Beer Tasting: Henry Weinhard's Woodland Pass IPA

  Since 1862, Henry Weinhard's has been a beer staple in the American Northwest. Originally a craft-brewery, the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Co is now owned by MillerCoors and has gone from local-favorite to a national-brand.

The Story

  Founded in 1862, Henry Weinhard's has recently gone national. Originally brewed in Portland, OR, the brand was eventually owned by Stroh Brewing Company and later sold to Miller in 1999. The brewery was soon closed but the brand survived, brewed in Washington until 2003. SAB Miller (The Miller side of MillerCoors) contracted Full Sail Brewing in Hood River, OR, to brew the Henry Weinhard's brand, a contract ending this month. Originally a staple in the Northwest, in September 2012 the brand went national with Woodland Pass IPA, Private Reserve (an American Pale Lager), and Redwood Flats Amber Ale.

The Taste

  Woodland Pass IPA pours a light translucent, almost lager-like caramel color with a dense head. Take a deep smell and you'll find that this IPA has a bit of malty aroma and a strong hop presence that doesn't overpower. After tasting you may notice some caramel notes followed with the slightly strong hop flavor and lingering bitter aftertaste that American IPAs are known for, albeit a little toned down. Woodland Pass IPA has a light mouth-feel and seems a little light on flavor, almost like a highly-hopped lager.

The Decision

  According to MillerCoors, Woodland Pass IPA has been toned down a little (compared to pre-MillerCoors ownership) to appeal to a broader audience, and if you are used to drinking IPAs you will likely find that this one is indeed toned down a bit. West Coast IPAs typically have a very strong hop flavor and bitterness compared to IPAs found on the East Coast (which will sometimes take on more fruity or malt flavors), and this one tastes more like an East Coast- or British-style IPA that's had the IBUs (International Bittering Units) turned down while still retaining some of the actual flavor of the hops. IPAs generally measure 40-60 IBUs, Woodland Pass measures at 43.
   While it may be a letdown to avid IPA fans, this is still a good beer which may be used to introduce beer drinkers to the style. At roughly $6.50 for a six-pack, this also makes a decent beer for drinking on the budget or sharing with friends. Also worth mentioning is that this beer weighs in at 6% abv, which means you can get a beer that has the same alcohol content as Budweiser Black Crown or Bud Light Platinum but at a lower price. And who knows, you may even prefer the taste.

Beer Tasting: Third Shift Amber Lager

  Today we have beer that has very recently reached a status of nationwide distribution. Third Shift Amber Lager is -you guessed it- an American Amber Lager. It is advertised as a beer brewed round-the-clock with passion, and has the look of a Craft Beer and "Corporate Beer" hybrid. So what's the deal with this beer that  nobody has heard of but is suddenly available nationwide?

The Story

  Third Shift Amber Lager is brewed in Trenton, OH and Fort Worth, TX under the company name Band of Brewers Co. The knowledgeable beer drinker may recognize those two cities as MillerCoors Brewery locations. This is no coincidence, as Third Shift was developed by MillerCoors to create a new brand that appealed to both Craft Beer and "Corporate Beer" markets alike, a major selling-point being that it has a stronger flavor than Big Beer offerings but at a modest price- roughly $7 a six-pack.
  A second selling point is that Third Shift Amber Lager is a Gold Medal Winner in the Märzen category, according to David Coors, Third Shift Brand Manager. The legitimacy of this claim, however, remains unsure as I have yet to find a competition winners list which lists this beer as a winner, or even as an entrant.
  Note: It appears that Third Shift Amber Lager was originally brewed as "Flor Hosen" by the Sandlot brewpub (owned by Coors, operating as Blue Moon Brewing Co.) and won Gold in the Great American Beer Festival 2010 and Gold in the World Beer Cup 2012, both in the Märzen category.

The Taste

  When you twist off the cap and pour a bottle of Third Shift Amber Lager, you will find that it pours a coppery color with a small, light head and low carbonation. Take a few whiffs and you'll notice that this beer smells lightly of malt with an almost fruity aroma. At first taste, Third Shift Amber Lager doesn't really have any distinctness, neither sweet nor bitter, malty nor hoppy. As it leaves the tongue it begins to taste a little more like grain and yeast with still almost no malt or hop characteristics. Most simply put, it is reminiscent of a Pale Lager but with a stronger flavor from the grains, almost as if the malt and hops cancel each other out instead of each having balanced presence.

The Decision

  All in all, Third Shift Amber Lager gives you what you pay for. At under 7 dollars, it doesn't bring the flavor of a beer like Bell's Amber Lager, but it has a stronger taste than Coors Light, which is exactly what MillerCoors is going for. In a statement by MillerCoors, Third Shift Amber Lager is an "Invitation Beer", meant to bring people into the Craft Beer Market. Why would MillerCoors want to bring consumers to the Craft Beer Market? Most likely this is so that they can push "craft beer brands" owned by MillerCoors such as Blue Moon. The Craft Beer market is growing at a rate beyond what MillerCoors and AB-Inbev have seen in years, so I think that this is only one of many future beers that will operate as "Invitation Brands", much like AB-Inbev's Budweiser Black Crown.

Beer Tasting: Budweiser Black Crown

 Super Bowl 47 is coming up this Sunday, and what better time for a beer to get its advertising debut? After all, Anheuser-Busch had great success launching Bud Light Platinum just days before Super Bowl 46 and first advertising it during the most-watched American Football game of the year. The apparent idea was to advertise the beer and when people saw the ad they would ask their bartenders for a Platinum. And boy, did it work; within months, Bud Light Platinum took up over 1% of the American beer market. Will Anheuser-Busch see a repeat with the new Budweiser Black Crown?

The Story

Black Crown was developed when 12 pairs of AB-InBev brewers were tasked with creating the next Budweiser variation. 12 beers were created and tested among 25,000 consumers who elected Black Crown the next "King of Beers". If Bud Light Platinum had an "Irish Twin", that twin would be Black Crown. While Platinum is a malt-liquor marketed as a sophisticated beer for the sophisticated drinker, Black Crown is more highly-hopped when compared to Budweiser and appears to be marketed as a more sophisticated beer for the craft-beer enthusiast. Both are 6% ABV, compared to the 4.2% ABV Bud Light and 5% ABV Budweiser, and both cost 35% more than their classic counterparts.

The Taste

Budweiser Black crown pours a translucent amber color with a large head which quickly dissipates. Black Crown smells very much like the classic Budweiser with faintly more hop aroma. At first taste, this beer has slightly more body than the classic Bud and a stronger malt flavor with a very light bitterness from the increased hop presence. The signature rice flavor is there, lightening the taste of the beer while giving a distinct flavor and sweetness which only comes from rice. At first taste I did not really enjoy Black Crown, though after drinking four bottles throughout the week I grew to like the beer a little more. But all in all, this beer tastes very much like Budweiser's other beers. They have a classic formula that appeals to the broadest audience possible, so it's only natural for Anheuser-Busch to tweak the beer, give it a new label, and advertise it as a very different beer.

Beer Tasting: Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

In the cold Winter months, many beer drinkers turn to dark, spiced ales. But if you are looking for something different during the doldrums, then never fear! Rogue, who pride themselves in going against the grain, has something to offer.

Hazelnut Brown Nectar is a Winter seasonal from Rogue Ales in Newport, Oregon. This brown ale holds a lot of characteristics that are common among brown ales, pouring a chestnut color with some clarity and a creamy, fluffy head. Take a good whiff and you'll immediately notice the hazelnut, smelling like both a beer and a coffee drink. At first taste it is a little bitter and rounds out with a nutty semi-sweet flavor, finishing with a little caramel and chocolate taste. This beer has a lot of sweet hazelnut flavor, definitely fitting the descriptors "Hazelnut" and "Nectar".

The first time I had Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar was from the tap, and I thought it had a great hazelnut and malt presence. Most recently, I had it from the bottle. I'm not sure if it's the bottling, the distance between Oregon and Michigan, or the time the beer set on the shelf before my purchase; but there was a distinct difference between the two. My experience tasting Hazelnut Brown Ale from the bottle was enjoyable but not as enjoyable as from the tap, as the beer had a lower Hazelnut and malt flavor and had less of a full-bodied mouth feel.

That said, I would recommend Hazelnut Brown Ale in any shape or form. I could not find the ABV of this beer on the label nor on the brewery's website, but according to BeerAdvocate.com Hazelnut Brown Ale weighs in at 6.2% ABV; which means that you can split a six-pack with a friend over the course of dinner, a movie, or while watching your favorite sports.