such as a yellow sapphire. The white colored head is a little frothy but doesn’t last.

Smell. The bouquet is a wonderfully crisp and citrusy. The aroma comes through as sweet un-roasted grains. The combination of the sweet aroma and the citrus bouquet gives it an overall tangerine like quality. Hidden in there is a slight lager yeast smell.

Taste. I came to the same conclusion as the brewer that Lager Diabla is crisp and clean. This beer has a touch of sweetness and the hop bitterness is pleasantly noticeable. Together these flavors produce a very well balanced beer.

Mouthfeel. Lager Diabla is smooth and light-bodied. Although the carbonation level is about average, it wasn’t as carbonated as I expected, which, as it turns out is a good thing making it smooth and drinkable.

Drinkability. Devil’s Canyon has produce a lager that is smooth and very easy to drink. Is was surprisingly good and refreshing on a colder night but I can’t wait to try it when it is much hotter outside. It should be a perfect summertime beer.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

• Appearance (20%): 3.5
• Smell (20%): 4.0
• Taste (40%): 4.0
• Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
• Drinkability (10%): 4.5
• Overall: 3.95

Information

• Alcohol by volume: 5.4%
• Style: California lager (possibly Premium American Lager)
• Brewery: Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company
• Beer Advocate rating: None (as of February 7, 2009)
• Devil’s Canyon is on Twitter

Other Reviews

• RateBeer.com – Devil’s Canyon Lager Diabla
• Let me know if you review this beer. I will post a link here.