Bass Brewers Limited - Bass Pale Ale

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a plastic cup

With a history as rich as Bass Pale Ale's in the UK, I'm not sure if it is funny or dismaying that featured prominently on the label are the words "Product of the USA." Bass was once the highest selling beer in the UK with wide export among the former empire. The triangle logo was the first trademark in the UK, as well. Yet, today, the brand is owned by transnational beer-glomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev and apparently (at least those destined for consumption in America) this famous British ale is brewed in the States.

This classic Pale Ale pours a tawny amber body, clear with streams of rising bubbles. It's light tan head is moderately-sized with a semi-creamy consistency. The foam has modest retention and leaves layers of light lacing behind. The nose is feint and mildly lagery with light banana bread notes. Mild cinnamon pairs with a splash of grainy barley tisane.

A slight phenolic banana rush greets the sip up front before meeting a light bouquet of fruity hops. The malt base shows through with moderate tea-like grains and a lagery mid-palate. A mild sweetness is like a hint of honey and somewhat floral. Overall it is a bit thin with an unassuming profile. It's crisp finish makes the beer very drinkable with a refreshing edge.

Final Verdict: B+

Anchor Brewing Company - Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale

Purchased From: Sonoma Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a snifter

Old Foghorn is Anchor's barleywine, a style known for its strength (although not extraordinarily strong in this case) and malty character. Unlike many American barleywine's Old Foghorn isn't highly hopped, and instead allows the malts to remain the focus of attention, more in the English tradition. The beer pours a murky brown with a slight cherry hue and a healthy light tan head. The foam fades fast and doesn't leave much in the way of lacing.

The aroma carries hints of vanilla and has very fruity components. The beer seems quite sweet off the nose, but stays not-quite-cloying. Beneath the sweetness there are mild earthy tones and a slight complimentary spiciness. Dark fruits like figs and plums are clearly present along with minor hints of dried apricots. The mouthfeel is quite crisp and there's a prominent alcohol character. At only 8% ABV it seems that the alcohol comes through stronger than expected.

At first it seems like the flavor dissolves very quickly leaving a somewhat bleak palate. Luckily, the beer opens up nicely as it warms up. This is definitely a candidate for cellar temperature drinking. The finish is dry and lightly peppery. There's also tons of sweetness in the aftertaste and alcohol warmth.

Final Verdict: B

Long Trail Brewing Co. - Pale Ale

Purchased From: Sam's Club
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

The final beer in Long Trail's 'Survival Pack' is the popular Pale Ale. This English-style Pale Ale pours a brownish amber body with a generous fluffy head. The retention on the head is more than commendable and the lacing is delicate, but light. The nose is primarily piney hops, but is accented with slight vanilla hints that blend nicely with the mild underlying maltiness.

The beer is mildly nutty with a sweet toasted malt character up front. The base malt present in Long Trail Ale and Hibernator is here again, and it remains tasty. The hop bittering is more mild than the nose would let on. These hops seem to be primarily for aromatics here. The beer finishes off pleasantly with a lingering pine sap finish.

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+

Harviestoun - Old Engine Oil

Harviestoun - Old Engine Oil

Purchased From: Beers of the World

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

Purchased for the novelty of the name, Old Engine Oil takes its title from the thick, black color of the beer, similar to the appearance of, you guessed it, old engine oil. Looking beyond the novel name, this self-proclaimed “Black Ale” is one serious English Porter-style ale, brewed in Scotland. 

The porter pours a nearly-black body with extremely consistent color. It also produces a relatively thick, creamy, tan head with large carbonation bubbles throughout. The head dissipates very slowly, leaving great lacing on the glass.

Old Engine Oil’s nose and taste are both dominated by the powerful smokiness of the toasted malts that give the ale its color. While having a very thick appearance, it has an even mouthfeel, which strikes a balance between its light carbonation and the creaminess typical of this style. The malts are characterized by chocolate and coffee notes, as well as the sweetness of caramel. The end result is a beer that isn’t too heavy to enjoy and winds up being incredibly drinkable.

I would be very interested in trying this beer again, especially if it were available either on nitro-tap, or if they sold it in 500mL nitro-cans.

Ipswich Nut Brown Ale

Mercury Brewing Company - Ipswich Nut Brown Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

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

This American (brewed in Ipswich, MA by Mercury Brewing Company) take on an English brown ale pours a dark brown, with a red hue against light, with a small, but thick, foamy head. The head produces a fair amount of lacing on the glass. This one also poured with a ton of yeast floating in the beer, blurring any potential clarity. 

It starts with a strong chocolate aroma, which is not immediately present in the taste. It’s got a fair amount of malty sweetness, tempered by light hopping and bitterness from the toasted malts. The nuttiness in this nut brown comes near the finish, producing a commendable balance.

The mild carbonation tempers the inherent creaminess of the beer, so it doesn’t seem heavy at all. Finally, the light hopping and toasted malt give the beer a crisp finish, which invites another sip.