Critical Tastings

Julian Hard Cider

2012-01-25T11:30:00.003-05:00

Brewery: Julian Hard Cider
Location: Julian, CA
Style: Hard Cider
Brewery Website
Rating: B

Today we're breaking out of the beer box a bit and reviewing our first hard cider. Julian pours a very light straw in color, bordering on colorless and clear. The nose has a Riesling-like wininess, along with notes of banana and apple.

On the palate, Julian Hard Cider is slightly tart, with a quick zing of lemony tartness that quickly fades. There are sweet ester notes of bananas and circus peanuts as well as some sweet apples. Julian is light-bodied with big-bubbled soda fizz carbonation and a touch of juiciness. The finish is clean and crisp with lingering dry apples and yeasty esters.

Julian Hard Cider is clean and crisp, although the flavor is on the soft side. There are some nice yeasty ester notes that add an interesting layer of complexity here. This is a decent brew, but in the end I found myself looking for a little more.

Cadbury Royal Dark Chocolate

2012-01-23T11:30:00.000-05:00

Manufacturer: The Hershey Company
Location: Hershey, PA
Manufacturer Website
Rating: C-

Today's dark chocolate review is the Cadbury Royal Dark chocolate bar. The Royal Dark bar is reddish mahogany in color. the nose finds cocoa and a big coconut note.

On the palate there is a note reminiscent of sweetened breakfast cereal. Notes of coconut and cocoa are notable as well. The Royal Dark is rather sweet, bordering on overly sweet, and this sweetness seems to drown out the other flavors of the chocolate. Buried way in the background there is a faint note of walnuts/hazelnuts. Chewing the Royal Dark brings some fleeting earthy and nutty notes before the overly sweet coconut floods back in. The mouthfeel has a slight sugar-crystal grit to it. The finish finds coconut and sweetened corn flakes.

Hershey's pretty much misses the mark with the Cadbury Royal Dark bar. The chocolate is overly sweet and is dominated by a powerful coconut flavor that masks just about all the other flavors in this chocolate. This pretty much seems par for the course when it comes to mass-market dark chocolate (I'm looking at you, Godiva), but it doesn't have to be that way. Hershey's is currently producing some excellent dark chocolates under their Artisan Confection lines (such as the Scharffen Berger Ben Tre). It would be fantastic if they could bring some of that high quality production to their mass-market brands.

Otter Creek Irish Red Ale

2012-01-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing
Location: Middlebury, VT
Style: Amber
Brewery Website
Rating: B

Today's tasting is Otter Creek's new winter seasonal, the Winter Red Ale. Thw Winter Red is a deep chestnut-amber in color with a short, off-white head. The nose finds citrus and herbal hops notes. There are also aromas of fresh-baked bread and malt syrup.

On the palate there is a quick taste of fruity hops which moves into a sharp steely/mineral note that is paired with an oily, bitter hops bite that has a touch of pine. A dry, toasted malt note sits in the background. A touch of residual sweetness is hinted at as well. The Winter Red Ale has a medium-heavy body that is a bit heavier than the typical amber. There is also a significant astringent oiliness. The finish sees the strong mineral bite clinging on with undertones of pine, pretzel and malt syrup.

Otter Creek seems like they're going for an amped up version of their flagship beer, their Copper Ale, with the Winter Red. While it does hit the mark on most accounts, the execution seems to be a bit out of balance for my tastes. The hops seems like it's all bite without much in the way of aromatics on the palate, and this ends up drowning out the malt. I also found the mineral note (likely from the resinous hops) to be a bit overpowering. Overall, the Otter Creek Winter Red Ale is worth a try if you're looking for a heavier beer for the winter that is more hops-forward, but personally I'd love to see more aroma hops and malt in the final mix.

Ommegang Three Philosophers Quadrupel 2010 Vintage

2012-01-18T11:30:00.002-05:00

Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Location:Cooperstown, NY
Style: Quadrupel
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Today's tasting is the 2010 edition of Ommegang's Three Philosophers. The Three Philosophers is a blend of a Belgian-style Quad and a Belgian-style Kriek (aka, cherry lambic). The Three Philosophers pours up a deep, hazy amber-mahogany in color. The light-tan head is thick and creamy. The nose has cereal malt, fruity hops, sweet yeast esters (banana and circus peanut) as well as a hint of sweet cherry.

On the palate there is an initial acidity that is followed up by a dry malt/graininess. There are herbal and piny hops notes present in the background. Alcohol is noticeable along with mineral water and oaky/woody notes. Tart cherries from the lambic are here as well. The Three Philosophers is medium-bodied, with an initial juiciness that develops into a bit of astringency. The finish has lingering alcohol with dry grain and the faintest hint of cherry.

The Ommegang Three Philosophers is a well-constructed blend. It is complex and balanced. I did find that some of the flavors seem to clash a bit, but I bet a year or so in the cellar will round that out nicely. The cherry here makes this a fantastic pair for the Patric Rio Caribe Superior 70% dark chocolate. All-in-all, the Three Philosophers is a very good beer that promises to become great after a year or two of aging.

Left Hand Brewing Company 400 Pound Monkey

2012-01-13T23:18:00.002-05:00

Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company
Location: Longmont, CO
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Today we get the monkey off our back and into our glass. A 400 pound monkey to be exact. Left Hand Brewing's English-style IPA pours up a deep gold color with a very short white head. The nose has a whiff of "Eurolager" along with some spice and fruity hops.

On the palate the grainy malt hits at the same time as the hops. The hops here have a great spiciness to them along with a touch of pine and some herbal notes as well. In addition, there is a solid bitter bite from the hops. The malt has pretzel and pasta dough components to its side of the flavor profile. There are also some woody notes and a touch of alcohol. A hint of sweetness presents as a malt syrup/honeyed flavor. The 400 Pound Monkey is medium bodied with some mouth-coating astringency. The finish has lingering grains and some faint oakiness, but the dominant note is spice and piny hops.

Left Hand Brewery has a real winner on their hands with their 400 lb Monkey. This is a refreshing change from the typical west coast Cascade-fest IPA. There is a nice bit of malt here, but the hops really take the center stage. I really love the unique spice and pine hop character this beer. I can't recommend this enough to IPA fans who are looking for a bit of a break from the same old thing.

TCHO Nutty 65%

2012-01-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

Manufacturer:TCHO
Cocoa Content:65%
Location: Ecuador
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

Today's chocolate tasting is the "Nutty" dark chocolate bar from TCHO. This is a 65% cacao dark chocolate of Ecuadorean origin. Please note that there are no nuts in the bar, it is simply named after the prominent nutty flavor this chocolate possesses. The bar is dark, bordering on ebony, with a hint of red. The nose is chocolatey with nutty and herbal notes.

The initial flavor impression of the TCHO Nutty is cocoa. Nutty notes and espresso then make an appearance, and the nuts steadily become more prominent. Acidity fades in bringing some cherries to the party. Biscuit notes, as well as fudgy chocolate/brownie batter notes are here as well. Chewing the chocolate brings forward notes of vanilla, cinnamon, berries and almonds. The Nutty has a smooth, creamy and somewhat thick melt. The finish is rich, fudgy chocolate with espresso and a hint of nuts.

The TCHO Nutty has a great chocolate flavor. There are nice notes of espresso, nuts and berries. While not overly complex, the TCHO Nutty is both flavorful and balanced. This is probably one of the easier bars to find of those we typically review on this site and it is well worth picking up.

Victory Yakima Glory Ale

2012-01-09T14:40:00.001-05:00

Brewer: Victory Brewing Company
Location: Downingtown, PA
Style: Black IPA
Brewer Website
Rating: A

Victory has thrown their hat in the ring on the Black IPA front with their Yakima Glory Ale. While not officially billed as a Black IPA on the bottle it definitely fits the style. The Yakima Glory pours up a deep amber-brown in color. It is a bit lighter than most black IPAs but that does allow a nice ruddy amber undertone peek through. The head is tan, clumpy foam. The nose is led by the aromas of citrus hops paired with caramel and chocolate.

The palate is hit by bitter hops with some citrus notes, including a nice pineapple note. This moves into bitter roast malt notes of espresso and dark chocolate. The tongue is quickly coated with bitter notes of black coffee and hop resin. The Yakima Glory Ale is medium-bodied and not as astringent as the level of bitterness would lead you to expect. The finish has long-lingering hop with espresso undertones.

Victory's take on the Black IPA is excellent, as I have come to expect. The focus here is definitely on the synergy between hoppy bitterness and the bitter coffee and chocolate notes coming from the roast malt. The citrus notes of West Coast hops paired with caramel and chocolate malt undertones play nice support roles. While I do with that the volume was turned up a bit on the malt side, this is really a minor quibble as the Yakima Glory ale is near-perfect.

Uerige Sticke

2012-01-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

Brewery: Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
Style: Alt
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Today's tasting is the Uerige Sticke. We had high praise for its bigger brother, the Uerige Doppelsticke. How does the Sticke fare in comparison? The Uerige Sticke is deep mahogany in color with a short white head. The nose has raising, caramel and notes of dark wheat toast.

On the palate, the Sticke is juicy with some acidity. There is a note of red liquorice. The back end holds a big note of toasted grain. Raisins, nuttiness and a sweetness are here as well. the Sticke is medium-bodied and juicy. The finish has notes of banana and raisins along with plenty of dark wheat toast.

While not necessarily as big and bold as its big brother the Doppelsticke, Uerige's Sticke is still a fantastic beer on its own merit. I love the flavor profile. I also find that is quite easy drinking for a beer that has such a wealth of complex, big flavors. I did find that the Sticke was a bit undercarbonated. I can't help but wonder if the choice of a flip-top cap plays any role in that. Despite that minor quarrel, the Sticke is a fantastic beer that I highly recommend.

Heavy Seas Below Decks Barleywine 2008 Vintage

2011-12-28T11:30:00.001-05:00

Brewery: Clipper City Brewing Co.
Location: Baltimore, MD
Style: Barleywine
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

We originally tasted the Heavy Seas Below Decks back in February 2010. I've been cellaring several bottles from the same batch (labelled 2008) and decided to crack one open back in May of this year to see how it has progressed as it has aged. The Below Decks is copper-amber in color with quite a bit of haze and sediment in the glass. The head is foamy and a light tan in color. The nose detects citrus, yeast, banana and a whiff of sharp cheese.

On the palate the Below Decks is smooth, winy and has a slight syrupiness to it. Notes of banana and sweet apples are here along with some dark rye toast notes and a touch of mesquite wood. There is a hop bite with notes of juniper and pine. As the beer has aged notes of golden raisins and caramel are starting to peek through as well. There is a warming alcohol sensation. A faint, fleeting note of sharp cheese is detectable as well. The 2008 Below Decks has a medium-heavy body and has done a good job of retaining its carbonation as it approaches its third birthday. The finish has lingering notes of yeast, fruity esters, rye and a bit of oily hop resin.

At three years old, the 2008 Heavy Seas Below Decks is developing rather well. Yeasty esters are still readily apparent, and the caramel and raisin notes that many barleywines start to develop with age are starting to make their presence known. My only concern is a bit of an odd note of sharp cheese. I'm not sure if this is specific to the bottle I tasted, or whether this will lessen or become more pronounced as time goes on. I guess I'l find out when I check in on this batch in another year or two. I will definitely be stashing away another 4-pack of this year's release based on how well the 2008 release has aged.

We're back!

2011-12-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

I am happy to announce that the blog is returning from its extended hiatus and will begin posting new reviews starting later in the day today. Fatherhood has taken a big chunk out of my free time, but we should be able to get 1-2 reviews up each week for the forseeable future. Thanks to my loyal readers for your patience.

-Eric

Harpoon Summer Beer

2011-06-21T13:16:00.007-04:00

Beer! welcomes summer with the Harpoon Summer Beer:

Brewery: Harpoon

Location: Boston, MA

Style: Kolsch

Brewery Website

Rating: A-

Today we're welcoming in the summer with a review of Harpoon's Summer Beer. While I always enjoy a few Harpoon Summer Beers over the course of the summer, this was my first time enjoying it in canned form. Harpoon Summer Beer is a pale straw-gold in color and pours up a huge white clumpy/sticky head. The nose has a lagery malt note with herbal and piny hops and a hint of fruity esters.

The Harpoon Summer Beer is very clean on the palate. It is off-dry with a light grainy/pasta malt note. There are some hints of fruity yeast esters, but nothing in the ballpark of a fruity witbier. Hops are here with a touch of a piny bitter kick as well as some herbal hops notes. The Harpoon Summer Beer is light-bodied, crisp and smooth. The finish has a lingering pasta dough malt with herbal and pine hops in the background.

Harpoon Summer Beer is exactly what you want in a summer beer. This is a great, easy-drinking Kolsch. The malt and drinkability are close to a typical lager, but there is a nice hint of weissbier-like fruity esters that add some interest. It's not a full-blown Leinenkugel-esque fruitiness, but there is just the right amount for my tastes. This is a great summer seasonal, and is perfectly suited to can form.

Ithaca Cascazilla

2011-06-17T11:30:00.005-04:00

Watch out Tokyo! Today, Beer! reviews Ithaca's Cascazilla:

Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company

Location: Ithaca, NY

Style: Amber

Brewery Website

Rating: B

As one can guess by the name, Ithaca's Cascazilla is a hoppy amber that is brewed with a boatload of Cascade hops.Cascazilla is a dark, cloudy amber-brown in color with a clumpy tan head. The nose has everything you expect from Cascades with sweet citrus, grapefruit and lemon oil notes.

The palate finds pretzel malt and a touch of sweetness up front. Fruity hops and sweet cereal are prominent notes as well. Ruby red grapefruit and lemonade are notable on the fruity hops side and a touch of herbal hops blends in and hints at lemongrass as well. There is some bitter hops as well, but that is way in the background. Cascazilla is medium-bodied, and juicy with a slight syrupy cling. The finish has a slightly toasted malt with sweet citrus notes.

Cascazilla is a nice look at Cascade hops without the big bitter kick. There is a bit too much sweetness here for my tastes, and I would like to see a bit more of a bite to balance things out. Having said that, this is a nice amber and a good intro to Cascade hops without the bitter bite of a big imperial IPA.

TCHO Chocolatey 70% Dark Chocolate

2011-06-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

The Dark Chocolate Blog tastes a "Chocolatey" chocolate from TCHO. Go figure:

Manufacturer: TCHO

Cocoa Content: 70%

Location: Ghana

Manufacturer Website

Rating: B

TCHO is a chocolate manufacturer from San Francisco whose chocolates are primarily sold at Starbucks as well as Whole Foods (in certain regions). I was recently given a sample of their 4 "flavor" chocolates. These are single-origin chocolates that have been selected to highlight certain flavors common to dark chocolate. Today I am tasting the "Chocolatey", which is a 70% dark chocolate bar made with Ghanan cacao. The bar is mahogany-red in color. the nose detects vanilla and cocoa powder.

On the palate there is a very prominent walnut note up front that transitions to espresso. Fudge is notable, as are some earthy and woody highlights. There is a fairly mild acidity that leads to the faintest hint of blackberries. Chewing the TCHO Chocolatey beings forward vanilla, sweet spice, banana and coffee grounds. The melt is quite smooth. The finish has fudge and nuts with trailing berry notes as well as some caramel.

The TCHO Chocolatey is an enjoyable chocolate. I certainly see where they get the Chocolatey descriptor, as fudge is prominent, as well as a heavy nuttiness up front. Overall, the flavor profile is fairly nondescript, but this is a tasty bar nonetheless.

San Diego County Session Ale

2011-06-13T11:30:00.003-04:00

Today, Beer! asks the question - Can you cram big hops into a small beer?

Brewery: Stone/Ballast Point/Kelsey McNair

Location: Escondido, CA

Style: Pale Ale

Brewery Website

Rating: B+

The good folks at Stone and Ballast Point have gotten together with homebrewer Kelsey McNair with the noble goal of creating a session beer (i.e., a beer with a low enough alcohol content that it can be consumed all day long - generally in the vicinity of 4%) that has the big hoppiness that is generally reserved for big double-IPA's. The San Diego County Session Ale pours up hazy gold/amber in color with a foamy white head and some dark swirls of sediment floating. The nose has huge grapefruit and pine hoppiness.

On the palate you are first hit with the telltale grapefruit citrus notes of West Coast hops. There are some toasted grain notes as well as a dry wood/oak note. There is a really big bitter bite with piny, oily hops. The San Diego County Session Ale is light-medium bodied with quite a bit of tannic astringency. The finish is very long and dominated by the bitter hop notes of pine and oily resin.

Well, there's no doubt that the San Diego County Session Ale has met its objective of cramming a massive amount of hops into a session ale. There really is an amazing amount of hops in this beer. Of course, there is something to be said for the higher alcohol and bigger body of an imperial IPA having the ability to hold up to and balance out a tremendous amount of hops. Even though the lighter body and alcohol content qualifies this as a session beer, for me the huge hoppiness still keeps this beer in the "sipping beer" category for me. This is a well-executed, unique idea, but I'll stick to the real deal when I'm looking for an IPA.

Caribou Coffee Mahogany KCup

2011-06-10T11:30:00.001-04:00

Manufacturer: Caribou Coffee

Manufacturer Website

Rating: B+

Today we have another coffee review - the Caribou Coffee Mahogany KCup. True to name, the Mahogany is a deep mahogany in color. It comes off the brewer ringed by a light tan froth and topped with oily swirls. The nose is a bit on the mild side, with some aromas of roasted nuts notable.

On the palate there is a bit of an initial oily bite. Roasted nuts and dark chocolate flavors are here along with a faint woody spice note. Overall, the flavor is smooth. The roast is notable, but not powerful, and there is minimal bitterness. The Caribou Coffee Mahogany is medium-bodied, with some slight chewiness and oiliness. The finish is a decent length, with notes of cocoa and nuts.

The Caribou Coffee Mahogany has some good, rich flavor. This is a straight-up, no frills, good nutty coffee. This will definitely be a staple medium-roast coffee in my pantry.

Chocolat Bonnat Chuao 75% Dark Chocolate

2011-06-08T11:30:00.002-04:00

The Dark Chocolate Blog continues their run of Chuao reviews with a tasting of Bonnat's offering:

Manufacturer: Chocolat Bonnat

Cocoa Content: 75%

Location: Venezuela

Manufacturer Website

Rating: A-

Today we are tasting Bonnat's take on the legendary Chuao chocolate. The Bonnat Chuao bar is deep brown with ruby and purple highlights. The nose has woody and nutty notes along with some espresso.

The palate first finds nutty notes, followed by a building acidity. There is some juiciness here with a faint orange peel/citrus note. There is a rich chocolate flavor. Espresso, oak, vanilla and mint all highlight the chocolate flavor. Chewing the Chocolat Bonnat Chuao brings forward notes of wood, nuts, earth, cinnamon and a rich chocolate note that is reminiscent of pudding or mousse. The Bonnat Chuao has a smooth melt with some cooling sensation and a bit of a fudgy texture. The finish is complex with rich chocolate, bitter espresso, nuts, orange peel and sweet spice aromatics.

While the Bonnat Chuao is a great chocolate bar, I did find the flavors to be a bit understated. With that caveat, the construction and melt are absolutely flawless, and the "chocolatiness" is outstanding. This is probably the most accessible Chuao I've tried. If you're looking to dip your toes in ultra-premium dark chocolate, this is a good place to start.

Uerige Doppelsticke

2011-06-06T11:30:00.001-04:00

"Holy Shit!" is how Beer! sums up their review of the Uerige Doppelsticke. Read on to find out why:

Brewery: Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei

Location: Düsseldorf, Germany

Style: Alt

Brewery Website

Rating: A+

Today's tasting is a true one-of-a-kind beer. Stickebier is a rare style of German beer that can essentially be thought of as a double-alt (Long Trail's Double Bag is one example of this style). Uerige has taken this one step further in creating their Doppelsticke, which essentially amounts to a double-double-alt.

The Doppelsticke pours up a cloudy, deep-chestnut brown with a light chestnut, creamy head. A firm pour leads to a beautiful cascading-head effect that is reminiscent of a nitro-tap stout. The nose detects raisins, wheat toast, and sherry notes.

On the palate there is a big malt note of dark pretzels along with a clinging malt syrup note. Dried fruit notes of raisins and apricots come along next. Hops hit with a snappy bitter bite along with herbal and grassy notes. There is some initial winy juiciness that drops off quickly. The Uerige Doppelsticke has a medium-heavy body with a clinging body and light syrupiness. The finish just seems to hang around forever. There is a great caramel/"burnt" sweetness, along with rich, dark malt notes paired with fading bitter undertones.

In reading my notes I wrote while tasting this beer, the first line simply reads "Holy Shit!", and that pretty much sums it up. Right from the beginning I was blown away by the flavor and complexity of the Doppelsticke. It rivals the Thomas Hardy's Ale in complexity. The flavor is constantly evolving - from juicy, to bitter, to sweet, to a ringing harmonious chord. Not only is this the best German beer I've ever had, the Uerige Doppelsticke is one of the best beers I've ever tasted. Find this beer ASAP and buy two - one for now and one for the cellar.

Tully's French Roast KCup

2011-06-03T11:30:00.006-04:00

Manufacturer: Tully's
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B+

Today we're sitting down with a good cup of joe, the Tully's French Roast. Tully's French Roast is a deep ebony color. It comes off the brewer ringed with tan froth and coated with swirling oiliness, The nose picks up aromas of smoke and roasted nuts.

On the palate there are roasted nuts, almonds and walnuts in particular. Some smokiness highlights the roast. There is a fleeting bitter oiliness, as well as some woody notes. Tully's French Roast is medium-bodied with a slight astringency as well as some mouth-coating oiliness. The finish has roasted nuts complimented by smoke and some bitter undertones.

Tully's French Roast is a bit one-dimensional, but what it does, it does well. There are some very nice roast and nutty notes here that are prominent, but not overpowering. If you like dark roast coffee, Tully's French Roast is well worth a try.

Pralus Chuao Dark Chocolate

2011-06-01T11:30:00.004-04:00

The Dark Chocolate Blog reviews yet another bar made from the legendary Chuao cacao bean. Here is Pralus's interpretation:

Manufacturer: Pralus

Cocoa Content: 75%

Location: Venezuela

Manufacturer Website

Rating: A+

Today we turn to Pralus for their interpretation of the legendary Chuao bean. Right from the beginning it is clear that this is something special as the Chuao bar is packaged in a mini-box as opposed to the usual paper and foil packaging. The bar is brown with plenty of brick-red highlights. The nose detects rich, earthy chocolate with a touch of mint.

On the palate, the classic Pralus roast notes are unmistakeable. There is a lively acidity here with lemon notes. Earthiness is pronounced, in particular a big tobacco note. There is a bite of bitter espresso that fades into waves of alternating acidity and earthiness. Behind all the layers there is a rich chocolate background. Also here are some smoke and wood (mesquite in particular). Chewing the Pralus Chuao brings forward rich chocolate, oak, walnuts and lemon zest. The melt is smooth and creamy, with some astringency at the end. The finish is long and evolving. Wood smoke, citrus and smoky espresso start out, then some nuttiness starts to peek through, and oaky tannins start to show up after a long fade.

Pralus has taken an exceptional bean and produced an equally exceptional chocolate with their interpretation of the Chuao. The end result is amazingly complex, yet the rich chocolate flavor never gets lost. This isn't as heavily roasted as some of their other offerings, but the flavor is unmistakably Pralus. The Pralus roast style is a perfect match for the earthiness in this chocolate, but the fruit notes are still able to shine through. This chocolate is about as good as it gets.

Pabst Blue Ribbon

2011-05-30T11:30:00.012-04:00

Today, Beer! sees whether Pabst Blue Ribbon lives up to the hipster hype, or if it's just trailer-park swill:

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company

Location: Woodridge, Il

Style: Lager

Brewery Website

Rating: B-

In recent years, Pabst Blue Ribbon has been seeing a bit of a resurgence in a trendy counterculture "trailer park chic" sort of way. The question is, does PBR live up to the hype, or is it just another mass-market lager with little redeeming quality? Let's taste and see.

Pabst Blue Ribbon pours from my brown-bottle longneck a clear, straw-gold in color with a white foamy head. The nose detects some grassiness, lager malt notes and a bit of juicy white wine.

On the palate the initial impression is that of crisp, smooth malt with wheat bread undertones. There is a bit of a calcium/lime mineral note, as well as some straw. Hops are fleeting and have an overall grassy flavor. PBR has a light body with decent carbonation. The finish is very short with a malt note that hints at pita bread.

Pabst Blue Ribbon is a prototypical mass-market American lager in that it is smooth and easy-drinking. The flavor does fade very quickly (too much for my liking). What is notable is the lack of any of the "off" flavors I typically notice with the usual Bud/Miller/Coors-style lagers. While it may not fully live up to the renewed hype surrounding it, PBR is still one of the best mass-market/adjunct lagers out there. I have no qualms serving it to guests, and it is always welcome in my fridge.

Duvel Tripel Hop

2011-05-28T18:25:00.000-04:00

Today, Beer! reviews the sensational Duvel Tripel Hop:

Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat

Location: Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium

Style: IPA

Brewery Website

Rating: A+

Today we bring you something special, the Duvel Tripel Hop. Duvel is widely regarded as one of Belgium's best breweries, and the Tripel Hop is rather novel for a Belgian brewery. This beer is an infusion of a distinctly American-style hop-forward IPA with a traditional Belgian-style ale. The Tripel Hop is cloudy, honey-gold in color with a white, clumpy-foam head. The nose has fruity/citrus and spicy hops along with a background note of yeast.

On the palate there is a nice spicy (black pepper) hops note. The yeast and malt lead to some cherry and wine notes. Citrus/grapefruit hops make themselves known. The bitter hops show up eventually, but take a while to shine through the juicy malt. There is also some woodiness and a hint of sweetness. The Duvel Tripel Hop has a medium-heavy body and is on the juicy side. The finish has citrus and spice along with lingering juicy notes.

When a brewery the caliber of Duvel takes on a beer such as this, good things almost always happen. The Tripel Hop is no exception. This is a fantastic combination of IPA-meets-tripel, and Belgium-meets-US craft brew. The end result is the best of both worlds. This beer is juicy, rich and loaded with complex hops flavors and aromas. Well worth every penny, this is truly an exceptional beer.

Blue Point Spring Fling Ale

2011-05-20T11:30:00.002-04:00

Beer! takes a trip to Long Island for a taste of the Blue Point Spring Fling Ale:

Brewery: Blue Point Brewing Company

Location: Patchogue, NY

Style: Alt

Brewery Website

Rating: B+

We're following up our review of the excellent Otter Creek Copper Ale with Blue Point's own copper ale (and spring seasonal), the Spring Fling Ale. The Spring Fling Ale pours up a clear amber-copper in color with a hint of gold, paired with a foamy white head. The nose finds spicy and piny hops tinged with citrus and steel.

The palate first finds the clinging oiliness of hops, followed by malty notes of dark pretzels. The overall hops flavor isn't quite as prominent as the nose. Oily pine resin and spice are here, but there isn't much fruit on the palate. The hops bite may not be front and center on this beer, but it is still quite sharp. There is a mineral note of copper/steel as well. The Spring Fling Ale is medium-bodied and a bit oily. The finish has resinous hope, a hint of fruit and dry malt undertones.

Blue Point has a nice, well-rounded copper ale in their Spring Fling Ale. The hops give it a nice kick and spiciness, to match the dry malt. This is well worth a taste if you run across it this spring.

Domori Chuao Dark Chocolate

2011-05-18T11:30:00.003-04:00

Today, The Dark Chocolate Blog tastes Domori's take on the legendary Chuao:

Manufacturer: Domori

Cocoa Content: 70%

Location: Venezuela

Manufacturer Website

Rating: A

Today I have the pleasure of tasting Domori's Chuao dark chocolate bar. Legend has it that the cocoa from the Chuao region was once reserved solely for kings. It's not hard to see why. Domori's Chuao bar looks to be an equal mix of clay-red and light brown in color. The nose has rich chocolate aromas with honey and caramel.

On the palate the initial impression is deep chocolate with strawberry jam. There are highlights of almond aromatics here. Along with the strawberry jam, a fruit note of gooseberries is here as well. Complex sweet notes of honey and caramel are notable, along with coffee, mint and a faint butterscotch note. Chewing the Domori Chuao brings forward notes of almond extract, raspberries, pomegranate and caramel. The bar melts with a superb thick, coating mouthfeel. The finish has butterscotch, caramel and jammy notes all fading in harmony.

Domori has once again impressed me with their take on the legendary Chuao cacao. The end result is wonderfully complex, but unmistakably Domori. The finish and complex caramel and honey undertones are reminiscent of a milk chocolate, while the jamminess is signature Domori. This is great stuff and well worth searching out if you don't have easy access to it in your local area.

Otter Creek Copper Ale

2011-05-16T11:30:00.008-04:00

Today, Beer! cracks into Otter Creek's flagship beer, their Copper Ale:

Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing

Location: Middlebury, VT

Style: Alt

Brewery Website

Rating: A

Today's tasting is generally considered the flagship beer from Otter Creek, their Copper Ale. True to its name, the Copper Ale pours up copper-amber in color with an off-white, clumpy foam head. The nose has citrus/grapefruit hops notes paired with a pretzely malt aroma.

The overall impression on the palate is a rich, full maltiness paired with crisp hops. The malt has bready & pretzel notes. Hops have a oily bitter note that coat the tongue with a piny note that hints at copper. There is a bit of citrus fruitiness as well. The Otter Creek Copper Ale has a medium body with some oiliness. The finish has slight residual sweetness with bready malt and lingering hops.

The Copper Ale is Otter Creek's flagship beer for good reason. The Copper Ale has rich, full malt with nice, dry/piny bitter hops as a compliment. I've found that the Copper Ale is even better on tap, but draft quality can be approximated by using a good, firm pour from bottle. If you've never tried the Otter Creek Copper Ale, you're missing out. If you're familiar with the Copper Ale, maybe it's time to grab a sixer and revisit an old friend.

Radeberger Pilsner

2011-05-13T11:30:00.004-04:00

Beer! is finally wrapping up our spring Pilsner tastings with one last stop in Germany:

Brewery: Radeberger Exportbierbrauerei

Location: Radeberg, Germany

Style: Pilsner

Brewery Website

Rating: B-

Our next stop on our German Pilsner quest is Radeberger. The Radeberger Pilsner pours up straw yellow with a hint of gold. A firm pour ends up with a thick, clumpy white head. The nose is rather light. There are some lager malt aromas along with some floral notes (jasmine comes to mind).

The first taste finds a light, clean lager malt. It takes a while, but some bitter hops do show up at the party after a bit. There is a dry malt flavor of pasta dough with some spice and bitter hops notes. The Radeberger Pilsner is light bodied with plenty of carbonation. The finish finds more dry malt taking on a saltine character along with some lingering spicy hop bitterness.

The Radeberger Pilsner is very clean and crisp, with none of the off-flavors found in some Euro Pils (mainly the green-bottle variety). There is a decent amount of hops once you wade in. But for my tastes, this is just too light in flavor. If you’re a light beer drinker, then this may be a good introduction beer. Otherwise, I’ll be reaching for something with a bit more flavor.