Review: Augustiner Bräu Lagerbier Hell

Augustiner Bräu Lagerbier Hell from Augustiner-Bräu Wagner KG
Rating: B+

A Christmas present from a Bavarian friend, enjoyed on Christmas day at her place outside of Munich.

Appearance: Straw color, very clear, good head and retention, some lacing.

Smell: Predominantly grassy hops aroma, with a bit of herbal earthiness and DMS

Taste: Rather light. Grassiness, solid bitterness but finishing on a sweet malt note. Good, but not exceptional.

Mouthfeel: Light body, good carbonation. Good for the style.
Drinkabilitz: Very drinkable, and from what I hear an excellent value. I have seen this being drunk all over Munich.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 12-25-2007 22:14:01

Review: Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel

Andechser Doppelbock Dunkel from Klosterbrauerei Andechs
Rating: A-

Wow, first beer to review with the new system. Also, first beer reviewed from Germany on a German kezboard, with the z and y switched, so here goes...

Appearance: lighter in color than I was expecting, more orange or garnet than deep and dark. Big off white head with good retention, but leaving little lacing.

Smell: dark fruits, toast, brown sugar... surprised by all the fruit, in a lager. no hint of smoke, which i love in ayinger's celebrator.

Taste: raisin, brown bread, bit of roast & toast, brown sugar. malt is the star, but there is enough hops bitterness to balance. never becomes cloying.

Mouthfeel: medium body, bordering on full. reasonable carbonation.

Drinkability: I now have a second favorite Doppelbock. Glad to be in Bavaria at the moment, and looking forward to a brewery tour in a couple of days. Hopefully the beer there will be as good as this Andechs offering..

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 12-25-2007 22:06:55

Review: Black Sheep Ale (Special)

Black Sheep Ale (Special) from Black Sheep Brewery PLC
Rating: B-


Appearance: copper color with almost a pink tint. Good sized head with (oddly) large bubbles. Decent retention, some lacing.

Smell: Crisp, toast/biscuit malt aromas, earthy hops.

Taste: Solid but easy bitterness, hop flavors are subtle - herbal. Aftertaste is pleasant and lingering. Malt character is subdued - just a hint of toasted grain.

Mouthfeel: prickly carbonation, light-medium body.

Drinkability: easy drinking, good

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 12-17-2007 00:07:11

Black Sheep Ale

Review: McEwan's No.1 Champion

McEwan's No.1 Champion from Scottish Courage Ltd.
Rating: B+

Wasn't expecting this to be a scotch ale when I bought it. Not my favorite style, but we'll give it a go.

Appearance: Garnet in color, two finger off-white head with good retention, and lacing.

Smell: warm, hints of vanilla, with some hints of roast malt.

Taste: creamy, some toffee, slight molasses but balanced by hops bitterness. Some dark fruit. Very nice, actually. Not too sweet, which is my usual complaint for this style.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, creamy, good carbonation.

Drinkability: A good beer, by any measure.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 12-14-2007 17:54:08

Review: Golden Champion

Golden Champion from Badger Brewery, Hall and Woodhouse
Rating: B

Appearance: honey colored, clear, moderate retention and some lacing. fairly attractive

Smell: intensely floral aroma. first sweet and perfumed, resolves to a more spicy/floral hop aroma.

Taste: reminds me of a Florida-brewed rose hip beer that I had once, except much better. Floral, but with a solid bitterness that keeps it from being too sweet. Malt brings up the rear, resolving to (again) a floral finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, good carbonation.

Drinkability: Much better than I was expecting after I saw this was an elderflower beer!

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 12-12-2007 23:43:07

Review: Tiger Beer

Tiger Beer from Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd.
Rating: C-

Appearance: slightly more color than your typical example of this style, very little head retention. very clear.

Smell: grainy smell dominates. sweet. a bit of DMS early on but that fades. at least it comes out of a brown bottle!

Taste: sweet on the front of the palate but finishes with a husky dryness.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly oily mouthfeel. Good carbonation level

Drinkability: Better than most lagers available on the Chinese mainland.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 12-12-2007 23:12:15

Review: Kronenbourg 1664

Kronenbourg 1664 from Brasseries Kronenbourg
Rating: C+

I've really neglected reviewing since I got to England - I've been drinking plenty of beer, just haven't had the time to contemplate on it and do a serious review while drinking. I decided to get back in the habit, and unfortunately this was the only pre-chilled beer in the house.

Appearance: Pale gold/straw in color, big head which fades quickly. No retention or lacing.

Smell: Sweet malt, green bottle smell even though it came out of a can. Grainy, green grass, alcohol slightly present.

Taste: Better than it smells. Grassy hops, dry graininess that keeps the malts from becoming cloying. Finishes dry, with a lingering hop finish that's not unpleasant. Pretty good for the style.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, light-medium body, prickly carbonation.

Drinkability: Easy-drinking lager, could be a lot worse. More hops than your typical Euro pale lager.

Serving type: can

Reviewed on: 12-11-2007 21:17:20

Kronenbourg 1664

Consolidation Storm Brewing

With rising ingredient and shipping costs, a "consolidation storm is brewing" in the beer industry, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A week after two of America's iconic brewers said they will combine forces, two European titans, Heineken NV and Carlsberg AS, said yesterday that they have formed a consortium to bid for the United Kingdom's best-selling brewer, Scottish & Newcastle PLC...

The announcement followed news that London's SABMiller PLC planned to combine its U.S. unit, Miller Brewing Co., with the U.S. division of Molson Coors Brewing Co., creating a joint venture called MillerCoors.

In addition to the already cited rising costs, the moves are a reaction to "to shifts in beer-drinking habits across the globe. In Western Europe and the U.S., beer sales growth is sluggish amid increasing competition from wine and spirits."

Thanks to Howard for the news tip.

Review: Parkers Porter

Parkers Porter from City Of Cambridge Brewery Company Limited
Rating: C+

Looks like cola in the glass. Little head, little retention. Bubbles cling to the sides of the glass. Smells weak, with some nut & caramel. Taste is cola-like, with some slight burnt character. Uninspired. Mouthfeel is light-medium, lighter than I was expecting. Carbonation is mild. Drinkability is low. I didn't want to finish the bottle and shared - which was met with a weak reaction. Won't be buying again.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-22-2007 23:07:50

Review: De Ranke XX Bitter

De Ranke XX Bitter from Brouwerij De Ranke
Rating: A-

Was happy to find this on my first trip to the beer store in Cambridge.

Appearance: Golden in color, a tad hazy (but I had walked it all the way across town...), exceptional head retention and lacing.

Smell: Hops: citrus, belgian yeast: spice.

Taste: Solid bitterness, with lots of Belgian yeast flavor. Finishes dry. Reminds me of my homebrewed Belgian IPA, but better.

Mouthfeel: Light-medium body, good carbonation.

Drinkability: high!

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 09-22-2007 23:03:40