Sorry for the lack of posts as of late, I am in the midst of moving and we've turned off the Internet at my current place until we move to the new one. Hopefully this week I will get some good beers in as I am planning on meeting some folks at Bukowski's Tavern which has an awesome selection of beers as well as a "Wheel of Indecision" where the bartenders spin a wheel and pick your beer. Sounds like my kind of place.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Peroni Brewery, Rome, Italy
The Peroni Nastro Azzurro has given me some hope that I can enjoy a beer containing Saaz hops. I enjoyed a few of these Peroni's the other night at dinner and I found the beer did resemble the dreaded Pilseners I've had, but it didn't have that hoppy overbite that I previously attributed to the Saaz hop. It was a more constrained flavor that I found, with a hint of citrus flavors. The beer has a 5.1% ABV. The beer apparently battles Moretti for dominance in Italian restaurants as the Italian beer to have. Although, as far as marketing purposes, I give the nod to the mustachioed Moretti. The Peroni gets a 3.0.
Smuttynose IPA, Smuttynose Brewing Co., Portsmouth, NH
Sunday, June 22, 2008
American Craft Beer Fest - It Was AWESOME!!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Fire Rock Pale Ale, Kona Brewing Company, Honolulu, HI
Overdue Update
Sorry for the lack of content as of late, but I've encountered a few problems in getting some new beers reviewed. First off, I've been in the process of moving which sucks. Secondly, I've hit some restaurants/bars with such a generic offering of beers I haven't been trying anything new. This weekend however I am hitting the American Craft Beer Fest so I should have a few things to write about when my headache goes away. Lastly several readers have pointed out an error in my rankings (yes I am fallible), I underanked the Harpoon IPA, this is definitely a 4, not a 3.5. I've changed accordingly. I cannot believe I ranked it low as it is an all time favorite of mine. Mea culpa.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Harpoon IPA, Harpoon Brewery, South Boston, MA
Harpoon IPA has long been a favorite of mine and I credit this beer as the beer that turned me on to IPAs in the first place. The Harpoon is decidedly strong, and you are cognizant of that fact from the first whiff of hops as you put the glass to your lips. The first sip brings an onslaught of Cascade hops, that eases into a tangy bitterness. The beer finishes with a surprising fruitiness. The IPA has 5.9% ABV, but if you've ever attended a Harpoonfest, your head thinks this might be understated the following morning. I rate the Harpoon IPA a 4.5.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Weekend Notes
Not too much to report this weekend. I spent too much of the time moving, not enough drinking. I will have one or two reviews though this week. Just a quick link here for those in the Boston area. Boston.com surveyed the local beer bars. Pretty interesting.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Shipyard Fuggles IPA, Shipyard Brewing Co., Portland, Maine
The Fuggles IPA is not your father's IPA. I'd classify it as a more a Heffewizen as it has a lighter summery feel. There is a bitter wheatish taste and the end of the sip. The opening sip is dominated by a fruity flavor that leads into a hop tardiness that struggles to overpower the fruitiness and ultimately fails. This is the perfect IPA for a person who doesn't want an IPA, but wants to look cool by ordering an IPA. The ABV on the Fuggles IPA is 5.8%, not too shabby. This isn't an IPA I'd order if I were looking for an IPA, but I could see the benefits of drinking this on a nice summer afternoon. The rating is 2.5.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Belhaven Scottish Ale, Belhaven Brewery, Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland
I checked out the Belhaven Scottish Ale at dinner and I was not totally on board with it. It's never a good sign when you need someone else to taste the beer because you think it's flat and they tell you that's how it's supposed to taste. Giving the Ale a second chance I was able to detect light malt accents in this subdued creamy ale. The creaminess really overpowers the other beer elements. The beer was surprisingly refreshing, although it's relatively low 3.9% ABV is a detriment. I rate this a 2.5.