Tales of ales from the heart of Ohio to the ends of the Earth
Trailhead Pale Ale is a fresh hopped Pale Ale which is not bottled and according to the Fatheads website is a limited edition batch exclusive to Cleveland. (Editors Note: Fatheads has announced they will begin canning Trailhead sometime in May 2014.) As I reported earlier, this beer won a silver medal at this year’s Great American... Continue Reading →
Scotland is a little too far north to be ideal for growing hops. So Scottish beers are generally more lightly hopped, and hence maltier, than their English cousins. They come in various distinctions depending on their alcohol content, the strongest being called a Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy. In his book "Tasting Beer" Randy Mosher... Continue Reading →
At last we've come to the final round with Michigan clinging to a 1 point lead. Ohio needs to win in this round to even things up, any other result and Michigan wins. In this final round we have two bourbon barrel aged Scotch Ales. Wulver by Thirsty Dog (Akron, OH) – Thirsty Dog is... Continue Reading →
Still digesting Thanksgiving dinner? Nothing like a double hopped IPA to wash away the Pumpkin pie from your palate and shake you out your tryptophan induced slumber. In this round we pair up two variations on the basic IPA style, a double IPA against a wet hopped IPA. Bodhi by Columbus Brewing Co. (Columbus, OH)... Continue Reading →
In an unplanned twist the battle of the Christmas Ales hits the internet on Thanksgiving. This is not a subliminal message to go out start your X’mas shopping early, quite the opposite. On this cold wintery day sit back and enjoy some good Winter Warmers while you wait for the afternoon Turkey feast. Let’s meet... Continue Reading →
In round 4 the dark roasted malts were center stage. In round 5 we go to the opposite extreme with two beers where the juicy American hops dominate, completely overshadowing the malts: The Brew Kettle’s White Rajah vs. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale. White Rajah by The Brew Kettle (Strongsville, OH) – The Brew Kettle... Continue Reading →
Round four features a titanic matchup between two great beers: Founder’s Porter and what some consider the quintessential Ohio beer, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter by Great Lakes Brewing. Edmund Fitzgerald by Great Lakes (Cleveland, OH) – For people in the Midwest Great Lakes Brewing doesn’t need an introduction. According to the Brewers Association it is the... Continue Reading →
In round three we have a battle of two Rye PAs, a hoppy style of beer that is similar to an IPA but with rye added to the malt bill. The rye imparts a spicy twist and helps dry out the finish. If you’re interested to find out more about rye beers check out a... Continue Reading →
This is a review of Autumnation, a seasonal beer made by Sixpoint Brewery out of Brooklyn, NY. Before I get to the beer itself you'll have to forgive me for going off on a rather long tangent on how I came to buy this beer. I first encountered Autumnation at Savor Growl (my local growler... Continue Reading →
Tonight I’m reviewing two highly regarded midwest Porters. I just posted a review on Edmund Fitzgerald Porter by Great Lakes Brewing, a beer I consider to be the standard against which all Porters should be measured. In this post I review Founders Porter and compare it to Edmund Fitzgerald. Since both Porters are tasty, easy... Continue Reading →
Tonight I’m reviewing two highly regarded midwest Porters. The first one is a long time favorite of mine and a beer some consider to be the quintessential Ohio beer, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter by Great Lakes Brewing. Edmund Fitzgerald occupies the #7 slot in the RateBeer.com top 50 Porters in the world. To lend further validity... Continue Reading →
Bell’s beer is one of the best known and largest craft breweries in the country. Famous for big beers like Hopslam and Expedition Stout, the Amber Ale is one of their oldest and most conventional offerings. Even though it is available year round and has been brewed since 1985 I’ve never tried this beer. In... Continue Reading →
After what seems like a month (but was actually only one week) away I’m glad to be back to blogging about beer. My absence was prompted by a big project at work (a grant deadline) that is behind me now. Fortunately, during my hiatus I was able to partake in some beer related activities. Last... Continue Reading →
As Halloween comes and goes the pumpkin beers are rapidly giving way to the Christmas beers. As a new beer blogger it seemed my duty to sample a variety of pumpkin beers and offer up my opinions. Back in early October that seemed like a good idea, but after starting the project the appeal of... Continue Reading →
Saison Dupont is the considered to be the quintessential Saison. Here I review the standard Saison Dupont (the small bottle in the picture above) followed by a review on a dry hopped variation on the standard offering (the large bottle). The yeast used to make Saisons is thought to be related to red wine yeast,... Continue Reading →
Beer: Resin Brewery: Six Point Brewery (NY) Style: Double IPA (9.1% ABV) Rating: 7.5 Notes: I’ve got some pretty good beers left over from the IPA challenge a few weeks back that I need to drink before the hops fade. Tonight I’m having a go at Resin by Sixpoint Craft Ales in Brooklyn, which is my... Continue Reading →
This is (probably) the last pumpkin beer I’m going to review for the season. I’ve saved what promises to be a good one for last, Frog’s Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale by Hoppin’ Frog Brewery in Akron. This beer took home a gold medal from the Great American Beer Festival in 2011 and finished #3 in... Continue Reading →
One of the things that beer geeks pay attention to are special releases of highly sought after beers. There are various styles of beer that are released seasonally, like pumpkin beers or Christmas beers, but here I’m talking about something at an entirely different level. There are some beers that once they hit the... Continue Reading →
Beer: Marriage Parfait Brewery: Boon Brewery (Belgium) Style: Geuze (8.0% ABV) Rating: 7.5 Price: $6.99 for a 13 oz bottle Notes: I’m working on a future piece on sour beers, which is a style that is less familiar to me than many others. So for the sake of research I decided I better update my knowledge... Continue Reading →
Fatheads makes great IPAs. That fact and the cool label were too much to pass up when I saw Spooky Tooth in the beer aisle a couple of weeks back. So I decided to pick up a 4-pack and include it in my profile of pumpkin beers for Halloween. Vitals Brewery: Fatheads Brewing (OH) Style:... Continue Reading →
Pat's Pints 