Smuttynose “Old Brown Dog” #5
December 23, 2011 8:43 pm
That’s right – it’s keg #5 of the OBD. It’s one of the most popular beers so it’s become something of an annual winter tradition.
Defrost
December 22, 2011 10:17 amBerkshire “Saint of Circumstance IPA”
September 1, 2011 5:28 pm
Apparently there was a business error at BBC that lead to a shortage of hops. While trying to brew some Lost Sailor IPA they came up short with what they needed and ended up with a slightly lighter IPA. Rather than sell it labeled as Lost Sailer IPA and risk people thinking they had changed the recipe they rebranded the light IPA as the “Saint of Circumstance IPA”. It has a “B+” rating online.
ABV of 5.7%.
Tapped: 9/1/11 (for our Fantasy Football draft night)
9/2 Update: We poured a lot from the keg – maybe about 5-6 pitchers in 90 minutes or so – and it poured terrible. Sometimes the first beer to pour has a large head but this was consistently a thick foam that would monopolize about 90%+ of the pour, as pictured below. We ended up having to pour into a pitcher just to let it sit for a while in able to pour into our beers. Tim has already offered to replace the keg but at this point (more than half-way through it) I might just finish it and be weary to buy “new” brews from BBC (who is already slowly falling out of favor with me).
Left Line Cleaned
August 27, 2011 7:56 pmJulian “Hard Cider”
August 26, 2011 8:17 pm
This is definately a first – a keg of hard cider. Craft cider as an industry piggy-backing off the growth of craft beer so there are some really cool ciders being produced, Julian being one of them.
There are a few reasons why I wanted to put a keg of cider on tap but the primary reason is that I’ve seemingly developed an allergic to some types of hops and it’s been a painful process trying to figure out which variatals of hops bother me. (Montana’s Kettlehouse Brewery “Cold Smoke Scotch Ale” is one of my safety’s… west of the Mississippi) With this, I can get back to sessioning kegs without worrying about feeling like dirt the next day… although at 7% ABV this could get me into some trouble.
Hard cider certainly has a stigma as being a lame drink and with the majority of the market being dominated by fruity-colored bottles targetted at young women who don’t like beer, I can understand why. This cider is very different.
Julian writes;
The Julian Hard Cider recipe originates from 1670 colonial America and is comparable to the finest British ciders. Unlike many “impostor” hard ciders on the market, it is easy to have more than one pint of Julian Hard Cider as we do not use concentrated apple Juice or additives which leave the drinker with a lingering sugary film and after-taste.
Why is Julian Hard Cider the choice of true cider lovers? We have only one ingredient… the freshest apples in the world! Our cider is lightly carbonated with tartness, acidity and a clean dry finish, enabling it to stand firmly on its own or compliment your favorite meal.
It’s interesting – it pours nearly crylstal clear, which Tim warned be about. It’s extremely light color and high carbonation to the point where Lauren assumed I was drinking ginger ale. It smells fruity, a bit like a light white wine. The flavor is interesting – it’s sweet at first but quickly turns tart like a nice apple and has a really dry finish. Beyond that, I don’t see much complexity – certainly not like craft beer which has the advantage of lots of ingredients at it’s disposal. The light, non-syrupy feel could certainly make this a very-sessionable cider without leaving you with a full feeling like beer does. Overall, I like it and would rate it a “B” (it received a “B-” on RateBeer.com).
Don’t get me wrong, I definately miss craft beer and the diversity of styles (which don’t seem as present with cider. Hopefully that will change as the industry grows.
Keg #51
Tapped: 8/28/11
Kicked: –
ABV: 6.99% (listed on keg) – 7.27% (listed to bottle)
Wachusett “Country Pale Ale” #2
June 24, 2011 7:51 pm
I ordered this before finding out that it’s the exact same beer as the “Country Ale” with a rename a couple months ago, rumored to be due to FDA regulation. It’s a good beer and we enjoyed it this past May (it was kicked just a fewweeks ago in fact).
Wachusett says;
Country Pale Ale
The Balanced Pale Ale• The best selling ale in Central Massachusetts
• First brewed 1994
• Available year round
Our original brew crafted by Ned, Kevin and Quinny in the early 90′s with super drinkability.
American two row pale with Crystal malts Cascade, Willamette and Cluster hops.A.B.V. 5.1% | 17 IBUs
Keg #50
Tapped 6/24/11
Kicked 8/31/11 (68 days later).
Great beer, just took too long to finish as it spanned August, which was basically a dry month.
