People have been hating on this beer lately, but I suppose that happens with all craft brews that are marketed well and are, therefore, very successful. Anyway,  in Mississippi, New Belgium is unfortunately not sold yet. So, I had to pick it up in Memphis.

I got it in the can, as I am a firm believer that most beers (especially this one) taste better from a can. I don’t know if it’s the can conditioning, or the lack of sunlight reaching the beer, or the simple fact that it tastes colder, but I love it.

So, the beer itself is, in my opinion, the standard example of an amber ale. It’s not as complex as a porter or an IPA, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s just a good, crisp, drinkable ale, suitable for tailgating at a football game, doing yard work, or just sitting at the house watching T.V. This beer would be my go to and I would keep it stocked if only it were available in my home state (hint hint New Belgium..)

For the past few months, I’ve chosen to use Untappd in lieu of blogging.  It is a great app/social networking site, and it was convenient to not have to write a blog post after every new beer.  However, like twitter, there is a max of 160 characters, and that is, unfortunately, nowhere near enough space for my eloquent musings on that most ancient of drinks: beer.  And so, the blogging will now begin again.  I’m sure this will make all six of my followers very happy.  I’ll be writing of new beers, but also some favorites I had over the “break”.  So, without further ado, here is my latest review.

INNIS & GUNN Winter Beer (2012)

First I should say that you cannot get this beer in Mississippi (I know, against my original stated purpose).  But, you can get it in Memphis, which is about an hour away from Oxford.  I recently picked some up at Joe’s Wine and Liquor which, incidentally, employed my father-in-law while he was in college.

This special edition beer comes from a Scottish brewery I had never heard of, but they seem to be high quality.  The Winter Beer – with  a “vintage” of 2012 – is called a “Porter brewed with Molasses” on the bottle.  As you can see from the picture, it’s light for a porter. In fact, lighter than any porter I’ve ever seen.  Beer Advocate calls it an English Porter – a style I like but just don’t see it with this brew.  I would classify this beer as an English Old Ale, as there’s not much of the chocolate character you usually get with a porter.  The molasses gives this beer a very sweet mouthfeel, but it’s balanced by a subtle hop profile.  Overall, it is a very good (not to mention unique) ale.  I will certainly be trying the 2013 Winter beer when it comes out.

I am a big fan of this beer, but I suppose at 7.4% abv and two in, I’ll pretty much be a fan of anything.  If you ever get the chance to pick some up, I highly recommend. Cheers!

Recently, my sister-in-law asked me to write a piece describing differences between certain types of beers.  It occurs to me that I have indeed been referring to things like  pilsners, brown ales, and bocks, while the reader may be oblivious to the meaning of these terms.  So, in a two-part series, I’ll be covering the basic beer styles.  Although it may be a bit of a generalization, nearly all beer can be divided into two main categories: lagers and ales.  Today, we’ll be learning about lagers.

My wife and I were recently sampling beers at The Beer House in Ocean Springs.  It’s a great place to get a pint (or quart), but be wary, some of the beer is outrageously expensive.  Anyway, I asked the bartender if he had tried Crooked Letter Brewing’s Italian Lager.  He quickly said that he had not and had no plans to.  As he put it, “I don’t drink lagers.”  When my wife asked why, he replied that lagers have no taste. This type of blind beer snobbery, while very common, is a little overly simplistic.

When pressed, I’ll admit that I prefer ale to lager, but lager certainly has it’s place.  There are some situations when even a cheap lager is better than a good ale.   Because lager is supposed to be served much colder (and let’s face it, it’s disgusting otherwise), it is a much better drink for a hot day at the beach, or a baseball game in the middle of the summer.

While some may say that there is no flavor in lagers, I would argue that the flavor is simply more subtle.  This is why it’s so easy to pair lager with food.  The complex flavors in an ale will often combat the flavors of the food.  There’s a reason the vast majority of beers you’ll find at a Mexican restaurant (even XX Amber and Negra Modelo) are lagers- have you ever tried drinking a Guinness with Enchiladas?  Or a super hoppy IPA with chili relleno? You’ll find that these ales, while delicious alone,  don’t wash down spicy Mexican fare as well as an icy, refreshing mug of lager straight from the tap.

Lager is by far the most popular beer worldwide, making up roughly 95% of worldwide beer sales.  This domination of the market is due in large part to German brewers, who discovered that fermentation in the lower temperature of caves resulted in a cleaner, dryer end product.  In fact, the world’s most popular lagers, such as Budweiser, Coors, and Corona, were all created by German immigrants to the United States or Mexico.  Not only does lager fermentation occur at lower temperatures, but the yeast ferments near the bottom of the tank, thereby eating more fermentable sugars, resulting in a crisper, cleaner taste.   Due to the temperature restrictions, most homebrewers will find ales much simpler to make.

Although there isn’t as much variation in lagers as in ales, there are a surprising number of choices.  I feel that I’ve already spoken up enough in support lager, so I’ll just briefly describe the different styles and list some examples.

American Lagers

Everyone knows American lagers (which was ironically developed by Germans).  Beer of the sports fan, the golfer, college students, and Homer Simpson.  It is the cheapest and most well known style of lager, and also garners quite a bit of hatred.  But not from me.  Some of my top picks in this style (See top 5 cheap beer post) would be Budweiser, Coors Original, Rolling Rock, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Miller Genuine Draft. (…and Duff)                                 

Plisners

A little more complex lager that even beer snobs tend to enjoy.  The Pilsner, with it’s drier and subtly hoppier taste, is a good first step in the beer novice’s journey of exploration.  Well known examples are Stella Artois, Heineken, Grolsh, and Pilsner Urquell.  However, my favorite pilsner currently is made by Abita: Save Our Shore Pilsner, a fantastic unfiltered pilsner that will convince even the most discriminating beer lover.

Maerzen/Oktoberfest Beer

This refreshing lager gets it’s two names from the month it was traditionally brewed (March) and the time the beer would come out of the cellar to be enjoyed by all (Oktoberfest).  While the color can vary from pale to dark brown, his drinkable Bavarian brew has a medium to full body, a malty flavor, and a clean dry finish.  To really get an idea of this style, try Ayinger’s Oktoberfest Marzen, a Bavarian beer that usually costs less than $4 for a 1.9 pint bottle in MS.  You can also find seasonal Oktoberfest beers made by better known American brands such as Samuel Adams and Shiner.

Bocks

Traditionally, Bock (also German) is a sweet, relatively strong (6-7%), lightly hopped lager.   The beer is always clear, although the color can range from light copper to dark brown.  Two well known American variations are Michelob Amber Bock and Shiner Bock. And although it’s not in season, Abita’s Mardi Gras Bock is also a great first bock to try (see blog post on Mardi Gras Bock).

Enjoy this post, as I haven’t found much time to blog lately.  Although I should have plenty of opportunity to do so soon:  I’ll be working on Part 2 of this series,  my terrific sister- and brother-in-law got me a beer of the month sampler (starting this month) for my birthday. Furthermore, I’ll be attending the 1st Annual Oxford Beer Festival in a little under two weeks, along with 2 blog contributors,  so between the 3 of us, there will be no shortage of blog posts to read.  Cheers.

Timber Beast is Lazy Magnolia Brewery’s first beer in the “Back Porch Series”.  “Beast” is a Rye Pale Ale, and with a 9% ABV, it’s clear that the Lazy Magnolia Brewery is taking advantage of Senate Bill 2878 (a Mississippi state law approving sales of beer with higher ABV).

“TB” poured a dark golden color, with a billowy, off-white head that would leave heavy lacing on the side of the glass as the beer subsided.  Its spicy aroma was mixed with hints of Zythos hops, pine and citrus.  The aroma, combined with bubbles from the carbonation make the palate experience of this beer exceptional.

The taste of Timber Beast was certainly full bodied with a hoppy quality that lingered on the back of your tongue.  In fact, oftentimes when sampling these higher ABV brews, they have a tendency to overwhelm you with the overt taste of alcohol.  Lazy Magnolia’s use of Zythos hops helped to hide the increased alcohol volume and give the brew a solid hoppy finish.

Whether you’re sitting on the back porch, or washing down some boiled crawfish on a Saturday afternoon, “Timber Beast” will suit your need.

Full disclosure: I’m a wino. I don’t mind drinking beer and I’ll enjoy a blue moon every now and then,  but give me a glass of pinot noir and I’m purring.

But my husband was very sweet to grab a beer he thought I would enjoy today so I’m going to be nice and write something for his blog. Marriage is all about compromise. Kids are all about drinking. Wait, no. I think it’s the other way around.

So tonight I’m drinking a Blue Moon Valencia Grove Amber. Now I’ve tasted enough of Beerlover’s beers to know that I’m not a fan of Ambers but he might be on to something here. It’s definitely an Amber in color and at first taste, but it doesn’t have the metallic aftertaste that most ambers do. It’s more like a traditional blue moon wheat beer – it has a Valencia orange peel and a touch of wheat. It says that makes for a caramel aroma but I think it makes for a lighter beer that is much more drinkable. Very Smooth.

(Beerlover says I need a few more lines . . . possible pairings etc.)

Hmm. . .well I think it would be delicious with penne and vodka sauce – and this is where I would link to my cooking blog (if I had one).

All said and done, I recommend Valencia Grove Amber by Blue Moon . . . as a perfect gift to get for me on any special occasion!