Filed under: Abbey Tripel (trappist), Captain Lawrence | Tags: alcohol, bright, burn, fruit, golden, great lace, great strength, hazy, high malt, high quality, hops, long easy finish, master craft, medium hops, okay label design, smooth texture, spices, thin white head, very nice, well balanced
ABV, Volume & Calories: 10 % in 25.4 fl oz. estimated at 400 C
Purchased at: Canal’s Burlington, NJ for $13.29 after discount.
Aroma: very nice, fruit, spices, hops, burn, alcohol. 10 out of 10.
Visuals: okay label design, golden, bright, hazy, thin white head, great lace. 5 out of 5.
Taste: well balanced, high malt, medium hops, great strength, master craft. 10 out of 10.
Palate: high quality, smooth texture, long easy finish. 4 out of 5.
Overall: An absolutely delicious beer, easy to drink despite the ABV. I would get it again, but it’s so damn expensive, I doubt I will. Expertly crafted. 18 out of 20.
Filed under: American Pale Ale (lager glass, shaker), Mikkeller | Tags: beautiful, brilliant, citrus, great lace, high craft, high malt, high quality, medium finish, medium hops, medium strength, medium texture, nice, persistent white head, pine, red golden color, simple design, well balanced
ABV, Volume & Calories: 6% in 17 fl oz. estimated at 175C
Purchased at: Canal’s Burlington, NJ for $8.54 after discount
Aroma: nice, pine, citrus. 7 out of 10.
Visuals: beautiful, simple design, red golden color, brilliant, persistent white head, great lace. 5 out of 5.
Taste: well balanced, high malt, medium hops, medium strength, high craft. 9 out of 10.
Palate: high quality, medium texture, medium finish. 3 out of 5.
Overall: A fantastic brew, like all Mikkellers, I’d love the opportunity to repeat, but not necessarily a favorite, overtly expensive, superlative craft. 18 out of 20.
Filed under: American Pale Ale (lager glass, shaker), Sierra Nevada | Tags: amber, clear, grains, grass, great lace, hay, hoppy, salty, sandy, shallow, thin
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: ?
Volume: 12 oz
Glass: Goblet
Purchased at: Ewing Discount Liquor
Consumed on: Wednesday February 20th, 2008
first impression: No head really at all, a fine pale amber color, very clear. Finest lace and wisps of bubbles. Quiet in terms of carbonation. A nice bite in hops, and a bit malty. Not bad, by any means, but mass produced, perhaps not for the masses.
Aroma/Olfactory:
Malt is oceanic – a bit salty, a bit sandy.
Hops are present.
Yeast/Bacteria hang on the glass, and are the most present component in my tasting.
Other flavors include wind across a field of grass, corn, or hay.
Visuals/Appearance:
Color a thin, pale orange.
Liquid is golden and brilliant.
Head/Lace is very present.
Taste/Flavor:
Sweet overtones.
Bitterness is very light.
Sour not at all.
Salty and might pair well with fast food.
Hoppiness is present, but minimal.
Maltiness is thin and syrupy.
Palate/Tactile:
Body/Mouthfeel is quite light.
Texture is cutting. Quite dry.
Carbonation is fairly light.
Finish is quite short, except for the salty seltzer finish. Refreshing in this regard.
Overall – not a bad beer by any means, but not a very deeply crafted beer. It may separate itself (as a mass produced, mass consumed beer) from Budweiser in a far superlative way, but it does not approach the beers produced by Stone, Victory, or Dogfish Head. It is quite desirable where only macros exist.
Filed under: American Pale Ale (lager glass, shaker), Great Divide | Tags: anise, bitter, bronze, cascade hops, cloudy with fresh hop floaters, crisp, delicious finish, electric, fantastic, golden, great lace, honey, hoppy, long, rough, sandy, so very deeply bitter, strong, sweet, well crafted, wispy white head
ABV, Volume & Calories: 6.1 % in 22fl oz. estimated at 300 C
Purchased at: OakTree in South Plainsfield, NJ for $7.49
Aroma: sweet, cascade hops, honey, anise. 9 out of 10.
Visuals: cloudy with fresh hop floaters, golden, bronze, strong, wispy white head, great lace. 5 out of 5.
Taste: so very deeply bitter, hoppy, fantastic, well crafted. 10 out of 10.
Palate: crisp, sandy, rough, electric, long, bitter, delicious finish. 5 out of 5.
Overall: Wow. Great Divide just doesn’t make a bad brew. The floating bittering hops do the job completely. I will most definitely seek this out again. It’s an absolute favorite, and very well crafted. 20 out of 20.
