Fuller's London Porter

Based on an overwhelming response on the style poll, the porters took it. It just goes to show you that your vote does count at Everything Brewed.

So since the origins of Porters are based around London, I thought a London Porter would be a great start for this series. So Fuller’s London Porter it is. Fuller’s is a brand of ales from Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, making this my first imported brew review. Here’s what they want you to know about their brew:

“5.4% ABV gives good alcohol warmth but it is the malt that leads the flavor. The roasted malt (Crystal, Chocolate and Brown) gives strong coffee flavors with some roasted chestnut.” The appearance is dark brown (almost black) in color with an off-white, foamy head.Took Gold and Silver Medals at the International Beer & Cider Competitions in 1999, 2000, and 2002.

Well, that is a very accurate visual description indeed. This is one dark beer with strong, but smooth flavors. If you like coffee and chocolate and if you like beer, then this is what you should be drinking. If you have ever had a stout and thought it had too much roasted flavor, you could say that this steps that down a notch or two. This is definitely a beer with a strong malt profile and just a hint (not even enough to call it balanced) of hops. Fuller’s website says they use Fuggle Hops, which is a variety used primarily for aroma, not flavor or bittering, so you will just detect a hint of hops aroma when you pour it in the glass, and no hop bitterness at all.

You can expect a thick, lingering after taste that, if paired with something to lite in flavor, could be overpowering.

I enjoyed this brew with some turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and sautéed spinach. The sweet glaze on the meatloaf blended well with the Porter, but the bite of the spinach (topped with shaved parmesan cheese) gave a nice roundness to the entire meal.

So Fuller’s London Porter comes in at a 5 out of 5 pints for its official Everything Brewed Rating. It has really held true to the origins of the porter style and set the bar high for the remainder of this series.

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out www.fullers-ales.com for more information on this and other brews by Fuller’s.

Cheers,
Jason

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Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale

So this will wrap up this series on Red Ales. It has been an interesting, coast to coast journey for me and I hope you have found it just as interesting. If you go on to try any of these selections, you will see that there are many different faces of Red Ales, and this one certainly adds yet another one.

This week, Bear Republic Brewing Company, out of Healdsburg, California, gives us Red Rocket Ale, and here’s what they want you to know about it:

ABV: 6.8%
IBU: 67
Color: Deep Copper Red
“Red Rocket Ale is a bastardized Scottish style red ale that traces its origins to our homebrew roots. This full bodied and hoppy brew finishes on the palate with sweet, caramel malt flavors.”

Awards:
2009 California State Fair - SILVER
1999 Great American Beer Festival® Other Strong Ales or Lagers - SILVER
1998 Great American Beer Festival® Other Strong Ales – SILVER

Now here’s what I think. The brewers there are Bear Republic have really given us something interesting. The deep color resembles that of a Bock, making your mind think that you are about to have something with a deep malt profile. And your mind will be partly correct. This is by far the red ale with the highest malt profile that I have reviewed in this series. BUT – your mind will then be caught off guard by the amount of hops bitterness that comes through.

At the reported 67 IBU’s, a malt head (such as myself) may be hesitant to try it, but keep in mind that the enormous amounts of malt in this brew will more than balance the bitterness, making this one an easily drinkable, very dark, red ale.

I wasn’t eating, or even having popcorn, at the time, but I imagine this would be good with just about any beef dish, including chili or beef stew. It stood quite well on its own though. So the official Everything Brewed Rating will be a full 5 out of 5 Pints. The flavor, the alcohol content and the fact that it was a 22oz bottle (saving me at least one trip to the fridge) all contribute equally to this rating. It’s also available in a 12oz - 6 pack, and in a keg, just check with your local craft beer retailer for availability.

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out http://www.bearrepublic.com for more information on this and other brews by Bear Republic Brewing Company.

Cheers,
Jason

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Freetail Brewing Company Freetail Ale

This week’s Brew Review will not only continue the Red Ale Series by reviewing freshly brewed American Amber Ale, but it will also serve as encouragement for you to support your local brewery. Many of you will never get a chance to try this beer because of its location, but I am sure it’s not the only freshly brewed Red / American Amber available on tap, check local listings.


So here we go. Freetail Brewing Company is a local San Antonio, TX brewery. It’s located in a small strip mall on one of two small hills making a little valley that is filled with adobe roofed houses. It has a relatively small seating area within the restaurant, which has an open kitchen area in one corner and the fully functioning brewery can be seen, in its copper glory, directly behind the bar. The brewing process is not really sectioned off from the rest of the restaurant, so the smell of hops and barley is very evident upon entry. It was a wonderful welcome.


They had about 7 brews available by pulling on what seemed to be hand blown glass tap handles. I tried 3 samples in addition to my full glass of Freetail Ale. I tried 2 versions of what they call “Old Bat Rastard”, one of which had been barrel aged. They had 2 distinct flavors, both full bodied and malty with 8.6% ABV and around 41 IBU’s (a bitterness measurement). I also tried the “Tadarida Black IPA” (no stats available). Not being an IPA guy really, I have to say that this would best be described as the stout lover’s IPA. It is super hoppy, but with an obvious malt presence that would probably make it drinkable for me.


As for the Freetail Ale, it is an unfiltered classic American Amber (close enough to being a Red for this series). The less than clear appearance is nothing to worry about though, because once you take a sip you will not even care. This beer, at about 36 IBU’s, is far less hoppy than the previous red ales in this series. It will please the general, non hop head, population easily. It pours with a fairly thin head and leave very little lacing on the glass as you drink it down. It has a pretty short lasting, clean finish and it was served at just the right temperature.


I paired this brew with a Cobb Salad, one of several salads available on the menu. Lime vinaigrette dressing and bacon provided the tart and salty counterbalance to this malty brew. And overall I give this a 3 out of 5 pint rating.


So, should you find yourself in or around San Antonio, TX, head over to Freetail Brewing Company, where the philosophy is if you “Free your mind and your tail will follow”. Directions and additional information available at http://www.freetailbrewing.com/, you won’t be disappointed. If you are not in San Antonio, head to your local brewery, try a Red or Amber selection and let us know what you think about it.


Thanks for checking out this week’s On Location Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please.


Cheers,
Jason

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Ithaca CascaZilla Red Ale

Welcome once again to the Everything Brewed Brew Review. I am continuing with my exploration of Red Ales for the month of February. I chose CascaZilla Red Ale from the Ithaca Beer Company out of Ithaca, New York. I picked this one for a few reasons. First of all it’s a red ale; secondly, I have also tried their Apricot wheat and really enjoyed it so I figured this one would also be tasty. Lastly, it was a 6 pack for under $10 (check local listings).

According to Ithaca Beer Co., the name CascaZilla pays homage to a gorge in Ithaca, NY called Cascadilla and to the “monster amounts” of cascade hops they use. And while you will definitely notice the intensity of the hops, it will be balanced nicely because of the use of all the caramel malts. It won the Silver Medal in 2008 for the American Style Red / Amber Ale in the Great American Beer Festival, so that tells us that it meets all the minimum requirements we need here at Everything Brewed to include it in this series.

So that’s what they would like you to know, but here’s what I want you to know about this brew. It’s just a damn good beer. It has a thick red ale appearance with a medium amount of head that leaves just a touch of lacing on the glass as you drink it. It has a spicy, hoppy introduction, followed by a mellow, slightly sweet, but full bodied middle, and a lingering – but not for too long – finish. By the time the flavor clears, you are already ready for another sip.

I had CascaZilla a few times this week as I was researching for this review. It paired well with pizza, hamburgers, and popcorn; and it also stood quite well on its own as an evening, fireside sipper.

So for all those reasons plus the fact that it’s a 7% ABV brew, the official Everything Brewed Rating will be 4 out of 5 Pints, making it worth the effort to hit up your local craft beer retailer and try some today.

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. And don’t forget to check out the Ithaca Beer Co. at http://www.ithacabeer.com .

Cheers,

Jason
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