Thom's Beer Blog

833. Saranac Pomegranate Wheat

2008-07-23T09:32:00.000-04:00

833. Saranac Pomegranate Wheat

I had this beer at The Tavern in Central Square at Kevin's thesis defense party on June 20th.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Matt Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.70%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5

Overall: 3.2

Pours a cloudy golden with a reddish tint. Topped by a thick, bright white head that fades to a film leaving patchy lace. The aroma is grainy with a hint of grassiness and a light pomegranate note that becomes stronger and a bit syrupy on swirling.

Sweet pomegranate upfront and throughout. The finish is grainy with not a lot of bitterness. Too sweet overall. Smooth, low carbonation and light-bodied.

Too sweet, but the pomegranate flavor is nice.

832. Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen

2008-07-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

832. Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen

We grilled at Jadyn's place to get to know the new roommate who's subletting from Kurt. He's German and he brought a few German beers.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brauerei Heller-Trum
Alcohol: 5.40%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Rauchbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear brown with a foamy beige head that thins to a film. The aroma is smoky with some hints of maltiness. Sweet caramel malts upfront, smoky with some spiciness, a nice toasty finish and a light bitterness. Medium-bodied, light to moderate carbonation. The smokiness is a bit strong, but it's tasty.

830-831. The Dancing Bear

2008-07-18T09:31:00.000-04:00

Jadyn and I went to Waco in early May. We went to the dancing bear with Win one evening. Unfortunately they're still being dicked around by the ATF so they haven't been able to start brewing yet.

830. Real Heavy

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Real Ale Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: American Strong Ale

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5

Overall: 3.5

Pours a lightly hazy amber-brown with a filmy beige head. Malty, caramel, raisins and bit of spice in the aroma. Fruity and malty sweetness upfront and through a thick feeling center. The finish is a lingering fruitiness and a mild, but lingering bitterness. Lightly carbonated.

831. Warrior IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.60%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5

Overall: 3.95

Pours a hazy copper. Topped by a sudsy, off-white head that leaves rings of lace as the glass is drained. The aroma is hoppy, citric and leafy with a bit of sugar and caramel below.

Bready and toasty maltiness upfront. A light caramel sweetness appears before being quickly overtaken by citrusy hops and a leafy bitterness. Medium to light-bodied, highly carbonated.

Not overly hoppy, well balanced. Not sessionable, but very tasty and definitely worth revisiting.

Washington Post: Another Kind of Red

2008-07-16T15:13:00.003-04:00

There's a nice article in the Washington Post called Another Kind of Red, about Flanders Red Ales. It starts by mentioning Rodenbach Grand Cru and later mentions other Belgian and American versions like Duchesse de Bourgogne and La Folie. It does a nice job of describing the style:

Don't be intimidated by the sharp, almost vinegar-like aroma, a common trait of the Flanders sour red ale style. You'll find these beers complex, thirst-quenching and food-friendly. They're remnants of an earlier era when brewers aged their beers in unlined wooden vessels; microorganisms residing in the wood, particularly lactobacillus and wild yeasts, joined in the fermentation and made their own flavor contributions.

Flanders red ales are fruity, with cherry being the most common descriptor. You might also detect a little sour apple, raspberry or cranberry in the Rodenbach. Those flavors come from fermentation byproducts called esters and from acedic acid and lactic acid (also a component in yogurt). A wild fermentation can be unpredictable, so brewers try to achieve consistency by blending the contents of different vessels.

Specialty malts are responsible for the ruddy color, which ranges from deep amber to burgundy, and add a caramely sweetness. Hopping is minimal in these beers, but contact with the wood results in a dry, mouth-tingling tannic taste.

It's nice to see mainstream coverage of beer, and especially to see coverage of wild/sour beers.

829. Samuel Adams Honey Porter

2008-07-16T09:16:00.000-04:00

829. Samuel Adams Honey Porter

Matt brought this in when we brewed our oatmeal stout (post upcoming). I didn't take notes, and don't remember a lot.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 5.45%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style:American Porter, BJCP Style Guide

I remember being pleasantly surprised that the honey sweetness didn't overpower the roasty malts. That's about all I remember.

828. John Harvard's Apeman Ale

2008-07-14T15:38:00.000-04:00

828. John Harvard's Apeman Ale

I had a pint of this at John Harvard's on April 26th. I'm pretty sure this was describes as a Saison at the bar.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.0

Overall: 3.95

Pours a very cloudy -- log phase yeast cloudy -- straw color. It's topped by a foamy, white head that thins to a patchy film and leaves clinging strands of lace. There's almost a peach like hue from the refracted light. There's a nice neutral graininess in the nose, with some light peppery spice and banana fruitiness.

Light-bodied with high carbonation that pulls the flavors along. There's a nice neutral maltiness that's carried through to a crisp finish. Banana and bubble gum fruitiness is present in the center with a hint of sour citrus. The finish has a nice, grassy hop bitterness and a pleasing dryness.

Tasty and very drinkable.

827. Boont ESB

2008-07-09T09:11:00.000-04:00

827. Boont ESB

I bought a six-pack of this at the liquor store down the street from Jadyn's place on April 24th.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.80%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (ESB), BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0

Overall: 4.3

Pours a clear copper. Topped by a thick, merengue-like, off-white head that retains well, but eventually fades to a thin layer leaving quite a bit of lace. Thea aroma is toasty with a hint of fruit and lightly floral, citric and piney hops.

Sweet initially, sugar and light caramel flavors are carried through by the carbonation. Malts quickly turn toasty. The crisp hoppy finish is citric and resiny with a hint of oiliness that contributes to the medium-bodied feel.

Nicely balanced. Not to sweet and lets the hops do their thing.

826. Harvard Square Helles

2008-07-07T12:35:00.000-04:00

826. Harvard Square Helles

Jadyn and stopped at John Harvard's for a beer sometime in late April.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: John Harvard's Brew House
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Munich Helles Lager, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a lightly hazed golden. Topped by a thick white head that fades to a film. The aroma is light, predominantly graininess and grassy hops on swirling. There's a neutral graininess upfront that moves into a rough bitterness in the center that's accentuated by citric elements. Light-bodied, highly carbonated with a bit of roughness in the finish. Tasty and refreshing.

825. Bitchin Bitter

2008-07-04T10:19:00.000-04:00

825. Bitchin Bitter

I had this at the CBC sometime not long after I got back from New York.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.0

Overall: 3.75

Pours a hazy amber that borders on a brownish copper. The beige head hd faded to a wispy film by the time our beers arrived. The aroma has notes of light caramel, a slight nuttiness, and a some herbal hops.

Sweet bready notes upfront that moves through to a bit of toastiness that seamlessly blends with a light grassy bitterness in the finish that's accented by a bright citric flavor that appears just before the finish. Medium-bodied and highly carbonated with a bit of a grainy texture in the finish.

Nicely balanced and drinkable.

823-824. New York: Rabbit Club

2008-07-02T13:48:00.000-04:00

After leaving Burp Castle David and I went to Spitzer's Corner for dinner. David has the herb roasted chicken and I had a tasty Duck Confit.

After dinner we went to the Rabbit Club, a basement bar somewhere in the West Village. The bar itself was long and narrow and darkly lit. After a certain point they shut the front door and people had to ring the buzzer to get in.

After leaving the Rabbit Club we aught the Metro North back to Pelham and watched some South Park on David's computer.

823. Ivanhoe

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ridgeway Brewing
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: English Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy, amber copper. Topped by a sudsy beige head. Light lace clings to the glass. The aroma is sweet malts, caramel, and a bit of grassy hoppiness. Toasty malts upfront, light sweetness throughout with a good bitterness in the finish. Moderate carbonation, light-bodied.

824. Cwrw Braf

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Tomos Watkin Brewery
Alcohol: 4.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: English Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Clear copper with a head that fades to a patchy film. The aroma is sweet and malty caramel with a hint of fruit. Toasty upfront with a touch of fruitiness and a light bitterness. The finish is husky. Overall I though it lacked flavor and character.

819-822. New York: Burp Castle

2008-06-30T13:15:00.000-04:00

After leaving d.b.a, David and I headed to Burp Castle for more beer. The inside is small, with medieval religious themed paintings on the wall, and high, wooden tables and chairs.

819. Sterkens Dubbel Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Sterkens
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5

Overall: 3.85

Pours a hazy brown with tints of red. Topped by a brown head that thins to a film leaving some lacing. Large yeast particles float around in the beer. The aroma is rich and malty, raisins, and dates are dominant. Smells very nice.

Mellow flavors all in all. It's malty with some brown sugar sweetness. Raisins and dates appear in the center and meld with a light alcoholic spice in the finish. Light-bodied bordering on medium-bodied, moderatley carbonated.

Strong and a tad sweet, but still tasty.

820. St. Feuillien Triple

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie St. Feuillien
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5

Overall: 4.15

Pours a hazy golden. Topped by a thick, off-white head that fades to a substantial film. Aromas are fruity: bananas, apples and a light spice.

Sweet and fruity upfront, predominantly bananas. Peppery spiciness appears in the center followed by a light bitterness in the finish. Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.

Sweet but nicely balanced by the spiciness.

821. Organic Münster Alt

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brauerei Pinkus Mueller
Alcohol: 5.10%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a lightly hazed golden. The white head fades to a thin film. The aroma hints at a grainy sweetness. Neutral graininess upfront that moves through to a light sweetness and a grassy bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, moderate carbonation, husky graininess. Pretty drinkable.

822. Svyturys Ekstra

Beer Stats:
Brewery: AB Svyturys
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear straw color. The white head fades to a ring. The aroma is grassy and grainy. neutral upfront, sweet in the center with a light bitterness in the finish. Light bodied and moderately carbonated. Fairly generic.

815-818. New York: d.b.a.

2008-06-27T11:31:00.000-04:00

After a couple of beers at McSorley's David and I went to d.b.a. for a few rounds. We sat at a table outside in back of the bar. It was a nice sunny day and it was nice to be outside.

815. Gavroche

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie De Saint-Sylvestre
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Bière de Garde, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0

Overall: 3.8

Pours a hazy, reddish copper, topped by a frothy, beige head. The aroma is fairly light. There's a bit of an acidic bite with a grassy hop aroma.

Pretty balanced. There's a light bready sweetness with some toasty elements. There's a light acidic tartness in the finish with a bit of hop bitterness. Light-bodied with vigorous carbonation and a husky dryness.

Balanced, subdued and drinkable.

816. Hooky Bitter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Hook Norton Brewery
Alcohol: 3.60%
Serving: Tap
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.0

Overall: 3.75

Pours a lightly hazed copper. Topped by a sparse, sudsy head that fades to a ring. There's a nice malty caramel aroma with some citric notes. Swirling brings out some more fruity aromas and some herbal hops.

There's a neutral maltiness upfront and a light caramel sweetness. Some tart, green-apple fruitiness appears mid-palate and the finish is citric with very little bitterness. Medium-bodied, low carbonation.

Definitely a session beer, feels light and isn't too carbonated.

817. Organic Ur Pils

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brauerei Pinkus Mueller
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: German Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5

Overall: 4.25

Pours a lightly hazed, straw golden. Topped by a thin white film of a head. The aroma is grainy and lightly hoppy with a nice yeastiness. There's a floral quality as well.

Sweet initially, but gives way to a nice grainy maltiness. There's a light sweetness throughout that gives way to a nice graininess and a grassy, herbal hop bite. Medium to light-bodied, smooth with a bit of a sticky character.

Very drinkable, an awesome German Pils.

818. Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brauerei Heller-Trum
Alcohol: 5.20%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Rauchbier, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 2.5

Overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy, amber color. Topped by a beige film of a head. There may be a light fruitiness peaking out from underneath the overpowering smokiness.

Smoke, smoke, smoke that moves into a fruity sweetness. Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation.

I like smoky beers, and this one certainly delivers, but it's a way too smoky to do anything other than sample.

813-814. New York: McSorley's Old Ale House

2008-06-26T13:28:00.000-04:00

After brunch in Pelham, David and I returned to the city for more drinking. Our initial plans were to go to Burp Castle, but it was closed that early in the day, so instead we headed to d.b.a, but on the way we passed by McSorley's and had to go in.

McSorley's was founded in 1854 and is New York's oldest bar in continuous operation, and was one of the last "men only" bars. The place can only be described as dingy. There were ancient newspapers on the wall and every surface not in use seemed to be covered in an impressively thick layer of dust. The wooden floors were covered with sawdust. I wish I'd written notes in my book, but for more info see Wikipedia.

You can only get two beers here, "Light" and "Dark", which are brewed for McSorley's by Pabst.

813. McSorley's Light (Cream Stock Ale)

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Cream Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 3.0 | Mouthfeel: 2.5 | Drinkability: 3.0

Overall: 3.05

Pours a clear copper color with a thick, frothy beige head. The aroma is lightly malty, maybe some caramel and maybe some hops. Overall a step above standard macros.

Toasty upfront that moves through to a light sweetness with a crisp bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, smooth, moderate carbonation, but feels thin.

A step above most macros, but nothing that will blow you away.

814. McSorley's Dark

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: American All-Malt Lager, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.0 | Smell: 2.5 | Taste: 3. 0 | Mouthfeel: 2.5 | Drinkability: 3.0

Overall: 2.85

Pours a dark, amber-brown. Topped by a thick brownish-beige head that thins to a film. The aroma is super clean. There's a hint of toffee and a bit of a metallic element.

There's a bit of caramel sweetness that lingers throughout. The finish has a light roasted bitterness. Light-bodied, moderate carbonation, feels a bit thin.

I wasn't too impressed with this beer. Low on flavor and watery feeling.

812. New York: Lederhosen

2008-06-25T09:48:00.000-04:00

After leaving The Blind Tiger David and I headed to Lederhosen for dinner and German beer. We must have had more beer at The Blind Tiger because I was fairly inebriated by the time we arrived. I had the Zigeunerschnitzel for dinner, I don't remember what David had though.

812. Köstritzer Schwarzbier

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei
Alcohol: 4.80%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Schwarzbier, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5

Overall: 4.05

Pours a deep black with a thick brown head that clings to the side of the glass. The aroma is surprisingly light: biscuity malt, a hint of fruit and light roastiness.

Malty throughout, bready, toasty and lightly sweet. The finish has a nice mild roasty bitterness. Mild, but impressive. High carbonation, light to medium-bodied.

Incredibly drinkable. Mild but still flavorful.

809-811. New York: The Blind Tiger

2008-06-21T07:43:00.000-04:00

After leaving The Spotted Pig David and I went to a few galleries in the area, and then headed to The Blind Tiger for more beer.

809. Pleasantville Smoked Porter

I'd never had any Captain Lawrence beers before, so I tried two while at The Blind Tiger and was impressed with both of them.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.40%
Serving: Cask
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.5

Overall: 3.85

Pours a dark black with a brown tint. The head is a light brown, sudsy film. The aroma has notes of alcoholic spice, intense chocolate, dark fruit, toffee and a hint of smoke.

The flavor is sweet, but not too sweet. The dark fruit flavors are subdued. The finish has strong notes of chocolate and roastiness. There's an undertone of smoke throughout that never overpowers. Full-bodied and smooth with light carbonation.

The flavors are tasty, but a bit much for multiple pints.

810. Xtra Gold Tripel

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.5

Overall: 4.1

Pours a lightly hazed golden with a white head that fades to a ring. The aroma is interesting: honey, strong floral aromas, and some spice.

There's an initial honey-like sweetness that's met by a mild spiciness in the center. The finish is floral, citric and lightly bitter. Medium-bodied and highly carbonated, but smooth despite the carbonation.

I thought this one was very tasty and refreshing, despite the high alcohol.

811. Green Flash Trippel

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.0 | Taste: 2.5 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.0

Overall: 2.95

Pours a cloudy, golden amber . A fizzy, off-white head fades quickly leaving a patchy film. he aroma is predominantly bananas and not much else, maybe a hint of graininess and a little bit of a floral element.

A honey and fruity banana sweetness dominates the taste of this beer. There's alcoholic spice in the center with peppery notes in the finish and a light bitterness. Medium-bodied with light carbonation.

Way too sweet in my opinion.

Blog Updates

2008-06-21T00:36:00.002-04:00

I've written twelve blog posts today, I have three more shorter posts to go, so I'm almost caught up with the present. I'm going to New York tomorrow, so I may add a few posts onto that count. I'll start posting one entry a day until I'm caught up.

808. New York: The Spotted Pig

2008-06-20T10:36:00.005-04:00

David knows when to leave a sinking ship. After securing a new job at Merrill Lynch he gave his two weeks at Bear Stearns, and was told by his boss not to bother coming in those two weeks. I went down to New York to visit David on the last weekend before he started his new job.

I got to New York sometime in the middle of the afternoon. I'd had a sandwich on the bus, but we decided to grab some beer and a bit to eat anyway. David recommended The Spotted Pig, a pub that I think is in the West Village. David had the Sheep's Ricotta Gnudi with Brown Butter and Sage, which were excellent, and I had the Cubano, also excellent. We each had a pint or two of the Spotted Pig Bitter.

808. Spotted Pig Bitter

I can't find this beer on Beer Advocate, but I found a New Yorker article saying it's brewed by Brooklyn.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Cask
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.5

Overall: 3.9

Copper colored with a light haze. It's topped by a dense, foamy, beige head that retains well and clings to the side of the glass. The aroma is bready with a hint of citrus and light resiny hops. There's also a touch of sweet, berry fruitiness.

The toasty flavors upfront give way to a hint of caramel and a burst of fruitiness, which is followed by a subtle finish that's lightly grassy and herbal with a muted bitterness in the aftertaste. Soft on the palate due to light carbonation, medium-bodied and smooth.

I thought this one was very drinkable. It's flavorful but subdued.

807. Goats Peak Bock

2008-06-19T20:07:00.004-04:00

807. Goats Peak Bock

I bought a six-pack of this at the small liquor store on Highland Ave. across the street from Somerville Hospital near Jadyn's House. This was probably in late March or early April. Beer Advocate calls it a bock, but there's no way that it's not a Maibock, the bottle says "Spring Lager", and its color and flavor are definitely that of a Maibock.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Paper City Brewery
Alcohol: 6.40%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: Maibock/Helles Bock, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.0

Overall: 4.05

The label has a white goat perched atop rocks. The bottle says that the name comes from a peak on Mount Tom in Holyoke, MA. According to my notebook "Today seemed like the first real day of spring that we've had, so when picking a out a beer I thought a Maibock would be appropriate."

Pours a clear copper with sparse, but steady bubbles rising to feed the frothy, sudsy, off-white head that's retained as a film. Sheets of lace form on the sides of the glass. The aroma is rich and malty with bready and biscuity notes, a sharp fruitiness, a bit of alcohol and a hint of herbal hops.

There's an interplay between sweet, caramel malts and toasty, bready malts upfront. The sweetness prevails in the center with a hint of fresh, almost citric fruitiness. Leafy, herbal hops quickly match the sweetness for a nice, crisp, balanced finish. Light-bodied, crisp and highly carbonated.

Flavorful, balanced and very tasty.

806. Nøgne Ø Brown Ale

2008-06-19T19:43:00.004-04:00

806. Nøgne Ø Brown Ale

I probably purchased this at the liquor store in Porter Square, and probably had it in March sometime.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Nøgne Ø - det kompromissløse bryggeri
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: English Brown Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.5| Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0| Drinkability: 4.5

Overall: 4.35

Pours a slightly hazed, brownish -amber with a beige head that thins to a film. The aroma is pleasantly malty with notes of dark fruit, sharp spice and a hint of coffee and possibly chocolate.

Despite the maltiness this beer isn't too sweet. There are caramel and dark fruit notes on top of a toasty base. It moves through to a bit of alcoholic spiciness, which when combined with the maltiness gives it a boozy quality. The finish is woody with a light roasty bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste. Soft and smooth on the palate, medium-bodied and moderately carbonated.

Not too heavy and well balanced. A great session beer.

805. Spring Training IPA

2008-06-17T20:13:00.001-04:00

805. Spring Training IPA

I had this beer awhile ago at the CBC, unfortunately I don't remember when, probably late February or early March. I've started carrying around my digital camera with me so in the future I should have shots of beers at restaurants and such.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.60%
Serving: Tap
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 5.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.5

Overall: 4.65

Pours a particularly lovely, golden, straw color. The bright, white head thins to a thin, lasting layer over the surface of the beer. The aroma is, for lack of a better word, fresh. The hop aromas are nice mix of citrus, grassy and floral. There's also a light maltiness evident under the bright hop aromas.

The malt backbone of this beer is toasty and lightly sweet with a bit of fruitiness. The hop finish is grassy and strong. Medium-bodied, high-carbonation and a tad oily across the palate.

I thought this was a nice, hop-focused IPA that creatively used different hop varieties to evoke the spring. It gets high marks for the impeccable execution of the brewers intent (unfortunately I can't find the description on the CBC website).

803-804. Bukowski's

2008-06-16T19:59:00.004-04:00

Jadyn and I went to Bukowski's with some friends back in February. We'd initially planned to go to The B-Side for some of their excellent Blue Cheese fries, but the wait was close to an hour. We walked to Bukowski's instead.

803. Victory Baltic Thunder

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide

I thought this was a good shot at the Baltic Porter style. Rich and malty with nice coffee and chocolate notes. My only complaint is that it was a tad sweet.

804. Melbourn Bros. Strawberry

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Melbourn Bros.
Alcohol: 3.40%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide

This one is labeled as spontaneously fermented, and you do see some tartness and a faint hint of the wild microbes, but overall it's much too sweet for my liking.

802. Sixpoint Groundskeeper Spilly

2008-06-16T13:58:00.003-04:00

802. Sixpoint Groundskeeper Spilly

I had a glass of this with dinner at Christopher's back in February. Hopefully, I'll actually be able to climb out of this posting hole soon.

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 7.20%
Serving: Tap
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy,

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 3.0

Overall: 3.6

Pours a hazy, brown-amber color. Topped by a creamy, beige head that leaves thick sheet of lace on the glass, and thins to a persistent film. The aroma is lightly bready with notes of dark fruit and caramel. Malty upfront with sweet caramel flavors, and a hint of smoke. As the beer moves across the palate a light bitterness appears and the smokiness becomes very strong. Highly carbonated, medium-bodied. A bit heavy. The smokiness is a bit overwhelming.

800-801: The Publick House

2008-05-27T10:42:00.006-04:00

Again, this is a post from David and Win's visit in February. After leaving Deep Ellum we caught a cab to Washington Square and stopped by The Publick House to finish out the night. We were in pretty decent shape when we arrived, but we quickly remedied that.

800. Avec Les Bons Voeux

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dupont
Alcohol: 9.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide

Poured a hazy, golden amber. Topped by a thin head that faded to a film. The aroma is fruity with notes of banana, pepper and grain. Sweet, citrus fruitiness with a good bit of hops in the finish.

801. Panil Barriquée

Next we ordered a 750 mL bottle of Panil Barriquée, which I'd been saving a bottle of in the fridge for quite some time. At first the bartender didn't think that they had it, but she managed to find a bottle somewhere. We also ordered a glass of Rodenbach Grand Cru for side by side comparison

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Panil
Year: 2007
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 5.0 | Drinkability: 5.0

Overall: 4.5

This was bottle 0229 from batch #8. Brewed in 2007. The beer poured a hazy, reddish brown. Topped by a wispy beige head that faded to a thin ring. The aroma is very sour, with acidic, earthy and lightly medicinal notes. From the moment it hits the tongue, this beer is sour throughout. There are hints of cherry fruitiness, a slight medicinal character and an earthiness in the finish. This beer is light bodied, with low carbonation and a refreshing dry finish. I found this beer to be very drinkable, incredibly smooth, despite the sourness. It beats Rodenbach easily.

793-799. Deep Ellum

2008-04-30T09:57:00.003-04:00

After eating dinner at Cafe Polonia David, Win and I went to Deep Ellum for more beer. Deep Ellum was a planned stop about a year ago when David and Dave came up to visit on St. Patrick's Day, but we never made it then because of numerous detours to bars of lesser quality, and serious inebriation. We were in much better shape when we set out for Deep Ellum this year, and were in comparatively better shape when we finished up our night this year, though not by much. These beers were again split three ways, so therefore no ratings.

I need to start making notes about the bars that I go to, because I remember being impressed by the atmosphere at Deep Ellum, but I don't remember much of it now.

793. Two-Headed Beast

Beer Stats:
Brewery: High and Mighty Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Foreign / Export Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a deep black with a thick, dark brown head that leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is all roasted malts with nice hints of chocolate and a slight metallic note. Sweet malts, with notes of chocolate and dart fruit that move through to a sharp finish with a light roasted bitterness and a bit of coffee. Thick feeling on the palate, high carbonation. I was a fan of this one.

794. Sixpoint Diesel

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 6.60%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a dark brownish-ruby. Topped by a beige head that fades to a thin film. The aroma was surprisingly fruity, almost a grape soda-like aroma, though there was some good roastiness as well. The flavors were lightly fruity and sweet through the center with a sharp finish with not much bitterness. I thought this one was a tad sweet.

795. Gritty's Black Fly Stout

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Gritty McDuff's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.10%
Serving: Tap
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Dark black in color, with amber edges. A dense, creamy, beige head sits atop the beer leaving plentiful lace. The aroma is a nice mix of coffee and fruit with a faint buttery character. The sweetness is held in check by a nice roasty character throughout. There are hints of coffee, but it's not overwhelming or obvious. Smooth, medium-bodied, lightly carbonated.

796. Grey Lady

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cisco Brewers Inc.
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy golden with a merengue-like, white head that leaves nice lace. Lots of coriander in the nose, with additional notes of citrus and yeast. Lightly sweet malts, nice notes of citrus and coriander, lightly grainy in the finish with hints of pepper and a lingering sweetness. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation.

797. Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Laberbier

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brauerei Heller-Trum
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Munich Helles Lager, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, golden with a white, film of a head that leaves thick lace. The aroma is predominantly smoky, but notes of graininess appear upon swirling. There are sweet and grainy malts throughout. The finish is smoy with a moderate, leafy, hop bitterness.

798. Thomas Hooker American Pale Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Thomas Hooker Ales & Lagers
Alcohol: 5.40%
Serving: Bottle
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear copper. The head thins to a white film, leaving plentiful lace. The aroma is citric and leafy hops with some bready and sweet malts underneath. The flavor is overly sweet, lots of malt with a citric hop bitterness. Pretty bland overall.

799. Saison d'Epeautre

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie de Blaugies
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy straw-golden with lts of yeast particles floating around. The thick white head retains well. Grainy, citrus, fruit in the aroma. Not too sweet. Neutral maltiness upfront with notes of citrus and banana in the center. There isn't a lot of bitterness, but the beer isn't so sweet that it needs it. Light-bodied, highly carbonated with a dryish finish.

787-792. Cafe Polonia.

2008-04-27T19:50:00.001-04:00

The activation energies for these multi-beer posts is pretty high, but I'm really behind in the blog, so I'll really try to get some of them done. This post is from mid-February.

After brunch at Gaslight and an afternoon at an arcade, David, Win and I went to Cafe Polonia, a Polish Restaurant in South Boston. We shared potato pancakes, Win got the Polish Plate, David had the goulash, and I had pierogis. The beer selection was small, but consisted almost entirely of Polish beers. We had two rounds, trading off partway through each beer. I originally gave ratings, but looking back I don't think that I had enough to justify them, so I've cut them. We had some nice Baltic Porters that were smooth and flavorful, though perhaps not as rich as some other examples I've had. We also had some decent European Lagers.

787. Okocim Porter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Okocim
Alcohol: 8.10%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, ruby, brown with a thin head on top. The aroma is malty with lots of dark fruit, cherries, and a boozy quality. The flavors are malty all the way. Sweet molasses gives way to a raisiny fruitiness and a light roasty finish. Medium-bodied on the palate with moderate to low carbonation. Tasty, but the sweetness could get in the way were you to have a few.

788. Okocim Palone

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Okocim
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, dark amber with a thin beige head. This is another malty one, with aromas of dark fruit and molasses with a touch of roasty malts. The flavors are sweet and malty, with caramel, breadiness, toastiness and fruitiness. Lightly bitter in the finish. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation. Not overly sweet, balanced.

789. Lomza Petne

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Łomża
Alcohol: 6.20%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide

Golden in color and lightly hazed with a wispy film of a head. The aroma is very light. There are notes of graininess, a light sweetness, and a hint of bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied with moderate carbonation.

790. Zywiec Porter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Zywiec Breweries
Alcohol: 9.50%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a lightly hazed brown-ruby. Topped by a thick, brown, fluffy head. The aroma is lightly malty with notes of dark fruit. Starts with sweet maltiness, some molasses and dark fruit. The finish is lightly spice with a nice roasty bitterness. Medium-bodied with low carbonation.

791. Okocim OK

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Browar Okocim
Alcohol: 6.20%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Euro Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, pale straw-golden that's topped by a fluffy, white head that leaves nice lace as it fades. There's a light graininess in the aroma with a hint of sweetness. Lightly sweet with a nice clean malty flavor with a mild bitterness in the finish. Light-bodied, very drinkable.

792. Lezajsk 1525 Legendary Premium Lager

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Zakłady Piwowarskie w Leżajsku
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle, 500 mL
Style: Style, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a pale golden with a fluffy white head that leaves moderate lace. The aroma is a little peppery. Grainy malts, light sweetness with a peppery finish. Moderate carbonation.