Showing posts with label Witbier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Witbier. Show all posts

August 26, 2008

Brass Monkey Brewpub

We had a chance to stop by the Brass Monkey Brewpub on our way up for a long lake weekend. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. What might have surprised me the most was the size of the samplers - wow - about 6 oz. for each glass - I don't remember exactly how much it was, but I'm thinking $9-$10. Here's a pic of the sampler I enjoyed on their alley porch:Here's a photo of each side of their beer descriptions:


Here's a picture of their (impressive) tap board and their taps (most of them made it into the pic):


I decided to sample only the Brass Monkey beers because I knew I couldn't get them in Indy. Overall they were more polished than I expected - I enjoyed them quite a bit.

Here are my notes:

White Flag Wit - 3 rating - Fruity, clovey (or maybe a little rubbery?) and appley. It was very smooth with thick mouth feel. I really enjoyed it except for small off flavor I couldn't identify, but by no means was it not worth trying.

Green Tea Pale Ale - 3 rating - Hmmm...tastes like green tea. Interesting. I don't have strong feelings one way or another about green tea, but I do like a good pale ale. This fits in the good pale ale category. It's a good change of pace.

Tenacious Apple Triple - 2 rating - This was my favorite beer of the outing. I had the lowest expectations for this one (just due to my personal tastes), but this was a good beer. Extremley smooth, especially for a beer with 10% abv. I would have had another one of these if we didn't have an hour and a half drive ahead of us.

Speak No Evil Belgian IPA- 3 rating - Solid. Nothing remarkable, but a very well done IPA.

See No Evil IPA- 4 rating - I think it's a matter of personal preference and not brewing ability. This beer was well done, but I don't think I enjoy dry hopped beers.

I tried to sample the Silver Back, but they were out of it when we happened to stop by.

As far as the food is concerned, I tried their tenderloin and it was definetly home made (and good). The food was cheap (we ordered two sandwiches, an order of sweet potato fries, regular fries, an iced tea and a beer sampler and got out of there for under $30), and the service was attentive (and helpful). I was a little leery about our server's knowledge (when I asked about their beers she told me the Wit was kinda like a Coors Light - I don't think the brewer would have appreciated that), but she ended up steering me in the right direction on which beers to include in the sampler. She also was very interested in how we like everything, but not in an annoying way.

One interesting note from the wife - how in the world does a place that brews their own beer not brew their own iced tea (the wife will only drink brewed iced tea - she's doesn't drink beer, but she knows good (and bad) tea when she sees it).

If you're in Kokomo, or passing through Kokomo, it's definetly worth a stop. I know we'll probably make it a must stop every trip to (or from) the lake.

April 10, 2008

Coors Brewing Company - Blue Moon Belgian White

What: Coors Brewing Company - Blue Moon Belgian White
Style: Witbier
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: $3.50
Where: Chili's (Trader's Point)
When: April 10, 2008
Rating: 5
Comments: Yeah, we went to Chili's again. I'm still not proud. I think I've been to Chili's more in the past month than I have in the past two years. The wife was having a boneless buffalo wing craving (pretty random, especially for her) and we were having dinner with the neighbor. Anyway, it was between Coors Light and Blue Moon (on tap - for beers I haven't "reviewed"). Which one would have you chosen? Yeah, I thought so. It's been a long time since I've dipped my toes in the Blue Moon waters. It was a better experience than I expected. It's not really a great beer that I'd seek out, but it's OK. Given the situation, I'm happy with my choice of beers (between the two). I did learn that Coors brews this - who knew? Not me.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/blue-moon-belgian-white-ale/2228/

March 30, 2008

Kiuchi Brewery - Hitachino Nest White Ale

What: Kiuchi Brewery - Hitachino Nest White Ale
Style: Witbier
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: $4.69 (11.2 fl. oz.)
Where: Home
When: March 21, 2008
Rating: 3
Comments:
Wow. I'm really surprised. I really didn't think this beer would do much for me. After a disappointing first beer of the night this beer was a welcome addition. I'm not sure it's something I would want all the time, but this is a really good, complex beer. It had an aroma I couldn't quite figure out - I asked the lovely wife, what she thought it smelled like - her response "beer" (she's not a beer drinker). Something about this beer reminds me of Thanksgiving and Christmas - is it the orange, floral, coriander smell (similar to what I use to brine turkeys with)? Is that smell bananas? Man, I'm stumped on the smell (any ideas, readers?) but I really like the beer. Now if it just had a price I could like - $4.29 for a bottle that's not even 12 oz? That's aggressive.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/hitachino-nest-white-ale/10526/

March 23, 2008

Boston Beer Co. - Samuel Adams White Ale

What: Boston Beer Co. - Samuel Adams White Ale
Style: Witbier
Vessel: Pilsner Glass
Price: $4.50 (23 oz. draft)
Where: Chili's (Trader's Point)
When: March 23, 2008
Rating: 5
Comments:
Yeah, we went to Chili's. I'm not proud. We needed something fairly quick, that we knew would be open. To my surprise they had a couple of Sam Adams beers on tap, not just the three major domestics. It's been a while since I had the White Ale, so I decided I'd try it again. It's OK. The first couple of sips had a pretty strong alcohol taste, but near the end it really evened out and finished well.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/samuel-adams-white-ale/165/