Last Call!

     So, seventeen weeks are coming to a close. This will be my last "official" blog entry required for my Fundamentals of Digital Media class. Who knows, the blog could still live on in one form or another. Eighteen weeks ago I didn't even know how to create a blog. This class has taught an old dog (me!) a few new tricks since that time. Building a blog, creating a music clip, mashing a video, building a grid, painting with pixels; I have learned a lot in these seventeen weeks. One of the biggest eye-openers for me was learning about all of the different websites and online applications available for creating digital media and art. From Animoto, Soundation, Pixlr Express, Google Drive, Tagxedo, 123D Catch, to Wix; I did not know these websites even existed before this class. Knowing about these websites and other similar ones will help me as I complete my courses at UT. My major will be a mix of art, marketing, and web based media, so everything that I have learned in the Digital Media class has definitely set a solid foundation for me. Some new concepts that I have learned about are megapixel, resolution, MP3's, generative art, and cloud computing. This knowledge has helped me understand the mechanics and building blocks of the digital realm.

     I firmly believe that the web and mobile technology are the future. Smart phones are not going away. They will just change shape (wristwatches and glasses) or get smaller. Have you seen the "eyePhone" from Futurama? What will drive the visual communication, advertising, and backyard wrestling videos for these devices? Digital art and media! What I have started with this class will carry me on to my next set of classes. Building art (JPG and PNG) files and sound (MP3) files, video mashups, building a website; I will use these skills as I take on Flash Web Animation, and Internet Design and Publishing next semester. Eventually these skills will add to my marketing and communication classes in the future. What my humble beer blog is today, may become a network of blogs down the road. With the finish of this class, other possibilities will begin. It will be interesting to see what the future has in store for the digital world and me. Until next time...

Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas...

Since the last Christmas beer I reviewed was a little disappointing, I found another Christmas beer that looked a little more promising. Fat Head's Holly Jolly Christmas Ale is the next beer (or ale) to be served up like a Christmas goose. It's got a funny name and a different shaped bottle, but it has Christmas cheer written all over it. So hopefully it will not disappoint! Holly Jolly Christmas Ale is brewed by Fat Head's Brewery located in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. They originally started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a Saloon and eventually expanded to Ohio where they've opened up two breweries, one in Middleburg and one in Cleveland. Fat Head's produces a number of craft beers, ales and lagers. 

Just look at that face!

 

Now to the ale! It is labeled as having sweet malt, ginger, honey, and cinnamon brewed into the ale. I wanted Christmas spice, and I got it with this brew! Pouring Holly Jolly into the glass produced little foam, and has a nice brown color. A quick taste and, wow!, lots of spices! It has a smooth malty taste, a little sweet, with a nice blend of the ginger and cinnamon. I really could notice the honey in this ale, which wasn't bad. The aftertaste was good, more sweet than bitter. It left you with a nice spice-filled taste to smack your lips on.

This was a different tasting ale for me. It was not heavy on the malt side, since the spices and honey covered that up. It was smooth, lightly sweet, and Christmas-y, all the way! I liked it, and it proved to be a good choice. So, I give Fat Head's Holly Jolly Christmas Ale a jolly "ho, ho, ho!"

Nice, er Good Beer!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

Just in time for the holiday season, a Christmas Ale from Bell's Brewery located over the hill and through the woods in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They've been around since 1985, and are a regional craft brewery. They have over 20 beers plus some small batch beers they sell locally. Let's give this Christmas Ale a taste-see.

Pouring the ale (another ale… hmm) into the glass produces a good foamy head. I thought that's a nice start. The color of the ale is golden brown. Christmas Ale is labeled as a malt driven brew, so I had high expectations. I was wondering at the time if they threw in anything else to give it a Christmas, or holiday twist. Tasting the ale gave a good malty taste upfront. It sat in the teeth and gums with a nice hoppy, malty taste; if not a bit too bitter for me. The ale finished nice and crisp with that same bitter aftertaste. It's not a bad beer. Only problem I have with it is that there's nothing that screams Christmas to me! It tasted as if I was drinking an IPA. Other beers that I have tasted that are labeled Winter or Christmas usually have other spices brewed into it to offset them from ordinary beers. Christmas Ale just doesn't seem to do that. So, for giving me false expectations, I'm putting this Christmas Ale on the naughty list.

Bad Beer!

The Great Pumpkin Beer Challenge!

In one of my earlier blog posts, I mentioned that I did not like pumpkin beer. Silly me. My brother recommended that I try Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale. He told me that this brew did not taste like other pumpkin beers. So, I thought I'd give it a try and post it on the blog as the "Great Pumpkin Beer Challenge… enge … enge". That's an echo if you were wondering.

Pumpkinhead is brewed by the Shipyard Brewing Company. They are located in Portland, Maine and have been around for 20 years. They specialize in craft beers, and are the largest craft brewery in the country. Pumpkinhead is an ale that is brewed with wheat, hops, and hints of pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. It's been around for over ten years.

Pouring the ale into the glass gave little foam, and it had an amber color to it. Upon drinking the ale it was light, crisp, and just a little sweet. Quite unexpected. Pumpkinhead did not have a strong pumpkin taste like other pumpkin beers can have, which in my opinion, can overwhelm and ruin the taste. The pumpkin was there, but the other flavors (cinnamon and nutmeg I am assuming) helped blend it into a nice refreshing brew. No bitter aftertaste. Just a clean wheat and light pumpkin tasting beer, er ale. So, I have been educated! I can now have my pumpkin pie and drink it!

Good beer!

A Thirsty Dog

So, over the Thanksgiving weekend, I was talking with my brother-in-law, and the topic of beers with funny names came up. Hmm, sounds like a great idea for my beer blog! For this review I searched the aisles of Andersons for a beer with a funny name. If it hasn't become obvious, I like to get my beers at The Andersons Market. They have a good selection, and they are nearby. I think they'd make a great sponsor!

After a good and thorough search, I finally found my funny, if not a bit crude, named beer. Ahem... Old Leghumper Robust Porter by the Thirsty Dog Brewing Company. Thirsty Dog is located in Akron, Ohio and looks like a small independent brewery. They have a lot of different beers, and all of them are titled with some sort of dog theme.

 

This would have made a great addition to my Becher Grid!

After reading the label, I found out that Old Leghumper is crafted with two types of roasted malts, including a roasted chocolate malt! All I could think about was the last chocolate tasting beer, and I was hoping this wouldn't end up with the same kind of review! Pouring the porter into the glass, I found it to be very dark brown in color. There was hardly any foam to it, and it looked like uncarbonated soda. Upon drinking the beer, it didn't hit you with any strong flavor up front. Once inside though, it had a real smooth hit of malt, a little sweet, but not too sweet to be distracting or distasteful (see previous post about my distaste for chocolate beer). Finally, it finished with that same malty flavor, and left with a pretty good taste lingering in your teeth and gums. I was a bit concerned after reading that it had chocolate malt brewed in it, but it wasn't heavy, and I would not have known that by the taste.

Old Leghumper is a heavy beer so I don't see myself drinking too many of these in one sitting. It's still a good tasting beer even with the hint of chocolate, so I won't be sending this one out with the dogs. Old Leghumper is barking good! So…

Good Beer!

Hazel Brown - Samuel Adams Part 2

The second beer I am reviewing is Samuel Adams Hazel Brown. This beer is also from their Harvest Collection Variety Pack. 

Hazel Brown is labeled as being brewed with hazelnut, caramel, and toffee. They weren't lying. The Hazel Brown pours with a light foamy head, and in a dark brown color (just like the name!). I usually take the liberty of giving the beer a quick whiff to judge the smell. It's part of the experience, I guess. Some beers smell good, but usually they smell similar. This time though I didn't get the usual smell of beer, but of hazelnut. It also lives up to its name when you first taste the beer. It's a strong burst of hazelnut, with a hint of (to me) chocolate. I presume that's the caramel and toffee working in unison to give that particular flavor. The beer finishes nice and smooth, but that hazelnut taste still lingers which kind of kills the beer for me. I am not a big chocolate beer kind of guy. Beer should not be too sweet and candy-like, in my opinion.

Hazel Brown is not an entirely bad beer, but it's not one that I would eagerly pick up again. So, for the first time since starting this blog, and I hate to give it to a Sam Adams brew, Hazel Brown is a…

Bad Beer!

Ruby Mild - Samuel Adams Part 1

Next up, I am featuring one of two Samuel Adams brews from their Harvest Collection Variety Pack. This way, you don't have to buy the whole pack! You can just get the individual beers from grocery stores or markets that provide that service. I know Andersons and Kroger sell beers by the bottle. First beer is Samuel Adams Ruby Mild. Samuel Adams line of beers is brewed by The Boston Beer Company located, where else, Boston, Massachusetts. Their main brew is Samuel Adams Boston Lager, but they also brew a ton (or gallons) of different style of craft beers. Ruby Mild is one such specialty beer.

Pouring Ruby Mild into the glass produced hardly any foam. It didn't look too carbonated either. It has an almost Auburn color to it, with a hint of red (or ruby!) in it. Upon tasting the beer, it has little flavor up front but otherwise is smooth and seemed a little flat. When the beer hits the back of your mouth, it has a nice malty flavor to it. The beer leaves you with that same good aftertaste. Ruby Mild is a good mild brew, and it's not too heavy. It's not an over flavorful beer, but it's not bad either. I would drink this beer again. So, that means…

Good Beer!

Magic Hat! You Can Judge a Beer by It's Label!

It's time to review another beer! This brew was discovered in a grocery store, while I was looking for some interesting bottle caps for my previous blog entry on Becher Grids. Since you've been faithfully following my blog, you know what I mean! I chose this beer purely by the look of its cap and label. Just take a look at them!

The beer is Magic Hat #9, and it's labeled a funky "Not Quite Pale Ale." The Magic Hat Brewing Company is a small brewery in South Burlington, Vermont. They opened their doors in 1994, and produce three main beers year round. The #9 Beer being one of them. Since it is a pale ale, it contains malts, hops, and to my surprise a hint of apricot! The beer is a light brown/golden color, and poured into the glass with a little foam. When you first taste it, the beer hits clean with a hint of apricot, but it's not overpowering. Magic Hat #9 has a good mix of malt, hops, and fruitiness. I've had pale ales before and they can be strong, with a strong bitter taste. This beer is clean and crisp. Number Nine follows through with a nice malty/hops balanced flavor, and then leaves the teeth and gums without any strong aftertaste. In some aspects it lives up to its label as being "not quite a pale ale", but it tastes just as good as one!

So, a magically Good Beer! I am 2-4-2...

Just In TIme For October(fest)!

First up, and just in time for October, is Shiner Oktoberfest! Let me start by saying that Autumn is my favorite time of the year. So, it's only natural that beers brewed for Autumn are also, my favorite kinds of beer (except for Pumpkin beer). I like the Oktoberfest style of beers especially, and I make it a point to try different Oktoberfest beers when and while I can. So, this time around it's Shiner's turn...

Shiner Beer is brewed in Shiner, TX. Their most popular beer is Shiner Blonde. I have not seen an Oktoberfest seasonal brew from Shiner, so I was excited about trying it. I was not disappointed. Coloring was an orange-brown, and not too much foam when poured into the glass. It was very smooth and crisp, but yet had the distinct flavor that caramel malt gives to an Oktoberfest-type beer. Also, it was not too heavy. Sometimes the combination of barley, hops, and the caramel malt can be overpowering in some beers, and it can make the beer taste heavy. Shiner Oktoberfest is a good tasting beer, and I recommend it.

So, for Shiner Oktoberfest… Good Beer!

Welcome to Bill's Beer Blog!

I'm Bill. I like beer. And now I have a blog! On my blog I will post critical reviews of some of the obscure beers you may pass by in a grocery aisle, specialty market shelf, or even the old-reliable-sell-you-beer-on-Sunday liquor store. With so many types of beers, from so many places around the world, my blog will give you insight on beers that from appearance may not taste good, but in fact they do. Then again, they may not. Sampling is part of the journey! So bookmark this blog, and keep coming back. I just might pick that brew which caught your eye, but you just weren't ready to try.

Cheers! - ¡Salud! - Kanpai! - Prost! - Salute!