Like I'd expect from Stone, there's a huge smell of hops when I first opened the bottle.Oddly enough, you can only taste the hops in the aftertaste, and they taste a bit different than they smell.
It's surprisingly dull for a beer that's by a company that prides itself on making strong and interesting beers. Oh, it's still more interesting than the stereotypical american beer. But that's not saying a whole lot.
I think this company depends on hops a little too much, and while I've only tried a couple of their brews I have to say that so far I haven't noticed much variety in the hops so far. Some companies who like their hops come up with different combinations for every style they make, making it so that each beer is distinct, different, and enjoyable in their own ways. I'll reserve judgment until I try a few more of Stone's styles, but for now I'm getting the impression that they may be a one-trick pony. It's a pretty good trick, but it's still just one.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Dos Equis
I don't always try beers that have a celebrity spokesperson. But when I do, it's Dos Equis.
It's smells like the nice crisp cold beers that are good for a summer day. Not surprising considering the fact that most days in Mexico are hot summer days. There's a hint of spice in the scent. The taste is a combination of lager and the cold mild and light beer that it smells like. I'd definitely recommend this one for a hot day, and it's got the oomph of a lighter lager (without being watered down).
It's not the crispest I've had, but it's good. I think I'd still prefer a nice wheat ale on a hot day, but this is a good backup if that's unavailable.
It's smells like the nice crisp cold beers that are good for a summer day. Not surprising considering the fact that most days in Mexico are hot summer days. There's a hint of spice in the scent. The taste is a combination of lager and the cold mild and light beer that it smells like. I'd definitely recommend this one for a hot day, and it's got the oomph of a lighter lager (without being watered down).
It's not the crispest I've had, but it's good. I think I'd still prefer a nice wheat ale on a hot day, but this is a good backup if that's unavailable.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Great Lakes brewing company - Conway's Irish Ale
This one has a flavor that's completely new to me. It says that it has a 'toasty' flavor, and I agree with the label on this point. Rather than being smoky or chocolately like many other beers, it has an interesting toasty flavor that's difficult to describe.
I was expecting a typical, somewhat boring but quite tasty irish red. This is very different from that. It has a very earthy aftertaste, and somewhere in the back of my mind it makes me think that I'm drinking a brown beer rather than a red. Quite strange.
The 'toasty' flavor fades a bit as you drink it, and the earthiness comes to the front. Now it's starting to taste more like a 'normal' red, but with that earthy taste. The label describes it as being a 'meat and potatoes' kind of beer, and I can see why. Once again, this company has impressed me. I can't say that I really like this one, but I do find it flavorful, interesting, and indeed I think that it would go well with meat and potatoes.
I was expecting a typical, somewhat boring but quite tasty irish red. This is very different from that. It has a very earthy aftertaste, and somewhere in the back of my mind it makes me think that I'm drinking a brown beer rather than a red. Quite strange.
The 'toasty' flavor fades a bit as you drink it, and the earthiness comes to the front. Now it's starting to taste more like a 'normal' red, but with that earthy taste. The label describes it as being a 'meat and potatoes' kind of beer, and I can see why. Once again, this company has impressed me. I can't say that I really like this one, but I do find it flavorful, interesting, and indeed I think that it would go well with meat and potatoes.
Smuttynose Brewing Company's 'Star Island Single'
I've seen various beers by this company at several stores, and I kept meaning to try it if only because I owe a portion of my existence to the island chain that this company is named after. Specifically the island that this beer is named after. My grandparents got married at a little church on Star Island. I don't want to go into too many details about the steps that followed that led to me existing because... well... ew. But Star Island was certainly a rather important node in the path that the universe took between the Big Bang and the somewhat smaller one that led to my eventual conception.
This beer is labeled as a 'Session ale brewed with spice'. It does have a nicely spiced scent to it, but the flavor is actually a bit blander than I expected. It's also got a kind of odd dichotomy to it: the flavor and feel of it is that of a heavier beer, and yet it's actually fairly light and crisp and almost a little bit watered down by my standards.
I can't really say that this one is as good as some of the others I've tried lately. It's certainly not bad, but not great either. It does have a nice flavor to it, although not as spicy as I expected. So far this hasn't turned me on or off to this company, so I'll probably try something else by them in the near future.
It does go down very easily, and it is a nice crisp cold beer that would be good on a warm day, but it also has the feel of weight to it that would be good on a cold day. It's kind of a multi-purpose beer. Not great at any one thing, but decent overall.
This beer is labeled as a 'Session ale brewed with spice'. It does have a nicely spiced scent to it, but the flavor is actually a bit blander than I expected. It's also got a kind of odd dichotomy to it: the flavor and feel of it is that of a heavier beer, and yet it's actually fairly light and crisp and almost a little bit watered down by my standards.
I can't really say that this one is as good as some of the others I've tried lately. It's certainly not bad, but not great either. It does have a nice flavor to it, although not as spicy as I expected. So far this hasn't turned me on or off to this company, so I'll probably try something else by them in the near future.
It does go down very easily, and it is a nice crisp cold beer that would be good on a warm day, but it also has the feel of weight to it that would be good on a cold day. It's kind of a multi-purpose beer. Not great at any one thing, but decent overall.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Southern Tier brewing company's Porter
Chocolate. That's all I smelled when I opened the bottle.
The taste is like liquid smoke. I can't even begin to describe it. It's almost like a smoked porter, but they forgot to add the porter. I really don't know how to describe this beer.
There's that tongue-tingling spiciness to it when you hold it in your mouth long enough. But that's the only time.
Once it airs out a bit and I've drunk about a quarter of the bottle, the chocolate smell goes away and is replaced by the smell of beer. The smokiness starts to go away too. Maybe it really is a smoked porter, but the smoke rose to the top.
It advertises itself as a 'dark, robust porter'. It certainly is dark, there's a hint of darkness at the end of every sip. But I'm not sure I'd call it robust. It's far too subtle to be called robust. I'd call this one downright fascinating. I've never had a beer like it. It certainly makes me want to try more by this company.
The taste is like liquid smoke. I can't even begin to describe it. It's almost like a smoked porter, but they forgot to add the porter. I really don't know how to describe this beer.
There's that tongue-tingling spiciness to it when you hold it in your mouth long enough. But that's the only time.
Once it airs out a bit and I've drunk about a quarter of the bottle, the chocolate smell goes away and is replaced by the smell of beer. The smokiness starts to go away too. Maybe it really is a smoked porter, but the smoke rose to the top.
It advertises itself as a 'dark, robust porter'. It certainly is dark, there's a hint of darkness at the end of every sip. But I'm not sure I'd call it robust. It's far too subtle to be called robust. I'd call this one downright fascinating. I've never had a beer like it. It certainly makes me want to try more by this company.
Great Lakes brewing company - Dortmunder Gold
I was curious about this one, since I can't stand most of the watered-down American versions of german/eastern european beers. It's almost gotten to the point that 'pilsner' has started to become a dirty word to me. But I've had this company's porter, and it was certainly nothing like the watered-down crap that floods the market. It advertises itself as being made from 'all natural' ingredients (not a difficult thing to do with beer, honestly.)
The smell surprised me a little. It was much more yeasty and strong than I expected. There's more than just a hint of hops there. The first swallow was interesting. Plain, but delicious. It was much thicker than I expected too. Maybe I've just gotten too used to having watered-down American versions of german beers, but I may have been misinformed about what a light colored lager really is.
It's very malty once it's in your mouth, and I have to pause to resist the urge to add in a 'that's what she said' into my review here. It's got a lot of weight to it, but not much strong flavor. If you want a beer that's not light, but isn't particularly strongly flavored like most of the darker ones that I generally drink, I think this is a fairly good choice. I don't think this one is going to quite make it to my favorites list, but it's definitely one that I would put in my fridge every now and then.
The smell surprised me a little. It was much more yeasty and strong than I expected. There's more than just a hint of hops there. The first swallow was interesting. Plain, but delicious. It was much thicker than I expected too. Maybe I've just gotten too used to having watered-down American versions of german beers, but I may have been misinformed about what a light colored lager really is.
It's very malty once it's in your mouth, and I have to pause to resist the urge to add in a 'that's what she said' into my review here. It's got a lot of weight to it, but not much strong flavor. If you want a beer that's not light, but isn't particularly strongly flavored like most of the darker ones that I generally drink, I think this is a fairly good choice. I don't think this one is going to quite make it to my favorites list, but it's definitely one that I would put in my fridge every now and then.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Harpoon Celtic Ale - Irish style red
At first I had a hint of a horrible rotten-eggs sulfurous smell when I opened the bottle. But once the gas I'd just passed went away, I could actually smell the beer and it was quite nice. Not a particularly strong scent, but quite nice.
The beer itself has a spiciness to it that I couldn't quite identify. The kind that prickles on your tongue, but doesn't seem to have any serious flavor to it on its own. The base flavor is that of a nice irish red, nothing too fancy. I often find most irish reds to be good, but a bit boring. This one compensates for that with that nice spiciness. It's still a relatively plain, very unassuming irish red. But definitely one of the better ones that I've had.
The beer itself has a spiciness to it that I couldn't quite identify. The kind that prickles on your tongue, but doesn't seem to have any serious flavor to it on its own. The base flavor is that of a nice irish red, nothing too fancy. I often find most irish reds to be good, but a bit boring. This one compensates for that with that nice spiciness. It's still a relatively plain, very unassuming irish red. But definitely one of the better ones that I've had.
Monday, April 18, 2011
The last Christmas beer: Rogue Santa's Private Reserve
This one I found at my local Wegmans. For those of you in the northeast, I don't need to introduce the store to you. To those of us who aren't from this area, it's kinda the antithesis of Wal-Mart in these parts. 24 hour grocery stores that actually try to carry stuff beyond the bland mass produced crap one usually finds on stores these days.
The initial smell of this one is a very distinct hoppy ale scent. Not too dissimilar from the Loose Cannon IPA by Heavy Seas Brewing Company that I've mentioned numerous times, but the hops don't smell quite as diverse and strong. The ale base smells slightly darker and has more of a caramel scent to it than the Loose Cannon, but of course it isn't nearly as dark as the Black Cannon variant. I can't smell any spices to speak of, I think most of the flavor is going to come from the hops and the beer itself.
The taste is damn near indescribable. The hops are almost nonexistant for the initial taste, but they come back very strongly in the aftertaste. The taste itself is almost pure malt, but it's not sweet or strong because the moment you start to catch that taste, it's more than balanced out by the strong hops.
Personally, I would have made this one with slightly less hops, so that they balance out the malt rather than overbalance it. But this is Rogue, and their style leans more towards hoppy, so I can't say I didn't expect it. And everyone has their own taste. That's what makes microbrews so interesting. The malty/caramel flavor does make for a good winter/christmas drink. But I'd only recommend this for a serious hop lover. Even I find the hops a bit strong, and that's saying a lot.
The initial smell of this one is a very distinct hoppy ale scent. Not too dissimilar from the Loose Cannon IPA by Heavy Seas Brewing Company that I've mentioned numerous times, but the hops don't smell quite as diverse and strong. The ale base smells slightly darker and has more of a caramel scent to it than the Loose Cannon, but of course it isn't nearly as dark as the Black Cannon variant. I can't smell any spices to speak of, I think most of the flavor is going to come from the hops and the beer itself.
The taste is damn near indescribable. The hops are almost nonexistant for the initial taste, but they come back very strongly in the aftertaste. The taste itself is almost pure malt, but it's not sweet or strong because the moment you start to catch that taste, it's more than balanced out by the strong hops.
Personally, I would have made this one with slightly less hops, so that they balance out the malt rather than overbalance it. But this is Rogue, and their style leans more towards hoppy, so I can't say I didn't expect it. And everyone has their own taste. That's what makes microbrews so interesting. The malty/caramel flavor does make for a good winter/christmas drink. But I'd only recommend this for a serious hop lover. Even I find the hops a bit strong, and that's saying a lot.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Another late christmas beer - Gouden Carolus Noel
This one was starting to get a little old, but the label claims that it's one that will improve with age. It does have a bit of an odd taste to it, but it's that strange almost bock taste that some belgian beers have.
There's a hint of some strange kind of spice in there, almost anise-like. But I don't think it is anise, because I usually (*&%ing HATE anise. The original taste gives way eventually to a slightly more yeasty flavor over the course of the beer.
A very pleasant beer, also fairly strong at 10% alcohol. But despite the slight anise flavor to it, I found myself wishing I'd bought more than one once I finished this one.
There's a hint of some strange kind of spice in there, almost anise-like. But I don't think it is anise, because I usually (*&%ing HATE anise. The original taste gives way eventually to a slightly more yeasty flavor over the course of the beer.
A very pleasant beer, also fairly strong at 10% alcohol. But despite the slight anise flavor to it, I found myself wishing I'd bought more than one once I finished this one.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Grozet - Gooseberry & wheat ale
This was another close-to-out-of-date one that I grabbed off the bargain bin at my local beer store. The wheat ale part is not too remarkable, a bit heavier of a drink than most wheat ales I've had. The gooseberry adds a little hint of extra flavor, but not a whole lot. And I'm not sure exactly what they used for the gooseberry flavor, but it also has a tiny hint of the cough syrupy taste that the Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier has. Although that went away fairly quickly, so it may have just been an aroma that dissipated fairly quickly.
Not a bad drink for cold weather, probably something I'd want to drink in the fall or early winter. And since we just had a bit of a cold late-winter snap here (and I was just outside in it), it seems appropriate tonight.
Not a bad drink for cold weather, probably something I'd want to drink in the fall or early winter. And since we just had a bit of a cold late-winter snap here (and I was just outside in it), it seems appropriate tonight.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A few months late: Scaldis Noel
Because of some stubborn foil around the top, I had to pour this into a glass rather than drink it from the bottle. This is a caramel colored beer, barely translucent with light carbonation, like watered down cola. It's not as fresh as it could be, since it's meant to be drunk around christmas. But I saw it on sale at my local beer store, so I grabbed a bottle out of curiosity. It's got an interesting combination of styles and flavors. A hint of bock, a lot of abbey style ale, and a hint of a much deeper set of flavors that an amateur like me has a bit of trouble describing. It comes in a small bottle, just over 8 ounces instead of the usual 11. But this might be to make up for the fact that it has a whopping 12 percent alcohol. Like so many others that I've reviewed, you'd never guess that it's that strong.
I've had a few beers at or near this strength, most recently the 'Double Wench' by Middle Ages Brewing Company. But none were this smooth and pleasant. All of the ones this strong that I've tried had either very strong taste (Like the double wench) or were of the sweet, tart dessert beer variety. This one is neither, a complex and yet light belgian style beer. It is a little bit on the sweet side, which makes me wonder where some of these flavors are coming from if this beer doesn't have much in the way of hops or other bittering agents to balance out the malts.
I've had a few beers at or near this strength, most recently the 'Double Wench' by Middle Ages Brewing Company. But none were this smooth and pleasant. All of the ones this strong that I've tried had either very strong taste (Like the double wench) or were of the sweet, tart dessert beer variety. This one is neither, a complex and yet light belgian style beer. It is a little bit on the sweet side, which makes me wonder where some of these flavors are coming from if this beer doesn't have much in the way of hops or other bittering agents to balance out the malts.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Sam Adams contest pack - Blackened Hops and Great Lakes Brewing Company - Edmund Fitzgerald porter.
Tried the Great Lakes Brewing Company's 'Edmund Fitzgerald porter' at a friend's house tonight, and I have to say that it was one of the best chocolate stouts I've tried in a while. Except that it was a porter. It had that nice, deep, roasted malt scent to it, with a flavor of dark roasted malt and chocolate. It was somewhat plain, but damn good. I like a good porter, and this is one. I like a good chocolate stout, and except for the stout part, this is one of those too.
The main reason why I chose that one was because, as I mentioned, I was at a friend's house. I knew I'd have to drive home six hours later or so, so I chose the one that had the lowest alcohol content out of the collection he had there. At 5.8% alcohol, it's not particularly strong. But that's good, because it was tasty enough that I would normally want to have a couple of them.
Several hours later as I'm sitting her typing this, I'm at home and have just cracked open the third variety from the Sam Adams contest pack, Blackened Hops by Rodney Kibzey of Illinois. (although the picture of him on the front of the bottle made me wonder when my old roommate changed his name, moved to Illinois and started brewing beer) The scent is about what I expected from the description. Strong, dark beer with a load of hops. There seems to be a bit less of a variety to the hops than most of the 'extra hoppy' type drinks I've had lately.
The first sip is initially bitter, although it goes away quickly. The flavor isn't particularly complex, but it's good. By the third or fourth sip, I wasn't noticing the bitterness at all, except in the hoppy aftertaste.
I don't think this is the best of the three in the pack, but it certainly helps round out the variety well. One crisp, abbey ale with extra hops, one dark ale with extra hops, and one light ale with a hint of honey and lavender to add flavor instead of extra hops. I do almost wonder what's going to happen with micro and homebrew when the hops singularity is reached. Will there be a beer that will drain the rest of the world of hops, and we'll be forced to drink beer made only of grain and malt? Only time will tell.
The main reason why I chose that one was because, as I mentioned, I was at a friend's house. I knew I'd have to drive home six hours later or so, so I chose the one that had the lowest alcohol content out of the collection he had there. At 5.8% alcohol, it's not particularly strong. But that's good, because it was tasty enough that I would normally want to have a couple of them.
Several hours later as I'm sitting her typing this, I'm at home and have just cracked open the third variety from the Sam Adams contest pack, Blackened Hops by Rodney Kibzey of Illinois. (although the picture of him on the front of the bottle made me wonder when my old roommate changed his name, moved to Illinois and started brewing beer) The scent is about what I expected from the description. Strong, dark beer with a load of hops. There seems to be a bit less of a variety to the hops than most of the 'extra hoppy' type drinks I've had lately.
The first sip is initially bitter, although it goes away quickly. The flavor isn't particularly complex, but it's good. By the third or fourth sip, I wasn't noticing the bitterness at all, except in the hoppy aftertaste.
I don't think this is the best of the three in the pack, but it certainly helps round out the variety well. One crisp, abbey ale with extra hops, one dark ale with extra hops, and one light ale with a hint of honey and lavender to add flavor instead of extra hops. I do almost wonder what's going to happen with micro and homebrew when the hops singularity is reached. Will there be a beer that will drain the rest of the world of hops, and we'll be forced to drink beer made only of grain and malt? Only time will tell.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Sam Adams contest pack - Friar Hop Ale and Honey B's Lavender Ale
I noticed an interesting Sam Adams 6 pack at the store recently: apparently they held a homebrew contest and actually distributed the top 3 winning brews. So I'm trying two of the three (it's late and I need to wake up in the morning, otherwise I'd try one of all three), starting with the Friar Hop Ale by Richard Roper of Georgia.
Since the last few beers I've had have been of the ultra-hoppy variety, I was in the mood for something a little different. But I didn't have any other abbey style ales handy, so I figured I'd start with this one and hope the abbey style of it helped offset the hops. The scent is once again similar to the Loose Cannon IPA or the Arrogant Bastard that I just had. Hops, hops, and a hint of hops on top of that. Actually it's not quite as hoppy as either of the two I just mentioned, but it's still a very similar scent. There's also a hint of a nice crisp ale scent behind that.
The hops fade very quickly in your mouth, leaving mostly the ale taste. They reappear with the aftertaste, which makes me think that most of the hoppy taste actually comes from the hoppy scent triggering your taste buds. It claims to have spices, although I really can't taste them. I do feel a bit of a tongue tingle, but I'm not sure whether that's just carbonation or not. Still, a very nice combination of a cold, crisp abbey style ale with a strong scent and taste of hops. Not an everyday drink for me, I prefer most of the strength of the taste to come from the beer itself, and I like it best when the hops are an accent or a balance. But when I want something different, this is certainly a good choice. Mr Roper, if you're reading this, you've done a damn good job. You've found a good balance between the crisp cold ale and the very hoppy homebrew.
It's got a surprisingly strong 9% alcohol, not something I'd expect in a small bottle or in such a light abbey style ale. Perhaps the oomph of the beer itself is somewhat masked by the hops, or perhaps the ale itself is just that smooth that you don't notice the alcohol content. It's one of the few beers this strong that I've had that can be sipped or drunk.
My next is the Honey B's Lavender Ale by Caitlin Declerco, named as such because it was brewed with honey and lavender. It's got quite an interesting scent, a hint of hops and lavender. This one's got a lot less oomph than the Friar Hop Ale, but a lot more of an interesting flavor. Oddly enough, it seems almost watery (at least compared to the Friar Hop Ale, although certainly not compared to the stereotypical mainstream crap that beer snobs like me tend to make fun of), and yet the flavor more than balances that out.
I tend to like most things that have honey in them (as evidenced by the fact that I'm an amateur mead brewer) and this is no exception. However, that love of honey is limited by the fact that most people don't know how to use it properly, or worse yet, just make a shitty beverage and try to depend on it to compensate for that. Ms. Declerco is an exception to that, and I appreciate her work greatly.
In hindsight I kinda wish I had tried this one first, since it's only got 5.5% alcohol, and since I started this review late at night when I was already fairly tired, the 9% of the previous one is starting to get to me. But even though my senses are a bit dulled, they're certainly enjoying this nice combination of a cold, crisp, very light ale with a hint of honey and a strong scent of lavender.
And to compensate for the girliness of the sentence I just uttered, I just released the carbonation of the beer in the most manly way possible. I.E., a gigantic belch.
This right here is why I like Sam Adams. They're willing to seek out beers like this and let the rest of us try them. And their own beers are pretty good too. Except maybe the blackberry witbeir, Even Sam Adams misses the mark now and then. If you're a blackberry fan like me, you might want to go for the Long Trail blackberry wheat instead. It tastes like blackberry beer, not cough syrup beer.
Since the last few beers I've had have been of the ultra-hoppy variety, I was in the mood for something a little different. But I didn't have any other abbey style ales handy, so I figured I'd start with this one and hope the abbey style of it helped offset the hops. The scent is once again similar to the Loose Cannon IPA or the Arrogant Bastard that I just had. Hops, hops, and a hint of hops on top of that. Actually it's not quite as hoppy as either of the two I just mentioned, but it's still a very similar scent. There's also a hint of a nice crisp ale scent behind that.
The hops fade very quickly in your mouth, leaving mostly the ale taste. They reappear with the aftertaste, which makes me think that most of the hoppy taste actually comes from the hoppy scent triggering your taste buds. It claims to have spices, although I really can't taste them. I do feel a bit of a tongue tingle, but I'm not sure whether that's just carbonation or not. Still, a very nice combination of a cold, crisp abbey style ale with a strong scent and taste of hops. Not an everyday drink for me, I prefer most of the strength of the taste to come from the beer itself, and I like it best when the hops are an accent or a balance. But when I want something different, this is certainly a good choice. Mr Roper, if you're reading this, you've done a damn good job. You've found a good balance between the crisp cold ale and the very hoppy homebrew.
It's got a surprisingly strong 9% alcohol, not something I'd expect in a small bottle or in such a light abbey style ale. Perhaps the oomph of the beer itself is somewhat masked by the hops, or perhaps the ale itself is just that smooth that you don't notice the alcohol content. It's one of the few beers this strong that I've had that can be sipped or drunk.
My next is the Honey B's Lavender Ale by Caitlin Declerco, named as such because it was brewed with honey and lavender. It's got quite an interesting scent, a hint of hops and lavender. This one's got a lot less oomph than the Friar Hop Ale, but a lot more of an interesting flavor. Oddly enough, it seems almost watery (at least compared to the Friar Hop Ale, although certainly not compared to the stereotypical mainstream crap that beer snobs like me tend to make fun of), and yet the flavor more than balances that out.
I tend to like most things that have honey in them (as evidenced by the fact that I'm an amateur mead brewer) and this is no exception. However, that love of honey is limited by the fact that most people don't know how to use it properly, or worse yet, just make a shitty beverage and try to depend on it to compensate for that. Ms. Declerco is an exception to that, and I appreciate her work greatly.
In hindsight I kinda wish I had tried this one first, since it's only got 5.5% alcohol, and since I started this review late at night when I was already fairly tired, the 9% of the previous one is starting to get to me. But even though my senses are a bit dulled, they're certainly enjoying this nice combination of a cold, crisp, very light ale with a hint of honey and a strong scent of lavender.
And to compensate for the girliness of the sentence I just uttered, I just released the carbonation of the beer in the most manly way possible. I.E., a gigantic belch.
This right here is why I like Sam Adams. They're willing to seek out beers like this and let the rest of us try them. And their own beers are pretty good too. Except maybe the blackberry witbeir, Even Sam Adams misses the mark now and then. If you're a blackberry fan like me, you might want to go for the Long Trail blackberry wheat instead. It tastes like blackberry beer, not cough syrup beer.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Arrogant Bastard Ale
I've had it once before, but it was so long ago that I didn't really remember what it was like. So I decided to try it again.
The scent of hops is very strong when you first open it. The choice of hops seems to be fairly similar to the Loose Cannonball IPA I tried a while ago. The beer itself, of course, is very different. Not as light or crisp as the Loose Cannonball, not as aromatic or strong in the hops department, but it seems like they decided not to balance out the hops so as to allow the bitterness to take hold.
However, despite the fact that it is quite bitter, the bitterness isn't overwhelming or bad, like I've had in a few other beers.
The alcohol content is 7.2%, although you can't taste or feel the alcohol at all. This one goes down smooth despite the bitterness. Or maybe even because of it. All in all, I find this one to be very well crafted, although the premise and blurb on the back are a little silly. But there's nothing wrong with a beer that has a sense of humor, and isn't afraid to make fun of both its audience and the people who aren't in its audience at the same time.
The scent of hops is very strong when you first open it. The choice of hops seems to be fairly similar to the Loose Cannonball IPA I tried a while ago. The beer itself, of course, is very different. Not as light or crisp as the Loose Cannonball, not as aromatic or strong in the hops department, but it seems like they decided not to balance out the hops so as to allow the bitterness to take hold.
However, despite the fact that it is quite bitter, the bitterness isn't overwhelming or bad, like I've had in a few other beers.
The alcohol content is 7.2%, although you can't taste or feel the alcohol at all. This one goes down smooth despite the bitterness. Or maybe even because of it. All in all, I find this one to be very well crafted, although the premise and blurb on the back are a little silly. But there's nothing wrong with a beer that has a sense of humor, and isn't afraid to make fun of both its audience and the people who aren't in its audience at the same time.
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