Beer Apps for iOS

This is just a short list of Beer Apps that I use/have on my iPod:

1) Untappd -
This one is by far my most used and most useful. Here's how it works in a nutshell: anytime you have a brew turn on Untappd and add what you 're drinking. While you're at it, rate the beer on a 5 star scale (with 1/2 stars) and leave a comment/tasting notes for your own future reference/for your friends to see. Connect with people, discover new beers and peruse app suggestions, add beers to a wishlist, follow links to brewery websites and gain some general knowledge about the beer that you are currently drinking if it is included. You can also see what breweries are nearby (if listed) as well as what and where other people near you are drinking. There are also cool badges to pursue.

* Upsides: very easy search, user friendly, fun to connect with others who use the app, most comprehensive beer list in the world from homebrews to special varieties of beers that you might only see at a brewfest. You can also go back and organize the beers you have tasted by date/name/rating/etc.. and see what different comments and ratings you have given beers you have drank (even multiple times).
* Downsides: Not all breweries are listed on the map, you're limited to searching within a 30 mile radius of your present location (no pin dropping or scrolling around), needs more sort options, NO offline access--a huge downside for me with an iPod, and suggested beers tend to be a lot of IPAs in my observation.
* Rating (out of 3 stars): 2.5

2) Tappd That -
A companion app for Untappd. Basically this is for offline access so when you're in the store and do not remember whether you like that one beer staring you in the face you can check Tappd That and see your notes. You can also add your drinks offline (I'm not sure about transferring them to Untappd once you have wifi access again though...), see your latest drinks and distinct beer list based on Untappd's database. There are links to beeradvocate, ratebeer and brewerydatabase.

* Upsides:  OFFLINE access. Untappd take note.
* Downsides: Slightly buggy, even after updating for iOS8
* Rating: 2 (only with Untappd as well)

3) Brewdex -
A simple style comparison/beer encyclopedia app. It contains beers styles sorted by country of origin and SRM (color-light to dark) and simple definitions for pretty much every style of beer on the BJCP list. IBU, ABV and SRM reference for each style are included, plus a brief history and general flavor profile. There is also a simple food pairing list based on beer styles, a reference to different types of glassware, a very general history of beer from 10,000 BCE to prohibition and an overview of the brewing process/basic ingredients.

* Upsides: Very simple user-friendly interface. Polished, gives enough information about the different styles of beer for the non craft head. Examples of each style from readily available but good beers. Offline access.
* Downsides: Not extensive enough food pairings, I typically only use this for a quick beer style definition. I probably undervalue this app.
* Rating: 2

3) BJCPStyles -
A much more thorough explanation of beer styles based on the Beer Judging Competition Program. This is pretty much the actual guide that judges could use for reference when judging beers. Styles are listed by category and give notes about aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, overall impression, other comments, history, ingredients, statistics (IBU, OG, FG, SRM, ABV) and commercial examples.

* Upsides: If I really want to know what style a beer falls under this is the app for that. Includes ciders, perrys and other random varieties of "beer". Offline access.
* Downsides: Can be technical in its descriptions.
* Rating: 2

4) Brewery Passport -
An app for finding breweries nearby and stamping your "passport" with breweries that you have been to/toured. There are badges for acquiring certain amounts of breweries and you can sort the breweries you have accumulated by name, state and rating. You can also put breweries on a wishlist. Also includes a journal for listing your favorite [write-in] beers by style from that brewery.

* Upsides: Pretty good search capabilities, just scroll over on the map to a new location and hit refresh and it searches near the map section you have in view, search by state (available offline)
* Downsides: Can only search nearby breweries and by the map with wifi access, Ad banners that are unobtrusive (don't have to click out of them, they only take up a sliver of the screen and go away pretty quickly), not a super gorgeous "passport" book, just a generic stamp instead of a cool picture of the brewery logo or something.
* Rating: 1.5

5) Beer Boards -
Sort of a novelty, half useful app that allows users to keep track of what beers are listed on a pub's "beer board"/current draft list. It is not all inclusive and is mostly used in California, but you will find pockets here and there and breweries/pubs can be added by users. There is a map function that is very useful.

* Upsides: It is up to the user to add updated "beer boards"/draft lists which is neat. It only takes a couple people to start using it reguarly in your area to make it a worthwhile app. Picture quality is OK since it relies on someone else's picture taking skills, but can be zoomed in on and that makes most "boards" legible.
* Downsides: Limited pub/brewery listings. Requires Wifi.
* Rating: 1

6) Roc Brewing Co. -
Gotta give this Rochester, NY, brewery props for making a great app. It tells what is on tap, gives solid descriptions of their beers as well as an exhaustive list of all their beers. There is also a News/Events tab.

* Upsides: Informative and sleek design.
* Downsides: I have not yet been to Roc Brewing Co. Ironic that I have their app though. Very rare updates (every couple months on average).
* Rating: 1.5

Apps that are NO longer on my iPod:
Beer Advocate - redundant when I can only use it where I have wifi, which is pretty much where my computer is always too.
Home Brew Journal - mega in-app purchases necessary to make your own recipes or buy other people's recipes.
Stout: Beer Discovery - similar to Untappd, didn't like it as much.
Beer Wizard - Another Untappd type app without the social media aspects.
Beer Citizen - Another Untappd type app without the social media aspects, more extensive rating system based on a 100 point scale and BCJP I think.
Pintley Beer Recommendations - Not sleek or pretty Untappd-like beer rating app.
Hello Beer TV ~ The Ultimate Beer Buddy Mobile - Very little content and out of date (2013).
Founders Brewing - Solid app for Founders, but I didn't really need to know what Founders brews are on tap at pubs not near where I live.

Victoire Belgian Beer Bar

My first time checking out Victoire Belgian Beer Bar in Rochester, NY was a success last night. I think it's a little pricy, and I'm not sure the food is fantastic (I only had a flight of four 5 oz. beers for $13), but the atmosphere is great and their beer list is fairly impressive. That being said, I know it is the best Belgian beer list in the area, but not sure it's the best beer list in the area (The Owl House, The Old Toad or Chocolate and Vine would be strong contenders).

Here was my flight, four beers I was allowed to pick off the draft menu, so I naturally just picked four I'd never tried before, and I also wanted four different styles:
(1) Duchesse de Bourgogne by Brouwerij Verhaeghe (Flanders Red Ale) - I found this to have a distinct vinegary aroma and taste, almost like red, balsamic or apple cider vinegar, but not in an offensive way, it was sour but tart and sweet too from cherry notes, very dry, mohagany color with lasting head and legs. I enjoyed it for it's uniqueness, but don't think I could have multiple goes at this at one time, very acidic. 6.2 % ABV. More here.
(2) Omega Dubbel Nitro by Galaxy Brewing Co. (Dubbel) - this is a nitrogen version of the same beer Omega Dubbel by Galaxy Brewing Co. from Binghamton, NY, it had a distinct incense aroma and taste, smoky, maybe peat?, sweet mild spice with a dense mouthfeel, semi-dry with sludgy legs. Never had a beer that reminded me of incense before so that was cool. 9.7% ABV. More here (scroll down while they still have this beer on tap).
(3) Brother Thelonious by North Coast Brewing Co. (Belgian Strong Dark Ale) - fruity, juicy, cherry, dark fruit (plum), some banana, light golden caramel notes, spicy, peppery, clove, mohagany/dark amber, thinning in the mouth, dry and no head. 9.4 ABV. More here.
(4) Maredsous 10 Tripel by Abbaye de Maredsous (Tripel) - warming at the end, herbal/honey nose, floral, spicy, medium mouthfeel, lingering sweetness, some legs/head, semi-sweet, slightly acidic/vinegar?, this one grew on me as I drank it, found it more complex as I kept going, very light color for the alcohol and it covers it beautifully. 10% ABV. More here.

Beer of the night: This is a tough one to call, I enjoyed each immensely for their individuality, but I'll throw this one Maredsous 10 Tripel, it was just more complex but more subtle and grew on me really nicely.

Go check out Victoire here (but don't trust their " Now On Tap" menu it was different when I went even last night).

Beer Group September Tasting (#3)

Tuesday was our beer tasting group's third monthly tasting. Membership was a little down, four people attended (since 6 yes RSVPS decided day of to become no RSVPS...understandably conflicts arise that cannot be rescheduled, but anyone else annoyed by the RSVP system--yes should mean yes, not maybe or as long as I feel like it when the time comes), but the beer quality shone nonetheless. And, we happened to get a couple rounds of Euchre in too, always fun!

Here's the beer's we tried: (forgot a picture, sorry!)
 (1) Saku Originaal (Pale Lager): pretty sure this is my first time having a beer from Estonia, plus I finally found a lager that I really enjoyed and would go back to if I wanted a refreshing tasteful lager, floral mostly with a bready end, banana and orange, tastes a bit like cider with a crispness, refreshing, lemon shandyish, candy, lightly carbonated, the legs fade, and there is an imperceptible skunky flavor that I did not mind if it was there at all. 4.6% ABV. See more here.
(2) Allagash White (Witbier): the description says it is curacao orange rind which is supposedly a sour green (unripe) orange, sweet lemon candy interestingly enough, coriander in big hits once in a while, bitter rind, unfiltered, thin white legs, yellow color, subtle pine hop accentuating citrus/spice. 5.1% ABV. See more here.
(3) Saranac Legacy IPA: pine and resin (sappy) hops, green hops, nice legs with white foamy head, floral, slightly bitter and semi-dry, a little particulate, bubbles were not super visible to me, slight citrus and overall tang to the beer. 6.5% ABV. See more here.
(4) Browar-Amber Grand Imperial Porter (Baltic Porter): from Poland, banana bread aroma, brownish head, sweet milk chocolate with a medium roast coffee end that coupled with the chocolate creates a dark Polish chocolate flavor that is awesome (you've never had hot chocolate if you haven't had Wawel from Krakau), deep brown/mahogany on the edges and in light, thick, nice legs, has a sweetness that reminds me of an aged barrel beer but without any oak notes, very rich with a little alcohol too. 8% ABV. See more here.

Beer of the Night: gotta go to the Grand Imperial Porter, so reminiscent of Polish hot chocolate.

'til next time.