Review: Hoptoberfest

Hoptoberfest from Hops Grillhouse & Brewery
Rating: B-

I should note that I spoke with the new brewer at the location, and he indicated that the beers currently on tap were not "up to spec" and he was replacing the old brewer fr that reason.

Appearance: Much lighter in color than I'd expect from an Octoberfest. More golden than anything else. Very small head, but that may be due to the pour.

Smell: Very little in the way of aroma. Some malt presence as you'd expect, but very mild.

Taste: Crisp, but very mild.
Taste: Some caramel and toast flavors present, very mild hops. Very light in the flavor department, disappointing.

Mouthfeel: Light body, good carbonation.

Drinkability: Easy-drinking, but not something I'll order again.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 09-12-2006 00:04:39

Review: Alligator Ale

Alligator Ale from Hops Grillhouse & Brewery
Rating: B-

The brewer described this, so that's what I'm listing it as, even though the corporate list has it categorized as an English Brown Ale. I should note that I spoke with the new brewer at the location, and he indicated that the beers currently on tap were not "up to spec" and he was replacing the old brewer fr that reason.

Appearance: Dark brown with ruby highlights, little in the way of head or lacing, but that might be due to the pour.

Smell: Coffee and caramel aroma.

Taste: Cola (caramel, I suppose), coffee, and a chocolate aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: surprisingly light, too light for a porter. Carbonation is good.

Drinkability: It's light in flavor, but clearly intentionally so, accessibility being an important consideration for this kind of brewpub. I had this and the Hoptoberfest, and I preferred the Alligator.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 09-11-2006 23:57:57

Review: Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock

Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock from Kulmbacher Brauerei AG
Rating: B-

Sampled at Stubbie in Gainesville, my first eisbock.

Appearance: Very dark in the glass, with some purple highlights. Moderate head without much retention or lacing.

Smell: Alcohol and malt, obviously, but there's something else there that's a bit weird. A friend described it as "fishy," but "oily" might be a better descriptor. Dark fruit and caramel in the background.

Taste: No attempt to conceal alcohol, although I suppose that should be expected in this style. Malty, caramel, but also with lots more dark fruit than I would expect coming from lager yeast.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, and a slick mouthfeel.

Drinkability: It took me a while to put this one down, I don't know if it's the style or this one in particular, but I wasn't a big fan.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-10-2006 15:21:58

Kulmbacher Eisbock

Review: Punkin' Ale

Punkin' Ale from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Rating: B

I bottled my homebrew pumpkin ale the same day that I tried this, so I was very curious to see how the sample I had at bottling time compared with this, the first commercial pumpkin beer I've tried.

Appearance: Pours a fairly orange color, clearer than I expected (much clearer than my homebrew pumpkin ale, anyway). Minor white head and lacing.

Smell: Acidic-smelling, if that makes sense, pumpkin and spice are present.

Taste: The flavor profile is surprisingly similar to what I had earlier in the day, which is obviously pleasing. Pumpkin is there, but not in an in-your-face pumpkin pie kind of way. Spices are more present than hops, which are scarcely detectable as far as flavor goes, but balance the sweetness well.

Mouthfeel: light body, good carbonation. I'd like to try a thick pumpkin beer sometime, that's a bit more like "pumpkin pie in a glass"

Drinkability: It's obviously not an every-day beer, but for an off-beat beer it's pretty accessible and there's enough complexity to appeal to serious beer drinkers, as well.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-10-2006 15:14:56

Review: Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale

Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale from Heather Ale Ltd. / The Brewery Craigmill
Rating: B+

Appearance: Very dark russet brown in appearance with a nice two-finger head. Surprisingly rocky head, good retention, and minor lacing.

Smell: Malty aroma, with some oats and a dark, fruity sweetness in the background.

Taste: Surprisingly roasty, which for me at least became the dominant flavor, with the berries in the background. Finishes dry. Reminiscent of a porter, with bitter chocolate and a touch of coffee flavor present. Woody, tannic aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Rather slick, carbonation seems right.

Drinkability: This is my favorite of the pack so far (only the Alba remains). I'd buy this again, if it was available on its own. I did think the elderberry would be more prominent, though.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-08-2006 23:25:53

Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale

Review: St. Bernardus Abt 12

St. Bernardus Abt 12 from Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Rating: A

Appearance: Dark, ruddy brown. It had been sitting in my fridge long enough that it was fairly clear. Big head that lasted forever, with beautiful lacing. Exceptional.

Smell: Bubble gum, dark fruit, earthy grassiness, and alcohol.

Taste: Dark fruit, bubble gum. Alcohol better covered in the taste than it is in the aroma. Doesn't finish too sweet. Very good.

Mouthfeel: Silky mouthfeel, good carbonation.

Drinkability: High! I wish I hadn't split this 750 ml bottle four-ways, and saved it all for me instead. Goes down very easy for 10% abv. Drank this while brewing - next time I'll try it when I'm not so busy and enjoy it a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-07-2006 02:42:13

St. Bernardus Abt 12

Review: Fraoch Heather Ale

Fraoch Heather Ale from Heather Ale Ltd. / The Brewery Craigmill
Rating: B+

Appearance: pours a very pretty golden honey color, with a small head. Nothing great about retention or lacing.

Smell: Floral, with some sweet caramel and a smoky earthiness which at first I thought was left over from barbecueing yesterday. I wish I had a better idea of what heather smells like so I could look for it here, but it's not jumping right out at me.

Taste: Crisp, floral (I don't make a habit of eating flowers, but if I did I'm sure this is what heather would taste like). Some herbal character as well, that binds it together with an earthy malt base. Finishes dry. Very nice.

Mouthfeel: Light-medium body, carbonation is a bit high but I think it works well for what this beer is - very crisp!

Drinkability: High, I like this one quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-04-2006 18:30:11

Fraoch Heather Ale 500ml

Review: Titan IPA

Titan IPA from Great Divide Brewing Company
Rating: A-

Had this one at Stubbie in Gainesville.

Appearance is fairly typical of an IPA, orangey color with good head. Some lacing. Smell is of fresh hops on top of a malt base, as you'd expect. For whatever reason, I found this to be maltier-tasting than the Hercules, surprising because this is the AIPA while Hercules is the DIPA. It's all about balance, I suppose, and I think Hercules struck it better. Not that this wasn't good, mind you. Good mouthfeel and carbonation, drinkability is good as well, although not as good as the Hercules.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-02-2006 06:44:49

Great Divide Titan IPA

Review: Hercules Double IPA

Hercules Double IPA from Great Divide Brewing Company
Rating: A-

Had this one at Stubbie in Gainesville.

Typical color for a DIPA, kind of a dark orange. Decent head, with good retention. Smell is massive hops, with a sweet malt base. Taste is juicy hops, straight up. Malt is present, but in the background. For a double IPA, I found this one to strike the right balance. A better balanced brew than DFH 90 min, I think. Mouthfeel is somewhat lighter than some DIPA's, but still medium bodied. Good carbonation. As far as drinkability, I drank it somewhat slow, but because I wanted to savor it and I was paying for it, not because it wasn't highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-02-2006 06:40:12

Review: Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Samuel Adams Octoberfest from Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams)

Rating: B

Appearance: Nice looking beer, hard to determine whether it's more red or orange in the glass, very clear. Decent head, but lackluster retention and lacing. I find the color striking.

Smell: Some malt and nutmeg aromas, but fairly clean as a lager, with some noble hops in the background.

Taste: At first my friend and I were surprised at how little flavor we were getting out of this one. It tasted almost watery - after warming in the glass for a bit, though, flavor finally started to come out and continued to improve down to the bottom of the glass. Definitely don't serve this one at refrigerator temperatures. Malt is the big stand out, of course, with some earthiness, and a very clean finish. Somewhat toasty, with enough hops to balance the malts.

Mouthfeel: Fairly light mouthfeel, good carbonation.

Drinkability: Pretty high, but not my favorite of the Sam Adams lineup. Didn't meet my expectations, at least.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-01-2006 04:11:53