The whole four consecutive days of beer evaluations thing worked pretty well last week, so I am going to give it another run with some of my home brews. Posting these reviews is probably long overdue since they were brewed so long ago, but I still have many bottles of them and am still enjoying them. It seems to me that at least a few of them have benefited from the additional time spent in the bottle.
The names for the beers were selected (very quickly) by the Blueprint Brewing marketing department, which consists only of The Wife and myself.
These four were not at all done in a flight like the pumpkin beers were, but were drank in consecutive days since there are a few brother/sister beers that originated from the same recipe. For the first one I will start with a beer that The Wife liked enough to give it a grade of B.
Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)
Name: 4AM
Style: American IPA
ABV: 4.00% (+/-)
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.
Aroma: Light fruity, somewhat floral hop character with a low, even malty aroma underneath.
Appearance: Light amber to copper in color. Slight cream color head with decent retention and not much trail. Fairly clear with slight haze and slowly rising bubbles visible.
Flavor: Some consistent toasty/bready malt character in back. Slight hoppiness (fruity/citrusy) from middle through finish. Hint of bitterness toward finish. Clean finish with no real dryness.
Mouthfeel: Light body with moderate carbonation. Smooth and slightly crisp.
Overall Impressions: Not bad . . . though it started as an American IPA, I would probably call it an American Pale Ale. Very easy drinking without any harshness. With some work it could be very good the next time.
Grade: B-
Blueprint Brewing - 4AM
The fourth day has finally come and with it the fourth pumpkin beer and the end of this short series of posts. If you are at all confused, where have you been these last few days?! Go ahead and check out the entries from Blueprint Brewing, Smuttynose Brewing, and Weyerbacher Brewing to get yourself caught up with the whole pumpkin beers in March thing.
We first heard of this creation when The Wife and I were vacationing with family up in Maine and visited Shipyard Brewing last fall. At the time the beer was not even available at the brewery because it sold out so fast. We knew that Shipyard brews were available here in Florida so there was at least a small chance that we would see some on the shelves when arrived back home. Obviously we got lucky and found a bottle one day without even looking for it.
Be sure to read all the way to the bottom as the long awaited judgment on the flight from The Wife is revealed!
Now to wrap things up . . .
Brewery: Shipyard Brewing Co. (Portland, ME)
Name: Smashed Pumpkin Ale (Signature Series)
Style: Vegetable Beer
ABV: 9.0%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge (51 degrees +/-) and served in a pint glass. $8.99 for 1pt. 6oz.
Aroma: Low, but prominent pumpkin spice aroma (mostly nutmeg to me) and a clean aroma overall.
Appearance: Amber in color with a slight orange/copper hue. Slight dark(er) cream head that quickly dissipates with no trail. Crystal clear with few rising bubbles visible.
Flavor: The pumpkin spice flavors are prominent with a sugary sweetness underneath. The spiciness carries through to the finish and lingers slightly. Really full flavor overall that is like liquid pumpkin pie.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with low(ish) carbonation. A low amount of warmth is noticeable.
Overall Impressions: Most pumpkiny pumpkin ale that I have tried (to date) and is definitely at the top of the Shipyard family for me. The aroma really carries through to the flavor. Fitting/appropriate for the holidays (Thanksgiving or Christmas).
Grade: A
Her final decisions have been made . . . read below.
As for the final rankings from The Wife and her blind tasting:
- Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale (very close 1st and 2nd)
- Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale (very close 1st and 2nd)
- Blueprint Gourdeous One
- Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale (distant 4th)
She fell right in line with the final grades that I had when drinking the four of them side by side. I don’t know that it means we are correct, but I now know what to look for on the shelves and what to brew at home next fall.
Cheers!
All of these reviews for pumpkin beers are making me thirsty for them again. Unfortunately there are none (or at least very few) on the store shelves, but I do have a few of my Gourdeous One’s left to help satisfy that craving. If you are not sure what I am talking about check out the first beer and the second beer in this ongoing series of four pumpkin beer reviews.
Today we are continuing on up the gravity ladder by going to an imperial version of a pumpkin ale from Weyerbacher. I think that is one of the first adjustments that I would like to make to my own version. Though it has a low enough ABV right now to be extremely drinkable, I would like to bring that up quite a bit to add a warmth to it that would be more appropriate to the season. I guess I need to start planning my triumphant return to pumpkin beer brewing, as I know the time will be here again before I know it.
Now to continue . . .
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co. (Easton, PA)
Name: Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Style: Vegetable Beer
ABV: 8.0%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $2.99 per 12oz.
Aroma: A more complex, spicy pumpkin pie-like aroma (cinnamon, cloves, etc.) with molasses-like sweetness underneath.
Appearance: Deep amber to caramel color. Slight off-white head that quickly dissipates with no trail. Clear with few rising bubbles visible.
Flavor: Malty sweetness that is dark brown sugar/molasses-like. Low spiciness (carried through/similar to aroma) with very low bitterness. Clean, but slightly lingering finish (good though).
Mouthfeel: Medium body with low(er) carbonation. Really smooth and somewhat creamy with some slight warmth.
Overall Impressions: Quality ale flavors underneath pumpkin spices. The warmth is well balanced in to the whole. Nice overall flavor profile(s).
Grade: A-
Two days later and she is still working through the flight!
If you are curious why I am posting a review for a pumpkin beer in the middle of March, please check out yesterday’s entry. Today I shall continue on with the flight that we started with my home brewed pumpkin ale (Blueprint Brewing Gourdeous One).
That means moving along to the pumpkin offering from Smuttynose Brewing Company as the second of the four. It is not too surprising that aside from my own version, the remaining three are from breweries in the northeast. Having grown up in Northern New York, I think pumpkins are more appropriate for that kind of climate anyway.
As much as I don’t really enjoy many fruit beers (though I am slowly coming around a bit to them), I do love a good pumpkin beer for some reason, especially when the weather is a bit brisk. Maybe that is why I waited until the days were colder here in Florida (December) until cracking these open?
Enough rambling, let us continue . . .
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Co. (Portsmouth, NH)
Name: Pumpkin Ale
Style: Vegetable Beer
ABV: 6.0%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $1.99 per 12oz.
Aroma: Light, clean pumpkin spices (mostly nutmeg and cinnamon?) with malty undertones that are pumpkin bread-like.
Appearance: Light amber to golden color. One finger cream color head that is frothy with good retention and some trail. Very clear with many bubbles visible.
Flavor: Moderate maltiness with some hop bitterness. No pumpkin flavor noticed. Some harshness at finish that is almost metallic.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with moderate carbonation. Creamy and smooth.
Overall Impressions: The finish definitely hurts the overall. Really no need to drink again, mostly because there are many other quality pumpkin ales out there.
Grade: C
The Wife still enjoying the flight of pumpkin beers.
To start off this post I must let you know that I realize that it is not exactly pumpkin beer time of year anymore. Over the holiday season The Wife and I did a flight of four pumpkin beers and I am just now getting around to passing along the results. All of this will still be useful (at least for me) since three of the four beers will be brewed again this year and the fourth is my home brew, which I will want to make again later this year.
With that out of the way I can let you know that today will be the first of four consecutive days that I will post the reviews for the pumpkin beer flight that we did. I can also let you know that all but one of the images from the occasion was lost in a hard drive crash so you will see that single image over and over. Take that as a warning for those who don’t back up their photos, I know we learned our lesson.
I reviewed each beer individually, but I gave The Wife a blind flight of the four to see where she would put my home brewed version of pumpkin ale (Blueprint Brewing) among the others. I will reveal her final rankings in the last of these four entries.
Let’s get started . . .
Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)
Name: Gourdeous One
Style: Vegetable Beer
ABV: 4.13% (+/-)
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.
Aroma: Smooth pumpkin spices noticeable (mostly nutmeg) with some slight sweetness underneath (brown sugar?).
Appearance: Deep amber to brown color. Two finger (plus) cream color head that is thick with good retention and laced trail. Clear with tons of bubbles visible.
Flavor: Low maltiness with a hint of sweetness. The flavors of real pumpkin are noticeable. No real bitterness and a clean finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with high carbonation that leaves some bite. Crisp and slightly creamy.
Overall Impressions: Pretty darn good, though other bottles from the batch have been a bit tastier. Will make again with some slight tweaks to the recipe. Definitely good enough for a revisit.
Grade: B+
The Wife enjoy her pumpkin flight.
Sometimes I need to prove to certain friends of mine that I still drink some Samuel Adams products now and again. This is one of those times.
I still tend to go into drinking fruit beers with a little hesitation, as I don’t expect to like them that much. The warmer days in Florida do seem to help out their case as the outdoor air and sunshine somehow changes how I feel about them. Then again, being barefoot with my toes in the sand alone makes a lot of beers taste better to me. So since I was not close to the beach when I evaluated this one, I was a bit surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did.
I should not have been too taken aback since it was a Boston Beer Company brew. I may not love them all, but there is a consistent level of quality that I know will be there regardless of how my palate accepts it.
Brewery: Boston Beer Company (Boston, Massachusetts)
Name: Blackberry Witbier
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 5.5%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pilsner glass. $8.69 per 6-pack
Aroma: Noticeable fruit nose (though not sure that I would have guessed blackberry). Light wheat character with some slight spiciness (coriander) in back.
Appearance: Light gold (almost to full/deep gold) color. Three finger, off-white head that is thick with good retention and leaves a trail. Mostly clear with a slight haze and many bubbles visible.
Flavor: Nice sweetness with a hint of berry (just enough) and the slightest note of hops. Well balanced with nothing overpowering. A bit dry at finish, though not lingering.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with high carbonation. Smooth and slightly creamy with the slightest bit of dryness.
Overall Impressions: Refreshing and easy drinking. Definitely glad I tried and was as good or better than expected. I would drink again as a good summer beer.
Grade: B
Boston Beer Company - Blackberry Witbier
There are not many things that I would choose to do over watching a Syracuse Orange men’s basketball game, but the opportunity to go to the Florida Brewers Guild Beerfest in Tampa is apparently one of those things. It was probably a good decision, now knowing that we (yes I use we in this case) lost and I likely would have spent the afternoon miserable at home otherwise. The festival at least gave me an environment that I could not possibly be miserable in. So you might ask what do you do in preparation for such an event? The answer, of course, would be to have your comrades over to the house for a bacon cake and coffee breakfast before piling into the car for the 90-minute drive. There is nothing like a nice healthy breakfast of bacon and eggs (in cake form) to start the day off right. There were certainly no complaints from Gregg, Wayne, and Joe.
Of course there are pecans and apples in there as well to round things out!
We arrived well in advance of the start of the event via an earlier than necessary departure time and the driving skills of Chauffeur Joe. There was more than enough time to walk around the Ybor City area of Tampa a bit and also enough time that we would have considered (what I think was called) the urban race that was going on in the vicinity. Now we still don’t know what the race exactly entailed, but it seemed to be a lot to do with a costume party mixed with a scavenger hunt. It looked like a good time, so maybe next year.
The trolley was on purpose, the finger was not.
This area was less than busy.
There was also plenty of time to grab a bite for lunch before getting to the beer sampling, so we headed to Tampa Bay Brewing Company for some food and, well, a beer.
Just the type of decor I appreciate.
The event started at two and though it was only a few minutes after that when we exited our lunch location, the plazas were already packed and the line at the check-in was down the street of people yet to enter the fray. I am not going to say that we cut to the front of the line, but since we had a limited window for beer sampling lets just say we didn’t wait very long in it!
Just one half of the action early on.
What is a beer festival without this?
A few familiar faces were found among the crowds as I ran into Tom the Beer Guy multiple times during the day. I have to thank him very much for suggesting the event (as I would not have known about it otherwise) and for having some Toasted Coconut Porter on hand to sample again. Though I had no real expectations going in, it turned out to be bigger and better than I thought it would be. It will be going on the calendar for next year for sure.
At the end of the day for us I was also able to meet up with (now award winning home brewer) Mike Melton and a few of his friends at Tampa Bay Brewing Company. It was nice to get to catch up with a really nice (beer) guy. It was a fast and furious afternoon and part of an evening. We definitely all had a great day and I thank the boys for joining me for the fun. I have some interesting video to share as a way to experience the crowds without having gone to the festival so this will simply be the first of two parts of recapping the event.
A little empty outside after teardown.
As a teaser to that second post and a close to this one I will list a few of the beer highlights for me:
- Hunahpus Mayan Chocolate Imperial Stout from Cigar City – Very glad to sample this one since I will not be able to make the release party at the brewery this Friday.
- Tampa Bay Brewing Company – Since I had never tried any of their beers previously and generally enjoyed them all.
- Cream Ales in general – A style that enjoy but cont drink very often. Offhand I remember TBBC and Bold City Brewery having nice ones.
- Iniquity Imperial Black Ale from Southern Tier Brewing – A unique style for me and probably my favorite beer of the day. I immediately went back for a second sample.
Stay tuned!
As promised on Tuesday for my unofficial “Lagunitas Brewing Company Week” I have another review that I have waited too long to share. Reading back over this evaluation reminded me that I have not made the effort to drink it again as I suggested to myself at the time. I guess not revisiting old favorites is one of the bad things about having so much good quality craft beer out there to choose from (even with so much yet that I can’t get here in Central Florida). I cannot think of another downside to having that kind of selection, but perhaps I will put some further thought into it.
I kind of like these unofficial brewery dedicated weeks, so maybe I will throw a few in again along the way. With that said, I bring you another Lagunitas brew to keep an eye out for . . .
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma, CA)
Name: Sirius (Special Release High Gravity Cream Ale)
Style: Cream Ale
ABV: 7.6%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. 9.99 per 6-pack
Aroma: Light hop aroma with a medium malty, sweet background.
Appearance: Pale gold to amber in color. Three finger, light cream color head that dissipates rather quickly with some trail. Crystal clear with rising bubbles visible.
Flavor: Medium hop bitterness with low malt character that is slightly sweet toward the end. Slightly dry finish with some sweetness, though not lingering. Well balanced overall.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and refreshing with medium to high carbonation. Very smooth with slight warmth.
Overall Impressions: Really enjoyable, very easy drinking light(er) bodied beer with the perfect amount of hop character(s). As expected, higher ABV than typical for style (4.2-5.6%). I would like to compare it directly with other cream ales. Definitely will be drinking again.
Grade: A-
Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Sirius
On a bit of a side note (Is it still a side note if I start off with it?), I have decided to go a bit heavy on the beer reviews in the coming weeks. Since there are so many in the back log I am going to push a few extra out there, so you will likely see more than the two a week for a short while (or longer if it works out).
With that out of the way, I can move on to another really good beer with an excellent name. So good in fact that I think it warrants another beer review from the brewery later this week for sort of an unofficial “Lagunitas Brewing Company Week.” I have done months, so why not weeks? No need to delay any longer, so I bring you . . .
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma, CA)
Name: The Hairy Eyeball Ale
Style: Strong Ale (Old Ale?)
ABV: 8.7%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.
Aroma: Strong malty sweetness (caramel-like) with some dark fruit notes and no noticeable hops.
Appearance: Deep reddish brown color. Very short, light brown head that slowly dissipates with some trail. Clear with rising bubbles visible.
Flavor: Medium to high dark caramel/molasses-like malt flavor with some dark fruit that lends a port-like character. Some warmth comes through towards end. A sweet finish with some (carbonic) bite.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation. Very smooth with the perfect level of alcohol warmth balanced in.
Overall Impressions: The sweetness and warmth are balanced well. Incredibly enjoyable and a great beer to sit and relax with. Would drink again for sure.
Grade: A
Lugunitas Brewing Co. - The Hairy Eyeball Ale
The time has come for the final beer review of “Great Divide Brewing Co. Month” and it is no surprise that it is another good one. Sure I would love to continue on with Great Divide reviews, but it is time to move on to some of the others that I have done. Fortunately there are enough brews left in their portfolio for me to do another dedicated month down the line if I choose to. Then again, there are so many other breweries that need a month of their own before I start returning to those already honored. Enough rambling and on to the beer . . .
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)
Name: Yeti
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.5%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge (58 degrees +/-) and served in a pint glass (by mistake). $6.49 for 22oz.
Aroma: Strong malty sweetness (barleywine-like) with a low roasted character (less than I expected). Noticeable hop profile (somewhat earthy) with some warmth in back.
Appearance: Black (dark, dark brown with the slightest hint of reddish brown at edges when held to light). Very tall, thick, frothy, mocha/chocolate head with great retention and a heavy trail. Opaque (really).
Flavor: Deep roasted maltiness with a light burnt character. Rich chocolately flavors from middle to end. Moderate bitterness (some from roasted grains and some from hops) with a hint of fruitiness(?). Somewhat dry at the finish, though with light sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Full body with medium to low carbonation. Smooth and somewhat tongue coating. Even alcohol warmth (mostly from middle to end) that is well balanced in with the strong flavors.
Overall Impressions: Big flavor profiles that continue through finish. Start to notice dark fruit flavors as it warms a bit. Pretty complex with new flavors with (almost) every sip. Fantastic beer to enjoy slowly. Looking forward to trying the entire Yeti family (need to collect and cellar some). Still prefer the Oak Aged of the two I have tried.
Grade: A
Great Divide Brewing Co. - Yeti
A close up of the goodness.
Though I do enjoy standing in the store staring at the shelves trying to decide what beer I want, it also nice to go in with a plan of attack. Having narrowed the field down to only Great Divide brews I was simply looking for one of them to catch my eye. A high gravity version of a witbier was an easy choice knowing that I do not see them often, if at all.
After initially not expecting to enjoy this one, The Wife quickly warmed to it and even went back for a bit more. I always consider that to be a pretty good endorsement. That combined with a unique style (at least somewhat) is more than enough reason to try it if you have the opportunity.
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)
Name: Double Wit
Style: Witbier
ABV: 8.1%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge (51 degrees +/-) and served in a pilsner glass.
Aroma: Light wheat/grainy sweetness with a faint bit of spice. Hint of acidity (kind of sauvignon blanc/white wine-like).
Appearance: Medium straw color (to golden). Very tall, thick, frothy, off-white head with good retention and laced trail. Mostly clear with slight haze and tons of tiny rising bubbles.
Flavor: Honey-like sweetness with a bit of citrus fruitiness. Low spice (coriander) profile with slight acidity and dryness at finish (not lingering). Well-balanced components.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation (without bite). Smooth with good creaminess and noticeable warmth toward finish.
Overall Impressions: One of only two higher gravity witbiers that I can recall having (Sam Adams Imperial White being the other). The warmth blends in well with the flavor profiles. Might want to drink it slightly colder than I had it this time. Good throughout, but the first tastes were the best. As the name indicates, this is certainly a double/imperial version of this style (typically in a 4.5-5.5% ABV range).
Grade: B+
Double what?
Great Divide Brewing Co. - Double Wit
The initial pour stirred things up a bit.
As mentioned on Tuesday, we are on to the second Pale Ale for the week in this month of Great Divide beer reviews. Today we have the American Pale Ale of the pair. Since I enjoy borrowing previously written content (and it makes as much sense with this post), I will say again that it is probably time for me to do a series explaining and defining the different beer styles for both my education and yours, but for today I will just say that the English Pale Ales tend to be more balanced and “drinkable” than their hoppier American cousins. Now on to the beer review . . .
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)
Name: Fresh Hop
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.1%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.
Aroma: Full, citrusy hop aroma with a low malty sweetness. The hops dominate the really nice overall aroma.
Appearance: Light amber color with some golden character. Two finger (plus), off-white head that is frothy with good retention and a laced trail. Clear with consistently rising bubbles visible.
Flavor: Medium (toward high) citrusy hop flavor up front with a bit of grassy profile underneath that. Very slight toasted maltiness in back. Balances to hops with good amount of bitterness toward end (moderate/not too much). Some dryness at the finish with some lingering bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium(ish) body with moderate carbonation (really just right). Smooth with no harshness.
Overall Impressions: I think my palate leans toward the DPA (of the two) . . . Fresh Hop is as good as DPA, but very different. Really enjoy the hops character(s), though I have to be in the mood for it because they are really prominent. The hoppiness grew on me as the glass emptied and it definitely lands on the “buy again someday” list. Do not drink too cold.
Grade: B
Great Divide Brweing Co. - Fresh Hop
It seems that it is going to be a Pale Ale kind of week with the Great Divide beer reviews. Today we have the English Pale Ale of the pair. Don’t worry though, the American Pale Ale with be represented on Friday. It is probably time for me to do a series explaining and defining the different beer styles for both my education and yours, but for today I will just say that the English Pale Ales tend to be more balanced and “drinkable” than their hoppier American cousins. Now on to the beer review . . .
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)
Name: Denver Pale Ale
Style: English Pale Ale
ABV: 5.4%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $1.99 for 12oz.
Aroma: Moderate hop aroma with a low fruity profile and a medium, somewhat sweet (caramel-like) malt aroma. The two are almost of equal strength.
Appearance: Golden in color with a bit of copper/orange to it. One finger, cream color head that is frothy with good retention and trail. Clear with some rising bubbles and small particulates visible.
Flavor: Good maltiness up front (bit of nutty profile?) with medium bitterness (more middle through end). Moderate dryness at the finish without lingering. Pretty well balanced.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium (to low) carbonation. Has creaminess that gives the impression of a more full body.
Overall Impressions: The bitterness builds on the palate and becomes more prominent as the glass empties. The hop flavors and aromas are just enough without being at all overpowering. Really very drinkable . . . the characteristics work well together making it better as I drink.
Grade: B to B+
Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver Pale Ale
Though typically fruit beers are not one of my favorite styles, I don’t think I can continue to add fruit to my home brews and maintain that opinion as a baseline. It is not that I don’t like fruit beers, but many that I have tried had an artificial flavor that just does not work for my palate. Of course with that, there are also some that are really quite good. This one falls solidly on the good end of the fruit beer scale for me. The Wife likes her fruit beers quite a lot and really enjoyed this one (would have graded it higher than I did), so that should be endorsement enough. This one will likely find its way into our house again in the future.
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)
Name: Wild Raspberry Ale
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 5.6%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $1.99 for 12oz.
Aroma: Full, smooth berry aroma (that is not artificial smelling) with an underlying malty sweetness.
Appearance: Amber color, but with a reddish hue. One finger, off-white head with decent retention and a hint of a trail. Very clear with a few rising bubbles visible.
Flavor: Berry flavor up front that goes away fairly quickly. Fruitiness intertwined completely with the good base of malt flavor(s). Bit of dryness at finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium (toward light) body and moderate (to low) carbonation. Some slight astringency (dryness).
Overall Impressions: Typically not my favorite style, but pretty good as they go. Better when not extremely cold. The fruit/berry profile is nice (natural and well balanced).
Grade: B+
Great Divide Brewing Co. - Wild Raspberry Ale
Sure I choose breweries for a theme month that I am already pretty familiar with, but it also provides me the bonus of trying brews from them that I have never enjoyed before. Already being a fan of Great Divide, I expected that my least favorite beers for the month would still be pretty darn good. However, with Oak Aged Yeti getting me hooked on their product in the first place and setting the bar very high, I did not expect anything to approach that. Though my porter drinking resume is not all that extensive (yet), this one is certainly up there with the best that I have tried. Definitely one to have if that is a style that suits you.
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)
Name: Saint Bridget’s Porter
Style: Robust Porter
ABV: 5.9%
Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge (allowed to warm a bit) and served in a pint glass. $1.99 for 12oz.
Aroma: Smooth, lightly roasted malt aroma with a hint of sweetness and a light note of bittersweet chocolate in back.
Appearance: Very, very dark brown color (with slight red hue when held to light). One finger (plus), light brown, thick head with good retention and trail. Clear (when held to light) with rising bubbles visible.
Flavor: Excellent roasted malt flavors up front with nice coffee notes through the middle and a medium amount bitterness toward the finish. Mostly dry at the finish with a hint of sweetness. Well balanced components overall.
Mouthfeel: Medium (toward full) body with moderate amount of carbonation. Smooth with good creaminess and the slightest bit of sharpness (from the roasted grains).
Overall Impressions: Memorable porter for me (where others have not been) and probably the best that I have tried to date (definitely top three anyway). Don’t drink too cold as it is better as it warms. Really nice balance of everything (aroma, flavors, mouthfeel).
Grade: A
Great Divide Brewing Co. - Saint Bridget's Porter
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