Oranjeboom Premium Beer

Notes from 8/14/12

16 oz pint can, 5% ABV, no freshness date.

Golden-yellow appearance with carbonation bubbles rising. Fluffy white head with good retention. Tawny; not entirely clear in body.  Appearance: 4/5

Spicy and grainy in aroma. Wet grass. The faintest touch of sweet caramel underneath grains and hops.  Smell: 3.5/5

Tinny, pasteurized can tang up front, followed by grains, bittering hops, spicy hops flavor and a dry finish. Drink this colder than I did (stay below 50 degrees F).  Taste: 3/5

Creamy body (hops flavor), balanced hops & malt bill, and medium bodied.  Feel: 4/5

Overall: 3 out of 5. An average Euro-lager. Not bad at all, just nothing exceptional. I'm thinking pork sausages and potatoes with this one.

Spaten Dunkel

Introduction: This is a Munich Dunkel lager. Other examples include: Penn Dark and Pious Monk Dunkel by Church Brew Works.

Brown with reddish hues in the appearance of this beer. Not opaque, but dark enough to keep you from really checking out what's going on in the glass (the most you'll see is a reddish brown wall with the shadow of your fingers holding the glass). A frothy nougat head sits quietly up top. Carbonation bubbles rising.  Appearance: 4/5

Caramel in the nose. Chocolate fudge, raisins, figs, crust of brown bread. An underlying herbal hops aroma rises up as it warms.  Aroma: 4/5

Dark and caramel malts send suggestions of cocoa nibs and caramel to the taste buds. Hops come through with a gentle and balancing bitterness. Cold coffee. Dark chocolate bar flavor drys and lingers on the tongue.  Taste: 3.5/5

A touch watery at times, but a quaffable dunkel, for certain. Medium to full bodied; I really can't decide.  Feel: 3.5/5

Overall I give this brew a 4 out of 5. The fragrance is really enjoyable and appealing as it is malty and robust. The taste is complex, rich, sweet and dry. Though I said it was a touch watery, that characteristic improves its drinkability. 5.2% ABV on the bottle, lower than what I've read elsewhere, and that's a good thing.

Notes: Penn Dark is perhaps (it's been more than a year since I've had one) darker and drier than this dunkel, but fairly comparable. Pious Monk Dunkel on the other hand is a slightly different beast. Pious Monk has a fruitier fragrance and taste (due to the yeast activity), and at just over 4% ABV, it is notably more watery and smaller in depth (not to mention it's more of a dark amber in appearance).

Anchor Brewing Co's Brekle's Brown

Notes from 7/12/12

On the front label: "All Malt Single Hop Brown Ale. Brewmaster Gottlieb Brekle 1871-1888." On the back: "6% ABV." Also, some coding "2MO" which means nothing to the average person (including myself), although I'm inclined to think it refers to the age of the beer.

The brew pours nicely with a big, fluffy beige head that sticks to the glass. Down below, the brew is dark brown with glowing red hues (cherry red in the light), nearly opaque.  Appearance: 4.5/5

Creamy in the nose. Buttery diacetyl, peaches (my wife picked that attribute out), citrus (lime), salt, and a body of caramel and brown malts. Suggestion of booze on the outer edges.  Aroma: 4/5

That suggestion of alcohol shows up in the taste; cuts in with the bittering hops. Butter, caramel, spicy hops flavor. Good and complex flavors in the taste.  Taste: 4/5

Feels medium bodied and well balanced.  Feel: 4/5 Nothing takes over as, thankfully, this isn't over-hopped (which tends to be the prevailing characteristic amongst American brown ales).  Overall: 4/5  

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

With my nose in the bottle I can smell a strong aroma of amber/caramel malts. Glory be to the beer gods! In a sizable mug with a confident handle, I poured an excited beer with an enormous head. Glory be to the beer gods!

Appearance is dark brown, almost black. Big head at first, but disappeared almost completely. That said, mahogany hints at the bottom help this beer look very inviting.  4/5

An aroma of burnt raisins, cold coffee, roasted grains, and very warm alcohol underneath all that goodness. This beer asks to be quaffed! Well, actually that we be a bad idea. Sip slowly...  4/5

Sweetness up front with a heavy dose of caramel malts. Bittering hops and alcohol hit the tongue on the back and the middle, respectively. Malty, malty, malty. Raisin bread, figs, caramel, hops for balance. Good stuff! 4.5/5

Feels slick in the mouth. Enough hops for the body which is frankly, heavy (anyone who says differently needs to take a break from beer). Alcohol lingers a bit, but solid. 4/5

Overall: 4.5/5 (very tasty!)

Notes: I finished reading Pete Slosberg's (Pete's Brewing Co, or from what I've read, formerly) book from the late 90s about his life and career revolved around beer, Beer for Pete's Sake, and in it he asserted that beer should be poured down the center of the glass. Now, I've heard about doing so when pouring a stout, but never before for all beer in general. According to Pete, it allows the carbon dioxide in the beer to escape into the atmosphere quicker, instead of first settling in your stomach (which of course leads to burps). Also, aromas are released from the brew that would not otherwise. That said, I don't know...I guess have to take issue with the idea. For example, a pilsner, a beer that typically puts forth a grassiness and dryness, would taste to creamy if given the chance to develop a humongous head by way of the down-the-center pour. While I agree with Pete in regards to the aroma intensification brought about by the technique, I just think every style of beer has, in general, a certain level of head or foam that is appropriate and that level plays an important role in showcasing a particular style and taste.

By the way, check Pete Slosberg's book out. I found it enlightening and I really enjoyed it.

Great Lakes Brewing Co's The Wright Pils

I split a case of this stuff with a co-worker. Bottles show it's good til the first week of August, which is a little disappointing since my store just got this in this week (notes from 7/4/12). That being said, nothing at all is wrong with the age of this brew.

A yellow-gold look with tawny shades. Egg white head slims down while still staying appealing.  4/5

Smells yeasty (like yeast being prepped for bread dough with warm water & sugar). Grassy and lemony in the nose. Salt, light malts.  4/5

Sharp hops cut through to the taste buds real quick with a peppery flavor. Yeast, peppermint spice, earthy hops, burnt brown sugar, bread crust, ginger. Clean malts with the right amount of fermented spiciness.  4.5/5

The Wright Pils is carried by hops, but washes away without heavy and unwelcoming lingering qualities thanks to the sweet and spicy tango.  4/5

Great Lakes pulled this one off with the hops flavor. Great stuff.

Overall: 4.5/5

Angry Orchard (Cider, I Know)

I read about Angry Orchard Cider on Lew Bryson's blog yesterday and learned that it's a Boston Brewing Co (known for the Samuel Adams line) product, something I didn't realize when I saw a case of it on the malternatives shelf (most people still ask for "wine coolers" when looking for Mike's Hard Lemonade or Smirnoff, oddly enough) at my place of employment (the gubbamint doesn't have any idea, and we sold the case) (there are far too many parentheses in this paragraph).

Bryson sold me on trying the stuff. I even read some happy reviews elsewhere via a Google search. Most folks seem to like the Crisp Apple selection the best. I found all three varieties at my local bottle shop, but decided against trying (for now) the Apple Ginger (maybe in the fall). At $2.15 a bottle, I was hoping for a shorter price line, but it's better than what I'd pay at a bar.

The Traditional Dry, said to be an English style cider, is still in the fridge. My wife and I tried the Crisp Apple yesterday afternoon. As a matter of fact, my wife was the inspiration behind the purchase. I'm always searching for a drink she'd have no trouble enjoying. See, my wife's a hard one to please when it comes to alcohol. She likes margaritas when there are chips and salsa around, has an occasional glass of wine, and almost never drinks beer anymore (she used to be a Yuengling girl). I figure ciders are the way to go, and the Crisp Apple was damn near perfect for her taste buds.

There's a little bit of heat or alcohol presence in the middle, with a slightly volatile, floral, yeasty aroma (quite nice). Crisp Apple is dangerously quaffable, with a fresh apple taste (the apples are said to be imported from Italy and another country that I'm too lazy to look up and identify for you, but my best comparison would be something close to a gala apple, which happens to be my favorite cultivar). My other half said it almost tastes like apple juice. I honestly couldn't recommend the stuff enough. If interested, it shouldn't be hard to find (honestly, Samuel Adams is just about everywhere now).

 

Tyskie Gronie

Tyskie Gronie...I bought a case to share with a friend for around $21 after tax. Apparently it's one of the most popular beers in Poland (not sure that's a good thing). Full disclosure: I've had a bunch of this already (not today, but in general).

Appearance is hazy gold. No head, slim rim nearly disappears after just 3-4 minutes. Carbonation bubbles. Not a lot going on in appearance.  3/5

Smells like a run-of-the-mill American lager. Vegetal, sweet adjuncts, a touch of grassiness and faint honey.  2.5/5  I'm thirsty...

First thing I notice in the taste is a fairly offensive muted graininess. After a few sips that aspect mellows out, and the taste sweetens, at least improving from the less than stellar introduction. Not a lot to talk about. There seems to be a heavier adjunct bill than a malt, and I prefer the latter. 2.5/5

Fairly balanced in the mouth. Not much hops, but there isn't much body either, so there you go, it's balanced adequately. Washes away pretty cleanly, but as it warms a little booze starts to tug at the back of the throat.  3/5

Overall: 2.5

Notes: this is a below average lager. I could name several American lagers that do the adjunct thing much better. And what's with the 5.6% ABV? That gravity is unnecessary. Why not cut it to 5%, add more malted barley and make a better brew?

Warsteiner Dunkel

Notes from 5/27/12

Bought this on accident (see notes after review):

Near black appearance with mahogany shades toward the bottom of the chalice. A milky, off-white head slims down, but an attractive rim remains and clings gently to the glass.  4

Coffee, timber smoked and grape juice in the nose. A touch of milk chocolate, and a slightly floral aroma.  3.5

Dark, wet malts up front with a grape-like yeast flavor sitting in the middle. A dry lingering in the back end, reminiscent of a red wine with a woody character. Notwithstanding everything I just mentioned, the taste comes off as one dimensional. 3

Hops cut into the wet malts character. The wet body, however, is broad and pronounced. Carbonation might be matching the hops. Feels a little like soda.  3

Overall: 3

Notes: went into my favorite bottle shop for Warsteiner Premium Verum (German pilsner), found it, and checked a bottle for a freshness date. Turned out the brew should have been drank by Sept 2011 (apparently nobody drinks the stuff around here). Then I saw another row of the brew right next to the bottle I picked up, and checked the dates; Warsteiner Premium Verum good til August 2012...or so I thought. Got home, poured a bottle into my chalice glass, and was very surprised by the dark color. The moral of the story is: double check labels, and don't "pull a mom" (late 90s-early 2000s reference to loving mothers and their attempts to buy regular potato chips and other junk food, but due to the constantly rushed nature of the housewife lifestyle, bring home "reduced fat" or "low sodium" bastardizations of name brands).

Stoney's Light

On the label: "The Light Alternative."

A fizzy, golden-yellow appearance with a head that leaves quick. Lots of carbonation bubbles rising to the top. Scattered spots up top with a thin, soapy rim.  3/5

Smells as expected. Grainy, grassy, vegetal, herbal. On the positive side, there's a semi-sweet undertone to the aroma.  2.5/5

Taste-wise, Stoney's Light is grainy up front like its fuller-bodied big brother (Stoney's Premium). Honestly, it's not bad at all. A bit dry in the aftertaste, with a seltzer like flavor. Thin bodied, barely hopped, but not exactly character free.  2.5/5

Feels a little watery and could use a touch more bittering hops, but I probably could have drank this at a colder temperature, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Not bad.  3/5

Overall 2.5/5

Notes: a definite "drink ice cold" kind of brew. My best friend swears by it, otherwise I probably wouldn't have been that interested in trying it out.

PBR: Pabst Blue Ribbon

24 oz can poured into a Long Trail Brewing Co nonic pint glass. "JUN042012" best before date printed on the bottom of the can. An unsurprising yellow-gold appearance with a head that leaves quick. Rim sticks around. Carb bubbles rising.  3/5

Vegetal and subtly sweet in the nose. Generally unoffensive, but nothing real enjoyable or attractive in the aroma category. Maybe a hint of herbal hops.  3/5

Taste is much like the smell with canned vegetables, light malts/adjuncts (rice, corn), obligatory bittering hops and a mild sweetness in the finish.  3/5

The mouthfeel is appropriate for this pale adjunct lager standard bearer.  3.5/5

Overall: 3

Notes: Could have had this fresher, but this is pretty much it. At best, the hops are more floral and pronounced.

More notes: One thing that's worth mentioning about Pabst Brewing Co is the fact that it is the home of several "old man" beers that at one time were far more visible/better distributed. Some of these near-lost brews include: Stroh's, Schmidt (see the movie Grumpy Old Men), Primo, Blatz and Old Style.

Sierra Nevada Summerfest

My second time enjoying this brew, here's a quick, but thoughtful, review:
Hazy yellow-gold appearance, bubbly carbonation and a white head that slims to a rim worth mentioning.

Bready/crackery aroma with lemon, lime and salt. Pale-bright atmosphere in the nose.

Hops up front in the taste; lemon tartness. Bittering hops hit me, but don't knock me out. Hops flavor throws spicy and floral notes. Yeast in the back end.

Smooth, balanced, light-medium bodied. Washes away nicely with lingering qualities that don't overstay their welcome.

Happy Mothers Day!

Bohemia

Yellow-gold in appearance with a slim, white head that thins to a rim with spots on the surface.

Smells of lemon zest, bread crust, floral hops and light malts. Mild, but enough hops to keep it intriguing.

In the taste I'm catching lemon, light malts, and just enough bittering hops. A very, very slight hint of peppery/peppermint hops flavor.

Light-medium bodied and friendly to the palate.

Notes: If I had one suggestion to offer it would be to add some additional hops flavor to more closely match the aroma. Also, it could be more prickly (hops!). That being said, Bohemia is one of the best beers out of Mexico, and among my top 3 choices when eating at a Mexican restaurant. In many ways it's much like a Munich Helles lager.

Straub American Amber

Out the can and in the glass the brew appears amber-brown with a mahogany hue. Looks thin, with an off-white head that thins to a rim.

Smells sweet with an herbal hops aroma. Toasted bread. Faint in the nose with subtle hints of brown sugar and cinnamon.

Lightly hopped. A little caramel sweetness, a little hops. Simple, but balanced. However, watery and thin.

Notes: similar to Yuengling Traditional Lager, but not as good and not as hoppy.