Rogue Chipotle Ale

Chipotle Ale poured a clear, dark red amber color with a frothy, white head. The nose has a pleasant pepper smell and there are some malts on the front palate. There is a subtle smokiness in the middle where the beer starts to give off a warm mouthefeel. The flavor of peppars comes alive as it gets warmer before becoming a little more mild and moves into a nice prolonged balanced finish. The beer leaves some lace which is evidence of the malts that I tasted on the first palate. I am not usually one for gimmick beers but Rogue has brewed a pretty good beer here and while I could not have more then one, Chipotle Ale is definatly worth trying for any beer fan.

Unibroue La Fin du Monde

Yes, I know that this blog is titled American Craft Beer and that La Fin du Monde is brewed in Canada.  However, I am gonna break my own rules and review it anyway.  La Fin du Monde (The End of the World) is a triple fermented Golden Ale at 9% ABV.  It is an ale on lees which means that the beer sits on yeast sediment.  It poured a clear pale yellow color with a big white head.  The nosy was fruity with oranges and citrus.  The body is light and balanced with some spiciness.  The carbonation is high which leads to a champagne like mouthfeel. The finish is nice an crisp, malty with sweet fruit esters.  This is a great beer and worth trying for anyone.  I would love to try this beer against Duvel and Piraat and compare the three. 

North Coast Acme Pale Ale

Acme poured a clear copper color with a small white head. The nose was clean and hoppy with some underlying malts. The body was light, with restrained malt and nicely balanced. The finish was medium lengthed and crisp, fitting for this beer. The beer left a nice lace on the glass and would make for a very nice session beer with its low ABV.

Oskar Blues' Dale' Pale Ale

Dale's poured a copper color with a quarter inch white head. The beer had a clean hoppy nose and lots of hops on the first sip. The middle was quite malty and moved seamlessly into a dry finish.

I am a big fan of balanced beers and this might be one of the best. Dale's is America's first hand crafted canned beer, and it is one of my favorite pale ales I have tasted in awhile. The beer is made with European malts and American hops and measure 6.5% ABV. I suggest that anyone who enjoys beer go out and buy a six pack of Dale's.

The Top Selling Craft Beers By Volume

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The Brewers Association recently released the top three selling craft beers by volume shipped. The world-famous Boston Beer Company, makers of Samuel Adams came in first with 1.8 million barrels. Sierra Brewing Company, makers of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, came in second with 662,000 barrels. New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale came in thired with 476,100 barrels.



All three of these companies make some really good beer. I recently toured the Sam Adams brewery in Boston, MA. The company has five breweries across the country and the Boston location is the original, which is now used to modify current recipies as well as create new ones. The Samuel Adams line has won Boston Beer Company countless awards and they brewery tour did not dissapoint. New Belgium's popularity has been increased as Fat Tire has become a popular everyday beer. In addition to making good beer, New Belgium does not sell anything east of the Mississippi River, which has created a large demand for craft beer lovers on the East Coast. Sierra Nevada's flagship beer is one of the better Pale Ale's I have tasted. This beer can be enjoyed by itself or with a nice Mexican dish.