Month: June 2014

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Beer Profile: Ghandi Bot by New England Brewing Company, Woodbridge, CT

Ghandi Bot…
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(thank you Roger)

Profiled by Maria Devan for PGA

pgaprofileThis poured a unique melon color orange with a thick head of soft white cottony foam that fell in rings and patches and finally left a thin layer on top. This had large white floaties in it and some sediment that detracted from the appearance. In a certain light it appears to have a muddied color brown in it but against the natural outdoor light it is pastel orange with light hues. This one is murky.

Nose is sensational with a wild tropical fruit character. Melon, mango, candied citrus peel and orange. Pine and dank grasses. Herbal hops and a powerful floral that was not perfumey or heavy. Hardly any malt on the nose until it warms and then some light caramel sugar.

Taste is a ride for the palate that you won’t soon forget. It starts with more bread than you ever thought was in there. It’s light and sweet. Then there is an all over mineral softness to the body of the beer that presents the fruits as a whole and like a juicy succulent punch. Grapefruit, candied fruit peel and orange with some tropical notes in the background. A nice spice comes to the middle and a sharp bitter. This finishes dry and with a little bit of herbal and spice in the aftertaste. It’s a famous bitter in this one. And the dank herbs fill the nose as you draw the glass down.

What a delightful beer. It drinks fluidly with a body that is so light . I could have four more of these. Non stop taste.

4.5

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Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

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__________________________________________Beer HERE

meMaria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is frequent reviewer of beer and a beer lover deluxe.

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Beer Profile: Troegs Sunshine Pils

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Profiled by Maria Devan for PGA

pgaprofileIf I ever have a next life my first words are going to be “Pils bitte”

Pours clear and sweet yellow with a faint head that fell immediately to a few big bubbles and a film on top. Nice lace.

Delicious pilsner nose. First a little yeasty bite with a hint of sour, then lemon and grass. Earthy and herbal. Bready, cracker malt brings it home.

Taste is so well done. Thin malt sweetness and juicy lemon with light lemon peel wash over the palate effortlessly. Earthy, round and floral. The malt has perfect balance alongside the delicate hops. The pale grain takes over on the back palate for a thirst quenching dryness and the hops come up for a shy bitter that lingers just until your next sip. Fantastic and floral as it fills up your senses in the aftertaste. Ample carbonation and a thin body.

Troegs never fails to delight. This is a substantial summer beer that made the most of the minimal and simple aspects of a pils and came up with a beer that was feather light on the palate. It has plenty of character and is delicate yet firm. Simple and easy to drink. Before you know it you will have had 2 or 3 of these.

4.

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Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

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_____________________________________Beer HERE

meMaria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is frequent reviewer of beer and a beer lover deluxe.

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Beer Profile: Anchor India Pale Ale

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Profiled by Maria Devan for PGA

pgaprofileIt’s friday and it’s in full swing. I admit I have had my eyes peeled for the better part of 12 months for Anchors Humming Ale but the other day I found this! Good enough!

This pours a brilliant orange. Clear and calm like a pane of glass with brick color red hues and a fat head of khaki foam tinged with a bit of orange. The head is loathe to fall. It’s creamy and falls off rocky leaving a thick layer on top and some gorgeous lacing. Nose is subtle but it’s a grapefruit and some very forward malt. Caramel. A bit of herbal in there to give it depth and an earthy pine. I cannot be sure how old the beer is but I think the hops have faded somewhat. The grapefruit is in the backseat but the malt is a spectacular and luscious caramel that is not heavy. The tartness and the pith of the fruit comes through and the pine stays light and in the background. The herbal adds dimension to the drink. This finishes dry and with a lovely and pretty strong bitter that carries itself off extremely well. Leaves with a sweet aftertaste from the malt and the fruit on the side.

I like it. It’s like an English style IPA.

3.8

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Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

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______________________ __Beer HERE

meMaria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is frequent reviewer of beer and a beer lover deluxe.

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What SOME Folks are Saying About What You Drink

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“If you’re a big fan of Abita Purple Haze, you’ve probably exposed yourself at Mardi Gras, but you own it. Good for you. You’re a raspberry and cheese lover… you know a lot about beer and cheeses. You believe that fruits and beer should be a thing that everyone loves.”

“Nobody picks Amstel Light by choice. It’s always the last thing sitting depressingly alone at the bottom of the ice bucket. You’re the ultimate guy/girl next door.”

“Blue Moon is craft beer for people who have never had a craft beer.”
“You’re a proud member of the citrus-in-beer club and your friends are forced to make an extra trip on your behalf, regularly. You are a free spirit and probably think Burning Man is the coolest festival out there. These people believe, mistakenly, that they have refined tastes.”

Want to read more?Pleaseclick…

HERE

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NOLA Beer Tours Provides Historical Perspective

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Standing in the Place d’Armes, NOLA Beer Tours (www.nolabeertours.com) guide Eric Stockwell recited New Orleans’ Regal Brewery’s catchphrase from its heyday in the mid-1900s: “Red beans and rice, and Regal on ice.”

  He paused, then said, “That stuff sold like crack, you guys.”

  NOLA Beer Tours was founded in 2013 and aims to combine the history of beer in New Orleans with a tour of the French Quarter and highlighting local beers at a variety of bars. Stockwell says that for the most part, the tours are made up of people with a genuine interest in craft beer. My tour group had a diverse mix of folks from Slidell, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Texas and Oklahoma.

  The tour I went on earlier this month met at Tujague’s for the first stop. Although I was initially skeptical of the location, the restaurant’s historic significance combined with two iconic Louisiana beers on tap — NOLA Blonde and Abita Amber — and a snack of its house specialty brisket changed my mind.

Want to read more? Please click…

HERE

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A Beer-y Good Story: Tangerine Dreamsickle

Courtesy onlineathens.com
Picture above courtesy onlineathens.com/Link to Green Flash history/Link to Terrapin
 history.

Beer-yCllaboration-Grren-Flash-_-Terrapin-sQUARE-130x130  I can’t say much about Green Flash, but Tom Becham has mentioned them here at PGA. I do have a Terrapin story…
  In the 90s I was gone a lot. From Louisiana to Florida to Maine I was doing dhows for the young and using multitrack tech to create projects with slightly older children. I was in Georgia, west side of Atlanta staying on this huge lake and heard nearby Athens had turned into a new beer capital.
  Of course I stayed in my little trailer and worked on my programs and… Continue reading “A Beer-y Good Story: Tangerine Dreamsickle”