Beer Tasting: Frank

One of Community Beer Work's best selling creations is Frank, an American Pale Ale.  For my review of Community Beer Works see this review.  Community Beer Works has earned respect in the Buffalo craft beer scene with consistently delicious and fresh beers.  Buffalo's first nanobrewery admirably seeks to "Embeer Buffalo", and turn Buffalo into a modern day craft beer destination.

President Ethan Cox leads the charge for Community Beer Works in their task to become a neighborhood integrated brewery.  Ethan Cox has written the book on the history of beer in Buffalo.  Buffalo Beer: The History of Brewing in the Nickel City, written by Michael Rizzo and Ethan Cox, is now available at Barnes & Noble (by clicking here). 

Having been to Community Beer Works a few times, I can say that the beer is always high quality and fresh.  For National Craft Beer Week, I purchased a growler of Frank at the local Consumer's Beverages outlet.  Here is a picture of my Frank.

Community Beer Works: Frank

ABV: 4.6%

Style: American Pale Ale

Rating: 88/100 with 37 reviews at Beeradvocate.com

 Why is this beer named Frank?  Who is Frank exactly?  According to Ethan Cox:

He's the quintessential Buffalonian, the "I gotta guy for that" guy - down to earth, jocular, unpretentious, equally at ease with a Blue or CBW, drinks at the corner bar.

He's sort of the avatar or manifestation of the CBW ethos.  We make damn good beer, not precious unicorn teardrop beer.

Frank poured a pale to deep gold and showed an ample foam that dissipated after a half minute into a retentive half-finger head.  The aroma of Frank is pine and a tad bit of citrus.  Frank is made with Zeus, Centennial, and Zythos hops.  Zeus hops (of CTZ trio fame) are known for being aromatic and pleasant, and Frank certainly possesses those categories in aroma and taste.  Centennial hops are another hallmark addition to American-style ales, and Frank benefits from these hops as well.  Frank is rounded off by the addition of Zythos hops, which impart some tropical and citrus tones to the taste- but not a lot.  More so, Frank smacks of raw hop oil resin and is a little sticky and sweet.  The mouthfeel is light to medium and Frank finishes dry.

There is a distinct and recognizable quality about Frank that renders this beer highly drinkable.  Frank is a blend of American-style hops but not overpoweringly so.  And there is a base malt sweetness, but not ostentatiously so.  There is nothing offensive about Frank; a sign of balance and blend success.

Frank gets the job done.  In a blizzard, or in the heat.  In a bar, or on the job.  But always in Buffalo.

Beer Tasting: Boomenator

Continuing along with National Craft Beer Week and the desire to drink local beers, I picked up a growler of Hamburg Brewing Company's Boomenater.  Hamburg Brewing Company is located in the Town of Hamburg, NY, about a 20 minute drive south and a bit east of downtown Buffalo.  I have heard from many people that the tap room is a wonderful drinking space with a great atmosphere.  To date, I have not been able to visit the brewery myself, although I have certainly had numerous Hamburg beers at local festivals.  I plan to visit Hamburg Brewing Company this Sunday, May 17th, for their "Farm to Pint" event.

Boomenater is billed as a German style bock.  There is some amazing history surrounding the birth of the "bock" beer.  Bock beer is assumed to have been originally produced in the German city of Einbeck.  In the early 1600's, a German brewer was hired by Munich officials to make copious amounts of this beer.  Many Catholics would consumer this beer as "liquid bread" during the Lent season.  Other spinoffs of bock beer exist, including doppelbock (stronger bock) and Maibock (produced in May). 

Boomenater was on tap at a local Consumer's Beverage outlet, so I decided to give this beer a try.  I poured Boomenater into my Pilsner glass and the result is shown below.

Hamburg Brewing Company: Boomenater

ABV: 6.0%

Style:Bock

Recently added on Beeradvocate.com

Boomenater poured a brown to ruby-brown color and displayed a half-finger head and good lacing.  The aroma of Boomenater is sweet and bready, with some nuttiness and gentle spice notes.  Neither of the hop strains used in making Boomenater, Magnum and Perle, produce strong hop bitterness or aroma.  The flavor of Boomenater is predominantly sweet malt in the front, with a clean bitterness in the background.  A bit of spice does round out the taste, including an earthy, minty feel.  Toffee and "brown ale" flavors are also noticeable.  There are quite a few different malts used in the creation of Boomenater, and their caramel impact occludes any real hop detection.  The mouthfeel of Boomenater is syrupy and full.

Overall, Hamburg Brewing Company's Boomenater achieves the traditional bock style: malt domination balanced with subtle spice hops.  I would recommend this beer on a thermometer-challenged night in winter or spring.  

Beer Tasting: Hayburner American IPA

To kick off National Craft Beer Week, I decided to review one of my favorite local beers, Big Ditch Brewing Company's Hayburner American IPA.  Hayburner American IPA is one of the best local beers being produced.  And I'm not just saying that because co-founder and president Matt Kahn led my microbiology students on a brewery tour a couple weeks ago (although that was very cool).  Hayburner American IPA is one of the best local beers because that's the way co-founder and head brewer Corey Catalano want it to be.  As with all Big Ditch Brewing Company beers, both Matt and Corey spend considerable time and effort to ensure that Hayburner American IPA is produced with consistency and quality.  As a result, Hayburner American IPA has quickly become a favorite local IPA by Buffalo beer drinkers.

So where does the name Hayburner American IPA come from?  The description provided by Big Ditch Brewing Company reads:

Mules, known long ago as "Hayburners", were the workhorses behind the construction of the Erie Canal.  This IPA is equally dependable, and is extremely satisfying at the end of a hard day's work.

So we have these "long-eared robins" to thank for the name given to this Big Ditch creation.  Here is a picture of my Hayburner American IPA:

Big Ditch Brewing Company: Hayburner American IPA

ABV: 7.0%

Style: American IPA

Rating: 89/100 and 21 ratings on Beeradvocate.com

Hayburner American IPA pours a clear to ever-so-slightly hazy pale gold, with a one-finger retentive head that survives the pint.  The aroma of Hayburner American IPA is predominantly citrus with a backdrop of pine.  The taste of Hayburner American IPA is not as citrus up-front as the aroma suggests.  Instead, Hayburner American IPA is a nice balance of strong hop bitterness, caramel malt sweetness, and grapefruit and orange.  The Warrior hops used to create Hayburner American IPA add a clean hop bitterness, the Falconer's flight hops add a Northwest pine touch, and the glacier hops add a gentle fruit aroma.  Carapils malt provide just the right amount of sweetness but don't overpower the hops flavors.  The mouthfeel of Hayburner American IPA is moderate and the carbonation is right.  The alcohol level of Hayburner American IPA is fairly high, but concealed by crisp clean hops.

Overall, Hayburner American IPA is a well-balanced and refreshing American IPA packed with structured flavor.  Hayburner American IPA is on the stronger side but very drinkable and balanced.  Order a pint of Hayburner American IPA and you will quickly taste why this beer has become a Buffalo favorite.

Remember to drink local this week to celebrate American Craft Beer Week.  And remember to stop by Big Ditch Brewing Company in the very near future as they open their doors and unveil their new tap room to the public!

Beer Tasting: White Aphro

From Empire Brewing in Syracuse, NY, comes White Aphro (short for aphrodisiac) a witbier style beer.

 Last week, a perfect amalgam of nerdiness overcame me on the way home from work.  On May the 4th, also known as "Star Wars Day" for the popular phrase "May the 4th be with you", the local Consumer's Beverages had a growler special entitled "The Empire Strikes Back".  During this event, customers could stop into their local Consumer's Beverages outlet and purchase of a growler of either Empire IPA or Empire Brewing Company's White Aphro.  Customers were then automatically entered into a raffle for a Darth Vader growler set.  The Jedi mind powers of persuasion succeeded, and I stopped into Consumer's Beverages for a growler of White Aphro.

Empire Brewing Company has been cool before craft beer was cool.  Here is a video from Empire Brewing Company and their beers, with discussion of White Aphro at the 7:23 mark.

Empire Brews All video

Having lived in Syracuse between 1998 and 2000, I recall (most) nights heading down the steps leading into Empire Brewing Company and pondering just what I was doing in this strange basement surrounded by a bunch of large metal vessels.  During these years, I really did not deviate too far from mainstream "not-to-be-named lagers" and the taste of an IPA was overwhelming and foreign.  But I do recall Empire Brewing Company's beer to be quite intoxicating and full of fresh taste and flavor.  But that was a long time ago in a brewery far, far away.

And yet Empire Brewing Company has survived all these years (since 1994) in the popular and high demand Armory Square market.  This Syracuse brewing staple has felt the pressure to expand due to increased craft beer thirst, and plans to open a new Farmstead brewery in Cazenovia, NY, located southeast of the city.  This Farmstead brewery plans to be one of the largest craft beer makers in the state.

Farmstead Brewery

So seeing Empire Brewing Company beer available on tap here in Buffalo made me happy.  Having White Aphro reminded me my early grad school years at Syracuse University.  And having White Aphro on May the 4th reminded me of Star Wars.  What a great nostalgic place to be.

Here is a picture of my White Aphro:

Empire Brewing Company: White Aphro

ABV: 5.75%

Style:Witbier

Rating: 83/100 and 94 ratings on Beeradvocate.com

White Aphro pours a clear to slightly cloudy white, with noticeable yeast sediment present.  The aroma of White Aphro is bready, citrus, and spicy, with notes of lemon, coriander, and ginger.  The taste of White Aphro is actually lighter than the aroma at first, with wheat malt and cereal flavors predominating the palate.  The lemon, coriander, lavender, and honey follow soon after.  The mouthfeel of White Aphro is moderate and smooth.

White Aphro is a craft-beer crossover, designed in witbier style.  But what sets apart White Aphro from other beers in the style is the presence of unique spice and citrus blends.  Drinking White Aphro makes me reminisce of Armory Square exploits.  I hope to return to Syracuse to explore the evolution of craft beer at Empire Brewing Company.

Beer Tasting: CPA: Citra Pale Ale

Today's beer review is of CPA: Citra Pale Ale from Odd Side Ales.  Located on the west coast of Michigan in Grand Haven, Odd Side Ales opened their doors in 2010.  I have not seen this beer available in Western New York.  Lucky for me, many wonderful Michigan beers accompanied my brother-in-law during his last visit to Buffalo.  And I'm happy to be writing about CPA: Citra Pale Ale.

One of the most popular hops that beer drinkers enjoy is Citra hops (cone shown below) released by Hop Breeding Company in 2007.  Citra hops contain a fairly high alpha acid content, and thus this hop is predominantly used in crafting IPAs.  Brewed exclusively with Citra hops, CPA: Citra Pale Ale is the flagship beer of Odd Side Ales.

Here is a picture of my Odd Side Ales CPA: Citra Pale Ale:

Odd Side Ales: CPA: Citra Pale Ale

ABV: 5.75%

Style: American Pale Ale (APA)

Rating: 91/100 and #45 in style on Beeradvocate.com

CPA: Citra Pale Ale poured a slightly hazy pale orange with a long lasting creamy foam head that topped off the glass nicely.  The aroma of CPA: Citra Pale Ale is the predominant citrus and pine that Citra hops are known for.  CPA: Citra Pale Ale starts off sweet, followed by a cascade of fruit flavors including grapefruit, pineapple, lemon, and mango.  CPA: Citra Pale Ale leaves the palate with a pine taste and a dry crisp mouthfeel.  CPA: Citra Pale Ale is a very drinkable American Pale Ale.

Overall, this is great beer if you're looking to explore Citra hops.  You will be able to gather all the information you need about what Citra hops smell and taste like.  Odd Side Ales has done a good job matching up the correct malt for the job and the barley does not overpower the Citra hops. Instead, the caramel malts in CPA: Citra Pale Ale reinforce the citrus and floral flavors of the star of the show: Citra hops.

Beer Tasting: 2xOne

Have you been wondering why the 2015 seasonal version of Southern Tier Brewing Company's popular 2xOne tastes different than the 2014 version?  The 2015 single varietal series is made the pairing of a different type of hop and malt.  You might very well miss this distinction as the lettering on the label is fairly small and off to the top right of the front label.

2014 2xOne: Mosaic hops and special pale malt
2015 2xOne: Equinox hops and superior pale malt

Equinox hops are a very trending hops these days, and more breweries and starting to use this hops in their creations.  So what's the difference between Mosaic and Equinox hops?  Here's a quick comparison:

Mosaic hops:

     Alpha acids: 11.5-13.5%
     Beta acids: 3.2-3.9%
     Total oil: 1.0-1.5 mL / 100g

Equinox hops: 

     Alpha acids: 14.4-15.6%
     Beta acids: 4.6-5.1%
     Total oil: 2.5 - 4.5 mL / 100g

Interestingly, Mosaic, Equinox, and the very popular Citra hops all originate from Hop Breeding Company and Select Botanticals Group, with farms found within the Yakima Valley in Washington state.  Both Mosaic and Equinox hops are fairly alpha acid forward, but the big difference with Equinox hops is the total oil content.  This high total oil content will lead to a variety of complex flavors.  And notice the tight cone structure of Equinox hops ("Do you even know how to cone, bro?").  Both Mosaic and Equinox hops can produce a very bitter IPA due to the high alpha acid content.  However, differences in the total oils flavors is what distinguished these two hops.

According to the Hop Breeding Company website:
"Mosaic hops impart a complex array of tropical fruit, citrus, berry, herbal, earthy and pine characteristics."
"Equinox hops impart a pronounced aroma profile with citrus, tropical fruit, floral and herbal characteristics. Specific descriptors include lemon, lime, papaya, apple, and green pepper."

Here is a picture of my Southern Tier 2xOne (2015):

Southern Tier Brewing Company: 2xOne

ABV: 8.1%

Style: American Double / Imperial IPA

Rating: 88/100 with 20 ratings on Beeradvocate.com

2xOne poured a light gold with a spirited one-finger white head.  The aroma includes honey, pine, bubblegum, and bread.  The taste of 2xOne is floral, lemon, grapefruit, and green pepper.  The flavors do give way to a slight alcohol feel at higher temperatures, but at lower temperatures the alcohol is masked extremely well.  The mouthfeel of 2xOne is average and the carbonation is fine.

Overall, 2xOne is not as traditionally hoppy as one would expect.  By that I mean that there is no overwhelming bitterness.  Instead, 2xOne is flavorful in different ways.  I've never used "green pepper" as a descriptor on a beer before, but there is definitely a fresh and crop-like spice to 2xOne.  I've noticed a similar flavor with Mosaic but Equinox is definitely more "resiny".  At 8.1% you may only need 2 x 1 = 2 of these beers before you realize just how intoxicating yet smooth 2xOne really is.  Therefore, 2xOne gets high marks for drinkability.  But by no means is this single varietal lacking in flavors.

I'm hoping that this seasonal series by Southern Tier Brewing Company continues the trend of pairing a unique malt and hop in 2016.  2xOne is a very good beer produced with a popular trending hop.

Beer Battle: Valar Morghulis vs. Three-Eyed Raven

I am a bit behind on blogging, and also on Game of Thrones.  So this is the perfect time to catch up on both beer and lore and launch the first ever "Beer Battle" between two Ommegang creations: Valar Morghulis and Three-Eyed Raven.  Both of these beers have been inspired by the violent HBO series Game of Thrones, so what better way to rate these beers than to let them battle to the death!  So what does that mean?  Basically, a Beer Battle is where both beers are reviewed and a winner is selected at the conclusion of the review.

Valar Morghulis: "All Men Must Die"

In the Game of Thrones world of Westeros, the phrase Valar Morghulis means "all men must die".  An ominous logo for a no-nonsense abbey dubbel style beer.

Here is a picture of my Valar Morghulis:

Brewery Ommegang: Valar Morghulis

ABV: 8%

Style: Dubbel

Rating: #20 in style

Valar Morghulis poured a murky dark orange to brown color with a substantial ecru head that showed significant retention.  Valar Morghulis smelled predominantly sweet and malty with plum and caramel.  The taste of Valar Morghulis is much like the smell, with malt taking the forefront followed by blending fruit flavors.  The deep plum and pear flavor of Valar Morghulis is complicated by spice such as cinnamon and clove.  The syrupy sweetness gently acquiesces to a signficant alcohol burn on the palate.  Belgian yeast are present but not overwhelming.  Mouthfeel is medium and carbonation is appropriate.

Three-Eyed Raven: "From the darkness I watch you.  All of you, all of your lives, with a thousand eyes, and one."

This dark saison is a tribute to the deceptive character on Game of Thones called the Three-Eyed Raven.  This beer is rightfully billed to straddle styles between a saison and a dark beer.

Here is a picture of my Three-Eyed Raven:

Brewery Ommegang: Three-Eyed Raven

ABV: 8%

Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale

Rating: 87/100 with 205 ratings on Beeradvocate.com

Three-Eyed Raven pours an opaque black with a thick khaki head.  The smell of Three-Eyed Raven is sweet and malty and the roasted malt smell is noticeable.  Three-Eyed Raven delivers a bitter and rich taste, with roasted malt and spice blending.  Three-Eyed Raven has a pronounced Belgian influence from the yeast choice.  There are also some saison-type flavors at work in Three-Eyed Raven, including some subtle funkiness that gets buried in the black.  Mouthfeel is sticky and yet light and the carbonation is low.

So who is the winner of this Beer Battle?  Make no mistake: these beers are both extremely well crafted and far superior to many beers.  But the decision of a victor was not a tough call in my opinion.  Valar Morghulis is packed with deep fruit and sweet malt and spice notes.  Three-Eyed Raven is a lighter but roastier style-straddling dark saison.  Three-Eyed Raven doesn't quite do the job of bridging a saison and a dark ale, and Valar Morghulis is comprehensively a better beer.  Therefore, the winner of this Beer Battle is....

Valar Morghulis!