Genesee Cream Ale

Genesee Cream Ale

Purchased From: Plumsted Buy Rite Liquors

Serving Type: 12 oz. can, poured into a Tapping Into Twain pint glass

Cream Ale is a style born out of American Adjunct Lagers, so fittingly, Genesee, one of the macros (albeit smaller than the big 3) makes one. Often referred to as ‘Genny Cream’ both lovingly and derisively, the beer pours a crystal clear straw with a slight grassy green hue. The medium-sized white head is a fine foam consistency. The head is slow-to-fade and produces moderate lacing.

Alcoholic esters are prominent on the nose along with a sticky sweet malt and adjunct graininess. There’s also a mellowed lager-like yeast must to it. There’s a corn sweetness to the taste, but the malts are decent overall. Unlike many other macros, Genny Cream doesn’t seem watery at all. The mouthfeel is creamy, with some carbonation tickling the tongue. Light notes of vanilla and extremely mild citrus come in near the end. The aftertaste is dry and long-lasting, but a bit sour.

One of the main bonuses of this once-popular brew is its price. Coming in at $3.69 a six-pack, this beer is extremely affordable.

Final Verdict: D+

Old Milwaukee

Old Milwaukee

Purchased From: Plumsted Buy Rite Liquors

Serving Type: 16 oz. can, poured into a Guinness pint glass

This beginning paragraph was mis-attributed (by me) to Old Milwaukee. It tells the tale of Schaefer. That review will debut on Thursday December 2, 2010. Old Milwaukee, once the best selling beer in America has fallen from its prominent spot to the pits of the beer world. Only a few short decades the brand ceded its top spot to Budweiser, now it toils in obscurity. Is the beer’s fall from grace justified? Likely. Is Budweiser’s top stop in the American market justified? Far from.

Old Milwaukee now exists in the brand portfolio of Pabst Brewing Company. It was originally introduced as a budget beer by Schlitz. Schlitz and its brands were eventually purchased by Stroh. More recently, Stroh and its brands were acquired by Pabst. All of Pabst’s brands are contract brewed by MillerCoors.

The beer pours a pale straw body, overloaded with carbonation. The initial head is frothy and decent in size, but can’t muster anything substantial in the way of retention or lacing. The sticky sweet corn nose is mildly unpleasant and backed up with a fizzling sour graininess.

The high carbonation and ice cold serving temperature do all that they can to hide the beer’s flavor. There’s a corn sugar sweetness to it, but the flavor is thin overall. There’s barely anything discernable as far as barley malt goes. As the beer warms up the faintest taste of hops appear, but they’re far too late to do anything for this beer.

On the bright side, this stuff is cheap. A six-pack of tall boys goes for about $4.50 and its light enough to drink a few. A maintenance beer, perhaps.

Final Verdict: D-

Southampton Publick House - Double White

Southampton Publick House - Double White

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

The yeast sediment turns Southampton’s take on a witbier from a medium straw to a radiant hazy yellow, with an orangey glow. The medium, creamy white head has great retention and lacing. The nose carries a bready wheat, huge coriander, big citrus, and a mild astringency. Southampton mentions the use of additional unmalted wheat in their brew process. The bready nose was especially noticeable, but I haven’t had enough opportunity to realize all of the differences that this process may add to a beer.

The malts and wheat is big, but sticky citrus seems to go right for the tongue with a biting dry touch. It isn’t surprising that the citrus factor here is significant, given the addition of both orange and lemon rind to the brew process. Alcohol comes rushing in in the middle and adds a considerable sweetness.

The big coriander from the nose seems to get a bit lost in the mix as far as taste goes. The finish is grainy and comes with some heat in the chest. Southampton’s stated mission with the Double White was to make a ‘big’ witbier. It certainly seems that they doubled up on wheat, citrus, and alcohol.

The Double Wheat goes for big, hits it, but doesn’t own it.

Final Verdict: B-

Southampton Publick House - Imperial Porter

Southampton Publick House - Imperial Porter

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

A few months ago I tasted a pumpkin ale from Southampton, and today and tomorrow I’ve got an additional two beers from the New York brewer, bottled in Latrobe, PA. Latrobe, of course, used to be the headquarters for Rolling Rock. The brand was purchased in 2006 by Anheuser-Busch and the Pennsylvania brewery was shuttered.

The Imperial Porter has a deep mahogany brown body and a ruby glow. The large creamy tan head has tremendous staying power and produces ample and intricate lacing. The nose is interesting and complex. Up front chocolate and caramel define the nose in a common-place fashion. What’s unconventional is a clear, sweet, almost citrusy and sticky hop aroma. Hops are not rare among porters, but hops with such a prominent citrus profile are more unusual.

The beer is very sweet and light up front, but slowly transitions to abundant earthy chocolate tones. Next up is a mid-palate defined by a deep toffee sweetness. As the flavor begins to round out the sweetness subsides and roasted malts with a coffee character steps to centerstage. The finish is pleasant and lingers with a mellow charred smokiness. 

This drink is like a performance in a glass. It moves elegantly among a range of flavors that define the beer. Each stage in the profile is clear and defined, but overall the beer moves effortlessly between them creating a single, delicious, beer-drinking experience.

Final Verdict: B+

Hooker Brewing Company - American Pale Ale

Hooker Brewing Company - American Pale Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Hooker pint glass

Hooker’s American Pale Ale pours a medium amber with a yellowy-straw glow. The mid-sized tan head is slightly oily in appearance and packs solid retention. The lacing is modest, but pleasant overall. The nose is aromatic with plenty of piney hops and an underlying maple-like malt sweetness.

The malts are chunky and bold with a light caramel sweetness. There’s a clear presence of Hooker’s standard base malts, which thin down the body a bit, but leave off with a nice balance. The hops are clean and refreshing, but unobtrusive. There’s a definite emphasis on aromatics rather than bittering hops. This beer is very drinkable and a dependable year-round brew.

Final Verdict: B+

Stone Brewing Company - Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Stone Brewing Company - Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. screen-printed bottle, poured into a snifter

The body is a hazy ruby-brown. The haze seems to come from what appears to be extremely fine yeast suspended throughout the body. The thin tan head is light on retention and lacing, but leaves an intricate pattern of circular wisps of foam at the top of the beer. Overall the beer is interesting and attractive in appearance alone.

The nose is complex with sweet toasted malts, and a very pungent hop aroma that gives the beer a character similar to some Belgian pale ales or Belgian strong ales. Candied fruits like plums and vigs mix with rising alcoholic esters to round out the scent.

The beer is extremely smooth with an excellent and pleasing mouthfeel. Along with toasted malts, citrus components add to the depth of the beer. The oak really comes through strong. Mixed with the piney hops, the woodiness makes this beer like a baseball bat in the face. The finish is rewarding and slowly slides into a pleasant vanilla aftertaste.

Final Verdict: A

Note: The screen-printed bottle is at once a piece of art and a call to action. Its appearance is fantastic, but giving it an earnest read reveal humor and entitlement. Essentially, put down your over-carbonated, mass-produced swill, and drink a real beer. One final note, the state of California believes that the cadmium paint used in the production of this bottle causes cancer. 

Dundee - Pale Bock Lager

Dundee - Pale Bock Lager

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. twist-off bottle, poured into a flute glass

Dundee is brewed by the good folks up in Rochester, NY at the Genesee Brewing Company. While Genesee’s namesake beers are fairly obscure, the Dundee brand has gained some national notoriety. The brewery also contract brews a variety of beers for various other companies.

The lager pours a pale orange color with tones of lightly burnt straw. The fluffy and craterous foam head is attractive with solid retention and great lacing. The nose is also impressive with notes of citrus and light spice, like coriander, among the potent noble hops and sweet malts. 

The beer is crisp with plenty of active carbonation. The lightly toasted malt body is clean with delicate honey sweetness and a prominent hop pallate. The finish has some unfortunate artificial tones to it and the beer seems to go watery right at the last second. The beer is solid, overall, but the nose gives an impression that’s better than the beer actually is.

Final Verdict: B

Wolaver’s - Ben Gleason’s White Ale

Wolaver’s - Ben Gleason’s White Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. twist-off bottle, poured into a mug

This White Ale is certified organic and comes from Vermont. The wheat used is organic and grown near the brewery by a small farmer, Ben Gleason, who has his name immortalized in the title of this brew. In addition to the wheat malts come organic rolled oats, which provide pleasant smoothness, and organic two-row barley malts. All together, this is a great beer, produced with care, from the Green Mountain State.

The body is a hazy light straw with wispy floating yeast. The head is a medium size with a creamy white complexion. The retention is good and the head holds up nicely against the solid active carbonation. The lacing is nice, but somewhat light.

The aroma is a typical white ale scent with spices, orange citrus, and sweet wheat malts. The wheat is very bready and reminds me of a good sandwich on fresh crusty bread. The flavor is defined primarily by the spices. Coriander for days. The wheat malts are sweet and the beer is very crisp. There’s a slightly sour component, like that of a fresh apple. Very pleasing. The finish is great and very tight. The aftertaste is long-lasting and carries a mildly astringent component.

Final Verdict: B+

Samuel Adams - Old Fezziwig Ale

Samuel Adams - Old Fezziwig Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

Old Fezziwig is ‘Winter Warmer’ style ale. The style is typically characterized by big malt boldness, occasional prominent alcohol, and, from time to time, spicing. Although the style truly should not be spiced, the label is often applied to beers that have been.

The beer pour appears syrupy and results in a mahogany brown with cherry hints. There’s a medium creamy tan/yellow-ish head that is good on retention and produces great lacing patterns on the glass. The malts on the nose are toasty and produce a pleasant sweetness along with fruit. Black cherries dominate the fruit tones, but there’s a mild tartness like peaches or nectarines.

Overall the beer is sweet, without much of a hop profile, but it is at once complex. The maltiness is prominent and great overall with a slight smokey character. Gooey caramel seems to define the toasted malt sweetness along with plums and cherries. Near the end there’s a mild roasted chestnut component that rounds off the beer. The finish is clean and the aftertaste is lasting and very pleasant. 

Final Verdict: A-

Samuel Adams - Winter Lager

Samuel Adams - Winter Lager

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

From a syrupy-looking pour comes a deep brown amber body with a small, lightly tanned, foam head. The head is extremely light on retention and lacing. The nose is toasty with a charcoal-like aroma, reminiscent of Scotch Whiskey. There’s also a light, but detectable, cinnamon component to the relatively simple nose.

The toasted malts are well-rounded and provide great sweetness and nice depth. A slight citrus flavor comes through with a slight bitterness. The bitter flavor seems to be akin to orange rind, rather than the product of hopping. The finish is slightly medicinal, but far from unpleasant.

For the most part the mouthfeel is light and airy, but there’s an interesting stickiness to it at times. It also leaves your teeth feeling sugar-coated. This beer certainly reminds me of Nor’Easter from Hooker Brewery, but a bit thinner overall. I’ll have to get a fresh batch from the brewery soon.

Final Verdict: B-

Samuel Adams - Chocolate Bock

Samuel Adams - Chocolate Bock

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a flute

The Chocolate Bock has been around for quite some time, but always in “collectible” 750mL bottles with a metal emblem. The box makes it a point to note that this 12 oz. version is exclusive and new to the variety pack. The bottle and the box also explain that the beer is aged on a bed of Ecuadorian cocoa nibs. What’s a bit concerning is that in addition to being flavored with the cocoa the bottle reveals that the beer is also flavored with ‘natural flavoring.’ It’s a bit ambiguous as to what that is exactly, but even the seemingly innocent ‘natural flavoring’ can be code for all sorts of things that aren’t what you might expect.

The beer is extremely dark, but has a clean complexion. There’s a pleasant brown-ish glow emmenating from the base of the glass. The generously-sized tan head is creamy and comes with solid retention. As the foam shrinks a fine tan layer adorns the top of the beer.

Chocolate is at center-stage on the nose, but there’s also a more delicate mild must. Also detectable are thin barley malts, but they are in the backseat in this beer. The flavor of this beer is singularly and decidedly chocolate. It is extreme. It tastes like drinking a glass of chocolate milk or a mug of (now cold) hot cocoa. A slight bitter and smokey tinge comes at the end, but there’s not much else. No real malt flavor can be decerned. What this beer lacks in balance or depth it makes up for in chocolate.

Final Verdict: C+*

*A Note on the Score: I had a bit of trouble deciding on this score. The beer itself is delicious, but it’s a bit over the top. Nothing but chocolate really makes it through, and it comes off too rich. By the time I was about half-way through the glass I was ready to be done. It is certainly something worth trying, especially for chocolate lovers, and even for people who don’t like beer all that much. However, it loses points, for me, because this is a beer, not a chocolate shake.

Samuel Adams - White Ale

Samuel Adams - White Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Samuel Adams White Ale is the Boston Beer Company’s take on a traditional Belgian witbier. It pours the requisite light yellow body, but comes with plenty of orange tones and a moderate haze. This one doesn’t cloud quite as well as Hoegaarden or Allagash White. The medium head is slightly creamy and carries a medium retention. The slightly astringent malt nose also packs an orangey citrus aroma and mild hops, clove and white pepper.

Unlike some other Belgian-style ales, the foam doesn’t impart a ton of flavor here. Wheat malts are vibrant and very citrusy. The sweetness is pleasant and clean. Unfortunately, the mouthfeel and the finish are both a tad too watery for my taste. The spices come through in the end, to the rescue of this beer. The salvation is a bit short-lived as the spices meet a blandish aftertaste.

Final Verdict: B-

Samuel Adams - Holiday Porter

Samuel Adams - Holiday Porter

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. glass bottle, poured into a mug

The Holiday Porter has a clear, but dark brown body with a pleasant ruby glow. The frothy tan head packs decent retention and produces solid lacing. The nose holds nicely roasted malts, and hints of caramelized sugar and chocolate. 

The chocolate flavor comes through clear along with the roasted malts on the first sip. A pleasant molasses sweetness works to balance a light charred character about mid-way through. Despite some mild carbonation, the mouthfeel is smooth and slick, but it remains positive overall. The body is fairly creamy, but not too heavy at all. The finish is solid and carries on with a mild lingering smoke.

Final Verdict: B+

Samuel Adams Winter Classics Variety Pack

Coming up, starting tomorrow, will be each of the beers from the Samuel Adams Winter Classics variety pack. It’s a 12-pack featuring two bottles each of six different ‘Winter Classics.’ Well, really it’s five seasonal beers plus Boston Lager. 

It’s been a while since I’ve actually had Samuel Adams, and I realize that I’ve been discounting the entire Boston Beer Company for some time. It’s hard to come to a conclusion of exactly why, but it is likely a mix of the familiarity of the beer in comparison to my ever-expanding quest for the new and interesting with a disappointingly real elitist beer-snobbery. 

The Boston Beer Company is the largest craftbrewer in the country. So large, in fact, that by legislated designation, they’re about to outgrow the term. Last I heard there was a bill introduced by a Massachusetts senator to increase the production limit for small brewers. I’m sure Jim Koch at the Boston Beer Company did some pleading to make that happen. Who can blame them, though? While they’re technically about to move into the big leagues, they’re clearly different than the macros. They’re a real success and the bright, shining example that shows that the mass-market really does like real beer, brewed with quality ingredients for actual flavor. They helped spark the craftbrew revolution in America, and for this, I’m not against realigning the rules.

So, this week I’m putting my bias aside, fending off cognitive dissonance, and giving these six varieties a fair shake. As of writing this, I’ve already tasted a few of the beers and I’m very glad that I picked up this sampler. Stay tuned.

Samuel Adams - Boston Lager

Samuel Adams - Boston Lager

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pilsner glass

Boston Lager, interestingly enough, is an interpretation of a Vienna Lager, which is not extremely common anymore. The style has faded in prominence, but immigrant brewers who came to the Americas in the laste 19th century brought the style with them and there are a handful of well-known beers in the style, most notably Boston Lager and Dos Equis Amber, today.

It pours a very brown-tinted amber body, although the color is fairly light and clear overall. The color almost reminds me of a dark whiskey. The small white head didn’t hold up for too long, and left very little lacing on the glass. The nose has caramel malts and a light spice along with a mild bitter hops aroma.

The flavor is much different than I remembered. Not only is it seemingly lighter, there’s an underlying spice that I’d never noticed before. The earthen malts are clear up front and present a slightly woody character. I almost sensed a bit of cinnamon. There’s a drying bitterness to the flavor, but the Nobel hops are a bit weak overall.

I really enjoyed this beer, but it seems different than I recalled it. I’m not sure if they changed the recipe a bit, or if my memory has just been muddled since I last had a Boston Lage.

Final Verdict: B

Cottrell - Old Yankee Ale

Cottrell - Old Yankee Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

I’m disappointed to say that I hadn’t heard of Cottrell Brewing Company earlier. They’re based in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, and apparently, they make great beer. I’m looking forward to trying their Mystic Bridge IPA sometime in the future. For now, though, the focus is on Old Yankee Ale.

The body of the beer is a coppery-amber with a mild haze to it. There’s a small off-white head, but not much retention and no lacing. The earthen malts come through clearly in the nose, backed up by slight caramel hints and modest floral hops.

The toasted malts are right up front with this beer, which nicely balances sweetness with bitterness. The hop profile is mild, but has considerable character and adds a lot to the beer, without taking over. The finish is crisp, but not dry. What’s left is a lingering tasty molasses,

Final Verdict: B+

Allagash - White

Allagash - White

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Allagash White is an excellent example of a Belgian White Ale, except that it is from Maine! One quick note, make sure to give this beer a proper pour for full effect and flavor. Pour about four fifths into the glass then give the last fifth a vigorous swirl in the bottle and top off your glass. This adds to the appearance considerably and rounds off the taste nicely.

The body is extremely yellow, nearly florescent, but with a silky and milky complexion. There’s plenty of frothy white foam head with solid retention. Not a whole lot in the way of lacing here, but still a pleasant looking beer. The nose is spicy and malty. It’s at once refreshing and complex.

The wheat malt is sweet and mildy tart. Before topping off the beer with the last bit of yeast and sediment the tartness is much more pronounced. Not off-putting, but not as nicely mellowed. There are citrus fruit notes to be picked up as well. The spices, which seem to include coriander, clove, and pepper make up a considerable amount of the flavor here and complete this beer very well. 

Final Verdict: A-

Sierra Nevada - Celebration

Sierra Nevada - Celebration

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Like yesterday’s Torpedo Extra IPA, Celebration is another American IPA from Sierra Nevada. They’re considerably different from each other, but equally good. One thing I don’t quite understand is why they chose to go with an IPA as their Winter seasonal. The style is admittedly a year-round favorite, but darker beers are typically brewed as Winter seasonals.

Celebration has a clear amber body with a craterous white foam head. There’s a ton of active carbonation here and the head has superior staying power. Unlike Torpedo, this beer produces tons of intricate lacing on the glass. The nose is hoppy, but with much more citrus than pine. There’s also a slight soapiness to the aroma. Finally, the malt sweetness comes through well with hints of vanilla.

Chinook hops provide a nice bitter bite, but they do not overpower. The medium toasted malts come through nicely and provide delicate sweetness and deft balance. The mouthfeel is silky smooth and rounds off this beer quite well.

Final Verdict: A-

Sierra Nevada - Torpedo Extra IPA

Sierra Nevada - Torpedo Extra IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

Torpedo is a glowing murky reddish-orange beer with a slightly yellow creamy head. Large carbonation bubbles make up the foam and give it solid retention. Unfortunately, this beer can only muster mild lacing. The nose is packed with citrusy and piney hops. There’s a sweetness to the nose as well, but the powerful bitterness is center stage.

The mild malt sweetness that makes the base of this beer is utterly crushed by the prominent hops. Magnum and Crystal hops offer most of the hop flavor and aroma here. Solid carbonation produces a light and airy mouthfeel that keeps this beer very refreshing. The finish is crisp and carries a lingering dryness with a sweet, yet balanced, aftertaste.

Final Verdict: A-

Abita - Turbodog

Abita - Turbodog

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

After the severe disappointment with Pecan Harvest I had much higher hopes for Turbodog. Based on the reviews at Beer Advocate, I thought Turbodog could be the much needed redemption for Abita.

It pours very dark for a brown ale and comes with a slight red glow. There’s a small tan head to start, but lack of retention sends it packing pretty quickly. No lacing here. There’s toasted malts on the nose, but they’re similar to the Pecan beer. At this point I was already concerned. There seemed to be the same medicinal and artificial aroma that ruined the last beer.

A mild smokey character and hop bitterness redeem this beer a little bit. Unfortunately, the same underlying astringency that made the other Abita unpleasant shows it ugly head again. This one isn’t altogether unpleasant, but not something I’m going to be looking for in the future.

Final Verdict: D+

Abita - Pecan Harvest

Abita - Pecan Harvest

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

Pecan Harvest comes from Abita Brewing Company in Louisiana. Who knew that they made beer in the South? Made with real Louisiana pecans, as the label says.

It pours with a medium amber body with a glowing orange tint. The initial thin white head has no retention and leaves no lacing on the glass. There’s a mild astringency to the malts on the nose, but what’s also present seems like pumpkin spices and pecans.

The mouthfeel seems well carbonated at first, but it goes flat and watery in a hurry. There’s a slight toasty malt character, but they too seem watered down. No hops to speak of. The pecan taste comes through in the end, but they taste artificial (counter to the label’s claim). The aftertaste is medicinal and unpleasant. This is not a beer I’d seek out again.

Final Verdict: D-

Redhook - Eisbock 28

Redhook - Eisbock 28

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 650 mL silk screened glass bottle, poured into a snifter

When I saw that Redhook had produced an Eisbock I was immediately interested. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that this 650 mL bottle was actually slightly cheaper than the 33 cL bottle of Aventinus Eisbock that I reviewed recently. My excitement was a bit dashed when I saw that someone commented that this was not a ‘true Eisbock.’ 

I did a bit of research and found out that it is, indeed, a ‘true Eisbock,’ albeit somewhat weak. The point of contention was that, in the United States, the style is illegal. The theory being that concentrating beer by ice is a form of distallation, and that brewers would have to be licensed as distillers and pay a separate (higher) tax. So it is natural that there’d be questions about it. Is Eisbock 28 illegal? Or, is Eisbock 28, not an Eisbock?

A bit of research into the TTB (formerly ATF, who knew?) reveals that a brewer can produce an Eisbock, but may remove only 0.5% of the water from the beer. Redhook has confirmed that they followed the TTB rules, but won’t divulge the amount of water that they froze off because that information is proprietary (notice the use of italics to denote snark). But, we know that the amount is at most 0.5%, which means that the concentration in Eisbock 28 is minimal at best. Damn these puritanical post-prohibition holdovers. Now to the goods.

From the beautiful and minimalistic silk screened bottle pours an equally eye-catching copper beer with a vibrant ruby glow. There’s a small tanned white head that fades but leaves intricate floating wisps. The nose is big on malts, but has a powerful underlying sweetness and alcohol. Candied fruits are clearly present with a mix of fresh and maraschino cherries. 

The flavor is something else entirely. To be sure, it is unique, but the individual components are nearly impossible to discerne. Its bitter and dry, with a mild sweetness beneath it. I can also pick out a bit of oakiness, likely from the aging process. The mouthfeel is sticky and syrupy.

The beer hides its 11% ABV quite well and leaves with a mild heat in the chest. This is an interesting beer and fits in well with Redhook’s limited release series. While I do believe that this is a true Eisbock, I think its fairly weak as they go and lacks the depth and complexity that I was hoping for.

Final Verdict: B-

Peroni Nastro Azzurro

Peroni Nastro Azzurro

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 12 oz. green glass bottle, poured into a pilsner glass

Peroni is perhaps the most well-known Italian beer and it has been making large gains in the American market since the brewer was acquired by SABMiller. 

The light-medium straw body pours with a medium sized white head made of frothy foam. The retention is alright, but there’s no lacing from Peroni. The malts and noble hops produce a pungent nose with a bit of dryness.

The front is very grainy with crisp carbonation and some mild bittering. The noble hops are definitely for aromatics, rather than bittering (similar to Moretti). Unfortunately, the flavor here seems to hit a brick wall. It disappears about halfway though a sip and you’re left with nothing.

Final Verdict: C+

Note on pricing: This beer is a bit expensive in the United States. Not unexpectedly its priced similarly to other ‘premium import lagers,’ which are often (in my opinion) overpriced for their overall quality. And finally, an anecdote, I once unwittingly paid $14 for a 12 oz. bottle of Peroni at a bar in Bermuda. Unreal. 

Birra Moretti

Birra Moretti

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 11.2 oz. bottle, poured into a pilsner glass

Moretti is one of two Italian beers that I’m familiar with, and I think its the better of the two. Neither are fantastic, and both are typical examples of European Pale Lagers. The style was originally formulated in response to the high popularity of the Munich Helles lager style, which, of course, was a Bavarian take on the original Czech Pilsners.

Moretti, now owned by Heineken, pours with a muted but full straw body and minimal head. The foam faded away quickly, but left a few lace specks on the glass. The beer has a fresh pilsner-like smell with noticeable noble hops aroma.

The bold malty sweetness is very apparent in the flavor. It’s met by a nearly biting carbonation that makes the beer crisp and refreshing. There are hints of dandelion bitterness, but the noble hops are more for aroma than bittering. This beer is very enjoyable and worthwhile, but far from amazing.

Final Verdict: B-

Hoegaarden

Hoegaarden

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 11.2 oz. curved bottle, poured into mug

Hoegaarden is a classic example of a Belgian witbier, or white beer, and perhaps the most well known. It’s got a serious nostalgia factor for me, and it has potential for non-beer-drinkers as well. It isn’t a perfect beer, but for someone who’s used to American lagers, this could be beer in a way they’ve never known.

The body is a very light yellow, cloudy with high carbonation. The moderate white foam head is slightly audible, has decent retention, but produces no lacing. The nose is spice heavy. Tons of coriander coming through. There’s also a mild yeasty must to the floral aroma.

This beer is extremely crisp and refreshing. The light wheat malts add a delicious sweetness and balance very well with coriander and other spices. Notes of citrusy lemon zest also accent the flavor. The finish is clean with a slight dryness, but the mouthfeel goes south at the last second. What is initially perceived as high carbonation seems to vanish and leaves a watery finish.

Final Verdict: B+