Rock Song, Cigar, or Oatmeal Stout?

A great Stout to enjoy on a cold, winter’s night

You would be correct if you answered yes to all of the questions! I have a feeling that Sweet Euphoria from Pint Nine Brewing Company was named after the song by Chris Cornell knowing James Watson’s music background!

This full-bodied Oatmeal Stout is super roasty and creamy. Check out that beautiful thick, tan head on this Stout; quite impressive, isn’t it! The mouthfeel is incredibly soft and allows coffee, chocolate, and nutty notes to come through. This Stout is a decent warmer coming in at 7.3% ABV.

So the next time you see a Euphoria fragrance commercial, think to yourself, I bet that is the feeling you get after having the Sweet Euphoria Oatmeal Stout.

Cheers!

Joy to BCS Café de Olla Stout!

I have held onto this one for 2 years and it was worth the wait!

I usually am the type of person that gets way too excited to hold onto a beer for very long. Every time I saw the Café de Olla Stout, I wanted to open it! A coffee, bourbon stout is music to my tastebuds, but then you throw in cassia bark, orange peel, and panela sugar, and it is a whole new ballgame!

Goose Island Beer Company has been making Bourbon Count Stout since 1992. They have generated such an immense following that lines are waiting outside of stores across the United States on Black Friday. The base BCS is awesome, but it is also very rewarding to get your hands on any of the variants!

I was utterly blown away by the deep, dark chocolate notes in this beer! The secondary notes are the coffee, bourbon, and tartness in the middle, which I am guessing is from the orange and spicy cinnamon-like characteristics of the cassia bark. The finish is more chocolate, but it is sweet chocolate this time, which frankly is mind-blowing!

It is a given that this one is quite the warming beer since it comes in at 13.5% ABV. Being a lover of great coffee, I need to get some of the Intelligentsia coffee used in this stout!

Café de Olla Stout has been a wonderful way to enjoy this winter evening. I would say I now have a bigger smile than Rudolph, and my nose might be just as red.

Cheers!

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

Inspired by Jonathan Zierdt who passed away from cancer this spring.

We all are inspired by those that fight the battle with cancer. Hero Hazy IPA is a tribute to a gentleman who had close ties to Luplin Brewing and the Mankato Brewery. This beer is for Jonathan Zierdt and the support of those dealing with this terrible disease.

I am new to Lupulin Brewing out of Big Lake, Minnesota. Recently they began distributing to my hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. This Hazy IPA they have created packs an enormous amount of tropical fruit aroma! Upfront, you will get pineapple, citrus, mango, and a touch of stone fruit notes. A nice transition from the sweet fruit notes to a spark of hop bitterness balances out this hazy IPA very nicely!

For those that like to know more about the details on the beer, here are the details.

Malts: 2-Row Barley, Flaked Barley, Spitz Malt

Hops: Citra, Eldorado, Mosaic, Mandarina Bavaria

ABV: 8.18%

IBU: 66

SRM: 6

I really enjoyed this IPA and I am looking forward to trying more beers from Lupulin Brewing!

Cheers!

Fiesta De Sol

Celebrate every day that you have a great Mexican Lager

Fall is upon us, and all I can think about are those warm summer days with an easy-drinking Lager.

Site-1 Brewing has created a fantastic Mexican Lager called Fiesta De Sol. My Spanish is poor, but I believe this translates to something like Celebration of the Sun, from what I can tell.

The color is bright yellow with a thin white head. The flavor is bready with this light spiciness in it. This exchange of mild saltiness and sweetness adds to the experience of this light-bodied lager!

You can also celebrate that this beer is only 4.5% ABV allowing you to enjoy more than one!

Stop in at Site-1 Brewing in Omaha, Nebraska, at 25th and Farnam Street to enjoy a great selection of craft beer, cocktails, and food.

Cheers!

In Search of the Great Pumpkin ... Ale

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Just like Charlie Brown, I am in the search for the Great Pumpkin! The one I have been searching for is an ale with those amazing pumpkin pie spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The presence of the spices needs to be well balanced with the ale. Too much cinnamon and might as well be having a Fireball. Not enough, then it is just another disappointment.

This year a friend gave me a Schlafly Pumpkin Ale to try. I was excited to see how this one would be because the prior selections were not hitting the mark this year.

Nice nose with the spices present. Pumpkin and caramel notes wrapped in the pumpkin pie spices. Mild carbonation and medium body that makes it an excellent sipper! This ale comes in at 8.0% ABV, which you notice on the backend with a bit of warming in your belly!

What an excellent pumpkin ale! So glad to get to try this one. I am looking forward to having other beers from Schlafly.

Cheers!

Pucker Up!

Don’t worry; Joe is not asking you for a kiss! This is all about the tartness of the style of craft beer known as Gose. As for where Gose came from, it was Goslar, Germany. The grain bill is at least 50% malted wheat. The style is very tart and even sour. The saltiness is a personal favorite characteristic. Lastly, the ABV is typically lower between 4 and 5 percent.

Gose is a style that is very new to me. I think I have had like 5 in total. What I get out of this Weldwerks Brewing Co Gose is lots of lime notes. I haven’t had Guava fruit before, so not sure what to expect on flavor from it. The carbonation is nice, and I really enjoy the salty body. One thing I did notice was that I found it to be more enjoyable colder. As it warmed, it wasn’t as good.

Cheers to a trying new style of beer!

See You Later Rubber Ducky There's a New Ducky in Town

This is the second collaboration beer that I have had from Lua Brewing and Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. and it was everything I expected it would be!

OG Duckies is a hazy DIPA coming in at 8.5% ABV. The nose on this one is full of citrus aroma with a touch of earthiness. For me, the prominent notes are stone fruit, especially peach. The secondary notes are citrus that end up finishing on the dank side. The body is lighter for a hazy but fabulous!

This IPA has a unique blend of Citra, Strata, Idaho 7, and Cryo Pop hops. Incredible flavor to enjoy in the tub without your rubber ducky!

Cheers!

King Maker Kolsch

I have become a big fan of German-style beers, and Kolsch is at the top of the list. I was so happy to get the opportunity to have a slow pour King Maker Kolsch from the collaboration of Lua Brewing and Fair State Brewing Cooperative!

The slow pour technique gives that extra creamy head on top, which adds to the experience! The bready maltiness upfront with a hint of sweetness finishes out nicely balanced with the Hallertau hops. King Maker Kolsch is a sessionable beer at 5% ABV that has a crisp body.

I love that the glasses are traditional Kolsch glassware called a Stange. The customary way in Germany is you would receive your Stange with a coaster. The coaster serves multiple purposes; one is for tracking how many drinks you have had. A server called a Kobes would carry around twelve of these glasses in what is called a Kranz. When your glass is empty, the server will deliver another beer, and the server will add a mark to your coaster. When it is time to call it a day, put your coaster on top of your Stange. How cool is that!

This Kolsch is easily in my top three! I high recommend visiting Lua Brewing in Des Moines. They have incredible beer and food, along with an excellent taproom atmosphere.

Cheers!

Southern Hopisphere: You Speak-a My Language

Picture this. You are on a remote Australian beach where the quiet day erupts with some Men At Work’s Land - Down Under. That is exactly what you feel when having the first taste of Southern Hopisphere from Kros Strain Brewing!

This tropical New England style IPA is like a vacation in a glass! The aroma is of tropical fruit and some pine. Upfront, there are distinct peach and pineapple notes. The fruit notes fade into a pleasant earthy pine finish. Nice hop bitterness in the end.

The hop profile is made up of hops you would find in Australia including. Galaxy, Vic Secret, Topaz, and Nelson Sauvin hops, hence the name. A nice light, soft body in this 7.5% ABV and 62 IBU NEIPA.

I am so happy to get a chance to try this one! As always, Kros Strain Brewing never disappoints with their IPAs!

Cheers!

Hoppin' West Coast Style

Hopsy was adamant about appearing in this week’s brew review. Hopsy is a true hophead at heart. So when I had A Citra West Coast IPA from Nebraska Brewing Company to review, this frog was all in!

This classic IPA has great citrus notes upfront. There must be a good amount of malt going into this IPA because there is a kiss of sweetness in the middle. The finish is a good punch of hop bitterness that I absolutely enjoy!

A nice level of carbonation really fine-tunes the flavor in this 6.9%, 72 IBU IPA.

If you are ready to lose the haze and see a cleary great IPA, then this one if for you!

Cheers!

Wonder Twins

One of the most aromatic IPAs I have ever had is Wonder Twins from Scratchtown Brewing Company! I remember being at an event when a keg of Wonder Twins was tapped and this rush of grapefruit and citrus aroma hit me. It was intense and unforgettable! Opening the can tonight, I got that aroma again.

My first sip was highlighted with lots of grapefruit notes. I noticed at it warmed a little bit that grapefruit was still there, but now some berry notes were intermixed. I never get tired of the dynamic duo of Citra and Mosiac hops! Wonder Twins takes these two hops to another level.

The finish has those pine and earthy notes as the hop balance kicks in. I didn’t know what to expect out of 102 IBU DIPA! The body is incredibly light for a 7.6% ABV beer.

Just an incredible IPA!

Cheers!

A Royal Treat

Oh, the queen would be proud to serve this lovely Kolsch from First Street Brewing in the palace!

Queen City Kolsch is everything that I love about this style. Slightly malty, crisp, and refreshing. The malt flavor is forward. The middle has a bit of saltiness which I enjoy in a Kolsch. The finish balances out with a nice touch of hops.

The Queen comes in at 5.2% ABV and 28 IBUs. An incredible session beer that I can drink all year round!

Cheerio!

No Spoon Needed PB Puffs

I have had several milkshake IPAs, but nothing as unique as this one from Weldwerks Brewing Co!

What a wild flavor combination. I get peanut butter and chocolate upfront that is pretty sweet. The middle turns into this citrus explosion that finishes nice and dank. A combination that I would have never thought of in a million years!

I love the description of Cereal Milk India Pale Ale. Um, I think you can consider this a breakfast beer! At 7.6% ABV, it will have you saying “Good Morning” for sure.

Cheers!

A Fashion Statement

I must have great fashion sense because yes, I do wear socks with sandals on occasion! German Lagers in my opinion have become extremely fashionable over the last couple of years. So, when you take the two incredibly talented lager breweries in a collaboration, you know it is going to be great!

Site-1 Brewing and Scriptown Brewing Company got together on a Father’s Day collaboration to create Dad Bod Dort. I must admit this is my first Dortmunder Lager, and it is so good! I will try to put into words what I am experiencing.

This lager is deeper golden than a Pilsner or Kolsch. Upfront, I can best explain this as a lightly buttered biscuit with a touch of honey. The body is soft and finishes with a little spiciness that is not bitter.

My pour might have been a little aggressive as you can see the bubbles. This is not an overly carbonated beer. It comes out of a can as perfect as it is on tap!

This beer comes in at 5.8% ABV and 28 IBUs. Just what dad needs all year around!

Cheers!

Ferrari Backpack

The answer is Ferrari Backpack. The question for me would be: What is one thing I own and one thing I will never have.

All joking aside, this imperial IPA is so indulging that you think it is probably only available for the rich and famous. Fortunately, they had this one tap and to-go on my first visit to Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.! A great collaboration with Lua Brewing.

The first thing I noticed when pouring this beer is the rush of tropical fruit aroma! My nose is not the best one around, but this was so distinct! The flavor has packed full of citrus and tropical fruit notes in a very nice soft body. The finish is a little dank with a nice balancing hop bitterness.

The hop blend is made up of Riwaka, Strata, Citra, Sabro, and Amarillo hops. That is a lot to take in! The ABV is at 7.8% but doesn’t seem like it. Such a great IPA!

Cheers!

Sweet On Dirty Herbie

Call it a man crush, bromance, or whatever, but I am sweet on Dirty Herbie! Hwy 14 Brewing Co in Albion, Nebraska, has added another very creative beer to their list of many unique and flavorful brews.

This wheat beer has sweet strawberry flavor upfront. The finish is nice and tart, which I absolutely love. This is a perfect beer for picnics, pool parties, or just relaxing on the patio!

This sessionable beer comes in at 5.2% ABV. If you like fruit-flavored beer, this is one you will want to get ahold of this summer!

A quick shoutout to Michelle Olson on the artwork for the label. Very cool!

Cheers!

Bohemsky Amber Lager

I always remember the movie, “Happy Gilmore”, especially this one scene from the movie, where Happy is reminded in order to remove his stress to just picture his happy place. For me Scratchtown Brewing Company in Ord, Nebraska is my happy place!

Just this past Saturday, made the drive and enjoyed a gorgeous day on the patio. Great conversation and as we packed up, grab some beer to go. I was able to bring back an elevator. I know you are thinking what is an elevator? Well, it is a place that stores grain. Oh but at the brewery it is 3 silos (crowlers).

Bohemsky is a Bohemian amber lager with that beautiful copper color. A blend of six different malts provides lots of caramel and bready notes up front. The body is very soft, and you can thank that on the fact Ord has some of the best water in the state coming from the Ogalla Aquifer. The finish has a nice dryness and spiciness to round out this lager.

Bohemsky is a very sessionable beer coming in at 5.4% ABV. An incredibly good beer along with the rest of the selection from Scratchtown Brewing. Make Ord, Nebraska your destination this summer!

Cheers!

Espresso Self

Nice and bright with a beautiful head

When it comes to coffee beers, I am always up for trying them out! Monolithic Brewing has created a Coffee Kolsch that will perk up your senses!

The aroma is full of coffee, vanilla, and a hint of hazelnut. For me, I want to enjoy the coffee flavor in the beer, not just have a faint note of it. Espresso Self has a nice medium coffee note upfront that quickly blends with vanilla from the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans. The finish has more vanilla and a touch of hazelnut for an incredible blend of flavors!

A solid Kolsch that is crisp and nicely carbonated and comes in at 5.1% ABV. This was a great collaboration with homebrewer Justin Cadwell and The Mill Coffee & Tea from Lincoln, Nebraska. The Costa Rican coffee is wonderful in this Kolsch. The Mill Coffee & Tea has many excellent coffees to choose from! You need to visit them soon!

This is another home run for Monolithic Brewing.

Cheers!

Sunshine, Flowers, and Haaazy Daaang!

There is nothing like springtime when the weather is warm, the flowers are in bloom, and you have a glass of liquid sunshine!

Zipline Brewing Co. from Lincoln, Nebraska has captured the essence of spring in their Haaazy Daaang! A nice nose of citrus as you raise your glass. The citrus notes, especially grapefruit, start off this wonderful IPA. The next thing that grabs my attention is the light body. It is so refreshing even though this is an 8% ABV beer!

The finish brings in those dank notes and just rounds out this IPA. The bottle talks about Zipline’s hazy yeast strain. Looks like more research for another post!

I highly recommend checking out Zipline Brewing beers!

Cheers!

April Showers Bring May Bocks!

The old saying, “April showers bring May flowers,” seems a little bland when you have the release of a Maibock! The Pete Fest Maibock from Upstream Brewing Company is so timely when it comes to the traditional spring bock.

This German lager has those nice bready, malty notes. This one has just a touch of caramel for me upfront. The body is nice and smooth. The finish is just a bit dry, which makes this one fine beer!

Pete Fest Maibock is a collaboration beer with the local German American Society in Omaha, Nebraska. A sure favorite of those who like the malty side of craft beer! In terms of the ABV, it comes in at 5.8%, which is on the lower end for Maibocks. Very minimal IBUs of 12.

Springtime is a whole lot better with the Pete Fest Maibock!

Cheers!