May 16, 2008
Dogfish Head Burton Baton
The Burton Baton is the first beer from Dogfish Head that I have enjoyed quite so deeply, and possibly also the first IPA I have enjoyed in years. The heaviness of the beer offset the sparkle of the IPA, and overall it was a joy to drink.... Read more
May 14, 2008
Old Chub
This is a micro-in-a-can, a craft brew stuffed into a can for the sake of novelty. From the Oskar Blues pub in Lyons, Colorado, the Old Chub is a tasty beer, and twelve ounces are probably more than I could finish; the aftertaste of this Scotch-style ale is a little bitter and cloying. The beer pours nicely, with a small and quickly-subsiding head, and has both fruity and chocolatey tones. But the can! It distracts me.... Read more
February 10, 2008
Traquair
Traquair, The "House Ale ... of the Oldest inhabited House in Scotland", is a fine malty beer, heavy without being sweet. It pours cleanly with a small thick head, and only make its fruity sweetness apparent in concert with its maltiness. Delicious stuff, excellent for a cold wintry evening (the first with snowfall, all season!).... Read more
February 7, 2008
J K Scrumpy Hard Cider
For the past several months, I have been enjoying New York State apples in the form of Doc's Hard Apple Cider. Facing the long cooler at the grocer's a few days ago, I instead picked up a bottle of J K Scrumpy's, a hard cider from Michigan. The difference between the two is huge: Doc's is dry, tart, and crisp; Scrumpy's is sweet, bold, and sits heavily on the palate. Scrumpy's tastes like what apple juice tastes like, but has alcohol; it is too sweet to enjoy except perhaps in small quantities. The International Beer-Mapping project will come in handy at home and abroad.... Read more
February 4, 2008
Stout, stout, stout, stout
Stout is one of my favourite beers, although one particular beer represents the genre so strongly that it has become synonymous with "stout" (for Irish stout beer, I much prefer Beamish!). Stout tends to be slightly sweet, with its the warm taste of toasted malts or barley accompanying the syrupy alcohol. I sat down recently and drank a few more pints of the Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout, one of the most outstanding stouts I have enjoyed. I then leaned into a pint of Young's Oatmeal Stout, and thence a bottle of Sam. Smith's Oatmeal Stout; these two have thick, dark heads with creamy tastes. I later had a bottle of Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout, which has a thin but heavy head and a dense array of flavours."Imperial" stout has more alcohol than most stouts, for fortifying it against travel; it sometimes has the label "export".... Read more
January 25, 2008
In which we face up to a drunk midget
If your beer keg runs out early, there is probably a drunk midget inside. Recently, I drank the delicious Allagash White ; a couple pints of Bass, the quintessential lunch-time ale; and a satisfyingly stupefying bottle of the Brooklyn Monster Ale, a barleywine with three types of delicious malt (apparently).... Read more
January 23, 2008
Pitchfork Rebellious Bitter
Winner of the Gold Medal at 1998's Great British Beer Festival, this delicious and archetypical bitter transported me. The Pitchfork Rebellious Bitter uses single-origin ingredients and is bottle-aged, unlike most bitters I have enjoyed recently (which were cask- or barrel-aged). The hop flavour was distinctively strong; unlike hoppy North American beers, and especially hoppy West Coat beers, I find the hoppiness in bitters more pleasing than [India] Pale Ales.... Read more
January 19, 2008
In which we have a few familiar beers
A couple pints of North Star Brewing's excellent Blue Star Wheat, a delicious beer to drink cold and with a meal (oysters! deep-dish pizza! a meatball sandwich!); a bottle of Southampton Publick House's superlative Double-White Ale, a wheaty Belgian-style wit, which is one of my favourite beers, at least a favourite amongst what I have tasted in the past year; a Duchesse de Bourgogne, a potent and sweet Flemish "red" ale that comes in a distinctive, demure brown bottle; a Hinano, from French Polynesia — the exact opposite of a local brew, and one I am not quite certain I should have ordered. The standouts are the Blue Star Wheat and the Southampton, but those are both ringers, as I have enjoyed them before. The Duchesse merits a warning: drink with the appropriate meal, as the thickness of the beer and its sweetness both make casual sipping difficult. Pairing it with a pork roast or other mild meat would balance it.... Read more
January 13, 2008
Brooklyn and beer
I have always enjoyed visits to Brooklyn, but have never quite felt at home in this, New York's most populous borough. This week, I had several bottles of the environmentally-minded Brooklyn Brewery's Lager, Pilsener, and Pale Ale. All reasonably tasty beers, but none of the subtlety that I have come to enjoy in craft-made beers. I have found that bottled beer really does taste less excellent than the same beer from a tap or cask; sometimes beer bottled in small batches, or purposely bottle-aged, will have characteristics that elevate it past other bottles, but generally bottled beer has become less exciting. Brooklyn, however, remains intriguing. There are several good places to have beer, as well, although Spuyten Duyvil (Williamsburg, not Inwood) stands out amongst them.... Read more
January 12, 2008
Harvieston Bitter and Twisted Ale
The Harvieston Bitter and Twisted Ale is a delicious ale, served in a wonderfully tall pilsener glass. I had it after an imperial pint of the Chelsea Brewing Company's Winter Wheat from the cask at Jimmy's. The photograph has nothing to do with beer other than that I like bridges and beer both.... Read more
January 10, 2008
Grotten Brown
Pierre Celis has his signature on this bottle of a Brown Ale. The Brown is not a type of beer I associate with Belgian brewers, but the labelling might be special for the States. This particular bottle yielded a pleasant, strong ale, but not extraordinary, and not on the same level as the other beers from St Bernardus -- who make an especially nice Wit. I ate it with a baguette and some cheese, but think that I could have done better in terms of the ale itself.... Read more
January 6, 2008
In which I put on my Saturday suit
In the past few days I have been walking about, enjoying the mild weather in the form of a leisurely stroll punctuated with refreshing pints. Standing out amongst the pints is O'Reilly's Stout, from Sly Fox. This Excellent! Spectacular! Irish stout has a mild, toasty taste tempered with slight sweetness. With 3.6% ABV, it certainly goes down easily; it suits a meal wonderfully. I also enjoyed the Riggwelter Yorkshire Ale, heavier but also pleasantly sweet on the tongue; the barrel-aged Allagash Curieux, a tripel aged in a cask with a bourbon heritage; and a "Winter" Scotch Ale, probably from Canaster. This mysterious, heavy, and dark ale had more than a touch of sweetness, but is a very well-balanced beer. I had several bottles of the Ommegang Hennepin, and found that it improves as it breathes. While keeping the bottle cool, a little air does something quite nice to this saison-style farmhouse ale. Wheaty in complection and flavour, the sparkling taste of the hops fades as the bottle remains open; this results in a very pleasing taste on the tongue. The Hennepin is a bottle-aged ale, and pours with a thick frothy head that would make a Belgian bartender proud.... Read more
January 3, 2008
Blue Point Hoptical Illusion
I had tasted this from the cask at Heartland Brewing's ridiculous (in the stupid sense) summer brew fest, and it had a nice taste; from a cool bottle, it comes across hoppier and crisper, but suits the agèd cheddar and fresh demi-baguette I had with it for lunch. This IPA suits my palate: it is not hopped over-the-top, as many American IPAs are these days; nor is it too bitter. The hops come from the Pacific Northwest, home to many (most?) American hops; the Blue Point web site suggests that they are the sole brewers using this hop. Blue Point are becoming my favourite overall New York producer!... Read more
Chelsea Brewing Stout
Today I had a delicious, malt-edged stout from the cask at the Ginger Man: the Chelsea Brewing something-or-other, which I did not write down and cannot find on their web site -- I suppose a return trip to the pub is in order.... Read more
December 31, 2007
Éphémère
This tart, fruity beer comes from the wizards at Unibroue. I first had it from a small bottle a few months ago, at the delicious Point Brugge café in Pittsburgh; through a friend's forgetfulness (about to board an airplane, could not take these delicious beers with him, many regrets, will you please do the honors) I came into possession of this large bottle as well as several others. Served cool, the slightly cloudy beer has a great deal of carbonation; this bubbliness suits the fruit flavours of berries and apple, but sets off the beer itself in an odd way. The head is thick and creamy, and the carbonation plays no small part in this. The sourness of the fruit and the bright spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) do not quite match the mild taste of the beer, and although a glass-ful of this is delicious I am not sure I enjoyed the whole 750mL bottle.... Read more
December 21, 2007
Old Howling Bastard &c.
I was the only one (of seven!) not carded a few evenings ago as I sat and enjoyed a few pints from Blue Point Brewing: the delicious, mellow Oatmeal Stout from the cask, preceded by the Old Howling Bastard, a barleywine that had too much of a hoppy crispness for my taste. I also recall an evening not too long ago in which I had a glassful of Old Viscosity, and was happy to discover that Port Brewing have a seasonal, Older Viscosity. Lovely!... Read more
December 16, 2007
Allagash White
Winter suggests delicious, spicy beers and fluffy piles of snow. I'm doing well on the beer portion: I had a huge bottle of the Allagash White, an especially delicious, mildly-spiced, wintry beer. This is by far my favourite of the spicy seasonal beers I have tasted in the past few weeks (the Blue Moon; Blue Point Brewing's Toasted Lager (of which I have since enjoyed several more bottles!); the Vuuve and Southampton, both of which were very distinctive and delicious; and St Peter's Winter Ale, which was downright disappointing. Snow! Where are you?... Read more
December 10, 2007
Blue Moon and their Winter Ale
As the standard-issue Blue Moon has plenty of citrus flavour and a spicy nose, I wondered what their seasonal Winter Ale would taste like. It has a much heavier sweetness, but also a tart finish that is not altogether pleasant. I made my way through about three-quarters of the pint before returning to the regular ale, which is a pleasant accompaniment to bar food and a football game. As for the beer's uncertain provenance: I should have been tipped off by the cut-rate models parading around with coupons for Coors Light and entries for a raffle to win a Coors Light football. Back at the home-front I am enjoying a tallboy of another fine Lagunitas limited-release, the Cappucino Stout. Thus: I have been drinking Coors along with the odd plate of wings and spicy fries at the local bar.... Read more
December 6, 2007
Wachusett Country Ale
The Wachusett Country Ale has a pleasant good-afternoon sweetness to it. If I can find it on tap somewhere nearby, I will go to that pub and drink it. It has the promise and taste of exactly the sort of beer that I would settle on stoop with and get down to business. From the New York Times, recent articles and blog bits about taking good beer seriously. I do so enjoy the good taste of beer Not until I began drinking beer from Magnolia Pub did I realise: this is beer. Fresh, made with love, and sold in growlers. Magnolia was also conveniently close to the stoop, which led to much merriment and joy.... Read more
December 1, 2007
and lunch
&More delicious beer: the properly sweet, delectable Maudite, with a luncheon meal of a properly-rare hamburger on a heavily-dressed roll; the over-the-top heavy Dogfish Head Imperial Ale (9%), which, like so many other beers from this brewery would probably go better with specific food — although I had a plate of mac 'n' cheese with this, and then a duck burger with a sweet egg bun, still the beer came out ahead; and a pair of South Australia's best, Cooper's Vintage and Cooper's Sparkling Ale, appropriately enough, with kangaroo kebabs (no echidna entrecote or platypus plate, though). While pouring out the second bottle of the Sparkly, I was reminded that the platypus (pl., platypus), male variety, has a poisonous claw on its rear foot. Photos (not mine).... Read more
November 28, 2007
Blue Point Toasted Lager, Smuttynose
Yet more lager: Blue Point Toasted Lager, Smuttynose Portsmouth Lager; and the Smuttynose Old Brown Dog. If I were not so busy dousing myself with Frank's Red Hot I probably would have enjoyed the first two more, but they did admirable and tasty duty fending off horrible burns on my face as I ploughed through a plate-full of allegedly medium-strength chicken wings. I have recently come to enjoy lager much more, perhaps after a summer of a warm, humid climate; the easygoing taste of an American lager, especially some of the more carefully-made lagers, really does please the palate and the person of an afternoon. The lighter taste also suits the sort of food I ate last night ("bar food", I suppose); lagers do not have the cloying sweet taste of stronger ales, and do not get in the way of fried. One episode escaped my mind from last night: just as we sat down and were tucking in to the first (for Anna, only) pint, a kerfuffle drew our attention to the door, and we immediately heard the waitress holler "They went to the left!". Indeed they had: a passel of ruffians exited stage right, headed at a high rate of speed to parts unknown. The hefty bartender and manager scrambled after them, and the waitress calmly explained to us that we had witnessed a dine-and-dash — more insultingly, they had also taken food from others' plates. Everyone returned a moment later, and pockets-full of change emptied onto the counter, and the halcyon evening returned.... Read more
In which we drink from a Kleinsche Flasche
For many years I was not an adherent of the television program "Futurama", although it fit my "A"-list criteria: animated, amusing. Now that I know how many nurdalicious maths jokes the show has, I am eager to watch it. A Klein bottle has neither inside nor outside; it is a closed, nonorientable surface of Euler characteristic. Legendary sysadmin Cliff Stoll makes these "One sided, boundless, and mathematically nonorientable" bottles for sale, as well as steins after the same fashion; one could indeed drink from a Kleinsche Flasche!... Read more
November 25, 2007
Innis & Gunn and Belhaven Scottish Ale
Each of these two Scottish ales has a pleasant, distinct character. The Innis & Gunn is dark and delicious, aged in oak barrels just as a whisky; the Belhaven has a fruity, mild maltiness. The Innis & Gunn pours smoothly, with almost no head: it has a soapiness, even though that doesn't sound quite complimentary, as it goes into the glass. Its aroma is magnificent. The Belhaven has a nice thick head, which settles after a moment.... Read more
November 24, 2007
Vuuve / Southampton Double White Ale
The Vuuve, an unfiltered ale, comes from the brouwerij de Regenboog, in Brugge. The label briefly states "Ale Brewed with spices": the beer is a traditional Belgian ale, with coriander and orange peel. I drank this bottle with a cheddar cheese and fresh bread, and suspect that it will go quite nicely with poultry or with something like mac 'n' cheese. The beer pours with almost no head, and has a delightful auburn color. Compare to the Southampton Double White Ale, which is similarly a traditional, wheaty Belgian ale. It has a lighter, more golden tone; its fruitiness is more subdued, and the beer overall hoppier than the Vuuve.... Read more
November 22, 2007
Saranac Adirondack Lager
After years of not enjoying lagers, I picked up this bottle of Adirondack Lager because the store around the corner no longer stocks Boddington, that nice cream ale so well suited to an the post-prandial and pre-somnolent portion of the afternoon. The Adirondack is tasty, and the German hops suit it nicely. My other favourite lager of late is the Samuel Smith Organic Lager.... Read more
November 19, 2007
St Peter's Winter Ale
A heavy (6.3% ABV), malty ale with a sweet hoppy finish, this is the first "new" ale I have tried from St Peter's in some time. They also have a seasonal spiced ale that I should like to try sometime, with cinnamon and apple in the brew.... Read more
November 16, 2007
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
An overwhelmingly malty stout, the strong (18% ABV) brew had an over-the-top sweetness from start to finish. I think that a smaller glass would have suited it and me. Our Lager Which art in barrels Hallowed by thy drink Thy will be drink (I will have drunk) At home as if in tavern Give us this day our foamy head And forgive us our spillages As we forgive those who spill against us And lead us not to incarceration But deliver us from hangovers For thine is the beer, the bitter, the lager For ever and ever Barmen. — Anon.... Read more
October 28, 2007
Pumpkin ales
I had a bit of a dust-up at the grocery store while trying to buy their selection of pumpkin ales. I still have not tasted this year's Magnolia Pumpkin Ale, either; thus far, only one: Shipyard Brewing's Pumpkinhead Ale, from Maine, which tasted sweet and lacked subtlety.... Read more
October 18, 2007
Kill Ugly Radio
This slightly sweet, distinctively hoppy pale ale really hit the spot. Rarely do I find beers this hoppy to be so delicious; West Coast American craft beers tend to overdo the hops. Lagunitas Brewing produced Absolutely Free last year to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the landmark album by Frank Zappa (who enlightened my vocabulary, appears everywhere, appropriated out-of-style popular culture), and this year their Zappa seasonal is Kill Ugly Radio, and it is delectable.... Read more
October 5, 2007
In which I try, try again
The old saw says something along the lines of "If at first you don't fricassee, fry, fry a hen". I intended to keep tasting notes about beer, but fell pretty far behind. Here is a brief list, with an asterisk (*) next to the outstanding beers. Racer 5 Brooklyn blast Dogfish head via Randall Capt Lawrence imperial* Lagunitas Sirius Sly fox nelson Long island summer ale Smuttynose summer weizen Beer craft 5th & union High & mighty two headed monster Docs cider Blanche de Bruxelles witbier Blue point from the cask Ruby's amber at ruby's on coney island Morimoto soba rogue* Stone ruination IPA Bklyn one Dogfish head pangea Ruination IPA stone Blue point hoptical illusion* Ipswich darkvale Victory hop devil Magic hat dark angel Six point victory Thomas hooker blond Smuttynose imperial stout Ipswich stout Allagash white Defiant Southern rasp berry Legacy euphoria* Hennepin Saison* Six points Bengali tiger Church brew IPA Maudite on draft * Ephemere * St amand biere du garde Gulden draak * Samuel smith tadcaster Doc's draft cider Gouden carolus Marin tiburon blonde Brown ale Downtown brown Some porter Chimay cinq cents Blue moon Belgian white Sara's ruby mild * Wit rabbit Proving ground Rosebud * Big cypress brown Cole porter Summer honey Harlem sugar hill golden ale... Read more
September 29, 2007
In which we hit the road
I have been meaning to keep notes (taster's comments? an inventory?) on the beer I have enjoyed this summer, but so far I have done very little along these lines. Aram sent this article about Maine beer. Road trip! (Better than the Dogfish Head idea I had a few months ago, perhaps.) I have happily found many tasty places to drink yummy beer this summer, and even a couple of places to get growlers — although I haven't, yet.... Read more
August 13, 2007
In which we wish we could go on a bender
Metafilter led me to Simon Janson's homemade Bender Brewer. Hot damn! I recently watched a few Futurama episodes, for the first time since they initially aired, and was happily entertained. (last image and reference stolen from first commenter on MeFi. I'm at a loss!)... Read more
August 12, 2007
Blue Point and Smuttynose
An American Pale Ale, the Blue Point Summer Ale is a tasty, lightly malty beer that really went down easy. Too easily, so I picked up a hoppier but still summery Smuttynose Summer Weizen. The latter had some deliciousness that really suited the burger I ate along with it. Hurrah for barbecues!... Read more
July 29, 2007
In which I drink like a Belgian
After splitting a six-pack of Hoegaarden on the stoop with Aram, Chris at Biron handed me a few more bottles: Witkap Pater Stimulo, Saison Dupont, and Scalbi (this last was 12%; I can't find it online, but it sure was tasty, and bread-like. I skipped dinner.) Back to the stoop: Damon brought over a six-pack of Moose Drool brown ale, and then we followed up with Anchor Porter and Racer 5 IPA (too hoppy for my taste, so I mostly stuck with the Porter). My foray into lagers continued with a (small!) bottle of Kingfisher along with a salty saag.... Read more
July 24, 2007
Samuel Smith Organic Lager
Many years ago, I frequented the basement of Oberlin's student union. Lots of good rock'n'roll (rock! rock! notably, the first time I saw Bricklayercake!), and $2 bottles of Sam. Smith. Those days are long gone, though, but I can still enjoy a good cool bottle of the beer: I have really been enjoying the Lager, which surprises me; I don't often enjoy lagers. The Sam. Smith Lager is excellent, and organically-produced.... Read more
July 23, 2007
Captain's Reserve Imperial IPA
A little light for an Imperial IPA, which suited the early afternoon; cool, not too hoppy but hoppy enough. I was torn between this and a Sly Fox IPA from a traditional beer engine, but opted for the tang of refrigeration. A few days ago, I also returned to a few bottles from the Brooklyn Brewery (no links because their site is way too Flash-y): the Pennant Ale and the East India Pale Ale. The Pennant hit the spot: a little less hoppy and more malty, and a good balance of flavours. The Brooklyn IPA again struck me with the sour aftertaste of the hops, which probably would go down better with more cheese (I had none); the Captain recommends a Stilton; I will try it again sometime with a Cotswold.... Read more
July 15, 2007
Ridgeway Strong Ale
I kicked the tap of Ridgeway's Strong Ale, a delicious and crystal-clear (in taste, not colour) English ale. In the company of a few creamy cheeses (mahon and Morbier, as well as Tasso, a delectable peppered "ham" made from pork shoulder) it really hit the spot. The Barleywine replaced the Strong Ale tap, but I decided to save that for a return trip.... Read more
July 14, 2007
Thomas Hooker Munich Lager
I had a glass (and a half, thanks to the generous barkeep) of Thomas Hooker Munich Lager. This was the first lager I had from the cask; normally I steer clear of lager, but the bartender at Spuyten Duyvil gently recommended it, and after a few sips I was sold. It was not as crisp and cold as the Erdinger Hefeweizen we had earlier in the afternoon at the Bohemian Beer Garden ("the last of hundreds of beer gardens") in Queens, but it was refreshing and really tasty.... Read more
July 13, 2007
Fuller's 1845
I had a bottle-conditioned Fuller's 1845, a really delicious and tasty ale. A few weeks ago, Damon and I had a bottle of the Vintage Ale, another bottle-conditioned brew. The 1845 I found more refreshing than the heavier, sweeter Vintage.... Read more
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
The hoopla surrounding Dogfish Head's various hella-hoppy beers has not moved me: I don't care for hops with the feverish passion these brewers do, and I find that the heady alcohol content of the beers, although well-balanced, make them difficult to drink as casually as I tend to. Today I tried a bottle of their limited-edition World-Wide Stout, "brewed with a ridiculous amount of barley" and 18% ABV. This bottle had a delicious, smooth taste, and nowt of the thin or sharp tastes that sully many craft stouts. It tasted good chilled, although at first it was almost too cold, having sat on ice for a while. I have tasted their 60-, 90-, and 120-minute IPAs over the past few months, and have been happy but unimpressed. The "minutes" refer to the time that the beer spends in the boiler, I think. I admire the determinedly off-kilter approach that Dogfish take to brewing -- they come up with some delicious beers, and never sacrifice taste in their quest for "extreme"ly alcoholic beers, but their position on hops makes the grassy taste too prominent for my palate. Of the four beers I have tried so far, I enjoyed the World-Wide Stout the most.... Read more
July 9, 2007
Old Speckled Hen
I first drank Old Speckled Hen in the States, before finding it on cask — the traditional English hand-pump for serving "real" ale — . I enjoy it from the bottle as well, because its mild, slightly soapy flavour comes out nicely from a shelved bottle. I put this bottle in the 'fridge for a few minutes and then had it, but without the appropriate pint glass: the frothy head looked a little funny on the short tumbler I used. The beer has a reddish-brown color. I don't think it is a traditional old ale, because it did not have a bottle date nor a high ABV (5.2%, about half of an old ale). Tasty stuff.... Read more
