Phenol golden amber English Pale Ale lacks proper citric spicing and gets hampered by sour cider odor. Slick corn malt prominence drowns out glutinous honey wheat sweetness, barren Scotch reminder, and earthen respite. Sulfuric finish dishevels the remainder.
All posts by John Fortunato
EINBECKER UR-BOCK
Alcohol-riddled Brussels lace-smitten port-like bock with butterscotch creaminess contrasting bitter cocoa and undefined spiciness. Dirty grains and roasted barley fill out background, but ultimate luster lost by strange brandy finish. Closer to a confused barleywine than intended.
EINBECKER SCHWARZBIER
Rosy amber-hued dunkel (dark) lager matches dry rye frontage and toasted barley slot to punctual date-raisin conflux. Simmering cocoa-caramel creaminess usurps orange-cherry-quince sway clanging sweet honey nut contour.
EINBECKER MAI-UR BOCK
Musk-like sour yeast pungency, cake-like sugar malts, and cherry-blackberry-nectar fruiting stay up-front for coppery springtime bock. Cereal-grained shortbread sweetness counters minor cornstarch depravity to stone-fruited middle ground, overwhelming barleywine flourish and wafting honeysuckle-magnolia-dandelion reminder. Better than just OK.
EINBECKER PREMIUM PILS
Swampy crystal malting spikes off-dry floral-hopped lemon rind bittering before getting relegated by watery soaping. Tart apple and white grape fruiting lifts otherwise tinny finish.
EGGENBERG URBOCK DUNKEL EISBOCK
Rich amber-hazed cognac-like ice beer retains orange blossom amble and brown chocolate malt pungency as brandied 10% alcohol luster compares favorably to Eku 28. Dry raisin-fig nudge, dark rum warmth, and candied butterscotch finish soothe the soul.
EGGENBERG URBOCK
Rising cascading bubbles lead to faded eggshell head of single malt Scotch-like 9.6% alcohol-stricken Austrian bock. Despite inconspicuous clear yellow-orange body, fermented cherry midst and cognac finish pack quite a wallop above sweet buttery bottom. After swallowing, bitter hops kick in. A slow sipper for experienced thirsts.
EGGENBERG MACQUEEN’S NESSIE RED ALE
Bright auburn complexion and buttery caramel aroma introduce soft-textured, deep-grained, peat-malted complacency. Illusions of walnut and tobacco come and go ’til fruited hop finish. Goes down easy, leaving infrequent dry sherry and bittersweet peach vibrancy. But it’s not as distinct as finer available red ales.
EGER URBIER
Not only could you smell the skunked malt pungency of this harvest gold pilsner at a distance but its musty washed-out finish also mires effectiveness. Subtle mocha pleasantries and burnt caramel malts shine through delicately hop-fizzed wheat undercurrent to form sweet buttery finish.
EFES PILSENER
Bright citric hops introduce barley-saddled dry pilsener. Initial impression is it tastes like ginger ale, due to well-carbonated herbal evanescence and barren honeyed sweetness. But mild grain bitterness erases such thoughts. A simple pleasure.
EFES EXTRA LAGER
Pungently alcoholic corn whiskey opening saddles cloy malt liquor-like muck of grainy white-headed copper-toned moderation. If warmed, sour astringency drowns out insulting metallic streak.
EFES DARK LAGER
Sharp hop roast embitters sugary maple malt splurge, bruised orange endurance, and red fruited esters murmuring through fascinating Vienna-styled ruby-hued clear-bottled lager. Copper ale-like subtleties (faint nut, dusky mocha, tinny finish) absorb soft water crisping, mildewed earthiness, and dank charcoal-tobacco illusions.