Brewery Trips-Adirondack Brewery

After leaving Davidson Brothers, it was time to head towards Lake George.  We first went to a wine tasting, and then on to the Adirondack Brewery.  This brewery holds a special place in my heart.  I have eaten here, went to Oktoberfest celebrations, thrown kegs in a competition, and of course sampled and drank many delicious beers.

As soon as we pulled up, I noticed one huge difference.  The brewery has undergone a large expansion and is now bottling many of their beers.  I was definitely impressed with the size of the addition.  The brewery addition flows seemlessly and sticks to the woodsy, cabin like feel of the esatablishment. 

The Adirondack Brewery sits just outside of the main area of Lake George Village.  We sat outside on the deck and immediately examined the beer selection and the menu.  Again, it was a no brainer.  I decided to order the sampler.  The brewery seemed to have expanded its selection to around 12 available beers.  With the sampler, came the Vienna Lager, Bear Naked Ale, Czech Pilsner, IPA, Beavertail Brown Ale, and Witte Peach.  Not a bad round of 6.

Beer Reviews

First up was the IPA. (sorry ...I couldn't resist a few sips.)  It was excellent.  The beer had an awesomely hoppy with lots of head.  I found it very smooth and enjoyable.  8.5/10

The Beavertail Brown was also very enjoyable.  The nut brown flavors were more mild then many other nut brown offerings, but still gave the beer a very enjoyable undertone of flavor.  This seemed like a very good, easy going session beer.  In fact, I purchased a six pack in stores later in the week. 7/10

The Peach Witte was intriguing just by name alone.  It was very light and easy to drink. However, I do wish that they added alot more peach into this brew.  The beer lacked body and seemed a little too weak for my tastes.  Kind of a let down.  4.5/10

Next, we tried the Czech Pilsner.  Pilsners are generally not in my favorite category of beer.  However, this beer seemed to have a nice hop finish to it. (Possibly Saaz hops?)  Ther beer was not too bitter and I could definitely see the appeal to lighter beer drinker.  7/10

The Bear Naked Ale seems to be the staple of the Adirondack Brewery.  It is a great colored amber that is full of body.  I thought that it had great taste as always was easy to drink. Solid.  8/10

I finished with the Vienna Lager.  Ths was a simple, crisp beer.  I really didn't have too many feeling towards the brew either way.  It was the kinda beer that you just kinda..drank, if that makes any sense.  5/10

Overall, I might be a little bias towards the brewery.  I always have a great time there and it simply instills quality, positive feelings in me every time I visit.  I always enjoy most of the beers and really dig the motif and general vibe of the brewery.  Also, the food is very affordable, quality tasting pub food.  Who can argue with that?

We left the brewery with smiles, laughs, and a slight buzz.  Oh, we also had to rush back to the house for our family's annual vacation wine tasting. (liver twitch)  Adirondack Brewery is always a great stop and i would highly recommend it. 

Overall 9/10

Sam Adam's Fat Jack Review

I picked up a bottle of Sam Adam's Fat Jack Double Pumpkin.  First off, the label is awesome.  It has a very dark looking, almost Nightmare Before Christmas like pumpkin, with a devious smile on the front. I have been really enjoying Sam Adams big bottle series and was excited to try yet another new pumpkin beer. 
The beer was definitely strong.  At first, it almost seemed like a pumpkin barleywine.  After a few more sips, I noticed hints of cinnamon, pumpkin, and all spice.  I really liked the strong up front taste of this beer.  It had a great feel and the aftertaste was fall to a tee.  I really feel like Sam Adams is back to their creative ways.  For a while there, it seemed like they were offering many of the same boring beers.  However, there new stuff has been right on point .  Good job Sam. 8/10

Brewery Trips-Davidson Brothers Brewery

I just returned from Brant Lake , NY, where I went on my annual vacation with 40 members of my extended family.  As always, it was an excellent time shared by all.

On Wednesday, my wife, my cousin Bryan and his wife Carly, and I decided to take our usual day out to a brewery or two and enjoy the Lake George area.  We decided to try Davidson Brothers Brewery in Glens Falls, NY.

We parked about a block away and walked towards the restaurant.  The brewery was in a very cool, historic looking area of the town.  Surrounding the brewery, were buildings with great architecture and little shops that catered to both locals and vacationers.  We decided to sit outside, enjoy the beautiful weather, and begin the slight punishment of our livers.  Inside, the brewery seemed to have a good variety of choices. I counted 9 beers on tap.   The restaurant had a rustic vibe with brick walls and antiques and lake like paraphernalia on the walls.  Patrons can also get a great view of the brewing system.

 

 

 

Naturally, I decided to order the sampler.  At Davidson Brothers, you fill out a card with your selections.  I chose the IPA, the smoked porter, oatmeal stout, scotch ale, Belgian white, and the nut brown ale.  We also ordered a nacho sampler to suppress our 11:30 alcohol intake.

 









 

BEER REVIEW

The first beer I tried was the IPA.  Now, since I find myself to be an IPA junkie, I always look forward to trying someone else's interpretation of the beer.  Davidson Brothers' IPA was definitely good.  It was light in color and had a very smooth and easy to drink quality.  It was not incredibly hoppy, but definitely was a solid beer.   7.5/10

Next up was the smoked porter.  Exciting!...Not so much.  This turned out to be my least favorite brew from Davidson Brothers.  I found the beer to lack a lot of body, and almost watery.  There was a decent subtle smoke flavor, but the rest of the beer lack aroma, mouth feel, or any other of the snooty beer snob terms.  Overall, this beer was only ok.   3/10

Next was the oatmeal stout, which I definitely forgot to take a picture of.  Oh well, I'm new to this.  The oatmeal stout was definitely better than the smoke porter. I thought it was very smooth and very easy to drink.  it was hard to pick up on any oatmeal flavors, but it was definitely a beer that could be enjoyed by all.  Unfortunately, i found this beer to have very little body also.  4.5/10

 

 

The Strong Scotch Ale was next on the list.  This beer was definitely an upgrade from the previous two.  It was super malty, but very balanced.  I liked how you could taste the power of the beer, but also its very smooth "drinkabilty".(ugh..sorry) Overall, this was one of Davidson Brothers' best offerings.  8/10

The Belgian White was exactly what I expected.  It was very easy to drink.  Other then that, it pretty much tasted like most light Belgian beers.  I enjoyed it, but would go running back for another. 6/10

 

The Nut Brown Ale delivered my favorite offering of the evening..I mean almost publicly acceptable drinking time.  The beer was excellent,  it had great body, great flavor, and was simply the most enjoyable beer at Davidson Brothers for me.  8.5/10

 

Davidson Brothers was a great stop.  Although I felt some of their beers were a little weak, I thought the restaurant and environment were excellent.  We had a great time and I would definitely go back.  Overall rating-7/10

 

Next Stop Adirondack Brewery

 



Chicorye Racking Day

 

I just racked the Chicorye Porter to the secondary. Smells good. Added vanilla bean and some more chicory. I am definitely excited for this one.

 

Addition of Chicory Root

Addition of Vanilla Bean

 

Racking!

 



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

.

Brennan Blueberry Amber: Racking Day

Photos from Blueberry Prep and Racking

Current Beer Adventures

Primary 1:- Brennan's Blueberry Amber-Attempting to adding blueberries today and rack to the secondary

Primary 2- Chicorye- A porter beer influenced by my love for Dogfish Head's chicory stout.  Made with chicory, chocolate rye malt, vanilla bean, etc.  My buddy Adam and I put this recipe together months ago, and I was dying to brew this.

Secondary 1- Barleywine-This was my friend Adam's recipe.  This beer should kick your ass, but won't be ready until December.

Recently Bottled-

Pistachiale-Yes, this is a pistachio flavored ale.  Tried it for the first time yesterday. Still needs to mature, but seems like it will be awesome.  Adam and I brewed this about a month and half ago.  My goal is to make a beer that has a nice pistachio taste with vanilla hints. This is a recipe I have been working towards since before I even knew what I was doing.   This will happen!

Spicy Blonde Bitch-We brewed two versions of this.  The base is a blonde/hefeweisen and we added both fresh and dry peppers.  It turned out awesome and seems to be clearing up each time I open one.

Future endeavors- I want to brew an Oktoberfest Ale and a pumpkin ale for the fall.  I hope to make this happen when I arrive home from vacation.

I also want to make an Elderflower Saison after trying Elysius's Wasteland in Baltimore.  It was awesome!    Finally, I want to do another very hoppy IPA.   Sure wish this brewing stuff didn't cost money.

beer..is..awesome

     
So, I have decided to keep this small blog to track and document my personal adventures in learning and enjoying of the art and science of brewing my own beer. Last week, I just finish brewing my 10th batch. I started to think about why I love the idea of creating beer so much. What is it about beer, other then its obvious effects, that intrigues me and lures me in? Why do brewers and breweries fascinate me? How come I always peruse and investigate the same beer aisles, in the same beer stores, looking up and down for the small chance that something new will appear? 

To me, beer goes hand in hand with seasons, sports, moods, music, locations, conversations, food, and friends.  A fresh pumpkin beer on a crisp fall night...A smooth hop filled IPA with a great meal...A thick, milky stout sitting by the fireplace on a cold night. An ice cold shandy after mowing the lawn on a 95 degree day...A delicious session beer while huddled around cheap appetizers late at night.   This is what craft beer is all about.  Some of my favorite nights involve good friends, sharing good beers and ridiculous conversations.  Us beer lovers are so lucky to live in America, in a time where craft beer is as big as ever.  There is something for everyone.  Every state seems to have a new breweries, festivals, and stores popping up all over the place.  Does this mean we are a nation of raging alcoholics?  I don't think so.  I believe people are starting to see beer as an art, an expression of self or community,  something unique that can be shared and appreciated with the masses.  We are no longer have to be a nation controlled by Coors, Miller, and Bud.  Big Beer has it's place, and that is fine.  However, there are choices out there for everyone and anyone who wants something different, or unique.   Choices that utilize quality ingredients, that include new flavors, that are made specifically for people to say to their friend, "Holy Shit! Try this!"   

At first, learning to brew seems insanely intimidating.  IBU's? What the hell is a hydrometer?  Secondary what?  Alpa who?   Liquid malt this. Dry malt that. Malted this and that.  It all seems so much harder to learn than to just run to the corner store and grab a six pack of something awesome.  However, there are great resources out there.  Books, forums, and people are there to break down the "mystery" behind beer.  The first time I brewed with my buddy, I thought he was speaking some foreign Israeli drinking language.  But as I sat and watched what was actually going on, I realized, "Hey, he is boiling a sticky liquid and adding little green hops in at certain times.  Relax, you can handle this. "   In the end , that batch came out a little funky due to temperature changes,(Seriously, who loses power for a week in October!?) but I was hooked.  We soon brewed an IPA, my favorite brew type, and I haven't stopped thinking about brewing different batches since. The second that you realize that you(yes you) can make a great tasting beer, is the second that I believe most people will say to themselves, "Hey, I can do this!"

I find myself sitting and thinking about what I'd like to try and brew next.  Everyday,  I am learning something new about the process.  For me, the best part about brewing is trying to construct something that not only do you love the taste of, but making something that involves you, your goals, and your preferences.  That little foamy bottle is a liquid expression of yourself.  And to me, that is what it is all about. 

I hope with this blog to simply talk about beer; good beer, making beer; sharing recipes, etc.  Let's get together and brew!