SweetWater Brewing Sch'Wheat!

So I've lived in Atlanta for about 9 months and have not really jumped into the world of local craft brewers. Call it my New England bias, but it has been pretty hard to break free from the craft brewers from New England, New York, and definitely Delaware. I found myself in the rare mood for an unfiltered wheat beer this week and of course Blue Moon was off the table, because it really isn't Craft at all...

So I noticed SweetWater Brewing Co. Sch' Wheat and figured I'd give it a try. I know I should not be judging a beer by its label, but I've always though the Sweet Water labels were crap. They just come across a little too Bassmasters for me.... The brew, however, is incredible! I am rarely in the mood for unfiltered belgian style wheat beers. They were the first I grew to like and then I grew to have a palette for much more bitter beers. For the mood I was in this beer really hit the spot. It is much more robust than Coors' Blue Moon and has a great deal more complexity than Harpoon's UFO White ( also worth a try, though not as easy to find down south ). Sch' Wheat really will hit the spot on hot summer days in the South or anywhere else where you can find it, because I really have no idea of where they distribute to.

I'm glad to say that SweetWater Brewing Co. has whetted my appetite for more of their offerings, and Im excited by what else I might find in the ATL. Sch' Wheat is definitely a 5 star beer. Check them out at www.sweetwaterbrew.com

Shwag Beer Awareness ( Dundee Craft Pack)

So as I walked the beer isle looking for a choice beverage, I had a novel (well to me) idea.

Why not take a beerventure in the world of shwag beer. I think we can all agree on the pointlessness of reviewing the big guns, like Miller and Bud, but a venture into cheap "craft" beer seemed like a fun (and inexpensive) journey. I snagged a 12 pack of Dundee's Craft Pack, which offers 4 varieties of their take on classic Ales and Lagers. The Craft Pack features a Stout, India Pale Ale, Kolsch Style Ale, and a Pale Bock Lager. I figured at a price tag of around a buck a beer I couldn't go wrong, especially with the hot days still among us.

The Stout:

Alright. First of all I am a big fan of creamy stouts. I get very skeptical about carbonated stouts, and would always prefer a Beamish or Young's Double Chocolate over a stout that is full of CO2. The Stout here is a bit on the weak side. It lacks that full bodied, just-drank-a-loaf-of-bread feeling and after my first I was feeling a little dissatisfied, although for the price, what could I really expect? I will say in this beer's favor that it gets better as it goes. As I continued through I found myself enjoying the effect of not feeling full from the Stout. If I was ranking it straight I would be hesitant to give this beer anything above a 3 but for the purpose of ranking these "shwag ales" I'm instituting an "Shwag Adjustment Scale" or SAS of 4 to the Stout.

The India Pale Ale:

All I have to say is this: If the India Pale Ale was labeled a Pale Ale I would give it a 3.5 straight up. But since it is a pale ale masquerading in the his much stronger older brother's bottle I have to give it SAS rank of 4.

The Pale Bock:

This beer was the most indistinct of the bunch. Not a lot of flavor or character. If there is nothing better around then I guess it would do, but I almost imagine I'd reach for the Pabst over this disappointing variety. SAS 3.

The Kolsch-Style Lager:

Easily my favorite of the pack! This is a beer I would be glad to drink on a hot afternoon. It is crisp, clear and refreshing. Although it lacks a substantial amount of the flavor complexities of traditional Kolsch Lagers, it makes up for it which true "drinkability" that was just refreshing. SAS 5.

Overall I think the Dundee Craft Pack is a step in the right direction for the brewers of Honey Brown. There were some highs and lows but overall it is a great value. Give it a try.

Dundee Brewing Co. Rochester NY

Skinny Dip (New Belgium Brewing)

After a long and stressful week of packing

and a move to Atlanta, GA, I was ready to

sit down and enjoy a glass in my new digs.

As I perused the beer aisle at the local grocers, Jordan suggested I try Skinny Dip from New Belgium Brewing. She is always raving about their most popular Fat Tire amber ale, which is a delightful change of pace, with it's mild flavor. I decided to give Skinny Dip a chance, and boy am I glad I did! This summer creation has the most malt flavor of any summer brew I have experienced yet and is perfect for the hot weather. The brew is balanced with a generous selection of Cascade Hops and lime leaf infusion to give a wonderful full-bodied flavor that has jumped to the top of my summer beer list. I cannot stress enough how great it is to experience a summer beer that utilizes malty flavor as this has. For those of you in the Northeast without access to this great treasure, all I can say is it's worth the trip to get one!

For those of you keeping score: 5 out of 5 for this hidden treasure.

On a side note for all you Green folks out there, New Belgium Brewing is employee owned and wind powered, touche.

Captain Lawrence Pale Ale (Bohemian Hall, Astoria)

It's officially warm out, which means it was time for us to hit up Astoria for the famous Beer Gardens. The Czech-run establishment boasts a large outdoor drinking area, a fantastic array of taps, and enough patrons to never be boring. It can be difficult to find a table but let's not get into the details here, we'll save that for a profile. Onwards, then, to yonder brew.

It seems that many individuals that own ships also enjoy brewing beer or, in the case of one very famous captain, rum. This here is Captain Lawrence Pale Ale, brewed by the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company. As far as I can tell this seems to be their only brew. Too bad, because its got one hell of a unique taste. To begin with, the initial taste is a sledgehammer of hops. Not quite Hopstoopid, but still a shock to the taste buds. Then, to the surprise of the Beerventure and their respective mouths, the taste transformed to a piney, outdoorsy type taste as we waited. More interestingly, you could actually feel the taste transforming. Fascinating, unique, and tasty. Unfortunately, the drawback was the initial hop blast as it mars the more complex aftertaste with its own. Nevertheless, its a quality beer and we gave it a 3.5 out of 5 for its unique-ness and overall flavor. I'd suggest a pint of it to any serious beer drinker, but if you're not into bitter, stay away.

http://www.captainlawrencebrewing.com/beer_list

Playing with Hops is like playing with fire, it might ruin your day but it's essential if you plan on doing anything except beating your chest.

Profile: Beer World (Sunnyside)

We decided it was time to shed some light on some of our favorite beer-providing locales. Whether it be a store, bar, or a beer-raining fountain, they have provided a plethora of ales, lagers, and stouts. Armed with these suppliers, we have been been able to continue our journey through rain, snow, wind, and cold.

The best place to start is the beginning, so let's talk about our local favorite: Beer World. Located in Sunnyside, Queens, this magical corner shop is part of a Russian Supermarket located on Queens Boulevard just off the 40th and Lowery Street stop on the 7 train. It's labeled well, but can look a little put-offish from the outside. Don't be dissuaded, go inside. The grocery store is a grocery store, but the Beer World section is a force to be reckoned with. Those shelves house some of the strangest beers from the furthest locations you can think of, and there is a never ending supply of single bottles that you just can't find anywhere else. You might be tempted to say, "Well, that doesn't look like that many choices". I would say to you, "But no, yon skeptical reader. See those bottles? Each one is a different brew." Needless to say they don't keep a large stock of any beer (save those that come in 30s), but the endless choices and reasonable prices make it a worthwhile location.

We're not in the business of rating bars or stores, so we'll keep the profiles to our favorite places. Though I may consider rating one of the aforementioned fountains...

Smoked Porter (Beer World, Sunnyside)

Rain is a pain, especially in New York City. Maybe it doesn't rhyme nicely, but it did drive us back to local and trusty Beer World in Sunnyside. Their vast selection never ceases to disappoint, though when your choosing at random you're bound to be disappointed with your own selection.

Enter Stone's Smoked Porter. Despite its badass gargoyle and promising name, the porter failed to even remotely live up to its promise of a smooth blend of chocolate, coffee, and "peat-smoked specialty malt". To start with, the head on the pour is massive. Although I've seen excitement over this, in reality it proved to be nuisance as I had to wait a full 5 minutes before I could drink it. This is a porter, not a stout. If I wanted the pour to be an art, I would have picked up something much darker, drier, and more expensive. The Smoked Porter has delusions of grandeur, and I ended up finishing it out of the bottle.

The taste only further added to my frustration. The porter is a smooth blend of malt and chalk balanced with the subtle character of dish water. To be fair, I was able to finish it thanks to the sheer complexity of its taste, so it manages to squeak out a 2 out of 5.

Stone Brewing Company's "Smoked Porter"

If you want to try it based on the label, I understand. Do yourself a favor, though, grab a six pack of something else too. You're going to need it while you wait.

Red Barchetta Ale (John Harvards, Manchester CT)

It's been a month, but we're back and kicking off round 2 with a sample from a new State: Connecticut, home of John Harvard's. John Harvard's is a microbrewery located in the northern part of the state. A trek to say the least, but a welcome change of pace from the Big Apple from time to time. In this case, a welcome change to the bank account. With $3 pints of home brews on weekdays, it's hard to find a better sampling place in the Tristate area when you take selection and cost into account.

Fending off Red Sox fans with one hand, I ordered the Red Barchetta Ale with the other. Named after the song by Rush, the Red Barchetta promised smooth, malty taste with a hop finale. It delivered. Very mild caramel starts the taste, with enough tingle to say, "yes, I am an Ale", while a rather abrupt hop taste finishes. It's an ale of extremes, which certainly leads to an interesting pint. What it doesn't lead to, however, is prolonged enjoyment. I lost taste for this guy after just two pinits, despite thouroughly enjoying my first, and had to order something else to continue the night. Quality? Yes. Drinkability? Eh, not so much. That doesn't mean it didn't wrack up enough points to grab a 4 out of 5 though.

No website for the beer, since its a microbrewery that changes its selections daily, but if your interested in the joint: http://www.johnharvards.com/index.shtml

Drinkability is a shwag quality anyway...