TWIB – Anniversary in Annapolis

This Week in Beer (TWIB) is a feature where I’ll highlight some craft beers I had during this past week mixed with some related (and unrelated) thoughts. Yes, it’s a play on the name of the show This Week in Baseball which I grew up on and loved.

This was a special weekend for me. My wife and I celebrated our first anniversary. We took a trip Annapolis, MD, a place we’ve never been to before.

Fordham Brewing Company

Well I was in charge of planning the trip and right off the bat when we arrived Sunday afternoon I took us to get lunch at a restaurant that doesn’t open until 5:00pm. Nice work. So plan B kicked in and I walked us around until we found the most crowded spot which ended up being Rams Head Tavern.

I ordered the Fordham Brewing Company sampler. It consisted of 6 of their beers:

• Rams Head IPA
• Rosie Parks Oyster Stout
• Copperhead Ale
• Helles Lager
• Tavern Ale
• Wisteria Wheat

The Copperhead Ale was my favorite by far. It was complex and flavorful. However, it was the only one I’ll ever get again besides maybe the Oyster Stout. The rest were average at best.

Boulevard Brewing Company Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

Even though I struck out with lunch I hit a homerun with dinner. We went out to Severn Inn and feasted on seafood while sitting on the water.

I’ve had Tank 7 before and knew it was a winner. This beer is one of the few Saisons I enjoy. It’s dangerous at 8.5% ABV so I only had one while my wife took down a delicious white wine sangria.

Boulevard is relatively new to being distributed to where I am in Virginia so I’m just beginning to have their beers and hear about the company. From what I’ve seen these guys “get it” and are doing things right. I mentioned them in a post last week Why a Brewery Needs an Online Video Presence.

April Dirty Thirty Day 7 – Butternuts Heinnieweisse Weissebier Farmhouse Ale

We’ve made it a week! We’ve had some great beers so far. I guess it was time for that to change. Today’s April Dirty Thirty review is on…

Butternuts Heinnieweisse Weissebier Farmhouse Ale

Butternuts Heinnieweisse Weissebier Farmhouse Ale

Critical Information:

• 4.9% ABV
• Year-round
• Canned

My Experience:

– POUR

The first can beer for AD30. It has an opaque yellow-orange color with an airy-white head. Bubbles continue to rise for several minutes.

– SMELL

It smells sweet, like honey and citrus. There’s also some nectarine and grapefruit. I cannot smell any maltiness.

– TASTE

It’s tart and sour. It tastes fairly dry as well. I get some of the grapefruit coming through but not much of the sweetness I smelled earlier. There’s a lot of carbonation still working.

– MOUTHFEEL

It feels more like sparking juice than beer. Almost like seltzer water. I guess that’s a characteristic of the farmhouse ale style though.

– FOOD PAIRING

This beer feels very delicate. A summer salad with an oil-based dressing would pair well or mozzarella or similar cheese.

– OVERALL THOUGHTS

Beer comes in many styles. This trait is very beneficial because there is usually a style that someone can grasp onto and learn to tolerate even if they don’t like beer at all. This beer might be for them. Maybe it is technically a hefeweizen but it does not feel like it. I sometimes tease and call out ladies for liking hefeweizens (even though I really like them too, I actually homebrewed one today) but I’m not recommending this “not beer, beer” for them. I’m recommending this to the people who don’t care to like beer and never want to like beer. Hefeweizens are gateway beers for people, getting them to branch out little by little. This is for a beer hater who wants to drink a beer to be fashionable and continue on hating beer. This beer is not bad it’s just not for me. Maybe I’ll appreciate it more as my palate grows but for now pass me another Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout and let me enjoy my night.

Score: 2/10

Congratulations for being a part of the April Dirty Thirty project. Keep the tweets and comments coming, you’re doing fantastic! Remember to use #AprilDirty30. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this beer, what you had tonight, what you’ve tried recently, anything.

Try something new, grow your palate and share it with us.

My Big Debut – Beer Club #1

Hosting beer club at the Buffalo Wing Factory – Photo taken by Mitch Witte

Last Friday, February 22^nd, was my big debut as a craft beer professional. Well, almost professional. Getting paid in beer is close enough. My buddy got me a gig hosting a craft beer tasting at a local restaurant, the Buffalo Wing Factory. I represented five beers all from different breweries.

1. Lost Rhino Rhino Chasers Bohemian Pilsner
2. Williamsburg Alewerks Washington’s Porter
3. Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA
4. Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
5. Butternuts Moo Thunder Stout

The Rhino Chasers Bohemian Pilsner by Lost Rhino in Ashburn, Virginia was our first beer. I explained a bit about the history of the Pilsner and cold-fermented lagers. This was paired with an avocado salad with bell peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, sweet onions and lime juice.