21st Amendment: Bitter American

I really shouldn't be writing this review. I don't feel that I am incapable of sharing my opinion on this or any beer and I do want to tell you about this brew; but this review should be done by someone else. That would be fellow blogger Hofer. Back in August 2008 I wrote up 21st Amendment's IPA. Since that time, I had my share of 21st beers. However, Hof has moved a couple blocks away from the brewery in San Francisco, California. At this point I feel like he has drank for more Amendment brews than me. While Hof has had many of the regulars, I figured I'd snag a seasonal ale: Bitter American.

21st Amendment release this extra pale ale in late January. Once you crack th

e can (remember 21st doesn't bottle - yes they can) this beer has a powerful hop aroma oozing out from the aluminum. Despite the strong smell as soon as I sipped this brew, I immediately tasted nothing but caramel malts. During that first sip, I initially was disappointed as Amendment labels this beer as "bitter". However, hop heads don't worry, after the malt flavors dissipate a nice earth hop aftertaste hits the tongue. And that hop smell from the start never goes away; so while the flavor of this beer is more malty than hoppy, the scent almost tricks your brain into thinking your getting more hops. Looking at the beer 'stats' we see that this is a 4.4% pale with 42 ibus so it's no real surprise it's not as hoppy as other extra pale ales. But this low alcohol content does make this beer really smooth and a nice treat any time of day or night.

Lastly, there is no metallic flavors which is a pleasant surprise as that can happen after canning. But if want to know how the EPA tastes from the tap, again, you're going to have to beg for a review from Hof, as he goes to the brew house far more often than me. Hopefully he starts writing some more. Cheers.

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers: Double Daddy Imperial IPA

It's been about six months since I've lasted lived in San Francisco, one month since I've last partied in The City, and far too long since I've had local SF brew. It was time to grab some familiar looking local craft. I decided to grab Speakeasy's Double Daddy Imperial IPA. Accustomed to most of this brewery's selection I choose to finally snag 'double daddy' because it is one of the few Speakeasy Ales & Lagers that I have yet to enjoy.

"Doubling down on malts and hops" this imperial india pale ale is not messing around. Proudly sporting a 9.5% alcohol by volume content this brew will kick your mouth off. The alcohol flavor is by far the most prominent flavor and with an abv over 9% I wouldn't expect anything different. By letting the ale rest on your tongue you can sufficiently dull most of your taste buds.

Despite a quick dulling of the face and warming of the stomach, this beer has an incredibly smooth mouthfeel. The ale is almost buttery and drinks pretty easy if you don't mind the alcohol flavors. A hop present hits on the back of the tongue slightly after a clean swig, but since the brew is so smooth it's hard to detect. Unless you're in the mood for something boozy, I wouldn't recommend this monster. But if you don't mind some alcohol in your beer it's a smooth way to get a good buzz.

This brew would be a great way to get any party going. Very strong and surprisingly easy to drink. Next time I'm in San Francisco I might 'double down' on my pre-party. Hopefully it's sooner rather than later. Cheers.

Anchor Brewing Co.: Liberty Ale

The birthplace of liberty (my dear Philly) is not the birthplace of liberty ale. But they do sell Liberty Ale out here (at least at the pizza place down the street they do), so I figured I'd give it a review.

Liberty is a pale ale. But it's not nearly as citrusy as Sierra Nevada. There are some faint fruit notes, but the hops are the taste that come in boldly (and with a faintly earthy taste to them). There's a little bit of malty sweetness evident here when you get through the initial hop burst, but--true to the American pale style--they are pretty mild. Furthermore, the beer has a very light flavor, which means that the sweetness is pretty much gone in a flash. A bear hint of oranges (I think) lingers on the tongue, along with a substantial dose of hops hops hops.

What makes this beer pretty remarkable is that it can be so light bodied and yet so flavorfully satisfying at the same time. It's damn cold outside, and this is definitely a summery beer, but in retrospect I'm glad I didn't go for a stout. Sometimes a bold enough summer beer is exactly what a dreary winter night calls for.

Anchor Brewing Co: Christmas Ale 2008

Merry Christmas beer drinkers! Wait, it's not Christmas. It's not even Thanksgiving. Well it doesn't matter as Anchor Brewing Co. releases it's Christmas Ale (a.ka. "Our Special Ale") in November. It's a new year, there's a new tree on the bottle, and we have a new beer.

You may remember that I drank a magnum of the 2007 ale in January of this year.

Also remember that each year Anchor changes the recipe of this winter warmer to spice things up. Not surprisingly the taste is similar. However there are a few noticeable changes.

First, this beer it a lot lighter in color. While the lighting in the picture does not quite pick it up, the beer is almost a bright red with a dark center. (click on picture: see bottom of the glass. Sorry, I'm not a photographer). Last year's brew was a lot darker. Also there is a thinner mouthfeel, more of a citrus taste, and a very very bitter coffee aftertaste. While the citrus and coffee flavors were present in '07 I feel they have been ramped up in '08.

You really can't go wrong with this beer no matter how much they tinker with it. Always enjoyable. May your upcoming holidays be warm and filled with beer. Cheers.

21st Amendment Brewery: 21st Amendment IPA

Goodbye to San Francisco for now. On my way out I had to pick up a souvenir. So naturally I went with a local brew. I snagged a sixpack from 21st Amendment Brewery.

I've only had one of 21st Amendment's beers prior and I wasn't planning on buying any of their selection when I got to the store, but this brewery caught my attention with some clever marketing; so I couldn't resist.

Believe it or not, 21st Amendment released their IPA in a beer can. I've drank a lot of beer in my day but I rarely see anything besides an American macro lager in a can. Of course you'll find a selection of foreign brew such as Guinness, New Castle, Boddingtons, Pilsner Urquell in cans all the time; but to see an American India Pale Ale in a can was rather interesting. The packaging spiked my interest.

I basically purchased the sixpack as a taste test to see if an IPA would hold up in a can. Most beer drinkers have experienced the effect of popping open a canned beer and noticing the metal aftertaste after every sip. Surprisingly the aluminum was not present in this IPA. The hop flavors probably masks any metal flavor.

As for the specific taste, this IPA is a little weak. It's not incredibly hoppy and the strong hop flavors are only in the initial sip and the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is a touch watery but there is a nice smooth dark malt flavor as well. Not the strongest IPA, but it holds up nicely in a can. A cool novelty beer as well. Especially with big bold lettering of "Brew Free or Die" written everywhere across the can. I definitely agree. Cheers.

Anchor Brewing Co.: Bock Beer

This is the last Anchor I needed to throw (back). I've now officially tasted the full repertoire. I must say I'm impressed all around. Minus the Anchor small (which is 3% alcohol) every beer is very flavorful, satisfying, and tasty.

Specifically, Anchor bock is a rather unique beer. It has a sour flavor. Not quite a sour ale. And not sour as in a spoiled sense but more the opposite of sweet. A pleasant sour. The other prominent flavor is the coffee flavor. It mixes with the maltiness providing a solid body.

Appearance wise, as you can see from the picture that this is quite a dark beer. Definitely darker than most bocks. Especially strange as a bock is technically a lager. But this beer is clearly as dark as any porter or stout. Outer appearance wise, the goat on the label seems weird at first. On further review, it turns out that the animal represents the sign of the Capricorn because Bocks used to only be brewed at the end of winter as a signal of the warmer seasons to come. If you are in San Francisco now you might feel that with this 65 degree whether that winter is already over. If you are stuck somewhere in the cold, you might want to pull up your anchor, head to California, and grab this seasonal brew. Cheers.

Anchor Brewing Co.: Steam Beer

As mentioned I took a tour of Anchor Brewing in Potrero Hill at the end of 2007. Since it was the heart of winter the brewers did not have the spring and summer release on tap for free sampling. Thus, when Anchor's spring seasonal hit shelves last week I had to pick up the beer because the staff treated me so well. But before I get to the spring offering (this is a back to back post) I had to give you Achor's flagship; the steam beer.

For those of you who haven't read any of Anchor's literature, the brewery has been around forever in San Francisco. To brew a solid lager in the strange San Francisco temperatures and before refrigeration was common place, new techniques had to be invented. With a new strain of lager yeast, Anchor created the Steam beer, which has subsequently been trademarked and thus referred to in the industry as the 'California common' beer. No one now knows why the beer was called steam beer; even the staff at the brewery. The beer label gives a plausible solution, but the tour guide gave a more likley explination: since the brewery use to place their vats of beer on the roof to ferment, the steam coming off the beer was seen by all local San Franciscans.

Anchor steam is a lager anomaly. It is a heartier lager and the hops are quite pronounced for this normally lighter beer. As you can see from the color, it is darker than most lagers and the taste is far more bitter. It can be best described as a hybrid between a pale ale and a traditional lager taking qualities from both.

On tap at pretty much every San Francisco watering hole, Steam beer is easy to find. It's a great local brew enjoyed by all due to its varying traits. If you haven't given it a shot yet, it's worth a try. I think you'll find something you'll like. Cheers

Anchor Brewing: Christmas Ale 2007

All I wanted for Christmas was beer. And I didn't need Santa's help; thanks to Anchor Brewing.

Anchor Brewing, the makers of the well known Anchor Steam beer, brew in the heart of San Francisco. This break I received a magnum of the Christmas Ale (see left) and then learned about this tasty beverage on a subsequent brewery tour with Ligthner.

Every year Anchor Brewing releases a new Christmas Ale (hence the year 2007 in the title of this post). Each time the brew has a different (and secret) recipe. Unlike most beers which have 3-4 ingredients I believe the tour guide mentioned this year's Christmas Ale had 37.

That being said, the Christmas Ale obviously has a very unique taste. Not surprisingly, the ale has a ton of spices and flavors. It's great for the winter season because it can hold its own with any heavy holiday dish or dessert. I myself tasted chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee throughout my consumption but there is obviously a lot more. It's one of the most unique beers on the market due to its incredible flavors. Eventhough the Christmas ale has tons of tastes, don't be shied away. It still tastes good and tastes like a beer (unlike many cherry, pumpkin, chili, rasberry, ect, ect flavored beer).

So be good in '08 and maybe next Christmas you'll receive a 6 packs or a magnum in your stocking. Or if your naughty, just schedule a brewery tour and drink as much as you please for free. Cheers.

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers: Untouchable Pale Ale

I inundated myself with Speakeasy this summer.

As it was my first time living in San Francisco City proper, I tried absorbing 'The City' by going all out local all the time. As former Washingtonians, Shaan (my former roommate and drinking buddy) and I are use to sucking down Redhook, Mac & Jack's, and Pyramid at home. With a new home, we tried switching it up. We traded in the old three for a new three: Anchor, Magnolia, and Speakeasy. And it wasn't that hard as these brews were on tap at every bar in our new hood.

I felt I had to consume large amounts of Speakeasy and I even joined the Speakeasy mob.

Speakeasy is rather small so it's pretty hard to find outside of SF. So I got pretty stoked when Vacaville BevMo randomly had two 6 packs in it's back room; so I snatched it up as soon as I discovered 'em. Unfortunately it was Untouchable Pale Ale. Although not bad in any sense, I prefer White Lighting, Big Daddy, and Prohibition. But I still had to write a review to spread the word for their other fine brews. And well, I didn't have much else in the fridge. (click on the picture to see my beer deviously plotting their escape from their cold prison)

Untouchable is a very unique American Pale Ale. It's most overwhelming quality is its toasted malts. I would say most APAs go for a balance between Hops and Malts, or, if anything, favor the hops. This beers is almost all toasted malts. I say toasted because it has that distinct charred malt flavor that you hear beer snobs talk about but never actually taste. This beer has got it. It's other notable feature is quick disappearance of the head that leaves a nice lacing behind as you drink it.

So if you are in The City and in mood for a Pale Ale that doesn't follow the trend try Untouchable. But if you want their best go with White Lighting or Prohibition. Cheers.