Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Beer Ratings, Part 2

As promised here's another set of reviews, a mix of good and bad here.  I wasn't impressed by the Hacker-Pschorr Munich Gold, especially considering the quality of their wheat beers, or the Amsterdam Natural Blonde, a brewery that's seasonal releases are often excellent. I did thoroughly enjoy the other four though.  The Harviestoun Ola Dubh series is the first beer to be aged in barrels that can be traced back to the original spirit they stored.  Barrels were supplied by Highland Park and provide a salty, smoky peat flavor, and barrel numbers are listed on the beer bottle. Two Belgian farmhouse style ales from Goose Island in Chicago were a pleasant surprise, and St. Landelin from La Divine, an interesting take on a French biere de garde.

Hacker-Pschorr Munich Gold
500 mL bottle. Pours golden with a white head, no lacing. Aromas of apple, bread, cereal grain and Munich malt. Light and refreshing, little to no aftertaste. A touch of sweetness, and mild floral hop. Highly carbonated and easy drinking. A quencher, but not interesting.

Amsterdam Natural Blonde
473 mL can. Pours golden with a lacy white head. A little straw and apple on the nose. Light bodied and refreshing with high carbonation. Dry with a lightly hopped finish. Boring but good for killing thirst.

Harviestoun Ola Dubh 12 Year Old
330 mL bottle. Pours black with a thin tan head. Aromas of salty peat, oak, wood smoke, black cherry, fig and Dr. Pepper. Moderately sweet and richly bodied; lightly carbonated with a slick, saline mouth feel. Very complex, but well rounded. A must try for fans of whisky, wee heavies or old ales.

Goose Island Sofie
750 mL bottle. Pours a hazy straw color with a foamy white head. Aromas of curacao, bell pepper, biscuit and tropical fruit. A touch of sweetness backed by lacto sourness, vegetal hop and a lightly oaky finish. High carbonation with a champagne like mouth feel. Delightfully refreshing and pleasantly complex.

Goose Island Matilda
750 mL bottle. Pours copper with a foamy white head. Aromas of citrus, melon, herbal hop, yeast and brett funk. Mild malt sweetness well balanced by alcohol bite and earthy hop. Tasty now but would like to see this age up and develop more brett character.

La Divine St. Landelin
750 mL bottle. Pours amber caramel with a thick white head and lots of lacing. Nose of banana, coconut, bread yeast, caramel malt, allspice and a touch of smoke. Fairly sweet, medium bodied with a full mouth feel. Interesting and unique but a little sweet for my liking.

Like normal,
http://www.ratebeer.com/user/169526/ratings/

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