Beer Reviews Archives – A Night With The Hops

Warsteiner Brauerei - Oktoberfest

Aug 312010

It is amazing how long ago this review was done, but it did not make much sense to post it during any of the other seasons. Taking good notes when I do an evaluation does allow me to wait on posting when it makes sense to do so, as it did in this case.

August may even seem early for this one, but since I have started to see fall seasonals released recently and since Oktoberfest actually happens in September, this is probably the appropriate time to get this one out there. It is still strange for me to see pumpkin beers and such in August, but then again I am in Florida where autumn does not exactly present itself in the same fashion as I remember it growing up. I will just be glad to get my hands on a pumpkin for my home brewing purposes.

Now, soon to be (if not already) on the shelves . . .

Brewery: Warsteiner Brauerei (Germany)

Name: Oktoberfest

Style: Oktoberfest / Märzen

ABV: 5.90%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $11.99 for a 12-pack

Aroma: Full malty aroma with some sweetness. Clean and lager-like overall (as it should be).

Appearance: Medium gold color. Slight, off-white head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving no trail. Very clear with many tiny rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Light malty sweetness with no real hop flavor and an overall balance to malt. Slight dryness at the finish with a clean (or non-existent) aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with a medium to high level of carbonation that lends some bite. Smooth, crisp, and slightly creamy.

Overall Impressions: Slightly high alcohol versus typical range for style (4.8-5.7%). Not big on flavor, but a very easy drinking and refreshing beer. Pretty good outdoor (or warmer weather) beer.

Grade: C+ to B-

Warsteiner Brauerei - Oktoberfest

To gain entry

Blueprint Brewing - Sai What?!

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 272010

This one of my home brews is of a style that I have definite plans to brew again at some point. That is partly because I think I can do much better, but mostly because it is a style that I really enjoy drinking and especially in the summer months. Just this week I was chatting with a guy visiting from California that gave me some really good tips on brewing a Saison, right down to the yeast he would suggest using. Having that random conversation seems to be a message to me that I need to take another shot at it sooner than later. I may never end of with something nearly as good as Hennepin, but I would like to keep trying.

Now on to the last of my home brew reviews for now . . .

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: Sai What?!

Style: Saison

ABV: 5.92% (+/-)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in my (now without stem) Ommegang glass. Definitely the first and perhaps the only beer that I brew that will have an interrobang in the name.

Aroma: Mildly sweet (honey and citrus), fruity aroma with a low level of spice.

Appearance: Orange/honey in color. Slight white head that quickly dissipates with some trail. Somewhat hazy though rising bubbles are (barely) visible.

Flavor: Nice (somewhat sugary) sweetness up front with a very low hop bitterness and some light citrusy (lemon) notes. Low herbal character in back (toward finish) with some slight dryness at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with moderate to low levels of carbonation. Smooth and slightly crisp.

Overall Impressions: Not bad as my first try at the style and certainly good enough to give it another attempt. I would like it to have some more carbonation and perhaps I will experiment with different yeast on the next try. Better after it warms just a bit.

Grade: B-(ish)

Blueprint Brewing - Sai What?!

A little closer now

Cigar City Brewing Maduro and Jai Alai

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 252010

Among the many other reasons that I enjoy drinking at Redlight Redlight is that they always have a Cigar City something on draft. During this visit they actually had both of their year round offerings and, though I have had them many times before, I could not help myself. That goes especially for the Jai Alai, which is one of the few beers that I tend to gravitate to the most when it is available. It is a good evening when I can end it with the residual flavor of Jai Alai on my palate.

Now then, on to the first of two for today . . .

Brewery: Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)

Name: Maduro (Oatmeal Brown Ale)

Style: American Brown Ale

ABV: 5.50%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Very dark brown in color (though not quite as dark as the photo turned out) with a very slight tan color head.
Relatively mild roasted malt aroma with some chocolate notes and a bit of sweetness.
Nice roasted malt, slightly nutty flavor that has some chocolate/coffee-like notes that almost give it a slightly smoky character.
Good level of carbonation that adds a bit of crispness.
Great lingering flavors at the finish.

Cigar City Brewing - Maduro

And now for the second . . .

Brewery: Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)

Name: Jai Alai

Style: American IPA

ABV: 7.50%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Coppery orange in color with a solid white head that leaves a nice laced trail.
Big citrusy (grapefruit) hop aroma with a bit of some other fruit underneath.
Great grapefruity hop flavor up front with a nice base of caramelly malt sweetness underneath.
Exceptional balance of the range of hop flavors with the malty sweetness.
The finish lingers some, with the leftover citrus-like bitterness making me want the next drink.

4911391010 c4433052d1 Cigar City Brewing Maduro and Jai Alai

Cigar City Brewing Jai Alai

Cheers!

Blueprint Brewing - Wunder Weizen

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 242010

It may be time to take an extended break from adding fruit to my homebrews. The fact that I tend not to like fruit beers much at all makes me wonder why I have dabbled in it even as much as I have. I guess it is because the ingredients are so easy to get my hands on, especially in this case where the POM was a freebie. I think that I should practice getting the base styles perfected before continuing to add fruit to the mix. That is unless pumpkin is somehow considered a fruit because I have plans to utilize that again pretty soon.

Now then . . .

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: Wunder Weizen

Style: Fruit Beer (based on Hefeweizen)

ABV: 4.34% (+/-)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a weizen glass. Name is a reference to the POM Wonderful that was added to secondary fermentation.

Aroma: Bready/yeasty aroma with a fruity sharpness behind that. Has an apple-like fermented fruit quality.

Appearance: Dark honey color (orange/brown mix). Two finger, frothy, cream color head that holds really well and leaves a slightly laced trail. Hazy (cannot see through) though rising bubbles visible when held to light.

Flavor: Fruity sharpness up front with a slight wheat character underneath and a light yeast flavor toward the finish. Finishes a bit dry with some lingering (almost puckering).

Mouthfeel: Light body with a moderate level of carbonation. Slightly creamy with a bit of astringency at the finish.

Overall Impressions: Interesting and not really what I expected. Emily compared (somewhat) to a cider and I tend to agree. If you close your eyes, you could be convinced that it is a fruit (apple) cider that has not fermented all the way yet. First try at using fruit juice and I think there is much fine tuning to do. I did not love it at first, but it has grown on me lately as it has been in bottles longer.

Grade: C(ish) . . . Probably lower if really judged per Hefeweizen style.

Blueprint Brewing - Wunder Weizen

And a bit closer

Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 212010

If you ever think that you might be at the same event or bar that I am, just look for a guy who is writing notes on a folded sheet of paper (that he pulled from his pocket) in between taking drinks from his glass. Of course if you happen to catch me taking a photo of the glass before taking a drink or holding it up to the light that would also give me away. I take notes far more often than I take pictures, but the combination is becoming very much a habit of mine with every beer that I drink for the first time. I don’t see me letting up on that anytime soon.

Now on to the first of two for today . . .

Brewery: Swamp Head Brewery (Gainesville, FL)

Name: Stump Knocker

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.60%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Coppery amber in color with solid white head that holds well.
Grapefruity hops in the aroma with a bit of toasty, caramelly malt in back.
Flavor very similar to aroma, though a bit lighter. Nice grapefruit hop flavor coming after some malty sweetness.
Medium body and smooth on the palate.
Just enough lingering bitterness at the finish.
Easy drinking with nice overall balance.

4911390876 f6f7a1c6c5 Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Swamp Head Brewery - Stump Knocker

And now the second . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Hoss (Rye Lager)

Style: Octoberfest/Märzen (perhaps Specialty Beer because of rye)

ABV: 6.20%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Kind of a reddish orange color with a thick, cream color head that holds well and leaves a very nice trail.
Lightly sweet malty aroma overall with some notes of spice underneath.
Pretty clean flavor with some darker caramel maltiness up front and a bit of spiciness in back
Really smooth with a good level of carbonation.
Nice lager with good malt character that drinks very easily.

4910788065 e25e7de82f Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Hoss (Rye Lager)

Cheers!

Blueprint Brewing - BouNilla Black

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 202010

Among many other reasons, part of the addiction that develops when you start brewing has to do with what you learn from batch to batch. It is definitely a process where you get better at some things while at the same time adding items to the list of things to be worked on. In the case of the Black Ales, they turned out much better as a split batch than either of the first few I attempted. On the other hand, the bourbon and the vanilla did not work out for me perfectly and that only makes me want to try using them again in future batches. Fortunately, not working perfectly still leaves me with a bunch of beer to drink!

Now for the other half of Draft Day Ale . . .

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: BouNilla Black

Style: Black Ale (Specialty Beer)

ABV: 4.94% (+/-)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. Bourbon and vanilla bean added to secondary fermentation. Reviewed next to unaltered black ale half of batch.

Aroma: Low roasted malt notes with an even caramelly bourbon aroma (though not too strong) and some very faint vanilla. Really as expected.

Appearance: Black (dark, dark brown) and slightly lighter than the unaltered half of the batch. Slight dark cream/tan color head with decent (though not good) retention that leaves a slight trail. Opaque, though clear with rising bubbles visible when held to light.

Flavor: Mild roasted malt with some lightly sweet notes (vanilla?). A faint bourbon character with some dryness and bourbon flavor at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body (lighter than Draft Day Ale) with pretty low carbonation (though has become higher as it ages in bottle). Very smooth and probably too smooth without the balance of some higher carbonation.

Overall Impressions: Needed some more carbonation (maybe it sat too long in secondary). Bourbon and vanilla flavors really mellowed the roasted character and bitterness. My first use of both bourbon and vanilla in a beer that was another good experiment for record and one that needs another go.

Grade: B- (ish) . . . Probably toward B being much like though completely different than Draft Day Ale.

4813796936 d580478042 Blueprint Brewing BouNilla Black

Blueprint Brewing - BouNilla Black (on the right)

Epic Ales Terra Saurus & Simple Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 182010

In order to eventually throw away the various scraps of paper on my desk that have beer notes on them I have to somehow translate the scribbling into writing. After working through the first half of this sheet previously, today’s entry should be enough to finally send it to the recycling bin.

There are two reasons that I have considered all of these beers from Epic Ales as ones that possibly fall into the Specialty Beer style. The first is that Cody uses sake yeast for his creations, which does not exactly appear in any of the style guidelines (that I can remember). The second is that Cody himself did not really have a direct answer when I asked him the styles of we tasted that day. Though they are at least based in part on a specific style I don’t think they really align directly with one in the end. That is not a bad thing at all, but I thought I should explain my notes a bit.

For the first of two for today . . .

Brewery: Epic Ales (Seattle, WA)

Name: Terra Saurus

Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer? Stout? Specialty Beer (probably)?

ABV: 4.50% (?)

Location: Epic Ales brewery (with Cody) and Seattle Jeff’s apartment

Tasting Notes:

Brewed with both dried and fresh shitake mushrooms. Cody says they do affect the head retention (among other things).
Black . . . really dark, dark brown color.
Nice roasted aroma with faint notes of sweetness.
Smooth, with a slight roasted bitterness bite and some sharpness up front that leaves immediately.
Hint of earthy character.
Really awesome with the cheese pairing in the tasting room. The two bring out the best qualities of each and I think the beer is slightly better with the cheese than without.

Epic Ales - Terra Saurus

A beautiful sight.

And now for the second . . .

Brewery: Epic Ales (Seattle, WA)

Name: Simple Ale

Style: American Amber Ale (probably Specialty Beer though)

ABV: 6.00% (?)

Location: Epic Ales brewery (with Cody) and Seattle Jeff’s apartment

Tasting Notes:

Hazy copper in color with a thick, frothy head that leaves a solid trail.
A bit of fruit in the aroma . . . apricot? With honey sweetness?
Lightly sweet with some earthiness.
Slight bitterness that lasts through to finish.
Good carbonation with a slightly dry finish.
Interestingly nice.

4772228667 63b3e49357 Epic Ales Terra Saurus & Simple Ale

Epic Ales - Simple Ale (and a sunset)

Cheers!

Blueprint Brewing - Draft Day Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 172010

If I wait too much longer to post the remaining reviews for my own beers, I will have brewed more batches and have even more home brew evaluations backed up in the queue. That was the entire thought process as I decided what to go with for the post today. Of course that means there will be a bit of a run of these reviews to get them out of the way, so expect to see more over the next few weeks.

Now on to the first of the bunch . . .

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: Draft Day Ale

Style: Black Ale (Specialty Beer)

ABV: 4.65% (+/-)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. Named for having been brewed on the day of the first round of the NFL Draft. Reviewed next to bourbon vanilla half of batch.

Aroma: Faint roasted malt aroma with a light mineral character. Somewhat porteresque overall.

Appearance: Black (dark, dark brown) and slightly darker than the other half of the batch with bourbon. One finger, dark cream head that is pretty thick with good retention and some trail. Opaque, though clear with rising bubbles visible when held to light.

Flavor: Nice clean roasted malt flavor with some light bitterness (mostly from roasted character). Not much in the way of hop character (not surprising based on the amount used) with some slight dryness at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body (though lighter than appearance) with a moderate level of carbonation. Smooth and lightly creamy on the palate.

Overall Impressions: Somewhat like a porter that is lighter in body. A good beer that is a solid base recipe for experimentation, but it needs some more malt (and hops) next time. There is a character in back that I cannot quite explain . . . almost a very light oily-like mouthfeel.

Grade: B(ish)

4813797050 c49391dc33 Blueprint Brewing Draft Day Ale

Blueprint Brewing - Draft Day Ale (on left)

Epic Ales Solar Trans-Amplifier & Simply Summer

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 142010

It is fun to see what I find written on the various sheets of paper that end up on my desk. What I found today will turn into a “B Notes” post for a few brews enjoyed while we were in Seattle last month.

We had the opportunity to stop by Epic Ales on our first day in town and we were able to try some very interesting beers. What I found fascinating about the beers we tried (beyond flavors like ginger and chamomile) was the mouthfeel of them all. Cody uses a sake yeast to ferment his creations and it lends a very unique characteristic to them all. Certainly a place to visit if/when you are in Seattle.

Now on to the first of two for today . . .

Brewery: Epic Ales (Seattle, WA)

Name: Solar Trans-Amplifier

Style: Spice/Herb Beer (maybe considered a Specialty Beer)

ABV: 5.00% (?)

Location: Epic Ales brewery (with Cody) and Seattle Jeff’s apartment

Tasting Notes:

Hazy orangeish honey in color.
Lightly sweet herbal aroma . . . definitely pick up the chamomile.
Slight sweetness to flavor with herbal notes from middle to finish . . . reminds me of drinking a chamomile tea.
Light spiciness underneath . . . perhaps the ginger?
Nicely crisp via a fine carbonation.

Epic Ales - Solar Trans-Amplifier

And now the second . . .

Brewery: Epic Ales (Seattle, WA)

Name: Simply Summer Ale

Style: Saison (again might be considered Specialty Beer)

ABV: No idea

Location: Epic Ales brewery (with Cody) and Seattle Jeff’s apartment

Tasting Notes:

Pale, hazy, white grapefruit juice-like color.
Lightly citrusy (lemon) aroma with a hint of spice behind.
Flavor is very similar to aroma with a light sourness thrown in.
Well carbonated with a bit of bite and sharpness (at a nice level)
Very nice dry finish.
To me it is like drinking a dry Saison . . . Cody compares to a beer from southern France (he referred to as “goat beer”)

4772220621 c4ac427b45 Epic Ales Solar Trans Amplifier & Simply Summer

Epic Ales - Simply Summer Ale

Cheers!

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - Torpedo Extra IPA

Beer Reviews 2 Responses »

Aug 132010

The way I wanted to start this post was by explaining how I tend to drink a lot of Pale Ales and IPAs during the warmer summer months. Then I realized that I drink them a lot regardless of the season. Then I remembered that I did not actually pay for this one (received via pouring at a beer event), so I did not think it counted as me drinking an IPA in the summer. Regardless there is an IPA review for today.

I did not know what the “Extra” exactly meant going in, but after drinking it I can only assume that it referred to the extra (bittering) hops that were used. That must be close to correct.

Now to lead into the weekend . . .

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico, CA)

Name: Torpedo Extra IPA

Style: American IPA

ABV: 7.20%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.

Aroma: An even piney/resiny hop aroma with some herbal hop notes as well as some bready malt undertones. The combination gives a slightly odd characteristic.

Appearance: Medium orangey copper color. One finger light tan/cream color head with a little retention and a solid trail. Clear with rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Fairly light piney hop character (compared to expectations via aroma) with a solid bitterness from middle through to the finish. Slight caramelly malt underneath. The finish is quite dry (astringent) and lingers/builds on the palate. The bitterness is certainly the dominant characteristic.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with a moderate level of carbonation that contributes to the hop bite. Some astringency on the finish with some light warmth noticed.

Overall Impressions: Though the bitterness mellows (balances out) as it warms some, it is too dominant for my liking. It is much better as it warms . . . note for me next time. A fine beer, but not among my favorite from Sierra Nevada. Perhaps a side by side is in order to see where it falls?

Grade: B

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - Torpedo Extra IPA

A little closer now

Coney Island Mermaid and Southampton Altbier

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 112010

It will take some extra effort on my part to be able to post “B Notes” on any sort of regular basis, but I will do my best to make it a common occurrence. My intent is to not let them sit around for too long as many of my reviews from home tend to do. In trying to do that, I am going with another two for one today.

Before moving on I will try to describe Altbiers (see below) for any of you that are not familiar with the style and have not had the opportunity to try one during your beer sampling efforts. Think of it as a bit of a hybrid between an ale and a lager. In general terms top fermenting ale yeast is used, but it is then fermented and aged at cooler temperatures much like a lager would be. The result is a beer with a more subdued ale flavor and with the clean drinking character of a nice lager. In short, be sure to go find one and try it.

Now on to the first of two for today . . .

Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Company (San Francisco, CA & Saratoga Springs, NY)

Name: Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner

Style: German Pilsner

ABV: 5.00%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Don’t usually drink pilsners when out, but I am a fan of Shmaltz
Orangish honey color (darker than many/most pilsners) with a frothy white head.
Lightly sweet in aroma and flavor.
Nice bitterness with some dryness at the finish.
Sweetness and bitterness balances nicely on the palate.
Crisply carbonated
Bitterness dominates (in a good way) . . . leads me to think German Pils (turns out I was correct)

4866069954 11062dcb4c Coney Island Mermaid and Southampton Altbier

Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner

And now the second . . .

Brewery: Southampton Publick House (Southampton, NY)

Name: Altbier

Style: Düsseldorf Altbier

ABV: 5.30%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Deep amber to copper color with a nice cream color head.
Lightly earthy, malty aroma (and flavor).
Slightly toasted, bready, nutty maltiness in flavor.
Crisp carbonation with some light dryness at the finish.
Quite drinkable . . . agreed on by others at table.

Southampton Altbier

Cheers!

Orlando Brewing Partners - Blonde Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 102010

I find myself trying to figure out how I am missing the picture for this one when I have the photo for another beer that I evaluated on the same day. That is quite strange.

Orlando Brewing is really the only show here in town and I don’t find myself down there as often as I should or would like to. Aside from just wanting to support my local brewery, the other reason I like to go to the tasting room is for the other beers. I (generally) like the other styles of beer they offer at the brewery much more than the brews that are more widely available in bottles around town. Of course enjoying beer at the source certainly helps the enjoyment as well.

Now on with the show . . .

Brewery: Orlando Brewing Partners, Inc. (Orlando, FL)

Name: Blonde Ale

Style: American Blonde Ale (Specialty Beer)

ABV: 4.73%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. Gift from the Carlins. Organic brewery.

Aroma: Grainy, somewhat bread-like aroma with a slight sweetness.

Appearance: Straw to honey in color. One finger, white, frothy head with decent retention and leaving a slight trail. Very clear with many small rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Mild graininess with some slight dryness at the finish. Not much in the way of hop flavor.

Mouthfeel: Light body with a high level of carbonation that lends some bite/sharpness. Slightly creamy.

Overall Impressions: Very easy to drink, but rather bland in flavor (maybe I just expected more). Drinks much like more commercial lagers/pilsners. Not my favorite of their beers.

Grade: C

Assuming you are in the general area of Orlando look for the brown bottles with green and yellow labels. Orlando is written on a black banner across the middle and Blonde Ale is in yellow block lettering.

The Bruery Trade Winds and CCB Guava Grove

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 072010

The “B Notes” are so much fun that I am back with another entry and actually a two for one. I always have a folded scrap of paper in my pocket to take notes on and I am happy those scribbles have a place to live now.

If you missed the introduction of the new page check out the very first entry and the description by clicking on the dropdown under the “Tasting Notes” page above.

Now on to the first for today . . .

Brewery: The Bruery (Placentia, CA)

Name: Trade Winds Tripel

Style: Belgian Tripel

ABV: 8.00%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Orange(ish) copper in color with a slight white head.
Sweet, slightly spicy aroma
Honey-like sweetness up front with nice herbal notes and a little bit of fruity flavor after.
Nice crispness and dryness at the finish
Slight warmth noticeable after it warms a bit.

4865452883 ecabbb0f7f The Bruery Trade Winds and CCB Guava Grove

The Bruery - Trade Winds Tripel

And now the second . . .

Brewery: Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)

Name: Guava Grove

Style: Saison (perhaps Fruit Beer)

ABV: 8.00%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Slightly cloudy/hazy orange to copper color having a frothy white head with good retention.
Sweetly sour aroma (slightly acetic?)
Somewhat tart up front with the ripened fruit flavor after (guava of course, though I am not familiar with that flavor).
Grows nicely on the palate as I drink (second sip and on).
Oddly addictive.

4866069714 980eb245fb The Bruery Trade Winds and CCB Guava Grove

Cigar City Brewing - Guava Grove (with DFH Palo Santo Marron to the left)

Anchor Brewing Co. - Liberty Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 062010

Anytime that I read over the notes for reviews done a while back indicating that I would not really want to drink the beer again I immediately want to try the beer again. I am not sure what that says about how my mind works. Actually it sounds strange when I read that since I have evaluated many beers that I really enjoyed and have not been back to try them again either. I tend to get caught up in trying something new all of the time and pass up opportunities to go back to old favorites. That might be a bad habit.

Going back to beers that I did not like much is something I should really plan on doing. It is only fair to try something twice before deciding that I don’t care for it. Then again, it is a tough thing to spend your money on a beer that you think you already do not like. What a dilemma!

Now for the Friday evaluation . . .

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co. (San Francisco, CA)

Name: Liberty Ale

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 6.00%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. Gift from the Carlins.

Aroma: Smooth, floral hop nose (that is not even a slight bit harsh) with faint underlying malt notes that are slightly sweet.

Appearance: Light coppery color. Slight, off-white head with good retention and a solid trail on glass. Very clear with many tiny rising bubbles visible (champagne-like appearance).

Flavor: Sharp hoppy bitterness with a very light toasted malty flavor in back. Pretty good amount of dryness at finish that lingers quite a while.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with a fairly high level of carbonation. Creamy on the palate.

Overall Impressions: Seems to have more complexity in flavor than I am picking out and has much more hop dominant flavor than the aroma implies. I would not drink more than a few back to back and though I was glad to try, I don’t feel the need to have again.

Grade: C+

Anchor Brewing Co. - Liberty Ale

Abita Brewing Company, LLC - Turbodog

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 032010

At the time I evaluated this beer I did not realize it, but as I type it up now the memory of a link to our moving to Florida comes to mind. I remember sitting in a bar downtown (which will remain nameless right now since they are on my bad list) with The Wife before actually moving to Orlando. I was drinking this beer as we discussed our potential housing options. It is strange what the mind holds on to.

Brown Ales are typically not one of my favorites not because I don’t like them, but because so many of them are middle of the road for me. It is rare that one is great enough for me to specifically remember as one to go back to. I guess we all have to have our go to beer styles.

So now for the review without photos for the week (I really thought I had this one too) . . .

Brewery: Abita Brewing Company, LLC (Abita Springs, LA)

Name: Turbodog

Style: English Brown Ale (Northern?)

ABV: 5.60%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $1.49 for a 12oz bottle.

Aroma: Nice roasted maltiness with some slight chocolate notes and the faintest hint of hops in back.

Appearance: Dark, dark brown with some slight garnet tones when held to light. One finger, light brown head with good retention and a slight trail. All but opaque, but clear with tiny rising bubbles when held to light.

Flavor: A chocolate-like roasted flavor with some slight sweetness. Low levels of hop flavor and bitterness with some slight dryness at the finish (that hangs on a bit).

Mouthfeel: Medium (maybe towards full) body with a moderate level of carbonation. Smooth and fairly creamy on the palate.

Overall Impressions: Really enjoyable, mild chocolately flavors that I certainly would like to have more than one of. Maybe not outstanding, but quite good and very nice for the price. I have always enjoyed Abita and this is one of, if not my favorite of their beers.

Grade: A- (ish)

Find where the shorter brown Abita bottles are and then look for the one with the black and silver label with the golden block lettering across the middle and you will have it in front of you.

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Warsteiner Brauerei - Oktoberfest

Blueprint Brewing - Sai What?!

Cigar City Brewing Maduro and Jai Alai

Blueprint Brewing - Wunder Weizen

Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Blueprint Brewing - BouNilla Black

Epic Ales Terra Saurus & Simple Ale

Blueprint Brewing - Draft Day Ale

Epic Ales Solar Trans-Amplifier & Simply Summer

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - Torpedo Extra IPA

Coney Island Mermaid and Southampton Altbier

Orlando Brewing Partners - Blonde Ale

The Bruery Trade Winds and CCB Guava Grove

Anchor Brewing Co. - Liberty Ale

Abita Brewing Company, LLC - Turbodog

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