Craft Brew Review

Odell Brewing Co.: Woodcut #4

oakdale76 — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:09:20 +0000

Woodcut #4

Odell Brewing Co.

800 E Lincoln Ave

Fort Collins, CO

Aroma: (11/12)

A very nice malty aroma is the first thing that is apparent. Has no presense of hotness or sweetness. Almost a barleywine characteristic. Raisins and apricot hints…

Appearance: (3/3)

The Woodcut #4 is a nice light brown hue, much like a copper. A very healthy head poured from the bottle and sticks around, probably two fingers worth Lacing on the glass is minimal.

Flavor: (18/20)

Well, contrary to the aroma, the flavor definitely has a huge malt backbone and the heat from the alcohol is definitely there, but not overly so. Sweetness makes itself known.

Mouthfeel: (5/5)

The body from this oak-aged lager is medium to medium heavy. There is some dryness on the back end, but definitely would not be considered a dry beer.

Overall Impression: (9/10)

Odell has done a great job on their Woodcut #4 Oak-Aged Double Marzen. Clocking in at 11%, it is a big beer, but this gem comes off very smooth! Slight hints of vanilla from the oak adds great texture and complexity.

TOTAL: 46/50

Filed under: Odell Brewing Co.

Cantillon Brewing Co.: Rose de Gambrinus

oakdale76 — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:01:00 +0000

Rose de Gambrinus
Cantillon Brewing Co.
Rue Gheude Straat 56
Brussels, Belgium

Aroma: (11/12)
Very fruity with big raspberry aromas. This reminds
me of the New Glarus Raspberry tart.
Appearance: (3/3)
Just the appearance of this beer invites me to drink
it! It’s bright red in color,tiny-bubbled, one fingered
rose-colored head with bubbles racing to the top –
very effervescent and champaigne-like.
Flavor: (19/20)
The raspberry forward aroma dominates, but not in
the flavor. The tartness starts at the front of the
tongue, raspberries through the middle and the
sourness at the back of the tongue – with a touch a
funkiness. Absolutely wonderful and balanced!
Mouthfeel: (5/5)
The lambic style lends to a light mouthfeel with high
carbonation, this beer definitely is that. The sourness
on the back of the tongue is awesome.
Overall Impression: (10/10)
This lambic is absolutely fantastic. Everything you
Would want in a Belgian lambic and more. Not
sweet, like most American versions and Lindeman
Framboise. The balance is perfect and the best
I’ve had as yet.

TOTAL: 48/50

Filed under: Cantillon Brewing Co.

Oskar Blues Brewing Co.: Gubna Imperial IPA

oakdale76 — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:44:00 +0000

Gubna Imperial IPA
Oskar Blues Brewing Co.
303 Main Street
Lyons, CO

Aroma: (10/12)
Hoppy, but not as hoppy as I would have expected from an
Imperial IPA. An interesting aroma and mix of pine and
pineapple. There is also a small grassy component as well.

Appearance: (3/3)

A light gold color, probably the lightest imperial IPA

I’ve seen thus far. Very bubbly and effervescent. Small

bubbles create a one fingered head that really lasts. Very

nice lacing on glass.

Flavor: (16/20)
Wow, first sip is very hoppy. From the front of the
tongue to the back, I get pine. Taste doesn’t change from
the front to the back, either. Seems a little one-
dimensional.

Mouthfeel: (4/5)

Body is light and the finish is dry, as would be expected

from an imperial IPA. Mouth seems coated and slick after

sips, maybe from hop oils.

Overall Impression: (8/10)

This beer comes with hype and I know I shouldn’t judge

against that; I’ve tried not to. The Gubna was pretty good,

but definitely isn’t in the upper tier of imperial IPA’s. It shows

little complexity.

TOTAL: 41/50

Filed under: Oskar Blues Brewing Co.

Three Floyds Brewing Co.: Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

oakdale76 — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:17:00 +0000

Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

Three Floyds Brewing Co.

9750 Indiana Pkwy

Munster, IN

Aroma: (11/12)
Right when I opened this beer I could smell
the hoppy aromas! Extremely nice grapefruit
and pine aroma. Smells great from the get-go!

Appearance: (3/3)

A very mighty 1 to 2 finger head from bomber pour.

Usually hoppy beers tend to have less head, but not

this guy. Head is fleeting, though. Laces fantastically.

Flavor: (19/20)
Oh yeah! The fruity and piney flavors hit you right
away and increases through aftertaste – the hop flavors
continues to grow. What a fantastic brew, from crisp
malts to the hop heaven.

Mouthfeel: (5/5)
Light malts create a light body with some creaminess after
sipping and rolling around the tongue – nice! The end is
dry, but not as much as I would have thought from an
Imperial IPA.

Overall Impression: (10/10)

If you like hops and Imperial IPA’s, you must try this beer.
What a fantastically concocted beer. One of the best
Imperial IPA’s I’ve ever put my lips on. Wow!

TOTAL: 48/50

Filed under: Three Floyds Brewing Co.

Oskar Blues Brewing Co.: Dale’s Pale Ale

oakdale76 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:11:00 +0000

Dales’s Pale Ale
Oskar Blues Brewing Co.
303 Main Street
Lyons, CO

Aroma: (10/12)
A nice light and crisp nose. There almost seems to be
some citrus or coriander as well. Slight hop aroma.

Appearance: (2/3)
A light golden color. The head when poured from the
can wasn’t very present at all and it dissipated very
quickly!

Flavor: (16/20)
It is very crisp, the hops do come forward at the end.
When I opened the can, there was very little sound/
carbonation and tastes somewhat flat.

Mouthfeel: (4/5)

Fairly light as would be expected. Somewhat dry finish,

but very nicely done.

Overall Impression: (8/10)

Dale’s Pale Ale has been fairly hyped as a very good

example of the style. I found it very enjoyable, although not

great. Flavors could be more crisp and the hop bite at the end

outshines the malt.

TOTAL: 40/50

Filed under: Oskar Blues Brewing Co.

Summit Brewing Co.: India Rye Ale

oakdale76 — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:38:00 +0000

India Rye Ale

Summit Brewing Co.

910 Montreal Circle

St. Paul, MN

Aroma: (10/12)
A very nice malty presence; together
with medium hoppy aroma. Rye is
definitely distinguishable!

Appearance: (3/3)
Color is a burnt sienna. Head is a one-
fingered creation. It dissipates rather
quickly, but is recreated with a nice
swirl. Nice compact bubbles.

Flavor: (17/20)
Interesting marriage of chocolate malt
and rye malts. The hops do make
themselves known, towards the end
or even mid-tongue. The malt flavors
seem to dove-tail nicely with the hop
flavors – creating a very enjoyable brew.
Not a crisp rye finish, but more of a
malty finish.

Mouthfeel: (4/5)

Fairly light; similar and right within style of

an IPA or Rye IPA. Slight dryness, but not too

much at all.

Overall Impression: (8/10)
A very interesting offering from Summit and

brewer Mike Lundell. The flavor of malts and hops

work well together in a strange and intriguing way.

I would have thought this would be fairly crisp,

but the finish is more malty.

TOTAL: 42/50

Filed under: Summit Brewing Co.

Rogue Brewing Co.: Captain Sig’s Northwestern Ale

oakdale76 — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:47:00 +0000

Captain Sig’s Northwestern Ale

Rogue Brewing Co.

2320 OSU Drive

Newport, OR
BJCP Category?

Aroma: (10/12)
A very slight citrus nose. I kept searching for more characteristics,
but couldn’t come up with any.

Appearance: (3/3)
A very nice dark copper/red hue. Pours a half-finger head from
the tap. The head persists pretty well.

Flavor: (16/20)
A definite red ale. The hops are there upfront, but nothing
overpowering at all. The initial bite fades quickly. I wonder
if there is rye in here, because the finish is pretty dry.
Slight fruity interludes.

Mouthfeel: (4/5)

Body is fairly light, but does have a malty backbone after the hops.

Maybe a tad soapy or slick.

Overall Impression: (8/10)
This Rogue is a nice offering. The possible rye in here has added
a nice peppery and dry finish. It doesn’t stand out from others,
but is very sessionable. Solid.

TOTAL: 41/50

Filed under: Rogue Brewing Co.

The Bruery: Saison Rue

oakdale76 — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:19:00 +0000

Saison Rue

The Bruery

715 Dunn Way

Placentia, CA
16C. Saison

Aroma: (10/12)
A very spicy nose. I can detect the presence of
Brettanomyces. Some slight peppery wafting (yes,
I used that word).

Appearance: (3/3)
Color is a fantastic straw color, but you can still
see through it, unlike a straw-colored hefeweizen.
Very nice and persistant head. Very small bubbles.
Definitely not filtered, sediment due to bottle
conditioning.

Flavor: (17/20)

Definite bourbon-alcohol burn up front and at

the very end. Bourbon is furthest up front and

masks the base beer, but is still fantastic.

Mouthfeel: (4/5)
A nice and light beer. Very easy to drink. Pretty
dry at the end – as would be expected from most
saisons.

Overall Impression: (8/10)
This beer is definitely tasty, but it seems to be
lacking complexity. It is brewed well, but doesn’t
have the characteristics to move this beer higher.

TOTAL: 42/50

Filed under: The Bruery

Example of Mapping Beer Sales

oakdale76 — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:15:00 +0000

Ok, so I’ve exploring the idea of mapping beer sales and like ideas to get a better idea of where things are selling. This is just an example and I am using Summit and Horizon Red Ale as just an example, this map is not based on any sales data at all, only for purposes of me mapping possibilities. I used Madison Wisconsin as the example area. I’ve been toying with the idea of putting my mapping skills and profession into something like this.

Let me know what you think about this idea of mapping beer sales/data…..

Click HERE to view large map.

Town Hall Brewery: Festivus

oakdale76 — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Festivus

Town Hall Brewery

1430 Washington Ave. S

Minneapolis, MN

21A. Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer

Aroma: (11/12)
Big chocolate up front, that is complimented by lots of coffee.

Appearance: (3/3)
Dark black with only slight ruby around the edges. Pours a one-
fingered head from the tap and subsides very quickly; slight lacing.

Flavor: (18/20)
The first thing to hit the tongue is the amount of coffee in this brew!
At the back-end, some chocolate is present, but not much. As it
warms, coffee flavor intensifies.

Mouthfeel: (5/5)
Medium bodied, lighter than an oatmeal stout, but not watery at all.

Overall Impression: (9/10)
This is a fantastic beer…if you like coffee. It is very coffee-forward
with chocolate aromas. Coffee does over-power stout base, though.

TOTAL: 46/50

Posted in Town Hall Brewery