The reviews from First Friday April 2009

Thanks to everyone who came out for the sixth "First Friday."

For those who couldn't make it, there's always next month (May 1 @ 7:45 p.m.).

There wasn’t a dud in the bunch this month. A run-down of the April 2009 favorites:

THE CLEAR FRONT-RUNNER
Weltenburger Kloster Winter Tralem
The best beer I’ve had in a long time!
Winner
Good. Very Good.
Excellent taste!
A little watery

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 3
Deschutes Hop Henge IPA
Da best!!
Add 2 more “Da bests”

Fin Du Monde
Excellent!
Got a kick to it.
Nutmeg – spicy and wintery

THE REST OF THE PACK
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout
Hearty
Tastes like soup!

Sam Smith IPA
Definitely can taste the hops!

Black Toad Dark Ale
Good stuff! Basic, smooth beer

Stone IPA
Hemp smell. Crisp flavor without being too sharp.

Phuket Lager
Very light
I just like saying it – Phuket, Phuket, Phuket

Victory Prima Pils
European taste

Birra Moretti
Drinkable

Fat Weasel Pale Ale
OK

Photos: First Friday (April 2009)

The reviews are in for the "fifth" First Friday (March 2009)

Thanks to everyone who came out for the fifth "First Friday."

For those who couldn't make it, there's always next month (April 3 @ 7:45 p.m.).

The most-talked about March 2009 beers included:

THE CLEAR FAVORITE
Beautification Russian River
Strange (but beautiful) brew. Lime flavor, dry finish.
Lemon funkiness. Finishes tart and dry. Super good.
Similar to unflavored Lambic. Nice and sour. -- Chris O
Good choice for a very hot day (in small amounts) -- Joseph B
How about some Alka Seltzer -- Al

TOP MARKS
Mirror Pond Pale Ale
Loved it. My kind of beer.

Long Hammer
Great IPA. Loved it.

San Luis Obispo Brewing Extra Pale Ale
Easy drinking ale.
Nice and smooth. Something you can definitely get a keg of.

Leffe Blonde
Al says: I totally love it.
Ditto Al!
Yum! Not too shabby

Firestone California Pale Ale
Love the aftertaste.
Not as hoppy as I expected.

Steelhead Double IPA
Smooth for the 8%+ alcohol content

New Glarus Raspberry Tart
Tastes like a raspberry truffle. Not too sweet though. Well balanced.

Ale Smith Grand Cru
Tastes like caramel, vanilla and candied fruits.

Smithwicks
Smooth & de-lish! Could drink it all night long.

Sierra Nevada Barleywine
Strong as shit!

MIXED REVIEWS
2 Degrees Below
Grabs you at the first sip. Then it's smooth there after.
Delicious brew!
Smooth. Not as good as Fat Tire

Moose Drool
Will not be droolin' over this anytime soon
Dark and smooth. Great taste!
Coffee taste. So so.
Welcome to Starbucks

Lost Coast Raspberry Brown
Too jammy! -- Andrew
Perfect balance of berries and beer.

Jumping Cow Amber Ale
Decent amber beer, but nothing special.
Mooo! Happy cow
Good!

NOT SO MUCH
Stone Mill Pale Ale
Not too good. Left a bad taste in my mouth.

Stone Levitation
Harsh!
Fair to middlin'

Grimbergen
Not that great.

Hofbrau Original
Too light, too watery
Heinekin -- not that good

Photos: First Friday (March 2009)

The reviews are in from the “fourth” First Friday

Thanks to everyone who came out in the rain for the fourth "First Friday."

For those who couldn't make it, there's always next month (March 6 @ 7:45 p.m.).

The most-talked about February 2009 beers included:

THE CLEAR FAVORITE
Wisconsin Belgium Red
Better than Wisconsin cheese! Amazing.
High Octane cherry cola!
Very good – Tastes like a cherries jubilee

TOP MARKS
Blue Moon
Light, crisp, refreshing
Very light and good!
Fantastico muy good! – Al
Not too sweet. Smooth

Karl Strauss Red Trolley
Smooth, yet lively like the Gaslamp District
Rich and smooth and wet
A big everyday beer

Bruery Saison Rue
Even the bottom of the bottle was good. -- Will
It gud

Allgauer Oktoberfest
Loved it – solid German beer

Chimay Red
Stellar as always. Solid choice.

MIXED REVIEWS
Chimay Blue
The Belgians know what they are doing.
Floral, fruity yeast. Good.
Less than impressive

Bischofshof
Good. Light.
Went down easy
Just alright

Brugse Zot
A beer that gets stuck in your teeth. It’s unfiltered.

New Belgium 1554
Licorice, malt, dry finish – OK
Nothing special – Joseph
Karhu, koff, olvi, lapin kulta

Alpha Klaus Three Floyds
Fruity with a nice aftertaste
It’s like unsweet syrup, if you’re into that

Flying Dog Old Scratch
Four ingredients combined to please
Two open and warm bottles on the bar – can’t be that great

THE DUD OF THE BUNCH
Heineken Dark Lager
Taste like hollandaise sauce
Not much flavor/taste

Bruery Black Orchard: Top of the Hops for January

The Bruery is a small craft brewery in Placentia owned and operated by the Rue family (thus the name) that makes some great beers -- so says Beer Advocate Magazine, which gave three of their "brues" a coveted "A" rating.

We tried the Black Orchard, an unfiltered, bottle-conditioned Belgian-style black wheat beer, or “black wit.” Chamomile is added for its floral aroma, while the coriander and citrus peel give the characteristics of a traditional witbier.

"It's an intimidating-looking beer that's extremely palatable," said Joseph.

Of course, Joseph was quoting liberally from The Bruery's website at the time as he surfed the net on his iPhone (via Avocadoville's WiFi).

Six packs are available at BevMo, Total Wine, Hi Times and Hollingshead. Growlers are sold at the Placentia tasting room.

He’Brew backs up the shtick with taste

People always ask Shmaltz Brewing Co. founder Jeremy Cowan the same thing about He'Brew Genesis Ale: "Is this for real?”

It is.

The next most frequently asked question — “Is it any good?” — was answered at the most recent First Friday beer tasting.

It is.

So good in fact that the Avocadoville faithful rated He’Brew Genesis Ale their favorite beer of December 2008.

The crisp and smooth ale falls somewhere between pale and amber, with a malty sweetness and a hop finish.

The beer label reads like a Catskills comedian’s monologue:
* Exile Never Tasted So Good
* Don't Pass Out, Passover
* A microbrew with the chutzpah to call itself The Chosen Beer
* Dedicated to crafting delicious beer and delicious shtick

Even the Crow Bar in San Francisco has gotten in on the act, serving a Sammy Davis Jr. — a black-and-tan made with Guinness and He’Brew.

"They'll pick it up because it's funny and they'll take it home and realize I'm really serious about making good, quality beer," said Cowan, who envisions He’Brew as a hip Manischewitz.

Founded in 1996, the microbrew moved its production from the Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville, California to the Mendocino Brewing Company in Saratoga Springs, New York in 2003.

He’Brew makes five other beers besides Genesis Ale:
> Messiah Bold (a dark nut brown ale)
> Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A. (an IPA tribute to comedian Lenny Bruce)
> Origin Pomegranate Ale (which sounds disgusting but just might be good)
> Rejewvenator (a seasonal holiday brew sold around Hanukah)
> Jewbelation 12 (in celebration of Shmaltz’ 12th anniversary)

Most He’Brew beers are available at Whole Foods, Beverages & More, Total Wine and Cost Plus.