Rhino's Sports Pub and Bacon Bistro

Each month, we here at Rhino’s Sports Pub sample a brand-new beer. Somehow, we’ve missed the previous two months, but we’re back and still staying true to the rotation, which means it’s time for an import.

Brewery: Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg

Variety: Winter-Traum

Style: Märzen/Oktoberfest

ABV (alcohol by volume): 5.2 percent

Purchased at: The market at Alpine Village in Torrance, Calif.

Beer was enjoyed with … A feast of kielbasa, potato pancakes and sauerkraut. Yes, it was all very tasty. Post-meal festivities included putting up the Christmas decorations in the apartment. Now, the place is all kinds of Christmas-cozy.

Will we drink this beer again? ‘Tis the seasonal. This treat is brewed in March, kept in cold storage during the spring and summer months and then brought out in time for autumn consumption (Märzen). Typically, Märzen’s are full-bodied, of copper-ish color, toasty and of medium-to-high alcohol content.

The Winter-Traum didn’t disappoint. It offered a hint of caramel, and a little smokiness, too. There’s just something about rich winter brews that just warms the heart.

Prost!

Each month, we here at Rhino’s Sports Pub will sample a brand-new beer. This month, it was the domestics’ turn in the rotation.

Brewery: Six Rivers Brewery

Variety: Chili Pepper Spicy Ale

Style: Chili beer

ABV (alcohol by volume): 6 percent

Purchased at: BevMo!

Beer was enjoyed with … A Milwaukee Brewers victory that put this year’s team at 93 wins, just two shy of the team record set in 1979 (a second-place finish in the AL East) and 1982, the last time the franchise won a division title and also appeared in the World Series. So there was that, and … oh, and meat! More specifically, steak. And baked beans, which were flavored with bacon and a hint of maple syrup (that’s important to know), and biscuits. It was a very hearty and comforting meal on a grey, overcast evening in Santa Monica.

Will we drink this beer again? For what it is, it’s awesome. However, it’s hard to drink. This is some hot, spicy, action-packed brew. This is not for the faint of heart. It’s true. It’s an in-yo-face, clear-out-your-sinuses, sort of beverage.

Seriously, this is the first beer that requires a beer chaser.

Adam Richman (@AdamRichman on Twitter) of Man v. Food fame should seriously consider a hot wings and Chili Pepper Spicy Ale eating challenge. Really? You’re going to wash down those wings with a beer that brings the heat? Just try it!

The Chili Pepper Spicy Ale is made with assorted chilis (with peppers locally grown and fire roasted) blended with a wheat ale. The official beer Internets site goes as far as to describe the beer as “HOT!” Yup, all caps, exclamation point. They aren’t messing around.

Few beers make this kind of impression. The Lost Abbey’s Gift of the Magi was the last beer that made this kind of impression, and that’s a good thing. Neither beer is for the faint of heart, but each offered a distinct and unique experience.

Cheers!

Each month, we here at Rhino’s Sports Pub and Bacon Bistro will sample a brand-new beer. This month, it was the international’s turn in the rotation.

Brewery: Oranjeboom Bierbrouwerij B.V.

Variety: Premium Lager

Style: Euro Pale Lager

ABV (alcohol by volume): 5 percent

Purchased at: Trader Joe’s

Beer was enjoyed with … This is where things get awesome. We grilled up some green beans (with olive oil, crushed red pepper and mesquite seasonings), turkey burgers with Rhino’s Sports Pub’s super-secret and jazaabulous seasoning combo, and peppered turkey bacon. On the television was the Family Guy version of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Blue Harvest …

Peter (Han): And look at this couch. Sombody threw out a whole couch and it’s in great shape.
Brian (Chewbacca): Yeah, put a little Febreeze on that, scrub it out a little bit, it’d look great in your appartment.
Peter (Han): You know what? I know we got a dangerous job to do here, but… I’m taking this. I’m taking this couch.

It was an epic combination of fun.

Will we drink this beer again? Beer Advocate gave Oranjeboom (pronounced “ore-on-ya-bōm“) a unspectacular grade of “C.” But, what do they know about beer? (Kidding!).

We, on the other hand, couldn’t have been more impressed with a beer than came out of a can (we should preface that statement with our frame of reference here … PBR, Hamm’s, Old Style, Miller High Life, Bud Light, Coors Light, and the list just gets worse as we mention more beers from cans. On a side note, Hamm’s is actually pretty solid. I’m OK with going on record and saying that).

We’ll drink this beer again, especially if we can continue to score it via a value purchase at Trader Joe’s.

Cheers!

Each month, we here at Rhino’s Sports Pub will sample a brand-new beer. This month, it was the domestics’ turn in the rotation.

Brewery: Lost Coast Brewery

Variety: Raspberry Brown

Style: American Brown Ale

ABV (alcohol by volume): 6.5%

Purchased at: “Adult Disneyland” BevMo!

Beer was enjoyed with … Homemade pizza off the grill. Yeah … that’s how we roll here at Rhino’s Sports Pub and Bacon Bistro.

Will we drink this beer again? I think that question can be summed up by the reaction of the girl I’m sorta-kinda seeing: “Oh, that was tasty! And, you can quote me on that.”

The Raspberry Brown — a 2005 gold-medal winner at the Los Angeles County Fair (and this is important to note because who knew there was a beer-tasting competition at the county fair?) — is brewed in Eureka, Calif., which we’d heard of, but a Google search revealed is located in Northern California, like close to the California-Oregon state line.

The official Internets of the Lost Coast Brewery boast, “The cool maritime climate of the Humboldt Bay region has proved to be very conducive to brewing quality ales.”

Agreed. The Raspberry Brown was just delightful. This was just a decadent duo of a chocolate malt with a intense infusion of raspberries.

Mmm … raspberries!

This brings up the great “what tops your berry power rankings?” debate. Raspberries, or strawberries? What about blueberries? Well, based on our assessment of the Raspberry Brown — and a positive experience with Pete’s Wicked Strawberry Blonde — it appears berries are a valuable addition to brews.

Cheers!

Each month, we here at Rhino’s Sports Pub will sample a brand-new beer. This month, it was the international’s turn in the rotation.

Brewery: Rinkuškiai Alaus Darykla

Variety: Before-After Premium Lager

Style: Euro Pale Lager

ABV (alcohol by volume): 4.7 percent

Purchased at: The market at Alpine Village in Torrance, Calif.

Beer was enjoyed with … Chicken fajitas off the grill … oh, and a Seattle Sounders FC 4-2 triumph over the New York Red Bulls, which is really all that mattered on this fine June evening.

Will we drink this beer again? Uh, yeah, there was really nothing about this beer that will have me racing to my mode of transportation and heading down the 405 to the 110 for the fine place called Alpine Village. And, if I just happen to race down that 405 to the 110 to Torrance, then it’d likely be for something with “Weihenstephaner” on the label, or perhaps “Radeberger” or “Franziskaner.” That’s the stuff (well, that and the smoked German bratwurst and kielbasa at the meat market … mmm, meat!).

So, this Before-After Premium Lager is from Lithuania. This was a first for me, I think, drinking a beer from Lithuania. That helped entice the purchase, as did the unique bottle label thingee (please see photo … reminiscent of a phenomenon known as “beer goggles”). It poured to little head, but still smelled and tasted like a beer. The noteworthy aspects of this beer end there.

Quickly, the Sounders managed a build a 2-nil lead, then give up that lead only to score two more times to claim victory. All the while, the Before-After Premium Lager was replaced by the familiar Widmer Hefeweizen.

Cheers!

Each month, we here at Rhino’s Sports Pub will sample a brand-new beer. This month, it was the domestics’ turn in the rotation.

Brewery: Grand Teton Brewing Co.

Variety: Pursuit of Hoppiness Imperial Pale Ale

Style: American Amber/Red Ale

ABV (alcohol by volume): 8.5%

Puchased at: “Adult Disneyland” BevMo!

Beer was enjoyed with … Bison burgers, off the grill … the little ticket thingee at BevMo! suggested that the Pursuit of Hoppiness would pair well with meat off the grill, and that proved to be the case. It was right.

(You know, I’m going to go on record and suggest that basically all beers go well with meat off the grill. I have a hard time differentiating between a regular beer that might not be brewed specifically to be consumed with grilled foods, and one that is. I hope you don’t think less of me because of that aforementioned admission.)

Will we drink this beer again? Absolutely, but this is not a classic “session beer,” you would have to drink this one with food. That 8.5 percent ABV will sneak up on you and you might feel some regret.

What better way to celebrate Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you!) than with an “Imperial” red ale. Like “The Imperial March,” the Pursuit of Hoppiness can pack a punch … 8.5 percent ABV, to be more precise.

“Impressive … most impressive.”

There’s something about the Pursuit of Hoppiness that you’ll notice right away, the intricacy of the pour. Be careful when pouring it into your pint glass, otherwise you could wind up getting lots of head. Once you get past that stage in the process, the fine beer appears as a “burnt sienna” (the girl I’m sorta-kinda seeing described it as such … giving her due credit here). The flavor is, well, delicious. I’m going with “carmel-y.” On taste, Pursuit of Hoppiness is very smooth, not bitter. This is definitely a hearty effort out of the Grand Teton Brewing Co., which it should be noted is located at the base of the Teton Mountains in Victor, Idaho.

There are a couple of key points that one should keep in mind when considering consuming this fine brew selection …

• Each bottle, which is more like a champaign bottle, comes with a “bottled on” date sticker.
• It was brewed under strict compliance with the Reinheitsgebot, the Germany Purity Law of 1516, according to the beer’s official website.

“You do not realize your importance.”

That last point is most important, and will earn the Pursuit of Hoppiness an additional pint in the five-pint rating scale we use here at Rhino’s Sports Pub and Bacon Bistro.

Cheers!

Each month, we here at Rhino’s Sports Pub will sample a new beer. This month, it was the importeds turn in the rotation.

Brewery: St. Peter’s Brewery

Variety: Sorgham

Style: German pilsner

ABV (alcohol by volume): 4.2%

Puchased at: “Adult Disneyland” BevMo!

Beer was enjoyed with … The first — and definitely, absolutely, positively not last — attempt at grilled pizza. Between the beer and the homemade, grilled pizza, there were a lot of flavors going on that made the dining experience quite memorable. This will happen again, whether the Sorgham is along for the ride as well is really totally up to us and what sort of beer mood we might be in.

Will we drink this beer again? We definitely will not actively not drink this beer again. How’s that double negative work for you?

Thankfully — and I am forever grateful — I can be blatantly gluten. I actually can’t imagine a world in which my diet would be “gluten free” and what sort of devastating impact that would have on my beer-drinking lifestyle. Let’s just say that would totally suck.

So, it comes with some surprise that this month’s “beer of the month” is a gluten-free beer option. It comes with even more surprise that we couldn’t tell the difference, and that this beer was actually very tasty. The Sorgham is brewed without wheat or barley, which means it would not comply with the strict rules of the Reinheitsgebot, the “German Purity Law” that requires beer only be made of water, barley and hops.

Instead, the beer is made of Sorghum, or Sorghum bicolor, a species of grass used for some stuff, but for specific purposes here, beer. Sorghum helps St. Peter’s Brewery — which opened in 1996 in St. Peter’s Hall, South Elmham near Bungay in Suffolk, England (that’s almost as confusing as Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, almost) — to create a smooth German-style pilsner with a distinct flavor that totally mellows out after consumption and leaves you craving more. That’s a good thing. That being said, we still don’t figure it to rank among the top pilsner beers — Bitburger, Warsteiner, Weihenstephaner, St. Pauli Girl, Radeberger, Spaten (you get the idea, we really like our German pilsners). That being said, we applaud the effort to make a quality German-style pilsner that is also gluten-free. Bravo.

A word of advanced warning, however: Be careful on the pour, if not, a heaping helping of head will fill the glass as the Sorgham comes from its flask-style bottle. Once poured correctly, it gives off an aroma sorta-kinda reminiscent of Tequila. Thankfully, the beer doesn’t taste like Tequila. That would just be weird.

Cheers!

Each month, we here at Rhino’s Sports Pub will sample a never-before-tasted beer.

Brewery: Rogue Brewery

Variety: Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale

ABV (alcohol by volume): 5.1 percent

Purchased at: BevMo!

Beer was enjoyed with … Suggested food pairings, according to the brewery’s Internets, for the Dry Hopped Red Ale include beef and pork. We went in a different direction and ate turkey burgers. The website didn’t offer up suggested entertainment, so we opted for highlights of the day’s UEFA Champions League Round of 16 action, including FC Schalke 04′s 3-1 rout of Valencia.

Will I drink this beer again? This was a tasty one, and a great way to break in the new balcony furniture at the apartment while grilling turkey burgers and fries.

Given that the Dry Hopped Red Ale was a silver-medal winner at the 2004 World Beer Championships and the best amber at the 2006 Celebration of Suds, and throw in that the bottle just looked cool, it seemed like a smart idea to get on board and give it a whirl. Also playing a major role in the decision to try it out was that the brewery is based in Oregon — we’ve determined that the Pacific Northwest is a great place for beer — and it was a domestic beer’s turn in the “new beer of the month” rotation.

The Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale just, simply put, looked very pretty on the pour, featuring a deep burgundy color. It had a familiar taste to it, but not the bad sort of familiar taste, like the one you’d get if you drank a Coors Light. More like the familiar, you’re home again in a comfortable, happy place sort of taste. That seems like a pretty high complement for a beer, I would reckon.

Given the absolute delicious quality of the Dry Hopped Red Ale, something to look forward to will be trying another variety from the myriad of beer offerings from Rogue Brewery. I guess another trip to “Adult Disneyland” — BevMo! — is in order. Oh, darn!

Cheers!

Each month, we here at Rhino’s Sports Pub will sample a never-before-tasted beer.

Brewery: Brouwerij Bavik

Variety: Petrus Gouden Tripel

ABV (alcohol by volume): 7.5 percent

Purchased at: BevMo!

Beer was enjoyed with … A Valentine’s Day Eve feast, cooked completely on the grill, which included bacon-wrapped filet mignon, potatoes and asparagus. It was really quite delicious.

Will I drink this beer again? Definitely. This is a tasty beer, but did not make a knock-my-socks-off impression. That being said, there are a lot of lesser beers that I drink on a far more regular basis.

For the second consecutive month, the never-before-sampled beer included some religious undertones. Last month, The Lost Abbey’s Gift of the Magi — of “We Three Kings of Orient Are” fame — provided us with a strong, knock-you-on-your keester golden ale with a Belgium-inspired alcohol by volume of 10 percent. This month — as per a pre-determined rule here at Rhino’s Sports Pub — we ventured outside the borders of the U.S. for a non-domestic brew offering for the “new beer of the month.”

Belgium has a long history of beers named after saints and the Petrus Gouden Tripel is one such beer. Quick quiz … which saint is the Petrus Gouden Tripel named after?

A. Saint Wenceslas
B. Saint Sebastian
C. Saint Peter
D. Saint Elmer

If you answered D, you were incorrect and so totally wrong. There was no Saint Elmer, which is kinda sad, really. Saint Peter is the correct answer (when in doubt, answer C. You know the drill).

In fact, Brouwerij Bavik has seven beers named after Saint Peter, with the Petrus Gouden Tripel — “The key to Heaven” — as the brewery’s showcase (according to the brewery’s website). Petrus Gouden Tripel comes packaged with re-fermentation in the bottle. The cork, when removed, provides a loud “pop!” sound, and the beer needs to be very carefully poured into a glass (We cannot stress this warning enough, or the re-fermentation will spill all over your counter/bar/table top). The beer is extra fizzy, but the golden ale is very drinkable … one might even suggest it’s refreshing, adequately complimenting the meal of grilled bacon-wrapped filet mignon. It’s a good guess Petrus Gouden Tripel would be a quality compliment to many other food combinations.

It’s time to get back to the tasty beer.

Cheers!

Each month, we here at Rhino’s Sports Pub will sample a never-before-tasted beer.

Brewery: The Lost Abbey at Port Brewing Company

Variety: Gift of the Magi

ABV (alcohol by volume): 10 percent

Purchased at: BevMo!

Beer was enjoyed with … A pasta dinner, and then some up-and-down Thursday night TV entertainment options, including the GoDaddy.com Bowl, The Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock and The Office.

Will I drink this beer again? It’s hard to imagine making a habit of drinking the Gift of the Magi, and this is mostly due to the high alcohol content. That being said, Gift of the Magi — which comes in a cork-stoppered bottle — is a seasonal, autumnal holiday release offering from The Lost Abbey, which means come next holiday season perhaps we’ll be in the mood once again for a strong, knock-you-on-your keester golden ale.

The visit of “We Three Kings of Orient Are” is celebrated in many a church on the observance of Epiphany, Jan. 6, or the Sunday that falls between Jan. 2-8. Legend has it that the three kings (aka Magi) — Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar — visited the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem bearing gifts of gold, Fransizkaner (err, we mean frankincense), myrrh and a fermented beverage that would one day be known as beer. On the long trip, Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar consumed all the beer, leaving just gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts for the newborn child (just kidding … totally just made up that part about the beer, but you probably already know that).

Anyway, this feast, which is celebrated in modern-day America with the removal of Christmas decorations to be put back in closets, garages and attics, inspired the purchase of The Lost Abbey’s Gift of the Magi offering. ‘Magi is gold in color (but what beer isn’t? … Wait, Guinness, nevermind then), and made bitter with the bark of frankincense and the herb myrrh (which apparently has roots in ancient winemaking as well).

Gift of the Magi contains a Belgian-brew inspired alcohol content of a whopping 10 percent (a rare double-digit ABV in the beer world, not so much though in the nation of Belgium). This ale packs a punch, and you can definitely taste that ABV potency.

This is not a “session beer” — more like an “extreme beer” — and it is recommended to savor the ‘Magi in moderation, because this one has the capacity to mess you up.

In fact, the amount of alcohol seems to be giving me a case of numb-tongue.

Cheers!