Archive for the 'Review' Category

Page 14 of 60

Beer Is Good – Affigem Blond Ale

Published on February 12, 2015 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Picked this Belgian Ale up in the little ethnic grocery adjacent to Olive Tree in Kahala. Pours a cloudy bright yellow with strong head. 7% ABV puts it on the stronger side and you can detect some of the aroma. It’s fairly strong on hops, yet not flowery. It has a brightness and suggestion of citrus, without actually tasting of any citrus. It has a medium heavy mouthfeel that is offset by the carbonation that strongly persists. No roast flavors or much nut. The suggestion on bottle is to serve at “cellar” temp, and it does seem to mellow if you let it warm a little after pulling it out of fridge.

A pleasant and slightly buzz inducing pale ale. 3 out 4 Belgy monkeys.

Beer is Good – Sam Adams White Christmas

Published on January 25, 2015 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Season from their winter variety pack. Pours a cloudy bright yellow, small head. Citrus aroma with the spice presence, but unidentifiable. Fair amount of astringent without a lingering bitter, hint of grain in the finish. Medium mouthfeel.

Pretty nice winter wheat. 3 out 4 wheat monekys.

Beer Is Good – Sam Adams Old Fezziwig

Published on January 18, 2015 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

From Winter variety pack, Old Fezziwig Ale, pours a deep amber, medium small head. Not a very strong aroma, hint of the roasted malt. The roasted malt carried over into the flavor. It’s a spiced beer, but it is very subtle with it, if I didn’t read it, I would never have guessed. There is a little warmth, but I would have attributed it to alcohol, although at 5.9% ABV this beer isn’t particularly high. It’s pretty crisp, the carbonation and medium bitterness middle giving it that and then the finish has a medium mouthfeel.

A pleasant beer. 3 out 4 winter monkeys.

Beer Is Good – Deschutes Jubelale

Published on November 22, 2014 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Winter seasonal from Deschutes. Pours a dark amber with moderately strong head. Fairly pronounced floral hop aroma. Flavor is bright and also pretty strong with the hops bitter. Mouth feel has some body, but not super heavy. Given how much the hops seems to figure in this beer, its surprising that I find this beer to be not bad at all. I do seem to detect a touch of funky aroma now. I think with the hops in here, gotta watch out for the hazard of photo skunking!

I’m giving it 3 out 4 winter monkeys, just barely tho.

Beer Is Good – Newcastle Werewolf

Published on November 11, 2014 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Touted as a “blood red ale” pours clear medium dark amber with light head. The first one I had had a strong fruity aroma and tang. This second one not so much. Medium bitter comes in and persists for a little, hops flavor comes in late. Pretty light mouthfeel. Not a favorite. While not terrible, it doesn’t interest me much.

2 out 4 weremonkeys.

Beer Is Good – Sierra Nevada 2014 Tumbler

Published on November 8, 2014 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

The last selection from the SN Fall variety pack. Pours a dark brown, medium head. Aroma of hops mixed with the dark roast. Fairly strong hops bitter also. Medium mouth feel. I’m not sure how much I’m liking this iteration. I know I’ve liked previous years, but this one seems too strong on the hops.

2 out 4 tumbling monkeys.

Beer Is Good – Sierra Nevada Vienna

Published on October 27, 2014 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Continuing from that variety pack from a while ago! This is a “Vienna-style Lager”. Pours a clear amber with medium head. Mild floral aroma, a tiny bit of malt in the middle and then the hops bitter comes in, and finishes with hint of grain when the bitter fades. Light mouthfeel, a pretty dry beer. It’s hopyness is approaching a pils, but it’s kept in check.

In all a decent beer. Not a favorite, but its pretty good. Just makes 3 out of 4 Viennese monkeys.

Beer Is Good – Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest

Published on October 21, 2014 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

This is in the variety pack I picked up a while ago, just got around to drinking & reviewing! Pours a clear medium dark amber with moderate head. A nice blend of roasty malt, balanced floral hop, hint of grain. Medium mouth feel. A drinkable beer with some substance.

A good solid 3 out of 4 oktober mokeys.

Beer Is Good – Sierra Nevada 2014 Narwhal Imperial Stout

Published on October 18, 2014 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Glad to see something that is not yet another IPA. Seems IPAs are the latest in beer. This is not one. Pours opaque black with minimal head. The smoky aroma swirls through your nose carried on the wings of 10% ABV. That also gives it a lingering warmth and carries the dark roast notes throughout. The bitterness stays pretty even thoughout, dark chocolate and straight coffee lovers should enjoy this as the roast is what seems to be giving it most of this, not a strong hops bitter. It actually doesn’t have as heavy a mouthfeel as you might expect. If you try hard you can detect some of that Sierra Nevada hop peeking through, but in all this is a pretty darn good beer. Or maybe that’s the 10% alchy talking, my typing seems to be affected already! This is a sipping beer and as such maintains it’s goodness as it warms.

3.5 out of 4  stout monkeys.

Beer Is Good – Mythos

Published on October 14, 2014 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

I grabbed dinner at Olive Tree and ducked into the little market next door while waiting for my order. Lots of neat little Mediterranean stuff. Grabbed  this “premium quality Hellenic beer” to try with dinner. Pours a slightly cloudy light yellow, small head. Not a strong aroma, “karakuchi” dry taste with a fairly strong initial bitter which quickly goes away. A clean beer. Just a hint of skunkyness snuck into the aroma near the end. Perhaps the light reaction happened that fast?! Time to switch from CFL to LEDs! BTW, “skunked” beer is a result of light on the shorter wavelength end reacting with and breaking down hops compounds into the same stuff that makes skunks stink. People are quite sensitive and it only takes a tiny amount.

Anyway, this beer was nice and clean but kinda non-descript. The skunk that crept in kinda bummed me out and made me give it a 2 out 4 Hellenic monkeys.