Pale Ale

May 31 2014

Sky High Rye Pale Ale

: Sky High Rye Pale Ale

What happened to the Sky High Rye Pale Ale?

Honestly, there are very few times in the history of Metasip when we’ve actually had to pour something out. This, sadly, was one of those times.

Rye, when done in an ale, can be quite effective. We’ve had Terrapin, which we found quite good. We’ve even tried the local rye ale, one from Temperance called Restless Years, and we found that one to be a solid choice.

But this one…this one failed. Time for the review of Sky High Rye Ale, from Arcadia Ales in Michigan.

Taste

Too bitter, really bitter aftertastes, and, again, we poured it out. Sorry, Sky High folks, maybe it was over-ryed or over-hopped or over-somethinged.

Actually, Dave, the website will tell you: it’s 80% English Barley Malt, and 20% Rye Malt.

Whatever it was, the citrusy taste wasn’t there for us, having been overpowered by the bitterness.

Profile

6.0% ABV, 55 IBUs.

Value

We’re the wrong people to ask – since we paid $9.99 for a mixed-six pack, this came out to $1.66 for a bottle of a beer that we poured down the drain. However, we’ll give the benefit of the doubt – maybe it was a bad bottle (there was another bottle in the mixed-six that was, we’re CERTAIN, “skunky”) or maybe we had a bad day.

In retrospect, we learned something: the continued value of the mixed-six. Had one and it wasn’t a fit? Pour it out, try another. You’re out less than two bucks.

Metasip Grade: C+

We’ll try this again down the road, we’re sure. And, if we find out we were mistaken, we’ll update our rating accordingly. OR, even better…you can tell us we’re wrong and rate it yourself – do so in the comments.

May 29 2014

A boozy tour of Chicago craft beers

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to spend an evening than traveling from bar to bar on a trolley filled with a bunch of fans of craft beer and sampling some of Chicago’s finest craft brews.

Seriously. Take a minute and try to think of something better. I’ll wait.

See? It’s not easy. And that’s exactly how I spent the evening of May 21. The tour began at Fountainhead and made its way to five other bars before the evening ended and at each, we got to try some of the latest offerings from Chicago and Midwestern breweries. I’m not going to review them all here because it would take forever. That said, we here at Metasip have a few mini-reviews for you. Hopefully, they inspire you to go out and try some new beers. Here we go.

3 Sheeps Cashmere Hammer

The tour kicked off with a sample of Cashmere Hammer, a rye stout from Sheboygan, Wis.-based 3 Sheeps. It poured a rich brown with a light tan head. 3 Sheeps brewmaster Grant Pauly said this particular beer was designed to be incredibly smooth.

“It was designed for nitro,” Pauly said.

It was indeed smooth and decently bitter, which is a plus in my book. But after a couple sips, I just wasn’t into it. It was a perfectly average beer, but nothing about it stood out. Nothing popped. It was boring.

Metasip rating: 2/5 stars

Ale Syndicate du Sable Hoppy Saison

Ok, so the tour started out on a not-so-great note. But it picked up when we got to the next bar. First up, a sample of du Sable Hoppy Saison from Logan Square’s Ale Syndicate. This is not my usual style of beer. I tend to go for dark, malty and roasty as opposed to hoppy. But I was there to experiment, so I took a sample.

And oh did I make the right call. The danger with a lot of hoppy beers – IPAs and the like – is that sometimes, they’re way too hoppy, to the point of being sharp or astringent. Not so with this. The hop flavor was prevalent, but it wasn’t sharp, making for a refreshing, easy-drinking beer.

Metasip rating: 3.5/5 stars

Ale Syndicate Omega Midnight Foreign Extra Stout

This wasn’t even being offered as an official sample, but Ale Syndicate brewer Jake Williams was buying samples for whoever wanted them, so of course I was going to try it. And let me tell you, Omega Midnight was the best beer I had that night.

Admittedly, this was odd as stouts go. There was a good bit of fruit flavor in it, but it wasn’t sweet. In fact, as Williams said, it was “bone dry” with a very pleasant bitterness. It’s smooth and sessionable, which could be a problem for me, as this beer checks in at 9.5% ABV.

Metasip rating: 4/5 stars

Summit Oatmeal Stout

The night of May 21 was definitely a summery evening. So you wouldn’t necessarily think to drink an oatmeal stout. But if you’re going to drink an oatmeal stout on a summer night, you might want to consider the oatmeal stout from St. Paul, Minn.-based Summit Brewing Company.

Oatmeal stouts (which I love, by the way) tend to be somewhat heavy. This was decidedly lighter than a lot of oatmeal stouts I’ve had. I didn’t feel full after drinking it, which was nice on a warm night. It’s a very bitter beer and the bitterness definitely lingers on the tongue. But it’s also very balanced, which keeps you from being overwhelmed by the bitterness.

Metasip rating: 3.5/5 stars

Goose Island The Ogden

Later in the evening, the trolley made its way back to North Center for a stop at the Wild Goose. Once inside, we were handed samples of The Ogden, from Chicago’s own Goose Island.

I wasn’t sure what to make of this one at first. It’s a Belgian-style tripel, but it’s very hoppy, which was unexpected. However, despite the hoppiness, it wasn’t too bitter, which was quite nice. Overall, this was a solid offering, but not Goose Island’s best. I’ll drink it if it’s around, but I won’t go out of my way for it.

Metasip rating: 3/5 stars

Local Option Dampf Loc

I’ll close out this list with another Chicago beer: Dampf Loc from Chicago’s Local Option. It wasn’t my favorite offering that evening, but it was pleasant.

I’d call this a warm weather beer, but I imagine I could enjoy it year-round. It’s a very dry beer with some mild hop notes on the back end. The reason I call this a warm weather beer is because it’s light and refreshing, but it’s got a good amount of body and I think it’d make a good session beer.

Metasip rating: 3/5 stars

May 04 2014

Why Mirror Pond Pale Ale Gets An A

We have a dilemma here at Metasip World Headquarters. That dilemma? It involves whether or not to grade on a curve. And that conundrum is front and center when we tried the Mirror Pond Pale Ale from Deschutes.

IF we graded on a curve – a true bell curve – then we’d probably have to give some beers (and some wines and a few spirits) an…F. We’d also have to give as many an F as we gave an A.

And that’s not fair. If you think about it this way, for a brewery to even get to the point where their stuff is available to the public, it’s not bad, right?

I mean, even stuff that isn’t craft beer can be…passable.

So no bell curve here. It’s settled.

But, that doesn’t really tell us what to do with this Mirror Pond Pale Ale.

Because, the other problem with grading, and even not grading on a curve, might be over-compensating.

For instance, we’ve actually noticed beer available at Whole Foods that gets a grade of 100. We assume this is 100 on a 100-point scale. Thus, the beer is, by all intents and purposes…PERFECT.

That’s saying a lot. Even the best, absolute most awesome beer will not be perfect. It’s impossible.

Mirror Pond Pale Ale Review

You know what’s next: this Pale Ale from the people at Deschutes…comes pretty close to perfect. It gets our highest grade – an A. Here’s why.

Taste

It’s got plenty of it, and it’s a brilliant pale ale with the hoppy goodness that’s not overpowering. NOT bitter. It’s just bloody awesome, mates. Really. Awesome enough that we said that in a foreign accent, maybe British, or Scottish, or even Australian.

Profile

5% ABV – which we love because you don’t feel bad having a second one. 40 IBUs, so it’s not bitter.

Value

If memory serves, it was $8.99 for a six-pack. If it were $9.99 or $10.99 for a six-pack, it’s money well-spent. This stuff rocks.

Metasip Grade: A.

Not “A-” but a full-blown “A.” And this beer earned it.

Apr 11 2014

Revolution A Little Crazy Pale Ale

We’re here to review Revolution’s A Little Crazy Pale Ale. We wanted to say that up front because the SEO people told us to.

This beer, from our friends at Revolution in Chicago, is…well, it’s flat-out phenomenal.

It’s pale – I’m more partial to “pale” than IPA – but still packs some decent hoppy goodness. 6.8% ABV, “A Little Crazy” has a photo of someone who looks too much like Jerry Garcia on its website. See the link here: Revolution Website.

“Belgo-Style” according to the web. I’m not a beer snob – but I play one on TV – so I’ll just say that I need MORE BELGO STYLE! MORE!

BTW, Gentle Reader: You can review this in the comments. Please do so if you are so inclined.

Hugs,

Metasip

Jan 04 2014

This Suburban Dad Drank Fifteen Different Kinds Of Beer During The Holidays – And He Ranked Them All. His Favorite Will Change The Way You Think About Craft Beer. And Life Itself.

I’m an enthusiast, but even I didn’t think I’d be THIS enthusiastic about the top beer on my Holiday Drinking List.

Here’s the background: I’m Dave, the suburban dad. I live in Chicagoland, and I said goodbye to a friend over the holidays. That friend? Dominick’s. The Super Market.

Their loss is our gain, as their Going Out Of Business Sale meant 30% off on a whole bunch of stuff. We stocked up and then some and I said “ALL THE BEERS” in all caps and the drinking commenced.

THEN…I went to a beer hall place, and they did a Flight Thing and I enjoyed that, too.

So it’s A LOT of BEER!

In true Metasip fashion, here all all of the ones I tried. However…we’re going to rank them in reverse order because that’s the way to ensure that you make it all the way to the bottom. Because you won’t believe what was Number One.

Horray, Beer!

Here goes nothing:

The Average…

#15 – Smithwick’s: B-

Part of the “Six Pack Sampler” from ye olde brew pub. I’ve had this before, and I’ll have it again, I’m sure. Nothing to write home about. Grade: B-.

(Let’s talk just a little bit about this “Six Pack Sampler.” I paid, I don’t know, ten bucks? For a flight of six beers. And each pour was 5 ounces. Math was never my strong suit…But upon further review, if a “B-” beer is the worst of the six, and you’re getting 2 1/2 bottles of premium stuff for ten bucks…this, my friends, is a deal.)

Let’s now talk about the biggest surprise of the batch:

#14: Blue Moon Gingerbread Spiced Ale – B-

Why was this the biggest surprise? I thought, frankly, that it would be atrocious.

It wasn’t.

Dare I say it was at least drinkable – but, sadly, it can’t get a grade of “B.” It’s a B-, because…

Well, I was expecting “gingerbread” the whole time. I got some of the molasses and a little of the sweetness, but not much else by way of flavor. Incredibly average, but exceeded expectations.

The Pretty Good…

#13: Anchor Christmas – B

5.5%ABV (according to YOBP*) and didn’t knock you down. Special Holiday Ale, whatever that means. Not insanely hoppy, folks. So that’s good. Give it a grade of “B.”

*Ye Olde Brew Pub.

BTW, it’s lower left in the photo of the six little glasses above.

#12: Samuel Adams Double Agent IPL – B

I’m guessing that “IPL” means “India Pale Lager.”

I didn’t know what to expect…so this wasn’t unexpected in that it tasted like something I didn’t expect (thus making it expected, I guess, and making this a run-on sentence).

Should have called it “IPA.” Came as part of a Samuel Adams Multi-Pack. I give it a solid B.

The “Yes, I Would Like Another” Group…

#11: Bell’s Midwestern Pale Ale – B+

On like a pot of neck bones.

Everything Bell’s does is pure hoppy goodness. This, too, but, in true “Pale Ale” fashion, not overly hoppy.

This also makes us pine for summer and think about Oberon. “B+” grade.

#10: Blue Moon Rounder Belgian-Style Pale – B+

Not “Pale Ale.” Just…”Pale.”

Pales in comparison to their other stuff, though. I expected a little bit more – this one was tried AFTER one of their other brews was tried. (FORESHADOWING: it’s one we really really liked.)

#9: Allagash Hugh Malone – B+

Hoppy, with an extra dose of alcohol. 7.8% ABV. I only finished one-half of the 5 ounces. Good thing.

As is the beer – “Floral Belgian…brewed with Maine Barley.” Thanks to YOBP for the notes. Liked it.

Pictured above, second from left in the front.

#8: New Belgium Rampant – B+

Most of what New Belgium does is gonna be rock-solid. This, too, falls into that category. But it’s also served with a fair warning:

8.5% ABV. See above about “not finishing the whole thing.”

(It’s also part of the photo above of the sixer.)

BREAK TIME…Random Liquor…

Dr. McGillicuddy’s Mentholmint – A-

Beautiful stuff. Not your father’s Peppermint Schnapps.

(Actually, this WAS my father’s Peppermint Schnapps. He loved this stuff. Cheers!)

The “Make a Special Trip” Category…

#7: Old Speckled Hen – A-

This British ale has “wonderful warm flavors of malt and toffee.” And it does. Plus, it’s not TOO heavy – 5.2% ABV – and has a nice color to it. (The lightest of the six in the photo above – upper right corner.)

#6: Stone IPA – A-

Boom! And from San Diego. Like hoppy? This is for you.

They’ve got a tremendous reputation out west. As well they should.

#5: Revolution A Little Crazy IPA – A-

Chicago represents! If you’re in San Diego and you’re a Stone fan, you should probably hunt these Revolution folks down. Good stuff – this, though, is not as hoppy as Stone, or as other stuff from Revolution. “Belgian Pale Ale.” Right about right.

#4: Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA – A-

Color me SHOCKED. This was quite quite good – just a hair short of an “A” grade. The “Latitude 48” refers to just where they get the hops from. Says so on the bottle, but check your map, too.

The Primo Stuff. Grade A. Top-Flight…

#3: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – A

You can’t expect that I, the one who at one point anointed this “BBKTM*,” would give this anything less than an A, did you?

(*Best Beer Known To Man.)

It is still one of my all-time faves. People who are really into craft beer will call me a sell-out. I don’t care. It’s a beaut.

#2: Three Floyds Robert the Bruce – A

Also, beer snobs point to Munster, Indiana as the HQ for all things hip, since that’s where Three Floyds operate. All three of them. The Floyds. (Above, it’s in the middle of the back row.)

This, according to YOBP, is 6.5% ABV. And yes, it out-ranked the BBKTM on this ranking. Maybe it was our mood.

But…it wasn’t the winner. The winner…well, let’s just say that, before you start judging books by their covers – like WE DID – remember that it’s what’s inside the bottle that counts.

Here goes…

#1: Blue Moon Short Straw Farmhouse Red Ale – A

Something jumped out about this one. It was downright glorious – “red ale” to us means closer to “Belgian” or “pale.” But also enough hop, enough malt, and a little bit of that toffee…Without a doubt the “best in breed” on this holiday.

So, what was the point of all this?

And how did “His Favorite…Change The Way You Think About Craft Beer”?

More than just clickbait – the goal is to get you to think a little differently about what you buy, what you try, and what you think.

Happy drinking!