861. John Harvard's Toasted Brown Ale
I spent way too much time waiting in line for an iPhone (I'm a consumer whore!) on Thursday July 17th. After finishing up some lab work, Jadyn and I went to John Harvard's to have some beer. I decided on the Toasted Brown Ale, which sounded nice. Now that I have a decent camera on my phone I'm hoping the number of photos for the blog will increase.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: American Brown Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.8
Pours a clear, dark brown with ruby tints. Topped by a thick, fluffy, light-brown head that fades to a continuous film leaving nice lace. Toasty, bready, roasty and chocolate note make up much of the aroma.
Toasted malts upfront, bready with a hint of sweetness. Caramel and chocolate in the center with a hint of fruit. The finish is a lightly bitter, roasty character. Light-bodied, moderately carbonated with a smooth finish.
This was tasty and well balanced, definitely a good session beer.
I spent way too much time waiting in line for an iPhone (I'm a consumer whore!) on Thursday July 17th. After finishing up some lab work, Jadyn and I went to John Harvard's to have some beer. I decided on the Toasted Brown Ale, which sounded nice. Now that I have a decent camera on my phone I'm hoping the number of photos for the blog will increase.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: American Brown Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.8
Pours a clear, dark brown with ruby tints. Topped by a thick, fluffy, light-brown head that fades to a continuous film leaving nice lace. Toasty, bready, roasty and chocolate note make up much of the aroma.
Toasted malts upfront, bready with a hint of sweetness. Caramel and chocolate in the center with a hint of fruit. The finish is a lightly bitter, roasty character. Light-bodied, moderately carbonated with a smooth finish.
This was tasty and well balanced, definitely a good session beer.
Labels: American Brown Ale
860. Brooklyn Keller Helles
Jadyn and I went to Christopher's in porter Square for drinks on July 17th. I neglected to bring my notebook, so this is what was jotted down after-the-fact.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Keller Bier
A nice, clear, straw golden. Topped by a white head that fades to a film. Leaves patchy lace. The aroma i sweet with a bit of citrus and a mineral yeastiness. Clean on the palate. Lightly sweet with a grassy, herbal bitterness in the finish, and a clean, crisp graininess. Light-bodied with a good amount of carbonation.
Jadyn and I went to Christopher's in porter Square for drinks on July 17th. I neglected to bring my notebook, so this is what was jotted down after-the-fact.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Keller Bier
A nice, clear, straw golden. Topped by a white head that fades to a film. Leaves patchy lace. The aroma i sweet with a bit of citrus and a mineral yeastiness. Clean on the palate. Lightly sweet with a grassy, herbal bitterness in the finish, and a clean, crisp graininess. Light-bodied with a good amount of carbonation.
Labels: Keller Bier
Jadyn and I got up relatively early on Sunday morning and checked out of the hotel. We drove back into Burlington and stopped at the City Market Onion-River Co-op to buy a few groceries. I remember getting strawberries and some of their on-tap Kombucha.
Kombucha is an herbal tea fermented by a a mixed culture of bacteria, including Acetobacter, and yeast, including Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Candida stellata and Schizosaccharomyces pombe among others. It has a pleasing tart flavor, and a bright, refreshing fizziness. If you're a fan of lambics you might enjoy Kombucha. Jadyn's been picking up G.T. Dave's Kombucha from Whole Foods occasionally. It's much tarter and more carbonated than some of the other brands that I've tried, very tasty and refreshing. Though, it has strands of the culture floating around which may put some people off (including myself somewhat). If you like lambics you might give Kombucha a try.
I do feel that i should give a disclaimer though. Kombucha is really fucking Granola. There are a lot of claims of its "natural" medicinal benefit, and as with other "natural remedies" it seems to be mostly horseshit. There are no actual quality studies backing any of this up. There was also a scare back in 1995 about the dangers of Kombucha, but most of these seemed to be related to contamination of home-brewed Kombucha. I don't believe for a second that it can cure cancer. I just think it's a tasty drink.
After we left Burlington, we drove to Stowe to have lunch at The Shed Restaurant & Brewery. I had a burger and fries for lunch and Jadyn had a spinach pastry item. After lunch we went to the Ben & Jerry's factory for a tour and ice cream.
858. Mountain Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant & Brewery
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Old Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.7
I had a pint of their Mountain Ale with lunch. Pours a hazed, amber-brown. Topped by a thin, wispy, beige head. Lace clings to the side of the glass as the beer moves, but it only leaves sporadic patches. Toffee and caramel on the nose, notes of dates and prunes, and a hint of roastiness.
A malty, but not cloying, sweetness is predominant upfront. There are toffee and caramel flavors on top of a nice toasty flavor. Hints of dates and raisins in the center. The finosh is a mix of alcoholic spice and a light, but lingering, roasty bitterness. Medium-bodied, smooth, with moderate carbonation.
Tasty with a nice warming feel, definitely a good winter beer, but it was nice on this cool, overcast day.
859. Mocha Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant & Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Jadyn had the Mocha Porter, which I drank a bit of. Black with a thick beige head that leaves trails of lace and retains well. The aroma is roasty with a light fruitiness, chocolate and coffee.
Lightly bready and toasty upfront. Moves into a fruity center with a nice, bitter, coffee finish. Light bodied, moderately carbonated, smooth.
Kombucha is an herbal tea fermented by a a mixed culture of bacteria, including Acetobacter, and yeast, including Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Candida stellata and Schizosaccharomyces pombe among others. It has a pleasing tart flavor, and a bright, refreshing fizziness. If you're a fan of lambics you might enjoy Kombucha. Jadyn's been picking up G.T. Dave's Kombucha from Whole Foods occasionally. It's much tarter and more carbonated than some of the other brands that I've tried, very tasty and refreshing. Though, it has strands of the culture floating around which may put some people off (including myself somewhat). If you like lambics you might give Kombucha a try.
I do feel that i should give a disclaimer though. Kombucha is really fucking Granola. There are a lot of claims of its "natural" medicinal benefit, and as with other "natural remedies" it seems to be mostly horseshit. There are no actual quality studies backing any of this up. There was also a scare back in 1995 about the dangers of Kombucha, but most of these seemed to be related to contamination of home-brewed Kombucha. I don't believe for a second that it can cure cancer. I just think it's a tasty drink.
After we left Burlington, we drove to Stowe to have lunch at The Shed Restaurant & Brewery. I had a burger and fries for lunch and Jadyn had a spinach pastry item. After lunch we went to the Ben & Jerry's factory for a tour and ice cream.
858. Mountain Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant & Brewery
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Old Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.7
I had a pint of their Mountain Ale with lunch. Pours a hazed, amber-brown. Topped by a thin, wispy, beige head. Lace clings to the side of the glass as the beer moves, but it only leaves sporadic patches. Toffee and caramel on the nose, notes of dates and prunes, and a hint of roastiness.
A malty, but not cloying, sweetness is predominant upfront. There are toffee and caramel flavors on top of a nice toasty flavor. Hints of dates and raisins in the center. The finosh is a mix of alcoholic spice and a light, but lingering, roasty bitterness. Medium-bodied, smooth, with moderate carbonation.
Tasty with a nice warming feel, definitely a good winter beer, but it was nice on this cool, overcast day.
859. Mocha Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Shed Restaurant & Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Jadyn had the Mocha Porter, which I drank a bit of. Black with a thick beige head that leaves trails of lace and retains well. The aroma is roasty with a light fruitiness, chocolate and coffee.
Lightly bready and toasty upfront. Moves into a fruity center with a nice, bitter, coffee finish. Light bodied, moderately carbonated, smooth.
Labels: American Porter, Old Ale
857. Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
Published by Unknown on Monday, August 18, 2008 at 9:30 AM.
After leaving The Vermont Pub & Brewery, Jadyn and I walked around Burlington for about half-an-hour longer until we felt like dinner. We had dinner at Smokejack's on Church Street. We had some very tasty fried curds as an appetizer. Jadyn had a veggie burger, and I had a steak, overall it ended up being a pretty lengthy dinner. After dinner we walked around a bit more, before deciding to head to the hotel. On the way back we stopped by the City Market Onion-River Co-op to pick up a beer for the hotel room.
857. Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Year: 2008
Alcohol: 9.20%
Serving: Bottle 22 oz.
Style: American Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 4.25
Pours a thick, opaque black. Topped by a creamy, dark brown head that retains well and leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is malty and roasty. Chocolate is dominant, but there are also notes of dark fruit and coffee.
Malty chocolate upfront moves into a boozy center with notes of toffee, more chocolate and fruit. Finish is an insanely strong roasty, dark chocolate bitterness. Thick and full-bodied, smooth, moderate to low carbonation.
The bitterness is really assertive, but really flavorful.
857. Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Year: 2008
Alcohol: 9.20%
Serving: Bottle 22 oz.
Style: American Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 4.25
Pours a thick, opaque black. Topped by a creamy, dark brown head that retains well and leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is malty and roasty. Chocolate is dominant, but there are also notes of dark fruit and coffee.
Malty chocolate upfront moves into a boozy center with notes of toffee, more chocolate and fruit. Finish is an insanely strong roasty, dark chocolate bitterness. Thick and full-bodied, smooth, moderate to low carbonation.
The bitterness is really assertive, but really flavorful.
Labels: American Stout
855-856. Burlington: The Vermont Pub and Brewery
Published by Unknown on Friday, August 15, 2008 at 9:30 AM.
On Saturday Jadyn and I left the hotel and drove into downtown Burlington. On our way to rent bikes we stopped at a farmer's market and had some nice tamales and a black bean salad for brunch. Then we bought a loaf of bread, some peas, strawberries and some Willow Hill Farm Summertomme cheese, a sheep's milk cheese with an herbed crust.
After the farmer's market, we rented bicycles and rode the Island Line Bike Trail. The Island Line Trail is a 12.5 mile bike trail that begins at Oakledge Park in Burlington, runs through Burlington near the lake, crosses the Winooski River, runs through Colchester, and out onto a marble causeway originally built for a railroad that served the Lake Champlain Islands. The trail runs out to a gap in the causeway that's used by boats to pass from one side to the other. The trail continues on past the gap onto South Hero, but there's currently no means to cross it unless you arrange something ahead of time. We started at around mile 2.5 and rode to end of the causeway, where we stopped. We snacked on the peas, bread, cheese and strawberries, and then had a short swim before heading back. We stopped at North Beach on the way back, but didn't swim because it was crowded, so we snacked some more, and then sat on the grass resting for awhile.
After returning the bikes we walked around downtown some more, and then stopped at The Vermont Pub and Brewery to have a couple beers before dinner.
855. Spuyten Duyvil
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Vermont Pub & Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.9
Pours a hazed, brownish-red. The off-white head fades to a thin film leaving patchy lace. The aroma is lightly acidic. There are also notes of wood with a nice funky, lambic earthiness on the swirl.
Acidic tartness throughout, light cherry fruitiness in the center with a woody finish. It could use a bit more of a puckering quality in the finish. Light-bodied and moderately carbonated with a light dryness in the finish.
Really drinkable because it's not overly sour. A damn good shot at a Flanders Red.
856. Beetlejuice
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Vermont Pub & Brewery
Alcohol: 6.40%
Serving: Tap
Style: Hefe Weizen, BJCP Style Guide
Jadyn and I split this one.
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.7
Pours like a saturated yeast culture: cloudy and straw-golden. The head thins to a persistent film with good lace. The aroma is light with notes of citrus, banana, neutral grain and yeast.
Sweet upfront, but not overly so. There's nice banana and citrus fruitiness. Neutral graininess in the center with a yeasty finish. Light-bodied and moderately carbonated.
A perfect summer day beer.
After the farmer's market, we rented bicycles and rode the Island Line Bike Trail. The Island Line Trail is a 12.5 mile bike trail that begins at Oakledge Park in Burlington, runs through Burlington near the lake, crosses the Winooski River, runs through Colchester, and out onto a marble causeway originally built for a railroad that served the Lake Champlain Islands. The trail runs out to a gap in the causeway that's used by boats to pass from one side to the other. The trail continues on past the gap onto South Hero, but there's currently no means to cross it unless you arrange something ahead of time. We started at around mile 2.5 and rode to end of the causeway, where we stopped. We snacked on the peas, bread, cheese and strawberries, and then had a short swim before heading back. We stopped at North Beach on the way back, but didn't swim because it was crowded, so we snacked some more, and then sat on the grass resting for awhile.
After returning the bikes we walked around downtown some more, and then stopped at The Vermont Pub and Brewery to have a couple beers before dinner.
855. Spuyten Duyvil
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Vermont Pub & Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.9
Pours a hazed, brownish-red. The off-white head fades to a thin film leaving patchy lace. The aroma is lightly acidic. There are also notes of wood with a nice funky, lambic earthiness on the swirl.
Acidic tartness throughout, light cherry fruitiness in the center with a woody finish. It could use a bit more of a puckering quality in the finish. Light-bodied and moderately carbonated with a light dryness in the finish.
Really drinkable because it's not overly sour. A damn good shot at a Flanders Red.
856. Beetlejuice
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Vermont Pub & Brewery
Alcohol: 6.40%
Serving: Tap
Style: Hefe Weizen, BJCP Style Guide
Jadyn and I split this one.
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.7
Pours like a saturated yeast culture: cloudy and straw-golden. The head thins to a persistent film with good lace. The aroma is light with notes of citrus, banana, neutral grain and yeast.
Sweet upfront, but not overly so. There's nice banana and citrus fruitiness. Neutral graininess in the center with a yeasty finish. Light-bodied and moderately carbonated.
A perfect summer day beer.
Labels: Flanders Red Ale, Hefe Weizen
853-854. Burlington: American Flatbread
Published by Unknown on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 9:30 AM.
Jadyn and I went to Burlington, Vermont the weekend of July 11th. We left Cambridge at about 3:30 and drove to Burlington. After checking into our hotel and relaxing for about an hour we walked into town and decided to have dinner at American Flatbread. We'd been to a similar restaurant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on the way back from skiing a couple times. The two have to be related somehow; they have similar menus, and similar atmospheres, but they have different websites. The one in Burlington has a brewery associated with it, so I wanted to stop for dinner and beer.
We started with their Evolution Salad, which has greens, carrots, celery, arame seaweed, and crumbled blue cheese topped with a nice raspberry vinaigrette. They have an identical salad at the restaurant in Portsmouth, it's so good that it was a must order for us. I had one of the special pizzas, which had chipotle barbecued pork, smoked cheddar cheese and zucchini, and Jadyn had the ratatouille pizza. Both pizzas were very tasty as was the slice of carrot cake that we split for dessert.
853. Mr. Black
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Zero Gravity Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Schwarzbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.95
Pours a clear, brownish black with garnet tints against the light. Topped by a thick, beige head that thins to a persistent film. The aromas are light overall, but still pleasing. There's a nice whiff of cherries, some caramel notes, and a nice roastiness on swirling.
There's a light bready sweetness upfront that's met by a toasty malts with some hints of caramel. Roasty throughout with a nice bit of roasted bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, high carbonation, crisp.
Flavorful and easily sessionable.
854. London Calling
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Zero Gravity Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: English Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.85
Pours a hazed copper. Topped by a thin, sudsy film of a head. The aroma is relatively light. There are hints of apple fruitiness and a juicy hop presence. There's a grainy, mineral yeast aroma.
Toasty, lightly sweet, caramel malts. Moves through to an apple-like character in the finish with some husky, hop bitterness and a light citric character. Light-bodied, moderately carbonated with a nice dryness in the finish.
Good balance with a dryness that keeps you drinking.
We started with their Evolution Salad, which has greens, carrots, celery, arame seaweed, and crumbled blue cheese topped with a nice raspberry vinaigrette. They have an identical salad at the restaurant in Portsmouth, it's so good that it was a must order for us. I had one of the special pizzas, which had chipotle barbecued pork, smoked cheddar cheese and zucchini, and Jadyn had the ratatouille pizza. Both pizzas were very tasty as was the slice of carrot cake that we split for dessert.
853. Mr. Black
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Zero Gravity Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Schwarzbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.95
Pours a clear, brownish black with garnet tints against the light. Topped by a thick, beige head that thins to a persistent film. The aromas are light overall, but still pleasing. There's a nice whiff of cherries, some caramel notes, and a nice roastiness on swirling.
There's a light bready sweetness upfront that's met by a toasty malts with some hints of caramel. Roasty throughout with a nice bit of roasted bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, high carbonation, crisp.
Flavorful and easily sessionable.
854. London Calling
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Zero Gravity Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: English Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.85
Pours a hazed copper. Topped by a thin, sudsy film of a head. The aroma is relatively light. There are hints of apple fruitiness and a juicy hop presence. There's a grainy, mineral yeast aroma.
Toasty, lightly sweet, caramel malts. Moves through to an apple-like character in the finish with some husky, hop bitterness and a light citric character. Light-bodied, moderately carbonated with a nice dryness in the finish.
Good balance with a dryness that keeps you drinking.
Labels: English Pale Ale, Schwarzbier
852. Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager
Jadyn and I had dinner at some friends' apartment sometime in early July. They had Sierra Nevada Summerfest, which was a new one for me.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a thick, foamy, white head that slowly fades to a few wisps. The aroma is clean. A hint of sweet maltiness, mostly grassy and spicy hops.
There's a lightly sweet graininess throughout, that's mostly neutral in flavor. Citrusy with hints of fruit in the center. There's a lightly grassy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied and smooth with moderate carbonation. There's also a nice crispness.
Not at all bland, a refreshing lawnmower beer.
Jadyn and I had dinner at some friends' apartment sometime in early July. They had Sierra Nevada Summerfest, which was a new one for me.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a thick, foamy, white head that slowly fades to a few wisps. The aroma is clean. A hint of sweet maltiness, mostly grassy and spicy hops.
There's a lightly sweet graininess throughout, that's mostly neutral in flavor. Citrusy with hints of fruit in the center. There's a lightly grassy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied and smooth with moderate carbonation. There's also a nice crispness.
Not at all bland, a refreshing lawnmower beer.
Labels: Czech Pilsener
851. YouEnjoyMyStout
Jadyn and I had dinner and drinks at Cambridge Brewing Company on the 3rd of July. I had one glass of YouEnjoyMyStout, and then Jadyn and I split another glass.
The website says:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Year: Spring 2007
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 4.2
As with all of the high alcohol beers at the CBC, this one came in a sub-pint serving, specifically a snifter-style glass. The beer is deep, almost opaque black, and is topped by a thick, dark-brown head, which fades to a quarter-inch film, leaving patchy lace. The aroma is very malty: chocolate, coffee, dark fruit (prunes and raisins), and cherries. There's also a bourbon, booziness on swirling along with a woody aroma.
Malty upfront, caramel, chocolate and dark fruit, much like the aroma. A bourbon barrel booziness appears in the center and carries through to the finish, which is roasty with notes of coffee and chocolate. Smooth and thick on the palate, moderately carbonated. The woody, tannic finish lends a dry feeling to the finish.
Very tasty and well done, but it's definitely a sipping beer.
Jadyn and I had dinner and drinks at Cambridge Brewing Company on the 3rd of July. I had one glass of YouEnjoyMyStout, and then Jadyn and I split another glass.
The website says:
Imperial Stout is a variety of British stout brewed considerably richer and stronger than the norm. Originally crafted for export to czarist Russia, Catherine the Great, among others, was a known enthusiast. It is rich, roasty, srong, smooth, and dark, dark, dark. This expression of YouEnjoyMyStout was brewed in Spring 2007, and has since whiled away the days in a quintet of American bourbon barrels. The complexities added by tannins, oxidation, and oak character complement the malt notes of caramel, bitter chocolate, and espresso-roast, finishing with a long, alcohol-tinged palate.Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Year: Spring 2007
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 4.2
As with all of the high alcohol beers at the CBC, this one came in a sub-pint serving, specifically a snifter-style glass. The beer is deep, almost opaque black, and is topped by a thick, dark-brown head, which fades to a quarter-inch film, leaving patchy lace. The aroma is very malty: chocolate, coffee, dark fruit (prunes and raisins), and cherries. There's also a bourbon, booziness on swirling along with a woody aroma.
Malty upfront, caramel, chocolate and dark fruit, much like the aroma. A bourbon barrel booziness appears in the center and carries through to the finish, which is roasty with notes of coffee and chocolate. Smooth and thick on the palate, moderately carbonated. The woody, tannic finish lends a dry feeling to the finish.
Very tasty and well done, but it's definitely a sipping beer.
Labels: Russian Imperial Stout
850. Dale's Pale Ale
I've been hearing about Dale's Pale Ale and other beers from Oskar Blues for awhile now. It's one of the first canned craft beers that I heard about, and it seemed to be getting much of the press for a resurgence in canned beers over the last two years. I'd been intending to pick it up for awhile now, but for some reason never have. However, Ward recently tweeted about some Oskar Blues beers, and seemed to like them. Ward tends to have pretty good taste when it comes to beer so I think that this is what made me decide to pick up a six-pack for dinner at some friends' apartment.
I haven't taken proper notes on the beer, but I've picked up another six-pack, and I'm four-beers through that. It's definitely a good beer to have in the fridge, and I'll probably be picking up some more beers from Oskar Blues.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Can, 12 oz.
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a heavily-hazed copper color. Topped by a small, sudsy, off-white head that retains fairly well, but eventually, fades to a wispy film. The aromas are very strong piney and fruity hops with a bit of toasty maltiness. The flavors are much the same. There's a nice bready, toasty, caramely malt backbone that stands up to - but doesn't overwhelm - the strong hops. The finish has a nice assertive, lasting, hop bitterness. Highly carbonated and a tad oily, which gives the beer a fuller feeling than other pale ales. This is a fantastic APA.
I've been hearing about Dale's Pale Ale and other beers from Oskar Blues for awhile now. It's one of the first canned craft beers that I heard about, and it seemed to be getting much of the press for a resurgence in canned beers over the last two years. I'd been intending to pick it up for awhile now, but for some reason never have. However, Ward recently tweeted about some Oskar Blues beers, and seemed to like them. Ward tends to have pretty good taste when it comes to beer so I think that this is what made me decide to pick up a six-pack for dinner at some friends' apartment.
I haven't taken proper notes on the beer, but I've picked up another six-pack, and I'm four-beers through that. It's definitely a good beer to have in the fridge, and I'll probably be picking up some more beers from Oskar Blues.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Can, 12 oz.
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a heavily-hazed copper color. Topped by a small, sudsy, off-white head that retains fairly well, but eventually, fades to a wispy film. The aromas are very strong piney and fruity hops with a bit of toasty maltiness. The flavors are much the same. There's a nice bready, toasty, caramely malt backbone that stands up to - but doesn't overwhelm - the strong hops. The finish has a nice assertive, lasting, hop bitterness. Highly carbonated and a tad oily, which gives the beer a fuller feeling than other pale ales. This is a fantastic APA.
Labels: American Pale Ale
After leaving Burp Castle, we went to The Belgian Room for more beer. I had my first real lambic here, a Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek, back in 2006. So I was looking forward to another trip.
847. Lectio Divina
We started by sharing a 750 mL (I believe) of a Belgian Strong Pale Ale from a brewery in Florida that I'd never heard of.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Saint Somewhere Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.85
Pours a cloudy amber. Topped by a thick, beige head that fades to a patchy ring. The aroma is fruity wit notes of grape, citrus and berry. There's also a light peppery note.
Toasty upfront, builds to a sweet, berry fruitiness. The finish is a light peppery spice. Highly carbonated, medium-bodied, dry.
Tasty, not terribly complex, but I'd definitely try more beer from this brewery.
848. Strubbe Super Pils
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Strubbe
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 2.0 | Drinkability: 3.0
Overall: 3.4
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a thick, white head that fades to a film, leaving nice lace. The aroma is crisp and grainy with notes of citrus and pepper.
Sweet upfront with a light, fruity citrus quality. Moves through to a finish with banana and citrus. A very faint bitterness in the finish. Medium-bodied with ridiculously low carbonation. I think upping the carbonation would really help this one a lot.
849. Saison Deluxe
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Southampton Publick House
Alcohol: 7.40%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 5.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 4.05
Pours a cloudy, orange-golden. Topped by a thick, egg-white head that fades to a film leaving thick layers of lace. The aroma is predominantly bananas, yeast and pepper.
Fruity upfront: bananas and citrus. The finish is peppery with a light bitterness. There's a nice balance between sweet and spicy. High carbonation, medium-bodied.
847. Lectio Divina
We started by sharing a 750 mL (I believe) of a Belgian Strong Pale Ale from a brewery in Florida that I'd never heard of.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Saint Somewhere Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.85
Pours a cloudy amber. Topped by a thick, beige head that fades to a patchy ring. The aroma is fruity wit notes of grape, citrus and berry. There's also a light peppery note.
Toasty upfront, builds to a sweet, berry fruitiness. The finish is a light peppery spice. Highly carbonated, medium-bodied, dry.
Tasty, not terribly complex, but I'd definitely try more beer from this brewery.
848. Strubbe Super Pils
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Strubbe
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 2.0 | Drinkability: 3.0
Overall: 3.4
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a thick, white head that fades to a film, leaving nice lace. The aroma is crisp and grainy with notes of citrus and pepper.
Sweet upfront with a light, fruity citrus quality. Moves through to a finish with banana and citrus. A very faint bitterness in the finish. Medium-bodied with ridiculously low carbonation. I think upping the carbonation would really help this one a lot.
849. Saison Deluxe
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Southampton Publick House
Alcohol: 7.40%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 5.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 4.05
Pours a cloudy, orange-golden. Topped by a thick, egg-white head that fades to a film leaving thick layers of lace. The aroma is predominantly bananas, yeast and pepper.
Fruity upfront: bananas and citrus. The finish is peppery with a light bitterness. There's a nice balance between sweet and spicy. High carbonation, medium-bodied.
Labels: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, German Pilsener
After the driving range we went to McSorley's, because Win was interested in seeing the oldest continuously operating bar in The City. We had a couple rounds and an order of cheese and crackers to tide us over since we had an early brunch.
After leaving McSorley's, we went to Burp Castle. We snacked on the free fries there, and played three person hearts on the porch. I narrowly edged Win out for the win 42-43, and David lagged with 69 points. We had a few rounds here, before heading to our next stop.
845. Lime & Ginger Bitter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Tap
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.3
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a dense, white head that sticks around quite awhile. The aroma is dominated by the spicing: mostly ginger with a subtle hint of lime.
Overall this beer is very neutral. There's a slight malty undercurrent that runs throughout, and a finish that has ginger spiciness, citrus and a hint of bitterness. Light-bodied, moderate carbonation and a light dryness in the finish.
Not overly spiced which was good, but not a lot of flavor otherwise.
846. Backburner
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.85
Pours a clear, deep amber. Topped by a beige head that fades to a patchy film leaving spotty lace. The aroma is malty and very fruity with notes of caramel and cherries. Swirling brings out hints of hops.
Malty: caramel and a bit of chocolate. Toasty with a bit of citrusy hops and a nice bitter finish. Full-bodied, moderate to low carbonation and smooth.
After leaving McSorley's, we went to Burp Castle. We snacked on the free fries there, and played three person hearts on the porch. I narrowly edged Win out for the win 42-43, and David lagged with 69 points. We had a few rounds here, before heading to our next stop.
845. Lime & Ginger Bitter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Tap
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.3
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a dense, white head that sticks around quite awhile. The aroma is dominated by the spicing: mostly ginger with a subtle hint of lime.
Overall this beer is very neutral. There's a slight malty undercurrent that runs throughout, and a finish that has ginger spiciness, citrus and a hint of bitterness. Light-bodied, moderate carbonation and a light dryness in the finish.
Not overly spiced which was good, but not a lot of flavor otherwise.
846. Backburner
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.85
Pours a clear, deep amber. Topped by a beige head that fades to a patchy film leaving spotty lace. The aroma is malty and very fruity with notes of caramel and cherries. Swirling brings out hints of hops.
Malty: caramel and a bit of chocolate. Toasty with a bit of citrusy hops and a nice bitter finish. Full-bodied, moderate to low carbonation and smooth.
Labels: American Barleywine, Fruit/Vegetable Beer
