High Point Brewery Ramstein Beer Review

After the Cricket Hill disappointment I thought it was going to take more time and persistence to find a local brewery to support, but after only a week I found it. High Point Brewery. According to High Point Brewery brochure and brew tour, the founder of High Point worked as a brewer in southern Germany where he brought back brewing knowledge as well as Bavarian hops, malt, and yeast to make his beer in Butler, New Jersey. After opening in 1996, High Point still imports all the ingredients from Bavaria. The water from the local reservoir is the only New Jersey ingredient involved in the process to make High Point’s Ramstein Beers.

While I was at the brewery I had the opportunity to sample and buy multiple beer styles. The review will only encompass the beers I purchased rather than all the beers I sampled. The review will remain comprehensive because I purchased all of the styles of beer I sampled save the Golden Lager, which was the most average beer of the bunch. The other beers I purchased were of a completely different caliber. I picked up the Ramstein Maibock and Double Platinum Blonde in a growler, and the Blonde Hefeweizen and Classic Dunkelweizen in bottles.

High Point’s Maibock has altered my perception of lagers. As I mentioned before, I am not a lager fan, but I am a fan of High Point’s Maibock. Like the German ingredients used in all the German beers, the name is also derived from German. “Mai” means light in German so Maibock is a light bock, which is a little deceptive because of the high alcohol content. The Maibock is also easily drinkable making it a dangerous beer, especially in large doses. The Maibock is one of the most unique beers I’ve ever tasted. There is no other beer I can really compare it to. It tastes of bready toffee malts with a hint of honey and a fruity sweetness. Accordingly, the look of the beer poured into a glass is a pleasantly rich honey-brown. Depending on the time frame the brewery offers Maibock filtered or unfiltered. If you want a hazier and sweeter beer, go with the unfiltered.

While at the brewery, the employees constantly raved about the Double Platinum Blonde saying it was the brewery’s best beer. Continuously I was told to fill up my growler with the Double Platinum Blonde before the keg was kicked, no samples were available due to limited supply, and even the employees weren’t allowed to buy or drink any. Although I agree that the Double Platinum Blonde is an exceptional beer, I enjoy the Maibock more simply because I’ve had other ales similar to the Double Platinum Blonde. PranQster seems to be the Belgian counterpart to the Double Platinum Blonde German Hefeweizen. Even when poured the cloudy golden tinge looks identical. I haven’t tasted PranQster in a few months, but both tasted eerily similar. However, where the PranQster tastes of apricots, a banana taste dominates the Double Platinum Blonde. The apricot in the PranQster is well balanced, I would like for the banana in the Double Platinum Blonde to be more subtle. My recommendation is to get a 2 liter growler of Maibock and a 1 liter growler of Double Platinum Blonde.

While the Blonde Hefeweizen and Classic Dunkelweizen brews are solid, they are not on par with the Maibock and Double Platinum Blonde. There are no preservatives in the beer, so the bottles must be consumed within 6 months. Not a difficult feat. The Blonde Hefeweizen, like the Double Platinum Blonde, tastes of bananas, but the taste is more subdued leaving room for other flavors of lemon and cloves. The appearance is light and golden.

The Classic Dunkelweizen isn’t nearly as sweet as the other High Point Brews. The Classic is composed of roasted chocolate malts with a touch of fruity apple and banana sweetness. The color is also much different than the other High Point Brews. The brew is much darker with a black coffee-like appearance. I guess it makes sense that this brew is named “Classic” because the taste, feel, and appearance are closer to what I would typically associate with a German beer.

Most outsiders fail to see the beauty in New Jersey. Most outsiders only see the state through the Turnpike, the areas surrounding Newark International Airport, or from obscured reality shows. High Point Brewery is the epitome of the hidden wonders that New Jersey has to offer. While writing this review I have continued to visit the brewery. I am hooked. The employees are friendly, eager to educated, and make you feel welcome in the brewery. Every month the brewery has an open house, which I would encourage anyone to take part in, and I will continue to try High Point's seasonal selections.

My Rating(Maibock): A
My Rating (Blonde): B+
My Rating (Classic): B+
My Rating (Double Platinum Blonde): A -
The brewery gets a bias bonus point for each beer for being located in NJ.

Cricket Hill Brewery Review

Since I’ve started to get into craft beer, I’ve wanted to find a local brewery to support. Unfortunately, I’ve only completed half that equation; I’ve found a local brewery. I was excited to discover Cricket Hill Brewery in Fairfield, NJ, but after drinking their beer I was a bit disappointed. I tried both the Hopnotic IPA and the East Coast Lager. At first I planned to write separate reviews, but the similarities between both beers made me condense the two reviews into one.

If I were to be concise and write the review for the two beers with one word, I would choose “boring.” The brews are only a couple notches above budmillercoors. Not much flavor stands out. I expect that in a lager so naturally I was more disappointed with the IPA, my favorite beer style. As an English IPA, I am confused that the beer is named “Hopnotic” because the hops are not apparent. Without the hop presence, the IPA is dominated by a fruity sweetness.

The East Coast lager tastes like a lager, which is probably my least favorite beer style. Like the IPA, there is sweetness to it, but unlike the IPA I get a lot more hops with each sip. The best attribute I could give to the lager is its decent level of carbonation. If I had to choose an alternate word for “boring” to describe the lager I would choose “forgettable.”

Although I would never become a regular drinker of Cricket Hill Brewery, I would advocate Cricket Hill as a good entry level craft brewery for those looking to start drinking better beer or for those looking for a better lighter beer that would certainly be refreshing after a long day in the hot summer sun.

My Rating: B (for both beers)
I give the rating B-, but the brewery gets a bonus for being located in NJ. Also, the cricket logo is pretty darn cool.

New Jersey Hot Dogs Review

Along with pizza and wings, no beverage perfectly compliments hot dogs as beer, and although New Jersey does not have an overwhelming supply of world-class beer, quality hot dogs are plentiful. Everyone in New Jersey thinks they are a hot dog connoisseur, claiming to know the #1 hot dog in the state. While I have my #1 in mind, I am open to trying competitors' dogs.

Naturally, the fuss over Jimmy Buff’s unique style dog, a hot dog stuffed into a pizza roll topped with potatoes, peppers, and onions, immediately caught my attention. I got the double, which includes all the regular amenities plus an additional hot dog. Even with the extra dog, the hot dog tasted more like a potato sandwich. I rarely tasted meat. The potato sandwich was good, but it was not what I had anticipated.

While I respect Jimmy Buff for trying something different, my #1 hot dog choice will remain with Rutt’s Hut. Rutt’s Hut may lack glitz and glamour, but I wouldn’t expect anything different from a local hot dog joint. The dogs aren’t dressed up to be anything more than what sits in front of you on a paper plate. Instead of fooling customers with gimmicks, the dog wins consumers over by its delicious classic style taste and a hint of nostalgia.

My Rating: C+

Rogue Brewery: Chocolate Stout

A friend of mine hates stouts, but the only stout he has been exposed to is Guinness. While Guinness is a fine beer, there are much better stouts out there. Both the Chocolate Stout and Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout coming from Rogue Brewery in Newport, Oregon are a greater experience than any pint of Guinness.

A pint of Chocolate Stout isn’t hidden under overly thick foam like its overseas counterpart. The head is thick, but it’s just right. The stout obviously tastes and smells of chocolate malts. Like the head, the chocolate is not overpowering, but is well-proportioned. According to the bottle the chocolate used is imported, but the bottle doesn’t say an exact location. A little internet search revealed the chocolate hails from the Netherlands, and judging from the quality of the brew my suspicions that there is no such thing as bad Dutch chocolate is reconfirmed.

Unlike my mother, who stores chocolate by the hoard, I am not a chocolate lover, and usually not in beer. However, I would hide Rogue brewery’s Chocolate Stout by the 22 oz bottle to keep her away from the beer especially considering the high price tag. While out in Oregon, the bottle cost me $6.50, which is especially expensive considering the locality. In New Jersey, an extra $2 was added for shipping costs.

I’ve had the stout both cold and warm, and each time I continued to be pleasantly surprised by how great the brew taste. After visiting the brewery I brought a warm bottle back to a campsite farther down the 101. At the site I made friends, and passed the stout around a picnic table. The general consensus was that the beer was “smooth.” Unlike Guinness, friends will agree that Rogue Stouts are enjoyable.

My Rating: A

PranQster Belgian-style Golden Ale Review

California’s North Coast Brewing Co. provided a glimmer of sunlight in this otherwise murky and gray New Jersey winter when they shipped their beer over to the opposing North American coast. Excuse the pun, but I don’t think that anyone is playing a “prank” on me. PranQster Belgian-style Golden Ale is certainly worthy of its rave reviews. Although, admittedly, it is still far from perfect.

PranQster appears a rich golden color, as the full name states, after being poured into my snifter. I have to wait for the foamy head to settle before I can take the first sip. The beer has a very subtle smell so the vibrant flavors of apricot and orange that emerge when I taste the beer are pleasantly unexpected. Also, the beer tastes quite yeasty which may account for its hazy appearance. Some yeast is even left in the bottle, but the additional yeast is a proper characteristic of Belgian Pale Ales.

My primary complaint of PranQster is that the beer is over-carbonated. It bubbles like champagne, which hurts its drinkability. I would never find myself grabbing more than a couple of these out of the fridge during a session.

Pros: Great taste. Light and fluffy despite its high alcohol content (7.60% ABV).
Cons: A bit pricey (As is expected with Microbrew). Highly carbonated.

My Rating: A-

Keystone Light Review

I am basing this review on what Keystone Light was brewed for: cheap, light beer that can be consumed in high quantities. Obviously, if you are trying to preserve any measure of class and want to drink a full flavored brew, then avoid drinking this beer. After all, what do you expect from a beer that only cost $12 for a 30-pack?

Along with the typical college staples of Ramen noodles, Easy Mac, and having the nearest pizza joint on speed dial, a case of Keystone Light should be the beer of choice for every poor college student’s mini-fridge. Just drink it straight from the can. Don’t bother pouring it into a glass to expose its pale yellow color. The only time this beer should ever be poured is if it's going down the sink because you can’t take anymore of it. Keystone Light is thin, watery, and fizzy, which accounts for its high drinkability. Warm Keystone Light, conversely, is barely drinkable so be sure to drink quickly. This review comes with another warning: Do not let opened cans sit out. The entire room will smell like a foot.

Steer clear of “Beast” and "Natty," and buy some “Stones.”

Pros: Drinkability. Inexpensive. Ramen.

Cons: Bad tasting. Smelly.

My Rating (for poor college students): B+

My Rating (as a beer in and of itself): D

Dundee Honey Brown Review

Dundee's Honey Brown attempts to attract its prospective buyers by enticing them to "Be Different." Yet, their beer fails to distinguish itself from many other bland watered-down lagers.

As a big fan of honey, I was excited as I noticed the mustard colored box in the liquor store freezer, and as an equally big fan of The Office, the name, "Dundee" allowed me to reminisce about Michael Scott's Dundies Awards. However, this beer doesn't deserve merit of any kind. Flavorless and bland, I had to search for the honey. With a name such as Honey Brown, the flavor should be more obvious. I would not advocate for an overpowering honey flavor, but I would like its presence to be more noticeable.

Maybe I got a bad batch, because I cannot fathom how this beer was the Gold Award Winner of the 2004 World Beer Cup: Special Honey or Ale Category.

For a delicious honey beer, try Blue Moon's summer ale, Honey Moon.

PROS: It's beer, drinkable, and has an awesome name that reminds me of The Office.
CONS: Doesn't deserve a Dundies Award. Very little flavor. I want more honey.

My Rating: C-