Cisco Brewers - Indie Pale Ale

Cisco Brewers is a brewery based out of Massachusetts, they do everything from Barley Wine to Witbier and are widely regarded as one of the best "budget" breweries in the North East.

This is their classic IPA recipe and it's called an "Indie Pale Ale"
A good and affordable beer, or as it says on the label a "Good fresh beer". 7.58% ABV.

This bottle ran me $6 i think, 1Pint + 6 oz.

-Poured out with little to no head, as opposed to the generous head it had on tap last time I tried it.

-Nice Red-Orange color, smells like grapefruit, alcohol and hops at first.

-Good amount of Hops to it, another simple flavor profile. I get things like Mint, 'bitterness', and woodenness immediately with more of a 'bitter' aftertase. Enjoyable and refreshing.

-It reminds me of a standard English IPA, not too flashy... but everything is done right.

I dig it, but I'm not gonna run around calling it something special or out of the ordinary:

8.5 out of 10

Dogfish Head "My Antonia" Pilsner

My Antonia is a continually-hopped Imperial Pils.

I got this instead of an IPA today, as a recommendation.

9.4 fl oz bottle, 7.5% alcohol.

-The recipe Sprouted up in 08' during Dogfish Head's owner Sam's trip to Italy.

-They decided to brew it again in Delaware, limited US release since June. $7.99 a bottle.

-The flavor profile is straight forward, it bites hard and has a thick, bitter initial hit.

-I could say it's a little grassy but what I really mean is it's just plain Hoppy, it's so unexpected from these newfangled 'imperial' pilsners. Then again I don't know what to expect from an Imperial Pilsner in general since every one I've had seems different so far.

-I do like the mixture of Noble and West Coast hops in this beer, and it has a very distinct 'Old World' appeal to it. However the flavor is a little simple and leaves something to be desired.

-It's a manly beer and although it might seem good for hot weather, it might be a little intense with too bitter an aftertaste to be absolutely refreshing.

I like this beer, but I don't love it.

7.5 out of 10

Try it though, if you like bitter beer (which I do) you won't be disappointed.

American Fruits Apple Liqueur

Produced & Bottled all at Warwick Valley Wine Co. In Warwick, NY.

I bought this at the distillery after a wine and liquor tasting, WHICH might I add only costs 5 dollars and comes with a free Warwick Valley glass.

It's Bourbon Barrel Aged for a period of 1 year. 19.5% alcohol.

First off, I can't say enough good things about Warwick Valley, and it's only a 45 minute drive from the Paramus area.

Ever had Doc's Hard Cider? Yeah well they make all of it there, produced and bottled.

I bought a few things there last time but managed to drink them all before I considered reviewing them.

This Liqueur smells like a carmel apple, it's great in light beer or as an alcoholic mixer.

It's sweet and has a warm feeling to it, notes of Whiskey afterwards. It's basically the same color as apple juice.

8 out of 10 because it's great (award winning actually) but they've done better.

www.wvwinery.com support local business.

In fact you should all go to the Warwick Farmers Market which takes place every weekend from here until the end of the summer. They have a stand set up.

Hoegaarden White Beer.

Hoegaarden is a Belgian white beer brewed with spices, it's a 4.9% and lends itself well to flavoring with things like Liqueurs and fruit preserves.

Pours out a sandy white which is common for a Weiss beer.

There's a lot of carbonation in this beer as well, that combined with a full but un-invasive flavor means that this beer would go well with richer/ more bold and flavorful foods.

It's citrusy and has a fair amount of tang to it, which makes it a good summer beer.

Drink this beer this time of year, it's a summer standby in my opinion.

9 out of 10

Cisco Brewers 'Grey Lady Ale'

Here's a pint of Witbier with a cool label I picked up today.

The Brewery is based out of Nantucket and it's a 4.5%

Pours out a Hazy-lazy yellow, Golden and Citrusy looking.

Smells like berries, Juniper berries to be precise.

Don't let the Ale title on this one fool you, it's a very mild beer with little to no bite at all.

I wouldn't call the flavor too complex either, but the mouth feel is syrupy and there's a lot of sweetness to it... So I wouldn't pair it with too many different things.

One thing I definitely DO like is when I pour out a pint and the bottle still has a generous portion left over.

The beer is pretty good, kind of boring but easily palatable and sweet so I could see how someone would enjoy it.

Also the girl ringing me up and Whole Foods forgot to charge me for it so... it was free.

All in all the beer gets a 7 / 10

Anchor Brewing Company 'Liberty Ale'

Liberty Ale is a Dry Hopped Ale dating back to 1975.

It is Brewed in San Francisco California by Liberty Brewing Co. and is a 6%.

Pours out crispy and golden with lots of carbonation and a thin head.

Smells Botanical and Hoppy Immediately (I like that in a beer).

The mouth feel is eye opening, a lot of bite and a nice 'grassy' flavor that catches your attention whether you want it to or not.

I just got finished doing some yard work and this beer is waayyyyy refreshing, a good pick up indeed. There's also a back end of Pine in the flavor which really opens up your senses for some reason.

Although I keep attesting to how light this beer is I must also say it has a lot of body to it, very well balanced.

Good beer, not an IPA but for people who like them.

9/10

Harpoon IPA

This IPA is from Harpoon brewery and is a 5.9%

It pours out a light wispy copper color and has a thinner lacy white head to top it off

A light, but noticeable floral smell with an air of bitterness to it.

What might surprise you when you first try this beer is the citrus notes that come out in the flavor, it isn't something you would smell but it's definitely noticeable (not overpowering in the least).

It's of medium carbonation (which is pleasant) and has a bit of body to it (I would prefer a little more but hey...)

It's a good introductory IPA for a summer beer drinker and is what I would like to call a 'lawnmower' beer, like something you would drink while you were mowing the lawn.

not bad, not amazing... solid IPA

7/10

Erdinger Hefe-Weizen Dark

Erdinger Hefe - Weizen Dark is a German beer with a lot of uncharacteristic quirks to it that make it pretty unique.

It's a 5.5%

Pours out with a nice big head, the nose is fruity and fresh and the head is foamy and sweet.

This beer is really good, it's only 3 bucks a pint and a totally satisfying summer beer because it's a wheat beer.

It's super carbonated and yeasty to it's refreshing and filling at the same time.

8.5/10

Quilly's Sliders

On Route 4. west Between Paramus and Paterson there's a small slider place called Quilly's. It's run by guy named Steve and is probably one of my favorite places to eat.

I know a lot of you checking this blog is from my area, so I implore you to go check this place out http://quillysgourmetsliders.com/

I'd say I'll let the food speak for itself, but these falafel sliders are really satisfying and taste totally authentic.

The guy pays attention to detail and prides himself on making everything he can from scratch, something far too few restaurants do lately.

He also makes drinks like Iced tea, Lemonade, Arnold Palmer and my favorite Fruit Punch

There's vegetarian options that are just as good as anything else you could get on the menu.

Support local business, especially when it's as good as this is!

http://quillysgourmetsliders.com/

Traquair "Jacobite" flavored Ale.

An 8% Dark Ale flavored with Coriander, Resurrection of a very old recipe if I'm not mistaken.

This beers pretty expensive (6 bucks for an 11.2 oz bottle)

It's a slow sipper so I slow poured it, and there was a thin Khaki head for about 2 seconds until it disappeared for some reason.

It smells really floral and sweet, but also hearty (a thicker smell of fermentation).

The most noticeable thing about this beer is that it's surprisingly light in mouth feel/ taste for an 8%, that doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't require much attention... in fact I don't really think it would pair well with any type of food besides sharp cheese and biscuts.

I'll give this beer a 7.75 out of 10 because it's great, but a little bit too expected for Ales of this nature.

Dogfish Head 'Aprihop'

First post in awhile.

This beer is a 7% IPA from Dogfish Head Brewery out of Delaware.

It's called Aprihop because it's brewed with Apricots.

Yeah so, medium pour... very light head (kind of off white and lacey) and it smells grassy.

It's also has a little bit of a syrupy or smokey look to it which I thought was interesting for a 7% IPA. I heard when it gets warm the apricots dominate the flavor more... but I wouldn't know haha.

Crispy Carbonation and almost a straight up Dogfish Head style IPA, but you can tell there's something a little summer-y about it.

Each sip finishes very cleanly and the beer is pretty dry over all.

It's a great beer for warmed weather and I would prefer it with lighter food as the flavors in it aren't too complex or do not require all of the attention of your palate

8 / 10

Duvel

Everyone knows Duvel by now.

It's a paler Belgian Ale, pretty strong flavor.

8.5% and I'm doing it at 12C.

What can I say about Duvel? It's really good for starters.
It has a big ass head to it and smells really rustic.

Mouth feel is lighter (think Heineken)

Taste is fresh and malty, the yeast is noticable and theres some peppery thing going on too.
I shouldn't have to be telling you guys this, it's Duvel. You should have had it already.

Beer gets a 9 out of 10


PS- I've had a lot of sub par beers lately, resulting in the lack of reviews.

Just So You Know

I drink a fair amount of beer on a daily basis, not all of it being so good that I feel the need to do a review on it. Sometimes I'll go through a six and forget to review one or something I think they aren't good enough. Hell sometimes I'm drinking liqour instead of beer.

What I'm trying to say is, I am not going to review a beer on this blog that I believe deserves less than a 6.5-7. Which is why you never see me bashing anything.

More beer up in a few.

Dogfish Head "Midas Touch"

This is officially my new favorite beer, best beer I have ever had out of a bottle.

If you don't love this beer the second that you try it I'm honestly confused.

Theres so much going on with it, a golden honey flavored flowery and fruity concoction undoubtedly passed down from Odin himself.

This beer is a recipe 2700 years old:
http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/midas-touch.htm

10 out of 10.

Chimay Tripel

Needs no introduction

This Tripel is la cagadera, as in THE SHIT. (Maybe I said that right)

It starts off a little Hoppy, you get some hints of raisin sugar caramel blah blah blah. It finishes off with this almost un noticeable amount of bitterness that's very "melty". One of the few words I can think of to describe it.

Fine head, white beer etc.

Get's a 9.5 out of 10

Red Hook "Chill"

Red Hook "Chill" Blonde Ale.

Drinking this one cold with a Frosted Tankard.

Beers only a 5.77%, pussy shit :|.

Anyway, I poured it out pretty quick and the Glass held it all in. Why? because it has a thin head to it.

This is the second in a row at 10C, I like Blondes colder.

I'll say that I've had better from this Brewery, but the price point was agreeable and it's a blonde on top of that so I guess the quality becomes somewhat more negligible.

Fruity smell to it, lightly carbonated and semi-opaque. A good beer for when you're thirsty or if you don't really like beer too much and just want something alcoholic to drink.

7 out of 10, OK but didn't surprise me at all.

Old Chub Ale

This is a Scottish Style Ale by Osaka Blues Brewery

It's in a can, so I'm going to drink it out of a can (that's a stupid rule I have).
Another stupid rule I have is that if it's in a can I'm drinking it cold. 10C.

Don't let the can fool you though, this beer is dark, bitter and slightly salty. It has a color similar to Chinese Soy Sauce and a nice little background flavor of malt and sugar IMO.

It's funny to me, that such a hearty and caramelized ale would come in a can... but here it is.

I would recommend this beer to anybody who likes Imperial Stouts but wants something that you can put down quicker.

Beer gets a: 7.5 out of 10

Dogfish Head "Punkin" Ale

This is a Pumpkin Ale by Dogfish Head Brewery In Delaware.

I currently have 24 of these floating around in my fridge, that's how good they are.

First things first I'm drinking it like 12 Celsius, It pours out this beautiful Orange that comes through even in a Webcam picture.

It smells like fucking Pumpkin Pie man, theres alot of allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon... and of course pumpkin.

The taste? basically what it smells like: It has this really nice doughy cinnamon taste to it that kicks in almost immediately after the bite, the bite itself is mild and a little spicy. This beer has alot of body to it for such a translucent Ale, it feels like drinking a slice of pumpkin pie.

I don't know what much else to say about it without blabbering on and not doing it justice. It's not cheap at 7.99 for 4 but whatever man, it's seasonal.

9.6 out of 10

Zeppelin Hall

L. Sunset Wheat
Carlsberg
Purple Haze
Docs Cider
Magic Hat #9
Bluepoint (toasted)

Thats my dad

Place is fun and I'm drunk, I forget what else we had but yeah it's a good place to go and chill.

Stone Ruination IPA

Gotta do an IPA. This is Stone Ruination and I picked up a bottle A) Because it was on sale and B) because I've had it before and I know it's good.

Anyway I give it a full half tilt pour and it smells like freshly picked weed, the head is almost non existant. It has a nice golden amber hue to it.

First sip and I already know what I'm expecting, it still kicks my ass every time though. This is a super flavorful beer and is hoppy like a motherfucker with a nice almost citrus/malt combo background thing going on. What I like most about this beer is it's easy to put down even though it's so intense and Grassy, they have a pretty cool mascot to boot.

Great beer, I love IPAs
Good Price, full pint bottle runs like 6 bucks?
Easy to drink, I take mine cold.

Beer gets a 9.1 out of 10