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Tag Archives: Summer

Time for Some Baseball and Brews!

27 Monday Jul 2020

Posted by mrericness in Beer Reviews

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Baseball, Beer, Beer Review, Idle Hands Craft Ales, Massachusetts, New England, Summer

Baseball is back and so am I!  I’ve had difficulty finding inspiration for posts lately, but this is definitely an occasion that has me excited.  Although I have some very mixed feelings on whether or not the time is right for the sport to return, it does make me happy to see games again.  As I’ve said here before, the MLB season is the soundtrack to my summer, sometimes in the background and sometimes blaring front and center but it’s always there.  To help welcome it back in true BeerRantsAndBooks style, I paid a visit to my friendly neighborhood brewers at Idle Hands to no contact pickup a pair of baseball themed brews!

My beverages of choice were a pair of brews named Short Season and Backwards K.  I started out with the 6.0% Short Season, a NEIPA brewed with Sabro and Galaxy hops.  It poured to a bright, cloudy pale yellow body fully capped by thin white foam.  It featured a distinct base of pale malt and oats beneath a sweet tropical haze and a low-key bitterness that mixed in just a hint of spiciness.  Overall I’d say this was a fine beer, but I was perhaps expecting a bit more from it.  I think if the malt backbone just a bit more subdued this would have been a real winner.

Batting second was Backwards K, another NEIPA that checked in at a slightly higher 7.3%.  Brewed to emphasize the glory of Mosaic hops, it poured a darker/more amber tinged color yellow with a thin layer of foam covering the top.  It had an invitingly sweet aroma followed up by smooth tastes of melon, berry, and tropical fruits.  It finished with a mild bitterness that followed perfectly from the front end of the beer.  This was the star of the night for me and one that you definitely don’t want to get caught looking on.  Check it out if have the chance!

Well, that’s it for now.  Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there!

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Shakesbeer Beverages – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

02 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by mrericness in Beer Reviews

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Massachusetts, Shakesbeer Beverages, Summer

The second of two beers my wife picked up the other day.  This one caught her eye because of the name and I can totally relate.  It’s always nice to have a literary brew (or four) in the house)!

Beer Name: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Brewery: Shakesbeer Beverages (Hingham, MA)

Style: Summer Pale Ale

ABV: 5.2%

Description: Not a lot of specs available on this, but the brewery lists it as a summer pale ale brewed with lemon zest.

Appearance: The light golden body was cloudy yet just barely clear enough to see through.  A thick white foam settled across the top upon completion of the pour.

Smell: Crisp scents of sweet bitterness mixed  with hints of lemon.

Taste: It had a dry pale malt backbone topped initially by mild sweetness and melon notes.  It closed with a mild bitterness accentuated by lemons that left behind a rather tart aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with slightly above average carbonation.

Hype: None that relates to the actual beer.  I do, of course, welcome the tie-in to reading and my wife really liked the company’s “Brewed as you like it” tagline.

Overall: It was appropriately nice and light for the summertime, but I wasn’t really all that into the lemon aftertaste. I think this was more of a personal preference thing as opposed to a fault of the beer since my wife liked this a bit more than I did.

 

Somerville Brewing Company (Slumbrew) – Yellow Shark

29 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by mrericness in Beer Reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

American Fresh Brewhouse, Beer, Beer Review, Massachusetts, Slumbrew, Somerville Brewing Company, Summer

This past Friday my wife and I had plans to meet a friend of ours for dinner after work at Assembly Row. Arriving first, we made the executive decision to make Slumbrew Brewing Company’s American Fresh Brewhouse as our meeting place as it had something for everyone; namely outdoor seating, plenty of beer for the adults, and a children’s menu! Since I was on childcare duty that evening I didn’t exactly go crazy trying everything I had wanted to, but I did make my two beers count by revisiting an old favorite and trying out this delicious new to me summer brew.

Beer Name: Yellow Shark

Brewery: Somerville Brewing Company (Somerville, MA)

Style: Witbier

ABV: 4.3%

Description: Listed simply as a Belgian Witbier with notes of orange and citrus.

Appearance: On draft, it poured a light golden yellow with thin wisps of white foam on the edges of the glass.

Smell: Mild notes of coriander and spicy Belgian yeast.

Taste: It had a light, clean citrus taste upfront backed by coriander, banana esters, and the distinct presence of Belgian-style yeast. There was also a very little bit of pepper around the edges towards the end of the sip.

Mouthfeel: Slightly below medium bodied with moderate-plus carbonation.

Hype: None that I was aware of.

Overall: Really tasty and refreshing. This was an excellent beer for drinking outside in the summer, so I had it in exactly the right time and place. It was also pretty light which made it an excellent choice to go with dinner as well. Check this one out if you’re in the area!

Seven Saws Brewing Company – Buzzsaw

22 Saturday Jun 2019

Posted by mrericness in Beer Reviews

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Beer, Beer Review, Farm, Lavender, Massachusetts, Seven Saws Brewing Company, Summer, SummitWynds

As part of our plans to celebrate the coming of summer, the family made a trip out to the Farm at SummitWynds in Holden, MA to attend the opening evening of their Lavender Farm Fest.  As a pleasant surprise, the nearby Seven Saws Brewing Company had a fairly prominent presence there, pouring, among other things, a beer they made specially for the event!

Beer Name: Buzzsaw

Brewery: Seven Saws Brewing Company (Holden, MA)

Style: Blonde Ale with Honey and Lavender

ABV: 5.0%

Description: I couldn’t find much info on this beyond what I’ve already said, but to recap this was a blonde ale brewed with lavender and honey.

Appearance: Draft only, it poured to a light orange/copper colored body, topped by a thin white layer of foam.

Smell: Faintly sweet, with light herbal and floral notes on the end.

Taste: Lightly sweet pale malt base enhanced with a bit of extra body and sweetness by some smooth honey notes.  The lavender came through mostly towards the middle and end as a slight herbal presence lurking mostly in the background.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with a nice thick smoothness from the honey. Low carbonation.

Hype: None.  I wasn’t familiar with the brewery and I had a really not good experience with the last lavender-based brew I had.  Of course I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to give this a try though.

Overall: I was initially kind of skeptical, but after tasting it I felt like this was pretty good while my wife absolutely loved it!  I liked the sweetness and texture the honey added and, most importantly, the lavender was not over done. There was just enough to give the beer a nice aroma and subtly influence the taste, but not so much that it was overpowering.  A nice, easy drinking beer that was a perfect tie-in to the event. Well executed.

Kona Brewing Company – Big Wave

31 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by mrericness in Beer Reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Kona Brewing Company, Summer

I mentioned to my wife the other day how I had been feeling a bit burnt out on reviewing beer but really into just sitting outside on Saturdays and reading with a beverage by my side.  With that in mind, she went out and grabbed me something that looked appropriate to the task and offered me another momentary break from IPAs.

Beer Name: Kona Brewing Company (Kailua Kona, HI)

Brewery: Big Wave

Style: Blonde Ale

ABV: 4.4%

Description: Brewed to be a refreshingly smooth, easy drinking beach beer, this golden ale combines Galaxy and Citra hops with light caramel malt.

Appearance: It poured a clear golden-yellow/straw-colored body with many little bubbles running up from the bottom of the glass.  There was a bubbly white head resting up top for maybe a quarter of the drinking experience.

Smell: Sweetness with lingering light malts.

Taste: Light sweetness upfront from the caramel malt slowly blended into a more crisp pale malt profile.  There was a bit of a watery, nondescript moment mid-sip but after that the sweetness returned in combination with a subtle tropical hop presence.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with a roughly moderate level of carbonation.

Hype: None.  This isn’t a style that really fuels the hype machine and there is plenty of this to go around.  Also, Kona Brewing is part of the AB-Inbev affiliated Craft Brew Alliance which I suppose makes them something of a pariah among the hardcore beer trend setters.

Overall: Light and refreshing, this was another nice beer to enjoy outside on a warm Summer day.  I really enjoyed the sweetness and subtle hop profile, I was just a bit perplexed by that gap in the middle I encountered.  Even that kind of worked out though, as it made the beer that much more thirst quenching. I’d be on board with grabbing another four pack of these for my next outdoor event.

Anchor Brewing Company – Brewers’ Pale Ale

23 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by mrericness in Beer Reviews

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Anchor Brewing Company, Beer, Beer Review, California, Craft Beer, Summer

This beer came to me by way of a friend visiting for the weekend.  We ended up needing to go on a beer run and this is what he grabbed.

Beer Name: Brewers’ Pale Ale

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company (San Francisco, CA)

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.3%

Description: A “bright and fruity” pale ale brewed to meet the discerning tastes of Anchor’s brewing team.  You can find the full specs and back story here on the brewery website.

Appearance: Cloudy yellow copper semi see thru body with thin white head

Smell: Sweet, sugary malts beneath a layer of fresh pine and citrus hops.

Taste: Started out with sweet light malts upfront that gave the beer an almost candy or caramel-like body.  Fresh piney hops came in about midway through and stuck around as the brew came to a juicy finish featuring melon, citrus blend, and grapefruit.  Very clean and fresh tasting throughout.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation.  Right on point for the style.

Hype: None.  Anchor is a respected, long running brewery, but they don’t really get the hype that the smaller and newer guys do.

Overall: This was crazy good.  Clean, fresh, and light it was the perfect choice for a warm day.  I’m even going so far as to add this to my list of top five pale ales.  Check it out!

Ipswich Ale Brewing Company – Summer Ale

17 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by mrericness in Beer Reviews

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Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Ipswich Ale Brewery, Massachusetts, New England, Summer

As I’ve mentioned here before, I have a lot of love for the Ipswich Ale Brewing Company and their ability to consistently put out excellent offerings at a very competitive price.  Needless to say I was pretty excited when my wife picked me up a six-pack of their Summer Ale to help me beat the heat.

Beer Name: Summer Ale

Brewery: Ipswich Ale Brewing Company

Style: Blonde Ale

ABV: 4.9%

Description: The label on the bottle’s neck says it all: “No fruits.  No spices. Just an ideal blend of pale malt, Cascade, and Mosaic hops.”

Appearance: Cloudy golden body with plenty of little bubbles running up from the bottom.

Smell: Light citrus notes.

Taste: Crisp, sweet pale malt joined by mellow hints of citrus rind.  A very mild grassy bitterness came out on the end.

Mouthfeel: Body was on the lighter side with a moderate carbonation.

Hype: None.  Summer ales don’t tend to generate a lot of hype and Ipswich is more of an “old reliable” type brewery than a trendy hot spot.

Overall: The beer offered a nice clean sweetness that really hit the spot on a warm summer day.  I’ll be having a few more of these this over the next few months for sure.  It’s pretty much exactly what you’d want from the style.

Summer Session: New Brewery Edition – Bone Up Brewing Company, Part 2

02 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by mrericness in Beer Reviews, Summer Session 2016

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Beer, Beer Review, Bone Up Brewing Company, Craft Beer, Massachusetts, New England, Orange Line, Summer, Summer Session

I finally found a good time to open up that second growler from Bone Up Brewing Company I picked up the other day.  After really enjoying the first one last week, I was eager to taste what this one had to offer.

20160730_145001

Beer Name: Black Witow

Brewer: Bone Up Brewing Company

Style: Dark Wheat Ale

ABV: 4.7%

Description: The brewery’s take on a Belgian Wit, only made dark for, well, reasons.  You can read up on the brewer’s notes and thought process here.  For my side of this exchange, I opened up the sealed growler and poured myself a drink into a snifter glass.  As with the previous beer, the growler cost $8.49 (plus a $2.50 deposit) and was filled on 7/22.  I had my first taste of this beer a week later on 7/29.

Appearance: Poured a dark black body with just about a finger of tan, foamy head.  At a glance it was deceptively similar to many imperial stouts.

Smell: Smelled a touch wheaty with a hint of zesty citrus fruit.

Taste: Light and crisp, the beer featured toasted malts upfront before picking up some of the more expected characteristics of the style.  Following the initial taste came a blend of orange zest, mild herbs/spices, and a wheaty/yeasty presence that picked up some banana esters on the finish.  An intriguing and well-balanced blend of roasted malt and traditional wheat ale fixings.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a slightly more than moderate amount of bubbly carbonation.  Feels nothing like one might have expected based on appearances alone.

Hype Factor: No hype, just more curiosity.

Overall: I liked this beer, but wasn’t really blown away.  Perhaps I just don’t get overly excited by wheat ales.  It was definitely intriguing and different, but I can’t quite put my finger on whether or not they did that for some higher purpose or the sake of being gimmicky (see again their quirky descriptions).  Either way, based on my experiences with Black Witow and Key Lime White I would definitely try out more this brewery’s offerings, though preferably without having to acquire any additional growlers (I’ll have to look into that).  I’ll also keep an eye out for when their taproom opens so I can experience what they’re about firsthand.  So far, they definitely seem like another solid addition the local brewing scene on the north end of the Orange Line.

Book Review: Summer of Beer and Whiskey, by Edward Achorn

28 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by mrericness in Baseball, Book Reviews, Non-Fiction

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Baseball, Beer, Book Review, Books, Edward Achorn, MLB, Philadelphia, Reading, St. Louis, Summer

No, this isn’t a beverage post, nor does it reflect in any way on how my summer is going so far.  Newborns tend to discourage that sort of thing.  Rather, this is a book about one of my other summertime favorites: baseball.  

Summer of Beer and Whiskey tells the story of the American Association, a short-lived professional baseball league that played from 1882 to 1891.  It provides an extensively researched narrative covering the Association’s founding and the thrilling 1883 pennant race between the St. Louis Brown Stockings and the Philadelphia Athletics.  As an upstart rival to the National League, the Association sought to re-popularize the sport after a long string of embarrassing scandals caused the general public to lose faith in the integrity of the game and its players.  Standing in stark contrast to the perceived elitism and puritanism of National League President William A. Hulbert’s iron rule, the Association would revolutionize the sport at the professional level by lowering ticket prices, playing games on Sunday, and allowing the sale of beer in stadiums.  These changes did not come without controversy as critics dubbed the Association the “Beer and Whiskey Circuit,” on account of most team owners having interests in saloons, biergartens, malting, and breweries, and accused them of soliciting “hoodlums” and “riffraff” as fans by making games affordable to the workingman.  However, despite this skepticism, the American Association successfully expanded the game’s audience and helped rescue the sport from financial collapse before eventually folding and merging into the National League.

I found this book fascinating and had a hard time putting it down.  I knew pretty much nothing about this part of baseball history and really enjoyed reading about it.  One thing I found interesting was the reign of William A. Hulbert and the absolute power he had over the sport as National League President.  From imposing the Reserve Clause, which would prohibit Free Agency in Major League Baseball for nearly 100 years, blacklisting players from all levels of professional baseball for transgressions against the League, and expelling big market teams for not following his edicts, most notably the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Mutuals in 1876 for having to cancel games and the Cincinnati Reds in 1880 for refusing to stop the sale of beer, he was certainly an interesting figure to read about.  It makes you really see how much power has shifted to the players and the player’s union over the last few decades.

I also enjoyed reading about how much the game on the field has changed in the last 130 or so years.  As a modern fan, many aspects of the game back then may seem nearly incomprehensible.  On the field, things like the absence of fielding gloves and protective gear were probably the most striking examples of these differences.  Needless to say injuries were common and many careers came to unfortunate ends as a result.  There were also a lot of differences in the rules governing gameplay that drastically changed the dynamics of an at bat.  One such rule that particularly amazed me was hit batsmen not getting a free base, a loophole some pitchers would dangerously exploit to their advantage.  These differences, however, are just the tip of the iceberg and there are plenty more that come up as you read through the book.

It was a different world statistically as well.  Just take a look at some of the American Association’s leaders in pitching statistics at the end of the 98 game 1883 season (as listed in the book’s appendix):

Wins: 43

Innings: 619

Complete Games: 68

In today’s era of 162 game seasons, 43 wins is a lofty goal for two years.  Pitching 619 innings is a milestone that would require a combination of exceptional health, skill, and willing management to reach in three seasons.  As for complete games, today’s specialized bullpens have made those a much rarer feat.  According to Baseball Reference, you’d have to go back to 2011 (James Shields with 11) and 2008 (CC Sabathia with 10) for the last two times a Major League pitcher even broke into double digits.

If you are a fan of baseball and its history, definitely consider checking out this book.  Edward Achorn tells a highly entertaining story that does an excellent job bringing this period of baseball history to life in a manner that is both interesting and informative.

Summer Session: SingleCut Billy 18 Watt IPA

02 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by mrericness in Beer Reviews, Summer Session 2016

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Beer, Beer Review, New York, Session, SingleCut Beersmiths, Summer

It’s just about that time of the year for me to start thinking about session beers.  These friendly, refreshing, low-ABV offerings seem to have become quite a thing in the last year or two and for a variety of reasons now is the perfect time for me to start getting into them.  Appropriately enough, I had my first official session beer of the year on a hot, humid 90 degree day while enjoying a burger and some shaded patio seating at a local restaurant.

20160528_135632

Beer Name: Billy 18 Watt IPA

Brewer: SingleCut Beersmiths

Style: Session IPA

ABV: 5.0%

Description: The brewers (and the beer menu) described this as a sessionable IPA packed full of “all the orange zest, pine and tropical lupulin crunch you demand.”  Sounded good to me.  I got to try this on tap and it was served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: It had a golden pale straw body with a thin bubbly head that left some wispy white lacing across the top and sides.

Smell: Sweet citrus fruit aroma with an underlying bitterness.

Taste: There was a refreshing blend of citrus and tropical sweetness upfront, accompanied by a surprisingly bold piney hoppiness that got enhanced by just a touch of orange zest.  On the finish the sweetness faded a bit and was replaced by a light, biscuity malt taste.  Very well executed.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation, just about what you would expect for the style.

Hype Factor: I had heard some good things about this brewery recently and was wanting to try something on the lighter side when I saw this on the menu.  Seemed like it was meant to be.

Overall: I really enjoyed this beer and got out of it exactly what I hoped for.  It had a lot of flavor and was really refreshing to drink, especially outside.  Would definitely order this again and also consider picking up some for home if I see it around.  Excellent brew regardless of how it is categorized.

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