Ballast Point Brewing Co. -- Yellowtail Pale Ale

Ballast Point's Yellowtail Pale Ale is "skillfully crafted in the style of the Kolsch beers of Cologne, Germany." 

5% ABV and 23 IBU's

Review:

Appearance: Golden color, 1/8 inch head that disapites quickly. Somewhat opaque.

Aroma: Slight grain aroma... munich malts?

Taste: Grainy in the same way that Maui's big swell and Bikini blonde are grainy. Probably has Munich malts in it. There is also a slight tang to it. This sometimes occurs in lower alcohol beers. There are also some earth notes in this ale. Altogether, it is a mix of sweet and tart. 

Finish: The sweet tanginess of this ale transitions into a nice dry hop finish. 

(Side note: Ballast point also makes Sculpin, one of the best IPA's on the market.)

Overall:

The American craft and micro brewing landscape is one of amazing diversity and excitement. One could certainly argue that America is the best place in the world to drink beer, based on the available styles and number of breweries. It truly is a wonderful industry... but sometimes the ugly world of marketing and sales invades my beautiful beer world and pisses me off. This beer is a good example. 

Ballast point Yellowtail Pale Ale IS NOT A PALE ALE! This beer is a Kolsch! There are defined categories in beer, and two of them are Pale Ale (BJCP 10a and 8c) and Kolsch (BJCP 6c). This beer is clearly a Kolsch, and as you can see from the quote at the top of the page, even the brewery says it is a Kolsch. (And a tasty Kolsch too.) So why then, are they marketing this beer as a Pale Ale? Simple economics-- Pale Ales sell better in the US and especially San Diego. Somebody in their marketing department, with no love for the honesty and integrity that has been a part of the micro-brew industry for the past 3 decades, decided that they could sell a couple more cases of beer if they put a different label on the beer and misled the public. That's not cool! If I want a Kolsch, I'll buy a Kolsch. If I want a Pale Ale, I want to be able to buy a beer labeled a Pale Ale and have it be a Pale Ale. Pushing the boundaries of brewing, and making hybrid styles is great, but  that's not what Ballast Point is doing. Yellowtail is not a Pale Ale that tastes like a Kolsch. Yellowtail is not a Kolsch that tastes like a Pale Ale. Yellowtail is a KOLSCH!

I love a good Kolsch, but I won't support false advertising.

Hey Ballast Point! Listen up! Get some integrity!

To use your own quote, "Get the point?"

Barrel Man says,

"B.P. can go 

F##K themselves."

Nogne O / Dugges-- Sahti

 

Nogne O  / Dugges Sahti is a beer that was a collaboration between these Norwegian and Swedish breweries, respectively, and was their take on the traditional Finnish style ale.

11% ABV and 24 IBU's

Review:

Aroma: Odd... phenolic smells are in your face. Strangely, the smell of walnut shells is very apparent. Notes of wildflower honey.

Appearance: This Sahti is a hazy amber color and has a white, soda-like head. 

Taste: There is a wheatyness, a rye bite, juniper in the throat... it is fruity and flowery with honey notes... this is a very layered and very complex beer. 

Mouthfeel: A bit syrupy. Quite thick and chewy. You can actually see the viscosity if you watch how slowly the bubbles rise!

Finish: A little bit of everything lingers on the tongue. 

(Side Note: I knew that I was in for an adventure when I saw that it was a Finnish style brewed by Norwegians and Swedes using honey, rye, sea wormwood, wheat, malt,  juniper twigs, hops, and three types of yeast from  from Belgium, Germany and Britain.)

Overall:

This beer is very difficult to grade because it is like nothing else. It is not a true Sahti although it has the key ingredients. It is an amalgam of so many things that it really is unique unto itself. Therefore I have to grade it simply by the satisfaction it gave to me.

Grade: B- for flavor, B+ for effort. This was a gutsy beer to brew and market. 

Barrel Man says, 

"Aye, a gutsy brew!"

(This Bottle Purchased at Ewa Pantry.)

Free tasting at Liquor Collection

 FREE BEER!!!

This Friday, June 24, there will be a free beer tasting at The Liquor Collection in the ward warehouse.
Reports say that a representative of Samuel Adams Brewing Co will be pouring their Imperial line (Imperial Stout, Imperial White, Doublebock)

It is a free event and will be held from 5:30 to 8: 30.

Coronado Brewing Co. -- Orange Avenue Wit

Coronado Brewing Co.'s Orange Avenue Wit is an ale, "brewed with wheat, coriander, California orange peel and local [CA] orange blossom honey."

5.2% ABV and 10ish IBU's

Review:

Appearance: This light ale pours a nice straw color with a pure white head. It is slightly hazy, but in amounts appropriate for a wheat based beer.

Aroma: Orange and wheat, orange peel, sweetness from honey or malts or both.

Taste: Slightly sour orange flavor. Orange peel with earthiness that is well balanced and has a tart finish. Hints of coriander spice at the very end. 

Mouthfeel: Soft and creamy, with citrus rind (not the pith) oiliness, and a slightly waxy feel on the palate. 

(Side Note: Other witbiers I've reviewed can be seen here, here, and here.)

Overall:

This is a pretty good fruit beer. If I was a fruit beer lover I'd buy this beer regularly. North Coast makes a Tangerine Wheat beer that is somewhat similar to this beer but sweeter, and it too is a good beer. However, I'm going to deduct a couple of points because the label says that this is a "Wit" and the flavors of spice should be more pronounced in a Wit. They should probably just call it a wheat beer. 

Grade: A-

Barrel Man says,

"SD beer w/o hop flavor?

What's next?!"

(Bottle Purchased at Liquor Collection.)

Rogue Brewing Co. -- Dad's Little Helper Black IPA

Rogue Brewing Co.'s Dad's Little Helper is an annual Father's day release that changes in style each year. Last year it was a Malt Liquor. This year it is a Black IPA (also sometimes called a Cascadian Dark Ale or CDA)

6ish% ABV and 70 IBU

Review:

Appearance: This beer pours very dark-- similar to a porter or an extremely dark brown ale. The head is light tan and is quite thick.

Aroma: Roasty, citrus and earthy hops, chocolate.

Taste: ROAST! Some grain astringency, a bit of a sour hop character and what I think is Chinook hop bittering.

Mouthfeel: wheaty, earthy, gritty. Slightly chalky... like walking down a dirt road and a car speeds past you kicking up a dust storm. 

(Side Note: Another Black IPA / CDA that I rated can be found here)

Overall:

This style is still being defined. As such, it is a little tough to grade it on what it should be. Still, I'll just write what my taste buds are telling me: Too wheaty, too much astringency from the roasted grains, too porter/stout like to call it an IPA. 

Grade: B-

Barrel Man says,

"Sorry, Dad."

(Bottle Purchased at Liquor Collection)

Maui Brewing Co. tasting

What do you get when you mix Maui Brewing, a free tasting, and the Liquor Collection? A good time!

AND you also get Maui founder Garrett Marrero!

(...the only way to sell beer is to have a beer with the folks you're selling to!)

Garrett, who is obviously in his element when talking about Maui's delicious lineup, is a pleasure to talk to and a font of beer knowledge. While hanging around, I heard a few surprising things that I will now list below:

1.) BREAKING NEWS!!!!  Maui Brewing Co and Port Brewing Co in San Diego are getting together to do a collaboration in the fall! According to Garrett, it will be available in Maui cans and will combine the best of what San Diego and Hawaii have to offer-- just as soon as they figure out exactly what that is. (Port Brewing Co is not available in HI, so this will be a great way for Kama'aina to get an idea of how great Port's award-winning beers are!) VERY EXCITING!

2.) Possibly on the horizon: Maui Brewing is hoping to find a way to work with Roselani ice cream company to make a Coconut Porter ice cream. Obviously, they first have to figure out how to get the alcohol out of the beer in order to get it through the approval process, but this would be an instant classic!

3.) Interesting fact: The pineapple juice used in Maui's Mana Wheat is the same juice used in the making of Pau Vodka, and Tedeschi Vineyard's Pineapple Wine. Imagine that! One juice, three local products! Garret also explained that Maui Brewing Co does not modify the juice, nor do they add extracts in their brewing process. This explains the variation between batches, as both the terroir and the relative sweetness of each pineapple harvest are both expressed in the beer. 

Many mahalos to Liquor Collection, Maui Brewing Co, and Garrett Marrero.

Deschutes Brewery's -- Hop in the Dark C.D.A. (Cascadian Dark Ale)

Deschutes Brewery's Hop in the Dark was the second best beer reviewed by Wine Enthusiast magazine in 2010. Some beer writers are saying that this year, Hop in the Dark is even better!

6.5% ABV and 70 IBU's

Review:

Appearance: This beer looks just like a stout as it sits in the glass. It is seriously black with a dark tan head. The head retention is great and leaves lacing down the entire glass. My guess is that there are wheat and oats in this beer.

Aroma: Strong cascade/citrusy hop aromas. Behind that, there is just a hint of sweet malt. 

Taste: 

First sip-- hops, then rye bread, then roasted coffee notes.

Second sip-- hops and then roasty notes.

Third sip -- hops and then more hops.

Every other sip-- hops and hops and hops. 

The hop character is citrusy and grapefruity up front, with an earthy middle and a gritty Chinook-like feel late.

(Side Note: Cascadian Dark Ales are an emerging style that is new to the commercial market. It is my humble opinion that this trend was pushed by home brewers who were concerned with making something tasty to drink -- and unconcerned with how to market or make money on a beer that doesn't fit in the style guidelines. Commercial brewers who make their money by marketing beer took a while to come around to this innovative style. If you enjoy this beer, and how different it is from most other beers on the market, you may enjoy making your own beer.)

Overall: 

This is a great dark IPA or CDA or whatever you want to call it. It is very hoppy but not so much that you laugh at how ridiculous it is. Kanaka who like malty beers will be disappointed, as this beer is not balanced between hops and malts. This beer is balanced by setting a roasty mouthfeel against hops, and balancing the aggressive hops with earthy hops. 

On Deschutes website it states that it took the brewery 22 experimental batches to get the right combination. I believe this is probably true. Overall this is a well crafted IPA-like CDA.

Grade: A

Barrel Man says,

"As dark as a 

well-digger's hole

on a moonless

winter solstice."

(Bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Samuel Adams -- Summer Ale

Sam Adams uses malted wheat, lemon peel and Grains of Paradise in their Summer Ale. 

5.3% ABV

Review:

Appearance: Hazy golden ale with a white head that disapates rather quickly for a wheat beer. 

Aroma: Wheat and lemon peel witha hint of watermelon rind.

Taste: Tart and buttery with lemon and dry apple cider notes. The bite is closer to soda than a wheat beer. There is also a little club soda saltiness. 

Mouthfeel: Crisp, citrus rind astringency. Lingering dryness in mouth. 

Side Note:

Overall:

WTF? This beer is certainly unique, but I would not say that it is great... I wouldn't even say that it's good. This is what you get when you are a lager based company that occasionally tries to make exciting ales but you are still scared to make any flavor bold. This beer is like a watered down version of something that might have been good in the hands of another brewer. It is like you took a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, poured 1/4 of the bottle into a glass and then filled the rest of the glass with luke warm water. The flavor you would get from that abomination is approximately how much enjoyment you will receive from drinking this beer. 

Sam Adams makes extremely drinkable lagers, but when they put out these seasonals that are outside their normal profile, it's embarassing. If this were a home brew, I would dump it down the drain before I would serve it to my friends.

NOTE TO JIM KOCH: quit trying to make ales taste like lagers! Keep your lagers, and just make some ales that taste like ales! 

Grade: D

Barrel Man says,

" D is for 'dump it!'"

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Lost Coast Brewing Co. -- Great White

Lost Coast Brewing Co's Great White is made with a hint of citrus and a secret blend of Humboldt herbs.

5% ABV and 10-20 IBU's (estimated)

Review:

After the disaster that was Unibroue's Blanche de Chambly, I thought I'd follow up with a good Witbier / white beer. This beer is made in the Humboldt Nation / Emerald Triangle, but no, the "secret blend of Humboldt herbs" does not seem to include that herb.

Appearance: Pale blond. Immaculately white pillowy head.

Aroma: A bit sulfury at first. After it breathes, the sulfur dissipates.

Taste: Lemon, sweet malt, and floral rosewater.

Mouthfeel: Light and smooth, with a delightful finish.

(Side Note: check out the website. I imagine that these folks wear tie-dye all day, every day.)

Overall: 
Even though the picture is a little grainy, you can see that this is a nice light beer with all the aspects that make a great Witbier. It does have a few more hop notes than other examples, but this beer was made on the west coast, and so that west coast flair is acceptable. I think that Hitachino Nest's White Ale is probably more of an authentic Belgian style Wit, but I'm not sure that Lost coast was trying to make an authentic Wit. I think they set out to make an American White Ale, and I think they succeeded. Zesty, Lemony, refreshing... what more do you want in a White Ale?

Grade: A-

Barrel Man says, 

That is a 

"Great White."

(Bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Unibroue -- Blanche De Chambly

Unibroue's Blanche de Chambly is a Belgian Witbier styled ale that is supposed to have flavors or "wheat and subtle spices blanketed in citrus flavors reminiscent of orange and lemon."

 5% ABV, and 10 IBU's

Reveiw:

This beer is supposed to be light gold and hazy with light zesty flavors and aromas. Look at the picture above! Even in this low light situation you can see that this beer is nowhere near golden. It smelled very old and had chunks of hops floating in the beer. The taste was not zesty or light. Something went very wrong with this batch of beer. I'd blame age, but no matter how old this beer was, there shouldn't be solid chunks of hops floating around! 

(You can actually see 2 chunks in the picture above -- black spot in the top right of glass and black spot 1/3 of the way up and just right of center.)

This is the first beer beer I've reviewed that will get an F. 

Unibroue: Wake up! Bad brewing process here. 

Grade: F

Samuel Smith -- Organic Raspberry Fruit Ale

 

Samuel Smith's Organic Raspberry Ale is brewed at Yorkshire's oldest brewery and is certified organic by the USDA.

5.1% ABV

Review:
Appearance: This beer is truly purple! It is also somewhat cloudy and has a pinkish white head.

Aroma: Raspberry. No real surprise there.

Taste: My immediate reaction was that it was surprisingly sweet and sour at the same time. The other taster said it taste like Sour Patch Kids. There is no doubt that this is a fruit-forward ale and it is actually hard to detect anything "beery" about it.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation combines with the raspberry tang to create the bite that hops would normally be there for. The sweet and sour finish lingers for a long time.

(Side Note: This brewery was founded in 1758. That's right-- this brewery is older than our country!)

Overall:
This beer is boldly fruity. It is called a Fruit Ale, but it is a heck of a lot more fruit than ale. If you like fruit beers that are VERY fruity, this would be a great beer for you to try. I would pair it with a chocolate cake or, even better, a plain cheesecake!

Grade: A for style, B for my taste (Just too fruity)

Barrel Man says,
"Where's the beer?"

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Kikuchi Brewery -- Hitachino Nest White Ale

Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino Nest White Ale is a, "refreshing mildly hopped Belgian styled beer with a complex flavor of coriander, orange peel, nutmeg."

5.5% ABV and 13 IBU

Review:

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden whitish color, much lighter than it appears above. The head was yellowish white and surprisingly small for a Witbier.

Aroma: Black pepper, orange blossom, honey, slight ginger smells. As it warms, it smells more and more like a ginger lei. 

Taste: Orange blossom water, coriander, pepper and lemon zest are all present. This is a great example of what a witbier should be.

Finish: light and clean with a spicy hop/spice note. 

(Side Note: Kiuchi Brewery started over 180 years ago as a sake brewery. They still make sake there, but they also make the entire line of Hitachino Nest beers. If you are in Japan, the website says that you can brew your own beer using their equipment and they will deliver it to your house. If I were in Japan, this is how I would start my new brewery!)

Overall:
The folks in Japan have made a wonderful Belgian style Witbier. This beer is fantastically refreshing. Sweet and spicy notes playfully swirl and mix into one beautiful beer creation. If I had one criticism of this beer it would be that they didn't do anything to to give it a Japanese flair... but it is still hard to blame them for wanting to make a textbook beer without any flaws.

Grade: Solid A!

Barrel Man says,
"Fights the scurvy!"

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Eel River Brewing Co. -- Acai Berry Wheat

Eel River Acai Berry Wheat is "a light-bodied wheat ale brewed with organic acai berries from Brazil."

4% ABV

Review:

Appearance: Straw/light gold color (picture above was taken in low light) with a light white head that is very minimal. 

Aroma: Blueberry skins, wheat, sulfur.

Taste: Wheaty tanginess with the essence of berries. There is actually very little berry flavor-- it's almost as if you are tasting the aromatics. 

Mouthfeel: Light and airy, even with the low carbonation level.

Finish: Crisp and dry.

(Side Note: This beer is actually brewed with Acai and a mix of other berries.

Overall: This is a nice light wheat beer. I like that the berry flavor is not overwhelming, but I can understand if others who enjoy fruit in their beer would be a little disappointed. The two things I think are great about this beer are that the slight fruitiness cancels out the sulfur from the yeast, and that I can tell that real berries were used. I do not like beers that have artificial berry flavor or berry extracts in them. They taste like what they are-- artificial. This is a real beer brewed with real ingredients. 

Grade: B+

Barrel Man says, 

"Is this beer, 'diet'?"

(Bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co -- Weizenbock -- Beer Camp

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp #37 beer, the Weizenbock is a "bock" strength dunkelweizen that was brewed at the Sierra Nevada brewery with the input of the German beercampers.

6.8% ABV

Review:

Appearance: Light copper color with a thick white head

Aroma: Cloves, Bananas, bubblegum, and a light grain husk note. 

Taste: Sweet and then tangy with a sour and clove dominated finish. Though it is not a lager, the alcohol comes through in a way that is reminiscent of the high gravity lagers and malt liquors that come in tall cans and 40's.

Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with a creamy texture that fades to a sour/tart/dry finish. 

(Side Note: This beer was brewed with the same yeast as Kellerweiss.)

Overall:

I think that the high gravity of the wort may have stressed this yeast strain and caused the certain malt liquor feel that I am picking up on. In any case, if you like dunkelweizens this beer may be for you. I found it uninspiring. 

Grade: B-

Barrel Man says,

"Entschuldigung, 

Deutschlanders." 

(This Bottle Purchased at Liquor Collection

the only place I've seen them for sale individually and in the 12 pack.)

Anchor Brewing Co. -- Liberty Ale

 

Anchor Brewing Co.'s Liberty Ale, "was first introduced on April 18th, 1975 to commemorate the bicentennial of the famous ride by Paul Revere."

5.9% ABV

Review:
Appearance: Liberty pours a beautiful golden orange, with a lasting, fluffy white head.

Aroma: Smells just like a lemon tart. Yum!

Taste: Hmmm... this beer is a bit confusing. It is citrusy, but has no real bite. It feels flat on the tongue, but has exciting flavors. It is sour, but still complex.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a high hop presence.

Finish: This is a hoppy beer, but the hops are earthy.

(Side Note: I think that the hops used in this beer are the same as those that were available in the 1970's. There is nothing wrong with that, but you have to remember that Cascade hops were created in 1972, and didn't get popular until the 80's when Sierra Nevada started using them in copious amounts. Most of the citrusy hops that we associate with American IPA's were developed even later.)

Overall:
This is an old school IPA. When this was created, it was probably edgy -- it borrows a lot from the English style, but has a certain Americanness to it. Today, it seems much closer to an English style than what the American Style has become. Despite the claims of Anchor's website stating that Liberty is unique because it is, "Bunged" (a now common method usually called "bottle fermented"), and uses a "rarely used" process called dry hopping (which is VERY common), I would say that the uniqueness of this beer comes from how uniquely dated the flavor profile is. This is like drinking a snapshot of where the leaders of the American brewing industry were in the mid 70's. Put on some Led Zeppelin, crack open a Liberty, and enjoy how good something British can be once America has influenced it!

Grade: B-

Barrel Man says,
"at least I don't have
to talk about Fritz 
anymore."

(This Bottle Purchased at Whole Foods, Kahala Mall)

Lost Coast Brewing Co. -- Alleycat Amber

 

Lost Coast Brewing Co.'s Alleycat Amber Ale is a, "full flavored amber ale made with roasted caramel malt."

4.8% ABV

Review:

Appearance: Light, off-white head and amber colored body. Good clarity. 

Aroma: Light popcorn note. Some bready yeast character. No hops.

Taste: Slightly rusty, tangy, and sourish. Some notes of cider. Reminds me of Fat Tire.

Mouthfeel: Full and robust. 

Finish: Biting.

(Side Note: This beer hails from Humboldt county in Northern California. This area is often referred to as the Emerald Triangle because of the prevalence of another green crop that is a cousin of hops.)

Overall:

This beer reminds me of Fat Tire. As it warms, it does get better... but never excels. I wish I could have this side-by-side with a Fat Tire so that I could show how favorably it would compare to New Belgium products. Still, this isn't an exciting product. This is a, "goes well with pub food" beer. 

Grade: B-

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Kona Brewing Co. -- FIre Rock Pale Ale

Kona Brewing Company's Fire Rock Pale Ale claims to be a, "crisp, refreshing 'Hawaiian-style' pale ale."

5.9% ABV and 35 IBU's

Review:

This copper colored ale pours from the bottle slightly hazy. The initial head stands 1/2 inch high, but fades to a minimal 1/16 inch. Aromas of crystal malts swirl and combine with hints of passion fruit and pineapple. The taste is surprisingly tart, with a dose of citrus rind character and a sprinkle of unripe fruit. There isn't much in the way of malt character or sweetness. The mouthfeel is full, and seems reminiscent of carbonated fruit juice. 

(Side Note: Kona Brewing Co. is owned in majority by Anheuser-busch, which is owned by INBEV, which is not an American company.)

Overall:

This beer is both hoppier and fruitier than I remember. As I was drinking this, I was thinking it tasted like it had followed the Wailua Wheat through a fermentation vessel and had picked up some of that flavor. I see on their website that this beer is brewed with wheat, which explains the haze and the wheaty character, but what about the unripe fruit? I'm afraid that with a sour front, a tart hop middle, no perceivable malt flavor and such little aroma, I'm not going to give this beer a very good grade. 

Grade: C+

Barrel Man says,

"tastes corrupted."

(This bottle purchased at Whole Foods, Kahala Mall)

Coronado Brewing Co. -- Islander IPA

 

Coronado Brewing Co's Islander IPA, "sweeps the senses with its intense hop bitterness, complex flavors and aromas." 

7% ABV and a healthy dose of IBU's

Review: 

Appearance: Hazy copper color with a 3/4 inch head that quickly disappears. The haze may indicate a high level of dry hopping. 

Aroma: Citrus hop! Slight DMS smell.

Taste: Nice BIG hop attack. Sweet, lemon/grapefruit, and orange flavor hops are all present and accounted for. The hops are a little sour late in the taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation. Medium body.

Finish: Hoppy.

(Side note: Coronado also makes an 8.5% IPA that is called Idiot IPA.)

Overall:
In true San Diego style, this beer immediately hits you with big hop flavors... and then keeps coming with more and more hops. The hops were so intense that I could barely perceive any malt flavor at all -- it was as if they were just there for color and body. This is a hop lover's beer!

Grade: A

Barrel Man says: 
"Three cheers for
San Diego!"

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. -- Summerfest

Sierra Nevada's Summerfest is a bottom fermented beer (a lager) that is brewed every year for the summer months.

Review:
Appearance: Straw in color and very clear. A quarter inch head dissipates down to an eighth of an inch, but stays at this level through the glass.

Aroma: The grain husk smell of pilsner malt is rather apparent in this beer. The slight sulfur note is obvious to me, but may be less obvious to someone who is less sensitive to that characteristic. Hop notes, including lemon peel and fresh cut hay, are also present but are at a very low level.

Taste: This lager starts slightly sweet, but quickly transitions to a tangy orange/lemon peel taste and feel. The finish is tangy and less crisp than I remember from years past.

Mouthfeel: There is  a strong sensation of a pilsner, but without the crisp finish... specifically the feel of pilsner malt husk shines through. The carbonation is medium/high which helps lighten the perceived viscosity.

Finish: In Sierra Nevada style, this beer has a gripping hop bite. It also has an astringency that is not unlike water with a squeeze of lemon in it.

(Side note: Although Sierra Nevada makes a wide variety of Ales, this is one of two seasonal beers that is lagered. The other is the spring release, Glissade.)

Overall: 
I have, of course, tasted this beer in years past. This year the hop presence seems a bit more prominent than previous years. In some ways I like it, but the lingering lemon peel sensation cancels out the crispness that I've come to expect in this beer and this style. Usually this is a B+ beer for me, but this year...

Grade: C+

Barrel Man says,
"I like Bikini Blonde
better."

(This bottle purchased at Foodland Supermarket)

Biere du Boucanier -- Golden Ale

Biere du Boucanier makes a couple of different varieties. This one is the Golden Ale, and is as strong as a Belgian Tripel.

11% ABV

Review:

Appearance: Light gold color with a very white but thin head. 

Aroma: Belgian yeast phenolic notes. Both sweet and spicy.

Taste: Quite tangy with sweet and sour Belgian flavor. VERY Belgian!

Mouthfeel / finish: Effervescent... sweet... bite on tongue lasts for a while. There is a touch of alcohol warmth in throat.

(Side Note: Biere du Boucanier makes a couple of different varieties of beer.)

Overall:
This beer is a little rugged in the finish and is a bit warm. However, When the 11% alcohol is taken into consideration, it seems much more appropriate. Not too bad for a beer of this strength.

Grade: A for a beer of this strength. B for my personal taste.

Barrel Man says:

"Arrgh, she be 

a strong one!"

(This Bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Kapuziner -- Bavarian Schwarz-Weizen

 

Kapuziner's Bavarian Schwarz-Weizen is a Black Wheat Ale is a light bodied, dark colored beer that is as refreshing as it is dark.

5.4% ABV

Review:

Aroma: The signature aroma of a sweet German Hefeweizen can be smelled many inches from the glass. Nice notes of grilled citrus fruits are also present. 

Appearance: Dark brown to Black with nice brown highlights. The head is khaki and composed of very fine bubbles. It starts 3/4 to 1 inch thick and, while lessening, lasts through the glass.

Taste: There is a slight chocolaty flavor, bot it comes across dry. The yeast character is spicy but is balanced by the full, creamy mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel: It feels like a nice hefe-weizen with charcoal and ash added.

Finish: Dry and dusty.

(I guess they use the same bottle for a couple of beers)

(Side Note: The color in this beer comes from the same dehusked barley that is used in the Schwarzbier (black lagers) of Germany. It contributes nice color and roast with very low astringency.)

Overall:

Sometimes it is difficult to come up with a single grade for a beer. This was true for this beer because even though I respect the skill and finesse that the brewer obviously possessed in making this beer, I still couldn't get excited about the style.  So, this will be a split decision.

Grade: A- for skill and style. B for my personal taste.

Barrel Man says:

"As dark as the 

inside of my barrel."

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection.)