Another Made in the Shade quickly approaches and this year will be special for me. I am not just another taster, I am a brewer. Two of my beers will be featured through the Northern Arizona Homebrewers or as we affectionately call it NAAAH. Both will be Brown ales one my spicy rye Russkie Rye Brown and the other a more traditional brown yet to be named brew. For information check the official site or the Arizona Republic article.

Stop by the NAAAH booth and give us a try.

Charlie the Beer Guy has been doing some great beer blogging of Northern California and Oregon, especially considering he is on a family vacation. Check it out if you get the chance as well as his podcast it's worth your time.

In response to Donavan's question on homebrewing here is my take on the subject.

The first reason I brew is to get some beers I can not find locally. Even in this enlightened age of craft brewing there are some beers that it's difficult, if not impossible to find. My favorite style is probably the German Hefeweizen, I have loved the style since I first tried it over ten years ago. Flagstaff is a long way from Germany though and shipped versions from Deutschland never make the trip in good condition. Even in DC area it was often a problem. So we go to our local brewpubs but none of the three here in town currently make a decent one. Granted Oak Creek Brewing in Sedona makes an excellent one but that is a 60 mile round trip, they don't bottle the beer yet, and few bars in Flagstaff regularly carry it. I also enjoy the Czech style black lager, but I don't know anyone in the state who makes or carries it.

Second there is something elemental to making beer, it's an act as old as civilization itself. I love the mystery of combining base elements and getting something wonderful from it, it's akin to alchemy. I know this isn't a scientific answer but it is a part of the process that draws me back.

Tied with my second is my third reason and that is the act of creation. I'll never forget first holiday beer, it gave me my first insight to what it might be like to be a parent because of the pride I felt of creating something. Likewise I lately have been playing with a rye brown that I have gotten a kick out of designing, based on the idea of the English brown, but with a touch of spiciness from the rye. I would love to see this available commercially, but again no one sells a beer like it.

Last, but not least it's fun. I enjoy the process and the fellow enthusiasts.

For other great answers I would also look at Charlie Papazian's Joy of Homebrewing and Randy Mosher's Radical Brewing.

When I first heard about the Sam Adams Brewer Patriot Collection from Jen I was immediately intrigued. I was interested to see what exactly the beers were like and what kind of flavors would be present. With the help of some family members I managed to get my hands on a couple of 4 packs.

The styling definitely fit a colonial theme associated with the package. It also was boxed as a set, which was excellent to prevent light struck (aka skunking) from poor shipping conditions.

One comment I heard from a few people was the strong malt and roast character of the beers. I realized after tasting them that this was probably because these people grew up drinking beer after western American hop explosion took place. The high IBU beers are their norm, not the exception. So if you think Sierra Nevada and Stone as your normal beers you may want to avoid these beers. They are of an older age when the hop was used, if at all, for subtle character.

The Traditional Ginger Honey Ale was my first beer. The aroma had rich scent of honey and ginger with a hazy golden color to the beer. The beer had a definite ginger spiciness with a hint of lemon. This beer could be a popular summer thirst quencher across the country if the folks at Sam Adams marketed it right.

Next was the 1790 Root Beer Brew which had 5.5% alcohol, high for what the cultural norm is for a normally a soda beverage, but not unheard of in the home brewing culture. It has aggressive flavor for a root beer with licorice and root smell. This followed through in the taste with definite estery qualities more typical in an ale, but it may be due to the yeast used.

Okay now it’s time for the big boys...

The James Madison Dark Wheat Ale doesn’t fit the norm. No typical wheat beer here, not a German Hefe, nor the weaker American wheat. The aroma contains some of that roasted character I mentioned earlier. Good head retention and belgian lace, but not nearly the carbonated foam present in it’s German cousin. There is a sweet wheat taste to it but not nearly the clove typical of German yeast strain, so I suspect an American strain of yeast. I was impressed by the craft brewed nature, but frankly I prefer the German version.

Last but certainly not least the George Washington Porter, to quote a certain hoppy brewery. “You won’t like this beer” it has a distinct roast almost chocolaty malt character in the aroma. Hold it up to light, on second thought don’t bother you won’t see anything anyways. In comparison to the Pale Ales and IPAs that dominate the American craft beer scene this is a whole nother animal. Malt dominates and shows it can hold it’s own as a flavor. It demands respect. My biggest complaint is I have run out of it.

Ready for a Malt adventure? Then give this unique 4 pack a try.

Picture of the box

Followup: A review of the pack by the Arizona Republic.

Another review in the Boise Weekly