Taproom Talk

Every once in awhile, I like to pick up some exotic beer with labels containing a good dose of unrecognizable wordage. One of my latest finds was the Ducassis from the Brasserie des Géants brewery in Belgium. This pleasant, unfiltered fruit ale, fashioned from blackcurrants, which give it a plumb color, has a bold floral taste with a huge, lasting head that produces a heavy flowery aroma. The taste is wonderfully complex– I picked up hints of malts intertwined with a strong currant flavor that produced a sour, but satisfying finish.

The Ducassis is a rare find and I plan to keep an eye out for more beers from this brewery due to the interesting showing of this fruity brew.

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of pleasantly hoppy beers. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that I approached River Horse’s Hop Hazard with the same glee and excitement I used to experience as a wee lad with a whole dollar to spend in a candy store.

The beer poured with absolutely no head and gave off a welcoming citrusy hop smell; moreover, upon inspection, the Hazard was a darker than expected color, almost typical of a logger. Crisp and smooth as I drank it, I did notice a malt backdrop that progressively became more pronounced as I continued to drink giving the beer a grassy taste that left me somewhat disappointed. Hazard’s malt finish was a bit bland as well.

I love hoppy beers, especially in the summer time; however, River Horse’s Hop Hazard didn’t live up to my expectations.

Oh black beer, black beer, how do you taste? Like a dark chocolate espresso from an ancient master’s recipe that has been retraced.

Oh black beer, black beer, tell me more about your flavor. I have a spicy maltiness and a pleasantly burnt taste that you will surely savor.

Oh black beer, black beer, what is your body? Ever so smooth and crisp without the peppery strong alcohol taste that leaves you feeling shoddy.

Oh black beer, black beer, what is your name? I am the great 1554 Brussels style black ale from the New Belgium Brewery, where amazingly good beers like Fat Tire gave us our fame.

With its big white head that lasts an eternity and a wonderful hoppy smell, Mendocino White Hawk IPA is sure to please the most highbrowed of beer snobs. The White Hawk has an elegant hop taste with subtle spiciness, which is highly complemented by a malty backdrop and a smooth refreshing finish. Its gold hue and light bubbly body give off an inviting essence that leaves you feeling lonely once you’ve finished this fine beverage.

As far as IPAs go, Mendocino has done it once again with a strong showing of yet another beer– you’ll find yourself wanting to take the White Hawk home every time!

Wolaver’s pale ale poured with a dark gold essence that revealed a light hop nose containing little-to-no head. In my glass, the beer gave off a few bubbles and had a wonderfully light hoppy pale ale taste that had a subtle malt backdrop with hints of grapefruit. All in all, this beer has an elegant taste that is superbly done.

Apparently, the brewers in the great state of Vermont know a few things about good beer- Wolaver’s pale ale is a strong showing, that easily complements the likes of the Magic Hat Brewery. Wolaver’s has the added benefit of being entirely of organic barely and hops. On a warm summer’s day, it’s easy to hail Wolaver’s pale ale.

A few years ago, around the Holidays, I picked up a case of Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale. I enjoyed that year’s brew throughout most of the year. Then I picked up another case the following year. And then again and again, until it became a yearly tradition or as I like think “a yearly Celebration.” This is a beer of magnanimous proportions requiring a subtle aging so as to bring out its highest qualities of spicy hoppiness.

For instance, the 2005 batch pours with an elegant white head that ever so slowly dissipates producing light bubbles which last even longer. A deep amber hue in color and the pleasant smell of hops eagerly greets the privileged few that possess the patience to hold off drinking the whole lot during the holidays. Celebration’s taste has just the right amount of spices that permits this fine ale to be easily imbibed during warmer times as well as during the Holiday months. The finish has a restrained malt taste which is complemented by a slight spicy bitterness that leaves me anticipating the next sip.

Indeed, Sierra Nevada’s Celebration is cause for celebration and those epicureans who wait for this convivial beer to age have a festival of taste awaiting them!

Weyerbacher: Black Hole

First thought: “This is an ale?!?!?”
A dark stout color and flavor hits my palate and I get the taste of…..no. I don’t believe it… PRUNES! There’s a very smoky, malty flavor that has the gentle sweetness of natures go-go-go fruit.

I have a 22 of this stuff to finish. Honestly, even I am skeptical of my own comedic shading sometimes but there it is again. PRUNES!

No real head, but a nice effervescence. I’ve only had a few sips and feel like I’ve had enough. The aftertaste is like dark dark bittersweet chocolate.

This ‘new dimension of beer’ weirds me out more than old episodes of Dr. Who with the lights blinking and robot costumes with the actors inside and flash effects and the biting and the time travel…glaven….

Here are pictures.  Check back for a podcast from the event.

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.