Tag: Beer

Review: Beer From a Growler

There's been a rather remarkable change over the past few months. As late as the end of summer, I don't think I'd heard the term "growler" before. By the fall, I'd found a store, the beer lover's heaven known as Ale Yeah, that offered them. Now, they seem to be everywhere. There is literally no … Continue reading Review: Beer From a Growler →

Beer Review: Heavy Seas Great’er Pumpkin Ale

Heavy Seas Great'er Pumpkin Ale is everything I ever hoped a pumpkin ale would be. It pours a lovely brown amber (almost orange) color with a tan head that doesn't linger. The aroma, rich cinnamon and spice with caramel sweetness and, of course, pumpkin, is pleasant and evocative — it makes you think of those bright Arthur Rackham illustrations of the Fezziwig's party in A Christmas Carol, or holiday feasts in a Norman Rockwell painting. There is something quaint and lovely about it, something distinctly autumn, a comfort scent.

Hard Cider Review: Ace Pear

Sip a tasty Ace Pear Cider Ace Pear is the desert wine of ciders. If you haven't tried a hard pear cider (Woodchuck makes one), they are, in general, littler and sweeter than most apple ciders, crisper, and less tart. Ace is no different. It is, however, more golden than the norm, slightly heavier (although … Continue reading Hard Cider Review: Ace Pear →

Hard Cider Review: Crispin Browns Lane Imported English Cider

The taste of Crispin Browns Lane Imported English Cider is surprising. After the gentle sweetness of the Saint, I’d expected something similar from the Browns Lane. Not so much. The first taste is tart, mouth-puckeringly so. So much so that it look a few sips before I decided that I liked it. The sweetness that you expect from is there, certainly, but the sharp tartness almost (but not quite) overwhelms it. It’s not as refreshing as Crispin’s other ciders, but it has a dry, well, uniqueness that grew on me, sip by sip. It’s bitter; it’s sweet.

Beer Review: Baudelaire Saison Ale from Jolly Pumpkin Ales

The pleasantly strong and bready aroma is apparent as soon as the bottle is opened. It's wheaty and yeasty, with subtle hints of fruit—dried orange, maybe—and floral notes. It pours a ruby red (like roses, of course) with one of the thickest, creamiest heads I've ever encountered. It reminded me of a root beer float. The taste surprised me—it wasn't nearly as sweet as I was expecting, although there was a very subtle fruity, floral undertone. The hints of sweetness, as a matter of fact, came mostly in the very pleasant, lingering aftertaste. Almost like a white wine.

Beer Review: Saint Somewhere’s Lectio Divina

Try a tasty Saint Somewhere Lectio Divina First, I have to admit a hint of bias. I bought amy first Saint Somewhere's Lectio Divina at my neighborhood Candler Park Market because, quite frankly, I feel in love with the bottle. I know, I know. You can't judge a book by its cover and all that. But with a front label that suggests the idyllic whimsy of Maxfield Parrish and a lyrical back label that echoes, almost, the pen of my favorite poet, William Butler Yeats, they could have filled the thing with mule piss, and I would have been predisposed to like it. Thankfully, they did no such thing. The Belgian-style ale inside absolutely lives up to it packaging.

Beer Review: Abita Christmas Ale

Abita, a brewery in the New Orleans area, follows in the Samuel Adams tradition, making bold, small batch beers and ales with very distinctive bitter, hoppy tastes that are both unique and proudly American. Their Christmas Ale is no exception. My pal Mike Mikula, the brilliant cartoonist, introduced me to Abita Christmas Ale when he found Sweetwater Festival Ale a little too sweet for his tastes. While I am usually more fond of the sweeter and spicier winter ales, I have to admit, this is a mighty tasty alternative.

Beer Review: Sweetwater Festive Ale

This year, I was fortune enough to fine two (two!) favorite Christmas ales: Red Brick's Long John (reviewed yesterday) and Sweetwater's Festive Ale—both from my very own home town, Atlanta. As I mentioned, the annual arrivals of the Christmas/Festive/Winter ales at my local pubs are some of the most eagerly anticipated joys of the season for me. This is an especially good year for Christmas ale.

Beer Review: Red Brick Long John Winter Ale

Even allowing for regional bias (Red Brick is brewed here in my hometown of Atlanta), Red Brick's Long John is one of the best Festive/Winter/Christmas ales I've tried. It pours a nice deep burgundy color, with a rich head that thins to a nice lacing ... like frost on a window. The scent is bready and rich, and the taste is, well, festive. There are hints of cocoa and fruit, raisins, figs, and banana, and spices. The body is medium and smooth.

A Brace of Beer Reviews: Victory’s Moonglow and Old Chubb

Saturday afternoon, the only thing that made the Braves heart-rending loss tolerable was darn good company and a truly excellent beverage: Victory Brewing Company's Moonglow Weizenbock, It is without question one of the very best weizenbocks (a strong German style wheat beer—yeah, I had to look it up to be sure) I've ever tasted. Which is saying quite a lot, because honestly, I can't think when I've ever had a bad one. Put simply, Moonglow belongs on the shelf right next to my beloved Aventinus. It's that good. unday's much happier Braves game was accompanied by a lovely Scotch-style ale, Old Chubb. At first glance, it looks rather like the Moonglow—a dark amber brown with a thin, lacy head. It's one of the better Scotch Ales I've tried, one that brings back happy memories of McEwan's Scotch Ale, a dear old friend that's far too hard to find these days.

Beer Review: Claymore Scotch Ale

I first tried Great Divide Brewing Company's delicious Claymore Scotch Ale at Mac McGee's, one of the fine pubs here in Decatur (I've gone out on a limb and called the area that stretches from my beloved Marlay House and past Mac McGee's, The Brick Store, Leon's, and Twain's the very best pub crawl district … Continue reading Beer Review: Claymore Scotch Ale →

Left Hand Brewing Company’s Milk Stout

Try Left Hand Milk Stout Several months ago, I tried Left Hand Brewing Company's Milk Stout at the Decatur Craft Beer Festival, and it was love at first swallow. I was lucky enough to find it again at two of my favorite spots: The Marlay House Irish Pub (formerly the Grange Pub) in Decatur, and … Continue reading Left Hand Brewing Company’s Milk Stout →