Category: Beer

Profiled by Ken Carman for PGA

This is a multigrain beer that for the grist uses a lot of buckwheat. I was curious about buckwheat itself, since I use buckwheat honey. Let’s just say I may still use a hint, but not that impressed. It also uses a crystal malt and and Metcalfe malt: 2 row.

Clarity great except a very slight haze at about 3 srm: deep gold. Rock head: big with tad pillow that fades very, very fast.

Nose: buckwheat. That’s it.

Mouthfeel: feels full but that’s buckwheat. I would call it high side of light or low of medium. Carbonation very light, but this was from a tap into a Grolsch bottle.

Taste: buckwheat and hint of caramel malt. The hop is mostly a slightly sharp bitter. This is a quaff so simple that it’s an interesting attempt, but not all that “interesting” compared to all that’s on the shelf thee days. I get the mouthful-ness of the buckwheat and some slight caramel malt way in the background: weak at best. Hops? A hint of bitter at best. No esters from what would normally be a late addition or two. Buckwheat, light carbonation, slight bitter: that’s pretty much it. Needs more overall complexity.

Rate Beer has it at 61, 63 for style and BA: 80.

This is in no way problematic, just not all that interesting. However could be a great breakout beer for the craft beer hesitant.

Score for BJCP score sheet: 28, maybe 29.

3.8 on PGA scale.

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

Profiled by Maria Devan for Professor Goodales

Hazed orange with a fat steady stream of bubbles coming to the top where they meet a fat off white head of creamy foam that adorns the glass with rings of sticky lace. The body of the beer has a soft pastel hue and a beautiful melon color to accent additional hues of gold. Nose is succulent sweet fruit with a bit of pine to greet you first. Then mango, and an authentic mango with a bit of tartness.

Beautiful.

Some other tropical back notes and a bit of bread with honey like sweetness from malt. No alcohol on the nose unless you go looking for it. taste has plenty of juicy and ripe fruit, that touch of pine and a soft sweet bread to carry it to the back palate where it is met by some sharp and bitter alcohol and a bit of hop bitter too.

The middle is dry and the aftertaste is a bit sharp and hot with the alcohol. This beer had a pretty good mouthfeel except for some syrup as it warms from the high abv and it was not as easy to drink as it should have been.

On the PGA scale: a 3.

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

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

Profiled by Maria Devan for PGA

Pours true brown and completely opaque. There are no lighter hues to be discovered. A fat, tan head of creamy foam on top that lasts and leaves lace. Appearance is stately and handsome.

Nose is terrific with toasty malt and dark scents. There is coffee, and chocolate and burnt toast. Just underneath it all is a wonderful hop floral and some bright , sweet grapefruit peel. Bread-y malt promises a bit of caramel. A very light pine scent gives the hops away as they seem to want to hide a bit.

Taste is smooth and creamy. Toasted and dry flavors. Coffee that is strong but not bitter, lightly sweet chocolate and a bit of burnt toast. The hops are graceful and never come to outdo the malt. Caramel is smooth and you might not even notice how smooth without the bit of grapefruit peel to really help show it off. The light grapefruit peel provides a wonderful contrast and really accents that bittersweet chocolate well. These hops are under control and bring a lightness to the drink overall. The hops finally come forward in the finish to show a bit of bitter and a nice little citrus-y twang. Mouthfeel is smooth and medium full with moderate carbonation and a touch of hop oil on the body of the

beer.

Really well done. This beer drinks like a brown with all the roast and smoothness you would expect. The hops are an addition and not the focus but contribute to the drink by adding a bit of pizazz to the toasty flavors and not by stripping the beer of it’s identity as a brown ale. A classic brown ale with a bit of cheerful hops to carry it off with a decidedly sunny disposition.

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

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

Profiled by Maria Devan for PGA

Pours out golden and with an orange blush on it. Fat creamy head of off white foam that lasts and leaves sticky lace.

I was expecting a bigger nose but it’s a bit shy. Sultry even. It has a tropical fruit sweetness and bit of mango. Soft suggestion of pine but nothing sharp. Fresh ripe orange and a bit of sugar for a malt presence on the nose. Some orange peel to really sweeten it and brighten it.

Taste is a light delicious juicy mouthful of liquid fruit. Fresh orange with tropical underpinnings. Gentle pine. The malt is supple and graceful and like a bit of sugar. It drinks with a bit of hop oil on the body of the beer, medium mouthfeel and has a touch of sticky resin to coat the mouth and leave a softly moderate bitter. Dries the palate and finishes with a faint spice and a bit more bitter with a pleasant aftertaste like fresh orange juice. There is no alcohol on this beer save for a touch of warmth.

Drinks so easily and has an amazing lightness.

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

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