Top notch cola-hued red ale not far removed from Extra Special Bitter styling with its highly-hopped citric sharpness and burnt caramel malt pleat. Refined mineral grain precision and lusty mocha sweetness furnish firm foundation.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
BEAR REPUBLIC RACER 5 INDIA PALE ALE
So reminiscent of Northern California’s enchanted forest with its glistening spruce malting hovering decidedly atop countered piney bitterness. Spiced hop whiff plus herbal jasmine, lilac, and rosebud nuances enhance woodsy parameter of thrilling sunset orange-hued IPA. Tangy apricot-peach-kiwi briskness drifts across floral yeast sequel and chaffed wheat, mowed grass, and fresh hay earthiness. Buttery swallow conceals caramel-vanilla tease engaging astringent lemon pith-embittered finish. Highly recommended.
BEAR REPUBLIC PETER BROWN TRIBUTE ALE
Up-front hazelnut-walnut exertion deepens dry coffee bean theme, elevating highly carbonated English-styled Brown Ale brewed in memorial to sales manager. Bitter wood tones build as minor berry sourness creeps through barley-roasted mocha-chocolate thicket. Fig-dried sour grape esters counter brown sugared finish, picking up muted caramel, vanilla, and molasses stickiness skirting Nut Brown and porter labeling.
BEAR REPUBLIC HOP ROD RYE SEASONAL ALE
Captivating maple sweetness convincingly counters orange rind bitterness and serenading spiced hop slip. So-called “turbo charged alcohol burnin’ monster ale”” may scare pilsner fans, but that’d be a crime since this medium-to-full-bodied “”Hop Rod”” goes down smooth and retains customary organic grain punctuation. Strangely, hints of spruce, beechwood, and macadamia arrive, but not the advertised rye.
BEAR REPUBLIC BIG BEAR BLACK STOUT
Impressively agile blend of Imperial and Cream Stout complexities perfectly captured for frothy tan-headed burgundy-bodied milk-creamed humdinger. Burnt caramel, black molasses, powdered cocoa, and toffee support toasted oat spine as roasted nuttiness enlivens oncoming floral hop insistence. Robust chocolate theme forms, mellowing out to ester-y maltose finish juxtaposing bitter espresso dryness.
BEAMISH IRISH STOUT DRAUGHT
Nitro-injected canned draught pours like a milkshake, calmly settling to less creamy Guinness Stout subtlety. Billowy tan head and viscous sheets of cascading brown bubbles offer splendid visual aspect as ensuing espresso bitterness pervades frontage, but brisk water silkiness and polite roasted mocha-nut finish may put off heartier thirsts.
BAYERISCHE BAHNHOF LEIPZIGER GOSE
Good luck finding beer name on busy import label of bottle-fermented, white-headed, pale blonde wheat beer. Crackly ‘coriander and salt’ theme punctuated by hop-fizzed apricot, tangerine, and grapefruit tang, but slightly acidic lactose finish veils banana, bubblegum, and clove notes.
(BAYERISCHE BAHNHOF) BBK PILS
Sharply penetrating char-hopped bitterness battles back blackened mocha malt surge. Richer than most dry pilsners, but watery citric backdrop lacks determination.
(BAVIK) WITTEKERKE WHEAT ALE
Coriander-spiced banana-clove entry and lime-y green apple twang outlast any serious wheat husking while faint lemon-fizzed sourness waters down fluffy-headed yellow-bellied softie. Spicy Mexican pilsner-like simplicity may go over well with cruddy Corona crowd.
(BAVIK) WITTEKERKE ROSE
Skinny 8-ounce bottle featuring sexy fluorescent green girl silhouette contains snippy hop-bitten framboise-styled white beer. Raspberry frontage picks up sticky lemonade tartness, cherry-kiwi-mango-grapefruit medley, and cranberry pucker aloft corn syrupy fructose wane. Sour candied finish gains musty dry floral funk.
BAVIK PREMIUM PILS
Pale straw pearly-headed pilsner suffers from dank-grained Eastern Euro-specified soapiness, cheap hop trifle, and insignificant barley-malt waver. Boring.
(BAVIK) PETRUS WINTER LAGER
Mouth puckering green apple-grape pungency and tart raisin follow-up mark mild, unobtrusive winter seasonal. Murky hop-fizzed sour malt pungency and bland fruit-spiced finish banish muted cherry to mere afterthought, short-circuiting nutmeg, cinnamon, and pecan adjuncts.