Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Samuel Adams New World

 I will start this review off by saying that I spent $10 on this wonderful Tripel Ale, and you know what I am happy I did this one bottle alone is worth every penny of it. this beer has some serious attitude but is meant to be sipped like a fine wine it has hints of spices and Tropical fruits infused into it, and is by far the best of the best that the good people at Sam Adams has to offer from the Barrel Room collection. My first impression of this beer would be the aroma, lightly hopped and slightly sweet, to that just right point where any Beerenthusiast would surely fall in love with it just by the aroma it gives off; this beer bottle is a 9.4 FL OZ and at a 10% ALC/VOL it is well to say that this is in my top 5 categories for the Boston Beer Company. New World is by far one of those that you will remember your whole life if you try it and you will never forget the experience. On the Pallet you get on the tip of your tongue the sweetness of the beer while catching the bitter goodness of the Hops as it hits the back of you tongue. IF YOU HAVEN'T TRIED THIS BEER YET I STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT, YOU WILL NOT BE LET DOWN.



Saturday, July 13, 2013

Oregon brewed "Rouge Farms OREgasmic Ale"

Rouge Farms OREgasmic Ale. Starting off I would just like to applaud Rouge for boldly going the distance, with OREgasmic Ale brewed with five Rouge Farms Hop varieties and Dare and Risk malt one thing can be said about this beer, Over all mouth-feel "smooth" with so much hoppy flavor added it is unimaginable to believe that the have created this smooth of a beer. One thing that I can most definitely say is it must be drank at room temp as to absorb as much of the flavor from the beer as possible, and like most Ales I prefer them to be room temp. As I am sure do most craft beer fans. From the bottle, poured a deep rusty orange with slightly golden hues to it. There was good, strong, rocky head with pretty good lacing to it. The nose was very malt forward, lots of strong caramel and very subtle hops. The hops were spicy and floral, and very muted overall. The taste was again quite full on the caramel and sweet.





Friday, July 5, 2013

Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale "By far the greatest Ale ever!"

Brother Thelonious

Belgian Style Abbey Ale


North Coast Brewing Co. is a proud  partner with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in support of Jazz education. The Brewery makes a donation to the Institute for every bottle of Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale sold.
Like a Belgian "Dark Strong Ale," this beer is rich and robust with an ABV of 9.3%. The package features a label picturing the Jazz master himself, and comes in either a 375 or 750 ml bottle with a traditional cork and wire finish, or 12 oz. 4-packs.

Vital Statistics

Style: Belgian Style Strong Dark
Color: Dark mahogany
ABV: 9.4%
Bitterness: 32 IBUs
When you buy Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale you also help to support the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz whose mission is to offer the world's most promising young musicians college level training by America's jazz masters and to present public school-based jazz education programs for young people around the world.  All of these programs are offered free of charge to the students and schools.
The Artwork on the Brother Thelonious Packaging, or, Why is a skull on the Brother Thelonious label?

Artist Eduardo Smissen and the Brother Thelonious Packaging

Artist Eduardo Smissen painting the Brother Thelonious brand image
The Artist: Eduardo Smissen in his studio working on the Brother Thelonious painting; Photo by Joelle Signorelli
Brother Thelonious Brand Image
The Result: Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale
North Coast Brewing Company has always supported regional creative talent in the distinctive beer imagery that goes with each of their brews. When it came to the creation of the Brother Thelonious beer, we sought out the talent of local Mendocino artist Eduardo Smissen. The resulting packaging design by Colored Horse Studios featuring his spirited painting of Thelonious Monk as a Belgian Abbey Monk highlighted one of the most successful beer launches for North Coast Brewing, and won a Gold Medal in the Creativity Category from the Beverage Testing Institute’s World Beer Championships Packaging Competition.

Why is a skull on the Brother Thelonious label?
From Eduardo: It’s a “memento mori,” a Latin phrase that may be freely translated as “Remember that you are mortal,” “Remember you will die,” or “Remember your death.” It names a genre of artistic creations that vary widely from one another, but which all share the same purpose, which is to remind people of their own mortality. The chief thrust of “memento mori” was the theme of “carpe diem,” “seize the day,” which  entailed the advice to “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” And as the motto for North Coast Brewing is “Carpe Diem Vita Brevis”—”Life is short, seize the day”—I thought it an appropriate Style for the Brother Thelonious label.