I've always found Avery beers to be over-hyped, but they have so many fanboys out there that I thought maybe I'm wrong and they're right. And I guess it makes sense that I'd try them again with this beer, since I have a compulsion to buy anything that says stout on it.
Pours a murky, inky, opaque brown, like it should. Small tan head, which is expected in a beer so big.
Yeah, here we go. Smells like whiskey, which I wouldn't have minded ten years ago when that was what I was drinking. I never like it in a beer though.
But even then, it tastes hollow. It doesn't feel like an imperial. It's a mish-mash of various roasted, whiskey, and bitter flavors, but in a confused, unbalanced way.
Not a good beer. I'm pouring it out after two sips.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sweet Water Brewing Company's Georgia Brown
Beer from Georgia? I don't know.
Pours a deep coppery brown. Almost like a murky amber instead of a brown. Nice tan head with moderate carbonation.
Smelled almost like a bourbon barrel aged beer for a second, the head was throwing of a serious alcohol bite. Faded to a vanilla and nutty brown smell, but in a small beer like this there's no reason for such an overpowering alcohol smell.
Watery. Decent enough flavor,, except the bourbon taste is still there. The standard brown tastes are in there somewhere, but it's a bit too hoppy as well.
Weird beer, and fairly off type. Never heard of this brewery, and I won't go looking for it again.
Pours a deep coppery brown. Almost like a murky amber instead of a brown. Nice tan head with moderate carbonation.
Smelled almost like a bourbon barrel aged beer for a second, the head was throwing of a serious alcohol bite. Faded to a vanilla and nutty brown smell, but in a small beer like this there's no reason for such an overpowering alcohol smell.
Watery. Decent enough flavor,, except the bourbon taste is still there. The standard brown tastes are in there somewhere, but it's a bit too hoppy as well.
Weird beer, and fairly off type. Never heard of this brewery, and I won't go looking for it again.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Spoetzel Brewery's Shiner 101
Pilsner is one of my favorite styles, and Czechs especially, so I can't believe I waited this long to try 101. And I also got busy with work and let this one sit in the bottle and get a little warm on me. That usually makes a pils a little oily feeling, but we'll see how this goes anyway.
Pours deep golden, moreso than most pilsners, with a big frothy white head that slowly recedes. I can smell that awesome pilsner funk smell from here. Smells like a skunk's ass. It's great.
Not oily. Nice and crisp, even when it's a little warmer than it should be. Maltier than most as well, almost to the point of being a German. It's a bit hoppier than a German though, so we'll just call it a malt-forward Czech pilsner. It fades to the standard Shiner malt aftertaste, which is just a variant of the bock. Not bad, just familiar.
This one is right up there with Kosmos as my favorite Shiner beer now. Hope they keep it around for more than a year.
Pours deep golden, moreso than most pilsners, with a big frothy white head that slowly recedes. I can smell that awesome pilsner funk smell from here. Smells like a skunk's ass. It's great.
Not oily. Nice and crisp, even when it's a little warmer than it should be. Maltier than most as well, almost to the point of being a German. It's a bit hoppier than a German though, so we'll just call it a malt-forward Czech pilsner. It fades to the standard Shiner malt aftertaste, which is just a variant of the bock. Not bad, just familiar.
This one is right up there with Kosmos as my favorite Shiner beer now. Hope they keep it around for more than a year.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's Glissade Golden Bock
I don't know why, but I've never seen this before. So, great surprise to see a new one, for me anyway, from my favorite quasi-macro brewery. I'm not real sure about a golden bock, but if anyone is going to do it right, they will.
Pours clear and golden, with a light, almost white head that is as big as you want to pour it. Slowly recedes, due to good carbonation.
Great malty smell. Crisp and clean, with no real floral or other smells that would indicate that it's hoppy, but not really overly bready either.
You know, it's only really bock-like in the aftertaste. It feels heavier than many beers, and the hops are low, so I can see why it would be a bock in style by the numbers, but it's just a bit cardboardy in bitterness and taste.
I don't know, I wish I didn't have 11 more of them now. Probably my least favorite Sierra Nevada beer.
Pours clear and golden, with a light, almost white head that is as big as you want to pour it. Slowly recedes, due to good carbonation.
Great malty smell. Crisp and clean, with no real floral or other smells that would indicate that it's hoppy, but not really overly bready either.
You know, it's only really bock-like in the aftertaste. It feels heavier than many beers, and the hops are low, so I can see why it would be a bock in style by the numbers, but it's just a bit cardboardy in bitterness and taste.
I don't know, I wish I didn't have 11 more of them now. Probably my least favorite Sierra Nevada beer.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Harpoon Brewery's Leviathan Baltic Porter
This is the first Baltic porter I can remember, and if it's not going to be in or from one of the Baltic states, I'm glad it's from a decent brewery.
Pours nice and inky brown, with a huge small celled tan head. Looks great so far.
Nice. Great grainy, yet vinous smell, with a bit of chocolate instead of any real roasted grain smell.
Excellent porter taste. Moderately hoppy, but no real grainy or grassy flavor. The bitterness almost comes from the chocolate taste, like an unsweetened chocolate. Very smooth feel and excellent tannins, just like a porter should have. Despite the fact that the hops are indistinct, they still taste sharp and fresh. A solid malt sweetness also comes through right after the hops fade.
Very good beer and my favorite Harpoon so far.
Pours nice and inky brown, with a huge small celled tan head. Looks great so far.
Nice. Great grainy, yet vinous smell, with a bit of chocolate instead of any real roasted grain smell.
Excellent porter taste. Moderately hoppy, but no real grainy or grassy flavor. The bitterness almost comes from the chocolate taste, like an unsweetened chocolate. Very smooth feel and excellent tannins, just like a porter should have. Despite the fact that the hops are indistinct, they still taste sharp and fresh. A solid malt sweetness also comes through right after the hops fade.
Very good beer and my favorite Harpoon so far.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Choc Beer Company's Miner Mishap
Alright, back in the saddle after a long stint being too busy to do anything but work and sleep. But excuses are like assholes, I guess, so here we go.
Pours nicely opaque for a black lager. Sure, they're all called black, but they're usually fairly see-through. This one has a nice brownish tinge to it, and a good tan head for a lager that stays moderately well.
Nice grainy malt smell. Much like a lighter stout.
Fairly bitter, almost like a pale. Blacks are usually more malty than hoppy, but this one is a bit on the hoppy side. Slight twang to it that fades to a dull bitterness.
All in all a good beer, I think. Slightly off type, but not too much, and I bet it's very good on tap. I won't go looking for it, but if I was from wherever this was made, I'd probably drink it regularly.
Pours nicely opaque for a black lager. Sure, they're all called black, but they're usually fairly see-through. This one has a nice brownish tinge to it, and a good tan head for a lager that stays moderately well.
Nice grainy malt smell. Much like a lighter stout.
Fairly bitter, almost like a pale. Blacks are usually more malty than hoppy, but this one is a bit on the hoppy side. Slight twang to it that fades to a dull bitterness.
All in all a good beer, I think. Slightly off type, but not too much, and I bet it's very good on tap. I won't go looking for it, but if I was from wherever this was made, I'd probably drink it regularly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
