Okay, it's a six pack with one beer each of six different styles. The problem, therefore, is I get one chance to analyze. On the other hand, I've had Saranac before, mostly a few years ago when I hung out with someone from upstate New York, kinda near Saranac's brewery.
Tonight's installment is the Adirondack Lager. It's got a somewhat typical Lager fizz -- almost like a ton of very little tiny bubbles, instead of what I'd call bigger bubbles in other beers. Tough to describe, but the bubbles in a lager often will envelop the tongue like a million little pinpricks.
The flavor's nothing special. Saranac, to an extent, is like a few microbreweries I know in that every beer sort of has the same underlying taste profile -- one of those things where you can say it TASTES like Saranac made it. Long Trail and Harpoon also have that quality to them, I'd say, to a degree. No matter which beer of theirs you have, you've kinda tasted it before....this one's slightly roasty, with more bitterness underneath it.
My grade: C
Thursday, July 8, 2010
gettin' STOOPID
So, I love it when a brewery tries to tackle a beer with an abundance of hops. It doesn't always taste good (Hop Monster, I'm still talking to you....), but the effort is interesting.
A really good job is done by Lagunitas of California, in an ale they call Hop Stoopid. 102 International Bittering Units. Um, whatever that means, although I suppose I could do some more research there -- especially so that I don't risk thinking of the 102 as one might the points scored in a round of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
The beer is hoppy, but it's sweet. Not so much a malty sweetness, so that's interesting. A good test of the sweetness is after you have a mouthful, give it a swirl in the front lower section of your mouth. Different beers will give you different reactions, and this one's was excellent.
The alcohol level is 8%, so a 22-oz. bottle can do a number on ya easily enough.
My grade: B+
A really good job is done by Lagunitas of California, in an ale they call Hop Stoopid. 102 International Bittering Units. Um, whatever that means, although I suppose I could do some more research there -- especially so that I don't risk thinking of the 102 as one might the points scored in a round of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
The beer is hoppy, but it's sweet. Not so much a malty sweetness, so that's interesting. A good test of the sweetness is after you have a mouthful, give it a swirl in the front lower section of your mouth. Different beers will give you different reactions, and this one's was excellent.
The alcohol level is 8%, so a 22-oz. bottle can do a number on ya easily enough.
My grade: B+
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Updating Red Hook
Okay, two more types of beer in that 12-pack.
First, we've got the Copper Ale. Blah. I've had another copper ale from Otter Creek in Vermont which is way better.
I understand the copper -- the beer is penny-colored. (Or "coloured" for any English/Canadian folks out there)
But it's not great at all. It's got a fake sweetness taste to it.
My grade: C-
Now the last of the 12-pack is a beer that I've gotten six-packs of by itself -- Long Hammer. This is the best Red Hook I've had. An IPA that is not too hoppy....It obviously isn't a beer you can chug five of in a row, being thicker and perhaps I'd say creamier than usual beer. But you want to. Yes it leans heavy on hops -- that's what IPAs do. But this is probably an instance of a "well-balanced" IPA -- I've had beers where the hops are just gross (Hop Monster, I'm talking to you!), and so it's good to have a beer that means to be hop-heavy, but doesn't piss you off about it.
My grade: A-
First, we've got the Copper Ale. Blah. I've had another copper ale from Otter Creek in Vermont which is way better.
I understand the copper -- the beer is penny-colored. (Or "coloured" for any English/Canadian folks out there)
But it's not great at all. It's got a fake sweetness taste to it.
My grade: C-
Now the last of the 12-pack is a beer that I've gotten six-packs of by itself -- Long Hammer. This is the best Red Hook I've had. An IPA that is not too hoppy....It obviously isn't a beer you can chug five of in a row, being thicker and perhaps I'd say creamier than usual beer. But you want to. Yes it leans heavy on hops -- that's what IPAs do. But this is probably an instance of a "well-balanced" IPA -- I've had beers where the hops are just gross (Hop Monster, I'm talking to you!), and so it's good to have a beer that means to be hop-heavy, but doesn't piss you off about it.
My grade: A-
Friday, July 2, 2010
More Red Hook
Okay, the next beer from the 12-pack is what I'd probably call Red Hook's signature beer, the ESB. (Extra Special Bitter)
Ya know, the one beer from a microbrewery that you can find on tap at the bar, amidst all the usual mass-produced dreck.
Anyway, it's pretty good. The one taste profile that comes to mind, though, is syrupy. It's pretty sweet-tasting, almost to the point where you feel like you can feel the extra sugars swirl around in your mouth. Obviously, therefore, it's more malty than hoppy. But the sweetness helps in the smoothness department, too. It goes down easiliy, although it's not a chugger, by any stretch. Unfortunately, the sweetness also adds a bit of a metallic taste, though not much.
My grade: B-
Ya know, the one beer from a microbrewery that you can find on tap at the bar, amidst all the usual mass-produced dreck.
Anyway, it's pretty good. The one taste profile that comes to mind, though, is syrupy. It's pretty sweet-tasting, almost to the point where you feel like you can feel the extra sugars swirl around in your mouth. Obviously, therefore, it's more malty than hoppy. But the sweetness helps in the smoothness department, too. It goes down easiliy, although it's not a chugger, by any stretch. Unfortunately, the sweetness also adds a bit of a metallic taste, though not much.
My grade: B-
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
A variety pack
I am currently enjoying a twelve-pack from Red Hook out of Portsmouth, NH.
I'm going to start with something they call Slim Chance. It's their light beer, as noted by the 125 calories on the label. Of course, that's more than a bottle each of MGD64 and the Bud Select 55. Well, I've had the MGD64, and I'll take the extra calories any day.
Slim Chance is what I'd call a well balanced flavor profile. In other words, not too malty, not too hoppy. And when you drink it, you notice the malt first and the hops at the end of the sip. It's a little thin, but yeah, it's a light beer. It's probably easier to make a light beer on the malty side, if only because you can roast the malt and stretch the flavor. Use a strong amount of malt, and you can dilute it a bit more with water, end up with reasonably fewer calories, but still taste the beer well.
So anyways, it's well balanced, but not exactly KILLER....My grade for Slim Chance: B-
I'm going to start with something they call Slim Chance. It's their light beer, as noted by the 125 calories on the label. Of course, that's more than a bottle each of MGD64 and the Bud Select 55. Well, I've had the MGD64, and I'll take the extra calories any day.
Slim Chance is what I'd call a well balanced flavor profile. In other words, not too malty, not too hoppy. And when you drink it, you notice the malt first and the hops at the end of the sip. It's a little thin, but yeah, it's a light beer. It's probably easier to make a light beer on the malty side, if only because you can roast the malt and stretch the flavor. Use a strong amount of malt, and you can dilute it a bit more with water, end up with reasonably fewer calories, but still taste the beer well.
So anyways, it's well balanced, but not exactly KILLER....My grade for Slim Chance: B-
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Beers in Chicago
Okay, I was just in Chicago for a couple of days, one of which involved beer drinking. Here's a recap.
Fat Tire Ale: I've actually tried cloning this beer as a homebrew, based on a kit pre-measured by Maltose Express in Monroe, CT. It worked well as a homebrew, but this was the first time I'd ever actually had a chance to try the original. It's quite good. Nice deep amber color, and swings very much on the malt side, rather than the hops side. Probably more than I'd like, but that's not a reason not to respect it! Grade: B
Goose Island 312: The waitress said this was a wheat beer, but it at least seemed filtered. (I worried about the gasiferous effects of unfiltered beers.) Crisp, but otherwise forgettable, really. Grade: C
The Poet: This was an oatmeal stout from Michigan. And after drinking lighter-colored beers, I was like, oh geez, I didn't notice the style when I ordered it. You know, stout....dark, almost syrupy in your mouth. You can actually taste the brownness, and this was definitely brown. Had a strange fruity essence amid the darkness, though. Grade: C+
My friend Mega had an IPA I believe. He poured me a little from his, and that was far superior to the stout. If I can find out who made it again, I'll have to try it another time. Possible A- potential, which would be the highest grade I've given anything so far....
Fat Tire Ale: I've actually tried cloning this beer as a homebrew, based on a kit pre-measured by Maltose Express in Monroe, CT. It worked well as a homebrew, but this was the first time I'd ever actually had a chance to try the original. It's quite good. Nice deep amber color, and swings very much on the malt side, rather than the hops side. Probably more than I'd like, but that's not a reason not to respect it! Grade: B
Goose Island 312: The waitress said this was a wheat beer, but it at least seemed filtered. (I worried about the gasiferous effects of unfiltered beers.) Crisp, but otherwise forgettable, really. Grade: C
The Poet: This was an oatmeal stout from Michigan. And after drinking lighter-colored beers, I was like, oh geez, I didn't notice the style when I ordered it. You know, stout....dark, almost syrupy in your mouth. You can actually taste the brownness, and this was definitely brown. Had a strange fruity essence amid the darkness, though. Grade: C+
My friend Mega had an IPA I believe. He poured me a little from his, and that was far superior to the stout. If I can find out who made it again, I'll have to try it another time. Possible A- potential, which would be the highest grade I've given anything so far....
Monday, June 14, 2010
Long Trail Pale Ale
So I saw some Long Trail IPA in the store the other day. Their IPA is pretty good, not as good as Harpoon, though. So I noticed next to it was a regular Pale Ale. That's what I bought, instead. Green label, instead of the yellow for the IPA.
This beer is solid. It's got the floral hoppy flavor one would expect. Not thin-tasting, either. The bitterness of the hops is balanced very well....if you've ever had a serious IPA that just feels like beating the crap out of your tongue, then you know what I mean. The color is a traditional orange-brown with slight yellow around the edges.
So, being a thick beer, you can't just knock 4 or 5 down in one sitting. 2-3, though, are a treat. Doesn't have to be icy cold, but the next level up is good.
My grade: B+
This beer is solid. It's got the floral hoppy flavor one would expect. Not thin-tasting, either. The bitterness of the hops is balanced very well....if you've ever had a serious IPA that just feels like beating the crap out of your tongue, then you know what I mean. The color is a traditional orange-brown with slight yellow around the edges.
So, being a thick beer, you can't just knock 4 or 5 down in one sitting. 2-3, though, are a treat. Doesn't have to be icy cold, but the next level up is good.
My grade: B+
Friday, June 11, 2010
Beers of Florida
Just a couple different beers while I was in Jacksonville, and nothing local (River City Brewing Company existed there years ago, not sure now)
Land Shark Lager -- I guess the story on this is that Jimmy Buffett owns at least part of it. Anyways, it was very yellow. And a little fizzier than beer really should be. But not hideous. Still, what's the market really? It's just regular old beer. Like another dairy putting out vanilla ice cream. Really? Like yours is any more special than the 20 other brands in the store already? Grade: C
Blue Moon -- I used to like this beer more than I do now. Probably because I had it before it became "cute" to serve it with an orange slice. It's a Belgian white, which is an excuse (a good one, though) to brew extra spices like coriander into the beer. Anyway, I had this one on tap, and it was served warmer than it should have been. I like a sweet beer like this to be pretty chilled, which this was not. Grade: B
Land Shark Lager -- I guess the story on this is that Jimmy Buffett owns at least part of it. Anyways, it was very yellow. And a little fizzier than beer really should be. But not hideous. Still, what's the market really? It's just regular old beer. Like another dairy putting out vanilla ice cream. Really? Like yours is any more special than the 20 other brands in the store already? Grade: C
Blue Moon -- I used to like this beer more than I do now. Probably because I had it before it became "cute" to serve it with an orange slice. It's a Belgian white, which is an excuse (a good one, though) to brew extra spices like coriander into the beer. Anyway, I had this one on tap, and it was served warmer than it should have been. I like a sweet beer like this to be pretty chilled, which this was not. Grade: B
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Free beer
So I'm at a software seminar this week....They will provide free beverages. The beer offerings are pretty thin. All "major" brands....
I have two to report on.
Sam Adams -- this is what I like to refer to as "good beer, for people who don't know any better...."
And that's what it is. It's good beer. It wins prizes because it's good. Still, it's annoying that it's become a sort of stereotype for people who think they're buying upscale beer. "Hey, I bought some good beer!!!" Anyways, there's nothing special about Sam. It's got the flavor profile that's like, mass-produced beer reduced to 75% or original beer. Like, it's 33% better than your average beer -- the taste is stronger, but it's not like they incorporating something special -- just less water!
The other beer, as I worried about getting filled up, was Bud Light. Neither Bud, or Bud Light, is the worst beer in the world. It's by no means, however, as good as IT thinks it is. And that's the thing -- overexposure. And if it's going to be fewer calories than normal, well then no complaints. But really. A thin flavor profile, but something you don't taste in most beers, and that's NOT a slam. It's actually pretty good, for one or two bottles. But you have to know you're not getting anything "out" of it.
Grades:
Sam Adams: B
Bud Light: C
I have two to report on.
Sam Adams -- this is what I like to refer to as "good beer, for people who don't know any better...."
And that's what it is. It's good beer. It wins prizes because it's good. Still, it's annoying that it's become a sort of stereotype for people who think they're buying upscale beer. "Hey, I bought some good beer!!!" Anyways, there's nothing special about Sam. It's got the flavor profile that's like, mass-produced beer reduced to 75% or original beer. Like, it's 33% better than your average beer -- the taste is stronger, but it's not like they incorporating something special -- just less water!
The other beer, as I worried about getting filled up, was Bud Light. Neither Bud, or Bud Light, is the worst beer in the world. It's by no means, however, as good as IT thinks it is. And that's the thing -- overexposure. And if it's going to be fewer calories than normal, well then no complaints. But really. A thin flavor profile, but something you don't taste in most beers, and that's NOT a slam. It's actually pretty good, for one or two bottles. But you have to know you're not getting anything "out" of it.
Grades:
Sam Adams: B
Bud Light: C
That funky monkey...
So, to go with the FORT, I bought some Golden Monkey.
This is made by Victory Brewing, a brewery I toured with a buddy about five years ago.
Everything these guys do is great. They have a Pils that's really good, and they make my all-time favorite, Hop Devil.
Golden Monkey is a warm beer. It's 9.5% ABV (not a great step down from the 18% of FORT, to be honest)....but it's really good. Think of a belgian white, only without the spices in it. Warm is the best description -- you drink it and it warms you, and it's never as cold as you may have refrigerated it.
The alcohol presence warms you without making you shudder. (Drink something stronger than normal and you'll understand what that means....) It's lightr than you'd expect, if you heard how strong it is.
So basically, be careful with it, and enjoy...
Grade: B
This is made by Victory Brewing, a brewery I toured with a buddy about five years ago.
Everything these guys do is great. They have a Pils that's really good, and they make my all-time favorite, Hop Devil.
Golden Monkey is a warm beer. It's 9.5% ABV (not a great step down from the 18% of FORT, to be honest)....but it's really good. Think of a belgian white, only without the spices in it. Warm is the best description -- you drink it and it warms you, and it's never as cold as you may have refrigerated it.
The alcohol presence warms you without making you shudder. (Drink something stronger than normal and you'll understand what that means....) It's lightr than you'd expect, if you heard how strong it is.
So basically, be careful with it, and enjoy...
Grade: B
Thursday, June 3, 2010
And away we go...
The first beer on this blog is Dogfish Head's FORT.
It's an "ale brewed with pureed raspberries".
What the label didn't say is that it's like 18% alcohol. So pouring it into a mug wasn't the smartest move. I suppose the $15.99 price tag for a pint bottle should have given me some clue. Actually, I did kind of expect higher than usual ABV, but Beer Advocate mentioned the 18%.
So anyway, yeah, you brew it with that much potency, it's not going to taste like regular ol' beer. I definitely detect the raspberry flavor, but there's a lot of earthiness underneath that. The color is kinda like the old Indian Red Crayola color. And there's a good dose of sediment at the bottom.
The label mentions it was "made to age with the best of them." And as I notice now, it was bottled in November of 2006. It's pretty thick, too. So we've got the combination of the raspberries, the thickness, and the high alcohol.
I'm not sure this qualifies as a "dessert beer". You definitely want to sip it rather than chug. There's no bitterness, but the alcohol sort of takes over that role.
So let's see....
I give it a C+. I won't be buying it again, but it was worth taking a flyer.
Until next time....
It's an "ale brewed with pureed raspberries".
What the label didn't say is that it's like 18% alcohol. So pouring it into a mug wasn't the smartest move. I suppose the $15.99 price tag for a pint bottle should have given me some clue. Actually, I did kind of expect higher than usual ABV, but Beer Advocate mentioned the 18%.
So anyway, yeah, you brew it with that much potency, it's not going to taste like regular ol' beer. I definitely detect the raspberry flavor, but there's a lot of earthiness underneath that. The color is kinda like the old Indian Red Crayola color. And there's a good dose of sediment at the bottom.
The label mentions it was "made to age with the best of them." And as I notice now, it was bottled in November of 2006. It's pretty thick, too. So we've got the combination of the raspberries, the thickness, and the high alcohol.
I'm not sure this qualifies as a "dessert beer". You definitely want to sip it rather than chug. There's no bitterness, but the alcohol sort of takes over that role.
So let's see....
I give it a C+. I won't be buying it again, but it was worth taking a flyer.
Until next time....
Here's how this'll work
I'll drink beer and then describe it. You can then try to buy the same beer yourself to enjoy it, if applicable.
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