Winter Ride Double Bock

Winter Ride Double Bock

 It's 11 degrees so it feels right to review this new one from Trader Joe's. This beer was very foamy when poured straight down the center of a large mug. The foam settles and the first whiff smells like a brewery: one that is actively brewing, so a "worty" smell. As it warms up, a toffee-ish aroma surfaces. Some nice dark malt flavors up front -- chocolate and some caramel -- but from their to finish is weird and oddly -- unpleasantly bitter.

(Josephbrau Brewing Company, purchased at Trader Joe's, 3745 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, Illinois. Rating: 2/5 stars)

Kibbitzing about Colbitzer

German lager in the US via Japan? Perhaps brewed for the US and Japanese markets? A shipment of Pils refused by Japan? Not the best Pils but not terrible either. Found at a Shop and Save in Downers Grove, Illinois for $3.99 a four-pack. Purchased cold out of the cooler. They also had a weizen and Schwarzbier. A little bit of a rustic hop bitterness but not bad for four bucks.

An alternate dimension

Here we have an attempt at something German called Altbier. This is Alternate Dimension from Trader Joe's. The back label says the brewer used a special Alt yeast from Dusseldorf. Pretty impressive for $7 a sixer, right? But is it good?

With bit of a pretzel-like aroma, a pleasant maltiness and just the right amount of bitterness, Alternate Dimension is a very drinkable beer. In fact, I've tasted quite a few much higher-priced Altbiers and this one is just about as good. I might go back for more...it's just too bad that it's so hot outside....(I like my darker beers when it's colder.)

Hmm. Keep driving?

Here's a new Trader Joe's beer (at least new to me) that I picked up today. It is a dry hopped red ale that clocks in at 7.2 percent. I paid $7 for the six-pack which I think is cheap for craft beer these days. The label design of thus beer appeals to me, with the VW bus and hop cones and all. Dry-hopped is always good. That said, this ale is hopped with Tettnang, which is a unusual choice for dry-hopping an ale. Most U.S. brewers would use Mount Hood, which is a Tettnang-like American hop. There's just a brief burst of a spicy hop note in this beer. There is, however, a satisfactory hop flavor. The carbonation seems a bit off at first but I realize my glass is not clean. I transfer the beer to a clean glass and it foams up nicely with a lasting head. Poured into a tall pilsner glass, I notice the Tettnang hops a little more. All in all a pretty enjoyable red ale with good caramel malt sweetness balanced by enough spicy hops to keep it interesting. Be careful though, as this beer is quite quaffable for it's 7.1 percent alcohol by volume!

Josephbrau scores again!

Revisiting a couple German-style beers from Trader Joe's this evening. The first is Josephsbrau Hefeweizen. It is an unfiltered wheat beer brewed to 5.3 percent alcohol by volume. Perhaps on the higher side of sessionable, it is certainly a decent weizen to be had for seven dollars a six-pack. There is the typical banana-clove flavor profile, albeit somewhat muted. Good stuff.

The Dunkelweizen is priced the same. It pours a very hazy amber with a muted spicy nose with a suggestion of orange. Again, this isn't your fancy Paulaner, Ayinger or Franziskaner. Interestingly enough the dunkelweizen is a a tenth of a percent weaker than the weizen with 18 versus 12 IBUs. All this mumbo jumbo means is that they added more hops in the dunkel, probably to balance the addition of caramel malts. The result is a dunkel that is not as sweet as most which is something that I rather enjoy.

Update: I have found out this evening that noted beer writer, homebrewer and craft beer pioneer Fred Eckhardt has died. He was 89 and I believe he appreciated the German styles. Cheers, Fred! Here's a column he wrote for his 80th birthday.

Classic cheap beer

Chicago area people! Pilsner Urquell cans are on sale at Jewel for $1.29 a can. I love these vintage-style cans. I'm a sucker for them. PU isn't really a cheap beer, but it is more affordable than some of the craft lagers these days. It is still a go-to beer for me, especially on weeknights. The 4.4 percent ABV will treat you right and still 40 IBUs after all these years....

Do you like Bock?

So the other day I was told about Josephsbrau Prost (Rich Malty Lager) by my cashier at Trader Joe's. The conversation went something like this, "Do you like beer? Do you like bock? We have a new Maibock, do you want to try it?" The look on my face must've have shown indifference because the cashier followed with "it's only a dollar a bottle and I can get you one if you want." I agreed to try it and he fetched the bottle. "If you don't like it you can bring the empty bottle back and we'll refund your money."

Well, heck...it's not hat bad. It's not great either, but at 7.3 percent alcohol by volume it at least provides a fairly flavorful cheap buzz. The maltiness isn't that smooth, but it is slightly complex with some interesting caramel notes and almost a hint of coffee. Yeah, I know a little weird for an amber bock, but not bad. At a buck of bottle it's a decent low-end craft beer that I think fits the high-end of the cheap category. Available now for a limited time.