Tag Archives: Northern California

Bison Gingerbread Ale Review

Posted on January 8, 2010 by

Bison Gingerbread Ale 4-pack

Bison Brewing is a small brewery, headquartered out of Berkeley, California that brews USDA certified organic beer and sells it to 12 states (as of writing). The history of the brewery was a little turbulent but the excellence of their product has prevailed as exemplified by beers such as Chocolate Stout, Honey Basil Ale, and, the beer we’re focusing on today, Gingerbread Ale.

Bison describes Gingerbread Ale on their website and on the bottle as follows:

Our Spiced holiday porter is brewed with ginger, nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon, yielding the aroma of fresh backed gingerbread men! The chewy dark malt flavors are sure to smooth out that dinner with the in-laws.

Date Reviewed. December 13, 2009

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

Serving Type. Bottle to pint glass.

gingerbread-3403

Appearance. Bison Gingerbread Ale is deep dark brown, nearly black, and opaque. You can see a little light through the corners of the glass, which gives the beer a deep dark red-brown glow. The head is cola-fizz color. Poured about 0.75 inch of head which did not last long. However, a nice thin layer of foam remained throughout consumption.

Smell. This beer has wonderful holiday spice bouquet of ginger and cinnamon and maybe some nutmeg. It also has the perception of cloves, even though cloves are not listed an ingredient. The spices do not overwhelm and contribute to a good balance of beer and spice. It also has a hint of brown sugar and a nice roasty malt aroma. The roasted and black malts contribute the a hint of coffee aroma.

Taste. Gingerbread Ale is balanced and not excessively sweet. It has a toasty and roasty malt taste with a dark sugar flavor lacking the bitterness of molasses. The dry sugar flavor combines well with the ginger and cinnamon to have just enough spice without being overwhelming. The spice is more subtle in the taste than the smell, which is good thing. This beer tastes better at cellar temperatures than ice cold.

Mouthfeel. Medium-light bodied and nicely carbonated. Like many porters this one has a ever so slightly chalky mouthfeel that smooths out at a warmer temperature.

Drinkability. As a holiday beer this is very tasty and, despite being a spiced beer, I could drink two of these in one session. This beer is great to sip and savor slowly.

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%): 4.0
  • Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
  • Drinkability (10%): 4.0
  • Overall: 4.05

gingerbread-3398

Information

  • Style: herb spice beer
  • Brewery: Bison Brewery
  • Alcohol by volume: 6.0%
  • Original Gravity: 1.054
  • Final Gravity: 1.009 (calculated)
  • Bitterness: 21 IBU
  • Malts: (all organic) 2-row, caramel, chocolate, roast barley, black
  • Other ingredients: (all organic) ginger, nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon
  • Beer Advocate rating: 3.6 (as of December 26, 2009).

Other Reviews

gingerbread-3390

Posted in Beer Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mammoth Paranoid Pale Ale Review

Posted on May 5, 2009 by

In March, I was snowboarding at the Northstar-at-Tahoe ski resort and for lunch my group stopped for lunch at the Summit Deck & Grille at the top of the mountain. While I was trying to figure out what I wanted to eat, I noticed that they had two beers by Mammoth Brewing Company on tap. I had never tried any of their beer so I thought I’d grab a Paranoid Pale Ale. I had no intention of reviewing that beer on the spot, especially since I did not have my camera, until I tasted it. It is hoppy, well balanced, smooth, and refreshing. To me, it really seems like an ideal beer for skiing and snowboarding.

This malts used to create Paranoid Pale Ale are ESB malt, crystal malt, and honey malt. Simcoe hops are used for bittering, crystal and cascade hops are used for finishing, and this beer is dry hopped with cascade.

Where I Found It. At the top of Northstar-at-Tahoe at the Summit Deck & Grille.

Serving Type. Paranoid Pale Ale was served on tap into a clear plastic cup.

Appearance. The head of this beer is nice and foamy with a slightly darker than egg-shell white color. This beer is crystal clear with an orange amber color. The color is similar to that some dark orange candies.

Smell. The hop bouquet of Paranoid Pale Ale is a little spicy with spruce or pine notes. There is also a hint floral and citrus notes. The aroma comes through with a little caramel maltiness.

Taste. The flavor is malty caramel and vanilla while very nicely balanced with a distinctive cascade flavor. The taste of the hops are slightly spicy, a little floral, but not pine tasting. Although this beer has 40 IBUs, the hop bitterness is smoother and balanced by the sweetness of the malt.

Mouthfeel. Paranoid Pale Ale is a medium bodied beer. The bitterness lingers briefly then is smoothed away by the malt sweetness. The bitterness does, however, builds up on your tongue over time.

Drinkability. This beer goes down smooth with a wonderful hop flavor balanced with the malt. Since it does  not have a harsh bitterness, it goes down smooth. I’m thinking the beer was designed with skiing/snowboarding in mind because it was great with lunch after a morning of snowboarding. It would also be a great après ski beer.

Rating.

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

Caption on the Bottle

Although I did not try Paranoid Pale Ale from the bottle, I did find a picture on Flickr.

Classic American pale ale featuring a piney citrus hop nose, a full malt body, and a clean bitter finish.

Information

  • Style: American pale ale
  • Brewery: Mammoth Brewing Company
  • Alcohol by volume: 5.5%
  • Hops: simcoe (bittering), crystal and cascade (finishing), cascade (dry hopping)
  • Malts: ESB, crystal, and honey
  • Original gravity: 1.055 (13.5 Plato)
  • Final gravity: 1.013 (3.2 Plato) (calculated)

Other Reviews

Posted in Beer Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sudwerk Marzen Review

Posted on May 1, 2009 by

sudwerkmarzen-7391Few craft breweries brew lager style beers and even fewer specialize in lager beer. Sudwerk, however, is one such craft brewery that specializes in German lager style beer and does it very well. They brew excellent märzen, helles, pilsner, and several other styles of beer. This review focuses on the Sudwerk Märzen beer, which is described by the brewery as follows:

An amber lager crafted with a blend of five specialty malts and the finest Bavarian hops. Rich, robust malt character and a long lingering finish. Reminiscent of beers produced by Munich’s breweries for annual Oktoberfest celebrations.

sudwerkmarzen-7384Where I Found It. I picked up a 6 pack of Sudwerk Märzen at BevMo in Sacramento, CA.

Serving Type. I poured a bottle of this beer into a glass.

Appearance. Sudwerk Märzen has an amber copper color and is crtystal clear. The head is slightly dark with a tan color. The head lasts quite a long time and leaves a foam on the glass and a thin layer of froth on top that lasts at least half way through drinking the beer.

Smell. The aroma of this beer has a caramel malty sweetness with a slight nuttiness. The bouquet is more subdued but has a slight spicy coppery hop smell and a hint of lager yeast. The bouquet is about what you would expect from a lager.

Taste. Sudwerk’s Marzen has a wonderful rich caramel and roasty maltiness that is very well balanced against a smooth and light hop bitterness. It has a distinct lager flavor from the yeast but is not overly yeasty. All of the flavors are combine well with the malt flavor slightly edging out the other flavors in the beer.

Mouthfeel. The body of this beer is light to medium with just the right amount of carbonation. the bitterness from the hops is smooth and does not linger much.

Drinkability. This is a highly drinkable beer. I was parched when I poured this beer and discovered that it is a pretty good thirst quencher. It is refreshing and easy to drink multiple of these beers in a single session.

sudwerkmarzen-7415Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.

  • Appearance (20%): 4.5
  • Smell (20%): 3.5
  • Taste (40%): 4.5
  • Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
  • Drinkability (10%): 4.5
  • Overall: 4.25

Information

Other Reviews

sudwerkmarzen-7411

sudwerkmarzen-7396

sudwerkmarzen-7403

Posted in Beer Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Devil’s Canyon Lager Diabla

Posted on February 7, 2009 by

Devil's Canyon Lager Diabla LogoOn the same night that I tried Full Boar Scotch Ale at Devil’s Canyon during their Beer Friday event I also tried a pint of Lager Diabla. This is another award winning beer with a Gold California Golden Bear award in 2006. Devil’s Canyon describes this beer as follows:

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

Other Reviews

Posted in Beer Reviews | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Devil’s Canyon Full Boar Scotch Ale

Posted on February 5, 2009 by

Devil's Canyon Full Boar Scotch Ale

Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company is located on the San Francisco Pennisula in Belmont, CA.  This brewery distributes their beer to numerous bars and restaurants in the Bay Area. On the last Friday of every month, Devil’s Canyon hosts the famous Beer Friday at their brewery located in Belmont. Beer Friday has food, live music, and $4 pints of their brew ($7 for the first pint and you keep the glass for next time). On January 30, 2009 I attended my first Beer Friday and had a few pints including Full Boar Scotch Ale.

Full Boar is a scotch ale or wee heavy style beer with a strong malty flavor and a high alcohol content. It is an award winning beer with 4 California Golden Bear Awards: Gold in 2003, Silver in 2004, Silver in 2005, and Bronze in 2006.

The description of Full Boar from the Devil’s Canyon website:

Full Boar Scotch Ale is deeply malted and caramel apparent with overtones of chocolate and a slight hint of a mild, smoky flavor.

Where I Found It. I had this beer 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. Full Boar has a deep dark amber color but when you hold it up to the light you can see that it is very clear. After the beer was poured into my glass only a small tan-colored head remained which didn’t last long. Tan colored head.

Smell. This beer has a very dark malty aroma with a nice strong roasty sensation. The sweetness of the beer comes through as an aroma of dark chocolate and molasses.

Taste. Full Boar has a warm roasted flavor and with a hint of toasted malts. It is very malty and slightly sweet and has that pronounced molasses-like flavor that you find in many very malty beers. The well balanced bitterness of this beer gives it a flavor like a dark artisan bittersweet chocolate. Full Boar has a great Scotch ale taste where the 7.4% alcohol comes through pleasantly.

Mouthfeel. A creamy sensation from the carbonation manifests nicely as a medium-bodied beer that is full of flavor. The alcohol seems to thin it out a bit making this beer seem medium-bodied instead of full-bodied. The aftertaste has a hint of hop bitterness, dark malt, and molasses.

Drinkability. This is a pleasant and easy to drink scotch ale that gives you a nice warm feeling on a chilly evening. It’s amazing that a 7.4% abv beer is so smooth and seemingly much lighter bodied.

Rating.

  • Appearance (20%): 4.0
  • Smell (20%): 4.0
  • Taste (40%): 4.5
  • Mouthfeel (10%): 4.0
  • Drinkability (10%): 4.0
  • Overall: 4.2

Information

Other Reviews

Posted in Beer Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Beach Chalet Pumpkin Spice Ale Review

Posted on January 26, 2009 by

When I was at the Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant, in San Francisco, recently, I tried not only the Fleishhacker Stout but also the Pumpkin Spice Ale. Unfortunately, I was unable to find very much information about this beer so this review will be a little shorter than my standard reviews.

Where I Found It. I had this beer at the Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant in San Francisco, CA.

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

Appearance. The head is a light, off-white, tan color but does not last very long. The color of this Pumpkin Spice Ale is a nice bright orange color that is complementary to the fact that this is a pumpkin ale. This beer is crystal clear.

Smell. The aroma of this Pumpkin Spice Ale is slightly sweet, malty, and mild. The bouquet has a just a hint of pumpkin pie spices such as nutmeg, cloves, and a dash of cinnamon. There is another sweetness present like that of concord grapes but in a good way as if it will be refreshing. I also noticed the grape-juice-like scent in the Beach Chalet stout, which makes me wonder what is causing that scent.

Taste. The pumpkin pie flavor is very subtle and is by no means in your face. There are flavors of a dash of nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon alongside some cloves. I also experienced a vanilla flavor but not as strong as a cream soda. There is definitely malt sweetness present and the balance is in favor of the malt over the hops. After a while, the slight vanilla flavor takes on a light caramel flavor.

Mouthfeel. The mouthfeel is smooth with a slightly spicy aftertaste. This pumpkin ale is a light to medium bodied ale. It is not too watery and not too thick.

Drinkability. This is a wonderful beer to try especially if you like a pumpkin ale that is more subtle than in your face. Personally, I prefer to have the pumpkin spice flavors to be pronounced. It is quite possible, however, that this batch has mellowed over time.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score. The overall rating is calculated exactly the same way as Beer Advocate.

  • Appearance (20%): 4.0
  • Smell (20%): 3.5
  • Taste (40%): 3.5
  • Mouthfeel (10%): 3.5
  • Drinkability (10%): 3.0
  • Overall: 3.55

Information

  • Alcohol by volume: unknown, I’ll guess 5.6% like most of their other beers
  • Style: Pumpkin Ale
  • Brewery: Beach Chalet Brewery
  • Beer Advocate rating: 3.55 (on January 26, 2009)

Other Reviews

Posted in Beer Reviews | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Beach Chalet Fleishhacker Stout Review

Posted on January 24, 2009 by

Fleishhacker Stout Beer LabelThe Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant is located in San Francisco “where the Park meets the Pacific,” on the edge of Golden Gate Park across the street from the beach. It is a great location to have a locally brewed beer. I’m not sure what stores carry Beach Chalet beers but the brewery/restaurant has a long list of styles to choose from on their website and on their leaflets. They brew everything from stout to hefeweizen and they even have an altbier.

The Beach Chalet describes Fleishhacker Stout as follows:

Medium-boded stout with chocolate notes & a rich, smooth finish.

This description, however, does not explain what Fleishhacker means. It turns out that Fleishhacker refers to the Fleishhacker Pool, which was the largest swimming pool in the United States located in San Francisco, CA near the zoo. With this knowledge, the beer label, which depicts a woman diving into a pool, makes more sense.

Where I Found It. I had this beer at the Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant in San Francisco, CA.

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

Appearance. The head has a cappuccino color. Although the head was nice and foamy coming out of the tap, it did not last long. This might have been because the bartender seemed a little impatient with the head settling and overfilled the glass several times. Flieshhacker Stout has a black opaque color that you would expect from a stout.

Smell. The aroma of this stout is of very dark roasted malts and chocolate. The hop bouquet is very slight and has a hint of citrus and a more faint hint of concord grape juice.

Taste. Fleishhacker Stout has a nice flavor of toasty, dark roast coffee. There is also a noticeable bitterness, which was more than I expected. The bitterness, however, is balanced well against a pleasant malty sweetness. The flavor also has a hint of chocolate.

Mouthfeel. As described by the brewery, this is a medium bodied beer and I personally prefer a stout that has a fuller and creamier body. In fact, I think the mouthfeel is a bit watery. The aftertaste has a hop bitterness that lingers on back sides of the tongue. Finally, there is a slight chalky texture to this beer, which I also do not like.

Drinkability. Fleishhacker Stout is a smooth beer that can be consumed all year round. It does not, however, give a warming feeling that a winter warmer style beer does and that’s okay.

Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score. The overall rating is calculated exactly the same way as Beer Advocate.

  • Appearance (20%): 3.0
  • Smell (20%): 3.5
  • Taste (40%): 3.5
  • Mouthfeel (10%): 2.0
  • Drinkability (10%): 3.0
  • Overall: 3.2

Information

  • Alcohol by volume: 5.6%
  • Style: American Stout
  • Brewery: Beach Chalet Brewery
  • Beer Advocate rating: 3.77 (on January 24, 2009)

Other Reviews

Posted in Beer Reviews | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment