Stung By Uinta

So here's the thing about Utah.  There are some alcohol laws found in a few other states that key in on low-alcohol beers.  I'm usually turned off by low-alcohol beers because...well...I like alcohol.  I like it at a high content and I think you get your most refined but creative beers at the high alcohol beer level.  Uinta is going to try and prove me wrong today with HIVE Honey Stung Ale.

There it is.  Nice labeled bottle and if you can tell from the picture, it comes in a stouter bottle not the typical long-neck variety.  It stands it apart from all the other beers in the fridge (there are a lot in there, so it's important to stand out).  But what's on the inside?

Color is not the mead-like color you may have thought about in a 'honey' ale.  It's kind of like a tanned sandalwood color. The head is close to a summer ale (predicted that) but the color was certainly darker than expected.

Inside the bottle we have exactly what Uinta describes on their website; a bittersweet swallow.  This beer is highly carbonated in a very refreshing way.  It's bitterness reminds me of a copper/amber ale.  It leaves us off with a hint of sweetness that you have to go digging with your tastebuds to find.  When you compare this to a certain brewery's Honeymoon it comes up short. It certainly does impress for its 4% abv and for that we'll give it a satisfying, but not exceptional, US PINTRS rating.  Till next time!

Hippo over the River Saison

Tonight is a review from a brewery I have a love affair with River Horse Brewing Company.  Their website isn't as impressive as their beers.  I've grown quite fond of this gem along the Delaware River, and have high hopes for our taste this evening.

Each season,  River Horse Brewing Company does a different beer under its Brewer's Reserve label.  This season is a first tasting for me, they're Saison Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale.  This is a style of beer I've yet to taste so I decided to do a little research about what a saison farmhouse ale is all about.  According to Wikipedia, the saison ale originated from Wallonia, a French-speaking region of Belgium.  The beer was meant to be refreshing but local alcohol content so as not to easily intoxicate it's primary consumers, farmers.  It was meant to be just strong enough to prevent spoilage.  The US versions of saison ales are less concerned with the ABV content and more concerned with getting the hoppy base flavor just right.

The picture above doesn't do the beer's color justice.  The head is light and with a fizzy consistency.  It's got the sweet smell I'd expect from a honey ale or mead.  I was excited from the moment I poured it and was expecting the refreshing flavors of a Belgian wheat summer ale.

Wow, these flavors were complex.  It's hard to break down the complexity of all the flavors at work but I like to think of it as an explosion of spices and hops.  Lighter on spice than a Christmas ale which gets overpowered with nutmeg, but definitely a cavalcade of different spices at work here.  As far as getting a hop base right which is in traditional saisons, it's definitely there in force.  The two combine for something not quite light enough for a hot beach day but I look forward to coming home from a day of work and letting my body soak in the deliciousness that  River Horse Brewing Company has created with this saison.  I can't wait to stop by and hear the story behind this recipe from some of their staff.  This beer doesn't QUITE survive the test of all seasons that I'd like to see in a Scottish PINTRS, but it most certainly deserves a French rating. Till next time!

Going Several Rounds with Brawler

Hello everyone! Another installment of Good Brew Hunting coming at ya, this time sampling one of two brews I have from Yards Brewing Company, a Philadelphia-centric brewery with a lot of promise.  

Today's beer is Brawler, what's advertised as a craft beer in the style of English session ales.  WTF is an English session ale you ask?  Session ale is just your standard ale, in the case an English standard ale.  

Here it stands after the pour (mmm, I just love me the sight of a frosted glass).  The aromas are nothing noteworthy.  If you try REAL hard you may be able to detect a hint of malt.  It poured smoothly with a modest foam head.  The beer is described ruby in color but it's really a tarnished brass color; think the color of brass rings at an old-style carousel.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, go find an old-style carousel where they have brass rings and you'll have a simple but fun time. 


Tasting yielded a toasted malt flavor but without the sweetness.  More bittier than the classic American ale, but not offensively so.  The malt and bitterness bring out a light beer that could stand in the ring as a fall or winter selection.  Honestly, the beer has more flavor than most beers with an ABV of 4/2%.  It's always impressive when a beer can do more with less and in the case Yards Brewing Company deserves a tip of the cap for Brawler.  I feel comfortable with giving the beer a US rating on the PINTRS, and look forward to tasting some more!