Saint Arnold Icon Gold (Biere De Saison)

Brewery: Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
Location: Houston, TX
Style: Biere de Garde
ABV: 9%

The Saint Arnold Icon Series consists of specialty beers that the Houston brewery releases every three months or so. Each beer is unique and different from the last. Icon Gold is the fourth beer to be released (there have been five total). It is brewed in the Biere de Garde style, meaning "beer for keeping," and is most akin to a Belgian Saison. At 9%, Icon Gold holds the title for highest percent of alcohol among its icon[ic] peers.

According to Saint Arnold, Icon Gold is labeled as a Biere de Saison because it "combines the richness of a winter ale with the spicy, earthy notes of the saison yest."

Appearance: Icon Gold's label is wonderful. The bottle showcases the patron saint of beer, Saint Arnold, with a classic black and gold color combination. The label is simple, sophisticated, and eye-catching. In the glass, Icon Gold pours a cherry-copper color. The beer retains absolutely no head.

Smell: Belgian spices and sugary malts. I pick up booze and fermenting grapes (otherwise known as wine) beneath the Belgian yeast aromas.

Taste: The flavor profile begins with a strong surge of Belgian spices that is followed by fruit and berry tartness. I wouldn't consider the flavors sour, but there is an "over-ripeness" to the berry notes. The finish is spicy, boozy, and sweet. There's no hiding the alcohol in this beer, but that's not a bad thing.

Mouthfeel: Light carbonation yet crisp and clean. The beer appears flatter than it actually is, and I don't know that it needs any more carbonation than what it already has.

Overall: This is a flavorful beer. The Belgian spices blend well with the sweet malt and mild tartness. The alcohol shows up on the finish, leaving a subtle burn in the throat. Icon Gold is complex. There's depth of flavor and smell on every level.

Favorite Red Ales

As I was sipping on a freshly canned Tocobaga, I started to think about how much I appreciate a good red ale, and then I realized that there aren't a ton of red ales that have blown me away. In fact, I would argue that when compared to other beer styles, the red ale genre is fairly lacking in superb beers. Let's face it, stouts and IPAs get all the glory in the craft world.

So, I thought it would be fun to give recognition to three of my favorite red ales, and then I would love to hear from you. Admittedly, my list is limited because I don't typically seek out red ales when I am looking for new beers to try. So please feel free to add to this list, dismiss the beers I've mentioned, or argue for your favorite red ales!

My list of favorite red ales:

1. Pinglehead (Pinglehead, Jacksonville, FL). Pinglehead is located inside Brewer's Pizza, and is a place I would consider "a gem" in North Florida. It's a small brewpub in Clay County that not only makes mean beer, but they also cook up some awesome pizzas too! Pinglehead's Imperial Red is a perfectly balanced red that blends the sweet malty backbone with a floral and semi-bitter hop presence. It has just the right amount of bitterness and sweetness to make this a highly enjoyable, very drinkable red ale that's packed with flavor. Whenever visitors come to Jacksonville, Pinglehead usually tops my list of beers they need to try.

 
2. Tocobaga (Cigar City, Tampa, FL). Tocobaga was the first red ale I ever tried that had true complexity and character. Before Tocobaga, I had limited experience with reds and probably thought of Fat Tire as the ceiling in terms of the style. Tocobaga is a rich red ale with a prominent malt backbone that is countered by a citrusly-sweet-bitter note that comes from the Citra hops with which Cigar City dry hops the beer. As I said on Twitter, when this beer is consumed fresh, it's a real treat!

3. Zoe (Maine Beer Co, Freeport, Maine). I purchased six bottles of Zoe to celebrate the birth of our second daughter, Zoe, in October 2012. A few weeks before my wife's due date, I searched Google for beers that might share the same name. I found this red ale from Maine and had it shipped to Florida so that I could properly toast and welcome my daughter to the world.

Zoe, like the first two on the list, has a nice hop bitterness that balances the malt profile of the red ale. In fact, I would say Zoe is the most "bitter" of the three on this list. Zoe drinks more like an IPA than a red. But Zoe and I are forever linked, and it has earned it's place on my top 3 red ales list. Before I close, I must mention some beers that I left off this list that I suspect might be on your list.

Honorable Mentions:

• Lagunitas Imperial Red
• Grasslands Leeroy the Red 
• He'Brew Genesis
• Terrapin Oaked Big Hoppy Monster
• Saint Arnold Amber Ale (This might have made my list 3 years ago when I lived in Houston)
• Bold City 1901 Red Ale

So, let's hear from you. What beers did I leave off? Where did I mess up? What are your favorite red ales?

What's Your Favorite Summer Beer?

Brewery:  Cigar City Brewing Co.

Location: Tampa, FL
Style: Helles
ABV: 5%

 

Sadly, there aren't a ton of beers that I enjoy drinking in the heat of summer when I am looking for a good refreshingly crisp craft beer. In fact, I used to think that "refreshingly crisp craft beer" was an oxymoronic phrase.  However, as I have expanded my horizons, I have found certain beers that are quite appropriate to consume after mowing the lawn or some other summer activity. Maui's Bikini Blonde and Saint Arnold's Fancy Lawnmower are just two examples.

Add Cigar City's Hotter Than Helles to that list.

 

Now, let me be truthful and say that I don't think there's anything particularly compelling about this beer. The aroma is a bit musty, the flavor is full of of malt and bready yeast notes, and the body is light. All of this adds up to a fairly indistinct and forgettable beer. But that's my point: if I am laying by the pool or floating down a lazy river, I don't want a full-bodied beer; I want something that's light, easy to drink (in quantity), and refreshing. Hotter than Helles Lager is all of these things and more.

So, you might ask: "Why not just buy a 6-pack of Natty Ice, save a few bucks, and call it a day?"

Answer: Because my mouth deserves more respect than that. And so do you.

As summer is quickly approaching, I would love to know what are some of your favorite summer beers? Let's get a good list going!

Divine Reserve 12

Brewery:  Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
Location: Houston, TX 
Style: Old Ale
ABV: 10%
Price: Unknown (Given as gift)

I received this bottle from @discipleofhops and need to give him a huge shout-out for sending me some Saint Arnold love.

I have reviewed a couple of Saint Arnold's brews and have mentioned the impact this brewery has had on the beer scene in Houston. The Divine Reserve series has had its own impact on the city as its not uncommon to hear of thousands of people calling off of work during the Divine Reserve releases. These are special release-single batch beers that usually sell out within hours of stores opening. Thus, waiting until after work to buy this beer just isn't a plan for success.

DR12 is an old ale recipe that actually came out of a 2011 homebrew competition. It pours an amber color with a slight white head.

The aroma is full of warm spices and there's a hint of funk on the nose. If I didn't know the style, I would almost think this is a farmhouse ale given given the spicy notes. Still, there is a malt backbone in the aroma that makes sense with this style.

The taste is not what I expected. The body is quite malty. Syrupy even. There are strong notes of molasses and caramel that are nicely balanced by a Belgian profile on the finish. My guess is Saint Arnold used a Belgian yeast strand in this beer. As this beer warms, there's a candied cherry  finish with a  sherry/boozy aftertaste.

Overall, this is a good beer, but isn't what I would expect from an old ale. This one seems a little more experimental to cleanly fit the old ale label. And while I think this is one of the weaker releases from the series, it's still work picking up if you have a chance to do so.

Saint Arnold Sailing Santa

Brewery:  Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
Location: Houston, TX

Style: American IPA/Blend
ABV: 7%
Price: Unknown (Given as gift)

Texas' oldest craft brewery, Saint Arnold has literally helped define Houston's craft beer scene. In fact, Saint Arnold is what I refer to as my personal gateway brewery. I owe my craft beer allegiance to this brewery. I am forever a fan and advocate of this brewery!

I moved to Houston right out of college in 2007 and "craft beer" was not anywhere on my radar. Once settled, there were two Texas breweries that I took a liking to: Shiner and Saint Arnold. Both have important places in my beer journey, but I credit the latter for my love of craft beer.

Unfortunately, craft beer can be expensive and I was just a budding professional on a humble teacher's salary. Luckily, Saint Arnold held affordable $5 brewery tours every Saturday (the brewery has since moved locations, grown significantly, and now holds daily brewery tours for $7). It was at these tours that I began learning about hand-crafted beer; and it was there, in the middle of their brewery tour, standing beside a few hundred pounds of barley, that I became a born-again beer drinker.

Now that we've gone down memory lane and tears have all but dried on my cheeks, let's get to today's review.

Image taken from saintarnold.com

Sailing Santa is a seasonal blend of their Elissa (IPA) and Christmas Ale. The beer pours a nice copper/amber color. The head thins quickly and leaves a minimal lacing around the glass.

The aroma is a great blend of sweet malts and earthy hops. Given that Saint Arnold has labeled this beer as an IPA, I would say the aroma is a bit incongruent to the typical aroma of an IPA.

This beer is malt-forward. Again, I think it's mislabeled. The taste and aromatic profile fit more as a winter warmer in my opinion. The front flavors are all malt, caramel, toffee, and maybe a little maple syrup. The hop profile from the Elissa IPA portion of the blend are mild and subtle. Pine sneaks in towards the finish of this, which is also a tad dry. I do pick up on the cinnamon that was apparently added to the 2012 version. It's a pleasant flavor that lingers nicely.

Overall, this is a solid winter beer, but it's just not an IPA. I understand that Saint Arnold wants to capitalize on the blend which uses Elissa IPA, but it disappoints if being compared to true IPAs. Style aside, this is an enjoyable blend that's highly drinkable and perfect for the season. As I said above, this reminds me more of an earthy winter warmer. I appreciate the subtle hops in this beer, but the prevailing flavors are the heavier malt profiles and warming spices.