Cisco Brewers – Whale’s Tale Pale Ale *

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Nov 012011
 

Yet another Pale Ale, but a one from a new brewery to me.  In my mind I know that I tend to enjoy American Pale Ales more so that English ones, but that does not stop me from sampling both pretty much equally.  At the end though the point total for this one fell between two grade points so I did adjust this one down one half a point to the lower of the two.  I did not enjoy it quite enough to bump it up a notch.

Hello to November . . .

Brewery: Cisco Brewers (Nantucket, MA though also Utica, NY on bottle)

Name: Whale’s Tale Pale Ale

Style: English Pale Ale

ABV: 5.60% (on bottle)

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

Aroma: Moderate hop aroma with a bit of a fruity/floral profile and a nice toasty malt character.  Relatively mild overall, but quite pleasant. – 8/12

Appearance: Medium amber in color with a bit of orange.  One finger cream color head that is frothy , holds pretty well, and leaves a bit of a trail on the glass.  Clear with slowly rising bubbles visible. – 2.5/3

Flavor: Consistent hop flavor (with a floral and fruity character) and a nice bitterness throughout.  A bready maltiness as a base.  It is fairly well balanced though the hops are more noticeable.  Finishes with a hint of dryness, but the hop flavor and some of the bitterness holds on for a while afterward. – 12/20

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with a moderate level of carbonation (though with some bite).  Pretty smooth with a slight creaminess on the palate. – 4/5

Overall Impressions: I did not care for the first sip much at all and though it got better for me after that I never really loved it.  Good colder with a nice mouthfeel to it.  the mild bitterness grows on the plate and is an enjoyable component of the beer.  There is however something about the hop flavors that just do not work for me all that well.  Certainly not bad not not a style that is always for me. – 6.5/10

Overall: B- (33/50)

6298417799 e66cc92762 Cisco Brewers Whale’s Tale Pale Ale *

Cisco Brewers - Whale’s Tale Pale Ale

 Posted by Lucas at 10:00 am  Tagged with: , ,

Flying Fish Brewing Company – HopFish IPA *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Apr 192011
 

Sometimes I laugh at my notes when looking back at them.  Now I am sitting here trying to remember what I meant when writing “pretty underwhelming” as part of my description.  I guess I was looking for a certain something to satisfy my thirst for beer at that moment and did not get that something.  Now at any given time I am limited to the beers that I have bothered to tuck into the fridge far enough in advance and I probably should look up these beers before drinking, but I rarely think  that far ahead.

As a side note I seem to remember that Roger (who was the first person I met at college as he lived a few doors down from me) is from Cherry Hill.  Even if I am off on that I wonder what Roger is up to these days.

Time to move on to the first full review of the week . . .

Brewery: Flying Fish Brewing Company (Cherry Hill, NY)

Name: HopFish India Pale Ale

Style: English India Pale Ale

ABV: 6.20% (brewery website)

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

Aroma: Sweet, lightly spicy aroma where the spice and a light fruitiness become the dominant characteristic.  Pretty tame overall. – 7/12

Appearance: Medium coppery amber in color.  Slight cream color head that holds pretty well and leaves a light trail along the glass.  Might have been more substantial with a more vigorous pour.  Clear with rising bubbles visible though there area also a lot of suspended particulates floating around. – 2/3

Flavor: Toasty malt character as a base.  Some mild hop flavors of spice and maybe a bit of fruit followed by a faint bitterness that starts to build on the palate.  Mild overall flavors then finishing a bit dry with some faint lingering flavors. – 12/20

Mouthfeel: Medium(ish) body with a moderate level of carbonation.  Fairly creamy on the palate with a bit of sharpness toward the finish.  – 3/5

Overall Impressions: Pretty underwhelming though not bad (maybe I am starting to grade a little harder).  Probably could get through drinking a few, but I have no great desire to pay for one again.  Nothing particularly memorable about it, but perhaps that was the goal . . . a simple, solid beer. – 5/10

Overall: Good – 29/50

5630788759 e713bb8f58 Flying Fish Brewing Company HopFish IPA *

Flying Fish Brewing Company - HopFish IPA

5630788791 8faa024978 Flying Fish Brewing Company HopFish IPA *

That fish has seen better days

 

 Posted by Lucas at 6:30 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Cigar City Brewing – Bolita

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Dec 062010
 

It is pretty clear that the list of B Notes is becoming a bit Cigar City Brewing heavy, but I am very much OK with that. I make a point to sample their seasonal offerings whenever I get the chance because I do not know when I will get a shot at them again.  Actually with the number of different releases they have done in the last year or so I cannot be certain if all of them will even see a second go at all. That would certainly make it difficult for me to try them ever again!

On we go with the start of the week.. . .

Brewery: Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)

Name: Bolita Double Nut Brown Ale

Style: Northern English Brown Ale

ABV: 9.00%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege and Richard behind the bar.

Tasting Notes:

  • Dark, dark brown in color with a light tan head that has good retention and leaves a solid trail along glass.
  • Nice roasted malty aroma with a light sweetness.
  • Fullish body and quite smooth on the palate.
  • Really great roasted malty flavor with notes of chocolate and coffee and also a molasses-like character.
  • Some light warmth and earthiness noticeable.
  • Very solid big brown ale (though not a surprise).
5228740657 105fef78e4 Cigar City Brewing Bolita

Cigar City Brewing - Bolita Double Nut Brown Ale

Cheers!

 Posted by Lucas at 7:00 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,
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