So, I decided to try a couple new things the last time I bought beer at good old Vendome.
I bought a cider called J.K. Scrumpy's Hard Cider. This is one of those ciders that is kind of the polar opposite of a Blackthorne or Strongbow or Magners. It is quite sweet and really tastes like apple juice. It was somewhat off-putting at first, but once I got used to it, it was pretty nice. I wouldn't say I prefer it over the English/Irish ones I mentioned, but it is probably more a true cider than them anyway. Interesting, but probably not everyone's cup of tea.
I also bought a 6-pack of Penn's Dark. I bought it largely because it was a lager from PA and certainly worth a try. On the first sip I wasn't sure if I liked it. The beginning of the taste is great, very much like a Yuengling, but at the back end is sort of a sweet slightly biting taste that took some getting used to. That being said, after having two at different times, it is quite a good beer, if you just want a pretty solid lager. I would recommend it.
See ya next time!
Bilbo.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Bilbo's Beer Tasting report card #4
Bilbo here!
This week was a return to basics as they said with a list of lagers and pilsners. I have a natural inclination towards the simplicity of a nice lager, so I had high hopes. Overall, the beers were good with only a few standouts either good or bad. Here we go!
1. Zwiec Original Beer - ***1/2 This was a nice clean Polish lager with a light feel and taste that went down pretty smooth. Not much else to say, nice.
2. Innstadt Neues Helles Premium - ***1/2 Very much like the Zwiec except a slightly sweeter taste in this German Lager. Also nice.
3. Reutberger Export Hell - *** This was another German lager and it wasn't quite as crisp and nice as the previous two and also had a bit of a sweetness to the taste. It was fine, but not as refreshing as the first two.
4. Gold Bohemia Beer - *** This is one of those beers that is perfectly ok but really has no character. It is slightly bitter but that may just be the tongue searching for something interesting. Completely inoffensive but bland.
5. Mahr's Brau Pilsner - *1/2 Here is a perfect example of a bad German pilsner. It is both bitter and skunky. Not good at all.
6. Allgauer Teutsch Pils - **1/2 This one was still a bit bitter, but crisp and without that skunky grossness from the previous one. Not great, but not terrible.
7. Monchshof Kellerbrau - *** Again from Germany comes another fine beer, this time with a bit of a sweet honey overtone. Not as refreshing as some, but not sickly sweet either. Very middle of the road, hence the three stars.
8. Ettaler Kloster Dunkel - *** Here we get a beer that has that grain smell to it which I find slightly off-putting, but it's ok. The taste is slightly sweet and generally fine. Again a beer which falls into the average field.
9. Monchshof Schwarz - ***1/2 This is kind of a darker version of the Kellerbrau. Also smells grainy and it has a darker sweet flavor. Overall it is a nice dark German beer.
10. Lagunitas Czech Style Pilsner - ***1/2 Now here was a surprise. This was one of the few non-imported beers on the list and it's a pilsner. It had a lot going against it. But against all odds I enjoyed this beer. It had a slight hoppy flavor which I would expect from a micro brew, but the taste was clean and nice. I would certainly drink this if it was on offer.
11. Sudwerk Pilsner - *** Back to Germany and back to and average pilsner. It had a crisp and slightly sweet taste, but there was some underlying skunkiness that couldn't be hidden. This kept it from attaining a higher rating. I have a very low skunk tolerance level.
12. Victory Prima Pils - **1/2 I am sad this this is one of the few representatives from the PA brewing world. Victory as a brewing house does not impress me, and while this is kind of an ok beer, it is also sort of weird in an undefinable way. Just eh.
13. Sam Adams Boston Lager - ***1/2 Now I am no Sam Adams fan, but this is one of the two things that they can brew that's any good. It is just very pleasant and balanced in its flavors. Nothing to write home about, but very drinkable.
14. Paulaner Salvator Double Bock - *** Here marks the return of that grain smell, but the color is nice and there is a caramel sweetness in the taste. Seems to be fairly standard for dark German beers.
15. EKU 28 - **** This is what you could call an ass-kicking brew. Its ABV is 11% and while you can taste it a bit, there is also a nice apple flavor in there too making this a slightly peculiar, but altogether pleasant beer. Should probably start with one of these and move on though as it might be a bit too much if you try more than one in a row.
Well there you have it. The lagers. A pretty decent tasting overall. Until next time...
Bilbo.
This week was a return to basics as they said with a list of lagers and pilsners. I have a natural inclination towards the simplicity of a nice lager, so I had high hopes. Overall, the beers were good with only a few standouts either good or bad. Here we go!
1. Zwiec Original Beer - ***1/2 This was a nice clean Polish lager with a light feel and taste that went down pretty smooth. Not much else to say, nice.
2. Innstadt Neues Helles Premium - ***1/2 Very much like the Zwiec except a slightly sweeter taste in this German Lager. Also nice.
3. Reutberger Export Hell - *** This was another German lager and it wasn't quite as crisp and nice as the previous two and also had a bit of a sweetness to the taste. It was fine, but not as refreshing as the first two.
4. Gold Bohemia Beer - *** This is one of those beers that is perfectly ok but really has no character. It is slightly bitter but that may just be the tongue searching for something interesting. Completely inoffensive but bland.
5. Mahr's Brau Pilsner - *1/2 Here is a perfect example of a bad German pilsner. It is both bitter and skunky. Not good at all.
6. Allgauer Teutsch Pils - **1/2 This one was still a bit bitter, but crisp and without that skunky grossness from the previous one. Not great, but not terrible.
7. Monchshof Kellerbrau - *** Again from Germany comes another fine beer, this time with a bit of a sweet honey overtone. Not as refreshing as some, but not sickly sweet either. Very middle of the road, hence the three stars.
8. Ettaler Kloster Dunkel - *** Here we get a beer that has that grain smell to it which I find slightly off-putting, but it's ok. The taste is slightly sweet and generally fine. Again a beer which falls into the average field.
9. Monchshof Schwarz - ***1/2 This is kind of a darker version of the Kellerbrau. Also smells grainy and it has a darker sweet flavor. Overall it is a nice dark German beer.
10. Lagunitas Czech Style Pilsner - ***1/2 Now here was a surprise. This was one of the few non-imported beers on the list and it's a pilsner. It had a lot going against it. But against all odds I enjoyed this beer. It had a slight hoppy flavor which I would expect from a micro brew, but the taste was clean and nice. I would certainly drink this if it was on offer.
11. Sudwerk Pilsner - *** Back to Germany and back to and average pilsner. It had a crisp and slightly sweet taste, but there was some underlying skunkiness that couldn't be hidden. This kept it from attaining a higher rating. I have a very low skunk tolerance level.
12. Victory Prima Pils - **1/2 I am sad this this is one of the few representatives from the PA brewing world. Victory as a brewing house does not impress me, and while this is kind of an ok beer, it is also sort of weird in an undefinable way. Just eh.
13. Sam Adams Boston Lager - ***1/2 Now I am no Sam Adams fan, but this is one of the two things that they can brew that's any good. It is just very pleasant and balanced in its flavors. Nothing to write home about, but very drinkable.
14. Paulaner Salvator Double Bock - *** Here marks the return of that grain smell, but the color is nice and there is a caramel sweetness in the taste. Seems to be fairly standard for dark German beers.
15. EKU 28 - **** This is what you could call an ass-kicking brew. Its ABV is 11% and while you can taste it a bit, there is also a nice apple flavor in there too making this a slightly peculiar, but altogether pleasant beer. Should probably start with one of these and move on though as it might be a bit too much if you try more than one in a row.
Well there you have it. The lagers. A pretty decent tasting overall. Until next time...
Bilbo.
Bilbo's Beer Tasting report card #3
Bilbo here!
So, this week we had a tasting of high gravity beers. I am not sure on the science of how this works, or exactly what it means, but what it boils down to is that these beers are all high in alcohol content. The 15 beers this week range from 8% to 11.73%. An easy week to get pretty buzzed. Also this week I began to institute a star rating for the beers for easy reference. The scale is based on 1-5 with 5 being something I would definitely go out and buy and drink often to 3 being very average to 1 being awful. So with that all in mind, let us begin.
1. St. Bernardus Abt. 12 - ***1/2 This was a very bubbly and somewhat sweet Belgian ale. It had a big of a dry finish and was overall a very pleasant Belgian. Would probably be rated a little higher if I was more of a fan of Belgians, but this was nice.
2. Konings Hoeven Quadrupel - *** This ale suffers for tasting a bit wheaty to me, even though it is the same style as the previous sample. But overall somewhat similar to the first one but less bubbly. Ok.
3. Urthel Samaranth Quadrium - **1/2 This one is the third quadrupel in a row and the weakest of the three. It is by no means awful, but it is a little sharper and less pleasant than the first two with a return of the carbonation of the first.
4. Avery Salvation Belgian-Style golden Ale - **1/2 Light pale ale's aren't really too exciting to me, and this was no exception. It was both a little bitter and a little sharp in the taste to be a pleasant drink. Nothing special here.
5. Moylan's Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale -**** I have not had too many scotch ales, so I have not really fully formed an opinion about them, but this ones was definitely good. There was both a slightly sweet smell and taste with just a bit of bite in the end to keep it from being too sweet. Generally a sold Ale that I could definitely enjoy drinking again.
6. Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine-Style Ale - ** I have not been too impressed by the American barleywines and the next several samples did little to change my mind. This had a strong grapefruit smell and taste and little to recommend it.
7. Marin Brewing Old Dipsea Barleywine Style Ale - *1/2 The strongest notion of this ale that I have is its smell. It smells strongly of barley, which is understandable, but I didn't find it that pleasant, and neither was the taste.
8. Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale - ** A slight improvement over the last one, and really a combination of the previous two. It had the barley and the grapefruit, but not quite as strongly as each of the others had them individually. Again, not impressed with the American Barleywine.
9. Ballast Point Dorado Double I.P.A. - **1/2 While this ale had that seemingly very common grapefruit taste, it was a sweeter more pink grapefruit taste in this case. Overall, this made it a more pleasant drink, but not something I could get really excited over. Just fine.
10. Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter - *** This porter was quite dark and chocolaty. In fact, were I not told it was a porter, I would guess it was a fairly standard micro brew stout. While I don't really prefer that chocolate flavor, it wasn't too bad in this. Perfectly fine drink.
11. Avery the Czar Imperial Stout - ***1/2 For a strong stout, this was remarkably light and nicely sweet. You would think with an ABV of 11.73% that the alcohol would be more noticeable, but it wasn't which makes this kind of a dangerous beer if you aren't careful. That being said, I don't think this is the kind of stout you can really put away. It would be nice for a bottle or so, or to share the 22 oz bottle between two people and then move on to something lighter.
12. JW Lees Harvest Ale - Aged in Sherry Casks - *** Now we enter into a bit of an experiment. The final four samples are all the same ale, just aged in different casks and this allows them to take on the characteristics of those alcohols that had fermented in said casks. This one was in a sherry cask and it is quite sweet like sherry. I found it fairly pleasant, but I can see it being too sweet for others.
13. JW Lees Harvest Ale - Aged in Calvados Casks - **1/2 This one is very similar to the previous one, however it is slightly less sweet, and for some reason, I just didn't quite like it as much. Hard to pinpoint just what it was. Just not quite as good.
14. JW Lees Harvest Ale - Aged in Port Casks - ***1/2 This one was also quite like the sherry one albeit also less sweet. But the subtleties just pushed this one a little higher for me. Really, these first 3 are all very similar with just slightly different levels of sweetness and the characteristics of the liquors. All good in their own way, but they will strike everyone a little different I think.
15. JW Lees Harvest Ale - Aged in Lagavulin Casks - **** Of the four, this one is distinctly different. It is very very smoky from the cask it was aged in. Not really sweet at all. And really quite surprising and enjoyable. All of these last 4 are very expensive at $9 for a 9.3oz bottle. But they are certainly interesting and different.
Ok, that is it for this week. A sometimes strange and surprising week, but often quite pleasant. Next week something simple. Lagers!
Bilbo.
So, this week we had a tasting of high gravity beers. I am not sure on the science of how this works, or exactly what it means, but what it boils down to is that these beers are all high in alcohol content. The 15 beers this week range from 8% to 11.73%. An easy week to get pretty buzzed. Also this week I began to institute a star rating for the beers for easy reference. The scale is based on 1-5 with 5 being something I would definitely go out and buy and drink often to 3 being very average to 1 being awful. So with that all in mind, let us begin.
1. St. Bernardus Abt. 12 - ***1/2 This was a very bubbly and somewhat sweet Belgian ale. It had a big of a dry finish and was overall a very pleasant Belgian. Would probably be rated a little higher if I was more of a fan of Belgians, but this was nice.
2. Konings Hoeven Quadrupel - *** This ale suffers for tasting a bit wheaty to me, even though it is the same style as the previous sample. But overall somewhat similar to the first one but less bubbly. Ok.
3. Urthel Samaranth Quadrium - **1/2 This one is the third quadrupel in a row and the weakest of the three. It is by no means awful, but it is a little sharper and less pleasant than the first two with a return of the carbonation of the first.
4. Avery Salvation Belgian-Style golden Ale - **1/2 Light pale ale's aren't really too exciting to me, and this was no exception. It was both a little bitter and a little sharp in the taste to be a pleasant drink. Nothing special here.
5. Moylan's Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale -**** I have not had too many scotch ales, so I have not really fully formed an opinion about them, but this ones was definitely good. There was both a slightly sweet smell and taste with just a bit of bite in the end to keep it from being too sweet. Generally a sold Ale that I could definitely enjoy drinking again.
6. Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine-Style Ale - ** I have not been too impressed by the American barleywines and the next several samples did little to change my mind. This had a strong grapefruit smell and taste and little to recommend it.
7. Marin Brewing Old Dipsea Barleywine Style Ale - *1/2 The strongest notion of this ale that I have is its smell. It smells strongly of barley, which is understandable, but I didn't find it that pleasant, and neither was the taste.
8. Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale - ** A slight improvement over the last one, and really a combination of the previous two. It had the barley and the grapefruit, but not quite as strongly as each of the others had them individually. Again, not impressed with the American Barleywine.
9. Ballast Point Dorado Double I.P.A. - **1/2 While this ale had that seemingly very common grapefruit taste, it was a sweeter more pink grapefruit taste in this case. Overall, this made it a more pleasant drink, but not something I could get really excited over. Just fine.
10. Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter - *** This porter was quite dark and chocolaty. In fact, were I not told it was a porter, I would guess it was a fairly standard micro brew stout. While I don't really prefer that chocolate flavor, it wasn't too bad in this. Perfectly fine drink.
11. Avery the Czar Imperial Stout - ***1/2 For a strong stout, this was remarkably light and nicely sweet. You would think with an ABV of 11.73% that the alcohol would be more noticeable, but it wasn't which makes this kind of a dangerous beer if you aren't careful. That being said, I don't think this is the kind of stout you can really put away. It would be nice for a bottle or so, or to share the 22 oz bottle between two people and then move on to something lighter.
12. JW Lees Harvest Ale - Aged in Sherry Casks - *** Now we enter into a bit of an experiment. The final four samples are all the same ale, just aged in different casks and this allows them to take on the characteristics of those alcohols that had fermented in said casks. This one was in a sherry cask and it is quite sweet like sherry. I found it fairly pleasant, but I can see it being too sweet for others.
13. JW Lees Harvest Ale - Aged in Calvados Casks - **1/2 This one is very similar to the previous one, however it is slightly less sweet, and for some reason, I just didn't quite like it as much. Hard to pinpoint just what it was. Just not quite as good.
14. JW Lees Harvest Ale - Aged in Port Casks - ***1/2 This one was also quite like the sherry one albeit also less sweet. But the subtleties just pushed this one a little higher for me. Really, these first 3 are all very similar with just slightly different levels of sweetness and the characteristics of the liquors. All good in their own way, but they will strike everyone a little different I think.
15. JW Lees Harvest Ale - Aged in Lagavulin Casks - **** Of the four, this one is distinctly different. It is very very smoky from the cask it was aged in. Not really sweet at all. And really quite surprising and enjoyable. All of these last 4 are very expensive at $9 for a 9.3oz bottle. But they are certainly interesting and different.
Ok, that is it for this week. A sometimes strange and surprising week, but often quite pleasant. Next week something simple. Lagers!
Bilbo.
Bilbo's Beer Tasting report card #2
Bilbo here,
Of the 6 or so tastings I have done now, the reports of which are forthcoming, this was pretty decidedly the worst. Thats not to say all of the beers/ales were bad, but many were underwhelming and several were quite terrible. Here we go!
1. Lakefront New Grist Gluten Free Beer - Our second gluten free beer in as many weeks. Are these wheat-allergic folks really worth all that pandering? ^_^ Anyway, this beer had a slightly winey smell, and that is about all you can say for it. It basically tasted like beer and was pretty bland at that. Inoffensive, but not really recommended unless you need gluten free beer. In which case the beer from my previous post is better.
2. Mateveza Ale Brewed with Yerba Mate - Now Yerba Mate is a South American tea that I believe is gaining in popularity here at least within tea circles. But as far as its role in this ale, I cannot be sure. I couldn't taste it. The ale was very bitter, which could be the tea and overall light in texture. Not really a pleasant taste but compared with what was to come, pretty good.
3. Drake's Hefe-Weizen - It is known that I don't like Hefe-Weizens or wheat beers in general, so my opinion on this is slightly biased, but I found this quite unpleasant. It had a slight clove smell and a little bit of skunkiness in the taste. And overall I really did not enjoy this. Maybe if you like wheat beers you can give this a try, but I think there are better out there.
4. Drake's Blonde Ale - Drake's is 0-2 with this one. Absolutely gross. Very light in a pilsnery way, and skunky in flavor. I had to just knock the sample back on this one to finish it. Definitely not recommended.
5. Wolaver's Pale Ale - Nice amber color on this ale but the bitter grapefruit taste of the hops make this one passable, but I wouldn't really want to drink a whole bottle.
6. Wolaver's India Pale Ale - As we make our way through the Wolaver's stable of beverages here, this one is only slightly different from the last one. It is overall a little lighter as IPAs tend to be, and it has a slightly sweet smell, but again the bitterness of the taste makes it somewhat unpleasant to drink.
7. Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout - This is one of those very chocolaty stouts that are also kind of runny. I find most micro brew stouts to be this way, and I don't like it as much. That being said, this has a light bitterness to it, much less than the previous two, and was fine overall, but it didn't sent me to the shelves to buy a bottle.
8. De Proef La Grande Blanche - Here we move back into wheat beer territory. As wheat beers go, this one is decent. It is citrusy and light with a mild floral flavor. Also it is quite bubbly. This one is certainly drinkable, even for a wheat beer hater like me.
9. De Proef Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale - The first thing that struck me about this ale is the smell which has a weird combination of corn and grapes that hits the nostrils pretty strongly. As far as the taste, it is kind of fruity, almost like a lambic, but not any flavor in particular. It was also a little sharp in the mouth. Again, ok, but not exciting.
10. Bison Farmhouse Organic Saison Brewer's Reserve '07 - Now the smell on this one was really weird. I was hit with the smell of bubblegum and spice. Not really what you want when you are about to drink some ale. But even stranger is that the bubblegum continues into the flavor as well. This was a very strange beer that I didn't hate, but couldn't strongly recommend.
11. Bison Organic Red Ale - I had high hopes for this one as I quite like amber and red ales, but this was ultimately disappointing. The smell had a very strong odor of grain. The taste was very alcoholy and yet the alcohol content isn't particularly high at 6%. It was also quite bitter in the finish. Again a mediocre ale at best.
12. Butte Creek Organic India Pale Ale - Here we return to the foul ales. This just had an overall bad smell and the flavor was not an improvement. It was very bitter and sharp with the hoppy grapefruit overtones. Generally bad.
13. Butte Creek Revolution XI Organic Imperial Pale Ale - This was a slight improvement on Butte Creek's previous entry. Overall it was a somewhat bitter and at the same time sweet ale, with a cool bottle. Just ok.
14. Santa Cruz Organic Dread Brown Ale - This probably is in a tie with the Drake's Blonde for worst sample of the day, and possibly of all the samples before and since. The first thing that happens when you go to drink this is that your nostrils are assaulted by the smell of canned peas. This is not a pleasant smell when you are ready for some peas, so it is especially bad when you are about to drink some beer. The flavor does not really improve. It is very sharp and bitter and you can't escape the idea that you are drinking carbonated pea juice. Very bad.
15. Santa Cruz Organic Devout Stout - Here Santa Cruz makes some ground back with a perfectly serviceable stout. It is again fairly runny in consistency but it has a nice dark and slightly bitter taste that makes it drinkable if not exciting.
Well, there you have it. A very weak week for beer tasting. Things improve for next week when we had High Gravity Beers!
Bilbo.
Of the 6 or so tastings I have done now, the reports of which are forthcoming, this was pretty decidedly the worst. Thats not to say all of the beers/ales were bad, but many were underwhelming and several were quite terrible. Here we go!
1. Lakefront New Grist Gluten Free Beer - Our second gluten free beer in as many weeks. Are these wheat-allergic folks really worth all that pandering? ^_^ Anyway, this beer had a slightly winey smell, and that is about all you can say for it. It basically tasted like beer and was pretty bland at that. Inoffensive, but not really recommended unless you need gluten free beer. In which case the beer from my previous post is better.
2. Mateveza Ale Brewed with Yerba Mate - Now Yerba Mate is a South American tea that I believe is gaining in popularity here at least within tea circles. But as far as its role in this ale, I cannot be sure. I couldn't taste it. The ale was very bitter, which could be the tea and overall light in texture. Not really a pleasant taste but compared with what was to come, pretty good.
3. Drake's Hefe-Weizen - It is known that I don't like Hefe-Weizens or wheat beers in general, so my opinion on this is slightly biased, but I found this quite unpleasant. It had a slight clove smell and a little bit of skunkiness in the taste. And overall I really did not enjoy this. Maybe if you like wheat beers you can give this a try, but I think there are better out there.
4. Drake's Blonde Ale - Drake's is 0-2 with this one. Absolutely gross. Very light in a pilsnery way, and skunky in flavor. I had to just knock the sample back on this one to finish it. Definitely not recommended.
5. Wolaver's Pale Ale - Nice amber color on this ale but the bitter grapefruit taste of the hops make this one passable, but I wouldn't really want to drink a whole bottle.
6. Wolaver's India Pale Ale - As we make our way through the Wolaver's stable of beverages here, this one is only slightly different from the last one. It is overall a little lighter as IPAs tend to be, and it has a slightly sweet smell, but again the bitterness of the taste makes it somewhat unpleasant to drink.
7. Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout - This is one of those very chocolaty stouts that are also kind of runny. I find most micro brew stouts to be this way, and I don't like it as much. That being said, this has a light bitterness to it, much less than the previous two, and was fine overall, but it didn't sent me to the shelves to buy a bottle.
8. De Proef La Grande Blanche - Here we move back into wheat beer territory. As wheat beers go, this one is decent. It is citrusy and light with a mild floral flavor. Also it is quite bubbly. This one is certainly drinkable, even for a wheat beer hater like me.
9. De Proef Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale - The first thing that struck me about this ale is the smell which has a weird combination of corn and grapes that hits the nostrils pretty strongly. As far as the taste, it is kind of fruity, almost like a lambic, but not any flavor in particular. It was also a little sharp in the mouth. Again, ok, but not exciting.
10. Bison Farmhouse Organic Saison Brewer's Reserve '07 - Now the smell on this one was really weird. I was hit with the smell of bubblegum and spice. Not really what you want when you are about to drink some ale. But even stranger is that the bubblegum continues into the flavor as well. This was a very strange beer that I didn't hate, but couldn't strongly recommend.
11. Bison Organic Red Ale - I had high hopes for this one as I quite like amber and red ales, but this was ultimately disappointing. The smell had a very strong odor of grain. The taste was very alcoholy and yet the alcohol content isn't particularly high at 6%. It was also quite bitter in the finish. Again a mediocre ale at best.
12. Butte Creek Organic India Pale Ale - Here we return to the foul ales. This just had an overall bad smell and the flavor was not an improvement. It was very bitter and sharp with the hoppy grapefruit overtones. Generally bad.
13. Butte Creek Revolution XI Organic Imperial Pale Ale - This was a slight improvement on Butte Creek's previous entry. Overall it was a somewhat bitter and at the same time sweet ale, with a cool bottle. Just ok.
14. Santa Cruz Organic Dread Brown Ale - This probably is in a tie with the Drake's Blonde for worst sample of the day, and possibly of all the samples before and since. The first thing that happens when you go to drink this is that your nostrils are assaulted by the smell of canned peas. This is not a pleasant smell when you are ready for some peas, so it is especially bad when you are about to drink some beer. The flavor does not really improve. It is very sharp and bitter and you can't escape the idea that you are drinking carbonated pea juice. Very bad.
15. Santa Cruz Organic Devout Stout - Here Santa Cruz makes some ground back with a perfectly serviceable stout. It is again fairly runny in consistency but it has a nice dark and slightly bitter taste that makes it drinkable if not exciting.
Well, there you have it. A very weak week for beer tasting. Things improve for next week when we had High Gravity Beers!
Bilbo.
Bilbo's Beer Tasting report card #1
Here with a nearly month old report is Bilbo. The beers this week were all over the map as they were customer picks. Here goes:
1. Hambleton Ales Toleration (Gluten Free Ale) - This was a fine if somewhat bland ale. A slight white wine smell with a slightly sweet and clean taste. Very pleasant, if unremarkable.
2. Burton Bridge India Empire Pale Ale - As I am not really a fan of IPAs, the fact that I wasn't thrilled with this ale was not much of a surprise. It really had a sharp bitter taste, and it didn't do much for me.
3. Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale - I have had this ale a number of times in the past. Against all reason I quite like it. It is strong in alcohol content, and has a bitter grapefruit taste. Yet unlike many other "grapefruity" ales, I find this one very drinkable and pleasant.
4. Aktien Buronator Doppelbock - This one had a dark caramel color and a bit of a honey smell. It also followed that up with a bit of a sweet aftertaste. Not bad, but one that I would want to share rather than try to drink a whole bottle on my own.
5. Alpine Ichabod Pumpkin Ale - This really tastes exactly as you might expect it to. I basically tastes like pumpkin pie and beer. I don't really like pumpkin pie, so I didn't really enjoy this ale, but I could see people more predisposed to liking it finding it quite pleasant.
6. Telegraph Winter Ale - I have not had a winter ale that I have really enjoyed in the past. This one was ok. It had a very strong clove flavor which I guess is the "winter" part of it, and for an ale, the hops were quite subdued. Again, I found it tolerable, but not inspiring.
7. Unibrou Don De Dieu - I had been interested in trying one of these for a while now. Ultimately my fears were somewhat realized as this was a bit of a wheat beer without actually being one. It is a Belgian style made in Quebec and has a sort of lemony flavor and a floral nature. Certainly drinkable, but I couldn't drink a lot.
8. Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale - This was another quite sweet caramel/honey tasting ale. It had a nice dark color, but I find the sweetness of these makes it difficult to enjoy more than maybe half a glass.
9. Allagash Interlude Ale 2007 - Now this is a weird ale. I wasn't really able to come up with a way to describe the flavor, except not particularly good. And at $21 for a 750ml bottle, it is nowhere near worth that much money.
10. De Ranke Guldenberg - This ale was also not very good. It is also pretty expensive at $13 for a 750ml bottle, and it veered dangerously into bad pilsner territory. It was quite light, but had a bit of that Stella/Carlsberg skunkiness that makes those beers so terrible.
11. St Bernardus Watou Tripel - This one had some similar elements to the previous sample, but less skunky and with some fruity overtones. Still just ok.
12. Ommegang Three Philosophers - This is another one that I had wanted to try in the past but didn't have the nerve to plunk down the money on a whole bottle. It was fine. It sits in the caramely field in color and a bit in taste. This also had a bit of a sharpness in the tastes that wasn't altogether pleasant, but it was a fine Belgian style ale.
13. Urthel Samaranth - This is another Quadrupel like the previous one, but this one is actually made in Belgium as opposed to New York. This is actually quite similar to the previous one, but what was most surprising was the high alcohol content that was not evident in the taste, making this a dangerous ale if you aren't paying attention.
14. Melbourn Bros. Apricot Ale - This is another ale that lives up to its name. It smells like apricots and tastes basically like apricot cider. If I liked apricots more I would probably really enjoy this. Recommended for apricot fans.
15. Lindemans Peche Lambic - Again, if I liked peach more, I would like this better, but as it was, the peach flavor was not overwhelming and the lambic had a refreshing nature. Light and pleasant and peachy.
Ok, that is it for this report, back soon for the following week which was Organic Beers from Mountain People's Distributing.
Bilbo.
1. Hambleton Ales Toleration (Gluten Free Ale) - This was a fine if somewhat bland ale. A slight white wine smell with a slightly sweet and clean taste. Very pleasant, if unremarkable.
2. Burton Bridge India Empire Pale Ale - As I am not really a fan of IPAs, the fact that I wasn't thrilled with this ale was not much of a surprise. It really had a sharp bitter taste, and it didn't do much for me.
3. Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale - I have had this ale a number of times in the past. Against all reason I quite like it. It is strong in alcohol content, and has a bitter grapefruit taste. Yet unlike many other "grapefruity" ales, I find this one very drinkable and pleasant.
4. Aktien Buronator Doppelbock - This one had a dark caramel color and a bit of a honey smell. It also followed that up with a bit of a sweet aftertaste. Not bad, but one that I would want to share rather than try to drink a whole bottle on my own.
5. Alpine Ichabod Pumpkin Ale - This really tastes exactly as you might expect it to. I basically tastes like pumpkin pie and beer. I don't really like pumpkin pie, so I didn't really enjoy this ale, but I could see people more predisposed to liking it finding it quite pleasant.
6. Telegraph Winter Ale - I have not had a winter ale that I have really enjoyed in the past. This one was ok. It had a very strong clove flavor which I guess is the "winter" part of it, and for an ale, the hops were quite subdued. Again, I found it tolerable, but not inspiring.
7. Unibrou Don De Dieu - I had been interested in trying one of these for a while now. Ultimately my fears were somewhat realized as this was a bit of a wheat beer without actually being one. It is a Belgian style made in Quebec and has a sort of lemony flavor and a floral nature. Certainly drinkable, but I couldn't drink a lot.
8. Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale - This was another quite sweet caramel/honey tasting ale. It had a nice dark color, but I find the sweetness of these makes it difficult to enjoy more than maybe half a glass.
9. Allagash Interlude Ale 2007 - Now this is a weird ale. I wasn't really able to come up with a way to describe the flavor, except not particularly good. And at $21 for a 750ml bottle, it is nowhere near worth that much money.
10. De Ranke Guldenberg - This ale was also not very good. It is also pretty expensive at $13 for a 750ml bottle, and it veered dangerously into bad pilsner territory. It was quite light, but had a bit of that Stella/Carlsberg skunkiness that makes those beers so terrible.
11. St Bernardus Watou Tripel - This one had some similar elements to the previous sample, but less skunky and with some fruity overtones. Still just ok.
12. Ommegang Three Philosophers - This is another one that I had wanted to try in the past but didn't have the nerve to plunk down the money on a whole bottle. It was fine. It sits in the caramely field in color and a bit in taste. This also had a bit of a sharpness in the tastes that wasn't altogether pleasant, but it was a fine Belgian style ale.
13. Urthel Samaranth - This is another Quadrupel like the previous one, but this one is actually made in Belgium as opposed to New York. This is actually quite similar to the previous one, but what was most surprising was the high alcohol content that was not evident in the taste, making this a dangerous ale if you aren't paying attention.
14. Melbourn Bros. Apricot Ale - This is another ale that lives up to its name. It smells like apricots and tastes basically like apricot cider. If I liked apricots more I would probably really enjoy this. Recommended for apricot fans.
15. Lindemans Peche Lambic - Again, if I liked peach more, I would like this better, but as it was, the peach flavor was not overwhelming and the lambic had a refreshing nature. Light and pleasant and peachy.
Ok, that is it for this report, back soon for the following week which was Organic Beers from Mountain People's Distributing.
Bilbo.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Off The Shelf
So there I was, walking down the aisle in the local Ralphs (a truly classy establishment, if you haven't been), looking for something new to try. Looking festive and Spring like (as in the season), I went ahead and picked up the not-on-sale Blue Moon Rising Moon Spring Ale. (Warning: Their website, though attractive, is full of troublesome and slow Adobe Flash.)
My advice is don't do it unless you're a die hard Hefe fan who likes your wheat beer malty. It's not a bad brew, and certainly more drinkable than any domestic fare I've sampled, but it just seems to be shy of the mark. You see, I was expecting something refreshing from a beer that calls itself a "Spring Ale", and the ingredients on the bottle gave the impression that it would be refreshing. "Kieffer lime leaves and lime peel for a smooth, balanced taste," it says, wrapped around the neck. You'd think I'd know better by now. The Germans had "purity laws" for a reason.
Rising Moon is not balanced. It's extraordinarily malty. In fact, almost like a cross between malt liquor and wheat beer. The hops are either uniquely malty themselves, or virtually non-existent, and it just makes this a someone boring, slightly sweet beer. The most interesting thing about it is the finish, where most of that lime leaf and peel flavor seems to settle. It's pleasant enough, and admittedly may have been a bit overpowering had it been the character of the whole bottle, but at least it would have had some character.
I like Blue Moon for their simple, pleasant, slightly sweet Belgian White Hefeweizen, but I'm afraid the Rising Moon Spring Ale fails to deliver anything exciting for the approaching season. Maybe it says something that this brew is affliliated with a certain American Superbrewery that also deals in such horrors as Zima. Try something else if you really want to ring in the Spring.
Beer's Best Friend
-Colin
My advice is don't do it unless you're a die hard Hefe fan who likes your wheat beer malty. It's not a bad brew, and certainly more drinkable than any domestic fare I've sampled, but it just seems to be shy of the mark. You see, I was expecting something refreshing from a beer that calls itself a "Spring Ale", and the ingredients on the bottle gave the impression that it would be refreshing. "Kieffer lime leaves and lime peel for a smooth, balanced taste," it says, wrapped around the neck. You'd think I'd know better by now. The Germans had "purity laws" for a reason.
Rising Moon is not balanced. It's extraordinarily malty. In fact, almost like a cross between malt liquor and wheat beer. The hops are either uniquely malty themselves, or virtually non-existent, and it just makes this a someone boring, slightly sweet beer. The most interesting thing about it is the finish, where most of that lime leaf and peel flavor seems to settle. It's pleasant enough, and admittedly may have been a bit overpowering had it been the character of the whole bottle, but at least it would have had some character.
I like Blue Moon for their simple, pleasant, slightly sweet Belgian White Hefeweizen, but I'm afraid the Rising Moon Spring Ale fails to deliver anything exciting for the approaching season. Maybe it says something that this brew is affliliated with a certain American Superbrewery that also deals in such horrors as Zima. Try something else if you really want to ring in the Spring.
Beer's Best Friend
-Colin
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Let's get technical
I won't bore everyone with providing an unending list of definitions of beer types, but in case you're wondering what we're talking about sometimes, here's a link to a good place for that kind of thing. Maybe I'll study up and figure it all out, and then quit my job to become the beer equivalent of a sommelier. I'm sure that would go great.
Beer Advocate Beer Styles
Beer Advocate Beer Styles
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Beer Tasting - 22 oz Microbrews, 1/19/08
We're working backwards on comments from our semi-regular Saturday beer tastings, so I'm just going to start listing my thoughts on this one and let my cohorts add their opinions when they so choose. Here's a microbrew tasting from a few weeks back. And as there are 15 beers each time, the thoughts sometimes get less thoughtful by the end of the list. Personally speaking, by beer number 9 my body starts screaming at my brain, "What are you doing!? I want no more beer!" Anyway. These are all American beers.
1. Moylan's White Christmas Ale - This was nothing special, as I recall; apparently not special enough for me to even write anything down.
2. Moylan's Celts Golden Ale - This is what they call an American Blonde Ale, and by they I mean the liquor store who hosts these tastings. I'm sure Moylan's calls it that too. It was unfiltered (I'm going to say that just because it had some solids floating in it) and had a light citrusy taste. I liked it.
3. Marin Hefe Doppel Weizen - This being a hefeweizen, it's not for everybody. But it had a floral aspect to it and I apparently thought it was "alright", because that's what I wrote down.
4. Avery Salvation Belgian-Style Golden Ale - So, all I wrote down for this one was "no". I'll leave it to the boys to elaborate on that, if they remember what they thought.
5. Bayhawk Ales CPA - An American Pale Ale; the general consensus was that it tasted like olives, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing... just interesting.
6. Ballast Point Big Eye India Pale Ale - so all I wrote down was "yucky"; again, one of the boys will have to give you a more thoughtful opinion, if they had one.
7. Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Specialty Ale - another IPA; I wrote "meh" down. I was not very helpful in my written comments on this day.
8. Bison Organic Barleywine Ale - This is one of the higher alcohol content beers of the day at 9.5%. I liked it, and it definitely tasted strong and alcoholic. I don't think I had ever had a Barleywine Ale before this day, so it was nice to get to taste a few.
9. Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine-Style Ale - Also a high alcohol content at 9.2%; I thought it was good and had that aspect to it that we term among us as "grapefruity", which means it kind of gives you a little sour twinge in the back of your cheeks. There was disagreement among us whether this one had that taste to it, so take that as you will.
10. Moylan's Old Blarney Barleywine-Style Ale - The highest alcohol content of the day at 10%; All I wrote down was "harsh", and at this point in the tasting is when I really start getting less thoughtful (see above).
11. Stone Smoked Porter - I would say we're all generally fans of the Stone beers, maybe some of us more than others. All I wrote down was "fine", so ask the boys for their thoughts.
12. Ballast Point Sea Monster Stout Limited - They consider this an Imperial Stout, which I usually like, and I liked this one too- it was strong and tasty.
13. Marin San Quentin's Breakout Stout - Apparently this is a "Foreign/Export Stout". You know I was getting tipsy by this point because I really thought this said "breakfast stout" and I was very intrigued. So now I'm always going to consider it the breakfast stout. This was my favorite of the day and we got a bonus taste of it at the end. It had that coffee, nutty flavor that some stouts have and that I really enjoy.
14. Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout - A Russian Imperial Stout; this was good too but I had already been won over by the breakfast stout and just wasn't going to change my mind.
15. Bison Organic Gingerbread Ale - A lovely and strange end to the tasting; I liked it but it may not be something everyone would want a whole glass of.
So that's it from me. Maybe the others will weigh in on what they thought of these as well.
1. Moylan's White Christmas Ale - This was nothing special, as I recall; apparently not special enough for me to even write anything down.
2. Moylan's Celts Golden Ale - This is what they call an American Blonde Ale, and by they I mean the liquor store who hosts these tastings. I'm sure Moylan's calls it that too. It was unfiltered (I'm going to say that just because it had some solids floating in it) and had a light citrusy taste. I liked it.
3. Marin Hefe Doppel Weizen - This being a hefeweizen, it's not for everybody. But it had a floral aspect to it and I apparently thought it was "alright", because that's what I wrote down.
4. Avery Salvation Belgian-Style Golden Ale - So, all I wrote down for this one was "no". I'll leave it to the boys to elaborate on that, if they remember what they thought.
5. Bayhawk Ales CPA - An American Pale Ale; the general consensus was that it tasted like olives, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing... just interesting.
6. Ballast Point Big Eye India Pale Ale - so all I wrote down was "yucky"; again, one of the boys will have to give you a more thoughtful opinion, if they had one.
7. Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Specialty Ale - another IPA; I wrote "meh" down. I was not very helpful in my written comments on this day.
8. Bison Organic Barleywine Ale - This is one of the higher alcohol content beers of the day at 9.5%. I liked it, and it definitely tasted strong and alcoholic. I don't think I had ever had a Barleywine Ale before this day, so it was nice to get to taste a few.
9. Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine-Style Ale - Also a high alcohol content at 9.2%; I thought it was good and had that aspect to it that we term among us as "grapefruity", which means it kind of gives you a little sour twinge in the back of your cheeks. There was disagreement among us whether this one had that taste to it, so take that as you will.
10. Moylan's Old Blarney Barleywine-Style Ale - The highest alcohol content of the day at 10%; All I wrote down was "harsh", and at this point in the tasting is when I really start getting less thoughtful (see above).
11. Stone Smoked Porter - I would say we're all generally fans of the Stone beers, maybe some of us more than others. All I wrote down was "fine", so ask the boys for their thoughts.
12. Ballast Point Sea Monster Stout Limited - They consider this an Imperial Stout, which I usually like, and I liked this one too- it was strong and tasty.
13. Marin San Quentin's Breakout Stout - Apparently this is a "Foreign/Export Stout". You know I was getting tipsy by this point because I really thought this said "breakfast stout" and I was very intrigued. So now I'm always going to consider it the breakfast stout. This was my favorite of the day and we got a bonus taste of it at the end. It had that coffee, nutty flavor that some stouts have and that I really enjoy.
14. Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout - A Russian Imperial Stout; this was good too but I had already been won over by the breakfast stout and just wasn't going to change my mind.
15. Bison Organic Gingerbread Ale - A lovely and strange end to the tasting; I liked it but it may not be something everyone would want a whole glass of.
So that's it from me. Maybe the others will weigh in on what they thought of these as well.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Colin Considers Customer Picks
This is a slightly tardy rundown of Vendome's (is this actually their site?) February 2nd Customer Picks tasting. It was pretty well varied, and considerably more successful than the Mountain People's Distributors tasting that followed a week later. No offense to Mountain People's Distributors...but I'm off topic. I'll deal with them in another post.
Let's start with The Good.
Hambleton Ales Toleration is a low alcohol (4.4% ABV), gluten free, English Pale Ale from North Yorkshire in the UK. It has a mild scent of grapes and leather (which is not as unpleasant a combination as you might expect.) The flavor includes overtones of sweet white wine, and the beer is smooth and pleasant. I had a particularly clear palette for this one being the first of the day. Props to Hambleton, as well, for having a well designed (and appealing) web page.
Second on the list, and second across the lips was a Burton Bridge India Empire Pale Ale. Despite being higher in alcohol (7.5% ABV), this was a remarkably friendly beer. Brewed in Burton-on-Trent in the UK, this ale wafts citrus and honey. On the tongue it bares a strong hops presence without being overwhelmingly strong. Well done, Burton Bridge.
From Kaufbeuren, Germany comes Aktienbrauerei Buronator Doppelbock. Also a high alcohol brew (7.5% ABV) it is incredibly smooth, filling the nose and washing the taste buds with honey. I don't believe there's actually any honey in the brew (there are laws about such things in Germany, as I recall), but it does show in contrast to many American "honey-brewed" beers that tend to be slightly offensive to the pallette. This doppelbock offers no such offense.
Now for The Bad.
Actually, there's nothing inherently wrong with Stone's Arrogant Bastard Ale. I just don't want one very often. When I do, it's usually for its more, shall we say, ass-kicking properties (7.2% ABV) than for its flavor. Stone, based out of Escondido, California, produce this woody, grapefruity ale specifically to show you who's boss (and it's not you.) Arrogant Bastard is appropriately named, and is just a fun beer with a distinct, inoffensive (though powerful) flavor, worth a drink every once in a while. A great looking beer with attitude.
And, of course, The Ugly.
Alpine Ichabod Pumpkin Ale (6.6% ABV). It's not the worst beer on earth, by any measure, but Pumpkin does not belong in beer, and this is no exception. Yes you can taste the pumpkin, while inhaling the aroma of cloves and nutmeg...and beer. It doesn't finish well, either. Sour. Sour, nutmegy, clovey, pumpkiny, uh...beer. Why do people insist on trying to make ale festive by adding non-complimentary ingedients? Also, don't confuse Alpine Beer Co. (makers of Ichabod Pumpkin Ale) with Alpine Brewery (makers of "Fine German Style" beer.) Two different companies. Alpine Beer Co. may have some finer brews, but this is not one of them.
Beer's Best Friend
-Colin
Let's start with The Good.
Hambleton Ales Toleration is a low alcohol (4.4% ABV), gluten free, English Pale Ale from North Yorkshire in the UK. It has a mild scent of grapes and leather (which is not as unpleasant a combination as you might expect.) The flavor includes overtones of sweet white wine, and the beer is smooth and pleasant. I had a particularly clear palette for this one being the first of the day. Props to Hambleton, as well, for having a well designed (and appealing) web page.
Second on the list, and second across the lips was a Burton Bridge India Empire Pale Ale. Despite being higher in alcohol (7.5% ABV), this was a remarkably friendly beer. Brewed in Burton-on-Trent in the UK, this ale wafts citrus and honey. On the tongue it bares a strong hops presence without being overwhelmingly strong. Well done, Burton Bridge.
From Kaufbeuren, Germany comes Aktienbrauerei Buronator Doppelbock. Also a high alcohol brew (7.5% ABV) it is incredibly smooth, filling the nose and washing the taste buds with honey. I don't believe there's actually any honey in the brew (there are laws about such things in Germany, as I recall), but it does show in contrast to many American "honey-brewed" beers that tend to be slightly offensive to the pallette. This doppelbock offers no such offense.
Now for The Bad.
Actually, there's nothing inherently wrong with Stone's Arrogant Bastard Ale. I just don't want one very often. When I do, it's usually for its more, shall we say, ass-kicking properties (7.2% ABV) than for its flavor. Stone, based out of Escondido, California, produce this woody, grapefruity ale specifically to show you who's boss (and it's not you.) Arrogant Bastard is appropriately named, and is just a fun beer with a distinct, inoffensive (though powerful) flavor, worth a drink every once in a while. A great looking beer with attitude.
And, of course, The Ugly.
Alpine Ichabod Pumpkin Ale (6.6% ABV). It's not the worst beer on earth, by any measure, but Pumpkin does not belong in beer, and this is no exception. Yes you can taste the pumpkin, while inhaling the aroma of cloves and nutmeg...and beer. It doesn't finish well, either. Sour. Sour, nutmegy, clovey, pumpkiny, uh...beer. Why do people insist on trying to make ale festive by adding non-complimentary ingedients? Also, don't confuse Alpine Beer Co. (makers of Ichabod Pumpkin Ale) with Alpine Brewery (makers of "Fine German Style" beer.) Two different companies. Alpine Beer Co. may have some finer brews, but this is not one of them.
Beer's Best Friend
-Colin
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