How can one pass up a Scottish beer named after the legendary wizard Merlin? I couldn't!
Merlin's Ale is brewed in Scotland, and the label leads one to believe that it is a Scottish Ale. From a style perspective, however, it is probably an Extra Special Bitter. Either way, it is worth a try.
Merlin pours to a slightly hazy copper color with a foamy head that laces out fairly quickly. Aroma is light.
The taste is an interesting balance of hops-based bitterness with some hints of citrus and a malty finish. Nothing about this beer is overwhelming or out of balance, which makes it very easy to drink. I'm drinking this brew solo tonight, but I can see it going well with a number of different foods.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Unibroue Maudite
I understand the term "Maudite" means "Damned." After drinking this brew, I certainly don't feel damned, but I'll let you know!
I picked up a "taster pack" of Unibroue's offerings a couple of weeks ago. Unibroue is a highly regarded Canadian brewer. Maudite is a strong Red Ale (or, depending on who you talk to, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale). This particular beer kicks some serious ass at a full 8% Alcohol By Volume (ABV). It is also a "bottle re-fermented brew" -- meaning that yeast is present in the bottle, and the beer's character will continue to change with age.
My bottle was "young", so I experienced the "smooth" version of the beer. Supposedly, as this beer ages it becomes stronger, with more interesting characteristics developing, and more "port like". Perhaps. Mine didn't last long enough to find out -- and as good as it is "young", it is going to be one hell of a struggle to allow one to age.
This beer pours to a hazy cider-brown with a generous and durable amount of foam. I picked up some spices in the aroma (cloves) , along with the unmistakable smell of alcohol (although not strong).
The taste is very interesting and hard to describe. I picked up a hint of green apple followed by a balanced combination of alcohol and malt. Hops showed up in a smooth and tasty finish.
I had this beer "solo" because I wanted to taste it without anything else in the picture. However, I think this beer would be amazing with a good steak or a pasta + red sauce dinner. This beer isn't cheap, and with money as tight as it is, it is going to be a while before I get my hands on another one. However, I enjoyed it thoroughly and hope to get an opportunity to try it with some food (or perhaps to age one) in the near future.
I picked up a "taster pack" of Unibroue's offerings a couple of weeks ago. Unibroue is a highly regarded Canadian brewer. Maudite is a strong Red Ale (or, depending on who you talk to, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale). This particular beer kicks some serious ass at a full 8% Alcohol By Volume (ABV). It is also a "bottle re-fermented brew" -- meaning that yeast is present in the bottle, and the beer's character will continue to change with age.
My bottle was "young", so I experienced the "smooth" version of the beer. Supposedly, as this beer ages it becomes stronger, with more interesting characteristics developing, and more "port like". Perhaps. Mine didn't last long enough to find out -- and as good as it is "young", it is going to be one hell of a struggle to allow one to age.
This beer pours to a hazy cider-brown with a generous and durable amount of foam. I picked up some spices in the aroma (cloves) , along with the unmistakable smell of alcohol (although not strong).
The taste is very interesting and hard to describe. I picked up a hint of green apple followed by a balanced combination of alcohol and malt. Hops showed up in a smooth and tasty finish.
I had this beer "solo" because I wanted to taste it without anything else in the picture. However, I think this beer would be amazing with a good steak or a pasta + red sauce dinner. This beer isn't cheap, and with money as tight as it is, it is going to be a while before I get my hands on another one. However, I enjoyed it thoroughly and hope to get an opportunity to try it with some food (or perhaps to age one) in the near future.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Otters and the Dog!
Sometimes, I pick up a beer based solely on name...
Tonight, I'm drinking a beer called "Hoppy Otter" -- figured it was a cool name (although "Hoppy Dog" or "Hoppy Toad" would be better), and so worth a try... Plus, I managed to wrench my back yesterday (sciatica) and nothing kills the pain better than a few cold brews!
Hoppy Otter claims to be an "India Pale Ale" and is brewed in England. England is, of course, the home of the original and "true" IPA. However, English IPAs are generally not as "hoppy" as their American IPA counterparts, due largely to the difference in hops. So... here is where the oddity of Hoppy Otter enters the equation... It is an IPA brewed in England using American hops!
I'm enjoying this brew. It isn't a traditional IPA, nor is it an American IPA, but it is kinda good! Different? Yes. Good? Absolutely. Worth a try if the opportunity presents itself.
Tonight, I'm drinking a beer called "Hoppy Otter" -- figured it was a cool name (although "Hoppy Dog" or "Hoppy Toad" would be better), and so worth a try... Plus, I managed to wrench my back yesterday (sciatica) and nothing kills the pain better than a few cold brews!
Hoppy Otter claims to be an "India Pale Ale" and is brewed in England. England is, of course, the home of the original and "true" IPA. However, English IPAs are generally not as "hoppy" as their American IPA counterparts, due largely to the difference in hops. So... here is where the oddity of Hoppy Otter enters the equation... It is an IPA brewed in England using American hops!
I'm enjoying this brew. It isn't a traditional IPA, nor is it an American IPA, but it is kinda good! Different? Yes. Good? Absolutely. Worth a try if the opportunity presents itself.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
In my quest to re-discover the IPA, I wanted a decent "entry" beer to a style that I have traditionally disliked.
DFH 60 was recommended, along with English IPAs, which are typically not as strong as their American counterparts. This turned out to be a good recommendation.
DFH 60 isn't as explosive as some "stronger" IPAs and represents a decent initiation into the style. Hops are a noticeable component, but there are noticeable citrus overtones mixed in. These smooth out the beer and increase the drinkability.
If you're looking to get "hoppy" with some IPAs, this beer might be a good starting point. Recommended!
DFH 60 was recommended, along with English IPAs, which are typically not as strong as their American counterparts. This turned out to be a good recommendation.
DFH 60 isn't as explosive as some "stronger" IPAs and represents a decent initiation into the style. Hops are a noticeable component, but there are noticeable citrus overtones mixed in. These smooth out the beer and increase the drinkability.
If you're looking to get "hoppy" with some IPAs, this beer might be a good starting point. Recommended!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
St. Peter's India Pale Ale
This India Pale Ale comes to us from the U.K. Unlike its American IPA counterparts, the English IPA's tend to be less of a "hops bomb" and a little gentler overall.
St. Peter's is no exception. Hops is, certainly, the dominant feature of this beer. I also picked up one some honey overtones, which made it a touch sweeter than a typical American IPA.
An interesting thing about this beer for me was the aftertaste and feel. While the aftertaste is solidly english hops that build, the feel is almost syrup or honey-like. The beer isn't thick at all, and certainly isn't sweet like this, but the feeling it leaves in the mouth is. It did the same thing to my glass, leaving a well-adhered residue of foam.
Overall, I enjoyed it a great deal. Moderately refreshing, although not as much so as Buckeye, Long Hammer, or Dogfish Head 60. I'll probably pick up another one on a future beer run, as it was less expensive than some of the other beers I bought today and very good.
St. Peter's is no exception. Hops is, certainly, the dominant feature of this beer. I also picked up one some honey overtones, which made it a touch sweeter than a typical American IPA.
An interesting thing about this beer for me was the aftertaste and feel. While the aftertaste is solidly english hops that build, the feel is almost syrup or honey-like. The beer isn't thick at all, and certainly isn't sweet like this, but the feeling it leaves in the mouth is. It did the same thing to my glass, leaving a well-adhered residue of foam.
Overall, I enjoyed it a great deal. Moderately refreshing, although not as much so as Buckeye, Long Hammer, or Dogfish Head 60. I'll probably pick up another one on a future beer run, as it was less expensive than some of the other beers I bought today and very good.
More updates coming soon!
I decided that today was a good day to pick up a few out-of-the-ordinary beers. I had the rare confluence of available cash, time, and a store nearby with a decent selection.
With that inspiration, I visited the beer section at "The Andersons General Store" today. It was reasonably well stocked and did have some of the things I was looking for. On a quick observation, it seemed that The Andersons has a larger selection of single bottle import craft beers than Whole Foods, while Whole Foods seems to have more domestic craft beers. It could be related to the day I visited, the season, etc, who knows...
Either way, I picked out some interesting stuff to try.
I picked up a "Taster's Pack" of 4 beers made by the Unibroue Brewing Company out of Canada. Two darks (both Belgian Strong Dark), a Tripel, and an Belgian Strong Pale Ale -- all of which were rated A- or better on Beer Advocate.
I got two different varieties of Weisenstephaner (A Hefe Weissen and a Krystalweissen) from Germany (both also widely regarded as excellent).
A bottle of Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale also made it into my cart, along with a couple of English IPAs that I was not familiar with (Hoppy Otter and St. Peter's). Lastly, to continue to ease into the American IPA offerings, I picked up a 6-pack of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.
This leads to the unmistakable conclusion that some reviews are forthcoming. The only question I have is where to start!
With that inspiration, I visited the beer section at "The Andersons General Store" today. It was reasonably well stocked and did have some of the things I was looking for. On a quick observation, it seemed that The Andersons has a larger selection of single bottle import craft beers than Whole Foods, while Whole Foods seems to have more domestic craft beers. It could be related to the day I visited, the season, etc, who knows...
Either way, I picked out some interesting stuff to try.
I picked up a "Taster's Pack" of 4 beers made by the Unibroue Brewing Company out of Canada. Two darks (both Belgian Strong Dark), a Tripel, and an Belgian Strong Pale Ale -- all of which were rated A- or better on Beer Advocate.
I got two different varieties of Weisenstephaner (A Hefe Weissen and a Krystalweissen) from Germany (both also widely regarded as excellent).
A bottle of Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale also made it into my cart, along with a couple of English IPAs that I was not familiar with (Hoppy Otter and St. Peter's). Lastly, to continue to ease into the American IPA offerings, I picked up a 6-pack of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.
This leads to the unmistakable conclusion that some reviews are forthcoming. The only question I have is where to start!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Long Hammer India Pale Ale
I should preface this with the disclaimer that I have historically not liked IPA beers. However, it has been years since I've tried one (and the fact that many beer aficionado's rave about them) -- so I decided it was a time to try again. Time changes many things, and one's tastes in beer is included with this. I'm much more tolerant and sophisticated in my beer enjoyment now than I was then.
However, rather than diving into the deep end with a more esoteric IPA or a high-powered variant like Hop Stoopid, I thought maybe a more "Americanized" version might be a nice re-introduction. So I picked up a 6-pack of Long Hammer IPA at Target.
LH IPA pours to a medium-golden color and produces a moderate, lacey head that adheres nicely to the side of a glass. The aroma is not powerful, but does have noticeable hops overtones. For an IPA, the level of hop aroma is decidedly light. I also picked up some citrus of some sort in the aroma.
Aside -- India Pale Ales were traditionally brewed at sea en-route between Britain and India. The ultra-high hops content was to take advantage of the preservative properties of hops. Upon arrival in India, the brew was ready -- and strong! Rumor has it that the majority of the brew was watered-down and served to the crew, while the officers enjoyed the higher-alcohol, undiluted ale. So -- one expects a fairly noticeably hops content from an IPA.
LH IPA would be, at best, a "light" IPA. It is far less bitter than I expected it to be. While the hops are present and noticeable, they are far more subtle than I'd expect from a "true" IPA.
This is not to say that LH IPA isn't an enjoyable beer. It is a very good beer to drink. Smooth, tasty, and refreshing. But probably not a true IPA in the purest sense of the word. However, it has enough identifiable hops characteristics to be a nice "stepping stone" for one who is looking to move away from the center point of beers (basic adjunct lagers, american BMCs etc.). LH IPA has far more "real" hop characteristic that Budweiser American Lager (which speaks of hops, but only really hints at them). It has less hop "drive" than Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
So -- is it a "good IPA" -- probably not in the traditional sense. Too sweet, not enough hops.
Is it a good beer? Certainly. It is a smooth, refreshing beer that isn't the "same old, same old".
Oh -- and the 6.5% ABV isn't too shabby either!
However, rather than diving into the deep end with a more esoteric IPA or a high-powered variant like Hop Stoopid, I thought maybe a more "Americanized" version might be a nice re-introduction. So I picked up a 6-pack of Long Hammer IPA at Target.
LH IPA pours to a medium-golden color and produces a moderate, lacey head that adheres nicely to the side of a glass. The aroma is not powerful, but does have noticeable hops overtones. For an IPA, the level of hop aroma is decidedly light. I also picked up some citrus of some sort in the aroma.
Aside -- India Pale Ales were traditionally brewed at sea en-route between Britain and India. The ultra-high hops content was to take advantage of the preservative properties of hops. Upon arrival in India, the brew was ready -- and strong! Rumor has it that the majority of the brew was watered-down and served to the crew, while the officers enjoyed the higher-alcohol, undiluted ale. So -- one expects a fairly noticeably hops content from an IPA.
LH IPA would be, at best, a "light" IPA. It is far less bitter than I expected it to be. While the hops are present and noticeable, they are far more subtle than I'd expect from a "true" IPA.
This is not to say that LH IPA isn't an enjoyable beer. It is a very good beer to drink. Smooth, tasty, and refreshing. But probably not a true IPA in the purest sense of the word. However, it has enough identifiable hops characteristics to be a nice "stepping stone" for one who is looking to move away from the center point of beers (basic adjunct lagers, american BMCs etc.). LH IPA has far more "real" hop characteristic that Budweiser American Lager (which speaks of hops, but only really hints at them). It has less hop "drive" than Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
So -- is it a "good IPA" -- probably not in the traditional sense. Too sweet, not enough hops.
Is it a good beer? Certainly. It is a smooth, refreshing beer that isn't the "same old, same old".
Oh -- and the 6.5% ABV isn't too shabby either!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)