Archive for the 'Past Brews' category
Southern Tier “Pumking”
October 1, 2008 6:04 pm
It’s on, and paired with Smuttynose “Old Brown Dog”. It should be a good October.
This very limited seasonal beer has an “A-†rating on BeerAdvocate. I gave it an A+ and added;
A beer-buddy and I did a “Pumpkin Lineup†last night and the Pumking was by far the most desired beer.
This beer is a league of it’s own. It has a very unique flavor that we didn’t find with any other pumpkin beers. While most seemed to taste of cinnamon and nutmeg, the Pumpking smelled and tasted better – very similar to pumpkin pie.
Kicked in 64 days! That was the longest lasting beer we’ve had on tap. I suspect it was too sweet – everyone loved one glass, but couldn’t drink too much of it. 10% ABV is a deterrent, too. Time for some Christmas beers.
Smuttynose “Old Brown Dog” #2
6:00 pm
This is the second year we’ve had OBD on tap, and we’ve served it at TripAdvisor, too. It’s always been a huge hit so I’m glad we can get it again. It’s also going to be paired with Southern Tier’s “Pumking”. Decisions, decisions, decisions….
Smuttynose’s description of this beer; “Old Brown Dog has been cited as a classic example of the “American Brown Ale†style of beer. Compared to a typical English Brown Ale, Old Brown Dog is fuller-bodied and more strongly hopped. Old Brown Dog has been around for many years. It was first brewed in 1988 at the Northampton Brewery. In 1989 it won a silver medal in its category (American Brown Ale) at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.â€
Kicked during the Friday-after-Thanksgiving session, 11/29.
Sierra Nevada “Anniversary Ale”
August 22, 2008 3:16 pm
Slight error, but the 1/2 barrel was ordered instead of the 1/6, so until this one is gone it will be one beer for a while. Not too bad, since next I’ll pair something with the Southern Tier “Pumking”.
Sierra Nevada writes;
Each fall we celebrate our anniversary as one of America’s craft brewing pioneers with a special beer.
Anniversary Ale is an American-style IPA featuring Cascade hops, the signature hop used in our Pale Ale. The beer has a pronounced pine and citrus hop aroma balanced by the sweetness of two-row pale and caramel malts. The result is an unusually well-balanced IPA that proves an IPA can be both assertive and elegant. Anniversary Ale is a medium-bodied, well-hopped ale that finishes with a slight malt sweetness.
The 2008 batch got an “A-” on BA (up from a B+ in 2007). It’s just been tapped and I’m looking forwards to having it on tap for a while!
This beer was on tap for a very long 39 days and had the highest consumption rate (partially due to me giving out 2-3 growers of it). I wasn’t a fan of this beer – I thought it was much too hoppy and the drinkability suffered.
Gritty McDuff’s “Vacationland Summer Ale”
June 18, 2008 11:44 am
On tap Wednesday (6/18), thanks to Tim @ Colonial, is a 1/6 1/4(!) of Gritty McDuff’s “Vacationland Summer Ale”.
Gritty says, “You can’t put summer in a bottle, but we may have come close! When the weather gets warm we roll out our summer seasonal, Vacationland Summer Ale. Vacationland is an Extra Special Golden Ale that’s light in color but full-bodied, with a snappy hop finish. A bit of extra time in the conditioning tank rounds out and mellows the ale. We use generous portions of pale malt with just a touch of wheat malt to give VSA unique flavor that’s richer than most summer brews. Cascade leaf hops add a delicate and forward hop character as well. It’s the perfect brew for all things summer.”
Starting Gravity: 1049
Finish: 1012, ABV: 4.9%
Hops: (22 I.B.U.s) Cascade Leaf, Cascade, Saaz
Availability: 6 and 12-packs, 22 oz bottles, mini-kegs and draft,
April-August
I had some “Vacationland” up in Maine this past weekend and I’m looking forwards to getting this in. This beer got a [very underrated] B- on BeerAdvocate.
Currently paired with Shipyard Export Ale. Kicked after 51 days.
Shipyard Brewery “Export Ale”
June 17, 2008 4:43 pm
We just had this in Maine this past weekend.
Shipyard describes this beer as;
“Shipyard Export Ale, the flagship brand of the Shipyard Brewing Company, is a full-bodied ale, with a hint of sweetness up front, a subtle and distinctive hop taste, and a very clean finish. 5.1% alcohol by volume.”
This is another Maine beer we served at our wedding – this one I’ve had several times. I’m glad it’s finally on tap, it’s tough to find in the area.
Currently paired with a 1/4 barrel of Gritty’s Vacationland.
*Kicked 8/1 after 45 days. Slowest beer consumed yet, not as a reflection of the beer but since we weren’t around much in July to drink or have people over.
Sebago “Frye’s Leap I.P.A.”
May 11, 2008 5:18 pm
This beer is from the Sebago brewery just west of Portland, Maine. I believe we served it (bottles) at our wedding but I don’t think I’ve ever tried it.
From Sebagos website, “Frye’s Leap IPA is an American-style India Pale Ale with a strong hop flavor and medium body. Frye’s Leap IPA is light golden in color with a fruity hoppiness that comes from extra dry hop conditioning. Our IPA is perfect on a summer day; it pairs well with spicy foods, vinaigrettes and grilled vegetables.”
It should be great for some summer grilling.
*This was a decent IPA. Not my favorite beer though (I’m not a huge fan of IPA’s in general). We finished this in 32 days, which I was pretty surprised about. The Berkshire Steel Rail Pale Ale, which was on simultaneously, seemed like a far superior beer.
