Visual: 5 Aroma: 4 Taste: 10 Finish: 9
Total: 28
Dogfish Head started as a small brewery in Delaware and a restaurant at Rehoboth Beach. Over 10 years it has blossomed to be the fastest growing brewery in the country. They are well known for the 60 Minute IPA. Although that is a very good beer, for me their best starts with Shelter Pale Ale. Unfortunately, they do not distribute it nation wide and it only resides in Delaware and surrounding states. Hopefully they will increase this distribution. And here's why.
The pour is perfect. The color is a beautiful medium amber. The head is full. It smells sweet and musky of hops and malt. You get a wonderful first acidic bite as it transitions to a strong hop on the back of the tongue. It has a toasted nut undertone. It finishes full of flavor that lingers without over powering. It does not wear on you. This is probably not a hot summer day by the pool beer. It is more of night time brew with a hearty meal and then will keep you warm all night. On tap it finishes even cleaner which would give it a perfect 10 and a near perfect 29 total. To me it is the finest beer available. If I could only drink one beer for the rest of my life this would be my first choice. Now, Shelter is not their most popular brew. But, I find it to be their best.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale: 28
Visual: 5 Aroma: 5 Taste: 8 Finish: 10
Total: 28
Samuel Smith is not an often beer. It's one you probably will never find in a friend's fridge. It's a beer you may have on very rare occasion at a bar or with a good meal. I have never seen it on draft. Those in the know will order one and smile. Is this beer worth such reserved company? Or should we visit him more often?
First, it pours with a beautiful thick head. The color is a very deep brown. Just looking at it you want to drink this beer. The aroma is of medium malt and hops. It smells smooth and crisp. You want to drink this beer. It hits the tongue very cleanly with a slight nuttiness. Mr. Smith says it's hazelnut, but I couldn't tell. There is a very mild malt on the front. It finishes with a mild hop flavor that lingers on the tongue nicely. You get a very nice "ahh" upon exhale. It kind of leaves you with that dry walnut feeling. This is a clean beer that is full of flavor. It is a very hard thing to achieve. Mr. Smith deserves more frequent visits at home and about. You will drink this beer. And it will be superb.
Total: 28
Samuel Smith is not an often beer. It's one you probably will never find in a friend's fridge. It's a beer you may have on very rare occasion at a bar or with a good meal. I have never seen it on draft. Those in the know will order one and smile. Is this beer worth such reserved company? Or should we visit him more often?
First, it pours with a beautiful thick head. The color is a very deep brown. Just looking at it you want to drink this beer. The aroma is of medium malt and hops. It smells smooth and crisp. You want to drink this beer. It hits the tongue very cleanly with a slight nuttiness. Mr. Smith says it's hazelnut, but I couldn't tell. There is a very mild malt on the front. It finishes with a mild hop flavor that lingers on the tongue nicely. You get a very nice "ahh" upon exhale. It kind of leaves you with that dry walnut feeling. This is a clean beer that is full of flavor. It is a very hard thing to achieve. Mr. Smith deserves more frequent visits at home and about. You will drink this beer. And it will be superb.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Magic Hat No. 9: 23
Aroma: 4 Visual: 3 Taste: 7 Finish: 9
Total: 23
Magic Hat is a very good micro brewery out of Vermont. They seem to be putting out a large amount of good quality craft beer. My first and best affair with Magic Hat is with their Number 9. Not knowing what to expect, I was blown away the first time when I had it on tap. But that was a night of good friends and food. So, here is a more objective review.
Number 9 is a pale ale. It has a very light malty aroma with a hint of sweetness. It pours with a full head. The color is a light amber and slightly cloudy. It has a nice tang when it hits the tongue. Then hits a mild hoppiness. Nothing overpowering. Finally you get some sweetness at the back of the tongue. It goes down smooth and finishes pretty cleanly. A nice linger of hops and some fruit. New web site says the beer is cloaked in mystery. Not long ago they used to tell you what the mystery is. They use a bit of apricot in the beer. This is what adds its sweetness. If you concentrate very hard you can sort of taste it. But otherwise you would never know. This is no fruit beer. It is a very refreshing brew good for a hot day. Though my love affair with Number 9 was hot at first, it survived the test of time with a very respectable 23 overall. I wish it weren't so cloudy and went either lighter in color or a more deep amber. It's medium amber isn't terribly appealing. It could also use a bit more bite up front but it finishes so smoothly and cleanly. It's a great beer to appreciate just one or for a more extended session. Excellent.
Total: 23
Magic Hat is a very good micro brewery out of Vermont. They seem to be putting out a large amount of good quality craft beer. My first and best affair with Magic Hat is with their Number 9. Not knowing what to expect, I was blown away the first time when I had it on tap. But that was a night of good friends and food. So, here is a more objective review.
Number 9 is a pale ale. It has a very light malty aroma with a hint of sweetness. It pours with a full head. The color is a light amber and slightly cloudy. It has a nice tang when it hits the tongue. Then hits a mild hoppiness. Nothing overpowering. Finally you get some sweetness at the back of the tongue. It goes down smooth and finishes pretty cleanly. A nice linger of hops and some fruit. New web site says the beer is cloaked in mystery. Not long ago they used to tell you what the mystery is. They use a bit of apricot in the beer. This is what adds its sweetness. If you concentrate very hard you can sort of taste it. But otherwise you would never know. This is no fruit beer. It is a very refreshing brew good for a hot day. Though my love affair with Number 9 was hot at first, it survived the test of time with a very respectable 23 overall. I wish it weren't so cloudy and went either lighter in color or a more deep amber. It's medium amber isn't terribly appealing. It could also use a bit more bite up front but it finishes so smoothly and cleanly. It's a great beer to appreciate just one or for a more extended session. Excellent.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Jack Daniels Old Number 7: 22
Taste: 7 Finish: 7 Color: 4 Aroma: 4
Total: 22
I start my whiskey reviews with my old friend, Jack Daniels. I will always remember the classic line from "A Scent of a Woman" where Al Pacino says, "When you've known him as long as I have you call him John." We've been close friends since 1990.
Jack is not a bourbon due to it's distilling process. More specifically it's filtering process. Jack is double charcoal filtered. Once at the beginning and then again at the end. A true bourbon is filtered only once at the start. Otherwise Jack is extremely similar to other bourbons and have the same flavor characteristics. Jack claims the double filtering makes it smoother.
The aroma is of traditional American whiskey. There is a small whiff of alcohol but nothing offensive. The color is a rich amber. I prefer my whiskey over ice. Warm and straight up to me is not that appealing. A splash of cold water on rare occasion. On ice, Jack has a nice smokey flavor with caramel undertones giving it a hint of sweetness. It glides over the tongue. There is a mild bite in the back of the throat and a medium burn on the way down. It's a smooth burn, not harsh like in cheap liquor. Moving up in whiskey quality almost always reduces this burn but at the expense of forward taste. I find Jack to be a very good balance between flavor and finish. Just rough enough to know you're drinking whiskey but not harsh to make you cough after it goes down.
To close, for an "every day" whiskey, Jack is a great friend. You may find more exciting and expensive whiskeys out there but John will never let you down.
Total: 22
I start my whiskey reviews with my old friend, Jack Daniels. I will always remember the classic line from "A Scent of a Woman" where Al Pacino says, "When you've known him as long as I have you call him John." We've been close friends since 1990.
Jack is not a bourbon due to it's distilling process. More specifically it's filtering process. Jack is double charcoal filtered. Once at the beginning and then again at the end. A true bourbon is filtered only once at the start. Otherwise Jack is extremely similar to other bourbons and have the same flavor characteristics. Jack claims the double filtering makes it smoother.
The aroma is of traditional American whiskey. There is a small whiff of alcohol but nothing offensive. The color is a rich amber. I prefer my whiskey over ice. Warm and straight up to me is not that appealing. A splash of cold water on rare occasion. On ice, Jack has a nice smokey flavor with caramel undertones giving it a hint of sweetness. It glides over the tongue. There is a mild bite in the back of the throat and a medium burn on the way down. It's a smooth burn, not harsh like in cheap liquor. Moving up in whiskey quality almost always reduces this burn but at the expense of forward taste. I find Jack to be a very good balance between flavor and finish. Just rough enough to know you're drinking whiskey but not harsh to make you cough after it goes down.
To close, for an "every day" whiskey, Jack is a great friend. You may find more exciting and expensive whiskeys out there but John will never let you down.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Rogue Dead Guy Ale: 20
Taste: 6 Finish: 8 Visual: 3 Aroma: 3
Total: 20
Rogue Dead Guy Ale is a craft beer from
Samuel Adams Boston Lager: 24
Taste: 8
Total: 24
As the beer reviews become reborn, I start with the benchmark of beer, Sam Adams Boston Lager. It separates the good from the great. Since all reviews are subjective and not absolute, I use this beer as the baseline to compare all others against. At a rating of 24 out of 30, it leaves just enough room for improvement for a truly great beer.
To start, the color is a perfect deep amber with no artificial overtones. The head is foamy with no brittleness. A nice hoppy aroma is present. The taste as it rolls over the tongue is of strong hops and malt barley without being overpowering. It is a bit dry with a little sweetness. It finishes a bit strong leaving a lingering hop aftertaste. This is its weakest trait. In bottles, the aftertaste can wear on you a bit. As with most beers, on tap it has a slightly smoother finish. It’s a beer you can enjoy on the couch or with a steak at a nice restaurant. To summarize it is bold without being overpowering.
Monday, January 1, 2007
Bitter
Bitters are the pub beer of Britain. Traditionally, a pale ale poured from a cask at a pub is a Bitter. There are no official designations except that they be bitter. When a Bitter is bottled it is a Pale Ale.
Today that designation is not as clear cut. Bitters tend to be more bitter than a pale ale and usually less than an IPA. They are also more bitter than a Mild. Bitters can be bittered via overhopping, but an overhopped beer doesn't have to be a bitter. It can be an IPA. Bitters come in bottles. Brewers have different classes of Bitters from ordinary Bitter to Special to Extra Special or other designations. Perhaps you have to be English to fully comprehend all the subtleties.
Bitters range in color from golden to amber. They are moderate to heavy in alcohol. They can be malty upfront but must be bitter on finish and dry.
Today that designation is not as clear cut. Bitters tend to be more bitter than a pale ale and usually less than an IPA. They are also more bitter than a Mild. Bitters can be bittered via overhopping, but an overhopped beer doesn't have to be a bitter. It can be an IPA. Bitters come in bottles. Brewers have different classes of Bitters from ordinary Bitter to Special to Extra Special or other designations. Perhaps you have to be English to fully comprehend all the subtleties.
Bitters range in color from golden to amber. They are moderate to heavy in alcohol. They can be malty upfront but must be bitter on finish and dry.
India Pale Ale
England needed a way to ship its beer to far away places in the Empire. A normal pale ale would spoil on the long journey and turn to vinegar. After some experimentation, it was found that adding a lot of hops to the beer kept it from spoiling and turning to vinegar. India Pale Ale was born.
IPAs are extremely hoppy and bitter. Although an IPA is bitter, it is not necessarily a Bitter Ale. IPAs are foremost very hoppy which makes them bitter. A Bitter Ale is foremost bitter which could be done by hops. See Bitter for a complete definition.
IPAs can range in color from golden to amber. The aroma is of strong hops. The taste should be acidic on the tip, and hop/bitter on the back. The finish is dry but should linger a bit. The middle can be various flavors from citrus to floral to honey. It should not taste medicinal.
IPAs are extremely hoppy and bitter. Although an IPA is bitter, it is not necessarily a Bitter Ale. IPAs are foremost very hoppy which makes them bitter. A Bitter Ale is foremost bitter which could be done by hops. See Bitter for a complete definition.
IPAs can range in color from golden to amber. The aroma is of strong hops. The taste should be acidic on the tip, and hop/bitter on the back. The finish is dry but should linger a bit. The middle can be various flavors from citrus to floral to honey. It should not taste medicinal.
- 21st Amendment IPA: 21
- Abita Jockamo IPA: 21
- Ballast Point Sculpin: 27
- Bear Republic Racer 5: 24
- Brew Dog Hardcore IPA: 24
- Brooklyn IPA: 19
- Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA: 21
- Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA: 29
- Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA: 28
- Dogfish Head Burton Baton:26
- Elysian Immortal IPA: 18
- Flying Fish HopFish IPA: 23
- Founders Centennial IPA: 24
- Founders Double Trouble IPA: 29
- Great Divide Hercules Double IPA: 30
- Great Divide Titan IPA: 27
- Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale: 23
- Lancaster Hop Hog: 16
- Left Hand Warrior IPA: 9
- Magic Hat Lucky Cat: 23
- North Coast Acme IPA: 24
- Philadelphia Brewing Newbold IPA: 21
- Port Brewing Wipe Out IPA: 22
- Redhook Long Hammer IPA: 17
- Russian River Pliny the Elder: 28
- Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA: 25
- Samuel Smith's India Ale: 20
- Sierra Nevada IPA: 18
- Slyfox Odyssey: 26
- Slyfox Route 113 IPA: 26
- Smuttynose Big A IPA: 22
- Southern Tier iniquity black IPA: 17
- Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale: 28
- Stone Double Bastard: 29
- Stone 14 Imperial IPA: 29
- Stone 15 Imperial Black IPA: 27
- Stone IPA: 22
- Stone Ruination IPA: 22
- Stoudt's Double IPA: 27
- Victory Hop Devil IPA: 27
- Victory Wild Devil: 26
- Weyerbacher Hops Infusion IPA: 21
Pale Ale
Pale ale is perhaps the second widely most consumed beer after pilsners. Pale ales are British ales. They predate the golden pilsners. The color can range from a light straw, to golden, to copper, to amber. Pale is in comparison to the darks that ruled beer since its inception.
Pale ales are crisp, dry, and emphasize the hops over the malt. They tend to be moderately bitter, but not as bitter as the India Pale Ale or Bitter Ale. It can be a bit flowery in aroma. They work beautifully on a hot day to cut through your thirst.
The term can also be used more generically. When a British ale isn't a mild, a bitter, or an IPA, it's a pale ale.
Pale ales are crisp, dry, and emphasize the hops over the malt. They tend to be moderately bitter, but not as bitter as the India Pale Ale or Bitter Ale. It can be a bit flowery in aroma. They work beautifully on a hot day to cut through your thirst.
The term can also be used more generically. When a British ale isn't a mild, a bitter, or an IPA, it's a pale ale.
- Abita Restoration Pale Ale: 22
- Anchor Liberty Ale: 22
- Ballantine XXX Ale: 13
- Bass Pale Ale: 18
- Blowing Rock Ale: 21
- Budweiser American Ale: 16
- Cooper's Sparkling Ale: 18
- Dogfish Head Hellhound: 14
- Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale: 28
- Elysian Loser Pale Ale: 20
- Farmington River Blonde Ale: 21
- Fuller's 1845: 27
- Fuller's Special Pride: 9
- Great Divide Denver Pale Ale: 24
- Great Divide Fresh Hop: 27
- Hook and Ladder Golden Ale: 18
- Lagunitas Sumpin' Sumpin Ale: 19
- Magic Hat Fat Angel: 16
- Magic Hat Number 9: 23
- Magic Hat Roxy Rolles: 24
- Mercurty Brewing Stone Cat Blonde Ale: 20
- Monty Python Holy Ale: 4
- North Coast Brewing - Red Seal Ale: 27
- Ommegang Aphrodite: 18
- Ommegang BPA: 25
- Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale: 24
- Pete's Wicked Ale: 14
- St. Peter's Organic English Ale: 18
- Rogue Single Malt Ale: 18
- Sam Adams Boston Ale: 21
- Sam Adams Pale Ale: 25
- Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale: 19
- Saranac Pale Pale Ale: 16
- Slyfox Phoenix Pale Ale: 24
- Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale: 23
- Southern Tier Phin and Matt's Extraordinary Ale: 16
- Stone Levitation Ale: 24
- Terrapin Peaotch: 19
- Three Floyds Alpha King: 23
- Three Floyds Zombie Dust: 25
- Troeg's Hopback Amber Ale: 25
- Unibroue La Fin Du Monde: 28
- Unibroue Maudite: 27
- Victory Headwaters: 29
- Victory Summer Love: 20
- Victory Yakima Twilight: 25
- Voodoo Love Child: 16
- Voodoo White Magick of the Sun: 11
- Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale: 19
- Young's Special London Ale: 20
Black
Black lagers are an extremely dark and rich lager. It should be even more intense than a doppelbock. It is more of a dessert beer with its intense dark chocolate flavor. It should be very bitter sweet with a dry and lingering finish.
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