AW's Beer Reviews

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Warsteiner Premium Verum

Brewed by:   Warsteiner Brauerei | Warstein, Germany

Style:   German Pilsner

Glassware:   Best served in a pilsner glass or a mug.

Personal Notes:   This brew is a great session brew!  It pours up a light, golden colored body (almost like the color of a starfruit) and sports a frothy/bubbly head that dissipates rather quickly down to a fine film of a head.  The smell is not overbearing by any means; filled with subtle hints of hops and a light citrus-y smell.  The flavors are filled with the nice bite of hops touched up with some warm hints of citrus fruits and something grassy (lemon-grass perhaps?).  The body of the brew is awesome; no bitter aftertaste, very light, and a clean finish.  Definitely a brew to be enjoyed with some fish/seafood or better yet with some brats/wurst and some sauerkraut!



Got this brew @ Lone Star Beverages.

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Wild Blue Blueberry Lager

Brewed by:   Anheuser-Busch, Inc. | Saint Louis, Missouri  USA

Style:   American Fruit/Lambic

Glassware:   Best served in a mug or a pint glass.

Personal Notes:   Not a bad brew to have after a long day of some serious yard work!  Just pour over crushed ice and add in a few splashes of tequila and you’re good to go!  This brews pours up a near purple (wine-colored) body with a nice frothy head that lingers around for a little bit but dissipates and then leaves some nice lacing on the glass.  Scents of, yeah you guessed it, blueberries (duh)!  And flavors, well, blueberries!  To be honest this is more like a wine cooler than a beer in my humble opinion.  Argue the difference in ABVs but I’ll argue back in the overly sweet taste that I needed to temper just a tad to make it more enjoyable!  Just watch how many you down with this brew!  Enjoy it all by itself, foods will just dilute the ‘robust’ blueberry flavor.



Got this brew @ Lone Star Beverages.

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Sierra Nevada Summerfest 2011

Brewed by:   Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Chico, California  USA

Style:   Czech Pilsener

Glassware:   Best served in a pilsner glass, mug, or a stange.

Personal Notes:   Another entry into my personal BHoF! This brew pours a rich amber-gold colored body and sports a frothy/bubbly head which dissipates to a thin head with good retention and lacing.  Scents of sweet malts and citrus-y fruits.  Flavors of sweet malts and citrus-y fruits are absolutely amazing!  The body is light, crisp, and dry which makes for an incredibly easy-drinking brew.  When compared against other Czech lagers (whether imported or domestic) this one has them beat hands down!  Definitely a brew to be enjoyed on hot Texas summer days; but also an excellent brew to enjoy year-round.  luminous pale gold, very slight haze, and stark white head that retains a thin head for the duration of the pint.  An excellent pairing with some grilled fish/seafood!



Got this brew @ Lone Star Beverages.

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Urthel Saisonniere

Brewed by:   De Leyerth Brouwerijen (Urthel) | Ruiselede, Belgium

Style:   Belgian Ale Saison/Farmhouse

Glassware:   Best served in a pint glass (becker or nonic), a tulip glass or an oversized wine glass.

Personal Notes:   Yet another entry into my personal BHoF!  This brew pours up a hazy amber-gold body and an enormous frothy head that leaves some amazing lacing on the glass.  Scents of yeast, grains (like wheat), and fruits. Flavors of wheat and lemons along with subtle spices and something akin to warm butter.  This brew is meant to be savored slowly and enjoyed for all the intense flavors and textures that it yields.  An excellent brew to have with some grilled poultry or perhaps some spicy grilled fish/shrimp.



Got this brew @ Lone Star Beverages.

[AWMiller]

Dundee Original Honey Brown Lager
   
Brewed by:   Genesee Brewing Co./Dundee Brewing Co. | Rochester, New York   USA
   
Style:   Amber/Red Lager
   
My preferred glassware:   Shaker
   
My personal notes:   
This is a great session brew!  It pours up a rich copper-colored body with a one-finger foamy head that dissipates quickly.  Scents of honey (duh!), caramel, malts, warm bread.  Flavor is a twinge of sweetness from the honey, caramel, and Hungry Jack biscuits!  No heavy aftertaste, just a good, clean finish.  Goes darn good with some homemade tacos and burritos.




Got this brew @ Lone Star Beverages.

[AWMiller]

Birra Moretti La Rossa

Brewed by:   Heineken Italia | Milano, Italy

Style:   Doppelbock

My preferred glassware:   Shaker

My personal notes:   
A great Italian session brew!  This brew pours up a rich ruby-brown body with a frothy two-finger head.  Scents and flavors of caramel, roasted malts, and sweet molasses.  Very rich with a clean, crisp finish and no harsh aftertaste. This would go great paired up with some dry-rubbed/smoked ribs!



Got this brew @ Lone Star Beverages.

[AWMiller]

North Coast Old Rasputin

Brewed by:   North Coast Brewing Co. | Ft. Bragg, California USA

Style:   Russian Imperial Stout

My preferred glassware:   Snifter

My personal notes:   
What an amazing imperial stout!!  This brew pours up a rich, black body sporting a frothy one-finger thick tan-colored head that dissipates slowly into a tan-colored ring (with very good retention) that leaves incredible lacing on the sides of the glass.   Scents of roasted malts, dark chocolates, strong coffee and alcohol.  Flavors of the same embody a light syrupy body texture with just a slight tinge of bitter aftertaste (but that is what makes it so good!).  As the brew warms, the flavors and scents just intensify!  This is a very easy-drinking imperial stout so go slow and enjoy the robustness of this brew.  A great brew year-round but especially one to be enjoyed in the wintry months next to a roaring fire!




Got this brew @ Lone Star Beverages.

[Hawks Feather]

Hey AW,

I am just wondering if your full name is:

AW Miller Brewing Company

Jerry

[AWMiller]

hehehehehee.....nope!!  share the name but not the fortunes!   

[AWMiller]

Abita Turbodog

Brewed by:   Abita Brewing Co.; Abita Springs, Louisiana USA

Style:   English Brown Ale

My preferred glassware:   Pint glass

My personal notes:   
Probably one of the best offerings one can enjoy from Abita!  This brew pours up a deep, dark chocolaty brown body and sports a rich, foamy tan-colored head.  Scents of espresso, caramel, roasted malts and even those of a well aged bourbon.  Flavors of slow-roasted coffee, dark chocolates and bits of toffee; also mixed in this complex brew are dark fruits (akin to plums).  This is a great session brew  and definitely one to be enjoyed with some grilled meats or even a good wild game dinner!



Got this brew @ Lone Star Beverages.

[AWMiller]

Meantime London Porter

Brewed by:   Meantime Brewing Company Limited | London, United Kingdom (England)

Style:   English Porter

My preferred glassware:   Pint glass

My personal notes:   
Now this is one robust porter!!!  This brew pours up a hearty dark brown body sporting a frothy tan-colored head that has excellent retention and lacing qualities.  Warm scents and flavors of roasted malts, warm hazelnuts, raisins, chocolate and slow-roasted coffee along with some subtle hints of well-aged bourbon.  Not too bitter and not too sweet with just the right ‘bite’ of aftertaste that beckons you to have another sip.  The body texture is very creamy so go slow and enjoy this fine porter; no need to rush or quaff!  A fine porter to enjoy year-round with some grilled steaks or a hearty wild game dinner; or just all by itself!



Got this brew @ Lone Star Beverages.

[shaddragger]

  The avatar couldn't be more perfect!!

[AWMiller]

heeheheheeeee... took me a while to find the right one!!   

[AWMiller]

Real Ale Phoenixx Double ESB - Real Ale Brewing Company | Blanco, Texas USA

Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (ESB)

My personal notes:  Bitter is as bitter does!  This brew poured up a murky, coppery colored body with a one-finger head with good retention and thick lacing.  Aromas of malts, caramel, a nip of citrus and hops.  Flavors of roasted malts, caramel and citrus followed up with a hoppy/bitter aftertaste.  The brew is crisp and smooth with a good bitter finish.  Would be a good brew for the BBQ!

[AWMiller]

Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber Lager - Flying Dog Brewery | Frederick, Maryland USA

Style:  Steam Beer

My personal notes:  This brew poured up a dark, rich copper colored body with a one-finger bubbly off-white head that left a good deal amount of lacing.  Scents and flavors of toffee, caramel, malts, warm butter.  The body is somewhat creamy/malty with a very smooth finish and a great balance between the malts and hops.  Would be great paired up with some grilled poultry or a spicy fish/seafood meal.

[AWMiller]

Kostritzer Schwarzbier
Kostritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei GmbH & Co. | Bad Kostritz/Thuringen, Germany

Style:  Schwarzbier

My personal notes:  Another great German schwarz!  This brew poured up a hearty black-colored body with a one-finger tan-colored head that left good lacing on the sides of the glass.  Scents of roasted malts and dark chocolates and a subtle undertone of hops.  Flavors of rich malts and dark chocolates.  The body is smooth with hardly any bitter aftertaste but rather a somewhat silky, chocolaty aftertaste which gets better the more the brew returns to room temperature.  Definitely a brew to have following a hearty brat/wurst dinner!

[AWMiller]

Deschutes The Abyss 2010 Reserve
Deschutes Brewery | Bend, Oregon  USA
Purchased @ Lone Star Beverages

Style:  American Imperial/Double Stout

My personal notes:

Oh how sweet that deep, dark Abyss …

For quite some time I have been reserving THE number one spot of my Beer Hall of Fame for THE best brew.  Deschutes Abyss is THE brew!  From the moment I peeled off the wax covering and removed the cap I knew that this would be a brew like none other.  Many friends and brew-aficionados had long been telling me that this was the brew of brews that were along my taste preferences.  What a fool I was to wait so long to partake in this enticing beverage!

After refrigerating for a few days and then into the freezer for an hour, I let this brew ‘rest’ for an hour to warm up a tad. This brew poured up a decadent near-black colored body sporting a healthy mocha-colored foamy head with retention like I’ve never experienced (so much that I had a lot of foam left on that last sip!) and lacing that left you holding the glass and admiring the artwork long after that last sip was taken.  Amazing scents of warm cocoa, roasted malts, alcohol (not too much), and slow roasted robust coffee.  This coffee is complex and tantalizing with flavors of dark chocolates, coffee, roasted hazelnuts and hints of vanilla and well-aged bourbon that beckons you to take another sip just as soon as you finished taking one!  The body of this brew is just astounding with the just-right thickness and that smooth, clean finish with a warm, bitter, chocolaty, light bourbon aftertaste.  Delicious.

I enjoyed this beverage all by itself and it’s definitely a warmer-upper!!  At 11% ABV (alcohol by volume) this bad boy does the job right!  So it is definitely NOT a brew to be quaffed!  Slow down, relax, and enjoy.  While this brew is recommend to be enjoyed during the wintry months, it is definitely one that can be enjoyed all year round.  When the next reserve is produced, I know I will be stocking up and cellaring many, many bottles of this fine beverage.  Heck, I might even share a bottle; might, that is!

Enjoy it by itself or pair this brew up with a hearty slow-grilled porterhouse steak or some wild game (venison, buffalo, feral hog, etc.) or even some slow-smoked brats/sausage.  Either way, you will enjoy this amazing brew!  Hats off to the folks at Deschutes; you nailed it with The Abyss!

[AWMiller]

back from vacation and getting some write-ups ready... back to posting regularly soon!!

[FinsnFur]

Yeah, three day weekend and all you must have some major reviews to put up.

[shaddragger]

  There were THREE days?! Woof!