Monday, April 29, 2013

Beers #82-88: A Slow Month

"April is the cruellest month", if one is to believe Mr. Eliot, and for my beer drinking it certainly has been. April is the month in academics where everyone tries to cram in every last thing they can before the summer break. As a result, I've been drinking a lot more coffee than anything else, and my 'beer a day' challenge has suffered a serious setback because of this.  Today is the 119th day of the year and I am behind!  Below are a few brews I had between the last week of March and last week.

82/365: 21st Amendment Lower De Boom:
Sweet and sticky toffee and caramel aroma with a lot of neutral fruit and mild hops. There is a metallic note here, too, like copper or iron. Dark coppery amber clear with hardly any head. Heavy body with medium carbonation and alcoholic warming. Starts sweet with alcohol, hotness, caramel, toffee, and brown sugar. Plenty of bitter hop finish with neutral fruity character. Warming nutty bitter-hoppy finish. Lingering sweetness in the after but not cloying. A little rough around the edges.  Barley Wine  66/100

83/365: Coors Batch 19:
Nose is be any with noble hops and skunky notes - no sweetness. Dark orange-amber clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Medium watery body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with light malt sweetness, light carbonic acidity and a dry hoppy bitterness. Fairly mellow throughout with decent hop finish - slightly nutty and sweet, with carbonic fizz-bite. Dry light sweet after with some be any hop flavor.  Premium Lager  48/100

84/365: Third Shift Amber Lager:
(This is another MillerCoors beer - pretty much a maltier version of Batch 19). Nose is be any with noble hops and skunky notes - no sweetness. Dark orange-amber clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Medium watery body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with medium malt sweetness, light carbonic acidity and a dry hoppy bitterness. Fairly mellow throughout with decent hop finish - slightly nutty and sweet, with carbonic fizz-bite. Dry light sweet after with some medium hop flavor.  Amber Lager/Vienna  46/100

85/365: Samuel Adams New Albion Ale:
Sweet with beany alcohol-light vegetal nose and a bit of hop-fruity character. Dull muted nose. Dull golden clear with thin white head. Medium body with medium-dull carbonation. Sweet and neutral fruit character. Light to medium chalky bitterness with vegetal-metallic notes. Reminds me of a European strong lager, actually.  American Pale Ale  58/100

86/365: Marzoni's Biere de Marz:
Mild sweet pale malt aroma with light bit of sulfur and a tad yeasty. Honey and lemon peels. Cloudy medium amber with thin frothy head. Medium body with medium-light carbonation. Starts and stays sweet, with coriander, bubblegum, orange peel and yeast. Light chalky bitter finish with mildl grain notes. Nice smooth finish. Very easy drinking beer.  Belgian Ale  74/100

87/365: 21st Amendment Sneak Attack Saison:
Floral and fragrant, spicy with cardamon and allspice notes. Orange and orange peel with a little vanilla. Medium golden clear with thin white lacing head. Medium body with heavy carbonation. Starts sweet and spicy with cardamon and bitter orange peel. Bitter spice and hop finish with carbonic tang. Lasting bitterness with orange zest sweetness.  Saison  66/100

88/365: Heather Ales Fraoch (Bottle):
Mild herbal-floral notes, a bit of lemongrass and some sweetness. Medium golden amber clear with thin white head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Sweet with pale malts, herbal notes and a light bitterness. Overall, a mild ale with decent sweet herbal quality.  Traditional Ale  54/100

Next up ... trying to catch up at The Sour & The Funky!