Triumphant return?

Let's see just how rusty my beer reviewing skills have become...

Tonight I chose two six-packs, one Sierra Nevada 2008 Anniversary Ale and the other Bridgeport Haymaker Extra Pale Ale.

When I was making my decision, I did not know exactly what style the Anniversary Ale was and it does not list it on the bottle, but I assumed it was a pale ale judging from the time of year (as early to late fall is the season for pale ales) and it turns out that I assumed correctly: according to the website it is an "American-style India Pale Ale". So I guess I can take that as a safe bet that my skills have not waned too awfully much.

Sierra Nevada 2008 Anniversary Ale

Pours easily into a mostly clear, deep amber color with yeast visible in perfect suspension, not a lot of work to keep the frothy white head to a minimum. I poured quickly to get a small head and shook the last half inch of liquid in the bottle to give the head a nice finish. A majority of the froth dissipates after a good 5 minutes, so it is pretty long lasting, but the foam which does remain on the top leaves a beautiful lacing on the glass. Fine bubbles, indicative of natural carbonation from the bottle conditioning process, rise from the bottom of the glass in perpetuity. Maybe my reviewing skills haven't eroded at all.....

Very light mouthfeel with an aroma reminiscent of pine terpenes mixed with flowers. Flavor is at first sweet and fruity which quickly fades to flowers which eventually gives way to a distinct bitter earth and pine flavor. Aftertaste is bitter, citrusy, and very long lasting. Sorry I couldn't get much more descriptive in this section, but pale ales are not exactly known for high complexity.

Bridgeport Haymaker Extra Pale Ale

Pours a bright golden yellow color and is a little more heady than the Sierra Nevada, but still an easy one. I again shook the last half inch of the liquid to finish the pour. Majority of the head does not last as long as in the Sierra Nevada but more remains on the top of the liquid and yet somehow fails to leave the same impressive lacing. Depressing. More yeast is visible suspended in the beer in here, and it does not clump together quite as much, leading to a more cloudy beer. Fewer bubbles rise from the bottom of this beer, but it is definitely bottle conditioned.

The aroma is strong with earth and, oddly, with the scent of a hefeweizen and lacks real complexity. It was complex in that I could not decide exactly how to describe the aroma at first, in fact it took me 20 minutes or more to come up with the words because the hefeweizen scent completely threw me off. Flavor is much the same as the aroma, but with the addition of yeast. The distinct flavor of hefeweizen plus pale ale leads me to believe that wheat is definitely one of the "four malts" they proclaim on the label. The flavor was actually what unlocked the mystery to the aroma for me. Only after drinking about a third of the beer did I find the words to describe this one; obviously it has been a long time since I've had a hefeweizen.... Aftertaste is relatively shortlived, on the order of a few minutes, and barely bitter (at least for my tastes). Mostly a yeasty aftertaste.


Overall

My overall impression of these two brews is strong. I think the Bridgeport would be better suited as a late summer beer, but would suffice as a mid-afternoon beer for the warm, early Oklahoma autumn.

The Sierra Nevada is definitely my favorite of the two, and is the perfect beer for the cool evenings of the entire Oklahoma fall. It also has a more impressive aroma and visual appeal, but the Brideport earns more marks for complexity of flavor.

FINALLY getting around to the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

I promised I would review this beer "soon" like 3 weeks ago, so now I'm making good on that promise.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a very good ale. It pours a decent head with incredible retention which sticks to the glass quite well as the amount of carbonation is superlative. It is a orange-gold color and is unfiltered so you can see some yeast floating around in the liquid (though this particular beer does not have much yeast in the bottle). The aroma is very earthy rather than malty, which stands it apart from other beers that I have tasted. The flavor is also very earthy and this is due to the high hop content of Pale Ales and if you pay close attention they also provide a subtle citrus flavor. The high hop content also makes it quite bitter which would deter the novice drinker, but is very welcome to an experienced taster. The aftertaste stays on the tongue for a much longer time than the average beer and reminds me of the smell of dirt which brings me to the mouthfeel. It feels very bold in the mouth and whetting, but at the same time triggers the brain to "feel" an earthy sensation in the mouth.

Final verdict: not for the novice. You will not enjoy it for all of its unique qualities.

Beer blog SPECIAL!

That's right! I'm doing a special tonight and reviewing not only two beers, but a renowned TRAPPIST ALE!

For those of you who haven't heard of trappist beers, it means that the beer is brewed by or under control of monks in a monastery. This particular bottle is of Chimay Grande Reserve (colloquially known as Chimay Blue label). It is truly a special brew. Also expensive; about $10 for 25 ounces. It comes in sort of a wine bottle and is corked in the same fashion as champagne. It is 9% alcohol by volume (ABV), a very uncommon ABV for a beer. There are three different types of beer brewed in the Chimay brewery, but you can read about those from here or even from the brewery's own website.

It pours a golden brown and being unfiltered, it is very opaque and creates a very small head. The lack of head in this beer is acceptable only due to the quality of the beer and its cost; you don't want to waste the precious elixer to a lot of head. The aroma is predominantly malty but I can faintly detect the scent of alcohol. The flavor is VERY sweet and malty which is best appreciated as you swish the liquid in the mouth. As you let the brew slide down across the palate and past the tongue into the esophagus, the alcohol and yeast is most keenly detected. Surprisingly, there is almost no aftertaste which primes you for another enjoyable sip. The mouthfeel is very big and extremely smooth.

I would compare the release of endorphins this beer prompts the brain to release equivalent to sex. It is truly an incredible beverage. In fact, it has been voted number one beer in the world.

Havest Moon, a seasonal from Blue Moon

Harvest Moon is a pumpkin and nutmeg spiced ale from the brewers of Blue Moon beer. I was wary of trying this one at first due to the pumpkin spice, but it was unnecessary.

The color is an amber-orange, with a relatively decent head retention. It is not at all overcarbonated; the carbonation is well balanced, in fact. The aroma consists entirely of nutmeg, which is a welcome change for a seasonal; I admit this is because I love nutmeg. It tastes vaguely of pumpkin and has a dry mouthfeel. The sweetness overpowers the bitterness of the hops, which is to be expected from a seasonal. Aftertaste is predominantly pumpkin flavored.

The malt in this beer is absolutely undetectable which would make this beer a very good beverage for the inexperienced beer drinker or for those that are not yet used to beer's bitterness.

By the way, it complements Keebler's Pecan Shortbread Sandies surprisingly well.

Well it's my first post

I think I will post on here each time I try a new beer for two reasons. One, to hone my skills in assessing qualities such as flavor, aftertaste, maltiness, hoppiness, carbonation, characteristics of the head formed, aroma, etc. The other, less important, reason I have created this blog has two reasons in itself: a) to help you, the reader, learn more about beer and its finer qualities, and b) to possibly help put an end to the shitty American beer industry in favor of a much more diverse industry.

I feel that rather than simply enjoying the fine beers I drink, I should instead try to determine *why* I enjoy them.

Tonight I had a bottle of Tilburg's Dutch Brown Ale poured into a standard pint glass. The color was, you guessed it, dark brown and slightly tinted with red if viewed in front of a light source. The head was not spectacular, perhaps a quarter inch in depth but it did consist of the smaller bubbles associated with a quality beer, with only a few very small bubbles of carbon dioxide forming on and rising from the inside of the glass. When cold, the full flavor is subdued, suffice it to say very malty without a lot of the bitter hops flavor. A slight acidity can be detected in the mouth and after swallowed it leaves a slight, but pleasant, coating inside the mouth that lasts for several minutes. When warm the malty flavor is still apparent, but contains a hint of cinnamon flavor in the aftertaste with the same hops characteristics. I think this beer would pair well with a red meat due to its heavier weight and maltier flavor.

I would recommend this beer for anyone who has already come to appreciate the pale lagers and ales, but is looking for something new to whet the palate. Overall it is not the boldest beer I have tried, but definitely of fine quality.



UPDATE:
I had some scalloped potatoes with beef today and decided to try the Tilburg's with it and it did, indeed, pair well. So next time you fire up the grill for a steak and a baked potato, give the Dutch Brown Ale a try!