Jadyn and I went to Ireland to visit her sister the week of Thanksgiving 2010. Since Ireland's not a "Beer Country" like Belgium/Germany/England/Czech Republic, I didn't spend a lot of time seeking out Irish beer. Though I probably drank more Guinness in one week than I did in the last three to four years, and we did take a tour of the Guinness Brewery
On Saturday evening Jadyn and I went to a show at Whelan's with her sister. We stopped for a beer at The Dice Bar. I went with Sparta Pils, which I mistakenly thought might be Irish.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden, and is topped by a white head that's fed by lots of bubbles. The aroma has notes of cooked grain, and a bit of malty sweetness.
The taste is clean and crisp with a mild sweetness, and a grassy bitterness in the finish. This beer is crisp, light-bodied, and has a good deal of carbonation.
Overall this was a pretty good pils, not the best, but solid.
Jadyn and I spent Monday the 22nd taking her nephews around Dublin. After dropping them off with Jadyn's sister we had dinner and beer at The Porterhouse in Temple Bar after walking around a bit.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.1
This stout pours an opaque black, and is topped by a thick, creamy, brown head that retains well. The aroma is chocolatey with roasted malt notes. The chocolate gives the aroma an almost fruity aspect.
This stout has a roasted backbone, which moves into a milder center with a bit of bite and roasted bitterness in the finish that's cut by a mild sweetness. Light-bodied and smooth with mild carbonation.
I thought this was a very nice stout.
After dinner I had a three beer sampler, and Jadyn had another beer
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Pours a clear, light golden with a creamy head. The aroma is clean with grassy notes. It's grainy with a mildly sweet finish. Pretty ho-hum.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
This beer pours a dark brown that's clear up to the light. It's topped by a dense, creamy head. The aroma is chocolatey and sweet with roasted notes and not a lot of fruit. There are mild roasted malts throughout with only a very mild sweetness. The finish is lightly bitter.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
This beer pours a clear brow with a creamy brown head. The aroma is roasted malts with a bit of a sharp edge. This stout is very mild with only a mild roasty character. The finish has a mild sweetness and light spiciness.
On Tuesday Jadyn and I took a tour of the Guinness Brewery. The tour was pretty slick and marketing heavy. The brewing process was discussed, but not in depth. The most interesting part of the tour was the video that discussed cooperage. The highlight by far was having beers in the Gravity Bar, which had great views of the city.
A slick waterfall.
I picked this beer up at a grocery store, either Tesco or SuperValu, and had it at Jadyn's sister's house on Thanksgiving.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Carlow Brewing Comany
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Bottle
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.3
This beer pours a clear golden with a fluffy white head that fades to a thin layer, but leaves clinging lace. The aroma is wheaty and grainy with notes of fruit and spicy hops.
This beer is grainy upfront with a grassy backbone. There are enough spicy, leafy hops in the finish, just enough to prevent it from being bland. This beer is crisp, light-bodied and slightly dry.
Not super flavorful, but refreshing enough.
On Saturday evening Jadyn and I went to a show at Whelan's with her sister. We stopped for a beer at The Dice Bar. I went with Sparta Pils, which I mistakenly thought might be Irish.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden, and is topped by a white head that's fed by lots of bubbles. The aroma has notes of cooked grain, and a bit of malty sweetness.
The taste is clean and crisp with a mild sweetness, and a grassy bitterness in the finish. This beer is crisp, light-bodied, and has a good deal of carbonation.
Overall this was a pretty good pils, not the best, but solid.
Jadyn and I spent Monday the 22nd taking her nephews around Dublin. After dropping them off with Jadyn's sister we had dinner and beer at The Porterhouse in Temple Bar after walking around a bit.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.1
This stout pours an opaque black, and is topped by a thick, creamy, brown head that retains well. The aroma is chocolatey with roasted malt notes. The chocolate gives the aroma an almost fruity aspect.
This stout has a roasted backbone, which moves into a milder center with a bit of bite and roasted bitterness in the finish that's cut by a mild sweetness. Light-bodied and smooth with mild carbonation.
I thought this was a very nice stout.
After dinner I had a three beer sampler, and Jadyn had another beer
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Euro Pale Lager
Pours a clear, light golden with a creamy head. The aroma is clean with grassy notes. It's grainy with a mildly sweet finish. Pretty ho-hum.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
This beer pours a dark brown that's clear up to the light. It's topped by a dense, creamy head. The aroma is chocolatey and sweet with roasted notes and not a lot of fruit. There are mild roasted malts throughout with only a very mild sweetness. The finish is lightly bitter.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Porterhouse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
This beer pours a clear brow with a creamy brown head. The aroma is roasted malts with a bit of a sharp edge. This stout is very mild with only a mild roasty character. The finish has a mild sweetness and light spiciness.
On Tuesday Jadyn and I took a tour of the Guinness Brewery. The tour was pretty slick and marketing heavy. The brewing process was discussed, but not in depth. The most interesting part of the tour was the video that discussed cooperage. The highlight by far was having beers in the Gravity Bar, which had great views of the city.
A slick waterfall.
I picked this beer up at a grocery store, either Tesco or SuperValu, and had it at Jadyn's sister's house on Thanksgiving.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Carlow Brewing Comany
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Bottle
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.3
This beer pours a clear golden with a fluffy white head that fades to a thin layer, but leaves clinging lace. The aroma is wheaty and grainy with notes of fruit and spicy hops.
This beer is grainy upfront with a grassy backbone. There are enough spicy, leafy hops in the finish, just enough to prevent it from being bland. This beer is crisp, light-bodied and slightly dry.
Not super flavorful, but refreshing enough.
Labels: Czech Pilsener, Euro Pale Lager, Irish Dry Stout, Travel
1086-1093. The CBC's Great Pumpkin Festival
Published by Unknown on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 9:30 AM.
Jadyn and I went to Cambridge Brewing Company's 2nd Annual Great Pumpkin Festival on Halloween. After dinner at home, we took the T back to Kendall Square and arrived at around 10 PM. There was a fairly sizable line, but turnover was brisk, and we got in about 15 or 20 minutes later.
Entry to the event was $10, but this included a GPF pint glass. They were out of them when we arrived, so we got two CBC pint glasses instead. Luckily Jadyn has good eyes, and on our way back to the T, spotted an abandoned GPF glass on a table in the courtyard of the Kendall Marriott.
Beers were purchased with tickets, which were sold at two locations at the event. Tickets were available in increments of four, and we ended up buying two sets of twelve tickets totaling $30. For most beers one ticket equaled a four ounce pour, but for stronger beers or rarer beers two tickets equaled a four ounce pour. For us it worked out to about $5.50 per pint, about standard for a pint of quality beer in the area.
The CBC had six of their pumpkin beers on tap, Great Pumpkin Ale, Olde Pumpkin Porter, Biere de Gourde, Spinal Pumpkin, Black Magic, and Ich Bin Ein Kürbisweisse. They also had their standard house beers on tap, as well as another non-pumpkin beer. There were also fifteen pumpkin beers available from other breweries such as Allagash, The Bruery, Dogfish Head, and Elysian to name a few. I was pleased with the variety of different styles of "pumpkin beer." In general I tried to taste the beers that weren't the standard spiced, pumpkin ale.
Jadyn and I were lame, and didn't wear costumes. However, all of the staff and the majority of the patrons were dressed up, and the bar was heavily decorated for Halloween. I thought this was a great beer event. The variety of different interpretations of pumpkin ale kept things interesting, and the food menu looked great. I'll definitely want to go next year.
I've included the description on the beer list before my tasting notes for each beer.
1086. Mr. Yuck
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.10%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale
"Brewed with pale, Munich, Cara-Hell and 150º Crystal malts and both malted and unmalted wheat, as well as wheat flour. Very lightly hopped with UK Fuggles and aged in fermentation for ten months wwith second-generation sour Belgian yeast blend (a culture we've kept alive for seven years), then in kegs for an additional four months. Pumpkin in the mash and kettle."
Mr. Yuck pours a hazy, copper golden. The aroma is pleasingly acidic with notes of funk, wet blanket, and characteristic Brett hopsack. The acidity is moderate, and the finish has Brett flavors. Nicely crisp and dry. I liked this beer, but thought it could have been a bit more sour.
1087. Heavy Seas - The Great Pumpkin
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Clipper City Brewery
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Pumpkin Ale, BJCP Style Guide
"From our Heavy Seas line of extreme beers, our best experiment ever. The secret is in the 3 ounces of spice per barrel for this fall brew. We add the pumpkin during the mash at precisely the right time to create just the perfect balance of malt, hops, pumkin and spice. The crew at the brewery voted on their favorite recipe to bring you the best & biggest pumpkin beer you'll ever have!"
Pours a clear copper color with an off-white head. There are mild pumpkin notes and strong notes of nutmeg and cinnamon in the aroma. Sweet, sugary pumpkin up front move into a cinnamon and clove spiciness in the center and finish. There's a moderate hop bitterness in the finish.
1088. Olde Pumpkin Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide
"Olde Pumpkin Porter is our attempt at recreating the pumpkin-infused beers of colonial days. Brewed with pale and roasted malts and fresh organic sugar pumpkins, it has whiled away the past year in old bourbon barrels, where it was inoculated by Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus naturally occuring in the CBC dungeon, er, Barrel Cellar. It was then blended with cinnamon sticks and candied ginger, and finished with new oak. It's tart and roasty palate may just transport you back to 17th Century Boston"
Pours a dark black, and is topped by a brown head. The aroma has notes of bourbon, roast and a light acidity. Initially this porter is mildly sweet with roasted undertones, but moves into a boozy center, and a roasted bitterness in the finish. There are also hints of tartness and Brett earthiness in the finish. I thought this was an interesting beer, I'm always interested in attempts to make beers in a somewhat historic context.
1089. Black Magic
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 3.75%
Serving: Cask
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
"Our Irish Dry Stout, Blackout, has been infused with fresh pumpkin, ancho and chipotle peppers, cacao nibs, and whole cinnamon sticks. No beer is safe from the pumpkin! Going one step further, this little beauty is served on cask for this event!"
BLack Magic pours an opaque black, and is topped by a thin, brown head. The aroma is a peculiar mixture of maltiness and cinnamon that gives the distinct impression of Graham Crackers. There are more subtle aromas of peppery spice and roast, but the Graham Cracker aroma was what really stuck out at me. There's a bit of chocolatey, and pumpkin sweetness upfront, but this is quickly eclipsed by the spiciness of the cinnamon, ancho, and chipotles. This spiciness finishes out the beer, leaving a strong, lingering heat. I thought this was a great beer. I really liked the heat, and thought that the slightly sweetened (pumpkin infusion) Irish Dry Stout backbone provided the perfect base for the spiciness. I wonder if this was inspired by Mayan and Aztec chocolate drinks. This was probably my favorite beer of the evening.
1090. Ich Bin Ein Kürbisweisse
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide
"Possibly the world's first pumpkin Berliner Weisse! Infused with autumn spices and fresh sugar pumpkin and, well, a secret ingredient to turn this beer a bright orange. Sweet upfront, tart in the finish, pumpkin-spicy in the middle."
Pours a cloudy, golden, orange color, and is topped by a light, white head. The aroma is grassy and grainy with mild spice aromatics, and a sour apple undertone. The initial maltiness leans towards sweet with hints of grassiness. The finish is pleasingly tart with a dry, and earthy character. The pumpkin pie spice is mild, but present throughout. This was another favorite of the evening.
1091. Jack O' Bite
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.40%
Serving: Tap
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, BJCP Style Guide
"Brewed with pale, 77º Crystal, Munich and Cara-Hell malts, and bittered lightly with Glacier hops. Pumpkin in the mash, kettle and fermenter; aged in Jack Daniel's and wine barrels for 6 weeks, inoculated with yeast from Rodenbach."
Pours a hazed, amber-red. It's topped by an off-white head with good lace. The aroma is boozy with woody, acidic and funky notes. A pumpkin and malty sweetness upfront moves into a tart bite. The finish is dry. I thought this was an interesting blend of pumpkin, Scotch Ale, and sour.
1092. St. Alphonso
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
This was the one non-pumpkin beer I had all night. It's sort of a cross between a Belgian Pale Ale and a hoppy APA. Their description:
1093. Hansel and Gretel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
"Brewed with organic pale, Weyermann Munich and Cara-Hell malts, with pumpkin added in the mash, kettle and fermenter. Spiced with peeled and pureed gresh ginger in the boil and bright tank and hopped with lots of Czech Saaz hops (otherwise it wouldn't be traditional)."
Pours a clear, golden color. Ginger and pumpkin notes beat out the Saaz in the aroma. The pumpkin contributes a distinct sweetness to the style. This sweetness moves into a ginger-spice center, and through to a nice, hoppy bitterness in the finish.
Entry to the event was $10, but this included a GPF pint glass. They were out of them when we arrived, so we got two CBC pint glasses instead. Luckily Jadyn has good eyes, and on our way back to the T, spotted an abandoned GPF glass on a table in the courtyard of the Kendall Marriott.
Beers were purchased with tickets, which were sold at two locations at the event. Tickets were available in increments of four, and we ended up buying two sets of twelve tickets totaling $30. For most beers one ticket equaled a four ounce pour, but for stronger beers or rarer beers two tickets equaled a four ounce pour. For us it worked out to about $5.50 per pint, about standard for a pint of quality beer in the area.
The CBC had six of their pumpkin beers on tap, Great Pumpkin Ale, Olde Pumpkin Porter, Biere de Gourde, Spinal Pumpkin, Black Magic, and Ich Bin Ein Kürbisweisse. They also had their standard house beers on tap, as well as another non-pumpkin beer. There were also fifteen pumpkin beers available from other breweries such as Allagash, The Bruery, Dogfish Head, and Elysian to name a few. I was pleased with the variety of different styles of "pumpkin beer." In general I tried to taste the beers that weren't the standard spiced, pumpkin ale.
Jadyn and I were lame, and didn't wear costumes. However, all of the staff and the majority of the patrons were dressed up, and the bar was heavily decorated for Halloween. I thought this was a great beer event. The variety of different interpretations of pumpkin ale kept things interesting, and the food menu looked great. I'll definitely want to go next year.
I've included the description on the beer list before my tasting notes for each beer.
1086. Mr. Yuck
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.10%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale
"Brewed with pale, Munich, Cara-Hell and 150º Crystal malts and both malted and unmalted wheat, as well as wheat flour. Very lightly hopped with UK Fuggles and aged in fermentation for ten months wwith second-generation sour Belgian yeast blend (a culture we've kept alive for seven years), then in kegs for an additional four months. Pumpkin in the mash and kettle."
Mr. Yuck pours a hazy, copper golden. The aroma is pleasingly acidic with notes of funk, wet blanket, and characteristic Brett hopsack. The acidity is moderate, and the finish has Brett flavors. Nicely crisp and dry. I liked this beer, but thought it could have been a bit more sour.
1087. Heavy Seas - The Great Pumpkin
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Clipper City Brewery
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Pumpkin Ale, BJCP Style Guide
"From our Heavy Seas line of extreme beers, our best experiment ever. The secret is in the 3 ounces of spice per barrel for this fall brew. We add the pumpkin during the mash at precisely the right time to create just the perfect balance of malt, hops, pumkin and spice. The crew at the brewery voted on their favorite recipe to bring you the best & biggest pumpkin beer you'll ever have!"
Pours a clear copper color with an off-white head. There are mild pumpkin notes and strong notes of nutmeg and cinnamon in the aroma. Sweet, sugary pumpkin up front move into a cinnamon and clove spiciness in the center and finish. There's a moderate hop bitterness in the finish.
1088. Olde Pumpkin Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide
"Olde Pumpkin Porter is our attempt at recreating the pumpkin-infused beers of colonial days. Brewed with pale and roasted malts and fresh organic sugar pumpkins, it has whiled away the past year in old bourbon barrels, where it was inoculated by Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus naturally occuring in the CBC dungeon, er, Barrel Cellar. It was then blended with cinnamon sticks and candied ginger, and finished with new oak. It's tart and roasty palate may just transport you back to 17th Century Boston"
Pours a dark black, and is topped by a brown head. The aroma has notes of bourbon, roast and a light acidity. Initially this porter is mildly sweet with roasted undertones, but moves into a boozy center, and a roasted bitterness in the finish. There are also hints of tartness and Brett earthiness in the finish. I thought this was an interesting beer, I'm always interested in attempts to make beers in a somewhat historic context.
1089. Black Magic
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 3.75%
Serving: Cask
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide
"Our Irish Dry Stout, Blackout, has been infused with fresh pumpkin, ancho and chipotle peppers, cacao nibs, and whole cinnamon sticks. No beer is safe from the pumpkin! Going one step further, this little beauty is served on cask for this event!"
BLack Magic pours an opaque black, and is topped by a thin, brown head. The aroma is a peculiar mixture of maltiness and cinnamon that gives the distinct impression of Graham Crackers. There are more subtle aromas of peppery spice and roast, but the Graham Cracker aroma was what really stuck out at me. There's a bit of chocolatey, and pumpkin sweetness upfront, but this is quickly eclipsed by the spiciness of the cinnamon, ancho, and chipotles. This spiciness finishes out the beer, leaving a strong, lingering heat. I thought this was a great beer. I really liked the heat, and thought that the slightly sweetened (pumpkin infusion) Irish Dry Stout backbone provided the perfect base for the spiciness. I wonder if this was inspired by Mayan and Aztec chocolate drinks. This was probably my favorite beer of the evening.
1090. Ich Bin Ein Kürbisweisse
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide
"Possibly the world's first pumpkin Berliner Weisse! Infused with autumn spices and fresh sugar pumpkin and, well, a secret ingredient to turn this beer a bright orange. Sweet upfront, tart in the finish, pumpkin-spicy in the middle."
Pours a cloudy, golden, orange color, and is topped by a light, white head. The aroma is grassy and grainy with mild spice aromatics, and a sour apple undertone. The initial maltiness leans towards sweet with hints of grassiness. The finish is pleasingly tart with a dry, and earthy character. The pumpkin pie spice is mild, but present throughout. This was another favorite of the evening.
1091. Jack O' Bite
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.40%
Serving: Tap
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, BJCP Style Guide
"Brewed with pale, 77º Crystal, Munich and Cara-Hell malts, and bittered lightly with Glacier hops. Pumpkin in the mash, kettle and fermenter; aged in Jack Daniel's and wine barrels for 6 weeks, inoculated with yeast from Rodenbach."
Pours a hazed, amber-red. It's topped by an off-white head with good lace. The aroma is boozy with woody, acidic and funky notes. A pumpkin and malty sweetness upfront moves into a tart bite. The finish is dry. I thought this was an interesting blend of pumpkin, Scotch Ale, and sour.
1092. St. Alphonso
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
This was the one non-pumpkin beer I had all night. It's sort of a cross between a Belgian Pale Ale and a hoppy APA. Their description:
St. Alphonso pours a pale, straw color, and is topped by a white head. The aroma is primarily hoppy: lots of resin and grassy hops, and a bit of citrus. A distinct citric flavor accompanies a light, grainy maltiness upfront. This moves into resiny and leafy hop flavors in the finish, which contribute more to flavor than to bitterness. This one seems insanely drinkable.Brewers have long held a tradition of naming beers after patron saints. We wanted to do the same, but which saint to choose?
All of the good ones being taken – St. Arnold, St. Bridgette, St. Augustine, etc., etc. – we were left with old Saint Alphonso, patron saint of church pancake breakfasts.
What’s he got to do with our newest beer? Nothing, really. Like I said, all of the good saints were taken.Inspired once again to abuse our position and mess up the mainstream, we’ve created an “American” take on the Belgian single, or table beer. Created for consumption on a daily basis while at the meal table, as opposed to the richer and stronger doubles and triples reserved for festival times, bière de table in Belgium is a lower alcohol beer with plenty of spicy, yeasty, malty flavors.
Our spin involves our house Belgian yeast strain and bucketloads of American hops. Brewed with pale and aromatic malts, its primary flavors and aromas are big, floral, grassy and citrusy thanks to Glacier, Amarillo, and Centennial hops. Glacier hops were added at first wort, and combined with Amarillo and Centennial at the end of the boil and in the whirlpool. Additionally nearly 1.5 pounds per barrel of dryhops were added for that bit of something we call “extra.” No bittering hops were used, but the flavors and residual dryness from the hops, combined with a very well-attenuated, super-dry, light-bodied beer, create a perfect balance on the palate.
Call it a hoppy Belgian session beer if you like.
We call it St. Alphonso.
1093. Hansel and Gretel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
"Brewed with organic pale, Weyermann Munich and Cara-Hell malts, with pumpkin added in the mash, kettle and fermenter. Spiced with peeled and pureed gresh ginger in the boil and bright tank and hopped with lots of Czech Saaz hops (otherwise it wouldn't be traditional)."
Pours a clear, golden color. Ginger and pumpkin notes beat out the Saaz in the aroma. The pumpkin contributes a distinct sweetness to the style. This sweetness moves into a ginger-spice center, and through to a nice, hoppy bitterness in the finish.
Labels: American Porter, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Belgian Pale Ale, Berliner Weissbier, Czech Pilsener, Irish Dry Stout, Pumpkin Ale, Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy
We had our annual, lab camping trip in New Hampshire from the 1st of September to the 3rd. On the 2nd we hiked the Brook-Liberty trail loop to the summit of Mount Chocorua. Rather than cook for ourselves after hiking, we ended up driving into North Conway for dinner. Jenny suggested Moat Mountain, a restaurant/brewery nearby. We split some appetizers, and I had meatloaf for dinner. It came with green beans, squash and mashed potatoes, all very tasty. Rather than choosing one beer I had the six-beer sampler.
1073. Hoffman Weiss
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol:5.70%
Serving: Tap
Style: Hefe Weizen, BJCP Style Guide
Hoffman Weiss pours a cloudy, straw color. It has a nice weiss aroma: cloves, banana and bubble gum with a slight sharpness. Initial malts are neutral and grainy, and move into a citric sharpness with a good banana flavor. There's a nice crispness from the wheat. I though this was a good hefeweizen. I placed it at #3 out of 6 beers in the sampler.
1074. Golden Dog Pilsner
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, golden, straw color. The aroma is mild, but there's a bit of peppery spicy, and some grassy notes. Crisp carbonation upfront moves into a mild fruitiness in the center, which when combined with a mild, peppery spice, is reminiscent of blueberries. The finish has a mild, hop bitterness. Decent, there's a bit of flavor, but not a ton. #4 out of 6.
1075. Czech Pilsner
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 4.90%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, straw, golden color. The aroma is exceedingly mild, you really have to try for it: hints of citrus, and grassy hops. The start to this one is mild, there's some pepperiness in the center and a mild bitterness in the finish. This was too light, and didn't have much flavor. It tasted better after I accidentally dropped a chuck of melted jack cheese and onion in it. This was #5 of 6.
1076. Iron Mike Pale Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 5.60%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear copper color. There's a very nice, hoppy aroma with notes of citrus and apricot. A caramel sweetness greets the palate, followed by a fruity maltiness and a leafy bitterness in the finish with a nice lingering taste. I thought this was a very nice APA, definitely my favorite of the sampler, #1/6.
1077. Opa's Oktoberfest
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 7.0%
Serving: Tap
Style: Märzen / Oktoberfest, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, reddish brown. The aroma is malty with notes of caramel and toffee. There's a strong malty start to the beer. It's predominantly a caramel sweetness, but there are also hints of chocolate. The finish has a mild, but nice, bitterness. There's also a rough chalkiness in the finish. I liked this one. #2/6.
1078. Bear Peak Brown
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: English Brown Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear brown color. There's a mild roastiness, and slight fruitiness in the aroma. Unfortunately the taste doesn't match up with the aroma. There's almost no flavor until the finish where there's a mild roasty flavor and slight fruitiness. Watery, bland not good at all. Easily #6/6.
1073. Hoffman Weiss
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol:5.70%
Serving: Tap
Style: Hefe Weizen, BJCP Style Guide
Hoffman Weiss pours a cloudy, straw color. It has a nice weiss aroma: cloves, banana and bubble gum with a slight sharpness. Initial malts are neutral and grainy, and move into a citric sharpness with a good banana flavor. There's a nice crispness from the wheat. I though this was a good hefeweizen. I placed it at #3 out of 6 beers in the sampler.
1074. Golden Dog Pilsner
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, golden, straw color. The aroma is mild, but there's a bit of peppery spicy, and some grassy notes. Crisp carbonation upfront moves into a mild fruitiness in the center, which when combined with a mild, peppery spice, is reminiscent of blueberries. The finish has a mild, hop bitterness. Decent, there's a bit of flavor, but not a ton. #4 out of 6.
1075. Czech Pilsner
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 4.90%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, straw, golden color. The aroma is exceedingly mild, you really have to try for it: hints of citrus, and grassy hops. The start to this one is mild, there's some pepperiness in the center and a mild bitterness in the finish. This was too light, and didn't have much flavor. It tasted better after I accidentally dropped a chuck of melted jack cheese and onion in it. This was #5 of 6.
1076. Iron Mike Pale Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 5.60%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear copper color. There's a very nice, hoppy aroma with notes of citrus and apricot. A caramel sweetness greets the palate, followed by a fruity maltiness and a leafy bitterness in the finish with a nice lingering taste. I thought this was a very nice APA, definitely my favorite of the sampler, #1/6.
1077. Opa's Oktoberfest
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 7.0%
Serving: Tap
Style: Märzen / Oktoberfest, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, reddish brown. The aroma is malty with notes of caramel and toffee. There's a strong malty start to the beer. It's predominantly a caramel sweetness, but there are also hints of chocolate. The finish has a mild, but nice, bitterness. There's also a rough chalkiness in the finish. I liked this one. #2/6.
1078. Bear Peak Brown
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: English Brown Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear brown color. There's a mild roastiness, and slight fruitiness in the aroma. Unfortunately the taste doesn't match up with the aroma. There's almost no flavor until the finish where there's a mild roasty flavor and slight fruitiness. Watery, bland not good at all. Easily #6/6.
Labels: American Pale Ale, Czech Pilsener, German Pilsener, Hefe Weizen
999. Mama's Little Yella Pils
I 'm not sure if this is a new release from Oskar Blues, or one I just haven't seen before. I bought a six-pack at Downtown Wine & Spirits earlier this week, and I had this beer on Saturday (April 4th). I served it in my Cambridge Brewing Company pint glass.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery
Alcohol: 5.30%
Serving: Can, 12 oz.
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.65
Pours a lightly hazed golden color. Topped by a fluffy, bright white head that fades to a film, leaving patchy lace. The aroma is a bit light overall, but there are notes of graininess and a bit of leafy hops.
Lightly sweet pilsner malts appear upfront and persist through the center of this beer. The finish has a good bit of leafy, hop bitterness, especially as the beer warms. A hint of apple fruitiness also appears towards the finish as the beer warms. Light-bodied and moderately carbonated with a crisp, dry finish.
A bit disappointing, especially from this brewery, but overall a drinkable pilsner with a good amount of bitterness. This beer definitely got better as it warmed.
I 'm not sure if this is a new release from Oskar Blues, or one I just haven't seen before. I bought a six-pack at Downtown Wine & Spirits earlier this week, and I had this beer on Saturday (April 4th). I served it in my Cambridge Brewing Company pint glass.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery
Alcohol: 5.30%
Serving: Can, 12 oz.
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 3.65
Pours a lightly hazed golden color. Topped by a fluffy, bright white head that fades to a film, leaving patchy lace. The aroma is a bit light overall, but there are notes of graininess and a bit of leafy hops.
Lightly sweet pilsner malts appear upfront and persist through the center of this beer. The finish has a good bit of leafy, hop bitterness, especially as the beer warms. A hint of apple fruitiness also appears towards the finish as the beer warms. Light-bodied and moderately carbonated with a crisp, dry finish.
A bit disappointing, especially from this brewery, but overall a drinkable pilsner with a good amount of bitterness. This beer definitely got better as it warmed.
Labels: Czech Pilsener
997. Pilsner Falscher
Jadyn and I had dinner at John Harvard's on Wednesday April 1st. In general I tend to neglect lagers, especially pilsners, in my beer selection, so in an effort to correct that I've been trying lagers when I see them.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.6
This pils is lightly hazy and pours a particularly nice golden color. The airy, white head fades to a continuous film leaving a clinging "crown" of lace. The aroma is fairly light. There's a faint, apple fruitiness, leafy hops, and a mild minerally character.
Lightly sweet, but otherwise neutral, malts upfront. Followed by an apple-tinged graininess in the center, and a mild, leafy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied and crisp carbonation, yet it still seems a bit thin in the finish.
This beer has a good amount of flavor with a nice, chalky mineral-character, but could be a bit more crisp.
Jadyn and I had dinner at John Harvard's on Wednesday April 1st. In general I tend to neglect lagers, especially pilsners, in my beer selection, so in an effort to correct that I've been trying lagers when I see them.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.6
This pils is lightly hazy and pours a particularly nice golden color. The airy, white head fades to a continuous film leaving a clinging "crown" of lace. The aroma is fairly light. There's a faint, apple fruitiness, leafy hops, and a mild minerally character.
Lightly sweet, but otherwise neutral, malts upfront. Followed by an apple-tinged graininess in the center, and a mild, leafy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied and crisp carbonation, yet it still seems a bit thin in the finish.
This beer has a good amount of flavor with a nice, chalky mineral-character, but could be a bit more crisp.
Labels: Czech Pilsener
After a round at Against the Grain, David's next Friday night stop was Klimat, a small Polish bar with good selection of Easter European brews. I sampled three new beers and had a bit of the free pub food that was available.
945. Krušovice Imperial
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Královský Pivovar Krušovice
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.6
Pours a lightly hazed golden. Topped by a fluffy, one-inch, white head with good retention and lacing. The aroma is fairly mild: grassy and citric notes.
Lightly sweet malts upfront, predominantly bready with some grainy hints. The finish is lightly grassy with a mild bitterness. Light-bodied, crisp and moderately carbonated.
Pretty straightforward, but tasty enough to be worth a pint.
946. Golden Pheasant
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pivovar Zlaty Bazant
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.9
Poured a hazed, copper golden. Topped by a white head that faded to a film. The aroma is malty with nice notes of caramel and fruit on swirling. There's not a lot in the way of hop aroma though.
Sweet bready malts with a milder caramel flavor upfront. Malts are attenuated through the center leading to a grassy hop bitterness with a hint of peppery spice. Light-bodied. highly carbonated, and crisp.
I was pleasantly surprised by a good bit of flavor in this beer. It was definitely the best of the round.
947. Baltika #7 Export
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pivzavod Baltika
Alcohol: 5.40%
Serving: Tap
Style: Dortmunder / Export Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.0 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 2.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 2.55
Pours a pale golden. What little head there is quickly fades to nothing. The aroma is very light. If you're paying attention you can pick out herbal hops and a bit of citrus.
Sweet, pale malts. Mild grassiness, not much in the way of bitterness. Light-bodied, moderately carbonated. Lacks the crispness that would make the beer seem less watery.
Inoffensive, no outright unpleasant characters, but nothing special.
945. Krušovice Imperial
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Královský Pivovar Krušovice
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.6
Pours a lightly hazed golden. Topped by a fluffy, one-inch, white head with good retention and lacing. The aroma is fairly mild: grassy and citric notes.
Lightly sweet malts upfront, predominantly bready with some grainy hints. The finish is lightly grassy with a mild bitterness. Light-bodied, crisp and moderately carbonated.
Pretty straightforward, but tasty enough to be worth a pint.
946. Golden Pheasant
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pivovar Zlaty Bazant
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.9
Poured a hazed, copper golden. Topped by a white head that faded to a film. The aroma is malty with nice notes of caramel and fruit on swirling. There's not a lot in the way of hop aroma though.
Sweet bready malts with a milder caramel flavor upfront. Malts are attenuated through the center leading to a grassy hop bitterness with a hint of peppery spice. Light-bodied. highly carbonated, and crisp.
I was pleasantly surprised by a good bit of flavor in this beer. It was definitely the best of the round.
947. Baltika #7 Export
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pivzavod Baltika
Alcohol: 5.40%
Serving: Tap
Style: Dortmunder / Export Lager, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 3.0 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 2.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.0 | Drinkability: 3.5
Overall: 2.55
Pours a pale golden. What little head there is quickly fades to nothing. The aroma is very light. If you're paying attention you can pick out herbal hops and a bit of citrus.
Sweet, pale malts. Mild grassiness, not much in the way of bitterness. Light-bodied, moderately carbonated. Lacks the crispness that would make the beer seem less watery.
Inoffensive, no outright unpleasant characters, but nothing special.
Labels: Czech Pilsener, Dortmunder/Export Lager, Travel
920. Lagunitas PILS
I apologize for the quality of the picture. I'm still trying to find a nice place to take pictures of beers in the new apartment. Jadyn wanted something that would go well with the stuffed cabbage she was making. I thought a crisp, balanced Czech Pilsener might do the job.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.30%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 4.15
Pours a bright, clear golden. A thin, bright white head bubbles up on the pour, but quickly fizzes away to a thin film. The aroma, like most pilsners in my experience, is light. Though there are nice malty caramel aromas and a bit of herbal hops.
Sweet and bready flavors greet the tongue, moving into a more defined malty sweetness. The finish is a pretty spot on. There's a nice citrus-tinged, spicy hop finish with a good lingering bitterness. Crisp, nicely carbonated and light-bodied.
I apologize for the quality of the picture. I'm still trying to find a nice place to take pictures of beers in the new apartment. Jadyn wanted something that would go well with the stuffed cabbage she was making. I thought a crisp, balanced Czech Pilsener might do the job.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.30%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 4.15
Pours a bright, clear golden. A thin, bright white head bubbles up on the pour, but quickly fizzes away to a thin film. The aroma, like most pilsners in my experience, is light. Though there are nice malty caramel aromas and a bit of herbal hops.
Sweet and bready flavors greet the tongue, moving into a more defined malty sweetness. The finish is a pretty spot on. There's a nice citrus-tinged, spicy hop finish with a good lingering bitterness. Crisp, nicely carbonated and light-bodied.
Labels: Czech Pilsener, Lagunitas Brewing Company
870. Staropramen Lager
Win came to New York in mid-September for a couple of Mets games against the Braves. I don't rememeber the chronology, but I believe we ended up at a beer garden in Queens after the Saturday night double-header. We played backgammon and had many pitchers of beer between the three of us.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pivovar Staropramen Pražské Pivovary
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a merengue-like, off-white head. Good retention and lacing. The aroma is fairly light overall, though there are some nice malt notes and a hint of hops.
Neutral and toasty upfront, moving into a nice caramel sweetness. Balanced by a nice resiny hop presence in the finish.
Flavorful and refreshing, a very drinkable pilsener.
Win came to New York in mid-September for a couple of Mets games against the Braves. I don't rememeber the chronology, but I believe we ended up at a beer garden in Queens after the Saturday night double-header. We played backgammon and had many pitchers of beer between the three of us.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pivovar Staropramen Pražské Pivovary
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear golden. Topped by a merengue-like, off-white head. Good retention and lacing. The aroma is fairly light overall, though there are some nice malt notes and a hint of hops.
Neutral and toasty upfront, moving into a nice caramel sweetness. Balanced by a nice resiny hop presence in the finish.
Flavorful and refreshing, a very drinkable pilsener.
Labels: Czech Pilsener
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
441. Harpoon Bohemian Pilsner (100 Barrel Series #15)
Published by Unknown on Monday, August 21, 2006 at 10:42 PM.
441. Harpoon Bohemian Pilsner (100 Barrel Series #15)
I made my weekly stop by Downtown Wine & Spirits tonight. They had Harpoon's latest 100 Barrel offering, a Bohemian Pilsner, which sounded like it would hit the spot. Other purchases include Smuttynose Big A IPA, Southampton Grand Cru, and Allagash 11th Anniversary Ale. I served this chilled in my UFO Weizen glass (I desperately need a good Pilsner glass).
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: 4.70%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a crystal clear, straw golden with a fluffy white head that fades to a persistent, thin layer leaving nice lace.
Smell (3.5): Malty sweetness, perhaps hints of apple, crisp grain and a light hoppiness.
Taste (3.5): Malty sweetness upfront, husky grain in the center, followed by a nice hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, crisp and dry.
Drinkability (4.5): Refreshing and well-balanced, very easy to drink.
Overall (3.75): A very drinkable pilsner. It's good, but not overwhelming.
I made my weekly stop by Downtown Wine & Spirits tonight. They had Harpoon's latest 100 Barrel offering, a Bohemian Pilsner, which sounded like it would hit the spot. Other purchases include Smuttynose Big A IPA, Southampton Grand Cru, and Allagash 11th Anniversary Ale. I served this chilled in my UFO Weizen glass (I desperately need a good Pilsner glass).
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: 4.70%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a crystal clear, straw golden with a fluffy white head that fades to a persistent, thin layer leaving nice lace.
Smell (3.5): Malty sweetness, perhaps hints of apple, crisp grain and a light hoppiness.
Taste (3.5): Malty sweetness upfront, husky grain in the center, followed by a nice hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, crisp and dry.
Drinkability (4.5): Refreshing and well-balanced, very easy to drink.
Overall (3.75): A very drinkable pilsner. It's good, but not overwhelming.
Labels: Czech Pilsener, Harpoon Brewery, Reviews
I went down to New York for David's birthday and a long weekend. I saw friends, had some new beers and did a little home-brewing. All in all a good weekend.
Friday
On Friday night David, Dave and I went bar hopping in the East Village. Dave was at Lotus Lounge when I got into town, so after a brief layover at The Bear to drop off my bags David and I set off to meet him.
369. B.B. Bürgerbräu
I sampled this on tap at the Lotus Lounge in New York City. It was served in a standard pint glass.
Appearance (3.5): Pours a lightly hazy golden with a thin white head.
Smell (3.5): Light hops with toffee and caramel malt aromas.
Taste (2.5): Sweet and toasty malts. Hop flavors are light and the beer lacks any real bitterness.
Mouthfeel (2.0): Light carbonation, light-bodied and watery.
Drinkability (3.0): Light and easy to drink, but there aren't really any great flavors to make you want to drink it.
Overall (2.9): Simple and lacking in flavor and depth in the palate.
370. Sixpoint Sweet Action
I sampled this on tap at the Lotus Lounge in New York City. It was served in a standard pint glass. Dave and David gave me comments on this one.
Appearance (4.5): Hazy orange-amber with a thin creamy white head that leaves nice lace.
Dave: Pretty Sexy
David: Copper and cloudy
Smell (4.5): Sweet and peppery, with fruitiness and citric hops.
Dave: Berry.
David: Beer & boisenberry.
Taste (3.5): Mild malts upfront, with a peppery finish with citric hops. Nicely balanced in the finish. bu the malts could be more pronounced upfront.
Dave: I can't do taste. Closer to sweet scintilating saltiness (peppery).
David: Colorado Grolsch. A draft beer taste with flavor and body.
Mouthfeel (3.0): Light-bodied, slightly oily and a little watery.
Dave: Carbonation a bit much. Leaves harsh taste of void.
David: Dry mouth, overly carbonated.
Drinkability (4.5): Easy to drink with a nice refreshing hoppiness.
Dave: Mine's already gone so it must get a 5.
David: I could drink it but I don't want to.
Overall (3.95): Very drinkable, the only thing holding this beer back is the lack of malt character upfront.
371. Radeberger Pilsner
I sampled this on tap at the Lotus Lounge in New York City. It was served in a standard pint glass.
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear golden with a fluffy white head that thins to a persistent layer.
Smell (2.0): There's a sweet smell and that's about it.
Taste (2.5): Slight sweetness upfront with a decent hoppy finish.
Mouthfeel (3.0): Tingly carbonation and clean mouthfeel.
Drinkability (3.0): Light and easy to drink.
Overall (2.8): Drinkable, but not a lot of flavor that makes you want to drink it.
Next we headed out to look for a place to eat. We ended going to an Italian restaurant whose name I don't remember. I had the ricotta and spinach ravioli tossed in olive oil and sage, which was quite nice. We finished up our meals with port: Dow's 10 Year Tawny for Dave and I, and Dow's for David.
Pictures of us enjoying port:
David
Dave
Dave
Me
Next we headed to Happy Ending where we had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Before we left we had the candle priviledges revoked at our table, surprisingly not my fault.
After a trip out to a bar in Brooklyn we ended up back in the East Village around 3 AM. We were wandering around looking for a bar when I spotted a place called The Belgian Room. We started off with a round of De Dolle Oerbiers, found a table and started playing poker with cards we'd borrowed from the bartender.
372. Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek - 2001
We split a 750 mL bottle of this at the Belgian Room. It was served in Cantillon wine glasses.
Appearance: Hazy dark-red. The only evidence of a head are thin wispy patches of bubbles.
Smell: Nose of cherries, a light funkiness and an acidic sour smell. Very lambic.
Taste: Sweet and sour notes of cherries up front. An intense sourness takes hold in the center and maintains its dominance through the finish.
Mouthfeel: Mildly carbonated, with a very dry finish.
Drinkability: This is something to drink slowly and savor.
Overall: This is a very nice cherry lambic.
373. Bink Blonde
I sampled this from a 12 (or maybe 11.2 oz) bottle at The Belgian Room, it was served in a Leffe Class.
Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden with a thin white head.
Smell: Sweet and peppery with some fruity notes that may have been banana.
Taste: Sweet upfront with peppery notes, fruit (again bananas?) and a surprising hop profile for the style.
Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation, smooth with a lightly dry finish.
Drinkability: A little tough to tell this late in the night, but the hoppiness was pleasant.
Saturday
Saturday Dave, David, Bennett and I went for a late brunch at Kitchenette in Morningside Heights. We walked around Central Park for awhile then saw Art School Confidential in Times Square. David, Bennett and I then headed to Megan's house in Pelham. We had pizza at the always excellent Johnny's. David, Bennett and I then played pool and poker and had a few beers: Harpoon Summer Beer, Sam Adams Summer Ale and Guinness Extra Stout.
Sunday
Sunday was David's birthday party. Megan had purchased a beginner homebrew kit for his birthday. The kit was an extract stout recipe with a small batch of milled grain, a package of extract syrup, and some Perle hop pellets. I had several Sam Adams Summer Ales as well as one new beer.
374. Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
I poured half a bottle into a half-pint weisse glass.
Appearance (3.5): Pours a slightly-hazy copper with a white foamy head that thins to a persitent layer. Large bubbles stream from the bottom of the glass.
Smell (2.0): Very strong and overpowering candy-like cherry aromas.
Taste (2.5): Light cherry flavor upfront, that fades into an American-style-wheat-beer flavor in the finish. The cherry flavor is present throughout and while not overpowering is a little cough-syrupy. The finish is grainy with little bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light to moderate carbonation, smooth with a lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (3.5): Refreshing aside from the slight cough syrup flavor.
Overall (2.85): This isn't a great fruit beer. The cherry comes off candy-like and overpowering in the smell, and a bit cough-syrupy in the finish.
Friday
On Friday night David, Dave and I went bar hopping in the East Village. Dave was at Lotus Lounge when I got into town, so after a brief layover at The Bear to drop off my bags David and I set off to meet him.
369. B.B. Bürgerbräu
I sampled this on tap at the Lotus Lounge in New York City. It was served in a standard pint glass.
Appearance (3.5): Pours a lightly hazy golden with a thin white head.
Smell (3.5): Light hops with toffee and caramel malt aromas.
Taste (2.5): Sweet and toasty malts. Hop flavors are light and the beer lacks any real bitterness.
Mouthfeel (2.0): Light carbonation, light-bodied and watery.
Drinkability (3.0): Light and easy to drink, but there aren't really any great flavors to make you want to drink it.
Overall (2.9): Simple and lacking in flavor and depth in the palate.
370. Sixpoint Sweet Action
I sampled this on tap at the Lotus Lounge in New York City. It was served in a standard pint glass. Dave and David gave me comments on this one.
Appearance (4.5): Hazy orange-amber with a thin creamy white head that leaves nice lace.
Dave: Pretty Sexy
David: Copper and cloudy
Smell (4.5): Sweet and peppery, with fruitiness and citric hops.
Dave: Berry.
David: Beer & boisenberry.
Taste (3.5): Mild malts upfront, with a peppery finish with citric hops. Nicely balanced in the finish. bu the malts could be more pronounced upfront.
Dave: I can't do taste. Closer to sweet scintilating saltiness (peppery).
David: Colorado Grolsch. A draft beer taste with flavor and body.
Mouthfeel (3.0): Light-bodied, slightly oily and a little watery.
Dave: Carbonation a bit much. Leaves harsh taste of void.
David: Dry mouth, overly carbonated.
Drinkability (4.5): Easy to drink with a nice refreshing hoppiness.
Dave: Mine's already gone so it must get a 5.
David: I could drink it but I don't want to.
Overall (3.95): Very drinkable, the only thing holding this beer back is the lack of malt character upfront.
371. Radeberger Pilsner
I sampled this on tap at the Lotus Lounge in New York City. It was served in a standard pint glass.
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear golden with a fluffy white head that thins to a persistent layer.
Smell (2.0): There's a sweet smell and that's about it.
Taste (2.5): Slight sweetness upfront with a decent hoppy finish.
Mouthfeel (3.0): Tingly carbonation and clean mouthfeel.
Drinkability (3.0): Light and easy to drink.
Overall (2.8): Drinkable, but not a lot of flavor that makes you want to drink it.
Next we headed out to look for a place to eat. We ended going to an Italian restaurant whose name I don't remember. I had the ricotta and spinach ravioli tossed in olive oil and sage, which was quite nice. We finished up our meals with port: Dow's 10 Year Tawny for Dave and I, and Dow's for David.
Pictures of us enjoying port:
David
Dave
Dave
Me
Next we headed to Happy Ending where we had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Before we left we had the candle priviledges revoked at our table, surprisingly not my fault.
After a trip out to a bar in Brooklyn we ended up back in the East Village around 3 AM. We were wandering around looking for a bar when I spotted a place called The Belgian Room. We started off with a round of De Dolle Oerbiers, found a table and started playing poker with cards we'd borrowed from the bartender.
372. Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek - 2001
We split a 750 mL bottle of this at the Belgian Room. It was served in Cantillon wine glasses.
Appearance: Hazy dark-red. The only evidence of a head are thin wispy patches of bubbles.
Smell: Nose of cherries, a light funkiness and an acidic sour smell. Very lambic.
Taste: Sweet and sour notes of cherries up front. An intense sourness takes hold in the center and maintains its dominance through the finish.
Mouthfeel: Mildly carbonated, with a very dry finish.
Drinkability: This is something to drink slowly and savor.
Overall: This is a very nice cherry lambic.
373. Bink Blonde
I sampled this from a 12 (or maybe 11.2 oz) bottle at The Belgian Room, it was served in a Leffe Class.
Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden with a thin white head.
Smell: Sweet and peppery with some fruity notes that may have been banana.
Taste: Sweet upfront with peppery notes, fruit (again bananas?) and a surprising hop profile for the style.
Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation, smooth with a lightly dry finish.
Drinkability: A little tough to tell this late in the night, but the hoppiness was pleasant.
Saturday
Saturday Dave, David, Bennett and I went for a late brunch at Kitchenette in Morningside Heights. We walked around Central Park for awhile then saw Art School Confidential in Times Square. David, Bennett and I then headed to Megan's house in Pelham. We had pizza at the always excellent Johnny's. David, Bennett and I then played pool and poker and had a few beers: Harpoon Summer Beer, Sam Adams Summer Ale and Guinness Extra Stout.
Sunday
Sunday was David's birthday party. Megan had purchased a beginner homebrew kit for his birthday. The kit was an extract stout recipe with a small batch of milled grain, a package of extract syrup, and some Perle hop pellets. I had several Sam Adams Summer Ales as well as one new beer.
374. Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
I poured half a bottle into a half-pint weisse glass.
Appearance (3.5): Pours a slightly-hazy copper with a white foamy head that thins to a persitent layer. Large bubbles stream from the bottom of the glass.
Smell (2.0): Very strong and overpowering candy-like cherry aromas.
Taste (2.5): Light cherry flavor upfront, that fades into an American-style-wheat-beer flavor in the finish. The cherry flavor is present throughout and while not overpowering is a little cough-syrupy. The finish is grainy with little bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light to moderate carbonation, smooth with a lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (3.5): Refreshing aside from the slight cough syrup flavor.
Overall (2.85): This isn't a great fruit beer. The cherry comes off candy-like and overpowering in the smell, and a bit cough-syrupy in the finish.
Labels: American Blonde Ale, Belgian Pale Ale, Brasserie Cantillon, Czech Pilsener, Fruit Lambic, Fruit/Vegatable Beer, German Pilsener, Lambic, NYC, Reviews, Sixpoint Craft Ales, Sour Beer, Travel
