Guinness Black Lager

Walked into a Hoboken liquor store and was shocked to see this. Guinness Black Lager???? I have heard nothing about it and was absolutely surprised to ser it in the fridge. I obviously had to grab it amd see how it was and disappointment soon ensued. It may have been the fact that I had two strong German beers first, but this beer had no bite. It tasted like a generic lager with some Guinness taste to it. It was very bland and watery and had no real strong taste to it besides watered down beer and a bit of Guinnessness. Ill give it another try when I'm not already two liters deep, but only out of respect to Guinness. Honestly I don't think that the Black Lager will be around too long.

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest!!!!! This Oktoberfest beer comes from Munich, Germany and is also very dark. It tastes like a lager really, has a sweet malty start and a small hoppy finish. A bit bitter but overall very delicious. It tastes like a true German Oktoberfest brew and is one of the original Oktoberfest beers permitted. Cheers!

Franziskaner Dunkel-Weisse

B2B takes it on the road to the new Hoboken biergarten, called Pilsener Haus at 1422 Grand St. With 20 beers on tap and more bottles, this place is heaven on Earth. Best part is NO LIGHT BEER! You have to check it out.

As for the beers, I'm gonna keep these reviews short and sweet. I started off with a liter of the darkest beer on the menu - Franziskaner Dunkel-Weisse. This is a delicious wheat brew with some nodes of clove and banana that is easy to drink but lacks the bitterness and hops I was looking for. Overall a great beer though that I would recommend for all. Prost!

Gallagher's Brewing Co. Pumpkin Porter Update

The porter is now bottled. Should be ready end of Oct/early Nov.

Post Road Pumpkin Ale by Brooklyn Brewery

Stanley joins us on a Thirsty Thursday for this enjoyable pumpkin ale in Gallagher's Pub. The first thing that struck me about this beer was that it was nearly impossible to tell who brewed it. Brooklyn Brewery is not found anywhere in big letters on the label, but rather is just in fine print on the side to say where this beer was brewed and bottled. Interesting. Also, really like the big pumpkin on the label.

As for the beer, its very solid. First it poured a burnt orange with a nice head that stayed around for a long time. The smell was more pumpkin than spice, but was very faint and not overpowering. The taste was very smooth and balanced with a slight pumpkin flavor and even slighter spice flavors. Just like the other pumpkin beers that didn't have an overpowering smell of pumpkin and spices, Post Road lacks serious flavor, but for some reason it works here. I think the difference is that the subtle flavor is true pumpkin and slight spices instead of the reverse like the other ones - slight pumpkin, more spices. While it doesn't blow me sway with flavor its very drinkable, well balanced and enjoyable. Out of all the pumpkin beers I've tried, this one is the most drinkable while still having some pumpkin flavor. I'm not ready to say its a top contender, but as of now its the dark horse for the B2B Pumpkin Beer crown.

Drink up, Stanley is!

Guinness @ Kelly's Korner in New Brunswick

Stopped here last Saturday and forgot to put this up. This is one of my all-time favorite bars as it was a popular spot in college and has a great ambiance. Its a mix of college students, cops, firefighters and homeless looking bums. It also opens at 7am which is an obvious plus.

As for the Guinness, the pour was solid, with the bartender putting a shamrock on top of the head - big points for this. The pint itself was a little bitter, but smooth enough. An above average pint that won't be a top contender, but gets some serious intangible points for the shamrock in the head, the price ($3) and the ambiance at Kelly's. We'll call the Guinness at Kelly's in New Brunswick - the pint of the people.

Cape Ann Brewing Company Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout

Most pumpkin flavored beers are ales so when I saw a Pumpkin Stout I had no choice but to buy it. The label is very "Fally", but I was disappointed that the fisherman on it wasn't old with a huge grey beard. Definitely a missed marketing opportunity.

As for the beer itself, it poured black with a slight tan head that dissipated rather quickly. The smell was malty and sweet with some spices and slight pumpkin in there, but nothing crazy. As I've discovered over the past few weeks with pumpkin beers, if the smell doesn't blow you away, neither will the taste. In this case, my theory holds true again. This stout wasn't bad, but it only had slight pumpkin and spice tastes that left me wanting more. The slight nodes of pumpkin, vanilla and other spices were enjoyable, but needed to be doubled or tripled. From a stout perspective, the beer was a little too thin and carbonated for my liking, but overall very well balanced and easy to drink. I also really enjoyed the expresso/chocolate aftertaste. However, being judged as a pumpkin beer it disappoints slightly for not having enough pumpkin and spice flavors in it.

If you're a stout lover I'd try it because pumpkin stouts are hard to find, but its not going to be a contender for Top B2B Pumpkin Beer.

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale

After a short hiatus from pumpkin beers, I am back with Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin Ale. Although it may be hard to tell from the picture, it poured a dark amber with a slight reddish tint to it. It had a small head that mostly faded quickly. The aroma was loaded with spices. Mostly some clove and nutmeg, but I also got some slight sweet scents - possibly cinnamon. Taste was very delightful, again mostly the spices I smelled with a bit of true pumpkin I think. Its hard to tell with these pumpkin beers sometimes because you know you're drinking a pumpkin beer so you are thinking pumpkin even though it might not even be what you're tasting. It finishes a little rough with some hops, but the aftertaste was very good I thought. Sweet and not alcoholy which surprised me since this bad boy is 8% alcohol. Overall, a very well-rounded and solid pumpkin ale that made me feel like its autumn even though its 70 degrees and ridiculously humid out. I'd rank this one towards the top as a serious contender for the pumpkin crown. Cheers guys!

Guinness at Egan's in Montclair

Had high hopes for this Guinness, but it failed miserably. I couldn't see the pour, but it must have been terrible based on the taste. Head was small and the initial tasting was extremely bitter and flat. Egan's poured a terrible pint, possibly the worst I've ever had. For an irish pub, I am greatly disappointed.

River Horse Hippo-Lantern Imperial Pumpkin Ale

My sister bought a six pack of River Horse's pumpkin and hated it so naturally I was the beneficiary. It poured a burnt orange with a head that quickly faded. Smell was all spice, mostly nutmeg and cinnamon with a slight scent of pumpkin. Taste was spicy, again mostly nutmeg, with a real pumpkin edge to it. It finished with some hops, but also was very alcoholy. This is a very solid pumpkin ale and the fact that its 8.1% abv gives it some extra points. Definitely a contender.

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been searching for this beer for months to no avail, but randomly at Brickwall Tavern in Asbury Park I stumbled upon this delicious brew ON TAP! It was served in a 10oz glass and thank God because I'm a few Miller Lites in and 16oz wouldve sent me home at halftime of the Rutgers game. This one poured a beautiful reddish orange with a sweet head that lasted pretty well throughout. Smell was extremely hoppy and citrusy, best smelling beer I've smelt. Taste is sweet at first with floral and citrusy nodes before turning hoppy and alcoholy. It finishes very malty and sweet, almost too much. I like my IPAs to finish dry and this is a bit too sweet. That being said, its the second best beer I've had behind Firestone Walker Double Jack. Go RU! Launch the Sanuclear bomb!!!!

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale

My second pumpkin ale of the night is from Smuttynose Brewery. It poured an orangey brown color with a pretty nice head that didn't quickly vanish. The smell was hoppy with some slight spiciness, pretty interesting for a pumpkin ale. Taste was nutmeg and other spices at first, but quickly turned to hops, finishing with a very slight pumpkin taste. I'm not really sure what to make of this one. Its not overly pumpkiny or spicy, but packs a lot of hops which is always a plus for me. Its almost perfectly well balanced and finishes very nice with the hops amd slight pumpkin taste, but doesn't scream out a fall pumpkin beer. For now, ill say that this is the best all around pumpkin beer I've had, but since its not full of fall ill leave it as a contender.

Fire Island Brewing Co. Pumpkin Barrel Ale

Picked this one up at Whole Foods on Greenwich St in NYC today. I've heard of pumpkin ales, but never a pumpkin barrel ale so this six pack grabbed my attention. I poured it into a pint glass and it had a beautiful reddish brown color with a thumb sized head that slowly faded but left some lacing. Smell was mostly nutmeg and cinnamon with some other faint spices, possibly clove. Taste started off with mostly nutmeg with some earthy nodes, but no real pumpkin taste. Finish was pretty smooth with more earthiness and a slight bitterness, probably due to the alcohol content. Overall, an easy pumpkin ale to drink, but it didn't leave a lasting impact on me. I'd rate it as #2 behind Shipyard on the pumpkin ale scale. Its probably a better all around beer because its well balanced and easy to drink, but since its lacking the big pumpkin punch I'm looking for, it falls short.

Kane Brewing Co. Afterglow

The final beer that Kane Brewing Co. Has put out to date is a Rye Pale Ale called Afterglow. The name Afterglow came from the owner of the brewery who got the idea from the orangey sky that can be seen down at the Jersey Shore when the sun is setting on a nice evening. As for the beer itself, it poured a very nice orangey brown color with a decent sized head that lasted until I finished drinking the beer. Aroma was some sweet malt but mostly hops which were very delightful. The taste slightly sweet, but finished very hoppy and dry. The rye wad not overbearing, but rather balanced out very well with the hops and malts. This is a very solid rye pale ale that even my brother-in-law Terry enjoyed. It might even be my favorite pale ale because it balances the hops, malt and rye so well.

After trying all three beers, the IPA is my favorite, but the pale ale and Belgian-style are both really delicious and easy to drink. For a hop lover like me, Kane has put together three great beers that pack a lot of hops, but are also very balanced. Once again I suggest everyone check out Kane's blog (listed below) because it has the mist up-to-date list of where you can find their beers. They are self distributing now so it may be hard to find, but is worth traveling for. Also, the brewery in Ocean Township is open for growler fills and tours every Saturday from 12-5. Cheers guys, happy Labor Day Weekend!!

kanebrewing.blogspot.com

Kane Brewing Co. Growlers

Single Fin and Afterglow

Growler View

Biking back from Spirits on Rt. 35 with two full growlers.

Tap List @ Point Beach Spirits

Kane Brewing Co. Single Fin

I introduced Kane Brewing Company here a few weeks ago and talked about how great their IPA is. After a 14 mile bike ride from Monterey Beach to the Spirits in Pt. Pleasant and back, I now have two more growlers of Kane beers ready for review.

First, I'll start off with their Summer seasonal, Single Fin, a Belgian-style Blond ale. If you're a loyal B2B follower then you know that I really prefer hoppy bitter beers that pack a lot of punch, however I also enjoy finding lighter, easier to drink beers that are perfect for summer. Kane's Single Fin is definitely one of those. It poured a beautiful golden blonde color into my pint glass with a head that stood for a minute or two before fading out. The aroma was sweet malts with a slight wheat smell that seemed fitting for a warm day by the beach. Taste was a bit fruity at first with the malty sweetness being the strongest taste coming through. It finished with some surprising slight hops and was very dry, different from many other Belgian ales I have had. Overall a very solid summer beer that even gives hopheads like me a little love.

It will probably be hard to find this beer since Kane only made 20 barrels of it due to it being late in the summer, but it will bx available again early next summer. Stay tuned for my review of Kane's Rye Pale Ale, Afterglow.

Guinness @ Aztec Bar in Seaside

Where do I start? Pour was all at once with no break to let settle. Glass was skinny and tall, not even a pint. Taste was way off. Similar to how it is out of a can or bottle. This is probably the worst I've had, but Rich Meyer is coming on so it makes up for it. One man, one guitar, one good time.

Southern Tier Brewing Co. Imperial Pumking

I received a 22oz bottle of this pumpkin ale from my sister-in-law Jill. To start, the label is frightening. It looks like a picture of an evil jack-o-lantern with bats hovering above, which blew me back to start. The aroma is all malty with strong smells of caramel (its made with caramel malt), vanilla, nutmeg and some other spices. Head faded very quickly after pouring. Taste is pumpkiny at first (pumpkin puree was used), then moves to nutmeg and other spices before finishing with a mix of butterscotch, vanilla and alcohol. Its an 8.6% abv beer so I expected to taste some alcohol, but its a very strong and unbalanced taste. This beer is lacking hops and that really kills it for me. If they put more hops in, it wouldve balanced out the malty sweetness and covered up the strong alcohol taste. Not a bad pumpkin beer, but not as drinkable as I wouldve liked. Shipyard Pumpkinhead still rules.

Shipyard Brewing Company Pumpkinhead Ale

Now that September is upon us, its time for the pumpkin brews to start flowing! With a little under two months till I name my favorite pumpkin beer, I decided to start with one of my favorites, Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale. I drank this one out of a bottle while sitting on the beach, blurring the line between Summer and Fall. To start it has one of the sickest labels I have ever seen. Its not really true pumpkiny, but rather has a strong aroma and taste of nutmeg, cinnamon and possibly whipped cream. It both smells and tastes almost exactly like a delicious pie. To pumpkin beer purists who want a beer that's brewed with and tastes like real pumpkin, it disappoints, but as someone who loves pumpkin pie I take it for what it is and thoroughly enjoy it. A seasonal beer is intended to fit the season its for and this one definitely makes you feel Fally. A great pumpkin pie ale that will be tough to beat.