Beer Review: Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic

Boston Beer Company Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic

This is a very unique offering. Its not everyday that I get the chance to try a lambic. Mark from Must Love Beer gave me the suggestion of pairing this with turkey on Thanksgiving. That is something I must do. I will save at least one of these for that magical day where dinner happens all day. This is a beer I had been very curious about. I've had some authentic Belgian lambic imports and I wanted to know how Boston stacked up. This beer is also interesting because of the choice of fruit. Usually, fruit lambic beers utilize sweeter fruits (apple, raspberry, cherry, etc.) while this uses the juice of tart cranberries. Pours a cranberry copper-red color with an average head. Aroma definitely of cranberry and that characteristic sour lambic malt smell.

Flavor is surprisingly authentic. The sour malt tastes exactly as it should be, tart and crisp. The cranberry flavor really comes through. You don't have to do any digging to find it. I think they must have used sweetened cranberry juice as there is a sweetness to this beer that couldn't have come from cranberries and sour mash alone. This is very balanced but it is lacking some of the sharp flavor that you can get from a lambic of the Lindemans quality. The sweetened cranberries don't have the kind of clean flavor that this brew needs.

Even with it's flaws this is still a good beer. Not explosion of flavor good, but it is fairly authentic and a nice departure from the hop and malt variety. I am glad this is included in the winter variety pack and I would even consider buying this in sixes if available. Don't expect to be blown away but this is enjoyable.

Final Score: 82% (Tasty, but Lacks Depth and Refined Flavor)

Beer Review: Heineken Light

Heineken Brouwerijen Heineken Light Lager

A friend of mine left some of these over after my Halloween party and I felt this was a good chance to review another light beer. Though, I will be honest and say that I have an idea of where this one is going before I even try it. Pours a light golden color with a decent sized head, aroma of sweet skunky malt, no noticeable hop background.

How is the flavor? There is some malt flavor that comes through but it's very skunky and doesn't really have anything complex to offer. Same kind of malt flavor in a standard light lager but with added skunk flavor. I can't really taste any hops besides the ones used for bittering. I honestly expected very little from this but I was still disappointed. I thought this would at least go down easy. The skunky old vegetable flavor is very unpleasant and I just wish they would brew this correctly. No skunking and good hopping to provide quality flavor and aroma.

One important question comes to mind. Is this beer better than a Bud or Coors Light? My answer would be no. While this brew does have more flavor, the flavor it does have I find to be unpleasant. Just reminds me of all the things I don't like about light euro lagers. I would rather have a Bud light that has less flavor but is far more refreshing. I don't even get refreshment from this. I can't believe I am going to say this but I would prefer a Milwaukee's Best Light over this. That's a bad sign.

Final Score: 40% (Bad Flavor, Poor Drinkablity, and Generally Boring)

Beer Review: South Hampton IPA

South Hampton Publick House India Pale Ale

More Long Island suds. Gotta get them while I can. The back of the bottle goes into a history of the Publick House and the notables that used to frequent it flowing into a discussion of the India Pale Ale and it's balanced quality. I have mixed feelings about a balanced IPA. On most beers I really appreciate this quality but having grown fond of the pacific northwest aggressive hopping style I have a hard time viewing anything else as an IPA. When I go for an IPA I generally want to be overwhelmed with hops. Otherwise, I will go for a pale ale. Pours a rich copper color with a solid head. Aroma of sweet malt and some hop citrus smells.

Flavor is indeed what it promises. Very balanced and drinkable. The rich malt shines through being countered expertly with the hop flavor and bitterness. I appreciate it for what it is but I personally prefer my IPAs to be unbalanced. I want load of hops so that I get my fix. Don't get me wrong, this is a great IPA, it's just not the style of IPA that I prefer. Many will love this beer.

While it may seem like from my review that this beer doesn't have adequate hopping, this isn't the case. The hops flavors are always with you throughout your glass, they just aren't of the excessive quality that I like. If you are a fan of the more balanced European style IPA this is a wonderful beer for you to try. But if you went out seeking more hops than your tongue can handle, you will be dissapointed.

Final Score: 84% (Very Good and Masterfully Balanced, Just Not My Style of IPA)

Beer Review: Fosters Special Bitter

. Fosters Australia Ltd. Fosters Special Bitter Premium Ale

This is my first Fosters beer. I had heard that the lager was just like any other macro lager and didn't really live up to the 90's hype that hit America. I saw that they had this giant can (25.4 oz) of special bitter ale and I had to give it a shot. I don't get too many chances to try this kind of ale and I wanted to see what Fosters take on this was. Pours a caramel amber color (makes sense since they add caramel color to the beer) with a white head. Some lacing all around the glass.

Flavor is fairly nice. I am not sure what the alcohol content is but they certainly don't do a good job of hiding whatever it is. I get that tongue cooling evaporation feeling during each sip along with a slight green apple taste that I find in many ESBs. This really isn't that bitter, I get a slight hop background used only for bitterness but no real hop aroma or flavor. This is a step up from your standard macro lager but it doesn't take it to a whole new level. This is on par with a Yuengling quality.

Overall, this is a very drinkable light ESB. Not the most flavorful or complex brew but it is fairly true to the style and at a very modest price. I would definitely consider getting this again if the craving hits me. I want to try their lager now just to see how that holds up. Give this a try if you are on a budget and want to try something that has some flavor. This would make a good intro to the style.

Final Score: 72% (Some Flavor and Style Points but Not Anywhere Near the Best)

Beer Reivew: Becks Oktoberfest

Brauerei Beck & Co. Becks Oktoberfest Lager

I was very skeptical about purchasing this after being burned so strongly by Beck's light. I mustered up the courage and decided that it was only a brief commitment and that it can't be any worse than premiere light. They still use the damn green bottles. I was tricked into thinking it was amber from the beer color. Bastards. Pours an amber marzen color with a head that sticks around for a good period of time. Aroma is of sweet Munich malt with a hint of crystal. Kinda like sweet buttered bread. So far it looks the part.

Flavor was surprisingly nice. Nothing too amazing but the malt flavor really comes though. It has that sweet full character with a hint of roasting that comes from the crystal/Munich combo. The hopping leaves something to be desired. While not critical for this style it is required for greatness. The area where this beer really delivers is in drinkability. Goes down ridiculously smooth and I feel like I could drink the entire six-pack without thinking twice.

The drinkability and malt flavor make this brew pretty much dead on for the style. This won't be the best Oktoberfest you'll ever have but it is good and will certainly work in a pinch. I would like to compare this to Beck's dark and see where they differ. I have yet to try that. As far as I have experienced Americans ironically brew the best Oktoberfest beer. If they had hopped better this could have been world class. As it stands right now it's no better than average.

Final Score: 75% (Very Drinkable but Lacks Hop Background and Complexity)

Beer Review: Guinness Extra Stout

Guinness Brewing Company Guinness Extra Stout Ale

One of the select few offerings from Arthur Guinness’s brewing company and a relative of one of the very first beers that got me into the world of craft beer. This is one of the quintessential Irish beers. This stout pours a deep dark black with a caramel colored head that sticks around for long enough. Aroma of alcohol and roasted malt goodness. All things to expect when drinking a strong stout.

Flavor is surprisingly smooth. I get caramel upfront followed by some cocoa and then a background of black coffee. Very tasty stuff. You can definitely notice the alcohol but not in a bad way. It serves to cool the palate and breakup the roast party. This also has a bitterness that I can’t quite nail down. If I had to guess I would say lactic acid but that could be way off. The bitterness keeps you awake and your tongue active while the other ingredients slowly go in and out of focus. Coffee aftertaste stays with you for a long time. I would like to try this blended with coffee and ice.

This is a real Irish classic and stands tall as an example of a great stout. I will certainly get this again in the future. It would be fun to have this side by side with the Guinness draught and see what differences can be found. If you have a hankering for something dark and bold, this will not disappoint.

Final Score: 83% (Smooth, Roasted, and Complex)

Beer Review: Stoudts Gold Lager

Stoudts Brewing Company Munich Helles Gold Lager

My first Stoudts review, about fucking time. A great PA brewery that offers some selections that aren't the standard fare. I love a good Helles. I used to think of it as a summer only beer but I have been finding myself with a craving year round. A beer like this is very impressive when done well because it has so little to cover up flaws. Even a light pilsener has stronger hopping. This has a balanced combo of hops and malt where both flavors a very noticable. This seems to be very hard to come by in such a pale beer. Pours a golden yellow color with a nice head. Some lacing with a honey malty aroma. Not sure where the honey came from but I like it.

Flavor is very good. Some malty sweetness balanced by earthy, grassy hop goodness and more than a hint of honey. They didn't use any honey but I view this as a nice yeast product. This is a very flavorful and surprisingly complex beer. Very drinkable yet deep enough to relax and enjoy. This is one of the most deliciously balanced beers out there.

I really enjoy this beer. The amount of flavor and aroma I am getting out of this pale malt is very surprising. I would love to get my hands on this yeast. I am thrilled that this is available year round. This may not be the best Helles I have had but it certainly is a great go to beer. I applaud Stoudts for attempting and succeeding at making such a difficult and hard to sell beer.

Final Score: 87% (Very Good Bright Beer, Balanced, Delicious, and Light)

Beer Review: Oaked Arragant Bastard Ale

Stone Brewing Company Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

This is something that I looked forward to. I was already a big fan of the original arrogant bastard and if the oak added anything it could only add to near perfection. My experience with oaked beers is limited but this one definitely didn't hide it's wood. Pours a mahogeny amber color with a standard head. Aroma is of sweet oak. Very unique and appealing. Oak may be the trendy thing to add to beer but lets see if it tastes up to par.

Flavor is nearly shocking. The oaking is the first thing I taste followed by the hop bitterness and flavor. This tastes good but may have swung toward the unbalanced end of the spectrum. The malt character is very much dominated by the oak. Only a shadow of the rich caramelly malt goodness remains. This is still a delicious beer but it's drinkability and matlyness have been sacrificed in the name of trend.

While still a big and flavorful beer I really prefer the original unoaked bastard. I have not lost all hope for oaking goodness because it does provide an alternative and more possibilities. This is a beer for someone who can't get enough bitter. The strong hopping and oak flavor really tip the scales over to the bitter side. Some malt gets through, just not enough for greatness. I would really like to have them side by side.

Final Score: 90% (Very Good, But a Shadow of Unoaked Greatness)

Beer Review: Heineken Lager

Heineken USA Brewing Company Heineken Lager

This is Holland’s most famous lager. This is also one of the most available European lagers in America. Pours a very light golden color with a very short lived head. Slight hop aroma with a very clean malt background. This green bottle crap is really annoying. I know they do the skunking on purpose because most American’s think this is the taste of a superior European beer but it drives me insane. I wish they would sell the non-export amber bottles in America. I am not a fan of skunking. I can hold my own beer up to the light if I want defects.

The flavor is very clean. Almost no malt flavor followed by a sharp citrus hop flavor. The hopping is very nice with enough bitterness to balance the malt and some flavor to please hops fans. It’s just not enough. This needs real malt character with either some crystal malt or some Munich malt. Those would really add some punch.

This is a classic example of a skunked Euro-lager. I can’t tell the difference between this and Becks besides the brewing location. If Heineken wants to improve on this beer they need to prevent skunking and add more malt character. It is amazing that they charge as much as they do for this.

Final Score: 62% (Boring and Skunky, Not Worth the Money)

Beer Review: Colt 45

Hurricane Brewing Company Colt 45 Malt Liquor

Ah, the classic. The only malt liquor good enough to get you laid. Billy Dee approved. Pours a piss yellow color with a sudsy head that sticks around for only a short couple of minutes. Aroma is that classic cereal/rice beer aroma classic to many macro lagers. You know it’s going to be cheap if it’s served in a clear glass bottle. This is the most surefire way of spoiling a beer while saving a couple bucks.

Flavor is much more robust than I expected. You can definitely taste the alcohol on this one. The malt flavor is present as a sweet corn flavor that isn’t as horrible as I thought it would be. A little bit of a metallic flavor going on here too. Overall, this has a lot more flavor than a Budweiser but it lacks any real hop flavor or bitterness to balance out the malt and alcohol. Very one sided.

Considering this is usually drunk just to get you trashed I think this is a great success. This is high on drinkability and alcohol. If they included some hops it could have been a decent beer. For a 40 oz malt liquor drink this is near the top of my list. For any other beer this just doesn’t cut it.

Final Score: 65% (Good for a Buzz, But Not Much Else)