Tag Archives: 21-40

Beer Reviews, NH Beer

820. Neighborhood Beer Company Alien Garden

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Neighborhood Beer Co Alien GardenThis may have been my favorite of the three beers I tried from Neighborhood Beer Company. They describe it as a light brown ale which is a fair description of the appearance but it certainly does not taste like an American Brown Ale.

Appearance is a deep copper which could be considered light brown with a finger thick white head. Aroma was pretty light but what was there was bready and pleasant. Taste was also malt forward but relatively light for a brown ale style. You don’t get the big roasted malt or nutty flavors often associated with a brown ale but you do get a malt forward beer that is super smooth and easy to drink.

Really enjoyable but from a style that I don’t drink often so not something that I will seek out again. 
Pros:
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 4.9% ABV
IBU (Bitterness): 35
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Neighborhood Beer Company
Brewers Description: Alien Garden Light Brown Ale is a smooth and refreshing style featuring a nice herbal finish. This well-balanced ale is made in the style of a Westphalian country ale from western Germany. A limited release style, get your Alien Garden now because it might never return.

Beer Reviews, NH Beer

810. Neighborhood Beer Company Hallowed Hammock Blonde Ale

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Neighborhood Beer Hallowed Hammock BlondeNeighborhood Beer Company recently opened their brewery and tasting room in Exeter, NH. Their focus is on authentic German style beers often made with a slight American twist. These are types of beers that are not brewed often in the US so don’t expect any American IPAs or DIPAs when you visit, at least to start.

This blonde ale is based on the traditional Kölsch style. It pours a clear yellow with minimal head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is sightly sweet with a bit of yeast and bready malts. Taste follows with a nice light body and low carbonation.

Overall an enjoyable first beer from NHBeerCo that won’t disappoint but also won’t get a lot of attention when so many are looking for the next big hoppy beer. 
Pros:
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 4.9% ABV
IBU (Bitterness): 24
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Neighborhood Beer Company
Brewers Description: Hallowed Hammock Blonde Ale is a smooth, easy-going pale ale based on the acclaimed Kölsch beers of Cologne, Germany. Clean tasting with subtle hints of caramel, vanilla and apricot as well as lingering notes of white wine from a scarce German hop variety, this beer is as easy drinking and relaxing as it gets. For the beer geeks amongst you, this full-flavored, hand-crafted ale has 4.9% ABV, 24 IBU, and 4 SRM.

Beer Reviews

743. Dogfish Head Positive Contact

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Dogfish Head Positive ContactMy third Dogfish Head beer in a row and another one that I was not all that impressed with. Positive Contact is a combination of beer and cider with apples and cayenne peppers, sounded interesting before I opened the bottle but what I got was not that enjoyable.

Appearance is a bright orange with a thick white head. I do not mind things floating in my beer but this one had as much as any beer I have ever tried with big chunks floating and sinking to the bottom of the glass. Aroma was almost entirely cider with a few other spices coming through, ot terrible but also not that enticing. Taste was very sweet and similar to Beer Thousand had lots of competing flavors with some spice, apples and a bit of a peppery kick at the end.

Overall I was disappointed in this beer as I had hoped for good things as I have started to really enjoy hard cider over the past several months and a mix of cider and beer sounded like a decent idea. 
Pros:
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 9.0% ABV
IBU (Bitterness): 26
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Dogfish Head
Brewers Description: A positive combination of Fuji cider, slow-roasted farro, a bit of cayenne and fresh cilantro.

This beer part of our Music Series of beers… this one is an amalgamation of hip-hop, beer, cider and a DIY culinary experience! Sam and Dan the Automator of Deltron 3030 teamed up to create Positive Contact, based on Dan’s favorite ingredients and Dogfish Head’s innovative brewing practices.

Named after a key track on the first album, Positive Contact is a 9% ABV hybrid of beer and cider brewed with Fuji apples, roasted farro, a handful of cayenne peppers and a late dose of fresh cilantro. This sweet-and-sour Belgian-ish brew is a light straw color with fruity, cider-like notes. The cayenne and alcohol give it a warming finish.

For the inaugural release (2012), the beer was packaged in a dynamic box set of six 750-ml champagne bottles, with a 10-inch vinyl EP of four new Deltron 3030 remixes created exclusively for this project, and a list of Deltron 3030-inspired recipes from a small group of renowned chefs. Subsequent releases did not include the vinyl or recipes.

Beer Reviews

742. Dogfish Head Beer Thousand

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Dogfish Head Beer ThousandI bought this beer because I was approaching my 1,000th check-in on Untappd (link to profile here) and it seemed appropriate to save my 1000th check-in for this beer. Unfortunately the beer did not warrant being chosen for such a big occasion.

Beer Thousand uses 10 different grains in the malt bill along with 10 different hop varieties and has an ABV of 10%. This sounds like it should create an incredibly complex and tasty brew however the result is a little bit of everything with lots of combating flavors. Instead of working together to create something flavorful and unique the flavors seem to cancel each other out. Aroma may be the best part with lots of malt, some sweet honey and green apple. Taste is where it falls apart with many competing flavors and a fair amount of alcohol burn. Finish is a bit harsh and while I did finish the beer I was not all that impressed and glad I only bought a single 12 oz bottle. 
Pros:
Cons: Flavors compete instead of complementing each other
Alcohol Content: 10.0% ABV
IBU (Bitterness): 31
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Dogfish Head
Brewers Description: Through two decades of epic live performances, ups and downs, breakups and reunions, self-financed basement sessions and major-label releases, there’s been one constant for indie legends Guided by Voices: lots and lots of American lager.

To celebrate the band’s independent spirit and the 20th anniversary of the classic album Bee Thousand, Dogfish Head has brewed the bracing but highly quaffable BEER Thousand. This imperial lager includes 10 grains and 10 hop varieties and clocks in at 10% ABV.

10x10x10 = BEER Thousand.

No sipper, BEER Thousand looks like a light lager and has much of the light lager recipe DNA but it is amplified like a barleywine. Fleeting fruit notes in the aroma give way to a sweet and malty flavor and a clean, warm finish. It goes down perfectly between barrages of low-fi 90-second jams.

“I can’t believe it’s been 20 years,” says GBV frontman Robert Pollard. “But I’ll drink to that.”

BY THE NUMBERS

10 grains: 2-row pale malt, 6-row pale malt, Corn, Rice, Wheat, Dark Munich malt, Carapils malt, Light caramel malt, Dark caramel malt, Flaked barley

10 hops: Warrior, CTZ, Simcoe. Cluster, Galena, Galaxy, Centennial, Willamette, Cascade, Vanguard

Beer Reviews

741. Dogfish Head Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew

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Dogfish Head Bitches BrewFor Christmas I finally got a Dogfish Head glass so I decided it was a good time to open some bottles that have been in the fridge for a while. This bottle is probably two years old. I have had it on tap a couple of times and while I enjoyed the beer it was not something I needed to open and review immediately.

Bitches Brew is an incredibly complex beer, brewers description includes the following “a fusion of three threads of imperial stout one thread of honey beer with gesho root.” Appearance is dark brown with a relatively thin tan head, what I would expect from an Imperial Stout. Aroma is sweet chocolate, coffee and something else I cannot identify. Taste has the same chocolate, only a very light hint of coffee (which is good as I do not enjoy coffee), dark fruits and a slight bitterness which seemed a bit odd. This beer changed quite a bit as it warmed so I would recommend opening and sipping it for at least an hour to get the full depth of aroma and flavor.

A very good beer that is worth picking up if you see it your local bottle shop.  
Pros: Complex aroma and flavor
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 9.0% ABV
IBU (Bitterness): 38
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Dogfish Head
Brewers Description: In honor of the 40th anniversary of the original release of Bitches Brew, Miles Davis’ 1970 paradigm-shifting landmark fusion breakthrough, we’ve created our own Bitches Brew — a dark beer that’s a fusion of three threads of imperial stout and one thread of honey beer with gesho root. It’s a gustatory analog to Miles’ masterpiece.

Featuring the album’s iconic artwork, created by the late Mati Klarwein, on its label, Dogfish Head’s Bitches Brew was unveiled at SAVOR, An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, on June 5, 2010, at the National Building Museum, Washington DC.

Continue reading 741. Dogfish Head Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew →

Beer Reviews, Maine Beer

683. Foundation Brewing Wanderlust #1

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Foundation WanderlustWanderlust is Foundation Brewing’s summer seasonal and their third beer released to distribution. There have been numerous other brewery only releases available for sampling but this is one of three that made it out to bars and restaurants. Both prior beers; Blaze and Eddy were excellent and Wanderlust continues down this path.

The beer pours a nice golden color and is slightly cloudy. A nice white head that left plenty of lacing on the glass. Aroma is fruity with the peach/mango that the brewer mentions in the notes below. Taste follows with the same fresh fruit flavors with almost no bitterness.

Wanderlust is incredibly drinkable and one of the best summer beers available in Maine. I really hope that Foundation starts packaging their beer in the near future as I would love to be able to pick this up at my local beer shop.
Pros: Flavorful, drinkable, low ABV
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 4.3% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 26
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Foundation Brewing
Brewers Description: Wanderlust has a fresh aroma, reminiscent of peach and tropical fruit, and a juicy flavor highlighted by peach, mango and pine. The finish is crisp, dry, with a hint of sweet cereal grains, making it perfect for the warm weather we’ve been waiting so long for.

Wanderlust was first served in the tasting room in April 2014, and will be released for distribution in May 2014.

Beer Reviews, Vermont Beer

652. Burlington Beer Hills and Hollows

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Burlington Beer Hills and HollowsI couldn’t leave Burlington Beer with only one growler so I opted to get a one liter of their pale ale, Hills and Hollows.

This beer pours a deep orange color with a two finger white head. Aroma is mild with some malt coming through and a bit of floral hop. Taste starts sweet and finished with a light citrus hop flavor that lingers.

This is described as a hoppy pale ale and while it certainly had some hops in there it is hard to compare it to Edward from Hill Farmstead or Mo from Maine Beer Company. That said this was the first batch of Hills and Hollows on the new system for Joe so I think he will continue to dial it in a bit. An excellent beer that I expect will get better in the coming months.
Pros: 
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 5.2% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 40
Rating: ★★★☆
Brewers Website: Burlington Beer
Brewers Description: Hills and Hollows is a fantastic mix of an IPA with the full body of a pale ale. It’s perfect on summer and fall days in the sun.

A 21st Century style Pale Ale with the hop aroma and flavor of an IPA and the body of a pale ale.

Beer Reviews, Maine Beer

623. Banded Horn Brewing Pepperell Pilsner

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Banded Horn PilsnerPilsner is a style the craft beer industry has not embraced. There are very few of them out there and even fewer that are worth drinking. Thankfully Ian from Banded Horn produced a great one that will be a mainstay at many family gatherings this summer.

Pepperell Pils pours a very pale yellow with a thin white head. Aroma is mild with a light grain and earth. Taste is excellent with a nice grassy start and slightly bitter finish. Light, crisp and extremely easy to drink.

Even if you do not normally enjoy the style please give this one a try.
Pros: Extremely drinkable
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 4.6% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 38
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Banded Horn
Brewers Description: Unfiltered German Pilsener, or Keller Pils. Light and extremely drinkable. Malt is fresh and bready, with an aroma that only comes from a true lager. Hops are sharp, noble, and spicy, with a deep herbal touch. Dry, crisp, and hoppy. Perfect session beer.

Beer Reviews, Vermont Beer

600. Otter Creek Hop Session Ale

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Otter CreekThis beer should combine two of my favorite things; hops and a low ABV beer (session ale). Lots of breweries have jumped on the hoppy session beer lately including Founders All Day IPA, Lagunitas DayTime and more recently Stone’s Go To IPA (which I have not tried yet). Unlike these others Otter Creek decided to make theirs a pale and release it during the winter. Seems like a spring/summer would have been better timing for this beer.

Hop Session pours a nice orange color with a single finger white head. Aroma is mostly grassy hops and fairly mild. Taste was OK with slight citrus and floral flavors. Seemed a bit watered down which is not that uncommon for low ABV beers.

Hop Session Ale is an average beer that I enjoyed while drinking but would not seek out again, 
Pros: 
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 4.25% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 35
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Otter Creek
Brewers Description: 

Beer Reviews, NH Beer

597. Out.Haus Ales Pale Ale

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Out.Haus Ales PaleThis is my first beer from Out.Haus ales a tiny one barrel brewery located in Northwood, NH. The brewery does not have on site tastings or tours but you can find bottles at many craft beer stores in New Hampshire. Their Facebook page has the details on what stores carry their product. All bottles are 22 ounce bombers with a simple lable showing the style and company logo.

The pale ale pours a nice clear orange with a two finger off white head. Aroma is nice but has a lot of malt and very little hops. Taste follows but does have a nice light earthly hop flavor to it. Still malt dominant but overall it works for this beer.

Pretty impressed with the first offering from this tiny brewery and will certainly give some of their other beers a try in the coming months.
Pros: 
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 5.1% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 40
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Out.Haus Ales
Brewers Description: