Beer Profile: Conway’s Irish Ale
Profiled by Maria Devan
Copper and reddish. Clear and burly in the glass. Bubbles rise but not furtively, they waft.
The nose is biscuit.
Dry.
In this style, the red ale, we see a low presence from hops traditionally and what you would call biscuit and caramel. The caramel in this one is firm and brief. Nutty and the hop is herbal and speaks to you from the wings.
There can be diacteyl in this beer and if so only to smooth. Herbal hop steals the show in the finish as this creamy body takes towards IPA strength all with malt flavors. Nuttiness, roundness, biscuit and a brief but firm caramel. Then in the finish hop herbal and a touch of bitterness to make it a pint. That finish from hop on all that malt. Gimme one more. Lingers without any fruit and a dry biscuit malt.
4
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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Maria Devan. Not all three. Just the one in the middle.
How Cuomo’s 2016 agenda would help Cayuga County’s breweries, wineries
Head brewer Ben Maeso mashes grains at Prison City Pub & Brewery in Auburn July 16.
Cayuga County’s craft beverage industry has exploded in the past year.
Three Auburn establishments — The Good Shepherds Brewing Co., Prison City Pub & Brewery and the Thirsty Pug Craft Beer Market — are thriving.
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HERE
Maria Devan Reviews: Genesee Bock
Maria Devan on Attenuation OG and FG
Former paratrooper recalls WWII incident that led to beer fame
It took 65 years for Vincent Speranza to find out that his actions in Belgium during World War II had been immortalized — for his ingenuity with the beverage that the country is famous for producing.
The Auburn, Ill., native had buried the war — and the pain he endured — deep inside until his wife died four years ago and he began thinking about the past. Visiting his storied 501st Infantry Regiment earlier this month in Alaska to observe readiness training, he shared his rich combat experiences.
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HERE
To Keep Troop Morale High During WWII, The British Built A Floating Brewery
No one would ever argue with the reality that war is tough, and that the men and women who elect to serve are a truly special breed. But it might come as some surprise that during World War II the British and U.S. governments believed soldiers were so vital that they were willing to go to great lengths in order to supply them with a substance they felt was incredibly important for their morale: beer.
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HERE
Maria Devan Reviews: Peak organic Fresh Cut Pilsner
Beer Profile: Hofbrau Original
Profiled by Maria Devan
Pours bright and clear with a persistent white head that clings and never really fades completely. Nose is bready with a bit of richness from malt. Hop is cool and herbal; soft and subtle and that tells me this is not a pilsner. Light open scent from dms and a glimpse at a tangy spice rounds out the nose. Crisp, bready, dry. Clean no diacetyl.
A light openness from dms and hop spice offer the sweetness in this beer. Carbonation is perfect bubbly but does not bite. Lovely pepper form the hop to finish it. There is a light sweetness on the nose that is the hallmark of the style in the drink it is but a brief bit of nectar before an expert and almost moderate bitterness shows you more bread. Impeccable. Cheerful and well crafted.
4
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.”
_____________________________________Beer HERE
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Maria Devan. Ithaca. Beer reviewer. Beer steward. Beer judge. Winter time liked to sled down the hill she lives on in a bathing suit. That last one is NOT true.
Separating bad beer from faulty beer
With the craft beer boom in full swing, we often hear about how much incredible beer is out there. The quality bar has been set pretty high as microbrewers continue to innovate and refine brewing practices. But what we don’t hear very much about is how common bad beer is out in the market.
Let’s be clear: Bad beer is not the same thing as “beer I don’t like.”  Not liking a beer is a matter of personal taste. When you judge a beer to be “bad,” you’re saying that it wasn’t brewed properly and it is exhibiting some fault. Faults can occur at any stage of the brewing process. They can be the result of poor quality ingredients, insufficiently sanitized brewing equipment, exposure to light, or any number of other factors.
The easiest fault for most people to pick up on is referred to as “skunking.” A skunked beer will have a pungent, skunk-like, or rubbery aroma. Skunking is the result of a chemical chain-reaction that occurs when light interacts with isohumulones, which are bittering compounds from hops. This chemical reaction can start in a matter of seconds and is most pronounced in hoppier beers. Once the reaction is in motion, there’s no stopping it. If you’re going to drink beer outside and don’t particularly enjoy the aroma of skunk, ditch the clear pint glass and stick to brown glass bottles or cans which can block light.
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