November 04, 2009
It came in a brown glass bottle with a brownish label. There is a picture of a mountain man riding a buffalo. The name of the beer is in light brown lettering on it. Under the name of the beer is the following, “Porter aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels. Don’t let its smooth and creamy nature fool you. This porter is a wild ride and buffy-bucking delicious”.
This beer has a dark, black coffee like color to it, with a hint of ruby coloring to it. It is so dark that light barely passes through it. When poured into the glass, a creamy tan head. The head fades slowly leaving a good thick lacing on the side of the glass.
The smell is an enticing combination of chocolate and caramel malts followed by the scent of the oak barrel. The scent sets up the flavor. The taste consists of chocolate malts backed by oak. Some caramel malts are noticeable as the beer washes over the tongue. A good hop finish on it rounds off the beer. There is a smooth aftertaste, just a hint of coffee malt that is pleasant.
This is a medium bodied beer with a nice creaminess to it that coats the mouth. The carbonation is mild and unobtrusive.
This is a very easy to drink beer. A nice flavor, low carbonation, creaminess; it has a complete mouthfeel that makes this a great beer to drink with friends. I could see myself sitting down and sharing a couple with some friends, especially during the winter months. I give this 7 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
08:34 PM
| Comments (4)
| Add Comment
Post contains 362 words, total size 2 kb.
But thats ok I have more beers to share with ya when I get a chance to try to send them to youOctober 21, 2009
We have our standard 12 oz brown bottle. There is a yellow label with a cartoonish picture of what appears to be a mildly retarded dog. The name of the beer is in some kind of scrawl next to the dog. On the neck label is the flowing dog logo. At the bottom of the main label it has the quote, “Good people drink good beer. “ –Hunter S. Thompson.
It has a nice golden honey color to it. There is a haziness to it that is so thick that you canÂ’t see through the beer. Light passes through, giving it a nice glow. Almost no head formed when poured. I even added a bit of an aggressive pour towards the last quarter of the bottle. What head formed was white and faded quickly to nothing. There is no lacing on the glass.
When you take a whiff of the beer, you get a combination of wheat and grains. There is a banana undertone with just a hint of citrus. The scent is less than pleasant. The taste mainly consists of bananas, cloves, wheat and a slight bitter hop finish. The after taste reminds me of eating Cheerios with green, unripe bananas on it.
It is a medium bodied beer; there is no coating to the mouth. The carbonation is a little heavy for my tastes and bites on the tongue.
This is a standard American Wheat beer done in the Bavarian Hefeweizen style. It isnÂ’t something I would go out of my for, and to be honest, it took drinking half of the beer before the flavor got to something that didnÂ’t bother me. This is definitely not a beer I would recommend to friends or even to a stranger at a bar. I give it 3.5 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
07:29 PM
| Comments (2)
| Add Comment
Post contains 357 words, total size 2 kb.
October 14, 2009
We have our standard 12 oz brown bottle. There is an olde style series of pictures on it that depict various scenes of horse racing. The name of the beer is in red letters across the top of the bottle, with the word lager in red on a banner in the middle. There is a matching neck label.
It pours a dark copper penny color. When the light hits it, you can see amber flashes. Light passes through it easily, but there is a haziness to it that prevents you from seeing objects on the other side clearly. A ¾ inch head formed. It was off white in color and faded quickly to a film on the top of the beer. There was minimal lacing.
The smell was of rich toasted caramel malts. A touch of biscuity sweetness can also be detected to fully enhance to scent. There is a dry, roasted malt flavor that is balanced by the taste of floral hops evenly. It finishes smoothly. The after taste is a mix of citrus and grains.
It is a medium bodied beer, and is a little bit heavy on the carbonation.
This is a good sipping beer. Sit back, crack one open and chat with friends. It is a good representation of a Marzen-style lager. I enjoyed this beer and could see myself drinking another. I give it 6.5 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
07:29 PM
| Comments (4)
| Add Comment
Post contains 320 words, total size 2 kb.
September 16, 2009
I’ve had multiple conversations with people that involve around how much head should a beer have? A beer being poured into a glass should have about a 1 to 1.5 inch head. Of course what usually follows is, “why?” There is a twofold reason as to why you want the beer to have a head. One is that it directly impacts the scent and flavor, the second is just aesthetics.
Head forms on a beer when air and turbulence is introduced into the body as it is being poured. It releases the Carbon Dioxide, or in the cases of beers such as Guinness Nitrogen, causing the beer to foam up. The head releases the natural aromatics of the beer, helping you to smell them better. These scents then, in turn have an effect on the taste. Also the head washing across the tongue has a direct impact on the mouthfeel of the beer. Is it creamy, effervescent, does it bite the tongue? These all have a direct impact on how much you, the drinker, enjoy the beer.
The secondary impact of the head is the aesthetics. Think about all the beer commercials you see on TV, they show the beer being poured into a glass, with just a touch running down the side of the glass. It looks cool, crisp and refreshing. Most people do not want to see a beer that has no head on it, it looks flat and unappealing. If it has too much head it looks like it is over carbonated or that you are going to be drinking foam before you get to the beer. Marketing companies have spent a lot of time researching to figure out what looks most appealingÂ… just think on it.
So how do you get “the perfect head”? First you have to start with your glassware. See, I told you it was important. Try to get the best glass for the type of beer you’re drinking. Make sure it is clean. You don’t want any residue of anything inside the glass that can alter the flavor. This includes detergent, oils, food particles, dust, residue of previous beers, ETC. Whether you are pouring from a tapper or a bottle the rest remains true:
1) Hold the glass at a 45 degree angle.
2) Pour the beer aiming for the middle of the glass.
3) When the beer gets to about the halfway point, return the glass to the upright position, continuing to pour in the center of the glass.
4) Keep an eye on the head. If you are getting too much, decrease the rate of the pouring. If you are getting too little, donÂ’t be afraid to be more aggressive and pour harder. Some beers, like lambics and English bitters have difficulty forming head and need to be poured more aggressively. On the other hand, your standard American Pilsners (Miller, Budweiser, Busch, Coors, Etc) can create too much head of agitated, so you may need to pour slowly.
As a word of warning, if you are drinking a beer that is known for its yeast, you may want to pay attention to your pour so that you donÂ’t accidently pour the active yeast into the glass. Unless you like it that way, and there is nothing wrong with it.
Viola! ItÂ’s as easy as that.
HereÂ’s to a perfectly chilled beer in your future!
Posted by: Contagion at
05:12 PM
| Comments (3)
| Add Comment
Post contains 611 words, total size 3 kb.
September 09, 2009
His question to me was: What is your take on (the Sam Adams specialty glass).
I actually own one of these glasses. IÂ’ve had it since June 11th those of you that know me, know how I got it, but IÂ’m not saying. IÂ’ve used this glass on multiple occasions and after seeing all the brewha (lol sorry, pun intended) that the Boston Beer Company was making over these glasses, I really feel the need to pipe in on it.
First off, I take glassware for beer very seriously. Anyone that has been to one of my parties, a bar or to my home will vouch for that. I have an extensive collection of glass ware. I have everything from different styles of glasses to pint glasses with different logos on it. At my New Years Eve party I always give out complimentary glassware every year for the visitors to keep. Each year itÂ’s a different style. At the beer tasting, I give out a packet of information IÂ’ve put together regarding beer, one of the sections is glassware. Which I took from Beer AdvocateÂ’s Beer 101 section Glassware for Beer (Best glassware reference section IÂ’ve found)
IÂ’m not going to double up and repeat a lot of their work. Go read what they have to say about glassware. I will, however, throw in my opinion. Glassware is important to your beer experience. Beer is much more than just drinking it for the alcohol effect. If that is what you are doing, go get a case of Natural Light in cans and enjoy. If you want to truly enjoy a new beer, you need to drink it from a glass. A glass will let you see the color, pouring it forms a head which opens up the flavor and scents enhancing the taste. The proper glass for the style of beer you are drinking can have an effect. If you are drinking a beer from a bottle, you are not getting the full experience.
With all that being said, let us get back to the subject on hand, The Samuel Adams’ “Perfect Pint Glass”. The glass holds 16 fl oz. This is fine if you are pouring your beer from a 12 oz bottle. It gives you a good four ounces for a proper head. However, if you are drinking from a tap or a pint bottle, you need an empirical pint glass of 20 fl oz. Since Sam Adams obviously wants you to drink their beer, and they only bottle in 12 oz, they made the glass the appropriate size for them and the majority of other beers on the market.
The shape of the glass is like a combination of a standard pub glass (like the Miasmatic Review Enabler glass, itÂ’s a type of pint glass) and a tulip glass. According to the informational website they have all kinds of information as to why the glass is shaped the way it is. IÂ’ll be honest; IÂ’m not sure how much accuracy is in what they say. ItÂ’s almost like two execs for the company were talking up their favorite glassware and decided to come up with their own based on non-scientific opinion. I know they claim to use Sensory Experts to help design the glass, IÂ’m just not sure how accurate what they claim is true. ItÂ’s not my area of expertise.
With that being said, I did what all good beer drinkers do, I ran some experimentsÂ…. By drinking beer (back in July).
I drank three different types of beer out of this glass to see if there was a noticeable difference. I compared these three to the same out of a regular pint. I did one beer a night with a pallet cleanser between the Sam AdamsÂ’ glass and the standard pint. The beers used for the experiment were Miller Lite (shut it!), Sam AdamsÂ’ Blackberry Wheat and St. PeterÂ’s Cream Stout.
I came to the following conclusion. There was no noticeable difference between the Sam AdamsÂ’ glass and my Miasmatic Review Enabler Glass. The scents, flavor and overall drinking experience was not enhanced or diminished by drinking from the special glass.
Overall, in my opinion, if you just wanted the glass to add to your collection like I did, go for it. It is a unique looking glass and is a conversation piece. If you were planning to buy one, or already did because you thought it would enhance your beer drinking experience, I think you will be sadly disappointed.
Mark, I hope that answers your questionÂ… and then some.
If you have an beer related questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
HereÂ’s to a perfectly chilled beer in your future.
Posted by: Contagion at
10:06 AM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 876 words, total size 5 kb.
August 05, 2009
It came in the standard brown bottle. According to the label, it is ¾ pint bottle, apparently some math genius at the brewery thought that was funnier than putting 12 fl oz. on the bottle. The label is some kind of psychedelic red and orange color round label. The center of the label has #9 mixed into the swirls and whorls. In green on the label it states “Not quite pale ale.”
The color is golden amber with a slight orange tint. When poured into a pint glass, a quarter inch thick head consisting of tiny densely packed bubbles formed at the top of the beer that faded slowly. There was some lacing on the side of the glass.
The scent of apricots is so overpowering you can barely detect anything else. What can be found is a slight bit of hops and maybe grain, but itÂ’s hard to tell because of the strength of the apricot scent. The flavor is surprisingly mild compared to the scent. Apricots are primarily what you taste. Hops and grains can be tasted, but they are very weak and washed out that you can barely taste them. However, they all combine together so that when the beer washes over the taste buds at the back of the tongue, it gives the beer a soap like flavor. The taste isnÂ’t strong enough to leave an aftertaste.
This beer confuses me. It might be “not quite pale ale”, but it’s also not quite much of anything. The apricot flavor, where overpowering compared to the rest of the flavors, really isn’t strong enough for a fruit beer. The grains and hops really aren’t present enough to really be able to adequately classify this beer as anything else. I guess it falls under fruit beer by process of elimination. It’s really not a bad beer. I don’t know if I would go out of my way for it, but I wouldn’t pass one up if given to me. I give this 4 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
06:55 PM
| Comments (2)
| Add Comment
Post contains 408 words, total size 2 kb.
July 22, 2009
Also Sprach Zarathustra - 2001: Space Odyssey
Tonight, Bruce of Back to the Batcave has finished his quest for the glass. For tonight I review his 12th beer to give him full enabler status. Congratulations Bruce, I will announce a special presentation time (IÂ’m thinking FridayÂ… at the pub!) The final beer is Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier by the Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams).
It comes in the standard Sam Adams brown bottle. You have their standard label with Samuel Adams prominent in the middle. Blackberry Witbier is in a purple banner. There is a picture of Sam Adams at the bottom hoisting a frothy mug of beer. At the top of the label it boasts this is part of their BrewmasterÂ’s Collection.
There is a beautiful golden honey color with just a touch of orange to it. ItÂ’s clear with just a touch of cloudiness to it, which is unusual for a witbier in my experience. The head that formed was thin and white. It faded quickly to a ring around the edge of the glass and there was no lacing.
The scent was kind of weak, but was dominated by the scent of blackberries. A faint yeast and floral hop smell was detectable. There was no citrus or spiciness that is normally associated with a witbier. The flavor was mostly that of blackberries, that tasted almost like artificial flavoring. There was almost no wheat flavor and there wasnÂ’t any spiciness at all. There was a slight bitter hop finish to it.
This is light bodied beer, with a nice carbonation level. There is no coating of the mouth.
IÂ’m not a fan of fruit beers, and in all reality that is what this is. Most of the characteristics one associates with a witbier are missing from it. As a fruit beer, it was kind of lacking as well. The berry taste wasnÂ’t as dominant as it should have been. It wasnÂ’t a bad beer; I wouldnÂ’t go out of my way for it. I give it 4 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
07:08 PM
| Comments (2)
| Add Comment
Post contains 358 words, total size 4 kb.
July 15, 2009
We have the standard 12 fl oz brown bottle. The label is a pinkish label with a picture of cherries on it. The name of the beer is in a fancy handwritten looking script under it. In a red banner it states Cherry Fermented ale.
When poured into a glass, there is a pink, ruby grapefruit like color to it. The beer is clear, with no signs of floaters or cloudiness to it at all. You can see right through it, albeit with a pink tint. The head that forms is a light cotton candy like pink color that fades to a film on the top. There is some lacing on the side of the glass. Did I mention itÂ’s pink?
The scent is a strong tart cherry scent. There is a mild malt scent to the background that gives the beer a slight musty smell. The taste is much like the smell, cherries and malts. The cherries have both the tartness of real cherries and a bit of a sweetness of cocktail cherries. The flavor is very mild with almost no bitterness to it at all. The aftertaste is barely noticeable. At 6.5% ABV you couldnÂ’t taste the alcohol.
This is a light bodied beer, with a mild carbonation. There is no coating to the mouth.
Fruit beers are not normally my forte, yet this one I actually found pleasant to drink. The cherry flavor wasnÂ’t overpowering like in some other cherry flavored drinks IÂ’ve had. Also for 6.5% ABV, this was very easy to drink, almost too easy. In fact I could see myself accidently drinking a six pack of this way too fast. I give this 6 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
06:58 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 350 words, total size 2 kb.
July 09, 2009
The Glass!
It comes in a 12 fl. Oz. brown bottle with a black and gold label. In the center of the label there is what looks to be a hand drawn picture of Rasputin. It looks like heÂ’s either blessing or cursing you for drinking his beer. The picture is inside a gold circle with the name of the beer at the top, and something in Russian along the bottom. The logo of the brewery is at the bottom center of the label.
This beer is black in color, and appears to be very dense. Light doesnÂ’t pass through at all. An inch thick head formed when poured into the glass. The headed faded into a film at the top of the beer, and left some nice lacing on the side of the glass as it was drank.
The smell is of roasted malts and bitter black coffee. There are some flowery hops that combine with the malts to give it a mild soapy scent. The taste starts with a strong citrus hop flavor uncharacteristic of most stouts. There are bitter chocolate and coffee roasted malts undertones. The bitterness bites on the sides of the tongue, but as the beer warms to room temperature it becomes less noticeable. The after taste coats the mouth with a hoppy flavor.
This is a full bodied beer that has some creaminess to it. Carbonation is pleasant.
This is not what I was expecting in a stout. I never thought it would be this hoppy, this is kind of like a stout for someone that likes IPAs. It has the bitterness of the IPA and the thickness of a stout. This is not my style of beer. I really donÂ’t see myself going for another one of these. ItÂ’s not a bad beer, just not to my tastes. I give it 4 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
08:43 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 377 words, total size 2 kb.
June 24, 2009
Sorry about the picture quality, cell phone.
The beer comes in a 1 pint, .9 fl oz brown bottle with a hops motif blown into the glass. The label has an oval on it with a picture of a ban wearing medieval armor with a black mustache and beard. The back of the label has a brief description of the beer as well as a short description of who Black Douglas was.
There is a dark crimson color to it with a dark walnut hint. A thick, tan head formed when poured. It was made up of a combination of large and tiny bubbles. It lasted for most of the life of the beer. There is a good amount of lacing on the side of the glass.
The scent is a combination of molasses, nuts, caramel malts with a touch of yeast. ItÂ’s very aromatic, but not as strong as one would expect from a Scottish ale. The flavor is a mix of Molasses, malts, a hint of dark fruit with a slight smokiness. They blend together to make the beer very appetizing. The aftertaste is a pleasant hint of bitterness on the tongue with a mild sweetness.
This is a medium bodied beer that has a gentle carbonation level.
This beer is very easy to drink. It has a good flavor and I could see myself grabbing one if it was available or if the mood strikes me just right. I donÂ’t know if I would pay $10.90 for it in a theme bar like I did in Kalamazoo, MI. Overall I thought this was a pretty good beer. I give it 7 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
08:38 PM
| Comments (2)
| Add Comment
Post contains 372 words, total size 2 kb.
June 03, 2009
It comes in a large 500 ml (16.9 fl oz) brown bottle. The label is an oval label. There is a scarlet label on it. There is a gold border and in the middle is the rampant lion of Scotland. The name of the beer crosses the middle of the label, with the name of the Brewery arched over the lion. There is also a matching neck label.
When poured into a pint glass, there is a dark brown color with a rich ruby accent. Light passes through easily, but the beer is dark enough that you cannot clearly see through it. It appears to be clear, with no floating bits in it at all. An inch thick tan head formed. It was made of mostly tiny bubbles with the occasionally larger bubbles mixed throughout. There was some nice lacing on the side of the glass.
The scent is a subtle combination of Butterscotch, roasted malts, prunes, raisons with a slight brown sugar scent. The scent reminds me of Glogg (a traditional Scandinavian winter drink). The taste is a complex mixtures of roasted malts, dark fruit and peat smokiness often associated with Scotch Ales. The flavor opens up more as the beer warms toward room temperature. The aftertaste is mild and pleasant
It is a medium bodied beer. There is a decent level or carbonation.
This is an excellent Scottish Ale. A delightful combination of scents and flavors that makes it a pleasure to drink. The 6.5% ABV isnÂ’t noticeable in the taste, but one should be aware of it. I could see myself sitting down with friends on a cool summer night and drinking a bottle or two with them. I give it a 7.5 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
07:19 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 369 words, total size 2 kb.
May 22, 2009
There are 10 beers, separated into 4 mini-flights.
The First is 3 Czech Pilsners.
The Second is 3 Beers by Bell's Brewery
The Third is 3 American Porters.
The tenth beer is a surprise beer to test your beer knowledge. I'll explain more when it comes time to review the beer.
The food of course will be a Bacon Explosion, Pork Chops and Hot Dogs. There will be Chips and vegetables as well.
There are also some random beers that have been given to me or left over from past reviews if you would like to try them. They are limited, so first come, first serve on those.
I'm looking forward to seeing all of you there.
Posted by: Contagion at
07:35 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 166 words, total size 1 kb.
May 20, 2009
Petey, this review is dedicated to you.
It came in an 11.2 FL. OZ. brown bottle. The label is black with white lettering on it. The picture is done in the 18th century style of two thistles and what I am assuming is supposed to be Bonnie Prince Charlie between them. The name of the beer is above the label and states, “Traquair Jacobite flavored ale, Ale flavored with coriander.” On the back under a picture of a crown it states, “The famous Bear Gates guarding the approach to Traquair House near Peebles have been closed since 1745~ when the last person to pass through them was Bonnie Prince Charlie.”
The color is a dark chocolate brown, what light that passes through it has a ruby hue to it. ItÂ’s thick enough that you canÂ’t tell if itÂ’s cloudy or not. A thin tan head formed, and faded quickly to nothing. There is no lacing on the side of the glass.
The scent is an exciting combination of Toffee, molasses and coriander. They combine to give the beer a scent reminiscent of a ginger bread cookie. As the beer warms up closer to room temperature the scent opens up and releases touch of a chocolate malt scent. The taste is much like the scent. The coriander, molasses and toffee flavors combine to make the main flavors of the beer. There is a subtle dark fruit flavor, such as prunes that accent the flavor and really boosts the taste. As the beer warms, the chocolate malts are more noticeable. This is definitely a beer you do not want to drink too cold, as the beer has a better flavor at just cooler than room temperature. At 8% Alcohol by volume, you canÂ’t taste the alcohol at all.
It is a medium bodied beer with a smooth and creaminess to it that coats the mouth. It is very easy to drink. There is a pleasant level of carbonation to the beer that is just strong enough to bite on the tongue.
This is an excellent beer. ItÂ’s a nice beer to sit around with friends and enjoy slowly with conversation. In fact the beer itself may be the topic of conversation. Especially if you are with people that donÂ’t know what a Jacobite is. I found myself really enjoying this beer as I reviewed it. If you can get your hands on a bottle of this beer, I would recommend it. I give it 9 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
08:58 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 514 words, total size 3 kb.
May 17, 2009
Now this was just the rough art, not the final, you'll have to wait to see that.
Posted by: Contagion at
07:24 PM
| Comments (3)
| Add Comment
Post contains 69 words, total size 1 kb.
May 05, 2009
So far the guest list is as follows:
Shadoglare
Graumagus
Bruce
Harvey
Petey
Wil
Red
Ktreva
I also have a couple of maybes. If I missed you on the list, or if you can make it, please let me know ASAP. I need to be able to order the beer soon. Either leave me a comment or if that doesn't work, send an e-mail to Contagion_1 AT Yahoo Dot Com. Make sure the subject line has Beer Tasting in it.
Remember, you don't have to bring anything, but yourself!
Posted by: Contagion at
08:56 PM
| Comments (5)
| Add Comment
Post contains 139 words, total size 1 kb.
April 22, 2009
They use a standard 12 oz brown bottle. There is a tan label with a red fire fighter style Maltese cross. The name of the beer company is in the cross in a two tone white and gold lettering. Under the cross is the name of the beer with two crossed axes under it. The neck label states, “For every barrel we sell, we make a donation to a local burn foundation” and “A penny for every pint.”
There is a nice golden straw coloring to the beer. It is clear, with no signs of cloudiness of floaters to it. When I poured it into a pint glass, almost no head formed. What head there was consisted of tiny white bubbles and faded quickly to nothing, not even a ring around the edge of the glass. There was no lacing at all.
The scent is a mainly a dray caramel malt with a slight graininess to it. There were some floral hops in the background that helped enrich the overall scent. The flavor is a subtle and a little week. ItÂ’s mainly of malted grains and a very mild hop finish. The combination of ingredients gives the beer a very mild pear flavor in the background.
This is a light bodied beer. Almost no coating to the mouth and it passes over the tongue very easily. The carbonation is a little strong and bites on the tongue and lips.
Overall this is a nice, gentle beer. I think this would be a good one for a hot summer day. The thought of sitting out on the front porch kicking back a couple of ice cold ales or even sitting around a campfire on a cool summer night with friends. I enjoyed it, and could see myself picking up another six pack sometime in the future, especially since each purchase helps a burn foundation. I give it 5.5 out of ten. (An extra half point for the generosity.)
Posted by: Contagion at
08:17 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 425 words, total size 3 kb.
April 16, 2009
It came in a 12 oz brown bottle with a red foil seal over the bottle cap. The label shows a picture of a Viking on a beach. The name of the beer is at the top, and Orkney Ale on either side of the Viking. The back label says “Orkney - a small group of islands off the northern tip of Scotland, shrouded in magic and mystery, was the home of Thorfinn Hausakluff (SkullSplitter) 7th Viking earl of Orkney around 1,000 AD.” The front label also states the beer has a 8.5% Alcohol by Volume.
There is a dark nut brown color to the beer with copper accents. There is a slight haziness to it, not enough to impede light passing through. When poured a quarter inch, off white head formed. It dissipated quickly to a ring around the edge of the glass and a slight film at top. There was no lacing at all.
The scent was almost overly sweet. Toasted malts, molasses and caramel are most notable. There was also just a slight hint of alcohol. The flavor was a combination of caramel malts, dark fruit, brown sugar, and touch of acrid alcohol. There was also a slight bitterness to the finish. The aftertaste was almost buttery.
This is a medium bodied beer. A slight creamy coating forms in the mouth.
This was not exactly what I was expecting from a Scottish Ale. It was a bit sweeter than I expected, however I was surprised that the 8.5% ABV wasnÂ’t as noticeable as one would think. As it warmed towards room temperature, the flavor opened up more, and the body seemed to gain a thickness to it. Towards the end it was almost like I was drinking beer flavored melted butter. The butter analogy comes from the buttery taste to it. IÂ’m not sure that I would want to drink a lot of this beer in one sitting, but a bottle every now and then definitely would be nice. Thankfully the name had nothing to do with how your head feels after drinking it. I give it 6 out of 10.
Posted by: Contagion at
07:43 PM
| Comments (3)
| Add Comment
Post contains 418 words, total size 2 kb.
April 08, 2009
At least once a year a “friend” finds a beer that looks like it would be absolutely nasty. A beer that looks so vile, so nasty, so evil that the only way you would drink this is out of extreme curiosity or on a bet. Of course that “friend” buys said beer and gives it to me to review because THEY want to know how it tastes and is afraid to try it themselves. Well the recently revived Graumagus has done just that. He found a bottle of Mamma Mia! Pizza Beer. It’s a contract beer made by the Sprecher Brewing Company for the Pizza Beer Company.
The label is red white and green. In the white part is a hand drawn picture of a male and a female wearing chefs hats. There is a signature on each person. The guy is Chef Tom and the Lady is Chef Athena. At the top of the label it says “originals Seefurth Family”. Above the picture in red letters it says Mamma Mia! Under it is Pizza Beer. At the bottom it plainly states, “Ale brewed with oregano, basil, tomato and Garlic”. The neck label claims, “Beer so good it Deserves… A wine glass!” Is your fight or flight center of your brain sending signals yet? Well mine was screaming, “NOOOOOooooooo. This may be the beer that turns you off of beer completely!”
There is a nice honey gold coloring to it. It is cloudy, but not so cloudy you canÂ’t see through it. Almost no head formed when I poured it. What did was thin and white. It faded quickly leaving nothing on the top of the beer. There is also no lacing on the side of the glass at all.
The smell was something I had never experience in a beer before in my life. They did a decent job of capturing the smell of pizza. Unfortunately it smells like a cheap frozen pizza that someone sprinkled an Italian Seasoning blend on, but still Pizza. The Tomato, basil, oregano and Garlic really does overpower any other scent in the beer. What malts that can be detected blends with the other scents to give it kind of a doughy/crust scent. Now this may just be my imagination because of the type of beer it is and that was missing from the scent was pizza crust.
The taste is much like the scent. All you can really taste is the Tomato, Garlic and herbs that are added to it. There is also a bit of saltiness to it. Realistically this tastes like someone took a piece of the above cheap frozen pizza and let it soak in a keystone light for a while. The pizza tastes about washes out any standard ale flavors one would get. The aftertaste is a bit salty and overpower. Honestly, I couldnÂ’t imagine drinking this beer with anything other than maybe pizza.
This is a medium bodied beer. There is a light carbonation to it, but nothing biting.
Honestly, I canÂ’t believe I drank this whole beer. IÂ’ve drank beers that are much worse than this, but not in a long time. IÂ’m not sure if the people that make this novelty honestly think this is a good beer or if they make it as more for entertainment. IE, in college I had a friend that used to make the most god awful punch for parties; nobody liked it, not even him. Yet he made it for every party because inevitably it would get drank in its entirety because people would bet each other they couldnÂ’t drink it, or do the olÂ’ switcharoo and give it to some unsuspecting individual. The fact that I drank this willingly just speaks volumes to how far IÂ’ll go to review a beer. Overall I give it 1.5 out of 10.
Now if youÂ’ll excuse me, IÂ’m going to go gargle with Everclear.
Posted by: Contagion at
07:49 PM
| Comments (5)
| Add Comment
Post contains 666 words, total size 4 kb.
April 01, 2009
It came in a large 1 pint 6 oz brown bottle. The label is orange with an imperial seal on it with the picture of what I am assuming is three Czars. In the top of the seal in the brim of the crown it states bottled in 2008. The name of the beer is at the top, and in a banner under the seal is the name of the brewing company. The bottle also states 1.103 original gravity, 70 IBUs and Alcohol 10.77% by vol. The bottle has some other information about the beer in it and recommends cellaring it as “The Czar will continue to mature and become denser and more complex with age.”
The beer pours a thick dark brown color like a dark coffee. There is a ruby tint to it that is brought out as the light catches it along the edges. ItÂ’s thick enough that light doesnÂ’t pass through easily. A tan head formed but rapidly disappeared into just a small ring around the edge of the glass. There was some lacing, but not much.
The initial scent after pouring had an acrid scent of alcohol. The following scents, if taken mildly, were much more pleasant. There was creaminess to the smell like one gets with a cream liqueur. It opened the way for the gentle smells of caramel and coffee malts. There was also a hint of dark fruit (raisins, dates, prunes etc) to it. No matter what, the scent of alcohol was always present. The first taste was a biting alcohol taste, but subsequent sips revealed a nice caramel malt taste with a chocolate malt follow up. There is a slight molasses finish to it. As the beer warmed, the taste of alcohol became more and more present.
This is a full bodied beer that has a more watery than creamy feel to it. ItÂ’s thick while in the mouth, but after swallowing, there is no coating.
This is not a beer I would suggest drinking in any great quantity. This would be something that you drink one bottle at a time, probably on a special occasion. This beer also gave me the impression that you have to be in the mood to drink it. I could see where if you were not expecting this beer, one would not like it, where as if you were anticipating it, it would be really good. I donÂ’t know if IÂ’d classify this as an excellent beer, but it is pretty good. IÂ’d be interested to buy a bottle and cellar it for a year or so and see how it ages. I may have to pick up an extra bottle and do a re-review in a couple of years. Right now as a fresh beer I give it 5.5 out of ten.
Posted by: Contagion at
07:39 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 531 words, total size 3 kb.
March 25, 2009
Having learned from my mistakes last year, this year will be run a bit different, and more organized. I will be supplying the beers for tasting. Any other beer you want for after the tasting you will need to bring your own. There will also be good provided by myself.
Before the beer tasting I will again offer a quick lesson on how to review beer for those that are interested. For those of you that were at last years, yes I will have the text book for you to take home again.
More details will be coming later.
If you are interested in attending, please let me know by May 17th.
Posted by: Contagion at
09:22 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 153 words, total size 1 kb.
80 queries taking 0.0639 seconds, 230 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.
