The Search Continues!



21st Amendment Brewery
HELL or HIGH WATERMELON
4.9% ABV

Ok, ok.  I know what you are thinking.  This is a WHEAT beer (says so right there on the can) and I don't like wheat beers.  Or beer in cans for that matter. True, but no rules exist that say I can't keep trying them.  I am still searching for that elusive "summer beer" to alleviate some of the IPA blahs I have developed.  Still love them, still drink them, but I am definitely in a beer rut. 

So, here we have HELL or HIGH WATERMELON, a wheat beer from 21st Amendment Brewery.  I wish I had poured it in a little bit smaller glass.  The visual effect loses a little something when the beer doesn't fill the glass.  You can see how hazy it is.  Pours pretty well with a nice two finger head.  The head is short lived however and the beer leaves little lace.  The aroma is wheat up front with at slight hint of watermelon.  In the interest of full disclosure, I tried this on draft at Whole Foods before I decided to buy.  The scent of watermelon is present in the draft version, but I really didn't detect much in the pour from the can.  The flavor is all wheat.  I don't get much, if any, watermelon (it was there in the draft version also).  I do like the fact that this is a "sessionable" (you can drink a few without fear of toppling over...) beer because in my, uh, less than youthful state I find that a few at 7 or 8% can really do me in!

Very much a drinkable beer.  I'll have no problem enjoying these on the deck/patio with the onset of hot weather here in Richmond.  I would definitely suggest trying the draft version as it is much more impressive than the canned version (true for all beers for the most part). 



It doesn't suck!

 Ok, so I know my last post showed pictures of my first brew, which of course was an IPA.  Well, there it is!  I successfully transfered it from the "fermentor" (a slightly altered homebrew keg...) and carbonated it.  I fully expected this beer to be entirely undrinkable, but it's not bad for a first brew if I do say so myself!  I love the color, although I would be ok with it being a little lighter.  The aroma is really sweet and the alcohol is right up front which makes me think I should have paid more attention to the fermentation temperature.  Ahhh, live and brew!  The flavor mimics the aroma.  It is much too sweet and it packs a helluva punch!  It's a bit "thick".  Not sure how to solve that yet.  Needless to say I was pretty excited that it didn't totally suck (it probably does, but I'm just not going to admit that) and already had my next brew planned...

And, here it is!  Fermenting quite nicely in the guest room shower.  No visitors for awhile, so I think we're good to go!  This is an IPA also but I changed up the yeast and hops.  Pretty much the same malt bill.  Should have a nice oily flavor since I didn't read ALL the directions for my new immersion chiller (I totally give my husband sh*t for that all the time too...) and hence probably did not remove all the junk off the copper.  Oh well.  It's been fermenting like crazy so I'll hold out hope!

I have recipes for the next two brews so I need to hurry up and drink these!  Or find some people willing to drink experimental, oily beer!  Any takers?

Until next time!
Cheers!
Becky