Archetypal pale-bodied Eastern Euro lager drops murky malt sourness into white-breaded dry yeast midst before diacetyl fizz encumbers sweet wheat discretion.
Category Archives: Beers A-Z
NEUZELLER KLOSTER-BRAU GOLDEN ABBOT LAGER
Don’t let inconspicuous pale tone of enchanting golden amber-hued lager (a.k.a. Closter Zell) trick you into thinking it’s weak one-dimensional fodder. Easy flowing malt whiskey sweetness and candy-coated yeast caress pick up dark fruit nuances by serene wheat finish.
NEW BELGIUM TRANSATLANTIQUE KRIEK ALE
Blending Frank Boon’s imported oak-aged Belgian cherries with raspy American hops, this enticing pinkish amber lambic-fermented creation rivals finest dessert beer from New Glarus. Tart medicinal cherry frontage given muted quince-grape seduction and ester-y grapefruit tang anticipated dry-spiced stone-fruited finish maintains.
NEW GLARUS SPOTTED COW ALE
Friendly yellow-cleared cask-conditioned light-body too mainstream and soapy despite zesty lemon tagline. Aromatic wheat straw wisp penetrates pallid corn-sugared cotton candy sweetness, mild perfumed fruitiness, and illuminating coriander seduction to soft biscuit-y recession. Closer to a white ale, but labeled a cream ale.
NEWPORT STORM BLIZZARD PORTER
Efficient short-headed burgundy-hued winter-styled porter with musty fruit aroma and dry piney-hopped sharpness bulking up nutmeg-spiced caramel-burnt mocha chalking and acrid cocoa-chocolate malting. Smooth, well-integrated full-bodied delight.
(NINE G) BITCHIN’ BETTY CITRUS WHEAT BEER
A fruity windfall scatters lemon-peeled orange-peach-tangerine tang above soft floral hop caress of coppery moderation. Mild pepper-spiced bitterness adjoins herbal eucalyptus-ginger twinge nuzzling cracked wheat base. Brewery defunct: 2010.
NORTH COAST RUEDRICH’S RED SEAL ALE
Likable citric-hopped frothy-headed copper-hazed bitter gains caramel malt fortitude above quaint chocolate nuttiness and sweet stone fruiting. Advancing sunny orange tang awakens barleywine smidgen. Less crisp, clean, and organic than most Cali brews, bringing a more blue collar grain-based pilsner appeal to medium-bodied nicety.
(OAK CREEK) GRAND CANYON RATTLESNAKE LAGER
Is brewery’s name hidden in small print because bland amber-toned medium body tastes like anonymous cheap mainstream fodder? Soured malts, toasted hops, and roasted grains drift aimlessly until barren orange-tangerine notion takes wobbly hold.
O’DELLS BOBBY ALE
Dusky light-bodied Kolsch-styled ale lacks dry fruit or wine-like illusions of its ilk. Instead, swill grain palate and brittle malt duress glitched by grueling sulfuric aroma and poorly developed hop-spiced finish.
O’HANLON’S WHEAT BEER
Mediocre white-laced amber-clouded light-bodied English-styled wheat ale leans closer to mildly bitter wheat-husked dry-toned American version than sweeter German-styled Weiss. Sunny citrus fizz, herbal hop spiciness, and banana-clove wisp gain limed green apple tartness to downplayed honeyed biscuit finish. Serve with lemon or add honey drop to wake up casual floral nuances.
OLDE HEURICH PALE ALE
Banal English-styled pale ale with weak maize-wheat confluence and arid hop follow-through has supposedly been ‘a Washington DC tradition since 1873.’ All others need not apply. Brewery defunct: 2006.
(OMMEGANG) HENNEPIN BELGIAN-STYLE ALE
Though made in the States, minty farmhouse ale (with fluffy eggshell head, cloudy amber hue, flowery spiced hop fragrance and white wine appeal) definitely succeeds as first-rate Belgian-derived knockoff. Yellow grape esters contrast sugary banana riffs as earthen mustiness conveniently hides metallic alkaline esters. Also in the mix, sweet coriander-allspice-ginger melange, lemon meringue tartness, sweet orange peel tang and mild peppercorn jab add further complexity to voluptuously fruited vanilla creamed effervescence.