Beers and Bears

Dubbel Cannon IPA from Heavy Seas Beer, the new brand from Clipper City Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland.  Alcohol Content: 7.25%
No words from the brewer other than to say it is made with Belgian Dubbel yeast.  "Tangy hops and spicy aroma"  *Yawn*  I'm sorry Clipper City, you didn't bother to critique your own beer?  Well don't you worry, my thoughts are below.

 

Two Hearted Ale from Bell's Brewery in Galesburg, MI.  Alcohol Content: 7%.  From the brewer: "Two Hearted Ale is defined by its intense hop aroma and malt balance. Hopped exclusively with the Centennial hop varietal from the Pacific Northwest, massive additions in the kettle and again in the fermenter lend their characteristic grapefruit and pine resin aromas. A significant malt body balances this hop presence; together with the signature fruity aromas of Bell's house yeast, this leads to a remarkably drinkable American-style India Pale Ale."

Dead Guy Ale from Rogue Brewery in Newport, Oregon.  Alcohol Content: 16 degrees Plato.  From the brewer: "In the style of a German Maibock, using our proprietary Pacman ale yeast. Deep honey in color with a malty aroma and a rich hearty flavor."

In a world of possibilities, especially one in which a friend opens a refrigerator door and offers a world of different tasting beers, the last thing a person would ever think is to try the same beer three times.  You would almost be a fool to grab the Miller Lite and drink nothing but that.  I mean, the Bud Light Lime in the fridge was tempting, but instead I reached in and grabbed the Dubbel Cannon.

Absolutely nothing wrong with this beer.  The "tangy hops and spicy aroma" were not there.  I'm not saying this is a bad thing mind you.  The aroma was grainy.  This was no fruit laced hop scent, this was straight up hay bale-esque.  At first whiff I thought I was at the county fair again feeding little pellets to sheep who wanted nothing more than to eat and not feel my paw on their head.  But, what the hell, it's beer; let's go!  Away I sipped, running over the taste combination in my mind.  There really was nothing outstanding about this beer.  It was good, but I wasn't tripping over myself to run out and grab a second one from the fridge.

No, instead I grabbed the Dead Guy Ale.  Rogue let me down with the Irish Lager.  Well, not sure if it let me down and I'm not about to read the review to confirm the thoughts in my own head (that's too much like work and I'd rather be compared to a flip-flopping politician than fact check).  The Dead Guy Ale, even though it is a different style beer altogether, tasted surprisingly like the Dubbel Cannon.  I said that aloud and Brett confirmed my suspicion.  I was scared.  I mentioned to my father not too long ago that I would have to abandon the blog because all this craft beer started to blend together into a deeper shade of gray.  How could I ever brew and/or be a beer judge if I can't get a German Maibock and a Belgian IPA straight?  Alas, maybe the brewers messed up.  Yeah, let's go with that theory.  Dead Guy Ale, Dubbel Cannon: discuss! Also nothing outstanding about this beer.  It was good, but I wasn't tripping over myself to run out and grab a second one from the fridge.

No, instead I grabbed the Two Hearted Ale.  Before I even lifted the glass to my thoroughly quenched lips my friend Brett said, "You know, that beer surprisingly tastes like the other two, maybe a little hoppier."  Oh thank goodness he was right and wrong.  Two Hearted Ale was definitely hoppier, but that made all the difference in the world to the taste.  Finally a beer that wasn't like any of the others.  However, after a couple roast beef sandwiches and two similar beers clogging my palate, I feel it would be a disservice to Two Hearted Ale to give it any further look tonight.  It was delicious, but to fully describe the finer points of it would get me nothing but grief from those who actually trusted my opinion (of which there are few).  Bell's doesn't really disappoint and just by grabbing this beer Brett decided we needed to drive to Michigan just to check out the brewery.

Well, this makes two blog posts in the weekend.  Just to let you know, I have some pretty interesting bombers in my own refrigerator chilling for future consumption.  Next weekend is the Valpo BrewFest of which my cadre and I have decided to be VIPs.  The promise of sampling some rare brews was intriguing enough to show up an hour earlier.

Oberon Ale

Brewer: Bell's Brewery, Galesburg, Michigan
Alcohol Content: 5.8%

Official Description from Brewer:
"Bell's Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell's signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas.  The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer."

Wilk's Take:
Bell's Brewery is one of the better known microbreweries in my neck of the woods.  I have had pints of Bell's Oberon before and already knew it to be a summer seasonal brew.  My encounters in the past in no way prepared me for this experience as my pints came straight from the bar.  Pouring Oberon out of a bottle was new to me.

There was nothing overly dramatic about pouring the beer into the glass.  Oberon is a darker shade of yellow than a pale ale or lager but equally transparent in appearance.  The worrisome thing in the glass to me were little flakes that were dancing precariously amongst the little bubbles of carbonation.  I have never seen anything like it before.  I'm wondering again if I've encountered a bad beer.  Maybe it's bottle conditioned and this is the result.  Not quite sure.

Oberon smells a little like a wheat beer.  The graininess that most wheats throw at you is very low-key with this brew.  There is no hop aroma either.  I was missing everything Bell's was telling me was there.  Then again, I hadn't tasted the beer yet either.  When I did I enjoyed it.  The bubbly liquid played beautifully on the tongue and the taste was crisp and refreshing.

Bell's certainly does not "wow" you with anything flashy in Oberon but it delivers what it promises: "a classic summer beer."  This can easily be in the cooler on the deck or on the table behind the grill and yield a clean, crisp "ahhhh" after consumption.

Suggestion: Bell's Oberon has always been a hit with the crowds I run with and I can't say I blame any of them.  If you just finished mowing your lawn in 90 degree heat, grab a Bell's Oberon and you won't be disappointed.

Value: This was still part of my variety pack so the bottle went for $2.  That's a great deal as the micro brew price tag would follow you into the bar.  Grab a six pack and I'm sure the per bottle price drops even more.  There is value to it because you don't want to stop at just one.

Michelle Factor:  I asked Michelle to take a drink and she politely declined.  If the past is any indication she would not have favored this beer.