Red Brick - Pale Ale

Happy Friday everyone and happy Super Bowl Eve-Eve! If your team is in the big dance, best of luck. But if not, like me, it's time to party and watch commercials. Aside from St. Patrick's Day and maybe the 4th of July, I'd argue that the Super Bowl is one of the biggest party/drinking days in the entire United States. And with the super popular craft beer scene, I'm expecting to see a lot of posts on Sunday of people sporting brews from Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. I for one will be partying with some close friends with PBR and Iron City - and maybe others if our local Total Wine sells other Wisconsin/Pennsylvania beers.

Tonight's review, which may be the last for the weekend, is highlighting a southern company - the Atlanta Brewing Company (aka Red Brick). Founded in 1993 and reinvigorated in the mid "oh-oh's" (2000's), RB has a strong baseball lineup of beers (9). Ranging from the Pale Ale, to Blonde Ale, to their Belgian Strong, Red Brick boasts a solid lineup that might be able to hang in the AL East.

Pour before you GULP! I haven't really had very many pale ale's in my short beer loving life, but if the Red Brick Pale Ale is any indication, I need to fix that problem! Pouring a dark gold, the RBPA shows off just enough carbonation to make it to second base. However, the head dissipates like a pitcher just hanging on in the seventh inning.

Gulp! It up! Nice. After reviewing two wheat's, it's nice to get that hop kick and malty texture flowing again. I'm not sure if my nose is stuffed up, but the scent isn't very strong. Actually, I couldn't really smell much of anything. The taste though is strong on hops and light on carmel and citrus. At the top end, it's pretty malty, but as you move on, it does get a bit lighter, which bodes well for having more than one. The label cracks me up: "Weep for your northern brethren: long winters, suspect college football, and perhaps worst of all, no Red Brick beer.". Breaking it down: Long Winters, check. Suspect College Football, check. No Red Brick, check. You see, Red Brick is a southern only treat. Take that New Belgian!! Just kidding, please bring Fat Tire to Florida!! :(

Grade the GULP! Since this is my "first" pale ale, I don't have much to grade it up against. So by default, I'm giving the Red Brick Pale Ale an 8.5. I know that's kind of high, but it's pretty good. At 5.6% ABV, and a non-existent smell department, RBPA steps up to the batters box as a very drinkable ale! Go buy some in memory of the Atlanta Falcons and the rest of the NFC south.

P.S. I know most of this post was geared towards baseball. What can I say, I'm a baseball fan at heart over football. Play Ball!!!

Ommegang - Witte

I have an apology to make. Yesterday, within the post for the Key West Southernmost Wheat, I mentioned that I would have a second review for the night. Well, sadly, I got really lazy after I posted that, and as you can tell, I did not have two posts yesterday. What can I say, after writing the review I needed to get some homework done. Being in the last semester of my graduate program, there are times when I have to put fun aside and get some real writing done. That statement is actually a good segway into something I want to blab about before tonight's review. I want to give a "shout-out-thank-you" to Molly, and Jess (of the Drink Matron blog). I appreciate the kind, positive feedback I received from yesterdays posting. Those who visit this site looking for some fun reading, I suggest you click on over the Jess' site, http://drinkmatron.com/, and follow what they do over there. The way I see it, all bloggers are in this "fight" together and we should all promote each other's blogs. So, having said that, thank you Molly, and thank you Jess! The next drink's on me!

Yesterday was BBQ chicken night in our household, and it also turned in to wheat beer night. I've had about a half dozen, or maybe a few more, wheat beers. Actually, one night, at our favorite bar, I had three different types in one sitting. Needless to say, I was "wheated out" after that night, but I think I've recovered now. Even with that, up until last night, I had never had an Ommegang offering. For those who don't know, Ommegang is based out of Cooperstown, New York. For those who don't know, that is the location of the MLB Hall of Fame. For those who don't know, baseball and beer go really well together (that's the understatement of the century). Now that you know at least three things, Ommegang specializes in Belgian wheat beers, so to say that the Witte is part of their specialty, is probably a stupid statement. But, I already said it, so the joke's on me.

Pour before you GULP! When pouring wheat beers, there is one thing you should expect: golden hues of gold. Much like the Key West S.W. from yesterday, my wife and I were greeted with a lovely golden liquid with a full foamy head. It's just saying to you "Hey, don't drink me just yet, stare for a few more minutes". Well, don't wait too long though, then it will get warm. That'd be nasty.

GULP! It up! There should be a few specific things you think about when thinking about summer. Beach, Baseball, Babes, and Beer. Specifically, wheat beer. Soft on the palette and full of summertime like flavors, Ommegang Witte does not dissatisfy in what you'd expect from a traditional Belgian wheat. Defined on the bottle as a "citrusy bouquet", you will be welcomed with the typical wheat beer offerings: citrus and yeast. While not packed with strange flavors or complex hops, Witte is a perfect companion with summertime grub - that includes my wifes special carribean BBQ sauce chicken.

Grade the GULP! Ommegang Witte is your standard Belgian wheat ale. You won't find anything out of the ordinary, so for a company saying that they specialize in Belgian brews, that's not really a shortfall. On our 1-10 GULP! scale, I'll give Witte and 7. It sits at 5.1% ABV, so have a few, eat some fish taco's or caribbean chicken and dream about the four B's coming up in just a few months (oh, and if you're a young lass, it'd just be three B's I suppose. Sorry about that. We're an equal opportunity employer I swear!).

Florida Beer Co - Key West Southernmost Wheat

Today was another gorgeous Florida day. I almost feel bad saying that, considering the type of weather those up north are getting. Actually, I don't feel bad, because in about 5 months, the entire U.S. will be sweating it out in 80-90 degree weather, and we'll all be wishing for cooler temperatures. We might as well enjoy what we've got, while we got it! So considering the weather, I thought it would be a good idea to wake the BBQ up from it's winter slumber and cook up some chicken. My wife went along with it, and actually went a step further. We typically use pretty standard BBQ sauce on the chicken, however, she had a Key West Southernmost Wheat calling her name. She answered that call by not only poppin' open the bottle, but by adding some Caribbean flair to our BBQ sauce. The chicken turned out really well, and the beer I'm about to type about was a great companion to the dish. Actually, the second beer I'm going to write about tonight, Ommegang Witte, was also a good companion.

My wife originally picked out this beer. She's a fan of lighter beers, so the wheats are a pretty good choice for her. I was pretty excited about this selection because of the brewing company - Florida Brewing Company, based out of Melbourne, Florida. Melbourne is my old stomping ground, and my parents actually still live there. FBC is technically based out of West Melbourne; but let's not get technical, this technically isn't a blog about geography. I always enjoy trying beers from places that I lived. Another intimate favorite of mine are the Magic Hat products. Magic Hat is based out of Burlington, Vermont, which is a lake away from where I grew up in up-state New York. Good times.

Back to the brewery at hand: FBC was originally formed in 1996, but was reorganized in 2003, and according to "reports", they are the largest craft brewer in the whole State of Florida! Not bad (West) Melbourne! According to those same reports, their yearly output is 20,000 barrels. Damn, how'd I get pulled back into these technicalities?! Let's get to drinkin!


Pour before you GULP! Wheat beers always have such a great color to them, and the Key West Southernmost Wheat did not disappoint in this department. Greeting it's eventual 'user' (to borrow a phrase from Tron) with a golden yellow/orange color and foamy white head, the 'South by Southwest' meets the industry standard!


GULP! It up! The thing about beer bottles is that they tend to spoil the fun. Que, you say? I mean, they tell you what flavors to expect before you drink, so what's to stop me from typing, word for word, what is said on the bottle? Well guess what, sometimes when you're searching for hidden flavors, to eventually try and describe, you need that extra nudge of information to get that "ah-ha!" moment. Luckily for the Southernmost Wheat, those nuggets of information weren't really needed. It was fairly apparent to me that I was tasting orange peel  and  key lime (I wonder what gave that last part away *cough* image on bottle *cough*). I guess what I'm saying is that this was a pretty delicious Belgian wheat with nice hints of orange peel and key lime - and it was quite drinkable as well. Unlike IPA's or amber red's, there is no hoppy bitterness at the end, which can be nice. 


Grade the GULP! I'm going to try to be ethical here and not let my ties to the City of Melbourne construe my grading. Florida Beer Co. is in luck tonight though, because I don't need any extra tugging to give out a nice grade. The Key West Southernmost Wheat is a solid Belgian wheat with a little south Florida kick, thanks to the key lime. It's a good substitute to the typical summer lagers such as Dos Equis, Landshark, or Corona. Because of that, I will give Southernmost an 7.5 (the key lime counts for .5). So if you're from Central Florida, or just visiting, go support the largest craft brewer in the State, and while you're there, take a dip in the ocean! End of Line. 

Patron Saints of Beer (Hallelujah!)

One of things I wanted to do by starting this blog is to learn more about the history of beer and other odds & ends. Well, today at work, a co-worker of mine couldn't find something she was looking for, so we got to talking about Patron Saints. Well, it turns out that there is/are Patron Saints of Beer (Brewers, etc)! I shouldn't have been so surprised, but, alas, I was.

Instead of trying to re-write what I found, I'm taking the lazy route. Just click the upcoming link and be ready to be dazzled with historic information. Patron Saints of Beer.

Terrapin Hopsecutioner

Today was one of those Florida days where you realize that it is just fantastic to live in this State. While the northern states are buckling down for yet another blizzard, I was able to walk the dogs wearin' a pair of shorts and a light t-shirt. Gotta love it. Naturally though, in July and August, I will be begging to get out of this State and be teleported to Maine or some other awesome New England destination. Oh well, until then I will bask in the glory of early summer time and enjoy what we have now.

The last couple of reviews, aside from the awful Walgreens beer, have been amber red ales, and to be honest, I'm a bit ambered out. I know I keep saying I enjoy ambers, but I could use a break; and what better way to take a break from ambers than with an IPA. Taking a hint from last night, tonight will be another award winner with Terrapin Beer Co's Hopsecutioner. That is such a cool name for a beer. Can't help but notice that Bell's has an awesome IPA name too with their Hopslam. I don't know what it is with hops, but for some reason they're very angry. Maybe they should check in to some anger management classes...

Terrapin Beer Company, of Athens, Georgia, is another brewhouse that established itself within the past 10 years. In 2002, their first offering, Rye Pale Ale, won a gold medal at GABF in the American Pale Ale category. Tonight's killer IPA also won a gold medal, but at the 2010 Atlantic Beer Festival, IPA category.

Pour before you GULP! Probably one of my favorite things about reviewing beers that aren't from the big companies is getting to look at the colors of each beer. Lately the standard colors have been amber/red/copper, and what do you know, the Hopsecutioner falls in to the same category. But if you hold it in the light, you can see a very light shade of orange. Overall it's a great shade of copper orange, and upon first pour, you get quick glance at the carbonation.


GULP! It up! Keep in mind the last IPA I had was Hopslam, which was a Double IPA, so I was sort of preparing for a quick death by hops, however that wasn't exactly the case. I wouldn't say that's a bad thing though! The killer turtle delivers a nice blend of citrus fruity notes, and definitely a hoppy back end, which shouldn't be a surprise considering Terrapin's use of six different hops.

The nice part about the Hopsecutioner is that it's very drinkable for an IPA. Dare I say it's probably the most drinkable IPA I've had in my short IPA drinking life. Just a heads up, be prepared for a pretty bitter midsection. From an alcohol perspective, this killer of hops sits at a non-conservative 7.3% ABV. That part actually makes me laugh because last night, while at a new burger joint, my wife and I overheard some people, best described as "middle aged", saying they wanted to check out at nearby bar. They were warning each other because the select establishment sold "real beers" that had alcohol levels higher than "4%". I can only imagine how they would react to this!

Grade the GULP! This is my first Terrapin brew, and I must say, I really like it. Even with the 7.3% ABV rating, it's not too overbearing. The hops make a quick appearance before being beheaded by the Hopsecutioner. GULP! Grade? I give it an 8. Beware, "you may lose your hophead over this one!"

Stone Brewing Co - Levitation Ale

Hello faithful, adoring, GULP! readers. As we enter week two of GULP! life, we continue our journey for delicious, unique brews. Before we hit today's review, I want to thank everyone for, what I would consider, a successful first week. We had over 200 page impressions, and made a few pennies through advertising; both of which was more than I thought. Please continue to tell your friends about the page and definitely leave me comments, for I am certainly not a "beer genius" and I would love to hear your input. Enough with the sappy stuff, let's drink!

Up for today is an award winning beer from the Stone Brewing Company: Levitation Ale. Levitation Ale has been around since 2002 and won the Gold Medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival (GABF for short). I had heard of Stone when I purchased this, but to be totally honest, I basically bought this beer because of the bottle; I thought the beer drinking devil guy was cool. I know, that's pretty lame, but we have an honesty policy around here and I'd hate for HR to report me for being unethical. Anyway, now that I've had a few sips, and since we're in to week 2 of our adventure, I'm going to try to start a little more official review system. Drum roll please.

Pour before you GULP! Levitation Ale is an amber red ale, so as expected, I got the amber red color I was looking for in my glass. As I've said in a previous post, I'm a big fan of amber ales, so as far as color is concerned, Levitation did not disappoint. I was also greeted by a decent sized head.

GULP! It up! Stone Levitation Ale is a great amber red ale and is worthy of sitting in your fridge for an eventual doom into your stomach. There are great hints of citrusy hops and a bit of pine. Overall, I like the smells and the flavors during the drinking process. Levitation is only 4.4% ABV, really adding to the drinkability factor. Since the hops and malt flavors are not too intense, this is easily drinkable for almost any occasion. In fact, the big selling point for Levitation ale, according to the huge write up on the back of the bottle, is that this is the most flavor you'll experience in a beer that is only 4.4% ABV.

Grade the GULP! On a scale of 1 to 10, I give Stone Brewing Co. Levitation Ale a 7.5. I appreciate the sell of "more flavor, low ABV", however, I would've liked maybe 5.5%. But hey, who am I? Come to think of it, I may need to rethink this grade, I don't want to tick off the beer drinking devil on the bottle.

P.S. I just bought some generic beer glasses, so you'll be seeing less of the Blue Point glass.