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American Beer Review: Groundhog Brew by Straub

17/02/2013

Follow @TheGuestAle It’s been frigid this February in Pennsylvannia. Temperatures have barely crept above minus six degrees Celsius all month long and anything above freezing feels like an absolute heat-wave. Last week they pulled the famed Groundhog from his slumbers in Punxatawney and against all odds he failed to see his shadow and predicted that spring is just around the corner! As I defrost my frozen kitchen pipes I have to chuckle at the old rodent’s sense of humour. At least that’s something to smile about and so, it seems, is the limited edition beer brewed for the occasion! Introducing Groundhog Brew from a long established brewery in these part, Straub. It was 1872 when their founder, German-born Peter Straub arrived in...

US Beer Review: Three Philosophers Quadrupel Ale by Ommegang Brewery

18/01/2013

Follow @TheGuestAle Sunday nights in January find many of us expats over this side of the pond sitting down to enjoy another thrilling episode of Downton Abbey. Such a rich and decadent evening of entertainment deserves a truly magnificent ale to match it. Enter something equally enthralling, complex and exciting. Enter Three Philosophers Ale by Ommegang Brewery. As an interesting aside, Ommegang Brewery began in 1997 in Cooperstown, NY in a purpose-built Belgian farmhouse replica. The brewery is situated on an area that in the 19th century was the Mecca of hop-growing in the States. rather like how Kent is to England I suppose. Its Three Philosophers Ale is a “Quadrupel” ale following the bold, complex and strong Belgian...

US Beer Review: Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale by Anderson Valley Brewing Co.

10/12/2012

Follow @TheGuestAle During the Summer Solstice this year I was conveniently positioned at that Mecca of mystical sun-worship, Stonehenge. It was fantastic despite the bus loads of cagouled camera-toting overseas tourists and the sea of packed lunches and flasks of tea spread out by the natives. Alas, the days are now short and dark and I find myself days away from the Winter Solstice. Ideally I’d be in County Cork by the Drombeg Stone Circle for this occasion but snowy Pennsylvania will have to suffice. My thirst for a decent beer remains unchanged and so it’s with some delight I stumble upon an aptly named beer from a brewery this side of the pond. Enter Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale...

US Beer Review: Snake Dog IPA by Flying Dog Brewery

24/11/2012

Follow @TheGuestAle It’s Thanksgiving Bank Holiday over here in the US. Most of the country are powering up on turkey and pumpkin pie in readiness for the shopping extravaganza of Black Friday, while ex-pats like me are left twiddling our thumbs. It’s the perfect time to try one last India Pale Ale (IPA) before the Christmas season kicks off and I’m back sampling the darker, heavier winter brews. Enter Snake Dog IPA by Flying Dog Brewery. The artwork on the bottle is enough to get you curious. I knew there was something familiar about the illustrative style of the label. It turns out that Flying Dog Brewery have enlisted Ralph Steadman to provide the artwork. Brits probably recognize him...

US Beer Review: Samuel Adams’ East West Kolsch

07/11/2012

Follow @TheGuestAle If you love to discover different beers but are at a loss as to where to begin, may I point you in the direction of this little gem? Introducing East West Kolsch by Boston Brewing Company (Samuel Adams). Kolsch is a style of ale which hails from Cologne, Germany. It’s traditionally less hoppy than other German pale ales and is strictly defined by the Kolsch Konvention, an agreement between the Cologne Brewers Association. In 2011 Samuel Adams attempted to put its own version of Kolsch on the map. In keeping with strict Kolsch brewing traditions, top fermenting ale yeasts were used and afterwards the brew was stored at cold lager-like temperatures to help impart a crispy after-taste....

US Beer Review: Saranac Pumpkin Ale by Matt Brewing Company

16/10/2012

Follow @TheGuestAle October: Seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness…and pumpkin ale! This month my search for contenders for title of the best pumpkin ale continued leading me to sample Saranac Pumpkin Ale. It was my birthday after all so I chanced it and grabbed the six pack. Shame on me for having not noted this historic brewery before now. Nestled at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in central New York State, this family run brewery has been crafting speciality ales for more than a century to some pretty high standards. The Matt Brewing Company boasts its brews are crafted “from the spirit of clear lakes, open skies and breathtaking mountain vistas”. Sounds the ideal rural setting for a...

US Beer Review: Iron City Amber Classic Lager by Pittsburgh Brewing Company

21/09/2012

Follow @TheGuestAle Hear ye! Hear ye! There’s a new lager in town! It’s called Iron City Amber Classic lager by Pittsburgh Brewing Company. I’ve been dying to get my hands on this little new-comer! I’ve asked for it at a number of local beer distributors in the Steel City region without success. But today is my lucky day! Pittsburgh Brewing Co. has been brewing in the Pittsburgh area for 150 years. You have to hand it to them: They have survived the Civil War, two World Wars and Prohibition and yet remained in business dedicated to their cause of brewing innovative beers in this city. I’ve already reviewed one of its staples, Iron City Light, but today I look...

US Beer Review: Samuel Adams’ Belgian Session

20/09/2012

Follow @TheGuestAle I spent some in Belgium back in 1986 but I wasn’t old enough to sample the beer. That’s something I regret as Belgium produces more than 1,100 varieties of beer including some of worlds finest, such as the Trappist beer of the Abbey of Westvleteren and Gulden Draak strong pale ale. Belgium’s rich brewing history begins in the time of the first Crusades when the low alcohol beer was far more sanitary than the drinking water. This was helped by the moderate climate which is favourable to the growing of cereal malts in the region. For the first time this year Samuel Adams included a Belgian Session Ale in its Summer Styles variety box. The Boston brewery...

US Beer Review: Cherry Wheat Beer by Samuel Adams

10/09/2012

Follow @TheGuestAle Last of the Summer Ales, alas. It’s my first time popping open a cherry flavoured beer and I’m nervous. I’m a late bloomer when it comes to opening my mind to fruit-flavoured ales and I had always associate cherries with those tarty, bright, cocktail drinks that come with silly little umbrellas. In other words, I generally think fruity drinks are nothing to get serious about. It was pure chance that I noticed the last of the Samuel Adams “Summer Styles” variety box on the store shelf, which I hurriedly picked up as the Autumnal Harvest Selection box had already appeared next to it as if ready to oust it from the line-up. This selection from one of...

US Beer Review: The Doppelrock by Great Lakes Brewing Co.

04/09/2012

Follow @TheGuestAle For those about to rock, we salute you! If you can manage get past the strange cover shot of the two guitarists on the bottle of this brew, you are in for a treat. The Doppelrock by Great Lakes Brewing Company is a Doppelbock lager that certainly delivers strong, loud flavour in this seasonal, rock-solid masterpiece. Doppelbock beers have been brewed for centuries starting with medieval monks who developed them as “liquid bread” to nourish them with sugars and high alcohol during fasting. (Yes. Apparently ordinary food had to be avoided sometimes in monastic orders but consuming vast quantities of strong ale was a perfectly acceptable alternative!). Great Lakes observes the tradition of the Bavarian Purity Law...

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