Browse Tag

beer

Yes, I sea the otter

[label]Otter Creek “Sea Otter” Baltic Porter (Vermont) – I’m not quite sure what’s “Baltic” about this, but as a Porter it’s a good one, if salty (maybe that’s it), with a range of browns and a certain malted crispness. (6/08)

How much beer could a Pennichuck chug?

[label]Pennichuck “Feuer Wehrmann” Schwarzbier (New Hampshire) – Just enough char and brood for typicity, but not so much that the beer becomes oppressive. This isn’t a “fun” drink, but it’s a good one, with a sticky, tar-like swirl amongst a vague hickory smoke…like catching the whiff of a distant neighbor’s grillfest. (6/08)

Pennichuck “Saint Florian” Doppelbock Lager (New Hampshire) – Lager? Does that account for the watery finish to an otherwise appealing intensity of fermented stone fruit and spice? It’s not bad, exactly…it’s as if a way has been found to make bock more of a thirst-quencher than a sipper…but I think I’ll stick with the ales for now, thanks. (6/08)

I like you boy, you’ve got Saaz

Carlsberg “Jacobsen” Saaz Blonde (Denmark) – A Belgian-style blonde ale with Czech Saaz hops. And in fact, there’s a slightly spicy, zingy edge to the usual Belgian ale smoothness (with its own measure of spice), yet the overall impression is one of light and refreshment. It doesn’t have the complexity of great Belgian ale, but it’s a good beer. (5/08)

Czechmate

[bottle]Czechvar Lager (Czech Republic) – I’m an ale partisan, and lager usually leaves me cold, but if I must have a lager, this is about as good as it gets; a fine, wet, thirst-quenching balance of light bitterness, light grain, and light alcohol. Thoroughly refreshing and absolutely pure. (5/08)

A: a newspaper

[label]Dogfish Head “Red & White” (Delaware) – Brewed with coriander and orange peel, pinot noir juice concentrate added, then aged with a mix of oak barrels and staves. I enjoy Dogfish Head’s adventurousness, and some of their experiments work, but this just seems directionless. Here, 2+2=1, at best. (4/08)

BBQ beer

[roasting]Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier (Germany) – Crisper and more refreshing, and though the smoke dominates (naturally), there’s actual beer present as well; a feat of balance rarely achieved in this style. Overall, despite the char, it’s a fairly light brew. (4/08)

Boeing

Stone “07.07.07 Vertical Epic” Ale with Spices (California) – A good balance of ale and spice, which isn’t always achieved by these brews, with a strong but relatively supple palate presence, despite a structure that feels like iron rods rammed through the heart of the beer. Interesting. (4/08)

Wilfred Brimley

[logo]Young’s Oatmeal Stout (England) – Slightly bitter, nothing sticking out (or up for itself)…just basically sitting there, fitting the barest possible definition of “stout.” Ambitionless. (4/08)

Westmallerats

[beer]Westmalle Trappist Ale Tripel (Belgium) – This seems less than it used to be, though that may just be my constantly-evolving palate. It’s heavy, spicy, and tasty, full of spiced pear liqueur and brighter, coriander-infused zest, but it shows malted up front and rather wan at the rear. A very good ale, with plenty of heft (and certainly a powerful wallop of alcohol) but also somewhat rote. (3/08)