New York Cork Report

Sacketts Harbor War of 1812 Amber Ale

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Sacketts Harbor Brewing Company is located in historic Sacketts Harbor, NY.  The small village was the site of two famous battles in the early 1800s between the United States and Britian. 

In honor of those victories by the U.S. Military, Sacketts Harbor Brewing has named their amber ale War of 1812.  

War of 1812 poured a clear, dark amber color with a finger width of off-white head. The aroma is mostly malts with a bit of nuttiness.

The body is malty up front and the hops show through in the middle as the malts die out. There is a light sweetness there and the beer is decently balanced despite having a thinner mouthfeel. The nuttiness dies out on the finish as the light hop taste continues, leading to a light dryness.

Overall, 1812 has a great name and is a decent beer. The aroma and first impression are both really nice but the beer is a little thin for me.

War of 1812 would pair well with a lighter meat, and the depth of the body would be a little more apparent when throwing in a little spice. 

With the warmer weather approaching, I decided to break out the grill and grill up some chicken sausage with some beer marinated peppers. Combing the two on a pita lead to a fantastic pairing and a very enjoyable dinner.    

Producer: Sacketts Harbor Brewing Company
ABV: 5.2%
Price: $2.15 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

 

Brooklyn Brewery Black Ops

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

The bottle of Brooklyn Brewery Black Ops states:

"Brooklyn Black Ops does not exist. However, if it did exist, it would be a robust stout concocted by the Brooklyn brewing team under cover of secrecy and hidden from everyone else at the brewery.  Supposedly Black Ops was aged for four months in bourbon barrels, bottled flat, and re-fermented with Champagne yeast, creating big chocolate and coffee flavors with a rich underpinning of vanilla-like oak notes.  They say there are only 1,000 cases.  We have no idea what they're talking about."

In some ways, that says it all, but here's my review anyway.

Brooklyn Black Ops poured a pitch black color with a thumb-width, brown head. The nose is dominated by bourbon oak, with lots of dark malt and chocolate aromas.

The body is thick, with lots of malt, a sweetness up front and lots of chocolate. There is plenty of depth and a strong coffee flavor comes in on the back end. The finish is a little dry, with a bitterness from the coffee flavor and a light alcohol burn where the bourbon is noticeable.

Overall, this is a great, great beer. It is a little pricey, but is very well balanced and the depth and complexity if the flavors is amazing. The body is rich and smooth, and incredibly easy drinking for its style.

This is a big, big beer that could be paired with any number of foods.

You can go with a rich, gamy meat or dessert here but my recommendation would be to leave this beer alone. Pour Black Ops into a snifter, let it sit for a bit, and enjoy this as an after dinner drink.

This is a sipping beer that is meant to be enjoyed and quite frankly it is Brooklyn's best effort which is really saying something.
      

Producer: Brooklyn Brewery
ABV: 10.7%
Price: $25 (25.4 oz. Bottle)
Rating:    (4.5 out of 5 | Delicious-Outstanding) 

(*Ratings Guide)

Home Brewing in Ellenville

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

I grew up in tiny Ellenville, New York and while it is a great little town with lots of local attractions, it is not exactly a booming metropolis. Despite being a small town, there is a group of passionate craft beer drinkers who tour the country to visit breweries, drink from a world class beer lists, and most importantly homebrew.

When the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed in 1919, prohibition banned the sale of alcohol but also made homebrewing illegal. When prohibition was lifted in 1933 with the passing of the 21st Amendment, there was no language included in regard to homebrewing.

Finally, in 1978 President Carter signed H.R. 1337 which created an exemption from taxation for beer brewed at home for personal use.

With the federal law being so vague, most states have written their own laws, however New York has has no legislation regarding brewing at home.

New York State statute, Chapter 3-B, Article 8, § 100 states that “No person shall manufacture for sale or sell at wholesale or retail any alcoholic beverage within the state without obtaining the appropriate license therefore required by chapter.”

With no legal language actually banning homebrewing in New York, quite a few people have been brewing beer at home for years.

One of those people is writer Tod Westlake. Over the last few months Tod has organized a group of people, including me, to get together to brew beer.

About a month ago, we gathered early on a lazy Sunday morning and brewed our first batch of beer together. Two weeks later we bottled it and have just recently decided to crack it open.

Ellenville Brewing Company's (we are not an official brewery) Pale Ale is meant to be an easy drinking, restrained Pale Ale that adheres to style guidelines. The label was designed by local artist Roger Baker.

Our little homebrewed pale ale poured a cloudy, golden orange color with a thin, white head. The aroma is fruity with some pale malt. The body is smooth and easy drinking with fruit notes and and some faint hops underneath. The finish leaves a light dryness on the palate.

Overall, this first time brew is on its way to being a very nice homebrew. Ellenville Pale Ale was brewed to fit style guidelines and be a session beer. It needs a little more carbonation and some hops on the finish but I think Tod and the crew are up to something here.

Southampton Imperial Porter

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Located in Southampton, Long Island, the Southampton Publick House has been producing award-winning beers for over a decade. The brewery has signed on with Pabst brewing in hopes of improving their marketing and distribution as well.

Brewmaster Phil Markowski specializes in farmhouse ales, but also makes delicious beers in a variety of styles, including this, the first porter they've bottled.

Southampton Ales & Lagers' Imperial Porter poured a dark brown/blackish color with a thumb width of tan head. The aroma is rich, with lots of malty chocolate notes.

The body is deep, with a smooth, full mouthfeel, lots of roasted malt, chocolate and some sugary notes. The finish is short and dry, complimenting the big body nicely.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable beer. It is simple, yet big and one of my favorite beers of this style.

This beer will pair well with meats, and even better with dessert. 

Any type of chocolate will work well here but a specific dish I recently had at a beer pairing dinner keeps popping back into my head -- bacon-wrapped dates with a chocolate-avocado pudding was an amazing dish that would pair very well here.     

Producer: Southampton Ales & Lagers
ABV: 7.5%
Price: $2.25 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:    (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious) 

(Ratings Guide)

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Dundee Honey Brown Lager

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Genesee Brewing Company is a regional favorite in Rochester. In addition to the traditional Genesee line of beers, the brewery produces the Dundee Ales & Lagers line which, includes an IPA, porter, brand new seasonal Irish Red Ale, and the Honey Brown Lager.

Dundee Honey Brown was first introduced in 1994 and quickly became a regional favorite. In the late 1990s the brewery started to tinker with the beer. The recipe remained the same, but the packaging, was changed, the price went up and it was pushed as more of a "craft beer".

When sales plunged, Genesee decided to revert back to the old packaging and throw its marketing support behind the classic beer. The beer is made with water, barley malt, hops and pure Manitoba White Clover honey.

Dundee Honey Brown poured a clear, dark yellow color with a finger width of white head. The aroma is slightly malty with a noticeable sweetness.

The body is smooth and thicker for a lager. There is a malt base with a sweetness before the beer finishes with a light dryness.

Overall, this is an interesting beer from Genesee, yet ultimatly just average at best. It is easy drinking, but the honey is a little overwhelming and the finish is lacking.

This is a truly unique beer to pair with food. The honey allows for some diversity and the malt backbone would pair well with some light meat. Any number of chicken dishes would be an ideal dinner for me to enjoy while drinking Honey Brown.

Producer: Genesee Brewing Company
ABV: 4.5%
Price: $2.00 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (2 out of 5 | Average)

Cooperstown Old Slugger

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Cooperstown Brewing Company tends to get overlooked from time to time. The Baseball Hall of Fame is the main reason to visit Cooperstown, and when people start talking about craft beer in the area the conversation tends to be about the world-renowned Brewery Ommegang.

Despite being on occasion, Cooperstown is making some really solid beer in Upstate New York. The brewery offers five year-round beers and one seasonal specialty. The five year round beers are all linked to America's pastime with names such as Strike Out Stout and Benchwarmer Porter. In my opinion, the brewery's packaging is some of the best in the state, with the labels featuring classic, old time graphics of baseball players and a baseball logo serving as the cap.     

Old Slugger poured a clear, copper color with a pen width of off-white head. The aroma is malty with some hops underneath.

The body is smooth, with a nice malt backbone, a little caramel, and some yeasty breadiness. The finish has a light hoppy dryness that lingers for a bit

Overall, this is a decent pale ale.  While nothing jumps out as amazing, Old Slugger is well balanced and easy drinking.

One of the reasons that I love the pale ale style is it's ability to pair with such a wide spectrum of foods. You can pair this with just about any course ranging from appetizer (stew or soup), to the entree (burger), to  dessert (bread pudding).        

Producer: Cooperstown Brewing Company
ABV: 5.5%
Price: $2.00 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

Ithaca Brewing Company Le Bleu Sour Blueberry Ale

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

As the craft beer world grows, brewers are becoming more and more creative with their brews. One of the recent trends is the use of wine ingredients into beer such as grapes or champagne yeast, or the aging of beer in wine barrels. 

Le Bleu was brewed with New York State blueberries and Brettanomyces, The beer is a blend of barrels filled in 2007, 2008 and 2009. It's finished in the bottle with Champagne yeast.  The beer is named after Ithaca Beer Company employee Bret LeBleu and is an extremely limited production.  

Le Bleu poured a rose color with a two fingered width, white bubbly head. The aroma is dominated by yeast.

The mouthfeel is Champagne-like and the body is tart with ripe fruit. The blueberries start to show through towards the back end and lead to a tart finish.

Overall, this is a nice sour ale. The carbonation is high on this one, and the ABV is fairly low. The bottle advised the beer to be served cold, but I found the flavors became more pronounced as the beer warmed. If you can find this beer it is worth the buy.

This beer is a fantastic substitute for champagne (its does have the yeast) and would be a great starter for your meal.  I am thinking either a pear salad with romaine hearts and blue cheese or a fruit and cheese plate if you must pair this with food but I would prefer it by itself to truly sip and savor.       

Producer: Ithaca Beer Company
ABV: 5%
Price: $12.00 (25.4 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious)

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

As the craft beer world grows, brewers are becoming more and more creative with their brews. One of the recent trends is the use of wine ingredients into beer such as grapes or champagne yeast, or the aging of beer in wine barrels. 

Le Bleu was brewed with New York State blueberries and Brettanomyces, The beer is a blend of barrels filled in 2007, 2008 and 2009. It's finished in the bottle with Champagne yeast.  The beer is named after Ithaca Beer Company employee Bret LeBleu and is an extremely limited production.  

Le Bleu poured a rose color with a two fingered width, white bubbly head. The aroma is dominated by yeast.

The mouthfeel is Champagne-like and the body is tart with ripe fruit. The blueberries start to show through towards the back end and lead to a tart finish.

Overall, this is a nice sour ale. The carbonation is high on this one, and the ABV is fairly low. The bottle advised the beer to be served cold, but I found the flavors became more pronounced as the beer warmed. If you can find this beer it is worth the buy.

This beer is a fantastic substitute for champagne (its does have the yeast) and would be a great starter for your meal.  I am thinking either a pear salad with romaine hearts and blue cheese or a fruit and cheese plate if you must pair this with food but I would prefer it by itself to truly sip and savor.       

Producer: Ithaca Beer Company
ABV: 5%
Price: $12.00 (25.4 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious)

Southern Tier krampus

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

St. Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, is a magical figure, the bringer of gifts and an icon of holiday spirit. Forgotten by most is his evil side kick and enforcer of ‘the list.’ -- Krampus.

European tradition says while St. Nick is busy delivering presents to good little boys and girls, Krampus hands out punishments to the bad. A fanged, goat-horned bully, the Christmas Devil uses sticks and chains to beat the naughty children.

Dark malts and aromatic hops create the diabolical spirit of this brew. It is finished with lager yeast and aged cold for no less than 30 days. This Imperial Helles Lager will warm even the darkest hearts.

Krampus is part of Southern Tier's Seasonal Imperial Series. All of the beers in the Imperial Series are bottled in 22 oz. bombers and have high alcohol by volume.

Krampus poured a clear, dark amber color with a pen width, off-white head. The aroma is extremely nice, with malt, candy sweetness and toasted notes.

The body is big and robust with a thick, yet smooth mouthfeel. There is a light caramel sweetness, toasty aspect and loads of malt up front. The mouthfeel becomes slightly creamy in the middle before a huge blast of hops leads to the finish. The finish has a light alcohol warming and a prolonged lingering dryness.

Overall, this is a really good sipping beer. It is clean, well-balanced and hides the 9% ABV well.

This is a monster beer that needs a dish with big flavor to pair with it. Curried chickpeas snuck into my head as a possible match, but as I mentioned before this beer is a sipper (I enjoyed it over the course of about two hours). I am thinking cheese here, specifically blue. While Krampus is smooth, it is a little heavy on the palate and I am looking for the cheese to cut through the thick body and compliment the long finish.

Producer: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 9%
Price: $7.99 (22 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive ) 

Captain Lawrence Rosso e Marrone

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company might just be the best brewry in the state, with the best brewer at the helm. Even though owner/brewmaster Scott Vaccaro only founded Captain Lawrence in 2006, he has already racked up an impressive collection of awards.

He released this Rosso e Marrone to the world on February 14, 2009 and it has already become one of the country's most decorated beers, winning a 2009 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal as well as being named Wine Enthusiast's Best Beer of 2009. 

I took a trip down to Pleasantville last week to speak with Scott as well as pick up some of his harder-to-find beers. The 2009 Rosso batch has long been sold out, so you could imagine my delight when he dug out a bottle of Rosso for me to take home.    

Vaccaro's description of Rosso from a press release earlier this year was "Over two years in oak wine barrels and then an additional 6 months in the bottle before it finally decided it was time. This is a sour ale, very different from most beers. The flavors are wine like and a bit funky. The two years in the oak barrels have imparted a nice dry oak character. We added both zinfandel and Merlot grapes to the beer a year into its aging which imparted a very nice wine-like character."

Rosso poured an apple cider color with almost no head. The aroma is light malts with a strong sourness and lots of oak notes.

The body has some light malt, a big sour punch in the middle and wine tannins towards the finish.  The palate is robust and full-bodied.  The finish has a big, long lingering sourness.

Overall, this is flat out a wonderful beer. It is complex, and enjoyable from the aroma all the way until the finish.  The balance is what makes this beer and the brown ale base compliments the huge sour finish wonderfully. 

It is one thing for a brewer to make a beer that all craft beer fans want, but a completely different thing to make a brew that has wine fanatics chasing it down as well (a new batch will be brewed again for 2010).

As far as the food pairing goes, I am offering a challenge to New York Cork Report nation. 

Based on Scott's description and my tasting notes, I am asking the readers what they would pair with Rosso.  Leave your ideas in the comment section.    

Producer: Captain Lawrence Brewing Company
ABV: 10%
Price: $10.00 (375 mL Bottle)
Rating: (4.5 out of 5, Delicious-to-Outstanding)

Shmaltz Brewing Company Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Lenny's poured a clear, dark amber color with a finger width off white head. The nose is dominated by rye with a decent amount of hops.

The body is smooth up front with a light sweetness. The rye is up front and stands out. The finish is loaded with hops, very dry and leaves a bitter taste on the palate.

Overall, this is a very good beer.  It is well balanced and the rye works extremely well with the large amount of hops.  

Lenny's would pair well with lots of foods, but I decided to cook a hicken gyro.  The rye complimented the meat and the hops were strong enough to wash away the toppings.   

Producer: Shmaltz Brewing Company
ABV: 10%
Price: $5.99 (22 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious)

(Ratings Guide)

Middle Ages Brewing Company Wizard's Winter Ale

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

One of the more underrated breweries in New York resides in Syracuse. Middle Ages Brewing Company opened in 1995 and makes only British style ales, all with Ringwood yeast.

Middle Ages Brewing Company's Wizard's Winter Ale poured a clear, maroon color with a thumb width of off-white head. The aroma is deep, with biscuity malt and spices.

The body is smooth with a little bready malt and some light spices. The finish is crisp and leaves a yeasty dryness on the palate. Wizard left a small amount of lace on the glass.

Overall, not a bad beer, but certainly not Middle Ages' best. The middle is a little hollow and thin, and the spices are a bit too apparent up front.

Producer: Middle Ages Brewing Company
ABV: 6.8%
Price: $2.75 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

One of the more underrated breweries in New York resides in Syracuse. Middle Ages Brewing Company opened in 1995 and makes only British style ales, all with Ringwood yeast.

Middle Ages Brewing Company's Wizard's Winter Ale poured a clear, maroon color with a thumb width of off-white head. The aroma is deep, with biscuity malt and spices.

The body is smooth with a little bready malt and some light spices. The finish is crisp and leaves a yeasty dryness on the palate. Wizard left a small amount of lace on the glass.

Overall, not a bad beer, but certainly not Middle Ages' best. The middle is a little hollow and thin, and the spices are a bit too apparent up front.

Producer: Middle Ages Brewing Company
ABV: 6.8%
Price: $2.75 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

Southern Tier Old Man Winter

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Old Man Winter is Southern Tier Brewing Company's winter seasonal. Southern Tier is known for their huge-flavored beers in 22 oz. bottles but their line of twelve ounce beers are just as good.

Old Man Winter poured a clear, light brown color with a finger width of off-white head. The aroma was hoppy with light malt underneath and hints of raisins.

The body is thinner, with malt up front, and a faint sweetness. A crisp, hoppy bitterness comes in towards the middle, leading to a lingering hop finish that leaves a very pleasant dryness on the palate.

Winter seasonals are not normally hoppy and there is nothing overly bold or daring but I like this offering from Southern Tier. Overall this is a very good sessional winter beer. It is easy drinking and well balanced.

Producer: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 7.2%
Price: $2.50 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:    (3 out of 5 | Very Good, Recommended)   

Brewery Ommegang Rare Vos

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY has established itself as one of the premier Belgian-style beer companies in America. Its ales are enjoyed across the country, and one of my favorite beers from Ommergang is their Belgian-style Amber ale, Rare Vos.   

Rare Vos poured a clear honey color with a thumb-width, frothy white head. The nose is interesting with fruity esters that result in a candy-like aroma, with yeast and spices mixed in.

The body is smooth with lots of malt and some sugar with more spices, orange notes, and light hops underneath. The finish is not to long or overwhelming but has a nice dryness that does a good job of balancing out the big front.

The beer has a nice effervescence and leaves some hanging lace on the glass.  

Overall, this is a really nice amber ale. The malts and sugar up front outweigh the hops, which might offend hop fans but I love the rich, deep body of this beer. The spices, malt and fruit make this my ideal Spring/Fall beer. Another gem from Ommegang.

Rare Vos will pair well with lots of different foods. In a past beer dinner I paired this amber ale with a chicken sausage and mushroom ragout which turned out to be one of the best dishes all night.   

Producer: Brewery Ommegang
ABV: 6.5%
Price: $3.00 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious)

Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Brooklyn Brewery is widely considered one of the best breweries in New York State, and with good reason.

In addition to making great craft beer, the brewery is credited with being one of the pioneers of craft beer in the empire state. And, while their Brooklyn Lager is their flagship beer, one of my favorite beers is their Brooklyn Brown Ale.   

Brooklyn Brown poured a dark brown color with a tan head. The nose was nice and clean and gives off light malt and hops.

The first sip was sweet with a hint of caramel. The middle is where the malt sugars dominate and give off a nice mouthfeel. The malts eventually give way to a herbal note and the finish is mild on the hops, but very nice. The flavors transition nicely from start to finish. 

Overall, this is a very good American brown ale that can be used as a stand alone or session beer. It is smooth and easy drinking yet fairly deep and complex. The beer is well balanced and the flavors work well together.

Brooklyn Brown is one of my all-time favorite beers to pair with a bacon cheesburger. The body is deep enough to work well with the meet and the hops on the back end should work well with the bacon.    

Producer: Brooklyn Brewing Company
ABV: 5.6%
Price: $2.10 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive )

Keegan Ales Mother's Milk

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

One of my favorite breweries in New York is Keegan Ales in Kingston. In addition to making great beer, they are the closest microbrewery to my hometown of Ellenville. I have previously reviewed their Joe-Mama's Milk Stout, which was created from their original stout, Mother's Milk.  

In a past interview, I asked Owner Tommy Keegan to talk about Mother's Milk's origins. “There’s a lot of dry stouts out there, so we wanted to be different. We actually started out making an oatmeal stout, but then we added a 50 lb bag of lactose to the first batch. It was an experiment, you could say."

The lactose is a sugar that yeast can’t ferment (eat) so it remains in the brew, giving it its sweetness, and a creamy finish, hence the name.

Mother's Milk pours a dark black color, with a big head. The aroma gives of hints of coffee and chocolate with a big roasted malt backbone.

The first sip is sweet, and the malt becomes very apparent in the middle, with a very nice mouthfeel. The finish is short but pleasant. The beer is sweet throughout but holds up well and does not fall apart. The head dissolved fairly quickly, but left a tan, thin lace that is further proof of the wealth of malts in this beer. 

Overall, this is a great, great beer. The lactose adds a certain creaminess to the beer which works extremely well with the dark malt. The beer is able to balance complex flavors, lactose sweetness and an great mouthfeel, all without being overwhelming. 

I have found Mother's Milk to be one of the more diverse stouts around when it comes to pairing with food. It can be enjoyed anywhere from the first course with a black bean soup, all the way through dinner with a rich strip steak and finished with a chocolate tort for dessert.  

Producer: Keegan Ale
ABV: 5%
Price: $2.25 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive )

He'Brew Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Shmaltz Brewing Company is one of the more interesting breweries in the country. The Jewish-themed company is based in California, but the beer is brewed in Saratoga, New York, so it's technically a New York beer.

The brewery produces two lines of beer, the He'Brew line and the Coney Island Craft Lager line. The He'Brew line consists of Jewish-themed beers such as Messiah Bold and Genesis Ale, while the Coney Island Lager line consists of strong lagers whose names and labels feature members of the world famous Coney Island Freakshow. 

The He'Brew line also features the Jewbelation series, which consists of a new beer released each year in celebration of the brewery's anniversary. The line started with Jewbelation Eight and has now moved to Jewbelation Thirteen.

Of course, when your beers are Jewish themed, you don't name your 13th birthday beer Thirteen, but instead it should be named Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah. Shmaltz encouraged fans to mail in picture of themselves at their own Bar Mitzvahs to be featured on the label.  

Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah poured a very dark brown-blackish color with a finger width tan head. The nose is deep and complex, sweet with aromas of dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, coffee and tons of dark malt. Alcohol is slightly noticeable.

The body is fairly complex, smooth and thick, sweet and tons of chocolate up front. There is a huge roasted malt backbone and the alcohol is lightly noticeable again in the middle of the body. The finish is harsh, overly bitter and the alcohol runs wild.

Overall, this is an interesting beer. It is phenominal up front and bad on the finish.  It has amazing potential but it needs to age for awhile, at least a year. 

Shmaltz is pushing the limits with this beer and I cannot wait to taste it after it matures a bit. I almost did not rate it, but it is available to drink now. I highly recommend buying this beer and letting it sit for 12-18 months. 

This beer will is too young to pair with food yet, but in the future it would need a strong chocolate dessert or steak.  The true pairing for Bar Mitzvah is not food though, but rather a rich cigar. This beer is strong and the roasted malts would compliment tobacco nicely.   

Producer: Shmaltz Brewing Company
ABV: 13%
Price: $5.99 (22 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (2 out of 5 | Average)

Brown's Brewing Co. Dunkelweizen

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

One of the more interesting beer styles that American craft brewers have experimented with is the Dunkelweizen. Dunkelweizens are brewed as darker versions of wheat beers (Dunkel means "dark") and usually brown and cloudy from the yeast. They are brewed with complex malts and a light sweetness with low levels of bitterness. The common wheat and banana flavors are also present in this style.

Brown's Brewing Company in Troy, NY has just started to bottle their Dunkel and I decided that this week was a great time to review it.

Brown's Dunkelweizen poured a dark brown color with a thumb width, light tan head, The nose was is deep, with a ton of malt, bananas, cloves, sweetness and some notes of alcohol.

The body is smooth and rich, with a sweetness up front and a big malt backbone. There are chocolate notes in the middle and the alcohol is noticeable. The malts dry out on the finish and leave a faint lingering dryness. There is no real hop presence.

Overall, this is a good Dunkel. I thought it was a little rich for the style, but the chocolate was a nice touch. The flavors really start to come out as the beer warmed but I thought it could have been a little more balanced.

This beer just begs to be paired with a tasty dessert. Give me a slightly bitter chocolate fudge to pair with this beer and you will find one happy beer drinker.

Producer: Brown's Brewing Company
ABV: 6%
Price: $4.00 (22 oz. Bottle)
Rating:    (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious)

Brewery Ommegang Hennepin

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

After this week's very beer heavy edition of "What We Drank", I decided to review Brewery Ommegang's Hennepin. 

Hennepin is a Saison-style beer, which is a Belgian style that is also referred to as a farmhouse ale. This is a complex style that is meant to be drank primarily in the summer, but can really be enjoyed year round. I have found that wine lovers take a particular liking to the Saison style, as the nose and body have wine-like earthy tones. 

Hennepin poured a hazy, golden yellow color with a huge, frothy, white head. The aroma has ripe green apples, a lot of yeast, and a little funkiness. 

The body is crisp, with some light spices, and bananas. There are a noticeable amount of hops that give the beer a nice dryness to complement the abundance of flavors. There is a lot of carbonation in this beer and the alcohol is faintly noticeable. 

The finish has a lingering tanginess and the carbonation dies out which is a nice touch. There is some hanging lace left on the glass. 

Overall, this is a phenomenal beer. The aroma and finish are nice and the body is light on the palate, yet is complex and has a nice profile.  This is a must try for anyone who truly loves beer. 

The diversity of this beer allows it match flavors with a wide variety of dishes. The texture is light and crisp but the body is sturdy enough to support its strong ABV and the spices beg for a dish that is bold enough to match. At an upcoming beer dinner I will be pairing Hennepin with a chicken, apple and leek roulade with a potato puree.  

Producer: Brewery Ommegang
ABV: 7.5%
Price: $6.99 (25.4 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive )

Blue Point Brewing Company Oktoberfest

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Last week's review featured a Marzen-style beer and this week is no different. We're being seasonal here, after all.

This week I decided to try Blue Point Brewing Company's take on the Octoberfest style.

Blue Point's Oktoberfest pours a clear amber color with a thumb's width of off-white head. The nose is pleasant, with a light sweetness and malt underneath strong aromas of bready yeast.

The body has pale malt and a light sweetness up front before thinning out a little in the middle. There are faint hops underneath before a mild, dry, yeasty finish. There was a decent amount of lacing left on the glass.

Overall, this is a decent take on the style. The beer gets a little thin in the middle but is not overly sweet, and the malt and yeast work well together.

Like Saranac's Octoberfest from last week, this beer would pair well with a seasonal soup, but my ideal pairing here is a seasonal loaf of bread. Blue Point did well not to make this beer to sweet, which has me thinking of a pumpkin bread and Oktoberfest pairing.

Producer: Blue Point Brewing Company
ABV: 5.01%
Price: $2.25 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

Saranac Octoberfest

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

The leaves are changing and the weather is getting cooler. While these signs mark the arrival of fall to many people, I know it is Fall when Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Ales start to show up on the shelves of beer stores.  

This week's beer review is fo Saranac Octoberfest Lager from the F.X. Matt Brewing Company.  

Saranac's Octoberfest poured a dark copper color with a two-finger width of white head. The nose is pleasant, and well balanced with malt up front and distinct hop aromas underneath. There is a faint trace of spices as well. 

The body has a smooth malt flavor with crisp hops underneath, and a spicy characteristic. The finish was pleasant, with mild hops and a mild bitterness.  There was some lacing left on the glass.

Overall, this is a really good beer. It is fairly complex for the style but blends well together and very well balanced. The finish is nice, and there is a distinctic difference from the body which was nice.  This is a great seasonal beer that is perfect for a typical Fall day. 

This beer would pair very well with a rich, smooth soup.  Any type of potato soup would match nicely texture wise, with a sweet potato soup being ideal to match flavor wise.   

Producer: F.X. Matt Brewing Company
ABV: 5.4%
Price: $1.75 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive ) 

Custom Brewcrafters Double Dark Cream Porter

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

One of the more interesting breweries in New York is Custom Brewcrafters in Honeoye Falls, NY. In addition to brewing beers for their own label, Custom Brewcrafters partners with local restaurant and tavern owners in to brew signature beers for each establishment. 

Double Dark Porter is one of the beers that CB brews under their own label. 

The beer poured a pitch black color with a finger width, tan head. The nose had a lot of coffee, roasted malts, and a faint hint of chocolate. 

The body was sweet up front with a lot of dark malt and really really strong notes of coffee. The mouthfeel is silky but thins out a little in the middle. The finish is dry with a light lingering bitterness.

Overall this is a pretty solid porter.  The creaminess is there and the beer is really good up front and on the finish. The coffee might be a little overwhelming for a beer that is not made with any and the middle thins out a little bit to much for me

This beer will pair well with a any smooth dish that has dark flavors. My pick would be a chocolate mocha pudding.  

Producer: Custom Brewcrafters
ABV: 5%
Price: $2.00 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

Brown's Tomhannock Pilsner

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Our latest beer review comes from the Brown's Brewing Company in Troy, NY.

Tomhannock Pilsner poured a clear, golden yellow color with a pen width, white head. The aroma was hoppy with pale malt underneath. T

he body has a smooth mouthfeel up front with a fairly low amount of carbonation for a pilsner. The light hops and pale malt from the nose stick out on the palate. The hops start to come on stronger at the end and add a crispness to the beer before dying out and leaving a dry finish.

Overall, this is a very good pilsner. There is decent depth and plenty of flavor here and the hops are very nice. A must-have pilsner for all craft beer fans.

This beer will pair well with a romaine salad, but my ideal pairing would be a piece of mahi mahi cooked in a lemon, white wine and garlic sauce

Producer: Brown's Brewing Company
ABV: 4.75%
Price: $5.00 (22 oz. Bottle)
Rating: (4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive )

Southampton Double White

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Our latest beer review comes from the Southampton Publick House on Long Island. Wheat beers are usually my favorite style for the summer, and Belgian wheats are known for the citrus, so it's not surprising that the brewers tout this Southampton Double White as "a stronger version of the classic Belgian white ale style."

The Southampton Double White poured a hazy, light golden yellow color with a pen-width white head. The aroma had mostly wheat with strong citrus and spice notes.

The body is smooth on the palate but crisp around the edges. There is a lot of wheat and a light sweetness up front. Bananas are apparent as well as citrus notes that lead to a very nice light finish with a light tart/sour aspect.

The beer left a small amount of spotted lace on the glass.

Overall, this is a great beer, a refreshing white ale that is perfect for hot summer days. The ABV is fairly high for a wheat so downing a six pack is not likely.

This beer is fairly versatile when pairing with food. Southampton Double White would go great with a light romaine salad made with pairs as well as a flaky white fish cooked with some white wine and garlic.

Producer: Southampton Ales & Lagers
ABV: 6.7%
Price: $2.25 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:    (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious) 

(Ratings Guide)

Saranac Caramel Porter

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Saranac Caramel Porter poured a dark brown color with a finger-width tan head. 

The aroma had a light roasted character, sweet malt, toffee, and caramel. 

The body's carbonation is light and the texture is syrupy with a sweetness throughout and very noticeable caramel flavoring up front. 

The finish is subdued with a light sweetness lingering. 

Overall this beer is just ok. This is a sweet porter with the caramel nose offering promise that the body fails to deliver on. There is a nice twinge of flavor in the middle but the beer just falls flat in to many areas.

If I were to pair this food with anything, it would be dessert. Chocolate would work fine but I think this would go really well with a piece of pecan pie.

Producer: F.X. Matt Brewing Company
ABV: 5.4%
Price: $1.95 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (2 out of 5 | )

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Saranac Caramel Porter poured a dark brown color with a finger-width tan head. 

The aroma had a light roasted character, sweet malt, toffee, and caramel. 

The body's carbonation is light and the texture is syrupy with a sweetness throughout and very noticeable caramel flavoring up front. 

The finish is subdued with a light sweetness lingering. 

Overall this beer is just ok. This is a sweet porter with the caramel nose offering promise that the body fails to deliver on. There is a nice twinge of flavor in the middle but the beer just falls flat in to many areas.

If I were to pair this food with anything, it would be dessert. Chocolate would work fine but I think this would go really well with a piece of pecan pie.

Producer: F.X. Matt Brewing Company
ABV: 5.4%
Price: $1.95 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (2 out of 5 | )

Blue Point Blueberry Ale

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist

Dan, one of this blog's most loyal readers, pointed out that all of my reviews up until this point have been big, hoppy beers. 

He's right, so this week I decided to review Blue Point Brewing Company's Blueberry Ale.  Fruit beers are not my all-time favorite style but I do enjoy certain fruit beers that are well made.   

This particular fruit beer poured an amber color with a nice white foamy head.  The nose is fruity with lots of blueberries and some light malt. 

The first sip is more blueberry fruit along with a light amount of malt and almost no hops. The finish is short and light without  much of an impact on the palate. 

This beer has a very light body is almost more like a lager then an ale. 

Overall, this beer is just okay, as there is nothing that really stands out to me at all. I have a feeling that this beer is made more for lambic or lighter beer fans, but there is a real lack of hop character.

The simple pairing here is a light romaine heart salad with fresh blueberries.  A dessert pairing would match this beer with a sweet blueberry cobbler. 

Producer: Blue Point Brewing Company
ABV: 4.39%
Price: $2.50 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  (1.5 out of 5 | Not Recommended-to-Average)