Beer Reviews – Page 83 – Beer Search Party

March 22, 2013September 11, 2018

Review – Curmi from 32 Via dei Birrai

I was very lucky to receive an introduction to 32 Via dei Birrai with a full package of beers from the new Italian brewery. I first sampled the Oppale and now I move on to another light offering the Curmi.

Pours a light orange with more yellow tints at the bottom of the glass. Aroma is very Belgian like. It is called a pale ale but this seems more a light tripel. It has the spiciness and the vanilla notes that I tend to taste first and foremost in that style. There is a little bit of citrus at the far back of this one as well. A nice bit of pop to it as well.

Because they kindly sent me the majority of their line-up, you will be seeing more reviews in the coming days and weeks.

March 21, 2013September 11, 2018

Video Review – Full Sail Pub Series Nut Brown Ale

The second brown ale to be reviewed comes from Full Sail in Hood River, Oregon.

Here is the description from the website, “The combination of 2 row pale, crystal and chocolate malts impart an array of malt and chocolate flavors in a medium bodied ale with an extremely smooth palate. Fuggle and Mt.Hood hops contribute a slightly spicy aroma and finish to complement this beer’s malt character.”

March 17, 2013September 11, 2018

Review – New Albion Ale

Sam Adams has gone back in the way back machine and re-created with the help and permission of the original New Albion and the groundbreaking brewer Jack McAuliffe, a fresh batch of beer not seen for many years. With the old label design and everything!

Here is what the PR people say about this ale, “Jack McAuliffe’s pioneering spirit paved the way for the American craft beer revolution. We’re rereleasing his original Pale Ale, with its distinct American hop character for the first time in 30 years in honor of Jack and his contributions to craft brewing. Cheers!”

Here is my review:

This is more lager-esque than pale ale. But it has a nice citric sweetness going on and a nice bit of hop bitterness on top a light malt base. If you can picture yourself pre craft beer, this would be a huge step away from the industrial water lagers. But it is a huge step from here to Sierra Nevada pale ale. But that is what makes this beer important. It really puts things in perspective. Maybe next someone will re-create a beer from the old Cartwright brewery.

March 11, 2013September 11, 2018

Video Review – Midnight Sun Kodiak Brown

March brings two video reviews of brown ales and we start with a canned version from Alaska. How it ended up in sunny L.A., I do not know but let’s see what Kodiak from Midnight Sun tastes like….

The brewery describes it this way, “Rugged yet smooth, Kodiak Brown Ale balances caramel and roasted malts with enticing Northwest hops. Perle and Willamette hops accent without overpowering this American brown ale’s intrepid maltiness. The result is uniquely delicious.”

March 5, 2013September 11, 2018

Review – East Coast vs West Coast lagers

Today I am doing a West coast vs East coast beer smackdown. But instead of doing an IPA, I am comparing lagers.

On one side is the new Anchor California lager and from the east is the Underdog Atlantic Lager from Flying Dog of Maryland.

The Anchor pours a dark yellow and has a sweet wheat aroma. The flavor is a touch to sweet for me and could use a burst of carbonation to cut through some of the slickness in the mouthfeel but it is a solid beer. I also love the backstory on how this is a re-creation of an old Gold Rush lager. So it has great history behind it. And I think the bear on the label would kick the ass of the Underdog on the Flying Dog label. But the beer is more sweet than refreshing.

The Underdog Atlantic lager pours a very light yellow with plenty of both foam and bubbles. There is really no aroma at all. There is no sweetness at all and has a tiny bit of metallic at the back. A bit dry as well. Very crisp.

The winner?

I have to go with the Underdog. It seemed more of a lager to me. The Anchor sweetness reminded me of the overly sweet industrial lagers though obviously light years ahead. I preferred the simpleness of the Underdog.

March 3, 2013September 11, 2018

Review – Melange # 3

After stewarding at the Batch 1,000 Home Brew contest at the Bruery, I got a bottle for all of my “hard” work.

I last reviewed Melange # 3 way back in 2011 and I said this, “This is a big boozer. Way too sweet for me. Followed by a big ABV taste that I don’t cotton too. Pours a dusky brown with a big barrel aroma to it.”

The Bruery describes this beer thusly, “Melange #3 is a blend of three bourbon barrel aged strong ales. White Oak Sap, a wheat wine, our Anniversary Series old ale and our imperial stout, Black Tuesday, join forces in this luxurious strong ale that links some of the best characteristics of each of the contributing beers. Chocolate, dark fruits, oaky vanilla and rich toffee-like character reach through the bourbon veneer for an intensely satisfying quaff.”

And now, this is the 2013 updated review of Melange # 3, It pours a dark brown with a tint of red to it. Foamy head disappears somewhat quickly but a big sweet bourbon aroma takes over. I get some coconut and caramel notes in the aroma as well. This is a viscous beer that leaves alcohol legs on the glass and on the palate too. Very sweet. Almost a bourbon coconut ganache. And very strong, their is a bit of an alcohol burn that holds on for awhile.

I have to agree with previous me from 2011. This is just too sweet for me.

February 27, 2013September 11, 2018

Video Beer Review – Drakes Robusto Porter

The second and final porter review for February is the Robusto from Drakes in the Bay Area…..

And here is the 411 on the beer from their website, “Drake’s Black Robusto Porter is a deep, dark “Robust Porter,” a beer style known for being darker, fuller-bodied, and higher in alcohol by volume than a standard Brown Porter. Our Black Robusto goes down smoothly with flavors of bittersweet chocolate an slight roast from Crystal and Chocolate malt. A touch of spicy, herbal hop character from Willamette hops balance out the finish.”

February 25, 2013September 11, 2018

Review – Hangar 24 Helles Lager

Today’s review is of a beer that I have had a few times before from the rapidly expanding brewery from Redlands, Hangar 24. Now they are known in the beer geek circles for their Barrel Roll series and their flagship Orange Wheat, but for daily drinking (a table beer as it were) there is no match for their Helles lager. And it is now in cans and due for a re-review.

It pours a light straw color. The aroma isn’t pungent or grab you at all but then you take a sip and it is a solid mix of carbonation, silky smoothness with a touch of sweetness. It isn’t dry but it doesn’t have the cloying Sugar Pop sweetness that you get from the B-M-C industrial water lagers. It is filling and tasty and right for the Helles style.

Now is this beer gonna blow you away? Does it have a big hop presence? Or a big ABV to it? Nope. But if you review it for what it is, then you will see what a good job Hangar does with it. The same could be said of their Alt-Bier as well. A style forgotten by the current craft beer culture but is solid nonetheless. I highly recommend having a case of this around. It is perfect to wean people off mass produced beer but still tasty enough for the discerning craft drinker.

February 18, 2013September 11, 2018

Review – Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout

I have passed by this beer many times and picked up others from the shelves but recently, I picked this and the Old Brewery Pale Ale up to make my ‘fridge more British.

Here is what Samuel Smith of Tadcaster says about this beer, “Brewed with well water (the original well, sunk in 1758, is still in use with the hard water is drawn from 85 feet underground), the gently roasted organic chocolate malt and organic cocoa impart a delicious, smooth and creamy character, with inviting deep flavours and a delightful finish – this is the perfect marriage of satisfying stout and luxurious chocolate.”

It pours a garnet brown with a tan head that fades really quickly. For a relatively low alcohol content of 5.0% abv it leaves some legs on the glass. A cocoa powder / milk chocolate aroma is pervasive. Every time I sniff, it comes across strong without overpowering the senses.

And that chocolate note is the first off the block when you take a sip. It lingers for a bit but then is followed by some coconut (almost Mounds candy bar). That initial two flavors are then quickly subsumed into a cloying sweetness that is then followed by a bitter metallic note. I am glad that it is complex with such a disparate set of flavors but I really like the first half and not so much the second.

For that reason, I have to give it a maybe buy. It may well work better with chocolate or vanilla cake where that sweetness can match up and hopefully dissipate a little.

February 17, 2013September 11, 2018

Review – Indio

From FEMSA – Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma (also brewers of Bohemia, Carta Blanca, Sol and Tecate) and owned by Heineken comes Indio. It is described as “a Lager-type beer with an amber hue and a distinctive light caramel-malt taste.”

I received a six-pack from the PR firm that is spreading the word to the LA (and maybe) other markets. In my e-mail, I let them know that the LA scene was hopping and that the beer would need to earn a good review considering the great stuff that I am starting to see from our new breweries.

Well, Indio pours a very pretty amber color. Aroma is primarily sweetness and not much else. The first sip is mostly sweet but that fades into wateryness. As it warmed I got a bit of an apple taste as well. But any flavor that does appear tends to disappear as quickly. Indio is better than Corona or Sol or Tecate bu that is not much of a bar to hurdle. It just doesn’t have much other than water going on. I would prefer a strong pils from Lagunitas or Trumer to pair with Mexican food or a hot day for that matter.

So kudos to the effort. It doesn’t have that numbing corn pop taste that I get off of American Industrial water lagers but it could use a heartier grain bill and a dose of hops to create a better beer for me.