After having a good group of beers last week, I was glad to have some numbers left over from those same Twitter people to go with again this time. They seemed to have some good number picking mojo going and with a few other numbers written down as backup I figured we would have another nice group of brews this week.
Before moving along I must remind you all that the next Tweetup at Celebration Town Tavern is one week from today. Check out the beers that will be up for “Micro of the Month” election this time and I will see you there!
Though it was a bit hot that day, Bill and I settled in at the outside bar with Rich and the misting fans. Being in the shade with the misters and having a bit of a breeze made for a comfortable beer drinking environment.
Wanting to start the afternoon with something different, we split a Schaefer (number 85 via @GRPasswater). It was certainly a new beer for me as I don’t remember even being in the same room as a can of it before. However, I was a bit hesitant to drink it after Rich wouldn’t look directly at the can as he placed it in front of us as if it was his kryptonite. It poured a pale yellow color with a bit of sharpness and light graininess in the aroma. Though there was a slight sharpness at the finish, there was not much in the way of flavor overall. The good thing is that there were no harsh or off putting flavors either.
Something new for me.
This beer (as is the case with all of this style) is best very cold, though it does not go downhill much as it warms. Since I would drink this one (at $3) over say a Heineken or a Bud, I settled on a 2.5 for a final grade, as did Bill (though I may have talked him into that). I said at the time that it would make for good beer pong fodder and I think that is a pretty accurate description. Since it is very light and crisp I would say this can pair with your typical fried or spicy bar food like onion rings or chicken wings. With that said, if I were to pair a beer with food I would go for something that brought some more flavor of its own to the table.
Claim to fame?
Since we had a few pale ales among the numbers to choose from we decided to do a side by side comparison for our next beers. The competitors would be a Lagunitas Pale Ale (via number 44 from my new favorite running back) and a Sam Adams Pale Ale (via number 83 from @word_czar). Since the numbers shifted a bit with the newly added beers I actually crossed off number 51 (Michelob Ultra) for the Lagunitas, which seemed like a good trade for me. The Lagunitas Pale Ale is a $5 beer and the Sam Adams a $4, so that was something to consider as we evaluated them.
The two beers poured an almost identical golden color with maybe a hint of orange. That is pretty much where the similarities ended. In taking in the (hop) aromas of each it became apparent that we had an American Pale Ale in one hand (Lagunitas) and an English Pale Ale in the other (Sam Adams).
The contenders at the weigh in.
The Lagunitas had a very bold, bright citrusy, slightly floral hop aroma with a light sweetness in back. The flavor led with a big hoppy (somewhat resinous) bite up front that fades to a pretty dry finish with a good amount of bitterness still present. It did seem very IPA-like, though it did not bring much in the way of malt character to balance out the equation.
The aroma of the Sam Adams was a bit flat and earthy with a faint malty sweetness underneath. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy and it has an even malty flavor that leads into some bitterness toward the finish. Though it does not bring a ton of flavor to the table (especially when compared to the Lagunitas), is does have a nice balance of components.
The grades for the two were very close, but for completely different reasons. You really have to be in the mood for some big, hoppy bite if you go with the Lagunitas (though the edge come off a bit as it warms) and the Sam Adams is the more drinkable option of the two. With that Bill gave the Lagunitas a 3 and the Sam Adams a 3.5. Though there are better options on the list, I would drink them both again and gave them both a 3. If necessary I would give the Sam Adams the edge (toward a 3.5) since I could have a few without ravaging my palate. In pairing food with the two, I would go with the spicier foods for the Lagunitas and probably couple the Sam Adams with some nicely grilled meat (steak or pork).
Also had dueling head retention.
Last up was a Hercules Double IPA (number 33) via @willspot. This was a beer that was saved specifically to close an afternoon/evening visit with. With the big flavors and 10% ABV, this one would have been hard to follow with anything else. It poured a deep coppery amber color and I could actually smell some of the aroma at arm’s length as I poured it into the glass. The aroma was (surprisingly) malty overall without much in the way of hoppy characters. It was a bit sweet and caramelly with what seemed to be a slightly smoky note in back. The hop bitterness is even from start to finish, but it is well supported by a nice (somewhat toasty) malty background. There are good flavors throughout with notes of sweetness and nuttiness and a slightly roasted characteristic.
A fine way to wrap up the day.
This is another one of those beers that is great if you have time to sit down with just one. The edges of the bitterness calm some as it warms and you get a different range of flavors as you sit with it. The high ABV is also well balanced in without it becoming too apparent. After all of that it should not be too much of a surprise that Bill and I both gave it a 4.5. I originally wrote down a 4, but I did like it better than the Sam Adams Double Bock, so I bumped it up. Either way it is a good one. I would tend to drink it without food, but the caramelly notes would be nice with red meat and overall I think it would be interesting with some good, pungent cheeses.
I have a thought to go with my closing remarks for this post. First, a big thank you goes to Rich for hanging out and talking beer with us at the outside bar. Also, I must again thank the Twitter folks for helping me choose the good brews. Now for my thought. What is it going to take for me to give a beer a 5? I wish I knew. That is (obviously) a perfect score in this system and is there such a thing as a perfect beer? I would hate to give a 5 to one and then have another that I enjoy more. Maybe I will have to go back after all is done and choose my favorite of the bunch as the lone 5. We shall see.
For those keeping track, that is now 37 down and 62 to go!
Stay tuned . . .
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