I went to NYC to visit David last weekend. Friday night we saw the Mets play the Diamondbacks at Shea, and then went to Spuyten Duyvil afterwards for a couple rounds. Saturday we drove out to Megan's family's place on Shelter Island and then biked out 10 miles on the North Fork and hit up the tasting rooms of several wineries.
The beer at the baseball game was overpriced and of poor quality, but that didn't stop us from drinking. We had three beers each. The one new beer that I had was the abysmal Budweiser Select.
674. Budweiser Select
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Aluminum Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Light Lager, BJCP Style Guide
I consumed this beer right out of the can. This is a pretty standard light lager. The aroma is fairly light, mostly cooked grain. The taste is lightly malty and sweet. There's an unpleasant graininess as the beer warms. Dry huskiness and watery in the mouthfeel. Not pleasant to drink.
After the game we went to Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn, an excellent beer bar. I liked the bar a lot. The ceiling was pressed tin and the walls were decorated with educational charts circa 1950s. There were seats in the windows and a couch against one wall. The walls in the restrooms were covered with chalkboards and there was a bucket of chalk provided. The bar seemed popular with the Hipster crowd. The selection was really good. There were 6 beers on tap, none of which I'd had, and an impressive bottle list, including a Rare/Odd category. The food was reminiscent of the bar food we had at Boulevard in Belgium. There was a list of meats, cheeses and other items. We had a plate that included sweet dry sausage, Stilton, olives and bread. I firmly believe that all bars should offer this type of food. We had two rounds, but switched off halfway in each for a total of four new beers.
675. Ramstein Double Platinum
Beer Stats:
Brewery: High Point Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.5%
Serving: Tap
Style: Weizenbock, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden, very nice color. A half-finger white head fades to a ring.
Smell (3.5): Fruity bananas, with caramel, sugar, light spice and yeast.
Taste (4.0): Sweet banana fruitiness upfront as well as some caramel malts. It moves into a lightly spicy but still sweet finish. There's also a light grassy bitterness to balance things out.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, smooth.
Drinkability (4.0): Pretty nice to drink, it's nicely malty but not overly sweet.
Overall (3.9)
676. Old Engine Oil
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Old Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a dark brown/black with a thin, one-finger, beige head that fades to a ring leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.5): Very strong malty aromas. Caramel, toffee, burnt sugar, dark fruit, with a roasty coffee aroma on swirling.
Taste (4.5): Sweet malts: dates and caramel. Lightly spicy with a light balancing coffee bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium to full-bodied, low carbonation, thick, silky.
Drinkability (4.0): Smooth and balanced, strong flavors, but enjoyable.
Overall (4.4)
677. Jaipur IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Thornbridge Hall Country House Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.90%
Serving: Cask
Style: English India Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Lightly hazy, straw golden. Pours with a thick, overflowing, fluffy, white head. Leaves sheets of lace.
Smell (4.5): Wonderfully citric, grapefruity hops, some grassy aromas as well. A little bit of toasty/sweet maltiness.
Taste (4.0): Toasty malts, briefly sweet fruit in the center, before moving into a dominant, but not overpowering citric hoppy bitterness. A classic English IPA.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light-bodied, moderate to low carbonation, lightly oily.
Drinkability (5.0): Almost the definition of a session beer.
Overall (4.15)
678. Slacker Bock
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sly Fox Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.60%
Serving: Tap
Style: Bock, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.0): Pours a clear reddish-brown with a thin beige head that fades to a ring.
Smell (3.5): Light overall. Sweet malts, caramel.
Taste (3.0): Sweet malts. Fruity throughout. Too sweet with little to balance it. Not unpleasant, just way too sweet.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, overly carbonated.
Drinkability (3.0): Way too sweet, needs something to balance.
Overall (3.15)
The beer at the baseball game was overpriced and of poor quality, but that didn't stop us from drinking. We had three beers each. The one new beer that I had was the abysmal Budweiser Select.
674. Budweiser Select
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Aluminum Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Light Lager, BJCP Style Guide
I consumed this beer right out of the can. This is a pretty standard light lager. The aroma is fairly light, mostly cooked grain. The taste is lightly malty and sweet. There's an unpleasant graininess as the beer warms. Dry huskiness and watery in the mouthfeel. Not pleasant to drink.
After the game we went to Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn, an excellent beer bar. I liked the bar a lot. The ceiling was pressed tin and the walls were decorated with educational charts circa 1950s. There were seats in the windows and a couch against one wall. The walls in the restrooms were covered with chalkboards and there was a bucket of chalk provided. The bar seemed popular with the Hipster crowd. The selection was really good. There were 6 beers on tap, none of which I'd had, and an impressive bottle list, including a Rare/Odd category. The food was reminiscent of the bar food we had at Boulevard in Belgium. There was a list of meats, cheeses and other items. We had a plate that included sweet dry sausage, Stilton, olives and bread. I firmly believe that all bars should offer this type of food. We had two rounds, but switched off halfway in each for a total of four new beers.
675. Ramstein Double Platinum
Beer Stats:
Brewery: High Point Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.5%
Serving: Tap
Style: Weizenbock, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden, very nice color. A half-finger white head fades to a ring.
Smell (3.5): Fruity bananas, with caramel, sugar, light spice and yeast.
Taste (4.0): Sweet banana fruitiness upfront as well as some caramel malts. It moves into a lightly spicy but still sweet finish. There's also a light grassy bitterness to balance things out.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, smooth.
Drinkability (4.0): Pretty nice to drink, it's nicely malty but not overly sweet.
Overall (3.9)
676. Old Engine Oil
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Old Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a dark brown/black with a thin, one-finger, beige head that fades to a ring leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.5): Very strong malty aromas. Caramel, toffee, burnt sugar, dark fruit, with a roasty coffee aroma on swirling.
Taste (4.5): Sweet malts: dates and caramel. Lightly spicy with a light balancing coffee bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium to full-bodied, low carbonation, thick, silky.
Drinkability (4.0): Smooth and balanced, strong flavors, but enjoyable.
Overall (4.4)
677. Jaipur IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Thornbridge Hall Country House Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.90%
Serving: Cask
Style: English India Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Lightly hazy, straw golden. Pours with a thick, overflowing, fluffy, white head. Leaves sheets of lace.
Smell (4.5): Wonderfully citric, grapefruity hops, some grassy aromas as well. A little bit of toasty/sweet maltiness.
Taste (4.0): Toasty malts, briefly sweet fruit in the center, before moving into a dominant, but not overpowering citric hoppy bitterness. A classic English IPA.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light-bodied, moderate to low carbonation, lightly oily.
Drinkability (5.0): Almost the definition of a session beer.
Overall (4.15)
678. Slacker Bock
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sly Fox Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.60%
Serving: Tap
Style: Bock, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.0): Pours a clear reddish-brown with a thin beige head that fades to a ring.
Smell (3.5): Light overall. Sweet malts, caramel.
Taste (3.0): Sweet malts. Fruity throughout. Too sweet with little to balance it. Not unpleasant, just way too sweet.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, overly carbonated.
Drinkability (3.0): Way too sweet, needs something to balance.
Overall (3.15)
Labels: Anheuser-Busch, Bock, English IPA, High Point Brewing Company, Light Lager, Old Ale, Sly Fox Brewing Company, Thornbridge Hall, Travel, Weizenbock
