Brown-nosing Smuttynose

HAPPY NATIONAL DRINK BEER DAY EVERYONE! Every once in awhile in the quest to find one thing you discover something else. That discovery can be as good as the original goal in your journey. While I don't believe I found the biggest diamond in the rough, I'm pleasantly pleased what I discovered in this brew.

It's hard to read from the glare, and label, chosen but this time around we are trying Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale.  The label is a bit dated, but is decorative when it comes to beer labels. The beer label looked washed out, which may either be a label mistake, random bad label batch, or that's literally the way this label comes. It almost works for it, given it an authentic age look. I could be just extrapolating a little too much from just a label ;) Onwards!

It's hard to tell from this picture but the color of the beer is nearly orange with a solid frothy head that took a little time before it settled. Even the foam had the tiniest of color to it. When it came to flavor, the beer had what I'd describe as a raw-er pumpkin flavor. Ever accidentally licked your fingers after carving a pumpkin? Yea me neither, but that's what I'd liken this to. It's got a bit of alcohol strength, with strong caramel sweetness. I'd more accurately describe this as a blend of a fall beer with a pumpkin beer. I really enjoyed it for it's great balance as a pumpkin beer without actually hiding the pumpkin flavor. I give Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale a French PINTRS score as one of the best fall beers I've had. Bravo!

Taking A Sip of a Mother's Milk

Hey everyone! Wow it's been awhile, but that's okay because we're back with fervor and a passion to drink.  Just look at all the beer in this fridge begging to be sampled!.

Tonight we're bathing in the beer teat that is Keegan Ales, located in Kingston, NY. That's right, I said teat, because one of their stand-out brews are Mother's Milk, a oatmeal milk-like stout.

The bottle is nothing special, but it's not hiding what it is.  I like the label for it's crisp, modern-like lettering.  But what's it look like when the cap gets popped?

Gorgeous, that's what.  Seriously, this is a MILF of a beer as far as milk stouts go.  Pour is rich, dark, molasses, chocolate liquid that came smooth.  The color is pitch black...or is it? When people think opaque beers, Guinness comes to mind.  This is more like trying to look through a worm hole, where a caramel-tinge is being sucked in.  The head had a soft caramel color throughout and immediately piqued my interest.  And the aroma! Very inviting, malt and slightly sweet with a hint of bitter.

What's in the taste, because that's where it counts right?  No disappointment that's for sure. First is an undeniable smooth taste that comes with an oatmeal milk stout. Also an enjoyable malty sweetness.  What's in it that may come as unexpected?  I think hints of coffee are an incredible addition.  Did I mention bitter chocolate? I know I didn't, but I will! It's there, part of that sticky sweetness and part of the acceptable bitterness.

So where does Keegan's Mother Milk stand in our PINTRS?  I feel comfortable giving this a French rating, as it really stands out against other, simpler, less-inventive milk stouts.  Bravo Keegan Ales! 

How worthy is Witty?

Another long-overdue brew tasting! First let me say, the number of my reviews are not equal to the beers I'm drinking (the sign of a reviewer should be the true love of what he/she is reviewing so in this case, drinking lots of beer!).

Today we're looking at a selection from Chameleon Brewing Company.  Chameleon is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their mission is simple: they're in the business of making "innovative craft beers true to the American spirit."  For me, that means they're in the business of making beers that don't suck. Let's see whether my first experience with Chameleon is mission accomplished.

We're kicking back a bottle of Witty, a white wheat ale brewed with spices.  The Frosted Mug (the newsletter that comes with my beer shipment. See my earlier entries to catch up) gives Witty a description pretty floral in nature.  Ginger, coriander, lemongrass, pink peppercorn, and tangerine gum are all in a cloudy golden colored brew. We're supposed to be looking for some apple and even rye toast as it finishes.  Talk about asking a lot from a single beer! Oh, and that's a pretty cool label design.

While pouring this beer, I noticed some sediment on the bottom. It may be natural, given all that's going on in the bottle.  Not unexpected and it didn't transfer to the glass.  Also notice the huge head on this baby!  Could've been a difference in temperature between bottle to glass (or a shitty pour on my part) but I think Witty is somewhat heavy anyway.  The head is frothy.  It's aromatic too, light and hoppy with something I think is somewhat bitter.

On first swallow, I noticed how light the beer was in contrast to how strong and how many flavors were inside. The flavors are just light enough to be considered subtle, but strong enough to bring out individualities. Summer-like flavors (lemongrass and ginger for me) are matched by the citrus which must be attributed to the coriander (citrus spice) and the tangerine gum.  Crisp and clean finish and start, with flavor in the middle. That's a beer I can kick back often.

How do I know this beer was a good ol beer I'd love to keep in my fridge? It was over before I knew it!  That's the sign of a good beer in the white ale category (or any category, right?) and I look forward to more from this brewery.  This beer, for it's ability to separate itself from the class, deserves a French PINTRS mark.  Till next time!

Stegmaier takes a pot shot at IPA

Hey all!

It's been quite some time since I've posted a review, and my beers are piling up in my fridge, so time to catch up!  I reviewed Stegmaier Winter Warmer as my first review in the blog and we're back to their second offering in my monthly taster, the Stegmaier IPA. 

Stegmaier describes their IPA as an India Pale Ale "with attitde."  After the pour, the bulletin visualizes the beer as having a deep amber color with smells of "peach butter on rye toast as well as sweet carmelized nuts." Ok, let's cut through the flowery description and see what's actually in this beer.

Deep amber is a stretch for illustrating this color and is lighter than I expected. The head is heavy, as you can see, and the aroma is a balance of crisp alcohol with a light sweetness behind it. On the first taste you get the power of strength from the hops which reminds me of a heffeweizen (looking back, the color is right on par with one too).  There's a lot of sweet/sour citrus flavor here (think white grapefruit with some of the peel).

The carbonation is light on the tongue, starting heavy and finishing lighter. The sweetness of the beer is left behind on the palate and again I can't help but compare it to grapefruit. A hint: on one swallow, let it sit in your mouth for a bit. It leaves behind a sweet bubbling on the tongue that is delightful.

This beer manages to maintain it's flavor on every sip, and that's saying something. I find this a particularly delicious IPA and rate it a French on the PINTRS scale. Till next time!