I fired up a batch of home brewed beer back in November, throwing in a little apple and a little maple syrup. I haven’t written a blog post about it yet, though I have mentioned it briefly in previous posts. I hit a little snag with my day job, and I haven’t posted in weeks; but I just drank the next to last bottle, so I guess it’s time to write something down for posterity about Apple Crisp Ale. Read the rest of this entry »
Apple Crisp Ale Homebrew
Three Quick Reviews of Central California Beers
Over the Christmas season, I had a chance to cruise by the grocery store in the Fresno area of California and pick up some beer that isn’t available in my home town. The best part was, Save Mart stores have a selection of beers that they let you mix and match to put together your own variety six-pack. I was after some goodies from the Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company in Fresno, so I grabbed two of the Half-Dome Wheat Beer, two of the Tamarack Amber Lager, and one General Sherman India Pale Ale. I also grabbed one Red Nectar beer from Nectar Ales in Paso Robles.
I’ve already reviewed the wheat beer, but its tasty, so I had to have more. Now, a few notes on the other three. Read the rest of this entry »
Old Rasputin Imperial Stout and Chimay Ale Grande Reserve 2012
When drinking beer starts to feel like work, you know you’re not doing it right. But I’m getting dangerously close to 
skidding off the highway to true beer happiness because of all the great beers I’ve tasted over the holidays and haven’t blogged about yet. So I’ve gotta start firing off two or three reviews at a time until I’m caught up. Otherwise, every new beer I try puts me another step behind. Today I’m going to write a little bit about two absolutely spectacular dark beers that were perfect for the holidays: Old Rasputin Imperial Stout and Chimay Ale Grande Reserve 2012. Read the rest of this entry »
Homebrew Prickly Pear Ale Tasting
Home Brewed Prickly Pear Ale
In the past I have tried to keep the blog on pace with my actual home brewing, writing about my new home brews as I first taste them. Real life has intruded a bit lately, and I am now almost two batches behind. That means it’s time to throw down a few words about the tasting of my Prickly Pear Ale. The recipe has already been posted, so here are some impressions about this novel brew. Read the rest of this entry »
At Last, Lagunitas Capuccino Stout
I made several stops at a variety of local shops looking for Lagunitas Capuccino Stout after pocketkkings did a review of this winter seasonal last year, but I caught on too late. I never did find it. But patience is a virtue, and in the fullness of time, my reward has come. I don’t think the world is gonna end in 2012 just because the Mayans ran out of toner cartridges right when they were printing up 2013, but if it does, at least I got to try this winter treat. Read the rest of this entry »
Prickly Pear Home Brew Part II
Getting prickly pear fruit off the cactus and into juice form is not for the weak or the timid, but somehow I got it done. The next step was to add the prickly pear juice to an all-grain home brew beer and see what happens. The juice was a lovely, rich, red color, with a flavor that mixed elements of red berries and green vegetables. Read the rest of this entry »
Anchor Steam Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
I grabbed another interesting seasonal beer at my supermarket and brought it home for a test drive last week. This time it was Anchor Steam’s Merry Christmas and Happy New Year offering. They brew this beer November through January, with a unique recipe every year. Read the rest of this entry »
