World market blitz, beer 1: Founders Centennial IPA

World market blitz

Beer 1: Founders Centenial IPA

Recently I discovered that World market (1480 Apalachee Pkwy) had a great deal going on: 30% off build your own 6 pack.....well, OK, I did not just find this out .I've known about it for some time, but never managed to take advantage of it up until about a week ago.

I stopped in after work while crashing due to a small breakfast, and decided for no reason to check out their beer. I ended up talking to one of the employees their while looking at their winter beer packs, and was reminded that they still had this deal for member's. Since I was a member (it is free after all), I immediately picked up a 6 pack and went home feeling very accomplished.

Later on I went back for a wine tasting, and picked up another 6 pack. And then just for good measure, a day later I got one last 6 pack just to make sure that I had hit all my bases. Now I have 17 beers that I have never tried (I accidentally got a 2ed vanilla porter), and I figure that I can make a decent series about this huge blitz of new beers.

Lets start off with one of the first beers I selected (since, hey, anything founders is excellent), Centennial IPA

• Founders Brewing company
• Beer: Centenial IPA, about $9-11 a 6 pack (1.20 a bottle with the 30% deal)
• Style: American IPA, 7.2%
• Rating: ratebeer(99\100), Beer advocate(93\100)
• Appearance: a perfectly clear amber color with a amazingly long lasting fluffy head. Ill be honest, this beer pretty much looks perfect.    5\5
• Smell: pine and citrus hops, with a bit of fruit loops and a decent malty aroma. Very well balanced and pleasant. very nice, but is not perfect.     4\5
• Taste: Pine, neutral hop bitterness, and a grainy malty backbone. very well balanced and easy to drink, at least from my perspective. I like it! 4\5
• Mouthfeel: It feels very syrupy and heavy to me, but that works quite well with the hops. 3.5\5
• Overall: This beer is one that I feel fits the "go-too" beer category, much like my current one x2IPA. It is easy to drink ,of decent ABV, very drinkable, and sweet yet quite hoppy. It might be a more hop forward beer if it was consumed fresher or had been refrigerated prior to sale, but even so, its a great choice and one of my current favorites for when I want something that will be predictably good. A well deserved 4\5
• No surprises here, this beer is great. It got a average score of 4\5 from me on BA, and I feel that its about a 91\100 brew. I hope I can try it again real soon

Would have again!

Prost!

Sam Adams Odyssey part 7: White Christmas

Sam Adams Odyssey part 7: 

White Christmas

I do love a good holiday beer. They are not easy to drink in bulk, but their is just something warming about a beer with a good amount of spicing. It just helps warm me up in these HARSH Florida winters (well in my perspective, they feel harsh!). I was happy to see this beer at the nearby ABC liquor, and even happier to be able to pick it up as a single. I was expecting something more like X2mas (which is more of a spice beer), instead of the witbier that White Christmas is, but still, I can enjoy a good wit on a cold winter night.

well, lets just get to the review!

• Sam Adams (Boston brewery)
• White christmas, 1.99 single (about 7.99 for a 6 pack)
• Beer style: Witbier, 5.8%
• rating: ratebeer(46\100), beer advocate(79\100)
• personal rating: Ba style
• appearance: semi-clear golden colored brew, with a decent bit of rising up carbonation. 4\5
• aroma: Very malt and spice forward. It smells like cloves, a bit or coriander, and sweet malt. Good, but nothing to boast about. 3.5\5
• flavor: The smell does not betray this one, the flavor is all spice and malty goodness. Lots of sweet grainy malty flavor comes first in this brew, with a nice burst of warmth from the spices. A bit of honey flavor on the finish as well. Not too shabby. 4\5
• feel: it feels heavy, mostly due to its sweetness, which is helped out by its carbonation. 3.75\5
• overall: I was surprised by this beer. It is a surprisingly easy to drink well made witbier. Its flavors follow the wit style quite well, and the final product is actually a fairly decent desert beer (I classify it as such due to how sweet it is). I would be happy to drink it again and found no real problems with it at all. 4\5
• BA average(3.88\5), personal score(83\100)

Worth it on sale!

I found this beer to be quite good. Not the best winter beer, but a good one non-the-less. It was very warming, and its spice character was well received. I thought that I could easily enjoy a whole 6 pack of this beer and found it to be another worthy brew from the Boston brewery.

Worth picking up to try!

La Cheim!

Sam Adams Odyssey part 6: double agent IPL

Sam Adams Odyssey part 6: 

double agent IPL

So far, every single hop forward beer from Sam Adams has been very good, and I had high expectations for this beer, that actually had some decent reviews on ratebeer and beer advocate (for their other hopology brews, I found the reviews to be lukewarm). I suppose that this can be explained by the fact that its a unique beer: a hoppy lagger.......and reviewers tend to respond better to new things like that than just another IPA.

I had also had it before, but not recently (recipes change), and I had never given it a in-depth review (or finished a whole bottle of the stuff!). Well, lets take a look at this brew...........

• Boston brewing company
  • Double Agent IPL, 1.99\ 12 oz
    • Style: American pale lager
    • rating: ratebeer(94\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • personal rating: Ba Style
      • Appearance: Vibrantly clear. The beers lagger visuals are quite striking. A decent head comes with this one, but dissipated before I could snap a picture. But when it was their, I have to say, the beer looked amazing. 4.5\5
      • Aroma: pine\tar sap, wood, and big giant resiny hops. If their was hops where a tree, this is what its amber sap would smell like. A bit of bready mixed in as well. Very well pronounced hop flavor (especially since I'm getting over a cold and cant smell very well right now!). 4.25\5
      • Taste: this tastes like everything that the smell suggested that it would be. This beer tastes of huge amounts of hop resins, and its all up front. The neutral hop bitterness (what might be described as the IBU's) is also pretty noticeable. Id place it in upper-medium areas. It might be far too much for a new drinker, but anyone who likes IPA's should be comfortable with this beer. And as for the lager components, they work rather well. The clean flavor of the lager helps accentuates the hops, and the beers natural beady sweetness helps counter its hopping even at such a low alcohol level. 4.25\5
      • Mouthfeel: for the abv and style, the mouthful is actually not too light. Fairly nice, sweetish, with a decent dose of carbonation (tho a bit more would make it feel better). 3.5\5
      • Overall: This beer is really gave me no surprise, as I had had it before and rated it fairly well. But that was almost a year ago, and now that I like hops more, I like this beer a lot more as well. I'm not sure if they made it better over the time or if its just me that's changing, but I give it a 4.25\5. A very nice brew, and an example of how Boston Brewing can defiantly do something very new and interesting.
        • BA average(4.19\5), personal score:90\100.

Would try again!

Well, their you have it! another great hoppy brew from Boston brewing. I'm hoping that they continue to surprise me and deliver the goods for good brews.

This makes 5\6 brews with of positive reviews......hopefully the new batch of 2014 Sam adams beers will keep the positive streak going.

Salud!

Spot update: Quite a lot of new things at Beer stop!

Beer stop really loaded up on some good brew very recently, because last I went I realized that i did not bring nearly enough cash with me!

In addition to STILL having cases and cases of bourbon county stout, they also have quite a few new treats......lets start off with the best first!

Hummmmmn, I wonder what this could be.....

Yup. Its the god damn World Wide Stout

Anyone want to to hafsies? or Quarters?

• dogfish head
• World wide stout, 
• Style: American imperial stout, 17%
• rating: ratebeer(100\100), beer advocate (93\100)
• personal rating: n\a

This is one uncommon beer, and i would say its the rarest Ive seen since 120 minute IPA in the store, or when they had a bottle of Utopias. An expsneive, but must have brew. Who knows how long it will still be available!

lets move on to another stout, but one that.s scaled back a bit....Founders Imperial stout!

• Founders
• Imperial stout, 13.29\4
• Style: American imperial stout, 10.5%
• rating: ratebeer(100\100), beer advocate (97\100)
• personal rating: 96\100. An extremely dark, roasty, and rick imperial stout. A must try.

Lets move on to something a bit smokier, Stones vanilla bean smoked porter!

• stone
• Smoked vanilla bean porter, 7.49
• Style: American porter, 5.9%
• Rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (88\100)
• personal rating: n\a

And now, here is a beer that I haven't seen in some time, The one and only sculpin.

• Ballast point
• Sculpin ipa, 14.69
• Style: American IPA, 7%
• rating: ratebeer(100\100), beer advocate (98\100)
• Personal rating: I would have to say that this is one of the finest ipa's I had in 2013. not quite as good as dirt wolf, but it is damn close. A must have. Pay the extra 3 bucks and enjoy this 6 pack immensely. 95\100

And now just for fun, these fellows looked pretty nice as well............even if they are not as rare or in short supply as the above brews.

• Terrapin 
• Wake-N-Bake coffee oatmeal imperial stout, 12.99
• Style: Imperial stout, 8.1%
• rating: ratebeer(99\100), beer advocate(96\100)
• personal rating: n\a

Not exactly super rare at all, but yea, they have plenty of this stuff. i just thought that the case box looked cool!

• Dogfish head
• Burton Baton, 14.49\4 ( I think)
• Style: Imperial ipa, 10%
• rateing: ratebeer(99\100), beer advocate(94\100)
• personal rating: n\a

As you can see, their are a lot of nice choices at the store right now. more good ones than usual! I hope that I can decide what it is I'm going to do. I hope that you can do the same!

Cheers!

Sam Adams Odyssey part 4 Nobel Pills

Sam Adams Odyssey part 4

Nobel Pills

• Sam Adams
  • Nobel Pills, 1.99 12 oz
    • style: Czech Pilsener, 4.9%
    • rating: ratebeer (84\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • personal rating: BA style
      • appearance: straw colored yellow. Very clear. 4\5
      • aroma: the soft refreshing aroma of noble hops. It is quite nice, 4.25\5
      • taste: I have to say, one of the better Pilseners I've had before. Hop forward with a stable sweet backbone. Light and easy to drink. Its hops can get a bit aggressive at times, but that is to style and I doubt anyone would have any problems with it. 4.25\5.
      • mouthfeel: Relatively thin, with a good boost of carbonation. Once again,very easy and nice to drink. 4.25\5
      • overall: I'm going to give this one a 4.25\5. I really cant fault it with much at all. I suppose its hopping could be done better, but that's a serious nitpick. Any ber could use a better hopping, and the hop flavor in this beer is its greatest strength, A great Pilsener to give a shot when you can.
        • BA average: (4.24\5)
        • personal score: 88\100
          • Super short review:Buy this beer! Its well worth it.

Style in focus:

Czech Pilsener

Love them or hate them, you cannot deny the importance the lagger has had on the face of beer. It changed the direction of brewing in the world, opened up new and larger market for brewers to target, and became (for better or worse) the brew of choice of the entire world and by the worlds largest brewers. And lager was “invented” in the Czech Republic. I use italics because it is absurd to say that anyone invented the style. Ultimately it was started by the unintentional bonus of storing beer in the cold seasons, which resulted in the selective breeding of yeast to act in a different way. This selective breeding is what really narrowed down what is today known as Lager yeast. To attribute that invention to any brewer is like giving credit to the farmer for inventing the egg. However, the Pilsner was most defiantly invented. And it was invented in the Czech Republic.

The territory that is now the Czech Republic has seen many hardships over time (such as being taken over by many waring nations) they have always maintained a strong history of brewing. Its this territory that saw the birth of the Pilsener. Much of the brewing was done by citizen breweries (Měšt'anský pivovary “burgher’s”), and one of these breweries did what many great breweries today do: they got a excellent brew master from another source to get their beers up to par. That is where Josef Groll enters the equation. The Bavarian brewer was brought in and used his knowledge of bottom fermenting yeast (first used in records in Bavaria) and the new lightly kilned malt (golden malt) to brew the worlds first Pilsener. It is because of this that the brewery was renamed Plzensky Prazdroj, or Pilsener Urquell (or Pilsener Original Source). It is from this that all forms of Pilsener originates from, including the main product from brewing behemoths such as Miller-Coors and AB-InBev (even if their products are quite far off from what was originally brewed by Josef Groll).

Exert from Beer Advocate:

The Czech Pilsner, or sometimes known as the Bohemian Pilsner, is light straw to golden color and crystal clear. Hops are very prevalent usually with a spicy bitterness and or a spicy floral flavor and aroma, notably one of the defining characteristics of the Saaz hop. Smooth and crisp with a clean malty palate, many are grassy. Some of the originals will show some archaic yeast characteristics similar to very mild buttery or fusel (rose like alcohol) flavors and aromas.

Exert from the BJCP

Aroma: Rich with complex malt and a spicy, floral Saaz hop bouquet. Some pleasant, restrained diacetyl is acceptable, but need not be present. Otherwise clean, with no fruity esters.
Appearance: Very pale gold to deep burnished gold, brilliant to very clear, with a dense, long-lasting, creamy white head.
Flavor: Rich, complex maltiness combined with a pronounced yet soft and rounded bitterness and spicy flavor from Saaz hops. Some diacetyl is acceptable, but need not be present. Bitterness is prominent but never harsh, and does not linger. The aftertaste is balanced between malt and hops. Clean, no fruity esters.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied (although diacetyl, if present, may make it seem medium-full), medium carbonation.
Overall Impression: Crisp, complex and well-rounded yet refreshing.
Comments: Uses Moravian malted barley and a decoction mash for rich, malt character. Saaz hops and low sulfate, low carbonate water provide a distinctively soft, rounded hop profile. Traditional yeast sometimes can provide a background diacetyl note. Dextrins provide additional body, and diacetyl enhances the perception of a fuller palate.
History: First brewed in 1842, this style was the original clear, light-colored beer.
Ingredients: Soft water with low mineral content, Saaz hops, Moravian malted barley, Czech lager yeast.






Well, their you go. Now you have all the information you will need to know about the Czech Pilsener. I hope that you manage to pick yourself up a Nobel Pills and judge for yourself. I am confident that you should enjoy it, assuming that its flavors are to your liking!



Prost!

The Sam Adams Odyssey P1, Blackberry Witbier

The Sam Adams Odyssey P1

ahhhhhh good old Sam Adams. Its where most people got started in drinking good beer. Its the largest craft brewery in the world, and the most widely distributed craft beer as well (its hard to find a place that doesn't sell their iconic Boston Lager). However, the question arises: is their beer ACTUALLY good? Can it stand up to scrutiny of a seasons craft beer drinker?

Most say no. Most say that they are now a very boring brewery: unable to properly coax the seasoned beer drinker into buying either their staple 6 pack beers or their seasonal 4 pack or bomber beers. However, it cannot be overlooked that their is a real bias against the Boston Brewing company. They are, after all, the largest craft brewery. Their brewing volume and use of tv advertisements (Boston brewing co is in fact, one of the only craft breweries that relies on traditional advertisements like tv or billboards) have caused many the beer aficionado to shun them in favor of “local” and smaller breweries which they see as being the producer of the better beer.

Is this criticism correct, or does Sam Adams have some real winners out their that people are just ignoring just because of their own biases? Well that's the questions that I hope to answer, one beer at a time. I will look at trying ALL the beers from Sam Adams (or at least the ones I can find and afford), and giving a honest and good-natured review to all of them.

I will be focusing on both their bomber\4packs series and larger 6 packs. Hopefully this will eventually paint the breweries overall skill into focus and show once and for all whether or not Sam has what it takes for me to call them a real “craft” brewery, not in terms of what the BA paints it as, but merely as the producer of good beer.

Ill be starting with this brew I picked up with my new years beer (of which I might do a spotlight on as well), Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier.............picked up for the usual 1.99 a bottle from the Proof bottle shop

consumed at breakfast with two toasted waffles covered with peanut butter. Because, why not!

Da Review, Beer-Advocate style:
Blackberry Witbier

Appearance: strikingly clear, looking more like a cider or campaign than a witbier. Really, only the most style-driven lovers of wits will have a problem with this (tho YES, I gotja...wit bier means white beer and this isn't the cloudy white that it should be) but still, as opposed to grading it on style, it looks very nice if you grade it merely as a blackberry beer.
Ill compromise and give it a 3.5 for appearance.

3.5\5

Smell: This beer smells wonderful. It has a sour blackberry smell, mixed in with the character of the beer. Id say that it comes out smelling like a blackberry scone or another type of fruit pastry. not too shabby!
4.5\5

Taste: see what I like about this one, is how subdued it is. The blackberry flavor never takes up too much power from the beer, and it never gets to be too powerful to be cloying. Too many fruit beers do that and I find it in bad taste. However, this brew has some problems. It does not have enough wit flavors in it....and what little it has will not satisfy wit diehards (it has just a slight touch of soft bready wheat character). but for what it is as a fruit beer, I've it a 3.75 on taste.
3.75\5

Mouthfeel: Relatively middle ground in body final gravity, with a great heavy dose of carbonation. easy drinking.
4\5

Overall: Ill be honest, I liked this one, against all expectation. I'm not a big fan of wits OR fruit beer. mixing them together? odds are that if it was not for my blog, I would never had had this one. but I like it. if you treat it as a blackberry beer, its pretty good. I like it. overall, Id give it a 3.5\5

That totals out to a 3.86\5 on BA......but I feel that's its closer to about a 80\100 overall.

if it had just a BIT more un-malted what (and maybe some more oats) I would give it more.
its good, and great for the uninitiated in beer, especially if they like blackberry's.
Unexpectedly good. Not recommended for lovers of the classic wit style...you will not find any classic witness here.