Monday 30 January 2006

Review: Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer

Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Rating: B-

Pale and slightly cloudy amber appearance, slight lacing and a solid amount of bubbles tracing up inside the glass.

Smells of bread, yeast, citrus and a touch of... spice?

Taste is notable for the hoppy bitterness on the trailing edge, much more so than your typical wheat beer. Lemon undertones.

Mouth feel is very crisp, good carbonation, hops linger in your mouth...

Drinkability isn't especially notable. The citrus makes it a bit more "refreshing" than your usual wheat beer, but at the cost of other characteristics.

SN loves it's hops! Overall a good beer, but too overhopped to be representative of the style. The flavors that usually come out in wheat beers never have a chance in this one.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 01-30-2006 01:18:20

Friday 27 January 2006

Review: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Rating: B+

Not as much head as I'd expected when poured... nice color, a darker amber than I expected.

Smells of malt and hops. Surprising for its lack of much else. This is how beer should smell, straight-up.

Hops are the dominant flavor here. This is beer, brewed well and not trying to be anything else.

Mouthfeel is very crisp, carbonation and bitterness give a nice bite at first.

A fine beer, but drinkability isn't exceptional. Maybe a stylistic choice.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 01-27-2006 01:29:51


Friday 20 January 2006

Review: Hoegaarden Original White Ale

Hoegaarden Original White Ale from Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
Rating: A-

Pours a very nice cloudy gold color with an agreeable amount of head.

Nose is a touch sour at first (i guess other reviewers called it citrus-y) but develops nicely into fruit and yeast.

Tastes great, of wheat, yeast, a little sweetness... resolves into a refreshing fruitiness that makes this beer extremely drinkable.

Not a whole lot of carbonation to the mouthfeel, which places the focus squarely on the flavor of the beer.

All around, a very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 01-20-2006 22:12:06


Wednesday 4 January 2006

Review: Noche Buena 2005

Noche Buena 2005 from Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
Rating: B+

Read up on Mexican brews before my trip to Cancun last week, and made a point of sampling a few while I was there. Since this was December, I was excited at the prospect of trying a Noche Buena, but I was surprised at how difficult it turned out to be, since they're not carried by the touristy bars and hotels and it was getting late in the season for it. I wound up having to enlist the help of a waitress, who said she'd track them down and meet me the next day for delivery. Brought a couple back to the U.S., along with a Victoria.

Pours a very pretty dark honey, little lacing and a consistent bubbles of carbonation that continue for a long while.

Pleasant smell, malty with a touch of sweet and holiday spice (curious how much of the latter is illusory, association with the name)

Crisp taste, malt and a bit of sweet. Resolves nicely into a hoppy aftertaste.

Good amount of carbonation and otherwise pleasant mouthfeel, but unextroidinary. Not a whole lot there, but nothing unpleasant either.

It's a beer that would be very easy to drink down quickly, but good enough to know that you shouldn't. Light enough to drink several, but satisfying enough to stop after one, too. Recommended.

(first review on BA)

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 01-04-2006 01:56:27