Big Moose Ale

Seasonal beers come and go, some earning more recognition on my Beer Blog than others. For example, Sam Adams's different offerings have surprised me with how good they are, while Blue Moon seasonals have mostly been lackluster. Saranac's Big Moose Ale follows suit with Sam Adams and I consider it one of the more noteworthy winter beers available.

I'll be honest, Saranac has never been my favorite brewing company and the beers I've tried by them are average at best. That's why I was so surprised when John at Lake Ronkonkoma Beverage suggested Big Moose to me and for a cheap price too! He swore by it and so I picked up a 12 pack to try.

The label on the bottle screams Winter Wonderland from the get-go.

Who wouldn't want to drink a beer with a majestic moose overlooking a snow covered village? In all seriousness though, the beer is good.

Big Moose Ale is an American Pale Ale and pours a light orange color right out of the bottle. When poured it had a decent amount of head and looked like a real treat.

It may look pretty but does the flavor hold up?

Immediately my taste buds were met by a hoppy flavor that reminded me of some of my favorite IPAs, but less intense. This isn't a bad quality though. I also noticed a slight caramel flavor and a citrusy aftertaste.

At 5.3% ABV Big Moose Ale is the perfect social beer a good one to share with friends. The flavor won't knock your socks off, but rather the subtleness will find a place in your beer loving heart. 

Saranac's Big Moose Ale is brewed by Matt Brewing Company and is available only during the winter. Here is its description on Beeradvocate.com:

Saranac Big Moose Ale is an American Pale Ale with a kick. The medium-bodied malt sweetness is balanced by a nice crisp bitterness from hand selected centennial and cascade hops. Look for a vibrant citrusy hop aroma that will leave you craving another swig! 

Lake Ronkonkoma Beverage is currently offering this delicious winter beer for a discounted price. You can grab a 12 pack for $7.99 and a case for $14.99. Get it while you can!

 

Gulden Draak Ale

Oh Gulden Draak. Where do I even begin?

This was one of my favorite new beers that I tried in 2012. I even got to have it on tap at Croxley Ales in Farmingdale. This Belgian beer has so much going for it, the taste, the smell...everything is phenomenal about it.

If I had to describe Gulden Draak I would say it's like a very flavorful piece of banana bread with a whole slew of fruits thrown in. Raisins, Cranberries, a caramelized flavor; all so good. The beer is sweet, but never once lets the drinker forget that it is a Belgian Ale, and a good one at that.

I've enjoyed Gulden Draak so many times and last night I decided to drink it out of one of my golden-rimmed goblets (I thought it was appropriate). The flavor never once lets up in this finely made beer.

At 10.5% ABV Gulden Draak is a lot stronger than most regular beers and the alcohol taste is obvious, but never overpowering. Everything used in the brewing ofthis beer balances out perfectly and the result is one of the best beers I have ever had.

Gulden Draak is great and anyone who wants to have a more fancy beer in their life should look no further than this Belgian masterpiece. I love Gulden Draak and you should too!

"The Perfect Crime" (Evil Twin / Stillwater / Stone)

While visiting Shoreline Beverage in Huntington, NY with my good pal Tom, I came across a third Stone Collaborations beer for 2012; "The Perfect Crime."

I was surprised to say the least and picked it up immediately. The Stone Collaborations are always something I'm interested in, especially since they are only brewed once and never again.

"The Perfect Crime," brewed by Evil Twin, Stillwater and Stone is a black smoked saison and a good one at that. After pouring it into my glass this is the beautiful sight I was met with:

This dark brown saison had the perfect amount of head when poured into my Ommegang glass. The first few sips were frothy and reminded me of a Guinness poured on tap. Definitely enjoyable.

As for the flavor it was mostly bitter (not too bitter!) with a smokey aftertaste that I enjoyed throughout drinking this 6.8% ABV beer.

I didn't care much for the last saison collaboration beer I tried, Saison Du Buff, but this one went down easily and I was never turned off by its flavor or smell. Overall a great beer and one I would drink again given the chance.

"The Perfect Crime?" More like the perfect beer!

 Evil Twin's Brewmaster Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergse's statement on "The Perfect Crime"

Anchor Steam Beer

Tonight's new beer to try is Anchor Steam Beer courtesy of Erica. Anchor Steam is a California Common/Steam Beer with an ABV of 4.9%. This type of beer is an American style lager that was originally brewed back in the 1800's when refrigeration wasn't as common it is today. During the brewing process shallow fermenters had to be used, which resulted in a very particular flavor.

I poured this one in my Three Philosopher's glass (one of my favorites!) and this is what I was greeted with:

The appearance of Anchor Steam Beer is a light orange/amber color and had a modest amount of head. The smell of the beer had a very pleasing malt aroma. I took a sip.

Right as Anchor Steam met with my tongue I experienced a grainy/malty flavor that reminded me of some of the first American lagers I tried as a younger Phil (Yuengling anyone?) except with a more refined taste.

As I continued to drink it I enjoyed the subtleness of it, but wasn't blown away in any regard. Anchor Steam is good, just not great. It also goes down easy.

If you're a beer drinker who loves the taste of beer, Anchor Steam is a good choice, whether you're expecting company of if you just want to enjoy a beer by yourself. For anyone else looking for something completely different than what they're used to, Anchor Steam is not the beer to fill that desire.

Looks pretty, the taste is just okay

Kona Pipeline Porter

This is my first Beer Blog post of the new year. I know what you're saying: "It's about *&%#^%$ time!" Well one of my resolutions for the new year is to write more often which includes posting as many beer blogs as I can! This includes trying more delicious beers and offering suggestions to any one of my readers in search of a new beer in their life. That being said here is my post on the first beer I decided to discuss this year: Kona Pipeline Porter.

Pipeline Porter is brewed with 100% Hawaiian Kona Coffee beans and pours a dark brown color bordering on black. Out of the bottle, Pipeline Porter is filled with the aroma of coffee and has a very pleasant smell to it. The taste is even more endearing.

Pipeline Porter proudly displayed in my Three Philosophers Glass

Pipeline Porter doesn't taste like most beers. From the very first sip you know Kona has come up with something special. As I drank it the coffee taste wasn't overwhelming nor underwhelming. Every gulp of Pipeline Porter was enjoyable till the very end. 

Like I said it didn't even seem like I was drinking a beer, but instead a delicious iced coffee beverage. Out of all the coffee beers I have tried this is one of the best to enjoy with friends who appreciate light beers. It in no way compares to the richness of Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout, but it's a nice go to beer to have at social gatherings, especially if your friends like coffee.

Pipeline Porter has an ABV of 5.4% and is made my the Hawaiian brewing company Kona.

Top 5 Pumpkin Beers of 2012

When it comes to pumpkin beer there's just an understanding between beer lovers on what makes it so great. Whether you like the spices of nutmeg and cinnamon that accompany the beer or just the pumpkin flavor itself, there is something that everyone can appreciate about the fine beverage.

This pumpkin beer season many brewing companies offered their latest version of the delectable flavored beer. Over the past couple of months tweaks were made to already great pumpkin beer and there were some newcomers into the mix as well.

Below you will find my list of the top 5 pumpkin beers this year had to offer.

5. Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale - Last year I thought Shipyard's pumpkin beer wasn't that great, but I gave it another chance this year. Pumpkinhead has a great aroma of spices and goes down easily. After enjoying my first bottle I bought a six-pack to share with some friends. It gets bonus points for its label of the Headless Horseman enjoying a beer.

4. Dogfish Head Punkin Ale - I didn't even know Dogfish Head had a pumpkin beer until one of my close friends told me. As an avid Dogfish Head lover I had to give it a try. The pumpkin smell is welcoming and includes nutmeg as well as brown sugar. The taste is even better. Definitely a must have pumpkin beer.

3. Captain Lawrence Pumpkin Ale - Tom's favorite pumpkin beer of 2012. Captain Lawrence's offering has a hint of cinnamon smell and a smooth pumpkin pie flavor. Tom could drink this beer for days straight.

Photo credit: Campfire Brewing

 
2. Southern Tier Pumking - Pumking is the pumpkin beer that both Tom and I can agree is spectacular. We drink pumking whenever we get a chance even if it's available long after Pumpkin Beer Season. It's literally just like liquid pumpkin pie and tastes just as sweet. Every time we drink it we're fighting over who gets the remaining drops left in the bottle.

1. Harpoon's UFO Pumpkin - At the start of pumpkin beer season I did a post on Harpoon's UFO Pumpkin and why I felt it was so great. After trying countless other pumpkin beers this season I still feel the same. UFO Pumpkin is my favorite pumpkin beer two years running and I'm wondering if it can claim a third. 

Now those are my favorites of the year, but what about my least favorite pumpkin beer this year? That award goes to Horny Goat's Brewing Company's Horny Copia Pumpkin Ale.

As mediocre as getting a single green shell as a weapon in Mario Kart

Horny Copia is one of the blandest pumpkin beers I have ever tasted and has nothing going for it. It's like they put no effort into brewing this beer or making it taste good for that matter.

One last thing I wanted to discuss was my favorite hard pumpkin cider. That honor goes to Woodchuck Hard Pumpkin Cider, deliciously sweet and refreshing for two years now. I love this cider and it's a nice change of pace if I'm not in a beer mood, but still want something pumpkin flavored.

 The Lorax's go to drink of the Fall

There you have it; my list of Top 5 Pumpkin Beers of 2012. Do you agree with my list? What pumpkin beers do you love that I might have missed out on? Please let me know in my Facebook comments so I can try some new ones next year!

Bud Light Platinum

Now I know what you're going to say. Hurricane Sandy has made Phil gone crazy...he's writing a Beer Blog post on Bud Light Platinum!?! Hear me out. Bud Light Platinum is actually a pretty decent beer and at 6.0% ABV and its low price point you can't really go wrong.

The first time I tried Bud Light Platinum was at my Aunt and Uncle's house during the summer. One of my friends was telling me how great it was and how I should give it a shot...so I did. I popped open a bottle and was pleasantly surprised with the taste.

As I drank it, I paired it with Doritos, the delicious Taco Dip that my Aunt loves to make and tomatoes topped with fresh Mozzarella. Now these snacks are amazing enough by themselves, but drinking Bud Light Platinum alongside them makes them even better.

This particular offering is something that I've never experienced from a big name brewing company before. It's a light beer that doesn't sacrifice flavor and has you feeling good after only a couple of bottles.

I continue to enjoy Bud Light Platinum with my co-workers on a weekly basis when we catch the newest episode of The Walking Dead every Sunday. One thing is clear; every time I drink it, I like the taste of it even more! Give it a try if you ever see it at a party!

Bud Light Platinum: Phil Spadanuta tested, Phil Spadanuta approved!