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.

Fort Collins Brewery - Retro Red

Well, after about an hour to get the awful Big Flats taste out of my mouth, it's time to get to the second review of the night. I've been looking forward to this review because it is for a beer out of Colorado, and when I think Colorado, I think Fat Tire. Unfortunately, being in Florida, it's a bit of a pain to get Fat Tire as they don't sell it in my lovely state. Fear not my friends, I will keep my composure and move on, to Fort Collins Retro Red. If you read my about me profile thingy, you'll notice that I was a "beer hater" for many years. Over the last year though, I've broadened my horizons and starting trying other beers. Of all of the different types I've tried, IPA's, Double IPA's, Ambers, Porters, etc., I think that red ambers have become my favorite style. So moving into this review of Retro Red, I will try to avoid being bias... unlike Fox News when they talk about Sarah Parlin (ha! political joke! moving on...)

Upon pouring this Fort Collins into my standard Blue Point glass, I was greeted by a much darker brew than what I was expecting. It's a very dark red, almost brown. The head quickly fizzed away, which was a little disappointing, but hey, what's the point of the head anyway. The smell is a fantastic mixture of sweetness, malt, a little bit of cinnamon, and roastiness. It has a fantastic texture, carmel and malty, a little hoppy aftertaste. I'd say that it's very drinkable, and having more than one isn't such a bad idea thanks to just 5.2% ABV.

As a sidebar, it appears that Retro Red will no longer be known as such sometime in 2011. According to the Fort Collins website, Retro Red will be transformed into Red Banshee! Yikes, sounds scary. Never fear Super Beer Drinkers, apparently the Red Banshee is a super hot red head siren. If you're a Retro Red fan, it appears that the recipe and general flavors will stay the same, so don't worry about the babe screwin' up your favorites.

To wrap this sucker up, scale of 1 to 10, I'll give the Retro a modern day 7. I liked it, I could have a second, and it's a pretty red amber. Grab a retro people, before the hot red headed Banshee kills our super heros! Ahh!

Big Flats 1901 aka "The Walgreens Beer"

Okayyy, so, tonight there will be two reviews. If you're wondering why: Stop, and read what the first review is for. You'll see below that I did a quick news item on this "beer" last night, Big Flats 1901. Walgreens has entered the beer scene - not sure if we can say it's the craft beer scene or not, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, this beer has become quite a joke between my friends over the past 24 hours, so I was compelled to go to my local Walgreens and "splurge" on a $2.99 six pack. As we were checking out, my wife chuckled at the total price, which was around $3.20 after tax, to which the cashier responded "It's actually not that bad. It's not good, but it's not bad". Got a good laugh from that one.

Yeah, that's a Bud Light glass

Okay, so this beer pours super light, we're definitely headed in the wrong direction. The can proudly states "Brewed from only the choicest hops", and placed in-between that "label" is a graphic saying "Genuine Beer". At the bottom "It's the water that makes it." On the side of the can: "Brewed by Brewmaster's Choice, Rochester, NY." It goes down very lightly, and there is a very slight trace of fruit and malt, it's incredibly watery on the roof of the mouth, light carbonation. ABV is at 4.5%, so nothing too heavy, and actually, that's higher than I thought it would be.

Overall, not a very good beer. However, if you're headed to the beach, want to get hammered, and don't really care what your beer tastes like, this is actually a good choice. I mean, you can't go wrong at $2.99. On a scale of 1 to 10, this pharmacy store offering gets a 4. Not a bad color, but everything else lacks. This can would go good next to a dead deer head in the garage....

Walgreens.... beer?

If you live in the suburban United States, chances are that within a five mile radius of your home, there is a Walgreens pharmacy. Walgreens isn't such a bad company, I suppose. Unfortunately most of their grocery items are pretty over priced, but if you need a medical item, or a cheap toy, they're pretty solid. Well, I stumbled across an article today (Walgreens selling its own private-label beer), and, it gave me a sour feeling in my stomach. Apparently, in December, Walgreens, with little fanfare, starting selling their own beer product, known as "Big Flats 1901". According to the article, the senior marketing director for the alcohol company (Winery Exchange) brewing this stuff said that "consumer feedback has been very positive". Well, if you zip on over to Beer Advocate, where contributors have graded it a "C" (mediocre), it makes me wonder what type of "consumer feedback" they're looking at. What's even crazier, again according to the article, is that a six-pack of cans is only $2.99. 

Enough of my rant, have you tried this stuff? If so, leave a comment. Here's a link to the article again: Walgreens selling its own private-label beer. 

Bell's Hopslam Ale

So, tonight will be the first actual beer review featured on GULP! Hopslam by Bell's Brewery, out of Comstock, Michigan, is the latest buzz online. In fact, on Beer Advocate, there are almost 2000 reviews of this baby. I bought it at the local Total Wine store, of course, and was pleased that for the most part, they had a pretty good number of the single bottles, especially considering all the hype it was getting. So, I was pretty excited about the whole thing; also because it's the first Double IPA I'll have tried. But, I'm jabbering, so without further adieu, let's do this thing.

Holy mother of hops. If you don't like hoppy ale's or IPA's, this beer is NOT for you. There are a few emergency signs of what you will experience with this Hulk Hogan of a Double IPA. First off, the name is Hopslam, and wow, this baby is hoppy! The back label warns you with: "a biting, bitter, tongue bruiser of an ale. With a name like Hopslam, what did you expect?" That, slogan, we'll call it, is pretty close, but don't expect to fall off your chair calling 911. However, it does measure up to 10% ABV, so make sure you have some grub beforehand.

Hopslam pours a beautiful golden honey orange with a decent sized head. The aroma is intense, full of hops, honey, and citrusy fruit. On the way down, you'll notice a creamy texture, and you will get a hoppy aftertaste. Overall, it is really tasty, and quite drinkable. For some reason, it puts me in the mood for some vanilla ice cream. I can't figure out why, maybe because I was craving some beforehand... perhaps I thought it would go well together. I'll have to think some more about that. Vanilla Hopslam. You listening Bell's people?

Now, at the request of a friend of mine, I'm going to provide ratings for the brews at the conclusion of the write up. That being said, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'll give Hopslam a 9. It's very drinkable, nice to look at, and full of flavor. So, go out to your local package store, such as Total Wine (plug) and buy yourself the beer that could possibly be  a finishing move in the WWE - HOPSLAM BROTHER!!

What's on Tap for GULP!

What's up party people. It's Monday, a new week, and less than 14 days until the most anticipated sporting event of 2011... at least until the next most anticipated sporting event of 2011. Thanks for coming back to the site. I've spent a bit of cash money lately on brews that I'd like to try, and of course share with you, my faithful, loyal, readers. That being said, the picture above will give you a sample of what's on tap here for GULP! in the near future. They aren't in any particular order, but I will say that I plan on starting with Hopslam from Bell's. Hopslam has been getting a lot of airplay online lately, but I'm not going to say anymore because then my eventual review will be skeletal. Anyway, you may recognize some of the selections, such as the Terrapin Hopsecutioner, some you may not, such as the Lobstah' Ale. Either way, prepare to be bombarded with information as I plow through these bottles of fun over the next couple weeks.

On a side note, please "follow me" and tell your friends. We're going to have some fun going through this journey together, so the more the merrier. Plus, I could use some more friends (no offense real friends).

Be responsible!

Steve

Blue Point Brewery + World of Beer Lake Mary = Awesome Collaboration

Read it and weep baby!

So, as my first official blog posting, I'm bringing in a posting I did for my other blog responsibility with Gossip Beer. Basically, this past Thursday, at my favorite bar, World of Beer, Blue Point Brewery was highlighted as a special guest. The event featured four of their beers on tap, which I'll discuss in a minute, and if you ordered a Blue Point product, you got to keep a Blue Point pint glass! Free stuff! Nice! A quick history lesson, at one of my first trips to WOB, I ordered, along with a couple friends, the Blue Point Toasted Lager. What a delight that beer was. If you've never allowed your taste buds to enjoy this amber lager, you’re depriving yourself of a complex brew that is made up of six different malts! Not to mention that this beer actually gets toasted thanks to a direct-fire brew kettle technique utilized during the brewing process. It’s a full copper lager that is subject to the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself here yappin’ about this lager.

The Blue Point Brewing Company was founded 1998 by a couple of buddies, and it is the only microbrewery in Long Island. Blue Point offers six different brews on a normal basis: the Toasted Lager I was gushing about a moment ago, Hoptical llusion, RastafaRye Ale, Blueberry Ale, Pale Ale and an Oatmeal Stout (which I’m dying to try). For the four seasons, Blue Point offers Spring Fling, Double Blonde (giggady), Summer Ale, Golden Ale, Oktoberfest, Pumpkin Ale, Winter Ale, Old Howling Bastard, and Sour Cherry Imperial Stout. Now for some reviews.   

For this particular occasion, I ordered the RastafaRye and my wife picked the Blueberry Ale. The Rastafa nails you with a 7.5% ABV, but with the flavors involved in this west coast style copper ale, you won’t be asking for help to get off the floor after just one. You will notice some fruitiness throughout the drinking process, but it’s nothing like drinking a Belgian wheat. Probably the best part about the Rastafa is that a portion of the sales that Blue Point receives from this beer is donated to a group known as “TOCO” (They Often Cry Outreach, http://theyoftencryoutreach.org/) to help underprivileged kids around the entire world. You can’t turn down a cause like that.

My wife’s beer that fine Thursday evening was the Blueberry Ale. I for one am not a huge fan of beer with little fruit floating around, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this Blue Point offering. While I only had a few sips, I wasn’t overwhelmed with blueberry power (Was there a blueberry Power Ranger? No?). If I wasn’t clear, there actually were blueberries inside of the glass, so I was a little cautious. Part of it reminded me of, naturally, blueberry muffins and blueberry pancakes. However, the golden ale held its own and kept its hoppy flavor throughout the drinking process. All things considered, this is a fruit beer that I wouldn’t mind having myself… in fact; I wonder how it would taste with a blueberry muffin. Hmmmm....

So in a nutshell, you have gotten schooled on not only the Blue Point Brewery itself, but a couple of the beers they so happily sell to us drinkers. Now, go to your favorite alcoholic packaging store, or pub, or restaurant, or friend who has more money than you, and buy some of Blue Points fine products! Tell them that Steve sent you, so even though you may not get a discount, maybe they’ll thank me for advertising their products. 

Welcome to GULP!

Hello internet world and beer drinkers! My name is Steve and you have found your way to the newest blog about beer, GULP! GULP! is my first blog creation, and I hope to fill the big shoes that currently exist throughout the net as it pertains to other beer bloggers. The focus of the posts will deal with craft beer, beer news, beers I find, and whatever other stuff I can get my hands on. Basically, if you like to read about craft beer, and enjoy the net, please continue to visit this blog! I'm going to try to update daily with beer information in the form of news, reviews, other bloggers posts, blah, blah blah. Whatever! So, thanks for coming here, and keep coming back! GULP!