Jadyn and I went to Shelter Island, NY for memorial day weekend. We stayed at David's wife's family's house there. David (enabler) brought up several new beers for me to try.
1017. St-Ambroise Pale Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: McAuslan Brewing
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.2
St-Ambroise Pale Ale pours a cloudy, amber-copper color. It's topped by a light, off-white head that quickly fades to a film. Lace clings to the side of the glass. The aroma is an interesting mix. There's a bright interplay of fruit, caramel, citric hops, and a mild, phenolic twang.
The beer itself is well-attenuated with only a mild residual sweetness upfront. The malts are predominantly toasty before moving into a very mild malty sweetness that's a mix of caramel and fruity esters. The finish has a moderately bitter, herbal hop quality. This pale ale is light-bodied and moderately carbonated with a pleasing dryness in the finish.
I liked this beer a lot. It's balanced, but only mildly sweet. The dryness is pleasing and helps make this a good session beer.
1018. Southampton Altbier
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Southampton Publick House
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.7
This Alt pours a clear brown with copper tints. It's topped by a fizzy, three-quarter inch, eggshell colored head that rises quickly on the pour, and just as quickly fades to a film. Pinprick dots of lace adorn the glass. The aroma is quite nice. There are notes of caramel malts, hints of roastiness and a mineral twang.
Caramel malts upfront move into a mild estery fruitiness in the center. The finish has a mineral twang and a mild bitterness. Overall this beer is very clean on the palate. Its flavors are there, but don't pop. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it works well here to showcase a nice mineral character that would have otherwise been overpowered. This Alt is moderately carbonated and medium-bodied, and has a very nice crispness.
This beer is a decent Alt. I think a bit more hoppiness would have been nice, provided the beer stayed crisp.
1019. Brooklyn Local 2
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 9.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 4.25
I'd been looking forward to trying this beer, since Brooklyn Local 1 was so good. Local 2 pours a cloudy brown with reddish tints. It's topped by a sudsy beige head that fades to a continuous film. The aroma is incredibly bright for the style. There's a bright layer of citrus and honey, below which lie the rich malty aromas of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale: dark fruit and candi sugar. I think the addition of some more aromatic ingredients really did a lot for the aroma of this beer, making it seem more light and inviting than a typical Belgian Dark.
This beer's flavors tell the same story as the aroma: the honey and citrus upfront give a lighter, brighter impression before diving deeper into the darker, maltier depths. The dark malt flavors in the center are a nice mix of candi sugar, caramel, rasins, dates and other dark fruit. The finish has a nice mix of peppery and alcoholic spice, a brief reprise of citrus, and a mild bitterness. Local 2 has very prickly carbonation, is medium-bodied and is surprisingly smooth once some of the carbonation dissipates.
This is another winner for Brooklyn's Local series. It's strong, fizzy and has an interesting addition of honey and citrus that I think adds a lot to the mix.
1020. Batemans XXXB
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Batemans Brewery
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (ESB), BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.85
Based on the handwriting in my notebook, I dictated this review to Jadyn (you're the best, thanks for humoring me).
This ESB pours a crystal clear copper, and is topped by a sudsy, frothy, off-white head that fades to a film. Sustained bubbling seems to keep the film intact. The aromas are nicely malty: biscuity malts, toffee, and a little bit of an apricot aroma.
Upfront this beer is mildly sweet with a lot of maltiness. The sweetness is contributed by toffee flavors, but the bulk of the maltiness is buiscuity and toasty, which lasts through to the finish. The finish is moderately bitter with grassy and herbal hop flavors. This ESB is medium-bodied, moderately carbonated and has a mild dryness in the finish.
I thought that Batemans XXXB was a nice malt-forward beer that managed to keep the sweetness in check and that had a nice bitterness in the finish.
1021. Blue Point Summer Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Blue Point Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.40%
Serving: Bottle 12 oz.
Style: American Blonde Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 2.85
Blue Point's Summer Ale pours a clear golden and is topped by a thick, bright white head, which fades fairly quickly to a film. The aroma is fairly light. There's a hint of citrus and a mild graininess.
There's a mild sweetness as he beer first hits the palate with some neutral graininess as well. Fruity esters make a brief appearance in the center, and are met by a mild peppery character and mild bitterness in the finish. This beer is light-bodied and moderately carbonated, but feels a tad watery.
I was pretty disappointed with this beer. I know summer beers tend to be lighter, but this one was bland and lacked the crispness that makes a beer like this refreshing.
1017. St-Ambroise Pale Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: McAuslan Brewing
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.2
St-Ambroise Pale Ale pours a cloudy, amber-copper color. It's topped by a light, off-white head that quickly fades to a film. Lace clings to the side of the glass. The aroma is an interesting mix. There's a bright interplay of fruit, caramel, citric hops, and a mild, phenolic twang.
The beer itself is well-attenuated with only a mild residual sweetness upfront. The malts are predominantly toasty before moving into a very mild malty sweetness that's a mix of caramel and fruity esters. The finish has a moderately bitter, herbal hop quality. This pale ale is light-bodied and moderately carbonated with a pleasing dryness in the finish.
I liked this beer a lot. It's balanced, but only mildly sweet. The dryness is pleasing and helps make this a good session beer.
1018. Southampton Altbier
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Southampton Publick House
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.7
This Alt pours a clear brown with copper tints. It's topped by a fizzy, three-quarter inch, eggshell colored head that rises quickly on the pour, and just as quickly fades to a film. Pinprick dots of lace adorn the glass. The aroma is quite nice. There are notes of caramel malts, hints of roastiness and a mineral twang.
Caramel malts upfront move into a mild estery fruitiness in the center. The finish has a mineral twang and a mild bitterness. Overall this beer is very clean on the palate. Its flavors are there, but don't pop. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it works well here to showcase a nice mineral character that would have otherwise been overpowered. This Alt is moderately carbonated and medium-bodied, and has a very nice crispness.
This beer is a decent Alt. I think a bit more hoppiness would have been nice, provided the beer stayed crisp.
1019. Brooklyn Local 2
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 9.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 4.25
I'd been looking forward to trying this beer, since Brooklyn Local 1 was so good. Local 2 pours a cloudy brown with reddish tints. It's topped by a sudsy beige head that fades to a continuous film. The aroma is incredibly bright for the style. There's a bright layer of citrus and honey, below which lie the rich malty aromas of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale: dark fruit and candi sugar. I think the addition of some more aromatic ingredients really did a lot for the aroma of this beer, making it seem more light and inviting than a typical Belgian Dark.
This beer's flavors tell the same story as the aroma: the honey and citrus upfront give a lighter, brighter impression before diving deeper into the darker, maltier depths. The dark malt flavors in the center are a nice mix of candi sugar, caramel, rasins, dates and other dark fruit. The finish has a nice mix of peppery and alcoholic spice, a brief reprise of citrus, and a mild bitterness. Local 2 has very prickly carbonation, is medium-bodied and is surprisingly smooth once some of the carbonation dissipates.
This is another winner for Brooklyn's Local series. It's strong, fizzy and has an interesting addition of honey and citrus that I think adds a lot to the mix.
1020. Batemans XXXB
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Batemans Brewery
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (ESB), BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.85
Based on the handwriting in my notebook, I dictated this review to Jadyn (you're the best, thanks for humoring me).
This ESB pours a crystal clear copper, and is topped by a sudsy, frothy, off-white head that fades to a film. Sustained bubbling seems to keep the film intact. The aromas are nicely malty: biscuity malts, toffee, and a little bit of an apricot aroma.
Upfront this beer is mildly sweet with a lot of maltiness. The sweetness is contributed by toffee flavors, but the bulk of the maltiness is buiscuity and toasty, which lasts through to the finish. The finish is moderately bitter with grassy and herbal hop flavors. This ESB is medium-bodied, moderately carbonated and has a mild dryness in the finish.
I thought that Batemans XXXB was a nice malt-forward beer that managed to keep the sweetness in check and that had a nice bitterness in the finish.
1021. Blue Point Summer Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Blue Point Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.40%
Serving: Bottle 12 oz.
Style: American Blonde Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 2.85
Blue Point's Summer Ale pours a clear golden and is topped by a thick, bright white head, which fades fairly quickly to a film. The aroma is fairly light. There's a hint of citrus and a mild graininess.
There's a mild sweetness as he beer first hits the palate with some neutral graininess as well. Fruity esters make a brief appearance in the center, and are met by a mild peppery character and mild bitterness in the finish. This beer is light-bodied and moderately carbonated, but feels a tad watery.
I was pretty disappointed with this beer. I know summer beers tend to be lighter, but this one was bland and lacked the crispness that makes a beer like this refreshing.
Labels: Altbier, American Blonde Ale, American Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Extra Special/Strong Bitter (ESB)
971-980. The Extreme Beer Fest Part II
Published by Unknown on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 9:30 AM.
This is the second set of beers that I tried at the Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest 2009.
971. OatGoop
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 10.40%
Style: Wheat Wine (Oat Wine)
Pours a hazed copper. Floral hops and sugary malts are the strongest component of the aroma. Sweet and fruity upfront and through the center. The finish has some floral hop bitterness and a bit of sweetness.
972. Dwarven Hammer
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed golden-copper. The aroma is light, but predominantly malty. Sweet and malty throughout with nice notes of caramel. The finish had a sugary character tat complemented the coffee flavors well.
973. Phunky Duck
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
This beer is the base lambic for a Gueuze project that Lost Abbey is working on. It's nice to see American brewers trying for authentic lambics. Pours a hazed-straw golden. The aroma is classic lambic: acidic, earthy and funky. Very sour throughout: nice bright and acidic. There are nice grassy and citric notes as well a good, funky earthiness. An excellent rendition of the style. Another fest favorite (yes, they all tend to be sour beers).
974. Brute
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: American Wild Ale
I couldn't pass up either of Ithaca's sour beers. The Brute pours a cloudy, straw color. The aroma has a nice grainy, wheat component, fruit, mild acidity and hint of Brettanmyces. Well attenuated so there's a good amount of wheat character without a lot of malty sweetness. Sourness builds through the center, followed by a nice earthy finish. I liked this one a lot. I'll have to give it another try if I see any bottles in the area.
975. "Sour" Flower Power Bretted IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 7.50%
Style: American Wild Ale
This is Ithaca's Flower Power IPA fermented for an additional three months with Brettanomyces. Pours a cloudy golden. The aroma is a nice combination of citric hops and mild Brettanomyces. The malts are attenuated to the faintest of sugary hints. The hops remain unscathed, leaving nice hop flavors and bitterness that really relegate the usually dominant Brett to a minor role in the finish.
976. Special Holiday Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Winter Warmer, BJCP Style Guide
This is a collaborative Winter Warmer brewed by Stone, Jolly Pumpkin and Nøgne-Ø. Pours a cloudy, dark amber color. Spices domiate the aroma: sage and juniper, but there are also malty aromas. Sweet upfront: malty and fruity. The finish is herbal and spicy with a nice bitterness.
977. Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Bruery
Alcohol: 3.10%
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a pale straw color. Notes of sour apples, hay and an earthiness in the aroma. There's a mild graininess in the backbone underneath fruity notes of apple, and a nice lactic sourness.
978. Magic Hat Bergamot Bitter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide
This is Magic Hat's Ordinary Bitter with bergamot added during conditioning. Pours a pale copper color. The aroma is dominated by the bergamot: peppery notes, reminiscent of Earl Grey tea. Lightly malty with some good breadiness and a finish that's peppery and lightly bitter.
979. Apex
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.10%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed copper with a frothy head. The aroma is hoppy with notes of citrus and resin. The malt backbone is mildly sweet and provides a good counterpoint to the strong resiny and citric hop flavors.
980. Founders Double Trouble
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.40%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden, with a huge, white head. The aroma is resiny and herbal hops over a backbone of caramel and sugary malts. Resiny and leafy hops are evident throughout the beer over a mildly sweet malt backbone.
971. OatGoop
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 10.40%
Style: Wheat Wine (Oat Wine)
Pours a hazed copper. Floral hops and sugary malts are the strongest component of the aroma. Sweet and fruity upfront and through the center. The finish has some floral hop bitterness and a bit of sweetness.
972. Dwarven Hammer
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed golden-copper. The aroma is light, but predominantly malty. Sweet and malty throughout with nice notes of caramel. The finish had a sugary character tat complemented the coffee flavors well.
973. Phunky Duck
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
This beer is the base lambic for a Gueuze project that Lost Abbey is working on. It's nice to see American brewers trying for authentic lambics. Pours a hazed-straw golden. The aroma is classic lambic: acidic, earthy and funky. Very sour throughout: nice bright and acidic. There are nice grassy and citric notes as well a good, funky earthiness. An excellent rendition of the style. Another fest favorite (yes, they all tend to be sour beers).
974. Brute
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: American Wild Ale
I couldn't pass up either of Ithaca's sour beers. The Brute pours a cloudy, straw color. The aroma has a nice grainy, wheat component, fruit, mild acidity and hint of Brettanmyces. Well attenuated so there's a good amount of wheat character without a lot of malty sweetness. Sourness builds through the center, followed by a nice earthy finish. I liked this one a lot. I'll have to give it another try if I see any bottles in the area.
975. "Sour" Flower Power Bretted IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 7.50%
Style: American Wild Ale
This is Ithaca's Flower Power IPA fermented for an additional three months with Brettanomyces. Pours a cloudy golden. The aroma is a nice combination of citric hops and mild Brettanomyces. The malts are attenuated to the faintest of sugary hints. The hops remain unscathed, leaving nice hop flavors and bitterness that really relegate the usually dominant Brett to a minor role in the finish.
976. Special Holiday Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Winter Warmer, BJCP Style Guide
This is a collaborative Winter Warmer brewed by Stone, Jolly Pumpkin and Nøgne-Ø. Pours a cloudy, dark amber color. Spices domiate the aroma: sage and juniper, but there are also malty aromas. Sweet upfront: malty and fruity. The finish is herbal and spicy with a nice bitterness.
977. Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Bruery
Alcohol: 3.10%
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a pale straw color. Notes of sour apples, hay and an earthiness in the aroma. There's a mild graininess in the backbone underneath fruity notes of apple, and a nice lactic sourness.
978. Magic Hat Bergamot Bitter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide
This is Magic Hat's Ordinary Bitter with bergamot added during conditioning. Pours a pale copper color. The aroma is dominated by the bergamot: peppery notes, reminiscent of Earl Grey tea. Lightly malty with some good breadiness and a finish that's peppery and lightly bitter.
979. Apex
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.10%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed copper with a frothy head. The aroma is hoppy with notes of citrus and resin. The malt backbone is mildly sweet and provides a good counterpoint to the strong resiny and citric hop flavors.
980. Founders Double Trouble
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.40%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden, with a huge, white head. The aroma is resiny and herbal hops over a backbone of caramel and sugary malts. Resiny and leafy hops are evident throughout the beer over a mildly sweet malt backbone.
Labels: Altbier, American Double IPA, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Berliner Weissbier, English Bitter, Unblended Lambic, Wheat Wine, Winter Warmer
On Sunday (6/22/08), Win, David and I did the whitest thing we could have done with our early afternoon. We hit golf balls at the Chelsea Pier driving range. I'll spare you the details since I don't really care for golf; though the occasional low pressure trip to the driving range can be enjoyable when accuracy isn't a goal. While we were waiting for our turn at the range we stopped at Chelsea Brewing Company for a beer.
844. Long Island Altbier
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Chelsea Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.6
Pours a clear, copper color. The off-white head fades to a ring, leaving patches of lace. The aroma is malty: toffee and fruit mainly. There's also a bit of alcohol and light, resiny hops.
Toasty malts lead into a bready sweetness. The richer malt flavors that you might expect are pretty muted. There's a light bite from the alcohol and carbonation. The finish has a lingering grassy bitterness. Light-bodied with high carbonation and a light dryness in the finish.
Overall, not as malty as a lot of Alts that I've had, but I think the relative lack of sweetness helps a bit with the sessionability.
844. Long Island Altbier
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Chelsea Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.6
Pours a clear, copper color. The off-white head fades to a ring, leaving patches of lace. The aroma is malty: toffee and fruit mainly. There's also a bit of alcohol and light, resiny hops.
Toasty malts lead into a bready sweetness. The richer malt flavors that you might expect are pretty muted. There's a light bite from the alcohol and carbonation. The finish has a lingering grassy bitterness. Light-bodied with high carbonation and a light dryness in the finish.
Overall, not as malty as a lot of Alts that I've had, but I think the relative lack of sweetness helps a bit with the sessionability.
Labels: Altbier
834-842. New York: Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Published by Unknown on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 9:32 AM.
Win wanted to go to a couple Mets home games this year since it's their last season at Shea Stadium. Win arrived in New York on Thursday and I took the bus down from Boston on Saturday June 21st.
I met Win and David at our hotel, and then we went to a nearby diner so I could grab lunch. They had previously eaten at the always delicious Kitchenette. After eating we went to Central Park and watched the end of a baseball game, and afterwards David set off to find entertainment. He returned with a wiffle ball and bat, which entertained us for awhile. Our next destination was a beer garden in Williamsburg, but before heading to Brooklyn we stopped by a stationary store for a pack of cards and David's impulse buy of multi-colored pipe cleaners.
We went to Radegast Hall & Biergarten, which was across the street from The Levee, a bar we had been to for David's bachelor party last summer. I got the impression that this place opened fairly recently, but I might be mistaken. The bar consists of two, long, single-story buildings that sit side by side. From the street Radegast Hall is on the left, and the Biergarten is on the right. The hall is large with various tables and booths for seating. There's also a large spectacle shaped bar towards the back right of the establishment with a service window that looks out onto the biergarten. The floors, tables and booths were all wooden, with a worn character, thought the bar was smooth and new. The Biergarten is a long, brick structure that's semi-enclosed. There are retractable awnings over openings the length of the ceiling and the windows at the front were open. Long benches were located at either side of the building creating a single aisle down the center. There are some good pictures on the website that give you a feel for the place.
We grabbed the end of a table in the biergarten and decided on our first round. There were twelve taps and about two or three times as many bottles. All of the taps were dedicated to German beers, except two for Czech beers, one Austrian beer, and a single Belgian Witbier. The bottles were half German/Czech/Austrian, half Belgian. The draft beers were available both in pints, liters and pitchers.
We spent a few hours here, and first got a snack of bratwurst and sauerkraut. The brats were nice, and the kraut was tasty, though a tad sweet. When we determined that we'd be staying for awhile longer we ordered dinner. Win had the hanger steak, David had the braised rabbit and I had the veal schnitzel. The bits of the rabbit and steak that I had were tasty, and I was quite happy with my choice. Though when isn't schnitzel delicious?
The pipe cleaners that David bought were instantly popular. Our waitress took one for a bracelet, and later another waitress did the same. Various tablemates took a few, and people were stopping by our table fairly regularly to make things.
Most of these are lagers, which I have limited experience with as far as rating goes, so some of my descriptions may be off.
834. Gaffel Kölsch
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Privatbrauerei Gaffel Becker & Co.
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Kölsch, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.95
Pours a clear golden with a white head that fades to a film. The aroma is light, there's a bit of pepper and a grassy, leafy aroma, presumably from hops.
Clean and crisp overall, generous carbonation pulls the flavors along on the palate. There's a slightly sweet, but mostly neutral malt undercurrent running through the beer. There's a bit of pepper and a husky graininess in the finish that melds with a light bitterness and a hint of citrus. Crisp, and slightly dry.
Very drinkable, flavorful without being overpowering. Refreshing.
835. Brou Czech Dark
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Nova Paka Brewery
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Munich Dunkel Lager, BJCP Style Guide
There are two BrouCzech Darks on BA, but I think they're the same beer. So I'm putting this one into the main entry.
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.1
Garnet brown in color with a beige head that thins to a patchy film. The aroma is peppery with fruity malts that are accentuated on swirling.
Sweet malts upfront, fruitiness appears in the center with a peppery finish and a light bitterness. The aftertaste is a bit off. Light-bodied and thin feeling with high carbonation.
A tad sweet, but still fairly drinkable.
836. Gösser
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Braueri Göss
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.5
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a fluffy, bright white head that fades to a film leaving trails of lace. The aroma is light. There's a hint of graininess and perhaps a bit of peppery yeast.
Malty sweetness throughout. Light citric character with some pepperiness and a light grassy finish that hints at bitterness. Light-bodied, moderate carbonation and a dry finish.
Drinkable, but it falls a bit flat overall. Perhaps a bit more carbonation would help brighten things up.
837. Gose
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof
Alcohol: 4.60%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Gose
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.2
Pours a lightly hazed golden. The fluffy, white head fades to an asymmetric film. The aroma is quite strong. There's almost an acidic fruitiness in the aroma, but it balances towards sweeteness. Notes of citrus, honey and coriander. Smells absolutely delicious.
The taste is mild overall, but still complex and flavorful. There's a sharp citric character that gives a nice tartness, but doesn't overpower. Sweet, but not cloying malts and some neutral graininess throughout. The finish is a bit salty. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation. There's a bit of a bite to this beer.
This is my first experience with Gose, and I have to say that I'm a big fan. Very flavorful and a bit of a departure from other beers.
838. Uerige Sticke
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.7
Pours a cloudy, particulate brown. The beige head is thin and quickly fades to nothing. The aroma is rich and malty. There are notes of caramel, toffee and dark fruit. Swirling brings out a sharp character.
Sweet malts are definitely the focus of the beer, but they aren't too sweet. There's a boozy character upfront that mixes with the caramel and toffee flavors. There's an alcoholic spice and a moderate bitterness in the finish.
A bit sweet overall, but very flavorful.
839. Berliner Style Weisse
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof
Alcohol: 3.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.65
Pours an extremely pale, straw color. The white head fades to nothing. The aroma is light. There are some banana and orange notes, as well as a light acidity.
Tart upfront, but this fades through to the finish. There's a light graininess and only a hint of bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, low carbonation and a hint of dryness.
Tasty and very refreshing. I would have liked a little bit more sourness, but that's just me.
840. Urbock 23°
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Castle Eggenberg
Alcohol: 9.60%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Doppelbock, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.45
Pours a hazed, golden copper. Topped by a thin white head that fades to a wispy film. The aroma is sharp, but light. There almost seems to be a medicinal undercurrent.
Very malt forward, lots of sweet caramel. Hints of citrus. Moves into a heavy, alcoholic spice that interacts with a pronounced dry finish. Medium-bodied with moderately high carbonation.
Spicy, strong and a little sweet, but overall decent.
841. König Pilsener
Beer Stats:
Brewery: König-Brauerei
Alcohol: 4.90%
Serving: Bottle
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a white head that fades to nothing. The aroma is grainy and grassy.
Lightly sweet. WIth a graininess throughout. There's a nice grassy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, high carbonation, crisp.
842. Ettaler Kloster Edelhell
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Klosterbrauerei Ettal
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Munich Helles Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a nice golden with a light haze. The white head fades to nothing. The aroma is grainy with a light sweetness.
Sweet malts, but the sweetness is unobtrusive. Very tasty. A bit of pepper and a mild bitterness. Light-bodied and highly carbonated.
I met Win and David at our hotel, and then we went to a nearby diner so I could grab lunch. They had previously eaten at the always delicious Kitchenette. After eating we went to Central Park and watched the end of a baseball game, and afterwards David set off to find entertainment. He returned with a wiffle ball and bat, which entertained us for awhile. Our next destination was a beer garden in Williamsburg, but before heading to Brooklyn we stopped by a stationary store for a pack of cards and David's impulse buy of multi-colored pipe cleaners.
We went to Radegast Hall & Biergarten, which was across the street from The Levee, a bar we had been to for David's bachelor party last summer. I got the impression that this place opened fairly recently, but I might be mistaken. The bar consists of two, long, single-story buildings that sit side by side. From the street Radegast Hall is on the left, and the Biergarten is on the right. The hall is large with various tables and booths for seating. There's also a large spectacle shaped bar towards the back right of the establishment with a service window that looks out onto the biergarten. The floors, tables and booths were all wooden, with a worn character, thought the bar was smooth and new. The Biergarten is a long, brick structure that's semi-enclosed. There are retractable awnings over openings the length of the ceiling and the windows at the front were open. Long benches were located at either side of the building creating a single aisle down the center. There are some good pictures on the website that give you a feel for the place.
We grabbed the end of a table in the biergarten and decided on our first round. There were twelve taps and about two or three times as many bottles. All of the taps were dedicated to German beers, except two for Czech beers, one Austrian beer, and a single Belgian Witbier. The bottles were half German/Czech/Austrian, half Belgian. The draft beers were available both in pints, liters and pitchers.
We spent a few hours here, and first got a snack of bratwurst and sauerkraut. The brats were nice, and the kraut was tasty, though a tad sweet. When we determined that we'd be staying for awhile longer we ordered dinner. Win had the hanger steak, David had the braised rabbit and I had the veal schnitzel. The bits of the rabbit and steak that I had were tasty, and I was quite happy with my choice. Though when isn't schnitzel delicious?
The pipe cleaners that David bought were instantly popular. Our waitress took one for a bracelet, and later another waitress did the same. Various tablemates took a few, and people were stopping by our table fairly regularly to make things.
Most of these are lagers, which I have limited experience with as far as rating goes, so some of my descriptions may be off.
834. Gaffel Kölsch
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Privatbrauerei Gaffel Becker & Co.
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Kölsch, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.95
Pours a clear golden with a white head that fades to a film. The aroma is light, there's a bit of pepper and a grassy, leafy aroma, presumably from hops.
Clean and crisp overall, generous carbonation pulls the flavors along on the palate. There's a slightly sweet, but mostly neutral malt undercurrent running through the beer. There's a bit of pepper and a husky graininess in the finish that melds with a light bitterness and a hint of citrus. Crisp, and slightly dry.
Very drinkable, flavorful without being overpowering. Refreshing.
835. Brou Czech Dark
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Nova Paka Brewery
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Munich Dunkel Lager, BJCP Style Guide
There are two BrouCzech Darks on BA, but I think they're the same beer. So I'm putting this one into the main entry.
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.1
Garnet brown in color with a beige head that thins to a patchy film. The aroma is peppery with fruity malts that are accentuated on swirling.
Sweet malts upfront, fruitiness appears in the center with a peppery finish and a light bitterness. The aftertaste is a bit off. Light-bodied and thin feeling with high carbonation.
A tad sweet, but still fairly drinkable.
836. Gösser
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Braueri Göss
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.5
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a fluffy, bright white head that fades to a film leaving trails of lace. The aroma is light. There's a hint of graininess and perhaps a bit of peppery yeast.
Malty sweetness throughout. Light citric character with some pepperiness and a light grassy finish that hints at bitterness. Light-bodied, moderate carbonation and a dry finish.
Drinkable, but it falls a bit flat overall. Perhaps a bit more carbonation would help brighten things up.
837. Gose
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof
Alcohol: 4.60%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Gose
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.2
Pours a lightly hazed golden. The fluffy, white head fades to an asymmetric film. The aroma is quite strong. There's almost an acidic fruitiness in the aroma, but it balances towards sweeteness. Notes of citrus, honey and coriander. Smells absolutely delicious.
The taste is mild overall, but still complex and flavorful. There's a sharp citric character that gives a nice tartness, but doesn't overpower. Sweet, but not cloying malts and some neutral graininess throughout. The finish is a bit salty. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation. There's a bit of a bite to this beer.
This is my first experience with Gose, and I have to say that I'm a big fan. Very flavorful and a bit of a departure from other beers.
838. Uerige Sticke
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.7
Pours a cloudy, particulate brown. The beige head is thin and quickly fades to nothing. The aroma is rich and malty. There are notes of caramel, toffee and dark fruit. Swirling brings out a sharp character.
Sweet malts are definitely the focus of the beer, but they aren't too sweet. There's a boozy character upfront that mixes with the caramel and toffee flavors. There's an alcoholic spice and a moderate bitterness in the finish.
A bit sweet overall, but very flavorful.
839. Berliner Style Weisse
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof
Alcohol: 3.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.65
Pours an extremely pale, straw color. The white head fades to nothing. The aroma is light. There are some banana and orange notes, as well as a light acidity.
Tart upfront, but this fades through to the finish. There's a light graininess and only a hint of bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, low carbonation and a hint of dryness.
Tasty and very refreshing. I would have liked a little bit more sourness, but that's just me.
840. Urbock 23°
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Castle Eggenberg
Alcohol: 9.60%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Doppelbock, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.45
Pours a hazed, golden copper. Topped by a thin white head that fades to a wispy film. The aroma is sharp, but light. There almost seems to be a medicinal undercurrent.
Very malt forward, lots of sweet caramel. Hints of citrus. Moves into a heavy, alcoholic spice that interacts with a pronounced dry finish. Medium-bodied with moderately high carbonation.
Spicy, strong and a little sweet, but overall decent.
841. König Pilsener
Beer Stats:
Brewery: König-Brauerei
Alcohol: 4.90%
Serving: Bottle
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a white head that fades to nothing. The aroma is grainy and grassy.
Lightly sweet. WIth a graininess throughout. There's a nice grassy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, high carbonation, crisp.
842. Ettaler Kloster Edelhell
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Klosterbrauerei Ettal
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Munich Helles Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a nice golden with a light haze. The white head fades to nothing. The aroma is grainy with a light sweetness.
Sweet malts, but the sweetness is unobtrusive. Very tasty. A bit of pepper and a mild bitterness. Light-bodied and highly carbonated.
Labels: Altbier, Berliner Weissbier, Doppelbock, Euro Pale Lager, German Pilsener, Gose, Kölsch, Munich Dunkel Lager, Munich Helles Lager
After leaving d.b.a, David and I headed to Burp Castle for more beer. The inside is small, with medieval religious themed paintings on the wall, and high, wooden tables and chairs.
819. Sterkens Dubbel Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Sterkens
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.85
Pours a hazy brown with tints of red. Topped by a brown head that thins to a film leaving some lacing. Large yeast particles float around in the beer. The aroma is rich and malty, raisins, and dates are dominant. Smells very nice.
Mellow flavors all in all. It's malty with some brown sugar sweetness. Raisins and dates appear in the center and meld with a light alcoholic spice in the finish. Light-bodied bordering on medium-bodied, moderatley carbonated.
Strong and a tad sweet, but still tasty.
820. St. Feuillien Triple
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie St. Feuillien
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 4.15
Pours a hazy golden. Topped by a thick, off-white head that fades to a substantial film. Aromas are fruity: bananas, apples and a light spice.
Sweet and fruity upfront, predominantly bananas. Peppery spiciness appears in the center followed by a light bitterness in the finish. Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Sweet but nicely balanced by the spiciness.
821. Organic Münster Alt
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brauerei Pinkus Mueller
Alcohol: 5.10%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a lightly hazed golden. The white head fades to a thin film. The aroma hints at a grainy sweetness. Neutral graininess upfront that moves through to a light sweetness and a grassy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, moderate carbonation, husky graininess. Pretty drinkable.
822. Svyturys Ekstra
Beer Stats:
Brewery: AB Svyturys
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear straw color. The white head fades to a ring. The aroma is grassy and grainy. neutral upfront, sweet in the center with a light bitterness in the finish. Light bodied and moderately carbonated. Fairly generic.
819. Sterkens Dubbel Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Sterkens
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 3.85
Pours a hazy brown with tints of red. Topped by a brown head that thins to a film leaving some lacing. Large yeast particles float around in the beer. The aroma is rich and malty, raisins, and dates are dominant. Smells very nice.
Mellow flavors all in all. It's malty with some brown sugar sweetness. Raisins and dates appear in the center and meld with a light alcoholic spice in the finish. Light-bodied bordering on medium-bodied, moderatley carbonated.
Strong and a tad sweet, but still tasty.
820. St. Feuillien Triple
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie St. Feuillien
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 4.15
Pours a hazy golden. Topped by a thick, off-white head that fades to a substantial film. Aromas are fruity: bananas, apples and a light spice.
Sweet and fruity upfront, predominantly bananas. Peppery spiciness appears in the center followed by a light bitterness in the finish. Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Sweet but nicely balanced by the spiciness.
821. Organic Münster Alt
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brauerei Pinkus Mueller
Alcohol: 5.10%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a lightly hazed golden. The white head fades to a thin film. The aroma hints at a grainy sweetness. Neutral graininess upfront that moves through to a light sweetness and a grassy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, moderate carbonation, husky graininess. Pretty drinkable.
822. Svyturys Ekstra
Beer Stats:
Brewery: AB Svyturys
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear straw color. The white head fades to a ring. The aroma is grassy and grainy. neutral upfront, sweet in the center with a light bitterness in the finish. Light bodied and moderately carbonated. Fairly generic.
Labels: Altbier, Brasserie St. Feuillien, Brauerei Pinkus Mueller, Brouwerij Sterkens, Dubbel, Tripel
700. Long Trail Double Bag
I had this the other night at Jadyn's. We split a bottle that her roommate gave us.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Long Trail Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.20%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear brownish-copper. Topped by a thick, sudsy head that fades to a film leaving patchy sheets of lace. The head is fed by fizzy bubbles that cling, cola-like, to the side of the glass.
Smell (4.0): Very malty, caramel, aromatic alcoholic aromas.
Taste (4.0): Prickly carbonation greets the tongue giving a mild bite initially. Very malty throughout. Initially there are caramel and toffee flavors, followed by a tart bite and an alcoholic spice in the finish that hints at something heavier. There's also a mild bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, high carbonation, smooth.
Drinkability (4.0): Flavorful and surprisingly drinkable for something with alcohol this evident.
Overall (3.95)
I had this the other night at Jadyn's. We split a bottle that her roommate gave us.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Long Trail Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.20%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear brownish-copper. Topped by a thick, sudsy head that fades to a film leaving patchy sheets of lace. The head is fed by fizzy bubbles that cling, cola-like, to the side of the glass.
Smell (4.0): Very malty, caramel, aromatic alcoholic aromas.
Taste (4.0): Prickly carbonation greets the tongue giving a mild bite initially. Very malty throughout. Initially there are caramel and toffee flavors, followed by a tart bite and an alcoholic spice in the finish that hints at something heavier. There's also a mild bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, high carbonation, smooth.
Drinkability (4.0): Flavorful and surprisingly drinkable for something with alcohol this evident.
Overall (3.95)
Labels: Altbier, Long Trail Brewing Company
310. Long Trail Ale
I had two 12 oz. bottles of Long Trail Ale, an Altbier, at a Bio-Grad happy hour event. Three happy hours are held during January when the first year students are deciding on labs to rotate in. As a member of the Amon Lab I was expected to attend this week and answer any questions prospective rotators might have. After fielding questions from one person I felt my duty had been fulfilled so I spent the remainder of the happy hour talking to people I know from the Horvitz Lab. This won't be a full review since I won't be able to describe the beer's appearance, as they didn't provide the glassware needed for a proper beer tasting experience.
Appearance: Unable to rate, however the bottle described its appearance as amber.
Smell: Floral hop aromas, with sweet bready notes as well.
Taste: Throughout there's a nice hop bitterness, that's balanced well against the bready malt center and the lightly sweet finish.
Mouthfeel: There's nothing spectacular here. Light carbonation, smooth and light-bodied.
Drinkability: It was easy enough drinking two of these. I probably could have had a few more. This would be a decent beer to keep around for a night of drinking.
Overall: This is a decent brew. There's nothing spectacular here, but it's nice enough.
I had two 12 oz. bottles of Long Trail Ale, an Altbier, at a Bio-Grad happy hour event. Three happy hours are held during January when the first year students are deciding on labs to rotate in. As a member of the Amon Lab I was expected to attend this week and answer any questions prospective rotators might have. After fielding questions from one person I felt my duty had been fulfilled so I spent the remainder of the happy hour talking to people I know from the Horvitz Lab. This won't be a full review since I won't be able to describe the beer's appearance, as they didn't provide the glassware needed for a proper beer tasting experience.
Appearance: Unable to rate, however the bottle described its appearance as amber.
Smell: Floral hop aromas, with sweet bready notes as well.
Taste: Throughout there's a nice hop bitterness, that's balanced well against the bready malt center and the lightly sweet finish.
Mouthfeel: There's nothing spectacular here. Light carbonation, smooth and light-bodied.
Drinkability: It was easy enough drinking two of these. I probably could have had a few more. This would be a decent beer to keep around for a night of drinking.
Overall: This is a decent brew. There's nothing spectacular here, but it's nice enough.
Labels: Altbier, Long Trail Brewing Company, Reviews
