Category: Beer

Profiled by Ken Carman

New brewery in Atlanta suburb, north east side. I picked this brew by thems because this is a little tougher to brew than the other styles they’re doing.

White, small bubble head, fades fast. A tad hazy: may be chill haze. The color is light yellow. For style clarity is poor.

Nose is a tad sulfur-y and mineral-y. Hint of pale malt and pilsner. Way in background the slightest hint of DMS.

Slightest bitter but no hops otherwise. The “bitter” seems to come from sulfur, mineral, sense. The mineral increases as it warms, but sulfur stays about the same.

Mouthfeel: carbonic tingle from carbonation along with soft malt notes. It all seems to linger. Slight malt sweetness.

I really believe haze is more than chill haze. Supposed to be brilliantly clear, it’s not. Possible very fine floaties, or wheat proteins. The hop bitter is close, though not quite there, or balanced as well as could be with fruitiness, which is faint at best, and malt that, while not that much needed as per style, could use just a hint more as per “balance.”

84 @BA, 63 and 96 (style) @RB.

Close, but no cookie.

3.8

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

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Ken Carman, better known as Ken the Magnificent, squanders his days in Nashville and Beaver River, NY waiting for the next bat signal-like sign to save the world from disco. So far he has been able to sit on his butt and drink, and brew, good beer, for disco really hasn’t returned. Yet.

Written by Tom Becham

Sunday, June 28, I attended the annual Stone Sour Fest. It is the largest beer festival in the world dedicated solely to sour beers. This was my third time attending, so I wasn’t new to this rodeo.

This fest is held on the grounds of the Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens, in Escondido, California. It’s a gorgeous venue; the bistro itself is constructed largely from stone and iron rebar. But the greater bulk of the fest is outdoors, amongst the trees, shrubs, herbs and water features.

And Stone tends to look after attendees quite well, with ample seating in their gardens, and many water stations. My only complaint about this year’s Sour Fest in that respect is that the food usually available for purchase outside during the fest seemed either entirely absent or strangely elusive, despite being advertised in the event flyer. Continue reading “Stone Sour Fest 2015!”

Profiled by Maria Devan

This pours a dark brown. It has sumptuous brown hues. Thick and pours out slow like oil. A creamy head of chocolate colored foam reminds me of a milkshake. This beer will show you lace and legs.

Nose is sweet chocolate caramel and cream. Earthy coffee and the bright presence of the pepper. No vanilla. The pepper seemed to fade into the beer as the malts took over. Caramel a bit nutty and a light airy chocolate.

The taste is silken and long. That caramel is luscious alright and lasts on the palate. There’s barley and a grainy roast that does not touch burnt so it’s creamy. There is a cocoa powder so light so provocative that it actually feels like a dusting of cocoa powder on the back of the throat. it is delicate and that is a pleasant paradox. The pepper is earthy and shows you everything gently but no real heat. There is a touch of cream to this flavor that lets you see the depth of that roast but only askance as it finishes full, slightly chewy . The pepper finally flares up just a little in the aftertaste and the beer ends smooth, dry and beyond chocolatey.

4

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

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Maria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is a great beer writer. That’s Maria in the middle. The other two are not, but they are lucky to have her as a friend.

Profiled by Ken Carman

86 on Beer Advocate.
93 and 95 for style at Rate Beer.

What about peanut butter doesn’t these reviewers understand? Are they so nose focused they miss it’s the smell that’s skewing their reviews?

Seems so.

Big light brown foam head that holds a while. The body is a dense black that bright light hardly shines through. The head cascades downward into the quaff. Great presentation

Peanut butter and chocolate mixed perfectly, right up front, on the nose. Darker malts, way in the background, but very muted. The peanut butter and chocolate dominate.

On taste the chocolate is slightly bitter, as if dark chocolate and/or cocoa nibs were used

Very alcoholic. Indeed a tad too much in my opinion: throws the balance off. Not even the luxurious, seemingly heavy, body compensates. My guess is body is actually medium, but chocolate and peanut butter make it seem heavier. Peanut butter a mere hint in the taste. Not sure the abv, but if not high I would think a mild case of higher alcohol.

Nice try. I suggest backing off the high abv or higher alcohols, up malt sense and get more peanut butter into the taste.

3.6

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

__________________________Beer HERE

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Ken Carman, better known as Ken the Magnificent, squanders his days in Nashville and Beaver River, NY waiting for the next bat signal-like sign to save the world from disco. So far he has been able to sit on his butt and drink, and brew, good beer, for disco really hasn’t returned. Yet.

The most recent BJCP guidelines, for use in all competitions in November. Expanded quite a bit from 2008.

Written by Ken Carman

 

 Right up front: this Diary is going to be different. And I’m not going to sugar coat anything: this is a sales pitch, a promotion. If you love beer, especially craft beer, you brew beer, or are interested in the process and might like to learn: think of becoming a beer judge.
 You don’t have to become a BJCP beer judge to judge beer. And please don’t call them “Certified.” That’s a rank. There’s Recognized, Certified, National, Master, Grand Master and almighty, unquestionable, all powerful (especially once I’ve had a few brews) BEER DEITY: ME!  Yes, the last was just me goofing around, the others actual ranks.
 The test is very tough, takes a lot of studying, and don’t pay much attention if someone claims they don’t want specifics, they just want to know the breadth of your knowledge. Horse hocky. Before you pass you’ll need to know, backwards, forwards and upside down, many specifics… so many “specifics” I’ve known those who say the BJCP beer test is tougher than some of what they had to do to get their PhDs. .
 Good news: you can take it online. More on that in a moment. Continue reading “A Beer Judge’s Diary: Becoming a Beer Judge”

Profiled by Maria Devan

Looks like a tripel. Sweet golden color. Creamy white head Slight chill haze.

Smells like a tripel. Soft sweetness of the pils malt. Fruity middle wafting out to the top of the nose without any fanfare from the tettnang. They simply look on and give out pepper and floral as a greeting. Spice as your bring your head down to drink.

Taste is a gentle sour on all that nose. Citrusy fruit mingling with soft breaddy malt. A sparkling touch of acidity to enliven the palate before a crisp finish. Tettnang is known for it’s clean bitterness and in this beer it only shows you as much as it needs to to finish the beer and let that malt come to the finish breaddy and dry while they wait for all that long finish earthy and herbal . A warming from alcohol so slight, so pleasant a touch of sweetness from the alcohol . The finish is where you finally get a sense of the body of the beer. Medium, creamy, and carbonated to a bubbly perfection.

It’s amazing at 9.5%. Drinks like a sour tripel.

4

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

_____________________________________Beer HERE

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Maria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is a great beer writer. That’s Maria in the middle. She lives on a hill, but has to walk down and up it because she has yet to buy a jet pack.