So I was waltzing through the Specs near my house and it turns that Southern Star has a new seasonal. This thing totally missed my gaze before, so I copped a 4 pack and promptly drank two of them. Now the official review.
Beer log: Right now
State: Anti-multitasking talking to a friend of mine on the phone while trying to blog.
Le Mort Vivant by Southern Star
Beer comes in a 12 ounce can with a cool looking design. Cloudy amber with a slightly tinged offwhite head. Nose has a little bit of cinnamon, caramel and a pinch of sour apple. Beer has thin body with high carbonation. The flavor while fleeting is pretty refreshing. I need to think hard about what I had in Paris a few years ago, but I am more into this. Beer leaves my mouth dry and chalky with something akin to apple and sour apple, but very subtle. Subtle flavors and refreshing beer must mean we are coming up on my favorite time of the year for beer, Spring. I hope to have my new kegerator fabbed up and ready to go in time to score some serious spring bock. Hell I may get two. So the beer flavor has a bit of grainy malt and very low hops. I'm sure they put some hops in there, b/c ya just gotta. I'm going to give this a low 3 star. Probably just too cold outside to get the most out of this puppy. Put an indie rock band outdoors in June at Petrol or Hubcap and slap this beer on tap and it may be the best ever.
So it turns that one of the best beer bars in Houston celebrated it's fifth anniversary. To celebrate, Petrol Station set up a tap list of all high gravity rare beers, including some special ones that are not even for sale. I must say it was a very special event. I had to beat it out of there at about 8PM unfortunately, but it was fantastic. It's one of those things where you wish there was a hotel next door to the place. One sec.
Beer Log: Right now State: Rather thirsty from my run this morning still
Celis Pale Bock Copped this one over the weekend at Spec's Downtown. Clear amber color (looks like rum in my Old New Orleans Rum glass) with a lasting white head. Just sad on the taste. Pretty bitter and sour. No real malt in there. It's almost like the beer is infected. Well, I'm pouring this one out. I'll let you guess the rating.
So at Petrol I sat with a few other Houston area beer bloggers/tweeters and we had a great time. Great beer, good beer talk as well. Not to mention some cigars outside. Anyway let's start the show with a few reviews. The wife and I basically ordered a bunch of the beer in half pints as everything was VERY HIGH ABV.
Beer Log: November 13, 2010 State: Fired up for the big event, eating a Rancor burger and drinking a Dogfish Head 90 Minute as a palate cleanser.
Founders IPA Amber with a white head. Great balanced hop and malt aroma. Taste is nice and very drinkable. I get a lot of grass and wood for the hops. I actually find this very refreshing as a very hop forward beer. I could tell many were not too thrilled with this one, but hey, I like it. I've been backing off my love of the balanced IPA for a hop forward pale ale or even something like an extra pale ale. 4 Stars. Hold up...
Beer Log: Right Now State: Still thirsty as hell but now I have this sour Celis bock taste in my mouth
The Duke of Winship by Middle Ages Got this from one of the boys maybe a year ago. Great malty and somewhat lemony nose on top of the huge head. And the head is on top of a cloudy deep brown color. The first thing that strikes me is the high carbonation on the mouthfeel. The beer has a nice light porter quality (roast, malt). I get some cinnamon as well in there. The beer finishes very dry with a light light bitterness. The body is thin as per style. Otherwise I'm getting a touch of metallic and water in there which takes it down to a low 3 stars.
So back to the Petrol
Dragon's Milk by New Holland I've heard so much about this beer. Especially in places like The Brewing Network. Deep brown color with bourbon/plastic nose. Very strong malt almost imperial like. Lightly hopped with an excellent kind of chocolate and cream flavor throughout the experience. High 4 Stars.
Southern Star Abiding Dude I learned that this beer was made with of course Southern Star and Ben's coffee beans (owner of Petrol Station). How cool is that? Brown and cloudy, smells strongly of maple syrup and oak and coffee. The taste is of strong bitter coffee (not usually my thing). This one got a little watery on the back of the palate. But very good for it's purpose and seem to get stronger as it warmed up. 3 Stars.
Hop Mouth by Arcadia I don't even know how these dudes even GOT this beer here. The rub about Texas beer laws is that you cannot sell beer in a bar that is not available to the public, unless of course the beer only comes on draft. So when you are out at a great beer bar, you can basically assume that whatever you are drinking you can run to the Specs Downtown or on Jones Road and pick it up. But these beers I have not seen anywhere. Moving on. Hop Mouth has an amber color and creamy white head. Cascadey nose. Very creamy and smooth, like an English pale ale with American hops. High 3 Stars.
Divine Reserve 10 by Saint Arnold AT LONG LAST!!!!!!!!! I was in San Francisco when this beer came out and if not for the man @Davewantbeer, I would not have this beer with me at all. But I have three bottles in my beer fridge, and I figured what the hell, I'm drinking this one everywhere I can get it. Dark amber color with excellent malt and sugar sweetness. Smooth and very delicious with the strong caramel and malt flavors. Low hops and very very clean. And I did not find it too cloying. I gotta give it to them again. 5 Stars. Absolutely divine. And that comes after a sh1t-ton of other beers.
Real Ale Mysterium Velum This one is from our good friends at Real Ale. I understand this is the great Devil's backbone (one of my favorite Tripels) aged in Merlot barrels. Now if they managed to age this in Pinot Noir barrels I probably would still be at the bar drinking it. I get this beer and the first thoughts I get are "oh hell yeah". Great banana, clover with light character that yes cut through the DR10 English Barleywine. I can see the wine flavor in there with a pinch of sourness that I first attribute to Chardonnay. As it warms and I get the palate cleansed, I can see the Merlot. Dry finish, soft character with a little tannins going on. 4 Stars.
Southern Tier Creme Brulee Very nice nose. This beer is like a stout with Creme brulee. I get the cream, the vanilla, and the burnt sugar thing. I don't know how in the hell they pulled that off but the flavor comes out very well, especially in the aftertaste. Very creative. 4 Stars.
Stone 10.10.10 Ah the Vertical Epic beer that never made it to Texas due to some mixup in the labelling. It's a tripel (going so out of order) and it has a great tripel nose and great tripel taste. Similar to the stuff I've had from Ommegang and Allagash. You all know the tripel characteristics by now, so when I tell you these guys have nailed it better than any Belgian Tripel I've had from Belgium, you know it's is the bomb. I actually have a bottle we brought back from San Francisco, so on 12.12.12 I'll be cracking open at least one bottle. 5 Stars.
Well what is a good beer drinker with a go-to beer. As I sit here in my Egypt National Team soccer jersey while watching Bellator, I can't help but ponder the beer every beerman needs a beer that they just drink, all the time. Everybody's different, but even the connoisseurs need a beer they can crack open while watching a fight or something.
The beer that is pretty good, moderatly priced, preferrably something you can get in a can, moderate alcohol, and preferrably local.
My Go-To beer Lineage is as follows: Undergrad: Smirnoff Ice (I know, but I got more girls back then) Grad School: Miller Lite (MGD if I wanted to treat myself) First moved to Texas 2005 to 2007: Shiner Bock A break in the action and then... 2008-2009: New Belgium Fat Tire January to April 2010: Saint Arnold Amber
And now we have a new winner. Since I can't get SA Amber in a can, and my taste buds forcing me off hops, I cannot stop drinking and am currently drinking:
Southern Star Buried Hatchet Stout I just love the medium body, low hops, chocolate with moderate coffee and burnt notes. I drink this stuff straight out of the can, no need to dirty glasses on the go-to beer. And although it's a bit more pricey, something around $8.00 for a 4 pack of 12 oz cans, I find I'm picking a 4 packer everytime I hit Specs. These guys just NAILED it with this beer. Firmly in the 4 Star territory, especially considering I bought more than one of them. To make things better, we may be moving up near Southern Star territory some time soon. Great stuff.
If only Oskar Blues would make a lower alcohol beer, I think they would be my go-to next. Oh well.
I'm sitting enjoying some nice Goode Co. Bar-b-que chicken with some Southern Star Pine Belt Pale ale in my Otter Creek World Tour Glass. We've got Kentucky vs. Miami of Ohio on one channel. Ohio State and Navy on another channel. And for some oddball reason Notre Dame is playing some Japanese National team in Tokyo. Oh well.
Had myself a Flying Dog Amber Lager straight out of the bottle, and that has got to be one of the best session beer styles out there: Amber Lager. Don't worry, I've left my beer book at a friend's house, so I will catch back up with my Toronto Beer travels.
I may have to itznay my traveling to Atlanta this month, but the wife is actually going to be doing some corporate travel to Canada and Egypt. Would love to hear about her beer travels.
Basically, I'm sitting here waiting for the FAMU/Delaware State game to come online. Should be fun, as I'm going to MISS much of the game to watch a movie with another couple at Studio Movie Grill.
This Southern Star is pretty nice, with a nutty flavor, maybe a little chalky and dry as well. I think this is probably the most hop forward beer made in Texas. Has a clean finish and a nice decent maltiness making an attempt at balancing the malt. My favorite Southern Star beer by far. I just LOVE the fact that they come in 16 oz. cans. 3 Stars.
You want hops, we got hops. Let's clear out the old notebook for the Fourth. And why not lace in a few of my American Heroes.
Dusty Rhodes
Beer Log: May 15, 2009 State: At the Saucer enjoying life
Victory Hop Devil on cask Floral hop nose on the low head. Basic copper color. Lots of sweetness to balance the strong citrus hops. A 30-45 second aftertaste of hop bitterness. Medium body and low carbonation. Just a big tank of an IPA. Very smooth and drinkable, and maybe some hints of oak as well. 4 Stars man.
Kurt Angle
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid The nose nearly had me coughing. The weak white head on this beer was very deceptive. Amber color. Taste has lots of bitterness but not overwhelming, or stoopid either. There is enough malt to balance the hops, good points there. It's just that I've had better hop bombs. Or that I just drank the Victory Hop Devil just before this one and now the Stoopid has hints of bread in it. 3 Star. Don't worry, we'll try this one again with some hot wings or something. Lots of pine needle and grapefruit come out as it warms up. Very smooth, perfect balance. Great name to boot.
Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan
Beer Log May 19, 2009 State: At the Saucer on the way to a 'Stros game
Steamworks Third-Eye Pale Don't know if this one will make me wiser, but it has a nice citrus hoppy smell. Copper color with a tan creamy head. The taste is a good hop bitterness with a balanced fruity malt, a bready chewy finish. There is no hop bite or aftertaste. Very smooth and mouthfilling with low carbonation that makes you want more. The more I drink it, the more the caramel character comes out. High 3 Star.
Ric Flair
Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Glad I was able to review this local favorite finally. Piney nose, white head with a orange deep color. Great caramel malt leads off with the hops playing clean up. It's a little empty on the 2nd draught, not cool. It gets a little better with food and I'll take it at 3 Stars. Nice finish with a slight bite. The best Southern Star beer Easy. I know this beer will be a staple of mine as we hit the beach and the pool later on in the summer time. Got to support the local guys, and it's great b/c it comes in cans.
Ah the Beave. Heard about this gastropub a few weeks ago and we had to check it out. You walk in and it has a whole rustic/eclectic/cut out of wood look to it. The tables and chairs at the bar are logs and whatnot. It smells like BBQ as well. I'll forgive the 3 beers on tap as they were all local beer, yet they made up for it with 75 bottled beers. This place is perfect for the Heights, a happening part of Houston just northwest of downtown. It looks pretty grimy, but it's damn expensive to live there.
I did try a couple beers...
Beer Log: May 9, 2009 State: Hanging out with the Misses
Southern Star Bombshell Blonde (ON TAP) The more I research the beer name "Bombshell Blonde", the more I realize how unoriginal it is. But it's a helluva name, so I won't knock the boys from Conroe for coming up with it. Light malt nose. I notice a kind of chill haze orange color, no head. Moving on the taste, I get a light toast followed by bread (if you like amber beers, you'll know what I mean). A little grapefruity and a little sour (perhaps intentional?). There is some light bitter aftertaste, but that puckering sourness lingers and a touch cloyingness hurts. Medium body and medium carbonation. Sadly this is 2 Stars for Southern Star. I think they were trying to get to an amber ale, and it very well may be an amber ale if you entered it in competition, but not quite there for me.
(As I read these entries in my book from early May, everything seemed to taste sour and/or overly hopped. Could be my palette was evolving at the time).
By the way, take your girlfriend to Beaver's. It has a much better wine list than other beer bars and it has some very fun looking cocktails which I'm sure the ladies would love.
Real Ale Coffee Porter From one extreme to the next. Light espresso nose. Black night color with a creamy head. It tastes like coffee, has a thin body, and is a touch watery at the back of the tongue. Low 3 Stars. The more I drink it the coffee morphs into chocolate and the mouthfeel is pretty dry. But that doesn't save this brew as the feeling of burnt coffee remains throughout the pint. Oh well.
I would much rather have a New Belgium Giddy Up or the Kona Pipeline Porter for my coffee porters. Again, this is at the same bar. These beers are local so I'm sure I'll have them again. If nothing else, Southern Star beer comes in cans, which is great if you're going to the beach or the pool.
After we made it back home I turned to my old trick of drinking a pale ale.
Summit Extra Pale Ale I need to take some time and look up the difference between an "Extra Pale Ale" and a "Pale Ale". Holdup, I'm on the Internet, one sec...
Alright I'm back. After the first six pages of Google, I give up. I see a lot of beer pages for beers with "extra pale ale" in their name, but no formal definition. Wikipedia doesn't even have that. Someone please chime in and tell me what the specific style of "Extra Pale Ale" is. I get the feeling it is open to interpretation, but the XPAs I've had kind remind me of "Extra Special Bitters" ESB, in that the name is a misnomer. ESBs are not really bitter at all, and I find XPAs (save Bear Republic's) are not super hoppy like you'd think. Where was I?
Summit Extra Pale Ale Light malt and orange nose. taste is some light malt and hops with a metallic character in the back of the palette. There is a funky type of hop with an icky hop aftertaste. Maybe it's sat too long in the store. The good woman brought this one back from her trip to Maryland. Clear amber color with offwhite lasting head. Low 3 Star to 2 Star.
Just wanted to give a little shoutout to the gentlemen at NOLA Brewing Company, a new brewery in New Orleans. These guys have been working furiously to get going, and you think it's hard opening a microbrewery. Imagine opening one while dodging a hurricane or two. I consider myself a Texas/Louisiana beerman, as I spend a lot of time in both states. New Orleans has a history of being a bosshoggin microbrew town in times past before the big scare...er, Prohibition. You still see the old brewery buildings like Jax in the NO, except now they are full of shopping center selling throwback football jerseys and restaurants with surprisingly not that good crawfish.
Well, NOLA is working it's way into production of their Blonde and Brown Ales. Nothing like a good blonde while you are trolling through the French Quarter, and a beer would be nice too. I got a million of 'em! I'll be heading to the NO for some R&R with a few heavy drinkers, so I'm looking forward to getting my hands on more Gordon Biersch, some Crescent City, and hopefully some NOLA. I'm sure the Abita will be there a-plenty. Their amber hits the spot while waltzing on Canal Street.
Also, it looks like Southern Star in Conroe, TX (Just north of Houston) are really taking the bull by the horns. Their Pine Belt Pale Ale is kicking some booty, and I'm looking forward to hitting the Saucer for their new Buried Hatchet Stout and a Blonde Ale. They even have a Homebrew competition. These guys are professionals and probably have a lot of experience, but I do wonder how they are getting on with their system by bouncing around with the styles: American Pale Ale, then a Dortmund Export Lager, followed by a Rauchbier, then down to a Stout, and then back up to a Blonde Ale. I'm probably over-thinking it.
So far they are kicking arse and the Pine Belt looks like it's moving off the shelves a bit. I'm seeing their beer in our mega beer bars but hope they go on down to the smaller beer bars. It's harder to get Shiner and St. Arnolds at most beer bars in Houston though they have maybe a dozen styles out each at one time. Not sure how that works. Here's to hoping the Stars get more love. We need guys like this that are taking chances and going hard in Texas.
Oh, it looks like my Sam Adams Brown is out, time for another beer...
Well let me get these awards going before I order the Chinese food. The one thing about beer that most non-beer drinkers think is that beer is harsh. And they're right, when you first try it. Who did not taste some of your Dad's beer at 5 years old and spit it out immediately?
Of course as those beer are usually swill beer, chances are they are just reacting to the carbonation and some light hops. But what would a beer connoisseur think of as a harsh beer. That doesn't necessarily mean that a beer tastes bad, but tastes like "DAMN". I thought about going for one of those sour beers. The Gordon Biersch Berlinweisser I had in Atlanta popped up first in my mind. That sourness was something else. There are a lot of other sour beers out that get right there with it, including some lambics. But I am TRYING with the sourness, as this is a very popular style and not too long ago I would have said the same thing about hops.
So let's get away from the sour beer, and focus our attention on the swine. The new kids on the block at Southern Star Brewery in Conroe, TX have come on the scene with limited success. I've seen their cans of Pine Belt Pale Ale in many of the bigger beer stores in Houston. I've seen them at the home of a few beer friends. I am tickled pink that Southern Star is here to become our second Houston area microbrewery, but that Rauchbier is on another level of harsh.
I'll admit right up front, save a few choice cuts, I cannot stand pork. Particularly bacon, ham, and sausage. I will go to town on some chops and ribs (another stereotype), but all other pork should be banned. And that smokey rauchbier smelled and tasted of straight ham at first, and as it warmed up it tasted like bacon bits. Bacon bits have got to be right up there with the atomic bomb and Chris Brown R&B music as the worst things created by man. How many good salads have been ruined by those little hidden chips of fat and disgust.
I slugged that Rauchbier to the bottom of the glass and hated myself everytime it went down. I considered chugging it and almost retched, and I think teared up a minute. The Double IPA I had next was no match for that bacon/ham aftertaste.
And like I said in my post about this beer, I would not be surprised if it won some awards in the specialty and maybe even smoked beer categories at competition. It's just me. I cannot stand pork.
Therefore, the Beer Brotha Beer of the Year Award for the most harsh beer of 2008 goes to Southern Star's Rauchbier. Congratulations and keep brewing. I say bring the pain with every beer and don't stop till you get enough.
November 10, 2008 State: Devouring leftovers in the fridge, a small taco, one Cajun grilled tilapia, and a small ear of corn.
Stone Smoked Porter Dark brown and opaque. Seriously strong tan head. Nice chocolate and malt on the nose as I wait for the head to die down. I'm doing the "Guiness" pour, where you pour harshly, let the head settle, and pour again. Not getting much in the "smoke" department on the flavor. Just smooth not overly harsh roasted malt. I get a bit of grittiness left on the tongue with a medium hop bitterness on the aftertaste. I really like the way the hops blends well with this one for a good balance. I was hoping for something "bigger" from Stone, but I guess expectations can do that to you. I've only had a couple slugs, so let me blog about some other beers I had last night while this one warms up. It's still cold from the fridge you see.
Beer Log November 9, 2008 For the first time in my life, I gave up my tickets to an NFL football to go to an MLS Futbol Game. The Texans suck so much balls right now it's just hard to get up for it. The Dynamo were playing the New York Red Bulls for the aggregate in the playoffs. You here that, playoff futbol in Houston!!! They tied in the first meeting, so basically whoever won this game wins the playoffs. To make a long story short, the Dynamo were run off the field. NY looked like the fricken Brasilian National Team on us. To boot, the Texans got murdered by the Ravens with our QB throwing 4 GD interceptions. Our pre/post Dynamo game tradition is to go up to the Flying Saucer for some beers. It's Sunday which means all Texas pints are $2.75. I notice that I had not formally reviewed any Southern Star beers, and they had two new ones on tap.
Southern Star Logger Finally get to try this one from the newest Brewery in the Houston area. Kinda cloudy, yet with a straw color. It smells kind of vegetaly, which is what I expect from a lager, but then I get some cardboard smell. First thing I notice is basic Germanish hops on the aftertaste. Another draught and I get the light sweet malt. I think it could be a pilsner style. I notice a grit on my tongue. Never cool. Basically, I didn't notice the malt on the first sip as it only lasts a split second. It has more flavor than a Bud, but I'm putting this at 2 star. The flavors don't mesh well at all. It's like the worst part of munich and the worst part of hops. Sorry man. My friend was dissing this one the whole time.
Southern Star Rauchbier My first smoked beer I think I've had in a long time. Greatly looking forward to this. It comes out crystal clear with a small white head. What the hell, I expected it to be pitch black. And dammit this thing smells like a ham sandwich. That is probably the absolute LAST thing I expected to smell on a beer. The kicker: I HATE HAM, Bacon, pepperoni, salami, and sausage. (yet I love pork ribs and pork chops, go fig). I took one swig and it tasted like ham and water. I was ready to chalk this one up on the spot, but my friend insisted that we have to finish this thing. He said I had to be a man and finish the beer I had. We had one of our homegirls at the table, so I had to show up. I visibly suffered the whole time while choking this one down. The more i drank it, the more I thought they dry hopped this with Bacon bits. There is NOTHING more wrong in this world than bacon bits. I don't see why the waitress didn't just garnish it with bacon bits. I saw it had only 3 reviews on beeradvocate that averaged out to a B-. I think all three of them had it at the Flying Saucer like I did. This is a damn shame and if there ever was a 1 Star beer, this one is it.
I love the creativity that Southern Star is bringing to the Texas game, and who knows, this may be a huge hit with the swine lovers. $5 says it wins an award at the GABF. Southern Star is well on it's way to being one of our more creative Texas micros with this pork beer and the really hoppy Pine Belt Pale Ale. The thing about creativity, sometimes it works, and sometimes people look at you like you're a circus freak. But I'm glad they are nearby, which means every new creation they push out will be in Houston first. Good luck fellas. Lay off that pig.
Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA My friend and I decided we had to make an audible and go with something other than Texas beer. I just needed that Bacon flavor out of my mouth. And I needed a Westcoast IPA to make it happen. My friend got a Westmalle. Amber color, strong hops that are flowery and citrus. Yes sir! Creamy white head. The taste is a strong malt followed by a strong hops. I'm thinking maybe Cascade and some other hops. It's not overwhelming but this one got the job done. 3-4 Star.
Back to today... What made it so bad is that I still tasted some of that pork in my mouth all night.
Stone Smoked Porter, now warmer Now there's some of that smoke. This beer is maybe in its 50s instead of upper 30s when I first tried it. The grittiness on the tongue is still there after you drink it down, but this one is so smooth you don't even care. Nice low carbonation. Very good. The maltiness comes in very well. I'm going to refrian from calling this a 4 Star beer, as I think the Sam Adams Black Lager is really the ticket. I just walked away from it to eat some corn. I come back and it's even better. 4 Stars man. Don't even put this one in the fridge. This one would be a little better with a touch more mouthfeel, but I'll keep it at a low 4 Star.
