Taproom Talk

Rogue’s Juniper Pale Ale offers a delicious, dry, pleasant taste. This smooth, golden ale arrived in their well known 22oz bottles. That makes me happy, because I can’t get enough of their brews.

Juniper, besides sounding like something Bugs Bunny would say, is one component of gin. These berries come from a shrubbery and when I think of shrubbery I think of Monty Python’s Knights of Nee! That and a little researching describes how juniper berries have many diuretic qualities. The malts and hops used (Rogue always lists their ingredients including the variety of hops and malts) marry in a balanced fashion and reduce the aftertaste on the palate. There is a crispness in the finish that I would love to enjoy more often.

I thoroughly enjoyed this beer as it was offered 2004/2005 as Yellow Snow Ale. I applaud the new label and name as a forward way to bring the drinkers attention to its ingredients.

My recommendation? Shout out NEEE!!! and enjoy this good beer of the shrubbery!!!!

I can’t say I’ve had many beers from the great state of Georgia; however, based upon the SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale I had recently, I should keep my eyes peeled for more chances to imbibe some southern comfort (in the form of beer).

This strong citrus smelling beer poured out golden hued with no trace of a head but carried a light bodied clearness with minimal bubbles. The 420’s taste was a hoppy citrus with subtle malt flavors, which was followed by a strong bitter finish traced with spices. This is a superb beer that has a wonderfully smooth, crisp taste that has just the right balance of hops.

SweetWater’s 420 is an excellent ale worthy of a tasting, should you find yourself in Georgia or any of its neighboring states. For me, I’ll be keeping a watch at my local neighborhood beer super store for their next shipment of sweet water.

I’ve been a fan of Stone beers ever since I had the opportunity to attend a beer dinner hosted by these guys a few winters ago. I’ve pretty much tasted their entire selection and have enjoyed each one. It wasn’t until a recent trip to San Diego though, that I had the opportunity to taste their Pale Ale and I must say, this is one of the best beers I’ve ever had!

This amber colored beer poured with a thick head to reveal a pleasant hoppy smell, which was incredibly inviting. The taste was simply awesome- a light citrus hoppiness balanced by subtle caramel malts, followed by a wonderful light bitter finish. This was a beer of Liberty Ale proportions and the frustrating part is that this is a hard beer to find on the east coast!

As far as coast to coast Pale Ales go, on the east coast, an excellent pale is of course, Dogfish Head’s Shelter Pale Ale; however, I’d have to say that at this point, the west coast’s Stone Pale Ale is by far the best pale I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking.

These guys can’t go wrong with their selection of beers- in time, I’m sure a greater variety of their nectars will be available to the faithful. Until then, you’ll just have to schedule some time to go to San Diego where you can buy their beers in grocery stores.

Taproom talk’s 2nd podcast focusing on three international beers is now available!

Beer’s reviewed:

• Hofbräu Original from Hofbräu München

• Leffe Blonde from the Abbey Notre Dame de Leffe

• Skullsplitter from the Orkney Brewery

The podcast is approximately 18 minutes long.

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On a recent trip to the beautiful Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, I had the pleasure of trying the Highland Brewing Company’s Tasgall Ale. This is no ordinary Ale, however! This dark porterish colored ale poured from the tap with a deep sandy head that lasted the entire drinking experience. The smell of malts was immediately noticeable and was followed by a deep earthy taste of lightly toasted malts. There was an ever so slight peppery taste that subtly let you know this was a strong beer (in fact, 8% ABV); however, it was pleasant, unlike the experience of a similar Scottish style ale, Skullsplitter. The finish was agreeably clean and it seemed that over time the hints of smokiness enhanced.

This is a unique beer that has me excited to taste others from this company. If a normal hoppy ale is what you’re looking for, you’ll probably want to pass the Tasgall by; however, if you like dark, earthy beers, then demand the Highland

Ybor Gold’s Gaspar’s Porter poured a dark brownish color with a small white head that clung to the sides of the glass over time. The smell was the pleasant sweetness of malts with hints of espresso. Gaspar’s taste was surprisingly light with a date-like sweet flavor, which was complemented by a fruity finish.

As opposed to the hoppy bitterness of Pale Ales or IPAs, porters tend to rely heavily on malts for a sweet and toasty taste. As such, these beers tend to be much darker than their counterparts. This could be why I was a bit surprised by the less than deep darkness I was looking for when I poured this porter. The taste, however, matched the beer’s relative light color- it was friendly, in the sense that those new to porters would probably find this beer pleasant.

Unfortunately, I’ve enjoyed the fine taste of Smoked Porter from the Alaskan Brewing Company, where the taste is extremely bold and toasty. This is what a porter should taste like. If you are new to porters, give Ybor Gold’s Gaspar’s Porter a try. As for me, light porters are enjoyable; however, I’ll be passing on this friendly porter for more interesting tastes in the future.