Bottled version of Reading brewpub’s affable dry-hopped red ale tethers congenial floral spicing to toasted barley-wheat base, absorbing bittersweet peach-tangerine-grapefruit tang. Latent metallic swagger depletes tertiary honeyed nut, fruitcake, and pear-apple illusions.
Category Archives: Beers A-Z
LEINENKUGEL’S SUMMER SHANDY WEISS BEER W/ LEMONADE
Quenching light-bodied beige-hazed American wheat beer with natural lemonade flavoring maintains cloy lemon soda appeal and carbolic quinine water flow. Tart hard-candied Jolly Rancher souring deters frail cereal-grained corn malting.
LINDEMAN’S GUEUZE LAMBIC BELGIAN ALE
Unfiltered original gueuze (replaced by Cuvee Rene) tastes a bit like vermouth and smells a lot like tart cider. Very strong, slightly peculiar, and somewhat acidic, scaring off those unaccustomed to ester-y grape-skinned bone-dry fruit ales. Tangy citric finish fits outside the realm of most wheat-hopped brews.
LITTLE APPLE MARCH MADNESS MARZEN
Soft copper-toned ale conceals grain backbone below fuzzy red apple-grape fruitiness, becoming less efficient by waning phenol finish.
(OLDE WYNDHAM) LONG GREY LINE LAGER
Okay pale-toned earthen-grained sour milk-wafted sedation gains peculiar ginger ale dryness ahead of prominent sourdough funk, but as musty yeast heft subsides, little else shines through at watery sugar-sweetened finish. Couldn’t find label so used brewers’ Frog ‘N Hound Cream Ale as reference. Brewery defunct: 2003.
(LOST COAST) ALLEY CAT AMBER ALE
Pleasantly mild brown ale-like mocha-nut ambiance consumes sharp-grained honey malting. Decent alternative for amateurs scared of richer, creamier porters, but a tad watery.
LUCKY LAGER
Uniquely embossed Buddha-bellied green-bottled lager becomes tiresome as Asian-influenced glutinous wheat-rice pastiness and musty malt souring falter. Dry-hopped astringency brings about dank dishwater soaping upsetting residual lemony tartness.
MAD RIVER JAMAICA RED ALE
Burgundy-hued bitter with mocha malt pungency, bittersweet spiced-hop refuge, and tart red-fruited simmer. Oxidized chocolate undermines unconvincingly dry roasted barley finish.
MAGIC HAT HOCUS POCUS ALE
Dank sour citrus aroma, bland watery texture, unspecific fruity tartness, and sharp hop coarseness make up the mainstream appeal of this not so ‘tricky’ tonic.
MAHOU PREMIUM LAGER
Sharp hop fizz deepens corn syrupy honeyed oats sweetness and husked wheat dryness. Glutinous wheat mouthfeel confirms thick malting. Robust considering lager status. Perfect early evening prelude.
MARIN OLD DIPSEA BARLEYWINE
Heavy whiskey malt swagger intensifies candied butterscotch, caramel, and chocolate charm. In the deep recesses, sugared raisin, apple resin, and tangy pineapple offer solid support.
MC EWAN’S SCOTCH ALE
Top notch 8% alcohol-fueled russet Scotch ale with soft eggshell head connects dried raisin and sour prune to extremely addicting honeyed butterscotch sweetness. Fluctuating black cherry-burgundy hints strengthen chewy yeast resin of creamy slow sipper, gaining piney, floral, and cola nut accents at supple finish. Perfect for dessert.