Originally released as a limited edition during November of last year, Flying Dog has decided to produce Pearl Necklace year round. The proceeds from the beer will continue to go to Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) — the goal of which is to plant at least 1 million baby oysters back into the Chesapeake Bay.

A dry stout by style, Pearl Necklace is brewed with oysters from Virginia’s Rappahannock River. What information I could find on oysters harvested from this river let me know that they have an understated saltiness which would explain why this 5.5% brew is much less briny than others of this style that I’ve had in that past. That said, the oysters still come through nicely, giving Pearl Necklace a subdued mineral component that goes well with it’s smooth character.

Appearance

Pearl Necklace pours a dark brown with a short-lived light tan head that fell to a thin collar.

Aroma

The brew is dominated by a solid bit of roast malt, light coffee and cocoa while the oysters bring a light mineral quality.

Taste

The first thing I noted was that the brew wasn’t as salty or briny as other oyster stouts I’ve had. It does, however, have a natural hint of mineral to go along with the solid roast malt, coffee and light chocolates that comprise the main flavor of this dry stout. This medium bodied brew also has a hint of vanilla that softens the coffee character a bit. As the it warms in the glass, the mineral nature of the oysters comes out more toward the end of the semi-dry finish. It’s an easy drinking brew.

Overall

For those of you out there that may be interested in supporting this cause or just intrigued by the prospect of trying an oyster stout, but are worried about the whole oyster thing, fear not. This dry stout has a subdued amount of oyster to it that is clean and fits the beer wonderfully — it’s not going to overwhelm your palate with any sort of seafood flavors. Pearl Necklace is a good brew contributing to an even better cause.

Rating:3.75/5

This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.

Press Release

Alexandria, Virginia (May 14, 2012) — Bill Butcher, founder of Port City Brewing Company located at 3950 Wheeler Avenue in Alexandria, VA, is pleased to announce the release of their summer seasonal beer, Downright Pilsner, available this June. Crafted by Head Brewer Jonathan Reeves, this hand-crafted lager will be produced in the traditional Pilsner style, using authentic Pilsner malt and noble Saaz hops. The limited production Downright Pilsner is the fourth seasonal beer produced by Port City Brewing Company. Downright Pilsner will be sold at select retail, restaurants and bars in Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina starting June 10, 2012. This beer will be in limited supply as Port City Brewing Company is only producing two 90-barrel batches with a suggested retail price for a six-pack of $11.99.

The 11,000 square-foot craft brewery is dedicated to bringing great quality, innovative, handmade craft beers to the DC and Mid Atlantic market. Port City produces world-class quality beer, brewing four year-round beers along with a rotating seasonal selection. The Downright Pilsner is a crisp, refreshing, and modern version of a traditional Pilsner, which will delight all summer long. This beer has 4.8% alcohol by volume and boasts a deep golden color and is medium bodied with a soft round malt profile and crisp, spicy, hop character on the finish. Downright Pilsner gets its carbonation completely naturally as its kept in the formation tanks for up to six weeks. A unique twist on this beer is the dry hop addition of Saaz hops during fermentation. This extra infusion of hops gives the beer a refreshing bite on the finish.

Named by Washingtonian magazine as Washington, DC’s best brewery tour, Port City Brewing Company is located two miles from the King Street Metro at 3950 Wheeler Avenue Alexandria, VA 22304. For more information visit www.portcitybrewing.com.

Of the several Karl Strauss beers that I’ve received over the years, my least favorite (oddly enough, given my love of them) was a stout. The brewery’s 22nd Anniversary brew was an Imperial Stout that was formed from a blend that included barrel aging nonetheless. How could this not be my favorite of the bunch!?

Regardless of my opinion of that celebratory brew, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this latest beer from the company’s Imperial Collection. Wreck Alley, named for a stretch of sea off the coast of California littered with sunken vessels, is a 9.5% ABV Imperial stout that is brewed with cocoa nibs and Ethiopian coffee beans. And it’s tasty as hell.

Appearance

Wreck Alley pours black like the murky depths for which it’s named. A dark tan head fell relatively quickly, but left light lacing and a thin collar around the glass.

Aroma

Dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, a hint of anise and molasses come together for a fairly rich, yet earthy nose.

Taste

A pile of roast coffee and dark chocolates arrive first with a full bodied mouthfeel (the carbonation if light, yet active). There’s not sweetness to be found in this imperial stout, which works for its benefit allowing the earthy roast coffee to come forward. The dry finish has a lingering warmth a really late forming hop presence that teases the back of the tongue. The brew is rich and not overly robust which makes it surprisingly quafable.

Overall

Despite it’s foreboding name and dark appearance, Wreck Alley is a deceptively approachable imperial stout. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s a big beer to be sure — 9.5% ABV is nothing to scoff at, but it’s hidden well. The result is a beer that is smooth, full flavored and nicely balanced. Between this, Off the Rails and Tower 20, Karl Strauss Brewing have themselves one hell of an Imperial Collection.

Rating:4/5

This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.

No beer is perfect. No matter how enthusiastically, fanboy-like it’s devotees may become, it’s just not possible. That said, Karl Strauss’ Tower 20 IIPA — a double IPA weighing in at 9.5% ABV and 100 IBU — just about got a perfect score from the Russian judges, and me.

This prototypical West Coast brew (part of the brewery’s Imperial Collection) is big and loaded with mountainous piles of hoppy goodness. I don’t often gush about a beer, but I will say that Tower 20 is right up there with some of the best double/imperial IPAs that I’ve had. It’s got more than enough tropical citrus, pine resin and counter-balancing malt to make the most diehard IPA fool swoon.

Appearance

Tower 20 pours a golden amber in color with a decent sized, off-white head that left patchwork lacing as it fell.

Aroma

A surprisingly well established malt backbone supports tropical citrus (grapefruit, tangerine, and orange zest) and a good helping of pine resin. It certainly smells like a hop heaven.

Taste

Loads of tropical fruit, pine resin and herbal hop notes explode in the mouth as the slightly sweet malt does a great job to balance the load. The malts has a subtle sweetness to it that’s quite complimentary unlike some DIPAs that are overly cloying. The 100 IBUs move in swiftly, grabbing the tongue and hanging on for a good long while in the semi-dry finish. The alcohol level doesn’t make much of an impression on the palate until the beer has had time to warm in the glass a bit — but man, does it go straight to the head. As a result, the medium bodied brew drinks well, but should be enjoyed slowly.

Overall

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this beer. As much as I love a strong, robust stout, a well balanced, yet hoppy IPA gets me every time. Tower 20 IIPA is one of those beers that I can see myself enjoying on a regular basis. It’s got all of the trappings of a West Coast IPA with it’s huge fruity hop character, yet also has the forethought to balance it all out with a solid malt character. Well crafted and tasty. What more can you ask for?

Rating:4.5/5

This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.

I had originally reviewed Karl Strauss Brewing’s Red Trolley Off The Rails back in July of 2011 and enjoyed it quite a bit — it was nice to find a red ale that I actually liked. Usually, when I get samples like that from a brewery, that’s it. I rarely get the chance to revisit a product, especially if the company in question doesn’t distribute to Virginia. Well, with the announcement of their new Imperial Collection, the California company saw fit to send me another bottle (along with a the others mentioned in that press release).

The specs for the 2012 release of Off The Rails is just as it was a year ago — 85.% ABV and 40 IBU. Let’s see if it still tastes just as good.

Appearance

This big imperial red ale pours a reddish copper in color with a large, light tan head. A decent bit of lacing clung to the glass as the head fell.

Aroma

The nose on this beer certainly is that of a red ale, but with a more pronounced hop character, just like I remember it. Toasted bread, subtle dark fruits, caramel and a light malt sweetness join notes of citrus and pine for a well balanced, earthy nose.

Taste

Just like I remember it. A solid hop presence certainly separates this from most red ales. The malt backbone has a light sweetness to accompany toffee, caramel and a light toast as the hops arrive in the back half with plenty of pine and citrusy tones. The higher alcohol content is masked well, though it will catch up to you. The beer is medium bodied and well balanced between your traditional red ale characteristics with a West Coast hop flair.

Overall

I’m not the biggest fan of red ales (as has been documented many, many times on this site), but I thoroughly enjoyed Karl Strauss’ Off The Rails once again. The earthy, piny character of the Willamette hops used it the recipe give the beer a West Coast flavor profile that doesn’t compete with the strong malt backbone, making for a beer that is easy to drink and full flavored. If you liked this beer last year, you’re sure to enjoy it again in 2012.

Rating:4/5

This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.

This beer from Brooklyn Brewery was part of a sample package that arrived last week. Having already reviewed Summer Ale last year, I hadn’t planned on revisiting it this time around. But, with this particular sample arriving in a can, it only seemed right to compare the two delivery mechanisms to see how the canned version stood up against the bottled.

Aside from the packaging material and appropriate tweaks to the label artwork the only noticeable changes that I picked up were an increase in alcohol percentage and a slightly more assertive hop character. The beer I reviewed last April weighed in at 4.5% ABV. This particular can arrived at 5.0% — not a huge increase, but still something to note. And while, the hop bite is sharper, it doesn’t alter the beer’s character in any tremendous fashion.

Appearance

The canned variety of Summer Ale pours light amber with a quickly falling, white cap.

Aroma

According to my notes from last year, the aroma of this year’s version of the beer is right along the same lines. Toasted bread, grassy hops, lemon zest and a touch of grapefruit come together nicely. The small increase in alcohol has had no effect on the aroma.

Taste

Again, I don’t pick up much of a difference between the bottle and the canned versions of this beer. It’s still got that lemony citrus character with grassy hops that overlay a lightly toasted malt and caramel backbone. There’s a solid bit of hop bitterness and slightly tart astringency that lingers a good long while after each swallow. The carbonation is sharp, crisp and refreshing.

Overall

When comparing notes, the only thing that I would say has changed with this brew is the slightly more aggressive hop astringency that hangs around in the finish that I found in the 2012 can of Summer Ale. It’s not a grand departure from last year, but it’s noticeable. The alcohol content that’s been bumped up half a degree makes little to no impact on the beer. All in all, it was still a tasty brew.

Rating:3.75/5

This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.

This sample of Brooklyn Brewery’s Lager is one of three newly canned products from the company that arrived last week. The East India Pale Ale was excellent, standing up nicely to its bottled version. This 5.2% ABV lager seemed to manage just fine as well — it’s been a while since I’ve had this brew, but from what I can remember and how it currently tastes now from it’s aluminum container, it’s pretty darn good.

Brooklyn Lager is brewed with American Two-row Malt and a trio of hop varieties (Cascade, Vanguard, and Hallertauer Mittelfrueh). The final result is a beer that is clean on the palate and refreshing with a great balance between caramel malt and a lingering hop character.

Appearance

The brew pours a golden amber in color with a dense off-white head.

Aroma

Wafts of caramel, grassy hops, subtle citrus and doughy bread all come together nicely.

Taste

I love the crisp mouthfeel on this beer. It quenches and refreshes almost immediately as bready malt, caramel, a light toast and a late forming hop component arrive smoothly. The hop character is grassy in nature with a hint of citrus and pine in the background, leaving a light and lingering bitterness within the clean finish.

Overall

I don’t drink nearly enough lager. It’s one of those styles that I tend to forget about until I happen across a well crafted example of the style. Brooklyn Brewery’s Lager is one of those examples that is flavorful and reminds me that I really should have more of this in my beery diet. I love the balance to this brew as well as its refreshing character.

Rating:3.75/5

This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.

The other day I received a package from New York’s Brooklyn Brewery. I had totally forgotten or missed the news that the brewery had installed a canning line and now here were three samples of beers I’ve had at some point in the past laying before me — canned, not bottled.

Canning seems to be the new trend on the rise in recent years and, while I’m all for the convenience factor, I’m always worried that the process will throw off the taste a degree. With modern technology and new techniques, this is pretty much a moot point and really isn’t an issue most of the time, but every now and again, I get a canned version of a brew I’ve enjoyed many times over and it’s just not the same. How does this delivery vessel affect Brooklyn’s East India Pale Ale? Well, it’s been some time since I last had the brew, but from what I can remember, it still tastes just as good as it did from the bottle.

Appearance

EIPA pours with a dense white cap resting upon its golden amber liquid. There’s a slight chill haze that took a little time to settle out.

Aroma

One issue I have with cans is that they can mask the smell of a beer since they retain the cold much better than bottles. I’ve found that letting a canned craft brew rest in the glass for a bit prior to enjoying helps alleviate this issue. Once this Brooklyn brew sat in the glass for a bit I was greeted with earthy, piny hops, subdued citrus notes and a balanced charter of lightly toasted malt.

Taste

This beer tastes great and follows the nose for the most part. A sharp hop bite accompanies grapefruit, pine resin and a subtle malt backbone. The crisp mouthfeel actively pushes the flavors around the mouth hitting your tongue with hoppy goodness from every angle. The bitterness lingers for a good long while as the 6.9% ABV warms ever so slightly.

Overall

East India Pale Ale is a solid brew that is now available in the convenience of a can. It’s flavor profile is strong and carries a solid hop character that needs a little time to fully come into itself once poured into a glass — danged can was just too darn cold.

Rating:4/5

This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.

Pond Hopper – A Brewmance
Odell Brewing and Thornbridge Brewery create transatlantic collaboration brew

Fort Collins, CO. – On June 8, 2012 Odell Brewing will release Pond Hopper Double Extra Pale Ale, a new beer crafted with the UK’s Thornbridge Brewery. The collaboration brew will debut this year at SAVOR: an American Craft Beer & Food Experience in Washington D.C.

The project was inspired several years ago on one of Doug Odell’s frequent trips to the UK. In 2008, Doug landed at the Thornbridge Brewery of Bakewell. Intrigued by stories of UK craft breweries creating unique and hoppy styles, Doug found himself in the company of kindred brewing spirits. Two years later, Doug returned to Thornbridge and brewed a collaborative batch of beer, similar to Odell’s Red Ale, there. The recipe, dubbed Colorado Red was brewed with English malts and intensely aromatic English hop varieties.

Fast forward to February 2012 to find a reciprocal collaboration brew at Odell Brewing. Caolan Vaughan, head brewer and production manager of Thornbrigde, ventured to Fort Collins to brew Pond Hopper with Doug and the Odell Brewing crew. Brewed with English malts, and American hops (plus one Australian hop in honor of Caolan’s homeland), Pond Hopper features the best ingredients each country has to offer.

“This beer has a rich golden color with aromas of grapefruit, orange pine, and ripe melon,” said Doug Odell. “The overall impression of the beer is balanced with accentuation of hop flavor and aroma over bitterness.”

Pond hopper boasts a 8.9% ABV and is bottled in 750mL cork and cage finished bottles. It will be available throughout the brewery’s ten state distributor region and in the UK. Watch the Pond Hopper video:

Flying Dog Brewery Offering Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout Year-Round to Benefit Oyster Recovery Partnership

Drink beer and restore the Chesapeake Bay – all year round.

Next week, Flying Dog Brewery’s Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout will be available for purchase year-round with distribution throughout the country.

A dry stout brewed with local Rappahannock River Oysters, Pearl Necklace was initially released as a limited edition brew last November.

Flying Dog decided to brew the beer year-round not only because the beer itself was well received, but also because it supports a cause essential to the brewery’s backyard. Proceeds from the beer benefit the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP), one of the region’s leading nonprofits restoring oysters back into the Chesapeake Bay.

“Our initial work with the ORP was just the beginning,” Ben Savage, Flying Dog’s VP of marketing, said. “Sales of Pearl Necklace will continue to benefit the ORP and also raise awareness nationwide of how critical oyster restoration is to the Chesapeake Bay.”

The goal is to enable ORP to plant at least 1 million baby oysters back into the Chesapeake Bay through proceeds from Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout.

“A healthy oyster reef not only filters the Chesapeake Bay’s waters, but also provides habitat for other important marine life such as blue crabs and striped bass,” Stephan Abel, Executive Director of the ORP, said. “Every oyster we plant back into the Bay will have an immediate, positive impact.”

Savage added: “Drinking Pearl Necklace literally helps restore one of the most endangered habitats on the planet.”

Pearl Necklace will be available in all markets where Flying Dog is currently sold on draft and in 12 oz. bottle 6-packs.

About Flying Dog Brewery
“Good Beer, No Shit.” Located in Frederick, MD, Flying Dog is Maryland’s largest brewery. As their tagline proclaims, Flying Dog is committed to producing world-class craft beer and continues to push the envelope with experimental and limited-edition releases. Recent accolades include Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale ranked as the #1 American Pale Ale in the U.S. by The New York Times and Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA named one of the best new beers in 2010 by multiple sources. For more information, please visit www.flyingdogbrewery.com.

About the Oyster Recovery Partnership
The Oyster Recovery Partnership, with its coalition of partners, have produced and planted more than 3 billion oysters on 1,500 acres of oyster reefs and helped recycle nearly 15,000 bushels of oyster shell. In addition to its large-scale oyster recovery activities, ORP operates the Shell Recycling Alliance, supports the Marylanders Grow Oysters program and provides aquaculture and wild fishery support services. Visit www.oysterrecovery.org to learn more.