A World Of Brews

October Fermentation Friday - “Remember why we brew?”

2009-10-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Welcome to my post for the October session of Fermentation Friday hosted by CNYBrew. This months topic "Remember why we brew" made me really think why do I brew. Well I brew for the love the beer. What better way to learn about my favorite beverage then to make it myself. I have tried hundreds of different beers from all over the country and world. While drinking many of these beers I always wondered how did they get that great citrus aroma or that great chocolate taste. I had to find out for myself so I started brewing. I just started out with something simple a nice amber ale due to the fact that I felt an amber ale has a little of everything that is good in the beer world. Good hop and malt flavors of aroma but not overly powerful in any one area. It was amazing to drink your first beer your drink. It may be good or it may be bad but its yours. Once you pop open your first beer and try it you realize there is a whole new world available to you. You can add as much hops you want, you can make it as strong or as weak as you want, you can add any kind of fruit, spice, or herb that you want. Its your beer! Heck you can even make someone elses beer but its still your beer.

So why do I brew! I brew cause I want to make my beer. I want to take the best of what I like from each beer I taste to possibly create the perfect beer. Is it possible to make the perfect beer? I don't know but I am sure going to try. That is why I brew!!

Thanks again to CNYBrew for hosting this month. See you all next month!!

Matt C.
GISBREWMASTER

September Fermentation Friday - "What turned you on to Craft Beer"

2009-09-25T20:43:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to this this months Fermentation Friday hosted by Jason @ Brewing the Perfect Beer! This months topic is one I have written about a few times. What turned me on to craft beer wasn't really craft beer at all. It was mass market German beer while in Germany. Before the trip to Germany a few years ago I wasn't really into beer I was in to wine. When we got to Munich I had the most amazing beer I had ever had. I think it was Spaten Octoberfest. I loved it! So while checking out Munich I got to try other Spaten beers,some Hoegaarden, and some local beers. From that point on I couldn't stop thinking about what other beers were out there. Luckily the next stop was Berlin and my wife's friend took us to this beer bar with hundreds of different beers to choose from. We went there all three nights we were there and I must have tried a dozen different kinds. It doesn't sound like a lot but they were high in alcohol and $$$. I have been trying as many beers as I can since then. I love the different flavors and ingredients that craft beer offers. If it weren't for craft beer I wouldn't have become a home brewer. What better way to learn about your favorite beverage and passion then to make it yourself. As a home brewer the more beers I try the more I learn about what I like and what I would like to brew.

Well folks that is how I got into craft beer. Thanks again to Jason for hosting. See you next month!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

PS -The mass market German beers isn't the best beers I have ever tasted anymore. At the time Dos Equis or Amstel were the top of my beer list. Sad Huh! Then again there was there beer bar in college that had tons of craft beers and imports but I just tried them to get the mug on the wall. I didn't really know what I was drinking. So I am not counting it.

Beer Review #44 - Rogue Dead Guy Ale

2009-09-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

I know its been a while but here it is. Who would have thought a 7 month old would suck all the energy out of you. Rather then drink a beer and write I much prefer to drink a beer and relax. But don't worry I know that if I am truly going to be the famous beer writer that I know will happen (yeah right) then I have to post. Like I stated in my last post I hope to do one review a week and go from there. On to the Rogue Dead Guy review.

Appearance - The Dead Guy pours a nice copper color with a great head. The head leaves a nice lacing on the side of the glass.

Aroma - The Dead Guy has a good hint of pine and maybe a hint of citrus from the hops. This is well balanced with hints of caramel from the malt.

Taste - All the flavors in the aroma come through in the taste of the Dead Guy but I feel the malt has a slight lead in the taste.

Mouthfeel - The Dead Guy has a nice light to medium mouthfeel. The carbonation caries everything throughout the mouth.

Drinkability - This is what I call a good all year beer. It has enough body for the cool months but is light enough for the summer.

Welcome back all see you next time.

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

Been Busy!!

2009-09-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

Wow its been a long time since I posted. I have been swamped at work. My wife has been traveling a lot for work so I have been playing Mr. Mom a few nights a week and I have been trying to cut back on the beer consumption. All these factors have kept me from posting the way I would like. So I guess that means I am going to have to re evaluate my goal of posting 2 reviews a week and just do one. I promise I will have one for you by close of business Sunday. I think I can fit in a beer during football. Ok I can probably fit in 2 so maybe I will cheat and save it for a later date.

I am still around. Keep looking and keep reading!!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

Fermentation Friday Roundup - Breaking away from the Norm

2009-08-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Sorry about the late roundup. When I first thought of the topic I had an idea in mind. I wanted to know if all you home brewers out there slightly stepped outside the box when brewing. Meaning there are many types of hops, grains, and yeasts but when brewing you always see people using basic American 2-row, some of the 3 C hops, and some American ale yeast. I wanted to know if people ever slightly stepped outside the box by using some lesser know variety of hops like glacier, with a base of 6-row, using Safale 04 as the yeast. I don't think everyone got that and now that I have read what I asked for I don't think I made that very clear. So like Adam said I guess this turned in to taking risk and brewing outside the box cause that is how most of you answered the question. I think if I were to do it over again i think I would title the topic "Substitution Game - Getting A Similar Beer by Slightly Tweeking the Ingredients"

So here is the roundup for this month!

Jason from Brewing the Perfect Beer just used Pilsner Malt for the first time but will stick with 2-row due to cost.

Mr. Randolph over at Just Another Booze Blog must have had a lot of beers before writing but it was an entertaining read. Tip don't try to use fruit to hide beer flaws it don't work. It seems that he loved my topic so much he posted twice. I think this was the first one. He told us his favorite beer is Miller High Life ;-) and he tried to make it(even used the rice). It almost worked something went wrong with carbonation.

Rob at Pfiff was dumbfounded at the topic but I don't know why. His holiday ale is made with a pilsner malt. That's not the normal 2-row.

Jimmy at Hopwild tried some reverse psychology on me. He says try to use the 3 C hops in a recipe that normally doesn't call for them.

John at Brew Dudes says you need to balance the basics with the experimental just like you balance the hops and the malt.

Adam at Beer Bits 2 normal operations of on the fly brewing causes him to use ingredients not normally used in a recipe. He has to use what is on hand such as a hefeweizen yeast in a pale ale. This is what I am talking about.

Steph at Brew.Cook.Pair.Joy is rarely in the norm they have used the 3 C hops but no more then her use of noble hops. She also has used many regional base malts when brewing the beers of the region.

Thanks again to Adam at Beer Bits 2 for starting this fun event and allowing me to host again. I now hand the reigns to Jason at Brewing the Perfect Beer who will be hosting the September Fermentation Friday. I wonder what exciting topic he has in store for us.

See you all next month!!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

Fermentation Friday Roundup Delayed

2009-08-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Hi all that posted to this months Fermentation Friday. When I signed up to host i forgot I was going out of town for the week. I just got back and will have the roundup done sometime between tonight and Tuesday evening.

Sorry for the delay and thanks again for posting.

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

August Fermentation Friday Topic Announcement

2009-08-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

I volunteered to host another Fermentation Friday but I didn't realize it would come so soon. For the last few days I have been racking the brain for a fun and stimulating topic and I think I may finally have come up with one. Ok, Ok I am am lying my topic ended up going back to the basics. In this case the basics are the ingredients. Most home brewers I know and read about use the standard 2 row base malt and the 3 big C's for the hops and maybe a nice 1056 or 05 for the yeast. In my book that is kind of boring even though I do it myself. I want to know if and why you break away from the norm. Do you use Maris Otter for your base and Tettenger as the hop. Or have you ever tried using a specialty malt as a base (can this even be done)? Do you like to mix up the yeast or do you always stay the same. So bust out your out of the norm recipes and tell me why you chose what you did.

Let me and the world know! See you on August 28th!! Send me an email if you know it or just post a comment here and I will compile them all in a nice post as usual.

Peace out and see you all soon!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

Beer Review #43 - Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager

2009-08-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I know is been a while for a review but here is my next one. Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager is a seasonal from one of my favorite breweries. So I was expecting something good from this one.

Appearance - The summerfest pours a light golden color with a good head that dissipates quickly

Aroma - The summerfest has very little hop aroma and a slight bit of sulpher in the nose.

Tastes - I normally don't say this about SN stuff but there is very little flavor. The summerfest has a little more flavor then a macro lager and I have no clue how to review those.

Mouthfeel - The Summerfest is very highly carbonation with a nice chrispness

Drinkability - Its drinkable and I would choose it over a mass produced american lager but it's nothing special in my opinion.

See you all soon!
GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

The Session #30 - Beer Desserts

2009-08-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to my post for this months the session. I would like to thank Beer 47 for hosting this month. This months topic is beer desserts. I am not that knowledgeable in beer desserts but I have had a few.

The first is a stout float (I have also had it with a porter) this is a very nice end to a meal or even as a nice stand alone snack. The creaminess of the ice cream mixes well with the chocolate/coffee notes of the stout. Its just like an adult root beer float just not as sweet.

The other that I can remember was this June at the National Homebrewers Conference. Sean Paxton the Homebrew Chef did a whole meal with rogue beers. Each course used the beer in the recipe and was paired with it. It was a great meal. Sorry slightly off topic. The meal ended with a chocolate moose made with the rogue chocolate stout served in a chocolate bowl. It was so rich that a few bites were more the enough but it was delicious. I couldn't have asked for a better ending to a great meal!!

My only other beer and dessert experience didn't involve beer as an ingredient but as a pairing. A nice hoppy IPA such as Hop Ottin from Anderson Valley and Carrot Cake are amazing together. Also a nice stout with chocolate cake works very well.

Overall I don't really think much about using beer as an ingredient in desserts but hopefully I will get some good ideas to try while reading the posts. Thanks again to beer 47 for hosting this month.

See you next month,
GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

Beer Review #42 - Big Sky Moose Drool

2009-08-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Here is my review of Big Sky Moose Drool. Enjoy!

Appearance - The Moose Drool pours a nice brown with a short lasting off white head that leaves a good lacing.

Aroma - The Moose Drool is very malt forward with a lot of chocolate in the nose.

Taste - The Moose Drool is also malt forward but there is good bitterness. The taste of chocolate and a light roast really comes through.

Mouthfeel The Moose Drool is very light and there is good carbonation. Most of the taste hits the back of your tounge.

Overall - The Moose Drool is a good brown ale. It is light enough that you can drink it in the summer but big enough that it would work in the winter.

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

July Fermentation Friday - CopyCat (Clone) Brewing

2009-07-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to the July Fermentation Friday. I would like to start off by thanking Rob over at pfiff! for hosting July's copycat stole a rat put it in her Sunday hat Fermentation Friday. Once I got through the title and article from my favorite wordsmith I think it came down to cloning your favorite commercial beer. Did I get that right Rob? Well if its not that is what I am writing about anyway.

This months topic on brewing clones isn't one that I am that familiar with. I personally just brew what I like and don't really try to brew what I can get commercially. I actually always find it a little strange that a homebrewer would waste their time brewing what is already available. Homebrewing to me is a creative hobby and outlet and I feel cloning recipes takes that away. I do admit I am still learning so I have brewed mostly kits (which is someone elses recipe but since I don't know what that beer was supposed to taste like I can't try and clone it) but I have started to formulate my own recipies. When I formulate recipes I start with a style and build from there using some ideas from commercial brews that I have tried but I don't try to clone them. For example the local brewpub makes a Raspberry Wheat. My Mother-in-Law really enjoyed it so I tried brewing a version of it. I started with a really good hefeweizen recipe and then added some raspberry extract and it turned out amazing. It was similar to the local brewpub but it wasn't a clone and I actually prefered it becasue I was going for more fruit flavor then the local version and thats what I got.

I know some homebrewers use clones as a way to test their skill but I feel you can do that with your own recipe. If you brew a recipe and take good notes then you should be able to make that same recipe again and have it come out exactly the same. That's where the skill comes in. In my opinion. Getting the the same thing over and over again is what the commercial brewers strive for and that is what homebrewers should strive for if they find that perfect recipe.

The only thing I may try to clone someday is techniques. I love the 120 minute IPA from Dogfish Head. It would be awesome to continuously hop a beer for 120 minutes and then dry hop to finish it. I haven't looked on the net but I would probably try and use the process using the hops I can get the best deal on. It won't be a clone but it will be the GISBREWMASTER 120 min IPA.

I have no problem if someone wants to clone because part of homebrewing is doing what you want. I feel that there are so many beers and beer styles out there that I don't feel I need to make a beer that someone already has. I will keep trying as many commercial beers that I can and then take some parts for each. I may possibly make a Frankenstein beer. Maybe my clone will be the "120 min Rasputin Berliner Weisse Lambic Stout". Sounds good doesn't it?

Thanks again to Rob for hosting this month. I am looking forward to reading everyone elses opinion on this. Also as alwasys thanks to Adam at Beer Bits 2 for starting this fun event!!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

Beer Review #41 - Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

2009-07-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

After a big gap between #40 and #41 here is my review of Dogfish Head Indian Brown ale. I finally remembered that I have 2 or 3 reviews on my phone so I will probably be sending them off in the next few day.

Appearance - The DFH IBA pours a nice brown with a nice almond long lasting head with great lacing.

Aroma - The DFH IBA has a really nice aroma with hints of coffee and chocolate. This a very malt forward beer but the earthiness of the hops comes.

Taste - The DFH IBA has a nice full flavor with hints of bitter chocolate and coffee. The hops do a good job with bittering but they see very happy to be the supporting cast in this beer.

Mouthfeel - The DFH IBA is light to medium bodied and has a good carbonation that carries the flavor throughout the mouth.

Overall - The DFH IBA is a very nice brown ale I would even lean it towards a light porter. Drink it if you can get it.

Have a great day until next time!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

This video explains why we do it, Homebrew that is!!

2009-07-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I saw this video this morning and thought all my readers would enjoy it. Like the title says. This is why "I am a home brewer!"

Enjoy!
GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

I have been slacking!

2009-07-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry all my readers out there I have been slacking the last few weeks. I have had some good beers but I haven't written about them. Don't worry I will be back soon. I plan to do at least 1 beer review this week and hopefully a recap of my trip to San Diego for a conference.

Talk to you all soon!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

The Session #29 - Will Travel For Beer

2009-07-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to my post for this months session. This months topic "Will Travel For Beer" is hosted by the folks over at Beer by Bart. This months topic is very easy for me. Normally I have to really think about what I am going to write but not this time.

The hosts what to know:
"If you see the words “travel” and “beer” and instead of your best tourist sagas you think of work or logistics, we want to know your tips and strategies on the road. (Perhaps for getting prized bottles home.)"

I happen to feel I am very knowledgeable in this area. There are very few trips where I don't hit at least one local brewery/brewpub, beer bar or local beer store. The first thing I do when going on a trip for either business or pleasure is visit beermapping.com. This is one of my favorite beer sites. You enter a city or address and it will show all the beer based locations around. You also have the option of picking a regional map of all the breweries and brewpubs in the region. I also use the mobile version of beermapping.com when I get to a location. It makes it very easy to get the address of the beer location and directions to it.

So once you get to the destination and fall for a beer how do you get it home. I have 2 options for you. One is pack it in your suit case and 2 which is send yourself some yeast samples just don't use the USPS. If you pack it in your suit case make sure your wrap it really well in your clothes and put it in a large freezer bag just in case. I have brought beer home from all over the country and even from Europe with this method and have never had an issue.

So now that I have got you there and got you home. Here are some suggestions of place you should go so that you can bring great beer back. First my favorite beer trip to date is Portland, Oregon. There are many great breweries and brewpubs all over Portland. Second San Diego and the Bay Area are 2 great beer destinations on opposite sides of state that know there beer. Finally I would say hit any place you are going to be. There is great beer all over this great country and world. Get out, travel and try it!!

Thanks again to Gail and Steve at Beer By Bart for hosting this month. I am looking forward to reading all the other tips out there. Anything I can do to try great beer and get home safely I want to know!

See you next month,

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

National Homebrew Conference in Oakland Day 3

2009-06-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to day 3 and final NHC recap. Like I stated in the last post I actually went to bed early the night before so the day started infinitely better the Friday. I was back to almost a 100%. I got up nice and early and made the troubleshooting panel. This was probably my favorite session of the conference. The panel which consisted of some of the brewing worlds rockstar giving tips on homebrewing issues and how to correct them hosted by James Spencer of Basic Brewing Radio. If you don't know Tomme, Vinnie, Ken G, John P then IMHO you don't know beer. After that session I hit the equipment geek presentation and sampled some beer at the hospitality suite. I finished the morning with a hot dog and Italian sausage sandwich from Top Dog and a coffee from peets.

The afternoon consisted of 3 more sessions and more beer sampling. I really enjoyed the Beer and Chocolate session and Tomme's session on ingredients 5-10 (not what you think watch the presentation.) After the last session I went back to my room dropped off my stuff and then got in line for the awards banquet. While in line volunteers made sure our cups were filled with a the conference IPA and Saison. I say it again this is the best conference ever.

The final event of the conference was the dinner. The dinner was designed by the Homebrew Chef Sean Paxton and prepared by the Marriot's banquet staff. All the courses were made and paired with Rogue beers the dinner's sponsor. Everything was awesome.

The first course was a Chinese Chicken salad with a Mom's Hefeweizen Ginger dressing.

The second course was a Charlie's American Amber Ale Marinated Pork Roast with mashed potato and seasonal veggies. This may have been the best pork I have ever had.

The final course was chocolate moose paired with a Russian Imperial Chocolate Stout. I would say the flavors were amazing together but it was a little rich for me. I was only able to handle a few bites but for me that what desert should be.

After dinner there was the awards ceremony for the homebrew competition and then off to The Trapist (a new beer bar a few blocks from the convention center.) Finally, me and my new buddy John hit the hospitality suite one last time and the off to bed about 2am.

This was an amazing conference and if I can swing it I hope to hit the 2010 conference in MN. This will kill 2 birds with one stone. I can visit MN and I can finally see Midwest Supplies the place I buy most of my ingredients for brewing.

Hope you all enjoyed my recap on the NHC 2009 I sure did. I am not kidding this was by far the best conference I have ever attended. If you are a homebrewer this is the place to be.

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

June Fermentation Friday - Summertime Brewing

2009-06-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to this months Fermentation Friday hosted by The Brew Dudes. This months topic is summertime brewing. The host asks the question "How do you beat the heat when brewing?" I personally don't feel it is that much different.

I live in Bakersfield,CA where it gets really hot during the summer. The temps are consistently in the high 90's/low 100's. Until a few weeks ago I brewed indoors on a gas stove. I would put my pot over 2 burners and I would go to town. The boil was kind of slow but it did its job. When brewing indoors it doesn't matter if its 50 or if its a 100. The only issue is the amount of time it takes to cool the wort with the wort chiller. When its 50 in the winter I can chill 5 gallons to under 80 degrees in 15 minutes in the summer when its a 100 it takes about 30. I would prefer it be quicker but it isn't too bad. I am thinking about adding in a small chiller in a sink full of ice water but haven't got around to that yet.

A few weeks ago I did my first all grain and garage brew. It wasn't quite a hundred but it was in the high 80's. The worst part of summer brewing was being in the garage when it's hot. The flame from the burner and heat from the air gave me a nice sweaty gleam all day. Other then that everything went well and the only minor issue was the 30 minute wort chill time.

I am really interested in seeing the effect of the summer season on other brewers because it doesn't really effect me much. Maybe I can learn what I should be worried about. Thanks again to the brew dudes for hosting!!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

National Homebrew Conference in Oakland Day 2

2009-06-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Here is the day 2 recap of the NHC Oakland but first I missed something very important in the last post. I mean this is big. I had ramen for lunch in Japanese restaurant across the street from my hotel. It was really good. The broth, the veggies and the noodles made a great soup. I told you it was big!! ;-)

Well on to day 2. Lets just say it started out rather rough from the night before. I overslept through the first session but i made it to the next session part 2 of Randy Moshier's and Ray Daniels advanced brewing techniques. It was rather interesting even with a slight headache and haze. After the session I was beat so I took a 2 hour nap, got some lunch and some advil and attended all 3 of the afternoon sessions. I even managed to try a few beers in the hospitality suite. I came to drink beer and wasn't going to let a slight hangover (ok rather large hangover) stop me from trying homebrews.

Before club night I took another 2 hour nap and went to whet to have dinner at a Thai reseraunt but the hotel sent me to a Cambodian resteraunt instead. It ended up being a very good dinner. I really enjoyed my curry!

Then I hit club night with my new buddies John and Jesse. I was way better tonight in terms of quantity. I tasted and dumped through out the night. I will admit not all of this is by choice. I was only back to 75%. There were some great homebrews and some not so great homebrews but it was a blast. That might have been the best beer fest I have ever attended. Finally I woosed out a little and hit the sac around midnight. I actually wanted to attend the troubleshooting panel the next morning.

Day 2 was a good one stay tuned for day 3.

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

National Homebrew Conference in Oakland Day 1

2009-06-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Over the next few days or so I will be doing a quick recap of the NHC. I plan to do 1 for each day so if you care about how it went read up over the next few days!!

Picture this you walk into a hotel lobby ready to register for a conference. You get in line show them your ID and they give you your name badge and a gift bag. Everyone one has done that right, easy to picture! After that everything is different about this conference. Not only do you get the normal stuff but they give you a glass, some small homebrew equipment and some bombers of beer. Sweet right!! It only gets better after that. Your next stop is the hospitality suite where beer will be served non stop (except from 3am-8am)on Thursday till 2am Sunday Morning. The suite is hosted buy the homebrew clubs from around the country. Every club that had a shift in the suite had at least 10 beers on tap to sample. Can you say a lot of beer?

After sampling a few beers I went back to the room to drop off all my things before volunteering to be a steward at the NHC homebrew competition. This was my first experience with a beer judging competition so it was pretty interesting. For about 4 hours I served beer in category 7(Amber Hybrid Beer) of the BJCP style guide. I would love to be a certified judge some day so it was really interesting to see how the beers were described and judged. I also got to meet Ramona who was my lead steward who helped show me the judging ropes. She was really cool and we hung out a few times over the next couple of days. She is a member of HAZE a homebrew club between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe.

I had been up for since 330 am that morning so I was starting to get a little tired so I headed back to room. It was going to be nap time but i decided I was hungry so I went to Pacific Coast Brewing for a quick dinner before Pro-Brewers night. While eating I met my first QUAFF homebrew club(one of the San Diego clubs) member Loren(dude)and we talked beer and homebrew and ate some supper. I never did get in my nap!

Now on to Pro-Brewers night. Pro night is basically a small beer festival. I was walking around and I met 2 more QUAFF members John and Jesse. These are the 2 I hung out with most the rest of the conference. I am not really going to describe how this went lets just say I sampled a lot of beers. I had beers from Russian River, Dogfish Head, Deschutes, Shmaltz, etc. It was a very quick 3 hours but then we decided to hit The Trappist a beer bar down the street(probably wasn't a very good idea now that I think about it). It got till about 2am and i finally hit the sack (or was it passed out). I had been up for almost 24 hours.

Stay tuned for Friday Day 2!!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

Food Pairing - German Chocolate Cake and Sam Adams Imperial Stout

2009-06-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I have been doing a lot of reading on food and beer pairing and when my wife said I want German Chocolate Cake I was like I should find a beer to have with this. So I went to the net and I went to She said Wine/He said Beer and both said an Imperial Stout would work well with chocolate cake. The only one I had in the house was the Sam Adams Imperial Stout from their imperial series. So here goes the pairing.

First I took a bite of the cake and it was chocolaty sweet with coconut and pecans. This is just like a german chocolate cake should be.

Second I took a wiff and taste of the Imperial Stout. It was nice and creamy with hints of chocolate, coffee, and roastyness.

Finally I took a bite of the cake and drink of the stout and it went together perfectly. The chocolate in the cake enhanced the chocolate notes in the stout. The coffee notes in the stout worked really well with the chocolate in the cake and the nuts and coconut in the frosting. I think this was a very good pair.

After trying this pair I think I may have to pick up an Old Rasputin stout on the way home from work tomorrow. In my opinion it is a better imperial stout then the Sam Adams. That beer and this cake would be and even better pair.

Let me know what you think of this possible new series. I have never written about pairings before so if any one has any suggestions feel free to let me know.

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

Beer Review #40 - Avery Maharaja

2009-06-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to my 40th beer review this year. I thought I would bust out something special and by special I mean hoppy. I am sharing this supposedly hoppy beast with the wife. Lets see how it goes!! On to the review.

Appearance - The Maharaja pours a beautiful golden color. The head is long lasting with a lot of lacing on the glass.

Aroma - The Maharaja hop aroma has hints grapefruit and pine. Smells rather tasty.

Taste - The Maharaja's taste is just what I was expecting after smelling that aroma. This is a major hop bomb. There is great bitterness with tastes of grapefruit,pine, grass, and orange.

Mouthfeel - The Maharaja has a very full mouthfeel. The carbonation carries all the flavors around the palate.

Drinkability - This beer is very drinkable but at 10.25%. I wouldn't drink more then one unless you are chilling at home watching a movie or something. Then have a few.

Thank you for joining me on my 40th review hope to be doing many more.

See you next time!!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

Beer Review #39 - Wayne's Hex Nut Ale

2009-06-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Here is my review of my buddy Wayne's Hex Nut Ale. This is my second review of his.

Pour - The HNA's pour was a deep brown with a almond color long lasting head.

Aroma - The malt comes through on the aroma in the HNA. There are hints of chocolate and roast. A small amount of hop flavor is also in the nose.

Taste - The malt comes through on the taste of the HNA but instead of chocolate like in the aroma I get coffee and a little caramel.

Mouthfeel - The HNA has a light mouthfeel with good carbonation.

Drinkability - The HNA is a good drinkable beer. I feel this would be a good transition beer from winter to spring or summer to fall.

My only suggestion would be to maybe give it a little more mouthfeel (thickness) From everything you said you are try to hit style and it may be a little light for a brown ale. I am just being picky cause I really liked it and you wanted suggestions. Keep up the great brewing Wayne!!

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

The Session #28 - Think and Drink Globally

2009-06-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to this month The Session hosted by Brian @ Red, White and Brew. This month topic is Think and Drink Globally is an interesting one. And his request to discuss the farthest brewery you have been to was also interest and I may be cheating slightly on my pick but oh well. Well on to the post.

I really like to think and drink globally when it comes to the beers I drink. I always try to find beers from all over the world to try. Whether it be from Germany, China, Australia, or Brazil. If its something I haven't had before then I am going to try it. Drinking an ethnic beer is like a mind vacation. I always try and place myself in that country or region trying to imagine what I would be doing and who I would be hanging with while there. For example a few weeks ago i drank a Xingu Brazilian Black Beer. I imaged chilling on the beach in Rio de Janeiro,in my nice tight speedo of course, checking out the merchandise if you know what I mean. ;-) It was a very relaxing. Another great example of this is every time I drink a German beer it takes me back to my trip to Germany and the great time my wife and I had. That trip got me truly into good beer.

This leads into the farthest brewery I have visited and why it may be a slight cheat. I went to the Spaten brewery but didn't take a tour but I did go to there gift shop. So does that count. If it doesn't then the farthest brewery I attended at the time would be Russian River in Santa Rosa, CA. I was living in FL the first time I went to their brewery/restaurant. You can take your pick pick but i think it should count.

Every trip I take weather it be local or global I try and find the local brew. Its a great way to meet people and to support good craft beer. Also as a home brewer I try to brew globally. I have brewed a British ESB, 2 German Hefeweizens, a Belgian Double, and French/Belgian Saison. I find it very enjoyable to try and brew the beers of different regions. Its a great way to see how the world enjoys and creates their beer.

Thanks again to Brian from hosting this months topic and I am looking forward to reading other peoples adventures in beers.

Beer Review #38 - Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu

2009-06-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

A friend of mine helped me build my mash tun today so it looks like I will try my hand at AG brewing this weekend. I am totally inept at building things so his help was vital to my completing this project. So to celebrate I popped open a Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu. Which according to the bottle is a malt beverage brewed with honey & hawthorn fruit and fermented with grape concentrate. So on with the review!

Pour - The DFH Chateau Jiahu pours a hazy golden color with a small head that lasts.

Aroma - The DFH Chateau Jiahu has a nice malty scent with hints of honey and hawthorne fruit(just kidding I don't know what hawthorne fruit is). I do get some hints of grapes and citrus.

Taste - The DFH Chateau Jiahu has a nice light fruity taste. I get hits of honey and grape. There are also hints of warming alcohol in the taste.

Mouthfeel - The DFH Chateau Jiahu has a nice full mouthfeel with a low to moderate carbonation level. The beer leaves a light syrupy coating feeling in the month.

Drinkabilty - The DFH Chateau Jiahu is very drinkable. At 8% abv the beer goes down very smoothly.

I don't remember where I picked this up but I am very glad I did. I really enjoy trying unique and interesting beers and if I can find them I will try them. I bet not many people will get to try a 9000 year old recipe. Does anyone out there know anything really unique that I should try. Send me a comment!

Beer Review # 37 - Ommegang Abbey Ale

2009-05-31T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Welcome to my 3rd of 4 reviews of the Brewery Ommegang variety pack my mom got me a few months ago. Abbey Ale is a Belgian Style Dubbel. This has been one of styles I have had a lot of lately so lets see how this goes.

Pour - The Abbey Ale pours a beautiful dark amber with a nice off white head. The head leaves a nice lacing on the side of the glass.

Aroma - The Abbey Ale has a nice malty scent with hints of cloves and spice. I also get a little licorice in the nose.

Taste - The Abbey Ale has a nice malty and spicy flavor. The taste also mimics the aroma. I get hits of plum, cinnimon, licorice, and caramel.

Mouthfeel - The Abbey Ale has a nice full mouthfeel with great carbonation. There is very good coating of the month.

Drinkabilty - The Abbey Ale is very drinkable. At 8.5%abv you can have 2 glasses and just chill away.

I am still not sure about the Belgian Dubble. I prefer trippels and saisons but I will continue to try them. I also like that it comes from my home state of NY. I haven't been back there in a few years but I am really glad they are making some good beers. Maybe someday they will get out to CA.

See you next time,
GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.