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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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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.
I saw Proximity made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes and the red wine version, Impulse in the Burbank Bevmo and I took a flyer. Thought, “Why not?”. Blue Moon is so much better than Coors.
Well, I will not be buying Impulse for one thing. Even though it got a slightly better bad rating than the Proximity did. Plus, the names are horrible. They don’t differentiate the grape varietal or beer. They add nothing.
Which is, unfortunately, like the beer. It pours a light yellow with lots of tiny bubbles. No head at all here. Aroma is primarily grape juice or really young wine. The carbonation is good but then this white grape juice flavor takes over and does not let go. Not getting much beer here. Maybe a heartier style like a Tripel would have held its own against the sweet juice.
This is in Bartles & Jaymes territory here. One could also call it an alcopop considering how grape juice forward it is. This has to be filed under failed experiment.
In addition to my monthly video reviews, I plan to do some plain old photo and text reviews as well and this month, I compare a returning Lagunitas favorite with a new stout from Chico, California.
Brown Shugga’
The light amber color of this beer belies it’s strength. The booze is present as is a boatload of brown sugar. (Go figure). This gets a little cloying at times and it is a bit slick on the tongue but it pulls together and balances out as it warms up and as the palate get’s accustomed to the sweetness. I still prefer Lagunitas Sucks though.
Narhwal Imperial Stout
Pours jet black with an espresso head. Big roasty notes. Coffee and burnt toast dominate with a bit of hops at the far back. A touch of milk chocolate / cocoa powder. Really lingers on the palate for awhile. Great label artwork too. A campfire beer.
If I had to choose, I would go with the Narwhal. Primarily because Brown Shugga’ is just wicked sweet and the alcohol is really prevalent.
One of the yearly traditions that I stay on the look-out for is the release of the Sam Adams Longshot winners. We end the month with a secret….
Derf’s Secret Alt
Created by Samuel Adams Employee Fred Hessler
“Fred wanted to go big or go home with his homebrew and decided to brew a kicked up Sticke Alt. This full-bodied ale has a big, malty character balanced by subtle orange and grapefruit notes from the hops. With a light amber color, this brew has a sweet finish.”
The Month of May is Pyramid Brewing Spring Beer Review month and we conclude with another IPA, this time the Outburst Imperial IPA.
The Month of May is Pyramid Brewing Spring Beer Review month and we continue on with a maibock which is very appropriate for the month.