Taste: 8 Finish: 6 Visual: 4 Aroma: 3
Total: 21
Dogfish Head, Stone, and Victory, my 3 most favorite breweries, come together to brew a saison, mu second favorite style of ale. The color is of straw. It's hazy throughout. The head fizzes out quickly. At first it's a bit creamy but then the bitterness of the hops come through in the middle of the tongue. That's quickly taken over by lemon, straw, and some earthy tones. I want to say apricot is hiding in the back. If not that, some sort of fruit. The finish stays a bit too bitter for a saison for my tastes. I would expect a cleaner ending. It makes it not quite refreshing. Surprisingly, it's 6.8% alcohol which I can taste none of. Perhaps the extra hopping is masking it. I like this, but there are better saisons out there.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Franziskaner Weissbier: 21
Taste: 7 Finish: 6 Visual: 4 Aroma: 4
Total:
A very good pale and cloudy orange color with a big head. Little to no lacing. Aroma has lots of citrus and yeast. The taste starts crisp. Undertones of orange and lemon. The yeast kicks in the back giving it a bit of a chalky finish. The citrus lingers on the tongue for a while. Pretty good. I'd like it to be a bit cleaner in the finish. But a solid unfiltered wheat.
Total:
A very good pale and cloudy orange color with a big head. Little to no lacing. Aroma has lots of citrus and yeast. The taste starts crisp. Undertones of orange and lemon. The yeast kicks in the back giving it a bit of a chalky finish. The citrus lingers on the tongue for a while. Pretty good. I'd like it to be a bit cleaner in the finish. But a solid unfiltered wheat.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Spaten Optimator: 20
Taste: 7 Finish: 6 Visual: 4 Aroma: 3
Total: 20
It's got a good, creamy head. Dark brown color. Very little aroma. Upfront there is a lot of sweet malt taste. Milk chocolate. Roasted flavors. The finish is a bit buttery and disappears quickly. Very easy to drink. Good flavors but a bit two dimensional.
Total: 20
It's got a good, creamy head. Dark brown color. Very little aroma. Upfront there is a lot of sweet malt taste. Milk chocolate. Roasted flavors. The finish is a bit buttery and disappears quickly. Very easy to drink. Good flavors but a bit two dimensional.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Elysian Immortal IPA: 18
Taste: 6 Finish: 6 Visual: 3 Aroma: 2
Total: 18
The pale amber color does not inspire. The head is full but it's a bit too fizzy. The aroma is faint and bland. Luckily, the taste is pretty complex. Good bitterness throughout. Lots of pine/woody flavors. Undertones of honey. Although the hops linger, it finishes pretty cleanly for an IPA. It could use a bit of citrus to help jazz it up a bit more.
Total: 18
The pale amber color does not inspire. The head is full but it's a bit too fizzy. The aroma is faint and bland. Luckily, the taste is pretty complex. Good bitterness throughout. Lots of pine/woody flavors. Undertones of honey. Although the hops linger, it finishes pretty cleanly for an IPA. It could use a bit of citrus to help jazz it up a bit more.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Guinness Foreign Export Stout: 26
Taste: 8 Finish: 8 Visual: 5 Aroma: 5
Total: 26
This is supposedly formulate to best match what's served in Ireland. It is highly hopped and very high in alcohol (7.5%) compared to Draught. The head is full and creamy. It has a lot of lacing. As expected, it's as black as night without a trace of color when held up to the light. The aroma has a good amount of caramel and roasted malt. There is a lot of creaminess throughout the draw. Bitterness and carbonation spike up around the edges. Under it all is definitely the alcohol. Towards the back and on the exhale are chocolate and coffee. Even though it's heavy, it's still very drinkable.
Very nice. Much much better than the widget cans. This actually tastes like something. Worthy of drinking.
Total: 26
This is supposedly formulate to best match what's served in Ireland. It is highly hopped and very high in alcohol (7.5%) compared to Draught. The head is full and creamy. It has a lot of lacing. As expected, it's as black as night without a trace of color when held up to the light. The aroma has a good amount of caramel and roasted malt. There is a lot of creaminess throughout the draw. Bitterness and carbonation spike up around the edges. Under it all is definitely the alcohol. Towards the back and on the exhale are chocolate and coffee. Even though it's heavy, it's still very drinkable.
Very nice. Much much better than the widget cans. This actually tastes like something. Worthy of drinking.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Abita Jockamo IPA: 21
Taste: 7 Finish: 7 Visual: 4 Aroma: 3
Total: 21
Good amber color with a full, creamy head. A bit of lacing. The aroma has some malt and a bit of pine. A hint of grapefruit. But nothing that really jumps out. The taste is mild and finishes cleanly. There is some pine and grapefruit in there. The bitterness of the hops jump in mid tongue. There is a mild sweetness towards the back. Very well balanced. Nothing really jumps out, but it has all the right components. A simple but good example of an IPA.
Total: 21
Good amber color with a full, creamy head. A bit of lacing. The aroma has some malt and a bit of pine. A hint of grapefruit. But nothing that really jumps out. The taste is mild and finishes cleanly. There is some pine and grapefruit in there. The bitterness of the hops jump in mid tongue. There is a mild sweetness towards the back. Very well balanced. Nothing really jumps out, but it has all the right components. A simple but good example of an IPA.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
21st Amendment IPA: 21
Taste: 7 Finish: 6 Visual: 4 Aroma: 4
Total: 21
Great huge head. Lots of lacing. Good cloudy amber color. The aroma has a bit of citrus, pine, and malt. It has a mildly bitter upfront taste which quickly falls away to a semi-sweet finish (for an IPA). It is very smooth throughout. Although it boasts a 70 IBU, it really is quite tame. Maybe a notch above Sam Adam's lager. Underneath it is a bit of orange juice and some grapefruit. It's a very drinkable IPA that won't wow you but it's good enough for most occasions when you don't want a hop bomb IPA.
Total: 21
Great huge head. Lots of lacing. Good cloudy amber color. The aroma has a bit of citrus, pine, and malt. It has a mildly bitter upfront taste which quickly falls away to a semi-sweet finish (for an IPA). It is very smooth throughout. Although it boasts a 70 IBU, it really is quite tame. Maybe a notch above Sam Adam's lager. Underneath it is a bit of orange juice and some grapefruit. It's a very drinkable IPA that won't wow you but it's good enough for most occasions when you don't want a hop bomb IPA.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Weyerbacher Tiny: 25
Taste: 8 Finish: 7 Visual: 5 Aroma: 5
Total: 25
A Belgium style Imperial Stout. It is black as oil. No light will pass through it. The head is huge, creamy, and malty. It smells like smoke, deep roasted malt, and plums and cherries. First sip has a ton of flavor. The smokey malt hits immediately. The fruit hits next. Towards the back of the tongue is the bitterness of hops. Finally the alcohol kicks in (11.8%). The alcohol is very present but it smooths out the flavors, instead of pummeling the tongue. Interestingly, there is very little hints of chocolate or coffee. Maybe a hint of caramel.
This is a very heavy and serious stout. Given the alcohol you really have to sip it. It's a very good brew but I can't figure out why I'd want to drink it again.
Total: 25
A Belgium style Imperial Stout. It is black as oil. No light will pass through it. The head is huge, creamy, and malty. It smells like smoke, deep roasted malt, and plums and cherries. First sip has a ton of flavor. The smokey malt hits immediately. The fruit hits next. Towards the back of the tongue is the bitterness of hops. Finally the alcohol kicks in (11.8%). The alcohol is very present but it smooths out the flavors, instead of pummeling the tongue. Interestingly, there is very little hints of chocolate or coffee. Maybe a hint of caramel.
This is a very heavy and serious stout. Given the alcohol you really have to sip it. It's a very good brew but I can't figure out why I'd want to drink it again.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale: 18
Taste: 7 Finish: 6 Visual: 2 Aroma: 3
Total: 18
The aroma is very faint with a hint of cherries and malt. Visually it looks like a coke... But wow, first is it sour. I mean, I was expecting it, but it still hit me. Second sip is better. Bitter black cherries jam through with some sweetness underneath. A bit of vinegar as well. No real alcohol flavor and the bottle doesn't indicate strength. Worth a try, but not something I'd reach for again.
Total: 18
The aroma is very faint with a hint of cherries and malt. Visually it looks like a coke... But wow, first is it sour. I mean, I was expecting it, but it still hit me. Second sip is better. Bitter black cherries jam through with some sweetness underneath. A bit of vinegar as well. No real alcohol flavor and the bottle doesn't indicate strength. Worth a try, but not something I'd reach for again.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Framboise Raspberry Lambic: 28
Taste: 9 Finish: 9 Visual: 5 Aroma: 5
Total: 28
It looks and smells like fruit juice mixed with Sprite. Wow, a very tart punch up front from the raspberries. No trace of alcohol (~3%). Just pure carbonated punch. Drink it by the gallon.
Total: 28
It looks and smells like fruit juice mixed with Sprite. Wow, a very tart punch up front from the raspberries. No trace of alcohol (~3%). Just pure carbonated punch. Drink it by the gallon.
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