Continuous Wave

The name Continuous Wave reminds me of warm summer days driving down Nebraska's highways and seeing the fields waving in the wind. What a great name for this Cream Ale from Code Beer Company!

This light golden beauty is a product of grain and hops produced in Nebraska. The flavor is light, clean, and crisp, especially up front. The middle has a nice charge for the carbonation that shows a hint of the hops that fade to a bit of a sweet finish.

A great session beer at 5.5% ABV and only 15 IBUs for those that are not big on hops. Just one of the many great beers you will find at Code Beer in Lincoln, NE.

Cheers!

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

I have a wee bit of Irish in me, so to find a local Irish Red Ale, I was up for that!

My eyes were smiling as they saw this gorgeous copper red ale with a nice tan colored head fill my pint glass. This malty ale has incredible buttery caramel notes. There is a slight sweetness in the start and middle that finishes out very smoothly. The body is moderately soft with great warmth to it. The 6% ABV seems to be ideal for this beer!

This is a style of beer that seems perfect in those late winter months to me. Divots Brewery, you did an excellent job with Mollie’s Irish Red Ale. Some day you will have to introduce me to Mollie.

Cheers!

I Knight You: Sir Bock-A-Lot

The kingdom is always looking for a new knight. One that will serve and take care of the people. This knight, Sir Bock-A-Lot, is known to put a smile on the faces of the villagers even in the coldest, darkest nights.

I had kept this Bock from a recent visit hoping to find a quiet night at home to enjoy it! For starters, the color is a very nice bronze/brown. The first thing that you will notice is an amazing caramel flavor. Upfront this is quite the attention grabber. The middle has a touch of sweetness. The body is soft and very warming. A beautiful malty lager coming in at 6.7% ABV.

Monolithic Brewing is a new brewery in the Omaha area and have been brewing up incredible beers. Recently, I was a judge at an IPA contest where Broken Hearts, a lovely hazy IPA took home the Burnt Keg Cup trophy!

Head brewer, Shane Costello is doing a wonderful job. Take time to check out all the great ones he is brewing. I would recommend a flight to get to try a few and help you decide what to take home.

Cheers!

Caught in a Neon Time Warp

The 80’s was the decade of Neon!

The 80’s brought all the bright colors and stars like Madonna were part of the craze. The bright colors were everywhere from workout clothes to going out on the town attire. So needless to say, these eye-catching colors would make a great beer label!

Fast forward to the year 2021 and Pint Nine Brewing releases a hazy IPA called Neon 9’s. The hops used in this IPA come from Hollingbery & Son, Inc in the Yakima Valley. The hop profile consists of Citra, Mosiac, and Strata hops.

The nose on this IPA has citrus, tropical, and herbal aromas. This is a really dank IPA and I enjoy that. My research shows that the Strata hop has been described as “where passion fruit meets pot”. For me, the fruit notes are light and the dank herbal notes are more predominant especially in the finish. The body of this IPA seems to emphasize the herbal dankness.

Very enjoyable IPA that comes in at 6.7% ABV.

Time to get your neon on!

Cheers!

My Milk Delivery Is Better Than Yours

Local Beer is even more special when you haven’t had a Sandhill’s Finest lately

Today’s delivery provided via dog sled… If this were a commercial that would be an accurate description as a snowstorm has been dumping snow all day!

It is hard when one of the best breweries in your state is 3.5 hours away. I enjoy every chance I get to go out to Scratchtown Brewing Company in Ord, Nebraska. One of the finest patios that I completely enjoy having a beer on a warm, sunny summer’s day.

When I found out that the Local, Beer, Patio and Kitchen had Sideburns’ Milk Stout on tap, I found my way there to get a crowler. I always love a sessionable stout. I have to admit I didn’t get the exact ABV on this one, but it is in the neighborhood of 5%.

The body of this stout is incredibly soft. Right away I get chocolate notes that last throughout each taste. There is a nice level of sweetness that makes you ready for that next sip right away!

I will take this Milk Stout any day over what the milkman has to offer!

Cheers!

Beertender, I Would Like Something a Wee bit Heavy

Wintertime calls for a special, might you say rare beer style to warm your spirits. Back in the 18th century in Scotland, a style of beer was created that was a strong ale influenced by its malt flavors. The style “Wee Heavy” gets its name from the original pour being a small pour or just a “wee bit.” The reason being that this style typically had a higher ABV upwards of 9 to 10%.

Definitely not a style you see that often, I recently was able to find a local wee heavy by the name of Albatross Scottish Wee Heavy from Pint Nine Brewing. The aroma is interesting as it picks up the malts and has this bit of booziness you would get with a spirit such as a whisky or scotch. To me, this is very intriguing, considering this beer has not been barrel-aged!

I get caramel and a hit of toffee notes upfront. There is a slight sweetness that transitions to a bit of tartness in the middle. The backend is warming and continues for a good amount of time. The body is soft with a lower amount of carbonation and is light to medium.

A great beer to truly sip on and enjoy the complex flavors and warmth! I might say also it is a little bit sneaky in that it hides its 9.1% ABV very well! A unique beer style that I would like to experience more of.

Cheers!

No More Blah Mondays

This dead head has a tremendous body

Monday blahs is a real thing. Searching for something that can wake up your taste buds was my cure for the blahs!

Haze of the Dead is from Destihl Brewery in Normal, Illinois. This hazy DIPA packs 8.5% ABV and 83 IBUs. The blend of Citra and Simcoe hops gives you citrus and pine aroma. The real magic happens when you take your first taste. There is citrus and stone fruit flavor upfront that give way to the dank, earthy, and piney notes. The transition is wonderful.

It is the body of this DIPA that has me mesmerized. There are oats and wheat, which right away you think is going to be a soft body. But there is something about the carbonation and the hop punch that tends to want to dance in your mouth making the experience more than you can imagine!

Highly recommend this IPA and the other hazy IPAs from Destihl Brewery.

Give your tastebuds the excitement they are looking for!

Cheers!

My Favorite Reindeer is Electric!

A tribute to Newfields Winter Light festival

There are certain traditions about the holidays that I can’t wait for in the fall. One is getting to see all of the Christmas light displays and the other is finding new holiday craft beers!

Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis, Indiana has created a wonderful winter brew called Electric Reindeer. The nose on this beer has all those Christmas spices that you have come to love. The cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg are wrapped with the sweet aroma of molasses.

The front end has ginger, clove, and nutmeg notes. The middle to finish has a caramel light sweetness that then returns to ginger and cinnamon. This is so well balanced and flavorful throughout! The ABV is 5.5% and the IBU is 23. Truly a celebration beer for the holidays!

A very festive 6-pack box

What is really cool is that Electric Reindeer is in celebration of the Newfields Winterlights Festival at the Art Museum. A beautiful property that is illuminated in classic and contemporary light displays. There are around 1.5 million lights that greet the people as they stroll through this winter wonderland. From the Frosted Forest to the 42-foot Christmas tree made of lighted toys, you are bound to get into the spirit of Christmas!

I think it would be awesome to make a trip during the holiday season to see the lights festival and to visit Sun King Brewery!

They have a great selection of craft beer including IPAs, Cream Ales, Lagers, Coffee Porter, and many other seasonal beers.

It has been great to be able to get the Electric Reindeer in Omaha this holiday season! Looking forward to having more Sun King Brewery beers in Nebraska.

Cheers to Holiday Beers!

Santa's Blonde Dilemma

I hope you are not thinking bad thoughts about Santa! No, he is not stepping out on Mrs. Claus, this particular blonde that has presented a quandary is an apple brandy barrel aged Belgian Blonde Ale.

You see Santa was recently in Omaha in the Old Market and stopped by Upstream Brewing Company for a quick bite to eat and a pint. The beertender said, “Santa you look a little cold, how about something to warm you up?”. Santa was happy to oblige.

Santa said, “Oh my this beautiful beer has such nice fruit aroma especially apple.” I completely agree with Santa. As I opened my nice bottle of the Belgian Blonde the aroma was light and fruity with some hint of brandy.

Santa went on to say, “This isn’t your normal beer. It has this crisp, dry, tartness that is like no other ale I have ever had. There is slight resemblance to a dry, apple cider but that fades fast as the finish is rich and warming.”

The beertender smile and replied, “Santa I am glad you like this one. It is not your typical barrel aged craft beer; it comes in at 7.1% ABV which is lighter than most. But I still recommend having your sled parked for the night.”

Santa had this bewildered look on his face, “How am I going to deliver this wonderful brew to all of those deserving adults out there that still believe?”

The beertender said, “Santa don’t worry we have you covered. Just send them our way and we will take care of them. Happy Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!”

Santa in dismay, “Umm I think that is my line…”

Cheers!

Your Argument is Invalid or is It?

I have been setting sipping and arguing with myself exactly over the flavor profile in this imperial stout. Your Argument is Invalid from Thunderhead Brewing in Kearney, Nebraska is a deep, dark, complex stout. I must admit my nose seems to be off a wee bit with a cold, but the aroma to me is dark fruit, chocolate, oak, and bourbon.

The longer I let this stout warm, the more the flavors are changing. The bourbon is definitely present throughout. The chocolate roastiness mixes in for me. The finish is big bourbon and some bitterness. Mouthfeel is very silky.

This is an 11.5% ABV imperial stout that was aged in bourbon barrels for 12 months. The head is thick and creamy in this bottle conditioned stout. I am not too sure how long this one has been in the bottle, but I would love to set aside one for a couple of years to see how it would turn out!

Winter calls for big beers and this is without a doubt one of them. Cheers!

Super Jubel Imperial Winter Ale

Layers of amazing flavors!

December is a month where I really enjoy finding different winter ales. I am fond of the unique flavors and also the warmth of these beers.

Deschutes Brewery has created this wonderful imperial winter ale that comes in a 10.4% ABV. My nose picks up cherry, grape, and oak notes. There is a nice malt forward sweetness with dark fruit especially plum and date notes for me. Next is this tart spiciness in the backend along with a very warming finish.

Such an intriguing brew! Aged in wine, brandy, and port barrels, you will experience so many different flavors! The thoughts of a night in the woods with snow on the ground, stars in the sky, and Super Jubel in my glass would be a night to remember!

Cheers!

420 Strain Jack Herer Harvest Ale

The emperor would be proud

I have to admit I didn’t know who Jack Herer was, but I was very intrigued about this hoppy copper colored ESB harvest ale!

A nice hop profile of Centennial, Cascade, and Amarillo hops. There is this well balanced maltiness with the piney, earthy tones throughout the front and middle. The finish has a nice spiciness to it that could be attributed to the rye malt in this beer.

This ale comes in at 6.7% ABV and 45 IBUs.

A truly wonderful ale from Sweet Water Brewing Company out of Atlanta, Georgia. I will never forget my first time having a couple of their IPAs at the airport. So glad to get to have some more of their brews!

Cheers!

This Ebenezer is no Scrooge

No bah hum bug here

I have been waiting for a long time to get my hands on the infamous Winter Warmer known as Ebenezer by Upstream Brewing Company. When I found out there was a rye whiskey barrel aged version that was bottled, I was on a mission on the day after Thanksgiving to get a bottle!

This is a pretty complex brew. I get notes of dark fruit especially dates up front. There is this unique tartness that last throughout with the cinnamon and nutmeg present. The body is very soft. The finish has a really nice whiskey warmness which makes you realize this is an 8.8% ABV beer.

I wish I could tell you more about the aroma, but I have a cold and I just cannot smell very much at this time.

I am always in awe of the unique brews that Upstream Brewing creates! If you have the opportunity to try some of their beers do so.

Cheers!

Treat Yo'Self

Need something to warm you up from a day of sledding?

The holidays are upon us and that means it is time for some decadent winter brews. Divots Brewery has created a Gingerbread Stout called Treat Yo’self that falls right in line!

This milk stout is dessert in a glass with a good punch of cinnamon and ginger. The honey and maltiness of this stout give you molasses characteristics especially upfront. The finish has a bit of spicy character to it which more in likely is the hops making their presence known.

I would definitely prefer this stout over a piece of cake or cookies for that holiday dessert! Winter brings great opportunities to enjoy some amazing flavorful brews. Hope you enjoy finding some!

Cheers!

I Need a Hero

Vis Major Brewing Co is so good at creating flavor brews

What does it take to be a hero or better yet a Hero Twin? Well if you take a completely roasty Porter and combine with it some Guatemalan cold brewed coffee it has a good chance of being a hero in my book!

Hero Twin from Vis Major Brewing Co is a bold coffee Porter. If you say you are a coffee beer, then I definitely want to enjoy the coffee and this one nails it! Big coffee flavor upfront with a slight sweetness that finishes with a rugged earthiness that I would tend to believe is hop influenced.

The vibe from this beer has got to be a mountain campfire scene. After a long day of hiking, you need something as rugged as you are feeling. Hero Twin has you covered!

The coffee used in this 6.4% ABV Porter comes from Reboot Roasting. Coffee lovers please check out their coffee!

Cheers!

Shove It Down Your Piehole

Stewie has waited a long time to get into a beer review

I heard my inner Stewie when I saw the name of this beer - Piehole Porter. Brewed in Flagstaff, Arizona, Historic Brewing Company has created a very pleasing cherry, vanilla porter!

The aroma of this porter for me is a very nice chocolate one. The cherry flavor is light and upfront with the vanilla. In the middle, I get chocolate notes that finish with a bit of roastiness! The carbonation was a little bit on the lower side, but this beer came from a friend, so I am not sure of its exact age. Would love to try it fresh on tap.

A really solid sessionable porter at 5.5% ABV. I know if I ever make it to Flagstaff, Historic Brewing Company will be on my list of breweries to visit!

Cheers!

Space Force

From a galaxy not so far away

I am blessed in that when friends travel, they bring back some amazing brews! I have been holding onto this one for some time now, but I have been dying to try it. I haven’t had that many beers from Wisconsin so super stoked to get one from Hop & Barrel out of Hudson.

Space Force is a DDH DIPA coming in at 8.5% ABV and 62 IBUs. The color of this IPA is a brilliant orange which makes you think, “I bet I am going to get some orange notes.” You absolutely do along with some tangerine. My favorite part is that the frontend has the fruit and slight sweetness to it, then in the middle comes on this onslaught of hop bitterness that is righteous. I do love hops and I am not afraid to say it!

What a great beer! I am excited to try more brews from Hop & Barrel.

Cheers!

Deb's Dunkel

Beautiful rich copper color in this Dunkel

It has been a great October to enjoy so many wonderful German beers. Today’s beer is Deb’s Dunkel from Scriptown Brewing in Omaha, Nebraska. Dunkel in German means “dark”. These lagers typically are a copper to brown in color. The notes can include bready, caramel, and sometimes even chocolate.

Deb’s Dunkel has great caramel and bready notes. One thing about a Dunkel is they tend to be less sweet than some of the other German lagers. The body is soft and the finish has a bit of hop bitterness to it.

A key to Dunkels is the Munich malt used in them. This Dunkel has the following malts:

• Munich 1 lighter in color and brings out notes of light caramel, honey, and bread.

• Munich 2 darker with just a little more roast to it but has similar notes to Munich 1.

• Melanoidin provides amber color with honey and biscuit notes.

• Carafa 2 is dark brown in color with espresso aroma. Has coffee and chocolate notes.

The hops used in Deb’s Dunkel are German noble hops and include:

• Tettnanger tends to be more floral, herbal, and grassy.

• Hersbrucker has floral, spice, and light fruit notes which is perfect for many different German Style beers.

Another great German style beer from Scriptown! Deb’s Dunkel is very sessionable at 5.1% ABV and such a great fall beer.

Cheers!

Ranchero is Spooktacular!

Ghoul approved

Mexican Lager has been a style that I have really started to notice over this past year. The history of Mexican Lagers is quite fascinating. It was the Austrian and German immigrants in Mexico wanting to make their lager recipes but realized it was difficult to get the malts they needed. The brewers decide to introduce an abundant resource of corn to produce a lighter lager with a hint of sweetness. Thus the Mexican Lager came into existence.

What a beautiful patio to enjoy a Ranchero!

The beauty of a good Mexican Lager is the malty soft bodied beer that many will equate to traditionally to being a summer beer. Lagers are excellent any time of year especially when you are looking for something that is not on the hoppy side.

Ranchero from Divots Brewery in Norfolk, Nebraska has put together a great recipe utilizing:

• German yeast

• German hop blend of Tradition and Magnum

• A nice bit of corn

The result is an easy drinking beer with such a slight bitterness of the hops that finishes just a bit sweet from the corn. The flavor for me is wonderful and I personally would pass on the lime to get everything I can out of this 4.6% ABV and 13 IBU beer.

I have gained a real appreciation for lagers this year and thanks to Divot’s Brewery for introducing me to the Ranchero!

Cheers!

Big Kahuna or Almond Joy?

Choices to be made!

When Groot offers you an Almond Joy or a Big Kahuna, what do you choose?

For me it has to be the Big Kahuna. I have been on a quest to find this beer for a long time! Brewed by Catalyst Brewing (formerly 5168 Brewing) out of Lincoln, Nebraska, they took an incredible Hawaiian Porter full of coconut, chocolate, and coffee and aged it for 12 months in a whiskey barrel.

What was the result? A really nice whiskey, oak bouquet with coconut and chocolate aroma. The whiskey flavor is forward but not too overpowering in this 10% ABV Imperial Porter. The chocolate and coconut comes through midway and lasts into the finish.

These young fellas seem to be super pumped about the Big Kahuna. You can’t blame them! No offense, Groot but I will take the Big Kahuna any day over an Almond Joy!

I now know what my Halloween treat needs to be every year.

Cheers!