Category: Beer

 

Profiled by Maria Devan

Morning! Sunner Kolsch. I will take an entire palate of this all for myself. I cannot believe how fast I drank this beer and I think that chugging got started because of this style.

Gives an elegant and very soft pour with a cream colored head of cottony cloud like foam. grainy, a bit of earth form hops and a barely perceptible fruity ester from yeast. banana.

On the palate the malt is soft and graceful. Fully breaddy. As soon as you swallow there is a faint little tang. It accents the steadfast malt so well and brings all the flavor together in compliment with a subtlety that is no trick. It’s simply an omission. Light sulfur. A touch of malt richness that shows the delicate complexity but does not bring it to you too powerfully. Restrained malt. As it lingers breaddy in the aftertaste you feel like you could drink the whole glass in one easy gulp. Crisp clean no diacetyl. This one is actually quite hoppy or quite fresh as compared to some.

Hop herbal gives a wink at the finish and then as you drink and start to notice more flavor it’s like soft yellow grasses. Almost hay. Dry, soft not bubbly.

Bitterness that is understated at first but does last a little. That choice for carbonation really allows the malt to be expressive and expansive. Hop floral was always there and now it’s time to laugh because this was beer not bread and an ale. A not too sweet flower petal.

It’s as though you looked down and saw a golden flower. So you ate it and made it you feel hearty and then you laughed.

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 lives in Ithaca, NY and is a great beer writer. That’s Maria in the middle. The other two are not, but they are lucky to have her as a friend.

This one is as fresh as it gets. it’s an Extra Special/ Extra Strong Bitter.

Profiled by Maria Devan

Pours clear and orange with a tan head that lasted well. Effervescing.

Citrusy crisp orange peel. Fresh tangy spice and twigs. Biscuity malt. Smooth and long. Nice and creamy but with a mellow but very deep toastiness. silky hops give chic citrusy flavor. Bubbly. Bitter finish to linger firm and to show off a little. The hops never take the middle as fresh they are. So succulent and the beer finishes malty. Gentle with tall sweet grasses that are juicy with stems that have a somewhat bitter and sticky sap. Fresh soft herbal. Light peppery bitterness as the toasty malt finishes round.

Exemplary.

4.5

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 lives in Ithaca, NY and is a great beer writer. That’s Maria in the middle. The other two are not, but they are lucky to have her as a friend.

 Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay, Salt City, Clarksville Carboys and Music City Homebrewers, who has been writing on beer-related topics and interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast, for over 15 years.

Written by Ken Carman

 Last year I wrote about a trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where my wife’s family does a reunion every year. So Dogfish is familiar territory and always part of the plan. Last year we swung through Asheville. We wanted to stop by go to Wicked Weed.We wanted to addmore spice to the beer side of our journey, or maybe more “sour…” both in a grand way, and not so grand.
 Great sours, but the GPS royally screwed us up when we tried to escape Asheville and get back on track to Rehoboth… adding more miles than necessary. This year, on the way, we went to Purcellville, Virginia because I had been doing research about Virginia breweries and discovered Adroit Theory. It did not disappoint.
 Neither did Purcellville. A tiny hamlet, we were amazed there were four breweries, and especially one as unique as Adroit. Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All… Purcellville, Damascus and Rehoboth”

The Topic: America! Yeah!????

 Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay, Salt City, Clarksville Carboys and Music City Homebrewers, who has been writing on beer-related topics, and interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast, for over 15 years.

Written by Ken Carman

 At least the new Dominos ad a few years ago came across as, “Hey, America, We don’t suck as much now!” GM has its, “Buicks used to be worse” ads.
 At least they weren’t so cynical as to just slap AMERICA! on the product in huge letters and hope people so stupid they might abandon craft beer for the summer.
 Wait. It’s an election year where accepting stupidity reaches new heights. Maybe I should rethink those last two sentences. Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All”

Profiled by Maria Devan

The saison is like a beer pleasantry. Have you ever been to the confectioners shop? You can find there a small perfect box with hard lemon candies in it. They are perfectly yellow and have a light dusting of sugar . They look perfect but not delicate.

Meriwether is a collaboration between Perennial Artisan Ales and The Commons Brewery.

The pour is alive with bubbles. Not just one stream! They keep coming and the head is very creamy and stands quite a long time. Lemon yellow and hazy. Nose is bright with lemon, grasses and spice . A healthy sugar on this nose and a scrumptious malt underneath that little bit of extra sweetness. Some barnyard to give tartness . I thought I smelled wheat at first. Golden malt. Drinks with lots of wonderful hop herbal and lemon. Spice and a touch of earthy sweet funk. Herbal pepper and bubbly carbonation finish the beer with a firm hops bitter to linger. It does not finish all the way dry. Just a touch of sweetness on this one to finish malty. A subtle crackery finish with lots of spice.

The saison often appears as a contradiction. Hearty yet delicate, sweet but dry, I think that is why so may have girls names. This one is so lemony it’s bon vivant! It’s also a little bold with funk. TGIF everyone!

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 lives in Ithaca, NY and is a great beer writer. That’s Maria in the middle. The other two are not, but they are lucky to have her as a friend.

Profiled by Ken Carman

I find New Holland hit and miss. This was not just a hit; while not a home run, at least second base…. more like third. I got everything here, both in the nose and to taste. The “milk” could be more “milk” when cold: lactose etc.

Head disappears fast: white foam. So black can’t see through. Pillow lite brown head.

The milk is more in the nose and it could use more stout characteristics to taste and to sniff…ala’ roasted barley. But this is a minor concern A tad like a chocolate shake for adults with bourbon, raspberry and lemon. Malt complexity obvious: pale, probably chocolate and brown. No hops noted.

Buy it, but complain to the brewer, “Why can’t your brews be more like this?”

Not enough reviews on on either BA or RG to quote.

4.2

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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By Ken Carman Ken Carman is a screen name for the Simpson’s dog in the alternate cartoon universe: Satan’s Little Helper