Drink reviews from TheGoodDrink.com http://www.thegooddrink.com Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:18:49 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thegooddrink.com/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png http://www.thegooddrink.com Drink reviews from TheGoodDrink.com http://www.thegooddrink.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=155&Itemid=57 Oscar Blues is famous for producing extremely high quality beer and packaging it in cans.  Gordon Ale's green and silver can stared me in the face for months before trying it.  It was almost like it was speaking to me, daring me to drink it.  I should have listened sooner.  I'm a big fan of some of Oscar Blues' other offerings: Ten Fidy Imperial Stout is one of my favorite Imperials (try it with ice cream) and Dale's Pale Ale is an amazing pale ale I can enjoy any time of day or night, 365 days a year.  Little did I know that I was leaving my favorite Oscar Blues beer on the shelf... until now.  Gordon Ale pours a gorgeous reddish/amber and leaves a nice thick 3/4" head ready to blow your mind with tangerines, flowers, and even a little bread.  The aromas off this beer are explosive and vibrant.  Beers that can smell this delicious really leave and impression on me.  The mouthfeel is thick and sticky with bitter hops gripping your palate with an iron fist then sprinkling flowers and honey on it, then squirting some tangerine juice in your mouth and screaming "SO THERE!" in your... Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:19:34 +0100 http://www.thegooddrink.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=154&Itemid=57 Saranac finally made it to Tennessee and now that it's being distributed, I couldn't be happier.  Saranac is made in Utica, NY and is a regional favorite in the Northeast.  The brewery sponsors concerts every Thursday nights where the proceeds go to the United Way, so if you're in the area, get out and enjoy some good music, good beer, and help out the United Way while you're at it! The pale ale is the first variety I'm trying and I'm quite enjoying it.  It pours a very nice burnt orange color with a quarter inch head that quickly dissipates to a thin film.  The nose is dominated with pine and grapefruit with more subtle orange notes coming out as it opens up.  The mouthfeel is very dry and bitter, *very* hop-forward.  I don't get much of the malt character, which is a little disappointing, but it's an enjoyable beverage nonetheless.  This is definitely a beer for the hopheads out there and it's not the most complex brew on earth; however, this beer can be very enjoyable paired with pizza, stew, or a steak.Overall, I'll have to recommend it if you've never tried it.  No, it's not my favorite pale ale... Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:06:06 +0100 http://www.thegooddrink.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=149&Itemid=57 Rogue has teamed up with Captain Sig from the Northwestern, one of the crab boats featured on Discovery's Deadliest Catch, to produce Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale (http://www.rogue.com/beers/northwestern-ale.php), which is honestly the best red ale I've ever had.  Portions of the proceeds generated by this one-time brew will go to the Fisherman's Fund which aids injured fishermen in Alaska.  Captain Sig and the Northwestern crew are my favorite crew on Deadliest Catch, one of few television shows that really interests me because they are some of the most hardcore individuals on the planet.  Not to take a way from any of the other brave crews on the Bering Sea, it's just that the Northwestern crew's attitudes remind me of my own. Northwestern Ale really pours more like an amber ale than a red ale, but I won't argue with Rogue on the matter.  The nose on this is exquisite.  It's sweet yet earthy.  I pick up notes of orange and horehound and I'm absolutely enamored with that combination all of a sudden.  I'll have to get some horehound candy and an orange and try the combination.  The hops are evident, but they are beautifully floral rather than bitter.  As you take... Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:31:54 +0100 http://www.thegooddrink.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=148&Itemid=57 This is yet another first for me.  I saw Misery Bay IPA and the packaging intrigued me.  It shows some patriotic looking fellows rowing a boat with one guy pointing and "No, I think the brewery is THAT way" written as his speech.  This made me think I MUST have been this guy in a past life!  Erie Brewing Co. calls Erie, PA home and was founded in 1993.  It has been expanding ever since and I can see why.  The quality of this beer is solid, honest, and true.  It may not have the flair of Flying Dog, Rogue, or Stone, but it stands on its own merits.It pours golden brown with a half inch tan head.  Apricot stands out on the nose, though this is NOT an apricot beer.  I'm curious to know what yeast was used in this brew.  The hops add some very nice floral aromas and the malts are downright creamy smelling.  There is even some citrus sneaking through and the transitions from the bitter hop smell to the flowers to the citrus really give you an idea of what you can expect from this beer.  Misery Bay smells delicious!  The hops explode on the... Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:35:32 +0100 http://www.thegooddrink.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=147&Itemid=57 Urthel (http://www.urthel.com/) is new territory for me.  I saw Samaranth (http://www.urthel.com/MNSamENG.htm) amongst several of their brews and I was enchanted by the name.  It was different and interesting and, it turns out, reflects the qualities of the beer in the bottle.  Urthel is made by De Koningshoeven and WAS made by InBev from 1969 to 1980 but is now a subsidiary of Bavaria - Netherlands.  It is made by Trappist monks and in 2005, the rights to use the Authentic Trappist Product logo were restored to Urthel.  So now, Urthel is once again real beer made by real monks.Samaranth pours a beautiful golden brown with a thick head with large bubbles.  The aromas are dark fruits, dark malts, yeast and brown sugar.  The alcohol does come through on the nose but at 11% abv, that's nearly unavoidable.  Let me go ahead and warn you, if you're not a fan of sweet, malty beers... Samaranth is not for you.  The malts are vengeful here.  I get very strong molasses on the palate that coats the palate very well.  I get a tinge of citrus on the very tail end of the finish, but other than that, it's nothing but molasses, brown... Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:56:24 +0100