Review: Samuel Adams/Weihenstephan's Infinium

New Year's Eve is tomorrow so I wanted to quickly write down my thoughts on Infinium. After my last post I talked to a few of you and there have been some mixed reviews. Obviously, I was excited to try this beer and the fact that a limited beer had made it into public discussion intrigued be further. Perhaps we can blame a little bit on all the hype but my taste buds aren't easily fooled - it was pretty underwhelming. Right away when looking at the bottle I noticed it didn't have quite the bubbles I expected from a beer described for its effervescence and the mouth feel confirmed it. It is darker than other champagne beers that I've had and has a great smell. The beer taste was closer to a Triple with more dark fruit and roasted malts than other beers of this type. It does, however, have the doughy aspect that's typical in champagne beers. Don't get me wrong, overall it was not a bad beer. It's tasty so you should try a bottle while it's available, however, if you're looking for celebratory beer I would recommend some others instead. Go for Deus or if you can find it and can afford it, Scaldis Prestige. Deus can be found at Total Wine.

Samuel Adams Infinium

While watching the Today Show this morning, Hoda and Kathie Lee showcased Samuel Adams' Infinium Ale as a suggested replacement to champagne for beer lovers. This beer has many of the characteristics of champagne. It has a pale golden color, sparkling fine bubbles, and from the look of the bottle you'll notice its champagne-like shape and the foil around the bottles' cork. I've been meaning to try it and now with this reminder, I will do so this weekend to send you guys a quick review before your Christmas and New Years celebrations. In the meantime, here's where you can find it now -

All Whole Food stores should have it by now. One of our readers confirmed via twitter that it is most definitely available in their South Beach store. We've also spotted it at the Stop n Shop on 5885 Ponce de Leon and at Total Wine. It should run you $20.

It's available on limited holiday release 2010 so make sure to get it in time. I've heard great things about this beer already and it's no surprise considering it was made with such love. The Boston Beer Company worked for two years with the world's oldest continuously running brewery, Germany's Weihenstephan, to create this unique new beer style. I'll leave you with some stats, review coming soon -

Original Gravity: 20.5° Plato
Alcohol by Vol/Wt: 10.3%ABV - 8.1%ABW
Calories/12 oz.: 257
Malt Varieties: Custom blend of two-row malted barley, malted spring white wheat, and malted oats
Hop Varieties: Hallertau Mittlefrueh, Spalt Spalter, Tettnang Tettnanger and Hersbrucker Noble Hops
Yeast Strain: Samuel Adams ale yeast, Belgian yeast
First Brewed: 2010


For those of you that have tried it please share your comments here.  We'd love to hear what you think about this great alternative to bubbly. I know that my wife cannot wait. 

Review: Samuel Adam's Latitude 48 IPA

I must admit it's been a while since I was actually intrigued by a new beer from Sam Adams.  I actually was kind of surprised it took Sam Adams this long to make an IPA.  The Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA is the IPA that Sam Adams has finally released to the world.  This was worth the wait. Latitude 48 is a good transition IPA for people who are new to the style.  It is hoppy while not being overly so with a malty base to cut the bitterness.  If IPAs are your bag I would say this one is at least worth a try.  For sure not the most groundbreaking beer but a good submission into the IPA category.

Sam Adam's Beer Lover's Choice

Have you ever wondered how Samuel Adams seems to come up with so many different flavors of beer?  Well you can find out by showing up to McSorley's Beach Pub in  Ft. Lauderdale next Tuesday, July 20th from 6:00pm-9:30pm.  You will have the chance to sample and vote on two possible new beers that will be added to Sam Adam's product line.  Sample A is a Belgian Style IPA.  Sample B is an American Rye Ale.  Both sound interesting.  Along with samples of these two beers you'll also get to try the Sam Adam's Lager and Summer.  The event is free, so be sure to get there early.  Be the first to try these new beers before anyone else and have a say in what you will see in stores in the future.


July 20th, 6:00pm-9:30pm
McSorley's Beach Pub
837 N Ft Lauderdale Beach Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
(954) 565-4446

8oz Burger Bar Hosts South Beach Microbrew Competition

This Thursday, June 24th, at 7:30pm 8oz. Burger Bar will host a competition to find the top craft beer in South Beach.  I have been invited to be one of the judges.  There will be FREE beer and food and is open to the public.  Invite everyone you know because it is not everyday you get free beer and food.  The Beach Channel will be there filming the event so make sure to look your best.  Or just wear jeans and a t-shirt like I probably will be.  The beers that I know they will have so far are Shipyard Export, Seadog Blueberry, Magic Hat #9, and Sam Adams Summer.  If you show up because of this post, come introduce yourself.  I'll be the handsome one.  Hope to see you there.

June 24th 7:30pm
8oz Burger Bar
1080 Alton Road
Miami Beach, FL 33139-4706
(305) 397-8246

4/14 Sam Adams and Dogfish Head Beer Dinners

It looks like restaurants in South Florida are finally coming around to pairing beers and food. The flavor profiles in beer are so vast and can be paired with so many very interesting foods that beer dinners have been some of the best meals I've ever had.

There are two great restaurants hosting two great breweries beers on Wednesday, April 14th. Novecento, in Coral Gables, will be hosting the beers of Sam Adam and John Bull English Pub, in West Palm Beach, will be hosting the beers of Dogfish Head(ed. John Bull Dogfish Head Dinner postponed til May 6th). Both menus look amazing and you couldn't go wrong with either. Here is more info on both.

Novecento Sam Adams Beer Dinner
Menu:
Course 1: Seafood Ceviche- Shrimp, calamari, octopus, and fish marinated in lime juice, red onion, Peruvian yellow peppers , and yuca chips.
Paired with Samuel Adams Summer Ale

Course 2: Pizza Con Arugula Y Prosciutto- Pizza with arugula, mozzarella, and prosciutto crudo
Paired with Samuel Adams Pale Ale

Course 3: Beef Tenderloin Uncle Sam Style- Diced beef tenderloin marinated in Sam Adams Boston Lager, Dijon mustard served with caramelized onions and stuffed baby Croquets
Paired with Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Course 4: Linguine Putanesca- Linguine in a classic spicy red sauce with shrimps, Kalamata olives, and capers
Paired with Samuel Adams Boston Ale

Course 5: Dessert- Brownie with Vanilla-Cream Stout infused ice cream and chocolate ganache topped with Cherry Wheat infused cherries
Paired with Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

$40 per person. Call to reserve your seat today.

April 14th 7:00pm
Novecento
121 Alhambra Plaza
Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305) 444-7701


John Bull Dogfish Head Dinner
Menu:
Course 1: Reception- Grilled Salmon Salad with House Pesto and Asian Pork with Mango Chutney
Paired with 60 Minute IPA

Course 2: Salad- Mixed Baby Field Greens with Candied Walnuts, Carrots, Anjou Pears, Shaved Red Onions, and Stilton Cheese served with a Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette and Grilled Foccacia
Paired with 90 Minute IPA

Course 3: Appetizer- Herb encrusted Lamb Chops with a Fig and Port Wine Reduction
Paired with Raison D'Etre

Course 4: Entree- Grilled Veal T-Bone Steak with a Red Onion Risotto Finished Crisped Applewood Smoked Bacon and Wilted Greens
Paired with Palo Santo Marron

Course 5: Dessert- Individual Flourless Chocolate Cake with Fresh Berries and a Mocha Creme
Paired with Indian Brown Ale

$50 per person. Call for reservations.

April 14th, 7:30pm(postponed til May 6th)
John Bull Irish Pub
801 Village Blvd
West Palm Beach, FL 33409
(561)697-2855

Post-Thanksgiving Beer Tasting

The lineup

So, the beer closet was starting to overflow and I didn't want all this good beer to go to waste. I got together some of my friends that appreciate good beer and had them come over for a post Thanksgiving beer tasting. I pulled the candidates out of the closet and put together a little score card for everyone to keep track of what they liked and disliked. The tasters for the evening where my friends Eddy, Matt, George and Jason. George was running a bit late(nothing new) so we decided to try out a Southampton Double White Ale. Everyone enjoyed it. Wasn't much more than a white ale so not too sure what the double is about. A little more alcohol but without much more alcohol taste.

Matt and George discussing the beers

Finally, George arrived and we got started on the actual tasting. Started things off light and herby with Bison's Organic Honey Basil. This was pretty different for everyone since most aren't used to having basil in their beer. No one was entirely turned off by it and everyone could see really enjoying it with some pasta. We followed it up a winner from Sam Adams Longshot Series, Cranberry Wit. This didn't have quite the cranberry taste that we were all expecting. Not a bad beer but not one I would be searching out again either. River Horse's Double Wit followed up the cranberry wit. People were torn on this one. Some of us enjoyed it more than the Southampton Double and some less. It didn't have quite the aroma of the Southampton but I thought the overall taste was better and more like a wheat beer.

Jason and Eddy

It was now time to leave the wheat beers and started it out with French Broad's Gateway Kolsch. This one did not go over well with anyone. I'm going to say that the beer was probably past it's prime which didn't help. This one got the lowest score of the night from everyone. With kolschs they are either amazing or horrible. I don't think I've ever had one I was really indifferent about. This unfortunately landed on the horrible side. New Belgium's Fat Tire, which followed, made up for it. This one got rave reviews from everyone. Although not the most interesting beer of the night everyone agreed this would be a great session beer. A good balanced beer. Not too heavy, not too light.

The starters

This is where things started to get into the funky side. We cracked open a bottle of De Proef Signature Les Deux Brasseurs Ale. T his belgian strong ale is a collaboration between De Proef and Allagash breweries. I was pleasantly surprised to see that everyone really appreciated this beer. Through the funkiness of it you could pull out the apricot and citrus aromas. Eddy's quote of the night, "It smells like ass, but in a good way." Take that for what it's worth.

We brought things back down a little with a Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale. You can see my original review here. This one I think was a little past it's prime as well. Still not bad and got good ratings from everyone. Still would love to see this available all the time. We kicked up the hops a little more with Rogue's Yellow Snow IPA. This was another one that got rave reviews. Starts with a nice bitter bite and smooths out with some maltiness in the finish. From there we kicked it up another notch with Victory's Hop Wallop. This one had more of a piney aroma than the Yellow Snow. Less of a piney taste than smell. Bit of citrus comes out in it.

Headed over to the maltier side of things and to some bigger beers with Harpoon's Leviathan Series Quad. This was the winner for the night. Sweet and fruity with more of an alcohol taste then most of the other beers. Raisin, figs and dates shown through and everyone was made a fan. Moved along to the always interesting Allagash Four. Four malts, four hops, four sugars, four yeasts and fermented four times. Everyone enjoyed the layering that came out in this beer.

Special Guest

As we were getting to the end we tried out some beers that people won't be having again. We started it off with the Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head collaboration Life and Limb. There is a lot of hype around this beer and I was very excited to try this beer. The use of ingredients from each breweries family farms were used to make the beer I thought was a great idea. Maple syrup from Dogfish and barley from Sierra. The end product unfortunately left me feeling a little flat. Not that it was a bad beer just didn't quite live up to the hype. Nothing really stood out in the beer. The syrup part was very evident while the rest seemed to be covered by it. We moved on to another rare beer collaboration with the Stone/Maui/Ken Schmidt Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter. This one poured very dark. The coffee aroma was very evident. Tasted strong of coffee with some roasted nut and some coconut faintly in the finish. People were divided on this one. We moved on to Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout. This was like a melted dark chocolate bar. I quite enjoyed this one. We finished the tasting off with Mikkeller's Beer Geek Breakfast. This oatmeal stout isn't kidding with it's name. The oatmeal and coffee are very prevalent. Not as thick as other stouts.

Overall, everyone had a great time. Always fun to hang with good friends and enjoy some good beers. Look out for a Christmas/Winter beer tasting coming soon.

You can see the full list of beers and which ones are available in South Florida as well as what everyone's top five beers of the night were below.

TASTING LIST:
Bison Organic Honey Basil (available in South Florida)
Sam Adam's Longshot Cranberry Wit (available in South Florida)
River Horse Double Wit
French Broad Gateway Kolsch
New Belgium Fat Tire (available soon in South Florida)
De Proef Signature Les Deux Brasseurs Ale w/Allagash (available in South Florida)
Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA (available in South Florida)
Victory Hop Wallop (available in South Florida)
Harpoon Leviathan Quad
Allagash Four (available in South Florida)
Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life & Limb (available in South Florida)
Stone/Maui/Ken Schmidt Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (available in South Florida)
Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast (available in South Florida)

Dave:

1. Harpoon Leviathan Quad
2. Allagash Four
3. Rogue Yellow Snow IPA
4. New Belgium Fat Tire
5. Victory Hop Wallop

Matt:

1. Harpoon Leviathan Quad
2. Rogue Yellow Snow IPA
3. Victory Hop Wallop
4. Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life & Limb
5. Allagash Four

George:

1. Allagash Four
2. Harpoon Leviathan Quad
3. De Proef Signature Les Deux Brasseurs Ale w/Allagash
4. Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life & Limb
5. Victory Hop Wallop

Eddy:

1. De Proef Signature Les Deux Brasseurs Ale w/Allagash
2. Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life & Limb
3. Allagash Four
4. Harpoon Leviathan Quad
5. Victory Hop Wallop

Jason:

1. Harpoon Leviathan Quad
2. Allagash Four
3. River Horse Double Wit
4. Victory Hop Wallop
5. Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life & Limb

Review: Samuel Adams Long Shot Traditional Bock

In honor of the Bock tasting going on at Abraxas on Wednesday night I decided to review the Samuel Adams Long Shot Traditional Bock. The Sam Adams Long Shot series is a contest that Sam Adams has every year to find the best homebrews in the country and then Sam Adams brews it for mass consumption in this limited six pack. This version of Long Shot six pack also comes with a Double IPA and a Cranberry Wit. You get two of each beer.

This traditional bock pours a nice dark amber with a very thin head. It gives off a nice malty aroma initially but once it warms up a bit the aromas get a bit more fruity with some cherry and sugar. The malt and fruits carryover into the taste as well. As the beer warms the fruitiness comes out more and the maltiness moves back a bit. The lack of carbonation in this gives it a creamy mouth feel. Their is a slight alcohol taste at the very end but dissipates very quickly and leaves you with that maltiness that bocks are known for. It makes you want to come back for more. I enjoyed this beer and would drink it again, for sure, if it was around but not something I would necessarily seek out.

Review: Samuel Adams Black Lager

Over the last few weeks I've been going through my fridge and finally been getting to try some beers I had been sitting on for a little bit. I got this one in a variety pack a couple months ago and after drinking it wished I had had it sooner. Once I cracked open the bottle and poured it into my Sam Adams glass it looked and acted just like I had thought it would. It poured black but not as thick as a stout. You could still get some slight glimpses of light through it. The head was a tan brown color that stayed a good two fingers high. The head lasted til the end leaving a good amount of lacing on the glass. It immediately gave off aromas of coffee, sweet malt and a very slight hops. The mouth feel is most what I wasn't expecting. It had more carbonation than I was expecting it to have. It had about the mouth feel of a watery stout with more carbonation. The tastes where just what you were expecting from the smell. A coffee taste with some chocolate and a very slight hoppiness to it. It finished very smooth with a slight hop finish that dissipates quickly leaving you wanting another sip. Overall a very enjoyable beer that I would probably suggest to someone who doesn't enjoy stout's because of them being too heavy. Stout Light.