Today's beer adventure: Widmer Brothers Drop Top Amber Ale (Oregon, USA). 355ml bottle. 5.3% ABV. Served in pint glass. This bottle was given to me by my beer-loving co-worker Rob who purchased it during his driving holiday to Portland.The pour is yellow amber with one finger of quickly dissipating head. High carbonation in glass. Nose is sweet toasted malt, bread, fruity hops.The flavour is right back to the malt, then honey followed up immediately by orange, slight lemon, bit of grapefruit. The fruitiness of the hops is there, but really not much of the bitterness - just enough to cut through the sweetness. Light, sparkly mouthfeel.Rating is 7.0/10 dogs. Good amber. Rob and I tried this at his home previously and we both very much enjoyed it. Refreshing beer without having to compromise on taste.What other people think: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/8/8917/Brewer's website: http://widmerbrothers.com/beer/#drop-top-amber
Today's beer adventure: Paddock Wood Bête Noire Oatmeal Stout (Saskatoon, SK). 355ml bottle. 5.4% ABV. Served in pint glass. Purchased at Willow Park Wine and Spirits in Regina. Approx $3.75/bottle.The pour is *black* with a small amount of tan head. Medium/high carbonation. Great lacing. Nose is espresso, dark chocolate, slight dark fruits, liquorice and roasty malty sweetness.The flavour is big plum off the top, raisin, dark roasted malt, pumpernickel bread, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, walnut(?). Long, bitter, dry finish. Light/medium mouthfeel.Rating is 8.5/10 dogs. I love this beer. I am a big fan of oatmeal stouts anyways, but this one is fantastic. Paddock Wood is a tremendous, imaginative brewery that just keeps putting out fantastic beer. What other people think: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/paddock-wood-bete-noire-oatmeal-stout/69188/Brewer's website: http://www.paddockwood.com/our-beer#menu1
Today's beer adventure: Žatec Dark Lager (Czech Republic). 500ml bottle. 5.7% ABV. Served in pint glass. Purchased Willow Park Wine and Spirits in Regina ~$7.00/bottle
The pour is a dark, almost black, with ruby highlights. Two fingers of tan head. Medium carbonation. Nose is sweet and malty with a bit of liquorice.
The flavour is sweet malt, then the liquorice. Not much else for me. Finish is short, a bit roasty and a slight bit bitter. I get a metallic taste through the backend as well..not sure what that is about.
Rating is 6.75/10 dogs. S'OK. Good beer. Wold buy it if I saw it on tap somewhere and there were few other options. Wouldn't run out to buy another bottle tomorrow either, but it's good. Easy to drink.
What other people think: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4106/57920/
Today's beer adventure: Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock (California, USA). 355ml bottle. 7.0% ABV. Served in pint glass. Purchased at during our last trip to Plentywood for "supplies". About $12.00 for 6 once you get them across the border.
The pour is reddish amber topped with a quickly dissipating white head. High carbonation. No lacing. Nose is big toffee, caramel and sweet malt with a bit of apple/pear and some spices as well.
The flavour is soft and honey-sweet, but in a very good way. The toffee works it's way in there as does a slight bit of orange and lime(?). Honey-roasted peanuts. Cloves?
Rating is 7.5/10 dogs. This beer is what bocks are about - malty sweetness done just right. Nice bock. Very tasty. Love the mouthfeel....almost mead-like. Yummy.
What other people think: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/gordon-biersch-blonde-bock/2447/
More about the brewery: http://www.gordonbiersch.com/brewery/blondebock.html
Today's beer adventure: Yellowstone Brewing Wild Fly Ale (Montana, USA). 355ml bottle. 5.9% ABV. Served in pint glass. Purchased at during our last trip to Plentywood for "supplies". About $12.00 for 6 once you get them across the border.
The pour is a pleasing dark amber, almost brown. A little bit opaque. 1-1/2 fingers of white head. Fairly high carbonation. Great lacing. Nose is toffee, plum, lemon, a bit of pine, honey(?).
The flavour is sweet - honey up front, caramel/toffee, the pine is there and the lemon as well - cutting the sweetness a bit. Lots of sweet malty back end.
Rating is 6.5/10 dogs. Decent. This is another where I had a bottle before I put it in a glass to taste and the glass makes a big difference - I wasn't too much of a fan of this when it was in the bottle. Overall a little too sweet for me - honey sweet rather than malty sweet.
What other people think: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1125/3297/
More about the brewery: http://www.yellowstonevalleybrew.com/WFA.htm
Today's beer adventure: Bayern Brewing Maibock (Montana, USA). 355ml bottle. 6.5% ABV. Served in pint glass. Purchased at during our last trip to Plentywood for "supplies". About $12.00 for 6 once you get them across the border.
The pour is a golden honey amber. Slightly hazy. Small amount of quickly dissipating head. Good lacing though. Medium carbonation. Nose is of ripe apples, pears, banana, apricots, bread, toffee(?).
The flavour is sweet malty goodness. Apricot, pears, apples round out the fruit flavours, then caramel and toffee bring up the middle. Bit of citrus hops on the end and more malt. Finish is long, malty with a slight bitterness right at the end.. The alcohol is non-existent.
Rating is 7.5/10 dogs. Ahh..Bayern. You'll make a lager fan of me yet. Damn I like everything from this place. This would definitely have a regular place in my collection if it was more readily available in Canuckistan. Me likey.
What other people think: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/605/31485
More about the brewery: http://www.bayernbrewery.com/beer/maibock.htm
(From June 2012) Today's beer adventure: Bushwakker Honey Thistle Wit (Regina, SK). On tap at the brewpub. 4.8% ABV. Served in pint glass. $6.95/pint.
The pour is straw yellow. Hazy. Huge head. Medium carbonation. Nose is lemon and grapefruit, cloves, coriander and white pepper.
The flavour is classic witbier: banana, lemon, cloves, citrus zest, bread. Finish is tart and slightly bitter.
Rating is 7.5/10 dogs. More interesting than I remember. Very light and refreshing. Perfect beer for a hot evening on the deck.
What other people think: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/bushwakker-honey-thistle-wit/32057/
Brewer's website: http://www.bushwakker.com/inside/beer_list.htm
Today's beer adventure: Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve Classic Northwest Lager (whew!) (Oregon, USA). 355ml bottle. 4.8% ABV. Served in stolen BP pint glass. Purchased during a recent trip to Plentywood, MT. $9.99USD for a sixer plus all the fees the Canadian and SK governments add on at the border....about $13.00 for the six.The pour is a straw yellow with one finger of white head. Medium/high carbonation. Nose is sweet sweet malt, light floral hops. Not much else to be said there.The flavour is sweet pear, apples, a bit of citrusy hop, grass. Sparkles on the tongue..high carbonation..very "macro beer".Rating is 5.75/10 dogs. Better than most macros, but not really that stellar. Meh. S'OK.What other people think: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/719/5040/Brewer's website: http://www.henryweinhards.com/hw/Default.aspx
