Taproom Talk

I haven’t had many English style Bitters, however, after drinking this mildly bitter ale, I feel a tinge of regret that I haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying more of these fine beers. The Ridgeway Bitter from the Ridgeway Brewery is an incredibly good beer that bursts with a floral hoppy flavor that is highly reminiscent of the laudable Liberty Ale from Anchor Steam.

This Bitter poured with a light gold hue and gave off a wonderfully pleasant hoppy smell with a slight hint of malt. The smooth, crisp taste had an excellent balance of hops and malts, yet it wasn’t overly bitter as the name would suggest. This beer’s taste was highly pleasant with hints of grassy floralness and the finish was extremely subtle.

The Ridgeway Bitter is an excellent beer- if you’ve ever had the enjoyable experience of tasting Anchor Steam’s Liberty Ale, you’ll immediately notice a subtle similarity of balanced crispness. The next time I see a Ridgeway Bitter, I’ll plan on drinking it.

In a dirty poolhall, seemingly left for abandon, I spied a gem on tap. Through the smog of poolchalk dust and cigarette smoke, my eyes locked on to Stone Smoked Porter.

This is a delicious porter with an unceasing caramel head. It is not too sweet, a problem I find with almost all smoked porters. Completely pallatable, with a great aftertaste, S.S.P. is a bold beer that is completely pleasing. This beer was perfect company to an evening of flirting around the poolhall. It’s easy to forget that l’m drinking as I cruise the bar or relax in a comfy chair. A completely balanced chickory aroma and evenly rounded delicious taste make this porter #1 in my book. Not to sound to pretentious, but I marvel at the flavor and balance of this perfect porter.

Every once in awhile, a beer knocks your socks off with a bold taste. This evening I enjoyed a St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout by the McAuslan Brewing Company in Montréal, Quebec and I’m not sure if I can ever try another beer again. This has to be one of the best tasting beers I’ve ever had!

The beer poured with a jet black color and left a medium tan head that slowly disappeared to reveal a sweet malty smell. The taste is a complex mix of malts and hops that has bold hints of chocolate and espresso. In fact, the more I drank this fine stout, the more I concentrated on its wonderful espresso taste. The finish is smooth with hints of sweetness and I found myself enjoying the smell of this beer as much as I enjoyed tasting it.

One word can describe St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout: amazing. Simply amazing. I’ve enjoyed many fine Oatmeal Stouts, including the venerable Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout; however, St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout is by far the best of the best.

Yet again, I’ve tasted an excellent Extra Pale Ale. It’s rare to come across a bad one and this one was exceptional due to the complex citric taste and a highly complementing finish.

The Mad River Brewing Company’s Steelhead Extra Pale Ale poured with a light gold hue and appeared to be unfiltered due to the suspended particles, which lasted the entire tasting. At first, these particles caused me a bit of concern; however, any worries abated once I took my first sip. This is an impressive beer with a Clementine-like orangey taste that is highly sweetened- almost like candy. Don’t be fooled though by the sweetness comment- this beer is smooth with a good hoppy balance.

Mad River brewed an excellent beer with their Steelhead Extra Pale Ale. I highly recommend this beer and am looking forward to enjoying more from this brewery.