Mike's Beer of the Week

Beer Information

Brewery: Avery Brewing Company

Beer Name: The Kaiser

Beer Style: Imperial Oktoberfest

Abv.: 9.73%

Serving Glassware: Stein, Pint

Serving Temp.: 45-50 deg. F.

Packaging: 22oz bottles

Price: ~$8

Availability: Seasonal

Pairings: German (Schnitzel, Pork, Hungarian Goulash)

www.flickr.com/photos/buffaloted

Mike's Ratings (1-5)

Overall Grade/Rate: B+/3.90

Appearance: 4

Aroma: 3.5

Taste: 4

Mouthfeel: 4

Drinkability: 4

BeerAdvocate Avg. Rate: B+/3.80

Mike's Description

Appearance - Copper/fire-like appearance with almost no head and no lacing. Cool name for this style..."Give me a woman who loves brew and I will conquer the world". - The Kaiser

Aroma - Intense malt aromas with hints of darker fruits such as raisin and maybe some plum. Slight licorice notes come through here too.

Taste - As foreshadowed by the aroma, extremely malty - even more so than most marzens I've had. Almost no hops whatsoever leading to a complete lack of bitterness and a very sweet marzen. In addition to the fruits I mentioned, some sweeter elements are here such as cinnamon and brown sugar.

Mouthfeel - As expected, the sweet character survives for awhile after each sip. Otherwise, not much to say here.

Drinkability - This beer is a pretty good marzen altogether...if you have it as a dessert beer. It's very sweet, high in alcohol, and a large volume, so the sweet character really starts to build up after awhile. I would never want more than one of these at a time and as a result, I wouldn't choose this on a fall day because I would normally prefer a few oktoberfests at a time : D

Mike's Beer of the Week

Beer Information

Brewery: The Alchemist Pub and Brewery

Beer Name: Heady Topper

Beer Style: Double IPA

Abv.: 8.0%

Serving Glassware: The can itself, tulip, snifter

Serving Temp.: 50-55 deg. F.

Packaging: 4-pk 16oz cans

Price: ~$13

Availability: Year round (only at brewery)

Pairings: Vermont Cabot 'Seriously Sharp' Cheddar Cheese

Finally, a picture that I took.

Mike's Ratings (1-5)

Overall Grade/Rate: A+/4.97

Appearance: 4.5

Aroma: 5

Taste: 5

Mouthfeel: 5

Drinkability: 5

BeerAdvocate Avg. Rate: A+/4.58

Mike's Description

Thanks to Mallory for going to the alchemist cannery with me and enjoying this amazing beer! Also, good luck to everyone at the Alchemist brewpub, what happened was horrible and I hope for a fast and complete recovery.

Appearance - Light brown 'apple cider' appearance with a half-inch of head that lasts almost throughout the session. Wisps of white lace that dance around my new alchemist glass. Looks like it will pack a punch. Graphics and text on the can are unique as well...notably the incentive to be green..."Don't be a D-bag. Recycle this can!".

Aroma - Bursts of hoppy goodness...I'm not sure which hops John Kimmich uses, but it seems as though a little bit of everything is in here. Some pine is there along with fruity esters as well. It might be the fact that it looks like apple cider, but I also pick up some cinnamon.

Taste - As expected, hops...this must be where hops go to heaven. Not overwhelming...well it's overwhelming (in a good way), but a unique hop/malt balance. Some fruit character is here as well such as orange peel and maybe some lemon zest. There is also a complex spice presence involving ginger, cinnamon, and...who knows?

Mouthfeel - Pretty much all you could ask for in a DIPA - lingering hops of all shapes, names, sizes, genders, races, and sexual orientations.

Drinkability - This is the best DIPA I've ever had. It is all that anyone could want this style to deliver. The statement on the can sums this beer up perfectly..."Not intended to be the biggest or most bitter. It is meant to give you wave after wave of hoppy goodness on your palate". I like this beer better than Pliny the Elder, but that might be because I had this beer fresh from the brewery whereas I had Pliny a couple of months after it was bottled.

Mike's Beer of the Week

Beer Information

Brewery: Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan

Beer Name: Festbier

Beer Style: Marzen/Octoberfest

Abv.: 5.8%

Serving Glassware: Stein, Pint 

Serving Temp.: 46-52 deg. F.

Packaging: 16oz Bottles, 6-pk 12oz Bottles

Price: ~$3

Availability: Seasonal

Pairings: Lets go German... Weiner Schnitzel

www.haveabeer.couchand.com

Mike's Ratings (1-5)

Overall Grade/Rate: B/3.55

Appearance: 3.5

Aroma: 4

Taste: 3.5

Mouthfeel: 3

Drinkability: 3.5

BeerAdvocate Avg. Rate: B/3.64

Mike's Description

Thanks to Mallory for selecting this beer for me to review.

Appearance - Darker golden beer with about an inch of snow-white head that fades "nearly infinitely slow," as my structural dynamics professor would say. Some splayed lace remains on the Stella glass. Translucent, but not as clean as most Marzens I've had.

Aroma - Strong floral notes which could have been guessed due to the floral wreath graphics on the bottle. Some lighter fruits come through slightly such as pears and apples. Smells a little sugary as due most Festbiers.

Taste - The floral character dwells here as well, but the sweetness is surprisingly subtle. Most Marzens that I've had such as Sam Adams, Victory Festbier, BBC, Harpoon, and Spaten have a common sugary/syrupy facet that I thought was staple to all beers of this style...apparently not, but I'm not going to argue with the oldest brewery in the world (not to mention that it's located in Germany where lagering is done right).

Mouthfeel - In sharp contrast to the unexpected lack of sweetness, there is a noticeable spiciness to this brew. For me, this is what lingers in addition to the prevalent flowers that I may have mentioned already :D . I'm not going to pretend that I know what the spices are, but I'll guess that one might be nutmeg because it's making me say "hmm, what's that?" - thank you Rachel Ray.

Drinkability - ...I'll assume that it's a pioneer of the style just because Weihenstephaner brews it and German breweries know all concerning lagers, especially Marzens. In my opinion however... I'm kind of surprised. It's good, but it doesn't blow my hair back. It might be because I've had too many other Marzens that were all pretty similar whereas this is the only one that has really strayed away from what an Octoberfest "is" to me.