Doughy hop-fizzed beer from behind (what’s left of) the Iron Curtain. While visiting China, Tsingtao had more noticeable grain frame and gentler water flow. Sweet rice snip furrows into delicate yeast sinew. Floral hop spices caress crisp, easygoing finish. Try it with a lime.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
TRUMER PILS
Originally brewed in Austria and Germany, smooth golden lager maintains slick honeyed malt inertia, sweet corn-sugared cereal-grained dalliance, and mild hop-spiced lemon zest. Mild multigrain breading and biscuit-y finish add to light-bodied goodness.
TRUE NORTH LIGHT
Soothingly bitter-hopped wheat-backed rye-pumpernickel entry becomes one-dimensional after a few sips. Dry lemony hop fizz encounters sourdough nicety, but soothingly sweet diacetyl finish gets watery. No longer brewed.
TRUE NORTH BLONDE LAGER
Moderate pale golden dry body imparts flashy hop-spiced citric-quince tang to crystal malted alacrity and nut bread toasting, finishing thin.
TRUE NORTH CREAM ALE
Brisk water flow saturates smooth pumpernickel foundation. Sweet fruited malt caress, orange rind bittering, marble rye reminder, and dry nuttiness knock back light creaminess to compromised finish.
TROUT RIVER SCOTTISH ALE
Peculiar Scot-styled ale finds early charred wood affluence and Scotch malt waver seized by dull port wining. By thin finish, muted raisin-fig dip gives way to acrid orange-tangerine blotch and spicy cardamom splotch. On second passing, erratic fruited whiskey coarsening and sharp prune-fig pungency undermine musty peat earthiness.
TROUT RIVER RAINBOW RED ALE
Honeyed malt sweetness and earthen tea-tobacco dryness promptly counter spiced hop bitterness of burgundy-hued medium body. Unripe cherry, red apple, and peach tones abruptly usurped by orange pith midst, but astringent ester finish induces serrated acridity.
TROUT RIVER HOPPIN’ MAD TROUT I.P.A.
Terribly unassuming light-bodied India Pale Ale lacks proper body, pungency, and efficiency. Musty lemon quip outlines fizzy floral hop seam and acidic grapefruit remnant. Dank citric finish dulls depleted sweet yeast smidgen and coriander flash.
TROUT RIVER CHOCOLATE OATMEAL STOUT
Frothy tan-headed mahogany-bodied lactose-aided dry stout hides flaked oatmeal expectancy behind roasted coffee souring and raisin-almond-vanilla adjuncts. Maple malt succulence and black chocolate creaminess overrun by thin cocoa finish, leaving minimal nut trace.
(TROUTBROOK) THOMAS HOOKER MUNICH STYLE GOLDEN LAGER
Under-whelming pearly-headed straw-bodied German-styled lager with sulfuric barnyard-hay waft stays soft and unassuming. Doughy yeast leaves baked bread imprint on honeyed malts and sour lemon astringency. Phenol-hopped finish conceals lemongrass murk and fleeting floral flutter.
(TROUTBROOK) THOMAS HOOKER LIBERATOR DOPPELBOCK
Only a slight metallic astringency knocks back rich khaki-headed crimson-bodied double bock. Roasted chocolate malting stirs up bittersweet raisin-fig thickness to sticky molasses-maple finish. Powdered cocoa midst gains slim pecan-hazelnut tinge and charcoal singe.
(TROUTBROOK) THOMAS HOOKER IRISH RED ALE
Peculiar maroon-ruby-hued medium body places buttery brown sugared Scotch malts atop smoked peat waver, black cherry-soured red grape tartness, and mild chestnut-peanut roast. Bittersweet baker’s chocolate absorbs faded Band-Aid mouthfeel. Metallic astringency compromises acrid earthen hop dryness.