Shiner 102 Double Wheat

Today's review is the first "Double" Wheat to be featured on GULP! Spoetzel Brewery, based in Shiner, Texas, has been in operation since the very early 1900's. Their specialty beer is the Shiner Bock, a brew that's been around since 1913. The unique thing about today's review, the 102 Double, is that it's a filtered wheat. Typically wheat beers are left un-filtered, which is historically the "way to do it", and is known as a Hefeweizen. Those that are filtered are known as kristallweizen. Obviously both "ways" are quite German.

Pour! A very light gold color, actually almost like a lager. The carbonation levels are pretty obvious after the pouring. Not sure how I feel about this one.

Drink! Typically with the wheat beers, you can expect a more fruity flavor than other styles. Well, being a "hybrid" wheat, in between a "bright wheat beer and wheat wine ale", the flavors are a bit different than a non-hybrid. There's quite a tangy taste all the way through, with a very incredibly light scent. I'm not sure if the tang is from hops or what, but it's not what I was expecting... not really in a good way.

Thoughts! The Shiner 102, for celebrating 102 years of Shiner-ness, is just alright. I'm not too excited about it. If you zip over to Beer Advocate, you'll see that most folks there feel the same way. The tang back-end really doesn't do it for me. Like I said, you expect a certain thing with wheat's, I'm not sure the 102 delivered. Sorry Texas, not this time...

The Fort Collins Brewery - Rocky Mountain IPA

Hello readers! I hope everyone survived the first day back to work after the first day of Spring. If you live in Florida like I do, the weather has been awesome lately. I'm sure those of you up north, if anyone from up north even reads this, are happy to see the temperatures get outta the 50's and into the 60's. Oh wait a minute, I take that back, looks like the temperatures are still in the 30's and 40's in New England. Well... too bad! Time to move.

Anyway, welcome to the first beer review of GULP! "2.0!". I have survived the most difficult portion of my last semester of grad school, so I'm happy to get back to a somewhat normal schedule. Which now includes the blog! I'm going to continue tinkering with the layouts and designs - as you can see the top logo has changed a bit. Sadly no one responded to the chance of helping me design an actual logo, so I had to do my best. I'm also going to keep working on the format of the blog, the "GULP It Up", etc.

So the journey continues. The first beer review of the new session is a west coast offering. Coming from the heavy hitting beer state of Colorado, we have The Fort Collins Brewery, Rocky Mountain IPA. This isn't the first review of an FCB product. If you recall, during GULP! "1.0!", Retro Red was reviewed. It was a pretty good amber ale, so I was inclined to try another FCB offering. For some reason, there's a three-legged Elephant on the label. I wouldn't have noticed, however they went out of their way to point it out with the write-up on the side of the bottle: "Massive floral aroma lures you in while hop bitterness and malty sweetness mingle in symmetry. After all, great balance is key when you are only standing on three legs". Wordplay? Pun? Who knows...

Pour! Like most IPA's, this elephant ale poured a nice deep gold color and a surprisingly dark head. It wasn't dark like what you'd get with a Stout, but it did have very light amber tones. I wasn't expecting that.

Drink! Right off the bat you are hit with floral & hop. No surprise there; not only did the label warn us, but it is quite typical of an IPA. Bitter on the front end and bitter on the back end. Typical spices and hop hits throughout the entire GULP! experience. I sound like a broken record, but it seems that once you have one IPA, you might have had them all. I will say though, this IPA seemed a bit more powerful than the last, which if fine with me. Oh, and it weighs in a just over 6% ABV. Giddy up!

Thoughts! If you're a fan of the IPA style, I would highly suggest the FCB Rocky Mountain. Not to mention the three-legged elephant seems like a cool mascot. If you don't like IPA's, well, stay away... but do the elephant a favor and find him a four legged mate.

GULP! 2.0?

After a more than 30 day hiatus, GULP! is back. It sounds pretty pathetic to try and call this a "2.0" venture, since "1.0" barely got off the ground, but I'm going to do it anyway. Welcome to GULP! 2.0! I have gone with a different page design - well, it's not that different, you know how page templates work. Just little tweaks here and there. I'm also going to try to re-design the logo a little bit. In fact, if you, or someone you know, excels in the computer graphics department, I'd be very appreciative for some help in making a new logo. Who knows, there may be some cash and/or beer in the deal.

Click image for larger version

On to the beer, since that's why you are here! I haven't completely fallen off the beer wagon over the past month. In fact, since I haven't been blogging (and have been schooling), I have been able to try other brews, which unfortunately will not be discussed in this blog. The positive in that, like all things, is that I've been able to broaden my horizons a bit. That said, the image above is the starting line up for GULP! 2.0! It won't end here, I promise. It can't, because I've had certain requests that aren't a part of this lineup, so the show must continue.

So, the reviews are returning this week. And, as I mentioned, if you, or someone you know, can make graphics, hit me up. Let's see if we can strike a deal. Have a sweet weekend!

Valentine's Day Special - New Belgium Brewing Fat Tire (!!!!)

Happy Day-After Valentine's Day everyone. I hope cupid was nice to you, because this is the last fairy gift giver until the Easter Bunny. I, for one, not only gave an amazing gift, but also received an amazing gift. Background: in November, the wife and I went up to Savannah for a short weekend getaway. While we were up there, we stopped into one of the local hotels which had a bar on the roof. My wife got some crazy liquor drink, and I had my first New Belgium Brewing offering, Fat Tire. I had heard a lot about Fat Tire up to that point, so I needed to try it for myself. Like most of 2010, I hadn't really tried too many craft brews, but Fat Tire quickly became a favorite after that day. Unfortunately, living in Florida, Fat Tire is pretty much impossible to get a hold of (they don't sell it here, or ship it here). Well, that all changed as of Valentine's Day 2011. The wife surprised me with a Fat Tire gift basket! It came with three bottles of Fat Tire, a bag of pistachios, pretzel sticks, and cheese straws. Pretty much the most amazing gift for a Floridian beer lover. I suppose the best part of this gift is that it gave me a chance to do a proper review of Fat Tire, as, like I said, I hadn't expanded my tastes yet when I first tried it. So it's time to take off the training wheels and take the Fat Tire for a spin!

Pour before you GULP! Fat Tire is an amber ale, so you pretty much know what to expect. Upon pouring I was greeted with a dark amber coloring and a nice foamy head, basically what I surmised and what I remembered from our trip to Savannah. The bottle is dressed up with, what comes off to me as, a European flair label - and a red bicycle smack in the middle. Apparently the story with the bike is that one of the founders rode such a bicycle through Belgium when the idea for the brew was realized. Such a nice piece of serendipity, no!?

GULP! It Up! Don't expect very strong scents with this New Belgium Brewing favorite. In fact, don't expect to be overpowered with flavorings while you drink either. I'm not saying that in a negative way, I actually think that's what makes Fat Tire so freakin' popular, the subtly of the flavors make it incredibly drinkable. For the connoisseurs out there, you will find small notes of malt, and biscuit. For the non-connoisseurs, you might not taste much! But again, I don't think that's such a bad thing in this case; and actually, as you move on through the drink, you find some bitter hops, but it's far from overpowering. Overall it's a very crisp and malty experience. Very enjoyable.

Grade the GULP! When I would think about Fat Tire, it reminded me of a mild Savannah afternoon, sitting on the roof of a hotel. Thankfully I'll be able to enjoy a couple more of these in the comfort of my home, sifting through the different flavors while watching reruns of Seinfeld. Moving to the grades... I'm going to change things up a little bit. I have found the numerical grading system to be a bit of a pain, so I'm switching to letter grades. They hold the same weight as when you were in grade school, so no syllabus is required. I'm giving Fat Tire an A-. Where it lacks in the power flavor department, it makes up in drinkability and crispiness. Unfortunately, if you're a Floridian reading this, I don't think you'll be finding this in your local grocer or package store anytime soon; however, they do sell it in Georgia! Road trip!! I'd recommend taking a car though, not a flimsy looking red bicycle. Enjoy!

Wells and Young's Banana Bread Beer

As promised, here is the second review of the day. Yesterday, I had class from 9am to 5pm. Yes, on Saturday. It's crazy I know, but there was a nice pay off afterwards. I went with a colleague/classmate to a dive bar just outside downtown Orlando for a couple drinks. After having an OBP on draft, it was time to try a beer that I had heard about for quite a while, but never was able to get my hands on: the Wells and Young's Banana Bread beer. If you haven't heard of it before, you read that right. It's a beer that tastes like banana bread! You shouldn't be too shocked though, I mean, they have beer that tastes like chocolate, ya know?

Before I get to the actual review, I think it's appropriate to go over a little history! Wells and Young's is not a pushover brewery. Wells and Young's, as it stands today, was formed in 2006 after a merger between Charles Wells LTD and Young's Brewery, both based in the UK. CW LTD was formed in 1876 in England, and Young's Brewery was formed in 1831, also in England. Needless to say, the combination of two such historic breweries in 2006 has left us with a huge UK company and some very interesting beer! And, believe it or not, Wells and Young's also brew Kirin Ichiban, Red Stripe (Hooray Beer!), Corona Extra, Estrella Damm, Modeolo Especial, Negra Modela, and Pacifico Clara. Who's the smart one now!? I'm so proud, my little readers are all grown up. Hell, for all I know, you might've known all this already. If so, well la-dee-da. Bitches. There'll be a test later. Moving on!

One of my first beer blog posts, not for GULP! but for another blog I was apart of, was "Top Ten Beers I'd Share with my Grandma". Looking back, I really, really wish I would've had this beer before making that list. Banana bread is one of those things that are like apple pie, it brings back memories of home and childhood, and more than likely, grandma made it best. I really think that any beer list that is associated with grandma, or any other family member who bakes such goods, should include this beer. I'm getting ahead of myself now though, so crank up the stove baby! It's time for some (liquid) banana bread!

Pour before you GULP! Since I was in a bar with little outside light, I didn't get a good shot of the beer in the glass. However, a good 'ol image search on Google will show you that this beer is a nice amber color. Placing the bottle next to it makes you wish there were some walnuts or bread crumbs floating around inside the glass. Don't get too upset though, because what you're about to experience might make up for those "shortfalls".

GULP! It Up! If you look back at the review of the Terrapin Wake'N'Bake, you'll see that I used the term "holy mother of ______". Well, I think it's time to use that phrase again. Holy Mother of Bananas! This brew is straight up bananas, literally. Right from the get go you can smell the mixture of bananas and nuts. I have to say though, the smells, combined with the flavors, while drinking... it's almost too much. Don't get me wrong, it's ridiculously good, but for a beer, you start to wonder about adjuncts and what a beer is supposed to be. But, it is so good, I say to hell with all that. At 5.2% ABV, and the banana flavors, this turns out to be a very drinkable ale!

Grade the GULP! Okay, this is a pretty easy one for me. 9. This is definitely one of my favorite beers now. I don't think it'd be possible to have three in a row, but two wouldn't be bad. Over the year, I can see this as a new favorite during the holidays and during parties with friends. If you've never had this brew before, do yourself a favor and go find it. If you have and you were unsure about it, give it another shot. As for grandma, she'll get a new list when the year is through!

Bell's Two Hearted Ale

Sunday's suck without football, right? Luckily the Celtics - Heat game is on, so the afternoon wasn't a totally lost cause. It was a bit of a slow week for GULP! thanks to life priorities. However, today will bring two, maybe three reviews. Gotta catch up for lost time! So let's get to it.

First up today is Bell's Two Hearted Ale. One of the first GULP! reviews was another Bell's product, Hopslam, a double IPA. Hopslam is one of Bell's seasonal beers, and is arguably one of their most popular brews. Today's review, Two Hearted Ale, is one of their 8 year round beers, and is of the (single) IPA configuration.  

Pour before you GULP! Like 99.9% of the beers reviewed by GULP! Two Hearted was poured from a bottle into a glass. It unleashed a great dark gold color with a solid foamy head. The color actually reminded me of a 'not to be named' macro brewery product. I'll give you a guess though, it rhymes with 'studwiser'. Thankfully it doesn't taste like it...

GULP! It Up! IPA's are quickly becoming a more personal favorite for me, over amber lagers, thanks to the standard calling card: hoppy bitterness and floral scents. Two Hearted does not disappoint when it comes to that. The bottle lets you know that you're in for a 'crisp finish' and 'an incredibly floral hop aroma'. They weren't kidding. In fact, Two Hearted is a very drinkable IPA. It does have the aforementioned bitterness, but it goes down very smooth with a crisp, malty backbone. For those not used to beers with a higher alcohol content, here is your warning: 7% ABV. Not 'too' high, but it certainly isn't the general average of 4.5%-6%. Not sure what the deal is with the fish though... 

Grade the GULP! I am very pleased with this offering from Bell's. Crisp, hoppy, malty, and floral; it's just what you'd expect for a really good IPA. I feel very good about giving Bell's Two Hearted Ale a solid 9. Yes, matching last weeks high for Terrapin Wake'N'Bake Chocolate Oatmeal stout. I've been fortunate to have some pretty good beers lately, as the grades show. So, don't be scurred, give Bell's Two Hearted Ale a try! If you don't like IPA's, at least give this one a shot; and if you don't like it, well.... 

Victory Brewing Co - Prima Pils

My friends! It's been a few days! I apologize for having a pretty quiet week up to this point. Even though I had Monday off after a crazy weekend, I've been cramming like crazy for a very important mid-term tomorrow night. Sometimes I have to set priorities. I know, ridiculous. Today's review is about a beer leftover from our Super Bowl party: Victory Brewing Company Prima Pils. Sadly, not for me, but just 'sadly', this is a brew from Pennsylvania. State of the losing Pittsburgh Steelers. Buck up Steeler fans, you always have baseball season and the Pirates to look forward to! Yeah.... the.... Pirates....

The Victory Brewing Company, founded in 1996 in Dowington, PA (just under an hour west of Philly), has a pretty solid availability of year round beers. Two of which, Hop Devil and Golden Monkey, were enjoyed during the Super Bowl Shenanigans party. The "Prima"-donna up tonight is a three time award winner! Two time silver and one time Grand Champ. Sounds like a freaky recipe for something weird.

Pour before you GULP! I wasn't really sure what to expect when I bought this beer, so when it poured a darkish yellow, I thought I was going to be drinking a wheat. I know, I really did like, no research on this before I started drinking it. There seemed to be a very quick burst of carbonation, and a small foamy head, but after that, it leveled out quickly. Not bad, but nothing too special.

GULP! It up! Prima is packed with European hops and German malts. It doesn't have an overbearing smell as you raise up, but you can certainly taste the floral hops. However, as the drinking process progresses, the scent and flavor does start to dwindle a bit. Because of that, it turns in to quite a drinkable beer. At 5.3% ABV, having more than one is definitely do-able.

Grade the GULP! Like I previously mentioned, I didn't do too much research on the Pils before I drank up, but I have to say I was a little underwhelmed. I'd say that the grade on Beer Advocate, A-, is pretty nice. It's light on taste, light on scent, and light on color. That being said, I'm going to give the Prima Pils a low 7, if there is such a thing. Well, now there is. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, and it would work well for a long afternoon outside as a change from the standard macro brewer options. But, if you're looking for something different, don't start here. Sorry guys. Smiley face?

Terrapin Wake 'N' Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout

Well I hoped you survived Super Bowl weekend. The Packers won, which I suppose is a good thing since there were multiple Alum's on the team from my University. I have to admit to not watching the second half; not from negligence, but for beer! After "gulping" the usual suspects during the first half, the second half was about breaking out the geographic specials. So we did, in the form of Victory Brewing Co. HopDevil Ale and Golden Monkey; and Leinenkugel Honey Wheat and Sunset Wheat (now affectionately known as the "fruity pebbles beer" - review coming soon). However, none of these fine selections are today's topic of conversation. Instead, I will be reviewing Terrapin's Wake 'N' Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout. Fortunately/Unfortunately I had this beer while out at our typical beer dive (World of Beer) so I was unable to get photos of the bottle and what it looked like in the glass. But never fear beer lovers, I will still be able to deliver the goods. Let's "hop" to it!

Image from http://www.terrapinbeer.com/

Pour before you GULP! Holy mother of chocolate. The Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout (COIS for short) is black. Like, straight up night time with no stars. What was great about it was that the head, as thin as it was, left hints of mocha chocolate coloring. That fact was very telling to what was going to happen during the drinking process.

GULP! It Up! Holy mother of coffee. Wait, did I already use that line? No? Okay I was close. This grandma terrapin did not screw around when making this little black mamba. Right from the get go your senses are pounded with combinations of coffee (a "premium blend of Costa Rican, Guatemalan, & Zimbabwe coffee") and chocolate. It was not thick by any means, the dense color fooling you, but the deep flavors make it an incredibly unique experience. The oatmeal flavor is not very strong, nor is the hop flavoring on the back end. But this multiple award winner is no slack in the alcohol department, weighing in at 8.6% ABV.

Grade the GULP! Stouts and Porters tend to have very unique flavor combinations. The COIS from Terrapin is no different. While you're drinking you may have an urge for vanilla ice cream or chocolate bars, but hold back. Be sure to enjoy a full drink first, then venture into other combinations - which is my plan. While having very intense alternative flavors, the COIS was unbelievable. Up to this point, I had never had a beer like this one. I personally wouldn't recommend having more than one due to the complex flavors, but enjoying one over an extended period is not a bad idea. Grade? 9. Congrats to the Terrapin Wake 'N' Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout for achieving the first 9 in GULP! history. What's the prize? Nothing. Well, maybe a few more purchases. Don't be scurred kiddo's, go give this turtle a shot!

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.

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.