Hangar 24: Oktoberfest (Celebration)

As I sit here and drink my morning coffee, I have decided to try something a little different. It has been months since I last blogged about new/exciting brews. It is not because I have lost interest or I have stopped analyzing beer; I can promise you that is not the case. I have just slacked off a bit when it comes to anything that channels my strong relationship with academia. However, it is time to return to the world of beer through text. Now, onto something a little bit different.

Last week in the IE, Hangar 24 Craft Brewery celebrated its release of their Oktoberfest, a Marzen-style lager. Last year the release party for the brew was held at the brewery itself. I attended this celebration, and it is insane to think about how much a brewery can grow in one year. While the Oktoberfest in 2010 was packed shoulder to shoulder with almost no shade, it was still relatively easy to get a beer. In fact, they even put on a special cask of the 2010 Oktoberfest with raspberries added, and it was delicious. The pros definitely outweighed the cons.

Transition back to 2011, and let's discuss Hangar 24's 3rd Anniversary celebration. It was still held at the brewery, but this time they rented a huge tent for shade (Redlands is not known for its shade or cool weather to say the least). They had live bands, specialty brews, and enough room for every person to comfortably move around. The celebration seemed to be carried out successfully to a tee. This is what I was expecting for their Oktoberfest release. Yet, I do not manage the books for a brewery so I have absolutely no idea what the difference in costs were between this, and what they did for their Oktoberfest this year.

Now I feel I have provided enough background information to inform you, the reader, of my experience at this year's Oktoberfest. When it comes to situations and events like this, I'm not very picky. Let me just get that out of the way. This year's celebration was held at a park directly across the street from the University of Redlands. A nice strategic move by Hangar 24, and completely understandable on my end. The $5.00 cover was donated to the Optimist Club of Redlands, an organization to help youth (from what I understand). It was relatively comedic, however, that the old men kept calling the brewery "Hangar 21." I don't know why I found it so entertaining, but maybe it was because it brought back my Megadeath days; all I had to do was subtract 3 from 21, and I'd have Hangar 18! With that being said, the celebration was fun in my opinion. While there weren't many activities to fill time besides old, traditional socialization, it was still an entertaining experience while holding a fresh Oktoberfest lager in hand.

 (Oktoberfest lager resting next to glass stein filled with commemorative shirt)

The beer itself is rich and malty, with a little bit of spice to it that I do not remember from last year. This could have been a reaction to something I ate earlier in the day, but I am not entirely sure. The brew then had a slight, or should I say very slight, hoppy finish. Hangar 24 knows how to make a good beer, and this year's Oktoberfest lager is no exception.

(Polka band playing "Just Because")

(Stein holding contest)

 

Now back to the celebration itself, I must obviously give my opinion on my disappointments. While the lack of activities didn't bother me much, the beers available did. I understand it's hard to transport a large number of your beers in the trucks-turned-bars, but the disappointment came when there were only 4 beers available. The beers available were: Orange Wheat, Helles, Alt-Bier, and of course Oktoberfest. None of these beers are bad, that's not my point here. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that one of the pros of having it at the brewery itself is the option to have something different if desired. Or, in fact, have the special cask put on for the festival. At the brewery, there is always the option to have something different. At a park, you only have four choices. That's my only issue with the celebration. The food was good, the polka was great, and the people from Hangar 24 are always really nice and relatable. I will definitely return to the Oktoberfest next year, so I suppose I better start browsing some authentic lederhosen online.

Stone Brewing Co: Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout

Another Belgo. I have been waiting for this one to come out for quite some time (since the Belgo Old Guardian) and the moment has finally arrived. The descriptions and notes on the bottle beat you over the head with the whole anise thing, so I figure there is going to be a lot of black licorice flavor present in this brew (Education on ANISE). These are just, obviously, predictions. It pours just as I expected it would: black, no translucence at all, and a dark khaki head.

The most prominent aroma? Anise. Not that this is surprising considering I know the story behind the creation of this beer, but wow, it is quite pungent. I also get oakiness, molasses, and alcohol on the nose. As I continue to smell the brew, I find slight traces of smokiness as well. Not much (nor do I expect it to taste smokey at all), but I can still pick it out. The flavor profile does not differ much from the nose. Lots of anise on the front with very identifiable alcohol. As the beer hits the back of the throat, the flavors of the traditional IRS appear only to be suddenly smothered by more anise and alcohol for a bitter finish.

Honestly, I am not sure about this, nor the Belgo idea as a whole. I would never say this is a bad beer, because it's not. It's actually quite original. However, there's just too much anise. I feel Stone's use of the Belgian yeast with the two Belgo styles this year hasn't worked as precisely as they would have wanted. At least not for enjoying the beers upon the date of their release. I'm really hoping this beer mellows out after a while (as I hope with the Belgo Old Guardian Barley Wine). It definitely punches you in the face with flavor and uniqueness, and I'm also quite anxious to try it on tap. My only fear is that the alcohol and anise will be even more prominent on tap. I did not have this beer cold either; I drank it at room temperature. It ranks in at 10.5% ABV. I'll try the other one I bought in about a year. Do I recommend it? Yes. I think everyone should taste this. Spend the $6.00, support local breweries, and enjoy it slowly.

Caldera Brewing Company: Ginger Beer

I must say, I don't really know how I feel about Caldera out of Ashland, Oregon. I've only had a couple of brews from them, and they have all been "decent." By decent, I mean I'm glad I tried them but really have no desire to buy them again. With that being said, I will try any brew at least once. Consequently, I purchased this beer and immediately began judging the book by its cover. I know I shouldn't do this, but it is difficult for me to get past this beer's name: Ginger Beer. Really, Caldera? You couldn't have come up with something witty or ironic or something? Anyways, now that everyone knows that I take a beer's name seriously, I will get to actually trying it.

It pours a translucent straw yellow with a fizzy head (Fizzy Yellow Beer). Again, unimpressive. The aromas don't really catch my attention either. I smell citrus and a slight malt character. That's about it. I truly hope the flavor of the beer knocks me off my feet...

Nope. I don't really know what I expected from this guy, but it's just an all-around unimpressive brew. I can taste the ginger, but it's not beating me over the head with the ginger flavor. Instead, it's just somewhat lingering in the initial taste. The citrus is present throughout and the finish is slightly dry with a tad of a hop character; again though, there's nothing too special about this. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. For all I know, this is what Caldera was going for. In regards to the beer, the bottle states, "A summer beer designed for hot weather quaffing." They are definitely not wrong. I mean, I get it. Ranking in at 4.7% ABV, it's definitely a session-style beer that could be enjoyed all day. Summing it all up, for me, this is just a brew filled with so much mediocrity that I'd recommend grabbing something else if you are torn between this or something else. Have no fear though, Caldera Brewing Company. I'm going to buy your "Vas Deferens" Belgian-Strong Ale next. I believe there is a beer or yours out there for me, and I'm hoping that is it. At least the artwork is amazing, right?

(Photo courtesy of Caldera Brewing Company's website)

Cheers!

Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck: Kasteel Rouge

First things first, this beer is described as a "Belgian Ale with Cherries and Cherry Juice Added." Some fruit beers are good while some are not that great, but I will never exclude a beer from a write-up because I'm not a huge fan of the style. I felt like a little something different, much like the music I am currently listening to, so I bought this to try. I mean, come on, I have the matching glassware. That in itself is enough to give this beer a shot.

Upon pouring it, I can smell the cherries and it was actually quite over-the-top on the cherry aromas. There is almost no head, and the beer pours a deep, clean red. The red didn't come out in the photo because of the background novels, but believe me, this is a deep read. As I stated before, strong cherry aromas with some sweet maltiness to it. It almost reminds me of the smell of dark cherry soda. I cannot stand artificial cherry flavors because I feel they make everything taste like medicine. Either way, there isn't anything too special in terms of appearance or aromas, so let's get to tasting.

Tastes just as it smells. Carbonated cherry juice. The aftertaste is slightly bitter, but I cannot taste alcohol in this beer at all. I am also getting a slight sour aftertaste as well. But there is something pretty exciting about this fruit beer. Are you ready for the big surprise? This thing is 8% ABV. 8%! It is quite surprising to me considering there is no alcohol flavor present in this at all. For this being a fruit beer and scaling in at 8%, it's a very well-made fruit beer. Belgium, you have done it again. Yet another satisfying beer, regardless of whether it is a fruit beer or not. Ladies, I suggest you try this one. You'll love it. Fellas, I suggest you try this one too. Sometimes, it's nice to change things up a bit, even for the die-hard hophead.

Great Divide Brewing Company: 17th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

Now, if the name alone doesn't make you want to try this beer, then I think you are probably reading the wrong blog. Obviously I'm kidding since I'm not in the market of alienation, but this brew just sounds like something that is right up my alley. Immediately I am reminded of Dogfish Head's Burton Baton which is very similar in terms of immediate descriptions. When I heard this brew was being released, I kept my eyes peeled for weeks. This is mainly due to the fact that I knew I would purchase it without a second thought, and that leads us to today. After sharing a few brews with some old and new friends at the Fullerton Farmer's Market Beer Gardens, I decided to come home and crack this monster open. Yes, I am assuming it is a monster because an Oak-Aged  DIPA is no American Light Lager. At 10.0% ABV, I'm ready to get this taste going.

The beer pours a honey-amber with somewhat of a blood orange translucence to it. The head is a light khaki and dissipates rather quickly. The only thing left is about a centimeter of head at the top of the brew. The aromas are interesting to say the least. I get the wood almost immediately with a mixture of sweet malts, bitter hops, and even some caramel and vanilla. I would have pulled the wood out of this (stop it) even if I didn't already know it was aged in it. It's quite apparent to my nose. Anyways, onto the beer!

Now, I'm going to admit that I hardly chilled this beer at all. This is mostly because I feel these sorts of beers are so much better with only a slight chill, but more towards room temperature. The beer is pretty strong on the alcohol front once it immediately hits the tongue. However, upon swirling, the alcohol takes a back seat to complex wood flavors mixed with some nice malts. I do, also, get vanilla on the tongue. Upon swallowing, it's definitely better on the back end. The mixture of wood and malt blends with a bitter hoppy finish to create a definitely well-balanced beer. Every sip of this beer is a pleasure, especially to someone that has taken a break from craft beers for a number of purposes. The sweetness seems to be the only thing that stays with you in terms of lingering flavor characteristics. This one is definitely worth a buy. Try it. Let me know what you think. I might buy another one and see how it tastes in a year, but then again I might not. This is definitely a sipper, though. Do not purchase this and expect to just put it down like a normal IPA. This is the type of beer that is meant to be savored and shared. Hence, this blog. I'm sharing it with you, albeit through text. Now go get one.

Double Old Thumper Ale

So, it has once again been quite some time since I've blogged a new beer. This is mainly due to the fact that I have been trying to cut back on my beer consumption. Yet, I have had this brew in my refrigerator for quite some time and I'm tired of it staring me in the face every time the door opens. Plus, I have missed beer too much to keep ignoring this intriguing ale. I've always been a fan of the original Old Thumper Ale, so once I saw the double, it was a definite purchase. At 11.2% ABV, it promises to be a monster whether it is good or not.

It pours a nice amber with a glowing red translucence when held up to the light. A nice malty aroma presents itself with some alcohol on the nose as well. Knowing that the original Old Thumper is a nice British ale, I expect some creaminess on the tongue at some point. There is about a half an inch of khaki head and I'm very eager to taste this beer.

Whoa. Alcohol galore. I really don't know how else to describe it other than slight sweet malt character with a whole bunch of alcohol. The aftertaste is actually quite pleasant, so I'm going to let this guy warm up a bit and see if some of the overpowering alcohol flavor falls off.

Overall, this is not a complex beer at all. Would I buy it again? Probably not. I think that Shipyard should stick to brewing and bottling the regular Old Thumper on a grander scale and free the room in their tanks held up with this brew. While I was really excited to see a "double" of a beer that I've always enjoyed, this is physical proof that making a double is not always the best idea for certain beers. While cold, it's just not very enjoyable. As it warms, some of the alcohol falls off,  but not too much. British Bitters, I get it. However, the alcohol character just really clashes with the flavors of this brew. I'm curious as to whether this beer would age well? I'm not going to try it, so if anyone else tries it, let me know.

Uerige: DoppelSticke

I seriously bought this beer because of the sweet bottle. I mean, considering everything on the label is in German, I was clueless as to what it was except for it being an Alt-Bier. So, I purchased it and brought it home. I was not going to do a write-up on it, but then the aromas hit me. The aromas coming off of this guy are huge. Sweet malts, toffee, brown sugar, even some sort of barrel. To be honest, it smells a lot like the Lost Abbey Angel Share that I had aged in Brandy barrels. That's the closest I can come to comparing the way this brew smells. It's amazing. Upon further analysis, the label says this: "Bottled on 06.04." Knowing that months and years are reversed (from the way we do it here in the United States) in Europe, I'm assuming this beer was bottled in April 2006. So, pretty much 5 years ago this thing has been sitting and aging. Amazing news considering I spent $6.00 on it.

The beer pours a murky brown, as expected. There was little head that quickly disappeared to leave nice lacing around the inside of my glass. If I had known that I would be reviewing this guy, I wouldn't have used this style glass. Either way, it does not matter to me as I am dying to try it.

Immediately I get alcohol on the tongue with lots of carmelized malt characters (toffee, caramel, brown sugar) like in the aromas and a slightly bitter finish. The finish actually has some dark espresso bitterness to it. Honestly, it smells a lot better than it tastes. Yet, it is still a great tasting beer. It is an extremely easy-drinking beer, especially for something that started out at 8.5% ABV. I can guarantee that it is higher in ABV in 2011 for the alcohol is not hidden at all. You can definitely taste it, but this is a great beer for the beer lover who is searching for something different. Will I buy it again? Probably. Do I recommend it? Absolutely. Go get yourself a DoppelSticke and throw on some Wizo while you enjoy it, schweinhund!