Beer Review: Saranac Black Lager

F.X. Matt Brewing Company Saranac Black Lager

My first review from the new 12 Beers of Winter from Saranac. I always love Black Lagers. This iconic Bavarian style is always rich in flavor yet immensely drinkable. A fantastic choice for winter sessioning. I hope this lives up to my high expectations. The lager pours a very dark amber color, not quite black but damn close. Aroma is loaded with chocolate.

First taste impressions.... very drinkable. Smooth with a very rich mouthfeel. Slightly malty flavors high you first with a very creamy carbonation feel following. I also taste a very large hop bite. This is somewhat similar to last years India Brown Ale, just tweaked slightly off to the malty side. Roasted caramel flavors are floating around but you really have to do some digging.

This is an enjoyable beer despite it not quite tasting like a traditional black lager. This definitely tastes more like a brown ale brewed with lager yeast. I expected a little more depth but this is by no means a bad beer.

Final Score: 71% (Lackluster and Light on Flavor. Needs More Roasted Malt.)

Beer Review: Highland Gaelic Ale

Highland Brewing Company Gaelic Ale

My first Highland review. This is a craft brewery located in Virginia that is not normally available in New Jersey unless you have some very generous connections who are willing to drive down to Asheville and pick up a variety pack. I am very fortunate. This is the brewery's flagship beer so it seems fitting that this is my first review. This it touted as a balanced ale with a generous amount of malt. The appearance is exactly as pictured. Dark amber in color with a decent sized fluffy white head. Aroma of sweet caramel and some hop spiciness. Very appetizing.

The flavor is fantastic. I love when I find a really well balanced ale that meets both of my cravings (malt and hops) and this brew falls into that rare category. The lightly roasted sweet caramel flavor really adds great depth to the beer. You can almost chew the beer, very rich and full. Nothing feels watered down. The hop flavor is also in full form here. Spicy and bitter, the hops stand up to the mammoth task of balancing the malt without burning out your taste buds. This is not far off from being a very balanced IPA.

This is a very sessionable and deep ale that is certainly worthy of being the flagship beer of any brewery. If you are lucky enough to have this in your area I certainly recommend supporting Highland. Judging from this beer they are also well worth traveling for. I love a great beer. The only downside is the limited availability.

Final Score: 93% (Outstanding. Worth a Long Journey.)

Beer Battle!: Budweiser VS Miller High Life

Beer Battle I: Budweiser (The King) vs. Miller High Life (The Champagne)

Time for my first beer battle. This time its Budweiser versus the High Life. Blind taste testing is the only way to go here and I will rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 in the areas of flavor, aroma, and sessionability. One will be beer "A", the other beer "B". This is the first of hopefully many more to come...

Aroma:

This is a tough one to call, both very similar but I have to hand this to beer "A". Slightly more of a grainy aroma. No real hop aromas in either one. I always find it really hard to get much in the aroma department when drinking rice malt light lagers but there has to be a winner here.

A: 3 B: 2
Flavor:

Another very close call but A just has a deeper flavor. A has a rich malt flavor compared to "B" which just tastes like a toned down version of "A". "A" has a crisper aftertaste while "B" is a little sweeter. Not much going on in the hop department. At least nothing which sets one apart from the other.

A:3: B:2
Sessionability:

If I was to reach for another one which one would I go for? Hmm... I have to go with "B". The tables seemed to have turned. "A" just starts to taste watery after a short while and "B" still maintains its flavor after a few sips.

A:2 B:3
Results:

Looks like "A" wins by a very narrow margin. This was much harder than I thought it would be. Fun, but tricky. The winner is.... Budweiser! I am honestly surprised, I thought Miller High Life would edge out the King of Beers but the opposite happened. Never again will I buy a High Life. Who needs Champagne when you are the King?

Final Score: A: 8 B:7

Beer Review: Blue Moon Harvest Moon

Blue Moon Brewing Company Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale

Fall seasonals are by far my favorite. These months just don't last long enough. While Blue Moon may be owned by Molson-Coors they produce some decent craft beers and I have yet to try this creation. I have to first give them credit for very cool bottle art. It may not be very important in the grand scheme but I believe everything is part of the whole. I am very fickle about pumpkin ales. I love drinking them in the fall but if they have too much spice I quickly get disgusted. Sessioning with these can be very difficult. It is a very fine line to walk. The Harvest Moon pours a medium amber color with a sizable head that lingers for the duration of the glass. Very faint malty aroma though I do have a cold so you probably shouldn't go by my nose at the moment.

Now for the first taste. Very surprising. This is exceptionally balanced with the rich malt flavor and the delicate spicing. This may be the session pumpkin ale I have been looking for. The spicing is noticeable and delicious but will definitely not cause my tongue to recoil. The pumpkin flavor is actually pronounced in this where as other pumpkin ales tend to overpower this flavor with malt or allspice.

This is a superb example of what this American original fall seasonal should be. Very mouthwatering. Just because it is owned by one of the big boys doesn't mean you should dismiss it. The beer world would do well to keep an open mind. The Blue Moon people hit all the marks with this one.

Final Score: 90% (Solid, Balanced, and Delicious. A Masterful Pumpkin Ale.)

Beer Review: Bud Select 55

Anheuser-Busch Inc. Budweiser Select 55

This is a new one for me. I don't know how long this has been out but it is most certainly an attempt to fight back at Miller's "MGD 64". With a whopping nine calorie difference they are most certainly coming out with guns blazing (there is sarcasm here). Before I go into depth with this I do want to point out that I will review this brew based on the style that was attempted. I won't compare it to a Triple IPA because everyone should already know that this is not going to have that much depth. This is a light light beer (or double light as I would like to call it). The 55 pours like any other Budweiser product with a light golden color and a short lived head. I can't smell anything besides a slight grainy aroma.

The flavor of this is almost impressive. Hear me out. This doesn't taste a whole lot lighter than a coors/bud light and it manages to cut out roughly half the calories. Calorie conscious people who enjoy very light beer would do well to try this. However, the alcohol content is an extremely low 2.3% ABV. So if you are attempting to get a buzz you should certainly look elsewhere. Also, if you enjoy the taste of a full bodied beer you should definitely avoid this. Bohemian style Pilsner this is not. This is more yellow seltzer than anything else. With maybe a little skunk flavor to mix things up.

The main problem I have with this personally is that I just can't see a need for it. Are there really people who drink Bud Light and ask if there is anything lighter? NA beers have more flavor than this. I do, however, think that the target demographic for this beer will love it. People who want to be seen drinking a beer but don't like the taste of it will never have it better. Experiment with this if you like but don't complain to me when you realize you spent the same amount of money on half the beer.

Final Score: 60% (Successful in Being Light, Failure in Retaining Flavor)

Beer Review: Guinness Draught

St. James's Gate Brewery Guinness Draught

This is the most classic stout on the planet. It isn't the original but it's prevalence throughout the world is impressive to say the least. Thank you Diageo. Having the innovative widget in the can is awesome. Such a nice touch. The nitrogen head forms perfectly and laces all over the glass (does anyone really not know what a Guinness looks like?). I don't get very much in the aroma department.

The flavor is ridiculously smooth for a stout, I think due in a large part to the nitrogen used for nitrogenation (carbonation doesn't make sense). The majority of the flavor is all coffee with chocolate thrown in. The roasted malt does it's job but doesn't go overboard. Some hop bitterness in the aftertaste. This all goes down so easy, makes it seem like this is a watered down version of what a stout should be. Isn't a porter a lighter version of a stout? This really should be called a porter if you ask me.

It may not be very deep but it does provide a great introduction to the darker beer styles. This is a beer that everyone should try at least once. For me, this is a beer that I will get occasionally in bars but really won't seek out. It isn't bad at all, just doesn't stand out after having experienced a couple of very rich stouts.

Final Score: 73% (Classic and Drinkable. Not Very Complex.)

Beer Review: Mama's LIttle Yella Pils

Oskar Blues Brewing Company Mama's Little Yella Pils

Love those cans. This is a definite craft beer take on a commonly watered down style. The name will try to tell you otherwise though. The pils pours a bright yellow color with a long lasting moderate head. The malt aroma dominates everything. Smells similar to how unfermented malt tastes. Very appealing.

The flavor of this yella is everything I could have hoped for. The bright malt sweetness hits you quickly and with force right before the hops take charge. This is one of the most floral tasting beers in the world. Oskar Blues really captures the hop aroma and flavor properly (the cans help).

I would definitely place this in the top three pilsners I have yet to try. Right alongside Stoudts and Victory. This is one of the best beers you will find for summer and I urge anyone who can find it to buy a case. This will refresh you in even the hottest weather. Not a bit of taste missing either. In my opinion this is one of the most consistent and outstanding breweries in the country and any can detractors would do well to try these.

Final Score: 95% (World Class Pilsner. Mama Never Had This.)

Beer Review: Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout

St. James's Gate Brewery Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout Ale

It is a rare year (or decade?) when Guinness comes out with a new brew. This stout is to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Sir Arthur Guinness signing the lease to the St. James's Gate brewery in Dublin. I do wish this was served in the classic widget can that the Guinness Draught inhabits. It may be little more than a novelty but it really is the little things that count. The new kid pours a very dark mahogany color with a with an average sized caramel head. The aroma is compiled mainly of roasted malt and alcohol. Classic stout.

The flavor really stands out from the original Guinness despite them both being Irish stouts. The 250 is really sweet. Large amounts of roasted caramel all over my palette. Very enjoyable and surprisingly drinkable. This is more of a cross between a traditional schwarzbier and a traditional stout. The sweet caramal flavor really combines well with the roasted barley. Even a slight grainy aftertaste. The hops are there only for bittering and you probably won't pay much attention to them.

There is nothing to complain about with this beer besides its limited edition status. I would really like to see this offered indefinitely. What would be even better would be to have this offered on draft as widely available as the classic Guinness Draught. Even throw in the Extra Stout while you are at it. The original is classic but I can tell you that I would be more likely to order stouts if there were more choices available in bars. This is a winner.

Final Score: 86% (Rich, Sweet, and Roasted. Manages to Stand Out.)

Beer Review: Anchor Summer Beer

Anchor Brewing Company Anchor Summer Beer

This is a classic beer. Although this is my first time trying it, this is the first American wheat beer brewed in modern times. Thank you Fritz Maytag for getting the ball rolling. This wheat beer pours a clear golden color with a very fluffy white laced head. A ton of wheat in the aroma.

The flavor is spicy and smooth at the same time, most likely due to the large percentage (over 50) of wheat malt used. What sets this apart from other wheat beers is the lack of noticeable citrus, banana, or clove flavors. You get wheat, some hop flavors, and a tiny bit of barley malt. Nothing too exotic by today's craft standards.

If there ever was a sessionable wheat beer this would be it. Exactly as a summer beer should be. This definitely has nowhere near the depth of an Imperial Stout but this really hits the spot on a hot day. More than enough character to keep thing interesting. If you are in the mood for a very clean and refreshing wheat beer this is a great choice.

Final Score: 80% (Refreshing, Spicy, and Smooth. Very Enjoyable.)

Beer Review: McSorley's Irish Pale Ale

McSorley's Brewery McSorley's Irish Pale Ale

This is to my knowledge my first Irish Pale Ale. The Sorley pours a not so pale amber color with a quickly fading head. Roasted aromas seep into my head. I know of the famous McSorley's pub in NYC and I assume this is the same brew served at the old ale house. I wonder how close this comes to the actual ale served on tap.

This is very different from your standard pale ale. Loaded with roasted malt flavors and having a very creamy mouthfeel, this beer will certainly wake you up. The hop presence is a bit subdued when compared to the robust malt flavor. This is almost a pale ale/porter hybrid. Hard to find a comparable beer, this is very unique. It does seem to be lacking some depth.

If you crave a dark roasted beer but don't want to go all out with a porter or stout this would be a good choice. The roasted malt presence is very strong and tends to dominate every sip. Despite the roasted flavor I would still say this is fairly balanced. The ale never seems to taste overly bitter or sweet, usually somewhere in between. Easy to follow one sip with another.

Final Score: 74% (Good, but Fairly Simple. A Solid Session Beer.)