Image property of HSBeer.com

Type: Beer-
American Double/Imperial Pilsner
Name: Heavy Seas - Small Craft Warning Über Pils
Price: $1.79
Made: Baltimore, MD
Alc/Vol: 7%

“Unofficially the original American Über Pils, Small Craft Warning is a rich, golden bock lager with big malt flavor and a crisp hop finish.”

Now I don’t know what makes an Über Pils, but this has been listed in the American Double/Imperial Pilsner category from my research so we will just lump them all together. I’ll be honest though, having the word “Über” in the name may have influenced me into purchasing it which in this case paid off…Überly @(^_^)@

The beer poured a nice golden color with a medium head that dissipates at a good mid level rate and leaves lacing on the glass. The scent gave off a nice bit of malts with a bit of something…citrus? It wasn’t a strong aroma but overall it was enticing.

The most important part, the taste was enjoyable to say the least. It had a nice full bodied heaviness to it, which is not typically what you would associate with a pils. Let me get it straight though, it wasn’t heavy like it was a meal in a glass but for the style of beer it is. The taste had a nice mixture of malts and spices. The dry hoppiness finished off this beer leaving the tip of your tongue dry as if it was asking for more.

The more I drank this beer the more I enjoyed it…and the more I felt it. At 7.0% it was a strong beer that had good flavor, although nothing overly strong about it’s character. I believe it was a good blend of everything which prevent too much from standing out on its own. I give this beer 4 out of 5 bananas which is about as close to Über as you can get.

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New Brew Tuesday: Heavy Seas – Small Craft Warning Über Pils is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Type: Beer – Euro Pale Lager
Name: Peroni – Nastro Azzurro
Price: $1.59
Made:  Italy
Alc/Vol: 5.1%

“Pironi Nastro Azzurro is the No. 1 premium Italian beer. It has an intensely crisp and refreshing taste with an unmistakable touch of Italian style.”

This little beer comes in a light green bottle, which due to allowing more light in means that it is harder to get a fresh quality version of the beer. This holds especially true when referencing imports. The scent has a typical Euro Pale Lager smell to it, a bit of that grassy nose but it is light. Blended in with this there is a bit of sweetness, almost sour in the nose not faint but not overpowering either.  It pours a nice pale golden color, with a light lacing.

The taste matches the smell with that sweet/sour flavoring. I believe it is the sweetness mixed in with the hops that give it slight sour blend to it. It drinks really easy and smooth, washing over the tongue leaving just the back dry. The tip of the tongue is left with the crisp carbonating feeling. I could pour these back all night, it is a light and refreshing beer which is also part of its downfall. There isn’t a lot that you could pull from this, any defining characteristics that could help me pick this one out of a line up. The aroma and flavors are simple, done well.

I would assume that this would go well with Italian meals. It wouldn’t compete with a spiced red sauce pasta, but I think it would go well with a light citrus seafood dish off the coast. Especially if you wanted to take a break from the red wines. I’m starting to think Italians are big citrus fans, especially after my experience with limoncello. I give this beer 3.5 out of 5, I know it is rated lower on other sites and it doesn’t have a lot of character to it but there is just something about it that I really like. Have you tried this brew before? What’s your take on it, leave your comments below.

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New Brew Tuesday: Peroni Nastro Azzurro is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Type: Beer – Doppelbock
Name: Ayinger Brewery – Celebrator
Price: $3.29
Made: Aying, Germany
Alc/Vol: 6.7%

Now I am not a big doppelbock fan, don’t get me wrong I like my dark beers but more so in the porter/stout. It’s something about those dark fruits that don’t seem to work well with my pallet. Usually, I can barely finish one just like with winter ales. This one wasn’t bad though, in fact if you look up Doppelbock beers on ratebeer.com this is the highest rated. Therefore, this is the cream of the crop of doppelbock, or so I’ve been led to believe.

The scent had a  mixture of dark fruits and other things that was hard to narrow down. It was sweet smelling but not sugary. The color was a dark coffee color, almost black. The taste matched the nose but through a more subtle tone. The beer was not very bitter, not a strong presence of hops. Instead it was malty and rich with a coffee taste that lingers throughout the sips. Doppelbocks have been described as a meal in a glass, to me I’d say a rich, yet heavy dessert (But by no means a dessert beer).

I did like this beer, probably due to the subtle-ness in its flavors that it wasn’t over whelming with the dark fruity richness. I give this a 4 out of 5, not necessarily because it is that high on my taste scale but because I can appreciate that this is a quality beer.

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New Brew Tuesday: Ayinger Brewery – Celebrator is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Property of RedHook.com

“The generous addition of hops both during and at the end of the fermentation process (dry-hopping) gives our India Pale Ale its characteristic bitterness and piney citrus aroma and flavor.  The medium body, crisp finish, and moderate alcohol and IBU levels makes this one of America’s most drinkable and best-selling IPAs.”

First and foremost I want to say that the real reason I bought this beer was because of the mini bottles, which is especially odd since the name of this brew is Long Hammer. Yet, just looking at the bottles, they make you wanna saw “awwww” but you know in a manly way. Ahem.

Image Property of RedHook.com

This brew has a light, grassy smell almost more lager like. Although my nose has been stuffy the last week so I wouldn’t trust it to be the most accurate. Which typically affects the taste buds but this brew is an IPA so it has a bite no matter what.

The taste is hoppy, as an IPA should but on the scale of hoppiness it is a milder IPA. It has a nice smooth taste, creamy mouthfeel that leaves the tip of the tongue refreshed but the back of the tongue with a dry finish. The spice and hops tinge on the back of the tongue leaving a nice aftertaste. Overall, there is a bit more malts than I would expect in an IPA.

This beer is decent, could be a bit disappointing in the IPA department but overall a decent beer. I give this beer a 2.5 out of 5 bananas. It is middle of the road and light on the hops but has a nice drinkability that anyone who likes a bit of hops in their beer could enjoy. May be a good beer to start your explorations into the world of IPAs.

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New Brew Tuesday: Red Hook – Long Hammer IPA is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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Type: Beer – Doppel Bock
Name: Schönramer – Saphir Bock
Price: $3.99
Made: Schonram, Germany
Alc/Vol: 8.7%

So I would give you all an opportunity to read what Schonramer has to say for itself but well….this is what the bottle says.

Die unschuldige helle Farbe täuscht. Das intensive Sudverfahren resultiert in einem sehr hohen Alkoholgehalt, der aber durch unvorstellbare Mengen der Hallertauer Aromahopfensorte SAPHIR dezent verschleiert wird. Schönramer Saphir Bock ist daher einer der süffigsten und außergewöhnlichsten Vertreter seiner Gattung. Stark – Stärker – Schönramer Saphir Bock

This coincides with the theme of this brew, nothing in English, but that doesn’t deter me. This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve consumed something and didn’t have a clue what it was. Well, OK I knew it was a beer but other than that I was in the dark. I am not even familiar with doppel bock style beer but hey there is a first for everything.

The scent of this brew gave off a lager style aroma, that touch of grassyness to it. The taste however gave off a bit of sweetness to it. The initial taste has a caramel taste, I also wrote down a light fruit taste as well but it is really hard to pick it out. Plus my wife was eating tangerines next to me at the time. The aftertaste followed through with a bitter hop filled finish. This doppel bock had a creamy texture to it with a definite strong alcohol presence. I mean that at over 8% I felt this beer but you don’t taste the alcohol in it like a cheaper beer.

This was a good tasting beer, it went down smooth had a great blend of sweet and bitter and was strong  enough to give you a little kick in your step. My only qualm is that it is a bit more pricey per bottle and I could probably find a similar style beer at a lower cost. In the end I give this brew 3.5 out of 5 bananas.

What’s your thought on this brew?

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New Brew Tuesday: Schönramer Saphir Bock is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Image property of Yuengling.com

Type: Beer – Porter / Black & Tan
Name: Yuengling – Black & Tan
Price: $6.00 for a 6-pack
Made: Pottsville, PA
Alc/Vol: 4.7%

In the words of Yuengling, “It took 180 years to become an overnight success” …that is, in Ohio at least. I’ve heard of Yuengling for years but never had the opportunity to enjoy it until I traveled east out of Ohio. The way I heard it was that due to those dirty distributer who were in the back pocket of Bud, Miller and Coors companies. Yuengling didn’t have a fighting chance to even break ground in Ohio. I’m not sure if that is true, but what I do know is that I had to travel to Savannah, New Bern, and other eastern locations to enjoy this brew.

I am a fan of microbrews, their only downside is that they typically cost more than your Millers, Buds or Coors. The catch with this brew is that it typically runs the same price as your watered down beers – which I guess isn’t really a catch.

Now that we are done with the history and economics lesson onto the brew. Assuming you’ve all been fully educated at Monkey Brew U.’s Half and Half vs the Black and Tan lesson you are aware that this is not your self concocted mix. No, my furless friend this is a pre-mix batch and Yuengling isn’t the only brewery that does this.

This beer has a deep porter scent, while it is a slightly mild scent it still comes through. You get the air of coffee and caramel through the nose and the taste. The coffee taste lingers at the tip of the tongue, with a slight carbonated ting. The aftertaste has bit of a bitter dryness to it.

The truth is that it doesn’t have the strongest taste compared to your typical microbrews nor can be compared to the strong taste of a Guinness mixed into a half-n-half  but that doesn’t mean it is watered down like the major breweries. It lands somewhere in between, it really is a good introduction for someone who wants to know what real beer taste like, or you know that beer has a taste.

Nowadays since Yuengling has made a recent and huge presence Ohio, I typically enjoy their beer, especially when my draft options are ick, yuck, blah and Yuengling Lager. I would recommend this beer to anyone who hasn’t tried it, especially if they don’t want to buy two different types of beer but still want that black and tan mix. Overall I give this brew 3 and a half out of 5 bananas, not to shabby for a pre-mix.

What’s your thought on this brew?

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New Brew Tuesday: Yuengling – Original Black and Tan is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Image property of www.hofbraeu-muenchen.de

Type: Beer – Oktoberfest/ Märzen
Name: Hofbräuhaus München – Oktoberfest
Price: Free – Got a free sample from my mother @(^_^)@
Made: Munich, Germany
Alc/Vol: 6.3%

I had the pleasure of trying this foreign beauty thanks to my mother, I love how she supports my habit. Err, umm I mean my job.

So what did this bier have to say for itself?

“An absolutely natural product, brewed from pure water, best quality malt and exquisite hops. This brew offers, the real oktoberfest experience.”

I like the sound of that, the real oktoberfest. Yeah, it just said that, it basically said all those American brewed German style oktoberfest beers, are just that knock offs.

The beer pours a golden yellow color, much different than most oktoberfest that I’ve had before. It has a light, semi-sweet taste with a bit of a grassy aftertaste. This beer is a little more hops than your typical American style oktoberfest. It leaves a slightly dry finish, which compared to the light refreshing initial taste gives a bit of a contrast.

To be honest, this beer reminds me more of a pilsner style beer, except a bit more of a slightly sweet twist comparatively. I give this beer 3 and a half out of 5 bananas, it is a good beer but there wasn’t anything too outstanding about it.  This may be a “real oktoberfest experience” but its difference from what I was expecting through me off. I would order and enjoy this beer again but it didn’t blow me away to the point that I’m ready to crown this beer an OktoberKing.

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New Brew Tuesday: Hofbräuhaus München – Oktoberfest is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Image property of ThirstyDog.com

Type: Beer – Oktoberfest/ Märzen
Name: Thirsty Dog Brewing Company – Oktoberfest
Price: $1.99
Made: Akron, OH
Alc/Vol: 6%

First I had Dogtoberfest, now Barktoberfest? I’m not sure why dog themed breweries like märzen style beers but as long as they keep producing brew, we’re cool.

Now I had a bad experience with another Akron brewery‘s beer, but in defense of Hoppin’ Frog Brewery I learned that I wasn’t a fan of winter ales. Now, it has been some years since I’ve been to Akron but I’m always down to support a local brewery, even if they value all the other weird animals over monkeys. Either way…onto the beer!

The scent is light with a touch of sweetness to it that is typical of oktoberfest style beers. This beer has a bit more orange than amber color to it.

The taste however is a pleasant surprise. I was expecting something a bit more sweet but instead got a bit more malts and nutty flavorings. There is a strong carbonation mouth feel along with a wheaty taste. The mix of malts, nuts and wheat gives you a good taste all the way through. This is a mark of a good beer, you want to initial taste all the way through to the finish to leave you smiling and thirsting for more. In reality this process is over in a second or two but that is all you need to know if this is the right beer for you.

I would warn you though, it is a bit less sweet and more malts then your typical oktoberfest and that switch gives it a different flavoring than you would expect. Overall, I give this brew 4 out of 5 bananas. Keep doing what you do Thirsty Dog Brew, but your next creation should be a drunken monkey @(^_^)@

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New Brew Tuesday: Thirsty Dog Brewing Company’s Barktoberfest is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Image property of www.SamuelAdams.com

Type: Beer – Oktoberfest/ Märzen
Name: Samuel Adams – Oktoberfest
Price: $2 (an on-tap happy hour special)
Made: Boston, MA
Alc/Vol: 5.3%

Yes, I know that oktoberfest beers should be served up with the likes of cheese soup and sausage but those weren’t on the menu, and instead I was digging my paws into delicious chicken wings. I’ve found an alternative, local, place to enjoy my weekly wing night. Which if I time it right, according to their allotted time of happiness, costs me about half what I usually spend. Besides wings and beer have a special bond, and then before bed a nice banana will help with heartburn and hangovers. But more importantly….onto the beer!

I like Sam Adams, they are what many of the other micro-brews aspire to be, plus the bearded brewer guy seems badass.

This brew, not too surprisingly, reminded me of last weeks Flying Dog Dogtoberfest, but then again it should being they are the same style of beer. It has a light nose to it, I couldn’t pull any strong scents from this beer even before the wings were served. What you do notice however, is the nice red amber tint to the glass. It makes you all warm inside and if I was the sentimental type I’d tell you how it made me think of the fall foliage.

This märzen has a nice flavor, a good blend of sweetness with a touch of hops to give it a subtle bitter undertone. It isn’t an overly sweet but fits in with the style of beer, with caramel tones coming through. After a while I was starting to notice a smokey oakiness to it but then again that is when my bbq wings came out so I think it sent my taste buds on a false hunt. However, a bourbon barreled twist does sound like it would give this beer some deeper character to it.

Overall, this was a good beer that had drinkability and goes along with my favorite holiday beer season. Fall beers, in my perspective tend to be my favorite. I give this beer 4 out of 5 bananas and would recommend someone to try this as an introduction/baseline for a good oktoberfest style beer.

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New Brew Tuesday: Samuel Adams – Oktoberfest is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Image property of FlyingDogAles.com

Type: Beer – Oktoberfest/ Märzen
Name: Flying Dog Brewery – Dogtoberfest Märzen
Price: $1.99
Made: Frederick, MD
Alc/Vol: 5.6%

“If you put back as many steins as the Germans do in October, lederhosen and polka dancing would seem like a good idea to you, too. Our Dogtoberfest Märzen has a caramel finish and was crafted by a guy who studied brewing in Deutschland. And yes, he does like to strap on some lederhosen when he’s feeling saucy.”

The beer has an amazing color to it, a nice copper hue with a bit of a red tint.  There is a light scent to it, I don’t really get much off the nose although to be honest it’s been a rainy sinus rocking kind of day. So I wouldn’t put it past my snoz to miss some subtleties but my wife wasn’t recognizing much of anything either. Maybe it takes a k-9 kind of nose?

The taste is malty with a hint of bitterness to it mixed in with the light carbonation. My first thought was, sweet but then there is a hint of bitterness in the aftertaste. Light flavoring, not overdone but a good combination of flavors. It has drinkability and I could see pounding these down in a beer stein although overall it seems like it is missing something or could be a little bit strong in its flavoring but I’m not sure what aspect. A hint more of something should be brought out to leave a lasting impression that makes you say, “I vant Dogtoberfest because it kanoodles my stroodle.”

I like this beer and give it a solid 4 out of 5 banana rating. I like it but as I said it just tastes like it is lacking something, just the smallest hint of whatever that missing component is would pump this up, but it has enough character so that it isn’t a watered down light beer. Overall I’ve had mostly positive experiences with Flying Dog Brewery. What are your thoughts?

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New Brew Tuesday: Flying Dog – Dogtoberfest Märzen is a post from: Monkey Brewster