1015. Mayflower Porter
I went to a friend's thesis defense celebration at the Tavern in Central Square last Thursday. I had several Mayflower Porters while I was there.
I have to say this beer grew on me through the course of the night. I think of my improved perception of this beer has to do with the initial wateriness caused by the frosted glass that it was served in. I'm pretty convinced of my modified ratings.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Mayflower Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: English Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 5.0
Overall: 3.95
Pours a clear, ruby-tinted brown. Topped by a frothy, light-brown head that fades to a film. The aroma is rich and malty. There are notes of chocolate, toffee, coffee, and a mild booziness.
Mildly sweet malts are well balanced against a roasty backbone: notes of toffee, chocolate and a nice booziness. There's a sharp bite in the finish with a nice, lingering, roasted bitterness. Moderately carbonated and light-bodied.
This is a fine session beer. It's very flavorful and not overpowering, yet it's not a beer that grows bland after you've had a couple.
I went to a friend's thesis defense celebration at the Tavern in Central Square last Thursday. I had several Mayflower Porters while I was there.
I have to say this beer grew on me through the course of the night. I think of my improved perception of this beer has to do with the initial wateriness caused by the frosted glass that it was served in. I'm pretty convinced of my modified ratings.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Mayflower Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: English Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 5.0
Overall: 3.95
Pours a clear, ruby-tinted brown. Topped by a frothy, light-brown head that fades to a film. The aroma is rich and malty. There are notes of chocolate, toffee, coffee, and a mild booziness.
Mildly sweet malts are well balanced against a roasty backbone: notes of toffee, chocolate and a nice booziness. There's a sharp bite in the finish with a nice, lingering, roasted bitterness. Moderately carbonated and light-bodied.
This is a fine session beer. It's very flavorful and not overpowering, yet it's not a beer that grows bland after you've had a couple.
Labels: English Porter
1014. Baby Tree
As part of American Craft Beer Week, which was last week, I made an effort to drink only Massachusetts craft beer. Last Wednesday (May 13th) I opened a bottle of Baby Tree, the newest release from Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project. I served this in two chalices and split it with Jadyn. This beer is a Quadrupel brewed with "dried plums" (which, I have to admit, sounds a lot classier than prunes).
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project
Alcohol: 8.60%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.0
Pours a cloudy, chocolate brown, and is topped by a transient, half-inch, brown head that fades to a wispy ring. The aroma is sweet and malty, there are notes of candi sugar and an intense aroma of dark fruit. There are notes of raisins, dates and dried plums. There's also a light, husky graininess on the swirl.
The beer is initially sweet on the palate. A nice, cindi sugar, sweetness unfolds into a plum fruitiness in the center. The dark fruit characters in this quad are much milder than other exapmles of the style. There's a brief, peppery flash towards the finish, which quickly moves into a husky graininess that's punctuated by a mild bitterness and light sweetness. Medium-bodied, smooth and moderately carbonated. The grainy quality gives the beer a bit of dryness.
I liked Baby Tree. It's not as intense as other Quads, but it has a pleasing fruity maltiness and a nice dryness in the finish.
As part of American Craft Beer Week, which was last week, I made an effort to drink only Massachusetts craft beer. Last Wednesday (May 13th) I opened a bottle of Baby Tree, the newest release from Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project. I served this in two chalices and split it with Jadyn. This beer is a Quadrupel brewed with "dried plums" (which, I have to admit, sounds a lot classier than prunes).
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project
Alcohol: 8.60%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.0
Pours a cloudy, chocolate brown, and is topped by a transient, half-inch, brown head that fades to a wispy ring. The aroma is sweet and malty, there are notes of candi sugar and an intense aroma of dark fruit. There are notes of raisins, dates and dried plums. There's also a light, husky graininess on the swirl.
The beer is initially sweet on the palate. A nice, cindi sugar, sweetness unfolds into a plum fruitiness in the center. The dark fruit characters in this quad are much milder than other exapmles of the style. There's a brief, peppery flash towards the finish, which quickly moves into a husky graininess that's punctuated by a mild bitterness and light sweetness. Medium-bodied, smooth and moderately carbonated. The grainy quality gives the beer a bit of dryness.
I liked Baby Tree. It's not as intense as other Quads, but it has a pleasing fruity maltiness and a nice dryness in the finish.
Labels: Quadrupel
1013. Leatherlips IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Tap / Haverhill Brewery, Inc
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.1
This IPA pours a slightly hazed, copper color, and is topped by a off-white, sudsy head that fades to a persistent film leaving patches of lace. Upon pouring, the aroma is dominated by strong resiny and citric hop aromas. Letting the beer air out for a bit allows malts to come to the fore. There are notes of caramel and apricot, with the hops adding a bright, citric aroma.
Malty and moderately sweet upfront, and into the center: notes of caramel and apricots. The sweetness is short lived, however, with a strong hop bitterness appearing in the center and lasting through the finish. There are nice citric hop flavors as well as a light resiny kick. The beer is moderately carbonated, medium-bodied and slightly oily.
This is a nice hop-forward IPA that manages to have a decent amount of maltiness that doesn't steal focus from he hops.
For American Craft Beer Week I'm trying new beers brewed by local (Massachusetts) craft brewers, especially those that I tend to overlook when picking out a six-pack of beer to have in the fridge. I've seen Leatherlips around various liquor stores in the area, but for some reason I've never picked any up. Last night I picked up a six-pack at Downtown Wine & Spirits, and had a bottle with dinner.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Tap / Haverhill Brewery, Inc
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.1
This IPA pours a slightly hazed, copper color, and is topped by a off-white, sudsy head that fades to a persistent film leaving patches of lace. Upon pouring, the aroma is dominated by strong resiny and citric hop aromas. Letting the beer air out for a bit allows malts to come to the fore. There are notes of caramel and apricot, with the hops adding a bright, citric aroma.
Malty and moderately sweet upfront, and into the center: notes of caramel and apricots. The sweetness is short lived, however, with a strong hop bitterness appearing in the center and lasting through the finish. There are nice citric hop flavors as well as a light resiny kick. The beer is moderately carbonated, medium-bodied and slightly oily.
This is a nice hop-forward IPA that manages to have a decent amount of maltiness that doesn't steal focus from he hops.
Labels: American IPA
This week (May 11th - 17th) is American Craft Beer Week, sponsored by the Brewers Association. As its name implies, its goal is to promote an celebrate the wonderful diversity of beers brewed by American craft brewers.
From the Brewers Association Website:
I'll be celebrating ACBW by seeking out beers from Massachusetts breweries, which I too often overlook when I purchase beer. This week I encourage you to seek out and enjoy local craft beer.
From the Brewers Association Website:The Declaration of Beer Independence is a worthwhile statement, but as others have mentioned, its definition of a craft brewery as one that produces fewer than 2 million barrels a year seems flawed. If a 2 million+ barrel a year brewery still focuses on quality beer, then I would still call it a craft brewery.America's small and independent craft brewers (see Craft Brewing Statistics) are making special plans for the annual American Craft Beer Week (May 11-17), a national celebration highlighting the culture and contributions of craft beer. These brewers want the week to inspire beer enthusiasts to declare their independence by supporting breweries that produce fewer than 2 million barrels of beer a year and are independently owned. In the works are special brewery tours, beer and food pairing events, special release craft beers and festivals all across the U.S. The Declaration of Beer Independence is available on the program web site and the American Craft Beer Week fan page on Facebook, which has more than 2,000 fans thus far.
Changed to a weeklong event in 2006, the inaugural American Craft Beer Week was recognized by the U.S. Congress with House Resolution 753 (PDF file). The week has continued to grow with interest and support from beer enthusiasts and the media. In 2007, more than 150 brewers registered their community celebrations.
I'll be celebrating ACBW by seeking out beers from Massachusetts breweries, which I too often overlook when I purchase beer. This week I encourage you to seek out and enjoy local craft beer.
1012. Efes Pilsener
A friend was grilling at his place the last weekend in April. Elçin, a post-doc in my lab, brought a six-pack of Efes, a Pilsener brewed in Turkey.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Anadolu Efes Brewery
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
I drank this beer directly from the bottle, and the notes are from memory. The beer wasn't the best Pils I've had, but it was decent. The beer was pleasingly malty with a nice leafy hoppiness, and pleasing crispness in the finish.
A friend was grilling at his place the last weekend in April. Elçin, a post-doc in my lab, brought a six-pack of Efes, a Pilsener brewed in Turkey.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Anadolu Efes Brewery
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
I drank this beer directly from the bottle, and the notes are from memory. The beer wasn't the best Pils I've had, but it was decent. The beer was pleasingly malty with a nice leafy hoppiness, and pleasing crispness in the finish.
Labels: German Pilsener
1011. Reckoning
Jadyn and I went to dinner at Cambridge Brewing Company last night (April 22nd). It was mostly spurred by the release of their second 20th anniversary beer, Reckoning, which was fermented with only Brettanomyces. Their current beer list is huge, probably 20 beers or so available on tap, either is for the Craft Brewers Conference, or for their 20th anniversary.
From the website:
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.60%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.25
Pours a cloudy, pale, golden color, and is topped by a thin, white head that quickly fades to a ring. The strongest aroma evident is the characteristic 'hop sack' aroma contributed by Brettanomyces. Swirling brings out phenolic, funky and earthy aromas, somewhat reminiscent of lambic, but much more restrained. Underneath this wild character lies a mild fruitiness with hints of citrus, and banana.
There's a mild, bready sweetness upfront that builds into a fruity center with notes of grape, banana and citrus. This is mirrored by the flavors contributed by the Brett, which appear early on and build towards the center where they contribute a slight tartness. The Brett character mellows towards the center lending earthy and woody characters. The beer is medium-bodied and smooth with a prickly finish that moves into a nice dryness.
Perhaps I'm biased, but I love beers brewed with Brettanomyces. I thought that this beer had a nice mix of the wild characters that I like and an underlying fruitiness that helps to add depth.
Jadyn and I went to dinner at Cambridge Brewing Company last night (April 22nd). It was mostly spurred by the release of their second 20th anniversary beer, Reckoning, which was fermented with only Brettanomyces. Their current beer list is huge, probably 20 beers or so available on tap, either is for the Craft Brewers Conference, or for their 20th anniversary.
From the website:
Incidentally, this is also our first trip to the CBC since they updated their menu. I was sad to see the Cubano removed from the dinner menu, but at least it's still on the lunch menu. A notable addition to their appetizer menu is the "Local Picks Plate", which consists of "Artisanal Cheese, Cured Meat, Vegetable Pickles, Fruits, Local Honey, Fried Nuts." There's a picture of ours below. The cheese was very tasty as were the pickled vegetables, which included spring onions, cauliflower, and fiddlehead ferns. For dinner Jadyn had the Veggie Muffaletta sandwich, a new addition to the menu, and I had their barbecue burger, which was very tasty.Reckoning, or dead reckoning, is the process of estimating one's current position based upon a previously determined position, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time, and course. It’s also the name of the Grateful Dead’s live album from the Warfield Theater run in 1981, a series of shows from which Phil ‘Brewdaddy’ Bannatyne was ejected personally by Bill Graham himself.
Reckoning also applies to CBC’s current position, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary – looking back on our path to this point, and plotting our course ahead into the future.
Reckoning, the beer, is a first for us, representing the first time we’ve brewed a beer with 100% Brettanomyces (Brett). Primary fermentation was in stainless, and it was then sent to the Barrel Cellar into five pinot noir barrels to finish fermentation and conditioning. Four months later this beer has emerged, full of fruit and funk.
Unfiltered, it presents a very cloudy mien and offers aromas of tropical fruit with a hint of fresh hay. On the palate, the grassy notes become much more earthy with hints of horse blanket and barnyard (in a good way. Trust me.) commingling with the fruity, high end of yeast character.
This funky brew references our history of pushing the boundaries of beer, from Belgians to Barrel Cellars,and from our traditional friend Saccharomyces to our unicellular brothers in weirdness like Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Brett.
We hope you enjoy it, and look forward as we do to twenty more years of great beer and good times.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.60%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.25
Pours a cloudy, pale, golden color, and is topped by a thin, white head that quickly fades to a ring. The strongest aroma evident is the characteristic 'hop sack' aroma contributed by Brettanomyces. Swirling brings out phenolic, funky and earthy aromas, somewhat reminiscent of lambic, but much more restrained. Underneath this wild character lies a mild fruitiness with hints of citrus, and banana.
There's a mild, bready sweetness upfront that builds into a fruity center with notes of grape, banana and citrus. This is mirrored by the flavors contributed by the Brett, which appear early on and build towards the center where they contribute a slight tartness. The Brett character mellows towards the center lending earthy and woody characters. The beer is medium-bodied and smooth with a prickly finish that moves into a nice dryness.
Perhaps I'm biased, but I love beers brewed with Brettanomyces. I thought that this beer had a nice mix of the wild characters that I like and an underlying fruitiness that helps to add depth.
1010. Mighty Arrow Pale Ale
On Sunday (Easter) Win and I drove down to Temple, Texas, where David's dad lives. We spent some time at his dad's place before heading out in search of drink. After an unsuccessful attempt to find a dive called "Old 95" we headed to O'Brien's, an Irish pub in downtown Temple. O'Brien's is an attractive, two-level space with wood paneling, high ceilings and a modest, but impressive, beer list. I had a couple of beers before trying a beer from New Belgium that I hadn't had before.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: New Belgium Brewing
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, pale copper, and is topped by a fluffy, white head that fades to a film leaving good lace. The aroma has a nice punch of citric hops as well as some malty and fruity undertones.
Toasty malts upfront with an underlying, light, bready sweetness. The finish has a good dose of leafy, piney hops. Medium-bodied with low carbonation with a touch of oiliness.
A nice session beer, but it could have used a bit more hops.
On Sunday (Easter) Win and I drove down to Temple, Texas, where David's dad lives. We spent some time at his dad's place before heading out in search of drink. After an unsuccessful attempt to find a dive called "Old 95" we headed to O'Brien's, an Irish pub in downtown Temple. O'Brien's is an attractive, two-level space with wood paneling, high ceilings and a modest, but impressive, beer list. I had a couple of beers before trying a beer from New Belgium that I hadn't had before.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: New Belgium Brewing
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, pale copper, and is topped by a fluffy, white head that fades to a film leaving good lace. The aroma has a nice punch of citric hops as well as some malty and fruity undertones.
Toasty malts upfront with an underlying, light, bready sweetness. The finish has a good dose of leafy, piney hops. Medium-bodied with low carbonation with a touch of oiliness.
A nice session beer, but it could have used a bit more hops.
Labels: American Pale Ale
Before leaving Austin we stopped at Whip In, a convenience store, market, beer store and Indian Cafe all in one (I regret not trying the Breakfast Naan). The beer selection was amazing, and based on browsing the website, even more impressive than I'd thought. We picked up several beers for drinking in Waco, since none of Waco's liquor stores have anything approaching a good selection of beers that haven't been sitting on the shelves forever (Dicorte's I'm looking at you). We drank these beers, along with a six-pack of Real Ale Full Moon Rye, over the span of Saturday and Sunday.
1007. Zoetzuur Flemish Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy, dark amber. Topped by a beige head that fades to a ring. Sweet and malty notes mingle with a bit of acidity in the aroma. Lightly sweet and malty flavors upfront move into a mild, fruity tartness in the center. Light-bodied and moderately carbonated with a mild dryness in the finish. This beer was tasty and had a lot of the right flavors, but was lacking the bracing acidity that I prefer to see in the style.
1008. Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: 9.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy, straw-golden, and is topped by a bright, white head. Fruity notes of banana and citrus hover over an earthy, Brettanomyces aroma. A mild fruitiness upfront builds to a peak in the center, followed by a light peppery finish with a mild earthiness. Medium-bodied and dry. I liked the Brettanomyces character present in the beer, but would have preferred more of it. Perhaps cellaring would help this beer out substantially.
1009. La Merle
Beer Stats:
Brewery: North Coast Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 7.90%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.6
I enjoyed this beer sitting outside on David's dad's back porch. Pours a very cloudy golden with amber tints, and is topped by a thick, meringue-like, off-white head that retains well and leaves patches of lace. The aroma carries fruity notes of citrus, bananas and apricots, as well as hints of yeast and a peppery spice.
Sweet and bready malts move into a banana fruitiness in the center. The finish is mildly grainy and has a peppery spice that strengthens as the beer warms. Medium-bodied and smooth with moderate carbonation.
I'm not sure what I look for in a Saison, but not many have it. This beer is pleasant enough to drink, but just doesn't have that extra something that makes me say "Now this is a Saison!"
1007. Zoetzuur Flemish Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy, dark amber. Topped by a beige head that fades to a ring. Sweet and malty notes mingle with a bit of acidity in the aroma. Lightly sweet and malty flavors upfront move into a mild, fruity tartness in the center. Light-bodied and moderately carbonated with a mild dryness in the finish. This beer was tasty and had a lot of the right flavors, but was lacking the bracing acidity that I prefer to see in the style.
1008. Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: 9.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy, straw-golden, and is topped by a bright, white head. Fruity notes of banana and citrus hover over an earthy, Brettanomyces aroma. A mild fruitiness upfront builds to a peak in the center, followed by a light peppery finish with a mild earthiness. Medium-bodied and dry. I liked the Brettanomyces character present in the beer, but would have preferred more of it. Perhaps cellaring would help this beer out substantially.
1009. La Merle
Beer Stats:
Brewery: North Coast Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 7.90%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.6
I enjoyed this beer sitting outside on David's dad's back porch. Pours a very cloudy golden with amber tints, and is topped by a thick, meringue-like, off-white head that retains well and leaves patches of lace. The aroma carries fruity notes of citrus, bananas and apricots, as well as hints of yeast and a peppery spice.
Sweet and bready malts move into a banana fruitiness in the center. The finish is mildly grainy and has a peppery spice that strengthens as the beer warms. Medium-bodied and smooth with moderate carbonation.
I'm not sure what I look for in a Saison, but not many have it. This beer is pleasant enough to drink, but just doesn't have that extra something that makes me say "Now this is a Saison!"
Labels: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Flanders Red Ale, Saison
