Beer Roundup: What I’ve Been Drinking
Oskar Blues: Gordon. 12oz Can poured into a pint glass
Described as somewhere between an Imperial Red Ale and a Double IPA I had no idea what to expect going into this beer. It was also my first times tasting a beer from Oskar Blues, and quite possibly my first craft brew from a can. Opening the can it seemed to fizz a lot less than a cheap macrobrew or soda, but I poured it into a pint glass and it had a nice small head. The beer was a redish/amber color. It was a very well balanced beer, not too hoppy but not too malty, I really liked it. It comes in at 85 IBU and 8.7% ABV but it hides a lot of that alcohol well.
Steamworks Brewing Co: Lizard Head Red. 64oz Growler from the Brewery poured into a pint glass
Steamworks Lizard Head Red is also a red ale, but not of the imperial variety. I picked up a growler of this from Steamworks Bayfield Beer Factory right down the street from my house. While not nearly as strong as the previously mentioned Oskar Blues Gordon, Lizard Head Red comes in at 25 IBU and 5.6% ABV. I’m a fan of big beers, but try not to discriminate against their lower alcohol siblings, especially when they pack a good amount of flavor which Lizard Head Red does.
Carver Brewing Co: Colorado Trail Nut Brown Ale. Pint on tap at the Brewery
These next two really surprised me. When I first started drinking craft beer nut brown ales were one of my favorites. Lost Coast Downtown Brown was by far my favorite beer for a while. I’ve been noticing lately that brown ales just haven’t been doing it for me lately. The Colorado Trail Nut Brown Ale isn’t a bad beer by any means, it’s good, but my tastes are changing, and since I used to love brown ales a lot, I think I still have a bit of higher expectations for them going in. I enjoyed the beer, it’s a great example of the style, but the entire style isn’t up there for me anymore.
Carver Brewing Co: Iron Horse Oatmeal Stout. Pint on tap at the Brewery
The way I feel about the Iron Horse Oatmeal Stout is similar to the Colorado Trail Nut Brown Ale above. Until recently I would have described stouts as one of my favorite styles of beer, but I came to realize a few weeks ago I’m a bigger fan of Imperial stouts more so than their lower strength brethren. Iron Horse Oatmeal Stout is good, but I have misguided high expectations for all stouts, and comparing a regular stout to my favorite beers which are stronger and technically a different style just isn’t fair. Just like the Colorado Trail Nut Brown Ale, I’ll drink the Iron Horse Oatmeal Stout again, I just need to mentally prepare myself and my expectations for what I’m getting.
Dogfish Head: 90 Minute IPA. 12 oz Bottle poured into a pint glass
I had the 60 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head not too long ago, and enjoyed it so I was looking forward to this one. I don’t know when it happened, but I’ve become quite the “hop head”, craving more and more hops in the beer I drink. This one sort of let me down, it wasn’t a bad beer, I was just expecting more from it. I guess I’ll have to try the 120 Minute IPA sometime (even with it’s hefty price tag).
Carver Brewing Co: Cerveza Real. Pint on tap at the Brewery
I’ve been going to Carver Brewing Company a lot lately, it seems like every time I go into town I end up there, which I’m not complaining about at all. I went in and realized they had their new Cerveza Real on tap and even though I don’t typically like Mexican lagers I decided to try it. I was blown away with how much I liked it. It was darker than most Mexican lagers and had a lot more flavor. Even though it was so different than Corona, Tecate or Bohemia, it still seemed like a proper representation of that type of beer. It reminded me a bit of the beers at the Tijuana Cerveceria that Kinsee and I visited while living down there, quality representations of what is typically a watered down style.
