Left Hand Milk Stout

Brewed By: Left Hand Brewing Company

Style: Milk/Sweet Stout

ABV: 6%

IBU: 25

Left Hand brewery opened their doors in 1994 in Colorado and has been going pretty strong ever since. They have 15 awards from the Great American Beer Festival and 8 awards from the World Beer Cup, they clearly know what they are doing!

Originally named Indian Peaks Brewing Company, they changed their name because they found out that another brewery was using that name for a certain style of beer. They got the name Left Hand from an Indian chief that used to be in the area, Chief Niwot. “Niwot” is an Arapahoe word meaning “left hand.”

This milk stout has won several awards both domestically and internationally.

Lets see if I agree.

(on a side note, the brewers website has a different ABV then Beer Advocate. No clue which is correct)

Look – It was a very dark pour, almost black. There was a half finger width of whitish head that didn’t stick around for very long

Smell – It did have a decent aroma of chocolate and coffee. There was also strong mildly roasted malt making an appearance. I also smelled what might be a little caramel.

Taste – It was very disappointing to say the least. With all the awards that its won, I was hoping for something more. There was a cold coffee aftertaste but there was very little flavor otherwise. It had an extremely light body with no hop taste at all. A very watery brew

Conclusion – I was kind of disappointed because before I really drank much beer, I used to love this stout. I guess as my taste has matured, I have learned to differentiate between good beer and not so good beer. It really makes me wonder what you have to do to get an award at a beer festival. Perhaps you just have to show up and you get something? So its similar to the 4^th grade track and field competition where everyone gets a ribbon, even if you come in 54^th place out of 57 students. I guess I will find that out when I attend my first beer festival!

I give this beer a C-, its aroma being the saving grace.

I do like the Left Hand website and I am looking forward to trying the rest of the lineup. I am always looking for suggestions and comments on the blog or just on the beers themselves, so feel free to be an active part of this blog!

And as always……click follow!

Happy Drinking!

Edmund Fitzgerald

Brewed By: Great Lakes Brewing Company

Style: American Porter

ABV: 5.8%

IBU: 37

I absolutely love the GLBC website because for each of their beers, you can download a PDF of information about it and the history of the name. It is definitely the best brewery website I have seen so far, so definitely go check it out!

From 1870-1980, Cleveland was the home of 30 different breweries, but all shut their doors by the early 1980’s! So in 1988, the Conway brothers opened GLBC. It has obviously been a huge success to this day and they continue to strive in their mission to be the “premier craft brewery in the Great Lakes region.” I will say that is a tough mission to keep going with so many great breweries in this region.

The Edmund Fitzgerald is named after the ship that sank in Lake Superior in 1975, the ship had many Ohio residents on it. So lets check it out to see if it’s a fitting tribute!

Look – Dark Brown pour with a slightly red tint around the edges. There was about a half finger width of white head that dissipated pretty quickly.

Smell – Has a very nice smell to it. There is coffee and chocolate and a little bit of hops in there as well. The smell is very balanced!

Taste – The first thing I realized was how smoky it actually tasted. It made for a very unique flavor all around. There was a decent hop presence among the dark malt, slight coffee, and even slighter chocolate taste. Surprisingly there wasn’t much of an aftertaste to this beer. It also had a very dry finish. The body was decently light as well, which made this beer very easily drinkable! (so maybe slightly dangerous too)

Conclusion – Before I started drinking beer, I liked porters. Once I got an appreciation for beer, however, I started to find that porters were lacking in so many things. None were as satisfying as a stout and didn’t have the character of other lighter styles. Thankfully I found this porter, which has resurrected my beliefs that a porter can be good! A very unique brew that is essential to try!

I am giving this beer a solid A-

For anyone in the GLBC distribution area, I am jealous for sure. Thanks to the few who have become followers!

Happy Drinking!

Hofbräuhaus Newport

It’s about time for my first brewery/bar/eatery review and it is one that every beer lover (or German lover) should visit!

The Hofbräuhaus in Newport, KY!

You might be thinking the same thing I am, why is such a popular, traditional German place located in Kentucky? How did the owners of the Hofbräuhaus München decide upon Newport, KY as the very first replication of their brewery in the United States? To that question, I have no answer, mostly because I don’t speak German (but even more so because I am sure the owners would have no interest in granting me an interview.) This location opened in 2003 with two more locations opening in Las Vegas and Pittsburgh in 2004 and 2009, respectively. I am sure each location is worth a stop!

From the outside, all you see is a fairly industrial, modern looking building that blends in to the building surrounding it. Of course the big blue signs that mark the building let you know you’re in the right place. The hallway you walk down to get to the dining area has photos and history and information on their beer club. Then you arrive in the dining area.

I’ve never been to Germany, but I would imagine the people of Hofbräuhaus have made sure that the seating and general atmosphere of the place is very similar to the one in Munich. Large tables with bench seating fill up the floor with a few booths along the wall while flags with various family crests hang from the ceiling. The bar is nice and large with some huge brewing tanks setting the brewery atmosphere. Perhaps the most important part of any German beer place is apparent as well: the beer maidens, decked out in their Dirndl.

I enjoyed being in the place because it actually does make you feel like you could be in Germany, minus the German accents. The food list is mostly authentic German cuisine and the beer list is of course their beer. I won’t go too much into the food but you can see it for yourself below:

I will say that I was quite disappointed at one point during the meal. As you can tell from a previous review of the beer itself, I had a liter of the Dunkel. The ONLY reason I wanted a liter of beer at

lunch was because the menu said I could keep the stein afterwards, and who doesn’t want a liter stein? Upon finishing the meal, the beer maiden hands me the check and I look at it and realize she didn’t charge me for the stein yet. So upon her return I question her and they tell me they are running low on steins and can’t sell any. I was heartbroken to say the least, but I suppose its not entirely their fault.

In conclusion, it was a wonderful experience to be there, eat their wonderful food, and drink their decent beer. I am very interested in going back and trying the different beers they have each month.

I am going to give this a brewery/bar/eatery a B+ overall, despite not selling me a stein.

Check out their website HERE

Happy Drinking!

Old Rasputin

Brewed By: North Coast Brewing

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 9%

IBU: 75

This beer’s reputation precedes itself, so I don’t know how much information I can provide you that you don’t know. Unless of course you’ve never had one, in which case you should stop reading this blog and go to your local beer store so you can enjoy one while you read about it!

Russian Imperial Stouts (RIS) came about from the Barclay Brewery in London in the 18^th century. Peter the Great of Russia became a fan of stouts during his trip to England and requested that some be sent to him in Russia. The first attempt was a failure because the beer spoiled before ever reaching him. So the brewery added alcohol and hops to try and make the beer last longer and created the first RIS.

Lets get into this one!

Look – Pitch black. Had a nice one and a half finger width of dark khaki head that sticks around for a good while.

Smell – Heavy roasted malt aroma with a decent amount of chocolate nose. You can just smell that this is going to be a solid, heavy beer with a lot of hops

Taste – It’s hard to tell what hit me first. There was a strong hop bitterness that had no intention of dissipating. Roasted malts sit on the palate while hints of coffee also become apparent. The biggest thing that surprised was still how solidly bitter this beer was without being too overwhelming. The taste lingers after every drink of this beer.

Conclusion – This is everything an RIS should be (and perhaps a little more). Throughout the entire glass, every drink stayed complex and never got boring, which is an immediate sign for me that this is a quality beer. After 5 minutes I could still taste hints of the hops and malt on my palate; definitely not for the light beer drinker.

I give this beer my first A!

For those who haven’t tried anything by North Coast, I suggest visiting THIS SITE and finding a style that interests you and finding it. I can almost guarantee it will be worth it from this brewery!

On a side note, I am going to try to increase my number of “Followers.” So if you are reading this, please click “Follow” on the left side of the screen and suggest this page to your friends. Thanks!

Happy Drinking!

Hofbräu Dunkel

Brewed By: Hofbräuhaus Newport

Style: Munich Dunkel Lager

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 10 – 20

I was already excited enough to BE at the Hofbräuhaus (post coming soon) and couldn’t wait to finally try the beer. Of course, I had a liter of it sitting in front of me, so I was going to have PLENTY of time to either enjoy it or hate it. All the beers at the Hofbräuhaus are brewed according to the German Purity Law of 1516; the law states that beer can only be brewed using barley, hops, and water. You can read an English translation of the whole law HERE. Lets get in to this very simple, classic beer.

Look – Reddish-brown pour with a TON of head, as expected. The head stuck around for a decent while as well.

Smell – A lot of malt up front, caramel malt mostly. Not much else to speak of with the nose. Smelled a little similar to an adjunct lager and smelled a little watery/weak. Almost no hop smell.

Taste – Extremely simple tasting beer. There was the prevalent caramel malt, slighty sweet taste and a tiny bit of hop flavor. Food did bring out some of the more subtle characteristics of the beer and made the hops a little more obvious. Very light body and very easily drinkable (even if there was a whole liter).

Conclusion – There is not really much to say about this beer. It is a very simple beer with nothing flashy. It wasn’t that great, but it did go pretty well with the traditional German food I was eating at the time. I would love to go back and try the other beers though to see how different they all taste.

I give this beer a C-

Once again, I definitely suggest a visit to any of the Hofbräuhaus locations, with Munich probably being THE one to visit. If anyone wants to buy me a ticket to Germany, I guess I would go with you.

Happy Drinking!

Brian Boru Irish Red Ale

Brewed By: Three Floyds Brewing Co.

Style: Irish Red Ale

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 40

I love when beers have a name that I have to research to find out its significance and this beer is definitely one of those. Brian Boru was the last high king of Ireland and that is how the beer got its name. Three Floyds has typically been a brewery that I wasn’t very fond of. The beers that I tried were before I really started drinking and enjoying beer and so they didn’t impress me. On top of that, I hate the taste of grapefruit and often times with the hops they use (Amarillo hops), I taste grapefruit and lose interest.

I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like this beer just from my history with the brewery, but I was surprised because I actually enjoyed it! It didn’t hurt that it was also on St. Patricks Day!

Look – Pours a cloudy copper with a slight red tint. It had a very thick head that stuck around for a good while.

Smell – It definitely had a typical Three Floyds nose. A lot of citrus, hops, and spice. A little bit of a floral smell as well.

Taste – Definite citrus taste and a lot of hops. The spice from the nose is definitely noticeable in the taste as well. I am personally not a big fan of this spice taste and how it interacts with the citrus. Even though there is a strong citrus taste, it doesn’t taste very sweet. Definitely activates the bitter taste buds much more and the bitter taste lingers for a good while. The “tea-like” flavor that typically describes Irish Red Ale’s is fairly accurate. It’s a very easily drinkable beer and very enjoyable.

Conclusion – I was glad that I enjoyed this beer because everyone always talks about how great Three Floyds is and I never enjoyed them that much. That citrus flavor has always turned me off, but I think at this point I might be able to go back and try the other beers and enjoy them as well. I have had a decent amount of Irish Reds and think this one is one of the better that I’ve had.

I give this beer a B.

Check out their headache inducing website HERE and sign up for a brewery tour! Every Saturday, 40 people are allowed to go on this tour, so sign up early!

Happy Drinking!

Dark Horse Special Reserve Black Bier Ale

Brewed By: Dark Horse Brewing Company

Style: American Strong Ale (pretty much a stout)

ABV: 7.5%

This beer is the oldest in the Dark Horse family, and I will also add that it’s the best I’ve had so far from this brewery. Not only is the bottle worth it, but the beer inside is excellent.

I was recently able to visit Dark Horse on my trip to Michigan (review of that to come soon enough), but I had already reviewed this beer so I didn’t get to sample it fresh from the brewery because I had others waiting for my reviews!

Look – Poured a dark black with a nice thick tan head sitting on top. Most of the head vanished pretty quickly, but there was a thin layer left on top while I drank this beer.

Smell – Excellent smells! I get a ton of roasted barley, dark chocolate and burnt coffee beans. Somehow, it all seems to balance rather nicely and creates a very high expectation for the taste. There wasn’t a noticeable hop smell, but there rarely is with heavy stouts (excluding the Imperials).

Taste – Totally lives up to the nose. A full roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee taste that yet again balances out to create a wonderful mixture. It’s got a medium body to it, but is very easily drinkable despite the heavy flavors. A very pleasant bitterness sits on the back of the tongue for a good while after the last drink. The only negative aspect of it was that it DID NOT pair very well with the Cajun sweet potato fries I was eating (see picture). It’s not a versatile beer as far as food pairings go, but boy was it excellent with my steak! The other thing I liked about this beer is that it never got boring, I felt the same way about the flavor profile at the beginning and end of the glass.

Conclusion – This is definitely the best beer I have reviewed so far. I have very few bad things to say about this beer. One was the food pairings and the other is simply that I would have liked for it to be a little less carbonated to make the mouth feel a little heavier, but then again, it’s not officially a stout, the brewers say that it sits somewhere between a porter and a stout. I am also glad to finally read brewers comments about a beer that are actually true.

I give this beer an A-

Go check out the Dark Horse website here and definitely pick up one or two of this fine beer.

Happy Drinking!