Sorry guys, life’s been kinda hectic lately and the blog has had to go on the back burner for a bit. I’ll be back though, I promise!
Saranac Helles Lager
April bought a 10 pack of craft beers a while ago, and has been pawning the ones she she doesn’t like off on me sharing them graciously with me. I had an IPA from her a while ago, but didn’t blog it (too bad). But I’m doing this one! Woohoo! Party! Radical dude! Huh? Oh, right, back to work.
The Verdict:
The color is nice, a light golden, like waves of wheat wafting in the wind. Holy Guinness, I love alliteration! Very nice aroma, it’s citrus and malt and a hint of hops. Good smell. Too bad it’s not as flavorful as it smells. A little bit of grain with with the lemon barely making its way back. Kinda light, very refreshing and, kinda….light. Light.
What Have We Learned?
When I lamented to April on how light the flavor was, she responded with, “Well, it’s a lager”. Where is it written that lager have to be light in flavor to the point of almost tasteless? I’ve had some very flavorful lagers before, to the point that having a flavorless one is downright disappointing. I do enjoy lagers, but not this one.
Coming up, you’ve heard of different kinds of hops. If you haven’t, yes there’s more than one. What do they do? Let’s find out?
-Dex
Spanish Peaks Brewing Honey Raspberry Ale
When April’s dad went to Oregon for a woodcarving class, he brought back a couple of beers for me. This is one of them. The other is the Ninkasi in the fridge I mentioned earlier. If you’re going to go anywhere for beer, Oregon is definitely the place! Thanks Allan! Er….Mr. (Insert my girlfriends last name here)….sir.
The Verdict:
Wow, nice color. Got a tinge of red to it. Very nice. I can smell some raspberry, but its not overwhelming. I can at least smell the beer too. The mouthfeel is thick but the flavor is light. The raspberry is there, but there definitely isn’t in your face with it. It also has a hint of sweetness at the end, but it’s not a sweet beer. It’s got a little bit of something, but not too much. A littl light on the beer side of things, but otherwise, a nice balance.
What Have We Learned?
Well, well, well, not a bad first taste coming back from the break. Also, I wonder if this raspberry flavored beer thing is going to become big. I kind of hope not. Kinda girly for my tastes. If I want fruit in my beer that badly, I’ll have a cider. That’s what they’re there for. Or a fruity malt beverage, if I also want a hangover.
On a related note! This is my 50th beer! YAY! I’m kinda surprised I’ve gone this long, considering how distracted I get. But here’s hoping for 50 more! At least. Congratulations and presents may be sent to beerdaily@gmail.com
-Dex
Kona Brewing Longboard Lager
One of the other culinary school students told me about this beer when he learned about my blog. He’ll probably never read this (Hi Robbie!), but I saw the beer in a restaurant and decided to give it a shot, seeing he said it was the best lager he’s ever had. He’s from Hawaii though, so hes probably just biased…we shall see.
The Verdict:
I get the pint glass of golden elixir, and stick my nose in for a whiff. Some grain and a little bit of lemon. Off to a good start. The flavor is very malty, with the slightest hint of lemon. Nice and smooth. I love refreshing summer beers like this on a hot day like that. It wasn’t heavy, but it was full flavored.
What Have We Learned?
Well this wasn’t my number one favorite lager ever, but I’d have to say it’s in the top three. Definitely not bad. I can see why its Kona’s flagship beer. Yet another beer to bring a 6-pack of to a BBQ. Will keep everyone cool and quench thirst, but won’t kill your palate so the food is still good. And when I’M grilling, it’s GOOD.
Backlog is done! Tasting can resume! Huzzah!
-Dex
Unibroue Terrible
No, I’m not judging it already, that’s seriously it’s name. Which doesn’t bode well for how it will taste. Then again the last beer I tried from them was called “The End of The World”, and I’m still here, so I guess that’s just their thing. Another BIG bottle of VERY high alcohol beer (10.5%). Good thing I’ve got April to help me with this one.
The Verdict:
Wow. OK, this IS a bottle of beer, right? Because it smells like wine. Ok, there’s enough malt in the smell to make me think it’s not just wine. The flavor is, dare I say….nice! Malty, a little dry, a little acidic (kinda winey), and a little bit of chocolate too. Wasn’t expecting the chocolate, but it was a welcome addition. Almost tasted like a dry Chardonnay poured into a pint of Smithwicks. In all the good ways. I couldn’t really taste the alcohol, but I certainly felt it when I was done, as evidenced by the fact that my notes are….quite hard to read at the end.
What Have We Learned?
Well we’re 1 for 2 on Unibroue beers. This was WAY better than Le Fin du Monde. Looks like the next beer by them that I’ll have to try is Trois Pistoles. You know what, I bet that it’s……::Googles::…Yup, 9% ABV. Crazy Canadians are trying to kill me….but I continue to sacrifice for my craft. If I don’t post after I taste that, you know what to do. Wait for me to get off my lazy ass and post again. Blame Canada.
-Dex
Ninkasi Believer Double Red Ale
When I went to the Hop N’ Barley beer fest, I tried a Ninkasi beer, and it was pretty good. Don’t really remember which one it was (I had quite a few that day), but I remember it wasn’t this one. Or another one that’s currently sitting in my fridge. So that much we know. Now let’s find out if there’s a red out there I like!
The Verdict:
Well, it’s definitely red. I’ll give it that. Malt aromas abound. Along with…hops? Not typical for the reds I’ve tried. Wow, it really comes out in the flavor as well. As the initial hop flavor fades, some malt and a little apple pop in to say hi. Hard to get over that initial hops shot though. Tastes more like a pale ale, or really more like an IPA, than a red. Not a fantastic IPA either. Not what I was expecting at all. I like it less the more of it I drink.
What Have We Learned?
That either Ninkasi has a loose definition of a red, or I do. Obviously, my experience of reds is not huge, but that didn’t taste anything like any red I’ve ever had. Soon, I’ll tackle the other Ninkasi beer in my fridge, and we shall see if it tastes anything like what it says on the label. More reports as events warrant. Over and out.
-Dex
Bellhaven Scottish Ale
Another Bevmo trip, another beer grabbed exactly at random.Hey why not, I’ve found a couple good beers that way so far! A Scottish ale. Hm, why not. They’re close to both the Irish and the English, who have proven that they know what they’re doing…most of the time.
The Verdict:
Well, were off the a good start. I like the color, and the smell. Well, I liked the smell after the original smell faded. The original smell was……feet? Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. However, it was soon replaced with grain and malt. Cool. Much better than feet, or whatever that was. The flavor is grain malt and alcohol, but in a strange combination. I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t really like it. It’s not undrinkable, but I won’t be getting it again.
What Have We Learned?
Well I’m going to have to hunt down another Scottish ale, because there’s no way that all Scottish ales aren’t good. In fact, I will search diligently until I find one. The blog demands it. Such is my burden. Such is my….wait, that’s not a burden! That’s freakin’ awesome! I love my life. Not this beer however. So yeah. We learned that. Yay!
-Dex
Sagres Preta Dark Ale
Another special night with my girl, another new restaurant (a Cuban place), another line of beers I’ve never seen before. Pretty much all of them were foreign to me, so I decided on the one with the nicest sounding name. Later on, I asked for a Colombian soda with a shot of rum in it, which was foreign to them, so I guess were even.
The Verdict:
The server brings the pint glass and I smell some grain. Hmmmmm. Not much else. Maybe a HINT of coffee. The flavor, while not as heavy or rich as I was expecting, was good, and went well with what we ate. A little roasted malt and some chocolate. Smooth and light. A little bit of coffee came out later on the glass. Maybe what I was eating had an effect on that though.
What Have We Learned?
Makes me wonder, in hindsight, if I should count the flavor that comes later in the glass when I’m eating. Maybe, because what I’m eating might bring out flavors in the beer I didn’t taste before. Maybe not, because what I’m eating might cover up some flavors in the beer I would taste otherwise. Hm. What do you think? Yes you. No, not you. YOU. I’m looking right at you. Drop me a line at beerdaily@gmail.com, or on Twitter, @beerdailyblog. Or, you know, you could leave a comment here. Up to you.
-Dex
Sam Adams Imperial Stout
I saw this one before, but passed it by. Purple box, only four to a pack, and expensive? But I do like the Sam Adams beers I’ve tried. Ok ok, This time I can’t resist. Mmmmm, Imperial Stout. I’ve had a couple Imperial Stouts before (like Stone’s Russian Imperial Stout), and they’re always extremely flavorful beers. Just what I’m in the mood for.
The Verdict:
I open the bottle and even before I pour it into the glass, I smell strong chocolate and….what is that? I pour it into the glass and still get chocolate, but it fades into….soy sauce? I’m not sure what I expected less. To smell a little soy sauce in my beer, or to be happy about the fact that I smell a little soy sauce in my beer. I take a sip, get a thick mouthfeel and flavors of….holy crap. Did I just get kicked in the face?. Woah. I need another sip to catch everything that just happened in my mouth. Strong chocolate and alcohol flavors, followed by a little coffee….and…..yup, there’s that soy sauce again. I actually needed to drink three or four times to get all the flavors in the beer down. VERY flavorful, very complex, changing several times thoughout the mouthful. Awesome.
What Have We Learned?
That I need to wear a helmet next time I drink this beer, to avoid getting knocked out when it kicks me in the face! (Also, so it won’t make a mess when the beer BLOWS MY MIND) Man, this beer was good. Great flavor, great complexity. Some sweet, some bitter. Good balance. At first I was disappointed because I was only getting four for the price. Now I realize it’s worth the price, but I’m disappointed because I only have four of them.
Tomorrow, we’re traveling the globe. To where? I’m not telling. Stay Tuned.
-Dex
James Boag’s Premium Lager
Honestly, I walked into Bevmo, and grabbed the first beer I laid eyes on. Hey, they were about 5 minutes to closing when I walked in! Also, if I’m going to be random and impartial, then grabbing the first beer I see is the way to go, even if its a….Tasmanian Lager? OK, THAT is random. Time to be impartial!
The Verdict:
Well, the color is a nice gold. Color is usually indicative of flavor, so off to a good start. I get a malty smell with a little grain as well. The taste isn’t super strong, but the flavor is good. There’s that grain and malt again. As those fade, I pick up a little….apple too. Nice. A little bit of a funky aftertaste towards the end of the glass, but it still didn’t ruin the beer for me. Will probably even buy this again. Definitely for a party or something. Will beat the pants off the Budweiser everyone else brings.
What Have We Learned?
A decent beer from Tasmania, who knew? When I think Tasmania, I don’t necessarily think lager (I think devils), but my mind may wander that direction from now on. Might have to keep an eye out for more down under brews.
On a completely related note. I’ve temporarily stopped tasting until I finish blogging the backlog. No, I’m not quitting. In fact, I AM working on a blog that will show up soon…….I hope.
-Dex
A New Beer Every Day..... 