From July, 2012:
Today's beer adventure: Spearhead Brewing Hawaiian Style Pale Ale (Toronto, ON). 6.0% ABV. Served on tap in pint glass at Bushwakker Brewpub, Regina SK.
The pour is cloudy, murky orange copper, like unfiltered fruit juice. Decent amount of white head. Low carbonation.
Aroma is of big big big fruity hops. Pineapple, orange, grapefruit. A bit grassy.
The flavour is big hop - grassy, pineapple, lemon, orange. Bready, malty back end. Finish is long, slightly bitter and pineapple-y
Rating is 8.25/10 dogs. Big west coast hophead-style IPA with pineapple juice added. Really enjoyed it. Perhaps it will come on tap again sometime or heaven forbid in bottles at the SLGA...the Saskatchewan Liquor Nazis.
What other people think: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/coors-batch-19/122612/
Brewer's website: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/spearhead-hawaiian-style-pale-ale/145835/
Today's beer adventure: MillerCoors Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition Style Lager (Colorado, USA). 12oz. bottle. 5.5% ABV. Served in a pint glass. Purchased on my most recent trip to the craft beer capital of Saskatchewan - Plentywood Montana.
The pour is medium-dark copper with one finger of white head. Excellent retention. Highly carbonated.
Aroma is sweet malt, some vegetal qualities - corn, grass. Small amount of noble-type hop aroma, but not too much. Overall, it's aroma is macrobrew+.
The flavour is somewhat sweet - grassy, slightly fruity hop with a solid malt backbone. Adjuncts are definitely in play - corn and possibly rice. Finish is a bit bitter and relatively short.
Rating is 6/10 dogs. It's alright, particularly for MillerCoors, whose beer is not usually reviewed in this hallowed arena. If it was on tap with no other craft beer options, I would buy it and not complain about it. At the time of purchase, I didn't know it was a MillerCoors product, and if I had, I wouldn't likely have spent the money on it. Found out online after purchase. Well played MillerCoors, well played. Oh, and BTW, really cool bottle... :)
What other people think: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/coors-batch-19/122612/
Brewer's website: http://www.batch19.com/
Today's beer adventure: Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale Ale (Oregon, USA). 355ml bottle. 5.9% 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 dark amber with a small amount of tight white head. Good retention. High carbonation in glass. Nose is grapefruit, apricot, candy sugar, lemon, a bit of toasty malt.
The flavour is hop forward with a solid malt backend. Sweet citrus - grapefruit, lemon. Caramel. A bit grassy. Sweet malt. Fuller mouthfeel than I might have expected. Shortish, slight bitter finish. Nice beer.
Rating is 7.5/10 dogs. Very good sessionable pale ale. Could drink a pile of these.
What other people think: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/8/46767
Brewer's website: http://widmerbrothers.com/beer/#drifter-pale-ale
Today's beer adventure: Ninkasi Sleigh'r Dark Double Alt Ale (Oregon, USA). 12oz bottle. 7.2% ABV. Served in a pint glass. Purchased on my most recent trip to the craft beer capital of Saskatchewan - Plentywood Montana.
The pour is clear dark brown with a ruby red highlights. Small amount of off-tan head. Good retention and there is some lacing on the glass - likely due to the ABV. Medium-light carbonation.
Aroma is a toast monster, almost roasty, but not quite. Slight espresso coffee. A bit of grassy/pine-y hop is present as well. Not much else really.
The flavour is big toasted malt, a bit of espresso, a small amount of dark fruit flavour, although not much, then the hop bitterness kicks in. Piney, grassy hops, but mostly just bittering. Long medium bitter finish. A medium alcohol presence is in there too. Lets you know you are drinking something. Light-ish mouthfeel.
Rating is 7.0 dogs. Good beer. I've never had nor seen a double altbier before, and so I wasn't sure what to expect. It isn't estery, and maybe I was thinking it would be? The high level of hop bitterness was a bit of a surprise as well, although not an unpleasant one. Not my favourite Ninkasi beer, but pretty solid. I'd like to check out their other "heavy metal themed" beers as well - Helles Belles and Maiden the Shade (with Iron Maiden font and everything!).
What other people think: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/ninkasi-sleighr-dark-double-alt-ale/95655/
Brewer's website: http://www.ninkasibrewing.com/beers/sleighr
