Homebrew Review #1: "IBU-tiful"

Since I'm doing the whole local brewing scene, I thought I'd share a review of most recent homebrew: "IBU-tiful," which is an IBU-tiful learning experience, if nothing more. This is only my second homebrewed batch, so I was not expecting a whole. I won't bore you with the details of how we brewed it, the recipe or the mistakes made and laughs enjoyed, so here's my review:

Stock Photo of IBU-tiful: 3/6/2014 (not the sample reviewed)

Appearance (2): Way over-carbonated (seemingly). Poured into pint glass, carefully and slowly. 3 inch head of cream/beige color. The head on this beer does not disappear. Three minutes after pouring and it’s still two inches thick. Opaque, lighter amber to rustic brown color.
   The beer itself isn’t ugly, but the head retention has created a pile of clumped foam in the beer that is extremely unpleasant to look at…

Aroma (3.5): bready sweet malts, faint hop scent of spicey, piney, earthy variety.

Flavor (3.75): Bitter up front. The sweeter malts (are not present)/give way to fruity hops: tropical, some pineapple notes. At the back of the palate the malt sweetness returns and leaves a temporary lingering of a nicely balanced malt/hop effect. The scent and flavor do not match very well. Perhaps this has to do with the aroma hopping of Fuggle, which is very distinctly different from the bittering/flavoring hops we used (Warrior, Simcoe, Amarillo).

Mouthfeel (3): Carbonated, but not as much as one would anticipate prior to tasting (based on head retention). After letting it sit for a few minutes, the bubbling ceased. However, it is certainly over-carbonated for an IPA.

Overall (2.75): Not sure what to think here. The first few I had, when fresh, were delicious. They were overpoweringly bitter up front, but finished smoothly with notes of pineapple and citrus fruits. The malts weren’t as noticeable, which allowed the hops to really shine through.
This beverage is about a month older and has lost a lot of hop character (as expected) but is far from what I tasted awhile back. It’s not necessarily terrible, but I’m not exactly as proud of it as I was a few weeks ago: Drink Fresh if brewed again.

Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh here as others have enjoyed it and this is only the second batch. I really enjoyed it fresh, but I’m having doubts now. Looking forward to the next batch. Lots to learn from and to look toward the future.

Averaged out, my second batch of homebrew receives a 3.00. This isn’t terrible, but I’m sure there is a tad bit of bias here. The biggest lesson learned is how to approach bittering, flavoring, and scenting hops.

I still have some left to share, if you’d like one and I’ll be seeing you soon, let me know.
Cheers and thanks for reading,

KevBot

Beer of the Week 4/2--4/8: Great Lakes Chillwave

So here's a new feature I'll include on my blog each week. This is my "Beer of the Week" segment and it will highlight a different beer from "local" breweries. Local, for this blog's purpose, will include breweries located anywhere between Cleveland, Ohio to Erie, PA, down to Pittsburgh, PA and anywhere in between.

This week's beer is 'Chillwave' by Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, Ohio. This double IPA was formerly known as 'Alchemy Hour,' but recently changed the name due to a lawsuit from Widmer Bros. for use of their trademarked "Alchemy" Ale.  The new name, after careful planning by the owners at GLBC, was selected to honor the insane surfers on the Great Lakes that look to ride any gnarly wave, regardless of temperature.

   The label reads:

"Great Lakes surfers work hard for their thrills. They wake before dawn, listening to the weather report like school kids hoping for a snow day. If the waves are wrothy, they ride. No matter the cold, no matter the season, no matter the frozen crystals gathering in their beards, or the wind-whipping, white knuckle conditions they must face. To these chill rust belt surf dudes, it's all good. Yeah, it sounds a little crazy, but we didn't craft our Double IPA for the faint of heart. With a flash of Mosaic hops and a kiss of honey malt, it's a rush in a bottle. Ride our Chillwave. Then go out and find your own."

This brew is phenomenal. Below, I've included my BeerAdvocate review. I would highly recommend this beer if you see it.

Appearance: Partially hazy, a blend of gold and copper color. small head, somewhere between beige and tan that rapidly disappears. 
Smell: tropical and citrus fruits. some alcohol on the end. Maybe some earthy or herbal scents.
Taste: stronger tropical and citrus flavors. Definitely some mango. Noticeable sweet malt flavors that complement the hops well without overpowering this fantastic dipa. Some noticeable alcohol tastes, but nothing worth fretting over. Like the aroma, there is some earthy hop taste and faint pine flavors.
Mouthfeel: Spot-on carbonation that allows the tropical/citrusy hops and sweet malts to linger on the palate long after the initial sip is finished. Only possible complaint is that it is a bit light.
Overall: this is really good. Plenty of different hop aromas and flavors happening while some sweet malt tastes lay a nice foundation for a lingering, pleasurable aftertaste.

Cheers until next time,

KevBot

New Castle Double-Brew!

NEW CASTLE, PA!

I have some wonderful news for you, for Youngstown, Ohio and for Pittsburgh and Meadville, PA.

Saturday, April 5th is a date you should save in your calendar. One of my favorite breweries in the region, Voodoo Brewing Company (98 on BA!) is pairing up with an incredible local coffee shop, Two Rivers Artisan Coffee to provide a unique, palate-challenging experience in the heart of downtown New Castle, PA.

I can't tell you how excited I am for this event. The guys down at Two Rivers have mastered just about everything there is to know about coffee. From pour-overs, to the aeropress, siphons and mixing drinks, they do it all: and they do it better than Starbucks or your favorite local coffee shop. For a few months now, they've been mixing craft brews with their coffees and perfecting this new, delicate balance of palate-challenging beverages.

   A few months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Hector, Cassie, and a few others from Two Rivers at the Hoyt Center’s “Let’s Tailgate Brewfest” on the north hill in New Castle back in November. At this event they first tried, to my knowledge, their hand at mixing hand-crafted coffees with "traditional" craft beers. I made the mistake of waiting 4-5 months before coming back in to contact with them until a special event at the Magic Tree in Boardman, Ohio, where they combined five of their coffees with five different beers offered at the wonderful bar in Boardman.

   To avoid confusion, this is not your standard coffee-infused craft beer. Plenty of craft breweries include local coffee in their stout, porter or doppelbock recipes to add a stronger flavor. However, these are finished beers mixed with freshly brewed coffee to create a desired flavor that delicately balances the unique aromas and tastes of both to please avid fans of either.

   Since that fateful night at Magic Tree, where I “rediscovered” the art of the “double-brew,” I've spent some time getting to know the baristas at Two Rivers and came across this unique event combining their caffeinated brews and Voodoo's world-beating beers. This event should make any craft beer or caffeine fan overjoyed. These brewers know their materials and are masters of their respective arts.

This should be an epic night and the proceeds benefit the New Castle Fireworks Festival on July 11-12. Remember, New Castle is the fireworks capital of the world and the festival always creates a big bang in the community. Beyond the delicious beer and delectable coffee, there will also be my third favorite vice: cigars. Yes, that's right. Some high quality cigars will certainly complement the rest of the night's palate-challenging drinks and hors d’oeuvres exquisitely.

You can buy tickets here.

I hope to see you there. Feel free to get a hold of me anyway you like (twitter, facebook, email) and we can discuss the event in further detail if you wish,

KevBot

Welcome/Top 5

Hello and welcome to my first blog post here at Brews with the Bot. I'm Kevin and I'll keep you updated on bottle releases, brewpub and bar events and general information about breweries in the Western PA/Eastern Ohio region. I just recently surpassed my 1,000th distinct beer on Untappd and decided that I would share some of my passion for the industry with anyone interested.   Though I've certainly consumed more than 1,000 distinct craft beers since diving head-first into the craft beer world about 3 years ago, I only started keeping track thanks to Untappd. In fact, I can attribute a lot of my passion for craft beer and home-brewing to Untappd, with a special spot reserved for friends and acquaintances I've met all over the northeastern United States.
   The more I used Untappd, the more immersed I became in the ever-expanding and already immense world of craft beer. As I rated beers, I wanted to know more about how to properly do so, so I began reading how to do it. I researched beers and what types of hops, malts, and yeasts make distinct beer styles. Thus, my hobby became a passion.
   Over the next few blog posts, I’ll discuss my passion with you by discussing some of my favorite beers, the highest-rated beers I’ve personally consumed and my favorite brewpubs/breweries that I’ve visited. However, for this post I’m only going to discuss my five favorite unique beers.

Top 5:
   I ordered my top 5 in terms of the date that I first experienced them. They are not the highest-rated beers I’ve ever consumed and cicerones and experienced craft beer drinkers likely would not label them the best of their style. The five beers listed below are some of the my favorite beers, from small brewpubs/microbreweries that I’ve found most appealing to my palette.

1: Willoughby Brewing: Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter Willoughby, Ohio

   This beer was the first craft brew that I ever fell in love with. It smells of freshly roasted coffee and chocolate. It drinks the way it smells, but with the added delight of slight peanut butter flavors. If you're ever in the Eastern Ohio area and see this beer on tap, make sure you grab some. It's light abv allows the flavors to really rush forth from this beer.

2: Bullfrog Brewery: Segundo Plaga Williamsport, Pennsylvania

   A unique Saison/Farmhouse Ale aged in tequila barrels. Admittedly, I am not a fan of tequila, but the agave/tequila flavors in this beer made for splendid drinking. The scent is full of tequila/agave aromas and the flavor matches the nose. Bullfrog is excellent at making diverse Saisons with various fruit flavors and blends.

3: Zero Gravity Craft Brewery/American Flatbread: Gose the Destroyer Burlington, Vermont

   Perhaps this beer is the beneficiary of a fantastic experience, but I doubt it. This was my first introduction into the Gose style of beer. It is slightly sour, but more noticeable is the added English sea salt and coriander. I loved the beer when I had it and it has led to my new favorite style. I've never been to the Mediterranean Sea, but I imagine this is what the air tastes like out there.

4: Market Garden Brewery: ADHA 871 Cleveland, Ohio

   Named after the experimental ADHA 871 hop, this beer is bursting with minty, grassy, earthy and herbal tones. It is very resinous and the malt complements the hop profile very well. Drinking this beer reminds me of an early-morning tee time on a slightly foggy golf course, lightly covered in morning dew.

5: Nodding Head Brewery and Resturant: Lava Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

   To date, this is certainly the most unique beer I've ever tasted. An American Blonde Ale brewed with lavender and vanilla. Wow! The aroma is overwhelmingly lavender with slight hints of vanilla. It has one of the nicest noses of any beer I've ever had. The flavor assaults your palate with lavender flavors but its rescued by vanilla and balanced by light-to-moderate malts. I loved this beer and wrote a note for the brewer asking for some tips in creating something similar for my next home-brew project, but have not yet heard back.

Now for your thoughts: Have you had the opportunity to try any of these beers? What are some of the most uniquely delicious beers you've had the pleasure of drinking? Post below so we can discuss!

Cheers until next time,
KevBot