Archive for November, 2008
Bell’s Christmas Ale
Tis the season, friends, for holiday beers. I haven’t had a whole heckuva lot of these so far this season – honestly it can be a bit overwhelming to choose, even for a very frequent drinker like myself. This time of year, these things tend to come out of the woodwork. However, I happen to know that Bell’s generally makes a tasty brew and, furthermore, I really like the understated label on this beer (much better than the creepy Pickled Santa label – stay tuned to see that one). So, I felt like it was a safe bet to invest in about 6 of these.
This beer pours a very hazy dark brown color with tons of suspended debris. The head on this is pretty understated in its own right, but what exists is of a caramel color. In the nose, this is mostly rich brown malts, but with some spicing. I believe this brew is intended to be an interpretation of a Scotch ale, and that’s more or less what we get, with the exception of some holiday-ey spice characteristics. In the mouth, this is a rich and warming brew (even when it’s cold). The initial sensation here is sweet and malty with a light alcohol burn. However, as the beer travels down the tongue, the spiciness takes the forefront – it seems there is some pepper heat to this, as well as those myriad other Christmas spices for which I don’t know the name, but you’ll recognize as soon as you either drink this beer, crack open a fruitcake, or smell the potpourri at your Mom’s house. The mouthfeel to this is surprisingly viscous and doesn’t stick to the tongue that much. Rather, it washes pretty clean, leaving just a bit of pepper heat and a light malt presence. Overall, it’s a tasty brew, and a great session beer, as far as Christmas Ales go. It’s tasty, but not a standout – the kind of beer you can safely bring to your holiday gathering and feel confident that everyone will like it…
Brooklyn Brewmasters Reserve Flemish Gold
The reasons for wanting to try the Flemish Gold were five fold: I missed Brooklyn Brewery’s first Brewmasters Reserve offering Grand Cru (though it might be reformulated for the Local 2 offering?), so I was determined to try the second beer in the series; Brooklyn has been known to make a good beer; the Flemish Gold is of the Saison style and I enjoy that style; Brooklyn’s other effort at a Saison I found enjoyable; and finally, to no one’s surprise, I enjoy trying new beers.
The beer pours a hazy gold into the awaiting tulip glass. This golden body is topped by a solid finger of white head, and interspersed with a fair amount of slow moving bubbles. From these bubbles arise aromas of yeast, coriander, and white pepper. Thoroughly enticed by the beer’s sights and smells, I begin to drink. The beer runs through my mouth smooth and swift. The beer’s mouthfeel is light but still makes its presence known. Tastes of white pepper, and coriander are present but so are lemon and earthy hops. This lemon provides a nice light sourness, mixed with a light, earthy, bitter finish, the beer is very refreshing.
If you enjoy the Saison style this is a beer to search out. People new to the style or looking for a refreshing drink should give it a try too. After a week or two on tap at the local bar, the keg finally ran dry… and that was a sad day.
Bar Harbor Brewing Acadia Pale Ale
Moving from Nova Scotia to Mount Desert Island Maine, I continue my travel beer reviews. Mount Desert Island is an amazing place. Not only is Acadia National Park located there, with its fantastic trail network, but it also has two breweries (Bar Harbor Brewing Company and Atlantic Brewing Company), a brew pub (Jack Russel’s Brew Pub), and a winery (Bar Harbor Cellars Winery). Not bad for the “6th largest island in the continental United States“. I was able to pick-up quite a haul of beers from both breweries, so picking one to start off with was a bit tough. However we already have a few Atlantic Brewing Company beers reviewed, so lets start with a Bar Harbor Brewing beer.
Labeled brew #16, the Bar Harbor Pale Ale seemed to morph through its tasting session. The session was done with a twenty-two ounce bottle (I poured one glass, finished it, and then poured the remains into a second glass), so when first poured the beer had a slightly hazy, though easy to see through, body. On its second pour, the beer’s body was very hazy and opaque. I am not sure if I was supposed to decant this beer or not, so the different pouring results could have been my mistake.
With both pours, the white head provided a full, thin coverage with minimal stickage and aromas of dough and berry fruits permeating the air. The first pour had a light bread and caramel sweetness taste, while the second pour had a fruity note which then progressed to a light bread and caramel sweetness. Both pours were smooth and pleasant however, easily progressed through their associated tastes, and finished with a light bitterness.
Wish I had another bottle to try pouring this beer more consistently, but unfortunately I do not. Though not a stand-out, a respectable beer none-the-less.
Cape Ann Pumpkin Porter
Pumpkin beers are a given this time of season. Most beer bars have at least one, if not more, on tap and local liquor store shelves seem to be overflowing with them. The ubiquitous pumpkin beer is the pumpkin ale, and we have reviewed quite a few of those here on sevenpack. I enjoy a good pumpkin ale like any other American beer drinker, but I also crave diversity. In this way Cape Ann Brewing’s Pumpkin Porter was like a lighthouse beacon shining over a vast sea of pumpkin ale tap handles.
This beer poured a rich black with a chunky, small tan head. My nose was greeted with the typical pumpkin beer spices – cinnamon, light ginger, and light clove. These aromas mingled with a very pleasant roasted chocolate character, which makes for a mouth water experience. In the mouth the porter side of this beer comes through with a roasted malt and chocolate character. This roasting is a little harsh in the middle of the mouth but smooths out for an enjoyable finish. This finish also lets the beer stand out with a pleasant cinnamon sweet character.
I enjoy this beer a lot (I believe it would go quite well with a Thanksgiving meal) and kind of wish it was available year round. Then again that would mean one less beer to look forward to come fall. Get it while you can.
NB: I had my Pumpkin Porter on tap, though I believe it is obtainable in bottle form.
Propeller Brewery ESB
Next up from Propeller Brewery is their ESB. The beer poured a clear copper body in my pint glass. Initially there was a finger of white head but this dissipated to a thin covering after a couple of minutes. The aromas of earth, moss, mushrooms, and wood all tickled my nose. The beer was on the medium side for a mouth feel and was solid and smooth. This mouth feel allowed the earthy taste to encompass and coat the whole entire mouth. Even with prominent earthy taste, some malt and bread tastes were able to distinguish themselves. This malt helped to balance the beer out.
An enjoyable ESB and a fine showing from Propeller. I kind of wish I tasted the IPA and ESB together, because from my notes they nearly read identical.
This concludes my travel beer reviews from Nova Scotia. I know there is more beer up in Nova Scotia, including other Propeller products, but those will have to wait for my return trip some day. Next my travel beer reviews move south as I tackle beers from Mount Dessert Island Maine.
Saranac Vanilla Stout
Propeller Brewery India Pale Ale
I am going to start my ‘travel beer reviews’ with a beer I purchased up in Nova Scotia, Canada, the Propeller Brewing IPA. Due to the liquor laws in Nova Scotia, I was actually quite surprised I was able to find any, easily obtainable, craft beer there.
Buying alcohol up in Nova Scotia is a bit different then here in Massachusetts. Alcohol distribution and retail sales are solely, except in a few select instances, done through the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC). This government mandated monopoly, did not instill in me the best hopes of finding craft brew. Upon walking into a NSLC, I was expecting cases of Bud Light, Molson, and Labbatt Blue to abound, but little variety beyond “the big guys”. Fortunately I was pleasantly surprised and was able to find some, though not a vast selection, of craft beers. From this selection I decided to bring home Propeller’s IPA and ESB.
Into my waiting pint glass the beer poured clear with a light-brown, reddish hue. Aromas of earthy hops and dried leaves waifed from the white head, which dissipated to a thin covering, leaving light stickage along the glass’s walls. The taste of the beer starts off with an agreeable malt presence, which leads to an appearance by the earthy hops and a nice bitter finale. These earthy hops give the beer a slightly heavy feel and do a great job encasing the mouth. The hops stick around in the mouth after each sip and seem to gain the upper hand against the malts toward the end of the session.
This IPA, with its earthy hops, kept to IPA’s British origins and provided a nice change of pace from the typical pine and/or citrus flavors of an American influenced IPA. Though the beer became slightly unbalanced towards the end (the malt made a valiant effort) I still enjoyed the beverage.
Interesting note about this IPA is the fact it is a seasonal beer for Propeller. I believe this is the first time I have ever had a standard (i.e. not wet hopped, etc) IPA as a seasonal, since the style tends to be a staple of most American brewers. Also the owner of Propeller Brewing, John Allen, used to work in special effects, as noted on Propeller’s website. I believe this is a listing of his work.
Saranac Season’s Best Nut Brown Lager
This is Saranac’s seasonal beer brewed especially for the holidays. We haven’t quite crested that particular time frame just yet but in my quest complete winter variety pack, BEFORE I DIE, I’m going to go ahead and polish this one off. It’s a nut brown lager, sounds perfect for sitting around the yule log and enjoying the companionship of friends and family.
This beer has a deeply burnt amber-orangish hue to it and bubbly off-white head. It smells deliciously malty, with a touch of that freshly brewed coffee aroma that smells so good in the morning. There is a noticeable hop presence as soon as this beer hits your tongue. It’s a little offsetting given the strikingly different smell. There are toasted almond and buttery flavors that hide in the background, and I wish this wasn’t the case. I think this beer has balance issues, as I doubt the floral notes are supposed to overshadow the rich fullness of the malt. This beer has glimpses of promise but in the end the taste seems more sporadic than not. It also has a thinner mouthfeel than I expected. Safe to say that, as far as I’m concerned, this beer is consistently inconsistent and so far this is my least favorite of the variety pack.
Highland Imperial Black Mocha Stout
In theory, I like dark beers. I enjoy the typical big mouthfeels, the rich, bold flavors, and they myriad genres that fall under the category. However, in practice, I don’t drink all that many dark beers. Probably 80% of the time, you’ll find me reaching for something lighter, as I’m especially fond of the IPAs, tripels, and weiss-biers of the world. However, when my folks from Highland come out with an imperial version of their already-tasty Black Mocha Stout, then I have to take notice. And by ‘take notice’, I mean spend $13 for a bottle of beer…
This pours a super dark black with a thin but rich caramel head. In the nose, there are loads of chocolate and nut aromas. The flavor of this is, as expected, a bigger version of their typical Black Mocha Stout. Initially, you can’t help but notice the loads of rich chocolate flavor here. As the beer travels down the palate, additionally nuttiness comes into play, as do some rich flavors contributed by the dark malt. This comes in pretty beefy at 9.5% abv. However, it actually tastes a bit bigger. There is a definite alcohol burn to this, and you can taste it a bit around the back of the tongue. This isn’t a bad thing – just adds a bit of oomph to this beer that is pretty big already. Another great attribute of this beer is its rich and pillowy mouthfeel. It’s full and soft, coating the mouth and tongue, contributing an aftertaste that literally sticks to the palate for many seconds after the beer is gone. Overall, this is a mighty tasty brew, and a must-have if you’re into big stouts. I’m generally impressed with what Highland brings into the world, and this brew is no exception…
Saranac India Brown Ale
So I’ve really been dragging my feet with these Saranac beers. It’s not because they are bad, just because I’ve grown past drinking a variety of beer styles in one sitting and furthermore I don’t have the motivation to write more than one or two reviews a night. But here we are again with another selection from the Saranac winter mixed pack. Tonight’s offering is the India Brown Ale, supposedly an IPA/brown ale combo. Initial thought…it has both promise and the the potential to suck, let’s hope for the former.
The hue has a shiny, brown quality capped off with a delicious looking creamy head. The color isn’t as deep as some brown ales I’ve had which is neither good nor bad, just an observation. The aroma seems to be an excellent interpretation of what a combo IPA-brown ale should smell like. The malt is bold and full and serves a base for the hop profile. This give-and-take characteristic carries over into the taste, resulting in a very enjoyable experience. The malt backbone cuts the bitterness of the hops creating a thick, but crisp and clean flavor that covers the tastebuds. Chocolate and toffee flavors dance with the hops across the tongue before allowing the metallic characteristics to finish in the back of the mouth. While both the aroma and flavors are very apparent and at certain times “big” I’m missing a bit of “richness” in the overall taste. That being said i really have no other qualms with this beer and quite frankly am pretty impressed. It’s difficult to balance the malt and the hops, especially when combining styles from different ends of the spectrum, but Saranac has hit the nail on the head with this one.
Ramblin’ Man
New Belgium “Mothership Wit”
Alright, you guys. As promised, here’s the second as-of-yet-unreviewed beer from the New Belgium variety pack that I picked up here in Boulder for the LOW LOW PRICE(!!!) of $11.99. I’ll warn you, I’m probably going to like this. A) It’s New Belgium, B) It’s a Belgian witbier style – two things that I’m wild about.
This one pours a hazy pale golden color with considerable debris, making this cloudy delicious. The aroma is chock full of the trademark belgian wheaty yeast strain that you’ll recognize from beers such as Hoegaarden and even Blue Moon. There is some citrus here, in addition, but the yeast is the standout, and it’s very nice. In the mouth, this is a full and flavorful wheat beer. Honestly, the mouthfeel of this is much bigger than most wheats. It forgoes the light and fleeting texture of many of this genre in order to pick up a pillowy and slightly sticky feel that coats the mouth well. Again, the yeast is a big presence here – it’s a flavor that I have trouble explaining, but any fan of Belgian witbiers will recognize immediately. It’s slightly sweet and blends well with the wheat malts that add an additional bready sweetness. In addition, there are definite hints of lemon zest and coriander, rounding this out and giving it a bit of extra pizzazz. In all, the flavors brought forth in the Mothership Wit aren’t novel or unexpected. However, the strength of the yeast complement and the texture of the beer in the mouth give it a fuller and more substantial presence than many in the genre. Personally, I think it’s a great beer, but it’s all relative. This one would not be my first choice if I were cooling off after a hot day, but it’s impeccable sitting on the couch with the frost outside on a Colorado night. So, it’s a great beer, but use it appropriately…
Catch-All…
Saranac E.S.B.
Moving on from the citrus and spice of the Belgian ale to straight up earthiness. Now I love a hoppy beer, but I’ve never really gotten into the E.S.B. beers, probably due to the different hops used to make them. Plus they seem to be sweeter and have less of those sharp, piney, grapefruit flavors of an IPA. in general I can tolerate 1 or 2 but after that I’m ready to change types. This beer is dark amber in color and creates a very frothy, creamy looking head. The smell is fairly clean with just a touch of roasted malt and very few floral notes. The bitterness of this beer is fairly mild and not nearly as noticeable as in others I’ve had. It has a smokey, toffee-like flavor that takes center stage. The hop characteristic is crisp, clean, and quick. It comes and goes in the middle of the tongue while the malt flavors last throughout the mouth. There is a sweet fruitiness that keeps me coming back for more, although I’m disappointed that I’m not tasting a lot of hops. The overall taste is pretty simple and pretty good. Again I don’t particularly care for the E.S.B. style but in this case it’s not bad, but again I could used some more floralness. It won’t make me run out and buy E.S.B.’s on a consistent basis but it has renewed my interest a little so it might make me think twice about picking one up every now and then, plus it’s a good addition to this variety pack.
Saranac Belgian Ale
Next up in the Saranac variety pack is this Belgian style/”trappist” ale. It pours a deep, cloudy golden color with fluffy white head. It has a substantial aroma, heavy with coriander, lemon peel and spice. There is also a bit of licorice that seems to coat this smell. The citrus flavors travel down the center of the tongue while the spice dances all around the mouth. The carbonation and spice are strong enough to open the nostrils while the citrusy notes blend with maltiness to create a thick, calmer mouthfeel in the back of the mouth. There is very little aftertaste, just a clean crispness. Let’s be honest, I expected this beer to fall flat on its face but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. It doesn’t compare to any of the true trappist ales I’ve had but the fact that it didn’t suck and had characteristics of the genre was impressive. It was flavorful, very tolerable and if a trappist ale could ever be a session beer it would be this one. Saranac just gained a little more respect from me.
