Blue Moon Rising Moon
8:36 pm
I don’t agree with the political and spiritual organizations the Coors company aligns itself with but I feel we still have a responsibility to review their beers objectively and honestly. I will say I am happy that I didn’t have to patronize the company, rather I am drinking a bottle someone gave me because “he” doesn’t care for the taste…With the rise in the microbrew popularity, The folks at Coors have had to expand their Blue Moon line to keep up with the competition. They are following the path made famous by Jim Koch (at least to me) by producing seasonal offerings on a grand scale. The Harvest Moon wasn’t terrible but nothing to write home about, and much the same can be said about the Full Moon. This season’s offering is a wheat-style brew with a summer ale twist.
It has a clear, golden hue. The head from this pour is substantial and disappears quickly. It smells bitter sweet, predominantly of lemon-lime and malt. The taste is a combo of lemon and spice. Their is no rhyme or reason to the flavor. It washes over the palate and stays long after the liquid is gone. There is little hop presence in this beer, although the carbonation burn is quite apparent during the swallow, then it subsides and vanishes as quickly as it came. The Rising Moon is a simple beer, nothing exciting or special. It is no better than the other “micro-knockoffs” created by the macro companies. These beers just don’t have the same personality or characteristics that the micros have. If you’re happy with overpriced grocery store beer this is the beer for you. But if you are insulted by the mass production of a cheap product bypass this brew and support a local/up and coming brewery who’s livelihood is based on serving you a quality beer.
Big Sky “Scape Goat” Pale Ale
7:50 pm
Next up from Big Sky is a beer with a picture of a goat on the label…
The Scape Goat gives a very clear pour with ample carbonation. The color is a very deep golden with hints of amber - certainly darker than most any pale ale I’ve seen, with a spotty off-white head. The aroma is rather surprising for a pale ale. There is some light malt here, which isn’t odd, but it’s joined with a candy sweetness that is akin to SweeTarts - this makes for an aroma that is certainly pleasant (who doesn’t like SweeTarts?), but is admittedly a bit odd. In the mouth, this beer is more typical of a pale ale, albeit with a bit more hop. The initial sensation here, and the one that sticks around for the front part of the mouth, is of a sweet malt with a noticeable carbonation burn. Towards the back of the tongue, we could a good blast of hop - the bitterness here is somewhat floral but has a rich musty note to it, as well. This hoppiness really takes shape at the back of the throat to give us an aftertaste that is rather strong and creeps up into the nose. As far as pale ales go, this is a bit different than the gold standard (Sierra Nevada). However, it is very good - sort of an india/pale ale hybrid - heavier on the hop with a bigger overall profile. I suppose it’s only fitting that a beer with a goat on the label should be larger than life (I don’t know what I meant by that). Quite good, and another impressive brew for Big Sky.
Big Sky “Trout Slayer” Ale
8:08 pm
As I’m sure all of you SevenPack groupies remember, I once reviewed the Big Sky Moose Drool ale, and I found it quite tasty. In fact, I associate all of these Big Sky brews with trips to the West. Whether it be to Yellowstone or Glacier or the Tetons or whatever, these beers bring to mind relaxing times in beautiful settings, so it’s difficult for me to give them unbiased reviews. However, I picked up a couple of Big Sky’s other offerings, and I’m hoping that a hotel in North Dakota is a decent setting to give them more honest reviews. Here goes nothing….
The Trout Slayer doesn’t actually define a style on the label, but it sure seems to be a standard golden ale. The pour of this is crystal clear with a medium golden color and a barely noticeable thin white head. The aroma of the beer is rather thick and sweet with a caramel note, which is slightly unexpected. In the mouth, this beer is full and flavorful. From the beginning to the end, the beer has a rich bready flavor with hints of a more sugary sweetness that again brings to mind caramel. There isn’t a very large hop note here, although there is a light bitterness that shows up in the aftertaste and leaves you with a tongue coated with rich sweetness and a bitter bite at the back of the throat. Frankly, this would be a great beer while casting a line in some mountain stream, which I reckon is what Big Sky had in mind when they named it. It’s fairly refreshing while still being big and flavorful - great beer for the golden ale genre, and one I’m sure to revisit when I can find it.
Catch of the Day
7:14 pm
Dear viewers. This isn’t a beer review, nor is it really beer news to most of you. Rather, it’s just me bragging, because today I scored a bottle of one of the most sought-after beers around - the Sam Adams Utopias 2007. Normally, I wouldn’t even try to find a bottle of this because a) it’s too high in abv(27%) to be legally sold in NC and b) it’s rare enough that finding a bottle in a store is nearly impossible. However, it seems that folks in North Dakota aren’t that interested in this brew, as I waltzed into Harry’s Bottle Shop and managed to score the last bottle in the company straight off the shelf. I won’t tell you what I paid, because some of you will think I’m stupid (probably correct), but suffice it to say that it was significantly cheaper than you’ll find it on eBay right now.
So, you can be on the lookout for a review of this beer sometime in the distant future. I intend to cellar this beer for a very special occasion - when I get married, when I have a child, or when I’m on my death bed. Whichever comes first (probably the latter)…
Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Beer
8:15 pm
Here’s the second offering from Boulevard that I’m trying out. Yesterday, I told you guys that this was a Hefeweizen but, actually, it appears that this is an American style wheat. Normally, this is a bummer for me, ’cause I really like the Bavarian style. However, this does also claim to be the best-selling craft beer in the Midwest, so there must be something to it, right? Let’s see…
This beer pours a lightly hazy golden color - about right for a wheat ale, but maybe a bit lighter. Also, there is a ton of carbonation in the form of tiny streams of bubbles - this is becoming a theme with Boulevard beers, and not a bad one. The aroma here is fairly non-descript. The main component is citrus, without much else rearing its head. In the mouth, this is actually much more flavorful than I expected. However, I can’t say I’m totally sold. There is a decent amount of citrus here, and a ton of sweet wheaty malt. Interestingly, the wheat flavor here is a bit mustier than I’m accustomed to, giving it a flavor that is akin to wet cardboard. Okay, now, I know that sounds terrible. It’s not THAT bad. This wet cardboard sensation is fairly fleeting, occurs near the middle of the tongue, and then transitions into a second burst of sweetness with a light tart flavor that is very good and flows into the aftertaste, slowly diminishing over several seconds. In fact, while I’m not into cardboard, it does make an interesting divider between the light early citrus and the late tart sweetness. Really, this isn’t a bad beer, especially for an American version. It’s big and flavorful and ends on a high note. I still wouldn’t take it over most any Bavarian wheat beer, but I consider this a good and interesting American take on the genre.
Boulevard “Zon” Belgian Witbier
8:01 pm
Oh, the joys of a new state and new beers to drink! Today, we’re trying offering numero uno from the Boulevard Brewing company out of Kansas City. I actually picked up a couple of their offerings - a Belgian Witbier and a German Hefeweizen - both somewhat similar genres, and two of my favorite genres, at that.
This beer pours a lovely witbier hue - light hazy golden, with a high level of carbonation evident in the streams of tiny bubbles (Don Ho would be proud). The aroma is lightly metallic, lightly citrusy, and full of that trademark sweet yeasty aroma that you’ll find in many witbiers. The flavor of this beer is actually rather full for a witbier, as opposed to the light and refreshing taste you sometimes encounter. This one starts with a decent carbonation bite, followed by some lemon zest on the tip of the tongue. As the beer travels down the tongue, the zestiness continues and is joined by a yeasty sweetness that coats the tongue and gives this beer a fairly thick mouthfeel. In the end, the predominant flavors here are of Belgian witbier yeast and lemon rind citrus. This makes for a beer that is, in many ways, refreshing and quenching. However, this also has a slightly syrupy mouthfeel so it wouldn’t be ideal in an actual ‘thirst quenching’ scenario. I guess what I’m getting at is that this is a rather decadent beer that masquerades as a summertime treat. In truth, it’s good enough to be enjoyed any season, and flavorful enough to hold it’s own with most competition. There are better witbiers out there, but this is mighty good.
Legacy Brewing Hoptimus Prime
5:30 pm
Another brewery has been added to the ever expanding list of breweries distributed here in Massachusetts. Legacy Brewing is based out of Reading, PA and within the past couple of months (to the best of my knowledge) has started distributing their products within Massachusetts. When a new brewery comes to town, I go for one thing first. A type of IPA (either regular or imperial). If the brewery can impress me with their (I)IPA, I find it easier to move onto their other offerings. If the (I)IPA does not “do it” for me, it will make picking up a different one of their beers that much tougher. With that said, Legacy’s beer initiation will be with their IIPA.
To start things off the beer’s name and label art are great. A reference to Transformers in its name and some type of robo-hop-vine character on its label definitely help this beer stand out on the crowded beer shelves. If the label had a heat-sensitive decal which displayed a hop when warmed by ones finger, the label would possibly qualify as the best beer label ever. A man can dream at least.
The beer poured a clear orange-red color, with a pillowy white head. The aroma’s were of hop with a nice pine front and some citrus-grapefruit back. Though the aroma’s were typical of the IIPA variety, they seemed a little more subdued then the typical IIPA. In the mouth the pine shined through the beer’s medium body. With a bitterness through-out the mouth this was definitely an IIPA. Interestingly enough there were some hints of malt and bread mid-mouth which helped in balancing the beer a bit. I would not say it “balanced the beer out”, because the hops came roaring back for a big, bitter finish, but the malt definitely added some depth to the beer. This malt-bread may attribute to the “subdued” hop aromas also. The beer’s 9% abv is well hidden, so this is a beer to be careful with.
Overall a very good beer put out by Legacy and I look forward to future products.
This is another beer from Opa-Opa and another beer in my “spring cleaning” series. This beer was picked up at the same time as the Opa-Opa IPA.
The beer was a nice clear amber color in my glass with a very large head. Possibly too much carbonation in the bottle, not really sure, but the beer would have over flowed from its glass if I had not let the beer sit for a little bit in-between a few soft pours. Out of this head, the aromas segued from a nice, light caramel sweetness to a rather husky grain finish. The sweetness aroma I found quite delectable.
In the mouth the front of the beer was rather harsh with a fresh grain taste. As the beer progressed through the mouth this grain taste maintained its presence but other more subtle flavorings made an appearance. A “tangy” sweetness was found in the middle and some light fruit was found at the back. If the grain taste was toned down a little bit I think the beer would be a bit smoother and more dynamic, which could help it stick out in a very crowded field.
A middle of the road beer for me. I would not avoid it, but then again I would not go out of my way to get it. Your mileage may vary however.
Summit Extra Pale Ale
8:00 pm
Well, folks, I’ve arrived in North Dakota, and I’ll likely be here for a month or more. So, as such, I’ll hopefully be finding a few new brews to review for you, adding a bit of spice to our current selection and pushing us over the 700 review mark (that’s a lot of drinking, friends). Tonight, on my first night in town, I happened over to Rhombus Guys, a local pizza joint with a small but decent beer selection. There, I enjoyed an entirely-too-large glass of the Summit Extra Pale.
This beer pours a clear deep golden color and smells deeply of floral hops. Sometimes I have some difficulty telling the difference between an Extra Pale Ale and an India Pale Ale. However, in this instance, I think Summit has done a great job to stick to the pale ale genre while turning it up to ‘11′. This beer is fairly consistent through the mouth with a single flavor that blends lots of biscuity malt with a load of floral Northwestern hops. This makes this beer very big, exceedingly flavorful, and very accessible. There are a ton of hops here, enough to scare off a lightweight beer drinker. However, the balancing sweetness of the malt really buffers any abrasiveness, leaving us with the pleasing floral characteristics while cutting through any biting bitterness. Personally, I really enjoyed this beer. I found it big but not overpowering, and it paired wonderfully with a rather spicy pizza. This is the first offering from Summit I’ve found, and it only excites me to try some of their other brews.
Recent polls have found that many Americans believe we are in a recession. The stock market is in shambles, gas prices are at an all time high, the government is shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars to “stimulate the economy”, and the cost of a variety of grocery items has risen to buffer the price of transportation. 2008 will forever be known as the year of conservation, of “going green”, as activists plead with us to protect our natural resources and ensure our grandchildren’s children can enjoy the same luxuries we have now.
Not even the beer industry could evade this period of “destitution.” Brewers clamored to preserve their hops stores due to a pandemic shortage. In these hard times the good folks at Terrapin raised a big middle finger and shouted a loud “F.U.!” to everybody and I love them for it. They took a ridiculous amount of hops that they could have spread across many different batches of beer and put them all in one pot. I don’t care if this beer is good or not, I’m just glad that someone finally stood up and said, “Hey, I want to enjoy this now, let the people in the future fend for themselves.” Yes!
This beer pours a clear golden yellow, much more transparent than I had expected. The aroma is viciously earthy, full of hop, hop and more hop. It definitely fills the nostrils but it isn’t so abrasive that it stings. There is a hint of nut that hides in the background but it really has nothing to do with the beer. The taste, ahhh the taste, it’s hoppy…go figure. The flavor tickles the front of the tongue and then attacks the back of the mouth. There is floral flavors all over the place. I must say, at first I wasn’t terribly fond of this beer; it tastes like hoppy water. But then as it warmed a little and the flavors mellowed I changed my mind. Hop-heads will love this beer, but those that need some complexity in their beer will probably be left disappointed. Some other IIPAs with the same hop-like characteristics also had a malty sweetness that cut the bitterness. Not this one but in this instance I don’t mind it at all. Good for Terrapin for not going the politically correct way and conserving their ingredients.
This here is one of the staples of the Flying Dog line, and it’s a good staple at that. There are a number of good American pale ales out there, and some would say the market is pretty saturated, but Flying Dog is doing a great job of adding a high quality competitor to the scene.
This beer pours a medium golden that is a bit cloudier than some other pale ales. The aroma is a nice melange of malt and hop - more hop than you’ll usually find in a pale, and enough that some might want to call this more of an India pale ale. In the mouth, this is big for a standard pale ale. Initially, there’s a good bit of sweetness and a fair dose of carbonation. The sweetness is, as expected, bready and malty. This flavor is quickly mediated by a hop bomb that hits around the middle of the mouth. The hops are mostly metallic and musty but do have a decent floral note. These hops float all around the mouth and get into the nose as the beer goes down the throat. Finally, the aftertaste sticks around for quite a while. It’s a clean finish and a light mouthfeel, but the flavor sticks to the throat and nasal cavity quite tenaciously. All in all, I think this is great. It’s right up there with Sierra Nevada, which is certainly a great pale ale - this one is, in fact, quite a bit bigger. So, if you like the genre, this is a beer not to miss - one of the best of the Flying Dog stable.
Tap Room No. 21 Amber Ale
8:14 pm
Have you guys/gals seen this beer on shelves lately? I have and, frankly, I thought it was some macro-brewer’s attempt at pawning off a craft beer to the masses. I’m not sure why I felt this way, but it’s been happening a lot lately so I’ve been constantly on my guard. However, now that I look around, I can’t find any indication that this is the case. So, I’m thinking this is a legitimate craft brew out of Wisconsin, and I’ll do my best to give it an honest review.
I gotta be straight with you - this doesn’t look like an amber ale. There is only the slightest little bit of amber in the color of this beer. The greater coloring is that of a filtered golden lager. This leaves us with a golden beer with just light rose hints when held up to the light. In the nose, this is all light malt - a bready aroma with a slight sweetness and a slight paper pulp scent. The taste of this beer does bear some signs of an amber, albeit a subtle one. The start is light and fleeting on the tongue. However, a sharper and darker malt hits about halfway down the tongue, bringing a more complex cane sugar flavor and some light hints of anise. This flavor sticks all the way to the back of the mouth where the beer briefly shocks the back of the throat with a Pop-Rocks-like sensation before fizzling away down the throat and leaving a mild syrupy molasses flavor in the aftertaste.
So, in short, this is an interesting beer. It looks and smells like a a mild lager. However, in the mouth, we get this raw sweetness and light amber flavors that add some complexity. Frankly, it’s a pretty good beer, which I didn’t expect to be the case when I poured it. It’s not a great representation of an amber, but it IS a good beer, so I’ll be interested to play around with the other beers offered by Tap Room.
This here’s a seasonal brew from the folks at Flying Dog. Once I picked this beer up, I realized that we’re shy a few reviews of Flying Dog beers, so maybe I’ll try to pick those off in the next couple of weeks to complete the cycle. However, I’m also heading up to North Dakota soon, so that might open up (or close) a few beer doors for me. So, we’ll see - stay tuned…
This is, quite possibly, the best Flying Dog beer I’ve had to date. But, let me qualify that statement by telling you that I’ve been on a real French farmhouse ale kick for, well, the last several months. This beer pours a just-slightly-hazy golden color with a thin white head that quickly strips away to nothing. In the nose, this beer is sweet and subtle. There isn’t much sourness to the smell - rather, it’s just a light bready malt with a pleasant sweetness that just barely tickles the nose. In the mouth, this beer is again sweet and subtle. Frankly, I’d be hesitant to call this a French biere de garde, as it doesn’t display the sour bite that many of the genre have. Rather, there exists just a light lemon-rindy sourness that is heavily diminished by the malty sweetness, making the sour aspects a background presence that might be lost on a casual drinker. So, instead of calling this a French biere de garde, I’d prefer to call this an American biere de garde (which is a bit of an oxymoron). Lots of folks on whom I’ve pushed saisons/farmhouse ales/biere de gardes have complained of the overwhelming sourness (although I personally find it to be a refreshing trait). So, this version that displays all the traits of a saison, only with the sourness taking a backseat to the more accessible sweetness and still maintaining a very refreshing flavor with a light and fleeting mouthfeel, should surely suit a larger demographic while still being a delicious brew. My hat’s off to Flying Dog for this one - I can see it being one of my staple beers for the season.