Opening the Ferment National Archives

From the Ferment National Archivist:

We take pride in the beer pictures we take at The Ferment Nation, and in an effort to spread some love and spread some notoriety, we are opening up the Ferment National image archive. We will soon be providing what we think are high quality images of great craft beers for general use by the public. Once you download the file, erase the background, crop it, whatever you want, but if you post it on your beer blog, give The Ferment Nation some credit. Something like this: (picture credit: FermentNation.com). Let us know what you think!

To start us off will be Ithaca Brewing Company's Cascazilla.

Selin's Grove Brewing Co. Captain Selin's Cream Ale (Presidential Brief)

What: Selin's Grove Brewing Co. Captain Selin's Cream Ale 4.5% abv
Where: Selin's Grove Brewing Co. (Selinsgrove, PA)
When: November 7, 2009
What-have-you: "Light and crisp. Pretty good."

Spring Beer Preview

Spring is here, and so is the beer. Here are five beers that will be reviewed in the upcoming weeks: Dogfish Head Aprihop, Erie Brewing Co. Golden Fleece Maibock, New Holland Golden Cap Saison Ale, Sierra Nevada Glissade, and Otter Creek Spring Ale. Have any other Spring beers in mind you would like The Ferment Nation to review? Drop us a line! E-mail El Presidente [click HERE].

Sun Up Brewing Light Rail Cream (Citizen Review)

What: Sun Up Brewing Light Rail Cream 4.6% abv
Where: Sun Up Brewing (Phoenix, AZ)
When: February 26, 2010
What-have-you: "Pretty plain, but nice and smooth. Very light coloring, which always makes me suspicious, but this is definitely meant to be a drink-it-all-night-long kind of beer."

Yuengling Bock Beer

Yuengling Bock Beer:

America's Oldest Brewery makes a supremely drinkable Lager and Porter. This Bock Beer is a nice attempt but doesn't quite hit the mark. It looks great -- dark caramel color, nice bubbles -- the flavor is a little malty with a mildly spicy hop profile. On the right track, but something isn't quite right. There's a bit of a funk to this beer where the smoothness ought to be. Perhaps I'm just comparing this brew to some of the time-tested European doppelbocks like Paulaner Salvator, Ayinger Celebrator, or Spaten Optimator (a tough crowd to stand out in). Perhaps I'm holding this bock to the standards of Samuel Adams' Traditional Bock from the Longshot Series or their Double Bock from the Imperial Series.

Expectations play a big part in your enjoyment of a brew. Even though I tried to experience Yuengling Bock Beer with an open mind with regards to its particular qualities, there are certain things I've come to expect from bock beer as a style. I know there's a hoppy influence to counter-balance the malt but honestly I was expecting something smoother.

Yuengling Bock Beer is interesting and therefore worth a try. Overall, though, I was a bit underwhelmed. Compared to other yummy bocks and compared to Yuengling's consistently accessible stable of session beers, the Bock Beer leaves a little something to be desired.

Yuengling Bock Beer:

Representation: .70

Accessibility: .75

Style: .80

Personal Preference: .60

Total Score: 2.85 Flags

McKenzie Brew House Unicorn Amber Ale (Presidential Brief)

What: McKenzie Brew House Unicorn Amber Ale 4.6% abv
Where: McKenzie Brew House (Malvern, PA)
When: November 7, 2009
What-have-you: "High flavor, light body. Brown ales aren't my favorite this is an acceptable version."

Check out McKenzie's Beer Selection [Click HERE]

Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet The Great Pumpkin

Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale:

Heavy Seas doesn't like to play softball when it comes to their beers' flavor and body. Potency also features prominently in the Heavy Seas lineup from Clipper City Brewing Company in Baltimore, MD. And Ahoy!! The Great Pumpkin arrived a little late to the Presidential stash to be reviewed in time for Halloween 2009 so it had to be set aside for a snowy day. So here goes:

The Great Pumpkin pours an awesome honey-golden-amber-pumpkin-orange color that fairly glows like a jack-o-lantern when you hold it up to the light. In the aroma and at the front of the sip, an interesting hoppiness and bitterness sneak up on you when all you expect is pumpkin pie. dig deeper and take a few deep whiffs. Breathe with purpose as you drink this big boy pumpkin beer and you will be rewarded with a treasure chest full of pumpkin spice aromas and flavors.

Imperial indeed at 8% abv, The Great Pumpkin is rich and powerful. Well blended are the pumpkin and the ale, though both are just a tad over the top. This actual review takes place in February, long after the pumpkin ales have been put away, so perhaps it's just a little out of context for me, but it seems to have crossed a line or two. That's fantastic for a Halloween party, but I seem to crave beers that are not only well-blended but also well-balanced. In other words, as much as I reach out to more and more pumpkin brews over the years, I've shifted my preference from "Pumpkin! Drink! It's a beer!" to a more subtle "Wow, what a great beer that has amazing pumpkin flavor!"

The Great Pumpkin reminds me a bit of Southern Tier's Pumking and Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin. The Style Points are huge, inversely affecting the Accessibility. Totally worth a try if you're into pumpkin seasonals and a must-have if you're on a mission to try them all.

Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale:

Representation: .99

Accessibility: .825

Style: 1.0

Personal Preference: .90

Total Score: 3.715 Flags

Sun Up Brewing Amber (Citizen Review)

What: Sun Up Brewing Amber 4.8% abv
Where: Sun Up Brewing (Phoenix, AZ)
When: February 26, 2010
What-have-you: "Great whiskey color Kind of lacking in either a bold malt or hop taste. When I think of an amber, I think of something like Hop Back, which is kind of unfair. Sun Up's Amber is smooth and easy to drink."

Founders Round-Up

Founders Brewing Co. Round-Up:

When you think of Michigan, the 26th State in the U.S. of A., you might think "Wow! That state looks like a giant mitten!" or maybe "I love Motown music!", and here at The Ferment Nation that is exactly what we think, but we also think that Founders Brewing Company is one of that state's finest contributions to the Union. Located in Grand Rapids, MI, Founders Brewing Company has been creating some really great crafts beers since 1997. The Ferment Nation is a fan of theirs, and we wanted to re-cap some of the beers we have already reviewed.

Founders Imperial Stout:

Imperial Stouts got their name because of their intended audience: royalty. So if you have the grapefruits to call your stout "imperial" you'd better be prepared to back it up with quality you can taste. Founders Imperial Stout does that and more. [Read the full review]

Founders Double Trouble Double IPA:

Another wonderful offering from Founders. This Double IPA is really hoppy and bitter and goodness gracious dry! Even though there is a slight floral sweetness to this brew because of the serious hoppage, the finish is outrageously dry like a wine finish. [Read the full review]

Founder's Red's Rye:

Had this beer several times on tap at Cork, once at High Street Grille, and now in a bottle. Damn fine. Simply described as "red ale made with rye", this beer has a lot more than that to offer a real beer lover. [Read the full review]

McKenzie Brew House Shane's Gold (Presidential Brief)

What: McKenzie Brew House Shane's Gold 4.6% abv
Where: McKenzie Brew House (Malvern, PA)
When: November 7, 2009
What-have-you: "A dry pilsner with a nice body. Another session beer. These beers are made for drinking!"

Check out McKenzie's Beer Selection [Click HERE]

Winter Beer Retrospective 2009-2010

The Ferment Nation suffered through the worst Winter in history, and perhaps that is why we waited so long for our second Winter Beer Round-Up, which since it's Spring already, is no longer a round-up, but rather a retrospective. So while you're sipping on your hoppy beers in time for Easter, you can reminisce about these great Winter beers.

Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale:

This reddish-brown winter warmer has a pretty apparent malt flavor, but is just a bit light on the body. It isn't weak, however, since the hoppy bitterness creates an interesting finish. The aftertaste is bitter and lingers quite awhile. [Read the full review]

Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale:

Okay, so now I am on the hunt for the perfect "winter warmer."Samuel Smith's almost always presents a near-perfect product; Just as nearly perfect is their representation of the style at hand. My personal opinion of Winter Welcome is that it falls just a smidge short. [Read the full review]

Great Divide Hibernation Ale:

This "English-Style Old Ale" is another interesting take on the "winter warmer." The flavor is rich and woody and malty. The aroma contains a hint of caramel sweetness but the taste isn't really sweet at all. [Read the full review]

--From the Office of the Vice President

Selin's Grove Brewing Co. Pumpkin Ale (Presidential Brief)

What: Selin's Grove Brewing Co. Pumpkin Ale 5.0% abv
Where: Selin's Grove Brewing Co. (Selinsgrove, PA)
When: November 7, 2009
What-have-you: "The freshest and grooviest pumpkin of all. A 4.0 if ever there was one. A little spicy, very creamy, and fresh as can be."

Erie Brewing Company Mad Anthony's APA

Erie Brewing Company Mad Anthony's APA American Pale Ale:

American Pale Ales seem to have an interesting color... just a shade darker than a traditional Pale Ale (mostly fashioned in the British tradition) with a slightly sharper hop profile than an English style pale ale.

The flavor is an interesting "melting pot" of pale ale, pilsner, and IPA. Mad Anthony's APA is a pleasantly refreshing version of this patriotic style. Nothing crazy going on here, but I detect a slight haze, perhaps a wheaty influence. There's a little hoppy bite right in the middle of the draught, and I seem to sense a bit of German influence in the brewing.

Mad Anthony's APA is a prime candidate to share with neighbors and friends at a Fourth of July barbecue. Pour some over the bratwurst and enjoy the rest straight out of the bottle or perhaps in a pilsner glass. Feel free to enjoy a few: this is a nice session brew at 5.5% abv. Mad Anthony's APA would be a fine brew drunk ice cold on a hot day -- and accessible enough to pass along to a stranger who is simply curious about the intriguing name of the man whose bust adorns the label ("Mad" Anthony Wayne was a widely decorated and highly respected military officer in the American Revolution. He was apparently quite the spark plug, earning his nickname "Mad" Anthony. His legacy is quite profound, having left his mark on history by way of a billion towns named after him. Rock a Wiki if you don't believe me).

Actually, I'm quite looking forward to this summer after a cold, wet East Coast winter. If you remember last Independence Day, yours truly celebrated with Troegs Sunshine Pils and another American Pale Ale, Stoudts APA. Erie Brewing Company has offered a fun and drinkable session brew in Mad Anthony's APA. Not terribly stylish, but certainly user friendly.

Erie Brewing Company Mad Anthony's APA American Pale Ale:

Representation: .90

Accessibility: .99

Style: .80

Personal Preference: .895

Total Score: 3.585 Flags

Sun Up Brewing Stinger Pale Ale (Citizen Review)

What: Sun Up Brewing Stinger Pale Ale 4.5% abv
Where: Sun Up Brewing (Phoenix, AZ)
When: February 26, 2010
What-have-you: "I can taste the malt with this one, and the hops. Nice golden color, too. This has more taste to it than some of the other ones. More body than their other beers, too."

Samuel Adams Imperial Stout

Samuel Adams Imperial Stout:

This imperial stout is dark all the way through. Extreme bitterness up front presents the traditional dark flavors of chocolate and coffee. The bitterness gives way for just a moment to let in a little sweetness from deep within. Then, the aftertaste hits with lasting results. What is that herbal, tongue-numbing bittersweet flavor? Aha! Anise. I may not have come up with that on my own but Jim Koch was kind enough to sum up the brew on the rear label. Thanks, Mr. Koch, for putting words to my flavor experience.

The aftertaste lingers a good long while, perhaps partly due to the intensity of the brew, but maybe the viscosity has something to do with that -- Sam Adams Imperial Stout coats the mouth like Sambuca in a way. So let that be the Presidential Recommendation for today: Sambuca drinkers, give this powerful stout a try.

Sam Adams Imperial Stout fits right in the mix of imperial stouts abv-wise, clocking in at 9.2%. Not nearly a session beer, this imperial stout is particularly boozy in flavor with a pungent bite that so far is unique to me. Very stylish and extremely bold, this offering is sure to receive a perfect Style score. But here's the thing...

I love Sam Adams; I love bold brews; I love imperial stouts... but this isn't my favorite among them. I have to be honest here, it's not suiting my taste buds. The craftsmanship is ever-present, but I'm not in love. Goes to show that there's some crazy voodoo involved in brewing. Not many breweries could even take a chance like Sam Adams by creating an entire Imperial Series. And even fewer can throw down a unique imperial stout. This particular version of imperial stout does challenge the norms of the style but it does not redefine them in my opinion (Key words: my opinion. Please comment!!).

Samuel Adams Imperial Stout:

Representation: .875

Accessibility: .85

Style: 1.0

Personal Preference: .85

Total Score: 3.575 Flags

Check out our other reviews of [ Imperial Stout ] beers.